Minutes - 05-31-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

the lack of funding. He added that they are not wasting money. This is a demanding community and they want to do innovative things for the children. He said that they both are asking the Commissioners to do better than the 1.8°~ and to fully fund the requested amount for the two school systems. Susan Worley, Executive Director of Volunteers for Youth, advocated for the Juvenile Community Services Program. She asked that the Commissioners approve the funding as suggested in the proposed budget. This program works with young people that are ordered by the courts to da community service work. This program has been shown by many different studies to be effective in keeping kids from getting into more trouble and going back to court. Volunteers for Youth is the only organization that has run this program in Orange County since 1992. They are not asking for an expansion, but just a continuation of the funding. Calvin Allen, Associate Director of the Dispute Settlement Center, brought two people with him that were also from the DSC. He spoke about their Restorative Justice for Youth program. This program involves communication skills training and leadership training. Another program, one of the first in the state, is the Victim Offender program and also needs funding by the County. They are not asking for an expansion, but only to continue the present programs. Rev. James Lea spoke as a parent of three children in the Orange County school system, two of which attend Efland-Cheeks Elementary School. He urged the Board of County Commissioners to pass the recommended educational budget for 2001-2002. If the entire budget cannot be approved, he suggested that the Commissioners consider passing all of the recommended budget mandates, which total $1,501,581, plus an expansion item -six Spanish teachers, which totals $311,370. He said that it was said it was ok to cut some things, but when it comes to our children, they deserve the best. He made reference to a study done at the Louisiana Dept of Education, which states that children who have studied a foreign language in elementary school achieve expected gains and even higher scores an standardized tests in reading, language, arts, and mathematics than those who have not. Marinda Martin said that she is a parent of children at Efland-Cheeks Elementary. She told a story, which made the point that up until now, everything has been fine. She said that at Efland-Cheeks Elementary school the books are old in the library and contain old information. She said that Cassandra Young, an educator at Efland-Cheeks, has made it a personal and professional mission to raise $50,000 to get books far the library. She made reference to Spanish education and said that this was a necessity because the Hispanic population is 11 °lo and rising. She said that if there was a way to fund this without going through the County legally, they would fund it. She urged the Commissioners to pass the school board's requested budget in full. Linda Inman has two children that attend A. L. Stanback Middle School. She strongly urged the Commissioners to support the original budget that was set forth by Dr. Bridges. The original budget requested monies to pay 4% salary increases to teachers. The County Manager's recommendation will not even cover this item. She asked why budgeting was tied to obviously erroneous negative population growth projections in the Orange County district. She said that some people outside the Chapel Hill-Carrboro district wonder why the Orange County schools could not be as good and why they should settle far anything less. She said that it was imperative to pay the teachers and assistants salary increases and offer services that are above operational maintenance. Jennifer Johnson is a parent of children that attend New Hope Elementary School. She said that when she enrolled her children in Orange County schools, she was full of hopes and dreams. She believes in public school education and has been fairly pleased with her experience so far. She said that there needs to be a teacher for second grade language instruction. She spoke about a group that has been working far six months on this initiative. They took the proposal to the Orange County school board and the board was very supportive. She said that they came away from that meeting believing that the entire school system would be able to have ESL teachers. She said the proposed budget amounts to a budget cut for Orange County schools. As a result of this cut, there will be a lass of key programs and key staff members. She said that if the Commissioners adopt the County Manager's budget as presented, she would run, not walk to the closest private school. She asked the Commissioners to please reconsider the budget as it currently stands and to fully fund the Orange County schools budget.