Bond Referendum for CHCCS and Orange County Schools
Laura Johnson
Dear Orange County Board of Commissioners,
I have recently become aware of the proposed $300 million bond referendum for CHCCS and Orange County Schools. While I strongly advocate for investing in public education and improving our school infrastructure, I am reaching out to express my concerns about the current proposal. I strongly urge you to reconsider placing this referendum on the ballot until a more equitable and environmentally conscious plan is developed; one in which community stakeholders are involved.
The plan presented by the consulting firm, Woolpert, solely focuses on school facilities without taking into account crucial factors such as environmental impact, equity, transportation studies, mental health considerations, educational quality, and community input. This proposal as it stands leaves many of us not able to vote yes for something so important to our values, because it is short-sighted and one-sided and doesn’t continue to bring the values into our society ,which is the reason that the triangle area is one of the most sought after places to live in the USA. This plan needs to look ahead to the next 50 years of incredible public education.
While I have several reservations about the current proposal, I would like to highlight three major concerns:
Environmental Sustainability - Walkability and Bikeability: McDougle Elementary and Middle School encompass the largest walk zone in our district, spanning 1.77 square miles. Currently 3 buses are serving all of McDougle Elementary School while Frank Porter Graham (a Dual Language school) needs 9 buses. Thus we are cannibalizing our largest walk zone in our district for the highest needs bus program. To further this, Estes Hills Elementary has the 2nd largest walk zone in the district. The town of Chapel Hill has put a large investment into Estes and a new sidewalk and to take that school completely offline without thought or collaboration from the Town of Chapel Hill is beyond short sighted. There is new transportation going into MLK, there is new housing on the corner of Estes and MLK. Estes Hills Elementary is a well placed elementary school that will easily get up to capacity in the next 5 years and 100% up to capacity in the next 10 years. Relocating elementary students from McDougle to schools with available capacity would necessitate the introduction of additional bus routes. Relocating Estes to other schools will utilize the need for more bus routes. This contradicts our community's commitment to combating climate change and undermines the principles of the NCDOT’s Safe Routes to School program.
Equity - Placing the district’s sole Spanish Dual Language program on the outskirts of the school district poses a significant equity concern. For instance, students residing near Rashkis or Ephesus would face a 20-minute commute to school. Families lacking transportation resources would be dependent on the bus system, resulting in early morning commutes for students. This arrangement disproportionately burdens certain segments of our student population and undermines the principle of equitable access to education.
Fiscal Irresponsibility - The proposal was only looked at through the eyes of facilities. It doesn’t take into consideration the investments done by the town to support our infrastructure. It also doesn't seem to look at a long term plan for education needs. Furthermore, specific to Culbreth Middle School, in 2013 there was a 4.9M dollar investment into the new science wing for that school. This past summer, with many of the schools in the district, the gym floors at Culbreth were redone. The plan to completely tear down Culbreth to replace it is pure fiscal irresponsibility. The facility managers seem to be blindly focused on rebuilding versus renovating at the cost and disruption of our school communities. To bulldoze our baseball fields and other athletic spaces does not take advantage of existing infrastructure of the current school footprint. It is probably the MOST EXPENSIVE option, and again after millions of dollars have gone into Culbreth as improvements. It is unclear whether Woolpert planners, or even the new CHCCS facility planners are aware of these improvements. It is telling that in the 2022 facilities plan Culbreth was not even in the top 5 of problem schools! To completely dismantle Culbreth and its athletic facilities makes no sense and doesn’t pass, what lawyers call, the sniff test. We of course support upgrades to the Culbreth campus and proper renovations. This not only makes fiscal sense, but it builds upon the investments our town has already made and doesn’t waste good resources that already exist. This would also have less impact on the Culbreth students and families.
I believe that our school system can achieve its objectives through alternative solutions. One potential approach is to utilize the land and existing facilities at the Lincoln Center to establish a new Spanish Dual Language elementary school. Situating this school centrally within the district would promote equity and ensure accessibility for all students, regardless of their place of residence. Such a solution would minimize disruption to students' education while also addressing existing concerns. Another suggestion is to move dual language to Morris Grove Elementary. I have seen other ideas and models put forward and collectively we as a community need to select one that creates more community schools, more walkable/bikeable schools, serves equity and continues to support sustainability. As a Multilingual Learner teacher myself, I also question why the moving of DL has become the most important item for the entire district.
I implore you to refrain from advancing the bond proposal to the ballot until it has undergone thorough community vetting and comprehensive consideration of equity and environmental factors. It is imperative to speak with the Town of Chapel HIll, Town Of Carrboro, teachers, parents that live in this community, and others to create the best possible plan. Without meaningful revisions to the plan, I am unable to support the $300 million school bond proposal.
Sincerely,
All mail correspondence to and from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law, which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement.
Jamezetta Bedford
Sent: Tuesday, June 4, 2024 2:43 PM
To: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: [EXTERNAL MAIL!] Bond Referendum for CHCCS and Orange County Schools