Commissioners discuss SAPFO

SAPFO is a cooperative effort to pace development of school facilities with expected population growth.

Alice Gordon, Orange County commissioner and the chairwoman of the Schools and Land Use councils, crafted the ordinance. Gordon said she is optimistic about the eventual passage of the ordinance.

"I think the board is generally positive, but there might be specific questions (about the ordinance)," she said.

"We need a plan to have schools in place, to pace growth and development with school construction."

Craig Benedict, Orange County planning director, said the purpose of the discussion was to determine where the board is in the process of implementation.

By Nov. 15, the Orange County school district will have provided membership data and the school boards and commissioners will have reported capacity figures to the Planners and Schools Technical Advisory Committee. The committee will then update membership, building capacity and student generation rates to recalculate student population projections.

The commissioners will either certify system projections and results or send the ordinance back to the committee for further review.

Commissioner Steve Halkiotis said the ordinance has progressed well.

"It's come a long way since our initial meetings," he said.

Although many of the commissioners said they were happy with the ordinance and the progress of implementation, others expressed concerns.

Commissioners Chairman Barry Jacobs, though he supports the ordinance, wanted to know if political decisions in Washington, D.C., and Raleigh would affect the ordinance and projected growth size.

With smaller class size, the schools would have an even more limited building capacity for students.

"If Washington is wanting to lower class size, it would seem our planning is running counter to the trend," he said.

County Manager John Link said the school board and commissioners understand that there are only three or four schools that are overcrowded and that measures are based on levels of service.

"We need make it clear that we are pursuing a systemwide process. We need to make decisions on fact, not perception."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.