001Can we open those other solidarity and reflect on our shared responsibility to build saf baseball. >> Okay. Okay. >> At this time, while we're still standing, I would like everybody to have Mr. Special's family, he was asked of the day to be by. >> At this time, I would like to request a motion to approve the transfer process. Please take >> construction. >> Yes. Uh at this time I'd like to have >> Parker >> here >> all those who wish To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. Visioned by Alex Wagner, fourth grade student. The mission of public school is to provide innovative educational opportunities. to each and every student. >> At this
002time, I'd like to have a motion to adopt 12. Yes. >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Section two of the agenda are presentations. I'll turn that over to Miss B. >> Good evening and thank you. I'd like to read the nicknames of the retire for this month a first grade teacher at Sheila Roma teacher at Harvard teacher John teacher Emily Hopkins teacher Jennc resource at Bowser Deborah CCS resource at Dana James teacher at Orchard Karen Zver disability support at time and Virginia. She's a counselor at together public schools 15 years. Section three is the uh section for community and I hope that all speaker >> I don't know what this is >> at this time we read the policy regarding comments comments for each meeting. Each individual on a group for legis have up to three
003minutes to address the board. Thank you. The first speaker, exe executive director for the Soviet. Good evening, members of the board of education. Good evening, Superintendent Durant, teachers, administrators, community members. Thank you so much. I'll be quick. I'm here on behalf of the Soakenville Art Culture Center as the executive director. We are the lead partner of El Central Hub, one of the seven hubs that TPS supports and we partner with as well as Smart Academy. At this time, we are the only bilingual bicultural hub with this in within this infrastructure. And I'm here to press and encourage you today to really re-examine the services that need social necessity in terms of not just bilingual but by cultural services and what that means in supporting our students, our families and our teachers and working together with
004them. We understand daily that the students and families have obstacles and we work hard in terms of food, medical, transportation, but also focusing on areas of academics, attention, um enrichment, attendance, and engagement, multiple factors that we can really bring to the table. This past year and a half, El Centro Hub, our hub alone, has leveraged $41,000 for the school and supplies and services and donations and people bringing skills into the classroom. In addition to that, the Sinki Middle Center has either leveraged or just um was gained an additional $130,000 specifically for this hub. donors, partners, funders, foundations are seeing the partnerships that the schools and the community nonprofits are having. These are new and innovative ways that we can address these everyday obstacles and really look at our services with our family and our students.
005Please know I am extremely aware and empathetic of the situation and I don't take that lightly and I understand impacts that are going to be made and I and I don't take that lightly either. But I am here again to press how crucial it is that the Latino community remains a priority and remains a forefront when looking at student services. And I know we're turning to the student services, but we're really focusing also on our teachers in Asella properly supporting them so that they can focus what they need to focus on in the classroom. Um we're asking for two things. One, as you have to consider those plans, please reconsider the hubs and reooking at those specifically a central hub. Secondly, as I close, please consider a conversation, a true strategic focused conversation with the
006Sophia Canetto Center, with Glock, with the Latino Alliance, with you all to really sit down and look at how we are addressing and impacting the Latino students and families, bringing the teachers in so that we really can be innovative and creative. There are opportunities here that we can really figure something else new. So, just please note Squawk is committed to the Latino community and we are here to think outside the box with you all. >> The second speaker that would like to call is Mr. Markus from Central of Venezuelans chairs up here. So, We are in very discussion about cuts in this district and I'm particularly interested in the help there in the school of smart uh we have almost 500 members associate members that work in green houses nurseries uh the food industry service
007industry construction uh in the Toledo area some years ago The legal services indicated there are 10,000 undocumented immigrants in the city of Toledo alone. That was like six, seven years ago. And the pocket is exploding. And now with the current immigration crisis that we have uh in our country, uh we're concerned about the families who have their children in the public schools, particularly at the school of smart. We've been partnering with uh with the hub there on immigration issues and the dangers and the uh problems that the students are facing because of the possibility of deportations. Now, we have to do something about that uh issue. It is a city-wide problem. It's not just south to or east side. Uh we tried to start a bilingual school some years ago. I remember at those meetings
008that we had on the east side, we did good. So, we supported this uh the school uh independent uh and later affiliated to Toledo public schools. And I made sure that every teacher was a member of teach the teachers union here in Toledo because they need to be engaged in discussion and dialogue that we should be having about these cutbacks with the unions with their representatives in order to find out where the head cuts really need to be made and how to face this financial crisis. And I hope this is not the final meeting where people can this is the first I've heard about it to cut that that hub that and this the work that we're doing with the immigrant workers and their families uh and try to overcome the dangers connected with immigration
009attorneys and so on. It's very critical and very important. And I think that you all ought to be considering how to make this a citywide effort, not just south to east side and the schools that feed the uh Wayne High School and Bowser where the majority of these kids are, but is a it is a city-wide problem and a countywide problem. But you guys have to be the leaders. You have to be the ones out in front and being creative and finding ways to solve these problems regardless of the money. And think about starting with yourself first. They do yourself. Good evening. Thank you for the time. I'm going to take a little bit of a different uh approach on this. I appreciate what Taylor and Blesco have said, but building on that impact, it
010about the um El Central hub, but it's about all of the hubs and it's about the support that those are bringing to the school systems with the financial pressures that you're having right now. I'm a CPA, a financial girl. I totally understand that piece, but I also understand the magnitude of community support and the dollars that the hubs are bringing into the system. My ask is not as much as I want to ask to put that back in um the budget and keep that line item. I would like to keep that line item in the budget even if it's zero. So we have an opportunity in the future. But my ask is really that you look at the community support, the number of community members, businesses, organizations that have been supporting these hubs over the
011last several years and the amount of investment that that the school system has already invested in these hubs and let us help. From uh the health council standpoint, it is our job to bring groups together to solve some of these complex social problems. We know the social issues and the social drivers that your students are facing that your teachers are facing with these cuts is only going to get worse. We want to make sure that we have these cuts in place and that we can find a way to work together to do that. So a simple ask is give us as much of a run leg as you can without um cutting it immediately. Give us time, as much time as you are able to to work together, to work with the teachers, work with
012administration to find other ways to keep these things going so that we can get creative in this community, come together to make sure that we're providing the great support that is needed more than ever. Thank you. Thank you. >> All right, section. First of all, I want to thank all for speed that is signed up for speed today. So I want another section to that section four where our unions do have a spot at the table and always have. So first though I'd like to call on our student representative uh which we don't have any but we usually do. So we also give our students spot on the table. We also give a a spot this uh table to our parent congress. We don't have one now to change the date of the meeting from
013Tuesday. So the person that we have lined up to be the parent representative table had to uh say that they were not attend but next uh we'd like to have the input of uh Mr. Medial American. >> I will call on Mr. Kevin from TFT. Good evening and know we're one day away from a much needed winter break. So I wanted to say thanks to the board of education, superintendent superintendent federation teachers. Thanks for all that you do in and every day. And also my apologies I guess for all the people that are stuck outside in the rain that couldn't get inside. But I know Michael Alexander, some other folks out there trying to get in, but this for what it's worth. So before I begin, I want to just take a moment and ask
014you to picture a story that I'm sure most of us are familiar with. A Christmas Carol. >> Scrooge was visited by three ghosts. The ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present, and the ghost of Christmas yet to be. They forced him, Scrooge, to look at his choices, the consequences, and more importantly, the chance to make a change. Tonight, I'm going to borrow that framework because what our district is asking TFT to accept isn't just an accounting exercise. It's a choice between protecting the promises made to our members and the children they serve or allowing those promises to be quietly dismantled in the name of a troubling 5-year forecast. They have given us a projection that ends within a $68 million deficit. I don't know if that's changed because I know it's changed multiple
015times since September. And in response to the deficit, the administration plans on eliminating teacher support programs, cutting student activities, potentially removing our school nurses, shuttering shuttering tracks, and freezing our pay is being proposed. That plant is not only offensive, it would hollow out our schools and betray the agreements that TFT has negotiated, fought for, and won over the past years. >> That's right. >> Just for the next, we all remember what we went through in 2009, 10, and 11. Most of you were here for that. I look around the room and I see a lot of people my age, 30, 35. Absolutely. But there were times when the budgets were tight and threat to our contracting program programs loomed large. Remember SB5 and how we all came together to fought for our contractual rights and
016keep unions safe in Ohio. We preserve TFT debt through these times, class sizes, specialists, teacher support programs like the intern board review, school consultation to help our first year teachers, help our veteran teachers that may be struggling due to a large dump of class change or just a life change going on where we could help them through that profession and make sure they didn't get wrecked. And that's what we fought for. We defended our due process, protected supports for students with the greatest needs, and insisted that promises made a teacher be promised kept. We've all been in that meeting as well. Those protections didn't appear by accident. TFT organized, parents came out, the community members came out and we all stuck together and we bargained. We worked and we fought at the table. And I
017know some of the people have right now some at that table at that time. And we we worked. We got to enforceable provisions in agreement that we could accept. Doesn't mean we liked it at the time, but we did accept it and we did what we had to do. But we should not and we will not forget that history. We do not have any plans of going back to that scenario. The provision the provision in our contract represent years of collective action and sacrifice. They are not a bargaining chip to be sacrificed because because a forecast looks bad on paper, nor are they items to be ignored when it's convenient for administration to implement and not to implement. Ghost of the presence. Right now, our district administration projects a 5-year budget that culminates in a
018$68 million deficit. Their remedy is a list of cuts that read like a blueprint of deterioration. Eliminate teacher support programs, act student activities. Why not potentially cut school nurses? Guess we don't need it. And tracks teachers that went through a rigorous process. It wasn't given to them. It was earned. Those teachers would be facing a 15% pay cut. How do you budget that? I don't know. in addition to the pay freezes the district would like to see. So ask yourselves who benefits from this plan. Certainly not our students. Fewer supports, fewer things to do after school when we heard all things we need to do. We just heard a comment about gun violence and things like that. We know we need to keep our our students active and engaged in keeping safe. So they're keeping
019each other safe. It's what we do. Sure, we didn't go to school to be that, but it's part of our job now. diminished opportunities for care, assuming that we're cutting nurses. I haven't heard differently. Not not the families who rely on schools. They're not benefiting by this for stability and opportunity. Our colleagues who come to work every day to educate, support, and build relationships under increasingly difficult conditions. And I won't go into all the problems that we all know exist because that's not why I'm here. But we know they're out there. We have several members who come in every day putting up with what they put up with to benefit our students. And certainly the long-term financial help will not benefit by making short-sighted cuts that could potentially eliminate our ability to support our educators,
020focus on special education crisis, work on the higher dropout rates. We're working towards progress, but making these cuts will not do that. and making these cuts have a long-term community burden. We proved this 13 years ago by providing a document. The more students that we graduate, the better our community can grow and progress economically. That's what we've done and that's what we're working towards. In fact, I've even heard our own superintendent tell the interim board review program many times about the investment in teachers up front, payments on the back end because once you're investing in training them and we're supporting them through, that's the invest that we make. Transparency matters. CTF deserves a clear accounting of assumptions behind the forecast. We deserve to know what revenue initiatives were pursued. More importantly, what cost-saving alternatives were
021considered other than just cut and how this deficit was allowed to balloon on paper without any timely public engagement. To be fair, I've heard from the district. I've heard from board members. Oh, we're worried about the budget. Oh, we got to talk to you. My comment was, if you're broke, then act like you're broke. If I didn't want to see administrators who left the district for buyout came back under a pro or temporary service to go back in the same role. That's not the cost savings that was presented to me during negotiation and most of all you heard Mr. talk about this a little bit. We deserved a seat at the table. I'm not looking for one up there. I'm more comfortable while I address my folks. When decisions are being framed, >> not at
022the level of thought. When decisions are being framed and the conversations are at the very intimacy of the conversation, that's when we should be there. These folks are the practitioners. They're the ones in the classroom. I don't even profess to know all of I've been out of the room long enough to know I got to turn to all these people for advice and building programs to the ghost of yet to come. If we accept these proposed cuts unchallenged, the coming years will be grim. I can commit to that. Imagine schools where extra help for struggling students is gone. where the nearest nurse is no longer available when a critical moment arrives. And we've all heard these stories of how our school nurses have literally saved kids lives. The student engagement enrichment enrichments disappear or drizzle
023down the market where the workload on teachers becomes unsustainable and morale eros because pay is frozen. The narrative that we should do more with less is no longer acceptable. Our TFT members are already at the break for the future laid out by the administration's current plan. a district diminishing capacity, reputation, neighborhoods potentially losing the schools that made them the centers of community life, and students deprived of a full educational experience that they deserve. But alas, the story does not end in despair. Scrooge saw a possible future and he changed. Toledo Public Schools must do the same. Confront the forecast. Provide alternatives that do not gut our system and our supports. We demand better choices. We will protect our contract. All the provisions that we have won are not options. We plan on defending them with
024every lawful avenue, negotiations, agreements, public campaign, and if necessary, stronger collective action. Our contracts and agreements are not an exercise just because we have nothing to do. They're the baseline for fairness. They're not bargaining chips to be taken away without due process and member consent. Next, we will demand transparency and better analysis. We will insist the district provide all the underlying data and the assumptions behind the deficit forecast. More importantly, explain why alternative revenue measures were not considered and open the books if needed for an independent audit. Forecasts are not destiny. They are projections shaped by assumptions made by the district. We will challenge and test those assumptions. Additionally, we'll be looking to cut to not cutting supports as the only supports as the only option. We will bring and advocate for alternatives that protect
025our students and the staff and the contracted community. We look to target administrative costs and pay attention more closely. I guess we will look to continue to fight against all the attacks on public education funding. Something that all of us should be doing together. We all the same. Additionally, we'll be proposing that we should be eliminating any agency from our district that is billing Medicaid. We can provide those services and we could do the same more effectively and more efficiently. Our intent, if needed, mobilize our members, mobilize our community because they are the community. parents, students have already reached out and started to join this argument in this fight on their behalf. This isn't just about us folks. So, we will continue to show the impact of potential cuts that make clear that hollowing out
026supports in schools is not acceptable. Stories will be shared, not to inflame, but to eliminate the real consequences and build the pressure needed to change this course. >> We will stand united. Our strength is collective. We will come to board meetings, engage in media. will be out in the community doing all the things we do prepared to take any and all action needed if our contract or our students are threatened. Solidarity is our safeguard. In front of fearful voices reacting to projections on a page. We are professionals. We're neighbors. We're community members. But more importantly, we're advocates for children and we know what makes know what it takes to make a school work successful. We have been students before and emerge unified. The ghost and dickens story forced Bruce to see the consequences of his
027choice. Tonight, our district must consider theirs. >> Lastly, I'd like to say I'm not mad about Scott Parks. In fact, I remember sitting down with a golden poly back in 2017 with our trades partner talking about how we need to consolidate and centralize career tech in the book space. Didn't mean Scott Parks, but I'm not mad at that. However, put the information the district has provided. If we had a looming deficit of $18 million, even if the levy passed in 2024, I believe that's what I was told. Then why did we not ask for additional operating funds the same time we passed the levy for the $99 million bond for the record I am skeptical of the projected for a variety of reasons one I was told to do around 40 million then I heard
02850 million on November 18th, it was presented to a group of folks at 50 approximately 54 million. On December 2nd, December 3rd, it was 68 million. I was shocked. I would imagine there's people in this room that didn't even hear that number either. Shocking. But when I looked at what was provided to me, again, I question the $18 million deficit in 2024 because we ratified our contracts in May of 2024. I've always been told by the district treasurer that we can't have a contract if they can't be certified for 55 years. Zero advance. No debt. What happened to the $1,800 million? Did it just disappear in here? Another question I have and don't want to flip it, but why do all the numbers even? 300 kids, 68 million, 1500 kids. Everything's in a human number.
029We're just turning up around you down. Let me know. >> Other question I have is I saw in the document that was provided to me is that the projected cost for our contracts wasn't projected correctly. That's not on me. I don't need the budget. So, I'm not sure why we're being asked to sacrifice >> for that. Next, I do want to say in the budget documents that were provided today in TFT, our board of directors in the presentation, the one number I do believe is the 12 million that was cut by the state through the banium budget. We know the legislature in Columbus is attacking us. We know that they took 12 million from this year and 12 million from next year. My first grade background tells me 12 + 12 is 24. Now, the
030reason that's important is because TIT took 34 cuts last year with our teachers on special assignment to get it back in the classroom. One, because we recognize our best teachers need to be in the classroom and it's a time where we have a teacher shortage. Two, if there is a financial problem, that was it. Took some cuts, too, if I remember. Now, I'm going to freelance here, but I believe I was told all the cuts total roughly $30 million. 30 minus 24 is six. We're not sure where that's at. So, as I've stated over the past several months and I missed we've missed opportunity having me in a couple I just didn't even respond to you because listen, if you want me to think you're broke, then I got to see it. The papers aren't
031I'm not paper the math isn't math undergraduate. And lastly, I'd like to say I've been told by a lot of people, administration, even some in the community that the 2024 levy was passed because of Scott Parks. This is false. The 2024 levy was passed much like all the levies before that because of a strategy that TFT executed and candidly in partnership with our superintendent most times and that was to build up the reputation of TPS so our district leadership could go in rooms and not have to explain away the points of consternation deficiencies if you will in our district. It was a strategy. We put it together. We passed levies with historic rates in a partnership. Scott Park campus didn't pass the levy. We all do. >> And to that I say you're welcome. Oh
032my god. I'm good here. >> So, So I was actually an employee of the US when we got laid off when we went through the hardships like Kevin W. He covered a lot of what I would have liked to have asked even though not I couldn't in the presentation that we've been given. But what is really concerning to us is we have suddenly been giving a hypothetical plan for which none of ours truly understand. It has sent the community, our students, our parents and our workers the absolute chaos of what this district is doing. >> We have no We have no specifics. We have no definite answers. We have think, we might that we have nothing. And now we're going to go and suddenly say we're going to cut all these jobs. We're going to
033do all this stuff all of a sudden right before the holidays. Every single one of us. And some of us because lower paid ones harder than others. >> But a lot of our workers have kids in TPS. 4 day schedule that does not work. If you're already losing 300 students a year, what do you think is going to happen? What we what we expected is an actual plan, not a hypothetical, not a thing, but an actual sit down. This is what we're facing. Not physical that each of us provide something vitally critical to this district. And I understand teachers and all their programs. I understand the buildings being opened, kids getting fed, being transported across the district to accommodate the services that this district provides for our community. But there is no plan in that
034transitional hypothetical thing that we have been giving. None of our people are in anything but absolute path. They're headed for the work. They're headed for the families. They're headed for the kids. And they're panned for the futures. What does this do? No, I don't want to send a child to charter school, but imagine if that's where I have to be that I can't do it for next school week. Every single child here is going to need something on a Monday. As we look at what's been proposed as part of this transitional plan, we are greatly concerned about the impact it will have on our members ability to maintain the standards that our students, families, workers, and district and community user. And we expect to have conversations over that to get those details and to have
035more information without a panic button being hit because a number has suddenly arranged that 68 million that came out. We just ratified in February. We ratified it in good faith. >> So I'm going to leave it at that and I won't for further discussions. Thank you very much. And uh this is the Ohio Ohio Department of Education work section with the approval of the state plan and the narrative work required stud with that I turn over to uh Yeah, I do want to send my prayers out to know that a tough time not only at home but this process is very and has struggled through it. Uh but uh it does it does allow to reflect this on my part about uh tonight and I'm going to read a lot of this uh and try
036my best not to sit the actions the district has taken and why the state of Ohio requires addition required including all of them face the same challenges in reflections in state and federal funds to increase operation. He has administrated We cannot hear you. >> Any better? I've never been told people. >> So, uh, GP has successfully negotiated, as we talked a little bit earlier, three, uh, three-year contracts with our bargain to ensure, uh, staff's stability. These contracts, which included salary increases, were ratified prior to the decision to of the state to underfund the fair school funding plan. This timing created a financial gap. >> Unfortunately, the current state bianial as was mentioned failed to fund the final two years as promised. Also, resulting in a significant unexpected loss. In addition to failing to fully fund
037the fair school funding, the legislature also enacted changes to supplemented supplemental funding calculations which we learned of final finalization in October. We have resolved we do we have maintained market share in terms of enrollment but there has been decline due to population within the city and state. uh some of the timelines on how we got here. We did receive in July a notice from the state uh uh that uh the district uh expenses needs to be on notice. It was not the precaution. In October 15th, we did uh submit a forecast and then on October 22nd is when we got our notice. We then also reached out to our unions, our collective bargaining unions on October 21st, the day before we got that to start scheduling discussions. We did have an opportunity to meet with
038uh them on on October 27th. We did meet with uh some of our burning units as was mentioned on November 18th. After the break, we did connect and reach out with TFT as well on December 2nd. Followed that up with the board of trustees and then we're here. So, what's in this state plan? Under the state required framework, the district must develop two pathways. I'm going to refer to them as a preferred plan uh plan and a state required plan. What I do want to make clear to you all is that items that was presented is not a part of this overall plan. For instance, the four days is not included in this plan. Preferred plan is what the district hopes to achieve through the negotiation and a state required plan is what the district
039must implement if no agreement is reached. Both of these plans are identical the first year. They do include reductions in staff of close to 100 individuals. The true difference of the plan is in the second year. Without agreeing, the state uh required plan does require us to reduce another 90 additional staff members. >> As a result of the state required plan, there is no discretion. It is required that we reach a solveny state. At this point, I'm going to turn it back over to you, Bob. >> Turn it over to your recommendation. >> Okay. In in regards to to recommendations, uh, one of the things that we did, uh, particularly last week, I had ability to meet with all union president along with superintendent of the Ohio 8. And within that, I can tell you
040the heart-wrenching devastation that is happening in the state of Ohio. When I'm hearing one district cutting all prek, the other district said, "I'm cutting all bus transportation." The other district said, "We're cutting over 30 schools." and another one is doing the same along with them which is over half the number of schools we have in teach period and at the same time many of them are cutting staff and in one district said October 24th we had a 5-year bon forecast which is the best we've ever had in 30 years and sixth month we're in financial because of merely of a vote that happened in legislation that reduced the dollars to urban education people I tell you we are under attack I'm telling you not only financially they are attacking seniority and they are coming back
041with S5 to take our collective bargaining rights that is literally an agenda that is said and what I want is the energy we're going to show up in Columbus see what I want energy to our elected official because we need individuals defending us while these legislators actions are happening >> talking about 200 layoffs Yes. And they're and they're trying more. And so the saying is that we're moving and progressing forward and just like I said there's nothing and there's no one in this district that it hurts more than see individuals laid off. At the same time I can tell people there's many sleepless nights not only during this but all year and after but when I was saying this that we will build and continue to build we will continue to work for it just
042as Mr. off in this stage before. We've been here before. We have a road map to continue out and at the same time what we need to do is continue to work with senators. And so in essence of the plan that's offered in regards to the state plan, there's support in essence of moving forward on the state plan and hopefully with an agreement we're able to salvage as many positions as we can as possible and that ultimately happens in essence of collective bargaining with Mr. Dawson, Mr. Meredith along with the dawn and having conversations with the net. But our main goal and objective is to salvage each as many position as we can. But it all happened through an agreement and and working together. And that ultimately we're going to continue to move and do
043as a district. And so that's that's my recommendation for the new accept the representative for state plan tonight. We >> can't hear you. >> We can't hear you. >> Can you speak into the mic, please? >> Yes. >> Thank you. 4:00 face times hard times and I don't believe that there's anybody in this room >> who takes lightly the weight of what is before us tonight. >> The decisions that are connected to this state plan are not abstract. I believe they're personal. They affect people's livelihoods, the families, the classrooms, ultimately our children. Some of these factors may be in our control, some of them may not. Most of our results are a system of political bullies that don't value a desire to fund public education the way it should. But here's what I know. We
044have been here before. >> The district has faced uncertainty before. >> And you didn't learn. >> And history has shown us that we have not only survived it, but we've learned from it. Yeah. >> And that's why I believe that this moment requires real transparency, >> real honesty, real humility, and unity. >> We're waiting for it. >> Everyone in this building and even outside. Your presence matters. Your voice matters. >> Your advocacy matters. There's nobody in this room, I believe, who does not want to protect public education. There's nobody in here who woke up hoping for cuts. And I want to say on record that this board really has been advocating. We've been fighting. We've been in conversations on the state level, on the federal level. >> We've pushed. We've challenged. We've made our case
045for this district. And even though those efforts may not have been visible to many of you, they're still real. >> This is hard for you. And I want you to know that it's hard for us, too. Serving in this role doesn't shield us from the weight of these decisions. We feel the tension between financial responsibility and human impact. We feel the pressure of compliance and the pain the consequences. And we carry the responsibility of making choices that we pray will position us in this district to get to where we need to not just to survive today but to thrive tomorrow. I do believe that this is a storm and storms test structure, we also reveal strength. And if we weather together, if we keep talking to each other, we refuse to allow our frustrations to
046be our hindrance, then we can really come back stronger. This is a hard chapter, but it doesn't have to be the end of the storm if we stay together. Thanks. Thank you, Mr. President. I was looking at my watch because it is telling me how much my heart is racing right now. So, I do want you to know that >> should be >> I'm not unaffected >> by what's happening in this room right now, what you're all going through. Um, I had intended to ask a lot of questions so that we could at least leave this room hearing the answers, the same answers. all of you and me at the same time. But our treasurer had an emergency actually. >> I mean, actually, he's at the death bed of his mother-in-law. So, I am going
047to say that I'm I'm still going to ask my questions. I'm just a little disappointed that I can't get into the weeds as much as I would like to be able to. And while Mr. treasurer is not here for me to make this request. I am going to very definitely make sure that there's an opportunity for him and Mr. Dalton and his best financial minds, anyone he can bring to the table uh to open those books. In fact, they they they are open. But listen, I know if I open the spreadsheets, I need someone to help me understand them. Uh so I'm not going to pretend that it's as simple as just downloading the budget and then saying hey how how does this work? Uh but I do expect um our treasurer to afford that
048opportunity to Mr. Bottton. The next thing I am going to do though >> is I'm going I'm going to um own my part of this park. >> Uh actually I think we did we are going to talk about a pause to spot park. We don't expect Scott Park to go forward. Um, this whole thing is is settled. So, if you'll just give me a minute. I want to I want to own my >> I want to own my part of this and we will be voting on the proposal that's in front of us. together. >> Yeah. >> This part about, you know, a plan coming out that, you know, no one really knew about and where did that come from. You know, this board was brought up to speed about just how dire the situation
049was in October at a special board meeting. And uh you're right, that number has changed even since then and much to our own consternation. and and if we can't settle on a number that we all believe in. How can we come together and get solution focused? That was my first my goal for the last, you know, five six weeks is how are we going to get to a number we can all trust. I'm not sure we got there. Uh but but here we are. My what I want to talk about is this this plan, okay, where it belongs. This plan that we tried to call it a transformation plan. I'm just going to call it restructuring right now. And that is um that's the now what, right? We have the what. I I I don't
050don't think I'm hokey, but I use these all the time in my training is what, so what, and now what. The what we can barely even come to an agreement on. The what is how much money is this? Right? I'm hoping we can get to the what. The so what is today we have to we have to pass something that yeah, it does have cuts in it. All right. But now what is what can we do next? What can we do not in two weeks from now in four weeks from now sometime between January and April we're going to have to come up with some kind of restructuring. And the way the board described that in our special board meeting was we don't want to die by a thousand cuts. And we challenged the administration
051to come up with something bold, something that we could hang our hat on, something that we could say, something that we could say was going to get us to the to the be the district that we're meant to be on the other side of this crisis and in the times that we're in. So, we did ask the the district to come up with some ideas. What we didn't expect was that it would come out in such a way that it looked like this was a done deal. This is what we're going to do. So, I just want to make sure you understand. >> Why are we here? >> Why are we hearing this week? >> They have the right to have discussion. >> This is our first discussion and I'm just hoping that you'll hear
052me out while I uh relive what we've been through. We asked for a bold plan. That plan is the is the now what? It's not what we're voting on today. We are not voting on anything in that plan today. It's the now what. That's the what do we do on the other side of this and how can we work together to make make this district the best it can be. And and you know to me that part was just it it's just moot today because we're we are talking about 100 jobs. We are talking about 100 people who in the coming days are going to learn that their that their positions have been eliminated. There is no other way forward today, but there is a way to keep it from getting even worse and there
053is a way to hopefully come out with as a district uh that can meet these challenges. I don't I don't know any other way. I wish the number wasn't 68 million. I thought it was 50 million for a while too. All right. And so it's it it the number just does keep changing and and I think um we welcome any opportunity for anyone to look closely at the books and and come up with um a different uh number. I do want to ask a question Dr. Dan about hs since we had so many speakers on the hubs topic. Um, when we first started going down the path of of community hubs, and I I think I was upon the board, I'm pretty proud of that opportunity that we had to start building out the hubs.
054If my is my memory correct that those were funded originally by the United Way or at least half funded by the United Way and then over time they became the complete responsibility of the district to fund. >> That's correct. uh collaboration and that would not only be United Way but would also be popular that need >> so but now they're completely funded by us. >> That is terrific. So I I I also want to say that okay so there is still other there's other funding I'm not going to I'm not going to gauge out here but I am asking that question like what other funding is available to hubs and I I do uh support the notion that while we may not be funding the hubs we are not eliminating the line item right we're
055not doing that that's that is a fact that the hubs I mean it's kind of weird to say they still exist when we're not funding them but we're you know we're not um we are not funding them. I would rather say be funding because it's on this list. It is on the list today of things that are going to go right. But the idea that we can um keep that uh notion open for how other communities how I mean that's the so what that's the what can be solved how can we solve uh solve it later. Um they are massive um cuts. Um I am going to reiterate that I expect that um Scott Park campus and any related programs and buildings um or new uh new um magnet schools be on pause until we
056solve this whole problem. I think it's kind of a given that that's that's the case in the plan that we're voting for. So, if that's of any help to anyone, it's in the so what in the so what so what is how do we make the district what we need it to be and that might that then we can figure out how we can proceed with things like you know a consolidated construction trades program and so on and so forth. So, I I'm just trying to keep this that in this this box for us to collaborate on immediately at the first part of the year. And I I appreciate um the time, Mr. President. Um I can't guarantee I'm not going to have more questions um as I listen to other comments. Uh so I
057may be asking to be recognized again. Okay, I wrote out my comments. Um, number one, I appreciate that everyone's here. I do respect >> Can't hear you. >> You can't hear me. >> Um, I respect the fact that you're here. Um, I understand it. I have family members who are TFT. I get it. As a board, we're obligated to submit a plan to the state of Ohio's Department of Ed to address this projected FY27 deficit and the district's October forecast and it's due December 21st. I'll only speak for myself, but I am angry and sad that the district finds itself in this financial situation. Toita public schools serves a diverse community with significant needs and we are doing so in a challenging financial environment. Like many Ohio districts, especially urban districts, TPS faces rising costs,
058enrollment shifts, and funding structures that do not fully reflect the needs of our students. Not to mention the ever growing state sanctioned charter school industry and state sanctioned private school voucher initiative which alone cost taxpayers $1.2 billion just this year. Ohio's funding system continues to place districts like TPS at a disadvantage. I will continue advocating for fair, adequate, and equitable public school funding at the state and federal level like I've done for many years. Our students needs do not disappear during budget shortfalls and funding systems must reflect that reality. We continue to face financial challenges and it's not the result of a single decision or short short-term issue. They are systemic and ongoing. Moving forward, we will be engaging our families, our staff, and the Toledo community because these decisions affect all of us. The
059state plan can and will be amended, and that's where our families, staff, and community can help. Even in these challenging times, my commitment to our students, staff, and community remains unwavering. I do ask you to join me in transforming our district into one that works for all of us. Thank you. >> Thank you. And uh last but not least, myself. Um, I think those of you who know me is there's there's no explaining how people I'm not going to even not try because I don't try. I don't think I don't care. Nothing anybody can say. >> Can you say that again? >> That's nothing anybody can say that's going to make it sound good. I think the only thing I want to say is is that there is a plan to the state that is
060due by first. That's what we're doing. And if we don't submit that plan, there are consequences by the state towards this district. >> So that's what we're going to vote on. And uh that's what's uh recommended to us by the administration. But I will take this time during my comments to say a couple of things. One is that right after this vote, I'm going to make a motion can't be here because we're already in the middle of this discussion. Right after this, I'm going to make a motion that a board just that this board votes on a board transformation plan and oversight committee of the board. >> Thank you. And my vision for this committee is to work in partnership with the administration. And I understand that this action and I want you to understand
061that this action goes beyond the role of traditional governance board which is what we are. However, at this time this situation requires a deeper dive by board members. My vision is that subcommittees will be created to take the place of our current committee structure that is entirely focused on this transformation plan. The next president on January 6th at the board organizational meeting I'm hoping will name the committee members name the committees and the members. It is during this process meeting the committee meetings that staff our unions and the community and all other interested parties can participate in designing the lone schools district of the future. I I'm asking for this action to be taken now >> because as outgoing president I feel very strongly about this and I want to use this time this last
062meeting that I had to create this committee I don't want to handcuff the next president of this board and overstep it should be their pride to choose the committees, the committee members and how the committees were populated and run. They also should choose how progress will be monitored. I will also be asking that's after this vote. So, I'm just kind of interjecting this right now. We got a vote on this after we take this other vote. I am also asking as the president that a pause that we continue construction because we're required to do that. That applause be put on the district uh Scott Park program and as president introductions president of this board also honor them. So uh with that uh there is there other discussion any other board members with immediate uh position
063cuts. Um the union leadership When will the leader union Yeah. the union leadership uh be made aware of exactly which positions um in the list of their members, our employees will be affected by that? When is that happening? >> Yeah. So, we'll have a as soon as um this actually is stage, we will be notifying um the unions um about any positions as those are final. We're hoping to do that um as yet this week. >> Well, so tomorrow. >> So, well, yeah. And and while I appreciate the fact that it's not I I don't I just don't think it can wait. I don't think it can wait. So even though we would really rather not go on break with that information in our heads, I don't think it can wait. And then of course
064from there they'll be um following the collective bargaining unit uh agreements. But my other question is um so so those that that'll happen tomorrow. Oh, in in this in this plan that we're um voting on today, there are no wage freezes or anything like that because obviously those we can't we can't approve a wage freeze unless they're negotiated and agreed upon. Correct. >> Yeah, there's there's two pathways. uh there's a state required pathway and you're absolutely correct in that there is no less and there's an alternative pathway for there is >> and that that alternative pathway would affect the next round of whether of how deep the second round of cuts would need to be or not. I mean according to this that other pathway would be >> with an agreement there wouldn't be any
065further cuts. Um but but all that still remains to be negotiated. We're not voting on cuts uh or any freezes, wage or step freezes. At this point, >> we could not have that's right. And I knew that. I just wanted to make sure I said it out loud that I know what what I'm um I was done with my comments, but I guess I really forgot some things that I wrote down here. Uh but I I want to get to the point of uh letting you know that right after this we're going to create that oversight committee of the board and I don't want to I don't want to lose that in the in the discussion >> but I I want to reiterate what um uh my colleagues have said here to some extent about
066public education traditional public education. Make no doubt that there are people who are trying to change the way public school districts look and operate. >> We know >> I'm going to try but they have the votes and they've been voting against our wishes. I want to make that very clear. >> Yeah, it does. It does. But I think it is important for you to know that many of us take our time and we we we do go. >> You don't think we do? >> That's what you were doing. >> Anyway, we do >> we take our time, >> but I want you to know that we do need your help. But I hope everybody does hear you. I hope everybody hears the way that you feel about public education because we share that. So with
067that, I'm going to go ahead and and call a vote. >> Just remember, you're voting on our livelihoods, not yours. >> Miss B. >> Mr. Parker, >> Miss, >> yes. >> Mr. Vasquez, >> yes. Now, at this time, I would ask for a motion by the board >> to create a burial transformation plan and oversight committee. >> It's been moved and seconded. >> Any other discussion about that? Hearing no discussion, please call the role. Miss Barnes, >> yes. >> Mr. Parker, >> yes. >> Mr. Ger, >> Miss Harwood, >> Mr. Vasquez, >> yes. Thank you. Thanks for coming out. clear. >> Thanks for coming out. As you expect, right? Merry Christmas. Good evening. Everyone is here to address a series and difficult decision, one that no one is taking lightly. As the organizer, I appreciate
068everyone. and and those who are let me change >> this administration in the district public education. navigating federal people federal administration. People have voted for this on a federal level. They have repeatedly shown a lack of commitment to public education at state new way to roster education by plane paying for 600 million $600 million for a state and giving charge $1 billion this year alone by transportation and IP support among others of course to go while federal interface continues to disabilize the department that provide essential resources, financial in resources and financial support to our students. So again, thank you for showing up. I welcome your pressure. But what matters most now is consistency. And what matters is accountability for all parties in your state. >> You are welcome to the fight. >> Yes, sir. We
069decided I will be getting desperate. SO PLEASE >> COME OUT TO THE BUILDING. >> THAT TAKES US TO THE next section of the agenda. U which is the consent agenda. I'm going to read item 7.01 sub.21 and the board members may request approve that item from the district and move to the discussion section. Item 7.01 to 7.04 04 is human resources and staff development training committee chair volunte is finance and business operations committee chair Bob Vasquez co-chair department item 711 involvement partnership committee chair is Chris item 7.125 virtual construction and coach Chris item 7.17 arts athletics and student activities committee no chair Chris Harford the third item 7.18 through 7.19 failing community chairs coz item 720 through 721 is approach at this time for consent agend discussion that you call >> I thought she was
070she >> I just turned on my >> Mr. B. >> Yeah. >> Section 8 of the agenda consists of reports minutes from this month's committee meetings and are here for information and reference. No action is required. So we can proceed to section nine of the agenda. Section nine of the agenda is uh designation of president prom uh for >> for president prom. I need a motion for the president prom nomination. I nominate Chris. >> Yeah. I'm nominating Chris, too. It can be either way, but if you want to administration, >> right? You have point. >> Well, I at this point motion Mr. G by M. You call. Yes. Miss, >> Mr. Parker, >> Miss Ger, >> Miss Marley, >> yes. >> Mr. Vasquez, yes. Uh, section 902. >> Yes, 902 is to establish the date
071for the organizational board meeting. Uh, we we we do have a date on the on the calendar. All right. We we established the date December 6th for the organizational meeting January 6th. Um motion to designate that date for the organization. >> All right, it's been moved. Second, Mr. Is there any discussion hearing? No. Mr. G, would you call? Yes. >> Miss Bars. >> Mr. Parker. >> Miss Ger. Yes, >> Miss Mar. >> Yes, >> Mr. Bask. Yes. >> All right. Nine. Uh, section 9.03. Resolution reporting Ohio Senate Bill 107. You want to read it? This resolution has been through two committees. We're not going to read it. I'd like a motion to approve the resolution opposing Ohio Senate Bill second by Mley. Any discussion on any not Mr. G? Yes. MS. Yes. Mr. M. Ger
072Miss Mr. Vasquez. Yes. Next section, section section 10 and that is walk-ins. Do we have any walkins? We do not. All right. Takes us to section 11 early childhood education action items. Chair Randall Parki, co-chair Shea Barnes. I'll turn this over to Rand Park the third. >> Good evening everyone. I ask your approval for our delegate agreements. 11.01 and 11.02 for our partners at >> Can we Can we bother those together or do we enter them separately? >> I believe that to be done. >> All right. So, let's let's do the first one first. Um, do I have a motion? Okay, it's been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion here? Mr. V, would you please call the role? Yes, Miss Barnes. >> Mr. Parker, >> yes. >> Miss Gener, >> yes. >> Miss Vley,
073>> yes. >> Mr. Bask, >> yes. Uh, next is a early head start delegate agency agreement. Can I have a motion? >> Second. >> Move. Seconded. Uh, is there any discussion? Hearing none. Treasure or Mr. K, please call the role. Miss Barnes? >> Yes. >> Mr. Parker? >> Yes. >> Miss Girkin? >> Yes. >> Miss Barley? >> Yes. >> Mr. Vasquez? >> Yes. That takes us to section 12. The agenda consistent early childhood education reports and minutes from this month's committee meetings are provided for your information and reference. No action is required. So we can proceed to section 13 and that would be early child education walkins. Do we have any walkins? >> All right. We don't we do not. All right. Uh section 14. Uh our comments. Do we have comments by the superintendent
074from super? No. Uh, Mr. Gan, do you have any comments? I do not. Uh, board members, do you have any comments? >> Okay. >> I just want to recognize I love that participating today in the blood of allegiance. I want to make sure that we have that documented in here that students are able to participate in our four meetings in action and then also vision and not recognize the 45 years for retirees with not so Thank you very much. Uh that takes us to a motion to adjourn. We have a motion. Second move by M. Second by Mr. Bwick. Any discussion hearing? None. Mr. Camp, please call the M. Bars. >> Yes. >> Mr. Parker. Yes. Mer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Bask. >> Yes.