CHCCS School Year Begins Despite Budget Uncertainty, While Carrboro Studies Safe Routes To Schools

SCHOOLS

CHAPEL HILL – Carrboro and Chapel Hill students have been back in school since last week, even though the school district doesn’t have an approved 2025-26 budget. With the state budget in limbo, local school budgets are as well.

“Without the new state budget, there’s no room to expand operations or increase funding in any particular area,” Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Communications Chief Andy Jenks told The Local Reporter. “There are also no raises for staff until the state budget is complete. There remains uncertainty until the state completes its work, but in the meantime we are funded at last year’s levels.”

North Carolina’s budget blues

North Carolina should have had its $66 billion two-year budget in place by July 1. Instead, the legislature passed a $1 billion stopgap measure to keep the state up and running. Governor Josh Stein signed it in August. The billion dollars includes longevity-based raises for teachers but no other increases in teacher pay.

Stein’s original budget proposal included 10.6% raises for teachers, along with money for free school breakfasts and more nurses and counselors. Some conservatives objected that putting more money into public schools would reduce the amount available for school vouchers that help parents pay for private schools. Teacher raises became one of the flashpoints that kept the legislature from settling on a budget.

The CHCCS 2024 budget included $82 million in state funding, plus revenue from federal grants and local property taxes. Jenks said that, until the state decides how much money CHCCS gets this year, there’s no way to finish the school budget.

“We still receive what’s known as ‘continuation’ funding from Orange County,” said Jenks. “That allows the school district to operate normally, essentially under the same funding levels as last year, while the state budget remains unfinished. The source of funding would be the current year’s property taxes.”

The safest way to get to school

Whether students bike, walk or roll to school, Carrboro wants them to make the trip safely. To that end, the town is seeking public input to help update its “Safe Routes to School” guide.

The safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, a national initiative, is dedicated to making it safer and easier for students to walk to school. In 2012, Carrboro became the first local government in the Tarheel State to develop an SRTS action plan, and now the town is committed to updating and improving it, bringing hope for a safer and healthier school journey for students.

The new plan goals include addressing safety and infrastructure issues, supporting students in adopting healthy habits, and reducing traffic congestion and stress at school dropoff and pickup times. The town’s Planning Department is looking at routes to and from Carrboro Elementary School, McDougle Elementary School, Morris Grove Elementary School, McDougle Middle School, and Carrboro High School. The work is being funded by a state Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Non-Infrastructure Grant.

The town website emphasizes the importance of community feedback in this process. Carrboro will evaluate how students get to school, listen to students, parents, and school staff about their needs, and develop improvements. This could include new sidewalks, safer crossings, or a “walking school bus.” The latter option has parents teaming up to walk kids to school with adult supervision and protection, showing that the community’s voice is integral to the success of this program.

Over the next few months, the Planning Department will collect data through surveys, school-walk audits, and pop-up events, as well as reviewing the 2012 plan. Then the town will update its plan to identify current priority routes and needed safety improvements. In spring 2026, the town will ask the public to review the plan and provide feedback.

If you have ideas about how to make our students’ walk to school safer or know of unsafe areas along their routes that need improvement, visit the town website’s SRTS page. It offers a copy of the 2012 plan and links to a survey you can take regarding your walk-to-school experience.

Fraser Sherman has worked for newspapers, including the Destin Log, the Pensacola News-Journal and the Raleigh Public Record. Born in England, he’d still live in Florida if he hadn’t met the perfect woman and moved to Durham to marry her. He’s the author of several film reference books and has published one novel and several short story collections. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press