So, there's going to be a lot of budget discussion um between now and then. I would anticipate that um we'll I' I've spoken to the town administrator and finance director and they're um going to be providing some additional information for your consideration um as we you know as we make some progress here. I think for the next school committee meeting, we should have additional information from them. And then uh with an end goal that we get to the June 2nd spring annual town meeting with with uh you know a budget that we feel is addressing our needs and that's where we are with all this. >> Mr. Kylie, >> thank you. >> I just would say um again just restate some of what I said at the beginning. I think a lot of thoughtful planning has gone into this. Um this is my third budget working uh here in being here in Dartmouth and I I do believe that we've seen a bit of an evolution of ter in terms of the support that we have out there publicly and people being willing to come forward and acknowledge that the schools um I appreciated some of the comments that I heard here this evening and uh moving forward we do recognize that we need to work closely with town administration ation as well to make some decisions.
>> Okay. I'll make a motion for the approval of new grade level configurations for HMS and DRS beginning with the 2026 through the 2027 school years. I'll >> second. And all in favor? >> I. All right. Item 10 C, uh, lease of building space. So, the next thing I honestly never thought I would be doing this in my whole career, but here we are. Um, we will have based on your um last agenda item, we will have nine empty classrooms at HMS. Um, we have we'll have a couple left at Del Rio. We'll have a couple at Tech. We have several. I didn't even haven't even counted CVHS's, but the only campus right now that we are considering leasing space on next year is HMS. So, um we've already had two um programs. One is a private program and the other one is um a state level program express interest in leasing space to um from us.
Um, we've done that more commonly during my time here than starting on a Monday or a different day. Um then meet the teacher night. We always do uh to make up for the time the teachers are here for meet the teacher night, we do a 1:30 dismissal the next day. That's contractual. Um then you see this window of teacher initiated conferences. So we have our first progress report that comes out in the fall and we will communicate to families like hey now teacher initiated conference window has opened. Teachers will begin starting reaching out to you if they need to talk to you about some things. Please work with them using whatever system they have to find a time. Teachers might have like appointment slots that you can sign up for or these are the windows or email me or however a teacher chooses to do that.
Um for example, we when we were working around impact fees, uh we brought in a third-party consultant to help identify what was the best recommendation. Prior to this, there was a lot of frankly uh cold calling. Board members would call each other or there would be a lot of discussion. Became a very to be honest with you a very politicized process. I'm not saying I'm not going to name a particular time, but it it becomes very much a show of who has the most political capital, right? And we felt uh two three years ago when we came in when I came in that it was important if we're going to start to work as good partners to each other that we identify meaningful steps to pursue understanding where the line begins. We all have where the line begins around sharing fees like impact fees, right?
I will mention as far as the um human resources position that that's a position that we actually added the first year that I was here and we took it out and then we put it in last year and we also removed it. Uh the town um it's Susanna uh Cunningham who has we we have been in touch with and she has provided us some support along the way and I want to acknowledge the appreciation we have for that. It's more of the day-to-day work that we're talking about when when we refer to a position such as an HR position. I thank Kate uh who does a lot of the heavy lifting of the uh the administrative tasks associated with HR. Um but there are other components to HR that that we're talking about when we bring that position forward. Um, but I feel really good about this budget.
So, we're um in the process of exploring what does that mean with the attorney and all that kind of thing. Um we've had people come and tour the campuses to see because I thought if they look at it like the heck no way. Then I was like why bother? But um it as you know costs money to leave stuff sitting vacant. You can't I mean things deteriorate when they're unkempt or uncared for. And what I would am asking really for is your blessing to pursue um leasing space to private programs or state level programs that would be um both financially beneficial to the district and programmatically beneficial because as you know we pay big money to send students out to private programs in other places. Um, I would like to go on the record as saying, um, I think a year or two before I came to the district.
We'll also do some PD professional learning with our staff as to how to manage that and make that not a ton of crazy work uh for teachers. [clears throat] Uh also in our current model there is no teacher conferences in second semester. Everything happens in first semester. So we're shifting our time around to open up. So there's eight hours right now for teacher conferences. We're going to do two hours of teacher initiated conferences first semester, four hours of parent initiated conferences Thanksgiving week and then two hours in second semester. So, we're adding another window of teacher conferences that don't currently exist and have never existed in district 99. >> Uh, can I ask a few questions about that last slide? Um, first question is what it what's the purpose of that gap on Monday the 23rd between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. >> for teachers to have a break?
And so what we approached the village with at that point was that we should out hire an outside party to review what those are. And so in this instance in a similar way, yes, there are competing demands, right? They want to make as much as they do and we want to gain as much return on ours, right? So at the end of the day though, we all serve the same community body, right? And so in those instances where sure you could go back to a political process, right? Um and those look like bad mouthing the village or uh the park district or any of those things. You could go the, you know, Mr. President, would you please call the village uh mayor, Mr. Kaufman, and say, hey, we think it should be this and let's go grab lunch and make it that way. Right? So, I want to name this for the public because I think if we don't name it, people don't understand what we're trying to do differently here, which is we want to move out of a a hyper political process.
I do think that every position that we put forward is a position that would greatly benefit the district and as Mr. Kylie said would advance our opportun our opportunity to uh to implement the strategic plan in a meaningful way and this is the I think a a good step toward that. >> So thank you. Um, let's start with Mr. Nunes. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Sorry about that, Chris. >> No, go ahead. [laughter] >> Thank you, Mr. Kylie, Dr. Saba Maguire, also Chris and Best for your work on this great presentation. Uh, a couple of questions. Number one, [clears throat] I'm going to make an assumption, right or wrong, that uh the town is aware of what our budget what you are proposing for a budget. >> We've we've had >> per se. Yes, we've had discussions with um with the town administrator and with the finance director.
Um, Chino used to lease space to a program, a regional program in the trailers that were out here along the bus lane. um the kind of program that was housed there at that time is not the kind of program that I would consider um because it put um juvenile offenders on the campus. And so although they were removed from the campus, that's not something I'm comfortable with. Um pretty sure none of you would be either if we talked about what kind of offenders. Um, but to that end, we only would be asking to potentially put people in the buildings that would have a like be mutually beneficial. So, curriculum wise, student-wise, and financially. So, I'm asking for your blessing this evening to seek potential lessers. So, um say have they um said how much they're willing to pay for rent or >> um so right now we have facilities working on like what would it like what's a good value for somebody who wants to lease commercial space on a school campus, right?
>> And do they want that break or do they want it done? >> No, they would like that break. And that's what we've traditionally done for some of these as well. It's also a spot where like some coaches [clears throat] might hold a practice. That's like the first day that fall sports starts. So you might see some stuff like that going on or activities. >> So that was my next question is that's generally traditionally when a lot of sport fall sports start on that Monday. So um that might overlap with many of the teachers are also coaching. So >> right. So I I would imagine some of them might hold like a first practice or that kind of thing in that window in between. >> Okay. And it'd be hard for parents to make conferences at one:00 when they're working. >> Correct. >> Yeah. >> Although we do have some that are in the morning now, but I mean that's after having a a version the night before, right?
There's always some level of politics, right? Let's just not be naive about it, but there's a hyperpolitical process that's aside from any reliance and an expertise judgment. So we've now worked together and we have identified a partnership or this this will subject the village say okay we are going to agree to do this at the end of that we will see those same results and we can agree or disagree we could even look at the results say you know what we don't agree with this proposal right go back to the drawing board right we may say we don't believe these words let's get another one right but ultimately the goal is to find an objective source to help us get to the other side of this because I think a lot of times uh governmental entities get stuck in political wrangling when that's not necessary.
They've also attended our budget subcommittee meeting. Okay. >> The last budget subcommittee meeting. which in which we discussed in some level of detail what we're talking to you about tonight. So, um yes, they're familiar with it. >> Okay. Thank you. And the only other thing, uh you know, 91 pages I didn't print out or haven't looked at yet, but I will get to those, believe me. Uh, I went to the, uh, Department of Revenues, Division of Local Services website for the uh, for our cherry sheet. I didn't get into the other municipalities around here. I didn't want to get totally aggravated, but uh what I did is just real quickly the funds that affect the town, the chapter 70, the school choice, you know, the um unrestricted general government type of deal, you know, because you know, when you look at that, I mean the veterans benefits and exemptions and stateowned land, you know, well, that's the state owns level funded you know, public libraries debts per se, just those are reimbursements and or pass throughs to the to the library.
Because they would have, you know, custodial services um that they would benefit from. They would have like IT services they would benefit from. And I want to point out that by doing this, it helps us save a few positions that we might be looking at needing to eliminate at the March meeting. So, I'm hoping to have some movement on the leasing bit if you guys approve it. Um, but it would, so we're looking at a cost because sometimes it's like what will a charge be? But sometimes it's would it be more beneficial like for us to send students to a private program at a significantly reduced cost and adjust the rent accordingly or charge them full rent and pay full program fees. So, it's kind of six of one and half a dozen of another. But we um facilities is working on what is an appropriate amount for leasing.
So we want to keep that in the window in which adults might >> and is is that the conference that's happening right before Thanksgiving is that enough time to affect any sort of change for the semester? >> We'll get there. >> Okay. Mhm. >> Great. >> Coming soon. [clears throat] >> All right. So, if we do this, this is kind of what we're doing right now. So, we're collecting uh from staff feedback. If the board today is like, yeah, let's keep, you know, straw poll is like, yeah, let's keep investigating this. We'll put together a similar uh feedback from families. Um just it's mostly like, what do you think is good about this? what don't you like about this? So, we can build out solutions and also FAQs because it could just be like not understanding the model. Um, then I would like to come back to the board later this month and get approval to if everything looks good, right?
>> Dr. G, I will say though uh me say that I've worked with different municipalities before my career. I've never worked with this municipality that is very been very open >> very much. >> They've never attempted to hide anything. They've been whatever request of them to provide they've been very open in door and there's a recognition unlike what I've seen before that we serve the same master and we serve the community of >> but we also serve a bunch of other communities >> and that's kind of where my point is >> that you know what's good for asiggo may not be ideal for the whole >> Absolutely. Absolutely. But I I say that in context that there's an openness >> to sharing information that we have to you are absolutely right. We have to make a decision that is in the best interest of of the the folks that we represent here which is in keeping with that the negotiations that's been going on right now.
We end up with $280,000 in the town. Okay. Approximate. Okay. When you take and again, I realize this is the governor's budget and it's got to get tweaked and and such, but when you take the cherry sheet [clears throat] charges type of deal, we end up with a net of $169,000. Okay. I don't know, you know, what we're supposed to do. I'm just wondering, and I may be preaching to the choir, not so much here, but out there, uh, if it would behoove us to try and get Representative Maki in here or his legislative aid or somebody to, you know, pound on the table to say, "Help us out." Because when you look at community, the same type of communities around us type of deal and they're getting a lot more percentage-wise than what we're getting. I'm not talking about the gateway cities. I can't fight I'm not going to try and fight that fight.
There are two districts in our county that have been leasing space to private programs, one for seven years. So our attorneys reaching out to that district to see, okay, what are you charging and how does that fee structure work? And so we're we're working on all of that. In my mind, if it helps offset the cost of putting kids in private programs and it allows us to save some positions that we don't have to have a reduction in force. >> Okay. I do have one question. Will they have like their own API levers at those buildings to pay their own? >> Um, no. That would all be part of the rent. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> Now, will the board have final say on the lease? >> Yep. Absolutely. So, um this is just kind of the permission to go forward and seek potential leases.
That we continue to move forward because then we need to go to the calendar committee. We have to get the official calendar amended, then the board has to approve the official calendar. So there's a lot of official steps we would have to do as well as communication about these changes. Then spring summer we start like all the logistical pieces, all the staff training pieces, all the family communication pieces and expectations to be ready for next year and then we would roll it out next year. I would also ask if we get to the point of board approval that we approve this for two years, right? That we don't just do it one year and say, "Oh, well that wasn't great." that we commit [clears throat] to two years so we get an opportunity to learn from the first year. Families know that like at least for two straight years there's no Thanksgiving attendance days.
When we start talking about contracts the village retain its own attorney um and we retain two attorneys serve our interest. So we are not being naive in saying whatever the village decides we just got to go along with it. The village has its own legal counsel. We have two legal counsel >> that we look at based on what the direction the board gives us to make sure those things are achieved in writing in an agreement in a contract. So this consultant is going to look at the whole project make recommendations but then we will have our own representative. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. >> Absolutely. Because at the end of the day, what will what will be the final determination is the RDA redevelopment agreement and that will be vetted by the village attorney and it will also be vetted by the two attorneys that works on behalf of uh of the school district.