Next Steps for Arts Wing
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Susana Dancy
Mar 24, 2009, 5:34:32 PM3/24/09
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Dear CHS Forum,
About a dozen parents and students showed up at the School Board meeting last week, and I was especially proud of the students who spoke during the public hearing. They were concise and articulate and did a great job representing Carrboro High School. Since then, a couple folks have asked for updates and some suggested next steps.
SUMMARY
The school board has moved the CHS Arts Wing to the top of its list of “unfunded” capital priorities. This means that the $34 million Elementary #11 is still the district’s top construction priority, and the County Commission voted in previous years that it would fund that project, starting next year. This means that the capital request for the Arts Wing goes next to the county board of commissioners, which whether to allocate funds for the wing. Capital requests come from all parts of the county: schools -- Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro — and from other departments, such as Parks & Rec. The county budget hearing will not occur until May (schedule below), and the vote is likely in early June. However, we should be working NOW to lay the groundwork for this line item.
NEXT STEPS
FIRST: Immediately, begin to engage the county commissioners in conversations about the importance of funding the Arts Wing. Explain to them the impact that this wing has on students and the quality of their education.
My approach will be to:
Here’s a link to the county commissioners’ contact information:
http://www.co.orange.nc.us/contact.htm
SECOND: Write concise letters to the editor — both from students and parents — encouraging the county commission to fund the Arts Wing. Letters should go to Chapel Hill News, Carrboro Citizen and Chapel Hill Herald. The more public this plea, the more effective. BE A SQUEAKY WHEEL.
THIRD: Show up at board meetings and public hearings. There were a good 40 people at the school board meeting from NAACP and they stayed for most of the meeting. Their presence clearly influenced the discussion at the meeting, even after their item had passed. If we do not have numbers at these meetings, we do not provide the board with the political cover they need to support our school.
For reference, here is the budget schedule, moving forward. I have noted which meetings allow public comment.
I hope all of this information isn’t overwhelming. We still have a long fight ahead of us, but I believe it is possible to get this to happen. After all, the Arts Wing is less than $6 million and the new elementary school is about $30 million.
Above all, speak up often. Respectfully, consistently and as publicly as possible.
Susana Dancy
225-7701
About a dozen parents and students showed up at the School Board meeting last week, and I was especially proud of the students who spoke during the public hearing. They were concise and articulate and did a great job representing Carrboro High School. Since then, a couple folks have asked for updates and some suggested next steps.
SUMMARY
The school board has moved the CHS Arts Wing to the top of its list of “unfunded” capital priorities. This means that the $34 million Elementary #11 is still the district’s top construction priority, and the County Commission voted in previous years that it would fund that project, starting next year. This means that the capital request for the Arts Wing goes next to the county board of commissioners, which whether to allocate funds for the wing. Capital requests come from all parts of the county: schools -- Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro — and from other departments, such as Parks & Rec. The county budget hearing will not occur until May (schedule below), and the vote is likely in early June. However, we should be working NOW to lay the groundwork for this line item.
NEXT STEPS
FIRST: Immediately, begin to engage the county commissioners in conversations about the importance of funding the Arts Wing. Explain to them the impact that this wing has on students and the quality of their education.
My approach will be to:
- Acknowledge the difficult tasks/choices that they have in front of them, especially this year.
- Ask them to fund the Arts Wing, expressing the urgency of this request.
- Suggest that — since it is an especially tight budget year — that they consider funding the Arts Wing, even if they have to postpone on the Elem. #11.
Here’s a link to the county commissioners’ contact information:
http://www.co.orange.nc.us/contact.htm
SECOND: Write concise letters to the editor — both from students and parents — encouraging the county commission to fund the Arts Wing. Letters should go to Chapel Hill News, Carrboro Citizen and Chapel Hill Herald. The more public this plea, the more effective. BE A SQUEAKY WHEEL.
THIRD: Show up at board meetings and public hearings. There were a good 40 people at the school board meeting from NAACP and they stayed for most of the meeting. Their presence clearly influenced the discussion at the meeting, even after their item had passed. If we do not have numbers at these meetings, we do not provide the board with the political cover they need to support our school.
For reference, here is the budget schedule, moving forward. I have noted which meetings allow public comment.
April 2, 2009 - School Board adopts budget request, Town Hall, Chapel Hill, NC at 7:00 pm PUBLIC COMMENT ALLOWED
April 10, 2009 Superintendent submits budget request to County Manager
April 28, 2009 Present budget to BOCC at joint meeting of school boards at
Southern Human Services on Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC at
7:00 pm NO PUBLIC COMMENT
May 12, 2009 County Commissioners’ Budget Work Session, Link Government
Services Center, Hillsborough, NC at 7:00 pm NO PUBLIC COMMENT
May 19, 2009 County Commissioners’ Regular Meeting (with budget
presentation), Southern Human Services Center on Homestead
Road, Chapel Hill, NC at 7:00 pm PUBLIC COMMENT ALLOWED
May 21, 2009 County Commissioners’ Budget Public Hearing, Central Orange
Senior Center in Hillsborough, NC at 7:00 pm PUBLIC COMMENT ALLOWED
May 26, 2009 County Commissioners’ Budget Public Hearing, Southern Human
Services on Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC at 7:00 pm PUBLIC COMMENT ALLOWED
May 28, 2009 County Commissioners’ Budget Work Session, Southern Human
Services on Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC at 7:00 pm NO PUBLIC COMMENT
June 4, 2009 County Commissioners’ Budget Work Session, Southern Human
Services on Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC at 7:00 pm NO PUBLIC COMMENT
June 9, 2009 County Commissioners’ Budget Work Session, Link Government
Services Center, Hillsborough, NC at 7:00 pm NO PUBLIC COMMENT
June 16, 2009 County Commissioners’ approve budget at regular meeting,
Southern Human Services on Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC at 7:00 pm PUBLIC COMMENT ALLOWED
I hope all of this information isn’t overwhelming. We still have a long fight ahead of us, but I believe it is possible to get this to happen. After all, the Arts Wing is less than $6 million and the new elementary school is about $30 million.
Above all, speak up often. Respectfully, consistently and as publicly as possible.
Susana Dancy
225-7701
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