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14 <br /> 1 • A Social and Emotional Learning Coordinator <br /> 2 • A Director of Literacy <br /> 3 • Two Equity facilitators <br /> 4 • Four Maintenance Technicians <br /> 5 <br /> 6 We believe the budget presented for your consideration aligns with the Orange County Schools <br /> 7 Strategic Plan and our committed focus of ensuring every student is successful and college and <br /> 8 career ready. We look forward to the year ahead and getting our students and staff transitioned <br /> 9 back to the normal instructional environment. <br /> 10 <br /> 11 As we begin looking forward to the 2020-2021 school year, we would be remiss to not take the <br /> 12 opportunity to spend some time looking back on the wonderful things that have occurred during <br /> 13 the 2019 -2020 school year. <br /> 14 <br /> 15 Orange County Commissioners approved a $4,352.25 per student funding for 8,134 Orange <br /> 16 County School students which represented a total funding appropriation of$35,401,202. This <br /> 17 equated to a $187.25 per student increase in funding over the 2018-2019 school year. <br /> 18 <br /> 19 As a result, Orange County Schools received funding to support initiatives such as: <br /> 20 • Universal Breakfast in every elementary school which allows every elementary student <br /> 21 to receive a breakfast free of charge every day school is in session. Grab and go options <br /> 22 are also provided to students that may not choose to receive a hot breakfast. <br /> 23 • State mandated Benefit and Salary increases for employees. A $150 per employee <br /> 24 increase was realized in hospital insurance premiums as well as more than a 1.0% <br /> 25 increase in the employer portion of retirement benefits. <br /> 26 • Equity professional development throughout the district to allow for continued work in <br /> 27 raising awareness of equity issues that may prevent students from feeling welcomed and <br /> 28 heard. <br /> 29 <br /> 30 Commissioners recognized and supported the Equity initiative presented by both Orange <br /> 31 County Schools and Chapel-Hill Carrboro City Schools by allocating one time funding of <br /> 32 $260,000 towards Foundational Equity Training for both districts. <br /> 33 <br /> 34 Beginning in October, a District Equity Leadership Team (DELT) was formed to examine district <br /> 35 policies, practices, programs, structures, climate and culture to identify barriers to equity and <br /> 36 excellence. Soon thereafter, the Leadership for Racial Equity Development (LEADS) trainings <br /> 37 were conducted. These trainings focused on deepening understanding of institutionalized <br /> 38 racism and its impact on student learning, as well as providing support for leading systemic <br /> 39 equity transformation initiatives in the district and schools. Throughout this time, additional staff <br /> 40 equity training was also occurring. Examples include; Racial Equity Institute (REI) Groundwater <br /> 41 training, Culturally Responsive Customer Service, and Equitable, Culturally Responsive and <br /> 42 Relevant Learning Environments. <br /> 43 <br /> 44 Identifying and eliminating inequities in access to opportunity and academic barriers remains a <br /> 45 priority as we begin looking ahead to the 2020-2021 school year. <br /> 46 <br /> 47 As planning began for the 2020-2021 academic year, little did we know the crisis that was <br /> 48 ahead for not only North Carolina but the Nation. <br /> 49 <br />