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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 09-29-2022 Joint Meeting with Schools 1 APPROVED 11/1/22 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS JOINT MEETING WITH ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION September 29, 2022 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a joint meeting with the Orange County Board of Education and Chapel-Hill Carrboro Board of Education on Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Renee Price, Vice Chair Jamezetta Bedford, and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Jean Hamilton, Earl McKee, and Anna Richards COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESENT: Chair Deon Temne, Vice- Chair Rani Dasi, and Board Members George Griffin, Riza Jenkins, Jillian LaSerna, and Michael Sharp CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: Ashton Powell CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO SCHOOLS (CHCCS) STAFF PRESENT: Superintendent Dr. Nyah Hamlett and Communications Director Andy Jenks ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESENT: Chair Will Atherton, Vice-Chair Anne Purcell, and Board Members Carrie Doyle, Bonnie Hauser, Andre Richmond and Sarah Smylie ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION ABSENT: Jennifer Moore ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS (OCS) STAFF PRESENT: Superintendent Dr. Monique Felder, Deputy Superintendent of Operations Patrick Abele, and Chief Finance Officer Rhonda Rath Chair Price called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Chair Price welcomed the members of the Orange County Schools (OCS) Board of Education, Chapel-Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Board of Education, and staff. She reviewed the agenda and noted that the meeting would not be led by a facilitator and that there would not be a question and answer time with the police chiefs and Sheriff as indicated on the agenda. Opening Statements from Chairs and Updates on Opening Schools a. Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Chair Price introduced county commissioners and staff. Chair Price read a notice from the Emergency Services Director regarding the impending severe weather resulting from Hurricane Ian. b. Orange County Schools (OCS) Chair Will Atherton introduced fellow school board members and staff, and made a statement regarding the recent loss of two young people in the community. Commissioner Fowler -• I • ChapelC. •• • City Schools Chair Deon Temne introduced fellow school board members and staff. Dr. Nyah Hamlett made the following presentation: Slide #1 THINK SAND ACT} DIFFERENTLY .q 4. 7074-Y[771 Slide I' Slide #3 �MC� �ID�D�Mo Equipping students to 0 ��c�k, navigate the world and c, make a positive impact a �� ," throughout their life's Q STRATEGIC PLAN F zazz-zaz� CHCCS believes every individual's unique background and culture enhance our schools. 6y providing students with a sa#e and joyful learning environment,we collaborate with families to create a community where all students,families and staff members feel af#irmed and respected to develop their fullest potential. Ti-IINK NANO ACT] cnmaw��orooYs-qa i�s�- DIFFERENTLY • Creating a Culture of 5afefy and � Wellness "� LL • Instr�ctianal Excellence: Preparing � Students for Life � G�,��c}�<��, • Empowering, Equipping and Investing U ��` ff� in Qur People � ''�� � Equitaf�le and Transparent Fiscal z �,� Stewardship and Qperatians � fJ � • Strengthening Family and Community _ Engagement = 57RA7EGIC PLAN ~ zazz-zaz� = Engagement • Collective Efficacy • Social Justice Action • Vllellness . Jay THINK fAND RCT] DIFFERENTLY Slide #4 Slide #5 Cnmei Hl�amom C71y Sehvds I vFss.ar0 Slide #6 f s- i P Ifr` r Beginning of Yepr LepdElShip SVmmit, T1iIHK{AM0 p� Friday Center,Chapel HRE J y. Beginning of Yeor Leadership SummlY, THINK IANP RCT) FrldayCenter,Chapel Hill PDIFFERENTLY CM1opeI nlLCmhora CA,Snook I[++�+.[y Slide Slide #7 t Beginning of Year Leadership S�mmlt, THlil(K[ANP RCT) Friday Center,Chopel Hill DIFFERENTLY Cnrcel n[LCmtno Cnr:=nook I�+[=s.ay Slide • ']'lii 111i.L1h+7:t[vl�LU,l IRII]Al (:t�'f1.2� k' t Beginnir►g of Year Leadershlp Snmmlf, THINK G4ND A4T1 Frlday Cenler,Chapel HiB Cnopal niLCmhm Cili Snook [�.ag Slide #10 Slide #11 Slide #12 Ile HEARTcoming Bus lour 2Q22 THINK faNR AGT7 DIFFERENTLY CM1opaI nlLCo,han Cnl S[M1ook ur..cs.pg ■1 - HEARTcoming Bus lour 2Q22 THINK caNQ AGT7 CM1opaI nlLCOM:n�Cn,:[M1ock :.>�.Qy DIFFERENTLY E t� r R s HEART�aming Bus Tour 2422 THINK(aNP ACT) DIFFERENT,J� Ck[pel niLCmG[p CAI S[M1ook [N[�.[�� � ����- •:.. Vie.: HEARTcaming Bus Taur 2Q22 rF+ixK(allo RCT) cnro.i +com�.,cn s.nooe I u,�.uy Slide #13 DIFFERENTLY' Slide . I ��y. ,•..fro. J✓r T ::ti.. �. -.01 = j HEARTcaming Bus Taur 2Q22 THIMI{(AND RCT) Slide #15 cnro.i +co.eo.,cn s.nooe I�.r.y DIFFERENTLY; HEARTaoming Bus Tour 2Q22 THINK iallo acT} 4J]I�F.�Gr6ALT-.154., cnp.i xcom�.ciry Jn�u �.0 Slide #16 srlrra�s +R+ 7-7 r' . r Slide #17 y _ HEARTcoming Bus Tour 2072 THINI{�ANP RCT) HEAR HEARTCaming Bus Tour 2022 THEM{�ANP RCT) Sli DIFFERENTLY •- Enrollment For School Years 2018- 19 through 2022-23 THINK(AND ACT) DIFFERENTLY 8 Slide #19 Enrollment 4istrio Enrpliment +4A47 xm 12Rr[ 12.56+ 11,658 1LF18 i7, +2A4} 70D 1QA� x 9d[16 4A9P ago- 2A[U 2pL&19 RMMO 2=41 2D21-22 MR2-23 crNva HL.Cnnbmm City SeMch I[hmm;. -rHim]( (AND ACT) Slide #20 Enrollment Pe"rd of ft@cwBhnidty Wit*Di&trict Enrollmem ■2MrFib ■2M9LW ■2D2M' - MI-22 ■2N2-23 404 M.o S4fi m.9 idU IIII� I�III II 11�11 .x10-1u up "1 149 Pp ma •m1FS 'a "A ,ts TO Na •2MMI j. 114 1TA T,r do liG�-a "A 120 1n 1.4 mT cfiaa9I"I4Ch ntroD City schools I cnccs,arp THINK (AND ACT) 9 Slide #21 Enrollment From 2018-19 to now, proportions of Black, Latinx and Multiracial students in overall enrollment has increased most steadily over time. THINK(AN❑ACT) Slide #22 Enrollment From 2018-19 to 2022-23, while overall enrollment was dawn 7%, these student groups increased: • Multilingual Learners (ML) - 7.1% increase •Students with Disabilities (SWD) - 2.0% decrease THINK�ANP ACT) Slide #23 Enrollment The enrollment proportion of Multilingual Learners has climbed: *Low in 2020-21 at 9.0% -Current enrollment at 11 .2% rnova Karnimomory Ynoal=nc .q THINK(AND ACT)rOMORM 10 Slide #24 Accountability Data Highest graduation rate ever at 94.5% U p from 92.8% in 2021 -22 cnava Karnrocna.I�n��,.•p THINK(AND ACT) Slide #25 Accountability Data 100% of schools Exceeded or Met Growth Expectations -First time since 2015-16 -Up from 94.4% in 2018-19 cwva Ki.cvvimoro❑nsrnoa, cncc,.•. THINK(AND ACT)MOURTM Slide #26 Accountability Data Schools with Highest Growth Indexes •Elementary: Estes Hills, 6.50; Ephesus 5.08; McDougle 4.70 -Middle: McDougle, 3.98 -High: East Chapel Hill, 13.4 C p4"I Cv wifyY d,Ih,,,gre THINK(AND ACT) Slide #27 Accountability Data 83.317o of CHCCS schools earned an or i • • • "` -statewide, 22.8% earned ! ' or i THINK(AND ACT) DIFFERENTLY Sli •' #28 Dr. Hamlett showed pictures from the district's leadership team meeting. Sli ter.►�_ .' *�,� . ���` � � THINK IANP ACT] Collective Efficacy DIFFERENTLY cnq olHnetnt•.�eni:cnooe �+ccs.ag •_ #29 i @ 1 ,A v 3._ I 4 Values ins LI THINK�ANP ACT) Callecnve Efflcacy DIFFERENTLY CM14 1Hil£sih[p Cili S[M1ook Uc's.dg Slide12 1 THINK iAND ACT} Slide #31 CollecTive Efficacy DIFFERENTLY CntQol niLCmtav Cn,[noah uws.ag Care Values in Actian THITIK iAND ACT] CaIlrcHre Hflcacy DIFFERENTLY Slide � a4 THINK iAND ACT} Engayemeni ��ERENTLY CntCol n4Camac Cni,cnooh [Ji[.[s.ag Dr. Hamlett showed pictures fromand talk" event in South Estes neighborhood. W. ',ctian THINK(ANP AGT} Engagement DIFFERENTLY 13 Slide #33 Cnmel niLtml�an CA,Snook cYic�.ug Slide • I s in ketior} THINK fANR AGT7 Slide #35 engagement DIFFERENTLY Ci:iol.:�lC:ai_:u�Cni S[nwk [�.ag T _r •- � THIMIC(ANP AGT} Engagement DIFFERENTLY Cnwol n�4C[ai�[.�Cil.._nwk �.oy ' THIFIK[AND ACT) we��ness DIFFERENTLY 'Inlues in Aciinn Ti-IINIC IANd AGT] 14 Slide #36 Slide #37 we��nesa DIFFERENTLI� Slide Dr. Hamlett liok fcmgc 5hpt5 y N _ Core Values in AcTior T}{INIC IAN¢qGT} wetness Dl FFERENTLY • -• pictures of Den," where staff can relax. Slide15 Core Values in Action THINK(ANP AC7} wdne:: DIFFERENTLY Cq n14CoG[m CIl�i[ook Hie�.ag Slide .i0 Dr. Hamlett shared a picture from the Level Up program, which is focused on young men 5 r Core Values in Action THINK IANP AGT} Soclol 1usNcr Action DIFFERENTLY cngei niicmtna crcfenook I[�-�.ag of • Slide •4 - r - jF Dr. Hamlett showed pictures of the district's equity ambassadors. L ,i• i THINK iAND AGT} Social JusFce Action DIFFERENTLY. Cq Ini4CmGm Cili S[kook [Yiccs.ag ' 16 Slide #42 - r THINK(AND ACT) Social Justice Action Slide #43 �A , ■ Slide #44 i Commissioner Fowler asked for clarification on whether or not there was an increase in students with disabilities. Dr. Hamlett said there was an error on slide #22 and there was an increase. Chair Will Atherton said the Orange County superintendent had a presentation. Dr. Monique Felder of Orange County made the following presentation: 17 Slide #1 Joint CountyBoard of • • Chapel ii i Board of CountyOrange Board of i Opening of Schools — 2022-2023 SchoolYear Dr.Mortique Fetder,superintendent ENGAGE CHALLENGE INSPIRE. f7� Slide #2 Belief Statements Our 1- Value Diversity students in a safe, inclusive 2,Put StudentsFirst environment - we engage, challenge, and inspire them to 3.Excellence in All We Do reach their maximum potential. 4. Prioritize Equity 5. Provide a Safe Environment 6- Serve the Whole Child Vision 7- Inclusive Culture &Climate Starts with Us Preparing every learner for lifelong service and success 8- Accountability in All We Do 9. Collaborate To Do Great Work Dr. Felder said the belief statements are the district's core values and they help the district prioritize and work to make the future they want for students. 18 Slide #3 Strategic Plan Outcome Goals Teaching Tomorrow's Leaders Excellence & Efficiency Exemplary Staff © Empowering Culture 7. .7 11N4 A G 1. Cxfl L f N rl a 191 Dr. Felder said the strategic plan outlines how the goals will be achieved and how progress is measured. She said the vision, mission, and goals provide a backdrop to the strategic plan. Slide #4 • • To BeBack! Highlights, Return to School 0 2-20 : • Summer — Service and Preparation • Convocation — Staff In Our Schools • Start of School — Welcome Back! • First Month — Leveraging Our Learning GMAK OK C-30PITY i£Irfl QLS :116f.00r.9 Sh-1.I4.1Lh.-O,NUIhCridl 3777L-919.711 L126 W WK.D A A KGL CG U KTYF I AST.ESM Dr. Felder said that it is wonderful to be back and in person. 19 Slide #5 145 Year-Found School at ' Hillsborough Elementary r • Welcome back 424 students on .duly 14 • First time with expanded busing, making our choice school more accessible to all applicants U•,11•• COu117Y' Nc IIUU Ls 'Fa[Xr.�si•rlYl�ww�Xorh{ p4n ]T2]F 419T134126 Wi1'N flRiX R[[GU4ITYFIk;T.=GII Dr. Felder said that year-round school starts first and kicks off the return to school. She said that families that wanted to attend year-round were able to make that choice with expanded transportation. Slide #6 IBM= T� "Feels Like Normal" • Summer Curriculum mapping • Child Nutrition Services -- • Open House in everyschool EL S • Training for Professional Learning TO Communities Kindergarten • Summer Leadership Institute lementary School Z022-2Q3 F f ! U•i OuIIT MM CY' sc Mao-Y s - •• _J 2GQ[Kryslllw lueno,rf.xonnc,ldl,.]Ten 41971241Z6 wNw GRANGE CULPINTYF IRiT.[G11 I �/ Dr. Felder said that things are starting to feel like they used to before the pandemic. 20 Slide #7 • • i i 00ANYi C4 LINTY SC 114OL5 - =GRC Xry 5111M 1hImb jh.MmhC..-r T2754197?35155 WNW 7RAX[I CC..MTYFIRiT.C.. Dr. Felder said that the pandemic taught us that humans are hardwired to connect. She said they gathered as a school to start the year with a convocation event. She said that the website has videos showing the event from all of the schools. Slide #8 First Day r of # • August R 0 *- - Welcomed back 6,848 more students x 7,272 enrolled2022-2023 Wk - 0, 00 students transported by bus r • 2,361 meals served araNar X:ovr�r 5cxao-l.s 7-1.- IhIb—rf.N-hC,ich-3T27§4I977QLIM WIIW ORIX 01 COUx TYF IRST.C GN Dr. Felder said that overall the first day was very smooth and successful. 21 Slide #9 District Overview . 83% of eligible OCS schools exceeded growth measures for2021-2022 Highest percentage of schools in the state! . 43% OCS exceeded state and counter EOG overall grade level proficiency. . 43% OCS exceeded state and counter EO 3-5 math and reading GLP. 50% OCS exceeded state EOG 6th grade science GLP } 75% exceeded thecounty o Orange High School and Cedar Ridge HS exceeded the state In percent proficienton the ACT. .J`I * 1�y +y �r } a OCS' "F-yearcohort graduation rate exceeded `he state. GR AMOK CGUMTV 5C IN OOLS .aI r10rq:FwI-I YILL-0.h U I hEritl ins 77774.919.7-.3 1612e W•Y.D R A N G[CG U M T V F I AST.I C.-I Dr. Felder said there is always more work to be done but there is also a lot to celebrate. She reviewed the data on the slide. Slide #10 UT Leveraging Our Lessons 'Learned - • More students routed than befo-re � • Return to school, positive feedback • Hiring initiatives- • Teachers Bus drivers • Substitutes asaea1K CaV11T'F 7c11ao-Ls r Im ii w 1 Kffig Iil.b—!3h.N-hC..-]IW.419... wrw.onax9l cuullTIFllST.110. 22 Slide #11 By the Numbers r_i_ _ aa__rS QJIC TF7nCnnrtallinn *11!RACE E-FHNirrrY 4 . % 68 Buses * 4 r46%by O-Gtober 2022 * 42 1 n Service -New Certified Staff 39 Drivers * —110 routes In?f lers(kM and PM) 124 4,400 Riders * �1 brand new(BT1)educators * 4558ervioeCalls GMAN 91K C6UM FY SEND DLL ]WC qnp SY•wl lilr6dw ,Mdlh£ritlY�a]7774'919.777J7�6 WNW.D A AN GLCG 4I MTYF I AST.LC Slide #12 4Cjo Orange County Schools NORTH CAROLINA GMAN 91K C6UM FY SC MD DLL ]WC 00r.9 Sh-1-I4i1Lhd 0,NU1hCritl1na3777L'919.711112e 'A'M K.G A A N GE C G 4I M T Y r I A S T.1{" Commissioner Richards asked what proficient on the ACT means. Dr. Felder said that is the percent of students who have met the benchmark for that assessment. Commissioner Richards asked if the measure is the University of North Carolina System. 23 Sarah Smylie said that typically there is a cutoff score and that is the percent of students that scored high enough to meet the admissions for the UNC System. 1. Update on School Budgets — Chair Deon Temne, CHCCS Chair Deon Temne invited Riza Jenkins to discuss the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools budget. Riza Jenkins read a statement regarding a budget request from Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. She said that student achievement and staff enthusiasm has increased. She said that all twenty schools met or exceeded growth targets this year. She staff and students are putting in the work and getting results. She said that the district ended the previous fiscal year with an unassigned fund balance of $11.9 million. She said that their fund balance is running out. She said that the fund balance issue was caused by the Board of County Commissioners directing the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools to spend down the fund balance. She said that 85% of their budget is for personnel. She said that fund balance was used for salary increases, which are ongoing. She said they estimate that $5.3 million remains in fund balance. She said that they are in a recurring shortfall, which the Board of County Commissioners encouraged the district to get in. She said that they took the Board of County Commissioners at their word that the county would be the district's backstop. She said that they are requesting $5 million from Orange County to make the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools whole. She asked the Board to consider the alternatives. She asked if the Board of County Commissioners would really ask the district to make cuts that directly impact children. She asked if the Board would really suggest an increase in the special district tax, which she said shouldn't be used to supplant the county's obligation to the staff. She asked if the Board would go back on its promise to the backstop. She said that due to the direction given by the Board to the district, the district faces the possibility of cutting services and positions in a year. She said that the county could work with the district by using available county resources to fill the gap that they were promised would be filled. Commissioner McKee asked what the required fund balance is for Chapel Hill Riza Jenkins said it is 5.5%, which is roughly $5 million. Commissioner McKee asked if they will have the required fund balance. Riza Jenkins said that is a requirement of the county and that there are other governance standards for school districts that says they should have double that, or 10%, of fund balance. She said this is a requirement of fund balance that the county set forth. Deon Temne said it is a created number, not something that standard school boards should continue. He said it is a hypothetical number created by the Commissioners for the district. He said that it is also not the fund balance that the Commissioners keep for the county. Commissioner McKee said that he realizes that but that the county is the district's backstop. Deon Temne said that in a year the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools will be in a tricky situation, and he asked for clarification on what being a backstop means. He said that hearing backstop does not give him, or his teachers, the confidence that they are going to be taken care of. He acknowledged that they are not voting tonight but said he needs to hear about commitment. Commissioner McKee said that the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School District (CHCCS) is the highest funded school system in the state. He said that should give them the confidence that they need. He said that Orange County is number three in the state for funding. He said that he is not there to argue but that it should not be played off that the county is starving the school districts. 24 Deon Temne said for a continuation budget, the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools have not been funded appropriately by the Commissioners so he thinks that starving is an appropriate word. Commissioner McKee said that appropriately is looked at differently by different individuals and he must disagree. He wants to understand how they are addressing student needs and achievement. He asked if TAs and tutors were added to the staff. He also asked if the focus was on the classroom. Deon Temne asked where that funding would come from for the additional tutors and TAs. Commissioner McKee said that the funding could have come from the fund balance that staff had an increase of pay from. He said he realizes there is a balancing act but he wants to make sure that the focus is on lower-performing students. He said that the presentations on student achievement did not include a focus on lower-performing students. He said that he has been willing to accommodate the needs of the schools but he is uncomfortable hearing that Orange County is not doing all that it can, when the two school districts are #1 and #3 in funded for the state. He said that maybe he is not understanding something, but he can't get by the fact that they are well supported financially in relation to the other systems in the state. Deon Temne said that respectfully, it is like the definition of empathy. He said that people say that you have to walk in someone else's shoes to experience their life but that he disagrees with that because it is impossible to walk in someone else's shoes. He said that he does not think the Commissioners will ever truly understand. He said that when the district is coming to them and saying it's not enough funding, but is met with comments that "it looks like it is enough," shows the Commissioners do not understand and that the district is not being fully supported. He said they are saying its not enough, showing the numbers, and then they hear that the county has their backs, but he is uncomfortable with the word backstop because it is not shown in actions. Commissioner McKee said he would not continue the conversation because it will become circular, but that he disagrees. Riza Jenkins said that because the continuation budget was not funded they had to cover those costs themselves. She said that the question about TAs, those are classified staff positions, and that as a district they did a classified staff study. She said that state raises are for certified staff and must be funded. She said that when they brought the expansion budget request to the Commissioners it was not funded and that would have included the classified staff, including teaching assistants and bus drivers. She said that is why they were so committed as a Board to fund the classified staff because right now they are struggling to hire teachers. She said it is not just a Chapel Hill and Orange County schools challenge it is a national challenge. She said that yes they are the highest funded in the state, but not in the country and they are competing for educators from across the country. She said that is where they have to think and act differently because they must fund those positions. Commissioner Richards said that this is an interesting conversation because the Commissioners encouraged the district to spend down their fund balance. She said that when they set a number they were saying that they had funds in excess of the fund balance target. She said a need was identified, so the county asked them to spend the excess down. She said they were the backstop in the sense that they had a budget and they set a number on what the fund balance should be. She said there were competing needs and priorities. She supported it because they were saying spend it to the 5%. She said that they may need to work together to find where the funds come from. She said that she is struggling with the characterization of the county because they are there in the interest of working together. She said that discussing the fund balance percentage may need to be a different conversation. 25 Dr. George Griffin said the May 12th joint meeting had an item with a table that showed county appropriations and supplemental taxes for education. He said that Chapel Hill Carrboro is at the top of the table for per pupil funding. He said that includes supplemental funding by the special district tax rate. He said that is a pass through tax that has been around since 1909 and that it is paid for entirely by the tax payers in the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School District. He said that the rate is set by the Board of County Commissioners, but that it is confusing when those funds are blended in with the per pupil spending. He said if you remove the special tax district funds the amount per pupil is $4,367 provided per pupil from the general fund from the Orange County Commissioners. He said that puts them on an even par with several other districts across the state, despite the high cost of living in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area. He said the point that we are not ahead of anyone on per pupil spending from the general fund should be taken and that the special district tax funds be removed from the discussion. He said that even if they are on the top of the North Carolina per pupil spending chart, they remain below the national average. He said that in regard to continuation funding, that the County's website highlights a $441 per pupil increase. He said the reality is that last year's was $0 and it was $15 the year before that. He said that if you average the funding from the Commissioners for the last three years, it puts them in the bottom three years of funding for the last 37 years. He said that the funding effort that has been made is not as strong as it has historically been. He said that he is not complaining, but he would like the data to be out there so that people know what they are talking about. Chair Will Atherton discussed the budget needs for Orange County Schools. He discussed the increases for staff with 1-20 years of experience. He said that retaining and recruiting qualified staff is important. He said that they provide years of service credit for teachers. He said the result is that they are attracting more experienced teachers. He said they continue to see how to compensate those above 20 years. He said they provided a years of service credit. He said that the change allows employees with previous experience to transfer with their years of service. He said they increased driver pay, and that they are able to maintain bus routes despite vacancies by having staff drive buses. He said that some of the challenges they have had included the 4% mandated increases. He said they also have a .375% increase in their own budget. He said that the mandated state increase was estimated to be at 3%. He said that the state funding required fully implementing K-3 classroom sizes as mandated by the state legislatures. He said they have frozen all district staff positions. He said that teachers are having to cover other classes during their planning periods. He said they used lapsed salary to pay teachers for covering other classes. He said that by asking them to do additional work, the district wants to compensate them. He said there is a $500,000 shortage in the budget that they would like assistance with from the county. Bonnie Hauser said that they were very happy to receive a $441 increase per pupil. She said the consultant recommended that they give 1.5% staff increases, but they were able to do .375%. She said there are still more positions they would like to focus on that are related to equity. Dr. Felder said they have partnered with EdCorp to bring in tutors for K-2 students. She said they are utilizing Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds for staff to provide tutoring to the students. Commissioner McKee said he appreciated the efforts for tutoring by Orange County Schools. He said if those children are behind in K-2 it is a tremendous effort for them to catch up. He said that his son needed private tutors to keep up and he undertands this need personally. Commissioner Bedford asked for clarification on stipends for teachers covering other classrooms. 26 Chair Will Atherton said that at the beginning of the year they were unable to do so, but recently identified lapsed salary that could be used. He said they also put some guiderails around it so that if a teacher has more than one planning period and they are asked to cover, they will be paid for both. He said the teachers really want a planning period. He said it is best for students to have a teacher rather than a long term substitute so they can build a relationship. Commissioner Bedford asked if they had the $500,000, could they do some of the things Bonnie Hauser spoke about, but maintain the increased driver pay and the 4% mandate until June. Will Atherton said yes. He said that additional teacher supplements had to be scaled back but they still believe they are key and critical. Commissioner Bedford asked about the vacancies in each school district. Dr. Felder said for Orange County, 37.5 certified vacancies and 28.5 are teacher vacancies. Commissioner Bedford said some of the other vacancies might be support positions along with the 15 bus driver positions. Carrie Doyle said she thinks they can do the classroom coverage at about 2/3s the rate of when they had the ESSER funds to do it. She said they have had to scale that back. Commissioner Bedford asked if it is not the full hourly rate. Will Atherton said that originally they were offering a $60 raise, but they had to drop it to $40. Dr. Hamlett said for Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, there are 109 vacancies, with a little over 80 for certified. She said she will provide the classified number later. Commissioner Bedford said there is no need to provide additional because she knows how busy they are. She said that information points out how severe the hiring crisis is in North Carolina. Dr. Felder said the tutors from EdCorp are about $400,000 and are funded by ESSER funds. Bonnie Hauser said $500,000 is their estimate for the 4% increase in state raises. She said that this is an additional burden from the state and it was unexpected. She also noted that this expense came from the state after the county's budget was already adopted. Chair Price asked how much is needed to fill vacancies. Sarah Smylie said that the reason they have the vacancies is not because they don't have the budget for them but they are unable to recruit teachers due to the supplement. Chair Price asked how much is needed to be made whole and to sustain that. Sarah Smylie said the difference is the state amount of $500,000 and then they would have to look at just how far off they are for compression issues. Bonnie Hauser said $2 million. Deon Temne said each district has a letter requesting more funding. He said Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools' request was $1 million. Will Atherton said they have asked for what will cover the state's mandated increase. 2. School Safety— Chair Will Atherton, OCS a. Access during school hours and school programs, trespassing Sarah Smylie discussed the enhanced security measures in Orange County Schools. She said they have hired a new director of security. She said that they are making sure that teachers are teaching with the doors locked and that all doors going into the school are locked during the day. She said they updated camera systems, door controls, campus and district 27 radio systems, and soon they will have the ability to do an internal 411 system to send alerts to all 240 radios. She said that the radios also allow cross campus communication. She said they are working on specifications for bids to replace doors and lock systems in some of their older facilities. She said there is a new visitor check in system installed in all schools. She said a future need is additional fencing at Central Elementary School between the campus and the prison. She said another project is the sidewalk on Orange Grove Road and Grady Brown Road. She said that will require three additional school crossing guards and they intend to request additional funding for those. She explained that the role of the school nurse positions has greatly expanded. She said that the state recommended a school nurse for every 750 students back in 2014 but that mark was not achieved. She said that going by that metric they are short two nurses at the high school. She said an accuity model is used now which would give Orange County a need of 4-5 school nurses. Sarah Smylie expressed thanks to the Sheriff's Office for their partnership with Orange County Schools. Commissioner McKee asked if the schools have supplies for potential opioid overdoses. Dr. Felder said narcan is in every school. Deon Temne said they have to focus on situational awareness when reviewing their safety measures. He said that there are occasional security issues with parks and recreation and school hours. He said they have great relationships with the police chiefs in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. Dr. Hamlett said they continue to focus on mental health and their social emotional learning support. She said they do have vacancies that remain in that area. She said they are trying to be proactive to what the students are bringing into the school environment from their home environment. She said they have three school nurse vacancies. She said they struggle to retain the positions. She said they are trying to be creative and recruit qualified applicants. Al Ciarochi, Director of Operations for Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, said they have amazingly stong relationship with Chief Atack and Chief Blue with Carrboro and Chapel Hill, respectively. He said that taking a combined approach, physical safety is a two-pronged process keeping students and patrons are safe. He said that their safety improvements include access to entrances and they are making sure there is consistency between schools. He said that staff physically walked all schools and did a safety assessment. He said they are making sure all radios work within schools. He said that they use standard language or plainspeak that is consistent each year. Chair Price said that the Board would meet on October 3 to discuss an ordinance regarding protesting at the schools. She invited the school board members to attend since the request is about their domain. 3. School Capital Needs Work Group Report— Chair Renee Price, BOCC a. General perceptions, consultant discussion Chair Price introduced the item and asked Commissioner Hamilton to present the report from the School Capital Needs Work Group. Commissioner Hamilton introduced the item and thanked the members of the School Capital Needs Work Group. She made the following presentation: 28 Slide #1 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Taint Meeting r�gra Plpn Ommmu 01mW Hm-Ca=Pm dray$chaffs OrarLp Cpaa Y$c Dvro Ina Oran-"Caanry September 29, 2022 Slide #2 Background { Capilal bleeds Work Group eslablished in rluluon 2021 through a petition by commusslorrcr Jean Ramillon. Petllion re+quesled tbal the work group address the Capital greeds of the two sChool districts,Orange County Schools(OCS)and Chapel Hill-Carrbvro City Schools {GHCCSI particularly the rider schools, fi Implement an aatlongle plan over 10 pears that would dedkCale funds and a process to addres-s the needs. A 32 K-12 school campuses operaled by bath schW districts serving approxirnately 20,000 students and 2.500 employees. More than 50%of the school campuses are over 50 years old, which cou d cost up to $500 mlllort due to increas.as In Constructlon costs slrrce our lass cosl proWtion_ Chapel Hill-Carebom C1q+Schools vrangr ORANGE NTY ot Caun[ Sc4[aale t DRTI t CAROLINA 29 Slide #3 Peer Facilities Assessment Deports 0 0 II UILFORD80 DURHAM h 5]l� -C �FEI?4�iS khvolBaui.fanUCorni�venRxra2F�d1fe4Shi� ,,..j&� PUBLIC SCHOOLS RANGE COUNTY ',;DFUI E CAROLINA Commissioner Hamilton said that Guilford County Schools dedicated $2 billion to upgrade schools. Slide #4 Funding Source- Limited Obligation Bonds Planned and Authorized AddlNanal Urnk ed lWigat on Bonds Fkr"Year Purpose Par Amount 2021 Schools 53,0.0w.me 2024 Schools s34,ow,000 Total 360,004,ow Propor.ed GO Bond hisuance in Three Tranches Fir,r.alYear Purpose Par Amount 2027 v of v u s $45-000.000 2oN th :s $45_000.000 2031 Schouls $40.QQQ.QQQ ORANGE COUNTY 30 Slide #5 Recommendation 1 4h Hire a-consultant to evaluate the county's approach to school capital planning,design,contracting,and finan-cing including: - Examine the planning, designibuiid,and maintenance process for both school district5and identify areas for improvement, - Work with school districts to evaluate every sohoolcampus and administrative building and highlight those that should be urgently replayed or renovated - Evaluate the county's school capital funding approach - Identify gays to plan and fund ongoing school maintenance. - Provide i nsig ht abou I approa c hes,opportun i ties,and ri sks around emerging practices for contracting and program management, including projects,[ha tcould c ross ca rnpu ses and districts. - Recommend how the county and two school districts canta.__ prioritize projects within a 10 year plan to addfes RANGE COUNTY sc hool fac i I ity need 9 i n a tra nsparent way. NORT][CAROLINA Slide #6 Recommendation IP Research alternative funding sources for school capital improvements; - Revisit county capital puns and financing to identify potential funding sources for achooi capital - Work with state and federal legislators and the public to advocate for funds for school capital. ORANGE COUNTY NORT][CAROLINA 31 Slide #7 Recommendation County and both school districts oorrunitto oontinueworking together on school oapital planning through the existing Task Force; - Review and update the oounty's policies governing sohool facilities planning and finanoing - Workwith both school distriotsto develop a 10 year plan for sohool facilities-budding upon the work that's already been done by both school distriots. ORANGE COUNTY NORT]I CAR011*1:3 Slide #8 Consultant Draft Scope of Work • Project Coordination and Communication • Existing Program Evaluation including Facility Condition Index * Project Prioritization • Benchmark Other Jurisdictions * Funding Options * Timeline • Final Report C1RAN'IF C,)L;NTY �I iR l I i 4.A kl l 1.1 NA 32 Slide #9 Next Steps • Sub-group to further develop scope and draft1provide feedback on drafted RFQ,make recommendationsfor award to work Group — Facility representatives,elected official from each board • 5ub-groupto draft limeline- - RFQ issued by end of October 2022 — Responses due by end of November 2022 — Award by mid-December2022 — Begin assessment by mid-January 2023 — Assessment update from consultant in spring 2023 — Assessment completed within 4-6 months • BOCC hold work session to review school funding to inform upcoming budget parallel to assessment timing 4 ORANGE COUNTY Slide #10 Discussion ORANGE COUNTY MIK111 e-AROLIN:1 Commissioner McKee asked if this is the same process that Guilford County went through. Commissioner Hamilton said yes, but that the hope is that it would cost less. Commissioner McKee said that he was glad to hear that the goal would be to have a comprehensive overview and that he has heard good comments of how it worked in Guilford County. Commissioner Fowler thanked the work group for their efforts. She asked if the group saw other funding strategies from other counties. Gary Donaldson said that in Guilford County it was primarily funded by the tax rate and Article 46 tax funds. He said that Durham County plans a referendum. Commissioner Fowler asked if there are schools they already know they would prioritize. 33 Al Ciarochi said there have been two facility assessments conducted and there are 11 schools that were built before 1996. He said they have been following those schools to see if they are declining at a different rate than the newer schools. He said that he is also a fan of the recommendations because they include an architectural consultant to look at it in a different way. He said that given the needs, it is not a simple fix. He said they would like to have an impact on as many schools as possible. Commissioner Fowler asked if the new person would use some of these plans to make it more efficient. Al Ciarochi said they would want the consultant to review the schools without influence from the schools' assessment. Commissioner Richards said that she agrees that it needs a county-wide approach for managing the facilities of the districts. Commissioner Hamilton said that in the RFQ it should be clear that it is a county-wide approach because it is so much money. She said they could look across the county and find efficiencies. She said that she recommended one project manager who covers both school districts. Commissioner Bedford thanked the work group for their efforts. She said that they should be flexible and that $500 million over 10 years is $50 million a year, which is impossible to fund. She said there is a need to be flexible on the timeline. She said that they don't have to wait 10 years to find efficiencies though. She said the next steps schedule appears optimistic to her. She said they shouldn't be disappointed if they need more time and that they need to be flexible with expectations. She said that she supports hiring a consultant and looks forward to their assistance. Commissioner Hamilton said the timeline was developed to keep an eye on the ball and address things with urgency. She said they are looking to move and not just sit and talk. Chair Price said she supported the 10-year plan so they have a goal. She said that this will also help the consultant wrap their head around what they think they can do. She said at year 5 in the plan, they would want to revisit the plan. She said that it would be a living document and it is needed to have some idea of where they are going. Sarah Smylie said this is an opportunity to develop a more sustainable type of approach to these types of projects in the future to have the type of schools they want. She said she is curious to what extent that the climate crisis was part of the discussion. She said this is a big opportunity to mitigate some of the impact that the school facilities have on climate. Commissioner Hamilton said that will be part of the process and discussion. Commissioner McKee asked Gary Donaldson about the figures on slide #4. He asked if going beyond $130,000,000 would impact the 15% depending on when those obligation bonds are put before the voters. Gary Donaldson said that the 2015 referendum is a wrap-around structure and as those are retired, then the county is wrapping around new debt and that is a part of the assumptions. Commissioner McKee said that as the Board gets further into the discussion, it would be beneficial to have the debt service metrics project further out. He said the last Board held the line on using bond funds for schools only. He said that lot of old buildings are coming to the end of their life at the same time. He said that he would like to see metrics that show a situation where they are addressing the needs on a continuing basis going forward. He said that he wants to try to avoid being at a place where they have to spend a billion dollars to renovate and build new schools in the future. He said that he would like to get on a regular process for moving forward, and that might look like upgrading schools at 25-30 years and replacing them at 50 years. He said that he wants to keep it affordable and keep facilities up to standards. Gary Donaldson said that the debt model has that functionality. Commissioner Hamilton said that a consultant would integrate that model. 34 Commissioner McKee said that is why he loves the way that the group did this process so far and that he feels that is the only way to go about it. Commissioner Hamilton said they would have to look outside the box, including going to the state legislature and asking for help. She said that it cannot be local funding only. She said that they want to solve it with all the resources they can get. Chair Will Atherton asked about consideration for schools that are historically significant. He suggested that the districts and the Board have discussion about that and to involve the community. Commissioner Hamilton said she wanted a consultant to bring back what they see, but the recommendations should be brought back to the community for their input. Chair Deon Temne agreed that a timeline would be very important. Carrie Doyle said she appreciated being part of the work group. She said they didn't get to weave in the Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) updates yet but there is a need to bring that in because there is an urgency in how population is growing and the need that is creating for schools. She said this seems like a realistic and practical approach for both school districts. Jillian LaSerna said the conversation after receipt of the consultant's report is very important. She said it would be an important part of process, and they should examine the importance of historical preservation versus required renovations and updates to the schools. She said that might push the timeline out even further but it is important to have the discussions. Anne Purcell said that older buildings have character and that she would want to keep buildings if possible. She said it is important to keep the community involved because the buildings mean something to the community and many people have gone to school in them. She thanked the work group for their efforts and said this is an ongoing need that should be looked at to make sure it is maintained overtime. Michael Sharp said that a classroom teacher in a fully funded, fully supported environment can do wonders. He said they can support the kids and achieve tremendous growth. He said that he does not support a model that relies on outside help that does not involve the teacher. He said this model goes against what he does. He said that he hopes that the Commissioners will not discount a model that the school board brings to them because it has a lack of tutors, because there may be other models that work just as well. Commissioner McKee said he meant no disrespect to the teachers, but his son needed outside assistance due to his learning disability. He said that he hired outside tutors, but he does not think everyone has the ability to afford private tutors and he believes that all should have access to tutors and that should be supported by the taxpayers. Andre Richmond said he was happy to be at the meeting. He was especially interested in the school safety and school capital needs discussions. He said he looked forward to future collaboration. He said that he wants to work on a model that maintains safe and updated schools. Commissioner Greene said that she supports the direction that this conversation is going. Commissioner Fowler said that the county doesn't really know what the schools need until after the county's budget is set so it is not based on an actual need but an assumption. She said that amendments were submitted but those were not passed because it feels like a change. She said she suggests changing the process and that the schools could provide their budget earlier. Chair Price said the budget is based on many other departments they have to fund and the County Manager realizes what the needs of the schools are but those have to be balanced against all of them. 35 Bonnie Hammersley said she is required to present a balanced budget to the Board of Commissioners. She said that she meets with superintendents on a monthly basis and usually knows what their needs will be. She said that regardless, the elected officials do not discuss the budget until after the manager has presented them with a recommended budget. She said then they meet with the school boards and hear their needs, and it is then up to the Board to submit amendments to the manager's budget. She said that she does not see a change in how they do that because her role is to submit a balanced budget that is based on the needs and obligations of the county and the schools. Chair Price said there will be time to discuss this in the spring. Commissioner Bedford said they are going to have an agenda item for the calendar and that she would like to schedule the joint meeting earlier if they school boards know their budget needs at that time. Chair Price said the meeting is March was not to get into the numbers but to hear the needs. Commissioner Bedford said there is only one meeting with them and it is in March. Bonnie Hammersley said that there is only one meeting scheduled with the school boards and it is in March. She said that they would not have another joint meeting until the fall. She said that there would be a work session, but that does not bring everyone together. She said she has contacted Dr. Felder and Dr. Hamlett about the issue but the Commissioners can move forward with the calendar as is and change it as necessary. She said that there wasn't the intention that the meeting would be about budget but then you miss the opportunity to have those budget discussions. Rani Dasi thanked Commissioner Hamilton for how efficiently she navigated and led the discussion about capital needs. She said they have been talking about school capital needs for more than two years. She said she wants them to have a sense of urgency and that every day that they wait, the problems increase. She said that no one is happy when a child does not succeed. She said that there are so many connections that lead to those outcomes. She said that students can't learn in facilities that need action. She said that safety is a key issue that needs to be addressed. She said that she wants them to keep thinking about how they can do funding in a different way. She said that she doesn't want to end up with a plan and no money to pay for it. b. Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) Chair Will Atherton said that he can't leave without getting a commitment to address SAPFO. He said they know the SAPFO numbers are not accurate and they need a common planning tool that is realistic. He said that they need to have one number to use, and that it is so confusing why they can't agree to get the real numbers. He said that he would love for them to say they will address it and get a timeline around it. He said that he knows that both school districts have been asking for this. Chair Price said that there is growth, and they want universal Pre-K and that an updated SAPFO is necessary for accurate planning. Travis Myren said there is a technical advisory committee meeting in October for SAPFO. He said it would include school and county staff. Deon Temne said he is curious about who is part of the task force. He said that if they can't get an accurate number then they are wasting time once again. He said it is great to hear that there is a task force, and he asked if the school board could be a part of the committee. Bonnie Hammersley said it is a technical committee and that elected officials could talk to their staff that are part of it. She said they bring recommendations back to the elected officials. 36 Deon Temne said that makes sense. He asked if the elected officials can get their heads together to come up with recommendations or overhaul SAPFO altogether. He said that if they are not using it, then it is a waste of everyone's time. Will Atherton said he would like to recommend another meeting so that they can have this discussion as a group. He said that if they don't commit to action and a time frame then they will find themselves in the same situation in March. Chair Price asked what the taskforce's timeline is. Bonnie Hammersley said it is a technical committee that has always been and that includes school staff. She said they could keep the March meeting and the committee could have recommendations at that time. Chair Price asked if the committee will be recommending changes because that is what the school boards are asking for. Bonnie Hammersley said that they will be addressing the comments that have been made tonight including universal Pre-K, school capital needs, and other issues that have not been put on there before. She said they will not just be bringing back what is in there right now. Will Atherton said that the group did that before COVID and produced a presentation of what it would be with Pre-K and had projections. He said that the group has done that work before and he would like a commitment to do something with the data. He said that it showed the needs for schools, maintenance, and planning. He said that it has been done before and asked why can't they start with that. Deon Temne said he agrees with Will Atherton. He said that maybe the technical committee isn't the right space for that conversation. Chair Price said what she heard is that instead of SAPFO, maybe another model would be needed she said that while the technical committee continues to work, maybe the school collaboration group with the chairs and vice chairs could begin to have conversations. Deone Temne said that the schools have a lot on their plate so it would be a good idea to check with them on availability. He said it might be a wise to come up with a different collaborative group that is smaller. He then clarified that he thought they were talking about the capital work group doing the collaboration and that he misunderstood. Commissioner McKee said six months ago he made a request to both school systems for information that he knew would require time to produce. He said that it is a request from one individual and not the Board and that he will reissue the request and hopes that it can be accommodated. Commissioner Richards said she asked for the ratio of administrators to classroom staff for Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools at a previous meeting and that she never got a response. She reiterated the request for that information. Deon Temne said he would work with staff to respond to those requests. Dr. Hamlett asked if she is referring to school administrators or district administrators. She said that she can also get information from Dr. Felder on what Orange County Schools included in their presentation. Commissioner Richards asked for district administrators to classroom staff. Deon Temne asked about the purpose for the request. Commissioner Richards said it is because they have talked about staffing and classroom teachers. She said that it was shown for Orange County and she wants to understand what it looks like for Chapel Hill. Deon Temne said he doesn't want to be doing work just for work's sake. Chair Price asked for Commissioner Richards to put the request in writing, send that to the manager and then she will get that to the superindentent. Commissioner Richards asked if she should pull the minutes from the meeting where the request was made. 37 Deon Temne said he wants to make sure that the lines are kept straight and that he does not want elected officials directing staff just like he would not direct the county staff. He said that he would like for the elected officials to send their requests to other elected officials. Commissioner Richards said that she would pull the minutes and get a copy of those out. George Griffin said that in reviewing the regulations, it seems that requests for information should come from the Orange County Board of Commissioners to the Board of Education. He said that it should not come from individual members. Chair Price said that they can review that and the County Manager can take it to the Board. Commissioner Greene said she wants to support Commissioner Richards' request and to acknowledge what Mr. Griffin just said about following regulations. She said that if they prefer a vote of the Commissioners then she would be happy to vote to support the request for information. George Griffin said that he is not asking for that at all. Deon Temne said this is about procedure. Commissioner Richards said that she thought this group was about conversation and getting a better understanding. She said that she has not brought this up since that. Chair Price said that the superintendents will get together to see if CHCCS has the same information that Orange County does. Commissioner Richards said this is a collaborative meeting for information sharing and that if this is an unreasonable request, she can understand that, and that she will drop the request. Chair Price said they have said they will get the information. Commissioner Richards said that it seems they have gone down a road that is not where they were on this conversation. Deone Temne said that he was giving clarity on a procedural request. He also said that if they are getting a request from someone that might challenge the teacher's work then they might say no because of that. Chair Price said that she thinks that is a different conversation and not one that pertains to this item. She said that what she is hearing is that Commissioner Richards made a request during a joint meeting for information and that she has not received it yet. She said that individual requests will be sent through the County Manager. A motion was made by Commissioner Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Bedford, to adjourn the meeting at 9:30 p.m. Roll call ensued. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Renee Price, Chair Laura Jensen Clerk to the Board Submitted for approval by Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board.