Minutes 06-08-2021 Virtual Bussiness meeting

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21 Commissioner Dorosin read from an email from Liz Maylin De Jesus Sanchez regarding her experience at Durham Technical Community College: As a sophomore in high school, I was presented with the opportunity to take classes at Durham Tech Community College to complete college credits in order to help students with future career and college prospects. This option was comparable to the other programs offered by high school as it also allowed for us to complete an Associates Degree which we could then transfer to other colleges and universities in the North Carolina education system. This is an incredible opportunity, which allows students to save money and time in their career prospects!...This option was particularly valuable to me as a first generation low-income student who knew nothing about what college was or even if I could get there. Through this opportunity, I was able to expand my knowledge and create a strong foundation for my future through the Associates in Arts program of study. I was able to do very well in my classes at Durham Tech, which showed I was ready for higher levels of thinking required at four-year universities. This also allowed me to raise my GPA to become a competitive student when applying universities and scholarships. I was able to get 2 full-ride scholarships to Wellesley College, a private four-year university located in Massachusetts. I know first hand that a second building would be an extremely valuable addition to the Orange County Campus. An issue that I ran into when completing my associates' degree was that many of the classes I needed to take to finish were only offered at the main campus. As a student at Cedar Ridge High School, the main campus was very far away. This meant that these opportunities were only opened to students who had the privilege of reliable transportation, a driver's license, insurance, and gas money. All of these are expenses that many students do not have or are not able to have. A second building would allow for the Orange County Campus to grow and provide more opportunities for students who really need it. Commissioner Dorosin said having access in Orange County is critical. He highlighted the economic impact of having this building in the community. He said this project is not a luxury, but a necessity. He said the economic savings only happen if there are no other projects added, and assumes that the CIP is frozen in place. He said any project removed from the CIP would have the same impact. He said when this project was moved up last year, several other projects were delayed, and funding has been allotted to do research and planning this year. He said that work will be in vain if this project is pushed back again. He urged the Commissioners to read comments and emails about the benefits of the Community College system. He said for the Board to not proceed is a grave disservice, and is hypocritical. He said he cannot support the amendment, and hopes it does not pass. Commissioner Greene said she appreciated Commissioner Dorosin's comments and the emails from people discussing the impact of having a Durham Tech campus in Orange County. She said if the State passes a school construction bond, she would like for the project to be shovel ready. She said she wants to leave the $3 million for the year to use as matching money, in case the State does fund it. She said she does not support the amendment. Commissioner Fowler said supports the amendment. She said she wants a plan to address all K-12 needs, and there are projects that were identified over 14 years ago that are not on the CIP. She said Durham Tech can use other spaces. She asked if Hillsborough is the best site, or if Chapel Hill-Carrboro may be better. She asked if it should be located closer to where the population lives. She said she has a son who is going to Alamance Community College next year. She said she is also a pediatrician who sees the great value of the community college system. She said she wants to pause and evaluate all education goals.