I know you did. Thank you for your time and energy and working with the 36 students. Um, and like I mentioned to our parents, it was um, in elementary school, I had a music teacher who did musical productions with us and we did Tom Sawyer, Oliver Twist, um, Oklahoma. And Mrs. Hatch really helped make my dreams come true in having a production as a musical for our kids. And she has said that she will come back and run the drama club next year for us. So, I'm looking forward to next year already. And the boys and girls did the show for show. Um the boys and girls um performed for our school for all the students yesterday. So it it was really wellreceived and I heard a lot of exciting comments from our students on how cool it was. They had no idea what it was really going to be like.
Yes. This f the first one is from our ACTUER. So they use a governmentwide funding basis for to create this pie. um it's not necessarily using the same data as the district spending report from the auditor general from the auditor general. So So what's included or not included? What what's is that too detailed of a question? Is that a answer? So the the biggest the biggest example of this so you look at this is interest on long-term debt. So that means it's at the full acrual basis of Gilbert public schools in total to include all those assets, depreciations, everything. Um we only share it because when it comes to the percent to instruction, it gives us an idea of what our um annual financial report from the auditor general will result in. So, it kind of if that ever dropped precipitously, we might be concerned about how the dollars in the classroom comes out um when that comes out usually in the spring.
Anyone have any questions? Hearing none, I will entertain a motion to approve the resolution as presented. So move. So moved by Rel. Second by Rob. Cindy, please lead us in a roll call vote. Yes. Sliger. Yes. Yes. Meadows, yes. Thomas, yes. Arlandu, yes. Motion passes. Thank you. Item 4.3, resolution authorizing notice of non-renewal to probationary teachers. Steve, is there anything you want to add at this time? No, I I did fail. I just one thing I wanted to uh remind the board and perhaps anyone who is uh paying attention to this board meeting is the uh in 4.2 2, the resolution for honorable dismissal of teachers. One thing I failed to share was that often times we hire uh many of those staff back uh particularly staff um maybe who uh have a one-year contract and then they've done very well and the person or the leave is no longer effect and there's an opening.
So, Mr. Alphantis said he was going to invite them next year. Again, it's a good stepping stone for any one of our uh art, you know, um performing in any whether it's choir or show choir or band or whatever. We had band members there, too. Wow. It was good. Wow. Only thing could have made it better if you had a solo. Yeah. Not me. Yeah. Wow. Good. Good. That's good. Good information. And taking our kids to another level. On uh April 2nd, um the civil leaders went down to Springfield. Um I don't know how many actually went. I think there was four. I thought that was Danzel. Uh yeah, group. Yeah. Yeah. Um they spent the day down there. Uh Lamont said that he was going to give me show me photos. He didn't. I thought we got some photos. I thought he sent them.
And uh so yeah, I think so. What's going on now, Scott? So, looks like the game's paused. So, we're getting our characters in here. We've got what? Eli, Ker, Jaden, Hunter, and Dominic to get started. Well, you know what? This is a good time to just bring over our special guest. Okay. Uh bring bring them in here into the camera. Here we go. Baker Badley, uh that'd be my grandson, is going to help us with the commentating tonight. He is the expert of the three of us. He knows all about Elios. He plays all the time. all the time. I can't I can't get him off it. Y So, he'll be helping us here off to the side. Yep. All right. There you go, Baker. All right. So, Norwell is having some tech technical difficulties at the moment. Okay. So, I I think that we would start with like um what 50 point advantage then at least.
Each day I'm inspired by the dedication and support that they have to offer. The coordinator understands the nuances of special education and is able to navigate this complex world of education. Things in our department are starting to take shape and we finally feel like we're headed in the right direction. To remove this from our team would be a detriment to our students and their right to a free and appropriate public education that truly meets their required level of need. As the teacher of the TLC program at Tahanto, we are working towards creating an amazing program for our students with the most significant special needs. I know that without a coordinator at Tanto, making this dream into an actual reality will fall significantly short of its intended target. I have run a program in another district. If we did not have a coordinator to assist, the success we achieved would have never happened.
My oldest son, who graduated last year, did not enjoy school and found it difficult, but always found teachers and staff who would support him and work with him to be successful, especially in the tech ed department where he thrived. My son, who's currently a senior, has had the opportunity to be several be in several AP classes and wrote in his college essay that the small class sizes were very helpful in him making connections with teachers and classmates to be successful in these highle classes. In fact, because of his experiences with small classes, he sought out a college that also has small classes since he feels that it is so integral to his learning. Both of my sons participated in the band through elementary, middle school, and high school and enjoyed the opportunity the music department provided them. In addition, both have played sports throughout their high school careers and experiences and relationships with coaches and friends has been invaluable.
Um, you have their both their emails, do you? Yes, I Yep. Okay, then keep on going. I wouldn't wait for them. Larry's watching. So, um, and I don't know about Jan, but uh, hopefully she'll join. Thanks, Joe. So, what I've tried to do here, um hopefully you can all see this um on the document is I just tried to identify um a few goals for this and and and I want to pitch that to you all first as a matter of point of discussion and and um see if there are any changes to how we might approach this. Um there's been a number of resources I think shared over the last year around around some of this and I I'd shared a a slide deck uh that uh Commissioner Burkowitz and I had prepared last year um to also to try to frame some of this out.
We are dealing with systemic issues coming from the state funding formula which stems from the New Jersey Constitution. Now, a little quick history lesson, ladies and gentlemen. Have you all heard of the US Constitution? You know that document. The word education not mentioned in the whole document. Not mentioned. So therefore, my favorite amendment, the little unknown 10th amendment comes into play. And the 10th amendment, for lack of a better word, basically says if there's anything not in this document, if there's anything not in this constitution, then we leave that decision up to the states. And so that is why since the founding of our country, education has been a local function. It has been a state function. And in New Jersey, schools historically have been funded through property taxes. And that was the predominant way that schools were funded until 1972, a famous New Jersey Supreme Court case, Robinson vers Cahill, which basically the New Jersey Supreme Court said, "Hey guys, the way you're funding schools right now is not fair.
So unfortunately, we are very firmly in that group of districts. We are 15 million below adequacy. And what the state is saying is that a district that is below adequacy can raise additional local tax levy up to that full amount by which they are below. Eligible districts must have a special board meeting by April 14th. That's our meeting tonight to approve a board resolution to submit an application to the state for that additional amount of tax levy sought along with its intended uses. And granted, this this opportunity brings with it many many factors that require consideration. It is a an opportunity absolutely unique in its magnitude for us. We have the opportunity to raise about $14.2 million to which the state as part of this opportunity says they will contribute 5% of that total amount which would be about $710,000 to a total of 14 million 922,643.
She is one of my pilot program students. I know that she will do well in her OTM classes next year. Miss Juan is so very proud of you. When she grows up, Lania would like to be a HIMD dog teacher. [Applause] Now, Miss Beay Lewis from the intermediate campus.
Um, she's one of the sweetest, kindest kids you'll ever meet. Um, her teacher writes that Kaylee is extremely responsible. She makes everyone around her better. Just this week, I was having trouble with a student and the class told me to move that student next to Kaylee. Not closer to me, but closer to Kaylee. Kaylee always finds a challenge for herself, and anytime that her teacher mentions something that is difficult, she gets really excited and won't let it go until she learns it. She is a great sister and considers her siblings to be the most important thing in the world, and she would do anything to help them. Her close friends say that she is kind, respectful, sweet, and loves her friends. Um, Kaylee is friends with with my daughter, and having Kaylee around is a great influence for my kids as well. She exemplifies every single thing that we want out of a BR student.
Sorry. [Music] I'll do these later. And the parents that are coming in, just so you know, we're having a civics parent meeting tonight. They're not being [Music] Are there cookies? Nothing really. Okay. [Music] I finally saw one of your cattle trucks driving by. It was going this way. [Music] Are those yours? How many cows can fit? Really? You're kidding me. Guess 20. Well, yeah. I'm sure they enjoyed getting you said really close. couple. [Music] That's it. That's weird how the adminbody is the admin don't need everybody's just I have no idea. [Music] All we have to do is make you happy about the [Music] entire that we are journ A man butterfly.
So thank you Mrs. Hatch. Kchner Caverns. Mrs. Romanelli and Mrs. Webas took our gifted students to Kchner Caverns. So um they had a student then tour for about an hour learning about stagactites and stagnites. And again that is in thanks to Freeport for the grant opportunities that they continue to provide for our students to have these amazing experiences. Our Colts performed at the ASU Highlands Jazz Festival and they received second place in the middle school division. So, our jazz band continues to rock under the direction of Missi. So, great job, jazz band. Again, thank you and have a great evening. And there's so many activities happening in May. Please pick up your flyer at the door on your way out of all the things that are happening in May for promotions and special activities. So, that concludes my presentation. Thank you. Well, thank you. So, with that, it is time for the cult of the month presentation.
So, that's the biggest I hope I answered enough. Okay, great. You bet. You can have you can keep this one. You'll need it. Okay. Yeah, maybe. So before we get off this slide, this is um something that was highlighted in the audit committee uh meeting that we had, but this is just something that I want to draw a highlight to is the instruction, the classroom spending and the instruction that we have almost 60% of our budget um of our spending going in the classroom to instruction and that can you just I mean do Do do you have any statistics or any insight on how that compares to surrounding districts or how that compares to schools nationally? Uh I don't have anything nationally, but we do have slides in here that compare our neighboring districts. And then we also have a similar chart um based on your recommendation actually from the audit committee that compares our peer group, okay, of districts of very large districts.
Um there's off there's several uh part-time staff on there that we also bring back on kind of an annual basis and it's kind of a common understanding between us. So I just wanted to be clear about that. for 4.3. This is simply a resolution um to authorize notice of a non-renewal for a probationary teacher, which essentially means a non-tenure teacher. And I'm asking you to approve it as presented. Any further questions? I will entertain a motion to approve the resolution as pres presented. So moved. Sligger. Motion by Siger. Second by Sue. All right, Cindy, please lead us in a roll call vote. Gonzalez Thomas. Yes. Arlandu. Yes. Meadows. Yes. Sliger. Yes. Matthysse. Yes. Yes. Right. Thank you. All right. Tom, do you have any uh administration comments at this time for this evening? No. All right. Board, is there anything you guys would like to add?
You did. It was just like two photos. He said he got a whole He's like I have a whole bunch of them. A whole photo album, huh? Yeah. Um but uh yeah, that was uh really cool to find out that uh I wish I could have gone with them. Like that would have been cool. Yeah. I think they met Pat I think that was the Patrick Joyce's office, right? Was it Patrick Joy? They they they met. Yeah. Yeah. Patrick Joyce was there. Uh they went to the um the governor's mansion, but uh JB wasn't there. There was somebody I don't know. It was a good opportunity for them. Yeah, that's what they told me that he wasn't there. All right. That was cool. That was cool. No. Um, so, uh, my board update, there's something different. I just don't want to wait, so I'm going to say it now.
Okay. That's what I I read the rules. I think we get a 50 point advantage. Okay. Hey, well, I didn't see those parts. Since we have a little technical difficulty, I just like to tell you what happened on the way over here. All right. Yeah. Just uh what happened on the way over here? I just like to share with you if I could. Would that be okay? Absolutely. So, on the way over here, uh Scott, I uh I ran into a lamp post. Okay. I ran into a lamp post. All right. Yeah. But don't worry. I just had light injuries. Oh, light injuries. Light injuries with the lamp post. Light injuries. That's a good one. It's a good picture or No, I'm good. Okay. All right. Here we I think we might be getting ready. All right, let's see. All right, looks like we're loading in here.
This position is vital to the operation of special education in a school. The TLC program has made amazing gains in the last three months because of our new coordinator and I do not want to lose the support and the moment and momentum that has already begun. Without a coordinator, my program will not flourish as it should and my students educations will fall short of what I intend them to be. The students in the TLC program and all the students on IEPs at Tanto deserve the very best programming we can offer. to eliminate the coordinator position would be taking away that programming and only hurting the students. I kindly ask that you reconsider the elimination of this position. I implore you to really look at this what this person does for our students in our department and to truly understand what this job entails. They are a vital asset to our students, our team, and our community.
After teaching for 18 years in a neighboring community, I recently had the opportunity to come to Canton to teach my hometown and have not looked back. As I witnessed with my own children's experiences in Canon, the teachers, staff, and administration are dedicated and work diligently to meet the needs of all their students. The students are wonderful, polite, and eager to learn, which not only speaks to their parents' hard work in raising them, but also the expectations that their teachers have had for them throughout the district. Our students have a range of needs, and it is essential that these needs be met. Cutting programs and positions will take away mentors and programs that my boys, both with very different needs, benefit from as students in Canada public schools. I appreciate the board of education for making choices with the least impact and fighting to maintain a budget that allows all students to benefit.