001Okay. So, this is our 2526 final budget hearing. Um, yes. So, this process obviously started many many months ago. Um, uh, I do want to really give a ton of credit to Dr. Grace Chan for the amount of work that she put into this. I know it's a a herculean effort to take a budget that you did not build. Um, understand it, dissect it, transform it, transition it, do all those things you have to do to put it into a format that you are familiar with, that you believe the community uh will understand and provide the greatest amount of clarity and transparency possible. And I think Grace and her team have really been able to do that. Um, she also has a new uh district treasurer, Matthew, who is extremely helpful throughout this process. And
002I do want to recognize um their efforts and the efforts of the entire department for being able to put together um such a well polished budget as well as presentations throughout the winter. Uh we did some new uh forms that we used for our building administrators and our department chairs and uh we believe that made this for an easier process transition as well as the budget document which is posted online as well. So, uh, this concludes our presentations and our Q&A. We've held numerous, uh, Q&A sessions, uh, some ourselves as listening hours, some in partnership with the PTA and the Education Foundation. And I really believe that what we are providing to the voters is a balanced budget that represents both the needs of uh, the district as well as the financial burden that those
003needs place on our taxpayers. Okay, good. Any questions, comments? Anyone? Anything else to add? No. The next order of business is we're going to have to identify chairperson for the vote. So, that's coming up. So, we need to fill in the Can't do it. Janette can't do it. That's true. I'm happy to do it. I can do I'm going to vote for Haley. I can do the morning. I'm going to go in my pajamas, but I can do the morning. You want to do the opening? Sure. Okay. Starts at 6:00. You have to be there 5:30 to open the boat. 5:30. You said 5:45. You said 5:05. No, you said I'll be teasing Miss Kron. I'm not really asking. I thought you were teasing me. You get there 5 minutes before 600. You're good. Okay.
004So, you're going to open and I'll close. Sounds good. Wonderful. Okay, that's good. I'm think I'm traumatized from the last Why not come? Somebody text they know. Oh, that's great. Uh, you know, before we move on, um, Haley or Aiden, did you have any concerns or questions that you've been hearing about the budget or any comments about the budget before we move on? Not really. You don't have to pay you don't have to pay the taxes, so you can ask the questions. No, none of the us none of the students really have any questions or concerns about the budget. No one's really So, are either of you 18 and able to vote? I am. Yeah. Good for you. Okay. I think it needs to be said that um the work that the team at the
005district level has done to provide information as it has been requested has been tremendous. Um, it it obviously goes without saying that it's a part of the job to do that, but I think that it just needs to be recognized the amount of work and thoroughess um that are in the responses to any public citizen that asks a question about our budget. Thank you for your professionalism, Dr. L, Dr. Chan, um, Miss Lavine, when you chime in, when you need to. Um, Natalie, thank you guys so much for all of the work that you've done to really just make sure that people get the answers to the questions they have. Um, and for also listening to the community with respect to, you know, the type of community, um, communication we have, um, with respect to
006our process. I think we've grown a lot this year. I certainly have learned quite a lot this year. Um, and I really want to thank the work of the facilities team that continues to come out at every meeting, those people who are just faithful to the work. Um, thank you so so much for getting the right information out there, for getting factual information out there, for pointing people to the district when needed. Um, and to really being a thoughtful partner in the process of, you know, delineating this project. So, thank you to uh all. And just to confirm again, the um all the budget information is on the website pbcsd.org um under budgets. All of our past videos, all of the information, the mailings, everything that you want to know about anything about the budget,
007it's on the website. And we do have some new videos as well, right, Dr. So, I was going to say everyone should have by now received two separate uh documents mailed to your house. um the most recent one with more detailed information. The district I think today finalized our budget newsletter uh which is a much more detailed mailing so that'll be going out in the near future and everyone will receive that prior to the budget vote. The state requires that arrive within a certain time period of the budget so we can't send that too soon. Uh and that will be our third and final publication related to the budget. There is another one coming out regarding prek if that hasn't already gone out. Uh so there is a fourth coming but not necessarily related to
008the budget. And I encourage everyone to go out and vote and let their voices be heard. This is probably the most meaningful thing uh the most meaningful thing that community members in Putnham Valley have a say in and uh it's important that they exercise that right. May 20th. Tuesday, May 20th, 2 weeks from tonight, 6:00 a.m. 900 p.m. Putnham Valley Elementary School. Yes. And bring your kids to vote if they go to Putnham Valley Elementary School because we will be voting on ice pops or ice cream sandwiches for field day. They're going to have the bubble bus. Very important vote. I don't know about the bubble bus this year, Sam. That's not on the ballot. But uh ice pops and ice cream certainly are the choices right now. So we shall see who wins. Last
009year was interesting. It was. They got everything last year. That's not happening this year. It's an anomaly. All right.