001I aliance 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. >> Good evening everyone. >> You must be outside still waiting to come in. >> You think you've thrown the big crap? It was a late edition. They might not know. There might be comments on the 26th. >> You'll have to come back again. At this time, it is our public input on agenda non-aggenda items. We welcome any members of the audience to speak at this time. >> Mr. McShaney. >> All right. Thank you everybody. I've been really working hard on practicing how I can do this and get everything across to everybody in the shortest amount of time a lot of time including including the thank
002you so Mr. Carmelo Dr. want to thank you guys for your ongoing support. The board of ed all everybody sitting here really uh the it's one of the reasons that I love being in this district is because really the work is aligned. Everybody's aligned and everybody is all about kids. I think that's the best way I can say it and uh that is a very that's a feeling that gives me a a lot of pride and it gives me an opportunity to talk about why we've been able to get a lot of stuff done. We've been able to make a good impact for our kids. So, I'm going to Hi, Mr. So, I'm going to uh just go through. We got a mixture here of some data. And uh last year when we talked about
003data, we're able to talk about a lot of the progress, but we also put some pictures of kids in there because I think it's important when we're looking at bar graphs that we're also paying attention to the kids. And that was the helpful advice of some people that I talked with today. Also, get some kids in there so that we can see it's not just numbers. These are actual Troy students, Troy families that we're we're uh having a positive impact on. So part of the expedite this process mission and vision is the same. We've kept it the same. The the words we've always stick to is together and relentless. Uh that is a big part of our project at Troy Middle School is to make sure that all of us are working together and that
004we never stop working. Uh things are things have worked well. There's still a lot of things that we need to work on, but we're going after it full speed all the time. Uh despite whatever challenges there might be. And then our vision, uh the big thing there is, uh students learn by doing. We're seeing more and more classrooms where our our kids are really engaged. They're doing, more kids are raising their hands, more kids are involved, and it's fun to walk in in our classrooms and see that uh see that occurring. These are our commitments. I'll just again briefly explain them to commitment one is our academic commitment engaging relevant literacy instruction in all content areas. If our kids are strong readers, writers, communicators, thinkers, then they're going to be good mathematicians, they're going to
005be good scientists, they're going to be good musicians, artists all across the board. So, we have a tremendous focus on literacy and uh we we believe that's making a we know that's making a positive impact on our kids. And then second, our school community. We found a really good balance of making sure that our kids understand exactly what's expected of them, what our what our our protocols, our norms are, and then we spend a lot of time with them just building community so that they're supportive of each other. The classrooms are are places where the teachers are supporting the students, the students are supporting each other, and then all of our sports staff is really uh working together to get that done. So, uh, we wanted to be really concise there because, uh, we want
006to go really deep into those two things, which we've been able to do. Supporting the work. Uh, yonder pouches. I am going to spend some time on this one because I have to thank you guys. There has not been a team meeting that we've gone into or a faculty meeting or any kind of a meeting where our teachers have not thanked us uh, and thanked you guys for supporting this, for allowing us to to get the yonder pouches in schools. uh the the I I just can't tell you how transformational it has been that the kids aren't on their phone, they're talking to each other, they're engaged, they're not trying to sneak out and meet each other in the bathroom. Uh those things have been greatly reduced and it has just been an an allgether
007transformational experience. So, uh, I was just talking to some people in Saratoga, uh, that that came actually to to check out some things we're doing and they actually said, I just give a lot of credit to your district for being out in front of that and, uh, actually taking taking that stand. So, the Yonder pouches have been very helpful and not not that the kids love it, but actually, I don't hear a lot of complaints from the kids. I I I think they really appreciate without saying to us that they appreciate it that they they can actually they can actually concentrate in school and they're not worried about all the nonsense that's that's going on on their phone. So that has been transformational. We appreciate that. Our instructional coaches, we have three. Uh one of
008them is here tonight. Uh one of them is having surgery and the other one just had a baby. Miss the only just had a baby yesterday. >> Yesterday. >> And yeah. And then uh uh Miss Marino has some surgery. But we are represented by Miss Dumbo here and we're happy to have our our Thank you. We are very fortunate enough >> but our our three instructional coaches have been phenomenal. So always in the classroom, always working with teachers. the coaching cycles has really helped uh build the capacity of our teacher and and and they're really working hard with the kids and uh really that's our that those are the big gains that we're trying to make and it really has been led by our administrative team and our coaches to make sure that we continue
009to uh work with our teachers to so that they are skilled to respond to student needs. Uh uh we also have the the supportive reading writing project in Mossflower. Lauren who has become a a very integral part of our team as well. I Ready this year has given us another resource to make sure our kids are are are getting the the the practice to make big gains. So that's been a huge addition. We have our our additional uh AP. We've added more instructional support to our AP program uh so that the kids in AP have more instructional support. We have our inclusive discipline process that we put into place which is really our community building and responding to uh student behaviors that are are harmful to each other or harmful to the classroom. That has
010made a big impact. Our after school programs with Mr. Garland working with Miss Ditto and Miss Monttoano, Miss Montisano. Those kids being here every day keeping them connected to the school. My brother's keeper, my sister's keeper. Th all those things have just helped us build a really uh positive culture and climate just spending a ton of time with kids and getting to know them really well. Uh our curriculum leaders uh have been a tremendous support. We also have Questar support for science and and uh social studies. Our stronger connections grant which has helped us with our attendance data so that the kids that we we identified as kids that have uh been missing school are now connected to an adult that they become very close with. And uh finally, our attendance specialist. All those things
011to improve our attendance rate. So, there's a lot of things here. I could take forever to just, you know, talk about how phenomenal these these things are, but these are things that have helped us support our kids and have helped us move forward with our uh our results. Really, any of you here's here's our student portion. So, we see what the kids that we're talking about here. Uh many of you made it to the Annie the Musical U show. It is phenomenal. Yes. I I I really wasn't I I I wasn't sure what to expect the first year it happened and I was blown away. We have some unbelievably talented kids. Mr. Harbot and the whole crew. It It's like It's phenomenal. It's almost like an off Broadway show. I'm I don't even kid you.
012I'm not even kidding. It's like I I couldn't even believe how great it was. So, that has been really cool. It gets our sixth graders involved in in the school right away. It gets them connected to other kids that are doing things other than sports. So, that's been really cool to get that off the ground. This year, uh, if you were going by here the day before Thanksgiving, you would have seen our whole school walking through RPI, which in the rain. Uh, so we went to an RPI women's hockey game and it was such a cool experience. The kids got pizza, they got drinks, and I think the best part about it for me was uh as we were leaving, some of the fans were telling our teachers that our our kids were phenomenal and
013and that they did such a good job at the game and they were great fans and they were so supportive. I think even some of the girls came out after the game and said it was so cool to have such a big crowd there and the kids were really uh respectful and and and had a lot of fun. So, that was really cool. Up here in the Troy room, we have our bling sale every every uh holiday season where our kids earn points for good behavior and then they come in here and they shop for items that have been donated by our our teachers and the people in our school community. And that is a really really cool event. And then this year, uh, we have a a new TA that, uh, is a cancer
014survivor that, uh, printed t-shirts and made t-shirts that a lot of our faculty members bought as a fundraiser, and we were able to donate that money to cancer research. Those are our teachers in the shirts. Uh, and all right, so now we get to some of the data portion. We do have some more pictures along the way. our equity goal, okay, to get to our goal, increase uh our black students math and ELA proficiency rates. That gets right to the meet. That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to make sure that they are making the same progress that all of our other students are making. And the second one, uh reduce disproportionality rates for black students with suspensions and referrals and reduce black student referrals and suspensions. Looking at last year's data, we have
015to continue to dig deeper in this for goal one because the re the results remained about the same. So they were right around 30 uh 28% for our proficiency rates for those students. So that's an area that we we are focusing on. Then I I have to draw your attention to to the the second goal which is our uh sus the behavioral stuff the suspensions and referrals. Our disproportionality rates from September of last year to to March of last year compared to this year were 8% lower uh in terms of disproportionality rates. And then we're also eight in for suspensions and referrals. And then the bottom number is where I'm really confident that that goal one is going to make a big jump because of all the programs and all the supports that I talked
016to you already about. We've seen a 56% decrease in total referrals for black students. So more than half more than half last year. So those kids are now back in classroom. They're not out of the classroom. They're back in the classroom. They're getting the instruction. and a 31% decrease in in out of school suspensions for for our black students. So again, those kids are now back in the classroom. They're not out there getting the instruction. They're participating with their with their peers in in the classroom and we believe that that is going to help us uh make big progress with that first goal as well. So we're really really proud of those numbers. Uh more kids and teachers. Uh we have a blind student, Mason. You see them on the left. Our teachers had a
017fundraiser, put a fundraiser together where they made those sweatshirts, sold sweatshirts, and we had a nice celebration in support of uh fundraiser for Mason. Uh Special Olympics, same thing. We have students are supporting us, the Special Olympics program. Uh they they did a phenomenal job and they bring a lot of joy to to the school. Switching back to the the data, here's our our our results for four years. So, you can see uh in ELA, we've made some gains. Uh a little disappointed from uh the 22 23 to 23 24 that we kind of leveled off in ELA, but you can see we made some big gains in math. Uh, and I'll just we although we were disappointed in LA, if you look at that 18% uh for math that year, we were working really
018hard that year too, it's just it didn't happen and we have to really dig in and figure out why didn't that happen. But then you see those next two years, we've made some big gains. So, we're confident in the adjusting to from what we were looking at from for why we didn't make big gains from last year to this year. we're really diving into some things that we think are going to really help us uh move kids forward from year to year. So eventually we'll be looking at that big jump that you're seeing in math there as well. So I'm just going to briefly go through um what this looks like at the different grade levels and just point you to uh the fact that you can see over the time we have, you know,
019successes and linear. I know that's something we always hear. There's going to be some highs. There going to be some times where we're not we're not exactly getting where we need to go or where we want to go, but you can see overall that there is progress in proficiency. The proficiency rates are higher uh certainly than they were for four years ago overall in ELA. And um the big thing that I I went through last year that I want to go through again this year just briefly the level one moving the kids out of level one getting from 2 to 230 and then over to the right. You can see two years ago 12% of the kids we moved out of level one into two three and four. We had another 12% really this year.
020So, we're moving kids out of that area where they're kind of stuck and frustrated and not feeling confident and moving them over into the areas where we're seeing more confident learners. Our big goal in ELA this year, and this is one of the things we identified, the work that we've been doing across the board is getting our kids out of level one, but we weren't quite sure we were doing enough to get them to proficiency. And that's been our f our focus in ELA, making sure that the work is challenging enough and that we're exposing to them to the higher level learning so that they're when they're sitting down in front of that test that they they're confident that they can do what they need to do. Sixth grade proficiency by year. Again, you can
021see growth. We put the the the state goal there because our goal this year is 50 is 50% in ELA, 50% in math and science. and want to get 50% across the board. Uh obviously the goal is 100% every year. Uh but we we believe 50% is a realistic goal to help us take the next step. So sixth grade you can see progress uh over the course of the last four years. Uh getting closer to the state average. Seventh grade again moving to the right, moving up more students at proficiency, getting to that state uh average which is where we want to be this year. And then eighth grade is where we had a drop. And again, this is where we we are certainly disappointed in that, but we feel like we've got a really
022good plan to make sure that we're getting that big jump that you're going to see in math in in a second. Uh this is us compared to the local city school districts and the state. So, uh at 36%, we're outperforming those, which again, you know, we want all kids to be successful, but it is a good measure for us, uh to to see how our kids are doing. So, um, there's our ELA data comparison. Another picture. Uh, we have downstairs a little free library that we put together to help us with our literacy goal. So, the kids can go get books. Uh, we we have scheduled so they can go downstairs. There's books available to them. There's obviously books in the library, but we just have uh gotten a bunch of books donated for kids
023in case there's not something in the library that they don't have that they want to just take with them. There's no check out or check in process. they can just take the books. Uh that's right downstairs by Mr. Hennessy. These are our students of the month. So again, when we're talking about the kids that were moving out of level one over to 2, three, and four, these are the kids. And and I think it helps to see their to see their faces. Not mine as much, but it science data. Our science data is uh last year the science test changed. This was another area that we were really working on. uh this is not where we want to be. Uh but we we believe that we have a good plan. Last year things were different,
024changed, but we have a much better footing going into this year to make sure that the science data improves. In this room, uh you see our honoral students that we celebrate uh every quarter. Weren't able to do it this quarter, but we'll do a third quarter. We take a nice picture of them. That's always exciting. And we had two spelling champions as well, Avery and Bria Marley. So very very proud of those kids there. And these are our life skill students. If you ever heard of busy be these busy bakers come around to sell cookies and all that stuff. That's been a lot of fun. They bring a lot of joy to the community. They're doing math. They're communicating. Uh it's a really really powerful uh program that they put together. Not great for the
025waistline. There's a lot of a lot of cookies there, but uh everybody everybody enjoys it. Here's the math data. and and I appointed our teachers when we went over with this with them. The yellow bar there, it's sort of how we feel about ELA after last year. We we felt like we were working but we just were doing something was missing the mark. So, we were able to identify that through our coaches, curriculum leaders, principles, teachers, all working together. And then you can see the results of the last two years. So, we had some huge gains in sixth grade, seventh grade, and uh eighth grade as far as our math proficiency results. really proud of that and actually one grade level we were out we're were outperforming the state in math the state average and
026we'll see that in a minute. So this is again where you can see on that left at level one from 389 students down to 230 students that are in that level one. So those kids have moved out of there into that area again where a lot of kids were getting stuck and they're moving over to the right into those areas where they're again more confident, more engaged learners, kids that believe that they can do it. We know how big that belief is. So over the course of the last two years, you're looking at 23% two years ago, another 22% this year. So, uh, huge move over to the right for our, uh, math students. Again, moving forward, uh, progress every year after that 2122 year. Very close to the state average in sixth grade. That's
027what we're after this year to to get to that or go beyond that. Seventh grade progress, but we still have more work to do obviously to get to that state average. But again, steady growth there. And then finally, eighth grade is where you're going to see that we actually our eighth graders outperform the state the uh for their math proficiency grades. So there's there's continuous growth moving over to the right and uh we got more and more students in our classes that are that are engaged confident learners. teachers are confident teachers and uh you know I just have to give uh everybody credit here uh from the fact that it started just with a belief in the in the kids and then a belief that our teachers can teach our kids and our kids can
028achieve at high levels and it's really cool to see the math results getting there. We've made steady progress in ELA, but I believe we have some big jumps ahead of us based on the feedback that we're getting from uh the work that the kids are doing, the teachers work, the coaches work, all those people working together. So, uh that's our data. That's what we go by all the time. That's what we're talking about when we're in our in our meetings and uh each I want to be standing here with you next year talking about even more even more growth. So this is our math data compared to the other local city school districts. So again performing well but we we have higher places to go. We want to be uh you know right up there
029with the with the suburban districts in a year or two years. We want to be putting their information up there as well. Uh we know our kids can do it. We know our teachers can do it with our kids. >> So finally, how'd I do? >> Great. >> How much time? >> 19 minutes. Yes. >> You thought yours was 17 minutes, but it was like 38. >> It was 24. [Applause] >> Great job. >> Um, yeah, great job. Great job. Would you please have your staff stand up and introduce themselves to all of us? We not all of us know who you are and what you do. So, >> you know what? In my effort to be quick, I forgot to acknowledge these guys, which I'm glad you pointed that out. >> No, no, I
030was do I was subtly do I was >> I'm glad you made that. I saw them all. They were going to get up and leave, but I was like, "No, >> I'm sorry about that." So you met Linda Dominica Howlet who is our overall assistant principal works in all she >> wants as much as you sound like. Hi >> assistant principal >> Brian Matthews principal assistant and Linda instructional coach mainly for eighth grade I'm glad you did that because I I say this all the time with the parents are here's not a harder working crew crew, a crew more committed to kids. You come in early in the morning, see them late at night, they're here. I I I just can't say enough about the team that we have. These guys are are unbelievable. They
031support our kids in every possible fashion. Academics, relationships, uh they they've been uh doing a great job communicating with teachers. So, I apologize to you guys in front of everybody for not. Yeah, they certainly they deserve any acknowledgement, praise that they get because it's just an unbelievable team and you can't you can't get results without people leading the work and these guys are phenomenal leaders. >> Can I ask question? >> Oh yeah. >> And so ELA obviously is a struggle as a board. What resources do you need? How do we support you in trying to get those numbers to where they have to go, right? I mean, what what support? >> Yeah. So, our feedback really from looking at a lot of the data was that we were again moving kids over out of level
032one to level two, but we we were feeling like in talking with the teachers, they just needed to be to get them out of level one to level two is is a lot of work. You know, they got to feel confident. We got to put a lot of strategies in place to make them uh feel confident to build the skills. Our next jump is to push them beyond that. I and and I think we have everything we need to do it. It's just we're, you know, we're in the classroom talking to teachers about getting to that level of rigor, getting to that level of challenge where where kids are moving beyond that that first step that they made and now getting to the next big step. >> So, it it's not really I mean, we've
033got it all the resources we need thanks to you guys and thanks to everybody leading the work. I think it's just, you know, continuing to be in the classroom, make sure that kids are getting exposed to exactly what they're going to see on the test and things that are even harder than they're going to see on the test so that they feel more confident cuz that's the feedback that we got back from math last year was when those kids were taking the math test, they were saying like this is easier than what we're doing in class. And uh we've got to do the same thing with with ELA. Make sure that like you know the practice is harder than the game kind of thing. >> All right, that's great. Thank you. It'll be interesting to
034see um with more focus on on learning with with the yonder pouches. It I mean I mean I think our data and across the high school and the middle school is going to change next year. >> Yeah. And and I I pointed to the the our black students reduction in referrals, but that's overall for our building. We're we're down half in each. So about a 50% uh reduction in referrals and not quite 50% in OSS, but around 30% in OSS too. So our kids are here. They're they're not getting involved in other things that they were getting involved in if they were, you know, the phone was buzzing or they're trying to sneak the phone or or those kinds of things. So uh they're they're more available for learning in class. So I think it
035will make a big impact. >> Excellent. Great job. You got great job. Yeah. Thank you. There is a special place in heaven for middle. Anybody teaches in >> I need a special >> Mr. like middle school, >> right? Um so I sent in the Friday report to the board uh tonight was supposed to be originally uh in our budget calendar draft 2. Uh there's really hasn't been movement at the state although the one house budgets did come out late yesterday. We'll talk about them a little bit at the end. Um, but we'll do draft two next meeting. So, this one's just going to be a briefer kind of just budget discussion. Um, so, uh, I always start with the mission statement that will provide a strong educational social foundation to graduate all students college and
036career ready. And, and uh, you know, when you're making your budget, that's that's what you have to keep in mind so that we can make that a reality uh, for everyone. Um, that's the same slide, but I I I wanted to keep the first four or five slides in there. So, really proud, great job, Ian. Really proud of everything going on in the district. Proud of the stuff that's going on here. Sabina went last time. Proud of the stuff going on in Carolville. Uh, just really, really great stuff. So, how do we keep that going um in the middle of a tough budget season that we haven't had in a few years? So, uh that's going to be the goal. That is the goal uh that we're trying to do. Um and those two lenses,
037the budget development process, we got to be educationally sound so that all students can be successful and uh reach their full potential. Um all the supports and staffing and programs that we have in place uh all point to that educationally sound piece and at the same time be fiscally responsible. And I've said over and over again, I think we're great at the fiscally responsible. We have been great. Um, you know, we we've had a great run of, uh, low tax caps, zero tax caps or tax levies. Uh, and so, um, you know, we've done a really really good job of balancing those two lenses. This year is a little bit more difficult. Uh, that's the same slide too just to highlight again those last four years. We did say last time zero will be tough
038this year. That'll be one of the discussions that we can have tonight. you don't have to decide anything tonight over the discussions that we can uh start to have. Uh we talked about this last time and um we put it in the Friday report uh but I just wanted to put it again to make sure because you know we need to know we're moving forward on that. So uh remember what we talked about the transfer to capital that was uh the small city outlay. The great thing about the small city project was we get the money back the next year after we spend it. So, we spent about 4 million of it, which means we get about 90% back. So, there's going to be a $3.6 million one-time building aid coming back in 2526. Um,
039it's a non-recurring revenue, so you don't want to really use it to close any budget gaps. You can't really do that. You can, but it's not uh sound uh advice. Uh, so what can you use it for? Well, if we use it for a transfer to capital to help with the increased cost with inflation that we've been talking about throughout this five phases of this project, um it'll help us uh I think with the bids that came in, this will that's what you wrote in the Friday report, right? When the bids came in with this money on top of it, we'll be in a great spot and then you get aid again on the money as you spend it. So, it's like a recurring benefit. Uh so, we said all that last time. I don't
040know. Well, we don't have to really vote on it, but I probably got to kind of meet a nod from the board that we should move forward with that. >> Yeah, I thought >> you guys were all good last time. Okay, excellent. Uh, so then there we were. Uh, we have a 4.1ish deficit right now. I mean, there's a lot of stuff that still has to happen. And so, let you know, we'll talk about some of it. One of the things that and it's it's too early to decide on any of this stuff, right? But at some point we're going to have to decide. So if we end up in a spot where if we end up in a spot where that 4.1 is still too big, right? Um we have some plans. Um you'll
041see in a minute. We have a nutrition plan. We have some things that we've talked about this week. uh and we'll continue to review and talk about I think we're making a lot of progress. Um but at some point when you get to the end if there's a gap do we use reserves and if we do how much right and so it's never just like with the transfer to capital line same thing it's never good strategy to use too much reserves to on recurring expenses right be like paying your car payment or your mortgage payment from your savings account you know eventually you don't have your savings county board to do that. And the reserves are in there for certain reasons, right? The list of them there is towards the bottom. Uh you have reserves
042that the state allows for all of those reasons. And they're in there uh to help when those things go wrong. Um but there are certain situations that they can use. One-time expenses, short-term fluctuations. In this case, we're trying to use it kind of as a transition because with a nutrition plan that we'll talk about in a minute, um we're hoping that the expenses that we're feeling this year will be lower next year. And so even though you don't want to use it for recurring expenses, if those expenses go down, then that transition can work, right? So our attrition plan is a like two or three year plan. And so we're we're I don't know if I should say the word comfortable because Adam keeps barking that down lower and lower every time we put this
043live together. It's not about between one and 1.5 million. I think it gives him adjective to put that number on there. So I would say we're comfortable with that, but that's what we'll recommend if we're at the end and the state hasn't has come through but not all the way. Uh I think I mean our goal right now and it's on one of the slides is to avoid layoffs. We are going to cut positions but do it through attrition and not you know hand somebody a notice and this says you not working here next year anymore because of the budget. We're not going to do that budget related layoffs. If that's your goal as well which I hope it is then at the end if we still have a gap of between 1 and 1.5
044million. I think I've talked Adam into using that money to close that gap. >> John, >> is that a good way to say it? >> I'm comfortable with that. >> What? I'm comfortable with that number as long as we stick to the plan. >> As long Yes, that's right. >> I'm going to back up to the transfer to capital. We do we do have to vote on that. You just once you come up with the figure. >> Well, it'll be in the budget. >> Okay. >> So, it's in these numbers, correct? >> Okay. So, that's what you're going to present to. >> It'll be voted on when it's when we do that. >> Now, normally we when we transfer to capital, we always uh don't we leave it there for our upcoming projects. in capital
045reserve. >> Okay. So that's will we be doing that? >> Um right now we don't have a vote or authority from the voters for more capital reserve. So we have to go out to the voters and they have to vote on it to establish a new one. Everyone we voted on has been used to this point. >> Right. So if we find I mean >> that has been so helpful to um move our district forward with our capital projects without burden on the on the taxpayers. >> So probably a next conversation because if you have a gap like that you know you can't really take money and put it into a reserve. I mean it let's see how the stage plays out but I don't think that's something we would entertain this year. >> All
046that vote does is allow you to establish it and put funds in it if you wish. So for example if they voted in May choose the dollar figure you say what you're planning on doing but then at the end of the year the board votes um every June to say okay this is how much we can put in up to. And then, you know, we don't get those final numbers until August once the audit's all wrapped up, but we could do it. I am slightly uh worried about voter fatigue. Uh we just did one last year. So, I just don't want to, you know, hammer them every year, but I think having it established is a great idea. I mean, it gives you the authority to put it in. You don't have to put any
047money in, you know, uh just at the end of the year if you have a a good year. But I don't see how it would hammer the taxpayers if we're not raising taxes. >> Well, I think it just means about explaining it again. You know, just doing it. >> No one wants to talk more than him. Okay. >> Dan seemed like he got stupid pictures up there. >> I I just I just get nervous because you're talking about >> Okay. >> I mean, it has been perfect for when we're doing the project. I don't know who talks about the next project after this. [Music] >> Okay. Uh so there's the reserve uses. Again, that's not something we'll decide right now, but uh again, at some point, if that gap is still there, we're going to
048recommend in that range to close it with reserves. And then Adam just said he's comfortable as long as the plan stays in place. And so the plan is the attrition plan that we kind of started last year and it is in place now. I don't know if it's strictly in place now, which is kind of what Adam's alluding to. So, um, the nutrition plan last year that we wrote, remember we wrote we were going to be conservative and strategic in our choices and be careful with the money and all the things we always do. As people retired or left the district for other reasons, do we have to replace those people? Right? That's what the attrition plan really is. And so some of them we have replaced this year. You know, a lot of them
049I would say we probably have, but we just met as a cabinet on >> Tuesday um to go through some things and we had five or six positions that we have not replaced. So we are already doing that. Um so you see that we've identified 14 or 15 positions to be reduced. um five or six are already positions that are in our district in certain buildings that we haven't that we you know a co-teer left and we didn't fill that co- teacher. Um a coach just recently left. Did she go >> today? Today but a coach left today. Uh her last day was today. Uh we're not going to backfill that. Um so things like that. That's where Adam wants to make sure if we're going to use reserves in the tune of 1.5 million
050that we have to make sure that that attrition plan is strict and everybody's aware of it and we go into next year knowing that you know listen if it's a 10th grade math teacher you have to replace them because they have all five classes for kids. But if it's a position that we can figure out a way to do it um then we'll do that. So um that'll be probably my guess is you know it's already going this year a 2 to threeyear plan but we're comfortable using reserves knowing that with that attrition plan our expenses will also go down over the next year or two. Uh and there are 14 or 15 positions. So there's five or six that we already have uh filled. We'll talk a little bit about class sizes uh probably
051towards draft two. All of these things will be in draft two uh once we flesh them out. We have to meet with the administrators. We did it as a cabinet yesterday. So, uh I won't give you too much detail on them yet, but we will get to them uh next time. But, uh we've talked about our class sizes at the elementary level a lot of times. They're really fantastic and they've been great for us. Uh the co- teachers have been great for us. They've been so impactful for kids and been great for kids and great for achieve student achievement. Um but we've looked at and identified uh two buildings, four sections in the two buildings. So, three in one and one in the other that we can reduce sections and those class sizes are still
05217 or 18. So, we're we're we're in a really great spot. Don't do the math to figure out what they must have been for the last three years. How long, Sabina? I asked Sabina so I can make but they've been great. They've been great because they've been so low. Uh so even with those reducings in those sections, we're still at like 17 18 and there's really no section uh I think 20 was the highest in the district and those were even reductions. So uh we're really in a great spot. Uh and then there are a few other things that that we're still working on, but we were comfortable last night and I think yesterday it didn't it wasn't two minutes. It was like a three-hour meeting. We went through we went through every position that
053we've hired over the last five years. We went through every position that's in all the schools. one by one. It it was it was a good practice for us. It was a good experience. Uh and after doing that, we felt really good that uh again, we're trying not to lay anybody off and I think we're all confident and comfortable now knowing that we won't have to do that and still be able to reduce positions uh that you know without the layoffs and we have some other ideas to do that too that we'll share next time. Then the other thing we can talk about again we don't have to decide now we had zero the last four years right and we had a zero a few years before that we've been really really great I think
054the number was 5% total over nine years right so I think it's probably time I hope the taxpayers are appreciative of what we've done the last four years and will allow some increase now I guess one thing I should add on the slide would be advocacy we've been doing a lot of advocacy I sent the letter that I sent to a few of the senators and legislators to to all of you. Um I think it got some traction. John McDonald was sharing it as well. We had a small city meeting Monday with some of those same legislators that were on there. Um the one house budgets had some stuff in it. So there's a chance I guess that that you know we get so much money from the state that we don't have to talk
055about this but my guess is it won't fill the whole gap. So, we gave uh a bunch of examples. The tax cap is 257. I you know, I always think going right to the cap. Uh you know, I think the the voters get a little bit feel a little bit certain way about that, but I'm hoping we can be in the 2% range. The 2% range is below the tax cap. It would still raise. If we're like in this spot that we are in right now, that'll raise a little over $750,000. And then I had to have him do a little calculation. So for the average homeowner, we're talking about $6 a month uh on a 2%. And then we, you know, I asked them to give us a whole bunch of choices here. So
056we could go a half a percent, one, one and a half, two, the revenue raises the middle column. That's how much going towards that gap that we would get from the taxpayers. Um and then the you know average monthly approximate monthly cost that would be >> question about that. You already have some ideas about that. You don't like >> Well, it's going to be tough because I mean yeah we three years with nothing but >> it's just going to be bad timing. I mean the way you know the economy is the stock market I mean all this stuff is it's going to be a hard cell right now. >> People are I definitely I definitely don't like 2%. >> Absolutely not. Um as taxpayer as a taxpayer but >> I now if we do like
057say we do one and a half% and raise a half a million are we still doing the what you're saying with nutrition >> nutrition reserve these are all these are all part of the same package >> but that do a little bit more. Right. So if if let's say we were done, let's say this is April and this is draft four or whatever. It's going to be draft three or even two might be the end. But we're done and we still have a gap of uh well let's say $2 million, right? We're done. We did our attrition without layoffs by the 14 or 15. Maybe find one more or two more. We have a $2 million gap. So if we used one.5 million for reserves, we could go one and a half. That's 500,000. And
058that closes the $2 million gap. If the gap is 3 million at that time, well then if we're still only using one and a half reserves, now we need 1.5. Now if you tell me we're still going to stay at 1.5% and only get a half 500,000. Now you got to say, Adam, you want two and a half of reserves, then you're setting the district up for for a precarious future. So, we're not there now to decide that, but it's good to start thinking about and have conversations. If you guys are telling us that 2% is going to be a tough cell, then we probably got to go back to the 14 and 15 and find more positions. That's probably what we have, you know, and we always try to do that with the less
059negative impact on students. But it gets hard. If that for if you're telling me I need another million dollars, that's probably another 15 positions, right? You told me this was a million, right? >> Yeah, that's a million. >> So, no, we'd have to go back and find 15 more. So, now you're talking about affecting, you know, Ian just was talking about all the gains he made. And part of the gains is because of all the supports we have in place and all the things we got going on in this district. >> Some I mean, 15 is not going to destroy it all, but it's going to affect kids 15 more. So that's the kind of that's the thing. We'll see how much the advocacy helped and how much more we get from the state. We'll
060put actual numbers to those positions. We'll see where we are. Um we'll see how much reserves we have and then we decide on that. No, but you know I thought two would be reasonable. I hear you. So we won't be banking on two unless we >> Well, I mean that's just me and I have >> I'm a little outspoken. I'm somebody else. >> Well, no. Obviously, obviously we're all taxpayers, but I guess the question is, and maybe this is more for Adam. So, with the formula >> to get this tax levy, whatever we decide on for this, isn't that the number that we have to start at for next year when you're >> right, that's the baseline for next year's tax, >> right? So, then with that being said, obviously, and I don't >> in
061that regard, you try to go as high as you can, >> right? And I don't I don't see the financial situation getting any better for us. So, you know, we have to keep in mind that whatever we pick, that's what we're going to start at next year. So, if the budget is worse next year, >> we kind of shot ourselves in the foot because we're not going to be able to go higher. If that makes any sense, right? >> Yeah. >> Is that my >> the baseline? Yeah. The tax levy >> will start at a higher number next year when we get going. >> Okay. Well, we certainly don't want the budget to go down. So, I mean, that's why we're having the discussion. I don't know if the citizens advisory committee wants to >>
062No, I I second the the conversation. I think if you double click on the on the staffing plan and the reductions, not obviously not all positions are created equal. >> And then if the economy continues to go down, people might end up staying their retirement plans. So, they're actually here and they're staying on longer. So, that could that could snowball too where that's not the reduction that we count. >> Yeah. was correct. Good point. >> I think my fear is more of us losing the budget completely >> if we hit if we hit the 2% mark. Now, not that I'm I'm against, >> you know, that's what I'm afraid what everybody's worried about stock market, worried about their own economy, right now going into that booth and saying no to us. We don't >> you
063talk about losing the budget. Can you just explain that? Yeah, tell them what >> Well, if the budget gets voted down, if we if we have to do 2% because the gap is still what it is. >> Yeah. >> And that's where we are. Um, if the budget got voted down, >> um, you have two choices. You can redo it. So at that point we could say all right we use one was go to 1% and find new positions or find more resilience or whatever we would do at that point put a new budget out it's usually mid June right >> so May 20th everybody votes and then we'd go out another one because ours went down it would be like mid June and then we we have we we put the same exact one
064out or you can adjust if it goes down twice um you can do what's a contingency budget and that's we did uh what years were those >> 2010 and 11 >> two years in a row the district went to a contingency budget before my time >> because the voters boed it down and then contingency contingency budget 0% >> zero bud is 0% Nice. >> Unbelievable. >> I don't get no score. It's 0% tax increase, but there's a lot of restrictions. >> There's restrictions on community leaving using the buildings. There's restrictions on purchasing of equipment. During those two years when we were on contingency, our technology, that's when it really took a hit because you couldn't buy any equipment. You can't buy any computers. You can't buy anything. So, >> we would if it happened, we
065would probably go out at a lower percent and try to get to say yes. And then you well and meet with everybody and try to make sure we sell it. I mean I hope it wouldn't happen. >> Are you going to do your account? >> Yeah, we would do all that. >> But they've got to be attended by the public. >> I mean usually when we go to the schools it's only two or three people but they have to we have to get them in there. >> I mean if it went down and we were going out for a second one I think we would try to get out into the community places. Uh we do an exit interviews uh exit survey still right for but we reading those and seeing what people are saying
066why they hold it down if it didn't happen that way >> Josh it isn't good I mean we couldn't you know snow plows any lawnmowers we couldn't buy anything for two years so it wasn't wasn't a good situation to be in >> this good good discussion so this is again state might come through >> right >> we'll we'll keep reviewing uh that um and then you know come up with a better idea when we get to draft two uh program. >> At the beginning of the budget process I think you go to the administrators and you kind of rank everything. Is there an opportunity to revisit that? >> Yeah. Now, then we go back to them as we're getting like I'll meet with the teachers, the principles, with the reduction sections just to make sure,
067you know, we have it all right and make sure it's not something that we haven't seen and we'll go back and and talk to them all about the 14 about the 14 or 15. Every everybody that's involved in that certainly. >> So, the uh we'll continue to monitor state budget. That's going to be the key right now. That's what we're waiting on. I mentioned the one house budgets. They were really late yesterday. We really haven't got a chance to look at it too much, but the 2% minimum that the governor put in, both of the one house budgets made it 3%. Actually, one of them was 2.9 billion. So, that doesn't mean it's going to happen that way, but uh it looks like for everybody it'll at least go up. And then there were a
068few tweaks to some factors that John McDonald sent to us that Adam's still reviewing, but things that might also help us um with what they reduce. >> Yeah, if you want to talk a little bit about that. >> I mean, they're kind of detailed, but uh you just don't know what the numbers are really until they do the eight runs. So, um uh once an income wealth index, uh red eliminating what's called a floor, which is as low as it can go. Um, but we don't know how everyone else gets impacted. So, it's it's almost impossible to tell. Bottom line is just try to drive as much money as possible. There's kind of two lenses. If everyone gets more money, it kind of drives the inequity of everything. Um, so that's one piece of it.
069But if you remove the floor, um, you know, like the big five cities for example, like it drives a ton of money in that area. So, we just don't know what that number is going to be. So, we're just coming up with plans, you know, not knowing where the endgame is going to be. Um, barring some catastrophic event in the next couple weeks, you know, I think we'll be able to get there that 4 million. I think we'll be able to get there, you know, >> saying that >> with our whole plan. >> With the whole plan. Okay. >> Yeah. Right. >> But that plan included 2% in our heads. it does include 2% but I want to say that you know in our meeting in our cabinet meeting you know it wasn't just stop
070there I mean Dr. Watson was really great about like let's keep pushing this to the next step and the next step because that's kind of what we need to do. Um looking towards next year already, you know, not just this budget, but like next year. Um and and you know, no one wants to do certain things when things get bad. You know, that's the simple fact. Um you know, they're all hard decisions. Uh I feel like I've been saying it for three years, like we've been planning for this. It's very hard to do and you know it's a balancing act. It's a huge balancing act. Um but that's what we're all here to jointly make those decisions and you know um we'll see how it goes. Um you know I really don't want to spend
071a lot in reserves because of the stock market and I think all three of us have definitely lived through and then others at the board table lived through really really bad budgets. Um, so you know, when the stock market goes down, our retirement costs go up and that's a couple million dollars. So it it goes quickly. A couple million goes quickly. So it's just uh seeing where it ends up. So >> if you ever talk to a a state legislator, push for as much money as you can. Um, you know, we we can't tax our way out of a budget problem. That's the simple fact. You know, one 2% is a million dollars. We have a $140 million budget. So, um, you know, we're so highly highly reliant on state aid. It's not funny. So,
072that, you know, we really need them to do as much as they can. >> And that's the first thing we sent to John. John's great. You know, he's always accessible and supportive. But he sent us the some of the details of the one house budget and he said, "Everybody's getting 3%." And I immediately sent back giving everybody three. >> Yeah. >> Just ruin It doesn't ruin it. I'll take three. But there are districts that are thrilled that they got to two because they were expecting zero because they've been overfunded for 10 years and now you're giving them a whole another percent. Take that money and give it to us or districts like us, you know, not just us. So it's just the easy way out for them is just give it to everybody so that
073they don't have, you know, in their head winners and losers, I guess. But I said to them, you do have winners and losers when you do it like that. It's not and it's not fair and equitable. So he answered us immediately and he thinks, you know, he's listening to his people who are doing the same calculations that I was trying to do, but he thinks the other factors are going to help us. So we'll see. We'll see. I mean, it's not going to close the gap by itself, but this whole picture together, uh, I think um, >> John also understands that our tax base is control, you know. If during this year, you can tax a little bit higher and not worried about >> uh oh, sorry. So, uh we'll look more in detail on
074the one house budgets. Uh there were some other things in there, but really we went right to the foundation to see what they look like. Um we already are continuing our advocacy. We'll continue to review our own budget, but just said, you know, it was more than just a one-year thing. we were looking at, you know, okay, what would be the next level of stuff that we might be able to do to get that 14 and 15 to go up higher if we needed to. Uh, and so all that will come into play uh and on the 26, two weeks from tonight, hopefully we'll have a little more information from the state. The state budget won't be done at that point. Uh, but hopefully we got a little more information so we can put some
075real details to the draft. Ken, do we know how much are we allowed to know how much is in the reserve? Like what's the total amount in reserve or is that >> Yeah. Well, you um vote on the reserve numbers every June. >> Okay. >> So, uh and then some of them get used, right? So, the um every June >> So, last we voted on >> you vote on how much goes in each each reserve. So, I listed them here. Um DRSTRS, that's the retirement system. unemployment, which we haven't had to use in a while because we haven't really had, you know, back in those days when we were laying people off, that unemployment reserve was high because you had to pay unemployment for all those people you laid off, right? It's not free when
076you lay them off. Uh the tax circularary said um that we we do have to dip in there once in a while, right? That's a reassessment. Usually businesses yield right now. Uh Crossgates got their assessment lowered. So, you know, they have to figure out how to pay for that. So, uh liability is lawsuits and things. We had that with the child's victims act. Uh workers comp and the EB. You want to say it? Go ahead. >> You can say whatever. >> No, cuz you want to say even though the L is after the E. >> Adam calls that e. Anybody that can read knows that's eBay anything you want. Okay, >> that is employee benefits and liability reserve crude acred liability reserve. So that's when people leave us um you know all the benefits that
077they get. So that's so those are all the reserves. Every June you vote to last year we put 500,000 in one 200,000 in all. You guys are voting on that. That's new world rule that has that. >> Okay. >> Josh, >> John made a point about turnout at the the public hearings. >> Have we thought about >> I don't know if it's possible, but like making a recording that people could access from like the Yeah. either from the district web page or something >> and they could submit questions, you know. I know I've had this, you know, arguing assistant example that a lot of people just don't have time to get out to those meetings. But if there was some place that they could go and see the presentation and if they had questions, you
078know, follow up, you know, through an online source or something. Is that something we could do? >> Yeah, that's something we could do. >> We can >> Jason want to do it tomorrow. >> Yeah, that's a good idea. I don't know if it would be just maybe uh the budget hearing or something and then we send that out or if I do a separate one. >> Yeah, I think I think if you're doing content like that, you probably want to condense it a little bit. I don't think most people are going to sit down and watch a 35m minute recording of a bunch of presentation. >> So we give like the basics. I could just go on and give the basics again. >> But how would you do the question? >> I like that idea.
079But and then >> you have to do a follow. >> Yeah, we'd have to do a follow on, right? To answer questions or or do a live stream like and have them >> answer the questions. I think it's just like >> Yeah. >> I don't think I know we can answer questions either follow up with people if they left question. Okay, now for the meeting part of our program. >> Approval of minutes. Motion on the floor for approval of minutes. February 26, 2045. Second discussion. All those in favor? >> Opposed. Superintendent recommendation human resources staff matters unclassified and classified. Under unclassified motion on the floor for consent agenda items 1 through seven. >> Second >> discussion. Mike, would you please stand up and introduce yourself to us? >> My name is Michael. Um, I have
080a master's in secondary education from the University of Bridgeport and a bachelor's in arts degree from the University of Michigan. I am a Troy High School graduate in 2007. >> Thank you. I figured I'd backtrack my education. Principal John Carmelo was my principal in high school. Um, thank you very much for >> Yes. I just recent well tonight I should be approved for the uh principal assistant position. Uh I practice by the way if I knew I was going to speak I wouldn't practice uh principal assistant position at the community school um down on Fifth Avenue. So I'm very excited. Um it's nice to see everybody again. It's been a while. I worked for the district back in 2013 before I took a job at the New York State Assembly, but I just returned to
081substitute teach and uh was given this great opportunity to apply for that job down at the community school. So, thank you all for what you do on a continued basis and you really do make a great difference. I'm really uh thankful to be a part of this team. Welcome. >> Danielle, welcome and congratulations on your certific. So, you're officially ours. Um, >> all those in favor? >> Opposed? Okay. Mike, now you're official. The under classified motion on the floor for approval of items item one as listed. Second. Discussion. All those in favor? >> I opposed. Under superintendent recommendation programs. Motion on the floor for consent agenda items one and two. >> Second. >> Discussion. All those in favor? >> Opposed. Superintendent recommendations business finance. Motion on the floor for approval of item number one. >>
082Second. >> Discussion. It was good to get these bids and Adam. It was a very good time. >> Yeah. Everybody was like, "Wow." They were shocked that they came in where they came in. So, all those uh in favor? >> Opposed. District announcements. All meetings will take place at 6:00 Troy Middle School. I had Teresa write down what our meetings are going to be like for the next month. The only add the next three months. The only thing that will be added to this will be uh the presentations >> the PTA meetings >> PTA meetings. So for budget presentations um so and anybody that's available to show support of the budget once we pass it. >> Uh good news. I'm going to make it short. Jay, I'm sorry. I'm going to do this quick notes
083here. >> You do what you got to do. >> Okay. Troy Elementary School celebrated a love of reading and literacy last week to recognize Read Across America. Uh the week uh thank you to all our staff will have planned and guided and coordinated and uh let's see several elementary art schools from Carol Hill School 2 and school 16 have work displayed at the elementary state at the Empire State Plaza as part of the K through8 Empire State Plaza art collection exhibit. Our students created pieces inspired by the abstract expressionalist expressionist pieces displayed throughout the plaza. The exhibit is on display on the south concourse until March 23rd. March's music in our school month and last week the ths jazz band and select choir join ensembles from many other school districts performing at the Empire State
084Plaza. Detroit Hydrama Club presents Anastasia performances will be April 4th, 5th, and 5th at 7:30 and April 6th at 2 p.m. To conclude Black History Month, there was a an opportunity here, Miss Mrs. Patricia Suber Wilson, uh at students were excited to see Carol Hill. >> Carol Hill. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, Miss Wilson. We remember her kid boys when they used to go to school here. The spring sports season is just around the corner with many practices beginning next week and K's kicking off later this month. The full athletic schedule, including modified and JV teams, is available on our website. Best of luck to all our student athletes. Does anybody else have any more good news or want to listen to Ian recite something? And real quick, uh, Odyssey of the Minds
085this weekend. >> All right. >> That's, uh, Kusaki Athens. So, I think school 14, 16, 18, Carol Hill. >> I think that might be it. Any high school, high school, >> middle school, high school. So, yeah. So, they'll be competing. And >> last year we had a team go to the world. >> My my son is in it. It's the first time he's in it. So, I'll just say to the the teachers that are putting their time in, >> it's like an awesome program. excited to go and check it all out. So, >> then you report next. >> Um, if no one does anybody have anything else? >> Okay. Um, oh, uh, Questar 3 program, we're a few of us are going to go to the, uh, their what is it? Their annual meeting, their
086annual presentation. So, if anybody's interested in going, let Teresa know. Uh it's usually we used to go all the time and we kind of like since co we've kind of put it on the back burner. So um and they usually have them on Wednesday night so we can't go but we don't have a meeting that Wednesday. So anybody that's interested let Tesa know. Uh there'll be I know Diana you're going >> um I think it's April 2nd >> April second >> and it's down in Scod >> it'll be good to see Troy there again. >> Okay motion on the floor to adjourn second. >> All those in favor? Thank you everyone.