Minutes 05-30-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Markus Hoerler said he has children in CHCCS and his family came to Chapel Hill because of the educational system. He asked the Board of County Commissioners to do whatever can be done to fund the schools. He said that the County owes this to the children. Rita Lui is a mother of two students in the CHCCS. She said that this County's schools are among the best in the state. She asked to Board to please honor their commitment to quality education. She said that the manager's recommended budget does not cover the cost of opening Northside Elementary and is $4 million less than what the schools have requested. She said that she is in favor of raising taxes if this is needed to provide the full funding. Miriam Thompson has grandsons in dual language programs in the CHCCS. She said she knows that the Commissioners face awesome decisions and challenges in the struggle to create a budget that is inclusive of all in Orange County. She feels that residents and the Board need to speak out against state cuts to public education and diminishing local power. She appealed to the Board of County Commissioners for their help. Rani Desi spoke on behalf of the Smith Middle School PTSA. She asked the Board to fully fund both school systems, even if it requires an increase in taxes. Victoria Templeton has children in the CHCCS. She said she has been struck by the number of people saying that there is no request for "more" funding. She said everyone needs to stop and look at what has been lost in the last 5 years-4th and 5th grade caps, teacher assistants, school science lab, foreign language classroom, decreased capital budgets, reduced office staff, and outdated buildings and equipment. She said that, despite these conditions, schools have continued to operate and perform at high levels. She said that these cuts have had a damaging impact already, and now there are higher expectations with new curriculum. She said that teachers are supplementing with their own money, while making less; and parents are supplementing schools with supplies in larger and larger amounts. She said that the cuts were initially used to improve efficiency and now it has progressed to cutting essential programs. She read the district education vision statement and asked which of these visions are to be cut. She said that 1 out of 4 students in the district are at risk and she strongly encouraged the Board to do what is necessary to fully fund the schools. Matthew Chamberlain has been living in Chapel Hill for 8 months and has children in CHCCS. His family moved here because of the educational systems. He feels that the biggest infrastructure investment the county can make is to the people in our schools, not the physical buildings. Jane Kerwin said she moved here for the education, and she re-located her family here because of this. She has four children in the CHCCS and she asked the Board to keep funding education. Scott Windham has two children in the CHCCS. He said that residents know that the Board of County Commissioners is not the bad guy. The state is the bad guy. He said the Board needs to fully fund the schools' budget requests. He said that the schools are only asking for the basics, not luxuries. He said appropriately funded schools are an investment, as they turn out citizens with higher incomes who contribute more to their communities. Though he is a fiscal conservative, he is asking the Commissioners to raise taxes to fund the schools. James Easthom has two children in the school system. He asked the Board to fully fund both school systems and suggested a 5 cent tax raise to do this. James Barrett is on the CHCCS Board of Education. He said he is here speaking on his own behalf tonight. He said that it has been 5 years since there has been a tax increase or a per pupil funding increase. He asked the Board to please fully fund their school systems this year.