001We're good. We good. We good. The June 10th, 2025 school board regular meeting is called to order. Thanks to all of you who are attending in person, quite a few of you, as well as those who are joining us on the RCPS YouTube channel. Uh we'll move on to the agenda. Is there a motion and a second to approve the agenda as amended? The the agenda was amended to uh amended to move a recognition to a future board meeting. So move second. Miss Watkins, second by Miss Ael. Is there any discussion? Those in favor? I. Those opposed? All right. Very good. Uh, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Carolyn Bolley, a former music teacher with RCPS, on her passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of
002Brian J. Wish, former school board member who served RCPS school board from 1996 to 2002. also with the family and friends of Margaret Anne Brown, a former teacher and guidance counselor with RCPS on her passing. Please join me in a moment of silence. [Applause] Please rise and join me in the pledge to the flag. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right, it's time for an exciting part of all of our meetings, which are recognitions. And before we get started with the recognitions, I would like to request Oh, I'm out of order. Forgive me. Apparently, I should have asked Mrs. Try to please call the role so we can officially
003begin. Mrs. Apel, present. Mr. Cherry, Mr. Link, Miss Quintana, here. Miss Trigg here. Mrs. Watkins here. Dr. Jamson here. Thank you very much. My apologies. Now, really and truly, it's time for our favorite part uh for recognitions. Um before we get started, we'd like to remind you if you're here for a recognition, uh please go see Miss Mittell uh after after you have been recognized in the lobby because uh we'd like to have your picture taken. Um so, let's move on. Miss Atkinson, if you will come forward and tell us about the first recognitions this evening. Thank you, Dr. Jameson, school board members, and superintendent Dr. White. I'm excited to be here to recognize our spring student athletes. We had many district award winners, but we would like to recognize tonight our region and state
004first team members and champions. At this time, I would like to invite Paul Kelly, coach of the Patrick Henry girls tennis team, to join me at the podium. You did. The girls tennis team had a great season this year. First up is Anna Marie Rankcon. Anna Marie is the region 5C regional singles champion for the third time. Next up is Katherine Ranc. Catherine teamed up with her sister Anna Marie to win the five seed doubles championship. They will both compete at the state meet later this week. Congratulations and good luck. All right. I have many things. Anna, yes. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Oh, thank you. I congratulations. I was reading and not looking up. Good luck. Good luck. [Applause] I would like to invite Coach Drake and Coach Bonia to join
005me, please. [Applause] Coach Drake and Coach Bonia, the are the coaches for the girls track team. And I would like to recognize our individual regional girls champions. First up, Kiki Grub. I know her. He is the regional champion in the 100 meter hurdles, the 300 meter hurdles, and she competed last weekend at the state meet and placed second in the 300 hurdles. [Applause] Next up is Niv Murphy. NV is the regional champion in the 3200 meters. runners and their teammates who are here, Brennard and Briana Adams, were the girls outdoor track team 5C regional champions. Congratulations to the girls track team on a great season. Congratulations. Bren and Brianna, come on up. [Applause] Congratulations. Congratulations. [Music] Um, this last one um was on short notice because um and I don't believe Mr. Vineyard was able
006to get here, but um I'm hoping that Cristiana Lewis, if you're here, please step forward. Cristiana Lewis, who this year is the 200 meter state champion [Applause] time. If coach Dowy and Coach Mills could come join me, I'd like to congratulate Sam Dowy. Sam Dowy was selected the male recipient of the Benet Brit award for excellence in athletics, academic and scholarship. Sam played football, golf, and soccer for PH. Sam has committed to play soccer for VMI. Congratulations. I'd like to congratulate Grace Williams, who was unable to attend today, on being presented with the 2025 Art Leven Personal Life Award for Outstanding Citizenship. Grace played volleyball and soccer for Patrick Henry. Grace will be attending Virginia Tech in the fall. She was unable to attend tonight. Congratulations to all all our student athletes for their great
007year and bringing pride to Rono City Schools. Both high schools had performed well in their difficult region and state events. We are very proud of them, the coaches and parents who have given so much of their time and energy with our programs. I would also like to take uh take this moment to thank the school board for supporting our athletic programs. Our teams could not be successful without everyone's support. Thank you so much. All right, we are on to our next uh recognition. Um, Miss Jennifer Bailey, can you please come forward and tell us about this year's walking challenge? Do you want to hand? Yes. Good evening. Um, Dr. Jameson, Mrs. Z Pal, members of the board, and Dr. White. Thank you so much for having us today or tonight. Um, at RCPS, we believe
008that a healthy team is a strong team. That is why we are committed to supporting walking challenges and health initiatives such as the spring walking challenge. Your health matters and we are proud to walk alongside you every step of the way. This year's challenge showcased the power of teamwork, determination, and our collective commitment to wellness. Tonight, we are going to celebrate two groups of winners. The first group is the top three teams by average steps. Um, first place champion is Grandon Court and Grandon Court is represented by Katherine Bell. Congratulations. [Applause] Okay. Congratulations to the second place um winners which is Forest Park um represented by the program director Patricia Maxi. Okay. And a shout out to Garden City for third place represented by Thomas Matco. [Applause] Congratulations. Good job. Congratulations. Okay. And the next
009group is the top three teams. You may want to stay stay up here for just a second. Um, the next group is the top three teams by Total Steps and Miles. And taking the crown for first place is Garden City, represented by Thomas MCO. Um, I just also want to give a shout out to Mr. Matco. He also came in second place in the entire division for RCPS. So, pretty awesome. Thank you. Coming in strong for second place is Monterey represented by Principal's brother. Congratulations. Correct. Congratulations. All right. And our third place winners for um this building, the WBR building, AODD, and the juvenile detention center is represented by Mrs. Victoria Thornton. [Laughter] Hey, Victoria. How are you doing? and thank you for celebrating all of our winners tonight. Thank All right. Uh next we
010are uh moving on to our next recognition this evening. Miss Kathy Duncan, can you please come forward and tell us about our recognition? Good evening, Chairperson Jameson, members of the school board, Superintendent White, and everybody present in person and online. I'm Kathy Duncan, director of career and technical education. I'm here on behalf of myself, Bridget Bentley, Eric Lear, and all the RCPS Air Force Junior ROC cadetses, both past and present. It is both an honor and a privilege to recognize an individual whose service, leadership, and impact have truly set a standard of excellence. Tonight, we proudly acknowledge Master Sergeant Terry Mills of Patrick Henry High School and ROE and William Fleming Air Force Junior ROC as the recipient of the 2025 Air Force Junior ROC Outstanding Instructor Award. I got to talk about you a
011little bit more. This distinguished honor is awarded to instructors who exemplify the very best in leadership, commitment, and student development. Master Sergeant Mills has not only led with integrity, and purpose, but he has inspired his cadets to aim higher both in and out of uniform. Through his tireless dedication to Air Force Junior ROC program, he has made a profound and lasting impact on his students, his school, and the broader community. With your permission, on behalf of the Ronic City School Board, we acknowledge our sincere congratulations to Master Sergeant Mills on this well-earned recognition. Your work has shaped lives, uplifted young leaders, and strengthened the values we all hold dear. Please join me in congratulating Master Sergeant Terry Mills. They did a great job. Love you. Congrats. Very good. I'm just taking a minute to look
012at all the dowbties. They were my They were babies when my son played soccer at PH there. I can't believe they're all grown up. Um, so let's move on to the personnel list. Is there a motion and a second to approve the personnel list as presented? So moved by Miss Montana. Second. Second by Miss Watkins. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. Those opposed? Very good. We have a a personnel list. Um, is there a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda as presented? So moved. Second. Second by Miss Watkins. Is there any discussion? Mr. I'm sorry. Thank you, Mr. Trigg. Uh, is this is what happens when some of our deeper voices are missing. Um, all those in favor? I I Those opposed. All right. Mrs. Watkins, would you please tell us
013about the gifts that have been received by RCPS? Yes, ma'am. The board accepts with extreme gratitude the following donation. Blue Eagle Credit Union and K92 um radio station teamed up and provided a donation in the amount of uh $1,510.34 to the RCPS Mckenni Vento program. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much um for donating and any of our other community partners that wish to join and support our students and families and staff, please do so. We welcome it. Thank you so much. Thank you, Miss Watkins. All right, we'll move right along now to citizen participation on agenda and non-aggenda items. Miss Ael, do we have folks signed up this evening? Yes. Very good. Um All right. The school board values open communication and we look forward to receiving your comments. We encourage all participants
014to engage in civil discourse and ask that you keep your comments respectful in helping us achieve this goal. Citizen comments offer an opportunity for the public to inform the board. The board and superintendent generally do not respond to comments made or questions posed. If you would like answers to a question, please present them in writing to the clerks after speaking. Staff present at the board meeting and whenever possible will assist you with your inquiry. Please state your name for the record and state whether you reside in Rowan Oak City or not. We ask that you keep your comments to 3 minutes. There is a light at the center of the podium. That light will turn yellow when you have about a minute or 30 seconds left. Um, in order to respect privacy and confidentiality, please
015refrain from using any student names. And when I call your name, you can come up to the podium. Jordan Coleman, [Applause] Jordan Coleman, and I reside not in Reno City. I'm a Salem citizen, but I am a Reno City employee. Okay, you ready? Yes, ma'am. Good evening, Madame Chair, members of the board, and our fellow community members. My name is Jordan Coleman, an RCPS employee and a proud vice president of the Rono Education Association. I am here speaking on behalf of our association and the employees of Reno City Public Schools. As you know, the Commonwealth of Virginia has allocated funding specifically for a $1,000 bonus for SOQ staff as reported by the Department of Education. The document states that this includes teachers, school counselors, librarians, instructional aids, principles, and assistant principal positions. Reno Education Association
016was informed in a regular meeting with our superintendent that this was hopefully going to be included with all employees, not just the ones listed above. We were also told that it were perhaps going to be a retention bonus coming later in the summer or early in September. However, we are concerned that waiting until that late may exclude some very important members of our RCPS community, including those that are retiring in the 2425 school year. It is also critical that these funds reach employees in a timely manner. Many staff members were informed shortly un kind of shortly noticed of summer school positions being limited and several teachers and instructional aids who had banked on having that for the summer were so sadly mistaken to have budgeted for something that did not come due to program changes
017and funding changes. A timely distribution of state- funded bonus would help ease that financial burden and help some of our employees feel more valued and respected from our organization, especially when the unexpected change of summer school impacted their livelihoods. Other localities near Rono City have planned to do the following. In Bodatat, the board of supervisors agreed to make sure that the $1,000 bonus went to all full-time employees and that 500 would go to part-time employees by the end of this month. In Franklin County, that locality has been asked to contribute funds to make sure the bonus is 1,000 and that educators should expect that in their June check. Rono County is following a similar suit as Franklin. In Salem, every educator will receive a $1,000 bonus before tax or after taxes, and part-time employees will
018receive 500. I urge the board and district leadership to prioritize the rapid allocation of these funds. And let's honor the intent of the state funding and the commitment to those who continue to serve our most valuable resource, our students. Thank you. [Applause] Jill King. [Applause] Good evening. My name is Jill King. I am a resident of Rono City and I am a teacher at Reo Academy. I'm here tonight on behalf of many dedicated staff members who are concerned about the decision to withhold the state sponsored bonus and shift it instead to a retention bonus for next school year. This change has real consequences for real people, educators, support staff, and others who have carried out the work required for this bonus during the current school year. Many of us budgeted with the understanding that the
019bonus would arrive at the end of this school year, as it will for most other local districts. With summer school funding being cut and fewer summer positions available, this bonus is not a luxury. It's a lifeline to make it through the summer months. By converting this earned bonus into a retention incentive, the district is changing the term set by the state budget in line 44A, which states that the bonus should be given in June of 2025 to all teachers, guidance counselors, librarians, instructional aids, principles, and assistant principles. It feels not just unfair, it feels like a breach of trust. Those who are retiring or moving on will not see a dollar of the bonus that they earned. And for those continuing, the message being sent is that our loyalty is being leveraged against money that
020we have already worked for. We understand the financial challenges the district is facing, but balancing the budget on the backs of your workforce, especially during a time of rising costs and reduced opportunities for extra income, is not the solution. This bonus was not just a carrot for next year. It was part of our compensation for this year's hard work. I urge you to reconsider this decision. Honor the original intent of the bonus and the commitment we've shown throughout the school year. Provide the payment now when it is needed the most. Let's retain our educators not with delayed compensation, but with trust, fairness, and respect. Thank you, Randy Blair. [Applause] Dr. Jameson, school board, Dr. White. I speak what everybody before me has spoken as well. I'm here on behalf of the RA as well as
021the employees of Reno City. I'm a resident for 30 years, an RCPS employee for 25, and if we want to retain people, we need to treat them for what they've done. We need to hold not hold on to their money and hold it off until September. In March, the discussion started for the bonus which excited everyone. We asked in April about the bonus and we were told we have to wait. We have to see what the budget will allow. That's fine. In April, we asked again if we have to wait for the numbers to come in. And I understand that government money cannot be counted on just like the government can always be counted on. But this was money that was expected to be in our checks in June. This was money to help people
022get through the summer. This was money when positions got cut that a lot of people said, "Well, at least I've got the bonus coming, so I'll be okay." And then to find out that now it's coming the end of September when several of my friends, bless their hearts, have retired. I'm a little jealous, but they won't see that money because they're gone. I have a few friends who've changed professions and have gone on other ways. They could have used that money this summer while they're looking for something else. We're asking just for reconsideration to please consider using this money not as a retention bonus but as a acceptance to say thank you for a job well done, a job that's already been done in 2425 and pass that money on to folks who can use
023it now. So thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it. George Dickinson. [Applause] Are you ready? Yes. Good evening, Chair Jameson, Dr. White, members of the school board and administration. My name is George Dickinson. I'm a Reno City resident, a parent of two Reno City students, as well as a teacher in Reno City Schools. Uh I I wanted to speak as someone that is concerned about teacher retention in the city and the decisions being made about it. As early as March this year, teachers became aware of the possibility that they could expect up to $1,000 bonus at the end of the year. When this went from rumor to fact, it was very exciting, particularly when considering the drastic downsizing in staff for summer school as we transitioned from RCPS plus to the STAR
024program. For many staff, this bonus would be a lifeline, giving them an ability to make ends meet until another means of employment for the summer is found. The rather surprising discovery that RCPS planned to give this bonus later rather than in June uh came as a shock to many educators and the news that surrounding districts would be giving these funds by the end of June with Salem even putting up extra funds so that the educators could expect the full thousand after taxes uh was a little disheartening. The withholding of this bonus to be used as a retention bonus in September, when funds will be less necessary for educators rather than getting it by the end of June, when funds will help educators get through the summer, is unlikely to make employees feel loyal to RCPS.
025Instead, it will likely make them frustrated and envious of other districts who made a different decision. At a time when teacher retention is so important, this will likely have the opposite effect for our district. If retention of the staff is the goal, there are many steps RCPS could take. One step would be to vote for the keeping the insurance the same. Uh raising of insurance uh creates an unaffordability for educators and this affordability is an important factor in choosing a place of employee. This feels an awful lot like passing the buck to the teachers. Transparency is key in the retention of staff. So it is important to let the staff know of these decisions and upcoming decisions so that they can be discussed and that we can come to meetings informed. As an incurrent me
026a current member of the mentors a group that is espoused with guiding new educators and those new to RCPS something that I have heard multiple times across multiple schools is that teachers are leaving uh due to lack of meaningful discipline to students and because of lack of support from administrators. If we're looking to re to retain teachers, these could be two areas that we could seriously look into. Reigning in student behavior and providing staff a way to evaluate their administrators would be moves in the correct direction. While we made a smart decision years ago to raise teacher pay above surrounding districts, paying teachers a fair salary certainly um is important, but we have to look that other districts are catching up. How can RCPS support its teachers in order to attain them? How is student
027discipline impacting teacher retention and what steps are needed to take to fix it? If schools lose a large percentage of teachers in a year, how do we evaluate why this is happening? Thank you for taking the time to listen. Thank you, Caitlyn Fiser. [Applause] Are you ready? Yeah. Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. I am Caitlyn Fischer. I'm a citizen of Reno City as well as a Reno City employee for eight years. I was disheartened to hear that our bonuses would be put off for a few more months because I had personally dealt with some out of the blue situations that in the middle of the school year that required me to miss three months of work. and that was to deal with knee surgery as well as deal with the
028loss of my mother to Parkinson's. Once I heard that the bonus was going to happen, it gave me a little bit of light to finish out the school year. And then to find out that, oh, we're going to wait. That was not It was a sign to me of a little bit of disrespect for the hard work that we put into these students, especially our special needs students. And I am urging the board to reconsider holding off on the delay and do it when the timing is right. That way those of us who are continuing with Reno City can get what we have worked hard for as well as for those who have as others have mentioned retired or moved on to other avenues. And um thank you [Applause] Dorothy Carter. [Applause] Are you ready?
029Good evening, Madame Chair, Dr. White, school board members. I'm here to take responsibility for telling REA members that Reno City Public Schools plans to outsource more educators. Anytime educators are going to be outsourced, REA needs to know it. While there's still not enough information, the budget is about to be passed and the public deserves to know what is happening. I am not paid by RCPS, but I work for the employees and I care about them and your students. Over the years, Reno City has outsourced transportation, food services, and nursing care. The goal is to save money. That sounds ideal. However, has it been accomplished? Let's review transportation. Last year, buses were late every day by as much as an hour, robbing students of an education as they lost classroom time. Our CPS administration lost control
030through the outsourced company. This year, with a new bus service and staggered start times, the issue appears to have been resolved, but families still lose. Employees with children and all residents are inconvenience as children's start times are now staggered with parent start times. Some children from the same families have different start times, making child care difficult. Sometimes RCPS can transfer RCPS workers to other buildings to accommodate needs, but many times they cannot, and that doesn't help families where parents work other jobs. Parents who work for the school system in order to spend quality time with their own families have lost control of their schedules. If RCPS studies how much money they have saved over the years, they will realize that initial savings are no longer. Now RCPS pays as much or more to an outside
031company. This year we have learned that with the outsized cafeteria staff in more than one school, students must serve themselves in the line, sometimes assisted by their teachers. When food service employees do not serve children directly, there's a loss of portion control which means that uh it robs students of the needed daily um nut nutrients if they get too much or too little and increased waste occurs with large portions. We know that curillian supply nurses to buildings this year. Turnover in any job is not unusual, but when a contract with the provider is in question, then there are several openings, not just a few. And now we learned that there could be outsourced positions in special education, not teachers, as we first learned, but instructional assistants and a position of registered behavior technicians. That'll decrease
032the number of behavior specialists hire hired by RCPS. And what's the benefit? Outsourcing hurts the community. It hurts your tax base. It hurts everyone who lives here. Thank you, Tarasha Bell. A little nervous. My husband's the speaker. Okay. Are you ready? I am. Yes, we are. Okay. Here we go. Good evening. My name is Tasha Bell. I do work for for the city. Um I am a special education teacher for James Breenidge. Um thank you Dr. Jameson and Dr. White as well as the school board. Um the concern that I would like to speak about is that many school districts across the country offer their 10-month employees, especially teachers, the option to receive their salary spread out over 12 months. This allows for a consistent income throughout the year, including the summer months when we
033are not in session. Unfortunately, this is not currently the case in our district. And before it said that we do have an option through our summer pay account, that's exactly what so many of us are frustrated with. We often hear advice to plan ahead or use the outside summer pay account, but that misses the point. Many of us sign up for teacher positions not just because we love working with our students, and though we absolutely do, but also because it's been known to provide financial stability during the summer months. That should not come with additional requirements or barriers. Teachers thrive when we are supported, not just during the school year, but year round. We've drifted too far from a system that gives educators the financial and mental breathing room they need during the summer to
034recharge and return energized for the new year. Supporting teachers in this way isn't just good policy. It is the right thing to do. Over the past four years, I've seen countless educators face financial stress during the summer due to the way funds are distributed by RCPS. Teachers are required to open a separate account with a specific bank, often one they have no prior relationship with just to access summer pay. In some cases, this process even involves sharing sensitive personal information information such as a social security number with third party institution. In my previous district, this was not the case. Teachers could opt into a 12-month paid schedule without opening additional accounts or jumping through extra hoops. Summer income was stable and predictable, coming from the district and not a third party institution. As a result,
035summer pay positions was sought out of passion, not desperation. Another major concern is the delay in payments for those who choose to work summer school. Teachers often go a full month before receiving a paycheck for June's work. That's a significant hardship, especially when so many of us are budgeting carefully to get through the summer months. I am respectfully asking the board to reconsider how compensation is structured for 10-month employees. Specifically, I urge you to offer a 10-month pay option for teachers who wish to have their salary distributed evenly throughout the year. Payment payments being distributed by the district and not a third party institution. Eliminate the requirement to operate a separate bank banking account to access summer's funds and ensure timely payments for summer school p positions with July 1st paycheck for work compensated in
036completed in June. These are not new or radical requests. Many districts have already implemented systems like these. We know it's possible and we know it makes a difference. Giving teachers financial stability during the summer isn't just a convenience. It's a sign of respect for the work we do all year long. Can I do the last part, please? I promise to be quick. Additionally, to drive my point home, I want to express deep frustration over the recent news that VOE bonus will not be included in June 15's paycheck. This delay adds only the frustration, the financial stress many of us finance face during the summer. It's especially disheartening to hear that we cannot receive a payment on July 1st simply because we are considered 10-month employees. Again, this seems more like an old way of doing
037things that is currently affecting your bottom line. Your reasoning feels out of touch with the realities educators face. Again, review your business practices and consider the benefits of giving educators the financial and mental breathing room they need during the summers to recharge, return energizing for the new school year, and support your teachers in the way that is good policy. Thank you for your consideration. [Applause] On behalf of the school board, I want to thank everyone for taking the time to speak to us. As we said earlier, we value the feedback of our community. Public input is important as we make decisions on behalf of all students in Ron Oak City Public Schools. Thank you. All right. Very good. Let's move on to the superintendent updates. Dr. White. Right. Good evening, Madam Chair, Madame Vice Chair,
038members of the school board, members of the public, in person and online. Uh this evening we're bringing forward items for your information and consideration including approval of a capital fund balance amendment. Um approval of the 2025 2026 budget, approval of the federal entitlement grants for 2025 2026, approval of the revised strategic plan and an update on what we are calling operation next uh nest. Uh before we get to our agenda, I would like to highlight a few items for the board and for the public's consideration and for uh for your information as well. So, we are excited to welcome our students for summer school and our new STAR program this coming Monday, June 16th. Um bus bus routes will be available later this week and will be posted to the transportation page of the RCPS
039website, which you can access from the quick links uh in the green banner. It is also not too late to sign up for several of our other summer programs such as our staying safe by staying connected camp and our summer program. So, be sure to visit our website uh for more information. Also, the spring uh standards of learning or so testing reports are now available on parent view. So, this includes uh detailed student reports, excuse me, and the spring parent report. So, if you need to obtain an activation code for parent view or need assistance accessing your students reports, please contact your student's school. Also, the CTE Foundation held the annual CTE extravaganza uh at the end of May and I was proud to be a part of that wonderful event which featured the presentation
040of scholarships to six uh ROE and six Daytech students in addition to special awards from the Kuanas Club and the Ronok Regional Homebuilders Association. So, it really was wonderful to uh to to have be a part of that event and that allowed us to showcase the amazing new CTE classrooms at Daytech and it raised nearly $35,000 to support students in the future uh which is a record amount. So, congratulations to them and thanks again to everyone who came out to this wonderful event and those who donated and purchased items from the silent auction and to the sponsors who made the event possible. As a reminder, uh and as we've previously mentioned, uh updated cell phone guidelines will go into effect with our summer programs next week and will continue throughout the 2526 school year. So
041students in all grades uh will not be permitted to use their cell phones from the start of the school day to the end of the school day. I see some applause in there. All right. Okay. So, this change aligns with Governor Yncan's executive order 33 and recently passed legislation um requiring school divisions to implement cell phone restrictions for all grade levels. The updated guidelines will be posted on our website and uh social media tomorrow. We will continue sharing the information with high school families throughout the summer and our cell phone work group will continue to meet to monitor how everything is going. And finally, as you uh know, last week we celebrated the last day of school and our graduating seniors during commencement exercises for both Patrick Henry and William Fleming high schools. Approximately 900
042students walked the stage across that stage. I always like to say that the graduation is our Super Bowl. That's our Super Bowl. And so, um, we again, and I always say that our students are graduating with a diploma and a resume. And so, I'm just so so proud of of everyone, all of our staff members, but also our our graduates uh, who were able to walk the stage last week. Last year, for reference, we had about 750 students graduate. So this is reflective of intentional effort and intentional focus on increasing our graduation rate and all of the hard work that goes into that. It's also an indication of the larger class that we had uh graduating. And so as we know from our feasibility study, we will continue to see those growing numbers in the
043years to come. So again, I want to thank our school board and our city council for joining us uh at our commencement ceremonies. And again, congratulations to our graduates, as well as congratulations to Mrs. Anderson and and Mr. Bowen and their teams for two wonderful commencement ceremonies, as well as their hard work throughout the school year. And that goes for all of our teachers, administrators, and staff across the division who really led and took the charge. Remember from uh from convocation where we talked about leading with love and literacy, and we could see that throughout the school year. And so again, hats off to our entire team. It was a great year because of our team's dedication and commitment to our students. So let's take a quick look back at some of what we've accomplished
044this school year. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] So, hats off to our team for a wonderful school year. Great school year. Another one in the books. It's wonderful. So, again, to begin our report this evening, we have several budget items on the agenda. And so, I want to acknowledge that we do have teachers and staff in the attendance tonight. um and we suspect to hear about the forthcoming bonus and I want to thank you all for being here uh to one to speak up and to advocate and to share your perspectives to elevate your voice which I believe is very critically important and so thank you for being here and two to learn more and to hear discussions about what we've been talking about in terms of
045the budget and being engaged in that process. So I just want to thank you for being here for that and to hear about our strategic plan too. So so thank you. So, I know that we will um have a robust discussion uh about the bonus and want everyone to know that this will be addressed during the board's ongoing business portion of of tonight's meeting. So, first we have a procedural uh formality that uh to ensure alignment with the city's actions uh on the budget. And so, this is an amendment to our current 2024 2025 capital fund. So, I'll ask our chief financial officer, Kathleen Jackson, to come forward uh to pro provide more information about this amendment for the board's consideration. So, Mrs. Jackson, thank you very much, Dr. White. Good evening, Chair Dr. Jameson,
046Vice Chair, Miss Ael, and members of the school board. Um, as Dr. White said, um, this this effort is just to make sure that our budget now aligns with the reappropriation of funds for capital, uh, uh, projects that was approved by city council at their May 19th meeting. So, we just want to make sure that our budget um now aligns exactly um with that dollar amount. Um while we don't anticipate that we will need to spend this entire amount in the current fiscal year because so many capital projects are multi-year, again, I think it's important for us to just dot our eyes and cross our tees and make sure that um that we have we have those funds uh properly approved by you um now that they've been reappropriated by council. So, this is just
047an amendment to the capital fund portion of our budget uh to bring that budgeted amount up um to the uh the amount that was approved u just over 17.8 million um as you see in the the board agenda item. But so, any questions about that item? Any questions for Mrs. Jackson this evening? Very good. Very good. So therefore, is there a motion and a second to approve the change to the 2024 2025 capital fund budget amendment as presented? So move second by Miss Trigg. Uh is there any discussion? All right. All those in favor? I. Those opposed. Thank you, staff. All right. Thank you. And Mrs. Jackson, don't go anywhere. Uh so next we're asking uh uh school board members for your approval of the 2526 fiscal year budget. And again, Mrs. Jackson, I'd ask
048you to present the budget for the board's consideration. Yes, ma'am. Thank you again. Um so this is the culmination of a lot of work um uh that I know the board has heard and discussed um and pondered quite a bit. Um, so this is uh the the culmination of all of that work and um we can just a few uh slides. I will say you have a hard copy of the full budget book at your place um and that's been posted online with the agenda as well and will um presuming approval be posted um on the outward facing website as required for the school division. Um but we are um at that point where we are required to have a budget for next year approved um before July 1. And so this is the line
049excuse me line item detailed budget. And I just wanted to take a minute to um have a visual of the timeline of this budget development um and and thank the board for um all of your work in um addressing this throughout the years. Um, as you can see by the calendar, the the blue dots are are schoolboard meetings where where budget was um entertained and discussed and debated and the the green dots are where the budget committee um dug in a little deeper as well. So um I think that's impressive frankly for for the board to be that um involved and engaged and have so many opportunities um that you engaged in public discussion of the budget and um looked at all of the different pieces. So, I appreciate your contributions along the way um
050in helping us build this budget for this year. So, I'm just going to hit the highlights because as that last slide showed, this has been discussed um to some length um at many many meetings. So, um I won't um belabor that today. But, um our proposed budget does include a projection of about a 2.4% 4% increase in state revenues um level funding from the locality and then um we're looking at probably about a 2% increase uh projected for our grant funds for from federal grants. Um we do have a 2 and a half% average combined scale and step raise for all positions in this budget. We have about 71 new positions. Um most of that is taken up by that uh new that change to the standards of quality for supporting students who are English
051learners. So, I know we've talked quite a bit about that. We also have some uh additional positions necessary for supporting students with disabilities. And then um just through our enrollment increases and uh those staffing meetings that happen every year school by school, looking at those um enrollment changes and potential needs there. So, that's kind of all combined what adds up to our anticipated need. Um, but the the biggest chunk of course being ensuring we're continuing to meet that state requirement. Um, this budget does, as I know at the last meeting, the the school board entertained a couple of different options. Um, so we did put back in uh employee benefits at the current level. So we did not increase um the the cost to employees on that. Um so so those are some good things
052that we were able to maintain in the budget. Um this budget does set aside our um elementary Spanish program to enable us to um kind of repurpose those positions to help us with filling those English learner required positions um for next year. So this slide just tried to kind of summarize the budget to to have it all in one slide. So, you can see again, you have a whole book with all of this information in it, but um uh just over a $272.2 million general fund budget. Um again, we have uh an estimate of about a $30 million uh grant fund budget, but of course, we always request appropriation as those of the exact dollar amount as those grants come in. Um our food service fund budget, just over $13 million. We have a $1
053million in our capital fund. That's based on what was in our um our our capital improvement plan that's been approved. But I will note um based on the the required um reappropriation of funds. I anticipate that once we finish this year and we know where we are with the the capital projects um we'll probably have to go forward with a reappropriation request based on whatever's left what wherever we are um in those projects, what remains to to continue to happen in the the subsequent fiscal year. So, that'll be a process um as we're closing the books for the current year. Um we'll we'll bring that back to you and to the council at that time. Um so lastly I just take a minute to cover again you have a very large book um in front
054of you and um that is posted online and so just wanted to take a second to sort of explain why um that we develop our budget book in accordance with best practice standards that are established by the uh Association of School Business Officials International. Um, and so the first section of that budget book is the executive summary. It's intended to be kind of a just a summary as it says that that you could look at just that portion and get a general idea of of everything that's in that budget book. Um, if you don't have time to look at the whole thing, the next section is the organizational section. So that gives a lot of good context about how we operate and how our budget is developed and um what state regulations and and uh
055local regulations are at play to to govern kind of how we do things, when we do things, that kind of thing. So that that provides a lot of good information um about policies and procedures and that sort of thing. The financial section of course is kind of the meat of the budget. Um all the dollars and cents and some explanation of um our our projection our projected revenue and use of funds. And then lastly is anformational section which just provides um some additional kind of supporting information um local tax information, enrollment data, uh just a as an effort to provide the a whole picture uh for anyone who might be using this budget document to kind of get a sense of Renick City Schools and um where our dollars are going. Um, one thing I
056I will mention that has has become a um a staple and and highlight of our budget over the last few years is our effort to provide some information in there of how our budget divides out in accordance with our strategic plan. So, we ask our budget managers as they're um providing their budget requests to kind of, you know, tie their needs to what parts of the strategic plan are we working to accomplish with these funds? um because that is also on your agenda for tonight. Of course, um the revised strategic plan um was not available as we were completing this budget. So when you see that section that is uh referencing the original strategic plan in place and so we will certainly update next year when we're doing the budget and make sure that we're
057um revising how we do that and aligned to the revised strategic plan. So, I just wanted to to mention that. Um, and last point just as I know it's it's fresh news um in terms of Curillion um changing their their business model and moving away from uh providing school nursing services. So, um, of course, that is something that we're we're still just now at the beginning stages of looking at what that's going to look like going forward, but we do have those funds budgeted for school nurses. So, whether those funds go to pay or some other um uh medical outsourced uh company to do those services or whether those funds instead um go to start paying salary and benefits for our CPS employees, the funding is in the budget. So I just wanted to uh
058assure you that we might have to change uh the nature of that expense a little bit but um you know we do feel confident that we have the funds budgeted to ensure we can continue those services. So I think that is all I have to highlight but I'm certainly happy to take any questions or comments certainly. Are there any comments for Mrs. Jackson at this point this evening? All I'm going to say is thank you. I know I say it every time, but thank you. You and your team have worked extremely hard. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, I would just echo that. Thanks for as many uh colored boxes that we had conversations up there, you were having many, many more. So, uh thank you for all your hard work and thanks to
059your team. Well, thank you. Um, I would just echo everything that everyone else said, but I would also say that in the six years that I've had the opportunity to pull this first to vote on it and pull this first sheet off, this has been the hardest of all the years. Um, and oh this is this is like our hardest budget that we have to balance at home, right? When you think about there's a limited amount of money for all the things that we need. Sometimes there are hard choices that have to be made. And we've had the luxury in prior years have enough or more than enough and and enough to put away for a rainy day and know that it will be there. Um, and we we we had to make real hard
060decisions this time and I feel sure that going forward the decisions will be just as hard if not harder. So, I really just want um to say, you know, thank you just like everybody else did, but I want to acknowledge the fact that this year was the hardest in all of my six years. And I would imagine Eli being the most senior person is has been the hardest for you as well. Is that correct? Yeah, we we I think we all thought it would be the co years. This was much harder. This was much harder. This was much harder. So, thank you to your team. Thank you. I do Tammy Manning is a member of my team. She's our budget coordinator. So, so I mean the whole accounting team worked very hard on this, but
061especially Tammy. Thank you. All right. Um, are there any other comments or questions? And thank you, Miss Watkins. I think that was well put. Is there a motion and a second to approve the final draft of the 2025 2026 budget? So moved. Second by Miss Trig. Is there any discussion? I would just tell those who do not know the very cool innovation they made is that it looks at to us like a draft and as soon as we approve it we rip the first page off. That's what Miss Watkins and then it's final just like that. Um that's the best paper. It's the best technology. So uh hearing no discussion. All those in favor? I. Those opposed. All right. We have a budget. No longer a draft. Thank you. Very good. All right. Thank you,
062Mrs. Jackson. And I I would also like to thank the the school board. I'd like to thank you for your hard work. Again, we saw that timeline, the calendar, for all the committee meetings, all of the discussions. Um we know that these have been really hard decisions. And so, I just want to thank you for your support, your advocacy. I want to thank Councilman Hagen for being here in uh in person. So, thank you um for being here and just to all of our budget managers and to Mrs. Jackson's entire team. So, again, much of what has already been said here just uh it's a phenomenal team. It's not happen stance that our finance team um wins award after award after award. This it's again, it's intentional. It's deliberate and um it's it's just really
063based on excellence. So, I just want to say thank you again for all of you. So, are you ready for entitlement grants? I'm just going to say I'm not standing here like trying to get appreciation or anything. I do have the next item as well. So, again, it's time for the the entitlement grants for the board's consideration and approval. So, back to you. Thank you. Thank you. So, um each year we do qualify for federal entitlement grants. Um and there are four areas and what we are bringing to you today is uh a request to approve our applications for those funds as entitlement grants. Um they're not competitive. So if we meet the criteria of each of those um titles, we do qualify for the funds, but of course there is a process um managed
064by the state that we have to apply and get approval for our intended use of those funds. So that's where we are today. Um so the first is title one. Title one is intended for uh improving basic programs and um based on providing supplemental supports to schools with high levels of student need. We have 15 elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school that are currently title one schools. Um the next is title 2A. Um, it is intended to support teachers, principles, and other school leaders in their work to improve the overall quality of instruction for all of our students. We chiefly look to those funds to help us support our initiatives to ensure our students are being taught by properly licensed and endorsed teachers as well as leadership programs to grow our own
065principles and administrators. Um, as well as our great beginnings uh induction program for new teachers. Um so those are the chief areas that we focus on with those funds. Title 3A supports uh services for students who are English learners and title 4A uh is for student supports and academic enrichment. There are three categories under those funds um for which they are intended to be used providing a well-rounded education, safe and healthy students and the effective use of technology. Um, final award amounts for federal programs are usually not available until late summer or early fall. So, we are always instructed to use the current year allocation amount when doing our applications. Um, so that's what you see in the applications that are attached to the agenda. Um, our 2425 allocation. Um, I will share that recent
066uh information that's come from the state does indicate there's a possibility of a little bit of an increase to our title one funds. So, that's certainly good news. Again, we won't know that for sure until um late summer or early fall. Um but on the flip side, there while there was um a pretty common um view of business as usual with federal funding and that sort of thing, we're we're hearing a little bit of a pullback on the other title awards from the state level. A little bit less sure. Um so, uh I know they're going to take our applications. We still have this process that we must submit. Um but it the timeline might be a little bit longer for title 2, three, and four. Um but of course information is changing all the
067time. So we'll certainly keep you posted on that. So that is what we have for you today. And you see the amounts um about 8.2 million for title one. Um just over 800,000 for title two, a little bit over 200,000 for title three. and um uh just over 570,000 for title 4 uh is what we're requesting your approval for today. These applications do require signature by the superintendent and schoolboard chair. So that's specifically um what we're asking for your authorization of. Thank you, Mrs. Jackson. Does the board have any comments or questions for Mrs. Jackson about the entitlement funds? All right. Is there a motion and a second to approve Rono City Schools individual applications for federal funds for the 2025 2026 school year and authorize appropriate signatures to fulfill the requirements of the applications?
068So moved by Miss second by Miss Trigg. Is there any discussion? All those in favor? I opposed. Very good. Thank you very much. Thank you Mrs. Jackson. I'll now ask Dr. Jonathan Schultz, our executive director of division accountability and strategic initiatives, and his assistant director, Melissa Eckert, to come forward uh to review uh and for your approval of the revised strategic plan and to share that uh brief presentation with you uh for the approval. So the second good evening, Madame Chair, Dr. Jameson, Madame Vice Chair Ael, members of the board, and Dr. White, Dr. Schultz and I are here this evening to review the strategic plan revision process and share the revised plan for approval. So we started the process back at the October schoolboard retreat where we received your approval to begin the revision
069process. Then at the February retreat, we shared the revised plan through a crosswalk and received your feedback. We provided an update in April as we continued working with our pathway teams to refine the plan. Then in May, we shared the public feedback that we collected and incorporated into the plan. And now we're here to request final approval of the revision. So we did um invite the community to be involved in the process. So we had two public feedback sessions. We received input through a public survey and we presented the revision to the superintendent teacher advisory council, central council PTA, the Ronoke Education Association, and our principles. So we are grateful to all of those groups for their feedback and collaboration. And so uh similar to the uh budget book, our our book is not as
070sturdy as the budget book because it's a little thinner. So if you are to approve, please tear carefully. Um uh but you do have the the final pretty version in front of you. Um, I I want to thank my team uh who I think did a great job uh leading and organizing the revision, but also you'll see the thank you page. There are a lot of people that put a lot of hours into this uh to to get it to this point. Um so we're grateful for all those people who uh helped us with that. Um do you have any questions? Very good. Are there any questions for Dr. Schelson? Miss Eert, thank you. Great job. I would I would I would just say I thought that our strategic plan was good before and appropriate
071to the moment. Um I think this is excellent work and taking what was a good document and making it executionable. Um clear targets um high standards um and another excellent document to help steer the division into the future. I really think thank you for your work and everybody's input and collecting all that input. It's it's a strong document. So, thank you. I mean, this team did so much work and I mean, the entire team just to to streamline the process and to make it um really actionable and and also taking the feedback from the the community and um listening and and um pivoting in that way is just uh hats off. So, thank you. The best thing about um you know when I when you look into things like adaptive leadership what they say if
072you want to get people to get engaged in change is take the core of who you are and just make the outsides of it better to meet the future. And I think that's what you've done. So nice work. Thank you. All right. Uh it is there a motion in a second to approve the revised strategic plan 2022 to 2028 as presented? So moved. Second. Seconded by Miss Watkins. Is there any discussion? All those in favor? I. Those opposed. All right. RIP gently. Very good. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you to your team. I'd now like to ask our assistant superintendent of student success and support services, Dr. Dr. Haley Poland and executive director of special education Dr. Nick Pontius to share information about what we're calling Operation Nest which is designed to increase
073the number of students attending their zoned home schools. So welcome. Good evening Dr. Jameson, Miss Appel, members of the board, Dr. White. Thank you so much for this opportunity for Dr. Poland and I to uh talk to you about what we're doing with Operation Nest tonight. Um I want to thank everybody who was a participant in this from um Dr. Durham uh staff. So many people went in to giving their collaboration and feedback on Operation Nest. But before we begin, I want to give you a little bit of a history to tell where we've been, the why a little bit, the deeper reasons, and then take you forward to where we are today and then where we hope to go uh tomorrow and into the future. So, if you'll uh bear with me here, I'm
074going to be a little bit of a storyteller. But first, I want you to meet uh Judy. Uh Judy was born in about 1949. And when she was 18 months old, uh Judy contracted polio which left her confined to a wheelchair. And when Judy's mom took Judy to school, the school turned to Judy and said and her mom and said, "Judy, you can't come to school. You're a fire hazard." So Judy remained at home. But like every mother should, she advocated for her child and got Judy into school by the time she was in fourth grade. Judy then went on to finish school and graduate school and go to college and became a teacher. She returned to school to teach. The principal turned to her and said, "Judy, you can't teach here. You're a fire
075hazard." Fast forward to 1965. It's Christmas time. A group of reporters go undercover in the state institutions, and this is what they uncover. It shocked the conscious of the nation. In fact, they said there's a hell on earth and in America there's a special inferno. In 1975, we made a promise to our children with disabilities. And it's a promise that was worth making and worth keeping and we all play an important role in it. And baked into special education. This is IDA when it was passed in 1975. celebrating our 50 years in special education and in that there's this concept of the least restrictive environment or LRE. It's core to what is special education and in that says to the maximum extent appropriate children with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled and
076that special classes separate schooling or the removal of children with disabilities from the regular education environment occurs only when the nature and severity of the disability is such that education and regular classes with the use of supplementary agent services cannot be achieved satisfactory. We call that the mainstreaming mandate. Why we prefer inclusion. More recently in 2012 in Virginia here, the Department of Justice settled with the training centers. And baked in that there's an interesting um regulation or requirement that individuals with disabilities be served in the most integrated settings. So I wanted to share a little bit of where we at. Here's a map of our city schools of our elementary attendance zones. The black line outlines and you'll see the blue hash marks um of where we do not have programs. So if you see
077in the purple is west side and then over on the side yellow is garden city. Those are where we have our special programs right now. And first I'd like to kudos to transportation Mr. Perkins for the amazing job of busing our kids trying to get them to our special programs. And as you can see, that presents some serious challenges um when you're trying to get kids from different areas of the city to very few special programs. And on top of that, we have special regulations that limit the number of students in a classroom to eight. And so when one classroom is filled, say at Garden City or Morningside or Fallon or Westside or Hurt or Rams, that means we have to move the child to another classroom. And so we're playing this constant catch up
078and match of trying to find a place for a child to go to school. many times it's not going to be in their home schools. So what we've been working on with Operation Nest is how to get kids back to their home schools. And so Dr. Poland's going to share a little bit more about that with you. [Music] Good evening. So as Dr. Pontia said, we really have to have our students in the schools where they are. We have asked our families to split their children. Sometimes we're asking them to support their student in two different buildings. So, we are really focused on our preschool classrooms being in where they will then transition to kindergarten and then transition with their same peers to middle school, then to high school. Same thing for our students with
079disabilities. We want our students to transition from preschool to elementary school to middle school with their same peers. They're peers that they're playing in the park with. They're they're going to to church or to a community event with. This is really why we are here. And um Dr. Ponti has talked a little bit about our numbers. We have increased. I know that you heard him talk um in the April meeting with our annual plan about our number of students specifically with autism that has increased over the past several years. We can't have our students not receive the very best that their peer their same non-disabled peers are receiving. So, we really want to make sure that we're not stressing our families and our teachers and our and our school buildings. So, we actually started Operation
080Nest last year. You all have you all heard about our English language um learners who um were moved from elementary school. Um they went back to their home schools at Grandon, Crystal Spring, and Reno Academy. They had previously been served in ele schools. Our middle school students all returned to their home schools this year. So this is part of Operation Nest. We have provided that scaffolding and that support for our students and our for our staff to be able to make sure that our teachers and our students are receiving English language support in their home schools. So, moving to phase two, we are starting with our early childhood programs in preschool. So, we have um currently our students who are zoned for Virginia Heights, they attend Fallon Park. So, we are moving that classroom back
081to Virginia Heights to be served in their zoned school. Our students, um, there is a special education classroom at Garden City. There are no Garden City students in that classroom. So, we are moving that classroom to Fallon Park where there are zoned students. We have a preschool classroom at Reno Academy serves Preston Park students. So, that classroom is going to Preston Park. We also have a three-year-old classroom at Highland Park who has that has low enrollment. So that closing of that classroom and moving those students um to their zoned schools will be able to provide collaborative services just as Nick Dr. Pontius was talking about making sure that we're providing service for our students in the in the least restrictive environment and that is part of that three-year-old move. We've also been working with transportation.
082Uh Mr. Dowy was here earlier. Not sure if he's still here, but um he and uh Mr. Perkins have worked tremendously with us on feeder patterns. And so we want to make sure that if we have students that do need to go to a different building because of space that we have a very specific feeder pattern that our our parents are aware of, our teachers are aware of, and transportation is aware of as well. Nick, I'll turn it back to you. Nick is fine. Let me catch up here. So, we have um 340 students requiring our um adaptive curriculum or special education self-contained classrooms where they spend the majority of their services in a special education classroom um with through early childhood, elementary and middle, high school through that continuum. And as you're aware, we
083go up through age 22. Um, and that's going to be starting off also that new program with RCPS um, life. Um, but looking at our current situation, as I've alluded to with from from Westside, Garden City, Rams, and Morningside, um, looking at how we're best being able to support that, we needed additional classrooms, not only to meet the growing population, but also to try to serve them as close to their home schools as possible. Um, we were looking at our projections. I'm sorry, I jumped over that one. Looking at our projected sites for next year, looking at adding a classroom to Crystal Springs. These are the yellow highlights. Fair View, Fishburn Park, Highland, Lincoln Terrace, Monterey, Round Hill, um to be able to expand that. Now, is this all the schools? It is not. We're
084not able to get to everyone right now. Um but as we look forward to u the years to come looking at where our populations are and how that works maybe that's appropriate for those other schools in the middle schools looking at adding to Woodro Wilson and Fishwick will be having their first classroom to meet the students needs at Fishwick. We're very excited for that. Um and expanding our therapeutic classroom well as well at Woodrow. Um still looking at Breen Ridge in the future high school not looking at any changes now. We're watching Patrick Henry based on their current levels. Um, but that program is running really well there. Um, so in summary, looking at as I just highlighted in the yellow, but I'm going to get to phase three where we're seeing we're going because
085we're we're looking to the future here. Um, we do see we're excited for the new Preston Park building. That's exciting news. Um, adding classrooms for for Preston Park students is going to be a huge um relief and need. So, we're excited to to expand that. looking at Monterey. Spice space is very tight at Monterey. Um so we'll see how that pans out over the next year and then looking at how uh that west side looks too. So going to be monitoring that and seeing how things are shifting and working like that. But the principles and school staff have been really um welcoming and understanding of the needs and trying to be helpful for that. Um for special education looking again as I shared with the fair view how that plays out. Again, it's tight there,
086but um we think we can look to that in the future. Um also with Preston Park, probably having three classrooms there. Breen Ridge would be a huge one as well. That area, the Preston Park, Breen Ridge area, and then looking at our high schools for the next future in the future needs. Um so this is change for people, for students and families and staff. So we're communicating with our principles and teachers and many teachers have some have volunteered to to to move and want to do that. Um, and some will call will be new hires as we go through that. And then we're going to be contacting families um to communicate that that hey, good news. We have a program to meet your child's needs right there in your neighborhood. And I've heard from some
087families already that this has kind of leaked out a little bit that they're excited say, hey, Dr. Pontius, my kid gets to go to school with her with their brother or sister or I don't have to be on two separate buses and looking at those kinds of things. So that's a relief for families to the maximum extent we can be able to have kids in that. The other benefit is they'll be able to metriculate through with their same age peers. And if you can form those relationships and that um kind of introduction earlier on, that's going to pay dividends in the high school. So they know each other and they can support each other. The biggest thing is when your peers are advocating for you, your peers are helping you out. That's going to pay
088dividends as they metriculate together through schools. Um so uh contact and letters will be going home this week. um talking with them, shoring that up, seeing where it's appropriate for that and how that looks. And of course, there might be times where there's a fourth or fifth grader that that that's just not the right move. And we're going to work through those situations appropriately and be uh and be as accommodating as we can based on how we space and the needs allow. So, we're not going to try to force it on a fifth grader who has great relationships with his teacher. Um we understand those dynamics as well. So, we're going to be sensitive to that. Um providing great professional development for our teachers. We're excited to be able to go deeper with our behavioral
089specialists, therapist, being able to expand that into the schools to meet kids there. So, they're going to be have a lot of wraparound services to be able to meet the students needs um and have the behavioral specialist or whatever that. So, it's an exciting plan. I think it's the right direction to go with to support our students. All right, my parting thoughts. I'm going to leave you with two dates. 1975, I alluded to earlier, the advent of special education with the passage of IDA, and then 1990 is the passage of ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act. But I want to bring to your attention the dates when our schools were built. Now, many of them have been renovated and and renovated very well since these times, but at its core, there's still limited spaces because some
090of our classrooms, I needed space for 10 students. And so, it's hard to take a classroom that was designed for 30 to cut it down to 10 or I might need two of those. and some of our needs are just very different. And so these presents really real challenges. And so that's kind of also the other factor that it's not as just as simple as let's just move all the kids back. There's there's serious limitations in some places and some things. Um and many of our schools predate the passage of these laws. But as a good educator, I do have homework for you. Uh if you have Netflix, I recommend you watch Camp. It's one of the most amazing documentaries I've ever seen. And the staff, I'd highly recommend it. Um I think you will
091thoroughly enjoy it. So, please make sure your homework's done. I'll send out a quiz next week. So, oh my gosh, that's it. Questions? I want to thank everybody from transportation to operations to data to Dr. White to teachers who have g it. It's not as easy as it sounds. So, thank you to everybody that's done that. So, I'll take any questions that you may have. Thank you Dr. Poland and Dr. Pontius for this presentation. Are there questions or comments from the board? questions, but great job. I know it was um definitely in your heart when we first met in reference to making sure that the students were back at their home school. So, that really warms my heart because they'll be around their peers. I have just one question. Um Yes, ma'am. I I love
092the the the fact that we're integrating our students back um with their schools. Um the one question that I have um and great work on this is are we using traditional um recruiting and hiring methods for the uh extra teachers that we're going to need for for the programs? All of the above. Yes. All right. I just wanted to make sure I had a note on that. I wanted to ask that question. So, excellent. So, Mr. McKe's team will be on it. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Job fairs, recruiting, all the things. Okay. and they're the best that ever did it. So, thank you, sir. Thank you. Oh, yes. Thank you. Thank you. I know it it it's been something that we've been talking about since I started here. Almost a year. Wow. Almost
093a year. Um and it's good to finally have the kids go to their home schools. So, thank you. Um, I was really glad when we got the EL services balanced out over the middle schools last year, knowing that Breen Ridge, you know, has a very high population of EL students and getting them to their home school as opposed to being bus to Woodrow or Fishwick. Um, and so to see this playing out even further, um, I think it is a testament in real time to what it means to know your students by name and by need. So, um, thank you and this is, you know, I look forward to the next update on how this is going. Absolutely. Uh, yeah, thank you all. This student pop, all our students are important. This is a student
094population we don't always hear exciting news about and then we don't lift up in often enough. So it's really nice to have see this program. Appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you team. Thank you sir. Thank you. And I just also want to say thank you to Dr. Pontius. Thank you Dr. Poland, Mr. Freeman, Dr. Williams uh and the teams and all of the teams Mr. Perkins and the again this has taken a a tremendous amount of coordination and collaboration um to really understand well where do we have and what do we need and how talk about um differentiation right and so I just thank you for all of your hard work you said it's not as easy as it sounds it doesn't sound easy thank you well I thought I envisioned it as being easy
095but but this is the right work for the right reasons so thank Thank you for your app. Thank you. [Applause] And madam chair that ends that concludes my report. All right. Thank you so much Dr. White. Ms. Jackson would you mind presenting the financial forecast and fund balance for not at all. Good evening again. Um so we have for you tonight our uh monthly update uh for the current year budget. This is reporting through the month of April. So, I'll just jump in. Um, we'll start with our uh dental fund. Looking at our revenue picture, when we compare against the three-year average of actuals, were forecast to be just over about a million dollars above budget on the revenue side. Um, and on the expenditure side, uh, forecast to be about $4.7 million below budget
096when we compare against that three-year average. There we go. Um, so we did approve a budget that proposed using about $1.75 million out of fund balance. So were we to end the year based on our experience um, up through April, we would potentially be in a position to actually add just over $4 million to fund balance. Um, I will point out that, um, I know we've had a lot of conversation about the fact that the state required us to, um, adopt new textbooks this year, um, which was not originally planned. Um, that that cost is approximately $3 million. That is not reflected in that number yet. Um, we had not made that purchase as of April. So, that is something coming that thanks to um, the availability projected there that enabled us to move forward
097with that um, required purchase this year. So you'll see that coming in future months. So um here just reflected graphically our fund balance over time and how that would potentially change. Um and then moving on to our food services fund um through April based on a comparison to that three-year average of actuals were forecast to be about $360,000 below budget on the revenue side. Um so not favorable. But on the expenditure side, we are also uh forecasting to be a bit below budget by about $900,000. So we did um adopt a budget that proposed using about $1.5 million out of the food services fund fund balance. So um where we to end the year based on experience thus far, um it looks like we would only use um just under a million of that um
098out of that fund balance. And you see that fund balance change over time there. So that's where we are through the month of April. But I'm happy to take questions or comments. Are there questions for Miss Jackson? Jackson, I have because I don't think you've gotten a chance to talk enough today. I know. I I'm wondering if at this point it might be helpful if because we have been talking so much about budget. If you could remind us all when we actually know how much money we have left over at the end of the year. if you could talk a little bit about how that close out process plays out and over what period of time. Sure. Um that does unfortunately we don't have uh that information exactly on June 30. Our fiscal year does
099end June 30th. Um but we have a 60-day approval window after that. Um whereby we're paying bills. Um we are required to reflect expenses in the period in which they happened. So if we uh receive a service in June, for example, but we don't get that bill until July, that that expense, even though we paid that bill in July, needs to be reflected in the current fiscal year. So that's a that's a process that we're working through um in the first couple months of the new year, making sure we're reflecting uh expenses and revenues in the right period. Um, so really it is um probably around September or so that we're kind of completing that process and getting a sense of um really where we are to finish the year and then that leads us
100up to ultimately closing the books by the end of October and that's through our audit process. So that that you know is not done done until the external auditors uh review all of our financials. So thank you. I I thought that seemed a little relevant is this is um as tight a budget year as we've had in a while. I mean coming down to with I a million dollars is a lot of money but in a budget our size that's that's pretty tight pretty tight. So it's important to know we won't actually know for a while I think. So thank you for sure explaining that question us. Um any other questions from the board? Uh, all right. Is the as we uh look at the financial statements, is there anything unusual to report this evening?
101Um, I don't have anything additional to add. Um, but I'm certainly happy to take questions. Are there any questions? Okay. U Miss Watkins, I think we're going to get to it. Okay. All right. Uh, thank you, Mr. Jackson. The statements will be received and filed. So, let's move on to our committee reports. Um let's start with are there any um standing or ad hoc committees that we need to have a report on tonight? Audit. I think we've had a lot of budget and capital expense. We're probably covered on that. Um or naming committee CTE. I nothing on that. I did want to talk about the um the um the SBA conference that I went to, the law conference. I just want to talk touch on it just a little bit. It was super informative and
102I know that um Miss Collins um I think you joined online, right? That's correct. Um it it was eyeopening to me. Um just a couple of things that um I learned um is the difference between um some of the executive orders and what they call the fourth circuit case law um and how they kind of differ and sometimes they're alike and how language is is interpreted differently. Um there's stuff there's a lot of stuff happening. Um, I'll give you just, you know, like, you know, one example of something that I thought was interesting. Um, a a law by 2027, um, foods in the US is going to impact our food services won't um cannot have certain dyes in it. Um, and so those are things that you have to think about when you're thinking about
103food service, you know, and our our providing that for our students and what stuff will cost and, you know, and that type of thing. And just, you know, information technology, there's changes there. Teacher training, there's there's all kinds of um there's all kinds of changes in coming our way. And as I stated earlier, you know, I this year is tough, but I feel sure that it's going to get even tougher as we as some of the challenges and barriers that I think are going to hamstring us a little bit are coming forth. And we're not, you know, no one has a crystal ball. We don't know what, you know, what will be in the end, but there's some pretty interesting thing, you know, things on the table um that will impact our students and their
104families. um ADA um all kinds of things. Um it's just interesting how you can have, you know, um federal government, state government, case law, all have different points of view of how to interpret a law. And and I think that goes, you know, that'll play out a little bit when we talk about other things, too. how, you know, their rules seem clear upfront, you know, at face value, but then you can interpret them so differently. Um, and so it was it was very very interesting. And I did have a chance to speak with some of the folks that are on the committee with me, the subcommittee with me, um, while I was there for students in, um, schools in challenging environments. And we're working on, um, just peer-topeer connections. How can we help other schools?
105um because we've done some amazing things in our CTE programs and within our division under Dr. White's guidance and our leadership um or our guidance and her leadership and just sharing that information with my peers and and gathering what they've done too to bring it back to you all. So, it was all worth, you know, the day trip to go to um to Richmond to to attend. And I I encourage um anyone who wants the material, I have it if you want to see some of the um things that we talked about. Wonderful. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for spending the time doing that. I know it it's always hard to find the time, but but it's important for us to stay a breast of what's changing in in the fields. Good. Um
106anything from special education that maybe we've already Yeah, I think we've had it this evening. Um, looking through, we've got a policy, governance, and legislative priorities committee report. Yes. Very good. Okay. Um, the superintendent's policy, governance, and legislative PGL committee is scheduled to meet June 16th, 2025 to review and consider policy recommendations from the Virginia School Board Association's summer policy update based primarily on legisl legislation from the 2025 General Assembly. In addition to local policies due for 5-year review, the committee's recommendations are expected to be presented to the boards for first review at the June 24 board work workshop and for consideration for adoption at the July 8th, 2025 meeting. The PGL committee will receive updates regarding the current community feedback system software application ethics point by Navix and the board's current legislative consultant advantages.
107Thank you. All right. Any other uh reports? I'm looking through. I have a quick gov school RBGS report. Um, basically I was unable to attend the last meeting, but we did uh pass a budget for 2024 2025. Um, the budget has been adjusted. There will be 273 students budgeted for next year. Um, and tuition was set at $4,715 per student. Um, the I have continued, this is my first year on the RBGS committee. I continue to be impressed at the way they are running and their ideas both um administratively and educationally for their students. Um they are investing in this is not on my notes but they have some of the coolest stuff in that building. I don't do science but it I just want to touch it. It's really I mean it's amazing. We've
108had amazing support from the community. It's stuff that they've gotten donated. It's really remarkable. Uh it's worth calling over there and seeing if you can take a look. The students the students are very impressive. Um and so so they deserve Mr. Levy and his work with RVGS and the committee that supports it really deserve um the call out for that for that. Um they are hiring they will have two new uh staff members next year. They uh in chemistry and physics. So they will be adding new folks to their team next year. Um RVGS has had a tough year I think uh personally uh so it is it's good that they are closing strong and with um some new things on the future. Uh so they had a very successful senior dinner at Hotel Ronok
109on May 12th. Um and Mr. Levy has been named chair of the Virginia Advisory Committee for Advanced Learning. Um so he'll be the representative of Governor Schools across the state. Uh Dr. White, anything you would add? I know I I was delinquent that you were there. Oh, no, no, it's a it's a very tightlyk knit team and just hats off to um Mr. Levy and his team and um and I know that they've suffered some losses this year and so um but they have pulled through and um joined joined forces and I just the students are remarkable and they always do a fantastic job is a it is a valuable addition to our student offerings. So, are there any other reports from any committees this evening? All right. So, let's Oh, good. Yes, let's do
110that. Definitely would like to thank both high schools for sending over some great candidates for our new student representatives as we interview them. We had some bright young candidates that did extremely well. um from Patrick Henry. We will have John Lopez Ortiz. He was phenomenal in his interview. And we have Stephen Wade from William Fleming who was also just as phenomenal and literally leaving out of track practice to make his interview. They did extremely well. We're looking very forward to having them. And um they'll start in our August August meeting September. September. They're August. They're starting. We're not, but we were looking forward to them starting in September. And you all will see them up here. And there are two bright young men, and I'm very excited to be a part of it. Very good.
111Thank you. All right, let's uh we do have some ongoing business this evening. So, we'll I think at this point I'll turn it over to you, Dr. White. We'd like to have a conversation about the bonus conversation. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Jamson. And before I begin, I do want to say thank you again to everyone um everyone who shared questions and comments, concerns about the state bonus. So, thank you for that. But I know many of you are here tonight or perhaps um tuning in virtually because you care deeply uh about these issues. And so your voices matter and I just want you to know that you are heard. So thank you again. So let me start by saying um and at a place where I I typically uh start and finish
112and that is our people matter, right? We need people for our PE and so we are in a people business, right? We're not in a in a robot business. We're in a people business and so our schools cannot function without staff. If you remember during COVID, I talked about if we don't have staff, we don't have school. And so, it's important to all of us that we treat our people right. And so, um, every single staff member, uh, plays a critical role in making sure that our students receive the best education that they deserve. And so, I'm going to tell you what you already know, but I think it is a good reminder for all of us of the various staff members that we're talking about. you know, our custodians, for instance, keep our building
113safe and clean and welcoming. And um our administrative assistants are often the first faces that our families see and are on the front lines. And our counselors, our social workers, our psychologists support our students, psychological and emotional well-being. And our student support specialists help our students show up on uh to school on time. And our principles, assistant principles lead the way. And they manage and lead all of it. And of course our teachers bring uh their classrooms to life. And so every single day and and we would not have an effective educational program otherwise. And so I just want to take a moment just to thank every single staff member. Would you help me join me in thanking our when when we do say we are one again it's not just a slogan. That's not
114just a tagline. That's how we feel and that's how we operate and this is what we mean. It takes all of us, everybody working together every day to move the needle on student performance and to take care of of our students. So, we are grateful to the general assembly um and to the governor for including fund um funding in the state budget for bonus uh which the legislation says that school divisions have flexibility to use to promote retention. Uh so we believe that in showing appreciation and we believe in showing that appreciation in real tangible ways. Um but tonight we do want to take a moment just to provide some context and uh to this situation. So the state presented uh this as a $1,000 teacher bonus, but this is based on $1,000 per funded
115instructional and support standards of quality or SOQ positions. So these are the positions that the state requires school divisions to fund based on minimum staffing formulas roles like teachers, librarians, media specialists, school counselors, principles, and assistant principles. Um, but we employ far more than the minimum number of SOQ positions, particularly in a larger urban school division like ours. Um, so you'll hear more in a minute and I'll ask Mrs. Jackson um to to talk about this a little bit more. Again, I think context matters and the why matters. Um, so it's important for us just to spend some time here. So, um, this, uh, you'll hear again about this in a minute, but, um, this would require us to kind of pick and choose even among teachers who receives the bonus if we only went
116by the SOQ, right? Even among teachers. So, beyond that, um, we have additional positions that are not SOQ funded at all. So, for instance, our targeted uh school improvement mentors uh were originally funded through a grant and we made the intentional decision to continue supporting them um and supporting our schools with local funds last year because their work is critical to our schools, right? Critical and and we know that um we appreciate their work. So, they're not required by the state. Um, but we knew that we couldn't afford to lose our targeted school improvement mentors. And so that's the difference between just doing what is required and doing what is right. And so when we talk about doing what is right, that includes doing everything that we can to provide a bonus to all of
117our staff members, not just picking and choosing based on the state formula. That's the way that we have um done it in the past. And that's what the the proposal is moving forward. So when we talk about a divisionwide bonus in keeping with past practice, I do want to clarify that we we are not we do not and have not talked about including executive directors or assistant superintendent or chiefs or even me, right? Um so the divisionwide bonuses, uh the past bonuses and the ones that we're talking about right now do not include those positions. Um, so over the past five years, we have uh taken meaningful steps to support and retain our teachers and staff because, and I think someone mentioned it here tonight, retention is not just salary, not just bonuses. Those things
118are important, but support um requires us to have a comprehensive approach. And I just want to just share that those things are important uh are equally important as well. And I want to bring that back. um up tonight as a reminder for all of us that creating for instance a professional learning department and having professional learning offerings and providing those connections are important. So I just want to take some time to thank the board for supporting these efforts as well. Um launching mentoring programs for new educators and for new administrators. Um we've responded to direct staff feedback. If you'll keep in mind that we uh brought the proposal forward last year so that we could employ lunch aids so that teachers would have the benefit of duty-free lunch that they deserve, right? So again, support
119and help has to feel like help. And so putting in place those kinds of things. Uh we provided a raise every single year uh in in our budget proposals. And I want to thank you for passing this past budget uh so that because there's another raise in in this year's budget again. And uh remember just a few years ago we included a uh 14% raise um for our our employees as well. So we've also issued locally funded bonuses where um when we had the capacity to do so. So I know that by now everyone knows that um this year is a little different. We've talked about that a little bit more that this is a tight budget year. Uh, as you've already heard, we've we're receiving the same amount of funding from the city as
120we did last year and f federal funding we know can be somewhat uncertain at this time, right? And so, at the same time, our needs are growing. So, we must align our student resources with the state's revised standards. um we must add 40 uh English learner uh teacher resource uh teaching positions as part of the new SOQ. Right? And so again, I'm telling you what you already know, but I think context matters. Um and we are still going to provide uh the raises that we've talked about for staff next year. Um because we know that real support is not just a one-time thing. It's about long a long-term investment. But given all of these factors, um, we are not certain at this point that we'll be able to match the state's bonus funding to provide
121a thousand dollars to every employee. And that's what I'd like for us to spend some time talking about tonight. This is where I want to again lift up our finance team um because they are thoughtful and careful because one thing is for sure again it's not as easy as just taking um because that you know again this proposal has to be fair but it also has to be sustainable. Running in the red is not an option um for Rick City Public Schools. We have been good fiscal stewards. We have been able to manage our money very well and it would be easy for us to just say take the state's uh funding and for us to say okay you get a thousand you get a thousand you get a thousand you get a thousand but
122would that be responsible what we have to do as responsible um leaders we do have to take a measured approach to make sure that it is sustainable and that's how we've been able to manage so well thus far and again it might end up being that way, but we do have to be thoughtful and careful. And so um again, especially because we are the largest school division in Southwest um Virginia and we have greater complexities. We do have more employees, right? And so we are kind of a unicorn in that sense that we are not like our neighbors. Um and that we do have other complexities that we have to consider and again the context matters. So, um we as we are considering a thoughtful approach, uh we do have to continue to consider the
123needs, our sustainability, um the fairness, and the long-term impact. And with the state providing this funding on June 1st, that's when we got the dispersement. Correct, Mrs. Jackson? Right. So, we knew that with the dispersement coming to us on June 1st, we have a lot of checks to disperse. So again, to to turn around to June 15th would have been nearly impossible in a in a in a large school division, which is why we're having this discussion now. So I wanted to take a moment just to kind of share some of the context because I think context matters. Um that's gone into where we are now. And so Mrs. Jackson, I'll have you take it from here to provide even greater context. and then I would ask the board to let's just talk about it
124a bit and have some discussion about this so that we can find our way forward. Sure. Thank you. Um yeah, if we could have just a few slides if we could pull those up. Thanks. Um just having a vis oh there we go. Okay. Um having a visual sometimes helps. So um as Dr. White said this just um for your reference if you need to refer back to it kind of a a um portion of the the budget bill um that that does talk about the average thousand bonus per SOQ um how it's calculated for school divisions and um intended to be used to maximize the funds to promote retention. Um, additionally, I have some information on here that we received from the Virginia Department of Education, uh, chief operating officer giving us some more
125clarity on on and direction as as school business officials, um, what was intended. Um, and so, so that gave us some additional guidance that, you know, have to use fund for bonus. Um, we can determine the timing. Um we are permitted it is allowable to um to issue the bonus in early fiscal 26 um based on you know the challenges and constraints of timing uh to get that done before employees final paycheck um which for 10-month employees is the June 15th. Um so that's just some of the again as Dr. White said the context of um the information that we have received and been using. So um Dr. Dr. White kind of addressed this, but I just wanted to say a few more about kind of what does an average thousand bonus per SOQ funded
126position mean? Um, as Dr. White said, um, we do not get state funding for all of the positions that are needed to truly have quality education. Um, so they just use that number of here's the SOQ positions that we we do identify and fund partially uh, and multiply that by a thousand to decide here's how much money you're going to get each for each school division. Um so just a couple of examples as as Dr. White mentioned um just to put that in context it's it's not as straightforward as you know that only mean that means all teachers but it doesn't mean instructional aids or anything like that. Um for example we have 27 kindergarten aids uh currently 11 we get partial funding from the state for 11. So, you know, if we were if
127we were just to say we're only going to we're only going to move forward with uh standards of quality positions, we'd have to determine which of those 11 kindergarten are SOQ positions and which 16, sorry, aren't getting any bonus. Um, we have 44 assistant principles divisionwide. We only get partial state funding for eight and a half of those. Um, so there again, that would be about 35 and a half people who would be left out. um out of 15 elementary music teachers, um we only received partial state funding through the standards of quality for seven. So that would we'd have to kind of decide um you know which eight were going to be out of luck. So of course we don't want to do that. Um you know all of those those people and the
128many many more work very hard in our schools and for our students. Um so so that's why when we do have these opportunities um for bonuses, we want to look at all of our employees with the exception of um executive directors and above um and make sure that uh regardless of their position that those folks would get a bonus. So um as you've heard um have some some challenges financially going forward into the next year. So that is the reason that we've been looking at just the allocation that we have been told we will we well we have gotten at this point um from the state. It's just over $1.45 million. So, um, based on, you know, account of our our staffing as it is right now, that would amount to, unfortunately, only about a
129$555, um, uh, bonus for full-time employees. And typically in the past, we've done we've done 50% of whatever the bonus is for for part-time employees. Um, as you see there. and um how we kind of landed on our thinking of of looking at this in the fall partially timing um you know as we said the June 15th is the final paycheck for 10-month employees it's actually June 13th it's Friday because the 15th is a weekend so that shortens our payroll time all the more um we have a three-person payroll team with and one one part-time person so I'm just trying to think through the logistics of making sure we have everybody included ED um and that kind of thing did not seem feasible um given that we just received the funds um by June 1.
130So so that's kind of why and and because the language was in there about making sure that this is used for retention, we thought, okay, well maybe the fall would be the time, you know, to really um acknowledge and reward that retention. If folks come back, um they would receive the bonus. So that's kind of how we landed on that um as our proposal. Um, I know there's been a lot of conversation about and some school divisions have been able to um add to the state funding to try to get up to that thousand dollars um for employees. That would cost almost 1.17 million additional dollars in local funds. If we were to try to do that, which um as we've discussed for the current year and next year um is not necessarily something that
131is in the cards for us at this point, unfortunately. So, but that is the the kind of the proposal that we've been looking at and working towards, but certainly welcome your discussion and recommendations um for how we move forward. Very good. Thank you, Miss Jackson. Thank you, Dr. Roy. Thank you. Um so, comments, questions, thoughts from the school board as that's uh it's our turn. Hey, up there. Yeah. Thank you. Do you want to start down there this time? You want it? Um, no. Start down there. We always start my end. I don't care. So, um, my only concern is when I think about situations like this, I think about how would I feel if I was in that shoes, right? um being a former teacher, former educator, even in my position now where I
132work, if I am heavily excited about a bonus and I know it's going to be this time every year, I'm going to want the bonus, right? Um nine times out of 10, it depends on what you do. you may have already allocated where you might want those funds to even go to, whether it's tires for your car to even get to work. Um whether it's putting your child in camp for the summer or even the fact of we did kind of change some things with summer school, so I might not got a chosen to even work summer school. So when I think of those things, it's almost saying I don't know if I can wait till September, you know. Um, [Applause] so I have a thought process in mind and heart just thinking of what
133would I do, how would I feel? Um, I can tell you I look forward to when we get our annual bonuses every year. I can tell you that the check is going to come on. You know, those are the things even if I am financially stable in a sense, it's something extra. It's something I can do extra. It's something that I could maybe do for my kids or a family member that might need something. So, my thoughts are if we're able to do what we can and if we're able maybe we can't get it June 15th, but maybe we can get it June 30th or something like that. So, [Applause] so it's it's really a I don't know. I I I think we need to think about it and we need to see what we
134can do because one of the things this has been a very tough year and I just feel like the last thing I want to see is we're having a hard time in every area and we don't need to have a hard time with our educators. [Applause] Thank you. Uh thank you Mr. J. I have um more questions than comments about this. Um because I do like you I understand and I have been in a situation where I was dependent I have been in a situation where I was dependent on um a bonus or um at some extra or second job, third job even right in my lifetime. Um how first question how fast can we pay out whatever we're going to pay out? Um we could we could manage to do a special batch for
135June 30. Okay. And then the next um and that would be my recommendation personally. Um, and then so when you were going through um our financial outlook for the remainder of the year, and I know we were only up to April, but you noted that um if things shook out or if we were to end the year in April with what we have, you know, what we know right now, we were in a position to put um we could be in a position to put 4.4 to the return 4.4 4 million to the fund balance. But I also heard you say that we are obligated to spend a little over $3 million for books. That only leaves us maybe a million, maybe a little bit more. So then the question becomes and then then I
136heard then I see on the screen that's 1.7 um million to to to match and bring us up to the $1,000 bonus right for the for the for retention. Um my question in stating all of that is how much can we spare? I don't think that we can get to the thousand person I mean the thousand dollars for each um employee personally because I think that puts us too close to the line. It maybe like zeros us out and we can't operate in the red. We cannot operate in the red. But if my my personal recommendation is for us to think about what can we spare to bring it up just a little bit. Um um and I don't know what that looks like. I'm just asking that we take a look at what is
137what is available that we feel like might be able to squeeze this out. And I know the trick will be is that things won't be closed out by the end of June for us to be able to truly say what can we squeeze out, right? So I know that's tricky, but if there is anything that we can project, you know, that gives us some level of confidence that there's something that we can we can speak out. Let's let's consider that. And then unpopular. What I'm going to say next is unpopular. It's going to be unpopular, but it is necessary. The way I interpret this, and I and I've been thinking about this since the law conference, and I said something to it sort of earlier, but I'm going to bring it on home is that,
138you know, we can interpret things a lot of different ways. My interpretation of what I've seen and heard and way it's been explained to me is that this is a retention bonus. We can't we have to take care of the folks that are coming back. I I love our retirees and I thank them for their dedicated service to us but this is retaining this is a retention effort. So, it would be those folks that are coming back and if they've signed their contracts and they have assured us that they're coming back, then I think we handshake them with the bus. And I'm going to go ahead and piggy ride Joyce on what she just said. Um my problem from the beginning with this was um again no disrespect and I know it's not going to
139be viewed nicely but our main concern is to retain the teachers that we have. Um the statistics say that our youngest teachers are the ones that we lose more rapidly because they get tired quickly. um like Joyce and I want to say maybe even um Dr. Jameson, this is a retention bonus. Do not get me wrong. We all have have had amazing teachers, amazing colleagues that have mentored us and we appreciate you all the retirees. It's not that we're not thinking about it, but we have to move forward and this is a year that we are typed. We cannot we just cannot afford it to do it for the retirees and our incoming teachers. Not the incoming incoming. Not the incoming. Yeah. But yes, sorry. Returning. Sorry. The returning. Yes. Um so I appreciate the
140comments from all my colleagues thus far. Um my qu and I strongly agree with um the idea of when we are good fiscal stewards of the year. Every year that I've been on the board, we've been able to at the end of the year, we've actually spent less than was, you know, we we've spent less than came in and we've been able to put it into our rainy day fund. And this year is looking the same, even with having to pay for textbooks that was not originally accounted for. So, I I also am in favor of using every dollar that we had budgeted this year towards um helping to um balance this out. And and this was a question that I know many board members had had is what what would it cost us because
141it would cost us a check. Um what would it cost us to get $1,000 per staff member? Um, so procedurally now, I know we just had an special board meeting in um in at the end of May because we had to uh technically move a category or whatnot. If we only spent the $555 per person, we wouldn't need to do anything because that came from the state. No vote would be required for that, I presume. Right. But if we want to try to use these funds and move them, what do what vote do we need? because we're not voting tonight on this, but we might have to move monies to a different category. And so, logistically, legally, what do what would need to happen because that's going to affect any sort of timelines for staff,
142right? So, um if you want to move forward with the current fiscal year, um we would have to look at, you know, really how does it break down, um by category and just make sure that our budget are in the right buckets um to incorporate that additional expense. So, um, we can certainly take a look at that. Um, I would say I I don't feel that I could give you a number of what we could add between now and June 30 because there there's so much unknown and we're so close already on the budget. Um, so I feel like if there is a desire on the part of the board to try to add to um the bonus that that would have to be sort of a part two um to look at once we
143know closer to you know once after June 30 we kind of know okay really where are we um and then we could look at whether we could request using a portion of any any that might be left over um in two parts. So a second. So a part one, part two kind of like a like a bonus installment number one and then a bonus just the state funds. Um we could we could handle that by June 30 because we've got that money. We know how much it is. Um employees would get part one and then they would get part two. I'm sorry. Part one by June 30 if if that's the will of the board. And then part two at sometime into the fall of next year once we have sort of final closeout information
144on the current year and know our process for our ability to use that those funds next year. That would be the 555. Yes. By June 30th. And then knowing that we have more we'd be able to push more to get the thousand but it wouldn't be to the fall. Correct. And that is hoping that we have more. So the second part is up in the air. The I mean I I would want to throw this out. I mean part of the reason just to echo what you've already said is that September 30 was the original date because it maximizes the amount we knew we could give. Right. Right. Correct. That that that's the reality check financially. Right. But I I I'm not I'm not swaying my I'm not saying that that's what I support. But
145I do understand the logic of where that came from, right? Because by then the books are closed and we know if they're this is normally most years this would not be such a difficult conversation. Um this year it's a it's a very tight one. So did you have another question? I didn't mean to jump in. Um, no, it was just to clarify procedurally because uh I would just add in a comment that my um impression is that the board is in favor of trying to get the bonuses um into staff hands in as timely a fashion as possible. So um that is something that we have heard and is you know you would is it that's my understanding is the intention of the board but logistically how what does that look like? I think that
146it's important for us on the board to to to really state our intentions, right? I mean, Franny, if you have a different view or the same view, please state it. Like, I feel like folks are sitting in this room wanting to know how we feel about this. Oh, I wanted to make us as whole as possible using every bit of 2425 um monies as are available to get this as close to $1,000 for each if that wasn't clear. Let me ask one more. I'm sorry. Go ahead. No, go ahead. So, say if we can't get to the whole thousand, then we may get to 800. What if that extra 200 is available by September 30th? Could we still do that second portion, but is get them as much as they can get now, June 30th?
147Yeah. I and I I feel like we should be able to move forward with the state funded portion, right, sooner rather than later. But yes, it would be sometime in the fall that we could come back to this topic and see, okay, how's it looking? Uh, you know, do we have funds that are available that we could add to it. It even if I mean I I'm not saying at all that we can't get it to what would make it a full thousand, forget it. We're not doing it. Just, you know, if at that point certainly if it's like, well, we can get it up to Yeah. you know, add another $200 or $300 to that. If the board is is in favor of that, we could certainly entertain that at that point. Well, I'm
148definitely in favor of doing as much as we can. If I didn't completely make that clear, I'm in favor of that. Okay. Thank you. Are there um I I think we know what you support. I got it. We got it. We got is there uh I that those amounts when the 555 and the 247 this yes those are those pre-tax dollars not post tax dollars pre-tax and yeah that that's always I I'm always excited about bonus until I see the taxes right and then I'm like um so I that's one thing I wanted to ask But but also um do we know would there be any different tax implications if it was a two-part bonus? Because if is there any difference? I hadn't thought about that before. I mean, I know we started talking about
149this yesterday. If we give a lump sum now, that's going to get taxes out. Is there any other kind of tax implication to our employees if we do it again? I don't know the answer to that. um it does fall within the same tax year. So I my thought would be probably not, but I can certainly look into that because I I don't I mean that feels kind of I mean we don't we don't want to be find ourselves doing a negative thing when we're trying to do a good good thing, right? I mean and taxes are those I don't know why there would be an implication either, but that is always this weird bucket effect, right? I mean, I I it seems worthwhile. And if that's the case, then the question becomes really to
150all of our staff and our teachers and our folks, would you rather have more money later if there's a tax implication, or would you rather have the money right now? Right? I mean I mean I I I get I get it, but I mean I think what you're hearing from the board is that we support trying to make it, you know, it I would not support and I don't hear you saying this would even be feasible. I do not support trying to get an estimate of how much money we could spend right now. I would I would vote no to that. I mean I I because this this year doesn't this year does the only reason this conversation right this second about the about money even exists um is because it's appropriated money we already
151may have after we've bought all the other things and the priorities are made. So I would not I would not support that. I do support putting it in the hands of our of our of our staff faculty team. um as soon as it is fiscally possible understanding the complexities that that we face for those who have signed a contract. Yeah. Um who who are returning? Yeah, I I was going to clarify that. I had not stated that part. Yes. My I would also want it for um people who have signed their contracts and I and I and I take that position again um as I spend a lot more time just thinking a lot about retirement. Um it I take that position mainly because it's how we've done it before. We have I remember during
152COVID doing retention bonuses and this is how we have done it before. This is not this is this is not inconsistent. Um, so I mean I think what I'm hearing the board say is that we would be interested in um distributing the state funding as soon as we can provided there's no unforeseen weird tax implications to our employees if we do it twice. And if there is then we need to have another conversation. I mean there's a lot of nods in this room that say give me the money now. I I see you. I I'm not I hear you. Uh but but you know, if we could get you to $800 or $900, I mean, it's just worth having the answer to that question, you know. Um and of course, we do we I I
153think that it's important for folks to know that we have two other board members who are not here, but we have been talking about this. You know, we have been thinking being very considerate of kind of, you know, talking about this with our um board members and so we don't want to speak for them while they're not here, but this is how we, you know, who are there's a sensibility. There's Right. Yeah. Well, and I would like to also thank Dr. White who ensured that we were going to have this conversation tonight. I mean, we are not the only ones who thought and uh Miss Jackson, thank you for preparing this for us tonight so we could have the conversation. Uh everybody here recognizes the importance of it of this issue. Uh so it is
154we appreciate that you're here. We appreciate that you're speaking up. We do appreciate your enthusiasm. um all of all of those things and and I appreci you know and we we understand the urgency. Yeah. We don't we do understand the urgency. Yeah. We don't we don't take it lightly. We do not take it lightly. Um personally, I'm a single mother. I get it. I completely get it. Unfortunately, we are in charge of the entire school system. Um, but I hope you guys feel that we really consider you our priority. So, and I and as you said, I mean, we have tried perhaps imperfectly at time to be consistent about that. Yeah. We don't reach children except through you. I'd like to also add I love the fact that no one's being left out. It's all
155about keeping our staff. You are the frontliners of taking care of our children. Um, having children in the school system and having the right people in front of them matters to me. I recognize a few faces and I know some of you all have run across my children and I appreciate you and what you do does not go unnoticed. So, it is important that we are not leaving anyone out because that would be too much of a harder choice. But just we can get where we can get to you as soon as we can get to you. I know Miss Jackson is going to do her best job cuz she has been work this year. So that does not go unnoticed and she has a tough job along with her staff. So thank you Miss
156Jackson and Dr. White because you all are making sure you trying to include everyone that we are retaining that's coming back. Well, now I'm a hypocrite because I like the applause. If I could just kind of summarize and make sure I know my marching orders. So, um I will go back and begin the process of, you know, what would this look like to use the state money to do bonuses by June 30th. Um, if we will research the tax implications, if we find out there's something weird, um, we will pause and communicate with the school board at that time. Um also if there's any budgetary change that would be required of paying this before June 30 in terms of categorical um at that point we may need to come back to the work session and
157make that a special meeting and ask you um to to take action to make sure that we're on the up and up before we would make that payment. But we'll start the movement in this direction even prior now. Right. So, which we would have to do honestly if we're if we're aiming for June 30, right? For session too late for us to start processing that payroll. Well, we're finishing up. We could have this the next meeting the work session turned to a special meeting. I think um and then ask the board for your approval on on the on what Mrs. Jackson needed. then that way we could still make that June 30th grant date. So, so that will be our plan and certainly we'll communicate if there are things that we become aware of that
158we didn't anticipate that might take require additional action and and make and require a delay there, but we'll aim for June 30. Thank you, Mrs. Jackson. On top of everything else, thank you. You know, this is taxing for your team, too. They're only human as well and we're asking them to do, you know, some incredibly quick work. Um, so thank them for Yeah. And HR, too. It's not just And HR. Yes. This is Thank you. All right. Thank you teachers. Yes. Thank Thank you all for being here. We do appreciate you. It's always nice to have you here. Even when I'm a little afraid of you. I know. I'm teasing. I'm teasing. I'm teasing. I I am teasing teasing you. Yes. And thank you for being here since you guys. Um uh future business. That's
159I think that's what we're at. We have some upcoming events. All the Oh, very happy that we have an investature for Mrs. Epel and Mrs. Watkins on June 18th. Our returning board members, we are thrilled about that. Our next board workshop on June 24th, as we just mentioned, will become a special meeting. So, it will be livereamed on our YouTube channel. Uh, on July 1st, the school board is having a mini retreat. It's simply a uh it's it is a public meeting. It we're just talking about leadership for the new year. So, it's just short meeting where we're going to be uh doing some family business around around the coming year. Um, we have an exciting ribbon come cutting and then it'll be a minute I think until Preston Park, but July 25th ribbon cutting
160for the community and engagement center uh is uh is is coming. So that's exciting. August 1st through 3rd is load the bus. August 14th is convocation at 9:00 a.m. and August 16th is the back to school extravaganza. Um, so we are uh so I know and in the middle of all that everybody's expected to have a fabulous summer and uh the board. Yes. Is and load the bus were is that like a tentative or that's that's a tentative. Okay. August 1 through three. All right. Very good. Um so the board has asked to set its July regular meeting. Um, as you all may or may not know, every year we have to revote to authorize our meetings for the coming year. At the July meeting, we will vote for all of that year's meetings. But
161until that time, we need to uh set its regular July meeting. The meeting will take place on July 8th, 2025 at 6:30 at William B. Robertson Administration Building right here at 2011 Campbell. Um, is there a motion and a second to approve the July regular meeting for Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. at the William B. Robertson Building? So, move. Second. Moved by Miss Trigg. Second by Miss Watkins. Did I do it backwards? Backwards. Okay. Yeah. We're the same. No. Is there any discussion? All those in favor? I All right. And again wishing thank you everybody for a wonderful school year with so many people here this year. Thank you again for all of your hard work. We appreciate it. And with that hearing no further business we are adjourned.