001Turn off my sound here. >> I'm not tall enough. 5 4 3 2 1 >> Good evening everybody. It is February 25th, 2026. This is our school committee meeting. The Ashlin Public School strives to be a model district that creates a culture of inclusivity for our diverse students and staff who feel safe and supported, are empowered with the academic and social emotional skills to pursue their chosen path, and embrace their roles as positive contributors to local and global communities. This meeting is being recorded by WACA Cable TV. Our call to order this evening includes opening procedures, agenda review and adoption, public participation, the res reports and presentations include AHS student advisory council update, warrant approvals, superintendence report including the FY27 budget update and presentation, the assistant superintendent report, the consent agenda which includes approval of
002gifts and donations and minutes from January 28th, 2026. Six. Our action items and discussion updates and votes include stipened adjustments. We'll have reports of school committee members. And then I will move to enter into executive session under GL chapter 3A section 21A7 to comply with or act under the authority of any general specific law or federal grant in aid requirements under the open meeting law solely for the approval and potential release of prior executive session minutes from October 11th 2023 January February 14th >> yeah 2024 That's needs a correction. March 13, 2024. May 10th, 2024. June 12th, 2024. November 13, 2024. December 11th, 2024. January 22nd, 2025, February 12th, 2025, and June 11th, 2025. And um not to return to open session, we will then we will adjourn. Okay. Um, I will take attendance. Everybody
003okay with the order of business this evening? Marcy, >> yes. >> Tina, >> yes. >> Paul, >> yes. >> And, uh, Mark will be here, uh, eventually. Um, we I will ask if there's anybody either online or in the audience that wants to offer a public comment. We don't see anybody online and we just have our student advisory council here. So, seeing none, um, we'll call up the Student Advisory Council for an update. Hello, everybody. You made it here in the slushy, snowy streets. >> Yep. Green. All right. Hello. Can you hear me? >> We can. Great. >> Perfect. Um, I'm Zoha Sidali. I am in 11th grade. And as for an update, we have a lot going on in March. Uh, for one, Stuco is hosting a spirit week the week of St. Patrick's
004Day. It's in hopes to boost a little bit of morale. May is a very sorry, March is a very long month. There's not a lot of days off, so we're hoping to bring some school spirit with that. Also, in March, we have Flag Day, so students will be representing. It'll be a schoolwide assembly. Students can represent flags that they resonate and they um present to the school why it resonates with them and just different parts of the culture from that flag. Um, and it really shows the culture and diversity within Ashland. Um, March also marks the end of winter sports. Um, a majority of the sports have already ended or are ending within the next two weeks and the portal for spring sports signups has opened for my knowledge. Um, March also has some important
005academic um, stuff happening. MCCAST is happening for 10th graders and also the seal of a bi literacy exam is also happening for 11th and 12th graders. Thank you. >> Hi, my name is Yash Bedet and uh we also have some other more important academic deadlines. We have the course selection deadlines for students on March 6. So all students will need to submit their course recommendations and elective decisions too. And the Ashlin High School Theatrical Society is also putting on their performance of theory of relativity. I've been told by the people performing it's very good. They've worked very hard on it. They'd also love for all of you guys to come and join them this Friday, Saturday at 700 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. to watch them perform. >> Thank you. >> Hi, I'm Sophia
006Renetski and I'm a junior. Um, so for clubs lately, the National Honor Society will be holding a talent show in March. And additionally, the club came together to make Valentine's Day cards for senior citizens, and they continued to collect food for the food pantry. Uh, and student council recently held their annual pancake breakfast, which was a big success. And at the end of March, they plan to hold a voter registration drive for students during lunch. And then finally, Make a Wish held their annual Jump for Joy fundraiser where they raised nearly $4,000, putting them over the goal of $10,000 to grant a wish. And they also plan to sell concessions at the upcoming Clocker Classic. Thank you. >> Thanks, Sophia. Thank you everybody. >> Thank you. >> Anything more to add over there? >> Any
007questions or >> covered all covered it all? Yeah. >> Thank you everyone. Thanks for being flexible too. I know we were supposed to be here a couple weeks ago. >> Thank you. >> You get to just >> love it. Okay. Warrant approvals. Between January 28th, 2026 and February 25th, 2026, I Paul Kendall, authorized by my signature, payable is the amount of 1,26,835.36. This includes general fund expenses of $943,22282, revolving expenses of 255,454 and grant expenses of $8,92.96 meal task meal tax expenses of $744. And finally, I authorized payroll in the amount of 1,5001,17862. >> Thank you. All right. Superintendent report, the FY27 budget update presentation. >> Yeah, I thought it was important that Sorry, didn't have my mic on. I I thought it was important that we spend a little bit of time uh just
008informing the community as to where we stand with regard to the FY27 budget and just to give an overview of of conversations that we had uh with our budget workshop. Uh and then to relay some information uh in recent conversations with the town manager. Uh as you know there there'll be another tri board meeting coming up in March uh where um we'll have further conversation with regard to the um override and the actual budget. We have to by law have our public hearing at some point. Uh so I want to make sure that we're all on the same page and I'm looking for your guidance. I think I have your guidance from our our meeting um in uh last month, but I at least want to make sure that that we're all on the same
009page. So when I pull together the actual uh budget workbook that I that I share with the community that we're we're on the same page for what I will be presenting uh in in the public hearing. So right now I just want to share with you a little slide deck of things and it's a little different than I've given in the past in terms of just pure numbers. Uh I tried to make it a little more infographic type um which might resonate with with more members of the community than it than it does with me to be honest with you. Um, let me see here. Share screen. And I want to thank while while we're here, um, the principles who are all online. Uh, so if we have general questions, they can chime in. Uh,
010Miss St. Kerr is actually at a MIA girls hockey game uh, tonight. So whether she can chime in or not, uh, if you have questions for her, um, hopefully she she will if we get there. um soon enough. So again, just the update. Uh as you know, we've had the conversation that this is probably the the most challenging budget um scenario or cycle that that we've had certainly in the past five years, but probably in my entire tenure as superintendent. Uh where we the the time is is catching up to us with regard to the continued use of one-time funds. uh and and we'll outline that uh a little bit later and how it really will impact the school district uh moving forward. But I think it's critically important. You've asked this question a lot
011of me um in the past. What does it really cost to run the Ash public schools? And this is just an an example of the FY2526 school year. what we're this year, what it truly costs uh the Ash public schools to be run uh at the level of service that we've come to expect. I think there's this understanding that when we go to town meeting that folks believe there's just this whatever we appropriate at town meeting is that's the budget of the schools and that's not really the case, right? Uh because we're we're subject to uh cuts at federal levels uh the state level uh for grants uh for uh circuit breaker for special education reimbursement uh for um all of the um school choice you know that impacts us. Are we allowing school choice?
012Are we not allowing school choice? And how do we spend those funds? So, as you can see by this slide, we're closer to a $49 million organization with 400 plus employees. It's a pretty good size operation uh that we run. Um, and you'll see how it's broken down here. And I think I know you know Marcy has asked for this a number of ways uh previously and hopefully this shows a little bit clearer to the community what it costs to run the school system. So, we've got that 44 million that's appropriated at town meeting and then 2 almost 2.9 million in grants and other funds and those other funds are our school choice building revolving fees we charge for transportation um you know circuit breaker reimbursement is a huge one that's the special education uh
013students who are out of district that we get reimbursed uh at the state level and what I can say is by law they're supposed to fund 75% of that they don't always fund that full circuit breaker amount right so we we aren't always guaranteed the full reimbursement uh level. Then we have other salaries uh picked up through grants, special education grant uh eight as you can see eight ESP salaries, special education coordinator, psychologist, administrative assistants, uh school choice covers um you know counseling, uh those are the positions that we currently use school choice funding for. Um and then title one salaries. So, we have title one math. We have um three teachers, Warren, Mendes, and the middle school that that we cover salaries for. So, if those go away, right, we've got to figure out
014how to pull those into our operating budget, how to how to pull it into, if you will, the appropriated line item versus the school choice line item. So, you'll see over here, the school choice for operating uh isn't salary based. So, it's really one. So the red column in the light blue column add the 629 plus the 452 that's really what we're spending in school choice like 1.1 million almost. Okay that's operations that we're using the 452 for here's where we are today and this is what I've presented to you in the past. Um, we're looking for an override of $2.75 million for the Ashland public schools. And that's a 6.18% increase over last year's appropriated amount. And what you have to understand is that's typically right around what we've been getting between that five
015and 6% range uh the past number of years um to run the school system. And you know, you'll see that the 47 million again, start adding in going back a slide, it's closer to 51 52 million now is what we're our true budget is. So the way I've designed this this tonight is instead of going from operation override to 2.55 to a level funded, I'm going to stick with operation override to start with. What would that really look like in in the Ashlin public schools? So, no matter what, and we had a lot of debate with our admin team yesterday on whether this this was we had two separate slides that showed this. I ended up with this one because I couldn't figure out how to fix the other one. Um, but the strategic financial
016realignment, what does that mean? Well, we are always constantly looking at our budget to say, okay, with retirements, with lower class enrollments, uh with lower enrollments, period across the district at say the K2 or 35 level, can can we not fill a position that's currently um someone's retiring it, for instance, a third grade teacher. Do we have to fill that position? Can we just not fill it? and and how will it impact class sizes? Uh we have a number of positions as you can see that relate to in the blue district level the Warren School. So every building is being impacted here and this is just focused on staffing this slide. So 13.2 faculty staff across the district all the schools and central office will be impacted. No matter what, even if an override passes,
017these are not positions that will be reinstated. These are positions that we've identified based on looking at all factors, enrollment, class, um um class requests, uh potential class requests, positions that haven't been filled previously, uh where we've been working without uh the roles. For instance, um you know, Chris has a couple positions in his office. we have them on the books that we just haven't filled. So, we're just pulling them off now. Uh they're pulling them out of the budget. Um doesn't mean we don't need them or couldn't use them. It just means it's the right thing to do at this point in time is to pull them out. Um questions on this. I know you've seen it and I will share it with the community obviously, but >> Jim, yeah, just a question like
018the way it's presented because I think the when it says assuming override >> Yep. Um it could be confusing as to whether or not those things are going to happen whether we have an override or not. Well, >> and I know you just explained it and I know that you've explained it clearly at at both um of our >> tri board meetings and at our budget meeting, but I think for the people who are tuning in later or even just new to all of this financial language, I I just wanted to back up a couple steps and share that um >> we we had an idea because we're in communication with the town manager, you are in particular throughout the year, that this budget cycle was going going to be difficult. So, we've all agreed
019that you would take a deep look at the budget at where there were going to be retirements or things that could be consolidated so that before we even went out to ask for an override, we can come up with a number that made sense after we fixed whatever we could fix within within our system. So, these things already happened. They're going to happen and they have nothing to do with whether there's an override or not. So I might just if this is going to be disseminated I would take the assuming >> well so that's why I sort of put the the right below it positions will not be reinstated no matter what right with an override >> right but I I already have had some questions about people trying to understand >> what what these
020>> okay >> 13 or 14 position are yeah so we get it I get it I'm not questioning I know exactly what you're doing >> let's just back up this Jim before you even get to town allocation like in order of the slides, just say before we even ask for an override, put this slide before that >> and say we did this work first to save this amount. >> And that's an important part of the story. Like we took we took a good look at you in particular. I know you gathered all your administrators and you said, you know, we can't ask the community for money until we've looked at everything and >> um y taken care of. >> Perfect. >> Yeah. The realignment, which we did. >> Yeah. So maybe putting it first and
021then just getting rid of assuming override and that next line where you describe it just describe that this happens. We're doing this regardless. Yeah. >> Um and I think that probably make it clear. >> Yep. Thanks. >> So So now again I'm going to start using the word assuming override because it does impact the next slide greatly. Right. Right. >> So let's assume an override does pass. How does that impact our revolving funds? Because I think that's critically important. I I want to stress to this community that the override is not just about uh it's actually not about adding new positions within our district. It's actually about trying to fix the um inherent problem with school funding. the way it works in Massachusetts uh and the way our budgets typically are are developed uh and
022when you're talking about increasing salaries consistently health care costs uh special education costs we we are always going to have to use some of our our our one-time funds that being said I don't believe we're using our onetime funds appropriately we're using them for salaries which are you know costs that that are recurring ing we do not have and Chris and I had this conversation today. We do not have a mechanism for deferred maintenance programming uh in the Ash public schools. So if if something breaks 50 60 80 $100,000 item, we don't have a mechanism in place to utilize uh our operating budget. It's not it's not appropriated. So we have to utilize our onetime funds. Well, guess where our onetime funds are are tied up? They're tied up in salaries. because we haven't been
023able to move them into so I'm trying to fix the structural deficit that exists currently in our system in most systems right we're not looking to add 6% over and above what a level service budget would be for us that that 6% number is a number that's taken into account lots of things but it's allowing us to to not depend upon our revolving accounts to pay for salaries. So, for instance, in this case here, just these are examples. They're pretty, you know, they're pretty solid numbers and Chris and I go through this all the time. What will our balances look like? Uh, so for the FY27 school year, you can see we're looking at bringing in about three million in revenue um that at the bottom and and expending about three million. So it it
024it's, you know, it's pretty consistent, but it it has the school choice number in the building rental numbers up a little bit. So if something happens, if a boiler goes down, sometimes we don't have the flexibility to to have capital projects paid for until fall town meeting when we get free cash when they go through a system uh with Chris and the town to determine what is the most uh precedent need for the town and the schools for capital projects. Sometimes we just have to make decisions that have to get done immediately and we don't have that flexibility within the operating budget currently. So hopefully with an override that's passed, we fixed a structural deficit and now we're not depending upon school choice salaries to pay for school choice funds to pay for salaries. Marcy,
025thank you. Well, I was just thinking it would be good to give a practical example such as the fire alarms were not functioning correctly at the beginning of the year that happened after town meeting emergent have to do it, >> right? >> You want the funds to be able to address something that every single person in this town would care about fire alarms in a school, >> right? >> That's a good example of >> why you need the one time funds. >> That's right. Yeah. Great. And >> that's not a hypothetical. No, 400 plus thousand closer to 500,000 probably after engineering. >> Yeah, I was going to say something similar in terms of um you know thinking of somebody >> um I mean but these budgets are complicated and hard to understand anyway. So somebody
026looking at this saying you know there's $6 million and it revol why why are you asking us for money? Right? So, so some of those practical examples to help um the public really understand what these what this money needs to to pay for and potentially I mean I know we have a long list of unfunded capital projects and things that we need to do >> and that this may be a helpful those may be some helpful examples. >> Yeah. And they will and I and it's at the end of the slideshow right as I show these are expenditures that we have that we need the funding for. Right. >> Um, and they're not, you know, and Chris said to me today, he was going to have a meeting with John Murray, our director of facilities.
027He's like, "I don't know what John's going to bring me today. It could be a $50,000 expense or $100,000 expense today. We just don't know, right? >> And and you have to have >> the ability to pay for these." So, so the >> Well, the other part of the story is some of these accounts by law, you can't use the money in them to pay for anything else other than that purpose. So, it's not like we have 6 million sitting there. We can do whatever. A third of it, a third of this, right? So the circuit breaker >> is already accounted for. You can't do anything about that. That goes to special education, right? Building rentals for building, school, bus, for transportation. Um, we should be thinking about along the lines of expending >> whatever
028we bring in for revenue, >> we should be able to expend for expenses. That's the that should be really a really good accounting practice, right? We're not over. You'll see over the next couple scenarios we start expending way more than than we currently are than we're bringing in. >> Yeah. It just may be helpful to bring like to have an while you're talking about it here also talk about some of what those expense just to give like again those real life examples people connect to it. So what you'll see is again there's an opportunity for us to maintain a level of of of security and flexibility with our revolving accounts. >> Um in this scenario >> only in this scenario by the way >> and I know you're you're you're kind of working working out
029how you visually represent this. >> Um the arrows seem like they should mean something. >> Yeah. Uh the ones that you have some that go straight across because they look like they're level and then you have ones that go down even going when the fun the balance went up. >> Yeah, it went up a little bit. Yeah, I got you. So I I' I'd either either keep them straight because I think that that's going to mean something to somebody and fair. >> No, I Yeah, it's great. Again, trying something new. >> This is a risk. Great teacher. I think I think the other thing Jim is there's a way to create some kind of demarcation on this of like the only one you really have flexibility and purpose is school choice like the rest are
030kind of earmarked for purpose would be a helpful >> y >> to inform people because if I'm someone if I wasn't here I had no idea what circuit breaker was before I joined school committee so >> yeah I listen these are conversations that they're hour long two-hour long conversations member to sit and and really let them know. I mean, >> 15 slides here could take me a week to explain. >> Your budget book is phenomenal. I just want to say like you've done an excellent job with all the verbiage there. But if you're your your visuals are very good summaries here. So if there's a way to like draw a line >> I will something >> and and perhaps what you can do for that purpose is um where you have circuit breaker you have
031where you have the names below that you might be able to say restricted or unrestricted right so something that indicates that hey this is you know uh and then even in your total you could say in unrestricted it's this only this much right >> right so that doesn't look like there's $6 million sitting in the >> account so just something simple if somebody's like hey what and then somebody sitting next to them go well but look at It's saying that there's only, you know, 1.8 in unrestricted. >> Great. Thank you. No, this is good. So, so let's move away from, hey, we don't have an operational override. It doesn't pass, right? And the the number that that I feel comfortable presenting to the school committee, and I've said that to you before, is a 2.55%
032increase over the FY26 appropriated amount. And that's going to to involve certainly tremendous amounts of additional reductions within um the Ashlin public schools. I don't see foresee forecasting tremendous amount of revenues coming in at the town level. That's the reason why the 2.55 to me is a number I've settled on. It it for lack of a better um comparison to the 2.5% increase in in property taxes. it just it's might be easier for folks to understand. Um so in this instance, you know, it's going up um you know about a million dollars. So what does that look like then? So it it actually goes to 20.6 FTE reductions. So, we added a few more in here um based on needing to reduce our budget from um the level service amount to a to a um
033a number we feel comfortable with. And you can see I I tried just again a different type of infographic here. You tell me which ones, you know, share it with you and say, "Hey, ju this makes good sense, Jim, versus this this one here, etc." But um the additional positions include obviously you know at the at the high school uh you'll notice um some additional positions um a literacy coach at the at the district level um another teacher at at Warren School um so there are still significant retirements like at Mendes the majority all the positions are retired positions doesn't We couldn't use another, you know, fifth grade teacher to reduce class sizes. All of this will have impact on class sizes. Let's just remember that, right? I think, you know, Kate Alman's on here
034and she she had talked to you about how it would impact class sizes. >> Um, I do not feel comfortable going any further in terms of reductions to the national public schools than this slide here. I would hope the school committee would support this. Um, and that's, you know, part of what I'm I'm angling for tonight in terms of getting ready for a public um budget presentation, but I have been tasked with the town to look at a level funded as well. And I I have to share that and that's sort of um will be coming next. But but you can see there's significant impact here to our our programming um to the high school uh world language and and at at the middle school um our adjustment counselor um the district level uh the
035director of that was in the last iteration as well uh but a literacy coach we've been working hard um we need these physicians but we have to make decisions as well and they're really difficult and uh and challenge challging. Um, >> right. So, even looking at this, like these are huge losses if if we an override just in and of itself. >> Correct. >> And I know you have it later down the road, but if we were to have to go with a um level funded budget, which is at least right now what potentially is being requested, um it would be even more devastating to the district. So, if we're voting on a 2.55 over a level funded, it I just want to share what I think it means to the community is that the
036town is going to have to figure out, you know, whether it's stabilization or whatever, wherever they have to make some changes in order to to to meet that gap. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, >> and and again, we're going to we're going to shift quickly like from this revolving use under an override to a revolving use at a 2.55%. >> And and you'll notice the significant decrease in that those balances, right? So, we're now looking at spending 1.1, you know, million in school choice. So that number goes to 847 in FY27, but look at FY28. >> It's it's at zero. >> And that was going to be my question. I know at our our last meeting we talked about that >> in in a 2.5% increase scenario. Yeah. >> Um not only are there going to
037be the immediate cuts of those 20 some odd positions you just outlined, but next the following year there will be an additional number of cuts. And so I think it's important to articulate that as well because that's a that's an important piece of the scenario. Um I don't know I forget if you were able to quantify that. >> We will not be able to partly because there there are a couple factors in play here. Right. So after FY27 our bargaining units are up for all renegotiation. Right. So we do not know at this point in time what the unit contracts will look like. That's one. two, we don't know what our retirement scenario will look like in terms of uh FY, you know, 28. We have some idea, but not, you know, a full um
038slate of folks. And then will those retirements not be replaced, therefore not really impacting cuts, right? Or do we need to replace those and then think about reductions in other areas? What will happen to our enrollment >> uh over the next two years? Are any of the projects at the town level going to come online over the next couple years? I don't believe they will be, but the point is there could still be impact of enrollment. Mhm. >> Um, >> yeah, if you're able to, even if it's not an exact, but just kind of some estimate of what the impact might look like, because from my perspective, if we're already cutting 20 some odd positions this year and next year, even if some of the, you know, kind of additional loss would be because teachers
039are retiring, maybe we don't feel that position. To me, that's still a loss because any further unfilled positions are going to have a huge impact when we're already down 20.6 teachers, right? So I think yes maybe from a budgetary standpoint we don't have to worry about that salary but there's a very real impact on the service right um so I know you pro you can't give an exact impact of what it's going to be but I that is to me an important part of the narrative and the impact is that it's not just this year >> right >> it's also next year because we're going to have to rely on those funds and this there just won't be there anymore agre so that's that was my first question and then just aesthetically I like the
040first chart better inms terms of when you go >> I think I think it would be helpful maybe not in this iteration yeah >> yeah that that's just it's just easier for me to follow clearly that's the neither of us liked >> yeah it's just my opinion I find it easier to look at the columns um but I would just suggest if you were going to do something like this even if it's not this exact just to add another column so it's really easy to pull out what those additional reductions would be under this scenario because it's hard I mean I know cuz we've already talked about it but I think it's hard for some >> that's what I was trying to do is like provide different scenarios for you. >> Typically, I like the
041first one, but I might lose and that's okay. >> Well, I was going to say kind of similar to that, it would be helpful if you kind of layer. So, in the first slide, you have 13 and then this the next iteration mirrors that and says plus, >> right? >> And you can see exactly what's getting taken away. And then if you go to zero, then more is taken away. >> I did that. I had that obviously. You saw it in the worksheet work work uh >> work budget workshop that we did. I had it in a spreadsheet showing >> you here was then yellow. This is the next then yellow and the green >> and it just was like it was confusing for some folks. >> We're like numbers attached to it. >> Yeah.
042I would just keep it consistent because it's hard to go back and forth between this visual and the other one. >> Yeah. Yeah. And even the difference and the third one is fine. Just keep it consistent. >> I like the colors though. It's nice and colorful. >> Yeah. I mean I mean in this one I'd get rid of the arrows because they don't really mean anything. The the district arrows don't go to the schools. That doesn't make any sense. And >> uh right. So but but you could move that up. So you could take that FT total FT and you could >> the center and all all go to it. >> Well or you could just put it there and you could have uh like right now you don't you don't have something that totals
043a district. So, in that in that total box, you could have a blue line that says district, you know, uh 6.2 or whatever it is or 7.2 or whatever it is. Um, but I think to to to her first point was >> I don't want people to look at an override and say, "Oh, this isn't too bad. What we need to do is figure out a way to articulate what happens." And I'm not even that terribly concerned. concerned. I am concerned, but the biggest impact isn't year one. Isn't even really year two. It's what the hell happens after that, right? To be to be very frank because we've we've we've pushed all in >> and you know, we pushed all in and we lost, right? >> But there's good practical examples in your deferred maintenance
044is going to help that because everyone's upset about the field. So, we can just >> No, I understand. But yeah, this again by FY28 that school choice funding of $1 million is gone. Right. >> Right. We we we have not nothing else to draw from. >> That's right. >> I I would almost because that is so key, Jim, and it gets lost in all these arrows, make a slide that shows just that like your unrestricted funding goes to nothing in three years and then you don't have a plan >> like to sustain. Yep. >> Um great. >> Yeah, this is good feedback. Um, so let's let's move to what the town is asking me to do. >> Yeah. >> Um, which is, you know, come in with a level funded budget and level funded in
045in their um parlay is the exact same amount of dollars, all right, that we've gotten this year that we've received. Um, so what you'll notice is that um we then jump to 25.4 faculty and staff that are reduced. What you don't, and this I'm just dealing with staffing here because what you don't see here is we have built into the budget $300,000 in athletics for in the operations of athletics because we know historically ath the athletic program runs a deficit of $300,000 on a yearly basis. We know that in terms of what we bring in for user fees compared to what all the expenses are that relate to the athletic programs. We have could we adjust user fees? People have asked that question. We could. We are still overall if you look at the totality
046of user fee um costs. Ashlin is higher than all of the TVL, not every single sport, but the majority of sports, right? We're already at the upper end. That being said, um you know, we don't have a cap. Do we want to cap it? If we have a cap, uh it decreases the amount. You know, those are different questions we'll have to ask at some point about athletics. But there was $300,000 that was built into those first two scenarios, 2.55 and um the override to help with that structural deficit. in this deficit, in this scenario, we have to pull that out because I can't look at saying, how am I going to reduce five more educators, if you will, because that's what we'd take, say a roughly $60,000 salary line, right? You'd have to have
047five more educators. Doesn't make sense. We've looked at all the faculty and staff that we can reduce as we get to here. Now this being said as we continue you'll notice here that there are additional positions those extra you know the second literacy coach for instance the another teacher at Warren the reduction in potential opportunities at Ashlin High School with regard to chorus band a math teacher those are opport elective opportunities. Um those are increasing class sizes. Um and at the middle school, the UA unified arts, the librarian, those are all added positions here. There will be a tremendous amount of of impact across the district with these reductions. So that will impact scheduling. Aaron Lashappelle has done a heck of a job creating a new schedule. She came to you all the year last
048year numerous times to help create a better schedule. We're seeing the fruits of it. There's still tweaks that have to be made to it and the faculty and staff know that. But that being said, if we go to this level funded budget, it now will impact her schedule again and she's going to have to create another schedule. We have in this scenario Ashlin High School potential reduction say in in band and chorus in those electives that's going to impact other schools as well because we have bumping rights seniority rights for teachers and that means now you've got teachers going back between you know the Mendes school, the Warren School, high school, middle school. So there's complexities there as well. So on this one, I like this one the best of the three options just because
049it's clear by school. But um one thing I would suggest is that those things you're talking about, you know, increased class size, loss of electives, schedule changes are getting lost because the print is so small. Like you could have a slide what this means to us with those like big bold. >> Yeah, I >> you just don't if you're disseminating, you don't want to lose it in the fine print, >> right? No, agreed. But I'm thinking in part, at least at this moment, this is more for our benefit. Correct. The hope is that that is not the budget that we're going to be voting on. >> No, 100%. But like if we're articulating to the community, what does this mean to you? Cuz they're saying, "Ah, 25 people like 25 people is a lot of
050people." >> Absolutely. Well, it would pull it would also pull out the athletics budget. So, what's the impact there? Like, are you >> So, you're going to see that in a second. >> Okay. And I apologize. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, it's it's a great question. So, so unlike all the other slides, I added just a little some contextual text on the on the right hand side. >> Yeah. >> So, that 300,000 that was built into the budget, >> y >> is part of this additional $715,000 of revolving funds that have to be used to balance the budget even to get to a level funded. So, that means there's another $415,000 of revolving funds school choice that we're going to have to utilize for salaries. That's because I'm not willing to go reduce another
051$400,000 or $700,000 worth of salaries. That's what would that's the only way it would work. So you'll notice in the next slide that we end up using in the first year um one point is it? It's hard to read on this one. Um 1.6 6 million in school choice. We increased the amount of use in athletics. We increased the amount of use in building rentals. Like like our our funding for athletics and school choice again is zero negative dollars really and Chris we just showed it at zero in FY28. It's a significant change. So at 2.5, school choice ending FY27 was 847,000, right? So but in a level funded budget, it ends at 433,000. We've split, we've shared out some of the additional costs. So school bus revolving picked up 150,000 of it that 700,000.
052I think what may be getting lost to people who don't live in the numbers is you if to be level funded you are absorbing the cost increase that's already fixed. >> Right. You have to do that. It's a negotiated contract. And so that is in essence a cut andor a band-aid with these one time >> Oh, there it's a band-aid. We've been talking about that for years, right? That we've relied upon this. Uh, >> I always wonder if you could have like a stacked um like some sort of stacked bar chart on the school choice that I'm just trying to think of how you layer in like you know if if um you know we get the override it's here but then if we don't we have to you know stack this much funding onto
053it that's part of our fixed budget. I don't know we need >> you got to pull it out somehow. I just want to I guess make a comment on on sort of some of this in terms of how we talk about stacking all that and and I will share that I have some concern um in terms of how how how well we can articulate why the use of one-time funds something you have to be careful with right we all understand it I think most people understand it like you have to use it once it's gone but I think when you're talking about something like an override there's there's There's going to be some people who say, "Well, the money's there >> this year. We'll worry about next year, next year," kind of thing. I think
054there's there's going to be a group of people that think that way. >> And I'm not saying we don't talk about it. I don't I'm not saying these aren't um important strategies that we've been implementing for a long time. Um I am worried about sort of getting too far into the this is what the future looks like. Like it has to be the right crowd, right? It has to be the right people that you're talking to. um that are willing to look at the long term. Um and I don't know how to to sort of separate that out when you're ultimately going to be putting information out to the community at large and people are going to take what they they take from it. >> Um but as I think about the substance of the
055dialogue we've been having for months now, years you could argue. >> Um and I think about the decisions that we're going to have to make as a school committee in terms of what budget we put forward. Um, I will just share with you that I my mind is more at making cuts that we think, you know, we we should make like if we've gotten to a point where uh population, student population has changed and we don't need as many teachers in the particular area because now we have 180 kindergarters instead of 200 kindergarteners and we can have a reasonable class size with one fewer teacher, two few, whatever those numbers are. those are just decisions we should be making anyway, right? Um, but if we're getting into decisions about things that impact, right? And I
056think we all I've been I've been listening just to see how this conversation went because it was something I was coming to this conversation and thinking about was impact, right? Even when we talk about people and cuts and we're talking about 20, that's an impact of those people, right? But I think for everybody in this room, we focus on the impact of the kids, right? What's the the impact of the kids and their education and what we're offering. And I I'm just sharing my thoughts on this that I'm going to have a real hard time supporting any budget going forward that I feel like is terribly impacting, negatively impacting the um what our students are getting here. And um I say that because I think in some of the conversations we've had earlier when we
057had our our workshop, there are some things I'm like, "Yeah, makes perfect sense. You shouldn't be offering classes when you have five, six kids, seven kids in them." Um that just it doesn't make sense. I think some of the other things we've talked about I'm not as sold on. And I say it to you, Jim, because I know you've been working a million different variations of this, but you had said earlier sort of you're you're going to be looking for some of our feedback on that 2.55 number and I might not be comfortable going that low. Um so I I say that again those comments are broad as to the budget problem also but about the the presentation and you know one of the things I could see myself supporting might be the only one
058um is rather than making certain cuts that number might come out three or three and a half for me but we might have to cut deeper into um onetime funds and deal with a bigger problem down the road. Um, >> right. >> So, I I just I wanted to put that out there disagree with that. I mean, I'm looking at that 255 number and, you know, and I'm glad that you have, you know, the last three or four years shown along with it. I mean, it's it's less than half of of what we've been generally getting, right? >> And that is a huge impact even if nothing else is going on, right? Because the we like Marcy was saying, we already have these built-in increases. I was going to say the 255 is less than
059the, you know, 4% cola, right? Or three and a half or whatever it is, right? It's it's less than whatever that is. It's less than, you know, the other cost. It's not additive at all. Correct. >> So, we're absorbing loss in the 255. >> Yeah. And so that's, you know, I I just it's it's it's kicking the can down the road if you don't fix it. >> Right. >> Mark, I think you brought up an important point because I think some people will look at this and say, "Well, why can't we wait? Why do we need to do it now? Why can't we wait till next year?" So my question for you, Jim, and you may not be able to answer this, but >> are you able to to think through or give us any
060idea of if we wait, will it be a bigger ask if we wait another year? Right. Um kind of what would the difference be? Like you may not be able to answer. >> Yeah. Again, it goes back to a couple different things, right? It goes back to uh new negotiated salary or contracts, right? Uh level of of need for our buildings, uh the uh number of retirements that exist, uh what our enrollment looks like. The projections I the challenge we have with budgeting is the projections are when we don't have state funding until July. We don't really know what we're going to get. Uh we don't know what the federal numbers are going to look like. So we're making really our best guess, right? So yeah, so we're definitely kicking it down the road. No
061matter how we always use that revolving account, we're going to be kicking it down the road at some point. Now this is picking up again in the level funded scenario even in the remember in the 2.55 we're using a considerable amount of revolving funds just to make the 255 work >> right >> now the scenario is in 28 under a 255 >> we are still at zero dollars >> we're using it all >> so you're asking me a question yeah so the override is going to be all of the money that we've used in revolving to cover all of the operations that exist under this scenario because those are positions we're saying we cannot live without. So, so do a 2.75 million override. Let's then take in all of the revolving accounts. So, 1.2 million.
062So, you're now at, you know, 339. So, you're looking at a $5 million override in in a year. >> That's I mean, that's just off the top of my head thinking quickly. >> Yeah. That's significantly more, right? >> It's tricky because like >> Oh, it's tricky, >> right? Well, like >> nobody wants to hear that question answered like yes, if we wait, it's going to cost more. But the truth is, what is the real number that is going to >> fix, >> but we won't know, right? >> No, no, no. I know that. I know that you can't predict that, but even coming up with the number that we we came up with or even you coming up with the 2.55, >> you know, like >> it's probably $10 million. I mean, when you're when
063you're adding it all in in terms of your deferred maintenance costs, field maintenance, all those types of things, it's it's significant, right? >> And just one more variable that I you may have talked about this before I came in and I apologize for being late. Um, do we have any information from the town in terms of extent to which they may be frozen to dip into stabilization? So, that that to me is another variable, right? There's >> there are variables that still exist from the town level that we have not had a conversation. Michael and I have had conversations but the boards have not. So that's why March 10th or 11th whenever their next tri board meeting will be because even in the scenarios that we've pres been presented, we have not even taken into
064account the use of special ed stabilization yet. Right? So that scenario hasn't come to fruition to the three boards. There there are funds in there. How much are we willing to utilize in this year? How much is are we willing to utilize at the for the town stabilization fund, right? And how much are we willing to utilize in terms of all of our revol? Those are those are questions that >> but they're super important before we figure out, you know, what we're asking the community to do and what we can do. I mean, >> that's the per that's the purpose of the stabilization fund. that obviously we talk about the bond the rating and having a certain percentage in there or whatever but it is also to prevent something like this from happening that is
065why we have one of the biggest reasons why we have the fund >> yeah I mean it's I'll phrase it differently it's not to prevent it because say we use it >> right >> it's the same scenario we're depicting here right so it's it's to help us >> you know fill the gaps and and bridge uh unexpect expected things, right? But no matter what we decide there, right? It's it's the same scenario we're picking here because it doesn't get any better the next year. Um, and you know, so and I think I I I respect and hear everything you said, Mark. I think the struggle is finding a balance point, right? because yes, we could we could effectively and efficiently use twice three times as much as as we're going to ask for and it
066would have a a a very positive impact both on the students and our community. Um, but I think the the challenge and I think what Jim's been trying to do is he arrived at the 2.55 after saying, "Hey, what >> what's and and that's just his judgment on what that balance point is." And and we'd probably all have different, >> right? We can use more, right? I mean, that's this is where I am. And and again, it ends up being it's your vote and you're saying, "No, we want this added back, this added back." Okay, great. I'm I'm good with that. It's still going to be a 2.55. It's just we're going to use more. >> Yeah. My my my challenge is >> it's all >> you have such a better feel for uh the
067impact of choosing balance point A or B than than I do. And um I would feel just personally me not speaking for anybody else that if I were to apply saying hey I would have to be having a long conversation with you before I would say oh let's move the let's move that left or right or up down or whatever the case is. Right. I I think you know another key point is that 9% take the 450 take school choice out you're at 8% of the total budget is funded through grants and onetime funds. So Mark to your question of like our use of onetime funds why don't you use that? We don't know if those grants are all going to come back in. You can make a very good argument that you know we're
068relying on a substantial part of our recurring budget to be fulfilled through the grants. like it's a very unpredictable federal state funding mechanism right now. Like you want that school choice money to be there in case like what if one of those grants doesn't come through? You can't just stop providing like an ed you know whatever educational service. Um so that's like maybe another way to go at that you know concern that people might have. It's not only deferred maintenance oh the fire alarms. it could be also you, you know, loss of this recurring funding. Um, >> yeah, I I don't misunderstand. I'm I'm uh I fully appreciate why we need to take a measured approach in all of this. My um my thinking, you know, given the difficulty this town's had in >> passing
069overrides, >> um and thinking about people that I've talked to who generally are very supportive of education, people who quite frankly probably have the means to absorb the increase. um more often than not in in their tax bill are still, you know, sort of struggling with this, right? Every I mean, let's face it, we all know costs are up for everything right now. And um you know, when I the gut is like, why don't you just do that, right? I mean, everybody wants it for up for free basically, right? I mean, we all we want, we don't want to pay for it. Um and so it's it's really just heightening trying to heighten awareness around the idea that there is going to be a segment of our community that is going to see >> particularly
070like the numbers we're talking about right if we're talking about $4 million in one time funds that's a massive amount of money to everybody as individuals right so it seems like that how can that not solve all the problems >> we run a $50 million operation it doesn't solve all your problems >> um and so I'm just really trying to sort of highlight that concern um but also as I'd share sort of my thought on this is >> if if there are people out there who feel like well you got enough to get through this year right um my response to that should that be the vote of people is going to be okay then the it's going to be a $5 million ask next year or something again I'm speaking for myself like we
071haven't we haven't had this conversation um in this level of detail until now >> um I'm thinking more about you in terms asking going to be asking for some feedback back. Um, obviously I'm sure we've all been thinking about this, you know, because we've had months of >> happy with the service and you want to not unbreak all the things they built >> and there's other risks out there and it's educating people as to what those risks are. And I think it's worth stating for especially for some of us who have been around from from the last override and even before that, you know, all these years that we've we've spent trying to work with other boards and coming up with the right solution to present to the community. I mean, if you didn't watch
072the first true two um tri board meetings, um there was nobody in the room that was um suggesting that we do not need an override, right? like this is this is unique in that it's like at least it's the first time since I've been around in 15 years that you know the folks on the finance committee, the folks on the select board and all of us and you know I mean people have different minor concerns with within that but it's >> we need an override. I mean, that is not a question. You know, the question might be how much or the timing or how far do we cut into our services or or are we going to, you know, be at odds with the town because we're fighting over the same pot of money and
073who's going to get what share of it. You know, all those things are factors, but we need an override to fix the structural problems that Jim's presenting and there's going to be no other way out of it. and the people of this community need to, you know, understand what they're paying for if they're asked to. >> Yeah. I think another we figure out a way to explain that say to your point, it's a from a lay person's perspective, it totally makes sense like why now, right? And I go back to when we talked about coming up with the right number and being responsible in the ask. Asking for something that doesn't materially put us in a better position. It only, you know, kicks the can again, right? Uh and everything kicks the can to a
074certain it's hopefully just kicking it a longer way down down the road, right? Uh but the if we use if we do this and we're at zero our ask has to be to some place where we do have the ability to absorb the things that we're talking about again which means that to Jim's point if we spent 3 million out of this thing added on maybe not all the three million because it would be okay we need to be able to build that back but you we need to be able to build that back because we we can't be in a situation where um you know as we all know and we need to figure out how we articulate the the variables in our budget that differ from you know other budgets including the municipal
075budgets which have some variability but the decimal points in a different place right with with some of those variabilities and so we need to be responsible in the ask and say this would be the ask it would be substantially larger because of the loss of how we would get to that point of asking later, right? And I don't know the right way to make that consumable um without a large learning learning curve. >> That's a that's a hard point to make. >> I think you're I think you're absolutely right, Paul. I think it's also >> it's hard to articulate. >> Yes, it is. >> So, um >> but you're looking for guidance. >> Yeah. Now, I'm hearing some >> I'm not hearing anyone supporting that you present us with a level. >> No, I understand.
076But >> but but I want to share with you that's really what it does. But again, you've seen these numbers before. It's there are variables that we can't control a lot of things, right? So special education out of district tuition needs again up 15%. Same amount of kids. It's just we don't have control over that and yes there's an offset with with circuit breaker but again we don't have control over that either like what amount is going to be >> and and I think the key is it's it's in a rears. >> Correct. It's always a year behind >> right. So we have to absorb that increase. That's right. um this year, right? Right. We always have to, you know, so we're always playing catch-up. That that number is not going down, correct? Uh I
077mean, it did in one year, but that's a that's a big anomaly. Correct. >> Correct. >> And and it's always subject to the funding by the state, right? The >> it's a year late, >> day late and dollar short. That's not >> and and they don't go back and say, "Yeah, we we we we're going to catch you back up from the year we catch >> never." >> Um enrollment. This is you've seen this before. Uh shared it with the community. It's again it's starting to level off uh for the most part and um with with the exception of that 2122 where you actually saw a huge increase in our chapter 70 funding that year too. Right. So um right now chapter 70 just so we're clear that's state funding. It's set at $75 a
078student. Uh so it's a roughly a couple hundred,000 increase. Um the superintendent's organization is is pushing the state uh to try to bump it to 150 to 180. uh which would double. Again, we're we're dealing with low revenue numbers as as Michael's doing projections as well. It's conservative as it should be because right now that's what the the cherry sheet says is we're getting about $240,000. So, it's not increasing that much. Um and with our population, we're not going to see a huge increase in um chapter 70 funding, right? If it went up 100 kids, we would, but then we'd have other expenses that have to go with that. So here again another you know infographic I'm working on but um we have tremendous capital needs in the district AC and and we're looking at
079this in in a fiveyear span like what are the things and how are we going to fund these >> things that are critical that any everything that's on this list is needed by the school system. Now, some of them have been pushed out probably further than than Chris and John would like, right? Some of I mean, some of those capital needs are imminent in terms of failures in our schools, whether it's a boiler, a roof, whatever it might be. But we don't have a mechanism in our current operating budget to other than using some of our building rental funds, which again, we have $800,000. We could deplete that quickly and not have that for a $50,000 water break and damage that may occur in one of the schools, which just recently happened. or uh you
080know looking at fixing a fire alarm system, not just the one at the high school but in another building. We have to have those funds available so we can utilize the building rental. But you'll notice we've got things on here the continued replacement of laptops for educators. um you know as we go into FY roofing HVAC's um field replacement um you know those are millions of dollars we don't have the ability to um pay for those within our current structure I'm not saying we would be able to pay for all this if an override passed what I'm saying is we now have flexibility to look at these lists and say okay without waiting for a fall town meeting and a um a free cash number to come in that then gets dispersed for capital based
081on policy and then having a conversation with the town to say okay are our capital needs more important than your capital needs. uh we still have flexibility to to not have that same list go forward to the town, right? And we can replenish it because that's what the onetime funds should be designed for >> and better plan to to better routine >> maintenance. Yeah. >> Right. So, I'm just telling this I mean I know this is kind of illustrative and a work in progress. Yeah. >> Um I'm just noticing in particular the high school roof replacements like >> five different places. Is that like a staged repair or is that over years just to keep the okay expense palatable each I don't know if it's palatable to spread it >> out make the numbers look
082less >> painful so there's >> so is that like a a a phased repair is it a repair with a phase >> payment yeah you do different parts of it >> and that I I get that the uh just one little thing the high school roof repair of 195 and FY27 is in there twice so unless you're doing two different parts it's one on the left one on the Right. Um >> what's the lower practice field of look at that? So um so in between the >> is that between the football field and the >> softball field and the the upper the stadium field there's a a huge space in between. Right. If that was turf I'm telling you that that that to me >> opens up a ton of opportunities not only for athletics
083but youth sports etc. Um but because right now it's it's they utilize it but you can actually get put a full soccer pitch in there. >> Um and and utilize it for other >> you know youth programs but school programs as well. The but again we've got two turfs that already need replacing right. >> Um it's a bigger conversation. Uh but we don't have the flexibility right now to be able to to do some of these things. >> Just one other question on this. There are some abbreviations. I don't recognize AHU and RTU. Um I think under 20 28 29 >> middle school AHU replace air handling. >> Okay. And the RTU >> uh return is that the >> I have to >> or RTU's middle school. >> I'll go back and look at them.
084It's it's on the spread again. I was just trying to figure out a way to present some of this as opposed to just numbers. >> I get that. Um um but >> certainly, you know, um when I look at this too, it's not 100% accurate. There's still stuff that's being paid for in 26 that will be coming off there. There are things that are on here for FY26 that we're not able to do. >> That's what I was asking. >> This is this isn't a budgeting tool. It's it's a it's order of magnitude correct, >> right? >> Yeah. I know it's just a matter of understanding it and >> you may want to um because we don't have the predictability of the fiscal year right now, year one, year two, year three, like prioritize. >>
085Yep. I don't know. >> Yeah. And we have that. I mean, we we have a spreadsheet and I'm again I'm trying to get away from spreadsheets for the community. >> No, but just at the top like this is what we do first like next year like these are the things that have to happen. >> Yeah. Just say yes. Stiger capital plan year one two. Yeah. Simplify. >> No, fair enough. Good. Ru is the rooftop unit. Yeah. So, instead of the >> Thank you. >> Um, >> I mean, this is great. >> I mean, it really is. >> Yeah. No, it's a lot of work. >> We're getting there. >> And it shows like this one in particular, I think, shows how under capitalized we are. >> Well, that's like the breadth of the problem, right?
086>> Yeah. >> For sure. >> So, you know, again, it's a work in progress, but but I wanted to, you know, talking to Mark and Lori, I want to at least share and get on the record in the community This is the stuff we're looking at, right? And um our timeline obviously uh it'll be March and two two Februaries in there, but looks like March. Uh should be March of 26. Uh additional budget workshop and tri board meeting. Um the 10th or the 11th. I don't think it's come out which date yet. Um and then in April, we need to have our public hearing at that point. Um May meeting's early. Well, actually, we probably have to have it. >> Yeah. What's the deadline to get the numbers to them? >> Well, >> usually >>
087top floor, I guess it could be whatever we want, but but I think >> we typically have our we've done as late as April having the budget workshop in approval of the number. Um, we have this question every year in terms of when we're supposed to provide it to the select board. >> It's in one of the in charter or whatever, but we look at it every year. >> Have we figured out if we're going to pass two budgets? That's >> in May or we're going to do one presuming. >> We have not had a conversation and I think that's I'm going to stop sharing this for now but um Tina we have not had that conversation. I think that is again part of what the tri board the next tribard meeting >> has to
088have a conversation about what are we going to do? What are we looking at doing here? Um can can I suggest maybe towards that end because I think that's about anybody else. I kind of feel like we have these tri board meetings. We agree we need to do something. We have a general sense of what the ask is going to be and then there a whole lot of questions that aren't answered. And it feels like on behalf of this committee, maybe it would be helpful like for us to have a lengthier agenda planning meeting that we've had the last few or that type of meeting just to come up with that the identification of the issues, >> the questions that we as a committee want answered >> at the next tribe board that we feel
089like need to be answered to be able to make final decisions, but also to adjust for our budget. setting a better focused agenda because we seem to talk in circles a lot and it's and I'm not you know that's not pointing fingers or it's just >> especially when you have a large group it always at work or whatever you have the larger your meeting the more you need somebody to listen to to figure out >> provide me stuff I'll get it to Michael >> actually if sorry madam chair >> please >> if um everybody can think about what those questions might be them to Jim >> and then we can talk about I mean I think that probably more fair to everybody. >> Yes. >> Um and then we'll just go with that um rather
090than >> you and I trying to do it and we should be you know sort of having those deliberations outside of this meeting anyway. So >> yeah. >> Excellent. And and Jim's uh I was going to reach out to you anyway on how you articulate this because somebody can also say you've been saying the same things for the last >> as long as I've been listening to you, you've been saying this. They're they're going to say >> we've been using one times and it's worked >> right now. I know some of the reasons why it's worked right. Um but I think we should really think about how we disseminate that because the implementation of uh the opportunity act right and and and that we we got we got jumped to one year $1.2 $2 million,
091you know, right? So, um so these things the the er funds, right? Uh you know, the these all these things, the >> the growth uh the new growth in town, but then we intentionally tried to curb that. Well, that has implications that we're we're facing now, right? Um so really working together with you and Michael to come up with um somebody to so so that that is understandable to people that don't I mean you know I can recite that but I I want to make it it's always about balance you know and and how do you communicate the right amount of information in the right amount of slides because people are going to you go more than a certain number of slides and it's >> who know >> everybody's going to be glassy eyed and
092nothing's going to stick and they're going to walk away with only the thing they saw at time equals X, right? And striking that right balance. But I think that's also a narrative of making sure we have a consumable way to to articulate that that says, hey, I know we've been saying this and all these things that have occurred. Okay, it's leveled out. Now if we if we graph and that's one of the things I was potentially going to do is grab the uh our chapter 70 funding over the last you know 10 years and say okay see this spike see how that see how that implementation has positively impact us because we were you know getting we're on the wrong end of that for many many years right um but I think explaining why now
093that goes to the why now as well why is the things that have been we've been pulling the rabbits out of the hat for the last several years Why can't we continue to do that? And these the having those things that show leveling off of our chapter 70 funding, you know, it that just that's that's the reality of it. But if you can start thinking about how we how we strike that narrative of that explains the why now, right? >> Yeah. I think I mean one of the things that sort of jumps at me is, you know, the inflation adjustments that we've seen from the state, right? It goes back to that when real inflation went up for everybody, it went up for the school district as well at 9% or whatever that number was.
094But when the state did adjustments capped at four or four and a quarter, >> right? >> And you know, I I don't know I those numbers there's some deep math in that that that you probably figure out. I'm not I'm not even going to try um to understand sort of what the real value of that is, >> right? And if we're thinking about, okay, we we're held 5% short of inflation. How much of this problem is a result of that? Because that I think just to your point, that's a very consumable piece. That's something people understand now. >> People haven't understood inflation until 2020, 2021 at all because it really hasn't been a thing for most of our adult lives. But we all get it now, right? And um if there's a real dollar value
095that you quantify on that, I think that's one of those places where it becomes pretty easy to consume. >> I mean there's two, right? It's that and healthcare premiums and everyone's going to understand healthcare premiums and those are real costs to the district. So those two things alone are way above 2.55. I think you have to be careful about that because the health insurance costs like the >> health insurance cost is is not really in our budget but it's in town >> but for tri board it's a real thing. >> Yeah. We're we're we're the influ influence on that. We have four times the employees that uh that consume that and and I and I have gotten data from from Michael um for not for the last 10. He's he's working on getting the other
096ones, but um since FY17 um it's been over a 5% >> uh increase, you know, and averaged annual increase. And and that's after switching to >> a plan that saves us money, right? >> That's that's making a good decision that's fiscally responsible, saving over a million dollars a year. Um, and still that line relative to any way you can put uh what a levy could go up and and and things like that outpaces that by a good deal, right? So like our our um our special education costs are um about 7.25 annual, you know, averaged annual increase. So if you you put that next to a 2.5 or 3.5 or wherever you want to say what our you know uh controlled growth could be from a funding perspective you know showing them outpacing at that
097at that you know and those are large numbers right um so >> right well those are certainly some of the challenges and that's part of the narrative but why doesn't everyone get their suggestions to Jim on you know how we can narrow our focus for our next meeting that's coming up in just a couple of weeks. Um, so please try to do that by next week. >> Sure. Y >> and um and we'll take we'll take it from there. >> There hasn't been a date set for anything. >> It's either the 10th or the 11th, right? >> Yeah. Just there's two two >> two of the dates. Y >> great. Let me just look at that. I >> So the 11th is when we would normally be meeting, right? >> Um >> No, I think
098it was between a Monday and a Tuesday night. >> Yeah, I thought it was 10th and 12th. >> May Yeah, maybe. Yeah, I forgot. I'm a good possibility that I'm not going to be available either of those nights due to work obligations. >> It's either 10th or the 12th, right? Because we have a meeting Wednesday, right? It's either Tuesday or Thursday. >> Yep. >> Y Okay. >> So, that's just the update. There you go. >> Where we are. >> That's just the update. >> That's just a just a little update. >> Just a little update. >> Well, hopefully you got, you know, some feedback that will be helpful, too. >> I did, actually. So good. All right. Um, >> principles, you can log off now. >> Thank you for showing up. >> Signing on. Appreciate
099you. >> This has been a lot of work for everybody, you know, getting this information to us and trying to Thank you. We appreciate you all. >> Mike, do you have a report tonight? >> Next week, we'll be welcoming our our colleagues from uh Milford in Mendupton Regional School District for our year 23 program. It's something we're really proud of. We enjoy that collaboration. So that will be happening uh next week. And I also want to give a shout out to our um amazing friends in the Ashlin PTO who are going to be hosting the annual Clocker Classic tomorrow at 6 p.m. at the high school. It's a fantastic event. We've got a number of faculty and staff participating as players and it's just a really fun night for our for our kids to come
100and see their their teachers uh in a different light. So, I hope families will take the opportunity to come and and and spend some time with us tomorrow evening. >> Awesome. Okay. Consent agenda. Does anybody have a motion to approve the consent agenda items? >> Move to approve the consent agenda. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I >> Thank you. um >> stipent adjustments. Chie, >> you just want to touch base on this >> in mid December we came together and um memorialized stipens. Um there were some adjustments that we had made and um what I'm hoping to do here is there are five items which are highlighted in red on a spreadsheet in your uh your packet that just essentially were either left off or just needed a little bit of an
101editing. Um specifically a mentor coordinator stipen with it's recognizing an adjustment we had already kind of memorialized agreed upon within our operating units. you know, um, but we hadn't necessarily presented the the updated dollar amount to you. It was holding the legacy amount. Um, so this is more or less housekeeping what I'm asking for right now. It's there are no material changes to anything. Um, for an example, the uh dual certified teacher stipens, we had removed those from the contract uh language and you know, so there was a stipen was removed from it. Hitway still does have one of those. So, I'm hoping to just bring those items that are highlighted in red back onto the document. So, moving forward, especially when we get into negotiations next year, it's very clear what stipens are on
102the books. Some of these um such as uh the Mendes Rainbow Club, it was never in a contract. So, there's anou out there, but it was it was left off the list mistakenly last time when it was presented. So I'm just here saying what's presented in that spreadsheet um respectfully ask you to approve so we can have those memorialized into the contract. So, so Chris from a accounting perspective, you had already accounted for all this. It was more of a documentation last time that it wasn't in in the documentation. So, it's not uh a dollar amount change from anything you had presented before. You had already accounted for these. It's just they had been not listed explicitly in in the documentation we were talking about. >> Yeah. From a dollar's perspective, it's it's it's nothing
103that's going to have a large budgetary impact. um what I would have presented there would have been a you know a few thousand variance to the total um you know the number that I presented to you was X this one's going to go up there there would be a slight variance to that number but it's um um and really that's just the the the mentor stipen and you know like inner sports all contracts have that and it's zero dollar even the existing one >> it shouldn't be right we need a we need a dollar amount in We're recommending $42 per session. You know that I think we have one session a year maybe. You know, >> that's kind of what I the gravity of it is is not >> Y. >> Who's got the motion
104to approve the stend adjustments as presented? >> You asked the questions. Go ahead. >> So moved. How's that? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Thank you. I was trying to keep it >> consist consistent for the person doing the minutes. So, okay. So, before we go into executive session, does anybody have any updates? >> Uh, no updates for me. Oh, uh, I'd like to thank uh Sophie, uh, Yosh, and Zoha for their uh, their presentation. That's all for me. >> Oh, awesome. >> Yes. Thank you to you guys if you're watching. >> I don't have any, >> but they did do a great job. >> I don't have any updates either. Uh, I probably don't have enough. >> So, I'll hold mine because I didn't have my thoughts together. I did go to
105site council. I We'll have to look at my notes to see what we talk about. >> It's been week. >> Next time. Yeah, I'll get it next time. >> Yeah, I don't have anything to add. My site council is not until next week. So, all right. Cool. >> All right. I move to enter into executive session under GL chapter 3A section 21A7 to comply with or act under the authority of any general or special law or federal grant and aid requirements under the open meeting law solely for the approval and potential release of prior executive session minutes from October 11th 2023 January 24 February 14 and there's a typo there but that's should be 2024 March 13 2024 for >> March 13 or 14. >> Uh, I have March 13. >> 13 on the agenda.
106>> No. Okay. I'm gonna The online version says 14. That's fine. >> Okay. March March either 13 or 14. So, I'll make sure we have them both covered. >> Mhm. >> May May just mark after you. >> Yeah. Well, this is the one. This is on the town website. Yeah. >> Okay. >> On the town website. >> May 10th, 2024. June 12th, 2024. November 13, 2024. December 11th, 2024, January 22nd, 2025, February 12th, 2025, and June 11th, 2025. Um, and not to return into open session. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? And it's going to be roll call. Marcy >> I. >> Tina, >> I. >> Paul, >> I. >> Mark, >> hi. >> And yes, for me, I uh thank you everybody. Good night. And >> we'll let everyone
107sign off >> if anyone needs a quick