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

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ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL FUNDING OPTIONS TASK FORCE February 28, 2000 At the initial meeting of this task force on February 15, it was agreed that each parry in these discussions should consider compiling a list of questions their constituents might reasonably pose regarding school funding parameters. A few questions /points to ponder from the County's perspective follow: • What do the schools see as a proportionally fair share of the County budget to be earmarked for education? • What relative average annual increase in education funding do the schools think can realistically be sustained every year? • To what extent should the BOCC feel bound to address increases necessitated by Board of Education initiatives, especially those implemented without consultation/endorsement from the BOCC (e.g. class size reductions, teacher pay supplement enhancements, etc)? • Do the schools have some expectation that the BOCC should find the money needed to sustain average annual increases in education funding without regard to their impact on the tax rate? • Is it reasonable to spend more on current expense in a year when there will be a decrease in debt service for education? Conversely, is it reasonable to tighten up on current expense funding in years when education debt service is increasing? • What guidance (if any) is disseminated to the budget requester level from individual school administration or from the central administration at the outset of each budget cycle, particularly with regard to any constraints that may need to be observed in developing requests? • Since the 1980s, the school systems have lived with a defined amount (based primarily on anticipated half cent sales tax revenue) of annual capital outlay funding in the ten year CIP. Unfunded needs have been identified during the CIP process and the most important needs addressed ultimately through other mechanisms (e.g. bond issues). Is it feasible to have some kind of ballpark figure for total school funding, with exceptional needs to be addressed by some exceptional measure (e.g. district tax, a BOCC decision to increase funding for a specific need, etc)? • Is there any value in directing the Manager to shape the County's recommended budget based on the parameters approved by the BOCC, but leaving room for the school boards to make a case for additional funding for critical, unfunded needs?