Fully fund the OCS continuation budget

[Amy Kenyon]

Hello Orange County Commissioners,

I know you are meeting tonight for one of several public sessions about next year's budget. I’m asking you to fully fund the Orange County Schools continuation budget.

This is not an expansion request. This is the minimum needed to maintain staffing and services while Orange County Schools continue losing state funding through charter enrollment shifts that disproportionately impact OCS.

Right now, our district cannot competitively pay teachers, classified staff, and bus drivers compared to neighboring districts. We all know what happens when we lose experienced educators: students pay the price.

I understand concerns about a property tax increase. But Orange County already has tax relief programs for low-income homeowners, and those protections should continue. We should not balance this budget on the backs of students and school staff because the state continues underfunding public education while expanding private school vouchers and cutting corporate taxes.

The County says education is a priority, yet the proposed budget falls short of the continuation requests and below the stated funding target for schools.

If public education is truly a priority in Orange County, this budget must reflect it.

Please fully fund the OCS continuation budget.

Thank you.

Amy Kenyon
Hillsborough, NC