001to the flag of the United States of America to the stands nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all right Dr. Can you have some acknowledgements tonight? >> Um, welcome back to our student reps. It is amazing to have them. We love them. There's our acknowledgement. >> Thank you. Welcome back. >> Oh, I thought we had BGP artwork, too. >> Oh, I I didn't know if we had next time. >> Oh, okay. I am on the right agenda. Okay. Okay. >> I just we have to go back. >> No problem. It's okay. All right. So then moving on. Are there any additions to the agenda? Seeing none. Um next is the approval of minutes. We have the January 21st, January 28th, and February 4th minutes. So I will accept a motion. >> So moved. Second.
002Okay. >> Any discussion? Roll call vote. Start with you. Joel. Hi. I can only that I was here for and abstain on February 4th, please. >> Bill. >> Hi. >> And Kenzie. >> Hi J. >> Hi. >> JP. >> Hi. >> Oh, I'm sorry. That was my fault. They were Thank you. I >> And I have an I this. >> Okay. Public participation. The members of the Talon Board of Education welcome members of the public to share their thoughts and ideas at this time. When appropriate to do so, members of the board and the administration may respond to comments during points of information. However, in consideration of those in attendance and in an effort to proceed in a timely manner, follow-up discussion may need to take place outside of the meeting setting. So, we will
003set the timer for two minutes. Dr. Willlet, do you have that? >> Okay. Would anyone in the room like to speak at this time? Seeing none. Would anyone online like to speak at this time? Please raise your Zoom hand to do so. probably will unmute you. Okay, I see nothing online. Back to the room. Nope. Back online. >> All right, we can close out public participation. Thank you, Dr. Willlet. >> Okay, next up is correspondence. Dana. >> Yeah. >> No correspondence at this time. >> Thank you. Okay, points of information. Would any board members like to speak at this time? >> Super quickly. Um I just want to congratulate two new council members uh who were seated last night as well as the new vice chair. Um I appreciate um that we got it done
004before February 11th, which is today, our meeting. So less uh less weight on our shoulders obviously selfishly but again congratulations to both members from a board member and hopefully um we can use that to get to work. So sincerely Jaden >> you got it. >> Anyone else? >> All right. Seeing none move on to our student representatives. Um, so student councing $212 for nominee during mental health awareness week through our raffle basket fundraiser that we did. We'll also be matching the donations as well as we have started to plan our spring events like our pep rally and spirit week. >> Thank you. Any questions for student reps? >> When's the pep rally? You look like you got a That's my It's the Friday before April break. >> Gotcha. So the first week of Aprilish, >>
005I think so. >> That's exciting. That's exciting. >> April 10th would be that date for those of us planning our vacation. >> Thank you. >> Do does um spirit week and um pepper do they coincide? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> You you guys raised $212 and you did you say you were going to match it? >> Yes. using our funds, like our student council funds. >> Oh, that sounds great. >> Thanks, guys. >> Thank you. >> All right, moving on to committee and liaison reports. We just handled this last week, so I don't think any of you's had a meeting since. Raise your hand if you have. >> All right, so I'm going to go by that, too. Brings us to our chairperson's report, and I do have one tonight. This is my fifth year
006on the board and therefore my fifth year in budget discussions. It grows more difficult every year due to increasing costs and the very limited increases we have had over time. With a 10-year average increase of only 1.6%, we have reached a point where it is becoming nearly impossible to sustain the programs and staffing our students deserve. I think Dr. Willlet put it best last week when he explained that we have come to a place where we are doing more managing than leading at this point. I can't tell you how sad that makes me, but I set out on this journey to protect what our students had and provide growth and more opportunities for students to protect and respect our staff more. And I feel like we are in a place where we are just triaging
007trying to alleviate the deepest pain where and how best we can. Last week, after almost 5 hours of very hard work, we concluded with a 7.9% figure for Dr. Willlet to run as a scenario to present tonight. I think we all, whether we voted for or against it, recognize that this presents a significant challenge for the town council. We all know a massive tax increase to the community isn't an option. So, we remain hopeful that the council can help identify alternate funding options this year, but also work to find a better process for the long term. As I said last meeting, as long as the burden of running our town relies solely on taxing property owners, we will continue this vicious cycle year over year and decimate our district. The exercise we conducted last week
008as we actually sat down to add and subtract specific reduction oper options from the superintendent's 9.8% proposed budget was a sobering one and that puts it mildly. I believe everyone in the room felt how limited our choices have truly become. When those options are placed in front of you and the impact on students becomes real, it is clear why we struggle to reduce that percentage. To be honest, the budget process is also more difficult for me from this seat than it was when I first joined the board. Because back then, I could vote mainly on my individual views and experiences. As chair, my leadership role requires me to be a listener first and a steward of the entire board's input. I feel a deep responsibility to hear every stakeholder and take your perspectives to heart.
009It's a more difficult way to navigate a budget for sure, but I believe it's the only way to ensure our decisions truly reflect the needs of our students and taxpayers. Because this process is so complex and the impact on our schools is so significant, my goal as chair is always to move forward with a shared understanding regardless of whether our votes are in total agreement. That said, we will look at what we put forward last week and review any possible changes we can make at this point in the process, which is limited given we need to provide our adopted budget to the town manager per charter by the 14th. I hope we can show the community how hard we work together on this and I will always aim for compromise and consensus. Moving on to
010old business M1. Ready, Dr. Bullet? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um, just as soon as you start. All right. So, um, this is obviously the the moment you've been kind of waiting for here, building up to the February 11th budget, um, conversation or review of the document. documents been provided to you and um and right now uh you you should also have been able to find the uh digital document provided once the meeting is over tonight. I post the document that you uh approve for the the public as well. So the public can find it on budget page and the budget page is www.tok12. US and then if you go to the main page and click budget and then budget documents you'll find the board of ed adopted budget here once the board of ed has
011adopted it. So uh right now you should have access to the digital budget. Um also you have a copy of the budget with you. Um I'll go over some of the basics of the budget at this time and um and then kind of hand over to the board for its deliberations. The board of ed adopted budget has some similarities to the superintendent one although it is lower as you know. Um following the directives from the last meeting I made the adjustments that the board asked. Um the adjustments had the cumulative effect of um you know upshifting things slightly in that uh you know overall cost drivers now because we reduced transportation and certain other things. We have 65% of it about $2.3 million is due to contractual obligations and drivers. 5% of the board of
012ed 7.9% overall increase is comprised of cost drivers and obligations. And this gives you a breakdown. Um I did make uh some accommodations and modifications for the fact that as we had talked about in the last meeting or two that you know is in the process of disbanding. So there is um some negation of one of those cost drivers for the coming year if the district you know as the district works through that we'll have to be talking to the bargaining units and so on. Um but the state plan is one option and there are other options. So, um, you'll notice that in fiscal year 27, I negated the impact of the, uh, Egypt health stuff because at this point, you know, it's not a cost driver for next year, per se. If you think
013about one year to the next, it's still one of the major budget areas. It still is a big chunk of our budget, but I don't consider it a driver for fiscal year 27 anymore from the standpoint of going from point A to point B. it's not, you know, it's not going to go up. Um, still a major contribution to our overall budget, like I said, or a major part of the overall budget, but it's it's negated a little bit. Now, um, transportation is there still, but lower a little bit because of what you did. I mean, overall, the difference is lower um, than it was. Not that there is no difference at all. There's still an impact, but it's a little bit less. So some of these things tweaked it a little but you're still
014at around 65 to 70% of it is contractual obligations and overall increase 5% of your 7.9 is made up of those obligations. This grant situation is still the same. Um the positions that you had um you know that we had eliminated there moving forward potentially the 1.0 parah educator 1.0 or 2.0 0 special education and the 1.0 reading intervention following um the objective and the directive of you know position if that were being vacated. Um you'll notice that we kept the focus as you desired on safety and security. So there is still within the budget the security officers there is still within the budget the SRO all of these things were um at the direct direction of the board of education um and then you know I left the narratives for these in the budget
015so that you can you know see the narrative generally for the SRO see the narrative and the responsibilities for the security officer or what we call SAT officer in the district. Um and you can also see the ABIS which was also remaining in the budget. The board of education also preserved the clubs and activities funding that re that existed prior to this year. So parent guardians um would be paying less uh than they have been this year and it would go back to the old amounts um much cheaper amounts for the clubs and uh not quite as the stringent requirements that we used to have. would be back in force if this board of ed budget goes forward and has passed. Um fiscal year 27 would go back to the way it was around fiscal
016year 24. Uh so these are just you know some of the basic highlights you had already um reviewed everything that was changing because we talked about it on the 4th and this is the manifestation of those changes. So that's where these things fell. Um I won't I won't keep belaboring it at this point. you see in the other parts of the document too. So it's similar sections, similar things, grants change, um things like that are changing. Um you know, so that that's roughly where we're at. I'll just pause now and see if you want to go over any other aspects of it. Well, >> okay. Um so first I just want to add that thank you Dr. for all of the parties are reviewing their staff put in booklet. Um also if you I'll open
017um the the document um that is posted to the dashboard that we worked with last week. Um Bill and I asked Dr. Will it knowing that as we were doing this activity last week and ending close to midnight and seeing that we were all surprised as we went through the process, you know that unfortunately the number still ran where it did and again that we are in Sophie's choice where the the the reductions we have to make feel impossible. um the percentage that we feel that you know would that would we be passing over seems impossible. Um we did ask Dr. Willlet to see if he could work a scenario for us just to look at that was in the sixes. Um so he has done that and you have that as a 6.7. So
018having said that, I would like to open the floor up to any questions or comments on either the 7.9 that Dr. Willlet just presented to us or the working document with reductions to 6.7. >> You want me to fly over it a little bit? >> Sure. I I just didn't know how much you could do with that. Sure. >> Yeah. Um, so you have access to it. It's the same document that you have been uh accessing last um week. Um you're looking at the 6.7% that should be the very first one. Um the 6.7% um does have a larger staff impact than what you've seen in some of the other ones. Um, if you look maybe starting from the bottom up, you'll see some of the very similar things from last time, but one of
019the notable differences is athletics pay to participate fees from both the middle school and high school go up to $399. Um, now remember you're going from a 7.9 to a 6.7 and still trying to stay within a realm of lower impacts, but in order to do that, paytoplay fees for athletics go up. So they go up from 300 to 399. Um you're still reducing two buses. You still have anticipated special education transport and outplacement reductions. You still have retirement rentals and insurance reductions and so on. This difference here also is the pay to play the clubs. While the sports uh goes up to 399, the sports and activity, I'm sorry, the clubs and activities now return to the funding model that would be in place this year. So parent guardians, you know, 85 for the
020high school, 75 for the middle school, 55 for TEIS. Uh transportation line is still reduced. Um and then if you look at the yellow area, some of those are similar, but you'll notice that kind of you've seen some of these before in your prior uh review of it, but there's a couple of them added. So that's how you get to a 6.7 from a 79 roughly. >> Thank you. Did you want to add anything? Okay. >> No. Um I'll just echo what you said that you know it was a uh a joint conversation with the two of us and then the three of us that we just felt the temperature in the room that was shocked still after going through the process by it being 7.9. Um and with the limited um options for reductions
021um even with uh Dr. Will following our instructions of prioritizing people over positions, you know, there's still limited uh options for us. So, we wanted to see what it might look like if he didn't have those restrictions on him um and those instructions to just give us something that seemed a little bit more palatable to some of to some of us and just see what it looks like. So, that's why we're here where we're at now instead of just looking at, you know, the initial 79. Now, if school security is um if school security is uh brokered by um our chair with the town council, um that's something that would reduce this down now from a 67. It shows that down to a to a five or potentially a four depending on whether you get
022technology and school security. So those those things were brokered in some way then you'd be down in the zone of five or four. >> I did not reduce. There is one thing here though to just bring your attention to it to clarify. >> Um TIS Chromebooks are taken out of this. So unless they were alternatively funded, but otherwise if you know you wrap up the whole security and some of the tech stuff, if the council did something with the chair, then that could get you into the pool. >> Thank you for mentioning that. Yeah, the goal is to to leave those items in a percentage um because it it makes them it easier for them to work with. But obviously, you know, if those things don't um aren't supported or aren't supported in full, we
023can come back to the table and review even those things, right? You can review security and techs as well, but as of right now, they're in the total um with the hope that we gain we gain some help there. those we don't there's not a lot of because of the limitations on you know the town being able to provide us funding for things that are recurring. There's not a lot of wiggle room for us to be able to ask them. So to be very specific in our requests and ask for security which is something that they could fund and to ask for um tech which is something that could be considered a capital item. It's not a recurring item necessarily. Um those are those are options to to fund. So that's why obviously we picked
024those to to ask them about to push forward. Um because just asking them to help us with the dollar figure would cause a problem because they can't they they really can't help us with something that's recurring out of funds that they have. >> Question Dr. Will lines six through 15. Yeah. But you um >> am I in your way? I'm sorry. >> No, no, it's I'm trying to figure out so you can see the participants, but I can't get the So, I want >> I have it on my >> Oh, you got it. >> Yeah, I have. >> Go ahead. Sorry. >> Lines six through 15 on the document we're looking at. >> How many give me the the breakdown of people verse positions? >> Uh, well, if you look at six, that was going
025to be an ad. Seven was going to be an ad. eight. Um, >> so those aren't those aren't people those were coming down from the superintendent's budget. >> Okay. Right. So those are new new positions. >> Yes. The six and seven come down from the superintendent's budget. Uh, eight is a person. Nine person 10 is a modification of an existing contract. Um 11 is uh a you can read that one as a no no rehire of a person you know if somebody retires no rehire. Uh 13 is same thing retire no rehire. 14 same thing retire no rehire. Um, the 12 and the 15 would currently be people. >> Yeah. Sorry. Okay. There we go. Now I can Okay. Um, can you clarify the issue of the um the Chromebooks? Does is that uh does
026that mean that those are going to be self-funded by the parents or what's the story there? >> Over. >> Not replace the ones at that level. We would go with the ones we have and try to make it another year at that level with the ones we have. we might have to change to a a different format at that level. So it might not be onetoone at that level anymore. Okay. So we would be we would still be issuing students Chromebooks, but they would not be newly refreshed this year or or or what? the grades uh six through 12 would have the uh replacements but the um grade five would not. So they would have to work with what they have whether that meant one to one or going back to some other kind of
027arrangement. they would have to work another year with the the ones they have which there's a reason why we have a replacement cycle and that's usually because they start you know becoming nonunctional and they come become non-functional at a level where you know they just can't produce one for every student. So they might have to go to a different situation a different setup for it because you can't have some people have them and not others. So if somebody's breaks down, you can't have it can't be just, oh, sorry, that's it. You're not getting anything else. Um, so they might have to think of another way to do it since there isn't a replacement cycle for this year there in this budget if we go forward with it. >> So Dr. Willie, just as an example,
028so maybe help Jim Geeks, you know, his kids haven't been in school here. would what possibly another model look like? Um, TIS students still had availability to use computers in class, whether that was like a cart model where they would just use them for certain subjects or or and or a computer lab. Um, they just would not be taking those devices home any longer. >> Yeah. And it may be that not not every class can use it all the all at once, you know. So, the carts, we don't have the carts anymore. We would have to figure something out. they just wouldn't be getting replacement units. So, we would have to figure out maybe one grade wouldn't have any. And then fourth and fifth would have the, you know, the older ones as replacements when
029things die out and they would just try to make it a year and maybe one grade would not have access to the same way and that would have to be on some version of a cart model even though we don't have the carts. But the point is, you know, it's trying to uh provide some adjustment for the board if that was the direction you wanted to go in without that being a person. >> JP, all set for now? Raise your hand. If not, you're back on the >> All right. Link. >> Okay. So, I'm sorry. I just need clarification again on the the Chromebook thing that is not part of the tech initiative that we were already kind of thinking about. >> Okay. So, this is a whole separate tech. >> No, that's part of
030the tech initiative >> or is this part? So, >> so that part of it just wouldn't be fun. >> I see where you're going. >> Okay. >> Can I jump in? Missed that. >> Okay. So, that is still part of So, that's part of that big umbrella. of the tech initiative that included replacing the Chromebooks as well as updating the Windows that we are in hopefully asking for help from the count but we can't count on it so we have to figure it out. So >> that's the under the guise of we can't count on it. So that didn't happen. This is just seven >> but you're right. >> But that's it's in contrast to what I said. Yes. >> Yes. Okay. >> But I thought that the included I'm sorry. >> So it sounds
031like it is. Yes, good. But I heard you saying yes. So when we were like splicing out the tech initiative initially and like when I was making some of recommendations about what could be asked for because it would be considered capital maintaining a onetoone for computers or Chromebooks or what I computers but um is like is a recurring expense because we do it every year whereas like something like upgrading the Windows 11 is truly a nonrecurring expense. So like every year when the third graders come in, we buy Chromebooks for that. So it is an annual expense and I think that's where the delineation is that we weren't asking for it from the town council because it it is more appropriate for an operating budget. So if we want to maintain a onetoone, we would
032have to fund it. But if we think that the the cut is worth it, we have to come up with another model for technology exposure at that young age. When we're grouping the security and the tech together at about a 1.2, just don't have the individual numbers in front of me right now for each effect security, right? Are we including that in that number or were we just including the other parts of the text? So I mean you're talking what you're talking about is um what you could broker with the council. >> No I understand. >> So whatever however what you've group whatever aspect of bit you want to you're talking about the entire thing Windows all edtech initiative because Windows is not edtech initiative but that edtech initiative all security that's where you're getting
033up to that 1.2. >> Okay. So that makes Elaine's question make sense. >> Yeah. I mean what what she's bringing up probably is that we had included it because it was possibly going to be taken out you know otherwise funded on the town side can negotiate such a thing. Um but for this this scenario was a specialized scenario. This scenario isn't counting on anything right now per se. And what it would do is you'd still get if everything else got negotiated, let's say everything else, you're still at a one, you know, you're still shifting it downward by about a percent. Whether those Chromebooks are in there or not. >> So to clarify that McKenzie's point um which as well, can we ask um for the edit initiative meaning fresh? Would that still be in some
034way, shape, or form a possible capital request? I recognize that there's a higher turnover rate, but I still understand that hardware, it is still hardware, can be covered under capital budget requests. >> Yeah, the the hard part about these conversations is there's lots of nuance. So I can give you the answer traditionally, but I also would not have said that the SRO could be funded that way either because what you're talking about has been, you know, making um brokering some arrangements, right? And just our chair brokered an arrangement where we for all intents and purposes have an SRO right now and we wouldn't otherwise. And you're and the board's not paying for it would otherwise. So the point of this is does it fit, you know, under a capital request item. Typically the the council
035in this town has not loaded those things into the capital stuff. Um those they've been considered when opportunity arises type things. If you go to the states strict definition, things like computers would be part of capital. That's why that 188 thing worked because I got state information. We talked about it and under the state's conditions it does apply as capital but in our town it traditionally has been put in the wo category. So what we're talking about is can you broker something different. That's why it's a little that's why all of these things are yes. It's true. It's true. It's true because you're talking if you're really talking about brokering a special arrangement a special funding not a capital thing. Right. Right. So then hearing what you said, unless unless you guys disagree with me,
036given that the state classifies the computers as possible capital, I still believe it's something that we can ask the the town council. New people, new term, new asks. So I'd still like to ask it. However, that does based on your point, what I said earlier then becomes invalid in a sense. Um, so thank you for catching that. Um, so then I rather than say that 1.2 of this could possibly be covered given that the Chromebooks are on there, we'd probably say what 1.1. >> Yeah. Another another thing you could do is if you take a look at the sheet, if I zero that out. >> Perfect. >> But if I do, you're at a 6.8, >> right? So it changed about >> then it goes back to the the paradigm that you were talking about
037before. So the only reason it's there is since this particular scenario was created with a no boundaries sort of thing. >> Okay. Thank you. >> But I can uh you know without that it's a 6.8. >> Okay. And thank you for catching. >> Go ahead. I did a little bit of um research and got some input on capital and I believe that the town's capital policy um requires that any capital expense has to be depreciated over 10 years and Chromebooks wouldn't wouldn't be they depreciate much faster than convenience. So the Windows 11 upgrade would be like if we were really putting it to capital would be appropriate to put on that list. But um I think I'm still supportive of a special funding arrangement. Um but we we might get push back should we try
038to actually get that on the capital um list going forward. Interested. Thank you. >> We're outside the time request for capital though. So >> I keep saying this. So this >> would be a special funding request this year. >> Not for next year but for this year. You're probably better off defining this as a special funding request. >> I understand the only reason why I'm >> not discussing I know the only reason why I'm saying things like security and capital is again to show the differentiation between I'm not asking for them to to um fund teachers as a recurring expense year-over-year. Right? I'm asking them to fund things that are specified in other that are covered in other districts in other parameters and under state. So um but with respect to the policy but that's
039for them to then let us know and decide upon that's one question in approving this is there some sort of len now granted we'd have to approve budget as whatever it is but is there something we can uh determine here or there there whatever leadership meetings or whatever that we can engage this conversation with the council when it is time for capital budget discussions and whatnot whenever that you've mentioned it so many times Dr. Will it of course double blank? Um I think August through October or something along those lines that so is there what what would that look like? Is that a possibility? Is that something that okay we're asking for a special funding request right now with a caveat little carrot here of well we also want to engage in August, September, October
040hopefully August so we have more time to discuss it >> on our agenda. >> Is that so the short answer is yes. I believe that going forward we look at this >> y >> we we try to get these things worked in earlier in that process um for security we have already had two leadership meetings that also included the superintendent and the town manager where we discussed not only the current arrangement we have but our hopes and opinions and ideas for a future arrangement. >> We're still working through the process of what we have right now. Um, but this would then hopefully trump that if this was allowed, right? Um, I if you remember a couple meetings ago, maybe our first budget meeting, I suggested we have a meeting, a joint meeting with the town
041council earlier before we adopted our budget. Unfortunately, we just seated two vacancies on the town council last night. So we weren't I didn't think that adding that to the plate of the five people that were there was a good idea to ask them for joint meetings. So we do have a joint meeting where I plan to discuss all this. I am also happy to entertain having an additional joint meeting earlier or later. So shortterm yes um we've started discussions on security already. We will discuss it with tech in the joint meeting or if everybody wants to in a in another meeting that we that I'd be happy to ask for. Um but yes, then going forward, um I would expect that whatever agreement we have for security would be for a number of years, but
042again, we won't know that until they're able to decide what they're going to do there and how they would be able to fund it if they do decide to. And then the same with with tech, depending on what they allow, >> then we would definitely try to get that in as as a capital item going forward. >> Okay. So they're they they are in their own buckets even though timeline wise they're in their own buckets of and and their even tech and security are probably in their own buckets themselves as well just with how I'm understanding this. So that's that makes more sense. My thing with everything that I'm going to say tonight and believe in and everything that I believe and whether it's I'm here, whether it's I'm, you know, in my private letter
043again, it's value and and and how much does this make sense? And my hope is that we can get out of the cycle of okay, here's a stop gap. We're going to do this for now. As you can see, our contractual obligations are higher and higher and higher every year because we're sort of, you know, well, that that's a longer discussion, but I hope we can avoid making these stop gap decisions that lead us land us in these situations every year. And I again, I take I take credit for that as well in in in in being on the board the last four years. The reason for me saying that is with everything I'm going to say tonight, it is with the intention of let's have some form of long-term planning, which we've mentioned now,
044I feel like three in the last four years, um, in mind as we engage in this conversation and not just make it about, you know, you know, what we need right now, but moving forward, what would that look like as well? So, and I'll have other questions and whatnot, but and statements, plenty of them to make, but I just wanted to add that while we're on this topic, hopefully I'm making myself clear and makes sense. >> No, you are. And can I just add that I completely agree with you. Yeah. >> Um I think the challenge for us in some of the long-term planning is just the nature of the fact that these boards turn over under two years. So, it's hard to say, okay, let's have a five-year plan, but we're all only going
045to be here for two years to agree with it. However, the council certainly has buckets, I'm trying to policies, you know, funds. Yeah. That have stipulations on them. So, if they are able to say this is for five years, we're, you know, this is a fiveyear security fund, things like that, then I think that would hold term to term unless another board came in, another council came in and overturned it. We really just we're very limited in options from where we are >> because we can't really say this is our five-year plan and we're sticking to it >> without the council agreeing that they're going to stick to a five-year plan too. Right? So that's the but we should do as much long-term planning as we can. We should when we have these discussions make
046sure that we ask for some longevity in this. Right. Um >> and just keep working towards better foresight. I mean, I wish I did when we did the capital, I wish I had the foresight to ask, what if this is tech? Can we add that on there and start those conversations, but it was also last term technically, >> so I I didn't have as much to be able to do that. >> No, and I think that's the right word. I was going to use the word permanence, right? We need a sense of permanence of what's going to stay over the next whatever it is, two years, four years, five years, whatever. But I think long longevity is um is the right way to sort of approach this and just how can we create some sustainability
047in thought right how can we create some level of sustained thought process of how the Taland boards operate and over the last four years it has been a miserable process and figuring that out. So again, hopefully I'm making sense as to where I'm at. And I appreciate your explanation of it because it it just sets the picture very clearly and again, I will be I'll be the first to ask about this come July ahead of August and and make sure that these conversations are h being held and I obviously trust you guys to engage those conversations as well. So I again I don't need to be a part of every conversation. It's more so that the conversations are being had and I again between leadership, superintendent, the town council leadership um and the town manager,
048I believe that can get done. So, my hope is, now I'm speaking to the camera here, um, my hope is that it does get done and that the counselors that are involved in that process, you know, get a better understanding of our process here and how we get to the numbers that we're at and why we're asking for what we're asking for. So, just the due diligence part um, over the next however many months till August, I hope is is is is paid in full. Well, that's all on that topic that we >> uh, Dr. Was there anything that maybe I was incorrect on or anything where you want to add? >> Well, no. I guess I would add, but not, you know, there was anything incorrect on. Just um if you look at places
049that do five-year plans, >> one thing that has to happen is there has to be an understood baseline budget, >> right? So what will happen is no matter what the fluctuation is in the tax phase of support there has to be a mechanism for making that a a predictable amount for the 5year period. Otherwise if you uh aim at a 3.35 you know for year one 3 you know if you say you need for instance like out five years we need a 3.35 year 1 3.62 year two 3.48 48, year three, you know, 2.9 and then three. >> You're doing some of that based on your contracts, too. Two-year contracts, threeear contracts. Things are going out. You have projected. So, if your budgets end up being 084, 1.75, you know, it it it kills that.
050So, now you did not reach that three for that year that you had said, you know, you would and had planned on it. Now you have to make adjustments against it. That screws up your plans. >> Yeah. So what has to happen is finance groups have to get together and say we are going to sustain X budget over the next five years and we're going to asking the community for X but if the community doesn't provide X we're going to supplant that with what >> because if you don't then fiveyear plans collapse as soon as you're not able to get the budget to sustain them and then that collapse creates a problem for the next year which at that budget doesn't get sustained at that level creates an ongoing problem the next year. So you
051can't sustain an initiative you cannot fund consistently >> just to get it out there by finance groups who need to get together meaning what does that meaning >> well I mean some some towns have a board of finance you have council so there would have to be some commitment on the side of all elected bodies that interact on this and if you're going to do a five-year plan across all groups all departments all areas there would have to be some understanding that we're going to go for x% But if that doesn't get funded, we're taking the the differential out of the some funds you have, >> right? Because if you don't do that and the budgets go down, how can you sustain your initiatives over five years if you even don't, right? There's there would
052have to be some, you know, cooperation about, okay, we're, you know, we're going to aim at this and then we'll make up the difference through this other mechanism. Um because if you can't really this is why a lot of people go fiveyear plan like okay whatever because you know if you can't get past year one with the budget that you needed to sustain your initiatives then what's the point of talking about five years that's that's how that ends up collapsing. So, we've had actually five-year projections. We did a couple of five-year projections for the FFC and the board, but we didn't get to get, you know, to do that. And they weren't crazy. It was like three, you know, three in the three zone, most of them. >> Been there somewhere. So, but you know,
053that collapses quickly when there's no way of finding a differential when you're talking about a difference of a million, you know. >> Yeah. No, and then that makes sense. I think again as long as there's some sort of strategy moving forward, I think we're we're doing the right thing. >> I do think that by just doing the same thing over and over and over again, again, we're just putting you can see even if we started at 9, what was the what was the first proposal 99 >> that still wouldn't be in my opinion satisfactorily satisfyingly uh equipping our district to be the best district it can be given the circumstances we're in. And so my my my thing right now is we're we keep putting ourselves in a hole because the effort I don't know
054if it's a matter of effort or a matter of again boards change and leadership changes and and and and ideas change and admissions change but we're just going to keep putting never mind cells who knows if we'll be here in two years who knows if we'll be here in four years. It's the town it's taxpayers. It's students who are not even in the school district yet who are going to be affected in 5 years from now. Right? So it's it's it's it's seniors who aren't retired yet but might retire in five years five years from now. So I just I at some point we've got to think and it's not even really this board which is and it hasn't been the last four years. It is my hope that this new council can at least
055engage in conversations around something like this because if we're going to talk about supporting the whole picture, we should support the whole picture. Not just right now, not just tomorrow, but the next day and the next day and the next day after that. So, it's meaningful. It is. So, until we do that, um we're making um a lot of decisions that are very impactful to our district and again, a lot of which we'll talk about tonight, which are unfortunate and atrocious and hideous and awful and go against everything I ran for the board of ed for um but in some cases might seem necessary. So, um, again, I I and I roll my eyes at the five-year plan thing as well because it's like, okay, great. To Jen, your point, Madam Chair, to your point,
056again, things change. I'm sorry I had to. Um, things change over time and leadership changes, but at the same time, you've got to do something. We've got to do something. And I don't know what that something is, but hopefully we can talk about it and figure it out finally in my fifth year on this on this darn board. So, if we had started my first year, we'd be in the fifth year right now. then we probably would be in a better spot and and and Dana's I think been on this thing for six years, you know, so we're in the seventh of her. So it's just where we are right now in in my opinion could have been avoided and I hope we can take the steps to avoid worsening that situation leaving tonight. So
057um again, do I have all the details? Not necessarily, but let's talk about it. So thank you and thank you for clarifying a lot of that as well. All all of you. >> Yeah. Okay. Um, you know, I just wanted to um echo, you know, the the desire to have more long-term planning, right? And let's be honest, a five-year plan in like a business context is actually not a long-term plan. Um, it's actually very short term. Um, but that would be an improvement. Uh what I was going to suggest is um you know and I I I certainly you know feel this way from being like new to the board is that there's probably things that we can do really as soon as this budget cycle ends to better prepare us for next budget cycle.
058Um, and I think that those actions and maybe a stab at what a long-term strategy should look like should be referred to FCC for action. >> Um, I think that those are things that we should recommend that FCC take on pretty quickly after this budget cycle. Um, and bring to the board with some overall recommendations um, for what we can do uh, as a board to get um, I would say better prepared. Um and one of the things that you know I hear from uh the community is uh the need for more um communication about this process. And um I think that um you know we do a pretty good job during budget season of communicating about it. But um really I think that some more spreading that out a little bit so it's a
059little more digestible uh to ourselves and to our community I think might have some long-term impacts on um voter perception and referendums and and other um support that we're looking for. Um I agree that I don't didn't even think that the 99 was good, right? that um the things that were in it, there were still things that were left on the table that could really make our schools excellent. And I want us to have excellent schools. Um you know, when we when I was elected to the board, I think we all met with Dr. Willlet and he asked what I wanted to get out of this experience, what I wanted, you know, my legacy here to be. And I wanted to leave this place better than I found it. Um, and so everything I'm voting
060for is with that in mind, right? Like better isn't perfect, but I'm, you know, comfortable with with building momentum. Um, I will say, and I' I've said this to members of my caucus in the last couple days, um, I'd really I I know that we're fixated on the percent change of the budget year-over-year. Um, it's been what an average of 1.7. This we're looking at options for 7.9, 6.7. Those are truly relevant numbers, right? They're numbers that get fixated on in the community, but most people who can quote them can't tell us what the total budget is or our expenditure per student. And those are the things that matter, right? our our budget year-over-year, which is supposed to be a measure of like your your cost increase, which I understand, has not kept pace with
061inflation, has not kept pace with the number of students in our district, has not kept pace with the increased needs coming out of a global pandemic, um, and frankly means nothing to me. What means something to me is how are our students supported and are there other metrics that we need to be looking at during the budget cycle in order to better communicate that so my sub >> can you hear me >> um so I appreciate the conversation that we're having and and Dr. I I appreciate you putting together the multiple um budgets we have before us. Um yeah, the the 9.9 is unfortunate that that was what was originally or the 9% whatever uh that was presented to us originally. It's unfortunate that we're in the position that we are. As Jaden um said
062earlier, you look at that 10-year average plus, I mean, it's it's deplorable at best. It's the the best word I can say. And without sounding doom and gloom, I mean there was a 0% 8%. Um really low percentages and in the last decade when it's kind of put us in the place where we are. And to be blunt that 9.9 or whatever is less than what we need really. And because we've been put in such a deficit, it would swung the pendulum and and we are where we are right now. We've talked about a five-year plan. We've talked about different things. Um, and I even mentioned in our last meeting that this is um, you know, this is something that, um, we're not going to fix the board of ed as a whole. We're going
063to fix it as a community as a whole. Um, and knowing what each community member and each board and commission members charge is. And I know people get sick of hearing me say that we're we're here for the board of education. We're here to make sure that we have a flourishing school system. We're here to make sure that we have a competitive school system. that we are educating and supporting the whole student when it comes to clubs, activities, sports, um curriculum, core curriculum, AP classes, Yukon classes, all of that. So that when our students decide if they want to go to college, they want to go to, you know, into the military, they want to go to trade school, they have all the resources. We are a public school system and we are we are
064charged and we are um we signed up to honor that and to do our best to support our students and staff and schools. Um there's nothing that I haven't said in the last six years that has changed the way I feel about that. I think what we need to do is change the ideas and and the the the way around and how to provide that said strong school system. Um, and I will reiterate too that a 9% or a 7.9 or a 6% or a 3% does not equate to a 3% 7% 9% tax increase does not affect directly the mill rate just as much as we talk about we were being creative and I appreciate it. Fundraising different things we need to be creative in all all venues of town, all departments of town,
065the senior center, our transportation, um our fire department. We I we don't have these conversations of fundraising and all those other departments. So again, I feel like the board of education although we do have the large budget in the town of Talin, we are also taking the biggest concessions and year after year, budget after budget, um re a referendum after referendum and meeting after town council and meeting after the town council, we are telling our kids, we are not fighting hard enough for our kids. we are not fighting hard enough for our staff. So, yeah, can we put a 9.9 responsibly and be fiscally responsible um today? Probably not. Uh I definitely feel strongly about the 7.9. I don't I think that we need to put um pressure on our town council to utilize I
066don't know how many of you were on the meeting last night or how many of you look at the at the uh the budget and the analysis that they did. There's over $15 million in in um different funds across across um talent. We're healthy. I think the percentage is supposed to be like 10 or 11% to say healthy. These are already tax funds that we've utilized. We need to fight for our students. We need to fight for our staff and we need to fight for our school system. We're talking about um cutting staff. We're talking about charging families $350 to $400 per sport to save nickels and dimes on a full budget because we can't utilize other funds across the community to help support the entire community. The rhetoric of school versus the kids versus
067seniors versus all of that, it needs to stop and Talon needs to fight for Talon. Um, so I I I don't even know why we're even thinking about entertaining less than a 7.9 um right now. Let's let our town council step up and do what they are charged to do. Look at the town council funds. Look at the town of Talin funds and staff and fund all of their departments correctly. And I will reiterate that the board of ed is a town department for the town of Taland. It's not the town of Taland and then the town of Talon board of education. It's the town of Talon as a community as a whole. So although I appreciate you trying to to do different numbers, Dr. Willlet, I think that we're at the 7.9 um that
068we talked about last week that a lot of us probably got a lot of aida just getting with the 7.9. Um but when we're looking at some of the reductions that we've done, we are putting more cost and more burden on individual families versus funding our entire town. We are saying, okay, we don't want to utilize other parts of the town money because we want to save this group or that group or the this group or that group with all all the different departments we have. But we're okay taking things away from our students, our staffs, and our schools. And I'm just not okay with that. So, I I I'm I'm not in favor of of entertaining any other budget other than that 7.9 at this point. And we need to ask the town council
069to be creative to help fund our town properly. Thank you. I got just a question on um the line 16 the SAT segments. So a reduction for that. How much of that is actually SAT statement because you've got like three things in there. >> Yeah, it's it's a it's a roll up of a bunch of things. Um I have to look at exactly I would off the top of my head say somewhere in the 10 to 15. >> Okay. We still would have, you know, we'll still try to find another way of doing it here. >> Well, I'm just curious because >> that ends up being the total amount for that line though. >> Okay. >> Whereas last time the other the iteration you have in the booklet, >> yeah, >> is not the whole
070thing. >> Okay. >> This one is almost, you know, all of it. But I would there are I would try to I always try to find ways like the clubs, you know, we did the clubs at 85 bucks, >> right, >> per child at the high school. I just don't know how many of you guys have like seniors, juniors in high school. Like the high school is offering eight eight SAT workshops this year. That's a big number. So I don't you know that's why I was just kind of curious like clearly we have we are offering we are helping we you know what I mean? I'm just saying that, you know, like I said, I I just was curious like what kind of amount really and what impact is that truly going to have because
071if we're able to offer eight, I think we're doing very well for high school students because I tell you, we don't offer eight opportunities for them to take the ASVAT test. We offer none. None. So, you know, or no training. >> Yeah. I mean, um, I I mean, we could talk about the SAT, though, right? And I have very strong feelings about the SAT and probably not in alignment with the College Board. >> Um, you know, and asked that, yeah, they the for military it's it's kind of a the stakes for that. They're kind of different tests. And I'm not justifying the SAT by any means. I'm saying um, you know, ASPA, but we could if if there was a desire, we could probably come up with some trainings for that. Um, SAT was chosen
072by the state of Connecticut as the standardized test for all schools. I'm not saying I agree with it, but it didn't chose the ASPAB for that. >> So, they're like a little different, although I see the point you're making, but still act too, which you know, >> and the and so we can I can pivot as you guys direct. I can go in any direction you want and I'm happy to do so because if people point out needs I love fulfilling needs, you know, so that's great. Um, but just SAT, the state of Connecticut chose it because the high school kids wouldn't take the ESPback and refused to take it basically and the scores were bombing. So they to the SAT your standardized tests and now you know people say, "Oh, you get it for
073free. You don't get it for free. The taxpayers are paying for the SAT and it used to be outside of the school day. Now it's in the school day." you know, I don't I don't think it really is a good indicator of what a kid a young person can do, but it is what they're locked into. So, anyway, it's trying to get your your young adults the best shot they can at the various placements and, you know, secondary education, I'm sorry, college educations. Um, and that's why you've got it. And the reason it's so uh there's so many of that type of thing, there's planning involved in the construction of what is provided. So, there's a planning, you know, thing and then there's the execution thing, right? So they execute it, you pay the people
074to execute it, but you also pay the people to plan it. >> But we can do anything you want. Like if there was more as desired, I'd be happy to help create more for that too. But that's why you have the SAT very high stakes. The kids all feel probably really stressed about the SAT, right? >> It's they're made to feel that way and I think it's terrible, but that is where we are. Um, so, >> so, yeah, I just wanted to kind of see like what kind of an actual impact is that reduction going to have because if we already are offering eight just workshops, I mean, that's just the workshops. That's even taking the test. That's not, you know, there's there's other components to the SAT. So, I just didn't know like what
075kind of an impact do you think that's really, you know, going to have on their SAT stuff? Now that you could ask or study, >> I know my kids aren't concerned with it at all. Like they they actually think that the SAT stuff is amusing, but that's just my kids. So, >> um, well, I think that now that colleges, especially this year, going back to accepting SAT scores and requiring SAT scores as opposed to last year where like a lot of schools became test optional and you're expecting test optional. Um, I think that there's a lot more pressure on the SAT this year because if you are able to do well in the SAT, you have a higher chance of getting into college. Even if like, oh, you got to see an honor geometry like,
076but you got a 1550 on the SAT, which can be seen as like really good. SATs are just becoming more important now to make it easier to get into college. Um, I'm not saying that everyone's doing college, but as someone who is planning on going to college, it's very important for me. And I know that while I'm not attending those workshops, um, and I'm taking different steps to prepare myself, um, I know a lot of my friends are utilizing those and they might not be utilizing all of them. So, I agree that eight is a lot, but I still think they're helpful. It's good to have them at different times, especially with junior year, how busy you get. I will say that the workshops have been really good as someone who has attended like every
077single one that's happened so far and that many kids are going to them and participating. >> Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, because I don't know because like I said, my kids have no interest in it. So, you know, >> I think I think there was 50 kids at the last uh young adults at the last session. >> Okay. >> So, it is um I know it's well utilized. And what one other thing I'll say about it is some some families, you know, have the funds to send the kiddos to like Princeton Review or whatever it is today. I don't know that's >> um but this is an equalizer because all kids can benefit from it versus the ones who otherwise would have to pay. So for for Taland, it's giving the young adults in the
078community whose parents couldn't afford some specialized stuff an opportunity to have some SAT prep um you know that they otherwise wouldn't have. So that that was the thinking behind it to Pat's inception just to clarify. So by reducing and I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm just trying to make sure I got this right. By reducing that line whatever the SAT stipens covers is that discussing the is that discussing anything to do with the eight workshops that was just mentioned or is that a completely separate >> No the line will affect it. Um I I you know the the thing that I used to drive Mr. Brody crazy too. >> I will always try to make it work. So for instance, if someone said clubs are going to be completely gone, you know, well, they weren't completely
079gone, but what really happened is the parents took on a massive burden, right? I'm not going to let anything completely die. But what what's happening more and more is the parents of the community are taking on more and more and more and more, you know, and as we reduce other things, uh, as we talked about before, our administrators can't lead, we have to manage. So it's just the things that we're working you know on the teachers are working very hard you know as we know and the staff all the staff paris secretaries custodians everybody nurses those of you have been on the board know what the impacts have been over the last few years you see our nurses struggling and we're trying to help you know ameliate that these are all the reverberations right now
080did nursing end completely no do we have major gaps yeah are we trying to fix it yes will everything end completely no might there be a cost or some limited exposure to it because of there not being you know what we could have otherwise had absolutely you know do we have to do we have you know clubs as clubs and activities yes does it cost the parents a lot more yeah almost triple so it's it's just what you know what kinds of things have to happen in order to make those things stay alive I will say this the community you're in that $22,000 $22,000 was donated for your clubs this community stepped up. Um, having said that, you know, with everything going on, I don't know if the community can continue to step up every
081year in that way. So, we'll I'll always, you know, continue to work to try to make things happen. Um, as will many well-meaning people in the community, but the impacts are real whenever we make any kind of adjustment. >> Thank you. And and I mean I just I guess on that topic you know we are putting a lot of financial burden on parents on families sometimes on students who don't necessarily want to tell mom and dad how quickly they went through their lunch uh bank account like I did. And so that burden then shiftly quickly shifts to who? Our students, you know. So, it's we're adding a financial burden when it comes to the SAT. So, that's I guess sort of outside of school operating hours, but also related to what they do every day.
082We are taking more staff away if we do go with this proposal. But the biggest thing here that just raises some alarm bells for me because I'm kind of mind blown that we're at this point, even though I might have to consider supporting it, which is mind-blowing bugling. We're eliminating TMS sport uh TMS uh pay to play would increase increase to a certain number. I don't know if I'm allowed to go into the specifics on these two lines. Yes, possibly. So, we're going to increase pay to play by another $100. We increased pay to pay last year by how much? I believe $100. >> Uh I think 50 or I'm sorry, no, I think it was 50 for >> it went 250 to 300 to 50 last last time. >> Okay. So we're at about
083$150 in extra expenses. >> Now just just to clarify, you know, we your 7.9 budget is different than the 67 you're considering. So pay to play at the 67 takes a massive >> and that's and that's what I'm discussing. >> You know, the one that you have for, you know, the booklet does not have that. >> Correct. So right now what I'm discussing is the 6.7. It was sort of just off of Dana's point a little while ago just made me think of these reserve funds and all these things that needs to be discussed at our joint meeting. I did that needs to be a headliner in my opinion. But what we're doing right now is we're increasing the cost of paytoplay. We're increasing the cost of of additional support for SAT uh preparation. We're
084increasing the cost. Some kids aren't getting computers, you know, and are they getting the, you know, can they afford um uh computers at home without the support from this board right here at a fraction of the cost per house, per family in this town? At this point, we are making folks, in my opinion, and I'd be very curious to do the math on all of this. It seems like with all these cuts, more money is going to be spent out of people's pockets than whatever tax increase, whatever, even though the the middle rate discussion has been debunked and when it's related to the board of ed. So, uh, I'm a little concerned when it comes to and Elaine, I I appreciate you asking that question because it just made my brain just start spinning in
085terms of what does this actually mean? is this additional cost to families. It is it is these these these um these things that uh our students benefit from to help them become contributing adults. I'm just not understanding why we keep doing this. I mean again if I want my I mean $400 to play sports when two years ago it was what $250 right if we increased it. I'm just having a hard time. When in reality, if we take a bite out of the hole for one year, two years, whatever it is that is necessary for the board of ed to push through, and yes, that might mean an increase in this and that, odds are that's going to be minimal compared to this $150, especially if your child plays in fall, in winter, in spring,
086and then what are they doing in in summer? Shoot, they might be playing with us in summer for however much money that costs, which I don't know the number off the top of my head, but you're adding their summer leagues into this as well that we're not taking into account. So, I'm having a hard time with this, folks. And and and and will I will I in the name of compromise and and understanding where we're at um come possibly come around to supporting it? Sure. And I look forward to that discussion tonight. But I just wanted to make it clear that I mean the Chromebooks come we're adding more financial burden to families than we would if we just supported our budget. And again, somebody can prove me wrong with the math somewhere. I look
087forward to it. Um and maybe I can get the the the figures and and just do it myself. And maybe that's something Dr. Will talk to you about just getting how to math that out. Um but after hearing that answer, I I I I I'm not sure why we're why we keep doing this this whole rigaroo. And then my second thing, so there's that. My second thing, um, I think the idea of of of engaging the town council, uh, other engaging other departments and and and looking into them as thoroughly as the as the board of ed is has looked into. We are the largest department. I get it. Understood. You got it. Same thing has been said for four years going on five years now that I've been here. But how fair is it
088that again, our most vulnerable population right now, our ch the children, I mean, two of two of which are sitting right in front of us. um talking to us about their personal experiences with SATs in previous years, their personal experiences with clubs, in previous years, their personal experiences with teachers and and and classes and course offerings and and sports and athletics and all. I mean, we hear it directly every week. We hear it indirectly because I don't have children, but many of you do have children in the school district. And this affects everybody in in in different ways. Some people more than others, obviously. So, I think there's two things, two points I'm making right now, which is I don't think these cuts are worth it in terms of what we're doing to people's per
089people's pockets uh uh outside of our tax increases. Um I also don't think uh we have engaged the council enough on these reserve funds and and uh I think it is worth investigating and looking into further. I just can't understand how I'm seeing a 3.99 to part pay to participate on my screen while we do have some of these funds available uh from the town council. So again, where we are right now, we can't rely on those funds. So does that impact my vote? Absolutely. And we are where we are right now. But again, moving forward, this relates to my point about the the the long-term planning. We've got to we've got to discuss this somehow. Somehow I'm glad we have a council in the room that's sort of engaging with this process and getting
090an understanding of of of of how difficult of a position we are in right now. So I'm just repeating myself at this point, but this is frustrating and I think we're paying making people pay more money than they would if we just went through with the budget that uh that we proposed to begin the superintendent proposed to begin whatever. You >> Jen. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I'm going to jump in. Um, >> you just >> I do, but I'm going to jump in, too. >> Um, sometimes people say I shouldn't wait till last, so I gave everybody a couple times. >> Yeah, that's just why I'm jumping in and then I'll get to Dana again after. Um, I just want to say that um >> I agree with everything that Dana and Mackenzie and Dana
091um have said. Um, especially, you know, points that, you know, I wrote down. Um Jaden is certainly correct and Elaine I think you touched on it too. I mean the things that we've done you know in the past couple cycles as well as the things that we're discussing this time. Um it is putting an increased financial burden on parents and again we can't obviously it's very hard to say what the mill rate will be or what it was but in a lot of senses a larger increase would have still been less for what parents have been paying already in the extras. Um so I recognize that and uh that certainly don't like it. Um and then you know Dana talked about you know our charge um as BOE members is to do what's best for
092students. Um and I'll include staff in that and that's correct. Um I also believe yeah the town does have funds and um I think that I'm hoping that after discussing this I feel like this will now be you know the third or fourth budget cycle discussing this. I'm hoping that they find ways to maybe see sounds like once things get into the unassigned fund funds get into the unassigned fund, it's stuck there. Um there seems to be so many reasons why they can't utilize that money. Uh we heard more of them I feel like last night or I'm sorry, two nights ago in capital budget meeting. So hopefully they find a way to not funnel so much in there, not funnel so much surplus in into the uh unassigned fund and use it directly back
093to their department. Um I also agree with Dana's point. You know what we what we do here and the number we choose here does not necessarily mean that's a tax increase. It it it never does. And to the point that Jaden's making, you know, the town council has to review all of their town departments and decide um what is best. And we are the largest department. I'll also say that we have the largest amount of customers in town. So, there's a reason why we're large and there's a reason why we take up the bulk of the um budget. That's that's what happens in every district. Um the reality is is that I didn't feel good about what we set forth the first time last budget cycle or the I don't know how many times did
094referendum fail three times after that plus plus or minus one which was also you know the first cut. Um, which I will say, you know, we're putting a lot of heat on the town council. The town manager also does propose a budget and he includes a percentage in for his department. So, that's actually the first thing the town council would use um in the process to be fair. Um, you know, when we talk about our charge about what's doing what's best for students, as I said in my chair report, you know, I I started this endeavor thinking that I was going to make, you know, be able to make big changes and and fight. And I did, and I fought. Um and and hopefully we made some headway on some things and and we we
095didn't on others. Um but right now we're we're at a place where I haven't felt like in terms of budget we've done what's best for students at all because anytime every time we talk about a budget recently we're cut we're reducing something and that reason has never been because the kids don't want it or need it. So we haven't been doing that for quite some time. Um and we still continue um not to do it. Um, the 9.9 didn't do that. The 7.9 doesn't do that. The 6.7 doesn't do that. I guess where I am is is that I am I have watched now cycle after cycle what happens every time. We don't have consensus in this room. Um, it's discussed by the town manager publicly. It's discussed by town council members publicly. And then
096it's discussed by the public and it's always talked about in a way of one party's trying to drive up drive things up and they're not caring about a certain population, right? The other side is is the same thing. And and we go through that year over year. And I've never been a numbers person. I've never made made decisions based on numbers. I I I believe we based on base our decisions on student needs. and they've already said I've now started looking at what won't hurt them the most instead of what can I give more to them for or what um every time we we go through referendum in the past we've lost more um and that has been very debilitating to me um so I'm trying to think how do we get people here to
097pay attention how do we get people behind us in which I think we all feel like this process just doesn't work um we we have to as a town find a better process for this um which I said in my chair report and I've said countless times so I won't keep reiterating that sentence about um the burden on tax on property owners. So, um I just I think that, you know, unfortunately with the year after year after year of the low amounts that we've been given, we're in a hole. And now mostly everything we ask for are these large numbers. And I, like I said in my chair report, I think we all do understand that that can't translate to a tax increase of that nature, of that level. But I'm trying to what I
098what I'm trying to do is to think of the ways, you know, like with the SRO and with security and with possibly the tech. Last year, we brought two options to the town council as well in a joint meeting. What are specific things we can ask our town to use the taxpayer money that we already have to help fund us to get us out of this place? Because I don't think anyone wants to be in this place. Last year also, we we adopted a budget and and in the joint meeting, you know, several people who voted no for that said that they would have they would have voted for something just a little bit lower than that, right? So, it's tough because I think that everybody does understand that we're not in a place really
099where we can ask for a one or two or a three. We we see what that looks like. We're seeing what the reduction looks like, but we also see what it what the numbers look like when we don't reduce those things and we're asking for a nine, an eight, a seven, or a six. So, listen, I support the 6.7. I support the 7.9. I support the 9. Um, I'm trying to I'm I'm trying to get to a place where maybe we as a board can agree on consensus to something and that can invigorate our community to focus on the work that we did. I mean guys, we're in our fourth or fifth meeting and boy am I really grateful for the participation that we have. Don't have a lot of participation. So they have not,
100you know, the community has not really seen our process. And I'm sure some of them will go and look at minutes and I'm sure some of them will go and watch the video. I don't want to take that away from them. But I understand people are also very busy and they have a lot going on. So that's why when you when you hear me say that, you know, Bill and I discussed with Dr. Willlet, could we look at something in the sixes? That's why when you know, you'll see that I I will vote for this 6.7. It's not because I want to take anything additional away. It's because I'm worried about what happens when we don't pass things. Right or wrong? I I hope that you understand where my intentions are. I do not want
101to lose more staff. I do not want to lose more programs. And I'm trying to think of different ways we can go about this that helps that. That's all. Dana, Dr. Will, can you unmute, Dana? >> Hi. Can you hear me? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um, just a couple things that I also want to um make sure that we're cognizant of. Um, and I appreciate um the SAT conversation. Thank you. I think it was Elaine who brought that up. Um, so, uh, I'm trying to go back into my notes here. My apologies because I'm writing down things favorishly. Everybody's comments have made me like stir up ideas and thoughts. So, thank you. Um, there's different sections because it breaks down each section of the SAT. Um, but it's also a paid thing. So it's over
102650 for family to have to pay for pay for those kids. Um but but nevertheless the going around to these sections helps helps our students. Um and there was data that it increased um 10 to 50% rise in scores just from a little bit of engagement with those workshops. And that came from data when I was at the rounds from uh the high school. So these these essay these workshops are phenomenal again we're charging families for these right we're then when we talk so and the data shows that these workshops help we talk about our seniors and pricing people out of town and again I want to reiterate what I said earlier we're the town of Taland and I don't want this to be a seniors versus students but we talk and talk and talk
103about not pricing people out of town. Doing things like we are doing with this budget proposal, we are pricing families out of town. Christina PL when I first started the board of ed in 2019 used to talk about her single the single mom with the three kids that needed to have a funded education because couldn't pay for tutoring couldn't pay for extra books couldn't pay for computers and it was our responsibility to provide that now we're saying families we're going to take away we're going to keep computers at TIS until until we can no longer afford it and we're solely not going to be funding that so Now slowly our K through 2 graders are not going to have an educational tool. We're talking to our sports families that by the way these students need
104these clubs and sports that help them build their whole education. Not only um does it spark increase in your in your um studies and your scholastic aptitude but it helps with their mental wellness and then their preparedness for the next level. And we're asking parents to pay 300, 350, 3.99 for one sport. And then if they want to do more sports, that's $800. Now if they have more than one student, now we're at $1600. We're we're And I on the spreadsheet, it's it's $39,000. When you divide I mean I'm not gonna do quick but quick math. $39,000 in the grand scheme of our entire budget. Is that really pricing families out of talent? Pricing families out of our school district. I get very very concerned when we talk about things like that. Um, we want
105to make sure that we have an equitable an equal I we say equal, right? But it was more equity, right? Get the get an education for families in all levels of financial capabilities. Again, I I feel strongly that we take this budget, we send it to the town council and and allow our town council to do what they need to do to help fund us as one of their departments along with the senior center, along with our transportation department, along with our public works, along with our fire department. Let's not price any of our community members out of the of talent. >> Thank you. >> I didn't know if you had a computer related. >> There was something I wanted to show you, but Joel's >> Okay, go ahead. >> Hi. I've been quiet the
106whole night, so I'm gonna speak. Um, you know, if you asked me 6 months ago like, "Hey, Joel, do you think that this budget or this position of yours on the board of education is going to affect you mentally?" I'd probably say, "Nah." Right? If if you asked me six months ago, we say, "Hey, do you think you're going to be up at night thinking about why is this this waste? Why can't we do this?" You probably say, "No." Am I complaining? No, not at all. Right? I know what I was tasked with. I know what what um the people who voted for me um what their thoughts and and what my thoughts were. Um but I can honestly tell you that as you know we're working on a budget and we haven't even finalized
107our goals, I feel like a hypocrite man, right? When you look at the goals and the things that we say we're going to do and what we stand for in this room as a unit, i.e. the board of education, I feel like a hypocrite. All right. I know I haven't asked the data from you, Mr. Dr. Willlet, and if it's there me, I just haven't found it, but I I'm curious to see how many of our kids that graduated last year from high school or in college, right? How many in the military? How many got great jobs, right? And you don't have to provide that data for me right now, but I'm curious, right? And when I asked that question, you know, granted, we got some smart, talented, very bright students in our schools, but
108they didn't do it alone. It didn't happen overnight. This is a process that started from K all the way to 12, right? And the only way they did it is what we with what we provided them, right? And you know, I I don't want to sound callous or anything, but you know, my 30 years in the military, I worried about the mission of the ship, but I worried about the people that worked for me. That was my department. That's what I had a hold on. That's the people that I impacted, and that's the people that made sure that I looked good. All right? And I made sure that they look good. All right? So my job here in the board of education, whether it's a 6.7 or a 7.8 or a 9.9, this is my
109piece of the pie that I'm going to support. And and when you look at 1.7, whatever it's been for the last 5 to 10 years, the 9.9 is scratching the surface, right? So at one point are we going to get a little jump so that when we do be when we are in a binding where we you know what we can't do that again for the next five years we can do three well at least you know I'm dealing with some old shoelaces but and they're kind of broken but I can still figure out the tie. I know that's some silly analogies, but still, you know, we got to figure something out. And as long as I'm here, and as long as I'm here representing the people that voted for me, and even the ones
110who didn't vote for me, I'm going to support the budget to the highest because I want to make sure that all those kids sitting right there are successful, everybody else. So, that's all I got. >> Thanks. >> Um, I do have some information just to share with you. um one is somewhat directly related um to Mr. Lopez what he just asked. Um I'll just quickly show this to you and then I can um ask you Madam Chair if you want me to extrapolate on something else. This is um the college acceptances for the class of 2025. So I don't have you know this is just a pick to show. So, I just put it up on the screen for everybody. Um, you know, the kids, if you think about a graduating class in the zone
111of the 180 roughly, this these are all the schools they're going to. Um, so vast vast vast vast majority more college metriculation. Um, as you can see from the point of all these different colleges that they have got exempted into. So, I'll post that information up there. Um and um there was one other piece of data I can put up but um see if that's I can post it to the dashboard as well. Um thanks for yeah I think that's probably the just the fastest thing I can get. Um but do you uh if you want I can show you some information from 2017 that might be somewhat relevant to your conversation. Um you know it's from a presentation that was done in 2017 and it just a little bit about budget impact school impact
112on community. Take about two minutes if you want me to do that. >> Sure. >> Okay. So so just listening to the conversation you're having this reminds me of a presentation I gave almost 10 years ago called table of two tools. And it's interesting about 10 years ago. Um I haven't updated the data from that point of time. I would have to redo the survey, but at the time about 1,100 people participated in a survey. And the survey was filled out by students, parents, staff members, and so on. Um and it was, you can see the breakdown of the groups here roughly. The vast majority were um parents and staff and so on. And it was data about, you know, when you talk about a school system, you're also talking about an industry in town.
113Like this is one of your largest employers. And then, you know, when you have a large, you know, kind of employer industry in town, where do they spend their money? And this showed in a matter of a month um that very many local businesses were um patronized by students, staff, and parents. And these were some of the local businesses in a month that were getting patronized by these groups. Also, 197 employees at the time and 65 coaches were spending their money in town. So, it's, you know, it's money that you spend on the system, but then the system also spends money in the town and it's somewhat sustaining. So, as that system starts to diminish or get damaged, then the amount of money that is being spent in town is also less. Um, and that
114can also affect everything. So when you think about kind of when you want something in your town, you know, I remember when I was growing up IBM and other companies were in town and when those those you know industries became smaller or or left um local businesses were deeply impacted by it. So just you know sometimes it's thought of as just something that drains that drains that drains but if you have 197 employees living you know in the town spending money in the town 65 coaches living and spending in the town and so spending in the town and you have this many people patronizing these businesses in a month's period of time those are all funds going into those local businesses that if this did not exist none of that would be happening. So, it's
115just something to keep in mind that it's not always just a drain, a drain, a drain. The system sustains the system um to some extent. It makes it possible to have the businesses that are there, that type of thing. Um and then just the unfunded mandates, the charters, and all of the things that impact our school system still impact them uh even more profoundly now. And it just it reminded me when we were talking or when the conversation was talking, it's not always this one, you know, it's there's the idea that it's always taking something, but it's giving back. I mean, it gives back a service that draws people to the town, you know, because, you know, you draws a lot of people to the town and then there's tax money from that, but it
116also puts money back into your local businesses in town. So, it's just something, you know, two-minute deviation. I I you know hearing a lot about the drawing drawing or drawing away it really sustains as well and provides the diversity in town if you're looking for a place to live sometimes. >> All right, two minute deviation complete. >> I'll add I'll add by saying we we agree on way more than we disagree. Absolutely. So most of what is being said here I I 100% agree on. Um I I also feel I've bit my tongue for two plus years about what my charge is as being a board of ed member. So I'm going to go share how I interpret my charge as a board of mad member. Yes, I feel my charge is to support the
117students 100%. But not just inside the four walls of schools. Also, when they go home at night to an empty house because mom and dad might have to work because our median income is 121,000. But there's just as many people below that as there is above that. I don't want kids going home to empty houses because mom and dad or mom or dad individuals have to work extra hours because of what we do here. And I know not necessarily what we do here equates to to what goes out to the community. I fully understand that. Um but I I just view it a little bit a little bit differently than than some people. Um I want to support the kids. I don't like the cuts that we have to make either. Certainly not about that.
118I've been the first one to say I I want to support people over positions. Um you know, if the people are there, I I feel like they'll figure out a way to get stuff done for our kids. Um you know, but I also, you know, I go back to just thinking that, you know, I don't want to I don't want to I I would rather put the extra hundred. I've got kids that play four sports. So, that $400 a month increase is going to directly hit my pocket. But you know what? My neighbor that doesn't have any kids in school, it's not going to affect them and it shouldn't affect them. If I want to choose to have my kids play sports, shouldn't affect them. So, I'm okay with that increase in sports and it's
119directly affecting my father. I'm going to pay $1,600 a year for my kids to play sports, maybe even 2,000 if the one plays a third sport. And I'll figure out a way in my household income to make that work. Um, so, you know, I I just look at it a little bit differently. I certainly want to support the kids as best we can. Um, and we we've got to figure out a compromise between the two. And I I think that was the the driving force to ask Dr. Willlet to bring this 67 to us because I look at that as a compromise. Um it's certainly a little bit higher than what I would feel comfortable, but I also know that it's a little bit lower than what you feel comfortable with. And you know, when
120we're in positions like this, compromise is in the middle somewhere. We're not all going to get what we want. We we've got to figure out what is palatable for for all of us um and feel comfortable in putting forth up to town council. Um that being said, um I don't think we're in a position to swap items between the 79 or the 67. I think it's one or the other. Um I think that's got to be the result of this meeting. It's one or the other. And You know, I'm while I support the 67, I'm certainly not going to be upset if the 7.9 is what everyone chooses to put through. Um, you know, I think one of the things that I'm most proud of of this board, for those of us that have been
121here for two plus years, is that we have that respectful dialogue. We don't get upset at each other. We don't snap at each other. We we calmly discuss. Sometimes we get a little animated and needed and talk over each other and have to be brought back into place, but it's it's not out of being disrespectful to each other. It's about, you know, healthy conversation and and healthy debate. Um, so I I I truly hope that, you know, we can continue that regardless of of this because we've got another one of these to go through, you know, next year. You know, this is only the beginning for this board. So, you know, I I just keep that in perspective that yes, we all want to see the best for the kids. We certainly do. And we've
122all got a little bit different way that we look at it. >> That was Jane. >> Yeah. No, I am. And I appreciate that point because again, it highlights everything that it highlights everything we're talking about perfectly. as a kid who, you know, as a as a as a guy now. Weird. Um, as a kid who went home sometimes to the empty home. Why? Because mom's working extra hours to make sure I can go on my DECA trip, right? Mom's making, you know, extra money to make sure I can pay to participate in DECA, right? Because the support isn't always there. Um, the same thing can be shared on the opposite spectrum of what you just said. and and you know mo most of that was related to club uh sports but what about the
123students in the clubs and the sports together this conversation can go both ways and I think that's where at at some point we're going to have to figure out where is that middle ground because again what the impact is per family versus versus what the charge is to in in addition to pay uh for paytoplay I think it's a fair conversation especially with the neighbor conversation that they don't children in the school district. But again, I say this from a perspective of, you know, I was I was the one getting, you know, dropped off by my brother at home. He's going doing his thing with his friends after football and this and that, and I'm getting home to, oh, mom doesn't get home till 9:00 from working in Manchester tonight. Why? Because, well, Jaden's got
124these DECA fees that add up to multiple thousands of dollars every year. and uh taking into account how much fees are going to cost now, taking into account how much pay to participate uh pay to participate is going to cost now. I don't see it getting any better. And uh and so I appreciate the points you just made especially again especially about you know the fact that we're all and again this is a respectful conversation. We'll probably have a respectful conversation tomorrow at baseball. We're throwing baseballs at each other. But at this again though that conversation can go both ways. And so um I I I just wanted to get that out there again because it's just a different perspective. So we again for everybody watching for all the board members that are listening and
125for our students and our counselor and my best friend Lisa over here, you know, it's it's easy to acknowledge that there are two sides to every story here and we've got some difficult solutions to get to by the end of tonight and we are already almost two hours into this. So, um, so again, >> she's supposed to be a 30-minute meeting. >> Yeah. Well, you know, that's fake news. >> I made I started that. >> Oh, you Okay. All right. Kenzie started that for you. Listen, we can make that reality. But I The truth is the truth is to that point, who knows, next year that could be a reality if we if we've thought things out. You know, my thing right now is I'm not willing to concede the fact that again, I think
126a 79 serves our district better. our school district, the the schools, the students in the schools, our staff uh and and and and homeowners in this town as well. And that includes parents and and and some children live with their grandparents and etc etc legal guardians. At the same time, I can get behind the idea of okay, where are we right now? We need to get to if if if that means we can have a unanimous uh uh uh vote on a 67 with the idea of okay, what's next? What are we I'm not willing to pass a 6.7 and get rid of increase the paytoplay another $100. Increase club uh uh keep club fees as high as they are. Get rid of more professionals in our building if there's not some sort of educated
127estimate as to where we can go from here. And I'm not just asking from that commitment from the board of this board. I'm asking for that commitment from the the council. Sure. But the town manager I it's really frustrating after last year we were told our meetings don't get watched. So for those of you who are new to the boards last year, what I heard while watching the meet the the the budget proposal from the town manager was that he didn't consult the he didn't really pay attention to the board of ed meetings. There was no there was minimal consultation as to as to why these decisions were made and all these things and and and that's frustrating because we're going to spend we spent five hours last week until I left here at 12:10
128a.m. which I would do it again in a heartbeat because it matters just to not be listened to. That's frustrating and I'm going to keep being frustrated about that even though I'll try to maintain my composure this time around. And so I I look right now where I am is I need a commitment not just from the council and I think Jen you made the point of there are a lot of good counselors on that on that on I'd argue all of them are are good decent people who are just trying to do a good job but they receive a budget proposal from from one person and and and this is not somebody who we can't ask questions. We can't ask to hey could you hop on one meeting out of the four we've had
129four weeks in a row by the way or whatever it's been at this point three weeks it feels like 16 weeks in a row >> um >> four there you go confirmation so you know I I need some sort of sense of commitment and we can't get that tonight I think that's where I'm most lost right now on what to decide here because we can't get that commitment from the town council because there's governance that takes place and conversations that have to take place uh as well so I I don't know how to express what I've expressed any more clearly, but I think that I think we need to start having conversations about is our is are the folks who are presenting this information to the town council doing so with all the information that
130we have scoured over the last I want to say it's been 20 hours of our lives in these meetings over the last five weeks, right? Whatever it is. Um because otherwise it's not a waste of time, but what it is is it feels like we're speaking into the void. And after being on this board for four years, and you mentioned it, especially the last two where were where they seemed very productive and and and and we we started to get somewhere and then you just hit a brick wall where none of it none of it none of it reached the town council. They didn't get any of the information that we discussed in this room. So, where I'm at right now, and I don't like any of these cuts, just as Bill mentioned, we I
131don't like any of these, and and I know he just mentioned he doesn't like any of these, and I don't think anybody in this room likes any of these. Where I'm at right now is I don't like these cuts, but can we somehow make a make an arrangement where we can we can ensure that the town manager is actually digesting this information? Number one, but number two, that this information is reaching the town council from an objective point of view, not through a point of view of, well, here's the number I'd not helpful. That's not helpful. So, um, hopefully I'm making sense. Last year was a little more animated than this year. So I hope you know I was able to compose myself a little better. But again, it's just it's exhausting doing the same
132thing over again and smacking our face against a bird ball. So in order for me to to be at 67 tonight, I think I need to hear some sort of idea as to how we can engage with the town manager better as a board, but also as the town as a whole. >> So wait, I'm sorry. >> Really? Yeah. Oh, do you you have something off of that? Yes, we have D, that's up to you. Um, you definitely had your hand up first, but Elaine just wanted to rip off something Jaden said, so I just want to check with you. I don't want to give up your time. >> Give a thumbs up. >> Okay, thank you. really really quick. I don't know how we can really give you that commitment other than that >>
133I think if we can do a unanimous vote if we can all agree to like the six seven >> sorry I'm laughing at 67 I'm just going to sit here I'm just >> I'm focused on super because then that sends a very clear message to the town council and to the town that we as a team have said this is what we think is the best we can do and we're not throwing this it's a 9.9 is a big chunk. I know we're trying to play catchup. I just don't think we can catch all of it up year one. I think this is a year this maybe is an opportunity to catch up with 6.7 you know versus 9.9. So maybe that gives us a chance to catch, you know, a little bit to bite
134into a little bit of of the hole that we, you know, have managed to dig ourselves into year after year after year. So may would that maybe be a, you know what I mean? Like would that suffice as a sort of a commitment for you? That's all my question was, >> can I answer that? Is that a >> Oh, no. I'm sorry, Dana. No, I No, that's okay. Yes, that >> I think Dana's okay with the conversation. >> Gotcha. Dana, if you feel free to interrupt me when you want your time, that you know, I talk a lot. Um, >> I don't know what that looks. Again, though, I think that's why after passing through the 79 last week, my mind was dead set on, all right, well, we're going to get to next week.
135It might go down to 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, what you know somewhere in that range. Going down to 6.7 um without any dialogue of how do we make that happen is difficult for me to digest in one night and um especially receiving this information a lot a large chunk of this earlier today when I was running around and so um but again our leadership is working hard on these things all day throughout the week and all these things. So I don't want to discredit any of that. So, I I I'm not going to lie to you. This is the most um befuddled. There's a words um that I've been in this in this it's it's the most precarious situation I've been on the board. Not because of, you know, what we're cutting and this
136and that, but because of again, I would like commitment. I would like commitment from again, not the town council only individually, but the town manager and the and the um financial officer person. I don't know what position that's finance director. There it is. McKenzie. So, um, I could if if we were to discuss, okay, if I could gauge where everybody is tonight and see, all right, can we get behind a 6.7, but then after that, could we add something to the discussion for a brief 10 minutes of, okay, what do these next steps look like instead of just passing something through tonight and hoping something sticks to the wall of, okay, this could work, that could work, what could it work, could it work, has it worked before, and all those things. So, I can
137get behind something if if we are all going to send a clear message to the town council and the town manager that we're aligned in this. We we we we agree with each other on, okay, this isn't perfect, but we need you for the next part of this. And there's a there's a there's a second half to this discussion that doesn't just entail nine of us in here or on air. So, Dan, I'm sorry for taking up more time, but um hopefully that answers part of your question a little bit. You know, a little bit. I know not really because I just talk in circles. Okay. Uh, now I'm gonna go to Dana. >> I'm sorry, Dana. >> Yeah. >> Hi, can you hear me? >> Yep. >> No. Um, I'll always yield the floor
138to a productive and good conversation and that was definitely one. So, I definitely think with our Robert's rules of order, it kind of it's hard sometimes to have a fluid conversation that you and Elaine just had. So, um I think it worked well and I think you it we were able to understand some more. So, of course, I will always yield the floor to that. Um couple things I have a question for Dr. Willlet. Payto play right now for TMS is 300, THs also 300 or is that 350? >> Yeah. Yep. >> Okay. And we're we're suggesting with the 7.9 to raise it to 3.99 or is that the 6.7? >> No, the seven the 7.9 you keep it the same. >> Okay. And the 6.7 was 3.99, right? >> Uh on the 6.7 what
139is the family cap? >> That would have to be uh raised significantly. >> Right. So, because I guess my question is, >> but we don't have a number for what those family caps are. >> Yeah. I mean, this would be well above that 1,00 something because if you don't have it like that, then you negate the impact of the revenue that you're taking. >> Agreed. And that's kind of where I'm getting at. Right. So, the family cap is what 900 right now. >> I think it's a thousand something now. It would go up to much, you know, more. It would go up to more than that. Yeah. >> So, if it's a thousand something, let's just say a thousand. So, it's a thousand something and you have a family with three students, let's say. Um,
140and each of those students plays uh one to two sports. So, let's just say they play two sports. When you've paid for the first sport for each of the student, the the next three sports are free. Round numbers just really quick. I think I'm off by 100 bucks, >> right? So, no family is paying the $1,600 that was mentioned earlier because you're already well above that cap. And then I guess my question would be is if we're increasing it this much because we're saying we're going to save 67,122 uh on the budget or we're going to reduce I should say not Sage. We're going to reduce the budget by 67162 but then we raise the cap. We have the cap $400, but our cap currently is at $1,000. How much are we really we really
141saving the 67122 or we we're really only burdening the families that have one or two students that play maybe one sport. So again, if we're going to talk the numbers that let's talk the numbers, right? There's no there's no family that's going to have a $1,600 sports bill because they're already over the cap and we say they're going to pay the cap. So, unless the cap is at $1,600, it's not. Um, so I'd really like to see some more breakdown of of what that looks like. Um, again, I'll go back to pricing families out of the town and we're talking about kids going to clubs and after school activities. So when our parents are at work trying to pay for these additional activities or that we should have in our public school because our public
142school is a social contract that kids are offered to get a free and equitable education but is paid back as an adult. But if we have all these other activities that we're raising year over year over year to save 67,000 on this light item for instance, we're not having a fair and equitable free education. We're saying it's a free education with quotes and you know 20 years. So uh and have all these other other fees behind it. I think we need to be cognizant. I know we keep talking about working together and compromise and concession and this and that, but again, I think I know we need to continue to fight for our free and equitable education. And yeah, some parents may be able to afford that cap, may be able to afford that 1,600.
143Some parents might not be able to afford the 400. So now you have that family or that single mom that can't pay for her one student or single dad that can't pay for his one student to play that one sport that actually gets his wheels turning in the classroom. Um that actually plays that one sport that keeps him out of like we used to have latch kid. We had latch key kids growing up. We would go to the afterchool program, right? That kept us out of getting into riff raff, kept us out of getting into trouble. kept us out of, you know, it kept us we we had a rec we had a student uh teen center. We don't have a teen center here. So, these clubs and these activities that when you have those
144single parents or those single families or those families that have multiple jobs, maybe they're not a single family, maybe they're a family of two two adults but still work multiple jobs or work jobs in the evening. Now, we're just taking away equitable resources. So again, I would just I I was elected and I have always been in my charge and my what I've swore and to do was to fight for an equitable education, public school education for talent. And none of this sits well really. And the only people that are conceding and the only piece people that are um reaping the negativity of us reducing reducing reducing are the two students that are sitting facing the horseshoe and the the other uh how many students we have in our school system Dr. Willlet right now?
1452,000 give or take. Those are the those are the people that are being impacted. So, um I think we need to again utilize the funds in our town. We need to make we need to hold our town manager accountable and our town council accountable to budget appropriately and wisely and utilize um funds that we have in town. Again, I think we need to look at what this paytoplay. How much is this really saving us or is it really costing our families more money in the long run? Because what what it'll save in taxes, it's going to increase in their pocket. That's all I have. >> Anybody else? >> Go ahead, McKenzie. Um, I just, um, you know, want to go back to what you were talking about, Dana, and I can appreciate the the need
146for some level of commitment, right, from from our town council, our other elected officials, our town manager who is not an elected official. Um and uh ultimately with the uh budget process we have here in town we change charter um you know requires a a a vote every year right and so you know I do I think that those asurances that you are um desiring are admirable um that they won't come tonight and they won't come from anybody in this room, right? I will say, right, uh I've been on, you know, some other kinds of volunteer boards before and um I really think that we can and should strengthen what we're doing in committees. Um, you know, committees are not for reporting out. Committees are not for academic or philos philosophical conversations. committees are where
147we're supposed to get some work done and bring it to the board once we've flushed out some recommendations. And so, you know, I I strongly advocate that um we, you know, the next budget cycle doesn't begin next January, it begins March 1st, right? That you know, our our charge is we we're elected into these positions all year long, right? and the budget is such a huge part of what we do. Um, you know, we start right away on the next day. and um you know I'm certainly committed to um as a member of the FCC committee um and um the negotiations committee of you know uh doing that work right and and rolling up some sleeves and figuring out what we could do to be more proactive to be more knowledgeable about our budget to
148shorten this process to um to do all that I'm willing to put the work in and and I'm sure that my fellow committee members are And and that goes for all the other committees, right? Curriculum doesn't only happen in the summer, right? It happens all year long long. And you know, we we actually have policies that we need to go, right? Right. We need to go get to work in those in those committees. Um and um I I appreciate um all of the comments from folks uh today, especially um from from from you, Bill, and Elaine Braid. I think that um we do agree on far more than than we disagree on, right? Um I think that we all uh interpret and internalize our charge in these positions maybe slightly differently, but I think we
149all want what's best for our town. Um, and I'm certainly um willing to compromise um in the spirit of going in um unanimously with with our um with our budget. I think that that sends a really strong message um to our town council uh to our um constituents and um you know I like I said I didn't I don't even think the 99 got us all the way back to good right um and you know this is not this is not a sprint right it's a marathon and and I um you know appreciate that perspective and I you know I recognize that I was among the first people to be like 99's not even good enough. What if we add this person? What if we add that person? Uh we did not add either of
150those people budget. >> Um but um you know I certainly um you know when I weigh the options of what is more valuable for our community, I do think that um going in aligned is is more valuable in the long run. Um, and so that that absolutely has my support. >> Jump in. Jaden, I think what you're looking for is a commitment to conversation, not a commitment to absolute change because we're all individuals and the council is all individuals. It's something that's got to be under. But you're you're you're interested in a commitment to conversation about the screw up that all of this is >> conversation more so than I think it came up a few years ago in extending that work. >> Yes. So, I I think we have a unique opportunity because I
151see um Chair Moran um online and not that he can speak on behalf of the entire council. Um and I know it's a little bit out of the ordinary, Dr. Willis. So, if we're not allowed to do this or if we need to take a procedural vote to allow this, you need to let me know. But I think if if Chairman Moran could at least come in and say, "I hear you. um we acknowledge your request and we will get it on a future agenda of something of that nature just to at least acknowledge that he hears our discussion and um and and then he he's he's willing to to listen. >> I think your your mechanisms for that are to bump up public participation to right now and take you know in the agenda
152so that a person can contribute as part of the public. The other thing you could do is uh you so make a motion to move public participation at the end of the meeting right up to now and then you continue your budget conversation after that. >> So I just >> or you can make a motion to suspend the rules to allow for a brief you know brief >> comment >> brief comment right and then there you have to clarify that no board discussion would occur from that comment. You just have to suspend the rules to allow brief comment. And the danger in not doing all that is you you activate a joint meeting situation making sure like parties talking in the same you know in the same uh meeting. So this would have to be
153neither part of public participation or a suspension of the rules to allow for a brief comment from which the board will not make any additional comments around it. It would just be hearing it. And I will say that there have been a couple times where Tony and I were in a town council meeting and they did allow us to speak. So, um, it's certainly not unheard of. >> Um, so I think that I would probably enter first entertain a motion to suspend the rules to allow for Chairman Moran to speak. Is that >> make a comment? >> A brief comment. >> That is what is what is being desired. >> Okay. So I will accept a motion for that. >> Seconded. >> Okay. So we have Bill moved it. >> No. >> Oh, sorry. Mackenzie
154moved it. Jaden seconded it. >> Spoke quicker than me. >> Any discussion? >> Uh is Go ahead. Go ahead. >> Is that just for Chair Moran and no one else? >> Yes. >> And then by No, >> there's no back and forth. >> No, I don't necessarily need the back and forth. I appreciate him, you know, speaking to us as it is. I won't take up more of his time. I more so mean, are we allowed to discuss what is said after work? >> We cannot engage in a back and forth. >> Okay. So, it's just the back and forth between the person that we're inviting in. Okay. >> We're not having a meeting. >> No, that settles it. Thank you. >> Okay. Um Okay. Any other discussion? >> No. Okay. So, let's vote. Joel.
155>> Hi, Bill. >> Hi, Jaden. Uh JP >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Hi. >> So, that passes. Uh Dr. Willlet, will you please unmute? Chairman Christopher Moran. Uh hi everyone. Uh thank you so much for uh the opportunity to speak and obviously thank you all for all the hard work the board puts into developing your budget every year. I know um there's a lot of time and expertise that you all put into to developing that and it's definitely not lost on me. Um and I don't think it's lost on the council. Um, obviously I can only speak, you know, for myself. I, you know, I can't speak on behalf of the entire council, but I I definitely hear your frustration about reliving the same budget process every year, right? Like I certainly share that frustration.
156Um, and I can say that I'm personally committed to trying to find a way to improve this process for our town. Um, Jaden, I think you made the point of, you know, trying to have some sort of looking looking ahead, right? having a kind of longer term vision, longer term plan and I completely agree with that. Um, obviously there's challenges because of, you know, which were mentioned tonight, right? Uh, changes in leadership, changes in membership of the council, but I think it's really important that we have that discussion. Um, and obviously I can't tell you what percentage, you know, the council will land on or anything of that nature because we have an obligation to balance the town services with, you know, real tax impacts on residents. But I strongly uh support exploring all possible
157funding sources um to try to you know make sure we can provide top-notch services to residents while also you know and pertinent to the board right for students um while also being mindful of you know tax impacts to residents. So um I'd like to echo something that um I think board member Fish mentioned a little earlier. Um I personally believe that our schools have been underfunded for years. Um, and I, you know, am concerned, right, that I want to make sure we're in a long-term sustainable path for our schools, get we get correct in the right direction, but I also don't think that we can fix it all in one year. Um, and so I think, you know, what I what I'm going to endeavor to do on the council is to strive for um,
158you know, consensus as much as possible. I think to the extent that we can, you know, as elected officials speak sort of together to the community, I think that's always the best, you know, approach if it's if it's at all possible, right? Um, but I just want to thank you for the opportunity to speak and thank you all for all the hard work you do. Um, and certainly I can tell you I'm, you know, trying to keep up to date with everything you're all doing and um, I look forward to our joint meeting and again, thank you so much for all the the time and effort you all put into it. >> Thank you. Okay. So with that I mean are there any final thoughts you want to share? Otherwise what I think we do
159is we motion for a 7.9 and a 6.7. >> I will mention please go ahead. >> Um I appreciate what we just heard. um because this has happened before and maybe it's just because I've been on the board for four years now and I've we've been through this talk about five year plans and this and that that that's this is where I am right now. um with how destructive in my opinion our assistance have been the last however many years. I'll only speak for how many years I've been on the board. You know, as as as good as we try to do in that moment, I do think it's been somewhat destructive, right? Over to not somewhat, I think it's more than somewhat, but you get the point. So in in good faith, in good
160consciousness, if we can't get some sort of discussion, add it to an agenda, talk about it for more than 5 minutes, meaning the council, you know, at this point, the council, and involving the town manager in those discussions. I can't vote. I can't I can't participate in the processes that the board of ed is responsible for for participating in if the council and the town manager are not going to do the same. And I feel like part of we we've talked about our charge a lot. Let's talk about the the council's charge for a second. I feel like part of their charge is to discuss everything. Why? They cover everything. We are their largest department. We just talked about this. But if we can't get something in the next however many months, however many weeks,
161whatever it is, something something concrete, something solid, um whether it's as as as as an individual or policy chair, whatever it is, I can't in good faith do my job as a board of ed member knowing that somebody, whether it's the town manager, in most cases, unfortunately, in the last four years, um is not doing the job that I I just put on public display that I'm asking for tonight. And so, um, and it's not just because I want it. I I want it. I want it. I want it. So, I deserve it. I get it. No, it's because this is how local government should work. It shouldn't involve politics. It shouldn't involve, you know, I'm this, you're that, so no, we don't agree. No, it should involve discussion that I think everybody here agrees
162tonight. Discussion. It can't just happen. It's got to happen with the town manager, his staff, the council. So, I just want to lay that out there because if we don't get to a point where I will not vote to approve any budget next year. I won't vote to make one cut next year if we cannot get some sort of guarantee and let it be heard. Let it be heard. And I hope it's heard not just by again these poor folks who are volunteers who are on this meeting in this room listening with with an engaged engagement. It needs to be heard by the town manager. And I again I can commit to I will not vote to cut a single scent if this process can not at least get initiated. So for tonight where we
163are right now, you know, it's a very difficult spot. If I could get assurances tonight and not have a back and forth meeting and whatnot and they could vote on it and approve it and all these things. If I could get it tonight, I would. But I can't get it tonight. I can't get what I want tonight. So I'm not going to beg and plead and mom, I didn't get what I wanted for Christmas. No, we have to figure out a way moving forward. So, and as frustrating as that is personally, I can guarantee you I'll be a lot more frustrated next year. This is not engaged from the town manager level to the town council level to the financial department level. So, I hope and to by the way involving the board event in
164those discussions because you know it'd be nice to be heard as a difference. So, I just want to make that clear. I, you know, I I I I am comfortable convincing myself to go down to the 67 6.7 um uh budget increase. I'm not comfortable that that includes paytoplay increasing by another $100. I'm not comfortable that that includes we're we're reducing the clubs again, even though it was in the the original proposed budget for this year. I'm not okay with the fact that we're eliminating two more buses. I'm not okay with that this the fact that there's an extra burden on staff to take care of their insurance costs. I'm not okay with the fact that we're eliminating one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 10 positions, four of which are people
165>> are people. So, I'm not okay with any of these things. I'm not. And I can't be okay morally, but also to my duty. I I can't do it. However, I'm in a position where I might have to and that kills me and I don't like being here and I don't want to be here again. So, what am I asking? I'm asking for at least a discussion to be had. Not just once, but maybe twice, maybe three time, maybe four, maybe five, maybe that sixth time we get invited to that conversation. Hopefully earlier than the sixth time. So again, that's my commitment is I cannot vote to cut a single dime next year if if if we don't see that uh engagement not just from the council because the council can engage in those conversations.
166That has to include the town manager and it has to include the finance department. So that's where I'm at right now. Um that's where I'm at. >> I think we're all in agreement with with that J. >> Yeah, I think we all want to see that that uh cohesiveness between the town departments. Yeah. So, it's difficult to to run a town effectively when we're not in lock step with each other at all at all. So, a motion. >> Okay. >> Make a motion to pass the 6.7 budget as our board of ed adopted budget as given to us by Dr. Willlet this evening. Any discussion >> Dana? >> Hello. >> Uh I I'd like to make a motion for the 7.9 prior to the 6.7. >> Fortunately, you have a motion on the table. Did
167you have a second to that? >> She did. That's their own discussion. >> So now you're in the discussion point. you'd have to vote this down or or revoke, you know, the motion. But at this point, you're in a you're in a cycle of discussion and vote. So Dana could make the point or, you know, could make the point that she does not you should do this one and instead vote on 79, but then you would vote either pull that motion off the table or to vote it down and then you talk about seven. Would you like to remove your motion? No. Okay. So, we go forward. >> At this point, you have to continue the discussion and carry out a vote on the motion of 67 63. >> Oh. Uh Dana, I see your
168hand up again. >> Oh, maybe she took it down. >> Yeah, I couldn't hear what Dr. Well, it said after I said >> we said that um because um there's a motion on the floor and it was already seconded that the only options uh was to either uh revoke the um the motion or to continue um with this one and um Bill is not revoking his motion. >> Okay, that's awesome. Okay. Are we voting to vote or are we voting? We're voting. >> You'd be voting on a motion. Those are our only options right now. I think >> discussion or vote. Yeah. I'm not sure. >> Thank you. Go ahead, Joel. >> Yeah, I'm uh I'm just going to piggy back a little bit of what Jaden just said. I I don't agree with a
169lot that's on there, especially when it comes to the sports, and it comes to the clubs. As I mentioned before, my daughter's a swimmer and she gets a swim cap. I get a swim crap for $400. Yippee. You know what I mean? I'm not complaining. I can afford it. But I mean, there's other people who are not in the same situation I am, you know? But also, at some point, it's kind of like, okay, does it even does it is it even worth it for her to participate in school sports, right? I just keep her in club year round like she already does and pay the $1,200 that I'm already paying. So, I'm paying $1,600 a year for swim cap. But at least at the other place, they give her a swimsuit and a swim
170cap. Granted, it's $1,200, but uh like I said, there's a lot there that I I don't agree with. Um but it it's because I'm disappointed with what I'm seeing. I'm hoping the town is disappointed in what we're seeing. And I agree with you 100% when it comes to the communication with with with the town council, when the town manager, all those things need need to happen. and and and I know I mentioned it within my own party and I think we need to come together as a town council and a board of education and start doing you know meetings with the town throughout the year when Brightwood school starts so people can tell tell us what their needs are and and what their wants are and where their where we're failing where the town council
171failing where the school is failing you know and and and maybe that's something that I can you know as being with Brian on on not when you Brian I'm just but at his name tag I know that you're not Brian. Um, as far as being on on communications committee, maybe that's something that we can talk with Dr. Willlet to put out for next year and hopefully tie it over to the town council. Well, like I said, just back to I'm not happy with a lot of the things that I see here, but unfortunately, um, I'm hoping that this right here pokes to bear and and wakes people up because, as I mentioned before, um, I remember last year, I don't know if I mentioned it here. I know I was talking to somebody. I remember
172last year standing here at at one of the um budget meetings and I remember seeing nothing but um kids from the clubs. I I really didn't see any students here that were in sports that were affected. And and and I think this is probably a good way for them to come and say, "I don't see why my parents have to pay $400. I don't see why my parents who work two jobs got to, you know, are not home or whatever the case may be." I I think this is needs to be, you know, out to the masses and people need to see exactly what we're dealing with and it's not just us making the tough decisions. So, >> anybody else? Um, I guess I'll just say this. Um, I'm just kind of reiterating what what
173I already said. Um, I I would love to pass 9 I'd love to pass 20%. I'd love to pass a 9.9. Um, I'm truly just hoping that maybe a level of consensus and compromise and the hard work that we show in this room, this board has been really great and really respectful to each other. I'm just hoping it can somehow make a difference. um we've just lost too much um too many programs, too many staff and um I'm just trying to reach out to the community any way that we can and um hoping that maybe a United board can do that. I don't know if it can. I don't know if we'll be united on any vote, but I just want to explain that that's why I'm voting for the 6.7. Not because I don't
174want a 7.9, not because I don't want an 8.3 or an 8.7 or a 9.5. I want a 20%. I'm only voting this in hopes that it ch it changes something in the cycle. So, I just want everyone to understand that it kills me. If any of these um reductions, it always has. It always will. Um I will continue to discuss them. I will continue to fight for us to get more funding from the town. I will continue to rack my brain for anything I could possibly think of that could change the way that we do this process. That is all I can humanly commit to. Um, and I'm not just saying that to this room. I'm saying this to the community. Um, my intentions are good. They will always be to do what's right
175for the schools. I don't like the rock and hard place that we're in, but I think that we are really people trying to do the best we can. And um and that's all I'll leave it there. Um I'll go back to Dana again. How you can everybody hear me? >> Uh I just want to be crystal clear where I stand and I've been crystal clear since 2019 uh where I stand fighting for education. But we're talking, everybody's been saying consensus. I heard it come out of several people's mouths on the board tonight. I heard it come out of Chris Moran's mouth. And I want to know what changed from last week when we voted six to two for the 7.9 that passed for this week where there's two people that can make a consensus towards
176the 7.9, but we're taking the six people to beg for consensus to the 6.7. That should be mindboggling. We had a 6-2 vote in support of the 7.9 last week. There were two people who voted no. We had one person that wasn't there. One one of our board members that wasn't there. Now all of a sudden this week, we did ask for some different reductions for Dr. Willlet to propose so we could see the ramifications of anything less than a 7.9. Now we're saying consensus is what we need. Consensus to the town council. Consensus to show the town. Well, it sounds to me like there was six people that were a yes for the 7.9 and there's two people that need to move the consensus, not six people the other direction. And I want people
177in the public who are listening to this online, people that are going to be listening to the meetings later. You're talking about compromise. People need to really take a big hard look in the mirror and see who's compromising, who's compromised year after year after year after year after year and watch things getting take away from our students year after year after year after year. I don't know what changed with those six yes votes against that 7.9 that all of a sudden everybody's on a a high high five with the 6.7 because I don't agree with that and I'm going to continue to fight for the students and the staff and I'm going to continue to hold our town manager and town council accountable for responsible budgeting fiscal budgeting supporting all of our departments. This is
178not you. You're there 6.7. I'm telling you right now, there's not going to be a consensus. I am a 7.9. I'm a 9.9. And the only reason why Dana Filin will vote no on a 6.7 is because I want more. Our students deserve more. They need more. Our whole town needs more. Our seniors need more. Our safety needs more. We're conceding and we're we're killing these kids in this. We're we're I don't want killing is a bad word. We're taking away things from our students in the schools, our staff in the schools, our people in the schools. We're taking things away from our town departments because we need to figure out how to be proper but run a proper budget. We have 15 million in the general fund and we're talking about eliminating employees. We're
179talking about cutting cutting off biting our nose despite our face. So people are going to have $400 to pay to play. You got the families are going to be able to pay for maybe once more if that. You got the student who has the jazz club who is ready to to leave Talin Middle School that now is in the jazz club and doing the drama setups and is getting A's and B's in class and we're cutting that because someone doesn't like the way a 7.9 feels because someone feels like that they can afford $1600 in paytoplay. Well, how can that someone or anybody else on this board say what other people can afford? Let's bring it to the town council. Let's bring the 7.9 to the town council and let them find money to ford
180to fund our schools and to fund our town departments. You will not have a consensus at 6.7. I'm telling you that now. >> Go ahead, Gina. So, um, and I appreciate the thoughts about, um, you know, where did the why did the numbers switch and what I I I should make myself much clearer, apparently. Um, I came into the room tonight not supporting 79, not supporting six or 6.7. I supported 9.9. To Jen's point, I support higher than 9.9. We will never get to that point if we do not. Um we will never get to that point in my opinion if we do not start somewhere and all my effort is tonight is and I and I and I take this as you know it is my effort right now to make sure we engage
181with the council moving forward to create a plan not just to pass a a 3% budget this year or 2%. We're going to have to face an upfront cost at some point. 6.7 is a much higher budget than we've had in previous years. I can't stand the fact that again we're losing and pay to play. We're losing these four positions that are that are currently filled even though it's 10 total pos. I can't stand any of it. And I and I I I don't want to take personal offense to anything in this room because this is local government. This is this is what the deal is. This is what we have to deal with and I'm going to keep dealing with it just like I have the last four years and like Miss Filin has
182dealt with the last six years. But what I can't do is stop thinking about planning ahead. I cannot do that. My job with working with children is not to and and it's it's a hund it's we've got 90 something children in in in our program right across the town lines there in Manchester. My job every day is to think about my decisions today impact the budget a month from now. They impact my program two years from now. So I've got to take the child care and education experience that I work with every day and apply it here even though it pains me to do possibly more than anything. So the idea that I would support clubs being eliminated, Mrs. Bridge was my lifeline. She is the de she is DECA. I enjoy I love DECA.
183I still go back and help them sports. all my students, all my all my little leaguers who were in uh the uh AAA championship winning um Iron Pigs, they're now juniors and seniors in high school who are being impacted directly by this decision that I'm about to make. That doesn't feel good, nor do I want to do it. And I don't blame you. To be clear, Dana, I don't blame you for thinking what you think. I still agree with you with 98.73% of what you just said. I still agree with it all. Why? because it doesn't feel like we're actually doing our jobs in this room when we constantly have to make compromises like this. So, it is frustrating. It is frustrating that we are where we are. I just can't control where we are.
184I am an individual. I am Jaden Fitzgerald and I'm proud of But what I can see between the lines here is that right now we've got one who would not support the 6.7 and up to three or four that would not support the 7.9. So, the numbers are not accurate with what was just read. And I I'm I'm trying to be respectful as possible because again, I completely understand. I don't want anyone to think Dana is is out of line or or or is or is outrageous for what she just said. She is speaking facts and she is speaking the truth and she shouldn't have had to say what she just said just a minute ago. At the same time, we are where we are. And the fact that again our students are are the
185ones being impacted by this when we keep compromising, keep compromising. I hate it. But right now, we have never been so close to unonymity in terms of let's get a plan from the council. Let's get and if not, guess how my vote is going to look next year when we're eliminating more similar positions to this when we're in more of a dire situation than we are right now. Cuz even right now, we can float. We can we we can put our life jacket on and we can float and we can make it work. But as this process keeps going, we cannot our life jackets unbuckled. We can't buckle them when we're 20t underwater. We're not going to come back up quick enough. And at that point, what are we looking at? And I won't even
186throw the options out there because they're not pretty. So, at some point, we've got to be willing as a board to, yes, compromise, number one, but number two, plan ahead. And if we're not willing to do both of those, then I'm not willing next year during this process to participate in the manner that I've participated this year. And hopefully asking somewhat thorough questions and thoughtful questions and sometimes surface level questions, but most importantly, voting. I will not vote on it if we can't at least as a board next month, the month after, the month after, keep urging, again, the town council's one thing. I know those are those are good folks willing to do this, but the town manager urging the town manager to take part in this process from November, December, really December, January,
187February, involving us. We are his largest department in town. We've said that now numerous times. That's what I'm asking here. So, this kills me tonight. And again, I want to reiterate, I completely agree with everything Dana just said, and I hope people do not twist her words as she's she's frustrated about and she's going against No, she's not. She's standing for what she believes. And I I admire it. And that's what I've admired about Dana the last four years I've been on this board in the last six years of knowing her. So, I I I I'm only frustrated not because of Dana, your compassion. No, I'm frustrated because we are in the same situation again and it feels like I'm being hypocritical. It does. It absolutely does. But I'm at a point of again, what
188now? What next? Right at that program. Two kids just punched each other. Okay, what next? Are they still fighting? Hopefully not. How can we get them to come back together? What next? Okay, somebody just tripped on the sidewalk and two people walk by them. I'm not going to judge those people for walking right by that person. I'm going to go help that person and figure out what next. Do they need a band-aid? Do they need to go see the nurse? So, I'm at a point of what next? And my first reaction and the educators in that building who are much more much more educated number one but number two much more experienced than I am. I'm sure they they might take an approach as to what's next where we have a problem. We have to
189address that problem. What is next? And it kills me that I hope I hope this wasn't taken as a I'm angry with Dana. No, that's not what this is again. She's standing up for what she believes. I don't blame her. I shoot good for Dana. And Dana, I appreciate you feeling comfortable enough with this group that you're willing to to go back and forth with how you how you feel and how you where you stand. So that matters to me. And you know, it matters to somebody who deals with honesty. If you can give it to me honest, man, I I'll deal I'll deal with whatever it does to my heart. If it breaks my heart, bummer. Get over it, Jaden. Get over. We've got decisions to make here. So, I appreciate the honesty that
190she just shared. I just had to make sure that, you know, everybody sort of understood where I'm coming from because this kills me. I don't want to do this again. And I can tell you based on what I've said tonight, I will not do this again next year if that second part to this formula does not kick in. So there you go. There you go. That's where I'm at. That's where I'm at for now. >> Thank you. Um, I'd like to say first on what you're asking that we do going forward, please hold us accountable to that. Please make sure that you public holds us accountable to, >> right? But please make sure that you you request, you know, I'll I think I'll I'll happily work with you as will Bill. Um, obviously you're the
191chair of policy if it comes to that. Um but just please ensure that you know if there are things that you would like to talk about you know me, Bill and Dana are on agenda planning for here. Um obviously Bill and I will reach over also to the town council chair and vice chair. Just make sure that that that you do that you do so. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. Absolutely. >> Um the second thing I want to say is that I I agree with everything Jaden said and I agree with everything Dana said when it comes to principle. Um these are my principles too. I I don't want to cut. Like I've said I want to grow. Um, and we haven't been in a position to grow and that's been extremely disappointing. Um, I'm looking
192at what I can control in this room. Um, I'm looking at what I can give the best effort as. I I don't think that Dana intended to make it sound like this, but I certainly am not high-fiving anyone over anything that reduces anyone. I would never do that, and I don't think that she thinks that I would. Um, the reason, you know, that we looked at that we had Dr. willing to prepare this to look at something else is you know last week the scenarios were a four a five and a seven. That's what we ran and we ended up with even higher than that right we did also have a 9.9 on the table so that's there too. So this scenario at 6.7 it's still higher than two of the three scenarios. Um so
193it is not a low point at all. And also, you know, when I look at the data, you know, I could just start rattling off the last so many years of of budgets and what we've received 78.84.1 2.25 3 2.03 1.46 last year. Having consensus at a 6.7 is huge and it has never happened in my four years on the board. Um, it is still a large number. It is still an amazing number to put forth for our schools. You know, does it give us everything we need? Absolutely not. Like I said, 20%. You guys want to vote that, I'll vote that. I'll have consensus with that, too. Um, so this truly is just about compromise. This is about trying to find something that will work. Um, and I think that the intentions from all
194of us are good. Um, but we do have to work and that, you know, for what it's worth, that's why this number was presented and that's why I'm trying to get behind this number. It is not the lowest that we've talked about, is not the second lowest that we've talked about. Um, so that's it. Any other discussion for this motion that's on the table? >> No, one more. I just have a clarification point that is not massively important. It's just a semantic thing that I don't even know. >> You go first, please. >> Just it's not a big deal, but we I keep hearing the kind of that it's department that the war is a department of town. It's not under 10. You know, it's 10240 chapter 170. You are your own governance agency. Your
195funding comes from the town, but the town manager of the town has no authority over the board of education whatsoever. you only you it it sets up a board for the governance of a education system but it does not have oversight over that. So it does control the purse strings which is really going to protest to some level of realistic go over it. But the point is you're your own governance body. You're not a department. A board of education is not a department. >> You're your own governed agency under 10240 chapter 107. >> We've all said it. I know. Thank you. No, that >> I'm not picking on you. I know I mean I've just heard it but just sometimes I think people have that impression that oh well just go here and it'll change
196X Y or Z. It's not that's not you're also 1022 is supposed to expand your appropriation entirely for the operations for education. >> Who's your um I see Dana has turned in again. I just want to I just want to check with everybody else that hasn't spoken. yet. Okay. Go ahead, Dana. >> Oh, since our new security thing. Sorry. >> This whole unmute feature is going to killing me tonight, Dr. I'm just going to say that right now. Um, I will say just because I get passionate and get loud. If any of you guys have seen me on the side of a soccer field or football game or whatever, it's just because I'm passionate. And I will I will reiterate the fact that, you know, I respect every single person in this room and online
197that that is is speaking from, you know, their truth. So again, I I would be remiss if I didn't re reiterate the fact that was 6 to2 last week. What's changed? Um, but nevertheless, again, none of it is ever out of uh any anger or or what have you. It's passion. It's passion for what we're doing. It's it's and the reason why we're all volunteering to do what we're doing is because I have passion for what it is. Uh, but with that being said, I just say let's just call the vote and let's move on. >> Anyone else like to say anything to >> No, JP, we haven't heard from you. I'm not putting you on the spot. I just I I just don't want to be remiss in checking in with you. >> Yeah,
198I appreciate it. I actually I was um debating raising my hand and commenting. Um I I have to admit so, you know, the question, one question that's been asked a couple of times I sort of feel is at least partly directed towards me and that um I did vote um in, you know, in support of going forward with the 7.9. Um, I will say that I felt last week and I still feel tonight that we can do better than the 7.9. Um, and I'm I'm happy to see some additional opportunities taken beyond that. That having been said, I'm really not nuts about um the entirety of the 6.7. Um, you know, I have to admit I'm not nuts about the the the personnel impact. Um, you know, I think I to me that hits a
199little harder than the paytoplay aspect in that I feel like the personnel impact hits the entire student population. Um, while the intent of the paytoplay is is to be a little bit, you know, more targeted towards the services people are using. Um, one of the reasons I'm okay, I was okay with the 7.9 is that I knew that wasn't necessarily going to be the final answer that we were going to get I I cons I felt it was highly likely we were going to get asked to um, you know, take another run at it. Um and and if the and if the council chose to fund it at the 7.9, you know, the fact that we do have these other budget vehicles available that sound like they're not necessarily being fully utilized, that troubles me
200a little bit too. Um, that having that having been said, um, the, you know, I I I um well, maybe I shouldn't say ahead of time exactly how I will vote, but um I I I will say that if if the 6.7 is is passed, my cons I am I'm a little concerned that the town council is again going to want us to sharpen our pencils and we're going to be in a place where I think we've got to be prepared to, you know, push back um a little bit a little bit harder than we would have necessarily on the on the 7.9 if that if that makes sense. You know, seven the 7.9 I feel like I could have I definitely I could have taken that charge from the town council and, you know,
201said, "Yep, okay, we're going to go back and sharpen our pencils." Um versus the 6.7. I've I've got, you know, some I've got concerns there that there's there's definitely less opportunity for another goaround, for sure. So, I think anyway, that's I'm I'm just sort of a stream of consciousness there. That's where I am on that. Um, you know, I I could vote I could have voted for the 7.9 knowing we were going to get another go at it. Um, I'm glad to see some additional opportunities taken. Um, and I'll just leave it at that. over. >> Thank you. Okay, let's vote. So, just to be clear, we are voting on a um on the 6.7 to adopt as the board of education budget. >> Oh, sorry. Go ahead. We are voting on a budget that
202incorporates the reductions in the 6.7 T Yes. Okay. All right. Okay. Joah. >> Hi. >> Elaine. >> Hi. >> Bill. >> Hi. >> McKenzie. >> Hi. >> Jaden. >> Hi >> JP. >> Hi >> Dana. >> She's on mute. >> She's off. Nay. >> And I am an I. The 6.7 passes. >> That means is I have to read the budget booklets. So you'll get your updated budget booklets probably final. Do you have to print them? Like can't you just I only print them if you ask for them. >> I think you should just email them. >> Otherwise they will be digital. They're always going to be digital with links, >> right? Yeah. But unless you ask me copies. Okay. So no one wants copy then your digital copies will be out probably tomorrow afternoon
203or Friday morning. Friday morning please. >> Okay. Can we hold >> um I've got to see where we are on the um >> the agenda. >> On the agenda. Just give me one second to pull that back up. Thank you. Um, okay. So, that moves us down to public participation. >> Um, okay. Well, Dana will can speak again at points of information. Um, okay. So, um, public participation, um, you have a twominut limit. Please, um, state your name and address. If you're online, please raise your Zoom hand. I will start in the room. Excellent. >> Hi, I'm Mary Rose Dubar, 37 Ryan Road, not speaking as a newly appointed town council member, speaking as a parent um resident taxpayer. Um I respectfully see um um your all your faces knowing that I believe you have
204done the best that you can do. So, thank you. Um, I think the sad part of all of this is that our community has learn to budget to a percentage, not to a program. So, instead of saying these are all the things that we would like to do, how much does it cost and then can we afford it? We're often budgeting to here's a percentage. What's in it? Okay, I'll go with it. And it's over and over and over again. How we fix that, I'm not sure. Um, but I do know that I think it's important to always talk about our programs and not numbers. Don't start off with this is a 6.7 budget. Start off with these are the programs that have co that are going to cost six or you know this this
205point. The other thing is you're going to hear the public say wow you got 6.7%. That does not reflect what you all had last year by any means. So it's not more it's less. So, it's really the conversation. We have to start talking to each other about real conversation. I always say, don't use things that are transparent. If Dr. Willlet could could provide more information, I don't know how that could possibly be. People just don't understand it. And that's the hard part. They don't understand it. Therefore, we're not really budgeting to the best we can do for families and residents and seniors. And I'm I'm 60, so I uh you know, I'm a senior as well. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay, I'm going to go online. Rebecca Risley, sorry. >> One second.
206We're trying to unmute you, Rebecca. Here we go. Go ahead. >> Just hearing now. >> Hey, good evening. Can you hear me? Okay. >> Yeah. >> Great. Um, Rebecca Rzley, 103 Mountain Spring Road. U, first of all, I want to say um, thanks to Mary Rose because she um, so eloquently said a lot of things that I would have loved to have been able to um, put into words. So, um I think that having the conversations is extremely important and I think that that definitely gets lost um in the numbers and um when it's just looked at as numbers, we really lose sight of uh what we are trying to truly accomplish. Um but that wasn't the main thing I wanted to say. Um, so as a parent of a current junior, I just wanted
207to say how much I appreciate that the schools provide the SAT prep courses um that are teacher le and there's they're teachers that the students are familiar and comfortable with. Um there are, you know, to clarify, there's eight courses each aligns to a different section of the SAT. So students have the option to take all of them or pick and choose which areas they personally need to strengthen. Um and we are going through this um currently. So it's um you know a good experience that we're having so far. Um a recent coffee and connect with principal Poland which by the way is a great way to get firsthand information about what's happening at the high school. So those happen about once a month um encourage any parent of a high schooler to attend. um but
208that he shared recently that taking those courses has shown um to increase a student's SAT score 10 to 50 point to 50 points on average. Um so many families can't afford the 650 for an outside SAT prep course or the travel to attend one or fit it into a student's busy schedule. And that's on top of $300 per sport, $85 per club, 150 or more per month per just for lunch, 85 a year for class dues, and I can go on and on on top of what we also pay in taxes to support all areas and departments and talent. So eliminating service would be detrimental to a large portion of the school population, in particular, students and families that benefit from it the most. And I just want to close by saying for the record,
209the maneuver with voting on a 6.7 prior to voting on a 7.9, the refusal to revoke the motion, it was really disappointing. It points, it just goes ahead and paints the board further into a corner with potential reductions. Thanks very much. I appreciate your hard work. I know it's hard. Have a great night. >> Thank you. Uh, we have no one else in the room, so I'm going to next go to Heather McCann online. Just give us one second while we unmute you, Heather. >> Hi, Heather McCann, 62 Crossing Drive. Um, I just uh first of all, I just wanted to say, you know, I I definitely appreciate everybody's hard work on the board. Um, but I do I definitely e uh echo Miss Risley's sentiment about starting at 6.7. I think that wasn't I
210don't think that was the best move. Um I think that absolutely it's painting um the board into a corner. Um it is going to likely get reduced uh further from there. And you know uh I don't know what happened with how where that flip happened. Um I am actually very proud of um Miss Filin for sticking with the original uh amount. I think that that was where we should have started at. Should have started high and then went went down from there. Um wanted to mention that I thought uh Miss Fish uh councelor Fish brought up a an interesting idea about the ASVAB. Um, I definitely think that the SAT prep courses are important. Um, and it's a great offering for the students. However, it would be beneficial to offer ASVAB at the school. Um,
211my son took the ASVAB uh actually and he scored a 97 which was extremely high. Um, but you know, he had to go out of he had to take like two days away from home to to to take this test. But I think it would be a nice offering for those that are interested in getting into the military. Um, but um, yeah, that's all I have to say and um, thank you again for all your hard work. Bye. >> Thank you. Next is Jason Fen. Just give us a second to unmute. Jason Children, 11 Harvest Lane. Uh, first I would just like to say that I am thoroughly disgusted at how things transpired tonight. Um, I think that if anybody in the room thinks that the difference between the 6.7 and the 7.9 other than
212the cuts is going to make an actual difference, especially since there was no consensus in the end anyways uh at the town council level, I don't know that anyone's been paying attention uh the last couple years to how this gets done. Uh I don't think that even if by some miracle we got 6.7 approved by the town council uh that the referendum and the people of the town could handle that kind of initial impact all at once. There was an opportunity for all of you up there who are uh whose charge is to support the community students and providing a uh an education that I think should be above subpar. Uh, and I think that today we failed in demonstrating that to the community that you guys were defenders of that. The 6.7 to 7.9
213did nothing other than potentially include more cuts and it'll have no major impact at the town council level either way. >> Thank you. >> Okay, I see no other hands on line. Um, just want to give it another vote. Would anyone online like to speak? Um, just raise your Zoom hand at this time. Okay, seeing none, um, I'd like to move to points of information. Would any board members like to speak at this time? >> I'm sorry, M. I move to go past that. >> Oh, thank you, McKenzie. So moved. >> So moved. Second. Any discussion? >> Joel. >> Sorry. >> Ela. >> Hi. >> JP. >> Hi. >> Dana. >> Hi. >> I'm an I. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Um, is there anyone at Elaine? Go ahead. >> Okay. So, points of information.
214Y >> um all right. So, thank everybody. Thank you. And this wasn't easy and I just want to make sure it's on record that four is the number I will it will keep me up tonight. That is the number of people that we looked at. So, it it was not easy for any of us. You know, I know I came I I you know, last two weeks ago set forth a very difficult task. I wanted to see what did 3% look like because that is like we talked about that is you know usually the um cost of living increase. So to me that seems like a reasonable request to go to the town right cost of living increase 3%. Why wouldn't our spending costs increase 3%. But of course we're so far behind. I get
215that. So, I just want to say, yeah, I will not be sleeping well tonight, but I think we had to come we had to start somewhere. And I don't think anybody's thrilled with the cuts. Um, but thank you for working together to try to come up with something that we could present. >> Um, I'll just pick back what Elaine just said. you know, whatever we did here tonight, um, this was not a perfect outcome. I'm sure we all agree with that. I'm sure we would have voted for 7.8, 8.1, unless it's 20, we're always going to have criticism. There's always going to be some criticism. So, um, like I said, I'm not happy with with, um, what we voted for, even though I voted for it myself. Um, but we have to start somewhere. And
216you know, we're in a situation that we're in and it didn't happen last night. It's happened the last 10 years. So, I know the criticisms coming our way. Whether I think it's fair or unfair unfair for the criticism, it is what it is. I I'm I'm a big boy. I can deal with it. All right. So, I just want to say thank you all for for being here. I know this is this is tough and thanks for not making it um a battle, right? Thanks for understanding each other and Jen, thank you for orchestrating all this. You're doing an amazing job and I know it's tough sitting in that seat and um so I will say please when you put your head on your pillow tonight, please please try to rest and say, "Hey, I
217did my best." So thank you, Jen. It's all you got. >> Means a lot. Thank you very much. >> Uh Jaden, >> go ahead. Um, were you my head though? >> No. >> Oh, okay. Um, everything Joelle and Elaine just said wrapped up perfectly. I think uh there's there's very few times other than during Jet games obviously that I get as fired up as you know as um as as you get. It's a rough life. I get it. All right. Thanks for reminding. >> So, we're at the Jets. >> Yeah. Well, you know, you know, all New York. Here we go, David. Um, but on a serious note, I don't want it to be lost upon folks how much respect and I'll let people speak for themselves. how much I respect I have for each
218and every person sitting in this room and both all the board members on on the call right now and again especially Dana who who didn't you know she's standing for what she believes in and I can't blame her for that and um and and and so at the same time though I can completely understand whether again whether anybody in this room why we why you are where you are and so I don't want this to hopefully we don't leave this room because I look up to everybody in this room in different ways, just in many different ways. And and and it kills me to witness, you know, you know, difficult conversations go go sour, right? But this board is known for catching it and snapping back into shape. And so, um, I think heading into
219next week, nope, the first time in a few weeks that it's not next week. Um, >> jeez. Um, >> meeting the 18th, aren't we? >> Oh, yeah, we are. >> Oh, joyous occasion. Um, heading into next week, by next week, I hope it is my hope that we can at least be aligned in that we we expect more from the town uh council. Yeah, sure. But the town manager and his office uh and investigating how we can how we can explore options through them more. Um, I cannot let that get lost upon what we've just discussed tonight. We've got to get some sort of engagement by the town manager, by the town council, uh, and by, uh, the financial director. So, um, I appreciate everybody in this room tonight and on the on the call.
220This was one this was a good one. Only two or three hours, but it felt a little longer. >> Um, but, uh, again, I just can't say thank you enough because I I appreciate you all enough or a lot. Um, and and I'm proud to work with you. and hopefully hopefully we remember that heading into next week and the week after that and the week after that. So that's just where I that's where I'm at. That's where I want to leave us tonight. So thank you. And again to our leadership and Joel just hit on it. I can imagine what the conversations have been like of how to figure out where do we go from here? And so I give you a lot of credit. It is not time that I could see myself committing
221to it. Um especially with work and all these things. and uh and it's it's it's it's a lot of brain power throughout the day. And you two specifically are two people I highly look up to. So um I appreciate you showing how to do it and how to do it while also being in different political parties by the way. Um and hopefully we can keep showing that. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you both. Thanks, McKenzie. >> Um, I I echo my appreciation for for all of you, for everybody who's who's come today either in person or phone to participate in this process uh either tonight or over the last few weeks uh especially folks who uh you know did stay on for that particular 5h hour meeting or who have watched it since. Um,
222you know, I this is meant to be a collaborative public process. Um, and that in some ways makes it harder, right? getting nine people um from different walks of life, different political parties, different experiences um to come together and uh agree enough uh to get uh a budget passed um I think is um a feat in and of itself. Um, I think it it definitely speaks to the working relationship here and I um I'm frankly excited about what I think this board can go do, right? I think that we um we have an opportunity to build some momentum and and go um get some things right that maybe we haven't yet. Um I you know um appreciated Mary Rose's comments particularly about how we communicated how we communicate about the budget right I think I
223said it earlier uh I've certainly said it in some other forums that the percent increase of the budget is a completely irrelevant number frankly when it comes to um talking about a budget increase or a decrease or whatever it may be um it's um you know the way that we communicate ated is, you know, um is very important to to how people understand and comprehend what what it is uh that's in this budget. Um and I I'd love to see us start looking at other um other things to anchor our understanding of our budget process, too. Um but I I think that there's um some some room to go there both in the FFC committee. No, FCC. No, you're right. I was right the first time. >> Um, and in the communications committee in particular,
224um, as an actual point of information, um, I, um, am disappointed that I will not be part of the, um, the joint town council meeting. Um, I think it's incredibly important that us as residents uh, hold our elected officials accountable to, you know, their charge. Um I think we've all been vocal about some opinions about what the county council should do and um um certainly will you know share those um more specifically u but I will not be in attendance for that meeting. Um I will be out of the country for the next two and a half weeks. Um so um you know I'm sure that we will come to we will have more votes in that time. We'll have some other discussion in that time. Um, and while I um regret that I I
225can't be there to to support uh you all in that, um I know that uh my perspective is is going to be carried through well with this team. Um and and appreciate um you all giving me the comfort to feel that way. So, thank you. >> Yes. Um I would just like to thank um Chris Moran um Maril B and Mary Rose Duber who are present tonight from our town council um after capital budget meeting Monday night and another and a town council meeting last night and for sticking with with us for these three hours. So thank you very much for tuning in um and I hope that you can carry back um some of the conversations uh to the town council as a whole. >> Go ahead. >> There's always one party I feel
226like and I completely concur and I completely concur with what you just said and I but adding on to that feel like there's always one party that gets ignored and it's the man sitting across from me over there. The the amount of data and numbers and people that the man Dr. Willlet and I I refuse to call him anything else. He says Jane call. I refuse to call him anything else because he deserves the respect that he is given in most settings. The amount of information that is made available to us, he has a fantastic staff and I'm sure he would tell you that himself, but he does a lot for us and through tonight's discussion, it it this discussion goes on for more and more hours if if it is not confined to where
227it is right now. And so somebody who doesn't get enough credit, Dr. Will it I want this written in stone that um that uh we are I am appreciative and I'm sure we are appreciative of your work. Um and uh keep it going, man. Keep it going. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we are where we are. Um again, I just I can't say it enough because I feel like we never we do we mentioned it. Dr. Willlet, thank you for putting this together. Okay, now on to the discussion. Okay, Dr. Willlet, thank you. But Dr. with a thank you because just like our leadership here, there's a lot even in the last 24 hours that has to get put together like that. So, um you know, it doesn't just happen. So, thank you. >> Yeah,
228I'll spread that out a bit. You know, the the whole office, everybody in the district's really, you know, voting for this board and this town. So they all deserve an ex out. But you know in in the office Suzanne Waterhouse Espinosa Taylor you know Taylor um Straer you know um Jesse Nennia they're all just you know constantly working to to make everything work for us. So and Jen Palumbo. So it's it's really all of them. I just try to get it all organized but they're doing all the heavy old they and you were doing it also. So Peter Stavo, Beth Bates, like the Academy Awards, unless you start playing, right? Don't worry. So it's just all these people on what's making it happen for you. So >> you're you're selling yourself short because you mentioned
229the information that's pulled that was pulled together at the last 24 hours about five. Oh wow. Whoa. So, you know, to get that >> together for us for tonight to lead this discussion, it was about five hours. >> Wow. >> So, let me know. Make a motion. >> I just Thank you. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I will accept a motion. >> Motion to adjourn. So, move. Oh, second. No objections. Let's go. Um Joelle Hi >> Elaine. >> As much as I hate to see this. Hi. >> Hi >> McKenzie. >> Hi Jaden. >> Hi >> JP. >> Me and Dana figure this out. >> Hi >> Dana. >> Hi. >> Okay meeting. Thank