001Stand for the pledge, please. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Applause] I have a motion to approve the agenda for the April 22nd, 2025 board of education meeting as presented. So moved by Cam. Second. second by Laura. Um, all in favor? I opposed. Pass. Um, moving on to our presentation, which is our budget presentation for the evening. Do you want to say? Great. All right. So, um, as you probably are aware, there is no state budget yet. Um, I'm hearing that the budget negotiations will take about another week. Um but we do have to adopt the budget tonight. So um both the expense and the revenue um numbers have not
002changed since the March board of education meeting and the financial slides are exactly the same. Okay. Um so our total revenues for 2526 are 88,94955. um compared to this current year's adopted budget 83 911292 an increase of [Music] 5,38,663. The expenses same thing 88,949 955 compared to the adopted budget of last year an increase of 5,38,663. And why don't I do you want me to jump in on that for a little bit in terms of transportation just things? Yeah, why don't we we we can talk about that for a little bit? Uh it's something that I shared with board members recently and uh with with new information from Fisher Bus. Uh we've got there there's two ways that it can go. Uh it can be like when as we're presented with transportation costs. one is
003that that the that we can budget um increase um that's uh relative to CPI uh that can be accepted or rejected by the bus lines and it was rejected by Fiser bus and you know they're experiencing cost increases which go above what the inflation rate which is what 29 uh is the is the the number that we use for that uh based on based on uh the most recent reporting. Um so that means that we need to put out a um request for proposals. Um so that puts us in a position of we we need to get ourselves understanding the fact that the transportation line is going to increase more than what you see here. This was based on the idea that they would renew at CPI. They are not. It's their right to do
004that. That means it automatically there's no like other negotiation that goes on with it. it goes directly to the RFP which means that Fiser Bus and other bus companies could be bidding for our will be bidding for our services. Uh and Christine's working in her office on um creating that that proposal that uh that's just that's very recent information for us. I at the same time it might cross the mind of folks at this table and folks in the audience and and and all the the voting public uh what does this do to our budget because you're telling me that this is going to be an increase. It is going to be an increase but we're not going to change the budget that we're putting forth for adoption tonight. Um we're at the tax cap
005already. um don't think it's prudent to make changes along those lines with it, but it is an acknowledgement of the fact that as we go into next year, there's going to be that awareness that perhaps at the end of 26 or very likely at the end of 26, what we do in terms of any fund balance that we have, we need in the back of our mind to know that that transportation is going to be something that's impacted by that. So, it's just going into that year knowing that's the case. I can't see and we can't see uh a good course to recommend certainly going above the tax gap. Um that's a um I don't think that would be a a I don't think it would be wise for all sorts of reasons. Um but
006um that that reality we can't there there's no desire on our part to make this seem like this is not going to be an increase more than we're suggesting here. So certainly hit questions with that. I might have to defer to Christine uh at times, but go ahead Rich. Um um can you can you tell me when we found out about the decision from Fiser? Christine Christine's been in conversations with our folks at Fisher Bus for for months and they kept asking for let we're working through the numbers. We're working through the let you know. So it was Thursday afternoon. Oh, okay. Tom was on vacation. I didn't want to ruin his vacation. So I let him know on Monday when he came back. Um, there is some good news though. They did agree to
007renew at CPI for summer special ed and for sports that happen in August. So, this affects the because there's separate contracts for for those things that happen over the summer. So, at least not all of it is going out to bid. Those two contracts will renew at CPI for the summer and then so this will affect September 1st. What's what was the CPI that they would have been entitled to? 3. Well, I budgeted 3.1, but CPI what they're entitled to is what comes out at the end of May, which is crazy, right? Because you're making a budget and voters are voting on a budget prior to even know knowing what CPI is. So, you always have to estimate transportation anyways. So this is a little higher than that. Did you budget for new buses as
008well? No, it was the um the routing software and the GPS is on that. So that's that's an additional expense, but the all the transportation contracts were 3.1%. Can you can you tell me correct me if I'm wrong? I thought that I read in uh one of our NISSBA papers that this they're seeing this in and other districts where their transportation companies are doing exactly that. They're same process. My business official meeting at Boseies is tomorrow. However, at last month's meeting, two districts that were at the meeting were going out to bid. Yeah, they it was definitely an article across the state that they forgot what the other one was. Yeah. Yeah, because of the cost and inflation, everything that's happening. Thank you. Can you tell us a little bit like cuz I'm I'm green.
009How long do we usually take to hear back? Like when we go out to bid, like what's the time frame on the process? Um, well, we said it, but the contracts have to be to SED, I think, by July 1st, or we have to have the RSP out and back by July 1st. I think I read that today before we So, yeah. Well, we have to develop it. Put in our criteria. The good thing so you there's actually two ways you can go out to bid just say give us the bid for or you can develop an RFP where you can have certain criteria weighted more than others. For example, the age of your buses. So there are some transportation providers who buy used buses from school districts and use that as their buses. So
010obviously they're old. So they would buy Frontiers buses or Fisher bus buses and put their logo on them and use them as their buses. So that's one um piece that we can give. You know, the newer that the bus, the more points you get on the RFP. Thank you. What is What is the Oh, I'm sorry, Mary. Go ahead. You take a turn. Okay. Um, I feel really frustrated by this because you said they came out on Thursday. We met with them on Thursday and it's it's frustrating that that happened. It's not our local person who corporate that's a good point. That's it is that that's fair. Thank you for for clarifying. I'm curious um when we put out an RFP, do we have a sense of what are our priorities? do who what what's
011going what are our priorities like what does that look like? Have you all sat down and thought about like No, we haven't had a meeting about it. What Christine is doing is she's gathering she's taking our RFP from the last time this happened which is 2017. She's got contacts with other districts and going to take a look at what would make sense for us and also what's going to make the best sense for our kids and our families too. Yeah. Yeah. I think that new bus versus old bus thing is a that's a relevant point. Yeah. And there's actually criteria I printed off today off off the New York State Transportation Unit website about what has to be in the RFP. Oh, okay. So, and does bo does Boseies off help with the RFP? I
012know that they help with other things. So, I don't know if Boseies also helps with this. No, there is a the gentleman his name is Paul Overdorf. He retired from New York State Transportation Unit and he started his own company and he helps districts write RFPs. I don't know if we need him. Um when I got Cleave Hills RFP because I asked, we'll look at it, see what makes sense for us and what doesn't. Um they said there were some things that they weren't thrilled about, some things that they had to change. And so I think, you know, using that as a base and then making it our own is probably the best way to go. I don't know if we really want to pay somebody that No, not if I don't think it's necessary.
013Who who are the who are the other companies that are able to bid against Fiser right now? So, well, any company that provides transportation, school bus transportation can, but the ones that I know of in the area are Western York Bus Company and First Student. And where are they located? Western Yorker bus is in Chuaga. First student I'm not sure where their um depot is. I don't know. I want to say the same area, but I'm not 100% positive. And they do a few districts. I think they do East Aurora. Now they do First does do East Aurora. I think they do transportation for the city. Mhm. How did they how is that possible for them to move every day back and forth from Chawaga, which is the closest location so far, right? And come
014and service Hamburg the way that Fiser does and we're right in their back as that would be one of the criteria in the RFP. I hope so. But what would they have to do, right, to make it feasible for them? which seems logistically probably. I mean I mean that's I think that's one of the the things why I mean the last time we did this in 17 I remember uh even though we had you know obviously more than the CPI increase from Fiser it was still substantially less than yeah it was I think first student was the only one that even do you remember that I thought it was just for but it was it was a sizable difference because to your point um you're pretty much going to need you know a new fleet
015of you know a fleet buses, however you're going to do it. Um, and a bus garage somewhere in the in the area. Like when is is I'm just take I'm just making an assumption here. When first student picked up East Aurora, they bought East Aurora's transportation system cuz their buses are still on 240 where they always were, right? But they but they can't buy for a student, right? They're not going to be buying Fiser's buses. So unless they have a an if Fischer loses the RFP, they might have a lot of buses for sale. I was going to say, you know, if if they if somebody can make the numbers work and say they'll buy out Fiser. I mean, who knows? Yeah. Um I I have my doubts. I think that if I think the
016the price for entry is is fairly steep, which is, you know, which puts, you know, your provider, whatever your district is, you know, a little bit in the driver's seat. Um but they have to be realistic otherwise. How many buses do Fiser does Fiser use to service us? I mean significant amount, right? Yeah. I mean just home to school is 37 but then we have our um out of district runs and I'm not sure how many I'm Lindsay did present that at a transportation committee meeting that we had I think it was in October but I can't remember. um you know and then we had our um McKenna Vento runs and um private school runs. I mean it's a lot over 50 I want to say but 37 are just home to school that I
017do know. Well it's disappointing. I think it's disappointing because the timing of it to me is a is like that's a that's that's a little bit of a of a burr under the saddle for me. Like I don't I don't I wish we would have known beforehand that that was going to be the way it plays out. At the same time, I want to give a lot of grace to Fiser because they're not the ones who are making this call right now. And again, like you know, Landmark came in and like that's a that's the that's the the parent organization and you know, I'm not I'm not living their world with it. Um it's it's a little bit, you know, it's similar to my frustration with uh the fact that we don't have a finalized
018budget in Albany. Um like have getting that information earlier would have been beneficial to us. Yeah. It comes across as a little bit of a power play in the timing of it. Yeah. Um you know, so now they're going to put we didn't have any knowledge of it leading up until, you know, just when we found out a short time ago. So we had no way to really even make, you know, come to use any ability to try to figure it out in advance. If we thought that this was going to happen, maybe we could have done something different. I don't know. But, you know, it well, it's it's like, you know, you look back at the monthly presentations and Christine, in every in every single one, it was that the trans transportation was still,
019you know, we're we're we're we're sort of watchful waiting with this and we're going to go with 31 even though we think the CPI is going to be a little bit lower than that. Um, but that's that's the you know, I'm not sure what the particulars were in 2017 with it, but when this stuff when this type of decision is made, it hits districts and communities, you know, and and it the timing never seems like it's it's it's right. Uh, I was a a building leader in another district where almost exactly the same type of thing happened. It was uh it was the the the local that was then bought by a larger and pretty soon we were in RFP mode there. Uh, and it's a that that does seem to have a it rhymes
020a little bit like history does sometimes. I want to talk I have a qu a follow-up question. We were just talking about budget. We looked at the estimated increase which brought to mind we just didn't we just agree to purchase software for them for next year. Yep. So we've been investing in them. I mean ultimately like I mean we own the software but yes they're Lindsay is trained on it from Fisher Bus, right? So, we will use them for summer. Sure. Sure. Um, but will we be like, let's I know the idea is to get Fiser to come back in and still use them, but like let's say they get outbid by somebody else. We still own the software. Like, we still have the ability to use the software with whoever. Correct. It's ours. We
021purchase. That's what I wanted to make sure. Yeah. We just That was our for software. I don't want to make sure like we're not investing all this money into software that then we can't have if this doesn't go the way that we thinking it goes. Well, if Fisher Fisher is not successful and we have the software, it may not be compatible with the other organization that has to come in. So, I um that's true. I although no I think it's it's web based and they have an app. So, I don't think that was one that multiple bus companies were using. I was going to say Laura is right. It's it's it's pretty ubiquitous. It's not in inherently, but it's like I don't know. It's like the Adobe is Yeah, I can't guarantee that the bus
022company that we would pick is going to use it, but like probably they're going to be using some version. Sounds like a good component to an RFP, though. Well, that's I'm wondering like if if if all companies can use it, would we have had to buy it through them if they already use it? Maybe we do. Maybe it's like you have to purchase a number of licenses for computers if we're relating it to Adobe. I'm just curious how that plays into it because I don't think it I think there was a concern we had to own it because we own the data inside it which is our own students. Right. Right. Addresses. Thank you. That's And did we already make this purchase? It's done. Right. Yes. We can't I think I think we're probably focused
023on like I think we had to buy the software because we had to own our students data, right? So I think we weren't going to get out of that whether we work with first student or Fiser. I guess I I mean I sort of look at this as not I mean it's disappointing of course like everybody said but I I I I'm optimistic. I hope first student and some others come in with a really compelling offer and we really have a decision on our hands. Yeah. Rather than sitting here and saying, "Boy, no one's going to come in with an offer that I mean I I hope we reach out and really give these other vendors a shot." Yeah. Cuz Fischer's taking a risk here. Yeah. I I don't think this was really it. we
024could really get an opportunity here to get to give something better or at par or you know stimulate some growth. The the RFP will be designed to be like what's best for our students and our families. Yeah. It won't be designed for you know it won't say your address needs to be you know it it won't be written in in such a way as to like that's not what the intent is. The intent is to do what's in the best interest of the kids and families and the districts as a whole. So that's and that'll be our guiding our guiding light on that and we can lock in because we like before I'm assuming that we're out of basically out of contract because we're just rolling Yeah. rolling it over but September like the last
025like the last time we went out went out when it went out to bid went out for our RFP. I think we got locked in for like four years or five years. were for us that was a long time because usually we were locked in for two or three locked in at CPI. Locked in. That's exactly what you were talking about earlier today, right? Um so I'm assuming that that contract, you know, that that that time period obviously is over because they they have the out to you know the risk they take is is if someone wants to come in and undercut them or whatever. Who knows? And so, so if it comes in, you know, at some number that you'd say is unreasonable, I don't know what that is. How do we how do
026we make up that shortfall that is going to well and in and Christine and I, we well, we've talked with with our um sort of our executive lead team with it. But at the close of the 2526 school year, your auditors will come in and we'll be able to say whereas normally we'd be saying and like in a in a in a in a traditional year. I don't know if there's ever a traditional year, but you'll be able to say, "All right, this is going to be how much we're going to have for we'll have already assigned the amount that we want towards the 26 27 budget. We'll know how much we have in the unallocated fund balance. That 4% uh would be the hope. And then we've got our reserves. And whereas we want
027to shore up our reserves like we've talked about, we don't want to be in the fiscal stress category, but that's an area that we would look at for that is like so the reserves impacted in our and our um and um our fund balance is where we we'd look. We're we're confident that we'll be able to meet the demand with it. At the same time, we need to make darn sure that we're getting the best deal we possibly can for it. Um, this is not a this is not news that's causing us to say, "Hey, listen. We got to talk about some serious things that have to do with the 2526 budget." We're confident going forward the 2526 budget that we've got put out for approval that we're putting up for approval tonight. Christine, weigh
028in on that where where you need to and correct me if you need to, too. Right. I also feel that while the law is 4% fund balance at the end of the fiscal year, I've worked in districts where it's more than 4% and you have a rationale as why it's fiscally responsible to be at 6% because of X, Y, and Z, these unknowns. An example would be we don't know about the federal title monies, right? So, we're going to put 6% in fund balance in case that title money goes away. And that's your rationale. You just have to write a corrective action plan in the fall after the audit of why because the auditors say you exceed 4% and we'll say why we did. Mhm. Is 6% a cap. Is that 4% is the max
029by law. There are some districts who have 10% on balance and they'll just take the slap on the hand. Right. And if the state comes in, if the controllers's audit comes in, then they'll respond with the reasons why they do it. And there's uh, you know, it's not the most popular thing to do because it's it can certainly bring some uh some questions about the decision-m with it. But in this case, when there's a clear-cut reason like that that rationale like you saw that in 2010 2011 when foundation aid was being cut and districts then don't you know put more in fund balance because of the unknowns unrestricted fund balance so you have some you know leeway there. Okay. Yeah. So that's the little thing about transportation to talk about, but thanks for having the
030conversation. Like that's important. I'm glad we're having it in front of folks and and we're doing it like this. Thank you. So as you can see, same as last month, balance budget, uh revenues equal expenses. Um there's our budget, the total dollar to dollar change. It's a 6% increase over last year. We are at the allowable tax levy limit. um 44 million 569417 which is 3.7%. So um we don't need a super majority. Um and we don't recommend going over the the uh tax levy limit. Um so instead of regurgitating all the same slides as last month, I added a few new slides. Um just some definitions. So the tax levy um is the total amount of revenue needed to be raised in real property tax by the district. So the district determined the total
031to be levied by that tax cap calculation that you saw in March. Um and so the tax rate is the dollar amount per thousand of assessed value needed to equal the levy. So the rate is calculated by dividing the total assessed value of each township and we have four in our district by the total amount of the levy to be raised. Okay. So assessments are determined um determine how the total tax is shared among the property owners within the district. Hamburg, Orchard Park, Eden, and Boston all have properties in Hamburg Central School District. All pos all parcels of real property um are assessed by their own tax assessor. So Hamburg tax assessor does Hamburg properties, Orchard Park does Orchard Park properties um at a uniform percentage of fair market value. The law however does not
032specify how fair market value must be determined. So as a result, homes in one town within the district might be assessed at 40% of their value, while homes in a neighboring town might be assessed at 100% of their value. So what we have to do is equalize that. So everybody's paying their fair share. So an equalization rate is New York State's measure of a town's level of assessment. So the equalization rate is the total assessed value of the town divided by the total market value of the town and then the full market value is the total assessed value of a town divided by the equalization rate. So once the full market value is determined, then school districts can determine how much revenue must be collected from each township that's given to the assessors at the
033four towns and then the tax rates are established then by those assessors in August so they can um print those tax bills and finalize the roles and the equalization rates to the district. So there's time between the rates in August and by the time they print the bills and sell them out if somebody wants to assess to challenge their assessment. So that's why there's that that gap. So if you put up a garage or you put a deck on your house or an addition, you know, you're going to then have a new assessment on your house. And sometimes that can like if you can prove your house like well this house has a deck and the same square footage as my house and their you know assessment is higher or you know lower than mine.
034You have a basis for a challenge. So the next steps um we have the budget hearing on May 13th here at Armor at 6 o'clock. our budget newsletter. The New York the New York State deadline is to mail it out no later than May 14th, but I think we're mailing ours out in just a couple days. Um, it will also appear on the district's website with all of the budget presentations that I've been giving since January. And then the budget vote is Tuesday, May 20th. It's always the third Tuesday in May, 700 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Hamburg High School gym. And just as a reminder in the community, um the the Hamburg Farmers Market is Saturday, May 17th. That will be there um 7:30 to noon. And then the various PTSA budget presentations
035um starting this Thursday up and through May 12th at the high school. So we'll be attending those. And that's all I have. Great. Thanks for Thank you. Anybody at the table have any questions? Any more questions, comments before we move on? All right. Um, moving on to our action items. Um, action item C1. Can I have a motion that uh that upon the recommendation the superintendent of schools the Hamburg Central School District Board of Education adopts the IR1 Bosey's administrative budget for 202526 in the amount of 4,127,759. So moved. So moved by Laura. Second. Second by Rich. Questions, comments, discussion. All in favor? I opposed item passes. Item C2. Uh, can I have a motion that the board of education uh cast one vote for each of the annual election uh for up to three
036board uh members of the right [Applause] here? Uh, three board members for the um the board of cooperative education services first advisory uh district county. I'm proposing that we put our vote in for all three candidates, which is Cameron Hall, Mary Buy, and Mark Mecca. Second. So Ashley, second by Rich. Questions, comments. Congratulations. I think you're going to get in with this vote. You get in. Feeling good about it. Feeling good about it. All in favor? I opposed. Thanks for being willing to do that. Thank you. Thanks for the vote. Appreciate it. Uh item C3. Can I have a motion that the proposed 202526 budget in the amount of 88,949,955 be adopted and presented to the voters of the Hambury Central School District as Proposition 1 on May 20th, 2025. So moved. So moved by
037Cam. Second. Second by Laura. Questions, comments, discussion? All in favor? I I opposed. Item passes. Item C4. Can I have a motion to approve the publication of the 202526 property tax report card pursuit pursuit to I'm saying that wrong to the regulations of the commissioner of education? So move. So I can seconded. Questions, comments, discussion. [Applause] All in favor? I I opposed. Um item C5. Uh can I have a motion to approve the personnel changes as presented? Some by Ashley. Second. Second by Laura. Questions, comments, discussion. All in favor? I opposed. And Mr. Flyn, if I could just give a thanks to Annie for her career as a food service helper uh for our for the for the district. Um she uh her retirement's been accepted as of July 1st. I want to thank her
038for her service. Thank you. Thank you. Uh item C6, I have a motion to approve upon the recommendation of the superintendent to contract with Landscape Structures Incorporated for the 2021 capital project phase three contract BP300 site work in a base bid of $555,37456 for a total contract award of 55 $555,37456. So move by can second. Second by Barry. Questions, comments, discussion. And this is for the playground. Yep. Exactly. Will all this work be done before September? I'm going to confidently say yes. That's the goal. Yeah, I'm That is absolutely. That's the goal. Absolutely. Um, all in favor say I I opposed. Item passes. Um, it's the end of our action items, uh, I don't believe anyone has signed up for public expression. So, seeing uh, no other business, can I have a motion to adjourn
039the meeting? So, move. So, move by Laura. Okay. Rich. All in favor? I post. Thanks everybody.