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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 09-24-2020 Virtual Joint Meeting w-Schools 1 APPROVED 11/5/2020 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION VIRTUAL MEETNG SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 7:00 p.m. BOCC / Board of Education Virtual Joint Meeting The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a virtual joint meeting with the Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools Board of Education and Orange County Schools Board of Education on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Due to current public health concerns, the Board of Commissioners conducted a Virtual Joint Meeting on September 24, 2020 utilizing Zoom. Members of the Board of Commissioners and Boards of Education participated in the meeting remotely. As in prior meetings, members of the public were able to view and listen to the meeting via live streaming video at orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos and on Orange County Gov-TV on channels 1301 or 97.6 (Spectrum Cable). COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Penny Rich, Vice Chair Renee Price, and Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford, Mark Dorosin, Sally Greene, Mark Marcoplos, Earl McKee COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: NONE COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: NONE CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESENT: Chair Mary Ann Wolf, Vice Chair Amy Fowler, and Board of Education Members Joal Broun, Rani Dasi, Deon Temne, Ashton Powell, Jillian LaSerna CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: NONE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESENT: Chair Hillary MacKenzie, Vice Chair Brenda Stephens, and Board of Education Members Will Atherton, Carrie Doyle, Bonnie Hauser, Jennifer More, Sarah Smylie ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: NONE COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley; Deputy County Manager Travis Myren; Interim Clerk to the Board Greg Wilder; and Assistant Deputy Clerk II Allen Coleman (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO SCHOOLS (CHCCS) STAFF PRESENT: Interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Causby, Assistant Superintendent Support Services Patrick Abele; Jessica O' Donovan, Assistant Superintendent Instructional Services Division; Charlos Spanks, Senior Executive Director, Student Services; Erica Newkirk, Senior Executive Director, Human Resources; Jonathan Scott, Interim Chief Financial Officer; Lee Williams, Executive Director, Equity and Inclusion; Jeff Nash, Public Information Officer; Misti Williams, Senior Executive Director for Leadership and Strategy ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS (OCS) STAFF PRESENT: Superintendent Dr. Monique Felder; Deputy Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Dawson; Melany Stowe; Public Information and Community Engagement Officer; Sharita Cobb, Director of Student Services; Dr. Dannie Williams, Chief Operations Officer; Dr. Dena Keeling, Chief Equity Officer; Sara Pitts, Director of Environmental Health and Safety; and Rhonda Rath, CFO. 2 Chair Rich called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m., and asked for a Roll Call. Welcome and Opening Remarks Chair Rich thanked the schools and staff for offering a sound basic education to students in Orange County. She said decisions made today will affect tomorrow, and there is no way to please everyone. She said the New York Times said 12 million children in America are without technology services to continue educational opportunities. She said broadband has been an issue on which the County has been working for several years, and is an example of top down policy that is not effective. She said the County will aid Orange County Schools (OCS) in purchasing 1000 additional hotspots. Chair Rich said both districts have created learning centers for students who do not have technology services or family at home to help in the learning process. Mary Ann Wolfe expressed appreciation for the opportunity to collaborate. She said Schools are the hub of the community, which has never been more clear than in this time. She said equity has never been more important, and it goes beyond the issue of broadband. She said wonderful work has been done through the Food for Students program, for food insecurity, as well as supporting students academically, socially and emotionally. She said she is an eternal optimist, and believes this pandemic will end. She said once it does there will be new challenges. Mary Ann Wolfe expressed gratitude for the life of Euzelle Smith, former educator and namesake of Smith Middle School, who passed away recently. She said she was great reminder of this community's values. Jennifer Moore and Commissioner Marcoplos joined the meeting at 7:13 p.m. Hillary MacKenzie thanked the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) for the opportunity to meet collaboratively to best meet the needs of students and families. She said the community is facing unprecedented needs due to the pandemic, but is also making great strides, as the nation is reckoning with deep issues of racism. 1. COVID Updates a. School reopening b. Supervised Learning Lab update c. Technology challenges — internet accessibility and costs d. Scientific Analyzing Board e. Food insecurities— Food distribution update f. Homelessness g. School Nurses Dr. Monique Felder said the safety of students and staff is the top priority in OCS. She said the goal is to have a safe return to in person learning. She said the OCS Board of Education established a COVID-19 metrics taskforce. She said the taskforce is comprised of a broad spectrum of people, and the purpose of the taskforce is to monitor trends and follow metrics. She said the School Board will be monitoring whether to return to in person instruction. She said currently the district is in a plan C, but plan B would be a hybrid model with both 3 remote and in person instruction. She said there will always be a fully virtual option, and if OCS does move to plan B, there would be strict adherence to all social distancing protocol. Melany Stowe said the needs of parents and students continue to drive OCS. She said virtual schooling is particularly daunting to those who face various inequities, and supervised learning labs are the new necessary adaptation of OCS. She said Orange County Schools has facilitated a supervised learning lab for a month in partnership with the YMCA, and a second learning lab started this week in partnership with Pleasant Green United Methodist Church. She said equity is a district priority, and the district sought to insure that the learning labs are accessible to all. She said there are 3 different payment options, including a reasonable rate of $10/week thanks to an anonymous donor. She said the second lab has given priority to students that are homeless or in foster care. She said OCS is using the before and after school fund balance to provide this service at no cost, including transportation. She said there is an upcoming service that will be offered in an actual school. Melany Stowe said technology is an ongoing need, and OCS has opened two Internet hubs, which are located at schools near the greatest areas of need. She said families can sign up, and come into the buildings so that there is access to bathrooms, as well appropriate air temperatures. She said sitting in a car parked to access Internet service is not necessarily equitable, and thus OCS has responded accordingly. She said staff will continue to work towards plan B, and the needs will continue until all students can be back in school full time. Dr. Kathleen Dawson said access to bathrooms, HVAC, and safety is basic human rights. She expressed thanks to the BOCC for its support and willingness to fund the additional hotspots. She said Orange County Schools purchased 500 hotspots in the spring, have purchased 400 this fall, and have 600 more on order to meet the needs of their families. She said a question was raised about where the need was coming from and why. She said the quality of service was lacking, and families are trying to do what they can, but families have multiple users on the bandwidth trying to work and learn. She said there are areas in the community where even a hotspot will not help. She said 40% of OCS families qualify for free and reduced lunch, and it is unrealistic to think these families can transport children to the schools for Internet access. She said a lot of families rely on the district's services. She said the district has purchased flash drives to download learning materials in order to support the needs of their students. She said OCS has worked on making secondary school parking lots Wi-Fi hotspots, and is working on doing the same for elementary school parking lots. She said OCS is also seeking to purchase teacher devices, as many were incompatible for remote learning. She said an expected delivery date for Chrome books was unknown. She said OCS is renting devices to insure all children have access, which costs over $90,000 and webcams for teacher laptops were over$35,000. She said once the district is able to transition to plan B, there will still be remote learning students, and teachers will have to take on that dual instruction, which will require setup technology. She said the costs are enormous, and Covid has required all of this in such a rapid manner. She said OCS has spent over $954,000 since Covid hit, which does not include the previously scheduled laptop refresh. She said the biggest long term issue is Internet access for all. Dr. Monique Felder introduced the scientific analyzing boards (ABC science collaborative), which is a partnership between OCS, CHCCS, Duke and UNC. She said the purpose of these boards is pair schools, medical and scientific professionals to help to keep students and staff safe. She said there are weekly COVID-19 webinars and webinar topics including masks, exceptional children, flu, and ventilation. She said the ABC collaborative is helping Orange County Schools with developing detailed plans. 4 Sherita Cobb said OCS has been working diligently on food insecurities, and as of September 22, Orange County Schools had given out 204,892 breakfast and lunch combinations, and 35,441 supplemental food boxes to OCS students. She said 13 different sites have been used since March to be able to give out those food items. She said the district continues the backpack buddies, which provides food support for weekend meals. She said OCS has -120 homeless (McKinney-Vento) students. She said these students are supported with food boxes and other food/housing programs. She said OCS is very thankful to have school nurses in every school. She said the nurses are working on contact tracing, preparing isolation rooms, training and support, protocol and procedures for getting children back into school. She said OCS is proposing to create a School Safety Task Force, which would focus on several issues including school resource officers (SRO). She said SROs have been in OCS since 1992, and the District works with the Orange County Sheriff's office on many issues, including a variety of training. She said OCS and the Sheriff are looking at the memorandum of understanding to insure that this partnership is the most effective that it can be. Commissioner McKee thanked County staff for finding funding for additional hotspots, and said there was a backlog in OCS, and a small need in CHCCS. He said he petitioned the County to pick up the cost of this need, and asked if the County would form a task force to look into this issue. He said there are families with no service, and hotspots will not help. He said 600 hotspots are still needed, and asked if more hotspots will be needed. Dr. Monique Felder said the district is finding the needs continue to mount, as many family circumstances are changing, as well as staff requesting hotspots. She said many families need multiple hotspots, as one is not enough to support a family. Commissioner Dorosin thanked OCS for a great presentation. He said each district will make its own decision around School Resource Officers. He asked if the taskforce could be comprised of interlocking membership, so that three groups are not working in silos on the same issue. He said he would like to see where there are differences and similarities, and begin to reconcile issues. Dr. Monique Felder said OCS could consider looking at that proposal. She said there are areas of overlap, as well as unique areas for each district. Chair Rich said the Commissioners have been working on broadband for years. She said the lack of success is not due to a lack of priority, but rather the state legislature is the hold up. She said until broadband is a utility, and available to every single person who wants it, the BOCC's hands are tied. She said this issue is not new and the Commissioners understand the disparities. She said it has proved hard to make progress over the past four years. Commissioner Price said she appreciated the work with homeless students, and asked if the situation is getting worse. Dr. Monique Felder said she will defer to Sherita Cobb to answer, but the district is finding that families are coming together to live in the same dwelling. Sherita Cobb said the district has lost a few students, but several homeless students have doubled up with friends and families to try and remain in the area. Commissioner Price asked if OCS is currently working with the Eviction Diversion program in the County. Sherita Cobb said yes, the district's social workers utilize that program. Commissioner McKee echoed Chair Rich's comments as far as broadband. He said he is tired of waiting and expecting the same results. He said the petition that was brought forward has a $30 million dollar price tag. He said this is not a short-term solution. He said he was not 5 aware of data caps on school service plans, and he asked if carriers are putting throttling in place. Dr. Kathleen Dawson said OCS's plan with Verizon is for unlimited data, and no throttling. Commissioner McKee applauded the District's ability to open learning centers. He asked if the District has considered opening school libraries. Dr. Monique Felder said OCS opened school cafeterias. Commissioner McKee asked if an update could be given on both districts' unallocated fund balance. Chair Rich said to wait until the budget portion of the meeting for this question. Commissioner McKee agreed with Commissioner Dorosin that the conversations regarding SROs should involve both districts, and asked if OCS is interested in defunding this program, which has historically been quite successful in OCS. Hillary MacKenzie said the focus of the taskforce was not a specific goal. She said OCS is taking this moment to assess this program, including the lived experiences of students and faculty. She said Sheriff Blackwood is in agreement with this assessment. Commissioner McKee asked if defunding SROs has been considered. Hillary MacKenzie said not that she was aware. Commissioner McKee said he lives in northern Orange County, and knows many, many residents there are very supportive of SROs in the schools. Commissioner Bedford asked if OCS has access to testing, and if the district is relying on temperature testing or parent reporting to keep track of children. Melany Stowe said the District is working with the Orange County Health Department and other stakeholders. She said all NCDHHS guidelines are being followed, including signage and assessment forms. She said a student cannot participate in any way if they have symptoms of any kind, or have been exposed to someone with symptoms of any kind. Bonnie Hauser said she appreciates the County's efforts regarding Internet access. She said there are over 5,000 families who do not have access to broadband, and the hotspots program has made a huge difference. She said more students could be reached with more tower infrastructure. Chair Rich introduced Dr. Jim Causby. Dr. Jim Causby said both districts are two of the best. He said CHCCS is currently committed to virtual learning for the first semester; however, this is periodically reviewed. He said he was surprised at the Governor allowing K-5 schools to move back to in-person learning. He said he received many emails about not returning to in-person learning, and only 2 in favor of it. He said CHCCS is monitoring the metrics to follow the CDC's guidelines and advice from ABC science collaborative. Dr. Jim Causby said, at this time, he would not recommend plan A, and plan B would take some work to be ready. He said the virtual plan is not perfect, but the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools has much to be proud of. He said the youngest students are having the hardest time with virtual learning, as well as those students requiring adaptive curriculums. He said families with young children are a priority for the district, as well as finding childcare. He said the CHCCS Board will look at this issue again in early October. Dr. Jim Causby said CHCCS has two scholastic learning centers in partnership with the YMCA, and CHCCS has tried to keep students out of the school buildings. He said there are about 100 students involved, with a 1:10 staff to student ratio. He said temperatures are checked, and so far there have been no outbreaks. He said meals and transportation are 6 provided for each center. He said a third center will be opening, with CHCCS Board approval, on October 1st at the University United Methodist Church, which can take about 50 students. He said students that are involved in these programs have an average state test score of 2.5 or lower. Dr. Jim Causby said staff has serious concerns around safety when considering returning to school. He said the district is trying to educate staff, and holding science collaborative webinars. He said CHCCS is opening smaller programs to help staff see that things can happen safely if precautions are in place, including the road drivers education program. He said CHCCS is also ready to open up for athletics. Dr. Jim Causby said the SNAC committee met this week, and has exciting ideas. He said Dr. Felder gave a wonderful explanation of the Science Collaborative, and the collaborative has more than 50 members. He said CHCCS jumped on child nutrition issues a long time before he re-joined the district, but he wanted to brag on that concern. He said the District jumped on grants, and 600,000 meals have been distributed to students and families, providing breakfast, lunch, and food for weekends. Charlos Banks said 2019-2020 data has 78 CHCCS students experiencing homeless with the majority coming from the elementary level; 74% are African American; 10% are Caucasian; and less than 10% Latino and Asian. She said social workers are keeping track of these students and connecting them to resources and help. Charlos Banks said Dr. Causby and the Public School Foundation made a call to the community and raised $100,000 to help students and families secure housing, and being safe while practicing remote learning. She said CHCCS received a McKinney-Ventos 3-year grant of $15,000 per year. She said due to the school closure, the district could not follow through with traditional plans, but is working on other options. Charlos Banks said CHCCS has 21 fulltime school nurses who have been at the forefront during this health pandemic. She said regular health items, such as immunizations and health screenings, still need to be maintained. She said nurses are still working with students to manage chronic conditions, doing wellness checks at the learning labs, and partnering with the Health Department on all manner of things. Dr. Jim Causby said the CHCCS Board of Education was wise to budget and order Chrome books and iPads for students very early on. He said many systems across the State are waiting on technology. He said Wake County Schools is waiting on 18,000 pieces of equipment. He said CHCCS has issued 12,000 devices, 1,400 hotspots and an additional 270 hotspots for staff. He said CHCCS does not have the same connectivity issues as OCS, but there are some tricky spots. He said CHCCS has a contract with T-Mobile, with no data caps or throttling. He said some areas do not have T-Mobile service, and AT&T has provided hotpsots. He said if virtual learning continues into the next year, CHCCS would need to rethink its structure. He said technology staff is supporting far more devices than normal, and have become the tech support for all families in the district. He said at some point in time the Board would have to update the technology department. Dr. Jim Causby said SROs have been received both positively and negatively. He said the CHCCS Board has charged him with creating a taskforce to look at the issue, which should begin meeting by the middle of October. He said the taskforce will look at data, expenditures, student/staff experience, etc. He said the taskforce will meet as many times as necessary, and is not charged with reaching any particular goal. He said CHCCS collaborates with OCS in many things, but noted that the two districts are very different, and he would recommend maintaining two separate task forces that will share information with each other. 7 Chair Rich said during School Collaboration meetings staff discussed having a County Commissioner on that taskforce. Dr. Jim Causby asked if the BOCC would let him know of any pertinent stakeholders that should be included in the task force. Mary Ann Wolf thanked the CHCCS BOE for its work, and thanked the Commissioners for approving the capital lease for technology back in May. She said this made a huge difference. Chair Rich said the Commissioners did the same thing for Orange County Schools. Commissioner McKee said he appreciated CHCCS being proactive with technology and connectivity issues. He said he knows connectivity is better in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, but his petition for funding to address the needs is not intended to be exclusive to OCS. He said if CHCCS has needs, he asked that they be expressed to the County Manager. Dr. Jim Causby said County staff has reached out, and CHCCS will certainly take funds, but did not want to do so when they were not needed. Chair Rich expressed thanks to both districts. Slide #1 x a C� x F Q J w BoardsJoint of Education BOCC Keep Learning,Stay Safe Slide #2 COVID UPDATES • School Reopening In-Person • Supervised Learning Lab Update • Technology Challenges—Internet Accessibility and Costs • The ABC Science Collaborative • Food Insecurities—Food Distribution Update • Students Experiencing Homelessness • SEL/Mental Health Supports • School Health Nurses Slide #3 COVID UPDATES School Reopening In-person • Currently on Plan C Remote Learning Through First Semester • Constantly Monitoring State and Local Statistics • Staffing Concerns Exist 8 Slide #4 COVID UPDATES Supervised Learning Lab Update Two Scholastic Support Centers opened in partnership with the YMCA and Town of Chapel Hill to provide child care and support with remote learning o Hargraves Center o Chapel Hill Community Center • 95 K-5 students currently enrolled - Dates and Times of Operation: o September 1,2020-January 15,2021 o Monday-Friday,7:45 a.m_-5:30 p.m_ Breakfast, lunch and a snack provided to all students daily Bus transportation provided to all students who need it Slide #5 COVID UPDATES Technology Challenges 1 Internet Accessibility and Costs All students grades PK-12 have a digital device and access to an Internet hotspot o PK-Grade 1 -iPads o Grade 2-Chromebooks(new purchase) o Grade 3-5-Chromebooks(from surplus) o Grades 6-12 Chromebooks(updated 1:1 purchase) 5 Slide #6 COVID UPDATES Technology Statistics: #of Chromebooksllpads issued:12,000 #of Student Internet hotspots: 1,400 #of Staff Internet hotspots:170 If Plan C or extended remote learning continues beyond 2021,we would need to upgrade PK- Grade 1 and Grade 3-5 devices. Slide #7 COVID UPDATES Technology Challenges • Areas exist where no wireless signal is available; carrier issues (T-mobile) or other issues connecting students and devices • Providing remote support for over 13,000 devices (students and staff) is difficult with current staffing levels and COVID precautions 9 Slide #8 COVID UPDATES ABC Science Collaborative • Website established • COVID-19&the Classroom webinars: o COVID-19 and Masks o Air,Surfaces&Safeguarding Your Surroundings o Accommodations for Those with Special Needs (% THE ABC SCIENCE COLLABORATIVE Slide #9 COVID UPDATES Food for Students (FFS) Distribution Update Since March,CHCCS has been dedicated to providing meals for our sludents_ Food for Students developed from Food for the Summer,a program in partnership with the Town of Chapel Hill. • With the support of the FFS Learn,community volunteers and donors,and faith leaders and their congregations,not one meal delivery has been missed_ • Fead for Students continues to grow,and will begin providing meal dour-todoor drop offs to families unable to access one of the 37 delivery sites_ • Families,social workers and community members can access FFS information at FoodtorStudents_info_ 8 Slide #10 COVID UPDATES r.,a..,P,.o.avn A a o:e..l sr w.sa ML Slide #11 COVID UPDATES Food for 5=o,mr Donahonc 10 Slide #12 COVID UPDATES FFS Enrichment&Growth REM b y nc9a ,M ached a 1—kera famkec Doable n eas k[ r g s[n all be dmCfed anti dr k dnor-todoar dwp orc: StWa•,:.y.i�Jxuli:a•i�ir W�nr wayr.m n>Il begx,a pbt niiyi:mi rliwyir•il In kiYx�Yn-�.rr 1,Jil ni¢xi.q:ad nxr • !'amc+ahip aen bee Iwsresc and resladry�ls yip pronde egpul�mes Ian S,.�C•acers aM!rmly engagement tiaay and xeekend neaia µip A prmded m.k'tf Wens al the YMC.'•:St rxiavc>syKx.t C wirx • !i S 6•.im MI rm9ma•,o r�bm urr..an.n n>,il-.ard emrhxml opporavaxx%M1m{.uud•nr.frwd a6ou uhool Slide #13 Students Experiencing Homelessness 18 sfalmis repnrWol wile tire m31mly nep[a-SenMd al Vie ele ntary level stuamtx By sr.-1 Level 14%n1 me uudenl,.r'.1nor[! .—mn—Amen[an, 10%Cauca9,en.Asian and Labno groups represent 0.rrr�k tea man 1n`Y s,na,p,wid,J. Mon�Ionn I MOMarademlc pertwmance. :dk•nduna ad slurknl n-dstu il-rmy v p;mts Transportauan provided as needed Cl fccS,ewa,Ity awarded MdW. y-Yerilu Subp ant.515J)D)µi yuur U holy years Iu CdIaIXlrate WM I RX-start providing academic suppcvt Slide #14 School Services provided: Imnvmafim,and M>w e.aanrY t d.V .• C*L*W_M*00 NfatOa tlaa b�ypd SEL and nwd_ , F- . f�.�..g�.�r*0«.. drr.*"b �� I eta" Mba.owr CA'f+r.t rwxln Ca+ASC.a J! • �M MhW 3wY wilporaup swMiL1� � . �191bmtlftl ttnmaugrrnYtltaer® .. MVIh lrur�u6or. elan•e,pFYcmnw�,LPR,entl enl aE CJN)C5lbaa 11 fua tlmv maws. , Slide #15 SupportSEUMental Health We recognize that the"new normal"requires"new tools." • Provide intentional SEL supports during the instructional day- chsck4ns,an gaging strategies and optimistic closures • Build staff and adult high-quality professional development- building equity-centered classrooms Continue community partnerships to provide access to resources Expand co-located mental health to Include staff supportslEAP Implement districtwida SEL needs assessment • Offer ex plicit opportunities for selfca re 11 2. School Resource Officers —task forces — covered above as part of#1 Slide #17 SCHOOL • - OFFICERS • SRO Task Force o Contracts expired June 30,2020 o No use of SROs at this time * Still determining members of Task Force * Considering a student survey 3. Budget a. CARES spending b. 2016 Bond Project Jonathan Scott covered the following information: Slide #18 Federal Grant Fund CARES Act Allotments Slide #19 State Public School Fund CARES Act Allotments Slide #20 Current Allotment Summary 12 Slide #21 CARES Act Spending to Date r e anecfetc. >,-sue.a l F a oa • 0,.`1?kCe l::fi ins�iud 5w�Siia.86±wm fi I]emevrnArox,Laiice .awn 11c�aox uK 3 Aradier auf�fam remme l�•mut.ddemJ[n,�.3..•... q� • .mr].RIC]?5(3J!}.yrse¢Srpk flF..&q- Lf�.moy.mmcves'fo�ab • 5—PRC 1 a Sm3ew,_.._.Cear , I vmnhd frr N�Ti� .. Commissioner Bedford asked if the School districts have been able to keep everyone employed, or if layoffs are happening. She also asked if Project Jumpstart was held virtually, or in person. Dr. Jim Causby said CHCCS has not laid anyone off. Jessica O'Donovan said Summer Jumpstart was entirely virtual in July. She said staff served students in groups of 5 or less, and sometimes individually. Dr. Monique Felder said Orange County Schools has fortunately not had to layoff any staff. Patrick Abele reviewed the following information: Slide #23 CAPITAL :■ ■ UPDATE Total Project Cost Bond Funds: Total Capttal 0 Llncoln Canter.Chapel HIII $73.308.000 EKpente: Hie School $75,715,346 Llncoln Cmur S 1,SM000 Summary Chap.i H01 High S 74,1",W Chapel HIII High p-j.ct Included eddltlenal east for the CTE build Ing and pal HIII High cons A.-V f I,t10,127 Slide #24 SCHOOLCHAPEL HILL HIGH - ■ • o Building A and Building D(new buildings)-Final stages;awaiting occupancy permits o Building E(CTE)-Ongoing,expected 1 Oil 5 o Building B,C(existing)-Ongoing renovations o Demolition Old Building A(main bldg)-Ongoing wlscheduled demo removal by 11/15 o Student Parking Lot(new)-Scheduled by December 31st o Substantial completion:January 15th 13 Slide #25 CHAPEL HILL HIGH SCHOOL UPDATE Click this link for the comprehensive building and SiMWsit�c n t�r ct n u date fromAiisa�si?1]2Q.. I�R�GI�G694' 11 schedule a walk-through for the Commissioners to see the high school renovations. Slide #26 PHILLIPS MIDDLE •OUPDATE 2019-2020 Drainage Project-Completed 2020-2021 Asbestos Floor Project Phase III-Complete 2020-2021 Gym Air Handler/HVAC-Ongoing (solicitation of bids phase) Slide #27 MIDDLEPHILLIPS ORUPDATE Slide #28 MIDDLEPHILLIPS •• UPDATE P�+pdFba Rop'11w 'f��; Commissioner Marcoplos thanked CHCCS for the Philips Middle School update, and asked when this work began. Patrick Abele said temporary repairs began in late fall 2019, and the majority of the work was done over the summer of this year. Commissioner Marcoplos asked if all the work was done outside the building. Patrick Abele said some work was done in the hallways (flooring, lockers, etc.). He said there is some additional wall damage repairs to complete. 14 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the work had been completed in the summer 2019, when funds were allocated, would it have prevented further damage. Patrick Abele said any time water damage can be prevented is best. He said CHCCS did not know about funding until July 1, and thus bids for projects cannot be received until that time, which does not allow a timeline for work to be completed in the summer that funds are allocated. He said the first step was to assess the need, which was done as soon as funds were appropriated. Commissioner Marcoplos said he does not understand why the District had to wait until the County had appropriated funds, when the District has such a healthy fund balance that can be tapped into, and knowing the County would back the district up at a later time. Patrick Abele said he cannot answer that question. He said the project was identified, assessed and remediation started in 2019, and he cannot attest to years past, as he was not in the District. Commissioner Marcoplos said this issue identifies the need for transparency between the schools and the County. He said there should be a joint taskforce to look at school facility maintenance issues to keep everyone informed and on task. He said these are very important issues. Commissioner McKee asked if the unallocated fund balance for both districts could be identified. He said it seems these balances have been growing since Covid. Jonathan Scott said the CHCCS made a very concerted effort to pull down unnecessary spending. He said the CHCCS audit is not complete, but in June 2019 CHCC had roughly 11% undesignated, unreserved balance. He said he anticipates this will go to 12.5%. He said it would have been more, but CHCCS has to appropriate a good amount of funds this year. Chair Rich asked if Orange County Schools wanted to present. Rhonda Rath reviewed the following information: 2020-2021 CARES Funds Received 1 STATE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUND — Cares Act Fiscal LEA PRC Description Grant Position Month YTD Allotment Year Year 2020-21 680 121 CRF Summer Learning 0 0 361,260.00 Program 2020-21 680 122 CRF School Health 0 0 47,259.00 Support 2020-21 680 123 CRF Nondi ital Resources 0 0 14,273.00 2020-21 680 124 CRF Student Computers 0 0 115,873.00 and Devices 2020-21 680 125 CRF School Nutrition 0 0 201,815.00 2020-21 680 126 CRF Personnel 0 0 23,787.00 Computers and Devices 2020-21 680 128 CRF Home and 41,478.00 Community WiFi 2020-21 680 132 CRF Exceptional Children 77,068.00 2020-21 680 135 CRF Cybersecurity 0 0 12,664.00 895,477.00 FEDERAL PROGRAMS Current Allotment Revision#061 Total Revised Allotment Fiscal LEA PRC PRC Grant Position Month Amount Position Month YTD Year Description Year Allotment 2019-20 680 163 CARES 2020 0 0 0 0 0 942,810.00 ACT 2020 15 2020-2021 CARES Funds Anticipated Description Anticipated Allotment GEER-Specialized Instructional Support Personnel for $204,104 COVID-19 response GEER-Supplemental Instructional Services $77,209 Total Anticipated Funding $281,313 Grand Total CARES Act Relief Funds $2,119,600 COVID-19 EXPENDITURES Funded Unfunded/Expended Unfunded/Potential $115,873-Student Devices $135,889-School Nutrition $54,180-Supervised Learning Labs $23,787-Personnel Devices $4,300-Flash Drives $100,000-docking stations $41,478-400 hotspot devices $70,950-400 docking stations $90,000-600 additional hotspot devices $12,664-C bersecurit $90,300-chromebook rental $81,000-600 additional hotspot service $361,260-Summer Learning $35,475-webcams $85,000-660 teacher monitors $77,209-Instructional Support $106,900-900 hotspot service $350,000-K iPad devices $251,363-Health Support $27,280-Zoom Irg meetings $200,000-Outside structures $14,273-Nondi ital Resources $22,000-Adobe Licenses $960,180-subtotal $201,815-School Nutrition $400,000-Edmentum $77,068-Exceptional Children $893,094-Total Expended $?????-Building Ventilation $254,700-Curriculum Customization $?????-Additional staff for internet hubs/cleaning $600,000-PPE and Sanitation $38,110-Private Schools Fair Share $50,000-Social/Emotional Support $2,119,600-Total Funds Available COVID-19 EXPENDITURES Funded Status $115,873-Student Devices Encumbered student devices. Awaiting delivery $23,787-Personnel Devices Encumbered personnel devices.Awaiting delivery. $41,478-400 hotpsot devices 400 hotspots received and distributed $12,664-Cybersecurity Plans in development for maximum utilization(professional development) $361,260-Summer Learning $170K expended for summer services to 300 students.$45K tutor support. $77,209-Instructional Support Plans in development for supplemental instructional support to at-risk students,students in poverty,and students with disabilities $251,363-Health Support Contract in negotiation for Social Emotional support $14,273-Nondi ital Resources Workbooks encumbered for 2,150 elementary students $201,815-School Nutrition 227,240 meals prepared and delivered since March $77,068-Exceptional Children Supplies/materials;adaptive equipment; learning kits $254,700-Curriculum Customization $254K expended for curriculum blue prints $600,000-PPE and Sanitation $64K expended to date; remaining being encumbered as supplies can be located $38,110-Private School Fair Share $50,000-Social/Emotional Support Contract in negotiation for Social Emotional support $2,119,600-Total Funds Available 40%committed and/or expended at August 31,2020 Rhonda Rath said 40% of funding received by OCS expires in December. She said the federal funds are more flexible. She said the OCS audit was ensuing, and the unassigned fund balance will probably be $3.7 million. 16 Commissioner McKee said he is concerned for the social and emotional impacts on the students, especially exceptional children. He encouraged the schools to use their unassigned fund balances to address these needs. Dr. Jim Causby said Commissioner McKee is preaching what he believes. He said there is no question that children will be at least half a year behind. He said students cannot be overloaded right now, but expanded summer offerings will be crucial. Dr. Monique Felder agreed. She said this situation presents many challenges, especially to those who were at risk prior to the pandemic. She said some OCS students are receiving additional support, and more options are being pursued to increase this. She said some students really need in person instruction. Commissioner McKee said the County is a backstop, and encouraged the schools to not sit on allocated funds, while needs are present. He said some students are going to be lost completely. Chair Rich said the districts are doing an excellent job. Dr. Dannie Williams said the bond funds have afforded a complete office renovation of Efland Cheeks Elementary School; safe vestibule entry points for remaining schools that lacked them, allowing one way in and one way out; roofing and asbestos removal; installation of security systems; mechanical renovations and designs for two schools; the Cedar Ridge Classroom addition; and some summer projects that are nearing completion. a.. w . 4. Equity 17 Slide #22 "Not everything that is faced can be changed.But nothing can be changed until it is faced."-James Baldwin • The reopening school subcommittees utilized the Racial Equity Impact Assessment(REIA, Race Forward)to ensure decisions were equitable • Students were invited to participate in the reopening subcommittees to provide equity of voice • Equity specialists will provide staff and faculty professional development focused on: Trajectory to Identity,Community,Equity and Social Justice u 27 Equitable Classroom Practices How to Talk About Race Intersectionality as a Compass u My Protest is my Pedagogy • Continued collaboration with Student Services in providing professional development- Building Equity Centered Classrooms .. Dr. Monique Felder said she has worked a number of places, and the equity work here is so impressive and important for student learning. She said equity is the thread that runs through the District's work. Dr. Dena Keeling said equity is a district priority, and everything the District does is through an equity lens. She said before she was hired, the Board approved some joint funding, and the district secured two 2-day trainings for district leadership, school counselors, career advisors, and select teachers. She said these staff members went on to make up school based equity teams in each school. She said the District cabinet and all school principals go through monthly equity training, which has moved to an online platform due to Covid. She said the district is working with Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) through a grant at the NC Department of Education. She said IDRA analyzes data for OCS and creates trainings accordingly. Dr. Dena Keeling said every school based equity team has a lead, and she met with this team for the first time last night. She said this work is important and she is having staff do a lot of self-reflection. She said the equity taskforce is recruiting new members, including community members, teachers, students and parents. She said this task force will make recommendations to the Superintendent about issues related to equity. She said all current policies will be reviewed. Dr. Dena Keeling said she recently started affinity groups for staff, especially African American staff. She said Orange High School has an excellent student led equity team, and an African American history course offering has come out of that group. She said she listens carefully to these students. She said she is a department of one, and it is a big lift to build this effort in Orange County Schools. She said another challenge is the racial climate, and it is hard to hear from students about feeling harmed and unsafe. She said it would be helpful if there was a community wide focus on these issues. Commissioner Greene said she is very interested in the students input about wanting more diverse course offerings, and wanted to make sure Dr. Keeling knows about DPI resources in these areas. Jim Causby introduced Lee Williams who is the Chief Equity Officer. He said Dr. Lee Williams was leaving at the end of the month and headed back to Guilford County Schools as a middle school principal. 18 Lee Williams said Dr. Keeling covered most of the information, and CHCCS staff has gone through similar training opportunities as OCS. He said when thinking about reopening, every decision is made with a racial equity lens in mind. He said equity specialists are working through dismantling and removing barriers. He said CHCCS currently has four equity specialists: two in elementary, one in middle, and one in high school. Mary Ann Wolf said it is refreshing to hear these updates, and thanked all staff for its energy and work. Hillary MacKenzie agreed, and expressed gratitude for the collaboration. She thanked the BOCC for its help with the hotspots. Commissioner Dorosin said six months ago there was a lot of discussion with CHCCS around contracts, and an investigation that may be happening. He asked if there was a final report that could be forwarded to the BOCC. Mary Ann Wolf said the final report was just completed, and will be reviewed by the CHCCS Board on October 8t", 2020. Dr. Jim Causby said the report will be posted thereafter. Commissioner Marcoplos said he was encouraged to hear that curriculums could be so nimble to add more diverse classes. He said he would encourage the schools to add a course on local government, as many people know nothing about local government. Chair Rich said she would love to see women's studies courses added. Commissioner Greene said there are ready-made courses on local government at Carolina's Public Humanities. Commissioner McKee said he is very pleased to hear the construction updates. Chair Rich encouraged everyone to continue wearing masks, and follow safety guidelines. She said the Governor has encouraged schools to open, but schools should not feel pressured to do so. Meeting adjourned at 9:29 p.m. Penny Rich, Chair Allen Coleman Assistant Deputy Clerk II Submitted for approval by Gregory A. Wilder, Interim Clerk to the Board.