Board of Education Meeting - 4/8/2025 - Part 2

001Um, so can I please get a consent motion for the approval of the minutes from the March 25th meeting and for the agenda for the April 8th meeting? Second. Thanks, Steve. Discussion. All in favor? All right. The next will be consent agenda for business operations which will include the general fund warrant in the amount of $315,8363 cents for March 30th. Uh special aid fund warrant in the amount of $375.79 for March 30th. School lunch warrant in the amount of $1,311.50 for March 30th. uh multiple CSSE CPSC recommendations as listed and the treasures report for February 2025. Can I please get a motion? So moved. Thanks, Justin. Second. Thanks, Ken. Discussion. All in favor? I'll turn it over to Dr. Spring for presentations. So, I just wanted to make everyone aware that tomorrow night is the

002Pops concert here at 7 PM. This uh replaces the old Prism concert that you may recall. So, students been practicing and they've got some pretty jazzy numbers and modern kind of pop music. So, they're excited to um to uh present tomorrow to everybody. Um we're continuing our discussions on the budget tonight. So, let's just quickly just look at the budget development calendar. So, tonight we are scheduled to adopt the budget, but if the board needs more time, then um we have until April 22nd. Obviously, we're running out of days. Um we we could schedule, you know, another meeting. Um so, so let's see how tonight goes, but that is an option. I just want the board to know that. And then when we um finalize our budget here, our goal is that it aligns with

003our mission, vision, beliefs, commitments, focusing on the needs of all students, supporting our commitment to educating the whole child. It pro preserves and expands with efficiency because I think we have to really emphasize that our academic, social, emotional and wellness program and we are continuing to address the impact of CO 19 and obviously we want a budget that's mindful of our residents and their property taxes and we already approved our tax cap at 2%. So um I think we've already met that um metric there. Whoops, wrong one. So we'll first look at our projected revenue so you are clear as to the money that is coming into the school district for the next school year. So we still have some uncertainties. The New York State budget still has not um you know they haven't finalized

004their budget yet. Uh but what we understand to be is that there will be an increase in foundation aid from what we were promised. So the initial school runs said, you know, calculated at 2%. So we are, we do believe that it will end up being 3%. Do we know that for sure right now? No. But that's what we believe to be true. So on the foundation aid, where is it? Foundation aid. Yep. We believe that um that will go up. Yep. And that is foundation transportation building merched into one. Oh, okay. Yeah. So that line's 2.44. 44. You think that's going to be? So, so one part of it is So, um, where did we put um I thought you and I put that on here somewhere. It was 10 two 10 million 242,000

005was the building or the the we talked about this yesterday. It's in our slides. It's in the next slide. I knew I Hold on. Hold on. on that summary sheet. It's 205,248. That's what 2% and we are expecting it to go up. This is on another slide that we're getting to. Um and um if we were to get a 3% increase, that should go up to be around 300,000. It'd be good to see that separated. How much is our rental income changing? Where is that rental? A Boseis rental of real property right here. 105,000. That's what we're projecting. We're projecting that. Yes. How much is the Bosey's budget going up this year? Well, they're using fewer classrooms. So, that's that's why that's staying flat this year. Um, and the Bosey's budget uh that was um

006on the top of my head. I forget what percentage that that was. No, I didn't get notified. Um, we did share with you the Bosey's documents and that vote is at our next board meeting. Um, I can get that to you and then I can send it to you. Yes. Yeah, they're in. And Steve was at the meeting. I was. Yeah. But I'm not on the board yet. So, I'm officially until I think I'm both in. Oh, you are. This thing drives me crazy. Okay. So, should I do you want to go over any other pieces of the foundation? The only other piece that we believe is really going to increase is the excess cost aid um you know, our special ed reimbursements for private and public um special ed placements. So, we do believe

007that it's it's going to go up at least 100 100,000. It most likely will go up more. We looked at trend data and it goes up significantly. Um, and so that is one piece that that we don't know for sure yet, but we're confident that that will also increase. So those are the two pieces that we are not um completely certain on at this time. So, so go back. The foundation aid for last year was 10,262,425 and this year the foundation aid is 10,467,673 for an increase of 205248. I knew we had it. We had it. Okay, so we have an increase in foundation aid at 2%. Okay. Um, and then we'll go over some of those expenses that are really driving the increases in our budget. So, the health insurance premium is going up

00812%. And uh, we are part of the consortium. there was a vote and there was really no other option than to approve the 12% increase because obviously we didn't want to be on the path of insolveny as our consortium is. Um we are looking at having an RFP for drug prescriptions. We are looking at other ways to try to bring down costs um so that next year we're not faced with another 12%. So the district the consortium has been hit with a number of large claimments and um that was one of the reasons why and the the number that's listed there the after 12%. That's what it's going up to. That's not the increase number. That's the increase number from this year 396 budget. Okay. So, how many people did we kill carry out health

009insurance for? Do we carry for retirees too? Retirees. How many total? Um, I can tell you that. Give me one second. average like in buckets of just so they are. Yes. Yes. So it's a breakdown. So WTA has their own category WTA retirees and then it depends what year they retired because the each contract that they retired under had different specifications. So, and you have SEIU has their own category, admin has their own category, and for each of those categories, they have a retiring category. So, I have like a lot of buckets. Yeah, there's a lot of buckets. I was just thinking about, you know, I people that um you know, I'll just use a wild circumstance, right? you had 30% of your retirees are 110 years old right now, you would probably have a

010pretty good chance that 10 years from now at a very small percentage make to 112 years, right? I just didn't know if we ever looked at that, but that that could have um can lower the impact of future increases. Sure. If you know that there's this bubble, right? So unfortunately the 65 plus demographic is growing um versus you know active. So at some point it may be we have more retirees than activives. So that is a real scenario that that most likely at some point will occur. So that's why we are looking to our um Losi and Kho insurance consultants have been reluctant to carve out that Medicare population but we're urging them to at least you know let's really analyze it to see if there could be savings there. So we have 188 individual

011active advertises. So family. So we have um 77 individual policies, 22 person policies because after you go 65 and it's only you and your spouse and you both have to be 65, we can put you on a twoerson which lowers the cost. Um and then we have 91 family plans. And if you wanted to get an RFP just out maybe even I mean it's like you find more of a national carrier spreads the risk and the cost more than small consortium to take a couple cash claims. Um that's part of you have to share a claim among a smaller group versus like a national car or something like a pro or something that I know that requirements you got to be track and stuff like that to make sure you have the same service but

012you know healthcare's going up and it doesn't matter which exact up but it would be interestingly showing around with that just to see what's out there. So we are working with a consortium and there are a lot of discussions that are happening. I guess my point is like do you want to stay in consortium if you work? So that's the question if we left would we get you know levied with a big fee like right like the workers comp. I don't know. And those are questions that that will continue to. But being that's one of your biggest nuts, right? So a 12% increase. So that means we're paying uh was like almost $4 million in premium a year. Oh yeah. Um hold on second. So we pay in 4 million 3,698,000. Now what's our total

013school budget? Uh 23 million 23 they have uh% one expense right. So like huge part you want to do due diligence around that because you you want to be in a position where you're either like this is where we want to stay because this is the best deal we're going to get or holy cow like hold our nose and pay 100 grand to get out consortion we're going to pick it up in a matter of a year and we're going to make a going forward right you can't let a 20% budget line item not shop try to figure out and And to add on to that, I think this is the kind of conversation get in some of my questions I'm trying to encourage us to have while we have our fund balance access rather

014than the approach we're taking where we're going to close the gap with fund balance. We have the fund balance is the right thing to do, but we're trying to look at how big the gap is. Why is it so big? What factors are going to continue to keep that large gap like health insurance like contractual increases above the tax cap increase when those are those increases are above the increase of revenue gaps widen and we need to understand how many years we run out of our excess fund balance and then we we have to close the gap. So it might be worth to point spending 100 grand to then take it down significantly in future. This is 100%. Yeah, it's huge. We're getting into that's the only volatile look state is that more volatile than

015state a 12% increase. That's more volatile than losing 12%. You know you're not going to lose 12%. Right. Right. So, so, so if I'm looking at this correctly, the increase in health insurance and the increase in the two retirement systems is driving a $1.2 million increase in the budget. Okay. So, increase in the ERS eight, it's at 8%. But the total amount, so so, so the increase in health insurance that the 12% the 396,000 that's just the increase, right? But the ERS, that's the total amount we're paying. Okay. Okay. So, but was it 12 total? Right. That's that's not in one year. That's the total amount. So, let me just Right. A little confusing. So, I I'm sorry. Okay. So, um so the So, we also have contractual obligations obviously. So, SEIU for the next

016school year will get a 3% increase. That was already negotiated. So, we are going into negotiations um with um through Finn. And so, as you remember, our next board meeting at five o'clock, we'll be meeting with the entire team um to review the Finn requirements and expectations. Um so, the increase in teachers retirement system again, it goes up obviously every year. It's 2% but the total amount for the next school year is 601,000. Okay. special education placements. Again, it's always kind of an unknown, but what we're expecting is that we will be spending 2,28,000 next year on special education placements. Again, we do get some of that back and the excess cost. Yes, just feedback on the slide for future and we, you know, we know you're working on this till today. So, we email

017feedback. I we need to separate like it's fine to understand what the biggest line items are in the budget. That's important. But we need to understand where the increases are. Like I want again I want to see if the budget's going up by X amount. These are the biggest increases driving that increase itself. Like we always know salaries is number no benefits is number two. Like that overall number is scary. It's 396 12% increase. That's scary. an increase in the budget of $400,000 by one line I think is like how much are we going up year over year dollar in the budget we're going up almost a million dollars so I want to see increase million list out the biggest tax like 60 grand right generate grand so to cover 400 it goes back to

018that math exercise like Right. Yeah. So, uh this is something that we did talk about last uh board meeting. We didn't make any final decisions. Um so, in the left hand column, things that we have included in the proposed budget or the last item is on hold. So, we are able to purchase the district telephone system through Boseies so we can drive aid on it. that will be through the next school year. So, um, so we're on we're on set we're on track for that. We have eliminated low usage software so we could be more efficient. So, you'll see in a minute we're going to be adding as a new progress monitoring tool for our elementary school. We're getting rid of I Ready, which had a very high price tag of 30,000 whereas 10,000. Correct.

019Uh so so there may be a savings there but we also wanted to add conigo. So um we definitely are not spending more in that software line items but we are looking for um having software that is used by more students and is more um yes effective. How much is the comigo? It's $15 per student and we would only look to get it for um the secondary building. So about a thousand bucks. Yeah. So it's not too bad. And I'm sure there'd be an administrative fee. Um but it would be through both. Why not the elementary? I I don't know. Well, so the elementary again if they decide they want to move to it, they do have um conigo and grades. I want to say the intermediate grades. They don't have it in the lower

020primary grades. Um, if the upper grades at MPS wanted to move to that, we could, but they're so they're starting next year. So, that's a new software. We're still figuring out the science um new or new materials resources for science grades four, five. So, so we're still doing that, but I didn't want to overwhelm. They haven't even had a demonstration on it, but I think the smart thing to do is let's pilot it first here at the junior senior high and let's see how it goes. What is convigo? So, I'm not So, that is the uh AI student tutor. So, there's a component for teachers which helps teachers with lesson planning, um you know, resource development, all those things. And then there's the tutor. For example, if you need a math tutor, it's going to

021help you. If you need a writing tutor, it's going to help you. Um, it's going to interact with you in all of these different content areas. So, so it's very powerful for students. So, so for example, if your son next year wants to take the SAT prep, they can just log into KIGO, they can do the self-study with their tutor. Um, so, so there are a lot of things that I think would be beneficial. Also, if you have students who are struggling and we're looking for some kind of reinforcement, then this is also a great tool for them. Um, teachers have resources in all of the the APS in every single subject area to help them with their content development of their of their courses. Uh, replacing football helmets, that's in the budget. So, this

022was really great. So, we did put out to the universe that we wanted two new laminators. And so, the village somehow heard our our cry and they had one that they don't need. And so, they donated it to the library. The library doesn't need it. And so, we're going to go pick pick it up and we will put it on an upcoming board agenda to accept that donation. So, so we're down to now only one laminator. We don't have to necessarily get it in the next year. We'll see how things go, but at least we'll be able to replace the one at EPA. So, that's was really critical. Um the Vonics, we're purchasing them um in this year's uh monies and then we'll uh wait for that reimbursement and it's really critical that we order

023these now, which is what we're doing because of the tariff. So, that it will cost a lot more to have these visics. So, so we're already on that um on hold. There was no decision that was made about summer school program. Um, I was hoping that I'd have more information about the foundation aid increase. Uh, I still don't. So, I guess my recommendation would be to hold it off till the next board meeting and then to come back and make um make a decision. I mean, we could still even make a decision in early May on it um and put a program together. Uh obviously the sooner we make a decision the better, but um again we're holding out hope that somehow we can accommodate um at least an abbreviated program or less expensive program.

024That program as run was at a cost of about $25,000. Correct. We could whittle it down and if we begin the phase out of Mandarin Chinese, that's a $21,000 savings the first year. Yes. But that does still drive aid. Remember Mandarin is a Bosey's coaster. It drives aid. The summer school program doesn't drive any aid. Okay. But yes, that's correct. Um so you'll see in our analysis tonight that uh we're recommending um a reduction of one position through its retirement. That is the MPS specialed retirement position. We'll go over that in a minute. Um and that would be a $92,000 savings. We are looking to implement a two-year purchasing schedule with new textbooks. Um, so yes, they they need their new when I say textbooks, I also mean like resources. Okay. I got in trouble

025last time. Yeah. So um so we're looking at a schedule um to get obviously our AP folks need their their materials. That's a requirement for for the AP and um our algebra folks need that. So, so these are high priority priority areas and we are working um with our budget to see you know how we can accommodate everyone as best as we can. Yes, you had two positions last I did um and I'll explain that in a minute. So, one of them was um a PE position. So, uh I was not aware of the change in PE minutes. We went from um a six-day schedule to a fiveday schedule. And the reason we did that, I I may have I think I told you, is because our district um was accommodating the Bosei self-contained classes

026at MBS and art and music and we eliminated that. So we uh the principal at the time decided to revert to a five-day schedule to allow students more time in art and music. Um so but I did not know at the time that then that impacted PE. So that's why uh reverting back to a six-day schedule um will definitely maximize our PE minutes so that we're um we're meeting the regulations um and allowing our students also to maximize art and music. So So we're going to go back to a six-day schedule. So that's why we're not able to make that reduction um because we won't be meeting the PE minutes. With the PE minutes, are we still meeting them at like the K? Well, one of the things one of the things they do need

027every day daily 22 minutes or 20 minutes. So, what we're going to do is convert uh some of their morning time. So, they have actually a video where they do like physical activity through a video every morning. So, we're going to replace that with planned activities from the PE teachers. Um and then the teachers instead of that 10 15 minute period it's it's about 10 minutes right Kathy about 10 minutes where they're doing that um activity in the morning and then again the afternoon will be directed by uh the PE teacher and how to accommodate that within um you know physical activity uh guidance. I had a question too about the football helmets. When that was originally brought up several meetings ago, you said it was about $10,000. Is that still the case? 8,000. 8,000.

028And so when we're looking at the budget under athletic equipment, is that the line item that that would be coming out of? Because that's only at 10,000 and it was at 10,000 well 10,609 and it was at 10,03 last year. So I think it's just a switch off of what he does. I think he's just highlighting the helmet. So each year you we're adding the pole vaults into that as well. So that's he said hearing about pole vault. Okay. So this is what he came to me um or or you came to me um and said that there were questions about pole vault. So I said, "Tom, what's going on with pull?" Because I I hadn't heard anything. So, he explained that they're trying to get two apparently apparently you need two of the um

029poles and uh last year we borrowed them and so we're trying to borrow them again. Um and they're $1,000 each. So, I believe he did put it in the budget for the next school year. That's what I believe he told me that 8,000 for football helmets, 2,000ish for pool balls would be overish. No equipment for anything else. I mean, he didn't say anything whole budget. No, no, no. For equipment. So, yeah, he the supplies is what they use for um PE classes like kickballs, volleyball, basketballs. Yeah. Equipment is just sports they use for sports. I mean, I'm assuming we have like a um schedule for purchasing certain equipments. So, what equipments would be up other than that to purchase? helmets here. So, only helmets. Okay. So, we don't like purchase like new baseballs and new

030things like season. Yeah, there's a new I thought that was for fizzad, not athletics. There's an athletic supply budget because they need golf balls. I mean, they need all those things in every single sport. So, there is two different line items. So, I'd be looking at 211 line item for the athletic supplies. So, that would be like the 13,000. So where would I look for the fizz supply line? So I believe it's under instruction. That's the code each salaries. So Bizad has another $2369 for supplies. If you go up line 141. Okay. Yeah, I see that now. 141. Thank you. So the other items like the baseballs and regularly needed things would be under the 211. Yes. Thank you. I just want to Yeah. So then Okay, I'm good. Thank you. Revert back to the

031house. polls. Yeah, we borrowed last year. Do we have polls? No. No. And also apparently as a as a student as an athlete grows. Yes. Weight and height are important factors and getting fitted. How many children have one? Well, and also if that student then decide loses interest then you know we're not. So it's something you have to do. That's why it doesn't make sense to be borrow until I thought I thought No, I thought we had no All right. And then we talked about just it' be a good time to ask the question because the bull balls came up. Have we seen and I think the answer is no, but have we seen any information around equipment needs of the track program considering participation quadrupled from like two years ago? Again, we rely on

032Tom to come back to us. So, I don't know. Have we bought a lot more equipment? I mean, yeah. No, I'm not asking what I'm asking what we need. Like, we have 40 kids on the track team and we had like 10. two years ago. It seems like we should take a look at that. That's where we would have discovered the pole vaults. That's where we would discover if we need discs for discus or shots for shot because when we had eight or 10 kids, we didn't participate in a lot of events. But all the events are fair game for a track athlete. I don't we can't tell them no. Like, hey, you know, you want to be shopper. We don't have shots. Like other schools can do that, but we can't do that. like

033we would never do that in any other sport. We need that assessment for kids. They're not just all running on the track. So, we can tell Tom to see I can't get into my system to see what specifically because Envision's not working tonight. Um, again, we'll reach out to Tom to see if there are other specific things, right? That could fluctuate. We have a new sport with a lot of participation because we know indoor track again like wasn't even a thing, right? And we have huge participation in that. students have needs, student athletes, like I have a football player, so I'm fine with the helmets, but just seems like we just automatically buy certain equipment and we may not necessarily be adjusting to the needs of the kids, you know, like the absolutely I know,

034who knows? Boys basketball, there was a ton of participation this year. They had to cut for the first time in years. So, we might need more stuff for boys basketball. I don't know. Girls softball, they're doing really well, right? Do do we still have the procedures in place where coaches fill out that form like at the season ends for needs and wants for next year? That's part of this exit. I mean, let me see. Yeah. So uh this is the second year in a row we have talked about our Mandarin program and I think the big issue is that we have high attrition numbers um at the junior senior high. So we discussed last week Steve um you know the future of the program and it seems like the right decision is to phase it

035out. Um, so then we would allow students moving to this buildings to still select Mandarin, but the sixth graders would not um be um in Mandarin. Yeah, we I think we've seen even greater Yes. attrition recently, right, than we have. We've seen an increase in ASL, American Sign Language. Um, and when I went to the distance learning advisory board, they did talk about mandering. Several districts are starting home districts. The cost of Yeah. like eight teachers down four teachers right now and they're really concerned about white schools have a hard time scheduling out the district that process I still think and I I support change it makes sense can't force it if people don't want to take it if there's issues there whatever but I still think in the future as part of our long-term

036plans and our vision we should be adapting to technology and we shouldn't be constrained to just Spanish and ASL for language instruction. Like that's not the model for teaching in many places in the world and even for adult language education. You don't need a teacher in every classroom. Distance learning is viable. materials are viable and it seems like our kids are being shortch changed opportunities because we haven't found an innovative way to expose them to languages. Especially in the high school ages where even in junior senior year they could take a couple years of a language, go to college and continue to pursue it like without us having to hire a bunch of staff, you know, to build a whole program. And just we've got to start thinking differently to offer the same things that,

037you know, kids in bigger districts get if we're going to service the needs of our kids. So, well through again distance learning through online learning through maybe right but I would just be curious and you know I'm going to challenge Boseies on that like no offense it just I just hear excuses like even big schools in this area are losing enrollment. Okay, like is this the only part of the world that could teach languages? Like is that our distance learning? Are we constrained by Boseies? Like distance learning to me is the whole world, right? Like we shouldn't be constrained by that narrow a vision because kids in other parts of the world whether we're comfortable with it or not are not constrained and are getting advantages over our kids who have to operate in global

038world not just central New York. So we we have to have that as our north start. So uh next next slide uh oh so uh we've talked about it before upgrading our digital radio system for transportation system that interfaces with our own district radios here because you know our own district radios can't communicate with buses and there are we talked about this um there are those dead zones and um it is Wait, what did we say? Remember Ken had concerns? The cellular. Yeah. Yeah. So, it'll be the cellular. Yes. And they've done testing to make sure. So, they're tested. So, we are able to accommodate that in this year's budget. Um, again, every year going out the capital outlay project is very wise. Uh, we get um building aid back on that. So it's really

039critical. So next year's we'll replace we will replace some classroom doors in the intermediate wing. Our budget we we feel strongly about maintaining our SRO and SPO. So again these are the SPO was something that you know is basically a new addition since mostly since so again these are new expenses that that we've had to incur. Um we have three new advanced placement courses. So all but one teacher has to take the AP college board training um and she will do that. We want to make sure our teachers are prepared and um so so that is I think very exciting for our students. So this is something we talked about last meeting about replacing our BOSI's policy service which is 12,400 again that's before 8 with the NISBA policy service that you have they do

040send you we talked about this last week the new policies um four chickens a year you have access to their their data bank of all of their policies that they have pushed out from past years as well. So that's an option. Um I'm not exactly sure. I didn't have a chance to do that. But I'm sure that there's a way we can do it. Um because many districts do move. They don't just stay with one policy. Have you contacted NISBO to ask him other districts? We initially contacted Nisba. I did not ask them that question. I can't um so but I don't think numbers should really hold us back. That's something we can, you know, he's written up for our policies or we keep our policies and I'm just wonder and there may be. So

041we um again these are just the options that we're recommending and there could be option three or four. So we're just option recommended two and then we can discuss further. So if we were to maintain all current staffing levels that we have now, all right, that would be a total budget of 23,219,668 and that is a gap of 830,5. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm doing here and I didn't do it there. So yeah. So, again, a couple things for me. I'm like a broken record here. I don't think I've asked previously, and I I know you won't have it tonight, but could we get a list of all the new programs and positions we've added since since the 1920 budget? So, starting with 2021 because we we we have the fun, right? Well, no. I want

042to see the list. People got to see the cost because we know we have the fund balance. We're not out of money. That rumor's circulating in the community. That's not the case. But we know simple math. If our gap is this big every year, the excess fund balance runs out and then we right we can't close it anymore. So we need to be responsible about assessing why do we have this gap which we never used to make budgets this way. We know some of it salary increase from the WTA contract we're going to have another contract in another year right the health insurance increase etc. But we have to look at all the positions and programs that and see like is is that the cost? Is it more than the gap? Like I I don't

043really see what are the contractual items that we can't fund that we have to cover. If we don't do that now, we will reach a year where we will have a massive shortage because we don't have excess fund balance and a 10% tax levy. No, we won't do that. No, but I was going to say like you couldn't even wage a tax high enough. Correct. Correct. Cover your gap. That's why I'm on the same page as you got to think strategically and I know you're traveling our last meeting, but you know, I brought up like, hey, you need to do some working and say, yep, 100%. You know, bad, really bad disaster. What are the levers you're going to pull? and you got to have them lined up and try to figure out. So, so

044let me just explain a little bit more. Yes. So, those lovers are a little more difficult. So, since I have been here, we added the SPO position. Um, and the SO county forms to take more of the burden of the cost sharing. Okay. We have added three um special ed positions to address need and we have also added a science position at the junior senior high school and we have also added an assistant principal position. Did I miss any other than Bose service? No other administrative positions. The assistant principal too was a shift. There was we we had other positions. Well, it was a position that existed. It was a share between the AD um and an AP combination. And that was eliminated. I want to say in the 2018 2019 school year that position

045was any other. Okay. So, so reducing one FTE position. So we um discussed at length. Okay. So our admin team met yesterday. We discussed at length what the I'm about to say efficiency could be. Um so we we all agreed that uh we could absorb again not no cut is easy is understand but we did we do believe we could absorb uh this position. Um and through more efficient efficient scheduling we will be able to continue to look uh forward in our L L requirements. Yes. Can you explain the more efficient scheduling to me because it's still I feel like I don't have that I mean the data that was presented was that like I said last meeting we have increased special ed numbers in the district by 20%. I know I said that last

046meeting. Um, so I wanted kind of the more information to understand how we can cut a position if we are increasing numbers in special ed by 20% just by being more efficient with scheduling. And I'm going to Katie, would you would you talk a little bit more Katie and Kathy about right now we're in the process of annual reviews too. So that really drives um what we're going to offer and and student needs. We did share someone with Windtime and special ed and now she has become solely primarily special ed with some specialized reading instruction that she was certified in last year. Um and we also too sometime so if you do direct consultant it's five time 40 um ELA 5* 40 math. We've really tried to provide more support other than that for our

047teachers, but we're kind of going to have to go back to really making sure that we're we're looking at our schedule and using everybody to their full capacity. So, how do we do that? Yeah. Like I I think I want to know what that looks like, I guess. So, the new model that you were talking about last time, TAS, not having a self-contained Well, we use TAS. We'll we'll still do our 15 one for ELA and math for kids that have needs that really have, you know, really require that that smaller group instruction. Um, so we've had self-contained in this in this particular classroom. I think the model is that these students are going to be pushed out and um into the general classroom but be self-contained for DLA and So under this um recommendation

048um the gap is lower there's still a gap 738,589 the reduction for yes it has that one I did have I don't have the mandarin in this nothing So we would scrub it. I think this the gap would So this approximately is the fund balance we need, right? Yes. But I I do want to say remember we don't have our total foundation aid. Yeah, it could be another 100,000. Yep. And also excess cost aid. Yeah. How much could that be? Well, it could be 500,000. Could be more. When are we going to know that? Could be more than that. We'll know that when they come out. The state is not getting what 91 million from the federal government. So, I mean, it's not going to be drastically different. It always is drastic. Historic. Well, history

049doesn't apply this year. If we're paying attention to current events, history means nothing. So, so we do believe that a safe bet is 100,000. Okay. So, that would still lower the gap by 200. Well, and the 91 million, what are they not getting the 91 million for? So, if they're funding excess cost, if they're funding special ed, well, we don't really know where they'll allocate that to, right? So, that's an unknown. I was going to ask until they pass the budget. I would just not count on it. Can we use excess cost money for anything? Just goes into the fund and we can pay it. Okay. Correct. So, with the special ed recommendation, would we need um I mean I from what I heard, we had difficulties up at the high school fulfilling IEPs and

050and things at the beginning of the year with the staffing that we had. So, would that move anybody or what was more of an issue of transition and leadership than anything? I mean, that was a matter of somebody saying so and so is supposed to have a TA in here and letting us know. Um, that letting you know, aren't you in charge of What do you mean letting you know? Don't you help with the scheduling? Well, no, but if if so up here, if a faculty member wasn't placed in a classroom, I would have to come up here and say to the principal, here's here's where people need to be and it needs to happen now. It's it's law, but I mean that definitely. So, one of the things in our playbook too is, you

051know, case managers, what is their role? So, as soon as they realize if somebody isn't placed in a classroom, we need to immediately change the schedule. Um, I don't personally touch the schedule. So, I did have to come up and he was new at the end of August. I was and we were down a counselor. I mean, we had a lot of challenges. So, I did I I did come up and make some changes as they needed to or recommend, but you know, you can't have me Yeah, I just have to step back and go up to the administrator and say this is this is a change you need to make in the schedule. What what's our remaining fund balance if we use 700? Do you want to go to that? And then what's the

052remaining excess? So the next slide is fund balance. So you're right. Okay. So everybody understands this like a fun balance is um we've been reporting on this All right. Um, we're trending well this year. Uh, we're definitely we could have an overage, but we'll definitely be at Target. No question about that. So, let's look here. Go to the bottom. So, there's two different scenarios there. All right. 41. So, if you go up to the top one, the 738 projected fund balance needed to balance 2526 budget. Do you see that one? The first one that says 738589, right? What are you talking about? It was right there. Just leave it right there. Yeah. So this is if you go with scenario two and reduce the one position for 92,000. So you have an unappropriated fund balance

053as of 63024 of 3,836923. We're going to loan $350,000 to Capital to purchase the Vonics. That money will be returned in 18 to 24 months depending on how soon we get it, how soon we bill out the state. Um we are we projected to use appropriated fund balance for this year of 293536. That would bring us a balance at the end of March when I created the chart 3,193 38759. Um fund balance used to project to uh do the tax cap calculation was 92,000. Projected fund balance needed to balance budget 738589. Estimate of the new telephone system 200,000 which would bring us to a balance of 2,162,798 that would be 9.35% of the 2526 budget. Can you explain the 200,000 telephone using the unappropriated fund balance to purchase it and then we'll get aid on

054it? We'll drive 80% aid on that cost. So we'll get 160,000 back. We will what's the 92,000 fund balance used for 256. So remember this year when we go into that tax cap calculation in the second part when we do the exclusions you have to add in in order to lower it from 2.5 to 2%. We use 92,000 this year to lower that tax cap from 2.5 to 2%. And it we may not need to use it. depends on how the year tracks, right? So, don't scroll up yet. So, we're basically looking at 2.16 million in remaining funds. Correct. At the end of 9.35. Yes. Yes. On June 30th, at the end of this year. No, no, no. at the end of next year because this would have to we would use the money to

055to close the budget gap and we would all these things we haven't done yet. Okay. So so 2.1 million is on 630 2026 correct? Okay. Do we know what we in what we think will be at the end of this year? At the at the end of this year um Okay, hold on. So, I just got to move my number. Target with Yes. So, be So, it'll be basically the same at the end of this on June 30th, 2025 minus the 293,000, right? The 350 to to loan to capital and then the 293 to balance this year's budget which we used for the tax cap to bring it down unless we have it over it. Right. At what time we will not use it? Um, but it is already included in our revenue, right? Because

056we we we built last year's budget based on that number. So, it's built into the budget. If we come out and we don't need to use it, then that would be excess that would stay in unappropriated fund balance. So, the balance as scenario, we would stay at the 2.1, but if there's an overage that 92,000 would stay in. Correct. And that would increase by there. Yes. Yeah. So the balance to answer you Tim at the end of this year would be the 3,193 minus the 200,000 because that's the only one that's coming down below. So does this contemplate what we find out about our school bus scenario? We have that here. I do. That's that's on the following slide. Do you want me to explain it or do you want it? We can go affects

057our budget if we have to pay a tariff on a school bus. Well, it doesn't affects our Yes. And we're going out to the voters. I can we can go vote on it. Hold on. So, I'll explain as soon as she brings up the Okay, so this is what happened. A week ago, Friday, we were notified by our bus companies that they would not honor the amounts that we signed for because they did not know at the time about the tariffs, the tax. Correct. We should say that instead of tariff, okay, tax. Um, and so I immediately reached out to our um, district attorney and I reached out to our debt attorney and I told them what had happened and that we did not think that we were going to get our buses at what

058we thought when we went out. We passed our resolution and did our first legal ad last week. So another thing that and I was very nervous that like so it took them a whole week and they talked to each other and they talked to me multiple times and they found precedent that the commissioner would allow because we met the legal requirement to run our first ad. We ran it on time. So, we met that requirement and then we could run four additional ads at the new rate amended and that would requ that that would uh what do you call it the requirements? Yeah. What's the overall tech uh change? So, this on here it shows 47,000. It's technically it's 48,000 because we had to add a,000 to the estimate for the um pick up% of

059that. Yes. So, it went up to 601. I don't have it. But wait, are these buses built in America? So, they are parts aren't, but the parts aren't right. I know. So, I thought it was a good I I think we should I think we should be clear when this stuff is in there. Correct. I I would That's why I put it as as Yes. People are going to say stuff about their taxes. Well, guess what? Guess what? It's passed on by the governor. There you go. Magic. Wave your wand. 47,000 added to our buses. And when you start to lose funding for SPE uh for special ed, we're going to have a problem, right? Because that what that 6800 800,000 that's coming to our school district, right? We had talked about the idea that

060I goes back to like we have to be prepared to pull some serious levers because if you have one bump in the road one we have very little room to recover from here. So I'm going to cut back to where we were on the reserves. It's less than you think to. If you take the 2526 budget and just multiply it by 3%. A 4% fund balance is up to almost a million bucks. It's $953,000. So whatever the difference is like it's all we have left next year to play with in the 2627 budget. So I also wanted to get back to the conversation regarding our team meeting. Our team had a meeting yesterday. So we looked at f if we could have any further reduction and anything further would really impact programs. Um and staff

061would be we would have part-time staff and it would be um you know it would be really really So, but we're not saying you have to do something. We're saying plan something and then if you have to break class in case of an emergency. So, we you're not trying to figure out where the fire sign. We have our thoughts. We definitely have our our ideas of what we would put into that. And how much does that get us? like if you had to be uncomfortable or really uncomfortable function. I mean we go through these. So I think really uncomfortable. So so you know we did add a science physician and the reason we added science into the position is because the cut had been too deep at the onset of the pandemic. So we made

062that right. Um, so anything I think any further reduction I think would definitely really impact the student. Yeah, I'm not saying you have to, right? It would I think about it. It's about fail, right? You either choose to pick up something and eat it or you can just pass it up, but you always know where it is. You know what it's about. Um like I we go through this all the time getting handed huge expensive goes you'll be a million dollars without by the end of the year. We'll figure it out. Say okay let me scratch my head and figure out what I really do with and without and I put together these things and say look give you more than a million but this is what it looks like. I can give you less

063or you right around but here's the three different scenarios. Yep. And that's where we I would love to see some sort of scenario because we can also bring it back not this year. We don't need it but a year from now and say to the um to our constituents um here's the option. This gives you a 3% tax increase. This option gives you a 8% tax increase. And if you want to keep this, it gives you a 10% tax increase. And you let the people vote. you're very transparent on what the buffet looks like and how much it costs to eat a certain amount of food on your plate, right? It's a trade-off. Everything's a trade-off. But um we should always be preparing for that and have a conversation with them about I think that's

064why I asked the question not push back but asked the question about the elementary future because when we have these opportunities come up we have to really look at it hard because that's an opportunity to go without that's not that's not cutting a position that's not so I guess I want to be really clear. If we don't fill that position, there is no way to cover all classes with the staff that we have certified to teach that position without going over contract requirements. So, it's I mean contract requirements, they can teach six. Okay. So, they teach other teachers teach five. So, that's good teach, right? We get more more more from those positions. Um the issue is is PE is the only discipline that state ed has identified minute requirements by grade level. And so

065that's a problem. That's and I've never to be honest with you. Most districts do not meet. I was gonna say I was looking at it last week and some districts do districts can't they cut they cut you have um a classroom teacher K3 as long as there's a plan that's created by a PE teacher you know so that that is even if we have one PE teacher in elementary school they cannot physically cover the amount of E class like even if we were not even close to meeting the mandate if it was just Every class has one special a day. We that that PE teacher can only teach 30 classes a week, right? And we need if they get it even just twice a week, that's 43 classes that need to and there's no way

066we wanted to take a secondary level for everything. But like I if we max everybody out like a 25 or 30, I can lose two sections which is really one section and you take your travel time go down there to try like I literally I went through every single section in the section lower look you know look to see and to your point um you know looking at what the things are you that's the discussion we had if we didn't take one department put somebody down at 0.5 these are the courses that we are going to lose. You know, like for us at the high school, we went I went through every single department. I can drop a section. The problem at the secondary level is you're looking at a section of social studies, a

067section in math, a section. I can create a teacher, but there's not one teacher with all five certifications that I can pull that thing from, you know, to do it with where we're getting like really stuck. So, in order to reduce an English teacher, I have to lose sexual English. different, you know, or going to point eight or six then you get into the trouble of hiring people and the teacher storage and you know that and that sort of stuff doesn't work out. out you know the others the flip side of it like I'm going to try to reduce the section I want to get AIS services you know we want better AI services with a content English teacher prepare them for the English regions you know so although we're keeping it we're actually going

068to maximize some of the stuff that we're going to get out of the teachers for the kids by doing that we don't have that right now we don't have that right now we used to where did it go we dropped that used to have AIS for big learning center. We're going to put into the the learning center. Okay. So, we're going to move right along. So, okay. I don't want to move right along yet. Yeah. Go ahead, Pete. You're first. You make a great point, right? So, let's just say you hold the two things steady. student enrollment and need steady. Can you hold your teacher uh head count steady and you say look for illustration versus like this is it like this is the deepest you can go you could do some simulations saying because

069we want to protect our core education so what would you do would you contract out bus service that saves money would you I don't know mobile on once every three weeks instead of once a week, right? Just making stuff up. But that's what we could be forced with in the future. We should always be thinking about that because cash fl something or you might say, "Hey, the only way to make it work is you need to do an 8% or 10% tax if you do it academically like it comes down to what?" So like I was going to throw out tech we are mandated to offer a tech in middle school. So that is a mandate you know what is it beyond that mandate you know and then we have to make sure kids get

070their 22 credits. We have to make sure there is some electives and that that's where those decision all be made. You know what are your mandates in tech? What are your mandates in math? What are your four you know take four years in English? you know if they have the communication elective or not have communication those are some of the choice then you're changing your program but it's also because of the budget you know those are decisions down the road like I can create a list and say these are the mandates these are are non-mandates to your point take which off the buffet that you want to go that we cover yeah so that's more than I mean you can even go to other things too like you can even like we have other smaller

071school districts around us we have a great facility. Patty don't apprentice. I'm not I'm not suggesting I'm just saying like hey you are live streaming. We should always we should always keep our ears open though too. It's like you know there might be other districts that might have there might be opportunity to like take I mean should always be looking for Well, I mean I I think that in the 90s the district had a a vote on merging with Madison and I don't think that was successful. long time ago. Literally, I was in high school. Yeah. I was like, I was born in the 80s. I was born in the 80s. You know, for a while, but I'm just keep um you know, we have the open, which you should be. We're talking about stuff

072and we're a really good spot right now. couple years, see what happens. But we should keep our ears open and say, "Hey, how's Man feel like? How's the football field feeling?" Like, do they have similar concerns about their future too? Because maybe it's not next year, but maybe five years from now, there's something that happens to I mean, it's just about being strategic and avoiding a rush at the end if there's opportunity. Yeah. Like I I am extremely passionate about this and I'm extremely frustrated because I've been on the board the longest and it always comes up always in discussions the decisions we made six years ago to not fill open positions due to literal financial constraints. we didn't have the money and that at the time was due to a 0% tax cap calculation

073that you know I was new to the board the first couple years I didn't know enough then to ask like what are we going to do when this happens and I mean I live here obviously I have kids in the district everyone on this board does okay but the conversation since we made those really difficult sensible open decisions has never evolved. The stakeholders have just dug in and not come to the real conclusion that we do not have an infinite supply of money. And right now, it's not intentional. The narrative is the schools got all this extra money, which we're blessed to have coming out of COVID. And and everyone's already forgotten when we went into COVID, we built multiple scenarios because we weren't sure if we were going to have enough money. We thought

074we were going to be like 1.3 million short due to government funding and there was an election to bring politics in and different leaders came in and the money flowed out and we were saved and we're here today with the access. It would be irresponsible when the math tells us we we're going to have a problem in two to three years to not plan for it and have the right conversations and get all the stakeholder groups to start sitting down and being rational and saying we don't have unlimited money. What are our choices going to be? Because everybody can sit here and and say, "Oh, I don't want to do this and I don't want to do that." We have to do something and we have to plan for it and maybe we'll get lucky.

075Maybe the tariffs will save us and we'll just be bathing in money. But you know what? That's usually not how it works, right? It's not. We We don't have people building houses. We don't have lots of students moving in. We're not getting more funding from New York State. We can't count on those things. And we all have kids in the district. There are literally kindergarteners in five years who aren't even born yet that need us to have a school that functions and delivers the best possible education with the constraints we have. And again, like we can kick the can down the road. Sure, it'd be easy. All of us could get off the board in the next two years and say it's someone else's problem. But we're not going to do that because we're responsible

076and that's why we got on board. And we need administration, all of administration to start having these meetings and start planning what we're asking because that's your job. It's not our job. Our job is to ask you to do it and to represent the community. We're elected to do it. And we've been asking and I'm getting really frustrated because I was the president when we made those hard decisions to not fill those positions and took all the heat for it and people still bring it up to this day as if we did the wrong thing and it was the only way to balance the budget without asking for a massive tax increase that no one would have voted for. And it's like we don't want to live in reality. Well, let's live in reality. We're

077going to we're going to get a budget this year. We're going to bridge the gap with fund balance. We don't have to make a single hard choice, but you know what? The more we push down the road, the worse it's going to be. And we're asking like we're giving board direction. I'm one board member. There's seven of us. But I'm asking this parent with two kids in this school, one who's in sixth grade. Like this money issue is going to happen while I still have a kid in school. And we need to have a plan so that we're doing the right thing for all these kids. And I haven't heard it yet. And that's your job. So, would you like to schedule another board meeting? Would you like us to finish the presentation? What would

078It's just more than that. It's more than that. We're kind of talking through the same numbers again. Like, okay, we're going to make a decision on one position. It's a big decision, but like that's not solving the problem. When are we going to have the working sessions? when are we going to have the multiple scenarios that you know Pete's asked for in other meetings like we need to see that so we can educate the public because already Patty's reporting it properly but and it's just a few comments here and there but this is how this stuff builds right people saying oh what happened to all the money why are they raising taxes what's going on there like because we're not saying hey we're good but we're looking ahead to make sure we stay good and

079these are the choices we're facing that's why I think a budget committee you a working committee of the board um I think is able to really dive deep into a lot of these things I I think it's a little difficult with an open session with with a whole board to really um you know discuss different scenarios I I don't disagree but I think we also need administration this is again we know it's a different world but I promise you in in private industry where if you don't make money you business goes goes under and you just don't have a job anymore. So, like we need work on this year round. We should have these discussions year round. The buildings, every everybody that has input should be building these and we need to be more fluent.

080Like to be honest, like I don't accept that we don't know the athletic numbers. This is the final budget meeting. I don't accept that we're not fluent in what we're saying we're going to spend. Like I'm sorry if I did that my job I'd be written up. I couldn't go into a budget meeting and not know everything. Like that's our job. Like, and if we're having enough meetings year round and not scrambling at the end, like we'll know those things. And I'm taking you to task right now because this is not okay. We're going to add another meeting. We should have added another meeting last month or the month before. Like, this is not okay that we're not sure on are we going to have summer school or not? Like, how are we still talking

081about that? Well, most likely no, unless we, you know, get a bigger increase. But we can do it with the fund balance again. Like, how am I going to explain that to people? Why did we decide to do it or not do it? We have the fund balance. Do we do it this year because it makes sense for the kids who need it and are in it and then we stop it and we give people time to plan or we just say, "No, we're not doing it even though we we do have extra." That's what we're saying. Same with this position we're talking about. it it might make sense to not fill it, but maybe it's something we fill because we see down the road there's other positions we're not going to fill that make

082no sense. And I think that's what I'm looking at is we should have a general idea of what retirements are on the horizon and be looking at those a year or two in advance and making plans for not filling those positions. That's the only way we're going to balance in the future. We can't we can't continue having everything status quo and be able to cover it. It's just not going to work. Our best case scenario now is $700,000 we're taking out of fund balance. It's going to run out. So well again that number won't be as high. I'm confident but yes we need to use balance but we have to use balance but it's not going to be wildly different. Even if it is, you're still going to have the same challenge for sure at

083some point. Yeah. Yes. If it's not this year, it's going to be next year, right? Even if we can ek out without going into fund balance, huge 700. Maybe we only go in 200, right? At some point in time, the economy we know out there is not the economy we had last year. So, we Yes, I agree with you. We have to plan for it. And and and again, like I'm telling you, I was new to the board. Looking back, what we should have learned is we shouldn't have had to make that decision with six positions all at once. We should have made tougher decisions the prior couple of years. And that's what I'm saying like we can't be in that position yet where we don't close the gap at all. The math is telling

084us we need to and then it's rip the band-aid off. We're doing things that we have to do because we didn't take the right action and plan proactively. And yeah, I get it. All school districts are like this. Well, you know what? Some do a better job with it than others. let's be the one that does a better job, right? Let's keep doing that. So, there could be other opportunities. Um, so right now we have low enrollment in kindergarten. So, maybe we don't need three um, you know, three kindergarten classes. We're holding off on hiring the sixth grade ELA teacher because we may need to make some internal shifts. Um, the other thing is we are looking for a math teacher, secondary math teacher. we have no applicants. So maybe we just have to make

085do with that. Maybe uh that we do some teacher assistance. I mean I still think that there could be future opportunities or if people um move or take jobs elsewhere over the summer that's always something that happens then those are also um you know opportunities I understand in the moment but there's still nonetheless opportunities. So I believe that it will be further. Take me back to the the math feature. Yeah. So we would have to if don't fill it and we're able to survive. That tells me it's up in the air of whether or not we need to fill it. Not really. So we would cut classes. We'd have to not offer certain classes. Um and we wouldn't be able to offer math AIS, which is a huge disservice for our students. Ed. So, it's

086not great, but I'm just saying, you know, if we can't find a certified math teacher, if we can't find anybody, then what do we do, right? I mean, that's not a good scenario because we definitely that's not an area we want, especially um upper level math. I mean, we want to be able to offer well the person is upper level and lower. We want to be able to offer the full compliment of math courses. We want our students to take four years. We don't want to say, okay, you know, the state requirement is three years. You don't have to do, you know, any more than that. We want them to have this because we know that that entirely future economic more look at all your different grades. knowledgeable and you should be able to say

087hey over the next five years we think X is going to happen two years from now that would probably work out well for us because we probably won't have or we still would so we don't have well it it's hard I mean so you eliminate a music teacher then that your program I mean I'm not saying that that's not example right Well, we'll go back and have a look. I mean, you want us to continue going through this is based on option two. Okay. Okay. So, you can see the largest part of our broad budget is program. You know, our instructional budget is the largest. Exactly. Yep. Um our spending plan. So, if you look at the expense budget, these are the major headings. So if you um look at your expense budget that Cynthia

088prepared um these are the major headings and these are the amounts. Okay. So uh some highlights. So we're recommending a reduction of one instructional program one position. We have three new courses that we're teaching for our students next year. We are going to be purchasing the resources in some kind of two-year fashion, hoping to get everybody as uh the materials they need as soon as we can. We will continue our consultant teaching model and our 151 programs and ELA and math. Again, Katie said that we will be having annual reviews shortly and so we'll be able to then start crafting our our schedule. um that we have a science of reading instructional coach. So the state now is asking school districts to certify their program that is aligned with the science of reading. So we

089are working on that. So we're working with our primary folks and and Kathy is leading that. So, we're in in bridge shape because we're four years in to the science of reading and the the um science the reading coach that we have is really working with our teachers to help them refine their tier one and tier 2 instructional practices. So, it is going very well. We added a behavior specialist. Again, these are positions that are through BOSIES. Um and the behavioral specialist is providing strategies for our primary students who need to develop self-regulation skills uh so that we can you know help kids to remain here and with us in water and learn those skills so that they are successful and not interrupting their peers. So it's it's a really critical position and we're seeing

090a lot of positive results. Obviously it takes time, right? You can't expect a child's behavior to change overnight. So I just wanted to show this is so we do have a pro new progress monitoring software. It's called Exl. This is just a little example about what some of the skills are and programs. um it's pre-K through six and in K through six it's you know their skills and lessons um in math and ELA science and social studies it's all linked to CKLA amplified which is our ELA curriculum it's linked to our Euro math curriculum so students will get additional practice and it all it all dubtales together so it's very nice Um, let's see. So, our connected community school site coordinator and the hub have supported 138 of our families so far this year. And

091we have 390 outgoing referrals to connect our students with outside agencies. And that is a lot. That's a lot. So they're really, you know, a key piece of our, you know, working with social, emotional, mental health with our students. So this is exciting for our social studies department. We're um Holly McNamer is doing a great job with their seal of civic readiness. So already we have 14 students who are working on seal whereas last year we only had two in this first year. We have a new English elective, effective communication. when they are publishing our school newspaper. Um, but our win groups again that's what I need now that's our peer intervention program at NPS and going very very well. So real shout out to Kathy Zan really and her team. So students are provided

092targeted instruction at their level. It could be more enrichment. It could be for struggling learners. um and they progress monitor the students and they are seeing significant um results in student growth and reading from that. So that's very positive. So like a Wilson reading is um a program that we use for struggling readers. We have it in elementary and secondary and we're seeing kids who never were able to read before started to read. I mean we're talking even kids in high school. So So the training um it was beneficial and it's really impacting our students lives and their futures in um athletics. So uh Tom was able to secure uh a new batting cage through a grant. So that is great for our softball and baseball uh athletes. Water did this work too, right? Yes.

093So they've been very generous generous to Waterville. Yeah. So, in the budget, we're also continuing the fly car ambulance service at home football or soccer games. We're continuing the athletic trainer position, which I know really was key in working with our athletes, and we're replacing the expired. So, transportation highlights. So, this was something the board approved earlier this school year. We do have new cloud-based moving routing software to be fully functional over the 2526 school year. Um, so we purchased last year through voter approval, one Yukon, two small buses, two large buses. So there is quite a backlog of when we're going to get these, but we should have everything in place by over the summer. Right. So yeah, we're we still don't have two of our small buses. They're on back order. The two

094large buses we got delivered in October and the Yukon we just got delivered this month. No tariffs on no tariffs on. Um and we already talked about this year's um proposal for our our purchases for buses. Um and we are going to be upgrading to the new digital radio system for transportation. Let's actually go. Steve Steve Steve just brought up a perfect thought regarding taxes regarding these buses. Do we know if um the chassis have actually been purchased or to have or I really feel that so it's not uncommon for basically how these things are built to get rolling chassis and then they build the bus transport device on top of the chassis. So the situation that they're running into is when they buy these chassis, then they're have to be manufactured buses. Just because

095we signed the contract or these rolling chassis, has the company that builds the bus taken delivery of them? Because if they have not, I would not be surprised. It could take up to 24 months to actually receive the rolling chassis. I've seen it in two different situations. One with the village and one now with the fire department. Took us almost 26 months to receive the fire truck and the village garbage truck. Village garbage truck actually came in round figures like 290,000 after they were done because of taxes and moving on year to year because of when they finally took delivery. want to say they almost paid $360,000 for a rolling chassis or the completed thing because of the chassis. So, I would be I would like to actually confirm that we have our name on

096these chassis and they're on a lot the Waterville School District. You know what I mean? To kind of just whoever sold us these, just check with your um your salesman. We did. Okay. So there's definitely power chassis in those two sitting on just waiting now to be done. I don't know where they are. Basically they are there. We confirmed that there are buses and that they're they were due to be right. They were due to be delivered in February and they called and let us know that they will not be here until August. They're not that completed in August. So they're currently being would be my fine but I just want to make sure the chassis are on site being that takes time. Yeah. Okay. I think they build them. I'm trying to remember where

097but again it's the chassis what's what's up. Right. So we already went through them vehicle purposes. Um and then our spending for um capital. Again, that's all part of your budget line items and some highlights. So, you know, really excited about the approval of the $18.6 million capital project. Um we're excited about this to come so everyone will be able to start is really critical. Uh utilizing smart bond bond money to purchase our bonics and our capital outlay projects. are are one that's already completed, new transaction windows that go to buildings, upgrading the MPS entryway. Again, that was all safety related. And um then the one for next year, so it's all at 89%. Um and then some highlights, buildings and grounds. So the new auditorium lighting that was all completed with our 2020 capital

098project. We do have a shift change. So, uh, it was a little difficult at cleaning up after breakfast and we didn't have anybody and Tom Gleason is is going around to a lot of different sites and duties. Um, so we actually now have a shift change for one of our cleaners here in this building who was working a 9 to 630 schedule. So, we found that it's working out well and I'll be able to clean up breakfast there for lunch when we have, you know, clean up and all that. So, so that's going well. Still long enough after the school day that they're here. Yeah. Know that's probably really Yeah. So, this is also really exciting and Patty Louise has to hear this one. So, we were able to um use unused grant funds from

099previous school years that have been carried over and carried over um that Cynthia identified and were able to apply that to the upgrade of the concession stand bathroom. So, that will be completed. Um and so we will have new bathrooms out there. When that being done for everybody, we're working on it now. Yep. Couldn't be done for the fall. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, it's very busy. Yeah, it'll be done by the end of the school year. Solve the smell issue. Continuing. So, apparently that they put in two smallest toilets to for the size household toilet commercial for the size of the amount of people who were going to use them. And so, we're getting commercial ones in uh Yeah. Yeah. uh and then administrative budget and then some highlights. So we have been busy this

100year. We hired two new principles, one assistant principal, one assistant treasurer, one accounts payable and one junior senior high main office secretary. We had a clean audit 2324 clean audit sir. Thank you simply and we expended and received all of our pandemic relief monies. So there are districts who um I was very happy last week. So even though they expended the money, they hadn't done their reimbursements and they aren't getting that money back. So So we're in really good shape. Got the money back. We spent it all. So a lot to be proud of. Thank you to the and that was a lot of work. So um so here we are. [Music] Uh so proposing a 23,127,669 um budget. It's a budget increase of 3.72% at $829,71. So that's year budget and uh that's there's

101the tax levy increase at 2%. It takes 1% of each and board event petitions. Uh we have two open we have two open seats. Um please contact uh Jen. You need 25 signatures and the petitions must be returned by April 21st, 5:00 pm. Um, so the budget hearing is May 13th at 6:00 p.m. and the budget vote is May 20th. We are holding it in the cafeteria which worked out well for the capital budget vote. questions in the I say for me it's more of a comment than a question I think and I think Steve brought it up during some of his comments was I think we need to take a very hard work at how we can make the summer enrichment program happen for this year because we're late in we're late in the

102process. I think it's something that's reliund and it works so well with the summer rush program put on by the time. Yeah. I mean, we had a lot of that. I mean, that's something that, you know, I've been questionable brought up. I think it's I think it's a really nice program. I think it provides a great deal of benefit to a lot of students. I'd really like to see us try to make that happen. And if we have to have be very clear with it after it to say we're we're doing it this year. We're planning a way to do it. But next year we really unless something don't count on it major happens we just is not going to be possible. But this year I think I'd like to see it done. And I

103agree with that. That's kind of the point I'm making on the planning piece. That also would give us the opportunity to go out to the public and say, "Hey, we would need outside funding grant funding to keep us going, right? Like it's a great program. It's not a lot of money, but in our budget, it's a lot of money. Are we able to tap? Are you able to look at other opportunities? What's what's out there?" But when you're talking about impacting 100 students in a small district, Is that all it is? And they didn't fund this last year for the bus review. And I know that the getting getting discontinuing or phasing out land isn't a dollar for dollar switch. So that's kind of like if we do one then it pays for all but

1044,000 the summer program. But I think when you're looking at how many students that services versus the summer program, I too even if it I mean looking at the cost difference between the amount of weeks that we run it, I don't know for the future like what's it cost for the three weeks versus the four or two weeks? Like I think just offering something it's So, I'll work with Kathy and we'll start planning it and um we'll come up with um a budget. Cynthia is going to get us the 92,000 back. We'll share. So, yep. I mean, again, just off the top of my head, it's crazy, but we got to think who owns the solar fields. So, we um accepted those the the donation. We will be getting a donation in two years. $400,000.

105What companies own? Why can't we be down there for something? Well, they're giving us one. So, let me tell you, Patty does she the doors for the foundation for the 12 and she's out there. We shared with her the list of all of our vendors and she contacted the donation. I don't know if we gave you the solar company. I think so. Because we did. Oh, maybe we did. Well, we haven't um gotten any monies from it. Nor. So, the summer enrichment is that also go for the same junior and junior high as well. So, so we have to have credit recovery because that's a those are graduation. So, that so like driver's side driver's side is all through. Um and I believe all that kind of stuff would stay. That's going to stay. I

106mean that's again these are things that are critical. Students need to learn how to drive. Well no I didn't know it was when I hear when I hear possibility parents pay portion not some that kind of stuff. Yeah. When we sign it $1200. When do we sign when do kids sign? Yeah. Yeah. They should check with the main office. You should have sign up soon. Now it goes through. It's a good program though. Instructors do with the guidance through guidance. I'm sorry. Guidance. I just want to make sure that all $25,000. Honestly, when we're talking about 890, we're so I know it's sad for me to say, but what's another 25,000? You know what I mean? To do what's right. And we, you know, and then next year is going to be you're going to

107have to we're have to be very transparent with uh that is that there's what what the situation we're in. But I don't believe two months before. Let's look forward to that. I don't know if it does help $25,000. One more meeting. I think we need one. DC Well, my question would be do we think we can reduce that 738? I think I do believe that it will be reduced. I think he's meaning in cuts now prior to the other. I don't think he's talking about I mean unless you want me to reduce position with people in them. No, it's not what we're saying. No, but so I also want to say so this is the maximum amount that amount is the maximum amount that we could spend right doesn't mean we have to spend that

108what if there's areas in which you think you can break it down people if you think like if you went through but then if things change you don't have that leeway because that's as much as we can the authorized right by the voters you can still continue to make reductions as those opportunities arise. What did we come in on the prior school year to your level or under a general budget? How far? So last year I mean we were balanced. No, no, last year we were we had extra left over. Correct. That's what you're asking. Yes. I thought that's what you off the top of my head I don't know and I can't get my phone over our fund balance grew significantly by it was like I thought it was a million8 to be honest

109with you I think that's what we spent million I knew the year before we spent a million we spent million I believe it was I you know without being me being able to go in and look at my information that's You might be able to log in. I was just in there. It grew from like a 12% fund balance or 13 up to like that was through the benefit of rel picked up a lot of I would say if you went through all the line items where you came in under right take a look at them and I'm just going to make it up. Right. You have a budget to buy radishes for the cafeteria and you came under five grand on radishes. Uh where did we set the budget this year? Is did we

110drop it by five? We drop it by two. Did we leave it the same as the prior year? There may be a couple line items in there uh that were not based on COVID relief funds or funded in anywhere. We were like, hey, there's probably some overage, some slop in here. And if we go through and you prune a grand here, two grand here, another 1,500, then you might be at 25,000 by the time you go through and um you're not going to feel bad enough expenses. I don't think you teach back. But if we have another meeting, what do you want me to do? You want me to cut people? No, but I So I I think that there are so many nonstaffed departments in there. I guess what I'm asking is if you

111went back and looked the prior year and you looked at every one of those line items that are non personnel, how far under did they come and where' you set the budget this year? And if you didn't drop it down to roughly last year, if you just kept it as high for this year, and if we think that we're going to come in under again this year, maybe next year, we should or are you saying through your process? That's We've already done it. We We've scrubbed it and we keep scrubbing it. So, yeah. I mean, I've gone through the postings bill. We've gone through, you know, um our software bills. Do All right. So, now I'm gonna I'm gonna probably by lunch or something if we come in under budget this year because I heard

112the same story last year. You made me promise and I did. I came through last year. Yeah. But if we come in under budget end of the school year, that means you didn't do a good enough job. And I'm not I'm not harping on you and saying you did a bad job. I'm just saying if the that I'm not budgeting correctly for that get close enough to the PI there is opportunity right so a CEO would say to you hey you missed the expenses I could have went to the shareholders and said that I would have delivered more shareholder value because my expenses were overestimated you affected our stock price right so that's what I'm saying I guarantee you that we're going to probably come in under budget and it's going to be a pretty

113good n and we probably set next year's budget based on wherever we're jumping off this year, not knowing where our expenses are going to be. And if you said you went through and said, "Yep, I know. I'm pretty sure we're going to be and like I live within like 2%." That's fine. But well, no, you base your budget off your budget. So, you don't you don't base the budget off. I I do do an actual. So, I do the budget from last year. I do the actuals. And then in the middle is what I built the budget on this year. All right. So, let me ask you a bit. So, we'll go with radishes. They do love radishes. Um, you have a $5,000 radish budget for last year. It came in at four. Yep. For

114the 24 to 25 budget and she set it at four or she set it at 4500 because it came in,000 4400 set. So this year if we come back in at four or 42 we know that we overestimated like three out there right and that's what I'm just talking about in terms of are we 100 and and if the answer is yes so fine but are we absolutely sure that we gave everything enough haircut without going too tight to your point because you can't overspend. We know what our right our folks voted in, right? But do we haircut it enough to even pick up another five to 15? That's just my question. So I'm going push back. Okay. So here's an example. You are going to end up with both fund balance left over. Let's

115talk about special ed. For example, you have to budget for an instance if we have a high cost individual moving in the district. Yeah. We have no idea, you know. So you can't be sure. So So there are going to be places. So you put them in there knowing now you get to the end of the year. We know we don't have a high cost person coming in. Now we can buy the radius, you know, and it move something like it move something along those lines, you know. So it be like like an I listing like we're in a good place because we're able to use some of this year's leftovers to purchase things. We're not putting in the capital project when we get it two years early. Now we could have another $200,000 left

116over do our radios two years down the line in the capital project instead of doing windows, you know. So I totally get that. He said we don't want to cut where there's a lot of uncertainty. But it just goes back to like got to be a couple line items in there. That that's just my ask. That's just my ask because if we're talking about No, I understand what you're saying. Yes. Yeah. 25 grand and even if you can close it by 5,000 bucks just a thought. Just a thought. Just a thought. Can I ask one question too about line items? Um where we have um 35 on a spreadsheet versus information and services. Um, hold on one second because I was looking at the audits. Hang on, let me go back there. Okay, so line

117what? Line 35 on a spreadsheet, but it's um Bosey's public information and services and the records management. I know you spoke to that previously, but the Boseies one, what specifically is that? That that's new. We didn't have that last year. No, but they didn't split it out last year. They didn't split it out. Correct. So, see where it says 35,000. So, only really personnel, which is the policy was 13457 records. Yes, the public. No, no, but all three of these equal this. Okay. So, last year we estimated 35,000 because that's how the prior year's budget was built and I went off of that. And this year when I looked at the Boseies line item for 1430 through 1480 they are split. So personnel is your policy. Records management is where we do um send all

118our personnel records to be microfished in our student records. And then public information services is and this you would speak better to than I. I It's 1480. So 1480 right here. See public. So you got to look on the estimate. So this is the old contract. That's how I was reading the increase. So no, it's a share of Bosey's public relations from OM. Correct. So on um even though it's not the cap, but that's in a different even though we don't subscribe to their public information service, they still levy um a portion of their public relations, we pay well for example, did you see the beautiful annual um budget um pamphlet they make? Okay. So that's an example like anything that they produce they charge to all of the school districts and comes out of

119that bond. So what would it be if we went through OM instead of would it be under that? So that's not the same that's not the same. conversations. That's separate from from our website from anything that Alicia does. It's separate. I know. And there's nothing we can do about it. That's just the fee that they're the charging. Last time it was in under which one? So, it was all merged under that other the the 1430 line item. K. So see the 35,000 sometimes feel like the brick software bill they merge it but then they go we're going to redesign how it looks or how the program's structured you don't you're not following they would split up I'm following it's just like there's a 35 yes like there's a big I mean not a huge increase

120but 1500 [Music] yeah I'm I think so. No. And I understand when you see an increase and you want to know what it is and that's that's the public relations line item. That's why I split it up so you would when I thought that you should see more detail I split. Yes. Yes. public relations. Oh, we also have the vacation coming up pretty much. Um, so just K, I have an update for So we do participate in the Boseies Cath region Bosey's grant writing service. It's 19,000 before aid and I it's a service. So it's at our that's why it's in that it's we get 80% back the next year and it really pays for itself you know because they wrote a lot of grants for us this year but we're still waiting to hear

121on the number of Sorry. Sorry about that. I yeah it took me a minute to think right it was just you going through the codes and yeah prior to I want to make sure that this I mean we never would have been able USDA I've written grants too okay but this is a higher level this is what they're the professional so they applied this year through the USDA for a FFA grant you know what else they applied to well We applied for the the three-year-old greeting grants. We applied for our equipment grants. I mean, you know, they're very scout. So, so we get one grant hopefully for itself. Right. And otherwise, and it's a Right. Right. Yes. It's a service. Yes. A service. It's not a person. So, yeah. at we're right now at like

122seven 7.796 is our you don't have very large right exactly and I write too so that you know I'm not using all the minute all the hours excuse me and OM doesn't offer the service only right we're on a reading list for two years so at this point I I should know this but the number that we were at. What was it? 738 coming out of fun. That that was after phasing out Mandarin still. No, Mandarin's in. The only thing we took out was the 92,000. So, so if we move on that budget and adopt it, then that and then we then you go ahead and phase out Mandarin and that there is some money in there and Mandarin is it Mandarin is um poster trooi. So you do get a rate back but it

123is not 796 about half right and we could still make additional reductions you can't spend more than so you know I think we'll have a better half of the summer which is my thought like what can we do go through and pull out that we can then afford the summer that's I think what the point was making as well so So the general the hearing is you think we're spoting I don't think we're effectuating any of our changes beyond this I don't think we're in a position we're not any staffing like has to be through attrition at this point but looking ahead and knowing that we got and those are that's the only way. And I will say this about next year and from what I've read and I'm learning as I go along because

124obviously I've only been in this position for a year and a half now is if we were using a large tax cap to fund this, the state would look badly on that. But because we're using an unappropriated to to fund this gap, it's not a horrible thing if we go out and we're not actually spending what we went out for. If you were doing it through tax cap, yes, that would be very bad. Yeah. And and I agree, but we can't use it as a long-term strategy. No, absolutely not. I agree. I I agree wholeheartedly with you. I think Yeah. All right. Um, so move on. Do we have student reports for apologies discussion? Lesson learned. They did that on that. So tonight's lesson is to stay in school for hours. So speaking of schools,

125so do you have your heard any news yet about your plans for next year? Not yet. Not yet. We don't have a report for tonight either. Doesn't really have anything new to talk about. Oh, that makes it even worse for you. That's how it was. Thank you. Did you learn anything about budgeting? It's important. All right. need to move on and see board discussion discuss. Um move on to public comments. Is there any public comments? I think it's a fine line sometimes if I offer my opinion to not offend anybody. I don't want to do that. You won't offend me. I promise fine line between I say and I do mean this fully as a compliment. Steve, you were here seven years ago when people sat around that table and said, "Why are our kids

126only going to MBCC and Sunni water?" And those of you who have come on sense have supported programs under Dr. Springs leadership. I am blown away by where Waterville kids get accepted and go. They can literally go anywhere they want. And as you I understand your budget concerns. Pete, you got me back in MBA class. I'm like, "Oh, this is great discussion. I talk about radishes." But you know, you don't get fund balance if you don't know if you don't know where you can save. So, that's your future fund balance, those $3,000 radishes that you put $5,000 in. But, but in all seriousness, um you have moved this school district to where any kid who walks in and has a goal can meet it and maybe even exceed it when they start to do. And

127I I I remember the days when we did the where they're going in September. it was, you know, if I wrote MV60 one more time and now these kids can go anywhere. So, as you look at the budget and I and I Justin had a great idea about looking at down retirements and and tweaking or look at what you can tweak, don't dismantle what you have put in place and we've all supported programs that a Waterville kid can go anywhere. And and that is, you know, I brag about that all the time. not a given school. So as you look at it, don't dismantle or or if if you're looking at it as a business, you have improved the product immensely. And that I think is is just tremendous. So kudos to you and you

128know, keep doing what you're doing right and you know, look at the where these kids are going and so I would just offer that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That's old business 9.1. So after consulting the legal council based on the legal requirements of the district needed to fill this position for item 920 second discussion all those in favor Please get a consent motion for items 96 and 93. So we'll make any discussions in favor motion for item 10.1 personnel session. All those in favor I can I consent motion forgiveness section 113 discussion? All those in favor public comments discussion.