001full committee to order. Committee order and Andrew Perk is not with us tonight. Oh, okay. Sorry, we have two agendas here. So, this is our 5:30 meeting and we first we've called the order. Our first discussion item is the early retirement um incentive which you have information that Bob and Lori put together for that. So I'm going to hand it to Bob and Lori to talk us through those three pieces. >> Great. So what I provided you is uh were the documents that were created years ago when we um implemented the retirement incentive program. Uh we've done it three times, 2018, 2019, and again in 2020. Um we've had about 20 plus teachers at CPS participate and I can get you solid numbers. We were pulling them this afternoon and I've been running a meeting
002so they're probably in my email. Um 20ish teachers at CPS and probably 10ish at the high school. We can firm that up. But it's been a intentionally um positive program in hopes of both giving the district some fiscal offsets um but recognizing there might be folks who would benefit from um electing to go maybe a little earlier, maybe I don't know. I don't want to speak for them, but for whatever reason it fits wherever they are in their worlds. Um the 2020 version, which is what we're proposing, was a $30,000 um payment, 10,000 a year for the first three years after you've left. Um we found that that number because people going out are at top step, um we are able to replace and still save significantly. Um, so that's been a really positive match.
003Um, and I think what we found before is the base of salaries resets at a lower rate. We we hire and replace at a lesser cost. And of course, it takes, you know, years for the new person to get back to where the exiting person did. I will say in this environment right now with lower enrollment and this will be the budget conversation you have with us next week um we're looking at reductions and force um layoffs because we need to rightsize across the schools for the fewer students. So I think there's a benefit potentially there in that um it may offset some of the layoffs if people go through attrition. So that's what we're proposing. These documents were written many years ago by legal counsel. Um, which is probably obvious as you read them.
004Um, what we did want to just mention, there's a note here about having been in the district for 15 years. I'd actually suggest you go to 10. Um, just in looking at the data, there are some folks who came to us later in their careers that might be interested and 10 would open the window a little bit more to some of them. Um, but obviously we're not looking for someone who's just been here for a very short amount of time to, you know, participate in this kind of benefit. But there are aren't very many that would fit that category. Um, there's a release here which you can see sort of, you know, commits us to each other and what they're signing off to. They get the first payment um after they retire. So there's really
005the jeopardy here is minimal for us because if they don't actually leave, we're not going to institute the um the the fiscal offset going out, the fiscal bonus going out. Um I think it's up to open for questions from there. Um it's gone very smoothly in the past. We've had really no issues to speak of. It's seen by a win-win from the unions um and supportive and and really a support mechanism, not a the first time we did it, we worried it would have a message of we're trying to exit people and it that's just not how it's gone. Um it's really been seen as a positive. So >> So if we switched that from 15 years to 10, that would be under and I just I just resent it so you'd have them at
006the top of your email. >> Oh, thank you. >> So that would be the appendix A document on number two. you would suggest or we can talk about changing that to 15 years. >> Yep. >> To 10. >> Yes. >> I forget what we had as the there's like a highlighted yellow section for when you have to give your notice file. >> Yeah, we need to talk about that tonight. Um it was or it depends on when we put the program in place. Usually we do about a month turnaround. We formally put the information out and then say they have to commit within a month. Um, but it all depends on the time of year we do it. I think my suggestion with the break coming up would be January 15th, >> but that can
007be up for discussion. >> If we voted on it tonight and you put it out soon, you teachers would have to get back by January 15th for >> June 30th. Yes. >> For retirement this year. >> Yes. >> And the teachers know that this is coming. Um, so they know that we're talking about it. >> They know it's on your agenda. >> They know it's on the agenda. Not coming, but on the agenda. And so you've probably already had some inquiries. >> We've had some inquiries. And again, it's we want to honor that it's a life decision to go home and do some of your own personal fiscal math. Other questions? >> Questions? >> No. No. this fits our efforts to try to be creative and find ways to do well with the money and
008the children and um this has been one that's >> meet met both of those criteria. >> Definitely definitely and we are making some reductions this year. So this would help in that sense that we would know who's retiring. So when we it does come to riffs and things like that then >> might help in that situation. Do you have any concerns that you would ever get too many people from one concentration like no concentration? >> Yeah, we that early when we first did it, we weren't really sure, but it just hasn't played out that way. It's been pretty broadly spread and easily balanced. So, >> and in prior years, how many people have taken advantage of it roughly? >> Uh, total I would say 20 something. I don't have the numbers. >> Yeah. >> In
009front of me. um 20 plusish from CPS and about 15ish at the high school. So probably 25 >> per year. So >> that's in total. We had as many the first year we had 10 at CPS and five or eight at the high five at the high school maybe eight. So it's been >> it's been okay. >> Okay. >> Yeah. questions. Um, you don't know who's going to leave. What happens if you got people that are leaving spots where you have a deficiency or or see deficiency because >> yeah, we've been sure that the replacement has strong qualifications if in certain areas. Special ed is often the one place where we are looking for certain skill sets. Um but we've done well. There's no crystal ball to know exactly, but so far we've done quite
010well with who we've been able to bring in. >> Also, this is if people are if if leaving is percolating. This gives you more the idea is that this would give you more time to plan for that. >> Yes. Yes. because we we tend to for positions we would replace um we tend to like to post as early as March and be way out ahead. So, and sadly because other places are re riffing and laying off >> we've been able to invite those folks in some cases >> if somebody signs up for this and this is somebody or Well, no choice. >> When would you >> Yeah. I mean, we always have a little of that when people decide to retire. So, you know, we >> But it's not necessarily on the reserve. So, >>
011right. It's when >> what kind of time frame you expect? >> Yeah. That would have to be pretty much at the same time, you know, when we get the pool on the 15th. If for some reason something very different happened and we were like, "Oh no, that whole group can't go. We'd have to approach people." My instinct is that won't be the case, but there is a provision there that we can control some of it. >> And the way the teachers retirement system works, I mean, it's it there's a grid and you know exactly where you are in the grid and where your pension is and all that. So, it's it's really like a a shell game to figure out is this the right time for me or not financially. It's really what it comes
012down to, >> right? >> Okay. Yep. >> Any other questions? >> Is this um remind me is this something that we've done annually? >> No. So to do annually, why are we looking at it this way? >> No, we haven't done it in five years. I would not recommend that you do it annually. I think I think it's more beneficial with some time in between and when the right time and budgets and things like that make sense. Um, this felt given the riffs coming and the type budget the town's running and the desire to come in at a number we can agree to with them. Um, that's one of the reasons I brought it up now. All right. Anything else? Okay. So, this is up for a vote. So, I would entertain a motion to
013um approve the early retirement separation incentive benefit plan with the amendment of 10 years as opposed to the 15 years that's in item two >> and a January 15th um deadline. >> So, moved. >> Second. Any further discussion? >> All in favor? Hi. >> Hi. >> Okay, >> thank you. We'll bring >> Oh, yes. Wait, let's vote again because if you're in CPS, you must say I for both. And if you are on the region, just say I region. >> Heard that I didn't say >> I know. I know. >> Exactly. I didn't say I for Okay, let's do it again. Uh, all in favor I for both. >> Thanks. >> All right. Sorry. Just being official here. >> But you didn't have to move. >> Uh, no. >> No. No. I think we're good.
014I think we're good. All right. And then we have some budget updates to bring and just to bring the committee up to speed. Um Andrew and I met with Lois and Don Kupka and Eric Dolberg this afternoon to just give them some fincom updates. Um the guidelines will be set on Thursday night. So Lori and Bob will be attending uh that portion of the meeting on Thursday night, but we just gave them a general overview as to where we're at for FY27. And just for anyone else that's listening, we started this started this a couple years ago doing a summer meeting and we decided it would be beneficial to do another meeting now in December to just see where we're all at and that seemed to be agreeable to everybody. So we had good meeting
015this afternoon and I will let Bob and Lori give a very high level overview. >> Yeah, I'll kick it open and then turn it over to Bob. Um, one reason we wanted to put this on tonight's agenda is because we're going to need to talk with the finance committee before you see the budget. So, we didn't want to preempt that and wanted to be sure that you had information um that they would hear from us. So, um I'm going to literally give you the bottom line numbers that we're at right now and then Bob can talk on the trends of what's happened to get us there. Um, do you have the splits for the region? So, we're at Guide. We're we're at I only know the conquered number off the top of my head. That's
016why. Why don't you tell us? >> Yeah, go ahead. >> So CPS for that 2.94% uh increase versus the guideline set was 2.5%. Uh preliminary guideline um for the regional district. Our um budget increase is 1.63%. Um we had forecast 1.4 and um the town had used that to adopt a guideline. The town of conquered the 1.6 63% in terms of how that translates to an assessment. Um, as you might recall, there's a big shift between conquered and carile um in terms of enrollment. So, conquered um is at0.79% on our first pass. Carile is at 9.37%. >> Sorry, Carl. >> Yeah. And um the guidelines said we're we're basically really close to what the forecast and the guideline was but in the >> and the conquered guideline for the region was 0 negative0.9%. >> Correct.
017>> Okay. >> 0.79. >> Sure. Yeah. >> 0.97 >> 79. Um on the CPS side, the the biggest driver is a reduction in out of district tuitions. We are down to six students out of district, which is phenomenally unbelievably low. Um from 13 last year um and not not all of those are aging up. I think a couple of them are coming back in district. Um the um wants to the budget you know there are some staffing reductions you looked at I don't know if you want to talk on those >> I would rather not >> okay >> um that that impact this as we look at enrollment and um but anyways 2.94 in the region there's more drivers we have a lot more built into the budget we expected a lot more of a
018reduction for out of district tuitions but what we saw was that the the tuitions that we we have 12 students students that were either aging out or graduated, but those dollars tended to be lower cost placements. Um, we had um addition more additional placements than we anticipated. Some is Carell coming in. I think we had a couple new students. We had eight placements new. So, it's a net reduction of four, but one particular placement moving up from 8th grade to 9th is fairly expensive. So, we do have some savings in our district, but not quite what not I would say not what we expected. Um and that made it a little bit of a challenge for us to get close to the guideline. Um another driver was health insurance costs. Um we have a significant
019increase that's expected for this year. In addition, I had budgeted a significant increase last year but not quite significant enough. >> Just the relication. >> Yeah. And um so those are those are a couple of the key drivers there um in the regional budget. Aside from that, I mean most everything in this level are going down to get to 1.63%. Certainly we need that to happen. Um so those are the high level pictures. We'll do a presentation with a lot more detail, but that kind of tells you how we got to where we go. And can you just talk too about because one thing we talked I think Carrie you the only one on the committee when we talked about out of district costs how some of them were going up 14% a couple years
020ago now I I just heard an astronomical number today. >> Yeah it's some of them are over over 20% which >> again yeah >> so they've they can petition uh operational services division at the state for a rate increase. Um the increases are beyond things that we've seen before. Um even in that year that that school committ schools districts across the state wrote and protested >> because we wrote and protested. Yeah. Um for the 14%. >> So um that's part of why the regional tuitions aren't coming down as much as we um expected or hoped. Um, one other thing I should mention, a positive factor is that um, the school committee voted a couple years ago to create a non-resident tuition fund when we have special education students um, attend our our special ed programs
021mostly launch and path pathways. Um, and I think the anchor program has one student. Um, we had three students um, in our budget last year attending our programs. We have six or seven in our budget now. So that's 48,000 we've received. districts that we've built in as budget assets in our budget >> Per student and then if a student needs one to one support, they pay for the the tutor or assistant as well. Um but that also helped arrive at the 1.63 this year. >> And I'll just say there are going to be reductions in force like I just mentioned. We're just not ready to say where and how as those are people attached to those. So we'll we'll stay general for the moment. But that's both both budgets will have layoffs >> and I
022think that to our prior discussion about the retirement incentives. So there is no there are going to be reductions but if you get some retirements then >> there won't be that necessary won't be as many. >> Yeah I just said revenues are relatively stable but they're going up two percentage. So the assessment increase is is pretty similar to expensing. We don't always have that. >> So, we're meeting Bob and I will talk with the Conquered Finance Committee on Thursday. We're happy to connect with Carlile whenever the time is right. >> Okay. I'll run a point on that when >> Okay, perfect. Yeah. Thank you. Great. >> When will we see the finished product? >> Um by Monday of next week in time for the school committee meeting on Wednesday. >> Wednesday. Yeah. Yeah. But we'll
023have things to you by Monday. >> Yeah. >> And I'll send out a full agenda overview for that meeting. I didn't send one out for this meeting because we just had two um small items here. >> So, any other questions on the budget? >> Something I just wanted to clarify. You mentioned in Carlile there's rising eighth grader um to 9th grader and it the way I heard it is you didn't know about this. >> No, we did. >> Okay. I just want to make sure that that information is >> Yeah, >> we should be. >> It's It's coming. It's going. Okay. >> Nope. I just want to make sure. >> Thanks for asking. >> Great. >> Any other budget items for now? >> Thanks for that. >> Lot more to come. >> Yes. >> Yeah.
024>> We just thought it was good to get a quick preview tonight u before we go into this meeting. And we're going to stay in session. So, we will not deliberate, but we're gonna we're going to leave this meeting. And so we'll leave our Zoom audience. Thank you, Michelle, for coming.