001All >> good. All right. So, we'll call this Berlin Bo Regional School Committee to order. Would everyone please stand for the pledge of >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> All right. Thanks everybody. So, um, we're here tonight to talk about the budget. The way tonight's going to go, uh, we'll we'll have a budget presentation and then anyone who wants to come up and say anything, ask a question. Um, we'll wait until after the budget presentation so that you've got the most recent information for you to speak about. Uh, Al, did you want to say something first? >> Sure, if I could. Thank you, uh, Mike. So, good afternoon. Um, I
002again want to thank everyone for coming tonight to listen to our our budget presentation for the 2026 2027 um, school year. Appreciate you. You heard my school messenger that went out as well too. And I know on a beautiful day like this, it's really hard to come in. Um, so I know I heard a couple parents saying they wish it was an outdoor meeting as well today, but we thank you for coming because it really truly is important. Um, we as a school district, including all the people here sitting to my right hand side, our principles, our directors, our assistant principles, um, have worked very hard to prepare and get this budget ready for presentation tonight um, to the BBRSD. Um, we're all very thoughtful and mindful of the stresses financially on both communities. U,
003but this is truly what we believe is necessary to bring our district forward to be a more competitive district. Please know that education is a competitive business. We know that and I I think our next school committee meeting is scheduled for March 24th. Um we're going to be talking about school choice, right? And that goes right along with being a competitive business and making sure that we're keeping our students staying in our district as well too. Um as you review the budget presentation tonight, you're going to see different levels of priorities that we've talked about. We as a district, and I'm saying for all of us here, can honestly say that all these priorities one, two, and three are extremely important to us. But we realized that we had to tear them, right? and how
004to put the ones that were most important. Those are the priority ones that you're going to be seeing tonight that we truly believe that we need to have in our schools to make that our teachers and staff have everything they need so they can provide the highest quality education for our students that are in school. It truly is what we truly believe is necessary. Lastly, I know that I've had conversations with both towns as most recently as five minutes ago with with Wilson as well too, which I know is going to join us in public comment shortly as well too. um they appreciate the process that we've been going through and and the open conversations that we've been having. Aaron and myself have met with Bolston and Berlin um and appreciate I'll use that word
005transparency. Um we're presenting this their budget. Um I also appreciate the feedback we've gotten from parents as well too and from select boards of about the best way to present this budget for you too. But I have also heard um from to Aaron and I referring to questions about the past, right? We're still hearing questions about before Aaron and I got here. What happened with this? What happened with this money? Um, again, I just can't stress enough, you know, the the towns of both Berlin, Boston, and the Department of Education. We've all agreed that since Aaron and I are here, our goal is to move forward in our budget. We settled our budget when we first came here, Aaron and I with the Department of Education. Remember, we're very close to being a one 12th
006community where they were going to just allocate our budget one month at a time. We met with the Department of Education. We met with both towns. we agreed that that was the budget we were going to agree on and move forward and we want to continue to make sure that we do that work as well too. So, it's extremely important that we continue moving in that forward direction with our budget and preparing for our for our school district for next year. Want to thank the school committee um for their support during this process because it's been hard, right? So, us sitting here today, this is a culminating activity. Um we spent a lot of time preparing getting this ready for you guys and getting feedback from you. So, I want to thank them for that.
007Um, and with that being said, I'm going to ask Aaron to join us up front where he's going to talk um about and walk us through our budget presentation. Um, the the presentation is available online. It's on our district website as well too. Um, we put that out in many places as well too. So, please, please, please um you can follow along with it. You can also follow along with on your phone if you're necessary as well too. Aaron's presented this budget multiple times already to school committee. We're not going to go through every single slide. We'd be here for for hours and hours and hours. Um, but we are going to give you um the most important slides that we think are important. Um, >> ours. >> Okay, I'm gonna turn now. Before you
008do, Al, where are the documents online? >> They're on our website. Where are they? They're under the school committee menu. >> Um, yes. >> School committee menu. >> Yes. >> All agendas, right? >> Agendas. Y >> bbbrsd.org. Go to school committee menu. Under all agendas, it's that very top link, P1026, meeting documents. And not only the agendas are in there, but you'll see some additional work that our principles and directors have provided as well too. Some backup for a lack of a better word um to some of the budget requests that are in there. So you can see the reasoning and the rational behind those as well. >> Should we move out of the way of the screen? >> Sure. >> Okay. So uh as before um this budget will be broken into three sections.
009We have operating, we have prospective investments that we're going to ask for some school committee feedback on as we go through >> and then we will have capital. Uh I want to let you know that we get to capital for the school committee and the people in the audience. Uh there's a bit of a curveball and that's based on uh feedback we've received from the fincoms of both towns um as well as um sort of utilizing our funds in a responsible way. So, we'll have that conversation. Um, I'm also preparing a presentation for next school committee meeting that will explain how I'm utilizing those budgets in a little more detail, those buckets. So, the money is there. It's just in different buckets. So, I just want to be clear, there's no missing money. Um, but
010we also saw the opportunity to reallocate things a little bit in accordance with what the direction we received from the two fincoms. So for example, uh Boilston um is averse to additional capital. Um they're taking on the roof project at bees. So we've continue to endeavor to keep those off of their books. Uh Berlin Fincom has requested us to assess their capital items, but consider, and I I believe I shared this last time, utilizing some of our cash to offset the operating budget. I I'm I'm not the decision maker on how you guys use your cash. Um what I my job is to present what I believe is a sustainable budget to you. If you choose to use some cash um from various sources, this budget also makes that more available to you. Right? So
011that's that's the goal. So as we get into operating budget, I think it's important to remember that we made some pretty significant cuts last year. Uh this year's budget we consider a relatively level service this year relative to fiscal 26. The only real addition that we are making to um the budget relative to fiscal 26 is adding a fifth grade teacher at Boilston Elementary School. There are 66 students rising up to fifth grade next year and we have two fifth grade classrooms. We need a third fifth grade classroom to accommodate that. We don't have any sort of reallocations we can do. Um this is just based on on general tren t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t
012t t t t t t t t t t t t t t trends. So 22 students a class is pretty typical with where we've been. 33 would be um pretty extreme. >> And so Erin, everything that we're going to be talking about this budget presentation includes that fifth grade. >> Yes, this is within the budget. >> So these are the impacts of the items we cut last year. I won't dwell on those. Um, so this is where we are for a budget. As you will recall, our first meeting, we were over 10%, we were at 10.3%. Uh, every iteration, we've whittleled this budget down. Um, even since we shared the last budget iteration with you, Janelle and I spoke, um, our director of student services. Janelle and I touch base almost daily on this
013right now on special education. It's really only the point where we might have some movement um based on potential move in moveouts, changes in uh situations. Um those become increasingly unlikely as we get towards April 1, but we always want to make sure we're in communication. We're having those conversations to make sure that if something happens, we can capture it. So, uh we've talked about this a couple times. We have some direct budget offsets that are built into the budget itself. So, school choice, we are using $450 of recurring school choice. That's roughly what we take in a year, give or take. It it comes and it goes um to uh to offset the budget um in a responsible way. We are also using $260,000 to offset expiring expenses. Those are high cost out of
014district situations that we know will be ending. We are confident based on um the pipeline of students flowing through out of district placements and based on needs that those once those expire we won't have those expenses going further. We we will continue to look at ways to bring down that number. That's a significant number. The other good side of that is next year we may not have and 28th rather we may not have those expenses but we will receive circuit breaker reimbursement for those expenses. So there may be a double sort of whammy in that mix. I'm hesitant to jump on that. Uh slides 7 to 10 really talk about some some some items. The only one I'm going to talk about is this. Um the closure of the Department of Education on the federal
015level has put some of the grants in um a bit of a gray area. There's been some question. I generally think these will be funded probably level funded for next year um and maybe block granted. Um there was a recent email that seemed to indicate that was the case. Um but no one's giving any guarantees right now. So 8, nine and 10 really are justformational largely um uh items that are in the regional agreement. Um even 11 sorry uh 7 to 11. Uh so when we get into it then once we get to the assessment portion of the budget. So the budget's broken into two pieces. The budget piece and then the assessment piece. We have items that come off of the assessments to the towns. The first is chapter 70. that's from the state
016uh budget as well as chapter 71 transportation reimbursement. And the third item that comes out of uh the state is charter school reimbursement. Uh chapter 70 and chapter 71 are divied among the three schools as assessment offsets in accordance with the regional agreement. Charter school reimbursement isn't mentioned in the regional agreement, but it's always been assigned to Tanto in accordance with the splits. Um, excess and deficiency, we're confident we'll have 200,000 available. Medicaid reimbursement is consistent with what we've received in the past. Uh, investment income is consistent with what we've been receiving on investment income largely interest. So, as we get into the next group of slides 13 to 18,formational regional agreement information, uh, you're welcome to read it. Um uh slide 19 gets into sort of the big budget picture. Uh districtwide has a
017fairly significant increase. This includes a move of our curriculum director um from uh Tahanto as well as partly at the elementary schools to the district office. Um so that money moves out of Tahanto. You'll see Tanto's increases lower um as a result. um Berlin Memorial and Boilston Elementary. All three schools in fact um have the uh in the health insurance increase baked into it as well. So we'll talk about that a little later. So then we get into district-wide uh budget. This is mostly salaries, but there are a few items that have been shifting. Uh there will be an overlap in our superintendent's contract, so there's a little increase there. Um when we get into uh legal services um you know I think it's very apparent that we spent more than this last year and
018we may well spend more than this this year. I I'm hoping that by 27 we start to return to some degree of normaly um with legal expenses. If we don't my next budget for 28 would have to include a very significant increase um just historically. But for now, I think I'd like to try to keep it down and we can address that if it comes. Um, pupil services has a few things that are in there. There are some new IEP requirements that require some additional training, uh, as well as, um, training on safety care, which is something we've done in the past, but we haven't budgeted for it. It hasn't been budgeted for for whatever reason. Uh, facilities is pretty consistent. So, if we hadn't moved the curriculum, it'd be 6%. I think if we
019took out the superintendent um uh overlap um it'd be lower still. So >> and just for the safety care training just so people know those are the trainings that our staff goes through for those deescalation skills, right? So that's a skill that we want all of our teachers to be training in particular our paras and our and our our certain teachers that are in our bridges program. But I I just want to make sure we're understanding what those acronyms are. And those legal services include a lot of contracts being negotiated. >> Yeah, we did. Correct. We have the final teachers contract. We have the custodians contract. So >> hopefully car is moving forward in in the next year as well. >> Great. >> So then we get into Berlin Memorial. Uh as you can see
020their share of uh curriculum director uh goes away. Um there is some reallocation of use of instructional coordinators. That has been a 50-50 split in the past. Um based on usage and need, we're switching that to 6040. Um 60% to Boilston, uh 40% to uh Berlin. Um we get down to um uh health insurance. Uh again, I think I've shared a couple times uh we have uh about a 7 and a half% increase to health insurance, a 5.66% increase. This also reflects a bit of a shift in allocations. So the elementary schools, when I looked at employee counts relative to health insurance, um the splits seem to be all over the place in the past. So I've reallocated them. there's a significant decrease to um not decrease but lower increase to dontos as a result.
021So it's just a shifting of where those um insurance costs are being applied a little bit. Uh additionally I think I shared that I definitely underbudgeted a little bit last year. So we're making up a little bit for that. The good thing is we we are going to make it through this year on the health insurance budget we have. Um, but that needs to be made up next year. So, we would have had to make further cuts last year had I not made that mistake. Um, but we'll work through and we'll do our best to get there. Uh, tuitions, that's a large percent but a small dollar increase. Um, it's just a slight shift in uh tuition charges for out of district placements. So, then we get into the total assessments. Um this is the
022standard formula that's been used. Uh school budget district share total budget less chapter 70 and chapter 71. Those are state aid and state transportation aid to a total Burla Memorial School assessment. These will be reflected later with along with the Tanto assessments. So I'm not going to dwell too much. Um excuse me. So as we get into uh Boilson Elementary uh instructional coordination, this is just the reallocation. We reallocate to um instruction and support. This is the additional um fifth grade teacher mostly. There's a little additional paraprofessional needs and and bus monitoring needs going into instruction, but the bulk of that percentage increase is that added um fifth grade teacher. uh health services there was a staffing change so a staff person moved from Boilston Elementary to Tahont you'll see an increase in Hondos um
023we have those happen from time to time transportation you will see a pretty solid decrease in total transportation costs um this came from my meeting last week with Janelle and Michelle I should give credit to as well who did a deep dive into anticipated costs of transportation what have you uh and they were able to to bring this down significantly based on sort of out of district tuition needs. Uh custodian utilities pretty consistent technology small change. Um uh benefits insurance this is again big lift for um the elementary schools but a shift away from Tanto. Uh tuitions and charges. Um this is a move up to Tanto but you'll also see that Tanto had some um reductions in their tuitions and charges. So overall net good for Boilston and then a net good for Tanto.
024Uh same calculation uh school budget district share total budget less chapter 70 less chapter 71 for a total fiscal 27 boilson elementary assessment of 5,617,74. Now to Danto. So Tanto the curriculum director is gone. Moves to the central office as we shared uh in structural coordination. We had additional circuit breaker funds that came in last year um that are baked into this budget as well that allowed us to read that position. We are considering that level of service relative to what we were able to do um and our needs. Um health services this is that staffing shift. So that that staff cost moved from Boilston to Dhanto. Uh you will see very small increase to transportation overall. It actually is a reduction to outof district student transportation and an increase to McKini Vento uh and
025I believe some foster transportation um across the board that have happened across the district. So we are seeing more and more homeless student needs. we are seeing more and more uh foster student needs. Uh we are mandated to provide those services. So that's not an optional service for us. Uh then we get into benefits insurance. Like I said, smaller increase than in the schools um on a percentage basis as a dollar. It it's it's a significant benefit to Hondo's a bigger number. So there's more uh dollars in that percent. tuitions and charges. You can see that's a solid reduction to um tuitions and charges uh relative to um last year. There's a little more circuit breaker in there in addition to the fact that we have some savings and other district costs. So for a
026total budget of 3.09% increase. So I'm not going to dwell on the next slide which talks about hello. Okay. how Tahanto costs are allocated that is in the regional agreement um and you can uh read that at your leisure. Uh Tahhanto baseline operating budget is a little um more complicated in the other schools. Same thing happens. We have the school budget district share um total budget. Then we take out chapter 70 and chapter 71. Then we reduce it by excess and deficiency, Medicaid reimbursement, investment income and charter reimbursement. Um the as I said the regional agreement is silent to these items and historically that's where these items have been placed. Um it basically ensures that they're split among the towns in accordance with the Tanto. Um so you get to the total assessment. Now how
027do we deal with that total assessment? uh that total assessment is first reduced by um local contributions from the towns. These are assessed to the towns but this is the state's minimum local contribution that both towns take off the top. Then we have an above minimum contribution and that's that 5,856306 the lower end of the middle. uh the two schools split that um in accordance with the formula in the regional agreement um and gets us to their assessments. So we get into the total baseline operating assessment. So this is both schools um for um Berlin. Uh using these we have a total um assessment of $9,41,842 a dollar increase of $680,152 8.13%. Uh on the Boilston side uh we combine everything and we get to a total assessment of operating assessment of $13,227,931 an increase
028of 838,239 and an increase of 6.77%. So now we get into um some of these items that the administration has put up for consideration. We consider these investments into the future of the district. Um these are items that will um will move the needle. Um I put this disclaimer on. I want to make it really clear. These items are not in the baseline budget. So the budget we just presented these are not in the budget. Okay. So when we look at these, we have uh three priorities. We have priority one, priority two, and priority three. I'm not going to go through every single line item. Um but at the last meeting, I believe the school committee asked us to put the priority one items on the table uh and make them available for the school
029committee to consider as additions to the budget. Priority two and three items are items we still think are important to moving the needle as a district and improving um our um our scores and our standing within um the the Commonwealth. So these will not be talked about further tonight, but we want to keep them on the table. We want to keep them known as items that we think will help move the needle. thing which should happen with this in developing the strategic plan priorities two and three you should be seeing next year at this time as well too and hopefully those will be moving up to priority ones and priority twos but it's certainly something that should be like Aaron said constantly on the table and looked at >> so I am going to move
030over to quickly we have an external spreadsheet that will recalculate um it's not something I always love to do but this will recalculate the assessments based on the school committee's choices. I guess I would ask to the school committee to consider each of these sequentially. Um, I can work with a few curve balls. I'll let you know if I can or can't work with that particular curveball relative to something. When I choose something as a yes, whoops. It automatically goes to the appropriate column and is assessed in accordance with the regional agreement for Tahont, which is the first one I chose. That split is 35.28% to uh Berlin and 64.72% to uh Boilston. Uh if you were looking at this previously, I think I had Berlin down in the Boilston section uh in what I
031shared on the school committee uh drive. I apologize. I copied and pasted and changed the formulas but didn't change the name. So that's on me. So I am prepared for the school committee to start having these discussions and once we are done all of that will pipe over to the um motion that we would be asking for the school committee to make and vote um to approve the operating budget. So if you make no changes it will stay exactly as it is at 26137728. as you change things, those will pipe over to the assessments. At this point, everything is an above uh minimum contribution level. So, it all just flows into that share uh at to directly to the schools, right? There's nothing else to to do. So, I will leave it in the school
032committee's hands to consider these items. >> Aaron, thank you. Just appreciate it's really risky doing this live, right? But but we know this is I see people shaking their heads in the audience knowing that when we're making changes live on this, but we know this is something that school committee wanted to see and the community wanted to see. School committee members, I'll ask you if you have something specific about each in one of those priority ones. I know and I'm not putting them on the spot because they've worked really hard these last few months today in preparation. If there's a question about the biology teacher or the ELA coach or something like that, they'll be prepared to answer questions for you as well too with the best they can. If they don't have the answers
033for it tonight, we'll get those answers to you. I'm going to ask them if there are there is a question asked from that they join Aaron up there at the table and answer those questions as well too. I know lasting meeting there was some questions asked about ELA coach and the recent monitor and the specialist that I fumbled my way through. Right. So there again the expert help answer those questions a lot more. >> Aaron, um I know the original plan was we were going to discuss this right now and vote on that. Right. uh kind of rethinking that a little bit. I'm sure people in the audience might want to chime in on some of these particular issues or maybe others. So, uh we have two options. We could either hold a public comment
034on operating only or we could go through your capital do everything public comment and then we would discuss what uh what does the committee think is the best way to do it. >> Second thing do the do the capital first. >> Capital first. >> Okay. >> What does everybody else think? So, we're gonna switch back and then we'll revisit this. >> Okay. I know it's a little bit out of script right now. >> Before you move on to this, you kind of glaze over slide four of the your presentation. And so, I just want to make note like the biology teacher, the health teacher, the world language teacher, and the full-time athletic director down to a stipen. Those were all done to counteract the 18% rise in healthcare insurance. So, wanted to remind people why
035those cuts were made. Go >> back to that slide for a second. >> Slide that slide for Oops. Sorry. >> Yep. Good. >> So, I just want to remind people like those were cuts that we no one wanted to make. Um, but we acknowledge that 18% medical insurance had to be counteracted. So, >> Tanto a lot harder than anybody else. >> Yeah. >> Took the words out of my mouth. Appreciate that. at Tahanto the the the changes they had to make this year the class sizes that they had to do deal with this year and some of the courses I know a conversation about AP biology came up last time right and you know Lisa and Rich are certainly getting answer but it's not being offered every year right because we weren't able to do
036that so those are some big cuts that you know we talk about when you make the cuts at the elementary school and someone says 33 is going to be an elementary school classroom everyone's right but they don't realize the impact that it has at the high school level and the course offerings that they can't offer offer and how it impacts all of the kids. Um, and the class size as well too. So, >> so do we not have AP bio bio at all or do we just not have it this year? This >> so we just I'm Tan Smith. I'm the department chair of um for uh science and tech engine. So, we do not have AP bio this year. So um we originally thought of alternating you know between a bio and anatomy. So
037we are offering anatomy this year and um it will depending next year it's very possible that we don't have AP bio again and it is also very possible that we may not even have anatomy again next year. So, um, so I'm here to to address what's happening to the science department. So, when it is my turn. Sure. Apparently. So, anyway, but I just thought I'd jump in and let you know. >> Appreciate it. Thank you. >> Catherine, we're okay. >> Okay. Uh, I'm just going to scroll down there really quickly. Okay. So capital budget as I shared it moves some things around based on feedback from uh the town um as well as um some of the buckets we have available. So let me move into um so uh just to share Berlin I remind
038everyone Berlin um has free cash available. Whoops. Um, so they wished for us to assess those capital items to them. Um, and if at all possible look at ways to spend some of our own cash to offset operations. Uh, Boilston because of the roof project that's coming up at Boilston Elementary. Uh, they feel like they are going to be tapped out on free cash. Um, they did say they are willing to do, and you will see it in the mix, they're willing to to do the bathroom project for Boilston Elementary. that's one of the more significant items. So that that came in about five minutes before this meeting officially. So we're we're trying to juggle some things, but we can have those conversations. Um getting into regional debt. I'm not going to dwell on that.
039That's regional agreement stuff. Uh so this is the Tanto regional debt. Uh there are two bonds that make that up. One expires in 2031, one expires in 2033. uh total uh debt payment for this year is 1,543,150. Berlin share of that is 557335 and Boilston's is 985815. Um that is an overall decrease in debt payment of $2500 which isn't that much but uh it helps. Every little bit helps. So, here's where we get to. Berlin requested us to put our capital and one-time needs into assessments. So, we've taken everything we gave last time that was Berlin Memorialbased and this is what we're recommending to be assessed to the town of Berlin based on their their their request um of their fin. Then we get down to let me get this into presentation mode again and
040I'm back to sorry >> it's okay >> I just wanted everybody to be able to see it and um got there >> then we get to Boilston Elementary Boilston interestingly enough as I've started analyzing I think I I shared with the school committee when I was hired that that getting through um all of the the the accounts and the budgets um was probably going to be a two-year project. Um year one was all of the basic general fund, all the things are in operations. The next is looking at debt capital END. Um which I thought might be more consistent. Um as it turns out, the Boilston Elementary Capital Account has a fairly solid positive balance. um enough to cover Boilston's one-time and capital needs for this year and meet their request. So, I felt like
041after getting that feedback and looking at at some of the conversations we've been having, it made sense for me to use that internal to us Boilston capital account to cover the Boilston Elementary needs one-time needs as well as their share of the Dontto one-time needs. So we will that is their money effectively. We're holding it on their behalf more or less. So each of these items will not be assessed to the town of Boilston. Instead, we will pay them out of that account. Um uh the only three items that would remain and and we we use a little bit of sort of logic. Um we are renters in the building. So, as we started figuring out what we can cover, what we we really can't cover, um we said anything we can pick up and
042take with us, we'll try to pay for and anything that would be sort of intrinsic to the building or the property, um we would look to come from the towns. Um, additionally, this these items would sort of extend beyond what we have available in the boiling capital account. So, uh, these three items we initially had looked Boilston did come through and say that they are willing to do the bathroom project this year. The other two, um, they're not really comfortable with adding to um to their their use of free cash this year. So, that can be a conversation. So, then we get into Han to to Hanto and again we have the two shares, right? Berlin assessment uh the Berlin piece and Boilston piece. Again, Berlin said they are comfortable picking up more an assessment
043particularly if the school committee is willing to um help with the the operating side. So I went ahead and said okay we will assess the Berlin share to Berlin and then the Boilston share um can still be covered by that uh fund balance in the Boilston capital account. So both Boilston Elementary and Boilston and Boilston Sheriff to Hanto could be picked up by that and you will see that in the next slide of items that will not would not be assessed to the town of Boilston. Um, so I believe this largely meets their request while maintaining money in our school choice account um that could be used if the school committee wished to do so to use that for something. Um, the Tanto parking lot realistically as we're looking at this um it's it's unrealistic
044that we're going to expand this parking lot this summer at this point. Um there's a lot of work to be done. We are still waiting. There's a $100,000 grant that we have been told we are assured of having, but we have not had any official word from the state on yet. So, we're in a little bit of limbo there. When we get that money, my recommendation would be to you utilize that money for the pre-planning work. There will be engineering, there will be site design, uh, bidding specs and things like that to put out and and probably the actual bid package itself. It'll be a very complicated project. I'd feel comfortable if if someone with more expertise and we talk about something of this size, it really starts to make sense um to do so.
045We also have uh DCF restrictions um that impact sort of that whole design process. So the whole design process can be more extensive than you'd expect. >> And I'm not just talking about with school committee, but for the people in the audience, we that that $100,000 that there was a grant was supposed to be coming our way. it was supposed to expire in June of 2026, right? So, we have not heard or seen anything about that. Um but whether that grant comes our way or not, which again here we are in March and June, um this is something that we still when we go to both towns that we know that this is something we're looking at whether we get a grant or not, certainly not for this year, but for the future of Tahanto,
046um with our our families and events and anyone knows that anything that takes place here, we we need to expand that parking lot, but certainly can't on a permanent basis. And this would all be sort of um retrofitted so that we fall in line with all the requirements that we are being so close to the reservoir. >> Fair enough. >> So we'll continue to keep that on um on the budget. Next few fly slides areformational. I've presented all of these a couple times and they're all in the packet, but it describes a couple of the more significant items that people may have questions about that we're looking to add um as capital items. as one-time purchases. So when we get into total capital assessments based on these numbers, uh we have Berlin Boilston uh Berlin
047total capital assessment of uh Boilston 1,375,115. And then this is what I would propose the school committee um approve at this time. Um, obviously we can have conversations about um those Boilston Elementary items and things like that um down the road, but based on what we have here, uh we would have a uh Berlin capital assessment of the 902401, the Boilston capital assessment of 1375115, and then uh Boilston's internal capital account for 487264. This would leave some funds in that Boilston account. Um there is a little money in the Berlin Capital account as well. Um I'd like to keep those as a bit of a buffer. Um, so I don't know if the school committee is amendable to making a motion now, but this would be the motion that I would would recommend for the
048time being and as we inevitably revisit these things, we can have conversations particularly about the Boilston Elementary piece um and what have you. >> And just for clarity to the the community, we're we're needing school committee to pass a motion tonight and pass it. We have a 45day requirement before it goes in front of town meeting that a budget has to be approved. Um, and that's why we're we're really particular about this date and the 45 days leading up to the town meetings um where the towns will vote on and both of those things over. >> Can I can I just ask a question on this slide? Can you explain to me this? I'm probably missing something. >> So the 1375 1115 that doesn't include any of the What is that? three >> that is
049that is um Boilston share of the debt >> plus >> so that's the 900 something from the debt plus >> plus these three yes >> okay so it doesn't include all that other boiling capital stuff that >> no it doesn't we would we would we the Berlin boilson schools would use boilston's capital account >> to cover that somehow um >> I want to say in 2023 24 there was a significant capital project that must not have happened. I don't I don't know what that was, but there's a next week you'll see that when I do I'm going to do an assessment for you guys of the capital accounts that leads into a conversation of about excess and deficiency. Um I didn't think that made sense to do here and now for time purposes. Um but
050>> we're just getting this information as it's rolling into us, right? So we haven't been able to share this some with some of the towns that we've gone to as well too. Right. >> So, does that make more sense, Megan? I'm sorry. >> Yeah, I totally get it. I I was like thinking that 487 needs to be minused out of it, but I get it. It's separate stuff that you have. That's all that additional tando stuff that we were going to originally pay with school choice and now you want to use that oil capital fund. And Berlin wants to use their free cash to pay for. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. I get it. >> Yep. And we would still include the rear parking lot and the wood chips because in case something comes up
051in the future >> for for now those are there. Um you know I think it would be up to the school committee and I'm pretty certain we're going to meet again about the budget to to consider some things. So it might be that based on what the feedback we've received from the town of Boilson in terms of being kind of tapped out on their ability to fund capital. school committee may decide, okay, the the the paving at some point really should be done. Does it need to be done this year? As well as, you know, the wood chips with rubber. Um, is that, you know, a necessary, could there be some fundraising for that? Things like that. I also, you know, I want to be mindful of the fact that they're looking down the barrel
052of absorbing what two and a half million plus in a roof project for for Foilson Elementary. Um, and they're they're trying to do that without say doing a two and a half override. They're trying to sort of shortterm push it out um so they can fund it from operations. >> We also know conversation happening with Wolston PTO, right, their group about doing the um the playground, right? So all of that we were taking into account as well. We're still waiting for updates to see what takes place with that. And then that will determine whether we can do the parking lot. Is that the time to do it? Is that the time to do wood chips? Depending on what they're what they're doing in that project, right? Both of those are definitely on our list. It's
053just how and when. Um pavement tends to hold up a little better than the bathroom in terms of you know just the on our priority level. I think the bathroom, there's some sanitation issues and things like that. We want to make sure we don't fall behind. That I think is is the big thing. Um I I would agree that the parking lot should be done at some point, but you know, pavement pavement can can be okay for a year, I think. Anything else? And I'm trying to get forward. Um and this would be the motion we'd be looking for in this moment. And again, if the school committee at some point decides that they they want to amend that, we can go ahead and do that. >> All right. Thanks, Aaron. Um, yeah, we should
054probably open up to public comment first. Huh? Um, so public comment, Howard, if you want to come up first, but what we're going to do for public comment, ask whatever you want. Say whatever you want. If we can answer your question on the spot, we'll try. Otherwise, give us your thoughts. We'll try to keep each individual comment to about three minutes, but uh anyone So, we have uh several people signed up. If additional people want to speak, feel free. Just put your name on the list. That's fine. Um all right, Howard, how you doing? >> I'm good. I'm Howard Groer. I'm Ter Boilston. I'm the finance committee, also known as Fincom Chairperson. Uh I shared with Al, Erin and Michael uh just before this meeting started some changes uh on our side. They are positive
055changes and I was going want to fill you in a little bit about them. Okay. So we've come last night uh to look through and start our work. Uh we did uh make a recommendation that we would have free cash article for the bathroom that you that's here. But we are basically tapped out free cash. So, Boilston has approximately 1.1 million of free cash that was certified by the state. We're using 500K as down payment for the Boils Elementary School roof. Uh, and if you recall, two years ago, we also saved 500K. So, we have about a almost a million dollars. We spent probably close to 80,000 on studies and the owner project manager and all the work to get through the mass accelerated school repair program here. And that overall budget is projected to
056be what 5.7 now or something like that. >> Right around there. >> Yeah. And the state does reimbursement of 51%. So our town share is going to be in that two and a half mil range >> in in not until the summer of 2027 is they're looking at doing that point. Okay. Uh so we're putting some money aside. Uh our goal at the town is not to have to do a debt exclusion article because one is I'm concerned that it would pass and that we would lose the opportunity for the matching grant from the state repair program. So, we're going to manage this through a process we did uh uh three four years ago when the town voted to acquire some open space land on Lynen Street. Uh it was for $2 million and we
057had a benefactor that basically gave us a $1 million gift. So, we financed internally $1 million. We did this by writing a one-year bond and each year putting 250,000 plus the interest payment into it and rewriting the bond each year. that typically is referred to as a band. The bond anticipation, it's a common technique. Of course, these are municipal bonds, so the interest rate was in the 4% range, 4.1, 4 something around the nature. And uh this year, we'll pay that off. So, I have a 250k hole that I'm saving to continue the same process to pay for the roof. So, that means the next four to five years on the Boilston operating side, I'm paying for this roof, but I don't have to go to the taxpayers and say, "I'm raising your taxes." And
058that is how I will try to sell this at town meeting. There will be an article in town meeting for the full amount because we have to authorize the spend and we have to now explain it. So this is going to get really interesting and complicated. There's going to be a ton of questions. Uh but you've seen me stand at the town meeting. Uh I joke that I have teflon suit on. So if you fling it, it bounces off. Okay. Now that's one that one piece. Here's the other bit of information. The Department of Conservation and Recreation known as DCR notified us Friday about 4 pm by email. Of course, our town offices are closed on Friday. Uh so it was Monday morning before we saw it that the pilot program pilot T payments in
059lie of taxes and that is for the reservation land uh watershed land all around us. Uh the state owns uh let me see how how much I'm trying to find that number. Oh 2,700 acres that boils the name. Uh they've been paying us uh $600,000 a year for probably five, seven years. They just increased it to 800,000. >> Great. >> No, this is and uh it took us the morning to confirm it. It's on their website. Uh so fiscal 27 we now have another 200k. Uh fin made a motion last night to basically split it as we've done before. 100k on the town side 100k to the schools. So this makes a huge help for Aaron of course and trying to get to that budget point. All right. Still uh we're very limited on that
060that piece here. Um that I think are the two major items. Uh, Michael, did you want to expand on any want me to expand on anything else? >> Uh, do you mind if anybody has a question for you from the committee? >> Yeah. So, before before I do that, I will just reiterate Coilston's in is in a situation that's different than Berlin. We're at our levy limit. So, if you recall, levy limit is this thing referred to as Prop 2 and a half. That means I can we can not be we can only raise taxes by two and a half% real estate property tax. Turns out that's about $440,000 a year of new new money to which about 350,000 in new growth gets certified each year. Typically it's going to be a little less because
061there wasn't as much building this happening this last year. So that was where that 800,000 number started from which we split 40 5050 400,000 in each side. Now it's 100,000 additional. So we now have 500,000 each side. Uh on the town side, uh we made some cuts in our budget. Uh we were at well over 250,000 above that number and we're really close to it at this point. Uh again, the town side, we level funded all the expenses. Uh the biggest hits basically were health insurance. You guys did really well. Ours went up 12.1%. for town side employees between contracts, uh, union contracts and health insurance and pension. We used up our $400,000 just like that. >> I mean, what more can I I mean, there's not much I can do. >> So, okay. >>
062Thanks, Howard. >> All right, >> Aaron, Al, anybody specific questions for Howard about the information? I I would just say including the additional money Howard's speaking in there, there's probably still a gap between where it can be and and where we are at present. Um I guess as I alluded to before, I think conversations can and should continue. Um and you know, we have we will continue to look for any opportunity we have to sharpen our pencils uh relative to uh both towns assessments. >> Yep. >> And and we thank Howard, right? We literally met with him at 4:30 today. Like that's as as soon as we found that out. So we felt it was important to get this information to you guys as well as us to. So we're still processing it, but we
063thank the the town for certainly allocating the money in this direction for schools. >> Well, since we're in schools here, I like to I always like to educate. So if people are interested, DCR website, you can go look up the assessment for pilot. Uh had the biggest increase, by the way. It was really surprising. By the way, Berlin has 76 acres in DCR land. You got a little tiny increase. >> Uh all these increases were for towns in the Wuset watershed, zero in the quad. >> Sorry. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you, Art. >> Thank you. >> Oh, I have a quick question. Can you go to slide 30? >> Yeah. >> So, Howard, you said the number was 500,000 from Boilston. Um, >> what you said more than that? >> Yeah. Yeah, that's
064what I Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> You said boil the change 838. >> So, is it boiling? >> That number is increases in dollars for your overall budget from the Boilston side compared to last year. >> Yeah. >> Okay. But you need to make sure you pull out capital >> out of it because that comes out of a different bucket. >> Capital is in in our capital budget. >> Capital this is our operating budget. >> Yeah. And you should also pull out uh vocational which is a small amount >> because that's a difference. >> We don't have vocational >> and you don't have vocational. So So this your budget still is over the maximum amount we have available to you. >> So by 338,000. Is that what you're saying? Uh that sheet I
065gave you over there >> over there I think was about 250 now that you guys got us solved >> roughly approximately >> and that does not include any of those priority one at >> that's correct except for the fifth grade teacher >> right that's what I'm trying to wrap my brain around right now >> 520 >> and Howard we are saying if we don't meet your number it could be a prop 2 and a half or it is a prop two and a half. >> So you so we cannot at town meeting pass a deficit budget. >> Okay. >> Not it's not a lot. >> So at some point when we max out which is going to be basically close to that 500,000 probably a couple thousand dollar leeway you know here and there. But
066if you're over that >> your only alternative is you want to do a budget that exceeds that is a prop two and a half over. >> Okay. So it be on a ballot. >> That would be a vote at town meeting and a vote at the ballot that we uh based on our last attempt last town meeting where we did two attempts to do debt exclusions for the fire station which passed at both town meeting and ballot and debt exclusion for the senior center which passed at town meeting but failed at the ballot and that was only for four mill. >> I know. Um, I I would caution that it would be a hard setup. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> And we're going to get an email from either you or Kristen that memorializes this
067change that you gave us today. >> Yes. >> Not Kristen, I mean April. Sorry about that. April, good. >> Yep. >> Just so we have that for to memorialize that for our budget as well too. >> You realize uh the former town manager of Berlin and Kristen is no longer there. >> I know that. I I said it by mistake. I don't She's an up now. I I know. uh lost for Berlin but I meant April. Sorry about that. >> Okay, great. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. Thank you very much. >> Appreciate it. >> Hard to read this here, but is it Avery Kapoor or Arvin Kapoor? >> Arf. >> Come on up from Boilston. Yeah. >> Thank you. All right. So again, we're going to try to keep comments to about three minutes. So
068go ahead. Welcome. >> Hello everyone. My name is Arfore and I'm the class president for the class of 2028. I want to speak about how last year's budget cuts have directly impacted students at Tanto and why restoring a biology teaching position is so important for our school community. For the past year, US students have seen several science courses disappear from the schedule, including AP Biology. These classes are not just electives. They are opportunities for us to explore interests, challenge ourselves academically, and to prepare us for college. Many students, including myself, are passionate about science. And when these courses are unavailable, it limits our ability to build strong academic foundations and discover the path we may want to pursue after graduation. Current staffing levels make it difficult for the school to offer a full range of
069science classes. With fewer teachers available, scheduling becomes more restrictive. Fewer electives can run, causing us students to have fewer opportunities to explore advanced course work. Looking ahead to next year, we know that students need will need to continue to grow. Without additional staffing, even more course options would be reduced, further limiting the educational opportunities available to us. Adding another biology teacher would make sure make a substantial and meaningful difference. It would allow the school to restore important courses like AP biology and other science electives while also creating more flexibility in the schedule. This would greatly expand student pathways, giving us more chances to explore our interests and strengthen our preparation for our future. Most importantly, adding this position will help protect the quality of Toronto science program while ensuring that the school can meet growing
070academic and support needs of its students. We, the Tahanto students, are motivated, curious, and eager to learn. By investing in other biology teacher, the district will be investing directly in our education, our opportunities, and our future. Thank you for your time and considering the needs of talk to students. LOOKS LIKE MR. DY, teacher at Tahanto. submit that for extra credit on your argument and persuasion unit that we're doing right now. It was fantastic. Um, my name is Peter Dy. I'm the ELA department chair here at Tonto. Um, I'm just here to advocate for uh the teacher positions. I echo everything Arab just said. That was fantastic. And I am here specifically to advocate for the reading specialist position. Um, there has been a growing gap uh between our students who are performing well and student.
071And that gap is getting larger year by year. Um, in years past, going back to 20134, no, probably 2013, we used to have two ELA blocks a day in middle school. So, our students were getting the reading and writing across the board, which is then access allows students access to all the curriculum. Without their ability to read and comprehend, you can't access anything. and our students are suffering more and more recently as you know we're facing AI problems u all the problems with tech and our students ability to read and comprehend is drastically decreasing we're seeing that across the board a reading specialist will help um address some of those issues that we are seeing and it is different than the ELA coach I know there's been talk about that in the elementary schools from
072what I understand the ELA coach is there to help the teachers address um teaching practices which is a valuable resource but with the ELA specialist they'll be working directly with our some of our highest risk students and that is something that I would um advocate for and I think we need I have in speaking with the middle school teachers about what we could possibly do to move forward. I would love to go back to two blocks a day of ELA. Um but they overwhelming in the middle of the school said we don't necessarily need that. What we need is this position to meet this particular groups of students needs and will help them continue to do what they do and I think that will be um our best move forward. So, that's what I would
073like to advocate for and I appreciate all of your work. Um, I've been here for 33 well teaching for 33 years. It's wonderful to see this type of collaboration. I've said this before, Aaron, your budget presentations are fantastic. The best I've ever seen. So, I love everything that you guys are doing and I I can't thank you enough and I hope we can continue moving forward and getting these positions that are necessary. Thank you. >> Before you go, Peter. >> Yeah. you being an expert on the ground, is there any questions like if we're going to be discussing this later, what you said of course is important. Is there any data numbers you can tell us right now off the top of your head or you can get to us? >> Yeah. >> How many
074how many kids are impacted? What percentage of the school uh how serious is this issue? Is it we just trying to get >> I off the top of my head I I don't have that. I put together a ton a ton of research this summer. I've been keeping um a database of how our students have done across the curriculum, graduating classes, things like that, our high need students. I have all that information available on Google forms. I've been sharing that with faculty and staff for years. Um and I'd be happy to give you anything on that. We have it was something that just came out, Lisa, I think the last two years. It was looking at these gaps, right? And that's data that just started coming to us two years ago and I did a
075deep dive on that this summer. And so we have those numbers. I don't have them off the top of my head, but it is that gap between our high, you know, high achieving and our low achieving is getting wider. And we are seeing a num more um an increase in the amount of students who don't necessarily qualify for IEPs and 504s. It's just that middle group that are really struggling with basic reading and writing skills that is just going to continue to exponentially to to snowball. And that was that's where the reading specialists can come in and help. I'm going to be very frank. This is the first year when working with my um lower level students I have felt helpless. I have a huge there's a big group in that class I feel completely
076ineffective with because their needs I don't have the skill set to get to where they need and so I mean I've been talking to Rich and Lisa about that and that's that's frustrating. It's like we need this help and I'm hearing that from a number of people. I'd be happy to get you any of those numbers. We have a >> so I think so >> it's kind of an obsession of mine. Yeah, it the slides the slide's not up, but the reading specialist is listed here. It is listed in priority one. It's listed as uh 90 90,000, >> right? Give or take. So, if we were to agree on that, I think that would be very helpful in in bringing that forward to the towns because it, you know, we're going to get the same
077old. You're just looking for more money, right? Looking for more positions. Well, we're looking to solve a problem is what we're looking for. it happens to cost money to solve that problem. >> So yeah, if you have that, you know, yeah, we we'll if if we go that route. >> Yeah. So going back to when we moved to this building and the sixth grade came up. Um prior to that, we had four ELA teachers in the middle school, two for seventh grade, two for eighth grade. We still have the same amount of teachers there now in ELA for three grades. So we dropped that double block a day. So the last graduating class who had the two blocks a day was 2018 and we started it's just it's it's more than just coincidence that we
078start to see those drop offs about 1920 and then COVID I mean the gaps that we have now with the 10th ninth and eighth grade students those students were in third fourth and fifth right and those are the magic years for reading comprehension and it's it's not coincidental that these groups are really struggling right now and so that's That's important. >> The invention of the smartphone in 2013 is also interestingly timed among those facts. >> Did you see that gentleman who testified before Congress who's he's done a whole bunch of research on this? When we went to oneonone one tech in schools, there's a precipitous drop off in this. So that's a whole last week across the board. You guys killed a whole other issue. >> So So let's be clear what we're looking for.
079I know you mentioned a couple times in the LA teacher. We're looking for a reading specialist. a reading specialist that's trained in teaching students how to read, right? Um and and let's be very clear about it. There's very there's not that many of them out there. So, if this is something that school committee we're hoping is going to go go in favor of, we we want to post those jobs, right? Um we're it's a competitive market. There's not many people that hold that degree and that certification that can teach kids how to read to what Peter just said, right? Those primary grades, they're learning to read. So, in the upper grades, they can read to learn. And we're finding that the kids aren't able to read at the secondary level. So they're not getting able
080to learn. We need teachers that going to be able to teach these kids the science of reading, how to be able to read, how to close those gaps. So we need >> like small group or within the classroom or how would that look? >> I it could look a couple of different ways. One of the ways would definitely be small group instruction. Do you remember Mrs. Zeleleski? Okay. So Barbara Zeleleski back in the day was our both both our speech pathologist and our reading specialist. and she would pull kids to work with them when they were speak specific needs that weren't necessarily our IEP or 504 kids and that we don't have that anymore. I mean, our speech pathologist schedule is is packed. It's just the way it is right now. So, this is that's
081how I would see it happening. Rich or Lisa, do you >> probably more small group instruction? Yeah, the the idea is there's no tier 2 interventions that take place the specific demographic of students and I'm happy to talk on it more when we get there, but the reality is if you come to middle school and you have these wide gaps, um our ELA teachers are not specialized to close them and teach phonics decoded in these types of skills that they need to develop and be able to close those gaps. You need specialized services. There's a tier two intervention >> and and by the way we haven't we talked about a strategic plan but MTSS multi-tier system of supports right we don't have a tier two right we're we're able to teach the whole group but
082there are some kids that don't necessarily qualify for for that qualify for tier three which is our special education kids IEPs but that second tier that tier two is where there's small group instruction we'd love it to happen in the class right because we don't want to pull our kids out of class and have them miss the instruction that's taking place in the class right but that tier two small group. So Peter's delivering the lesson. I'm working with Lisa. I'm working with Mike and having a small group instruction taking place at the same time that it's taking place. So they're not pulling them out, but able to teach them the reading skills they need so they can read and comprehend and understand what Pete is talking about as well too. >> Yeah. And it again
083it goes across all disciplines. So that that skill they can't they can't access. >> That's right. It's just not that ELA class, right? It's the science, it's the history classes, it's all affects the entire curriculum. reading music. >> Thanks, P. >> Thank you. >> Good to see you. >> Uh Tennis Smith, Tahanto faculty and Chris and Chris. Yes. Chris Cabino. >> Yes. So once again, I'm Tannis Smith. I am the department's chair for um science and techge. I'm also the physics teacher. This is Chris Cabino. He is the chemistry teacher. We represent twothirds of the science department. There is only three of us to teach all core science and elective science classes at for a population of about 400 students. So, uh, science is very specialized. Um, Chris's degree and licenses in chemistry. My degree
084in license is in physics and our biology teacher has that same kind of lensure. So um so when the position was uh eliminated last year, basically what happened is we um eliminated electives. We have Chris, our chemistry teacher, now teaching biology. We have me the physics teacher now teaching chemistry. So all that had to shift, right? so that our biology teacher could um teach the bios as well as pick up our one of our electives which is anatomy and then the the other the two um honors uh biology um Chris teaches our other science elective this year which is um AP Chem. So, out of all of our electives that we usually offer, things like forensics, AP biology, AP physics, um let's see what else is there. Um earth science, right? All those disappeared this
085year because there's only three of us to teach all these classes. So, um and so, so this year has been really kind of a crunch for everyone. And so we've eliminated all these courses that our students should be able to have access to as well as pathways uh to graduation and pathways to careers outside of school or after school. So, you know, because you if you give lemonade AP bio or anatomy or AP Chem or whatever, really you're starting to dig into, you know, health uh healthc care careers that the students can't kind of see if they want to try or get, you know, experience in it so that they can move on. So, um, so if we do not get our science teacher back next year, um, and we have a bubble coming up
086in the eighth grade that and we have to bring back bio. Part of the reason why our schedule worked this year was because we did not have to offer bio this year, but we will have to offer it again next year. So, um, so our biology teacher is going to have to teach both of those. So, and with that bubble that means another uh biology class over what we usually normally have. So, instead of our four usual, we'll end up having five. And science classes you cannot you know we have a cap on the size of our class which is 24 because 24 is the maximum number that we can have in lab. So you start increasing number of students over 24 lab becomes more chaotic and you know in order to keep our students
087safe we cut back on labs. So um so anyway so next year with our bubble and if we don't get the teacher that there goes anatomy and very possibly CPAP. So we will be basically down to >> or ab >> did I say >> CP? >> Oh I'm sorry. So anyway, so um basically we next year if we don't get our teacher back, we're eliminating pretty much all electives. So um all science electives. And in fact, if we have to do that, which means that Chris takes up more biology, I take up more chemistry, that means that the classes that the one class that I teach for tech, which is CSP, will get shifted to Miss Sharpier, who will then not be able to teach Python programming. So, it's kind of a cascade effect if
088we don't get that teacher back next year special because of that that bubble. So, I guess basically what I'm saying is we're just going to be down to core. We're going to be down to bio and we're going to be down to um physics and we're going to be down to chemistry and more than likely we will have no AP science classes next year as well as no other electives. So, like I said, there's three of us. So we only have so many hours in the day to teach, you know, to to teach our students. And >> you mentioned a bubble. What's the bubble? You mentioned the bubble. >> Yeah, we have a population a population bubble coming up with eighth grade. So eighth grade has 90 uh give or take a few. So that
089is quite a bit above our usual 70 80 uh students. And so with scheduling and um leveling, right, as well as a cap on the number of students that we can have in our classes, we anticipate that we're going to have to have five um classes, five bio classes as well as bio A and bioB. So that is seven approximately seven classes of biology, right? And so our biology teacher, you know, can teach five of those, which mean that two of them will come to Chris and then his chemistry uh will, you know, classes will come to me. So that will fill our schedules. >> So much bigger class coming up, different needs. >> So specific to science, does anybody have a question or want to make a comment? >> And let's be clear, AP
090classes are the gateway for our kids to get accepted to them colleges and universities, right? um that's sometimes the difference of kids getting accepted into the college and universities. Also for parents that students that score high in those AP exams, right? They have the ability to possibly go into college and not have to take that particular course depending on the college and university they go to. So there's a savings for parents as well too. But that's makes our kids competitive out there and getting into hopefully the high, you know, the the quality colleges and universities that we want our kids to get accepted into. >> Yeah. Because I mean we haven't run AP physics in a couple of years. Like AP physics is one of those. If you're going into engineering, right? Or you're going
091into one of the hard sciences. They want to see AP physics on your transcript and we don't have it. We haven't had it for a couple years. I don't see us having it for a couple more years. So, and of course, as we said earlier, AP bio is not offered this year, right? Will not be offered next year. We're kind of like hanging on by the thread with AP camp, but it's very, you know, possible that that could disappear next year's, you know, as well. So, for our community, all of our AP sciences would effectively disappear. >> The number one field out there right now for college and university, I was just reading this thing at Yukon is engineering, right? And if our kids are not taking these courses here, they're not going to get
092into the first choices of colleges and universities they want and especially if they want to go into the tech world or the engineering world. >> You you mentioned uh if we don't do this, it's going to affect offering a Python class. Can you talk more about that? >> Yeah, so right now um Jocelyn Sharpeter, she teaches our our middle school programming classes uh the kind of computer science classes, right? and but also this year she was able to offer um Python programming. So um I have for a number of years offered the computer science principal class, AP computer science principal class, another one of our APs. So, um, and if I have to take two of Chris's chemistry classes, right, because he's got to take two biology classes, that means that I'm going to have
093I won't have room in my schedule to teach the APCSP. So, that I've already taught to Joselyn that will shift to her and um because we want to keep that. It's like our only programming class in high school at the moment. Well, hers this year, the Python and mine are the only PI are the only programming classes we have in the school. So, we don't want to get rid of APCSP. So, she will take that on. And as she takes that on, that means that she will have to we can't run her Python course because she will not have room in her schedule for it. So, she'll take up the, you know, the CSP because I can't teach it anymore. But that's going to eliminate one of hers. >> I don't know enough about the
094technology or where it's going to be in four, five, six years, but I know that I've interviewed over a hundred college graduates or upcoming college graduates just this year and everyone that stood out has had a course on this Python. So, yeah, it must be something in the job. >> Yes. Yes. Python is is um used uh a lot right for for programming. So um you know in the in the world so um you know and and actually our you know for gosh number of years we've really kind of needed a half tech position to teach programming. So I mean my programming skills are you know somewhat limited right is enough to get by and so are joins. So it we really need somebody in the school that can truly teach programming. So we've been
095kind of limping along as it is in that particular area um you know in the programming area. So you know to have to eliminate you know we finally got a course in right and now it's looking like we're going to have to eliminate a course. So I mean we're just barely limping you know along in that particular area. So, and that is a skill that would be like students, you know, would would be very beneficial as you said to getting a job outside of school. So, >> you did a really nice job like saying the impact that it's going to have both you and and Peter, right? You know, I know bets all along been saying you don't know the impact that's happening at that at Tahanto, right? We automatically know like I said earlier
096what happens at Burl and the Bolston and we kind of teach her. But you did a really nice job explaining how it's got it impacts all of our students here. Um, so thank you for that. Jackie, >> just have one question. So if we do add this biology teacher back in, right, what classes would that secure? >> Okay, so that will secure um that will secure all of our chemistry. So AP chemistry will not be, you know, will be offered not a problem. >> Yeah, it will restores AP. >> Yeah, it restores all of our AP. >> It would restore not the physics though. Well, it will restore AP bio, AP Chem, right? AP physics is always a little up in the air, but it would allow me to have room, right, to take that
097back on again. And it would restore forensics, it would restore >> anatomy. It would restore maybe even two sections of anatomy. Um we've also discussed um if we are fortunate to look for this position that we can find somebody that will also teach AP environmental science which is like kind of a you know students request that as well. So we can really we can bring back earth science because I can you know do that again. So really it will restore all of our electives that we've had in the past and hopefully even help you know we can get somebody to teach that AP environmental which would be you know great. So >> thank you >> Lisa. Yeah. Um, so I was on so this this conversation just it breaks my heart um because I know
098what we've been able to offer our students for a very long time and what they've done over the course of their careers and lifetime. So, one of the things I did today because I was looking at supporting rich and um the high school with looking at designations and concentrations and I was looking at the mass hires work for course blueprint and if you don't you've never done that you can just go to mass hires central blueprint and it is very specific about what our fastest growing industry sectors are in this region and if we are going to be supporting our students to be effective in this area. Um our three fastest growing sectors are healthcare, manufacturing and transportation and logistics. All three of them require some type of science background. the healthcare. I mean, there's
099a litany of things, but the manufacturing includes biotechnology. >> All of those are have a foundation. And even if we're trying to move our students from high school into a program where they're being trained, they're much more capable of being trained when they have the background. Because I know when I taught AP Bio, they had tools. They they were able to use tools that then gave them a head start for internships and for summer work to be able to do the work in industry. So I just wanted to draw your attention there is research what what the fastest growing sectors are and that can be found mass hires central workforce blueprint. It's it it's a really well put together website. Um and we are going to be partnering with them to help um put forward,
100you know, our what we'd like to do at Tonto for our students. >> So Lisa, in case the microphones didn't pick you up, what you're saying is that the state of Massachusetts has a site that tells us what our fastest growing industries are, and it was healthcare, manufacturing, and >> transportation and logistics. transportation and logistics. They all require a science background. The interesting thing you said that I found was the manufacturing. So, we're talking like building cardboard boxes or building cars or something, but you said biotech, >> right? So, the manufacturing um you know category also includes biotechnology for their purposes of aligning um you know the workforce and yeah >> so bio biotech one of Boston's suburbs biggest industries biotech 30 minutes down the road wallam water town all those companies not just researchers
101in the lab for biology but you need people who can run the machines to make the drugs and to go through all the protocols and whatever else you have yeah interesting >> it goes back to us being competitive like I said at the beginning, right? You one of the first things you as a school committee said to me, we want to know why people are leaving Tahhata, right? We want to know, we want to find out why people are, you're hearing it right here, right? When we're competing against the St. John's of our community that one of the highest performing APs, right? Um our students are scoring the AP, we're competing against them. So, if we're not offering these programs to our kids here, they are going to look elsewhere. And that that's sort of
102on us. That's why we need to make sure. And by the way, not all AP courses, you know, a student's going to get a four and five and be able to get those courses taken care of at college and universities, but there's a whole book called The Power of Two, right? Even if you score two on an AP course, the preparation that gets you ready to go into a college or university, our job force and have that skill set and the preparation, the planning is incredible. >> But Al, people keep leaving the district to go somewhere else. Doesn't that help us out because we have to spend less in our budget to educate fewer kids? But how do how do you stop the bleed, right? How do we not have >> How does that affect
103the budget? >> Because we're we're not being able to offer kids what we should be offering. >> If we have fewer kids to educate, wouldn't our budget go down? >> We still need to have the staffing to be able to provide for the kids that are wanting these courses and things that are out there. We still have to be able to provide our kids a high quality education, whether there's five kids sitting in an AP class or 14 kids. there. A general Yeah, just a couple of quick general comments and I appreciate the time that the school committee is is giving us here. Um, >> Jen's keeping time on the three minutes. >> How's that going? >> Listen, I bet you have three minutes. >> Um, one of the interesting things that is kind of
104unique with the sciences is that we are licensed by content area. So, um, you know, I have a biochemistry degree, Miss Smith has a physics degree, Miss Canning has a biology degree. So unlike mathematics or English or social studies, there isn't this kind of tr there really isn't a lot of transferability between uh the content areas. Um so there there is that piece. So science is kind of unique in that respect where it's a little bit more difficult to just kind of slide people around, but we're doing it because we that's you know we want our students to be successful. Um uh the other piece that goes along with this is um I've been you know I've I started working with this district in 2002 and um one of the things I think is incredible
105is when students come back and they talk about their experiences going into nursing, going into medicine, going into engineering and talking about how the programming here, regardless of what their grades were or how difficult it was prepared them for that work beyond high school. and they look back fondly and actually Mrs. Jory and I went to a um uh the class of 2020 reunion and quite a few of the students approach us to thank us for the preparation that we had given them um for the successes that they have now knowing that they were prep prepared far beyond those of their peers entering college. Um, and just my own uh perspective here is simply that um I think it's I don't want to use the word I don't like the word owed but the students
106that are currently here should have opportunity that same opportunity that the students that have already graduated from Tatonato have had. Um so that's just something to consider too when you're considering your budget. >> Yeah, they should have the opportunity to have a chemistry teacher who has indepth knowledge of chemistry. I mean, I have a chemistry license, but my subject area, like my, you know, expertise is not in chemistry. So, my students, my chemistry students are not getting the same, you know, as Chrises. >> And it's the same with biology. I have a biology license, but I'm not biology. >> Yeah. And that's about and that's an MCCAST course. So, you know, it's kind of a snowball, you know, effect. So, >> and no disrespect to Mr. majority out in the audience, but finding ELA teachers
107and finding science teachers and math teachers and engineering teachers, they're they're they're tough to find in the lens you're in that as well to double that finding. So again, passing this and it's right now you you're on school spring and so is everybody else. The people that are out there looking for jobs, it's right around this April time. So if we're going to be competitive and get that those high quality teachers that we want, we got to be posting now. But Al, this is a this is a budget conversation, right? This is going to cost money. >> If kids want tech or or science, can't we just send them to a vocational school? >> No. >> Why not? >> For a vocational education, yes. >> Don't they have tech at those schools or can we
108not go to those schools? >> Not not to the expertise that they they just said that they have and the lensure that they have to be able to teach at the level that these kids are looking for. So what you want to build something like that here? I think they're we're talking right Lisa Rich and and and Dr. Conway um already engaging in conversations for pathways so we can have these opportunities for kids here as well too. That is certainly something we don't want our kids to go to vocational schools. We don't want to pay for them to go somewhere else. We want them to stay here be part of the alumni that comes from here and goes on to the colleges and university. We also don't want to pay for the busing and all
109that goes along with transporting to a to somewhere else. We don't want to do that. We want to keep our kids here. >> So we'd be paying for it one way or another. But we're paying for our kids to be educated here. That's what we want in our schools. Anyone else questions on the science stuff? Science piece. >> I just wanted to say like the lack of the extra teacher. It not just the courses that they're not being offered in science. It limits the kids that are trying to take those science courses from taking other courses because it their schedule is so tight. There's no flexibility. Like my daughter's French for class. All of a sudden, half the class disappeared because they had to take a specific AP class. that was only going to be
110offered at this time and it it really it snowballs through the entire school limits the general offerings. I doubt that I doubt French 4 will be offered next year if science remains the same way that it is right now like it trickles down through all the other um classes >> and that goes the same thing with offering some of these chemistry and biology classes that if they're not in the pathway they can't take those courses later on in their career. >> Anything else? >> Thank you. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Is it three minute chat? >> Told you. Daylight savings. It's all right. >> Berlin parent Shelley Sini. >> Hi. Um I'm Shelley Certini. I'm a parent from Berlin. I had a student at Tanto in middle school and at Berlin Memorial
111in fourth grade. Um, I don't have nearly as much detail or um, anything to offer as our student and our faculty have, but I just wanted to speak as a parent uh, in favor of these priority one uh, items that are on here, specifically the ones that are focused directly at our students, their education, uh, their academic achievements. Um I think that it is important for you as a school committee, for us as parents, for the school community to um show everybody that we've um value the education um and that that is important to us. Our admin team has um spoken of what they think are the most important things that should uh be included in the budget. And I think we should take the time as you are here tonight and I'm happy to
112see that listening to the um faculty that have spoken, the students that have spoken. Um so I just wanted to give my support for these items specifically the ones that are directly related to our students achievement test scores um and their academic achievement. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> That was the end of the list that signed up, but does anybody else want to say anything? Yeah. Come on. What's your name, please? Robert, >> can you spell that please? >> From Wilson, 120 mil road. Um, I am a >> Can you spell your last name, please? >> P R T. >> Thank you. >> Go ahead, please. >> Um, I'm a Tah parent and I'm also the district's special education parent advisory council co-president. I'm here to share some thoughts from the CPAC board
113um in support of the ELA coach in the reading specialist position. Um from previous meetings the 2025 testing data from Tahanto shows that 20 to 25% of the students roughly one in five entering middle school are already reading below or far below the grade level. The gap doesn't appear overnight. It starts in elementary school and follows the students up through the grades when there's no intervention. Um as Mr. Dhy said the reading is not just an ELA school. It's how students access every subject or student reading below grade level. is not just struggling in English, they're also struggling in science, history, and on. Middle school teachers just don't teach reading at this level. They're content teachers. Um, there are two components to this literacy gap that must be addressed. The first part is catching it
114early. An ELA coach at the elementary level can address foundational gaps before they grow, nipping the problem in the bud before students even reach the high school. And the second part is supporting the Tah students that are here now or reading specialists can provide targeted support to those students who are already in our middle high school classrooms today. Early intervention through reading support can reduce special education referrals, helping students get the help they need before they fall further behind. But without it, the gap does not shrink. It grows. So on behalf of the CPAC board of directors, we urge the school committee to approve the ELA coach and reading special position in the FY27 budget. >> Thank you. >> Uh thank you. Any questions for CPAC? >> Thanks. >> Thank you. >> You you said
115you were speaking on behalf of the full board. Michelle, >> you you said you were speaking on behalf of the full CPAC board. >> Thank you. Yes. Thank you. >> If you have any of those prepared notes like you have there, if you can give those to Jen, that will help us for our minutes as well too. So any that >> Thank you. Um, anybody else? Yeah. Come on. Name, please. >> Christina Meros. >> Thank you. Um I did have was taking notes as we were talking and I appreciate everything but um that's all pretty useful. So >> um I just wanted to talk to sort of a broader issue obviously that we're all dealing with because I think a lot of parents don't fully understand what's been happening like year after year after year.
116So I wanted to talk about that and then I did have a couple of things on the investments um and some feedback. So just if you guys can hear um obviously thank all of you and all the administration for what you're doing. This is a tough budget season. Um I wanted to start by naming something clearly for the community. Um the financial situation facing our district and I think Aaron talked about this in his presentations before. Um there's a bunch of links in there about how other school systems are sort of going through the same things. Um the cost of running our schools is rising faster than the available funding to support them. Um what happens year after year, schools are effectively being asked to operate with less and over time that leads to fewer
117staff, which we've seen already. Um fewer programs and fewer opportunities for students. In plain terms, if the cost of running our schools rise faster than the funding available to support them, something in the system eventually has to disappear to make that map work. Um, I've reviewed this budget. I've been to Boilson's meeting. I've watched Berlin's income meeting and I see that they're doing the best that they can. Um, but what that leaves us with is significant gaps and the district has to end up absorbing those costs somewhere. Um, it's important for the community to understand that the district already used a temporary solution last year to close a big part of the budget gap. Um, they used school choice funds, money that normally supports student programs as a temporary way to cover rising operational costs
118to stabilize the budget. In simple terms, we used program money to help keep the system running. That decision helped the district get through us last year, but it's not a long-term solution. Those funds cannot continue to be used in the same way again without undermining programs they're meant to support. What this has really revealed is the underlying structural issue. The operational cost of running our schools continues to rise while the funding available to support them has not kept pace. And when the cost of operating schools rises faster than the funding available to support them, the district is being effectively asked to do less and less. At some point, we have to acknowledge that if funding continues to fall behind the real cost of education, what we're experiencing isn't just budget pressures. It's a slow defunding
119of our school system. Many of the costs driving the situation are outside of the district's control. Special education services, transportation, health insurance, they all continue to rise much faster than the revenue available to our towns. And Proposition 2 and a half simply does not keep pace with the real cost of running a school district today. And the state has not kept up with funding their mandates that the districts are required to provide. If we continue down this path, the risk is not just incremental cuts. The risk is that we slowly erode the level of education this community has always expected and that of our students. We really should be talking about how to strengthen supports like literacy across the district, not how to cut deeper. We have a literacy coach and we have a reading
120specialist that are on an investment slide as opposed to being in our operational budget. At the same time, education is evolving. Increasingly, students are choosing to go to vote schools. They're going to private programs. They're going to alternative pathways because they're looking for more hands-on and applied learning experiences. If we ignore that shift, we're going to lose students, which I think someone could argue that we already are. And not because they lack academic ability, but because they're seeking learning environments that feel more relevant to their future. Academic rigor is obviously always a concern, but students also benefit from the opportunities that apply their learning through real world experiences and career connected pathways. But how do we begin building programs like pathways if we can never get never get to a place where we can even
121discuss funding them? This reality may also request to have long conversations about our priorities. If our financial situation means we cannot simply add new programs, then we may need to take a hard look at what we currently do and ask whether or not things in our system are still serving the needs of today's students and the future that they're entering. Education is changing. The workforce is changing. Our students are changing. We have to make room for innovation. And that may require us to rethink some of the ways that we've always done things so we can create opportunities that better prepare students for the future. So I would encourage the committee, the towns, and the community to begin having more consistent and transparent conversations about where this path leads us, not just during budget season. These
122conversations should involve everyone responsible for the future of our towns, the board of selectment, planning boards, and those responsible for sustaining growth in our communities. If we continue the status quo, it will not be enough to sustain the cost of operating our schools. And if funding continues to fall behind the real cost of education, the decisions facing this district will only become more difficult year after year. Sorry, that's my spiel. Um so specifically when we're talking about what's not in the operational budget because obviously you guys have cuts you need to do as far as um what we're seeing and what we're here to ask for is more. So that's a difficult position to be in um having a full-time Florida nurse safety issue period. Right? We cannot have substitutes coming in and in and
123out and in and out that just don't know our children. Point blank, it's a safety issue. Um, you know, many students today, they have complex medical needs, right? My son personally has diabetes. Um, and you have things like seizure disorders, asthma, feeding tubes, um, you know, severe allergies. Having this full-time floater nurse is basically a built-in support when we have nurses that are out. And I don't think we can expect any nurses to be in every single day. I don't think we expect anyone to be in every single day of their job. Um, it puts the district at a significantly lower risk for any kind of lawsuits or liability exposure when you have nurses that know these kids and they know their their care plans. Um, I think a lot was talked about. Um, I
124know Mr. Donna talked about the reading specialist and we have a new ELA curriculum coming in. Uh, I know the teachers are going to need supports to roll that out. We have the third grade uh scores that are falling. I know that was in Lisa's presentation. Um, so to not even have ELA supports in the operational budget seems really irresponsible. Um, so that was P1's. If I just talk briefly about P2s, I know Al talked about the strategic planning committee, which I'm on. um things that we really need to start thinking about and I'm not sure where the funding is going to come from but um major feedback from strategic planning was middle school in general right how are we investing in our middle school I don't think we talk enough about that these presentations
125have Tahanto middle school investments but right now middle school is on a high school schedule that's the main reason why they don't get enough ELA is because they're on a different schedule what does that require well that requires having not to share specialists, right? Right now, the high school, middle school share specialists, right? So, we would need separate specialists. We would need more ELA supports for middle school. Um, and they sort of want their own identity, and I don't blame them. That was direct student feedback. Um, I know we've talked a lot about AP courses and that kind of stuff. And I'm not sure if it's because I come from a tech background, but I really recommend that parents do their research. I have a seventh grader now, so I'm just starting to get into
126it. But really looking at what is the job market going to look like for them when they graduate. A lot of the information out there that we don't know, but there are trends. Um I think to Lisa's point where uh there's a lot of engineering jobs and there's a lot of healthcare jobs and I think we really should be looking at that for our students. We're doing them a grave in injustice if we make investments now in the school that don't align what's with what is going to happen for them when they come out. And I think we're losing kids to vogue schools because they sort of provide that sort of support. It's not necessarily that vogue schools do everything better, but they are giving them hands-on experiences and they're giving them these opportunities that
127are going to give them more when they leave than when you're in a traditional academic high school. So, I think that's that's where we're hoping to do pathways and I know I've looked at Rich's research a lot. Um, I think that's all I have. Um, I was happy to see um Erin's presentation about the capital that was great surprisingly great that we fund this capital thing. So, that's awesome. So, I'm I'm happy for you guys as far as that goes. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Anybody else? Yeah. Nate Jerry. >> Uh, Berlin Boilson. >> Berlin. >> Um, I in Berlin. I have a daughter at BMS. Just super quick. Um, I just want to point out one thing about the last point on that slide, the specialist teacher,
128right? This I think is for the position that we lost last year. Um, and just point out because at the elementary school, I imagine this is the same at Boilson. um we're down to four specialties a week. That means that one day a week the elementary school teachers have no time. The students are in a specialty have no prep time that day. And I'm sure others can talk more about like how uh difficult that job is uh with no prep time in the day. Um just to have the students the entire the entire day basically aside from when they're working. >> Thank you. And just to add to that, right, is so contractually, right, they have to have x number of preps, but it's really not the the prep we're looking for. And you'll hear
129Rob and John talk about looking for that common planning time. So teachers will all have a period that besides their prep that they can get together and discuss not only horizontal, but vertical, like what our kids need, right? What does Susie look like as she's going in from third grade to the fourth grade? What what tier 2 instruction is she going to need? like all those car our teachers are doing those in the hallway right now and not having I mean we're one of the few districts that I know of that doesn't have common planning time for our teachers to play it together. That's what that would bring back. Thank you. >> Thanks. Thanks. Anybody else? All right. Thanks everybody for your comments. Aaron, come on back up. >> Back up. Okay, we're going to
130go to the handy dandy spreadsheet at this point. >> Yeah. Well, >> what does the committee want to do? >> Let's hope it works. >> So, we have we have two things we have to decide, big things, right? Operating budget and capital budget to calculate the assessments to the town to get them certified for the 45day requirement. On top of that, there's a couple things I think, right? So whether we go to level service, whether we cut the level service to meet the town's numbers or whether we decide on some of these investments and then the other part is the Berlin request that Aaron told us about using cash to pay for operating expenses in in order to bring that assessment down to the town. So what do we want to tackle first? >> I'm
131open to ideas. So these cuts were made to counter 18% rise in medical insurance along some other things we had no control over. And so we made a really hard decision to cut some of these things because we're being threatened with either make these cuts or the budget fails and then we have to make bigger cuts. >> So I think I don't think any of us would would want to say no to any of these things. Um, but I think you have to keep thinking, okay, well, we can't add them all because then it will surely fail and we'll have to make cuts regardless of this, but cuts to what we already have. So, make that >> do we sorry, do we have any numbers from Berlin? >> No. Uh, Eric, >> we don't have
132an official. >> We don't have we don't have strict numbers from Berlin. No. And the numbers we have from Boil just got five minutes before. Yeah, >> we've met with them a couple times, Berlin, but they have not given us a specific >> Can I make a specific suggestion for >> So, my thought was if you go to slide um you can see that there's a twomonth overlap with the superintendent. I think it was like 28 or 30,000. Can we fund that with school? That's a one-time cost. Can we fund that gap with school choice funds? And then if we did that, that could cover the lunch and recess aids. That's a pretty much like like for swap and a good use of school choice funds, I feel like, >> right? Um, so what I
133would say is I'm sorry. Let me go to um this is gonna this is one of those those curve balls I mentioned that I can probably work with. But um what we could do is you're talk you said lunch recess aid, >> right? >> Okay. So this would um we could say yes to that. Um, okay. In order to make those zeros zero, we would need to increase our school choice to 740 and that should keep everything stable, right? So, it means you're agreeing to pay for those positions at no impact to the budget. that would increase our school choice to 740. You know, where those those would sit in the BMS and and um bees budgets. Um but we'd offset them with with that. >> So Beth, I like that thinking, but do we
134want to take that 30,000 and put it towards a biology teacher or a floating nurse or something else? I know it's not going to cover the whole thing, but it's just so hard to prioritize what we really really need. >> And I have two kids in elementary school, so I feel awful saying this, but I just feel like we really need that biology teacher. And then like second priority would be that reading specialist at Tanto. And again, just going back to like how we keep slashing at Tanto, I just feel like we need to start investing in that school, even if it may mean making some trimming in the elementary schools and I I don't want to trim anything but I think it's pretty clear based on you know Jess made the comment I kind
135of I totally agree along those lines with um you know I I I think nobody wants to cut anything and for everyone out there that came with these please like we're in this position where like the town is like okay if you guys don't go with what we're advising it might not pass you might at nothing. And even though we're being pulled like we really need this, we really need that, it's like almost an impossible position. Like I personally think we need all of these priority ones. I would if the money was available and if it meant not having to go to override, I would absolutely agree with all of them. But I'm so worried about Howard's point about having it go onto a ballot with watching what happened in Boilston last year. So, Bang,
136what you're talking about is not discussing any of these investments, priority ones, and discussing what we cut from the level service budget. >> Um, or deciding amongst us what priority ones we want to te to keep and what else to Beth. That was a great I loved Beth's train of thought like can we fund school choice with this? Is there anything else in that budget? You know, again, without looking at it line by line >> expiring. >> Yeah. expiring or that might you know working with Janelle about transportation and some other more things and can we f put more school choice and more cash that I know we have you know the even the um END like can we take more I know we have healthy school choice and END balances and following the audit
137reports and the financials is there any way we can do that and you know kind of I love that train of thought that she just introduced of picking out things from the budget that this is why we're funding it with cash because it's going even something that's going away in two years. I don't know. I know that's a ton of work for you. >> So, just for the clarity clear, those aren't in the order. Those priority ones, right? So, the biology teacher, we put it's we we just we didn't put a prioritized. >> Yeah, we have to prioritize. That's right. I get that. >> So, we just sort of put them up there and no particularly random order. >> Yeah. As far as the reading the reading specialist, I know it's like a it's a
138an evolving need, but is this like is there a cohort of grades that need this for a specific amount of time to catch them up and then the hope is that an ELA coach would stop that from happening when they arrive at Tanto? Is that a bad idea to think about whether a reading specialist could be a shortterm? So, so the reading specialist, as I said, and I know people are willing to talk about this, is really geared towards the students and and helping them with their instruction, >> but is it a spec are are we seeing it at a specific time because there's they haven't had an ELA coach at elementary school, so maybe the teachers haven't had the support they needed to help the kids before they get here. >> Is it really
139just is it the eighth, ninth, and tth graders specifically, or is it a lot bigger? >> Yeah, I mean, you know what? We I if we could just start maybe coming up here just because I I think what Lisa said and I'm glad Mike captured it. I think people aren't hearing it. That's what I'm getting messages that people aren't hearing what we're saying. So if we could just Sorry, Rich. Be happy to be the first one come up. I'll take the seat. Um so to to answer your question, I mean this is a districtwide need, right? Uh we're identifying this as as where we're having a giant gap. Uh it is predominantly in our middle school as of right now, but now it's trickling into nth and tth grade. Um, our ninth grade is probably
140is what we've been planning for and prepping our entire school for for the last since I've ever been on board uh of having the greatest needs that we've ever seen. Uh, as Peter talks about, one of our finest teachers that we have there in terms of our demographic is evolving and our student needs are evolving and our kids are coming to us with these with these proficiency gaps that we're unable to close without specialized support. Um, there's a whole pocket of kids who are not getting what they need. And this is we talk about these tier twos and developing all of our uh MTSS and all of our special education program to support this. It's a huge piece of the puzzle to be able to offer. And when we talk about in terms of the
141future or what can we do with it? I mean I I know as of right now the gaps is is what we need, but I would love like a dual certified ELA and reading specialist. So maybe we have the best of both worlds. Maybe we are going back to doubling up a little bit uh while also offering those small groups. What can it evolve to? Obviously, there's work that needs to be done in the elementary schools, too, as we get our new programming and our new curriculum in ELA coaches to support that work. Um, I would hope that we could evolve maybe that into the ELA coach up here, too. More coaches so that we can continue to uh grow and progress in areas that we need. Um, we look at this year to year.
142We constantly are evolving, look at what our new courses are and reallocating our resources to best serve our students. So, that is always a topic for discussion as we go over year to year. and answer your question. If we have an ELA coach at the elementary level working with our teachers, having them work with diverse groups of kids and teaching them how to teach those kids, that will definitely have an impact. But that's a long trickle effect by the time it works its way up to the high school. But it will right but you have to invest in that future. So five years, six years from now, you'd see you'd see the impact up at the high school in those. >> Three years ago, we did have a reading coach, did we not? >> Yes.
143>> Yeah. But you were specifically asking about the specialist >> the reading specialist >> is that >> like is that something if you funded it with >> for two years is that >> hold on hold on so we can't have all these side conversations. So this was first >> right I and I don't know that that's necessarily a good idea. I was just trying to think like is there are are there any other short-term things that we could fund with school choice? So if we were to say we're going to fund this with school choice for two years in hope that we can >> boost >> but I know school choice for operating is not ideal. >> So so I'm going to the job market right competitive right now if you have if you're putting
144this out publicly saying I just need a reading specialist for a couple years come work for me for a couple years that they're not going to come right they're going to go somewhere else where they know there's going to be some guarantee there right so I'm just I'm just giving you the the realistic of what's happening all in this competitive market. So the challenge we have right now tonight is we have this level service budget right which is basically what it's going to cost next year to have the same school you have today and then we're before we even talking about that which we already even though we don't have firm numbers from all the towns I I I'd place a bet with anyone that it's going to be higher than what they say we
145can do right so how can we get that fast and but we're already starting to talk about these investments here without even having a plan for that number. So, I mean, there's a lot of voters in the audience tonight. I mean, what do you feel about that? >> I do not think uh in Boilston, I cannot speak for Berlin, but I do not think in Boilston that uh an override will pass on the ballot. So, I think that if we go for anything that's going to be different than what the fincom is um is endorsing. So couple years ago, Jackie, you remember Jess? We >> Yeah. So they won't pass it. So if we go that route though, so you're what you're suggesting then is we have to talk about what to cut out of
146the correct service. >> I think we need to figure out to Beth's point. I mean, I just thought of another one. What about the legal stuff? You know, like we got to figure out I don't know. Right. Again, I don't want to talk too much about that, but there's going to be other things like to Beth's point. was trying to make the point and I don't want to put Aaron on the spot now and maybe we vote on a higher number with the goal tonight because I know we need a number tonight with the goal of looking through it's a line by line thing and saying yep this is something that hopefully will go down in the future we can >> you haven't looked at line by line yet this year >> I mean I
147I I I unfortunately really have I mean it's not so I mean legal you will see I mean we spent we we over that budget amount right now. We've been over that budget amount for quite a while. I am budgeting that in hopes that that becomes our ongoing number at some point. If it if it doesn't, we're going to have to have some serious conversations about what we're spending on legal on an ongoing basis. So, you know, I mean, I I don't have the number in front of me, but last year's legal is well over 100,000. Oh, >> right. I mean, this year's budget would probably be in that ballpark. So you're under budgeting on legal hopes that by 27 things will normalize. I'm not budgeting for what are effectively I would hope could be
148one-time instances, right? Because those come and go. I mean, we have a budget that's on the order of $25 million. I can't I can't predict every single up and down, but I can guess that some things are going to go up, some things are going to go down. Ideally, at some point legal will go down a little bit, right? I mean, we've had, you know, a little bit of luck here and there on, I think, some energy costs, things like that. You'll see our increases to energy are are not very significant. Um, when we do that, um, so there aren't there aren't one-time costs built into this right now. I mean, I I will say that overlap is kind of a one-time cost. Um other than that I really I I will go through it
149and I'll consider that. Um >> but we have really hardressed to find >> everyone in this room we have gone through >> item by item for that for the level service. >> Yeah. >> Right. Again no one wants to have the conversation about the fifth grade teacher or the third like we we >> you know we we are very fortunate that our class sizes are very small. Right. We're we're we're extremely fortunate. Um but no one wants to have those conversations and that's what's out in the news. That's what what Aaron gave us example. That's what you're seeing happening in Framingham. They're getting larger class sizes. We want to keep our class sizes low, but there's a cost to that. And we know that lower class sizes get high performance. Kids do better that and
150a high quality teacher. But >> you got to be willing to have those tough conversations. No one wants to. But >> I think we're there though. I think we're there, right? You know what I mean? I think we're there. And is there anything else we can cut? And again, I don't want to make that decision, but I I'm and I'm not trying to put it on you. It's just what would we cut? You guys are that >> would this be the time that we might consider not being a onetoone district at the elementary level >> for tech? >> Yeah. >> Well, that that would pull some money out of capital. Like right now, unfortunately, all of our devices, I've made the case they should really be on operations. They're on capital. So those get funded
151through the capital process every year. So unfortunately that wouldn't save us operating budget. >> Yeah. >> So looking at that that that's that's the hard part. >> I mean we we are getting a superintendent that specializes in reading um signs of reading and then also forming pathways too. So I mean if we're not able to do an ELA coach, our superintendent hopefully would have some hand in helping us in that department. And that was something we were looking at. >> Is that his contract? >> A superintendent. >> I mean, he's a national speaker on it. So, I'd hope he'd share some of his knowledge with us. >> For PD and such, >> overseeing and managing a group of people who do that work is one thing. I think what you're asking is for him to
152step in and do that work and then who fills in for him at the central office. I think maybe she's saying that maybe that's something you wait until next year and that he might have a better thought process on how to fund it. >> That's fair. >> Then funded or a creative way. I mean I think that's where >> so maybe that's this is not maybe that that is in more in his wheelhouse. No offense. No. And that truly >> and that maybe that's a that whole aspect. He might have a really great creative idea of how he's going to make those changes and that might not be a great while a worthy investment right this moment would be a better investment next year. >> I think the biology teacher I is like a non-negotiable
153to me. >> Yeah. >> Um I don't see I'd hate to see another year. I'd hate to see th those eighth graders come up and like they said it's 24 kids to that classroom. I personally would like my kid to be taught biology by Miss Canning. I would like my daughter to be taught chemistry by Mr. Cavino. Like those are the correct people to be teaching them. >> Yeah. I mean, in my mind, I think the biology teacher is a level service item. Um because last year was not a good choice for us. So, I mean, I agree with biology teacher. Don't agree with that at all. I think maybe the reading specialists at Tahanto would be something else I would argue for that in the moment it puts the help where it needs it
154and it's direct place student affecting um but again you know I think going high and then trying to um could we so for elementary band we've heard I think at one time or another during the year from both elementary principles that while it's an amazing program it creates some issues for the teachers his children are pulled out. I'm wondering maybe we could change that program so it's like a parent paid after school type thing so that we can retain that hopefully retain that position and parents can pay for private lessons for their children. I just added up what I pay for private lessons for my children for instruments and I think you know you have 20 or 30 40 50 families many you could fund that and that's something that we don't have to necessarily
155cut. We still have it in the district, but we're kind of shifting that to parents and then that frees up a head that we could use for this biology teacher or this reading specialist. >> So, from a budget perspective, the suggestion is cut the the band teacher, move it to hopefully the parents come together and pay for private, but we would have to decide to cut that. >> I don't agree with that at all. We've already cut languages in the middle school last year. >> No, no, this was in elementary school. >> No, no, I know. But we're in terms of arts and suicide rates, they're directly related when cuts are made. So I do feel fairly strongly about not cutting the arts. >> I wouldn't want to cut it. It would be more like
156if we could we were going to have to get creative with more like it would be more like a self-funded before school after school thing. But >> but you would have to make the decision tonight to either keep including it or cut it and then work on a >> Well, I think tonight we're never going to get to that point because we need more information. We're going to have to vote on a higher budget. My opinion is we should go in on a higher budget tonight with the intent. >> So you're not suggesting cutting band tonight? >> No. >> A future conversation. >> I think we need some more information on cuts from the district. I I'm not going to claim that I know what we need and what we don't need. We need these
157people to come forward and say, >> well, that's what I mean. We've been building up to that all year. That's what tonight is. This is like Al just said, this is >> they're ready. >> They've been working. I know your first meeting was what, October, November, something like that, right? October. >> Everything's in your drive as well too. The community drive every >> So like the when we started in October it was like I don't I don't know you said 11 12% or something right now we're at what is it eight I think >> now something. >> So that's the work that they've been doing to cut and cut and cut and we're kind of at the point now where it's our turn to make decision. I know you don't want to make a decision
158or anything but it's our turn to make the decision now. >> You guys have been quiet tonight as well. they didn't work. >> What's that, Jesse? >> Last year, we asked for cuts for admin because we were trying to counteract the 18% rise in medical insurance and it didn't go well. So, I mean, I think again the biology teacher I consider an at level service >> service I you know and if there's a need for kids that are not able to read, they're not learning. So, >> I know >> I have two things. First of all, you guys have been quiet. Do you want to say something? Well, I made that point about Yeah, you did. But I do have another question and I know we don't like to hire consultants. We like to, you
159know, hire employees, but is there any way we could reduce the cost of the leading specialist? I mean, it sounds like we really need that by hiring a consultant and having it be part-time. Like, I I have no idea that that's that's an option, right? So, so here's what we want, right? We we're saying we we need this. And by the way, they're they're prepared and ready, right? They they're ready to answer any question that that hopefully school committee is going to ask us tonight because we know you have to vote on this tonight. Um the other part is this is your budget, right? One of the major three major roles you guys have is your budget. We're ready to answer any questions. We're giving it to you guys. more prepared to answer any. I
160I think we we'd like that full-time reading specialist there, but to to a point that Beth made and Megan saying that that you know, we're not going to say no to that. >> Maybe we maybe that's the way we could do it is hire a consultant if they're available and use the, you know, the funds like you said. >> Yeah. Use the 30,000 for that instead of the recess aids. So the other thing So the other So it sounds like >> biology teacher and meeting specialists are pretty popular. >> Yeah. >> Show of hands if anybody going to support it at town meeting. >> Some I don't see all the hands up. So >> um >> other things on here right the night custodian al this is the sport athletics and nighttime events. Are those
161things that we could increase fees to help cover? >> Sure. So, can we should we first look at what that reading spec if everyone agrees on that biology teacher? Do you want to make that move? Okay. >> Work so hard on the spreadsheet. Let's look. >> Can we just look like a spreadsheet? >> Can we just take a look? >> So, we're gonna say yes to biology. >> And we're going to say yes to reading specialist. >> And can you offset it with the 30? >> Um, yeah. I mean, we're already over. I I guess what I' I'd like to do is is maybe we come to the table next time and have a conversation because how that money sometimes gets allocated because of the regional agreement. We're not talking about just one big number.
162we're talking about it like I think the leap on the lunge recess aid was was not hard but I think some of the others may have a little more um those I mean those two are all at Tanto so I mean that choice could come out of Tahanto but um >> the lunch of the recess monitor >> you know I think it would be helpful if if we go ahead if you guys want to add these we approve it tonight I can message to the towns you know we're working on how we're going to pay for these like these were approved you know please take get under advisement. We'll get them their assessment letters. It'll be certified by us. And the understanding is we know we have to meet again and probably have a conversation
163about these things, right? So, I can figure out how that works in with choice applied and we'll go there. I think I think this one's I mean this these two don't seem like they'll be that difficult, but I struggle I struggle just mentally with doing some of this on the fly in the middle of a meeting. Yeah. Um I think it's prone to issues and errors. But if if we add this as it stands and we show the you know we show the the budget that we need I can roll that into you know each assessment to the town and go from there. It will give uh the state and the auditors what they need in terms of a full budget. Um and then we can go from there. >> And then we can play
164around with school. You're saying we can play around with school choice. >> We can play around. You're saying this some of these things might come out of school choice or something might come out of you know somewhere else. >> This way we're in that 45 days to get this in front of the towns so they can help budget. >> So that that brings us to another part of the conversation though is school choice or END wherever it comes from cash savings being used to pay for ongoing operating expenses. If we say yes to a biology teacher and decide we're going to pay for that with school choice money or END money, what happens next year when that school choice money is gone and we still want to keep a biology teacher, right? That's why cash
165for capital >> makes sense. It's a, you know, an investment, a onetime thing. Over the coming years, it might build back up, but you're not going to have a roof next year or HVAC next year or whatever it is, but you're gonna have the teacher salary next year. >> Yeah. Al, are we talking school choice seats on the 24th? >> We are. But to answer Mike's question, then we become a district like those ones you're seeing right now, the Framingham public schools, where they're having to cut all those teachers and do huge layoffs, right? If you if you go that route because they can afford it one year, but they can't afford it next year. >> Yeah. We don't want to do that. That's bad practice. >> That's right. >> And and maintaining and retaining
166those teachers. But yes, to answer your question, I have school committee. I'm going to ask that they have a March 24th meeting. It's on the agenda hopefully to talk about school choice. >> Yeah. >> And so the number of seats that that the committee is willing to take may impact how much school choice we would project for next year. Right. So, I mean, we have a baseline number, but if the school committee were amendable to taking more seats, that would put more money in our projection for next year. >> But that only assumes that those seats get filled and then they eventually they'll graduate and we will have to backfill them. Yes, we would have to bet we would have to ongoing back fill um you know and and we just have you know on
167on some level the reason why I'm willing to put sometimes that number goes up, sometimes it goes down a little bit. I'm taking an approximate number based on a number of years. In fact, the number is down a little bit, but I'm still willing to put 450 in for now and then next year we'll reassess. Seems like those numbers continue to drop. >> Using that 260 to pay for an expense that we know is going to graduate out. Yes. Is a different story than using 90 to pay for a biology teacher who we're going to want for a long time. >> Correct. Our admin team is has their numbers ready. Um there's not much room at the elementary levels for for school choice. There is some room at the secondary level that Rich has presented
168that I'll be giving to you guys on March 24th as well. >> Yeah. Because like uh to Tannis's point about that bubble, I didn't realize that eighth grade class was so large and we don't want to price ourselves out of like oh well we have a another bubble coming up or whatever the term >> we have a predictable pattern of 8th to 9th grade that that does not stay. >> So you think that that might >> it will 100% go down. It always goes down. This is a bigger group for sure. >> They are going to need another section of biology but it's not going to stay >> at 90. I mean, there could be kids that move in, but there will be kids that go to Asabet and there will be kids that go
169to St. John's and there'll be kids that go to other schools. That's already decided now. >> It's true. But if you just look at the town as well as the building that's going on, >> all the building, >> how many years has it been? >> It's a predictable pattern. You can watch it watch it every year. >> There's two huge apartment complexes that have only come online the last couple years. So, we don't know how that's going to really affect us in the future. We should save this argument for the 24th. >> Yeah, it's definitely growing. But we need revenue. Like one thing that we haven't gotten from school choice because it really is important to see what the annual revenue stream is from that to see what actually and I know it's going to
170change and I know it's going to and I like we just heard it from the elementary schools, right? We're busting at the seams especially in Boilston. I know we got to hire another teacher because we have 66 kids in the class. So, but it would be interesting to see if you have any data on like what we have at least like maybe a fiveyear uh like the next five years. What's the revenue stream from school choice for the next five years because >> that's the best we're going to be able to do given all these circumstances. Five years >> and I think it's a great conversation for the 24th of all of this to talk about school choice. >> But even given all that, is it smart to use that for ongoing operations versus capital?
171Right. Like >> desperate times call for desperate measures. You say that every year, >> but like we mean >> I could see funding the float nurse for two from school choice or END um if it's needed then you know or if it's not needed then you know but we don't want to deplete our school choice but I think if we can figure out what the revenues if the like for example if Aaron is able to confidently say over the next five years we're going to have at least a h 100,000 in revenue from school choice and we know we've got a healthy balance. I know we're using good to use that healthy balance. >> I thought you said around >> I mean any of this is because school choice can vary yeartoear like the total
172we get in there's some variability to it and I want us to have a consistent stream. So instead of playing to the ups and the downs every year and particularly when we have a balance I know there maybe one year we'll eat into the balance a little but then we'll put a little more in eat into the balance. So if you've ever seen you know >> but typically that's not how around here once we >> data into a curve that's what I'm trying to do >> once we've used an amount or said we're going to use an amount >> like it goes up. So this year we're using almost double of what we're taking in. Not quite double, but almost double. >> Yes. And some of that is for >> some of that is for
173a onetime cost. >> Fair enough. >> But that's the a lot of it is not for a onetime cost. A lot of it is to buy down the assessment. >> So >> that's that's approximately what we we we seem to have been getting coming in, >> right? >> Um again, that number seems to be going down slightly. I, you know, I don't chase the small ups and downs because then we we we have a lot of variability. I'd rather be smooth and consistent with that. >> It's feasible to say as the town's populations increase, that school choice number likely will decrease >> possibly. Yes. >> Depends. >> We also got to get the school choice out early enough, right? So if we're going to do this on March 24th, the limited amount of seats we
174have at the high school, we got to get that information out to be able to get people who are truly interested in coming to Tahhata for the reasons we want our school choice. >> They're planning ahead. >> They're playing ahead and not because they didn't get into, you know, at RAS or whatever and this is their their third choice, right? Um yeah, >> again, it's a blind lottery, but we we certainly want to be out there. Um so we still have the decision to make tonight. So we put those two items on there. This is going to sound like a stupid question, but can I just ask you, is there any way we could um like obviously one of the huge cost drivers is the increases in health insurance. Can we change plans and do
175like more or is that illegal? Can we do a high deductible? I mean, private sector, >> that's a lot of work and conversation we would have to have with our unions. I I have um started to broach that. we were in negotiations with one of our bargaining units, so I wasn't really wanting to jump into that right away. >> Um I I will start those conversations. Um I looked at so so there are we we have a plan that um has a maximum out of pocket that's relatively low. Um I looked at going higher and the cost savings were so incredibly small it made no sense. like it was it was very strange to me that there was no savings. Um you know where you know I I was I was initially worried about another
17618% increase this year. I'm a little comforted by the 7ome% increase. Um uh but the industry is I think we all know the industry is a mess. Um there's no there's no better way to say that. Um, and I can't be confident that we won't get rates that high again. Um, moving into another program is is time consuming. Um, and it usually would take at least like a year cycle to even like once you start the process to get in. So, um, you know, I think I looked at a couple different, uh, areas just to compare plans. uh you know some GIC's rates are a little lower for example there's some other um organizations organizations we can't be members of but they do have lower rates so there's there's a case to be made that
177maybe there's some ability to look but that's potentially a longer term solution it's just not something that's going to help us this year it's a very it's a very good question it just >> use cash this year with that intent of hopefully that'll be a savings down the road but yes obviously I know it's a lot of work and a year from now when you're going to be talking about negotiations already for the fall year because we're going to be end of year two and starting for year three. That's a conversation with the union. Right. >> I'll be clear that the work isn't an issue on my part. I'll do the work. It's just the time it's going to take to do it and what the appetite's going to be because we are going to
178have to have conversations with our union groups and things like that. >> And let's be honest, we're hearing those are very difficult conversations that the union is right. But we've been asked by the talents as well too like what is the because they're paying insurance and what the percentage they're paying. They're asking what we're paying for our teachers as well too. So, it's certainly a conversation that we'll be having with the next round of negotiations. >> And Aaron, why? Why is that a difficult conversation with the unions? Is because it will create an additional cost for them. Why is it why is it a difficult conversation with you? >> It would create an additional cost to them. I mean, it's it's it would change the cost. It could change the cost. It could change the
179benefit structure, right? So, it wouldn't necessar I I don't think we'd go to a plan that was more expensive, but that plan might have a different benefit structure. Um, most places, like I said, we have a relatively low max out of pocket for individual and families. Most places I'm looking at have a higher out-ofpocket um maximum. Um, and you know, there's benefit to that, right? that there's a a tangible benefit to our teachers having that plan. >> Um, so I think that would need be something we'd probably want to, you know, we might have to impact bargain it or something like that, but there's creative ways in the future to do that. You My daughter works in a district where the younger group that are they're hiring them in have a different health plan than
180some of the veteran teachers as well, too. So there's there's ways of >> and that has to do with splits. That's right. That's what I refer to. Not different plans. split splits. So, >> but before that before those guys come and rip our heads off for this that that's a negotiation. >> That's absolutely we're not we're not saying that >> yeah we can't do it now. That would be >> something that we put in our back pocket and say all right we can maybe use a little bit more choice money this year to offset some things because we're gonna that's a goal down the road. But yeah not be >> I'd have a hard time using more choice money for that without an actual conversation taking place on it. >> Grasping at straws here. Grasping
181at straws. We have, >> it's a fair question. >> You're thinking, >> we have timing challenges >> in front of us right now. We have six months of work from these guys in front of us right now of every penny they could find under every middle school furniture coach cushion that Aaron brought over from the U-Haul truck, right? >> Like that's all that's >> What questions do you have? >> The the time for all these like, hey, what about this? What about this? is like I think like Christina said it's you know September's and >> August >> right >> if we're voting on the ceiling tonight we >> why I think we should also discuss the floating nurse >> okay >> all right >> can you add that one in >> the floating nurse is
182not is not there yet >> what's the need for the floating nurse Janelle would you like to come up please don't mind Rich sorry thanks nobody Sure. So, I appreciate the public comment um tonight as well that addressed the float nurse position. So, the district currently has a float nurse two days per week. The per um the request is to increase that position to five days per week. Um we each one of our three schools has a full-time nurse. The float nurses in addition to that. So, they work in the entire district. They're really critical um to providing the consistent student care um on a day-to-day basis and being able to help students attend school that have um complex medical needs including diabetes, feeding tubes, seizure disorders, etc. Um although we do have a you
183know a great but small pool of substitute nurses, they have other they have other commitments. they have families, often full-time jobs, and so if we have a nurse that's out sick or we have a field trip that's going out, we have an additional nursing need. Um, we're not always able to get somebody on short notice. Increasing the float nurse position provides us a lot more consistency and adds quite a bit um, you know, to ensuring safe access to schools for our students with more complex medical needs. increasingly so all the field trips that go out, more and more field trips that go out um are requiring a a nurse to attend in order to go out. >> That was my next question. Is it required at the elementary level for every field trip to have
184a nurse? >> It depends on the students that are going and their individual needs. Um but increasingly so the majority of those field trips do require a nurse. >> Why is that? Because what you need a nurse just to make sure they don't get sick or >> Yeah. Well, it depends on like the medication needs um or the um the illness needs like there are where we don't have a medication delegation um policy. Um so the although like EpiPens for example can be delegated that's one thing that it can be delegated that's like its own law or set of regulations. However, there are other medications that require clinical judgment about whether or not to administer them. And even if they're just prescribed, like take this one tablet at noon. Um that requires all of this
185delegation that we don't quite have as a district either. And even if we did, it wouldn't completely solve the problem. I want to be clear on that. It's not it's not just a delegation issue. It's not. >> Yeah. Yeah. you happen to experience I think Beth and Mike when you're walking through um with myself in in Brent that we happen to run across Lisa Lamro who's the nurse here that happened to be at Bolston Elementary that day because she was covering leaving Tahanto at that point without a nurse. So, god forbid something happened here, there there would be the call from Rich or Maren or Joe, a 911 call, right? >> How can you do a school without a nurse? You can do that. >> Yeah. So, we so schools are required to have nurses.
186Um, and then we have to assign the nurses where there is need. So, but all three of our schools have students with complex medical needs that need nurses. Is there any uh so in that situation now there's no nurse here and something happens there's is there any liability to the district >> I I am sure right absolutely you know their their thing would be to call 911 um but yes we we >> liability is there a cost associated with that >> I I am sure I am sure 100% that's why we're looking to have a nurse that's going to be able >> so do do you have data on like how many weeks of the school year needs the needs exceed the two datas. >> Um I mean we've actually had we've seen a slow
187increase this school year. So we have seen um we have seen I believe eight days so far this school year where we've had a situation like Lisa Lamro has had to travel between schools. Um we know that there's an increase in field trips coming up in the spring season. Um and that's always you know a juggling act as well. And we have I you know if you happen to be thinking about because I think nurses I know heard I heard it in um for one of the other budget requests right like are there contracted services or there agencies right that might be able to help us fill one of these positions. Nursing happens to be one of those areas but at a at a very high expense. >> So if you recall when we first
188came here we had nurses on contracts that were paying exorbitant amount of money. So that's the cuts we made last year right and getting off all those contracts that we had. >> Right. Janelle, you mentioned uh delegation policies, right? So, we could fix some of this with those. But what if we had a policy? So, the field trip situation, if the student who needs that service, if their parent chaperones, then we don't need to send a nurse. Is that right? >> And sometimes it works out that way. Um but right, it's not of course fair or equitable to be, you know, relying or asking parents specifically to go because their child has an explicit medical um condition. because that wouldn't be fair to that family. >> That's right. That's correct. >> They'd have to miss
189out on what their classmates are experiencing. Well, >> right. And now, and now we can't do either, right? It's either it's either the the trip goes with the nurse or the or the trip doesn't go >> because that would be discriminatory. >> Um to say that, uh sorry, you can't go because you're going to need nursing support. We can't find you a nurse. That would be talk about some liability. There's some big liability and we wouldn't we would not entertain that >> as educators. >> So, this almost sounds like a cheap insurance policy to me. Could there be like a pdeium or on call situation? So like guarantee two days but then on call for the other three like so like some small portion of this 60,000 and then more if we do need her
190for that particular day. >> I think it comes down to the person's availability and what their requirements are and what their schedule is and what their commitment is. So if it's someone that needs to, you know, earn a c a certain salary or needs to be home with their family a certain amount of time, I think it's a finding of that balance. And so, as I said, we do have a nice pool of substitute nurses that do work, you know, on occasion, but they're not always available. Um and and that's exactly what we bump into is that they have other commitments whether it's family or work and and they they just can't give us that type of flexibility. It doesn't seem to exist that we can find. >> And Jessica, you and Christine both said,
191right, knowing the students, right, God forbid, right, at the expense, wrong medication or something a mistake was made, right? We anyone that's in a nurse's office and the sometimes chaos that's going in there right after recess at the elementary level given medication there's just and knowing the students >> I don't know if we've looked at how much subs nurses and bill additional costs compared to having just the fulltime >> yeah that could be a net change >> yeah um and absolutely right because sub nurses are of course being compensated for their time and their expertise when they come in so there is an offset there of some sort We we do have and the the budgets for these are relatively small. So I didn't necessarily factor in taking that money out if this is something
192you you wanted to put in here as I do the next round of analysis. Janelle and I can talk about sub sub costs. The problem is that the needs that the the sort of unfunded mandate of having this in place has increased so much and it increases so much that I mean we may look at it and we may say given the number of field trips given the number of situations you know I I I panic on a regular basis that we're going to send one of these trips to Europe that you guys authorize right and we're going to have one kid who needs one heavy one for nursing Right. Be ready. And >> I didn't even think about that. >> And and they sign up for the trip. Um, you know, because we've authorized
193it, right? It's a school sponsored event. Like we have a lot of these after school program. We're constantly looking for nursing for that field trips and athletics. We are having to add nursing um for athletics and that comes right out of our budget, right? I mean, you know, we try to pay it out about say after school fees. Um, you know, athletics budget is limited. That hasn't been increased in a while. We probably have to have some conversations about athletic fees, but those are, you know, they're becoming very difficult to fund. So, it may very well be that Janelle and I look at it and it really won't make sense to cut to try to cut those budgets. It more sense to just try to keep them stable. I mean, I think we've tried to
194keep them stable and that's the challenge >> in our HR office, which is really right here. All of us right here would say trying to find a nurse for a three day as opposed to putting up for a full-time nurse. It's going to be an easier hire for us to be able to get those people. >> You got one for two days and it's been working so far. What's the point? >> I was going to say, I don't know. Nurses >> Well, I know what nurses we had conversation with what a nurse can get for a PDM at an emergency room, right? as opposed to what a nurse can get. Most of the time they're people that are connected to our district that are subbing for us, right? Which is which is wonderful. >> It's
195a convenience for it's a convenience factor. There's a draw to >> but it's not for the money. Let's be very clear. >> Yeah. No, the the kids in >> I would argue that Lisa says it would not it's not really even though it might seem like I would say it's not working. We need this. So, Lis Lisa was very clear when we went we went through she was very clear that it was not working and that it was a very real >> I mean problem. >> We've been getting by, but if we want to do it, how are we going to pay for it? >> Yeah, that's my worry. I mean, we want to put it in. We're voting on the ceiling tonight, but then >> So, are you putting that in now? Is that
196what I'm seeing up there? Is that a yes? >> Well, he I mean, >> only two yeses. >> Oh, sorry. >> He hasn't put it in yet. Let's see. >> Why don't we put in the yeses and see what the bottom line is and then see where we are >> dollars >> because we could always say all right well not 6 FTA maybe 2 we could fund. So add another day to the the floaters this year. >> We can't fund any of it. >> Do we need to do these specific things right now or are we going to vote and then we're going to have another conversation? That's what we got to do now because >> we're we're committing to the towns that this is not our like we are voting on this to start
197the clock for the 45 days. We fully intend to dig in deeper and find >> but we're just prioritizing right now what our ceiling is and now we're then we're going to go backwards and find a way. problem with this though is it's starting to look like oh the school community is just throwing out a high number and then they're just gonna force us into something and then we're gonna have talks to cut. Like I don't know if we're going to have talks to cut with the town. I don't know what it's going to be. the towns haven't really you guys have presented to the towns but >> and we don't have anything scheduled right >> but we're going to go in front of the town in 45 days and the people that are behind
198us right now we need them to be at the we need you to vote right we need you to be able to go to those town meetings and people in Boston and say we we support this right we're giving a budget once this is done school crew budget that we're giving to the towns and then we need you guys to be coming and showing up and saying this is what we want But that also means a vote for an override on a ballot. >> Possibly. Yeah, >> definitely on the ballot. >> If if Yeah, it have to pass down first. >> Are there any other things we can increase the cost of the like fees like you mentioned athletic fees? >> Can we can we do like a medication fee or this is this is
199the ceiling, right? Like I'm I'm not I mean I'm only half joking. Yeah. No, it's I mean so uh under free and adequate publica uh public education fate laws uh we wouldn't be able to >> so the law says no we can't charge that so that has to come from >> Yeah. Right. Right. So again this is this is that you know it's really become an unfunded mandate that you know we we provide I mean just the um the monitoring of um >> blood sugar for students and things like that. Yeah. >> Yeah. Is is outrageous, right? I mean, we have I've seen districts where they have, you know, multiple apps that they have to keep on a device and keep up with on a regular basis, right? Heaven forbid, then you have to take
200that on a field trip and keep up with a student's blood sugar. >> So, I'm I'm going to go back to school again and say, what questions? So, we're two and a half hours into this right now. Um, and and these they're here, right? And so I know you got to make some decisions, but what questions do you have for any of our directors, our our principles, our assistant principles? Jen, >> sorry, >> I have a question. So you're just asking how we can raise more money. What if we charged more for people who want to rent out the auditorium for that kind of thing? >> We we're we're going to be presenting to school committee. So we're we're dealing with that right now. So Jen and I have um been working with our secretaries
201and she's been relentless with me on it trying to charge more money and we're going to be presenting that to school. We presented that plant here last year and now with the teamsters now being involved it's a whole different ballgame in terms of having custodians coverage there and being paid for that. So we have a a a plan that will be presenting to the school committee not right now but we're hopefully in the month the next month. But do you think that any increases in that area would help us to fund a biology teacher or something like that? >> We have to that much or >> really nice lights they're going to put in that. >> So So here's here's the other part, right? Talk about difficult conversations. We we don't charge for our towns,
202right? I mean, I don't want to go there, but let me go there, right? So we don't charge them to use our gyms. We don't charge you Janelle's look at me like, "You sure you want to go there?" >> Yeah. I mean, I I'll guarantee it's a loss leader when they come in, too. We're paying >> toilet paper, paper towels, all that. We don't charge anyone in our community that's connected to our district any usage to use our school. >> Like the PTO's use it for event for fundraising events. So then, I mean, you're essentially you're pushing the cost back onto the parents, which is probably a little bit proper. >> But does the town I don't know. Is the town charging you to use like soccer fields right now? Is the town charge best
203to use? >> I mean, oh, no, not this year. No, that was a that was a wash. That was a favor. >> So, a town charged us to use >> No, I was going to say that the I was thinking No, the middle school soccer and the varsity soccer that was a favor. >> Oh, I see what you're asking. I see. >> Oh, so I think Boilston basketball does pay to use. >> They do. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Berlin doesn't pay. Yeah. So, it's not >> Boilston didn't pay this year. >> Okay. But there's not uh that's this >> sure >> did they use the honto as a favor for this year? >> No they pay for boil elementary though >> they use boil >> and boil and they pay and they have to pay
204for the gym at >> that's one of those things. So raising fees I'd want to look at for a couple years too. So you know when you when you raise prices you may have someone who decides to go elsewhere so you lose their business. Sometimes raising prices isn't always the answer. Unfortunately, I mean on some level we should raise them because we have costs associated. We have things but we have to understand we may lose a customer. >> But but you say that and I heard you Megan say that we'll lose them. But yet I know families, myself included at the time, we pay for these programs that we send our kids to, you know, premier soccer, premier basketball, all these other leagues where we pay a little bit of a little bit of money.
205Again, we're looking at every way we can. >> Yeah. >> So, I I like the way Lisa's thinking, right? Like, can we can we raise the cost to some of we're right now not covering our custodian fees what we're charging to rent the to rent the facilities. We're losing that. >> 100% agreed. I just want to look at like I wouldn't want to presume I want to look at a couple years of history. >> That's right. which we always make them whole. But yes, the schools probably >> So for the public comment, public conversation, right? We have a rugby team that's starting today in Boston, right? I had to have that conversation with him because now you have to stop paying for a custodian to clean up after you guys have done. They have not
206paid in in for as long as rugby has been here. I think it's rugby. Lacrosse. Sorry. Thank you. Lacrosse. But I had the conversation with Brian. Wasn't an issue at all. Yep. This is what we need to pay for. We got to pay for the custodian. Uh sorry, wrong spot, but >> a lot of luck. But we we never charged for a custodian before, but yet we pay our custodian to stay there and clean up after him as well too. We talk about the custodian here that cleans up and I know it's a lot of time it's Beth and Julie Lee and myself that are cleaning up after. But the custodian has his section up there he's working on. We have all these events here that we don't charge >> volunteers that are cleaning up
207the bleachers for all the candy that everyone leaves. But you have got to see even after the work they do when we all leave what this place looks like still in rough shape. But yet for six o'clock in the morning our custodians are coming in have to clean that work. >> For every event where volunteers stay and clean up I will assure you you have three where volunteers don't stay and clean up which is the other inherent problem. Right? So now that custodian who's been up there comes down to footprints on your cafeteria tables right things like that. seen that places. I'm not saying that's what happens, but you come down to okay and now people are upset when the school isn't clean in the morning, right? >> So, but we're looking at that, at
208least to answer your question, we're looking at the rental fees right now. >> Yeah. >> So, why don't we vote on a ceiling tonight and then I know you guys have already >> That's what we're going to do. Is this the ceiling we want? >> Or do we want more? >> I I mean, that's up to everybody else. But my question is, we're going to need some cuts. So, I would ask Al to work with his team to prioritize from each building. If you want these or or are these a higher priority than something else you already have, if you have to pick one or two things you have to get rid of, what would that be? >> I don't know. It sounds like we need a biology teacher more than maybe a fifth grade
209teacher. And so we need to hear that from these administrators have an unpopular >> that well that that's the problem. Hold on. But that's the problem, right? Like we've heard from them like they've cut what they've cut. >> So you have nothing there's nothing else that can be cut right now. >> And the other things that can be cut >> people but all right. Go ahead. Go ahead. >> Berlin doesn't have a kindergarten parent professional. Correct. >> That's correct. >> How many does BES have? >> Three. one per class >> because >> can we talk about class sizes difference? >> But that's still three pair professionals for zero. >> That's because they those were added to make it equitable because they were just added a couple years ago because BMS had two. >> They have
210one. >> What happened? >> We cut them. >> Yeah. What do you class? >> Well, you still have a recess aid over there. We don't. 13,1 that was paid for with Apple TV. >> The Apple TV money is >> and it's not funded right now. Oh, so the recess >> that's why it's up there. >> I thought we class. So class sizes class sizes John and in your kindergarten what numbers do you have? >> Uh this year it's small uh 14 to 15. >> 14 to 15. Rob classes >> close up 18. Uh, kindergarten 18 this year. Anticipation is about the same next year. >> 18, 18, and 18. >> So, how is that? >> There's like 23 kids in a class. >> We should have reevaluated be 20 next year. >> So, you have
211a parachute >> in both. >> You have no paras in your kindergarten now. >> Correct. >> And that is probably one of the most valuable positions. >> Oh, I totally agree. Honestly, that's probably something that >> So when you're looking at our FTAs for kindergarten, you got a six FTA >> the opposite direction. >> But I kid you not, that is they are so valuable. Those 5-year-olds come in. >> That's not even on our >> They're not on priority one >> or priority two >> because there's so many other things on there. >> It's really what it is >> because we can't add another thing. We can't add another thing. >> Oh, but but we could. So through your conversation, we could reallocate that, right? So our Paris, that's conversation Janelle and I and our
212team will be having shortly like we we keep the amount of Paris, but we we do risk redistribution, correct? >> But that's going to affect the assessment. >> Sure. >> Yeah. >> Well, you have to wait and see who you need for one-on- ones, right? Is that how that works? >> No, this is this is >> general separate from one. >> Yeah. The kindergarten pairs are are different from special education. I mean, they're under the same sort of agreement, etc. But the needs are >> that three that one per classroom is not is not special. >> No, it's not special. >> No, those were three that we uh that were added into the operating budget. >> This talk about reallocation though that's going to affect the assessments. So >> that's the work that we'd have
213to do with Aaron and the team to look at that >> to reallocate. Yeah. >> But that would increase the assessment to Berlin >> possibly. >> That wouldn't be this year. >> How would it increase? Because the elementary school to >> the elementary school if you're moving that to >> Oh, you mean if you moved ahead to Berlin? Yeah, that would absolutely increase Berlin. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, that would not help in Berlin. It would help Oilston. >> You you were going to just curious what the class size for the incoming fifth grade for BMS is next year. class size for the incoming fifth grade for next year >> for for me >> for Berlin and Boston >> for Berlin John >> um 22 and 21 >> okay >> going into fifth grade
214>> yeah we should clarify if you look at the two buildings my school's smaller than our class sizes average out to be about the same >> yeah they're about the same >> because you have three teachers for every >> three sections >> versus We had two. >> We have three in Boilson except for fifth grade. >> Yeah, >> which goes back to that bubble we're talking about. You'll eventually see that coming up at the high school. >> Well, the fifth grade class right now, which is my son's, is a the opposite of bubble, whatever you want. It's tiny. And so they only have 40 kids in that class, but that's an anomaly. Every other class in Boilston is close to between 55 and 65, right? >> 54, 49, 67 for my second grade. So, it's
215a little high. 43 in fifth grade. um 66 and fourth. So >> yeah. So that 43 that's they're gone and then everything's in the 50s and 60s. >> Everything else will be above it. >> Yeah. >> 49 is my lowest but >> I don't think the classrooms have space to have 33 children. So I don't know what you would do. You'd have kids in an overflow room. Like they physically can't fit 33 desks. So you'd have to have like an overflow room that was like monitored by a par. You did cut that. Like if you did or you'd have to move a teacher, you'd have to probably get rid of people, reallocate because you need somebody that's licensed. You could probably do it in your third or whatever grade you have is low. You could
216do two in that, but then you'd have to reallocate. Probably have to get rid of someone hired. It would be a mess. It would be a mess. >> It's not the education that you guys want in both umbrella. >> It would be a huge imp. It would be very impactful. >> Talking to the superintendent in Framingham today, right? They're doing splits next. You haven't heard splits in the like the last five, six years, right? where they take teacher teach half a third grade and half of a fourth grade. But that's what they're doing, right? This is the situation that some districts are in splits. Like I haven't heard that in 10 years. >> Not educationally. So >> So uh what do we want to do? >> Vote on this and then I mean I know
217there's no >> vote on what though. What are we voting on >> this? What does anyone want to add anything? Three, two. >> I mean, I want to look at it all, but >> I know, but like just keep in mind, we are going to >> we're going to hopefully have some more clarification to the towns. It would be very interesting to see what Berlin can is willing to support. Hopefully, we'll have that by March 24th. We don't know. >> Are we approving the lunch recess aids under using those funds that >> No, >> I I don't think we should add those in. >> Um I I don't know. I don't know what was going to say, Megan. Uh to answer your question, they've asked, like Aaron said, to be assessed the capital, but then
218the money we were planning to use for that to be set against operating, which we've already talked about is probably not a smart idea. We have not got a specific amount, >> but no amounts. They haven't said use 200,000 to offset our budget. >> We met on Thursday, Friday with a new town administrator who's interim. Um so we met with him on Thursday. Um, so we presented the budget to him and he's starting those conversations as well. >> So right now we have uh what? Three of the priority ones in there. >> Yeah. >> Biology teacher, a district float nurse, and a reading specialist. >> All right. Going once for anything else that anyone wants to talk about? >> Does anyone in the crowd want to suggest anything? because it's going to be up to
219you guys basically to support this at town meeting if this is what we go for. So probably need more than just whatever was in here. I don't know the number but >> All right. Can we go back to that slide for one more second please? >> Which slide are you looking >> that right there? Can you just >> this one? >> Yeah. >> Oh, >> so scroll scroll down a little to priorities. So, I'm going to just say um is that tech support Alex is sitting in the room, right? Doing the work that he's doing, right? I mean, that's low money, ladies and gentlemen. Um to have another We have a tech department of of two people in our entire district. 2.5 people we have right now for our entire district for our our our
220technology that our teachers use, for everything. >> I told you to get rid of it books. I think books are more expensive. >> What's that? Books are more expensive and they're and they're outdated, right? But I I I just would say take a look at that. So every hour he's here with us on these lengthy meetings, we we take him off the school day, right? So >> do we have kids from the school? >> I asked that last week. We do have people out there who are looking for tech jobs or students. Just putting that out of school. That's >> 6,500 for the year. >> Cover that choice. >> We could probably take that out of school choice. >> We probably need school choice. >> That's >> I know. I don't even know. >> So
221hard. Do >> you mind if I talk to coach? >> Sure. >> Come on, brother. >> Thanks, Janelle. >> Yes, why not? >> I know. I know. But I I just I've only been here nine months and I I I've seen and this is the worst time of year because you guys have it's town versus gown. It's two towns versus each other. It's it's not it's not fun. And I'm I'm sorry to do this, but I have to advocate for some more support for my teaching. Um core teaching instruction is getting more challenging by the day. We're about to embark on an English language arts campaign to look for the next curriculum. that work. I know that Lisa is going to be swamped with that work, but that's really going to be We relied so
222much on Joey to do the math and I think he did a great job. We We saw support. We supported the the math coach in the district before my time and we saw the math scores go up. Our our ELA scores are plateauing. They're not looking where we want them. I I I I I know what your expectations are and I know what their expectations are. Without helping our teachers to to hone their crafts, we are going to just continue to see that plateau if not see a decrease. That's all. But the question becomes, how do we pay for it? How did the towns pay for it? What are we going to tell the towns when they come and say, "How can you do this? That's crazy. because you know that's coming. >> I mean,
223do people fully understand what happens in Boilston if we don't meet their number? >> It goes to a ballot. If it doesn't pass on the ballot, we go back to what 112 budget. >> Well, we go through a process for special meetings and all that, but eventually. Yeah. >> Yeah. Not right away. >> How much are we off now with adding these things? >> Without adding them, we were already off. You bought like 250,000. >> But I'm just wondering how much we're off now. >> Yeah. I think it was like 300. It was 338 before we even touched any of this stuff. >> It was around it was around 260. >> Yeah, they get updated. >> Right. So now with these things added in with what does that calculate? I don't know where >> does
224that calculate what >> for >> we added these things the boil assessment. So the boil assessment is going to go to 13378. >> It's going to be roughly another 100,000. >> Yeah. more than that >> 100. Yeah. 25. >> So we're at 240 right now. >> I mean roughly 65 30. >> That's that's the problem we're having, right? We're on out of one side of our mouth, we're saying we've got to cut to meet this number. And on the other side of our mouth, we're saying let's add all these >> priorities. >> All right. So my opinion would be if we feel strongly about these, all you want to add the ELA coach, add the ELA coach, then come back. >> I should add it. just would be doing my teachers a disservice if I
225didn't advocate for them at their request because we've all talked about that. >> I I think we all acknowledge that it's super important. I >> personally think that it could unfortunately wait >> I don't have >> would be my and I appreciate you speaking up for your teacher, >> but would you rather that than something else you have in your building? >> I don't know. >> Well, there we go. And that's what I'm asking is for the Olympic conversation. >> Yeah, that's what I'm asking because the elementary schools >> hold on, Jackie. No, Jackie, ask you a question. >> Just my question. The EL coach at the elementary schools. Is that equation different than if it were a Tanto thing? No, it's >> 5050 or district is 2550. Tahanto is the 6535 whatever give or
226take. So >> but the bees BMS three days are at BES and two are at BMS usually. >> Some of these vary by need. So the float nurse each building has a nurse and at any given day that nurse could call out. So that 2550 makes sense. Yeah. There are other cases where you know the lunch recess is even split between uh the specialist teacher I believe is a 6040 split between bees BMS as is the ELA coach. >> Thank you. >> Now behave because we know how many days you have left. It's your last public meeting. Go ahead. Well, first >> it could be >> say anything else. If you've noticed me over there with my eyes closed, it's because I had eye test done today and I swear to God, I could see
227in the dark. My eyes are so dilated. Um to join what Rob was saying, we know what we need to do to educate these children. We are unwilling to do what we need to do. We're going to put and the high school needs what the high school needs, but you're going to put a reading specialist in the high school to address a problem that we're creating in the elementary school. And we're going to continue to create that problem in the elementary school. You talk about wanting high quality education. We can't get distracted by stuff that we don't absolutely need. If I could pick one thing, that would be the thing. And to not say that, to not point out to you that we cycle slowly down to mediocrity, which is where we are headed. >>
228Oh, absolutely. >> I feel like as an administrator, I would be doing you a disservice now, not pointing that out. It's up to you. And Megan, you're absolutely right. Bring me a list of something that you rather Yeah. Tell I am I am being dead serious when I say my personal opinion, right, wrong or indifferent. Bring a list. I am happy to entertain it. Obviously, it has to go through your boss and has to go through the proper channels. But that is what I'm looking for. I'm happy to support what you're telling me. You are dead on. Christina made some great comments about we need to be innovative. We need to be creative. We need to start reorganizing our priorities. That's the only way we're going to survive. But but I'm really ready to have
229that conversation because I heard Jackie mention it. I hear it and I heard um Beth mention it like are you looking to make larger class sizes because that's where you're going to to say >> they're coming and saying I don't want that fifth grade teacher >> where else where else where else in Bolston Elementary School is there to make a cut right where what is there we don't take a look at central office take a look at this this is all we got right there's no extra people we don't have coaches we don't have all many tutors we don't have extra people you hear principles Mike sat on interview panel for principles of Berlin, right? The the people they're talk well I get my social emotional team to come to the to this meeting. I
230have this team even to like we don't have it. This is it. >> Our data team meets weekly. We don't have >> like this is it. I was joking about the HR like this is it right? Yeah. Like us making these decisions. So who else are we cutting? >> Why are we so lean compared to other >> because because of money >> money >> we have no commercial tax base in these towns. Both towns have no commercial tax base and we are both small residents. There's tons of open land. >> And looking at that budget, you don't have you don't have a spending problem. You have >> it's a revenue problem. >> I sat in Berlin last year and they said it's a better year last year because more people bought new cars. That's literally
231the conversation they have with us because the excise tax went up. Right. >> Howard just said it. There wasn't a lot of building in town so there's no growth. So the freak like that's how they calculate what they have for growth. if you build new houses, but the towns are so small, they don't have that. And like I said, like I know Boilston has the FedEx and but there's that one little road. Look at Shbury. Look at Holden. Look at like they have multiple roads with all that growth and commercial development. We don't have that. >> You got to look at an override, but you got to be talking about it now for next year. You really do. I mean, no one wants to have that conversation because they both told >> Yeah, we talked
232about we're going to need an override, but we Boilston just did a debt exclusion and people's taxes went up. So, I just don't personally think within the next year or two or three or four Boilston is going to pass another because that's a that was a massive tax increase. >> Then we shouldn't be adding anything from the priority list. We should be cutting >> a lot of quickly if I can make one last point. My son, the ultimate nerd, Tanto graduate, um an urban economist is his major at the Grand School of William. these towns, towns like this across America, but our towns in particular, it's going to get worse and worse and worse for them. Money problems are going to grow over time. So, we think we got it hard now. Wait three years.
233>> Yeah. And it really there's no commercial to your point. >> Yeah. There's very little growth in terms of housing because you know in Berlin we all got to have our two acres >> and it looks beautiful but it makes your job >> it's a bigger problem right that we can't that again we have to have conversations with with with our representatives and our senators and people are running for political office right because seniors are are staying in their homes longer right they're staying there because they can't afford to go to these assisted livingings or all that and with that and we're glad they're staying there as our residents but that's not opening up housing for new families to move in and and to bring new kids and all. >> That's right. So, all of
234that is not happening because it's a bigger it's a bigger issue that we need to discuss with our our senators and represents like how >> you're favoring the ELA coach over the reading specialist. Is that what your comment was? >> Well, that's number one for everything. I just want to make sure I just want to make sure I remember what your number >> I think there's an argument to be made that if the middle school went back to that two periods of literacy every day some of that problem would disappear. Um but that takes you back into the problem of their schedule and all the things that they need to kind of change. There's no when >> with the reading specialist would be getting middle school back to two periods. >> Um I mean depending
235on the use the lensure all those pieces. Um really when we talk about like reading specialist specifically is to address tier 2 interventions that don't exist for a big pocket. >> Rich come on up to the table and explain tier 2 interventions. >> Joe I know you're chomping back at as well too. So actually no >> no no come on up. You don't get >> so great about this. >> Listen. So listen, hold on. >> Before you go forward, listen, you're you're complaining about the time out, but >> this is the night that we have agreed. >> This is the night that we have to make our case >> to the town voters, right? So >> if we're talking about adding these things on top of a budget that already needed to be cut, this
236is the night. So, we're going to be here until we make a decision until we hear from you guys. So, >> I I I appreciate the jokes about the time and all that, right? Like, normally we want we have our protocols. We want to get these meetings down, but >> this is the one night that we have attention and you know, we have about 20 people in the crowd, give or take, and some have had to go. But these are the people that we're speaking to that are going to need to support this because we can decide whatever we want, but we're only six votes out of the two towns. Okay. So, what is a tier 2 intervention and why should we care about it? >> Yeah. So, I mean, if you want me to
237be pretty blunt, straightforward, we we have a lot of work to do in our special education. Um, coming on in, we've been working in terms of just how we structure it, how we provide supports for our kids. Look at the high school level. I mean, tier 2 inventions, they're few and far between or barely even exist. Um we've been looking at how we maximize our universal supports and then how we build in for all of our kids. Um looking at co-eing and bringing that model so instruction the classroom is actually um modified on a regular basis for you to have a pair of professional in there. Um when we take a look in terms of like tier two tier tier 2 interventions for kids um we're looking at pockets specific areas when we talk about
238like the reading specialist in general like we we've done the research and I mean how do I put it besides when we take a look in general and we look at the big picture of everything that we've seen over the last couple years um taking hits at Tahanto and losing FTEES and teaching positions there in a small school has a a very dramatic effect in terms of our kids daily operations and what they get. You feel two people. Um and we spent a lot of time over the course of the summer doing the work. We've done the grunt work of where are the heads? There are no heads. We are we are gutted. Um you know at a small district we do it all. We are the MCCAST specialists. We are the wraparound services. We
239are the 504 coordinators. We do it all. There is nothing left. If if you look look at our science our our science department, they did a phenomenal job painting the picture of what our science program looks like for our kids. And it's not competitive. We're not we're not keeping up. Uh and and as of next year, it's a simple numbers game. You look at 62 kids of what we have in our nth grade class, which predominantly receives bio. All right? Next year, we talk about that number. It is going to be upwards of 90. It's going to float around there. We will lose kids. You're not wrong. Um, this is a transitional year that always happens, but there's going to be additional sections that are needed that's going to have to be built on in.
240We talked a lot about AP classes. We talked nothing about supportive classes. Uh, our need of bio2, which is how we get kids by smaller classes of how we support kids so they get two years of bio so they can pass that MCCAST, increase our scores and make our district competitive. That's stuff that we build in and offer those sections to do that. We didn't talk about our our fundamentals of uh our chemistry fundamentals that was also lost this year, which is a supportive class that's going to need to be built back in next year to be successful and support our kids. Not just supporting supporting our high achievers, which we which we're advocating for in these AP classes so that they can be successful and be competitive, but also across the board in terms
241of supporting all of our kids' needs at all different levels. Um, we have a lot of work to do. We've spent a I can't even stress the amount of time we spent uh on flowcharts. If you ever walk in my office, there's about 37 of sticky notes about yay big post up all over the walls. It looks like I'm in a crime scene investigation right now of just outlining every resource we have and how to maximize our people best to put our resources forward. And that's a combination of reallocating and looking at how we do that and combining courses and and creating new courses to offer for what our kids want. There's a lot of work to be done. Um, and a lot of that comes with not just providing opportunities for our kids, but
242also building in these tier 2 interventions, these multi-tered support systems that we have in place to support every pocket of student that we have there. So, everyone has a fighting chance and they can be successful. And I have to say, and I have to be very straightforward with it, this is the norm for every for everywhere else. You look anywhere else, everyone has a reading specialist. They have these things. They have coaches. We are known as the district that does more with less. We just are. Uh, And you know, it comes to a time where I understand like, okay, you know, give us a number. I I get that's the piece. Or who can we replace this with? There's nothing there. And other I I will say, I'll say it out loud, you know, and
243it's going to be an unpopular thing. But every other town is struggling. I understand it's multi-layered. I understand there's health insurance and things that are out of our control that we do not have, but other towns are doing overrides. Other towns are fighting the fight. Um, we have a strong community. We have a great community that backs us. Um, you know, I I think it's it's time that we, you know, we need to put our money where our mouth is, support our kids, and and try to fight the fight. Um, if there's ever a year to do it, I think this is the year. Uh, for Tahanto, we're simply being asked to made whole for these two positions that we have already lost and have been decimated in terms of our offerings. Um, but in
244terms of districtwide, you know, these are the bigger needs. We've put the work in. We're presenting them to you. Uh, we know where the holes are. We know what the problem is to solve it. um they're up there for you. Um it, you know, comes a time where we we just we have to take a vote and and choose where where what battles we fight and and when we fight them. >> And that's our job, right? To advocate for the town and for our schools >> and this is what we need. >> I'm going to push back a little, Megan, for you saying to us like, "What do you want to cut out of here?" That that's not our job, right? We're telling you this is what we need. This is this is the big
245thing you guys do as a school. We're saying we need this stuff. I appreciate Jackie saying that that's your job now to help. We're telling you what we need. This is what we need. Um we we we there's nothing else to cut. We don't know where else to go, but we're telling you what we need. And these are tough decisions that you guys make as a school committee that then has to go to the town and fight that on the town floor. But we need you guys fighting it along with them. It's not just our job. >> Eric, could you get those back? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Like there's nothing to cut. >> Just want to make sure Rich had this moment. >> Sorry. Do you want to ruin my joke? >> Um, I feel
246tough following that. That was great. That was great. >> But just a question of like um would that get us back to two sections at the middle school and things like that of ELA and reading. We we know what's going on in the state. We know what's going on in the district. We know that this isn't an easy budget cycle. So, you know, these things that we're coming with are targeted with doing less, doing more with less. So we are looking to hit a pocket amount of kids that we're identifying with the data driven instruction that we're trying to do and saying like who needs this intervention. So if we were to go back to doing two ELA classes for the middle school, we're talking two people, three people. Like that's what we're talking about
247where with one reading specialist, we've already had a lot of conversations about how we can target and how we can reach these kids in grades six through 10. Like how how can we do more with less and do more with just that one. So like that is a part of what we're coming with is like stretching that one FTE2 to reach all these students who need this instruction because we have had conversations about how we're reaching high achievers, how are we reaching struggling learners, how are we reaching kids in the middle who aren't getting picked up and not qualifying for services but still struggling to read and access curriculum. And this is, you know, as efficiently as I think we possibly can is is is what we're bringing forward. Um, but that was just that
248question like would that come back with two and it's more FTE would do that but that's obviously not what happened. So that's why the the one FT we already talk about how efficiently to use somebody like that with that skill set to reach this pocket of kids who who need it. >> So you're saying that's not even the need. Your need is two or three. But this is what you're going to be able to get by with if you can get it. We have a whole list of giant bands and third priority to priorities, right? Really, you know. >> Yeah. I think it's funny because my daughter's in sixth grade. She considers reading an elective >> because of the way it's done. >> It's because she spends so much time on the iPad. >> YouTube.
249>> No, it's because it's only she only gets >> Yeah. >> When other sixth graders, another community is still getting 90 minutes of of reading every day. >> Probably most communities. >> I'm sorry. What's that? >> She should get it. She should get it for half the year. >> No. >> Do you want to come up and speak? Come on. >> Feel free. >> Yeah. Come on. Tell us your story. >> What's your name, by the way? >> Shira Dong. D U L O N G S H I R A. Both different. >> Um >> Boilson or Berlin? >> Boilston. >> Thank you. >> I have two. We moved here about five years ago. Um, for the reason of the town and for the educational resources. We lived in towns nearby, but they were we
250like the size of this. Um, we are I have a ninth grader and a sixth grader. Um, the idea that I can't even explain the idea that the basics to me of the staff that they're stretched so thin to three in the science department which is so many people want to go into healthcare. Look at our state. The the healthc care is all around us. Um engineering, so many kids want to go there. Yes, we're going to lose kids to folk schools, but they're traditionally not reaching for the higher education of, you know, getting a bachelor's, which isn't even enough these days for this world. And then we talk about wanting to bring it back to the community if they can't even get them successfully into these competitive schools, which is why we came here
251because the education was so good and not sending our kids to Braftoft, to St. John's, to um you want to support the community and have them in public school. I grew up in New York City where it wasn't an option back in very old in that day where private school was the only way to go. Um, but it the fact that it's lucky that my daughter's a really good reader, but she doesn't even get reading. I don't even know how that's possible. Uh my son is in English honors and I don't think he writes that much. Uh there's just discrepancies that I think that are not even at level. Like we talk about staying, you know, at level, but these positions seem extraordinarily important and they don't even seem like they should be addition. They
252should be they shouldn't have been cut in the first place. We're not at level. So, I think adding especially these, you know, with the COVID with the the elementary reading and literacy issues, they can't even do math. If they can't read, they can't do any subject. I I don't you know we talk about history or you know other but it it goes across the board. If they're not literate they can't do anything. They can't read a math problem. Um then you get more help needed. So, you know, I just think the teaching positions and are just essential and that brings us back to to to it's not even enough but to be I mean it just seems ridiculous that we can't offer that the teacher that these devoted teachers and that's what we need too
253like Mr. Pino and you know that he is a licensed really he's a chemistry teacher and he's teaching bio. That's crazy. Um it just doesn't make any sense. We can't continue to to hope that we have the uh that the community and the staff that are being spread so thin are going to be loyal. I mean, if you're not if you're spreading them so thin, what a gift we have that they been such tenured teachers here. But you're going to start losing incredible teachers if if they're just continuing to give and give and give and it's not tenable. It's not sustainable neither for the students nor for it's just going to be a downward spiral for it's just gonna collapse. It's just like a house of hearts. I just think so. I mean everything seems
254important but for me it seems like safety and teaching seems like the most important. >> Thank you for coming up. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Back up. >> All right. So, why don't we vote on the ceiling and then Aaron, can you talk what we need is next time we need everyone in this room who's fighting for all this stuff because I personally don't think an override is going to pass. I mean, I'm just going to say we I was on the committee for the senior center last year, so I see how much work went into that. So, by the way, Al can't be involved. If there's an override, we'd have to form a committee. People would have to put in time. There was tons of private money spent for campaigning. Mailings were sent,
255signs were made. So, everyone out there that feels so passionately about this budget, hopefully willing to chip in, spend your time, your money, and you know, to get this campaign going because that's what's going to be needed. And we did that for the it was called the Boilston Betterment. What was it called? We had it last year. There were signs there and they spent their time and money and the fire station did pass, but the senior center did not. and they spent tons of time and tons of money and it didn't pass. So for us, if an override does not pass, we need to understand what happens to our budget and what are the what are the effects. So that's where I'm coming from. I would love to get all of this. I I feel
256it. I hear but this is what it's like third or fourth year doing this. And this isn't just a year a year where we stack town meeting and everybody votes. This is where everybody votes and then it goes to ballot which just like we said in Boilston last year the senior center passed it in town meeting it did not pass on ballot. So I mean then you're you're and then what happens if we do that and it doesn't pass on ballot. Do we I don't think we as a district do we know what the steps are? Let's say it passes in Berlin but not in Boilston. >> That would be a failed it would be a failed >> it would be a fail. So, >> so then we have a meeting and then another town
257meeting, >> right? Would we have another town meeting, another I don't know how that works or if it if it doesn't pass prop two and I have no idea. So, it would be good to have that information going in. I say let's vote on the ceiling. So, if there's anything else >> the information, Megan is if it doesn't pass, it doesn't pass. It's a failed budget. We'd have to go through the the process special town meeting and then if that doesn't pass then it's >> But every time we have a town meeting, will they have a ballot vote? I would assume if it doesn't pass at that point, there would be some major cuts. >> There's a couple statutory rounds. Um I would need to refresh myself on those. I looked at them a couple
258years ago. Um it would definitely be another special town meeting. um you know again with all the posting restrictions things like that then you go to um there's either a point where um it goes to select boards it goes to um a combined meeting of the of both towns that come together um and the school committee kind of runs that one. >> Yeah. >> Um and then if if all of those don't pass that's when you end up in the 112th budget. You had a 112 budget, which means you're back. We're not at the one with the increases. We're at this year's budget, right? >> Yes. So, you're looking at draconian cuts. >> You're looking at draconian cuts. Exactly. At least for the summer. >> We want to avoid that at all costs. And again,
259it's not just going >> So, we want to avoid that, but we're talking about adding like $300,000 on top of what we're already told. >> Yes. Yeah. We we have to check at our regional agreement about that because there's some verbiage in there about what would take place as well too. So >> that's what I mean. I I can't >> you have to look at our regional agreement about the whole budget process as well too. >> Berlin's pretty familiar with it. We went through that there's there's specific laws. Yeah. >> Yeah. Uh sorry. Do you want to make a public comment? >> I wanted to ask so then can all this even be done in time for the teachers contracts because I feel like that was a problem in Burl last year too. >> No.
260Like if we don't if we do have to have another special town meeting, you have to mail the thing. You have to have x amount of days. If the teachers contracts are like >> Oh, you're talking about the June 15th. >> Yeah. You go. We do exactly what happens. >> It would be No, it would happen after that. >> Happened two years ago. Yeah. You might have to >> That's not a problem. >> No, it's a problem. >> It's a problem. It's all >> So then then other people try to find other jobs. That's right. You'd make you'd make that those huge cuts, right? And then bring people back. There are many districts that Eron and I work for that we make you have to send out those letters making cuts and then you bring
261them back. But a lot of times you lose those those teachers because they go >> other over the summer or something like that. That's when you're really like we we managed to save those off before the summer hit. If we go all the way into summer, >> I mean the teacher who gets a layoff must be foolish. >> That's right. >> Right. So, and the unemployment prices that go a short time. We still have people that left. >> That's coming from lots of town. So, you're going to have a lot of teachers. >> So, that's what we're faced against. So, I'm just worried about that. And knowing that a senior center did not pass in Boilston last year. There's a group of people that's not happy about that. I can't imagine these people are going
262to be like, "Oh, yeah, but let's spend the money on the schools." So that's my fear is that you know um it it's I I just worry about that. But right now until we've got some solid numbers it would be again I think it would be very helpful to see where Berlin is because if Berlin's like yeah we can do this then it changes it a bit. >> I I don't I don't quote me on this but I don't think Berlin is at a two and a half this year. >> They're not in the situation boys. >> Yes. Yeah, that's what I said this year. Yeah, Jason, you want to come up? >> Yeah, it's a hearing. Come on up. >> That's right. >> I wasn't going to talk, but I guess you're not off
263the hook. >> No, we want to hear about this. Um, Jason, Berlin, um, two kids here. Um, I didn't come with prepared remarks, so let me find my words. I apologize. But um like as as a parent hearing and we've got to add biology teacher, ELA coach, and you know me, I'm the numbers nerd. I've already run it on my spreadsheet. Like the the incremental cost to me as a taxpayer is not burdensome. My my own personal opinion, my own personal finances. I'm scared crapless. >> Go ahead. No, no, >> not if, but when. Now, maybe it's two years, possibly as soon as next year. Maybe we get away with three years, but it's coming. But Berlin is my my money is on Berlin will face overright within the next couple few years and we're
264having the same conversation as you. And so I I'm I'm with you. It's a fair question. You know, like last year you went through the budget and found, oh, we're overpaying on contractors. That's a nice savings. Like, are there other stones left unturned? I mean, that's really what what I want to know. Like, are are there things that we can make some tradeoffs on? Um, it like honestly why why was biology teacher the first thing cut? Like what else did we decide to keep before that? like understanding what those moving parts are um would be immensely helpful because I think the people that we have to convince are not the people who dedicate >> they're not >> way more time and energy than I'm willing to and the people who who come and show up
265to public hearing. I I think we're preaching to the choir. The the people that would need to hear about these challenges are the people that were were yelling on the floor of town meeting in Berlin. I I don't know about oil, but like yelling at each other. >> Oh, they're watching this, trust me. And so, but not only that, but the people who don't even bother to show up to town meetings who are going to get a ballot. >> Yeah. >> And so, the those are the people that that we have to try to sway their opinion. The people in this room, the people around this table, I I think we're so like I I don't think we're the ones that that need the convincing. And I'm super worried I if if we put these
266things back in the budget on and in a year or two we're talking about taking them back off again and probably a lot. You know, I I looked up on DLS and in the last two years overrides are only winning 47%. We we have a higher if history is an indicator, we have a higher probability of losing an override than winning one. So, it's not a foregone conclusion that we'll just put it to the voters and say, "All right, yep, I'll take the incremental tax hit. I'm I'm I'm willing to, but there's a lot of people out there that aren't." Um, and and for all the work that you guys have done, you know, I think we're a long way to restoring trust. if we can buy oursel another year or two to to try
267to try to finish that job showing that we've left no stones unturned. Um it's it's it's a very steep mountain to climb. I I'm worried it will be a very steep mountain to climb if and when we have to go to override Boilston's already there. >> Yeah, >> we had an over we had a debt inclusion last year. So everybody's taxes already went up in Boilston. So what are the chances that in Boilston we bring it again this year and people again vote when not only did did we vote we did so we voted on a fire station which our taxes went up it was like very high. Yes. But the senior center did not so the fire station was what 17 million that passed the the whatever it was the $4 million senior center
268did not pass. So >> So Megan what but what do you say? So you're saying an override is not going to pass and if we don't hit boilston's number it's going to be an override but then at the same time you're you're fighting to put these things on. So should we maybe vote for the bees assessment down to the boilston number >> unless there's something else that they want to cut and if they're saying that those that everything that's already there's nothing else in the budget that needs they want to cut. John came up here you guys said that was your number one. Is there something else in the budget that you want to cut or is the answer no? I think what we have in front of us right now is their answer. Whatever
269we vote tonight between now and whatever conversations happen with the towns, there'll be discussions and looking for things like no stone unturned, right? Like >> that's right. >> They'll be looking for you. Yeah. >> So, I have a question. Do you know that those numbers are solid? >> No, to get a high school biology teacher or is it >> those have to be estimates? We don't know that's the exact cost. We have a salary schedule and and we have you know health insurance costs hope that you know we get in a little under that but I you know we may only get applicants who are higher than that even but we may get a position someone who's under that. So we try to balance to the middle. That's just your estimate. >> But what could
270happen, which would be the only reason that I would be in support of voting the higher way higher number tonight, is Aaron could go back to the drawing board and something could change, right, that would lower something else so that we could Now, again, I think we're just voting on the number tonight. So, I guess if something else changed, then we'd be able to afford something else. We wouldn't We're not voting. The only things that could change, correct me if I'm wrong, Aaron, the only things that could change would be state 70 and 71, >> or we could decide to cut something. >> Yeah. I mean, Jan, like I said, Janelle and I talk daily over this almost. I mean, we we could have, you know, a cost change. Um, you know, if you're I
271mean, if you're willing, we could look at the two-year outlook on some students who might be aging out, but that, you know, then you start getting into riskier territory the further out you look, right? So, we just tried to look at at those first years. That would be a two-year commitment. So, you'd have to to balance that additional money for two years. Um, you know, I Beth, you know, Beth's 30,000 for the the the overlap with the superintendent. Surely that that could be, you know, funded, but that's not going to get us all the way. It's going to do a little bit. And every little I I absolutely agree. Every little bit matters. And I promise you, I've spent every single day going through our budget, our spending, our 25 numbers, where we are today
27226 for as many line items as possible. You know, it's hard to look at a $500 line, I would imagine. But, you know, you know, and all of our energy costs, where are we trending? Where are we looking? You know, can we fill the tank this year and leave it empty at the end of next year? like what can we do to try to to balance this off, right? We're filling tanks right now so that maybe next year's a little better. You know that and that's just hope for the future. >> Is the governor's budget like final? Is it final at 75 or is it 150? >> Is what Laura? >> We did 150 a student last year. Is the governor's budget final at 75? Is that >> So So the the governor's budget is
273Yes. So it was 150 last year that happened in like July, right? So we don't have that time. If if the legislature met tomorrow and they approved a higher number, I would put that higher number in there. >> Agreed. But knowing that's coming, >> but legislature isn't meeting tomorrow and it's going to be at least a couple months before they do anything. So everyone uses the governor's budget to base their initial budget on. The reason I'm able to put that 200,000 of excess in deficiency and I get comfortable with that number is because it went up to 150 postbudget and we actually are putting that money in the bank. So I'm comfortable spending that because it's excess that we received. >> So all right we have a public comment. >> So Laura Williamson Berlin I
274just had a question um more basically to high school. Um what is the high school science graduation requirement? Is it three or four years of a lab science? >> Three years. So if you don't have that science teacher, is that not allowing students such as seniors take a science their senior year? Like that's also kind of the questions I'm I'm looking at is like we're ticky tacking, but like children are not going to be able to go to a higher education because they weren't able to fit physics in their schedule. they weren't able to fit chemistry in their schedule. Like this is a no-brainer. Like we need to have the classes necessary for further engagement in life. And you can say, "Oh, they should go to a vote school, but you're not going to get
275physics in a vote school." You know, >> everybody realizes that comment was a joke, right? Like there was to make that to make a point. >> That comment was to make a point to sell the story. >> A little too hard sometimes. >> My bad. Okay. Everybody knows it was a joke. That was a joke. That was >> It was a joke. Hold on. Terrible. Terrible stuff. Terrible. I'm saying that was a joke that we're not even offering basic physics because there's not enough teachers. Like they're taking B biology, then they're taking chemistry, and then oh, it doesn't fit in my schedule. Like I have high schoolers here and one couldn't take French three because he really wanted to take computer science. They offer one computer science in this entire school. >> You put them
276in a lane when you do this and then they cannot get off the lane because they've committed to this lane as in night. >> They want to do it. That's what he wants to do for a living and we have one option for him. >> And so like we have to look ahead. We need to branch out. But I know my kids are at the top. They're taking AP classes. But if we don't have a science teacher, you don't have a biology B. Do you know what I'm saying? So adding a biology teacher or a science teacher is going to touch every single child in this school. It's going to touch those AP kids. It's going to touch those biology B kids. Like we need to think about what can we do the most with
277the littlest amount. And to me, it's a biology teacher and it's a reading specialist. And I know that the elementary schools are saying, "But if we start at the elementary school, guess what? It's too late. These kids that are here right now, they're already behind. We have to help those kids. So, we need to start prioritizing, I think, those holes." And that's why I see them as holes. So those kids that are struggling, who can't have IEPs, don't qualify for 504s, they need biology B, that need chemistry, um I think it's >> Fundamentals, they need to get that. So we need to focus right now where our holes are. And I feel like it's at Tahondo. The holes are at Tahondo right now. We've cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut
278cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut cut at Tanto and that's where our holes are a coach sure can help further down the road but it's not going to help immediate and the best chance to help immediate is to get somebody working directly with those students. So, I know that's the administration's wish list, but I feel like we need to refocus back to the students, hit those holes. And if you don't have a teacher, you have three teachers to do all of high school, then they can't take their other classes. They can't take manufacturing because it doesn't fit in their schedule. They can't take French for doesn't fit in their schedule. and we trying to make as many well-developed people because what if her daughter wants to be a French teacher, like
279you know what I mean? Like we're like pigeonholding them, not allowing them to go on their pathway and there's kids who want to be a doctor and we can't offer them anatomy and physiology. We can't offer them AP bio. So, we're doing a disservice to those kids, too. So, I really think we need to focus a lot more on the students if we're going to have wish lists. We're going to have priorities and hit those holes instead of trying to add it. But we need to concentrate. >> Thank you. >> All right. So, why don't we vote on this? That was good. So, >> thank you. So, hold on. Um Aaron, can you put that >> screen up? Turn your screen off. >> Know my password. So do all of us. >> I lowerase. >>
280Oh, come on, dude. >> He jinxed them before. >> We're all watching. >> I know. Huh? Under pressure. >> So that's uh >> 210 that we're adding to the total budget. >> 240. Yeah, >> it's the the nurse >> the reading specialist. The nurses on >> right check is on here. >> 240 >> 99 is 240. >> I mean it's 210 is the math. 9090 and 30. You check something. You got something wrong. This is why you don't do it on live TV. >> No because of the bio. >> You zeroed out something. >> Oh no. The 15 and 15. That's the 30 there. >> Yeah. No, that's right. >> Yeah. Those three add up to 240. >> 240 total. >> Question my own math. >> He took 30 out for the superintendent. >> I'll
281make sure it's right. >> I only taught it. >> So, why don't we Can we add the ELA coach and vote on the ceiling budget with that? >> I agree with that. >> What happens? Boilson came back today. They got $200,000 from uh DCR. What happens last summer? They had another 50 they found for us. So, what happens if they come back in two weeks and they find some more money? So, you said yes. CLA coach, >> I say yes. >> I mean, >> we're voting on the CLA. >> I'm very confused of your conversation right now. You're yelling that there's not going to be an override, but then you're asking to add more things to it. >> I'm saying to vote on this right now and then I think we need there's definitely going
282to need to be cuts, >> but now I said >> fixing the problem at the elementary school in there. Sorry. >> Yeah, that's right, Eric. Yeah, >> that's um 4060. What match is that? Specialist teacher. >> Yeah, that's right. >> I must have been in deleted something. Sorry. >> Right. 3654. Yeah. Sorry. I must have somewhere along my invert that existed. I know that. >> So now we're >> So vote on these numbers. So, we're going to we're going to when we when we make our motion, we'll vote on >> adding the specific things in. We'll put a caveat that Aaron will double check and send the correct number to the town. >> That'll take care of that. And in the interim, you'll be looking as an admin team. We'll look underneath every rock we
283can. We're hoping to see that maybe numbers come back better from the state, right? We don't know anything yet. That's a tough part with being a regional school district as opposed to municipality. We got to get ours done in 45 days. Um, but >> what about the uh Al's asking about the tech support at 65? >> Nope. >> Sorry. >> I mean, you know, I think we're gonna end up probably having to cut. >> I mean, with the ELA coach and the reading specialist, is there any way you could five of each and have that one person? I mean, >> I think that creates >> additional problems. the money will be in the budget and then the district the administration can decide can use the money as they see fit. So if they have a
284windfall, they can hire that tech guy. >> And Jess, those those are notes that I'm putting here that I'll be talking, right? Is there a person that's out there that could be a reading specialist in ELA coach? We those are conversations that we would have to look at, right? Because we know that those are conversations will be continue. >> Is that our final number? Remember, this is only operating. >> So that's where we get to. So, I guess what I would appreciate is a vote on the additions you're making >> and then we would do a vote on the overall budget in accordance with this. >> Okay. >> Right. For operations. >> Yep. >> Uh, is anybody So, I'm asking the committee right now. So, before we vote, everybody's okay with this or does anybody
285have anything else to say about this? Okay, we're good with this. vote on the operating. >> So, I'd like I'd like you to vote to add these. >> Okay. Can I please have a motion? >> Uh, hold on. >> Do you want have something? >> Or you could make separate motions. Add the biology teacher at the ELA coach. >> Do you want me to make a motion to vote to add these four? >> Yeah, I think it would be helpful motion to vote. That way, it's on the record that you're voting. They're not separate. >> Let's make it separate. It's easier. >> No, no, no. Not each one. But separate from the number. Uh could I have a motion please to add the position of biology teacher one FTE ELA coach one FTE district float
286nurse 6 FTE and the reading specialist one FTE to the total operating budget >> Jess. All right. Anybody discuss? All in favor? Hi. >> Uh, let's go. Jess. >> Hi, >> Megan. >> Hi, >> Beth. >> Hi, >> Lisa. Hi, >> Jackie. Hi. >> Okay, the motion passes. >> Second, Chad, you good? >> Hold on. >> So, it's just the motion to add those four positions. >> All right. So, now this dollar number here, Aaron, includes those four positions. >> This now includes those positions. Yes. >> And you want me to read this whole thing? >> Yes. >> Is that correct? >> Yes. Yes. All right. So, we have all of the lines that make up the budget covered. >> And I want to add in um I want to add in some caveat that
287if your spreadsheet has messed up the formulas or the numbers, >> you have the authority to fix it tomorrow in your office while you have the time to look at it without having to get us back to again. >> Yeah. Minor errors, y scrers errors. Uh, can I have a motion, please, that the Burl Boilston School Committee vote to approve an FY27 operating budget of 26,467,728 which includes the following offsets to reduce the budget. School choice 710,000 circuit breaker reimbursement 926,000 IDF IDA grant funds 270,000 funded through the following projected revenue >> bottom top number by dollar >> it's rounded >> there goes our that's why we're putting a caveat >> funded through the following projected revenues Berlin operating assessment 9,166,930 operating assessment 13,4328,843 chapter 7 state aid 3,229,646 chapter 71 transportation reimbursement 356,602 excess
288and deficiency new 200,000 Medicaid reimbursement 35,000 investment income 35,000 charter school reimbursement 11,76 with the caveat that Aaron Osborne finance director for the district will double check these numbers numbers and send the correct exact figures to the towns >> in time. >> That's right. >> So moved >> without needing additional vote from the school committee for these items. >> Thank you. >> Did you read the total? >> Read the read. >> 26,46728. I read it at the very beginning. >> You read it at the beginning. >> Yes. The dollar difference is rounding. It's just there's rounding in there. It's all >> the motion. I have asked somewhere. >> All right. Jackie >> second >> and Beth. Okay. Anyone want to discuss that? >> All in favor? Jess. >> I. >> Megan. >> Hi. >> Beth.
289>> Hi. >> Lisa. >> Hi. >> Jackie. >> Hi. >> All right. That motion passes. Thank you. >> Capital. >> I need a cookie. >> Five minute recess. >> Do you want to take a break? >> A break. All right. >> Uh, what do we got here, Aaron? >> So, this is back to the capital. This is this matches those prior pages. This includes the items that we agree on next round we may take out at Boilston. But just for the sake of trying to just keep up with with where we are, we know we're coming back anyhow. So, you know, I I'm fine explaining that to them that, you know, we understand that the parking and the um wood chips to rubber surface may not be tenable at this time and and we understand
290that. Does anybody have any other questions about capital before we go through this? >> So why are we including it if we know it's >> I would just take it out. >> Take it out now. >> Certainly the parking >> I think I have that math somewhere. >> Yeah. >> Um yeah I I mean is the school committee generally amendable to taking that out? >> If we know a $600,000 parking lot's not going to happen this year. I think I feel comfortable taking it out. >> Well, that the parking lot's not in it. >> That was already taken. >> It's the two It's parking lot and >> that's the bees pavement, not the Toronto parking lot. >> Uh, look, I think I have parking lot. >> If we're going to if we're going to take
291those numbers out, we're going to need that. Take a break and let him do it without everyone watching. >> Yeah. Or we could make the motion. Uh >> just make the motion and then >> we could we can reduce it. >> I don't want them. This is how we got into trouble last time. >> Yes. >> We've gotten in trouble multiple times. >> I'm calling for a fivem minute recess here. Give Aaron a second. >> Turn the projector off. >> Everybody go get a cookie. Do something. >> Sorry. I get a picture of these. >> I have an order for We're gonna we're gonna get back to business here. Thank you. >> I know. I know. >> Good to go. All right. So, all right. Um, we were good to go and then Aaron just
292walked out of the room. No, there he is. There he is. That was Joe. That was Joe. I saw a blue shirt. Come on. >> Aaron, what do we have now? So, this is the um capital budget. >> We call we call this meeting back to order >> from recess. There we go. Wait, wait, wait, wait. >> No, he said we're good to go. Are you good, Alex? >> Yeah. >> Okay, we're good. All right, we're back. We're back to work. All right. >> So, uh I apologize. Small typo caught in um the Tanto assessments. that's adjusted just um the boiling capital has come down from uh 1375 uh down to a,53,815. The bulk of that 985,000 is the debt that I mean that that's never not going away until the debt's done. So, you
293know, that's just includes the $68,000 that Boilston has indicated they're comfortable picking up. >> And this is the entire capital budget. >> This should be the entire capital budget and the three sources that those would come out of. >> And are we doing a vote on each individual town as well or is this the only vote? Uh you could you could do it all as one just as long as you taught you you say you know town of boilston assessment 92 town of yeah Berlin then boilston a million 5315 and then boil c internal capital our capital account >> and should we put a uh another little caveat on it that you can adjust typos and >> you're welcome to >> or we need to >> I won't argue >> 48 hours to get a
294meeting once we decide it right >> and and that's what taking out the playground chips and the back paving of element. So this so this capital so the Berlin capital is as on the slide that we saw earlier. Boilston capital is debt in the bathroom >> and and the boilston internal capital is what we saw on the slide earlier. >> Yep. >> Anybody have any questions? I have a motion, please, to vote to approve fiscal 27 capital budget of 2,446,950 funded through the following revenue sources. Town of Berlin capital assessment 92,296 Town of Boilston Capital Assessment 1,53,815. Town of Boilston internal capital use $490,839 with the caveat that Aaron Osborne, director of finance, may confirm that these numbers are correct before certifying to the town without additional school committee vote. >> So move >> Jess.
295>> Yes. >> Second. >> I heard Megan first. Anyone have anything on that? Oh god. >> All in favor? Jess. >> I. >> Megan. >> Hi. >> Beth. >> Hi. >> Lisa. >> Hi. >> Jackie. Hi. >> All right. That motion passes. And you're lucky I read the whole thing before. >> Um, so that takes care of our budget votes for this evening. Um, upcoming meeting on Tuesday, March 24th, where I'm sure we'll have more information about this. Um, future agenda items with that are going to be schedules and calendars and uh, school choice. >> School choice. We're going to ask for the voting on the calendar. You had a chance to look at it. We presented to you earlier and I know that Rich and Joe and Marin are going to be talking to
296you about program studies. Um, some course approvals for that as well too. All right. May I have a motion to return this meeting? >> So moved. >> Megan. >> Lisa. All in favor? >> Anyone against? >> All right. >> Thank you everyone for coming. Thank you guys. Thanks everyone. Thank you everyone. >> Nine on the button.