So again, this was just a broad brush of the several things that we're doing to try, as I spoke to you last last week, I was saying we're hitting all of these. Some of it's globally to teachers, some of it trickles down to student, and some some of it's in between. And so these were, you know, in our six full areas, just an opportunity to let you know, go and highlight. So we're happy to to answer any of your questions. You might have to last week for for today. >> So we're we're three months left of school. We're on we're on the other side of it, right? picks up speed at this point. >> Yeah, you really go super fast in this. It really does. I mean, yeah, weather and hopefully weather and um No, but the flip of the cabinet into you know, the spring, you know, there's many more students involved in activities with athletic teams.
When families consistently face barriers instead of support, leadership will m um leadership must be willing to answer for that. This is not about a personal attack. This is about restoring trust. Our district cannot move forward when parents feel the like adversaries rather than partners. We need to we need form we need from this board is support real support the for families navigating special education. We need systems that work communication that is respectful and leadership that is accountable. Our students deserve better. Our families deserve better. And this board has the power to make sure cultural uh shifts from conflict and to collaboration. I ask tonight that you listen to the voices of parents, that you take these concerns serious, and that you help ensure every student in the district receives the services and support they deserve. Thank you very much for your time. >> Thank you, Mr.
Um, yeah, it anytime you do things, there's competition. Do I think that our community can't support both? I I don't I think it's as long as there's not a fifth grader, an eighth grader in the same family, that's where it's going to be really hard for them. And it will happen. I promise, right? It's it's gonna happen at some point. >> It's gonna happen next year. And but I will say we've talked to some of those parents and they said in that case the priority would go to their eighth graders. So the families are already talking about that saying you know that's that's a family decision. I wouldn't say that I would let that make the decision for me. I think that's you know there's some stuff this is not a requirement that they go on this. It just makes learning real for them and the kids that want to take advantage of that just like DC is not a requirement for all of our eighth graders.
Yeah. >> Okay. So again that's that's my spill on it. Take a consensus. I don't know how the board members again there's no voting tonight but a consensus how you guys feel about it >> if we move forward. >> Yeah. Bring it as a action. Hey, I pay almost $15,000 a year in property taxes. I would love to get 10 more dollars or $20. I mean, every little bit help, but I'm looking again holistically at the district. >> So, that's why I put it on the agenda just for discussion tonight. Um, if you guys got any other additional questions, um, um, you know, we no problem to have the resolution prepared and have it ready for next week and then you guys can discuss next week and take action on it. >> Yeah, I guess again bring it for action and the board could decide, they can think about it within the next week and and vote.
Costs human resources, right? Capital. We have to be able to afford that, too. Michael's not shifting staffing that currently mows the fields and from the DPW into the Ash public schools. They're not coming with it with with the enterprise fund. So, we have to figure out how do we support that? Well, this is one way. It's potentially utilizing the building rental and athletic revolving and the and the enterprise fund for for field rentals to to have positions that allow us to mow the grass, line the fields, maintain the fields. So, it's a significant investment in that end as well. So, you'll notice, and I I this was I alluded to it. Some may say, "How come your bus revolving is at 900,000? Why are you why are you not decreasing that amount significantly?" And we are in the other scenarios. Our contract is up with our uh transportation company this year.
Um but whether that grant comes our way or not, which again here we are in March and June, um this is something that we still when we go to both towns that we know that this is something we're looking at whether we get a grant or not, certainly not for this year, but for the future of Tahanto, um with our our families and events and anyone knows that anything that takes place here, we we need to expand that parking lot, but certainly can't on a permanent basis. And this would all be sort of um retrofitted so that we fall in line with all the requirements that we are being so close to the reservoir. >> Fair enough. >> So we'll continue to keep that on um on the budget. Next few fly slides areformational. I've presented all of these a couple times and they're all in the packet, but it describes a couple of the more significant items that people may have questions about that we're looking to add um as capital items.
Um you know, people get excited about proms and the activities for their classes and their team. So, um it goes pretty. >> Any questions for the board? Thank you for spending the extra time this time to the incoming Yes. Eighth graders >> might be other places to help people moving to town, that kind of thing, bring their kids to school. Get it said a lot. >> Thank appreciate you saying that. I have a question might be more for John. Um, you know, snow days are missing days that happen to be a PD day. Are we what goes on for that deficit of professional development or do we leave it in another time? >> You want to say that for the next next? >> I can answer that, Kim. I think that the honest answer is it's a little bit of both. Uh there are things that we have to pick and choose from with that because time goes away and there's there's not a lot to be able to make up >> really there's not but what we do try to be able to do is potentially prune things down and becomes part of a staff meeting that goes into a PLT team meeting or it's a staff meeting that goes into a grade level meeting.
Luhan. Mr. um GMO Mendoza Luhan, come forward, please. Good evening, Vice President uh Rodriguez Pñena and cabinet members and school board members. My name is GMO Mendoza Luhan and I'm here to speak on not only my children but the students and parents that cannot advocate for themselves. This district um these are the voices that are often the quietest but who who whose rights are just important as any other child. Under the Individual and Disabilities Education Act and California Education Code, every child suspected of having a disability has the legal right to timely comprehensive evaluations and services. These laws guarantee every eligible student a free appropriate public education through an individualized education program and IEP. These protections exist for a reason because students with disabilities cannot afford to wait. When evaluations are delayed or families are discouraged from requesting them, children lose precious time when they should be receiving support, learning skills, and building confidence.
It's an opt-in program. Um, it's a supplemental program which is why it's a club and not an actual part of the curriculum. However, they it it brings to life and for those of you several of you on the panel have been to Washington DC with our on the board have been on those trips and know the impact that that has on our on our students. >> So, can we just go back to the let's say you have like 40 students and only those two teachers? How are you going to address the the teacher student ratio? >> Yep. But they're not they can't be. Are parents going to be in charge of a group of students? >> Yes, absolutely. Just like in Washington DC. So, typically the student groups are anywhere from four to six students per one adult. Um and so that's that's the way it's very very small ratio as far as that goes.
If you have any questions about again what this means, shoot it to Jason or give me a call or superintendent or Bill. I'll be happy to answer any questions for you. >> To put in perspective, because maybe not everybody understands the value or the the amount of that, can you just put in the FYI so every so we can all see it. How much total in in tax money do we take in? Meaning, do we take in 52 million, 28 million, whatever the number is, so that they can take the 53,000 divided by that and figure out that it's a small amount, but it's in times that were better. It was a good gesture. >> Understanding Mr. Brown's point, but at least so that every the seven of us can look at that 503 compared to what we take in >> because it's a very small amount.
So, we have to prepare for a significant increase in costs of of our transportation. We don't know what that's going to look like yet. I will tell you there will be one bidder. Uh they have a monopoly on transportation. It is what it is. Chris will get three people that ask for the the packet or three organizations, three vendors. One will send it back just the way just telling you that's what it's going to be. So you're at the mercy of of that transportation company. Two, our teachers contracts are up. FY27. So, we're going to be negotiating those for FY28. That will negatively impact, potentially negatively impact revolving accounts if we don't have the operating expenses built into our budget. And then, as I alluded to before, dramatic cuts in federal uh federal grants. I I again we've already we already know uh title one which we have three title one teachers across the district um that they're reducing title one by $110,000 already.
as one-time purchases. So when we get into total capital assessments based on these numbers, uh we have Berlin Boilston uh Berlin total capital assessment of uh Boilston 1,375,115. And then this is what I would propose the school committee um approve at this time. Um, obviously we can have conversations about um those Boilston Elementary items and things like that um down the road, but based on what we have here, uh we would have a uh Berlin capital assessment of the 902401, the Boilston capital assessment of 1375115, and then uh Boilston's internal capital account for 487264. This would leave some funds in that Boilston account. Um there is a little money in the Berlin Capital account as well. Um I'd like to keep those as a bit of a buffer. Um, so I don't know if the school committee is amendable to making a motion now, but this would be the motion that I would would recommend for the time being and as we inevitably revisit these things, we can have conversations particularly about the Boilston Elementary piece um and what have you.
It's it's unfortunately not perfect, but the intention behind the work and the continued growth is absolutely there for us. But that does that goes without saying that we really appreciate and value the professional learning time that we have and we use it very judiciously in our >> Okay. Thank you for being here tonight. Appreciate >> I just wanted to mention I appreciate Bob Craig is here tonight. he's listening in but he was at very very crucial to our morning meeting as we uh we start infrastructure needs and things like that. Thanks for stopping back. Okay. Um Dr. Broster the school calendar please. >> So we're still on your agenda under new business you had discussion and possible action on the fiscal year 2526 calendar. It was over 70 degrees out there today. So a diffult conversation, but you know, as I've told you before, um I can't commend our maintenance team and the town enough for how well they've done to get our schools operational.
For many of these families, those delays mean watching their kids struggle dayto-day while they fight just to be heard. Parents should have do not have to become legal experts just to make sure that their child receives the education that they're entitled to under the law. In this district, many families, especially Spanish-sp speakaking families, have shared that they feel afraid to speak up during IEP meetings. Some feel intimidated, dismissed, and unsure whether their concerns would be taken seriously. But the law requires requires meaningful parent participation. That means that parents must be able to understand what is happening in these meetings and speak openly and advocate for their children without fear. Our district serves a community rich in many languages and cultures. Many families speak Spanish, Mandarin, and some others speak Kiche, which is a Mayan dialect. These families bring strength, resilience to our schools. They deserve the respect and clear communication and professionals who are prepared to work with multilingual communities, not systems that make them feel small or powerless.
We're anticipating once again it's speculation so don't quote me on it. I would I would speculate that there will be more parents wanting to go on the fifth grade trip than the eighth grade trip because of the age. So I would think that we might have two or three and we have had even in eighth grade usually we have for those five to six students usually there's at least two adults um per each group. >> So sorry one more question regarding this. Do we vet those parents? Like make sure we have their fingerprints and make sure they're not. >> So, it's actually something that we really started doing a few years ago with our eighth grade where we started to see that the problems typically on these trips, speaking from experience, isn't with the students, it's sometimes with the adults that are on the trip.
Yeah, I can actually have that. Um, I'll probably email it to everybody tomorrow just for the fact that we have to prepare the agenda, but um I will have to go off of last year's levy non bond and interest just because of the fact in my communication with uh the county clerk's office they're hoping to have the calculation sheets out by the 16th, but they can't make any guarant. >> In retrospect, if we take in $40 million in tax revenue, right? I mean, just ballpark, it's 500,000. >> Yeah. small number. If we take 50 million, it's 1%. >> So, uh you you got to look at it in that perspective that the money that we would be abating is really small in retrospect to the total number. I mean, our budget's over 100 million. >> Yes. >> So, just I just so that everybody understands because that was a good question.
We know that. Um so so this is one piece that I think is important that folks understand is we are living off from all of the revolving accounts. What I want to mention though however What I I would be really excited for is we don't have that capital um mechanism anymore in place for general government as well as the schools to to really meet the deferred maintenance costs that exist within our community. Right? We don't have that. These these things here, roof replacement, turf field replacement, a literacy program, they're not necessarily things that we can cover out of that school choice. we we technically could cover them. I'm just saying it's not enough funding to do that. Those are still capital items that we're going to have to come back to the community to say these are debt exclusion issues that we have to figure out.
>> And just for clarity to the the community, we're we're needing school committee to pass a motion tonight and pass it. We have a 45day requirement before it goes in front of town meeting that a budget has to be approved. Um, and that's why we're we're really particular about this date and the 45 days leading up to the town meetings um where the towns will vote on and both of those things over. >> Can I can I just ask a question on this slide? Can you explain to me this? I'm probably missing something. >> So the 1375 1115 that doesn't include any of the What is that? three >> that is that is um Boilston share of the debt >> plus >> so that's the 900 something from the debt plus >> plus these three yes >> okay so it doesn't include all that other boiling capital stuff that >> no it doesn't we would we would we the Berlin boilson schools would use boilston's capital account >> to cover that somehow um >> I want to say in 2023 24 there was a significant capital project that must not have happened.
um 3:30 in the morning, I'm speaking to Dan Mak from the public works department and talking to him. So that's part of my day. 3:30 in the morning um on the Sunday it can be if we're expecting another storm. Um they've done an unbelievable job. Um the public works and our maintenance crew and our maintenance team could be here at 3:30 in the morning getting ready and and you may look at why does the next time I have twohour delay? Why do we have a threeh hour delay? The the landscape and the topography you can't it's just so much different than a since we're in Avon. But what's unique is there was one time when we were in school and they learned. So it's very difficult, but we all taught in the morning. And so I I I'd just be remissed if I didn't thank them for all the work that that they did.
Leadership is a uh leader leadership in the special education carries a a serious legal and ethical responsibility. For that reason, I am calling that the board, the school board conduct an immediate review of leadership of the administrative support services and special education Aaron Kramer and to consider her resignation because her leadership is not in the best interest of these students and families for this district. I'm also requesting that the district investigate concerns regarding the conduct of Ben Musgrove during IEP meetings and related meetings. These meetings determine the educational the educational future of the children with disabilities. Families deserve professionalism, respect, and collaboration, not dismissal or condescending behaviors during IEP meetings. Th this leadership is responsible for overseeing special education and must ensure the rights of students with disabilities are protected every single day. When families repeated race concerns about delays, barriers, or dismissive treatment during meetings, those concerns must be taken seriously because behind every complaint is a child.