Um we have also had workers compensation passes that have been covered with overtime and stuff. So that's uh that that didn't work great this month. Um and then although over budget, this category does reflect the anticipation of reimbursement for the town for the superintendent of buildings and grounds. Same situation budgeted up at the town for FY26. um tried predominantly a board of ed position, moved down to the board of ed, board of ed did not budget for that position. So, we're trying to work out, you know, how that, you know, financially how we're going to rectify um that um our employee um benefits maintained a positive forecast, but we had a reduction um for unemployment claims. Um and in other other areas other than salaries and benefits, we saw movement in regular education, transportation, um bo transportation and tuition, utilities, um which was a positive change in utilities um because we finally had eight month we had eight months worth of actual expenditures and um it's difficult to gauge the usage because we have a solar power aotment and we it's difficult to track.
What would you >> Yes. Remember they they have to so they might have put sometimes. >> Yeah. >> Um but only the the percentage here that we're seeing is the kids that answered. >> Yes. >> Like basically always all the time like you know so that could be part of it. >> Yeah. So >> different family perception >> the challenge of these surveys, right? >> Yeah. >> Sometimes it's interpretation. >> Yeah. There you go. Um again measure same question to how the students understand >> nobody feels safe at school. No, that's not what it is, right? >> The family service. So we looked at the non but a little above this one answering the um that they are valued by my child. >> Yeah, that's true. You're right. parents um responding to school elementary >> and that was a merger you're right >> this is the 23 And I'm not sure.
We'll follow our meeting minutes. there's I don't know I mean I'm not So my sense is to lie I just said okay that's fine I don't want to just say no Yep Okay members if there are no discuss the recommendation is to pass both SCR and SR as is one second hold on technical and non-substantive amendments for clarity and consistency so with an SD1 Any any discussion hearing none to pass amendments Yeah with tech amendments yes thank you chair votes I chair votes I it's um sorry not I'm passing an amendment Excuse me she's a mini me mini me I'm not confused Yeah pass with amendments >> Yes chair Kim I I Senator Fukunaga excused Senator Hashimoto I Senator DeCoite excuse me this is adopted with amendments Thank you For JCM the same recommendation questions or concerns if not vice chair chair Rhodes vice chair votes I Senator Chang Senator San Buenaventura I And measures adopted Thank you Thank you We're adjourned
Um so again, what we have been hearing is it could be several years before any of those funds could flow into the school to help. Ms. Rushcamp, can I just for the people that are listening, is um it's billions of dollars. Okay, and are the the uh state of Arizona's constitution um requires fair and equitable funding for K-12 schools and repeatedly the legislature has failed to live up to that. They lose, they constantly and continuously um lose in court. So, we're talking about billions of dollars for all of our schools, but I thought that this was sort of the last gasp appeal. It may take a while, but I think we're really much closer and I very much look forward to it. And also, I just wanted to say um welcome Ms. Orr Noonan and Mr. Orr. No one will think any less of you if you don't want to spend.
Um, and I think that's the one thing the school committee has expressed like making sure that Pelham operates as as its own district. Um, and so we want to make sure that we whatever past practice or practice that we had we look into it, we vet it before we implement it, but we vet it from the standpoint of what's going to be the impact to Pelham and what's going to be the impact overall because some things um are going to are not just costs. They have a operational impact like you're talking about. So, we're we're moving intentional um in what we do. Okay, I'm coming back to what I just forwarded um I thought I sent an email to everyone but it wasn't and I apologize about that but I just forwarded it to the school committee and It's not attached. It just said this is a school Oh, yeah.
And again, we're not we're we're we're struggling with that the moment. It's the last thing. I think I mentioned that I really see this is like a two-year plan to get to to sort of fix some of the challenges we have. This is the last thing outstanding. All of our other reports, everything is in time. Um and it's just some nuances that we're we're debating and they've had some I think changes to how they consider excess and deficiency. So um and we had those challenges with the capital accounts and I I didn't really factor in how much that would play into our E&D balance and and those calculations. Okay, so about 2.4 million in school choice before taking the 910 out. And then what about E&D? But obviously before you certified the 200,000, was there like a a million in there or >> So there there's probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 and some thousand dollars at the end of 2025.
So I think we're going to be positive in that area based on that information. Um some movement in maintenance purchase services. We are curtailing expenses wherever possible given the fact that we are um still looking at a um an an overall over budget condition. Um and you know that that's what we do here. We tighten our belts so um so that you know we don't have to go >> curtail is another word for freeze. Correct. >> Yeah. >> Freeze. >> Yeah. >> Don't you like curtail better though? >> I want the public to know we froze. >> Um special education. Um actually um we were 10,000 worse. Um but that was a net of some very positive movement in a couple of of areas. and then um some increased student needs. So, special education is holding its own. Um so, it was um overall a lot of movement in the month of March.
And then the second um statement we looked at is my child school creates a friendly but the high school perception on whether there's a friendly environment at their school. We had again a big big bump up last year. >> Looking at it the other way% positive responses either agree or strongly about my child's school 59% positive response at the high school and child school for high school. for middle school. >> Same statement. I feel valued by my child's school has basically kind of stayed steady. >> I mean, exactly the same um >> point. The second question, my child's increment is the parents are feeling more I think and happy about the middle school environment for themselves on campus as well parents. So again this is another summary metric 62% either agree or strongly agree that their child school creates a friendly environment trending from last year.
You've got a lot of late nights ahead of you. I know you're being polite, but I think it I think we would all be okay. Okay. And and one additional thing to mention, um schools are reliant, especially a school like Higley who does not have a capital override or bonds, of the SFD, the School Facilities Division, to assist us when we do have emergency problems. Unfortunately, the state is not funding SFD as they should either. So again, they went into the start of this fiscal year already millions of dollars in the hole. We have qualified for multiple projects. Unfortunately, we won't see that money. So we will have to turn to our own capital to pay for those items till that can get fixed. So looking at our budget calendar, May 5th, we will bring this capital budget back for a second review in hopes of getting tentative approval.
Sorry. Um You can send it after. It's next You had one more question. Yeah, no, I just want to emphasize the reason I'm asking so much about choice and timing is like for everyone to be really transparent because we got pressing that the school may be closing. I think the more public facing we are about that the school is here and that choice is open and that like the the doors are open, not for security issues, but um that we're here and open, I think is really important for the longevity of the school assuming there's longevity of the school. Um, so I did attach it this time. Um, it's a screenshot from Parent Square from last March. So, you can see the date at the very top. I would love if you could look into why the change and when the school choice applications might have opened and I did not Dr.
Now you the number we eventually get certified will be somewhat reduced because of some of the challenges in our capital accounts. You will see the very Once we look at this and maybe I'll go to next slide in a minute. Um that we are requesting a rollover of some capital funds. One is the playground I know we've talked about. That is something that wasn't done in the past. So what happens is when you roll that money over um without getting say approval of school committee you now have an unbudgeted item that you're now spending money on. And I didn't want to get into all of this, but DLS considers that a negative variance and they take that out of your excess and deficiency. By properly approving the expenditure we can then preserve that as a budgetary item. Um and I I will say in speaking with our auditor he sees he sees things a little differently.
Um I expect um things to come down in April, but um I think it's going to be a a pretty um for financially and exciting ending. >> Exciting is another word for exciting. >> Okay. >> All right. Well, thank you. Thank you for that report. Any Mr. Robins mentioned a lot of things and uh I'll let you know that the finance committee thoroughly went through the financials this morning.
So this is their questions. Try to stop bullying other people. It's not bad but >> but it's less than an >> and I mean it's >> it is separate basically right belonging >> very similar if question >> for us as we were looking at the data from moving up.99 again almost parents that answered the survey that >> got more more parents to participate. What was >> you know I think there was a lot of collaboration among school and they were sharing school we're standing outside news the same trending upward story. Yeah. Yeah. >> For sure. >> All parents matter. If you have more than >> Yeah. Don't just a handful of the most engaged parents taking this friendly very positive. Second question for the parents child trending in the right direction again a little bit elementary school. But then this is, you know, when we look at it in a different um a different light, >> really high levels of um positive responses, especially at the elementary valued by the school and it's a friendly environment.
What that allows is it will allow for us to open requisitions for fiscal year 27. So maintenance can get some of their long lead items entered and get on the schedule of contractors for any work that they want to do over the summer. It would have to start July 1st or later, but again, that gives them that opportunity to commit to a contractor that we have projects to do. And then June 2nd, we will bring the proposed budget that will be for both M&O and capital. We'll also have classroom site fund on there. And then June 23rd, we will adopt that.
Z mean to have that as a surprise question for you. So, if you could look into that and share with us when you find out that would be helpful information. Okay, like I just said I know part of us what we're doing right now is we're trying to make sure that we're outlining our processes and make sure that things are not There's some things that we need to address to make sure that we clearly do an impact Pelham in the way that that we may need to. So, I'll look into this. I'm sending it to Mickey and I'm working on it right now. And I think the sooner that it can be advertised publicly that like choice is opening on my my May 1st even though that's still a bit off that the the more that can be shared publicly the better, personally. Okay, this is my actual last question.
So everybody's seeing things a little differently and this is maybe the conversation I didn't want to necessarily get into the details on, but he sees our capital account as the way I've always seen it as well as a special purpose fund. And that money can be go across fiscal years. Um so there's some that's where the nuances come in and and again, I didn't understand how they would play. I didn't understand that DLS might be sort of seeing this differently um this year as they they haven't in in past years they've dealt with us. So it it kind of is what it is. Okay, and then just one last question. So the ads that we made um last month uh the bio teacher at Tihanto, the reading specialist at Tihanto, the ELA coach at BES, and the recess aides, was that everything we added? No, not the nurse.
However, any questions from the board members? >> I have a question and sorry I usually spend that in the morning. What's the the um elimination of consolidated transportation? >> So when in in special education whenever possible we consolidate transportation. So, let's say two students um get the safe transportation for the price of one. But, um every once in a while um if there's, you know, two or more on the bus um and then somebody needs to drop out of that transportation arrangement, then um there's the the cost. Um so, we know coming off that one. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Mr. Sher, this is my usual question. How are the staging particularly in the power area power? Um Jan, do you want to talk about Paris? >> So Paris were still where we were last month across the district seven. >> Yeah, >> seven. Short a lot at Cherry Brook, which that's one of the reasons that our sub account because we have to bring in subs or at least at Cherry Brook.
So little processing time immediately go to staff. >> Sure. come back. So the staff same thing they don't have a belonging theme out of culture question >> question we chose is my school creates a positive community for families things that are happening influencing what's happening >> as well looking at it percentile and middle school. >> We were super happy to see this group. So, so like 68% and that puts us on the other side. >> So, I understand when we're comparing the percentile That's that's helpful context >> but to me I'm more like compared to the median middle school much higher and >> halfress I want to compete with ourselves >> and lastly elementary >> three out of four little >> but as Dr. pointed out for the last group of >> agree or strongly agree. >> So I think it's interesting. >> Oh, that's our last one.
And with that, I can take any questions. President Wade, the I know we were renting buses to other districts. Are we still doing that? We Well, we had leased some to Queen Creek for a while, but no, not to my knowledge. We are not currently leasing any. We do do field trips like I say for like some of the Christian schools or if a bus they have a breakdown or something, we will step in to help. I know we did that I I believe last year bus got stranded. It's great. And then the contingency of percent that equates to Is that the balance? Yes. >> That we're carrying? Yes. That would be the balance. Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. President Wade, Miss Rushcamp, can you touch base kind of with I just want to get a feel of the overall the budget, how the capital plan aligns with kind of long-term facility needs in hopes of like creating not creating future strain if we're being mindful of that, if you're working with Superintendent Lawsonheizer?
And uh and obviously everybody. Um, security cameras, you heard the input from a couple community members. My my biggest question I I do not think there is a lot of frequent community use outside of hours as aside from the after-school program. The cameras are almost exclusively in the opposite hallway from where after-school and outside of S3 take place. They're almost exclusively in the older grade class hallway for those familiar with the building. Um, and there there quite a few of them for that little hallway. It was like a little bit alarming the first time I walked in and saw them, but there's only um, one at the front door, one in the cafeteria, one in the gym. Anyone correct me if you're if you know differently, but I'm confused about like really what's the intention there Because if it is around what's going on in the after-school or outside hours, it doesn't seem like you're getting eyes on that.