Special Full Board Meeting 3-11-2026

001[music] like to call the special school board meeting to order. First item on the agenda is roll call. Plumber. >> Member baddis present. Member Smith here. Member Gregoire >> here. Member Horn >> here. >> Member Bellows >> present. >> Member Grassi >> here. Member Oliver >> here. >> Member Anderson >> here. >> Member Carour. [snorts] >> Member White. >> I have her on the phone here. So she is >> she's virtual. >> Got it. Okay. Member White. Member Papis >> here. >> Member Campbell here. Member McGawan present. And Miss Carlberg, just verifying that you are unable to be here uh in person. You're sick, right? >> That's correct. My daughter is sick. >> Okay. And can you identify anyone in the room with you? >> No one's in the room with me. >> Okay. Um

002that being said, I think we're good to go. This next item on the agenda is pledge of allegiance. Please join me. >> I pledge algiance to the flag United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> All right. Next item is public comment. Any member of the public may address the board regarding any item before us for five minutes. Those speaking will state their name and their residence and any item on which they wish to speak for the record. Members of the board may not respond to the comments at public at uh to the public at the meeting. Publicly communicating false statements about people that defame them could subject the speaker to both criminal and civil liability in the state

003of New Hampshire. In that vein, statements made at public input or at public hearings are not immune from potential consequences for their words. Furthermore, the fact that the public does body does not prevent these statements from being made does not excuse nor endorse these statements. It just means that the public body, in this case, the school board both recognizes and respects the right to free speech enshrined in the first amendment to our constitution. If there's anyone uh would like to address the board, you may come up and just limit your comments to five minutes. [snorts] Val Dunn, 232 North Main Street. Over the past several weeks, members of the Maple Street community have continued to show up, share data, and offer ideas about the future of the Maple Street Magnet School Program. Yet, after roughly

00415 hours of schoolboard meetings, there has still not been a real public discussion about the program itself. The conversation has remained focused on the building. But Maple Street is not just a building. It's a program that serves students and families across the district. Our community has tried very intentionally to approach this constructively. We have organized information, streamlined communication, and encouraged families to show support through a petition rather than flooding the board with repeated personal stories. That petition now has more than 400 signatures. We also understand that passionate parents are often dismissed as emotional voices. Because of that, we have focused our comments on facts, research, and practical practical options. We have spent time reviewing magnet school frameworks, compliance models, and possible funding paths. We have even discussed that our PTA could fund outside guidance to

005help the district quickly bring the program into compliance so that it would not place additional financial burden on the schoolboard. We have been trying to bring forward solutions, not just concerns, because this program matters. And because this is not a casual conversation for the families who chose it, we have also tried to move this conversation out of public comment and into actual collaboration. More than a week ago, we requested a meeting with district leadership to discuss possible solutions. The only meeting offered was today from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. with a few hours notice. In the meantime, we continue doing the work ourselves. Over the past two weeks, we have met with the mayor, a former mayor, former school board chairs, city council members, and leaders in the city's economic development community. Each of them took

006the time to sit down with us, listen to our concerns, and talk through possible paths forward. That kind of dialogue is what this community has been asking for here. In fact, just last night, many of us were at the city council meeting after being asked to show support for the district. We were happy to be there and stand behind the schools because that is what community partnership looks like. We show up for you and we hope the same willingness to engage exists when families show up with concerns and ideas. At the same time, nearby communities are making major decisions about their own schools. Just this week, Wakefield voted to begin exploring sending their students elsewhere, putting roughly 2.8 million at stake. Districts across the region understand that keeping families in public schools matters. Programs that

007attract families and offer educational differentiation deserve thoughtful discussion. Too often when programs are closed or schools are eliminated, we hear that no one showed up. But we are here. We're showing up. So tonight we are asking a very direct question. Will this board commit to meeting with members of this community to have a real conversation about possible paths forward for the Maple Street program be or the magnet street maple street magnet school program before final decisions are made because there are ideas worth exploring options that could allow the program to continue even if the building does not. But those conversations cannot happen if the program itself is never discussed. We are here. We are engaged and we are ready to help find solutions. But collaboration requires participation from both sides. Thank you. [clears throat] >>

008Hi there, Lissa Dao 7A River. I want to begin by speaking to what should be our highest priority, protecting the people who work face to face with students every single day. When districts face budget deficits, as many are right now, including the district where I work, um, our budget didn't pass last night, um, we must make careful choices about where reductions happen. But we should never cut the very people who are on the front lines of education. Teachers are the foundation of our schools. When we cut teaching positions, we are not just balancing a budget. We are reducing the support, attention, and opportunity that our students receive every day. In times of financial strain, we should instead be looking carefully at positions that do not directly serve students face tof face. Curriculum coordinators, instructional coaches,

009and layers of administrative staff. If reductions must be made, they should be made away from the classroom. At the same time, we must protect what makes our community special. If we cut the Maple Street Magna program, we will never get it back. Programs like this are incredibly difficult to rebuild once they are dismantled. The Maple Street Magnet Program is a gem in Rochester. It is a program that makes our community stand out and positions us as leaders in the future of public education. Instead of cutting it, I urge the board tonight to get creative. We should explore options for housing students in a safe building while preserving the program. That means collaborating with city council and formally requesting a review of available buildings, including William Allen. Um, I was at the meeting last night and

010I spoke with uh, Mayor Grassi who shared that William Allen is in not as poor condition as many have believed. The board only needs to write a letter requesting that city council send an engineer um, something they're already planning to do to assess what repairs are needed in that building as soon as possible. The Maple Building with its new lot and parking lot, I mean, and playground would be extremely attractive as a real estate opportunity for the town or for the city. Um, Maple has a strong PTA and parent community and they have funds necessary to pursue certification through the Magnet Schools of America organization. Imagine what that would mean for Rochester to have a nationally recognized magnet school right here in our city. Finally, we need to take a deeper look at priorities when

011it comes to spending. There are ways to reduce costs without cutting teachers. Professional development, for example, can be done more efficiently by sharing the exceptional practices already happening within our district. We can train our own teachers to lead professional learning for others. Our educators are already doing incredible work. We should trust them, empower them, and learn from them. But what we should never do is cut a single teacher because of a deficit. This is not just a financial decision. It's a decision that punishes educators and most importantly, our students. I urge the board to take a hard and transparent look at how many curriculum coordinators, instructional coaches, and layers of administrative roles that are currently built into our budget lines. Before we even consider cutting classroom teachers, we should be carefully evaluating these positions and

012asking whether there are more cost-effective ways to support curriculum work. When Salmon Falls School uh hopefully receives the Title One funds, I don't see why not. Next year, the district could reconsider hiring consultant or the people that they let go or consultants for targeted curriculum support. Those are professionals who do not require full salaries, benefits, or health insurance. What would that cost compared to maintaining multiple full-time positions? These are the kind of questions the board must explore before making decisions that directly impact the people working with students every day. If teachers are cut and programs like Maple Street Magnet are eliminated, families will not stay and wait to see what happens. They will homeschool. They will use vouchers. They will enroll in open enrollment in our neighboring districts. When families walk out, the funding walks

013out with them. That will only deepen the district's financial problems. Protect the teachers and programs that keep families here. So, I have two requested action items that I would like tonight to be discussed. One, conduct a review of all non-face-to-face positions, including curriculum coordinators, instructional coaches, and administrative roles, and provide a clear cost estimate of the potential savings if those positions were reduced or eliminated. Two, draft a formal request to the city council seeking collaboration to evaluate available buildings and identify a new location for the Maple Street magnet program to ensure its preservation. Thank you. Is there anyone else looking to address the board? >> Good evening. My name is Dan Sauer. I live at two Gerard Street in Rochester. I'm also a teacher here in the district. I teach in East Rochester. Um I'll

014be brief tonight. I'm just here to talk about the elementary band program. Um I know one of the cuts that was talked about last week was reducing elementary band from one down to two. Um and the comments were made about like there'd be some program shifts. Um, one of those things likely would be that band would only be offered starting in fifth grade instead of fourth and fifth grade. And I know some of you have expressed that your children went through band. I was a product of the band program here in Rochester. Um, every year it's really awesome to see how excited the fourth graders get when they get to start their band journey. Um, see how excited they are at their Christmas concert, their spring concerts, the growth they make. And then I go

015back when I see them as fifth graders. Um, because I'll go see them my fourth graders. how excited those kids are for the work that they've done and then getting on to middle school. So, I just I know you've got a lot of tough choices. So, thank you for your work, but I hope if there's a way to not have to reduce elementary band from one or from two down to one um despite the two great people that are retiring, I'm sad to see them go. Um you know, it's a great program and it'll really uh I think Sam mentioned it's you know, it's one of the feeder programs and coming out of COVID, it's actually been a little bit of a battle to build that program back up um and getting all that going.

016So um just I hope is you know we just consider everything that can be something that maybe doesn't have to go because it would be a huge loss. Thank you. Is there anyone else wishing to address the board? None. We'll pause public comment. Item on the agenda which is budget. Before we get going, there are a couple things I do want to let the board know. Um, he reminded me I talked to him this afternoon and he [snorts] reminded me of the city ordinance that does require us to send a tax cap compliant project to [clears throat] the city uh to the city council. Um there are a couple options we have and we we can submit two budgets which we've done in the past. Um what the and and the mayor said we can

017do that if we want. Um the other option is to um send the tax cap compliant budget a list of positions in a priority list. We prioritize the the proposed cuts in order that the city council pay back. Does that make sense? Um so if if the city council finds money to give to the schools that then this item this item this item starting with whatever the highest that that's just an update of what I so I don't know if anyone wants comment I don't want to add I think um the the second option probably makes sense. >> Um, but that's up for all of us to decide. >> Yeah. Um, and I can answer some other questions too, Mr. Chair. But to that to that point, um, you know, I recognize that our we

018are driven by ordinance, if I want to, to come in with a tax cap. We have to do that. That's that's our charge. Not doing that. If there was a question asked, I think, what if we just didn't do that? What if this board who has a responsibility to raise and appropriate funds didn't do that? Didn't vote a budget? Well, my understanding is here in the city that that would then completely fall into the city council. The city council do that. Um, you know, this board has a responsibility to develop a budget. By abdicating that responsibility to the city council, you jeopardize that to be a fairly arbitrary process. This has been a a thoughtful process. I know the board has asked a lot of questions. The board has done a lot of work. The

019administration has done a lot of work. And I think in advocating that just to just the city council, you you want to do all that. And so I don't believe that [snorts] the board will do that. Um Mr. Papis and I have discussed at length what else could we do. I think we recognize that any [clears throat] of the the reductions we've made are not ones that anyone wants to make. Um, and so we have talked about the band and the music programs and the value behind that and how do we maintain that? How do we keep that how do we keep the professional development that's going um to which one of our our speakers is a participant and has been one of those people that were praised uh last night about coming in on

020Saturdays and giving their time and working to become a better stronger teacher to help our to help our students and want to continue that work. So we said, okay, what are the other resources that are out there? We are looking at at this point a a budget surplus in this current year. It's it's a double-edged sword because we always strive to be fiscally responsible and prudent and to be good stewards of the of the taxpayers. So we mine our dollar very closely. We mine the store. We follow that budget along and we make sure that the purchases, the expenses that we're being are we are really being fiscally prudent with. In the model that we have in the city, you almost at times feel as if we're being punished for it because for every dollar

021and I'll use the there's been a couple as simple as this. We have an open we've had an open purchase order [clears throat] in the school department at one of the local places to get food for meetings. And we haven't used a dollar of that. I said, you know what, that's the nice thing, but truth be told, the taxpayer shouldn't be funding my snacks. If I want a snack, I'll walk over to to Potters and and and buy a snack. They're wonderful there. I'll spend my own money to get a snack. Taxpayer shouldn't have to be funding my my snacks at meetings. So, I closed that purchase order. it was $1,000. Now, that's not a huge that's not going to close our deficit, but understand in the model that we have, I'm kind of being

022punished for being fiscally prudent and not spending the taxpayers dollars if I only can give that back to the to the city. And it's then of no benefit to the students and to the to the school department. So, what Mr. Paps and I are are considering doing, and of course, at the direction of the board, is you have to put forward a tax cap compliant budget. What we would like to do is put together that priority list and predicate it upon that if there's a savings realized at the end of the at the end of the fiscal year that the city allow us to retain that money so that we can continue to use it. There's an incentive for the school district to be fiscally prudent year after year. And there's some folks that say,

023well, you know, that's that's a one-time payment. It might be for this year, but I think there's also work to be done to look at the ordinance that would allow the school district in future years that any money that it that it saves that it would be allowed to then apply to the next fiscal year. So, it keeps that tax rate at check. It incentivizes the school district to be fiscally responsible and it helps make sure that there's there's additional resources to do some of the things that we want to do. I don't anticipate we're going to see a time period in the state of New Hampshire in the near future that changes the funding formula so significantly that every school district then has all the money they have. I think this is going to

024be a long-term problem and we're going to have to find solutions like this that will help us get there. So the recommendation speaking Mr. Paperson is that that that's one of the options I would consider tonight. you have a tax cap compliant budget um of 76,616,61. That is a budget that meets a tax gap. I heard some folks that were that spoke last night, how did the school district end up in a $4.5 million? Where's that why where how did that happen? Why are we having to cut 4.5 million? So, let me just go through. I know I've explained that many times to this group before, but I'll do it again in hopes that all the millions of people watching on TV will will get. So, and I even put together a little little chart

025that's what that paper just so folks can understand it in the in the FY26. So the current district, the current budget that we're functioning under was just over 78 just over $78 million. When we started building the budget, you start from a standpoint of folks don't have that? >> No. >> Oh, do you have an Nick don't have one? >> I don't either. >> Okay, you can take you can take mine. >> It's okay. >> I saw them at people's spots at their I can't. >> So, when we started building this budget, we built a level services budget. A level services budget is kind of the baseline. And a level services budget, I know this board knows it, but I'll say it again for the millions at home. A level services budget just assumes that

026you take everything that you have in this current school year and you just have it next year. Same number of teachers, same number of paras, same number of band teachers, same number of crayons and coloring books. But the exact same services that we provide to students, we move to the next fiscal year to just have what we have right now in the next fiscal year. The just the the the biggest factor in that cost is of course the personnel just meeting the needs that are negotiated in the collective bargaining agreements. You're looking at a $2.1 million increase. That's not a surprise to folks. We have nearly 700 employees in the district. Not a surprise that each year the collective bargaining agreements go up, salaries go up, our obligations go up. So just in salaries alone

027in this district that just have the exact same people we have now, you're looking at a $2.1 million increase. Health insurance costs have gone up. They went up to just meet the health, just the increase, not the total cost, just the increase increased a million dollars. So now we're at $3.1 million. Okay, there's our costs. There are also other costs that are included, but we're able to put those in. Those are fixed costs. Your transportation contract went up significantly. cost, heat, electricity. [snorts] There's so all the fixed cost items continue to go up, but we can't say, "Well, we'll cut electricity." Can't do that. Oh, we'll cut transportation. That's a fixed cost. That's in the that we have a contract to provide busing to students. Those fixed costs we can't adjust. So, you have fixed

028costs. We have 2.1 just in salaries, a million dollars just in health insurance. But your revenue, right, we've talked about this. And the total revenue is inclusive of the local tax dollars. That's that tax gap. That's the contributions of all the local taxpayers. We appreciate them. Thank you. State adequacy, which we know we've has been reduced. And the federal dollars that we get, that's not the entitlement grants, but the actual federal dollars that come in, have been reduced by $1.4 million. So you got 3.1 in increased costs and a $1.4 million less in revenue. There's your $4.5 million to just have what you have right now means we have a $4.5 million gap. the tax cap because we're having to use more local tax dollars because of the reductions in state adequacy and the reduction

029in federal funds means you have to rely more on the local tax dollars which puts the tax cap at $76.6 million. The difference between your level services budgeted, which would be $82.5 million, and what you can enter into a budget by ordinance in this city at 76 is $4.5 million. That's that 4.5. People say, "I don't understand the 4.5." That's where that comes from. You increased your costs, you decreased your revenue. There's 4.5. The tax cap is set in this city and the school department at 76.616 million. The board has worked. I know you've worked. You guys have been digging through. Some of you have come in individually. Many of you have come in individually and gone through that book and asked good questions. Looked and what if and what if and I know this

030board has debated this. Could we do this? Could we do this? Can we do this? The public has come. You've had multiple public hearings and meetings and discussions on it. There's been some really good conversations and good ideas baited debated around what we do. But by ordinance, you have a $76,616,61 tax cap compliant budget that you are driven by ordinance to approve. I do think there's other opportunities as Mr. Pap says to figure out how do we get some of those other things? How do we restore some of the cuts that have had to be realized? And for folks, I I know that the the board knows this. Things like there are two curriculum coordinators. They're in the general budget. Many of those other things you continue to hear about are funded through grants. They're

031not in the local budget. The local taxpayers are not paying for those positions. Those are funded by federal entitlement grants. Okay? So that that those are not a those are not an issue. There is no such thing as an unessential employee. If you do not work directly with children, we still need payroll clerks to pay the teachers. We still need groundskeepers to cut the grass. We still need cooks to feed our children. We still need mechanics to fix the plow trucks. We still need people to drive the plow trucks to clean out the schoolyards. We still need secretaries that help pro. There is not a person on this team in this school district that is unessential. Every person that shows up is working for the children. They may not sit directly in front of them.

032They may not be teaching them, but every person in the Rochester public schools is an essential person and they're an integral part of the entire team. And to think that they aren't, frankly, I is is insulting to them. And I've had many people who have been offended to think that they've been referenced to as as not essential. They are. and we appreciate every single employee in the district that's working tirelessly for the children regardless of what their title or role is. Okay. So, but we will explore and I think that's an opportunity to to look at here's the priority list. We've talked about professional development. We've talked about the ban program. We can talk about all those things and say, "Okay, if we're allowed to keep our surplus, reward us. Don't punish us, city council.

033Don't punish us for not being able to being fiscally responsible and physically prudent. Reward us. Don't punish us. Reward us. Say, "Hey, you guys did a great job at maintaining your budget and doing a good job of keeping expenditures in check. We're going to reward you by allowing you to use that money to offset increases in your costs next year." So, that's where we're at. You have a 76,616,61 tax cap compliant budget in front of you, sir. >> Have that number down memorized. >> No, I don't. It's actually in front of me. No, I don't have it. >> I won't admit to that. It's right here written in front of me. >> Um, just one quick question before I have a I have a list of other board members that want to ask a question.

034Um, where does the increase in new construction fall in figures. >> So, you're talking about the increase in bond. That's a what you want to answer that because that's >> the city handles um our bonds and administers our bonds and we are given a worksheet um on what that impact is over the next um 20 years. So, that dollar amount for both the principal and the interest is given to us by the city and it's a number that >> it's actually not what I was referring to. I was wondering about um there might be new construction in the city like new houses being built and what have you. Um which we usually try to keep an updated fig dollar amount on our budget. >> That that is in the tax tax cap calculation um page

035and that is not reassessed until nearly towards the end of the um budget process. And last year I believe there was an adjustment. It's definitely 50,000 or less. It wasn't it wasn't a ch a significant increase over what was originally given to us. >> Um I saw Shnie, Nick, I see Katie and I and I'll check with Lisa as well. Lisa, do you have a question as well? >> Yes, I do have one. >> Okay. So, we'll start with Shnie, then go to Nick, Lisa, um and Katie. >> Um Okay. I have a couple of things. Um, I would definitely agree with submitting two budgets. I like the idea of a list. However, I think if we give city council, if we give them a tax cap compliant budget and then a list of these

036are our positions in like the ones we want to save the most and rank them, that that's kind of giving them some micromanagement responsibility. So, I feel like if we gave them two budgets and we could include in that second budget that's over the tax cap, like these are some of the positions that you would be saving if you were able to give us any more money. Um, but I don't think we should be allowing them to micromanage specific positions, my opinion. Um, my second thing is, have we been able to look line by line and cut anything at all that we're aware of? >> But before you even Am I Matt? Sure. >> Sorry. Because it before this budget even came to you. >> I know you went through and did as much as

037you could. I just didn't know if we as a board have. No, >> you have not. How before the budget came to you, $61,634 [snorts] were cut. >> Okay. Um I am not a Matt Valier by any means. I cannot go through this and do what he does. Um but I just had one question about one line item on here specifically under the schoolboard services. So I'm on tab five. Um, it shows that the school board notices salaries are going up $12,700. Um, which I don't know if that was just all salaries had some percent increase, but as far as I know, our stipens aren't going up. So, I I know it's not a ton of money that we could save, but I didn't know if that could be reduced at all. [clears throat] >>

038on page three just >> um there is a slight increase in hourly salary for our videographer social security um so your your stipens are not going up but property insurance is going up social security's contribution is going Um, this is just the salaries line. >> Yeah, because the this the budget for this year is 32,300 and then the proposed is 45,000. So this fiscal year we are at we are trending $28,000 thus far. We'll just get to the details of the page. >> [clears throat] >> $32,000 for schoolboard members and videographer. And one, two, three, six, seven, eight. $13,000 for um the the individual from the administrative office that attends the meeting. >> Okay. So the 12,700 increase for next year would be you would think justifiable. I budget on the the variable here is

039is the hourly salary. Yes. For the videographer um which has has gone up and the number of meetings that the individual comes the administrative um assistant comes to how many meetings we're having this year. We >> had less meetings than last year but you you it is a potential cut of $10,000. Yes. But you never know >> hourly rate. You never know how many special board meetings we're going to have, how many committee meetings we're going to how many budget meetings we're going to come. So, it it that is certainly an area that we can cut. Maybe $10,000 to bring it down to level services, but you never know. We've had years other years in the past where like last year was significantly more. >> Y I just I I saw that and wanted to

040ask about that. Right. [laughter] Um, are you all set? >> Yep. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, I think uh, one of the things that I am interested in continuing to focus on is uh, our ability to try to find more revenue. Uh, if we find more revenue, then we can avoid cuts. And I think I mentioned this at one of our recent meetings, but even if we can avoid making cuts or deep cuts for one more year, if we can try to maintain status quo for one year, then that just buys us time to figure out how to make our new reality work better. uh whether that's closing a school um uh ending a program or reducing staff, you know, gives us time to be more thoughtful about how we do that. So, um

041the superintendent just mentioned earlier that if we can work something out with the city and let me just take a step back. I think last night there was there were certain things that were wins. I think you'd have to ask the the counselors what they thought of our presentation, but I think they heard that we want to work with them and I the counselors that I talked to I think are willing to do that. Um, and I think that they heard from uh members of our community what what these cuts really look like. And so that is there's value to that. It makes it more real to these counselors that they're not just numbers. Um, so anyways, if if if we are able to allow the council to or if the council is able to

042allow us to move our surplus into next year's operating budget, that only solves our problem for one year, but it it potentially buys us some time to again be more thoughtful about our cuts, particularly if we're the major part of this cut is closing a school and the program that works within it. So 2.5 million right there. We're we're I don't know what's the math on that. We're more than halfway there. I am wondering that part of the reduction in revenue is a result of us going from budgeting 100% of state aid to 95. And I I haven't been able to figure out exactly what that difference is. But what I wonder is if we rather than go from 100% to 95, if this year or next year we go from 100% to 97 or

04398, that essentially becomes revenue. It's risky because we found that out in October, but if we go to the city and ask them in advance that this is a plan that we have that will allow us to um decrease our revenue by less, which means we have to cut less and and they can kind of issue us another promisory note like they did this year to kind of have our back if it doesn't work out. Then now again, we're getting a little bit closer to m being able to maintain a status quo for an additional year so that we can be more thoughtful about how we make the cuts. And and you know, I do think it's likely that cuts are unavoidable. But um the more revenue we can find, the less we have to

044cut. The less we cut, the less we're impacting our kids. And ultimately, I think that's what we're all here trying to do. So I I know I'm putting you on the spot. Nope. It's on your It's on your worksheet if you'd like. I can show you where to look for it. >> Um on tab three, the first page, revenue. >> Yes, Miss >> um the there's a column called 100% in yellow. >> Yes, sir. >> If I were to budget at the full amount for adequacy, it's 23,378187 at 95% which is what's guaranteed. It's 22209278. So that's roughly 1.17 million. >> So again, I understand from a uh we don't want to get bit like we did back in October, but if [clears throat] we're willing to if the city is willing to work with

045us to accept a certain level of risk in how we're forecasting our revenue so that we can increase our revenue then then that might be another way that we get closer to that 4.5 million. It actually however you want to look at it lowers we don't have to cut 4.5 million maybe we only have to cut four or or 3.7 something like that. Um you add the 2.5 in uh say we can get that say you said 1.1 million we cut that in half 550,000 we'll just mark it to five. Now we're down to four. uh if we can roll the two and a half million over, now we're down to $1.5 million in cuts, and that's still a lot to cut, but maybe we can find that money a little bit easier than $4.5

046million. The city would have to be willing to work with us on that, but that's why we went to the city last night. We asked them to work with us. Uh we didn't ask them to override the tax cap. That's their decision. Uh we asked them to give us time and uh I think I think they would work with us on that. It's a creative it's a way to try to get creative. Uh again it only solves our problem for one year but it buys us some time to figure out how we are more uh how we can do this in a in a least impactful way for our kids. >> Thank you Mr. Chair. >> Sure. Go ahead. >> Yes. Thank you. My question was a clarifying one. Um, did I hear correctly earlier

047that the curriculum coordinators are a grant funded position? >> No, the two curriculum coordinators, there's only two of them in the district. They are in the general budget, but the you want to land on but the instructional coaches, the >> interventionist, >> the interventionists, the social workers, a lot of those people that we've heard about and are have been suggested to cut. Those are not in the general budget. Those are funded using federal entitlement grants. >> Okay. Thank you for clarifying. >> Y entitlement. >> I just wanted to um also bring up um just two things for your consideration as well or just understanding um regarding the lines that are uh in your budget for professional development. Those are all contractually obligated. Um they are negotiated in the union contracts. I have to budget at

048100% of that dollar amount. regardless of whether $10 gets spent or the entire amount gets spent. So, that's not necessarily an area that can be touched. Um, and the other thing is that I did budget for health at a 10% increase. We were told a month and a half ago that it could be anywhere from 8 [clears throat] to 12%. We were told just yesterday it could be 11.7%. So, that would be an underbudget as far as health insurance is concerned. So, there are some variables that are budgeted that aren't certainties, but I just wanted to point out um that those those two things. >> Lisa, are you all set? >> Lisa, are you all done in asking questions? >> Yes, I'm all set. >> Thank you. >> Uh Katie, >> um I was my

049my brain was just kind of brainstorming different things for the um Mabel Street program. Is this the opportunity to say that? I guess >> um none of it I mean none none of this sounds good but so we have five elementary schools right without Maple Street. [sighs] Um I don't know if this is going to sound appealing to anybody but this is just what my brain was coming up with. What if each school received one Maple Street program in the grade? Like Salmon Falls has first, second, they're like, I don't know, each school has one. Um, and then either those classes go to the different schools, which is a lot of traveling for them, but it's different school buildings. It's a different opportunity for those kids to also integrate with the other children before sixth

050grade when everybody gets joined together. anyways or each school just has like one program and a grade and each class gets the opportunity to um have that kind of education. I know it's only one year instead of all five. Um but what would that look like for the current students in those buildings? Would each would each ward have their own Maple Street program in a class? Um, and like I said, I know it's not a prolonged educational course, but the exposure to the different teaching methods for an opportunity at each school in in one grade, I don't know. I was just trying to brainstorm different things and that was just something that came to my head. And that's more exposure in each of the schools. I know the I know the appeal of the program

051is the um K through Oh, yeah. that that's it is six classes cuz kindergarten but Salmon Falls is a bigger school so maybe two there but I I don't know it was just something that I I thought but then speaking out loud I guess it's not as appealing because it's not the consistent education unless you did take those kids and move them from each school each year but again that's not the inconsistency of I don't know I don't know I'm just trying to think >> it's everything's on the table. So, I mean, um, certainly that that's a possibility. It's a lot of transitions for kids and some kids don't do well with transition. >> That's very true. >> Um, but certainly it's something to talk about. I think um um just sort of everybody so

052we have an idea what what we're looking at if we submit two budgets. I think if we submit the tax cap [clears throat] compliant budget along with with a full services budget, at least it the full services budget would cover everything. >> Yeah. But in the same thought there because like the tax cap compliant one is with the cut of Maple Street. So it's like where would we put those kids? [clears throat] And that was another thought is like could we disperse them? Like I I don't know. >> Well, the the tax cap compliant is just a number. We can then assign [cough] [clears throat] teachers to different buildings and and figure that part out later. >> Um it's at this point it's just a number that we we then can figure out. Okay. We

053[clears throat] we can certainly talk about the the Maple Street program later on. >> Yeah. >> A couple weeks. We've got to get this budget passed and sent to the city. >> Okay. >> Within the next week or so. We [snorts] we have to pass it and then the administration needs to actually formalize it and put it into a a format that the city needs to start working on the numbers. So, it's not like we have until the very last minute of the 25th. I'm just trying to think if >> the admin has to send it to the city by the 25th. >> Truth. Truth be told, you need to do that at tomorrow night's board meeting >> or have a special. >> We need a number. We need that. We need a tax cap

054compliance [clears throat] to be able to be able to get it to the city council. That the only that only time we can do that is tomorrow night. >> Go ahead, Eric. And then they have um let's see. Jerry, is it Sam? is your >> thinking [snorts] will be after Eric. >> All right, real briefly. Nick, I love the way you're thinking outside of the box and I'm open to all ideas. My concern with us taking risk is Claremont because Claremont took risk and doesn't know how they got into the position they got in. And I don't ever want to see our district in that position. Um, so while I am open to all ideas, I want to make sure that we have our district covered so we never fall into a position. So I

055definitely I can appreciate the way you're thinking outside the box, but we just got to be careful when we're >> just because I would only the city has to like bond us essentially like the city has to have our back if we're we're going to take the the whole city's taking the risk. It can't just be the schools that are taking that risk. I'll say I'm good. Thank you. >> And we've been doing the 100% budgeting forever. So, we've been taking that risk all along. And um I don't think there's any guarantee. I don't care if it's 98, 97, 100, 95. I don't I don't trust the state right at this point. I don't think there's any any attempt at our to take less risk. Has nothing to do with what they're going to do

056and conquer it. I don't trust the state as it's configured right now to care about 100% of our adequacy or lowering adequacy all the way to the bottom. You know that I just don't trust that. So I think if we want to send a budget that's 97% I'm willing to do that to help us get out of this budget crunchy year when it's just numbers, right guys? is just numbers. And I I like the ideas that were floated tonight, some of the thinking about the program from Maple. I'm not ready to let that go to say no, we're just done with it and the kids get dispersed into the other schools and it's two years down the road, it's a forgotten attempt at showing the community, if we did it right, how education could really

057work. And I think we don't need to let go of that idea. I think to to work collaboratively with the mayor and anyone else in the community that's interested in discovering how we take what that program is and enhance our schools with it. It might not look like the program it is today, but it would be an enhancement for all of our other students as well. And I think we have time to do that once we get through the budget piece. And I just need a refresher. What part of the the uh the gap money, if you will, is our un uh spent salaries from unfilled positions. >> We have to turn that back. >> What's the you talking about in this year's in this year? >> This year's budget, the money that we turn

058back, some of it's unspent salary. >> Vacancy savings. >> It's roughly 800,000. 800 to a million dollars has been what we've trending over the past >> 800 to a million >> and the a good portion of that are the special education power professionals. >> Not that we don't need those people >> and we would have spent the money had we have those bodies that money would not be >> right. We're required to but that should be a consideration I think when asking for that money back because we still need those people. Not like we didn't spend it on purpose, but we just didn't have those people. So, I think in that list that we might send, that should be a consideration of that dollar amount. And I don't mind a list going to the council.

059I don't think it's they're micromanaging at all. They're only looking at our list. They're only picking things off our priority list. We decide what the priority is. They don't. >> I would assume that [clears throat] all of our positions are valued. Um >> yes, >> it's it's >> there's no non-essential person in the school department. >> As you know, many people have said that um you know, we want to try to limit the the number of cuts from people who have direct contact with kids if possible. I mean that certainly would be the the highest >> and we said to be very cognizant of K through three, you know, to put as least amount of pressure on those years as possible. That protects us. That's our some of our insulation for the future. Give kids

060a good start to grade three and they face cuts after grade three. It's not as devastating, right? >> Um I I do I figure seeing it's been talked about, I do want to point out um anyone who's worked in a school, [snorts] I think one of the most valuable positions that may not be a classroom teacher is is the curriculum coordinators. Like in in my school right now, the biggest challenge that we have is the middle school has their curriculum, high school has their curriculum, but the schools don't talk. So there are huge gaps and it's crystal clear to those of us in the classroom whether we're at the high school whether at the middle school that when students go from 8th grade to 9th grade that there's a huge gap that's missing in in

061my curriculum. Um and that's the job of the coordinator is to to fix that problem. My district doesn't have a curriculum and that's why that that problem persists. We have that those positions and it's super valuable. And when we have six different elementary schools, the job of that person is to make sure that every school is doing what they need to do so that when they all go to the middle school that they are all in the same place. That's a hefty task for sure for any person. And then the secondary curriculum coordinator has the same job that I just described that they need to make sure all the middle school teachers are on all the different teams are teaching the same thing so that when they go to the high school there's not a

062gap. So the curriculum coordinators is a very valuable position. My my that's why I I would not want to see those particular [clears throat and cough] just to speak to that to ask administrators to also be curriculum coordinators. You can only ask people to wear so many hats and be good at everything that they're doing. If you want the best out of somebody, you need to give them a task that they can specifically focus on and focus 100% on that task. The more you bog down good administrators, good teachers. Jerry, did you >> I'm just gonna, you know, kind of pile on what, you know, Eric's saying is that not only administrators, but having our instructional coaches and people who are assisting our teachers um you know, in that coordination of the curriculum is a

063to do as the principal stuff that's not going to get done. There's only so much time and you know what we've seen and I've been an administrator for 20 years. What I've seen is an increase of administrative responsibilities taking away from that time in the classroom, that time with kids, um observation, those things those things go away. You there's only so much time that you have and when you put more on them, that goes away. and and this has been >> years as board members you know over you've been here for how many years and an responsibility for administration have climbed through the roof in the last 20 years. >> Yes. >> I I wouldn't want to take any of these positions until we start to see that if we see they're not fruitful. I

064want to keep what we have. I remember I was on the board when our three small schools, which we aren't going to have anymore, um had principles who were teaching principles. Um that was amazing. You know, they uh they had to have a really good assistant in the office. That person had to be really good. When the principal was needed in the office, she was usually in the classroom. Classroom, she was usually in the office. So, it was um wasn't it wasn't fun during those years for those smaller schools. >> Before I get Katie, just again, you were talking about um not relying on the state just I don't know if anyone was paying attention to state legislature today. Um they they I believe they voted and I'll I'll have to double check, but I

065believe this the House of Representatives voted to eliminate nurse >> services from um adequate adequacy. So we can't include the cost of nurses now in adequacy, >> but it has to go to the Senate. It has to passen. So now Senator Gray is the one who has to vote [clears throat] and given his past record, he will vote whatever the party says he needs to do, which is unfortunate. Katie and then Sean. >> Um I just kind of wanted to piggyback a little bit about not putting too much workload on the teachers. That's why we shouldn't eliminate face tof face positions and especially the music teacher because we heard last night from the arts teacher that that would burn out really quickly and we don't want that because music is so important in this city

066these schools. So I just wanted to just repeat again how important the teachers are. I understand that cuts need to be happen, but it shouldn't be face to face students and it shouldn't be in the arts. >> Thank you, >> Shnie. And then Sam, >> um, kind of piggy back off of what Katie said. I've gotten a ton of emails from the community about cuts to elementary um, UAS, the music program, arts. I'm sure everyone else has too. Are there any other positions that were talked about when you met with principles that weren't elementary focused that maybe we could swap to not cut that elementary band position? Like was there anything else that um it could be swapped with more or less? >> So [snorts] I think you heard the principles speak to it. You

067heard Mr. Gray spoke about the um his words um about it was the most collaborative uh budget development process [snorts] to be part of the schools had those conversations Mr. Roy and if you look you'll see the number of positions in the high school that will reduce to do that to protect as many elementary uh teachers as possible. We reduced in the central office 3.5 positions out of the central office. Um we there isn't a cut that wasn't weighed on the scale of its impact. Uh whereas are like oh well you know that's not really a big deal that like everyone was cut to ensure that something else that could could remain that maybe on the scale was tipped as being more impactful. So the elementary [snorts] principles when they got together said yes we

068recognize the value of the music program. We want to maintain it. That's why we go from two down to one without not not eliminating [clears throat] it. But it was in those discussions felt by the elementary principles that reducing that music teacher was less detrimental than other cuts that could have been considered. So I will give them credit. They They did the work. They sat in this room hour after hour after hour, debated, discussed, collaborated, operated. U and you know, the high school principal, I've I've I've referenced him a few times. Um but I gave him credit for saying, "Hey, high school principal, but I recognize that if I can make some of these reductions, it's going to benefit the elementary schools." Uh Greg Brown, the Gonic principal, recognized that there was that the Salmon

069Falls principal was having there was a tough group coming up and said, "You know what? I'm going to give up my resource so that the Salmon Falls Elementary can have it." So that because recognizing that that's where the need was. So I truly do believe every stone has been you know turned every closet door has been opened looking for additional ways to cut every item has been look what can we produce can we run these risks of continuing to say well we could go to 97% funding on ad it that absolutely is a risk we were told very clearly in that state don't do that don't do My fear would be that if we if all of a sudden adequacy does not come if it only comes at the 95% rate and that's what they

070give us and my board member Graci knows best about this about that. If we get that folks will be put in the position where we will not have enough money. will be running a deficit during next fiscal year where we potentially cutting or riffing teachers during the school year. Farmington did that. Pittsfield has done that. Manchester has done that. Many school districts around us are actually cutting teachers mid year and riffing them. That is more detrimental than being thoughtful and trying to figure out what you don't need ahead of time. ending up with a budget shortfall and having to say, "Okay, now we just have to just start cutting midstream." It makes me very nervous. It's the will of the board. You guys can direct us to put in and budget at 100% adequacy if

071you so desire, but I have to do my job, which is to tell you that that risk will come with a risk of not just whoops and maybe this the city says we quick, we'll we'll fill that gap for you, but you do run the risk that you'll run a deficit and then be forced to cut people during the during the school year. >> Follow up really quickly. So, and and I appreciate all the work the principles did. I know it wasn't easy. Um, on my priority list, it would be the the elementary like the top positions with any extra money that we get would be those elementary UA positions. >> I think there's probably some agreement because we wanted to prioritize elementary short. So, I have Sam, Sam, and Sam. So, Sam O, Sam

072B, Sam. >> All right. OG's going first, I guess. Um, [sighs and gasps] I'm I There's a few things. I This is going to take a bit. I'm sorry, guys. I appreciate what Mr. Bellows is saying. I do not want to do it for all the reasons Mr. Fogone is saying. I do not trust the state because they seem to be making random cuts here and there. And I'm also remembering the history of where we're at. I was watching this just before I jumped on this board where we were in the funding levels for per pupil. We were 16th from the you from the bottom 16th percentile. Matt was going over at the same time I was going over it on Monday night and we had dropped down to fifth. We're in the lowest fifth

073percentile. Eight people dropping spending less money per pupil, eight SAUs than we do. back the last time we really talked about a tax c override when I remember cuz I did the math then it was we were about I want to say we were at the 20th percentile maybe but I forget we were definitely in about 1,800 uh per student below state average when you banged it against our I think about 3600 students we had at the time it was just shy of 8 million um for our total funding that was what that would added if we were just at state average. And like I always used to say, that's not a, you know, that's town meetings, city councils, liberal, libertarian, Republican, a bunch of people, state average. And at the high point, if you

074go to the high point, currently Jackson's spending 50,000 a student. So I mean, ski slopes and stuff, they can probably do it, but that's fine. It's a so at 19 I'm talking the average just to get us there. We're at 3500 and change below state average now which amounts to over 12 a.5 million. So we've increased our below state average per pupil has nearly doubled in about 8 years and to give people the time frame and we've slid nearly half again as far behind for sheer dollar volume that represents. I don't feel like handing people pink slips next year because we're risking because the money historically is not working for us as far as that goes. We absolutely have to do something to blow that [clears throat] up. Um so this is why I've said

075from the get-go to me there's two strategies. There's the long-term one and this is where we're talking about the legislative and things like that and what are we really doing and working with council and all that. But then there's the short term what we got today going on. That said, I don't know what's going to go, you know, with this council. Um, I really appreciate the parent parents that have been coming repeatedly. I'm intending to talk to them a few tonight um about where I stand on some things. The um everybody that spoke night last night was amazing. I cannot thank you enough. Um the the bottom line though is I don't know where council will be. I mean I've talked to a few of them. I've got some of them that very very graciously

076offered an open mind. They were sincere about it. They'll listen. They'll see. Others seemed very [clears throat] about it. So you know it is what it is. We may not get I'm afraid we're not going to get much of anything. Quite frankly, my priorities quite frankly are that professional development for all the reasons I want to drive that bottom line and I think professional development all that and helping the, you know, the teachers be better how you drive that. We seem to be seeing the results from the efforts of that group right now and I truly appreciate what they're doing because that's what we're trying bottom line is what we're trying to affect with all this talk. the I agree with the music teachers. You know, I've heard a lot about that. As I've said

077before, I'm a you know, yeah, I'm a sports guy clearly, but I'm an extracurricular person. You need a well-rounded student. And if you're focusing too much on just the math and just the this, you're not going to get a well-rounded student. They're not going to be interested, and I don't think it's going to work. It's too many skills transfer. So, I'm kind of big on that. I also kind of buy into I caught the assistant principal at Chamberlain and I'm not quite sure how great an idea it is to cut the assistant principal. Last I checked they did a couple things. So I I'm willing to, you know, if we're going to start talking priorities, those are some of mine. My fear, and I appreciate what you're trying to, you know, you're trying to do

078with the Maple thing, Katie, the problem I it's just it's how tight we are on this budget. We are the fifth lowest percentile. And as soon as you talk about busing people down to different schools, you're talking $200,000. Last I checked, $200,000. That's just I there is nothing more that I would personally like than to give keep this program open a different school and this is kind of going to give to the talk I'm having later or even some kind of landing pad for gosh sakes just let these kids go and stay together. Unfortunately, I got dumped on this board with four and a half million dollars in your lap. And here you go, guys. Figure it out. And we're not It's It's a very disheartening position to be in personally for me. I And

079I haven't responded to the uh arrangement the group if you will about getting together. I would love to join unless they don't want me because of my position, which is fine. Um I want the program to keep going. I said it it was probably in a non-public I can't remember half the time what we say what where but there's the the you know the bound the boundless exploration that projectbased learning this is where Dr. Nichols and I have had a conversation and I am on the TLS committee and I can certainly push that that do we spread that how do we spread that to other schools a lot of the other stuff you lose that small school feel it is what it is I don't even see how we can get around that personally unfortunately

080um you unfortunately um move those kids all around they go away from their friends everything I remember that I remember it's my son went to Maple. I understand what it was, what it can be, what it is. Um, and I'm not loving the idea of it. Just with the budget pressures, I don't see, and I get some of the brainstorming group, but unfortunately, just due to the sheer volume of money we need, it feels like the best we can do from my point of view, and I'm more than willing to listen beyond that, is to get the flavor of the program. You know, [sighs and gasps] somebody was talking about I keep going by the Christmas shop because I got a story about that, but I'm not going to share it because I tell too

081many stories. Um, you know, you've got the planning outside, you know, with the garden, you've got, you know, the the breakfast in the morning, the parent meetings, all these things. I think if we really engage our PTAs, and this is where I'd love to talk with you, Mrs. Smith a little bit more about how you can do that and hopefully transfer those flavors so we can actually do what it was really supposed to do and really get it going. And I'm very well, you can hear me. You guys hear my normal voice and you hear how it is now. I very much would hope that's the least we can do because I don't I don't appreciate the position I have to take, but I don't feel like I have a lot of options given these

082budget pressures. That said too, we keep looking for dollars here and there and all this and I'm going to be honest with you guys again, we're at the 5% lowest. I'm not sure what's in here we're going to cut, but we're going to move from one bucket to another and all that stuff. So, we can make some big decisions. Frankly, hand in the one that's tax cap compliant in my opinion and then hand in our wish list. If you know what, if Matt and And I don't like the idea, I agree with Shaunie. I don't like giving up the agency and letting them nitpick it because I've seen the way they do that and I don't appreciate it. But if you trust that as the best of the lousy options, I will trust your opinion

083as knowing them and having that conversation better. Um, but then we need to make a solid list of what we really want and prioritize it. And that's my recommendation. Um I have a question and again I being new Dr. Nichols this is hard for you. I'm just trying to connect all the dots. Are we getting title one funding for Salmon Falls next year? >> So the reason why they didn't have it uh this year is because it was a brand new school. So we have the waiver that just there's a waiver request that you have to put in and it's due April 15th. It's already works has already done with it. >> So we're getting more grant funding. you only get the certain allocation. It just means that you get the pot of money that

084you have when your schools are identified to have to split the pie a little bit smaller in each one of them. >> Okay. The only reason why I ask is because I know curriculum coordinators are very valuable. I validate that. But I didn't know if we could pause one of them and if we were getting more grant funding if then we add that back in or how come the curriculum coordinators are not in grant funding in our general budget. I I don't know how that works. And then um so I just was just wondering like how the grant funding works and if we can or move some of what's already in the grant funding over I don't know what the jewel funds are earmarked for. Again, I'm not sure. I'll have to look at that.

085Um, move some of that to the jewel funds and then move the curriculum coordinator over like jockey around the grants a little bit to so we can get everything covered. And then my other idea was I don't know how many secretaries we have and again we don't want anyone losing positions but I don't know how many secretaries we have per school if there's a way to pull resources that way. Like I know community partners if you go there they have one person answering the telephone for all of patients. I don't know if we already utilize that here in this district pulling our resources. How many secretaries are at each school? And again the reason why I ask is so we can look at this list like we hear you know I've gotten several um emails

086this week about saving band and I see a social workers on here and I know our district can definitely u benefit from social workers too. So I kind of like my questions are grant jocking u pausing the curriculum coordinator until we get more title one funding um and then pulling our secretaries resources I don't know how that what's or what that would look like so the one thing that I can say is >> please no please you >> really one of the one of the things with with the grants as I had mentioned before things called planting it has to be supplemental you have to have all those particular piece Traditionally what the hardest part was in jocking through the grants and working at it. So even coming to TLSS and um our governance group

087they're going to be looking at new job descriptions because if you go all the way all of those positions that we just talked about that are now going to be funded grants. So there's new there's 27 positions that would be in the grants moving next next year. it was taking everything that was currently in the general fund for these positions. And so you can't if it's required by state law, like if for instance a school counselor is required by state law, I can't fund a school counselor from the grants because it is required district to have. So we've been doing a lot of that as you called it John. >> Yeah, I don't know what better word for that fits. That fits >> that fits. I'm just saying we've already done that shuffle on what

088the requirements are because each grant has federal guidelines that we have to do and we have to turn in certain reports having certain certifications those kind of things requirements. Okay. Is do we have an ability to pause? I know no one has to do that. There there's we've already had conversations about what it looks like, sounds like, feels like, and even if one of them um was actively looking, if they were looking for other positions and things of that nature, would we fill that position moving forward? Those are all conversations that we are still currently moving. >> How many secretaries do we have per school? >> Well, it's not necessarily per school. For example, the high school has enough room to say we'll have some like the the athletic office, the guidance office, the special

089ed department has, you know, administrative because it's kind of the not the substance, but the old idea of a secretary just answering the phone, right? We all know and I know you do. They do so many different things. They are helping pull out student information. They're helping put together graphs. They're helping Dr. technicals pull data to be able to consolidate things. They're running reports. They're so much more than just answering. And on any given day, I'm sure they would love to say, "Oh my god, if I could just sit position so you know how hard they work. I [clears throat] just didn't know how what the setup was technically and if there was to pull resources, I guess. I just again like everybody else, we're all looking for like >> that needle in a hay

090stack right now just to try to make this all [clears throat] work so our students are getting the best that they can and so that the teachers are are able to do the best they can and not stretch so thin. >> Yeah. Yep. Yep. >> Um so I have a couple of things. Um but quickly I will I so I saw the same suggestion online about the the pooling of the secretaries and um I would suggest to anybody kind of exploring those options is truly go sit in a school in in the morning time during drop off procedures or whatever. Um or even just like hang out for the morning. I'm sure you could take a seat in the office. And I I mean this with all sincerity. It's it's chaos for those administrative assistants.

091They hold so many different hats that um because I read through that like I I don't remember who originally posted it, but uh because I was like, "Oh, this is an interesting concept." But then I was thinking about it and I was like, "Oh my gosh, there's been so many mornings that I've been there for the PTA stuff." And um you've got like a principal uh assisting in a classroom, you've got the other principal um one-on-one with a student in the hallway, and then you've got the administrative assistant doing literally all of their jobs while while they're managing the office and the chaos that's coming through. And there's sometimes I sit in the office and I'm like, I got to go. I don't know how you do this and I [laughter] need to leave because

092my brain can't handle it. Um, so I I just to mention on that one that while it's a nice idea, I'm I'm not sure that that's actually a reality for the schools to be able to actually continue functioning on a day-to-day basis. But, um, I do have a quick question. So, I think it was mentioned last night with the potential surplus coming up and how we pose this to city council is so if we kind of stop spending in a lot of ways and we are super prudent with this current year's budget, could we did I hear it right that we're potentially looking at a 2.5 surplus if we're very careful to end the year? no wish list items and stuff, right? >> So, I did my first forecast um this week and um the

093deadline for encumbering purchase orders for the rest of the year has not has not um happened yet. Okay. >> Um but based on the number of payroll periods left and factoring in the balloon payments um that are contractually obligated to individuals and the payouts for those retirees that we know of already, um I am forecasting roughly $2.4 4 million in in surplus. Um, and that's normally my next process would be to start taking a look at purchasing things for next year to kind of start us in a little bit better position. Taking a look at some of the there there was a significant amount of over $250,000 in asks for operation um facility type things that was not included in the budget as well. Normally, that's what I would start having them make purchases for.

094a lot of um let's say blinds, rugs, desks, you know, student chairs, that kind of stuff. That's typically where now I would start um ask asking um administrators and operations to start making those purchases. um if that decision gets made to kind of hold off on that every Friday. I do do a forecast going forward and um that is a potential and that is that's excluding the $930,000 that the that was whatever you want to call it a promisary note from the city council however you want to say it's not a promisary note but um to fund the difference in that 1.297 297. Right. So, yes, I am looking. Right now, we have the potential of one student in special education right now that that I can't divulge the specifics, but it could be $400,000

095right there. Um, so you never know. Um, and then of of course that would be 1/4th because we only have that left this fiscal year, but we're already if this happens with that student, we're already looking at $400,000 not budgeted next year. So, I just want to, you know, things do happen. Um, we are allowed from a special education standpoint to go to the city council for a special appropriation when you go over budget in special education. So, that's not as concerning for me. Um, but I just wanted to kind of like give you that the transparency, [cough] >> right? Yeah. Because I think um I mean I guess that's just another way for us to strategize potential. I I'm a little weary about it. just I think time is just not on our side

096with that. That's that's the only problem because we could use that in negotiating with the city but also we have needs. Um I I guess I would be curious if there's anything that we currently have and I think this would be a question for like the team is you know is there anything that truly instead of just going and making those purchases is there something that the principles absolutely need and then what what is that bottom line dollar after? So um at the beginning of the budget process I do I do [cough] um also hand out a worksheet for um operational needs and then they are asked to prioritize AB and C. Um, typically I cons and I have [clears throat] already done so. I've consolidated all of those asks and typically in the past,

097remember I've only been here for one year of this, but what we did was we sat around with the superintendent and the administrators and operations and we started making based on lead times for purchases because it has to be received before June 30th. We start making some of those decisions on, you know, on yes, go ahead and order, go ahead and order. Each week I would kind of give another authorization to purchase. April 15th is the cut off for purchases. I've asked for spending freeze as of April 15th. Anything that's not encumbered outside of repairs and maintenance or special education um things that pop up. Um no one, you know, should be making any purchases after that. Um so there is kind of like a a snapshot um on April 15th. Um but that's pretty

098much what So the I've Adrian explained that process that typically this time of year we would start looking at this and I've said no we're going to hold off on doing that because and again it's you as I mentioned before it's a damned if you do damned if you don't I would love to say to David Rclick here's half a million dollars by go at it have a you know have a great time I guarantee he could come up with things right but I'm trying to be prudent and hold off on spending something because I recognize that if I don't spend that money now, it potentially becomes surplus that if we can get the city to allow us to keep it does exactly what we're talking about tonight, which is to go back and look

099at these cuts and say, "Great, now I've saved, you know, I'm getting the surplus. I'm getting it back. Now I can reinstate the the elementary music and UA teachers. how I can reinstate the assistant principal that you know don't no people don't typically hold out signs saving save our administrators but I will tell you that isn't an easy cut at the recognized that Chamberlain's not going to have an assistant principal that makes me nervous but I respected the principles that when they brought those things forward but that makes me very nervous so but understand so I'm trying to hold off any additional spending this year as we navigate the situation and to think, okay, maybe if I don't spend it this year, are they going to let me use it for these things that we

100need? But I'm also at the same point where I'm also want to say, David, right, click, buddy, you know what? We got the money. If they're not going to let me keep it, go for it. You you see that that that push and pull of that, right? Like if I just knew that we could keep it >> respectfully, he would spend that money very wisely. He would very wisely but he would spend >> those are places where we are absolutely shortsighted to not >> y so it's not that we would just flutter it away we would make that decision but that decision is [snorts] or this one >> so I think >> that push and pull of it >> yeah and I think that this these are the things that are not necessarily on the

101same time crunch as submitting our budget right like these are the kind of things that we can play out over the next couple of months and chatting with city council and talking about where the money's going to come from and um making those give and takes with city council. But as far as actually what we need to decide tonight and tomorrow night, um I'm not sure that I am quite on board with giving them a checklist to pick off of. I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of that. And I think that there's nuances to that that we've gone back and forth with with the city. I I I would be more in fan more of a fan of saying here is our tax cap compliant budget. However, this is the reality that our students

102face and here is this chunk of money. So, if it is that 2 and a.5 million, I think we have different uh negotiating tactics that we can use when talking to them and different justifications and how we use the money or where we're using the money from. But, um I think I would be more a fan of that of submitting our tax cap compliant budget and then stating here's our 2 and a.5 million. this is why where we think we can pull it from, but this is what we're actually saving and truly letting them understand what that is saving and what that impact on the children is. Um, I think our city council is open to hearing that. But, um, so anyways, as far as decision-m, I think that that's the thing. I won't repeat

103everything that Sam Oliver said because I think he said it really well, but I think that that's where I'm I'm sitting with the the rest of the maple decisions is it I I would really love to have a unicorn walk in and like save the day and find a way to save this program and a place to put it. I think that and this is just full transparency for the Maple parents here today so that you can understand where I'm coming from. I have spent hours in this binder and I cannot find the operating funds from Maple to take it from something else. And that's where I'm struggling with all of that. And I would love to find a way to do that and make it happen because I I respect every single one of

104you for all the time that you've committed to coming and and offering all these different I mean you guys have truly brainstormed and really been creative with your statements and everything that you've tried to do and say. And I would be, full disclosure, I'd be so willing to sit down with you and listen to your ideas. If you guys want to reach out to me, I'll have coffee or whatever and we can kind of go over where I stand and um what I'm looking at and I'd be happy to share that with you. But um as far as making a decision tonight and moving forward, I think we need just make that plan of which way do we approach this budget tomorrow night and >> what are we approving on that bottom line? So, I

105let Adriana step in and then I have Nick and Katie Shnie. But I also want to just comment real quick um that once we approve a budget or two budgets to submit to the city council. Um that doesn't mean the discussion is over. We can still have conversations with the mayor, with the city manager. Ultimately, we submit our budget and the city manager collects all the budgets and makes one big budget for the city and then gives that to the city council to start negotiating. So, it's not over yet. >> That was my point. Thank you. >> We can still continue talking. We can still continue making our case with the mayor, with the city council, um with the city manager and and and whatnot. And then ultimately, we have to present our budget to

106the city council. I don't know when that happens. I don't know if anyone has that if that's going to happen on March. >> It has not been scheduled yet. Um we my I need to submit everything by March 25th. I think the city it's usually the second Tuesday of whatever it is, but there's there are no workshops that have been planned as of right now, but there are several workshops that the city does hold. They held a Saturday workshop um last year that did not involve the school. um we met separately um during their normally scheduled meetings, but I think there were three. >> We have to have it and prepared to be have it submitted to this to the city by March 25th. So, we have to have a budget that gets back >>

107and there's a deck and slides and present. >> We have to have it into the that's why there's a need for the school board to vote on a budget tomorrow night because it's pass One benefit we do have is numbers in the sense that um if if we submit say um two budgets, we can we can call out the troops and get parents and get PTA get the PTAs involved and get people to continue to show up but also get more people to show up to put pressure on the city council. Um and that's not necessarily something that maybe the public works department has or other potholes >> potholes. You start talking about potholes, you'll get them out today. >> Um so, um did you want to add >> I I only wanted to add

108to the comment with the surplus. Um yes, David Reichliff could certainly make a lot of purchases, but I also wanted to point out that some of these uh items on this list are things that do directly impact the students on a day-to-day basis. For I'll give an example. There were a couple of replacement um Oh my gosh. instruments. Thank you. A couple of replacement instruments that the music department said he said, you know, they're nearing their old their age. You know, that was that was not included. The there the library asked for some increases for the for books that was level funded. So, there are purchases that could be made um that were left out of next year's budget. There are also purchases that could be made against next year's budget now so that that

109can free up dollars for us in next year's budget. So I didn't want it's not just you know operational things and facility things which are also needed but there's also some some quite significant amount of of of direct impact costs just ahead. >> Thank you Mr. Chair. Um you just touched upon this a moment ago that we have a deadline of March 25th. Um, and I don't know what goes into developing uh we have to send to the city. Um, know our last scheduled full board meeting is tomorrow night. Uh, but we're if we just submit a tax cap compliant budget, then we could just go home right now, I guess, because that's pretty easy, right? Just all right, that number's already set and we don't have to hash out. we have time to decide

110who we're going to cut. Um I keep on coming back to this idea of buying more time. Uh the council has a workshop next week, next Tuesday. Are they allowed to take action at workshops? So they're not allowed as a counselor here. They're saying that they're not allowed to take action at work. And the the reason why I asked that is, you know, uh I'd love to if we can't if they're not going to give us let us roll this $2.5 million over, then we got to start trying to figure out what we can do that we would have spent next year with that money now so that we can >> it's a catch 22. I either wait and do nothing or I start, you know, as I'm ready at the gate whenever anybody says

111go >> because again like I think we we we need some time. Um, anyways, one of the things I couldn't figure out in the binder was what is our budget for athletics? >> So, you you'll see athletics and actually that is part of it. A couple of the cuts that were made were uniforms at the at the middle school. So the way the budget is structured is based on um the committees, right? So you're going to see all of your personnel costs in five and then you're going to see the remainder of the athletics in tab eight. So your GNA expenses are in tab eight, the first bullet there, 1420 athletics, that is um your athletics budget. There have been increases there. Um the ice rink rental um has significantly increased. Um we are budgeting

112for an athletic trainer that I I believe I've let everybody know that we didn't have in the past. Um so there are some some increases on the athletics level. Um and that's what you're going to see that $62,000 is other professional services. That's for the athletic trainer. Uh that's really the only area dues and fees. That's that that is your rentals. That that is your memberships. That is your your registrations um for the tournaments that we have to register for our students. >> So quarter a million dollars. >> Correct. >> And then if I look down a little bit further, >> student trans athletics, $128,000 to transport students. >> Correct. So what I do there is I take the contracted price for each bus and then I calculate roughly mileage and the number of buses

113with >> $380,000. Then are the stipens if the stipens are in the contract but if we don't have the sport then there's no stipen to pay >> the contracts for the stipens for curricular and co-curricular are contractually obligated within the the the union contract. So I have whether there's a budget a a club or not in existence the dollars remain the same. It's how they're chosen to be distributed. Now, we may not pay out as much because we don't have a club, but the dollars in there were negotiated in the in the union contract. >> Is there a line though that says how much we pay for coaches? >> P $107,000. So, we spend >> under 14. Yes. $48,000 of a million dollars on athletics, which I value. I played sports when I was a

114student. >> [clears throat] >> Um that's seven or eight positions that if we continue to fund athletics, uh if we chose to not fund athletics, which is just one of several extracurricular activities that chopping block, um it's we're we're focused entirely on within the walls of our school. And I know that what happens outside of the walls of the school, what happens after the bells is important to a lot of our students, but I'm not going to kind of go on a rant like I did just a couple weeks ago, but you know, most of our kids aren't proficient at reading. Uh, and if we're talking about making cuts that are going to impact uh what our students get in during the school day, this isn't we're not CQ United. Uh [snorts] this isn't an

115athletic program. It's not a um as much as I value athletics and performing arts and other extracurricular activities, that's not core to our mission as as a school. Um for some reason, the number I think 20 or 30 positions have been floating around, but when I look at the this um this packet that we got, I counted 48 positions that are being eliminated. And what wasn't in this and I hate to do this to the group. So maybe this has already been done and and I don't have to ask one by one what whether the position is currently filled or not and how much we'd be saving by cutting it. But I'd like to know one by one whether the position is currently filled and how much [snorts] we would save by cutting it. We

116were just told that our options were to cut 48 positions and close a school or keep a school open and then go to 29 kids per classroom. But we weren't really given sort of like the line item for each of these cuts. And if we are trying to get creative in terms of uh how we reduce cuts by maybe finding additional revenue then I do want to know what each one of these positions represents. If it's currently unfilled with the exception of I know the our par educator our special ed para educators we have to budget for those but if it's currently unfilled those ones are we call them no-brainers but it's not going to impact what our students get because they're not getting it right now anyways. Uh so maybe rather than go through

117all 48, do you know how many of these position like how much would be saved by just not filling the current unfilled positions? Hard to think how I can answer that best. I'll use the We have two retirements that people spoke very highly of. Our two I think two most senior teachers are are the uh elementary music teachers. Those vacant those positions will be vacant. I don't know that anyone suggested because they're vacant that we don't fill them. So the fact that they may or not be currently filled doesn't change the level of need that exists in that position. So the other thing that adds a a twist to it is these are positions and we can only count positions because the collective bargaining agreements as as I know you know this thing the collective

118bargaining agreements have bumping rights. So while it may be a third grade teacher at Happy Valley Elementary School whose position is being eliminated. We're not eliminating classroom teaching position. I'm just using that as an example. if that one it may not be the person who's currently sitting in that position because they have bumping rights. They might end up shifting. It could be someone completely different in another building [clears throat] in another assignment because you also have to look at certification areas. So that's why we use and I know it's tough for people to hear. That's why we use that rounded out number because it is for us to determine how many people would actually be it would you really couldn't do it because by the we also are going to have attrition. The other thing

119I think it's important for folks to hear is the way we're doing it and the the the cuts that are recommended. We're also cognizant of that these are people with mortgages, with families to feed, that contribute to their community, that shop in the stores, that eat in the restaurants, that they're still part of our community. So the cuts that we're trying to make are through it and and with attrition we are told by the HR director and she made this point to me again this morning that anyone that wants to maintain a position in this model should be able to keep a job because of attrition. So while the positions are being eliminated those other people should be able to bounce into other existing vacancies. So that question isn't as easily answered as this position

120at uh and I'm just looking across right here. Um you know, assistant principal Chamberlain. Well, the administrative group has a collective bargain agreement that also affords them some bumping. So I can't even tell you on that one that it would be the person currently in that position. It may be a more recently hired assistant principal in another school building who has less seniority. So that's that's why we use that number. I'm not trying to be vague, but there's a reason why we can't don't give you that cut equals $11,712. >> And and to piggy back off of that, um based on the vacancy report that was um issued at the finance committee meeting, we currently have 28 vacancies. 27 of them are general fund vacancies. 18 of those 27 are special education positions. So there

121are 10. I mean theoretically we may be able to you know do a kind of a crosswalk with that but um to Jack to Superintendent Fulone's [snorts] point it it doesn't necessarily align per se. >> [clears throat] >> But we we would eliminate positions without uh without a a level of confidence in the cost once we well I suppose to to the chair's point we can continue talking about this afterwards but the the difference between the music position and I I understand why we want to eliminate through attrition when we can but there that position is currently filled so eliminating that position impacts student services. eliminates services or it eliminates contact that kids have with a person right now. So that's different than the director of college and career readiness which is there's a reason

122why we have that position uh that we're trying to fill. But if we don't fill that, if we eliminate it, that there there isn't that position doesn't exist right now and it's not going to therefore [snorts] keep services away from kids uh um in our school. So, how much would are we going to save by not filling the director of college and career readiness position? >> I think it's >> already I want to know how much we would be saving by making that cut. >> 48 positions. That's one out of every 17 staff members in our district. We're cutting more than 5% of our staff and but we don't even really know how much each of those positions that we cut are saving us. I appreciate the process had administrators identifying positions that we could

123uh that would be have the cause the least impact on our students I think is maybe the the fairest way of saying it but how much are each of these positions going to save us? because if we're going to come up with a list uh that that kind of factors into that I think >> so for example in the detail to your budget you have all of the ins and outs you could go through the the pages of personnel and find the college of career director Raven and you'll see the salary going in and then you'll see a salary of um January 21st removed so that's $100,000 >> that's and that includes Benny's everything else that's >> no that's that's the salary that's just the salary. >> Will you show me the one page? I'm

124not going to take everyone's time to go through all 48 of these. I'll do that on on my own time. >> Yeah. Yeah. I again, this is this is an extraction into Excel, so it doesn't correlate to the page, but you would have to look for 20. So 2410. No, I'm in the right tab, but you got to get to the right hand. Oh, >> so all these people will be in tab five, >> correct? Personnel. Yep. So, here you go. So, well, that's the health insurance. So, on page 191, so page 188. So, you'll see it says director of college and career readiness and then it'll say January 21st removed $100,000. And then the remainder of what's left in that line item would be your assistant principal, your deputy principal, your principal, um the

125principal stipend, and assistant principal stipen. So all of that information is in here if you really want to take the time to go and look for every single one of them. I mean, is that something that can be like if we we've identified these positions, can is that something that can be created so that we can all see that before tomorrow night? >> I can send you the Excel extraction to it >> that has each of the 48 positions and >> no because no there's no summary per se in that in that respect because in some cases I didn't necessarily remove the salary of the individual in that position. I I removed the position. So, someone could be making $90,000, but I only removed $63,000 or I I if I kept someone, I would I

126would remove the differential between the 63 and the 90, let's say. So, it it's a b a lot of ins and ins and outs. And I didn't necessarily put always the exact dollar amount. I used six I used $100,000. So I use $63,000 on the salary line and then 20 $23,000 on the benefits line. So I use the average salary as opposed to because otherwise I'm eliminating a person if I do exactly the right dollar amount. Um, I guess the last thing that I want to say just because a couple people have mentioned this and you know um I'm not interested in um itemizing or prioritizing for the council what we would do if they decided to uh support our schools at the level that our kids deserve. Uh and I'm going to hold to

127what I said earlier. I'm not going to vote in favor for uh a tax cap compliant budget when I know that it's going to eliminate one out of every 17 staff members in our district. Uh, and that also means closing a school building and and ending a program in the process for the the ma the Maple parents that are here because I don't think I've been able to I haven't said this is explicitly. The thing that is tearing me apart right now about the program and this is why if we could if we could get one more year to figure out how to do this the right way, um, I would feel a lot better about it. But right now, we're faced with the option of keeping a school open and at the expense of

128the other five elementary schools with class sizes of 29 kids in each of those rooms. So, even to the the solution that you came up with, Miss Anderson, if we were to move those kids into one of those buildings, say it's Mullen that has three first grade classrooms, what that means is we got to take one of those first grade classrooms that currently has 20 kids in it. we have to split it in half and put the other 10 kids in the other two classrooms. >> Yeah. >> So, back in the 1920s, maybe you had 30 or 40 kids or 50 kids in a classroom, but uh this isn't the 1920s, although financially it feels like it might be >> uh for some people. Uh [clears throat] so anyways um that I'm I'm still holding

129out hope that we can get more money um uh so that we can eliminate uh or sorry so that we do not have to go this route uh because again I I think uh I think we can but uh yeah this is uh I I I' I'd like to uh have a better understanding of how how much each of these positions would save us. So that would allow us to be a little bit more line itemy when it comes to which cuts we're willing to make or which cuts we're actually discussing. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Yep. Um I have Katie, Shny, Jerry, and Sam. And if I can just make one more statement, I apologize because usually I don't like to insert my comments until sort of exhausted, but um the reality is is

130we we have to submit a tax cap compliant budget against it and not do it. We're violating the law and we have to do it. So, um there's that. But I do think as responsible supporters of public education, I think that it's incumbent upon us to submit a second budget that that has an increase. Um what that increase is is something that we have to determine. And we're already on two hours and we keep kind of spinning around in circles and circles and circles here. we know what we have to do and I think that we're nearing the end of our discussion and we we unless there are some real significant questions. Um I I think that once we get through the last four people here, I think that we need to start wrapping things

131up and and moving forward that's agre if everyone's agreeable and and that way there tomorrow we can make a decision of what exactly they're going to submit to the to the city council and then put it in their hands. we can um ask for $4.5 million and hope for the best and get people to the city council meetings in droves and and put pressure on the city councilors and hopefully that that will happen. I think that's probably our best bet. But Katie, go ahead. >> Um before I go, when we were talking about city council, um councelor Rice was raising her hand. She didn't know if she could chime in. I don't know if she can, >> you know, that thought that she had. that public comment should certainly count which we're almost near that

132at at this point. >> Okay. I just wanted to check in with that first before I went. Um I was counting out the secretaries and I know that the Spalding High School is the biggest school, but we have 17 secretaries. Are they all full-time? I mean, not 17. Seven. I that was incorrect. [laughter] I had a scribble in front and my brain registered the scribble as a one. That was incorrect. [laughter and clears throat] Seven. Well, there's more because there's also an athletics guidance and special education, but are they all full-time secretaries? >> I I I'm not I can't speak. >> I wasn't sure because these numbers if that meant like part-time or something, but all the secretaries do have a solid one next to them. >> Yes, you're correct. >> Union, they you are

133correct. The FTE full-time equivalent. So, if it doesn't say one, they are not. >> Oh, they're all one. So, that means all seven of those secretaries are full-time. If they're if it's 1.0, then yes, they're fulltime. >> Okay. Um, [clears throat] is there any way to cut back one of those to save the music teacher? Like I know that um so once we have the approved budget um I can't read that handwriting. That's mine. Um I'm assuming once we have that approved budget, we then decide how to navigate the positions and etc. Right. So like we don't have like this is when we submit the approved budget. It's not like this itemized list. It is just the budget and then we can then nitpick what's going on. >> It's up to us how to spend

134that money. >> Is there any way to ask for an extension for the budget? >> They have to have everything done by June. >> They have to >> they have a very significant step because the city manager has to accumulate put it. They need time to put it together, then submit it to the city. >> Two months to put it all together for themselves. >> You're talking about a hundred million dollar budget. It takes them a long time to put it together. >> Um, and then like I know this is also like nitpicking like crayons or whatever, but I know I'm not in a very I'm not a wealthy family, but you know what I could do? I could purchase a couple books and donate to them to the schools and maybe an instrument. I'm

135sure there's other families that could potentially do that. Is that something that we could do so it's out of the budget? Like see if the community is willing to help like donate those items like new, not used because obviously the this classrooms would need that. Like I don't know >> is it I mean I can answer. I mean, I I think it's possible, but I think if you ask a music [cough] teacher, it's the it's the difference of buying an instrument at Walmart or are you going to buy an instrument from where they buy where it's much better quality? >> And >> that's true. I mean, I my I'm only saying that and I I [clears throat] would hope that it would be a quality instrument being donated as like the the levels which the

136students would be using. I come from a music family. My grandfather was a music teacher in Maine and my grandmother was a music teacher. Like I I don't know if if that's just something that is able to I could do maybe one instrument out of my home, but like I just don't know if we reached out to the public if that's something that we could take out of the budget [clears throat] if we that I don't know. >> I don't know. >> Possible. Yes. [laughter] It was the same thing with my fundraising idea at the beginning when I first the first meeting that we had. Let's do a bake sale. I don't know. We need to come together as a community and this really >> partnership stinks. >> A million dollar pie. >> We could

137have the military [clears throat] budget and they could do bake sales. >> Yeah. >> Um >> I don't know. And um also the another part of the whole Maple Street program was it not necessarily moving every kid that's there, but each ward is designated like East Ro like I don't know just it wouldn't >> have a school in each ward. >> Oh yeah, that's right. Well, each each elementary school has their own like all the kids that go to that school has an ability of being in one Maple Street program class. So like there's already the first grade classes. One of those first grade classes would be programmed differently. A second grade class in another school would be just programmed differently. So each school has the possibility and the opportunity to have that different education.

138It might not be the same students every year or that teacher then moves with the class as I don't know. I think the brainstorming group needs to >> certainly on the table, but I think that that's something that doesn't affect the budget. That's something we can talk about Oh. >> down the road. >> Well, then we should talk about it down the road. >> Um I have a bunch of people on my list. >> Yeah, I'm done. That was the last thing I had. >> Shaunie of Jerry and Sam. Um, I was going to make a motion, but then I looked at tomorrow night's agenda, so I'm assuming we're not doing any voting of anything tonight. >> We technically can, but it is on the agenda for tomorrow. >> I put it on the agenda

139for tomorrow. And here's why. I think that something of this magnitude should be done at a full posted school board meeting. This is a special a special meeting. It's fully posted. It's a legal meeting. But I think it's different between having a meeting here versus having one at city hall that is a dually posted public school board meeting. I would hate for anyone to think that a decision of rights live stream that a decision of this magnitude was made in a less public forum. So I had said to the chair I really believe that that should be done at the school board meeting where it's live streamed. It's it's more formal in the chambers. It's really because of the magnitude of these decisions should be front and center. It shouldn't be kind of done down

140in the basement of this building. >> That was all. >> Just FYI, Lisa said she had to scoot and she will see us all. >> Okay. >> Um, can I get through two people and then we can >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> You're the chair, >> Jerry. Ashani, did you have more? >> Nope, that was it. >> Okay, >> thank you. Um, I think one of the our academics are our primary focus in schools. [snorts] Ways we do that is through engagement and making sure that all noticed well those of us in education or or have worked around with kids long enough, we know that sometimes that's what keeps kids The idea that we would look at cutting athletics or extracurricular band, chorus, theater, the clubs, these are essential to keeping students engaged. Also said

141it before that there's no sacred cow. There's nothing that can't be slaughtered to make sure that we get what we need for our students within reason within the city council. So, I just don't want people to think that we're going to look at ending chorus to just focus in on on academics. We do that, we won't have to worry about it because kids won't be engaged. We won't see proficiencies go up. Our curriculum coordinators um and maybe you can tell me how long have they been in our budget? >> Were they always in the budget? >> Not always. >> Were they were they grant funded? >> I remember Mary. Remember Mary, Matt? We had Mary as our first curriculum. She ended up being assistant superintendent um before she moved on. But that was a big

142move for Rochester. That was a big move to put that into the budget. >> We put these positions and grants until we were ready to make sure that there's something we want to keep. I don't want to lose any of our curriculum coordinators because they're pushing forward our progress in academics, our the instructional coaches, all these positions where there's nothing in here. There's no fat on this bone. And for us to look at cutting anything right now that is currently being uh filled with personnel I think is irresponsible. I think we can look at some positions that aren't filled that are I won't say non-essential uh but not our pair professionals or specialed positions. I don't want to cut anything uh that somebody's already sitting in and I think that's you know really the responsible

143way to go about doing our looking at what our cuts are. Two very quick ones related to each other. So all the sarcasm intended, we got a promise to possibly maybe consider keeping our own savings if when is city council going to commit to the possibility of us doing that because very specifically we've got one of two and I get it. Well, I'm asking for a very specific reason. I'm not in the mood to sit here and not spend the money and then go with the very same situation and they go, "Nah, we're gonna keep it after all. I don't want to play that game." So, I wanna how when can we get a commitment out of them? And then I agree. I hope that we have a backup plan to immediately if they say

144no to spend every dime we can on education because I don't want to be giving it back to council. So I I I we're trying to play nice, but I only like to play so nice and I want to play to win. And so I would like to get a commitment soon with enough time to spend every dime and them to understand if you don't let us keep it, we're just going to spend it. And then you can play what you want next year and then I guess we'll have a discussion with about the budget after that fact. But this can be very nice or could be very adversarial as far as I'm concerned. And I just wonder when when we can get that commitment. >> If I knew that, I would I'd be pretty.

145>> Okay. So then I guess where I'm going is we need to ask them when we can get that commitment because here's our intentions. If you don't if we could I would suggest putting that on the table if we could during the discussion just so we don't fall into that. Generally speaking in negotiations you want to get all your stuff up on the table. You don't want any, you certainly don't want to negotiate line item by line item because you go, "Yep, yep, yep, yep." Oh, nope. And all of a sudden, you lost. If you can at least go and okay, look at the total package, it makes more sense that way. So, I would just suggest we can do that as best we can. >> Each city department is going to be asked to

146go before the council to present their budget and basically make their case as to why they need their money. So we that say okay so we submitted this we submitted that and this is why we need this extra money and this is what it means if we if you go with the lesser amount. This is what it means if you go with a higher amount. That's where we make the case. But as far as getting a guarantee from them it's not going to happen until late May early the earliest. >> Let's see. [snorts] So it's too late. So, here's part of the here's part of the reason, and this is I'm not this is why I don't want to play this game to some extent. I appreciate the people that are trying to, but here's

147why we need the extra money. It's because we're I again, I keep going back. We're the fifth lowest percentile in the state for funding. We're $3,500 under state average. And if we give another $2.5 million, that just drags that down further. I feel as a school department, as a school school board member, I owe it to the kids to get them every dollar. And this isn't more we're asking. This isn't a tax cap override. This is nothing. This is stuff that because we were responsible, we've saved. And I want to be able to go and get that and apply that to the kids. And either the council can give me a guarantee that they'll allow us to do that this next year or I advocate that we should just do what's within our power and

148make sure we pay we spend whatever we can this year to try and affect next year as best we can. And if they can't give us a guarantee, then we're going to have to make a quick decision and that can be a part of a conversation tomorrow. But I'm I'm very and I don't care. I know them. I can talk to any of them. They're nice people. It's not that I just don't go into any negotiation trusting that kind of thing. I want to have it very spelled out and I want to know exactly so we can make plans and that's just my nature. Said it before you get this side of me when you get this stuff going on. >> So >> I personally couldn't agree with you more. >> Okay. >> Um it's

149unfortunately that's just democracy the way New Hampshire >> and we spend it >> municipal government is it takes time. It's it's a long run. I mean, we're already two hours and 10 minutes into the meeting and >> and we don't seem to we seem to be spinning in circles here. >> This isn't spinning in circles though. This is negotiation strategy that as we looked up, we can't do the kind of thing, but I very much they can say that they are willing to do that for us beforehand. >> Not sure they can do that without a vote of the full council. >> They could do it with a vote of the full council. They can do it beforehand and do it. They can say they're going to allow the school board to start keeping their

150money and putting it. They could do that. As far as I know, there's nothing preventing them from doing that without the whether it's 2.75, 2 million or what it is. They could allow us to keep our budget so we could start making some gains understanding that we want to do what we've talked about the things to do it as a vote. They could >> I can and this is what I'm asking. Do it as a vote. Do it for all of it. Guarantee it [snorts] beforehand. I don't want to get to, you know, June 1st and oops, not going to do it. And now we're we don't have time and we lose $2 and a half million dollars. >> Nick, go ahead. >> So to the point that Mr. Oliver made. Uh, I wonder if

151one of the things that this board can do is direct the chair to request that we get to attend another meeting and where we make that ask because we need to know the answer to that. And so they they have a full council meeting. It's the first Tuesday of each month. So we we're not going to get in front of them as a body prior to that. There is a workshop tomorrow. So certain sorry next Tuesday. So certainly we could make an argument at that workshop and ask them to consider that at the to put that on their agenda for the the full board meeting. Uh if we want to wait until the next city council finance meeting, well, we're again we're missing the next full board meet for full council meeting. But yeah, time

152is of the essence if if to your point, Mr. Oliver, like >> I almost think like we can't afford to why would we count on that? It's [snorts] like it doesn't make any sense. >> I think we can afford to let them do their process within the next month, but we need to give Adriana some time to do that. Personally, if we do the next meeting and all that good stuff, that'll give them time in my opinion. Just so just so that folks understand if we if the councils voted yes we absolutely will allow you to keep your surplus that is that would be a separate that would be a separate appropriation from the council that would come from undesated fund balance. It would still not be anything having to do with the current budget

153or the tax cap. So I just want people to clear that those two things do not they cannot merge. If you merge anything over the 76,616 600 6001 you are then looking for a tax cap override which is a whole separate process. So the tax cap compliant budget needs to go to the council. Separate and apart from that would be a request to use to get an additional appropriation of undesated [snorts] fund balance from the city council in the amount of whatever surplus that we're turning. I also just want to say please understand it we are not not spending money that is for students or we're not doing things that are of the benefit to the students. what we are doing. We have vacancy savings that Adra and it's things like again I know it's

154$1,000 but those many of those adds up. I've closed purchase orders to a to a $1,000 at market basket for snacks for meetings. I'm I'm Nope. My choice is I will buy my we'll buy our own snacks. That's going to that we're not going to spend that money so it could potentially become surplus. But I don't want anyone to think we're holding back money from students. We're not spending it on necessary things this year in order to try to save it. We are just we have surplus. That's the money that I'm being very If you remember in the beginning of the year, there was a couple hundreds of thousands of dollars that we did not spend on um software and we got us out of contracts that have been entered into that I got us

155out of for not spending money on redundant software. So, it's those kinds of savings. I don't want think people to think that we're saving money right now by lack of a better term screwing over the kids so that we don't have to do it next year. We are not doing that. We are >> know what that number >> we're spending appropriately now, but we're being fiscally, you know, responsible and conservative in order to try to, >> you know, to try to do that. So, >> um, sorry to interrupt, [snorts] but we had a bunch of people coming into these doors. They said someone unlocked >> these doors down the end here. They got unlocked by somebody and there a bunch of people are trying to come into the basketball game. They had to turn away

156like 50 100 people. >> That's public access. >> Public school board meeting we have to allow access to. >> Okay. >> It's public meeting. >> I understand. I just had to check. So, thank you. >> Thanks. >> So, I just so wanted to clarify that it's two different things. The tax cap compliant budget is one. Any dollar over this amount is a tax cap override. That's a whole separate process. and which you can ask for but it's a separate process and the [snorts] other avenue is asking for an additional one appropriation from the city council of undesated fund b funds which would be know what that number is until after April 15th >> that is correct or at least a good prediction and as Adriiana said things can change you know the special ed director

157met with me today and said that we have a student who's moving into the district that have cost. So, we'll do our we'll give you as as close as we can to that number, but it it won't be finite until the end of the fiscal year. >> Now, correct me if I'm wrong, that the city council can take our our tax c tax cap compliant budget and they can say, well, we're going to add some money to the schools, but we've got to take it away from other spots as long as it's this the total city. Yeah, that's that's appropriate. >> City has to be tax city council. >> Yeah. >> So, it's the total city tax, not nec including the schools and police and public works [clears throat] and fire department and whatnot. So,

158they can take some funds from other departments and to provide to us. Um, that's certainly a possibility. Is it likely? I don't know. Not really sure at this point. >> Just a couple of comments. So my directive when I came in a year and a half ago was to not return a penny if I could to spend the money that was collected and appropriated by the taxpayers and by the by our revenue sources to fund education and support our students and our scholars in the district. Um in the past I can't speak to the past as to why we've given back six million or whatever. Um but my my directive has always been that and that that is my goal until I'm told otherwise. Um not needlessly but wisely. Um so that's the first thing

159I wanted to say. The second thing and I mentioned this at the finance committee meeting is that you also have in addition to this huge budget three other budgets that you need to review and and um discuss and move forward um tomorrow night. And that is the CIP proposals that you can find within your budget book. That's the food services budget and that's the grants budget. Um I don't want us to neglect that just because we're having this major conversation. So that is something that also needs to move forward. Um looking forward my suggestion um from a revenue perspective. It was one of the interview questions that I was asked is when funding gets cut, what would you do? How would [snorts] you find additional revenue at this point? I would highly recommend that we

160down the road, not yet, would start looking at um a grant writer. And now I'm not saying to add to the general fund, a grant writer that can cover their salary and also find opportunities to fund other initiatives um that we can't go after right now because we don't have an individual who can write a grant. there are millions millions hundred thousands of dollars that we can find and that they can cover their salary and also add to our revenue base. So that's a suggestion that that position was not approved last year when we looked at it um because there wasn't confidence that [snorts] they would cover their salary. But that's something that I think that you can all consider as well. >> I just have a quick question about this. This is on tab

161nine. Audriana you were talking about the is it tab nine >> for ciph? >> Yeah. >> Um when I write open that up and we're approving this tomorrow night. Is that what we're we're doing >> for discussing and hopefully Yes. I mean tomorrow should the intention should be to pass all four sections of of budgets. >> Yes. The capital improvement. >> So the the sports complex is not completed. >> Correct. That's why I'm bringing this up. Where? Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Um where where does that out of the budget come? 1.7 >> that is being borrowed to where the city will bond it for us. It's like >> so it's like getting okay. So it's not coming out of this, >> right? >> Not this year. I was going to say, oh my goodness.

162>> What I put in bold under each one is what your tax what your general fund impact will be going forward after that next year. So, for example, for a $1.5 million bond for this phase two of the sports complex, assuming a 20-year amortization um at an interest rate of 4.5, you're looking at $140,000 annually that you're adding to your general fund, not in FY27, but in FY28. Similarly, the other one for $200,000, which is the assessment of all of the facilities, which I know a lot of people have spoken to both from the public and from the board. >> Um that would add $48,000 to the general fund um in over five year each year for five years. >> So each of those years would encumber that amount. Is that >> correct? So the

163dollar amount that the city gives me for the portion of principal and interest that we're repaying on our bonds, that number will go up >> starting in FY20 was >> we funded phase one out of Juel. >> Um the phase >> this is phase two. >> So I just wanted to make sure that everybody is aware of that and the impact have FY28. Not saying I am you know advocating for or against it. I just want to bring that to especially the new individuals, the new >> Thank you, Adriana. I appreciate that. >> Sure. >> All right. So, where we're at, it seems at this point, we we should have all the information we need. We We do need to make a motion tomorrow night. Um, I think it's important that we approve the tax

164cap compliant budget, but we also I get the sense that we also want to submit a second budget, which we've done before. Um, that would increase that budget by X amount of dollars, whether it's two, three, four. I guarantee if we ask for all four and a half million, we're not going to get it. Definitely not going to get it. Um, city councilors when that I've talked to have basically said, look, we're all facing tight budgets. The entire city is facing tight budgets. Um, they want to see some cuts before out cuts from like the maximum amount of dollars. So, if we include the four and a half million, they want to see that we're making due diligence to see where we can trim from that. Okay. So for example you know we see the

165uh enrollment reports we are going in the downward motion so and consolidating schools there we've eliminated x amount of [snorts] classroom 14 14 classrooms um so eliminating 14 classrooms the city council expected to see 14 positions removed um and they did not see that because we kept everybody um So, not saying that we we should have eliminated 14, but um the city council expected at least some reduction last year when we consolidated. So, whatever that dollar amount is that you guys want to to put forward, I I think it would make sense to ask for the two and a half million personally um and then see what we get. And we have to make a strong case and we get people there at um city council meetings to ask for uh to back us up

166and ask for that. Um see see what we can see if we can put some pressure on them to to agree >> sense everybody. >> That's our job. >> Yep. Um, I do want to make one last point. Um, pretty sure I've told you all that, um, I'm going to be out of town tomorrow night. So, Jerry's going to run tomorrow's meeting. Um, just on a side note, I wanted to at least let you know that I am going to a a conference for schoolboard members. Um, this is um the Coalition of State School Boards Association. So, um, there are a bunch of workshops every day. I just want to give you a sampling of some of the workshops that I've signed up for because I think it it's applicable to all of us. Um,

167and these are just the titles of them. The secrets of strong governance core. So that would be us. Mastering the art of effective schoolboard meetings, enhancing schoolboard effectiveness and empowering students schoolboard reps. Um, and there are a bunch of others too that I signed up that sounded very interesting as well. But I want at least wanted to let you know I'll come back with as much information as I can and share that out. >> So, [snorts] any other comments before we [clears throat] >> So, be easy on Jerry De. [laughter] >> Oh, boy. >> Go ahead, Nick. Um earlier today uh someone during public comment asked us to take a couple actions and based on conversations we've had I'm not sure [snorts] that one of them is super feasible right now but the request was

168to conduct a a review of all non-faceto-face positions including curriculum coordinators instructional coaches and administrative roles and provide a clear cost estimate of the potential savings if those positions were reduced or eliminated. So, we have this binder. The information's in here. Does this exist in a format that somebody who knows how to work with a spreadsheet can manipulate? And is it a publicly available? >> What do you manipulate? >> I can't manipulate this. >> Oh, so an Excel I I have it downloaded in Excel. >> Sure. So, is that something that the public can have access to? [snorts] >> I don't know. I don't know the legalities. Why can't we? >> That would I mean that's my question would be like why isn't it publicly available and if can we get it publicly available? There's

169people that want to look through our budget. >> They're going to come they're going to ask they're going to go to city council. They're going to have our back. They want to know that what they're talking about is accurate. Um uh we did the budget process. I know this is like a little too late in the game for me to kind of be critiquing it, but the past couple years we did this at the committee level and we went through each of these sections with a fine tooth comb at the committee level where we were focused on the elements of the binder that were relevant to our committee. Um, so earlier I asked if I could figure out how much each of these positions that we're cutting it costs and what I was told is

170it's all in here. I'm wondering if there's [clears throat] a spreadsheet that has all this information that can be made available to the public so that the public can conduct a review of all non-face-to-face positions including curriculum coordinators, instructional coaches, and administrative roles. that has a clear cost estimate of the potential savings if we reduce those positions. >> I think >> there are employee numbers on there. >> One, you can figure out how much a teacher costs. You can figure out what a pair of professional costs. You know that a pair of professional costs 25 to $30,000 at most. You know that a teacher costs about $100,000. You know what administrators probably um a little bit more than that. So, I mean, we can we can go through this with a fine tooth comb, folks,

171but you, as Adriana said, like if these don't represent individual people because of bumping rights and that one person [snorts] might bump another person out of that position, you don't know what that dollar amount is until we get an actual budget and we actually determine who's bumping who and so on so forth. And um I I think if if we start throwing that this book out into the public, which I which I'm sympathetic to, but at the same time, we are elected to do this. This is our job. This is our job as schoolboard members to go through the budget and send to a send to the city council a budget. So, we can finagle um whatever whatever we want to do, but at the same time, it's late in the game to start doing

172that. Like, we've got to submit this in a week and a half, two weeks, and if we're going to start putting this out for for public comment and and ask for some suggestions. We're we're we're running out of time. It's got to be submitted by >> tomorrow. I mean, are we going to put this out into the public in the next 24 hours and ask for public suggestions? But keep in mind, this is our job. We're elected to pass a budget. And we don't have a budget committee in Rochester where some towns do where they do pour over the budget. And I don't know if people agree, disagree, or or what have you, but that's reality. >> But I appreciate what you're saying, Mr. uh Mr. Sure. But earlier we were told right now we're

173setting a line and then we're going to go in and we're actually going to look at where the cuts are. So that we why can't we have these numbers like like we still have decisions to make right now. The decision we're making is the numbers the staff numbers aside. There's no reason why this shouldn't be publicly available. That's transparency. Can Can I check? Um, when we first got these binders, I remember asking if I if I had a constituent who wanted to look at it, if I was able to do that, and I believe the answer was yes. >> Sure, they can see it. I mean, but it's not publicly available at this next year. Should it be available? Absolutely. But right now, it's late in the game to be doing that. I as much

174as I would love to have people offer get suggestions from the public, we don't have time to do that. Unfortunately, we've we've unfortunately gone way past that opportunity. We've we have to submit this budget and we have to do it soon. That would have been sounds your suggestion would be let's think about this next year for the budget process and do that in a timely manner. That's what we're going to do. allow that transparency. But right at this point, I don't think there's anything to gain from sending this out and asking people to take a look at it. For what purpose if we're that late in the game? [cough] >> My my fear would be there wouldn't be much to gain, but there could be a lot of harm done when you start looking at

175individual people and it starts making suggestions because we are being purposeful about looking at positions and recognizing that because of bumping rights, we're not talking about individual people. I would hate for individual people to then go home and be fearful that oh my god I'm going to lose my I can't not going to be able to pay my mortgage. Oh my god how am I going to this I got my kids college coming [snorts] up to find out that that's not true. So you have the potential of really causing a lot of harm and a lot of angst and a lot of anxiety to people that isn't warranted. We are working at this budget and we [cough] working through attrition to make sure that no person that's in the Rochester public schools who wants to

176remain employed will lose their job. If I start could we have posted people's names and salaries just absolutely it's public information. No question. You can post my name, my salary. It's all public information. But we're also trying to be respectful and appreciative of the teachers and the employees that we don't say, "Oh, Mrs. Jones at Salmon Falls is being cut. Mrs. Mrs. Jones at Salmon Falls may not be cut. It might be someone else. But now Mrs. Jones is going home saying, "Oh my god, I might be losing my job. I'm going to lose my job." That only causes harm. So I would agree with Mr. Gregoire. It doesn't gain us anything. It only has the potential to really do some harm. These are people. Yes, they're positions. Yes, they're dollars, [cough] but they are

177employees and we have a responsibility to exercise a reasonable standard of care for them. and to not cause them absolute panic and angst about, oh my god, am I going to be able to pay my kids college tuition? Am I going to find out? Oh, nope. Whoops. Because of the bumping rights, it's not you. That's that's not a nice thing to do. >> I was really concerned about Mr. [cough] Mr. Gray's assistant principal because he's the one who volunteered up that position. Tonight, I'm realizing that it's probably not Mr. Gray that's going to lose his assistant principal. It's probably going to be from some other school that we don't know. I mean, there's so much in fluid movement until we actually get our budget. Get one right here. Um [snorts] until we actually get to

178our budget, have to trust our departments, administrators, and our departments to make those um those final cuts, if you will, of where, who's going, what, you know, it's A lot can happen between now and July 1st. A lot not withstanding a special ed student that could cost $400,000. Um, so much that we don't know. And we have to trust that our administrators and our unions are looking out for our personnel and [clears throat] are going to make the best least dangerous to our children cuts out there. We we we get the bird's eye view budget if you will. We can try to micromanage if you want and cut this position and that position and but that doesn't make any sense. We're not there on a daily basis. >> Teachers union did speak with you about

179as [snorts] well. >> The I believe the president of the teachers union is here. We meet uh regularly. we she's a great partner in this and [clears throat] uh she knows and she would she would correct me if I was Miss Vegan that we will work together when time comes um to ensure that people that the cut procedure that the bump procedure are are all followed as per the collective bargain. But when you came up with the suggested list, I mean, I mean, I imagine you >> Yeah, principles. I I know at the high school it was conversations that took place and then imagine [snorts] many people were involved in the conversations. >> Yeah. John >> Mr. Bellowos um the worksheet that you were given by HR um that indicates what positions will be funded

180and how they'll be funded and what positions will be cut that that is the detail with leaving names out those are the positions that would be cut and again you're using $100,000 per person because of fully loaded benefits unless they're a part-time person. Um, I don't personally necessarily think that 40,000 people in the city should be saying I think this person, you know, or let's add up these dollars. I think that you know they that certainly if they want to know where are the positions and where are they being funded and are they being cut that would be the worksheet that would be released not not specific line item detail because if that's the case next year I'll I'll enter in less information in the budget description lines because that to me is is for

181my record of knowing what I did and when I did what date I did it >> if if I may. So I I think it [snorts] was a poor choice of words on my part earlier when I I I think I said something along the lines of, you know, then the whole city can go through this and they can come up with their own suggestions on how we cut the budget. Uh his point well taken at this point in the game, but the a person could 91A this if they wanted to. There's no reason why this should be hard to access. And if people are asking the question, we should be able to provide the answer. But right now, it would be challenging to provide the answer. Uh so that that that was the point

182that I was trying to make and so points well all points well made about protecting our staff, not causing undue worry amongst our staff about the the certain. [clears throat] So I appreciate that. I'm sorry that I misspoke. Um the the other request that was made there and again I think it's a little premature to do this because the budgets that likely this board is going to pass the the tax cap compliant budget. It was to draft a formal request to city council seeking collaboration to evaluate available buildings and identify a new location for the Maple Street magnet program to preserve the program. So, I I I would hope that this board would consider that uh as part of uh a submission of uh that budget that goes over the tax cap. Uh um you

183know, if we want to save the magnet school, we know that the building is at risk. Um that it would need a home, where would it be? I think that that's what that that that is asking. And so, um, you know, I if we're going to talk about a number tomorrow night, I I hope that we at least consider that we can ask the council, where would they put it? Someone made a great point last night. Why can't it be in this building? Uh, there's been another building that, you know, they all have issues, but if the council wants to keep the magnet school program open, because I think that that some of the counselors have said that to some of these families, then where would they put it? Uh, and we need their work.

184we need their help to do that, but I don't think this board's going to take action on that. So, with all that said, thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Sure. >> Um, as far as um the budget, I think we need I'm going to say this again, we need to just approve a dollar amount and then um we're not getting as much as we can from the council and then we got to figure out later down the road what are the priorities, what what positions are going to be priority. um we can take a closer look at the magnet school and their program and and figure out is that something we want to do um down the road. But for right now, our priority is getting as many dollars as we can out of the council

185and and using that to to figure out what programs we're going to we're going to advocate for and what not. I don't think we need necessarily to do that by tomorrow, but uh that's going to be down the road. this page in our budget booklet. I think it's three pages in the summary section. Two pages in. This has the list of the the budgets we need to cut the operating budget, the special grants appropriation, the food services, capital improvement program, and total CIP. So, we will be doing those tomorrow. Thank you. >> Other any other uh one other um at the direction of the board uh Mr. Reichl reached out to a structural engineer who came in because there were some concerns after our tour of the immediate safety of the Maple Street School building.

186Uh we did have a structural engineer came in and said it is safe right now. If you want it to be safe for the future, it would need significant work. So um he is going to continue to mar he's going to do some additional testing on that concrete uh archway that supports. He said it's safe right now, but he's there's some other additional tests he's going to do and but he says in order for this building to remain safe for future use, it would require significant. So, but it is safe for right now. So, I did want to share that. So, that was [clears throat] we did want to know that. So, >> uh the same gentleman or team is going to go through all of the schools, correct? Like is that is that what

187we voted on that this person is going to go through all of the elementary school? >> No. No, that was not though. The record was at this point just for just to to have a structural coming in >> that is contained in your CI. >> Yeah, if you look under the CI >> I was going to say, man, how did that get in there so quickly when [clears throat] I had my own binder? >> That's the um capital improvement plan budget. >> Okay. Just making sure that is going to happen so we don't have any more surprises. >> Yeah, two different things. >> Thank you. >> I just have one quick other justformational. Um I was just checking because I know the Spalding High School hockey has been playing in the semifinals tonight. Is it

188Do you guys want to know if they won? >> Yeah, >> they did win. So they're the state championship >> and it's looking like Oyster Rivers won their game. So, it's going to be a repeat of the 2004 state championship. >> Um, >> do we know where that will take place? >> That is going to take place at the Southern New Hampshire University uh arena in Manchester on Saturday. I don't know what time, but it's on Saturday. >> I will give you the same warning that I gave to Scott Coocher's wrestling coach's son when his girlfriend was, "If you or Mr. Bellow show up with an Oyster River shirt, you're never allowed to sit with us. [laughter] It's the way it goes. Sorry guys. >> Fortunately, I'll be coming back from Kentucky and I'll Fortunately

189or unfortunately I [laughter] have to miss the game. So >> if anybody wants to bring food tomorrow to donate to the middle school, I will take it over >> perishables for the food. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Sorry for Sorry. Okay. >> So, I'll have one more public comment. >> That's right. Um, and we don't have a nonpublic, right? >> No, we do. >> Okay, good. Um, I'm going to reopen public comment. If there's anyone from the public like to address the board, please limit your comments to five minutes and be sure to state your name and address. [snorts] >> Susan Rice. Um, Rodro, also a city council word five. Um with regard to um city council workshops and regular meetings and special meetings. Um Tuesday night there is a workshop meeting. We have two

190sessions at the beginning at the end where public comment is allowed. Um, I'm not sure how this would quite work because, um, I know that Friday was the deadline to put in an agenda bill to get onto the workshop. Um, but there's also something called a special meeting and if you wanted to reach out to either the city manager, the mayor, or the deputy mayor um, and ask them about that, that's another possibility for Tuesday evening. um with the caveat that you don't know that as a definite fact. And then um our regular meeting is um obviously the first Tuesday of the month. And if you have any questions, I just ask you to reach out to the city manager, the mayor, or the deputy mayor. Um like to get on to any of our

191agendas. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. [snorts] Jillian Pierce, 27 Park Street. Um, so first I did want to thank you for the discussion tonight. I hope that I know last night was only one meeting, but I do hope that we have proven that while we are first and foremost here because of Maple Street, we are invested parents for the entire school district and do not care just about Maple Street and its program, though we do care deeply about that. Um, just a couple of things going through the meeting today. Also understanding these are all bad choices and I do not envy the position that any of you are in. I very much support Mr. Bellow's what you've been saying and even an what you were saying of honestly it doesn't matter if state

192funding falls apart whether we budget at 100 95 or 40 like we are going to be in crisis. Um so how much do we want to support our students in the meantime? I also give extra support where you were talking about buying time. Um I think it was in this room at a previous meeting over in that direction um talking about how things have been feeling so reactive and for so long this board has been in a very reactive position. So seeing the thought process of going at this in a more strategic sustainable way if buying a short-term solution for a year can enable some of that planning it is very much supported and also very much aligned with the thinking that we've had in the um Maple Street program. Before I get into some

193specifics about Maple, I also want to say that um in part as a PTA member involved in spreading the awareness of the free and reduced lunch form, I do think it could perhaps use a rebrand. Um a lot of people simply by the name of it do not understand it even when you shove it down their throats. Um so we maybe have some marketing professionals in the room who would be willing to partner on a uh campaign for you. to speak of Naples specifically, uh, we have brought up in some vague context funding uh, and the PTA money. So, I wanted to give you some real numbers tonight just to help you understand what that looks like. Currently, in our PTA bank account, we have $69,329. That is, of course, mostly due to a recent

194uh, fundraiser we did with the casino, but our largest annual fundraiser we have not even had yet. That happens at the end of April. We have an actual quote from a consultant from the Magnet Schools of America with a $18,200 um quote to come in and be a consultant to help us work that program, get the program in compliant. That is a consultant that we could rely on to help us find what does this program look like if the building goes away. Um and we have there's another board member from the PTA here with me tonight. um and other PTA members willing to say that that investment is something that we see for the benefit of the kids um that we'd be willing to make. Um I think it's also worth noting in the numbers

195that were shared last week um have a personal investment because Mlen is the school that my daughter would go to. Uh but the numbers that were presented represent a 12% increase in enrollment at Mlen if Maple were to close. And that just without [clears throat] having the details to the numbers feels pretty high. And is Mlullen genuinely ready to take on that increase? It's the biggest one of any school in the district. Um last night Mayor Grassi spent some time uh with a parent brainstorming some solutions whether that was moving into Mlullen. Katie, I love your thinking and where you're going with some of those solutions. So, I think that's kind of, you know, the creative out of the box thinking that we are excited by. I'm jumping around because my notes are all over

196the place. But also, back to the funding, there is also a federal grant for magnet programs specifically that working with this consultant, if we were to get compliance, there are possible grants of up to 1.5 to $3.5 million a year for those programs. So, just like you were mentioning with the curriculum coordinators funded by grants before we could prove them into being a budgetup supported event, that's exactly what we would love to do is find a way to fund this program through grants while we evolve it, bring it back into what it could be, expand its reach um and then hopefully prove that out and then integrate it back into the budget if needed. Um uh and then my last thing is just coming from corporate America. Take this for what you will, but if

197you want $2 and a half million dollars from the city, ask for three. Ask for three and a half. You need to be willing to negotiate down. So that is it. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. [clears throat] >> Hi Don again. Um, [clears throat] okay. So, I don't know the legalities of any of this, but just in terms of getting creative with the budget. Um, I was wondering about the former superintendent that we're paying for or paying out. Where does that come or where does that lie in the budget? Is that not in our budget? Is that not in the school board budget? >> Can I answer? >> Uh, that payout's already happened. if I'm not mistaken, >> in full. >> So, we're not still currently paying, but the legal fees we're still

198currently paying to be involved with her. >> So, I don't know if this would be allowed, but whatever amount of money we're spending for that, would we be able to ask the city to absorb that and we pay them back long term over say 10 years? I don't know. I don't know the amount of money, but would that amount of money help save a position if we were able to negotiate that with the city? >> I'd have to double check and and I'm not used to the back and forth, but um my understanding is it's not near the amount that a teacher would cost. So, it's less than half. >> Okay. Thank you. [clears throat] >> Yes, sir. I mean the mo the the vast bulk of that money has already been allocated out of

199this fiscal year. [clears throat] Ongoing expenses for legal fees for a variety of things are are in this year's budget and then we will have money is allocated in next year's budget for legal fees. It's not the only the the school district incurs a number of different legal fees for consulting on due process hearings with special education. We have consulted with the attorneys on uh the labor negotiations on contract. So we do have that money. It's not it's the money that's being utilized for any vehicle fees. That one or other ones are just 7A river. Um so much to everyone's sugarin. I will not be here tomorrow um cuz I have other things going on. Um okay. So I do feel like I need to respond um to what I had stated. I never said

200non-essential employees because everybody is essential. What I stated was face to face sitting down with students. Students can say, "Oh, that's Mrs. ando or Mr. Soandso." Um when I am talking about curriculum coordinators um they're honestly they should be there bulk up supplement off like we can't just live with one all the time I get it they get that bird's eye view right they can see across the district but you can have teachers engage in district-wide vertical teams all the first grade teachers get together sit down do you have common rubrics look at student work is it aligned that work does not have to be done with a curriculum coordinator present we do that work already here um at at my school and Cbrook. Um, curriculum coordinators are not also not under the union. And

201I looked back in 2024, the two curriculum coordinators that were budgeted at that time, 103,000 was their salary. And excuse me, I took like a screenshot. Um, 103,885.61 and the other one was $104,43259. Those are real teacher positions. So, I really do feel like that needs to be looked at. I totally understand where you're coming from, but that's the first thing to go in other districts when we need to find money going somewhere, right? We need to figure that out. Um, not to say they can't come back when you get those Title One funds. Totally fine. Um, or have them be part-time so you don't have to pay for the health insurance. They can linger there, maybe go full-time until you get that grant money. Um, not once did I ever say to eliminate cooks,

202groundskeepers, those are essential people who keep the buildings open and safe and clean and feeding our kids. That was never ever mentioned by me. So, I'm insulted that somebody would say such a thing because that's not what I said. Um, so from my understanding, this is a bottomline budget, correct? When you vote on it, it's a bottomline budget and you can do whatever you want within it, right? Okay. So that means that we have plenty of time because you said legally we have to give a tax compliant budget. So I don't even know why we're going to meet tomorrow to do it. Just like vote now and call it over. Um curriculum coordinators are not required by state law. So take it what you will. Um 2.4 million is what we're going to have over.

203Can we like buy toilet paper now? Like buy the supplies we need now that you know we're going to use next year. Don't give any of that to the city and be like, "Oh, please give us our money back." No, I don't think we should play the game. Get that money. Spend it now. What you need, like toilet paper, you're going to need it. Paper, whatever supplies you need. Um, and you can ask the city, cuz I talked to the mayor, you can ask the city for a extension on presenting your budget. So, you have more time. It is simply a letter. I asked, he said, all you have to do is write a letter and they consider it and you can get more time. So, don't let time be what makes you make rash

204decisions. You can request more time. You can request a lot of things if you put it in a letter and send it to them. They're it seems to be very um approachable and I was very thankful for the time that he gave me his last night in his office. So, he heard me out. Um so, don't think that you have to make everything so quickly. Um trying to see if there was anything else I wanted to say before I go. I'm sorry. I don't mean to like take anyone's time. Um I think that's it. I think that's it. Yes. Also in the future I do feel like that is public information. We should be able to see a budget. In fact what I know a town and a city are very different but in Cbrook

205we get a copy of everything line item of what they're talking about so that we are informed. Half the papers you get passed out. You need to make copies for the audience. It's not okay that I have to lean over and try and see what you're looking at. That needs to be copied. They in fact when we walked in they'd place it on every chair so we had a packet of exactly what you were looking at. If not, it's on board doc so I can get it on my phone. Not okay. That is like gatekeeping over here where I can't get access to a binder or a PDF or something. Transparency number one first and foremost with the people who come here every day. Okay. Thank you. Is >> there anyone else from the public

206wishing to address the board? We'll close public comment. >> Make motion to adjurnn. [snorts] >> Second. [clears throat] >> Mr. Oliver is in favor say I. Your