001All right. Hey, hey. Heat. Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. It's 5:00. Call to order. Um, I don't think there's any electronic participation. Madame Clerk, do we have electronic participation? No, sir. Right. >> Uh, pledge of allegiance, Mr. Corner. Stand. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you, sir. Uh, is there a motion to approve the agenda? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Mr. Connor, Dr. Farmer, Madam Clerk, would you please call the role? >> Mr. Baron, >> yes. Yes. >> Mr. Alen, >> yes. >> Mr. Connor, >> yes. >> Dr. Gupta, >> yes. >> Mr. Depal, >> yes. >> Dr. Farmer, >> yes. >> Mr. Poe, >> yes. >> Thank you.
002Next one is fiscal year 27 budget discussion. Dr. >> All right. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> Evening. Um so tonight's discussion is just focused on both the current fiscal year which is fiscal year 26 which is the school year that we're in and the upcoming fiscal year 27 budget request which is next academic year. So for tonight one of the things that I'm going to I want to provide an opportunity for everyone so that you know received all of your budget request as well as the public comment that came up from the staff their request and that's all there in one document. So that was every single request and estimates of what each request would cost. And if there was something that we weren't really sure, if we couldn't quantify at this time, then
003we did indicate that. Another piece is what I'll cover is what I'm recommending to be a part of the fiscal year 27 budget and then what I'm not recommending. And of course, as always, I will explain why and the justification. And I really after that wanted to open it up for discussion, your feedback because you recognize that on January 20th I'll be presenting the superintendent's proposed budget and this gives us an opportunity tonight to get some really good feedback from you all so that Miss Jamie's and I can make any necessary adjustments so that we're ready at at that point. Um I do want to be clear when we start looking at requests if there's something that I put I did not recommend, it doesn't mean that I'm removing it from our current budget. anything
004that's on this list is above and beyond what we're currently funded for this fiscal year, this academic year. So, I want to be clear on that. So, if it's something that's there, don't think, oh, she's removing it. I'm absolutely not removing it, but I am not necessarily recommending it for the next fiscal year. Um, a couple things to to sort of have in mind um when we start talking about and I actually would like to start at the fiscal year um 20, it says 2526, which is fiscal year 26 budget request. So, if you open that document right now, Governor Yncan has recommended a 2% one-time bonus for SOQ or standards of quality funded positions. And we recognize with SOQ's that doesn't cover every single employee. Um, but we can't pick and choose between [clears
005throat] employees. Every employee that we have here at LCS is important to to ensuring that our students are successful. So, you'll see there on that one-page document that a request for this year um would be in in accordance with Governor Yncan's um remarks that he provided on December 17th. And it's also a calculation tool on the DOE website. The proposed is for us to have um a 2% onetime bonus and that's going to be $1.7 million. And granted, that's within this fiscal year. to understand that that would be within the current operating budget that that we have. We can't guarantee that we will have that funding at this point because it's within the operating budget. I know that you all were very creative last year and you made sure that those teachers and that staff
006was able to get that. We haven't received all of the detail. I remember like last year you didn't have to do the exact 10,000 and I believe you all did seven 750 per person. What we're looking at now is to get some more guidance because with the calculation tool, they haven't even told us what the compensation supplement is. And so a compensation supplement is essentially how much the state is going to fund towards that increase and how much the locality would be required to match that that increase. And so right now I want to make sure that you all knew this was on the table. Miss Jamus and I will um continue to monitor those funds to see absolutely what we can do [clears throat] because we want to make we'd love to be able
007to give this to the employees this year. So, we'll continue to monitor that and pretty much how you all that were on the board last year and the staff monitored last year. Okay. Are they any questions about the one-time bonus? >> Um and we will continue to I'm sorry. >> Go ahead. >> Okay. um part- timerrs will get 50% of what the full-timers get or >> I can say we don't really know at this time because they the state has not um outlined what this is going to look like. So they're just saying hey a 2% onetime bonus and usually after that with that direct aid template they'll let us know what we're getting and then let us know if we have some flexibility but with the transition and everybody recognizes there's a transition between
008governors. So this all these numbers could eventually change essentially change but right now we don't have the full template to know what that difference is and what we're able what flexibility we'll have with those funds. >> So go ahead. >> So is the new governor going to follow the existing budget because we we really don't know that for sure. >> We we don't we don't know. >> So that's a possibility they may change that. >> Yes. Absolutely. >> Just wanted to make a couple of statements. uh the standards of quality uh employees in LCS is about 500 plus and 600 plus are nonsoq. So when the governor says they're giving 2% increase uh more than half is unfunded mandate. >> Uh the division has to come or locality has to come up with that money
009from their own pockets and uh last year uh we gave $750 right miss correct me if I'm wrong. Yes sir. and it was about a million or more burden on our budget. >> So, uh we like to give it, but we got to have extra cash on top of what the council gave us last year. >> We were basically uh nickelled and dimed on everything. So, people have to keep that in mind and to to do your thing. It's still with the general assembly. The governor presents the budget to the general assembly. It goes through the different committees and the both sides of the uh I mean the house and the senate has to vote and the governor can propose amendments. You're right. So it's still up in the air. We don't know how much
010will it land, but I don't want people to build an expectation that LCS will have like last year everybody was thinking I'll have $1,000 coming my way is far far away and the governor if doesn't sign the budget till June and you know how long this session goes it may end up in next fiscal year. Those things are the realities. >> Yes. >> Of the word enrichment. >> Yes sir. And and thank you for that. You're you're absolutely correct because that is one thing that people really have to realize. Absolutely. We want to be able to do this, but now with there being a shift in governor and then this going through general assembly, this could all change. This could all change, but for right now, we have to budget based on what the information
011that we've received so far. >> Dr. M. Uh last year $1,000 was fair, but to me, this just isn't my personal opinion >> as an individual board member. 2% if I make $10 an hour is only 20 cents, you know, it's not a whole lot, but if I make $100,000, then 2% is $2,000. >> Mhm. >> So, um, last year having a fixed dollar amount, so hopefully general assembly will give some flexibility to localities to change percentage to a dollar amount. >> Yes. Yes, >> that way uh we are able to give everybody same amount not just hourly employees being hit with you know little peanuts and sounds like bonus but it's not [clears throat] really a bonus. >> So that's why we need to fight in the general assembly as it comes to allow
012localities individual school boards to decide how we want to use that money as percentage or as a fixed dollar. >> Yes. Yes. So my question is what about administration? >> Do they are they SOQ or are they >> some >> Well, yes, some are. I'm glad you asked that question. So I was looking at So for secondary principles, for example, you have five secondary schools because you have two middle school I mean three middle schools and two high schools. Well, they only in terms of what's SOQ funded is 4.8. >> So even though it's five people, it's only 4.8 eight that's funded and then that other um percentage is on us. >> Okay. >> Um our staff so for example for me in terms of um soq funded support position say for assistant superintendent they
013fund 2.4 I have one. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And but you had two before we had two but 2.4 for know if your your staff is left out. >> Oh, no, no, no, no. They're included. >> Okay, >> they're included. >> It's a very tedious process. It's 1.2, 1.1, half here, half there. >> Taking half figure out the whole math. >> Yeah. >> But thank you for for that, Dr. Gupta. And hopefully um this will come to fruition and we'll get a level of flexibility to be able to to help all employees. But one thing that would be wonderful if they decided when they want to change it within the that fiscal year and our budgets are set if the state actually gave us the money gave us all of the money and not have
014to tap into the locality at the last minute or readjust our budgets in January when the fiscal year is going to end in June would be helpful. >> Okay. >> If they if they want to help in that way that would be great. >> Okay. My next item is the fiscal year, it says 2627, which is fiscical year 27 budget request. And again, I wanted to take you through [clears throat] um it comes up as a 15-page document. If you can see in the first few pages, and you you've seen this, so I don't want to read it to you, but these were all of the various budget requests that came through. Whether it came through from the schoolboard members, um whether it came through for public comment, various departments, all of those items are
015there. Transportation, communication, rebranding, and I'm not going to read these to you because I want to touch on everything that I recommended and then what I didn't recommend. So, you'll hear all of this list together. Yes, sir. >> Is this for public? Can they see this document? Is it a public document? >> No. >> Yeah, we can move it to that. >> Could you move that to public so people can see? >> Yes. >> So everybody's it's transparent but we are seeing they're seeing it. >> Okay. >> Thank you. So if you're in the document, if you go about eight pages down to page eight, those are the fiscical year 27 recommended budget requests. So you see there I have for compensation. Um and you saw on the first request I had four options for
016percentage increases. This is for a 2% salary increase for all LCS employees for next school year. And the rationale behind that is the with the governor's budget, he did put in for a 2% salary increase for next year. And looking at that for all employees, I wanted to make sure that we put that in there. And that would r raise that base salary. I know we had talked about raising the base salary for teachers, the starting salary from 50 to 53, but that would raise it from 50 to 51, which is an increase. And but that also would make sure that all employees are getting that 2% increase across the board. The next item that I had have there is moving those hourly employees from 17 to $20 for the base salary increase. And beside
017it, let me go back. You'll see the estimated cost. So for the 2% increase, it'll cost um a little over $1.7 million for us to be able to do that. And that is including salary [clears throat] and benefits. for the next item to raise the base from $17 to $20. That would be about $1.4 million. >> Where is that? >> Next on page eight. >> Okay, >> I'm still on page one. >> Good. >> Okay. Thank you. And then here you'll see position step increase. We recognize um just doing some research that there are groups of employees that every other year get their step increase. So we wanted to make sure that we had that in there for that step increase to continue that. So that came to 1.7 million schoolboard stipen. I left that
018in there to reinstate it. This is just my opinion on this, but there are boards that get paid a lot more. You all meet a lot. I mean you have two meetings a month. you have several committee meetings. Should you want to be compensated for it, we just wanted to make sure we put and it's not a large item amount. I just wanted to put that back in there. Should people want to be compensated for it? We just want to make sure we have a line in the budget for it. >> Do all board members taking this typ? >> All board members here taking the stipen? >> Uh uh four took it at the end of this past fiscal year. >> Out of nine, four took it, five did not. >> Yes, sir. >> I
019just wanted that clarification. Yes, sir. >> Okay. >> All right. Um here for administrative support, an additional maybe 10,000 for advertising and recruitment so that we can continue to fill those vacancies. Academic success, expanding our alternative education program. We recognize that we were able to repurpose some of the funding so that we can work on expanding elementary, but we also recognize that we need to expand secondary. And then I know some of the committee, one of the committees is going out to view some other sites. So we wanted to make sure that we had enough there to make any additional changes for alternative education >> when you're done. >> Oh, that was it. We we put that there so that we could put some additional instructional resources and staff for alternative. >> Um knowing that
020we need to expand it tremendously. How many students additional students could be served with $350,000? Trying to think of where did we and Jen I know we were working on I know elementary we expanded we were looking at about 50 and then at the alternate rise location >> about how many students could fit in there >> we had talked about 30 >> yeah about 30 in that space. >> So you're saying 80 total >> roughly. >> Thank you. So question um because um we have met with the u city council and the school collaboration that we did before and we can look at I don't do you have a place for this because we had talked about buildings and where the city owns all the buildings the buildings they could give us to use that
021kind of thing. I didn't do we have building space >> we we've been examining um space that hasn't been used in some of our current buildings. >> Okay. All right. Yes, ma'am. Um, the next item was instructional support, increasing extra class period pay. I've had the conversation uh not only with LEA but several teachers. You recognize that we have teachers who are covering additional class blocks and in looking at that there people we want to increase that because if they're covering additional class blocks sometimes often times there's a vacancy in that area and we recognize we're going to go back and look at master schedule. only making sure that we're scheduling as as well as we should, but also if you're covering because we couldn't hire a teacher, we wanted to increase that that salary
022in that that area. So, we were looking at moving that from 6460 to um to 833 for cover. >> It's actually going to be 10,000. >> 10,000. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay, perfect. >> So, question about that too. um at the elementary level when teachers are out and teachers have to split a class and so that's a vase there is there a stipen for when something like that happens and you don't have any subs like how how will we handle sort of the same idea of there's there's a vacancy but you have kids that are there and they [laughter] need to be with a teacher. I think the difference is it's like hey that may be one day but if that's something ongoing then we would go and evaluate that but if it's just for
023that one day and I don't show up and you have to take my kids then then probably not with the class but these are people that they give up their planning every single day to teach >> another class. >> Yeah. They teach an entirely different class. >> Okay. Gotcha. >> Yes ma'am. [clears throat] >> Okay. uh special education, looking at two additional full-time positions for sped supervisor. We're continuing to audit special ed and and to work through some of those areas, but for now we are looking at adding two additional um special education supervisors to support families, making sure that we're in legal compliance, um etc. And under communications, we wanted to add $20,000 requests, some communication liaison. One of the pieces that we want to continue to improve upon is how we're communicating with
024families and ensuring that we can have things that are consistent across the buildings. We were looking at a stipen program so that it could be a person at each building that could help with getting that communication flow out to families as to what's happening in those schools. Could that also be our attendant people? Attendance people because they're the ones that check um if you're at school and call families and things like that. >> Yeah. Well, I would I would say no because they need to communicate like all of the different events, everything that's happening in that. Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. >> Thank [clears throat] you. You're fine. uh grounds equipment maintenance 75,000 uh replacement of some mowers or tractors snow removal equipment uh small engine equipment there school nutrition and this was something that those
025who are on finance and facilities committee that we were looking at as part of CIP but we couldn't put it keep it there as part of that payo account so we're putting back on here to see if we can get these school nutrition equipment upgrades [clears throat] as part of next year's budget And that would uh be upgrades to their [clears throat] excuse me walk-in freezers, refrigerators, dishwashers, cooking equipment that we couldn't purchase through that that funding. Information technology powers school cis update. We're currently with infinite campus. Powers school is used by probably most divisions and it gives us better access to some assessment tools and things. So, we're looking at trans transitioning to powers school >> and what that would look like. Uh administrative support for HR compliance officer. It has been a great
026need to probably have a standalone compliance officer for HR. there a [snorts] lot of um there have been several policy uh maybe violations and concerns and it truly a standalone person would be helpful to help us work through some HR concerns that staffing and may have instructional support. And this is this was my request addition of some some deans at the middle school and just individuals who can just work on discipline so that we can have time for the principles and assistant principles to truly work on the instruction and academics. Not that these are the only schools that are um at risk, but when you're looking at the three middle schools and all three are in needs, you know, um a federally identified and needs intensive support, we want to provide some additional support to
027all schools, but when we're looking at that, they're spending a considerable amount of time on discipline and we want them focused on instruction academics. So, we were looking at these would be full-time positions, but it would be teaching, you know, teachers pay scale. so that those individuals can go in and just focus on handling the disciplinary pieces and have the principles and assistant principles they need to be in classrooms and not have their hands tied with those things because you can't get to instruction if someone's not [clears throat] >> appropriately. >> I just want to say >> isn't there a name for those for that position that was there before COVID and then it was eliminated during CO and now would you like to bring it back? Someone I'm trying to remember the name of
028this this position that were was eliminated across the board. >> Was [clears throat] it a dean of students? >> No, it's just it's a one-word term for those people that you're describing. Exactly. >> Was it the interventionist? >> That's too long a word. >> Secondary interventionist. >> It did. That's not the term that they used. This position existed beforehand and was removed because of the lack of um funding. um and they ran around and they did exactly what what you described. So I don't know if this is a reoccurrence of the same >> specialist >> if I may there were some deans that we employed through um the co esser funding >> and so when that funding expired those positions were were um terminated. So >> I was just going to say kudos I like
029the idea that's good. What type of persons would these be degreged people or just >> Yes, I would like to for them to be individuals that maybe are working on their administrative degree. So, it could be a teacher that's [clears throat] working on the administrative degree or a counselor that's working on that degree, but they don't necessarily have to be licensed yet as a principal or assistant principal, but as a dean, but someone would have a good relationship with kids, but that is going to be able to go in and just handle those disciplinary pieces for us. Uh the next item um is is one of my requests and speaking with uh some of the administrative staff in terms of the um prek looking at maybe having an early childhood support specialist just so that
030they could provide some targeted social emotional behavioral support for um our young students. that person could assist teachers with strategies, collaborate with families because right now with one of the schools, well actually with both you have their principal slash um VPI coordinator and the principal slash versus hey this is my my um targeted role. So that was something that was a request and I wanted to put that in there for them. Instructional support for special education, school level purchase services for special education program. And that's just an increase that's there. And then school level purchase services for private transportation special education students. And you recognize special ed costs are always increasing. operations, maintenance, material supplies, building maintenance, an additional um and this is sort of fluid. We put an additional 179,000 there to look at
031if we have to do anything to the physical plant to expand alternative education. [clears throat and cough] >> All right. And then of course 82,500 potential increase projected increase for liability insurance. So my total request or recommended request are totaling uh 7,161,238. Any questions on what I requested or do you want me to go to not my recommended or do you want me to go to not recommended and then open it up? [clears throat] >> I had a question. that going back to your compensation. >> Yes, sir. >> And the number one is 6% increase which costs additional $5.1 million. So I'm correct in reading that basically 6% includes 2% of the governor's currently recommended pay increase for our employees. >> Yes. >> Right. It includes >> increasing the teacher salary base from 50 to
03251,000 >> for the 2%. Yes. >> Right. Mhm. >> And it includes raising the minimum wage from $17 to $20 an hour. >> Yes. >> It looks like 6% increase, but the the ingredients of that which comes may look like a 6% increase is how does it affect me? If I'm making minimum 17 an hour, my wage will go up to $20 an hour, right? >> Yes. If I may, the 6% takes our current base salary of 50,000 up to 53,000. >> So that is the difference of getting us up to 53,000. We would uh the governor would cover 2% minus our local cost that comes in on the cap tool and then we would have to cover the additional 4% and then um >> I think he's just talking about the 17 to the
033$20. Okay. >> He wasn't talk about that. >> Okay. >> So, yes, with the 2% that's going to bring the 50 to 51. So, the base would start at 51. But yes, that 17 to 20 does reflect about 6% to move that scale up and then everything else is a two. >> You may have better better data, but the localities around us the average starting salary is in mid50s, right? >> Um, some of them are lower than us. We're about mid-range. There's only one locality um that is higher [clears throat] uh than us. >> Which ones are lower than us? >> Um Bedford County um is lower starting salary. >> They're about 48ish unless they increase this year. Um the last salary study that I did in our region we were about uh mid-range of
034of starting salaries >> but the data presented to us was about 53 54 55 range. I >> I can only present data that I received from the CFOs. So um that's where my data was. Bottom line is we we need to compensate our faculty and staff well. >> They take care of the most precious assets >> every citizen has. There are not no no two ways that we have been left out and and this is a not a political statement Dr. for years our funding was decreased >> year after year. >> Yeah. >> And last year Mr. Jalim proposed and I disagree that but today I think I agree with him on that. He said we should present a budget of need, not a budget of what the city can afford. >> And I think
035uh my humble request to you will be it should be the budget of need, what the district needs, >> what our employees needs, not what the city hall will tell us. I'm going to give you this much >> and that's going by what he said last time. Yeah, I'm legally obligated to present a budget of need and my budget requests what I have so far is 7.1 million above what we currently >> last year we were tied up with what they are planning to give us and [clears throat] we ended up getting much less than what our needs were and our people end up holding the bag. you know, they complain that you give me from one hand and you take it out from the other hand and insurance premium increase, inflation, you name it
036and it's there. >> Mhm. >> And uh that's not fair for employees. You know, we we you give out $20 paycheck increase, but the premium goes up >> and that is negative going forward and that's not good. >> Thank you for um clarifying that. >> Oh yeah. Yes, sir. Um, I thought we had somewhere in here where we're looking at security like we're we imple when we finish implementing the metal detectors and those type of things where we would have ongoing training and assist um support to keep >> for the metal detectors. I >> I didn't receive any requests from school board regarding um security features. We do get some support from our grant funding for things of that [clears throat] nature, but there was nothing identified um in our request from the school board.
037So, [clears throat] >> okay. >> But this is the time because we're working on the numbers and that's why we're discussing for that. >> We already have something for that though. >> Yeah, that's what I I >> No, no, not on here. I received an email about a month or so, two months ago about the metal detectors if you wanted to be on that committee and I guess there's a grant for it already like you said >> we have some grant funding that's set aside for security of our our buildings. Yes. >> Yeah. A lot of the security funding [clears throat] came through DOJ in terms of like our security officers and metal detector. It's the but that has a lifespan of 2 three years. >> When the funding dies away, then you got to
038have the operating then. Yeah. >> Okay. >> October 8th. I got an email that says [clears throat] that we approved the metal detectors in schools last night. That' be October 7th. >> We did. >> Yeah. But I was saying at some point we we're talking about some ongoing training of staff that's going to monitor those [snorts] detectors. Um we put the detectors in. I thought there was some ongoing costs that we would have to cover to maintain or make sure that we have them covered. The people that monitor them are trained. >> Yeah. We'll do the >> Yeah, the training that that that'll be part of the implementation, the the training. >> Okay. >> And staffing of them. >> I mean, it was some questions that I thought we had covered them in our finance
039meeting and I don't know why it didn't show up here. I just thought it was an ongoing call that weren't included in grants that we need to make sure that these things take place. So essentially with the training once we it's it's I'll be I can do the training for for how to do metal detectives. I think if you've worked in a school like that it's going to be a lot of procedural pieces but those are the things that we're working through now because I think sometimes people think you have to have all this additional staff. A lot of times you just got to have strong procedures and processes of how you're doing it. Um we are very um thankful that we have good SRO's and those people are working in the building and the
040school security officers, but it's we we can work through that that training piece. I will go back and look and see if we need to add some additional equipment pieces >> because I'm thinking that in that original we were talking about the main entrances. Are we covering the sports the um athletic entrances, basketball games, volleyball games? Are those going to have equipment? >> And if not, then we some point we need to make sure that there's equipment. >> We are still working through that that that process. I mean, we use rhinestone, other companies for football and >> and we're sports. >> We're currently phasing in the wands already. into our core sports. So like basketball is starting up with the wands as well. >> Um as far as training goes, we have our first training
041coming up for staff midmon. >> Uh and then we've got our um it's going to be a hybrid training. So a portion of it is going to be in person and then a portion of it is also going to be online so they can have an assessment portion of it as well. And then to cap that off, there's going to be a third portion before we actually start implementing where the staff can be on site working through the training themselves and ask all the questions and and have all of their concerns addressed as well. >> Many of the places that we've had, we've seen the metal detectors and just other things, they're portable, so you can move them to other locations, too. So, if you're utilizing them through [clears throat] sporting events or something like
042that, um they can they are mobile. They are much lighter than they than they used to be. >> I know the most recent things that happen is usually the the one that we remember because we just had something last month that involved a >> a sporting event. >> Yes. >> So, I just want to make sure that going forward that we have a plan to make sure our sporting events are covered. I know at the stadium they're covered really well, but sometimes going into the basketball or volleyball or wrestling events at our schools, I don't know if we had the same security in place. >> Yes. >> When the biggest the the thing that came up in one of the meetings I was at was the equipment is easy, but getting people trained well enough
043to know what to do in the event that something is found is really where the tough part is. if finding it triggers a particular response, uh you need to make sure that the people that are there to supervise are capable of handling it. So, it's not so much the equipment, it's really the people that are going to be there. >> A question for that to that. So, will are the police regularly at our sporting events? >> Yeah. >> Okay. All right. >> Okay. >> If it was going to cost some money, I want to make sure we need it. Put it in here. So we could ask for it. >> We will go back and and and look at that. This is this is what this is about tonight. Um you'll see items where it
044says next not recommended. And when I say not recommended, it does [clears throat] not mean that I don't feel like that it's not important, but some items are already kind of blended in. Some are going to be um like you see here, the 6% increase, 5% increase, 3% increase. We want we put several options in there because we weren't sure at the time when we were building this what the state was going to do and that information didn't come out until we were on the holiday break. So, Miss Jamies and I spent some time together over the break just trying to make sure that we we had these options together, but a lot of these options were created based on sort of historical >> information from previous years. One year we got 3%, one year
045it was 5%, one year it was um 7%, one year six. So it's been different probably the last decade almost every year. And so we were playing with some of those numbers. Uh you'll see there with the 50 to 53. Uh the personal days piece, we really want to go back and take a look at that. I know that that was a request, but I'm not sure if that was something we could dig into right now that really rose to that level because we need to see how many employees actually would qualify for that and if that's something that is feasible um within the division. As far as expansion of early childhood capacity and funding for self-contained classes, we really weren't able to count to quantify that at that time. So, that's why it wasn't
046something I was moving forward. I didn't want to just pick a number. Um, I think that's something we'd have to look at. I know it says employees that take on self-contained classes. I was a special ed teacher. You kind of knew that you were going to, you know, you knew you possibly could have self-contained or inclusion classes. >> Um, the increase in academic coaches stipen. It says the coaches are at 1,000. Request to raise it to 2,000. I think that's something that we should take a look at. We're going through some uh training and things now. Looking at what our coaching cycle looks like. looking at what our coaching looks like. And so I do think that that's something we can kind of bring to the table a little bit later. The fully funded community
047and parent director position, uh, that position is not in jeopardy. Um, it's our current family liaison engagement, Whitney. It's just easy to say it that way. >> And she is doing that plus uh virtual Virginia. And that's just a nature. We all have other task and other other hats, but it's it's not in jeopardy. It's not in jeopardy. Um, accelerated reader. Uh, this is something that u I was saying recommended not to add it to the budget because if this is something that our schools want at this time, they need to get in touch with Dr. Davis's office of teaching and learning just and and request to have access to to do it. >> So, it's already available. >> It can be available. Yes, ma'am. within the current budget division rebranding. Absolutely. We know this
048is important. Um, however, it's really hard to quantify at this point. We're going through that strategic plan process. And so, what that's going to look like at the end, it it's really hard to quantify whether that'll be 150,000 or 50,000. And so, that wasn't something that was putting on right now at that time as far as a recommendation. Um, until we sort of know where we land and then we can we can uh look at that that piece here when it talks about transportation fleet replacement fund. I do think we need to take a look at um the school buses that we have and what's happening with the various school buses and looking at our routes to ensure we may have some buses that have very few students. We have some buses that have a
049lot of students. I think we need to see what our routes look like um before we're just buying a bus or buying other things and adding to it. Um because there are some buses that sit on the lot um each day. >> Will you be including close to home? I'm just looking looking at the >> Well, if we're going to investigate the routes, looking at close to homechooling, bringing kids closer to their schools that's in their neighborhood would help with the transportation routes. Also, >> I think at this point, the early stages, I really just want to see what are the counts of where kids are going right now. Okay. Where they are. >> Right now, the schools that are in schools that concern me the most right now are those that are in intensive
050care. And the one that our elementary that's in intense care doesn't have any out of except for the go center. Everybody's in zone. They're not. Yeah, they're close to home already. So that's not the issue for RS Paint. And um the other intensive care schools, our middle schools and all those are as close to home as you can get as a middle school. That's we you know what I'm saying? So that's not the issue that's causing academic problems in those schools. So, I'm thinking close to home is not a big enough issue. >> I'll show you some of the maps I have. Not to waste a lot of time. I'll show you some of the maps. >> But we do have buses. I was there for 14 years. We have buses [clears throat] that sit.
051Um they're they're um sub buses, but we we probably can go a cycle or two without buying new buses at this point. And that's with me gone for four years because I'm seeing seeing new buses. [clears throat] So, >> uh, the next item or the actually the next two items, the electric school bus charger upgrades and the maintenance vehicle fleet replacement fund. I was not recommending these because you um at the last meeting you all had approved for us to go for me to go to city council to request that that fund balance go into those three categories and that one of the categories was for the uh chargers were on there as well as um updating the maintenance vehicle fleet. So that would be a part of those costs. So should that and that
052was you all's fund balance that was our fund balance. So, should that be approved, that would cover those those costs as opposed to put them on next year's budget. And [clears throat] then, um, another item, the last item that I did not recommend was the tuition training reimbursement from human resources. It was a request for 200,000. I really want us to to take some time and really as a team map that out and what that's going to look like, what that reimbursement I don't say when I was here 20 something years ago, there was tuition reimbursement. Um, but I want to look at what does that look like? Um, because I remember at that time and I was no one required me to give any any additional time to the division. I was just I
053was given the money and it helped to pay for my master's degree. And I wonder how many people over time that there was no stipulation of hey, you got this money, you should be giving back some time. So, I want us before we put anything out there like that, um, because I definitely want to grow our own people, >> but let's map it out and what that looks like. And if you're getting money from the division, you should be giving the division back something >> like a minimum period of um, retention. >> Yeah. Like year, two years, something in addition, but versus No, you don't, you know, you get a free master's degree or get a bachelor's degree and you go somewhere else. >> And then you go somewhere else. >> Four years military service.
054[clears throat] Um, many places do that. Truckers, you know, train for free as long as you come back and work for us. >> Absolutely. Works all >> I know we had it with in transportation. If you came and got your CDL, then you didn't stay a certain period of time, then you had to pay that training cost back to the I don't know how often we enforced it, but it was there because we did have people come get their CDL and then, >> you know, Yeah. >> leave pretty quick. So, >> that makes sense. >> Absolutely. We have a lot that we have to we are triaging and cleaning up and just didn't want to add an extra layer of something that could cause confusion. So right now I know it's important but that was
055the last piece. So that was all of my recommended um items and not recommended items. >> What's your total ask of the about the current >> funding from state and local? >> My total ask So >> for fiscal year 27 is 7,161,238 >> in over in addition over top of our overall budget >> current budget >> of the current budget. So in addition I need an additional $7.1 million. >> We don't know how much the state will fund that right or the you're asking all from the locality. This is ask from the locality. Well, for the compensation piece, the compensation supplement is already built into that. Built in so that part's already built in, but everything else, I mean, essentially, this is the total amount from the locality. >> Yes. >> Questions for Dr. Me.
056[clears throat] >> Great job, >> Mr. P. >> Uh, just a question. I wanted to circle back around on the power school um line. Um in terms of that implementation, is that something that um like a few parents are are involved in just for the user friendliness or >> I think once we get the implementation because a lot of it for us is going to be rolling that data over right now if we're able to get powers school and then of course we would do training for how once on the user end once we have it in place to be able to show parents how to use it. So I was asking So to me it would So you're already pretty much sold on using it. Um because I wasn't asking about training so much
057as just having before you roll it out actually having a just a few parents just to test it out since there you know it won't just be I mean they'll be part of it as well. I I think parents to to look at it, but I'll tell you a lot of it is to to so that we can store our data and everything better and so that we have better access for our teachers and for assessments and mastery connect and other other programs and but I will tell you as somebody who looks at Infinite Campus and then and you look at P school, P school is so much easier and user friendly for a parent and even a teacher and and I'll say I feel like I'm really [clears throat] techsavvy, but Infinite Campus is
058probably I think it's a bit more difficult just to even pull your data on a kid and be able to see >> just a full snapshot of everything that little Johnny has done versus >> it's like you have to keep building out tables and I have to get somebody to build a table to get information whereas in P school I can do a couple clicks and generate a report. >> So you all are already pretty much sold on it. >> It's not that many programs out there. There's not that many student information systems that are really out there for this type of work. >> Is that something that like the is full full comes as stock or can it be integrated in some way to that you know of so in terms like if can
059is it a stock program or can it be modified by some of your IT staff to build into it? >> Yes. Yes. Customized for >> customized Yes. >> Are there any other um programs, things like rank one, some of the other things that are used that that you guys are looking at >> for the student information system? >> Uh I uh I'm not sure if that I guess if that follows under there. That rank one I think they use for like physicals and things of that nature. >> Oh, >> sports forms and things of that nature. >> No, I was just looking at our our information database for the data. >> Okay. Appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Other question. >> Dr. Farman had >> Okay. I'm sorry. [clears throat] >> Fantastic. Fantastic. Thank you
060for all your hard work. >> Thank young lady. [laughter] >> Yeah. I was wondering in the event that you do not get the 7 million. >> Yeah. Do you have a contingency plan or backup in terms of maybe why you would cut or whatever is that? >> So the way the process works, we we present this plan to the city council. >> All right. >> And it's up to them to fund how much they fund or not fund at that time she'll come back to the board again saying >> so you're not really dependent on the state on you're not putting that into the equation what the state is going to give. >> That's why it's all locality. Right. Right. Okay. >> [clears throat] >> Have you looked at all these things with the angle
061of what can I divvy up and delegate to parents to the public to volunteer organizations? One of the things you mentioned uh this uh dean type position [clears throat] reminded me of dads on duty and another group that's very similar. They go into the schools, they work with the kids and um they're all, you know, background checked and trained and then they get to do that and doesn't cost anything to the school division. as many of these line items that you could find this equivalence to. I think that would be a good idea. Um, if not up front, but as a as a backup if you do not get a particular line item funding, then is that something that we can say, hey, dads on duty can fill this this particular position? I would say
062I'm not sure about that because when I think about discipline and someone following our code of conduct and ensuring that things are going to be handled consistency I don't know consistently I don't know if I want a volunteer necessarily coming in and doing that because there may be something that rises level that I we may have to bring it to the board. I want to make sure that ensure that at least our people are trained and they understand and they're under contract with us so they're obligated to follow our policy and ensure that everything is handled in a certain way. So maybe for some of the other things and I'd have to look through but I would be a little bit nervous um about having a volunteer handling >> and Dr. I was also thinking
063too, parents don't want that responsibility. They're just there to [laughter] be a support, but not to they probably wouldn't feel comfortable dealing with other people's children in that way. So, we want we don't want to put that pressure on parents. >> Yeah. And and I have to protect the division. I I wouldn't feel comfortable if it wasn't handling that. >> Yeah. Just generally speaking, all the line items that you could >> Yeah. Oh, absolutely. I I'll definitely look back through and see where we can get support. Other comments, questions. Thank you, Dr. M. >> Thank you. >> You have more? >> No, no, no, no. I was going to ask one question. So, or a statement, Mr. Connor, after we get that amount um to see if there's anything additional, then I will update this
064and send this back out to you all so that you can see the updated amount. And then, of course, we'll pull all this together and I'll do my presentation January 20th. Miss Dave will make that document on board dogs public. >> Yes. >> Updated document. >> Give us a few days. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Yes, sir. >> Just one recommendation. When you you're going to present this to the mayor or the whole board, the whole council >> for this on January 20th, I'll present the proposed budget to you all. So, it'll be in a presentation format. >> Yes, sir. >> I have one question. I'm sorry and we may talk about this later touch base on it but the uh how much did the strategic planning uh process inform this or or is
065that sort of to be determined as we go forward with that process? >> It it's sort of to be determined as we go forward that with that process. I mean we recognize the overall goals are going to be about academics and it's going to be fiscal stewardship and and human resources and staff and safety. So those big broad areas, we wanted to make sure that it reflected that. But of course, once we have the strategic plan, a solid strategic plan in place when we do budget next year, we'll see it be very different because we'll be able to say >> these requests align with and I like doing budgeting that way. I rather look at these requests align with goal number one and the goal is X, Y, and Z. This was a little different
066year because we're building it and we still have to be able to move forward. Well, that's what I was curious, you know, because I know we're sort of in a data collection stage in that process. And so, man, you trying to make budget priorities based on an old strategic plan as you're trying to put new like it's, you know, it's got to be a challenge. So, I I think it it certainly sets sort of a starting point for how we talk about our strategic priorities from here. >> It does, and you're absolutely right. And and one thing I that I didn't do, I didn't go to the O strategic plan, but I did through your requests and conversations one-on-one with principles and staff and because they're living it. They know the needs. They're there. You
067all see it from your level. I see it. My team and I see it from my level. Buildings see it entirely differently. And we had those few community groups that um community members that came forward. So, I try to look at all of those things and say, where [clears throat] are we right now? and what are those things that we can prioritize? But you're absolutely right. Once we get the strategic plan in place, that'll be helpful with aligning each thing with each goal. >> One last [clears throat] little recommendation is something I I said years ago. I'd like you to [clears throat] consider capturing the parts of your presentation with one or two illustrative um persons or events that really bring it down home to someone's life and how the the budget really impacts the
068individual, not just the overall um perspective or viewpoint on the school system, school division. Because stories sell. >> You can talk about facts and figures and you can figure on facts so many different ways, but when you can say that, hey, the a $1,000 increase here will help a a mom of two to survive better. There's so many different things that you can you can bring out as you move through your presentation. I think that brings a tangible [clears throat] uh support to what you're saying. >> Thank you for that feedback. Thank you. >> Thank you Dr. Mij for your thorough presentation. Uh next one is the human resource report. Dr. Mij >> and [clears throat] and that's just a work session and consent item. So it's to >> Is there a motion to approve
069the >> approve? Motion approved. >> Mrs. Lowry is a second. >> Second. >> Dr. Farmer. Madam clerk, would you please call the role? >> Mr. Baron. >> Yes. >> Mr. Alain. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Li. >> Yes. Mr. Connor, >> yes. >> Dr. Gupta, >> yes. >> Mr. Depal, >> yes. >> Mr. Julio, >> yes. >> Dr. Farmer, >> yes. >> Mr. Couch, >> yes. >> Thank you. Next isformational item, discipline data review committee, January 8, 3:30. Finance and Facilities, January 13th at 3:30. LCR on January 20th at 3:30. Next school board meeting on January 20th at 5:00 p.m. Academic success on January 27th at 3:30 p.m. Meeting is adjourned. Thank you.