001Good evening. Good evening everyone. Welcome to the District of Brown Deere uh our annual meeting. We really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules to come in and listen to some very all this important information and we're going to share with you in relationship to the District of Brown Deer. I'm Dr. Todd Beetle and I'm your proud board president. And what I'd like to be able to do is call this meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. So sorry, 6:04 p.m. And then introductions of the board of education. So if we would start from our left, >> Shironda Fington, >> Denthia Robinson, vice president, >> Felita Daniels, Ashley, >> Dorothia Min, treasurer. >> All right. All right. And so with that being said, I'd like to be able to say our our mission and
002our vision statement. Our mission is through the lens of excellence, equity, and engagement, we are dedicated to empowering every student with essential skills to build a foundation for lifelong learning. And our vision statement is to provide a rigorous education that empowers our students to confidently navigate in our everchanging world. Now, I would like to be able to turn this meeting over to Dr. our our proud superintendent, Dr. Patrice C. >> Thank you, Dr. Neil. I would like to verify that this meeting has been properly noticed this evening as well as I would like to introduce Kelly Schustster who will make a nomination for the chairperson for the annual meeting. Miss Houston. I make a motion to nominate the sher Lewis to serve as chairperson of the meeting. >> Did we first and second it? >>
003I heard somebody over here first. >> But you have to be a Browner resident. >> So you made the motion. I can second it. I'll second it. >> Who made the motion? Sorry. >> I mean, she's not stress. >> Oh, Miss Dressman. Okay, perfect. Okay. >> Kathy stress stress. >> We got to call call for the >> All in favor? >> I >> got we got to actually we got to count these or whatever. Browned residents only. If you are a Browned resident and you approve this, could you please raise your hand because we have to have an official count. Browned residents only. All >> right. >> Any opposed? Hearing seeing none. Motion carries. Unanimously 11 to zero. All right. At this time, I would like uh Miss Kelly Schustster who will read the September
00426 24 annual meeting minutes. >> Okay. President Dr. Todd Bele, Miss Felita Daniels Ashley, Miss Shir Fington, Mr. Dan Min, Mr. Thine Robinson, and Miss Lisa Walker. Absent is Miss Meredith Welch. Administration, Dr. Katrice Cotton, Miss Cara Turner, Mr. Kevin Cle, Miss Morgan Cons, Miss Trina Jackson. Guests: Kathy Kesler, Kathy Stressman, Alan Chimes, Miss Wanda Montgomery, Miss Nicole Mutton, Miss Audrey Lenbach, Mr. Nate Lenbach, Miss Sasha Becca Shriber, Miss Brenda Alvarez, Miss Angela Kiappa, Miss Eliza Oakley. Call to order and introductions. Dr. Ty Bele called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. Official meeting notification. Dr. Patton verified that the meeting was properly noticed. elected chairperson of the annual meeting. Miss Kesler made a motion to nominate Miss Tresman to serve as chairperson of the annual meeting. The motion was second by Dr. Beetle. It
005carried 180. Reading of the minutes of the last annual meeting. Mr. Amends read the September 28th, 2023 budget hearing and annual meeting minutes. Report of the board of education. Dr. read the mission and vision statements and highlighted the district's approved 23 through 25 strategic plan and celebrated the hiring of a new superintendent and Brownere Elementary School exceeding expectation on the state's report card. He also shared examples of the district's financial stewardship, including a 4.75% wage increases for staff and savings of approximately $1 million. And he informed the district that may introduce a referendum in the near future. Superintendent state of the district report. Dr. Patton highlighted the district's profile points of pride including the Brownier Elementary School, the Brownier Middle School, Browner High School, and athletics and activities department. So, hearing on the proposed 2425
006budget, Mr. Clement presented details of the budgeting process. He reported on the 2324 budget recap, uses of SR3 funds, 20 2324 budget highlights, history of school funding, enrollment, revenue limit, state aid, tax and levy, fund 10, operations fund 27, special educations funds 1027, expenditures fund 21, special revenue trust, Fund 39, debt service, remaining long-term debt. Fund 46, capital improvement, fund 50, food service, fund 80, community service, proposed tax levy, tax levy, mill rate, and next steps. Other new business or public comments. There was no new business or public comments. Resolution A, authorizing tax levy for the 2425 school year for all district operations. Miss made a motion to lever property tax on behalf of the school district of Brown Deere in the amount of $6,810,210 in the general fund. 4,31,267 in the referendum debt fund
00739 for a total of 11,11477 for the 2425 school year. The motion was seconded by Miss Walker and carried 192. Resolution B, approval of salaries for schoolboard members. Mr. made a motion to approve the annual salary for the board of education members in the amount of $3,100. The motion was seconded by Miss Kesler and carried at six and all six board members sustain upstate. Authorize the board of education to establish an annual meeting date and time and location for 2025. September 25th, 2025, 6 PM Brownier Elementary, 5757 West Dean Road. Miss Montgomery made a motion to authorize the board of education to establish an annual meeting date, time, and location for 2025 for September 25, 2025 6 p.m. Brown Deere Elementary, 5757 West Dean. The motion was seconded by Miss Shmens and carried 19 to
008zero. 12 adjourned. Miss Montgomery made the motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Miss Shant and carried 19 to zero. The meeting adjourned at 7:12. Respectfully submitted by Donna Ross and signed by Felita Daniels Ashley and Dr. Would anyone like to second the motion? >> Do I have to do that? >> We got a second. >> It hasn't been made yet. >> Who made the motion? >> Who would like to make motion to approve? I >> I'll make the motion to approve the minutes. Okay. >> Anyone like to second the motion? I'll second. Okay. >> All in favor? >> I if you raise your hand. >> Five. >> 12 people are in favor. Anyone opposed? >> 12. >> Any opposed? Zero. >> Motion. passes >> 12 to zero. >> Motion passes 12 to zero.
009>> All right. And now Dr. Beetle who um will present the report of the board of education. >> Can you guys hear me without this microphone? >> Oh, hello. >> Oh, it's recording, so I have to Hello. >> I don't want to blow you guys eard drums out. Exeducator and stuff, so I can't I'm loud. Sorry. All right. So, first off, I want to turn around and say again, man, how proud the board is to be able to work with such an incredible staff, administrative team, and being able to provide a quality education for our students, uh, and a nice safe learning environment, and being able to do that, support our staff, and being able to have some wonderful facilities and stuff. And that does not happen without the without the residents of Brown Deer
010approving budgets and for us and also approving your schoolboard members and stuff. So, we really appreciate um all of that support and being able to do that. So, first of all, I want to start off with Dr. Cotton. We hired her last year, so she had her first complete year and I and from words from the school board, I think that we have done a very good job and her and her team have done excellent things for us in being able to continue to move the school district forward. So now out of our four pillars of uh of our strategic plan that are the most the four things that you guys thought that were the most important when we did the survey foster an academic fostering academic accountability. I want to turn around and say
011that we approved as a board. Now this is stuff that we approved that was not part of last year and things that that came to us this year that we thought that would improve and enhance our education. All right. So we approved the introduction of health science courses for the 2526 school year. that is to be able for students to be able to do CNA. All right. We approved uh advanced placement for comparative government and and politics course to be a where our students can get gain college credits. We approved early child uh early college credit and start college now applications. So, we're able to do that for students to be able that our seniors to be able to start applications to be able to start college as well as potentially having credits earned while
012they're here at the high school. Uh we approved AP biology courses uh for the 2526 school year. We approved for the Brown Deer Elementary School the reading and middle school math specialist supports. All right. And as you can tell um and and Mr. Griffin I know you over there chest is off is poked out or what but we exceeded expectations on the school report card and we also received a proclamation from the state of Wisconsin Department of Education for what's going on at this elementary school. [Applause] We approved uh the middle school social studies, the National Geographic uh uh textbook adoption. Um and then those are the things that we approved for that. But now let's get down to some of the things that we did for our students that were be able to expose
013that excel and were able to do some things statewide and nationally. So uh first thing is we approved for our varsity bowling team. Bowling team has only been in uh been in existence for 3 years. three years our team took state. So, not only did we approve them to do that, but they turned around, qualified for nationals, and went to for win Indiana and took third in the nation. All right. Uh, another thing is is um we approved our DECA participation in the international career development conference in Orlando, Florida. our students were able to go to Orlando, Florida and represent Brown Deer in a national thing because they won state again. So again, that's another one of those that we're like, "Yes, yes, our students are doing great things." And then my last one was
014that the bowling bowl and DECA again. Oh, and then last but not least, this is one of the ones that I like to would have been able to participate in. Uh but Miss Radkkey took our students. We took she took um uh 32 students to Berlin, Prague, Krakco, and Budapest. Man, I needed I needed that. But those are but those are opportunities our students wouldn't have been able to do unless the district and the board approved those approved those uh uh >> trips and tra for trips, transportation, food, lodging, and being able to do that. So, that was one of the one of the things that we talked about. These are part of our uh foster academic accountability. Now, managing our finances, of course, we're going to approve the 2526 budget. Um, we've been great
015stewards of of the district finances. So, last year, what we ended up having to do in October, we had to approve for the first time as a as a board, we were like made sick to our stomachs, but we had to approve a $873 $873,000 negative budget, right? But again, that was worst case scenario. by the end of the year because of some of the other because of some of the financial stewardship and other things that we did, we ended up with a $346,000 surplus. >> All right. But again, that's working with our district and still being able to provide quality education and some of these other opportunities. Um, we approved a purchase of a new van to transport our students to events and activities to make that process easier. And then of course we
016had to approve u some repairs to the high school after all of these different flooding events. These are things that are not part of the regular budget but things that we had to work on as as a district to be able to make sure that those things are actually happening. So then so when we started to talk about another thing that uh individuals were talking about was providing a selfwing and healthy environment. We completion of a district-wide safety audit in which we did well. installation of additional security cameras across the buildings and the campus. So now our our buildings have cameras everywhere all over. So if there is anything, we're able to see those. All right. So that was one of the things that we thought that was very very important that we actually had
017that camera system in place to be able to do that. Um trained uh site specific uh safety teams who reviewed the protocols and participated in drills, coordinated responses to various scenarios for safety. We modified and updated the emergency response plans, achieved the project atom certification and that certification demonstrates that our schools are prepared to respond quickly and effectively in the cardiac emergencies a vital component of school safety. And again, when we started to talk about um our train drills, we also included students are also included in that. So if we do have emergencies, students are also included in that as well too. And then our last part is our connecting families, uh the schools, family and the community. We have quarterly meetings with the village of Brown Deere and meeting with um with President Montgomery
018and and the village because you know what we have to be succinct together as the two governing boards for the village of Brown Deere. So one hand needs to know what the other hand is doing and how it potentially could affect each other. So what we've been able to do we have quarterly meetings for that. And then the last one and I hope that everybody was able to come to that on February 18th. We hosted a black history program which was great. Which was great. And so my last piece that I want to say is is this. We know potentially we're going to have to go out for referendum. More than 85% of the districts in the state of Wisconsin have gone out for a referendum within the last 3 years. We know that we're
019going to have we know that we're going to have to do that. It's coming. We've hit that financial cliff. We're there. Dollars that we had from before those those dollars aren't there. extra funds and everything else like that. But again, we're continuing to move forward. We were able to again provide our staff with those 4% increases for cost of living and being able to do that as well as another 8% for benefits and being able to do that. But those are things that weren't part of that budget that we had to find a way to be able to do it because we want to be able to keep our staff. Out of the 177 teachers that we have, 125 of those teachers are years 1 through three. All right? So 70% of our teachers are
020are relatively new educators. And what what do we need to do? We got to keep them. We're on that right trajectory and we're going in the right direction. And with the leadership and everything that we have going on, we're going to take Brown Deer to that next level. And that completes my report for um for for the board of education. Any questions? >> Dr. Vito, can you um you mind adding how we're doing with the um funds that we had before cuz we've been paying that off. >> Oh, the defeasement. >> So again, so in relationship to defeasement, what we've been able to do is is like there was a we had a million dollar surplus that was said from before. What we're able to do with that is pay down that long-term debt that
021we have. And one of the things that you guys are going to see uh in the very near future when it comes out, you're going to see what that what by us being financially um solvent and everything that we do that it's going to definitely pay benefits. and you'll see you'll be receiving some things within the next month uh even tonight or whatever have you to be able to let you know the progress of us doing that defeasement and being able to take those dollars and take away that long-term debt because we know that we're going to have to go out for a referendum again eventually. So, if you get rid of long-term more long-term debt, the less it's going to talk cost taxpayers. And with that being said, that last week about the taxpayers
022in the last several years, the money that you've come from of your uh taxes has always gone down. It's never increased the dollars coming to the district. All right. I think that's important for everybody to know. >> Well, thank you for letting me do that. >> All right. And that that concludes my report. >> Okay. Next, we will have Dr. Cotton who will present the state of the district report. >> Thank you, Miss Lewis. Good evening, everyone. Members of the board, dedicated staff, parents, and community members, excuse me. My name is Dr. Katrice Cotton, and I'm the proud superintendent for the school district of Brown Deere. It is my pleasure to stand before you tonight to reflect on the past year, my first year, and look forward to to an exciting future with our students
023and within our schools. already on the mission and vision. The school district of Browner serves over 1,600 students. There are three schools located on one campus. The elementary is traditionally organized with K4 through fifth graders. Grades 6 through 8 are in the middle school and 9 through 12 at the high school. We are ethnically diverse and pride ourselves on being a welcome space for students and families from different backgrounds. We have 238 employees from varied levels of education ranging from high school diploma to advanced terminal degrees. The purpose of the school's district strategic plan is to establish a clear and unified vision for the future of our schools. It serves as a road map that outlines the district's goals, priorities, and strategies to ensure every student is equipped to su to succeed academically, socially, and
024emotionally. The plan is developed through a collaborative process and is grounded in data, research, and our school values. By setting measurable objectives and aligning resources accordingly, the strategic plan helps guide decision- making, improves accountability, and promotes transparency. Ultimately, it reflects our shared commitment to continuous improvement, educational excellence and equity for all students. The four pillars of success for school improvement are fostering academic accountability, managing finances, facilities, and operations, providing safe and welcoming and healthy environments, and finally connecting schools, families, and community. These pillars provide a clear and consistent framework to align the district's vision, vision, goals, and daily operations with long-term student and community success. Each pillar serves as a distinct purpose and acts as a foundational guideline to leading the district in a positive direction. Fostering academic accountability is a pillar that ensures every
025student is held to a high academic expectations and provided with the support needed to meet them. By promoting a culture of responsibility, continuous improvement, and datadriven instruction, the district empowers educators, students, and families to take ownership of learning outcomes. The matrix and data sources we create are a narrow lens to determining the effectiveness of initiatives, programming, and interventions. This pillar reinforces the belief that all students can achieve at high levels when clear goals, timely feedback, and consistent support systems are in place. This past year has been a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and staff. Our students academic achievements continue to impress with notable gains in both reading and math proficiency across grade levels. I am pleased to report that all schools in Brown Deere either meet or exceed expectations on
026the Wisconsin state report card. This is only achieved by the hard work and dedication of our staff who works tirelessly to provide our students with an educational experience that allows them to wonder, question, reflect, and put into action their learning. Our ultimate success is in the number of graduates at the end of a school year. I'm pleased to report that the class of 2025 included 144 seniors that earned $2.8 million in scholarship dollars. Managing finances, facilities, and operations. This pillar includes responsible stewardship of resources that ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively to support student achievement, maintain quality facilities, and invest in staff and and programs by aligning operational decisions with district strategic goals. This pillar helps maximize input, build community trust, and create the conditions necessary for teaching and learning to thrive. The school district
027of Brown Deere will continue to manage and ensure an equitable distribution of resources by maintaining and improving processes for operational excellence. A few notable improvements from the past school year include receiving a successful audit from Clifton Larson and Allen LLP, meaning no material findings were found as the district has been good stewards of the $28 million provided to operate the district. A goal within the street strategic plan focuses on looking at capital projects that need improvement. Some of these projects are within our budget and others may need more attentive attention that will ask the public for additional dollars to support these improvements. A positive school climate fosters strongs relationships, encourages engagement, and promotes the physical and emotional well-being of all students and staff. By prioritizing safety, inclusivity, and health, schools create the conditions necessary for
028academic growth, personal development, and long-term success. The district will foster the development of interpersonal skills and create opportunities to cultivate positive relationships, promoting a thriving school community and a sense of belonging. Two excellent ways to foster a positive school culture are recognizing students for their contributions and creating a formal student advisory council. These initiatives are both effective because they empower students and make them feel valued. When students are acknowledged for being productive citizens, it builds a sense of community and encourages others to act similarly. This recognition can take many forms such as students of the month, spirit awards, but a student advisory council like the one formed this past year is a powerful tool for giving students a direct voice. By involving students in discussions about their academics, athletics, social emotional issues, I gained a
029valuable insight from the very people most affected by the decisions we make in the district. Student feedback can help student leaders create rules and programs that generally meet student needs. When students feel their opinions matter, they are more likely to be engaged in school life and feel a sense of ownership. Both approaches help to create a school environment where students feel seen, heard, appreciated, which is a fundamental in providing safe, welcoming, and healthy environments. Connecting schools, families, and communities is a pillar of success because strong partnerships enhance student learning and well-being. When families and community members are engaged and invested, students benefit from a broader network of support, enriched learning opportunities, and a shared sense of responsibility for success. This collaboration builds trust, promotes transparency, and ensures that schools reflect the values and needs of
030the communities they serve. The district will establish a community where feedback is sought and respected and used to make datadriven decisions. But a great education is more than just test scores. We've seen a remarkable expansion of our extracurricular programs, providing an outlet for students to showcase their artistic, musical, and athletic talents. We were able to offer new clubs like robotics at the elementary, art in the middle, and by providing student uh opportunities for student voice through the superintendent student advisory council for high school students. From incredible performances by our drama department to winning a state championship and bowling, our students shined on stage, on the field, and in the classroom. We've also successfully integrated new technology and curricular resources into our classrooms, providing our teachers with innovative tools and our students with new ways to
031learn and create. As we look forward, our focus is on building this momentum. A key part of our strategic plan is to further personalize learning for every student. This means using data to tailor instruction, providing targeted support where it's needed, and offering enrichment opportunities for our advanced learners. We will also have opportunities for our students to participate in afterchool programs that provide opportunities for continued academic growth. Finally, we are committed to expanding our professional development for teachers, ensuring they have the latest training and resources to meet the diverse needs of our students. Our schools are not just buildings. They are the heart of the village. We are proud to be a place where lifelong friendships are formed and where future leaders are shaped. Our student volunteer at local events and our school facilities are a
032ho of community gatherings and sport leagues. We understand the success of our schools directly contribute to the vitality of our village, attracting new families and strengthening property values. We reflect this community's values and we're committed to being a partner in its continued growth. The work we do every day in the school district of Brown Gear is a collaborative effort. It takes all of us, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members working together to create an environment where our children can grow, learn, and thrive. This collective effort ensures that the district's goals are aligned with the community's values. Groups like the village president and the board, the parent advisory council or PAC and the education foundation of Brown Deere work together to fund raise, volunteer and provide support, proving that success of the students is a shared
033responsibility. This partnership is a testament to the idea that a strong school system is built on a foundation of shared dedication, mutual support, and a shared commitment to excellence. Alone we can do so little but together we can do so much. Thank you. [Applause] Okay. Now we will um we will hear the proposed 202526 budget. Mr. Quentyn Paul will present his budget to the community. Good evening everyone. My name is Quinton Paul. I'm the director of business services here. We will be going over the budget for the 2526 school year. So the budget process usually starts in the spring where we start assessing our needs and our enrollment projections, expense estimates. Um we've done the spring, we've gone through June, we've done August, so now we are at September the annual meeting. Um these numbers
034are preliminary as we don't have the final third Friday enrollment counts, state aid or the equalization that will be finalized before October 15th and then we'll finalize the budget October 28th. So a recap of the 2425 school year like Dr. Bele mentioned, we ended up with $350,000 surplus. Uh reasons for that were increased revenues, higher than budgeted local revenue and federal revenue and bank interest. We had a mental health grant and the cops grant which we used for our security. And we had decreased expenses. Uh we had staff vacancies that were unfilled than most or all of the year. Uh we had lower budgeted sped costs and open enrollment expenses and lower utility costs. When creating the 2526 budget, we had to keep a couple things in mind. Uh student needs continue to increase. Inflation
035continues to grow higher. We also would like to increase our staff salaries in line with the neighboring districts so that we don't lose talent to other districts. We have significant facility needs uh with an emphasis on safety and security and several years of surpluses over the last couple years have placed us in strong financial position. Uh tonight the board will be adopting a deficit budget for the 2526 school year. Here's a projection for our enrollment in our headcount. Uh as of the third Friday in September, we are actually up 10 kids over that 1624. Our headcount is 1634, which means our revenue limit will grow even higher than what we had projected. Here I have the state aid and tax levy. And as you can see from last year, we actually will have less fall
036on our taxpayers this year because our equalization aid grew. [Music] Quinn, this one. >> Quinn, I got a question. >> Could you explain to everybody what equalization aid is so they know exactly what it is? I mean, we we use a lot of terms, but some people may not know exactly what it means. >> Sure. All right. >> So, equalization aid or general aid is aid that you get if you are in a property poorer district um places like Shorewood, other districts that are a little bit in the higher echelon will actually lose some of their aid so that we can be close to leveling our funding with other school districts. So, our fund 10 budget uh this year we are projecting a one million just about a million less in revenue. Um our budget
037for this year is actually $50,000 less than last year. As we said, we didn't plan on having a surplus last year, but that's how it ended up. Our fund 10 expenses will grow about a million2 1,200,000 sorry. Uh a lot of that is due to the increase in open enrollment um and our special education fund 27 fund 10 transfer. Here we have our special education budget. Uh you'll notice the numbers are the same for the revenue and the expenses because fund 10 um in that transfer in that's fund 10 filling in the gap. And fun 10 is our general operating budget. >> Yes. So for this year, we are projecting a $1.7 million deficit for our budget. Since we had surpluses in the last couple of years, our fund balance is strong enough that we
038should be able to handle that. But it is not sustainable in the future years. Uh this is our fund balance as you can see projected for the 63026 our fund balance will be dropping like I had said. Um usually around this area you'll start having to short-term borrow to meet your bills. So we want to do everything we can not to fully realize that $1.7 million deficit. Fund 21 special revenue. This is the activity accounts for our students. For the most part, there will be no revenue and expense or surplus and whatnot because our students fund and fund raise everything for their activities and then spend what they've fundraised. 138 non-referendum debt. We do not have referendum debt or non-referendum debt. [Applause] more fund 39. We do have referendum debt. Um, and this total revenue
039may be lower than what we will get because we plan on defeasing debt this year to help prepare us for a future referendum. We have $30 million still in debt to pay off long term. Uh that is down from $42 million in the 2018 2019 school year. So we are making very good progress. Our capital improvement fund fund 46 we do not have any planned expenses in this as of now. So as of last year and this year we are planning on earning interest in that fund and then for future use in something that a facility we need to improve. Fund 50 is our food service fund. Uh, as you will see, $495,000 loss last year. Uh, we did that because we re-updated, I think, two of our cafeterias with new equipment so that everything
040will run a lot smoother. Um, we plan this year not to have to pay as much into those type of functions. Our community service fund is fun 80. Uh the CLC program is a grant that we get. So for the most part, we don't uh pay too much into this fund from taxpayers onto a proposed tax levy. For the 2526 school year, we are looking at a fun 10 amount of 6,684,975. For fun 39, it will be $4,426,52. About 1.5 million of that will be a debt defense. You can see a visual here of the last two payments that we've made for fund 39 and the defeasement amount. So, this year we will be able to defease about $200,000 more than last year. Here's a a visual of our tax levy and mill rate. Uh
041from the 2018 2019 school year, you have seen $1.5 million fall off of our tax levy and our mill rate almost get cut in half. >> So future considerations, we have long range facility planning going on. Uh we have about $30 to $40 million of needs for our facilities to keep them up to date and safe for our students. Uh those include the HVAC system, windows, asphalt tennis courts, the outdoor track and sections of the roof. We also have additional staffing costs. Physicians previously supported through grants like the social emotional learning specialist, health aids, building substitutes, our contract to security and that is estimated at $600,000 annually. We would also like to be competitively compensated so that we can make sure we don't lose any talent or anyone that we have invested training in to
042other districts because they can give them a,000 or $2,000 more than we can. And lastly, we have programmatic additions that we would like to be able to give an offer to our students. uh 86% of districts have asked a question for an operational referendum since 1990. So I I believe we will be in that category upcoming in this next year, but 86% of other districts have been in that bucket as well. We'll be continuing our discussions throughout the 2526 school year and we will be probing the community getting input on things that need to be done um to make sure that we are all in lock step together. Okay, sorry. Next steps. So like I had said earlier, October 15th is when everything should be finalized. So, we'll be getting our final revenue limit calculations.
043We will do be working on expense adjustments, our open enrollment out and in. Uh final staff salaries and positions will be filled. We'll have a determination for our fund 27 transfer and tax adjustments would be fund 10 for the equalization aid, exempt aid, private school vouchers, and fund 39 for any defeasements that we are looking into. Our final tax levy should be approved at the budget or at the meeting on October 28th. Any questions? >> Um I just wanted to um ask a question about my understanding is that there are some funds that were not being given out this year. So no one in the state is getting that money. Can you kind of expand on that? funds. >> Was that the general aid that we're not going to get that we normally get? >>
044General aid, they did not increase it. Um, I believe Governor Ivers put in a $325 increase per pupil and I think the state wanted to make sure that that kind of fell on our taxpayers rather than giving us money to take away some of that pain. Luckily, uh, Brown Deer actually had an increase in their equalization aid because our property values did not grow quite as rapidly as the rest of the state. So, that actually did not hit us like everyone else. >> Okay. But the state gave zero dollars. >> Yes. >> Zero increase. >> Increased. >> Increase. >> Zero increase. And then Esther all that Esther money that we had that we received gone. So, and that was a nice that was a nice chunk of money >> during co >> Yep. during the
045COVID and being able to do that afterwards. So, some of a lot of those other programs that we had that were state funded and everything else like that, those those funds are no longer here. Those funds are gone. But what we've been able to do is is continue everything that we started, continue to have it still in within the budget and still being able to maintain that because we think that are the things that actually add quality to our education. So the safety, staff training, professional development, staff recruitment, retention, facilities, everything. So we wanted to make sure that we you know what, we're not going to turn anything away. We just have to we just have to be good financial stewards of the money and trying to figure out ways that we can uh work
046together with our community and be able to provide a great product. >> Thank you, Paul. Thank you, Dr. Okay, we are at item eight of the agenda and that's for other new business or public comments from the community members. And just just to note that the board cannot act on any new business or public comments. However, comments will be taken into consideration for further discussion and or further action. Are there any comments or new business? Okay. In the back, please state your name. >> Kathy 63rd Street in >> Okay. >> Um I want to thank everybody that has talked about um staff pay increases. I grateful that >> Yeah, we're off. Um, I said I'm very grateful to hear about the 4% increase. I know that it's really hard 8% more for benefits, but we
047all know that it's so important. And I hope that that 4% moving forward, as difficult as it is, can keep being 4% because um when you talk to folks in the surrounding districts, um our teachers are not paid the same as some of the surrounding districts. and teachers know that. Um, having said that, um, I appreciate so much all of the work that the district has done over the last 10, 11, 12 years. Uh, because some of the things that you are doing today would not have been possible without our facilities um, being upgraded. So, I'm very happy to hear about the long range planning to keep them updated. I think that's really important. Um, One thing I was going to say, um, I'm just grateful for all of your hard work. I know what
048I was going to say. I'm very grateful that you have found a way to keep the seal specialists. Um, I'm in the buildings a lot. Those people work very hard. They're very good at their job and they make such a difference in the culture of the hallways and it's it's very much noticeable and appreciated. So that's what I want to say. My kids graduated from Brown here and it makes me continues to make me happy when I see the children in school now and what is being provided. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. Next on the agenda, resolution A, authorized tax levy for the 2025 2026 school year for all district operations. I'd like to ask for a motion to levy a property tax on behalf of the school district of Browner. Is there anyone
049>> in the amount of 6,684,975 [Music] in the general fund 10 and4,426,5 >> $2 referendum 539? >> It's got to start at the top. >> I did. I went up there. >> Yeah. I hereby move that the property tax be levied on behalf of the school district of Brown Deere in the amount of 6,684,975 in the general fund 10 and $4,426,52 in the referendum debt fund 39 and for a total of 11,111,477 [Music] $7 for the 2526 school year. Second >> second. >> All for all. >> All in favor. >> All in favor. All in favor. All in favor. >> Raise hand. >> Say again for the res. >> All right. So residents that may have just come in, if you do and if you are a Brown Deer resident and you do approve this,
050please raise your hand >> because we have to we have to have an official count. >> 8 9 10 11 12 13 >> 13. Any opposed? Okay, so motion passes 13 to zero. >> Okay. All right. And on to resolution B, approval of salaries for schoolboard members. I'd like to mot make a motion to approve the salaries for the schoolboard members in the amount of $3,100 for the 202526 school year. >> We can't. >> Sorry, we're we're >> Y >> it's our first day. I make a motion to approve the annual salary for the district school district of Brownier Browner education members in the amount of $3,100 for the 2025 2026 school year. >> Is there is there a second? >> A motion. >> Is there a second? >> We can't second. We can't >>
051We cannot. >> I need a second on a motion. >> Is there a second on the motion? >> Okay. All in favor? >> All in favor? >> We can't vote. >> Two. Any opposed? >> Okay. Patches two to zero. >> Hey. Oh, >> okay. And next, I would like to make a motion to propose the authorization of the Oh, that's your turn. Okay. Next is the authorization of the board. >> Oh, wait, wait. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. you know, um, with this with that motion for the school board, all right, for the salad, >> school board members, we can't we can't vote on that. We'd have to abstain from that vote, but then that would be that would leave the other >> seven individuals in here to vote that one right there, be
052able to vote. So just recog all oppose. Any abstensions? >> Okay. >> On motion number 10. >> Yeah. >> Yes. No. Yeah. You don't have to redo the vote. Let's just redo the vote. >> All of those in favor, please raise your hand. >> We can. >> One, two. >> Two. Okay. >> Any opposed? >> The board members abstain. >> We Any abstensions? >> Any abstensions? Any abstensions? >> Five. >> Any abstensions? >> Eight. >> So, two, four, >> two, two. Yay. Um, zero nays and eight extensions. >> Eight. >> Yeah. >> Does that pass? >> Hm. >> Does that pass? >> Yeah, it does. >> We got it. We got to record it. >> Okay. >> All right. And next item on the agenda, number 11, authorizing the board of education to establish the
053annual meeting date and time. I make a motion to authorize the school district of Browner Board of Education to establish the annual meeting date, time, and location for the 2026 for September 24, 2026 6 p.m. Brown Deer Elementary, 5757 West Dean. Second. >> Second. Okay. >> All in favor? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. Any oppose? No opposed. 11 to zero. Motion passes. Okay. And finally >> to adjoin adjourn the meeting. Oh, I'd like for um a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> Motion. >> Yeah, >> I'll make it. >> All right. >> Second the motion. >> I'll second. >> Okay. Any um oppose? >> No. All in favor? >> All in favor? All in favor? One, two, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11. Any
054opposed? >> 11 to zero. Motion passes. >> 656. Meeting adjourned. >> Thank you very much uh broader community for coming and hearing all of this information that we provided for you. And as always, once a falcon, always a falcon. So, thank you and have a good night and hope our packers do a little bit better this Sunday than last.