Um so the although like EpiPens for example can be delegated that's one thing that it can be delegated that's like its own law or set of regulations. However, there are other medications that require clinical judgment about whether or not to administer them. And even if they're just prescribed, like take this one tablet at noon. Um that requires all of this delegation that we don't quite have as a district either. And even if we did, it wouldn't completely solve the problem. I want to be clear on that. It's not it's not just a delegation issue. It's not. >> Yeah. Yeah. you happen to experience I think Beth and Mike when you're walking through um with myself in in Brent that we happen to run across Lisa Lamro who's the nurse here that happened to be at Bolston Elementary that day because she was covering leaving Tahanto at that point without a nurse.
So, god forbid something happened here, there there would be the call from Rich or Maren or Joe, a 911 call, right? >> How can you do a school without a nurse? You can do that. >> Yeah. So, we so schools are required to have nurses. Um, and then we have to assign the nurses where there is need. So, but all three of our schools have students with complex medical needs that need nurses. Is there any uh so in that situation now there's no nurse here and something happens there's is there any liability to the district >> I I am sure right absolutely you know their their thing would be to call 911 um but yes we we >> liability is there a cost associated with that >> I I am sure I am sure 100% that's why we're looking to have a nurse that's going to be able >> so do do you have data on like how many weeks of the school year needs the needs exceed the two datas.
>> Um I mean we've actually had we've seen a slow increase this school year. So we have seen um we have seen I believe eight days so far this school year where we've had a situation like Lisa Lamro has had to travel between schools. Um we know that there's an increase in field trips coming up in the spring season. Um and that's always you know a juggling act as well. And we have I you know if you happen to be thinking about because I think nurses I know heard I heard it in um for one of the other budget requests right like are there contracted services or there agencies right that might be able to help us fill one of these positions. Nursing happens to be one of those areas but at a at a very high expense. >> So if you recall when we first came here we had nurses on contracts that were paying exorbitant amount of money.
So that's the cuts we made last year right and getting off all those contracts that we had. >> Right. Janelle, you mentioned uh delegation policies, right? So, we could fix some of this with those. But what if we had a policy? So, the field trip situation, if the student who needs that service, if their parent chaperones, then we don't need to send a nurse. Is that right? >> And sometimes it works out that way. Um but right, it's not of course fair or equitable to be, you know, relying or asking parents specifically to go because their child has an explicit medical um condition. because that wouldn't be fair to that family. >> That's right. That's correct. >> They'd have to miss out on what their classmates are experiencing. Well, >> right. And now, and now we can't do either, right? It's either it's either the the trip goes with the nurse or the or the trip doesn't go >> because that would be discriminatory.
>> Um to say that, uh sorry, you can't go because you're going to need nursing support. We can't find you a nurse. That would be talk about some liability. There's some big liability and we wouldn't we would not entertain that >> as educators. >> So, this almost sounds like a cheap insurance policy to me. Could there be like a pdeium or on call situation? So like guarantee two days but then on call for the other three like so like some small portion of this 60,000 and then more if we do need her for that particular day. >> I think it comes down to the person's availability and what their requirements are and what their schedule is and what their commitment is. So if it's someone that needs to, you know, earn a c a certain salary or needs to be home with their family a certain amount of time, I think it's a finding of that balance.
And so, as I said, we do have a nice pool of substitute nurses that do work, you know, on occasion, but they're not always available. Um and and that's exactly what we bump into is that they have other commitments whether it's family or work and and they they just can't give us that type of flexibility. It doesn't seem to exist that we can find. >> And Jessica, you and Christine both said, right, knowing the students, right, God forbid, right, at the expense, wrong medication or something a mistake was made, right? We anyone that's in a nurse's office and the sometimes chaos that's going in there right after recess at the elementary level given medication there's just and knowing the students >> I don't know if we've looked at how much subs nurses and bill additional costs compared to having just the fulltime >> yeah that could be a net change >> yeah um and absolutely right because sub nurses are of course being compensated for their time and their expertise when they come in so there is an offset there of some sort We we do have and the the budgets for these are relatively small.
So I didn't necessarily factor in taking that money out if this is something you you wanted to put in here as I do the next round of analysis. Janelle and I can talk about sub sub costs. The problem is that the needs that the the sort of unfunded mandate of having this in place has increased so much and it increases so much that I mean we may look at it and we may say given the number of field trips given the number of situations you know I I I panic on a regular basis that we're going to send one of these trips to Europe that you guys authorize right and we're going to have one kid who needs one heavy one for nursing Right. Be ready. And >> I didn't even think about that. >> And and they sign up for the trip. Um, you know, because we've authorized it, right?
It's a school sponsored event. Like we have a lot of these after school program. We're constantly looking for nursing for that field trips and athletics. We are having to add nursing um for athletics and that comes right out of our budget, right? I mean, you know, we try to pay it out about say after school fees. Um, you know, athletics budget is limited. That hasn't been increased in a while. We probably have to have some conversations about athletic fees, but those are, you know, they're becoming very difficult to fund. So, it may very well be that Janelle and I look at it and it really won't make sense to cut to try to cut those budgets. It more sense to just try to keep them stable. I mean, I think we've tried to keep them stable and that's the challenge >> in our HR office, which is really right here.
All of us right here would say trying to find a nurse for a three day as opposed to putting up for a full-time nurse. It's going to be an easier hire for us to be able to get those people. >> You got one for two days and it's been working so far. What's the point? >> I was going to say, I don't know. Nurses >> Well, I know what nurses we had conversation with what a nurse can get for a PDM at an emergency room, right? as opposed to what a nurse can get. Most of the time they're people that are connected to our district that are subbing for us, right? Which is which is wonderful. >> It's a convenience for it's a convenience factor. There's a draw to >> but it's not for the money. Let's be very clear. >> Yeah. No, the the kids in >> I would argue that Lisa says it would not it's not really even though it might seem like I would say it's not working.
We need this. So, Lis Lisa was very clear when we went we went through she was very clear that it was not working and that it was a very real >> I mean problem. >> We've been getting by, but if we want to do it, how are we going to pay for it? >> Yeah, that's my worry. I mean, we want to put it in. We're voting on the ceiling tonight, but then >> So, are you putting that in now? Is that what I'm seeing up there? Is that a yes? >> Well, he I mean, >> only two yeses. >> Oh, sorry. >> He hasn't put it in yet. Let's see. >> Why don't we put in the yeses and see what the bottom line is and then see where we are >> dollars >> because we could always say all right well not 6 FTA maybe 2 we could fund.
So add another day to the the floaters this year. >> We can't fund any of it. >> Do we need to do these specific things right now or are we going to vote and then we're going to have another conversation? That's what we got to do now because >> we're we're committing to the towns that this is not our like we are voting on this to start the clock for the 45 days. We fully intend to dig in deeper and find >> but we're just prioritizing right now what our ceiling is and now we're then we're going to go backwards and find a way. problem with this though is it's starting to look like oh the school community is just throwing out a high number and then they're just gonna force us into something and then we're gonna have talks to cut. Like I don't know if we're going to have talks to cut with the town.
I don't know what it's going to be. the towns haven't really you guys have presented to the towns but >> and we don't have anything scheduled right >> but we're going to go in front of the town in 45 days and the people that are behind us right now we need them to be at the we need you to vote right we need you to be able to go to those town meetings and people in Boston and say we we support this right we're giving a budget once this is done school crew budget that we're giving to the towns and then we need you guys to be coming and showing up and saying this is what we want But that also means a vote for an override on a ballot. >> Possibly. Yeah, >> definitely on the ballot. >> If if Yeah, it have to pass down first.
>> Are there any other things we can increase the cost of the like fees like you mentioned athletic fees? >> Can we can we do like a medication fee or this is this is the ceiling, right? Like I'm I'm not I mean I'm only half joking. Yeah. No, it's I mean so uh under free and adequate publica uh public education fate laws uh we wouldn't be able to >> so the law says no we can't charge that so that has to come from >> Yeah. Right. Right. So again this is this is that you know it's really become an unfunded mandate that you know we we provide I mean just the um the monitoring of um >> blood sugar for students and things like that. Yeah. >> Yeah. Is is outrageous, right? I mean, we have I've seen districts where they have, you know, multiple apps that they have to keep on a device and keep up with on a regular basis, right?
Heaven forbid, then you have to take that on a field trip and keep up with a student's blood sugar. >> So, I'm I'm going to go back to school again and say, what questions? So, we're two and a half hours into this right now. Um, and and these they're here, right? And so I know you got to make some decisions, but what questions do you have for any of our directors, our our principles, our assistant principles? Jen, >> sorry, >> I have a question. So you're just asking how we can raise more money. What if we charged more for people who want to rent out the auditorium for that kind of thing? >> We we're we're going to be presenting to school committee. So we're we're dealing with that right now. So Jen and I have um been working with our secretaries and she's been relentless with me on it trying to charge more money and we're going to be presenting that to school.
We presented that plant here last year and now with the teamsters now being involved it's a whole different ballgame in terms of having custodians coverage there and being paid for that. So we have a a a plan that will be presenting to the school committee not right now but we're hopefully in the month the next month. But do you think that any increases in that area would help us to fund a biology teacher or something like that? >> We have to that much or >> really nice lights they're going to put in that. >> So So here's here's the other part, right? Talk about difficult conversations. We we don't charge for our towns, right? I mean, I don't want to go there, but let me go there, right? So we don't charge them to use our gyms. We don't charge you Janelle's look at me like, "You sure you want to go there?" >> Yeah.
I mean, I I'll guarantee it's a loss leader when they come in, too. We're paying >> toilet paper, paper towels, all that. We don't charge anyone in our community that's connected to our district any usage to use our school. >> Like the PTO's use it for event for fundraising events. So then, I mean, you're essentially you're pushing the cost back onto the parents, which is probably a little bit proper. >> But does the town I don't know. Is the town charging you to use like soccer fields right now? Is the town charge best to use? >> I mean, oh, no, not this year. No, that was a that was a wash. That was a favor. >> So, a town charged us to use >> No, I was going to say that the I was thinking No, the middle school soccer and the varsity soccer that was a favor.
>> Oh, I see what you're asking. I see. >> Oh, so I think Boilston basketball does pay to use. >> They do. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Berlin doesn't pay. Yeah. So, it's not >> Boilston didn't pay this year. >> Okay. But there's not uh that's this >> sure >> did they use the honto as a favor for this year? >> No they pay for boil elementary though >> they use boil >> and boil and they pay and they have to pay for the gym at >> that's one of those things. So raising fees I'd want to look at for a couple years too. So you know when you when you raise prices you may have someone who decides to go elsewhere so you lose their business. Sometimes raising prices isn't always the answer. Unfortunately, I mean on some level we should raise them because we have costs associated.
We have things but we have to understand we may lose a customer. >> But but you say that and I heard you Megan say that we'll lose them. But yet I know families, myself included at the time, we pay for these programs that we send our kids to, you know, premier soccer, premier basketball, all these other leagues where we pay a little bit of a little bit of money. Again, we're looking at every way we can. >> Yeah. >> So, I I like the way Lisa's thinking, right? Like, can we can we raise the cost to some of we're right now not covering our custodian fees what we're charging to rent the to rent the facilities. We're losing that. >> 100% agreed. I just want to look at like I wouldn't want to presume I want to look at a couple years of history. >> That's right.
which we always make them whole. But yes, the schools probably >> So for the public comment, public conversation, right? We have a rugby team that's starting today in Boston, right? I had to have that conversation with him because now you have to stop paying for a custodian to clean up after you guys have done. They have not paid in in for as long as rugby has been here. I think it's rugby. Lacrosse. Sorry. Thank you. Lacrosse. But I had the conversation with Brian. Wasn't an issue at all. Yep. This is what we need to pay for. We got to pay for the custodian. Uh sorry, wrong spot, but >> a lot of luck. But we we never charged for a custodian before, but yet we pay our custodian to stay there and clean up after him as well too. We talk about the custodian here that cleans up and I know it's a lot of time it's Beth and Julie Lee and myself that are cleaning up after.
But the custodian has his section up there he's working on. We have all these events here that we don't charge >> volunteers that are cleaning up the bleachers for all the candy that everyone leaves. But you have got to see even after the work they do when we all leave what this place looks like still in rough shape. But yet for six o'clock in the morning our custodians are coming in have to clean that work. >> For every event where volunteers stay and clean up I will assure you you have three where volunteers don't stay and clean up which is the other inherent problem. Right? So now that custodian who's been up there comes down to footprints on your cafeteria tables right things like that. seen that places. I'm not saying that's what happens, but you come down to okay and now people are upset when the school isn't clean in the morning, right?