001we were talking about last week was that we didn't know what the exact certified house rate average assessed home rate was. We did talk to the city uh >> tax assessor and got that that is 2074. It only went up slightly from last year. Uh when we were talking last week about the 1.1 million for health care adjustment that was going to make the taxes 9.58 or 9.59 with us bringing it down by that 319,000 it's at 7.59 would be the tax rate. Some of the things that we did to get the budget down, some of the things that were a priority, one of the most important things was that we were not going to cut any staff. Um, that's not to say that our staff number isn't going down. It is reducing. We have
002retirements and we have resignations and things that we won't be replacing. We'll take some internal positions and move them around to fill those slots. So, we're not cutting anybody who's currently here, but we're also not going to hire. There will be some new hires. Preschool is a so whole separate entity. We clarified that last week. Preschool is a whole another set of u budget, a whole another grant. So, that's not included here. So, we are still advertising for a few positions. So, I want to be clear that when I say we're not hiring and then you see an ad out there, what's going on with that? Um, so that was what I just said. The retirements and the resignations and things will be covered internally. We will be shifting some things around just to tighten
003things up. Our instructional programs will remain intact as they are right now. So, none of our programs will have to change. There were a few things we were going to invest in that we were going to work on. For example, uh, Dibbles is something that's used at the lower levels. It's a re a screener that's required by law. We wanted to get a new up-to-date fancy schmancy version instead of the paper pencil version. We're going to stick with the paper pencil version for another year. Uh no new stipens are being added for the 26 27 school year. There are some amazing things going on like the mansion musical that is volunteer this year. We wanted to make that a stipen position for next year. Next year's just not the time we're going to be able
004to do that because we're making all of these cuts. Um, we also went back through everything and we made a lot of cutbacks in supply orders in some of the a lotments, how much is allotted for different things, the quantity of new technology that we're investing in, you know, the number of smartboards or the number of Chromebooks. We try to keep them replenished. We're not going to cut out buying them altogether, but we're going to scale back on the number. In particular, we talked about kindergarten not needing brand new Chromebooks. We want to get them more on paper pencil, getting them doing more of the gross motor skills. So, we're looking at maybe just doing a cart for the kindergarten level and summer work. We have summer work both by teachers and administrators working on
005pacing guides and curriculum and things like that. We have summer work for PBIS for um there's a lot of acronyms I'm going to throw at you for positive behavior supports for the INRS team for skip for all of our different committees. A lot of them work meet in the summertime. Didn't get rid of any of them. Just scaled them back a little bit. Also, we use students as summer workers. We like to have our students work in the summertime. Some of the kids really enjoy that and like that as an extra thing to do both for custodial maintenance, I'm sorry, for maintenance and for painting. And again, we don't want to not have that. But we dialed back the number of hours a day. So instead of six hours, we're going to budget them for
006four hours a day in order to be able to get that budget down the way that we did. Any questions on the presentation? And if they're number stuff, ask her. Uh so there was a line um that said admin I think was like 790,000 something like that and then you have general central admin which is 1.1ish million like what is what falls under general or central admin? >> Sure. So um general admin would be the superintendent's office. um anything to deal with her her running that office. It's also her secretary plus um assistant superintendent is in that line item. It's not just all salaries. It's also workshops, supplies, any um kind of memberships, any kind of um the our hiring software is is uh in there as well. um under 11 under the other um
007is the school administration and and my office. So it would be the princ all the principles are in there um the business office and also technology and it's not again it's not just all salaries it's uh just sort of the same thing that I just mentioned softwares that we use in the business office supplies for um the offices um any PD for them workshops they would like to attend >> okay >> any Any other questions? >> Uh, question. >> Just wanted to clarify when you talked in the beginning, you mentioned the little over 300,000 that would have been over and put in banked capped if we had taken the 1.1, >> add some other numbers. Um, that is not going to exist. So, we will have zero in banked cap. Correct. >> Or how much
008will we have in banked cap? >> No. Um so since we did not use all the 1.1 that was allotted to us only using the 858,000 that leaves 319,000 in bank cap. And what bank capped is is we they allow us to use that over the next three budgets or next three year budgets I should say. Yeah. >> And I think if we have that and God forbid healthc care goes up again as extraordinarily high as it did this year, we would have to figure out how to get that money before with like a tax increase or something like that before we could go into the bank capped. Am I correct on that? >> So, I'm just trying to make sure I understand. >> Yeah. So, bank capped will, like I said, will be there
009for the next three years. Um, if we are allotted a healthc care adjustment next year, I I'll just say we have to use that first before we can touch the banked cap. Um and just to be clear, bank cap um as as it's great because there is things like say our healthcare does increase or something catastrophic happens and we need to use that money. We we would be able to use that uh it's like sort of like a a safety. >> Did I answer your question? >> Okay. Does the district have any bank cap from previous years? And I'm only asking because this is my first go round on the budget here. >> Uh >> nor has it been utilized every year prior to this. >> We have not had bank cap. We've used our
010adjustments um that we've been allotted. >> They were small >> the small adjustments. Last year's um uh healthcare adjustment was only 195,000. Um now we're not the only school that has such a large healthcare adjustment this year. Um, I don't know if you've seen, um, newspaper articles, um, things on the social media of other local school districts that are in the same situation, um, because of healthc care costs increases. >> You look like you >> question. I just wanted to clarify that when you say banked, it it seems as if it's money that's there and we're just holding into it. It is an opportunity to revisit um another source of income, but it is not something that we've decided on and it's not something that's just sitting there waiting for us to use. It would
011be another thing that we would have to consider and and vote on. Um it's just uh you know in the discussions during the operations meeting we did feel more comfortable trimming more this year from what we're asking um knowing that if everything goes south that we would have a bit of a cushion there uh to open back up next year. That's about it. Um just again I was confused by banked you know even last year and everything and um it's a little hard to wrap your brain around but yeah it's not banked banked as in sitting in the bank is correct. It is hard to wrap your head around it and it's not something like we would still have to vote on using that bank cap if we were to use it. Um thank you
012very much. We know that you've put many many many Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought, Andrea, I apologize. >> Yep. >> No, go ahead. >> Um, under the general admin, the 1.1 million. Um, can you just give us I can account in my head for about half of that, but can you just like I know workshops, but then what else? >> I don't have a specific breakdown in front of me. Um, I would have to look in my uh budget book just real quick of what specific line items, but also in that You know what? I'm sorry. I I do now that um it is the um auditing fees. It's your solicitor >> attorney fees are in there. Um also in there is your um postage. Um it's also um communication which would be your
013telephones. All of um our wireless phones plus our Comcast that we use for our internet is in that in those line items as well. >> Would that also be website maintenance and >> uh yes in that line item. Those line items are predetermined, correct? You're not just arbitrarily and capriccious putting things everywhere. That's where those things >> Oh, no. That is specific from the state guidelines >> from the chart of accounts. It's called to be technical. >> I know you you say the lines and we don't know them. You do and that was the reason why. >> Okay. Thank you. Anyone else have a question? Any other questions? >> Yeah, just >> Okay, >> just clarifying like you said, we don't pick where things go. There is a there is an outline. There are specifications
014of which bucket all of these different things have to go in. So, we don't get to say, "Oh, I'm going to move it here or put it there." There's very specific that Deb knows and I don't I sit down and with her and come up with the whole thing and then she puts them in the spots they need to go. But there are very specific. It's all specified by code. >> Thank you very much. And thank you for the multitude of hours spent on this. We do appreciate it. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Burke. Um, the board of education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on school matters of community interest. In order to permit the fair and orderly
015expression of such comment, the board has set aside two portions of the board meeting for public comment on any school or school district issue that a member of the public feels may be of interest of the residents of the school district. For the first portion, this portion, public comments are invited on matters pertaining only to the agenda for tonight's meeting. For the second portion, and it's not labeled in here, but we will have a second portion after um well, I'll note it, but there is another portion for any questions if anybody in the community has a a question. Um those public comments are invited on all matters pertaining to the school district. Participants should announce their name, address, and any group they may represent if applicable. The board reserves the right to limit public discussion.
016Public discussion of a topic may be limited to 15 minutes, and individual speakers will be limited to three minutes. No participant may speak more than once on the same topic unless all others who wish to speak on that topic have been heard. referenced our bylaw 0167 of the Ottabon Public School Board of Education manual. The board uses the public comment period as an opportunity to listen to citizens. Not all issues brought to the board meeting will be resolved at that particular meeting. Complaints stated or actions requested by the public may be taken under advisement by the board for investigation, discussion, action or disposition at a later time or date. The public comment sessions are an opportunity for citizens to share their opinions and remarks with the board. It is not a question and answer period.
017The board may or may not respond to public comments at the time they are made and is under no obligation to do so. The board does not endorse public comments, nor will the board be held liable for comments made by members of the public. Any individuals who may be the subject of public comments, including district employees, shall retain all rights against defamation and slander according to the laws of New Jersey. So, at this time, does anybody have any questions regarding agenda items only? And please come to the podium for pardon me. Oh, questions or comments? I apologize. >> My name's Robert Goldburn. Is there a way where we could get financial statements uh balance sheets, income, expense sheets, cash flow related to the department of of education for the school? I saw some accounts here
018as we did, but I would love to get the granularity uh in your financial statements. So there um as far as the budget um if you do go on to our website there is um under the business office user friendly budget um and they're there from prior years okay as well. Now this particular one is not on there and won't be on there until um 48 hours after the public hearing. >> And the public hearing is this hearing here? No, the public hearing is April 29th. >> Okay. And is there a way for us to look at that in order to be better prepared for the pro public hearing? >> I'd like to be enabled and informed with those numbers so that way I can have better questions and >> correct. Um, so it does
019need to be uh it first of all tonight is for the board members to vote on the tenative budget to submit to the county office. The county office has to approve the budget that we put forward. >> They might have some changes that need to be made. Um just making sure every they they review everybody's budget in the county. Um after that it is um has to be advertised and it will be advertised on our um website. Um so you will have a chance uh to see it there. It has to be up four days before the public hearing. >> Okay. Okay. >> So that's April 29th. Okay. >> Um is the public hearing. So it would be up by that Friday. The Friday before. >> Okay. Okay, my last question would be the information
020that I'd like would I'd like it to be as granular as possible and not a truncated simplified rendition that that that is that that really doesn't get into the nitty-gritty that I would like to read um is what's provided that with including like when you look at financial statements at the end of the financial statements you'll have all the notes and that is where the difficult questions are answered often. Um, that's the type of information that I would love to be able to get if possible. >> Well, the advertised budget is going to be the same for every school district. Um, it is probably not in as much detail that you want it. >> Um, it is definitely broken down more than what we presented tonight. >> Okay. Um, >> you look at the budget
021that >> but yeah, if you went to the user friendly budget that does have a little bit more meat to it, I want to say >> um that uh you could you could look at but um if you'd like to give me a call um I don't know how much more information I can give you without it being approved by the county first or you know >> so I'll look online and I'll be able to get that online again. Can you tell me where could I >> It's at our Audabon website. >> Okay. >> Um and it's under the business office. >> Okay. Thank you very much. >> All right. Thank you. Anyone else question or comment? >> How you doing? Pat Green 449 Washington Terrace. Um first of all, when we do our flag
022salute, I was wondering if we could move the flag out front instead of having it hidden back there. for a meeting. I mean, it' be only be appropriate number one. U number two, I have a question. Um, under the general administration that we were talking about earlier, um, line by line items, um, I guess I could review that from prior years under the user friendly budget means it's not available now. >> Okay. >> It is there all the all the line items for every year are are broken down the same way. Okay. And uh last question. You had something that was showing up on the board. The average assessment of a home. Where did you say you got that information? >> Um yes. That comes from the tax assessor from Audabon Barrow. From the Barrow.
023>> From what I'm gathering, the assessed value of a home is going down in Audabon. >> Well, >> is that what I read? It's no, it went up $200, >> but the assessed the number that you had up on the screen >> was $24,700. >> Yes, >> that's the average assessed home in Ottabon >> Barrow. Now, the way um I did talk to the assessor just uh >> as far as um >> I thought I thought it would go up higher as well. Um but he said that the only it doesn't go up much yeartoear. The um the reason is is because you would need to be re-evaluated, >> right? And that's a state law every 10 years your house. >> Yeah. He said that's usually about every 15 years is what >> the state
024law is every 10 years, but that's okay. I'll take 15. >> And um he said you that Audabon is probably going to go through a reevaluation in the next few years. >> Right. And I just thought that there was different numbers up there that I had seen on that um >> screen that you had. >> 500 for last year, 204700 for this year. >> Yeah. >> Went up by $200. >> Yeah. >> That was that. And I was just curious how you came up with that number. So I go talk to the tax assessor and he'll give me that. >> The tax we don't know either. >> It don't sound right to me >> because that's what your taxes are based upon your assessed value of your home, your tax rate. And that's why I
025wanted to make sure it was correct. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you. I think when you get um your tax bill, I think from the bureau, it says what your I think it might say what your assessed value is and it's not the same as market rate. So, I think that's where there's um a lot of confusion of like how could it possibly be 204,000 when I know I just bought this house for 379 or whatever. It's they're they're different pieces of information. So, but I think >> Oh, no. No. Your tax no that stays the same for 10 years, >> right? So, People are saying, "How could it possibly be that low?" I think it's because we think about what the market rate of homes is. >> I was just curious how they
026came up with two different figures. >> Yeah. Would go up even if it's supposed to >> without the town notifying anybody in 10 years time. That's what my question was. >> I got we just get the information from the town. That's what has been reported. That's the only thing we can go by. Uh anyone else? Okay. Lori Cassidy, 229 East Atlantic Avenue. Uh, first of all, thank you for all your prioritizing and number crunching. I know this is not an easy thing to do. Um, I wanted to ask if there was any, um, anything in the process of looking to outside revenue sources, uh, more like local businesses, kind of like in Philadelphia, they're trying to tap into different things that they can help to balance their school budget. Could we look into any of
027our businesses? is I mean we have Walmart, we have Acme, we some big things there where we may be able to get some extra revenue. I know there's a big car wash going in. Is there any way to tap into something new coming in to have us get more revenue and not have to cut any more than you've already done? And then the second thing, certainly we're not the only uh school district that's impacted with all of the health care costs and everything that's going on. Are there any grants or aids are out there that is out there that we can apply for? and are you hearing anything different from el other districts on creative things that they're doing cuz obviously there's a lot of people in the same predicament. So kind of just three
028things actually four. Thank you. Extra revenue, any local businesses and any grants or opportunities for additional funding. Thank you, >> Miss Cassidy. Thank you. Anyone else questions or comments? All right. Seeing none, this portion is closed. An opportunity at the end. All right. So, we have nothing for governance. We're going to move on to operations. Uh, Mr. Gaddy. >> Yes. Um, I can't remember what we talked about last night. No, it was the budget for sure. It was the budget. So, um, but there is, uh, two things. First of all, um, we're being asked to, uh, approve the submission of the tenative budget to the county office. We also have a motion to authorize the business administrator to submit the preschool expansion aid budget narrative and preschool expansion aid budget workbook for the next school
029year. Um before we vote and everything again I want to make sure I acknowledge all the work that has been put in by Miss Allen and Miss Ron Casease and their staffs on an even tighter schedule than usual because of the new governor and for the cooperation of Mr. Burke, all the principles, directors and everyone else who contributed to this budget. So I appreciate that. >> Thank you, Mr. Gaddy. Anything to add, Miss Allen? Okay. May I have a motion for items one and two under operations? Oh. Oh, because it's a roll call. Sorry. May I have a motion for item number one under operations? >> Okay. Roll call, please. >> Andrea Robinson, >> yes. >> Bill Wilson, >> yes. >> Michelle Kennedy, >> yes. Alison Cox, >> yes. >> Mark Gaddy, >> Sarah Coolen,
030>> yes. >> Alison Lipsky, >> yes. >> Motion passed. >> Thank you. All right. May I have a motion for item number two on the agenda? >> Roll call, please. >> Bill Wilson, >> yes. Michelle Kennedy. >> Alison Cox, >> yes. >> Mark Gaddy, >> Sarah Coolen, >> Alison Lipsky, >> yes. >> Andrea Robinson, >> yes. >> Motion passed. Thank you. Okay. Um, we have nothing for education. Well, thank you everyone. Thank you. We can move forward. get that to county and continue moving forward. Um, we have nothing for education and nothing for human resources, but this opens up our second public presentation p comment question session. So, do I have anybody? Um, okay, that's not on here also, but we can do that first. I just wanted to say thank you to Miss Allen
031and Miss Ron Casease for listening to the feedback from the board last week and taking a look at areas that we could possibly reduce um the healthc care adjustment. Um I know that there's going to be pain points across the district and certainly none of us wanted that but we also are trying to balance the needs of the community members who already had a tax hike last year. Um certainly things are getting a lot more expensive and it's getting harder and harder to afford um a home here and elsewhere. Um however, we do still have our obligation to the students to provide um as good of an education as we can even with the cuts that you know are are being considered for that. Um I hope that between now and the final budget hearing
032there are some additional areas we say you know what we could actually cut that some more. all the marrier, you know what I mean? Um, but I do appreciate that you two kind of went back to it after hearing the feedback last week and and looked at some ways to trim some more. Thank you for that. any other board member add um you know in addition to perhaps finding new cuts and everything. Um I I had mentioned this at the last uh board meeting. The it happened last year when we had a chance for an extraordinary levy against local taxes and um having a 37% increase in our um insurance cost. Uh the state's response to that was we'll allow you to raise local taxes to cover this. Um when this budget was presented by
033the mayor by the governor um it was very much you know rookie governor and they want to hear and they want to solve this problem. And if you do speak, I would suggest um and I intend to speak to the state, send, you know, to whomever um the the assembly leader is from Camden County and let them know that the solution cannot be to keep hitting local taxes. We we're residents. We understand this and we understand that there's only so many times you can go to that will. And again, if Trenton is telling us that they want to hear this, well then let's let them hear that and let them know that this is just not sustainable. And I would hope in addition to cuts that they do come up with something other than go
034ahead and tax more. Um, and and I hope they hear that loud and clear because I will say this is also a fiscally conservative administration and if we were not hit with that uh insurance cost, this budget would look a lot different and it would serve our students better. So, >> thank you. Mark Bill, did you have something? Um, why not? I wanted to say first thank thanks to Miss uh Miss Allen and Debbie and and Sheamus and and the whole team. Um, I know it's a really difficult thing and it's time consuming and it's uh it's hard to find uh sometimes find a way to make something like this happen because I asked you what was it last week? feels like three months ago. But I asked you last week, I said there there's
035got to be something I really would like to see. What the And I know I'm a I'm a thorn in the side. I know. But see if we can find some cuts. And you found some cuts that the way it looks, it's not going to be terribly painful. Um everybody's tightening up. We're all tightening up at home. Things are costing more. And it's hard to ask just keep like Mark said, just keep going to that well without saying we're gonna tighten up too. and you found 300,000 which I really appreciate. Um because you know year after year going to that max that that that would be a big hit on on all the families here. >> We don't want to sacrifice what we're doing which is is so great. So hopefully this does both. And
036like you said, moving forward next year, maybe we're in a different situation. And hopefully what Mark said, people go and they they they health insurance costs can't keep happening, right? We can't keep seeing these 37% increases. Somebody needs to do something about this. And I don't know that people are advocating enough and trying to get change. So, I'm hoping that people take that message that Mark said seriously, go out and try to try to rally, get politicians to to take this seriously and make some real change. Uh because it's breaking breaking all of us. Um that said, thank you for this. Also, I'm really excited about the official uh you know, the the approval of the preschool. We're expanding. We're excited. I see you all fired up back there. That's great news. um that that
037school just keeps doing great things and and expanding. Thank you all so much. So, I appreciate that. Thanks, >> Sad. I'm sorry. Um I appreciate what you had to say. Um you actually made more than 300,000 cuts because we also had to make up for the fact that our our uh funding was cut as well. So, I want to acknowledge exactly do you have a number for that? Was it what would that total be that what we had to make up? It was 400 in addition to that. Yeah. Okay. So, >> when we sat here last week, we were still 400,000 over with having the 1.1 in there. >> So, we got rid of the 400,000 that was got that down and then continued because we heard you and that wasn't we're not just all
038right, we're good. We're there. Let's just call it quits. We just kept going and going until we went through every single line item. and I said it in operations and things like that, but I just want the public to know like we were very clear about going through every single line item. Um, everything was tightened, whether it was athletics or band, choir, uh, teacher supplies, teacher positions, uh, everything, you know, workshops that people are going to, how many they can go to, like I said, curriculum. there wasn't a technology there wasn't a line item that wasn't hit or squeezed a little bit even though athletics is my easiest example even though athletics uses almost all the money that they have in their budget. Okay, well you're going to have a little bit less in your
039budget so you're going to have to make it work with a little bit less than what you had last year. Um things like that. Uh you know everybody we talked about curriculum the things and the summer work that is very valuable. We've had the summer teachers, the teachers come to the board to tell you about the wonderful summer work they do and how valuable it is. And I'm not saying it's not valuable. I'm just saying that everything has to be squeezed. So I have to shave off a couple hours here and there on that stuff too. Not because it doesn't matter, but because I don't want to lose a person. I don't want to lose a teacher. I would rather lose a couple hours of this, that, and the other. So that was the mindset
040that we went through. And yeah, I mean, not the it was a week. It was a week ago that we told you we were 400,000 over and by yesterday we were done and had it down. So, I mean, it's not even like we had a full week to do it because we met with you all, you know, different times throughout the week. So, it is a lot. It's not fun. It's not fun sitting there looking at people's livelihood. It's not fun looking at, you know, things that, you know, are going so great in the district. You go, "Oh, yeah, this is really great. Let's get rid of it." Like, it's, you know, I want to keep this. I want to keep this. I want to keep this. And she's like, "Yeah, well, you can't." like,
041"Okay, fine. Can I have this and this?" Maybe. Um, so it really you really have to do a lot of negotiating and and weighing >> the way you did it where you you you spread it out a little bit more thin so everybody feels a little bit we all feel it at home, the taxpayers, the people and and we're in this together and then hopefully we get through a year and then we can we can re rebound. Great. And I just want to say the numbers, I mean, last week we were looking at potential raising of taxes of 9.58%. And all of us were like that, >> oh my god, right? with everything that's happening in this economy and where the world is right now and as what everyone else has said you you went
042through and you fine tooth combed and you tried everyone's going to feel it a little bit rather than a lot or one a lot I also want to point out that you took great care in looking at our strategic plan and the four primary focuses that because the input was um the community, all the stakeholders and all of those things are still in place. The mental health, you know, you found creative ways so that now we have, you know, a universal screener still, but it's free, you know, all these different things. We still have our mental health counselor. We still have these programs and other things that were primary focuses and part of the four uh primary focuses that of the strategic plan. And so I really appreciate that and I appreciate that you were
043able to bring that the amount that we're going to feel the actual number from 9.58% increase to 7.59% increase. Um that's 2%. That's that's that's significant. We wish that it was even less but unfortunately you know blood from a stone. So thank you so much. Anyone else? Okay, I reiterate everything that everyone said. I just want to say we are all Some people forget we're up here. We make decisions. We are taxpayers, too. So, it's going to hit our pocketbooks as well. Um, but what a better thing to put in our pocketbook than my neighbors kids coming to the school. I'd rather bank on eyeballs that I can see than something I can't. So, I'll do it all day every day. Okay. Um, anyone from the community? Any public comments that are not discussed yet?
044Anybody want to give us anything? Okay. >> Okay. >> I'd like to understand if there's what what is driving the >> Can you give me your name again? >> Yeah, sure. Sure. Robert Gulburn. I live on Logan Avenue. I' I'd like to better understand the driver for the health uh health care cost rising. I checked Jet Chat GPT and I've gotten some information, but I really would love to hear it from from from the team here where you're seeing it. What's the cause of it? Um you know, is it uh more people seeking health care? Is it the GLP as GPT says is? I would love to really understand where the rubber meets the road, what is driving this because we've seen a a phenomenal 30% outlandish uh and things overshoot. So, we'll see another
04530% perhaps next year or 20%. It's a big problem. I would love to understand for everyone what is actually what you're seeing and what could be done about it. Uh and maybe it's personal behavior on employees parts. So, thank you. Would you like me to answer that now? >> Yeah. >> So, uh thank you for your question. Um school districts have the options of uh you know being in different health insurance plans. Uh you there could be a private plan that they're with. Um there could be um a joint insurance like a HIF health insurance fund that they could be a part of. Um or you can be part of the state health benefits plan. Um and that's what Audabon is in. We're in the state health benefits plan. Um we've been in it before
046I came to the district in 2018. Um and the plan is a is a great plan um for the employees. Um but what's happening with it is the um maybe people that have private plans might be able to get um you know talk to their broker and get um more of a a reduced increase um or not yeah reduced increase um it's always going to go up. It's never going to go down. So, um, but state health benefits, you have, uh, school districts that are in it that, um, it's dwindling the amount of people that are in state health benefits. And the individuals or school districts that are in the plan um, are ones that maybe a a private broker doesn't want. And it could be because of their their usage, their experience rate. Um,
047and that's what we're experiencing right now here um in Ottabon. Um, so I think even next year there there it will be probably in double digits again the healthc care increase. Um, another thing with state health benefits uh plan is we run on a fiscal year. Our budget runs July to June. The state health benefit increase runs on a calendar year. So we saw an we saw that increase even though I budgeted 20% increase for it in the 2526 it went to 37. So our B our increase went up in one month 138,000 in January to cover. So, we are currently looking um at other options. I don't want I want the community to know that like we we just don't sit back and say, "Oh, great. We're going to have to accept that." Um
048we are actively shopping for other health care at this point. So if I if I understand what you said this some terminologies are new to me. So you said the state healthcare plan. Is that the plan that Audabban's in? >> What did >> I'm sorry. What did you say? >> What did you call the >> the >> Yes. The state health. >> Okay. So Ottabbon is part of the state health plan. >> State health benefit plan. >> Ah state auto sorry New Jersey state health benefit plan. So Audabon's part of that. Correct. If I understand what you said, other towns that may have been part of that are dropping out of that and finding cheaper alternatives through the private network. >> Correct. >> Uh and Ottabbon continues to to choose the state health. >> Well,
049we don't choose Well, I mean, we've shopped it um we started shopping three years ago just to um >> but our uh experience >> Yeah. is higher than the premiums. So, so we we are we're using our our our health plan. >> I see. So, the use of our health plan plan is making the attractiveness for a private plan less attractive than what the states >> correct. >> So, we're getting kind of ne negative selection and from the state perspective, they're experiencing negative selection and people that remain are more heavy users of health benefits. Yes. And that's filtering down through to the individual users from premium perspective. >> I got it. >> Yeah. >> Very good. >> Yeah. >> Can can I just add um >> we have surrounding communities who aren't on it. They
050are. They can shop them. They they seem attractive to it. Um I can tell you Collingswood had a 20% hit. >> Sure. >> Um it is not, you know, it's not it's >> it's a hit no matter what. I think um the you had asked you know what is causing this and I think um that the state sees it as something that's systematic it you know um health organizations are getting larger and you know and and there's less um choices out there so they can charge more. Um, again, you know, they look at us and say, "Well, you're using your insurance. We're not making money off of you, so we're not going to offer this to you." And again, that's something that the state has to I don't mean to keep pushing things on the
051state, but it's it's out of our hand that um you know, much like car insurance was a few years, you know, dozen years ago or so that it's so tight that there's just no uh >> So, from a from a managerial perspective, how how do you change the mentality of the staff to use less uh expect less, don't go to the doctors? as much uh perhaps not health. >> Yeah, sure. >> Um but how how what can be done to actually uh change our risk profile? So then a private sector will find our uh our our risk to them more appealable uh and and actually our risk to them uh at a level that is is a a better premium for us than what the state's providing. >> What can be done? I mean we're
052that's the question. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Something that we've will look into. Um I I yeah I do I do believe um that it's come in couple of our committee meetings about what could we do preventative is there um you know just bringing in maybe individuals from the healthc care um field and and talk to our our staff uh do a wellness day um things that you know if if you can see make you feel better start thinking about how it can be brought into your home or into the school um for that. >> Yeah. Um, I guess I was just mentioning the Debbie about the idea of uh and and the folks last night if if you want to try to encourage people to prioritize health and make sure they they are staying routinely.
053One of the ideas is, and this this speaks to directly your question, we make it a priority and and hope that it encourages them to make sure that they make it a priority. And this is something that uh where where my employer does um where we have uh wellness days where they bring in outside vendors and and and uh clinicians. They do uh blood pressures and and vision tests and things like that. Um they give uh sessions um where you you could do sessions where people um learn about new things that they need to know in terms of their health and wellness. Um but then just routine things like uh my employer will do a thing where every Wednesday is a dressed down day. I got changed to come here. Uh, I was wearing sweatpants
054all day because it's workout day and they give you a couple minutes in the day to be able to do a a quick walk, a power walk, hit the We got a little a little fitness center, something to encourage good health once a week. And that is a reminder to us to make it a priority to go to the, you know, do your do your routine medical stuff, get your, you know, find time to get some exercise, even if it's just little little bursts. And um and then they do raffles where if you do the exercises you you enter into the raffle and you get a little prize uh you know token prizes but it just encourages good habits and the good habits hopefully translate to a healthier in mental health and physical health health
055wellness um which then translates to hopefully uh lower lower medical bills for everybody uh which means lower premiums for the district, lower premiums for because don't forget when these premiums go up, it hits the teachers just as much as us because it comes out in, you know, the staff, it comes out of their, you know, they pay a portion of it, uh, a percentage. Um, and so it really, uh, just us trying to prioritize might might help them prioritize and hopefully you have that good positive outcome where you can start to you're still going to see increases, but maybe the increases are less and less and you can get out of this state Yeah. So, that's a great question. Literally, what has been front of our mind, I think, for a little while now, and
056uh mine especially, I I just desperately am with you. Get away from that that increase. >> Thank you, Bill. Anyone else from the community? >> Again, state your name. >> Yeah, Pat Green, 449 Washington Terrace. Um, we spoke earlier. He said it goes from 9.58% to 7.59%. That's still seven six 7.6% increase. I mean, I don't care how it ain't smoking mirrors, you know. Um, you say you don't want to make cuts, but you don't want to raise taxes. So, I mean, something has to give, you know? I mean, and it's year after year after year. What I'm going back to is um, and we'll talk about this healthcare. I remember Steve Sweeney years ago proposed that the teachers pay a portion of their health benefits and the teachers union was dead set against it,
057you know, um and they rose and they raised, you know, a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal against them and so on and so forth. And I was just curious if the burden I I know healthcare is outrageous. I understand that. But some of the burden has to go back on for these premiums that the teachers want. I mean, what portion do the do they pay for it now? Well, everybody's a little bit different of what on what they pay because it's based on um salary. Uh it also is based on possibly what um benefit they have whether it's family. >> So, they have plans that they can choose from. >> Well, correct. But right, you know, you have your your single >> family, >> parent, child, >> right? Yeah. >> Married spouse
058and and family. And then that that's what's determined on what they contribute. >> Um how much they contribute. >> And do you do contribute to it? >> You happen to know a percentage off the top of your head? If not, I'm not going to hold you to it. >> Uh I don't I don't have a percentage. Um but uh it's >> dictated by the state. Well, well, the formula is dictated by Right. Right. by by the state. >> No, I understand that. I understand that. >> Yeah. Uh I don't know a percentage off the top of my head, but it's it's probably with all of them. It's um ranges in the 700,000 that we collect from >> from the teachers >> from it's not just that's whole staff. Anybody on employee benefit whoever's on the
059plan, >> correct? Yeah. And of that 700,000, what did you say the total number was for the healthcare? >> 6 million. >> How much? >> About about 6 million. >> 6 million. >> Mhm. >> So taxpayers on the hook for 5,300. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else? How many are in staff? >> Please come to the podium. Thank you. >> Just to put that explain in context, how many are in the board of education and staff or how many are on staff total employees? >> Uh total employees there's probably about 250. >> So 250 >> that's not all in healthcare because um you know you have to there's part-time employees do not get healthare benefits. So we have 159 currently >> I see on on health on the healthcare. >> So
060if it's roughly 150 and the bill is 6 million that would be whatever that quotient is >> as a premium per per employee. >> I'm sorry. On average say that again. >> Sure. The premiums that we pay are that are paid are six million. And if there's 150 employees, um the per employee on average, the per per employee premium annually would be about what? >> Yeah, that's right. >> Yeah. 37,000. Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Anyone else? Okay. Seeing no, we're going to close public portion. That's a big >> Well said, Bill. Thank you. >> I think if any of us have ever had to go on Cobra, do you understand when it's coming out of your pocket fully? % >> it is you all of a sudden realize like oh god I was
061mad about the amount I was paying towards my health insurance when I have this job but now that I have to pay it out it's shocking but it's we are a forprofit healthcare nation you know and I think we're one of the only you know ones in the world that are you know the same level of you know >> first world nation Most of them, if not all, are universal healthcare and we are for profit and unfortunately if they want to, if it's for profit, they're trying to make as much profit as they can. >> Thank you. All right. So, we have no reason to go into executive session. So, that's off the agenda. And, um, just a couple things. Uh, our next meeting um is a our next regular scheduled board meeting is April
06215th here in the media center at 6:30. Um, our public hearing on the budget, so that will be the final budget when it comes back from county if we have to make any edits or changes. Um, and that will be April 29th at 7. Correct. Okay. And um, so if there's nothing else, May I have a motion to adjurnn? Second. >> All right. Um, roll call, please. >> No, you don't need a roll call. >> Okay. Okay, it's there. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? All right. See you. Thank you for putting up with me.