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Elizabeth Carter thanked John Link and Rod Visser for being at each of their meetings with the <br />leaders. <br />Libbie Hough said that she wants to hear more about the middle school athletic conference. <br />Nick Didow said that this is an old idea that he and Keith Cook explored. They recognized that <br />Orange County, between the two school districts, had a growing number of middle schools and <br />the two school boards have the authority to establish the conferences. They also recognize that <br />some of the travel in the current conference configuration is excessive and an imposition in the <br />evenings on school nights. The idea was raised that maybe it was time to move forward with an <br />Orange County middle school athletic conference. <br />Elizabeth Carter said that Commissioner Halkiotis recommended not including transportation <br />even though that was one of the 21 original items. They wanted to take it further though and <br />keep in touch during inclement weather. They also talked about the pre-K issue and sharing of <br />transportation there. <br />Andy Sachs asked the Board of County Commissioners about the efforts of collaboration. <br />Commissioner Carey asked about the planning and implementation. Elizabeth Carter said that <br />a lot of thought went into this and they da not have to feel that everything they did was moving <br />in the right direction. They want to get a sense that they are beginning to collaborate. <br />Commissioner Carey said that anyone would say that it is good to collaborate and, as far as he <br />is concerned, this is a step in the right direction, and the Board of County Commissioners has <br />encouraged the two school boards to do this. It does not surprise him that the two school <br />systems have a lot in common. The one uncommon thread is the funding. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked about SRO's (Student Resource Officers}. She would like to <br />know more about this and how they would conceptualize the additional funding from the Board <br />of County Commissioners. <br />Keith Coak said that on both school boards it is a need and a priority. The school boards saw it <br />as working in the same area as nurses; that if there were a way to do it outside of the per-pupil <br />allocation, outside of the normal budget, it would be good. They also talked about continuing to <br />look at nurses, psychiatrists, and social workers and funding them without looking at the per- <br />pupil allocation. <br />Elizabeth Carter said that a lot of times these positions are out of the health department and <br />they thought the positions would come under the same umbrella and have them allocated to the <br />school sites. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked about number 3 on page 5 and measurable opportunities for <br />students in each district. She asked what mechanisms would be used to accomplish this. <br />Elizabeth Carter said that with the AP courses at Chapel Hill High and East Chapel Hill High <br />currently as they are, they struggle with space and growth now. Regarding the International <br />Baccalaureate program in Orange County, they found out that you have to be attending the <br />school where the I B program is located. They thought about letting students transfer to Cedar <br />Ridge High School to participate in this program. Also, if OCS students would want to attend <br />AP courses in the CHCCS system, then they would only have to travel to take the courses and <br />would not have to transfer. <br />