Minutes 06-05-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Michelle Brownstein said the decision not to participate in the lawsuit mentioned earlier was purely a financial one. She said CHCCS agreed with the lawsuit, but did not have the financial resources to invest in it. Mike Kelly said the sky is not falling, but this is a major problem in the state. He said the Board still has the power to make things happen. He said all teachers in the County who were at career status were given the option of being considered for a four year contract. He said many of the teachers were offended by the actions of the general assembly, and this is something to be cognizant of. He encouraged the Board to consider a tax increase to support the schools. Chair Jacobs said the Board of County Commissioners can fill holes but not craters. He said he will be surprised if the Board can address all of the cuts. He said there needs to be a comprehensive discussion about tax policy in Orange County. He said he would be willing to have another Board of County Commissioners session after the legislature takes its recess. Michael Talbert said the County budget was presented before the proposed senate budget, and the 48.1 percent goal was what was used in preparing the budget. He said the state balanced its budgets by eliminating positions and by moving that money from positions to teacher raises. He said if the Board is going to make up that difference it would be a substantial tax increase. He said Orange County cannot pick up everything that the state cuts. He said out of the $2.1 million from the County schools, $1.7 million was from salaries. Michelle Brownstein said the senate proposal impacts the budget as much as $3.6 million, in addition to the $2.7 million shortfall from the County budget. She said that is where the earlier mention of$6 million came from. She said the ripple effect will be catastrophic. Mike Kelly said the total impact of the senate proposal is estimated to be $4.2 million, and $1.7 million of that is from local supplements to offset the teacher salary increases. Commissioner Gordon said it would help for CHCCS to re-send their budget presentations electronically with a summary of the original budget request and the impacts of the proposed senate cuts. Commissioner Gordon said this year is different from other years. She said positions are being cut, and jobs are being lost, and it is hard when experienced teachers are leaving for other states with higher salaries. She said raising teacher salaries at the expense of tenure and teacher assistants is not good. She hopes the Board will do as much as possible in funding both school systems. Commissioner porosin said the difference in the requested amount and the recommended budget is $2.7 million. He asked what the priorities will be if full funding is not possible. Michelle Brownstein said the board has tried to prioritize positions based on cuts, but they have not figured out the details yet. Mike Kelly said some of the positions that were discussed in terms of cuts were: gifted education specialists, teaching assistants, stage managers, and foreign language teachers in elementary schools. Commissioner porosin said he would like to see that list. He asked if there are priorities within that total list. Mike Kelly said it is not ranked in order, but it is ranked into first and second tiers. Michelle Brownstein said this came from the superintendent's recommendations, but the final decision will be a consensus from the board. She said this level of cuts is unprecedented. Commissioner porosin said the reality is that it may not be all or nothing, and it is important to prioritize and to be transparent about this.