Special Board Meeting 1.26.2026

001proceed to make brief comments. Board would like to remind everyone that to avoid violations of individual rights of privacy, a member of the public wishing to address the board will not be allowed to make comments about any student, staff member, or member of the general public. No action may be taken on any matter discussed during the public comment portion sub public comment portion of the meeting until such time as the matter is specifically noticed on an agenda and the public has been allowed the opportunity to comment. We have any public comment on a non-aggenda item? No. Seeing none, we continue with our meeting. New business discussion of the levies and bond. So, we're going to start um by um having our guests here um give us a little bit more information about the um bond

002and just extra information about that. What what we're going to do tonight is just talk, right? You're going to have an opportunity to hear information about anything we could possibly put on the May election on the ballot. And then you'll have the opportunity to talk and, you know, bat ideas around. You're not going to vote on what to do, what we're going to do until the February 9th meeting, but we do have to decide then so that we can get and we'll need to know, you know, we'll need to have a good sense of where we're going so we can get language prepared that you vote on that goes on the ballot. So, so we're this is a lot of you'll get a lot of information today and you'll have time to to talk about

003pros and cons of the various options that we have. Go. you're recalling my name. >> Hello everyone. Um, I don't have a whole lot prepared uh in terms of information, but I certainly can answer your questions. I think just in summary, we have uh Matt Zapansky here as well with Langless and Associates. Um, thank you for coming. Um, he'll be our backup. Uh, of course, um, the last year, 18 months, uh, have included, uh, the design of elementary school number four, uh, that was partnered, of course, with, um, a strong estimate from our contractor, uh, which was the basis for the information that you used at your previous bond campaign, which was unsuccessful. And so, we haven't rebid the project. Uh I'm not sure the market conditions have changed much. Uh meaning that I doubt

004our estimate has changed much. Um I don't have a wholesale uh autopsy of our market right now other than to say it's still active and and uh those prices probably still stand. I don't know if that feels generally accurate. >> Yeah. And so, uh, what we have today is, uh, a a completed architectural and engineering set for the elementary school number four on the shelf, so to speak. We have not submitted that to the state for a permit. Um, but we can do that at any time. Uh so it's shovel ready as we say and uh barring any uh significant changes to the international building code the IBC that that should remain shelf stable for a while. So that's good. That's that's in hand. Uh separately we've been of course uh coordinating with DNR u

005regarding additional leases. I I spoke to that uh in the last couple of meetings to include uh the utilities that we want to bring to our campus um as part of an eventual annexation agreement to bring municipal utilities, water and sewer uh to our campus. Uh and so why that's interesting is uh that requires additional DNS DNRC lease pieces to bring that right of way um onto our campus from from where those utilities exist. I can answer those questions in detail. Um on that topic with Matt's help, thank you. Uh we have a rough estimate to bring those utilities in. I spoke about this last time two weeks ago as an option for your future consideration. Uh those utilities range in between $650 and $750,000. >> That includes the land. >> Uh that does not

006include that does not include the land. Great question. So that would be the construction cost to bring utilities in the full loop water and sewer uh to our campus. my estimate. Um, let me back up then. We have an application to DNRC that's active. Uh, they're completing their due diligence now. Um the next phase would be for the DNRC to issue a request for proposal uh for um appraisal uh services, open market appraisal services uh to appraise the uh 1.15 acres that we would additionally need uh for additional lease land to support that utility infrastructure project. Uh the timeline of that is roughly u this coming March and April. Uh we'll see DNRC's um request for proposal for those appraisal services and by sometime this spring uh we should have an assessment of the value

007of additional lease land for that 1.15 acres. Um >> remember what the cost was per acre for the site? So for the site it was hundred an acre.$100,000. $100,000 an acre. >> $100,000 an acre. >> Right. So uh we can all do our own escalation there at you know whether if it's 10% or 15 or or what have you. I don't know. We'll find out. But that that's certainly our baseline. I I doubt it's gone down uh from there. But um I think I I I in communications with DD um I hazard a guess at 15% escalation since we procured that but really I market conditions will tell us. So uh that would be an additional cost and we also have to pay for the appraisal. >> Okay. So pardon >> it's a an appraisal

008of the land value. >> Oh that's right. And what did you say the cost was for the utilities? >> Uh it'll range. We we haven't uh we don't have an action proposal yet. You've done we've had some input uh from several contractors. Our estimate is that it'll be between 650,000 and $750,000 for that project. >> And that doesn't include this rightways. >> Correct. >> Does it include the utilities that go through that right away? >> Yes. Yeah. Yeah, it would be the the 650 to 750 range cost is all in for the for the actual construction of utilities in in from finish to end. >> And on top of that would be let's say anotherund >> yeah thousand for the for the uh easement. >> Okay. >> Not power uh power runs down Frank Road.

009We have pesky power lines on our side of the road that we'll have to coordinate a project with eventually. So power is there. Uh that would be a separate utility cost as part of a capital project for the um for the school if and when you were to pursue that. But this this conversation that I was just having u identifies simply uh municipal utilities uh water and sewer um from city of Belgrade. Um so let me ask one more question. >> Yeah. um DNRC, what's their expectation for us as far as some sort of utilization on this piece of this law? >> Yeah, great question. DDU and I were copied on an email from Gary Zaparian. Um he is an administrator at at the DNRC. um they've had some angst in and I reported this

010two weeks ago about so backing up currently there is an agricultural lease on the entire >> roughly section and and and more and um as that current agricultural lei makes plans for their upcoming season uh there's been a lot of discussion internally with those folks and the DNR about recognizing our position what do we do are they going to build are they not going to build that affects um their irrigation plan and their seeding plan, right? They have both uh irrigated cops crops and dryland crops. And so um not to get too far into those weeds, pardon the pun, uh the most recent communication from the DNR requests that we would not start a construction project until after September 15th. We're not obligated to do that. But, uh, as I reported a couple weeks ago,

011in an effort to be good neighbors, and we've had a great dialogue with the DNRC, an active one. In fact, I I tried to connect with them prior to this meeting on another matter that I'll I'll speak to in a moment. But, uh, there's been a ton of back and forth between the current LEI and DNRC about what to predict our action might be or not be. And so coming out of that without any resolution, um their current request or position is that we not start any construction project until after September 15th in order for that agricultural lease uh to do um what what they would normally do. But did that answer at least part of your question for timing? Yeah. uh related to that but slightly separate. September 15th is maybe somewhat of an

012arbitrary date. It certainly does not reflect the conclusion of the irrigation season. Right? We have a ditch that we have to cross for utilities that we would prefer to do just logistically and financially when that ditch is dry and not have to bore under a live ditch. And so, um, tactically it makes sense for us to coordinate if and when you want to do the utility work to do that outside of irrigation season. It saves us money. It's just a much better time to to do that kind of work if we have the luxury of scheduling it that way. So, just sort of a a logistical um point. Yeah. >> Say we know, >> right? Yeah. group. >> Yeah, we we saw the you know a couple of factors. We we chatted about some you

013know in a perfect world. Well, for example, right now is a real dead time for utility contractors, right? So, there's utilities are on sale right now, but we're not ready to go right now. Uh we still have application out there. We don't have the easement, etc. So, more directly would be uh we saw the ditch turn off and go dry last year just before Halloween, right around Halloween, let's call it November 1st. And so, um, I think that ditch project, excuse me, the utilities project, water and sewer is between a four and six week event, which we could, uh, you know, winter winter can do anything it wants to in November, but, uh, we're not in the thick of it, so to speak, yet. So, I think a November one start um I have to

014look over my shoulder to see if you're throwing darts at me or not, but >> um that that's a pretty good pretty good target. Uh another >> questional options in terms of >> so um technically we wouldn't necessarily need to go out for an election. >> Okay. >> Right. We have we actually have about a million dollars left in what we've already sold from the So there was $48 million that the voters approved in 2019. We sold 28 million of them. So we still have 20 sitting out there that is just unsold. So we have about a million dollars. Okay. A little less than a million dollars left from what we've already sold. Right. So that's where we were thinking we would pay for the easement out of that. Um so then the question is

015where do we find the rest of the money to do the um but that's part of the building project. So you can just sell some of the rest of the some of the 20 million. >> Yeah, >> we're authorized to do it as part of the building project. >> Would kind of depend on what we decided to do. If we wanted to do something in addition to the utilities, what what would we do? We know we'd have to sell part of the bond to make that happen. >> So, it's an option for us to I'll just be honest with you like I don't think it's a good idea to go for small project but we could conceivably get the board agreed to it prepare the utilities and stuff for future. >> Well, what do you

016mean by a smaller project? because >> like the past school versus like the 200 >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I get what you're saying. >> Um, one consideration that I don't have the answer for today, even though I tried to get it, is this larger question about the district's obligation to make improvements on DNR, DNRC land. >> That's kind of what I was asking >> in some I think somewhat arbitrary period of time. I'm not sure anyone can tell me >> five years. Uh I'm trying to get an opinion from DNRC if the utility installation would be construed as an improvement to your land. So, uh I'll keep working on that. Um and hopefully be able to report something actionable to you prior to your February 9th. Is that the meet your next meeting? uh before

017that time, but just another kind of leg in the stool there for consideration. >> Yeah. >> So, I guess um I I'll I'll summarize then as well just multiple paths forward. Uh whether that's a a May ballot question that puts the school back before the voters. Is it a 60 or 90day contestant period after an election? I think it's 60 as well. So early May, early June, early July, let's say it was successful by the summer and mid July, you would you'd be in a position to start deploying the project, right? Um, in the in the meantime, what that might look like is depending on how much in parallel we wanted to go, release our uh Lang and Associates to bid the project and present be prepared to present to you a guaranteed maximum price.

018Um, and we can talk more about the the tactical time to do that. um such that ideally you might find being uh at the end of a contestant period without any issues, having sold bonds, having then bid the job and then really being shovel ready for a project potentially as early as mid July. >> Well, one question I have is uh let's say mid July start. What does that mean as far as finish? When do we when's the window for opening the school? >> Yeah, that's a great question. Uh, I can offer some opinions about that. I think we'd want to study that a little bit more, but but typically I think our our baseline schedule is a 16-month schedule, maybe a little bit less. >> 16 16 to 18 months more. So it it

019it it likely sets up we'd be done maybe for your winter break versus the fall of the school year start, right? And something like that. >> So if you were looking to do it from the beginning, you could easily push it off a little bit and still if you were going to say start the next start of the next year instead of trying to start in the middle of the year, the middle of the winter. >> Yeah. >> Start the >> Yeah, sure. I'll give you an example. We we started uh Story Creek, which was a a full, you know, 650 65,000 foot building, you know, a large facility. We started that in in March >> of year X and we're able to bring that online a year and a half later um by that

020July to move in and get people trained for for the fall fall start of a school year. So, that's the optimal time to start a project. we're coming out of winter and it gives us enough of that window to bring it online for um a fall year and a half later and so that whole thing just kind of shifts back and forth >> three or four months later than that with the the way that you would go. >> Yeah. If with a mid July start we couldn't really make a fall occupancy of a of a school year. And the other thing that you'd have is instead of having a full summer just to begin your construction, you'd only have what would be four or five months before you'd be back into it. >> I think

021we could work through that. The key every phase is critical, but uh getting out of the ground would be at the top of that list. And so I think we'd have a fighting chance with a a midsummer start to get out of the ground in a meaningful way. And >> you know, the next milestone then is roofing and building enclosure. And so we just have to kind of map that out. Um but I I would say for the sake of discussion um that shouldn't play too big of a role. We we we can work our way through that. >> So but you're talking about a midyear start. So it' be a December or January start. >> Uh no, I'd say mid July start. I would >> No, no, I mean finish. So >> Oh, for

022Oh, for a finish. Excuse me. I misheard you. Yeah, it would be sometime that winter. We'd need to study it to ideally we'd want to do that during your Christmas break. You have a couple weeks off and maybe transition, but maybe there's no merit to that and we just do it, you know, >> I don't have a feel for that. >> Yeah. >> Is that a is that a no-go of trying to make a change in December? >> Um, it's unusual, but it's not unheard of. We're smart people. We could figure it out if that was the, you know, if if it made sense. Are are we talking if we were to do that then to move fifth grade out of the middle school in the middle of the school year? >> Yeah. The challenge

023>> I guess I'm not sitting here thinking we're moving a fifth grade from an elementary school to an elementary school. That's a this is a significant change. >> Yeah. The challenge is that we're not just impacting one school. We'd be impacting everybody. So >> yes, >> but you're certainly not obligated to move in as soon as it's done. Right. Right. I'm just the reason I'm asking that question is because that could >> impact the start. I mean, if we said, "Okay, >> we'll wait and start it at a time that's later and then still be ready." I mean, obviously a year later, but >> Yeah. And other there many forces to consider. Uh we might we might have different economic or market conditions that inform when we want to start a project or when we

024want to bid a project, >> right? probably not going to be necessarily better. >> Uh, of course, an entirely different scenario is not having this question on a May ballot, but on a November ballot and what that looks like and we'll have to war game that out. >> We may end up having it on both. >> Yeah, there's probably a way I'm thinking and I don't Somebody tell me to stop talking. Do you want to stop talking? >> I guess I I just look at our enrollment decreasing and I don't at the time there's a little background to this because you guys are newer. Like when we went out and got this land like it was just going freaking crazy. There was a short period of time where I thought we were going to have

025two high schools >> and then like Federal Reserve d raised the rates and it went from like 100 miles an hour to zero almost overnight. Mhm. >> And then with the change in the laws which allow open enrollment, we've seen our enrollment kind of stay steady and drop. But at the same time, like development around here still keeps happening. Like you can see that they broke down on broke ground on the town pump and then there's some stuff going across the street in River. And then I read in um in the paper there's also a 500 house subdivision proposed for by Cameron Bridge. >> Yeah. I I I I'm kind of with you, Steve, that you know because I'm seeing all this stuff proposed, but what I'm not seeing students coming out of this like

026you West Coast, I don't know, maybe DD's got the numbers. Um, but you know, when I go through there and pick the trash up, I'm not seeing kids out there. And it seems like it's pretty we're getting a lot of pe a lot of people that are moving in. Well, I shouldn't we we were getting a lot of people that are moving in, but we're not getting they're not they're either outside of the child raising age or not having kids yet or something. I mean, the national birth rate's at 1.6 six or something stupid like like it's it's a baby bust. Um, >> I was I was just more curious if Brian had any any inside information for us on what's coming like cuz at one time so like this is more background like when

027I thought there was going to be two high schools like we were really worried if we should have bought this land and then Godfreyy's like yeah there's like a 3,000 housing home housing development proposed for North Belgrade and I'm like oh my gosh we should have bought more land and then like as fast as it showed up it was gone. Yeah, but it doesn't seem like they're stopping development either. >> What do you think? >> I could just I don't have the crystal ball. I don't have an answer to your question. >> Come on, Brian. >> But but uh one other development to really pay attention to is is um the one that surrounds that that eventually consumes the rest of that parcel. Uh the name of that escapes me at the moment. Um pardon.

028Yes. and that trajectory they're it's kind of yeah they're they're watching to see what we do they are watching to see what the economy will support etc but I I think it's not a if but when proposition for them and that that directly and immediately affects you um because that is a high concentration it's high density housing in your backyard so to speak at that location so I I don't have anything but speculation about that other than I know they they certainly want that project to move forward. Um the developers at Milton, they're just like ourselves looking for the right time. So >> yeah, I mean it's it's going to happen. It's just a matter of when. >> Yeah. >> And how do we want to prepare for it? >> Well, I mean one of

029the other things you have to think about here is do you want to be building now for the future or do you want to wait until you've got trailers sitting around with kids in them and then come through with that? uh you know I think obviously the there's there was a lot of uh voter uh resistance on this because of the taxes but the taxes since that time have people gotten a chance to see that their taxes are lower and there should be some relief there. The other thing is I need I think we need to seriously look at this project. One thing we did which was a big mistake in my opinion was to put a gymnasium on this for uh because we looked like uh we were being greedy in my opinion. People

030were checking that. I think they thought we were being greedy. Right or wrong? I mean, I think there are people out there that say we need more gyms, but still uh I think uh it would make some sense to me if we're going to be committed to getting things in place sooner to go back and take take the take the gymnasium off of there, go for the 26 25 26 million or 6 million typically. and uh you know just I think it's uh certainly something that we need to go back sooner than later. Yeah, it seems like we have like four options, right? You could do nothing like put the tough shot on there. Then option number two is putting in the utilities like Brian recommended and hoping that satisfies the DNRC requirements and that

031way you would be prepared for what you'd be readyer because we don't know option C like when all these people are coming. So you could do like Rocky's saying and build the smaller school without the gymnasium and integrate the fifth graders or you could go the whole whammy and try and go out for the bond and then get the big school. Right? That would be the four options. So, I'm not talking about a small school. I'm talking about the the 250 kids school. Same same size we already >> looked for, but just take the gymnasium. >> Yeah. But it's not it's not a 500 kids school. No, >> we that would be the smaller one to start and then it could be added on to. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> So, it is a smaller school.

032>> Yeah. We never we never had a 500 kid school on our estimate. It was always a >> at school, but with the opportunity because the way it was designed to put the other 250 kids in there at some other future point, do we I guess I I'm not seeing the kids. And I mean, I want I know we want to sh move fifth grade out and but we're in a declining enrollment, which is weird for a growing community, but it's where we're at. And so why is that happening? Well, you know, you know why that's happening? Because it's not necessarily all just about a declining number of kids. It's about more kids going other places. And so we have to ask ourselves as a board and as a school district, how's that happening? And

033then what do we do to make that better to get those kids that are that are out there that are not coming to our schools that we're still paying for? How do we get them back in our schools? because it has a big effect not only on not only on this but it has an effect on uh our teacher base and the whole thing. So >> this is this is a big problem and if we just stick our head in the sand and say it's not happening we're never going to fix that problem. So I get what you're saying but I think there's a lot to this other than just take the statistics. I mean, I want to bring the kids back that are out for sure, but >> can I add can I add

034something that Frank would say if he was here? >> He he had mentioned to me that uh you know since we have declining enrollment, what is the chances of of us creating a fifth academy with our existing facilities versus building something new with declining enrollment? >> Where how you going to do that with what money? Well, we do have we could use that money from the element the bond money because it >> it's there's some language. I was looking at it at one point in time kicking tires probably with Dee and she was throwing stuff back at me that was harder and uglier cuz I deserved it. But um I had a thought at one time of um kind of putting the trying to use that money as a to kind of remodel the middle

035middle school into wing of the middle school into a fourth elementary. I think we could find some cost savings there, move some chest pieces around, but uh the way that the actual money it the way the language is ti written, it it was to acquire property and to build school on that property or something to the tune of that. Basically, it couldn't be cuz I was thinking if it was a little bit looser and you know if it was slightly looser we could do that and say hey we created a fourth elementary out of the old fifth grade wing of the you know middle school and now you got four elementaryaries and you got your fifth grade in all four of them and you know you got what you want without building out out here.

036Um >> so the language is just not going >> the language is just in the middle school for the elementary district. Is that correct? Yeah, that's correct. Unfortunately, um you know, we have looked at a design where we can use that the entrance with the um you know, circle the circle. Yeah. So, we can do that. We can house all the fifth graders down there. We could move that part of the library, you know, or keep that part of the library and put the other half of the library down on the other end for students to use down there. So, we could have a fifth grade academy. We can have an office down there. So they can have a separate instrument when they come in. We can create that with not a lot of money.

037It's just not going to really be separate. >> Yeah. >> And you know, we would have to do some pretty creative things with scheduling to not have fifth and sixth graders have to eat together at the same time. That would be a potential conflict. Um, but you know, there's a way to to do that within the framework of what we have with probably not spending a ton of money on changes because we don't have that money to spend. >> Our current enrollment in the elementary school would not allow How many fifth graders do we have? >> Um, two. >> Yeah. >> And what's our capacity in our ele our our our cushion in our elementary schools now? 200 or something, right? >> We looked at that and we didn't think we could make it >>

038could make it >> but that was considering the old trajectories, the old assumptions >> the existing that was with the existing population we had. >> Okay. >> But yeah, things things have I mean if you'd asked me a year ago and you asked me this year what the what the enrollment's going to be, I would give you two completely different answers and probably be right at my guess both times. And it could bounce back. I I the problem is and it will bounce back, but I don't want to build a school now that we don't need for 20 for 20 years, but I'd love to build a start breaking on ground on a school if we need it in two years. I just don't know what that's going to look like or you know, everything

039has changed from last year. >> Well, I don't know why you would say you're going to wait 20 years. There's no indication that that's the case. Again, if you put your efforts into getting the people that we've lost out of our school, we'd already be at the numbers we want to get. >> Terry, how many students do we have out out of district? >> It's more this >> 160. >> But did they really leave the district? Like I mean did they go somewhere else within the district or are they >> in other schools >> or did they leave this did they move >> or there's some district going to schools outside of our district. >> Okay. All of them. >> So it's not like you >> say that again. K >> our district but they're

040attending schools outside of our district. Manhattan reforman Anderson Gateway. Uh there's 16 school districts in in this valley and so they're attending one of those instead of coming to their home district. >> And how many students is that? >> It's a little over two. >> Our total population of students is what? 3,100. >> Yep. So if we were successful in recruiting our own students, we would have had 150 plus more students in the district. >> Well, I don't think you want to say recruiting. There could be a number of reasons they left. It could be because they want to go to a smaller district. I was going to say small schools are a draw for >> unfortunately for sports, you know, like and some there's perception too. Um that's just something you have to consider

041in your decision. I >> I just feel like in our community when we were running the last bond, it was such a negative the comments were so negative. >> I don't think they were always fair or right. No, but and that's and I think that that's a problem that there seems to be a real >> there's a basis >> there's a very negative perception out there and I don't think it's true and I don't know how we approach that to change that mentality toward this board or this school district. I don't know that there's, you know, um I guess I could run up and down Main Street a few times and with a big placard that says we're really nice people. >> You need to meet us. >> What are talked about this at length,

042you know, and I mean I don't want to pull I don't think this is a discussion we don't want to go too far on. >> Like we've implemented a lot of stuff and we've tried to increase our academic rigidity, you know, and things like that. building a new building isn't necessarily going to bring people in if we don't have the programs that support what we're trying to do. >> No, I think it's going to have to be other things that you're doing. I mean, I think obviously we're moving trying to move towards some right answers. We maybe we haven't got there, but there's still some things I think we have to be we're telling ourselves that we're okay in certain things, but I population in the community is not seeing that or not saying that.

043And I think we need to understand why that's happening. And I, you know, I get what you're saying, particularly things around, you know, we talk about behaviors, but people don't see that. They see, uh, you know, different, they see a different story than what we're trying to tell. >> And I and I'm and I'm not sure how we'll get past that, but there's some work that needs to be done with respect to the community. The other thing that I would say in all the years of teaching in the Belgrade high school there was a constant fluctuation of population in and out of that school constantly and sometime and sometimes you can't just say well that's the fault of the district or whatever or try to point fingers at teachers. Families do their own things and

044they're not necessarily sitting around grading us as a school district or as a school so much when they make decisions around their children. A lot of their decisions I feel like are made on a at a at home level about what they want. And a lot of the people that they would move in and then they would move out because they couldn't afford to live here. And that was a constant fluctuation because I I know I've said this before and I'm probably beating a dead horse, but I was constantly told, "You better be ready. We're going to class double A." Well, I lucked out. I retired and then we went to class A. But, you know, I think that that's part of the animal in the community where we live that we are going to

045see a fluctuation in population. And I understand we're supposed to add 20,000 bodies here in the next three years or so is what the project >> um I don't know I thought it was >> yeah like because of the businesses and stuff coming in like all this stuff out here on Jack Rabbit and stuff like that and I'm trying to I don't know if that was from a builder friend or if that was something that was in the paper or on the news or where they got that from. >> Guess that doesn't tell us how many students. >> No, it doesn't tell you how many students to expect, but you'd think out of 20,000 people you're going to get. >> Well, if you're going to get 20,000 people, at least a couple of them are

046going to be student a >> was that recent numbers. >> Yeah, that was something that I just heard. I mean, maybe that's something we ought to spend a little bit of time on. >> Looking at sitting here >> the projector >> arguing about it. Let's discuss it all. >> Maybe maybe it No, but what I'm saying is maybe we ought to get some real statistics and say here's what the here's what the >> here's what the rejected forecast is. Yeah, that's a good idea. >> Yeah. >> Do you kind of agree with like what outcomes potential outcomes do you think? What kind of truth? I I think if the DNRC needs action and these guys, >> my opinion is I think we should get power and sewer >> sewer and water. I got this. I

047got this. >> Um >> well, we don't have >> We're not intending to make a decision tonight, right? No. >> Well, I'm just saying >> that would be a good move to >> I mean, she's right. Rocky's right. We could look at some forecasts to help us predict if we should go out for a bond or use the existing funds for the 250 student school. You know, it would be helpful to know how far along the uh high density prog >> Yeah. But like you said, they're waiting on us and we're waiting on them. I you know probably it's more they're waiting on us because of the >> the utilities >> because it's a deal where >> kind of like >> you know everybody's sort of >> oh >> Belgra decided that whoever >> whoever

048does this has to pay and so that's kind of the >> fortunately in the past like though we we were paid back for that so we were pretty >> I was going to say will they help us pay yeah that was part of the contract that they had to re reimburse us for that once it was finished >> for Story week. >> Yeah, I don't know if that's her that's her story. >> We would uh we've already laid the groundwork for you may recall having approved annexation agreements for your bus barn. And so in those drafts were provisioned for payback agreements with the tactical intent of carrying forward to annexation agreement for this project. So, we've laid the groundwork to keep that door wide open that you could certainly should expect um to enjoy a

049payback agreement for utility costs that might be shared by others. >> Okay. >> So, we are Carrie's going to give us a presentation on everything we could possibly run on the May ballot, right? because you you need to understand all what all of our options are and what the implications are and then we can probably circle back around to this as part of that conversation of what do we run, how many things do we run and you don't have to make a decision tonight. The goal is for you to get all this information and then sleep on it because you will have to make a decision at the ne at the February board meeting because we have to get that language um ready for the ballots and get that to the election. Thank you. Thanks

050for coming. related to that. Um, in the last finance meeting, one of the questions that I asked and Carrie was the so I asked Gary. Um, we my recollection is the conversation was we've lost 54 identified students. Um and generally speaking, um it's important to have some tracking mechanism to figure out where every individual has gone. It gives you patterning for who we're losing. If I mean tracing more than 200 students or some in some other school districts, there may be good reasons for some of that, but the truth is there is some literature that suggests that when families decide that it's not on an educational basis, not even necessarily on what's best for my child. Um, it's not infrequent. One of the most frequent determinants of where students go is how long how far

051away do I need to get the student. Um and so um kind of conceptually school districts deal with the numbers that Trey is saying by having an internal recruitment program so that we are reaching out to students who may be identified as at risk um and talking about how good it's going to be to stay here. Um, not that students get to dictate that, but part of that is for family members, part of that is for students. And this would be a very different conversation if 200 plus students were in Bgrade. Um, then there would be no question about what our student what direction our student enrollment is going. Um, and the conversation about should we invest in a a school, are we going to be able to sell fifth grade moving? That ends up

052not being a controversial conversation. >> Yeah. My experience in trying to help to get the bond done is that fifth graders in the elementary schools is important to educators. It's important to families that are on the cusp of their kid being in the middle school. It's a non-starter for everybody else. Nobody else said, "Oh my god, that's where the fifth graders are." it it you couldn't sell it in front of Albertson's. >> Um and so and that's kind of like well let's remodel the middle school. Good idea. teachers will think there are some real benefits to that and remodeling bond issues die endlessly and they just it's not some if the kids are doing okay this year they're going to do okay next year even if there are educational advantages so I think we need

053to think strategically about what's marketable able in the community and the community has told us what's not marketable. >> Um and we will do well to listen to that. >> I have a this is a question probably more for you Dee than anybody but um it seems like we're seeing a lot more kids maybe they they're unhappy with their situation at school. I don't exactly know what all the situations are, but a lot of them are choosing to go to online school. Not so much even going to to uh you know somebody else. They're actually going to online. Are we paying for them to go on to online? >> We have a small number of students who in working with them and the families that's the best option. But we don't market online school. We

054don't have a charter school for it like some districts do. We don't that's not out there. >> But are we we supporting that >> for a small number of students who like what we're doing is just not working. But it allows us to keep them in the district. It allows them to get over there maybe just some time in their life when that's >> they're not in the 200 kids that we're talking about here. >> No. As long as we keep them and we're educating them, we keep them as a student. We receive their A and B, we're educating them. >> So, do we do online then? Are is it coming out the service coming out of bar school? >> We're purchasing >> online >> aselis. Yeah. But we run it, right? So, the students

055are still ours. >> Okay. >> So, they don't belong to Aselis. We the students are still ours and we do that. And the goal is obviously always to move them back to in school learning. >> That just seems like I've heard a reasonably, you know, increasing number of kids that are >> we I'll get to that on >> and we had to pay for it out of pocket for a semester. >> Yeah. >> That 200 number is that homeschool kids? Is that No, that's just kids that we're paying for in other districts. >> Okay. >> Do we have a recruitment program to try and get them back? >> To get them back. >> Yeah. Well, they're gone. So, yeah, I guess why we figured out they figured out why they'd left. >> Not sure you

056want to re that would be part of school. Yeah. Yeah. I >> mean, I can give you I don't want to interrupt, but I can give you some of my looking at it for the last couple years. Um Manhattan, we've seen an uptick at Manhattan. Um that could be a 4-day school week then people like that for some reason. I don't know. uh >> weekend >> that is smaller than us and a lot of a lot of times when I'm talking to people that seems like a a cell like you know we're we're big compared to Manhattan and and they like the smaller setting of Manhattan. Um we have we have eight kids that are in Spring Hill School District which feeds into our district, right? But there there are kids going to Spring Hill.

057um you know and and and that's sometimes is just I like the smaller setting. And >> what are the ages? What's the >> most most of those are what I would call elementary like K4. >> There's very I mean high schools very small compared to the the rest of the population. No, I would just Yeah, I mean obviously we if it's mostly elementary that's the that's who we're talking notes of information that we need to get. >> Yeah, that'd be something that we'd need to get >> read next month's Panther Pulse. Just wondering what schools students are >> compar I I can ask >> we can figure it out. I don't know how I don't know how detailed we can get, but we can get some numbers >> could ask how many students have left

058Boseman roughly. I mean, I'm sure that >> for how many have come. Well, yeah, they have all that information just like we do, but I also did a lot of work for my next Panther Pulse article on enrollment and enrollment projections, and I looked at county birth rates and looked at our capture rate over time of those county births and tried to figure out like, are we consistently, if there's 2,000 kids born in the county, are we consistently bringing in the same percentage? and we were at 26% for several years that I was looking at it and in the last couple of years we're only bringing in 18%. So it's not and the birth rate in Gallant County has not dropped. It's stayed pretty stable. >> So the total babies are the same, but we're

059only getting a percentage of a smaller percentage of the total. >> Yep. And that's I think where Trey's finding we're not even seeing them ever come to our school. they're starting somewhere else like Manhattan at kindergarten. So we until the open enrollment bill came about, we didn't even know they existed, >> right? So, this is part of why I'm a little less uh wanting to say no to delay is I believe there's more kids out there than we think and I think we need to focus on how we get those kids back into our school and we need to be ready for them when they come. >> So, that's my those are my points. >> Yes, sir. I uh so so I have reasons why students have left is something we'll need to figure out.

060Projected number of students like in the next 10 or whatever years based off population growth. That's some of the stuff that Gary can fold into that question. >> I can do five years because I have the birth rates for those. >> Well, we canate to get everybody the information they need. I'm just writing some rough notes here. >> Hey, I wrote it down to go over at the next finance meeting. looking for some like tol like statistics on other districts in terms of students leaving and attending as well. >> I'm sure more of this will come up in our executive session too and we talk about our goals. >> So what do you want to start here? >> Sure. >> All right. So you have um three elections that you can do. The first one

061is your trustee election which is required um because we have to have a trustee election this year because we have people that term has ended. Um the only way we can cancel that is if we only get if we get the same number of candidates as we do positions open. So um right now we have no people that have applied. They did Oh, I never got that paperwork. It wasn't even in my my mailbox. Okay, perfect. We've got we got one then. Um then we have uh uh leveies and we'll walk through um some of these pretty quickly, but we have general fund technology, building reserve, and the building reserve has a couple options. You could do a safety levy or you could do an another building reserve. And then um I I would say

062that we're probably pretty likely that we need to run a general fund for sure. Um and and we'll see that later in my presentation. And then the bond, which uh Brian was here to to talk through that whether we want to run a bond election or not. So we have to talk about what are the risks of doing both. What are the possible cuts that we would have to make? Um, I mean, when you look at the rising cost of everything, inflation's obviously playing a role for us personally. And then at the school district, we have the new legislation for House Bill 252, which was the STARS Act, that um offers a a housing adjustment that can come into play, but all it does is it's a more of a voted levy on your taxpayers.

063It's not like free money from the state. You have to ask your taxpayers to cover that housing adjustment. And then um when I look at the numbers and look at our estimates, granted we'll have some better numbers later in February because our A and B count is February 2nd. And so um as soon as we get that, then we'll know where where our funding will actually lie because right now I'm just assuming we didn't change at all. We didn't go up, we didn't go down. We stayed the same as the fall, which um at right now the numbers indicate that we'll have a $7,000 budget increase between elementary and high school. Elementary funding is going to go down, high school's going to go up. They net to $7,000 positive. So, you can we'll start with

064the elementary district. So, this shows our maximum budgets um with a vote um our current budget and then what I'm anticipating our maximum budget without a vote would be. That would be the portion like if a levy fails or we decide not to go out for a levy at all. Um we're going to be down um $36,000 or roughly. >> How much? >> 36,000. >> That's a good round number >> right there. >> Can you see that? >> Yeah. And then um then we also have um if you want to go and include that housing. And so first we're going to go to the 100% of the levy which is without the housing. Um and that would be option A that you could run a levy for. That's our standard operational levy that we would

065do every year. And that would um give us about another um $101,000 of uh funding that we could do that would cost a a taxpayer on a $300,000 house approximately 200 $223 cents a year, not 200. Um and then we have the portion that is with the housing and the way the housing works is they take all of the taxable value or the average um housing costs throughout the state. They find an aggregate and then they find out if you're in a high cost of living area, they let you go that however your percentage above the the average. And so we're 3.72 or 42% um that we can additionally lev levy which is another um 816,000. Um, so well actually it's really $779, but the whole levy would be $816,000 because it includes the portion

066to get to the 100% and then the portion to get to the 103%. >> That's $18 a month. >> Yep. And that's $1810 a month on a $300,000 house >> a month or a year, right? >> A year. Sorry. Yeah, a year. >> A year or a month? >> Oh, sorry. A year. A >> buck 50 a month. Um, if we were to go option B, what would that allow us to be able to do in terms of because I'm assuming that there's something connected to that's their salary or cost of living or however they phrase it, but what would that allow us to do for our people? >> It it has to go into something that would help them with their housing costs. And we got confirmation that that can be salary. >> Okay.

067So, we could do salary increases. I have a slide in here that kind of shows like you could do stipens, you could do salary increases. Some schools have thrown out the idea of just building housing. I mean, there's lots of ideas. I don't think this is going to build any housing, but um there are lots of ideas out there for schools to do. There's a long list within the bill of options. And then if we go to the high school, um, we're looking at a positive $43,000 increase in our budget. And then so if you take the 43 minus the 36, we're going to come out net seven positive or about that. Um, but we also have the inflationary cost of utilities. um supply software also just for the steps and lanes for everyone that's

068on a salary matrix. It won't even cover that. And um so we've got these are your two options just like the elementary. We're looking at $3.17 a year or $116 a year. So that you also have to think you add those two numbers together, but what if one passes and one doesn't? So what if they pass the elementary one with the housing and they fail the high school one with the housing? Then we're back to a a different scenario. And I'm I kind of did my presentation on either they both fail or they both pass. I haven't really dug into the the whatif scenarios. >> One money for the other if you had pass. We if we just have one pass um I would recommend we we kind of funnel that money through our interlocal

069agreement our multi-dist agreement and then that way it can be shared between the two districts which is why we have the multi-dist agreement. So but it just lessens the amount of money that we would have available to do those things. Um here's the combined impact. So, um on a $600,000 house, if um we just did the standard a levy for both of them, it would be $1242 a year or um with the housing adjustment, it would be $672 a year for both of them. >> 60 >> 67 >> on a $600,000 house. >> Yeah. um $7 a year, not a month. That's what we're >> So, when you when you publicize this um I'm just looking the thing with housing. I'm just wondering how that how that plays with this with the uh taxes. Is

070that a something that you're required to use that that um >> they have not changed the ballot language, which was what I was expecting that you would have to delineate that portion out on your ballot, but they're not requiring that. >> Okay. >> They're just allowing you to run a higher levy. >> You could just run a higher levy. So, you really wouldn't talk about that necessarily. >> It depends. It could be beneficial for us. It could shoot us in the foot. I mean, we just don't know. We need to understand that because I think we want to be I think we want to go for the higher number. My opinion >> I would recommend that we do I >> because we missed on the last. So we need to go with the higher number

071but we need to be really you know provoter as much as we can here. We need to give them the the right story as much as we can about what we're trying to get done. >> Yeah. >> Hopefully. Well, maybe it does. >> And and if you sell this as, you know, and we we'd have to as a board be diligent about it, but and and but if we sold it as, hey, we're trying to get our teachers get this into our classrooms, get this to our our, you know, the people that are teaching our students, I think that people I heard quite a bit of people saying, I mean, I've had people say, I won't vote for a bond, but I vote for a levy. I've heard that. I've heard, >> you know, and

072and and a lot and I think people understand our teachers are paid piss poor. >> So, if we could figure a way to get somehow get the teacher, when I say teachers, get the >> teachers >> line level staff up, I'd be all I think Yeah, this I think you can sell that. >> Yeah. Carrie, can you run the numbers on both option A and option B um in terms of what kind of pay increase that would mean for for our teachers? >> Yeah, we've got that for you. >> Option B and option C. >> B and C. What up? >> Yeah, we got that. Um I don't know if it's in this presentation, but I we do we do have Oh, no, it is. Um, so here's district-wide outlook on on where things are.

073Um, we've kind of already walked through it. This one just kind of summarizes it on one slide. So, as you know, our core investment is people. So, approximately 86% of our total budget is wages and benefits. And, you know, I just I keep saying we're in the people business. We got small people, medium-sized people, and adults. You know, we are catering to all of those. And so, but when we look at reducing like making budget cuts and things like that, the biggest lever we have to pull is staffing in any direction because we are already part of purchasing co-ops. We already shop around and do as much as we can to cut in other areas. But when you look at where our our major costs are, it's in staffing. And so when when we look

074at cuts, we can make small cuts in a lot of places um that might help a little, but our biggest lever is going to be staffing, which as we talked about enrollment going down, you should theoretically need less staff. >> Um so the cost of just doing the step increase, so step and lane increase just for um all of the people that are on salary matrixes that would be paid out of the general fund. I didn't include food service or transportation in this number. It's $565,000 just for all of those increases that we're already obligated to do because we already have agreements. Um so we have 36 people throughout the district who are basically capped on their salary schedule. They can't take another step. So for those people, they would get 0% increase if we

075didn't provide an additional increase on the salary. They're at the bottom or top, however people say that. I say bottom because it goes like this, but it's really the top of the pay. Um, so it >> they're top step people. >> Mhm. >> Okay. >> Yep. And that and that's classified certified administration. We have 36 across the district. So >> have contracts coming up >> in the next fiscal year. >> We this year we we negotiated last year that we would only talk salary this year. >> We did not um negotiate salary last year because we didn't know where everything was going to land because we were still in the legislative process last year and so we said we'll just talk salaries next year with with the three unions. Um, so we had >> How

076long has it been since we negotiated salaries? >> We did last year. >> Last year. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> So, we did last year we did language in the bargaining agreement and salary, but we didn't commit to a second year of salary because we weren't sure what was happening with the legislative. So, we said we could open it back up to look at money again for this year, but we're not talking about the the agreement that's set. So when we talk about if we want don't want to run a mill levy like in action we're looking at I I use teacher salaries because they're our biggest expense teachers are in the district when you look at all of the salaries that are paid. Um so I took the average teacher salary and they were

077um $67,100. So I took our deficit that we would have um because of the 500 and um $65,000. And to make up that money, it would be approximately 8.33 FTE is what we would have to reduce to be able to to just pay steps and lanes on those people. And that's at the average salary. It could be it could be more than that. It could be less than that depending on what FTEES you cut because if you look at paras or something like that, they obviously make more money. So it would take more FTE to make that happen. >> Yeah, because they make less money. Yeah. >> In Duty's last uh update, I think there's six people retiring. Is that included in those calcul? >> No, because I didn't have it at that point. Okay,

078>> we are those are coming in like wildfire the last week or so because they're due by February 1st if they want the extra $400 incentive to let us know. So, we'll start looking more at the granular granular level for all of that kind of stuff as we as we start getting more of that information, but right now we're just looking at if everything stayed the same, what would it take to move forward? And then I already talked about, you know, the increase in utility software. I mean, you buy Infinite Campus, our student information system, it goes up 1 to 2% every year in cost. Um, my accounting software does the same thing. Like it's just everything goes up every year in cost. >> Um, so then I kind of I went through and if

079it there's no levy or it fails, um, we're looking at approximately 8.33 FTE. These are all estimates because we still don't have final numbers for A and B and all of that. Um, if we do the levy without the housing, we'd get another $247,000 between the two schools. So, that would reduce the the the reduction in um staffing by to 4.74% 4.74 FTE rather than 8.33 to make up that to get to that 565,000. And then if you look at the max levy, we would have if we went with the housing one, we would have no immediate um cuts that we would have to make. I would still recommend that we continue to rightsize our district based off of our enrollment, but we would not have to make any urgent cuts. We could be more

080strategic about it and it wouldn't be like dire. >> So, okay. You needed 500 and some thousand. Now you have one point. Yep. >> Three. What are you doing with the rest of that money? >> Putting it into salaries. And so it would give us another $761,000 approximately. And I we did the estimate and I think between a 2.5 and a 3% we could get away with. >> Hey, we're withinflation. >> I mean 3%'s going to be pushing it. >> You mean to give an increase in wages? >> Mhm. in addition to steps and lanes >> in step in addition to the steps and lanes the 3% would be pushing it and would leave us not a lot of money for the other expenses that are also going up. So Dee and I were talking

081that we might want to look at um staying more around that 2.7 2.6% area. Um >> keep the rest for >> and then where we have the rest to deal with utility costs that are going up, software costs that are going up, things like that. Um, but but it's it's your guys's call. >> Well, but for awful salary that exists now, what you're saying is in the most ideal world, we can almost give them awful salaries next year. Mhm. >> It's going to take a lot of years for us to correct what's been done in the past. In my opinion, we have fallen behind. We have given small increases in pay for many years. We've had many mill levies fail. It's going to take a lot for us to to catch up to that. And

082I mean, as as much as we move forward, Bosezeman takes two steps forward, it feels like. So we we have a uphill battle when it comes to salaries just in general. >> The thing is is we failed for >> under a particular leadership. There was a period of time where no levels were run at all >> and everybody in the community was like wow isn't this great? And then all of a sudden it was like hey we need money. >> So there was about 10 years I think that none were run. Maybe it's not quite that long but they ran no levies. And I think we're seeing the effects of that now. And there's an uh East Telena School District where I grew up. They have a similar community to ours and they did the

083same thing and they're struggling now too because now because you don't run leveies every year like Bosezeman has done. When you do run a levy, the perception is that you've done something wrong and that you're mismanaging your money and then you're behind on salaries. you're behind on a lot of other things because you haven't had that money invested for all those other years. And so that I think people were trying to do their communities a favor by not running levies. And I appre I I can appreciate that and I can understand it, but at the same time they put themselves in some pretty sticky wickets. There's nothing in that to appreciate. And honestly, without knowing who I'm speaking to, that is not bright fiscal management. >> It looks good in the moment. >> But you're

084going to pay your dues later. When you mistreat teachers, everybody loses. And that's what the salary structure is in Bgrade. So, it would be helpful to me um if we ended up with that 8.33 FTEES that um get fired because that's what we're talking about. >> Well, it would probably be attrition at this point. I mean, we have six people already retiring. So, >> you could look at attrition. >> That's not attrition. Once you say we need 8 and a3 people out of here, some people will say, "Well, I guess I could be one of them. I'm nearing retirement." And so you kick them out the door. It's still a bad way to teach pe treat people. So what I'm interested in is looking at um current class size assuming a distribution that DD can

085make up about how many administrators um that means versus how many teachers I'm interested in what's the impact on class size because what we have here is an opportunity to grow the number of students who are being taught in Manhattan, particularly in K through 4, you you bump up those numbers and people start thinking about I I want a smaller class size. And the reality is there is good evidence that smaller class size and early elementary grades makes a difference in terms of student outcomes. So, I'd like to look at what what's the risk of ballooning our class size in a way that will create other problems for us. >> So, you're looking for I'm just writing this down, Scott, like administrative to teacher ratios and student toteer ratios >> and their effect on achievement.

086Well, assuming that some of those people are going to be teachers, um if you don't have a teacher, those kids are going to be just spread out someplace else and they can't all go to Manhattan or they're going to end up with problems with their class size. >> So, you know, class sizes are um we have we have um criteria from OPI that says you can't go above a certain class size, right? So, typically when districts approach challenges like this, let's say nobody was retiring, um you can't just say if the class size max for kindergarten, first and second grade is 20 students, you can't just say we're just going to cut some teachers there and put 30 kids in each class. That's not that's not how it works. >> No, but the reality is

087families react. M Montana has made decisions >> which are fundamentally not education decisions. They're financial decisions that identify maximum class size in ways that most families that are thoughtful about educating their children. They don't say 20 would be just ideal. Nobody says that. Um, and so our numbers were permitted to put more students in a class than families would generally want. I want to know how are we going to be bumping up against the Montana max. >> Yeah. >> And then we need to look at >> we want to be at 18 or do we want to be at 20? >> So we Yeah. So we have a process to look at this. So we can look at that together or I can go over it with people. Um I was just at Saddle Peaks

088um school advisory committee meeting this afternoon going over their numbers with them. Right? We were using projected numbers. I just took numbers from a week ago Monday said let's guess how many kindergarteners there are and how many kindergarteners next year are going to be first graders and on down the row. And we went through each grade level and calculated we have this many kids. How many teachers does that equal? Right? So, we did we did that work and it usually comes out pretty well. Sometimes there are great two grades that are very small and there's a possibility that if we're really tight, we could make combo classes. Not our favorite idea. If we're really tight, that's a possibility. Plenty of other districts do it. It can work well, especially in the younger grades, right? And

089and so that's an option. But there was consensus there about this is how many teachers we need. There was no, you know, saying that this is and you know, some years you're up closer to that max and some years you're down a little bit lower because kids don't come in the right bunches. Um, and that's that's always been part of teaching. Um, none of those classes would be staffed above the level. We when we do the math, we calculate it at 18 per class for the little kids and 26 per class for the big kids, not at their max numbers. >> I would uh we've done a great deal of work on this. You guys are I don't want to cut off the discussion, but I think that would be a good discussion for us

090as a board to review. You know, based off the numbers that we chose to maximize salary for teachers and it could be lowered. You know, it's a very good point. that may be something that would draw more kids to our district. So, I've written that down as a note, but something we'll go over. >> Just I don't want to interrupt your discussion, but we don't want to go until it's more important either. Well, I think it's good a good point made there is that this is really important in the lower grades >> because once you've get kids that are you've got them in your school, you've done a great job with them, there's a lot more chance they're going to go to the middle school and then onto the high school, which is what we

091want to have happen here. >> It's a fabulous idea and they should continue with it. >> Yeah. No, I think that's a good idea. >> Okay. So, the use of these funds, obviously, we're we're looking at compensation. Excuse me. >> So, housing stipens, percent wage increase, we could do a flat amount um increase. There's lots of options there. And then when you look at operations, we got curriculum updates. We we know we know we have technology problems that we need to continually work on. And then there's always building maintenance, which if you start getting that 86% out of balance with your total budget, that's where you start um you know, you you start going into those monies and then you're not properly updating curriculum or maintaining your buildings or updating your technology. So, when we

092talk about tech levy is an option that you guys could run, it's a voter approved um levy that you would you would do. Um we currently have a $62,500 um tech levy which is um about $40 per student per year at the elementary level or but that's between all of them. Sorry, that's based off of the entire school. So we have 162,500 levy at the elementary district and 62500 at the high school district. Those together make 125k. It is not enough. Is that a levy carrier or is that was fun to us by the state? >> Nope. That is a levy. >> So the state doesn't give us any >> um I can look. The state gave us like $7,000. >> No. Um the the they do not fund um technology very well at all.

093In fact, I was just at a Mazbo board meeting before this and we talked about um really advocating with the ne next legislative session. We're in the 21st century. We need to get them to put more money into technology. Um, so right now our levy is permanent forever. If we go out for a vote, like say we want to do a $100,000 levy at both districts, if we go out for a vote, it's only good for 10 years. So you you lose that permanent one that's not adequate anyways, but you also every 10 years put yourself at risk of losing that levy again. If it fails, we don't lose it. As long as we don't go into the new levy, um we always get that 625. >> Okay. So we have 625. >> Mhm. >>

094Okay. >> Yep. So there's really not a lot of risk to running it because the worst it's going to do is fail and we wind up where we're at, >> right? >> Something that's more than 625. >> So we have the same issue with maintenance. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. >> So um the pros and cons I kind of put in here for you guys. Um obviously the big con is the increase in property taxes and um that you must renew it every 10 years and there's there's limitations on what you can spend the money on. you can't put it into teacher salaries. Um, so, um, >> I can real easily spend $40. >> You know, you also have voters that are old school who might think, I didn't have a computer when I went to

095school. You sure as the heck don't need one yao. So, um, or my kids are on too much screen time as it is. You know, you have that battle that you could be fighting, too. But then you also have the pros of that which is we have a lot of devices that are at the end of life because we bought them during COVID and they're all going to be coming due here pretty soon. So um that is something that you that we need to think about. The next thing is a safety levy which sounds really weird but it's part of your building reserve. So the building reserve is broken down into subfunds. There's a sub fund that is permissive, a sub fund that is voted, a subfund uh for safety that's also voted, and then

096there's a sub fund for transition. So like when Boseman built Gallatin High, they could do a transition levy, which helped them with their first year of expenses to even things out. Um we I'm not we don't need a transition levy. We're not opening a new school, a huge school. Um, but we I I would like to really entertain the idea of a safety levy in the future because um a lot of schools are using those safety levies because you can use them to harden your buildings, you can use them to um pay for your SRO's, to pay for your counselors, to um pay for, you know, cameras, things like that. that that right now comes out of our either our regular building reserve or our general fund. So, um it would be really beneficial to

097take some of that pressure off of the general fund, which is another benefit that Bosezeman has to help with their salaries is they take they have things that get offset into these other levies that come out of their general fund. >> Yep. So, um it if um if you run it for a specific amount, it's only for 10 years. If you run it, um for a specific number of mills, then it's permanent, which is weird, but >> that's how that's how the law is written. I don't I mean, I don't know how long that's going to stay in the law, but it's there right now. um the pros and cons. Um we kind of talked about a little bit of this, but um the you're also, you know, more taxes. >> What do you what's

098the ratio? What's the cost for this? Is there a number that we're looking at >> for a safety levy? >> Yeah. >> No, but I could get one for you. I mean, if it's something you guys want to consider doing, we could look at >> I mean, we could run it for any amount. We could put SRO's on there, our counselors on there's no limit. Yeah. it. Yeah, it would be what what would help us to manage our budget. >> You have an opinion. >> You mean we have some interesting levies here like housing would be something that would seem like would pass and so would safety. >> Safety right now. I know Leroy is, you know, pulling out of the same budget to buy boilers and buy uh cameras and I'm, you know, doors

099and things like that. And if he could have another fund to do the cameras and doors, then maybe we'd have the money to buy fences and boilers. >> We'd ask these guys for information on computers and things like that. We could do something similar safety that would be useful as a board. We could request that information from DD. >> Yeah, we'd be happy to give you a list of things that could potentially come out of that safety levy. >> Proposal would be like how it would help. Um I can assistant principles to do and run it down. >> Yeah, >> everybody agree. >> Yeah, >> that's great. Thanks. Yeah. >> Um a regular building reserve which is the voted portion. You guys currently have um a building reserve in place right now. It will expire

100in 2031. 2031 because it was passed in 2021. And so um this is more of and you can stack them. So you could run another one right now for another 10 years or 20 years or five years or one year. Like say we had a our boilers went down and we needed money for boilers. We could run a a one-year building reserve levy and tax the taxpayers for one year and and be done. You could do it for two years and and plan for a project that you want to do. Um you >> Yeah. So, the thing with this is it's like the the ballot language for the um the bond. It has to be very specific about what you want to spend it on because you can only spend it on what you put

101in the ballot. So, generally we write them very vague vaguely specific operations and maintenance, you know. Um but if you wanted to be really specific with a certain portion of the money, if you wanted to stack them, you could do that as well. So, do you have it? Could you use your deferred maintenance uh list put here? >> Yeah. Okay. Because we're unfortunately that's a number that >> you can write you can put the thing up there, but I'm it's kind of like half the cost of a new school at this point. >> Yeah, it is. >> Parking. Yeah, the parking lots would kill us just in >> I find it helpful and the the thought of all of these things which are intriguing but not the way to convince people to vote to fund

102education. >> So I mean this is a fascinating process but nobody would design it this way. >> Yeah. Um, well, tell her >> I'm just trying to share the tools that are at our disposal. >> Politicians. >> Yeah, I was going to say there's 150 people in Helena that did. >> So, here's what I'm interested in. I'm interested in this not looking like we'd like to build another elementary school and if you have some extra money, we want a gym. I want this to be clear to the voters. Here's a priority. And my interest is in hearing what the administration is saying the priorities are. And my council is not to go out with an endless number of little pockets of money. I don't think it's marketable. I've looked at your voting history. >> Yeah.

103And there's nothing in that that encourages me to go out for five different categories. >> No. No. And I think it this goes back to what he said about the gym. It makes us look greedy. So you have to be very strategic about what you ask for >> or it looks as if we're we're not serious >> or we don't know what we're doing. >> Yeah. Right. But the problem with something like this and if you're on the facilities committee and you get the list of things that are coming up that are needing repair, >> that's scary. >> It's it's 12 million bucks. >> Yeah. >> And it's not tomorrow, but someday it's coming to get us. Some of this is coming to get us where every year we're putting a million dollars into a

104roof someplace on one of these buildings. Sometimes it's not even a building we want to put a roof on. In the case of the middle school, you know, that's another deal. But >> we can certainly ask for >> but it's just, you know, I don't know. I'm agreeing with what you're saying. >> I But there's a need. >> I agree with you, Rocky. I I >> We just need to scatter them out. >> Yeah, I think I think we can all agree specifics. It's just identifying the specifics and then scattering them out. >> We won't be able to pick all either. No, I think we can we can work with mediator, >> right? >> I I just want you guys to understand kind of what the deal is with some of this stuff because it's

105>> we just need to pick what's the number one priority >> ready to be delivered >> and I'll have a recommendation, but we wanted to give you all the information first. >> Well, my brain >> blow it up. >> So, here's our current status on where we are. We have in place right now through 2031 a $500,000 building reserve levy that was voted on and will expire in 2031 for 500,000 at the elementary and 250 at the high school. Um so we need to have a decision by 2031 for sure on what we're going to do and how we're going to move forward and and I think that we can't wait till 2030 to start working on that. No, we've got to start now and and really also inform our community what our problems are,

106where our needs are, and that way when we go out for it, hopefully they'll be like, "Oh, I remember they said they need a new roof here or this this is a problem." So, um I because we don't want to be putting that together at the last minute. So, um I think we've started a good thing on the facilities um committee, but I think we still have some work to do to really fine-tune that and get it out publicly like what where where our needs are. Um you know, a a big thing with all these levies is when you go to this bucket of money, it's very specific on what it can be used for. So, there's not a lot of flexibility there. Our general fund is the most flexible fund as you know and

107so that's where I feel like I would prioritize because you could use it for anything. And so if you can get a general fund levy passed that's and continue to get them passed I think that's the most important in my opinion. Here's where what we're looking at um for a timeline. So March 9th we have to have final ballot language finalized. Next month, you guys will do your final amendment on your resolution calling for an election where you'll fine-tune and decide, are we running a tech levy? Are we running a building reserve? And then we start going from there on like what are the amounts so that we can have the ballot language ready for you to adopt on the 9th and I I have to have it to the county the 10th. So, >>

108of February, >> uh, March. >> Oh, March, excuse me. >> So that they can start creating ballots. So, we have to do a lot of the work in February and then we can maybe fine-tune it a little bit in March. It'll be the dot the eyes, cross the tees. So, the path forward is do we run a levy or levies and for how much? And then also, are we prepared for reductions like like you were saying what are our priorities? um you know what what programs are like uh we are not touching that program no matter how much money we could save like those are things that we need to to know the priorities of where um where where where's your tradeoffs basically. So if you want to give a raise, what are you willing

109to to give up >> if you don't get the love? >> Yeah. Yep. Well, even if >> assuming everything passes. >> Yeah. >> Exactly. >> So levies can only be run in May. >> Yep. Bonds can re be run anytime. >> Bonds can be run anytime. That gives us more flexibility with when we run a bond. So anytime >> a week we can do it. >> Yeah. You have to do it uh money. >> Yeah, I think you have to give 90 days notice. So, >> we could do it once every 90 days. >> That's hilarious. >> We may have to run our own election, but um so, so keep that in mind, right? We have more flexibility with when we run the bond um if we're trying not to compete with ourselves, right? We

110also know that we don't control who else we compete with on any given election. I think the fire department's planning on something for the May election. I think the city's holding off on a bond to renovate, you know, to finish renovation of Quan and everything for another at least another year. Um, I think you know you talked what I heard you say was and we agree there is probably some interest in from our our community would be interested in hearing about a safety levy, right? We care about safety. There are things that we need to do to continue to improve our our safety. Um, and that may have some merit to it. I think from my perspective, we can run the oper general operational levy and get that money into the big pot of money

111where we need it and that gives us a better outcome for our staff. If we run a safety levy, we could pull the SRO's out of the general fund and pay for them there. So that frees up money in the general fund, right? We can pull the counselors out. We can do some building hardening, but it's not going to give us as good an outcome unless we can think of 1.3 million dollars to put in a safety levy that's tied to people. I don't think we can get that high. So, I don't think that that is the best outcome. So, from my perspective, running the operational levy with the extra >> um 3.42% 42% going towards salary, right? All of the 3.42% has to go to salary. >> That leaves us with 225,000 that could

112either go to salary or go to some of our other expenses so we don't get our, you know, get ourselves out of whack. >> But all of that 3.42% has to go to salary. Um, so that would be my recommendation, I think, to think that we're going to slip farther behind Bosezeman because that I'm going to predict that Bosezeman's going to add the extra 3.42% and they're going to pass it and that just gets our salary spread farther away. So, to me, taking care of our staff right now while we can do that makes the most sense. And so, we put all of our eggs into it's still two levies. We still have people who can say, "I'll vote for the cheaper one because that makes sense to me, but not the more expensive one."

113So, we still may not be able to get to that 2.7% increase. I think if we really sell it that it's for our teachers, and if our teachers will get on board with it, too. I think if the schools are on board with it, it will make a lot of difference. You get every teacher in the district. Well, not every teacher lives in our district, but unfortunately, but you get everybody, all the teachers on board, that makes a lot of difference. >> If I had to pick two, it'd be the general fund levy going all in, the 3 whatever percent. >> And the uh safety levy, >> just because I think that you'd probably be able to have the best chance of getting those two. If I had to pick three, I'd throw the tech

114levy in. Yep. >> That's if I That's where I'm at. And I think if you asked any more than that, you're just going to shoot yourself in the foot. >> So the safety levy could be anything you want though. >> There are limitations on what we can use it for. >> Yes. >> The amount of money can be anything, but what we can actually use it on is there's a smaller list than general operation. But >> if we pull it the safety levy, if the safety levy passed, what's coming out of the general fund now could be offset by that, which would free up general fund money, which would, you know, longterm allow us to, you know, horse trade a little bit with it to get some more general fund money. >> The thing is

115is I think we really need to get money for our teachers. I would rather concentrate on one levy that getting the elementary and the high school leveies and working hard on that and getting out there again like we did with the bond. I'd happily burn up some shoe leather. It was pretty fun to go to my neighbors and they were like, "We've never seen a schoolboard member ever come to our door." So, that was kind of fun. So, >> um I would rather go fight for it door to door. I think just one we have there is an attitude in our community that is hostile >> and they think we waste money and um we have got to beat that back and I think if we ask for too much >> we might I don't

116want to get hit in the chops. I'd rather win. I want to win. >> Well, I think that's really important. We need to create a history of going to the community and having them vote for what we are recommending. >> Yes. Um and I think and if I out of this whole discussion I think that teacher salaries I mean I am confident we have teachers who are working for us who can't live here and they not only can't live here they can't live close to here and that's because of what we paid them. >> I know one who's left here because of that. >> So I think that's the priority. Um, I I need to think more about the safety levy. I >> It kind of depends on what we say about that. >> Um,

117I know in my previous community, um, we went out for a fair amount of money because we were doing structural changes in the school and we were changing a lot of the policies. So, um, we warned the community, you're going to really hate us now because you, if you think you're coming to the school to pick up your kid, count on that being 20 minutes because we're going to run you through some facial software that will demonstrate that you are who you think you are. Um, and frankly, the community seemed happy with that. Yeah, let's irritate people. But it made a real difference in terms of knowing every child walking out of the school was walking out with somebody who was known and identified and previously we were less certain of that. Um, so it

118depends on what we end up saying is in that. Then we have to figure out is it marketable? You know, are our neighbors going to think that it's a really good thing or it's not a good use of the money? I think that there is no doubt that we need to address teacher salaries. I do have to say at the finance meeting it came up that Godfrey had like threatened to take away sports and we've heard that a lot lately too. I thought about that too. I was thinking go ahead >> and I've had a conversation about that. >> So how many people did are going someplace else like triple that? >> Yeah. Oh, >> back up community detention. Totally. >> Yeah, but I I think you can only make that threat once. >> They're

119going to say follow through on that. Let's see what really happens. I don't know. I I am a school supporter, but when that came out, I almost voted no cuz I was pissed that I was getting threatened. So, I think >> Yeah. >> this open enrollment stuff, too, like we just can't afford to to look at taking away any programs. >> Yeah. Hey, you have parents feel like, "All right." >> Yeah. They don't care about band. They don't care about choir. They don't care about basketball. I We don't need to be here. >> You have people that work for our district that are considering putting their kids in a different district or a different school. >> So, that doesn't If that doesn't tell you a story, then I don't know what does. >> Well, what's

120the why? >> That's a good question. I think some of it goes back to personal family choice, not necessarily that they have a disgruntled with our school. So, >> well, they have a disgruntled with our school >> about an executive session. >> That's something we're going to address here pretty soon. >> Yeah, I'll have a conversation shortly. >> Okay, I will shut up. >> Any other questions budgetwise that you guys have? questions. >> Thank you for well organized presentation. >> Yeah, I appreciate it. >> Thanks, Carrie. >> The only thing I guess >> No, I guess you answered that. I was going to say what would if we were to go out for other levies, but that's what the breakouts would be. But that's all depends on what numbers we write down. Mhm. >> No,

121but I can still give you some like if you did this. We can we can put something together that's an idea for you. But I think the what I've experienced in in my career is the more you put on there, the less likely you are to pass anything. >> Yeah, that's what I think. >> Or you pass what you don't didn't really want. you know, >> safety levy passes and the big >> Yeah. Yep. And then you're tied into only safety levy. >> Yeah. >> Money stuff. So >> that's why you make a safety levy, you know, big one. >> Yeah. >> All right. Good deal. Any questions for F before we bring it into executive session? >> Thank you, honey. is a statement from me regarding personal matter in connection with this following was

122determined. Thank you Brian. Matter involves individual individual privacy and that such privacy protection of the individual and not if anything by publicly disclosing information to be discussed and that the demand for individual privacy clearly extends the grants of public disclosure to this matter. such I declare executive session. Thanks everybody. >> If you don't mind recessing for just a second while we clean up and unblock canvas that >> you know that would not be the worst idea >> or another cookie. Don't you take those cookies. >> So we're not tableling this until you get more information. Are we?