Minutes 04-23-2019 Schools - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner McKee said maternity leave is a critical situation and very important in the retention of teachers. He said he also sees the clear importance of the summer reading program. He referred to the equity trainings, and asked if it is $200,000 plus $260,000. Dr. Pam Baldwin said yes, these are two different requests; one is curriculum development based and one is for joint staff training for both school districts. Commissioner McKee said he does not question the philosophy behind these trainings, but does wonder how this, as well as student services support, are going to be measured. He said there is a gap, and wants to know how staff will know this gap is being closed. Dr. Pam Baldwin said this is very difficult to measure. She said there are some tools that can measure impact, and they are using some of these tools, but there is not a great pathway to measurement. She said a lot of measurements are purposely not directly related to test scores, since there are other variables to measure that impact. Commissioner McKee said he wants ensure that the kids who are lagging behind are brought up to speed as soon as possible. He said summer programs are a great way to keep kids involved, especially those who do not have the opportunity to get additional help. Dr. Pam Baldwin said time is very important, but access is something that must also be addressed. She said if students are experiencing trauma or other variables, they will not have access. Commissioner Dorosin clarified that an almost 5 cent increase in the district tax is being requested. James Barrett said that is pro forma language that is always in the budget request, but the board does not expect a local district tax increase. Commissioner Dorosin said it would take this type of increase to cover that which CHCCS is proposing. James Barrett said yes. Commissioner Dorosin said this would be an almost 24% increase in the current district tax, and wants to make certain that this is the "nut". Commissioner Greene asked if the $260,000 for the collaborative equity training is for both districts. Dr. Pam Baldwin said yes. Commissioner McKee said he is concerned about the wording in the request being pro forma, because he takes it as a serious request. He said it always brings up the issue of equity between the two school systems, and he has always been reluctant to rely on that to make up for shortfall that is not accommodated by the County tax. James Barrett said the only time the district tax has been increased in recent years is when new schools have been needed. He said, based on the legislature, the district tax cannot be increased unless the schools ask for it to be done. Chair Rich asked if it is known who would get the joint equity training. Dr. Pam Baldwin said there is a priority list including district staff, teachers, support staff and board members; this is a conversation around the community. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the percentage split between the two districts is known. Bonnie Hammersley said there is a change this year, which is shown in the numbers here tonight. She said there has been a decline in the number of students in the Chapel Hill system based on the March EPI numbers; and the shift is towards Orange County. She said it is still 60/40, but the last two decimal numbers changed this year. Commissioner McKee referred to the salaries of certified staff versus non-certified staff, and said there seems to be a larger percentage increase for certified staff. Jennifer Barrett said that these are the best numbers coming from the state, and the legislature has been pushing to increase teacher salaries. She said non-teacher staff increases have been closer to 1.5%.