001if you'd like to join us. If not, step outside. You bow your heads. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for another year of opportunity to impact young people's lives, to be a positive influence on these folks, um to make a difference for our community. Um, we ask that you continue to bless the school corporation and everyone uh that uh works in it, our parents, our students, all our staff members, and those that uh help just contribute to what we're trying to do here. I ask that you be with the board tonight make decisions for the school corporation. We just uh ask for your continued blessings on Monro Central. In your name we pray. Amen. And please stand for the pledge. I >> aliance to the flag of the United States
002of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, it is January and start of a new year. So, we have a few different uh things that we have to do. They're actually going to have our school board a finance meeting first and then uh once we conclude that we'll get into our regular meeting. So, Indiana statute requires that um school boards beginning in the school year have a school board of finance meeting. Um, typically this is the only time this group meets, but obviously if things were in bad shape or anytime this group did need to meet, they could. It's made up of the school board and we need to reorganize that group. So, need some elections of officers. I'll take nominations
003for president of the board of finance for 26. >> I nominate Mr. Co for president of the board of finance. Second. >> So we have a recommendation and a second to nominate Mr. Co as the president of the board of finance. Do you accept Mr. Co? >> Yes. >> All right. All those in favor? I >> I. >> All those opposed one absent. And I'll take a nomination for Secretary of the Board of Finance. I'll nominate Bradley Ensky since he's not here to defend himself. That was my vote. I'll say that. Okay. We have a nomination for Mr. Ensky for Mr. Morris. A second. Mr. Swallow. I will ask him since he's not here if he wants to accept. But all in favor say I. I. >> All opposed. 401 absent. Mr. Co, you can
004take this if you want it. >> Well, I need that. That's very important. Once a year I can ask. Okay, there we go. >> So, what we have is our investment summary. We're required to give this each year. Miss Cheeseman's here tonight. Um, we'll get into some of this other things here in my report, but she's in charge of obviously our investments. We were looking back at our investments. Obviously, interest rates are really, really good right now. Something that we might want to consider especially as we get into policy though is our balance crest balance is really strong. Um you might want to look at some short-term investments uh some CDs. We've not done a CD since uh 2000 >> 2020 sorry 2020. So it's been five years since we've actually looked into doing that.
005So, so with that, Mr. Cheeseman put together your interest summary, but you can see what interest rates will do and and obviously when you have a good cash balance kind of all over the place on what kind of interest income we could generate, but 25 was a very very good year just from interest for the school corporation and our investments. So, any questions for Jessica on this? Okay. And then also included in your packet was um information or the actual policy that we have. And couple things I did want to point out. Just letter B of the policy. Um the board authorizes superintendent or the treasur to make investments of available monies from the several funds and one of those is certificates of deposits issued by financial institutions. So like I said, we'll report back
006to the board, but we're going to probably look at um looking into some short-term CDs here um in the real near future. So unless the board really objects to that, you've already authorized us to do that in policy. So questions. >> Don't have any objections to it in the banking industry right now. It's been a big push to non-matururing deposits. So you might have a better luck with getting a short-term uh rate on a money market or something, but I'm sure your banker will help guide you with that. >> Y good. >> Okay. Any other questions about interest income or the policy on interest? question for Jessica on that. Okay, then we'll go ahead and go into my report. The financial condition of the school board. Uh I basically put a one pager together and
007we're going to go through it here on the screen. It's also posted over on the u the schoolboard news board. Again, just so the public knows this is exactly what the board is looking at. We'll highlight these as we go down through these, but here are some fund balances kind of where we were at the beginning of last year versus where we are right now. Our education fund went from just shy of 1.4 million balance to just over 2 million. Operations funds up rainy day, we didn't we didn't have to touch rainy day in 25. So, rainy day stayed unchanged. And we do have a positive uh balance in our lunch fund. uh we ordered those passroughs and um we had to use some project money to pay for those, but we are solid now.
008We're we're a good position um with a positive cash balance and our our school lunch fund. So those are again are your major funds. Um feel really good about that. education funds never been healthier operations as we go into great uncertainty right now with property taxes and what's coming going away for example in another year um we we need to be in a good healthy position and I can tell you I think we are balancers are strong so we're prepared for obviously some uncertainty any questions on the balances Okay, here's here's the actual balance sheet. So, again, you already saw this, but there's your beginning of year balance. Here's your obviously your current balance for the different funds that we've talked about. All right, some other items. Um, the solar credit. So, that's kind of
009hanging out there right now. Um the financial adviser that we're working with our tax preparer has got all the paperwork ready. He's saying he's anticipating those tax forms will come out at some point in late January, midFebruary. And at that point, we are ready to file for our tax credit on our solar project. really don't want to throw out too many numbers there, but I I think you're talking about several hundred,000 coming back. We'll see. Obviously, with the federal government, we just never quite know for sure, but we're anticipating a nice credit. And at that point, once we get that credit, the board's going to need to make a decision on what fund that goes. And and right now, everything we've been told is that's at the board's discretion. So you can stick it in
010a rainy day, put in operations, you can you can split it, but uh that's going to be a good problem once we get it. One thing on the balance and this is a little tricky and I won't mess Jessica try to explain if she wants to, but I'll do the best I can on the curriculum materials. So we no longer have a separate curriculum materials account. In the past, you submitted your curriculum material costs and you get a reimbursement from the state based upon basically how many students you had and that was separate from your first student amount that you get each month. So we typically got a payment in December that's already baked in each month to that student amount now and that started last year. So um you know we are still running
011we are running a curriculum materials within the education fund if that makes sense. It's kind of a subcategory in education fund because we can't run a curriculum materials fund anymore. Correct Jessica? Am I saying that right? >> So really I mean we're not a negative 115,000 but we have no revenue to come in for that. So, it's coming straight out of your education fund, if that makes sense. So, for the calendar year 25, we ran $115,000 in curriculum materials, and that's your Chromebook purchases. That's in the licensing that we do. That's not part of 319 comp school loan. So, really, you got to take the 115 and that's what's on your cash flow. Your 115 from that overall education fund balance. So really all told we are not at $2 million in our education fund.
012We're more like one one nine or a little shy at 1.9. Okay, we are tracking that. We watch that each month. But just wanted to be clear on that. That works for curricul materials. Overall cash balance, we're sitting a little over three and a half million. Again, another thing, another reason why I think we need to look at some investments. Um, and that's an all-time high of where we're at. ADM, this is something I want to watch closely. Overall student count, this is K12 was down in the fall. We've talked about this. We have a small group of seniors graduating 62. But this is the last small class for several years cycles. So why that why is that a concern or why do I highlight that point? Well, obviously if you take a group of
01362 out and you replace them with a group of 62, you you break even. Um, if you graduate a large group of students like 85 the following year and you only replace them with 62 or 65, then you're going to have a net loss of 20 just from the fact of your cohort groups are aging out, graduating out. So, I don't want to watch that. We have a small kindergarten class. We got a small senior class. We're small on the ends and big in the middle, but in between, but need to really watch that because obviously that number drives your education revenue. It really does. >> How many kindergarters did we have at counting? >> 60 I think 62. >> I was thinking, too. >> Sorry. >> Somewhere I think I got it. >> It's
014real close. >> It's right here. There we go. There we go. 61 on count day. were at 65 last week. So again, here here's an example. And again, you know that these are placeholders because these are kids that are in power school, but they're not really there. These are kids that might be homeschooled that are here for a sport or something. So again, we're only at 62 seniors right now. 65 kindergarteners, but again, you got a group of minus six. So you got a group of 83 graduating next year. Um, so if you don't place replace that with a group of 80ish, then you're going to obviously get this number is going to change just because of that regardless of what happens in here between. Again, historically, this is a historically low number. I've shortened
015this sheet. You know that it goes way on out here if I had the whole thing. But we we have not had since I've tracked this for the last 16 years, we've not had a group in the 60s start kindergarten. It's a it's a super small group. So we hope to bounce back this year. We'll see. Questions on student count. So of that number of that 1028 and this has been a theme for years here. Um several of those students are out of district. So 342 of that 1026 live outside the district. Obviously that number is it grew quite a bit from 15 but for the last three or four years here we've kind of leveled off but the percentage has continued to grow. So one out of three% >> one out of every three
016student at Monroe students of Monroe Central K through 12 live outside Stony Creek Green Monroe Township assess valuation uh just went up slightly not much 263 uh we spent a lot of time the other night talking about this at the work session but The Union Township AV is just the Union Township AV, not including the Stony Creek Township that they have that will will be going to Blue River, but 250 million and AV at some point. We think in 27 certainly by 28 will come in to our overall assessed valuation for the school district. And we don't know if there's any other windmills coming off of tax abatement within that time frame. >> I do not believe. I think the first round of windmills were all Lynn. I think I remember that. >> I think
017there were a couple in Union Township. There were some in there. >> So the first round came off. I mean you saw Rand Southern's AV >> Drastically went up and the reason why is because the first round of windmills came off. Yeah. >> It's been 10 years. So that 10-year abatement expired and and they saw their AB skyrocket. Again, that's not all of them and it's not any of the solar down there. But I I don't I don't know if if there are any in a few. It's not the the majority of the ones that we've put up in the last five, six years. >> And do we know if the solar panels have the same >> ab same? Yep. Yep. Yeah. None of that is showing up in our AV any of ours AV
018until the abments expire. >> Is it 10 years? >> It is. I believe they're all 10 years. Yeah. Tax rate. So, I've got this in this presentation. Also have it in my superintendent's notes here later during the regular meeting. We got our 1782 notice back in December right before Christmas. Uh Jess and I reviewed that. again remind the board that we used uh Dr. Brian Harmon as a consultant this year for the first time came highly recommended Mr. Abraham and some other superintendents of the area. I would say that Jessica and I are very pleased with that decision. We appreciate the board's support on that. Dr. Harmon was fantastic to work with. U really gave me some insights. I mean I've been doing budgets for 10 years now. Jess is on her third, fourth, fifth
019budget and we learned some things. He does I don't know how many is he up to 22 24 budgets everywhere from Evansville to little Monroe Central. So uh he knows what he's doing. He's a retiring superintendent. I believe he's at LoDot. I think this last year at LoDe uh doing this for years and really helped us with some things. Obviously as things change with our AV think it's going to help us a lot too in the next couple years. But our tax rate went up. Um, we knew that was coming, but we kind of wanted it honestly to get back to kind of where it was at. Kind of want to level out here. We dropped off because we had some projects coming off and we just didn't take on on debt. Also saw our
020EV jump those years, but we're back up to work kind of we had established ourselves back in 21. So is the tax rate. Any questions on that? Interest income. We talked about obviously that that went up that helps. Right now interest income is in the education fund. Um it helps support education fund. Um Jess and I have talked a lot about this. We're not ready to make a recommendation tonight. coming up resolution for you. But yeah, as operations, the property tax revenue lit for example goes away and lit overund,000 just will be gone starting next year. We may want to think about putting interest income back into the operations fund. >> So can we talk about that just a second? I'm just curious because >> so we move money from the operations I'm sorry from
021the education fund to the operations fund every single year >> Every month >> transfer up to you can transfer up to 15% to self-sport >> and we do because our education fund is always stronger than our operations fund. >> Yes. >> And the operations fund has less restrictions on how we can move money out of it than the education fund does. The education fund is very restricted in how much we can move out. The operations fund is not. Why would we not put that in operations well? >> Because we were struggling a little bit in our education fund a few years as well. >> Okay. >> It's jumped back and forth. I mean, I've I've been on Well, Brad could tell you he sat here as long as I have. I mean, >> we depending
022on the health of the fund is when we determined. I mean, some years when you're only making a couple thousand dollars, doesn't make much difference at But we can always move money from operation fund to education fund. No questions asked. But we can't always do it the other way. It just it seems >> we were we had discussed having that resolution tonight. We decided not to bring it to you yet tonight because we have a lot on on the docket here and a lot to think about. I would anticipate in the next couple of months us bringing you a recommendation to do that. >> Right now both funds are healthy. I mean they're they're really healthy which is great. I'm just thinking being strategic for when we need to buy money in the future. >>
023I I as we get a better handle on what exactly is going to happen with the property taxes. Um I I think it may be absolutely necessary to help support that operations fund, but right now things are good. Basic pupil amount just just want to be clear on this. So there's a the budget cycle is a two-year bianium. they they typically frontload the first year. So that current pupil amount jumped quite a bit last year. At least proportionately it did. So we saw more money coming in, new money coming in last year. The 6,967. Um the jump in 27 is not nearly as big as the gap was the prior year. So, what I'm saying is if your ADM stays the same, you are not looking at a lot of new revenue in the education
024fund. You're only going to see new revenue in the education fund unless your enrollment grows. That makes sense. Okay? It will not be the same amount of revenue that we got in a revenue increase that we got last year even with a drop in enrollment last year just because they frontload usually each year each budget bianium cycle. Okay. Again, I'll talk about this in the regular meeting, but the A electric uh side of things really good. 345,24. Uh we paid just shy of 310 and 25. Obviously, a lot has to do with solar. We anticipate even better things there. Um one last thing, do distressed unit appeals board. They put out indicators. Um, I included some of their graphs. They're very interactive. So, it's not really good what you got in your packet. I encourage
025you to go to that website. Just type in due and you'll be able to get to that. And you'll be able to sort by any school corporation. They give you fund balances. I will warn you though, they're always one year behind. So, they're basing everything based on everything up through the end of 24. They really don't have a lot of 25 data in there. So, um, things things look good. Uh, just overall, I'll just say for the board of finance that, um, you know, we're in a very strong position financially and we were not two and a half years ago. We are in a very strong position financially now. And I think we're ready. We are prepared for what is to come. Well, I think being prepared for just like you said is we have
026a very small kindergarten class and we can't do many years of having very small kindergarten classes like that. So, yes, we are set for future, but we need to be very careful with that, I believe. >> Yeah. Well, enrollment drives your staff. It has to and it can't just be based upon, you know, your overall balance. I mean, if your enrollment goes down, then your staff go down >> and it shows. I mean, we've increased the balances. So, I think we're doing the right things. I just it's not need to be careful not to lay off what we've been doing >> with Cheeseman. What did I miss? Anything you want to add? >> Okay. Any other questions from the board? If not, I will consider this meeting adjourned and on to the regular meeting. >>
027Thank you, Mr. K. Appreciate Okay, school board. Uh the regular meeting um go ahead and call the regular meeting to order. Again, just like the board of finance, we are reorganizing for the 26th year. So, we need election of officers. Um the board elects president, vice president, secretary, and ISB a delegate each year. So at this time I will take nominations for president. >> I nominate Michael. >> Mr. Morris has been nominated. Do I have a second? >> Second that. >> Brads. Mr. Swallow does. M. Morris. Do you want to serve as president again? >> I accept the nomination. >> All right. All those in favor of Mr. Morris is your president for 26 say I. >> I. Opposed. You 401s. All the chief interested. >> All right. Thank you. Uh I will make the
028nomination for vice president to be Bradley Insky. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed. Motion carries 401 absent. I entertain a motion for secretary. Make motion Mr. Co. >> I'll second that. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. Is that a three 401 absent? And I will make the motion to nominate Mr. Swallow as ISBA delegate. >> Second. >> Any discussion? You accept there, Mr. Swallow? In [laughter] >> favor say I. I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. Fourth of the one absent. >> Uh at this time I will entertain and motion on the approval of the agenda. >> No additions. However, right before comments for patrons here, I do have a couple very positives I'd like to mention. So that's it.
029>> I move to uh make a motion to accept the agenda as is with the adjustments positives. >> Second that motion. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed carries 401 absent. >> Just two two bare positives that I have. um one and we we will try to get her in here, but we have a Lily scholarship winner once again at Monroe Central. She's fantastic. Congratulations to Hatley Hendendrickson and her family >> and for everybody that helps in that process staff members community. That's that's something to be very very proud of. So congratulations to Hadley. And then also uh I am not taking responsible. I told them that you guys didn't need it. But school boy recognition month. We have several people that have contributed. So thank you. >> I
030think Chartwells >> the little heart bags are from Chartwells. The blue baskets are from the celebration committee from the high school. And >> Sierra and Mandy, you guys are the basket of goodies over there with a nice note. >> So do appreciate you guys your service. You don't get a lot out of this, but we we certainly appreciate your leadership and making decisions that have to be made for our community or schools. Thanks, Joseph. Thank you. Thank you all. Appreciate that. >> Okay. At this time, we'll take comments from patrons. Uh, anybody that would like to address the board, uh, please step to the podium, uh, state your address and name and limit your remarks to three minutes or less, please. Good evening. My name's Andrew Dale. I'm from Muny. I live at 2609 West
031Petty Road. I'm going to be at your meetings on occasion. I'm running for Senate 26 State Senate and I just am here to listen and learn. So, I thank you for the opportunity to come. And um you have a Eastern Randolph Eastern also has a meeting the same night and time as you. So, I'm going to go every other month, but but don't think I don't love you. I just uh I will show up and learn more. And [clears throat] your presentation's really very helpful for me. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Thanks for being >> Thanks for coming. >> Anybody else? Just want to remind everybody this is the the best time to address the board on any issues that you'd like to discuss. All right, moving on to the consent
032agenda. >> Amen, claims, donations, uh fundraisers, some study trips, and then just one ECA personnel, volunteer assistant, girls, basketball coach. I'd ask for your approval of the consent agenda. Okay, I'll entertain an a motion on the consent agenda. >> I'll make the motion to accept it as presented. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose. Motion carries 401 absent. >> Okay. We have this slide every month. Obviously, it's right behind the board, but I think I try to each January at the first meeting of the year. Just kind of pause. It's short, it's simple, but there is a lot there and just reflect on the mission of the Mineral Central School Corporation. Um, we are here to engage and empower all students to excel in being productive and
033responsible citizens. So, that is what we try to do each and every day and I am proud of the people that are here that are attempting to do that. ISBA, the Indiana School Board Association, puts out a school board uh member code of ethics each year. Um I don't believe there have any changes since last year, but I would ask the board to um adopt this code of ethics once again for the 26 calendar year. All right. I'll entertain a motion on accepting the school board code of ethics. So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. 401 absent. >> Uh we need to set a regular meeting schedule and a location. So, traditionally, the board has met at 6 PM on the second Tuesday
034of each month here at the Minro Central Junior Senior High School and what we call the Millennium Room. That's store 13 and again at 6 PM. The one exception due to the July 4th holiday and the closing of the administration office typically meet on the 3 Tuesday in July. So, if that looks acceptable to you, I'd ask for your approval of the meeting schedule for 26. >> Okay. I will make a motion to accept the 2026 meeting schedule and location as presented. >> Second that. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. 401 absent. Uh just a reminder about this is information only but the conflict of interest policy policy 0144.3 just at any point where uh any conflict of interest need to be disclosed. Please make sure
035you see me or someone in the administration office. Talk to board now and we'll make sure the proper forms filled out. No changes on that. Appointments. I believe I've got these updated for 26. Corporation treasurer ask you appoint Jessica Cheeseman. Corporation deputy treasurer Alyssa Butterfield. Schoolboard secretary Elizabeth Swift. Corporation legal counsel defer Van and Steve Murphy specifically. U newspaper record the Winchester News Gazette and our Bank of Deposit First Merchants Bank. You can take these. >> You can take them all together. You can take them individually. >> Can I just abstain from the bank piece? >> You want to take them all? But that one take them all. >> You guys good with that? Taking them all banking. >> Uh, entertain a motion on the appointments as presented minus the bank of deposit. >> Second.
036>> Any discussion? All in favor say I. I >> motion carries 401 absent and I will make a motion to accept First Merchants Bank as our bank of deposit. >> Second that. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed. Motion carries 31 abstension one absent. >> Personnel items. Certified staff maternity leave. Jojo Swallow is expecting and at some point this spring, correct? Later on the spring, we'll ask for a maternity leave. So, congratulations. >> Pretty exciting. >> I'll make sure Clay knows that. >> I will move to accept the maternity leave for Miss Swallow. >> I second that. [laughter] Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed. Motion carries 401 absent. >> Uh Stephanie Lions. Uh this is a new position we're trying out at the
037elementary second semester student support. Uh this is classified as an instructional assistant. Um really giving Miss Hobs and Miss BL some the freedom here to move this person around as needed. They just need another set of eyes and hands to to help down there. There just so many needs. So, a lot of freedom here and u excited about this position. Hopefully, it's going to work out. You have anything you guys want to say about it? >> No, wait. She's still coming back. She came back yesterday. So, after a week in the job, so we're glad to have her. Sorry. So, student support at the elementary, Stephanie Lions is my recommendation. Okay. I entertain a motion on the MCE student support position, Miss Lions. >> So move. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor say
038I. >> I. >> All oppose. Motion carries. 401 absent. >> I am very proud of you guys of the three placements you've got for some of maternity. You've gotten some very strong temporary people. So >> very lucky. We're very lucky. Yes. So, we were very glad to. >> Okay. On other business, uh, farmland library board trustees appointment. I received a letter from Carrie Watson addressed to myself and the board asking for your consideration of an appointment to the farmland library board. Once again, um, Mandy Block, she is a longtime resident of farmland, has served on the board of trustees since 2020, and they are asking for this board to appoint her once again to the farmland public library. >> And again, just a public comment, you've explained this in the past, this is something that
039we do for them as a nonpartisan, just a a helping to make a determination as part of the community. Correct. >> That's correct. Is that correct, Board Member BL? That's what I've been told. Yes, that's correct. Uh, I will make a motion to approve the appointment of Miss BL for the Farmland Library Board. >> I second. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed? Motion carries. 40. I'm absent. >> Really unique opportunity. um would say probably a month and a half ago I was emailed had a phone conversation with a gentleman out of my named Greg Dixon. Greg is a member of the farmland conservation club and he serves on their board. He actually has a conservation club board meeting tonight or would have been here. Their board meetings line
040up I believe exactly Brent can tell you that. Uh Greg uh we sat down we got a uh a meeting about a program he would like to offer to Monuro Central students. Basically he would like to start um a club um and the conservation club would uh support this financially um and that is to start trap shooting program. This would obviously take place out at the conservation club. It is uh through USA clay targeting. Um they do have their own insurance and their own program. There are several schools in the area included all this information in your packet that participate. Obviously we have a great resource here with the farmland conservation club being right here next to us. But Eastbrook trying to find a couple schools that are nearby. Um I know Eastworks one, Westell
041is another that have participated in this in the past and with you know a lot of a lot of good Madison Grant lapel a lot of success. So he is looking to start very small. He would only like this would be high school only looking at probably 10 to 12 members on this team if if if we could get that. um he has been able to secure from the conservation club $4,000 for this calendar year um to help support this program. So, I I I've done a little research on it, talked to some other schools about it. I think it's a win-win. Brent, I know you're active out there. You got anything you want to say on it? Not necessarily a part of this, but I think it'll be a good opportunity. They'll run two
042seasons, a spring season and a fall season. So, that's a lot of fun. Shooting clays. >> Well, I've done some research to it, too. And they do a lot of gun safety in this. Um, uh, Tennessee recently passed a law that all schools are now required to teach gun safety. So, that's a very kind of cool thing that this program is being offered for our kids. U, we stand out as wanting to be an agriculture program, a rural area. I think this lines up very well with the values of our school and um what's being noticed in other states as an important thing is gun safety. So um as well as a member at the conservation club, I think our conservation club supports us very very well. Uh we're lucky to have him as part
043of the community. So I think that's fantastic. I just ask for your approval of this as an official club. USA Clay Target >> entertain a motion on the USA play target club assemb. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All opposed. Motion carries 401 kids, >> right? >> Do you know how they will take down? They say they have 30 kids sign up. I'm just curious. >> We're going to need to in his email, I think you saw I put including your bag. He said, "If your board approves this, let me know and work out theformational meeting, but I think you'll probably start with upper classmen first." >> Um, and we're just going to have to see. Yep. Obviously, there's tremendous costs associated with this. >> So, yeah, >> that's exciting.
044>> I I will keep you updated on how that goes. Pretty excited about Okay, superintendent report tonight. Some of this we've already covered. The 1782 notice did come in as I said earlier in the finance meeting. No real surprises there. Pretty much what we expected. It's a good budget and uh feel pretty good about 26. Obviously that tax rate is right where we want it. We'd like for it not to go any higher. So hope for a increases not to worry about that. Sraft renewal. This is property and casualty insurance. U we saw a 3.4% increase. That actually was fairly fairly good compared to what we were looking at last year. we saw in the teens last year, recall 16 17% increase. So feel pretty good about the overall increase there. A electric I do
045want to spend a little time on this because obviously the last two years we've really focused hard on this and trying from the LEDs to replacing the boiler to replacing some air handlers and then ultimately with the high school solar. Um but here's your here's your kilowatt KW for the last three years keeping in mind solar didn't come on really until the September I mean late mid August so I think we will continue to see a drop at KW 24 that was not a solar year but the air handlers at the high school that was a huge savings >> and you made some cutbacks as well just in use >> cut backs And that was we pretty much had made this transition to LEDs by 24. So you can see we we made some big
046gains of 24 and I think make some big gains in 26. So how does that break down? Again, here's your high school. You got to also keep in mind that during that air handler project for two months, we didn't we did not run the air. So you we saw huge savings there just because we shut that down. Here's your elementary. Pretty flat at the elementary. Obviously we're not doing solar there. I would really like to address, we talked about this in the uh work session last week. I'd like to address their air handler situation. I think you would see pretty significant cut in KWH if we uh replace their air handler. And then there's one air handler here here still at the high school down in the shop that's an original that really would help
047as well. So um here's your cost. So you can see what you know by cutting your KWH had we not had we had we not been able to cut cut back I mean you're talking half a million dollars probably being spent to a on electricity alone. So 2020 went down obviously because COVID get some shut down there but you can pretty much see you draw a line from 19 to 23 and you can just see the increase that even if you keep your KWS flat obviously the electric companies are going to continue to have yearly increases so making great strides there and it's certainly helping on operations. uh corporation vehicle. Last month I asked for permission to look for a vehicle to replace the Malibu. Jessica's worked really hard on this. Appreciate her her work
048on getting this done. I think we got a good vehicle. Got a 25 Traverse with the trade in uh 285. So well under what we gave you permission. So, feel very good about it. I drove it yesterday for the first time and it took me about five minutes to figure out how to put it in reverse, but tricky little knobs on it like motorcycle thing, but I I didn't It's a nice car, so it'll be used quite a bit. Like I said, the treasures use it. Brook takes it off and myself Jessica. So, we'll get some use out of it. Brent, you've driven it, right? I think you took it out the conference sort out. So, just saying again, it's it's either that or you're paying people mileage. So, we have always tried to encourage
049people to use corporation vehicles and in the long run, I think it saves saves our corporation. So, um since our meeting on Thursday, I did include a timeline from uh Steve Murphy on the new schoolboard election plan, kind of what we were talking about the other night. But again, for the public, just so you know, the board is in the process of uh reorganizing boundaries with the uh the legislation in place now for Union Township become part of Minro Central School Corporation on July 1st of 2027. They need representation on this board. So the board met Thursday in a work session to discuss you know how possibly this could be divided up so that representation would take place when it would take place and basically there's a process that a lengthy process the board has
050to uh has to follow including obviously advertisement and the news gazette a time for u folks to u protest if they wanted to that's 120day process and then uh it's time for comments and those type of things. So it's a five, six, seven month process. Um and I anticipate uh Steve's going to get a resolution ready and I think that that process will start next month. That's the formal process. Well, obviously I know the board's already started to talk about go back real quick just I mean you don't have to change the screen but on a >> yes you got big drops in a lot of these some are KW which is nice right and then others are dollars you've done you had done a lot of things in the last three years it'd be
051helpful for me if we could see hey the projection was we should have picked up make up a $100, right? Well, we saved 105, so why did we do better? Or we saved 80, so where was the best? So, you've got four or five things going on and then we're making payments. How can we see we make sure we're getting like out of the air handler what we should get and we're getting out of the solar panel field what we should get. I think we need to try and show that. So, we're lower. We've done three, four different things, but are each one doing what they're supposed to? Because if they're not, especially with a solar field, we have people we go talk to about that, say, why are we missing five grand, 15 grand,
052whatever the number is. So, not expecting you to have that answer when I ask you that question, but I'd like to look at it each month if we could or every other month or something like that go forward and make sure that we're getting what we paid for. So, something there that we could do in the future would be good. >> Do you want an AA state? I mean, >> no, you can do you can use charting as long as we can break it down and see. >> Yeah. >> Hey, June, I'm just going to say it right. June should have looked like this. It looked like this. Here was the gap. Yep. We got the savings. We should and all in >> when you said it should look like it could be us in
053>> I think Patrick what you're saying is is if we get a new air handler the vendor is telling us that it will save us >> x number of kilowatts over the next 12 months. >> Did it do that? >> And then you're looking to see did it actually do that? >> Did it do that? A is going to charge you whatever rate they charge you. the solar panel supposed to pick up x amount of the same type value and they have the seasonal math and all that that we saw on the front end and compare that to actual >> with the solar maybe the simple fact that it was cloudy or that it was colder or that it was hotter but at least we would know if we're ahead behind or even >> with
054the solar as a guaranteed energy savings project so they have they're not guaranteeing dollars >> right >> they're going to guarantee production >> absolutely >> so we are tracking that >> yeah Show it and then that way everybody see. Yeah, we got >> I track that one far too much. >> I should have never made it a tab on my work computer because I pulled up all the time. >> So on the website, if you look at the months now, it will say and and it's expected or anticip I think it's expected. So they have like a bar for each month. This was what is it was expected to produce that month and then they'll have an actual >> Yeah. >> Okay. So far, every month, but I believe December, >> we have had more,
055>> but December must have been like, >> yeah, >> not as much sun because we were actually a tick below what was expected that month. But those are displayed in both buildings. Uh, we have those running all the time and it's on a loop. So, kind of cool to look at. Like, you can get addicted to it. You can you can look I I always look if it's sunny outside I pull that up and like if my eyes hurt better today >> January should be good with snow >> December was not >> not bad it just was slightly off expected. >> Yep. We're going to continue to track power. I mean that's obviously a big cost to the corporation but but overall this we are we are saving doing quite well. So would like I
056said would like to replace a couple more air handlers as we look to future projects. I think that's going to be a big savings. That's all this force. Anybody have anything else? I do want to congratulate Miss Henderson on her on her Lily scholarship award and also thank everybody that I mean that started with her at home before she came to Monroe Central and all the way from kindergarten all the way up. So that was a great win for her obviously, but it's a total win and the fact that we've had so much success with the Lily scholarship over the years. We we turn out great candidates each year and we've been blessed to have several award winners. So >> and it didn't used to be that way. Like it's we've seen a trend recently.
057So that's a very good trend to see. That's one of those things when we talk about how we doing as a school, but you can't necessarily maybe our scores don't show something, but that right there shows we're doing things right. So, great job. I also want to congratulate the Lady Bears for winning their third county championship vote. So, they got the 3P and I'm getting the text messages right now. Sounds like they're doing well at Eastbrook. Unless anybody has anything else. Um, this meeting is adjourned. >> Mr. Pensky did text me and let me know he was listening.