00127 students. Uh 61 of those students are Pelum residents. That comes up to 48%. And 66 of those students are school choice. So we're at 52%. So in terms of Pelum Elementary, um we have a strong school choice enrollment across all grades. and the enrollment. This is very very important as we walk into talking about our next level of conversation that we had in terms of the impact of the town. It's critical because the framing that I had to put myself in as I reflected on this conversation was we're asking a town to support um a school that actually has more of other towns residents than than their own. But we are also asking a town to support public education which I stand behind. So, I I feel like the current enrollment numbers are very
002critical to the conversation we're going to have today as a school committee and um I just wanted to bring it to the forefront of it and help us get into context. So, let's get into the nitty-gritty. Um and Shannon and I are going to walk through this one together. So we met with our finance chair and the news that we received um to the point was we will not be receiving our departmental increase for the fiscal 27 budget in Pelum. So Pelum Elementary School had originally planned we had planned when we first presented this budget and this is why we needed to come back in front of you and our initial budget plan that we were planning for for Pelum. We had come from the standpoint of we were receiving a 2 and a half%
003increase over FY26. Um we also we we are now in a position where we are not going to be receiving that. We also um learned that not only will we not be receiving that but we would be receiving less whatever the town of Pelum has to put towards their assessment from for the regional school district. So Shannon, you want to expand here? >> Um, no, you could keep going. I'll I'll explain on the next slide. >> Thank you. Give me the hot spot. Love it. All right. So, um, yes, Margaret. >> Um, I just wanted to make one comment that in the town of Pelum, every department in the town has asked to fund at level funding. In other words, to use the amount of money they got last year. No department in town is
004getting any increase in their spending. >> Thank you. So, um because I'm I'm s Thank you for that, Margaret, because we are I'm talking from the school st lens only. Um so, thank you for making sure we make that clear. So, Pelum has a very very tight fiscal situation. And the one thing that I learned about Pelum when I first came in is Pelum pays their bills, right? And so what we have is they have very limited fiscal capacity. Um and there are other things in terms of the our long-term capital plan for the building would will not be supported. Um our five-year plan would not be supported. Um and we probably would not be able to invest much additional funds in building improvements. I believe um Margaret you were able to attend the capital
005planning and some of the work that we had proposed for this year I there's no interest in doing which is includes like painting or addressing the the the stage the cafeteria stage that would not be funded for this year. >> Correct. So, um, including the capital that we've presented to the school committee, we will be redesigning that because we now have a little more direction in terms of what the town will and will not be able to fund. Shannon, >> yep. So, our on our original budget presentation on December 2nd, we had uh 1.8 8 um million dollars for the Pelum assessment and we already had a deficit of 140,000 um only receiving 2 and a.5% increase um and $30 per student in chapter 70. Um so with the updated projection of of our funding
006being level, the deficit increases to 186,000. So, that's a $45,000 increase. Then, uh oh, this tab, I just wanted to show um this was the budget that we presented. Nothing on here has changed since the December 2nd meeting and the gap down here. Um the other unknown variable that will increase this deficit is what the regional assessment for the town of Pelum ends up being. Um, so this is really depending on what how much reductions that the regional school district takes and what their final operating budget ends up being when we have answers to unknowns. Um it's going it could range from 101,000 to 213,000 that we would have to reduce Pelum's amount so that Pelum can pay the region. Um I will say at the four towns meeting this 213,000 is if the regional
007budget was fully funded and it's extremely unlikely that that would happen. Um, but I did want to show all of the ranges that we presented at the regional school committee and the four towns. Um, so we have a range of 101,000 to 213,000. >> I also Yes. Go ahead, William. Um, so it was my understanding that we had the town had about 130 to 160,000 to to spend. That was like their growth from last year. I thought it was like 130 and then there was some free cash, not free cash, but it was um I guess because they they hadn't gone up to two and a half every time. So whatever that extra capacity is called. Um so I I I didn't think that if we are going flat on Pelum Elementary that it wouldn't
008be an additional 100,000 I coming from the region that then has to be deducted from Pelum. Again I I don't think that's accurate information. I feel like it was if we go over the if like the total dollar they have the amount they have to spend which is like 130 to 160,000 possibly um that would then leave Pelum Elementary flat but it wouldn't go into Pelum's budget unless we went over that 160,000 is what I thought I understood. So I I was I was going to say Shannon um that is so just to clarify your question William you're saying that you don't think that the that the regional assessment would be reduced from Pelum Elementary that is just to clarify that so I can answer to that correct >> right like I I I thought
009there was like it it if we stayed below say 120,000 that we would not have to deduct the Pelum budget any based on a leveled dollar amount from last year. >> Okay. So, what I'm going to say is my understanding from the conversation that we had with um with John was that after the after the town was able to level all of the departments, that 100,000 that you're talking about was all the town had left. And if something had to happen that that that would be it. And so we Shannon asked the question in that meeting and the the direct words that we received is that not we're getting less. So not only are we not getting the two and a half, we're getting less. It was quite clear in that meeting that the redu
010the the assessment to region would be reduced from the from the elementary. >> Shannon, I I have to disagree with you. I I don't that was not the message that I got from the town. I I think that rather than going on about who's right or wrong, I think we should move on because that's a question that really needs to be answered by the town. >> Is is John Tricky on by any chance? >> He was going to be I I did ask the question very direct and that that was I my interpretation is the same as Dr. disease and >> okay >> um so >> go ahead >> so if I move on to the next slide with with our understanding of this our deficit for Pelum without the in two and a half
011increase is 186,000 then we have to add in the regional assessment that Pelum will be paying the region which we have this range so our total deficit range ranges from 287 to 399,000 and the 287 is if is based on the low estimate of the regional assessment. The 399 is based on the high estimate. That high estimate is very unlikely. So it's some probably somewhere in this range or so. So, there's still other things in our in our overall budget that could bring down some of our costs, which uh would be helpful, such as knowing the state's budget and if there will be more than $30 per student for chapter 70. It's not much, but it is something. Um, our health insurance, we are projecting 18% and that's I think it's around $80,000 increase in
012health insurance for Pelum. So, if that number does come down some, uh, then it'll we won't have as as much of a deficit. So, we should know that hopefully in the next week or two. Um, Palum does have a student that is at a charter school um or a resident that goes to a charter school and I did confirm with John that the town of Pelum would still pay for that um charter tuition for that. So that was some good news and didn't further increase the deficit. Um >> so any other questions before we move on to this next step from the committee members? >> So I think let's just I want to quickly make sure that um our other uh member because she couldn't speak. >> I I can't >> Okay, you can speak
013now. Okay. >> Yeah. Thank you, Will. Um, I just I I just wanted to emphasize I I want to rei just as we're going through this that I think there's a really significant difference between the two things that will is pointing out as a potential difference. It's like a 50% difference in the dollar numbers. So, as we're going through this, it's it's really really significant for folks listening in to understand that there seems to be a misunderstanding about up to $160,000 or $180,000. It's really massive. That's one thing I want to say. And another thing I want to say is right now we have one charter student but I think it is a I know as a as a parent of young children in the schools um it is a very good assumption that if
014we were to move forward on the plan that we're about to see that we would have more charter students that would cost the the town more money um that would opt out of of engaging with the plan that we're going to see here. So, I I would like for folks to keep that in mind as we're thinking about dollars. >> Thank you, Rachel. >> I just want to see >> So, there's a couple things that I want to make sure we clarify. I know that there may be a misunderstanding between what William cuz I I'm guessing that's you're referring to me. So, Will. So, what William um is stating and what the team received. But what I'm saying is that in our meeting, this is what we were clearly told and we have never been
015a reactionary group to come and bring in. So we would not have brought information forward that we were that we did not receive and we felt was needed. Um if there is a misunderstanding or something changed since that meeting, it has not been communicated to us as a team. But we are moving forward. We have a secondary meeting scheduled. And the conversation in that first meeting was we are not the school committee. Only the school committee can tell us the next couple of things that we were asked to do. And so there are considerations that we were certain things that we were told in that meeting around how to possibly even fund those things and some of it that we were told would have been our only option but it's going to put us in
016a fiscal state. the long term. I I hear you, Rachel, but in the long term, realistically, the conversation that that really needs to start to happen and I don't know if is if we were told our five-year capital plan and improvements of a building is not going to be considered. If we are being told that even some of the capital that we need for this year, if we are being told that there's certain things that cannot be sustained, if a comment was made to in another committee meeting letting um other individuals know that that that the school district needs to send their children children to other groups like there's a series of conversations that may be happening and I get it. Individuals may be receiving bits and pieces differently. I am saying that as a
017superintendent, as a as the advisor of this group, we need to work from where and we are working from the information that we received. We are working from the information that was also kind of partially expressed at a four towns meeting, but it wasn't expressed in the in the the vein that we received it. And Shannon asked the question explicitly and was told, "You are receiving less." And I and I was in that meeting. We took notes. So, I get it. But I'm also saying that we are working from this and this is also very early in a budget season and things often change. Something may come forward and that's the next part of it, right? These are hard conversations. They're early. There are things that that could critically shift and we're not aware of.
018But this is the best thing is with the information we makes the best possible choices for our students and for our staff. And so that is what we are here to present today to the school committee so that you can make the most informed choice and we'll reach out and and see if if we can have John join the call. So >> yeah, we're we're doing that. So I just we're getting a hold of John and seeing if he could either join or confirm because it is really crucial to the to this conversation. Um so in terms of the potential solutions under consideration, we were also told in that meeting to uh to address our deficit school through our school choice because they felt like there was a pot of school choice that we sit
019on. We explained in that meeting that we had already allocated about um 500 plus thousand dollars of our school choice which is about 50% of our school choice funds to the budget and we still sat as as a at a deficit. If you go back, if you had the opportunity to to look at the slide to to account for the deficit, whether it is the 200, whether it is now the 287,000, I'm I'm going to continue working from there because that's the information I have, or it is the 399 would then further take us deeper into our school choice and take us to using about 80 80 to about I'm going to say 80 I'm going to round to 80% of our school choice funds, depleting our school choice account. However, that is a actual
020Shan, you want to go into option A. Um, that is an actual concept to carry us through our fiscal year 27. So, I don't know if you want to walk through this part, Shannon. >> Yep. Um, so one option is to use additional school choice to support the FY27 budget. So I would still advise that we take some initial reductions that we have were already moving towards and then cover the remaining depending on um the regional agreement or the regional assessment um with school choice funds which would be 146,000 to 258. Um but and then that would mean we're supporting the overall budget with school choice funds between 22 and 26% of our budget. and and right now it's at about 17% of the budget. So it's increasing the reliance on school choice. So it's
021that's not a very good long-term sustainable option. Right now we've been averaging the past few years receiving about $500,000 in school choice. Um but that's not guaranteed. Uh so we accept students every year but if they decide not to apply to Pelum school choice or to go elsewhere um they that's their prerogative. Um it and like I said before it further increases our dependency and Pelum residents are subsidizing non-residents. So we will if we're spending like the first principle of finance you don't want to spend more than >> Yes. >> Can you pause for a minute? Good night John. How are you? You might be on mute. I just wanted to acknowledge that he made it. >> There you go. And there you go. Okay. >> Hi, John. >> Hi. I'm sorry. I had clicked
022on at five minutes or six, but none of the links worked from the the areas the Google Docs or from uh the Pel website. So, I was watching you on YouTube. >> Oh, great. So, then you heard the debate, right? Um, so John, can you clarify and and here's the I'm gonna lay a concern you were listening. The concern is that and my understanding from our meeting that we had was that the elementary was not getting the two and a half and not only were we not getting the two and a half, we would receive less whatever the regional assessment would be. >> Yes. what I was saying. Pelum has $135,000 and uh uh William, you're right. That's the 135,000 is what we get from our 2 and a.5% increase this year. We also have
023115,000 in excess capacity to raise if we need to, but we don't plan to use that if we don't need to in any volume. That's our only emergency money that if something happens after the the year fiscal year starts uh to access money. We may use some of it here and there a little bit but not any large volume is the plan. So therefore, our proposal was, if you remember, that uh you have approximately a million dollars uh in total for in your reserve for uh um charter school, I mean, choice students that you would take from the the choice student reserve, the amount of money necessary to cover what the regional school would have for charge the town. Now, keep in mind the town has already level funded all of its departments. No, in
024there they have to absorb their increases in wages, steps, and colas by reducing expenses elsewhere. And the amount of money of the 135,000 right now, I had 17,000 for um uh increase insurance at $46,000. uh that we need. We have already additional for retirement of about 26,000. So already chewed up a lot of that money that we have 135,000. So all we have left now in terms of the longer look at it when we received your your capital plan with 6.5 million needed over the next five or six years with roof and HV and boilers that is way beyond what our capital can control can can provide our capital stabilization fund. So at the same time we're looking at having no money on a day-to-day basis and and capital reserves would mean a couple things.
025We're already fa this year our all of the taxpayers in Pelum received substantial increases to cover the last year's cost for the regional school when we uh finally adjusted to the uh statutory method and that cost uh the average homeowner in Pelum an additional $,000 on their taxes this year. Now, on top of that, we'll be facing an override next year to cover to increase that 135,000 available to some other bigger number. So, when you look at the the thought of increasing override for next year and if you're looking at putting 6.5 million in, uh that would be a major borrowing for the town adding to the tax rate. So the supposition is a with only 60 kids in the school, support is already waning for continuing with the school as we've heard at some
026at the fall town meetings that people are questioning when we're going to do something about it. And you look at the override, throw in a uh capital uh need. I my my thought is the town likely will not support the ongoing uh for the the school. So now's the time. Dr. Z, I think you're great at starting to think ahead. I hated to download what you wouldn't believe Dr. Z and Shannon's expressions when we had the discussion about it. They almost fell off their chairs. Shannon was non plus. You want to do what? You want to do when? Oh my goodness. So that's the re that's the fiscal reality of Helen's faces. >> Thank you, John. Margaret, I'm going to ask that we hold the questions um to the end so we could just get
027all them. I don't know if there's something else that needs >> Okay, Sarah Bass, help >> I just have a quick question because I want to make sure I was taking my notes correctly before we move on. Um for the minutes, sorry. Um I want to make sure that I I captured what you said correctly that there is only $135,000 raised in additional taxes. There's approximately $100,000 of excess levy capacity which is only to be used in emergency situations after the budget has already been voted. All departments are being level funded. Um the additional taxes are being used this year to cover the health insurance increase and um we'll be the town will be looking at an override for FY28 and the capital needs for the Pelum Elementary School building are too high to be
028able to continue to support. I just want to make sure I captured all that correctly. >> You are correct. The capital needs for the school alone in the next five or six years or so is $6.5 million. >> Okay. Thank you. I I apologize. >> Thank you, John, for um just bringing that clarity um to this and I hope you stick in for the conversation. >> I wish I had better news. >> I I wish you did as well because then I would have better news. Um, so, >> um, William, unless it's it's absolutely pertinent, I'd like to keep going. Can you save it till the end? >> Will we be able to ask John questions at the end, too? If we have questions for John later, >> I can wait. Yeah. >> Okay. >>
029Um, I I I mean, normally we don't do that, but in this case, I guess maybe we can make an exception. If you want to ask it now, we can do it now. >> It's quick. >> I think it would be I think it would be better to keep going. >> Okay. Okay. Thanks, Shannon. You want to finish? Um the concerns of of >> So, yep. So, using a more school choice than what you take in leads to depleting your reserve very quickly. It's not a good financial decision. So, it's not a good long-term option. It It's a good quick bridge option. Um, so I'm the other Sorry, I lost my train of thought. >> Um, >> let's go into the next one. So, well, I did want the one thing I did want to
030point out that's on here is right now with the 140,000 deficit that we were anticipating, we were looking towards moving it to a K to one model and then reducing school choice in grades K kindergarten and and first grade. So, if we do that model, we would be reducing how much school choice we do end up taking in next year and we're spending more to help bridge the gap. So, it's just an important thing to keep in mind. So, then another option that we can look at, and I realized the PDF um didn't link this in here, um but but I did it on the PowerPoint, is the possibility to to have a tuition in agreement. Um and the tuition, uh they can gradually transition to Amherst. There is precedent with a tuition in agreement.
031It's not the same thing as regionalization. Um, and the town of Irving right now has their students from 7 to 12 go to the Gil Montigue High School at Turner Falls. And I have a copy of their agreement and the the mathematical formula that they are using to determine what Irving pays to Gil Monagu. Um, >> I wanted to jump in on on the budget well on the flip side of this because I know Shannon is talking the operational model and not being regionalization. There's certain things to take into account. Our third bullet talks about the established curriculum alignment and district practices also when we think about not just students but we have to think about staff. There's there it it provides us even with the instructors and individuals who have held space for these
032students because they sit within the same bargaining unit for us to possibly find ways to to create an alignment for them um through whatever school committee agreements there are. Um so it it it is a natural progression in our mindset because there is already there it would not be a shift in curricular resources district practices um the trainings that they receive are all in alignment to what they currently receive um in Ammerst. So it's all built together. That's I guess that's the unity of one central office. And then we have to think about in this model not just the students but we also have staff members whose lives are going to be greatly affected and how do we create that um option of some semblance of support and continuity for them and their instructional practices
033just for just for your edification. One of the things that came up today and we had to express to the staff because I didn't I I respect my professionals and I respect my professionalism and the work that we do as educators and we were not going to come and have this conversation publicly without speaking to the professionals of Pelum and we did that today and one of the key considerations is the fact that Pelum is its own school district and because it's its own school district PTS stands only in this district. um seniority stands only in this district. So educators would be starting completely over. However, um PTS is one thing but even in terms of seniority and experience creating pos the possibility of the fact that they sit under the same bargaining union as
034individuals or teachers in Ammerst. So we've looked at this from the whole standpoint of not just the student but how we are also going to support the staff or are able to create staffing um issu like supports for for both and we know that that's going to take a series of not just a tuition in agreement but agreements between the committees as well as agreements between the committees and the unions. So there's a lot of things that would have to go into this and our concept for this one would be that in I guess we go to the next one in terms of our recommendations for FY27 and so we had already suggested in December um the multi-age K1 classroom model um so implementing that programmatic shift based on the range of what our deficit
035is we are leaning towards the lower end of the range because after the four towns meeting majority of the towns actually were were saying that that lower end was more reasonable for them. However, that may be reasonable, but that is a hard hit for Pelum Elementary School in terms of staffing. 200 we we were already at the programmatic shift of K1 with 140 287,000 in this current year maxes up or increases how we would have to to be able to educate our students for Pelum. So the second thing is that we were considering looking at a structural transition for the upcoming year, which then would mean that we would probably tuition in our grade six students through a a tuition in agreement with Ammerst and looking at if there are other potential grade levels depending
036on on the cut and the range of the what we what we are calling the wild card of the regional assessment. Um and Shannon, we are looking at bridging the FY27 deficit using additional school choice funds for FY27 only. It's not a permanent budget model and we would not have enough to sustain and replenish what we would have to implement implement with for FY27 to say that we can sustain it in FY28. So um and to aggressively I am going to propose on the January 27th meeting that I shift my superintendence goals. That's not it's not talking about programmatic structure, but more so focusing on as a superintendent, as a district team, working with the school committee um on the real plan for Ele Pelum Elementary's future and more so the current plan of whatever
037we decide to move forward as an approach for FY27. So instead of having those meetings about how do we improve programming, it's actually where is the school going to go, hearing from community members, presenting our plan of action, working with staff, working with the budget. So there's a lot that needs to happen. Um, and I know this was a lot of information, but we are also in the crux of the fact that we have until March 31st to develop a full budget. Um, that seems like a lot, but everything that we do in between here depends on what where the school committee sees the push for or the approach for FY27. And so this is our recommendation. um we would move forward with the K1 classroom shift that we discussed in December, but looking at
038beginning a structural transitional shift of developing a tuition in agreement with our grade six students transitioning into the Amor um Chestnut Street Academy and then um bridging the FY27 by increasing our school choice but still leaving us with enough to buffer for FY20. It's not a big buffer, but it's something for FY28. And then shifting my goals and the the focus of the team to not just FY27, but aggressively looking for a plan for sustainability beyond FY27 and what that would look like or even a plan of succession. >> Um, John, do you have something to add to that? >> Well, yes. I first of all I think that that you have you're looking you're thinking well about the future. One of the things we don't know is what the override for next year for
039funding would look like and so that would depending on the override fits will give you the sense of the town support for whatever program you put forward. Thank you. >> Thank you for that. So Margaret we hand it back over to you. >> Okay. So, William, Rachel, I see your hand, but William had his hand up earlier. So, William, >> um, so it's my understanding I I have a few questions, but, um, out of the 135,000 that Pelum is getting in extra, not extra, but from the tax revenue this year, there's probably about 74,000 left in the pot after you deduct the insurance and the 26,000 for retirement. Is that about accurate, John? We don't know yet because we don't have the numbers from the uh health the insurance for the the town itself uh
040bond insurance and other fixed costs. We're still waiting for those. >> So we have about 70,000 and then that 70,000 would have to pay for the region and for Pelum >> for any fixed costs in Pelum. Yes. and hopefully something towards some of the wage increases or cuts other towns have already made. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Um so I guess to Dr. Z and and Shannon, um I'm assuming that if we did a tuitionbased process, which y'all proposing over time, then the town of Pelum would not have a school district left. So therefore we wouldn't have representation on what is going on in the schools that our kids go to. >> So the there is at the the town of Irving does uh has a school committee but they are not voting parties of
041the school committee. >> But that that is how they're agreeing >> that's how they're doing. Yeah, >> if we regionalize, we would have, >> right? >> But if you did the tuition base, you wouldn't have an authority to be on their school committee. >> So, we did ask we did so I asked legal counsel because there's a couple questions that still need to be answered, right? When it comes to Pella, so the one thing is in terms of the building of the agreements, the agreements come between the two school committees. The school committees come together to build the agreements. So that may have been how they built theirs there. You as a school committee would have to sit with the Amir school committee and build your agreement to your tuition in agreement together. So if
042there are um curricular considerations that need to be made, if there are um concerns like you would put your parameters in place. And so to me, this is a temporary step towards like this is an immediate this is a band-aid to to to slow to to address the wound that we have until we can get to a stronger place. However, in that agreement, you committee set your parameters and what your concerns are and how they come together and you would do that through legal counsel. The other thing that we have asked legal counsel because we talked about the fact that with school choice within the school choice law once we accept them there are students, right? And so the conversation that we've asked um I've asked legal counsel to research on behalf for this is
043that if if we are in this type of def deficit and in this issue where the school itself may not exist but the town is um transitioning in what does that mean for the school choice students that we own that we now are our students? Um what does that mean in terms of moving forward and paying for? So, they're going to finalize that because I my logic is then that they would either return to their home district, they would choice somewhere else or they would to come in to to they would not come in but they would transition in and then they would have to pay choice to Ammerst, right? We also did the numbers where we know about 26 to 28 of those 61 students are Ammerst students. So those students would of the
044of the students who are choice about 26 of them are actually ammer students. So they would they would then be returning to their um to their district you know Ammerst would would not be paying for those students to choice in choice in Pelum. So though we're actually researching that nuance of it um William but in terms of what's in the agreement that's between school committees. >> Okay. And then I guess Dr. I heard you say like a 386,000 deficit and I believe the deficit is 186 for Pelum and the 386 may be for um the Pelum and the region but I think on the slides you're showing 186 for Pelum. So remember if we go back >> the number for pelen elementary sorry >> right so remember if we go back to what you and
045I had disagreed on if John clarified without the two and a half% we're at 186 right additionally we are not going to receive whatever the region receives. So if the if the pelum assessment for the region is $101,000 we are not going to receive $101,000. We have about 70,000. So we could take the the >> We don't have 70,000. The town of Pelum has 70,000. That is not being applied to the to the elementary school. >> No, but that town that 70,000 that the town has, they could pay that 70,000 of the region's bill of h 100,000. So then we would be a $30,000 difference that then could be taken out of our choice funds, I would assume. I mean, we could balance it and and So, like I'm seeing like if in my mind
046if Palum stayed leveled and didn't take another dollar and the region needed $100,000 then that's really a $30,000 difference that we would have to then figure out how to come up with between Palum the town and then you know dipping into our choice fund revolving account. So, I get that, William, but we were directly told and I think John explained and he can explain it again that 70,000 is what the town has. The town is not the town is not appropriating those funds to the elementary. The town is appropriate. The town is keeping that to supplement the 115 that they have. So, or or like basically no one is none of the town departments is getting two and a half the town. Go ahead, John. This is your this is your discussion. join in as
047a co-presenter. >> Let's go back again. >> Budgets aren't set, >> right? >> We don't have numbers. We're early. So, the problem we got I and I give Dr. Z a and and your team great accolades for coming up with contingencies. But you cannot pin down numbers until we know what the governor's budget, which comes out next week, looks like. We might pick up $5,000 additional in in general aid to cities and towns. We might pick up you guys might pick up some money in chapter 70. You know, they're all this is all in preparation for looking down. So, please don't pin down exactly what the numbers look like. What we had to put in place I felt was a contingency for the town to understand where we stand and have people start thinking. So
048don't think about trying to find 5,000 here and 10,000 there. That's not the point at this time of the budget season. We're way too early. The region hasn't settled on it yet. the we do know in Pelum that we only have the 135,000 which just for reference sake is only 4,000 more than we had last year the two and a half%. So we only go up very very small increments in Pelum. So yes you can try to nuance it to fit something but please let Dr. Z present the concepts. So as February rolls around and numbers become clearer, you will be at least aware of where things are going at least in some fashion. We may not have to tap as much into the school. We may have there may be more. We don't know
049yet. But you have the reserve like we have free cash to one time. We have the you have the reserve of the money from the um school choice account which is available for this year. If the override goes through next year, we have more money. Maybe we can add more back in to build that back up again. But I can't tell you that's going to happen. >> Thank you, John. I um >> I guess my my only fear is that I I understand we don't know final numbers, but I feel like we have fifth grade families, you know, freaking out that at a few hours ago now they're being told that their sixth graders may go to Ammerst next year. And so I I think that it is it is cause for um uh being
050scared and trying to figure out um exactly what the numbers could look like would look like if we're telling families that their soon to be sixth graders are not going to be in Pelum anymore. >> And I I want to say William it this all solely rest with like the school committee the direction of where things go as a school committee. But again as the individual who has to come and advise and present a full picture it it would it would it would not be it would not be beneficial to come here without possible scenarios of how do we move forward and what this means for us. Right? And and it is early. There are things that could happen and could pivot and could change. But realistically the the concerns that we are faced with
051is we know for sure we have a 186. there is a wild card in terms of what the regional assessment is going to come out to be. We we know for this year this is where the town is. So the concern the the thing is is that as we enter into this budget preparation and season we presented one thing to this school committee in December we now have new updated information and we're we're like okay our direction has to pivot. We can't pivot unless you have the information. And we also did not want to present this in a way where we are then blindsiding individuals later on. It allows us to come up with a clear communication plan. It allows us to to start the backend work. Um you you know like there there different
052directions but also that's why the last bullet is very clear on this. Getting us through this fiscal scenario of FY27 is one thing. So that's an immediate. We need to think what is a long-term sustainability plan or even succession plan beyond this. So we do have and I recognize that and that is and I recognize we have staff that's uncertain. We have parents who are uncertain and this is from this is going to affect from this this is effect from the superintendent down down to to to the custodian in the district. Right? This is not a small conversation and realistically this is a conversation that we we would need to have because we already Pelum is a small school and there's a lot that's going to impact what we do with the budget. So we
053wanted to have this clear conversation. Margaret I sorry you can call the next. that. No, that's fine. And and I I will get to the people with questions, but I just wanted to say that I hope I'm so glad that so many people came to this meeting. Um it's better that we're getting information now than next month when we have to bring the budget for a hearing and when we then have to vote. Um, I think it's really important for people to understand what's going on, not just in the school, but the town and the region because everything ties together ultimately. So, none of this is easy. This is not something I was happy to hear or think and not something I'm, you know, my son went to the school. I had a grandson who
054went there for a while. I would like people to understand that I as a school committee person and I believe the other people on the school committee care about the students. I know that Dr. Z cares about the students and I know that the teachers care about the students. So my hope is that you will understand that those of you who are listening that this is not an easy conversation for anybody. Okay. Um Rachel, I'm going to go to Sarah Bess first and Jenny because you already had a question, but I'll come back to you. Um Sarah Best, >> thank you. Okay, so a couple of things. Thank you for saying that, Margaret. I uh um this is this this is a really hard conversation. Um it's not a brand new conversation. Um the you
055know I feel like I've you know listened to John for a lot a couple a long time now a bunch of years and he has always been very good about thinking forward and clear about what um needs to happen um or not not what needs to happen but a a long view of um how to move forward. And I also want to take a minute to say thank you to Dr. and her team for while this is a super hard conversation to have, having it early and having it often makes all of those pieces easier feels like the wrong word, but it makes it more um maybe easier. Yeah. Um, so, uh, I I know that these are these are hard and no one is happy about doing this. My own kids went through Pelum
056and adored it. They had nothing but fabulous teachers and a great experience there. Um, so thank you for for all of that and and I do really appreciate the um the the forward thinking that this that this is taking um from Dr. Z and and her off and her her team. So >> okay, thank you sir. Jenny >> mute Jenny. Thank you. Long day. Um I was just trying to get clarification because I hear William saying we have 135,000 and I hear John saying we have 135,000 and I I don't I'm trying to understand my interpretation of what I heard at the beginning was that that 135,000 we is the town of Pelum. that 135,000 is not being allocated for the school and I just want to clarify that. >> Correct. The the 135,000 the
057proverbial we is the town of Palam. >> Okay. Is that it Jenny >> for now? Yes. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Um Mickey. >> Um thank you. I just want to um say that I want us all to remember the staff. Um, this definitely affects all the students in a really hard way, but the staff it affects in a very different, >> very serious way. and and we will probably talk about that in a different place, but um I just want everyone to hold that as we're talking about things today because um it's really really hard and um yeah, I'll stop there. >> Thank you, Nikki. >> Margaret, can I say something? Yes. >> Um, and and the school committee by now knows that I'm often very direct. I just want to say I
058may be the bearer of the information and and the suggestion of puns, but this is not a Dr. Z is doing this. This is not a um John is doing this. This is the reality of where we are at. And I'm and so I'm feeling that it's combative, but I know it's passionate and it's passion. So I'm going to ask that like everyone also really that we are not fighting as school community members. This is a passionate and very deep conversation and we are talking about the livelihood of staff members. We are talking about the livelihood of children that belong to a town who values good education that has a very strong reputation throughout Massachusetts and Western Mass and some critical educators and great things that are moving forward. And so it's a hard conversation.
059And also what you are also hearing is this is new for the school committee members. So when we are when we are um going back and forth about whether or not something is clear or not, it is because they are receiving this real time and need to process their next step and with the passion that they have because they drive the vision of the school. And I say that because at one point in the meeting I felt like they it was being combative. Um, but I had to reframe myself and say it's the it's the moment of the conversation. And so it is because I look at facial expressions. I listen to tone. I I I listen to the words that are being delivered and that's how I am. But I also had to reframe
060for myself. So this is a very difficult conversation. Like I said, I spoke with the staff today. I see a series of staff members who are on here. I know they're community members. Rachel made the comment earlier that um we're going to lose more students. Like that's not the intent of this. This is to to drive the decision making of the school committee. This is so that you are just so when we present something to you or different things to you, you understand. But there are critical options and decisions that have to be made because even though it is early and it is very early, we still have to get our insurance numbers. We still have to see what the governor's budget is going to move forward. There are critical things. We still have a
061substantial deficit and there's some programming that we have to to do and to to use and we have to think about the fact that we are going to be we are self-s basically we are self- sustaining this year with whatever is in our funding and so um we just need to be to put in a place where this is the reality and we wanted the school committee to have the best because we have budget hearings coming up, we have discussions coming up, we have programming coming up and this is an action step for us So, we need that. >> Okay, Rachel, and I'm sorry, Rachel is out of the country and has to log off soon, so we go back to her. And I'm really appreciate that you made the effort to be here, Rachel.
062>> Yeah, I just I I am the only school committee member between the region, Ammerst, and Pelum, with elementary school, young age children. And um Mickey, thank you for pointing out the impact this will have on livelihoods and on teachers who have been at the school for decades and shapes a culture that is like irreplaceable and not one that that uh I believe exists anywhere else. Um I I like with a lot of respect and appreciation. This is not advanced warning. This is not advanced warning for the kindergarten families. This is not advanced warning for the first grade families. This is not at all advanced warning for the fifth grade families. And like respectfully to everybody here, I I would really like to encourage us to go the route of tapping into that charter school
063budget that I know Shannon said and explained is not a best case scenario, but it is not fair for those families, particularly for the fifth grade families who I can speak on behalf of are um shocked and outraged. like the the meeting notes for today were only posted about three hours ago. Um and so we even people who were paying very close attention only saw this for the first time three hours ago and have children who have been waiting since prek to be the oldest kids in the school. I do not think it is a fair or reasonable expectation either to those children or to the sixth grade teacher to pull the rug out from under them. Um I I understand the financial situation as best I can. I remain confused about the same thing
064that I think Jenny was just trying to clarify. Um, but I I do not think this is a reasonable proposal for this next school year. Um, and I also would would really like to remind all of us that one of the goals that Dr. Z was planning on working on was doing a full assessment of the column school program so that we could be making decisions like this this year. And we don't have that information yet to make decisions based off of. So, I I don't at all feel comfortable moving ahead, frankly, even with a K1 combined class without real data. Um, I'm unfortunately gonna have to go because we said this was a one-hour meeting. Um, and I am doing my best to speak on behalf of both myself as a school committee member,
065as a parent of children with special education need, and as a parent of two of the grades that will be the most significantly impacted immediately. Margaret, can I rebut? Um, and hopefully she can see the recording afterwards. >> You You can. I would just like first to just say one word, which is Rachel, I understand how you feel like you've been blind blindsided. I will tell you that everyone on the school committee is feeling the same way. This is all very new to us and we had no intent to do that to anybody. Um, so I hope you'll understand that Dr. Z. So I I want to start off by saying that a blindsiding in my opinion would have been waiting till our February 3rd meeting to come forward or even our budget meeting to
066say this is what was presented. This is why we are we insisted on calling a special meeting ahead of time to to bring this information forward. I also want to say that when we have certain conversations and things it is delicacy in making sure that we balance what we present. It doesn't want to tell the story that we want to have that we want to double check our numbers and we want to double check our facts. And this conversation is not one where we are saying that oh no we know we know when it was posted. We we worked on this repeatedly. We checked this. We we wanted to do this in a way that um made sense. And so we went back and forth back and forth on this. Um this is not an
067easy conversation. I think John said that when he spoke to myself me and Shannon almost fell out the chair. We ended the meeting early. This is not something where we feel like we are intentionally trying to harm individuals. And I take offense to saying that there's any blindsiding to individuals. We're actually bringing the information that we have in the time that we've had it and trying to make sure that we arm the school committee with as much information and recommendation and guidance as we can have. That is why it's called a recommended approach. That is why we researched. That is why we were working to make sure that things were linked and put into the documentation. So, this was not for us to blindside individuals. This is why before this meeting, we made sure that
068we spoke to staff so they're not hearing something secondhand and wondering and then and and and saying, "Oh my gosh," and reaching out afterwards. Um, so I take offense to that. I also know that there is a series of things and my goal I did say earlier in this meeting from the start that I will be changing my goal because it talks about a programmatic outlook but we are in a different situation. If we do not have funds we do not have a school to run if there is no money. How are we funding that? We need to plan for sustainability or for succession. And that is not what my goal surrounds. And so the school committee cannot can can plan for a program but if we are unable to fund a program then what
069are what are we looking for? It is not about like and the town is being very clear like this is you are all residents of the town. You you know that the average I was told that the average tax um went up a thousand but for some it went up like more. Um and so we have like I am not I am not here reing in this. I am sitting down here thinking of what we have to carry to educate children to keep staff whole to make sure that we're moving forward. And so it is not charter funds, it is our school choice funds. And again, this is even with that we are still going to face some level of deficit. And and even with that, we are even if we do not face a
070level of deficit, we would have completely depleted in one year our entire school choice funds. We would be waiting to determine if a 2 and a half% override moves forward. And that would not that would be more jarring for the larger population of the school if we do not start to strategically plan and put things in place that we can adequately communicate that we can adequately plan for that if we have to bring committees together wherever you decide to move to we would have to bring committees together. There's a series of things that we have to do. And so as we received it, we made sure we communicated it as we needed to in the right way, in a respectful way, and we're bringing it forward to you. So this the intent is not to
071blindside, it is to inform because we are also in the budget season where we have to determine what we are going to do for FY27. We left in December in one direction. We received additional information. we need to pivot our directions not just fiscally but even programmatically and that that is what I would like to rebut it's sometimes I was told it's not about intent it's about impact and that was the impact of the state >> okay uh William >> yeah so I I I think possibly why there is a feeling of being blindsided is that you know this meeting was posted before like the 48 hour posting of the meeting, but materials were not added to it until a few hours ago. And so I really feel like our best foot forward that we
072could do as a district, to our community, to our school committee members, is that when we post a meeting at that 48 hour mark, we should have the materials there and ready. And so if the materials weren't ready till today, that is fine because I know y'all were working hard and y'all were trying to finalize the numbers and paint the picture that it needed to be painted. But then our meeting should be two days from now. So I I think that, you know, giving the opportunity for the um information to be posted for 48 hours would allow us not to feel blindsided. So, I do think that the um having this information brought to us relatively a few hours ago makes everyone's feelings go up. That was just my statement. My question would be um
073if we were to send the sixth graders to tuition them in for next year, what would the cost be for per pupil versus what is the cost per pupil for them to stay in the building? So again, that is all built in the the formula is built into your tuition um your agreement, right? Because that's something the school committees would agree upon. We >> we may not save money though, like this this is the understanding that if we send kids out, we will be saving money, but the town may still have a a bigger bill to pay. >> So Shannon, I was going to say Shann Shannon did something. Let me read. I did some preliminarium numbers. I'm not comfortable presenting that right now. I really wanted us to first just have the conversation and
074talk about and then at future meetings to start bringing forth the ideas and make sure that things are thorough and well thought out and not rushed. But um I will say in one scenario, I mean the knowing whether or not we have to pay for the school choice in students to be choiced is a big deal. That's you know 60 students. Um, but if I don't count those, there is savings from if we use a similar formula to what Irving has used. So, it's it's still up in the air, but I certainly want to bring that forth. Just not tonight wasn't the good good time. >> And we also, like I said, we also need like this these are recommendations that we brought forth. So, we didn't delve deep into those parts and we we
075saw what what what Irving had and we said, "Okay, sh run a run a scenario, right?" and said, "Oh, well, there could possibly be savings in this way if they did this." But again, it is all structured on what goes into the agreement, if we use this as the same formulas, those types of things. >> Okay. So then I guess for a followup, I would really like to understand the numbers are the impact on students if we combined more classrooms than just K1. if we went to multi-year classrooms more across the board um before we would send kids out to other schools. >> Sure. Bring this up. >> And then I I I would want to I would want to know, you know, the per pupil charged cost that we pay now to have a
076kid in the school and then a per pupil cost of what the tuition would be for future, not for tonight, but like I I would need to know that information before I could have an opinion one way or the other. Uh >> sure. Um if Shannon brings up I'll tell you about the the cons I'll just walk you through that first slide with our current enrollment um and the reason why we went with K1 um in terms of a combination. So currently in if you look at our recommended sizes and and even let's just talk about the class sizes in Pelum right you'll notice that there are from second grade to fifth grade we the total number of students is 22 is above 20 students right and so first if we were to combine next
077year our kindergarteners would be first graders so it would be 12 first graders ers right now what we know from the census and from our inquiry we have five resident kindergarteners coming into Pell next school year. So the class the K1 combined class would be 17 students. Um we we could look at the first grade if we looked at okay what if we combined first and second and again this is the progression this is our current enrollment. So imagine your kindergarters are your first graders your first graders are your second graders. If we were to combine first and second, we would be at 23 students and we would only have five students sitting in kindergarten by themselves and would take more school choice, right? Um we when you look at the other grade levels, we
078would be exceeding 30 to 40 students if we combine them. >> I meant if we do we have to keep the spots open for those current choice students or could we try to Okay. >> Right. So, so that's why I go back to in terms of our choice students that we have now are our students. We unless they decide they're going back to their district, they remain with us. So, in our planning, the reason that is why we considered a combination and we had because of our current numbers, we have not considered a combination of other grade levels. So to do that, you would have to roll it up and not accept like if you didn't accept any choice for K1, then you could combine those the next year. And then the next year, if
079you didn't accept anyone in first and second, then you could roll those. But you would have to roll it up because you can't force a kid that you've already accepted to be choiced in to leave. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> Thank you for that. >> You're welcome. And so the Thank you, Shannon, for sharing that. You could take it. So the next convers the next questions that you have we'll work on those depending on on where we decide to move forward. >> Um I think Jenny I'm happy to pass. I see other hands. >> Okay. Um I see Mickey. John, did did you have your hand up? >> Yeah. Are there any questions for me? I I hate to be the bad the bearer of bad tidings, but in reality, we had that we've had
080meetings after the fall town meetings for two years about focusing on the elementary school trying to get the word out that there was a a problem coming now. Apparently, it didn't filter down as far as it should have, but we've been trying. If you've been following the uh new the the letter from the finance committee for a number of years now, you'll know we've been trying to raise the flag that things are getting tough and with a regional adjustment last year to bring us in line with the statutory method absorbed all of our buffer. So it came down to where we stand now. I hate hate to do that, but that's where it is. So, unless there are any questions for me, I'd like to let you have your meeting and Margaret, I'm sure, will
081fill me in later. >> Yes. Thank you, John. I'm glad you were here so you could uh speak to some of the questions. Thank you for coming. >> Anytime. Anybody has a question, please call me. >> Okay. Thank you. Um Mickey, um so I just want to make sure a couple things just say a couple things. Number one, I still want everyone to think about the staff. Um, and number two, think about the staff and how we're going to hold the kids. So, this is big news. It's going to become rumors. It's not going to be it, you know, kids are going to hear it maybe accurately and it's going to go to someone else who's going to spin it completely differently. And so, um, we're gonna be it's going to be a different school.
082Um, and we're going to be having to, um, help the students through whatever rumors and the truth of what's happening is. Um, and the staff found out today. >> They found out today at three. >> And they found out today at three because that was when we could tell them all together. And it was really important that we told them all together. Um, and I'm this might sound really like um it's some people are facing um having they're so close to retirement that this might be like >> they're they might be losing their retirement. And I think we did hear today that people are going to do their best to help them, but this is really serious for a lot of people in Pelum, the staff. And I just want to make sure we hold
083that. Um the kids like we know the kids the staff know how to help kids but the staff that's a whole another ball game that like I I'm not prepared for that. I'm going to do my best and I need everyone who's here to to help us help the staff. Um because they're the ones helping the kids. Um, and hopefully the rumors won't get too crazy and um, we can keep our days as awesome and as normal as they are because Pelum is really special. It is unbelievable that it feels like the rug is being pulled out from underneath us and people have been working so hard putting all every and I'm sorry I'm taking up a lot of time but they have put their heart and soul into this job >> to help students
084and there were people today crying in the hallways and thinking about individual kids that this is really going into effect before they thought of themselves. And there are people who are new teachers who maybe can bounce back easily, but there's not many of them. Pelum is is a staff full of of of humans who have been there for a really long time. Um, so I also am really thinking about the kids. I don't want you to think I'm not. I am really thinking about the kids. Um, but we have to hold the staff because they're going to be holding the kids >> and thank you >> to know that holding the staff includes you, Mickey >> and and so um it's been it's I know that individuals feel that there are things that could and
085should have happened differently. Um I am I as a leader I own the timeline and it was not to blindside anyone but also the respect of making sure that we had the opportunity to follow a process and we ran through every possible scenario before we posted information that could have created a whole different set of feelings. So um I I just want to acknowledge that and acknowledge that the staff includes you Mickey. Thank you, Margaret, for letting me interrupt. >> Jenny, >> you're muted. I'm sorry. >> I really appreciate um those sentiments a lot, Mickey. And I am I'm wondering if there is a plan to communicate this to the community so that people who are not on this call will get one message um so that we can help the staff and help Mickey
086contain some of the rumors. >> Dr. Z. Um, so Jenny, one of the things in the staff meeting today that we were asked was to create um, one I was asked that I'm and I and agreed that I would send the Pelum staff a bulleted just how did it go today because there's some individuals who admitted that they don't want to watch this school committee, meaning they don't want to hear our discussions. They it's it's going to cause enough emotion with what's currently happening. So I agreed that I would send them a just you know the presentation and a bulleted um outline of how did it go from my perspective and um you know what the next steps are. I we it was also asked like what can we tell kids um knowing that our
087children are going to process differently our parents are going to be on the call and they're going to tell their children things differently and what is it going to be and so um I promise to work with them to craft that. Um, so I probably between myself or Mickey, we talked about just keeping it high level and saying it's very early. Um, but we know for sure that we'll have a PEL next year and and and that's what we're working to have. Um, and so we're probably going to work on that too in terms of how do we hold the students, but the individuals, I agree, we're making it individuals to hold the students as a staff. Um, and so for me, that's that's where that is. I hope I answered your question. Yeah, I
088mean I think it's hard to >> I think it's hard to message one way or the other because what we're messaging is we don't know. Um so but I I think you know just >> the more we can communicate obviously to families and staff I think the better. I I'll work on a message um this evening and Margaret I can send it to you as chair to review and see if you put your stamp on it. Um and just summarizing what we discussed what the perspectives may be and then we can send it out tomorrow morning. >> William I was just going to say I how much do we have in the choice fund? Uh Shannon, >> it's it's close to like 900,000 to a million or so. >> Okay. So, we're facing $186,000 deficit
089and it and then it might be more than that because we only have I'm not I don't want to make anyone upset, but there's like 70,000 that could go towards the region. So if the region is is saying 200,000 more that if they needed 200,000 that would be like another 100,000 that has to come from somewhere right just hypothetically. >> So that would be like 100 plus the 186 you're talking 300,000. >> Can we not make a commitment that we can make it work for next year? That we will make it work and we will have the sixth grade be at Pelum. We will make it work and we will spend this next few months and over this summer to make a plan for what happens long term. But for this year, can we not
090make a commitment to our community to say that Pelum will stand as it is today for next year because we do have the funds for a band-aid solution for at least this next year. >> So, I'm um I'm gonna just clarify two things. one in that 900 to a million. We've already allocated over 500,000 to the current budget, right? So that's the 500. We're talking about taking the additional funds from from the school choice, whatever that may be depending on the range. Again, we don't have 70. That's not appropriated to us. That's the town has 70. They have not appropriated anything extra to us. So we we would have to appropriate from so the I think it's like 550,000 that we've already appropriated um and then we would have to take in and take out
091the additional 300,000 what we have brought forward to you as a school committee is recommendations based on what we know the the the acts that you're asking I think you're asking among school committee members if that is your driving force That's why we created the conversation around the um what it means like the long-term debt, >> the long-term sustainability knowing that that commitment means that you are then in this year or those summers working on whatever agreements, whatever different changes, whatever you're doing. Again, that also is why I propose changing my goal because that that does not go with program changes. that goes with a plan for sustainability and for succession. So um I just I wanted to clearly say though that decision is the decision of the school committee. We are just presenting the
092scenario that we are now faced with and we are providing you with the fact that we're not getting the two and a half%. We are not doing this but if you commit to to do that that's what the school committee directs us to do and build the budget. That's what we have to do. I'm I'm just saying I just want to clarify what the numbers are going to be and that we've already applied a over 50% of our school choice account to the budget. That's why the deficit right now is only 186. >> Um Dr. Z. So when Shannon said we have close to a million, we don't really because 500,000 of that is going to already go into the >> 27 budget. Is that what you're saying? So what we really have in there
093is 500,000. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Can I ask a clarifying question? >> Yes. Um, typically though we do have that because Shannon told us originally, I mean that was like before all this happened. Um, not to worry about spending that dollar amount because it typically comes back. So, I do think that part of that pot could be refilled. I mean, it's going to be less and less refilled if we're saying we're going to close. Um, but I don't think it it it some money would be coming back into that pot. >> Yep, that is true. So we will get funds for in we're getting funds now in 26. Um so it'll start to be refilled but then when we use more than what we take in it does dwindle. The a part
094to keep in mind is that if we are trying to make uh something sustainable for the Pelum resident students, we might want to start limiting that school choice even further. Um and not having that support us at all so that if there is some tuition agreement at we're not responsible to pay for those students. And when we have the model of um K to one in one classroom, we will guaranteed receive less school choice next year. So just there. So it's there's a lot to think about and all of the different impacts. >> Okay, Sarah Bash. >> Uh okay, thank you. There was just one point I wanted to um clarify from before. I don't think it's um it's a good idea for the school committee at this time to think about any potential additional
095like $70,000 that could come from the town because that's not what is being allocated in our direction, right? This this is um like disaster planning, right? So I I think um we we just need to be thoughtful about about that. Okay. Um I see I see one I'm going to read from Well, now that's from a parent so I'm or someone attending it. So, um, I'm not going to read that. Dr. Z, >> there's something that I wanted to add in. Um, and I I'm going back on my notes a bit. I believe Shannon clarified for me in quarter 1, we had a student who I think they're out of district and we actually have to apply I think around 150,000 or we may we may have proposed to apply 150,000 of our school choice
096funds. >> Yeah. So, there's um there's two students. There's one student that is not a Pelum resident that choiced into the district but then had to go to at a district that we will be reimbursed for that. But then there's another um placement that is a Pelum resident um that we will need to increase um the school choice funds for um and that was flagged at the Q1 report and we were hoping to either do that in Q2 or Q3 which will take away from a little bit of that. I wanted I wanted but and the reason why I wanted to point to that is we kind of we also need to and and and I hear us in this commitment be mindful of the fact that we also use our school choice as a
097contingency for things like that that occurs throughout the school year. If there is an additional staff member that needs to come in to support our students needs. If there is a student who needs who whose whose needs calls for us to to and we don't have the placement for them then we have to we have to make sure that we provide for it. So the reason why we are proposing some things and also saying to be mindful is because of how tight Pelum's budget is that also serves as our um contingency. So I just wanted to put that there. Um, so I'm seeing some questions from I assume caregivers um in the chat and I guess what I would say is I would like to take these questions back to the committee and to Dr.
098Z. I it we typically don't respond in a regular school committee. We don't respond to um non-school committee people. We did with John because he was able to answer questions that the committee had. Um so I would just say to those of you, you know, if you have questions, put them in the chat. I'll take them down. I will take them back to the committee and Dr. Z so they don't get lost. Um, and I think this is not the last time you're going to hear from us before we have a budget. So, um, and and I personally want to say one of the things I'm glad for what Dr. Z brought up about unions and bargaining and what Mickey said because that's something that I really hadn't thought about. So, thank you for bringing
099that up. William, do you have another >> I do. Sorry. So, I don't I I was looking over the numbers somewhere else and all the towns had um I guess done their free certified their free cash palum has not yet. So, I would want to like before we had made decisions, it would be interesting to know what the certified certified free cash is for the town. Um, and then I guess my only other question would be that I understand that the town of Pelum has not allocated or whatever the word is that 70,000 that that number I was throwing out. But like I think the way we do a budget is in my understanding and I'm not a numbers person so I could be totally wrong is that we as a school committee decide what
100we ask for from the town and then we present that to the town and then they vote on it that so there's no money allocated to us until after we ask and it's voted on. So I don't think at this point in time that that 70,000 would ever be allocated to us. I'm just trying to say I think there is 70,000 that is in a pot that could be given to the region or to like to the Pelum Elementary School, but it's only 70,000. So if we didn't take any extra dollars for Pelum, that 70,000 would then go off the bill that the region would be charging. And that's where I I get the 70,000 hasn't been allocated, but I don't think it will be until after town votes on it. But maybe I don't
101understand the process. >> Um, typically, and Sarah Bess, you can you can put your thoughts in here if I get this wrong. Typically, what happens is there are warrant articles at town meeting and they may be recommended or not recommended. And yes, we can vote a budget and we can tell the finance committee in the town that this is our budget, but then it's going to go to the town and and town meeting to vote it. So, um, we don't we don't submit it, you know, it goes I think it goes through the finance committee because we're a department of the town. I wanted to confirm for you Margaret that that was my understanding of I I think so the region operates very differently. Um and but even the region has where three of the
102four towns have to agree to the budget for the budget to pass. Um here with Pelum the it it would go through the finance committee. Um the finance committee would recommend it and then it would go to to the town for vote. One of the reasons why um Shannon and I well Shannon works so closely with the finance committee um is because we often try to create a budget that we know will realistically pass through um and move forward and um very much a lot of the towns provide guidelines right so that's why the initial budget was built at 2 and a.5%. Because that was the initial guidance that we had received early on that okay everyone is going to receive two and a half. Now where the new guidance is there is going to
103be level right no department is getting two and a half so we remove that and not only will you not get two and a half you're going to get less whatever the region gets so the guidance so I I we could vote you could vote the budget but the finance committee is still going to recommend what they what they move forward with and that's really the driving financial factor of the town. So that's why we try to create the best picture and and put ourselves in the best possible place programmatically for the students. So that's my understanding and I think it supports what you say, Margaret. >> William. >> Yeah, I just have one question. I I guess it's maybe future agenda planning. I'm not sure. But I I do think that it would be
104important tonight if we can give a date and time of when our next meeting would be so that the public will have an opportunity to respond and to have public comment. You know, because I think public comment was due by 3 p.m. which was pretty close to when this document was shared. Um, and so I I do think it would be important for us to allow um the community to know when they could come and share their opinions with us. >> Um, >> February 3rd. >> I I don't think picking a date right now. I I would say >> it could be our next meeting just to let everyone know when the next meeting is. That's all. But I'm saying that there are so many meetings happening over the course for all kinds of different
105things. I think tomorrow we could get a date. We can push that out to as many people as possible, but I don't think trying to do it tonight is really feasible. We have to coordinate we have to coordinate a lot of schedules. So, okay. Um, I see no more hands. Um, I would like to thank Shannon. Thank you. It's a lot of work you put into this in a very short period of time. Really appreciate it. Dr. Z for you also. Mickey and all the teachers who are here, everybody who's here and those who couldn't be and for all the caregivers. I know there are a lot of you out there who are listening to this and I I I really appreciate you're being here even though it's not what you wanted to hear. So,
106we will try to stay in touch and keep you in the loop as we move forward. So I guess I would take a motion to adjurnn. Nobody wants to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Thank you. >> I move to ajourn. >> Thank you. Uh roll call vote. William, >> yes. >> Jenny, >> yes. >> Sarah Bess, >> yes. >> And Rachel already had to leave and I say yes. So our meeting is now adjourned. Good night. >> Good night all. >> Good night.