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11 <br /> Rhonda Rath said the OCS fund balance was $4.3 million at the end of FY 2023-24 and <br /> estimates there will be a modest increase in fund balance at the end of this fiscal year. <br /> Slide #8 <br /> 01) CHALLENGE. <br /> Commissioner McKee reiterated that funding the expansion requests for either school <br /> district is unlikely, as it would require a large increase in the tax rate. <br /> Chair Bedford asked what types of cuts were made when the district cut $700,000. <br /> Rhonda Rath said professional development opportunities, travel reimbursements, and <br /> even some programs were cut that may not have been giving the expected return on investment. <br /> Chair Bedford said she recognizes that CHCCS has looked at classes that do not have <br /> enough interest. She said she did the math, and it looked like there was about a $229 per pupil <br /> increase in the OCS continuation budget. She said that CHCCS was $292 per pupil. She asked <br /> if she got the numbers correctly. <br /> Rhonda Rath said her numbers seem correct. <br /> Chair Bedford said it used to be a law that CHCCS had to formally request an increase to <br /> the special district tax. She asked if they needed to get that formal request. <br /> Jonathon Scott said the CHCCS school board took action to request the BOCC increase <br /> to the special district tax. He said they can formalize that if needed. He said they are asking for <br /> the Commissioners to amend the special tax as needed for the requested budget. <br /> Commissioner Fowler asked if it would be based at 2.5% if the School Board did not <br /> formally request the tax amendment. <br /> Travis Myren said the special district tax will automatically reset to the revenue neutral <br /> rate. <br /> Chair Bedford requested that staff calculate the per pupil increase to fully fund the <br /> continuation budgets for both school systems. <br /> Commissioner McKee asked what happens if there is no ability to fund the expansion <br /> budgets. <br /> George Griffin said the districts would continue with the services they currently offer but <br /> would not be able to offer anything additional. <br /> Commissioner McKee asked how much of a concern losing teachers is. He also noted <br /> that Orange County has a significant need for bus drivers, and this is how children get to school. <br /> Anne Purcell said it is a great concern for OCS right now because teachers that have left <br /> have self-reported they are going to other districts that offer higher pay. She said the issue is the <br /> same with bus drivers. <br /> Commissioner McKee said the districts perform higher than other districts across the state <br /> consistently and receive some of the highest funding per student in the state. He said he does <br />