But what I've been saying is the structure that we're trying to set up now is right, we give the dibbles, which is a essentially a benchmark screener. So it's going to give you a broad range. And I think remember Goodman has said this a few times, right? I think our practice in the past has been like if you're below or well below you're getting intervention services but many of the same those students based on that we're getting the same services despite where their strengths or challenges might be right so now what we're doing is you have the dibbles the dibbles still identify the below or well below in in their reading ability then we give core or pass which is a diagnostic and starts to target what skills those students are struggling on. So then teachers can group them and interventionists, multilingual learner teachers, special ed teachers are all at the table about who's taking who.
Looking for a second. >> Second. Thank you. Member Deniv discussion. All right. Keep in mind I need you to slow, clear, loud so that your member, your colleague can hear you and the members of the public online can also hear you. All right. I've got Mel and then I saw the mayor. Any other hands that I can get on staff? All right. I don't agree with putting forward a 2 and a half million increase. I think we have places that we can we can cut. I don't think that amount is respectful to the taxpayers. Um we have as taxpayers, we're the third highest taxed citizens in Massachusetts. We just had our houses reassessed. A lot of us are paying more taxes than we ever have. Our water bills have gone up and Greenfield is gasping for breath. We have water manes that are breaking. We have are the lowest for in in Massachusetts city or town who is bringing in business funds.
Are we positive that that's reflected correctly there? >> No, >> it is Jordan. It's um board of selectment budget for expenses. Um this is a revenue item. So this is on a in a separate area of the budget. It goes to it goes to the revenues that offset the expenses. So this is not in the board of selectments budget. These are not expenses. These are considered revenues which is a a different topic. >> It's a revenue to offset the total budget. >> So is it fair to say Anna >> you debit board of education and you credit board of selection? >> No. >> Well because we were trying to we we we were using it as a credit. So yeah you can say that you >> it's not for the board to select. I don't know. >> So I want to be very clear. This has nothing to do with the board of select budget.
And how long have we been out of compliance? And based on increasing salaries plus food costs, what is your plan to increase the food prices, right? I think the board tried to do something and then I we haven't seen anything. But obviously, you might be out of compliance with this relatively quickly. And if we don't understand what your plan is, then we don't know what right what the right number is. If it's more, is it less, you know, in terms of what we're going to put into the bill. So, we Well, for us to to make that sound decision, we need to understand what what is your thinking, right? So, I think whether this bill passes or not will impact our plan because, like you said, there was a proposal last year, I believe, to increase it I think a quarter a year to be in compliance with the statute.
And you have a question This is super fast. Um okay to to Department of Health, but Okay. >> Department of Health, real fast. Um the positions have been funded for a while, but you haven't been able to fill them. Why not? If you Is it because of the descriptions from DHRD? Is it the price classifications which have been brought up by HGEA? We we haven't been able to establish them um Yeah, right because of because of the types of experience and training needed, you we it doesn't cleanly fit into what is Could you not go to DHRD and and get a re-description and also ask for them to increase the pay for these positions as well? It it would be a totally new category, I believe, because well, if we're kind of restricted by what is currently in those different classifications. >> Yeah, exactly. But I guess some some departments are going to DHR to rededescribe positions and ask for an increase in the position to address the fact that they're vacant and they can't hire anybody.
I do not anticipate at this point in time >> that we'll have to do that because of the swing of 500,000. We would not anticipate that anybody's gonna have to pay for anything, which is another reason why we would move forward with this. >> Okay, that makes me feel a little better. Okay, any other questions? >> Okay, well then if uh we have no questions, I will take a motion. >> I motion to approve Asbait employee medical insurance plan provider and benefits package for 2026 2027 as presented. >> I second. >> All in favor? >> I. Motion carries five to zero. Mr. Ray has now joined us. >> Stephen, were you able to log on or should I vote for you? >> We have >> Yeah, you're fast. >> I voted. >> Okay, >> Voted. Okay. All right. So, 5.2 discussion and consideration approval employee work calendar change.
Um there was a few things that I was able to attend before spring break um since our last board meeting. Um it was I was very honored to throw out the first pitch for the Desert Sunrise softball game. So thank you so very much for inviting me to do that. Um and I was able to participate in the Read Across America at Santa Rosa. Uh got to read to fourth graders. It was a lot of fun. Um and then I was able to attend the um National Board Certified Teacher Celebration Dinner um on Saturday a couple Saturdays ago. Um it was it's an awesome uh time just to celebrate these teachers and the the accomplishments. It is not easy to become a national certified board teacher. There is a lot of work involved. Um and for many of these teachers, they were they'd already received it once and they were getting it again.
Love it. Thank you. >> I still like the real books, not the digital books. So, thank you all. It was wonderful to meet you all and have a great rest of your year. Thank you for coming. Yeah. Great job. >> You don't have to stick around. You're You're welcome to, but I can tell you that this is the only good part of the meeting. Not the only good part. Well, >> best part. >> The best part. Thank you for having me. Of course. Thank you. Before I leave, I want to say one thing and I mean this from the bottom of my heart. That I have been in education for 55 years and I've worked in many, many, many schools. But I have not met a system whose heart and soul and hard work is so directed and so into wanting to do the best for the students in Ashland.
And we do have some, I would say, model classrooms, model grade levels where the classroom teacher in their intervention block has everybody at grade level. The interventionist is taking a small group, the special ed teacher, the multilingual learner teacher. We do have other places where the triangle is still flipped upside down. So the classroom teacher is working with a small group of students who might be below grade level but has a specific target and then has resources to to support those those specific gaps. So if the gap is in CVC words, they have specific resources that can target those students to to help build those. And then their progress monitoring weekly in UFly and then progress monitoring dibbles monthly to continue to figure out how do we reshape, regroup, reshuffle our group so that the students are getting what they need these just in time supports.
That data was presented me during during elections. So, we are struggling because the people raising the money to pay for everything from water to our schools are human beings. They're not businesses. They're individuals being taxed. And I can't in good conscience go forward with a seven, what is it? 7.4. I think I've been watching what other districts are doing around us. Um, I don't think it's reasonable or respectful to go forward with that. For the last 48 hours, I've spent a lot of energy in our budget and I can easily see where there can be cuts that are not going to reach our students. They're not going to reach our classrooms. They're not going to change, you know, our daily lives in our schools. And so, you know, I'm comfortable with going forward with 500,000 increase, but not two and a half. I am not.
So when the board of finance, we have the board of finance chair here. I don't mind being part of what I'm saying. Um if he's comfortable with it, the board of finance is offsetting when they're looking at the budget and the revenue that is coming into the town. Instead of the ECS being, let's say it was $4 million coming to the town, it's now $4.2 million coming to the town. It still offsets the mill rate and the taxes that are brought into the town. >> Yeah, that's that's correct. It's concerned on tax revenue that we don't account for until we put all three portions of the budget together and then offset. So, >> like we did not get a fluent. No, no. This has nothing to do, Jordan. Does that make sense? It has nothing to do with the board of swapping. That has everything to do with the revenue that is coming in through the town.
Uh but we actually went the opposite way. We made more meals free. So, reduced kids are free this year and next year the Alice students are free. So, as far as moving forward, I think we're waiting to see what happens with this because if the ceiling is 25% we need to lower it from there. Even though food costs are going to increase. So, you're Wait, so you're planning So, depending on what the outcome is, you might lower because you want to depending on if we go up or above or below. Yes. Okay. >> Cuz the current language creates a ceiling. >> But don't But don't you know what what is your projected increase per year? Like is it 5% or is it like What What is it the historical's been of getting to that 905, right? Like What What is the increase been over the past couple of years?
These have been vacant for a long time. >> Joy Can Joy help answer the question? Cuz I see her She's waiting to answer. >> to answer. >> Come on up, Joy. Come on up. Because my my understanding is the the the bottleneck is at DHR in the reclassification. And because of the overcrowding of Hawaii State Hospital and the incidents, they need these positions filled sooner rather than later. Yes. Okay, but then Oh, no. I I was just I was just going to say that that's sort of in Dr. Motta's testimony when she spoke to long-term potentially being able to move these positions over to civil service. That's kind of the idea is that that would buy us being able to exempt these positions now and would allow us to recruit and hire now while we're able to work with DHR in however long that process takes to be able to establish those new classes if that's the direction that the department and DHR choose to go.
Administration is requesting approval to adjust teacher contract dates by one day earlier than currently reflected in approval of school calendar. Under this proposal, new teachers would report to July 16th, previously 17th, and returning teachers would Okay. And so what it really is, it's really on the back end because of normally what we would have is we would have um uh graduation one day and the teachers will come back the next day and close out shop because of the way the calendar falls in this particular year and the way this pay cycles are and the fact that that Penal County does a a Thursday to Wednesday pay period as opposed to Friday. uh if we do not move the calendar then all the district employees when they get their final uh contract will now get it a week at least a week later which puts it into the third week of June which creates some issues probably more issues for us than if we didn't.
They had to keep it active and that's still a very long process. So I was happy to be able to be there um to celebrate with them and support our teachers in our district. And some of you have may have heard and I kind of started out with uh the meeting this evening, um Boys and Girls Club of of the Sun Corridor, which is a partner with MUSD providing before-and-after school programs is having their largest fundraising event this Saturday. It's called Dancing for Our Stars. Um Dr. Lopeman is very familiar with it because she's not only been a dancer but a judge and a winner and a winner. The trophy is in her office if anybody wants to see it. So this year we are honored to have Dr. Scott participating as one of our celebrity dancers. So there are >> [applause] >> There are still tickets for sale and you can support Dr.
I've seen staff work together. I've seen staff collaborate with each other. I've seen staff concerned about their students in a way that I've not seen it in other schools. And I proclaim myself as a self-appointed cheerleader for the Ashland schools. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for all you do. >> Thank you. Thank you. Uh Do you have any tissues? Who set this agenda? I don't want to follow that. Yeah, good luck. I said it was the only good thing on the on the meeting. All right. So, I'm That means I'm up. Oh, you're up. All right. Let me share this. All right. Uh so, I had reached out to Lori just because uh uh I had been preparing a bunch of slides and data in preparation for me to be able to talk about the override and it struck me that I hadn't presented it here, so it would be odd for uh it to be out in the in the community and not uh not be presented here first.
>> So are you still doing assessments? >> Yes. >> So is MAP your universal screener or is Dibbles? >> Dibbles. Okay. All right. Okay. Um, so this doesn't have any extra positions for reading. That's what I was asking. Okay. Ready? >> That was it for my questions. >> I have a question on 209 for postage. Tim Stevens grouped school. >> Yep. We're talking mailing things out like we talking special education things out. Yeah. Yes. I'm asking what it is specifically because I didn't see a line for postage in special ed, which I know that when they mail things out, you also get a return with a stamp on it as well. >> Systemwide. Yes. System. >> Yeah. IP notices that go out, report cards, postage. >> Are we looking to streamline report cards to not have postage? I'd love to have that. >> So would I.
>> Okay. >> Thank you, mayor. Any other people to get on stack? >> All right. Member Childs, but the mayor for now. >> Um, so, um, I think that we should be looking at it one thing at a time, and I have a whole bunch of suggestions. Um, >> so, um, >> which is what I do when I go through each department's budget. I look down, I see where they were this year, where they were the year before, blah blah blah. >> Um, >> we're in a tough spot. And so, we're going to have to take extra things just to balance the budget. But we I believe that as a group, we have to do better than this. I think it's a million7. >> I thought it was a million7. It is. Is that right? So, want me to to give you all of my suggestions together.
So, the other day when the excuse me, >> the revenue to authenticity expenses. >> So, when the board of finance the other day was doing their sheet, their worksheet, and they were putting in all the percentages, that revenue was included within everything that they were doing the calculation on. >> Okay. And which line I guess would that be included then on? >> I'm just trying to figure out where exactly the 258 is reflected since it's coming out of us. Basically, it's increasing our budget. Where where is it then? Where is it reflected other than a debit off of ours? Where where else? Where can I find the other side? So, you're in the if you're when we get to the the town in the in the town budget book in the revenue section, you won't see 258,000. What you'll see is ECS educational cost share for 40068 I believe is the number that 258,000 is in that number.
We were still calculating that. I can I can get back to you on the increase over the past several years. Because then then we can kind of know, okay, we we we know that we're we're going to calculate 5% a year, then we better make sure that the board is corresponding, making sure that that, you know, increase is happening at the board level because I don't I don't think what we want is we come back a couple years from now and you guys just didn't move the meal price and we're out of compliance and then we got to change the law to I don't know 15%, 10%, right? So, um I think part of it is is we just don't want to get into this situation ever again where we have to keep tinkering cuz I think this is year two of trying to change the meal price, right?