The local tax percentage was the same as last year. So the 55 56% of state aid we received what are those? There are two type of state aid. One is equalization aid. The other one's categorical aid. Equalization aid is calculated by state formula distributed by property uh values and income levels. Um basically this is the aid that state help us with the difference of what the district can afford and uh what it should have been um spent for the students education. Uh we are still um a little bit of under adequacy uh getting very close to it. Uh but still there's a little bit of gap. Um but this year um because of um the uh thanks to the new governor, we were able to receive a little bit of more state aid. The categorical aid is uh calculated by the number of students who participate in those uh categorical programs.
So, uh it's going to be an incredible thing there. We made sure it was presentable cuz the field is beautiful. Board did an excellent job on the field. So, we want to make sure we have a presentable concession stand. It's going to be retrofitted to be a concession stand. It's not going to be um you know, uh I just want to say flame. It's not going to be a kitchen or anything like that. It's just a it's just a stand to kind of sell things out of or prepared foods and stuff like that. So, that's So, that's where what that is. Uh that was the best bid we that we uh we came to uh with regard to the um it wasn't competitive bidding um with regard to what our specs were for out there, what we needed. Uh so, that's what the tough the the tough shed is for.
One of the things that comes up and became really one of the p pivotal is that the idea of rightful presence and one of in the audit and then correspondingly in our strategic plan we identified there was a lot we recognized there was disproportionality um for example for low-income students overly represented in discipline referrals in special education we have an over representation um more than not um African-American Hispanic students um and so these were data sets that were part of that initial reflection that we need to uh engage in. uh for example early uh the the correlation between lack of investments around programs like our dual language program while we often are see ourselves as a satellite program for dual language program the investments um even from a assessment period approach we had not invested enough in those programs and so that is something that I think is a great question and that became very important to us which is why we took time this year to really engage and you're here we've got members of our our team to share a little share a lot about the audit this year and what we learned through the the focus on comprehensive review.
Just to we're just freshly talking about things like this uh in a previous meeting, so just making you all aware of that. Here we go again, something like that. Any particular direction on what type of building this is going to be, what it's going to be used for? Uh the the owner of the building and the tenant has not been made public yet. So, I believe it'll be dry it would be a it's not going to be refrigerated. I know that, but that's all I know. Don't know who's going I don't think it's Amazon. Just want to make sure my NIPSCO bill doesn't go up higher. If we can help that. >> think NIPSCO is moving in. All right, sorry. Uh item 7.02, Director of Elementary Education, Dr. Kachina. Thank you, Mr. President and members of the board. Just a couple recognitions tonight. Uh first off, I want to say thank you to Mrs.
So these have been really really great. Uh this checkpoint data, I know checkpoint one you all have seen. Not sure if you've seen checkpoint two. Uh but Mr. Bramberry talked uh 2 weeks ago about not just seeing percentages like let's talk about students in this too and what does that really mean. So I did break that down, so if you will allow me here, just on average because obviously math and ELA are a little different. But on average, uh and this would be remediation within a 2 to 3-week time period. Uh one school actually only had 4 days because of a turnaround and uh cancellations with snow and everything. Um so we had 21 for checkpoint one, I'm sorry. Uh 21 third graders on average that grew and moved into a passing um either at or above. Uh 41 fourth graders, 43 fifth graders. And for checkpoint two, we have growth for fourth and fifth because of I-Ready for third grade.
Hearing none, we are open to questions. >> Is AG here attorney general's office? >> Understand? >> Did you want to ask anything? >> I just wondered if they had an opinion on this. I can with the department and get back to you on that, >> please. Thank you. >> As a followup that to the AG, sorry, I know you're not the representative for that, but there were some comments made by the Department of Education if there are two bills that are moving to do a pilot program regarding TTRO's on employees. If you could follow up and find out if that would cover what's being proposed here in this bill. >> Thank you. Can we have the public defender, please? >> Thank you. Uh, I know that it's a balance that we're trying to seek and I realize that there are bills and laws on the books, but if the laws aren't are working or aren't working, I mean, how do you what do you say to that?
Uh we receive a special ed uh security transportation choice school and preschool aid. So general fund state aid uh we can uh we can see the difference between uh this year's aid we received and then prior last year's. So there are um we received a higher increase the aid in equalization in general. We received the um increased aid in every category. Uh but mainly uh equalization aid and special education aid and preschool aid. Why preschool aid? Um we had uh we had a four mandated classroom expansion. Um so we uh they uh calculated for the staffing needs and the program needs. So we were able to receive more preschool aid, special education aid. There's a increase in cost in special education program services like a tuition related services, supplies, all that. Um there are a lot of more uh students lately getting into special education program that we need to support in the equalization aid.
Um I don't know what a slush fund means, so we'll skip that one. Um the contract even though we won't talk about negotiations, part of it. Uh just so you know where it came from, it was it was a It should have been a recommendation with regard to scheduling last year, but it never came up. Uh however, the union the GFT here brought up the fact that um you know, the district had been out of compliance with regard to enrollment numbers in classes uh and class sizes due to statute code. Um so, that that came in um you know, as a as agreeable um motion, I guess, for lack of a better term uh with regard to that. So, we worked with the union um to decrease class sizes um by adding staff. So, we added a lot of staff members last year when I first got here to um for this year to decrease those enrollment size sizes, but unfortunately, some of the class sizes were still over.
>> Just one last bit that I would add a part of a thousand% what both Dr. K's have said I think the additional part to make sure that we lean into is that throughout the strategic plan is a lot of intentional conversation around professional learning. we can put these different things in place and we can have the tools and we can have all the resources, but we still need to be able to provide the professional learning that's necessary for our teachers to do it in the classrooms for our building leaders to lead their teachers in doing that. Um, and so that is why that's also a a heavy part of the conversation as well. Am I correct in assuming that as you get data on this implementation and as you're evaluating it, you are disagregating that data so that you are getting effectiveness of different groups and then sharing that accordingly.
Terry Mucha. Uh Terry has filled in for us and helped us with a couple temporary administrator roles this year. Uh she started the year at Taft Middle School and then she has been uh filling in as assistant principal at Jerry Ross Elementary School since September. Um but this is her last week uh at Jerry Ross with us. Um but when I am over at Jerry Ross visiting or or um you know, having the opportunity to talk with staff members or teachers at Jerry Ross, uh on more than one occasion, um staff members have uh reached out to me or come up to talk to me and just said how much they've appreciated Terry uh and all her work this year, praising her for her leadership, her uh kindness, dependability, and just overall positivity. And uh it takes a special person to step in to an administrator role temporarily, but uh Mrs.
We didn't want to overtest them in that uh in that instance. So for fourth grade, about 40 students who moved into the passing at or above um and 24 fifth graders. So next year, taking these things into account and really looking at trying to allow a bigger time span for the remediation between those is something we'll be looking at. Into January and February, uh a lot less modeling, being in classrooms, especially with cancellations, but trying to support from home. Uh we had a lot of different ways to keep students engaged online. And uh my favorite part of this was I sent out maybe 2 days' worth of different ways that you could engage students and try new things. And then teachers started sending me things that they are doing, and so then the next time we closed, I was able to send out their ideas um and give them credit for that.
because the incident that happened at Moana High School um you know and others have prompted measures like this perhaps the measures that we're looking at doesn't safeguard for situations that's been raised um so can you can you address that? >> Sure and thank you for the question. Um, you know what we've been hearing as these bills have been making its way through the session is that the Department of Education and other concerned individuals are primarily focused on what is considered this egregious behavior. Um, you know, the true threatening, very, you know, aggressive behavior, yelling inappropriately. We believe if there's an enforcement issue either with law enforcement or the prosecuting agencies, that's a different issue. Um there are already laws under the existing harassment statute without this additional language as well as the other terroristic threatening and assault statutes that already specially protect educational workers that are already in place.
Um the according to state formula to uh close the gap for the adequacy we received um one point about $1.5 million for equalization aid only. So total increase in general fund state aid is about $2.9 million and percentage increase compared to last year was a 7.3%. So where does money go? Most of our funding goes for the students. So instruction, curriculum, um professional development and salaries are 73%. Uh rest of the money goes to transportation 2.8% 8% capital projects three uh about 4% administration debt service and uh athletics actually athletics and co-curricular uh percentage increased a little bit because we created new programs for athletic um you know new teams and um programs um custodial and maintenance increased one by 1% compared to last year due to uh inflation the materials and services um they became more expensive. The one thing uh we need uh we notice is uh employee benefits uh that's a health insurance uh premiums uh state average is a three 31.9% almost 32%.
Uh so, that's where the negotiations come in where there's there is a a monetary compensation with regard to the extra duties of those students. Um I don't know exactly what the per pupil expenditures are versus charter school, but I can tell you that the charter school spend more money than we do here per per student. Um that is not fair, you're right. That's a legislative thing. It has nothing to do with us. We don't set up those numbers. We're just told what numbers to pay um at the end of the year or at mid-year. Uh and I can tell you any monies that we get that are grant monies, 10% goes right to the charter school. Um so, if we have $5 million in aid, 10% of that goes right to the charter school. Um you know, the extra expenses and cost analysis with regard to the new school opening up is an excellent question.
>> Absolutely. That is part of the uh purpose of using a system as in our case educate by subgroup by school by grade um at really just a click of a button. So um some of the challenges is truly compiling and disagregating the data. So um this the use of this tool takes the time out of the just data collection and then can put the time into the data analysis and then responsiveness from that data. So um training additional training sessions are coming and then kind of our next phase is then as we launch uh or relaunch school improvement teams for next year uh extending the training into our building um at the school level just quick. So basically more information on demand >> instead of downloading spreadsheets and those kind >> No, I think um my comment is similar to um some of the questions of my fellow board members is just about how are we measuring outcomes?
Mucha has definitely made a big impact um at Jerry Ross this year. So, very grateful uh for all of her work uh for us this school year. Uh finally, uh Mr. Warne kind of kicked us off on this earlier, but I want to uh recognize and congratulate Mrs. Barb Merrill. Uh she has been serving as the principal at Solon Robinson Elementary School for 25 years. That is a uh an incredible run. Um she uh affectionately calls it the beehive. She always calls it the beehive. Um Barb is not only you know, served as principal there for that long, but she's a really important part of our elementary leadership team. Um I've really enjoyed working with her over the years, learned a lot from her. Um she has built uh an exceptional team at Solon. Um she's always focused on um making decisions about students and what's right for students.
So that was really cool to see the collaboration even from afar that everyone was really joining in for the benefit of all the students. So lots more planning specifically with teachers instead of me modeling to help, you know, release our responsibility and gradually help them as we go. And then of course, actual professional development as we think of it. Uh not that planning and meeting with teachers isn't professional development, certainly is. But me presenting and showing you all these things, right? So uh there were two buildings that I was able to go into um and present some different ideas about differentiation and engagement, but also with principals at the admin teams meeting. Uh that bottom picture is principals meeting and talking about kindergarten writing. What does that look like? What could it look like? What should it look like? How are your teachers getting students there?
um our main concern is and and that's what we maybe need to shift the focus to is why these things if they're reported to law enforcement are not being either taken seriously or not pursued by the prosecuting agencies. Um, additionally that disrupts or interferes, you know, just from a pure legal perspective, this is not meant to in any way discount the feelings of the educational workers or the need to address some problematic behavior. But is interrupting a teacher during a meeting a disruption? Under the plain language of the statute, it would be um if you are, you know, passionately engaging at a board meeting, is that a disruption or interfering? If you, as you've heard from these parents, showing up at the school without an appointment to advocate for your child, is that an interference with school activities, which according to the plain language of the statute, it would be.
So it increased very high. Um that is impacting uh our budget not only our budget the u mo all the uh school districts in New Jersey. So I'll talk more about this health insurance cost and then uh how it impacts to us. So what is included in this budget? um the uh the capital projects and equipments we are planning to uh purchase and um use for uh renovations and then uh repairs. Um these funds some of these funds are funded by um fund balance because uh fund balance is a nonoccurring uh one-time uh surplus. But we don't want to spend or budgeted those fund-time fund revenue as a recurring re uh the expenses because those fund balance um we we don't have uh that's not guarantee uh surplus revenue. So we are uh spending onetime revenue for one-time expense. So now I um hand it over to Miss Griffin.
Um that is all I've been thinking about uh since I got here. One. Number two is the parking. And I think I've said it almost every meeting, and it's a major problem. Uh I know it sounds like it's not going to be, but I but I've been through this before. Um we're trying to work diligently on some of those um you know, some of those solutions. Uh the cost analysis is on going to be almost impossible to project because um right now, the inflation on energy prices and whatnot, I I I I can't even imagine what that would be. However, there are a few things to consider with regard to that school opening up. Obviously, we would be looking at that point. We are we are already promised another new building uh in the last cycle of funding with the SDA. So, that's still on board.