1-19-21 Groton Board of Education Meeting

001On that note, I am going to um call the meeting to order. Uh this is actually a two-part meeting. The first part of the meeting is our public hearing, which is what we hold um every year um as part of our budget cycle um where we look forward to having input from our um community members um to uh to support um to to help us support um the board's initiatives. And so, let me just kind of lay the land about what I think is going to happen tonight or what I hope to have happen tonight. Um Susan um Austin who is our superintendent um has put together um with her staff um which is I believe Sam and there's Ken and I believe there's Lori Leine um and multiple others of putting together um this

002presentation for today and there's about um eight to 10 slides um that Susan and I will kind of go through um after the end of the slide um presentation um we I will then be opening it up to our um public um portion of the meeting and I will open that with um sort of what our sort of preamble or what we expect to have happen. Um we anticipate that this meeting can go um to an hour and then once this meeting um is adjourned um the the the board itself will go into um our working u budget session. we uh ask if you are interested in um in uh joining us, you're more than welcome to do that. Um it's fun times. Um so um with that without without further ado, um I would

003like to um start our uh presentation. Um I don't know if that's you or >> That's me. >> All right, >> let me just get it up on the screen. Oops. There it is. >> All right. Thank you um Susan. So um this is not how we normally do it. Actually we normally hold our budget sessions in the the senior center but obviously um for the reasons of the pandemic we are doing it on Zoom. Um but over the course um actually starting January 1, um Susan Austin um has joined us as our superintendent um of Gotten School System. And once again, I would like to just actually this is our first sort of official public meeting. Um and on behalf of the board of education, I would like to sort of publicly announce that

004and also introduce you Susan and welcome. um even though the board um has been working with you for multiple years and actually for several meetings as a superintendent, but um it's so good to be able to do that um in in the public. And um on this slide is just the rest of the board, board of ed members. And um I'm proud to say that we have all been working really hard um through this past year. Um and um they are there. I once again my name is Kim Shepardson Watson. I am the chair. Um Andrea Akan is the vice chair. There's Dean Antifas, Jane Giuliani, Liz Porter, Rosemary Robertson, Rita Vulpin, Jay Whiteliff, and Lee White. Um, are round off the incredible board of education that we have. I promise I'm not going to

005read all the program elements because it's there and there's a lot. Um, but I just want to let people know that um, actually just to back up for just two seconds. Um, it's important for people to realize that this is not the board of education budget that we are working on. That this is actually the superintendent's proposed budget. that as our the way that um that the cycle works for us is that um Susan and the staff have been working on putting together this budget really since October, November um and then presenting it to us in January um and the bo it becomes the board uh budget um on or before February 28th where by town charter it goes to the town council for their for their um look over um and then it goes

006actually to the RTM and I believe that that that gets voted in um voted on in sometime maybe the uh beginning of May, end of April. I never know those times, but that's what it is. But so what the budget um is is doing is that um the board has come up with um strong recommendations that we've actually voted on in terms of effective class sizes. Um we continue to sort of use the skills um that we offered our teachers through the the the teachers in college uh reading program um and for our math instruction we're still continuing to um look at and I believe this next generation science is actually a mandate that has come through us through the state of Connecticut um and that what makes uh Groten very unique in this area

007is that we have a um IB or a balora um campus program where at Fitz High School we do have the IB program and with the middle school we're doing the middle year's program and I think Susan will be talking more about that in her part of the presentation. Um, but we're also going to be do looking and and and we're also not looking but we're developing our career program and pathway which is also an IB program. Um so lots happening in that campus which was why um the board of education was so um so strongly um in favor of having our high school and our middle school in that campus um to let that fluid of the IB program go. >> And you'll notice our updated photographs of this day and time that we're

008going through which is the hybrid and remote learning. So you see our kids in masks and shields and it's not like it was, you know, in the past, but they're they're making do and doing the best they can. >> That one is cute. >> Yeah. Um so also um as continued um as um we know um in the fall we are going to be opening two new elementary schools that are um which then um puts our elementary schools down to five elementary schools and they all five of them will be magnet um programs. Uh and the names of the new elementary school is the themes river uh magnet elementary school and there's the Mystic River um magnet school which is um on the old uh Cutler Middle School site. Um we uh not no time

009like the present. We have um Baton has had a very strong initiative around technology and the one-toone computer program and we're going to continue to sort of uh this budget is going to continue to sort of address um the infrastructure needs um of having um of having the the technology um and I've said that and also um many of us don't know but we do offer transitional work experiences for 18 to 22 year old um and we're going to continue to maintain that. We have a one of our one of our other programs is the treehouse child care program which is our before and after school. And Susan, what are the different um elementary schools? Where are they located? The treehouse. >> So currently we have a program at SD Butler and NEA. We also

010have a program at Charles Barnum and and Katherine Kolowski. Okay. Um, and this >> all schools, I want to make a statement that all students in all of our schools have the opportunity to go to this program and we just use the transportation of the buses to get them to the before and or after school. Yeah, >> thank you Susan for the clarification. Um and also this budget um continues to um support our relationship with the town of town of Grten um to have a school resource officer at the Fitch High School and also at the Grten Middle School. >> So I want to orient you to the proposed budget and let you know that Dr. Michael Grineer was one of his last parting gifts to us was to make sure we were ship shape

011and ready with this budget. So, we really appreciated that we got an early start to this and the central office directors um worked together with our building administrators to really see this to fruition. So, um I want to do kind of a walk through of what we call the budget object codes, the 100s to the 800s. All school budgets are created this way. And um I actually did a little footnoting because the board had recommended that we really be able to talk to you about where these increases and decreases are coming from. So we we worked on that. And below the budget um portion is the um footnotes that I'll kind of review with you and which categories they are. So most budgets, and you're going to see a graph that really supports this, um

012are made with um the intention of what do we give our our students? What's the most important thing that we give our students? And the most important thing is their teachers, administrators, support staff. So all budgets um tend to have most of the funding going towards staff and salaries and also benefits. So you can see that close to $60,000 is going out of our budget is going to the salary and the benefits. um most um of our co contracts especially with the teachers which is our largest talent pool of folks um has had a 2% um increase and I would say that in addition teachers have steps so when we first roll out of this our teachers contract looked like they were about 3.1% increase you see the 2.0 zero increase under salaries because there's

013the contracts that we have to pay of course but they're also offset by some efficiencies due to the consolidation of elementary schools. So we're going from the three elementary schools Claude Chester SB Butler and Mary Morrison to our new Thes River Magnet and um and Mystic River Magnet. So with that um for instance we have one less principal. So, and there are other um other folks too, other efficiencies that um we have in more detail for the board to look at with um a a paper that looks at the payroll. So, in the benefits, it's actually down. And the reason it's down is we really took a close look at um the anticipated increased cost which were about 7%. But we were able to offset it by reducing um health insurance reserve. So using some

014of that health re insurance reserve that helped us to to get that budget down a little bit. under purchase services um which is the 300s we had an increase in cost of services not provided by outside experts to support um the district needs. So we had lower ex um yes so we um had the increase in the cost of those services and then for the 400s we have the property services and we see a lower experience in that like less snow removal. The weather's been kind of good to us lately and I'm knocking on wood so I don't have to call a snow day or another remote day. Um, so I would say that um lower experience and more in-house services with purchased equipment. So we recently got a snow skid that helps us to

015remove snow um and I think we've used it once but we've been able to make some port purchases so we can do that work ourselves. And then when we come to the um the actual transportation, insurance, communication and tuition, the 500, it's a big bundle that particular category and we um one of the biggest things in a school budget is also bus transportation. So we had um received an MSAP grant for the magnet schools when we had both Westside and Cutler as magnet schools. It was a federal grant and it supported us with paying for four of our buses. So, um with the um new Grten Middle School coming together, there was not a need for the magnet buses, but we still had to pay for the buses that we were using for other things.

016So, we actually had um that price, that amount of money to keep it sustainable. So, we had to take that on in the operation budget. And then the 600s are supplies and it's everything from crayons and um journals and textbooks and software and all kinds of things that we use. And this year was um interesting because of the hybrid and remote learning. We wanted toolkits for kids when they were in the school. We wanted toolkits that could be sent home. We added extra software to help support the remote learning. And with all of that, there was some increase in costs. Some costs were taken care of by those special grants for CO 19 and the CARES Act, but there were some that we had to pay for ourselves, which were the usual software costs and

017then some that we added. Um so the other additional thing besides um the needs in you know the schools for their site budgets and for our um actual um supplies is the cost of electricity. So we do have new buildings. They're larger. They will cost more money probably to light up. But in addition we still have responsibility for the three older buildings. So until the town takes that over, we'll have to continue those costs. So we made sure that there was money in the budget for that. And then the 700s is equipment and that's a very large number, the 52.2%. But when you look at the overall amount of the budget, which um is proposed to be 138,000, it's up 47,000. And the reason it's up is just what Kim had said in the beginning.

018We have IT infrastructure that we have to really stay on top of so that you know we can have all the Chromebooks and the iPads and all the wonderful bells and whistle of equipment but unless we sustain and keep enhancing our IT infrastructure that won't mean a thing if we can't log in and stay connected. So that is a large percentage um not such a a large amount in the essence of an entire budget that's you know $78 million. So um so that was it for the equipment and then 800 is dues and fees. um it's uh $88,000 um category and it's up by about $14,000 and that is for our requirements for my careers program which we're working on. So, um, that's our overall walkthrough of this budget and we can go back to

019this if people have questions, but last year we presented a 0% increase budget at 77,438,90. This year we're asking for $829,991 more um at 78,268,81 which is a 1.1. So when we first came out of the gates because of the salaries and benefits increase we were looking at 3.1 but really by looking at um our benefits and offsetting some of the reductions in health um insurance reserve we were able to bring it down and also going through the budget carefully we were able to bring it down to a 1.1% increase from last year. I love pictures and charts. So this is what I was saying when you think about a little more than threequarters of our budget is salary and benefits. A little less than a quarter is all those other things. So you have

020non-contractual expenses, you have utilities and other you have transportation, you have tuition and contracted services that make up the rest of the budget. And as you can see, um I had said almost $60 million is in salary and benefits and the tuition and contracted services is 6 million, 6.5 million. Transportation is 5.5 million. um utilities um are 3 million and non-contractual are 3 million and that's what makes up the whole pie. I thought it would be good to take a little history journey. I know how Liz Porter loves history and history day. So when we look at from 2011 12 school year where there was a 0% and the following year a 0% increase um and then Mike came I think in in between 2013 and 14 and um there were some I think special

021education costs um that needed to be dealt with. And then in or 14-15 I arrived with him at in the summer and we did see another increase of 1.95%. And then in 2015 16 another 2.17. So those were really the largest percent increases that we had seen. Um we actually um had a a a downturn in 1617 of 34%. And um another zero, but when you look at it all in all, you see a 10-year average of 64%. So less than 1%. And so I think that this page shows you a history of efficiencies um in our budget. and you know there that we could think about other things. The graten 2020 was about diversity um you know equity um excellence and efficiency and some of the grants that we have um sought have also

022taken care of some of our initiatives in addition and then I thought bringing you to the per pupil spending page would be important too because in that 2011 to 12 year Graten's per pupil spending was $14,000 per student, 366. The Connecticut average was $14,135. So we were actually above the state average back in those days. We continued the next year to be above by $104.20, 20 cents. But as you look look at the downward trend or the trend in the variance that we were, you know, below the average and continued to be below the average. And the last time we were able to gather the data in 2020, we were $1,28783 per pupil below the average. So, um, you know, I would say that that's also a sign, I think, of some efficiencies. Now every

023um school budget has contributors and so when you look at the whole school budget which um the proposal is for that 78 million um you can see that the town is responsible for about 61.9%. That's that dark blue section that you're looking at, which is really um you know the majority of the budget. But you can also see that um there are grants that come to directly to the town to support our school budget. So one of those grants um and those are the revenues. So, I'm going to talk to you a little bit about the res revenues that the town receives through federal dollars, state dollars to support the school budget. So we have ECS and um education cost sharing which has kind of remained stable since about 205 and that's at the tune

024of um 24,969,249 or 31.9 close to 32%. So that's the largest um you know revenue source that we have. Then you have um other um state funds at a point 4%. You have federal impact aid and we're one of the um one of the towns and cities in the state that probably does best there because we have the largest number of military students, military children and children who live or reside on federal lands or their um parents work at on federal property. So the you know that's at 3,283,678 or about 4.2%. And then there's the special ed excess cost which also goes directly to the town. And when we've paid in excess of what the average is for students who are either outplaced or have significant challenges, then we receive a portion of that money

025back. And then there's Medicare, which we really are very careful with with some of our service providers to make sure that we're marking those dollars that are spent. And then other sources um at 83,277. So you can see that you have about close to $30 million from revenue. You've got a little over you've got close to 62% from the town from the taxpayers. And that's what makes up the complete picture or the complete um part of the budget for the for the schools. And then I wanted to talk a little bit about grants. Um we have what we call categorical grants. Those are annual grants and those really come from state and federal monies and they come to the schools and they come to the schools for very specific purposes. So we actually for each

026of these grants we have to write our own plan of how we're going to spend the money and it it really goes along with what those those funds are specifically for. So you have your um your title grants or the ESA grants, ESSA grants, and those are specifically for um you know the work that we do in some of our title schools. They also are for professional development for EL um and bilingual um education or for English learners um English language learners and those really are specific to the those needs. So there's tutors and there's um social workers and you know really support systems for those schools and there is some funding for the district as well. The Carl Perkins is a vocational education um monies that really go right to the high school for

027their careers pathway programs. Um school readiness is our early childhood and we really just serve as the fiduciary. So, we received the funds and Children First Graten and um our early childhood folks work together to make sure that we have extra slots in some of those preschools in the town and city to support our students who will be our students in Grten. Um in those private preschools, we have our own preschools, but this is meant for the additional spots um in the town and city. And then there's IDEIDA, which is the federal special education grant, and that affords um a lot of things that we need in special education, including some of our pair of professionals and um resources um supplies. So, um, we use that's a 1,164,716 um grant. Bilingual because we have 25

028or more students um in a couple of our schools, we get um some money to help support those those children. And then um we have DODIA or DO DODD supplemental impact grant which comes to us each year. We're not always so sure what they're going to give us. I think the estimate is about 260,000. Sometimes it's a little more, sometimes it's a little less, mostly um a little more. Um and we've really earmarked that, Mike and I, from the time we got here and working with this board, we really earmarked that for technology. And I have to say because we had a technology plan that sought to have onetoone initiative um in the high school and now in the middle school, it really prepared us. So when we had to go to full remote learning

029and supplemental learning back in the spring, we were able to do so because we were prepared. And then we were able to get some additional technology and hotspots also through the car's act so that we would be more than ready. And then um the ali we've been an alliance district for several years which has helped us keep maintain our ECS cost. But I would say that um this year the anticipation is to have $300,000. Last year we had $600,000. We're not sure about next year. So those are categorical grants. Competitive grants are grants that we seek out and we've had really great success with DODIA, which is Department of Defense Education Activity Grants. Um you see two of those remaining, one in math and one in STEM. We completed the literacy grant last year which

030really afford us to be project school with teachers college readers and writers workshop. Um, in addition, we have a federal grant, a magnet school assistance um, program, which is MSAP we call it, and that's what's really driven the work in the middle school to become my not only middle school, but um, six through eight through this grant, but we were able to also do nine and 10 as well in the high school. And remember that Westside was a STEM school and Cutler was a arts and humanities. So together when we brought them together they've become a steam school and they have so many opportunities and courses for our middle schoolers to take pathways that actually will lead to high school career pathways. So one of the things I have to say about competitive grants is

031that you write them for an intended purpose for an intended initiative. You can't be writing them or using those funds for things that would otherwise have been operation cost. So we always say in the grant world, thou shalt not supplant. So you can't use a grant to pay for those things that um the school budget should pay for. Um you have to be really careful with that. And then I would say that this year um because of Corona virus we were able to get a car's act esser grant um at $686,882 and a corona relief fund which was $1,227,291. I would have to say the Corona Relief Fund really helped us with additional staffing that we needed to support this world we're living in now with um you know remote and hybrid learning and um

032and many other things and during the board workshop I will delineate some of that and um go through that with you. All in all though, our total grants is at the tune of $6,364,978 as of FY21. We we contemplated putting a FY22, but the competitive grants we know will be the same as they were this year, but the categorical grants, we don't have those numbers yet, but we will be getting them. And Kim, you can wrap us up here. >> I always find it's better to wrap up things when you take yourself off of mute. So, I have done that. Um, but so, um, one of the things that this board has done for several years is making sure that, um, we we listen and we hear the mission statement, which is in its simplicity

033as teaching and learning. um and that we have the uh the goals of provide dynamic rigorous curriculum, ensure effective and engaging instruction and embrace excellent learning environment. Um and one of the things that the board is um really kind of fine-tuning and looking at um is really making sure that we have at our core a um a look at sort of our diversity and our inclusion and our equity. Um, I'm sure many of us know that that was that our school >> I was like, "Wish we could double Zoom." And then I was like, "Oh, I'll just call her." >> If everybody could put themselves on mute, that would be helpful. >> Um, so um, so and that so we are so we are we are working on this belief statement which is to cultivate

034in an environment of diversity, equity, and incl um, inclusiveness. And so as as what Susan has been able to um produce or show um sort of what the board is looking at and thinking about um I think that all the budget highlights actually kind of hit every single one of them and that is something that I'm I'm pretty proud of the board for doing. Um so Susan um thank you very much for leading us in that um presentation. Your first one of many um to come. Would you like me to stop sharing so you can >> I I think I think I would. Um thank you. Great. Um so now that we have done um it's good to see everyone's faces even though it's like a 2 by two square. Um is um we I'm

035now ended the the presentation of our um of our budget and now we are opening up for um public comment. Um I know that um our um our our Mark our Mark Russell, not our Mark Russell, but the Mark Russell um has placed in the chat um chat is that if you would just put your name um in there if you would like to talk so that we can we can get you recognized. But I'm just going to sort of once again orient ourselves to sort of what we should be expecting for the comments of citizens. Um each presentation should be limited to five minutes or less and citizens should if possible submit written comments um and that could be done through email. Um presentation should be related to matters pertinent to the um to

036our graten and to our graten budget and board members will only ask questions in order to clarify a a person's presentation um and that we are not going to be speaking during this time period. So once again, this is our chance of being able to hear from others um what what um what are what what does our town um feel is important um and to make sure that we have that in our budget. Um so it is now um it is now your turn. Um so if there's anyone who is knowing I know that there was someone who reached out to me earlier in the weekend. Um, and Connie, I don't Connie, if you would love to start us off, that would be great. Thank you. >> Okay. Hope you can hear me. >> I

037can, Connie. Thank you. >> Great. Well, good evening and thank you for scheduling this public hearing. I have a request during these COVID times to please look at budgeting for hepoiltration and CO2 monitors in the classroom and offices for proper ventilation controls. Students will most likely still need layers of protection while they wait for their pediatric vaccines to be approved. Yesterday on January 18th, the Biden administration nominated Cindy Martin for deputy secretary of education. As San Diego superintendent, she has worked with atmospheric chemist Kimy Prather and acknowledged that CO is airborne and put in measures to clean the air in schools. Sydney Martin's policy is to get at least six air exchanges per hour and not pos and if not possible than hepailtering systems for rooms where they cannot. She also measures aerosols and CO2s

038in every classroom to check air quality. Schools more likely more than likely have to make similar changes for safe schools once the new admin gets put into place. It may be useful for the Grten board of ed to have a committee to look into what is needed for the buildings and possibly make needed changes to the two new buildings under construction. The Graten Duristic hired engineers Fuss and O'Neil before the school district started to commission the school's HVAC, but so far that report's not been made public. Dr. Grainer had emailed me back with the board of ed and Susan Austin CC on November 23rd and stated it would be posted on the district's website and that has not happened. Since the public does not know the air quality, if MV filters were able to be

039added, or if work is needed on schools to bring up to ashray guidelines during the pandemic, I'm asking for further mitigations to be purchased for the safety of students and staff without knowing which ventilation measures have already taken place. The reason for CO2 monitors in the classroom is due to SARS CO2 being transmitted through the air. And the higher CO2 level, the more air we are sharing. These monitors will help reduce risk of infection so that teachers and admin will know when to open a window if the windows open or turn up the HVAC system for more air exchanges. Ideally, when a CO2 monitor shows 800 ppm, then you know 1% of the air you are breathing has already been breathed by someone in the space. Any higher ppm, then the percent of shared air

040goes up. The 1918 fresh air movement has already taught us that ventilation was key. It's time for Gotten to address ventilation within our schools and add more engineering mitigation efforts for solution against the virus. Studies show poor air quality has an effect on learning and increased absences. Ventilation improvements had added the have the added benefit of helping with allergens and air pollution within classrooms. If improvements are made now, the grten will be ahead of most schools and ready for the next pandemic. Ben Franklin said it best. I am persuaded that no common air from without is so unh wholesome as the air within a closed room that has not often been breathed and not changed. And I was just going to show you this is my little CO2 monitor and um household ventilation's you know

041it's not going to be 800 parts per million unless I open up my window and then you breathe on it and it's immedately going to go up. And so this is what um some restaurants are installing. so that their customers know that they're in safe and laid spaces. Foreign countries are using it more often. So, um, ideally this would be in the classroom on the wall so that everybody can see the air inside the room and see if it's clean air that they're breathing. But thank you again for letting me speak tonight and I appreciate all you've been doing this year. >> So, Connie, would you looked like you had something written so if you could throw that into an email. Um, so Joan Johnson is the person who's been who would collect that. Um,

042so it's Jay Johnson at um, graten.k12.ct. us. Probably put one too many dots in there. Um, but um, once again, Connie, thank you very much. And um, I will um, I will make sure that Susan and Mr. Kellpatrick look at um, why that information wasn't put, the Paso O'Neal, why that wasn't put on the website. Um, unfortunately, no excuses. Um, so we'll we'll see if we can get that that up. That would be great. Thank you, Connie. Is there anyone else that is interested in talking to the board about our upcoming budget season? I am sorry, I'm not I'm My cat is trying to jump on my lap and she's got very sharp claws. I'm sorry. I'm not making faces at the public. Miss Joan, are you hearing any from anyone? >> No. What? I'm

043just going to give people a couple more seconds to So board I believe that we have heard our comments to us from the public. The not dilemma, but the challenge that we're in is that this actually public hearing goes until 7 o'clock and our next meeting is not scheduled to 7 and by FOI rules. We really need to um start the budget workshop at 7:00. Um that's the problem with kind of setting our times. Um, I am actually wondering if specifically since we have so many people here, whether there's parts of the presentation that the board would like us to kind of have a closer look at or closer conversation about. I know that we also had things that were um given to us in our budget um book that maybe we could actually kind

044of put up and that is all part of sort of a public hearing and about the pres presentation of the budget. That would be my recommendation instead of us closing down and then coming back in 20 minutes. But that's up to um that's the will I will go to the will of the board. Um, I have a quite a few different questions about what was sent to us, but my first question would be about the Corona virus grants and how they were used. If we could have a detailed explanation sometime in the future and whether or not we had provided I I believe there is some type of help hepailters in our schools. What was done and did we use the grant money for for those purposes? So, it would be nice to have an

045an explanation um exactly how we spent the money, the funds, you know, rather than just listing them. >> I looked through the budget. I couldn't find it any other place. Has anybody else found it? >> No, we sent that out. I think that went out um with the board packet um >> today. No, this was last week when we had um we sent out the budget review which was the yellow section. We sent out the um white >> I have >> with the um enrollment from room >> and we sent out um what was under the green tab which was the FTEES and I do believe that we had the explanation that we were going to show you tonight um Ken that was specifically around the details in the um cares and corona relief I'm

046just looking to see if that where that was. >> It on page one-5 in the yellow. >> So underneath yellow tab it was. Yeah. >> And and that shows what we we did for ventilation in our schools too. >> No. That would be a SAM question, >> right? It is a SAM question. Um I don't know that might that you know if you'd like us to start with um we really wanted to um take the time during the board workshop to go over and review those items that we shared with you last week and um you know in detail to do it kind of slide by slide. We also did an update on looking at um the the budget workshops because we pushed off the special ed um component to next week so that we

047could get through all of those things that were recommended last week from the board that they wanted. So um we could certainly start that um with the the yellow section if you wanted to. Is there um anything of the budget presentation that was done so far that would be helpful for the board to go over >> tonight? Kind of would like to kind of keep it to tonight. >> So, I think you'll see some of the things that were in the yellow because that's how we made the decision to add them to the presentation tonight. So, you're going to see some of those. Um, anyway, >> I think it might be helpful if we could post for our for our constituents how the grant money was spent. And that was on 1-5. I think that

048would be imper personally, I think that would be important for us just to go over to for the for the public to see this is this is the money we got. This is the money. This is how it was spent. That's just my opinion. >> What um I'm I'm just um under the Coronus I'm sorry Corona virus relief grant um where it talks how we spent the money. >> Yep. >> Do we want to have lots more than that? So >> many we used, you know, I I mean, sure, but >> in the yellow and it's one one-5. >> Do you want me to put one five up? >> That would be good. >> I We've already got it. Yeah. >> But we can show it to the public since they're on here. They can

049kind of see it. And since that question was raised or that comment was made tonight, I just would need to have Sam weigh in on that. >> Okay, I am going to share um that section. Let's see yellow section. All right, this is the yellow section. I'll go down to the uh Corona virus um grants. Um did you want me to go through this Susan or >> Sure go right ahead. >> So the we we got two um two grants in regards to corona relief. Uh one was the car's act uh also called the elementary and secondary school relief the what they call the esser I think it's emergency relief. Um and so the majority of that uh we put towards um personnel uh the additional teaching personnel that we needed um um and the

050additional substitutes that we needed. That was the biggest portion. Uh we also um uh got help of some uh social workers and um community coordinators to help uh help students. Uh and then additional um custodian uh custodians to uh to uh one per building uh to help with uh keeping up with all the cleaning that that uh that we're doing. Um also with the CARES, there was um uh funds put aside for food service uh to help with the support of the meal distribution that they did over the spring and throughout this uh past year. uh the school supplies that um that Susan had mentioned before uh that to use uh at home um um as well as uh in the schools and some document cameras to help the help the teachers um with their

051um online remote learning. Um so uh that's that's how uh we we so car's act goes until uh September of 22 to spend. So that's how we intend to spend uh 686,882. So we're in we're in the process of that at this point. >> And I attended a CAPS meeting um where they were telling us that we should be expecting to receive double that amount of money in CARES Act part two. So um not sure when that's coming in, but I know that that goes until um 2023. >> Three, I think you're right. Uh the other grant that we received was called the corona relief fund. Uh this one had to be uh had to be spent by uh between March and 123120. Uh so this one is actually complete. Uh once again the majority

052of this was put towards uh additional personnel substitutes uh uh par professionals um uh teaching personnel to help with the the hybrid model uh tutors to help the students once again social workers um support technology support and community coordinators very much the same as above part-time custodians at each of the buildings. Um and um and then uh a big amount here was um we had to update a lot of the uh curriculum instruction um uh to support the hybrid uh learning model. That was a 154 of of that amount. So a million of the 1.2 million for coroner relief fund was uh was put towards personnel. Uh the rest of the funds were used to obtain uh PPE, which is the personal protective equipment such as masks and shields, gloves, gowns, the desk shields uh

053that we saw pictures of earlier. Um hand sanitizer and dispensers. Uh and right there, the HVAC reconditioning, that was the amount um that was budgeted to pay FANE O'Neal for for the for the work, the recommissioning work um uh that they did. Um so the total for total for that grant uh was 1 million227 >> and that grant was really very specific to personnel and and PPE and the things that we needed due to the corona 19 virus. >> That's right. No no technology was allowed in this particular um grant. >> Thank you. And I and I actually think that that's that's nice. that kind of um kind of shows sort of what we have or have not done. Um I am not you know this is not the time for us to kind of

054think with Sam out loud about what what um what we have done or not have done. um if that if it's supposed to be on the website in terms of what Fossil O'Neal has um kind of found we need to do that and then maybe we can have um long larger conversation about what is needed or not needed when we get to Sam's portion of the budget in terms of um the HEPA um filters and whatever. Um >> you might want to scroll to page 1. So Susan, so Susan, so we are we are at 552, 553. Um, and so what I'm going to suggest is that we um close down the public the public portion of the public meeting, the public, what is this called? Um the um >> public hearing for the budget.

055Um and that we give um bordered about five minutes to kind of do whatever they need to do. dance, sing, clap their hands. Um and then we'll come back um for our 7 o'clock budget um session. Okay, >> sounds good. >> All right, so um I motion for adjournment. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Yay. I >> So I'll see you guys in maybe eight minutes, but we're missing Susan. Um I'm sure she'll be here momentarily. Kim, where are we starting in our book? >> Um, I I think that Susan and Ken uh have the plan, so I'm going to sort of defer to them. >> Okay. Um, can I ask a question? The what we had received in the mail from um the projections from Malone and Mcroom. Are we going

056over these tonight? We had talked about it the week before. >> Um, once again, I I I don't I I'm not quite sure what we're going to be able to get to tonight. Um, but I but I'm my guess is that if we've gotten them, that probably has something to do, but that we're going to talk about them. So, those are I'm going to ask that you save those questions for when Susan um gets gets here. Um, once again, because it's more or less her budget right at the present moment, I kind of I'm allowing her to kind of take lead about how we kind of go through it. >> Okay. >> So, Lee, they're leading in the first quarter, by the way, in case you wanted to know. Who is >> Yukon? >> They're

057They're in the league. >> Oh, yay. Thank you so much. >> A lot. >> Are you talking about the basketball game? >> Yes. >> This is women. >> Yeah. Women it's 30. Butler is 15. >> Yeah. I think we're winning. >> Yeah. >> I love it. >> I do too. >> It's a close one. >> First time ever that there have been no seniors ever. I know. I heard that, too. >> And I think five or six freshman. >> They got a They It's all freshman and sophomores. I think there's two juniors. >> Yeah, we've got a couple of juniors. We've got a couple, but no seniors. >> Yeah. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. This team, >> it's just amazing. Can I ask a question, Kim, about the calendar? Are we doing something different? It

058looks like today's meeting is the 19th, and then there isn't another budget work session till Monday, February 1st. I thought we we had some in between. >> We're going to review that with you today. >> Oh, good. Okay. >> A revision. So, we Yeah, we'll plan on doing that. I just talked to Ken So, so Susan, um there was a I'm wondering if if it would be helpful um if you kind of orient um the board to um what you and Ken hope to sort of um get accomplished with us tonight. Okay. >> Um Rita was specifically asking not only about the schedule but also um about the projections that came from Malone and Mcroom. We yes, we we thought that we would like to bring you through the tabs that we filled up for

059you last um week. So, we'll start with the yellow section. A lot of that may seem repetitive. I think we can do it pretty quickly because I used a lot of those charts and graphs in this presentation because I felt like the charts told the story better than just the numbers. Y >> and um and then we thought we would move to the white section which is the enrollment by Malona McBroom and he has a really great little slideshow that I'm hoping to put up on our website to showc case to our community. So I wanted to review that with you. Um and then we have um the the green section which is your payroll reconciliation. And actually Rita your recommendation to do it landscape was ideal. I felt like when I saw it that

060way, it just made sense. So, we're going to show that to everybody and show them how that works. >> And then we'll finalize and wrap up with the revised budget schedule and talk to you about we have four more workshop dates and we think that we can get through everything um you know easily. So, of course I say that sometimes it takes more time, sometimes it takes less time. So, >> all right. You want me to go ahead and put the yellow section up? Uh Susan, >> we all have it. Uh don't we all have the yellow >> Rita? We have we have um several people from the public who are watching. And so um we are going to Rita, there is a tab. I don't know if you have it on your iPad, but

061once the screen share is going in, you can move that to the side if you want to see people's um faces. But um I feel pretty strongly that if there are people from the public who are watching >> Yeah. Great. >> Okay. As uh Susan mentioned, a lot of this is going to be repetitive because we uh we put this in the in the presentation. Um but this is the uh the section that one dash well the numbers 1-1 through 1-6 that should have gone into your yellow section. >> Yep. >> So it started with our district mission and goals. Uh the next section down was uh was this uh section that that showed the uh salary and benefits at 76% has this nice pie chart. Um yeah, so we went over this on the

062uh in the the uh presentation. Um I'm I'm just going to go along unless unless somebody tells me to stop. Um this is the revenue to support. Um, so that's that pie chart that Oh, all of a sudden the the town number isn't showing up, but I'll fix that. Um, but it's showing that 6 approximately 62% of the budget is is paid for by the town where the other um uh the other 38% uh is from other other sources, ECS being the biggest piece. Um and and just a note, we we put this on the past couple years. On the very bottom, it kind of shows of the property tax that's collected, what percentage or uh of that is to support the the board of ed budget. Uh and so it looks like it's hovering

063somewhere around 51%. Um and that's pretty I I I did a a survey of other districts and that's pretty consistent uh with a lot of districts. >> That's helpful, Ken. Thank you. Um this is the uh the grants revenues and a little more little bit more information. It kind of gives you a more of an idea of what what exactly we're we're paying for uh with these particular grants. Uh and gives us a 20 versus 21. So this is a little bit more information than what was in the uh was in the presentation. Uh but this FY21 actual is the exact same numbers that we just uh shared >> and we just don't have the FY22 yet. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. FY22 for the categorical grants won't be available uh uh for some time, but

064we do have them for the competitive grants because we already know what those are. Um and the Corona relief fund. So there's that $6.3 million that um that Susan had uh pointed out during the presentation. Uh we looked at this one already. This is the Corona relief and and how we uh how we spent these funds uh or I should say how we spent the CRF and and the CARES Act. We're still in the process. uh but that is how we intend uh to spend those funds. Um and then this is the budget history which we also put in there. So uh over the 10 year 10-year average of less than twothirds of a percent increase per year uh and then the expenditure per pupil which uh which shows that we're uh we're behind uh

065the Connecticut average. Uh but um uh you know I think it's a pretty our our our amounts here per pupil. you know, it's it's it is an increase. Uh, but it's it's a steady increase and it's not um I think it shows that we're we're doing um we're being efficient and we're we're looking at this thing versus just letting it get out of out of hand, >> right? >> So, that's I like that one. Uh so, that's that's what should be in your yellow section 1-1 through 1-6. Any questions on that one? All right. And last week we really focused on the object code um summary and you know in more detail with also also the notation and you had recommended that in when we start marching through the function code we did start with

066the elementary but we looked at the narrative box and also the changes. So I just wanted to have a discussion if that's if we look to make sure that all those sections that either increased or decrease have something like that is would that suffice as footnotes because honestly I think the changes that we're looking at from one year to the next is kind of what you were recommending in a footnote. So I'm just going to pose that question and you all can let me know what you think about that. >> Hey Kim. >> Yes. I'm sorry. I've got it. It's just is one of these little things. It's a small rock in the shoe. It doesn't make much of a difference. Uh but I find that uh whenever there's a history, say a budget history

067or an expenditure history that goes year to year to year and then there's an average taken for the period. In this case, for example, the budget history, it says the 10-year average is 0.64. In other words, the average annual increase would be 0.64. the the actual and I I think that's taken by that's derived from just sort of adding up the the percentage increases or decreases and finding the average, right? The the more accurate one is the one that's used for say compound interest if you will. So what you would do in this case you've got from fiscal year 2011 2012 down to 202021 that's nine steps. What you do is you divide the 77438 figure by the earlier figure. And this is going to sound technical. It's not. It's just math. And you take

068the in this case the ninth root subtract one multiply by 100. That's your average percentage. In this case, instead of it being 0.64%, it's 0.71%. If you toss in the proposed budget that that brings the average annual increase to 75% 3/4 of a point and um I know that sounds crazy and picky but it sometimes does make a does make a difference. Um it's just one of like I said it's a small rock in my shoe. I see it all the time. That's the actual way to calculate the average increase. doesn't seem to be a big deal, but um I there's never a good time to bring that up. I just sort of throw that one out there. Uh >> thank you, Dean. >> Sure. Sorry. I know it's small. >> We could calculate both

069ways and and and put them on the sheet. Um just to be clear >> there there's one there's one more significant point I'd like to make and that is when you apply an average in other words this is sort to sort of get a picture of the data um to sort of get things down to a to a simpler uh simpler image what the average the value of the average annual increase uh is dependent on just exactly how much variation you have. So for example, if you were to graph whatever figure you're looking at, if you were to graph the history and then draw the straight line as though, for example, you actually had the 7% annual increase, that would be a straight line. You'll find regions above and regions regions below. And what for

070example taxpayers have said is you can draw the straight lines you want. There were years when the rate was high then came down. So your average makes it look like everything's hunky dory. In fact, there's a whole Mount Everest in there where uh you know there actually there was real money that was spent taxed or whatever those figures are. So the average annual figure is only as good as the you know the how variant those numbers are from year to year. Um because you can draw a straight line through anything. Anyway, that's my that's my venting. Thank you. >> No, Dean and I I I appreciate that and I I always actually appreciate a different perspective. So um thank you. I I think the purpose of this was just to kind of show the town

071that when we look at our our increases for many many many years we've had zero or less than zero um that large bump up and Dean I think you were actually a town counselor um with that was um when we realized that our health insurance um was sort of bankrupt um and needed to we needed to put 1.4 4 million on that to make us whole in that. Um and that was sort of I can remember Deb Parisotti kind of looking at us going like I'm going to let you have this this time. Um but after that >> questions. Yeah. >> Yeah. So I I think I think that that's the purpose of of this is to kind of show that we've been pretty good as a budget um as a budgetary body um with

072um how much we um tax um our town. All I'm saying is that I understand the purpose of this, but just it's always qualified by just exactly how wild the variations are. >> Yep. >> All right. Moving on. >> All right. Uh and now uh section uh the white section. Let's see. >> 3.1. >> Yes. 3-1 through uh 3-5. These should be in your white section. And this is enrollment. >> And I I just want to um kind of make a statement out loud that this year has been such an anomaly. You can kind of see at the bottom of the chart we're down 246 students. Um in that second column from the left and I think it's just with this Corona virus um parents have been very hesitant to send kids to school across

073the state nation. A lot of parents are holding on to their kindergarteners, preschoolers, and they aren't getting an education this year or they're getting a homeschooling without telling the schools. So, we don't know what's going to happen for next year. It's, you know, I wish I had a crystal ball, but my thinking is that we probably will receive more kindergarteners and hopefully preschoolers than we've ever had. So, um, but then we have to think about what does the rest of the enrollment look like. So um they did take into consideration the kids who are out in the magnet schools who you know may based on the history come back to us. Um and they tried to use some averaging to figure out especially in the lower grades in the preschool and the kindergarten the averages

074of what was happening in the past. But remember that this even though I feel like the numbers that Malone and McBroom came up with are a little closer to the the the reality, I'm not saying they're anywhere near what we can expect October 1st when our numbers really come through. So, um I just wanted to put that out there. >> Yeah. Susan, can you help clarify? So um the the the decrease in the 246 these are students who um are not receiving any services who who live in the town but are not receiving any any school services. >> No it's just it's just saying that we have a decrease of 246 kids from the year before. >> Right. >> And why we don't know who you know why. Okay, because my question I let me

075I think I finally know what my question is. Susan, um is is there a possibility that some of these students are all virtual or or are they counted in a different way? >> No, our virtual remote kids that we know about and are enrolled are our kids. >> Okay. >> And they're counted for. So there's >> who the homesooled kids are who signed the piece of paper, but we don't know the families that decided to homeschool without telling the school district or just kept them home. >> Okay. Okay. >> So hopefully we find out who they are, but I think we have to be ready in those primary grades to have an increased enrollment because of that decrease. I'll let you go on, Ken. I didn't mean to. >> That's okay. No. So, so I'll

076just I'll just orient you to this uh to this report. Um and then we can look at the Malone and McBroom maybe in in more detail. Um but this uh this report um this is this first page is just a history goes out to FY 14. Um and it kind of shows you the difference uh different grade levels. This next page, page three-2, this is what's actually happening in our schools uh right now this year. Um and this I'm sorry, this is just the elementary schools uh this year. Uh so I wanted that wanted to clarify uh that this uh 3-2 is this year elementary. Uh 3-3 is the projection for uh next year for Jessie Elementary. uh it looks a little different because we're trying to compare six schools against five schools and it

077and it creates uh something funky and so that's why uh we presented it uh this way. Um but we can change it up if if need be. Uh these numbers these projected enrollment numbers come directly from the Malone and Mc Broom uh study. Uh so we can we can talk about that one when we look at that. Um actually there's a little little um footnote here that says based on the enrollment projection from Maloney and McBroom. Um there's there we haven't accounted for any of the magnet uh student uh lottery uh movement that may happen. Uh and then this page three >> before we get off that page, Kim, I had a few questions about that page besides the Malone and McBroom report. My question is when I look at Northeast Academy for grades two

078and grades three with three FTEEs, the enrollment is extremely high and um way above what it should be for those grades. And when I look over the what you have projected at the river magnet and Mystic River Magnet where you have four teachers now even if they received let's say in second grade at Mystic River Magnet school 17 additional transferred in students from some other part of our district and they had four teachers there still their class sizes would be much smaller than Northeast Academy and even Charles Barnum's. So, um I'm wondering if if we're going to be transferring teachers over, does Northeast Academy have the room for additional classrooms since we have all these? They don't. >> We're going to try to fit the um transition K program over, but Ryan and I have

079actually talked about that, Rita. It is a concern. um in order to keep Northeast Academy as a magnet, that means that you have to be magnetized in receiving kids, but they really um are limited with the numbers that they can take in um because of the kind of explosion that we've seen um you know just even recently this year and I don't know if it's with new construction that has happened >> um but we do see this increase that is kind of sudden in that first and second grade um or second and third grade. We're always very careful with both Northeast and Katherryn Konowski um not to fill up the kindergarten seats to the maximum capacity because they go from four FTEEs in K and one drop down to three. So, right is a it

080is a dilemma and we're going to have to really study it. Um, one of the things we've talked about in the four tier schools, which is the Thes River Magnet and the Mystic River Magnet, is that perhaps you could um shift one of your FTEEs to help support the kindergarten. If you look at the Thes River, kindergarten is already at 104. >> So, those will be really large kindergarten classes. Too large. >> Yes. >> So, there might have to be some shifting. Um I think we have to we're going to do a survey um before we do the lottery. So we're going to survey our parents and give them information um you know probably do some focus groups and information sessions so that they know where their um you know where their parameters are. And

081I think this McBrroom McBroom um report will actually help for parents to understand. I'm going to go through that with you too. Um, but I I think that we're going to have to get at least that survey information back to see what people are thinking. Are they planning to stay where they are? You know, are there some North Academy >> students who might, you know, they might be in the hashtag area and would like to walk to school, >> right? >> You know, so I think gathering that information is going to be critical this year, >> right? And if we had >> Yeah. And if we have too many FTEEs, it would be possible like if there were because you have four four four four in both of those two schools. And if we don't

082need all those teachers, well, the the magic number is and the in order to get those grants paid, we have to have 604 sitting in the seat October one. So, we have to figure out a way to really fill those two schools, >> right? But even filling those two schools, the class sizes are very low. >> Well, you have to we have to gain more kids from the magnets, >> right? But it would be a lot. It'd be a lot of kids in each grade level. So, that's why I'm just asking you. I mean, we're not guaranteed to have four FTEEs in each grade level at those two schools, are we? I mean, if we could possibly shift like if if fifth grade, for instance, um only needs three FTEEs, then maybe they give the

083fourth FTE to kindergarten or, you know, we do have actually in one of our schools, we have a fifth grade teacher who was a kindergarten teacher. So, there could be possibilities of doing that shifting >> or we may not need them at all. >> I mean, that's a possibility, too. But I'm saying to you, Rita, in order to have 604 students at the recommended number that the board has said, which is like 20 to 22 24, you really have to have all those classrooms filled with teachers and students. >> It's that's not the board of ed. That's the state department >> or they won't 604 is the state. That's not the board of ed. But our she's talking about our class sizes recommended. Yeah, >> but there they'd still be lower even if you had

084a lot of kids in each bumped up in each one lower than some of the other schools. >> Well, you see the total numbers. Mystic is a little closer to what we need, but things about a hundred away. So, we we really have to do a good job with this marketing of our magnet programs. And even um you know I've worked with Rebecca today about how do we reach out to students who crossed over the bridge and maybe want to come back. >> Yes. >> So >> yeah more more advertising. >> Yeah. Yeah. We have our work cut out for us for sure. >> Yeah. >> But you identified the problem that I was going to share with you but you already identified. It is a concern for me, >> right? And northeast is really

085and and maybe those people that live in that bair that hashtag will move over. >> That's a possibility. >> Could be. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> And then I'll just I'll just finish off uh this um this report. So, uh, page 3-4, uh, just sums up all the elementary schools, uh, and puts in Graten, uh, middle as well as Fitch High School, uh, to give us a total picture of, uh, of all the students in the district. Um, and then I the very last page I think is just our our our preferred uh, class sizes. So that's just wanted to finish off uh this report. Did do we want to look at Malone Mc Broom um um report separate? >> Yeah, I think that would be really helpful. >> Okay, stop share on

086that one. Um do you have that Malone and McBroom uh at your I have it. >> I do. >> I can. >> I'll share. >> Okay. There it is. >> I'm looking for it on my desktop. >> That's what I was doing. >> I don't know. Things like move around on me. >> I know. Actually, I've got it now, Susan, if you want. >> Okay, I'll stop sharing and let you share. >> Okay. All right. >> You guys play so nice. Thanks. >> All right. Um, where is it? Did it work? It did. >> No, but I see it right there on your screen. I think you just have to click on to the actual projection document. >> Oh, so it didn't work. Okay, hold on. I'll get this here. Press that. How's that? >>

087There you go. >> Okay, good. >> Yay. All right. So, um >> I like this orientation >> um in the beginning where it talks about, you know, our six schools going down to five, but don't forget we also closed Pleasant Valley. So, it was really seven down to five. And the map, you know, the map is actually still up on the website, so families can actually click on or put in their address and find out which school will be their neighborhood districted, new districted school. Um, so that I think is very helpful. And then these are the um in the adopted plan. These are the hashtagged areas that any new student will be going to one of the new schools. Um and anybody really within that hashtag has the opportunity to go to the school

088that they can walk to. So on Branded G Avenue students um could be phased into things and they have about approximately 10 to 15 students that would be involved in that. And then the Bair neighborhood actually has about 50 students. So that would be if some of those students decided to go to the Mystic River magnet, that would be really helpful for Northeast as well. And then assumptions, um, students reassigned based on the adopted elementary school plan that we've seen. um there wouldn't be any change. You know, Mike was really adamant that he wanted the least disruption in this plan. So, no changes really for Charles Barnum, Katherryn Kolnowski, which I got to tell Zuba he needs to fix the spelling. Northeast Academy. >> Um and then current GPS students who live in a phased

089in area can remain in their current school or they can opt to go to the new school. And anybody new in the neighborhood who hasn't attended one of our schools will go to the new school from the house. >> Susan, I I I don't see on the west side the little lines in the pink. Are they there and I'm just missing them? Like you can see them in the the Cutler phasin, but I don't see it in the west side. >> Can you go back to that and maybe >> bigger? So >> yeah, the pink. Oh, it's like the dark pink. So if you see it's if you go down in between Katherine Kowski and Westside, it's you can put your cursor there, Ken. >> Oh, so that's that little area. >> Yep. That's why

090it's only like 15 students. >> Oh, okay. >> Oh. Oh, right there. I see it. Yeah, it's >> Oh my. Oh, too much. Too much. Well, and we talked about in the lottery process, we might um make one of the parameters that a younger sibling could attend the middle school if there was room and enrollment or an older sibling depending on the enrollment, but also if there they were able to walk to the school. So, that could impact some of the kids who live near um Thames River or Mystic River. If they can walk to the school, then they could have a preferred lottery. >> Okay. Excuse me, just one second. Um, Susan or Ken, if you're asking them to fix Katherine Kowski spelling, could you ask them to to change the names of the

091schools from Westside and color? Yeah. >> Yeah, >> I got that. >> Cuz even on the signs outside the buildings, you know, the building sites. >> Yeah. I mean, it says Westside Elementary and Cutler Elementary. >> Is Sam on this call? Maybe we'll have Sam talk to his committee. >> Thank you. >> All right. Were we done with this slide? I don't recall. Um, >> I I still think they I still think they could make that a lot clearer about Westside because if you go to the next page, there are there's actually more pink that's showing up with little lines. >> Yeah, >> that doesn't show up on the one before, but >> Well, I think that's why they did that um zoom in on those phased in so you could really see it better,

092Rita, because on the larger map doesn't show up as well. But I'll ask I'll see. Um if we go back >> and even like phase in into Cutler, they need to change all that. >> I agree. >> So Ken, if we go back to that other slide that we were on >> this one, >> right? So, um, the academy, the ABA, the resource teachers from Mary Morrison and Claude and SB Butler have been reassigned to their appropriate school. We worked really closely with Zuba to make sure he knew the names and, you know, were placing the kids where they needed to go. So, we have those numbers accurately um, displayed in the enrollment. And then we talked to Miranda at Chapman and she says there's really no major changes see she sees um to Navy

093housing next year. Um you know I think that a lot of the um orders have been kind of on hold. So I kind of said when is the shoe going to drop and when are people going to start moving you know back and forth. So there have been some moves. I know Seth is on this call and he he knows in his school and Mary Morrison they're used to moving in and out. So numbers look different in October then November, December, January, their numbers are constantly fluctuating. And then so we've we've actually kind of updated that prek preschool um number. Um when we met with Denise, she really told us that they can take a few more in. So I think Ken was going to work on that on the chart for enrollment that we

094can add some. And um and then the homeschool withdrawals, we have about 38 students. Um they they do recognize that the larger kindergarten and first grade cohorts next year because of delayed entry. He's saying 15 students, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's more than that, you know, across the district. And then um students who enter Gron public schools who would have traditionally enrolled in the regional magnets hoping that we'll get some of those kids back especially in the lower grades when we have these you know brand new elementary themed schools and opportunity to be in your districted school or to be in a lottery to go to another magnet school in the district. I I did notice that there were quite a few students that um enrolled at Sacred Heart because they were going

095five days a week. >> So, I don't know if those children will come back. >> Well, the parents actually talked to the principles and said that this is for this one year and then they'll be back. Many of the parents did talk to us about that, >> but we'll see. >> Yeah. So this kind of displays in a bigger clearer way what Rita was pointing out to us in the same school. We definitely are looking at the grades three through five to enhance enrollment somehow some way and figure out what to do with that oversized projected kindergarten. Remember they're just pro, you know, projections. Um and the way they get it is by taking you know over time the different sized kindergarten classes and averaging them. So um Mystic is a little closer to the

096the mean. you know, they certainly have room to bring in more students. And Northeast Academy, there's that concern um even going from, you know, from in the grades two and three. So, >> so this um this chart Susan when you look at the mystic and the themes that the reason why they're holding that 521 or 506 is that we need the 80 kids to or whatever to make it to the 640, right? >> Um uh for magnet that's what we're looking for. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. making just making sure I understand. >> Susan, did we have 120? Um, did we have 240 children in prek now? >> No. >> Or is that something new? >> The numbers are really down in preschool, prek, and and kindergarten. And I think it's parents just did

097not want to send kids into this environment. It was more for health and safety reasons. But I meant for next year the projections 120 in each school. >> Well, yes. And actually Naen is overseeing that and she's doing screenings right now for preschool prek for typical peers and she's even encouraging three-year-olds to come into the prek in the spring and then they can continue on. Um we're also going to be providing transportation. So, I talked to Kim about possibly having um you know, a real close look at transportation and how we can do this and maybe even kind of an audit to see, you know, how we can be really efficient with the buses. And we do have this new transfinder. Is it Transfinder is the bus um program? And so, um, I've talked to

098Dennis about getting some consult on that so we can really look for efficiencies. And, you know, by providing prek and preschool typical peers a bus ride in and out of school, I think that's going to be a great enhancement and encouragement for our families. We really do want to fill those seats, you know, in those programs. Um, so That'll be um also marketing. So, is that it for Mc Broom? >> That's the end of that one. >> Yep. I'll stop sharing. >> Yep. >> And now the fun one. FTE. >> Yeah. So, this is a a two-part. So, um uh it was pages 4-1 and 4-2. It was one piece of paper, both sides. Uh this went into the green section. And let me pull it up. >> You need a magnifying glass for this.

099>> I know. If you can zoom in. >> We got to make it bigger. Yeah. all there is to it. Um I did make it bigger here so you could see it. But um um so the just to walk you through this uh then we can go back and look at the actual numbers. But the uh this first page uh there's two boxes. The top box are is the the positions that are funded through uh this uh budget that we're looking at. Um, and it has uh just the seven schools you'll notice plus uh uh central office and districts wide. That's what the DW stands for. Um, the second box down is uh that this is the total um uh number of employees uh throughout the Graten Public School system. So that's this includes uh

100the grant funded as well as the enterprise funded positions at Treehouse and uh and at the lunch program. Um, and the second page just goes into a little more detail on the uh on that on that second box. And so it gives a a little more of a breakdown um uh like of administrators and teachers and and paras um um just so you can see uh you know where the changes uh uh year over year might have been happening. Um, you know, for instance, uh, we're going to be down one custodian, uh, due to the middle, uh, the elementary school, um, consolidation. And you'll see under custodians 117, um, it goes from 34 this year to 33. Just an example. >> And you have to look it. This is I you you usually think to

101look left to right. And I was talking to Ken about this just, you know, this is just going against my grain, but you have to look right to left. So you see at the end of the chart, the last column is FY21. >> Prior to that is the FY22. So when I first looked at principles and I said seven to eight, we didn't add a principal, we took one away, but you have to look 8 to seven. >> And and who's the administrator? We we added 9 to 10. >> Uh that was addition of the data manager. >> Okay. Yeah. So overall administrators uh in total didn't change but there was a change uh reduction in a principal and a um uh increase in administration >> right and I noticed that the the two extra

102classroom teachers in 101 that was in the elementary the three elementary schools they had 54 and now the two river and Mr. Groover are going to have 56 teachers. So I I did have a question about that why we were increasing. >> Well, that's there. We're hoping for efficiencies. We've actually done a survey of the teachers and we've looked to see who's actually going to be teaching in those two different schools and where are the transfers. So, we're going to be watching that very carefully. We have several teachers on one year assignment, >> so it just might be an adjustment after the lottery happens. Um, Rita, even after the survey happens, we'll see where people are landing so we'll know where those FTEES really need to go. >> Okay. >> So, I'm going to go

103back up to the top here. Um, I don't know if we wanted to discuss uh this uh chart any further, but uh year-over-year, it's it's it's about the same number of FTEEs that is funded by this uh by this budget. 790.7 in this budget and it's 790.45 in the prior year budget. Um so actually it's a slight increase of a of a about a half a not even a quarter of a person. Um >> well and when you said um you know while we we might be um reducing one principal, we've added one um student data manager. So that's really a a kind of net of zero dollar-wise. It might be different, but it, you know, >> Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. And there were some positions that were added um and we'll look at that on

104the next slide, which is um that payroll reconciliation that I had sent out um but we al we eliminated. So they kind of >> balanced >> kind of balanced out. Um do we want to go to the payroll reconciliation? >> I would say so. That's a nice place to go. Let's do it. >> So, the the other um uh document that was that was sent to you was a payroll reconciliation. Doesn't really go into the into the binder. Uh really, it's it's really justformational. Um where is it? It is right here. And this is similar to what we looked at um last week. It's the same numbers really. It's just that it's uh presented in a landscape format. Uh so you can uh you can see the additions and the reductions. Um so on the

105left hand side uh these are the additions to uh payroll. Uh and that includes all the uh the contractual and non-contractual salary increases. Some of them are um are just budgeted at this point um as a placeholder. But the the driving number here is with the teachers um the 983 which represents about 3% uh increase. Uh and then these are here are the positions that were that we uh that we added. I think we've uh we've talked about these before, but the social worker literacy interventionist um >> at Fitch the special ed apex program teacher which was a conversion from a from a from a tutor um elll teacher the English as second language that's also called Tesaw I guess uh special education teacher uh physical education approach to learning that's the ATL teacher uh

106in the data manager position so total additions to payroll uh over last year's budget uh 1.8 million. Um but then on the right hand side we have the reductions and these are the uh the positions that were eliminated due to the um elementary school uh consolidation that the principal uh media specialists our teachers some of these teacher some of these positions that we've talked about um we also talked about um some uh teachers that we transferred to the MSAP grant um uh because we're now we're picking up the busing uh and so that's two science teachers and one project lead the way teacher >> or a half >> per half. Yep. I'm sorry. And then there were some some adjustments um reductions uh that uh uh we needed to make uh in order to balance

107out. There were some the actual retirements this year versus the budget. Uh we were a little bit better than what we had budgeted. Uh we overbudgeted on the curriculum coordinators because we didn't know who they were going to be last year. uh we did reduce paras and tutors uh uh to pay for some of the positions that were added on the on the lefth hand side. Uh and then there were a couple of salary adjustments for um admin folks. So total reduction of 837,787. And so this skinny box on the bottom um kind of just uh shows you that this 49,203539 is what we had budgeted last year. Uh you put in those additions of 1.8 8 and take out the reductions of 837,000 and that 50,167 is is what's in what's in the budget

108for this year. >> Quick question, >> please. >> Um, and and Ken, you just said something that perked my ears. You talked about uh retirements. You know, how do we have do we know how many people are retiring this year? an estimate so far. And what's that number? >> Lori, is Lori on here? I think it's three or four that we know of. >> Three. >> Wow. >> Three. That's correct. >> Yeah. >> Hire for some reason. >> Is it February 1st by contract? >> We had we had uh advanced the retirement date into December this year in order to plan for the consolidation of the elementary school. So, we do have all the um anticipated retirements in right now, unless something unexpected comes up later in the spring or the summer. >> And that

109does typically happen >> um in years past that you might have a couple that end up deciding at the very end of the year >> or an unexpected resignation, something happens, >> right? They move, right? >> Yep. Move. Yep. That's right. >> But I do appreciate the suggestion to do it landscape. to me, you know, it's kind of more like a balance sheet and um with the additions and the reductions and it just >> I think it looks good. And those >> those positions that we had added when even though that um we've had them this year and we're looking at them as addition for next year. I think many of those were supported through the car's act or the corona virus. we were able to really um because of the description of the grant

110and the support that they gave you know during the corona virus times that we were able to support them for part of this year at least underneath those different um grants. So if if we were forward thinking because why stay just thinking about this current budget when we need to be thinking about the next budget is is that um you know I see the reductions that we moved the um transfer to the grant right the science teacher and the 0.5 at some point we're going to have to assume them and our transportation stuff and and Susan I you know I love your optimism that maybe we can be able to find some efficiencies, but it's still going to be an expensive part of our budget. It it is because we are transferring 5,000 I'm making

111up the number 4,000 um students um throughout the district, right? And so, um so I I share concern about sort of like I think that that's great and I also think that that is that's cool that we can that we efficiently used our CARES money. Um, but I'm I'm going to be really optimistic and to say that we're going to be out of a pandemic. Um, and that this country is not going to or this world is not going to jump into another one. >> We're not going to have the federal um, monies. And so, what are we going to do about those positions? Or do we see that those positions are going to be absorbed by something or are we going to cut them? because I I could hear our the good people of

112of Graten kind of saying that these are lots of positions that we've added into grants and how are we going to make how are we going to assume them and and and maybe this is not part of this this conversation but I do think that we have to like be thinking about that um because we'll be saddling you know whatever board it is for the next several years about having multiple positions Lee >> um actually I think I've been on the board for a little over five years now going on six. And that is a question we ask ourselves every single year. Anytime you have a grant, you have to think about what happens when that grant is over. And we've been good at it. Um and and mostly because of Susan with her grant

113abilities. Um we just, you know, you we do the best we can, >> right? I'm just saying that's a lot of money. Um, Lee, I I you're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. I think that this board does do a decent job at looking at stuff. I am not gonna I'm not going to disagree with you, but we've added lots of different positions because we could and we needed them to the CARES. And also, you know, so I don't I don't know if that means that this board is, you know, going to say what are the competitive grants that are out there that we can then try to utilize. Once again, I'm not trying to take airspace, but I just This is This is great. I I I agree with Susan. The landscape is just so

114much easier. >> Thank you. >> But, um I I just >> um I I worry about that 500 543,000 and change of positions that we added and that we added largely because of the car's act. Where is that going to come from next year? Um and then the 147 when the the the the MSAC grant um becomes different because my understanding of that grant is that every year the funding goes down because the purpose of the grant, right, is to have the town own more and more or the place to own more and more of those positions. I'm >> so I think the gradual release is the way to go. So in a lot of our grants, what we'll do is we'll if there's a staffing component, we upload that towards the beginning, even professional

115development, and then we wean ourselves off so that we're able to then take it on and we kind of share some of that cost with the CARES Act two where it's supposed to be double what the CARES Act one was and it extends through 2023. I think that's an opportunity to work with the board and do some forward thinking about how can we use that as a gradual release model so that it won't hit us like $500,000 all in one year. So, we'll work together on that. >> No, I I hear you. Um once again, I just think it's real important for um I I always I always think about >> um budgets like this year and then also the following year and the following year just Yeah. >> because it's important to kind of

116hold that thread. You're right. You're right. >> I I couldn't agree with you more, Kim. And I'm also still amazed at that literary intervention salary, making more even than our dated manager. >> But I'm just I'm just very thankful that they found someone that's worth that amount of money that can um help our kids because we've identified that as an area in our district where kids needed that support. So um >> it's one person >> but for me that is money well spent if we have kids who are going to meet the um the academic requirements that that are set before us. So >> and I would >> is that in the high school that position? >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> It's essential. We do have topstep master teachers who have worked for

117Grten for a while who have multiple certifications and that is kind of what the salary looks like. So that is like for for the people that um you know are really like teacher leaders and they've been here a while and they have multiple certifications and like I had said the last time the literacy literate literacy interventionist needs to be a reading consultant and that's a highowered certification. Um and so that doesn't that doesn't surprise me that number. So, >> well, we had we used to have two at Fitch, but it didn't they weren't paid like that that much. I know >> retired. They might have been by the time they retired. >> All right, what's next? >> So, I think we're going to bring you to a calendar and call it a night and see

118what our next steps are. How does that sound? >> Good. >> So, Ken, if you want to share that. Yep. Our latest document. >> Got it right here. Okay. So, um, can can we see that? That's up on the screen. >> Make it a little bigger. >> Certainly. >> How's that? >> That's good. >> You see Rosemary's eyeballs right on the screen. >> Well, Joy sent this to us today. >> Yeah. So, this was sent just today. Um, it it was updated. Uh so last week we uh we did start we had an orientation. Um next week we we were supposed to do um go through uh special education um and adult education uh today but we moved that to um next the next uh workshop which is February 1st. Uh next week is a

119a regular board meeting week. So, um, we won't >> But Susan, I don't think we have a lot on the agenda. We have a couple things that we have to pass. >> Do we have a lot on the agenda? >> Um, I have the agenda somewhere. >> And Susan, we're going to talk about this tomorrow, I'm assuming, when we meet. So, I I I I kind of think um this is what my fear is. We're in mild winter weather right now. And I know that we're all Zoom and whatever, but we have to I I don't want us to run and make everything heavier in the end of February. Um because we just don't know if this past year is any indication. We just don't know what's going to hit us. Um, I just I

120am wondering, Susan, if you and I can see if we can parcel some of the stuff that we're supposed to talk about tonight and get it into into the next week's meeting and once again have a have a short and condensed get the stuff that we need to get voted on onto the onto our regular board meeting and then um and move into another budget workshop. My recommendation if you look at the 17th of February is that I could that's really my department's that's teaching and learning um and some support services too. So that we could certainly take and lift that up with a board meeting and but the special education and the adult ed is going to be a full evening. So I would not try to load that up but the one down

121at the 17th would work out nicely. >> Yeah. But Susan, um, tonight we were supposed to go through, um, section 5, page 6 through 83, and I know we did elementary, um, but we were we were supposed to kind of cover all that stuff. So when So are you saying that you would flip-flop support services and um, section number five? Well, I mean, I think that's more doable than special education. >> Oh, yeah. No, no, no, no, no. Special education is all on its own. >> Yeah. I feel like they need to be on their own, but I could certainly take that what's coming up on the 17th since it is my area and I could, you know, we could do that right after the board meeting if you wanted. >> What is the will

122of the board? I still was wondering since we didn't finish what we were going to do today, when are we doing that? >> That's my question, too. When's when are we doing regular instruction? >> Right. >> So, like so like art program and culinary arts and science and math, those types, >> right? >> Yeah. That's >> Yeah. >> Did we do that next week? >> Can we can we just scoot it down? I mean, if you say we only have a little bit to work on or a pass uh for 125, why don't we add at least if we get started on it? If we can't finish it all, maybe we just need to, you know, adjust, adapt, modify, and overcome these these time, you know, barriers. >> That that sounds good to me. Yeah,

123>> we might be able to to do our regular board of ed in an hour, an hour and 15 minutes and go with another budget. >> I think we could. >> I think we need to. >> That's what we have done in the past. >> We can. >> Yeah, that's what we have done in the past several years is have a board of ed meeting and then go into a budget workshop. >> Yeah, >> I'm a little >> I like the idea. >> Me, too. When are we going to do schedule C? >> What's schedule C? >> Schedule C is all the additional um it's usually at the end of our budget book >> and coaches. >> That would be a >> It's not just coaches. It's all this. It's all Yeah, it's a lot.

124Um >> Well, it is. >> It's on 28 right now. >> It's on 28. >> Yeah. on the 28 athletics and operations. >> Correct. >> Yeah. >> So that's schedule C too. >> Yes. Okay. I got it. >> Okay. >> No, I think that is a good plan to finish up the regular education the night of the board meeting next week and then we can just keep going with what we have here for the rest of the time. I think that's good. >> And we still have the 22nd which is um you know you have the finaliz which is kind of light. So if we we didn't get to everything we could always put something there. And then you have the regular ed um board meeting where you'll be um holding it. Um I think

125that's the board budget adoption. You do realize that's Washington's birthday, right? >> Now, that's not the day that we celebrate, is it? It's President's Day. I'm sorry. My mistake. >> I I just I think people need to realize that on on February 22nd, which is our regular board meeting, which would be the nice place for us to vote on the budget, that we might have to hold a a budget meeting on the 23rd or the 24th um to then finalize the budget. So >> yeah, >> I mean we've we've also done that before. We've had, you know, a special board meeting to just um to do the budget. So um so Susan, I what I'm what I'm hearing the will of the board is that we're going to end tonight and that we're going to

126go through we're going to do our regular board meeting. Susan, you and I will pay attention to making sure that that that that meeting um has what it needs that we need to get covered, but that we don't add any more fluff and that we try to get this regular ed section done and then we can just follow through soon. >> Sounds like a plan to me. >> Does that sound like a plan, guys? >> Yan. >> Listen, it is. So, Andrea, I have a question. I asked Joyce when the Martin Luther King scholars were going to be introduced to the board and she gave me January 25th, which is next Monday. >> She's got it on there. >> And you're going to stay with that? >> Yeah, it's on it. I haven't talked to

127Kim yet, but it's on there. >> Well, when you make a decision, let me know because we're working college, >> please. >> Okay. Thank you. I think it is a good time. As Kim said, it's kind of a a a light board of ed meeting. There's not a whole lot on here, but we'll review this tomorrow. Kim, were we going to meet at 7:30? >> 7:45 because we look prettier at 7:45 than 7:30. That's what I heard. All right. Any other questions or comments? >> No. Stop. Sh. >> I will take a motion for adjournment. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> I have a second. Second. >> All right. All those in favor, please say I. I. >> Oppose. Abstain. I think that motion is carried. You guys, good work. Good question. >> Thank you. >>

128Bye. >> Stay well.