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1 <br /> APPROVED 617/22 <br /> MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> BUSINESS MEETING <br /> April 26, 2022 <br /> 7:00 p.m. <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, April <br /> 26, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Renee Price, Vice Chair Jamezetta Bedford, <br /> and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Jean Hamilton, Earl McKee, and Anna <br /> Richards <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager <br /> Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified <br /> appropriately below) <br /> Chair Price called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. <br /> 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> Commissioner McKee made a motion for the addition of a discussion item on whether <br /> extensions to the state of emergency declarations should require board approval as item 6-d. <br /> Commissioner Greene seconded the motion. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> Chair Price dispensed with reading the public charge. <br /> 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board, read an email from Orange County resident Jacquie <br /> Barker, who requested that her comment be included as part of the meeting record: <br /> "There is a big crisis at OCS right now, teachers are leaving, and students are paying the price, <br /> academically, mentally. Who are the biggest losers right now? The students are the biggest <br /> losers, remember at your last joint meeting when Dr. Felder admitted that. The principal at <br /> Cedar Ridge just put in his resignation. My daughter just lost a second IB teacher 2 weeks ago, <br /> right after the best teacher of all her years at OCS left for another school, so another qualified <br /> and talented teacher lost. And parents were not even notified. What now? The students are left <br /> hanging, left in limbo at the end of their senior year with substitutes getting them ready for IB <br /> exams that start this week. They are still learning new curriculums due to the learning loss last <br /> year and overworked teachers. The Latin teacher does not get lunch, he does his planning <br /> during class, he has to be absent for part of the class b/c he is being shuffled between two <br /> schools. Another teacher said that she knows 10 teachers that are not returning to Cedar Ridge <br /> next year. <br /> So what is the problem, why are teachers continuing to leave, what is causing this mass exodus <br /> as teachers are putting it? Have you seen the results from multiple teacher surveys, one of <br /> which the district paid $40,000 for an equity audit to reveal the results. What will be done about <br />