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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 04-29-2014 APPROVED 9/16/2014 MINUTES Orange County Board of County Commissioners Social Services Board Joint Meeting April 29, 2014 5:30 PM The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Joint Work Session with the Department of Social Services on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Jacobs and Commissioners Alice M. Gordon, Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier, and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Mark Dorosin and Renee Price COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: Interim County Manager, Michael Talbert, Assistant County Managers Clarence Grier, Cheryl Young and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) COUNTY STAFF ABSENT: SOCIAL SERVICES BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Pat Garavaglia, Chair, Claire Millar, Arthrell Sanders and Tamara Dempsey-Tanner SOCIALSERVICES BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF PRESENT: Nancy Coston, Dustan Lowell, Lindsey Shewmaker, Sharron Hinton, Tina Clark, and Joyce Lee 1. Introductions-Chair Jacobs Chair Jacobs called the meeting to order at 5:38. He said Commissioner porosin would be unable to attend tonight. Pat Garavaglia thanked the Board for their support and for the opportunity to meet. 2. Overview and Year-in-Review Pat Garavaglia reviewed the following PowerPoint slides: Joint BOCC-DSS board Meeting Orange County Department of Social Services April 29, 2014 Agenda � Introductions � Overview and Year-in-Review � Anti-Poverty Programs � Hot Topics Agency Programs and Services - Food and Nutrition Services - Medicaid Programs - Child Care Subsidy Program -Adult Services - Foster Care - Crisis Assistance - Energy Assistance -Work First Employment Services - Child Protective Services -Adoption -Adolescent Parenting Program - Community Outreach and Other Programs FY2013-14 Year-in-Review (timeline) Pat Garavaglia discussed the 2013-2014 Year in Review slide. She said the flood in June of 2013 impacted many poor people. She said DSS staffed a shelter and began recovery operations in July. She said the Building Futures program was also started in July. She said the Food Nutrition Services Training program was implemented in October and applications for the Affordable Care Act also began that month. She said DSS launched NC FAST for Medicaid/Work First in December, and served more than 3,000 children through the Holiday Program toy chest. She noted that in March of this year DSS managed the ice storm shelter, extended three time limited positions, and added one more position. Nancy Coston said many families who experience poverty will need services intermittently through the cycle of trying to find employment and become more self-sufficient. She said DSS continues to see all time highs in use. She showed a video of some families who have used the Work First program. Nancy Coston reviewed the following slides: Anti-Poverty Programs • Prevention and Early Intervention • Employment • Intensive Services • Recommendations Economic Support Programs • The agency provides state and federally mandated programs to support families in need • As of March 31, 2014 there are: � 12,005 residents receiving FNS � 10,360 Medicaid cases in Orange County � 265 Work First cases in Orange County � 845 children receive child care subsidy �� Over 22,000 (17% of population) Orange County residents live in poverty Prevention and Early Intervention • Some programs target at-risk individuals • Many families only need one-time or intermittent assistance Sharron Hinton reviewed the following slides: Prevention: Adolescent Parenting Program • The Adolescent Parenting Program is a program for pregnant and parenting teens who are under 18 years of age. Teens who are interested in participating meet with program staff at school and receive periodic home visits. Participants also come to a monthly peer group meeting with their babies to have dinner, socialize, learn more about parenting and participate in educational activities. Prevention: Youth Enhancement Program • In 2012 the Board of County Commissioners designated $10,000 to support low- income youth seeking to participate in athletic activities • In 2013-14: � BOCC designated $20,000 � 164 children benefited � 20 different providers participated � 34 children played in HYAA leagues � Average cost per child was $122 Prevention: Food Distribution • The agency distributes food to families facing crisis situations throughout the month. • Food is provided by PORCH and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina • DSS receives 90 bags of food monthly from PORCH Prevention: Free Phone Service • Government-funded program • Access Wireless provides a free cell phone with 250 free minutes per month to qualified applicants • Approved applicants receive their free phone on the spot • Service and certification is good for 12 months • Recipients recertify after 12 months to continue to receive free service • Representatives are on-site at DSS • 306 phones distributed since March 4, 2014 Nancy Coston reviewed the following slides: Prevention: Crisis Assistance • Families who are experiencing a financial emergency may be eligible for financial help to pay for housing, utilities, food, gas, and/or medicine. • There has been a high demand this year • Current FY 2,899 payments made on behalf of clients • BOCC provided $100,000 in additional funds in February Employment and Training • Programs for all job seekers • Special programs for at-risk individuals • More intensive services for families with multiple barriers Sharron Hinton reviewed the following slides: Employment: Skills Development Center • The Skills Development Center, located on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, provides a one-stop location for job seekers and employers to recruit • Ten partner agencies co-located • July 2013-March 2014, the SDC served approximately 2,339 customers, with 5,533 visits Employment: Job Fairs • Job fairs help unemployed and underemployed residents of Orange County locate employment • Many employers hire on the spot • Last year more than 40 employers were available to accept applications and recruit new employees • Over 600 individuals attended job fairs in 2013 seeking employment Employment: Building Futures Program (WIA) • It is a youth development program that offers comprehensive year-round services to help at-risk youth ages 16-21 become successful at school and in employment • Activities include: � Summer employment activities � Leadership development � Dropout prevention � Work experience � Tuition/educational assistance Employment: FNS Employment and Training • A voluntary program for recipients of FNS • Helps unemployed and underemployed individuals to enhance job seeking skills and obtain employment • Implemented in October, 2013 • Includes job fairs and weekly job clubs • 26 people have been hired since the program began in October Sharon Hinton said the Skills Development Center has also been called the Joplin Center and is in the midst of recertification with the Department of Commerce to remain at a level 1 status. She said this will be determined by the end of June. Sharon Hinton said the Building Futures Program inherited about 70 participants, and has received another 115 new referrals since January. Robert Gilmore presented the following slide: Employment: Work First • Work First is North Carolina's TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) plan to help families move off of welfare and into jobs. To help families, Work First provides employment services; supportive services and time limited cash assistance to families with children under age 18 who meet income and resources guidelines. Robert Gilmore said he has been the Human Services Supervisor for the Work First program for over 14 years. He said the program provides for families in a holistic manner. A video was shown of a participant in the Work First program. Nancy Coston said there is another face to the impact of poverty, and these situations often involve the social work staff with adult and child protective services. She said some of the County emergency funds are used to help these programs. Dustan Lowell presented the following slides: (*this was a change in the order of slides included in the abstract) Intensive Services: Social Work Case Management • Funds utilized by a social worker when financial barriers prevent stabilization of a family Intensive Services: Social Work Case Management • The homelessness prevention/rapid rehousing/emergency solutions grant program helps families who are at risk to become homeless remain housed Intensive Services: Social Work Case Management • Funds utilized by a social worker when financial barriers prevent stabilization of a family Dustan Lowell discussed a case with a family of three in which the mother was non- ambulatory and the child was developmentally delayed. He said the home was infested with cockroaches, and there were safety and sanitation concerns for the child and family. DSS worked with the family for a year to provide pest control, as well as education from staff on budgeting and other decisions to make the home clean and safe for the child. He said funds were used to pay for the services. He said adult services had a case where an older gentleman with medical issues was living in a cluttered, dirty and unsafe environment. He said caseworkers were able to work with him and provide services to bring the gentleman home from the hospital, after cancer treatments, to a clean safe environment. Sharron Hinton presented the following slides: Intensive Services3 • For families who have complex barriers, intensive services can assist with attaining self sufficiency or enable them to live more independently Intensive Services: Homelessness Programs • The homelessness prevention/rapid rehousing/emergency solutions grant program helps families who are at risk to become homeless remain housed Sharron Hinton said a $1 million grant was received in 2009 to provide homeless services. She said these monies have transitioned to a much smaller Emergency Solutions Grant of$116,000. She said $60,000 of that money is contracted with IFC to provide shelter operations. A video was shown of clients who have utilized these services. Sharron Hinton said the first grant that was received had much more flexibility, but the second grant has more stipulations, and County dollars sometimes have to be combined with it in order to successfully help clients. Nancy Coston presented the following slides: Additional Programs for Consideration • Financial Counseling • Dress for Success • Subsidized Employment • Wheels to Work • Car Incentives • Job Coaching • Fatherhood Initiative • Landlord Guarantee Fund • Provides incentives to landlords who rent to low income or Section 8 tenants • Protects landlords from excessive damage by tenants who move out within two years • Helps to increase the stock of affordable rental units • Has been tried in other locales Hot Topics � DSS Recommendations • Provide financial counseling to low income families, particularly those with recurring requests for crisis funds • Explore Landlord Guarantee Fund to increase rental availability • Pay short term rental assistance to prevent homelessness • Reinstate Wheels to Work and car repair program • Use any available Work First funds and pursue any grant possibilities to support subsidized employment • Provide child care for all target groups and reduce wait time for child care to less than six months Nancy Coston said many of the additional programs listed are past programs that the department is no longer able to do or programs that are being considered. She highlighted the Landlord Guarantee fund. She said this is a program to help people gain interest in renting through voucher programs, whether County voucher or section 8. She said this would give some guarantee to landlords that if someone moves out, leaving serious damage, there are some funds to help compensate. She said this might be worth considering. She said DSS used to provide financial counseling to every family that received emergency assistance. She said people who needed crisis funds more than once in a year were required to participate in the counseling program. She said when DSS got overrun and lost staff this was stopped due to lack of resources. She said this counseling was valuable in helping families understand credit issues and bill payment, and it is a good program to have. She recommends looking into the Landlord Guarantee program, because even with homeless grants, finding enough rental properties has been difficult. She said the short term rental funds are helpful, and this is included in the budget for this year. She said the County does not currently have the Wheels to Work or the Car Repair program. She said the Work First funds allows for some car repairs, but a program is needed to help people who are already working and need a car repair to keep them going to work. She said some money for this has been put into the budget for next year, but it also requires resources and time to manage the program. Nancy Coston said there were special monies in the past to subsidize employment, and these are no longer available. She said some of the Work First money has been moved in next year's budget into a temporary line item to allow help with subsidized employment. She said child care is a critical issue, and a concerted effort has been made to clear the waiting list. Tina Clark and Nancy Coston presented the following slide: Hot Topics • Child Care • School-based Social Workers • NC FAST Tina Clark said the Child Care program provides services for working parents, parents who are participating in the Work First program, families in child protective services, shelter families, and teens. She said the waiting list has been cleared since February, and the program is serving about 845 children per month. She said this is good; however there is uncertainty about the allocation for next year and the ability to maintain this. Nancy Coston said the proposal being presented in May is to spend County funds in June. She said the state funding year runs June 1St through the end of May, so by spending some County funds in June and requesting some Social Justice funds, it will get them ahead. She hopes to continue serving all of the target groups and delay a waiting list for the working families. Nancy Coston said a contract with Orange County schools was started about 10 years ago in an effort to help the schools have a better funding source for social workers in all of the schools. She said the funding source was called At Risk Case Management. She said there have been some changes in the interpretation of this, and it will no longer be available for this purpose. She said the schools will now hire whatever staff they can, and this means a reduction in force with DSS staff. She said there are 8 social worker positions in the department, and 7 of these are filled. She said 2 positions have been frozen and 2 positions had been proposed for next year's budget; but even if all of that occurred, there would still be a shortage of 3. She said she is not sure if the school is going to hire any of these people. She said the proposal is to find a way to have these people paid while a plan is worked out. She said notices will have to be given or a plan worked out soon. Nancy Coston referred to NC FAST. She said health reform applications added an incredible amount of work to the DSS plate. She said they are part of the Medicaid pilot, and this will continue until July 1St Pat Garavaglia said this will be her last meeting with the Board since she is cycling off of the DSS board. She said she is proud to be associated with the people at the Department of Social Services. Commissioner Rich asked about the reference to a target group for the childcare program. Tina Clark said these are groups that are not subject to a waiting list, such as the Work First participants and Child Protective Services clients. She said these people are automatically served. Commissioner Rich asked how adults and children are reached when they need help but don't come to DSS. Nancy Coston said staff is involved in the community, and there are a lot of other groups that refer individuals to them. She said people have misconceptions about what is required in order to receive services. She said more community outreach is still needed. Sharron Hinton noted that there are also 8 social workers in the Orange County Schools, though that is in jeopardy, and there are also 2 social workers at the senior centers. Commissioner Pelissier said in the past, DSS has provided information about how many families need the various types of assistance. She would still find this information useful to gauge what is happening in the community. She requested that this information be provided to the Board of County Commissioners. Nancy Coston said this information is available, and she will forward it to the Board. Commissioner Pelissier asked if there is a way to know when people get their needs met by local non-profits instead of coming to DSS. Nancy Coston said OCIM has a relationship with DSS to screen emergency clients. She said DSS staff verifies the client's low income status and makes the referrals to OCIM. She said IFC does not require that clients have a DSS referral. Commissioner McKee asked if any feedback has been received from tenants involved in the landlord repair guarantee. Nancy Coston said this I something that has been done elsewhere, but not in Orange County. She said this is an item that Orange County may be interested in looking into. She said there has been some feedback that this requires very little money, but the guarantee had gotten more people to step up. Commissioner McKee said he would like to see how this works. He said if it would increase rental availability, it would really help people. Commissioner Pelissier said she believes that Durham County has done some of this. She said the Partnership for Homelessness is looking into a program that asks landlords to offer a lower rent for individuals. She said this has not been done in Orange County, but the Chamber of Commerce is interested in assisting with the effort of engaging the community in this. Commissioner Rich asked if DSS works with Durham Tech. Sharron Hinton said yes. She said there is a new partnership with Durham Tech with the Building Futures Program. Chair Jacobs noted that he spoke with an elected official from Chapel Hill who did not think the Skills Development Center was doing anything anymore. He said there needs to be a way to communicate with the two municipality governments. He asked that tonight's PowerPoint presentation be shared with the towns, even if it is just by email. Nancy Coston said this can be done, and some of the new employment efforts can also be shared. Chair Jacobs asked about the impact of peoples' unemployment insurance running out. Nancy Coston said this is not tracked, although these residents are coming in to apply for Medicaid. She said an unemployment change does cause an increase in clients. She said there are more jobs for some people, but there is another group that just lost what they were living on. She said until you see food and nutrition services stabilizing, unemployment problems still exist. Commissioner Gordon asked Nancy Coston to highlight where the state changes have impacted DSS the most. Nancy Coston said the unemployment obviously affected them indirectly. She said more Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding used to allow more adolescent parenting programs and subsidized employment. She said shrinking these funds has caused the County to pick those costs up, and not everything can be covered. She said budget cuts caused financial counseling to be eliminated. She said when state money diminishes, the County budget has to be re-prioritized. Commissioner Rich noted that Commissioner porosin had spoken about the need for out of the box ideas that the County is not already doing. She asked if there had been any discussions about this. Nancy Coston said Robert Gilmore is always pushing staff to do more creative things, such as a job fair at their offices. She said the subsidized employment is already something that the County is doing in a different way than other counties. She said one of the challenges occurs when you already have programs that you feel are effective, and you don't have enough resources to put into them. She said this makes it hard to want to come up with new ideas. She said there are discussions about veterans and unemployment and the different ways to integrate all of the employment programs. Robert Gilmore said one idea he would like to see happen in Orange County is a Men's Dressed for Success Program to provide outfits for professional interviews, and job searches. He said they have a difficult time getting clothes for men. Sharron Hinton said she would hope there would be a non-profit agency or a community group that would want to take this on as a project. She said this is a big need for the men in the community. Nancy Coston said foster children are another group that DSS is concerned about. She said these children need to be self-sufficient before they turn 18 and have to leave the DSS services. She said there is a local non- profit that is doing work with a small group of kids. She said the group provides help all the way through college if the children commit to working with the foundation. She said the children are taken on amazing outings and given an education to give them hope for a different situation. Chair Jacobs asked if staff ever does job fairs with the local non-profits in the County. He thinks there are connections and supportive relationships that could be fostered. Nancy Coston acknowledges that more outreach is needed. She said it has been hard to keep things on track this year with all of the needs. Chair Jacobs thanked DSS staff for re-instating the Wheels to Work Program. Commissioner McKee thanked the DSS Board and staff for the work they are doing for the residents of Orange County. The meeting was adjourned at 6:51 p.m. Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker Clerk to the Board APPROVED 9/4/2014 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION JOINT MEETING April 29, 2014 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a joint session with the Chapel Hill—Carrboro Board of Education and the Orange County Board of Education on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Alice M. Gordon, Mark Dorosin, Bernadette Pelissier, Earl McKee, Renee Price and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: Interim County Manager Michael Talbert, Assistant County Managers Clarence Grier and Cheryl Young, and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff inembers will be identified appropriately below) ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair ponna Coffey and Board Members Steve Halkiotis, Debbie Piscitelli, Lawrence Sanders, and Anne Medenbleck. Superintendent Gerri Martin was also present. ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS ABSENT: Brenda Stephens and Tony McKnight CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Jamezetta Bedford, and Board Members Mia Burroughs, Michelle Brownstein, James Barrett, Gregory McElveen, Mike Kelly Andrew Davidson and Annetta Streater. Superintendent Tom Forcella was also present. CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS ABSENT: Chair Jacobs called the meeting to order. He said it is good to come together and share common ground. Openinq Comments Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School (CHCCS) Board Chair Bedford said thank you to the Board of County Commissioners for this meeting. She recognized Debbie Piscitelli from the OCS board, since she is retiring. She read from a statement written to welcome back school staff for a new year. Her remarks outlined the budget challenges and recognized the support of the Board and Commissioners and community. She said the CHCCS Board is presenting its full needs in its budget request. She said the board wants to prioritize teacher pay and related benefits in order to recruit and retain teachers. She said reviews are being done regarding the needs of older facilities, safety and the issues of capacity. She said CHCCS is requesting $750,000 in CIP funds for renovation and architectural plans. She said the situation with the older facilities is worsening, and the amount of funding to bring the schools to safety is enormous. She said it is time for action. She said the CHCCS board appreciates the balancing act faced by the Commissioners in funding County needs. She asked that they do their best to fund education. Orange County School (OCS) Board Chair Coffey said that Tony McKnight and Brenda Stephens will not be able to attend. She expressed appreciation for the opportunity to come together. She said district serves a very diverse population, and tonight the Board will hear an outline of some of the initial steps the school board would like to take in addressing the district needs. Chair Jacobs said he is proud of the collaboration that occurs with the Board and the two districts. He said this was not always the case. He said the Board has appreciated the support from the school boards and the community during the past difficult budgetary years. Introductions were made. 1. Presentation of and Oranqe County Schools and Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Boards of Education Approved FY2014-15 Operatinq and Capital Budqets Tom Forcella said this is a joint effort within their system to present their budget. He said the schools are facing a fiscal cliff, and preparations on this budget began very early in anticipation of the difficulties that would be faced. He said the districts are in an environment where they are losing teachers due to reduced salaries. He said the schools put together an initiative called Focused Dialogue to gather input from schools, principals, and school improvement teams. He said this involved conversations about the current budget crisis and what they could do in reaction to this crisis. He said the school district tried to stay true to their vision in the midst of these difficulties. He said most of the problems fall back on what is happening to all schools in North Carolina as they try to balance state cuts with their fund balances. He said the board of education had been trying in past years to balance the state shortfall with fund balance, but that has come to an end. He said $1.5 million has been included in this year's budget due to the anticipated state salary increases for teachers. He said if that does not happen, the goal of the school board will be to keep that money in the budget to pay for local positions and supplements. He said it is important to do something to honor the salary increases that the teachers have not received in the past years. He said the absence of salary increases has hurt staffing and staff retention over the past year and into next year. Tom Forcella reviewed the following PowerPoint slides: CHCCS 2014-15 Board's Budget Request April 29, 2014 Agenda Share our Success Present Budget Priorities -Professional Development -Teacher Recruitment and Retention The Numbers Impact of Financial Support -Rich Curricular Offerings -A Variety of Programs -Strong EC Program -Supports for Fragile Students -Safety in our Schools Impact of Financial Support -Lowest dropout rate in NC -Cohort graduation rate is 92.6% (versus 80.4% for NC) -83.5% graduates met UNC ACT requirements (NC standard 58.5%) Impact of Financial Support Accountability Results Eight Schools met 100% NCLB goals Overall 96.6% of NCLB goal met Work Still To Do -Achievement Gap -Discipline Disparity -Increased Rigor for All -Professional Training Major Budget Priorities - Professional Development and Support for Student Learning - Recruiting and retaining Great Teachers Professional Development and Support for Student Learning - Focused on Specific Curricular Content - Organized on Real Problems of Practice - Student Six Focus - Linked to Analysis of Student Learning - Supported by Coaching, Modeling, Observation and Feedback - Integrated into School and Classroom Planning around Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Tom Forcella said over the last several years the district has worked hard to make all classes conform to the capacity set in the board policy. He said the number of students involved with the virtual public schools program has been reduced. He said safety needs are a rather new issue. He said safety studies are being done, and money is needed to provide safe schools. Tom Forcella said you hear a lot about "rigor" in schools. He said much of the money and professional training is about rigor. He said rigor is not just about kids doing more stuff. He said it is about creating the kind of instruction where kids are thinking, solving problems, and working in teams, which will prepare them for real life work. He said the new career growth plan for teachers is not merit based, but rewards teachers through the local supplement based on their professional growth and how this comes out in the classrooms. He said professional training is also working to address the issues of the common core. Tom Forcella said Student Six is a program created by students from the minority student achievement network, who worked together to talk about what impacts instruction and learning in the classrooms. He said the students have presented nationally and have presented to a consortium of districts. Todd LoFrese presented the following slides: 2014-15 Budget Drivers - Student Enrollment Growth - Fund Balance - Continuing Cost Increases - Teacher Raises 2014-15 State Student Enrollment Proiection 2014-15 State Enrollment Projection 12,353 2013-14 State Enrollment Projection 12,256 District Projected Enrollment Increase 97 Enrollment Growth 2008-09 to 2014-15 (Bar Graph) Unassigned Fund Balance 2012-13 Audit 4.1% 2013-14 Year End Estimate 3.1% Policy Target 5.5% $2.2 million assigned to balance this year's budget is not available for 2014-15 Local Continuation Budget Requests State Mandates Employer health insurance match increase $ 165,000 State retirement match increase —from 14.23% to 14.59% $ 250,000 Read to Achieve summer camp $ 50,000 Employee salary increase — 3% for locally-paid staff $1,450,000 Subtotal $1,915,000 Continuation of Current Services State sales tax on contracted services $ 150,000 1% Unemployment reserve $ 50,000 Reserve homeless transport, translation, and 504 services$ 50,000 Equal Opportunity Schools $ 30,000 Subtotal $ 280,000 TOTAL OF CONTINUATION BUDGET REQUESTS $ 2,195,000 Mandated Cost Increases 2007-08 through 2014-15 (bar graph) Local Expansion Budget Requests Culbreth Science Wing Custodian $39,349 Contracted Services (Strategic Plan) $50,000 Total Budget Request Total: Mandates, Continuation, & Expansion Requests $2,284,349 Less: Increased enrollment anticipated funding ($317,093) Less: Inflationary Increase — special district tax ($321,692) Add: Fund balance short fall $2,222,913 Amount of Requested Increase $3,868,477 NC Average Teacher Compensation vs. National Average (graph) State Teacher Compensation 16 years to earn $40K 2008-09 6th year teacher earns $36,670 2013-14 6th year teacher earns $31,220 Adjusting for inflation average salary has decreased 15% over past ten years CHCCS turnover = 14.6% Note: Based on Bachelors Salary Schedule RespectforTeachers? -Elimination of masters pay -25% receive $500 in exchange for relinquishing tenure -Salary proposal left veteran teachers out -Increased class sizes -Reduction in support -Declining Medical Benefits Local Support for Teachers -Local Supplement -Public School Foundation -Mentoring -Teacher of Color Support Group -Teacher Assistants -Volunteers Todd LoFrese said the district has had steady enrollment growth since well before 2008-09 and continues to grow each year. He said this requires the addition of classrooms, teachers and eventually new schools. Referring to the Unassigned Fund Balance slide, Todd LoFrese said three years ago the Board of Education developed a three year strategy and communicated to the Board of Commissioners where things stood with respect to the fund balance. He said the fund balance was being used to hold off teacher assistant and professional development reductions occurring at the state level, called the discretionary reduction. He said better economic times have come, but not for public education. He said the discretionary reductions were eliminated; however this was done by making permanent funding formula changes. He said the district lost 40 teacher positions that it would have otherwise been entitled to. He said, in essence, the state increased class sizes and cut the equivalent of 25 teacher assistants to the district. He said these positions were being held with fund balance, and in this year's budget those positions were retained using $2.2 million in fund balance. He noted the fund balance reductions outlined on the slide and said it is clear that there will not be fund balance available for next year. He said this means difficult reductions will have to be made, or additional revenues will be needed to balance the budget. Todd LoFrese referred to the bar graph outlining mandated cost increases since 2007. He said there have been significant cost increases each year, ranging from a high of over $2 million to a low of$343,000. He said since the great recession of 2009-10, state revenues have been declining, and County officials have struggled to make up for those differences. He said increases at the local level were relatively flat. He said tough choices have been made and there have been reductions upward of$5 million in local budget expenses. He said enrollment continues to grow, but revenues have not. Todd LoFrese said the Culbreth Science Wing is taking shape, and it is a large space. He said the additional square footage and cleaning needs will necessitate another custodian position. He said a program review is planned for the guidance department, and $50,000 has been requested to complete this. He said this will show where the guidance department stands in relation to national standards. Todd LoFrese showed the slide on average teacher's salaries and said there is a $10,000 difference between North Carolina and the national average. He said North Carolina ranks 46th in the nation for average teacher salaries, and 48th in the nation for beginning teacher salaries. He said the ability to recruit teachers from out of state has become increasingly difficult. He said the turnover rate is at its highest rate in 10 years, and in many cases teachers are moving out of state or leaving the profession. Todd LoFrese said even with local support, the realities at the state level are making it difficult for teachers to make ends meet. He asked for the Boards' help with the budget, and he thanked them for their continued support OCS Superintendent Geri Martin thanked the Commissioners for their support and consideration of the needs of the district. She referred to the Board packet and said there had been a change in the initial request for per student funding after the latest projections showed an increase of 197 students instead of the 75 used in the original budget numbers. She said the board of education also discussed revisions to the budget to reflect the needs of the district. She said the local current expense budget was approved last night, and the report before the Board reflects an increase of$283 per student. She discussed the cover photos on the budget document and said these photos reflect the initiatives of the district. Gerri Martin reviewed the following PowerPoint slides: Local Current Expense Budget Request Orange County Board of Commissioners April 29, 2014 District Mission "Orange County Schoo/s, in partnership with students, families and the community, is committed to providing challenging and engaging educational experiences that will develop responsible, knowledgeable and resourceful citizens prepared to contribute in our global society." District Celebrations • Digital Learning Environment (Grades 3-12) • C.W. Stanford Middle School designated as a "School to Watch"- only 2 chosen in North Carolina: dedicated to academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, and organizational structure and support • A.L. Stanback Middle School was named as a 21st Century School by the Partnership for 21 st Century Skills or "P21" for their successful 21 st century learning environment • Central Elementary School Engineering is Elementary STEM Program growth • New Hope Elementary School was designated as a Lighthouse School by the NC Association Supervision & Curriculum Development Board of Directors for continued academic excellence during the last 4 years and developmental responsiveness District Celebrations • 83% (10/12) traditional schools met or exceeded growth • OCS met 92.1% (58/63) of its federal targets • OCS met 86.5% (122/141) of its state targets • Award Winning Athletic, Band, Choral, and Career and Technical Education Programs • Education: The Key to Progress • Achievement Results Local Budget Request There are two major components: Local Current Expense Fund Capital Improvements Fund All Governmental Fund Types (flow chart) 2013-2014 OCS Budget Local: $29,088,153 State: $41,503,068 Federal: $ 4,025,649 Other Restricted: $ 1,645,499 Capital Improvement: $ 7,981,264 Total Funding for the 2013-2014 School Year: $84,243,633 2013-2014 OCS Budget Local : *County Appropriation $ 25,554,154 *Fines & Forfeitures $ 200,000 *Interest $ 70,000 *Fund Balance Appropriated $ 3,263,999 Total Operating Budget Funding for the 2013-2014 School Year: $29,088,153 OCS Per-Pupil Appropriation (bar graph) Increase in Enrollment (bar graph) Local Funding and Student Enrollment (chart) OCS Historical Profile (chart) Full Time Employees 2004-2013 (spreadsheet) OCS Staff Profile (chart) Budget Assumptions 1. State and federal budgets are not final. 2. The local budget will be adjusted according to state and federal budgets. 3. The majority of funding is in staff including salaries and benefits (around 85% of total operating budget). 4. Student enrollment has increased 7 of the last 8 years. Budget Assumptions 5. Anticipated salary increases impact local salaries and supplements. 6. The cost of benefits will increase. 7. The loss of Medicaid reimbursement will impact the local budget if we are to preserve the DSS Social Workers. 8. The impact of the increasing number of students attending charter schools will negatively impact the budget. Setting Priorities In addition to the preceding budget assumptions, the following items were also considered in developing the budget: ➢ Board of Education Priorities ➢ District programs ➢ District initiatives ➢ District data ➢ Recent reports on safety ➢ Maintenance needs Expansion Budget Requests (In Priority Order) 1. Preserve D.S.S. School Social Workers 2. Add 2 Secondary Literacy Specialists 3. Add District Math Specialist 4. Add Academic Support Specialist 5. Restore Maintenance Position 6. Address Salary Compression 7. Living wage adjustment Expansion Budget Requests (con't.) 8. Add Pre-K Program Specialist (1/3 salary) 9. Expanded Free Breakfast for all K-12 students 10. Provide Dental/Vision benefit for employees Fund From Fund Balance: 1. Allocate funds to address Safe Havens report 2. Increase funding to address deferred maintenance 2014-2015 Local Appropriation Projection Per-Pupil Allocation $3,269 Projected Student Population (increase 197) 7,698 Projected additional funds with no increase: $ 643,993 2013-14 Allocation: $25,060,154 Predicted Local Appropriation: $25,704,147 (If no increase to the per-pupil allocation) 2014-2015 Local Funding Request Current Expense Requested: $27,929,376 Increase requested per pupil: $283 Gerri Martin gave an outline for the general public of the different governmental fund types, as outlined on a flowchart included in the abstract. She noted that the last 8 years have seen an increase in student enrollment. She said the recent report on enrollment projections for next year shows an expected increase of 297 students. She said the historical profile of Orange County Schools (OCS) shows not only 6 years of increase in enrollment, but also an increase in childhood poverty, from 35 percent to 41 percent in Orange County. She said in spite of this negative trend, the level of pupil/teacher ratio has stayed the same. Gerri Martin noted that the current total number of full time school employees is 990. She said this is the same number of total employees that the district had in 2007. She said the total number of teachers has increased from 486 to 546, and this reflects the board's focus on the classroom and instruction. She said previous slides have shown that OCS has grown by 744 students in that same time frame and that the poverty level has increased. She said this is important to note in considering that there are still the same number of employees. Gerri Martin reviewed the expansion budget requests. She said there are some gap needs in the district that should be focused on. She said there is square footage to warrant the addition of maintenance staff. She noted that there is a full detailed listing of the expansion items on page 50 and 64 of the booklet provided to the Board. She said these items are also reflected at the bottom of pages 31 and 32 in the footnotes. Gerri Martin said the slide on expected appropriation represents the expected appropriation if there were no per pupil allocation increase, and an increase of 197 students; however the board is requesting an increase of$283 in per pupil allocation. She said this means the total current expense request is for $27,929,376 for this budget. She said the focus is on classroom instruction, student achievement and the wellbeing of students and staff. She thanked the Board in advance for its consideration of this budget. Chair Jacobs opened the floor for questions. Commissioner McKee asked what the fund balance target is for OCS. Chair Coffey said the target is 3.1%. Commissioner McKee asked if the turnover rate for OCS is in the same range as CHCCS. Chair Coffey said this is at 4.61 percent. Commissioner McKee asked for the state average. Staff answered that is a little over 14 percent. Commissioner Gordon asked what the current percent is for OCS fund balance. Gerri Martin said the quantity is $2.5 million, but she is not sure about the percentage. Commissioner Gordon said she would like for CHCCS to explain more about the $750,000 being requested for renovations. Todd LoFrese said the school board recently adopted a comprehensive recommendation for facility needs. He said part of that resolution included making a request for preliminary renovation funding to start one of the projects. He said the reason for this is because the timing of the bond could potentially impact when the construction could occur, and there could be a conflict with the timing of addressing facility needs and increasing capacity at older schools while children are there. He said this is a delicate phasing process. He said this will be covered in the bond discussion. Commissioner porosin arrived at 8:06 pm. Commissioner Gordon said her understanding is that if this renovation money were approved, it would delay the need for funding elementary school #8. Commissioner Price asked if OCS has any planned renovations. Gerri Martin said the Board has only the first 5 years of their CIP. She said elementary school #8 is not slated to happen until 2022. She said there is a facility assessment report that identifies $160 million in renovation and deferred maintenance and construction needs for the district. She said this would be part of a bond conversation. Commissioner Pelissier said she would like to understand the role of the state monies. She said she does not see this for OCS, but the CHCCS shows two different figures. Gerri Martin said OCS only received state planning allotments last month. She noted that it is never the case that the actual state funding received matches their state planning allotments. Commissioner Pelissier asked which of the two CHCCS figures is correct. Todd LoFrese said the second figure is the initial information received through DPI, but this number will be different once the state sends its final allotments. Commissioner Pelissier asked if both of these reflect a substantial decrease. Gerri Martin said the OCS number will be increased because of the increase in students. She said the allotment is based on the number of children. Todd LoFrese said there are also things that are held back, such as the transportation allotment. He said the initial number does not represent the end product, and he is not expecting a decrease in state funds at this time. Commissioner Rich asked why the number of expected student increase for OCS is so different than what was originally projected. Gerri Martin said these numbers are based on the Principals' Monthly Report (PMR), and those numbers usually match with the numbers funded from the state. She said this year there was a changeover, and those numbers didn't get verified initially. She said this was a big part of the delay. She noted that the numbers were also wrong last year, as OCS already has 75 more students than projected. She said there is a formulaic process for these projections, and it remains to be seen if the numbers are accurate. Commissioner Rich asked if, with the increased level of students, OCS is anticipating that the 41% poverty level will increase. Gerri Martin said there is no way to know this, but the trend in Orange County shows that the poverty rate has increased every year for the past 6 years. She does not know if this will turn around. 2. Potential Bond Issuance Schedule and Timeline for a May 2016 Bond Referendum Clarence Grier said recent Board of County Commissioners meetings and school collaboration meetings led to a decision to move this referendum to the spring of 2016 to improve voter participation. He said the older school needs are part of this discussion and the combined needs total about $330 million dollars. He said the current estimated bond referendum is $100 million, and the debt service on this amount is $6.7 million per year. He said interest rates are going up right now. He said the current debt service on $330 million would be $20 million, and 12.15 cents on the current property tax rate. Clarence Grier said he wants to make sure the Board takes the opportunity to discuss the older facilities needs tonight. He said CHCCS has requested funds for planning for potential renovations of$750,000. Commissioner Gordon said the background information said the Board of County Commissioners had decided to move the referendum to May 2016. She said she did not remember that this had been decided definitely or voted on by the Board. Chair Jacobs said the Board has not decided on this yet. He said May and November had been discussed. Todd LoFrese presented the following PowerPoint slides: Joint Boards Meeting April 29, 2014 Facilities Assessment Recommendations Overview • Process • Results • Recommendations • Example: Estes Hills Elementary School • Capacity and Costs • Timing is Critical Facilities Assessment Purpose Assess the physical and educational needs of the district's 10 oldest facilities to determine required repairs and maintenance and what is necessary to bring each school to the minimum student capacity as established by the Orange County School Construction Standards. Scope 1) Carrboro Elementary 6) Seawell Elementary 2) Ephesus Elementary 7) Culbreth MS 3) Estes Hills Elementary 8) Phillips MS 4) FP Graham Elementary 9) Chapel Hill HS 5) Glenwood Elementary 10) Lincoln Center General Findings • Significant interior and exterior physical repairs required • Complete HVAC and lighting replacements • Insufficient support spaces for program delivery • Campus style facilities are inefficient and more difficult to secure • ADA and life safety code upgrades • Many campuses are relying on temporary facilities that are also in need of significant repair Recommendation • Comprehensive Renovations • Deconstruction of some buildings • Additions — Address Safety and Security — Address Program deficiencies • Increase Capacity and delay the need for new schools ESTES HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (photos) Facilities Assessment Recommendation (spreadsheet) ESTES HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (captioned photos) Facilities Assessment Recommendation and Differed Cost of New Schools • Recommendations increase student capacity as follows: • Carrboro Elementary +52 • Ephesus +137 • Estes Hills +58 • Seawell +119 • Lincoln Center Pre K +189 • Total Elementary +555 • CHHS +105 • Total +660 Facilities Assessment Recommendation and Differed Cost of New Schools $160.8 mil Cost of Recommendation ($34.5) Budgeted Cost of New Elementary School (delayed beyond 10 years) ($23.1) Budgeted Cost of High School Addition (delayed beyond 10 years) $103.2 mil Net Cost of Recommendation Timing is Critical • Initial funding for Facility Needs Analysis approved in Jan. 2011 • CHCCS Facilities Assessment Needs presented in Feb. 2013 BOND APPROVAL and CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE If Bond approval in Nov. 2014, the following schedule: — Planning and regulatory reviews during 2015 — Construction activities start in 2016 — Initial elementary level capacity relief begins in 2017-18 A November 2016 Bond adds two years to each of the above dates. Consider: — In 2019-20, Elementary SAPFO Level of Service projected to approach 105%. — Current CIP shows funding in 2018-19 for Elementary School #12 — If Bond approval is delayed until Nov. 2016 and the Facilities Recommendation for elementary schools is approved, overcrowding will complicate the movement of students and implementation of improvements. • Requesting $750K in preliminary renovation planning funding — Completing one project will delay #12 by two years Summary • Older schools need significant investments • Recommendations — Fix aging infrastructure issues — Bring older schools to OC standard — Address safety and security — Increase capacity and delay new schools • Also delays operational increases • Timing is important • Continued Collaboration Todd LoFrese outlined two examples of how the facilities needs impact education and instruction. He discussed the moisture and mold growth issue at Chapel Hill High School, which was a result of exterior drainage issues and an aging HVAC system. He said the library was closed for a week for repair and renovation, which interfered with education and caused a ripple effect of concern regarding other classrooms. He said there was another issue at Estes Hills over the winter with boiler issues. He said many of the classrooms developed heating issues, and students had to be relocated due to cold temperatures. He said there was discussion of the need to replace this boiler and where this is in the capital plan. He said the current plan had the boiler replacement in 2018, but clearly this needed to be reprioritized. He said, in 2008 and 2009 when revenues were up, the CIP had the boiler project slated for 2010. He said the decline in revenue caused this necessary maintenance to be deferred. He said this will now be taken care of over the summer, but that means something else has to give. He reviewed the slide listing recommendations. He said the renovations have been refined and revised to reduce the amount from $205 million to $160 million. Todd LoFrese discussed the photos of the issues of Estes Hill Elementary, including aging infrastructure, ADA egress issues, campus security and monitoring, and lighting. He said there is a recommendation to add a small administrative area to provide a secure vestibule and point of entry. He said the rear classroom wings have also had moisture issues and deconstruction and reconstruction are recommended here. He said there is also a recommendation to enclose the front area of the school with a breezeway. He said this school was not designed in a time of kiss and go drop off, so there is a lot of traffic conflict. He said there is no designated access point for the different modes of transportation. He said the recommendations for Estes Hills Elementary would increase the schools capacity by 58 students, bringing it to the Orange County standard of 585 students. Todd LoFrese said looking at this type of approach for all of the older schools could help increase district capacity by a total of 660 seats. He noted that even base level renovation needs would cost $50 million, without addressing capacity. Pam Jones said the OCS facilities assessment is a mirror image of what was just presented, and the needs of this district also total $160 million. She said the facilities assessment is 913 pages long and reflects a lot of deferred maintenance and deconstruction needs. She said OCS has started to address some of the deferred maintenance, and some of this may be added to the budget through fund balance appropriations. She said the addition of a maintenance staff person has also been proposed. She said the issues are too big to address, even with a bond, given the amount needed from both districts. She said the board of education has just begun to dissect the facilities report, and this will be brought back in June to work out priorities to present to the Board. She said there are two projects in the OCS CIP, and those are elementary #8 and the classroom wing at Cedar Ridge High School. Chair Jacobs asked Todd LoFrese about the cost to build Northside. Todd LoFrese said Northside cost $24 million. Chair Jacobs said the cost for Estes Hills renovations is $16 million, which is almost as much as the cost to build a new school. He asked when a decision is made to retire a school and build a new one. Todd LoFrese said the challenge here is that there are very few spaces within the CHCCS district boundaries to build new schools. He said a complete deconstruction and new build on site, given the fact that the schools are at 100 percent capacity, would be a challenge. He said there are so many different needs at so many different schools, and the price tag is often outside of reality. He said the goal was to identify the parts of the schools that were in good shape and could be renovated to add another 50 years of life expectancy. He said the schools that are beyond repair, too costly or with difficult code issues were recommended for deconstruction. Commissioner McKee asked about the $750,000 planning budget request. He asked if this was directed to a specific facility. Todd LoFrese said three facilities are being considered, including: Ephesus, Seawell, and the Lincoln Center pre-k center. He said these facilities would increase capacity by the greatest amount and one of them would be brought forward. Commissioner McKee asked if all of this hinges on the bond being passed. He asked what happens if the $750,000 is spent and the bond does not pass. Todd LoFrese said the design work could be done, and then used years later. He said this was what happened with both Northside and the Carrboro High School addition. Commissioner McKee said does not question the rationale for doing this. He just wants to make sure the money is well spent. Commissioner porosin said he appreciates the inclusion of the capacity increases in these proposals. He said the list by schools that was submitted in the packet does not show increased capacity for either of the middle schools. He said even if the elementary school renovations are done, the middle school would still be in the queue. Todd LoFrese said this is correct. Commissioner porosin asked if there been any discussion about possible opportunities to increase capacity in the middle schools. He asked specifically about Phillips Middle School. Todd LoFrese said this was considered. He said there are layout challenges with Phillips Middle School, and the standards also have to be considered. He believes that the number of students that would have to be added would change the standards, and you would have to consider how the school functions academically. He said there are two teams at each grade level and as size changes the instructional program has to run differently. He said the other thing with Phillips is that this type of renovation would likely involve so much deconstruction that a new school makes more sense. Commissioner porosin said given limited space and the increasing costs of renovations, weighing that balance needs to be more of a factor. He questioned whether it makes sense to do the elementary renovations or to do a larger new building. He said a balance has to be found. He said the list of needs and the bond create an opportune moment to reevaluate things. James Barrett said it is worth noting that within their ten year window, a space has been identified for middle school #5. He said looking at middle school capacity is not a big deal at this point. In reference to Commissioner McKee's concern about the $750,000, he said it is really re-swiveling the CIP Plan. He said there is an elementary school included there now for more money than the proposed expansion of the current school. He said capacity will be added at one of these schools, which will allow them to push out elementary #12 so that the overall CIP picture does not change. He feels that the $750,000 is useful regardless of what happens with the bond. Commissioner Price asked if OCS would also be looking at the same type of financial outlay as CHCCS. She asked if OCS would recommend deconstruction of an older school. Pam Jones said the study the board received did not recommend wholesale de- construction. She said the report looked at older schools and whether it was appropriate to take down some of the less compliant and serviceable wings. She said her board has not had an opportunity to discuss this report yet. She said a decision to deconstruct might be made later. Steve Halkiotis said the school boards have been wrestling with issues with these schools for years. He said the board is doing the right thing in catching up for 50 years of neglect. He thanked the Board of Commissioners for their help. Michelle Brownstein said the CHCCS board is working hard to make sure the information presented allows the Board of Commissioners to compare apples to apples. She said there is collaboration happening between the two districts in this process. She echoed that the Board of County Commissioners has consistently been supportive of education in Orange County. Commissioner porosin asked about the required process if a student in OCS wants to take a class or extracurricular activity that is only offered in CHCCS. Mike Kelly said the sharing of classes arrangement was proposed after the first collaboration meeting in the early 2000's. He said this option was offered, and only one student took advantage of this. He said this process is very challenging and requires students to transfer for half the day, which most of them do not like. Commissioner porosin asked if transportation is provided if a student wants to do this. Mike Kelly said he does not know if this was proposed or not. Commissioner porosin said transportation could be significant impediment. Steve Halkiotis said that a recent report showed that CHCCS students have come to OCS schools to take the IB program at Cedar Ridge High School, and these students have not been charged to attend this program. Chair Bedford said this charge was waived, and administration made these decisions. Mike Kelly said it was his understanding that OCS gets state and county allocations. Steve Halkiotis said the important thing is that the kids were warmly welcomed and received an education. Commissioner porosin said each of these districts has responsibilities to their students and they each do an outstanding job. He said the County Commissioners are the only Board that is charged with the responsibility of every student in the County. He respects the fact that the County has chosen a dual system, but he wants to be sure every opportunity is available to every student, regardless of their school assignment. Chair Jacobs asked if Commissioner porosin would like the school collaboration group to re-visit this issue. Commissioner porosin said yes. Chair Bedford said this type of issue has been discussed at the last two collaboration meetings. She said Middle College is one example of this, and transportation is an issue here. She said the hope is that there will be an extension of the Orange County branch. She said there have also been discussions about the possibility of a collaborative dual language school. Commissioner porosin said there are also online possibilities. Chair Bedford said they hope to pilot an online program for dual languages in August if the funding is available. She said this could be expanded for other classes. Chair Bedford said their policy is to allow AP classes to be taken online through NC Virtual if the class is not offered in the district. Commissioner Price asked about the minimum number of social workers needed. Geri Martin said there are currently 4 social workers employed, but the additional 8 are needed to cover the 13 facilities. Commissioner Price asked if that number will be sufficient or if the schools would prefer to have more. Gerri Martin said this is a conservative number to maintain their current level of service. Chair Jacobs asked how many students are attending Middle College, and how much is being paid for this. Mike Kelly said the allocation is 25 students per district and $50,000 is being paid. Chair Bedford said about 12 are attending per district. She said the students who go there probably have higher per pupil costs, but they are graduating. She said undocumented students can get 1-2 years of college for free. She said this is a very successful program. Chair Jacobs asked if there have been discussions with Durham Tech about moving into Hillsborough now. Chair Bedford said she has talked with the president of the community college, but one building is not a college experience. James Barrett said the president is very interested in this. He said the campus is not big enough to keep the high school class from standing out. He said it would be a big benefit if students could access the program more easily in Orange County. Chair Bedford said the biggest issue with Durham Tech is transportation. Commissioner McKee asked if the low number of students is a result of lack of demand or transportation issue. Chair Bedford said she couldn't say for sure, but it is a hardship for students to travel one and half hours on a bus to Durham Tech. Chair Jacobs asked if the boards are still committed to the program. Both school districts answered yes. Steve Halkiotis said the facilities in Guilford County were a success because of the availability of mass transit. Commissioner McKee asked if additional public transportation services address this problem. Michelle Brownstein said the amount of children is not huge, and you would need to look into whether it was worth the investment to increase a bus line. Commissioner McKee said he brings this up because everyone is paying a half cent sales tax for transportation, and perhaps more funding should be directed toward immediate needs. Commissioner Price said the Durham Board of Trustees has talked about providing transportation for residents who want to take classes in Orange County. She said, as Commissioner McKee said, this might be a good place for Orange County to allocate the money being paid for public transportation. She said the issue is getting to a central point to get on the bus. Annetta Streater said she believes convenience might be part of the issue, but the more pressing reason is the lack of interest in connecting to that type of educational experience versus the traditional high school experience. Chair Jacobs asked Clarence Grier if there is funding in the CIP for expanding Durham Tech. Clarence Grier said no. Chair Jacobs said when Durham Tech was built the campus was supported by 50 percent state bond monies for educational facilities. He said things are different now, and the Board will need to figure out a better way to utilize available resources like transportation. Commissioner Price asked how many students are participating in Middle College. Chair Bedford said 12-14, and Gerri Martin said Orange County has around 20 students. Commissioner porosin said this is a particular opportunity for students who are not necessarily going on to a 4 year traditional university model. He said this is a population that has historically been underserved. He said the schools may need to do a better job of selling the advantages of this. Commissioner Price said Middle College is also for youth who are a little advanced or more mature. She said Durham Tech is sending a lot of students on to a four year school to finish. Chair Jacobs referred to the issue of kiss and go lanes. He said there is an environmental issue with having people line up in cars and run them for 15-30 minutes every morning and afternoon. He asked if there are any school districts that have looked at alternatives, such as fare free busing. Todd LoFrese said this has come up before, but this is a tall order. He said they are currently in the process of looking at the walk zones in order to create policies or guidelines. He said the goal is to encourage students to walk or bike to schools. He said there is also a partnership with the Town of Carrboro to promote walking and biking. He is not aware of other approaches to limiting parent drop offs. Chair Jacobs said he would be interested in having this looked into. Mia Burroughs said many parents are fearful about putting their children on a bus. She said a lot of people also do not like adding extra time for commuting. Commissioner Rich said it would help if there were more sidewalks. Commissioner Pelissier said there are parents that feel the commute is their quality time with their children. She said if a parent feels this way, it does not matter what other options are available. Chair Jacobs said we need to test the assumption that this is the way things are and the way things always will be. James Barrett said it is good to continue the conversation on public transportation. 3. Charter School Enrollment and Fundinq Clarence Grier said a topic at the recent collaboration meeting was the impact of charter schools on school enrollment. He said the County, since 2002 has held the number of charter school students at the same level. He said the numbers for 2013-14 and the projected numbers for 2015 show those numbers going up substantially. He said these numbers may change as Pace Academy did not have their charter renewed. Tom Forcella said Pace Academy serves a different type of student population than some of the other schools. Geri Martin said the abstract lists only two charter schools in Orange County, and OCS pays money to 15 charter schools on a monthly basis, for 343 students that attend charter schools. She said this costs the district $1.2 million, and this number is expected to increase as a new charter school (The Expedition School) opens in August. Debbie Piscitelli said The Expedition School's website shows numbers to be higher than projected. Commissioner McKee asked if the districts are required to provide extracurricular activities to charter schools. Both answered no, not yet. Chair Bedford said charters that have been denied will have another opportunity to apply for opening next August. She said there are 37 of these. She said the opposition is only to charters that don't provide free or reduced meals and transportation, and EC services, who therefore are not really serving the public. She said these schools also become very racially segregated. Steve Halkiotis said charter schools also pay off of the state salary schedule and receive the same retirement schedule. He said teachers have been lost to the charters for higher salary. James Barrett said another legislative item is a model out of Colorado that allows inter district and intra district transfers throughout the state. He said this could have a significant impact. Commissioner McKee said charter schools should offer all of the services of traditional school. Commissioner Price asked about the achievement rates of the students leaving the charter schools.- Chair Bedford cited a study showing that 37 percent of charter students do worse than the public schools that surround them. Commissioner Gordon asked for clarification about the transfer issue. James Barrett said there was a study commission that was asked to look at the Colorado model, and then returned with proposed legislation. He said this is cued to be considered in the short session. Commissioner Gordon asked if this means students can enroll in any school district. James Barrett said yes, if there was space. Debbie Piscitelli said students get to go where they want to go and schools get state funds but not local money. She said another issue is the virtual charter schools, which are requesting the same per pupil funding. Chair Bedford said this morning the school board association asked that a survey be done regarding the abolishment of common core. She said she hopes that all of the school board members did the survey. Chair Jacobs said he just read that Indiana was the first state to adopt common core and the first state to drop out. Chair Bedford recognized Steve Halkiotis. She said he has quietly served for years on the Board of the New Voices committee, which honors teachers and therapist in the triangle who advocate for students with special needs. The meeting was adjourned at 9:46:04 PM. Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker Clerk to the Board