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

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30 1 they could not stand up a virtual academy, they could provide an alternative learning 2 arrangement. He said that teachers were paid an additional amount of money to teach the 3 students that did not want to return, online. He said that will cost about $900,000. HE said from 4 there they determined there was a significant problem for bus driver recruitment and retention. 5 He said they adopted a half-million strategy for bus driver recruitment. He said that they also 6 provide food for them once a month. He said that moving forward, in November, the Board 7 adopted a bonus compensation structure that included $1,000 this year and $500 next year if 8 they stay. He said they allocated just under $1 million of local funds for that. He said they 9 allocated $600,000 for tutoring. He said that there is $1.7 million in unallocated ESSER 3 10 funding, and they have until fall of 24 to spend it. He said the other pockets of money are very 11 targeted for specific needs. 12 Commissioner Richards asked about Jonathan Scott's statement that the actual 13 increase to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools will only be $200,000. 14 Jonathan Scott said the Board of County Commissioners funding is based on DPI's 15 estimates for the next year. He said that last year, they had a held harmless provision, and they 16 were projected at 12,227 students. 17 Rhonda Rath said they were projected at 7,299. 18 Jonathan Scott said that the county puts those two numbers together and arrives at a 19 percentage allocation between the two districts. He said that Orange County's stayed flat and 20 their's decreased by 785 students and that changed the proportion by about 2%. He said that 21 was enough so that the 3% increase in County Manager's budget, which is $4 million to 22 education, he said that their share was $1.1 million. He said that part of that increase included 23 the amount of money the BOCC appropriated in grants to the school districts of$1.5 million. He 24 said that the $1.1 million and deduct the $800 thousand for social emotional learning and 25 mental health, which leaves them of about $200,000 in absolute dollars. 26 Commissioner McKee said the projected numbers have historically been high. He said 27 the county never asked for the money back. He said once they settled on a per-student 28 allocation, which was the end of it. He said that created a higher per student allocation than 29 what is shown in the budget. He asked what rationale they would use to now go in the opposite 30 direction because there is a lower projected number than last year, why would they stay at the 31 high projection. 32 Jonathan Scott said it is not his intention to alter the county's funding formula. 33 Commissioner McKee said there is a perception that the county is not funding at a high 34 amount or at the level they were funding. He it is a reality that there is a decrease in the 35 projected number of students. He said he would like to know where the children went from 36 Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. He said did they go to home school, charter, or did they 37 move away. 38 Jonathan Scott said he is also very curious about where they went. He said that 39 kindergarten numbers are down and that accounts for part of it. He said charter numbers are not 40 materially high. 41 Commissioner McKee said he realizes that it creates a change in the percentage, but 42 the reality is that they fund on projected numbers. 43 Dr. Nyah Hamlett said specifically to the mental health and achievement grant, their 44 expansion budget was full of social and emotional learning support. She said they would have 45 likely used the mentally health funding because they know that mental health supports are 46 necessary. She said they may have looked at a different formula. 47 Chair Price asked if they are able to track how many students changed grade levels or if 48 it was possible some students just graduated. She asked if you could tell if they left or 49 graduated out. 50 Dr. Nyah Hamlett said they can analyze that, but they do not have that number on hand. 51 She said that it is happening across the country.