So particularly for the the security positions and um for investigators, you know um we we did have an unfortunate event um that occurred a couple years ago and um this is the result of that um in our efforts to try to um really provide quality care for our patients and ensure that everybody's safe and sound. >> from from looking at from the report um to just ensure that we can continue to do a good job. Okay, thank you, Dr. Matsu. Thank you, chair. Okay, thank you.
I think that becomes critical. There's a there's an increase only. So the decrease is for what we pay for the employee. So let's take all the other plans meaning uh uh individual employee plus spouse employee plus children's employee plus families take them off the table. They're all for the most part getting a decrease. The employee themselves if they qualify for benefits are getting a decrease. They won't see that decrease because we're paying for it. So we will see the decrease if they choose to buy up. We have about 100 8400 maybe about 100 that choose to buy up. In that case, for that small group of people, we have about 330 roughly people that take insurance with us. For that 100 people, because they choose to buy up, they will see a slight increase. That again, 17%, but when you look at it number-wise, it's about $3 a pay period that they have to do it.
So um uh I know just my personal experience this weekend, there's Color Guard State and Desert Sunrise and Maricopa High will both be performing on Friday and hopefully Saturday uh at Millennium. So um super excited about that. Um and I just want to kind of piggyback off the off the beginning of the fourth quarter here. Coming off spring break, so give me just a minute here, right? So my daughters are swimmers, okay? Uh anyone that's been to a board meeting has heard me talk about swimming. Um and my old or my youngest, she's a distance swimmer. So she swims swims a 500 yd. It's a anywhere from a 5-minute to an 8-minute race. And by the end of it kids are exhausted. That's all there is to it, right? Um and you get me the crazy dad that's over on the on the side yelling, "You can swim faster.
Thank you all for doing such a wonderful job. Yeah, are you have are you enjoying the time when Mrs. Shaw comes into your class and helps you write? Yeah, it sounds like your writing skills are getting so good. And you're all published authors. We now have a copy >> we have your book right here. And you want me to tell you something fun about your teacher, Mrs. Clifford? So, I have a son, his name is Jake. He's 34 years old and his teacher was Mrs. Clifford, too. A long time ago. That's how awesome she is. She's yes. Yes, yes, yes. And she's still young, so I don't know, like the math doesn't really add up, but yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, it was wonderful to have you guys here tonight and I hope you continue working on your writing because you're already published authors. You could Look how much you could do.
So, we have a contingency built in for that. >> I got one more because he just he went right into >> Wait, can I do a follow-up question first? So, your the curriculum that's 97 where it says textbook districtwide, that's curriculum as well. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, reading you know, I'm the I'm the literacy coach. I'm the person committed that every child should learn to read. I mean, I think it's a civil right. And I think when I look at I looked at our special ed numbers, I looked at our budget, if we actually had a stronger reading program, I think our sped numbers would decline a little bit. So, is there any additional reading and I know it's hard in a hard budget reading support or reading specialists in your budget? I think no, but I wanted to ask >> no additional correct.
Like if you can't can you can you read it in and out and directly? cannot sit on a committee and be respected and not be chastised by your own committee. You should have taken issue with this when they're dropping fbombs on their signs, their sandwich board signs. Sorry, Jenny. You should have done something about it, too. when every child can walk by that and spell a four-letter word >> that starts with F >> and they can hear it when they listen to this >> and they can right kids aren't listening to this. Kids aren't listening to the meetings that are held at night. That's why these are held at night for adults to consider. But when they're presented in the public on the sidewalk as they walk by. >> Your time is up, sir. >> That's great. I want one. >> Of course you would.
and and that 6.7, it's a true number. Um, but there's a lot that makes up that number that I I just want to remind the board that we don't lose sight because I I'm just not sure there's been enough conversation about that. We proposed and you approved basically two numbers to the the board of finance that you presented. You presented a 5.92 operational and a 6.67 67 a total board of event package. What I think is being a little bit missed and it's it it just is what it is is that it says 6.67 but $258,000 of that is not new money to the the town. It's $258,000 that we already have. It just needs to be allotted. It was revenue to the board of education, but through our auditors, they would like us to, and I respect that, and the business manager respects that, and we agree with that at the board and the board of financing, they recommended that that revenue just goes to the town.
Uh this coming year. >> Oh, this coming year. Yeah. So, as far as the accountability, um for this one, it's I just to clarify, it's no less than 25%. Uh cuz if it was no more than 25%, we'd have to lower the current meal meal price. Yeah, excuse me. Um yeah. So, for the record, DOE is supporting not less than 1/2, 50%. >> 25%. >> Oh, 25%. Excuse me. No less than 1/2. Yes, correct. No more than 1/4 of the preparation cost. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. So, does that include fringe then in your 905? Or is it just pure what DOE is paying? Uh just DOE. So, you're not including the fringe benefits that goes into the meal costs? For the staff? Yeah. You don't think that's a part of the cost? >> on that. Okay. Yeah, I know it's Because because at some point it's kind of arbitrary in how you're picking that number, right?
Any questions? Two two things. Oh. No, actually you go first and I'll jump in in case you might ask my question already. So go ahead. Well, I have questions for you and and HGEA. Okay, my understanding from that prior incident was um with your predecessor uh Marion Sooji. I I asked about the possibility of ACOs from PSD. And my understanding was there was discussions were made and it wasn't a good fit. Was that your understanding too and that's the reason why you folks are uh attempting to hire own security rather than using Yes, and and you know, I think the um we're more treatment focused at our facility and so in that regard there's slight differences in the training that's needed. Okay, even though it's a forensic psychiatric Yes. Mhm. which are criminal defendants, right? Yes. Okay, thank you. And I have a question [clears throat] for HGEA.
Now, they may choose for any number of other reasons going on that then I'm not going to buy up this year. In that case, they won't have any impact to their paycheck. they may have a lesser plan but they won't have any impact to their uh piece. Now the 5% increase is just for medical. So when we look at vision and dental and some of that next year there could be a slightly bigger increase but the overall cost of of of vision and dental it relatively speaking is not that significant to begin with. So, you're not going to see the massive impact on the district budget or the personal budget uh even if there is an increase that's beyond 5% um uh for those. But for medical, that's where we'll see it. Um depending on uh I think somebody we were talking this morning um given everything that's happening with ACA, we may end up having more people come on board, not less.
Go, go, go." Right? And um um you get to the 400 yd mark in that race. And that's when it becomes really difficult to finish, right? So students, staff, parents we're starting that 400 yd mark right now, right? We're in this final stretch. We're in the final 100 yd. We've got basically 2 months of school left. Finish that race. I always tell my girls, "Swim through the wall. Don't coast the last 50 or 25 yd of that race. Finish strong. Take your last stroke right through the wall. So students in particular this is your opportunity to finish super strong and make the mark that you guys want to do. So that's all that I have. Thank you, Mr. Owens. >> [applause] >> Very well said. Very well said. Member Garcia. Thank you, Madam President. And again congratulations to you on your your award. Much deserved.
And I have a fun detail to share with you, too, that I got to work with Mrs. Shaw as a writer when I was a little kid because guess what? Mrs. Shaw's my mom. Isn't that exciting? She's a great teacher. She helped me become a really good writer, too. So nice. My kitchen was covered in newspaper rolls. And my kids got to write from the time they were two years old. Then when we moved out of the apartment, I didn't realize but they wrote on the walls in the bedroom. Yeah. No. And he was in the kitchen and I had to paint the whole place. Wow. Love it. They became writers. Yeah, and look look where you are now. And I sit on site council with Mrs. Shaw. Whenever you talk about this program, your eyes light up, right? Pete, I like so it's such such a great thing and it brings the community together and it's nice, I'm sure, for you to be able to still use all your talent.
Yeah. But what you see here generally except for not generally except for the two positions that we mentioned is a rollover this year. >> Okay. >> So there no no additional reading specialists. Okay. to answer your question. >> Oh, there are some because there's some reading the teachers are learning different things, right? And there are >> Yeah. So, that has been a bit of the shift that we've made this year is to try to reinforce the structures that we have around literacy and literacy development so that teachers like one place where it's not in the budget because it's covered through a grant this year is AAL doesn't have a literacy curriculum right now they're piloting well not right now starting April 6 they're starting to pilot two prek literacy curricula um great first eight and Boston focus are the two that they've identified right but that's all through a grant right now so the c we're going to have a literacy curriculum at AAL beginning next year so that's a foundational piece that we've added.
>> All right. >> I will reiterate that we are the scope of this body is related to the functioning and the governance of our schools, not the policing of people's individual language on their own time in their own business. responsible. >> I will also not committed. >> Your time is done. >> I will also not brookke personal attacks on the people that we employ. Um, that's not acceptable here. >> That's not my feeling. That's just not what we're going to do. That's a norm of behavior. Um, are there any members of the public online that would wish to make a public comment now? Seeing none, I will have us move along. The next item on our agenda is a vote to present the mayor to the mayor for the fiscal year 2027 school department budget. I'm looking for a I'm making a motion to forward the budget as presented.
So, that increased our budget right out of the bat to um to 6.67. If we didn't have to do that and we were able to offset our budget like we've done the past two years with the ECS education cost money, our number would be a 5.92. So I want everybody to understand even though it says 6.67, the mill rate is not affected um by the the 6.67 67 from a 5.92 because the money is just being moved to different accounts and the board of finance is still able to use the $258,000 of offsetting of revenue. Please let me know if I'm explaining that appropriately because we've gone over that probably four or five times as board of education. Everybody understand that? >> Yeah, I just have a quick question on that. >> Yeah. So in regards to the 258, is that included then on the board of select men's budget?
Or is there some direction on how you're coming up with that 905? And has it been consistent on how you've been calculating it? It has been. Let me let me check on that. >> Because part of it is if you you can decide some one year it's just purely the food costs, we're not even going to include personnel, right? And so, I think we just need to make sure that we have a handle on what it is because if you you potentially can keep changing the number. We don't know what we used to calculate if we're not sure, right? I know the the method of calculation has been consistent. But let me check on if the fringe is included. Right? Because if you include fringe, then, you know, you might the number might be off, right? So, so what what is your plan then? Because obviously, what we need to understand is how long have we been at 905, right?
And then you can ask Yeah, yeah, you can go first. Okay, thank you. Okay. Um HGEA there is nothing preventing you folks from unionizing these exempt people, right? So um Nui Seabass for HGEA. Um these employees would at least some of them would I believe be part of our union already. So >> So there will be union protections for them and if they choose to join the union, you you you you're not going to close your doors on them, right? Uh so if I can maybe just clarify maybe um so exempt employees, although they're part of our union, um we cannot grieve um disciplinary actions. So if they were to get suspended or terminated >> at will. But other than the grievance procedure They are entitled to many of the other rights and benefits of the CBA if they're part of our union. Okay, thank you.
So, we'll just have to wait and see. >> Okay. Correct me if I'm wrong, but have we have ASB before? >> No. >> Yes. No. >> Yes. I think we had >> maybe it's before you. >> Okay. >> But wasn't as bait, right? No. Yeah, we did Smid for years and years. >> But is that be before you? Did we do ASB? >> No, you did Smid before me. We were in Smid because Carla was on. We were probably on Smid for close to 15 years. 20 years >> now. If this is passed now, um then are we looking at um not having to to balance the budget or to have the employees pay any part of their own? >> Right. Based on we're still wait the contracts for teachers are backed by the six. So >> there's there's still a lot of moving parts.
And also to piggyback off of Member Owens' comments to the students and staff, welcome back. Um I know spring break is also hard to recover from, but again as he's iterated just a few minutes ago, push through and finish strong and uh we'll get through this school year together. >> [applause] >> Member Lopez. Vice President Lopez. Um [clears throat] I was busy with spring break. I'm sure just as all of you parents were trying to keep the kids busy. Praying that school would hurry up and start back up. Um and just yeah, you you said it very well, Member Owens. Um look forward to for everybody to have a great last quarter and prep for the 8 weeks that we have the kids back and need to pre-occupy them for the 8 weeks of summer. So that was it. >> [laughter] >> Thank you. Well, it is great to be back.
Well, from the day I started teaching 55 years ago, I believed that in order to engage children and get them hooked on wanting to learn, you have to make it real. And if they're going to write, they got to publish. And that's where the seed for me grew. Uh I wanted to put it in the newspaper because I did this in the when I taught in Milford, I did a full page in the newspaper every month. K to 12. And um they taught me how to do the layout. I learned a lot. And I gained a lot. But when I started here in Ashland, I went back to the newspaper and they said they would be more than happy to help me, but they couldn't give me a whole page because everything's digital now and they don't have a whole page to offer us. So, this is why it became a bound book.