2024 School Bond Referendum
We want our community to be informed about the school bond referendum that was approved by Orange County voters during the 2024 general election.
Results of the 2024 School Bond Referendum
Orange County voters supported the Orange County School Bond referendum In the 2024 general election to fund school replacements, renovations, and repairs with general obligation (GO) bonds totaling $300 million. Over two-thirds voted in favor of the bond to fund priority capital projects identified by Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro County Schools, scheduled over the next ten years starting in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
What Is a School Bond?
All facilities deteriorate with time and use. Older schools need repair, modernization, and, in some cases, replacement to create learning environments that meet current standards and support modern educational programs and services. State law requires County governments to fund public school facilities. In a bond referendum, voters have the power to decide if a government should be authorized to raise funds through the issuance of general obligation (GO) bonds. Funds from this school bond are restricted to be used exclusively for school facilities, and cannot be used to pay off existing debt.
What Is Included in the School Bond?
Of the $300 million school facility bond, Orange County Schools (OCS) will receive approximately $125 million and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) will receive approximately $175 million. The split in funding is based on the cost of major projects and high priority needs prioritized in the facility study provided to Orange County. The proportion of funding allocated to each district is also approximately equal to each district’s share of total student enrollment. Based on the priorities identified in the facility report, the School Districts identified priority projects that could be funded with the bond proceeds.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
- Replacement of Carrboro Elementary
- Replacement of Estes Hills Elementary
- Replacement of Frank Porter Graham Elementary
Orange County Schools
- Replacement Elementary School
- Replacement of Orange Middle School
- Major renovation/addition project
What Happens Next?
The first projects would be expected to be initiated in fiscal year 2025-26. That means that the County will authorize funding for projects that are ready to proceed to the design and construction process. Depending on the complexity of the project, the project may take several years to complete once funding is authorized.
Visit the Orange County Board of Education website and see updates (below) for the OCS Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and School Bond project priorities, presented to our Board and county commissioners:
ocs capital improvement plan update
ocs school bond priority update
Work on these projects will not begin immediately. All work will proceed according to the priorities established by Orange County Schools and according to funding authorized by the County.
We will continue to update our community to share news about our progress on projects prioritized by the Board and funded by the taxpayers of our County.
last updated: November 6, 2024