Minutes 09-29-2022 Joint Meeting with Schools

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