Re: School Bond— Insights from an Architect

[Jamezetta Bedford]

Ms. Charlton,

On behalf of the Board of Orange County Commissioners, thank you for emailing us about your concerns.

The consultant's study recommends a sequence of new schools, major renovations, and also safety and essential updates for all schools in both school districts in our county. The study provides dollar estimates as well. In NC, the county commission is mandated legal responsibility for funding school facilities.

Under project based funding the county commissioners will approve each major project such as new middle school #5 for CHCCS and a new elementary school for Orange County Schools. Specifically for CHCCS, the bond covers a new middle school, major renovation of Carrboro Elementary and Culbreth Middle, and the basic essential maintenance for every school in the first ten years.  Each school board decides the programming at each of their schools, not the BOCC. The Superintendent brings recommendations forward to the school board who make those decisions. These would include district level programs like dual language, exceptional children's system level classes and pre-k classes. The school boards also approve curriculum, school boundaries/districting and make those types of major policy decisions. Walk zones are part of the considerations of the board of education. You can email the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board at allboar...@chccs.k12.nc.us  

I add that our goal is to have a plan for which facilities are built or renovated and in what order, but we have to be flexible because major systems like HVACs don't always follow the warranty timelines and break out of order, or enrollment patterns change, a different wave of refugees may arrive, etc. 

We are happy to answer any questions about the school bond. There was a hearing on the bond, June 4, 7:00 at the Whitted Building in Hillsborough. The CHCCS Board chair spoke later in the evening on agenda item establishing a Framework for School Bond Projects and Capital Funding,  that they will be working on their plan. The BOCC committed to meeting asap should the school boards bring changes/updates. The framework calls for at least annual updates too. 

In the consultant's report, Estes Hills is recommended to be replaced. Replaced can be at the same site or a different site. "Consolidated" means closed. The school board has not made a recommendation on whether as a K-8 school or on the same site, but flipped with Phillips, or what option. Given the large number of schools that will have high index numbers over the next ten years, even with their basic high priority needs funded, the school board does have some flexibility, and the BOCC is willing to hear options that follow the concepts of the plan.  The current approval is for a new middle, replace Carrboro, close FPG and renovate Culbreth. I expect this to change after the last school board meeting June 6 when the school board asked for additional scenarios to be brought forward. They will meet June 20 and will continue their discussions at follow-up meeting(s). 

Sincerely,

Jamezetta Bedford, Chair BOCC

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From: Bronwyn Charlton <bronwyn....@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2024 9:35 AM
To: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: [EXTERNAL MAIL!] School Bond— Insights from an Architect

 

Dear BOCC,

Thank you for taking the time to listen to our community. It is encouraging to hear that the board is open to consideration of the concerns people have identified with the school bond proposal. Something as important to our community as the school system cannot only be evaluated through a financial lens—although the system has to be financially sustainable, the factors that are weighed in that analysis must be broader.

Others have talked eloquently about the impacts of the proposal on the community. I would like to raise some concerns/opportunities through my particular professional lens. 

As a practicing architect, I am disappointed by the paucity of options for our school buildings identified in the Woolpert plan. I understand the nature of this undertaking well having conducted many studies myself. I know it is not possible this early in the process to capture all of the important information, and that the Woolpert plan is intended to help set early priorities. This is the key word — early. This report is not robust enough to determine the future of our entire district. It does not consider so much: urban development patterns, community fabric, environmental concerns, equity in access, cultural values, future growth, town investment, mental health, family support and more. 

The Woolpert plan begins with a blanket statement that renovation/repair+utilities is not cost effective compared to new building. While this is not entirely unfair through a perspective focused solely on building costs, it does not take into account financial costs born by the community both financial and experiential. Nor did the plan consider more creative options, such as energy retrofits for buildings that are otherwise in decent repair, for example at Estes Hills. 

On an urban planning scale, the plan makes a foolish miscalculation when it eliminates Estes. I am aware of the demographic shifts that have been occurring, but also know that there are numerous plans in place to counteract them. No town or city thrives when it becomes unaffordable to families and the town recognizes this. The town is implementing a capstone housing initiative to address the “missing middle” housing that specifically suits families of middle and lower income. They have facilitated greater opportunities for development (and we are seeing just the beginning of that endeavor) with new zoning codes and tax incentives. The main focus areas for development are along north Franklin, at both sides of the intersection of Estes and MLK, and the area around the Bolin Creek Trail/Hillsborough St/MLK. The results of these endeavors can already be seen in the Aura Development and the development occurring at University Mall, which both include extensive housing. Most of this focused development area is in the Estes school district. 

Estes Hills is on an East-West arterial between the two North South arterials (MLK and Franklin). It is an optimal location for a school as it is accessible from a large area. Public transit and planned rapid transit occurs both on MLK and Franklin (and both are walking distance from the school), making Estes very accessible by public transit over a large region. Estes is a Title 1 school, and it offers accessible access for students AND families of all income levels. It is so important to consider the accessibility of our schools in your plans to not just students via bussing but also families for participation in the school and the safety and well being of their children.

Estes also has the 2nd largest walk zone in the district and the largest in Chapel Hill. This is special, an ideal circumstance that supports Chapel Hill values of Complete Communities, environmental stewardship, mental health, and strong community ties. The recent multi-modal infrastructure investments along Estes drive reinforce these values. The public library and many amenities are centrally located and easily accessible from the site; this is the epitome of a walkable/livable community and an arrangement many communities pay millions to obtain through redesign efforts. It is a sustainable community, reflecting urban design best practices for livability. It is an optimally placed school right now and for the more densely developed future of Chapel Hill. It is extremely short-sited to consider removing the school without replacing it. With one stroke you could gut the most resilient and “complete” community in Chapel Hill.

You have a large and daunting task ahead of you as you weigh the options, and I am grateful for your efforts. I implore you to pause and take into account broader factors than the limited perspective the Woolpert report brings. We all want our public schools to thrive—please recognize how intimately the schools are connected to the community and the great harm you could do, and the long-term repercussions this could have if you make a the wrong move.

I would love to see our schools receive the support they need to thrive. Please let me know if I can be of any help to this endeavor, I am happy to volunteer my time or professional expertise.

My regards,

Bronwyn Charlton, AIA