Thank you to nearly 400 individuals who completed our community input survey between February 13 and March 4, 2025. Students, families, staff, and members of our community shared what they want to see in school construction projects over the next ten years, starting with the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Those results will be presented to the Board of Education in March 2025.

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.

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.

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

2024 General Election, Election Day November 4

In the 2024 general election, Orange County voters will consider a referendum to fund school replacements, renovations, and repairs with general obligation (GO) bonds totaling $300 million for both Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. All Orange County voters can cast a vote in the school bond referendum.

• Early voting starts on Thursday, October 17. 
• Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.
• Click here for early voting information.
• Click here to view sample ballots.

How to Vote

To cast a vote in the school bond referendum during the 2024 general election, voters registered in Orange County will need to flip the paper ballot over. The school bond referendum is the last question on all versions of the ballot, printed on the back of the ballot at the bottom.

Click to see the ballot question for the 2024 School Bond Referendum

What Is a Bond Referendum?

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, the 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?

The County’s 10-year capital plan already includes $164 million for routine school facility improvements. A facility assessment requested by the County identified nearly $1 billion of improvements over the next fifteen years to bring facilities up to modern education standards. 

The Board of County Commissioners balanced the needs of the schools with the potential impact on taxpayers and agreed to place a 300-million-dollar bond referendum on the 2024 ballot as well as other funding strategies to maintain school facilities. Since the bond does not fund all the recommended improvements, the projects that this bond will fund reflect each district’s highest priority projects from the facility report. 

Based on current projections, the bond is projected to cost a property taxpayer $34.10 for every $100,000 of assessed property value. As an example, a taxpayer who owns property valued at $400,000 would see a county property tax increase of approximately $136.40 per year.

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

For More Information

Visit the Orange County Board of Education website and see the September 23, 2024 Bond Update to the Board.

We will continue updating this information to share with the Orange County Schools community through Election Day.

last updated: November 1, 2024

Public Input for School Bond Projects

Survey Closed, Engagement Sessions Complete

March 5, 2025

After two community engagement sessions and a survey period of over two weeks, OCS staff will report in March 2025 to the Board of Education about community input received between February 13 and March 4. Updates will be posted to the School Bond Updates landing page here on the OCS website.

Please see the initial announcement below, with select photos from input sessions at the Whitted Building on February 25 and March 3, 2025.

A parent speaks with architects on March 3, 2025.

A community member places a marker to indicate investment priorities during an activity on March 3, 2025.

Community members gave comments during engagement activities on March 3, 2025. This sheet of chart paper contains some of those comments.

February 13, 2025

Dear Orange County Schools Community,

Your voice matters!

OCS is preparing for school replacements, renovations, and repairs funded by general obligation (GO) bonds chosen by our community in the 2024 election. Projects funded by the bond and scheduled over the next 10 years will begin in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. 

We want to know:
What do you most want to see in our new or renovated school facilities?

Everyone in our community can participate in several ways. Join public input sessions. Take our public bond project survey. Review information shared with our Board of Education. This information and upcoming public forums are all open to every member of our community.

Community Input Sessions

Join public information nights and help OCS gather community input on Tuesday, February 25 and Monday, March 3, 2025 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Whitted Building, 300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough NC. 

Community Survey

Take our brief survey (5-10 minutes) to share your priorities for school construction projects that will help OCS complete replacements, renovations, and repairs with school bond funds over the next 10 years.

SURVEY LINK NOW CLOSED

See Public Information

Review updates to the Board of Education and see ongoing project proposals as OCS prepares for a 10-year construction schedule at multiple school sites, starting in the 2025-2026 school year: orangecountyfirst.com/schoolbond 

Thank you for participating, and for sharing this information with others.