The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutMinutes 02-25-2020 Schools 1 APPROVED 3/24/2020 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION February 25, 2020 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a joint meeting with the Chapel Hill- Carrboro Board of Education and Orange County Board of Education on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Penny Rich and Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford, Mark Dorosin, Sally Greene, Mark Marcoplos, Earl McKee and Renee Price COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESENT: Chair Mary Ann Wolf, Joal Broun, Rani Dasi, Amy Fowler, Deon Temne CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: Ashton Powell and Jillian LaSerna ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESENT: Chair Will Atherton, Dr. Steve Halkiotis, Brenda Stephens, Hillary MacKenzie, Tony McKnight, Matthew Roberts and Sarah Smylie ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: Dr. Steve Brantley Halkiotis COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO SCHOOLS (CHCCS) STAFF PRESENT: Superintendent Pam Baldwin, Patrick Abele, Assistant Superintendent, Support Services, ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS (OCS) STAFF PRESENT: Superintendent Monique Felder, Sara Pitts, Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Rhonda Rath, CFO. Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m., and highlighted the history of the Whitted Building, and the large meeting room, which she said is in high demand. Commissioner Dorosin asked if a conversation, about the contract issue at CHCCS could be added at the end of the meeting, under item #6. Chair Rich noted the following items at the participants' places: Agenda Item #3 — Revised Attachment 2a Agenda Item #3 — Revised attachment 2b Agenda Item #7- Information Item — New Item #3- SAPFO- 2 additional slides Additional Benefit information CHCCS Chair Wolf said her board appreciates being here tonight, and thanked the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) for the opportunity to meet. She said the two school boards have done a good job collaborating, which has been a wonderful experience that will hopefully make this evening's presentation more cohesive. OCS Chair Atherton thanked his board for all of its hard work and collaboration with the County and CHCCS. Introductions were made of all present. 2 1. Update on State Budget CHCCS Chair Wolf said there is no state budget currently, and there were no teacher raises this year and the question remains as to how this will impact next year. She said the boards are doing their best to estimate as planning moves forward, especially in regards to state versus local funding. She said hospitalization and retirement will be going up 5.47%, regardless of a budget, and the board is trying to anticipate various scenarios. CHCCS Superintendent Pam Baldwin concurred. OCS Chair Atherton said OCS is in the same state as CHCCS, and is concerned about being able to show appreciation to the teachers and staff, without raises from the state. He said one possibility is a one-time payment from the County to help offset these problems, in particular the unfunded mandates. OCS Superintendent Felder concurred. CHCCS Chair Wolf said some districts (Charlotte Mecklenburg, for example) have been able to give raises without a state budget, and she said this is something to keep in mind. Amy Fowler said there has been some pressure from teachers. Commissioner Greene asked if the Board of County Commissioners provided the additional funds to Charlotte Mecklenburg. CHCCS Chair Wolf said she did not know, but the raise was around 3%. Commissioner Dorosin said the potential suggestion is that the County would fund salary increases that would otherwise be funded by the State. He said funding for local positions is typically based on funding for state positions, and asked if the schools are suggesting a raise for just the local positions, if there is no raise for the state positions. The schools answered no. Commissioner Dorosin asked if a proposed raise would be a one-time pay out. OCS Chair Atherton said the OCS board has not discussed specifics, but staff and teachers would appreciate any funding. He said he would rather give a one-time bonus if a sustained raise is not possible. CHCCS Chair Wolf said CHCCS teachers would prefer a sustained raise, but would appreciate anything. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the schools have a plan or some figures. CHCCS Chair Wolf said the CHCCS board has been working through some scenarios, and felt this would be part of the full budget process. She said staff can get the preliminary information to the BOCC. OCS Chair Atherton said OCS has looked at this, but is not fully into its budget process. Rhonda Rath said OCS staff will be bring this forward in the next budget proposal. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is a timeline. OCS Chair Atherton said the next OCS budget meeting in the fourth Monday of next month, and if the board is in consensus it can share this information. Superintendent Baldwin said CHCCS will have some figures and timelines to share within the next agenda item, but between March 6 and March 19 is the likely timeline. Commissioner Price asked if more information could be shared about the 5.47% increase previously mentioned. CHCCS Chair Wolf said that is required for hospitalization and retirement increases, which must be covered. Superintendent Baldwin said it applies for the next fiscal year, Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is an approximate number for this increase. Superintendent Baldwin said it would affect the local part of the CHCCS budget, and exact figures can be provided to the BOCC. CHCCS Chair Wolf said it is about $300 per staff member. 3 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the number of staff members is known. Superintendent Baldwin said about 700. OCS Chair Atherton said this would affect OCS as well. Chair Rich asked if salary increases are retroactively provided, once a state budget is passed. Staff said it depends. Chair Rich asked if the County provided additional funding, would the County get its money back if increases are provided by the State retroactively. Rani Dasi said historically, it has been retroactive, but this is new territory with the State. She said she has heard rumors of a budget not being approved next year either. Commissioner Dorosin said the lack of raises for more seasoned teachers (16-24 years) is by design, in an effort to force more experienced teachers out. Commissioner Marcoplos said 700 staff x $300 annual increase. Rani Dasi asked if the figures could be provided at a later date, to avoid inaccuracies. Bonnie Hammersley said if this is for next fiscal year, then it will be part of the schools' budget proposals. OCS staff said there are about 400 staff members in OCS. 2. Budget Process/Timeline Paul Laughton, Finance and Administrative Services, reviewed the information below: Joint Meeting with Board of County February 25, 2020 (Whitted Building) Commissioners/Boards of Education Manager Presents FY 2020-21 thru 2024-25 April 7, 2020 (Whitted Building) Capital Investment Plan to Board of County Commissioners — Regular Meeting CIP Discussion with Board of County April 14, 2020 (Southern Human Services Commissioners — Budget Work Session Center) Joint Meeting with Board of County April 28, 2020 (Whitted Building) Commissioners/Boards of Education Manager Presents Fiscal Year 2020-21 May 5, 2020 (Whitted Building) Annual Operating Budget to Board of County Commissioners — Regular Meeting Budget and Capital Investment Plan Public May 12, 2020 (Whitted Building) Hearings June 4, 2020 (Southern Human Services Center) Budget Work Sessions May 14, 2020 — Schools and Outside Agencies (Southern Human Services Center) May 21, 2020 — Fire Districts, Public Safety, Support Services, General Government (Whitted Building) May 28, 2020 — Human Services and Community Services (Southern Human Services 4 Center) June 9, 2020 — Review of Budget Amendments and Resolution of Intent to Adopt Budget (Whitted Building) FY 2020-21 Operating and CIP Budget June 16, 2020 (Southern Human Services Adoption Center OCS Chair Atherton asked if there is a plan to publicize this timeline, along with clarity about the purpose of each meeting. He asked if anything will be done differently this year, and there is public frustration about not being able to speak at work sessions. Bonnie Hammersley said everything is the same except for the public hearings schedule (which will be broken up), and the public can speak at all business meetings and public hearings. She said the BOCC has considered the option of public comment at a work session, but have chosen to keep these meetings for BOCC discussion only. Chair Rich said the Manager always posts the budget calendar on all of the BOCC budget agendas and web. She said linking the schools' websites to the County's site might be helpful. She said all of these meetings are already posted and publicized. OCS Chair Atherton said linking the websites together is a good idea. Commissioner Marcoplos said the BOCC has discussed having a deadline for a school budget change, in order to avoid 111h hour changes, and asked if a decision had been reached. Bonnie Hammersley said there could be a deadline for the amendments, but currently Board of County Commissioners can make them anytime during the budget process. She said June 4th would be the last time for the public to speak on the amendments. She said she will give the Board of County Commissioners a deadline for amendments at a later date, but it will be prior to June 4th, in order to give the public opportunity to comment. She said Commissioners still have the opportunity to make budgetary changes, even on the night of the intent to adopt. Chair Rich said amendments are listed as they are added, including the name of the person sponsoring the amendment. CHCCS Chair Wolf asked if the schools could make a school specific version of the BOCC calendar and run it by County staff prior to posting it on district websites. Bonnie Hammersley said yes. Commissioner McKee asked if the schools have a budget schedule. OCS Chair Atherton the OCS schedule is ready. Superintendent Baldwin reviewed the CHCCS budget schedule, which is posted on the CHCCS website. Rani Dasi referred to the BOCC budget amendments, and asked if these are posted at a particular time, and in a particular place on the website. Bonnie Hammersley said the amendments will be posted as they come in, via a link on the front page. Chair Rich said amendments come in in a variety of different ways, and the list is on going. Rani Dasi asked if there could there be amendments after the June 4th date, Bonnie Hammersley said yes, from the Board of County Commissioners. OCS Superintendent Felder said OCS is on the same schedule as CHCCS, and is presenting the budget to the OCS board on March 9th with the intent of have a completed budget for the Board of County Commissioners on April 21st 5 OCS Chair Atherton said OCS has interwoven the Board of County Commissioners budget calendar with the school boards' calendar. 3. School Capital Needs Patrick Abele referred to the green/white hand out, which is a quick summary. He said this information was available prior to the bond referendum, to prioritize projects for the bond. He said there has been a process for community, facility, and staff input on various needs. He reviewed Attachment 2A: • Maintenance Facilities Capital, Maintenance & Operation Summary— page 5 The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools strives to provide the best maintained, sustainable, and welcoming facilities for our community, students and employees. We attempt to meet this goal through short and long-range facility planning, completion of sustainability, deferred and preventive maintenance programs and through regular upkeep, repair and renovation projects. The district monitors current facility conditions and utilizes industry standards for reviewing facility needs. A comprehensive facility assessment was completed in 2014. A facility feasibility study in 2016, roof assessment studies, indoor air quality assessments and end-of-life project schedules have also been completed. A 10-year Capital Investment Plan is utilized to identify funding of projects for the one-year allocated annual county capital appropriations. The district receives annual capital funding for all facility needs, operations, maintenance repairs including technology upgrades, activity buses and facility services from the following county funding sources: Debt Financing: $2,461,154 Pay Go (NC Lottery): $851,650 Article 46 Sales Tax (technology) $1,272,252 Older Facility Improvements $601,400* (set to expire) Recurring Capital $1,804,200 Deferred Maintenance $1,804,200* 2020 Total Annual Capital Allotment: $8,794,856 Steve Halkiotis arrived at 7:39 p.m. Chair Rich asked if the older facility improvements and the deferred maintenance items are part of the additional monies given for the bond. Bonnie Hammersley said the BOCC adopted $1 million for five years, and the $601,400 is the last year of the bond. She said the recurring capital is the $3 million she has recommended the past 2 years to hold the schools harmless for impact fee. Chair Rich said everyone knew that this was coming, and it is not a surprise. Patrick Abele continued with the presentation: *Note: The scheduled funding of these allotments ends in FY 21. This amounts to a loss of capital funding of$2,405,600. Page 6 6 The district researched industry standards for facility capital funding for K-12 institutions and believes the annual allocation for capital funding currently received is below recommended levels to properly maintain facilities. Findings include the following annual capital allocations: • Recommended amount to "regularly upgrade existing facilities' systems, components, fixtures, equipment, and finishes as they reach the end of their anticipated life expectancy; systematically reduce the backlog of deferred maintenance that has accumulated; and alter existing facilities to respond to changing educational requirements." _ $16,379,112 (1) • Recommended amount to make sure buildings are "clean and in good working order." _ $12,284,334 (2) • The above are based on 3 & 4% of replacement costs. Utilizing a rate of combined 5% _ $20,473,891 which is $12 million below current expenses. • The states with the lowest shares of M&O spending as a percentage of the total budget were Georgia (7.6 percent), Minnesota (7.7 percent), and North Carolina (8.1 percent). Those with the highest shares were Oklahoma (11.1 percent), Arizona (12.1 percent), and Alaska (12.9 percent). CHCCS is at 9.6% (3) • The states that spent the least per student on M&O were Utah ($614), Idaho ($639), and North Carolina ($733). At the other end of the range were Alaska ($2,096), New Jersey ($1,923), and New York ($1,759). (4) Footnotes 1. Calculated using Current Replacement Value (CRV) x Gross Sq Ft. x 4% _ $192 x 2,132,697 x 192 x .04 = $16,379,112. Source: State of Our Schools 2. 3% of CRV Source: State of Our Schools 3. CHCSS Budget line of"Operational support services" /Total operating expense = 13,831,080 / 144,247,500. 9.56% was average share of M&O for schools nationwide in 2008- 2009- includes payroll for M&O. Source: American Schools and Universities M&O Cost Study 4. See page 15 of State of Our Schools Priorities for Capital Projects — page 7 Utilizing facility assessment information and feedback from building occupants the following priorities are used for setting priorities for capital projects: • Fire, Life, Health & Safety related projects • Building projects that increase Student Capacity • End of Life Systems (roofs, mechanical systems, carpets, plumbing, etc.) • Building Envelope Systems (brick veneer, drainage/gutters, windows, doors, etc.) • Sustainability projects (lighting, cost savings, environmental controls, etc.) • General maintenance & repair projects (painting, parking lots, athletic areas, etc.) Building Operation Costs Utility Cost for 2018-2019 Site Elec., Gas + Water Cost per sf Culbreth Middle $ 119,904 $ 0.89 School McDougle Campus $ 247,047 $ 0.91 East Chapel Hill High $ 301,972 $ 0.95 School Scroggs Elementary $ 96,418 $ 0.95 7 School Phillips Middle School $ 134,103 $ 1.12 Chapel Hill High $ 326,129 $ 1.15 School Smith Middle School $ 166,761 $ 1.16 Ephesus Elementary $ 92,643 $ 1.20 School Lincoln $ 94,707 $ 1.23 Center/Phoenix Morris Grove $ 114,197 $ 1.24 Elementary School Estes Hill Elementary $ 78,950 $ 1.28 School Glenwood Elementary $ 76,037 $ 1.29 School Northside Elementary $ 135,233 $ 1.29 School FP Graham $ 92,269 $ 1.31 Elementary School Rashkis Elementary $ 135,508 $ 1.34 School Carrboro High School $ 270,523 $ 1.51 Carrboro Elementary $ 104,138 $ 1.60 School Seawell Elementary $ 120,749 $ 1.70 School District Total $ 2,712,885 $ 1.23 Commissioner Dorosin referred to Page 6, and the $16 million and $12 million figures to keep buildings in clean and good working order, and asked if this is over a certain time period, or is an ongoing need. Patrick Abele said it is an ongoing analysis, and the $12 million every year is for the buildings and facilities. He said the $16 million includes additional renovations and upgrades, which may not occur every year. He said doing repairs, upgrades and renovations in smaller chunks, in an ongoing manner, may be wiser than raising a large amount of money to fix everything at once. Commissioner Dorosin referred to the list of priorities on page 7, and asked if these priorities are in priority order, or all they all priority number one. Patrick Abele said all are priority number one. He said the life safety systems are of the highest priority, but students should have fresh air and a working mechanical system, as well as a roof that will not leak water into a bucket on the student's desk. He continued with the presentation: Facility Maintenance Work Order Summary— page 8 Work Orders by Location 2018-2019 Site #Work Orders Carrboro Elementary 257 Carrboro High School 315 8 Chapel Hill High School 385 Culbreth Middle School 353 East Chapel Hill High School 397 Ephesus Elementary School 327 Estes Hill Elementary School 356 Frank Porter Graham Elementary School 166 Glenwood Elementary School 202 Lincoln Center 218 McDougle Elementary School 272 McDougle Middle School 189 Morris Grove Elementary School 180 Northside Elementary School 153 Phillips Middle School 217 Phoenix Academy 27 Rashkis Elementary School 193 Scroggs Elementary School 218 Seawell Elementary School 445 Smith Middle School 197 Transportation Department 32 District Total 5099 Commissioner Marcoplos said some of the new schools have just as many work orders as the older schools, and asked if there is a reason for this. Patrick Abele said items on newer facilities include door locks and mechanisms, but do not often include boilers, HVAC, etc. Commissioner Bedford asked if these work orders includes athletics. Patrick Abele said yes. Commissioner Greene referred to the utility costs page, and Smith middle school specifically, and said she would have expected this number to be lower, due to day lighting and energy efficiencies. She asked if Smith is just not as energy efficient as expected. Patrick Abele said he will research this. He resumed the presentation: Facility Preventative Maintenance page —9 The district facilities team completes on-going facility maintenance with regular schedules in order to sustain and maintain the buildings. Additionally, contractors that specialize in facility systems assist the district in meeting monthly, quarterly or yearly maintenance programs. Examples of Maintenance Schedules (Approximate cost = $656,000) • HVAC o filters and replaced quarterly (minimum) o belts replaced annually, checked each quarter o pumps and motor bearings o coil cleaning o boilers have a yearly service contract o chillers are serviced and inspected annually o cooling towers receive chemical treatments o AHU are checked when filters are changed o Indoor Air Quality inspections semi-annually • Electrical 9 o thermal imaging of panels (ongoing) o fire systems checked and serviced yearly, inspected and tested monthly o sprinkler systems serviced annually o emergency generators serviced yearly o fire hood systems inspected annually and cleaned semi-annually • Plumbing o backflows inspected and repaired annually o hot water boilers yearly service contract for inspections o grease traps as needed (monthly, quarterly or annual) o rainwater collections included in water treatment contracts o winterization on all irrigation and outside water stations before first freeze through spring • Grounds o bio-retention ponds annual inspection and service o playgrounds inspected annually by district grounds staff/monthly by school staff o athletic fields have regular ongoing maintenance 0 ongoing maintenance for cleaning drains, mowing, trimming as needed Commissioner Rich asked if there are maintenance crews on staff. Patrick Abele said yes, approximately 20, taking care of grounds, HVAC, electric, plumbing, etc. He said HVAC issues are the greatest, and it is difficult to recruit and keep HVAC technicians. He resumed the presentation: School Building Profiles & Prioritized Major Capital Plans — page 12 In May of 2019, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education completed a Board facilities retreat work session in order to review the facility building needs within the district. The projected facility needs from the comprehensive facilities assessment and from the list of identified projects for older schools range from $200-$300 million dollars and were categorized among three long-term options. Capital Needs Prioritized Options OPTION 1 Repair, replacement or renovation of items, components or systems that are important to the health and safety of the students and staff and to sustain the overall operation of the facility. General maintenance and system service life upgrades. (state building code violations, health department violations, handicapped accessibility issues, removal of hazardous material, security issues not being met by current systems) OPTION 2 Repair and renovation of long-range items that also bring the class size square footage of elementary classrooms to 1,200 sf and/or meet future capacity needs and the Orange County School Building Standards of 585 (current standard) students for elementary schools. OPTION 3 Repair and renovation of long-range items that also bring the class size square footage of elementary classrooms to 1,200 sf and/or meet future capacity needs and the Orange County School Building Standards of 637 students for elementary schools. Utilize sustainable approaches to extend building life while reducing overall maintenance and operation costs. 10 The district's list for older schools prioritized for building improvements is consistent with the 9 older schools identified in the facility assessment and prioritized projects listed in the 2016 Bond funding request. Chapel Hill High School has been removed from the list of future projects as it is currently under renovation with funding from the 2016 Bond. Page 13 Sample from CHCCS Board Retreat Pre-K/Phoenix/Admin @ LC $39.07 million Carrboro Elementary $13.17 million Ephesus Elementary $6.10 million Estes Hills Elementary $5.76 million Frank Porter Graham Elementary $5.13 million Glenwood Elementary $5.32 million Seawell Elementary $6.28 million Culbreth Middle $10.71 million Phillips Middle $8.97 million 2019 Construction Cost $100.52 million 2024 Construction Cost $120.59 million Projects identified for the older school improvements listed above would increase capacity at the elementary level by 221 students. A second phase improvement would be to complete option 3 renovations at Ephesus Elementary School at $37.18 million, which completes necessary repairs and increases the school's capacity by 237 students. The annual projected inflation rate for construction costs is calculated at 6% per year for each year renovation projects are not completed. Delays in funding critical capital projects further exacerbates the funding gap on amount of capital funding received and the actual funding needed to complete necessary repairs to school buildings. Page 14 Summary of the costs for renovations to the nine oldest facilities based on the above options. Facility Name Option1 Costs Option 2 Costs Option 3 costs Carrboro ES $10.36-13.2M $14.43-$18.28M $26.48-$33.34 M Ephesus ES $4.69-$6.10M $11.82-$14.49M $29.76-$37.18M Estes Hills ES $4.36-$5.76M $10.75-$13.70M $29.45-$36.79M Frank Porter Graham ES $4.27-$5.13M $10.38-$12.77M $20.38-$25.22M Glenwood ES $4.18-$5.32M $14.35-$16.90M $25.67-$32.02M Seawell ES $5.08-$6.28M $11.10-$13.81 M $26.48-$33.34M Culbreth MS $8.37-$10.7M $17.45-$24.45M Same as option 2 Phillips MS $7.12-$8.97 $11.83-$14.86M Same as option 2 Lincoln Center $3.06-$3.95M $37.47-$39.07M Same as option 2 Construction Cost Total $51.50-$65.39M $138.64-$169.33M $244.96-$277.28M Jan 2024 Projection $64.53-$81.94M $173.71-$212.16M $281.87-$347.44M (+6% annual) 11 Facility Name SAPFO capacity 1:17 Option 2 increased Option 3 increased Capacity (517) capacity (637) Carrboro ES 473 44 164 Ephesus ES 400 117 237 Estes Hill ES 483 34 154 FPG ES 474 43 43 Glenwood ES 379 138 138 Seawell ES 402 115 235 Total Capacity Increases 491 971 The district is in the process of completing individual capital profiles to further highlight the critical needs, repairs, and upgrades required to properly sustain and maintain older school facilities. These nine facilities were designated as the highest priority for capital renovations during the 2016 bond campaign based on the previous comprehensive facilities assessment along with community and stakeholder input. Patrick Abele said 2024 is the next time a bond can be done for these costs. He said all of these numbers are estimates. He said, for some schools, staff would not recommend option 3. Commissioner McKee asked if the sustainable renovations would add 20-25 years of life expectancy. Patrick Abele said yes, and if millions of dollars is going to be spent, there should be some useful life that can come from those renovations. He said the life expectancy of educational facilities is often overlooked in discussions. Commissioner McKee asked if the construction costs for Northside ES could be identified. Staff said $24 million. Commissioner McKee said if renovations of older schools are going to cost $26-$33 million, for 25 years of life, he wonders if a rebuild is a better idea. He said if a rebuild is $40 million, the total for the 9 schools would be $360 million versus $280-340 million for renovations. He said new facilities would have a much longer lifespan. He said he is not advocating this, but wonders if staff has considered renovating versus replacing. Commissioner Dorosin said if the capacity could be increased, a new one could be built and an older school knocked out. Commissioner McKee said he wants to know the options. Patrick Abele said a feasibility study was done in 2016-17 that helped build the options being presented this evening. He said staff is recommending option 3, with the Lincoln Center project, because it impacts the three areas plus the capacity gains from co-locating pre-K students. He said staff also recommends option 1 for the rest of the locations. He said staff is cautious of doing major renovations at one school, because it leaves the other needy schools untouched. He said the final recommendation is approximately $120 million, which would include option 1 combined with the Lincoln Center project. He said this improves and updates many schools, as opposed to one location. He said looking at future town growth, staff is also trying to be strategic in where renovations are taking place, which feeds into long range plans for reassignment, etc. Commissioner McKee said he would not advocate tackling all needs at once. He said the current site for Orange County High School was purchased years ago, and the school board was highly criticized, as many believed the track of land was too large, but the decision was exactly the right one to be made. 12 Amy Fowler said there are not many viable locations for citing new schools. Commissioner Dorosin said to knock one down and then build a new one. He said if Ephesus ES needs $30 million in repairs and renovations, it seems a prime candidate to be razed and start all over on the same site. CHCCS Chair Wolf said page 13 includes the option referenced by Patrick Abele, option 1 plus the Lincoln Center project. Rani Dasi said it is not realistic to compare the costs of building a new school with those of deconstructing an old school and relocating the current students. Commissioner Greene referred to the Lincoln Center proposal, and asked if this is the same one that was previously proposed during bond discussions. Patrick Abele said yes. Commissioner Bedford said the Town of Chapel Hill is working on a plan for the American Legion property on Legion Road, near Ephesus ES, which may have housing or a park. She said this property backs up to the school, and could be a wonderful opportunity for collaboration, and having a full size gym, etc. Patrick Abele said Ephesus also has 7 mobile units, and the plan would be to eliminate all 44 mobile units in the district. Commissioner Bedford said when discussing the renovations for Chapel Hill High School, costs for renovation versus tear down were not vastly different, and the property was large enough that the school could manage to shuffle students during the construction. Commissioner Dorosin said everything needs to be costed out, and tear down will cost more, but may be more cost efficient in the long run. He referred to page 13, and asked if the BOCC should be girding itself for a request from CHCCS for a $120.59 million in capital funds in this year's budget. Patrick Abele said no, and that figure was geared towards a 2024 bond. He said CHCCS would like to discuss how to infuse more capital dollars, not at the expense of operations, to do more renovations sooner, rather than waiting until buildings are in total disrepair. Commissioner Dorosin said if that is successful, the $120.5 million could come down. Patrick Abele said yes. Commissioner Price referred to option 1, and asked how long the repairs will last. Patrick Abele said it just depends. He said security and safety changes may be needed, but most roofing and mechanical systems come with some warranties. Commissioner Price asked if costs for future years are known, if the total cost was $51.5 million in the first year. Patrick Abele said some things would come off the list, and others would go on. He said another goal would be to keep these project lists fluid and updated on a regular basis. Commissioner Price said once one problem is fixed, another will arise, and the average cost will probably remain the same for several years to address all issues. Patrick Abele agreed. Commissioner Bedford said many of these campuses are open to the outdoors, and thus insecure, and she asked if any of the options, presented this evening, take those types of renovations into account. Patrick Abele said it is not until option 3 that one will see complete closures and redesigns, as well as the removal of mobile units. Commissioner Greene said she recalled significant road improvements that would be necessary for the Lincoln Center project, and asked if it was determined who would cover such costs: the Town of Chapel Hill or CHCCS. Patrick Abele said he does not know for Lincoln Center, but the Chapel Hill High School project included some significant road improvements, and these costs were covered by both the 13 Town and CHCCS, about 70/30. He said a small portion will be reimbursed by the NC Department of Transportation (DOT). Commissioner Greene said she recalls that bus service cannot be offered for pre-K children, and there was significant discussion about adding a turn lane at Lincoln Center due to drop off/pick up needs. Superintendent Baldwin said the turn lane would be required. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the 70/30 split has the schools paying the 70%. Staff said yes. Chair Rich asked if DOT will reimburse the schools or the Town. Patrick Abele said the schools. Amy Fowler asked if the upgrades include the safety items included in last year's expansion budget. Patrick Abele said no, these safety items are not included, such as radio systems for emergency situations, upgrading security cameras, etc. CHCCS Chair Wolf thanked CHCCS staff for all its efforts in preparing this information. Sara Pitts reviewed the following information for OCS: OCS Facilities Capital, Maintenance & Operation Summary Orange County Schools strives to provide well-maintained, safe, sustainable, and welcoming facilities for our community, students and employees. We attempt to meet this goal through short and long-range facility planning, completion of sustainability, deferred and preventive maintenance programs and through regular upkeep, repair and renovation projects. The district monitors current facility conditions and utilizes industry standards for reviewing facility needs. A comprehensive facility assessment was completed in 2014. A safety, security and emergency management assessment was conducted in 2013. Roof assessment studies, parking lot assessment studies, indoor air quality assessments and end-of-life project schedules have also been completed. A 10-year Capital Investment Plan is utilized to identify funding of projects for the one-year allocated annual county capital appropriations. The district receives annual capital funding for all facility needs, operations, and maintenance repairs including technology upgrades, activity buses and facility services from the following county funding sources: Debt Financing: $1,599,236 Pay Go (NC Lottery): 558,978 Article 46 Sales Tax (technology) 810,801 Older Facility Improvements 398,600* Recurring Capital $ 1,195,800 Deferred Maintenance $ 1,195,800* Bond 20,064,000 2020 Total Annual Capital Allotment: $25,832,215 *Note: The scheduled funding of these allotments ends in FY 21. This amounts to a loss of capital funding of$1,594,400. Priorities for Capital Projects Utilizing facility assessment information and feedback from building occupants, the following priorities are used for setting priorities for capital projects: • Fire, Life, Health & Safety related projects 14 • Building projects that increase Student Capacity • End of Life Systems (roofs, mechanical systems, carpets, plumbing, etc.) • Building Envelope Systems (brick veneer, drainage/gutters, windows, doors, etc.) • Sustainability projects (lighting, cost savings, environmental controls, etc.) • General maintenance & repair projects (painting, parking lots, athletic areas, etc.) Building Operation Costs UTILITY COST FOR 2018-19 SITE Electric + Gas + Cost per Sq Ft Water A.L. Stanback Middle $ 182,238.65 $ 1.34 School Cameron Park $ 111,783.34 $ 1.58 Elementary School Cedar Ridge High $ 372,807.65 $ 1.72 School* Central Elementary $ 92,611.85 $ 1.51 School C.W. Stanford Middle $ 190,507.00 $ 1.60 School Efland Cheeks Global $ 108,272.47 $ 1.66 Elementary School Gravelly Hill Middle $ 142,392.30 $ 1.16 School Grady A. Brown $ 112,723.16 $ 1.50 Elementary School Hillsborough $ 95,589.30 $ 1.31 Elementary School New Hope Elementary $ 151,165.87 $ 1.51 School Orange High School $ 378,564.40 $ 1.74 Partnership Academy $ 12,480.12 $ 1.89 School Pathways Elementary $ 117,136.19 $ 1.37 School District Total $ 2,068,272.30 $ 1.54 Facility Maintenance Work Order Summary Work Orders by Location 2018-2019 Site # of work orders Administrative Annex 121 AL Stanback MS 328 Cameron Park ES 423 Cedar Ridge HS 474 Central ES 241 Central Office 112 CW Stanford MS 352 Efland Cheeks Global ES 261 Grady A. Brown ES 299 15 Gravelly Hill MS 364 Hillsborough ES 370 Maintenance 59 New Hope ES 329 Orange HS 756 Partnership Academy 27 Pathways ES 356 School Community Relations 66 Transportation 49 Welcome Center 0 District Total 4,987 Footnotes 1. Welcome Center is a 26,000 sq ft building, which opened in January of 2020. Building A is currently serving as an Administration Building, Building B is currently not occupied. 2. School Community Relations had an occupancy status change January 2020. 3. Cedar Ridge addition is currently under construction, which will add an additional 50,000 sq ft to the campus. Facility Preventative Maintenance The district facilities team completes on-going facility maintenance with regular schedules in order to sustain and maintain the buildings. Additionally, contractors that specialize in facility systems assist the district in meeting monthly, quarterly or yearly maintenance programs. Examples of Maintenance Schedules (Approximate cost = $722,025) • HVAC o filters and replaced quarterly (minimum) o belts replaced annually, checked each quarter o pumps and motor bearings o coil cleaning o boilers have a yearly service contract o chillers are serviced and inspected annually o cooling towers receive chemical treatments o AHU are checked when filters are changed o Indoor Air Quality inspections semi-annually • Electrical o fire systems checked and serviced yearly, inspected and tested monthly o sprinkler systems serviced annually o emergency generators serviced yearly o fire hood systems inspected annually and cleaned semi-annually o elevator inspections o gym floor refinishing o fire extinguisher inspections • Plumbing o backflows inspected and repaired annually o hot water boilers yearly service contract for inspections o grease traps as needed (monthly, quarterly or annual) o rainwater collections included in water treatment contracts 16 • Grounds o bio-retention ponds annual inspection and service of playgrounds inspected annually by district grounds staff/monthly by school staff o athletic fields have regular ongoing maintenance o ongoing maintenance for cleaning drains, mowing, trimming as needed • Fire & Life Safety o Fire door assembly inspections o Damper inspections annually School Building Profiles & Prioritized Major Capital Plans Orange County Schools Board of Education has previously completed a Board facility retreat work session in order to review the facility building needs within the district. The projected facility needs from the comprehensive facilities assessment and from the list of identified projects for older schools range from $160-$220 million dollars and were categorized among three long-term options. Capital Needs Prioritized Options Repair, replacement or renovation of items, OPTION 1 components or systems that are important to the health and safety of the students and staff and to sustain the overall operation of the facility. General maintenance and system service life upgrades. (state building code violations, health department violations, handicapped accessibility issues, removal of hazardous material, security issues not being met by current systems) OPTION 2 Repair and renovation of long-range items that also bring the class size square footage of elementary classrooms to 1,200 sf and/or meet future capacity needs and the Orange County School Building Standards of 585 students for elementary schools. Repair and renovation of long-range items that OPTION 3 also bring the class size square footage of elementary classrooms to 1,200 sf and/or meet future capacity needs and the Orange County School Building Standards of 637 students for elementary schools. Utilize sustainable approaches to extend building life while reducing overall maintenance and operation costs Facility Name Option 1 costs Option 2 costs Option 3 costs AL Stanback MS $2,685,766-$3,406,718 $903,034-$1,266,517 Cameron Park ES $1,026,639-$1,399,771 $11,665,287-$14,065,003 $3,981,108-$4,693,974 Cedar Ridge HS $3,388,728-$4,634,481 Central ES $3,347,195-$4,173,861 $3,306,427-$4,133,034 $1,302,876-$1,574,056 17 CW Stanford MS $5,102,957-$5,515,734 Efland Cheeks ES $4,415,129-$5,338,184 $3,394,485-$4,027,933 Grady A. Brown ES $4,685,602-$5,680,165 $3,143,568-$3,787,431 Gravelly Hill MS $2,632,567-$3,410,203 Hillsborough ES $6,391,747-$8,185,277 $17,478,944-$32,000,000 New Hope ES $3,480,246-$4,606,789 Orange HS $7,334,781-$9,328,601 $4,393,420-$5,491,775 Partnership Academy $128,167-$171,798 Pathways ES $2,585,554-$3,513,700 Jan 2024 Projection $47,178,089- $83,023,282- $96,798,487- $59,365,631 $113,591,601 $130,859,202 Commissioner Price said she had some concerns about Hillsborough Elementary, and asked if the entire building will be deconstructed. Sara Pitts said the recommendation in the 2014 assessment was to deconstruct the 100 building. Commissioner Price said it has been 6 years, and asked if there is a more current update. Sara Pitts said the board has not decided. Commissioner Price said this is a historically African American school, and she is concerned about its deconstruction. Sara Pitts said the hope is to keep the integrity of that building, and deconstruct the 100 building. She said it is hoped that the historic portions of the campus can be preserved. Commissioner Price said this possibility would need more discussion, beyond the school board, before moving forward with any plan. Steve Halkiotis said it is important to remember the loudest voice for preserving the cultural integrity of Central High School was Mariah McPherson, and she lived in that neighborhood for many years, and her children continue to do so. He said the neighborhood is changing dramatically. He said he recently visited the Lincoln Center, and he has always been impressed by the way CHCCS has kept the integrity of the history of Lincoln Center, including historic photographs, etc. He said he would like to see a discussion around preserving the history and legacy at Central; Ike and Tina Turner played in the gym. He said this is very important. Commissioner Price said the alumni association should be involved in any discussions. Hillary MacKenzie said if there is a desire to preserve this campus, and continue to use it as a school, urgent action must to be taken, as the 100 building has a crack in the foundation. She said serious conversations should happen sooner, rather than later. Brenda Stephens said the Whitted Building was never torn down, and it was a white school. She said African American culture and history need to be preserved. Commissioner McKee said both of these projections say 2024, and assumes these will require bond monies. He asked if there is any type of timeline in place for the completion of this work. He said he doubts the County can float a bond anywhere close to this amount, due to the debt capacity. Patrick Abele said 6 years, because these are large-scale renovations. Commissioner McKee said $500 million, for both schools, might take two bonds. Commissioner Marcoplos said everyone will know a bit more after the November elections. Matthew Roberts said he is concerned about schools with multiple buildings and open access points. He said he would like to seriously consider new builds, as they could both 18 increase capacity, but also bring the buildings and classrooms up to today's standards, which is significant. Sarah Smylie thanked Sara Pitts and staff for working so hard, and so well together. She said this is the prioritized list from the 2016 facility assessment, and if all items had been included it would have totaled $160-220 million. She said part of the reason the situation is so dire is because there has not been ongoing funding of capital maintenance. She said she is not sure of the best solution, but it is important to chip away at this need and seek to maintain the facilities more effectively moving forward. Commissioner Dorosin said this consistent formatting is very helpful. He said it is important to consider the greatest priorities within this list of priorities. He said the costs are so great, and every item cannot be funded. He said it is important to know the very greatest needs to address first. Commissioner Dorosin said it may be time for everyone to think more creatively on how to handle older schools, such as year round schools, in order to buy more time to increase capacity. Commissioner Bedford said as the schools develop CIP requests, it is helpful to do a matrix: if there was $1 million, what do you want to do; if there was $2 million, what would you want to do, etc. She said to prioritize the big projects, before they get to the bond. Commissioner Dorosin said that type of information is very useful to the public as well. Amy Fowler said there is an ongoing 5-year maintenance plan, which has prioritized items. Chair Rich said it is important to talk about expectations from the community, and it is difficult for the BOCC to talk to the community without specific information. Commissioner Bedford referred to the routine maintenance items, and said the Board of County Commissioners knows that the County will be looking at a larger facility study for the County buildings, just as the schools have done. She said in 2005, the BOCC budget formula was changed to 60% for schools and 40% for County facilities, but this was done without a facilities study. She said it would be helpful to look at the County and the schools maintenance needs, and determine how much money it would really take to meet the on-going maintenance needs. Commissioner Price referred to AL Stanback middle school, and asked if there is a reason that option 1 is more expensive than option 3. She said she understood option 3 to be the option that would be available through a bond. Sara Pitts said option 1 costs are listed as those items that are needed right now for health and safety reasons. Commissioner Price said she is confused why option 1 would be higher than option 3. Sara Pitts said she did not put cumulative costs from option 1, 2, 3, but rather listed what total costs would be if option 1 and option 2 and option 3 were done, with the bottom total being cumulative. She said option 1, 2 and 3 need to be added together to get actual totals. Commissioner Price said CHCCS listed their options differently. Sara Pitts said the layout is just a bit different, but she will send and updated list. Patrick Abele said CHCCS considered all 3 options as distinct possible options, separate from each other. He said CHCCS may just be one step ahead of OCS in the layout of its options, due to its feasibility study. Commissioner Marcoplos said it is important to recognize that everyone has come together, with a spirit of doing the very best that is possible, and the information presented tonight is a start of a plan and will be very helpful for the public. He said it is important to make sure that divisiveness does not prevent solutions. He said the topic of schools is very emotional, and he really appreciated everyone being here this evening, and looks forward to remaining unified moving forward. 19 • SAPFO and Capacity OCS Chair Atherton said he would appreciate not rehashing the data that has already been reviewed, but would like to get to the discussion of counting pre-K. He asked if the County has reviewed the proposals that have been presented for counting pre-K CHCCS Chair Wolf said CHCCS has pre-k kids in the classroom, but they are not counted in SAPFO. She said everyone feels pre-K can be a very important aspect of school readiness and equity, and CHCCS wants to be very reasonable, but also be realistic about what they need SAPFO to show. She said it is complicated, but CHCCS really wants to count the pre-K kids as they are in the classrooms, and thus other children cannot go in those same spots. She said the legislative class size mandates will make this a critical issue. OCS Chair Atherton said this issue affects how OCS will redistrict, and OCS wants to collaborate to get everyone on the same page. He said the school board has given a couple of proposals and is looking for feedback. Amy Fowler said many pre-K students are required to be there, and if SAPFO is a planning tool, it is important to consider the reality of the situation. Chair Rich asked if the number of required pre-K students is known. Patrick Abele said there are 57 students in CHCCS (page 56). OCS staff said 36 students in OCS. Commissioner Dorosin agreed with counting the actual number of people in the buildings, and asked if the pros and cons of considering percentages versus actual counts. He said he is unclear as to why this was left out of SAPFO in the beginning. OCS Chair Atherton said the first way OCS proposed to proceed, was to go ahead and do a hard number per district, but OCS did not put any bounds on it. He said if the school district determined to expand pre-K exponentially, it would run out of capacity, which would be unfair for planning purposes. OCS Chair Atherton said OCS then considered a second proposal. He said today they are at 144, and asked what would happen if they meet all of their needs and expected growth. He said OCS came up with the number of 10% of the total elementary school population. He said having a percentage allows the schools to plan accordingly when are looking at re- districting. He said a percentage could be hard wired into SAPFO, and if there was a desire to go higher, all bodies would need to be in agreement. Commissioner Dorosin clarified that the 10% would be 10% of a school's capacity allocated to pre-K. OCS Chair Atherton said OCS considered the total elementary population across the district. He said if capacity were added at a school, the number equivalent of the 10% would also increase accordingly. He said this would be the same if a new school were to be built. He said universal pre-K would work differently. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the 10% can be compared to today's actual numbers. CHCCS Chair Wolf said for CHCCS that 10% would provide a lot of room to grow. She said CHCCS currently has 267 pre-K students, and 10% would allow for 500 students. Commissioner Dorosin clarified that in CHCCS it is currently under 5% and OCS is around 4%-6%. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there are any other school districts that have blazed a trail. OCS Chair Atherton said SAPFO is not common in most of North Carolina. Commissioner Marcoplos said he has to imagine that someone, somewhere, has tried to figure this out. OCS Chair Atherton asked if there is a reservation to counting the pre-K students. 20 Commissioner Marcoplos said he thinks it would be important to count accurately. OCS Chair Atherton said 10% would be a maximum amount of growth, and accurate numbers would be counted of those students physically sitting in the schools. He said the 10% number would be a way to have an agreement on how much growth can occur. He said numbers would not go above 10%. Matthew Roberts said OCS currently has a pre-K waiting list of 78, and the 10% number would allow those children to be served, as well as room for growth. Chair Rich said she wonders if counting pre-K students will result in the faster building of new schools, and it takes a school from being 10 years out to three years out. She said the BOCC is not against counting pre-K, but rather is concerned about the acceleration of the need for capacity. OCS Chair Atherton said SAPFO is a planning tool, and its only teeth are not that the County must build schools, but rather it says the CAPS will stop. He said his concern is that the students are there now, and either new school will be needed, or the capacity will have to be extended to accommodate. He said SAPFO does not require the BOCC to build schools, but it is important to look at the reality of what is happening right now. Chair Rich said the BOCC has been discussing universal pre-K for three years, but the reality is that it does push up the need for new school buildings and the BOCC must be mindful of taxing the residents. Bonnie Hammersley said SAPFO is a planning tool for the County, and she is confident that if SAPFO showed the need for a school, the County would build it. She said if one throws the 10% into SAPFO, a new school will be needed next year. She said the reason SAPFO did not include pre-K is because the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) does not count pre-K. She said Orange County is the only county in the state that uses SAPFO, and most other counties do not have a planning tool. She said school staff has presented $500 million worth of needs in the current school buildings, and counting pre-K would add a new school to that list as well. OCS Chair Atherton said he is not advocating adding 10% into SAPFO right now, and his concerns are based on the actual numbers of pre-K students currently. He said if these students are counted, then there is a need for 2 '/2 schools needed within four years, and not counting these students does not change the reality that they exist and are sitting in seats. He said putting blinders on will force the schools do to a social injustice to the kids with the most needs, and the schools will no longer be able to serve the children that are already being served. Joal Broun said if there is a desire to get to universal pre-K, then planning has to begin now. She said the goal of universal pre-K cannot be achieved without a plan to pay for it, which includes the students that are already in the schools. She said it would be ignoring reality to not count the current pre-K students. She said pre-K is an investment in children and leads to greater success as an adult. She said investing early will lead to less social and economic costs later. CHCCS Chair Wolf said the 10% idea came up in order to respect the process, but now she is hearing it may be better to just include the current pre-K kids in the SAPFO counts. Steve Halkiotis said there were 5 Board of County Commissioners who voted on the original SAPFO agreement, and he was one of them. He said the goal of SAPFO was not to determine when a school was needed, but rather it was a hidden plan to control growth and it has backfired. He said OCS is now seeing the growth that CHCCS has already seen. He said pre-K was not a topic of discussion when SAPFO was created. Steve Halkiotis said social justice should begin at birth, and a child grows and develops more between birth and age 3, than in the rest of its life. He said social justice is directly linked 21 to early childhood investment, and the County must decide where it wants to invest. He said it is important to count the pre-K kids. Chair Rich said the discussion is not whether the BOCC wants to have pre-k kids, but rather about how to make it work. Sarah Smylie said she would like to emphasize CHCCS Chair Wolf's suggestion to count the kids currently enrolled, and she would also like to do something about the waiting list. CHCCS Chair Wolf said she was not suggesting a lack of growth, but rather the CAPS do not have to be set. She said next year, she would like to count the kids in pre-K and have ongoing annual conversations. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if pre-K students can be counted for a year, as an experiment, and see what conversations come from it. Deon Temne asked if, the current students are counted, how is the waiting list acknowledged. He said he would like to know if there is a commitment to having universal pre- K at some point, because if this is a goal the planning must begin. Amy Fowler said the SAPFO is supposed to note the number of students actually in the schools as a planning tool. She said trying to allow more students and reduce the waiting list is a separate issue for having to fund operational needs for those students. Commissioner Dorosin said universal pre-K, which is his goal, does not mean everything is provided by the school system; but rather can include privately run or non-profit entities. He asked if SAPFO is designed to address the waiting list. He sees two issues: how do we serve everyone that needs to be served, and to what extent is that a component of available space, as opposed to other high quality programs that the County could support. Commissioner Bedford said the County did not fully fund the continuation budgets for either school district last year. She said the conversation is somewhat premature. She said she would like to know the operating costs of one more pre-k class, and are any students on the wait list fee paying. She said she needed more basic information. She said she is not talking about universal pre-K, but rather sustaining the preschool classes they have now, maintaining EC federally required classrooms, and looking at the millions of dollars worth of facility needs. She said lets meet the needs of the current K-5 kids, and then maybe consider universal pre-K. She said everyone wants wonderful things, but where will the money come from. Commissioner Bedford said she would like more information about redistricting within OCS. She said there will not be a lot more space, and all will be lucky if there is a bond. Commissioner Price said she agreed, but also feels it may be wise to look at SAPFO again, as it may be time for a review. She said as this review is occurring, then universal pre-K should be considered. She said the social climate will not change unless everyone starts with an equal footing. OCS Chair Atherton said right now the schools are focused on trying to count the existing students. Commissioner Bedford said she supports this action. OCS Chair Atherton said there is the second question of the waiting list, and OCS estimates a pre-K class costing $206,000. He said meeting the waiting list need would require 3 classrooms at $618,000. He said extra classrooms are not a SAPFO question, but rather a funding question. He said he wants SAPFO to plan for the students that actually exists, and have future funding discussions separately. Commissioner Dorosin asked if pre-K kids are counted the same way as k-5, or is there a different formula. OCS Chair Atherton said it will be different for an enclosed EC class, which is mandated by the state. He said there are blended classrooms, which are larger, around 18 students. 22 Chair Rich said this entire conversation started when the General Assembly placed unfunded mandates on the classroom size for grades K-3. She said these are tough questions, and there is a constant attack on public education. She said the needs are constant. CHCCS Chair Wolf said she is in favor of counting existing students, and if there are operating funds for new classrooms, that would be wonderful. She said having accurate numbers will better inform capacity discussions moving forward. Chair Rich asked if counting existing students will affect the waiting lists. OCS Chair Atherton said it does not address the waiting lists, and the waiting list should remain a separate issue. He said the only way to address the waiting list is with funding, and that will be seen in the schools' budget requests. Commissioner Marcoplos said if existing pre-K students are not counted, the County will never know the implications. OCS Chair Atherton said in OCS, SAPFO can be updated with an amendment. He said if the goal is to approve the counting of current students, the Board of County Commissioners would approve the proposal, then Hillsborough, and then OCS and then the same process for CHCCS. He said after all have approved and signed, it would be in effect. Commissioner Bedford said that could take a long time, and possibly not pass. She said another option would be to present the numbers as they are now, and share the information in a format as if the capacities were different, including those in pre-K, so that all know the projections. Commissioner Bedford said the CAPS would stay the same, under the law, and legal dollars are not at risk when a first CAP is denied. She said if numbers are presented with the new capacities for the building on another page, then the BOCC will have the numbers. She said this could be done simultaneously. She said she could anticipate some strong push back, as SAPFO was not easy to get done in the first place. OCS Chair Atherton said both schools have consulted their attorneys, and The Town of Hillsborough is open for discussion. He said he does not anticipate large pushback. Chair Rich said this item needs to go on the Board of County Commissioners' agenda first, with full information, projection numbers, and discussion. OCS Chair Atherton said the BOCC has been given these numbers and reviewed them in the recent work session. He said there is no way to expand the pre-K program, as there are no funds. He said the numbers that were shared are the only numbers there are. Chair Rich said this should be added to the next agenda review. Rani Dasi asked if Commissioner Bedford could clarify where she expects there to be pushback. Commissioner Bedford said there was a county near Charlotte that was challenged, and it was found illegal. She said it was very similar case. She said several years ago in Orange County, a request was brought forward to abolish SAPFO, but it was kept due to its value as a planning tool. She said in the 1990s, some of the schools were incredibly overcrowded, and SAPFO was created to address that problem. She said the desire was to stay under the radar. Commissioner Dorosin said someone was denied permission to build a school. Commissioner Bedford said yes, and that is what will happen if capacity is increased, but there are no funds to build a school, and the school district will deny CAPS. She said then the County will have to provide the legal dollars to defend that case. Commissioner Dorosin said there is no legal obligation to deny CAPS, and SAPFO is a planning tool. Commissioner Bedford said the tool actually says the school boards must issue CAPS. She said when Northside ES was built, the CHCCS school board could have denied CAPS during that year, but since the funding was in force, and going to be coming, there was a gentleman's agreement to not do that, but legally it could have been done. 23 Rani Dasi said she is struggling with this conversation, because denying the existence of the pre-K kids is not really planning. She said the reality is that the pre-K kids will show up at the school doors and not including them in the count is the same as expelling them to make room for K-5. She said not including these students in the count hurts the schools, the planning, and will impact community values. Matthew Roberts clarified that the CAPS is where the school board is signing off that capacity exists, but asked if the Mebane subdivisions come to Orange County and ask it to sign a CAPS and the answer is no. He said OCS does not get the CAPS option, and schools are full. He said the waiting list needs to be reduced as most of those students qualify for NC pre-K and should not be turned away. He said if pre-K students are counted, not only will the program not be expanded, but will have to be reduced as Mebane is not involved in the CAPS. He said the first step is to count existing students. Commissioner Dorosin said he is hearing a majority of the BOCC favoring the counting of existing students, and the Chair will add it as an agenda item to vote on it. Rani Dasi said she hears and shares Commissioner Bedford's concerns about long term impacts, but she is hopeful that everyone can move forward to a position of shared understanding and a plan to possibly have a temporary conversation about CAPS because funding is coming. She said she would not want to subvert the current plan to do that. Steve Halkiotis said it is important to avoid legal battles. Chair Rich said this would be an agenda item on the next Board of County Commissioners' agenda. 4. School Districts' Climate Action Plans Patrick Abele reviewed the following information: Climate & Sustainability Summary— page 10 The district is proud of our sustainability efforts and is one of only several districts in NC to have a dedicated Sustainability Director on staff. Our sustainability efforts go beyond routine facility work such as mechanical, lighting, or other building improvements to include comprehensive programs such as seminars on being stewards of the environment, education programs and outreach efforts within schools and the community. Composting: Our cafeteria-composting program is part of our normal habit now in all elementary and middle schools. We have surpassed 1.4 million pounds diverted from the landfill. This process has reduced our carbon footprint by over 200 Metric Tons of CO2e. We now have classrooms asking for small compost bins and have organized dozens of worm composting classes. Schools and our compost hauler have reported that the process appears to be habit now as contamination levels are very low. We have given tours of our composting program to multiple local districts and have consulted with districts across the country. In early November, our Sustainability Director led an EPA webinar on cafeteria composting to over 300 participants from across the country. Projects and Academics Youth Water Academy: In partnership with Orange Water and Sewer (OWASA) seven high school Students participated by visiting OWASA once a week for 5 consecutive weeks. They saw first-hand and learned about the water treatment process, lab work, land management, infrastructure, engineering, sustainability and water governance. OWASA professionals led the sections. Year 2 is currently underway with 19 participants. Explorer Backpacks: As a result of funding a teacher's professional development, we rolled out the Explorer Backpack program at Seawell. The high quality backpacks packs are loaded 24 with trail maps, nature ID guides, binoculars, magnifying glasses, colored pencils, journals and other observation and documentation tools. School Gardens: We used our Chartwells Grant funding for a part time School Garden Coordinator. This was a highly successful project that enabled us to provide support to the 13 school gardens in the district. Each garden is truly unique in its set up, who runs it, what they grow, etc. This position enabled the garden leaders and educators to take advantage of scale (seedlings and materials,) get expert advice and have someone specific for their needs. We hope to find full time funding in the future to advance the garden program. LED Lighting Upgrades: Through a program with Duke Energy and Lime Energy, we upgraded old and inefficient lighting at Frank Porter Graham Bilingual, Seawell, Glenwood, Ephesus and Lincoln Center. The program paid for 48% of the cost or $172,000. The lighting is brighter, energy efficient, motion activated and will significantly reduce outage times and electrical maintenance time. Chair Rich asked if there is a process to highlight students' efforts in these areas. Patrick Abele said a great example is the many signs all over CHCCS about turning engines off and air pollution. He said the students are doing amazing work. Amy Fowler said composting occurs in all middle and elementary schools, which started out as a student lead effort. OCS- Sara Pitts reviewed the following information: Climate & Sustainability Summary Orange County schools do not have a sustainability program but has a policy in place to make energy management conservation part of the district's daily practice. Our sustainability efforts go beyond routine facility work such as mechanical, lighting, or other building improvements to include programs and hands-on projects in our curriculum that include environmental education, teaching students to be stewards of the environment, and outreach efforts within schools and the community. Composting: Two of our elementary schools are currently piloting a cafeteria-composting program in cooperation with Orange County Solid Waste and Brooks Contractor. The pilot program will study the amount of food waste, generated from the cafeteria and kitchen, that will be diverted from the landfill and determine the program benefit in assisting the district in reducing our carbon footprint. Geothermal Project at Orange High School: In meeting long term planning goals of energy efficiency and cost savings, geothermal HVAC is currently being installed at Orange High School. 250 wells have been completed and work is currently underway to install and new air handlers and upfit the building with required water lines. Project scheduled to be completed the summer of 2021. School Gardens: Several schools have school gardens onsite. Each garden is truly unique in its set up, which class is responsible for it, and what they grow, etc. We hope to find full time funding in the future to advance the garden program. LED Lighting Upgrades: Through a program with Duke Energy, we upgraded old and inefficient lighting in all gymnasiums, and completed projects in Central Elementary, Efland 25 Cheeks Global Elementary, Grady A. Brown Elementary, New Hope Elementary, C.W. Stanford Middle School, and Orange High School. Additional projects are scheduled to occur this spring at Cameron Park Elementary and C.W. Stanford Middle School. The lighting is brighter, energy efficient, motion activated and will significantly reduce outage times and electrical maintenance time. 5. Walkable Schools — page 37 Superintendent Baldwin reviewed the following information: CHCCS The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is committed to providing safe, connected and engaged schools within our community. As such, the Board of Education includes walkable school zones as part of the student assignment priorities within local policy and as a critical component within any redistricting plans. Students that live within 1.5 miles of a school are considered in the "walk zone" and are not provided school bus transportation unless: • factors are present which may endanger the safety of students walking to the school; • a student is medically certified as temporarily incapacitated; • a student is identified as having special needs following procedures in the North Carolina Procedures Governing Programs and Services for Children with Special Needs and will be provided with transportation services as required by law The district further supports walk-to-school initiatives by permanent assignment of twenty school crossing guards to serve at several key intersections each morning and afternoon to assist students to safely cross roadways. Our school crossing guards support the following schools: • Carrboro Elementary School - 5 • Culbreth Middle School - 1 • Ephesus Elementary School -1 • Estes Hills Elementary School/Phillips Middle School - 4 • McDougle Elementary & Middle School - 1 • Northside Elementary School - 5 • Rashkis Elementary School - 1 • Scroggs Elementary School - 1 • Smith Middle School/Chapel Hill High School - 1 Examples of Walkable Schools Mary Scroggs Elementary School 501 Kildaire Road Chapel Hill, NC 27516 "The school has a walk zone which extends throughout Southern Village, meaning no school buses pick up Mary Scroggs students who live in Southern Village. Out of 605 students who attend Mary Scroggs Elementary, an estimated 240 students are from Southern Village. How many walk or bike to school? About 200 on a typical day, or 83 percent of the students within the walk-zone. (About 100 students walk and 100 bike, according to the school.)" Reference: Good Schools-Good Neighborhoods, UNC Center for Regional and Urban Studies by David Salvesen (Principal Investigator) and Philip Hervey, 2003. https://curs.unc.edu/files/2013/05/goodschoolsreport.pdf 26 Northside Elementary School 350 Caldwell Street Chapel Hill, NC 27516 "Located on a previously developed site with nearby public transit, this 100,000-square-foot school is the heart of the neighborhood and serves as a place for community events. Northside Elementary School is home to 585 students and includes classrooms, a media center, a multipurpose room, support spaces, as well as dining and kitchen areas. Large windows in the classrooms provide natural light for the students and teachers. A building dashboard is located in the media center and is accessible to teachers who can integrate the facility's water and power usage into their lesson plans. While construction details such as skylights, solar heating, and a green roof evoke the future, the design celebrates the site's history of education by featuring a historical timeline component to the main staircase." Chair Rich asked if there are any concerns about the walk zones. Superintendent Baldwin said the district is in a good place currently. She said there had been some concerns in the past, related to hiring crossing guards, but these have been resolved. Patrick Abele said the traffic engineers for the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill are excellent and work very well with the district. Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is any data collection about how many students in the walk zone actually walk, as opposed to being driven by the parents. He asked if the distance of 1.5 miles was chosen for any reason, and noted that is rather long for a young child. He said if one lived 1.4 miles away and could walk a tenth of a mile to a bus stop, would that not be better than being driven to school. Superintendent Baldwin said the district has ongoing conversations, and listens to parent feedback and adjust accordingly. Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is any idea of how many students actually walk. Superintendent Baldwin said that data does not currently exist. She said one obvious change is the increase in traffic on rainy days, which leads her to conclude that those students are walking on dry days, as the traffic is lower. She said CHCCS will start collecting data. Amy Fowler said she always see bikers and walkers at Scroggs. Commissioner Dorosin said Scroggs and Rashkis are a bit unique, as they are located in planned developments. OCS Sarah Smylie reviewed the following information: The Orange County Schools is committed to providing safe, connected and engaged schools within our community. The Orange County School Boards currently has no designated "walkable school zones" within the district. School bus transportation is provided to all students with the exception of most students attending Hillsborough Elementary, as it is a school of choice. There is a small-designated transportation zone surrounding Hillsborough Elementary. Groups of parents and community members may gather and safely walk students to school from designated points; but, these paths are not identified as "walkable school zone" paths as not all are equipped with sidewalks and intersections staffed with crossing guards. Chair Rich asked if OCS walkability may change with growth. Sarah Smylie said yes, if there are safe sidewalks/routes. 27 OCS Chair Atherton asked if there is an update on the NCDOT sidewalk study. Chair Rich said she does not have a current update, but will bring back information after the next quarterly meeting with NCDOT. 6. Business • Potential Budget Topics for Future Discussion Commissioner Dorosin said there has been a lot of news about the contract issue at CHCCS, and some of the questions he has received from residents are: • What was the source of funding for the consultant • Will the review going to review all the other contracts that may be structured like this one • Some of the information from the school district about this mentioned a whistleblower policy, and did this contract issue come forward because of a whistleblower and if so, was he/she protected. • Will the review analyze the process of how the contract was approved, and whether the School board decided they could do it in house after the contract had been made • Will the CHCCS Board consider reducing the cost threshold for a contract that requires approval by the CHCCS Board before it is executed CHCCS Chair Wolf said the CHCCS board does have this information, and can provide it to the Board of County Commissioners in writing. Chair Rich said the biggest concern she had, was people asking her to explain the role of the Board of County Commissioners with school oversight. She said she told them that the BOCC funds the schools, and the schools are the stewards of the funding. She said the BOCC does not have oversight. She said some people said they felt they could not talk to the school board about this issue, for fear of retribution. She encouraged transparency. CHCCS Chair Wolf said CHCCS board reached out to the BOCC in advance, and has also made public statements. She said the CHCCS board takes this very seriously, and is having an external reviewer support the board. She said an extra meeting has been scheduled to allow the public to speak. She said all work is focused on the continual support of the strategic plan. Commissioner Dorosin said if the review shows that illegal things were done, he hopes that the CHCSS can recoup its monies. OCS Chair Atherton said there is a potential budget topic for future discussion, which is to give an idea of what both districts have been talking about for consideration as budget season approaches; a heads up, if you will. Rhonda Rath referred to page 41, and said there is a budget update and some items OCS is considering. She said primarily these options are around enhancing the OCS benefit packages for employees, to recruit and retain highly qualified staff. She said this is not a conclusive list, and when OCS comes back with its budget, some of these may be included along with others. She said it remains a significant priority to expand the equity initiative and professional development. Jonathan Scott, CHCCS Interim CFO, said CHCCS has done an extensive analysis of its benefit package. He said CHCCS staff has been polled about what is most important to them. Superintendent Baldwin said CHCCS appreciated the equity funds from last year, and CHCCS was also awarded a $4.3 million grant for a lot of this equity work. She said the safety requests from last year will be in the CHCCS budget again this year, along with the benefits 28 previously mentioned. She said CHCCS is looking closely at the salary for classified staff, and would like to include paid professional development during workdays. OCS Chair Atherton referred to page 41, and said the two districts examined what the County provides to its employees compared to what the school districts provide to their employees, and how things can be improved. Commissioner Dorosin said the term "safety" is used broadly, and asked if it could be more specifically defined. He said locked buildings and mold free buildings are two different concerns, and clarity would be good. CHCCS Chair Wolf said more specific numbers will come forward in coming weeks and months, and this is just a preview. CHCCS Chair Wolf said the CIP timeline is something the schools struggle with because the County budget is received in the summer, which is the time when schools can get a lot of work done within the buildings. She said the BOCC has expressed frustration in the past as the schools say a task/repair will be completed, but cannot begin the bidding process until the summer, which delays the task from occurring until the following summer, once the building is emptied of students. She asked if the schools could do a RFP contingent on CIP funding, so that projects can get started earlier. Bonnie Hammersley said whenever a RFP is issued, it never has to be awarded. She said RFPs can be done any time, as long as no contracts are signed. She said the County does this often. CHCCS Chair Wolf said this would be helpful as CHCCS often finds itself in this cycle of being behind. Chair Rich said it is a good point, but it is important to have clear and transparent communication with the public, as she often gets call from frustrated constituents. CHCCS Chair Wolf said best efforts are being made, and allowing the RFP process to begin earlier would be a true help. Joal Broun said when the BOCC get these types of calls, then the Commissioners should tell the caller to call the school board members. She said school board members do not get those questions. 7. Information Items • Tradescraft Center Status • Universal Pre-K Study Status • CHCCS Pre-Kindergarten Programming Rani Dasi said she is very grateful for this open conversation, and it is important to minimize the behind the scenes conversation and communicate openly. She said CHCCS has a lot of work to do to build community trust and hopes the BOCC will be strong "One Orange" partners by bringing questions and concerns to light. Commissioner Greene said she appreciated this meeting, and wishes there were more. The meeting adjourned at 10:14 p.m. Penny Rich, Chair Donna Baker Clerk to the Board 29