001All right. Okay. So, right now. >> Listen, someone's dying to come. >> Thank you so much. >> So, I'm just going to text you and we do this one. >> Okay. >> And if there's no two >> one, three, four, five, six, student podium. Perfect. >> Okay, I'll text you and then >> Don't be afraid, man. >> That's right. Check one. Mic one. Super mic one. >> Oh, that's pretty cool. >> Here's Taylor Swift. >> Mic three. >> Check. Check. Mic 3. Dr. BG. >> So, Kira just walked around and she said, "You know what? I am so glad that girls like express their lockers >> and they're sporty and they like do the things like they have cool lockers >> five ber >> what >> you're not it's not >> yank it up to
002Mike Ford chick King Kong Corv 6. Check. Check. King Kong. Corora was number four. Jim Seanfeld. Number six. Mike six. Shy. I have Shy's album. Vinyl album Apple. >> Mhm. >> Check. Check. >> Student board of ed trustee Mike. It's not numbered, so I can't reference anything. I'm going to start shaking. >> Podium mic. Podium mic. >> I think you got to change this. >> Buler. Uer. Oh, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's girlfriend's brother said he was out. He was sick. Thank you, Simone. No problem whatsoever. >> Gordon, you're not getting off that easy. You're not going home. >> Oh my god. It was best movie ever, wasn't it? Can you believe this? It's like 40 years ago. >> Would you like a gummy bear that in my pocket? >> They're soft and
003warm. Oh goodness. Just so you know, we're live. So excited. It's snowing. >> 23rd. >> Yeah. >> Do you want to hear a little trivia? Spring Creek 82, April 5th, 1982. Um, airport Close to snow. >> Really? >> Yep. >> The trails bus 36 hours. >> Oh, that was a fun. >> Hi. >> How are you? >> Hi. Well, how are you? >> We are live and the mics are hot. Hey, where are you? out there. >> It's just It's just right. You can't like keep up with the weather. >> I know. >> Put my jacket away. >> It's crazy. I agree. stick it with and then dry it. So, You can turn your mic off. >> Okay. at all. >> Oh, cool. That's awesome. >> Hi, how are you? >> Good. >> Budget presentation
004doesn't look quite as frightening as the last one. Um, which looks like It was going to be a forever meeting and I dressed warmer this time because during the last meeting I was pretty >> Yeah. Well, my my body I my body was telling me that because my ability to sit still have died. >> I mean not that it has much of an ability to sit but it definitely died. Can't beat it. >> Now get myself some cold water for the experience. All right. Hello. This one would be fine. >> That's good. >> Yep. >> And I brought my date book in case you're able to make an appointment with me. >> Sure. >> How are you doing? >> Good. Yourself? >> Tie? No one wears a tie with me. >> We're twinning. >> You're
005the tie guys. >> Tie guys. tie dye. >> Tie guy, not tie dye. I say that 10 times fast. No, I didn't succeed. That's why I'm telling you to do it. >> Okay. So, I have this book whenever it's good for you. >> Oh, just a couple days. So just so if we're live the lights are you want to turn your >> but we are >> Okay. So do you prefer a budget? >> We can't guarantee. >> Yes. Right. >> That would be good. So, what I'll do is I can go to this and This will give me an idea of what I can do. So that's really what I say is not awesome, but I can do >> so. No earlier than I am. >> It's a perfect 5K. >> No, it's like three
006and a half. >> Yeah, >> that means I have to walk faster. Oh no. >> Will be and then the next day it'll be dirty again. >> I'll be melting. >> This weather is so hard today. >> Oh, I know. But it'll destroy my beautiful wig in this 11:00. >> 11:00 is good. >> Yes, please. >> Oh, he's good. He does. He writes it in for me, too. >> There you go. Because otherwise >> budget meeting yes with the when because we're going to I guess we're going to have to meet twice once to discuss the budget and another time to discuss the tax money because I think they need to be two articles. Okay. So the following week >> that'll give me some time to absorb what you told me about the budget. >>
007That's good. Yeah, it'll be a very slow heartbeat. >> Yes, that's perfect. It'll be like a habit next week. Oh yeah. Well, that's >> really what I guess >> 71675 9217. And if you want to text me, let me give you another number. 716 127. >> Thank you. >> So what I do is when I write I will I very rarely send anybody to review but in this case I make an exception because you got more information than I do and I write about I have template that I put together a few years ago and so it's all about the budget it's all theor And then the tax levy will be because you had more information than anybody else did about the tax levy. And honestly, I think people might budget. So, yeah, I do
008because after that whole disaster with the capital. >> Yes. Um I think they're all mad about the assessment. Um, a lot of them dislike the um replacing the football field and then there were other complaints on >> um what do you call >> that? Yeah. >> Well, you read my mind. But yeah, there was a lot of complaints and I think the problem I wasn't able to write an article about it beforehand. I think there were like some was kind of like a perfect story like me and tricky places and I needed help to talk to then when it was presented here it was presented with a lot of jargon because that's how they deal with this whole board that leaves a lot of educational jargon but Um, I'm not an educational nutritionist, so it
009was hard for me to translate that into something that my readers can understand. >> And if I can't translate it, you're not going to understand what the heck I'm writing about. >> But it's uncomfortable to write about something when you don't understand what the heck you're writing about. >> I'm sure you've done that. >> Oh, yeah. I bet. Yes, as long as it's like straightforward English, that really helps me a lot because I can explain it to my readers who not everybody reads that well and I want to be able to get it to everybody. >> Yeah. which is why I want to make sure that even people who struggle with reading understand what I'm doing. >> Yeah, that's good. >> So, what's exciting in your world? >> Good luck. I hope you win a
010lot. >> Yeah. >> Are you doing the same applying for scholarship? Yeah, I just finished. >> Well, good luck to you and I hope you do all of you do so well. >> Thank you. >> Hope you celebrate. >> Will you be a graduation teachers? >> You know what? I would like to do that. >> Yeah, you should. >> But usually graduations on a Sunday morning. >> Yeah, it is on Sunday morning the 28th. >> I remember last It's usually morning. They tried to do it at night last year, but people didn't like it. They didn't want to go out. >> I don't know why. >> It should be a Saturday. >> Yeah. >> I know. >> I don't know why they do it like that. >> Yeah. It's really nice. I'm tired. >> Hi,
011I'm This one's very warm. >> I put this on intentionally because the last meeting I was freezing. >> I don't know what the heck they did unless I turned up the air conditioning. So, I was like super cold. Um, but I felt like I was turning into a human version of ice. No, you are a second. Yes, you are right. Most challenging articles Oh yeah. Thank you. The deep marvel of history. Hold on. Wow. >> Wow. All right. Good evening everyone. Uh call this meeting to order and begin with the pledge. To the flag of the United States of America and to the stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay. With us tonight we have Roger Broker, trustee Dr. Ashley Dreer, trustee Beth Krelin, trustee from the district, sorry,
012Dr. Brian Graham, superintendent. I'm Jay Grover, trustee Joa, trustee. Danielle Brun, trustee, Jonathan Patrick, assistant superintendent of curriculum staff development and human resources. Cheryl Cardone, assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services. Dr. Douglas Whan, interim assistant superintendent for school business and finance. Sienna Starkis, one of our student representatives, and Charlotte Tower, another student representative. Uh, just a quick reminder, if you could please silence your cell phones, and in the event of an emergency, there's an exit behind you and another one behind us. Okay, so with that, I'd ask for a motion to approve tonight's agenda and a second. >> All in favor? I I >> opposed. Motion carries 6. Also, I was I'm sorry. Um Sumar Stein was excused tonight. Okay. And a motion to approve the minutes um from our March 6. >> And second,
013>> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carried 6. All right. and to our student ambassadors. So, we have some middle school. Hi everyone. I'm excited to introduce you to Grace Jackson tonight. She is an eighth grader at BCMS and one of our web leaders. She also is in orchestra in chorus and is a member of the track team. Hi, I'm Christian, the public relations leaison officer at BC. Recently, students were given the option to audition for the 2026. There are lots of participants and they're working hard to present the show to us on April 2nd. Also, this week, we have a spirit week to celebrate the inclusion of many different disabilities. Today was blue and yellow, so fun socks for Down syndrome. Tuesday, everyone should wear red for autism. For Wednesday,
014green will be worn for cerebral policy. On Thursday, there will be purple and blue throughout the school for epilepsy. Finally, on Friday, it is multiple ability awareness day and night will be everywhere. Lastly, for one more kindness event, the sixth graders chose an office that they really like for the post. Everybody in the school is going to be able to vote for the office that they want to win the concert. Every time votes, there will be to win a gift card. Three winners will be announced at the show. Thank you. Thank you very much. And on to Sienna and Charlotte. >> Hi. So, we have welcome to the high school right now and all over the island. Um, Spotlighters, which is our drama club, we have auditions taking place tomorrow for our spring one act.
015And we took a vote on this between two options and we the vote that won was Murder in the Night Room, which is a murder mystery. Um, we read over the script quick, so it's really exciting. Um, we're super excited to perform it. Also, 21 musicians took part in all county at Williamsville South this past weekend. They auditioned earlier in January and they prepared for the past few months and they all got to get together with a bunch of other students from Western New York. And um, four other high school DECA members and myself went to Rochester on Friday. We got to travel to the Kodak Center where we took part in a junior achievement financial workshop. So, this was definitely geared toward the eighth graders. So, we all got our own iPads and we
016each had our own um different financial life situation. So, mine was I was a single young adult with no children, but I was grouped with three other eighth graders who some of them were married, some of them had kids. And I I don't know how to describe it. Not it was like a movie set basically. So, you walked in and there were a bunch of different stores. They were all real stores. you walked in, everything on the walls, everything was um it was really cool and we learned a lot. We learned how to budget specifically. It was focused on budgeting. So, healthcare, um electric electricity, child care, things that you don't typically think about when you're our age. And um I know for the high schoolers, we knew a lot of the information already, but
017it was a good reminder. And I could tell that the middle schoolers definitely learned a lot because they were asking questions. They were very engaged. and they were like, "Wow, you have to pay that much for someone to watch your kid for the week." Um, so it was definitely very valuable information and you could tell they were engaged. They wanted to learn more and um it was just really really valuable and rewarding for all of us. Uh last Wednesday the spotlighters along with the English nine honors and women's studies students had the opportunity to go to Duville to see the play Ha Gabler and it was very interesting and definitely inspired us especially with the spotlighters rehearsals beginning this week and on top of it the seniors have been very busy with scholarship applications this
018past few couple weeks and today is the last day to get them in at midnight. On top of that, next Friday marks the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the last quarter of the 25 26 school year. Grades for the past 10 weeks will be completed and students will begin preparing for AP exams, regions exams to come in May and June. >> Okay, Dr. I think that's you with correspondence recognition and >> Yeah. Thank you so much. Uh if Eileen Bryland and Mary Liz Rushwood could come to the microphone. >> We're really excited. >> Oh. >> Absolutely. Very good. And if you could just give us a little overview and I know you brought some students. This is great. >> Yes. So we have quite a bit of the hall right now,
019but as Charlotte just spoke, I just wanted to start with congratulating Charlotte Tower. Um, a special congratulation goes to you who was selected as a recipient for the prestigious National Association of Student Council scholarship which awarded you with which I know you know but it's no shock that you earned this award for your community service, for your voice, for being present for all um in your work ethic. Honestly, I know uh at uh homecoming you must have dumped uh Mr. hall with Gatorade. But um it's because you truly are not just a academic, you're a student athlete. You represent all voices and we see you and congratulations. $1,500 she was awarded from National. And I know she loves the all the attendees. So, um with that being said, too, um I'm totally new to this.
020Um I just joined this year for student council. Um, seeing I I said I was going to say this, uh, Mary Liz Rusttowitz truly is one unbelievable human being. Um, student council will not run without her. Um, so it's really cool to see how it works. Um, and to be honest with you, he might not do student council, but he does everything else. So, uh, Andrew Hall, let's give him a round of applause. But it was really cool for all of our our forces to unite to go to this conference and we want to thank all of you for giving us that opportunity. Um we we knew it was going to be amazing but we didn't realize how amazing it would be in the sense of over 2,000 students were involved in this from all
021over the country. I don't know if there's pictures, but um long story short, sorry, I thought there was a thing, but the really cool thing was to see them being engaged in um networking, seeing and meeting new people from all different states, even countries. Um but also the cool thing was to notice how much we do as a community. um to be engaged and and to see that yes, there's so much to learn, but also to be proud of where we come from and and all the things that you as students do. Um there's going to be a bunch of students that are about to talk right now, but I really think not trying to get a round of applause again, but honestly, these students do so much for this school. um the traditions that
022are in place. We had people from different uh states reaching out to our social media um to ask like how do you get this running? How do you do these things? Um and that really is a true testament to Mary Liz and this crew right here. So I think we should give them a round of applause. So thank you. >> This is great. Is anybody going to talk for your council? Uh is it okay if we have them all? I mean they're ready >> and we'll get a group picture too, but if anybody wants to speak to the board that'd be great. >> So do you want to say about not only but the um >> so also Eileen doesn't give herself enough credit. She has worked her tail off as well on this. So
023she is no she's an allar but uh one thing that really stuck out to us that I mean everything about the conference was unbelievable but we also had five students present. So we had Emma Redford's here, Chris Sabrino and Mia McGawan. They presented on homecoming and it was the entire week and that is actually the topic. I believe Emma could confirm this with me that somebody reached out to us about the passing the torch tradition and asked for videos and details. So it was really cool. I'm not sure where the person was from, but it was somebody at the conference and that just shows the connecting that happened there. And then also we had Miranda Paige and Audrey Stockinger and they presented on Clash of the Vikings. And watching those five students present, I just
024I'm not a mom, but I felt like a proud mom at that moment. And the five of them dominated. They grew so much from the beginning. It was a little nerves, but when they got up there, uh I was proud of them. So I'm sure all of you, if you were there, would have been too. But uh I just want to give the five of them a shout out for that. >> They did a They did the blue and white tradition. They made every like literally our crew, our recruit was like presenting and they did the blue and white and everyone could hear from like across the way. It was really >> It was It was great because everybody at the conference participated in it too. And I think that's what was so rare about
025this conference was that everybody was all in and willing to do whatever was necessary to really learn and engage and have fun. >> Proud of you all. Oh, Nelly. >> Hi, I'm Nelly Masar. I'm a junior here and uh from the conference I really enjoyed meeting a bunch of people from each state like all the states and um I just I really had fun at the breakout sessions that we went to and yeah, >> Nelly literally got involved in every single thing. Like if you had a dance, Nelly was dancing. If there was supposed to be a congo, she was in. Okay. >> Okay. >> I'm Melan. I'm a sophomore here. And I think my favorite part of the conference was definitely presenting and getting everybody involved. Like having Miss Spice talked about the blue
026and white. I mean, that's really cool to see because sometimes not everybody participates, but seeing everybody do our like what we what Emma, Chris, and I planned. I mean, it was awesome to see. >> I'm Emma Redsburg and I'm a junior. I think it was really cool to present, but I also loved hearing Lorie Hernandez speak at the conference. It was really cool to listen to her perspective on everything cuz you only see her as a gymnast. You don't really see how she like deals with everything. But the way that she plans everything also can help us plan our events and like not get as worked up with everything that we have on our plate sometimes. My name is Riley Rivies. I'm a senior here. I think my favorite part was going to the breakout
027sessions and kind of just seeing how all the other schools run from the student council. >> My name is Roger Sninger. I'm a senior and my favorite part was presenting and like stepping out of my comfort zone. And we also like did some of the games in our presentation. My name is Adriana Marinucci. I'm a senior. And my favorite part was just seeing like how engaged everybody else was and like seeing the activities they do at their schools cuz it like really encouraged us to like keep going and keep the energy up here. >> My name is Bachilico. I'm senior at grade high school. And the most impactful part for me were the breakout rooms. Um it was very interesting to see how other schools and other students our age handled the same situations and
028how um different student councils were able to have all of their events and just the different ways that they planned them and executed them. >> Hi, my name is Christopher Chris. I'm a sophomore and I really do think that the conference opened my horizon and everyone else here to what new things we could try out here and I really do think that it really inspired me to let us try out new things and it really inspired other people around there. Hi, I'm Miranda Paige and I presented and I think the best part of the conference was like presenting in front of like such a good group of people who really wanted to be like involved. I'm Maya Brandon and my favorite part was definitely the breakout rooms because we got to talk to people all
029over New York like in the city from Rochester and it was just great seeing how we all get along and talk. >> And that's 10 of the 13. >> We're not talking yet. And thank you to Andy Hall. Andy, if you want to like you guys did it all in. >> So, not only did we do the conference though, but we tackled 13 teenagers and we were a seamless transition. It was amazing. Yeah. So, yeah. A lot of history in DC and a lot of memories made. >> A lot of history, too. So, it was really beautiful. Thank you. Thank you. >> We're very proud of you guys. We'd like to invite you to come up. But first, do any of our board members have questions for our students or adviserss? All right. If you'd
030be so kind to join the board for a picture. And I think Charlotte should come up as well. Right. I'll take a couple hours. All right, I'll get out of the way. I'm going to take pictures and Alison you guys can I'll take all this. >> You got to use the phone because my Oh, passed away. Wait guys, we have parents who are in there. Get in there, guys. You heard your stripes. Let's get another round. They mentioned the passing the torch that they actually presented and I just remembered that that picture was from passing the torch and it was just one of the best pictures this year. It's nice that they were able to share this tradition with at a national conference. So, it's really wonderful. >> What a great experience for them to
031go for ice cream with them or teasing. Okay, we good there. >> All right, that brings us to the public comment section. Uh, the open not have anyone sign up for that. So, to curriculum and instruction with Mr. Fitzpatrick. Thank you. I just wanted to be able to um Dr. >> Oh yeah, sure. >> Yes. Thanks. I just wanted to address uh some of the questions that the board had at the last board meeting and um showing uh that it has been 23 years since we have adopted a comprehensive literacy program K25 in our district. And I I do want to take you back to a few things. This all began uh around 2018 or I'm sorry 2022 23 when Governor Hokll um and the commissioner of education uh state commissioner of education um Betty
032Rosa uh said that the science of reading is now going to be the way we teach uh literacy in New York State. And that by doing that that put phonics as your core instructional component. Um before the state um I guess it was all over the board. Uh they were a balanced literacy program, a whole language approach, a continuum of literacy and and what um why that wasn't accepted anymore is because those approaches were kind of inconsistent in results. Um and that translated to students not reading uh with equity ac across uh the state. Um so that's why the governor came out with the science of reading approach or adopted that as the state approach uh to teaching reading and instruction. Now what we did is um is uh you know for the last 23
033years in truth our teachers have worked extremely hard. Uh back in 2022, if you're looking at that, um there were two reading programs that were adopted in 2022 K to5. Um and that was Scott Forestman uh and McGraill reading series. Um and then after that, the state made a whole lot of changes without any adaptation uh on our part at Grand Island. Uh you had the um a lot of changes to assessments with Fontis and Panel. Um the STAR data assessment or STAR assessment started coming out. Um the state said you can continue with the whole language program for reading. Uh however they continue to make additional adjustments in terms of uh standards and guidelines. Um and the first in 20189 the first attempt that we made to uh I guess unify a language or
034unify a reading program. um was right before CO and we started to adopt uh the units of study um and COVID happened and obviously uh that cancelled that and then following CO is when Governor Hul said we're now going to go to the science of reading units of study was out that that was not a a program that would have been adopted by the science of reading. Um and then uh the last two years we've been working with uh curriculum associates for um the magnetic literacy program with with quite some success. Uh so next year is our last year uh before a renewal with magnetic reading uh in grades three through five. And we thought it'd be most appropriate that because of the success we had with our magnetic literacy program, the reading program in
035grades three through through five, we would bring that down to the elementary levels because it not only meets the science of reading requirements, but it also is has been very successful so far with our three through five, grades three through five. So, I wanted to just show you um it's been a long time since we have adopted a program, but that's not without hard work. You know, our teachers have worked extremely hard to what I'm going to say do some patchwork uh over the years um when the state changed a lot of standards and uh different assessments uh throughout those 23 years. So, does anyone have a question? Thank you, Mr. Fitzpatrick. Uh on to personnel instructional. Looking for a motion to approve uh TI 1 and two. >> A motion >> and a second.
036>> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carries 6. I don't think there were any good. All right. Personnel non-instructional. Looking for a motion to approve PNI 1 through 3. >> And a second. >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carried 60. All right. And that brings us to finance with Dr. Miller. >> Thank you. So tonight we have four action items. and three information items. One of the information items is a presentation by Patrick uh Smith who is going to go over the school lunch program. But to start off with the action, the first thing is we're um we have some obsolete equipment. It is all equipment that we uh leased from Boseies. Uh you can see from your list that it's all the uh surfaces and tablets and etc. And
037when this uh equipment is no longer of use, it's returned to Boseis. So this won't be equipment that'll be sold, you know, on an auction or anything else. It's all going back. So that's your first action if you want to approve that. Go one by one. >> You want to go one by one? >> Okay. Uh motion to approve finance a >> second. >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carried 6. Second action item are donations for the SRP award dinner. And we're very grateful for these four companies at this point, and there's more to come. So, we were recommending that the amounts of money $2,000, two gifts at $250, and one at $500 be approved by the board. >> Okay. Questions? Then a motion to approve finance B. >> And a second.
038>> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I >> oppose. Motion carried. 6. >> Hey Doug. >> Yes. >> I think the next two are definitely in we're going to switch you to information and not action. Just just so you know as you present C and D. >> Okay. Yeah. Go ahead. >> All right. So C and D go hand in hand. Once the board approves the budget, then within 24 hours, you have to submit to the state of New York the property tax report card. The the property tax report card just provides our taxpayers with information on the budget from one year to another. It uh shows uh taxpayers the tax levy data from one year to another. It outlines our reserve funds and it talks about enrollment and it shows the CPI. So,
039it's it's basically a report that has to be submitted to the state by law 24 hours after you pass on the budget. Uh D is the budget presentation. So, this is our third budget presentation to the board. >> Hey, Doug. >> Yeah. Is it possible that Patrick could do his presentation before we do the the budget presentation? Okay. Thank you so much. >> So, let me introduce Patrick Smith who is going to go over the school lunch uh program and talk about um talk about it in a way that uh is different from in the past. >> Good news. Good news. >> I mean, the revenue for all the pre-launches is incredible. that's coming into the district. >> Thank you. >> So, good evening to the board and everybody here that is present. Um, for
040those that on the board that have never met me, have never seen me, it's pleasure to meet you, see you, and all that good stuff. So, I'm going to hop right into this. Uh, we're going to go right into what I'm going to go into with our uh update of food service. So, I'm going to cover New York State Universal Free Meals, uh the community community eligibility provision, the C, uh provision 2 P2, uh food service trends, our net cash resources and excess fund balance limits, uh strategic uh reinvestment plan, and our future plan. So in 2526 with the New York State budget um essentially if you do not know uh New York State Incorporated went with universal free meals that allows every single kid across New York State to essentially get a free breakfast
041and free lunch as long as you are part of the national school breakfast and or lunch program and that is mandated by the state. So as long as you're under that fall under that umbrella, kids are eating for free. On top of the universal free meals, there is the federal option meal option which allows schools which uh C which allows schools that if you hit a certain percentage threshold for students that are already eligible through other federal programs such as SNAP, Medicaid and such. Um this allows you to incorporate this. What this does along with provision two, which I'll touch base with, um, this also allows kids to eat for free, which may sound weird because universal free meals, the kids are earning free meals. C, you get more reimbursement back from the federal government
042and through the state. So, being a part of these programs, if we want to capitalize and take advantage of the reimbursement that we get with our claims, it's almost a no-brainer to be a part and see if schools that qualify. So, the schools right now, and this is a four-year cycle, four-year plan, the four schools are the high school, the middle school, Sidway, and Kegaby Elementary. And you may have known in the past, and you may have heard, and there might have been questions that it was only Sidway, Keabine to start out, and then we added the middle school and then recently with the universal free meals and how our percentages were driven within our school district, those four schools were able to qualify for C. So the schools that do not qualify for C,
043that's where we jump into provision two. And provision two is another federal option. And this is again you're trying to maximize your reimbursement and your um with your claims through student participation. Um the first year of provision 2 was considered your base year. During this year, we still need to collect and keep track of students whether they're free, reduced, or full pay. and this lasted the whole school year. After your base year, the next three years are all based on that base year's figures. So it doesn't matter if there's an influx or a decrease in students are free and reduced. It's the next three years we're following our base year. And this again allows us to get more reimbursement from state and federal. Uh we do have two schools in the district, the other two
044schools, and that would be Hugh Road and St. Steven because they do not qualify for C. Uh so just food service trends real quick. Um we've had a massive increase in student participation. Uh the figures in front of you that I have the 15,000 more breakfast have been served from last school year. That is me taking last year's students or student participation from September through February. And you can see we've served 15,453 more breakfasts compared to last school year. And for lunches, we've served 27,536 more lunches. So, it is booming in our school district with kids eating food, getting lunches, getting breakfast. Participation has skyrocketed. So, with that um increased food ordering and inventory needs. So of course higher participation equals larger food orders, greater volume of produce, proteins, grains, um tighter storage utilization, um
045tighter inventory control and a greater demand on kitchen production cap capacity. Um move on to budget growth and financial adjustments. Did I go too fast? >> Yeah, you can go back one. Okay. Um, so our monthly claims that I submit through student participation on average right now we are averaging $165,000 in reimbursement and that helps cover the cost within the C fund for our expenditures for food for staffing for the medical. Anything that is in the C fund, student participation is the drive for this. They are the factor and that is why we are successful right now. Um, and it also helps having free meals. Um, we have an increased overall food and supply expenditures to meet demand. Um, adjustments have made to align the budget with higher operational volume. When I started here 9
046years ago, we have almost added a million dollars to the budget this school year uh working with how much product and how much food and everything we're going through. So, I think when I started with 1.1 million and we are up to about 1.9 million now. So, we've added a significant amount to the budget. uh food services continued. Uh the operational impact um increased kitchen production and service volume daily. Um the ladies and gentlemen in the kitchens uh they work uh any students here can attest to see how busy the lines are and all that stuff. So um great aware and tear on existing equipment um and continue to repair, replace and modernize a equipment. Uh we have equipment in the high school that is from the 60s. Um when I tell that to people,
047they they look at me very strangely, but it still works. They don't make stuff like they used to back then, but it's also ran its life and it's, you know, putting money into things to fix. Um so a strategic reinvestments of allowable funds into kitchen improvements and just looking to replace, modernize, and fix the kitchens and get better working equipment and all that stuff. So, um ongoing focus areas, uh maintaining meal quality despite higher volume, uh managing increased food costs, uh strategic use of the surplus funds per New York State guidelines, uh for equipment replacement upgrades, uh and long-term long-term sustainability planning, which I monitor monthly. Uh anything that comes down the pipeline from state eda or whatnot, I'm on top of it. I read into that stuff. I like to know what's going on.
048I like to be proactive. Uh this is directly taken from New York State's uh child nutrition website. So this is your netcast resources and excess fund balance limits. Uh for those that do know do not know uh history will say when I first started this position we were heavily in deficit. Um we are no longer in a deficit. We have a surplus of funds. what the state has because those funds are from the state from the federal government. We just can't sit on them. We have to use them. Um so what does this mean that net net cash resources excess fund balance? Um essentially um we can't build up an limited amount of savings. We're capped. Um we're only allowed to keep up to 3 months of expenditures. So you take the 10. If I
049go back in the 2425 school year, I'll look what our expenditures were, divide it by 10, or you can I divide by 12 because it's a full year. And that gives us a number of roughly $320,000. That would be our max that we can have in surplus. Anything more than that, the state's going to notify us in November. And then I'll be filling out paperwork and submitting a plan of correction, plan of action, and how we're going to utilize the money, what we're spending it on, and all the quotes and everything else. So, it's best to stay below that $300,000 mark and see, you know, continue to upgrade things in kitchens. Um, so essentially in short, we can't uh food service program can maintain a reasonable safety net, but we can't stockpile excess funds. Patrick,
050I know there's maybe some questions at the end. Just want to clarify for the board and the community because we have excess funds, we cannot transfer the funds out of the C fund to the A fund or any other elements. Correct? >> No. Um all the money that uh in reimbursements and all the money through anything we do in food service has to stay in the C fund. Um it cannot be used to uh you know fix something with the maintenance department. It can't be used to hire a part-time teacher. Uh it can't be used for anything other than food service. Uh so that means that's that those that's staffing, that's equipment, that's food. um anything that you could think of that is food service is essentially what we can use the money for. Um
051so a strategic uh reinvestment plan uh my primary focus moving forward is to replace and modernize the aging uh kitchen equipment. Uh much which I had said earlier has exceeded its service life. Um investment priorities, replacement of aging ovens, steamers and cooking equipment, upgrading refrigeration, freezer units to improve food safety and reliability. Uh modernized serving line equipment to maintain proper food temperatures. Uh replacement of dishwashing equipment to improve sanitation and efficiency. Uh the benefits of the equipment investment uh reduce repair and maintenance cost, improve reliability during meal services, increase staff efficiency, better food quality, temperature control, uh lower energy consumption with the newer equipment, which I'm sure everybody knows when you buy a piece of equipment at home now, whether it's a washer or dryer, a TV, it's energy efficient. Um so the goal the
052goal is not to stockpile funds in the cafeteria uh but reinvest those dollars into our school into the kitchens for our students. Um so that is my goal moving forward. Um currently within the last two years we've replaced all the kitchen tape all the prep tables at Kagabine. They all they were for for Micah wooden tables from probably when the school opened. Uh they now all have stainless steel tables. uh stainless steel freezer worktop. So, it's a freeze underneath for more additional storage and you can still use it as a work prep table. Um I've added uh two ovens to the middle school um just their participation. They were doing everything last year uh with one with two ovens. So, imagine feeding 3 to 400 kids and just having two ovens. Um, so they have
053four ovens now and I just recently brought in a two door reachin freezer and a three door reachin freezer because they're very limited with their space in the kitchens. Um, with participation up as I stated um, we have more product coming through the door, more product being used, so storage is crucial. So all the kitchens have to be on top of their ordering and making sure that we're not stockpiling and we're using what we have so we're not buried in the basement with our actual main storage. Um, and additionally, I have I'm waiting for two ovens to show up in the high school. Um, so that'll give them uh six ovens in total to help bake the kitchen flow when they're working and baking and doing all the stuff more accessible to the staff instead
054of waiting for something to be done. Now I can step in. So, um, so with future planning, um, first and foremost, maintaining financial stability, uh, continuing to advocate for the free meal access across New York State, uh, improving meal quality and participation, uh, long-term capital replacement planning, and a commitment to fiscal responsibility and compliance. I see you have a questions slide nicely done for our board. Uh some of the board members here would remember when we started together there was a major deficit in food nutrition by upwards I think the worst was over 800,000. At one point that deficit has been wiped away and now it's surplus. There's an incredible surplus based on these new changes in New York State. So, any board members have questions for Patrick or Doug? >> It actually was my
055question. >> Yeah. And if you remember, Joy, I know you were part of this. We built a fiveyear plan to try to correct the deficit. And um you know, we're very very proud of Patrick's leadership and of all the SRP that support our kids every day for breakfast and lunch and our cafeteria managers. It's a big job. At the middle school, I think we have over 200 children who come in to eat breakfast alone. And that's why the board has been very thoughtful in adding cafeteria monitors so that we can manage uh the need in in the district. >> The only other question I have is I know that the you're saying the surplus money can be used for kitchen equipment. Can it be used for other areas in the vicinity like tables and chairs
056because it's part of the cafeteria or does it have to be just for what's inside the kitchen? >> So yes, it could be used potentially to purchase brand new tables in the cafeterias. >> Um >> yeah, so they could be um but if you're going to walk through and saw some of our kitchens, we are working with some dated dated We walk through. I'm just thinking, you know, in the future like >> Yeah, that's something we can >> we use some of this surplus money for chairs and tables and cafeteria. That's wonderful. Great. Thank you. >> Absolutely. just a comment that now that the meals are free for students for breakfast and lunch, it's very um I don't know what the word is, but it's definitely enlightening to see how many students are taking advantage
057of it, which begs the question, was it a financial barrier for students now that we're, you know, in in the black, so to speak, for food service and we're the revenue is increased. Was it just a, you know, was just the financial barrier of not being able to afford a lunch to buy a lunch or to, you know, buy a breakfast or I know like when my oldest daughter was little, she could buy once a week because that's what I could afford. That was, you know, we were on a budget and I was a single mom, so we were we were definitely cognizant of what we're spending. So that once a week was a big treat. So it's interesting to see now that you know the cost barrier has been eliminated the increase in revenue
058and the students that we have taking advantage of the free breakfast and the free lunch. So it just really I think really is important that when we think about you know New York State and advocating continuing to advocate for that to remain free for our students because it's definitely cost prohibitive given the increase in you know people students taking advantage of it. >> So the other thing with New York State I don't have on the slide is um so they initiated a 1.8 or some million dollar thing for school lunches. And I don't know if you remember years ago they said they'd be free. Well, it wasn't technically those lunches being free. What they were doing is any schools that were Certified or Provision 2, the federal government only pays out a X amount. So,
059you're not getting the full reimbursement of say $2.37 for a breakfast from the federal government. They cover 17 cents. The state would cover a certain amount. the state now picks up the rest of that cost. So, you're getting the full reimbursement for both breakfast and lunch. So, that's that's a New York State thing. I don't know if other states do that, but that also on anything that is involved in the budget with New York State and it's food service and school lunches, um I'm all for it. >> Patrick, you've been here for eight, nine years. >> Nine years. So, you were here when the poverty rate for the for Grand Island students, you know, coming to our schools were below, I want to say below 20%. >> Uh, I want to say we were around
06018 or 19% when I walked in the door. >> And then when community eligibility changed, the threshold changed, I think it went down to 25%. >> So, it was a grouping. So, each school has a different percentage. Uh, and when you take those proofings and you do the simple math, as long as it's 25% or more, um, so your schools like Peekabbind and Sidway are are schools that carry the other schools through C. Um, but I think for whatever reason after COVID and years after that, I I think people hit financial burdens and we had an influx of students that were or I should say schools that had a higher percentage of free and reduced kids and that was coming from the state. That's not incomes. Um, income applications have nothing to do with C.
061That is strictly SNAP, Medicaid, homeless, foster, runaway, etc., etc. And that's where those numbers come from. Um, but >> so, so really over time we've seen on Grand Island an increase of families that would would be eligible and before the state made this rule, this this law about free and reduced, we were starting to become community eligible, just a couple schools at first and then so on. And so that started to grow and then the state said, "Okay, we're going to give everybody universal free breakfast." I think we started in January of 23 24 and that was when it was Sidway and Peg. That's when the USDA that year announced that they were lowering threshold from 40% down to 25% to give schools right >> a bigger opportunity for the students to partake in feeding
062that criteria for C for premiums. And to Ashley's point, I think um as educators, we all have learned about Maslo's needs, the basic needs of children and making sure our children our children are nourished and fed is a basic need. And once I've often heard the term you need to maslo before you bloom, and bloom refers to Benjamin Bloom and his his uh work in and higher order thinking skills. So what the state has done by allowing kids to eat that we're addressing their basic needs so that they can learn and I think Ashley is where you were thinking you know what what you were sharing. Does the board have any questions about this it's really significant and I do appreciate Doug that we flipped it a little bit because uh some of this is
063foreshadowing in our budget. So yeah. All right. Thank you Patrick. Thanks. Thank you everyone. >> All right. Do you want to talk about any of the other items that are not for action and then we'll go into our budget presentation? >> Okay. >> So, there were questions on the provision for providing food to St. Stevens and I've written a memo to you explaining that. So I hope that uh puts the questions to end. I mean are there any is there any anything about that? We were question we were asked do we should we charge St. Stevens for the personnel and the other question was should we charge them for the food that we provide. So I tried to outline the rationale that you know we are the host district they are the recipient district in
064that case yes we're providing the food and the personnel and in that case our personnel is uh counting all the meals doing all the serving etc. So, we're getting the state aid back for that and that state aid is paying for that personnel in the hoop. Now, do you have to do that? No. They can have their own operation, but then they have to be responsible for everything or else they would not be in the program. So, there any questions about that? >> That makes sense to me. >> No. Okay. >> Anybody else? >> No. And then I wrote a confidential memo to the board. You would ask me what the savings were of the teacher retirements. So I outlined that to you. Those are the other pieces of information. Very good. So, as we
065uh begin uh to share this third iteration of the budget, I just uh really want to uh thank the board for your study, governance, and leadership uh throughout all of the weeks and months that we've been looking at the budget. Additionally, I also want to express gratitude to the teachers, the teacher union for partnering with the district a few years ago in collective bargaining when we built uh a retirement incentive. And quite honestly, that incentive this year has allowed for uh a dozen uh teachers or members of the GITA to retire. And it does really true uh truly show the strength of our professional community. Uh to our retiring teachers, your years of service have helped shape the warm, inspiring, and influential learning environment that our students enjoy every day. to our GITA members, our
066SRP and administrators. You all contribute to the wonderful school community here in Grand Island as we work through this third iteration of the budget. Uh because the incentive worked, we're now able to reduce positions through attrition based upon course requests and our current enrollment. As the board knows, we plan on uh replacing some of those retiring positions, but not all of them. And while that means our staffing uh will decrease, our commitment to maintaining a highly effective uh and engaging education environment remains unchanged. We're really confident that our students will continue to receive rich educational programming and I can't thank the board enough in working with administration to start to build a budget uh that together I think will uh continue to make Grand Island strong. uh before we start the budget presentation, do we
067have any questions for Doug or I? >> I guess I just wanted to and that's great that we're able to uh have those reductions through attrition. Um and I do trust that we'll maintain the high level of construction and you know that we're used to here in Grand Island. I guess that was just my concern is that we we are definitely assured that these reductions are not going to have any kind of impact on the programs on the student learning learning environment those types of things. >> Yeah. And my concern too was with the class sizes, but it looks like the class size chart looks like we'll maintain the same level of class sizes because I know that's been important to the community throughout my years on the board that class sizes remain smaller in
068Grand Island. And um I know um in reducing you know positions through attrition we are avoiding a disastrous situation like they had in West Senica a few years ago with laying off teachers and and things like that. So, I know that we are doing this out of, you know, caution and making sure that we're um prepared for the future, but I also want to make sure that, you know, we're we're assured as a board that we are maintaining the same level of high standards for our students and excellence that we have currently have at Grand Island without um replacing some of these positions. >> Yeah. Yeah, I agree 100% and thank you for those comments. Um, our curriculum office, our special education office, and all of our administrators have worked very hard uh in collaboration
069too with our teachers union uh to really uh fully comprehend how these changes will impact classroom teachers and program. Uh right now we're very confident uh in the work of the administrator administration in really scrubbing course requests, understanding enrollment and making sure that we can maintain those high standards uh that the board just communicated to us. And I think in context to uh I started here in uh we had 970 children uh attending Grand Island High School in 201617 and I think we're now down below 900 800 in the high 800s right so as uh as and and that's not to say too I and I think the board understands our overall enrollment has stayed relatively stable around the 27 the high 2700 to about 2,800. But as uh pockets of kids move through the
070district, some you know right now we're experiencing, you know, a little less than 100 children difference in the high school. So there are opportunities for uh the district to reduce while not impacting in any negative way the program. And the last thing I'll say too is is that we're always in competition say with Eerie Wosis, right? They have a very robust program. We uh spend a a very uh high tuition to send children and we are grateful to do that. There are a lot of amazing programs for our children to attend uh at Erie Wabosis and so we we were always committed to that. Uh but with that said too, uh that means that even though we have 880ish children in the high school, we have another 100 children of the 880 attending both these
071programs and getting uh English and math uh certifi or not certification credits, half credits in those programs. So there are a lot of factors that open up the schedule and allow our administrators to see how we can reduce through attrition while not impacting negatively the program. >> Thank you. Okay. Thank you. So Doug, I think quite honestly I'm going to brag a little bit about you. Um you've been great in working with the board on these presentations. I think the board gave me a lot of feedback at the last iteration that they liked your approach to zero in and focus on certain slides that communicated any changes or or reinforced uh the budget ideas. Is that how you would like to proceed today? >> Yes. >> Okay. Do you want me to advance to a
072certain slide for you? >> So, I'd like to go to slide 12. >> Okay. What the board had asked us to do between this pres between the last presentation and this presentation was to take a look at the budget and reduce to the essentials of what we need. So we have taken another $149,000 out of the budget. And slide 12 is presenting a budget of 81 million which is 2.9% higher than last year's budget and you asked to show a chart of how we reduced the budget. So we started with a budget of 5.5%. Our second presentation was a budget of 3.17%. And now we're reducing another 149,000 to get to 2.9%. So overall we've reduced $1,900,000. The bottom uh chart on that page shows what the additions are to the budget. So there are
0732.4 four positions, one in uh public relations and one in high school art. >> Doug, I just want to make sure this is the this is this page that you're referring to. It has the additions to the budget and revisions on it. Thank you. >> Mhm. >> Yes. So, 2.4 positions. Of course, we talked about the literacy program. And then we have the breakfast monitors and we have reduced the air conditioners. It was 25,500. It's been reduced to 17,000 because we've gone from 30 to 20. pages 12 and on uh just detail that $149,800. So, we've cut equipment by 25,000. We've cut out the two software programs that we talked about last time in transportation. One's a software program, one is uh bus cameras, operating the cameras, and I'm showing you the breakage of an
074English teacher that has decided not to be replaced. When we talk about proposition two, you need to realize that that is financed over five years. So the finance cost is there, but I'm not including that in the 149,000. So that just shows you how the reductions are going. Pages 13, 14, you've seen these pages before, but all the all these pages are are the requests that are in the budget. So there should be those 2.4 four positions. There should be um the reduction of air conditioners from from 30 to 20, the two monitor positions. And then on the proposition, we took out the two trucks and we added a utility van. I talked to the maintenance department and the van's going to be used for major tools when they go to jobs because they're constantly
075going back to the shop to get a tool. You know, they have certain tools, but when they there are jobs where they need these larger tools. So, they thought that would be efficient. And then we can also use that truck for technology. We thought about purchasing a truck. Superintendent has mentioned that for school lunch, but that can be charged to the school lunch department to the C fund. >> It's super important for the board to understand because we do have a surplus. We could remove a truck that was on the previous uh proposition and just purchase something that's only used to transport food from all of our buildings. Right now, we have a box truck and a we the position is called a chauffeur actually. That's the civil service title, but it's not a chauffeur,
076but it's a person who moves food from building to building every day. So, so we were thinking a little creatively that we could use the C fund to purchase that other vehicle. >> Are you talking about one of those pickup trucks that >> Yeah, that that went away, but it might it might not end up being a pickup truck, but it might be a van or a truck. I'm not sure exactly what they would purchase. Uh it would it comes out of the C fund which doesn't come out of the A fund. It isn't doesn't have to be under proposition. >> So we typically would have used one of those. >> Yes. >> Or a or a we have a box truck >> a box >> that moves vehicle, you know, moves food from building
077to building. So we have somebody who comes in really early in the morning to >> moves pallets of food. >> And that would reduce the wear and tear on some of the other vehicles. That's correct. >> Yeah. >> Is it the Ford cargo van? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> That's in the proposition, >> right? >> But however, the school lunch vehicle is not listed here. >> It would be a separate decision out of the school lunch fund. What this what this proposition has done is remove the two pickup trucks and add a van for maintenance and it purchasing the van through the truck through the seat fund would bring up another vehicle to be used by the district. >> Correct. >> One of those. >> How would we use the van for the food service?
078Again, >> we we currently have a box truck uh Danielle that we have a somebody in the position of chauffeur. Yeah. Their job is from this building to take food that goes to Huth, food that goes to Kegabine, food that goes to Sidway, and that person's job is to move all that food. >> Is that a daily response? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> They charge you to save. >> Exactly. Yeah. >> Okay. And it's not this van that >> no, >> but this helps to illustrate there were two trucks on here. Now there's just one vehicle and it's possible that we can use the seed fund for the other vehicle or a vehicle, right? And just for Danielle and Joy, as Patrick said, Patrick, did I say anything? Did I describe the chauffeur
079and the moving of the food correctly? >> So, yeah, it's actually uh it's a food service laborer position now. It's no longer the chauffeur. >> Thank you. >> Um but every single day, um essentially they are moving product. We get deliveries on Wednesdays. All that product gets stored down here below the high school and then all that product has to go to all the schools and it's a process for how much product we have coming in and how much product is going out storage. So you know you're making multiple trips within the week to one school because they can't fit everything due to participation. So that's why we say when inventory is very important and ensuring Yeah. So yeah >> but St. Stevens is included in this. >> Absolutely. Yes. >> Thank you. >> Yes.
080>> Correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know if it's just summertime, but are some of the daycarees part of this? >> Used to during co >> Okay. >> We used to help them. Yeah. But not a lot. >> I have a question about going back to slide 11. The two $20,000 positions for the monitors, breakfast monitor, and um at the middle at the middle school in Q breakfast monitors. Is that coming out of the A fund or is that also coming out of the C fund for the food service? Um the C fund to remain under the $300,000 >> I was I was asked to charge those to the A fund. >> Is is there any way we could take those out of a C fund or >> cafeteria managers? Yes, because I know
081when when Patrick was doing his presentation, he mentioned that personnel could also be paid through the sequel, equipment, all that. And I'm wondering if we could >> we can investigate that. >> Shift that over to the CEO and then we'd have that 40,000. >> Yeah, we'll we'll have to investigate that, right? Yeah. >> Yeah. Just to make sure. >> It's a great idea. >> Good question. So what we've done is lowered the expense part of the budget $149,800. We have not touched the revenue side of the question. So the tax rate is still at 2.7%. And that's the page that we've always seen. Page 18, slide 18, that remains the same. You you've seen that in the past. Slide 19 is the proposition. This has been reduced 745,000 from our last presentation to 672,000. So
08273,000 has been taken out of that proposition. And those are the critical differences between last presentation and this presentation. Going from 3.1% increase in the budget to 2.9 and changing the proposition, taking $73,000 out of the proposition. All of the other aspects of this presentation we've talked about and remain the same. So, uh, Doug, it sounds like we should investigate if we can use C fund funds for cafeteria monitors. I don't think we've ever done that in this district, but we should investigate that. Okay? Any questions from the board? >> So, we're leaving this then, but will we know we wouldn't need this April 13th date then? We could adopt this on 21st of fine with that >> on the on the plan. >> Yes. >> As you had last year, you could put in
083a special board meeting >> if you wanted to pass the budget on April 13th. >> The next regular meeting is the 21st of April. And that's the last possible date that you can approve a budget. What we have to do from that point is turn around the newsletter and the budget book has to be in the buildings by May 5th according to your schedule. >> Can we do that and just meet April 21st or is that is that doable from district standpoint, Brian? Is that >> that is that doable to turn it around from the 21st? >> Absolutely. We've done that before in this district and in fact I think we even had have a special meeting at one point but yes we can do this on the 21st. It just does put a little
084pressure on communication our communication office and the business office to get all the necessary documents sent to state as well as our community. >> I would ask in addition to the monitors is there anything else you would like me to prepare for the 21st because when we get to the 21st That's your last date to make a decision. >> I'm fine. >> I'm good. >> Okay. >> I I like one last name. >> Okay. So, just look at the monitors. >> Yeah. >> And the rest of the budget is fine with the board >> at this point. >> I just also want to say up here is is great for us to see. And I think when it's time to start rolling it out to the public, we want to show them where we started
085versus where we ended up. >> And also what maybe do an example of a property tax like your school taxes would have been $6,500 under draft one. Then they went they would have been down to $6,400, but now they're $6,100. you know, just so they can actually see, oh, this would have been my school tax based on a $300,000 home. >> Um, and look how much it's gone down the draft. Like the district really tried to get these numbers down. >> Anybody else? >> Thank you for your great work on that, Cheryl, everybody involved. We appreciate that. Okay. Um, moving on to special education with Cheryl Ker. >> All right. I have two action items, but I first I'd like to um talk a little bit about the Lions Club. So, every year in January,
086um Tom Wowski reaches out to me um and he um organizes the Lions Club to come out and screen our K1 and two um students. Um I do have a Jude provided thank you Jude um spreadsheet on um just how many students were screened and how many students that were referred on. Um so you have that in front of you. But again um they do wonderful work. Um very happy with them. We love to see them come. Thank you to the principles um for allowing them in. Thank you to the nurses for letting them use their offices. And this year uh with the addition of Gabby uh she actually worked with Tom and she put it on our website um to kind of highlight the good work that the RS club does do. Then Dr.
087Graham reminded me that they will be having a spaghetti dinner on April 27th um at Elden. So I just wanted to plug that as well. So thank you again. Um and then my two action items are uh CPSC and CSSE program recommendations please. Okay, do we have a motion for special education and PPS uh A and B? Motion and a second. >> All in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carries six. >> Thank you. Great. So, Dr. Graham, I think that brings us to your superintendent report. >> All right. Thank you very much. So, um, as the board knows, we, um, created a survey that we, uh, mailed to every resident in Grand Island, uh, and asked for their feedback, the information, uh, that would help us better understand why the community, you know, loud and clear
088told us no thank you to the capital project. Of the 8,000 surveys that we uh mailed to families, we did receive 141 paper surveys returned to the district. The board will remember that uh uh community members could turn that uh document into the town hall. uh the library and any one of our schools. Uh Jude and Ally worked really hard to collect those uh paper surveys and u the board should know that we received 141 paper surveys returned to the district. Of the 141 paper surveys, that equates to 1,300 pages. So, it's very very comprehensive as far as managing 1,300 pages and analyzing that. Additionally, the board knows that we had uh a digital option. Uh so those I uh surveys that were mailed uh parents or community members could scan a QR code and
089respond to us digitally. and we had 205 uh residents respond digitally for a total of 346 surveys. Now, of course, if you did the math, 8,000 surveys sent out, 346, that may not sound great, but the results were rich with information and uh the board has a a report that I put together uh for your review. Uh it's also important to know that it is really hard to analyze 1,300 pages. So uh as you know I do use artificial intelligence uh and different tools and I'll just explain briefly what I did. I took the one actually Jude did a really great job and she took the 141 paper surveys and remember these are handwritten paper surveys and she made a PDF document and I took that entire PDF document the 1,300 pages and I put
090it in a tool called Notebook LM which the district has uh through our Google Suite services. Uh just a little plug. I don't give any reimbursement for this. Notebook element is absolutely an amazing tool for many many reasons. It's amazing tool for teachers. It's amazing tool for administrators. It's amazing tool for students. So, uh, we're very fortunate that I was able to take 1,300 pages, give it to notebook element, and write a report, write a prompt that generated a report, uh, that analyze those 1,300 pages. It's also important for the board to know that this tool was able to look at handwritten comments and analyze that as well. So, in the world of artificial intelligence, in the world of optical character recognition, it truly is remarkable that we have tools like this at our disposal
091that allows us to be efficient because I'm sure the board would understand that if we took 1,300 pages, it would take a long, long time, right? So the district used Notebook LM to analyze the 141 pages because 205 people submitted digitally that all that information was put into a spreadsheet. And I was then able to take that spreadsheet and combine the notebook LM analysis with the spreadsheet and put it into another tool called Claude. and Claude then was able to write a Python script to look at both of those documents and create a report that I shared with you. So, just a little background on how all that works. And um it it allowed us to honor the community and their voice, right? And I think that's really really important. Even though it was 346
092surveys returned in total, uh it was rich with information. So uh let's go over that. Uh the dis so part some of the feed a lot of the feedback that received many of the residents did not like the district's framing of the 71 12% state aid. Uh they didn't believe in the surveys we received but that was a meaningful discount. Uh and it was firmly rejected in the responses we received. So about 82% of those responders uh did not care for the district's communication of the state aid ratio. And so what that tells us is that I need to do a better job and working with our community relations specialist. We together as a district need to do the best job possible in understanding why um that accessing this state aid is really uh an
093important element of capital improvement projects and why we should access it. Uh many of the residents were saying you know what that's that just means that you taxed us here and you're taxing us with the capital project and they really were frustrated with tax in general. I'm gonna just stop there if anybody has any questions about that. So, it was really good feedback for us. Um, so a a definitive line in the analysis was drawn between structural repairs and um and elements in the project like the turf field. So to give the board an example of those 346 uh responses we received, surprisingly many of those responses were in favor of the structural repairs. You know, the highest rating a respondent could give us was strongly agree at a point value of five. Our uh
094responses ranged between four and five from those 346 u individuals. Uh with respect to the turfield the range the there was a range between 2.3 and five. Some people you know rated high and many rated as low. So again uh as we look to the future the communication of elements in a capital project uh stand out as a significant uh need and perhaps something we could have done better. Okay. Uh multiple respondents in both data sources reported learning about the vote a day before or not at all. Uh however, as the board knows, you know, we had a public hearing. We did send u information via US mail to all residents, but still that doesn't mean that people look at those elements. And so if we were ever to do a CAPO project again, multiple
095US mailings using print as well as digital information will hopefully reinforce the communication uh better than it did for this project. Just going to stop there to see if anybody has any questions about that. >> Sorry. So we're doing >> we are but this is saying do more right and and to the extent possible it's costly to do print mails but really maybe we should do more. Yeah, there was a big response about taxpayer fatigue and that that is a real uh element to this. The majority stakeholder group residents living on Grand Island for more than 20 years and that was 51% of the digital respondents uh they're operating under a subjective sense of compounded fiscal burden. And so a lot of the information we received back through these surveys talked about the recent property
096reassessments uh the perceived prior capital project and uh additional information with budgets and other referendums. So there was a large component of the respondents saying that there's taxpayer fatigue. I'm just going to stop there. Any questions about that? was communicated to some of us by >> um there were there were also people who responded yes not a lot of people but certainly people that did respond yes so um so the yes voters were motivated by necessity long-term value safety and um not delaying or kicking the can down the road so a lot of yes votes were motivated by Um future commitments if the board has an appetite to build a new capital project would be to acknowledge and recalibrate calibrate formally uh in public session and in community communications that the proposal was defeated. So
097let's not you know sweep that under the rug uh but uh continue on with uh the communication and the best communication with respect to new scope that we would consider in a future project. Another commitment would be to design for the community um a project uh that reinforces the importance right of um the safety of our students and how it does uh impact uh the property values of uh those living on Grand Island and that any future proposal uh must be designed first and foremost to earn support from the community uh through fiscal discipline uh a phased in scope analysis and any transparent evidence uh that we can reinforce with the community for the needs. And I and I'll just say, you know, uh Doug and myself and others were here during the vote and
098there was a leak in the biking mall and there was a garbage can collecting water that was coming through the roof and somebody really thought that that was fake that we had staged that, right? So, we just need to do a better job and I need to do a better job in making sure the community truly comprehends why we need a middle school group, why we need a high school group. Um, and you know, we'll do we'll do a better job in communicating those needs. And then another commitment would be to communicate early, to communicate often, to overcommunicate uh to the extent that that the board uh approves that type of expense in those communications, right? uh to make sure the timeline is well communicated uh to begin months early uh in in this process
099and uh do everything we can to combat misinformation and that includes social media, right? Um so uh if the if the board adopts this budget, we will be looking at increasing public relations to a full-time position. We will be looking to establishing a Facebook presence that is uh communicated through community relations so that we can combat uh negative or misinformation or mythical information that is either spread uh through US mail or spread on social media. Before I continue, any questions about that? So really my recommendation is that the board look at uh the remaining board meetings and maybe choose a different board meeting to have a workshop, not a traditional board meeting, but a workshop that only focuses on the needs of our district through capital improvement. Uh it would be open to the public.
100We would have somebody like Mark record it. We could push it out in multiple forms, but I think in having the entire board working very closely with our financial advisor, Rick Tims, with our architect and construction managers here during the workshop, all of the questions can be asked and perhaps if the board has an appetite, we can redline, take out elements and build a capital project that is tax neutral, uh that does not um impact uh the tax or the wallets of our community and uh makes us continue to have a safe, warm and dry environment. So that would be a request that I would have for the board at a future meeting to work together to pick a board workshop that's strictly only focused on uh the building needs. I guess that would just
101add if everyone would be okay if CRI pushed out some suggest suggested dates that could possibly go with your schedules and then you could go from there. >> Thank you. >> Historically, I know you had the public forum here. >> Lucky enough to have done that. >> Um, have you ever gone elsewhere? Have you ever gone to the Golden Age Center or had sessions at the library? Like has the outreach ever been beyond this space and what did that look like? >> We didn't do it. We didn't go to the Golden Age Center for this project, but Judy and I definitely went for the last project that we did and we we actually had a pretty nice schedule. We kind of got away from that, but we should because of that. And then also just
102thinking I mean I'm at a lot of defense because I have students in the district and just sometimes I see signage at the schools of I certainly saw it for the capital improvement project but you know like I was just here for some major concert within the past couple weeks just already having that signage up that even the annual vote the budget vote is coming up or whenever this comes back on the schedule. Um just making it more visible I guess at events like that and in the newsletters that are already going out, you know, be almost like a free advertisement, too. >> Thank you. >> So, thank you for taking time and and really thank the board for your due diligence and seeking, for lack of a better word, an autopsy, a postmortem on
103why the vote, you know, failed miserably. and uh and I respect the board uh for you know for and myself right what could I have done better you know as leading the district and uh what we can do be better as a governing team so I think we have some ideas through the survey uh to move forward with okay well thank you for your great work on that I'm sure that took some time Julia thank you as well okay so moving on to the board of education report anything about these Nothing. All right. Looks like Sue had a couple things on here. Although I think she she was here. She maybe mentioning a golf tournament cruise night. >> Cruise night. >> Yeah. So, those are all coming up. >> We'll let her do that. All
104right. >> All right. Moving on to public comments session. General items not included in this agenda. We did not have anyone sign up for that. Uh, which brings us to committee with all items. Roger. >> I'm all set. Thank you. >> I'm all set. I just want to quickly uh thank our professional development committee um of Stephanie Anderson, Rosanne O'Brien, Rachel Greyback, Max Pula, Jessica Hutchkins, Janelle Cup, Jing Manuso, Dulac, Hillary Kuts, Harvey, Felicia Palace, and David Janeki for and especially Amy McMan for planning creating our professional development day that we had on Friday uh 13th. So last Friday the 13th was a successful day. Uh and we got a lot of good results from the survey that we put out to all of our teachers. So I just wanted a great spring break everybody.
105>> I'm set. >> All set. All right. Dr. >> I'm all set. >> You're all set. >> Okay. I guess just one. Well, actually two two announcement that the joint uh town DOE meeting that was supposed to be next week is cancelled. So our next regular board meeting will be April 21st. All righty. Tuesday and that's on a Tuesday. I guess all righty. Uh so I guess that is all we have. If I could just get a motion to adjourn and second. All in favor? No one is opposed. >> If we have any students who need an agenda sign, please come up to the board table. Any anybody here can sign that for you.