001The Wi-Fi at my work is very very slow right now. I hope this works. >> It's somewhat working. >> The audio is working, not so much the video. >> Sometimes if you turn the video off, it's a little better. >> Maybe I'll turn off the video. Yes, I'm going to do that. >> Okay. All right, it looks like we have a quorum, so we can call the meeting to order. And we have Do we have any public comment this evening? I do not see any members of the public to comment, nor do I see any hands raised. So, we will move things over uh for discussion on the budget, and I'll turn things over to Superintendent Caruso. >> Okay, thank you. Good evening, everybody. Um let me just try to share my screen here. I'd
002like to thank uh thank us all for all the work that she's been done behind the scenes um and the teachers, administrators, all the leadership team for all the work behind the scenes. And I have had conversations with the board along this process about um all the moving parts and all the variables that come up and things changing on a day-to-day basis. And I know sometimes it can be frustrating for people not to know what exactly is going to be cut each time there's a reduction made. Um but until the actual budget is passed and we know what the final number is, it's really hard to put all these pieces of the puzzle together. So, um this is a culmination what you're seeing right now is a culmination of months of work. Um and so,
003what you see right here is FY27 proposed BEA budget with 17,668,433, which which was an increase of 5.17. On March 6th, we realized some health insurance uh savings because it came under uh what we had originally budgeted. So, we had some savings of 139,486 dollars there. Due to some life events, um some people taking insurance that not had not taken it previously or going from a single to two-person or single to family, um that ate away at some of the savings. So, we ended up saving 54,767 um because of projected life events, and that brought our budget down to 4.84%. On May 7th, um the Finance Committee reduced us another 325,853, bringing us down to 2.9% after the first referendum failed. We reduced 78,411. That brought us to 2.43%, and then on June 3rd, uh
004when that second referendum failed, we reduced another $60,000, bringing us to 2.08. So, that budget did pass, and once it passed, we were able to um again put all the pieces of the puzzle together um and see if we could piece all the savings together to equal that total reduction, which is what you see here under personnel. Um health insurance savings, we reduced the BCS computer teacher 1.0 FTE. You can see what that saved us. Uh BPS administrative assistant in the original proposed budget, we had reduced that to a 0.5 position. Um after the second referendum referendum failed, we reduced it uh completely. Uh we were had to reduce another paraprofessional position. Like I discussed in the last uh board meeting, we restructured the teacher leader positions, which was a savings of almost $60,000. I
005want to thank the BEA for their participation in that and their understanding of the need to um reimagine what that team looks like so we can still reap the benefits of teacher voice in in that the table um in doing a more fiscally responsible way. Uh we had to reduce one Bolton Center School building substitute daily substitute, so other substitute teachers and other teachers will have to pick up uncovered classes. Um we were were able to find some more savings in stipend reductions, and then there was a variety of staffing changes that we're getting creative to uh realize some savings there. Um one is we have an open position and um we anticipate potentially being able to hire at um if that if that comes to fruition. Um if we had a hiring um at
006the same rate, then it wouldn't we wouldn't realize the savings there, we'd realize it somewhere else. Uh another staffing change, we're trying to be get creative again with some people that are going to be out and in lieu of getting long-term substitute teachers, we are able to provide coverage for them internally. Um and that creative strategy is netting us about 87,000 in savings. So you can see the total personnel salary and benefits 469470. Um transportation came a little under budget, which we were excited about at 49,561. You add those together, and that comes up to our final budget adjustments of 519031, taking us down at 2.50% increase. >> So for the sake of discussion, could we have a motion, please, to um adopt the superintendent's 2026-2027 budget recommendations? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay,
007what do we have for questions or comments or uh objections or what have yous? >> What does the elimination of the computer teacher do? Does it change programming or is it just going to be covered in other ways? >> Good question. Yes, it is going to change the program a little bit. Um we are going to find coverage for it internally. So, we've already had conversation with the teacher who'll be taking over those classes. Um it may limit the number of classes she's able to do in combination with her current role. Um but we we feel very confident that she will be able to take on a bulk of um the computer classes that were in place this year. >> But they'll still be like computer-focused classes cuz I know when world language was eliminated
008in the upper elementary levels, like in grade six, they don't get world lang anymore and so they do a study skills class. Um >> Yes. >> I I don't want to subject the kids to another hour of that a week. >> No, you you um I'm on the same page you are. It's an an um No, it's a valid concern. It's a valid comment. Um that's something that uh Principal Gear and I have had conversations about that exact point. Uh we were able to we were able to have early conversations with the teacher about this change potentially happening for next year. So, she's already hit the ground running and seeing at how she can um The truth of the matter is even the way the computer pro- the computer classes were, I think there's room
009for um uh I think there's room for some changes and room for some improvements to happen. So, I kind of look at this as an exciting like clean slate. Like let's take some things that were really um helping kids out. >> that it changes yearly. And there's new things that you can It's not one of those types of curriculums that you can just rinse and repeat. >> Exactly. So, I think having a fresh face in there doing it and and like I said she's already done a lot of research and try to get some professional development to make sure that she's giving students the most relevant computer experience that she can, which is exciting for me because I I look at it as a way to actually enhance our program and again make it more
010relevant for our kids. So, no it's not going to be a filler type of a thing. It's going to be computer based and in with the world of AI, I don't know you know, we'll see where that goes, but I can I can envision us like building those tools into the class as well. >> Good question. >> I had a question about the the dollar amount of the savings seems to be more than what a regular 1.0 FTE position earns. Like is that because of needing less other computer things? >> No, it's it's um salary and health insurance. >> Oh, okay. Yeah, the health insurance I guess. >> Yeah. Yeah, that's a big chunk. That's Yep. Good catch, but when I started seeing these numbers I was like, "Wait a minute cuz I saw whoa,
011what is it?" She's like, "No, it's the benefits." So, the health insurance really skews the numbers a little bit. >> Yeah. I don't know if when if that can should be added in parentheses to help the regular public better understand that number cuz I think many will have that same question. >> Yeah. >> So, people know it's salary and benefits. >> Right. Um yes, it does say at the bottom total personnel salary plus benefits in parentheses for the total number of savings. Yeah, fair point. Any other questions? I appreciate the board's patience patience through all this. Um I know I'm I'm sure you had some wonderings along the way. Um as did I. >> [laughter] >> Um and uh so I think we landed in a in a good place. I think we we have
012a responsible budget that reflects the needs of our students and our staff and I'm very confident we're going to be able to provide them with what they need to continue providing our kids with a a high-level elite educational experience. That they deserve and that they're used to. >> Yeah. >> I think this shows responsible stewardship. Like it's never easy to eliminate positions, but if this tightens us up for the future, too, it's just setting us up in a really good position. So, um thank you for for the hard work it took to do this. Couldn't be easy. >> Yeah, I appreciate it, Ben. It's It's not easy. Um you know, you're talking about people's livelihoods and you know, and what our kids are going to be able to experience. We want to make sure that,
013you know, we're trying to make Bolton Public Schools as great as it possibly can be to keep kids in Bolton and to attract kids to Bolton. Um and one way to do that is make sure we maintain the services and the the programs and the the staffing that we have in in school. So, one thing I've challenged our leadership team with is try to be creative, think outside the box, and and reimagine different ways to do things that may end up being better um where we can. So, um I think the team has done a really good job of that this year. I'm extremely proud of the work that they've done. Um and I'm I'm thankful for them coming into this with an open mind and as the board as well. >> I think this
014shows the town, too, that we're willing to listen and and make difficult decisions when we have to when that's, you know, what the community's voice is asking us to do. >> Yeah, agreed. >> Um >> I saw okay, so we eliminated a building sub at the center school. Where does that leave us for regular building subs at the center school? >> There'll be three building regular building subs at the center school right now going into next year. >> And that's sufficient you think? >> Yeah, I had multiple conversations with with Principal Girard about it. And again, it came it wasn't an easy decision to make Ben. It was it was are we going to be okay without it? I hope so. I think we will be. It's something we're going to keep an an eye
015on. I'll keep my thumb on the pulse of that and have ongoing conversation with him about how that's going. But but to your point, it's fair to say like if it's not going well, it might be something I have to revisit in next year's budget proposal. You know, if it's really detrimental to the logistics and ongoing day-to-day operations of the building, then it might be something we have to revisit. But he felt pretty confident based on our number of absences this year and coverage needs and all those things that we could absorb it. And the truth of the matter is it was that or something that we felt would be more impactful. So I elected to do the the the building sub at this point time. >> Thank you. All these things were choices over
016other things that we felt were worse choices. >> Yeah. >> [snorts] >> All right, anybody else? All those in favor of the motion, please say I. >> I. >> Anyone opposed or abstaining? I think I heard everybody. All right, and on to our final agenda item. Do we want to have a presentation of any kind or just anything to say about I know we just discussed it in executive session. >> Yeah, I don't have a presentation of the final document because we're still working on the graphics and finalizing that, but it is the same document that I I showed this board at a during executive session a couple weeks ago. Um it's a it's a 5-year strategic plan that I'm extremely proud of. Um I think it's important to note that um part of the
017collaborative team that developed this plan were students at the high school, parents, multiple parents, um staff members, administrators, our first selectman. We had a variety of different perspectives at the table. Um and this was months of I think we were six or seven work sessions that we uh took to put this together and it started with what we feel is important for our students in Bolton, what we love about Bolton, what we want to uh enhance, and what we overall what we want the school experience to look like for our students. Um and we had great conversations. I think the document really captures uh the desires of of this committee, of our team, and um I'm really excited to roll it out to the staff at convocation. I know some of the teacher leaders will
018be working on it this summer time putting together the school plans. I think it's going to provide a nice road map for the staff to uh make sure that each thing they're doing every day is aligned to the strategic plan and so all our oars are rowing in the same direction and we have a lot of high-level coherence throughout the district. >> All right, so we're looking for a motion to approve our new 5-year strategic plan. >> So moved. >> I'll second. >> Does anyone have any other questions or comments? >> No, nothing other than to say that I was really with like the diversity of the experience that we had on the committee and I was really happy with where we ended up and I'm really excited, you know, that my kids are in
019the school system and gets to take advantage of this coming up. So, uh, very happy where we landed with this. >> Yes, great work. Um, I know it's a lot of work and a lot of perspectives and um, I'm confident that it's going to help guide us into the future. And anyone else? All those in favor, please say I. >> I actually saw everybody, so that was passed also and we're looking for a motion to adjourn. >> So moved. >> I'll second. >> Oh, I'll go for it, Jen. >> [laughter] [snorts] >> All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Happy summer, all. >> Thank you. Yeah, thank you for coming, everybody. Happy summer and just a little birdie told me a little while ago that the new playground is all signed, sealed,
020and delivered. They're going to break ground next week and it will be done well prior to the start of the school year. >> That's really exciting. Thanks for your flexibility in doing this on Zoom, everybody. I appreciate it. >> Night. Thank you. >> Have a good one. >> Bye.