Minutes - 20060425 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

AI Hartkopf said that he hears the plan coming out of CHCCS and he said that it puts the funding of schools in the hands of the Board of County Commissioners. He said that the County Commissioners have demonstrated an enormous amount of goodwill in funding schools. Superintendent Pedersen said that a major item that drives profitability on their food services is the number of children on free or reduced lunches. Superintendent Pederson made reference to the district tax and said that once they receive the money, they do not earmark it one way or the other, so he cannot answer whether the subsidy comes from the district tax or the property tax. Chair Jacobs asked if CHCCS was paying a living wage and Superintendent Pedersen said that they were, but they need an update from Orange County. Donna Dean-Coffey said that they are in the process of updating the living wage and Rad Visser said that it was $9.34 for 2005-06. Commissioner Halkiotis said that in 2003-04 the CHCCS fund balance went dawn to $25,513, and he asked what it really did to them. Superintendent Pedersen said that they took strong measures in spending constraints, there was an effort to get collectibles before June 30tH and they restricted encumbrances at the end of the year. Commissioner Halkiotis asked if that was the year they had to send money back to Raleigh and Superintendent Pedersen said yes. John Link made reference to the handout entitled, "Emerging Funding Considerations for County's General Fund," and the color legend. There is a split based on operating and capital and between the school increases and County increases. Section 1 was Emerging School Operating Items, which would have to be funded in one year. The first item is funding necessary to address the increase in new students. The net increase is 316 students, which represents $883,536. The numbers do not reflect an increase in per pupil. Item 3 is the increase in the County's debt for school-related buildings. This is a $3.2 million increase. Item 5 is the one-time startup funds for OCS Gravelly Hill Middle School. This does not include the ongoing startup funds, which reflects the central office personnel, the local teachers, equipment and supplies, etc. Item 6 is the operational increases far OCS Gravelly Hill Middle School. The Sheriff has indicated that, with this school and far the OCS Partnership Academy, he will need two additional School Resource Officers, which is item 7 for $130,000. Item 8 is the operational increase for Carrboro High School for $406,892. Item 9 reflects the anticipated increase in costs for the Governor's Salary increase for locally paid teachers, plus 3°~ for other personnel. The total increase for these items is $9.2 million, which is 7.71 cents on the tax rate. Section 2 represents school funding equity, section 3 represents planning money for CHCCS Elementary #10 (na number yet}, and section 4 reflects the full funding of the County Capital Funding Policy from last year. This would put in place another penny for the school capital funding. This leaves the subtotal of emerging County and school funding considerations (sections 1-4} at $10.4 million or 8.71 cents on the tax rate. Section 5 is Emerging County Operating (Non-Capital) Items Where Full Funding Could Not be Phased In Over Period of Time. John Link said that this does not include the total numbers for all of the departmental increases or any new staff positions. The County's share of the debt service would be $1.1 million. The increase in Medicaid is expected to be $370,759. Then there are operational increases for new County facility openings -Chapel Hill Senior Center, Central Orange Senior Center, Durham Technical Community College, Fairview Park, Justice Facility, Northern Park, and 5portsplex Operations.