001Right. Well, it's uh 6:30, so we'll call the meeting to order. >> Let's start with the pledge of allegiance. If you'll join me, please >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America >> and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, if you would. >> Thank you. So, good evening everyone. Uh this evening the order will go uh the superintendent's proposed budget overview. Then we'll hear from uh grades K to five and then we'll hear um from a variety of central office department. So that'll be the order that will go in. Uh board members have in front of them copies of the slides for each of those groups. So we'll begin with the superintendent's proposed 2627 budget and We'll start with our purposes. Mr. Turner, uh, Mrs. Sich, Mrs. Sich is
002virtual, just so everyone's aware. She says she can't see anything. So, I know that you guys can. So, our purposes, um, of course, is to provide an overview of the superintendent's proposed budget for 2627. We'll talk very specifically about the impact of fixed costs on the proposed budget. Of course, the information that you'll hear tonight from myself as well as my colleagues will serve as the springboard for questions and dialogue about organizational needs. And of course, we'll showcase the efforts and work of each school and department, uh, which is to me one of the very best parts of our budget hearings and see what our schools are working on and and what they might I'm on the third slide. So, I took this information from the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education's school governance position
003statement that they wrote in 2016 and they have provided some interesting information about responsibilities related to budget. And so you can read there what the superintendent's responsibilities are uh particularly to prepare, advocate for and implement an annual budget that addresses district goals, meets the needs of all students. And we report regularly to the board on the status of the budget. As you know, we do our three monthly reports. Then we report to the board. The board of education's responsibilities, according to CABE, to adopt, advocate for, and oversee the school budget, which is responsive to district goals and meets the needs of all students. It's going to be one of those, huh? >> Maybe I'm not. >> [clears throat] >> Can Sarah move that for me in there? So, we'll begin with um our anchor documents
004for the district and I call these guiding documents and concepts. So, within these documents, what you'll learn about are things that we've been working on particularly over the [clears throat] last three years. Um the way that we think about it is our creation of systems, structures and stability. [snorts and clears throat] Those things guide our work so that we can improve outcomes and opportunities for our students. So our board of education and district goals which you certainly know about. Um again the same as last year uh with our categories of student achievement, family and community engagement, budget development. Here we are in fiscal management, district and school environment and district workforce. The addition for this year in student achievement for our goals had to do with our emphasis on the growth of persistence and a
005strong work ethic for every learner. Of course, our mission statement for New Milford public schools is another one of the guiding documents. And so you can see uh there are certain words that I highlighted collaborative partnership of our students, educators, family and community. And our job is to prepare each and every student to compete and excel to embrace challenges and to respect and appreciate the worth of every human being. We do that by providing effective instruction curriculum a wide variety of experiences and we inspire students to pursue their dreams and aspirations. You've seen our little icons before. Um, and you've also heard about these ideals when we do our student recognition. So, the concepts or ideals that guide our work, our collaboration and creativity, focus, and heart. And we try to utilize each of those
006ideals within our decision- making, including in the development of this proposed budget. You have seen this before but not in the uh newly revised version. So this is our portrait of a lifelong learner. So this is really a document that allows us to think about which transferable skills students need from prek to 12 in order to succeed in an everchanging world. So you can see those qualities that we wish to inspire and teach students about in terms of communication, critical thinking, problem solving, resilience, community member, and being a self-navigator. And so this is a fairly new document in terms of our guiding documents. Um, however, it's uh crucial as we go forward to be able to integrate this into all of our work. Uh you could see the roots at the bottom of the image
007that are growing into our district logo and um you will see our theme of growth throughout all of our slides tonight. >> Next slide. This is our one-page plan for our work to improve teaching and learning in the district. And so you can see that we've established a time frame uh prior to 2023 20 23 to 25 26 where we are now and 2026 and moving forward. Um and included in our planning document um is evidence of growth for each of those so that we have actual deliverables and items that we can share with the board throughout the year and to demonstrate our evidence of progress and growth. We decided to do it this way rather than having a multi-page strategic plan that very often sometimes goes a little bit neglected or unread. Um, and
008we chose a one-page format to uh make it easier for us to understand and to follow. Another piece that guides our work are the district accountability indicators. So these indicators are used by the Connecticut State Department of Education. These are across a number of very traditional measures such as English language arts performance, math, science, on track to graduate high school, graduation rate, absenteeism rate, arts access and physical fitness and college career readiness and post-secary entrance. So those are the accountability indicators that by which we are uh measured by the state department of education. very forward- facing of course uh publicly available for all to see and so I took our overall performance index score and you can see our growth that's 2022 23 to the present knowing that the state's target on the overall performance
009index is an 85. So you can see our nice little incline and growth there. You know this um already, but it's nice to um make sure that everyone, particularly those who might not have experienced a budget development process before, who are watching at home, understand what we do. So we begin um the very formal part of the process in October. Um that doesn't mean that we're not thinking about the budget all year round. Um, you know, in my head, I'm already thinking about the 27 28 budget, believe it or not. Um, you almost have to think of budgets in two-year chunks, uh, to be able to plan effectively. So, in October, our schools and departments get their budget templates. We tell them how much money is in their purse to spend based upon the number
010of students they have. We take a look at our enrollment projections. We finalize them. In November, we meet with each and every department and school. We ask and find out what their needs are, what they're requesting. They submit their budgets to us. We do a preliminary roll over into Munis, which is our uh financial system for the district. Um, and then the superintendent and cabinet work together to decide what that proposed budget will be. We communicate to the schools and departments and then the budget books appear on your doorstep um in January. So, that's where we are. So we'll talk now about fixed cost. So the definition of fixed costs are required items and elements that carry forward from one year to the next. So this whole slide is about the fixed costs that we
011have for 202627. So you can see so just as an aside right I call this the walking in the door number. This is things are required contractually or otherwise things that we need to carry forward from one year to the next and I'll explain to you where we land. So first and foremost contractual salary increases that's for all of our employees and our substitutes. So when you take all of those together that alone in terms of the increases is a 2.545% increase over the 2526 budget. So that's important to know. Next, you see our health benefit increases for all of our bargain units. So we work with an actuary, an insurance actuary, and that person gives us a suggestion in terms of the increase that we want to put in our budget because it's not
012finalized yet until March. And so that person has suggested that we put a 13% increase for our health insurance premium in our budget. So 13% on top of the 2526 number for health benefits adds another 1.78% onto the fixed costs for the budget. Of course we have our bus contract. Uh we are in the fourth year of five with that bus contract with Allstar Transportation. So that that was negotiated as a 4% increase in that contract. Um, and so you can see that the amount there and that adds another 26% to the fixed cost increase. Uh, again, utility recycling increases. We get that information from the town. They they tell us um how much that's going to go up. So, we build that into our budget. We have other insurance such as life insurance, disability,
013workers comp, cyber insurance. Um, we have liability for auto and property and student accident insurance. Again the increase of the premium you could see there that adds 0.9%. So the total increase of the fixed costs which are required elements of our school district either contractually or otherwise you can see the amount of 3.5 million there. So walking in the door I would come to you with a 4.68% increase over 2526. So now I cut to the end. I get to the end of the movie in the next slide. So this is this slide represents a summary. So as I just said, our fixed costs are 4.68% of an increase over 2526. However, I'm coming to you today with a proposed increase of 3.20% over the 2526 budget. And so the purpose of the rest of
014the slides and also what you're you'll hear from the schools and departments is how did we get from 4.68% increase to a 3.20 which is the superintendent's proposed. You can see at the bottom of this slide it provides three years of historical data of what the superintendent's proposed budget increase has been. Um and so you could see the 3.2% 2% increase proposed for this year is the lowest that it's been in four years in terms of superintendent proposed. So that's the end of the movie. Now we've rewinded and figure out how we got there. So rather than waste paper, you can see on the screen how it looks right when when it copies it's a little bit uh off. So I didn't want to redo it all. I want to save paper. So the screen
015looks right and the copy has a little bit it's a little skewed. So now we'll talk about our proposed additions and reductions that get us to 3.20% increase. So we'll begin with personnel. So you can see FTE is full-time equivalent. [clears throat] So in my proposal there is minus 5.0 certified staff in grades preK to 5. There is minus 3.0 certified staff grades 6 through 12 and minus.4 FTE of a nurse additions 1.5 certified staff in preK to five. So on the bottom you can see the net the net FTE reductions looking at the reductions and the additions above is 6.9% FTE reduced you can see what the salary reduction amount is when we reduce 6.9 FTE and you can see the benefits reduction amount when we uh reduce 6.9 FTE. Let's see. For the
016reductions, I'm on the reduction side there on the left. The um for preK to 5, that would be 2.5 FTE at Hill and Plane, 2.5 FTE at Northville, five special ed at Northville, and.5 special ed at Hill and Plane. For uh grade 6 through 12, that would be three teachers from Bless you. That would be three teachers from New Milford High School um across departments. And uh for the nurse reduction, that's redeployment of staff um across a variety of schools and that yields a net decrease of point4s. On the right hand side for additions, that's a addition of a grade five teacher at Sarah [clears throat] and the addition of a half.5 um prek teacher at Hill and Plate. And as we go forward, I'll explain more about [clears throat] that. [snorts] This is a
017little bit of information uh for you just so you can see where we are um as a district with enrollment and it will kind of allows you to predict forward. So this is for the year that we're currently in 2526. And if you take a look at kindergarten for example and grade one, you can see the numbers of students there uh who are currently enrolled in New Milford public schools in those grades. And then if you go to the right hand side and take a look at grade 12 and grade 11, you can see the difference in the size of those classes. So that has a lot to do with a bunch of things, right? For kindergarten, it has to do with the legislation uh where students have to be uh five by September 1st.
018Um and so that reduced the kindergarten size for sure. There has been a lower birth rate in our entire country um particularly over the last eight years. So you can see that impact uh in the lower grades. And so you can also see overall our total enrollment for this year that we're in 3434. And you can see on the bottom our projected total enrollment is 3339. That's minus 95 students over 13 grids. So you have to spread them out. It's not just all in one place. So that's just a it's more of a point of information just so you could see it. Generally speaking, we don't see it spelled out by grade like that. So I just wanted you to see particularly the difference in the high school level um you know where we're over
019300 in grade 11 uh versus grade one where we have 200. That's that's pretty significant. So on the reduction slide I said that we were reducing 2.5 teachers at Hill and Plains. So I wanted to show you the impact of that for next year for 2627. So if you take a look at the top we're talking about reducing one teacher. So that chart shows you when we reduce one teacher in grade one and grade two, the projected class sizes will be in grade 1 17 students. Currently it's 15.5 students. And for grade two, if we reduce a teacher, it's 18.6 students will be the average class size. Currently, it's 20.8. So, interestingly, right, we're removing [snorts] a teacher, but the class size is going down because the class is smaller. Uh, similarly now for Northville,
020same thing. Kindergarten, just so you know, 13.6 is our class average. Currently, it's the same at 13.6. So, grade one, if we reduce a teacher, that leads us to having 15.8 students per class average uh for next year. Currently it's 15.3 students average class size for grade two. Currently it's 19.3 class average. If we reduce a teacher it's 17.8. So interestingly again reducing a teacher still leading to a smaller class size average uh because of the smaller classes. Um I also said on the additions and reduction slide that we'd be adding a grade five teacher at Saran Noble. So this shows you if we don't add the grade five teacher, average class size for 2627 will be 23.9. If we do add a grade five teacher, class size average for grade five will be 21.9.
021Again, these are just information for you to chew on. Food for thought. We have some other areas of proposed savings. So the first two kind of go together. So that's out of district tuition and out of district transportation. So you can see uh reductions there. The reasons that you would see reductions there um so if you have students who are no longer attending New Milford public schools in 2627 either because they've aged out um of special education uh or they're no longer going to be living in New Milford, then we don't have to count that tuition or transportation for those students who are out of district placed. So, those are two um pretty significant savings there. General busing uh you could see um a reduction of $168,000 uh which Mr. Jimnon will talk about a
022little bit later. Um but part of that has to do with us uh reducing one bus. Um and then he'll explain the second half of that with Gary Hart. Uh same thing with legal fees which are part of professional services. So, we're able to reduce that line by $85,000. Uh, keeping in mind that our um we just completed the negotiations in the past year for our administrators and our teachers. So, um we feel confident that we can reduce that legal line by 85,000. Um and then the contribution to the pension uh which Anthony can explain better than I can is a reduction of 59,500. So, those are the large areas of proposed savings that we have. Now, some proposed increases outside of of staff. So, when we look at our usage of substitutes over time,
023uh we realize looking at the actuals that we need to put more money in the sub line uh to the tune of $144,000. And that's based on the number and amount of subs that we need through our subprovider ESS. uh disability insurance. Uh we need to add there's an increase uh in the premium of $45,000. Um as you know uh we will be hiring for director of human resources. So um I'm planning ahead for what that position might look like and the the possibility for having that person have administrative certification um as part of uh who we will hire potentially. So, I wanted to give myself a little bit of room to be able to hire um particularly if it's someone who's um an administrator. So, I added $30,000 to that salary. Um and and
024we'll see how the pool goes from there. As you know, we have school security officers in each of our schools and two at the high school. And so, um of course, we always collaborate so well with our New Guard police um and Chief Cerudo. And so there was a request made that um their hourly rate be increased by a dollar. And so that would bring them to $31 an hour. And you can see what the um the budget cost is there. And then our literacy workbooks for Hill Plane and Northville. As you know, the science of reading and the right to read is legislation and required. So we need to refresh our workbooks um and buy once because they're consumable. So that's $14,000. So, those are some of the larger areas of increase that I'm
025proposing. You've seen this before and I made it easier to read on the slide after. So, uh let me tell you what's on here first and then we'll look at it a little bit more closely. So, while I'm proposing um some reductions, I still think it's important that we think about our highnee students over time. And so when we say high need students, that means English learners or multilingual learners, you can use those terms interchangeably. Uh our free and reduced price lunch students and also our students with IEPs. So those are students who receive special education services. So this big chart shows um our highnee students from to uh 2526 at current. Uh if you look at the next slide, it's a little bit easier to read. I took a snapshot of the first year
0261415, the midpoint 1920, and then currently 2526. And these are numbers from October 1st, which is kind of the gold standard of looking at district enrollment as you know. So you can see um starting with free and reduced lunch in 1415, it was 20.2% and you can see the district enrollment there as well. Um and then in 1920 34.1% of students were eligible for free and reduced lunch. Again you can see the district enrollment in the bottom. And then currently in 2526 we have 36.4% of students eligible for free and reduced lunch and you can see our district enrollment multilingual learners or English learners. Uh you could see in 1415 it was 2.7%. 1920 it was 5% of our district population and currently it's 9.3% of our district population and students with IEPs 13.6 15.3
027and 18.8. Now the purpose for this slide and the slide before is just to remind us that very often students they're called high needs for a reason. they require more resources um and things that we have to consider as we're planning for our budget uh and not only in terms of personnel uh but materials and programming that they might need. So that's that's really anformational item just for us to always refer back to what did not make it into the 2627 proposed budget. So these are the requests from the schools and the departments that ended up on the cutting room floor as we were um planning our percentage increase going ahead. So starting with our grade four literacy curriculum materials. So as you know we have our bookworms program from grades K through three. We
028are going to expand bookworms into grade four. And so to get those materials is $93,000. We will use part of our 2% set aside funding for these materials. So then I was able to take that out of the 2627 proposed budget. The next thing, the next part shows you the personnel and items that were requested by the schools that that were not included. Um and I've organized it by school that we have. So uh last year our K2 schools asked for kindergarten um general ed paras. Um and just so you know, those would be $38,000 each with salary and benefits. Um and so in my mind thinking that our kindergarten class sizes around 14 or 15 depending on the school um we'll have to save those kindergarten pair professionals for another day. Um this doesn't
029mean that I don't support these ideas because I do support um all of these. Um it's just what is fiscally responsible for us at this time. You can read the rest of it. There's um tables and chairs there uh for Northville. um you know that students sit on carpets or rugs in elementary grades. So that's for Sarah Noble. Uh Scatakoke asked for a dean of students um to assist with student engagement and also um student discipline to expand their electives. They want to add a music teacher at Scatakoke. They want to add three hallway monitors who would also be General Ed Perez. They asked to renovate the chorus room um which is currently taking place in the home old home economics room. Um they high school asked for a inschool suspension monitor. So Scatok has
030one that's one dedicated person all day. Um high school asked for two multilingual t tutors, a slab roller for ceramics, a duckless fume hood for art, and for the central office. Um I proposed and thought about putting in a 1.0 zero director of curriculum or instructional supervisor and that didn't make it in for 2627. So, in summary, I've said before and I'll say it again, um we're incredibly honest in our budgeting here in Milford Public Schools. Um period. That's that's what I'll say about that. Um, I'm certainly proud of that. There's no smok and mirrors. There's no hiding things and calling it something else. There's none of that at all. Um, always we have to balance our needs of the district while of course demonstrating fiscal responsibility. Um, certainly that's an imperative of my position
031in my job. It goes without saying that our student needs persist and continue to increase. We always have to have that in the back of our mind. Um, I think our guiding documents in the beginning of this presentation show you that we have momentum and we'd like to maintain that. We're continuing to grow and improve. Um, and I hope that you can see that we have made efforts and continue to make efforts to maximize our staffing for the greatest return on our community's investment. So, thank you for your attention. You can see our schools from up front. >> [clears throat] >> Um, Mr. Hansel, I don't know how you want to handle questions if you want to meet or it's up to you. >> Um, well, >> if anyone has any questions now, I think
032we could probably ask a few right now. >> Yeah, I have >> Oh, please, Brian. Um, I was just looking um on page uh 20 of the presentation when you're talking about reduction and I guess I just wrote my note. I worry a little bit about uh reducing out of district tuition and out of district transportation >> because I just worry that that's an area that we can't necessarily control. There's a lot of variable with that. you don't know what kids are going to, you know, have to be outplaced. And >> can I respond to that? >> Yes, please. >> So, a very smart aspect of the New Yorker public schools. Another very smart thing that we do here is that we build placeholders into our bubble. [clears throat] And so, we have four placeholders
033built in. So, those are kids that we have not planned for who may need an out of district placement either because they move in or because they might uh exhibit some needs throughout the school year. So, um, not a lot of school districts do that, but it's very wise budgeting here in New Milford to do that. Um, because as Mr. McCauley has said, you're not, you never know what's going to happen over the course of the year or if somebody moves in or um, so on and so forth. So, >> follow up. That's exactly that was my thought. Over the last couple budget cycles, we've often discussed placeholders. I believe it comes up every year. and the concern about having placeholders and you know conservative too conservative. So that number reflects a reduction in a
034placeholder. Is that correct or no? >> No. That's um >> I could briefly that number when you combine the tuition and transportation that reflects seven less actual placements from this year to next year >> actual kids >> with the addition of removing one placeholder. >> That's what I meant. So because we come down to that one placeholder on the conversation. So in this budget, we've already reflected one quote placeholder as part of this >> fewer negative one fewer placeholder. >> I just want to be clear. And what's the dollar amount to that placeholder that you're budgeting? Do you mind me asking? >> Oh, no, of course. Yeah, he Anthony. >> Sure. >> And I agree with you. It's a it's a it's a little bit um >> terrifying. It can be terrifying. >> It is.
035Thank you very much. Because all it takes is that change and that item changes significantly. So that's why we have this conversation every year about this. I'm just curious what the dollar amount is that you earmarked. >> Roughly $100,000 in tuition and $30,000 in transportation costs. >> Thank you. I just have a quick question. Does does any of the add a district pupils are any of them being are coming back to the district or all of these are just going out and doing different things? >> I think that these are all students who are either leaving or aging out. Yes. >> Okay. So, there's nobody that we're bringing back to HTC. That could require additional resources in other course. Y Okay. >> Question. Um page [clears throat] 16 >> 16 >> you have um proponents
036personnel additions and reductions I noticed there a bunch of certified staff reductions but were there any non-certified staff reductions. >> Oh so in in the eyes of the state a nurse while a nurse is an RN they're not certified staff in the way that we do budgeting. >> So that's a non-certified staff reduction. >> Okay. Um and with regards to like power professionals and things like that and there's none of those being reduced. No paras, no custodians, no secretaries, no administrators. >> Okay. Um, one more question. Um, on page 22, I noticed this, you know, and we've noticed it for years, the trend of high need students over time. And I'm just looking at like a six or less, but a year like a six% increase in what we're considering high need students. Yes. >>
037Do we have do we have a number like the high need students? Are they getting specific teachers specific like IP teachers specific for them? >> Sure. >> And then the question is, you [cough] know, do we have a reason why there's so many? How are we qualifying someone as an IEP? Is it just >> Oh, so yeah, if there's there's an entire process for a student to be identified as in need of special education services, uh continuing through the planning and placement team process. Um a student is referred, the parent agrees that maybe the student will undergo testing, then we determine if the student's eligible for special education services. So there's an entire federally determined process around that. And the teachers that we have with them, those are certified teachers that are >> certified special
038education teachers uh supported also by par professionals. >> So they're supported by I I'd love to get a breakdown on how we do that by school if we can get a breakdown >> in terms of the number of special ed teachers. number of specialized teachers, the number of paras. I'm just curious as to how we're reducing five or eight certified staff, and you know, I'm just curious what we're allocating in revenue to salaries on non-certified or power professionals and how much is going to these IEP students in general and how we're qualifying them. So, just trying to get a handle on how we're doing what with our revenue and with our numbers. >> Yes. >> And your question is specifically about students with IPS. Yes. uh you know just in general more about the non-certified
039salaries and the IEPs so for both and how we're allocating resources because it's just that number just goes up and up and up every year and you know I mean the number of the percentage just keeps increasing and I'm just curious how we're qualifying them and what kind of salaries we're allocating to like non-certified staff to help on that and just there may be a way that we can >> Sure sure a procedural point for everyone um we are taking down the questions. Uh, and generally we try to turn them around in 24 hours, but uh, we'll see. We'll see if we can do it that quickly this year. But yeah. Yes. And we send it out to the full board. >> Uh, the legal I I agree with the reduction. >> Can you remind
040me in this fiscal year? What other uh, bargaining units do we have on deck? And what do we have uh, that are coming into the 26 27? >> Sure. We just finished certified teachers and administrators, >> right? along with nurses. That's finishing up. Um and we are going to be starting on custodians and maintainers >> in the spring. >> Yes. Prior to the end of this fiscal year. >> That's [clears throat] correct. >> So that's already calculated in the budget that we're in in the legal account. >> Yes. You see where I'm going with that? So So now looking at the next year's budget, do we know who we have for bargaining in next year's budget? >> Uh yes. >> Or can we find out? We will be doing um >> secretaries and we have
041to visit nurses again. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Uh please proceed. >> Anything else? Okay. So now we'll change over a little bit and I'm very very proud and pleased to have our K5 administrators. They will sit at this table. I mean, this is I'm going to make an obvious statement, right? So, we're not asking for much in this budget. And so, really, the point and and the beauty of the school presentations is to not only showcase their work, but also to highlight some of the things that we've already invested in. So you'll hear them talk a lot about uh the science of reading materials and how we use them. You'll see students in action around that. Um and so that's that's uh sort of the great part about this is to see
042how are we using what we already invested in. And so we have uh Mrs. Gallagher from North. We have Mrs. Calibri from Hill and Plane. Mrs. Bilco from Sarah Noble. And they will take it away. Um, as always, we always want to start with the um the mission statement. Ah, all right. Sorry about that. Um, so we want to start by um thanking everybody. We're happy to be here. Um we really appreciate all the work and the hours that the department um puts in every year in this process and we really thank you for the opportunity to talk. We're looking forward to it and um off you go. >> So our proposal tonight reflects a shared uh commitment to preparing students. I mean we read the mission statement to you last year this year. Dr.
043Carlado referred to it. uh we want our students to achieve academically and grow as confident um learners and collaborators and responsible citizens. >> So now we're at the ideas we live by. Um I always think back this is one of Dr. Carl's first initiatives in the district and it's really something that we really believe in. Um it's really guided in our character traits and our core values that drive our daily decision making. Uh this is how we teach, how we support teams, and how we partner with our families. And it's an investment that reflects in budget. It aligns directly with those values and with what we believe matters most to the children that we serve. Um and everything we do is uh the values each school really um focuses on character and is the value
044um the core values that we instill in every child. Um Here at our core values are today is a new day. I am ready to be the best me I can be. It's okay to have different feelings. I'm in control of [music] how I react and responsible for my actions. No matter what happens, I have support and can turn it around. I will practice a grow mindset not giving up because I can do anything I will not here at I matter you matter matters >> bulldog awesome day >> Hi Northville Elementary School >> here at Northville we practice our cares expectations do you boys and girls know your cares expectation Yes. >> C stands for >> cooperate. >> act responsibly. >> respect. >> E >> and S for >> safety. >> All right. So let's
045remember >> whereonsible and kind. So, [clears throat] in the next three slides, each of our schools are going to share um our staffing levels with you. And obviously, they're intentionally designed um to preserve strong relationships, uh responsive instruction, and early intervention, especially at our grade levels when our grade levels of prek to second grade. Um and it's all all K through five is the foundational years. So if you look at the certified teachers, currently we have 18. So the reduction would bring us to 16 certified staff. Um in general ed Excel, that's our preschool, a three-year-old and a three-year-old. We currently have three um preschool teachers morning and afternoon. So we're looking for an additional 0.5. Um that is happening soon. Uh we have so many students coming in. Um, and then we have four
046special education teachers and four unified arts teachers. Projected enrollment for next year is 333 students. Um, and that would bring up preschool at 70 overall. And that we're thinking of three year olds in the morning, four year olds in the afternoon with that many sections. Um, kindergarten 85, first grade 85, and second grade 93. And then projected class sizes um is preschool would be 10 in each class. And that's community friends, regular education students and special ed students um with three and a half teachers. Kindergarten 14 to 15 students with six teachers. First grade 17 students with five teachers. And second grade we're looking at 18 to 19 students um with five teachers. So, similar to Hill, our numbers from Northville, we're going to have we have 21 current general teachers. Teachers are going to
047be going up to 19. We have three Excel teachers. Um, again, that's the same thing. We have morning Excel students and afternoon students, three year olds and four year olds. We have five special education teachers and 40 priority teachers. Our projected enrollment for next year is 362. which again puts our um preschool numbers at 65, our kindergarten, first grade, you know, projected in kindergarten, we're not sure 95 year 95 gone to third grade and 107 in second grade. So those class sizes are going to look 10 to 11 in preschool and the morning class or the afternoon class. Our kindergarten will be between 13 and 14. Our first graders will be between 15 and 16 students and our second graders 17 and 18 students in each class. Um we have 36 general ed uh we're
048planning for 36 general ed teachers. Um special education um teachers we have 12 unified art nine um and in each grade level um for the uh multiple years we had reduced each grade level to 11 teachers from 12 because we had an anomaly in a a smaller cohort that was moving through. and fifth grade is returning to that 260ish um level of enrollment. That's why we have 12 teachers in each grade again. Um and uh you can see very clearly that in each grade um there are between 21 and 22. So this slide last year we were under construction as well. Unfortunately, our benchmark window um we are in testing right now. So, these are the assessments that are currently being taken across all of our schools and [snorts] obviously we view assessments as tools
049and not end points. We take that data and that helps us to guide our instruction and move towards the end of the year um next steps and inform inform timely support across um all the grade levels. And so data is used alongside teacher observation and student work so that the decisions that we make are grounded in complete pictures for each of our learners. So at the top you're going to see the seeds, right? Our kids are growing from kindergarten right on up. Um, we're the [clears throat] soil, we're planting the seeds, and we're starting to see I love this chosen root vegetables that sometimes you don't always see what's really going on underneath it. And so, um, you know, like I said, Dr. referenced the growth in our students earlier. So, we want to show
050our students growth of our schools within the grades. We want to show that vertical alignment that's starting to happen that's happening with our curriculum. And learning happens best when students feel supported, engaged, and challenged. So, we tried to cut it down the video to make it, you know, but we want to really showcase all the things that are going on in the school. So, this is an eight minute video. I'll try to like narrate it a little bit so you know what the kids are doing. Um, so, [music] so we're going to start with you. [music] This is a preschool class working on identifying beginning sounds. I am going. >> This is a first grade teacher segmenting sounds and the students blending the sounds to make the >> word. [clears throat] G >> bus. >>
051Now we're going to go into youth, which is our awareness [music] program, and it teaches kids how to use and sounds, how they work together. This is a kindergarten class where reading concepts taught in sentences. >> [screaming] >> And these are blending boards they use. >> So yesterday >> and this is second grade working on long vowel sounds. color. >> All right, ready? Hope it says me. Okay, next we're going to be coming to our bookworms [music] new program. And this is shared reading um that happens in all grade levels. This one is kindergarten. Um, and they're going to um this is kindergarten working on um Sammy the seal and they're just kind of reading um a book and talking answering comprehension questions as they read along in kindergarten. All the animals were getting their
052food. All the animals were >> the lions. >> And again, this is now first grade and um shared readings where they sit side by side and they work on fluency. Read a book over a course of five days. Hallelujah. >> [music] >> And as they move up the grade levels, they're still doing their shared reading, sitting um with their partners um working on fluency fluency and building comprehension. And then when they get it up into the upper grades, they're working in book clubs. [snorts] >> [music] >> You read the book America is. What is America to you? Read what you wrote. >> America is >> is a house. Is your house at home? >> Nice. >> What do you guys think? Why do you think? >> All right, voice off. >> Voice off. Does this
053tell me who? >> No. So, is it a subject? >> No. >> As what does this need? It needs a subject. It needs the who, right? >> So, if it needs a subject, it's not a subject. It's a What is it? >> Predicate. Good. >> The ELA block and these are kindergarten identifying subject and predicate. [music] >> And then they all work on a big culminating task. This is where the second grades were learning about Native Americans. They wrote about what they learned. and in fifth grade and as they go up [music] again writing continues through the upper grades. [music] Now if this is our DI block where small group um instruction where the students work on targeted reading skills they work with alonein boxes. You're going to see some kindergarten with alonein boxes [music]
054where each box is a sound and they're sounding out this sounds and then saying the word >> using your alone boxes. Let's see you guys break up the word leg. and flag. >> Good job. Let's do big >> big >> lit. >> H >> wet wet wet. So, as you know, I Ready is our mathematical program to help kids build a deep understanding of math concepts. This is kindergarters solving um subtraction problems using Play-Doh. >> Not sure if the video shows it. Yeah, she was smashing when when her number was how many less [clears throat] >> the second grade showing different ways to show 40 and one. >> What number were you building, Blake? >> 404. >> Awesome. Peter, how did you build yours? >> So, I used So, I used 40 And then I
055use them all together to make 400 and then I [music] know part of the I Ready program is a mind path that helps them meet them where they are and give them the skills they need to wister up. And here are fourth graders working with partners to show how they solve problems and compare their work. >> [music] >> We're going to end with a kindergarten purple where students develop social skills and problem solving and creativity. >> Thank you. >> In addition to building those um uh academic skills. It's really important to us in each of our schools that we build a user community where they feel a part of their community at school, but we also want that community uh we want students to understand the community around them as a large community. So um
056all three schools um engage with things outside with things in our community. We do service projects that touch all of these places that I know you're um familiar with. And it's something that we're proud of and we want kids to um really feel identified with what humans can accomplish when we all put our minds to it. So developing our learners, we we have purpose and direction. Um we have a new program uh character strong for our guidance and this is through kindergarten through fifth grade. Um and so students engage in nine months of lessons. We have um school counselors that uh teach these lessons with intentional instruction. Um and we kick it off with a kindness um kickoff at the beginning of the year and then at the end of the year it would be
057kindness closure. And we also do um assemblies through our schools to support this um character character growing character on each of our students. Um and so the motto is be strong um be kind and do well. >> [clears throat] >> And then our K through five professional learning um is for staff to strengthen their instruction while also addressing the social, emotional and developmental needs of our students. So our work is grounded in the instructional keystones. The work that we do with our library um we uh visit our classrooms and provide written feedback um to help those teachers grow in their work. the uh through the intentional roll out of our science of reading and our I Ready programs, our teachers have deepened their content knowledge and instructional practices. It has been amazing growth we've seen
058especially in the science of reading. We've done a lot of work and they're really um very knowledgeable now. Um all our educators are engaged in ongoing professional learning um especially now we're at mid years and they're really thinking looking back on their own personal growth and that's supported by our headteers our lab classrooms that develop leadership and model effective instruction and you know building a positive climate and culture. You've heard that throughout and it's really important for us that do that for all students and families. We want um welcoming schools, welcoming schools that students can't wait to get to. We want families to feel confident in the schools that they're sending kids to. So um we work hard with families to stay connected. We're really um let's make sure that we're using Fans Square and
059we're um communicating often and letting um families know how their students are doing and just sharing some you know Instagram and Fan Square sending pictures of how they spent their day or some um wonderful glow from that day. Um, we, as I said in the previous slide when I spoke, the service projects are really important for families to see that we're doing things outside of the school and we celebrate those partnerships and um, it's a big part of what we do for our staff. We recognize the growth that's been happening. We are um, making great growth and um, we're starting to see uh, the Cox connect um, and we're excited about the future in that regard. Um for our staff, we all three of us do staff shoutouts and we shout out um certified staff
060um non-certified staff, people who are making a positive difference in their um in their hallway, in their department, in their [clears throat] meetings. Um and that really our hope is to foster that collaboration and pride and professional joy in the coming staff member. And for our students, um we really um expect that we've helped to grow their leadership. We're proud of um different roles and voices that we give um our our students a chance. Um you'll hear students on all at all schools participating in the announcements for instance or um opportunities to have classroom jobs, opportunities to grow that leadership and I can and I charge or something. Um and then we celebrate the successes in all three schools whether you're um top dog at Northville or you get a good news call from uh
061I'm sorry, top dog at home. Um, good news at uh at Northville and at Sarn Noble. We have our Oscars. A way of really, you know, just shouting out those goodies [clears throat] that go, you know, are just doing something magnificent or really just being kind and showing those marriage attributes that um Kathy spoke about um and acknowledging what a great job you're doing and I hope that uh you know uh they feel a sense of pride in when they're doing something special. So, um, when we do those things, we hope that we're growing kids confidence and and their confidence in their own ability to be brave and try hard things and succeed and persevere. So, it's important um for all of that. >> Yeah, we talked about partnerships with families. We couldn't do it
062without our PTOs. Uh, they are amazing. Um, and so they play a really important role in strengthening student experience. They bring in authors, there's field trips that they sponsor, um they do fundraising for us, um you know, they're just they're able to support grants from our teachers. Um and so through that collaboration with families, we're able to enhance po programs that we do within the schools, um schoolwide initiatives and create opportunities that foster belonging. And it talks about all that that character growth, right? Engagement and enrichment while um addressing district priorities. >> And this um slide is just to show you the pieces of the puzzle, the piece of the pie that we are plane and Sarah budget. small little pieces, but we are, you know, getting those seeds ready to grow and um continue
063their growth of their education here in New focused on maintaining um the programs that we have and growing our students through that um science of reading. You've heard over um academic interventions for kids that um need those uh special interventions, special education and mult language learners, but also MPSS is for that general education student who needs a a little lift from time to time, maybe reading or math and they need a little extra intention in um instruction and then social emotional uh support for all providing guidance lessons and all those other things that make for a wellrounded child as they're growing So our budgets create the conditions for students to be on track uh academically, socially and developmentally. All three of our schools and all the schools in the district have these on track posters.
064Um and so you know academics be here community and do the right thing um in all the ways that we do in each of our schools. >> So then we always think about our work is centered upon the whole child. students grow through rigorous learning, strong learning and opportunities to build essential skills is really the key here. And all of those are built on the foundation of safe welcoming and respectful, dynamic curriculum, and intentionally designed instruction based on what we've learned about how students learn and adults learn. and all while we're partnering with the families and um this is what we come to work every day to do and uh working out. >> So that's it. Thank you so much for your time and your support. It's hard to encapsulate what we do in all
065three of our schools in such a short amount of time, but that was pretty much of our days. the board like to uh ask any questions? >> Thank you. First of all, thank the system. >> Hopefully my grandkid will just had a question as I watched the video and it's maybe it's just cuz I'm old, but I noticed a lot of kids work on a floor. >> Yeah, that's true. You know, uh there's a lot of research about movement and um when you're when you're learning and the opportunity to move. So you will see sometimes kids on the floor, but then if I strolled with you through 12, fifth grade classes, you might see, you know, kids at desks and kids on the floor, but there are sometimes very purposely at the desks and sometimes
066they work around the room, especially when they're working collaboratively um or a little snippet of a fifth grade um book club, right? So then they're kind of gathering in their collaborative group, but then they'll go back to their desks to present perhaps other things. You're right. Hard for the teachers to get on up off the floor, >> but the kids do just fine. >> In your experience, >> what have you noticed as a change of the student say in the last five years student five years ago to a student today? What would be the difference? >> You know, I think there's um significant um Dr. Pilato refers to that high need student and um you know, I I heard Mr. Burell ask about the you know the qualifying but I think generally um kids are
067coming and different skill set perhaps they are um sometimes more challenges at home faster moving fast-paced world um many students are on a lot of technology um you know sometimes that's kind of a little bit of a wild west um and we're trying to undo some of the um spending hours on technology so I do think children have changed over time and I I don't think that's a new Milford thing. I think if when you read it's a Connecticut thing is a really good thing. It's a it's a countrywide experience that children are coming in with um more needs more needing more attention and um we definitely have seen it here. I've seen it in my um tender in this role. Actually Dr. Colorado's slide aligns exactly with my time in this world and there
068has been more needs and different needs um from 2014 2015. I think at our level at the prek2 level it's a lot of self-regulation and it's connecting to their emotions and their feelings. um they come to school with invisible backpacks of things that we couldn't even begin to start listing that probably none of you have experienced. Um and so it's it's hard for students to have to put that invisible backpack down and start learning. So we have to find where they are and meet them there. So I think those are some challenges that our teachers face on how to connect with the students where they are when you have other students in different places. So that differentiation >> still kids in the end and they're outside at play playtime running around having fun and you
069know you walk into the cafeteria and you say hi and they're all running up and saying hi and giving you hugs and everything and want to show you what they have in their lunchbox. So, they're still kids and they're still curious. Um, and they still want to they really they they want to do well. They want to do well. They want to please. >> Thank you. >> This is for Hill plan Northville. I'd like your opinions on your class sizes >> currently. >> Yeah. >> So, we have um smaller class sizes and I think that the teachers have really seen a benefit in that. Um we've had ongoing discussions. um they feel that they can meet their needs. Um they still have things that they deal with when students um but with the smaller class
070sizes I think it's more manageable and those small groups that we show pictures of that's manageable to be able to work with um the students. And I would also um say that um you know with the small we have the new program of bookworms this year. So it's been beneficial because they're learning a new program and as they're they're rolling it out with them they're able to try these things with a smaller group. There's you're not as much discipline potentially or behaviors like because you can manage it a little bit easier with a smaller class. Do you assess that? Will you assess that new program? And it's are you accomplishing the goals particularly with reading? >> Well, we we do like the testing that's going on. We do testing ready testing with point of where
071the kids are and how they're growing and where we need to maybe support them. Additionally, >> that's spring. So, we have three data points. individual instruction with the students and that's why I said we're in that right now testing right now they will be starting the I Ready testing so that dipstick to see where students are they know where they are instructionally but as a school to see where they are >> will will we get that information >> sure >> yes >> thank you >> I was going to follow up thank you um just so I was clear on my previous question regarding I'd like to get a breakdown as to the percentage of special education students by school if we could. And because I'm looking at the numbers that we have here, I maybe
072I'm reading them wrong, but I have I show 16 a reduction from 18 to 16 in general education for certified staff. Um, and we're still showing um a half of half a position reduction four and a half to excuse me for special education. So there's going to be 20 employees and 20 so 20% of them are going to be dedicated for special special ed and then you look down at non-certified and there's a total of special ed and par educators 15.5. So that brings that special ed para ed uh number to 19.5 versus 16 certified. you know, do we feel comfortable that that's the I'm concerned that the balance that we're showing for the special education empowerments versus teachers. You know, we spent a lot of time this last year emphasizing the need for our
073teachers. We did a lot this last year negotiations, etc. to to represent our teachers. And it seems like we're looking at non-certified and relying a lot on non-certified and dedicating a lot of our resources to special education. Not saying it's not needed there, but I'm just curious. Do you believe that you struck a good balance here? >> To be clear, he's in appendix, appendix C, because I people asking me in the appendix is a long one. Good work. >> We're happy to provide that answer. Yes, >> I know you're asking. >> I'm just curious if we feel like that we struck a good balance there. >> I mean, it's it's not we're not making driven by student needs, right? We look at the needs of the students based upon their individualized education plan or IEP
074and that helps dictate what the staffing need is. >> So there's a documentation that says, well, if they're at this level of special education need, they need this much this many teachers for that. I wanted >> service hours that students have within their individualized education plan that helps us determine what the staffing need is. Yes, >> that's concerning. I just like to drill down on that if you could. >> Brian, did you have something? >> Uh, yeah. I just wanted to ask I I I just noticed I'm actually going back to Dr. Palato's presentation, but I think it's two years in a row that there have been error requests for kindergarten. >> That's the second year in a row, correct? >> Second year in a row. Did I say that? I don't >> I think
075I might have said it too. I don't know what I said. >> I think I was thinking it. I don't know if I said it. >> So, and I just um didn't speak to that need. >> Well, I mean, especially this year with the smaller class sizes like when when we're going up to like 17 or 18 kids and we're trying to manage them in a small group and then keep the other kids working in in their small group instruction. if it's um you know doing a myth if it's doing a rolling read let's say having another person in there to help manage those students answer any questions they may have because those kids are going to come up like how do I do this what's this you know they're going to keep asking the
076teachers as they're trying to um deliver instruction small group instruction so like that kind of work is really rewarding >> well in learning how to be in school right how to be in school and walking from one side of the school to the other side of the and that support. Um, so if you have somebody that tends to be a runner or something like that, then they have that support as an extra body in the classroom. >> I I actually taught kindergarten for a year. It was terrible. >> Wow. [laughter] >> I've taught K through 12, all grades. I'm a professional teacher, by the way. Teacher certified, just uh just to be clear. >> All right. Does um anyone else have any other questions before we move on? That was good. I think the next
077uh what's next? >> I'd just like to acknowledge first of all our three principles the the assistant principles for Hill and Plane Northville Senovo are also here and our prek to five special education supervisor Mrs. Phillips. So thank you for the videos they were [clears throat] great >> truly exemplary work. Uh people come from other school districts to watch us uh prek to five. So that's something for your time your questions. >> Thank you. We're doing yoga. >> Do yoga, Anthony. >> Awesome. >> I know. Good evening everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to present um several important areas of what is referred to as department of general administration or for short. We're going to start um slides up there. I think you have copies of them. The first slide we're going to talk about
078correspondence. >> One second. Just I I know I always get messes me up too. Does everyone know what page was? 63. >> Yep. 63 is the end. So the slide that you're going to the slides in this whole presentation are very similar to the bud pages, but they include a little bit of different education. The proposed budget for next year represents a decrease of 24.97%. The staffing allocation for [snorts] the department is.5 clerk. Um the highlights down below I'm basically describing any non salary account that had significant changes. The legal fees is we're dropping that by $85,000 next year. The third retainer should have at least that amount left at the end of this year. That's in the 5310 line. The next line down 53200 line in professional services. That's for shipment and good expenses
079as well as BOE meeting recordings and any other any other consultant fees within the board. Um, this also includes, if you look at the bottom two lines are programs within the board of education that have been there since I've been in the district. We're collapsing those programs and rolling them up into the above. So in the 32000 line that's increasing by $9,000. That's a reallocation of part of the $13,000 from the second line to the ad. Um so not all 13,000 of that is being reallocated. Only 9,000 is being reallocated and the rest is being reduced. The 55400 line is for um advertising. This is where we expense bids and legal notices. um for advertising in um local newspaper and elsewhere. We're engaging in more of those in conjunction with our five-year capital plan. So,
080we need more money next year to continue to support that. The supply line, um you see an increase there of $5,800. That's just a reallocation, removing the program that's in the last line. Refusing fees has a small increase year-over-year of only $646. Are there any questions about budget on page 63 or the slide that >> I have a it's not urgent but on the professional services I understand that you're rolling that in the 13,000 and it reflects in part of the 9,000 >> on the professional services is there any way without it being too much of a pain is that districtwide or is it just into your department so in other words could I have a breakdown on the 13,000 000 to see if it is districtwide or just in DOA. >> The the amount
081here would be just within the board of education, not across all of them. >> Okay. >> Every department such as myself, there's there's lines in there for professional services and there'll be the office superintendent several areas under DOA. >> Do you have a large or a larger line item in the professional services that is in that 13,000 >> um >> contributes to that? Well, if you look over to the left on the second line up from the bottom, the expenses there in the second column, only $8,600 is why we're suggesting a reduction down to nine, only needing nine and it's being reallocated above because we're essentially removing two programs that have professional services and supplies within the board. >> Okay. >> Consolidating and reducing while consolidating Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Anyone else on
082this page? >> Yeah. Could you just explain what the difference is between the two supply lines? >> Um there is not a difference and that's why we're reducing them. There have been two call centers within the board of education budget ever since I started here. Um and we're just consolidating them. >> There is no difference. They should have been consolidated a while ago. >> Okay. Thank you. [clears throat] >> Okay. Okay, we're going to move on to the next slide which corresponds to budget for page not to the office superintendent the slides in front of you on the budget page 64 Um the budget for this area represents an increase of8%. There are contractual salary increases. Besides that, there are three decreases. >> There you go. Fair enough. >> Sorry about that. >> There are
083three decreases here. These are all tied to usage. If you look back over the actuals over the last few years, we can make those reductions without impacting the function of that office. >> It really does. spend $250. There any questions on that slide or that budget book page? [clears throat] Hearing none, I'm going to move on to we're going to skip page 65, human resources. That's going to be discussed on night four. Page 66 and 67 cover benefits. Lot to talk about. So overall benefits in this area represents an increase of 9.17%. The largest drivers health insurance which we'll talk about on the next page. Their descriptions below for each one of those um object codes. So I get Medicare. They are both payroll. The corresponding increases um are adjusted for prior year actuals. The
084pension amount that amount used to budget for that line is provided by the town finance director each year. The amount um provided to us was less than the current year's and that was um highlighted in Dr. Parlato's earlier presentation. Unemployment insurance has been adjusted based on prior actuals where we anticipate for next year. the disability insurance that has a larger increase this year. We were part of a three-year rate lock on that that has expired. So, we should have seen about 12 to$15,000 each year of the last three years if we didn't have the rate lock. We're paying for that now, but what we are not paying for is the compounding that would have taken place if we had those increases yearover-year. That budget has remained flat for the last three years. There's now an
085increase. The life insurance is only changing by a small amount, $1,000. The last line for workers comp um that's amount that's um provided by Kerma, who is the risk management consultant that the town and both the board used jointly and they're calling for using a 1.5% for the um for the workers compensation. Any questions live before I talk about health insurance? I >> do. I have two questions. One might wait until the next page, but on the health insurance, it's 11.72, but we're looking at a 13% trend. Is that reflective of the reductions that offset that number? >> Yes. So, in the health insurance, we what we did is we took the current budget and increase that by 13%. And then we reduce that for each one of the benefit packages. Um in Dr. Parado's
086presentation that correspond to FPUtions. There is no benefit package deduction for the four nurse because that that nurse is still going to be employed as greater than a.5 or greater going into next year anticipated. So we still have to provide benefits for that position. the other 6.5 um reductions have benefit package tied to them as well. So that's why you don't see the 13% carry all the way through, >> right? Because I'm sure one individual's here 13% and that they would want to know. So I just want to put I'll save my other questions for health insurance to the next page, but can I go back to the disability? We had a lock in for three years and now we don't. Is that walk me through that please? That's that's correct. >> And so what's
087the next step? >> Um the next step is to go out to bid hopefully in the spring to see if there would be another actuarial going forward whether rates would be uh any better staying with or jumping ship. >> And do we do that with the town or do we do that individually? >> We do that separate. This is one of the items that is not in conjunction with >> Is there something we should do with the town? >> Possibly. Perhaps we might want to have that conversation. >> There's no other questions here. I'll move on to the health insurance. Um, there's a lot here. I won't read every single part of it. Um, next question. um in the middle there um on the state partnership plan um this is based on through [clears throat]
088December 2025 for next year for Brown and Brown anticipate up to 13.5%. Uh through discussions with the town we decided we would be using 13% going forward and then that is ratcheted down based on the number of benefit packages we are reducing tied to FTE reductions next year. um rate finalization will not take place until March. So as everybody knows usually there is a change in this number between the board adopted when town council and board of finance decide on our budget that it's going to be the same case this year. I don't know what the adjustment will be if any at this point in time. This is the best number we have for health insurance. Dental insurance. Um this is the first year that's only going to be partially insured through Sigma. Um one
089of our bargaining units is moving to SP dental for the first time in 227. The vision plan is based on current enrollment as of December 25 that's provided to us by Brown Health Insurance for Teamsters Union. Um that's dictated by their unit labor contract. Those employees are not on SPT. We make contributions to their health insurance and the teachers manage their plan. Also included in the health insurance is the new employee assistance program started in August of 2021. Note down below, it's a little bit small there. It just highlights there's no offset from the internal service. There's no contribution in this year's budget and we are not factoring anything into next year's projected budget. >> Questions on health insurance. What is the new employee assistance program? >> Um I don't have all the particular I
090I know um >> in what does it mean like what company are we using or what does it mean in general? >> What is it? It's new to me. >> Oh, so it's part of the benefits for our employees. Um it offers two free counseling sessions. Um it provides advice on stress management. Um a lot of tips around that. I can send you the brochure if you'd like to see it. >> Appreciate the link. Yep. >> I have a question. >> I can't remember how much that is, Anthony. I don't think it's that much. >> No, we'll get the dollar amount. >> Yes, we'll get that for you. >> Associate with service employees. So, let's for example, if somebody comes to me and they're personally in a stressful situation, I might offer them assistance program
091uh for some short-term help and they might be seeking other help on the outside, but it's a benefit for employees. >> We don't ask employees to contribute to that. We provide it. >> It's part of the benefits package. Yeah. We >> we pay for that. >> We pay for [cough and laughter] >> I don't We'll tell you exactly how much it is. It's not expensive at all. Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, Anthony, um, on the 13%, what is the dollar amount to our budget without the offset of the to our budget? >> Sure. Just give me one moment. >> Total dollar amount so the public knows that before we even open our book, that number is something that we need to put in here. >> That's >> that was included in Dr. Parlato's. >> Yeah,
092I just want to make sure. >> Let me get it. And is it fair to say while you're getting that? I mean, insurance, as we know, you see this every year. Um, it's a it's a it's a need, but it is a huge issue. Other districts are trending it. I've seen some numbers at what 18 or 18. What is over 20? >> I've been watching them 18, 19, and 20 across the state and see the negotiations. So, I try and watch it very closely. um 13% was shocking to me and I'm sure it was to the town because last year our final trend was what eight nine somewhere around there. So >> uh I know that the final numbers come in in March and I know that we work on this with the town and
093I I I don't think anything will change but if we do hear anything from Brown and Brown prior to budget adoption I'd like to see if there's any way that number has [clears throat] moved. Um, but the numbers across the state are close to 20%. So it's it's it's very difficult when you're faced with, you know, a million3 right out right out of the gate. >> You answer your own question there. >> Sorry, it wasn't >> a million36 1,361,548 [laughter] uh represents a 1.78% increase to the uh to the budget. We walked the door with a 1.78. >> Mr. Vice Chair, >> just like to say just for the minutes or whatever, when the town and the board of ed years ago decided to go PP, >> we have cost avoided millions. >> We did
094by the fact of doing >> not only in the line item, mayor, because we worked closely on this, we also not only in the line item, but also contractually across bargaining units and that's been compounded. So when you see a 6% one year I think it was one of the lowest was 5% and other towns up to 20%. When we what we're in the six year of the SP or something along that way we have seen this town millions of dollars >> with the SP and you'll know on the ISF we used to use the ISF >> and at times you know um that's always an option I usually ask but it also creates a hole [clears throat] for the following year. So, we have to be very careful about asking for a reduction in
095that line item only to have to fill it the following year. But I would respectfully ask mayor that if [clears throat] there's any conversation with Brown and Brown prior to budget adoption, I'd rather go ahead and take it out of the insurance line, which I think is ridiculously high to begin with. I'd rather reduce it a percentage and help the budget out. >> I know we're asking pretty much every three weeks. I know Anony's asking, old is asking. >> Uh Anthony dodges me. >> So like every week >> every three weeks I know they're asking. We're asking >> hopefully that number goes. >> But we have done well. I mean this town has done well and it's a good plan. It's a robust plan >> but I also caution this town mayor. This is something
096we discussed. [clears throat] >> This is a plan that we have to watch very carefully. Correct >> about how it's funded >> and the time limit on this plan. Yeah, I don't think we thought it would last this long because don't we have a safety net too in case it it doesn't? >> We have it we have we had uh agreements that were signed as as backups that how you know to to go about getting out of it. >> But when you're dealing with accounts in the millions and millions of dollars, it's important to get in front of it before something happens rather in the middle of it because you have to go back to every bargaining unit on the town and the board and you have to review all of that. then you have
097to budget for it with a comparable plan. So it's a very complex you know issue. Insurance to me [clears throat] is as complicated if not more than the salary component. >> Oh yes more so. [clears throat] >> That's my little soap box for insurance. I think you guys know how I feel about that. >> Any other questions on benefit including health insurance? If there are not, I'm going to move on to Department of Fiscal Services, which is on page 68 of your bookie book. [clears throat] >> The increase here corresponds with um a 3.59% increase. Up top, you see all the FTEEs that are allocated within my department. highlights at the bottom of the page. Other than the salary items in professional services, that's where we budget for things such as QuickBooks, our fore compliance,
098our ACA reporting fees, and our mutant user fee. In that line, the 353310 line right below it is the boarding audit fee. Get that dollar amount from the town fiscal director. There is a small reduction of $1,000 in tech supplies. Third line up from the bottom. Um the dues and fees. Second line up from the bottom. There's a increase fees for two Casbow memberships um which is my um finance organization and colleagues across other districts. Each one of those memberships are going up $25. And we also had to budget an additional $500. That's to pay for our district. now has uh Amazon Prime District accounts across the district and budgeting for that is within my department. >> The [cough and clears throat] last line um for LAP and cyber insurance lap is the law liability
099u on property insurance and that right now um we don't have the final rates from Kerma. They are telling us to use a projected 5% increase on total line items. There any questions on this budget book page or the slide be up there? >> Just a quick clarification. The audit services, it's a 50/50 split with the town. >> Yes. >> And the auditors are the same. This is the fourth year in a row with the auditors. >> Um, at least four. >> At least four. I It's probably closer to nine >> really, >> I believe. So, I'm not exact I'm not exactly sure on the numbers. It's close to um table since I've been here March of >> Okay. >> Any other questions on this page? >> We will now move on to general transportation.
100That's on page 71. We're going to skip 69 and 70. Technology that goes on another night. In transportation, um we're showing an increase of 5 to 8%. Um the top line there covers the stipens for morning coverage. The second line is uh increases for the 0.5 courier position and the last line where the majority of the money here is allocated towards our general busing contract. Earlier in Dr. Parlato's presentation, you saw a number that unmitigated would have increased the budget by aboutund I think it was likeund 179 or $186,000 somewhere in that range. >> Yep. >> Um so that is not a number that we're including in the superintendent proposal. We are reducing that total dollar amount that would be required by two pieces here. First is a reduction of one bus. The amount of
101that costs as per next year's contract is about $83,000 and that's due to route optimizations that we expect here. [cough] And the [clears throat] other one reduction of 84198. These are currently additional runs um with other transportation providers as a result of hearings that we have to provide transportation for. Um, in past years, AllStar Transportation has not been able to provide these transportation services, but we are now pushing them to provide them, which would require us to not have to use private transportation providers to get these students to and from school. Most of those, this is not related to anything to special education at district placements. These are related to um areas in the town where the um walk to and from a stop was deemed hazardous as per policy. So, we've had to provide
102alternate transportation. [clears throat] >> Well, my hypothesis or my belief anyway is that it's Allstar's responsibility to still provide the transportation. >> Yeah. Why why were they not why wouldn't they be do why do we need to privatize those routes or those runs? >> Over the last several years there have been bus driver shortages where they haven't had drivers to drive actual vehicles. And in many of these areas um a large bus or a smaller bus that is still the same width is too wide to get down certain um roads in in the town that are in more rural areas. Mhm. >> However, when I drive on the highway to come to school every day, right, I see the Allstar has vans that they own. I see them on the highway. >> So, they need
103>> So, so they can maybe bring that to New Me. >> I have a follow. >> Joe had a question first. >> Oh, yeah. I'm so sorry, Joe. [laughter] Accepting the variables of weather, traffic conditions, road conditions, what is [clears throat] our longest bus route by minutes? >> Uh, let's see. Anthony could tell you that, but the policy also dictates how long it can be. >> Yeah. So, I don't I don't have that number off the top of my head. I I think there are some that that get up to 52 minutes or so. Yes. It is the policy um design not requirement that we do not want students on buses longer than one hour in either direction. It's it's not a requirement of the policy. >> It's a guideline. Correct. >> It's a smart
104guideline that came up we came up with years ago. um >> to be on a but to be in a car for an hour, >> you know. >> And that's barring like a a traffic accident. >> Yeah. We accept the barrier. Yeah. I >> I just want to make sure we're not going past that 60. >> No, no, no. Yeah. No. >> Just a quick one. So, could you give me the breakdown of our fleet? And in our fleet, you're reducing a bus. That 83,000 must be reflective of a full-size bus for that cost. Yes. >> Not a van, [clears throat] just to be clear. And the breakdown of the fleet, the vans versus the buses in that pupil transportation line. I know you've answered this before, but I want to make sure I'm clear.
105Is that all transportation, meaning runs that we do for other services or is that just our bus service, contract transportation? Because I know that there's athletic transportation. I know there's a whole what is in that 5511 zero of pupil [laughter] transportation. >> This is just transportation back and forth to school morning and afternoon, but it also includes um late bus runs for clubs and activities. It does not include athletics. It does not include added district placements or anything like that. >> That's my point. So this is based on our contract that should be reflected off of our contract with the bus company >> because that is all captured in that one line item. [clears throat] >> Yes. And the 2627 budget that propos represents year four of the contract. >> Right. We have one more.
106Okay. If you could just get a fleet breakdown, I'd appreciate that. of the number of and size >> vans buses. >> Right. >> Thank you. Uh Mr. Mayor, >> thank you. Uh Anthony, um not a question pertaining to this year's budget per se, but New Milford is is one of the uh environmental justice districts. And being an environmental district, uh environmental justice district by the year 2030, uh all school buses and transportation have zero emissions. >> So we've been in talks with Allstar. [clears throat] I know they have some propane buses, but I still think propane does emit some carbon. So, have we had any talks about that? >> Um, I believe all of them right now are uh running on propane and I have not had discussions with them about that. >> No, we
107didn't know about that. And uh I I put a call in um to Wecock to just see if they're going to quantify not only the buses but any um transportation uh from to and from schools. It could be vans or whatever. And then because I don't want I'm not privy to the contract when we provide the service. Do they do we provide uh the repairs, the replacement of the vehicles? Is that built into our contract? Do you know? >> No, >> they just provide a service. >> Yep. >> Oh, that's good. >> Thank you. You're welcome. >> Oh, please, Tammy. >> Yeah. I just have a a question. Um, is has All-Star been able to resume um the athletic runs that we had to go to charter buses because of the after co >> some
108not all >> some. Yeah. >> Are we moving in a better direction to where we can because that that was a huge I think expense to the transportation line. >> Absolutely. >> So there so they are getting better at hiring and >> and maintaining >> and and and having people to who are willing to take on those rights. responding. You won't see this tonight, but when we do um Scatakoke and the high school's budget, you will not they have athletic transportation lines in there. They do have some small increases associated with them, but they don't have those large increases that we saw two and three years ago. >> Okay, we're moving. >> They walloped us on that. >> Thank you. >> Are there any other questions on transportation? I'm going to move on to the
109last slide in section. We're going to be skipping to the revenue page 72 in the budget. That along I can't advance one please. Thank you. There it is. >> This is another rather large slide. Sorry for the small font here. Give me one second. >> Okay. So, the revenue lines here, there's only two with changes. Top one. Exactly. Earlier in Dr. Parado's presentation, she showed uh a number for transportation and tuition that we're reducing in next year's budget. But at the same time, we don't pay dollar for dollar for those costs. There is excess costs that we get from the state that offset that. So when we're reducing the amount of [snorts and clears throat] money we expect to expend on those students for transportation and tuition, we also have to decrease the expected matching
110revenue that we would have received. So that is what's captured in that top line. that accounts for both the current placements that are continuing into next year that are re that are declining as well as the one placeholder that we've removed in next year's budget for ODP transportation and tuition. We're still using the same reimbursement rate. Um the long story short here is we have we're including less expenses for less projected kids to be outplaced. So we also have to assume the other side of that coin getting less revenue as there's a cost share for those students that we get back to the state. The Medicaid reimbursement we're projecting getting back more. If you take a look past the act the actuals in prior years um we've been very conservative with this. At the same
111time we've realized the last two years we received more money than we've budgeted for. So, we're upping the budget and the expected revenue on that line item [clears throat and cough] here. The building use fees for base rental and custodial we're keeping flat. The utilization here is down. Excel tuition [clears throat] for LHTC it's flat over yeartoear. I mean uh generally it's too risky to budget for any increase here and rely on any new participation that would that would drive that revenue up. If we have LHTC tuition in students from other districts, we will bill will and collect for any base tuition and any special services that those students might receive. Um but I believe it's too risky to build in an expectation for additional um LHC revenue. Same thing goes for the DCF place
112tuition. We have an option. Um some years past we did receive some money back. Um but again I think it is too risky to build a large revenue driver in the budget to account for this when we don't know how those kids will manifest in our district. Um gate receipts were keeping flat year-over-year even though participation and um receipts are picking up. This was last adjusted down several years ago. Um the board voted to make changes to the requirements that students did not have to pay um for admissions to these games. And the last item here is the parking uh permit fees. This has been reduced almost every year in the last five or six years. [clears throat] At one point in time, I think this was over 2002. >> Yeah, $225. Um it's been
113reduced through um actions of this board. right now in the super proposed budget is the same 278 spaces at the same rate of $75 each. >> So we're down we're down to $75, >> correct? Yes, that's >> Mr. K has a question. >> Oh, please. >> Sorry, I don't have my uh budget book for me. What's your total proposed and it'll be the basis for my question? >> Percentage or dollar amount? dollar. >> Uh, please hold for one second >> for the >> Yes. page six. The total proposed budget for the 27 is 78 >> 78 million >> 773 >> 658 and that is the basis >> for my comments perhaps or questions. Um, [clears throat] we have a budget as 78,773,000 773658. That's a big number and I have not been here for a
114few years [clears throat] and I am still mystified how we decide to place a tax on our juniors and seniors in this high school by charging them a parking fee. People have heard me before. This is a tax on students. It is nothing more than that. And it is tragic that we can come up with a budget for 78 plus million dollars and not find a way to eliminate that part. And I will take a better look at this to see if there's a place we can cut something else. Because every year that I sat on this commit, this board in the past, you have heard me say this attacks on children. That's all it is. >> Thank you, John. >> Can I get a question? The the building use fees, that's that covers not
115just building rooms, but that's also fields and things like that. >> Yes. Yes. And any any custodial hours that have to go along with that as well. >> And any lighting fees for um the beds? >> if it's in the evening and it's outside. Yes. >> Follow up one thing. Um to to kind of follow up on what uh Joe is saying, um I completely agree. Not only is it a tax on kids, but it's also tax on their parents. A lot of parents pay for this parking pass. They're already paying taxes for the budget. Now they're paying additional money to be able to park there. So I would love to see that come down to zero. >> And some people make comment uh to say well how do we give parking spaces that 11th
11612th grader has a car and we don't a lottery 12th grade we are far more mature. We accept some of the changes and challenges in life. You have a lottery. We have 278 spaces everybody puts in and we pull out 278 names and allow them to have those spaces. >> They always start with seniors first. >> Yeah. Right. What Well, whatever the system, but I for all the years I've been here, I I just I am mystified on how we put a tax on children when our budgets 78 plus million dollars. >> Thank you. [cough] Okay. Um that's all the questions we have. Is >> that's concludes the presentation on DOA. The other sections that weren't discussed in DOA are technology which Mr. separately on another night and I will be back. I'll be here
117for we will I'll bring up the uh human resources that we'll have to schedule. >> Phil it looks like we covered all I was checking things off. I think you covered everything that was on our agend. >> So if there's no more questions, let's uh the first the opportunity to public be heard if anyone wants to uh opine. >> Oh, I moved the he [laughter] >> to do the microphone or >> you can just stand right your Yeah, wherever you'd like. It's fine. >> I can pick you up. Yeah. Um, I feel a little bit of a cold. So, >> I think we still want you. >> A great voice. [laughter] >> What's that? >> I still need your address. >> Address. Yep. >> I am um Nikki Orletki. I am a first grade teacher
118at Hill and Plane. Um I live in um um so thank you for letting um the public speak tonight. I appreciate your time. I want to begin by asking you to picture a 5-year-old child walking into a school for the first time. The child may be excited or nervous. They may be already recognizing letters or they may not yet know how to hold a pencil. For many children, what happens in this [clears throat] classroom will shape how they see themselves as learners for years to come. The reality is young children need to be seen, heard, and known. And that be that becomes increasingly difficult when classrooms are too large. Decades of research confirmed what ch what teachers witness every day. Studies such as the Tennessee Star project found that students in and smaller classrooms in
119kindergarten through grade three perform significantly better in reading and math and those gains um last well beyond the early years. The strongest effects appear in early literacy where foundation found sorry foundational skills must be mastered early to prevent long-term academic struggles in the primary grades. Learning to teach sorry learning to read is not optional. It's everything. Effective reading um instruction depends on small groups, frequent progress monitoring and immediate feedback. When class sizes are high, instructional time is is stretched thin. When class sizes are lower, teachers can listen to children read more often, identify misconceptions sooner, and intervene before a child child um quietly falls behind. But this issue is not academic. It's deeply human, too. Primary students are still learning how to regulate emotions, follow routines, and build relationships. In smaller classes, teachers can notice
120when a child is withdrawn, overwhelmed, or struggling emotionally, and respond with care and intention. In overcrowded classrooms, those quiet needs are often too often missed, not from lack of compassion, but from lack of capacity. Lower class sizes also result in fewer um behavioral disruptions, safer classrooms, and stronger teacher student relationships. When children feel known and supported, they are more engaged, more confident, and more willing to take academic risks. There is also a financial reality to consider. When students do not receive strong early um instruction, districts often spend far too much later on intervention on intervention services, remediation, and special education referrals. Investing in smaller class sizes early strengthens outcomes and reduces long-term cost. Finally, we must consider our teachers. Smaller classes allows teachers to teach effectively and with excellence, benefiting every child in the room.
121Keeping our student numbers low in the primary grades is not a luxury. It is a proven strategic investment in student success. When we strengthen the foundation, the entire system um grows stronger. Our youngest learners deserve classrooms where they are more than a number. They deserve the strongest possible start. Thank you for your time and your commitment to our students. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Coell. I'm a kindergarten teacher at Home Plane. I live in Battle. Um, I've taught in the district over 23 years and um, having taught kindergarten and second grade, I am able to speak from the perspective of an elementary classroom teacher. I also [laughter] served the district as a special ed teacher from 2002 to 2015. To answer a question asked earlier, students have changed as the world
122around us has changed. They've they have more emotional, behavioral, social, and academic needs than those of years ago. Adding to this, the academic demands of students at younger ages has significantly increased. I'd like to reiterate the importance of maintaining small class sizes, helping the academic, social, and emotional expectations placed on elementary classroom classrooms and students. At the elementary level, teachers are responsible responsible for delivering rigorous curriculum in multiple subjects while also supporting students social emotional development. Connecticut's restorative practices mandate further requires us to pri prioritize relationship building, student voice, accountability, and response to issues required to repair. In addition, developmentally appropriate playbased learning remains not only essential but required learners. All of these expectations are important and all of them require time and capacity. Small class sizes make it more possible to meet curriculum requirements
123while also addressing students social emotional needs. We allow teachers to teach routines, subject material, listen to students, build relationships, and respond proactively rather than reactively. In an elementary classroom, each additional student increases the number of transitions that must be managed throughout the day. More students mean more time tying shoes, lining up, more materials to labing, distribute, and collect, more movement between activities, more social interactions to monitor, and more individual needs to address. Each transition takes instructal minutes and adult attention. And as class sizes grow, those minutes add up quickly, reducing time available for direct instruction, restorative conversations, and meaningful relationship building. Without paraprofessional support, all of this attention comes from the teachers already limited time in class. In-class interventions, restorative practices, and play-based learning are especially dependent on manageable group sizes. Play buil build builds
124critical executive functioning skills such as self-regulation, flexibility, planning, and persistence. Skills that support lifelong learning and align with New Melford's goals for communication, critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving. From a special ed perspective, early support in smaller classrooms often reduces the need for more intensive interventions later, benefiting both students and the district. This year, I'm seeing firsthand how smaller class sizes positively impact learning, resulting in fewer behavioral behavioral referrals, more hands-on instructional time, and less need for intervention. These outcomes support student achievement, and help create supportive learning environments. Smaller class sizes also support stronger academic outcomes by allowing teachers to pro provide more targeted instruction, timely feedback, and early intervention. All of which directly contribute to sustained growth on assessments over time. Candidly, I'm about halfway through Dibbles and I'm amazed at the growth I'm
125seeing in my class. As the board moves through the budget process, I respectfully and strongly encourage you to prioritize prioritize staffing and supports that keep elementary class sizes small and responsive, taking into account enrollment off increases throughout the year. Thank you for your time, your thoughtful consideration, and for all the work you do. Thank >> anything else and uh I don't think we do without a vote for recess until uh tomorrow. Same time, same place. >> Thank you everyone. >> Thank you.