EDUCATION

Kindergarten Readiness

Some grant-funded kindergarten readiness programs, such as Ready Freddy within Alamance-Burlington School System, and the Kindergarten Readiness Network through Alamance Achieves, were temporarily discontinued. However, through NC Pre-K ('21-'22 report) programs such as Alamance Partnership for Children (APC) and Head Start, 433 children were served.  

Early Literacy Programs

One of the key components of education is reading. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library and Reach Out and Read programs continue to be integral in providing access to books for thousands of children in Alamance County. In addition to schools and child care centers, community organizations such as health clinics, churches, the health department, and social services participate in these programs. According to the 2021-22 APC report, 1,611 new children were added to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and 323 new children were added to Reach Out and Read. 

High School Graduation Rates

The 2023 four-year high school graduation rate in NC was 86.5%, which is slightly higher than the Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS) rate of 85.3%. ABSS saw a 0.7 point decrease from the 2022 rate, but a 6.3 point increase over the last 10 years. This overall decrease was seen all across gender and racial/ethnic groups, with the exception of Asian, which saw no change (>95%), and White, which saw a 0.8 point increase (89.4%) from 2022. When the 2023 graduation rate among subpopulations were assessed, economically disadvantaged increased by 6.3 points (84.5%), English learners decreased by 2.3 points (64.1%), homeless decreased 8.6 points (61.9%), and students with disabilities decreased by 2.2 points (69.4%).   

ACCESS TO CARE

Inclusive Playgrounds

The first inclusive playground in the Burlington parks system opened in early November 2023  at Burlington City Park.  This project was completed through collaborative efforts of the City of Burlington Recreation and Parks, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, and a nonprofit, KABOOM!, that focuses on building safe, inclusive and secure play spaces.  Community members were able to voice their opinions on what should be featured on the new play space to ensure that needs were met. The playground includes ramp access, grab bars, sway fun glider and two reach panels. 

Health Insurance 

Health insurance can be the determining facotr in if and/or when someone receives healthcare. According to the most recent data, the percentage of uninsured in Alamance County and in NC, in comparison, remained stable between 2020 and 2021.

ECONOMY

Median Household Income- 2021 & 2022

Children 100% Below Poverty

Unemployment

Households Spend >30% of Income on Housing

Top 10 Causes of Death, 2021- NC State Center for Health Statistics, 2024

Alamance County

North Carolina 

ABSS: Mold Found in Schools

A primary health issue that developed in the Alamance County community in 2023 was mold found in 32 of 36 schools in the ABSS system. The initial case was found during summer cleaning duties taking place at Andrews Elementary. Consequently, after inspecting all schools, it was found that most of them did have some form of mold. Through the assistance of the environmental health section of the health department, ABSS facility staff, remediation experts and the State of North Carolina's Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, it was determined that the mold occurred due to poor HVAC ventilation, structural issues, high humidity levels experienced during the summer, and the age of most of the buildings; some buildings were 50 years old. It was found that 16 of the 32 schools had toxigenic mold and required more intensive cleaning. Because of the number of affected schools, remidiation became a lenghty process. The school district opening was moved from August 28 to September 11 to ensure that staff and students would have a safe return. Approximately $25.8 million was spent on mold remidiation and HVAC cleaning. 

NEW INITIATIVES

Western Electric Cleanup

The 2021 CHA and 2022 SOTCH referenced the history of the Western Electric site, the physical and environmental health concerns of local residents, and the potential plans for cleaning up the site. Phases one and two of the multi-year cleanup began in 2023. This site that the City of Burlington website refers to as, "abandoned, polluted buildings and grounds that blight a major commercial and residential neighborhood of our city" consists of 22 buildings, complete with utilities and parking lots, occupying approximately 22 acres within the city limits of Burlington. Known as the Tarheel Army Missile Plant (TAMP) when it was owned by the US Department of Defense (DoD) between the years of 1942-2004, the Western Electric site has since been in the hands of four different private property owners. The goal is to  get the site cleaned up and eventually redeveloped.              

Refugee Resettlement Program

Agencies across the state are partnering with NCDHHS to offer and administer a wide range of programs that are part of the implementation of the Refugee Resettlement Program funded under Title IV of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which is a federal program of public assistance and services to refugees resettling in the United States. The program consists of three service areas: Refugee Public Assistance, Refugee Service Programs, and Refugee Support Activities.

Alamance County is one of the top fourteen refugee resettlement counties in NC, with the state receiving approximately 7,000 refugee arrivals each year. The county is currently partnering with two resettlement organizations- Church World Services in Durham and NC African Services Coalition in Greensboro. Both agencies are working to house fulltime staff in the Citygate Dream Center, which is in Burlington. To meet the need for refugee resettlement, the health department started a new service line conducting health assessments to introduce new refugee arrivals to the US healthcare system and to guide refugees in establishing a medical home. The assessment is done soon after arrival to identify any communicable diseases of public concern. The health department's focus is to preventing the spread of communicable diseases and referral to a primary medical home, Piedmont Health Services, for further medical evaluation, treatment and follow-up. The local health department refugee health assessment includes: immunization assessment and follow-up, communicable disease screenings (HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B & C), tuberculosis screening and follow-up, sickle cell and other hemoglobinopathy screenings, blood lead screening, and STI screenings, if indicated.

DISCONTINUED INITIATIVES

Healthy Alamance

Healthy Alamance's, a local non-profit, funding was reduced. The Healthy Alamance Board worked with community partners to find ways to keep the organization funded and allow it to continue its mission. Unfortunately, there was no identified way to continue, and its board voted to dissolve the non-profit. For a number of years, Healthy Alamance co-led the CHA process along with the health department, initiated the Alamance Food Collaborative and the Wellness Collaborative, and led the formation of Authentically Alamance, which operated three farmers' markets in the county. As an organization whose mission was to improve access to and increase awareness of preventive health services, as well as eliminate health disparities among the disadvantaged, its dissolution leaves a void in the Alamance County community.