Orange County NC Website
5 <br /> James Barrett said he noticed that some of the school boundaries went beyond the <br /> zone boundaries. He asked if the population served must be residents of the zone, or if being <br /> a student within the zone would be sufficient. <br /> Colleen Bridger said it was not an exact science, and they tried to follow the school <br /> zone boundaries. She said sometimes doing this excluded a high need area, so zones were <br /> expanded. <br /> Steve Halkiotis asked if, in her professional opinion, the mental health needs of <br /> students in North Carolina has gone up or down from 10% in 1979. <br /> Colleen Bridger said the number in need has increased significantly and is possibly <br /> upward of 30%. <br /> Steve Halkiotis said mental health issues have been rampant in the schools and have <br /> gone unrecognized for years. He said the work of the FSA in addressing some of the mental <br /> health issues is appreciated. <br /> Annetta Streater asked if there are any plans to connect with the school districts <br /> regarding possible strategies to reach children that do not fall in the targeted zones. <br /> Colleen Bridger said these pilots are identifying best practices, and the plan is to <br /> disseminate what is working well across the entire county. <br /> Rani Dasi said the FSA is helping both school districts, and she thanked Colleen <br /> Bridger and the FSA. She echoed the vital need for mental health services. <br /> Todd Wirt said the least amount of resources, for those with mental health, is in the <br /> elementary schools. He said OCS has had a wonderful experience with the FSA. <br /> Commissioner Dorosin asked Colleen Bridger if she could talk about what is in the <br /> queue for working with even younger children. <br /> Colleen Bridger said she has had conversations about targeted pre-K, targeted toward <br /> the kids in the zones. She said the FSA is working with all of their partners to strengthen their <br /> relationship with their childcare providers. <br /> Commissioner Dorosin asked if there is a reason to not use the verbiage universal pre- <br /> k. <br /> Colleen Bridger said universal pre-K implies that everybody, regardless of need, <br /> receives pre-K. She said research shows that pre-K is more effective when it is targeted to <br /> those children who need it most. <br /> Brenda Stephens expressed her appreciation of Colleen Bridger, and said she had <br /> personally witnessed the enthusiasm and excitement in zone 4 this summer. <br /> Rydell Harrison expressed his appreciation to the FSA and the staff of the Health <br /> Department. <br /> Donna Coffey said this presentation gave her a better understanding of the FSA <br /> program. She said this is a great place to start setting their collaborative budget process. <br /> Margaret Samuels echoed previous comments, and said in her professional job she <br /> sees Navigators everywhere. <br /> 3. Update on School Impact Fee Study/Report <br /> Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director, reviewed the background <br /> information: <br /> On August 17, 2016, draft school impact fee studies for both school districts were sent via e- <br /> mail to school district and municipal staffs. The studies were completed by a consultant with <br /> whom Orange County contracted. The report for Orange County Schools was updated by the <br />