Agenda - 05-15-2018 8-a - Minutes

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5 Commissioner Rich referred to growth in Hillsborough and Mebane, and asked if there is 1 communication with Mebane regarding the Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance 2 (SAPFO) numbers, to see how they affect OCS. 3 Todd Wirt said last month he presented to the Mebane City Council about the wonderful 4 schools in OCS that serve Mebane residents, and Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning 5 Director, reviewed the SAPFO report. He said OCS has made good inroads with the Town 6 Manager and City Council, and there is momentum to being added to SAPFO. 7 Bonnie Hammersley said she has also spoken with Mebane leadership about the 8 benefits of joining the SAPFO. 9 Commissioner Price asked if social workers are in every OCS school. 10 Todd Wirt said yes, one in each school. 11 Commissioner Price asked if this is sufficient. 12 Todd Wirt said it is not sufficient. He said the Governor came to Cedar Ridge High last 13 week, and OCS encouraged the Governor to have flexibility in his budget for funds for these 14 types of positions. He said some schools need more than one social worker because of a 15 higher acuity of needs. 16 Commissioner McKee referred to the possibility of increasing fund balance, and asked if 17 this was due to timing of early expenses. He asked if OCS is drawing down this fund balance 18 fairly closely now. 19 Todd Wirt said OCS typically hovers within the percentage, at $1.2 – $1.3 million range. 20 Chair Dorosin asked if there is a reason why OCS and CHCCS have difference fund 21 balance amounts. 22 James Barrett said this is due to the CHCCS special school district tax, which CHCCS 23 receives later in the year and needs a larger cushion at beginning of year to meet payroll 24 obligations. 25 Chair Dorosin asked if making these fund balance percentages the same would 26 negatively impact the County budget. 27 Bonnie Hammersley said she did not think it would make any difference to the County. 28 Chair Dorosin clarified if OCS is asking for additional funding up front to increase its 29 fund balance to 5%, or using existing funds at a different time. 30 Todd Wirt said it would use existing funds at a different time. 31 Steve Halkiotis said the recent press conference held by the Governor at Cedar Ridge 32 High School focused on putting a nurse in every school, as well as more school social workers 33 and resource officers. He said he told the Governor that the BOCC made it possible to have 34 asbestos removed from schools over 20 years ago, long before the state and federal 35 governments looked into this issue. He said OCS have a nurse in every school, and long 36 before the Governor came, OCS wanted to put a School Resource Officer in all its elementary 37 schools. He said OCS has been proactive, with the help of the BOCC. He said only 10% of 38 schools in North Carolina have a full-time nurse, and OCS and CHCCS are in an exclusive club, 39 and it is scary for other schools. He said because of the relationship between the schools and 40 the BOCC, health and safety issues have been addressed in an ongoing manner for a long 41 time. 42 Chair Dorosin said the Board appreciates this recognition. He referred to the student 43 reassignment analysis being completed in anticipation of capacity issues, and encouraged OCS 44 to also look at issues of socioeconomic and racial diversity. He referred to the living wage, and 45 asked if the additional funds to bring 96 staff up to living wage is part of the additional 46 contribution budget. 47 Todd Wirt said yes. 48 Chair Dorosin asked if OCS only gets the continuation budget, will these positions will 49 remain below the living wage. 50