Somebody needs to go through those. Look at the child. Now, then the child decides they want to ride on the big bus. They're allowed to, but it's still in the IEP. So, you still have to provide that space on a van. It has not ever been looked at. once they get it and it seems to be it would always usually start at the preschool because I'm the one who would have to sit there with parents and have the argument that this child doesn't need doortodoor and that's really doortodoor which is expensive. So, I I think it's something um that all our special ed staff should actually be talking looking at who these children are. And then there were kids who didn't. So, here's the kids who really needed to be on a van one that a principal couldn't get put on there because we were paying too much for transportation.
So I think again no one's looking. So and it starts really it started because I'm the one who was opening the doors of the vans going why is this child on here and why why isn't that one who really should be there? So I think there needs to be more accountability when you put a child on a van. I mean at a preschool is very different than middle school or even a fourth grader and it never leaves that clan. I'm just telling you that's the reality of it. Once it's there, you can't seem to take it off. >> So, for budgeting purposes, so long as it's on the IEP, we legally are obliged to pay for it until it's pulled. >> And that's a lot of money. >> So, that means that for the next year, we'd need to budget as though everyone who has it is staying on it.
And then that can be looked at and hopefully some savings can be found and some kids can become more independent which will help them in life if they're capable of it. >> Absolutely. >> But for now I don't think we can do much with that number for the budget because of the law. Well, I'll mention I will meet with the special education administrators department and mention this to them and as you may know right there are annual reviews depending on where they're spaced out. But we might I think we're coming into probably a big season many of them do happen towards the tail end of the year. So maybe that can be addressed at these current this year's >> feel like tail end and beginning of the year. >> Yeah. I will say that um I guess I can speak from experience that I did have transportation one of my child's plans and when I did go in for a review but again this was like eight years ago we're talking I was asked if I needed to keep it but you know um like member Goodwin said like sometimes when we move from a preschool level to an elementary level as we all know now we are within the bus routes where preschool is um private transportation if you'd like to attend attendant is definitely more needed on that level.
>> And just as a note for that, the preschool though it is a regular program, it's >> a it's an inclusion program that does specialize for our most vulnerable kids with the biggest needs and more likely to have a higher percentage of IEP kids than our elementary schools. So, just wanted to get that on the record there for people watching this meeting after the fact. >> And the less reimbursement from the state. >> Yes. which I think always needs to be >> so less reimbursement with higher needs. >> Correct. >> But it is fully integrated which I have gotten that question from parents and like no it's integrated like yes >> you have to have like so many to be talking about how that works on budget and finance it has nothing to do with it but it does >> because it is more expensive program that is substantially high needs compared to substantially genetic.
>> So >> but it does have even ratio. It has a certain ratio number >> and parents >> I want to make sure it's very clear to people. >> I think these are the things we should be talking about because parents want smaller class size. Parents want these things. But is it you also have to look at if you're asking for door-todoor transportation and your child really doesn't need it or you're not addressing that in an IEP. I mean it's it's you're covered by law. And so I think these are the things nobody's ever talked about before that need to be talked about. >> I guess it's more of a special education or a transportation question, but does the same like walking policy apply like to AAL as it does to like Federal Street? >> I mean the distance. >> The distance. Yeah. like is there a >> I'm just I'm just curious because I can I can personally say I've seen a van pick up a couple doors down and drive to um AAL.
So that's like my question. Again, it's beyond myself. >> If you've seen that, I would assume without knowing all the facts that's in >> I because the reason your prek exists is for early intervention, >> right? >> The majority of students, right, are coming out of that zero to three or 2.9, right? >> Rolling into that. the law language says that there's the mileage thing >> is it I'm just curious is there >> uh >> or is it just like you get transportation >> regardless of the mileage thing the law says that is you have to require transport to it's border to portal and most commonly travel and I if there is no sidewalk there then we're required for transportation >> that's something that people don't know like I've had Jay Sullivan come out and actually drive with me >> that's why they put in the new sidewalk Yeah.
So, it's that type of thing. So, it could be a combination of both, you know, so >> yeah, >> I think we do have members of the community that are frustrated at our transportation costs, but it's not that we're a bus company. It's that we're required by law to provide a lot of this. And by a lot of it, I mean pretty much all the transportation we're providing is what is the legal requirement. >> Correct. I mean, we do have some students that are transport less than, you know, at least we offer that up because of where the bus routes are um for the regular whether or not they avail themselves out there. But, um I will say there's the that's part of the hollow loom. Also, I'm going to say as far as just knowing what we've heard in some of the whenever it was that there was the the idea to get into the sp transportation business, >> the promise was made that it would be self-supported >> and >> I respect Mr.
member cow thing but anyone to have ever said that >> I mean if anything which is what it's doing it is offsetting our costs you know is it offsetting our cost to the tune that people would be happy about no >> I say most clearly what we're hearing no but then I then I go to when you look at our transportation costs compared statewide to the dark communities that we are so we are right in the middle we are not overly expensive we are And aren't we having that transportation study presented? So we'll have more answers at the full go down the transportation rabbit >> he'll be here to go down that rabbit hole next thing. >> So question we had a really bad budget year cutting like 20 people in South Hadley and we started charging parents for transportation. They had to have a pass.
I forget how much money it was. Um, is that still legal to do? >> Yes. A lot of towns will do dollar a day, maybe 180, 200 a year. Towns also charge, as you're probably aware, for athletics. >> Yes. >> Uh, towns will also charge for parking for high school senior, seniors, juniors, etc. Those who park, there are many fees that can be added, right? >> I just wasn't sure. I know at one point Greenfield where where I live um if you wanted to go to the high school or the middle school you had to take public transportation to get there. There was not a bus there was but was not available like the kids all used to go stand at the corner and catch the FRTA to school and they had specific times they ran >> still are using FRTA the high school kids.
>> Yeah, some are. >> Okay, I think we should probably >> So these are the three big areas. Everything else was based on administrative input and rolling the staff over. So sped transportation technology >> and sped tuition were the big and honestly similar what we've been saying you know yes the there are still some outliers that we are you know on the other funding source side of things um there's always a possibility because the federal grants are two-year grants. So if we have some potential rollovers that we can roll over into next year, we could look at that or like the title one grants, all the title grants, few grants for that matter. Um I did not have any we had the status of the the tag grant for next year were unknown at this time. So you know we had some funds that would as of right now we don't have that as a funding offset.
Um and then uh the other ones I said in review as we get closer to year as to whether what if we want to use more of those and as we hit those you know I always think about the the benchmark timeline April one move in date >> then there's a whenever the either ways and means issues of budget change if there's any change that can impact us through that senate ways means and then conference committee you know All the while while we're having discussions with the city as to what potentially they would be looking at and again we say the real work starting now regarding some of the vacancies that we have in here as to whether or not they're I'm using without true vacancies or are they positions that were here but >> are there any salaries and grants? >> Yes. Do we have it?
>> So you know how many those are on this row before? So are all the title one in the title one grant? >> One year we moved them out. >> Nine positions. And and one of the other things that just for clarifying um when you hear us say like the the level of service has gone up 7.2 right percent a lot of people would think wait a minute we settled with um our unions our collective barney groups for 3%. How how how do we double that right well for many people understand that and I think some of you completely understand that it's not just 3% it is 3%. But if people are on steps, they're that step is getting three, but they're they may be moving from a teacher at year seven to year >> degree. So they're going to pick up a step as well where that step and those generally my parents say they'd be that fiveish >> except when you get to the top the top three steps have and then even have at each grade level >> and it's it's 39 >> and when you look and see you know so I was just looking that can run anywhere between seven and 9% increases on those steps >> and what our staff.
When you look at who is at those top three steps, over 55% of our staff is at those top three steps. So when you look at >> when you look at what to get to 7.4% it's actually real easy to get there when you're looking at people that are on the you know bachelor's 11 to bachelor's bachelor's 10 to bachelor's 11 bachelor 11 to bachelor 12. Once you're at the top, you only get co, >> right? >> But when you're looking at those last couple, >> right, I get that. But are 50 Okay, so I just want to have this piece of data in my head. So are 50% of our teachers like in the first five years and then 50% at the top and there's nobody in the middle. >> There's very little. >> Is that where we are at? >> We I don't have that number.
>> I'm gonna give it 50 and 50, right? We know that, >> right? But I'm just >> cuz at one time you told me like 50% of them were in new teachers. So to me that means more professional development more >> new though they could be new coming in >> from somewhere else >> somewhere else they could becoming new but master step 10 years of experience. >> Okay. Okay. And so, >> which has been basically not limited to new hires being >> I know cuz one district I was reading about did an early buyout to get rid of the top. So, might be time for the state to do that again. >> Yeah. Local funds. We wouldn't have funds for that. >> I never think they did that. It was like dancing in the halls. >> I would like to take a look at the administration superintendent section.
That's line 167 to 173 just because the community will always ask about it. Um the administration superintendent, I'm assuming that's a placeholder because contract negotiations are ongoing and then um oh something I have to say because someone misheard it last year. uh they uh heard someone verbally say personnel assistant heard it as personal assistant and thought that we had multiple personal assistance to carry the dry clean. >> Yeah, that'd be great. Thank you. So I think it might be good for us to say you know what uh these >> human resources human resources and >> so for what so basically what we have in those 167 168 169 lines >> 168 that is the executive assistant to the superintendent and 16. So we we have uh two FTEEs in one. >> That is the old FTE number from >> that used to have the >> registar and the receptionist which no longer exists.
>> It's well receptionist. >> Those should be a one not a two. >> We're going to add that on the far right. Those those FTEES are based on the original approved. So once we go through with this final review with admin on the FY 27 and 26 FTE, it's kind of a dual process here. We're going to add another column for the FY26 revised FTE to compare to that and then that will be used to the FI 27 which we already have. I just >> So without a register, how do we document the students enroll and all those categories are really important because they represent money and then it's through the registar usually that power school was kept fresh so that especially before October 1st and so I guess I'm trying to figure out I'm following the money so okay so where a child comes in they're registered now at each school correct Yes, they are.
>> Okay. So, >> who does that? Does that is it the admin assistant >> there >> at each building? >> And then it gets funneled through >> and now I'm scared. >> Well, you shouldn't be scared because we're surviving and doing it. Then it gets funneled through the data the technology here. Okay. >> Data specialist takes care of everything for Desi. I my fear comes from the um overturn of staff in our schools and registration. Um it took many years to get it cleaned up. There at one point were people who put misinformation into our power school and it had to be straightened out >> to the point where things were very wrong. Um and I think we had a visit from the state to address that. And so my concern is I mean how many secretaries it's okay if some there's continuity but we don't have continuity of staff even with principles.
Um so in our past we had a register who'd been here forever. Um she knew who grandmothers and you know and she knew who was homeless she knew who right >> you know she knew her community. Um, and she knew when she saw an address, she knew what that meant. And there was very much and I always felt we got every dime we that she could get. >> Um, so I guess I'm concerned when I heard there was no registar. Um, because now you're having to train people every year because you're hiring new people, a new principal or a new secretary. So that's money. >> I'm just right. I'm just looking for efficiency and making sure we get every dollar we can. That's that's me. >> Yeah. I don't know when that did anybody have any idea when that job was cut? >> Last year.
I think they had >> a couple years of trouble filling the registar position and then the person who came in last year did fill it left and that's when it went back to prior to me. >> Yeah, I know. It's >> No, but when you say last year, you're right. last year I when I heard it I'm like that's not >> um >> so can we look at the increase in line 169? >> Yeah that's pretty substantial I actually my finger there >> so that the final or co coordinator was up and if you look at the it's offset by the personnel assistant >> okay >> so that's why it's like it was moved from that down to After discussions with the auditors, their recommendation is that it be two and one direct link. Oh, >> okay. That would make a lot more sense. >> Yeah.
>> Two will be a one, the one will be a two. >> Yep. >> On the far right. >> So, when will we be posting this on the school website for the public to be able to read all the lines? So it'll go when the thing in the paper goes. >> But there's a lot of terminology on here people aren't going to understand. I'm just question, you know, we want to be transparent because I think in this world right now, everybody's like, do you buy bread or do you take the dog to the vet? Because it's kind of like the same thing. So, um, and >> so yeah, because it's one thing to have the raw spreadsheet, but if you don't know what you're looking at, you can't. >> And that's why you do a public hearing >> as well too for that. And there's I think I believe there are phone numbers and emails in that um posting if people have questions.