001Good evening, Madam Chair. You can dabble us in. Good afternoon, board members, staff, and general public. Welcome to the finance and operations work session, April 21st, 2025. One of the most important things that the board of education does is pass an annual budget to equitably fund our Buffalo public school district serving 30,000 Buffalo public school students and 10,800 charter students. A budget is a statement of your priorities. I just want to give you an overview of the budget process for the board and the public members listening to this. The superintendent and the finance department team headed by our CFO Jim Barnes have work have been working on the 202526 budget since January 15, 2025 when the governor budget proposal and the school aid runs were released on January 16th. The superintendent sent her kickoff men
002me men me men me men me men me men me men me men me men me men me men me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me memo and budget process packages were distributed to all of our school departments starting on January 30th. This was a long process, guys. The schoolbased management teams reviewed their budgets, the school-based budgets with their principles and the departments received training sessions in the month of February. March was used as the month for the preparation of the school-based budget budgets for our schools. March 19th, this board was given an schedule and a time frame for the processing of the 2025 budget. It included that on March 17th, schoolbased management budget teams
003submitted their schoolbased budget to the superintendent and then the superintendent from March 25th to the 31st, the end of that month. They had meetings with the CFO and the cabinet to prepare a superintendent school-based budget that delineates everything that's going into our schools. So it's was a very important part of our budget as per the schedule we were given on March at our m March 19th school board meeting. All board members received that school-based budget on April 12th. We then met with the superintendent on April 24th and 25th to give her feedback and input as to the superintendent's proposed school-based budget. As a result of the board's input, 42 positions were restored and added to the superintendent's proposed budget. During this time, we the board members also received five presentations from the finance team starting
004in January, then February, March, April, and the last presentation was May 7th to keep us a breast of the progress with the 2526 budget processing. We spent months on this uh sort of till the public knows. Last week, Friday, May 16th, we your board of education received the superintendent's detailed proposed budget. And we, the board members, have had approximately a week to review this 129page document and submit questions. Our CFO, Mr. Barnes has indicated that he answered all questions that were submitted by the board, including my request to give each board member an overview of each grant that is listed in the 202526 budget, which totals 139.3 million. going after grant funds will increase our revenues and the grant fund is a big part of our budget also. So board members, you did receive that
005information. We now have another week to submit any other questions and concerns to the superintendent and the financial management team before adopting the budget on May 28th, 2025 as requested by the fiscal review authority. Board members, today's work session is to give all of us board members opportunity for additional questions on the general fund, the capital fund, the grant fund, the food service budget, the schoolbased budget, and any other budget conserns that our constituents have given to us. I just want to give you a note that at 5:15 I will turn over the chair of this committee to our vice president of executive affairs Cindy Mcclechen as I must leave for graduation. I want to thank you madame vice chair vice president. I will now turn over the floor to the acting superintendent CFO Barnes
006and after that the floor will be open for board members questions. acting CFO. Yeah. Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. I do appreciate that very comprehensive and detailed listing of all of the events. Um, it is very much appreciated. On behalf of Superintendent Dr. Williams tonight. I just want to express her deep appreciation for the level of engagement uh that our board has um you know experienced throughout this budget process. It really is second to none and it's created for what I know CFO Barnes will describe as a good budget. So, thank you very much for all of that hard work on your part. I also do want to thank our cabinet uh for all of their hard work engaging with the superintendent with CFO Barnes in developing a very high quality budget on behalf of
007our students. So tonight, as uh Madame Chair uh shared with you, the purpose is really just to continue the Q&A opportunity for our members of the board. You will have an additional week uh before you will be asked to vote on the proposed budget. And whenever you wish, you are free to uh reach out to CFO Barnes for your questions, your continued questions. And as I've offered to you uh in a previous communication, if you'd like to schedule a sitdown with the superintendent and with her team, we're certainly able uh to do that as well. So, uh, without any further delay, let me just, uh, turn it over to CFL Barnes for some, uh, introductory comments and greetings to you. And then, Madam Chair, we're going to turn it back to you so that you
008can, um, uh, you know, ask your colleagues for any additional questions on the budget. CFO Barnes, thank you. Thanks, Will. Thanks, M. Works. Uh yeah, I'll just start out with some a few big picture uh comments on this proposed budget and I think the remainder of the meeting might be digging into the league somewhat which is the reason we're here. Um we've been updating the board for 6 months. Each month we've been presenting updates on the foundational trends that drive the budget. our state aid and other revenue budgets, enrollment trends, uh large fluctuations in some key costs like transportation benefits, the impact of sal the impact on salaries of our uh uh contracts. So each and every month we've been updating you specifically on those trends and then accumulating them and to show you how
009we're progressing from level one through this level four budget in terms of a deficit and its impact on our fund balance. Um this this proposed budget has a 78.8 million deficit is your CFO. I fully support this budget. I think it's a good budget. Everything should only be evaluated within context. Page five of the executive summary gives a very succinct uh overview of the impact of this proposed budget on our funding. and also provides a little background information on the fact that in this year the superintendent cut 256 vacancies from our total FTE count. Some of the things that were expected to happen this year such as a school closing plan for next year and like 300 layoffs didn't occur. So we pivoted a little and a big part of that what allowed for us
010to pivot is we're doing better than expected in the current year. So the revised extended superintendent vision and plan for the finances includes using those savings to offset part of the 78.8 billion deficit and still keep us on track in terms of maintaining a healthy fund balance. So again, I'm going to say this is a good budget when all the factors are considered. It's a superintendent proposed budget. I think it's her last budget and it I think it in some ways perfectly exemplifies how she's managed the finances the last three years. Doesn't make everybody happy. She can't make everybody happy and still run a district this size. But it's a mixture of cutting those 252 vacancies that no one else would attempt to do prior and then adding 150 back to mitigate layoffs and provide
011all the services that this board and the community had asked for. for next year's budget. We didn't cut as many of those as in the original plan because factors didn't allow it. There weren't any uh there were wasn't the level of retirements that we were expecting. but her commitment to rightsize this district. She took the first large step to doing that um while again mitigating large disruption that I don't think anybody that was never communicated from anyone that they wanted to occur. So I fully support this as uh as your CFO. It leaves the district in sound financial foot deadlines the vote next week. I'm just informing the motion that if we don't get an approved budget, what's delayed is uh our meeting and approval from the control board, our obligations to the city of
012Buffalo, um the development and submitt of a 4-year plan to both those entities plus the state. and we won't we will delay the bond process for the city as well. So, there's a lot writing on getting a budget approved. Whatever you guys decide it is, it should be approved next week. Thank you. I'll turn it back to you, Miss W. Thank you so much. Um CFO Barnes, board members, was your pleasure. Um, we can you can put your hands up. Whoever wants to go first or we can go alphabetical. Um, I prefer to just let you put your hands up. Um, m maybe Mr. Scott, would you like to go first? I I have my hand raised. Okay. Okay. Um, please proceed. Okay. Um, so right on page five, I'm wondering how did you arrive
013How many retirements did you expect and how did you arrive at that number? Uh we expected up to 300 this year and the current number is I think 76 79 something like is 300 like the average number of retirements? The average number of retirements is is close to 200, but we are expecting more because they had three years under their new BTF contract. Now, it looks like they're holding out for the fourth year. And then I think in here too, it said we're you were going to I'm this all happened before. Go ahead. Um close a school last summer. We ran we ran on a runway to plan it, communicate it correctly. We now understand better that it takes a long time. So if we start this summer, it'll be for the 26 27 year,
014but a lot of the work from that initial planning can be incorporated into this summer's activities. So, I don't know what a lot of these mean. I don't know if I should just turn to some pages and ask. That would be okay. Uh, and I if if there's a general uneasiness with the entire book, I suggest you come and see me. We'll spend a couple of hours. I'll go through every report. Uh, explain to you what it's meant for and what it tells you. uh that I'll do that like tomorrow. And board members, just a reminder, you will have, you know, the ongoing opportunity for another week if there are additional questions after tonight. Go ahead, board members. Okay, I guess I'll just go backwards. So 50, page 58. Um I'm looking at other benefits.
015Um the insta termination pay What? What is that for? 3,120,000. Which uh 58? Correct. I'm looking for Yeah, those are those are payments that relate to uh teachers and management. uh teachers um when their employment ends here, they're they're we're obligated to pay them certain benefit certain benefits or salaries or days off and vacations that have occurred. So then admin would be that admin for the BCSA. Okay. And then a little higher 9Q judgments and claims. Yep. What is that for? Oh boy. Uh again, we're so big. Those are uh claims that we pay out to settle uh suits, if that's the proper term. It's like due process claims or does any any type of claim that our legal department is constantly in court uh working for? Do we have a number for what we
016did pay out in claims last year? Sure, I could get you that. Okay. It would be very close to the 900,000 that's budgeted. But I will get you there. Chuck, you got it. For the current year right now, the actual is 233,000. A lot of them are settled near the year end. It'll be up to 900,000. But two, thank you. page 26. I have some things highlighted. Yep. Oh, that's that's the same thing. Thank you. Yeah. And then 28 contingency. Yes. What is that? So that increased by nearly 2 million. What is that? Sure. The current year um the first number you see uh 142,000 that's what's left in the current year's contingency. It started at about let's say $2 million. Next year for the full year we've set aside 1,888,000. That's the net amount
017that we leave for the superintendent for unknown unforeseeable items that crop up during the year. And the custodian contracts, would that be similar? No, custodian contracts, that's uh that's what we pay to our engineers. Okay. And so that seems to be up significantly um over $4 million. Is there a reason for that? Do we have like matching state aid? No. Uh that's simply like we analyze the cost any changes in their contracts and we felt that we had underbudgeted it a tiny bit in prior years. So we never want to be short in the larger scheme of things. Yes. But saying we have like an $80 million deficit. I feel like 4.2 million. Okay. There's no other reason for that one, right? I would have to look it up. I don't I don't know. I
018can We could get you that answer. Okay. Because I'm I'm just trying to I think we we are hoping or I'm hoping to to look at some things. So the the amount of counselors and social workers which my constituents um value um to be available for our students, our most vulnerable students, is less than a million dollars. So I would love to look at some creative ways we could offset that and not have to get rid of those positions. We've considered that greatly. We have $20 million in non-staff central office cuts into this budget. Mrs. Woods asked me if I could achieve the cuts in overtime in three areas. We're going to be cutting back travel significantly, meetings expenditure significantly, um professional development significantly. Those numbers, that $20 million in cuts is reflected throughout this
019budget. to go any further or deeper at this point, we run the risk of getting six months into the year and all of a sudden you're overspent because you underbudgeted in those areas. So, this this document incorporates $20 million of reduction in non-staff items so that we could afford the amount of advance we did. So that that's always on our mind and more so than ever in in this this budget. We're cutting back contracts expense 6%. How many did we add back last year? 110. So some of those positions then carried over into this year. Correct. Plus we are adding back. So I mean I just I think we're you can't forget we chose to add back 120 positions last year. That's right. Um and I I I say we because ultimately we all voted
020on the budget. Um but we don't necessarily choose what positions are added back or how that works. Um but that's a significant amount, right? And so that's carrying over then into this budget into the conversation we're having this year with another 42 positions. That's correct. Yeah. Okay. So Adrian, I hope I make that point like this is the most aggressive non-staff central office cut ever. to go any deeper than this uh is not realistic or practical to achieve in my view in your CFO. We think just attaining the 20 million in non-staff cuts is going to take a cultural change, no meetings, no travel. Uh those are the relatively minor items, but they're the barometers of whether or not this new attitude is taking hold. I mean, there's still there's still the stuff that's still
021in there. Yes. Some of it didn't have significant changes. 20 million years old. No, I I know that. I hear you. Um I'm just saying like that stuff is still in there. No, you could go I know. I did. I spent a lot of time looking at it. Makes my head hurt. I don't like numbers. And it's striking that middle ground, which I think the superintendent has done an excellent job at. She recognized the need. The culture got to change. We got to drive down these non-staff expenditures so we can push as much as we can in the schools. But even that reaches a limit where it's not realistic. I could take another $10 million out of here, but know that we won't achieve it. You'd be so mad at me 6 months into the
022year when I say I need another 10 million. I misbudget it. Okay. Um, are we still receiving questions uh from Adriana? because it sounds like we're getting more than one person. I'd like to keep some semblance of order because we have uh Miss Everheart, board member Everheart's hand up after uh Adriana and then anybody else who wants to put their hand up. But can we can we please uh maintain some order? And also the board members were asked to please submit the questions in writing. So that is still something that we have another week. We can submit as many questions as we have in in writing. So let's be mindful of that. So um continue. Um board member. Um thank you. So then I'm on page 31. These are things that just jumped out at
023me, but I would love to sit with you. Please. Yeah. Just send me an email. We'll show up. Okay. So, contract services. Okay. So, I I guess I just wasn't sure. So, there's contract services, but then the bottom one, it looks like it went up a question asked by a board member, but I responded to Yes, that's uh just a change in coding. Every year, uh this is the uh say yes three-year-old prek contract. Every year we started out at the department level that top number and then we distributed it out to the schools after the budget. So it's the same amount for the same program and then I wasn't sure on 32 where was ed all went. I know we had spoken about title one for some of that. Okay. Why does that started
024out at I $6 million? We cut it in half and then we remove the remaining balance into the title one carryover carry forward. We will be spending the amendment for title one to include the pause for the title one. So prior year was full funded. this year where we cut it and then the balance for moving to clear the grant. So this is just a general fund. Okay. Um I you had said that in the 2024 2025 federal programs survey that 17% of people wanted a outofclassroom um instruction. Can you provide th that survey those results? Sure. Um I can please and then I guess I'm just trying to wrap my head around this. There was no request to include WAZED in title 1A during the 2425 budget process. So this is just it's our
025creative use of our funding to maximize the and I mean it Danielle Maria Chuck Rachel Cara and the rest of my you guys are experts at doing that. Um, so it's a funding choice considering the entire $1.3 billion of district budget. Okay. And then I I believe the last time we were here you had said we're using like 2 million out of 8 million. Is there still like 6 million carryover title one money out there? Daniel, you want we're going to use it after school and why is that? We're planning on using it, right? Um so Title One will be holding their stakeholder meetings coming up in the summer. Um my what is budget it for this year's carryover. Um the reason why we're able to use title one funds is because the afterchool programming
026the teacher ancillary is actually $1 million under spent from what was budgeted in for title one for the school year. So, um, we have to be able to keep our carryover, um, under a 15% cap. How much is that? It's about four. We have to keep our carryover in about 4.6 million. Yeah. Um otherwise we would have to file a waiver with the state department of education to ask to have a weight um a carryover greater than that 15% and that can only occur once every 3 years. Our carryover has grown over the last few years because of the our money with the $289 million. A lot of costs that title one would have normally picked up over the last four years such as after school the afterchool CBO contracts. The ARS funds picked up
027those costs which then gave breathing room to title one funds for any day of when we didn't have those funds to pay for after school programs and the like. That's another perfect example of we got 1.1 billion in the general fund mainly from state aid and then you got all the different departments and then new programs people want to run the schoolbased budget process and then you get 140 million or so in grants and you get 40 million 50 million now in food service but you have a a capital budget of 80 million. We took a we take a look and we mix and match to get the maximum bang for the buck on our general fund deficit. These guys aren't really experts at all that juggling and it's done differently every year depending on
028your financial circumstances. Oh no, I really appreciate it. I couldn't do this. Um, okay. I guess I just want to end with I mean I we're getting the emails that are or I don't know if you're receiving them like we're all aware of the community um I mean employees people wanting this where would you if you if I were to say I would love for you to find $917,441 on dollars. Where do you think you could possibly look? I I'm going to answer it this way. I am fully in support of this superintendent proposed budget. She not only knows every line in it, that's only a slight exaggeration, but the overall concept and how it aligns to her vision. She never No one can ever make every constituency happy here. I'm for this budget as
029it is. I'm sorry. I am. We've we've already identified 20 million in non-staff central office cuts. I'm concerned we're not going to hit that target because of cultural problems. Uh I can't find anymore. Okay. Even with a 4 million like custodial increase. Yes. And please uh come stop and see. Okay. Well, and I can explain like that statement. And then I did maybe I'll just defer. I did want to I had one more question. I wanted to make sure it wasn't like a lend thing. I looked like we were decreasing something. We're decreasing quite a bit. You'll see a lot of negatives in there. That's true. And positives. And posit and additions. Sure. I I'll come back if we could just Thank you so much. Sure. Okay. Um, board members, please take advantage of the
030opportunity to meet with our CFO and his staff because unlike the older board members, we were given an orientation on what those initials meant for, what kind of grant fundings were in there, and why we had MAG funds and other ways of funding items without increasing the general mural fund budget and and causing a larger deficit. So please take advantage of talking to our CFO and also I had requested that a training be given to all of us in including refresher for us older board members on the different types of funding that it's in here and that's also why I asked each of you the the CFO to send each of you the description of what these grants fund so you have information to work for work with because this is a big budget. I
031know everyone wants to be very responsive to the um to our constituents and the more knowledge we have the more we can make our priorities match. So if uh if if that's uh your end of your questions at least for this um session uh can we oh Miss Woods I I did find my my last question. I don't know if you want me to wait or just ask. Go ahead. If you have your you have your final question, go ahead. And then we'll have Miss Eberhart. Thank you. Page 24 454. It says environmental test. I'm guessing inspection and remediation. Uh page 24. 454. The third one from the bottom. Five. Okay. Yes. Um what is that about? Sure. We uh our plant department has to do all kinds of environmental testing including water testing, lead
032testing every year. Want to see why we uh reduce that? We're asking for cuts in contracts and any historical legacy of unspent money we cut out of the budget. This is an aggressive budget. Okay. So that does include lead. Like there are Yes. Oh god. There are schools right now that have drinking fountains that children can't drink out of. If they're all being tested and I don't have a specific plans to remediate that, but yes, that's all part of our annual processes, but that would be included on this item. That's right. Okay, I yield. Thank you. But you're right. Uh lead testing is a big issue in in uh in this district and it does have to be addressed and the waters does do need to be tested because it's a very it has a
033very strong negative impact on our children. It does. So um so board member Everheart then I see board member McCoy and then board member Scott in that order. Sure. So Jim, at what point will we know if there is a surplus or a deficit in the 2526 budget? Because I'm thinking if there is a surplus as we go along, what point do we know? Do we know all along or is it like check-in periodic check-ins? Because I'm thinking, you know, those um social worker and counselor emails have really been pulling at my heartstrings. And really, I just feel like kids can't learn unless they, you know, they're okay socially and emotionally. And so at what point will we be able to maybe push those back in if we do end up with a surplus throughout
034the year? That is one of the best questions I've ever received. During the budget process, we issue quarterly reports to the board that details our actual results every quarter and then a and then a projection based on those results. And we use this to manage everything from cash flows to just what you're talking about. That is an excellent question. This is a key part of our financial management and it's presented every quarter to the board. Okay. Thank you. And let's see. Um I'm excited someone's going to read one of my quarterly reports. And so as far as cutting overtime, you said the superintendent did cut overtime in this budget. How does that affect after school programming? That's no after school programming has not cut. It's actually been increased. Summer school was increased by like 3
035million after school by like 3 million. That will not be touched by this. So that has nothing to do with the overtime. Correct. Okay. And if I have anything else, I'll reach out to you this week, Jim. Thank you. Thank you. Board member Makoszi, I believe you were next. Thank you, Chairwoman Woods. So, Jim, I just want to let you know that I will be reaching out. Um, I have something very similar to board member Everheart. So, uh, expect those questions because these emails are this exactly what she said. I'm just going to totally cosign what she said around our social emotional health health and well-being. I do want to state because I've received um I want to clarify these cuts that were made to um the $20 million in cuts. Were any positions cuts
036or were there just programming and different pieces of what uh happens within central office? So we said travel, we said um other things. um what I'm receiving in text messages and I you know I know I should be talking to you know um and make this part of the meeting but it is an influx of if there are any positions that were cut because that seems to be it is a lot of what I'm receiving if we have an influx of central staff and we have um you know admin and whatnot um but we're cutting essential potential positions for our students. That seems to be what I'm receiving. So, if you could just clarify whether or not the 20 million is just in um you know just in what uh maintains our central staff as
037opposed to whether or not any positions were cut. Yep. The 20 million is nonstaff expenditures. That is going to be a tough goal, but it's doable. It's uh do we pull together and manage this properly and just cut out just say no of the stuff we don't need. Uh I we did a another review of uh KOSA physicians at central office. I know of five offhand that we did cut. Uh again it's building on that last year what the superintendent did where she cut 36. It's not everything everybody wants, but you keep chipping away. They put me in the seat. I I respect that answer. I just again, we are public and this is the feedback and our job is to relay our feedback to, you know, to you all. So, thank you for being
038open and honest on that. Excuse me. uh CFO Barnes, the the community and the board made it very clear that if you cut direct services to children and you're cutting positions, we requested and directed that a proportionate cut in positions and tossup positions be made to the central office because all of us have to answer to our principles and our students and our parents because the purpose of education is direct education. So central staff has to take its fair share. So are you saying that there are no staff positions cut in central office? Did I hear you correctly? No, I just said five were cut from central office. And I do got to say while we added back 17 assistant principles and I don't want to get into the tit fortat game. This is a
039very wellthoughtout budget with the needs of the kids including social emotional wellness at at the top. Uh that's all I want to say. Thank you for thank you for the thank you for that answer. I just wanted to make it clear to the public listening that we are doing this proportionately and not putting the whole the the burden or the majority of the weight on on the direct services to the children because that's important. They're listening. So, thank you for clarifying that we did this equitably. Um let's see. Um Miss Ever, no, Miss McCosi, do you have any more questions? Board member McCovy, I really and my questions again, Jim, I will be bringing those to you. Um, hoping to schedule something this week. Uh, not nothing incredibly crazy, but again, I I did have
040to put that out there as it is a concern. Um, so thank you. Yep. Thank you, uh, Vice President Larry Scott. Thank you, Chairwoman Woods. Um, uh, Chief Barnes and your staff, thank you for answering all of my questions very specifically. Um, I have asked a lot of questions and emails and you have answered every single one. um with all the information that I've been provided and looking at everything um and in no way is this directed at you, Chief Barnes, or your staff, your team, but at this point I am not in a position to support the budget as is. Um, and you you mentioned the challenge of making everybody happy and I get that. However, my lens is what's best for schools, what's best for students, and I know that my position and
041what I'm about to say and what I'm going to say additionally is going to make some people unhappy. Um, we have heard, as people have mentioned, we've heard from our con constituents on the social emotional needs of our students and the 11 cuts to counselors, nine cuts to social workers and school psychologists. And what I've heard over and over again from my constituents is mental health professionals, music, music teachers, programming instruction uh instructional rather instrumental music and reading teachers that those are the consistent themes that I hear about. Um, and I say this because I do believe there are two programs that have been quite costly. Um, one of those being WZED that's been me mentioned and I certainly support our students having access to enriching STEM activities. However, I started last year questioning the
042investment in this program and whether it is truly delivering $3.9 billion annually um you know to our students districtwide. Um we're at we've spent 8.5 million. If we were going to keep it at 3.9 million that would have been 12.6 six million that were spent would have been spent on WAZD. I know there's been some reductions for next year in the budget, but I just am not comfortable with that continuing to invest that amount of money and now shifting title one to fund it. Um I I you would be hardressed to find people in schools that can tell you or with with certainty that that investment has been worthwhile. Certainly in some schools it has has reached some students. It has reached classes. It has been um impactful. I I don't doubt that at all.
043The other program is student leadership network which with the current budget expenditure we're reaching 4.3 million total 1.5 million for this upcoming school year. And again they have a worthy mission. I I'm certain they've had some impact on students, but I've seen and heard from folks that indicate that districtwide it hasn't had that significant of an impact. And that 1.5 million could easily fund the 11 counselors that are being cut for this next school year. Um, so we have hard decisions to make and I know some have um personal interests in particular programs. Um, but I have to look at what is best for our students and for our schools and looking at the full picture. This this is currently where I stand. This is currently in my position and I don't I don't have
044any further questions. Um because you have thankfully answered all of your all of my questions diligently to this point. Um Vice President Scott, could you name can you name that program again? Student leadership what? Student leadership network. Network. Larry, just a quick comment. You ask good questions and we don't take this personally. I have the majority of the budget finance team here. No. Thank you. I see uh board member Mosy's hand up again. Uh thank you chairwoman was uh for indulging this. Um I will say I I just because it was brought up I am going to be really asking questions around this as well when we meet um Jim strictly because I believe say yes is doing a lot of what this student leadership network is doing and I need the clarity around is
045this in excess to or is this in place of something. So, just know that these are questions that I'm going to bring to you. Um, and it was part of what I was going to say, but because uh, board member Scott brought it up, I just wanted to make sure you had a heads up that, you know, it is a concern of mine as well. Okay. Board member Mosiezie, this is Will. If you could email me your interest in getting more clarity around that contract, I'll be happy to connect you with the people who can answer all of the questions on. Okay. Right. I mean I around I I get around the people. Oh, you're talking about around the people who are working with the district on that or this particular network in general. Did
046you say you had some questions about leadership network the same group? I have questions for the district around why we brought this network in when say yes is doing compatible work of the same type of work. So, it's more questions for the district, not what exactly um this network is going to tell me, but I want to know the network. I'll connect you with the right staff that can explain the work that they do. So, just just let me know and I'll connect you tomorrow or or sometime early next week. Not not with the lender, but with BPS staff that can Right. Right. There you go. Thank you. because I'm like I don't want to hear from I got it. Thank you. That's exactly what I'm looking for. I appreciate that. Thank you, Acting Superintendent
047McCies. We really appreciate that because uh the superintendent does have an understanding of how each of these programs are conducted, the impact on the on the student body. she does have the data on the impact and I think the board members are saying that they need that data because we have to make some hard choices and right now it appears that the community is saying psychologists, social workers and counselors for the mental health and emotional health of the students. So I think uh the superintendent has heard you very clear. Board members, are there any other questions um that uh board members want to raise? Is is that board member shooter? Just you have your hand up. Yes. Um, first of all, um, I guess like where I sit, my big concern is long term. Mhm.
048That we are working at a $78 million deficit and I keep saying in 2030 we're going to fall off the face of the earth if we continue. Um, so it's just very very concerning to me. Um, and it's really the overall the the whole picture is very concerning long term. Um, do we have any projections of how many school closings for next year? cuz next year we can't come back and not have, you know, I know it was a a slippery uh slope and we've got a slope and we've got to talk about that, but you know, I have to um talk about student leadership network and I know that um and if you talk to principles and you talk about the quality of work and the support they have gotten from student leadership network
049is in contrast to what they feel from say yes it's not going to be the same student network leadership has really brought it to a different level and I've talked to my principles we had the presentation we had Burgard we had South Park we had I know um international prep I know they really feel supported by this program so I think we need and then when it came to WZED we were told that we were going to have some feedback. We had asked for some feedback from the schools if they thought that it was we talked about that several times uh throughout the year I or throughout the process. So maybe that does exist. Maybe Miss Walker has that that information. We really haven't heard. We've had a couple things. So, I think that before
050we start throwing an organization under the bus, I think you need to really see the impact that it's having in schools. Uh, so that's one thing. Um, I too I, you know, I struggle with with a $78 million deficit. we couldn't figure out somewhere to cut to keep these positions for these social workers and our um and I know I mean but there's but it's just mindboggling to me that as we are all saying and the problems that we are facing in our district that those are the ones that have been the ones that are being cut. I know it's very it's just for me and it that's it's baffling. It's baffling that that's what we could come up with. That's all I got. Yeah. Thank you. Okay. Um board members, as you go through
051your as you go through the the budget book, there are significant very large two and3 million dollar cuts in building uh supplies and building taking care of the buildings and services to the buildings. Uh I had to ask, wait a minute, wait a minute. Uh we got to keep the buildings safe. Uh I know we got a capital budget. We're going to bond some things, but how can we take such large cuts in some of those areas? And if you seen the answer uh that Chief Barnes uh sent, he was saying there are some projects that um are no longer necessary. So the they are seriously every function in this budget has some serious cuts. um a lot of them are going down significantly. So, when we look at this overall budget, there were some
052hard decisions that were made, but from what I'm hearing you say, it sounds like the question to the superintendent and the CFO from board members is going to be something like, hey, uh, you got 4.3 million in a student network and you got, uh, 3 million in Moaz and we only need a million, so about half a million from each. can you scale something down on that and and uh fund more of that of the uh more of the social workers and emotional supports for the students. So the board members, this is the proposed superintendent's budget. It is for us to discuss and talk to the superintendent because as you see she was very receptive because if she didn't put back the um the 42 positions that some of them were significant number of them
053were social workers. I know I asked for a social worker. You know, we one of my departments at schools that lost two and that that just wasn't going to work. And you know, the superintendent does hear us. She does respect us. So, we need to bring this these issues to her and I'm sure that uh she'll she'll work with work with us. Uh, and if you have any other questions, please send them to Chief Barnes and meet with the staff. Okay, I think I see u board member McCen's hand. And um I only have like eight more minutes before I have to before I have to leave and and uh our vice president for executive affairs is going to have to take the chair. So, vice president, thank you. Go ahead. Thank you, U, Madame
054Chair. Um, please in the future let me know if you're going to need me to step in. That would be helpful rather than finding out here. Contrary to popular belief, I do not need to lead a meeting. So, I'm going to set the record straight right now. And uh the goal of uh tonight originally being a board meeting um was to be able to offer my vote, which I will not be able to do next week cuz I will be out of town with the changed meeting. Um similar to some of my colleagues, um I'm going to echo Terry first in just telling you when you and I have actually talked about it. Um you know exactly where I stand. It's pretty clear that the 78 million doesn't sit well with me. Um, I knew
055we were going to have to go into difficult conversations this year. I actually stressed that heavily last year. Um, and I'm not by any means saying that there wasn't creativity. Um, and that I did not see a lot of cuts cuz I did. Um, it's reflected. I saw it. Um, I also recognize that your team has the lofty job of taking everything that's handed to you and wrapping it up in a pretty picture, but you actually aren't the ones necessarily creating it. You're trying to make it work to the best of your ability. And so, I do applaud you guys for doing what you can and taking the brunt of our questions because I know that these numbers are coming to you and you have to present it to us. Um, I am similar to
056uh Larry uh Vice President Scott in my sentiments that if I did have the opportunity to vote, I would be voting no right now. Um, I also struggle with the creativity that we used in areas where I do think there might be continued conversations. Um, I struggle with the fact that I think I can even quote the superintendent in saying every student is a face and not a number from last um, finance committee meeting. And then to see that we know that the needs of our students are highly complex. The needs are growing. We're hearing it all the time, but heavy positions that were cut tend to fall in a particular area. And we just see that and there's a trend and we're hearing that heavily from the community. Um, I echo the sentiments of
057my colleagues in the number of emails and phone calls and just general conversation that's happening when you're out and about right now specific to these positions. Um, with regard to TOSAs, um, you know, I think that any non- studententfacing TOSA position is something that should be questioned. I don't know how many of those are there but like staff development for example that category I think I counted almost 19 toas under staff development yeah that's a lot that's a high number to say staff development isn't necessary some of them are required for men 19 staff development no five right that's what I'm saying in staff development in that category so I think it's page 40 Um, she's making a lot. What was that? I was saying she's making criminal. She's making the point. There's a lot.
058There's a lot in there, right? That's $2 million, right? And I hate math. Sorry for math teachers and people like that, but it's not my strong suit. Right. And I But that right there, that's $2 million in non- studententf facing TOSA positions. So, when we're saying creative opportunities and different things that we could be doing, I've got a back and front list of things that I just have questions about that don't fully make sense to me that I don't need to go through right now, but when you add them all up in different categories, I don't fully get it. Um, and then certain cuts that we did make, are we really going to make the the cut? You know, we cut $500,000 in security for overtime. board meetings alone. We just had a four and
059a half hour board meeting, you know, last week and folks may have to stay here and it requires overtime. So there's, you know, are we really going to be able to achieve Can I give you that one? Yes. And it's a change in culture. Currently pay them 4 and 12 hours if they show up for work for half an hour. Like and so they're essential and their overtime's essential. There are excesses in our systems due to past practice contract that we can change with them, but the cultural change here is going to be immense. And and I I want to trust, right, hearing you say that that that we're going to see that happen. I think my frustration is that last year we were told things are going to happen going into this budget. changes
060are going to happen whether it's a school closure or reductions or things like that are going to occur and then here we are and things didn't occur right so again I hear you but now I I have to second guess it I have to question it because what's in front of us is a 70 $78 million deficit and and we are all very concerned and I think that you know while this process absolutely starts in January when you break down the time frame of when we get deep detailed numbers Right. Friday, right? Friday I got it. And you know, not for nothing, not that I don't want to live and breathe and spend my entire life with the Buffalo public schools and the board of education, but right, I didn't get to look at it
061right away. And this is a hefty book to go through and look at and understand what's going on, especially when we're being asked to make such a significant right vote and decision. And that's not right. We have to when we're talking about a culture shift, maybe we need to shift the way this process, you know, opens up and the time frames that we're starting to have information flow so that we aren't pushed to May 28th where we have to start out our meeting saying you have y'all have to make a decision by this day, right? Because I think that that's hard for for all of us. I'll just give a quick comment on that. I'm going to sound like an old crusty man, but the more you open up processes to more constituencies, uh, it
062just elongates everything, it throws in more and more feedback that you have to respond to out of respect for their opinions. This is by its nature because of everybody who uh is entitled to a say in our decisions gets very complicated and very lengthy. So madam I concur. Madam vice president I am taking notes on all of the salient points from each board member and the superintendent will be informed about every point. Well and I think that like that's a great point too in this right we're down to the wire. This meeting is happening right now because we are down to the wire and the superintendent isn't here, right? And so you have to take notes to give to her. But at the end of the day, next week on the 28th, the eight board
063members that are present for the meeting are going to have to make a decision because we are at the end of the road according to Jim and the chairwoman, right? We have taken it to the access. But a lot of this information in its true form, right, came to us late and it's just hard for us to, you know, to to I guess disseminate that she'll be available the 27th. So, what I would suggest is that you take advantage of what I've repeatedly said in some emails, which is anytime that you want to sit down with the superintendent and with Jim or any other staff, let me schedule that. Um, continue to send your questions in uh to Jim if you don't want to sit down like that. And I'll be very happy to schedule
064that. And I'm very confident that all of your questions will be answered to your satisfaction if you give it that chance. And and truth be told, like everybody's been great at giving information and I can only speak for me in my experience, right? When we ask the questions, getting information to us, that's not the issue. I think the issue to me in a larger scale and again I my budget is not even remotely close to the size of this that I have in the work that I do but I can't offer information at the 12th hour right and expect folks to be able to disseminate it come up with the questions get the questions put the pressure on the team to respond with the questions in a very small amount of time because a decision
065has to be made right and we're at the end and even when we do the schoolbased budgets and we look at that process and when that comes out right by the time I got the budget book and I sat there and went through all of it and sent in questions changes had already been made adbacks had been made my book wasn't even accurate anymore right and so like that those things just the timeline doesn't match up it causes continued confusion and it makes it really difficult for us to have a handle and feel confident in kind of what we're I guess what we're hearing and our ability to I guess I don't know break it down and I again I can only speak for me in this space. No, I I appreciate that and it's
066so noted. Um part it's it's not an excuse. It's just a fact. Part of this does have to do with when the state budget passes. We do have to technically wait for that before we start publishing our own budgets. But I mean I the superintendent would absolutely agree that a longer earlier process is going to benefit everyone. Um but you know there there is that timeline of what our revenues are going to be that the district has to consider before we start putting budgets out there. So that's just something to consider. I'd ask you to consider that. But, you know, there's still a week. I I know that you're feeling pressure because of the timetable, but there's still a full week for all of your questions to be asked and answered. So, I definitely encourage
067you to take advantage of that. I don't get to vote anyways, so on the budget, but um just Yeah. But thank you. I'll spend more time on the other board members making them happy. Exactly. No, it's fine. I appreciate that. Board members, it it is no doubt that putting together a 1.45 four or five billion dollar budget and trying to make it fit the goals that we've set under the uh council of great city schools to make sure the money is is do designated towards student achievement or designated toward reading. uh trying to make that budget fit is it is a difficult process and also every level of government, every municipality, I come from Erie County, the legislature is always screaming that they only have two weeks. They got to move it back. The city
068of Buffalo said the same thing. They moved their changed their timeline. But all of us who are the people who have to pass the budget have serious pressures because we are listening to our constituents and some decisions do need to be made and we do need to talk to the superintendent because that's that is her job to prepare it. our job to give her input, meet with our our departments, our principles, our constituents. We are the voice of the community and the students and to try to make this budget fit as much as possible our priorities and the community priorities. So all I can say to you is you deserve kudos because we've taken on this task and yes it is time consuming and yes together we will get a more perfect budget and uh
069our CFO Jim Barnes. Thank you acting superintendent. Thank you and your staff for working with us and attempting to answer all these questions. I too am concerned with the amount of money we have to use to make this budget work because we're all asking for so many key priorities. My only thing I can say is that when we take this budget and put it into a four-year plan, I am very thankful to the Lord that we have $26 million in retirements that can bring this this uh deficit down that we are mandated to make our school system match the number of students. We have reduced significantly three 3,3600 students. So yes, there are some cuts, closures, actions we do have to take and we will still come we will be able to come up with
070something better. So that's Madam Chair, Terry had a her hand up. Pardon me. I did Terry has her hand up. board member. Okay. Well, I'm going to have to I'm going to have to putt to you and you can recognize Terry because I have a graduation and I don't want to get a ticket speeding. So, recognize you right now. Um, all I want to do is go on record for an over billion dollar budget in 2025. We are cutting guidance counselors and social workers. That's all I have to say. So, thank you. Thank you. Well, look, Madam Chair, it looks like you can close the meeting anyway. You're still on. I'm trying. Thank you everyone. Madame Vice President, would you like to table? Sure. I'm just going to go ahead and adjourn the meeting. There
071you go. All right. Thank you everybody. It's just tough stuff. Have a good night everyone. Good night everybody.