Re: Closure of Estes School

[Jamezetta Bedford]

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: cost...@gmail.com <cost...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2024 11:14 AM
To: allboar...@chccs.k12.nc.us <allboar...@chccs.k12.nc.us>
Cc: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: [EXTERNAL MAIL!] Closure of Estes School

 

Dear Board Members and Commissioners:

We submit this letter in support of the Estes Hills School community efforts to retain Estes Hills School as a key component of our community. My family has lived in Lake Forest for nearly 40 years, and each of our five children attended Estes Hills School enroute to graduating from either CHHS or ECHHS. We found that Estes Hills School has always worked closely with the local community to foster a nurturing learning environment that was foundational to the public school education each of our children experienced. Estes Hills and Phillips Middle schools were a major element in our decision to buy our home in the Lake Forest area in 1985.

Frankly, the edifice of the Estes Hills facility seemed old in 1985 when our kids started attending the school. However, the physical structure did not make the school, but rather it was the fabric woven from the relationship of the school leadership and teachers with the students, parents, and community that fostered growth and love of learning. This relationship was approachable, respectful, and family-oriented. The building may need to be replaced, but in our view, dispersing students to other schools, even temporarily, is not in the the best interests of anyone - especially the children.

I believe CH has the rare opportunity to blend the building of a new school within the existing complex of Estes Hills and Phillips. Presently, we have grandchildren attending Hampstead Hill School in Baltimore where a major addition (nearly doubling the footprint) to the school is under construction and will incorporate the present playground. During this construction period, the adjacent city park is being used for recess and sports activities. The design plan includes the construction of a new playground on the roof of the school. This construction has occurred while school is in-session. Clearly, the whole process has some disruptions, but the school and school system of Baltimore has an effective plan. Surely, CH has the where-with-all to devise a similar plan.

Estes Hills School is fortunate to have a large play area and buffer which we believe can be used for new school construction while the existing school is in use - with appropriate safety barriers etc. Estes Hills is also very fortunate to have ready access to the Phillips ball fields and play-top for recess play; with reasonable planning, the complex can also harmonize common parking and drive through access for school buses and drop-offs. When completed, the old elementary school can be razed and refurbished for play areas, new parking, and buses. 

Yes, there will be disruption to the entire area, but the present Estes Rd. disruption, in part to ease commercial investments and sidewalk widening, clearly shows that a plan to sustain the Estes Hills School community can be accomplished with some planning and willingness. We believe the suggestion to disburse the children to several different elementary schools as part of a temporary or permanent solution is both short-sighted and a disservice to the families, as it will break apart the Estes Hills community. These children are still dealing with the emotional and logistical phases of COVID isolation and long-distance learning. We don't need to add the further challenge of a transfer to another school and separation from their friends to their education experiences.

Respectfully,

Daniel L. Costa
Maryanne G. Boundy