And then we had a favorable response when we had when we pulled like our families, but we had a small sample of those families. So we're we're like it's favorable, but are we is our we getting answers from families that are representative of our of all of our students. So that's something that we want to keep looking into. Um maybe taking that street data in that way too to look at our families. Um, one of I one of the things that I like the best on Carva reflections is that the the student and staff just celebrating together our success. Like that was something you could just feel in the hallways. Everybody was just coming together to meet these goals and they were so excited. And when Chris came on the announcements to announce that we had met our goal for the growth in the ELA, like two of my football playing first graders got up and like ran across the room and like chest bumped in the air.
So we will not see that revenue come in until June. Um and that one's always a little trickier to follow um with it. Um, we currently have been transferring a little more than the 15% right now, but the 15% from the ED to the ops fund is over the calendar year budget year, not within like a school year or six months. So, I double checked with DOE on that just to be sure because I'd like to make sure I'm right things. Um, and then, um, as far as the expenditures, um, our expenditures have been quite high even though they're at 31.42%. It's because of the cash balance piece that concerns me a little bit and so I'm watching that and we are modifying and making some adjustments where we need to. Um overall though we are still very healthy and I feel really good about it but we also need to make sure we're projecting out in the future to be prepared so that we don't fall into issues that other school districts are running into.
It was like it was like a touchdown in the in the finals or whatever. They were so excited. It was it was just so fun to see them get that excited over an academic achievement. Um so that was that's that's like one of my favorite reflections. But um so the improvement was seen across all school populations, but we still see gaps in the amount of improvement. So that's another focus that we want to look at is what subgroups are not growing as fast. Maybe they're still growing, but maybe not showing as much growth as other subgroups and how we want to keep focusing on that as well. Um and then we want to keep doing our student focus groups. Maybe we get some ideas of how we want to organize those from other other buildings. But basically, we just want to maintain, you know, making all of our goals this year is exciting because we stood up here last Did I stand up here last year?
And then moving on to the rainy day. It's still healthy as of the 3.9 um with no activity, which is where we want it for now until we need it until it's a rainy day and it's not. Um moving on to the education fund um report for the um historical comparison, you'll see that we're just at 12 a little over 12 million in the cash balance. Um and then moving on to the operations fund, we're at 1.6. And we're at 1.6 because of the transfer from the ED to the OP. So, but we're still again it's still a healthy range compared to the last year though. You'll see that we were at 2.5 this time of year. Um, so that's just something I want to continue to watch and that's why I was very careful with the raise that we did because I want to make sure that we're not that I want to make sure that we're setting ourselves up to succeed.
Was it >> you one year about to the day? >> Yeah. Yeah. I had really bright nails that day, too. I remember thinking, don't talk with your hands. But, um, but it's exciting to stand up here and say we made them this year. And so, we want to keep moving forward. We want to keep doing the things that we're doing, but also we know there's going to be changes that need to be made because we have new curriculum. So hopefully a lot of these things will carry through, but we'll tackle new things as they come. >> Question. >> So the ESL students also saw improvements, but maybe not as much as other populations. So if we looked, we actually uh all of our subgroup populations from fall to winter, tremendous gains. We saw a little bit of still from fall to spring still improvement, but there was a drop off from that winter going into the spring and we want to identify a little bit more with that.
>> And with that, then I ask for approval of the financial reports. Thank you, Mrs. Babcock. I'll entertain a motion reference approval of the financials. >> Recommend approval of the April 2026 financial report as presented. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Milure.
Um looking at our Latinx population, they also have access testing over there. So it's like you come back from winter break, you got district assessments, you got state assessments coming up right around the corner, you have access assessments. So is that something that we need to look into? Um, we're still happy with the gains, like they have closed the gap, but we we want more. And I think the other one thing that I just kind of I didn't go into kind of with the classroom buddies and the counties and everything. Uh, this spring assessment, we had our older grade levels actually be the the little cheerleaders or the pep talkers or the motivators about perseverance and grit for our younger students. Uh, and that was a lot that was better received across the board. Um, and it's just like it it was awesome. And then some of your students wanted to go I met my growth over to their little fourth grade.
Any questions or comments before we vote? >> So, like you, I'm I'm curious about the operations fund, and it looks like, and I think I noted it at the time, it just seems like we got off on the wrong foot at the beginning of the we had some higher than normal expenses and and I look back at the other years on that ops comparison. Um outside of that I think we're looking fine. Is it just that we just got off on the wrong foot this year because we weren't >> Yes, actually there's a couple things there that I'm glad you brought that up. So a couple things are yes we had some high expenditures at the beginning of the year. Um one of them was our natural gas delivery which we're actually looking into a consortium right now um to help see if it'll to reduce some costs in the near future um so that we don't run into that huge bill again in the future hopefully.
It was just so cute. It's that's what that's what it is. Cuteness is what we need. >> Um but as do you think um or how has the boys and girls club over there contri has has it contributed to um any of your scores? Do you feel >> for my school personally? I do not believe I have a high enough attendance to yield a response for your your answer there. I think at most uh inconsistently we have anywhere between six and 10 where I know the program has been a lot larger at some of the other uh school sites that we have over there. So just with that small of a population holistically tier one I don't think I have any necessary data points for it. Uh of those students a lot of them they're not in third fourth and fifth grade so I can't even go pull their data up over inside Panorama.
Um so we're looking at some of those other items. So we did have that. Another factor that's playing into it is the circuit breaker. Um so the circuit breaker released through DLGF um that we are going to have an impact of about 3.2 million. Meaning our levy that is a little over 12 million, you can take 3.2 million off of that that we will not be getting. Um another factor that has my concern and I want to make sure that we are prepared for that. >> Okay. I thought we were on a natural gas consortium a long time ago but maybe we dropped that at one point or >> you know from from what I understand we we are not. So that's why I wanted to check. We had one bill that came in. It was over $100,000 and that was just mind-blowing to me.
I think of the two that are between that when I looked up to see if they have like an adult outside of school, they mark yes, but I don't know if that's related to the Boys and Girls Club or that's another family member. So I >> I don't have a representative. >> And then um your focus groups um again are they like I asked the same question. Are they the same are the same students every quarter or how did you so >> how did you pull them or? >> So what we it was very mathematical. Uh, I had all my lunch supervisors each pick a kid. That was it. I go, I want a representative sample of boys, girls, and any type of population that you could even think of. They went and they picked it over and I brought them over into the conference room.
I've not seen that before ever. >> Mr. Well, I attended a meeting um of I don't know maybe 20 different school districts that um got hit hard with the same same issue and uh many of them are looking at some different consortiums and and looking at trying to stabilize that bill because Huntington got hit but so did a lot of others that aren't in um these consortiums. So, I would just say I'm I'm glad that you've jumped in that with Tyler. I also want to let the board know I appreciate um the leadership that's been coming from Mrs. Babcock as we look at the operations Ryan and for the board's purposes. Um we want to make sure you know we in the past have been trying to intentionally spend down a little bit of the cash balance as you all know. Uh but those days with the amount of funding cuts are real for us in our in our future.
So, they actually had lunch with me and I went through a series of questions. Um, I was able to do it probably about 12 to 15 times and every single time that was a student, a different student population. Um, I want to get a little bit more strategic, a little bit more purposeful of that. Uh, definitely making sure that we have the appropriate demographics. Um, also looking to see if I could get a live translator because doing it on my phone, I think it lacked a little bit of something. I got their voice, but that personal connection still was not there. Uh, so that's something I definitely want to improve and make it a little bit more systematic. And then taking whatever they have, putting it onto our community wall, which is eight plexiglass things, which is absolutely fantastic, that we write on. So, we're going to have that actually be reflective of what we're seeing in our panorama as well as our 4Bs that we have across the board.
um unless things swing back at the legislative level, as you know, Ryan, um we've got to live within the new budget as well. So, I would tell you, I appreciate Michelle um sitting in with us on our capital projects, our operations, our bonding, looking at those and her leadership's been invaluable. Uh as well as just looking at between her and Karen um on some other expenditures on overtime and etc that we're looking into to try to make sure our arms are around so we do live within our means and appropriately. So, I will tell you she's been uh amazing and um I feel Huntington's in really good shape compared to some of the districts, but we do have to project out and we have to be real about this in terms of the operations budget and we will thank you Mr. Bberry. Any further we vote?
>> And then the staff belonging questions, are those the same as the student questions? Are they different? >> They are not the exact same. I would have to go back and actually read them verbatim for you, but they are different. >> Yeah. >> No, absolutely fantastic. Other questions? >> Just two comments. One on the collaboration. I'm very positive um your comments there and you know, encourage I've talked to Tom a number of times. We talk about you know collaborating between between the different especially on the elementary level between the different schools. So if you guys if one school is doing a practice that's really working you know copy it and do it at your schools and you know implement it and hopefully you'll have the same success. And then um then another comment just on I think when you went through some of the reflections it's it's about culture.
Hearing none, we'll vote on the motion. That motion passes 6. We move on to G2 memorandum of understanding between HCCS and HCTA for title 2A funding professional development summer training stipens. Babcock one more time. >> Yes. So, um thisou um is for title 2 funding essentially. Um that clarifies in here that certified staff that we want to encourage them to do PD over the summer. Um and with that we will pay them at the $40 per hour rate and that includes their FICA and their um turf. Um and then as well as any classified hourly staff at $15 per hour and that would cover their um also on top of that is also their FICA and their PEF. Um so that's um just to approve that process as it's not in the agreement. >> Thank you Mrs. Babcock. I'll entertain a motion. I'll reference this item.
So it looks like you're starting to change the culture or improve the culture, create a positive culture. So keep up the good work. >> We got as a whole is great, but over at Storm, it's a unique little family. Our PTO, our events are well attended. Our staff is absolutely amazing. Um, we get to cry together, we get to laugh together, we get to celebrate together, and we get to push each other a little bit more. That's what it's about. >> I had a question, but I'm going to let you end it on that. So, thank you. [laughter] >> I shouldn't start with that comment then. [applause] Yeah. [clears throat] >> Hi. Hi. I'm Sean Dougman. Uh, first year finished at Hooverwood. So, [laughter] >> that was a a a happy yes. Not a >> You did it. >> It looked happy. It wasn't. And then this is uh this is Lori Ring and she's a second grade teacher and also uh a member of our SLT.
>> Motion to approve the memorandum of understanding between HCCS and HCA for title 2 funding professional development summer training statements. >> Thank you Mr. Melture. Is there a second? Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Wall. Questions or comments before we vote? >> Just want to thank HCCA for working with us to come up with a workable solution for everyone. >> Well, they've uh not only been um working with us, but I've I've appreciated their leadership. They've been very instrumental uh working with me, not just from interim, not just with John previously, but now in the new capacity as superintendent. So, they've been outstanding. Thank you, Mr. Bberry. Anything further before we vote? None. We'll vote on that motion. That motion passes 6. Move on to H1 H&HS varsity locker room renovation proposal and terms and conditions. Mr. Thornsberry. >> Terry, remember the days when you used to be at the top of the agenda, huh?
Oh, I do it. All right. Uh we had two goals. Uh literacy and the sense of belonging. Um our goal for literacy was for 61% of our students to meet or exceed their growth target. Uh in the winter we had 73% of our students meet or exceed their growth target in reading. And then we saw a dip also in the winter or fall to spring. uh still still beat our our our goal of 61, but it fell from 73 to 65% of our students meeting uh their growth target. So that was a good accomplishment. We're proud of that. And then our sense of belonging, uh we had 70% of our students uh feeling like a sense of belonging was our goal. That was where they ended last year. So coming into my first year, I decided let's just try and maintain our sense of belonging.
>> Yeah. [laughter] I won't comment. It's a joke between Cindy and I. Okay. Uh, okay. First item tonight I'm presenting is the Honey North High School varsity locker room renovation project. Uh, this is out of the 2022 bond. This will be the last significant project out of the 22 2022 bond and then we should be down pretty low on that balance. So um project actually started today and what I'm presenting is the design proposal for architectural engineering which is our uh standard questions. >> I'll entertain a motion reference request. >> Recommend approval of the HNHS uh varsity locker room renovation proposal in terms of conditions as presented. >> Thank you Mr. Wall and a second. >> Second. >> Thank you Mr. Meltchure. questions or comments before we vote. >> I just want to continue to thank you for doing this and working with us because I know typically this would be something done before the even project started as I look through that terms and conditions.