So, I will go and pull up the last meeting to get the bottom line dollar really quick. >> Because and then I guess I I wanted to clarify that the 1.25% increase was not increasing our budget, it was increasing the town allocation. Correct. Yeah. Okay. I just wanted to clarify that. Um and then I guess I another question I have is currently this year or what we had anticipated for next year was it was going to be 35,000 for the charter expenses. And the town had kind of talked about doing that in free cash if like I had I heard that conversation. Um now the cost is going to be 70,000 for the two kids or is it more than that? Um it's estimated at $70,922. Okay. Can I pick up there? >> Yeah, I think that's all I have for right now. I So, I spent some time looking at a couple of the links in the memo that that that Shannon sent about school choice and learned something that was interesting.
They were very clear and asked those questions and I publicly said school committee at this point has voted them in. So here's where I am talking to you about this this right now. Um so I just want to make sure the public when they asked me those questions that the money they were giving to us was going to make sure these things were still in place. >> Right. There was there was three students that came to speak for those positions and that was part of their support of this but So Mike, to answer your question about the override, I personally am against doing an override this year. I 100% agree with what Beth said about I think and you know, Christina to her point is an excellent point. You start something like that down like December, November and you get a committee and you got a team of parents to help because you got a market and you got to do signs and you got to So I'm on board with that for next year and I think it needs to be strategic so you're not just asking for like three or four things you're kind of projecting down the road we'll have a better our district improvement plan we'll have reviewed that.
Um but we focused on the implementation of the benchmark advance um which began we've had we began very slowly starting to implemented last spring. So we finally had um some midyear um data and we have noticed a general increase in the number of students at proficiency across all of the grades. We were also able to observe a third grade class which is awesome. Um and we will hear more about this at the walkthrough in May. And then we had our regular meeting on the 25th and um we had a summer academy update, a verdical committee update and we spoke briefly about our technology strategic plan which we will be covering in more depth um at our meeting this month at the end of April. And this was kind of a general update meeting and I think all the members of the committee were very happy.
>> hook. I was going to point of order on you, but I was generous in that. So, let's just continue on, please. >> Works for me. Moving forward, we can stop the discussion where we're currently at and generally speaking, we should keep future agenda items, um relatively vague. So, it'll go on the agenda for [snorts] further discussion at the next board meeting in May. Thank you. Thank you. I [clears throat] motion to convene an executive session pursuant to ARS 38-431.03A3 and 4 for legal advice with the board's attorney and to consider its position and instruct its attorneys regarding pending litigation, specifically Apache Junction at all versus East Valley Institute of Technology. Second. I'm going to give that to Ms. Jarman seconding. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Motion carries five to zero.
So, school choice is three pieces, the way they decide. So, it is based on your foundation budget, your above foundation spending, and a set amount facilities fee that all schools get charged the same thing. So, every district is different and potentially every year can be different because all of those things change. >> Wait, do you mean charter? Yes, I'm sorry. I said schools, I'm sorry. Yes, now I meant charter. So, I just throwing that out there because I found that very interesting. I wasn't hadn't really delved that far into what's involved in charter. So. So, I was able to find on DESI the anticipated charter tuition payments and anticipated reimbursement. I'm I'm pointing to this cuz we're talking about potentially asking the town for more money in different buckets. Um, and I want to point out as of last week we were talking about asking the town for what I understood to be 35K, but I I believe it was actually only around 18 16K cuz this link, which I I can share with folks, but is the it's the DOE site, not DESI, sorry.
Admin team will have time to digest that. Maybe that's something that we do next year. I don't think right now it's a good idea to do that. I think we'll be unprepared. I do believe it will fail. I don't know >> Yeah, there I mean after the fire station passed, I mean that was several hundred dollar increase in taxes last year. So I don't I don't think it would pass in Boylston. So then that could potentially be a 1/12 budget. So that would take more away from our kids. So I think our vote tonight is like Aaron suggested March 10th or tonight. And if we do want them to do further work, maybe see if you can reallocate something which is an impossible task. I'm not really what you're asking me to do, but uh it sounds like some people might be in favor of that.
We had a really really good conversation. Um, and it was a slightly more informal meeting and a little bit more conversational and I think that we all really enjoyed that. Um, and then our next meeting is coming up at the end of the month on the 29th at 9:00 a.m. >> Great. Two questions about I I have one question. The summer academy, are we going three weeks this year? >> It's scheduled for three weeks. >> Three weeks. And then um those children who um they'll be notified when do they get >> uh the process is continuing on um with recommendations that students we'll start the sign up process uh leading into break and beyond >> and that's not a first come first serve right that that we don't um we don't turn anybody down is >> the the board has been very supportive in ensuring that students get attend >> okay Thank you for that report.
Um, but it's the DOE site that gives a charter summary. It's Talbots charter summary for projected fiscal year 27 tuition payments and reimbursements. Um and it says that the anticipated reimbursement is 41,508. Um so that means that actually with these two students, that which they list as 2.2 FTE, I don't know how they put this. I don't know how they come up with that number, but that's what they got. Based on that number, they're saying that we'd actually be the net district cost is just under 35K. I'm pointing this out because as of last week, I was understanding that the free cash request to the town would be for 35K. I was assuming that was with whatever reimbursement was coming, um with which I understand now is not the full picture. Well, with this 70K request, it's actually a request for 35K from the town because they will get back 41 of it.
I There's a lot of support from you know, what a dozen or so emails, multiple people speaking tonight in favor of this, but only one person speaking about the realities of the override. Um I know everybody wants the adjustment counselor. Nobody suggested what else to cut instead of that. I would cut the reading coach ELA coach at BES and keep the adjustment counselor. I mean I don't So if we wanted if we want to vote on whether or not to do to go for an override, we could do that and then ask them to maybe consider a plan B. Say that again? So if we want to vote on either the March 10th number or tonight's number, it's our budget. We can always reallocate funds within that budget, right? We can always do that. We can do that in September, we can do it in January, we can do it whenever, right?
Uh we go on to communication to Miss Jordan. >> Yes, excuse me. We met yesterday. Um just three points. Uh I talked a little bit about the students at the center. We've been working through various topics, student, staff, and the next one is community partners. So that'll be the next focus on the students at the center. Uh the newsletter will it's it's a work in progress, but it will be going out sometime in June. Just trying to figure out all the talks on the budget. I think that uh BOF is doing their own newsletter. In the past, we've done a partner newsletter. They're doing their own this year. And then as far as power school goes, we we're talking about the portalation. There's going to be a hub where can find more additional information where parents can find have a place to to go gather um some more information that can be found other places, but just so they have one separate location to find things and also place for different um district messaging.
Is that understanding correct, Shannon? Um I'm not sure I'm following completely. So originally we had 35,000 and now we have 70,000 in budget scenario 1B. So are you saying that increases only 35? I'm saying it's a 70 70K request, but they'd get back almost 42 of it. Yes. So I will say this. I will So the first 6 months of reimbursement is an estimate based off of the cherry sheet information. And then once um the charter school submits enrollment to the state, uh they then adjust um the students FTE and adjust what that billing is to accurate numbers. So depending on when the student starts, um you know, how many days have they attended? That changes. So, we're getting very specific because it's only two students. Normally, we don't look at it that specific because there's normally more students. Um, so, yeah, there is a slight variation from what's on there versus here.
We've done it in the past. The question really is, you know, do you want to work with the towns to come to what they can afford? Do you not believe that's what they can afford? Do you want to try to go for the override or do you want to go with what looks like would be supported by the the town select boards and FinComs? You're asking me? No, I think that's the question I'm putting out there. Like that's what we're voting on basically. Yeah, I'm fine with keeping the number, but I'm not I like I said, my I don't want to make more work for you right now and I know we voted literally minutes before town meeting reducing the budget. So I know as long as we, you know, aren't increasing it, we can do it next week, we can do it week after, we can do it the day of town meeting if we want, but I guess I'm not okay with walking out of here tonight with the budget as listed because to me that means that we have voted to take that adjustment counselor position down to half time and we've voted to get rid of those paras and we've you know, and we're keeping in some of this other stuff.
And then our next um communication meeting is Monday uh May 4th. That one. >> Thank you very much. Great report. Um from Crack, um I will say that CRE CRE's focus has been on on the uh $12 million that they they uh that the governor had cut from their budget. They've been spending quite a bit of time on that. However, at the next meeting, and I didn't want to do it this meeting, but I have a small presentation I'll make on PREP on the overall of what's happening with CRE, uh, a little bit of the history and then what they're doing, um, to continue to increase their membership there. So, I'll give a better report, uh, next time. Uh, insurance committee, Musan. >> Yes. So, we met um, April 2nd, last Thursday. We had our carrier rep there from USI as well as or sorry our consulting rep from USI there as well as our carrier um United rep team came as well.
And Well, it's not a slight variation. It's half of its cost. Like, the amount you have back is Oh, so are you saying that in budget scenario 1A, two, and three should have 70,000 and not and not 35,000. Is that what you're >> I'm saying that of that I I I'm saying that I think it would be valuable for us to see what that reimbursement line is so that we we see what the true cost is because if it's 70,000 and they're getting back 40, I think it's important for us like when we're looking at these totals that Sarah has read out, we're talking about increasing our request to the town by or increasing our school choice application by X dollar amount, but there's actually a big gap in that that that number is 35K less, which is a really significant number less. So, Shannon, ex- explain this to me and and and I know and and just clarifying, the free fund for charter goes to the town, correct?
I personally, if you want to get into the nitty gritty details, I agree with keeping the bio teacher and the reading specialist at Tahanto. Like I said, I would probably look at that ELA coach at BES and that float nurse and see, you know, if we can keep some of the K paras and the and the um the adjustment counselor full time and and trade off these two, you know, So so that's my personal thing. Like Aaron said, the a la carte conversation is kind of off the table for tonight, but we'll look at it in the future. We the the motion out there there's no motion on the table, but the motion would be for a number budget number. But the committee could collectively provide us with some direction requesting us to look at, you know, if there is one of you approve four items, if there's an item on there that you know is impactful to that one item to to Boylston or what have you, you could direct us to look at that for the next meeting and we could have that conversation.
Um we were presented through February um claims on our medical which is the biggest piece and what everyone is focused on pretty much right now still sitting at a 20% increase. Um, however, our stop loss was presented to us from a 24 down to an 18, which was great. Um, a great win. We're waiting for March 26 data to firm up the 20% if that's what we're definitely going to go with for budgeting. We're hoping to have that information um within I would say the next week and a half. And then it was presented that we would be having a special meeting um so that we can have decisions made on carrier and and what we're doing prior to um the board's next meeting which is um uh before uh May 7th is what we're trying to do. And also we brought up open enrollment concerns and we want to make sure that all of this is solidified by May 1st is the goal.
Correct. Okay. It is not a- but as a school district, we would pay the charter expense. So, that's why it's built into our expense. Correct. >> When the when the reimbursement goes back to the town, it is up to the town to determine how that funding is applied moving forward, correct? Yes. So, for me, it is not the same as school choice where school choice funds come back to to district, correct? And the school committee then determines how to apply school choice funds. Correct? Okay. So, in the end, even if we see what that reimbursement is, it is still in the responsibility of the town to determine whether or not they want to apply that toward to us. And so, I get the conversation, but I also think that applying anything outside of our purview to our budget gives us false numbers. That's why they're That's why the conversation is around the assumption of of of what they they did this last year in FY26 and applied free cash.
I just it's really hard to do an all a cart with so much on the table, right? Cuz I'll tell you for every email, you know, we're getting over an adjustment counselor, there's every single item that we particularly if it's staff, right? We have emails on it, right? As do you. So, we can't do it all. So, I think we need we would need clear direction from the school to take the vote, but to then improvise with some direction as to what you'd like us to look at. And and just being able to be able to collect, you know, like the ELA coach, right? If that's the direction you guys want us to go in, that impacts Berlin's budget as well, too. So, we'd have to go back to Berlin and have a conversation with them as well, too. Because they voted their budget and we met their number, right?
So, we're hoping to meet the last week of April, a special meeting when all of our claim data has been um up to date in the system and United is able to come with a firm uh number on that. >> When did you open enrollment again? When did that start? >> So, we don't have a specific date. I did ask that question at the meeting and we need to decide uh which carrier we're going with you. We need to solidify that and that's why we will be having >> for the stop loss. Our stop loss right now is with United. >> You're considering making a change to to the entire medical pro program. >> So I would say I mean I don't want to speak for the full committee, but it is looking like we will be staying with United, right? >> Um but that we haven't made a final decision as a committee yet to present to the board of selection.
My guessing is because that is probably where the free free cash went. But not I don't know. I don't know town finances. But what I can say is if they've appropriated 30 they last year they did 35 and that's where we did the assumption and we're saying, "Okay, now we know our updated numbers that we have to pay 70,992. We're asking them to appropriate at least 70,000, which helps us to to at least retain the funds that we do have control over, right? Cuz we do have control how we spend our school choice funds. And we need to ensure that cuz there's a warning on each one of these things. Like there there there's something that we have clearly outlined in each one of these scenarios from the beginning. Being mindful that we are applying more school choice than we actually re get reimbursed and receive this year than we've done any other That is on every one of our bullets and scenarios from the beginning.