When the Orange County Board of Commissioners sets its final budget, the board should prioritize the request for additional money from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Budgets are obviously tight at every level of government, and commissioners will undoubtedly have too few dollars to fill every request.
It might not be possible to fund the full amount the schools requested. However, cuts don’t have to be the same across the board — and if anything in this county should made a priority, it’s education.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is asking county officials today for a $5.4 million increase in funding — an eight percent increase compared to its current budget.
More than a third of the increase would go toward finishing construction on Northside Elementary. The addition of this school — built with many environmentally friendly features — would reduce classroom crowding in other local schools. This will greatly improve the educational experience for students in the entire school system.
While this school system serves a significant number of the state’s high-achieving students, it also serves those that require much more support.
Last week, Equal Opportunity Schools, a Seattle-based organization, selected CHCCS to receive research and capacity-building support to close the achievement gap for minority and low-income students. Considering this gap has persisted for decades, we should prioritize investing in schools as they try to overcome it and promote education equity.
These students will be the state’s and the county’s next leaders — they’re worth the investment.
