Minutes - 05-31-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Shaw that they care by showing that it is important to learn a foreign language, that it is valuable to have hands-on chemistry, that one sink in the boy's bathroom will work properly, that the gifted and remedial programs are both important to help all students achieve their best, and that it is important that when you start a project you finish it and do it well. She said that she was completely in favor of the district tax and an increased impact fee. She said that perhaps it was time to rethink the limit of spending 50°~ of the budget for education. She said that an investment far education goes beyond good schools. It will cause a better economic base in the future. She thanked the Commissioners for the funding for the Spanish teacher. Tomorrow the whale school will be learning the salsa dance in the gym and she invited the Commissioners and everyone to came. Tony Kane spoke next and he had his daughter with him. He is in full support of the Orange County school budget as it is proposed. He has an upcoming kindergartner that will attend Grady Brown Elementary, who made a sign that said, "I want to learn Spanish next year." He said that he realizes that the Board of County Commissioners does not fund line items of the school budget, but mandates are first, so Spanish would be at risk at Grady Brown. He mentioned a study by Tischler and Associates that projected 156 public school students per year increase in Orange County. He said that these projections were different and more credible than the projections from DPI. He encouraged the Commissioners to reconsider the DPI projections as being erroneous. Jack Nestor said that he has two children at Grady Brown Elementary. He showed a little round orange sign that was handmade in support of the full school budget. He said that Grady Brown was a great school, but it does not have enough money. He said that it would be a great time to try and fix the disparity so that Orange County schools could take a step forward. Jonathan Klein, Chair of the Board of Health, said that he is a family practitioner in Orange County and has lived here for 17 years. He talked about the strategic plan, which outlined the Health Department needs. He said that the strategic plan was formulated by first examining those areas of public health that are mandated far the department to provide. These are either state or local mandates. He said that the Department of Health is asking for additional staff to meet the mandates. He said that the County Manager is recommending 3.5 positions. He spoke about the needs for the staff in the health department. He said that with the increasing Hispanic population, a medical interpreter is critical. He said that as programs and services are being cut by decreases in state funding, there will be more people seeking out services from the Health Department. He spoke about the increase in medical care expenses. He urged the Commissioners to fund the positions that were requested. He asked the Commissioners to please keep the services to vulnerable populations in mind as they discuss this year's budget. Lee Werley, the pharmacist representative on the Board of Health, thanked the Board far listening to the strategic plan. He said that the Board of Health was confident that the Board of County Commissioners would support the department's mission, which includes prevention of disease, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, and protection of the public from disease and unhealthy conditions. He noted the costs of some medical services. He said that the Board of Health would urge the Commissioners' support for the 3.5 positions recommended by the Manager. Jordan Hester is a seven-year old from New Hope Elementary school. She said that her classroom has been in the teacher's lounge because the school was too crowded. She said that next year she was supposed to go to a new school and she is very excited. She said that 175 days ago, she could not read, but she has been going to reading recovery and now she can read just about anything she wants. She said that she is looking forward to second grade and her new school and friends. She said that she is very proud of all that she has done this year. She said that she is not good with numbers and money, but she does know that her first two years in school are priceless to her family and her. Helene Montgomery is a member of the board of EI Centro Latino of Orange County. She said that for ten years she was a teacher in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City schools and is a great supporter of the budget for the schools. She also supports the foreign language programs. She said that the elementary school children were the best learners that she had ever had in her 25-year career. She spoke on behalf of the Latino population. She said that, since the opening of EI Centro Latino, it has made a tremendous difference in the Latino population. She said that last month they started the first