TITLE
Title
ADOPT RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING PRIORITIZATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Commissioner MaryBeth Murphy
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RESOLUTION
Resolution
Resolution to Prioritize Public Schools in
2023-25 Biennial Budget
WHEREAS, the state of North Carolina is consistently ranked high nationally for its healthy business climate and was recently ranked the #1 state for business; and
WHEREAS, to maintain North Carolina’s economic competitiveness, our state needs a well-educated workforce that can fill the jobs available today and the ones created tomorrow; and
WHEREAS, a strong K-12 public education system is key to North Carolina’s continued success, and to ensuring our students are fully prepared to participate in that workforce and are well-informed, contributing members of their communities; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina’s constitution requires the state to ensure that all children have the opportunity to receive a sound, basic education; and
WHEREAS, public education is one of the most important investments the state makes; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly is currently finalizing a state budget for the 2023-25 biennium; and
WHEREAS, the classroom teacher is one of the most important factors in student success; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina is currently facing a teacher shortage crisis with more than 5,000 teacher vacancies, leaving tens of thousands of students without a qualified teacher and putting those students’ success at risk; and
WHEREAS, neighboring states have passed us in teacher pay, leaving North Carolina ranked 32nd nationally in average teacher pay and 46th nationally and 11th in the Southeast in beginning teacher pay, which is causing teachers to leave for other states and other jobs; and
WHEREAS, the Senate’s budget proposal includes a 4.5% salary increase for teachers over the biennium, including only $250 over two years for veteran teachers; and the House budget proposal includes a 10% salary increase for teachers over the biennium; and
WHEREAS, our public schools need significant increases in funding to provide competitive pay to successfully recruit and retain qualified teachers and educational support staff; and
WHEREAS, when the State’s budget does not include sufficient funding for teachers and educational support staff, local governments are faced with an undue burden to stretch local tax dollars to address the shortfalls; and
WHEREAS, investment in early childhood education and child care helps to set young children on a path to success in school and life, allows parents to go to work, and helps businesses find and keep employees; and
WHEREAS, a recent NC Chamber Foundation survey found that 80% of North Carolina voters say the lack of child care is a problem that will not solve itself and that improving quality and making child care more affordable is a good use of taxpayer money, and also found that 87% of voters say taking action to ensure more working families have access to affordable, quality child care should be an important priority for North Carolina this year; and
WHEREAS, the Senate budget proposal includes no state funding for child care stabilization grants or the expansion of Smart Start or NC Pre-K, and the House budget proposal includes only minimal funding to increase the child care subsidy rate and for expansion of Smart Start; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina parents already have great choices when it comes to their child’s K-12 education, including public schools, public charter schools, homeschooling, or private schools; and
WHEREAS, when parents are presented with these various options, parents overwhelmingly choose to send their children to public schools as nearly 8 in 10 of North Carolina’s school-aged children attend public schools; and
WHEREAS, the state’s private school voucher program, the Opportunity Scholarship program, currently provides taxpayer funding to students from low- to moderate-income families to attend a K-12 private school; and
WHEREAS, bills in the House and Senate and the Senate’s budget proposal are seeking to drastically expand the private school voucher program by opening eligibility for the program to all students, regardless of family income or if the student currently attends a private school; and
WHEREAS, expanding the private school voucher program in this extreme way will result in steep cuts to our public schools, harming the educational opportunities for students, especially those from rural and lower income communities; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship Program does not require rigorous evaluation of student performance.
NOW THERFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
That the Guilford County Board of Commissioners joins with the Guilford County Board of Education in its request that the North Carolina General Assembly prioritize our public schools by:
1. Making significant investments in teacher salary increases in the 2023-25 Biennial Budget to make North Carolina one of the top states in the Southeast in average teacher pay and educational support staff pay; and
2. Making significant investments in early childhood education and child care through more funding for child care stabilization grants, child care subsidies, and NC Pre-K and Smart Start; and
3. Increasing accountability for private schools participating in the Opportunity Scholarship Program and rejecting the unlimited expansion of the state’s private school voucher program that takes significant funding away from public education.
Adopted by the Guilford County Board of Commissioners this 15th day of June 2023.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and cause the corporate seal of the County of Guilford to be affixed, this the 15th day of June 2023.
Melvin “Skip” Alston, Chairman Guilford County Board of Commissioners
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Adopt Resolution encouraging the North Carolina General Assembly to prioritize our public schools in the 2023-25 Biennial Budget; and direct the Clerk's office to forward a certified copy of the adopted resolution to the Guilford County Delegation.
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