Agenda - 06-21-2022; 8-a - Minutes

Browse Search

12 1 Commissioner Richards asked if any of Governor Cooper's budget proposals, which 2 includes raises for teachers, were factored into Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools' budget 3 proposal. She reviewed the anticipated increases. 4 Jonathan Scott said that they were not and that he was just made aware by her 5 statement that Gov. Cooper's budget had been released that day. 6 Commissioner Richards said that Governor Cooper just released it today. She said it has 7 an additional 2.5% for state employees and teachers, bringing their raises to 7.5%. She said 8 that retention for teachers is $2,000 bonus for those making les that $75,000. She said that the 9 budget is generous. She asked how long will it take the school system to look at that and 10 incorporate it into their budget. 11 Jonathan Scott said it is not part of this request but would be built into the continuation 12 budget. He said that he was hesitant to put a number out, but it would, at minimum, increase the 13 continuation budget request by $800,000 and then include supplements but he said it would be 14 over $1 million. He said they do not have a plan for that and once it becomes law they will circle 15 back and get a firm estimate of the cost. He said they may come back to request additional 16 money or look internally for funds. 17 Commissioner Fowler asked if paternity leave included maternity leave. 18 Jonathan Scott said it includes both genders and applies to both. 19 Commissioner Fowler asked if the district does not currently have that available. 20 Jonathan Scott said they do not. He said that currently employees are eligible for what 21 they would qualify for under the Family and Medical Leave Act and have to use either sick or 22 annual leave to cover those days off. He said this would allow the employees to retain their 23 accrued leave. He said a lot of employees are early in their careers and only earn 12 days of 24 leave per year and that they are made to take that leave during their family leave. 25 Commissioner Bedford clarified that Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools did not lose over 26 900 students. She said the actual loss was 262 students. She said Orange County Schools 27 gained 65 students. She said the budget used state projections, which are high. She said it is a 28 drop in state funding, but the actual students did not leave. 29 Commissioner McKee asked for the fund balance amount on12/31/2021. 30 Jonathan Scott said on June 30, 2021, they had $11.35 million in unassigned fund 31 balance. He said that did not include $2.5 million appropriated by the board to balance the 32 budget last year for continuation. He said from June to December, that appropriation rose to 33 $5.5 million. He said they did that to build outdoor eating and learning areas, a per pupil 34 allotment for COVID mitigation, and employee bonuses. He said the approximate number is 35 around $8.3 million in unassigned fund balance. 36 Commissioner McKee said one of the main drivers of the public attending the budget 37 public hearing on May 10, 2022, was that they needed a 3% raise. He said he knows there are 38 a lot of factors to weigh into that. He said an across the board of 3% would be roughly $1.4 39 million dollars and leave enough budget in the reserve to meet the minimum. He said he was 40 questioning why there was no recommendation going into the last school year to increase 41 salaries to attract more teachers. 42 Jonathan Scott said that is an excellent question. He said that they do not want to add 43 recurring expenses to a budget without funding available. 44 Commissioner McKee said he understands that but all he is hearing is that they are in an 45 emergency situation. He said that includes the loss of teachers. He said he is not an advocate 46 of a school board sitting on a fund balance that is more than what they are required to have. He 47 said that they knew there was a situation of losing personnel and teachers but there was not an 48 attempt to solve that but to come back and ask for an increase of funding, which he is in favor 49 of, but there are lingering questions about the mechanics of it. He said in his mind, they are 50 running a year late. He said he is concerned that there was a large sum of money that could