001Okay. >> Okay. There you go. >> I would like to call this meeting at 6 o'clock. Um I'm going to look at our agenda. First thing on the agenda is changes or additions to the agenda. >> Anybody got anything to add for this one? >> Nope. Okay. Um approval of the minutes of November 4th, 2025. Um, I think we were all there, so I think we can do that. I think we have to do roll call because we are >> in here. So, um, can I have a motion, please, to accept the minutes on November 4th? >> Okay. >> So moved. >> Awesome. Beth Anne, do you want a second? >> I second that. >> Okay, great. Thank you. Okay, all those in favor, I'm gonna have to do roll call. Hannah, >> I. Beth
002Anne >> I >> and I'm also an I. Um the minutes have been approved for November 4th. Um right now we are looking for any public participation or announcements that anyone has. Anybody? Hannah, are you waving your hand or are you >> um No, that's Eliza's hand. >> Oh, hi Eliza's hand. Eliza, does does Eliza want to add anything for public participation? >> No, she just really would like to participate. >> Okay. Um well, I would like to say that I appreciated um lunch with loved ones as always. It was a lovely, lovely day. Um and I am also super psyched about winter activities. It seems like that has moved in a great direction and I'm glad we get to do that again. So, um that those are my public things. Anyone else? Okay. Next
003thing, um we've got administrative report. Um Mr. Romeo, I think that's you. >> That's me. >> Do you want me to share the screen for you, Frank? >> That would be great. Um, I don't want to steal because Emily is here today as the student rep and I don't want to steal any of her thunder. Is it >> does Does it have to be me first or >> she can she can go go. I've got her presentation right here. Let me um >> um It's fine. >> Okay. This way I don't steal any of your thunder. >> No, there you go. It's fine. >> Okay. Let me um >> I can go first. >> Okay. Emily, is this the first meeting for you this year? >> Um, I went to the one in October, I
004believe, but this is like the first presenting one, if that makes sense. >> Okay. Just wanted to make sure you knew everybody. All right, let me get this in slideshow mode for you. >> That's it. >> Emily, did you get my updated version for you? >> Yes, I did. Oh, >> hope you didn't mind. [clears throat] >> Oh, no, I don't. It's totally fine. I totally forgot to pull that up on my end though, so let me do that first. >> Okay. Does it match yours? Okay. So, this is obviously the board meeting of December 2nd and Oh, it's taking forever to load. >> It's okay. >> Yeah. So, God, I need my split screen for this. So, you can go. Do you want me to advance? Okay. >> Yeah, >> there you go. >>
005So, happy December. Um, I'll do a quick recap of November, like in the school itself. First off, we had lunch with a loved one, which Heather tapped on a little bit. Um, we had a lot of parents come and overall, I think it was a very welcoming space at everybody's lunches. If a kid's parents couldn't make it, they sat with another friend's parent and it was overall really nice. And then we had the Scholastic Bookf Fair, which I know a lot of parents went to and a lot of kids wanted stuff from, and I'm sure that went well. And we had our fall conferences, although that was I think in October, but that was good as well. So, yeah. And then we have our upcoming events. So, I'll go in order. So, we have the
006Heartland Drama Club variety show on December 6th. So, this Saturday at 1:00. So, I'm in the drama drama club. So, we put on the show every year if you don't know what it is. And it's a bunch of kids. It's like a um talent show, but it's a little bit different. So, we have a 50/50 raffle. I don't remember how much the tickets are. We have we commercials. We have games where you can win rubber rubber ducks. And then we have a bunch of performances. So it's I think $3 >> Mhm. >> to enter if I remember correctly. And then we have the winter concert on December 11th from 6:00 p p.m. to 700 p.m. And that's when the 4th through 8 bands, choirs, and the drumming groups come and perform on stage, which is
007it's you can get in by donation. And the donations go towards our six flags trip. So yeah. And then we have the eighth grade spaghetti dinner from 5:00 to 7:00 on December 13th. So you should all participate and come to each one of those events. And then I did 8th grade this month cuz that was the easiest grade to do. So in eighth grade we just got done in like our social studies class the Boston Massacre Court case. So, it was this big court case on um whether the soldiers caused the Boston Massacre or the colonists caused the Boston Massacre and we had a jury and we had witnesses and we had to like state our arguments and then I don't know who won and didn't I was not there so I don't know who
008won in the end. Then in science, we learned about body systems and then created life-size drawings of these body systems. Then in English, we just finished The Outsiders. It's a classic novel. And then we wrote either a page or a multi-page paper about like a specific topic that you chose to write about. So like for me, I chose a music like a playlist per se or a certain character in the book. And yeah, it was overall really fun and November was a good month. >> Okay, [clears throat] thanks Emily. Uh um Frank, you ready for me to switch over to? >> Yeah, that would be great. I'm just going to add on to Emily and I appreciate all the things that you touched on. Um, one of the things, sorry, about reading The Outsiders was
009the entire middle school um, team dressed up from characters as The Outsiders. >> Oh, yeah. >> For Halloween. And so we we had a bunch of, uh, different characters and outfits and stuff like that just to kind of celebrate in reading it. But it was really cute that the adults got involved in it with the students as well. >> They looked great. I saw them all dressed up. >> Yeah. >> Um, okay. Okay, I'm going to switch over and uh uh just to let you know, I don't know that you shared this, Frank. Frank has very very poor Wi-Fi at his house or internet connection and so he's keeping his camera off tonight, but he's he's here. >> Oh, that's why we don't get to see your beautiful face. [laughter] >> When I told him
010we were virtual, he's like, "Okay, I've got a generator. I [laughter] got all this." I I set the generator up because we live kind of in the middle of nowhere and and power when a storm like this gets spotty and even when Christine called today I literally had to go outside and talk. >> Yeah. Yeah. So that's why his >> Oh, and I'm in the extra bedroom because Gretchen's son is here with us because of the weather. So I'm just [laughter] I'm just hiding out with my my camera off too. >> Yeah, >> I'm making it work. Okay, let me switch over to the correct get to the beginning. I'm intermittently turning my camera off to yell at my children. [laughter] [clears throat] >> Okay, hold on one second. That's right. >> Yeah. >> Well,
011I thought I put it in present mode, but uh here we go. >> Okay. >> All right, you're good. >> Yeah, good to go. >> All right. Here we go. >> You can drive. All right. Perfect. Um so keeping um with our awareness month uh as we did cancer uh and Native American. So this month it's un uh universal human rights month. So just kind of highlighting that and again students are able to hand in poems uh short stories any works of art to help uh celebrate the awareness of it. in our building through the slate foyer if you happen to come visit straight ahead. Uh we have a display case with all of the students work and it just could be little poems and pictures and stuff like that. It's really nice. It's going
012to go into next week's newsletter because I was waiting for the rest of them to go up. So just wanted to highlight that uh for folks. So um all right, next please. Uh and this again just kind of highlights what kids can do and um what they'll be doing for that awareness. Okay. Next, please. That is something that uh the entire building did in going with our theme stronger together. Um it it is all the hands uh of our students put into um this display and Tina worked on it and a bunch of other folks and I just it's just beautiful and I just think it's worth putting in any presentation that we have or any place I can celebrate it um stronger together. So, >> and um teachers added their hands to it as
013well. >> Yeah, collective. Thank you, Emily. It's collective. So, it's just great great display for us. >> Uh Emily already highlighted the spaghetti supper and the and the variety show. I just put these in there just uh for dates and prices and stuff like that. But again, that was already highlighted on or talked about uh upcoming events. Um some things just to keep an eye on. Um we have Wildcat wrap-up which folks uh I did get to see folks um at the last one for the Heart Awards which was really nice. [clears throat] We have the performance spaghetti dinner uh holiday market, the Heartland Farmers Market um and then the holiday break. So just another reminder, >> those are our recent heart award winners uh which we broadcast. Um, just think it's worth having up
014there, uh, as we're just so proud of folks and and the hard work that everyone's doing. >> There's Eliza's name. Go. >> Yep. [laughter] >> All right. Uh, >> sorry. Oh, there it is. Right in the front. Right. Right on top. >> Yep. >> All right. So, just a couple of things work that we're working on. uh running still running discipline reports, attendance and tardy the SEI, MCSS counselors, front office folks are really trying to uh get a get a handle on this. And so while we are running reports as an admin team with Christine monthly, uh Hartland is kind of running them weekly bi-weekly so that our SEI team is on top of just discipline followup uh what attendance looks like and our tardies. And so that's just an ongoing uh presence within our
015meetings and the communication that we have. And and one of the things and I think it's worth mentioning with teachers um they are putting in a lot of these entries for discipline and followup. And so it's really it's really making the administration step up as well and I think in a good way to increase our communication not only with parents and students but with our within our own building. And so those reports are being run to to help highlight that. book vending machine. I don't know folks who were aware, I know I mentioned this, but we were awarded the grant for the book vending machine. Uh that's a picture of it there. That's what it will look like. Uh a display of however many books, uh some for bigger ones and uh smaller. In addition
016to the book vending machine, which has been ordered, I wrote about $1,200 worth of books, which should help for about a year or two. working with Tina in the library to be able to fill that. Kids can earn tokens through a number of things. Culture being good cards. We we have a geography fair, a science fair coming up. So, we're just trying to highlight as many ways as we can for kids to earn tokens so that they can get free books when they get them. So, we're just very proud uh and excited to have that. And that will be in the front of the building when you walk in where that TV screen is. hoping the first of the year is when we'll see that. >> Couple other things, science fair, when working with our
017science teacher, Mr. Martin, to try and get that underway to coincide with the geography fair. I've talked about this already. The the big highlight for me is making sure that any entries into this science fair include both an elementary student and a middle school student, so they're pairing together and partnering. Um and then winter activities were talked about always looking at the schedule for next year. I've had a few conversations I think as we get through right budget season when we understand what we have and what we're working with then we'll start to look a little closer or kind of hammer down a little bit more on the schedule. Another thing is the Minga electronic pass system for folks. I know I mentioned this up. It is up and running. I f I find it
018very uh I don't know helpful s being successful and be able to just hold people accountable including teachers of where are your students where are your students going kind of where everybody knows the front office has a display and they'll know if passes are run over over time. So, in other words, if if I were to go to the bathroom and I have a five minute pass, if I do not check back in within five minutes, there's an alert. And it's always good to then, you know, make sure that people are aware they're supposed to be again holding teachers and students accountable for for where we are. >> Um, Frank, can I ask a question about the science fair, please? >> Yes. >> Um, what grades is the science fair open for? >> Well, it's
019going to be all grades. The caveat to that is that it has to include one middle your team has to have at least one middle school student and one elementary student so that the middle school student can help support and sort of guide. And what we will also do is every entry will get an adult participant. So, in other words, if you and as a middle schooler come in with Emily as an elementary, I may be assigned to your science fair project just to help keep you in line. Like, do you need supplies? What do you need? So, anyone really could participate. The only thing again is that we have a middle school and elementary so that they can work together. >> How how would a like I'm just asking selfishly because I've got a
020eight-year I got a third grader who loves science and will probably want to do this. How how do you make that like how do I make that happen? >> Yep. So, when the when the forms come out um which should be coming out hopefully this week, I just finished up and need Mr. Martin to check off on it. Then we'll send it out to all folks. Anyone that's interested, we'll get a list together and then we will partner up and because a lot of our middle schoolers already work in a lot of the classrooms and work with students. So, we'll just look to pair folks up once we get a list from all the teachers in elementary and once we get all the a list from middle school, then we'll partner people up. >> Perfect.
021Thank you. >> Yes. >> Okay, Frank, do you want me to advance the D? Okay, >> my turn. All right. So, um I want to start with uh an update on Act 73, the redistricting task force. I'm sure you've heard um on the news, but uh just to let you know that the task force did submit their report to the um legislature. It was due on December 1st. They had their last meeting on November 20th um to finish their report and they did go forward with a recommendation for cooperative education service areas uh as their map I guess um we'll say. So that will um establish five regional cooperative education service areas and will not um will not incorporate new governance structures or school boards. Uh but it will allow shared shared um uh shared
022um trying to think of the right word. Um it'll it'll allow for efficiencies. So shared contracts for things like transportation, uh special ed services or programs. It could mean that um under this um cooperative education service area sometimes referred to as a Boseies um you could share payroll services. So there there are efficiencies that could be gained from from the model. Um under the under the plan or under their proposal, there are um opportunities for voluntary mergers and um also a plan for incentivizing districts uh to to to merge voluntarily over a a longer period of time, which we know Act 73 um the um the requirements of Act 73, the timeline was just really not conducive to to doing a good job in consolidation. So, uh that was the plan that went forward. We
023don't know what will happen with that in the legislature. >> Mother, >> give me a second. I don't know what that is. >> You got somebody somebody let themselves in. I was wondering what was going on there. Okay, don't let anybody else in. >> Well, let me just uh get this up so that I can stop that from happening. >> Sorry about that. Um >> all right, that happens. >> Uh so anyway, uh the legislature can will now either accept the proposal from the redistricting task force, they'll reject it, or they can change and draw their own map. So we will wait to see what happens. Um, and I will keep you updated with anything that I learn going forward. Um, just wanted to let you know a couple things that we're working on. Part
024of the uh, new legislation from last spring was that we are going to be required to adopt a cell phone policy by the end of this year. And the AOE um, is tasked with creating a model policy. So, we're waiting for that. It's supposed to come out in January. And when it comes out, uh, we'll bring that policy or a version of it to the SU board and we will have to adopt policy by June 1st, I believe, of 2026. So, I don't know what that'll look like. I've seen a lot of draft policies from uh that have been shared and they look like anything from what we do now. And we do not have a current policy. We just have a procedure in place which is K through eight, no phones out. They can
025be in their backpacks or in their lockers. The high school level, we do allow students to take their phones out at lunch and the seniors uh they advocate for some senior privileges. So students that are in the senior lounge at Windsor are allowed to use their phones during their time in the lounge. So some of the policies look like that. Some of them look like we're buying lockers and kids are putting their phones in lockers as they enter the building and they don't have access to them all day. So it'll be interesting to see where we where we land. I would say in our K8 uh realm, it's not a huge problem in our schools. I know Frank can weigh in on that. We tend to see more uh challenges at the high school level
026with phones. >> Yeah, I would absolutely agree, Christine. I I think [clears throat] for the most part, um it's it's you know, there's always a one-off here or there, but I think for the most part, it's it's very much followed and and um teachers are great with enforcing that and letting us know. >> Great. and and we do have a process and protocols in place for what happens if a student um doesn't follow the the process or the procedure or the expectations. >> Yes. >> And I think success is really uh in teachers following that as well and holding kids accountable that makes it that makes it easier. So I think our teachers do a good job with that. uh we are tasked with developing a cardiac response plan by the end of this year
027that's in place for next year that was also came out of the legislative session last year. So, I am working with the nurses across the SU to develop a cardiac uh response plan and make sure we're in compliance with having the equipment that we need and keeping that equipment updated, which is an expense, I will say. Uh not a huge expense, but there there is there is an expense involved. So, the nurses are looking at uh what what um machines they have now. if they have enough, if we have to purchase more, does it make sense for us to all have the same machine so that we can when we have to order batteries and new pads, we get a a break because we all have the same machine at this point. We we don't,
028but we're working towards that. So, that'll be in place by the end of the year. [snorts] Um, just to let you know, I shared this at the SU board meeting. Uh we have uh hi Bethanne I can stop and you have a question about the cardiac plan or >> yeah I was just wondering like moneywise does Monoscottney hospital work with like getting I assume you're talking about AEDs because I know >> at the at Monoscottney for instance like they have a plaque that says like the AED was donated by Muscney hospital. I'm just wondering like do they do that for the schools too? Um they they have I think in the past um and we do work with Mad Scutney closely. The nurses do. I think I don't think they've asked this time. They're they're
029collecting information on who has what. Do we meet the requirement which is you have to be you have to have a machine within I believe 300 ft of you know you have to be I'm sorry. You have to be able to get to the machine within three minutes of an event. So, if you have one on the first floor in um I know H Heartland's only a one-story building, but in Weathersfield there's two floors. So, they they technically need one downstairs and they need one upstairs. Um Manutney needs one on every floor. So, they're looking at what they have, what they need, the condition of the um machines. I guess when the machines are outside and they need to be for athletics, uh they need different um they have to be kept in a certain
030way so that they work. Uh and I know I know we're not in compliance with that. So we're we're working on it, but I will I will check with the nurses to see if there's any support from Mount Scutney uh in this area. I know mask supports us in lots lots of ways but I will ask the nurses at our next meeting which I believe is tomorrow. So um there's also like with this law you have to there has to be um a checklist. So those machines have to be checked monthly and somebody has to do that as part of that law. you have to have a cardiac response team in place and all the people on that team have to be trained in uh CPR and um life-saving skills. So, we're working on figuring
031out who who should be on those teams in each building and figuring out when and how we're going to train them because um there's logistics to that as well. But all things we're working on, but great question. I'll put that on my list to talk about tomorrow with them. Uh Frank, did you want to add anything to that? Yeah, just as a former athletic director, one of the things when uh when I was an athletic director is looking into some grants the way that we're doing it to have a mobile AED machine um for athletics. And so that's another thing I actually asked our nurse and talked about that and looking into. And so they do make mobile ones, not just a stationary one, but one that you can bring around as an athletic director
032to any event that you wherever you are. Uh, and it's great to have. And so that's something I've asked them to look into as well. >> Yeah, that's helpful because I think from what I heard from the nurses, they have to be kept at a certain temperature. uh if they're outside and logistically, you know, if you're coaching a sport in the afternoon and the building's closed and the AED machines inside the building, you know, you can't get to it. So, we're we're trying to figure out all those logistics. Um >> yes, >> but I'll keep you updated on that. Uh just some good news, we do have uh one of our maintenance employees, John McKenna. He's going to go through uh HVAC training through Visbet and they're going to pay for it. And so that
033will allow John once he's trained, it's a year-long program, to be able to uh respond to HVAC issues within our SU. And that should reduce our need to engage with thirdparty contractors, which we which we do now. we have to call um control technologies or whoever it is to come and and work on our HVAC systems when they when they break. So that should be a cost savings. Uh just to let you know there the draft calendar is out for next year. The SU board approves it. Uh the union membership looks at it, offers their feedback from their me uh offers their feedback from their membership and then it goes back to the board. So that'll be in the next couple of months. Uh we'll have our calendar for next year. A couple things that
034don't necessarily apply to H Heartland right now, but I just want to keep you informed because part of act 73 there are class size minimum requirements and there have been a lot of questions about that about this part of the law. So we created um some Q&A around it and I'll share a little bit with you. Uh, one of the questions that came up was if the maps, you know, if the legislature doesn't choose a map, do the class- size minimums still go into effect? And yes, they do. They are not exempt from it. Uh, even if maps aren't selected, we do have to comply with class- size minimums starting July 1, 2026. So, that is part of the law. Um, there was some confusion around are class- size minimums a three-year average, and the
035answer is no. They're not. Uh, they're not a three-year average. We have to meet class- size minimums over three consecutive years to be in compliance. So, I know that they do go into effect next year. I've had conversations with uh the deputy secretary and the legal counsel from the agency And there will be a data collection in the fall to see which schools are in compliance with the law and which schools are not. And if you are not in compliance, you will be uh required to create a plan to become compliant with the law. So that was just a a conf a confusion that we've cleared up. Um, another question was are class size minimums based on the average for the school district or the school and they are based on the school not the
036school district. So for example uh if if if we take Mount Scutney school district for example, we're not averaging the class sizes from Albert Bridge and Windsor. They're separate schools and we have to do the um math to figure out if each of the schools is in compliance. So, just a um reminder, those class size minimums for kindergarten. There are no requirements. For first grade, you must have 10 students, second through fifth grade, 12 students. Middle school 15, and high school 18. So, Hartland's in in compliance um right now with with the law, which is great. Um one last question that came up. Are content classes exempt? No. Uh they're not exempt. Uh the the things that the classes that are exempt from class size minimums are pre kindergarten, kindergarten, career and teched, flexible pathways,
037terminal courses, advanced placement courses, courses that require specialized equipment like a teched class and driver's ed education. Hannah, your face looks really confused. >> Well, I'm just thinking about like how so like if an if there's an AP class at a high school, >> Those are exempt. Okay. Okay. Okay. Because it starts by saying no, they are not exempt, >> but I see. >> But these things that you're describing are Okay. Okay. >> Exempt. Yeah, these are exempt. So, um, >> yeah, there was confusion because the AOE website uh had a mistake on it and so it it's been fixed, but those are the things that are exempt and and those terminal courses are like those end of uh, you know, like calculus 2, those those higher level end of end of um, content courses
038and advanced placement courses as well. So, those are those are exempt from the law. Um, but again, Hartland is in compliance at this point and we can talk more about that when we get into the budget shortly. Um, and that is all I have for you tonight, but I'm happy to take any questions or >> I have just one kind of comment. Um, I understand from some members of the community that there's like a lot of discussion obviously about X73 at the elementary school. Um it it sounds like maybe even like coming from teachers to students and it's like generating some worry amongst kids and then families and it sounds like at H Heartland there's been this narrative that the seventh and eighth graders will get school choice and that everybody under that will go
039to Windsor. And so I wonder if there's some opportunity for just dispensing some education to the teachers that like we just don't know. >> And maybe also some opportunity to help teachers have a, you know, a little bit of a narrative that won't cultivate angst and worry amongst kids, you know, that like we don't know yet, but like whatever it works out, there's going to be a good, you know, a good opportunity for you to get a high school education. because I think right now it's just causing a little it's you know >> Yeah. And that you think that's coming from the teachers at >> what I've heard is that it's coming from teachers to kids that that's I don't know Emily if you can weigh in on that. >> Yeah. So the other day
040um we did have a teacher say something about like high school choice and how most likely that so and so classes won't have it in other classes will. >> Huh. >> And then I chipped in and was like that's not necessarily true. And then that teacher proceeded to be like, "Well, I know." And I'm like, "You can say what you believe, but like >> I don't think any anybody knows right now." >> Exactly. Yeah. So, I think just like just cuz then it you know, then it gets back to the parents who obviously are living with a lot of >> worry in this phase of a lot of unknowns. So maybe if there's just, you know, it's probably not a group that um we focused on dispersing a lot of information and education to, but
041maybe just like talking to the >> to the teachers about >> Yeah, for sure. >> what we know, what we don't know, and you know, how to >> how to talk about it with kids in a way that won't be >> Yep. Um yeah, we can do that. That's good to know, Hannah. Thank you for sharing that. >> Yeah, thank you for that. I was unaware. So, [clears throat] we'll uh we will address that. >> Yeah. Okay. So, um Heather, that ends the administrative report and we'll turn the meeting back over to you. >> Okay. Um that was great. Um next thing, items for discussion following followed by our motions if needed. Um, it looks like we are going to be talking about our FY27 budget. So, I think Larry, I think that's going to
042be you. >> Okay. Um, I'm going to share my screen and go over the uh budget book. It's been available online since um for the last month, month and a half. Uh the SU portion has been online for almost more than two months. Uh I'll give a quick overview of different parts of the budget book in case people haven't seen it before and then uh some things that stick out that are different than last year's budget book and then I'll go over into the H Heartland uh budget. So first one part in the executive summary is evolution of Vermont education laws. Something I added uh this year which was not there last year was act 11. uh an act that's not talked about too much, but that is the act that um put uh healthc
043care negotiation for all teachers and staff at the state level. And um we can see uh where it was passed in July 2018 and the first year was fiscal year 20 I believe. And if you go to uh the health insurance trends uh this was requested last year and I added it to this year's budget book. You can see in this uh screen here the uh shows the changes in our gold CDHP plan from fiscal year 19 to uh f to fiscal year 27. So uh over here gold CDHP that's our most popular plan. That's the plan that 75 to 80% of our staff choose. So that's why I picked that plan. Um and this cost is shared 80% by the SUS and by the uh local districts and 20% by the employee. But these
044are the annual premiums. And for example, the family plan back in fiscal year 19 before act 11 came into effect was 19,150 and uh the single was 6913. And now in fiscal year 27, I'm budgeting 40 because we're told to by VHI. 43,920 for a family plan, more than doubled and 15,856 uh for a single plan almost tripled give or take. Uh now that doesn't even include the HAS. So that's just the health premiums. So that doesn't include the H that we frontload roughly, you know, 3 to 4,000 per employee. Um so just again, this came up last year and I want to make sure it was in this year's budget book uh as health insurance takes more and more of our uh dollar budget dollar. Um, another thing that I included was um, you
045know, a lot of questions about at the SU level, you know, uh, what is what is being done, you know, on a at the business office or the central office on a day-to-day basis and and we know that the state has passed a lot of mandates and how do you spend your time doing that and is there a list of everything? And we thought about that and we had that in different presentations, but this year we put it right in the budget book and uh more and more of our central office is being caught up not just with working for the local boards uh but also the state and uh other federal mandates. And these are just some examples of some monthly, quarterlies and annual reports that are required of myself uh other central office
046staff and uh the IT department and the food service department. Um all may be very well good reports that are required uh but they are required and uh it takes up a lot of time. Um so I just wanted everybody to see that and you can look at that at your own leisure. uh as we go through the organization summary. Um nothing really different here from last year, so I won't uh belabor the point, but I will go into the SU general fund really quick. And as we uh discussed at the SU budget uh SU board meeting two months ago, um we've had a really tough SU budget year and you can see that right here. Um the uh going back to 23, the green is ad what we call administration operations and the orange
047is special education. And you can see how special ed is has been more basically than uh administration operations which we would expect. Uh but specifically in fiscal year 27 you see a big jump of a 16% increase 14.6% of which is special education and 1.4% 4% of which is nonsp special education. That in the administration operations, so everybody understands what I'm talking about. That includes at the SU level transportation, all the transportation costs that are non- field trips or athletic trips. Um that includes uh the superintendent's office, the business office, the curriculum [snorts] department, the uh diversity, equity, inclusion department. It includes um uh everything except for food service which is in a separate fund. um and it um so that is uh that increased obviously the assessments at all the local schools in addition
048to uh seeing uh the increase in special ed uh one one of the questions that came up uh was how much is our special ed spending in line or out of line with the state and uh looking at one function um think of function as a a part of budget um the different parts so for example psychological services one function and it would be another function. Well, breaking out psych psychological services, we can compare how we're doing across the state. And if you look at this uh AOE um number, there's been a 456% increase in positions over three years in mental and behavioral health positions in Vermont school districts. Um, and you can see over here on the right side, this is our SU and the increase in psychological spending over the exact same time
049frame. Uh, the green is the budgeted amount and the orange is the actual amount. Um, now a lot of that money, not all of it, but a lot of it we do get reimbursed from the state, but I just wanted everybody to see uh the difference and how the psychological we've seen the same or similar type of surge as this state has seen, I guess, is to put it another way. Um, now moving over to the uh Hartland budget. First, uh, Hartland High School tuition. These are, uh, guesses right now. um we have to guess until the tuition is announced. And basically what we do is as tuition is announced and let's say Harvard announces their tuition for high school. Um we uh we update the budget book with that number until a budget is
050approved. Once the budget is approved, we're locked in and if Hartford announces it, you know, after the fact, we got to use the budgeted number obviously. Um so we but we've been hitting pretty close to the mark. Um, so just to go show you an example, you have fewer kids in high school. We're planning, let's say, let's put it this way. We are planning to have fewer kids in Hart in high school um for H Heartland students um Hartland H Heartland students in high school. So you will see that number go from 140 to 127. What what's 127 and a half? Why do you have a half a student? Well, that in that includes um the VOTE. So if a student is a votech member, Hartland pays, you know, half the bill to this and
051then half the bill to the vote. So um just to give you an example of these are uh guesses and estimates, but basically you can see your your tuition is roughly down uh 200 and some odd thousand. And um and so that's that's good news and that's we're going to feed that right into the budget. and over here >> as I go. >> Larry, can I just ask a quick question about that? >> Sure. Yeah. >> Um, so like Mid Vermont Christian School is still listed there and I know that a lot of the Act 73 maps are not final, but like those will no longer be like how is that going to work for us moving forward? >> Well, Christine can answer that better than I can, but at the short order, I believe
052they are grandfathering students. So, even if a student is like a sophomore and next year they're a junior, there's nothing in Act 73 that takes that away. >> Got it. Okay. Thank you. >> From that particular student. >> Um, but that's a good question. Same thing with like handover, right? You know, um there I know there was some talk in Act 73 about uh having the Vermont tuition dollar stay in Vermont. Um so, uh that's what that is. And then if I go to the H Heartland general fund. So after meeting with Frank and uh and uh administration and basically we're looking at staffing patterns. We're looking at uh where things are today and this is the the draft of the budget. As I said, as tuition numbers come in, um they will go uh
053they this budget will change, but I think the changes will be minor unless there's any additional changes that the board makes. Uh so, for example, as you can see, secondary 7 through 12 is down 180,000. That's basically that tuition that I showed you earlier. Um uh elementary is up, K6. Is that include new positions? No, we have health insurance would be included in that. And uh also um uh uh we have contracted negotiations. Uh we're under contract for next year. Those that's included for that. So the overall budget for Hartland year-over-year as currently tonight is up 5%. If you look at the uh expenditures by SU and local, again this question comes up every year and I think this is a graphical nice representation to show this uh out of our dollar out of our
054spending dollar how much of our budget is our budget meaning Hartland and how much of it is tuition or the SU and as you can see 42% roughly is your local budget. That's your K8 building. roughly uh more than a quarter is your tuition. Those are high school tuition payments. The green is special ed. That's about 18% of your budget, 17 to 18%. Non-sp special ed SU spending is about 10 a little under 10%. Food service, sorry, early childhood is a little less than 2%. And uh food service is about 1.1% of your uh spending dollar. And this all these charts within the um budget book all show the same numbers if you click on the table, but they just break them out by the different chart of accounts. So function summary. So how much
055how much do we spend on direct instruction? How much do we spend on uh dis facilities? How much do we spend on admin support, etc. That's all broken out here. Student transportation, you see $17,000. Well, you spend a lot more than $17,000 in transportation, but the SU is up here under central services, and that's where that transportation included. That 17,000 basically includes field trips uh or um uh athletic transportation. As we scroll down here, this is a count summary. So, this would break it down by salaries and benefits. And you can see that uh the green and the orange are your salaries and benefits. And this big blue is other purchase services. Now other purchase services for Hartland as opposed to say Mount Scutney is a big portion of your budget because that includes tuition.
056So that includes tuition plus the SU payments under the Vermont chart of accounts. We call that other purchase services. As I scroll down function, the best way to think about function to me is I think of by department. Um you could see uh 40% is uh regular education. Uh that includes tuition payments and then three and a half uh sorry 30% is SU assessments and then building operations is here and then so on and so forth. So you can see the office of the principal is 4% of your budget. You can see math education is 2 and a.5%. And uh the way it breaks it out is regular education. And I know we think in terms of a K56A model at Hartland, but as far as what Vermont makes us do for the chart of
057accounts, we're required to report out K6 and 712. So regular education is basically K6. Um and then for your uh middle school math, that would be here 2% of your budget. Our education would be K8, that's 1% of your budget, and so on and so forth. Um, athletics you can see is less than half of 1% of your budget. Everything here can be broken out by tables by just clicking it and you can drop it down. And then down here at the bottom, the last thing on the page other than the fund balance is the expenditures by account. And this is the line by line where you literally go line by line. Teacher salaries is up four and a half%. Pair educator salaries up 5%. Um, and so on and so forth. and uh tuition
058reimbursement, you know, is down. Uh the professional services and uh as you can literally go through line by line if that's what you want to spend your evenings doing, you can do that here and go line by line. So again, the big picture number is the H Heartland budget is up as written um 5% with uh 56148561,488. Um the last thing that I haven't mentioned as part of this uh budget um book, but we need to have uh some action tonight would be great. A motion um Heather, you mentioned motions earlier. is the board to decide what to do with a fiscal year 25 surplus. You had a small but real number surplus. Um at H Heartland, the other school districts have not did have did not have a fiscal year 25 surplus. They ended
059pretty much right on. Um but you had a $227,493 fiscal year 25 surplus. And your choices uh are to either use it as prior year revenue, which would lower your tax rate um uh for fiscal year 27. Uh or you can put it into capital reserve um if my advice as CFO would be to put it into capital reserve, but the board has done different things every year. >> Larry, can you do a combination of both? So could we put some in the capital reserve and put some towards that? >> Do you have our capital reserve number? >> Yeah, current your current capital reserve balance is as of last Monday 358,27541 >> if we put it to this year's budget. Can you tell us how much that will impact the increase >> because you said
060the increase was 500,000. >> Yeah. So it would it would not increase it would not affect the increase of the budget. So the there's uh H heartland has one basic major revenue source and that's the education spending grant which is the state education fund. Okay, that comes in all H Heartland taxpayers pay into the fund and then you see how much it costs to run your since you do not have any other revenue like Mount Scutney has tuition revenue. You don't you don't have any other revenue. So what would happen Hannah is it wouldn't lower the budget. It would it that $227,000 I would if you used it all would come in as a prior year revenue which would lower the amount necessary be to be required from the education spending grant which is the
061ad fund and that would lower taxes but it wouldn't lower the budget. The only way to lower the budget would be to cut the budget. >> And it's really impossible to say in what way that $227,000 would impact the increase in tax rate until we know what our tax rate is. So, it's a little bit of a >> gamble. I give you Yeah. Well, it's I I can give you >> Yeah. >> It also it also, you know, as as what's happening right now, right? The governor bought down the tax rate last year and we're paying for it this year. So there is there are um there are consequences right in the in the following year and Larry you can probably explain it better than I can but >> well I mean I'm just thinking
062about it like psychologically more than anything right like what is the experience of the of the voter who sees the tax rate increase and your point is that >> they will in two years time or you know whatever next year it now because it's probably going to increase again right and then they're feeling the double double increase. >> You're they're feeling the double increase. Correct. >> Okay. >> Yeah. But I hear you. I mean, >> I can uh so to give you an idea of what that would do to your budget uh to your tax rate if you applied all of it with the current numbers we have today, which could change in the next, you know, two three days, but it would it would lower your taxes if you used all of it by
0634%. And so it would go from a 12% tax increase to an 8% tax increase, >> which is significant >> it is and with so much change coming I mean I would just make a little plug for that that I think >> yes Hannah I I guess what I would my only uh caveat to that is is um there is a logic to going for 8% sounds better than 12%. Um, and also, uh, it's the taxpayers's money, so you haven't a surplus, so you're just giving it back to them. There's a logic to that. However, what I would advise is >> if you're not going to cut the budget by a corresponding amount, all you're doing is you're going to pay for it next year, >> right? >> So, unless you keep having surpluses every
064year, >> eventually that bill is going to get paid because the budget is the budget. Um, so that would be that's why my fiduciary I always say put it into capital reserve. Um, but I know it's uh attractive to to buy down tax rates. That's what the that's what Christine just said. You know, the statewide they're looking at 12% tax increase. Well, they half of that 6% of that 12% was because they bought down last year. Had they not done that, it would have been 6% this year and 6% more last year. >> Last year, >> right? So it catches up. A question also about the 227,000. Is this one of those situations where like because it's a surplus and the state knows that it is a surplus. Is there I guess I'm trying to
065just make sure like we're not going to be penalized later when they're like, "Oh, you guys had a surplus, so you don't need that like you don't need that much money next year." Is that ever a situation? >> Not yet. They've they've talked about that. They've never done it. Um there's some parts in act 73 that if they go to the foundation formula where you will not be allowed to have a certain fund balance. Uh they don't they don't do that right now. Um the and the and the only thing they do do is um if you put the 227 into capital reserve, it creates like a five-year window where you have to spend that money because uh their theory what they don't want school districts to do is to have a million dollars or
066$1.5 million in capital reserve and just sit on it and and um when there are uh infrastructure needs and because it should not be a rainy day fund. It should be part of a five-year comprehensive plan. Uh there would be a there would be a slight penalty, not a not a huge number, but there is a slight penalty to hanging on to your capital reserve um you know over five years. Not the whole number, but whatever you put into it. >> Can I ask another question? So one thing that we've faced in H Heartland is this like double hit phenomenon where we go over and then you know and we think a lot of that's tuition like so does using this protect us from that because that would mean the money counts double if we
067use it >> to buy down the tax. >> That's a good that's a good point. If you decided to put all of it into the tax rate, uh that would be less. You would be over the excess spending threshold because you are you are essentially lowering your ED spending. >> You're you're not lowering you're >> you're lowering our ED ask. >> Yes. You're at ask. >> And then the other question I have about this is, you know, the constant discussion and I embarrassed. I don't know this, but about like tuition capping because Act 73 has not yet capped tuition. Correct. Um, >> but whether or not there is some >> I mean I hate to count on that in the future, but >> the funding formula. >> It'll be the funding formula. So, if for
068example, and this is this is something that I've asked and nobody's given me a straight answer on, but let's assume that they consider the task force map a map and they they just take the what the task force did and they vote on it tomorrow and they pass it and that's the map which doesn't do anything except for voluntary mergers and create boseies. If that's the case and they go to a foundation funding formula, uh, for example, Hartford High School charges you 2324. I'd have to look at the number. Uh $1,000 and they would only get 15,600 from you. Um and by the way, it wouldn't be from you. It'd be from the state, right? >> So, uh I don't that that gap of that $7,000 per student gap. The the AOE argued that if
069you went to five districts, that gap would be made up by having fewer superintendents in the state. Well, that's a lot of superintendents. I mean, that's $7,000 per kid times, you know, 80,000 kids. But uh that's that I don't have a good answer to that. But that's a good question because I've I've asked people what happens to the difference. So if if for Windsor High School for example, if they charge 21,000 per student and they only get 156, >> you have the difference is you're you're reducing your staff >> to make up >> because like so I mean again like I you know I >> I believe in delayed gratification. and I don't want to look for instant solutions, but I also think we're in a in a really strange climate right now where a
070lot is changing. >> That is going to certainly be a hardship for H Heartland, but it could also be beneficial for H Heartland because if our tuition if tuition truly goes down in the state of Vermont, Hartland looks to have a real budget reduction from that, right? >> Yes. Yes. Yes. And no. uh they would have significantly fewer expenditures in the tuition line. However, >> you are you would get a lot less per student. So, right now you spend >> you know 20,000 per student uh in in LTWADM that number you'd get 15,000 per student. You would have like a $ 1.5 million budget gap to make up. >> But that's going to happen regardless of what we do with this year's money. I guess I'm just responding to the idea that the concern about
071using the 227 towards this year's, you know, >> tax rate next year, >> you know, the concern being that, well, if we use it now, we're going to pay more later. Next year is going to be such a different dynamic that I it kind of argues against that worry, if you know what I mean. I don't know, Heather and Beth, what you guys think, but >> I feel like it's a little bit of a gamble both ways, right? like cuz we don't know what's going to happen. So, do we want to play our cards >> or like you know like which way do we want to play this? My question um before we keep going is um Larry, can you remind us what you can use capital reserves for? Because I always forget. >> Yeah,
072it would be uh it would be for the building. It would have to be something for the plant. So, for example, if you wanted I know the uh one thing that came up in the um uh I think it was Act 70 what the uh the U maintenance they did the maintenance audit at all the buildings across Vermont and one thing for example that H Heartland needs uh is brand new windows um desperately. So, for example, you could use you could use that to replace all the windows in not 227. to saying as an example, you could use some of that money to replace all the windows to get them up to code uh in modern uh windows for H Heartland Elementary School. Um the difference is at all the other school districts, the board
073can do that in one vote. At H Heartland, you would have to put that on the ballot and the voters >> would decide >> in March. >> so could one of our options be figure out how much new windows are going to cost and get that on the ballot? using our capital reserve like that. So that could that could be an option. Are we going to have to pay for these windows at some point? >> Yeah. >> Like you you should have a you should have a I I understand there was one uh facilities H Heartland's been the only one that has a facilities committee of some sort. I don't know what the status is of that. Um >> it hasn't it hasn't met in years. We did have one. But >> so at at
074the way it works at the other schools is at districts is I work closely with Jim Taft and the principal. We come up with uh orders of operations of what we want to spend the capital money on and then we go to the board and ask for it because you guys are tied to that March vote. It would be tough to get a a a number by March, but I I think I could work on it. I think that's that's doable. And just so you know, mechanically, the way it would work is for the sake of easy numbers, let's say it's $100,000. You would still assign $100,000 of this surplus to the capital reserve and then we would spend out of it >> out of capital reserve. Just so you >> could do that or
075they could just use what's there >> or you could just use what's there and put all of it towards the tax rate. I I don't like I said, I don't know how much new I can't imagine would cost 358,000. >> Right. So just just for history that building committee that was um meeting regularly was when I was a principal there. It was really um out of uh an exploration of doing some additions on the building to get um to get Hartford Elementary School to have a a gym um instead of having to share the multi-purpose room as a gym cafeteria. So that was that was the charge of the committee and upon exploration you know throughout the community it did not look like the community would support that at the time. So that committee dis
076disbanded just so you know that's what we were looking at >> and we have to decide tonight what we're going to do with that surplus. >> You don't ha you don't have to decide tonight. it would be helpful uh for my purposes. Um like I said, it wouldn't affect it doesn't necessarily affect the expenditure line, which is what you vote on um when you approve a budget and send it to the voters. Uh it would affect the tax rate and it would affect capital reserve. I have to um I have to account for that money and state the state requires that the board decides how much or how little to put in towards next year's tax rate or to put in the capital reserve. And we I have to account for that some way. >>
077And once it's in capital reserve, we can't pull it out of capital reserve to go towards the tax rate. >> Capital reserve has to be for facilities. >> That's correct. Once once you do it. Now, uh I'm sure I I could look into whether or not the um the board could decide to move capital reserve into a different fund at the other districts, but in your particular case, I don't think you can because you you can't even you as a board can't even spend out of it like the other districts. You there's there's uh there's I don't know if it's a charter or what. Is there something in the school district um bylaws or >> It was voted on by the community. Yeah. So, the community made the decision >> to uh um run it
078this way. Like >> I think this is Larry. I hate to do this to you, but is it okay if we if we table this decision? >> Sure. I mean uh I think um my my advice is to put in the capital reserve but I understand the attraction to put bite down the tax rates. You know we'll know more. We the LTWM will be firmed up by the early January meeting that Janu early January which is your next scheduled meeting is kind of the drop dead date of the budget. So I would need to know that number and the 227 that day. >> Okay. Does that sound okay to you guys, Heather and Bethanne? Just to >> um I think yes. I I do want to like kind of honor what Larry's saying. Is there
079like can we call a special meeting where we can get the five of us together in the next, you know, two weeks to try to get this so that Larry isn't scrambling last minute because I feel like that's that's really hard. And then I feel like we're going to be making like big decisions really fast. And so, um, as much as, you know, we love to meet all the time, I don't it feels a little weird to just be like, let's table this and then figure this out in January, but then unfortunately like, you know, and I don't know, Larry, what's going to happen in January because you're going to actually have hopefully real numbers to work with or something. Um, so this could all be different. Um, I go ahead Christine. >> Well, I
080was just going to say he has preliminary numbers right now which puts your tax uh rate at about 12%. Could change actually your LTWM increase which helped you. Um the other thing I just wanted to say before Yeah. and I think yeah we can we can schedule a meeting um it doesn't have to be a long one. It could be you know in the next couple of weeks although there are a lot of concerts and things going on. I'll just put that out there. So maybe a morning meeting uh is easier. Um I know that this budget represents um no increases in anything. It's what you have currently except for you know contracted staff negotiation uh raises and healthcare and your tuition went down which is a benefit. But, uh, I do know that Frank
081talked to you at the last meeting about some needs that he felt, um, would be, um, beneficial for the students and I just wanted to give him a chance to share those with you. They're not represented in what's what's in front of you right now, but um, >> thank you. >> So, yeah, go ahead, Frank. >> Yeah. So really I just think from my standpoint I think it's important to share with the board some of the things that we were thinking u given some of the data that we got back with testing knowing some of the numbers that are coming in all I wanted to do for the for the board was for you to understand and take a look at what some of the options that I discussed with Larry and what that impact
082would be um moving forward whatever the decision is completely understand but I think as you're making a decision I just want you to see in front of you sort of what the ask is, what it would look like, and what's the increase. Um, option A, uh, as Larry just described is the the budget book as it is with the increases, um, that he laid out before you. And then going through option B, C, and D, which you can see were just some of the things we talked about, which would be adding a fourth grade teacher, looking at a math interventionist, which is a 0.5 for the middle school, and then a variation of each of those things. And in C and D, it would be the elimination uh or the the the cut of one
083of the SEIS um as an overall picture. So, I just wanted you to have those numbers in front of you. I know we had some discussions. Um, I just from my standpoint think it's important that I advocate uh or at least express some of the things um so that when we get down to the end of it, it wasn't well, we didn't know you needed or you never asked or we didn't talk. I just it it needs to be laid out in front so that when we make a decision and ultimately you guys make a decision, um you know kind of where where we stand. So for that for that fourth grade teacher, I know last year we we reduced the teacher based on numbers um in each cohort. That would mean if if the
084board does not add an additional teacher, um Frank has a plan which would be a larger second grade cohort, I believe. Um the other thing to consider is right now you are within um compliance with Act 73 class size minimums. If you add a teacher, I think you are right up against the edge. Um >> 12.3. >> Yeah. 12.3. So you you're okay. Um >> you skirt that line, >> but you Yeah. So just some things to consider. >> Yep. And again, I just wanted you to know and we've had a couple of of just discussions and so I don't ever want to go into something without ever having expressed or had a conversation together to know Frank, can I ask a few questions, >> please? >> Um, okay. So, I know that adding a
085fourth grade teacher would be lovely. Um, don't mind the screaming in my household right now. Um and like with the 0.5 math interventionist >> um is there an option E where there is just adding a 0.5 math interventionist >> says the math math teacher >> says the math teacher of course of course >> so yeah there is a there is an option E and again I you know looking at what I have in front of me and understanding numbers of personnel There absolutely can be an option E where it's a 0.5 interventionist. U would you want that option E to to be considered with the cutting of an SEI or just a.5 math interventionist? >> I I don't know if like just knowing like can can you guys survive with one less SEI in that
086building? >> I can we Yes. Would it would does it mean a step up uh for other people within our building? Absolutely. It it does. It it would run tight. Um but I also know what some of the other things. So I weigh back and forth between knowing what I'd love to have as um more math intervention and having after school programming and and a more robust summer. So, understanding all of that, I'm trying to weigh out um the supports that I know that are needed versus because I'm not going to teach math. Uh and as much as Michael, who's on here, uh would love to teach math, a math interventionist then means we step up um as support within our building, right? Um, how detrimental is not adding a fourth grade teacher? >> Um,
087that's a good question. I I I don't know if I can completely answer that uh of not adding. I would have to go back through I know so giving you I can give you numbers if that's going to help also just to give you an understanding. So currently first grade is at 23, second at 31, third grade is at 30, so going into fourth, right? And then our fourth grade is 31. Currently we have 24 fifth graders and 31 fourth graders. So we're looking at an increase roughly into that four five team of six to seven kids. >> But your plan your plan would be to move a teacher. >> Yep. >> And then it would be that first grade cohort of 23 kids would go into second grade as one cohort. One one teacher.
088Is that correct? >> Something along those lines. Right. Something looking at that in front of me would be making that into one. Right. we're going to combine uh seventh grade next year into one. So there's only five sections at middle school, not six. So in essence, you're you're doing something similar at the elementary level. And then asking and moving somebody into that four five, which is an option. Um there's no doubt and I understand what what's before us and the uncertainty. Uh and I'm absolutely not looking to put an extra burden on our budget. I just think it's important to to lay it out there. Yeah, I really I like the idea of a math interventionist a lot just based on the data we've seen over the last several years. >> Um, and knowing how
089incredibly valuable the reading interventionists are. Um, >> absolutely. >> And and the ways that they've been able to impact that those scores, which we care about, but also my impression is that those reading interventionists have a pretty profound effect on the SEI dynamics for kids that are working with them. Absolutely. >> So I think to be frank like I sort of like the idea of having a math interventionist. >> Hannah, you can't be frank. We already have a Frank. >> Good point. To be I can say to be Hannah because you all know that. I'll just say what I think too. But um yeah, [snorts] >> I wonder if >> Yeah. If there's an opportunity, Frank, just thinking a little bit outside of the box. I mean, >> is there a way to combine a.5
090math interventionist and a.5 teacher? I mean, you have to be like >> That's what I was just going to ask. >> And and and kind of split up that four or five. I mean, I know this year you're using one of your interventionists to reduce the size of the advisory in fourth and fifth grade, I think. >> Um, but if if you hired a 0.5 in interventionist combined with a 0.5 teacher, it might give you some options to reduce some of those class sizes in in >> that person could be a math teacher, right, for fourth graders. >> Yes, that Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Yes. >> Yeah. So, it's one full-time position. >> It's one position, >> right? >> And that would be that would kind of be like option D except not eliminating
091an SEI. >> Um, if you could find someone who would do half fourth grade teacher, half interventionist, that would be super great. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I like that idea as well. I don't think I see that option um >> without So you want to see how they're at a teaching position and keeping that SEI position? What that would be? >> I mean, and when we say I I I'm with like what I would love to see is a halftime fourth grade teacher and a half-time math interventionist. And I don't want to touch the SEI right now. Like that's not something I'm willing to talk about yet. And that's my opinion just because, you know, we're still there's still a lot of needs. >> Yes. >> Um >> Larry, is that something that you can
092whip up or do we need to give you some time >> right now? >> I'm just curious. You're so good. Like >> what's the question? Can you uh show us what option E which would be essentially adding a to make it easy on you? It's essentially adding a teacher, right? That's going to be the budget number is going to be a full-time teacher and keeping the SEI. >> It should be similar to C, right? >> It should be similar to D. Add fourth grade teacher eliminate SEI. So that's one option and you just want to see it with just adding the fourth grade teacher >> without eliminating the SI. Yeah. >> So B and C out make D and then the next one just be what's the teacher? >> Um E is just to add
093>> Yeah. So So give me one second. >> While Larry's doing that, can I ask a clarification of Frank? >> Yes. Um, so for option A, that def that would definitely mean combining the second or the incoming second grade and moving that position to a fourth grade teacher. >> That would be an option that that would be one of the backup options to consider is moving that into Yep. and then keeping asis. >> Um, what we do with just reshuffling. >> Yep. Yep. >> Thank you. Yes. >> Give me one second. Um, >> so using your K6 um the closest >> Larry. Yes. Oh, sorry. I was just gonna say if like you want a couple of minutes are are is it okay if we like move to a different line like if you need
094a couple minutes to like works through some things we can talk about on our list talking about um the paternity leave and then we can check that off the list while you're doing some stuff. >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm I'm Yes. I'll be done in one one minute or two. >> Okay. Do we want to talk about paternity leave, Frank, for just a moment? >> Yeah, absolutely. Please. >> Does everyone have the um request? >> Yeah, that's what I was gonna ask. >> Um so that uh do you need me to talk through that? >> Yeah, I don't I don't have the request. So, >> okay. So, we have a teacher uh a new hire that has made the request. I know that they have worked with HR and gone through what they needed to
095do. Uh in the end, um they sent a letter with the request asking for and I believe Christine, it's a 12week. >> Yep. Well, uh a 12-week period. Yes. Under the Family Medical >> Family Medical Leave Act. So they have you know that opportunity but they need to ask the board. >> It will be an uh unpaid I believe >> that is my understanding. >> Yeah. Because they >> so the board has to approve because he's worked here fewer than 12 months. Is that why? >> Yeah. I mean typically we bring um maternity childcare leaves to the board. there's something in the contract if it's over a certain amount the board has to approve it. I think if it's 12 and under um it's up in the air. I mean they get it by law
096so it seems a little you know do we more of a formality I guess is the um word that I'm looking for. Are we supposed to can we do we get to know who this person is or do we just say >> it's in the letter? It's Sam August is >> what? >> It's linked to the um agenda. >> Oh, that's what I'm looking at. I was like, okay, got it. Got it. Got it. Okay. >> Um hold on. I think is this the time to make a motion? >> Yep. >> Okay. Um, we have a motion to Oh, can I have a motion, please? >> I move to approve it. >> Or do we have to have discussion first? >> You have to have a motion and then and then second and then discuss.
097I >> I second. Um any discussion about um Sam August's maternity sorry paternity leave? It does seem like he did say something about like it being being able to go back towards the end of the school year. >> Mhm. >> Hannah taking it all at once. He said he wants to like spread it out. It looks like um >> I I mean I acknowledging the challenge it presents to the school community. I think it's an important thing for us to avail to teachers. >> Yeah. I mean they they are entitled to it. >> Yeah. [laughter] Yeah. So I don't have Yeah. I >> I support it. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So, all in favor of we'll take a roll call of um granting I I guess it's granting I don't even know the right words.
098Granting Sam August uh paternity leave of 12 weeks um Bethanne >> I. >> Hannah I and I am also an I. >> Excellent. Frank, will you let Sam know? >> I will. >> Okay, great. >> Thank you. Yep. Okay, Larry, what's what's the new I see the new skinny. Here it is. >> Yeah, that's it. >> Do you know what it does to the tax rate, Lair, or not? >> What a one what? A 1%. Okay, one second. >> I mean, the projected tax rate, which could change >> the estim the estimate right now, that would go >> to a 14.7% tax increase. And if they applied the um if they applied the fiscal year 25 end of year fund balance, what would that do? Was that >> was that 2274 414? >> 493. >>
099What was it? 227. What? >> 493. >> 227493. >> Yep. >> So that would be 10.7 >> 10.7 >> estimate estimate projection >> um okay >> what would it I'm sorry Heather I'm just curious for option D with the elimination of one SEI with a 5.630 630. What would that do to the tax projected estimated tax rate >> with and without the fund balance? >> Can someone remind me? Well, uh, >> without the fund balance. >> With and without. >> Okay. >> What was our tax increase last year? What did what did we end up with the tax rate last year? I'd have to look at the last year's budget book. Um, give me one second. Uh, so using >> option D, Christine, >> using option D without applying the surplus would be >> uh
10013.7. If you apply the surplus, >> it would be if you imply the implied the entire surplus, >> it would be 9.7. Okay. Um, do you have last year's budget book accessible there or not? >> Yeah, it's up on the website. So, if you go here, >> okay, >> you go to the website, finance and operations, business services, fiscal year 26, budget book, Hartland tax rate calculation. At the time we did the budget, it's it's down. >> Yeah. >> Um 6.1%. >> 6.1. Okay. >> Probably came out probably came in at 3%ish after the governor bought down the tax rate. >> I don't know if we can go to the taxpayers with a 14% increase. >> I I don't think we can. I think that we have to, >> you know, I'm interested, Frank, that
101when we asked you about the SEI, like I I don't feel like I can comment on what the needs are in the building, right? I think you have the best sense of that. Um, and it seemed to me that you are not convinced that we can't eliminate one of those spots. >> So, I think what I need to hear from you is like which of those is the most important? Like if you say to me the person we need in the building is a fourth, you know, 50% fourth grade teacher and 50% math interventionist, >> I think that means that has to be a swap out for an SEI person. Um, and I'm really leaning in favor of applying that $220,000 cuz I think it shows a little bit of an act of good faith
102to the taxpayers. Like look, this is not a moment in time where we are able to be saving. Um but it but you know the school is doing what it's ca what it can to be somewhat fiscally responsible. We ended up with some leftover money and we're going to use it. >> Um but it could catch us Hannah in the end. I I know it could I know it could like that's the hard part right is like in the end it could completely catch us and it could double what we >> maybe so then maybe we do 50/50 but I think you know I think there has to be some >> or >> I worry a little bit about the acceptance of this rate of increase of budgets as appropriate and normal right like there
103has to be a point at which we say as as taxpayers, right, and as the stewards of our neighbors who are taxpayers, this is an unacceptable rate of increase of costs. Larry beautifully showed us the source of that, right? It is health insurance. It's nothing that's happening in the building, but we cannot just accept that it's going to keep going up by x number of percentage every year and therefore never use never do the things that are within our power to mitigate that increase. Um, and you know, obviously the state has sort of botched it or maybe is in the middle of botching it. I don't even know what's happening at the state level. I mean, Act 73, we'll see what happens, right? But >> again, I think we have to for as much as
104we hold in the center of our focus outcomes for kids and the experience of kids. We also we all live here because of all of the families that live here and we want those families to be able to stay, right? And I do feel a little bit of a responsibility to protect that constant creep of tax dollars. Then if if that's if that's the way that you know you feel and we feel then we we should just go back with option A and not add in anything or >> but that's why I'm saying to Frank like if you tell me that what you need is a fourth 50% fourth grade teacher and a 50% um math interventionist and let's switch it out for SEI like right cuz that should not increase the tax rate. that
105just says, "Okay, we're looking at the needs of the building right now." And our administrators who we trust are saying to us that the needs of the buildings are such that we need a math interventionist and a fourth grade teacher. Let's put that in the budget and we are willing to give up this other thing that while it is good and important and in a you know perfect world we'd have all of it. We can't we're going to trade these things out. So that's I think my point like I don't think we can add the fourth grade teacher and keep the SEI but if Frank says to us you know so Frank I guess it's sort of to you like which of those things feels more important right now >> we're in a really hard
106spot right now because you know we're not just talking about you know positions it's people too. >> Yep. It is. Um and and so my my question back would be is do you need what do we need to know this right now? Um or can I go back and look at some data in regards to what's the SEI? >> Yeah, I think I mean I think the decision is too important to force any of us to do it right now. >> Um but I think this has been a really helpful discussion in terms of framing what our choices are, right? So, I think what we're saying to you as a board is it's important to us to not increase the budget this year. So, it's important to us that we think about, you know, here's
107how much we can feel like we can ask taxpayers to spend. >> Um, can you figure out what what of this money like where is that resource where are those resources best spent given the projected needs of next year? And then I think for Heather, Beth, Anne, and me and hopefully with Ryan and Beth will be to say, okay, what's going to be the best kind of strategy for getting the budget passed this year and thinking about the budget next year? Is it going to be to use that money to decrease the tax rate a little bit? um >> knowing that there may be really significant changes to everything next year anyway or do we put it into capital reserve um and maybe in that case potentially plan a strategy to also simultaneously request for
108that funds in March. Um [clears throat] >> yeah, I just want to echo and I I agree with you. I I appreciate the discussion. I think it's important to know the threshold of kind of where where we are and what we want. Um, I want to so and the point again in this is to have a a meaningful conversation so that you understand from my standpoint sort of what I'm looking at. I want to go back and just look at some data and what that will entail just meaning um you know the the impact SEIS have the case load what they're seeing what they're doing day and then kind of run that against um the the backup if you will or the second version for me of of um possibly combining like a second grade.
109So I think what I'll just go back and take a look at some of that and then I will report back to folks. >> Okay. Does that sound okay to everybody? Heather. >> Yeah, that sounds fine. Um, I do think we need to like get get another meeting on the books here. Maybe, you know, the last, you know, the week of the 15th. >> Maybe if we can look at like Tuesday the Go ahead. >> I would just I would just chime in that I there's no difference from for me to if if you if unless you're going to approve the budget that night. then you might as well just wait till your next regularly scheduled meeting. >> Okay. >> So I meaning >> if if the the plan was to approve a budget in
110January, early January, then then we're still on track for that. That would give Frank time that would uh that would tighten up the LTWAM. I don't think there's a need to have a special meeting. The only need to have a special meeting to me would be in like mid January >> if there if there was something that had to be, you know, some quasi crisis or something, you know, because >> I I just need to know what to do with $227,000. That doesn't have anything to do with the budget. >> It has to do with the tax rate and we can do the both simultaneously. I would >> Okay. I would uh I think the board obviously you can't speak all five of you in one place outside of these board meetings but come to
111some sort of consensus around what to do with the 227. >> Yeah, >> that's what I was thinking is what's the best way to bring um Beth and Ryan up to speed and it may be >> Larry, can you email Well, that I mean I guess the >> Yeah, can you email those >> what I could what would be better I can see where you're going Hannah. I think what would be better is when Frank nails down what he wants, I can send an email to the board and as long as you guys don't reply all >> that'll say the budget book has been up updated with this change with the current tax information we have. If you applied all the fiscal year 25 surplus, your tax rate would be this. If you applied none
112of it, it would be that. And if you applied 100,000, it would be that. And >> you guys can decide. >> All right. And then when we meet in January, we can do a very brief um summary of this discussion for Ryan and Beth to say, >> you know, we these were the these were the thoughts we had and let's start here. >> Yeah. And and just so you know, um when I spoke to Beth about uh her her not being here tonight and trying to change the date of this meeting, she she'll watch the meeting and she'll Okay. >> She knows she has to touch up on some stuff. that too. Yeah. >> I guess my other question is or comment is um I don't know why I feel so concerned about these windows,
113but if someone wants to get us something about like a quote for the windows or whatever else we need to use for like capital reserve because that might help us decide like how much money to put into capital reserve or not. Like so >> Frank, I see your hand. Hold on one second. Um, so if for example, like we need new windows and they're like, "And by the way, we could really use a new rug or whatever, like it would be nice to sort of have like a laundry list of things so we can >> and then we can make a like even a better decision what to do with that extra surplus." >> And it might help us define like, all right, we want to put this exact amount into capital reserve because we're
114going to ask to use it for this. And it's a way also again as we talk about this with taxpayers we can say we are not putting this in the budget we're using this surplus for that. >> Okay makes sense. >> Okay Frank >> so in that same vein when it was mentioned before that there's a committee I've been meeting um with Mr. Samuel in regards to needs for the building and and categorizing that just as conversations for us um and knowing that Larry like we knew the windows. So, what I wanted to do and what I was going to say once we're all done is that I love to sit down with Mr. channel again and sort of very much like an athletic director do what my cost of replacing uniforms over five years
115would be like I would always have a five-year plan of going through put that together and send it over to Larry um so that he can have that information because we already have a list that we've just been saying hey as we walked around the building this is stuff that we should probably start to look at so I can have that out to you so that you have that okay >> and you may want to invite Jim into that conversation Frank as Yeah, he's been part of um the conversation in regards to the list that was created and working with Mr. Sam. >> Excellent. >> Yeah. >> Great. Okay. Um just so setting the next agenda is the like do we have any more items for discussion? Well, we don't because it's not on our
116list, but um I don't think we need to make any more motions to move anything. Um I think we did all that part. Um, so setting the next agenda for next meeting. Um, I think I I think we still need a act 73 update and also Larry's going to steal the show. Um, with all that great information that he's going to tell us about how the state has made all these great changes and therefore our tax increase is going to be 2% when all is said and done. And we do not go past the threshold. >> I mean, you're you are over the threshold. Just so you know that. >> I know, but like [laughter] we're not over the threshold. >> Um, this is what's going to happen. >> You knew that. >> It's going
117to make really good. Um, Larry, just out of curiosity, how much money do we need would we need to cut so we would not be in a threshold? This is the Hannah situation. >> Now, it's going to be called the Heather budget. >> No. Nope. Your name will be on it forever. >> Yeah. Give me one second. You would have to cut. >> It's a lot. It's uh Let me give me one second. Um >> I don't understand this. >> Um >> the What is the average um cost per pupil that the states approved? 15 16 I think we said last night >> 16470. >> So if you cut a million out of your budget, you'd still be over the threshold. Oh, >> okay. Cool. Okay. So, honestly, it doesn't really matter. Okay. >> It
118doesn't matter. No way we can. It's It's the uh close the school. >> If you cut If you cut one point 15, you'd be under the threshold. >> Oh, okay. Great. Okay. >> But you do get a tax. So, like every dollar you're over, you pay an additional dollar. So, it does reduce your um cost if you >> Yeah. Of course. >> Reduce your cost per student. Yeah. >> But I mean, what what can we do? >> Yeah. Um okay. Um any other agit items for the list? >> Yeah, we do have one. Um we should set the budget informational meeting date at the next meeting. >> Oh, I can't wait for that one. And I have been doing some research on the law around that because it's typically um the Tuesday prior to the
119um meeting, the um the vote in town, the election, but that's school break this year. So, uh you can we can schedule it the the week before that. So, I I I know in Weathersfield they they have a different format where they do their meeting on the Saturday before the vote and it's like an open meeting and uh they can't change that because they voted on it and some of the board members are going to be away on vacation. So, I don't um if you're all here that week, great. Um so, anyway, we can talk about that more next next month. Um the other thing that we need to put uh as an item for discussion which which Larry asked me to add to the agenda tonight and I I failed. Sorry, Larry. Um the
120town treasurer increase. Um so you pay a portion of the town treasurer salary because the town treasurer works for the school and helps with the um schoolboard election and getting the reports together and all of that. So, uh, that person has reached out and requested that we consider increasing or matching the town. The town pays part of her salary, I believe, and and just matching that increase. So, the board needs to vote on that next month or the board needs to vote on giving Larry the authority to um, you know, approve that. It's not a lot of money and uh you know we can we can do this every year or you can you can just give Larry the authority to set that rate. So that should be on the agenda for next month as
121well. Okay. Anything else? >> I don't think so. >> I don't think we have an executive session. >> Nope. Okay. Um I will take a motion to adjourn at 7:40. So moved. >> Okay. I think >> there you go. Thank you. Um so I think because it's the last one, um I guess I will roll call. Uh all those in favor of uh finishing the meeting at 7:40. Hannah >> I. >> Bethanne >> I. >> Heather that would be me. I um Okay. Our meeting has been adjourned at 7:40 and we will reach out to Ryan and um Beth to tell them to watch the video. How soon does the video get uploaded? >> It'll be up tomorrow. Yeah. On the website. >> Cool. Okay. We'll get them to watch that and enjoy that. Um
122Okay. Good night everybody. Thank you so much. Thanks, >> Heather. Bye.