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25 <br /> <br />Commissioner McKee asked if the BOEs can pare down their figures. He said everyone <br />will need to make some hard decisions, as he cannot, in good conscience, ask the taxpayers of <br />the County to pay a sizeable tax increase. <br />Rani Dasi said usually the process is that the BOCC comes back with a recommended <br />budget, and the conversations continue from there. <br />Commissioner McKee said he wants to work in a partnership process to reach a number <br />that is reasonable, manageable and equitable. He said the current requests are not <br />manageable. He said the BOEs are elected officials, and he would not presume to direct them. <br />Rani Dasi said maybe guidance from Orange County would be helpful, because even if <br />the schools came back with their budgets cut it half; it may not be very helpful. She said there is <br />such a chasm between the needs and the available resources. <br />Chair Rich said the Manager’s recommended budget will be presented May 5th, and an <br />entirely new budget has been created due to Covid-19. She said the BOCC found out today <br />that Orange County tourism lost $2.8 million in March, and will lose twice that much in April. <br />She said over 19,000 are out of work in the service industries. She said the BOCC is meeting <br />with the Manager, and will receive her budget next week. She said Commissioner McKee is <br />asking the BOEs to work out how to scale back, and try their best to support children while <br />realizing the financial reality of the pandemic. She said this crisis is not a matter of months, but <br />will effect years to come. She said the BOCC cannot ask residents to pay a sizeable tax <br />increase. <br />Rani Dasi said she appreciates the financial reality, but the bare minimum CHCCS can <br />present is likely its continuation budget, so it may be helpful for the BOCC to provide some <br />further guidance. <br />Commissioner McKee said it will be clear what the Board is expecting after the May 5th <br />meeting. He said this evening he and Chair Rich are just expressing their opinions. <br />Amy Fowler echoed Rani Dasi’s comments, and said the BOE is prepared to make <br />adjustments, but it does not make sense to do so until the BOCC has issued its recommended <br />budget. <br />Chair Rich said it is important for the school districts to understand that the financial <br />deficits are real, and no one is clear how this crisis is going to end. She said no one is pointing <br />fingers, but rather working together to move the process forward. <br /> <br />CHCCS Budget Background <br /> <br />Student Data <br />We always begin our budget process by carefully considering our enrollment projections. State <br />enrollment projections ultimately determine both State and local funding levels. For this request, <br />the District is using an enrollment projection of 12,312 that was provided by the North Carolina <br />Department of Public Instruction. The estimated enrollment is expected to increase by five <br />students over the 2019-2020 levels. <br /> <br />Revenues <br />We estimate additional revenue growth of $225,000, consisting of $75,000 in fines and <br />forfeitures, as well as $25,000 in projected increase to interest revenue, and an anticipated <br />increase in our miscellaneous revenues of $125,000 <br /> <br />Continuation Budget Requests <br />The Board of Education recommends the continuation budget to include anticipated State salary <br />increases for teachers and other public-school employees, costs related to matching employer <br />benefits, and operational costs. Due to the renovations at Chapel Hill High School, the square <br />footage will increase; therefore, operational costs for 2020-2021 will increase. Due to the current