Um they're both amendable to to to either of this so there's no sort of dispute between the towns. Again, it started with Boilston and I wanted to narrow down things with them, but we opened up the conversation to Berlin as well. Did you do that by phone or by email? Uh by email. I have an email because I was going to say I wouldn't want to do anything if we Yeah. Do you have that available to us? It's I I have it in email. Yeah, I can. I don't want to do anything to affect Berlin's payments given this current situation. Right. So, you're giving them a choice, right? You're giving them a choice, but they're I'm giving both towns a choice. That that's what I'm requesting. So, Berlin could could choose I I wouldn't want to give it just to boil, right? You want to be fair and equitable.
We've lost close to $10 million over the course of the last seven eight years. Why is it fair to all concerned? I think not. Thank you. Hi. Um, my name is, uh, Kevin O'Brien, Chateau Circle. Um, thank you for your time tonight and, um, the questions that each of you raised. Um, you could tell, you know, you're all invested in this and and it does there have been a lot of good points uh, brought up on both ends. Um, the state, I don't think, is ever going to change how they're funding. That is a problem. it is not your problem. I don't want higher taxes. Um but I don't ever see a governor coming in saying we're going to fix this problem and fix how schools uh are funded. Um so to that regard, the funding formula needs to be uh revised, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.
So, um if if Berlin says no, we'd love to pay the regional agreement model, fine by me. if it's easier for them to have even payments. Um if they'd rather go with the the alternative method, that that's fine as well. Again, I think this particularly this year from a cash flow basis, that that's doable. Um I just don't want to speak for future years. And and this just goes back to the work we're trying to do at the central office, right? And trying to make sure that we're getting things in in order, right? And these are the things that we're finding that aren't. And it's part of our regional agreement. So, we want to make sure we're sticking as much as we can to that regional agreement because that's that's the governing information that we're following. Um, but as we're finding these things that might be a little different, we'll bring them to the attention of school committee and obviously the towns as well too.
But I can say to some of the um cuts that would happen, large classroom sizes accompanied by what would be reduced supports is not going to work. Um I have a perspective because I work um in a in a neighboring district. So I see like you had said the revolving door of kids coming in again and again and again um more kids with higher uh classroom numbers are going to need more help. Then as a result of that um the extra positions such as the assistant principles, the case manager to address um the increasing special ed needs which are required by law. There's no way they can get around timelines and such that they have to do um behaviorists to support uh the teachers um social worker counselor to support the teachers and the students the students that they are trying to uh support. those positions are required in my opinion in order to meet student needs adequately.
So, we're hearing, you know, we're hearing a lot about a lot of the prior discussion. Oh, well, they let us do this in the past. Well, I again, the the regional agreement governs me. I don't govern the regional agreement. So, I really feel uncomfortable um saying I'm going to just, you know, in my own discretion make this decision and that's what we bring to school committee so you're aware of it and making decisions and vote on this. You do vote as well too guys. All right. I have a motion please to authorize the director of finance operations to allow the member towns of Berlin and Boilston the option to utilize the capital assessment payment schedule provided for in the regional agreement or the alternative schedule that has been historically provided to the town of Boilston for the FY 26 fiscal year. So move. Yes. Second.
Um without that they cannot do the job that they're trying to do um every day. Um the job of a teacher in the last five years um I've been in my role in the district for 12 and it has changed exponentially in the last five years um becoming more difficult for variety of reasons um mental health and and others. Um so not providing them supports but not allowing them to uh do what the students need. Um you stated about parents of non-verbal students and bus aids which is an absolutely um excellent point. Um it does go for drivers as well. Um drivers who've done the job for multiple years. They learn how to support students with special needs. Um in some instances that will make or break that student's day um more so than even a gened student but in both regards. But I can tell you that students day can be ruined before they even step foot on on campus um by how a driver or an aid will be.
Lisa, thank you. Any questions, discussion? So this is just for fiscal year 26. We'll have to address this the next time. I think it's a plan for over the summer to take a look at the whole agreement and make some suggestions because that has to go to amend it. It's going to be approved by the committee first, then it has to go to town meetings to be approved. In both town meetings that we've gone to said to us, we would like to revisit the regional agreement. That's work that we would like to do here. That probably wouldn't I mean that wouldn't be till May. Correct. Because I didn't W doesn't have a October meeting on B. Uh this year it might I heard talk about Okay. Historically speaking that didn't happen. Yeah. Sure. We could look at this again. I'm not speaking for the selection.
Um I don't know if there's any consideration for their positions, but I wanted that point to be said. And the last is the tax increase is absolutely large. That's no question. Um it's not my fault or my children, but I'd rather right now try to find a way to make it work and give them a chance than the other options of other cuts because to do them doesn't seem an acceptable option in my uh opinion. Thank you. Hi, my name is Shane Herman. I just want to um point out a few things here. I just want to thank the teachers, the bus drivers, the aids. You all do an amazing job as well. And also to the ball. I know you guys um continuously try to reinvent me find the best solution, but unfortunately there isn't a perfect solution. But one question I want to ask, I know you guys are probably not going to give an answer.
Right. We could look at this again next year. I'm not taking off the table that we might consider this again next year. I'm just saying I'd like to do it yeartoear and commit to year to year rather than than saying we're just going to do this forever. Yeah. Um because it doesn't follow the region agreement and we should have a document that matches what we do. Anybody else? Sure. Thanks. All in favor? Anybody against it? Okay, the motion passes. So, thanks to the warranty. Yep. So my second uh memo speaks to we are doing a lot more electronically. Um a lot of the contracts we sign, the agreements we sign are electronic. We have the capacity to um to do electronic signatures within the district. Um one of the challenges we've had is um even though we have a single signer coming in um that's Megan, she has you know family challenges, school challenges, things like that.
Do you believe taxing the the tongue or the residents of this tongue is going to be a solution? Um, putting a burden on the tongue again as taxpayers. You know, there are families in this town that has a um on a fixed income. There are people who are struggling just to make ends meet and then ask them to continue to pay uh more taxes. I don't think it's fair again the next thing is that um asking for more money to for positions while decrease eliminating other position. How is that even equitable of or as well? The other thing is um the S2 formula doesn't work. Elections have results. If you guys make a wrong decision, people in the town will remember that you guys are all elected. You should consider making the right decision. What's right for the community and for the taxpayers as well.
um you know coming in during working hours it can be challenging um I hate to delay things to school committee get checks to vendors and things like that um what we'd like to do is uh move to electronic signature for that that single person who signs the warrant warrants would still be signed here uh we would provide that individual with the full warrant so everything they're currently seeing physically uh that person in this in this case it's Megan right now but just whoever it were to be. Um, and in the future, uh, they would be able to view that their leisure, right? So, they don't have to come in, feel rushed. Oh gosh, I have to pick up the kids. I have to go do XYZ. Um, they don't feel like they're inconveniencing us, right? Often, you know, they come in, they want to go through the warrant, they feel like they're inconveniencing us.
I have lived here not for long time, but I love the town. I came here because of the school system. I want to preserve the school system. I want I want to be to um preserve the property value. What can we do to make that? I think continue to make the right decisions as well. We'll continue to do that. Um again, we can go to Trenton. I mean, as as one of my other um person said here is that let's all go to Trenton and advocate say to Trenton that S2 formula doesn't work. We should be able to to advocate for that and have a better solution as well. The next point I want to make is um raising taxes as well as as a taxpayer. You know, I just don't think how could that benefit us as well. I do understand the teachers and the bus aids and the and the bus drivers as well that you know we need to preserve as much as we can.
Um, and so they can view that warrant uh on their phone if they want. um and go through it in whatever detail they want and then sign that electronically. So I I think it makes things a lot more more convenient. It actually makes their job a little more effective and efficient. We're getting prepared for the summer, right? When people go away, people are on vacations. We want to make sure we're paying our bills in a timely manner, right? So trying to figure that all out this way. It can all be done and we'll hold up the process of of that. It's it's what we should be doing in the central office with in terms of technology and being current. I know last summer Megan kept agreement at the previous administration full disclosure uh that she wasn't getting the warrants. So if they were electronic there would be no excuse not to get them and then we could address them there.
But again, how much how much how much are you asking for? If you get all what you're asking for today, what is to prevent you coming next year and asking for more? The future is not certain. Take as much as you need, but don't take everything and say, "Oh, I don't want to come back here next year." I get it. You know, trying to figure out what to do today and not know what's tomorrow is probably seems ideal, but take as much as you need as as well. But understand that tomorrow is not also guaranteed. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] So my name is Magda. I'm a bus driver. So I just wanted to start with thanking all my co-workers, all the teachers because I feel like pretty much it was brushed off like what did you speak about bus drivers for two like a millisecond?
But correct I know what single signer is but can you just explain single signer isn't just a single person y looking at money going out the doors. Sure. So how many people are so so yeah to be to be really clear money does not go out the door without multiple checks and balances. So the very first thing that happens is a requisition is entered usually by an admin assistant that is then approved by a principal or a director. Um it's then forwarded to me to approve it to be converted into a purchase order. Uh the purchase order can then be sent out uh by the schools. We're looking at exactly what that process looks like or the departments. Um when that comes in, the person who issued the requisition for the purchase order or someone who has knowledge of it receives that and they would write okay to pay on the invoice or something like that.
Like it doesn't matter like these kids need buses. So, let me start since I got what, two and a half minutes out of the two hours that you guys spoke. But I've worked with a lot of private companies and I left those jobs because I was paid to not care for kids. I was paid to rush and to treat kids how you guys treat kids, seeing them as a number, which is pretty much what was done here today. Not by all of you, but but pretty much I know that you guys know that as well because I drive to his two kids and he moved Earth to get those two kids on a Eve Sham bus. So I know that you guys know what the difference is between like the example that they were on a Hillman's bus and a Eve Sham bus. You guys know the difference though.
Um or someone with knowledge. So if uh legal fees come in, I usually have knowledge of what we had our attorney do. So, I would be the person who says, "Okay, okay, to pay. Here you go." That then goes to Arnold, our accounts payable person. He sets it up in the system to pay. He checks everything. Um that then goes into the warrant that is reviewed by a school committee member um for payment. Um the in some cases you would have the whole committee approve the warrant prior to sending checks out. The real challenge is you can already see kind of how long that process is and we really would like to be able to make sure we're paying our vendors net30, right? By the time that purchase order is issued, we've made the commitment. That purchase order is a commitment to buy something. So, even if the school committee member said, you know, I'm uncomfortable this, we need to have a conversation, we can't, unless there was a real reason not to pay that vendor, um we really would want to be paying the vendor.
They don't care about the kids and you guys know that. And it's a shame that all you care about is numbers. You should feel embarrassed. Hello everyone. My name is Teresa. I'm also a bus driver and I would like to speak because think again I want to thank everybody the bus drivers, the teachers, the teachers. You guys are all great. Thank you for your service. Um, but yeah, when I came here, I'm actually new as a bus driver to this company and you guys sold me the idea that I was coming to this great place, which it is. And I'm thankful. But now, well, in January, I was informed, hey, you don't have a job pretty much. That's where we're heading at, right? And I feel some type of way because I as well worked for those companies that you guys may go to. And I tell you right now, there's no respon.
Um, so I I I think it's a little it having the single signer makes it more efficient. It allows a single person to allow us to just check the check, send the checks out. The school committee can still review things and come to me and say, "Hey, I have questions about this expense. What, you know, what was it for? Why did we make it?" Um, but a lot of those checks and balances are really in place. Not much money. No money goes out the door without sort of multiple people reviewing that. It just goes to show you how complicated it is, right? So people just think we're writing out checks or receiving money. Like every single thing goes through a checks and balance system. That's why you have to make sure you have, you know, high quality professional people doing this every single day, keeping track of it so we can make sure we're getting the items we need into the schools so our students have what they need.
I I being honest, the way I care for the kids here because I didn't I I love the kids that I drive on my bus. I love getting to know their names. I love getting to know the parents, caring about no bullying, but working for those companies is not about the kids. I I mean, for me it is because I got to make sure that I mean, everybody's safety is important to me, but end of the day is we're going to more than one one district. You understand that, right? You're not the only district that I have to worry about. I'm going to this district, the other district, and I'm in a time frame. I'm I'm like, okay, I got to get to this school, next school, next school. If a kid comes up to me, oh, I'm bullying. I'm like, I'm I'm sorry. Got to keep moving.