Board reviews capital improvement plan and county collaboration; public calls for more transparency on bond and PAYGO spending

District staff reviewed the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools capital improvement plan (CIP) and described ongoing coordination with Orange County on project management, communications and budgeting.

Staff said the district and county have discussed whether an outside project-management firm should assist with school replacement projects and that the county appears “not moving in that direction” but is exploring communication structures to bring district and county staff together. District staff also said the county manager's office is expected to recommend the CIP as submitted to the county commissioners next month.

At public comment, Carrie Hamill asked that any interlocal agreement or collaboration mechanism include more public-facing detail about how both voted (bond) debt and nonvoted (PAYGO) money are spent. "Right now I am not able with any confidence to know where this money is spent," Hamill said, and she urged more transparent figures from both school districts.

Why it matters: The CIP governs the timing and funding of major facilities projects, including school replacements funded by voter-approved bond dollars. Public expectations about how bond and PAYGO funds are tracked and reported influenced the discussion.

Staff said they will return to the board with proposals for an intergovernmental communications structure and any recommended contract actions associated with facilities work. The district plans further community engagement as projects move from planning to execution.