Just as we're hearing conversation and input from community, I'm trying to understand how we're thinking about the budget for our process. I think that's a Margaret question or a committee question. That might be a deliberation, not a clarification. >> Uh it it I don't think it's for deliberation. Um my I'm going to say something and then I see Sarah Bess's hand. My understanding is that in Pelum the budget is presented differently than it is at the region and Ammerst and that we vote on a final number. But if that's not Sarah Best, did you want to add something? >> Uh, we tried to talk about cost centers in the fall, I believe, at Pelum, and they were I don't think they were approved or voted on. So, I think this budget is a bottom number budget. And then if we want to do something different for our next year's budget, then we should think of that um >> be ahead of time.
If you look at the independent audited financial statements. In fact, I'm just going to tell you about three. Um changing health insurance, moving to the Group Insurance Commission, and doing an energy savings performance contract. I won't necessarily get into detail, but we made a lot of energy efficiency improvements um that saved money. And then we actually financed those through competitive qualified energy conservation bonds, which save the town millions of dollars. Okay. Well, best-laid plans, folks. I was on a roll, too. I kind of felt good. That's okay. Make me sick, so I couldn't stand next to him. All right. >> [snorts] >> Thank you. Can everybody hear me I know everybody can hear me in here. I just want to make sure Can everybody hear me on Zoom? And just give everybody a Okay, I'm getting some thumbs up. Okay. So, yeah. So, just with three three initiatives, um we saved the taxpayers $16.3 million.
Well, what makes French classical different? First, we have the music structure. French classical is a mix of different genres and types of music. Not only that, the artists that tend to produce the most popular music aren't always native from France. Well, remember those um artists that I told you about? Here are some popular songs from them. First, we have Cara Brun as well as Raphael. And Emma Cook covered Voila featuring Andrew Rio and she also wrote her own song called Strzer. Next stop and final stop is Brazil. We're going to be traveling to Brazil to discover Brazilian samba. Brazilian samba is broken up into a couple different parts. First, we have syncopated rhythms, two four time signature, and finally fast-paced and energetic. Well, what is syncopated rhythms? Syncopated rhythms is the musical technique of emphasizing the offbeat. I'm going to call up a friend. That way they can demonstrate what syncopated rhythms is.
>> I mean, I don't know what I'd have to do to get there, but I'd love to try. >> Get that passport and let's just start going. Yeah. >> Um well, I can ask you the same question. You are a junior. Um, >> yeah. >> Do you at this moment before you hit your senior year, you know, you obviously don't have to have it all figured out, but do you have uh a goal at continuing in a when you reach college? >> Um, I plan to continue continue down the a business pathway and hopefully become an appraiser or into the accounting business and just really help out with those financial decisions that farmers have to make because that's tough sometimes. >> Do you guys have dream colleges you'd want to go to? >> Uh, I don't know. I'm trying to find the cheapest one. Honestly, I'd love to go to I'd love to go to K State.
So, I [clears throat] just have to take attendance, if I may, again. Mrs. Abreu? Here. Mr. Capano? Here. Mrs. Freda? Here. Mr. Garciga? Yes. Mr. Nadreau? Yes. Dr. Pontiliano? Here. And Mr. Terabokia? Here. Mr. Reinfuss? All right. Thank you, Mr. Alfano. Thank you, [clears throat] Board of Education members, um the public, students, teachers, uh Mrs. Calabrese, um and our technology department who's here um helping us live stream um tonight's board meeting. Uh first and foremost, I know everyone is probably tired of hearing the word budget at this point, but a huge thank you goes out to Mr. Alfano, our business administrator, um members of the office staff in um just constantly coming up with creative ways to stretch every dollar that we have available to us. So, I I'm pleased that we are at this point. Um I'd be lying if I said that this was a seamless and smooth uh process.
It was like, can it be up to the sites? And I think the rebuttal was that you would hate for, um, you know, a parent, for example, to to site this document as a reason why the school is wrong. And so, they're just trying to get it so where it's verbalized in a way that does fit all schools, but I also, um, like I said, I side with what you're saying. Um, but it's also for me being an outsider. Like one of my reasons why I side with that is just correct me, um, actually not even correcting me, but if you all answer this question, is every school one-to-one or are there some schools that are one-to-one and some that aren't? All schools are one-to-one. >> One-to-one devices? Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so that's the all schools. Okay. Okay, my my I guess then my my next thought doesn't really matter.
So this year is just a bottom line budget. >> Um for anyone listening, cost centers are se are effectively just just to clarify what I'm talking about for folks listening in. Cost centers are like um sections of the budget. So like areas of the budget that are determined with input from the school committee and administration. So that might be like a line of teacher salaries for example. Um I wanted to ask Tanya if you could just say out loud you've explained this in other case places but just for anyone who's newer listening can you explain what uh high need students refers to. >> Sure. Um high needs is a multi-faceted thing. So it could be um a combination of SC, low income, um multiple um MLE, it's a variety of things. So it's a composite of the individual subgroups that you might have. >> Thank you.
Not only that, our town since 2013 has secured $32 million in grants, and that is very conservative. Very conservative. Now, a lot of those funds are restricted funds. You know, what does that mean, Michael? Restricted means that you can only use it for certain things, generally not operating expenses. And so, when people ask us, you know, gosh, you got a financial issue, why are you doing downtown? Why are you doing a sidewalk here? Why are you making all of these improvements? Folks, we're doing it with grant funds. We're doing it with other people's money, not yours, because they need to be made and they enhance our community. And so, the smart thing to do is use other people's money, not ours. So again, just with these two things, you're looking at saving taxpayers $48 million over the years. And again, that's very, very conservative. Again, folks, this isn't me saying it.
Do you mind demonstrating? As you can see, the offbeat often times um is more emphasized. And next, what is two four time signature? Well, that means that there are two beats per measure and the quarter note will always receive the beat. Now Ash, can you just show the difference between 24 and 44? Thank you. Well, what makes Brazilian samba music different? First, we have the dance structure. The difference between traditional samba and Brazilian samba is Brazilian is much more relaxed and a lot less structured. There's also the music structure. The Brazilian samba is in 24 time signature like you just heard and is designed for carnival. Well, how is the actual music structure besides for 24? We have the heavy use of percussions. Samba often uses drum kits as you might know from your Portuguese classes. Not only that, they use steady repetitive rhythms. Uh samba consists of lots of layers and lots of rhythms being played at the same time, oftentimes to create very simple harmonies.
>> Yeah. >> But and we've got a I've got a house over there in the Manhattan area so I wouldn't have to pay for the dorms and everything, but >> I was I was surprised to say NDSU or something like that. Do they not do they have a good program over there? >> They have one of the best obviously. I mean, >> but everything's the best. >> Got the expenses now. >> Yeah. I don't I wouldn't have a place to live there and that's that's a bit bit of a drive. >> Being homeless wouldn't be too bad, huh? >> Maybe not. >> Living out of your car. >> I could live out of my car. Nice truck. >> Yeah. Not the roomiest. I don't know. Probably wouldn't be able to lay out very long. >> Yeah. What about you, Lily? >> Um I think I'm planning on attending K State, but if I had to go anywhere, I'd probably go go somewhere warm, >> you know.
Um sitting in on a lot of the new superintendent meetings that I'm required to attend, um it's the budget is is on everyone's mind, and it doesn't matter if you um are in this part of Bergen County or um Southern New Jersey, it it it it doesn't escape any of us. Um and I think the team that we have put together, the conversations that we've had, the ideas that we've thrown around, and some of the uh policies that we are looking forward to implementing in the future, um is going to make a big difference. So, whatever challenge is ahead of us, we are going to do our best um to make conscious decisions, and I'm looking forward to continuing the partnership [clears throat] that we have here. Um but again, I would be re- remiss to uh not mention the hard work of Mr. Alfano, Mrs.
So. Yeah, and I I mean I I fully support systematizing rules and systematizing regulations and expectations in terms of the actual usage of cell phones. I'm I'm not arguing that. I I embrace that. I guess I just wonder if it's necessary to define the school day only because it has the potential to be uh to a sort of lock us in where somebody could say, "Oh, well, you know, your policy says this this and this um when we're trying to enforce, you know, X, Y, or Z uh rule." Sometimes uh uh uh a little vagueness actually works to our advantage. And my question would be where uh what's the power in going in defining the school day? Like what what's the advantage of doing that? I think it's because if I don't know, and I am like not committed to anything, but I imagine we have to show like in terms of like the use the kids are doing, you had to define in some way why when this policy is relevant.
>> You're welcome. >> Um and I just want to re reiterate Sarah Bess's question. I know we got it. What I heard in a last finance committee meeting was folks presented a level fund level funding funded budget but because but they may be receiving higher numbers than that. Um so that seems like important information for us as we're >> I I will find that out. I will have that for you all. William, >> I think those minutes are posted. So, I think we can it can be verified through their finance committee's meetings. >> Um, okay. Uh, I can do that, but I will also talk to John Tricky and find that out as well. Did do you have another question, William? >> No, no, that was all I was just gonna say. I think it's posted on their minutes. Okay. >> Answer to Sarah Best's question.
This is the independent auditors. And you know, another another agency, and I mentioned it before, that comes in and and evaluates our finances, our Standard & Poor's. You might have heard of them. You know, S&P 500, all that good stuff. They do things they they rate municipalities' credit. You know, just like Equifax comes in and gives you a credit score and you get alerts every day um about something. Um we go to Standard & Poor's and they say, "Okay, if you want to go borrow money, we have to evaluate your credit on behalf of investors." And so, they come in and they look at everything, our management practices, um our economics, um our tax base. And this is what they came up with. So first of all, we we achieved AAA rating status in 2016. We jumped up three bond ratings in three years, from 2013 when I started as finance director to 2016.
Speaking of simple harmonies, samba music uses simple chord progressions that often emphasize the melody. There's also a call and response vocal. Most samba songs consist of a vocal soloist trading lines with an ensemble group with at least eight background singers, but there could be more. Next, we're going to talk about Karma Miranda. Karma Miranda was a Brazilianb born singer uh and actress who helped make samba popular internationally through her Hollywood career in the 1930s and 1940s. Oftentimes she was seen as a beacon of light because a lot of people looked up to her because she was often times seen in movies during the World War II. Oh, I am Emma and this is how I'm making waves for a better tomorrow. Thank you, Emma, for sharing your love of music and cultures. Our last presentation for period 1 is Invest Thing: The Path to Financial Freedom by Jack Silva.
>> I I have seen a lot um about K State and how it has a really good a program and since it's so close, I mean, that's definitely a great option for people. >> Um and I know I've heard BOSAD talk about the great a program there and I've heard Miss Van Allen talk about it. Um, so I would assume that many people if they want to stay close at home and many people do, they're just like KState is a great option. >> Yes. >> Um, >> I mean with instate tuition and everything, it's hard not to go. >> Yeah. And I'd assume I love KU, but I'd assume KU does not have a good one. >> They're not the best. I think they're more focused on those higher education kind of like doctor. >> Yeah. And I think it's also has to do with kind of like where you're at and within where the college is placed.
uh uh Mary Ann in the main in the main office, uh, Mr. Alfano, uh, sorry, Mr. um, Alben, uh, Mrs. Calabrese and the members of the Board of Education for all your support through this process. So, big thank you, uh, to each one of you here tonight. Um, as well as a huge thank you to the borough, uh, for the work that you have helped, um, the support that you've had with us, um, getting us through this process. And from day one, we have seen nothing but, uh, support on your end. And I know that, uh, they're seeing the challenges just as much as we are. So, we truly support the, uh, partnership that we have with the borough in moving this, um, as, as far along as we can. Uh, big thank you to the teachers. Uh, the last couple weeks, we had a couple big weeks, uh, with Read Across America in our elementary schools.
Cuz otherwise it's like restrictions of wireless communication devices if you don't identify like the time and place, then you would theoretically just be like I don't know. I think I'm I don't know if I'm understanding what you're saying, but I do I think it's purely to kind of identify like when this is in place. Because at one point they said before and after school, so then you have to define what the school day is. Uh so I mean I I I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know those things, but uh my my understanding is that anytime where uh students are under the care of or supervision of us is when rules apply, right? So, I get and that's why I'm asking the question, is it necessary to define school day? Because once they leave campus and they're off campus on their own, I'm not saying the rules don't apply, especially if it's something that is the portal to portal type of aspect, but it becomes I mean, for me it's it's it's a it becomes a tool in order to prosecute of a particular or investigate, you know, like if there's a fight, like I can give an example, we had a fight that was off campus and we had worked with parents and stuff to get cell phone footage in order to be part of the investigation.
>> Okay. So, I don't see any other hands with clarifying questions. So, um at this point, oh, Jenny, sorry. Uh I'm wondering, do we have somewhere in the budget or in other documentation um a cost per pupil average at Pelum? It's not in the budget book, but it is in or posted on Desi's website. Um, so that Desi has a financial section and there's a spot that says radar and when you go there, you can see all um comparison data. You can see the per pupil data on there and I'm happy to share the link as well. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. All right, I'm looking again. I don't see any hands. Um, so at this time would take comment from uh people who are attending the meeting. Megan, do you have do you see hands? Don't see hands. There are two written questions in the webinar chat.
We went from double A to double A positive to double A plus to triple A. That saves taxpayers millions of dollars because, just like your credit score, the better rating, the better rate. Okay? And then they came in and they do these reports and we've got them online if you want to check them out. And this is what they said about our management practices. They said, you know, this is just a couple of quotes. Our financial practices are strong, well embedded, likely systematic. We've made it a culture. And then also, management has a record of outperforming the budget through good planning and tight expenditure controls. I didn't say that. These folks didn't say that. S&P said that. And so, that's great. Michael, what does that mean for the average taxpayer? What does that mean? Right? Good question. And before I go to the next slide and show you what this impact has been on your taxes, I want to let you know, I understand taxes have gone up a lot.