And um one of the things that this elementary school started doing was bringing in outside mentors that was that are they are just focusing on mentors for their young boys at an elementary level to try to to get some of that that additional support and additional resources. So those kinds of things are happening when we look at the data and go, "Oh goodness, you know, you look, most of our teachers are female, but yet most of our discipline referrals are male students." And so trying to help our female, predominantly female teachers meet the needs of of kids who are learning in a different way than maybe they learned when they were in school. So that's just a constant um conversation that I think we're having as we look at that data. So appreciate you bringing that up. Thank you. The other thing I will say too, um, and I always like to bring this up when we talk about the work that's happening with Christa and her team and again just a thanks to our community uh, for supporting our referendum.
go through all that and really um I you just get the the team that's now being built and we look forward to to the next couple years basketball for sure. Uh to the wrestlers, congratulations. The divers it's really just a lot of great accomplishments. I'm excited to see the scoreboards and and visit the locker room to see those updates. Certainly needed for a while and thank you for your perseverance on that shift. Uh, everybody else could see everybody here. Thank you for all the work you do today. It's appreciated and [laughter] once again, I'd like to thank everyone for attending the meeting tonight. I would like to congratulate the athletes this year on the success. the girls basketball team that's uh I remember some of the witness we used to take central and I know we got got whoop but uh six points is a is a closer bar that we're hitting to reaching that level where we can compete with a team like that.
Um, and I attended the Alice training. I was at the junior high and then I went over to Columbia Elementary um because Fairview staff went over there to do the scenarios um at 10:00 last Wednesday and I watched it. It was it was amazing. Um, and I'm so glad I got to do that. And and I will just one shout out again to our SRO's. They are wonderful instructors. like they do a great job building relationships with our kiddos, but they are wonderful when it comes to instructing our students and our staff. So, we can honestly say now every single staff member, the exception of a couple. So, I guess I can't say every single one and all of our students have been completely trained in Alice, which is huge. So, um it wouldn't have happened without that lady sitting right there in the back.
So thank you. As Dr. S Magguire mentioned [clears throat] um we continue to focus our efforts on aligning our resources to the strategic plan. So we made the strategic plan an actionable plan and um this budget reflects alignment of resources to the strategic plan objectives. Tonight we're um asking for resources to support further progress towards meeting those objectives. But first, a little bit about our kids. U so this slide shows um K through 12 enrollment and class size. So you'll notice that our enrollment is um this is fairly stable uh projected in FY27. Right now we have 3,251 students across all all the grades. Uh we have K through 5 average class size of 22 students projected in FY27. 6 through eight average class size of 21. We've talked a little bit about the in the past that class size varies um obviously at the high school depending upon the offering.
So, I don't like necessarily having a question like that in there. >> But you also you also have to go if they're only going to give 25 and that's not an acceptable remodel based on our input from our facilities, you know, saying, you know, we can't do enough good with 25 million to make this project as wild and we don't move it to the next phase. >> But I think that's when you come back and they say, we give you 25 more. We're going to have cut this. We're going to cut this. We're going to cut this. >> Aren't you getting Aren't you getting a vote of approval for the $20? Aren't we at that point? We've already gotten approval or we're just saying public opinion. >> Yeah, we could easily come out to back and say the general standing from what we got from the public was you guys would only support 25 billion.
But legislative session, I'm kind of keeping a close eye on that. One of the big items right now that that they're talking about is special education dollars. We talked a little bit about that when we talked earlier today about our um our invoices for the month. So we get flow through that comes from the state. It goes to us goes directly to CPCI which is our sped service department. And then we also have an assessment that's put on there as well. So, um, the legislators in the past few years have talked about trying to fully fund sped, and I'm sure you guys trying to keep up on some of that. You've heard that. So, just in the last two weeks, it it's went from $20 million in sped money for next year to $10 million to now no dollars, and you're going to have to fund it with what reserves you have.
I mean, you know, that would be an issue. I think that you have to you know explain >> that is correct I will have to address the name um and that is a whole other process it goes to um how it the school is registered with the state and it's a whole process so I will definitely have to address that with the parents >> to explain all that because you know obviously we have barbecue middle high school because we do have 7 then 9 through 12 for high school you know at our regular Correct. But for this one, since we're going to be eliminating those grades, you know, I think you would have to explain that why the name is going to remain the same. >> Okay. >> Um, so I guess my question will be a follow up with Sylvius. Um, so it sounds like when you say that there's a process, is it a long process um to do that name change?
Um, and once that happens, we can move all those expenses out of our operating fund back into those funds. When that happens, these numbers where you see the negative 1.75 will actually be slightly positive. You see, so that's our our current negative 1.75 on our projected ending balance in M capital 25.32% spent that budget will come down 105,000.
So some some students really like that instant feedback. Okay, that's why I didn't get that right. Some students just need time to like, okay, how does all this fit together? You know, so it kind of just depends on the student. And so it's nice to have a day of review where instead of we're all doing the same thing, hope it works for you. If it doesn't, good luck tonight, you know. Um instead, we're meeting them where they are and giving them a resource, you know, for whatever kind of learner they are. >> That's great. >> Can they go now? >> Yeah. >> Um I'm sorry I had to uh a couple of things. Uh first of all, I have to compliment you. uh like parag I think it's amazing what you're doing in the strategies you know it's funny I was sitting and thinking about my chemistry class in high school um and whether we got it or not I mean the teacher just sat and explained it and we would ask questions but we had no no assistance whatsoever in strategies for how to succeed what skills or ways of approaching this and it When I was thinking of that, what you're doing is absolutely fantastic.
We can be proud of South too [laughter] because South has very good data as well. Um, and obviously um, we're looking at the right. We're look first at the F-Grades. 100% 100% of uh families were contacted up from last year at 90% which is almost 9.2%. >> Say it again, [laughter] thousand. >> So just 100% >> 100% >> across the district. What is that? >> That still would be 100%. >> Oh, thank you. [laughter] Um, as we look at the D-grades this year at South 96.13% up from 72.5% last year, so an increase of just over um 23%. So very proud of our teachers, very proud of our staff and the work that the administration has done [clears throat] to support students. you want to pick you want through before we move on. I mean it >> the if we compare 25 and 26 we didn't have a change in our grading system we didn't have [clears throat] a change in our retake system our teachers didn't just scratch how they grade students.
And, um, I I was really impressed with a lot of the students were just coming up to say hi to the Special Olympics team. So, um, following with what Cheryl was saying, I think there's a lot of, um, I think we have to give a lot of credit to the students because they are definitely leading the way on this idea of including everybody. Um, but yeah, it was a it was a really cool event and um, I'm glad we got to host it. So many of you know I am a gymnast mom and so I've done a lot of uh gymnastic meets these past I want to say last couple of months. We're on the tail end of the season. So I'm really excited because our girls are doing a phenomenal job. Um our JV team just finished up a couple weeks ago. Um however we have I want to say a meet on Saturday.
When you look at the number these behaviormies would not be happening in our schools if we did not have the additional staff that is in our schools because of the referendum. So prior to 2018, we had 19 school counselors in the entire district. Uh at the elementary level, our counselors shared two buildings. So a counselor was split uh between two elementary schools. Their average case loads at that time were over 500 students per counselor. Now we have 26 school counselors and seven school social workers for a total of 33 staff that are invested in supporting the our goal number three and the mental health and mental well-being of our students and our average case load um just of student per mental health professional is just over 300. So just appreciate Christa's leadership, the community's support. Seeing that this is this is just as important as the work that's happening in reducing our class sizes has also been the way that we're able to come alongside and bring these mental health supports to to to serve our students as well.
So I look forward to the future with the basketball teams and the wrestlers too coming up and swimmers. So, want to thank Cherry and Jim for their uh presentation tonight and thanks for the pie. I'll enjoy that. Look forward to it. Appreciate it. Sugar [laughter] >> lots of lots of echoing. So, I'll keep it brief, but I appreciate everybody coming. I love the presentations. Uh, I love the the student awards. The elementary kids are definitely uh the ones that are so cute up there. But, um, I appreciate the updates, athletics. It's exciting. I think, um, all of the all the work that goes into those those kids getting recognized and part of their teams, being with them is is really incredible work. So, I look forward to continuing to see some progress there as well. um appreciate the sugar pie. Looking forward to the a work tomorrow, the auction.
So, >> thank you. Good stuff. And it also wouldn't have happened had we not had those PD days. >> Huge. So, um, it it's it was great. Um, lot of summer school planning going on, lots of, believe it or not, I think we've pretty much got it kind of figured out. I got a new wrinkle today for junior high, which I think is going to be a really good thing. So, I'm working on that. Um, it's always great when you can get somebody else to pay for it. So, I'm really working hard on that. I want to give a huge shout out to the uh to Lindsay and Mr. Miller, the you want me to say Berkeley, too, even though she didn't have anything to do with it, but getting over here, Berkeley. Um, but the the guidance department, Abby Lundy at Loganport High School for working diligently to get the graduation rate correct.
[snorts] And we have um an average of 12.2 to1 teacher uh student teacher ratio. Just for your information, that's slightly larger than the state average, which is 11.9 um students to to each teacher. We'll talk a little bit more about our staffing as we go on with the presentation. >> Mh. >> Yes, sir. >> Madam Chair, do you mind? >> Couple of questions. Uh just for the enrollment is that as of October one report or is that live? >> No, it's it's it's it was January 1st actually. >> Okay. >> Y >> and just I think I don't know if it's in here. I didn't go through the the entire 72 pages or of the budget. Um >> do we happen to know what our out of district enrollment is that we're financially responsible for? I >> I can give you that as we go through.
We don't believe that's going to fulfill the needs for the next 30 years. we don't financially viable and we're not going to pursue this option going forward. >> I mean, I think you're going to get information from the survey and hopefully from the next three community meetings that will help us guide, you know, some direction coming up in March and April. That's the hope. And that information could lead possibly to maybe a shorter second survey >> where you're talking about some some is it this or that? It could lead to that. So >> yeah, I don't want to, but I just remember when we had our community discussions last time we got down to where we had people who were like, well, I don't think that's important because my kid never needed that. And that wasn't a thing when I was in school, so it's not important now.
Okay? So, thinking about that, we have mandates for our special education students that we have to leave. They're anticipating a 25% increase instead of assessments for next year. A 16% increase last year came in to about $67,000. So 16% last year and now we're staring down 25% increase. So we still have all the mandates, everything that we're going to have to do to make sure that we're um filling our obligation from the sped side. But when you talk about how's that funded if we don't have the sped dollars and there's no money flowing in that well it comes out of the general and it comes out of our local option. So that's something we're going to be keeping a close eye on through the rest of this session with a couple other items on there as well. But um I just wanted you guys to kind of be aware of that and the promise that they've made to try to fully fund sped and they'll tell you they're fully funding it.
>> Like how long? becomes a little bit more. >> So my recommendation to do that, you know, close down the school and they have to apply on that. So basically we're going to close those off and due to lack of students, lack of attendance, there's not enough student body to pay an extra >> board member uh cler board clerk events. Um we do need a six, seven, and eight though because we provide services to JDC. Those are the exceptional circumstances why we need to have those grades. Um they're part of our attendance area and we need to provide those services based on their situation. This is the best setting that we can connect with them and provide those services. but is not okay currently for students who could be benefiting from a regular program. >> That makes sense. The JDC students, I I didn't think about that.
and all went up in this case 145,000 adjacent ways we'll go up to a million80,000 when we do our budget revision again if you approve that that gives us the 584,000 that we spent in adjacent ways coverage and then if we do get uh some bids on the street and get some land asphalt or another contractor up here to do jobs before the end of the school year we've got the budget capacity to do it because we're raising another 500,000 in that fund adjacent waste any questions on front page page there. Going forward um to page three in your packet. Hopefully you can see that. That's a vertical page with lots of funds and lots of information there. And I'd like to just draw your attention to three of those. Fund 500 school plant. You've probably never heard me talk about that before. And that's the first one.
>> Um >> I I'm curious when you went through the the student surveys, I was a little surprised and and first of all, the 80 to 89% that you had that's like in the top 1%, you know, that's extraordinary. But your the last question after all the improvement, the last question was would you mind going back? It was like How how comfortable are that you >> got? Um >> yeah this one >> how conf confident are that you can choose an effective strategy in the prior questions you increase dramatically that they could come speak with you for this to drop it was really it was it struck me as kind of interesting any thoughts on drop it went up >> this was the one that dropped down this was the one that went down >> a spring cohort to a fall >> yeah spring to a fall I was ready.