Minutes 06-09-2022 Budget Work Session

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13 Chair Price clarified that it comes through ARPA. Bonnie Hammersley said yes. Chair Price said there is a possibility that they would be using the $4.1 million in the future for that. Bonnie Hammersley said it is one of the needs that will not go away quickly. She said they will come back in September with a plan because they will not have $4.1 million every year to fund it. She said they will not have as much money to do as much later and will have to turn people away. Commissioner Bedford said it cannot wait because they begin to recruit teachers early. She said to wait mid-semester the talent is not there. She said it is important to know what is available now to offer as a supplement. Commissioner McKee said the schools are already receiving extra funds that they could use to address that. He said that they could do a budget amendment for the schools later and if they allocate the $1.2 million now, it will not be there should a more urgent need arise. He said that they are providing additional funds to the schools, and they can choose how they want to spend it. He said that if there are immediate needs in the schools, they will let the county know. He said that if they allocate it tonight, it goes into operating, and the county loses control. Commissioner Richards asked for clarification if the $4.7 million for housing is already in the recommended budget. Bonnie Hammersley said yes, and they are talking about when that is gone. Commissioner Richards clarified that the towns would come back in the fall for what would be needed in the future. Bonnie Hammersley said it will be a discussion on future needs to discuss how they will go forward with emergency housing assistance. Commissioner Richards asked if the balance takes that into consideration. Bonnie Hammersley said that the Board has not allocated that yet but that it is one area where staff knows that there will be a need, and it is completely eligible. Commissioner Hamilton reiterated the importance of timing to get teachers in place. She said the recommended budgets lay out the needs and the salary schedules to recruit and retain. She said that the need is now. She said she does not understand the need to wait. Commissioner Fowler said that the schools need to know now how to budget so they can recruit teachers. Commissioner McKee said there will always be a need, and there will always be a greater need than the county can support. He said that the schools can accommodate and decide how they will allocate their funding stream. He said that he understands the need is now. He said he cannot get around the fact that the schools are two of the three highest funded school systems in the state. He said that if they cannot attract teachers then how can schools at a third of our funding level attract teachers. He said that he thinks they attract good teachers. He said that he questions the funding decisions the schools are making. He said that when they allocated $800,000 to the Chapel Hill Carrboro-City Schools, they did not hire a single teacher, TA, or tutor. He said they created ten $80,000 positions in central staff. Commissioner Bedford said that is not accurate. She said they are certified supplemental teachers for counseling. Commissioner McKee asked if they are in the classroom teaching students. Commissioner Bedford said no. Commissioner McKee said he has an issue when the highest funded school system in the state, Chapel Hill Carrboro-City Schools, has a disparity in outcomes between low wealth and between Black, Asian, Hispanic, and White students. He said that the disparity issue at the level they are funding, he cannot accept. He said that he cannot accept the fact that the school