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June 24, 2004 Page 551 SCHOOL RENOVATION/CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS Guidin~ Principles for School Development Holly Blackwelder, Chair of the Community Committee on Education Capital Planning and Financing, joined the Board for discussion of the school construction projects. Mr. Marshall reviewed the "Guiding Principles for School Development" that had been prepared by staffs of Cabarrus County, Kannapolis City Schools and Cabarrus County Schools under the direction of the Committee. These principles addressed school site location, school site design and implementation and also included Principles of Learning Environment in Schools that were added by Dr. Harold Winkler, County School Superintendent. Mr. Marshall discussed the importance of developing schools within an existing community, including students being able to walk to school, creation of community centers, etc. He also discussed the advantages of building multi-story schools that will require less land space and allow schools to be built within existing neighborhoods. Finally, Mr. Marshall reported that the principles would be implemented through interlocal agreements with local jurisdictions. Ms. Blackwelder commented on the work of the Committee and the benefit of having the staff from the County and two school systems work together. She urged the Board to adopt the recommendations presented by staff. UPON MOTION of Commissioner Privette, seconded by Commissioner Carruth and unanimously carried, the Board endorsed the following ~Guiding Principles for School Development" and "Principles for Learning Environment"; requested other local governments and school boards to adopt these principles; and directed County staff to work with staffs of the local governments and school boards in developing interlocal agreements for implementing the guiding principles. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT Under the guidance of a committee of local citizens, staffs with Cabarrus County, Kannapolis City Schools and Cabarrus County Schools have formulated a set of guiding principles for school development. These principles will guide community leaders as they seek new school sites which will integrate with existing neighborhoods and not encourage development of additional subdivisions in sparsely populated areas that are costly to serve. This proactive step to meet the school systems' needs while also helping to control growth is a result of the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners' decision to create a Community Committee on Education Capital Planning and Financing. With the belief that public input into this important community issue is vital for the passing of a school bond, the Board created this Committee in February after agreeing in principle to placing a school bond referendum on the November general election ballot. The Committee's goal is to review school construction requests, consider alternatives, and make recommendations for which projects should be pursued and how to finance them. As the Committee met to discuss such issues as long-term facility needs, school design and placement, school size and property acquisition, staffs from the school systems and county government were asked to provide information to help the Committee examine these issues from a cost perspective, an educational perspective and a community planning point of view. These discussions raised complex issues that are beyond the expertise of the Committee members. So to expedite its task, the Committee asked the staffs to formulate recommendations for its consideration. The staffs from Cabarrus County and the school systems have worked collaboratively to create the following set of Guiding Principles for School Development. These principles will allow the school systems to provide the needed facilities to accommodate student population growth while ensuring that school locations and designs are environmentally sound and work well with the existing communities. The principles are divided into three categories: site location, site design, and implementation. 1. Site Location: These principles provide guidance for locating schools in areas that are served by existing public facilities and that provide amenities for existing communities. The overall purpose is to ensure that school placement does not encourage new growth in locations where governmental agencies are not prepared to provide necessary services.