Minutes 05-11-2021 Virtual Budget Public Hearing and Work Session

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11 being used for education. She said with a lack of additional funding, the district will have to cut essential offerings and positions, including a virtual academy, staffing for social emotional health needs, and wage increases for classified staff to bring everyone to living wage. She said there is so much Orange County gets right, and the BOCC has an opportunity to get school funding right as well. She urged the Board to invest in the schools and the students, which are the County's greatest asset. Christen Campbell introduced her son, who attends pre-K at Carrboro Elementary School, and said she is a teacher at Chapel Hill High School, and a resident of Northside. She urged the BOCC to assess properties equitably. She said is sickened and shocked by tax rate increase, and said her 95-year-old neighbor will see a property taxes increase of 85% in 2021. She referred to an article, which highlighted inequities and ways that local governments are failing. She said less expensive properties are being overvalued, and the County could easily intervene here. She also asked the BOCC to allocate as many per pupil dollars to schools in order to implement new initiatives. She said she is baffled as a parent and teacher that this needs to be brought up. She said there are few opportunities for financial promotion as a teacher, and the State no longer rewards teachers for advanced degrees. She said CHCCS started Project Advance a few years ago, and she recently completed an academically gifted certificate at Elon University and had to legally commit to completing the program. She said last spring she learned that Project Advance would end. Kimberly Manning said she is a 26-year veteran of Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. She thanked the BOCC for what it does for public schools. She said CHCCS remaining number 1 in the state comes at a cost. She said she wants to speak for veteran teachers who have not received a raise in 10 years. She said she has her masters, is board certified, and is a member of cohort promised the Project Advance increase. She said she works with marginalized students at East Chapel Hill High School. She said the District is called to provide an adequate public education to all students, and when the County is sitting on millions of dollars, and choosing not to spend them on students, it is a problem. She said keeping the best teachers, and remaining number one in the State takes money, and the fund balance of stimulus dollars should be spent on students. She said the BOCC understands how important it is to adequately fund the programs, and fragile students are being squeezed out. She said the District needs more than lip service; it needs action. She said all student services and programs need to be supported, and she anticipates a favorable outcome from the BOCC. Amy Singer said she has lived in Orange County since 2004, and has worked in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools since 2012. She said her husband is also a teacher in the County, and her two children attend local schools. She said she is deeply committed to Orange County. She said she chose to work in Project Advance in order to be the best counselor she could be for her students. She said she entered Project Advance with the understanding of a pay increase, and asked the BOCC to to show integrity by providing the expected raise. She urged the BOCC to honor the school district's request to raise the local tax to support CHCCS. Eimy Rivas Plata thanked the BOCC for listening, and said she teaches in CHCCS. She said teachers are seen as the ones who can do it all, but this is not true, and there are limited resources. She urged the Board to allocate more funds to public schools, as the current budget will require cuts to be made, which is detrimental to students. She said, at the moment, Raleigh's budget may be more progressive than Orange County's. She said it is vital to remember that CHCCS has been spending federal funds on hazard pay, PPE, ventilation, etc. She said the County has $28 million in emergency funds, and the schools need this money. She said the District is shaping the minds of future critical leaders and problem solvers, who will lead the country equitably and responsibly. Riza Jenkins said she a homeowner, parent of three children in CHCCS, and the current president of the CHCCS PTA Council. She read a quote from Nelson Mandela, and urged the