Um uh recommendations again establish a capital plan. Uh uh in addition uh instead of buying seven passenger vans, the state now allows 10 passenger vans. And I would suggest that you you buy 10. allows you more flexibility, allows you to uh to handle more students uh if uh if it's required. Uh and also provides more opportunities for cost sharing uh with other districts. Uh and then uh an alternative uh instead of buying all new vans and 10 passenger vans, you may want to consider buying additional type A school buses, your 19 to 20 passenger school buses. again giving you even uh further capacity uh and ability to cost share routes uh and to increase your ridership. Right now your five passenger vans uh if there's a monitor uh you really only have three or four students on the on those. Um we uh then were uh asked specifically to look at the uh the costbenefit analysis of whether it made sense for you to continue to run your own vehicles or whether it made sense for you to contract out.
So, uh because we had uh we had done the Amherst bid, we we knew pretty intimately what they what their routes looked like and and uh uh what what it looked like. Uh and ironically, uh Kestrel Bus uh was the low bidder there also. Uh and so, uh we felt even a little better with the with looking at that as a as a benchmark since it was the same contractor that you currently have for your regular transportation. Uh we found that uh uh when we looked at the the bid that was done and was a coordinated bid for multiple school districts in Franklin County. Uh the only school district that we saw that had a van cost uh in it was Mohawk Trail. Uh now, I I I agree Mohawk Trail is nothing like Greenfield in terms of size or demographics, uh but uh we wanted to look at their cost also uh as a potential benchmark for comparative purposes.
Um do we have any questions or comments? Okay. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Okay. Sherry, action item G. Okay. Policy 5141.34 TB testing of students and personnel. I motion that the Board of Education revoke policy 5141 .34 TB testing of students and personnel as it is covered in updated policy 5141.21 health services as recommended by the policy committee and in accordance with 26-34. Thank you. Motion made by Sherry. Do I hear a second? Second. Seconded by Juanita.
>> President Hog, sorry. Was there a motion to approve? >> No, as I mentioned, this was just an information. >> So, it just says because >> that's in it's an error. >> Okay, good. Just wanted to clarify. Thanks. >> Sorry. >> Oh, is Frank in the Oh, >> okay. So, maybe you want to go to the next one perhaps? We'll go back. >> Yeah, we'll do um the next item 10E measure U construction bond program update with Dan. >> All right. Good evening everybody. So for the month of March, I have the bond update um presentation and little change this time. It's kind of an updated spread presentation that uh soon as get it up there. All right. So again, this is March 11th um 2026. Thank you. And just to go through uh the the measure you overview, we have a project updates and project program schedule.
So, tonight we're asking you to approve the guaranteed project cost for United Building Contractors and allow us to amend their contract to start construction. Does the board have any questions? So, both the demolition and the rebuild came out of uh payment from insurance, right? Yes, that's correct. Perfect. Any public comment? All right. Do we have a motion at this time? Yeah, I'll move approval. And I'll second that motion. Okay. We have a motion by member Lando and a second by member Robinson. Any further discussion? Just want to thank Ms. Kissel her staff for their hustle in getting this building back up as quickly as possible. It wasn't in our facilities master plan for obvious reason and it's been a lot of extra work for you guys and I appreciate it. Thank you. Getting it done so quickly. Ditto. What he said. Thank you. All right, let's go ahead and vote.
So I don't want our staff to feel like they have to submit a written request to meet with me anytime they want to meet. April would send me 10 a day. Joanie would send me seven a day. Sam would send me two a day. >> But it only it already says when an issue requires. >> Just when an issue required, correct? And I'm just I just want to clarify. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> We don't want to know >> every time. Sam's like, "Hey, I'm going to run to lunch." Like you guys don't even know that. >> So where we at on that sentence? >> Are we just adding? >> So leave it all in place. And when an issue requires board attention, staff may request a meeting with the superintendent in writing. >> A formal meeting. >> Okay. >> Meaning >> with the superintendent in writing >> who then will help bring the matter forward.
When you develop a relationship with a student, you can see instantly when they walk in the door, especially a special education student, whether it's going to be a good day or not. And according to that, if you have a relationship with that student, you you know what to do with that student at that time to keep them from escalating. And we put um strategies in place for them and accommodations for them. Um, I have worked with Officer Tilman when he was here and I have watched him with some of our most adverse behavior children build relationships with them and that made all the difference. Um, so I just had another situation at school and I brought that up. I said that SRO needs to have that relationship with that student. Another thing I want to talk about is those and I'm glad officer Tilman um said this.
When when they're when they're they have this need and um and so I think it's looking at that impact. It does outweigh um the number of kids, so >> And a lot of these things that we're talking about from a budget perspective, anyway, they prevent other problems that are going to cost us more money. You know, that you're you're giving attention to uh from literacy all the way through mental health and everything in between. Um there's a cost, like a real cost to to not having the right attention on those things at the right time. And it it impacts the numbers. Yeah, I will just share by coincidence I saw a psych counselor earlier today and um Jen Shields, one of our adjustment counselors at our our adjustment counselor at high school, um is almost always there. She was there today. And and just as sort of a conversational point, she made the point that we have more kids who are in need of help.
That was one of the key questions that we were asked. Uh we look had to look at several assumptions. Uh when we looked at your self- operation, uh we looked at the the fact that you outsource all of your maintenance. Uh that uh you would consider to outsource your fuel because you you buy fuel by albeit tax exempt uh you're buying it locally. Uh we looked at uh uh the cost per day per bus uh in your contract uh which was uh $48645 for 20 uh year 2526. Uh and we use that as a benchmark uh to uh to look at cost effectiveness and cost of the operation. Uh we uh we were fortunate that we had done the the bid last year for Ammerst Pelum Shootsberry and Leverett. So we had good information uh which we considered to be local information to to benchmark your cost against uh even though it's not an applesto apples comparison and I and I I admit that uh but it's it's the best benchmark we had that's local.
Uh the current contractor increases of average uh 6.81% over over year to year. Uh the district uh transportation has increased an average about 4.53% uh over multiple years. Uh and uh with respect to all-inclusive compensation uh for your uh self-employed staff, uh we extrapolated uh that the compensation leave with pay, everything else that's in the collective bargaining agreement equated to about 34.6% of wages. Uh and that's not unusual that we see that uh for school districts that have uh self-operated and have their own collective a collective bargaining agreement. Uh for the purpose of cost benefit analysis, uh we we looked at special ed transportation for in some cases 200 days, in some cases 220 days, uh because many of the outplacement schools run extended year and run summer programs. Uh and then uh again, we we looked at the uh the data from the district budget and contracted for was uh $493.64 for fiscal 27 going forward.
Do we have any questions or concerns or comments? Seeing none, all in favor? I. Any opposed? All right. Sherry? Policy 5141.5 suicide prevention. I motion that the Board of Education accept for first reading policy 5145.5 suicide prevention as recommended by the policy committee and in accordance with 26-35. Thank you, Sherry. Do I hear a second? Second. Seconded by Gladys. Do we have any comments or questions? No. Seeing none, all in favor? I. I.
So kind of that wasn't broken out to what was incorporated in each of those bullet points. So I kind of went through and and laid out the the what kind of goes with what. So project updates, you got school renovations, infrastructure improvements, technology upgrades, and safety uh and security enhancements. And then on the schedule, that's basically that those crazy uh colored lines. And we'll get to a great slide that I incorporated as well to kind of demonstrate that a little bit better. Uh project project updates. So, currently in design, uh we have the school kitchen assessments. Uh we're working with our director of of um food service to kind of let us know what the needs are of the of the middle schools right now. and then and work our way through the elementary schools. Um this summer we're hoping to move uh two portables located over at Majestic Way.
Um all those in favor uh signify by saying aye. Aye. >> Aye. Opposed? All right. It passes. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, we're moving on to 9B2, also discussion action. Um this is regarding auditing services for the fiscal year. Presented um by Mrs. Bromley. Hello. Good evening, board. Um before you tonight, we're presenting our recommendation for Chico Unified's external auditing services. Uh the contract will be for fiscal years 25-26 and the two out years. So, our most recent contract for financial auditing services ended with the 24-25 fiscal year. While we're not required to follow the request for proposal pop process or RFP because of the amount it doesn't exceed the bid limit threshold, for best practice, we decided to go out through the process. We followed RFP. Um I contacted 10 different audit firms throughout California. We received four proposals. Um and after viewing all of the proposals, looking through them in totality, we are recommending to move forward with a local Chico firm, uh, Horton McNulty and Sayturn, HMNS.
>> I think it's cover says when it requires more attention, it's insinuating a formal meeting. >> Okay. >> So you think it is. So, we're just adding Friday. >> Where did Where did you want to put that? >> I like how you said that, Travis. Copy the board after the >> Yeah, that was the only other party. >> Staff may request a meeting in writing with the superintendent and copy the board. >> So, is staff going to see that and say, I don't want a meeting with the board. I just want to share my concern with the board. So, how do I just share my concern? I don't want to meet with them. >> What's a meeting with the superintendent? Oh, you're right because it's back it. How about a meeting with the superintendent in writing? So, the in writings after the super the word that's what he said after this.
When an officer steps in or puts hands on a student, that means they're going to be arrested or put in the back of a cop car. Okay. But with that said, we train, one of the things we do is that we train all of your special education staff, administrators, and some uh gened teachers um on crisis prevention. Um we also do the deescalation strategies. We do that with bus drivers as well. Um really with any anyone who wants to go through that training. Um, and there is a misconception that that is to teach them to how to put put kids in hold. That is the absolute last resort that we do with the student. The only time we put a student as a hold is if if they're a danger to themselves or others. But what I want you to understand is going I'm glad that officer Timman brought this up.
She mentioned Bright Program in particular, but that are having more challenging mental health issues this year than we've seen in the last few. Um which just emphasizes the importance of these kind of programs. Okay. Yep. You've been stuck on this slide for about 20 minutes. All right. If I No, Now there's no one listening to me. So again, this is just another slide basically showing those positions in a different format of the 7.4 positions, right? That they were originally part of the reduction in the 2.55%. So and we're going to we'll get to the the next piece. We've talked about the operational override component 6.18% it helps with the structural stabilization, right? It is helps stabilize the the deficit that we're in on a yearly basis. The 300 there's $300,000 that we've budgeted as part of this for athletics that we know runs that structural deficit every year as well.
uh you know, it makes no sense for us to benchmark you against uh a district like Milton or Dubberry or or or anything in the eastern part of the state uh or even some of the large regional school districts that run a a different type of operation. They run a single tier operation as opposed to a two-tier operation. So, uh because we had uh we had done the Ammerst bid, we we knew pretty intimately what the what their roots look like and and uh uh what what it looked like. Uh and ironically, uh Cosmascus, uh was the low bidder there also. Uh and so, uh we felt even a little better with the with looking at that as a as a benchmark since it's the same contractor that you currently have for your regular transportation. Uh we found that uh uh when we looked at the the bid that was done and was a coordinated bid for multiple school districts in Franklin County, uh uh the only school district that we saw that had a van cost uh in it was Mohawk Trail.
Uh we then took and pulled apart your your uh your budget for transportation. Uh and because contractors work on a cost per day per bus model uh for budgeting uh and uh expenditure, uh we had to develop a cost per day per bus uh for comparative purposes. And so we took driver time, we took fringe benefits, we took management cost, we took maintenance cost, we extracted that from the budget. Uh we even threw in a capital cost of of two vans uh uh per uh per year uh on a at least purchase basis, and uh our average cost per day for the district operation uh is uh $235.81 per day on an average. Some of the routes are longer, some of the routes are shorter, but that was uh that was the average. Um Uh when we looked at comparing that to uh Amherst, uh you'll see that the Amherst bid cost uh for is the top uh and that is uh 250 to 275 uh going through 325 in 2029-30.
Any opposed? Okay. Juanita? Policy 5143.1 school time accident insurance. Motion that the Board of Education accept for the first reading policy 5143.1 school time accident insurance as recommended by the policy committee in accordance with exhibit 26-36. Thank you. Motion made by Juanita. Do I hear a second? >> Second. Seconded by Al.
Um that's in design with DSA. Fire alarms at Sierramont and Ruskin. Those are happening this summer. They're also in with DSA. Exterior window replacement at Northwood. That's happening this summer. Um, and we're going to re be replacing the roofs at Ruskin and K1 and K2. The those have been just a a hodgepodge of of of leaks at those those two specific classrooms for some reason. So, we're re- roofing them and hopefully be done with that those issues. Um, and also in design, we're looking at library tables for all of our sites. And again um happening this summer are comprehensive in infrastructure renewal and utility assessment. The mechanical upgrades replacements at Majestic Way in Somerdale that's happening. Uh so we have three projects out to bid currently. We have the TK playground fencing at Somerdale, which I believe I showed you the kind of the drawing, the sketch of what it's going to look like last board meeting.