Can you see the big word spring? and and all the little pea people are celebrating that spring is on its way. Gentle showers, blooming flowers, long sunny daylight hours. This is what we'll be doing. Getting ready for spring and planting flowers and Easter eggs. pink and green, purple, blue, plain and simple and fancy ones, too. You decorate your Easter eggs. Do you just do them solid colors or do you put fancy decorations on them like stripes and spots or zigzags? We color them all. Every eggy one. So, so messy. Do you dip them into jars of dye to change the color? So so messy and so much fun. Stripes and swirls, polka dots, happy patterns, lots and lots. On Easter morning, look all about. Eggs are hiding. Can you see the eggs hiding in the pictures? Do you hide your Easter eggs? Inside and out.
So yeah, even though you see a decline in that usage, you have to remember there was a corresponding expenditure associated with that in FY25 as well. Just looking at our staffing snapshot. If you look at 2007 versus 2025, I know some people are interested in this. And this is uh on the um municipal end. And this is compared to 2007, which is our earliest data, which might not actually be the best one because that was right on the heels of the layoff. But as you'll see, our employees per thousand residents has basically stayed the same. Um, we have added employees, but all of those employee or basically almost all of those employees have been added onto the staff and they are being funded outside of the general fund whether it's with a revolving fund or with grants or uh with the meals tax. They're um or with aggregation payments.
It's just in different buckets. So, I just want to be clear, there's no missing money. Um, but we also saw the opportunity to reallocate things a little bit in accordance with what the direction we received from the two fincoms. So for example, uh Boilston um is averse to additional capital. Um they're taking on the roof project at bees. So we've continue to endeavor to keep those off of their books. Uh Berlin Fincom has requested us to assess their capital items, but consider, and I I believe I shared this last time, utilizing some of our cash to offset the operating budget. I I'm I'm not the decision maker on how you guys use your cash. Um what I my job is to present what I believe is a sustainable budget to you. If you choose to use some cash um from various sources, this budget also makes that more available to you.
I'm speaking because I want to express my support in including anticipated special education funding in the next budget year. There has been an established pattern of students moving into district that requires special education funding. Not being able to include this trend into the budget for the next fiscal year gives the impression that special education spending is out of control and a constant burden to the town. Special education funding is listed as a line item and often discussed along with roofs that need to be replaced, boilers that are broken, and increasing health care costs. In other words, these children are a problem that we need to figure out. I absolutely do not believe that this is the intent of the board of education. This is how this system has been set up. As a parent of two children in the Canton school system with IEPs, as well as one typical learner who happens to be the middle kid, so I make sure to mention her as often as possible.
Every hour spent and every word of encouragement shared has the power to transform a life. Our schools are stronger, our students are more confident, and our community is more connected because of you. Tonight we celebrate you, your dedication, your heart, and your unshakable belief in the power of education. Unific. >> [clears throat] >> Gracias, exceptional propos. foresto. the alternator. Fore! Foreign! Foreign! Please join me in recognizing and celebrating tonight the incredible Isuza Unified School District Parents of the Year. To begin, I would like to introduce Principal Estrada from Dalton Elementary. Good evening, board vice president Rodriguez Bea, board of education, cabinet, and a Suza community. My name is Jessica Strada and I am the proud principal of Dalton Elementary. Go Bobcats. Thank you. Tonight I have the pleasure of recognizing our Dalton parent of the year, a parent who truly goes the extra mile, sometimes quite literally.
We're waiting on a quote from the plumbers to run the plumbing and the drainage. And we are going to have a meeting on Friday, March 13 with the master gardeners and Kristen Blum and staff members to discuss plans for grade level usage of greenhouse in April. So if any parents have a green thumb and you'd like to come and um have a conversation with us on how you can help us with our greenhouse efforts so we can launch in April, the meeting will be at 10:00 on Friday. And I know records day you go girls 8th grade empowerment workshop was today and it was sponsored by the vi rotary who received a grant and a matching grant from Rotary International with funding help from our continental and saas education foundations. So huge thank you again to Miss Jenna um for all of your work and coordination and blood, sweat and tears and trying to make this happen.
Cara Kaganise. Um, actually, I'm going to go in order the agenda. This is item B under business. Uh first we need to discuss uh it's that time of the year where we uh went out to bid for our landscaping and lawn care services throughout the district. So the bid opening was held today on March 10th at 1:30 p.m. We had three companies bid on the project uh to provide landscaping and lawn care services for two years with the option of a third year. Um, bid results are in. They range from $16,875 per month to $18,500 per month. And considering we did have one of the biders is our current provider. And uh, Mr. McClean is in the process of checking references and just verifying everything else that encapsulates the bid. and I'll be able to give you guys an uh update in the FYI and then we'll look to take action on awarding those bid uh results to a company uh next meeting on March 16th.
So the resolution is stating that we do not feel that we are responsible for the other part of the insurance even though we are the LEA. And I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's where we are. >> And it's not a it's not it doesn't involve somebody that works for the co-op. It's a it's a no >> it's a employed teacher at >> River Park School. So >> it's nothing to do with the co-op. The co-op's not named in the suit. No one in our co-op is named in the suit. Um, and we are just literally the local education agency. They're in they they fall on our payroll. They're in Cington. So somehow they're saying then we would become our insurance company would need to pay >> and they're saying no, we don't. Yeah. Our insurance company's basically >> Well, we haven't turned anything into our insurance company, but our attorney has helped >> Yeah.
There's eggs hidden in the house and outside in the bushes. Can you see some? I can see one right here by a bush. Trying to find them. So many eggs. Yippee. Hooray. On this special springy day. And look at all the Easter baskets filled with beautiful Easter eggs. And look at the pee people. They look very happy. Cool and cloudy or warm and sunny. Be looking for who's this? The Easter Bunny. So, you have to keep an eye out and look for the Easter Bunny. Happy Easter. Just a fun little story with the pea people. And there's a whole bunch of books about the pea people and them having many holiday celebrations. Now, our next story is for Passover. And it's called The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah. Now, matzah, you'll see this is a picture here, is a big piece of flat bread or it's almost like you might if you were had it before, it almost tastes like a cracker because it's very crunchy, but it's actually a bread.
um these folks are being paid outside of uh these increases are being paid outside of the general fund. Um and I think it's also important to note the complexity of government, local government uh now compared to 2007. I think um even people who don't do it day in and day out 247 um understand how complex things have got today. Um our public safety personnel are now also um social services. Um our our town clerk basically serves as a Britannica encyclopedia for for everything and everybody. Um it it's just the demands the service demands have increased significantly as well. Um, just quickly, I know everybody around the table um, understands what uh, Proposition 2 and a half is, but if you're watching from home, and this might be the first time you've heard of this, um, again, Proposition 2 and a half was uh, implemented back in the early 80s as a way to limit the amount uh, or limit the increase communities could impose upon its taxpayers in any given year.
Right? So that's that's the goal. So as we get into operating budget, I think it's important to remember that we made some pretty significant cuts last year. Uh this year's budget we consider a relatively level service this year relative to fiscal 26. The only real addition that we are making to um the budget relative to fiscal 26 is adding a fifth grade teacher at Boilston Elementary School. There are 66 students rising up to fifth grade next year and we have two fifth grade classrooms. We need a third fifth grade classroom to accommodate that. We don't have any sort of reallocations we can do. Um this is just based on on general tren t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t trends.
I can assure you that how we talk about special education, how we talk about these children who have a right to be educated amongst other children matters. Yes, they have legal protections, but as a parent, the fact that I at times have to reference that is disappointing, frustrating, and makes me worry about their future. They are children and this is their community. Thank you again, and I appreciate your time. >> Thank you, Mukana. Aaron also sent me a note which I comment back. So I'll share that report that anybody else online for comments >> none close public comment for their words and we'll move to the administrative reports. Uh chairman's corner just a couple things. One is I want to remind everybody next week on the 18th, Wednesday the 18th, we'll be presenting we will be presenting to the board of finance. It'd be nice to have everybody at that meeting I believe six six uh six six o'clock uh to show support.
Please join me in congratulating Mr. Phil Coffin. Mr. Coffin supports Dalton Elementary both inside and outside of school with incredible energy, with commitment, and with heart. He's actively involved in our PTA, schoolside council, community schools advisory council, and if there's a meeting, an event, and a way to support students, chances are that Phil is there, often with running shoes just nearby. um when he's not running or attending meetings, he's also willing to roll up his sleeves to help our school grow, literally. Phil has generously supported our garden club by helping to prepare the soil and to help us set up our garden spaces, reminding us and students that growth takes effort, patience, and care. Bill is also the proud father of Miles, a first grade student in our Dalton dual immersion mandarin program and his commitment to Dalton reflects his deep belief in the power of education, language, and community.
It was a Rotary dream that they had and they asked for me for our help and so we pretty much did all the leg work to make it a success. And you can see there Naani, she was our old former administrative assistant um board secretary and she is now the owner of Revolve Cycling. So she did a present, she was on the panel and she did a breakout session for our girls. So it was a very fun day. Sienna and Sienna CeRoli also former Continental P Wen Grove graduate. So she joined us on the panel as well. So very good advice for our eighth graders. And there's our Rotarians there on the side. So we continue to be super grateful for um all the entities that contribute to the success of our students and what we can offer them. Again, thank you and happy springtime.
>> So you say our current vendor or contractor that we have when does that contract expired? >> Um that contract actually expired in the end of November of 2025. So, we're looking to procure this company to service us through April um of 2026 because when we prepare the bid scopes, it's April through the conclusion of November. Are we going to lose any ground? Because I believe we off we have that vendor perform some type of pre-emergent treatment, fertilizing, things of like that. >> It's all the same. Yeah, we we still have >> we got time to do that though. >> Okay. So, we start that in April >> and weitting >> weather permitting and we do a cut per month. >> Uh it's actually once a week, correct? >> Yeah. Okay. I'm sorry. Once once a week. Did was there any additional moing given that we have the you know the football field out there, practice field and all of that that they uh the contract didn't include additional moing from last year?
with the situation saying that we would not be liable for that money because for what I would think would be obvious reasons for maybe not so obvious but >> we have nothing to do with the suit or the student. >> So basically what this is is just us saying that we're not going to pay anything towards their suit. So >> correct. >> So I need a I need a motion and a second for approval on that. I'll make a motion to accept a statement of position. >> I'll second it. >> I have a motion. Second. Any other questions on that? >> All in favor? >> I. >> None opposed. Uh, next item on new business is first reading of policies uh 2221 through 32 320.02. So, this is first reading on these. So, we don't need any kind of a motion. Uh we'll be a second reading next month and approving those policy changes.
So, let's find out what happens in The Little Red Hen and the Passover matzah. And this is by Leslie Kimmelman, and it's illustrated by Paul Misel. Let's find out what Little Red Hen is making. I don't know if you've seen any of the other Little Red Hen stories, but she makes bread and cakes. Now she's making matzah. And there's some really fun Whoops. Beautiful pictures here. The year was passing. The little red hen could feel the change of the seasons in the tips of her tail feathers. She could smell it in the barnyard air. She could see it on her calendar. "OVA!" exclaimed the little red head, thinking ahead to spring. Before I know it, it will be time for Passover. I will need some matzah for the seder dinner, and that begins with some grains of wheat. The seder dinner is a special dinner that happens over Passover.
limits it to two and a half% of the increase of the tax levy each year, not the individual tax bills. And like I mentioned earlier, communities have opportunities to override that. Um they can do that through what they call a Proposition 2 and a half override, which permanently raises the levy base and then gets compounded by that 2 and a.5% each year. Um or you could do it as a debt exclusion. Um, a debt exclusion place places uh the debt payment outside the levy limit. And so that payment and that tax increase expires once that project is paid off. The importance of that 2 and a half% can't be overstated because once you have fixed costs, things that are mandated that you have to pay for that exceed that 2 and a.5% growth path, you start getting in trouble, especially with communities like suburban communities like um Ashland, which a lot of our revenue base is dependent upon property taxes compared to like a uh what they call a gateway city such as a Framingham or a LOL which a lot more of their tax base is made up through state aid.
So 22 students a class is pretty typical with where we've been. 33 would be um pretty extreme. >> And so Erin, everything that we're going to be talking about this budget presentation includes that fifth grade. >> Yes, this is within the budget. >> So these are the impacts of the items we cut last year. I won't dwell on those. Um, so this is where we are for a budget. As you will recall, our first meeting, we were over 10%, we were at 10.3%. Uh, every iteration, we've whittleled this budget down. Um, even since we shared the last budget iteration with you, Janelle and I spoke, um, our director of student services. Janelle and I touch base almost daily on this right now on special education. It's really only the point where we might have some movement um based on potential move in moveouts, changes in uh situations.
Um they just received board of finance received a packet I think Monday of that board of finance received their packet last week. last week. Yeah, they received it on um >> they have what you have now which is now finally referred to supportive education budget. So they also have it. So 318 six o'clock you can make that. The second thing is I know I know um some folks um may not have been pleased about the survey last year. So I want to assure everybody that we are doing a survey this year. We'll take the game survey. uh it'll come out uh more towards I think in May most likely and uh we'll compile that result. I'd like to make it mandatory that every board member has to fill out that survey. Okay. So when it comes out you'll get it and um we will share the results at our board again to get uh next August September for >> September we'll share the results then but the important part of the issue last year was board had changed.