Board calls for time to examine lottery

After much debate, several loaded silences and even a few heated comments, a meeting between school officials and county leaders left much to be decided.

The Orange County Board of Commissioners met Monday with the boards of education of the two school districts in Orange County - Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools - which it funds.

The three panels met to discuss the implications of the new state lottery system on local education, as well as the progress of construction projects under way at this time.

But not much was finalized at the end of the meeting. The commissioners explained to the school boards that they want to discuss the issue further before opening it publicly.

"I think you should know we will be discussing this issue, and we will be discussing it with you," said Alice Gordon, a member of the Board of Commissioners.

Board of Commissioners Chairman Moses Carey Jr. expressed guarded optimism about the new program.

"The state says it will provide a big benefit to education - we hope it will affect the system as they think it will," Carey said.

Ninety-five percent of the proceeds from the lottery - which was pitched as benefitting education reform - will go to the state school system.

Half that figure will go to elementary education, 10 percent will go to higher education scholarships and 40 percent will go to the Public School Building Capital Fund, which would supply monies for construction efforts in North Carolina counties. Orange County's projected benefit exceeds $2.6 million in 2006-07.

For now, however, Orange County is attempting to gather the necessary revenue to complete construction projects already under way.

City schools have already broken ground on a third high school in Carrboro, and county schools are constructing a third middle school in Hillsborough.

"We're currently clearing the site," said Neil Pederson, superintendent of city schools, of the newest high school. "It's pretty dramatic right now."

The third middle school to join the Orange County system is moving forward as well.

"It's very clear at this point that there is going to be a school there," said Shirley Carraway, superintendent of county schools.

The rising prices of steel and other construction materials are somewhat hindering progress, however, as are other outside factors.

Starting July 1, schools will no longer receive a refund on sales taxes.

"High school three is dependent on sales tax refund," Pederson said. "It's a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars."

The lottery was passed by the N.C. Senate 25-24 at the end of last month. North Carolina was the last East Coast state to make the move.

"North Carolina has had a lottery for some time. It's just that it was run by South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee," said N.C. Rep. Bill Faison, D-Orange.

He said the now-formal state lottery will add much-needed support to underprivileged children and construction.

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.