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Fund Balance <br />^ Fund balance serves as "cash safety net" and enables entities to: <br />^ "Pay the bills" during slaver revenue collection periods <br />. Meet unforeseen needs should they arise <br />^ Recommended budget provides far na fund balance appropriation <br />. Barring external impingements during the remainder of current fiscal year, expect year <br />end fund balance to fall between 8 and 8.5°~ <br />County's Expenditure Highlights <br />General Fund Budget <br />Maiar Elements Driving Budget <br />$1.9 million to increase the current per pupil appropriation by $95 <br />$1.9 million to cover increased debt service resulting from Summer 2004 bond sales <br />and additional programmed debt planned for the upcoming year <br />$4.9 million to reinstate full funding far school recurring capital and County recurring <br />and long-range capital <br />$1.5 million for employee pay and benefits <br />$1 million to establish reserve fund to address priority funding needs such as <br />education and human and court related services <br />$1 million to address the County's share of Medicaid, fuel and utilities costs <br />Public Assistance and Foster Care <br />^ Number of families receiving Faad Stamps increased by about 50% in the past two <br />years <br />^ Medicaid caseload has risen about 20°!° <br />^ Costs for foster care has increased due to increased casts per child as well as a rise in <br />the number of families requiring intervention <br />Education <br />^ Schaal equity issues discussed during April 2005 work session <br />^ Equity in process of being defined <br />. Programmatic <br />. Equal per pupil funding <br />^ 2005-06 education budget possible framework <br />. Tier I -mandates/obligations <br />. Tier II -possible restoration of State cuts or address continuation of 2004-05 school <br />board initiatives covered with fund balance <br />. Tier III -Educational Excellence, equity considerations <br />Education Observations <br />^ Since 1997, Orange County continues to be #1 in per pupil funding in annual rankings <br />by Public Schaal Forum <br />^ $95 per pupil funding increase falls short of school board requests, but it and capital <br />funding should keep Orange near top of rankings <br />^ Smallest net student increase in at least last 15 years <br />