And so as an educator knowing that we are going to provide a tool that is going to save our educators time and allow them more opportunities to be in front of kids. I just applaud the efforts of this um cabinet. So, thank you for your leadership. You any other questions or comments board? I know we've had a a heavy night of curriculum. Thank you. So, we appreciate everyone who served on all the teams. I know this is a multimonth process. And just to tie it into the work we do as a board. If anyone's interested, it is in our board policy adoption of courses of study in board policy 2220 which says the school board shall provide a comprehensive instructional program to serve the educational needs of the students of this corporation. In furtherance of this goal and persuant to law, the board shall periodically adopt courses of study and that's what part of what we are doing at this time.
So, people believe in the work that we're doing right now. And we're getting into a good spot. Do we still have work to do? We absolutely do. No questions. We're still finding things that we still need to make right. And that's the number one thing we all there's a joke that superintendents say. It's not really a good joke, but it's a joke that says if your curriculum director makes mistake, you'll get yourself in a little bit of trouble. But if your business person makes mistake, get yourself arrested, right? And so that's why we always need to make sure that that's the foundation of our district as well, too. The other part, we had some legal issues. We we solved those and moved on. Healing between the towns, working on that, right? We're seeing you're hearing from both towns and saying we want this to we like the work that's been done so far by Al and his team.
It also includes the incorporation of $245,000 of the former ESSER funded positions which are currently being funded by school choice reserves. So in fiscal year 25, those are being funded through school choice reserves and it incorporates those into the operating budget in the instruction classroom staff category. So the overall net result is an increase of $125,000 to the proposed operating budget from what we had previously considered. Um and importantly, it lessens our reliance on those school choice reserves. And uh you'll see at the bottom line of that spreadsheet that the use of school choice reserves, our original proposal had them at using $973,000 of school choice reserves and that is now uh reduced to 200 to 728,000. So in fiscal year 26, we'll be using still a significant amount of money uh from school choice reserves. Hopefully in fiscal year 27 that number will come down again by 245,000 if we stick with the plan and then another the year after that and so on until we are no longer using school choice reserves to fund uh you know these important um resources.
So we got to look at the pricing. So if some kid says hey I want two years in German and that's on their plan of study um we will take a look at that cuz we really want to see them do exactly what you know what they want to do. So um as technology and all this stuff you know evol keeps evolving um you know you guys have been very gracious on that. So our kids are able to follow their individual plan of study. This is the generation kids that live through co so training online like that's pretty normal for them I think. I guess correct. Mhm. Motion to approve the green bush blended learning memorandum of understanding for the purpose of delivering foreign language instruction to Burlington High School students for the 2025 2026 school year in the amount of $450 per student per semester.
We're just going to have to sit down and take a really close look at what that looks like and where, you know, we've got to attack the AC problem that we'll we're going to visit about that in a little bit and some of the other things that have to happen. But we can do that this year and then, you know, we're still looking at the modular unit or the space unit in Hollywood with this as well moving into the future. It it'll we could we could budget it moving into next year and even towards the end of this year if that's what we wanted to do. I don't know if we're ever going to get this opportunity again. That's why it's real hard. But on the other side of it, maybe $300,000 throwing it at this. That's a lot of money as well. So, I have some concerns and some cautious there.
So, thank you to your team and everybody who is involved. At this time, we'll move on to our two action items. The first one up is Mr. Roger Smith approval of the bids on Crest View Elementary. Thank you, Madam President. Dr. Smith, members of the board, I recommend the board approve the GMP contract to Davis and Associates for Crest View Elementary as presented. So moved. Second. Properly moved, Miss Pucket, and seconded, Miss Lawrence.
We want that work to continue both in in Berlin and Boston. So when you ask me, you know, the question is why are you interested? I want to continue to work. That's my job as an inm superintendent. No doubt about it. I've done this job. I've retired from this job. My job is to get it so that the next person that comes on board is going to say this is a great school district. these things are in place because these are the things that have to be in place. This is a really good school district and I really enjoy doing it. But my number one thing is to get this ready so when you post this job for a permanent superintendent who will be in a spot that someone will come in that will be able to do this job and do it really really well.
So, uh, what this also means is that the overall FY26 budget was revised to 55,478,511 and 1 cent if you're willing to add that in. So, it's an increase of uh 4.4%. which um you'll probably remember we were originally proposing a 4.1% increase uh over the FY25 budget. So, we've had um quite a bit of positive conversation with uh with the town side of government regarding this. Um I I understand that um certainly the finance committee will consider, you know, consider our budget. Um they've not, you know, we haven't v voted it. they haven't formally considered our budget. Um, and ultimately, you know, hopefully we we receive support um and a recommendation for town meetings. So, this is where we are with this. Um, I again appreciate your support through it and I think it's a good solution and it uh it solves that one major problem.
Second motion. Second discussion. Is there not another program or limited company green bush limited learning that provides those additional languages for the students or do we have to have like a different contract for every language that we're doing? That'd be through that be through Egeneuity. Yeah, that's a great question. We um looked into another provider, but Egeneuity has been around. I've been working with Edenuity since I was analyst. over 15 years. And um so as they've evolved and they have the live teachers, Green Bush just actually um uh hires the teacher for us and that's why we're available able to do it live. If our kids said to any kid tomorrow could sign up for Spanish and do it online without a live teacher. We have the curriculum. We you all have purchased egeneuity curriculum for us and our kids are that's where they're taking um uh biotechnology and cosmetology and they're taking all those classes.
Caution there as well. But on the other side of it, if we can attach it to the school and get all these check mark boxes that that's going to present for us, I I I would lean towards really thinking heavily of wanting to go ahead and move it towards that side of the school and moving forward with everything it's going to offer, even if we had to throw 200 to $300,000 at it to make it happen, knowing we're going to own it in five years and it's a $1.5 million building. So, oh, sorry. Can we see a schematic with the 1.5 budget with it attached and then the other one not attached at the 1.2? Um, I haven't looked at this. I don't know if it's even possible on a project with this many people at the table, but a lease purchase could be an option like on the district's behalf rather than paying it out at capital outlay.
Um board, any questions or comments before we go to a vote? All right, we'll go to a vote. All in favor? I I. None opposed. All right. Thank you, Mr. Smith. Now we will move on to 3.02, approval of the personnel report. Miss Carla Johnson. Greetings, Madame President, Dr. Smith, and members of the board. We request approval of the personnel report. So moved. Second. Properly moved, Miss Lawrence, and seconded, Miss Dunn.
That's my job. That's my goal to make sure that takes place. Thank you. Uh Lisa, would you ask the next question? How would you build strong relationships with parents, teachers, your admin team, council at board, finance committee, capital committee, and the school committee? Sure. That's a pretty lot lot of that question. Um, it's all about relationships and all about having those conversation and honest relationships. Some of those are are working really well, right? I've been here eight months. There are certainly others that I need to be working on, but there are certain priority other things I had to be working on. Like I just talked to you about the budget. But when I talk to you about those building those relationships, I'm at those select board meetings. I'm at those capital meetings. I'm at those Wley School meetings providing information. They're seeing me there asking me questions about that.
Any discussion? Mr. Oliver. Thank you, Madam Chair. Couple of questions, Mr. Kylie. One, the the transfer of school choice funds into the general operating budget, what does that do? How many FTE U former Esser positions is that uh total? Uh the the way I'm looking at it right now, it would be four. Okay. And it it almost works out exactly. It you know, it all depends on a couple of factors. Um, we're in collective bargaining right now, so the rates for next year haven't been set. Uh, so, you know, it'll be part parts of four people anyway. Okay. Three whole and probably a a partial. Almost all of the fourth person. And then that'll leave us with how many positions left. We we'll still have seven. Two of the positions I think that will be moved in will be ESPs um in the initial cycle.
Egeneuity is the platform and through green bush they're providing the live instructor and so that's where we're at. So you know next year could be different but she's not she's still coming. I asked her so so Ingenuity has all those languages but they're all self-paced on your own. Yes. would just choose to do Spanish in a face to face for an additional for an additional fee for the kids. So there's more kids taking Spanish. Oh yeah. Oh yes. Yes, there are. Combined, right? And then and then and then p put in perspective some of the kids who are requesting German and stuff. we are looking at reading scores and things like that because it is very difficult um to take a French or a German um language without having that conversation or without anybody in our school system that can have that conversation with them because we would definitely match them up.
Well, we're looking at other options from lease purchase side, maybe having to do at some point. So, I would be more towards if we were going to do this, we need to do it with what we have because we're going to have to do something lease purchase wise for more room. Okay. or make some decisions to create more room in the district. Um, Kayla, I'm going to repeat what you just said so I'm hearing it right. Two options. One, at $1.5 million attached to the school and 1.2 budget if it was not attached, right? Do you think, Jeremy, do you think you'd be able to give us that? We can make that happen. Okay. Now let can we talk about timeline on that Jeremy because our next board meeting is not till that second Monday in May if you got that to and you say in a couple weeks if if we got to that point and you were able to get us to that and you needed just a consensus because it we can't make a motion because we don't know what that's going to look like.
Any questions or comments on the personnel report board? All right. At this time, we will move to a vote. All in favor? I I. None opposed. All right. The personnel report has been approved. At this time, we will move on to our administrator and board comments. Would anyone like to volunteer to go first? I know it's been a while since we've been here. We have been busy and traveling spring break everything. Anybody? I know we've had a heavy night. Yes, Dr. Mahalland. I'll just start and say again, I'm very excited to see the computer science um curriculum updates and the um standards shared with us today. I think um we also talked about the different pathways and what I love uh and appreciate about computer science is it is focused on skills and preparing um students for high demand careers high wage and um you know workplace play workforce development college it it just meets everyone and I I'm I'm grateful that we are putting such a a focus on that and um you know we know that our our students need those collaboration skills um problem solving uh the data analysis I love.
Those relationships have started to develop more and more, right? They see me, they know I'm available, they ask questions. We're really trying to get that transparency thing taken care of. Our admin team, yes, I meet weekly with them. Not always, sometimes, right? Sometimes it's bi-weekly. We meet bi-weekly as an admin team as well, too. Do I need to get better at that? Absolutely. That's a job that I continue to work on. And most in superintendent, that's be the number one job, build those relationships. But many times, our meetings when I'm meeting with Adam are very structured agendas because we have to take care of the budget. We have to take care of a number of things have processes and procedures in place but those relationships develop over time and certainly if you seeming for me to be the intro for next year as well too certainly that'll be one of my priorities I'll be working on is fostering those relationships and continue to foster those relationships but I I I just push back a little bit on that one part of that question.
But, you know, it it doesn't really it doesn't really matter which positions are moved in. No, you know, it's agreed. They're all part of the overall collective bargaining group. They all have their own seniority system and it's not like any more secure if you're being funded through this or funded through the operating budget, but approximately it's less Yeah, it's less position for FTE. Yeah, it's less positions in that uh in that source. So, it'll be nice. Thank you for that. And I do want to thank uh the finance committee members that are here this evening as well as uh the finance committee uh as a whole. I certainly appreciate I was pleasantly surprised this year at our joint meeting um at the positive dialogue that took place and I want to hope and believe that um as a town we're going to move in in the right direction um in in the years to come.
But Spanish is just one that right now is kind of the the go-to. So yes. Yeah, just a challenge to see if what just get more programs if we have one program that already has everything in compass and was my only chance. No, no additional comments. Great. Okay. Any more discussion? motion [Music] secondary dairy bid. Okay, you have the dairy bid here from Highland. Um, a question might come up in your mind is if we approve this, would this impact us in any way, shape or form? If we were to go to a food service company and the answer is no, food service company would assume this dairy bid um because they would want to have milk for the kids. So anyway, so not an issue at all um if we end up going with an outside food service provider. So we have one bid from Highland.
It would just be the consensus of the board to move forward this direction knowing there could be a chance we would have to throw some you know encumbers some of our capital outlay expenses with that. How how is that going to fit in your timeline because it's May I would say so let's say by the end of next week May 12th Bobby sends the board a schematic of hey this is what 1.5 gets you attached and then option B that you guys probably seen it's scrapped um because dollar wise and then you guys take a week or two to think about it and then if if we can just get like a like an informal consensus like hey this is still a possibility or hey it's it's not a possibility I from my standpoint that would be good enough for us okay because I mean it is a pretty big decision to figure out a direction so I I mean I you guys would want to take the time to make the right one.