Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
16 <br /> 1 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there could be clarification about funded versus max <br /> 2 size versus max individual size. <br /> 3 Todd LoFrese said a current CHCCS kindergarten class has an average of 21 students. <br /> 4 He said the State gives additional teacher positions in K-3 classrooms than what the max <br /> 5 average class size can be. He said those additional teacher positions are used for art, music, <br /> 6 or PE. He said the actual class sizes are allocated at the max average. He said there are not <br /> 7 class size maximums in grades 4-12. <br /> 8 Commissioner Jacobs asked if this is going to be a huge unfunded mandate from the <br /> 9 State. <br /> 10 Todd LoFrese said he is very concerned about this, and the districts would need to <br /> 11 discuss if implementing such a mandate would even be possible. <br /> 12 Commissioner Jacobs said he assumes the State will give counties time to implement. <br /> 13 Todd LoFrese said this change is supposed to take place in 2017-18. <br /> 14 Commissioner Jacobs said there is about a year to try and come up with a plan, and <br /> 15 perhaps mobile classrooms will return. <br /> 16 Todd LoFrese said there is not room for 46 mobile classrooms or funds. <br /> 17 Commissioner Burroughs said the current legislature passed this legislation, and this is <br /> 18 an area to collaborate on giving their voice to their legislative delegation. <br /> 19 <br /> 20 Orange County Schools <br /> 21 Todd Wirt referred to page 19 of the BOCC packet, which contains the OCS <br /> 22 information. He reviewed the following information: <br /> 23 <br /> 24 • Legislative Update <br /> 25 Todd Wirt said their local impact is on page 19 of the agenda packet, and the lobbying <br /> 26 has begun. He said the impact of this legislation for OCS is an additional nine teachers. He <br /> 27 said there are several teaching positions in OCS that are funded by sources other than the <br /> 28 State. <br /> 29 <br /> 30 • Demographics <br /> 31 Todd Wirt reviewed the Demographics on Page 17 of the agenda packet. <br /> 32 Chair McKee asked if the hiring success is attributed to the supplement increase. <br /> 33 Todd Wirt said this is difficult to analyze, but he has heard it has been a driving factor. <br /> 34 He said overall recruiting efforts have been improved. <br /> 35 James Barrett said this is true for CHCCS as well. <br /> 36 Commissioner Dorosin asked what are the overall demographics for OCS. <br /> 37 Dr. Wirt said OCS is 20% Hispanic; 15% African-American; 58% White; and 7% other <br /> 38 races. <br /> 39 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there are concerns about the range of Free-Reduced <br /> 40 Lunches (FRL) in the elementary schools, especially when considering equity. <br /> 41 Todd Wirt said Hillsborough Elementary is an application only, year round school, and <br /> 42 he said an analysis is being done as to why minority families are not accessing this school. He <br /> 43 said efforts are being made to make the school, and the application process, better publicized <br /> 44 and more easily accessible. <br /> 45 Brenda Stephens said the application process for Hillsborough Elementary has been <br /> 46 worked on to make it more accessible. <br /> 47 Commissioner Dorosin said there is potential legislation that may target eliminating year <br /> 48 round schools, and asked if OCS may expand the year round schedule or if CHCCS has <br /> 49 considered year round schools. <br />