RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF

NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina does not have an enacted budget for the FY 19-21 biennium; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), as a public high school constituent of the University of North Carolina, is highly dependent on state funding to fulfill its educational mission to serve thousands of public school students and their public schools statewide; and

WHEREAS, the current proposed budget, House Bill 966, includes funding for urgent capital and operating initiatives of NCSSM, including but not limited to:

• $3.4 million for critical-safety repairs to NCSSM-Durham aging facilities,
• $4.2 million in start-up funds needed to open the NCSSM-Morganton campus constructed by the NC Connect Bond in the Fall of 2021; and

WHEREAS, the absence of a new budget impairs our ability to adequately sustain operations for our NCSSM-Durham campus and implement the new NCSSM-Morganton campus as planned; and

WHEREAS, the lack of such funding as proposed in Senate Bill 354 impedes competitive compensation increases for our faculty and staff, who are critical to our mission to serve the state; and

WHEREAS, the absence of an enacted state budget for FY 19-21 hurts all UNC System institutions, faculty, students, and the communities we serve, and threatens the ability of the University to serve the citizens of the State and contribute to the economic vitality of North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors adopted a resolution on the 17th day of January detailing significant impacts to North Carolina citizens, encouraging our elected leaders to pass the aforementioned budget proposals, and calling constituent trustees to pass concurring resolutions;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NCSSM Board of Trustees respectfully requests and encourages our elected leaders to reach an agreement on a state budget that adequately and appropriately funds NCSSM and our state’s world-class educational systems.

Adopted this 6th day of February, 2020

Signed, Thomas F. Looney, Chair