>> So just hit the bottom corner there. just outside of it. >> Bryce looking to avoid backto-back walks here in the third. >> Here comes the three 0. >> Is the strike bit inside there. >> Looked exactly like I I I don't double guess umpires at all, but that that looked exactly like the previous pitch from here. >> Yeah, we have seen a bit of some inconsistencies in the strike zone, which happens. They're human >> as he checks, swings, and fouls that one to the dugout. And now the count is full. >> So Price looking to battle back here and avoid walking his second straight man. >> Ashland benches up. >> Trying to get something going. >> Good pitch. >> Three balls and two strikes. >> And it's ball four. That is ball four. Ratica will walk. So after two pitches and two outs, the top of the lineup, first two batters walk.
Um when the uh the collected premiums exceed the total output, that's called a surplus and the JIF will return surplus back to the member districts. And here we have our summary of appropriations from fiscal year '26 to '27. Then our dollars and our percentages on the right. Um nothing particular here that we haven't already discussed. Uh you will see that staffing has gone down 2.5 million. That is not in actually staffing reductions. That is partially it. That is really reflective of the state having us put the tax levy incentive eight directly into salaries and benefit programs last year. And that happened in July, that notification from them. Um big major category increase for us is benefits. So, that's going to go up about $4.2 million next year. And that's on a 25% projection for the six months. Um all indications are in the state employees health benefit program that they missed the actuaries missed their targets.
And that preparation was backed by the expertise of over 60 teachers here at BJA who are trained in ACT instructional mastery. Tonight's video really showcases the shift from a high stakes stress uh to to approaching the test from a prepared performance perspective. I feel like my confidence has grown a lot, especially knowing like how the questions are asked. You'll be asked to locate specific details. This is where you see according to the passage. So, knowing those little stems on the questions is key. Okay? According to the passage, you have to find it. If it's not there, if you can't locate it in the text, it's not the right answer. I used to be very confused on a lot of them, not know where to start. or like enrichment satellite company at the very least understand like where to begin. So one of the first things that we did when we were thinking of ACT prep is we really trying to align it between our science, our math and our English department.
This is what it is. So I feel like this is probably the third bylaw that we have cleaned up so far in the five and a half years I've been here. I would love to use these opportunities to really clean up as much as we can irrespective of time constraints. So um this is fine for today but it's just that I don't think that idea of um accepting things as is is okay at least for me. >> Yeah. I mean, I think it's just um you know, if there's something that um we can do at the moment that you think makes a difference, we can do that. Like I I mean I don't know if it's appropriate to sub to put in >> design plan review where it says for >> this is okay. I mean for now it's okay because I also as a professional read other towns documents.
But another interesting call by the bench over here for Norton. Um two guys on base, no outs, and they're laying down bunts. I guess, you know, we're we're in the fifth inning. Maybe they, you know, trying to eek out a couple more runs, insurance runs. Um >> John Salem will bat, >> take a strike. >> Salem's 0 for one. >> Didn't walk and score. Nice breaking ball there by Connory. >> Nothing and one here. >> Conry that hit him. Hit >> the batter. >> Going for the breaking ball again. And um the ball just didn't break. He got a little bit too far inside as well. >> Second hit by pitch issued by Ashlin pitching and the second time Salem has reached. First time on a walk. Now hit by pitch. >> Send the corners in for Ashland. >> Now if the runner if the batter before didn't get out on the bunt and was on base, that would have scored a run.
Michael Shriber will dig in. >> Back to the pitch column. I believe the the coach who went out to the mound there has some sort of earpiece on his left ear which might be able to >> he might be able to also communicate with the uh the pitcher and catcher and hear what is coming. >> Drivers 0 for one. Hey Mike, >> first pitch. >> Sharp grounder into center. A base hit. >> Gets the wave and he will score. >> Ollie Laro comes across on an RBI single from Shriber. Didn't waste any time on the first pitch he sees. >> I'll have to check the tape on that. But that >> a weird line drive. Almost looked like Price was going to catch it. It looked like it was going right into his glove and he pulled his arm back a little bit. um and allow the ball to get out there.
They came out with their report um at the beginning of April. So, the state employees health benefit program is uh audited by Aon. That's the actuarial company. And Aon released their mid-year report. You'll remember at several of our meetings we've talked about how the premiums increased over 31% for us in January of this year. They their goal was with that 31% increase was they wanted to restore the reserves for the state. So, the reserves are meant to be two and a half months of total premiums in reserves. They were down to less than two weeks. Um so, they had a massive premium increase in January for all member districts. And that was over 31%. The mid-year report they just released, they said they missed that target. They should have increased it by 18% more. So, um they were hoping to have I think uh don't quote me on this, but I know it was 120 um million dollars in reserves or 160 million.
So one of the things that we did as division chairs is we sat down and we tried to build a consistent schedule so that it was consistent for teachers and for students. We start with, you know, teaching those those core concepts. In addition to that, uh we've looked at test familiarity. It's really important that the students understand going into the test what the test entails, how many questions, what's the pacing, uh things to expect on test day. With English, um especially teaching AP language, there's a lot of commonalities and the type of reading strategies that we're working on for rhetorical analysis um that align with ACT reading. Well, we're currently embedding ACT prep um into our classes about we align our curriculum specifically with ACT science section. Um aligns very naturally with what we do with class on a daily basis. Since I work with students who predominantly struggle with reading and writing, we chunk it in the academic setting um for those students so it's not full 45 minutes time periods.
So, it talks a lot about the quality of work that we do and being a planning mode member, I feel like these are opportunities for us to do our small share of things. >> Um, >> it's just hard. >> Yeah, it's just hard because we've had this in front of us before. True. >> And we didn't make those changes then. >> Agreed. >> So, now we're, you know, it's a hard time to do it. >> I mean, here's what I'll say. I think it's a it's it's a unique solution to a problem and it's phrased in a way that is not ambiguous and makes the point and then it has some words or terms that might be slightly off but at the heart of it it's solid in my opinion and it's pretty simple it's a simple concept >> so I wouldn't want us to over overink to perfection something that's fairly good in action And it may once we test it out a little bit for several years, it may need some adjustment as a new system.
>> DJ Compagnot inside corner there by Conway. He's been hit by a pitch and also walked and scored. So, he has almost the identical line of Salem. >> That one outside and it's one-on-one >> ground ball here. You look at the plate first. Try to get that lead runner from scoring >> infield in on the corners. >> Here's the 1-1. That one spiked and hit the front of the plate. >> That's going to score. >> The runner will score. Caldwell comes in easily from third and it is 51. Actually, that is uh Henry Denubio, a pinch runner >> who scores there. >> Yeah, nothing uh Guo could have done on that pitch. The ball hit the front of the plate. You just had him bounced 20 ft over his head. There was no stopping that one. Now a two and one count from Conry >> to Compagning a miss.
>> Just an illusion from where we're sitting, but >> coming in deep from right field is the second umpire in this game. Walking up to first base >> just casually walking >> just an hour late as Merlstein takes a strike. So he lost his home plate duties obviously >> as the home plate umpire lets him know how many outs there are. >> He casually slips in he's been there all along. One and one to Mermlstein. He's 0 for home with a strikeout with Bratica on second and Shriber on first. >> Speaking of home runs, Merlstein is the tying run. So, home run could not it at four. >> Price hasn't given up any this season. And if anyone was tracking the hits, the no hitter is over after two and two/3. >> 1-1 swinging a miss. Surlene still just trying to catch up to that fast ball.
And they were only able to achieve about 40 million dollars in reserves. So, we're expecting massive increase in the state employees health benefit program next year. We don't know what it's going to be. The state doesn't tell us and we won't find out until 6 months into an approved budget. Um and then just our kind of general increases across the board. You will see that uh curriculum that curriculum personnel and technology that line on is going up, but that is reflective of a new math program. Thank you. All right. And then where does your tax dollar go in Evesham? Again, this this hard to see, so I will fix that and I apologize everybody. Um but you can see that I've chopped the dollar up based on the major categories so you can see it broken down in dollars and cents. But uh the big takeaways about 75 to 80% or let's say 75 to 80 cents of every dollar goes towards the salaries and benefits for our staff.
We do them in smaller chunks so that it's more attainable. they feel some success and then we have that buy in for them to be more successful. One of the big obstacles students have is having the time to go to these test preps um during like paying for them if they're doing like a silven learning center or private tutoring. Um so we wanted to make sure that students were aware of all these great resources we have at Andrew High School. Um, one of the things that we did to kick off this test prep season essentially was we did an EC2 prep kickoff highlighting the resources that are available which include Google Classroom, Albert IO, um, our second hour enrichments as well as our EV enrichments and working with the students so they can make a plan. So, we wanted to make sure that we educate our students and families so they're aware of these resources available and they can make a committed plan to make sure they're prepared um, for enrollment.
So I I do think it might be helpful for us once it passes, assuming it passes, you know, to create a advertisement and try to get actual applications. >> Yeah. I mean, I think if and when this passes, I mean, I will be reaching out to my whole list of registered architects, landscape architects, engineers that are here in town to see if they'll be willing to be on that list, you know, so that when we can build that, you know, build that um roster, as you called it, you know, of people that we might want to give a a call to >> when we have projects come before us. >> I I I was just going to say, you know, I can see there's a lot of critique of our board sometimes due to misunderstandings of what we do in town. I can see something like this being a positive communication tool with the public of, hey, do you want to help the planning board?
Two and two. >> Nice pitch there. Yeah, first base is open. >> Irish and Salem both took extra 90 ft. So second and third here with only one away. >> Norton is knocking on the door trying to break this one open. That's a hot shot under the glove of Shriber and into left field for a base hit. >> Irish will score from third on an RBI single from DJ Kagna and it's six to one Norton. >> A little surprised the runner on second base had to make his way over to third. I think, you know, I think he had his back turned trying to get back to second base because he thought that ball was going to get stopped and then by the time he turned around again, he didn't realize it was in the outfield. Um, but otherwise, he could have easily been the third base as the first pitch is upstairs to Evan Ingram in the nine hole.
>> Yeah, it's Price had it's >> it's a very impressive fast ball he has. >> One ball and two strikes. This is Price's longest inning. >> 19th pitch coming up. >> One, two. That's a ground ball fouled on the third first base line. >> Sharply hit. >> Yeah, >> my boy. Good. Come on. >> Yeah, probably seems to do a really good job, but it gets ahead in the count like this, you know, two strikes, one ball, two balls to be able to, you know, kind of paint the outside edges of that strike zone and get runners to get batters to go for pitches. >> One, two, swing and a miss. >> An awkward looking swing for Mermbleene. He's down for the second time this afternoon. and Price will leave a couple clockers on base, but they do get their first run and first hit of the ball game.
Benefits alone count for about 22 cents of every dollar. And then all the way on the far right where it says schools and it's pointing to a little less than 1 cent. Schools Our schools in Evesham on a $100 million budget have less than 500 500,000 dollars combined. So, that's like our principals budgets in schools. That's like our true discretionary spend. That's 50 basis points of $1. So, our schools account for less than 1% and that is our kind of true discretionary spend. And then our key expenditures so we've we've already talked um about health benefits. You know, that's a 30 to 40% increase for us um when you combine it over the course of the entire year. Our salaries annually increase by about 3 and a half to 4%. Transportation is going to renew at CPI. It's the state designated consumer price index for transportation in New Jersey.
This really speaks to equity and by naturally meaning that in the school day all students have access to that. I I think the biggest challenge is getting the students to commit that there is a process. Definitely the algorith and then obviously the evening sessions even the solo um math practice tests have been super helpful and with the teacher going over the questions I didn't understand it kind of opened my eyes and helped me visualize this is where I need to work on. I went to the uh initial ACT like table time that they gave you the paperwork that showed you your past scores like back in October and it did show where I needed to do my most work on. I think preparation builds confidence. You're working on those skills often in a consistent basis in the classroom. um letting them know that this is the skill that you are going to utilize um and applying it to multiple different applications, different units, different concepts embedded within the course gives them a chance to recognize that it's something they're familiar with.
And I definitely think it's awesome that Trisha has done a lot of recruiting. I I I for one would would recommend an open public way to share it and say, "Hey, we have an actual deadline. We want applicants in this round. We want to make a big deal out of it because we need we need support." Um, but either way, we can discuss that. I think it might be good to have an agenda item in our future conversation once this passes to figure out how to use it. >> Yep, definitely. >> Okay. Think about it. It's got engineers, landscape architects, and business people. You know, having this go to our business community and um would be great too. Any other comments on the bylaw? Okay. So, that said, um >> I'll make a motion. >> Please. I'll make a motion to approve the bylaw to move it forward to town meeting as discussed relative to the amendments discussed which I believe was the three to five member one.
He's 0 for two. >> Shriber was playing in on the grass there. That was a hot shot that just got under the glove. >> Yeah, no bounce at all there. It's okay. That one just kind of >> That one's into center field. Laro will time it up and make the catch. Back to second base goes Salem and that's out number two here in the fifth. >> Yeah, fly ball hit right to Laro. Yeah, you know, a couple of steps in and no chance at all for the runner on second base to tag out. If that runner had gone to third on the previous play, >> that could have been a close close run. That definitely would have tested all his arm. >> That's a low strike there to Reagan. >> Jack Reagan is one for three at the top of the lineup. >> Yeah, I think Connor's got to thank the umpire after the game there.