Agenda - 05-17-2016 - 5-a - Minutes

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8 1 Commissioner Jacobs said now is the time to look at sites for future use. He suggested 2 the idea that larger school properties, such as Carrboro Elementary, may be able to 3 accommodate another facility. 4 Bonnie Hammersley said there is a Superintendents/Manager meeting coming up, 5 where these standards and ideas could be discussed and recommendations brought back to 6 the Board. 7 James Barrett said Todd LoFrese presented to the Chapel Hill Town Council last night, 8 and there were questions about student capacity. He said capacity consistently reaching 110% 9 indicates that the CHCCS is accepting of mobile units. He said those standards could have 10 been made at a time when there was no funding for new schools. He said revisiting the 11 standards is a worthwhile endeavor. 12 Chair McKee said he does not like mobile units, but removing them means more new 13 schools must be built. He said this whole discussion brings back the question of available 14 resources versus necessary needs. 15 Commissioner Dorosin said the percentages over 100 are designed to allow time to 16 accommodate the growth as it happens. He said all of this feeds into the question of whether 17 or not bigger schools are needed. He said Chapel Hill has more schools for 12,000 students 18 than a lot of other places. 19 Commissioner Price said in considering mobile units, it is important to think about safety 20 and security standards as a priority. She said the children must come first. 21 Tom Forcella referred to CHHS and said the discussion is centering on how to make 22 best use of space, especially in a collaborative way by using one space for multiple purposes. 23 James Barrett said secure vestibules are not inexpensive. 24 Commissioner Jacobs said as far as SAPFO goes, it is a far more conservative 25 standard than the alternative, and it was a compromise. He said building cannot continue on 26 the current tax base. He said the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) tries to be sensitive 27 to the schools' needs, but has to balance schools with other County needs. He said when 28 considering school size and standards, one must consider how much is reasonable. 29 Commissioner Jacobs asked if mobile units are as unsafe and insecure as classrooms 30 with doors with outside access. 31 Todd LoFrese said yes. He said all doors have locks, which should remain locked 32 during school hours; however, every door is another opportunity for access. 33 Commissioner Jacobs said he wished the schools would talk about safety first, and that 34 is what has bothered him about the CHCCS proposal. He said the primary motivation should 35 be safety for the children, and he does not hear that in the proposal, since mobile units are in 36 Phase 2. 37 James Barrett said no safety measures are 100%, and the worst incident in the CHCCS 38 occurred at East Chapel Hill High. He added that solving the issues at Estes Hills Elementary 39 School is no guarantee, and as there is no guarantee of safety, perhaps that is why the issue is 40 not at the forefront of the proposal. 41 Todd LoFrese said safety goes beyond these issues being discussed. He reviewed 42 several other safety issues identified by the facilities study that were addressed immediately 43 upon discovery. 44 Todd LoFrese said the situations with mold and water are significant and an on-going 45 issue. He said CHCCS would absolutely like all children out of mobile units and in buildings, 46 but there is a balance between safety and not causing hysteria in the community. 47 Commissioner Burroughs said the CHHS and LC projects both offer improved safety, 48 and this element of the plans should be highlighted. She said the bond committee can talk 49 about this going forward.