Agenda - 03-23-2000 - 4 - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROVED SCHOOL FUNDING OPTIONS TASK FORCE MEETING SUMMARY February 15, 2000 Attending: Randy Bridges, Moses Carey, Elizabeth Carter, Ken Chavious, Keith Cook, Donna Dean, Nick Didow, Susan Halkiotis, Barry Jacobs, John Link, Kim McVey, Neil Pedersen, Steve Scroggs, Rod Visser ■ Charge and timetable for the task force were reviewed, as laid out in the County Commissioners' resolution appointing the task force, emphasizing the development of guidelines rather than a funding cap. ■ School representatives expressed the school systems' appreciation for past support from the BOCC. ■ All parties agree that education has been the highest priority in Orange County. ■ Discussion about the intention not to close any doors for the future, while balancing the needs of schools, affordable housing, recreation, and other competing priorities. ■ Discussion about the likely need and timeline to go back to voters for school needs, justice facilities, open space, and senior centers and County efforts to have the bond rating upgraded. ■ Discussion about the significance of a perceived threshold at $1.00 on tax rate. ■ Issue of affordability and desirability of maintaining a community where teachers can afford to live - don't want balance to tilt to where we lose a good, interesting community and become a homogenous community. ■ Discussion about revenue sources and possibility of any OCS district tax. ■ Discussion about the increased cost of providing not only for more kids, but also more programs being mandated for more students. ■ Commissioners hear from people who come to public hearings asking for tax increases to pay for schools, but also hear from folks who don't come to public hearings — there are many folks on fixed incomes, more of them than kids in school. ■ Acknowledgement that schools can ask for what they want and always have, while noting the need for some way of planning our long term budgets, both school and County.