Um, and that's the positive piece because generally I like try to take an optimistic stance towards things. But um also as Superintendent Adams said, this has been the most challenging budget year that I've experienced in my 10 years as town manager and my 12 years um in this town. Before I was town manager, I was also the finance director. And you know, when you get into budget challenges, there are two ways you can address those. And you hear those constantly. You either have you either increase revenues or you cut expenses. You know, this year for the FY26 budget, we're looking at significant financial challenges um to the tune of actually $2.7 million using $2.7 million in one-time funds uh to balance the the general fund budget this year. 2.7 million out of an $82 million budget. And what do I mean by one-time funds? Uh I'll get into a little bit of detail about what those are, but one-time funds is revenue or uh money that you have that you do not get on a recurring basis.
Yeah. Yeah. That was mentioned too that we could we could certainly use the Chromebooks. What a good idea. So, is that that was pretty much it for finance. Wonderful. How about um were there questions about that? Okay. Uh notes from security task force then. Okay. Um we last met on Thursday, April 24th. Um and for the most part we were in executive session because at the time we were discussing um the security plan for how we were going to hold a vote in school safely. Um and so um some very wrong information was shared last night at the meeting. I think it was said that Dr. P had released the very detailed plans and um I will not go into the details of the very specific plan but it is by far um more comprehensive and detailed than what he shared with the community. Um, but that was that's now a moot point because we're not going to be voting in schools um at least at CLES on that day.
I. Any opposed? Motion carries four to zero. Next up, we have approval of various statements for Mr. President, members of the board, the administration is requesting stipens be paid to teachers from various grants like title one and title two grants. Per board policy, all employee pay including grant stipens must be board approved. We have the staff members for title one grant stipens and for title two grant stipens stipens dyslexia training stipen recommend the issuance of the above stipens to the corresponding staff. Motion I'll make it.
They're savings, if you will. So, if you uh if you liken it to your household budget, you know, the money you put in your savings account, the money that you save, you keep that for a rainy day. You know, if you put a $100 into your savings account and you need to use that the following year, guess what? You don't have that $100 the year after. So, if you have a deficit driving the need for that $100, you either need to address that def you have to address that deficit or find $100 somewhere else or you have to make the cuts somehow. Um, and what we've done here in Ashland, again, using collaboration and creativity, we've been able to find a way to make things work. But quite frankly, folks, I'm out of silver bullets. Uh, we've done things like move to the GIC. We've uh which saves us which has saved us over $8 million since the time that we moved.
Um, we also talked about um some old business related to um a gate that was proposed at the uh north side of the building at CLES near the loading dock area. So, if you picture Whiskiner, there's like that metal gate that kind of prevents cars from going around the back of the building. Uh we wanted one at CLES. So we got initial estimates um somewhere in the neighborhood of $9,000. And so the security task force um recommended moving forward with that project. And so now we will actually go out and get some more um finalized quotes um and then obviously pick the one that's that's best. Um that also led into a conversation about general fencing around CL the property. Initially that conversation came up because a lot of playground balls were like kind of rolling down like into kind of like a ditch near the the lower school playground.
Is there any discussion or questions? Oh, yeah. Yes. Mr. President, go ahead. Supposed to be like summer, you know, like the summer school hours. So it's it's an aotted amount of time. So it's not a direct stipen, but like should we pay hours out of the grant? Does that has to be included vote? No. Okay. To be sure. Okay. Any further? I'll call for the vote. All those in favor say I. I.
We have consolidated positions. Uh we have consolidated like our IT department. We actually share that with the with the school department as well. We're one of the few communities in Massachusetts that do that. Most communities, the schools in the municipality side have their own IT departments. Um and we're very fortunate that we have an excellent IT director and staff here who makes it work because that's what we have to do. But again, folks, the silver bullet, um, the silver bullets are all gone. Um, like I said, this approach is unsustainable. Um, and if we do not see revenue increases in FY27, we will look at drastic service reductions and potential bond rating downgrades, which in turn increases our borrowing costs, which are things that you borrowing costs are things that you have to pay for through your taxes. So the more it costs us to borrow, the more your tax money goes towards debt service and not for services.
Um and so we kind of talked about like temporary fencing, short fencing, tall fencing. Um and we got some initial estimates on that and was pretty reasonable. So then the conversation kind of started to snowball into well maybe we add some gates and maybe we take it around the back all the way around the back of the building and maybe we go around the entire school property. So, um the conversation got um pretty in-depth and so we are going to be reconvening to discuss exactly what we envision for fencing at CLES and that will be at our next meeting which we said was going to be May 15th at 10 a.m. So, if anybody would like to listen in on that, that's when we'll be talking. Is there any um funds left in the school project? Yes, there is. Um so, the um gate will be covered by capital um funds in the security in the security uh the security capital project not the CLS security capital yes sorry not the CLS budget so that's not our 10year correct okay thank you that's from uh a couple of budget security that was already approved in capital there's one diligent I know here I don't know if you guys have them but we got a couple over here um I just thought of something really really quick about the uh printing of if we can just have the print out the agenda I think that would be helpful.
Any opposed? Motion carries 40 to zero. Next up, we have reclassified resignation of par professional Amber Ortiz. Mr. President, members of the board, uh, Amber Ortiz has submitted a resignation as a par professional. Her last day of work was April 11th. Recommend the resignation of Amber Ortiz as a par professional for our schools. I'll make it a question or discussion. All those in favor say I. I.
So that's a very very important point. But I before I move on to the next slide and really I'm just going to concentrate on two things. Number one, this one-time revenue that we're using and just kind of paint a picture for you of what that looks like after a few years. Um, oh, thank you. The slide is not up. Um, fortunately it's just me talking so we're in good shape. Um, see, I can even go on to the next slide. Um, but, uh, but yeah, I'm going to focus on the onetime revenues. And then I'm also going to start focusing on the things that we're not able to do to provide the services that we need to do. These are are not extras. These are base level service um, expectations that we can't meet uh due to budgetary considerations. And before I move on, I'm going to ask you one question.
Like I feel like I need a copy of that or a copy in front of you, right? The agenda. Okay, Lisa's Lisa I think Lisa is in the tech room right now. So, she's listening. So, we'll be okay. All right. Let's move on then to the consent agenda. Um, and I think there there is one there is one correction that we need to make right on the consent agenda. Okay. Yes, please. I move that the board approve the items on the consent agenda as recommended. New hires, resignations, retirees, and March financials 2025. Um, moment of discussion. Um, Dr. Burl, uh, Mrs. Stubs is listed as a resignation. Is that in fact a resation? So, so a a simple adjustment just needs to be made here. Mrs. stubs after 23 years. Her her the subject line of her email to me and the um discussion in the opening paragraph and so forth talked about resigning after 23 years, but in that second paragraph, the word retire is in there.
Any opposed? Motion carries four to zero. Next up, we have classified resignation of assistant coach David. Yes, Mr. President. David Escoll verbally resigned his position as assistant soft coach on April 2nd and then riding on April 3rd. Recommend the approval of the resignation of David Desco as an assistant coach. So, is there any question or discussion? I have a question. Yes, sir. have no ended agenda here. I just want to know what did he resign or was he terminated? He verbally resigned um April 2nd at 4:12 p.m. to the softball team in front of multiple coaches. So he resigned. He verbally resigned first before Yes. Okay. Any other questions on this? All those in favor say I. I.
I'm going to ask you what just put yourself in the position when you make a call to DPW or, you know, the fire department or you try to go pay a bill at town hall and not being able to get the service or the response that you need, not necessarily that you expect, but that you need. I want you to put yourself in that position and think about that. And I'm not trying to do fear-mongering or anything. That is the reality that we are facing, folks. That is the reality that we are facing. Um, one-time funds. Uh, this is a little hard to read too because of my great shadow, uh, shadowing technique. Um, I will not say this is about technology. This is all about my presentation skills, my PowerPoint skills. But these are some of the onetime funds that we're using to balance the budget this year.
And so I missed that obviously and so did and so did Lindsay in HR. We all missed it together. So um we were actually back and forth uh between uh the time this was po uh posted and uh today and making sure that we had it right because you want to be sensitive with this stuff. Sometimes people want to say they're resigning. they don't want to say they're retiring. They have other plans professionally or whatever it might be. So anyway, Lori um should be under the retirements and we thank her for everything for the last 23 years. She's uh absolutely amazing. Uh and also if I'm before we actually correct that, I want to thank uh Bonnie Cunningham, one of our special education teachers who after 20 years in district has decided to retire. So um they're just uh very nice, great people who contributed for many, many decades.
Any opposed? Motion carries. 4 to zero. Next up, we have extra pay. Mr. President, members of the board, the following individuals have expressed an interest in the corresponding extra paid positions. We have their names listed there and their positions. Um, this is for football. Recommend the employment of the adult individuals for the corresponding coaching positions. Okay. You can have somebody make a motion for the entire group. We can do it individually person. I'd like to make the motion do it individually so we don't have a issue with sounds good. We need a motion on Buddy Cruz. A motion for football coach. for second.
um 300,000 in the sped stabilization fund um 150,000 in overlay surplus and we're actually very very grateful to the uh board of assessors for releasing that and allowing us to use it to balance the budget. But then we're also using 2.2 million of our stabilization fund. That's our rainy day fund folks. 2.2 million. We have a balance of about 8 million there. So let's play that out. you know, costs rise and and we're facing the same pressures that you are in your household. Inflation, inflation is a killer. Um, like I said, just like you're facing with your household budgets. Um, but if we continue down this road and we continue to drain the stabilization fund, we're going to be out of money in the stabilization fund in three years and we will have nothing in case of like severe emergencies. And let's not forget there's things happening at the federal level trickling down to the state level which will eventually trickle down to the local level that will impact our budgets.
Congratulations to them. Oh, big congratulations. So, so we have a I just can I mean Terry Terry Farar's been here I believe 18 years. Yes. Oh, sorry. I got so wrapped up with Lori. Terry Terry's been here for 18 years and Terry is one of our star pair of professionals and that is going to be a real loss. Terry's leaving after 18 years. So, we wish her obviously congratulations, the best in all of her future endeavors. Thank you for that, Sarah. So, we have a motion on the floor. It's been seconded and discussed. Did we do we need to amend I think we can just do it. We just make the adjustment. Yeah. All right. Um, so all in favor of approving the consent agenda, please say I. I. I.
Is there any discussion on that? So all all I want to know is that um I heard through the great line that Buddy said that he was going to be gone possibly for extended periods during the season. Is is that true? Did that I mean did you were in on the interview process? Did he say that at all that he was going to be gone at all? Mr. President, Mr. Guthrie, um from what I understand we had Mr. and Mr. involved in the committee process. So I would direct this to one of them and Mr. Young if you want to talk about that. He mentioned it but if not it's not not extended. He said he should be done before the season that he should be fine doing the practice and games. I just see a pattern being developed of us and and not and I don't mean this against Jose, but a pattern of us hiring coaches that have other scheduling issues going on that keeps them from from participating fully in in in their in their sports.
Um so that's what we're using in terms of like big one-time revenue sources. But as the superintendent also mentioned, uh we're utilizing uh revolving funds as well. and revolving funds are specialized funds for certain activities, but we're drawing from some of those to help balance the budget in those departments as well. Um, again, it's completely unsustainable. So, again, that's the one-time revenue that we're using this year. And I just want to say we're doing it this year because we needed a bridge to think of a larger solution, a bigger solution. But that solution and that discussion has to start now. it has to start after this town meeting. Um, but like I'd mentioned earlier, we're also not able to provide even at the budget level that we are and utilizing the one-time funds that we are at the significant level that we are to fund some basic needs that the community expects.
Any opposed? That seems to be unanimous. Great. Thanks everybody. Okay. Let's move to new business. Uh, we're starting with um the meeting dates for next year. So, John, is this keeping the same um the adjusted schedule that we did last year? Uh similar Okay. similar adjusted schedule, looking at the dates, looking at the holidays, those kind of things. October to May. Okay. So, is there um Well, we don't have a motion yet. Do you want to make it? Yes, please. I move that the board app. Okay. Yeah. I move that the board approve the 2025 2026 board of education meeting dates. Yes, sir. Um is there um is there discussion about this? I'm just trying to recall. Did we add um a board of ed meeting on one of those months? I can't remember. I feel like we did. Yeah. We changed January to one and we made So we did two in February, right?