Agenda - 11-01-2022; 8-a - Minutes

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23 1 Sarah Smylie said that typically there is a cutoff score and that is the percent of students 2 that scored high enough to meet the admissions for the UNC System. 3 4 5 1. Update on School Budgets— Chair Deon Temne, CHCCS 6 Chair Deon Temne invited Riza Jenkins to discuss the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools 7 budget. 8 Riza Jenkins read a statement regarding a budget request from Chapel Hill Carrboro 9 City Schools. She said that student achievement and staff enthusiasm has increased. She said 10 that all twenty schools met or exceeded growth targets this year. She staff and students are 11 putting in the work and getting results. She said that the district ended the previous fiscal year 12 with an unassigned fund balance of $11.9 million. She said that their fund balance is running 13 out. She said that the fund balance issue was caused by the Board of County Commissioners 14 directing the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools to spend down the fund balance. She said that 15 85% of their budget is for personnel. She said that fund balance was used for salary increases, 16 which are ongoing. She said they estimate that $5.3 million remains in fund balance. She said 17 that they are in a recurring shortfall, which the Board of County Commissioners encouraged the 18 district to get in. She said that they took the Board of County Commissioners at their word that 19 the county would be the district's backstop. She said that they are requesting $5 million from 20 Orange County to make the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools whole. She asked the Board to 21 consider the alternatives. She asked if the Board of County Commissioners would really ask 22 the district to make cuts that directly impact children. She asked if the Board would really 23 suggest an increase in the special district tax, which she said shouldn't be used to supplant the 24 county's obligation to the staff. She asked if the Board would go back on its promise to the 25 backstop. She said that due to the direction given by the Board to the district, the district faces 26 the possibility of cutting services and positions in a year. She said that the county could work 27 with the district by using available county resources to fill the gap that they were promised would 28 be filled. 29 Commissioner McKee asked what the required fund balance is for Chapel Hill 30 Riza Jenkins said it is 5.5%, which is roughly $5 million. 31 Commissioner McKee asked if they will have the required fund balance. 32 Riza Jenkins said that is a requirement of the county and that there are other 33 governance standards for school districts that says they should have double that, or 10%, of 34 fund balance. She said this is a requirement of fund balance that the county set forth. 35 Deon Temne said it is a created number, not something that standard school boards 36 should continue. He said it is a hypothetical number created by the Commissioners for the 37 district. He said that it is also not the fund balance that the Commissioners keep for the county. 38 Commissioner McKee said that he realizes that but that the county is the district's 39 backstop. 40 Deon Temne said that in a year the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools will be in a tricky 41 situation, and he asked for clarification on what being a backstop means. He said that hearing 42 backstop does not give him, or his teachers, the confidence that they are going to be taken care 43 of. He acknowledged that they are not voting tonight but said he needs to hear about 44 commitment. 45 Commissioner McKee said that the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School District (CHCCS) is 46 the highest funded school system in the state. He said that should give them the confidence that 47 they need. He said that Orange County is number three in the state for funding. He said that he 48 is not there to argue but that it should not be played off that the county is starving the school 49 districts.