They put together great presentation. They know that I have some additional data and I'll be happy to share that when they're ready for me to do it. >> Okay. Sorry, I didn't realize it was integrated. I have another question, too. And I think I know the answer, but I just want to point it out. So, um the $10,000 for resource and the $15,000 for um our other programs, which I'm assuming are self-contained >> Self-contained classrooms. And then the basic increase for psychologist. Um this is a cost savings, correct? Because then we will not be using the hope. Correct. Like a big cost savings. Is it a cost savings? Uh you know, we know that we spend um a little about a million dollars more than we would spend if we had employees. And these are strategies that we're attempting to see if these will make the difference because the the amount of those are minimal compared to uh moving away from some of those contracted services and then having them come in as employees.
So, I just think you guys are doing a fantastic job on making sure that our um our uh transportation department is, you know, doing its best and what it can to make sure that our students are safer. So, thank you. Well, thank you so much for those uh remarks, Miss Vance. And you you remember as well as I do where we kind of started and with a little bifurcated system in terms of where employees compensation and everything was coming through and and all of that has been really put to rest. Uh the team has really bonded. You'd be very proud of your department. I'm very proud of where uh this team is going uh with that commitment. And now we're we've gone from since we've solved some of the problems like not having running buses and being super short staffed. Now that we've done that, we're able to to reach and and Tim is is kind of taking the lead on uh um building the reputation and the growth within our department for other parts of our district and community.
>> Keep it short. >> I know. I know. I've I've talked a lot tonight and I have some more talking with you guys a little bit later that I'm sure you're all looking forward to. But I have some really special exciting news that just happened today and Mary's going to crawl under the table right now. Mary received a very prestigious Miss Ford received a very prestigious award today. She's one of two ladies recognized throughout us throughout the state for the Carolyn Warner Award for excellence in educational leadership. So we want to congratulate Mary for receiving that award. Some of the components that went in in the award is there was an anonymous um nomination, but it um years of experience and leadership and um there were some different components that there were a lot of criteria that had to be met. And so her dedication, her long-standing dedication and care for this district were things that came out in in the award.
So, we are really hopeful. The team came up so with some strategies. This was outside of the meet and confer dollars because we're hoping for um kind of like our transportation um expansion. Uh we're looking for innovative ways to put money in that pays for itself. So, the intent and hope is this is will hit pay for itself. We will watch it very closely. We will be gathering that data. It's part of the data that we monitor, Um and it'll be a data-driven decision. And then hopefully we can report back that it was some success there. Thank you. Well, fundamentally if nobody bites on it, right, then nothing changes. So there's no cost. And for each person who bites on it, it sounds like it's will generate a cost savings while also improving the compensation of our staff, right? Right. Yes, and I just want to also want to add that in the past year we have brought to the board tier raises or 1% for everybody the same.
So, the department members are now able to participate uh in in some of the community events and uh and and building more connections with the community. And I'm very excited uh to see that and very proud that we're taking that role. So, >> anything Miss Leonard? >> I just wanted to share my appreciation with you that you are considering the students and how the drivers do affect them and you know that having that familiar person there is really a big deal for for the students and the families because they they know the kids and they are just as important as teachers and other supporting staff members in the school district. So, I just wanted to share that with you. >> Well, on behalf of my drivers, they would all say thank you very much for that recognition and and they do. They really do bond with the youth.
So, we really want to congratulate Mary and thank her for her service and we think um we're very proud that she earned that recognition. We won't make her speak though because we know that she would really crawl underneath her desk for then. So, I I just wanted to make sure I >> say we're lucky to have Mary >> andbody on the marquee to I think with a picture. >> I I have a and I have a special connection with Caroline Warner. She actually came to Blige you I mean I was in sixth grade and she came and had like a little town hall with students um back then. So I was like wow and I didn't know who Caroline Warner was at the time but I do now. >> That's a great connection. And the award is presented by Arizona School Administrators Association and and sponsored by Grand Canyon University.
And we have here the feedback and and and the stories again to address the multiple concerns. And so this year we'll really make sure that we look deep into the SOYG goals and different strategies to attract and to provide the achievement for those four goals and all all of the guardrails.
Uh they build those relationships. They're the first one in the morning, the last one in the afternoon, and they sometimes may see something, you know, where a student may be, you know, have some depression or just not their normal self, and they can pull and say, "Hey, how's everything going? Is are you doing okay? And how's school going?" Give them an opportunity to interact. And of course, we went through the suicide prevention training and everything, too. and and our drivers can very be very key and instrumental uh in hopefully recognizing anything that could potentially uh impact a student and be one of the first ones that could raise that issue and make sure that we're doing our part. So, they're really integrated as community members. >> There was information in here. Um, I guess the question would be are is there and I wouldn't know or we wouldn't know because that would be a beline function like hiring consistent hiring that's routinely open or is it just depend on the need and I only ask that because I know we have what we need right now right as far as you have an amount of bus drivers to routes >> we we do we we are we are adequate adequately staffed But we can always use more because uh right now we're outsourcing a lot of our field and activity trips.
And so they drove up from Phoenix today just to have a quick recognition with Miss Ford. So uh Miss Hoffmar got some good pictures. we'll be putting on social media putting her out there on that. So, congratulations. Um, also I want to I I just want to loop back and I and I want to commend another one of our district leaders. I think Nathan um Neil did a good job bringing in some different communities and I know that um our student computers have been a topic of contention that we've heard over and over again and I just want to appreciate him for listening listening to the folks and listening to a variety of viewpoints and um and working to come to a consensus with the group in a short amount of time. And that's not just listening in the one meeting, but listening to all these comments that have been said, looking up the research as what's best for kids.
And so the the next uh slides, and if you have any questions, please stop me. Um the rationale for uh As I said before, uh the biggest goal is to ensure that the compensation really uh by increasing the merit paid, we are aligning the staff efforts, tying it to financial incentives to ensure that everybody is involved in working together to achieve those four goals and all of the guardrails. It also uh creates collaboration because if I'm a teacher and I'm or I'm a crossing guard or clerk, I may not work directly with the students, but knowing that now there's going to be an incentive attached, I'm going to be more interested in knowing about SOYG and what's my role and my part and what influence do I have to achieve those. And that creates uh the conditions for success and shared vision that we need in order to achieve the goal for 2028 uh all of the all of the goals.
>> So our dedicated route drivers are not able to take advantage because we don't have enough. So if we had more drivers and we would hopefully be able at some point to start taking over uh some of our own uh field and activity trips instead of having to do the outsourcing and through attrition. And I should point out I I do want to publicly uh uh thank uh Cat Burroughs, Katherine Burroughs. She has been a faithful driver for the district. She's retiring at the end of this school year. >> No way. >> And uh at the thriving youthful age of well 77. She'll be 77. She's retiring this year. Um but she loves the kids. She's moving over to the thriving metropolis of Why Arizona. And don't ask me why. I don't know. I've asked her several times. I assure you couldn't just squeeze out one more year.
And just like Mary, you know, I think celebrate Nathan doing what he feels like is best for our kids for now and in the future. Um, uh, I also wanted to mentioned, Mr. Grace and I had talked and he asked me to talk about it today that there was some information that the high school was looking at moving to a seven period day and he wanted everybody to make sure and know that that's not something we're going to talk about that that's not something we're going to do this year and I I fully support that. But it's something he wants to start discussions about possibly for future years down the road to see what that looks like because it has a lot of implications. but it's not something we're starting and it's not something we're going to take on for next year. Um, we h I was excited to announce that we have a Blige concert in a 21st century highlight pro project highlight that starts at 6 p.m.
Um the talent strategy is com- com- competitive merit pay, including the proposed $3,000 recruitment retention stipend. Um and you guys just approved it, so thank you for that. And it's uh just like you hear um Mr. Lodato saying the 17 teachers between the transition in principles and all of the ones that he's going to have to hire. And so, making sure that we have a strong compensation package, merit pay, performance pay, uh it creates the stability in the classroom in order to continue advancing uh the achievement and the proficiency. Um the salary compression, as I said, for years we have been working in making some gains in the compression, but really, really going deep, and kudos to um finances department and our assistant superintendent, Vanessa Shapiro, uh because it is a massive and very laborious thing and solution to create multiple salary schedule repairs that really ensure and look down into each one of our employees and saying this employee needs to make this amount compared to that one, it's it's amazing and laborious.
but uh she says it's time uh but she has loved her opportunity to serve here and I just wanted to thank her publicly uh for her service to the Babaver Unified School District and the Beine team. So >> she's the she's the one bus driver my kids actually name by name. >> Oh my goodness. Yeah, naturally. Well, >> um >> we'll get you Mr. Grumple Stiltskin for next year. I don't know. >> Right. Um the last thing is is is there is uh still summer um like routes >> summer schools. Yes. >> And that's only for that amount of time of like four weeks. >> It's uh basically three three weeks. It's a 12 days. It's a total of 12 days. Fortunately for us during uh those months in rel relationship to the overtime, we don't have overtime costs because the uh number of stops is significantly reduced.
We might be a little late for that, but that was going on tonight. And also online registration is already open for 2627. We know that um our um our registars did a great job at our school getting 100% that helped us with our free and reduced numbers and so we just wanted to get it out to the community that that was um going on right now and that's that's it for me for now. >> You're kind of horse. So >> well that's why you get paid the big bucks, right? >> Y >> um so open call to the public. Anybody who would like to address the board at this time, we'd appreciate those comments.
Um >> [clears throat] >> we also want to make sure that by fixing the years of experience, we are sending a strong message to our teachers uh who are dedicated and have long-standing and long-term commitment here in our in our district that we value their experience. And we also want to make sure that we stay competitive so they don't that talent is not stolen by other districts, and they also help us recruit other friends that they may have in other districts so we can get those excellent teachers to continue our growth. Um and if somebody's listening and looking for a new district to work, Clayton School District, please come and work for us. We're still hiring. Um >> [laughter] >> How to Um we want to make sure that um by the 0.79 uh uh salary increase. It's a strong message also that recognizes the rising cost of living and promotes equity for all staff.
We're running the smaller buses for the summer school program uh to help again, you know, save on fuel costs and and so we're able to design it. And then if there's areas where students are not participating, if they're not participating in the summer school program, then after the first day or two, then we start uh redlinining those stops. We don't go there again to reduce the miles and reduce the time that the the students are on. We used to uh and this is just a question I think in general for the summer school uh and for bus drivers in particular because if students are not here, they're not driving buses, but is there any other efforts to to see if there are any other needs that might be available for them to they're not going to get paid obviously if they're not driving. Is that correct?
We'd like you to keep them limited to about three minutes. If anybody would like to come up and do that on any topic, looks like that's it. Next item on the agenda then would be to announce our regular board meeting, which will be June 9th at this location at 5:00. We um at this time are going to go into executive session to discuss performance evaluation for our new superintendent, Mr. Jonathan Roloff. So I have a motion to move into executive session. >> So move. >> I have a motion of second. >> Second. >> A second from Sil in favor say I. >> I. That looked to be unanimous. We'll we'll adjourn to executive session in that room back there which is private to the public. And when we have results of that, we'll come back out into the public and uh announce the results of that uh executive session.
In that way, if there's an incentive of being able to pay your bills with one job, not with two or three, then the rest of the time you can concentrate in classroom excellence. We also We discussed earlier the strategy for the market demand for our most fragile students and most in need of special ed students. We want to make sure that we don't rely so much into contracted services, but we attract those great special education teachers so they can be part of our community. I already mentioned about the great job that the educational secretaries and the importance of their data and how they help us gain more funds and properly identify all the students that are critical to get title funding and grants. And the next part is Dorothy. So, we didn't set out to have a 0.79 raise, as you can well imagine, and there definitely were We got again into small groups and we worked on different recommendations for packages, some of which included higher percentage raises, but if we had gone with those, it would have meant that some of these smaller items that are earmarked for specific groups within our district would have had to have been left out.
>> That is correct. Other than the three weeks that they're going to work for the summer school, are there any other opportunities that you all are looking at or is there interest in scheduling for? >> There most definitely is interest u you know some would be very happy. We we've talked with the superintendent already. If there's still some capacity in the beline budget, then uh he has approved for us to make that available for some of our drivers to come in and do some deep cleaning in the office and really tackle into the buses and get all the chewing gum off and you know some of the things that are difficult to stay ahead of during the regular year. Uh but it would be very limited. >> And then is there is there because are there any other outside or after school activ or activities that continue throughout the year that can lean on bus driving needs.