I get that. And I think there there are things that we need to talk about and the only way we can do that is in front of the public. So, how do we get those things so that we can have an important conversation about the important things? And it seems to me that that shouldn't be something like if if there was something brewing that not only we know is brewing, but the community knows is brewing. Those are things that uh if a board member says, "I'd like to discuss this with my my fellow board members and I I'm constrained by the Brown Act, so I'd like to make move that this be put on the agenda." If that wasn't seconded by anybody or, you know, you don't get three votes, I still think that that's not necessarily that that's where I That's where I say I think this is problematic because if if there are things that are brewing in the community and we need to have discussions about it.
We compete with nearby communities for people and vendors and talent. And those markets don't wait for us to catch up. So, the real question is whether we meet that reality headon or whether we slowly let the services and stability that make Ashland Ashland erode year after year. And it's important to understand that this is not the first time we faced pressures like this. Over the past several years, the town has worked hard to avoid coming to taxpayers for an override by using a variety of one-time funding sources to bridge these gaps, including free cash, stabilization funds, one-time state and federal funds, including COVID error relief, deferred or reallocated capital spending, and temporary savings or timing differences within budgets. These tools helped us to manage through short-term challenges and delay this moment. But by their nature, those things are not sustainable. I want to address an argument that some residents have raised regarding the possibility of higher unrestricted state aid this year from the Commonwealth.
Now, this is a policy we reviewed before and got voted down. So it's not technically the first time, but it's we treat it as a new policy because it went back to the committee. >> So this is the first opportunity for the board to have discussion on it, for us to get feedback from board members. Then we'll meet back as a committee and we'll take all of the board member feedback and we'll say, "Okay, so and so has this feedback. What about this? Oh, we didn't think about this." Oftentimes there's no feedback. Um, and then we, you know, we know that we're good to move on. Sometimes it takes multiple meetings. It doesn't necessarily have to be that we come to a conclusion at the next meeting. We can, you know, think things through or if something is brought to our attention, we can do more research and things like that.
You might remember off the top of your head, but it had to do with um like monthly compensation for board members, which this district doesn't do. Um and so and there were like exhibits and I'm like, well, that doesn't apply to us and we shouldn't need that. And we already have a bylaw that says that um the board of trustees views board service as voluntary contribution to the community and aside from the health and welfare that part of a law change this year, right? >> They increase the amount that board members can get um monthly, >> right? >> But we don't do that. So we need to look at that and see. I don't think we are going to even need to have that as an option to adopt because we already have this other bylaw that says it's voluntary. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Any other questions or things that you want me to look into and get answers to before next time?
What if board thought well we want to uh we want to quiet the community so we want to hear I don't know it's you I'm just saying that uh if we don't get a chance to talk about it they also don't get any action. China. >> Yeah. >> So, it sounds to me like you're thinking that our current process is too cumbersome >> and restrictive. >> So, I think that you might like to request to agendaize how do we agendaize items because that is our process right now and that's been voted on by a previous board. So, we can't just change that. But we can if we agendaize that item to to come up with a new process of how to get things on the agenda and that's perfectly okay to talk about if that's what but that that would be the way to do it.
While any additional support from the state is certainly welcome, it is critical that people understand what that money actually represents. State aid fluctuations are not a stable or controllable long-term revenue source for the town of Ashlin. They are determined annually through the state budget process subject to changing political priorities, economic conditions, and decisions entirely out of local control. Building a long-term operating budget around the assumption that unusually favorable state aid increases will in continue indefinitely is simply not responsible financial planning. Even in years where the town has received a temporary increase in unrestricted aid, those funds do not come remotely close to solving a long-term structural imbalance between recurring revenues and recurring expenses. One-time or unusually strong state allocations may help reduce short-term pressure around the edges, but they do not eliminate the underlying problem. Suggesting otherwise causes temporary relief with structural confuses, excuse me, temporary relief with structural stability.
So when it's on the consent agenda for a final read and adoption. >> Okay. >> That's when it's we're actually like putting it into like tonight I'm going to add Yeah. So tonight I'm going to add two policies that we forgot to put on and review the wellness policy and the meal charging policy that we reviewed last month. We forgot to add it to the agenda tonight for us um for a final read and adoption. There was no feedback on those policies. everyone agreed it was the changes to the celebrations and um the the changes that we had made to the meal charging based on the audit language and so for those we're putting them I'm putting them on the consent agenda they'll be adopted tonight unless someone has an objection that I'm not aware of but >> okay >> does that make sense that makes sense thank you >> okay so back to the people so that all the questions about student discipline so for the private student privacy policy so we talked at length about this and one of the things that we decided to do that I think will be a good compromise um and again this is one of those things that we'll want your feedback on is so in the same way that we have the check mark and we hi there's the box in um the the um what's the student uh >> power school thank you in p school where you have to check the box that says yes I want I'm okay with the librarian or my kids checking books out or no I want their librarian to review you can't move on until you check that box we will highlight the non-invasive physical exam policy and we will bold that as well as an opt out.
>> Okay. >> Did you guys read through the whole 400 pages? >> I I'm not going to put anybody on the spot. I admitted I didn't I only got to two. >> I didn't time. But we have a month we can ask questions. Right. We can ask these. >> Of course, >> that's reading. So, >> yeah, this is just a this is just information first. >> We actually have more time because this is an earlier meeting than we would normally have. So, we have extra. >> Yeah. >> Right. Oh, between now and June or June meeting, right? As we move this meeting. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Moving on. Uh number nine, accomplishments and other reasons to celebrate throughout the district. Uh we have Oak Elementary School, but um Cat Williams is out today. So we will wish her well and a speedy recovery and we'll move on to number 10.
And there have been other examples of the way of other districts and things that have done this is where a board member talks to the board president. The board president makes a decision whether or not it gets on the agenda. So there's other ways of doing these things. I don't know that I want to put that kind of pressure on our president, but I understand what you're saying. But if we want to change that, because it wasn't changed all that long ago that we went to this form, right? >> So, um, yeah, >> it didn't used to be any any written application, for lack of a better term, for putting something on the agenda. Um, >> but I think that we would have to talk about what the intent of that >> there was. It was co era. There were some very very big discussions and people were getting very heated and saying well I want to put this on the agenda.
And those are two very different things. And that brings us back to the underlying issue. When we look at what is happening actually happening on the expense side, the numbers tell a very different story. Specifically on the school side of the budget, transportation costs for our schools are rising by approximately 10%. Special education expenses are increasing by over 7%. School professional salaries, which are driven by contractual obligations and cost of living adjustments are increasing at nearly 5%. and total school-related fixed non-discretionary costs like health insurance and benefits are rising by roughly four and a quarter percent. These are not discretionary expenses. These are contractual mandated or essential costs required to operate our school system. And importantly, this is not about expanding programs. This is the cost of maintaining what we already have in our schools. When your revenues are growing at 2 and a.5% but your school related costs are going at four or seven or even 10% the math simply does not work.
And in the same way that you can't move on and you can't get your teachers and you can't get your grades and whatever. That way we're ensuring that people are at least aware and reading it. We'll simplify the language as much as we can to make sure and we'll reference the policy with a link to make sure that people are aware that they they that it exists in the policy and that we're highlighting the opt out option so that we can >> and I think you know I think that that's you know I can speak as a parent I think as a parent >> all I want to know is that I'm giving informed consent I want to know >> yes >> what could possibly >> I mean and by definition, you know, injection and insertion is not really something I want to happen to my child at school.
Super cute. Tim's going to do it again. You're not going to count. >> I'm ready. >> Anyway, thank you. Um, I just have a couple things u written down here. I want to make sure that I um say thank you to the teachers for teacher appreciation week. Um, thank you for everything that they do and their hard work. Um, I know that PTC and I think principles and I'm sure families and students have been showering them with um, thank yous and gifts. So, um, thank you very much and I hope you guys are having a good week and um, feeling appreciated. Um we're working on the fourth annual recognition dinner for our um years of service employees and our excellence in education winners as well as um our retirees. And so that will be at the pines on the 26th and those invitations went out to those who will be honored.
I want to put this on the agenda. Um which just devolved into having the same right arguments that the board was already having. And so it really was say okay what's the educational purpose of this and do we all think it's actually worth devoting a lot of time to with it so that we could say hey right now is not time to argue about this. Let's you know >> and quite often my opinion once I more information, my need to discuss went away because I got more information. It it came, you know, it came through cabinet and and um I don't have an answer. >> I don't either. I just think that we are hamstrung by by the Brown Act. And how how do we get around that? Well, we And that means >> conversations have to happen publicly. And how does that happen? It has to be agendas >> because we can't even have a conver I don't I didn't understand this.
That gap is the structural problem driving the override before you over time. That gap forces difficult choices drawing down reserves, delaying investments, and ultimately reducing services. This is especially important when we talk about our schools. Strong schools are not just an educational priority. They are one of the single most important drivers of property values in a residential community like Ashlin. People choose to live here and invest here because of the quality of our schools and maintaining that strength protects the value of every home in this town. Now, I want to be very clear about something important. The override being proposed is just specific to the schools. separately on the municipal side of the budget covering services like police and fire and DPW and general government. We're facing similar structural pressures that is reflected in the in article two of the warrant which you previously voted on this evening.
So that's my personal opinion as a parent, >> but as I sit here as a board member, >> if I can't support it for my child, right, this is why I have such a hard time with it. So I'm just simply asking >> absolutely >> like that somebody check something and we have the definition of what invasive physical exam is. So we know that that parent without a doubt I mean if they choose not to read it and check a box >> but >> well so we're going to require the box right >> you know so I just want to know >> that there's just some things that you have to draw your attention to >> and I did want I did want you to know and I was going to highlight we did look further into creating an optin version and because it's right so because it's legislated and written >> as an opt out policy we have to keep it that way We did talk about taking that part out.
So we're looking forward to that. Um there's been a lot of work with community partners in the last month, four to five weeks on um our different committees. Um so DAC and ELAC, our pack um schoolside councils and we've been going over our LCAP goals and actions and the draft of the LCAP will be presented to some of those entities here in the next couple weeks. um gotten some good feedback and some good conversations. So, that's been great. And then we're working on I'm working with Sheriff Blum. I think that's how you pronounce his um his last name. Um he is going to do an internet safety presentation. We've nailed down a date that works for facilities and leadership and that has been emailed um to the sheriff to see if that works for him and we need to hear back from him. Um, so hopefully we um that date works.
I didn't understand that if it's not on the agenda, we don't even get to have a conversation about it in close session. So it's like that was mindblowing to me that we can't even like what is our job if not to figure out how how we feel about something and we can't even discuss it in closed. So how anyway I think it's I'm hearing Tom and that's what I understood the intention to be and I agree with that intention and yet I think >> I think there needs to be something less cumbersome and more responsive more re really responsive like how do we respond to we are we are elected by the How do we respond to the community? If if we can't even talk about things, we respond poorly. Is that that would be my that's my estimation. I don't know. >> Um I I think I I have questions or need clarification with what I might be about to say.
Under that article, the town is being asked to make a significant draw from the stabilization fund to support the municipal budget. That draw is being used to fund core town services, but it's not a long-term solution. Stabilization funds are meant for one-time needs and not ongoing operating expenses. So, to be clear, this override is for the schools and the stabilization fund draw from the warrant is being used to temporarily support the municipal side, but both point to the same underlying financial challenge. There's another important dimension of this conversation, and Michael spoke to it, but I'm going to speak to it a little further here. Ashlin currently maintains a AAA credit rating, and that's the highest rating a municipality can achieve. And that rating has real financial value whether you know it or not. Because of it, the town of Ash can borrow for projects at lower interest rates.
Like there were a lot of options, but I think it's a good compromise. And I I think it highlights what everyone's concerns were. We obviously want to make sure we have, you know, parental consent is highlighted and and everyone has the option without we're not trying to hide anything. We're not trying to Right. So, if we we'll work on simplifying like a sentence or two that highlights what the meaning of the policy is and what they're opting out of and click and having a link where they can click to the policy. So, we'll have all the information highlighted and and hopefully that will be that that was kind of what how we had >> No, thank you. I come up with a compromise, >> right? We owe it to parents. >> Yeah. No, and agreed. And it was never like we were never trying to not have that.
If not, we'll find another date. But once we have that solidified, we'll create a flyer and some communications and information that'll go out to invite parents to come and see his presentation. It'll be here um at OS in this room. Um so we're looking forward to that. And I think that's all I have for tonight. number 11 board member comments. Stephen, >> I don't really have any. Thank you very much. >> Then I'll take your time. >> I think you need Oh, yeah. I just wanted to um give my appreciation uh during the open house that was a couple of weeks ago. All the went to the Booker Elementary School and each of the classrooms I visited. The classrooms were so beautifully decorated, so welcoming. It's it shows all the care that you put into teaching and uh just to see the children's artwork and projects.