Agenda - 04-24-2018 Attachment B. Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Board of Education FY2018-19 Budget Request and CIP

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AGENDA ITEM # 2 ATTACHMENT B that teacher assistants do not work on the majority of in- service days prior to the start of school. Opportunities for teacher assistant professional development are limited. Our most recent attempts to provide training in restorative practices, technology, and special populations (English language learners and exceptional children) were lost due to inclement weather. We recommend that the Board restore five teacher assistant professional days at an estimated cost of $231,700. Classified Local Hiring Supplement (Strategic Plan Human Capital Goal): Years of stagnant wages for school employees have resulted in many district positions being below market rate, especially at the entry level. Combined with low unemployment, many classified positions remain unfilled, including technology positions, bus driver positions, and all categories of maintenance positions. The district currently offers classified employees a 5.5% local supplement after they have completed their first year of employment. It is recommended that we implement a 4.5% local supplement for all newly hired classified employees at an estimated cost of $200,000. Maintenance Budget Shortfalls (Strategic Plan Organizational Structure Goal): Other essential operational costs have continued to experience inflationary increases over the past several years while our budgets have remained flat. A variety of areas including refuse removal, municipal fees, and maintenance service contracts (HVAC, Fire Systems, & Security) are now routinely running deficits which ultimately requires us to redirect funding designated for other purposes. Our budget request includes $133,000 to fund these operational budgets lines. Middle School Behavioral Support Program (Strategic Plan Whole Child Goal): The district does not currently have a program to support students at the middle school level in need of an alternative setting due to significant and externalizing emotional behaviors. We are recommending establishing a district -wide program at one of our middle schools. This program will focus on providing supports and interventions to ensure that students can access the curriculum and engage in learning activities. The program will require a certified exceptional education teacher and 2 teacher assistants, in addition to needed supplies to start up a classroom. We recommend that the Board request funding for the middle school behavioral support program at an estimated cost of $158,500. Mental Health Professionals (Strategic Plan Whole Child Goal): High Schools have requested additional funding for mental health professionals in our schools. These positions would help identify, assess, arrange for and/or provide services to students in need of mental health treatment and support. Depending on the specific needs of each school either school psychologists or clinical social workers would be hired to provide additional mental health services and support. We recommend that the Board request funding for 3 mental health professionals at an estimated cost of $219,000. Fund Balance We currently estimate our fiscal year end unassigned fund balance at $6.9 million which is approximately $2.7 million above our target of 5.5% or $4 million. The district historically has assigned $1 million to balance the budget. Over the past few years, that amount has varied as the Board and district navigated the recession and funding uncertainties. Our budget recommendation includes the historically assigned $1 million. We recommend reserving the 3