Orange County NC Website
Enterprise Fund (childcare}. For the current year the OCS budget in the six areas totals <br />$55,873,230. The Local Current Expense Fund constitutes 35% of their operating budget. This <br />fund supplements State and Federal funding in some areas and is the sole source of funding for <br />many critical areas. This year, they budgeted $19,593,944 in the Local Current Expense Fund. <br />The projected increase for 2003-2004 is $605,294 (3% increase) and totals $20,199,238. The <br />increase is due to projected personnel cost increases (salaries, insurance, retirement) and <br />projected student enrollment increases. He spoke about the fund balance history. There was a <br />significant increase in expenditures this year along with a significant decrease in revenues, which <br />forced them to appropriate$1.7 million from the fund balance. <br />The expansion budget includes $1.4 million in human resources and $422,000 in curriculum and <br />instruction. These requests added to the continuation request totals $20,266,703. The <br />Manager's recommended budget leaves the OCS with a shortfall of $1.2 million in current <br />expense continuation. When coupled with the expansion needs, they are $3 million short of <br />being able to fund the continuation and expansion needs. <br />He then spoke about the history of recurring capital outlay funding. The capital outlay request for <br />2003-2004 is $1.2 million and the recommended appropriation is $742,072. The shortfall is <br />$488, 678. <br />Regarding the State Public School Fund, in the Governor's Budget, they would be reduced by <br />$398,431; in the House Budget, the planning allotments would be reduced by $347,351; and in <br />the Senate Budget, the planning allotments would be reduced by $447,325. These three budgets <br />are now being considered by a conference committee. <br />In summary, they are facing shortfalls and reductions in all four areas - $1.2 million in current <br />expense continuation; $1.8 million in expansion needs; slightly less than $500,000 in recurring <br />capital outlay; and approximately $400,000 in the State Public School Fund. This represents a <br />total shortfall of almost $4 million. He said that the challenge of the Board of Education is to <br />develop a plan to address these shortfalls. He reiterated that this was an ongoing process. <br />^ OCS and County Dialogue <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she was intrigued about the mention of revenue enhancements <br />and she asked if they have talked about the district tax. Mike Williams said that the Board of <br />Education is anon-taxing entity and they are only looking at fee increases at their facilities. He <br />said that there is no discussion about the district tax at this time. <br />Chair Brawn asked about the start-up costs of Cedar Ridge High School and Mike Williams said <br />that it was about $1 million. <br />Chair Brawn said that this is a chilling view coming from the State level. Mike Williams said that <br />the State would say what cuts must be made for about half of it and the board of education is <br />responsible to reduce the additional amount from the budget. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked for Mike Williams to transmit to the County Commissioners the <br />exact start-up costs for Cedar Ridge. <br />Chair Brawn asked about the student numbers for Orange High School and Mike Williams said <br />that Orange High served in excess of 1,100 students this year and it will drop to around 900 with <br />the move of the senior class to Cedar Ridge. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that they have started a new initiative to have a nurse in each school <br />over afour-year period. There is $173,000 in the Manager's budget for this in the Health <br />Department. He said that if this were put into per pupil allocations instead of into nurses, the <br />Orange County system would get $67,000 more. He asked if they had a preference in this <br />