001um call here. Mr. Anderson [Music] here 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. skip over the safety briefing. We do have a proposed agenda as presented. I entertain a motion to approve. Second. Mr. Anderson. Yes. Anderson. Yes. Yes. Um, first on board discussion is just a brief item before we move into the five fiveear forecast to recognize the passage of the PI levy. We're all grateful for the community's choice to pass the levy. It's very crucial le to ensure the can continue to be good stewards building and more importantly students will have a safe drive well community for that. as we move into the fiveyear forecast, determine the right amount operating. We'll be talking
002a little bit later too about how to continue to engage the community in dialogue and find out a way to better listen. But I just wanted to stop for a moment. No, thank you. Agreed. It was a a nice effort on a lot a lot of people's parts, lot of volunteers for the community to come out and show their help set us up for kind of the next the next grful. that conversation which moves us into item number four in the treasury forecast. Yes, I make a comment, but you know the PI level financial health indicators report and it's interesting our two our yellow and red indicator all the age of our buildings. It's like it's crazy in the real in in the private sector that balance sheets important assets liabilities in and the public
003sector it's not the same you know you don't we're not continually invest so let's uh jump into this and you guys have heard this before but I think it's important to reiterate why we do the fiveear forecast besides being um required by law do it twice a year most important part of that is engage conversation right that this is a basis for talking about our long-term planning financial discussions Chris this is also for 412 certificate when we sign contracts I have a sign off that we have the money to pay out the contract and the basis for that is the five forecast and then the department of education and um the state uses the forecast to determine um districts at who are at risk and and in terms of fiscal watch and all that kind
004of stuff. So it has multi- layers um respon most important one I think the first one probably the most useful and again remind everyone is snapshot as of today and it's based on some assumptions spent a lot of time and we'll talk about our state on banning basis and for me it's a work in progress I probably my every week doing something, tweaking with it, playing with it, seeing what's going on, make, you know, changing assumptions and see what happens and there's a bunch of resources out there. Um, every district forecast, the public record, it's all available. Um, but I thought I'd start with, um, and this is something that Susan and Chris both mentioned is because of the way the fire forecast works, it's always a moving target. So, you know, we talk about
005our $6 million production, it's hard to see in into the forecast itself because it's changed, right? So, so what's that anchor for? And so, what I thought I'd do is just um go back and and kind of show you how it's evolved over the last two forecast. So, so this is um there revenue first. So to look at this, so these are the fiscal years on the forecast. And if I said fiscal year 29, you would see there's two years because the the May last year's forecast would stop in 28. Um, and you can see, you know, a little bit of variation for forecast for revenue, but it's it's not it's not a huge, you know, year to year. We'll talk about that. The biggest drop is from 25 to 26 and there'll be a
006little left because of the um because of the lev but the important I think for this discussion is on the expense side. So the big blue bar that was last May's forecast on our expenses was before the November levy or reduction plan. So you can you can see what we were forecasting. The was November. So orange was okay, the levy was rejected. We built in, you know, our sorry our reduction plan. And then the green is the forecast I'm going to show you today. And and actually if you look at you look at FY26, that's next school year. We our May forecast had our expenses at being about 85 little over 85 million and November forecast had down slightly over 77. Okay. And then a little bit less than that. So you're seeing about an
007$8 million expens. All right. So that's part of it's I'll get into the reasons why that here in a minute. It's part of the reduction plan. It's also some other things that have happened adjacent to the reduction reduction. So when some we can't see the six million in there look at the the anchor point which is the May 25 that was our basis for the reductions right so it's and each year and talk about even if there was no reductions we see increases just because of inflationary and of course obviously we still see inflationary increases it's just that lower baseline hope that makes sense so let me start here with November forecast again remember so May is an update of November forecast and I always start like start at the bottom line you know where
008were where are we so in November um we started last year this year about $25 million our cash balance I forecast we end up at 22 and at the end of the forecast period we'd be a deficit $35 million obviously that can't happen legally can't happen so we know But that we would be out of money in FY27. So this is this and when we forecast it's through 41, right? So So we look at May again, we look at the same numbers. We're going to end the year about 24 million. So about $2 million better than expected. And there's some good reasons for that. And many of them are because of cost reductions already happened. Um and so that trickles through. And then you'll also notice that in FY27, we end up almost $10 million,
009which is 45 days true cash, which is still not comfortable for me, but it's better than 338,000. And we'll get into the reasons, but it's not because of one reason, but there's a number of reasons. So, we're actually the levy discussion is going to be a little bit trickier in some ways because you have more options, right? because lower mountains you could do you know we'll talk about this a little bit you could delay a year now again if you want to you want to that's another story but if we right now look pretty good but I will also say about my forecast right now be completely transparent back to last board meeting assumptions I would say I was being cautiously optimistic with this forecast as of today I say I might be overly optimistic
010and I will shape that is you know Tom and the Wood County Superintendent Senator Gab on Friday Monday county treasur met with representative Williams and and former senator Gardner and I walked away feeling um things are not are not going to go our way and so I'll talk about that here a little bit of things happening that at this point looks pretty good, but I think there's going to be some stuff that happens um that's going to shape our numbers. So, I would if I was a betting person, I'll be back in front of you in June to have you approve a new forecast. I know I put them now and it's going to change. I no doubt it's going to change sign, you know, obviously materially. They always change, but it's not material. I
011don't bring it back by the board, but um Representative Williams is, you know, House leadership meeting is very clear their priorities are property taxes and reduce income tax and the state doesn't have money to fund public schools. They want to fund vouchers. They don't want to fun public schools. He said so many words. He is he's attached to um speaker Huffman's hip and I believe that's where that's where we're head to the lawsuit about that. Well, obviously there's going to be a lot of challenges how long it's going to take for that to play out. We'll see because some of the things that are unconstitutional and then you got to you do have folks out there the property tax um constitutional amendment to eliminate all property taxes in the state of Ohio that's not going
012to happen this year but so anyway all that good news we start from where we are today. So, let me start with revenues and um Chris, you'll find out I don't take I take what I do here pretty seriously, but I don't take I don't take uh myself too seriously. So, um we're exploring other coin collection in my car, I guess. So, let's start with um and I go when the lines put line by line. Please slow me down if there's something you want to spend more time on. This is the most important line in terms of um in terms of risk in terms of revenue and that's our general property tax. We've already talked about um I've got a one less than 10% non update year valuation and 2026 12%. I asked talked to
013Matt Hri on Monday and see if he was okay with that 12%. I think that's um new construction trend in class two and here's the big question is 20 mil floor what's going to happen with 20 mil because you notice in fiscal year 27 28 29 you see some slight increases in property tax revenue and that's because the 04 and 26 update here we would see a valuation increase and we see a little bit of revenue. Okay. the pressures right now in the House and the Senate is to limit those increases or in some cases at all. So, any questions on that and I'm going to come back to this at the end because there's Senate Bill 66 which is probably the most extreme of these. I want to show you what that impact is.
014In fact, it doesn't even flatline goes the other way. We lose property tax revenue. Most of the like with repres he has a house bill 186 that would limit growth inflation something we don't lose anything like bill 66 we actually lose millions of property taxers already voted on so that um okay I'll put it in here. Sorry. So, how the impact of House Bill 56 um so in top of what I have forecast Senate Bill 66 happens. Look at the difference. Look at um fiscal year 27. That's a million dollar less almost $2 million less 28 and $2 million less 29. House Senate Bill 66 eliminate our local property tax by$5 million million rounds. Yes, exactly. We'd actually be losing even though it's all been voted and what what Senate Bill 66 has said we're
015putting all your levies all your operating levies and your income tax equivalent into the same thing and say you're It's not 20 mill. It's in our case our fixed sum levy plus our income tax levy at our new floor. So as our income tax revenue goes up that puts the effective mill of that goes up. So it's going to actually reduce the impact of our income tax. So Senate Bill 66 the most part of this this point. This is the one I'm watching the most. So as you can see like I said flat is one thing but taking away revenue um second line is handle personal property tax company here we're seeing depreciation I expect that we don't expect any pipeline construction even how they're going to evaluate that you know infrastructure that there's just
016no for some station income tax right now this our trend has been 7 and a half% growth holding and one and a half% on non so I have um in that forecast I built 6.4% year. That's that's real. The only question is will Senate Bill 66 offset that by reducing property taxes and course income tax, right? You get natural inflationary growth, but you don't get property tax. Some people suggest watching another income tax, right? That's a half% another Good income tax too. So income tax it takes 18 months. Okay. So unrestricted state aid right now I built in the impact of substitute bill house bill 96 where we see increased funding the next two years a last. This is one of the reasons why our position looks so much better than November because here's that
017not you know remember back in November I said we're assuming flat funding on um our state funding and the house bill throws money in here and the rationale talking to represent No formula. This is our point. There's no formula. Now it's going to be go back to days where oh here's how much money we have. How are we going to divide it up? He essentially said um we're not going to win on their school formula. So you might as well just pick your battle somewhere else. And that the um some other things within the bill like trying to fight some of that stuff. That was his advice to us. He said he's talking conversation he's working for chorus which is Appalachia world district and um and his advice was look and he was pretty candid
018about what's what's going on. He said and the governor's not there. You're not going to win the state cash balance, but that's different from the Senate basis. Well, you know, and this is interesting. made comment on the transportation bill there was really no conference committ he's not confident that there'll be a real conference on this that Huffman's power right now is going to push past a lot of things but said there in the Senate there is some hope of having some kind of formula but you know whether or not it actually increases funding for schools or not you know you know Josh They don't they couldn't have any money public schools which is not true. Um and at our meeting we're sitting down like this and gentleman treasur Elwood will be right next [Music] to
019but anyway the point the optimism on having a not high, you know, I suspect we'll probably end up with some fun. We don't know what the next two years look like. Well, it was interesting at the conference that I was at last weekend, it was it was 99% of the time the top down there. And you would have that somebody had died. It was the lowest energy deal I've ever been to. People are just sick. One thing Gardner said was, "We want more success. We got to get more senators in Congress and represent Tom and I board members. You have more weight than we do to represent your elected official, but it's got to be saying well kudos to he is going to the um the next TPS touring students who are especially those students
020who falls is on board even Josh railing against death. How come they get all this money, you know, proportionately they get, you know, more money than any but that's beside the point and and there is really, you know, and gosh say between the lines they're poor performing school district all this money but he was there. I mean the fact that he came to our step step. But anyway, bottom line is we need more people talking about these things. Um, moving on, restricted grants and aid. This is kind of a function mainly. We know um things like gifted and um special education these numbers. It's more tied to enrollment and the number of students we have in certain categories. And I would say this is the the hardest number to nail down. I don't worry too
021much about it. Obviously a couple hundred,000 either way, but it's going to be a couple threshold cost $200,000 positive. I don't always count on there is restrictive classified as classif like for example gifted we get $27,000 in gifted state prior to a reduction we're spending a million dollars so I didn't worry about classifying now I'm going to have to worry more about things differently couldn't change anything I got to make sure. Um, okay. This one is interesting. Um, we saw I saw surprisingly increase in our um state share local property. That's that's the state money for homestead discounts. Real estate question why. Our homestead discounts are down slightly and the homestead discounts are based on age, disability, and income. And we can actually do our homestead discounts are low. Our older population now qualify for
022homestead discount on income have high enough income they don't qualify homestead. But our um non-commercial and roll back and that's fun% 25 and 26. Okay. Um not intentionally they um sorry the numbers went out the way they are 25 changes of actual data now. So like like um the state share local property taxes um and other significant oh and restricted rents and a That's all. So if you have for example the financial analysis for the month will be based on revised numbers. We got 10 months now for the next two months. A fair level confidence happen. So these numbers reflect as you'll see here at the end you know better performance than I had in terms. Yeah. I just I'll look back but I didn't see those numbers the state within behind the scenes the
023formula does it based on and variation this this is one of those areas that variation this year doesn't next only looking at valuations estimations based on what the valuations are what it's going to be. So it's not quite as incremental will go up maybe. I just don't have a good way to calcul going going up. You said something earlier that still confuses me. Um the state saying that we don't have money now to fund public schools if they want to get rid of property tax. So if we don't have money now and I I mean I know my understanding of finances is pretty elementary but if you're taking away your large source of income especially for schools and we don't have money now then we're going to have even less money we don't have in
024the future. Yeah. Oh okay. So this doesn't make sense then, right? Well, no, it makes sense then what your priorities are. You're also engaging school. Yes. Yeah. Senator Hoffman will tell you that private public schools are much more public school and that's why so well again look with the house right now. You know, at the um when when the House Bill 96 put together, there was 20 amendments on public education. Had some in there and none of them got hardly any support. There's just not enough people in in the house who support public education. You know, Dale Manning and Adam Bird, if you know them, they came public education. I wouldn't call them um they're supporters and you know they're not fanatical supporters like I might be. So there is going to be pressure and
025the priority is priority is that's the 90% of our students in Ohio are still public school. Okay. It's number 87%. it's you know somewhere between 85 and 90 and um and you know and there's argument that you're seeing decreased enrollment public schools the population going down but also you know and and we have this conversation in in the Rosber and Empreased numbers taking vouchers we're not losing students Right. It's the same students that were already gone and so we at some point in time, you know, made the comment about you want cuts into the same publication. But, you know, anyway, last one is um all other revenues and that's probably the biggest portion of that is um interest earnings. stuff like that. And obviously cash balance interest you know interest rates haven't quite that's reiterate
026property tax that's mostion expenditures that some people will challenge you that's not exactly correct. I don't see a slush any money stashed in the bank and you put on that what is it 30% max cash balance we've spent so much time about cash balance many positions go to the Senate and pick a number 90% cash whatever you want and then there's going to be a cash balance cap wants a cash balance cap some of them 30 and something else and and and said that's 30 superendent What superintendent said that? I want Yeah, because it's too different for every district. Exactly. Well, Anthony Wayne, right now um K's going to end the year at like 5% pay. She can't make payroll in July without borrow. We've talked about our end of year cash balance being at
027least 10 million in order to get through the next the next year. That's 45 days for us. But again, um cash balance there's going to be something cash balance. Now, Representative Williams said, "Well, if you have excess money, just put it into 070 building fund." You don't have access, you know, you don't have access necessarily. If it's sitting our general fund, it's sitting there because it needs to sit there because once I move it out, I can't move it back. You know, use our severance fund, which is good that that regard. That's exactly the purpose of general fun. Well, If you're if you're have you have 130% right and you're funding a building project out of it move it right I can move a little bit let's say our lease payments on our energy project
028and our bus I can move that to a fund those out there but that's not that's a small small we're not there you know our cap numbers we're below the 30% But depends on the district. I talked to a district 50% because they get less than we do. They need 50% at the end of the year in order to get to January February. I'm getting ready to build a building. That's exactly what we did with HBI. So, um, on the expense side, obviously salaries are our biggest expense. I've added this. It's hard to see this but um I thought it be worthwhile and I've shared this stuff reminder. So if you look at our salaries 55% is construction the next 10% student support. So that's you know the guidance counselors you know those things that
029directly touch the next 10% special education 75% directly touch students one way or another. Then you have maintenance building operations, not just grounds and maintenance too, right? you're you're well in the 90% before you get into what might fiscal office and then support. So what's in the forecast is that base increases in there salary for example had next year no staff there's no money put in there for staff for FY26 and there's no administrative staff at forecast there is a little bit of money set aside in future years to add staff classified certified because of growth invention specialist or monitors there is a little bit Not very much. So, you know, we're talking about 1% growth students. We're talking about a million dollar $2,000. So, that's a couple positions 25. That's basically speech therapists, intervention
030specialists, uh positions that have case loads where we have to hire. So, an option, right? Or if we had if for some reason we had to have a classroom. Yeah. Third grade is 35 kids benefits are second largest expense area and just for fun health insurance is 59% 41 and everything else is consequential. Um, and I was wages and staffing. One of the things improvement in in some of our reductions because when we estimated reductions, I I didn't know exactly which positions had family health insurance, right? And that helped find that. I have forecasted next. So, our health insurance premiums split fiscal years. So, they go to effect January one. So, um I we had a 5% increase this year and we're right now our claims running higher than our premiums and 7% filled in
031next year and then 10% in the following years and then no change in state retirement. What I mean by that is our 14% match is stays the same and I don't think the legisle stomach fat cells. So you seeing those increases you 7% is that too weighted average. Yeah. Now we look at our actual analysis pharma and medical are all kinds now we got to look at separate ways that we combine in terms of observes and um and and dents in there too. so small that 10% increase right um purchase services our third expense area and um 53% of our purchase services is special education and I will talk about this I never really shown this graphic and then maintenance is the next one so just put in perspective you know and m in this
032case maintenancecludes electric, gas, all really only increase special education. We just don't know because it could be that's frame. Yeah, they will they'll Yes, they will. Obviously I would say on the salary side the only place that changes is percentage deductions impact let's say as a percentage admin but it's but it's it's at the small end so it's not it's not you know again it doesn't change the overall picture that structures where dollars are um supplies and this is you know obviously $2.5 million is a lot of money and students 45% is um instructional and transportation the next big chunk and then um and on construction that's just it building you know supplies in the that also includes supplies that we're buying. So we have those kind of and you'll see you know and obviously
033the transportation that's that's you know supplies buses as well as fuel there and then um maintenance building special education Locational is relatively small. We get some restricted location. We don't have any vocational programs for high school. We don't have any vocational programs. We do have vocational programs. How much? Well, in theory that should always be negative because you charge the right amount cost $10 for art. And what we've done this past year is said, "Okay, your art instructional fees. How many students do you have? I got students $10 here plus $1,000. But we had student achievement yesterday where they presented the recommended change. I kind of went down if I'm correct where you're going. I went down that track. Well, it's just just understanding kind of where that ratio is at and is generally in
034the right place. I look I look as a level. So the the projected for next year is going to be that uh student fees would cover 40% of cost the other 60% where I was quickly and I was also quickly reminded about recouping the cost. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely everything and then again the one time way before we actually we had some buildings accumulating you can't do if you're asking you know, a family that paid $100 spent on that student in that year, not and that's not happen most of the resources that are being used for student I think it's good from a communication standpoint the We don't have it at the macro level. I said we've done some try to get this mentality out of our faculty that those fees are not your bank account.
035I'm teaching art class. What do I need to do? kind of special that again I think based on that we're thinking offset actual cost and we've had this conversation curriculum is okay we got this new thing but that doesn't mean you have to charge 100% to the families um capital I don't have I don't have a chart here and just note that this is inflationary 28 29 that we start building this is one of the areas where the redistricting show able to move out a year or so purchase capital is something addition to sense of money permanent What else to back up here to purchase services there are within the maintenance group in that 21% there is some building repairs that could pay for I don't know the exact percentages but there is some so
036we need um we have a oil repair that has a longer years. The same thing on the supply side for um for maintenance. Not so much for transportation. Most of their repairs are you know replace a headlight something like that. That's not but there is some on supplies to buy concrete or something that that could be also relatively small amounts but There is some there and then but we'll try to do and then capital side there are definitely most of this is by our repairs there's some equipment that purchased out of there. Um we do for example we bought um a vehicle out of that this year that could be that's that's plenty it's it's not and James and I have this conversation sometimes particularly on the where he want where he want you know
037he's got his first that's keep it there well and I think that's way to look at it because that's question for example we have these huge cash balance you know, get money out there. That's why that general fund money could do that. Um the last well not last is um we have some debt payments and technically they're not all debt but they're debt you and I as individuals we call them debt but lease payments for example are not considered debts but um we have um house bill 264 that last payment that 340,000 that last year I'm not sure what that project heavy windows. Um and then we have two energy project with all the lights and HBAC system high school building comes out general fund. What we do with that is building this project for
038itself fund. um the high school pay fund and then the remaining comes out of general fund. So we split those 30% comes out of general fund and then the bus le buses that we just bought those payments they could come out of PI but um we were just finished making bus and they're up slightly what we were but that's but we're also we just replace 16 diesel buses buses So there's savings built into supplies and material and maintion wanted. The last area is other objects. The biggest portion that is county auditor and treasur fees and department taxation. So, you know, when um we don't get our taxes for free, the auditor's office, treasur taxation, not take fees out for income tax. And then the other financial documents audits. So, $50,000 bulk of that county. So
039that moves kind of tax collection more tax. So, and I, you know, this is a, you know, building on Tom's analogy about the patient, you know, so I said, we're not out of the woods. Um, so again, compared to the May forecast, our May forecast, we're looking pretty good, right? We we're definitely going to be this year better. next year push good $6 million in spending deficit bill and then 8 million the following year but we have enough cash that we can weather that storm without levy but I'm want to remind people there's no restoration here of programs or staff so you don't want gifted back we're looking good there's no restoration numbers good $6 million of we did And if I would I could see our forecast going to DBW if they're not too
040busy. I understand we'll get a letter says your third year your forecast your deficit on what's your plan. We would not be probably not going into fiscal watch right away. They would push us put us on cautionary you know kind of approach and you know almost $10 million in 27 is pretty good. That's 45 That's not horrible. It's lower than you know we have to have a plan to bring that up. Does that put you know does that put you in a borrowing position at some point dur that's not 27 is good obviously 28 is not enough we're not we're not good so um so again and I I've been playing with all sorts of levy scenarios and that's a different discussion for the forecast because forecast but you know I did a $1.5 million
041levy which you could argue we don't need candidly at least not for next year right and but that puts us at um you know very comfortable cash balances through the through the through that period. certainly do something less, you know, if you delay, you could potentially delay a year, you know. So, so we got some more scenarios we wanted to discuss. Maybe go for less. You still go for November, but you go for less because then, you know, you have a couple couple shots at lookout, you know, in the last two years forecast because again, this is going back to I think totally optimistic maybe obviously see a $5 million reduction in four to five years you know basically still I think you're I what I would suggest is that I think we want to
042be targeted with our what we what we want but we think we need to have a discussions have what laid out right you know I'm I think I think this forecast is optimistic it's going to change but we can run scenarios that I agree where where my head goes quite discuss himself book is that million the end of 2020. What do we think is put $25 million on here? Yeah. What is the right number at the end of a period of time? What are as you said, where do we want to be at a point in time and it has at least been somewhat comforting that with the November levy failure, we had cash. So we have to do how do we want to set up a future board when whatever we decide on the
043next levy if that doesn't pass what type of cash we say it's 25 million and then we get a we get we get the banual budget back and it hits us for another 5 million that helps us make that decision I think before we can even see those numbers we can continue to have that discussion where's everybody at where we got I think Chris and I had this conversation part of that is what programs you want or don't want. Right? So if if you're happy with where we are with program, we don't do anything, right? They want to bring gifted back, right? When the community said, look, gifted is really important to us. You factor that in or gift is very important to us, but orchestra is not. I'm just exaggerating here. The kind of
044question is here's where we are. You you have some flexibility now. What is your priority? What's the cash balance? What's that? What's the negative target? that there want to be at 60 to 90 days. I don't think we want to put put a future board in position where they're at zero that they're not at negative. Yeah. At the end of But you know again I don't you open to what that what we see happen there's going to be a property tax there going to be some kind of property tax um impact here somewhere. So this is probably probably not going to be quite this high. It's just not going to be some kind of um property tax legislation. We just don't know what it is. So this is quite at the high end, but we
045have a little bit of room. Good news is reductions that have been made, money we've saved this year through not building positions primarily, the impact of redistricting, all those things have been a nice storm as well. a little bit of unexpected revenue put us in a position where that $2 million come out ahead that has a ripple effect not just the savings but having the other part I got is all the retirements and I the amount of savings we got from retirements is significant where you've got you know um at the high at the far end of the curve we're not replacement beginning there. So that has that is back which actually has a ripple effect down the road also. So I'm I'm you know kind of like I kind of should that it's so
046much better than it was in November but on the other hand happy about its choice is good sometimes sometimes bad Okay, so you guys got state budget property tax legislation and I would say so at this point that's our first question. [Music] Chris's point what what happens here this is for you know there's concerns about any of this or changes I have finance on the board meeting I'll hit stuff at a high level discuss I'm not going to reiterate all this but there's some stuff that you may want to make I think again one of the things this to me when I looked at really almost scenario right now there's no way it's going to look better whatever There's always discussion treasures forecast what you know I don't know what based on what exists right
047now not But I on the positive side of this, this is best case. I think board has a little more control than I would not have same. I would like to make sure we stay above you know 10 million that's 45 days that's kind of rock but 130 days 120 days more best practice questions comments thank you Um, we did want to move into number five, community engagement. A little bit of an update, start to get some discussion. I shared some point in the recent past. I can't tell you anymore when, but I shared the report from the forums in March. We'll be taking a look at that. So we'll be taking a look at that. Certainly want to have more discussion about the outcomes. I've actually created um started just personally doing some comparison
048of focus group outcomes and recommended steps along with the forum outcomes. Those reports and they're pretty much the same. They're slightly different outcomes. Um but we they kind of reinforce one I I think um one of the things that and I are working on and met last night about the task force. We had 16 applications to nine or 10. someone really strong candidates, great background. We'll be working in the next day or two contacts or not. And then agenda for that meeting. We're really looking at we're going to get the meeting started and then we're going to asking them to help processes. Uh so we were looking for 10 really is the max but we have some great so we're going to go with 10 and hope that everyone can participate. [Music] Um I think
049one of the things that we've talked about that that clearly is a need that we heard at the focus group forums we discussed is determining so I guess I'm looking for either now or before Tuesday that idea of in real time engaging in dialogue whether it's question and answer whe around a specific topic like say an operating le um I think there's a lot of expectations that I that continue to be in your meetings we should be doing that again we have a lot of work to do that's not um we want to hear community members and the decisions we're making but you can't do a full open dialogue session during a regular must question is is how do we do that um in a way that that would be inviting people to come and
050that that's one of the outcomes that I'm kind of struggling with again at the last meeting I shared with all of you ideas work on So, but I'm looking for some ideas and we have so it overs comments. How do you engage first? I'm not saying that's One of the things that I say one went to a bunch of community engagement conferences. They seem to be more topic focused rather than just come and talk about anything versus let's talk about fill in the blank specific topic. Let's talk about the operational where their tax threshold. What are what are your priorities for education? We kind of started getting some of that at the forum. Um but really not as much as I I'll be honest I hoped in terms of where we need to prioritize our
051choices about what is the community but for me I think it what I've always seen it's about this we need to do a building have this issue that's out often crosses my mind doing this a while hearing kind of the same things over and over. You know I challenge people out in the community find what they say something that I will work I get it I've heard it be more transparent I'd love to dive deeper into that finance side check that we is put out there. I become at a loss of what me I got to be helpful to this board and the community reconcile some of back on April 8th we shared with the community engagement group um some best practices um from other districts um in Ohio and and across you know the
052country a little bit. So, um, you know, districts, uh, Fairfax County Schools, Providence used community advisory committees to help advise. Um, Bay Village has a a community group that um, it's more of an advisory council. Olan Tangi has um a quite elaborate community engagement um, group and process. uh we we provided links and we can forward those to the board as well. Montgomery schools in Maryland uh established a citizens advisory group community engagement new work schools in Ohio. Um and then Lindberg schools um so we we have you know gone out to see what's there and and what they do. um the on the websites we've not seen like you know as the community has met here's the 27page you know findings or 27page you know plan um you know Tangi was you know they're
053probably more um elaborate with how they set things up and and they lost their last levy so um you know so it's it's you there there's lots of great things to look at um and and try to model after but certainly it's something that we're looking at other districts and trying to figure out what that looks like. So I think um sorry working two different ideas one's a little more shortterm longterm advisory especially around levy and bring people in advice on that perspectives as well as questions back out in with a longer term goal of creating a longer term. Um the trick is is that yeah it's that shortterm piece. I feel like there's some immediate we need to have and I think again for me there's an advisory board is a limited number of
054people hopefully representative of the community interfacing mostly with the superintendent obviously with some board engagement through community engagement but it's not the board um interfacing directly I think that's the piece that I still feel like you know we did we offered the two forums I realiz the timing was diffult for people but we had 73 people which was pointed out report was.1% of a scriven even if it's 73 or whatever the number was, it's still people that chose to do that. So that's that's as much as we want to try to find transparency. I'm not sure what this real interest is and the best format for usage. Yeah, I think I think you know what we're doing now is is is offering a variety of touches and I think we need to continue to do
055that. Um and and even I think the fact that you the board and administration is putting opportunities out there and there may only be one or two people that do come. I I think people see that that opportunity is there and I think that they value that even though may not be participating in that particular meeting because we hear a lot from folks who say things like that's great you're out there. You know, I haven't been to one yet, but you know, I it's good you're doing that. So I think people see that that effort is is there and um and it takes time for those kinds of things which are new to to take root to grow and and so you know because you know the first few meetings haven't resulted in you know
05625 or 35 people that doesn't mean in a year from now that it it builds to that when they continue to see all these other things. Um, you know, with the reduction plan, you know, with the next operational levy, whenever that may be, uh, the reduction plan, we've heard from families, we've heard from staff. Um, you know, how how do we how do we approach and determine, you know, what makes the list if there is a reduction and how do you do that? And so we've been trying to take the board's role in this establishing these are our priorities. These are the things that we want to maintain and value and then setting up those parameters and then bringing in you know staff, bringing in a student, bringing in maybe some community members to to
057kind of help um provide feedback to to help anticipated concerns over the kinds of things that we're beginning to build with this. So, we listen to folks talk about, you know, we want more transparency and our response and I think we're getting close to sharing with the board and sharing with the community like what that will look like time comes to the plan for those reductions. I mean that's just one example of you know us listening and and not just admiring the problem but but actually taking steps to do something different that we haven't done before and you know we want to continue to strive to do that. And I just want to highlight people. I really value the level of the engagement from the individuals who have come on and twos and fives to
058the different that's been good engagement. And I'll also say, you know, we share out um we heard them and so we show up impacts my views when I And the topics are are, you know, are a wide variety. Um, you know, I know Miss Mankey sat in on one where they talked about this, you know, grading scale, the grading scale and how does that work and, you know, two weeks later they're sitting down with Joe and Brent PNL and going over the work that's being done and the survey and um the committee work that is evaluating that. So it's it's good to do that. We heard in student achievement yesterday changes made to the progress reports directly from parents. You can continue to say that we want to be more transparent. We want to listen,
059but at the end of the day, it's show me the money. What What are you doing? And and I think we're we're building a pretty good portfolio of a variety of touches and things that we continue to do and and that's all you can do. having the student population and I'm talking high school they're on the cusp of being and I think they are sharp and they've gots opinions and I think hearing what they say is important. Um, one of the seminars I was at over the weekend was um, and their their program was really outstanding. And this little girl that was up there, her name was Greta. And she, the superintendent, made a comment that you probably with the super um she said the seeing the growth in this student and how this student
060was interacting with her own students and the levels of bringing that forward what a wonderful experience students are getting that will that will carry with decades and and it's the tech We had student and follow the size of ours and that entrepreneur but then that person got it. that person and I had multi-bs and visit one schools and came back with a report. How do you how do you expand that down one person 400 students or something? They have a um student advisory group um and which we have that they did it very differently and um Greta was a part of that and it was more of an open forum open session um anybody could go anybody could discuss whatever and she says it's fun to see where the topics go depends on the season
061um and they they end up with different topics and then brings that along with a report from student council which is separate. Um and they also have a superintendent advisory committee too. Um and I just thought it's a population that I don't it's a resource event that I don't think that we're tapped into well enough. It works the other way. So, I'm gonna I'm sorry. We're at time. So, if you all want like we're past time, so we want to keep discussing this. Please stay around. Sue, if you could share maybe your notes with and I from your meeting we can bring those into our discussion on Tuesday. Sorry, but we're at 8:22 and I think some of us so any other business I love discussion. If there's no objections, I'd like to We're turn.