Voluntown BOE Meeting 3/5/26

001Are we live? Recording. >> Not live. >> Live. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Hello everyone. Excuse me. We'll call the um March board meeting to order at 602. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, please. >> Okay. Present we have Kate Berlant, Megan Wixs, >> present. >> Um Kathy Grant is at present, absent. Um Ara Kawwara, >> Valerie Musciano, >> yes, >> Suzanne Miller. >> Rachel Ricard also present. Scott Feder, >> Lloyd Johnson, and myself. Great. >> Nearly a full house. I know Amy's over at the family fun night. So, let's get the mission statement. The Volunt Board of Education's mission is to provide our students with skills essential to reach their highest

002potential in a safe environment for learning as they aspire to become responsible, respectful, and civic-minded members of of society. We commit to help educate, challenge, and inspire each child to excel as lifelong learners who can adapt constructively in an everchanging multicultural and technological world. Our agenda looks pretty um pretty uh boring compared to compared to some of our other ones. We don't have a lot of guests or whatnot, but the major focus is the budget and some policies. So hopefully we can cook through to the important stuff. Um so no public comments or guests that Seeing >> none areas. All right, great. We can um move on to item number two, the consent agenda. >> Can I just ask that? >> Okay. any other reasons to discuss her. We will um make a motion to

003approve the BOE minutes as amended motion >> or the consent agenda and the BOE minutes from 219 as >> second. All in favor? >> I oppose. None. Motion passes. >> Moving to item number three, administrative reports and updates. So, um we have Amy's report here. They're quite busy. We can we can uh amend anything that she uh goes to here, but you're moving right ahead. May to prepare for all and we can move to director of student services, Mr. Johnson. >> Okay. Have a copy of my report. Um Scott and I have been working together on um Medicaid reimbursement. he's uh recommended a company that other districts are using. Uh and I reached out I found out that the the company that uh provides us occupational physical therapy they they're using that particular service um

004probably because of um no public school. So we're we're beginning that process. Um um we're starting to schedule transition meetings for our eighth graders going into you know high school. Uh we um the last links I don't know if I've spoken about before but last links is a statemandated uh assessment that's given yearly to uh any students in the school where in the home a second language is spoken. And um we have um I don't know less than 10 students that fall into that situation. Once they uh pass the test, they don't have to take it again. Okay. It's um a competency competency kind of assessment in the area of reading, writing, listening, speaking. Uh it's uh grade specific starting at grade K and going up through high school. And um Emily Nelson has been

005trained and she She's doing assess assessments for us. Started last week and hopes to finish um this week. The results come in uh late in the spring and we provide the results to the data teams to take a look at how those students are doing. Um we don't provide any special differentiated instruction. We don't have a teacher of the um um language learners. Most of them are pretty uh know our language pretty well. But this this gives us additional information just to make sure that uh the kids are progressing as well as expected. We started um using the grant and Scott's mentioned uh it may be a two-year grant. So that'll help us next year also. That's it. >> Any questions? Excuse me. >> Either budget or politics. >> I'm thank a second budget presentation.

006We will do a little bit of a review and then get into the new stuff. um that we we talked about last week. Um one of our conversations we have to have is school calendar. As you know, we've had five um closed days thus far and that's it though. That's it. There's no more. We will have executive session tonight. We did have a visit from the fire marshal and there were some things that uh he wants us to remediate. He's actually coming back next Thursday. We'll be walking around and uh we're already addressing all the issues, but we'll walk around next Thursday. Give him a chance to come and see how he has. >> So, >> just to clarify, that's the chief of or like >> Jody. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Like the state. >>

007Oh, boy. >> Yeah. Well, I know they have I know Jody does most of that, but I wasn't sure. >> This one was good. >> Yeah. Um, as always, my schedule, um, just everyone's aware, my schedule varies and changes, uh, because when there's different events and stuff, I want to try to attend. So, this week, my schedule changed and I'll also be here tomorrow. We have um spelling tomorrow and so I guess you'll see that in the morning. But if you ever need me and I did lose my phone, you can always just call. So just as always reminder, it doesn't matter what my schedule is for phone calls, emails, and texts. Doesn't doesn't matter. I don't wait till the next day. I just answer as soon as I see an actual. >> You've seen

008more Scott emails in this month than I know. Budget season. Budget season. Now we have snow season on top. >> Snow season. Yes. >> I will say just just so everyone can hear this, right now we are over 20,000 in snow. Wow. >> Yeah. >> And that's not even a bad deal. >> Yeah. >> Andrew AMC is a good guy. If we need him to come out, he comes out. Like the other day when we were having that, there was discussion the other day amongst the superintendents about closing doing early release call before the day started. That was for >> I don't even know anymore. Every day. Um >> but so you know called up Andrew. I said, "Andrew, you need to come." Today was Tuesday. >> Yeah. >> The day the snow was supposed

009to come. It was Tuesday. It was definitely Tuesday. >> And we're like, you know what? >> We said no. First of all, we all we all like if you have elementary school, the last thing in the world we ever want is it is an early unannounced or even an announced >> early >> cuz you're stuck with about 30 kids. >> These parents are not home, not answering the phones, not around >> cuz they have lives and they're not expecting them or whatever. It's a mess. Um, so we all rejected it and um, we said, "Oh, we'll take we'll take our chance and see what happens." But we did have him come out, for example, and and do a big sanding that day. So, just in case, do the best that we can. So, with that

010said, it's a lot of money. We don't own a plow, a plow truck, so everything is farmed out for this except for the um sidewalks. Brian, on on top of this, Brian had scheduled time off. >> Yeah, he still he still figured out and it all worked out. We were still fine. We didn't we could do about those three days we were closed. >> I was like, "You're taking the snow blower out." Yeah. >> Yeah. I couldn't get on my lot for a little while. Um it was funny. You know, you look you look on Facebook and my where I live and yet people like, "Why are they not plowing the Cuz it's 33 inches of snow." >> Like where do you want them to put this out? Like, can we please just realize this

011is like record-breaking snow? >> What do you want to do here? >> So, but it's good. We, you know, we called the snow days. Um, I've not heard from parents in a negative way of any kind. I think people understood what this actually was, which is appreciated and um and we're dealing with it. So, tonight we'll talk a little bit later about the calendar and uh we'll go from there. But other than that, my my big report will be budget. And the next meeting, just as a preview for you, it'll be budget >> and then >> budget. So you'reware. >> That's it. Did I go? Okay. >> Any nonbudget questions for I feel like I've asked this question before, but why doesn't town allow parking lot? I don't cuz they plow our roads. >> Yeah,

012I mean actually they did help. They did help in the back of the yard. They did sand and do some work for us there. >> I wonder if there's like a like >> Well, I can I can tell you my conversations with Brian uh and >> they have the entire town. >> Yeah. >> And they are not overstaffed. >> Sure. >> In fact, I'm kind of shocked at how many staff they don't have >> to do this. So adding anything, I think at their point >> their their responsibility is the town. >> Yeah. >> And right now the way they're separated right now is the school is separated from that. and why the history I don't know but I I do know that um you know Brian really wanted to make sure the town was

013>> you know so we haven't approached that so >> money it's going to cost money either way >> either way it cost money either way it cost money it's certainly not something it's certainly something that could easily be looked at but this is the way it was kind of set up so both Brian and I are both new >> so this is the way it was set up >> ask question I don't >> I don't know the history of I don't think they've ever thought that I I've been here like 20 years. They haven't >> I know when I when >> I think it's always they're too busy. >> Well, I can imagine they wouldn't be too busy. >> Yeah, >> especially this particular >> Yeah, I mean it could be a thing. >> It

014could be by curious. >> It could be what their responsibilities are. That's a union as well >> and it could be that that union has a certain parameters to it >> and that could be the stopper right there. So >> it's not that big of an area. >> No, but again, there could be things that we don't I don't I don't know. >> Yeah, totally. We'll get into that. I think after this season, >> it's worthwhile for everyone to talk >> about how we can do things anyway. >> And um I think the concept of sharing services, >> whether it be within the town and also outside of the town, is a pretty big deal. And uh when your school is shrinking and your surrounding small districts are shrinking, >> you have to start thinking

015different, >> right? >> And uh so there's nothing wrong with approaching that question at all. >> Yeah. How many years do we have the contract with injured for? Because I know we >> two we did a two-year um with him. Uh the rates were exceptionally, you know, positive even though it's extremely expensive. And these snows um were, you know, off the charts. You know, 30 30 inches value next year. >> You know, it changes it changes it because you have a 2 inch rate and then Andrew wants a 3-in rate, which is very normal in the industry, uh having done this before. It it is what it is. I mean, and no, no budget nobody's budget was prepared for this. >> Like the town's budget, I'm sure, wasn't prepared. Our budget wasn't prepared. our neighboring

016districts budgets weren't prepared because for the last five, six, seven, eight years, it's been I mean snow days for most years. So, and even if you did ice, not really 30 in of snow. So, >> and I think he was the only one that came in the best price. Yeah. like >> the stand >> when you RFP you you you you take the price >> get anybody >> No, we had we had multiple bids but he came in. >> Yeah. And he's local and if you need him he comes over and so >> that's not the battle right now, you know, having liability. >> Yeah, reliability is huge. >> And they put they can handle it. >> They do. >> All right. Okay, we can move on to um old business, the budget proposal. Budget.

017>> All right, so bring this up. >> Yeah, just in case >> I have to log in. One second. >> Should I pause it while we get set up? I'm >> going to be logged in in a few seconds. Okay. And then do it. recording in progress. >> You got to mute your >> mute yourself. There you go. Okay. Okay. So, I can sh Okay. Did you You going to use yours or do you want? >> Okay. >> All right. So, this is >> mute this. >> I already muted. >> How about now? >> All right. So, this is um budget version 2.0. So, at our last meeting, we did a few things. So, we have two visitors who were unable to make last meeting. So, we can do a review. I want to make

018sure. So, I know this is >> anybody that number. >> Is she correct? >> Last year's budget. >> Very nice. Okay. >> 10% of last year's No, I said 1%. >> Now, we are going to have a math lesson at the next meeting. >> Not obviously from the math teacher. >> So, that was our increase in just special education for next year's budget. Thanks a lot. That number >> that's the percentage of that >> that is the percentage increase of the budget in percentage numbers. >> So when we think numbers remember we said 1% was 75 75,000 this is 2.6% alone if we do nothing else is 2.6% 6% on top of what we're spending this year. >> Percentage of the overall town budget that goes to special education. >> Very nice. >> Of the

019school budget though. >> School budget. Sorry. >> Yes. Very good. >> But we're like the majority of the town budget. >> We are the majority. >> Sort of. Yeah. It's sort of like same. talent. >> That's just the increase >> in tuition, not including other um you know services, just tuition. >> So what happens is our eighth graders move up, our 12th graders move out, but you do the balance and the increase that they have on their tuition rates. That's our number for just tuition increases for our high school this year. Just for special ed. >> Just special ed. So the the different NFA is the one that charges us differently than the other schools. NFA we don't get charged till the year after except for special ed. >> I have a question. Yeah. Special

020at high school. Does that include all of their services like if they get counseling? >> No. >> So in the rest of the budget increases which we're actually go over in the lines today that show that it does not include that. This is solely the straight tuition. >> Tuition. >> Different schools charge differently though. Like NFA has a more inclusive tuition rate than the other two. Okay. >> But the other two will charge you for all the other uh services that you require. OT, PT, counseling. >> It's crazy. >> We we've had I think it was NFA, right? We had the like the one-on-one parah that we were having today for like a student that needed a par. >> So NFA >> and then they >> covers Yeah, >> they do. They cover that. But

021another So when you look at that, but here's the thing. We don't choose the high school based upon the cost >> because that would be discriminatory for all other students. But if you have a special need, you don't get a choice. So it is what it is. It just happens to be the way they the way they break down the numbers. It kind of almost is a wash of what school costs more or less. But listen, this is what students need. So, >> it's kind of easier to budget for when you see it in a lump sum versus like, oh, this is a peace meal OTP, you know, like it's >> for NFAS is Yeah. Yeah. It makes it easier to do that. But, um, it's it's all very it's a complex situation. >> Sure.

022>> This is why Lloyd's document is >> right. >> Very graphic. That is the budget increase if we don't include special ed from last meeting. >> That's what it would be. It would be a 0.57 increase on our whole budget. But remember, every other budget we've ever done also had increases in special. It's not like this is new. This is just the way I broke it down so people understand it. Okay, just reminder, similar districts. We're looking about, you know, middle of the pack on the lower hand side. That's kind of is not we're not like in some foreign place that Voluntana is so different. It's kind of the way it's working. But at the last meeting, we said we'd do some adjustments and the board asked to see if we can reduce anymore. So,

023I'm going to show you what we've done. And this now, these are all new slides tonight. Okay, so we were at 3.29% which was $242,000 increase. Now we will be presenting tonight at 2.87%. So below the three mark and if you look at that remember 2011 you can tell me to reduce the budget but it won't be coming out of that 201,000. Any reductions I make out of this pretty much this 211 is coming out of the K8 environment. That's the way it'll have to work. I can't I can't change high school tuitions or costs out of district costs. I can't do that. So those are going to be static no matter how we look at it. Unless something say randomly happens in the course of the >> a child can move out or a

024child can move retire know randomly. >> And you still haven't gotten the final on health insurance. This is still with a >> we're just we're just sticking to 15 right now. >> 15. So >> might be some room at the end of that or or not but >> hope hopefully so there are a few things that you guys asked for. One of them was grants to go over the grants. So um just going to go over this real quick with you. So these are our grants that we currently get. One is school readiness. That is our preschool grant. This grant currently funds two teachers and one par. But we employ two teachers and two parents. So the district is currently paying for one of the parents because they don't fund it all. That's important to

025understand actually the way that works. There's a reap grant which is a rural energy in America program. We get $23,000ish um and we can cover various costs. This year we have the best deal on the planet I think. Has anyone met Jackson? He's our intern. >> Intern. >> It's like a full-time person >> for $9,000. >> Best deal on the planet. I would hire all the interns in the world. Great deal. And he's awesome, too. He just has to be awesome. Jack, if you're watching, I said you're awesome. Um, it also covers our summer school and Eagle study group. That's what we use out of that grant. Okay. IDA is your basic special ed grant. That's the the big number that's federal. Uh, we get about $75,000 and that pretty much generally you'll see that

026in any district that will go to one of two things, your own staff or tuition. That's generally what happens to it. In our case, we use it to offset a staff cost of one of our staff members in special ed. force title one and title two we get 92,000 for that and that is used to support struggling students your number how how the federal government gives that money out is based upon your free reduced lunch count and then they give you that and then you're supposed to tie that money to certain usage related to students with with um free lunch okay but there's a lot of ways to use that money so that offsets in our district a teacher that supports struggling learners that's where that money basically goes and some supplies all legit the

027way you're supposed to do it. The ARPA, American Rescue Plan Act, basically is mental health support. It's a grant we've been getting. We expect to still get it. We are expecting you to get it next year as well and the year after. After that, we don't know. We use that, which you're going to see in the in in the document. It offsets special um mental health services support staff. That's how we use it. Okay. And by the way, ask any questions as we go. Don't worry. Seeds a new grant. You heard Lloyd talk about this one a second ago. Um, this is special ed grant. It has a wide variety of uses and some things we can't do. In this case, we're going for materials right now. Um, that's kind of where we are. And

028then if we make sure we get the grant again next year, we'll look at other things. But $16,000 a ton of money, but it does offset some things that we need. So, the big one, you've heard me talk about the drip grant. That D should be capitalized. Sorry about that. Um, this is a we don't know if this is a one time or an every year thing, but this is a new we actually just received yesterday a final word that it's real talking about it. Our number is 394 and we will get that this year at the end of June or June. So, we can use do a project and we have a project identified with the building committee. Building committee meets again next week and at that time we'll finalize that project and this

029will be now final news. I've shared with them that we're getting this, but this is now we're not getting it. We're we we know we're getting it now. It's real. So, that's a great thing for us and for every district. So, that's our exact number that was given to us today in or yesterday in a memo. And by the way, that's for like building rounds projects or maintenance. So, for us, it'll be projects basically, not to do maintenance, whatever. And just real quick, some of the things that we talked about our last meeting, Kate, if I mess up, but we have a um in the basement there, we have a a water um 3,000 tank 3,000galon water tank that is not looking great. >> 30 less years old. >> 30. Yeah, it's it's it's time.

030>> Big project. So that could be that could overrule existing projects. Oiler was a big one and now the water >> the generator but we can't move the generator money. So the generator money in the town can only be used for the generator project. I think it's the way in which we got that grant. So um we would probably be bumping the generator project for this water project and we also have an HBAC project again in in the the library that's going to be about 30,000 for that project. So this money will be eaten up very fast, but if it wasn't here, it'd be coming from taxpayers. So it's a good one. Still coming from taxpayers cuz all money comes from taxpayers, but not directly, right? >> Um rate. So we talk about rate, it

031comes out to be about 30% off in our district, 30% off of whatever we purchase. That qualifies for rate. The big one is your internet access, your um filters if you like billardian. all of those purchases are are allowed to be. So, it doesn't matter how many. If we spend $100,000 in those purchases, we get 30% off. It's not a dollar amount. It's basically a coupon. The way we're using it as a coupon. You could use it as that or you could use other ways. We're just using as a coupon and we just take it off. And uh Mike Morardi, our our tech from Learn, got us set up with a company. We now Belina interfaces with that company and that's pretty much all we do. We don't do anything else. It's the easiest money

032in the world. Medicaid won't be as easy, but if it works, Medicaid will just produce money for us for us. Not really, you know, not spending anything except for a little time. So, this is a good book. You heard about Medicaid. Medicaid functions as reimbursement to school districts for services provided to special needs students who are on free and reduced lunch. So Lloyd is gathering currently the names of the students and the services they get and then we f we fill out a work with this company and they spit out a number and that number comes back to us. Of course the company has cost but you're the goal of course is you're not paying more than you're getting. So in some districts they get a lot of money. Your district gets a ton of

033money in Rhode Island. A ton of money. A fortune of money. And that's what talking to her superintendent is what got me like we got to do Medicaid. See what it is. >> Yeah. So, we're looking into >> this a couple years ago. >> We did it all. >> We did. I >> Yeah, we did. It didn't seem like we were >> It might not be enough to make the the work, >> but I'm exploring every option there is to get free money. >> Well, I think there's also been an increase in students that >> there has, >> right? So, it may not have been work at the time, but it might >> might be. I think a big issue is Scott's approach to budgeting. So whatever comes in will stay and be used by

034the district. In the past it's gone to the town. >> Oh yeah. I think >> Medicaid Medicaid would come So Medicaid has to come back to the district >> by statute. It can't go to something. It can't go to buy salt, >> right? >> Like that that doesn't that doesn't work. Like we can't do that. But they wouldn't be giving us the money back for that purpose. So, it's to offset like excess cost is to offset the cost of the thing you're doing. It's not it's not really a revenue. It's it's the state's way of saying we know that that's a problem and we know you can't afford that, right? That's how that works. >> Um, and then learn. So, we right now we're working with learn on the business support and there's an RPI

035grant. I don't know what that stands for. Do you know what that stands for? regional >> regional sponsor >> region the regional one >> the regional pip call >> sounds good >> yeah like it but it's a $4,000 for us it's like a credit not I'm not sure if it's a grant for them but it's a credit to us so it's it's just another one to do so all of these are not on a revenue line they're net into the budget already so all of these things exist so in other words if we look at the IDA grant at 75,000. You're not going to see 75,000, but the total number of special ed staff members is reduced by 75,000. That's how it's shown in the budget. So, don't look for where's the grant. It's buried

036in there in those places. I could tell you where any one of them where they come from. I know exactly where who IDA is approached to, who's title one and two approached to even ARPA, but that you don't need to know that specifics. Just know that's where it comes into that. So, thank you Rachel for the grant. Yeah, >> great. >> Any other questions about these? >> Is there a slide on education cost sharing? >> No, because that's in flux. >> Wow. Okay. It was like the biggest brand still. >> Well, I don't I don't consider that a grant actually, but it might be considered a grant. In my head, I I I approached >> Yeah, that's why I was like it's it own it's its own slide really. >> No, there's a whole bunch

037of hubbhub about that. I can't even get it to tell you. I'm still learning myself. >> Yeah. >> About that. That was one of my big things in my last state. >> Here, >> I was a I was a big proponent of fighting with the state about their their funding formulas, but I need to understand it better here before I start fighting. So, >> um, another slide. >> It's going up. I at the state level. I heard it was going up. >> Well, up would be good. I'm not hearing I'm hearing something >> like it might not like the formula doesn't equate us going any direction. Well, >> we're all we're all a little nervous. >> So, we'll have to see how that goes. >> Um, so >> that question is all that it's just

038it's been talked about so many times in so many years. >> It it probably will always be. >> The bottom line is nobody wants to spend what it takes to keep doing what we do. Not us, but everything. It's always a problem. Taxes are a problem. We never I've never seen it not be a problem. People, we all want what we want, but we want to do it for as less as we can. our our job here to try and do all the things we want for as little as we can do but without sacrificing the quality of what we do. So that's the budget I'm trying to produce for you. >> This number is with sorry just to harbor on that a little bit more. Um and ECS is also baked into all of

039these numbers. So it's not something that would be aligned. So because because you volunt this this concept which is not not anywhere else that I've heard and I've actually I've shared this before I've shared the idea of this expenditure only budget that doesn't really isn't really the way it works but um it looks that way. So you don't see like if you saw my budget presentations for my in New Jersey they were show you expenditure line and a revenue line. We own the revenue side and the expenditure side and then you balance those. We do the same. It just doesn't come doesn't look that way. But we are doing that. These are revenue. That whole last page is revenue >> but it doesn't you don't see it as revenue but it is it's revenue. >>

040The ECS is reporting revenue but it's on the town's budget. If you look at it on their budget and the board of eds >> correct >> expenditure is just one line item. >> It's a line item for the town. Yeah. >> So the town gets the money and expenditure is giving it to us. >> So but we don't count it as a revenue >> just it's it's semantics to be honest with you. It all functions relatively the same. >> It really is and and that's it's not it's not a hindrance to us. It's it's totally fine and no one did anything wrong or bad. It's all the way it works. So this was also asked for cost per pupil. I think Kate maybe last meeting to go over the cost per pupil. Someone brought that

041up last. >> Yeah. Well, I think this was a really big um >> it became a thing last >> at the last town meeting. There was Yeah, there was some hearay going around. >> I'm here to >> Well, I'm here to help. >> Yeah. >> So, let's get to it. >> Clarifications. >> All right. So, I'm going to break this down for everybody so you understand the best I can. So, Connecticut state average is 22,000 a kid. Okay. That does not delineate anything, any piece of information at all. Does not say what kind of district it is. Does not say if it's special needs. I can't start to break this down because I can't get the number. I I can break our number down and I can do whatever you want with that number, but

042I can't compare it to anything else because the state does not provide me that information for other districts. So, if if I can't say if our special ed costs are more than the other districts because I can't find any document. I don't know if you have that. Have you ever I've never I can't find these documents that I'm used to seeing that show me how all these things break down. It doesn't matter though. What I can show you is this page here. Okay, these are all the districts in the state that have 350 or less students because you you cannot compare us to you can't there's there's nothing about the two districts that could be compared. So that's the name of the district that the middle number is the number of students and the number

043on the right is the cost per pupil as advertised for the 2420. We can't do 2526. It's for the 2425 school year. So as you can see we are sixth lowest in that and this is does not account for Geography is a big deal. If you live closer to New York the cost of living is more expensive. So their costs would be higher. All these things matter, but none of that is can like they didn't break this down by the type of district, >> right? >> Which is unfortunate because I really would have rather just pulled this from the type of district, but I couldn't sort it that way. So, the best I was able to sort was this number. >> I also don't know cuz I don't know the districts. I don't know if

044these are K12s. I'd imagine these are all not K12s. Probably K8s like us or K6s. I don't know what the systems in all the districts are. But this was the best I could do to show where we are as a cost per pupil. So the idea of me sharing this is say you're not out of whack. It's not like voluntary is doing this crazy thing that nobody else is doing that's costing everybody so much more money. It just isn't that. You can't break down these costs. I can tell you getting that number 25 way down. >> Yeah. >> In this size of school, you're looking at $750,000. Every $1,000 off of that number is $300,000. That's what you think. 300 kids, $300,000. So to get 257 to be 247 is 200, but technically it's $281,000.

045Now, you can do it once, but you're what do you what do you what are you gaining? You you'll be fifth instead of like it's not really >> nothing to gain here from that, but it's still a high number. Like you think of that cost per pupil is very high because you're small. Your cost for all the core items is only spread over 280. Superintendent is the most obvious. Your superintendent's cost is spread over 280 kids in Preston. is spread over 600 kids. Does that make sense? >> And that's just how it plays out. So you have one nurse, one nurse for 200 kids here versus one nurse if it was a 400 kids school. The cost for the the cost to do a business would be half the price on a cost per pupil

046for the nurse guidance. All of those core costs, they're very high when you're small. And I think just that has to be understood. So if I go back, I can figure out how to go back on this. >> Speaking things like snowfls up everything just now. >> Yep, I did. >> I know we would kind of look at it too based on ECS and the brand list or whatever, you know, like we've got a much smaller population of taxpayers too, you know. So you kind of would look at that of um your total if you take it back to the town's information the ECS they're taking and then the >> grand we can look and places like stuff are spreading even more than us when they got size to be able you know to lower

047the cost of some of it >> what's this I'm sorry but that would reduce that saying, >> you know, it could be anywhere from like 16,000 per people if you if you factor in the ECS like the >> Oh, you're saying >> yeah you the benefits of what it is that's actually like a raw cost I think but then if you then take it >> doesn't grants >> the grants and and every town >> that's not what the taxpayers are paying for. Yes, >> that's the way not >> I think in the in the town message at all. We're working on that. Yeah. >> One of the things that I would like to see though with that us being like the lowest sixth lowest is is there a way for you to benchmark our performance

048to a degree against those other because that might be a good story to tell like the ROI, right? >> There is there's a there's a way to create a formulaic look at the dollar you spend gets you what? Yeah, I'd love to see that. >> I can work on that. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> And it might I don't know. I'm not sure timing wise, but that might be good just to have in your back pocket for questions or even to share >> like, okay, you know, we can get it down lower, but like this is at the expense of >> right. That's >> Yeah. I mean, I can tell you with with one one basic factor, the most obvious thing that you can get this lower and sacrifice is your class size, >> right?

049That's that's the most obvious thing in this district. >> Yeah. >> You can do >> is do that. And I'm not recommending you do that. I'm just saying that's where the money is. >> Yeah. >> You know, I called it for the last the fabric of what the school is >> is that. So those are the trades. But you could do that. You can analyze all kinds of things. You can look at just performance if that's the one number you care about. State test, right? If state test is the one thing to look at. You could look at say state test for for 25,000 we're getting this. Look at the districts that are spending this much. They're only getting similar. >> Yeah, I just feel like that's like one factor. You might have like a

050few benchmarking things that you want to >> but at the end of the day, that's all you might have that runs across all the districts, right? >> San ugly ugly benchmark kind of >> but I want to point out these things as well. So configuration, not just size, but configuration is a big deal. So when you're K8, you know, you think generally in a K12 system, more expensive is the high school. In a K in a K8, send receive to a high school. High school is actually cheaper for us because it's tuition, >> right? Which is weird. That's like that. But if you had your own high school, you would never can't afford your own high school. Plus, you'd have, you know, a be a team of like 12 kids on all of your sports.

051And we have that >> scale. But but on top of that, you also have >> if you think of this, >> if we look at a district that has 300 kids in a small town, what did they not have that we have? Small little town, maybe the whole town. My first superintendency, I had thousand kids and the thousand kids were in a four square mile um location. So, what did what do we have that they didn't have in that old district this year? >> Huge transportation cost. >> If all the kids walk, >> Yeah. >> you have transportation costs. >> If only some of your kids walk, >> you have less transportation. But we not only have all of our kids don't walk, they don't live all over God's creation. >> Like, we don't get

052to say, "Well, you live too far. Move or go to another school." No, >> we got to drive out to there, then out to there, and that's very costly. So, we have a very high per pupil transportation cost. And if I was breaking this down, that alone could be your biggest reason you're that high >> is transportation costs. But I can't I looked, I tried. I can't get transportation cost with the districts. I Ours is easy. I just take the number of kids divided by the number of how much we spend on transportation, and there you go. That's easy. But that doesn't help me. What's the average transportation cost? I'm still looking. So maybe it'll come up, but I haven't research has said the ones that outsource it are much higher than the one. >>

053We just did that last year. >> No, but I'm not talking about how you do it, >> right? Just the fact that you do. That's what it will come up out. >> Yeah, I saw your study. Yeah. you know, >> but but the the reality is you're spending a tremendous amount of money on transportation. >> Yeah. >> We have a whole second tier of transportation. So, in other words, normally a bus goes to here, picks up kids, and then brings them to a school. For high school, we go here, pick them up, and then bring them to a school only to bring them to another school, right? It's a whole second tier. So if other schools aren't paying for that, whether they're outsourcing or not, that's a less cost. So it's just that simple. So

054those kind of things are impactful. Plus, you have the national forest. You're not getting enough money for it, you know. So you have you have these issues that not everyone has national forest. In fact, most districts don't have national forest in their district. What is it? 70% >> of all 70. >> So find another district that has that. That's the problem. So you have some interesting things here that factor into why this is. So if someone can question this, it's not a challenge to explain it. >> So I'll be very prepared if if people want to discuss this further at a meeting. It's not not not a problem. Okay. So first of all, thank you for those that were able to send me some information. But what I've done is I've given you a document

055and all the ones in pink were either brought up by a board member or by me. So I want to go through them and I'm going to be good about this. Don't worry, it's not going to be some crazy thing. But first of all, all salary lines for anybody except certificated are Fagazi. You know what Fagazi is? Made up. They're placeholder numbers. Why? We don't have salaries yet for that. We are in negotiations on all the nonerts and we have not done salaries for everybody else. So the certificated are on a guide. We know exactly what they are. We know who they are. We know what year they are. We know how much they're going to make next year. The only one that's a little bit different is like a retiree being replaced by a

056new staff member. We don't know exactly how much the new staff member is going to get. That's you're talking about minuscule amount of money amounts. So everything else in here and there were some questions on some of the salary lines. We plug in a number that's above the number now so you have a cushion otherwise you're in trouble if you the town approves a budget but you didn't give anybody a raise yet. Good luck. So we cover that. I call it a fugghazi because it's just a fake number that's made up and when you're in negotiations you can't put out >> sorry your salary raise. Yeah. >> Yeah. I was a little low on that. I apologize. I'll help that one. But you can't you can't you can't throw out numbers that when you're negotiating,

057you just can't do that. It's very inappropriate. So this doesn't do that. Um so every all those salaries are placeholders. So I'm not going to go into the salary lines pretty much at all. So these are the lines. I first of all you're probably seeing I don't write a lot on slides and I don't read I don't read slides. However, I'm gonna give you this presentation so you have this. >> But this is just a quick blurb about each line. We're going to go through each line quickly and then stop me and ask me anything you want about any of the lines that we're talking about. Afterwards, if there's a line that you want to talk about that we didn't talk about, let's do that, but not in the middle. I'm trying to get to

058a rhythm, get through this grouping quickly, and then we can keep going from there. Okay. Line number one is a is a certificate of substitute line. This is a teachers out we call us. Um while there's an increase in this line, pretty significant increase in the budget from 13,000 to 26,000. The 13,000 is a fugghazi from last year. I don't know why. And that's fine. It happens all over the budget. Our real number is closer to 26. So for this budget, I did a lot of what I call right sizing. That's the way I budget. And again, not wrong, not better, not worse, different. >> Everyone has their own style. I've been budgeting for a very long time and Adam budget for a very long time. If you went to a different district, they've been

059budgeting and do it differently as well. I try to get the budget lines to be realistic, as realist as I can. Okay. So, this one had to be increased or I'm just going to be I'm already in the red on this line. So I'm out of money on this one. I don't like to do that. That's what that line is. That's the explanation of why there's an increase in that line. The next line is specifically because we're looking at a program design for next year that would require us to add one par profofessional. We looked at multiple options on this Lloyd name and myself and we came up with this plan for next year rather than a plan that would have increased a teacher. We think this is better for kids and we think it's

060a really good solid plan for next year. does cost us to increase by a pound one pound. That's um the non-certificated wages in 121 1212. The next one uh I think this is one of the questions. Um professional education services going up. These are the number Oh, so these are the numbers associated with the services in special education. >> Oh, that wasn't mine. But >> you asked that before. Does the does the does the tuition increase incre include all the services? >> Oh, okay. >> It doesn't. And this is where we see those. So, what Lloyd's team does is they know what every kid's IP says, what they need next year. They speak to the school and we get we get those costs and we have rates for all those things and we put them

061into the system and spits it out. >> So, the high school charges more just because they're a special ed student. >> Yes. And in addition to that, they charge for all the extra. >> Yes. And if it's one of our students, >> we pay for that here. We don't charge, but we are paying for it. >> So it's not abnormal for them to do that. It's it's kind of the they have to spend the money to educate the child based on their IP. >> I understand. >> Yeah. >> That's just how it works. just the differential of what we were paying for those type of services last year versus this year based on the amount of students that are transitioning from Kate here into high school. Y >> can we talk a little bit about

062like what is entailed what is entailed in a 40,000 like so I know I'm pretty sure going to the 2020 the 66 to 114 was a right sizing if I recall that was a big ticket item that year and then it went up to 180 and then it went like there's just such a sizable increase over the the years what is >> well so what is >> so you have you have a few examples Like to your point, you have an approved cost of in 2023 of 66. Then your actual was was over 20,000 less. So the next year you budgeted what you what you approved again. You just rolled it over. You didn't change it. What that shows is you didn't do what we're doing right now. There's no way. There's no way I

063guarantee you any amount of money. No one said exactly what are we going to spend next year because you would never would have had the same number two years in a row. exactly the same number. That's a rollover of a of a line. That's not a That's not doing what we've done. So, what I can tell you is that number is the number. >> Yeah, I get that. It's the number. I just I it this is to me is like not a good look like that. It's incre like something's going wrong. >> Well, we know Well, I can tell you what it is. So we have a large eighth grade population >> and within that population we do have a number of special needs students >> okay >> that are then moving to the high

064school. It's a larger population of eighth graders moving to the high school than 12th graders receiving the service. >> So eighth graders pumping up the 12th graders dropping off comes to an imbalance. >> So this is this is all >> next year's 912. >> It's all 912. Okay. >> Yep. And then >> this line is just special ed. >> Yeah. No, I get the special ed, but it's 12 plus. >> Sorry. Yeah. So 12 plus. >> Okay. So not to age 20 to >> 22 is it? >> Yeah. >> And there there are students that get those. So all 22. So what I really like I said last meeting, what I really want to make sure we avoid is is say there's something wrong with this for kids, right? Cuz I don't no one saying

065I'm saying more from a we're not like either we're forecast like we forecasted wrong or something is exponential like >> we just don't see these increases these sizable increases in any other line. >> So the only way the only way the approved 66 and the actual of 114 >> is you if you had new new students >> that were not budgeted for because they you didn't know they needed service to them. It does. >> No, I think what happened there was we realized through somewhere through invoicing that we had been under accounting for this cost here, but then it still continued like year over year to increase like 60,000 and then like we're just exponentially growing and maybe that was just continuing to not account for the expenses correctly. I just I feel like like

066you don't it doesn't have to be for this budget but this is something that I think I'd like you to explore a little bit more as like >> what happened how do we prevent it from >> well it just might be the number of students and we have no >> control over that >> and it could be the students plan changes in year after >> understood but again we went from 114,000 I think you're describing >> you're describing a a a perennial escalation Yeah. >> And and so what I can do is I can look and see what I can what I can see >> our numbers change that drastically. I wouldn't think you know this isn't because this doesn't include like an outplacement or does it? >> So >> all the special costs including

067outplacements if there's an outplacement that has extra services above the outplacement tuition that would be a year. >> But that's above a tuition of an out. Not like we had a $50,000 out placement this year that we didn't have last year. >> Let me go to the next line. >> Right. No, I that's what I'm saying. It's its own line. Like if we had a 50 or $60,000 out placement that that's going to hit that line, then you would expect a $60,000. >> Your biggest shift next year is the number of students in the high school. >> Yeah, I think that's just that you have to like understand what it is. You can't dig. >> It's not about providing the services to the student. It's not about the student. The number you you'd be interested

068in is the cost per pupil >> of kids in the high schools receiving a service. >> Correct. >> That's the number because because if it was 10 more kids but it cost us 50,000 more, you'd be like, "Oh, that makes sense." If it was 10 less kids and cost us 50,000 more, we'd be like, "Whoa." >> And then it also for you guys, for you and Amy, it's and Lloyd is very important because it's are we focusing our K through eight special education funds. >> That's the bigger question >> to make sure these students have what they need going into. >> That's always the bigger question. So it's about providing for the students looking at it how we need. >> Correct. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. >> Which leads us to 564 >> which

069is an addition replacement. >> That's what that line is. So it's a it's a it's a new attitude replacement. That was not budgeted this year because it didn't exist in this year's budget started. So not much to do with that one. That's just the reality of doing business. >> It can be very expensive reality. >> Very expensive reality. >> It's just the nature of it. Scott, are we budgeting um excess cost? >> So, we budget the net excess cost with uh one of our other students because next year's excess cost, we already know what that's going to become to us. So, we budgeted that as a net. >> This one we would budget the following year as a net cost. >> Yeah. Okay. I think we're at 2120 320. So 320s and 340s were some

070a lot of the questions professional services and stuff like that. So I'm going to do a little explanation of that. Um in 2120 look at that right now. Um 2120 guidance. Okay. So one thing if you look at your sheet one of the things you'll see is I look at the actuals for the years prior. Now, we don't have the actuals on this sheet for the 2425, but 22 23 we budgeted nothing, budgeted nothing, spent almost nothing, and then all of a sudden a $12,000 budget pops up and now we then this year was budget was more than double. So, we're trying to think what professional educational service is that. So we contract for social worker with Preston and we contract for psychologist with ESCOM. Those are professional services. The guidance services line would cover

071the social the lines would cover ECOM and that's how that gets broken down. Now, with that said, with that said, this line seems like a placeholder line for the whatifs of a budget. Meaning, when you don't know what's going to happen, when there's going to be a need, you can't have a budget that you lapse on. You can't budget to the dollar. Can't do that because you can't borrow. So, you can't do that. So, this is one of those. However, for next year, I did reduce it, but we are looking to increase our social work time. So, we currently have that in there as a real number now. 20,000 is about what we need there. Now, >> so we were going to do something with the town, but now we do something with Preston. Is

072that the >> the town? No. >> I know. We talked about it historically. >> Yeah. I So, we are doing something >> right now. Uh we have Emily who comes over uh once a week. >> Okay. >> So that's for guidance. Would that be behavior or no? >> So behavior could come from guidance but not generally. Generally it's called BCBA RBTs. Uh different different different resources for that. Um that's not this long. >> Okay. So what can you just do an example of what would be your guidance professional service >> social worker? >> Okay. >> Social emotional issues. >> Yeah. Stuff. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So, if I go down to health services, this was um anyone who wrote saw this line because it's a wacky one from 40,000 to zero. >> And uh very

073easy to explain. Um the budget last year was was built with an expectation of of hiring a certain person for a certain not a certain actual name of a person, but a certain type of person for a certain student. That did not come to fruition. We do not need the money budgeted next year. It was a great >> hopefully not, but um we don't need it this year, >> so we didn't have to budget. So, I did put a little money in there um just for when we do have ancillary things that do come up in that category. Psychological services 2140340. That one is the ARPA grant. >> What the from the grant page, the ARPA grant. >> So, we applied it to that line. So, it wasn't applied there before. It was more of

074an amorphous brand. We're dedicating it directly to this. >> Yeah. I hope we're just not limiting our services. >> Yeah. No. Um 215320. 215320 is speech. So, this is specifically speech services. These again are simply the speech services associated with high school students for intuition costs. Just speech, not any other type of service. >> Oh, and high school >> high school because our ours are different. Ours aren't contracted. And if we contracted for a speech instead of paying for a speech teacher, it would fall in this line. And then your salaries would be lower, but your professional services would be higher. It'd be a long sheet. The next one I put in is 2160. Now, the reason it's in here, there's no change at all. However, you look at the FOBs. One thing I think

075Rachel, you pointed to me first. When you first when you first got on the board, you're looking at these numbers. They weren't really jing. For whatever reason, the FOB was not calculating the encumbered monies. The FOB needs to calculate encumbered monies. So if you if you know for example that a salary is $50,000 and it's 50% through the year, you've already spent 25, you don't encumber the other 25, it looks like you still have $25,000 left in that account, but you don't. So it's encumbered. So this particular line is one of those lines where this is the actual cost. It's not there's nothing to it and we haven't overspent it, but the it looks like we've almost overspent it. I'm like, we have no money left there. >> We've already encumbered >> all the money.

076So, I want to just point that out to you. When you're looking at an FOP, >> I want to show you the little shift >> object report. >> Sorry. The the report you get that shows you kind of how much money is left in a line. >> Yeah. >> You'll see now that it includes the encumbered dollars. So, for teacher salaries, if you didn't do that, we have a ton of money. >> Yeah. >> But we know it's already accounted for. So all I want to see is what's left after what I accounted for or what I don't know. And actually Del was working on that today to see how much money we have um liquid. And you could have money that you budget that you don't use because let's say that someone took a

077leave that wasn't we didn't know they take a leave. Well, you didn't pay the money in that line, right? But you paid for something else that that line might be out of whack now. So special ed substitutes is in the red by like $15,000. because it was not budgeted and a person would be on leave. So the salary line will be reduced, right? Because we didn't spend that money. But that line isn't. So what we do is we take the salary line money and we move it to cover the other money. It isn't a normal part of a business. It's not a weird thing. Just stuff that happens in it. You everything's everything's live and fluid. It doesn't just work in a vacuum. But I wanted to point that out just so we had that

078down. uh 2210 this was yeah this was simply a right sizing um we're not spending there and to to a few of the board members points why so um one of the things that we're going to be doing and uh Dei uh talked to me about this and then Megan brought it up as well is next year I would like to redevelop a strategic plan it's not something I would do in my first year but it's always the thing I've done every district I'm in my second year the reason is it gives a chance for the town to get involved in what's what what's important to them and um I don't know why we wouldn't do that but I don't know if there's a history or something that would make it so it's a problem

079if it's not a problem we would do that and I think you have like an academic pillar right is a big one you have building the grounds pillar you have budget pillars in our case I think you have to have a shared service pillar like those kind of things develop pretty rationally like it's not really that complex um but I think at that point rather than just keep money in a line. I want to have deliberate spending and deliberate purpose tied to goals, not just we have money, let's spend it. That's really why I want the 2% lapsing account. So at the end of the school year, you don't just spend money because you have it. That why we can be more strategic and deliberate about our spend. So that's what that was. Just the

080right sizing. >> Where am I now? >> Technology 3. instruction >> 223. >> Um, so this is a placeholder while we discuss >> what we're going to do with technology for next year. Okay, we had some conversations once we get to an end I'll be able to budget this correctly, but he never will budget us lower than the scenario that's possible that number. So I'm like, check that. >> Yep. tax on the floor. >> It's got Okie do I am now at 2310. Someone asked what that was. Uh other professional services are legal fees and it's last year was also cave. Now why CA was paid out of this budget I do not know that. I don't know but that's what it was paid. So it should have been paid out of last year's budget.

081So something you did last year and last school year shouldn't pay last school year's budget but it's not so came out of this year's budget. The the challenge in this particular line we will go in the red on this line and the reason is because you have negotiations year. When we have a negotiations year you will see I will pump up the legal fee budget in a year of negotiations because you're going to spend it. So right now the only thing I do it's already budgeted. We will be in the red and I will move money to cover it. It's not like we're not going to do it. I just have to publish. >> Have great faith in you though, Scott. You you're doing you're saving money on that line item left and right. So,

082I don't call lawyers. So, >> I know just just your whole attitude is is paying >> um 2510 112. Oh, yeah. This is just a this is a basic change. Nothing really. Oh, this is um Okay, sorry. This is um this is where accounts payable lives and payroll used to live. Next year it will live. Payroll will live again in this line. And we talked about all this. This has all been talked about and that is going to be the salary of that line is because it's I don't have an actual salary but it's an is an is salary. Um, we also added a benefit here in case that person takes benefits. They don't, it's great. But I'm not gonna I'm not going to be oh no on that side. It's always going to be

083great at the end, not oh no. Um, 27430. Okay, let me go over this. So, um, 2700, 430, and 432 is your maintenance and then cost your buses. So, as you know, we have a six-year lease on the four buses we purchased this year. Our payment of that is $92,000. In last week's budget, I increased that to purchase a new vehicle, specifically a wheelchair van. I don't need it. So, I'm not going to purchase that vehicle. So, what I did is I pumped up the maintenance an extra $5,000 because I'm going to still have a little bit of an older vehicle to do it, but I reduced the cost of the new vehicle. If we want to look at a new vehicles again, I don't want to buy a wheelchair access vehicle within I know

084in two years I don't need one anymore. It's not a good investment for the district, but buying new vehicles is a good investment. And I I I would recommend we explore the propane option as well when you do that. These four buses we bought were gas buses. Propane bus is about 15 to 20,000 more a bus, but a heck of a lot cheaper to gas. It's a trade-off, but not for today. Just a looking ahead. The reason this is this was a savings that got us under the 3.0. This was one of them. There's a few other ones, but this is one of the biggy ones. Yeah. >> Huge. >> Yeah. Because while I want to update our fleet, not not for that purchase. If I don't need the purchase, >> if we didn't really

085need Yeah. We were able to >> My further investigation, I did not need it. >> We don't want to leave without transportation. >> Are we 100% take care of our kids with no problem at all? >> Yeah. No issue at all. >> Were we able to look at the gas prices at all to be able to either have our own gas available or >> Not yet. or look at paying something better than what they're offering it. >> I think I drove by today and it was like >> went up 27 >> 339. >> Oh, 319 for for regular. >> No, but three Oh, that wasn't what I just So now. >> So 319 is if you have the credit card. 329 is if you pay cash and 339 is if you actually put it on

086your card. Yeah. >> And he felt too is almost again >> energy >> not good. >> Be glad we did the solar eight years. >> Got to give you good news. Got to give Adam his props. That was that was a a good move. You know, it was a very good move. It did it did well for the district. Um, so anyway, those are those and the 27730 is simply our radio systems on those buses. It's really bad. >> It's probably been really bad for a number of years. >> The radios on the buses >> really bad. >> We did videos. >> Oh, not the cameras. This is the radio. >> Okay. >> Yeah, we did the cameras last year. So, so in any case, that's the line items that were requested. The only ones

087I didn't go over were the salary ones specifically because as I'm saying, my answer to you is what I answered already regarding that. But are there were there any other lines that >> concern now about the fuel line because >> you're always going to be but I mean that's right. You have to look at alternatives to that. >> And I'll tell you the propane alter propane propane gallons $150. >> Yeah, I was going to ask with the generator. There's a lot of propane generators. Are you looking at I don't know what is ours. >> Our generator. I don't even know what ours is. >> I mean, I can't imagine somebody putting gas in it. >> I I I doubt that, too, but I don't know. >> We built a house like two years ago and

088they recommended propane for everything. Like everything you can get propane. Well, it's a lot cheaper for the buses, but you have to they install for free. They install the propane tanks >> for free. >> So, again, it's an investment up here. >> Yeah, we could do it here. >> Yeah, I think they talked about it. I >> They didn't know. >> They did, but they didn't go that route. So, again, I don't know why they might cost >> like 20,000 more per bus. >> Yeah. >> So, like buying four buses with like >> so in need desperate for the >> But we're not going to be in need desperate anymore. We're going to try and do this in a rotation. We're going to put money where it needs to go and take care of this,

089but I don't need the money for this particular purchase, which after a week and I'm looking for. So, I dug into all these lines and that line came up as a good want, but not a need. And I have other wants that would beat that want. Anyway, >> good. >> All right. >> That's where you are. So, it's a 2.87. That's if you with your permission we would float that over to the selected >> and then you'll be able if there's that anticipated >> tons of stuff >> it will >> do a ton of things later but we got to send that we want to send over a budget you asked me to get to under a certain number so we're there if you're satisfied I can reach out to Brian and Crystal and do

090the next steps. No, >> no, >> I don't think so. >> This is just a stage. This is not a final budget. >> You're not You're not voting on the final budget. >> No, we we vote to pass just to make a motion. I need a motion to approve. >> Yes, a motion to send to the current budget as it presented. >> Yes. >> For review for the >> motion. Do you have a >> I'll make a motion. Second. >> All right. All in favor? I >> I any opposed? >> Unheard. All right, guys. >> Good. >> Thank you. That was very helpful. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Sorry about the long-winded part of the lines, but >> but it was helpful. I can't tell you how often I've looked at it. I'm like, where

091does that actually go? >> Yeah, especially the the professional services like they show up everywhere. But what? Right. >> So, the thing is a 340 line is professional services. And so what happens is the first three digits tell you where. >> But 340 is always the same. It's the first line that goes where. So if it's if it's a regular ed, it's 1,340. If it's transportation, then it's 2700 340. But the 340 controls the what the first three digits control the where. >> Yeah, >> it's fund accounting. It's pretty it's pretty basic fund accounting. I'm not a fun accounter. Um, but it's not it's not a very once you're into it and and I again I thank Darlene again because she keeps me honest and uh and it's been it's been a great process. I

092told K, is it bad that I'm nerv? I never let my business manager speak at a budget meeting. >> He talk too budgety. So what he was saying, stop it. >> People just need to stop. >> So again, if you have any questions after the fact, call, text, email, whatever you need. And if I didn't answer your question yet, I think I did I get everybody's questions? I think so. >> All right. Thank you guys. >> We have a motion, D, right? We're here. So now we're moving on to oldest number two, calendar adjustment. >> So I like to go into exec and then come out and we can do it at the end and then come back out. >> Okay. >> Oh, so do we need a motion to move that? >> It's already

093on there. Anything to do with anything to do with instructional days is negotiations. >> All right. Policy updates. Um, second reading for 5114. That's the suspension and motion due process. Hopefully, we had a lot of that. I just have a question. There was this meeting that we had to make a decision as to whether >> the appeal of a suspension was at the board of superintendent. Is that this one >> that was highlighted? Let me hold on. >> This is a very This is like by when I was reading it, this is very This isn't really like a lot of option for us. This is all burned or right. >> I think cuz I didn't hear back. I think I just left it. It's up to the principal or the superintendent. I just left it

094both cuz I didn't know. Yeah, I but it was either I feel like it was either the super or the board because I saw it referenced that the boarding the board to expel a student. >> I can't expel student. >> You can't. Okay. >> But this was in I think I can't can't find it. >> Just the reason you can't expel >> this was the appeal though if they wanted to appeal it. >> There's always there's always a place for board hearing for once you reach a certain level of discipline. >> Mhm. And so the superintendent has certain authorities, but to remove a child of a constitutional right is not one of them. >> Okay. >> It's the judgment of the board. >> So regardless if a if a student >> y >> were to

095be suspended, >> it would have to go through the board of education. >> Suspension. I'm concerned. >> Sorry. An expulsion. >> Okay. Expulsions. >> It has to be an expulsion hearing. >> There's also things called indefinite suspension. So, let's just say that a child did something so bad, but I wasn't prepared to assign a number of days and I wasn't sure I was expelled. You inform the parent that the child is indefinitely suspended. >> That parent once it's past 10 days is entitled to a board hearing. >> Okay. >> On that matter. So you make you would make the decision to expel when obviously suspect >> suspend sorry suspend >> expel is permanent >> but this okay this is that maybe that's why I was confused with you just okay ex so suspension you can

096you would make the decision with Amy and correct >> investigation all that >> and then if the parent wanted to appeal that they appeal that >> to me >> to you >> they still don't like me then I can go >> then they can come to the Yeah, >> expulsion >> has to go to the board. >> Has >> and an indefinite suspension has to go to the board. >> Okay. So, a suspension will have a number of assigned to it. >> Anything above 10 becomes >> n expulsion is permanent. >> Okay. >> Never bad deed by >> expulsion is never. >> Yeah. >> Suspension temporary, >> right? >> Okay. After 180 you can come back. >> Is that what it is here? >> Yeah. >> For us it was here ago. >> Also just

097so you know special ed is different rules. >> Correct. >> Yeah. Well of course. Right. Then there's all that. >> Yeah. Okay. Um but we have no say in it if they're expelled from high school. >> We will still be possibly responsible for their education though. >> Yeah. because you have to do that's why I always go to >> what do we have to provide for them? So then that would be provide fate. >> We always have to provide if they're special ed, you have to provide fate. >> So it's a whole this is more complex than >> that's why I was like I'm like I can't I can't even email my questions because I don't even actually know what I'm talking this is but this is statuto. >> Well that and that was my

098this is all very >> you can't rewrite that anyway in violation of law. Well, right. And so I only my only comment of the whole thing was if >> you are the one that's making a decision, then the appeal I feel like should be at the board. >> Like as a like if you if ultimately you're the one makes the decision, we would should be the ones to go to appeal. >> But if you're saying that that's happening anyway, then then that's fine. Yeah, >> you can always a a parent can always choose to appeal a suspension, >> but an expulsion has to be has to be >> right. You get to hear >> anything after 10 days pass. >> And so the suspension which is 10 days or less. >> Yes. >> You would

099hear an appeal on >> appeals. I meet with the parent. >> Agreed. Agreed. Right. And I mean the reality is not this is not a huge concern for us. >> Definitely don't see this as being there's no there's no credits lost. All the things that get associated with these problems are high school. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And >> we can't control the high school's decision on suspension. >> I'd have to look. I don't know the law here, but I would I think we hear something. >> Well, that's I mean why >> not a nonsp special ed expulsion >> in high school? >> From a high school. >> I I have a feeling we'd probably wind up having to find an alternative place. >> Correct. We probably have to find >> depending on the age of

100the kid too. >> 14-year-old, yes. 17-year-old, maybe not. Because realistically, >> please tell me if I'm speaking out of term, but a student who is >> participates in activities that could potentially get them suspended or expelled is probably likely already being monitored for IDA type things, right? No, that's not >> absolutely no correlation whatsoever. >> No. >> So, when already have >> a child can bring a gun who has no nothing to do with nothing to do with special education. >> Oh, so you Okay. Nothing at all. >> I was I mean drugs would you >> I don't want to get down. >> No, I'm just curious. I would >> a kindergarter shooting off heroin, he might have a problem. >> Yeah. >> You know, basically the hypotheticals on this are extensive. >> Yeah. It

101just the policy itself talks a lot about progressive which would lead me to believe that there's already >> unless it's a one time offense >> and through the progressive would that generally be handled through an IEP or that's separate. >> So I want I want as clear as I can on the record. >> Yes. >> Discipline >> and IEP >> have no correlation. >> Okay. >> They have nothing to do with each other. >> Okay. meaning a child with the worst of the worst behaviors could or could not have an there's just no correlation whatsoever. So you would not look to IEP necessarily to progressive discipline. >> However, there's all kinds of times where a special ed support could help a child's behavior. >> Correct. Like >> I don't I don't ever want to correlate

102the two. >> No. And I'm not trying to correlate. I'm just saying we would probably be providing services like those other professional services that we talked about if we had a especially if they have some protections in terms of if you have a you go throughation which protects a child from being screened against due >> yes takes behavior and asks >> that's a suspension component. >> Yeah. I just I just assume that we would be providing professional services to students who were on a potentially progressive discipline type of >> it just depends on the reason >> and of course I wasn't thinking the oneoff that didn't kindally say like often times to your point like schools will offer an alternative >> type of education program like a correct learning academy online or something >> I'm

103pretty sure we'd be responsible for an alternative Yeah, I think so. >> Thank you for Thank you for clarifying that. >> Yeah. No, it's just, you know, knock on wood. I don't know firearms right up to the top. You know, firearms. >> There's there's legal I mean, a lot of these things have become legal. >> Yeah. Right. >> You can't choose to not do certain things for kids to school. >> You don't have the right. It's kind of like a mandatory mandatory disciplinary practices exist for certain >> that are above and beyond the school's policy. >> So your policy is written to account for the law. >> That's why you can't change a lot of the policies that come your way because they're based upon law statute not just I want to do these things.

104Yeah, questions just to think about the the worst >> scenario situations. So we we try to think both positively that all the things that we have. >> Well, I think those of us that are not in education, we don't need >> right like I wouldn't >> so it's positive education, >> right? We I don't see anything near what we see, right? So Okay. Do we need to roll on this one any longer or we >> I think this is so regulatory. >> I didn't think so, but I just wanted to give the fair. >> I'll make a motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. Heard five or policy 51141. Moving on. Um is fast. We have a smaller one in curriculum 614. Um we did kind of have I think Amy took

105a look at that briefly and >> she did. >> Yeah. >> I'm doing Yeah, that was her question. >> Do we have a motion? >> All in favor? >> I any opposed? Heard motion passes. Item number 36171 special education. >> This was this was another very statute friendly statute heavy one right was my interpretation. >> I know he looked at that one too. >> Yes. I I emailed the bureau chief to refer me to someone or give me some guidance as to whether the opening paragraph which mentioned 14 year olds would trickle down to when we have to give them that notice and I've not received anything back yet. So >> So should we hold off on this then until we get that information? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Is that the IEP one? >> I

106don't know. Is it 617? We have the IEP one, too. >> I think the IEP the first reading. >> Yeah, >> I think that's the one that mentions the 14y old. >> Yeah, I was just wondering if this was the one that >> it's up to you. I think >> they both are, >> but I think the one Lloyd that you emailed about was the one that's >> the regulations >> in the it's the next policy, not this one >> policy. Yes, it's the IEP policy 6159 >> that discusses the ages of >> Thank you. >> Y >> 6159 is the one he >> that's a first reading anyway. >> Just don't put it back on until we give you the gun. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. >> How about our special education one? and still

107just give that another >> We can if you want keep them both. >> Why don't we save both of them? >> That's fine at the same time. >> Yep, >> that sounds good. >> Okay. Okay. So, moving so to new business policy. Um, this be their first reading, so it's your first chance to look at them. um education opportunities for college was the military children. Was that is that a required? >> It is. It's mandated. It's a new mandated one. >> So all pretty much all >> Yeah. It's brand new. It's not something we've had. I'm just curious in the orientation of board members. >> I don't have you seen that one yet? Did you look at it to our new board members and Rachel? >> Yeah. Um I think it's fair. It's it's we

108have had it since 2016. Um >> obviously we didn't do any of this. So We could have >> um just take a look. I I love to hear your opinions on it, like what you think and if it's necessary or how we we've kind of done things for you is works or we can um we can adjust as we see fit. That's it for policy. Um personnel we are >> we don't have the skip the first one that's going to be session as well. Right. >> Yeah. But skip the first one. There's no I don't think we have a decision on that one. So, special ed teacher, is that what we're going to do? >> Yeah, I was hoping Amy would pop some positions. >> Skip number skip number two as well. Sorry. And number

109three. Yeah, we have some of these completed from four down are >> we should do four down. >> Yeah, cuz we do we've received those. Are you good with those, Scott? Do you see the positions? >> Sorry, not everybody. >> All these feel Oh, those are good. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> The other ones we just haven't filled all the slots yet. We were hoping to, but >> so just we need a motion for um parent educators for summer school other than the holidays for camp Q and April Florence for ths. >> One motion. Just keep comments. Oh, personal agenda. Okay. Do I have to speak on all of them or just you said you'd like to? >> I do like to. So, um, secretary for the summer school is Shauna Stensky and custodian summertime

110Crystal Fitzpatrick, Lydia Snider, Christine Driscoll, and Udub. >> So, we'll pass all of those. Motion second. >> All in favor? I >> I opposed heard. Thank you for your summer support everyone. Motion pass. >> Okay. Um with that we can move just just to review just briefly though the for the upcoming frequent executive just the upcoming meetings. Um next meeting is far far away April 9th. So we'll see you when there's flowers budding. >> No snow. Hopefully we've broken our leg from a nice storm somehow. But um be very busy at that point. Um and then the May 14th obviously. Um town meeting again is May 26th. >> Is that what >> Tuesday. Tuesday. Is the Tuesday memorial done? >> Thursday. >> Okay. >> Um, what was your question? >> I was going to say,

111do we need to plan a meeting right after the town meeting or later that week? Only if >> we will just not do that in good faith if everything's going fast. just clear all your 9:30 >> 9:30 Thursday I'm sure it um okay so that was just the housekeeping on next month and so we just need a motion to um invite the superintendent Scott Feder for purposes of discussing the personnel negotiations as per CT state statute 1520 20006 A and B motion in >> favor. Any opposed? >> Do you want me to >> and there'll be action? >> So, I'll just pause it. >> Oh, we're back live. Okay, great. Okay. So, um coming out of executive session, we have um one action item for the motion. Um they have a motion to um due

112to snow days add three snow days to the school calendar. So, the last day of school for students will be June 16th. >> Motion second. All in favor? I >> opposed and heard motion passes. Um, and before we adjourn, I'd like to thank all of the wonderful artists out there. And is it just the fifth grade or what was was it all great? >> Yeah, I think it was this one says the BS group. They all signed it. So, >> like all the grades. >> A wonderful card. These are such beautiful cards. >> Wait, wait. Why do you guys get cards? >> Word appreciation for the education. >> I know. You did a great job on this. >> You swag. I'm already wearing mine. So, thank you Frank for always. >> The best swag ever.

113BS. You're such proud eagles. >> This one says, "You are the reason our school is successful." But that's not true. We all work together to make our students successful. >> Oh, take the compliment. >> We have We have the easy job. Aside from easy, >> we're appreciative of all of our membership and our new board members and and Dee as our clerk that works tirelessly to get this thing operational and up and running all the time. We're all fed and snacked and watered and hydrated. >> Okay. All right. So, uh, do we have a on that note, do we have any other final comments or shall we adjourn? >> I can make a motion to second. >> All right. At 8:57. All in favor? >> I pass. >> You guys missed it. I thought she

114had watermelon for a lower quality.