Board of Education Meeting

001All right, I'll call this meeting um special education board of education meeting to order for Tuesday, February 24th. Can we please stand for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the stands one nation indivisibley and justice for all. The mission of region 15, a collaborative community committed to excellence, is to educate every student to be productive, ethical, and engaged in a global society through proven and innovative learning experiences supported by a strong community whose decision-m is based on the best interest of all students. Um, just let everyone know we have Sharon Addict participating online um tonight. Um, our student representatives are not here because they were lucky enough to have a snow day today. We are not going to ask Mr. Smith anything about whether there's going to be a snow day tomorrow. >>

002Um, so we'll move on to the um approval of minutes. May I have a motion to approve the minutes for January 27th? >> Thank you, Shannon. Second by Heather. Any questions or comments? All right, we do a roll call starting with John. Ser Marks I >> Manzo I Heather Rogers I >> Sharon >> I also >> Sharon I >> thanks Sharon. All right it uh it's approved. Next we have the region 15 proposed 2627 school pledges. Superintendent Smith. That's the fastest we ever got. >> Number four. >> All right. Well, here we are. uh kind of just want to ground the the budget process and why we do this. While we're going to talk about some numbers tonight, all those numbers allow us to do the work of educating students each day. We start with

003our mission and our vision, uh our theories of action, and then our portrait of the learner. Um these are the kind of pillars that we look to and the budget that we're going to see tonight allows us to meet the goals and objectives um of these uh aspirational items. I say all these uh people here contribute to the budget. Kind of the irony is we've already started building the next budget. So like it really is a year-long process or more than that. Um and this year especially the last five days or so have been uh more complicated as we try to put the finishing touches on it. So just appreciate the um dealing with some extra stress u but also making the adjustments that needed to be made so that you can have a complete

004package tonight. We did get some information kind of at the end of last week that uh you know forced us to make some adjustments here. Um, you know, I'd like to remind the community, the board, of what it is that we do with these resources and the return on investment to this community. Uh, you know, we've talked a little bit about some assessment scores recently, but just a reminder that our graduation rates from this high school are some of the highest in the state, that we're a well-rounded high school, that it's not just about our college acceptance rates. Our theater department has um been extremely um successful the last couple years. Some of the things that we don't look at, our college acceptance rates are high. Um, I like that we have an electric car

005uh club that runs um at Limerock. The robotics club has gotten u really off the ground. Our the culinary work that this board has supported now has multiple levels. Um as well as athletics. Um I'd also put some of the uh AP scores at the high school. Like we while we talked a little bit about SAT scores, I feel like we've overshadowed some of the success of our AP. Um that first data point, the 62.8% that's um of uh high school students that take the exam in Connecticut, 68% get a three or higher. At Palmer High School, that's 91%. Uh when you look at the total number of high school students as a percent of high school students in general total graduating class u the national average is 22% of a graduating class uh Massachusetts

006leads the nation at 32% Connecticut 29 and at pover of the entire graduating class um and then the bottom is just kind of in data for in a grid graph form um graduates where they've gone over the last couple years. I know that some of our board of finance members have asked for this slide in the past, so we put it right here. Uh the other piece that's really interesting over the last two years is now that Connecticut has a common app for state schools that you can apply at no cost. And if you have a 2.75 GPA, you get automatic accepted. And with the cost of college what it is, um getting accepted into school is one thing, but how families are choosing to finance and start their college career is really shifting, which

007was part of the reason Connecticut did all that. Uh but uh I do think that we we've had students attend where where they want to go, they they are able to get into for the most part. Uh I don't want to overshadow the board success. Two years in a row back-to back um cave recognition. So, good job to those that sit at this table and I'm glad that Cave recognizes the work that you're doing. Um, the budget priorities, these are things that we look at when we're trying to build this budget. Um, we have a responsibility to this community to provide them a quality educational system. Uh, we have a responsibility to our educators to to um supply them with what it is necessary for them to do the job that we're asking them to

008do. Um, I think we worked really hard over the last seven years to provide transparent budgets. Some ways so hard that even parts of tonight will be complicated to explain to you because the math is so transparent. Um, you'll understand what I mean before the night is over. Um, you know, we have expenses both now and uh in the future and we also have state funding reductions that we have to keep in mind. it. We could deliver you a lower budget tonight. I'll talk to some places that we could do that, but it defers costs down the road. And I don't know that the future funding capacity is going to be easier than it is right now. Um, and I also think that look, the vast majority of our community no longer has students in

009school. They either have students that graduated or students not here yet. And we have to balance that fiscal impact. um budget that you're going to see tonight addresses all the staffing needs that have been uh requested or supported by building principles and uh teachers and instructional professionals. U it maintains our programs and class sizes. We have not made cuts to those or recommended cuts to those. Uh the instructional needs of our students are in this budget. the uh the deferred costs. We work really hard not to kick the can down the road um and acknowledge where we have areas that we need to address. Um and we have labor and inflationary pressures. Uh you've all seen this. I keep this in the presentation for people who uh may have not paid attention before or been

010aware of our enrollment projections, but uh for the most part, we're looking like pretty stable enrollment. we don't have uh movement really one way or the other. These are the current class size averages on the left. Um this budget on the right will ensure the class sizes uh the grid on the right are what we project as class sizes. You'll see that there's a zero net FTE change. We're not adding any teachers. We're not removing any teachers. Um in some schools there'll be shifts of a teacher from a grade level to one from one to another, but um pretty consistent. And you'll see that our class sizes year-toear again some small shifts grade levelwise. Um but all within a standard deviation and pretty consistent yeartoear. Here you go. This is the slide we've all been

011waiting for. I think this is the fastest in my career. Uh that's seven minutes uh that we've got to this. So let me walk you through it a little bit and explain um kind of what the nuances are. um the almost the entire budget increases in the first three lines. Salary and benefits um are the vast majority of that and then the transportation contract that we voted on earlier this year, you'll see that impact there um of about a half a percent. The the nuance and the kind of confusing part about this budget is the two numbers on the bottom, that gross budget of a 5.3 um and the proposed budget of a 5.48. While technically this is a 5.8 budget, the impact to towns and the community is really the 5.3. Um, and really

012that's because the revenue year-to-year, we are not projecting a revenue increase next year, but the overall bottom line budget goes up. So the percent of the budget that revenue makes up goes down, which then makes the increase go up. Uh so that's the wonky math that since we've started doing the gross and net budget breakout, we've not had this scenario. So uh there is kind of this weird dynamic of technically it's a 5.48, but from a community standpoint it's a 5.3. Um and when you get into it, neither of these numbers really matter because the AVM shift is so extreme that that has a much bigger bearing than either of these numbers. And we'll talk about that I think in a slide or two or this one. Um so in in a weird way as

013a regional school district every dollar we get is considered revenue. So the first two lines of revenue um are the towns and the bills that we give them to fund >> I'm sorry I I cannot see that like I need to is there a handout like start drilling down. Um, so thank you. You bet. The uh the town revenue is how we look at it. We send town of Mbury and town of South Prairie a bill for the service we provide. Um this is it over time. Um and this becomes the the real number that matters from a town standpoint and that's driven by the ADM. I have another uh break out of that here would only be seven minutes. It wouldn't have been that much until you got to this little spreadsheet like I

014can't >> and we don't normally spend this much time on revenue but in this sphere it's a little wonky the way it plays out so I wanted to spend a little extra time. Um so while the the 5.3 and the 5.48 48 matter from a a large number. From a town specific standpoint, those are the two pieces that matter. Uh uh the other uh revenue is pretty much all flat when we look through uh the state grants. The excess cost grant is actually going down a little bit. uh that we'll talk through a little more, but it's not huge. It's just not going up, which uh is always a challenge for us. I'll probably talk more about the excess cost grant during Dr. Sherto's presentation, but uh that's based on a per pupil multiplier. And

015so there's really a disproportionate increase. As our per student goes up, our deductible, so to speak, of that excess cost goes up by a factor of four. So it creates this diminishing return. Um this is really the story and kind of irony of tonight because there's not that much here is that uh bus contract accounts for a half a percent increase. The salary agreements account for 2% of the increase. Employee benefits is really the bigger story here. They account for 2%. Everything else is 72% of an increase. Um if you were to go line by line, all of the things outside of those three lines um count for about 7/10 of a percent. Uh and in the past, we've not seen employee benefits have this much of a factor, at least not recent. Uh kind

016of the staffing summary, um there are really no changes to staffing. Um the net sa net elementary change is zero. Currently, we have one unfilled position at the high school. Uh that's one a teacher retired towards the end of the summer. We chose not to fill that to see if we could offer the same amount of classes. We've successfully been able to do that. We'd like to next year uh reallocate that open position to a social worker. Uh currently you have two social workers serving the needs of the district. Um as our needs increase their spread thinner um and adding a third. Uh so that is a net zero change but it would be a technical uh the math position that's open be replaced with a social worker be shift what's the concern about the

017same >> we budget the same for it yeah um so there's no change to the budget from that piece >> the what's the position you're allocating >> so right now there's an open math position at the high school uh it went from 1.0 0 to 6. Uh we kept it at a 1.0. We didn't fill the one or the 6 when that person retired. Um so there's a 1.0 position currently on the focus that's unfilled. Um and then we there's no non-certified positions in this budget. The staff is flat. One of the things that we've done here um that is not something that Mr. Martino and I have been necessarily comfortable with or have done in the past. uh we hedge on our par educator line. I know this something Mr. situs has been encouraged

018and of uh and I've been resistant to. So we uh in general had at least four or more parent position there technically in the budget. We've not been able to fill them. Um and so one of the things that we've done in this budget is hedge that we are going to remain uh unable to constantly fill all of them. And uh we we've reduced that line by 200,000 which is four positions. Um we've really had six or eight open uh on a regular basis. We pe maybe at 10, but we've never gotten better than six. So this is not a totally u risky move based on our actuals, but it's not a practice that we've done in the past because it's hard to we're going to negotiate contracts. We're going to recruit people like there

019we are working against ourselves a little bit. Um and the same thing with the certified line we've hedged here um 350,000 in the certified line. Um some of that's gone in the past turnover savings. A teacher retires at Topstep. We hire somebody lower. Um with the positions it's very dependent with shortage areas. There's more and more shortage areas. The idea that we're going to get teachers in their first three years is not always uh an option. And so there is some risk in there. That being said, the last few years we have finished the year with um that line better than projected. So uh we were kind of in some nose territory of the budget in our minds and so we took these um out of the budget that you'd have in front of you

020today. Um, now I'm not an insurance actuary and this is an oversimplified share insurance business. >> I actually had a question on the previous slide. Is it okay to ask a question now or do you want me to hold them? >> Whatever. You only have a couple slides left. You want to hold and then I can answer. >> Yeah, no problem. No problem. Uh so this one when we talk about keeps us up at night, this is something that um keeps me up every night. Uh so I am not an insurance actuary and this is an oversimplified insurance model. So I'll just that's my disclaimer. That being said, these are all real districts. Uh we are the midsize district. So uh the the midsize district is the blue. Um that is our number. the um

021small district. >> What's that? >> The blue zone. >> So there's a blue and a dashed line. Okay. >> So the dashed line is a salary line >> and then the solid line is insurance. And then the green, yellow, and blue represent three different school districts. So if you are a large school district, this is an actual large district in Connecticut. Those are actual budget numbers from their budget last year. um if their insurance line is 60 million and their salary line is 200 million. Right now our budget for insurance next year is at 13%. We're actually better than the norm. As uh shocking as that may seem, Mr. Martino and I are in meetings where we hear of districts at 18, 20, 30, one district at 40% increase they're looking at next year. Um

022so if we took our current rate of growth for insurance and factor the salary growth of 3% um you can see that somewhere between 13 and 23 years the insurance plans will actually cost more than the salaries in school budgets. So that is far out there. But as we talk about the impact of insurance to this budget this year, this is not a region 15 problem. This is not a state of Connecticut problem. I've talked to our legislators about this. um collectively we need to do a better job at managing uh health care. Um again there's lots of things that go into this. I just share this with you. Um here's kind of the real slide. Um I think in some ways because the 5.3% is the actual year-to-year budget increase in real dollars. you'll

023see the revenue is flat and kind of that um inverse proportion of math um and how that revenue factors the the net budget uh and then the real piece is on the bottom once you apply the ADM shift uh the southberry shift is really significant this year uh and the middleberry shift is much smaller um I put here you know we've talked about this slide Um, but if I am talking to both of my communities, if you are red, you're the South Berry and green represents Mbury. If you are uh kind of above the median, it means that the enrollment shift has happened um in your direction. And if you're below, it means it's happened uh in the other direction. So if you look at the green lines that moved north or moved to the

024top of the chart uh for the last 20 years really 30 years seen a much more u aggressive enrollment trend towards Mberry. So I guess in my preparation of conversations with people in Southbury while this year was really high you haven't had a year this high. you have to go back to like 1991 I think um before you find a year where you've had an enrollment shift that's been this extreme. So while that's a difficult number and while the uh increase is disproportionately high this year in Southbury, it has been a while since that has happened. Um so I anticipate being able to have that conversation multiple times over the next few months. So last year we talked a little bit about gate fees um and whether or not we should uh budget for them.

025So what we did in this budget is the gate fees if you remember pay for um officials at the games. Um and so we budgeted 50,000 in this budget which will cover most of the gate fees for most of the games. We do think that some of the large like Friday night football events we may have some gate fees for. Uh but this would remove gate fees for um all the other kind of smaller events that we've charged gate fees for. We no longer have to pass that on to families that are paying to play. We did not make any adjustments to pay. So it's just that 50,000 uh piece. >> Good. >> Yes. >> So right now we charge people to come in and now we won't. Correct. Um big picture summary. Um this

026budget would have been about a percent higher if we didn't make some of the adjustments we made at the last uh insurance meeting and some of those staffing projections brought the budget down from the a six something north of a six to something mid fives. Um we have not added really programming or uh any new initiatives. Um, the pension is now funded at 73%. I believe we used to be funded at 60%. Um, this keeps our pension contribution flat, but it reduces, we had been increasing it every year. We did not include the $25,000 a year that we've been increasing that pension contribution, but again, we're at 73. That was a much more risky conversation. We're at 60. I feel at 73, we're moving in the right direction. This doesn't lose any ground. Uh all

027of the instructional supplies, class sizes, studentf facing resources are here. The supports for literacy, um the classroom resources, the math instruction, that's all in here. Um we did not touch any of our long-term debt obligations. So the debt service line is maintained. Uh, again, I think that while there's probably some money there you could take, it means that we're looking at large building projects down the road and it's only going to compound and be worse. So, our recommendation is smaller pain now um offsets larger pain in the future. Uh, and then that last piece is really you got three lines. Uh, there's not a whole lot in this budget that's exciting. U Mr. Martino would say, there's no sizzle. Uh but uh you know it's it's pretty lean. Um here's your uh I feel like

028every budget presentation needs pie chart just so you can see where those go. Um a few other pieces. Um we've been able to manage some of the utility costs so we've actually stayed flat. We've converted all that natural gas uh work that we've done over the last couple years has really offset some of the increases. Uh we were able to reduce the amount for diesel and oil fuel because we locked in pretty early. So uh there's 20,000 in savings there. We did not remove the $15,000 that we budgeted for the internal audit process. Um and the technology lease, there's a lot of inflationary pressures on the technology that we're purchasing. So that lease is going up slightly. Um here's kind of how it looks. I feel like the 548 is technically the right number to

029put there. I'd like to put a 53 because I think from a community standpoint that's the the practical number. Um and then we've not really done this before. We used to talk about the time we shifted from um net budgeting to gross budgeting. It hasn't really been much of a factor the last few years, but this year the way the revenue um kind of disproportionately impacts the budget. Uh I felt it we should at least remind people that the numbers to the left of that line of demarcation um it's really hard to compare the uh numbers uh to the right side of that 2021 to the numbers to the left again because they're no longer apples to apples when we're doing that comparison. Uh then here's our schedule. Um we'll have our school administrators will

030come to the next workshop. Uh then Dr. Sherto at Google services, Mr. Martino capital plan. Uh we have the uh boards of finance from the two communities here to be invited to a conversation. Um and then hopefully by April 6, they'll have had enough discussion or adopt the budget. uh like we've done in the past, we will take some of the questions, put them in a document that will post to the website uh along with this presentation. >> Um I know Mrs. Addict had a question. U Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thank you for your work. Um I'll I'll let Sharon take the first uh question since we've been waiting. Sharon. >> Oh, thank you so much and thanks for the presentation. if you could just go back. So the the my question was

031about the paras right. So those four positions I recognize that you've taken them off the books but um we that's money we haven't spent per se because where I'm going with this is in lie of being able to hire those individuals we have been providing that support through subs or is that my understanding incorrect? I just want to make sure that it's kind of um we're taking it off the books, but I'm I'm not really sure that there's any level of reduction because we it's it's not been uh a realized spend. >> Correct. >> The positions aren't being removed. Like we still have the same amount of parapositions in the budget we had, but what we've done is >> we're unable to fill some of those positions. And so basically like every salary cycle that

032goes by the money's in our budget but it hasn't been uh allocated to a person that money is really at the end of the year when we have that unexpended balance that's where that uh those dollars have shown up in the last few years. So >> no. So I understand that. But I guess my question is you're still you're are you making up that gap for the um and not being able to fill that through like substitutes? like we're still providing paras to students or or like how are we or is it just a minus4 and we we we have some students that need paras don't have them. >> So the short answer so we triage and we reallocate but we do have more positions needed than we currently can fill. >> Okay. So it's

033not that we're spending the money in a different space to make up for the lack. It's it's purely taking money off of the books. Okay. Great. We'd be happy to if we could find pair of substitutes. If there's anybody out there listening and watching that wants to sub, uh we would be happy to hire you. The reality is that in the last couple years, we've been unable to recruit and hire uh and even the substitute piece, if you want to be a substitute parah, that's fine, but we can hire you as paras too. Um, and so like we they've been unopened and unfilled and our uh teachers and administrators have been moving people around to try to make up the services that we have to provide. Uh, but the reality is that those funds at

034the end of the year get moved to um the educational expense account or uh reallocated and u it's hard to say that with the budget where it is this year that it could do that upfront. So I mean the the liability so to speak and that's why there's on this risk here is um sometimes during the year we've reallocated those funds to um offset some un um unexpected expense or some emergency expense or at the end of the year we've used those funds to put into our educational expense account which you know is how we have the back stop that we do. Um we anticipate having less at the end of the year next year. >> Thank you. And I have one more question and then I'll go back on mute. So, we lost a

035coach, I believe, in math this year. Correct. >> We did. >> He resigned. Yeah. So, have we backfilled that position? And what's the plan for that position? >> We we have backfilled that position. We've hired the the back was a a person that's already in the district and then we've posted and hired for that position as well. >> So, that's been headcount neutral. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Sharon. Anyone else have questions? Go ahead, Sally. Then John, is the facilities position included in this budget? >> It is. >> It's currently unfilled, but we didn't we're not cutting it in anticipation of the work. >> Um I just have a question on that on the shows, you know, the highest increase is 2% 2%. But then the total 5.4. How do you get 5.4 to

036get all the >> So because the revenue is >> well then take the 5.3. >> Yeah. So the 5.3 >> wouldn't that be everything would have to go up an average of 5.3. >> No. >> Your total year-to-year change. So last year's adopted budget was the 93.8. >> All in the proposed budget this year is the 98.8. That's a total year. >> No, I got that. >> Yep. >> What? It just seems >> you're looking to add up the side there, John. >> Yeah, it adds two two and two >> um the revenue being flat. Did you say it's solely or mostly due to excess cost? >> Um yeah, I would say that I mean that's the largest number. Some of the others uh are flat, but they're like pay to play is a projection,

037you know. Um they're not huge numbers, so they wouldn't have changed one much one way or the other. The um the excess cost is important. >> And so is that as per usual, there's always a risk that our group could change it, I guess, in either direction and like they normally could at any any point in time. >> Find out. >> Yeah. So the two biggest yes is the short answer. Uh the the biggest risk is we continue to advocate them to put more money uh they put more money in last year but not enough to keep up with. So the problem is all of our costs are going up. So if they don't add money to it, you're basically taking the same pie dividing it by large numbers which uh you know they originally

038promised a tiered system of reimbursement unless they put a lot of dollars into it. We're never going to get those tears. So >> then were the benefits um so when we negotiate the contracts there's a salary piece there's benefit that contract years ago so when the whole cost goes up and if the contract states that the group you know is supposed to the let's say it's a teachers contract they're supposed to pay x% I forget what it is like that would go up because the whole. So like the portion that the co the portion that they're contributing also goes up. >> So it's just the premium overall goes up. It's the percentage >> everyone pays more both us and >> thank you. And then the the an open position at PHS is that and I'm

039sorry I didn't I just didn't follow. We're moving that to the social worker position. And so we're have an open position. We're not going to fill it. Then the social worker position is at a new position. >> So it would be we have currently two in the district. You'd add a third social worker. >> Okay. >> It would be FTE neutral because we'd be position. >> So just for the future like I would want I mean like in the very near one of the upcoming meetings like the justification for adding the social we need more social workers but what what by now? Um, my position on ADM is just you win some, you lose some, I guess, again. And so I, you know, I sat by while it went up for Mbury. I'm not going

040to, you know, throw up because it's going the other way. And I don't think I'd hope that, um, the Southbury Board of Finance would um, understand, but I'm I'm sure uh, we'll talk to them about that when they're here. Uh and then also with the um pension also as board of finance I'm sure is still going to I would I would like them to see the nor the normal slide which shows our pension contributions over time. Now we you know we have projected something and now we're just kind of flat. I think we should we talk we should be we should we should include that every year regardless of what we do. And I guess my last comment that I've done is um we've as a board we've I mean we've negotiated the contracts that

041seem to be the primary are not seem the primary drivers of the increase, right? Um including transportation. Um I think if I I just am taking just don't want us to get hung up on the 530 versus 548. You know, we can we can blame Hartford or whatever at large for costs going up and no one trying to control costs. Um, by the same token, those same people can get blamed for not funding the revenue side anymore. So, it's it's 548. Doesn't matter the revenue. And to me, it doesn't matter that the revenue went down. The real number is 548. That's I think I don't think that's I guess wonk. I was I was sitting here like that's not that's not wonky. It's just that's just what happens. >> Mary, just I can answer my

042own question. If you I I see the third column should third to the bottom last column should really be the last column shows the increases and then the total increase 5.4 confusing I don't know. >> No, I'm saying the the third to last column shows the increase for line item. >> Oh, yes. I think that should be the last column. So then to go down to 53 and 548 rather than the last column now it's confusing. It looks like those are all the increases which doesn't add up to 5%. >> I I see any other questions >> um question about sped contingency. So up until this year, we've had line interest contingency. We revisited policy recently. We talked at the end of last year about um keeping that in education expense fund opposed to the

043budget line item contingency. And guess I'm just wondering um how is this going to look in this year's budget? Am I going to see a sped contingency? Am I going to see a sped count contribution? C >> no change it's in the budget that the amount it was uh there's differing philosophies we figure that I didn't want to serve that discussion >> u I do think that u the this is all about management risk >> y >> u and while we have some and spent contingency the volatility is usually like north of six figures and not six figures >> um if we reduce that line Again, I think we all have to have the conversation of risk. Uh, but if you reduce that line, we don't necessarily have a way to fund the end. So,

044if we're fortunate enough this year to not have to tap into that, then in my mind anyway, that would be how seed the educational expense account. If we reduce that, it puts more pressure on our which again we can do. I just want to be transparent in the conversation and us to all be on the same page. We already took some other risks in here of places that we've historically gone if the wheel started coming off and we were reducing our ability to do that. So, uh I'm open to the conversation of where that balance is. I just want us to all be on the same page and decide this is the risk we're taking. Uh because if we have to go in a direction that's uncomfortable in the future, again, I want us to

045all go in eyes wide open. >> Yeah. So, to be clear, I wasn't suggesting like, hey, there's a pot of money we can. Uh, no, quite the opposite. I do want to make sure we are, you know, maintaining um some sort of contingency because I do recognize that that's a very fatal heard. >> And again, I know that as we work through this process, we're going to kind of have these discussions, but there's also this kind of weird piece, right? So, you were to take $50,000 out of the spend contingency line and you look at the breakdown of how it affects the towns. >> Um, >> you know, 30 or 40,000 to one town and 20,000 to another on those numbers has um one's insignificant and the other is differently insignificant, you know, and so

046I think that's when Mr. Martino and I talk through some of the where do we want to take some risks. >> It's really hard like I don't know what number people want to hear, right? Like we don't build a budget based on a this is the number we have to hit. We build a budget that we think is responsible and then we back into whatever the number is is whether it's a 53 or a 54 like you know I don't wake up uh lay awake at night trying to like be really great to you know hit a different number. Uh but when you factor in the ADM shift because it's so extreme this year, it almost has this like insulating effect against doing taking more risk because it really that risk is all on the

047school district and it really doesn't help either town significantly. >> So uh that's kind of how we ended up where we are today. >> Gotcha. Um I guess the nature of my questions is just making sure that um you know we have um obligations as a school district. We're not you know unnecessarily taking this. So I I mean I do appreciate um kind of before presenting this to us who've had some of those discussions already made some suggestions. Um do you have a different question? Switch. Um just regarding the the high school math um FTE. Um I'm just I I just want to uh put this out there that the high school graduation requirement for it recently changed to include some sort of a personal finance credit. And I and I guess just before we

048say like ah we don't need that math teacher. I I just want to clarify that that um personal finance credit is being built into classes we already offer. It's not something we have to add and potentially be a teacher for this year down the road or anything like that. >> We also have a teacher in the CTE career tech department store that class as well. So there'll be multiple ways for us to fill that. Um this position actually u a couple years ago this position went from a 1.0 to 6. >> Uh that 6 is where we built in the freshman sophomore transition support. Uh or sorry the point 4 of that because when the position went to the point 6 there's a staff member here that was doing that. Uh the concern is fractional

049positions in a shortage area uh are not easy to fill and that I would argue not good u staff management and so uh with that person retired in August the conversation was can we run without that 6 and we make sure students get their classes class sizes are manageable teachers are able to do what they need to do students are able to get the classes they need so we ran all of first semester without that 6 we then ran this semester without that point6. So this while it is effectively a reduction um it's been done in a very systemic way that we've kind of tested to see whether or not we're able to manage that. So um it's not done kind of without the thought and u multiple administrators will talk to the need for

050additional social workers um through the next couple of meetings. My next question was on social workers but hold fire then. >> So I just have a question around the um like entry fee right versus pay to play. I know that we heard when we talked about the fee discussion. This was something that we committed to our community. Uh we heard it loud and clear that we would come back for the paytoplay both in sports and music, right? As well as the entry fee piece. And I just and we don't have to have the discussion now but just maybe a conversation around right where some of the points were well if someone's paying to come in right when I go watch my nieces play gymnastics and I go to New Milford I have to pay right

051so they're collecting money from someone outside of district right we're potentially right especially on football games right losing revenue from people coming in from outside right to watch their kids play versus uh either reducing or removing the pay to play component right where that's more equal right across I would say across families right because instead of right like the football games we're getting whatever pieces of that right but then it's like okay if we reduce all pay to play for both sports and music right like I'm not paying an entry fee when I go watch my kid play um you know his trombone right like but you're doing it on the other side so it's like I I was just maybe we have a conversation about right is it entry fee or is it reducing

052pay to play it seemed that parents wanted the pay to play come down right if we're already taking that reduction um maybe we just talk about the best play out and I would ask the community right like where did they want to see that but I know that's something that we committed to >> you you have the only piece that I would yes the short answer we gave you a kind of platform to have that conversation. Um, we did talk about uh the fees, the gate fees. So, one, I would anticipate that the the football games would still have gate fees in part because um somehow tracking that and saying like Southbury resident, middle grade, it's not just parents that come to see their kids play. there's lots of outside. Um, and then, uh, we

053would just say with the gate fees, for example, it's kind of an all or nothing to start to be able to figure out a process. Say if you have a child at play or if you live in this town, you don't have to like that gets really complicated for us. So, >> understood. And that is kind of that conversation, right? We're going to still charge for all football, right? And then like so now we're disproportionately charging football families more than soccer. >> Yeah. I don't know the like swear like I don't recall like the big Friday night games if freshman game or the early game like we probably wouldn't do that but just the sheer volume gets it harder. Uh and the number gets a little more wonky because there are a lot of folks

054that love to watch those games that aren't necessarily parents or family members and um kind of track that. But again we we put it in here as kind of a platform. Do you have discussion. The net impact of this budget is 50,000 to absorb those costs. So, uh right now we raise the gate fees to pay the um officials. If we don't charge the gate fees um or we have to charge the gate fees or we have to pay the officials off the budget. So, that's the 50,000. We I put it up here. We collect 180,000 in projected pay-to-play revenue. however you want to do it like that and I'm be happy to follow whatever direction the board wants to go. >> The other thing from that conversation I just wanted to add on the

055table was the differential between middle school sports and high school sports and that fact that the charge is the same but that the time involved is pretty significantly different. So if we're looking at adjusting I just wanted to I just remembered that from the competition. Yeah, that was >> where are those gate fees accounted for? discrediting sources. >> So they're not because there was no revenue. It was net zero. >> Uh and so that's where the gate fees were um the ref. >> They just went right to the ref. They didn't actually run through here. They went through kind of the athletics because that's who paid for the coach. No, not the referees. >> Coaches are paid for. >> It shows up. >> Not paying them out of the cash box. >> No, but we

056pay them out like within the athletic budget. So it doesn't show up here as like a revenue line. Okay. >> It's it's net zero. >> Does it show up as a revenue line in the athletic? >> No, it's it's in student activity site and the gate. We still 1099 the reps but it's uh it come it comes in on activity. >> Do we make money from the snack shack? Like do we charge the organizations to run that? >> Well, we make I feel like that's in the student activity piece that runs outside of like budget proper. This is something that we maintain, right? We redid it. We put pieces in there. We pay for stuff. I'm probably going to get a thousand text messages for saying this right now, but like the organization makes significant

057money from Snapchat, right? Those are significant drivers. >> There's some custodians that rental, but I mean it's not >> We're picking some of that stuff up. the guy who'd been in those buildings after a big Friday night game, right, the next morning and like our custodians are picking up like a hot mess. >> So there there's fees that we charge for that though. Okay. So there like there's a field supervision fee. They pay custodial fees. Um we don't make revenue off of that. It's kind of net neutral. So if you have to pay a custodian to come in on overtime on a Sunday, that's passed on to the organization. We don't >> But some of the equipment in there was actually bought by some of the some of the clubs and >> some of the

058booster clubs. I feel like there's a refrigerator just done recently. There's a few things. >> So, we just own the building. Everything inside is really owned by them. >> There's a few things I think they've been paid for by us, but there's there's several in >> I just didn't know like if you're switching fees around, right? >> All the health permits run through the boosters though. We don't we don't >> Okay. Like that's trying to figure out like what costs are associated with that states. Um, do you do you guys have any idea of what amount of money you make from the football game? >> We do. It was in that presentation. The >> finance it'll be part of the presentation. >> Yeah. Okay. Um, and has there when's the last time that we did

059an increase in pay to play? >> Yeah. like like Dr. Yeah, I don't want I'm going >> I'd be interested in that historical perspective like if we can get that information I think that would be helpful. >> Um because then that's basically a decrease in what families are paying >> um to to participate in sports. But >> also I think when you had when we talked about this at length the last time I think I know you have a you had tried your best to get a summary sheet from other districts what you know who who does higher play and then who does something else and you tried to so you need to pick that up I don't think you need to necessarily redo it because it was really recent but >> because that included

060the parking lots right part of the conversation it was like pay for sports parking space and I remember only because so many parents came that we were very high on both of them. >> You might have done two different because there was probably one that you were approached was like the whole fee structure, right? Like again you win some, you lose some. So parking fee could be high but something else is low and you go to another district and it's the reverse. But I also feel like you had contacted other districts regarding like gate fees like >> I think I think there was like two two different things you had researched put together. >> It was like March 13. >> Yeah. >> Just what does somebody have to pay to go to >> current entryways

061like seven? It's seven. >> I mean for like >> your senior citizens. >> Yeah. I think it's like five for like whatever and then se I mean athletes go for free but like athletes families right pay and if you're like invited there like your kids getting something on the field like I still have to pay to go in to watch my kid get awarded something to leave to not watch the game. Right. Any other questions for now? When when are we going to get the budget books? >> Later this week. >> All right. Um and I'm sure we're going to have a lot more questions that are going to come your way. Again, um >> we do have the we have for you tonight. >> The skinny. >> Sorry. Then you'll get the binders >>

062skinny version. >> All right. Thank you. Um, and so board members are definitely welcome to email questions and then that gets put in a Q&A document that goes on our website as well, which I think the public finds very up. >> Yeah. Well, yeah. I know we have a meeting tomorrow night. >> Yeah, we'll see what you then drop it off to you. You pick it up. Um we had like forced again we made some changes on Friday which day they were good changes but it forced people to rebuild some of those books. So um otherwise we have tonight but um they should be ready. >> Okay. Thank you very much to be continued. Um next we have information and proposals of finance committee Miss Shannallo. So finance committee met this evening and we basically

063just discussed what you're going to see later on this agenda about the change right in the way state fitting happens for the roofing contracts. So you will see uh brief proposals later to discuss the roof where we had to put solar and roof separate. The audit got the audit president moved that there is a conflict with our auditor for this evening um due to the stone date change more to come on motions. >> Any questions for Miss PTO advisory miss Sharon Paddock? >> Hi. So PTO advisory met on February 5th and the focus of the conversation was really um around academic achievement. Um I think it was a great discussion and it was really based I think off of the last board of education meeting. So really want to thank um the active uh discussion

064that I was able to participate in um held by the PTO as well as um Mr. Smith and um the next meeting will be March 5th at 9:30 at central office and my apologies in advance I will not be there due to a work conflict. Um, but I'm happy to connect with either PTO advisory or Mr. Smith um, following that meeting to be able to uh, provide an update back to the board. >> All right. Thank you, Sharon. >> Um, can I add something on I attended that and I was no interesting one thing that came to mind and I don't know if I can mention here but a lot of talk about u preparing for um, college boards or whatever called >> SATs. Yeah. uh people have to pay themselves. Is it possible that

065we can discuss some point offering an after class after school course for kids want to take it? >> Is that in the budget? >> But they have it, you know, the parents pay. >> I'm sorry. >> This is Sharon. Can I just add so before you respond? So, it's interesting, John, because having listened to the discussion. So, there was two things. One, um I I need to apologize because I actually thought that was a public meeting and I learned that um it's a PTO meeting. So, um I extended an invitation in in incorrectly. So, I apologize to the PTO for that. With that said, um there was a discussion around achievement that was specific about uh tutoring, SAT prep, all of that. And there were a lot of um components that were shared. And um

066I actually refrained from bringing this up because I wanted to kind of look at the budget um relative to our curriculum conversations because one of the things that I think that was most profound during the conversation was perhaps even integrating an SAT prep as an elective into the high school curriculum. Um, so I definitely think that as we start to get into the budget and whether it's after school, which did not come up that I heard, um, but more a school offering to offset some of what I'm see what I heard as people independently paying. Um, but really providing that more ubiquitously throughout the community. Um, to me, I think that's part of a budgetary discussion. um because I I don't know how we would talk about an afterchool activity cuz that would be something

067I think that would need to be paid for. Um but more importantly, I think we should evaluate what are we doing within the budget to enhance our curriculum and provide some of um what I would say an opportunities to offset what community members are paying for when they can afford it independently. Any other questions for Okay, next we have the negotiations committee. Uh, Mrs. Heather Rogers. We have been meeting with the PA, the PAR and secretary since November. Um we have representatives from both towns including John Michaels and Cabriano board members, secretary and professional union representatives. We are actively negotiating and meeting again tomorrow. >> Thank you. Any questions for me? >> All right. Next we have the pension committee report by Mr. Steve Sri. this um pension met the second week of February um

068for the current quarter um we're at 2.3% uh increase versus the policy benchmark at 28%. Uh the governance calendar also um governance calendar determines what we do each quarterly meeting. This time around it was the U capital markets assumptions and asset allocation review which means that basically the advisor talked about what feducian who was the name of the company what they see is sort of the the crystal ball for how things invested um and it really doesn't change terribly much. Um and even if it did um they have to operate within a framework that the committee approves that talks about like you can't put all your money, you know, into one thing and not something else. There's there's like guidelines anyway, but they do talk about how they can operate, you know, I think just

069to give an example, one example is they are suggesting maybe a little bit more international exposure and dialing down the US exposure just like a little bit. So that's just kind of tweaking. >> Thank you. Any questions? >> All right. Next, you have the GESPS building update. Superintendent Scott. >> So, I didn't bring a presentation tonight. Um, but I do just want to highlight the fact that in the last month we've been on two tours. We've took um the state reps on a tour um with u some of their staff. And then um last week um we went with um both the new first selectman of both towns, members of the uh boards of finance, boards of selectmen were there. Um we had a pretty robust conversation afterwards about the process that the board went

070through, how we got there, some of the decisions we made. Um, and I just appreciate that the um, community leaders are interested in learning about how we got there um, and why we're trying to do what we're trying to do. And, um, I thought it was just a good good couple of days and appreciate all the board members that made themselves aware available to uh, attend. Um, and then we are going to on March 5th uh, do another tour for members that could make it. This one will be in the evening. Um, one of the things that we're very uh keen on opening a door to a conversation is the question that everybody wants to know is how much it's going to cost me in my property taxes um in five years. Uh, which we

071can do, but there's a lot of variables in that. Before we go too far with telling people what it's going to cost, like to have a conversation with our municipal partners, uh so that we can agree on on the variables, the modeling, what scenarios, you know, are we going to figure inflation at 05 or seven? Um, you know, and we don't have to be totally accurate per se, but we need to be able for people to understand how we're going to do it and how. Again, you saw the ADM shift. um we could promise a certain number and an ADM shift could really um impact that. So I just want us all to be on the same page. Um you're all invited to come to the tours of the two schools and then their meeting

072afterwards. >> Steve, >> I I know two two weekends ago in your weekly update to the board, you told us about the website like said what is the status? So, we have um demo site built that I uh hope to share with Ford uh extremely soon. Um and then uh I know we met with the developer today. I was not at that meeting today, but I know that uh there's some things that need to be updated changed on that site for the public. Uh some days, you know, our deadline was first couple weeks of February. We're here. Uh and so I'm optimistic that we'll have something on the public facing side very soon. >> Any other questions on the GSPS update? >> Okay. Next we have board member comments. Board member comments. >> Uh I

073just wanted to uh throw a bouquet over to the uh PHS college and career center uh last week. I think it was last week. um they sponsored a webinar with a New York Times bestselling author Jeff Celingo who wrote a lot of or two New York Times bestselling books on uh on colleges and higher education. And if you've been really involved in that space, maybe you have a kid who's thinking about college like that's you probably read one or two of these books. Um it's a really good get. We co-sponsored it with I think five or six other high schools. Um I was really glad that our professional development was canceled so I could attend that webinar. Uh, so I guess that was two weeks ago now that I'm thinking of it that way. But

074it was a great session and uh really appreciative that they put in the time to get that scheduled and made that available to uh families. >> Any other comments? >> I guess my only comment would be that there's a new uh not for profofit started in town that's going to address and advocate for a second turfield going to this budget cycle. So I think some of that traction will be launched. So just kind of us to think about I think right why the new schools will impact our needed and will impact those will impact community members that don't sit around this table that don't currently have students really in the system unless they're kindergarten or first graders when you talk about school facilities very similar to the pool right that will impact every child that

075comes through here on rock right so every child currently in the region um especially all the lower grades so I think there is a significant amount of parents who did a lot of research on what other facilities have and what they're looking for for this school experience to elevate to compare right with neighboring towns. So, that's kind of the only thing I want to bring up because I do think we're going to start hearing a lot in the comments. >> Um, I just would like to echo um what Mr. Smith said about the two tours that we did, one with the Hartford delegation, one with our town officials. I thought they were both excellent tours. I really appreciate um Mr. Romeo and his staff and Miss Ferment who showed us around. Um I think I

076spent more time looking at our guests than the building. It was really interesting to see their reactions and I think many were taken back um by what they saw and I thought that was a very helpful um endeavor to get them to understand um the problems that we're dealing with. So very much appreciate um all the people that attended those tours. Um all the people that led the tours um we had you know Jeff from Tecton was there um answered a lot of questions so it was very helpful. I'm really looking forward to the tour on March 5th that was requested um by the chair of the board of finance, Southbury, John Michaels, but we've invited everyone um and that's going to be an excellent opportunity for board of finance members also to ask questions

077about all this so that they have an understanding. Um not only an understanding, I think they're looking to support us. Um so it's more than just trying to understand it. Um, the other thing I wanted to mention is that during one of these tours, I can't remember which one, I did talk to Jeff from TechN. I'm like, you know, what do what should we be doing visav our Hartford delegates? Um, just to I know that they have a plan to put legislation before everyone in the in in whatever process they're going to do. Um, but is there anything that we should be doing? He's like, "Well, you know, just reminding them that you're around is helpful." Um, and to that end, there is a cave day on the hill that's on March 11th from 8:30

078to 11. I will be going. Um, I would love anyone to that's bored in March because we don't have enough going on, I feel like. Um, but if you're interested in joining me, I'd love to have you. And I do plan on smiling and waving to our our delegations to remind them like, "Hi, we're region 15 and we still have the project going, so don't forget us." Not that they would, but um but it's always nice to be present again. >> Nice to have somebody go to, >> right? >> Go with it, too. I went once. >> Are you volunteering? >> I I went once by myself and it would have been nice to have. >> Yeah. >> So, Mary needs a friend. >> All right. All right. Okay. So, Cape Day in the Hill,

079March 11th. Let me know if you'd like to go. All right. I see I see a possible tape here. Okay. >> It's my day. >> Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Um, any other board member comments? No. Okay. Next, we'll move on to comments from citizens. The board of education will recognize citizens from Middleberry and South Berry and citizens are asked to state their name, their town, or residents to limit their comments to three minutes. Anyone? Nope. Um, regular business requiring board action. May I have a motion for approval of the 2026 2027 Friends Together program tuition rates? >> Move that the board of education upon recommendation from the finance committee approve the 2026 2027 friends together tuition rates as presented. >> Have a second. >> Second. >> Thank you, Sally. Joe, do you want to explain this?

080>> Yeah. um small increase going from year to year. We continue to have waiting list. These are for the the typical kids in the program. Um so this is obviously the half day and full day rate program does include transportation and the school as well. So small increase. >> Any questions or comments concerns? >> All right. So we'll do roll call for this. John, we'll start with you. >> John, yes. >> I marks I >> Mary Vanzo. I Rogers. I >> Steve Serani. I >> Shannon Pavllo. I >> Jeff Olson. I >> Sharon, I >> Right. It is unanimous. Thank you. Next. May I have a motion for approval to apply for the solar installation grant at Long Meadow Elementary School. Resolved that the PMPOG Regional School District number 15 authorizes the board of education

081to apply to the Commissioner of Administrative Services and to accept or reject a grant for the solar installation at the Long Meadow Elementary School. >> Second. Thank you. >> All right, Joe, can you talk about this one? >> Okay, it feels like we already did this. We've already done this. Uh so we applied for the long metal roof and as part of the project we're including the solar the state they have to go under two different state project numbers. So the roof install will have one state number and this will be a separate number. So two different grant applications and a whole set of motions that go along with each application. So that's why we see this extra set. We already applied for the roof. So that's done into the state already. This will go

082in for March. The solar time frame isn't as tight as the roof timeline is. So the roof one is already up to that underway. This is the white solar. You'll see Ed specs coming. It's like a whole another project. So, >> any other questions or comments? >> All right. We'll start. >> Sally Romano. I >> Mars. I >> Manzo. I Rogers. I >> Steve Ser. I >> Shann. >> Jeff Olsson. I >> Sharon. I. >> Great. Thank you. It carries. Um, next may I have a motion for approval to establish solar installation committee at Long Meadow Elementary School. Resolved that the Palm Brock Regional School District number 15 building committee is hereby established as the building committee with regard to solar installation at the Long Meadow Elementary School. Second, >> same quick question. You mentioned

083it was this was discussed in finance today. So, it's been through It's this. It's the same. We just separated the project. Same $2.8 million. Now they're just separate. Thank you. >> Is the building committee going to refinance? >> We'll meet together. >> I Romano I >> Marks I >> Manzo I Rogers I >> Steve Serani I >> Shannon Kavalo I >> Jeff Olson I >> chair I. >> Great. Thank you. It carries. Um, lastly, may I have a motion for approval to prepare schematic drawings and outline specifications for the solar installation project at Long Meadow Elementary School? Resolved that the Ponogongs Regional School District number 15 hereby authorizes at least the preparation of schematic drawings and outline specifications for solar installation at the Long Meadow Elementary School. >> Second. >> Thank you. >> Any discussion

084needed? Any questions? comments. >> We're putting solar autos. >> Yep, we are. Okay. Make sure I understand. Thank you. >> And 70% back. Great. >> Good idea. >> All right, we'll put this to vote. Go ahead, John. >> I saw I >> Marks, I Manzo, I >> Heather Rogers, I >> Steve Serrani, I >> Shannono, I >> Jeff Olson, I >> Sharon, I. >> Great. Thank you. and what it carries. Um, next we have announcement of future meetings. Hold on to your hats, folks. Um, Wednesday, March 4th, we have our first budget workshop here at the media center at 6:30. Um, on March 5th, um, we have that special board of education meeting with the board of finance to do the tours of GES and PES and have a discussion with the board of finance.

085That's going to start at 6 PM. Um, that's going to be a notice meeting, right? Okay. Where's the start? >> It's going to start at Gamefield and then move to PEES and then the special meeting itself will take place at PES and I believe that's going to get recorded. We'll record that with just a it's not going to be streamed live. It's just going to be recorded and put up on our website. Um Monday, March 9th, PNC meets at the media center at 6, followed by our um regular meeting on March 9th at 7:30. Wednesday, March 18th, we have our second budget workshop at the media center at 6:30. Monday, March 23rd, we have finance at 6:30. Monday, March 23rd, we have a regular board of ed meeting at 7:30. Wednesday, March 25th, we have

086our budget workshop with the boards of finance from both towns at 6:30, followed by a public hearing for the superintendent's budget at 7:30, I believe. Um, and then Monday, April 6th, PNC meets at the high school media center at six o'clock and followed by a regular meeting of the board of education um at 7:30 where I hope we will be voting on the budget that's slotted for the budget vote. Um, so may I have a motion to move into executive session? move that the board of education enter executive session for the purpose of discussing Superintendent Smith's midyear review and to invite Superintendent Smith to attend the meeting. >> Second second by Shin Kabalo. Um let's put this to a vote. Go ahead John I. >> Ser. >> D Marks I >> Maryano I. >> Heather

087Rogers I >> Steve Serani I >> Shannlo I. >> Sharonatic I. >> All right we will move into executive session. Thank you.