Agenda - 05-19-20; 8-a - Minutes

Browse Search

22 1 pre-K students, then it should amend the ordinance. He read the following from page 19 of the 2 abstract item: Certificate of Adequacy of Public School Facilities 3 4 a.) Subject to the remaining provisions of this [article], no approval under this 5 ordinance of a subdivision preliminary plat, minor subdivision final plat, site plan, 6 or conditional or special use permit for residential development shall become 7 effective unless and until a Certificate of Adequacy of Public Schools Facilities 8 (CAPS) for the project has been issued by the School District. 9 10 Commissioner McKee said it his understanding that universal pre-K would be open to 11 any child in Orange County,just like K-12. 12 Commissioner Marcoplos said he agreed, and drawing a line based on means seems to go 13 against the spirit of public education. 14 Commissioner Price said there are different funding streams for various pre-K programs. 15 She said there are some slots for people who have means to pay, and there are other slots for 16 those with lesser income, or those children with specific needs. She said Durham uses a sliding 17 scale. She said many families who can pay for private pre-K do so, and thus do not use the 18 public pre-K. 19 Commissioner Dorosin said if the BOCC adds pre-K to the numbers, given the issues 20 raised by Travis Myren in the presentation, the BOCC could raise the percentage capacity in the 21 statute for elementary schools. 22 Chair Rich asked if this would buy the County many years. 23 Travis Myren said the 267 pre-K students are 5% of total capacity, and they would need 24 to add the 5%to the total capacity, which is certainly an option to explore. He referred back to 25 the recommendations, and whether the BOCC wants to pursue an amendment or create a 26 different tracking tool. 27 Commissioner Greene asked if there is a suggested amendment for the BOCC to 28 consider, and would it incorporate pre-K and make it mandatory. She said she thought the desire 29 was to avoid that. 30 John Roberts said that is correct. He said if pre-K numbers are included, he would 31 recommend that the Board amend the ordinance so that CAPS no longer determines if a 32 developer can build. He said the ordinance can remain as a planning tool. 33 Commissioner McKee asked if the Board is talking about pre-K at the mandated level, 34 the existing level, the waiting list level, or the universal level. He said he is confused. 35 Chair Rich said the agenda item is not addressing whether or not the BOCC wants to 36 create universal pre-K. She said this item is addressing the issue, which the schools brought to 37 the BOCC, that pre-K students have never been included, and it is a flaw in SAPFO. She said 38 the unfunded K-3 mandate from the State will require more classrooms, and if pre-K students are 39 filling up the classrooms that are needed to meet the K-3 mandates, what will be done with the 40 pre-K students. She said the question is whether to include the pre-K students in the SAPFO 41 numbers. 42 Commissioner McKee from his perspective the existing pre-K numbers should be 43 included now. 44 Chair Rich said universal pre-K does not have to all be housed in public schools.