001All right, good evening everyone. It's It looks like we have quorum for the meeting. I see Penny, Frank, Tom, Dearree, Eric, Megan, and myself. I think we're missing Tim Russell. He said he would try to uh join if he could. Uh but it is 6:00. So I'm going to call the New Hartford Public Schools Board of Education special meeting uh 6 pm on April 10th, 2025. This is a virtual only meeting. Um if you would please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. Um I'll start again the uh board of education chairs report. Um really we're meeting today to give the board of
002education an update uh of the board of finance meeting that Jeff and I attended on uh Tuesday of this past week and the results of that uh meeting and what the board of education is required to do at this point in time. Um the summary and and the end result of the meeting was that the board of finance motioned to um uh cut $66,000 from the board of education budget. Um there was an amendment to that motion to also um use $200,000 of the town surplus against the uh 2526 budget and then also a cut to the town budget of um $34,000 for an even cut to the town of both board of ed and town of $100,000. Um, what this means is that we need to go back and find $66,000 um somewhere within
003our budget to be able to um send to referendum. The um discussion was that the board of finance in their opinion couldn't send a 5.37 I think was the number total budget increase to the town of New Harford. Um so they chose $66,000 which um is the um amount of money we also had motioned and the board approved coming out of non-lapsing account. Um that again if you recall that 56,000 out of non-lapsing was to go against the volatile cost for the outplacement tuition because again it can't go against recurring costs. The intent of that motion was to free up funds to um to allow um the retention of the clerical aid and the instructional assistance. Um so with that motion that was made at the board of finance and it was approved at the
004board of finance uh we have uh been cut $66,000 um maintaining the non-lapsing account application to the tuition to bring our budget increase down to Jeff correct me if I'm wrong 4.34 431 431 what I have here so um at the end of the Okay, that's where we stand. Um, we need to now discuss as a board uh what we want to do, which is our next item on the um on the agenda, which is to discuss and take action on the 2536 POE budget. Um, so we can have discussion about that. Again, we haven't allowed our superintendent much time to to to think and review if there's anything that he would propose outside of the two positions that make up the 66,000 that was that was taken out of non-lapsent to fund it. Um,
005but we can have further discussion on that. Um, I'd like to just before I get off that, Jeff, did I touch on anything? Is there anything you'd like to add um from the meeting on Tuesday? Sure. Um I I'm probably at a place of um more emotionality than anything else, but I'm certainly disheartened by the outcomes. I feel that the board of education, parents, students, and our community had spoken in favor of the 499 where we were and or adding more as we heard at public hearing. So I would have to reconvene with my team to determine what those next courses of action are going to be for $66,000. It to me it was pretty pretty well signaled that what that intended was those positions. So we're left with no contingencies as it is um
006and as it was and now furthermore. So I feel that it was undoing the good work and the intentions of the board of education to preserve the quality of education that we have and um now if anything unpredictable occurs which that's the difficulty of making any budget in any year you have to project out what's going to happen in within a year's time but if if there's anything unpredictable that occurs then that's going to be us you know coming back to the board of finance and requesting support and help uh based on the actions of Tuesday night. So ultimately I'm disheartened and um doing less with less. That's that's pretty much it. Thank you, Jeeoff. Well, I I I before we get on to discussion on the 2526 budget, the other thing again in fairness
007and what I I failed to mention in my report was that they did signify a a a um that that the board of finance had had received 46 letters following the Tuesday night um public budget hearing. Um those letters came between Tuesday, April 1st and the board of finance meeting that was held on Tuesday uh 8 by that was April 8th, two days ago. Um they said they did receive 46 letters from the community um that spoke about um not increasing their taxes was the 46 letters they said that they did receive. Um, I'm told that those will become part of the meeting minutes um in the public record when that gets filed. Um, I don't know if that's been done yet. As of now, I haven't seen it. Tim, I have a question. Are
008we allowed to talk right now? Yeah, we're going to move on to discussion. So, um, I'm going to open the floor to anybody who would like to discuss. So, um, so how many uh taxpayers do we have in the town of New Hartford? 7,000 approximately. Okay. So, we had 100 letters saying, "Please don't cut these positions and certain things that we wanted to cut." Uh, and then we had 47 people that said, um, we do not want you to increase our taxes. Is that is that about accurate? That's that's the summary I have. Yep. Okay. Okay. So, we have 150 people that have come out for and against um on both ends of the spectrum and we have another you know 6500 whatever 64 I don't know the exact number but that have not expressed
009anything um are so the money that and I didn't vote for that at the last board meeting to take money out of the law the non-lapsing account to um pay for positions um I I don't think it's a good idea Um, so are we now being asked to undo that vote and come back with another proposal? Like can you be a little bit clear? No. Uh, what we need to do tonight is we need to um by direction of the board of finance, we need to accept their cut and motion to adopt a budget at a lesser value by $66,000. So that brings our budget down from 499 to 434. 498 to 431. I think it's 31. I'll confirm that in just a minute. So the money that we put the money that we were
010voting to put back in the LA from the lapsing account to pay for two clerical positions that what did what did that amount to? $66,000. That's no longer ours. It's applied to outplacement tuition. So, I did again just to the board of education, you know, um um knows I did hear from the um board chairperson for the board of finance that um they will have an agenda item on their Thursday meeting u for any additional actions related to the budgets. Um, and again I say that because again this board as a community member has a right to be able to provide their community input to the board of finance should you wish as well as anybody else within our community. Uh, but they do plan to have an agenda item um on their agenda. Just
011to confirm, it is uh 4.31 after removing the 66,000 from our overall budget. So, correct me if I'm wrong. We're so that we have X to spend on our budget and we leave it, you know, at this point we're going to leave it up to our superintendent to decide how that gets spent, but we have a number that we just have to vote on. You know, there's not much else to do other than that. Correct. Yes. Yeah. Uh Jeff, can you provide me the the revised number less $66,000, please? Yes, sir. Previously 10 million. Don't write this down. 324676 remove the $66,000 board of finance reduction 10,258,676 at a 431. Okay. Would anybody like to make the motion to adopt a 10,258,676 budget at an increase of 4.31? So moved. Moved by Tom. Do we
012have a second? I'll second it. Second by Darj. Do we have any discussion on this? Any questions? Anything that we would like to discuss before we put it to a vote? I have a question because I'm new to the process. Um, essentially, do we have a choice? No. The way that the uh the way that that it it works is that the board of finance has the right to tell us to cut any value within our budget and we have a legal obligation to do so. And the um cutting the two positions at 66,000 plus the 66,000 is still taken out of the non-lapsing, right? That's what get you to 431. So ultimately the board of fun board of education lost $66,000 cut to their budget as well as or another $66,000 of our um
013contingency for um rainy day fund. So the total is $132,000 from the board of education. So that again, as I said earlier, that in that that plus the $200,000 of surplus from the town um surplus um is total of taking 266,000 of contingency and applying it to this year's budget. Tim, for clarity, the 66,000 that we applied to the um was that to the special we applied that out placement cost placement cost. That's that isn't necessarily a hard number. That's going to be plus or minus. That's we just we were hedging some bets with that 66,000. Correct. Um I mean the motion was to again the 66 was applied to free up funds to be able to account for those two positions was the discussion at our last meeting. Um, again, the outplacement cost is
014a projection based on what we know today. Um, but that outplacement was around $300,000 and right now that outplacement number in our budget is $66,000 less than that. Okay. Yeah. So, all right. So, that's not a even if the target goes down that 66 gets applied to that number. Yep. Okay. The only way to replenish it would be again if at the end of the 2526 school year there was a surplus then we can again contribute to the non-lapsing account. But again we're here this year with a a projected $55,000 overage with a budget freeze. Um and we're going in with as as our superintendent indicated um very very tight numbers and uh um no contingencies for for the unknown. All right. Thank you. Before you vote on this, can I say something? Absolutely. There
015was actually a total of 55 letters because I completed the minutes today from the board of finance meeting. With your minus 66,000 that they asked you to cut, the town comes down to 3.55, I believe, for the tax increase, the total tax increase. Yes, that's correct. The majority of those letters that were received were not from people that have children in the school system or they had children in the school system but that currently don't have any and they all wanted the budget reduced because they are seniors living on a fixed income and they can't afford the higher price that we were asking for. Benny, I'm not sure that we can discuss that until that becomes public record. Well, it's in the minutes and it was on the recording. All right. Is there the uh
016the minutes haven't been posted at this point, have they? They will be posted by tomorrow. Yeah. But I mean the the tone of the conversation at the meeting the other night was that there were places that we could cut. They considered cons consolidating schools, cutting administrative staff, um finding just small places where you know little amounts make up bigger amounts that we need to cut. Yeah. Respectfully, everyone has great ideas, but at the end of the day, the job of running the district is left to me, the administrative team, and the board of education to support that. Respectfully, everyone thinks that you could chop 5,000 here, 10,000 here, but then we're left with absolutely nothing in those lines, which makes it extremely difficult to predict anything with any accuracy and it that makes our job
017impossible for children and families that we serve as well. So, there's another side to that story and I'm trying to be respectful about how I state that because my job is to advocate for children 100% of the time. That's what I do. That's my passion. That's my love line. That's what I do. And I'm I'm passionate about it on the other side of it, too. And that's I just want to state that because everyone has ideas, but the implications of those ideas don't necessarily pan out to $66,000 in savings in this particular budget year. So, it's making my job extremely difficult to ensure a quality education for our children in town. That's very difficult to do. I would like to just kind of like what Jeff said I think is important because I do think
018that we as a board need to start engaging in conversations after we get through this budget season regarding reducing our operational costs over time. Everybody keeps talking about consolidation from the schools. Some people have floated regionalization. Some people have been floated like some other ideas. All of those are great ideas that we should be taking a more consistent look at. they really only come up during the budget process. And like regardless of what happens, we can't make those choices right now and impact the budget we have to pass next year. So, I just want to make sure that we're all focused on the fact that like we have to solve for the budget we have to meet this year in order to get going next year. And then I think we need to start up
019another workstream regarding taking a look at some of these bigger plays to reduce operational costs. um we're not we're not doing that consistently and it always comes up in passing in a way that we're not able to take action on regularly. So we can and should make a motion to like do a study on that. I don't know if it's appropriate to do that right now. I don't think it is regardless like within the context of this meeting. Thanks for nodding shaking your head Tim to verify that but just it's not helpful to the conversation that we need to have right now unfortunately. Um, we need to do that work outside of the in-ear budget process. Thank you, Kristen. And I'm holding nod in my head no because we are in a special meeting. We
020can only discuss the items on the agenda. So, we can only specifically talk about the 2526 year budget. Um, Penny, I have a question for you just because I've been getting requests and when the letters were coming over previously, uh, they were being sent to the board of education and asked to share with the board of finance. Where did the um, where were the the communications being delivered or sent? They were sent to town at newheartct.gov or the ones that came from Jeff's office were sent to Christine and there was others just addressed specifically to Christine. Is that what you meant? Yes. I just want to know again I I didn't know where they were going. Again, I was getting requests even when we were receiving them of how to how to communicate with the
021board of finance. So, they're going to the proper place to go is town at newharfordct.gov. Yes, that's what I was told when I asked for a board of finance email address. That was the one I was given. They don't have the board of finance doesn't have their own email addresses like we do. So, I was told just to send them to [email protected]. Okay. And then everything I believe that all goes to Christine and then she forwarded them on to Carrie in bunches. Yeah. Thank you. Is there any further discussion? I I just have another because I'm learning. Yeah. In the process it because you know this is a commentary really. It seems un I did we get any feedback from the board of finance prior to that meeting that they weren't happy with our 499?
022No. No. I mean the board the board of finance sent the 499 to the public town hearing I mean town public budget hearing um with no indication of of again other than you know no matter what we go forward with it's going to be too high it's always too high do they typically give you there was no indications of cuts and and you know Frank you were there at the town hearing and you heard just what we all heard um a lot of a lot of community inut regarding um the eliminations. Um the board of education then took that input. Um we were able to realize right and come to fruition some savings with the bus contract and in in in the notification of a retirement that freed up funds. Um so we were able
023to come back with a 4.98 is what we actually came back with. Um and we thought we were doing the right thing based on what we heard from the community. Um and I again in my belief is we did do the right thing. We we provided a fiscally responsible budget maintaining the the um best way we could the educational system that we had this current year. And I think we did it in in we did it the right way. I mean, we did the right thing. Um, and the board of finance has the right, the opportunity after town hearing to take town hearing input and any input that they have received after that and then make a decision as a board. And that's what they did. Just as somebody stepping into the system, you know,
024we're talking about what to do next time. And I think we should communicate that this is kind of a it would have been nice to have gotten that feedback a month ago instead of now. Um it just seems like a weird process to me. Maybe this is the way it works, but it doesn't seem like the best way to work. That's just my comment. And I think there was some, you know, some some humble opinions, you know, that that in the board of finance meeting, it was mentioned by one individual or one particular board of finance member that again they they they should have given us some indication uh prior to us making our our revisions, but that was stated at the meeting by an individual board member, board finance member. I mean, I I
025I think in fairness, in the original conversations, those of us that have been on the board longer said this was going to happen. So, when Tom and I voted for the budget that we voted for and proposed at the level that we proposed it and agreed upon, um, we mentioned that the board of finance was likely going to ask us to cut more than what we had come back with, which is why we'd asked Jeff to come up with five or six different scenarios. And the lowest scenario Jeff came up with was actually almost close to the scenario that the board of finance asked us to or now is now asking us to pass. So I just want to say for the record for all the people that are in the public that are listening
026to this phone call, this is a really horrible situation as board members to be in. We don't want to cut jobs. We don't want to hurt the children. We we don't want to do any of that. But unfortunately, we desperate times call for desperate measures and we have a responsibility as a board to do less or to do more with less unfortunately. And um until we make some change, and I've been saying this since I've been on the board, the way we're going is not a sustainable solution. I've said it every single year and everybody looks at me like I'm crazy. It's not a sustainable solution. I've been saying for as long as I've been on the board, we need to come up with fundraising activities. We need to get and engage the PTA and
027the PTO to take on the fundraising activities of some of these things that we have to cut and have also been talking about cons consolidation because at this point we cannot continue to sustain and go do this year after year that the budgets for special education, the teacher salaries, the teachers benefits, the trans, it's all going up. It keeps going up and we're trying to pay for something that we don't have. And in the last meeting we just had, we were trying to put a band-aid on a solution that's a major problem that nobody wants to address, which is we don't have the money and we can't go back to the taxpayers to ask them to do this. So I don't want to cut jobs. I don't want to hurt teachers. I don't want to
028hurt children. That's not that's not what I'm trying to say here. But we have to we have to do something. And I've been saying it for the last five years. Something else has to change. We have to do something major. All right. Is there any other discussion related to the motion that's on the floor? I mean, not to just add a wrinkle to this, but in terms of the conversation we're having regarding looking at stuff longer term, a concern I have right now is that when we brought this up, Jeeoff was like, we're going to need money to study for that. So, one thing that I would like the board to consider right now is while Jeff is going back and looking at the budget, if we are serious about making longer term changes, we
029need to make sure that we are stating that I think by directing Jeff to like put aside some kind of money to do that research next year because otherwise we're going to be in the same boat next year. Um, and I'm not super excited about doing that given the fact that we're already looking at cuts across the board. But if we don't have the money and resources set aside to solve this long-term problem, we're going to be spinning our wheels again. I don't know what like just putting it out there. I know we have to like Yeah, our job here is to tell you how much money to spend and like trust that you're going to go back and do the best you can for the students in the community to make the whatever needs
030to work within the budget. But I'm just raising that for everybody on the board that again, we're going to need help figuring out how to cut down the costs and it's not accounted for in the budget right now. Well, I don't think we can afford a consultant to come in to try to tell us and spend another 50 60 grand and tell us that we need to consolidate. We all know we have to consolidate. That's the answer. So, I know we're not supposed to talk about that on this call right now because that's not what this call is about. But we can't afford a $60,000 consultant to come in and tell us what we already know we're going to have to do. But do we need funds to come up with an actual action plan
031to do that? I don't know. That that's what that's an action plan and then again a resource to like make it happen. We're going to have to draw this back to the 2526 budget, please. Well, this is relevant to the 2526 budget because again, if you're if you're indicating or you're you're you're you're assuming or or planning to think that we're going to go and make other cuts to the budget as we have today to free up funds for this study. I am going to adamantly say that I'm against that opposed to it. I I understand and I and I really respect that decision. I'm not, again, I'm not like really excited about bringing this up, but the feedback from everybody had been we need to take seriously looking at this stuff and I'm just
032raising the red flag that if we're not taking it seriously by dedicating time, money, and resources to it, it's not going to get done or it's going to get done in a way the way it was brought up eight, nine, 10 years ago I wasn't here, I don't know, when there was no community input, when people were really upset about everything that was going on and all the factors were not taken into consideration about how to make it actually work. I am Yeah. And I am not saying that that you know again we can at a later meeting have a discussion about that. Um our current budget does not support that. Um if the discussions happen it needs to be jointly discussed with the board of finance and with the board of selectment. Um if
033funds are are needed to be able to perform a study um to be able to do planning uh which again it does require to consolidate planning by professionals um that would have to be a a separate discussion with them um and funds coming from other sources but not from within our budget for the 25 26 year. I I do have one question with this number as we vote the um now are if we vote to pass this budget at 4.31 does that leave Jeff discretion to um pick and choose what to cut or do we have any some input into that because I do think that it's important clearly the band was the loudest thing that was defended at the meetings. And I mean, is if we pass a 431 budget, are are there is
034that going to be protected, I guess, is my question. Jeff uh will will be we'll go back to the budget and at our next meeting report back what his um through his review and what his proposed eliminations are to be able to eliminate the $66,000. We will have another pass for this. We'll have another discussion regarding it. Yes. We don't want to make it a practice that the board of education members specifically ask for line items to be cut from the budget. Right. We have hired professionals in education to be able to propose to us those items that they believe um are necessary based on what they're able to work within. So we will ask Jeff to come back at our next meeting with his proposals to um remove that $66,000. But tonight, our our
035role or our job tonight is to adopt a budget that's in line with the direction of the board of finance. I will not support any cuts to any programs for children. Is there any additional discussion? All right, seeing none. I can see everybody on the screen, I believe. So, right. One, two, three, four, five, six. No, somebody missing. Is Megan still with us? I don't see her on the screen. Yes, she's there. All right. Why don't we just go do a roll call vote on this, please, so I can make sure we capture it in the virtual environment. So, um, all those are for those in favor of a of the motion to adopt a 10,258,676 budget and an increase of 4.31. Frank, I vote yes. Benny, I'll vote yes as long as it doesn't
036affect the children. Tom, yes. Dear J. Uh, yes. Eric, no. Kristen, yes. Megan, yes. All right, that motion passes. Tim, I think you have to go on record. Yeah. What's that? You have to vote. Oh, I'm sorry. I am also voting now. All right. Um, that is our um agenda for today. Can I get a motion to adjurnn? Motion to adjurnn. Motion by Deer. Can I get a second? Second. Second by Eric. All those in favor? All right. Thank you all. Have a good night.