Minutes 05-10-2022 Budget Public Hearing and Work Session

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15 years, it isn't historic. He said the Board gave a higher percentage in the 1980s and 1990s, and what is presented now is the smallest increment other than during the Great Recession and the 2000 Crisis. He said this is inadequate and Orange County needs to follow Durham and Wake County, who are funding more in education and are willing to raise taxes to do it. He said the Board has had great initiatives like Broadband and the 203 Project, but that has meant no ARPA funding for schools and prevents a bond for education until 2026-27. He said there has been efforts in affordable housing but the funds that are being generated are disproportionately going away from schools. He said there is a lot of discussion about equity vs. equality and education having to wait for other needs, but schools need funds now. He said whether it's by raising taxes by 2 cents across the board or raising the special district tax, the Board needs to act now. Jessica Larson said she is a first year TA in an adapted classroom. She said she loves her job and works with children with varying abilities and needs. She said she is scratched, bitten, and more, but loves her job anyway and doesn't know if she can keep doing her job making less than $17 an hour. She said she is a mother of two students in Chapel Hill, lives in Hillsborough, and pays a lot of taxes. She said her niece currently makes more money at her yoga studio. She asked the Commissioners to please help her keep her job. She said she is honored to have her job and work with the students she does. She said the teacher in her classroom went out on maternity leave, which required her to borrow time from coworkers, and since then there has been a patchwork of substitutes who have not been able to last. She said through it all, all she can do is support the students the best she can while they ask if she will also be there tomorrow and as they move up in grade. Zoe Read said she is an EC TA and the classroom environment requires high level knowledge of behavior and behavior response that is individual to each student. She said consistency, familiarity, and knowledge of individual students and their behaviors is vital to their continued success and growth. She said you would think being in a career that requires such expertise would be compensated in a way that is livable. She said this is her first year working at Smith but has 6 years' experience in a self-contained classroom. She said her wage is 12 cents more than employees that have no working experience in the classroom, which values her experience at only 2 cents more a year for her experience. She said a bus driver earns $16.50 an hour and requires a high school diploma or GED., an Admin Assistant gets $17.41 an hour and requires a high school diploma, a secretary makes $17.04 and requires a high school diploma, and EC support staff earn $16.05 an hour and must be highly qualified with 48 credits of college, 2 years or 7 credits of core work keys. She said with one dependent for health insurance coverage, her monthly income is $1,448 as a single mom. She said having experienced employees is just as important in any job, but in this job familiarity of students and team is crucial to progress through daily challenges. She said safety of students and staff is a daily concern. She said receiving a livable wage will help retain staff and reduce turnover while creating an environment that will better serve students' individual needs. She said consistency and familiarity in EC classrooms will be huge benefits to students and help them receive the education they deserve. She said these students are often left behind, society does not fight for them, and families are often overwhelmed. She said these students deserve better and deserve a staff that knows how to teach them. She said in the grand scheme, the number of EC teachers will not have a great impact on the budget, but receiving a salary increase can make a big difference in the education EC students deserve and need. She said an EC teacher needs experienced staff and consistency or every year is a brand new start. She said students are not getting the education they deserve, and she said a significant increase in pay after continuous years of service reflecting commitment and dedication will be valued. Anne Tomalin said she is an ESL teacher in CHCCS. She said she has worked in the district for 26 years. She said she has witnessed the lack of progress in closing the