BC 2004 06 08 RECESSED - Laserfiche WebLink

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June 8, 2004 Page 490 The Board of Commissioners for the County of Cabarrus met in recessed session in the Multipurpose Room at the Cabarrus County Governmental Center in Concord, North Carolina on Monday, June 8, 2004, at 6:00 p.m. Present - Chairman: Robert M. Freeman Vice Chairman: Richard D. Suggs Commissioners: Carolyn B. Carpenter Robert W. Carruth Coy C. Privette Also present were John D. Day, County Manager; Marilyn D. Porter, County Attorney; Mike Downs, Deputy County Manager; Pam Dubois, Deputy County Manager; Cathie K. Straub, Budget Officer; Don Cummings, Human Resources Director; Frankie F. Bonds, Clerk to the Board; and Kay Honeycutt, Deputy Clerk to the Board. Chairman Freeman called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Commissioner Carpenter was not present for the beginning of the meeting. Chairman Freeman requested a moment of silence in remembrance of former President Ronald Reagan. Commissioner Privette gave the invocation. Kannapolis City Schools Officials from Kannapolis City Schools present for the meeting were as follows: Danita Rickard, Member of the Kannapolis City Board of Education; Dr. Jo Anne Byerly, Superintendent; and Will Crabtree, Director of Business Operations. Commissioner Privette said in 1975 the General Assembly enacted the School Budget Control Act which delineated responsibility for school funding. He read the following excerpt from the Public School Forum on Local School Financing: "To ensure a quality education for every child in North Carolina and to ensure that the necessary resources are provided, it's the policy of the State of North Carolina to provide from State revenue sources the instructional expenses for current operations of the public school system as defined in the standard course of study. It is the policy of the State of North Carolina that the facility requirements for a public education system will be met by county governments." Commissioner Privette questioned the use of County funds for instructional expenses such as assistant principals and teachers when it is the State's responsibility. Dr. Byerly reviewed the Current Expense and Capital Outlay Budget Proposal for 2004-2005 for Kannapolis City Schools. She stated it had been a challenging budget year and that the proposed budget centered on student achievement. In response to Commissioner Privette's inquiry, Dr. Byerly said the State provides funds for the bare necessities and the Kannapolis City School system wants to do better than the minimum. She stated local funds have been used for many years for instructional purposes such as teachers, exceptional children's program and technology. Dr. Byerly also praised the combined maintenance program with Cabarrus County Schools. There was discussion regarding the funding for the Kannapolis City Schools. Areas addressed included the following: (1) Funding responsibilities of the State and the County; (2) Increase in enrollment and the addition of three mobile units; and (3) Adequate public facilities fee of $1,008.00 per lot collected by the County and several local municipalities. Commissioner Privette suggested the Kannapolis City Schools forward a resolution to the City of Kannapolls asking that the City collect the adequate public facilities fee to assist with school construction. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Dr. Jerry Chandler, Vice President of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC) read introductory comments by Dr. Richard Brownell, RCCC President, concerning funding for the community college. Highlights included the following: (1) Possible future request for local funds from Rowan and Cabarrus counties for operations; (2) Renovation of the old school administrative building for a business and technology center; (3) 20 percent increase in enrollment at RCCC; (4) Critical space shortage and a future funding request to buy/lease a mobile unit to provide needed office space at each campus; and (5) Appreciation for the County's support of the community college.