001Good evening everyone. Thank you for being here. Uh it's nice to see a lot of people this evening. We appreciate your time. Uh we're going to call to order, but if you would please join me in standing for the ple uh pledge and remain standing for a moment of silence. I pledge allegiance 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. Thank you. At >> this point, we can turn it over to the secretary for roll call. >> Mrs. Beers >> here. >> Mr. Bennett >> here. >> Mr. Brown >> here. >> Mr. Bryant >> here. >> Mr. Tossy >> here. >> Reverend Kustard >> here. >> Mrs. Despenis >> here. Mr. Dejakamote >> here. Mr.
002Stavorski >> here. >> Okay. Um at this point I'm going to turn it over to the administration to begin our committee as a whole. >> Um we're going to start with winter sports recognition. Um and we are going to start I'm going to turn this over to Mr. Greco, our athletic director and teacher up at Seggertown High School. >> Good evening. Uh thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak this evening. Um, we had a very successful winter sports season. We're currently in the midst of a very successful um, spring sports season currently. Um, really quickly, our our baseball team is undefeated in the state of Pennsylvania. Um, our softball team just clinched a co- region championship. Um, our baseball team won that outright and our boys are playing volleyball tomorrow for a chance
003at winning a region championship as well. Um but we're here to recognize some fantastic accomplishments from the winter. I'm going to start with um our girls wrestling program. Uh we had two girls that qualified for states that um are from the Meville attendance area and Leah Sample and Kaylee Stampin Williams. Um so I want to recognize them. I also want to recognize Milin Harrison who couldn't be here tonight um but uh he also qualified for states. But you can see that there are many young men around here um tonight with baseball hats on um couple that are not baseball players but our volleyball players that gave time out of their current sports season to be here. Um and I want to recognize them um as being part of the boys basketball team of which I
004had the luxury and um fantastic job of leading them that we had our most successful season in two decades um 20 21 and five um losing to the eventual state champions. Um I know I didn't see all of you at all of our events but Mr. Jacma I did see you there numerous times. Thank you um for your support. I know that you're busy, but um these student athletes do it well in the classroom. Zero academic eligibility issues. Um zero discipline issues. Maybe a minor one here and there. Um but um they do it right both in the classroom and they come to school to be quite honest. They come to school for not only education but because of their love for athletics. You can see them having baseball hats on right now. They're dual
005sport or three sport athletes. They are busy and they are still tops in their class. Many of them, all of them. Um I get to teach them. I get to advise them as their senior class adviser. They have monies coming in for scholarships they don't even know about. So as a senior, so they they do it very well. Um so I want to thank them for a successful year. Um recognize them since it was 20 plus years that we made it to the state playoffs. So, um although we would have liked to have a few more games, um not lost was the success we had this season. So, >> what round was that? The second, third, >> that was the that was the first round of the state playoffs at the Wakeley Academy. >> Wow.
006>> They have teams from three continents that we had teams we can't even get three townships to play for us. So, that's another story, but that's >> that's the PIAA right now. But >> so, but they did they did a fantastic job. Um, and like I said, 21 and five and three of those losses came to Sickley Academy, Mercier Prep, and a game we shouldn't have lost. So, so very, very good year. So, thank you. So, I have certificates for all of you. You don't have to stay here. Um, but if you would stand up really quickly. Um, and being part of a team, um, is very important. Uh, we obviously had plenty of individual accomplishments, too. So, I want to recognize two 10,000 point scorers that made it this year. Um, and Luke Young,
007who's a graduating senior, if you raise your hand really quickly. Thank you. And Jackson Scott, who's a junior, will be returning as well. Um, but since basketball's a team sport, they all know they couldn't have done it without their teammates. So, um, congratulations to them as well. So, I've given them permission to kind of exit stage right here. So, I can give them their certificate on the way out. Um, but thank you guys for coming and thanks and going home now to eat some dinner, I'm sure. >> Good luck on the spring sports here. >> Yeah. Good luck, guys. Okay. Well, um, Mr. Ford has given me the opportunity to present more student awards. We have a number of academic achievements as well. Um, forgive me on the names, but uh, we have some journalism
008awards from both Seagertown and Cambridge Springs. Uh, I have Cambridge Springs first. um received fifth place in editorial state finalist for Ella Mor. >> Congratulations, Ella. >> Just surprise. >> Yeah. >> Congratulations. >> Oh, sorry. >> I'll send you the bill. I'll send you the bill. Okay. We also have a third place in broadcast journalism, state finalist, Hayden Taylor. We also have a third place in broadcast journalism, uh, is it Bryley Miller, Glenn, recognize them. Uh, and for Cambridge Springs, excuse me, for Seagertown, give me a minute. Uh, we also have some newspaper journalism awards. Um, for newspaper feature journalism competition finalist for Pennsylvania School Press Association, we have Aaliyah Pal. >> Uh, Quinton Burchil for newspaper sports journalism. >> He just left say I saw >> you want me to yell Quinton Biril. >>
009So we have Quinton Burch. That was sports journalism. uh newspaper news journalism we have Lincoln Flowers and editorial cartoon journalist uh competition finalist we have Vladimir Pierre PETIER >> All right we are going to move on to the uh national history day now coming from a history day adviser former history I know this is a lot of So, uh, state contest qualifier for National History Day. We have Katherine Hias, >> Helas, Helas. CATHERINE. We also have some tech awards. This is second place in cosmetology. We have Alyssa Whan. Alyssa here. Second place in electronics technology, we have Edward Beans. Third place for job skills demonstration, we have Graceland Jordan. All right, so thank you to all the students uh and your good work. Uh we like to see a large stack of certificates this time
010of year. So, great job to and to their advisers as well and coaches. At this point, I'll turn it back over to the administration. >> All right, >> we are up to we have um I believe the volunteer firefighters are going to do a presentation for us. Um who's here tonight? >> Yeah, I saw you had a bunch of folks. You're going to have >> I do. Yeah, no problem. I don't know. I thought everybody's here for me. I was all excited and >> see I got this for every board member who's take care to use a bigger version. I can't see. Uh good evening. Uh my name is Eric Henry. I'm the chairman of the Crawford County Board of Commissioners and I appreciate a few minutes of your time. Uh we want to talk
011a little bit tonight about the volunteer service credit program that is permissible by state law, passed to state law. Several counties have have looked at this and school districts have looked at this, also local municipalities, and I'll have a uh two of the chiefs here behind me make a quick comment at the end. Uh pretty simply put, it's a it's a very simple program. Uh to be eligible for the program, you have to be a volunteer fire response agency personnel or volunteer for a nonprofit EMS response agency uh Crawford County resident, a property owner current in your taxes, and then successful applicants receive up to $500 of their county property tax liability. I I added a picture of Commissioner Celely's tax bill, which is pretty low. He probably needs reevaluated. Comes across from there. Uh
012the idea to show you is at the county level of his taxes, uh Chris pays $36,920. This tax incentive program would just wipe the county bill out up to $500. We don't give him a net difference. It's up to $500. When you look at the bill itself, uh that's what's important. Uh for these guys to be eligible, they have to provide 96 hours of service a year, which is eight hours a month. They have to be on emergency calls 48 hours of that time. So they have to respond in some capacity in an emergency. Uh their attendance at business meetings is worth 24 hours. And of course any attendance at drills and other education uh also any uh fundraisers they may do which you know anything about volunteer services that's really what their bread and
013butter really is. So but it's still geared towards emergency responders. They simply put there's two application pages you can see from the commissioner's office. And I think it's important that this is one of the easiest process this is. You have the name of the of the provider, their response agency, their address, municipality, phone and email, then their signature. What's important about their signature is at the very bottom it says, "I understand that false statements contained herein or made subject to the penalties of 18pa CSA section 4904 related to unsworn falsification to authorities." The reason we tell all the fire departments that is this is actually a legal document. Uh and then fire chief actually after the application does the same thing. the application is on there and it shows you that the fire chief also
014fills out the same document and then signs the same attestation. The key to this is is that there's two other components that are important to this this law. One, if you're an injured uh volunteer, your eligibility is granted for 5 years consecutively, and we don't want that ever to happen, but there's obviously a good chance of these guys who are volunteering uh to get hurt. at least they'll have the the actual tax rebate for the next five years. The other part is if it should hopefully never happen that a surviving spouse uh would be eligible for the the lifetime of their residency in Crawford County. Both of those components were required in the state law. And uh so we thought they were both good good parts to to reiterate to our fire uh friends to
015make sure they understood it. We don't want either one of those to have to happen, of course. So very simply put uh when you have the attestation for surviving spouse or injured the chief fills it out but at the very end uh and again very short presentation the chief officer or designate is responsible for the actual records. The documentation needs to be uh available for the board of commissioners, a designated agent of the state fire commission or the auditor general. Uh you have to keep the records for seven years. There's only one rebate per household. So, it's $500 whether it be husband and wife. You can't combine the hours. You have to be one one given household. And this application is for uh up till December 31st to get their rebate. And of course, there
016is an appeals process. So, what that means is next spring, they'll pay their county tax bill. If they have the required hours in the access station from their chief, they will actually get that money back from the county. Whether it be 38,250 or five up to $500, that's what they would get back from the county. So when I when you ask why am I here tonight? Well, school boards actually are also eligible to do this. And I will tell you that I'm going to have a couple of the fire chiefs speak here for me briefly. Even though that just now, sorry. Uh the importance of what this program means. Uh in the 70s, there were 300,000 firemen in Pennsylvania. Now there's 30,000. That's just the truth. Uh it's an aging population. Our average firefighter age
017in in Crawford County is 57 years old. The reason we wanted to look at this program was to retain the people we have and to draw interest from people who might want to look at that re rebate. I live in Westme Township. Uh so my township actually has exonerated their local tax. The school board in Crawford Central has provided the same rebate that we have and so they're eligible for $1,000 annually plus their township tax. And that fire department, both fire departments have used that in their recruitment tools and their advertising to get new volunteers. that makes a huge difference when it comes to what can a fire department offer you for what you do. So, with that being said, I will take any questions before I just have the chiefs uh speak briefly on
018the importance of the program. Anybody have any questions? It was it was approved by Crawford Central uh about two months ago. I think it was two months ago. >> Yes. >> Can they do that? Um can they get the rebate even if they do like the homestead? Um, >> as long as there as long as there's a tax bill that they they paid of 5 up to $500, we would be rebid. Yes. >> And that his taxes bill is a poor excuse because there's lots of high. >> Anybody else have any questions? >> Yeah. Does the county uh process the school the uh Crawford Central school? >> So, in the Crawford Central idea, one of the things we talked about was we would actually vet the process for them and give a a list for
019them. So to minimize your your use and and I know everybody's busy and it's hard to do that. So we we have offered that to Crawford Central. Yes. >> I see. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Any other questions? People do ask us what does that cost in Crawford County? Uh we have 26 volunteer fire departments. If it cost us a million dollars, that would be great, but it's not going to. I mean, unfortunately for us, most of these fire departments have two, three, or four eligible people at the most. Uh remember, they have to own property. So a lot of folks don't own property they rent there. There is no law or regulation or ability to help. Although we're trying to figure out something for those folks. Local people can do earned income tax. So
020they can actually reduce that. But a lot of these guys that you'll hear from they're younger and they don't own property. So it doesn't help those those folks. So you have to own the property. That's why the numbers are a little bit lower. So we we would hope it would be great but we we know it's not going to be a huge detriment to our $70 million budget. So we we're hoping for good numbers. But any other questions? All right, I'd like to start with uh Chief Evan Hasco from Hayfield just to give a a quick example of how we could help recruit some of your people to be gentle. Thanks, Commissioner Henry. Thank you, school board, for having us here tonight to to listen. Um, again, volunteerism is down nationally, not just here in
021Crawford County or state of Pennsylvania. Uh, there's just not the people for whatever reason. Uh times are tough, multiple jobs, people working. Um calls increasing, less people to do the job. This tax incentive is at least something and I believe it came about, correct me, through the uh fire commission, correct? >> Yes, sir. Uh the county had a fire commission over the last several years, and one of the things they were looking at was how to recruit and retain volunteers. Okay. This was one of the incentives that they came up with would be a tax incentive. Okay, right now that's better than nothing because everything we do is by volunteer and donations. Okay, we're not a career paid fire department. So all our apparatus and and bills for the buildings and everything we buy is
022through fundraising. Okay, that's through either donations or boot drives or or what have you, dinners. And you know, the price of everything keeps going up and up. I mean, if you wanted to buy a brand new engine right now, you're looking close to a million dollars for a fire engine, which is crazy. You know, 10 years ago, you could get that same engine for 300,000. Uh, since CO hit, it's just like everything quadrupled. Ridiculous. So, um, I appreciate you guys hearing our are willing to consider this incentive. I hope that you would adopt it. I know uh our our township, April Township, is also considering it as well. So again, I thank you. >> Thank you. >> Uh B PJ Flesher, Chief Siger Town Fire Department. Just kind of echo what Evan said uh along
023that line. Just we are 100% volunteer. So not only do we have to emergency responses, but we have to raise our own funds as well. There's no tax levy that comes to us in any manner. Uh it's cash bash if you heard of it or an online raffle or whatnot. Uh that we go and beg for that uh on that realm. Uh just what whatever we can offer the gentlemen and the ladies that come down and volunteer their time whether it's missed work, late work, not paid, whatnot. Uh kind of help absorb that in some manner. Uh only other thing kind of my pet peeve to that is is if possible if you decide to do this or whatnot to the guidelines that uh the Crawford County has set up or whatnot to the 96
024hours if we could try and stay to that. It just helps on our end to because we have to keep track of who's eligible where uh and and whatnot. Uh so that it's not a townships that's different, the county that's different and the penrest that is different as well. Uh so cuz not only do you have to go to emergency, do you have to do that, but there's a lot of paperwork behind the scenes as well. Um and that's just my personal vendetta or whatever for that uh to make that happen. But once again, appreciate it. At least here in the south. And >> that's all I got. Any questions for us, Evan or I. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, guys. In the last page, there's a email. You can send an email if you
025have any questions. That goes to all three county commissioners. Uh, and we'll try to answer them best way we can. So, all right. Thank you. Thank you. >> If you want Wednesday nights, usually 6:30 to 8 8:30. Evan is >> Tuesday. >> So, want to stop down and say hello. >> You know, anybody wants to volunteer or interested away. That's any local fire department. >> And remember, it's not just running into a burning building. It is a small business. So, uh, there's all kinds of things whether it's driving the truck to go get inspection or pick up can of oil. >> I don't know. There's all kinds of things to be done. So, >> all thank you guys. Chris, just so everyone knows, Chris Kristen and I will we're looking in all what that means
026to the board. We'll bring it back to you here in the near future. Um um might have to have her get through the budget process first and then we'll um look at that. It's something I want to bring to the board for for sure. Okay. So, >> um um student representative I think I saw >> um Ella >> Cambridge Springs High School >> awardwinning awardwinning. >> I'm putting pressure on you. >> Our podium again. >> Good evening. I'm Mela Morant, your Cambridge Springs representative. Prom is this Friday night, and to kick off the event, the juniors and seniors are traveling to Maplewood in the morning for a mock accident and related presentations. All are ready and anticipating this new event for us. Although the prom spirit week theme for Friday is PJs and pumps, so
027I'm just hoping my heels won't get stuck in the mud. PSA testing just concluded for junior high and elementary students, and the Keystones are starting this week. AP testing has been going on for the last few weeks and will continue into this week. Good luck to all who are testing even though they won't need luck since we have amazing educators here at Cambridge Springs. Speaking of that, last week was teacher appreciation week and leadership council gave them a salad bar for lunch on Thursday and NHS provided desserts every day for them. Shout out to Principal Coper who also had different treats and gifts for the teachers throughout the week. On May 6th, we had our first art showcase with not only art, but pictures of food from students made in home and wooden furniture made
028by students from wood shop. It was truly impressive. There was like a like a table made from like a ninth grader. I'm like, how'd you do that? Um, the same night the chorus and band students even had some even from the elementary showed off their talent. Next week kicks off business week and the juniors are nervous but excited. We're ready to welcome Maplewood and Chaggertown and show them some home field dominance when we win. The year is truly ending quickly. Our whole school incentive field trip to either Playport or Pres Sky. Students get to choose where they go will be on the 28th. Now for sports news. The softball team is headed to Northwestern today and the boys host Lake Lake View tonight. It is our senior night. Good luck. We will miss our seniors.
029For everything in between throughout these last few weeks that I hadn't mentioned, check out our social medias at Cambridge speaks. Thank you. >> Is anyone from Maplewood here? >> Yes. >> You have to introduce yourself. >> Thank you for being here. >> Yes, you're welcome. >> All right. Good evening board members and attendees. I'm Maggie Means, a senior at Maplewood High School where we have been extremely busy in the past couple months. To begin with, on behalf of the students, thank you to our school district members, administration, teachers, and staff for taking the time to be here today and for everything you do for our schools and community. There's been a lot happening through our school these past few weeks, and students have been working incredibly hard both inside and outside of the classroom. First,
030we are proud to have hosted the annual May art show where students had the opportunity to display their creativity and talent. The art show is always a great way to recognize the hard work students put into their projects and gives our community a chance to appreciate the amazing artistic abilities within our school. Along with that, the band hosted a spaghetti spaghetti dinner fundraiser as well as a fantastic jazz performance and national honor society inductees ceremony. Students have also been participating in projects focused on improving our environment, including work with the riperian buffer zone where 95 of our students worked and planted around 700 trees and shrubs. These efforts help protect local waterways, improve wildlife habitats, and teach students the importance of environmental responsibility and sustainability. In honor of teacher appreciation week, students have been making
031appreciation cards for each student and staff member. This small gesture is a meaningful way for students to thank the people who dedicate so much of their time and energy to help us succeed every day. Our National Honor Society recently organized a food drive to support families in need within our community. We are proud of the students who donated and volunteered their time to make a positive impact and help others. At the same time, students have been preparing for and completing AP testing, Keystone testing, and PSSA testing. We want to recognize all students for their hard work, dedication, and perseverance during this busy testing season. We also appreciate the teachers and staff who have helped support students throughout this process. Most recently, there was a dodgeball tournament assembly on Friday where the senior class won bragging
032rights over the underassman and prom court was announced as well as spirit week be being hosted this week. Today was like color wars day. Um prom will be held this Friday at the ICC and me. Events like these help build spirit, encourage teamwork, and give students an opportunity to come together and have fun as a school community. Additionally, the senior class took their graduation photos last Thursday as they prepare for a graduation on June 4th and have the trip their senior class trip to Six Flags planned for May 29th. Thank you again for your continued support of our students, teachers, and programs. We truly appreciate all that you do to help make our school a positive place to learn, grow, and succeed. Thank you. All right, sucker time. We have Miss Scott and Miss Hughes
033who's head. You going to do it together? Okay. >> Yeah. >> Strength and number. >> Good evening. I'm Miss Scott and this is Omar Hughes. We're both freshman from Seagertown. This month at Seagertown, we have stayed busy with lots of fun activities. The student council operated a lemonade and cookie stand on Thursday, April 30th for the entire student body during win. Our Environ team commit competed on May 1st with four teams representing Seggertown. We have teams finished in first, second, and fourth place at this competition. The team of Jayce Djakamo, Emma Spencer, Megan Urissic, Abby Rockwell, and Cameron Heracle will be headed to states on May 20th in Mifflinburg, PA. Math and Science Club finished fundraisers for the ch field field trip, and they will be heading to Kennywood on May 28th. We also had
034our Earth Day service project on May 8th with AP Bio, anatomy, and Environ members planting trees and crossing Bill with Mr. Greco leading the trip. Our senior class is preparing for the senior banquet on May 18th. They also have their senior trip to Cedar Point on Monday, June 1st. Promise Saturday, May 16th at the Rambler. The theme is Viva Las Vegas. Key Club has students organized and sort through the caring closet during win. We're also sending students from Key Club to volunteer at the Special Olympics on May 20th. All of our sport spring sports had successful seasons are and are headed to playoffs. Arts and academics night is coming up on Thursday, May 21st. The evening will include NHS inductions in an art show. There will also be a choir and band concert at 7
035o'clock which will feature the junior high band, the senior high band and both the junior high and senior high chorus on the week of May 18th at Oh my gosh. >> SHs juniors will be participating in business week. >> Thank you. Before we before we get to the PAA, Ella, where is the Cambridge Springs Prom? >> Um, it's also at the Rambler. >> The Rambler. Okay. >> Thank you. >> All right. Next up is our PAA representative, um, Debbie Miller. >> Good evening, members of the board, administration, fellow teachers, students, and families of Penrest. For 35 plus years, my students have known two things to be true. I will never settle for good enough, and I will never let them take the easy way out. I've spent my career demanding their best, even that when
036they were tired, even when the material was difficult, and especially when they didn't believe they could do it. Tonight, I'm turning those expectations on you. I'm not here to envy your position. I know the budget is tight. I know the numbers on those pages don't seem to add up to the dreams we have for this district. But in my classroom, the budget is tight would be an explanation and never an excuse. We don't tell a struggling reader that we have run out of time. We find the time. I'm challenging you to treat this budget with the same no excuses grit that we demand of our students. When you look at those line items, don't just see figures. see the third grader who needs a smaller class size to find her voice or the senior who
037needs that vocational program to find his future. The right thing is almost always the hard thing. I know the ledger in front of you looks grim. I know that easy path. Trim the margins, cut the arts, increase class sizes, or let our facilities crumble just enough that no one notices until next year. But easy paths rarely lead to anywhere worth going. If your decisions on the budget are easy, you probably aren't pushing hard enough. Don't balance the books by compromising the quality of the education we promise these families. Year after year, I see a budget that is wisely overestimated by your business manager. That is followed by a year of tight scrutiny on spending. The result is money left over, not a deficit. Ask the uncomfortable question, is a zero budget worth it to make
038cuts that in the end may not have been necessary? Or if we need a cushion, maybe a small tax increase is reasonable. We didn't have one last year and everything has gone up both years. So maybe taxes need to go up as well to help meet the needs of our kids. We cannot say that any answer is off the table. Instead, we must fight for the resources our kids deserve as if they were our own children because for the duration of your term and my career, they are our own children. I'm closing my books and putting away my pens, but I'm leaving you with a final assignment. Prove to these students that the adults in the room are just as hardworking and courageous as we expect the students to be. Do the hard work and
039put our kids first. Thank you. Under superintendent discussion, I'm going to come back up to the to the pen crest rising. Um couple things under new business. You'll see House Bill 41 resolution under new business. That is the uh there's a there's a house bill is inter it's around intercolastic athletics and it is asking boards to basically split the boundary versus nonboundary schools. And so what that what and I'm summarizing this a boundary school would be um many of the schools in our district where they're where they have actual boundaries that we have to live by. The students who play those sports have to be within those boundaries. Non-boundary schools would be your private schools that don't have any boundaries. They can pick they can get kids from any part. Um, you know, for instance,
040Mercyhurst Prep could come down and get Crawford um county kids. They could get Erie County. They even go into Ohio. Um, Kennedy a few years back actually had kids coming internationally. And so, and so what they're trying to do is basically say we should have a separation of those two when it comes to playoffs. We should have a boundary playoff and a non-boundary playoff to to play out. And then they give some statistics in there about how especially in basketball and some of the sports that there's there's just such a disparity in how many teams in boundary compared to the non-boundary. So I just wanted to go over that quickly. Is there any questions about that um under the new business? And the second uh uh Mr. Lily here, I'm going to have you talk
041about Parent Square. Um and that's uh we're asking to consider that and so Mark I'll turn this over to you. >> Thank you Sean. Yeah, Parent Square is uh what we are looking to replace school messenger with as the communication piece for the district. So this will replace those morning announcements when there's two-hour delays. Um that's going to be its primary function out of the gate. But some of the features that are involved with there in the future that we plan on using are like it has a mobile app that like when Richard and Tony are coming to school and there is a two-hour delay, they don't have to wait to get here to send the message out. They can send it out from the mobile app. Hopefully, they'll pull off the side of the
042road before they do. Um it also um will sync nightly with our new student information system. So when parents sign up for the student information system, when they sign up those emergency call cards, all that information, their phone number will automatically be synced to this one. So they never have to sign up for this to get the emergency notifications from the school. It will automatically be transferred over into parent square. Um, another key feature that we were looking at is it um will replace or could replace in the future other apps that we are using as far as communication within the district. So such things as parents and teachers communication with the parents, they could actually with it being linked to the student information system, they can click on first grade. They will know every
043kid that's in their first grade class and they can send messages either home to parents or to the students if the students have emails. We're not rolling that out right off the bat because that's another change for the teachers. We don't want to throw at you right off the bat, but that is a thing, you know, that we can do. Um, additionally with this proposal there, we're also actually converting all our websites to parent square called smart sites. Now the importance of that is once you make one post on parent square, it'll automatically go on to all our social media sites, all our other web pages. It's kind of a one source um place. So you don't have to like in the morning when Sean calls me at 5 4:30, 5:'lock in the morning, I
044got to get into the website, I got to get into school messenger. or I have to get into Facebook, you know. So, there's all these steps we have to do. One message, it broadcast to all all the different platforms. Um, and with I don't know if any of you followed the new legislation out there, the WAG 2.1, which is part of the American Disabilities Act, I believe it is um web, it's web content accessibility guidelines. That means all our websites, we just got them, matter of fact, they just bumped us back a year, but by the year 2028, all our websites and any public facing communications we have have to be ADA compliant. That means when someone clicks on the page, they know that there's an image there and it describes to them what the
045image is. It tell if they if they hit the tab and it goes to a new image, it talks to them and tells them what the new image is. It also looks at the contrast of our web pages. So for the you know even the visually um color blind if there's too much contrast or not enough contrast it actually looks at all that stuff. So parent square smart sites all their sites are inherently wagg compliant. You can't put a page up that is not compliant to that law. So that being said okay so that's a you know really brief overview of all just the tip of the iceberg of the feature they have. So this will actually replace four other pieces of software that we are actually managing now. So we'll be able to do
046all the things that Ford are doing with this one platform with a net cost of $7,000 less to the district. So we'll actually save some a little bit of money on these things by being and save time when we only have to one um thing to look at. Any questions? >> Oh, go ahead. No, I'm not. I thought you >> How long has it been around? >> It's been around a a long time. I don't I don't know. >> Do you know anybody locally that's already >> um Yeah, there are multiples. They gave us a whole list of references in the area. >> I mean, so it's working for them. >> Oh, yeah. My wife was a principal at Lake View High School. They used it. >> Um so I've seen it. I think I
047think Northeast uses it. >> Richard gave us a count because he uses it up in his school district. >> Yeah, I think they're in like 200. I don't know. It's a lot of >> So it's not brand new. >> It's not brand new. Absolutely not. >> Almost half the school districts I believe in the state are using 500 guests. >> And for our teachers and parents that are using class dojo, it it the the features and the layout is very similar. You know, it'll feel very comfortable for people that are using class. >> And and you know, if bus 28 is late, the message doesn't go to the whole district or the whole attendance area. It goes to only the parents and students that are riding bus 28. So you're not getting blasted by a
048bunch of spam um messages. So it can be very focused on who it sends a message to. So >> yeah, in your opin your opinion all these advantages is there any disadvantages to this? >> The only disadvantage is um people's reluctance to change. Um but I will say probably there's always that that possibility of what they call what communication overload. or they get too much information. But again here when you send it out you can actually more focus when we send something out to school messenger now it goes to everybody in secondary that's the only option you have this one you can say okay I only want it for third grade parents or I only want it to baseball team members where you can actually if the group's in synergy the group would be in
049there after the synchronization so you can really focus who's getting it so you don't get a lot of that spam being sent to you. Um, >> did you want to touch on like the emergency communication and not if even if they don't sign off? >> Oh, I think I did. Yeah. >> Yeah. And you can I I mean I think we talked about having a an opt out option if we wanted to, but I'm not sure why you would ever want to opt out of emergency notifications. >> That's not very >> smart in my mind. But I mean, I guess you could if you want. And outside groups that want to be keep a breast with the sporting events, the, you know, the spring concerts, everything that's going on in the in the schools, they
050can sign up like they did before. They can actually sign up and get the messages. They just don't get all the, you know, as much. They can actually >> sign up for what they want to see. So, >> is there a way to assess the amount of interaction uh the parents have with it to see who's interacting? >> Yeah, I think I mean, Sean, you show the log. I mean, I don't know if you were still there. they they show the long site so you can actually see how much was sent out actually how many were read. There's actually a dashboard that comes up after you send the thing. It shows you um actually how many people were reached did they open it? Did you know there's a there's a lot of data that comes
051back to that you can see >> the app banned. >> Yeah. Well, you mentioned overload. Yeah. >> Yeah. But you can see who like when I send some out for band I can see which parents actually open and looked at it. So it's like that. >> Yeah. And you can you can actually decide whether you want to just get text messaging if you only want to get emails or you you want to get a phone call. You don't have to do them all. >> I'd imagine one of the things the district struggles with is keeping parents engaged. >> Um I mean I think it's really cool when I get pictures and I can see what my child's doing throughout the day. I think that's pretty neat. But I think uh parents are so you could
052use that data >> and figure out ways to keep >> what what works, what doesn't work. Is it too many pictures? >> You can get one of our notifications. You can click on a button. and it'll automatically add it to your Outlook calendar or it'll actually put it on your calendar, your personal calendar. >> So conference, well, I would say conferences be done that way. >> You can you can do conferences that way. Absolutely. You can put a list out there to ask for volunteers, you know, if you're looking for, you know, you know, for one field trip, we're looking for volunteers or you can put out class lists for teachers that need class lists to start their, you know, if they put them out there to start their school year like, hey, we need
053pencils. We need So you can do that and people may not be able to, you can actually have them donate money if you want to, but I mean, that's not a feature worth turning on, but I mean, but you can actually But I want I want to bring in XYZ. So, you can actually do that, too, as far as getting volunteers to bring stuff in for you. >> Well, I try very hard to stay engaged with my kids and they there's there's a lot of >> a lot of apps I have to download. It'd be nice to have one. Um there's a lot like, you know, I know they're high school, elementary, I got dojo, I got school, the power school, and band. Um I know that's sports but it would be and then um
054uh the transportation that comes through one app and that it it it becomes disheartening uh and I think a lot of parents become apathetic because of that too many things to and so it' be nice to streamline into one >> there quite frankly the only thing that I think that that dojo does that this won't is I think with the PBIS you know keeping track of the PBIS points and stuff like that the tokens. Oh, >> I have asked them if they can do it and they go, I don't know. We'll see if any other school districts are using it that way. So, that might be a possibility right now, but I don't know. >> So, is that $7,000 savings? Is that just from that program or is it a combination of that one program?
055>> We're replacing school messenger. We're replacing educational networks, which is our websites. We're paying $7,000 a year for archiving our our content on our websites. So, that's archive social. Those three are replaced. Uh there's a product called Namecheep that we actually have to when you click on our website name, you want to go find a school and you go to Cambridge High or Maple High School, you're actually going to a different website. You're not actually still on the penrest website. So that's we do that through Namecheep, but we wouldn't need all those other names. >> Yeah. >> We would they would just be another page off the penrest website and you would always stay on the penrest site. So we would save money by we would be going from nine licensing. We'd have to buy
056to two on that. So >> thank you. >> Yep. It's safe too. Safety >> probably much more safe than school messengers right now. The school messenger is really archaic, you know. >> Yes. >> You mentioned outside groups can look, but they won't have our students information. They won't be able to see anything. No, they would be like for more community, you know, stuff that you would actually market towards like community, you know, community dates or whatever you want. But no, they would not have access to communicate with the students at all. >> They could just access say, "Hey, there's a school play." >> Yeah, there's Friday night is the spring music concert or the homecoming is whatever. But >> yeah, >> any other questions? >> Okay. >> Thank you. Oh, thank you. >> Thanks, Mark.
057>> I'm ready for the presentation. Yes. >> You go to the front. >> What's that? >> Rising. Okay. >> He's going to do Verizon. >> Okay. switch. >> Wouldn't that be Wouldn't that be something? >> He'd have it on camera over there, too. >> I thought he was going to double duck. >> Well, good evening everyone. Um, I'm I'm very excited about uh this short presentation and I want to talk to you tonight about the op operational review and stakeholder engagement as part of Penrest Rising. So, next slide. Um, so what we're going to do tonight, we're going to look I'm going to introduce you to Devopar Consulting. That is the consulting group that the board went with. Um, it's a group out of Litz, PA and uh they're going to be on site um
058tomorrow morning 7:30. U we have our first meeting and then they're going to go around all the buildings tomorrow. Um Richard's going to play show four tomorrow. Then we're going to come back and debrief um at the end of the day. Um, we're also going to talk I'm sorry. >> I'm sorry. Um, we're going to talk about our surveys that are coming up. Um, we're going to review the timeline and then we're going to talk about transparency and stakeholder engagement. That bottom part says this is about process and direction, not decisions. At this point in the process utilizing this, we really want to focus on process and direction. We don't have any preconceived decisions at this point. We haven't gone into that approaching it like that. All right. And so I think that's important. Next
059page. So why are we doing this work? Um financial pressure. Um you know you hear it up here. Um one of the things that I told Mark when he brought this parents square we've been looking. I said what was the first thing? I said how many programs does it replace and is it cheaper? that pressure is constantly on us and and we are constantly dealing with that at a board level and we do try to stay student um focused but also understanding our reality. So that pressure is real. It's not going anywhere. So it's up there changing student needs. I think that's a real critical one. Students today are much different than they were even be even before COVID. you go back 10 years or even 20 when I started. Well, maybe a little longer.
060Um um students are much different the needs of where they're going. We have so many more students going in different pathways than they used to. It used to be, you know, but now we have kids going into career and we have we have we have great programming. So, we want to look what can we do as a district to help with these changing needs. The other big need is all the u the support that students need today, right? Mental health supports um what we're what we're having to do. So that students have really changed and it's impacting us in multiple ways. Um operational inefficiencies um I think we can do a lot better um operationally and looking at areas where we can get better and so that's why we're doing this also. And then lastly,
061um resource aligned challenges. Um we want to look at all these areas not individually, you want to look at them together. That's important. So next slide. So the framework for improvement um you know looking at academics up there. Um we we're going to have this is what DevPar is coming in to do. We're going to look at curriculum alignment, instructional quality, what what are our college career readiness skills look like in 2026? What's that mean in 2026? Because here's the deal. Kindergarten students right now, first grade students, they're saying we're preparing them for careers that don't even exist today. So, what kind of skills do we need to be teaching these students to get them ready for jobs that they don't even that aren't even here yet? So, what do we do as an educational
062system to to to do that? So, um buildingies with business partnerships that I I think this is one we've all been interested in. Um we've had discussions, we want to have more. So, what can we do there? Data driven improvement. um looking at our data and and how do we get better from a student support you know we have the life skills development three areas academics life skills and career readiness all of them that's a big change in today's students before when I went to school or when I started teaching was all about academics now kids come to school we have to teach life skills we have to teach kids perseverance and toughness and grit and and these these things that they need in life to be successful. So, and then college career readiness skills.
063How do you you know when you go into an interview, you have to look at somebody? Our kids are so programmed to be doing this, right? That when they get into a conversation, they'll do this, you know, they'll look down instead of instead of doing that. So, um it's so life skills. Um helping students with a growth mindset. Um, this is an in and you know there's a fixed mindset or there's a growth mindset and uh Carol Dwek is a is the author of this never read it's a great book and helping our students understand when they're learning that it's okay to make mistakes that's how you grow right instead and getting out of that fixed mindset. So counseling services are important, intervention systems are important, and so we're going to take a good hard
064look at that. Operations and finance, um, budget optimization, we're going to be talking about budget here in a little bit. Resource allocation and all the compliance that we're required to do. Now, so many so many pieces of our budget are locked in um that it it limits what we can do and have control over. It's really a frustrating part of what we do. Um, and and I'm not talking even salary and benefits which are pretty much locked in. I'm talking about all the compliance issues from special ed to counseling to everything. It's it's all it and it's we have to take a look at that talent management. This is going to be critical. um 10 15 what 10 years ago now there were Edinburgh professor told me they were graduating 20,000 students in education last
065year they were under 5,000 and that's that's not at Edinburgh that's the state so the talent at how do we recruit how do we retain and what kind of professional development do we need and so um looking at that culture communication This is critical. Um stakeholder engagement. I'll I'll go into that here next transparency, community trust. Um if you don't have that, um you're not going to have a a district um that's thriving. And so finally, probably maybe the biggest one up there is long-term sustainability, strategic planning, systems durability, continuous improvement. you know how what what does penrest look like now five years 10 years how do we sustain that based upon the pressures that are coming you know I I was talking to a board member today and I said it's hard being a
066board member and there's going to be a lot of tough decisions coming out of this and so um um I'm excited about it but yet I'm also like there's going to be some good conversations next slide I got to speed up so Deavar, I've already talked about them. Um, they're starting tomorrow. We'll skip that slide, go to the next one. The surveys, um, we're working on the surveys. I have about, um, we've got, I think, I think two of the three we're going to do. Students, staff, and community. Um, we need to we need to finish up one. We'll then give those our consultants are bringing their ideas in on that. We're bringing our ideas on surveys. Uh, and then hopefully, um, at the board here next month, I'm going to bring those surveys to
067make sure you see them and send those out. Um, and then right after the board meeting, those will go out to the community. Um, we may have to do students before that, especially our juniors and seniors. I want to make sure that we get to do our juniors and seniors. So, we're going to try to do them by the end of the year. Um, but you can see some of the, um, areas that we're going to focus on. Um, we really want to hear from our students and our staff and our communities. And so they're going to be surveys. They're going to go out. Go ahead. Next one. Um, the design, they're going to be short. We're trying to keep them 8 to 10 minutes. Um, they're going to be centered on those operational areas
068that you saw earlier. Um, it includes prioritization and it's designed to support informed planning. And I I put this at the bottom. focus is on constructive feedback and district priorities, not and I I took off the rest of it, not complaints. All right? Because this is about working together. We want we want to hear your feedback. We want real feedback, but we also don't want to hear um personal complaints through this process. If you want to do personal complaints, you can go through another process, but not this process. So, that's what we're looking for on that. And then um our operational systems review. These we're going to look at transportation, student access, staffing, alignment, facilities, and space utilization, operational efficiency, communication systems. Our priorities are protecting student opportunities, long-term sustainability. We want to be transparent
069and have engagement throughout this process. That's a critical one. We don't want to hide anything. We want to get it out and be transparent in that process. Um, responsible stewardship, data informed planning, community trust. So, our timeline is this. Um, we're going to do the survey distribution. Um, and stakeholder input in May through June. We're going to do June through August will be the operational review, data collection. August through September will be analysis and preliminary findings and then board discussion and future planning will be in the fall. Um, you know, it's a four to four to six month process. So, that's kind of where we're at. Any questions on this? I just I I want to make sure we're giving periodic updates of where we're at. So, Penning Press Rising is kicking off tomorrow morning
070and then uh you know I I there's two times within the the building that we have to do updates to the board um where they'll come in and do updates and show you where where we're at. So there that's built in to our plan of action too. Yeah. >> Uh on your where I talked about budgeting, I don't know if they do this, but it would be interesting if they have any opinions on revenue enhancement >> because there are school districts that somehow pull in private funds and I don't think we do as well as we'd like to and that would be interesting if they have information on what we might be able to do. >> Did you write that, Patty? All right. Thank you. >> Any other questions? All right. Thank you very much.
071You did. >> I think it's my turn. >> Yep. >> Just a second. I'm getting back logged in. >> All right. So we have education, Mrs. Felix. >> Yes. I don't have a lot of new uh this month. We have a lot of agreements, the annual agreements that are being renewed for Vanango County CIS, Perseus House, Pit, Titusville Dual Enrollment. Um family services who provide schoolbased services to Cambridge Elementary, Cambridge High School, and Maplewood Elementary. Um our with child development center and community Christian association. And those are just um our annual agreements with them. We have athletic travel um for girls volleyball, football and we have our 2026 graduate lists for you to review. We have various speakers for the schools here at the end of the year. Um our transition plan which every three
072years that's required to be reviewed for you for students. It covers transition coming in from early intervention into kindergarten as well as sixth to seventh grade. Um, and we have our first look at our library books up there from each of the schools. And those will come back to you next month for approval. They're up there for a month. >> That's all. >> Richard, facilities, transportation. Just a couple things for you guys tonight. Before you'll see um a couple um agreements. One is our uh natural gas and one is our electricity. Um the if you remember last year at this time um we we we got approval to do a 12-month electric agreement. Uh rates were very unstable at that point. We were coming off of a a 4-year agreement with a really nice rate.
073Uh there was a big increase. Um, we wanted to get ahead of the ball um and try and lock in a little bit of a longer term to give us some more stability, especially before we get into summer rate increases. Um, we were able to get an option for a 36-month um contract on our electric. Um, it is actually going to be um a slight decrease from where we were last year. um which which could would you know has a potential to result in about a $22,000 annual reduction in our cost um year-over-year and it gives us uh some stability for a three-year term. We don't anticipate those, you know, really going down uh substantially over the next three years. We think that that would be the best option for the district. Uh also the
074the uh the gas agreement is not up till September. Uh we've been working with our representative to get that negotiated early uh because typically in the summer you see a rate increase as usage goes up. Um we also have a slight uh reduction in rate as well from our our past agreement uh which could result in about a $2,000 a year uh savings there. So um both good things that you know will help us reduce our uh our budgetary cost. Um the other uh two things up for your approval tonight. One is uh the the metal wall panels of Maplewood High School. We've been talking about that for several months. Uh that went out to bid last month. Uh we had four biders. Um low bid on that um is McCreary Roofing and that would
075be at a cost of $74,600 which also includes a $10,000 allowance um for repairs at Segtown Elementary. the the gutters. Um, basically that would stabilize they they would remove any damaged gutters. They would do some sealing on penetrations um and get things weathertight as we start planning um future gutter and metal work here at Seager Town. Last thing I have for you is the chlorine contact project for Seagertown High School. Um this was well we've been talking about this probably I think since last fall working with D working with Dyson Homie Engineering um to to add a contact loop um or a chlorine contact loop for our water um drinking water coming into the building. Uh that went out to bid and it came back. Uh low bid on that is $54,400 to um Gild
076Day out of Meatville. uh if awarded that'll that'll start this summer and it'll be wrapped up before school would begin. So any questions on anything tonight? >> Thank you guys. Thank you. Thanks Richard. Um before Kristen before you um get started because I assume you're going to do the financial right into the budget. >> Yes. >> Okay. Randy would like to speak first. >> Thank you. Hey, um before we get into the next part of the committee as a whole, I feel compelled to say that um I acknowledge that the budget decisions forthcoming are extraordinarily difficult. Mr. Ford brought up the financial pressure is constant. Uh weighing that up against student needs and trying to be competitive in supply and demand of of the market at rising costs. Um, I truly believe that as this
077board, we all have a really important role and I try to say this to all of you that you all have a role at this table. Um, and I wish that we could utilize that role instead of against each other. Um, this isn't a battle, and I'm speaking because of the last few meetings, we've had some raised voices. This isn't a battle that we have against each other. It's a battle we have together that we have to win. And so in an honest attempt to improve communication for this discussion in the committee um and we'll revisit it on the agenda, I'm going to ask that this board wait for Kristen to do her presentation without interruption. If you have questions, I'm going to ask that you jot them down. At the end of that presentation,
078I'm going to come around to each board member. Uh I'm going to allow you the opportunity to ask your question and add your discussion point and then we'll go to the next board member. I really don't want people interrupting those board members. I also think we have some very important board members that oftentimes don't speak and I'd like to hear what they have to say and so I think it's fair if we all go around the table one at a time in order speaking without interruption for the committee as a whole when we arrive at the agenda. Uh if there's a motion and a second for a certain budget, we can do the same thing. But I think that that's going to be the best way that we're productive out of this. So I'm doing
079this so we come out of this productive and in a fair way. comments or thoughts on that? >> I think that's fine. But if comments are made that you you you have another opinion on or you know is not particularly valid, you ought to be able to respond to that as opposed to just sitting there quietly. So I would say I I know what you're trying to accomplish and I agree with you. But if if points are made that there's a good counterpoint or whatever, we should um allow that. >> That's good. And a way that we can uh go through that is I really think it's important that everybody speaks once before somebody speaks twice. So at the end of the round table round robin discussion perhaps another round of discussion. >> That's fine.
080Y >> Kristen um you'll see on the agenda tonight traditional um treasures reports dispersements. Um we're still in a good position to end the uh rest of the year. We have a couple more months left. still in a good position cashwise. Um we should finish um okay you'll notice on here the budget transfers again same as always um each month with the uh tuition substitutes and there is some natural gas loans on there. Um last month we had the discussion on the career and tech center budget um at the meeting finance meeting on April 29th we brought the votech in to explain the budget in additional detail. So hopefully that was helpful and everyone received some clarification. So that will be brought back to the table this month for a vote. Um we went over
081that last month, but just to reiterate, their operating budget is 5,511,62 and the debt is $715,950 for a total operating budget for the vote of $6,227,12. Our share of that is for the operating budget is $2,7070,345 debt is 220,227 for a total line item of 2,290,572 and we have approximately 210 students enrolled in the grapher county. This month uh we're bringing you the employee uh the benefit rates. So you'll notice the health insurance rates, your dental and vision rates. So that's annual. You guys need to approve those rates and then those will be published um for everybody. The composite rate is $2,800 per employee. Um family coverage is $3,255. Um employee spouse $262729. Employee plus dependent children is uh 2398.883 and employee only is $1,14230. Um, dental, uh, those didn't change. Employee only 29.48. Family
082rate is 7174. Envision did not change. Uh, employee only is $3.82 and family is $12.98. So, those are all on for approval. Um, also on the agenda, another annual thing is the exoneration of the 2526 real estate taxes. So those amount for the real estate tax is $810,214 and per capita is $33,430. So we're asking your approval to exonerate our local tax collectors from collecting that delinquent rate and those will be turned over um for others to hire authorities to collect. Lease agreements um are also on the agenda for uh the IU5, the early intervention classrooms. Um they have four classrooms over here at SAT Elementary. So that is revenue to the district of $13,2124. Um FCCA, that's your French Creek, that's your prek kiddos. Um they also lease buildings. Um I believe it's two
083at Maplewood, one at Seaggertown, and one at Cambridge. So a total of four. Um so Segtown 6,500, Maplewood's, 1300, and uh Cambridge Springs is 6,500 6,500 per classroom. So that is also additional revenue brought to their addition. 13,000. >> Yeah, 13. Oh, did I say 100? Yeah, I apologize. 13,000. Um, we are going to move on to the budget. If uh is there any questions on anything I just went over before we move into budget? Okay, how do you want to bring up that presentation? Not not a presentation. It's not going to be that long. >> Um, I promise. So we have uh three options on the agenda based on our discussion that came out of the April 29th meeting. So option one you'll see is a 1 mil tax increase. Option two is the
084deficit budget that we presented on the 29th. And then option three is the balance budget. Next slide. Okay. So option one is like I said the 1 mil uh tax increase which would generate approximately $276,760 in revenue cost. So that is that's your number that's going to be different than option two. It would still result in a deficit um of $254,477. So that is what you're going to see. Option one, again, it's a one mil tax increase, which is adding that revenue in. Everything else is unchanged. Option two is the same option we've reviewed at that April 29th meeting. Um so the millage rate would stay the same and your total revenue is 60,388,308. and your expenditure 60,919,544 for an deficit operating budget of 531,237. Um if you remember from that meeting we had those
085four positions in there. All those staff members um have been identified. Those cuts are based on um attrition cuts. So they all have been notified of that change. Moving on to option three. Um this is the new option that we haven't seen on the table yet. So this is keeping your millage rates the same. So at the 57.75 mills for Crawford County and 19.41 for Venango. Um and getting to a balanced budget which if you go to the next slide um we can get there but it's achieved through balance um a balanced budget through staffing reductions, athletic reductions and supplies maintenance um equipment budgets. So with this again um we would have additional staff reductions be one elementary position and one high school position uh which would result in the trade-off would be larger elementary
086class sizes yet within our district guidelines decrease academic intervention and increased class sizes in the high school. Um that that total would result in 279,169. Uh, next category, >> the the interventions that's mainly at the high school. >> That's at the high school level. That's correct. >> That's that's interventions at the high school level. >> Athletics, um, we would push the postseason travel to the boosters, which was approximately $26,000. Um, combined, there's the potential to combine programs like we've talked about in the past. We've done that with wrestling, which was a total of savings of $28,000. We could increase admission price um for what we charge parents. Currently, it's $5 to get into games. We could bring in an additional $2 um which would help bring in revenue. Um charge students. Uh we did that
087prior to COVID. Once COVID hit, we stopped charging students to get into the game so we could um initiate charging students again for the $2. >> Just I can give you a little data there. Um, Crawford Central is charging $6 for adults, $4 for students. Um, and it's $6 an adult at Connie and then they charge $4, um, from students from other schools. And then, um, their senior citizen and veterans are a dollar and their own students are free. So, um, I also have the data from Erie County and all those schools. Same thing. And it's it's all in that $6. I'm not going to go through all of them. I I always want to do the counties, but So, >> have they been doing that for a while charging? >> Yes. >> Because I
088mean, we stopped. Are they been like continuous? >> Let me say that. I can I can speak to Crawford Central. Up until 7 when I left, they were doing it. I don't know what they did after CO, but I believe they've been charging the whole time. Um, and I believe they they used to Ryan they used to do $1 of that would go toward the field maintenance the turf because the turf has to be updated. That's what they used to be doing. I don't know if they continue to do that. Okay. And we are at what five and then zero. So >> we we calculated just the numbers this year. What would that roughly? I don't know how that >> 20 >> 24,000 >> I'm just wondering if that would decrease people coming or I
089mean it sounds good like to make a little money or help with field but would people stop coming because they would only want to pay four bucks. I mean I don't know. >> So I know this is new what I had asked for but if we could let the presentation go and we can take the questions at the end I'd like to see all the information first. That's what was asked of >> what I had asked the board. >> My fault I might have >> Well, we're not used to it. All right. >> You know, I have trouble with talking. >> Interrupted though. He started it. >> Sorry. >> Let's finish if we go through. Thank you, Chris. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, pay to play would be an option. Um, if each student for
090$50, we had about 525 participants. That would raise around $24,000 and help offset some of the athletic cost. Um, supplies and uniforms, a 10% reduction um across all athletic areas. So those grand totals in athletics would be 121,950 and supplies and equipment would be department budgets and building budgets a reduction of 10% which would be 65,118 and maintenance equipment reduction of 50,000. The tradeoff there is the maintenance fleet would not get updated. We have um older equipment that includes like your lawnmowers, your snow plows, um any tractors, field painting equipment, cafeterias, um floor scrubbers, all of that stuff. And then the PSBA membership of $15,000, which the board, we had this discussion before and we decided we're not re renewing that. So that is also in there. So that would be savings ofund not savings
091but $130,118 um to get us down to that zero operating budget. So these would be the cuts that would be necessary um to get there and we try to keep these cuts obviously furthest away from the classroom. So this is kind of where we would be at with a deficit of an operating budget. So tonight again on the agenda is option one that's the 1 mill tax increase budget deficit of 254,477. Option two is a deficit of 531,237 and option three is the balanced budget. >> I think we're ready for questions. >> All right. Um, thank you. So, at this point, we can take questions to the admin. Um, Allison, do you have thoughts or questions? We have three budget options that we had asked for and they presented out on Um, >> yeah. No,
092I think I mean I asked to see a one mil increase. I know it's not a lot, but I think we have to plan a little bit ahead. Um, I know other, you know, other options are are are cuts. I don't I don't want to look at option three. So, >> okay. >> Why? Good. >> Okay. >> Tim, >> back on the slide with the uh cuts the staff. Yeah. The additional staff reductions, one elementary, one high school. Is that per Billy? >> No, it's just one elementary position and one high school position. >> In addition to the four in addition to the four we've already taken. Yep. >> That's what I thought. I wasn't It was per building or uh I I'm not for the cuts, especially like I said, I know our equipment's
093older and stuff. Uh we're already fighting to get stuff updated. >> I guess I really don't have that question. >> Okay, >> Fred. >> Um I'd like to compliment the superintendent and the business manager for hard work >> and Mrs. Peely. and Mrs. G and Jordan. And anyways, >> I I don't need any credit. >> Yeah, he didn't help. >> Surprise, surprise. >> Um, you're kidding. >> I I certainly don't want to vote for any increase. I I appreciate how you came up with the reductions, but I think there are other ways to reduce the budget. I have a question on the high school teacher. Who is that? >> Or I mean where is that? What position is that? >> That would be at Sagtown High School. >> S High School. And that's one who
094is attitting. >> Yeah, that's >> retiring. >> What's that? >> That's a retiring. >> It is not a retirement. Um that's one that we would um we would have to work with our union on. Um because we were using a dean of students. there's a teacher that we replaced for that dean. Um, in order to do that, in order to do that when we would have to ask if he could just have a letter to make sure he was always eligible to get his job back, but not replacing the teacher that's in for him. >> Does that make sense? And that's that's the and that's also the teacher that's doing many of our interventions. So the intervention piece that he's that he that she actually not he she's doing um and she's doing multiple um
095a couple different subject she has multiple certifications I guess. So, so I'm not excited about um the athletics reduction and I think some of the supplies that we've talked about for equipment needs replaced needs to be replaced. But I do think if we could um assemble a budget committee, I am 100% confident we can come up with a zero budget um by making other deductions. So that would be my recommendation that we not raise taxes but that we have a budget committee meeting and go through a number of scenarios without affecting teaching staff. >> Thank you. Um Mike, any questions? Um, totally agree without cutting any teachers in the classrooms being somewhat um where they are now, which is cumbersome, but yet it's manageable. Um, my question to Christina is um, are these the best
096options for the deficit to get to zero is the teachers and without going to the classroom? >> It's really hard to keep it furthest away from the class. Um we've gone through again today this morning and we've gone line by line over all of these different cuts. Um you try to keep everything the furthest from the classroom. We're looking through trying to do like Mark said with the consolidation of of looking at all that stuff. So are there cuts potentially with maybe more of that kind of stuff that's furthest away from the classroom? Yes. But we're not quite there in that auditing process of the software and all of that which we're getting there. we're making strides and we're limited right now with thear and what's going to come out of all of that. Um,
097so these are the ones that are I don't want to say lowhanging fruit, but that we've gone through and assessed um and and thought would be the best ones to put out there if we did go with the zero dollar budget. >> So, in your opinion, should we wait for the lowhanging fruit or should we vote tonight or >> We have to vote tonight on a preliminary budget. It has to be voted on and I have to have it uploaded to this state proposed. You can change it from the final. >> Then my last question would be, you're the expert. What plan do you think is the best? >> I'm comfortable with running a deficit budget. I've done it for the past five years and we've always beat that deficit. Again, it takes a lot
098of, you know, watching the numbers and being very diligent in managing it and saying no. Um, I'm comfortable with a a deficit budget >> and I just want to thank you guys for doing a great job. >> Brian, thank you all for all the hard work that you do. Um, when I look at the presentation and the three different options, I just wonder why there's not a display of the interventions for option one and two, only for option three. Um we're we're not really talking uh in option one and two about the differences in sta the staff reductions and class sizes and athletic cuts and why isn't the PSBA which we already agreed upon on all three options. Um >> can I clarify real quick? Sure. So these are these are not three opt options
099like go back to this >> one mill. >> Oh are you talking on this? talking. Okay. So, the PSBA cut, that's a recent cut. We would put that I mean for the final, we would put it in all of them. >> Absolutely. Okay. >> Again, on those cuts, like I mean, we could pick and choose on those cuts and put it into that deficit budget if that's what you're asking. >> Yeah. Because I mean, I never see in, you know, like the the one mill tax increase, what's going to be the impact on class sizes? We only do it on the zero. It almost always looks like the worst choice because you have to get rid of an elementary teacher and a high school. It's every time that happens and it makes it look like
100it's the most horrible choice out there to balance the budget. >> Uh but I guess it is what it is. >> We're going to show you >> we'll show you the elementary chart and find this is uh again based on the guidelines and this is we have to work within our union contracts too. So you have to watch your positions, the positions that we're looking at and have, you know, we need to do this through attrition and not furlowing. >> Um, >> so yeah, we'll show you the the numbers. >> Yeah, we did present it, I think, at the finance meeting. We did have other options, but >> we need to we need to have a budget for tonight. >> Um, and again, we can change it if we want to do any of these
101cuts on any of those other budgets. We certainly can. >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> We'll show you once we get that stuff. I think it's >> all right. So when it comes back up, >> yeah, Kathy, >> um I don't want to cut teachers of course, but um I think the one change we can make is u the paid or the charge like start charging students maybe. Um yeah, I think that would be an option. And I know um some some postseason teams have already uh you know like found support to go like for cable you know to they can air the games or whatever. So, you know, they the boosters help with that anyway, but um >> it's it one of one of the reasons we had >> you know, you look at what
102way can your community help, >> what is practical and what is not. One of the one of the tough things and it's hard to pre-plan and budget for who's going to make the playoffs and how far they're going to go and that cost adds up. It was 20 >> $26,000 just in that extra travel, >> you know, >> and postseason, just just to clarify, postseason travel, I mean, that's your travel, that's your meals allowances, hotels, that's all of that stuff. Just so everyone knows what postseason travel is. >> It it will stress, you know, that will stress the boosters. >> Yeah. >> I mean, no doubt about it. Um, the boosters do a great job in this in this district of fundraising. They really do and they work very very hard at it. Um and
103and and so I I'm I'm going to state this to you and I firmly believe this. If you're going to have and run the programs, then you need to fund and run the programs. And if you don't want to do that, then you need to get rid of some programs. And that's really my I really believe that if you're going if you're going to have that, then you need to fund that. Um, and we fund that as best we can, right? And as lean as we can, but we've got to fund it. And so, and then if we can, if we get to a point we say, you know what, then that's when we'll have to look at, you know, combining programs because we do get some savings out of that and then we can
104run those programs better because we're we're leaner. So, there's two there's two ways of looking at this. Um, and that's this one area, you know what I mean? But athletics is $1.3 million in of our budget. Um, and if you look answer to Brian's question, I'm going to come back. I think it's a good question Brian asked. Why do we look at that? um because sometimes that's there's only so many areas you can look at >> and and that's and that's where we're at and so um hence why we're bringing in a consultant to look at this at a at a at a you know a higher level but I think that was a really good question and I appreciate that. Um so yeah this is this was this was our approach to it. Um
105I think you know Fred's uh comment there of of doing that also of coming together um the budget's big and uh believe me we we've looked at it numerous times so much. >> Okay. So if you look up here I'm going to try to explain this. The Patty you're probably better explaining this than I am. So the yellow >> the yellow are would be the classrooms that fall below the guidelines that could be reduced by a section. >> So So there's four possibilities. When you look at those guidelines down in the left corner, there's four. If you look at those guidelines, we could take those classrooms down one teacher and still be within those guidelines that were set. Our kindergartens are close. Center town is close to the guideline. >> Um, and it also if
106you were to eliminate all four positions, it would result in furloss though >> because we have other positions that we've already eliminated that need to go into some of these positions. So when you see those K1, two, and three up there that you could reduce in kindergarten, even at Seagertown, we can't necessarily take all those cuts because we're going to be furlowing people because we already have people that have been displaced that need to go into those positions. So that's why we only have one elementary teacher um that we possibly could even cut >> unless unless we would fless, right? Which Yes. >> Right. >> Then how about the red down there, Patty? The red is was already an elimination. >> Okay, that was a little and then the dark uh or orange >> well
107they're close to the >> pressure. So, so basically we get a few students in um and and that was one of the the teachers um brought that back. That was one of their comments that they made a couple meetings I was at was when you go into for instance look at Seagertown. We'll expect Seagger town's el kindergarten to be over 40 by by the time um September arrives. So that's why we absolutely um Cambridge on the other hand 33. Um we'll see, you know, we'll see where that's at. Um and that's and you know, we could come back and look at this too. we could come back and say, you know, I had a I had a superintendent that said we're not looking at kindergarten numbers till the end of September because that's when we'll
108have a true indication, you know, so we could come back and look at that. But I think this is important. This is where we're where we're at, >> right? So according to that, you could cut one elementary and still stay within the guidelines. But what about the Sagon High School cut? >> That's currently a long-term sub position. And that will not be up here because these are just your elementarymentaries. There's a there isn't a chart like this for the high school. >> But you presented that we were going to cut from Sagtown High School. >> But >> it doesn't chart like this at the high school level because of the way schedules are. >> This would you have any impact of what that would do to class sizes and >> Yeah, absolutely. That's the one
109I said, Brian, that we would lose I believe half would be the interventions that that that teacher is currently doing. And she teaches >> uh government >> government on top of that. that other teachers would pick that up, but what they wouldn't be able to pick up would be the interventions. >> We would lose out on the intervention piece. Um, so I think that's an important part, too. >> Just it just seems sometimes when we're running the district, we're not thinking as a business because we're we're using our heart to say, "Oh, we don't want to lose a teacher." instead of making the hard decision for the right of the business. So, I just wanted to make that comment. I have nothing against teachers. I I don't but we're so close to zero. And we
110haven't been there since when technically speaking, we've been there the last 10 years because you have your you have your budget that you start with and you have your budget the ending budget. We've been at zero. We've been at zero. I mean, >> that's where we've ended at zero. So, >> thanks to >> Huh. Well, absolutely. I mean, we she does a great job. I mean, we have good controls and um within that and and I I do I appreciate she does it. So, but saying that upfront, I see what you're saying because I think I think another key point is looking toward the future. And I think uh that's highly important too that not only we looking at this budget, we should be looking at next year's budget and the following year's budget too.
111So I think that's critically important too. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. Thanks, Brian. >> Kathy, >> any other questions? >> Sorry. We'll get around the table. >> That might be my I mean >> No, I think that's >> there will be another if there's a question. It does sound like that high school position like that we should keep it like that's very important. Um a lot there's a lot for the school. >> I um I absolutely if you're asking me what I think I I absolutely don't want to lose any of those positions. we've already lost positions um in the original to get down where we're at and even two more um those numbers you saw up in that chart in the yellow those could easily go up um they could you know they I
112don't think they'll come down and that's not the history if we look at the history so I don't want to lose those either for sure Jason >> oh boy um I don't I mean honestly I don't like any of them because even the no increase were still cut for uh teachers um through attrition. But um I I get what Brian was saying as a business because I mean you have you somewhat is run it as a business but truly our business is the students and if we're not talking about teachers, we're talking about taking that position and affecting the students. So our business as a school board is to do what's best for the students. And I don't think cutting u two more positions on top of the four is anything I would do. Um
113so in my opinion um you know the recommendation originally was no increase. Um I'm comfortable with that because we continue to do that. Um and then look at our our our planning. Um, you know, I I I think we're looking at every year we're looking at the budget as one year, but if once we get this planning in place, we need to look at the long term every single year. Um, but for this year, I mean, we're kind of on the edge here. We have to vote on something. Um, I would not vote on option three. I really don't want to increase taxes, but I mean, I would do that before three. So, it's just my opinion. Okay. Um, thank you all. Uh, I guess my there's com I can't remember how you phrase it,
114Fred. Uh, increase our revenue, finding ways make it easy. Uh, that's been brought up before. Uh, how to make it easy for donations. It's kind of difficult to donate to the district. Even though it might be easy, there's some red tape. We can find a way to to change that. That's been brought up a number of times. And so, it's really good that we highlighted that. Uh I also think that if you can you go back to the the slide with the three options. I have a question. >> I want we we addressed this years ago but or not years ago months ago but maybe I wonder if the board would like to readress and that's the pay uh of our uh athletics um admission. Uh maybe not for our students. Uh there was kind
115of a unique idea that you had from another district. >> Yeah. Yeah. um where they pay outside students. Uh that might be hard to manage. It'd be probably pretty hard uh to police, but that might be I'm not saying I don't know where I stand on it, but that might be something that I think the board could be open to as well. U maybe finding some common ground on on that. Uh as far as the travel, uh we're required to do certain amount of travel for athletics, right? in postseason. Are we That's my question is are we required to postseason travel like if they make the states we have to send them the states, right? >> Yes. >> Because I was confused when it said postseason travel shift to boosters. >> Wouldn't that still be
116our responsibility? >> Well, we were just thinking of ways to >> because it's a large expense to shift that cost to the boosters if they >> we'd still be other school districts do that. Postseason travel is on is on the booster program. So again um this doesn't help us now finding it easier to donate to the schools and I mean boosters are easier to donate than the school but uh I think actually in the um three budget analysis that we had asked for eight days ago 10 days ago um there might be something there uh that we can agree on and I think it might be admission. I might be wrong, but uh as far I'm not in favor of the cuts because I I do think we've already had we have four through attrition.
117Do you have any administrative cuts in that? >> We do have one administrative cut. >> We didn't we're not >> and that's in the deficit budget. >> Yes. That's already there. Yes. >> Patty, can you um do the numbers again? The elementary numbers. >> Let me Can I can I ask a question of the board here? >> Oh, hang on. Is that the deficit? Is that with the deficit budget or is that the zero >> sixth grade? that that two we've already reduced that through attrition. >> Just the red just >> the red that's the only one. >> Okay. >> But there's only one other elementary cut up there that you can do through attrition. Otherwise, you're going to be furowing. >> Okay. >> And that's what we had put up on the screen. >>
118What was your question? >> Well, that that was it. Um >> yeah. Uh at this point, I appreciate the round table discussion. I hope it was productive. Um if you have other further questions or comments, uh I I feel free. Can I make one? >> Yeah. >> Here's what I'm here's what I'm hearing, >> and I just want to make sure. I think I'm hearing that we don't want to look at any additional teachers. >> Nope. >> But I do believe we could go back. If we go back to those other two areas and we bring those back, I think that we can come and and still try to just just because there's three options there doesn't mean we can't come back in a month and say let's can we bring it down some more
119like that last area is $130,000. Is that something that we want to look at? That's what I'm that's the question that I have because that's that's looking at it >> le I don't because I don't want to cut teachers. I don't believe this board does. been watching everybody here tonight. Um, so that's my question. Do you want us to continue to look at those two areas we looked at and additional potentially? >> Do we have to vote on a budget tonight? Correct. >> Absolutely. For the preliminary. >> Uh, yeah. I think um if we vote on a budget uh and you come back uh and maybe there's something else there. I think and I also think um I'll make a comment. I think move again I I mentioned this is our first budget season navigating
120together. I think there are things we can improve upon. Um, we can learn. We do have a deadline, but that doesn't mean it always has to be this way. So, there's been comments and questions about that, too. So, >> certainly. >> Also, do you think it would be appropriate to establish a budget committee like Fred said, working with his changes in the LA in the month? >> Uh, we can we can discuss committees. Um, we can discuss them tonight if you want to bring them up. I mean, we do committee as a whole. I had when that when that came up, I had a list of pros and cons. I mean, we're welcome to discuss that now if you want about formation of committees or you want to get through budget season since it's tonight
121and then have bring back that idea, revisit that idea. The board asking the board, >> we should be working on the budget every day. >> It would have to be December. >> It doesn't. >> No, we can form ades, right? Absolutely. We don't need to wait till >> Well, we should >> I'm I'm going to suggest we revisit the idea of formation committee soon. Um I think there's some good ideas there. >> Uh but as far as tonight, we have to have a budget preliminary budget. >> Are we going to do round table again? >> Anyone have a question? Go ahead. >> No, there's more of a square. >> Well, go ahead. >> The zigzag. >> Uh real quick with the sports, uh I know we talked about this. It's been a few years ago,
122but like Friday night football games, I remember the number to run the lights for Friday night football games was really hot. Can anybody >> Kristen be approximately like $400 to run the Friday night football? >> Oh, is that all it was? >> I thought glass >> 400 or$450 cuz that's what we thought glass had some other. >> Okay, then >> to redo the lights. about half a million dollars at each field. You could be >> I remember that. >> Yeah. >> Uh the uh going on what Kathy said about admission, I do agree. I think we should up the admission. Uh if other districts are doing it, why not? Why aren't we there? And we could use that money for that program, too. I mean, I don't know how it works now. if it goes
123back in the general fund or if the football game >> goes just into the general athletic revenue. Um, whenever I show you like the cost to run those programs, I take off the net revenue that they've earned >> um to get the cost per sport. >> Okay. So, so the football, we'll just use football. The football uh games bring in let's say $20,000. Does that go to the football program or that just goes >> No, it just goes into a general line item. We receive about $60,000 from gate emissions. >> Okay. >> Overall, >> yeah, I'm on board. Yeah, I'm on board with Kathy and Sorry. >> No, you're right. >> And Fred. Um or I mean Tim and Tim and Kathy. >> They look alike. I'm like, >> "Yeah, Tim and >> he's looking
124at me. Call me Brad." I'm like, "I start to tell them apart." >> No, Tim. I I totally agree with it. It's money outside um that we can who who pays for it. The kids aren't going to pay for it. The the parents are. >> So, I'm I'm willing to to shovel I'm seriously I would shovel $10 for the students because that would go back into the system. It's not towards taxing the community, but if your kids play sports like my daughter does, I'm all in for paying for her to get into a sport. Um whatever the amount is. I mean, for me, it's unlimited. cuz I want her to have a good time. Usually I give her a 20 for >> not a ticket but for food and everything else. You're going to spend
12520 anyway. So >> So I am totally totally agree on and if we're going to get some money in and that would be a great way to do it. >> What a difference a year makes. >> Yeah. Last year at this time, I was the only one on this board that said we should raise those admission ticket prices and you all laughed. Here you are a year later. I thought we was talking about now, not a year ago. >> So, um, back back to the budget at hand. Um, what I'm hearing is we we have three budgets to vote on tonight. uh regardless of which one is voted on. Um I'm going to ask the admin to see what that what that would add to um replace if if we pass the zero what it
126could replace um uh how much uh less of a deficit we would have in option two or in one. So I'm hearing that that seems to be a >> Can I get a clarification on what's the number we're raising admission to for adults and students? >> Well, what did you say? that would know. Yeah, >> it's $4 currently. If we go to $6, that's an additional. So, we want $6 and then $2 for students. >> Okay. >> Yep. I can. So, regardless of whatever budgets passed, I will add that revenue in for the next the final budget. >> The adult would be the exact same as Connie and Crawford Central. >> Okay. And then we would be um kind of at $2 kind of in the middle between Crawford and Connie because Kanye does it
127a little different. They let their kids in free. charge other kids. Um, so they do it a little bit different. >> Like you said, that could be complicated at the ticket booth. >> As long as veterans and >> can we retire like we can give out passes for students? I don't know. >> Well, I feel like the people that work the ticket booths know most of the students that work in school. >> You could purchase a season pass >> up front. Money in the bank >> up front of season passes. We've done those in the past >> and then it's money in the bank that you have already regardless how many they tend to mention. >> So, uh I'm satisfied with the discussion that we have to revisit this when we vote on it. Um
128I'm going to ask for a more concise discussion if we have it. Uh whatever is motioned and whatever is second. Um but at this point I'm comfortable if you want to move on with the committee as a whole. >> Citizens comments. >> Yeah, we're done. >> Okay. >> I don't turn it over to the committee. The whole is done. Okay. >> Do we have any >> Is there anybody that wants to talk about agenda items? >> Okay, we'll move into the voting meeting. Um, we have to do some roll call votes today. I think that's going to be best. Uh, >> we have a number of policies. So, I'll entertain a motion resolve that the Pancress School Board of Directors approve the following policies. Policy approval first. >> Oh my god. I'm sorry. We're going
129to miss you. >> I'll entertain a motion for the uh approval minutes resulted school board of directors approve the following minutes. >> So move. >> Second. >> Motion second. Any questions, comments? Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? Okay. Policy approval. I'll entertain a motion resolve that the penrest board of directors approve the following policies. >> So move. >> Second. >> Motion second. Questions regarding the policies. >> Uh those have been reviewed by um Jordan's firm. And so just to let everyone know that. >> Any other questions or comments? >> Okay. Vote. Um all in favor say I. I. Any oppose? >> Okay. The education report. Uh we'll do consent agenda on this. This would be items B through K resolve. I'll entertain a motion resolve that the Prest School
130Board of Directors approve the consent agenda. Education items B through K as presented. So move. Second. >> The motion is second. Any comments or questions regarding the education report? Okay, hearing none. All in favor say I. I. >> Any oppose. Moving on to facilities. Uh, once again, another consent agenda. I'll entertain a motion result that the Penrest School Board of Directors approve the consent agenda for facilities and transportation items B through F. So move. >> Second. A motion to second. Any comments or questions regarding the facilities and transportation report? Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion passes. >> Yep. >> I Yeah, because we have that tape. >> Oh, I got you. Okay. Um, this will be consent but partially for the financial report. I'll entertain a motion result
131that the Penrest School Board of Directors approve the consent agenda financial items B through I. >> So move second motion second. Any comments or questions? >> Wait a minute. What are we saying here? >> We are doing the financial report items B through I right now. >> Just the financial report. >> Items B through I. No, that I'm going to do um >> Okay. >> I'm going to do roll call on that. That's why we're doing just B through I. Thank you for the clarification. >> Any other questions or comments? Okay, hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Oppose. E through I passes. >> Okay. Um, we have the FCC prek council lease agreement. >> That was I I'm on it. I'm on the table. motion entertain a uh somebody would somebody
132like to bring back to the table >> who whoever >> career technical center budget. >> It's it's it's on the table. You're good. We're good. We're good. We can vote on it. >> It's on the agenda. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> I'll entertain a motion for the uh career and tech budget. So move second. >> Motion second. Any comments or questions regarding the career and tech budget? Okay. Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. >> Any oppose. Motion passes. Okay. Um the general fund uh balance we have we had asked them to present three. Uh just so everybody's aware we have three. The first one is the 1 mil increase. Uh option two is the deficit. And then option three is the zero. Um, >> do these in order? >> No, I wouldn't
133do that. So, what I would do to save a lot of time is to do a roll call vote and have each person say what option they're voting for. >> What if you end up with a plurality and not a majority? >> Vote again. But I I would not go through because really these are all options on the table for the board to consider. Okay. So, you I would not go through each option. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So, uh, what I suggest, I'm going to ask do a roll call and, uh, please state your vote for option one, two, or three. If no majority is achieved, we will go around again. Yep. Okay. >> Presentation. >> Do we have a >> Can I put the options up there so they know which one? >> First,
134I need an option to bring them or a motion to bring them on. >> So, move. >> Second. Okay. I have a motion, a second regarding the three budgets. Um, >> Any further discussion? I'm going to ask maybe keep it concise. We discussed it um in great detail. >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, I just want to make the comment that there there are a couple of things we need to consider here. If we don't make hard decisions now, you're advocating essentially for a much bigger tax increase next year. Uh because there's no way we're going to pay for the teachers salary increase and other increases without a substantial tax increase. We apparently the board agreed at some point on these ratios student to teacher. We have the option to follow that and
135reduce the budget. So I'm confused why we would not follow it and reduce the budget. And you when we talk about hurting children, how would that hurt? We've agreed these are acceptable ratios for our students. So how are we in any way hurting any student? So those are my thoughts. >> Any other comments or questions regarding the budget? Okay. Once again, I'll uh begin the roll call vote. Please uh announce which option you prefer. >> Mrs. Beers, >> number one. >> Mr. Bennett, >> two. >> Mr. Brown, >> two. >> Mr. Bryant, >> three. >> Mr. Chauy, >> two. >> Mr. Custard, >> three. >> Mrs. Mr. Spennis >> two, >> Mr. Deako >> two, >> Mr. >> Two. Motion two, preliminary budget passes for option two. Option two. >> Option two. >> Yep. Thank
136you all for that discussion. Um, >> moving on to the personnel report. Uh, I'll entertain a motion result that the Penrest School Board of Directors approve the consent agenda personal items B through L. >> So move second. Motion and second. Um, comments. Uh, I would suggest we have a few here. Um, so we appreciate them being here. Uh, and as always, uh, to our retirees and our other resignations, we really appreciate the time that you've given to the district. Um, it's that time of year. We we hate to see a lot of people go. Um but all in favor of the personnel report say I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. Would you like to introduce two? >> Yeah. >> Miss Sean's over here. >> Sean, Mr. Sample. >> We have uh two gentlemen taking
137over our wrestling >> wrestling. Would you please stand and be recognized? >> Mr. Sample and Sean. THANK YOU. UM, I THINK our retiree, uh, Missy >> Cambridge Springs Elementary Building Aid, Missy Blford, is here. >> Stand up, MISSY. >> We're missing anyone? >> Yeah, I don't want to miss anyone. >> Even to those that are not in attendance, our gratitude. >> Okay. Uh, we went over >> letter M in personel. >> Oh, I see. >> Yeah, M and have to be. >> We'll do a roll call. Again, that was uh we do personnel through uh consent through L. So, now we are on the resolved that the Penrest School Board of Directors approve the presented collective bargaining agreement between the Penrest School District and the Penrest Area Education Association effective 2027 through 2032. This is
138personnel item letter M. >> So a motion and a second. Any comments or questions? >> Roll call vote, please. >> Mrs. Beers, >> yes. >> Mr. Bennett, >> yes. >> Mr. Brown, >> I abstain. >> Mr. Bryant, >> yes. Mr. Chsy, >> yes. >> Reverend Kustard, >> yes. >> Mrs. Dpenis, >> yes. >> Mr. Dejako, >> yes. >> Mr. Passes. Thank you. >> From what I understand, um the PS uh PSVA and um the district had met in good faith and uh we heard um difficult discussions but positive discussions. So, congratulations. I would I would venture I would say that also. Um we um it was a good process and always agree but I think um I think we arrived at a fair contract. So um I thank uh the negotiating committee for the teachers.
139I thank our our team and um and so I appreciate it. Thank thanks everyone. Job well done. Okay. We have aou. Uh, this is still in the personnel report. We're at letter N. Result that the Penrest School Board of Directors approved the solicitor and superintendent development approved the PSAU. >> So move second. >> Motion second. Any comments or questions? >> Okay. Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Motion passes. Okay. New business. There's three items listed. Resolve that the Pancress School I'll entertain a motion. Resolve that the Pancress School Board of Directors approve the following PIAA District 10 House Bill 41 resolution. >> So move. >> Motion second. Any comments or questions regarding House Bill 41. >> All in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Um, I'll entertain a motion resolved that
140the penrest that Penrest versus Kegel matter be resolved mutually negotiate settlement agreement between parties bringing the matter to a formal close. >> So moved. >> There's a motion in a second. Comments or questions? >> Amen. >> All in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Motion passes. Okay, still under new business. This is the parent square agreement. Undertainain a motion resolved that the penrest school board of directors approved the attached parent square agreement for a three-year contract with paymentation fee of 3,250 for year 1. Uh 18,125 for year two, 18,650 for year three. >> Second have a motion to second. Any comments or questions regarding >> numbers, right? >> That I was going to say uh those numbers. You got three years and four numbers. >> One's the initial year. >> Yeah. The first one initial
141year >> which is this year and we get to use it tomorrow quite frankly and they'll start setting it up for May and June and then year one is 26 27 first year term first term is set up. >> So thank you. Uh to clarify, we have the initial year of 3,250. Year 1 will be 18,125. Year two 18,650. And then year 3,200. Thank you. I have a motion to second already. Any comments or questions. >> Thank you for finding that. >> I'm looking every day. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? Motion passes. >> Okay. uh to let everybody know that this board had met in executive session on April 29th uh for personnel negotiations. Uh the board also met in executive session on May 11th uh for personnel legal
142and negotiations. We have no registered citizens for non-aggenda items. So at this point, I'll open up for any non-registered non-aggenda items. >> You can questions really quickly. Um, running at a deficit budget means what exactly? And what positions then might be cut if we're talking about positions? >> Can I answer? >> Uh, deficit is just basically our expenditures or more than our revenues that we're projecting to bring in. Um, everyone who has been their positions have been changed for next school year have been notified. Um, so those those that has been communicated to those individuals that it affected. Um, so currently that was those four positions and administrative positions. So they've all been notified already of that change. Um, so as far as positions, currently with the proposed budget, there would be no additional positions
143in that budget. Um, in the 531,000. >> Okay. And then can I speak really quickly on athletics and the paytoplay and and all of that. Um, as far as the ticket increase, fine. in and with that, but to put a put as that burden on our boosters, um I asked my boosters this year because it was the first time we'd gone to the state playoffs in 20 years to get us a bus to cover the difference that the district would provide um for us to go to Sickley Academy and play and we had to pay $2,000 for a bus and my boosters took care of that. Um, but to ask those boosters of wrestling, for for weekends of postseason play and hotels, that's a lot to put on an organization that is there for the
144student athletes and to have them pick up that cost for one, two, three, four weeks. Um, I think it's unfathomable for for them to do that for all that they do for our students. I know that that was one of the one of the things we >> did not pass, but your comments are appreciated. >> Thanks. Yep. >> Any other >> just so everybody's aware Chris is um RA up at Sagertown too. Just so you know that everyone >> any other uh non-registered citizens >> entertain a motion for sure. >> So move second. >> Appreciate I know this was a long meeting. Uh, all in favor say I.