Teacher Pay Focus of County Budget Discussion

School funding, specifically teacher pay, was the focus of Thursday’s public hearing on next year’s Orange County budget.

The Board of Commissioners meeting was held at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill.

Teachers, staff and many students asked the Board of Commissioners to fully fund the budget for Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. The school district has decided to increase teacher pay $4.5 million next year, regardless of the county’s final budget. The school district has said it will use money from other areas to fund the increase if necessary.

Supporters of the schools held red plates to identify themselves.

Last week, the board heard public comment in Hillsborough where many spoke on behalf of the Orange County Schools.

County Commissioner Barry Jacobs said while county allocates a budget for the school districts it is the school districts who decided how to spend it.

“So for those of you who are saying that we should do X or we should do Y, that’s what the school board decides and I think sometimes people misconstrue what our role is,” said Jacobs.

But county commissioners do base their budget on formal requests from the school districts.

Lynn Lehmann is the executive director of the public school foundation, a fundraising organization for CHCCS. She said the budget request from the school district was necessary.

“There is a teacher pay problem and you can help with that, you have the means to help if you choose,” said Lehmann. “This year’s budget recommendations from the school districts take great steps to remedy the problem and we are here to ask that you fund it as requested.”

Even if the county doesn’t completely fund the CHCCS budget, this year’s budget does open up some funds for the school district. The county is going to begin covering the cost of the school’s nurses, securities guards and other health and security contracts. This would represent a $1.2 million appropriation for CHCCS and around $250,000 for Orange County Schools.

Additionally, the county will now pay the per pupil cost for students who leave the public schools for charter schools, which the school districts previously had to cover.

Brain Pomerantz, the father of a kindergartner at McDougle Elementary School, said he didn’t want the district to have to cut corners to fund the teacher pay increase. Pomerantz said the one of the main reason people accept higher taxes in Chapel Hill is the schools.

“You need people who are moving in to move here because of the schools. You need them to be willing to pay high taxes because of the schools,” said Pomerantz. “I am willing to pay the high taxes because of the schools.”

The Board of County Commissioners will adopt a final budget on June 24.