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7 <br /> Slide #8 <br /> Thank You ! <br /> Questions? <br /> ORANGE <br /> COUNTY <br /> Jessica Goodell thanked the Board for the opportunity to work on OCS and CHCCS <br /> schools. She said she really enjoys working with school districts and said they are passionate <br /> about the work they do and thankful for the opportunity. <br /> David Sturtz said he very much believes in this work and has seen the impact it can have <br /> on students. He said they have a singular guiding principal and that is what is best for students <br /> and communities. He said it is a collaborative process with county staff. He said the Board will be <br /> involved throughout the process. <br /> Commissioner Richards asked for elaboration on school optimization. <br /> David Sturtz said the focus of optimization is twofold; one is educational, and one is <br /> operational. He said they are looking at an array of spaces, kinds of spaces and arrangements, <br /> and how they align with standards. He said there is also a condition assessment and that is the <br /> biggest part, but they also make sure they close equity gaps in terms of space sizes. He said they <br /> do not assume school arrangements are what the county actually needs for the next 20 years. He <br /> said they want to look at where there are gaps for things like art, special educational programs, <br /> He said that legacy buildings were designed without those programs in mind and without <br /> adequate space. He said they seek to identify those gaps and prioritize them in the plan amongst <br /> the other needs to create a comprehensive plan. He said the next part is efficiency of operations. <br /> He said that buildings may have been designed for a certain number of people and now there is <br /> a mismatch in population. He said they will look at how much it will cost to fix versus how much it <br /> will cost to replace a building. <br /> Commissioner Richards asked if they would look at efficiency of administration. She asked <br /> if they would look at other counties with multiple districts. <br /> David Sturtz said governance is not a main focus of this study. <br /> Commissioner Richards asked if it could be reviewed strictly from a facilities standpoint, <br /> and she is not speaking about combining districts. <br /> David Sturtz said he is working with a county in Tennessee and in that plan, it made sense <br /> for the two districts to swap a couple of facilities. He said that kind of thing could be an outcome. <br /> He said there are a variety of options for what could make sense in this community. <br /> Commissioner Greene asked if the fix would cost more than 50% and if it might be <br /> advisable to start over with a new building, would they also consult with the school administrators <br /> to see what the solution for the swing space would be during that process. <br /> David Sturtz said yes and that would be a dialogue with the districts. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if there have been instances when they have gone into <br /> a facility and not recommended any changes. <br /> David Sturtz said absolutely. He said that most buildings will be warm and safe but there <br /> are a minority of schools where there is such a mismatch that it makes more sense to think about <br /> ways they could make it better. <br />