City schools have the upper hand

A recently released report confirms the long-held belief that the city schools’ special tax gives the district more spending flexibility than county schools — possibly throwing support behind the idea of a school merger.

According to a report conducted by Madeleine Grumet, a professor at the University’s School of Education, the tax brings in about $12 million not available to Orange County Schools.

The Orange County Board of Commissioners requested the report, which was prepared after interviews with principals at every school in each district and meetings with school and local officials. The commissioners discussed the report Tuesday.

Officials in both school districts and the county said the report provided few unexpected results.

“I believe the conclusions that were drawn were not surprises,” said city schools Superintendent Neil Pedersen.

County Commissioners Chairman Moses Carey Jr. said he was also aware of much of what was stated in the report.

He said he already knew county schools lacked necessary funding. Carey often has cited that inequity to make a case for merger, which he first proposed in 2003.

“I thought she was right on the money,” Carey said of Grumet’s report. “She made some very good conclusions.”

Officials say that lack of surprise provides proof of existing problems.

Pedersen said both school boards and the commissioners will use information from the report as evidence in future discussions.

“The report provides the documentation and the data for what we’ve known for quite a long time,” said Anne D’Annunzio, spokeswoman for county schools.

The report recommends, among other things, increasing the number of social workers and resources available to exceptional children in the county. It also suggests having subject-area specialists from city schools work with county schools.

D’Annunzio said district officials are aware of such needs and are trying to align them with their budget requests to county leaders.

She said the district is asking for an additional social worker and psychologist in its budget requests, which are still being drafted.

Carey said the commissioners will discuss whether they can meet the requests when they begin budget discussions later this spring.

“We need additional resources,” D’Annunzio said, adding that as standards are continually raised, the district faces more and more challenges in providing for its students.

The problem, she said, is especially evident as students move from elementary to middle school.

According to the report, End-of-Grade proficiency test scores demonstrate that the literacy achievement of elementary school students in both districts is comparable.

“This parity in achievement at the elementary school level raises the question of what further resources are necessary to support the learning of OCS students as they make the transitions from elementary school to middle school and high school,” the report states.

But the report’s conclusions related to funding might have the most long-term impact.

Carey said it’s clear that funding needs to be increased for county schools without harming city schools financially.

He said he thinks a merger would eliminate many of the equity problems — but he added that if the districts continue as separate entities, the risk of disparity remains.

The commissioners were waiting for Grumet’s report before proceeding with discussions of a possible merger of the two districts, though local officials have had a series of meetings to discuss collaboration between school districts.

Carey said a discussion of the report and its recommendations would occur in the near future.

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.