Minutes 05-29-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Jane Kerwin thanked the Board for their support and their time. She said all of the people here are Orange County residents, and the two school districts are one community. She asked the Board to fully fund the schools' budget requests. Jim Siplon said he came there to thank the Board as they find themselves in the midst of this maelstrom. He said fortune does not pick its time, but the Board has a responsibility to lead, and it is hard. He thanked the Board in advance for the courage it takes to make the long term investments. James Barrett delivered to the Board the names of 223 citizens who are out in the hallway. He said everyone is here because they value education. Steve Marshall thanked the Board for their past support and their current help. He said the art wing at Carrboro High School has become a home for many kids, including his son. He said his son will go to the School of the Arts next year to begin his education in theater arts as a result of the education he has received in the public schools. Michele Smith is a parent of a child in the CHCCS. She said she does not make a lot of money, but she stays here because of the schools. She is afraid the schools will lose teachers, and this will affect her child. The teachers are being asked to do more with less, and this is not fair. She asked the Board to fully fund the schools. David Schwartz is a resident of Chapel Hill, a product of the CHCCS, and parent of a child there. He asked the Board to fully fund the schools' requested budget. He said he wished the schools would be more ambitious in asking for money, so that there would not be a need for so many fundraisers. He said he hoped the Board would prioritize any tax increments received back from the re-development of Ephesus Fordham area to be dedicated first to the schools. Elizabeth Losos said she is a parent of two students, and she supports fully funding the schools. She works internationally, and she sees many other countries that are putting more money into education. She said this is an opportunity to stay at the top in funding education. PUBLIC COMMENTS SENT IN VIA EMAIL From: Ken and Charlotte Pearce Phone Number: 919-969-8119 Message: Dear Orange County Commissioners, We are writing to express concern over the proposed funding to the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools system for the upcoming year. When we moved here 16 years ago, we picked the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area because of the excellent reputation of its schools. Having excellent schools drives the economy and makes people want to live and work in the area. It is heartbreaking to see the hits to education that have occurred recently in our state. We would gladly support an increase in taxes and efficient use of the funds to support our schools adequately. We strongly recommend funding CHCCS at the full amount proposed by the superintendent and school board. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to the discussion this week on the budget. Sincerely, Ken and Charlotte Pearce Dear Orange County Commissioners: I am writing to ask that you fully fund the requested per-pupil allocation for the Chapel Hill Carrboro Schools in the 2014-15 Orange County budget. I understand that this involves a significant increase over the County Manager's recommended $95 per pupil allocation. I live in the Chapel Hill Carrboro School district and have a seven-year old who attends Morris Grove Elementary. Last year I was disheartened that our Governor and state legislature opted to permanently cut so much funding for our public schools. Now, I have learned that the