So, it really just depends on the program. No major issues. We're fortunate with our coaching staff and a lot of our individuals who are running this that you know they adapt change and and overcome. But it's just a matter of, you know, what you as the board sees and what a majority of our staff and parents see are for those start dates. Because the other side of the coin is too is as we go into the spring postseason, a lot of our surrounding schools are graduating May 16th, 17th and you know, we got a week after that still going and you know, going into going into June. So, and then there's the special ed cooperatives that you know students who are who are going are outplaced and going other places they're going to start school at that time. Got students who are again within the CTE program.
Um and so we're all trying kind of trying to figure out what that is. So, that is already passed. that is done deal and passed and signed by the governor. Um last week the state as you probably heard got bad budget news it um two billion dollar shortfall that they weren't expecting. Um so we were hoping education fund would include some you know one or two% increase. Uh but we don't really know what that looks like and they're going to be in session all week trying to figure that out. So it's just a real toss up about how things end. It's always like a big surprise in the last week. So, um you know, we've really been trying I've been really trying to monitor a lot of these bills. There's a lot going on and um it it's just it's amazing. I think that it affects our lives as schools so much.
Yeah, Henson has a goal, Goodrich has two, Conway has one, Anderson has one, and Shook has one. Let's see if the Spartans can win this draw. Ball popped up in the air. Jordan comes in. Good play by Jordan. Knock the ball out of Hornick's hand. Wow. Get the ball. Addie by one. Fires it in there. And another save by Vanderhoof. Vanderhof quickly gets the ball up to Anderson. That's got to get up. That's out of bounds. We'll take it. Try to capitalize on that misplay by the Lancers. East LA will look to restart things here with Kylie Marino. Oh, deflected but double team. It should be East LA ball. Kylie Marino gets the ball in. Two Long Meadow girls run into each other. That's a little Barry Sanders action right there from Kylie Marino. That's Mcknney gets the ball. Mcknney over to Jordan. Jordan to Lucas.
This is the annual DO middle school trip to Washington DC where they've been working with and touring with tour of the nation's capital and surrounding sites. They've been using and been involved with planning that sort of a tradition that's been happening a very long time. And so they'll be staying at the Hilton um and it's a busy jam couple of days. I was just going to say it's such a short time. Well, I I'll say this. I last uh last year, last January, I went down to Washington and uh I forgot everything. Uh one of the tour guys was she had me walking all day, six miles just from it was but the just the amount of information that I learned from her was incredible. It's a great company. So yeah, I think the kids for a treat at least retire when it's over. But [Music] any shot.
And this uh this year the number um that came in was a little a little north of 1.6 million in pharmacy rebates. So, you will see that number reflected when I show you the 2025 numbers and uh and where we are as of today. Um I think that's what you're referring to, Rich. So, you said the the numbers they they came in in in March, but you record them in April. Is that correct? Right. So, they're not in these sets of financials, but they are in the current set. Booked in April. This is a a pharmacy this is a a pharmacy rebate that that we get. Is this something unusual or we get this annually? Uh, yes, we get it annually. Uh, last year it wasn't quite as big. I think last year, if I remember correctly, it was uh just about 888,000. Um, this year it was just over 1.6 million.
Okay. Any questions? All right. Tax rate reallocation. And the one you've all been waiting for. That's so exciting. I love taxes. Did you notice Did you notice how close it was though? This time was a little too close. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I noticed that. Against those who love taxes, we've been closer, but this was pretty close. This is pretty close. Yes. That's That's pretty sick, though. So, this is just the just showing you what the the rates are. um compared to what the original request was. And we've already, as I mentioned in the memo, we're required to go ahead and send the information off to the county prior to when we can actually hold the meeting so that they can get the tax bills out to everybody. Oh, darn.
So, when you start moving around the dates and start moving now, you have a discrepancy of when different groups of people have to be in in place to begin with. And I think the challenge has always been and I don't care I don't care where you're at or what state you're in, right? I was in Colorado. Everybody wanted to start after Labor Day, be done by Memorial Day. They wanted a week off at Thanksgiving, two at Christmas, and we actually had we had two weeks of spring break and for spring break, but um but you can't, right? You can't do that, right? So you because there's just not enough calendar days. And so it's it's never there is no perfect science to it, right? Um it's challenging because people think the weather is nicer um you know, and and it's hotter, you know, in the summer, right?
So much changes every single year. And those of you are doing the legal work for it, I can't even imagine. So, it's it's just really hard to keep track. And then again, it go it it you know, it bounces here, it bounces there. we slide something in at the last minute. Um, so but I I'm really proud of our school community, our public school community for really really stepping up. It was a huge I think it was last Monday was a huge red fored um all the teachers showed up and had a really um you know really a big impact and I do think we have had an impact uh lobbying for public schools and public teachers um this year and so that it doesn't always feel good but you know we're trying to make sure that we get our voices heard. So, thank you for any of you who've, you know, talked to a legislator or talked to your friends or written a letter.
Lucas only has one girl. She goes in and out. Now it's started over. Don't force anything. She gets the ball over to McKnney. Kekne up top to Whitmer. Come on. Long meadow can be a little patient with a six-2 lead. You saw me. It would be nice to get one more on board before halftime. I'm impressed at the Barry Sanders reference. I had done a little bit of reading beforehand and I knew that Jim Brown, the legendary football player, was a great lacrosse player at Syracuse, but I was not expecting the Barry Sanders reference, but that was very much what that looked like with the dodge. She goes in. She has got to keep her left and Mckne with a goal. Well done. Took her right on. Went right in. Excellent. Mcknney's now on the board with her first goal of the game and East Law Meadow cuts the lead down to 6-3.
It was fun. She made it very fun and very engaging. So I had a lot of fun with that. How many times have you made the I love the my first seven years. Is that right? Yeah. Wow. Once the misses gives me a little permission. Got four little ones. It's kind of a big ask, but no, it's a great trip. It's the kids have wonderful time and like you said, it is I don't think you could pack it any tighter with all the sites, all the information, all the things they do in those three days. Yeah, that's a lot to do in three days. Okay. And it's 900 and it's student cost, right? And is that food, too? Yes.
And let me ask you, where in the budget is would this the cost for for for this to to be? I guess what I'm getting at is this rebate ever estimated in the budget to to come to reduce our expenditure. Yeah. So I think that's one of the reasons why we've been uh favorable um in healthcare benefits. So that the number does sit uh or that that number does get booked to health care. Um it is as we saw from last year to this year it be going from you know 800 something thousand to 1.6. It's uh wild all over the place. Um and additionally my question to Gallagher was is this something that's definitely guaranteed to us? Is this something I can bank on or is this something that we should get? Um and I got that it is not guaranteed to us. Um so for this fiscal year moving forward it's not included in the um in the healthcare number.
Seriously, any questions on this? This is just formality. No. No. All right. Uh, next up is staff receiving tenure. Uh, Jeeoff, you want to just comment on this a little bit? Um, sure. Yeah. So, uh, as you there's also the memo that was sent to you prior to the meeting just, uh, recognizing all the staff that are, uh, officially once they start next year, the way the law is written, they have to start working with us next year, they'll be officially consider considered tenure staff members, uh, here at district 99. and uh these folks all took a few different uh pathways there based on uh the evolution of the laws surrounding tenure, but uh we're very excited to have all these outstanding folks uh continue on with us and next year officially in a tenured status with the district. So thanks. All right. Congratulations to all those earning tenure.
Um or it's hotter in August. So, we've had some of those challenges and we've seen it where we've had to cancel school days or we've had to make them shorter because of the heat that does happen in August and probably not, right? I'm probably not going to change that just from a week standpoint, right? I mean, usually it's later in August and stuff that that happens, but I think my only question Okay, fine, Ted. Yes, you can sit, Ted. Thank you. I see you over there. He's I mean we've heard it from athletics but Stephen is there anything you'd ask from a curriculum curriculum wise CTE what was the issues this year what are their issues did it work out easily what dual credit as well if they go dual credit well you know I think there's a couple of points on the academic side that get kind of washed out and one of them is we still have a pathways program so we have we have a whole population of students that um you know we have space and we want to continue as offer as many offerings as possible and we do that through our pathways program.
Um, it really, you know, they tell me it really makes a difference. So, I'm just going to keep doing it. Thank you. Thank you, Amy. Can I get a motion to adjurnn? Second. Second. All in favor?
[Music] Mckn over a minute left. Six to three. Felo could win this draw and somehow get one more before halftime. girls lacrosse with a minute 10 left they could score three goals each like it's you can pile some goals up quickly if you win the draw and run down either side can happen Jordan back up on the draw I like these refs the refs are really letting the girls play today which is which is good Jordan wins the draw and they come down. She has a number. She has a number. She gets by one. She by one more and she'll get shooting space. There it is. [Applause] So now the Addie Jordan's turn on the 8 meter mark. Vanderof looking to make a stop attempt before the quarter as Jordan goes up. Goes by. Good, good pick up by Calibies. Ken Marino on the ground.
Any questions? It's the same trip that it was. Yep. Many years ago. It wasn't 900 when I bought It's 300. Well, there's no flying, right? So, all the buses. Okay. um the high school schedule playing to dual roles. Um so we thought we'd give just a brief update on where we were with the high school schedule in um January. Um I think you're aware that a schedule for next year was published. The root of that schedule moves from a full block schedule um that's four periods uh a day and they meet every other day um to um an eight period, eight total class periods, five sessions per day, and each of those sessions meeting 68 minutes. So over an 8 day period, you're meeting a class, five out of those eight days rather than four. Um and instead of 84 82 80 something minutes, it's 68 minutes.
I think can I one of the places where I I know because it has always been kind of a black box this um pharmacy rebate it's actually from the drug company rebate and I think the reason why we saw a big jump this year is because our broker Gallagher renegotiated with Sigma how much of it we would keep to get us to 100% with a minimum. So that's why we saw the number jump but so up so high this year. But the place where I've seen it recorded is when Gallagher does our estimates for our insurance costs for the following year. You see it as an offset. So like for example, if they say you're going to spend $30 million on benefits next year, you'll see it in that chart as a minus whatever the estimate is for this year, 1.2 million. So it kind of gets baked into what Mike will budget for insurance costs.
Absolutely. All right. Uh the last one for this evening is I shared with at the beginning of the year the board started out by approving leadership events and opportunities uh for this year. I greatly appreciate those opportunities. I provided a memo to the board on reflections from those events and kind of big overarching takeaways. Uh you know really over the course of the year uh I think you're going to see a lot of the work in the next month that was centered around strategic planning. uh and long range planning for the district was a theme that went through all of those. Uh AI was a huge topic of discussion and how to leverage that. You're also going to see that how I'm utilizing that in some of those uh in the gathering of feedback and analyzing qualitative and quantitative responses. Uh some of these I I was actually a leader or a presenter.
So, we're sending kids to uh different locations. U46 uh 300 um 303 is coming on board uh doing a little bit more. We're not sure exactly what program offerings are going to be there, but um that provides an opportunity for some of our students who truly need it. Uh the other side of it is our students who are graduating. You know, there's a there's another population of students who are on track for graduation. Um so, you know that this concept of semester ending uh yes are there possibilities but we had a whole bunch of students this year that you know our our end of first semester was not in time for our students to go to ECC you know so their next step after um and I'm not trying to speak from the parent perspective that they're frustrated now their kid graduated uh and now wants to go off to our local community college to continue the momentum that they're gaining uh that there are other options for them But just because of the timing for them to get transcripts and and all those things, there are some legitimate things and that's that's you know 38 to 45 kids a year.