001It's 5 o'clock. So, I'd like to call the regular meeting of the board of education to order. If we could please have the roll call. >> Frame >> here. >> Henchel >> here. Ly >> here, >> Maine here, Oliver >> here, >> panel >> here, >> motor here. Uh we have a quorum and so uh we will now take a moment of reflection preceding the pledge of allegiance. To the flag, United States of America. We have some announcements that there will be a workshop to discuss the 2526 budget in referendum planning um uh for after our regular meeting. Um I also wanted to take a moment to congratulate uh Hi Sachka again for uh going through the classes and passing her test to become a parliamentarian. Uh our last workshop we went through um the
002Robert's rules to remember um how we were going to run our meetings and there were just four uh bullet points that um Hi and I discussed um just reminding our team that we're going to be uh wait to be recognized by the president before speaking. Everyone will have the opportunity to speak after everyone has had the opportunity to share their ideas. Members may speak for a second time if they have new information or a new idea to share. Uh debate or speaking ends when the roll call vote begins. Members no longer desire to speak or twothirds majority of members vote will end the debate. So just a reminder on that. And so then we are up to public comment. Uh the public may now approach the board to make a presentation no longer than five
003minutes per person, 10 minutes per topic. Those persons exceeding these time limits shall be interrupted as deemed necessary by the presiding officer. Members of the board and administration will not respond or further discuss items from public comment at this meeting to remain in compliance with state statutes chapter 19 subchapter 5 open meetings of governmental bodies and the public notice requirements. I'm referencing policy 0167.3 public comment at board meetings. I want to remind participants that the presiding officer is guided by the following rules. Letter F, all statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. No person may address or question board members individually. Letter G, the president offers off officer will interrupt, warn or terminate if the participant statement is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene or irrelevant. The number two the presiding officer will request
004any individual to leave the meeting when that person does not observe re reasonable decorum. Number three, the presiding officer will request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person's conduct interferes with the orderly progress of the meeting. Number four, the presiding officer will call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum so interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such actions. So after that uh who is interested in coming up for public comment Jim Hess W3678 Sunny Road Eden. Thank you board members and superintendent Steinbart for attending the referendumschool budget forum last Wednesday. I believe those attending learn a lot as to why our school district is experienced its current budget shortfall. Uh the thing that
005interested me was the special education slashsp specialcial needs students with learning difficulties like dyslexia, emotional and autism spectrum disorder which will only be uh received which will only receive 42% this year and 45% I believe next year uh reimbursement from the It was legislators that mandated putting special needs kids in with the general student population. The federal and state politicians could at least fully fund the program. I believe over the years schools have been far too liberal in labeling students quote special needs unquote. There's a broad spectrum that allows a growing number of kids to join the quote special rank. Back in the 70s in my high school with 400 students, the number of special needs kids was 24. Uh that's 6% of the population. I believe FAC is at 18%. it I might be
006off but I think it's close to 18%. And these students need modified curriculum specialized therapies which equal greater dollars of course needed and of course the individualized instructors receive higher wages than your standard educator. This is unsustainable to the parents. The forms that you sign at the beginning of the year, which allow treatment at your schools, don't sign those forms because you want to know exactly what happens to your child at school. You want to screen if they have therapists at school. And uh you want to because if they're pushing the gender ideology in their office, you'll never know that. They will keep that information from you because your signature turns your child over to them. There's also sexual education policy that was developed by the UN full of transgender propaganda that is adopted by
007the school system and this is what they're pushing. Also, they have these school-based health centers. The school-based health centers say, "Oh, mom, you're so busy. We're going to treat your child if they have an asthma attack or they need ice for a sprain." That's the cover story. Especially the last years with many young people having anxiety and depression. In past years in our school district, on the first day of school, students are told to make clear their preferred pronouns. So ultimately, on the first day, our schools teach as fact pseudo science when schools should be giving our students the opportunity to critically argue all sides of the issue, not what to think, but how to think. I hope our leadership has rethought this practice and understand that if they continue will result in more federal
008dollars being taken away. When young people are not taught or allowed to critically think, they stop questioning. And when they stop questioning, young people become vulnerable to manipulation, to propaganda, and to fear. Promoting transgender ideology is a major contributor to young people's pessimism. They have lost faith in the older generation. Thank you. >> Thank you. Is there anyone else that wishes to come forward? Hello Shie Troder, 77 East 111 Street. Um, the Fondelac School District Facebook page. I'm sure I'm hoping that you all follow that. Um I see that there's been one, two, three, four, at least five, maybe six for sure. um shares of different parts of the video from um all the amazing stuff that had happened in the past four years with um um just regrouping and and doing things, you know,
009from the top to the bottom and everybody from the bottom helping to the top and, you know, with the staff and admin and um I I was not surprised myself, but I just wanted to share a little couple data points of a couple of these videos. I just think from going from a 10% towards the bottom school district four years ago to now 50% which like I said before is still a solid F, but we're getting there. It we're getting there. Still an F. I would ex I would hope that people would um want to share this, you know, this the Harvard and Stanford results that came out of it and were published. And I just feel like this is worth sharing even to your friends and family outside of our Fondelac school district, you
010know, when you reshare something on Facebook or whatever. So, one of the videos had 2,300 views. There was one share and no comments underneath it. 19 people liked it. One, another video part of the video had 6,400 views. It had 11 shares, one comment, and 53 likes. Another one had 4,400. No shares, no comments, 44 likes. Another one had 3,200. One share, no comments, 42 likes. And another one that I looked back on had 4,200 no shares, one comment, 38 likes. I'm just a little sad. Um, I mean, I kind of have been on and off for years. But just with this amazing transformation and all this hard work that all the staff has done and the students and I just feel like this is something that I would hope our community and our parents
011and our staff would be really be more excited about I guess in this in this part not saying they're not excited but you know with in the world of technology also So, you know, I mean, thousands of people have viewed these videos, every single one of them, and I just I'm a little sad that it's just not embraced like that. So, that's all I had to say. >> Thank you. >> Good evening, everyone. Antonio Godfrey, 81 Fifth Street, FondeLac. It it's it's great to always celebrate certain different aspects, but this part of this one is um most of you probably don't know of or ever heard of Back to School FondeLac. Back to School Found is a collaborative um non registered nonprofit that makes sure and ensures that most of our children in our in
012our district and and our community have supplies to go back to school every year. Um this this coming up Saturday from 7:30 to 2 o'clock at the FondeLac YMCA I mean Fondelac Boys and Girls Club and um YMCA is the annual um supply distribution day for families to pick up um pre-registered supplies with their kids from ele if I remember correctly elementary school and and high school. um to give you guys some some numbers of what numbers the numbers from last year was 2,429 students in our Fondelac school district that were helped with this program. it it was a it was a lot smaller 2061. This year's number is 2,482 students that will be served and helped with supplies to go back to school. Um, if families that have not registered prior to this past
013Monday, not last Monday, um they can um contact the um Sal Fondelac Salvation Army to do late pickups. I mean, or to get some supplies, but most of our supplies that are are given out are pre-registered families that have already registered throughout the community. Um, yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Is there anyone else that would like to come forward? >> Brie Barthuli, 256 Roosevelt Street. uh which the first thing and one of you guys I can't remember a couple meetings ago there was that there was discussion about who can come up and talk and all like the rules of that and you I totally agree you end up saying like anyone should be able to come up with and I think if that's the thing I don't think we should have to give
014our address I feel like that's a safety thing that in this in the year 2025 it is not super safe to announce your address that if people don't agree with what you have to say things could happen and so that's something I would like our board to consider getting rid of that rule if we don't really care where people live because we know that our students and us, we have people all over Fondelac outside. I'd love to see us, I think more people would feel comfortable coming forward to talk and share if they did not have to give out where they live. Um, two positives I want to bring forth. This year was my son's first year that he did summer school and I just want to give a shout out to all the administrators
015and teachers who ran summer school. I was amazed at the choices that kids have. My son took a kindergarten cooking class and he will now eat tacos with more than just cheese on them. And he was proud that he learned how to make s'mores and just loved telling me what he was baking and it was cool that they incorporated reading and math into that. So, I just thought it was so awesome that those teachers gave up those weeks of their lives to do that over the summer and the administrators. Um, and then I wanted to give a shout out to the wreck department as well. My son and I went on the Chicago um weekend trip in like the middle of July and being in FondeLac for as long as I have, I thought for
016sure I was going to like know everyone on the bus and I was surprised that I didn't know a single person and I thought it was really cool to see that Wes actually ended up being the only kid on the trip that it was all older families, there was a lot of elderly people that it was cool that it's an event that really reached a lot of Fondelac community that I'm not familiar with. I thought it was cool that the recck department is not just reaching out to our students and our families, but even just the general community and giving them it was such a great opportunity to get to go down to Chicago about 10:30 a.m. and stay there until 6:30 and do whatever we wanted. And my son's still talking about it and
017claiming we need to go back to Chicago. So, I need another bus trip um at some point soon. In the last meeting, you guys talked a lot about IAS and wondering why do we have such turnover with the IAS? An issue I saw come up last school year is that IAS were not allowed to have a desk. That did not sit well with me. I still remember our custodian removing a desk from a room and saying even I have a desk in the boiler room, but our IAS did not have a desk. They didn't have a spot to put a picture of their family. And then we wonder why they leave our district. I'll never forget running into one of our in the hallway in the morning and being like, "Man, am I late for
018a meeting or something?" And they were like, "No, I'm just waiting for this teacher to get here because I don't have anywhere to go." They didn't have a spot and that just did not sit well with me. I don't know what the rationale was, but I feel like if you want people to stay in this district, everyone deserves a home base. They deserve a spot to put their stuff, to put up a picture, that that's the root of the problem, why they're leaving. They don't feel welcomed. They don't feel like they're appreciated. And these are our people that they're helping some our students that struggle the most. They're going outside with a kid. They're sitting under a table with a kid that's disregulated. if we don't appreciate them, they walk out and leave and there's
019not a line of people at the door as I know I think we're still needing some IAS in my building. So, that's something that I would look into is how can we better support the IAS in our district. Um, and I originally did not plan on coming to speak tonight, but as I was driving and I was listening to some comments and that anyone would think it's wrong for me to ask a student their preferred pronouns, that hurts me. I want a student to feel safe in my classroom. If a student tells me that they prefer that I call them James and they go by he, him, or they, them, I am not going to disrespect them and say, "No, I'm that's no different than if I have a Timothy and he wants me to
020call him Tim." Teachers want our students to feel safe. And I think that anyone that doesn't agree with that. I question that. And I'd like you to come spend some time with those kids that you're judging that you don't understand. They are amazing and they have amazing things to share and I love that our district and our board is very supportive of that and I hope that we continue to do that because those kids matter and I will always stand up for them. >> Thank you. >> Is there any one else who'd like to come forward? Okay. Uh seeing none, if we could have an a motion to approve the consent agenda. I move that board of education approve the consent agenda as follows. July 21, 2025 regular M meeting minutes, July 21, 2025 workshop
021minutes, personnel recommendations, resignations and new hires and by monthly financial report. Second. >> Okay, we have a motion by Henchel and we have a second by Labyrin. >> Okay. Uh Katie, I request to remove the July 21st, 2025 regular meeting minutes from the consent agenda to be amended. >> Okay. Thank you. Um do we need a second on that? No. Okay. So, um, regarding, uh, the first motion, I know, um, uh, someone shared that they had, uh, to want to clarify something that had to do with the, um, uh, not personnel recommendations, but the financial report. So, uh, was there someone that wanted to do a clarification? >> Yeah. So, I brought this up because, um, this is a new board. We've been asking a lot of, uh, questions just to understand, um, where uh
022where we spend our money and I feel it's important that if we ask these questions we should bring it up during the board meeting so that the uh community can better understand you know or I'm I'm hoping that more people email me for questions because the the the budget is a big topic that a lot of people have uh a lot of opinions about. So um I'm just bringing these up to try to show more transparency and stuff like that. So uh the first one was a check for class link was it 25,000 uh $984. Uh it was a software service that provides single sign on on access for all other district software applications for students and staff. Um can can you clarify on that more Mr. Gerlock? Just >> uh well Mr. frame like
023what class link is or does or >> Yeah. >> Well, it as and I think maybe for perhaps for the whole board and being public uh my assumption is I know Mrs. motor. These are questions that you had originally asked. And for clarification on the check register, part of the required or part of our what we believe is the right financial reporting is to provide you a list of uh checklistings and you when you vote yes on a consent agenda, those payments then get to go be released because the board is the signatory on those. And so as part of the oversight, it's completely appropriate to ask what those checks are before they are approved or released. and so to class link. So, uh, Mrs. Motor has been asking a series of questions. I certainly
024can provide information always facilitates the conversation better or the information if, uh, you provide those to me ahead of time, which you've done. And so, Class Link is um a sort of a landing platform uh where staff sign on singularly and we have a whole number of all the various software that uh staff all the way from teachers, instructional assistants, uh custodians uh can log on and access um not only information but do a lot of their work. Uh for an example um our financial management software Skyward Cumulative is there so it can be reached that way for staff all the way through our facilities management um work order request system is in there. So, it's kind of a one-stop shop for from a software world um to the applications that all staff need to
025conduct their business. And so, like software um it it's a licensing situation. So, that they provide the service. So, it's a software as a service type situation that we pay for. >> Does that help, Mr. Frame? >> Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Um, and then the next one was uh James leasing for uh $9,656.98. Uh, this is payment for the district's copier and printers that are leased. I feel like that's pretty self-explanatory. Uh, and communications for $2,441. Payment for the annual service inspection of the district's fire alarm systems. Once again, I feel that's pretty self-explanatory. uh math learning center uh for $55,587.60. This is a payment for the elementary math manipulatives multiplatives >> uh for instruction. >> Um sure, just for the viewing audience, can we get more? >> Yeah, actually it's a great question. Um
026perhaps if you don't mind, I'd like to yield to perhaps uh Mr. Groves and our curriculum department to explain what a math manipulative is. I think I have an idea but uh uh so with our math curriculum bridges especially in the elementary schools um progression of learning in math involves the use of tools and manipulatives so that kids really build a solid foundational understanding of numbers and quantities and things like that. So within that curriculum are a variety of small games and manipulatives, number and bead racks and things like that that go to every elementary school and the children utilize those within the instruction within the bridges instruction throughout lessons, workplaces they call them, where they're working in small groups and it really helps build that foundational understanding of solid numbers and operations and things
027like that. So >> awesome. Thank you. Um, next one was Whitmer's Incorporated for $8,53 uh payment for the inspection and maintenance services on gymnasium bleachers in the district. I feel that's pretty self-explanatory. Uh, WMadison Westnet um for $60,50 is payment for internet services and the district's uh security classroom licensing program. I once again feel that's self-explanatory unless anybody else has any questions on it. >> Mr. Gerac, will you though explain and I I agree it's self-explanatory with the bleachers and things but why we do that as well because some people might question why are you spending that even would you just let people know? Well, certainly, you know, um each of these payments, you know, there's obviously a lot there's, you know, we're summarizing them at a high level. Um but Wymer's uh is a
028firm that comes and they're a consulting they're classified in the consultant purchased service category. And what they do is they come in and this is their arena where they not only inspect for um Americans with disabilities access requirements, make sure that guard rails, things of that nature are secured, they assist our team as they go through the gym to say, "Well, maybe seeing things that we're not seeing." We do a great job on our inspection services, but um to stay compliant with not only safety regulations, but they also then do some of the service like if um You know, I think for example on one of these in talking to Mr. Blascowski, uh some of the, you know, basketball hoops that are elevated have safety fall sat fall safety straps. So in the event that
029the cabling fails that there is a secondary safety um mechanism. Well, those over time reach an aged out life. Uh and they recommended to the district that we consider replacing those safety straps. And so we we talk about the report all the time. That that's the consulting element of it. And then we make a call and they say, you know what, this is a higher priority for us. And so some of the things like fire alarm inspections, safety inspections, these payments in this month, all related to the the large volume of of students and staff that are going to be coming on back. So um that's really what we do. We have a large number of gymnasiums uh in the district. This isn't just Fondelac High School, although some take more or less dependent on
030age and installation. So, that's kind of the greater explanation to a payment like this. Um, and certainly if you wanted more and more detail, we could get into that and talk about that. >> Thank you. Go ahead. I just wanted to encourage um on the math question if you have kids in the s in the um grade schools and that uh I've actually been in my kids' classrooms at that age. The gamification piece is really cool. I mean they're learning the um really a lot of the math is from that when I was growing up was called flashcards and playing cribage with my grandparents >> is what how I learned how to count and everything. >> But um yeah, if you're in the classroom, volunteer if you want to see what it looks like. It's
031It's pretty neat stuff. So, >> thank you. All right. Is there anything else? Otherwise, we'll ask for the roll call. >> Frame. >> Uh, yes. >> Uh, Henchel, >> yes. >> Ly, >> yes. >> Maine, yes. Oliver, >> yes. >> Panel, >> yes. >> Motor, >> yes. So, uh, that first portion of the consent agenda passes 70. And then Karen, if you'd like to make the second move motion, then >> I move that the board of education approve the July 1st, 2025 regular meeting minutes with the following amendment to item nine, uh, other appropriate matters to add, um, not attend some meetings or be at many school functions to the end of Mr. Oliver's comments. In a second, please. Second. >> Okay. So, a motion by frame, a second or I'm sorry, a motion by
032Maine, and a second by frame. If we could please have the roll call. Can >> Can I Can I ask Can What are we voting on? >> Um, so under other appropriate matters, I left a sentence. it. >> If you go to other appropriate matters >> is this. >> She just missed typing um something that happened in the meeting. >> Um >> Oh, >> yeah. Yeah. >> I was trying to follow everything. I was like, "All right, why don't we vote on it? Got me confused." >> Yeah. That he announced his pancreatic cancer and that he may >> may what? >> Oh, so I just wanted it in there that he may not attend as many meetings. I was my head was like >> it's all good. >> Well, all right. Thanks. >> It's all
033good. Right. Anything else? Okay. All right. Let's see here. Henchel, >> yes. >> Ly, >> yes. >> Maine, yes. Oliver, >> yes. >> Panel, >> frame, >> yes. >> Motor, >> yes. Motion carries 70. Thank you and thanks for the clarification. >> Yes. >> Right. So, a superintendent report. Thank you, President Motor. So, first a little bit of a celebration for some of our board members here. So, we just got um some letters from WASB that the some members are being recognized for their efforts in leadership and board development. Um when you get recognized for something like this, it's based off of points that are awarded to schoolboard members for attending or participating in various WASB programs and events. So, we have Miss Panau um at level one, if you don't mind passing that over
034to her. >> Congratulations. >> We have Katie Motor at level one. >> And we have Mark Henchel at level three. So, thank you so much. I know this is from your organization, but as well from the Fine Life School District for everything you do for our students and for being as involved as you are. Other than that right now, uh we did just get done last week with our administrators coming back in person. Started out on Wednesday and had three great days of learning with them, doing a lot of norming and conversations and collaborating about some of the things that got us to where we are right now. And I know some speakers had had talked about, you know, the work that we've done and what are those big hitting things that we need to
035see continuing and to be championing for. So, we did a lot of that and then everyone um in front of you there had had moments where they spoke in front of the staff and did some professional development or some higher level uh safety things as well as business components to make sure we're all on the same page. And then moving into it, um, coming up very soon, we have on Monday, August 18th, our cardinal launch for our new staff will begin as well as our systems design summit. And the cardinal launch is here at the admin building. And the system design summit will be at Tyson Middle School, both going from 8 to 3:30. And then Tuesday, again, we'll continue with systems design summit at Tyson. And just so people that are wondering what is
036the systems design summit, that's where we go over our district big rocks, a lot of the things that we've done with UVA in terms of what what are our next steps, what are our next pivots to continue moving the district forward. So our our principles and the team leaders in the respective buildings. We'll get an opportunity to look over data that we've gotten now over the last year to say, okay, where are we knocking it out of the park? but also what are some things we need to have a little bit more focus on. So, it's always a really great time to see everyone dig into their school data and you you see celebrations and you see some opportunities where people like ah we didn't hit the boat where we wanted to on that one.
037But it's it's great learning and great thinking going on. Then on Wednesday, we also have cardinal launch for our new teachers before the big one, which is the Thursday, August 21st, that you're all invited to is our all staff welcome back in the Final High School PAC. Um, and that's where uh right away at 8 o'clock. Yep. So, I'll say that again. Thursday, August 21st, all staff, welcome back. and it's just a great time to get all staff together and we do some celebrating as well as again some focused movements on what what we're going to be doing for this the school year. Um those are really the big ones before the August 25th time where a lot of our schools will begin open houses and they're all at a little bit different schedule as
038we work with all of our interpreters to support schools that need interpretation as well. Um, but it's really Monday, August 25th is most of our elementarymentaries. Tuesday, August 26th is our middle school and STEM and Wednesday, August 27th. Again, there's a couple elementary um going on at that time, too. And then the high schools is Tuesday, September 2nd. Um, that they have theirs. >> Mr. Steinbart. Oh, >> what was the the 18? Was that the new employee or which >> the new employee the cardinal launch first day is? Yes. August 18th at at the administration building here in the Good Lo Theater again at 8 a.m. >> 8 a.m. >> And I'm wondering is there a way that you could send us all the information you just said, >> but I also wanted it for
039the viewing public. >> No. Yeah. Yes, we will send that out to all of you again so that you know the big ones. Again, the one that's been normally attended by a lot of the board members is the Thursday, August 21st all staff welcome back day. >> And then if we want to make sure that um you email me and Yes. Again, as as we went to a a speaking session on Wednesday last week, uh again, just as a reminder, either letting myself, it's probably better if you let Hy know. She's a little bit better with keeping the the minutes on that, but I don't want us to get into a situation where we have a walking quorum or anything like that. So, if you know you want to attend something, I know we don't
040reply all to to letters and notes that go out, but if you're going to attend, either send Hi an email or a phone call and just let her know you're going to be there because then we can announce that we'll have more than three board members at an event. >> Great. Thank you. Uh so, now we are up to student staff activities. >> Uh nothing really. >> Okay. Um, as uh Matt mentioned, I was at the uh the Recipes for Freedom U. They had gentlemen from what was it? Kakana >> Kawas. Kowask. Thank you. Um, board of education who discussed successes and referendum and and financing and things. And Matt, Mark, and Luke and I were all there. And if we had somebody named John, we had the four evangelists. Um, and I found that
041very interesting, uh, informative, and I think there's some takeaways that we can discuss down the road or when we get into the workshop. Uh, I was also at the National Night Outs and that was a good time. There's lots of folks there and poor Antonio got dunked dozens of times. So, >> 15. >> So, he was pretty well. That water's cold. >> Yeah. >> But it was really fun and great a great community event. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> And I plan on attending some of this stuff. I guess once we get the thing, we email about that >> and she'll know where we're at. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Good. >> Thank you, >> Mrs. Maine. Um I have not been around these last few weeks. I've been traveling, so nothing at this time.
042>> Mrs. Panel, >> um I was able to meet with uh Mr. Groves, Mr. Michael Cavage and um Mr. Steinbart. Uh with Mr. Groves, uh we discussed upcoming curriculum meetings and he lent me TCI TCI fifth and K uh social studies text that I wanted to review. Um I spoke with Mr. C. Michael Cavage pertaining to what is coming with DDI and the high school and we talked about what is being anticipated uh with the impact of the teachers having um six periods versus five periods and I asked him for copies of Sav's English and social science uh which he willingly provided about like And so I've been doing a lot of reading is the bottom line. Um with Mr. Steinbart, I spoke about curricular plans and uh plans for UVA and I1 both for
043this year, this school year, as well as looking forward. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Enshel. >> Yeah. Um couple things. uh was at the referendum forum um last couple weeks. Also attended a lot of college recruiting opportunities with a bunch of our young men that have uh are going to have great opportunities uh after high school to play athletics in the college level and hopefully you know get a good education on doing those. U with that I do want to say uh so people that are looking at UW colleges the admissions had to open August 1st. Um there's a lot of free um what I want to say applications. I think only two in the UW systems are actually charging. So if you're looking at attending the next level, go on and you know if
044you need help at the high school, uh Mrs. Mlavage or other people are available to help with that uh with the admission. Um the other thing was uh Saturday we had a JFLOT uh family day. So, it's the only time in the year we get fifth grade all the way through 12th grade practicing on the same field, interacting together, showing them what the opportunity can look like. Um, and with that, I I I was at a parents meeting the other night, and I do want to put a shout out to Ish Harris. Uh, he put together a mentor program. >> Um, I know he has reached out to me a couple times in in putting this together and and things and he did an outstanding job formalizing. It's a It's called Forged and right now
045he's starting it with football where we're taking high school football student athletes to work with the JFL, mentor them on the field, even off the field and and be part of their journey and uh wants to expand that obviously to other uh athletics and other pieces of the of the co of the you know, Final School District, but did an outstanding job putting program together and um yeah, if you kids that are at the high school level that are student athletes that want to be part of that re reach out to I is he did a you know it's got a really nice write up on it and what it's for and I just yeah very excited for what we got going there so >> thank you >> Mr. frame. >> Uh just a couple
046things as it's summer and there's not a whole lot of things going on. Uh last Friday I was able to attend the um high school marching band. >> Um I don't know if it was their season opener or the the end of band camp or whatever. Uh they're doing the corpse bride this year. I thought that was really cool. Um they didn't show the ending. They said you got to come back to see that. So I thought uh Mr. Mr. Barnes did a fantastic job there. It was really nice seeing all the students um you know acting and playing music and everything like that. So uh and then I was able to be a judge for the spelling for success with the boys and girls club. Uh I thought it was great. I had a
047lot of fun doing it. Um I think the kids had a lot of fun doing that too. It was it was a good time. So those are my only two things. >> Thank you. Um I had the opportunity to be a judge as well at um the Boys and Girls Club event. Um I didn't always remember my last step of when you're done hold up your I had some kids poking me in the back reminding me but it was a great um experience and it was great to see so many families there. Uh I also have uh spoken to some administrators who really appreciated and enjoyed the kickoff. Um, and I also want to I've talked to a principal who's trying something new during um open houses or I'm sorry during the open house to
048really connect families with students. And I believe that's part of the UVA process is thinking outside the box to better meet our students and our families. And so it was um really good to hear that that work uh like Joan had said earlier is continuing to move forward because that's what's making a difference. So thank you. That's all I have. Um, is there uh any other appropriate matters? >> Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you. Public comment. Is there any other public comment? Thanks, Joe. >> That's okay. >> Um, also, oh, do I got to say my name again? >> Okay. um the entire summer log um Ebony Vision um the Falac County um Department of Social Services, the police department um and um a few other organ nonprofit organizations have been out at Maplewood Commons um
049every Wednesday doing a program um just you name it, they have done it. And there are two more sessions left. There is one left um for to this week, Wednesday, and then next week is the wrap up and send off for all the the kids to to go back to school. And it is hopeful that our our our our athletic director will be um also out there. But if you guys are not b if anybody's not busy um please please come out and you know just support our kids in our district. um that have that are on their way back to school. Um this is this has been a fun field funfilled summer. There are some amazing amazing children that live out there in that community and they they they seem to get forgotten and
050they seem to get a bad rep because of their address um with they didn't choose their address. They didn't choose their circumstance and it is it is our job to all of our jobs to support all of our children in our community. Um and >> yep date and time again. >> The it's next Wednesday from 11 to 2, >> right? Sean >> from 11 to 2 and that is out at Maplewood Commons out there in the in their in their field out there. um for anybody for people. So if someone is worried or a little bit afraid um we also do there's always police officers out there as well but no one has ever felt unsafe. Um and also I want to also thank um Jenny and her staff over at Py. They have also
051been out there this summer to to to network and build relationships with their students from Py because that is the school that majority of those kids go to that are out there that live there. So if you're not be doing anything next Wednesday from 11 to 2, we would love to see any any and any any and all of you out there. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> 13 >> education and excellence first. This is why I forgot this, but this is right sideline and just as important in my family. We had our first ever track and field camp in Fondelac this summer. I'm excited. For if you don't know, my kids were all track and field athletes and got scholarships for track and field. So I for the 20 years of this um spread
052of my kids' ages drove to Milwaukee and Madison after I worked all day at least three times a week and then did all summer track meets because we didn't have anything like that here. So Seth Hutner did his first one ever and I hope it continues and that is I'm excited. >> Awesome. Yes. And the Ebony Vision Maplewood Comments is this Wednesday and next Wednesday. So if you can't make one or make both or 11 to two both days. This week it's the subject's nourish. Next week it's a send off for um with the big cake and everything to have a great school year. >> Hopefully see you there. >> Sounds good. Anybody else for public comment? Okay. Now, if there are any other appropriate matters, um earlier I just had one. Um Mr. Godfrey
053had shared about the opportunity for students to receive backpacks and I believe they're filling them this Friday and there are some volunteer times. So, either from I think it's 9 to 11 and the other one is from noon or 1. Noon to 2. >> Okay, thank you. Noon to 2. So if you're and that's at the Boys and Girls Club um right by the YMCA. So if you want to volunteer again um if you're going to volunteer though, please let Hie know just so that if we have more than um there is >> what day? >> I was going to ask can um high school students that need volunteer hours >> he did. >> I don't know. >> Um so just to clarify, Saturday is the pickup for the students, correct? And Friday is the
054volunteer opportunity uh if you would like to help um put the backpacks together. So, >> who would we contact about figuring out where to go and stuff? Because I'm actually available backfdl.org. >> Back to schoolfdl.org. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Um does anybody else have any other appropriate matters? Okay, seeing none, if um someone would make a motion for adjournment. >> I move the board education journ to a workshop to discuss 2526 budget and referendum planning. >> Second. >> All right. So, we have a motion by Mr. Mr. Henchel, a second by Mr. Lyrence to adjourn to a workshop. Uh and if we can have the roll call, please. Okay. Uh, Labyrinth, >> yes. >> Maine, yes. Oliver, >> yes. >> Panel, >> yes. >> Frame, >> yes. >> Penchel, >> yes. >> Motor,
055>> yes. Motion carries 70. The regular meeting is adjourned at 5:49 and we will be back at 5. We're not having dinner tonight, correct? So, uh, we're going to take five. So, 5:55 we'll be back. All right. Like to call the uh workshop to order at 558. And could we please have the roll call? Mrs. Maine >> Frame >> here. >> Henchel >> here. >> Ly >> here. >> Maine here. Oliver >> present. panel here. Motor >> here. Uh so we have a quorum for this section. Seven of us are here and then to you Mr. Gerlac. >> Uh thank you Mrs. Motor. I think uh for the presentation we'll have to adjust the computer at the table so that once that loads um well thank you um and good evening uh again and um
056our workshop upcoming here is the last time we we discussed uh the budget workshop was uh with the June preliminary budget approval. Um, and at that time I outlined sort of a timetable of events uh for you to and the public to discuss the school budget process. And as we've discussed before, July 1 actually is the start of our new fiscal year. Um, it's not the school year, it's uh it's not the calendar year. There's multiple years, I think, as you're aware in in terms of a school district. And from a financial standpoint, our new year begins on July 1st. And so here we are uh into that time period. And um I just think it's important that as we said in June uh that we were going to be bringing this conversation back throughout
057the fall. Uh that here we are to have an opportunity and a forum. Mr. Steinbart and I, Mrs. motor, we discussed the importance of of not only an educational aspect of the factors that go into school funding, but to allow a chance for feedback into the budget and and um input on that. And so that that's really the intent of tonight's presentation. And so, Mr. Steinbart, would you like to add to that? >> Just to make sure board members that maybe did their homework way earlier know, there had also been this shared out earlier. and then changed due to some questions and other things that we saw that we wanted updated. So in case you looked at it prior to even hy when was hy when did it come out at two today it may
058be a little bit and not significantly but there are some updates it is what the public will see so they they will have access to the actual one but in case you're wondering the original is underneath as well just so you could see if there were some changes if you didn't realize it >> on the board docs it's refresh like >> and so then for a viewing audience as well. Um we ask uh that all board members review everything if they have questions ahead of time if we can get them to whoever is presenting that way they can better prepare to better answer. So that's why that conversation happened. >> Greatly appreciate it. I you know and I think thank you Mr. Steinbart. Really the additions not earthshattering but it was really a result of
059of feedback. Um had a great meeting with you Mr. Oliver. Uh Mrs. Mann you sent some questions all related to this and I just really appreciate that. uh because you know this this helps me connect with what you are looking for out of the financial um statements reports because I know there's there's a lot of things that we can put together and provide and the intent is always to effectively inform not only you but the constituents, our public, our stakeholders. Um because I mean that's really you know I'm I I want to strive to do that and so your feedback is valuable and I'm not just saying that and that's what was added and if what I added doesn't work doesn't meet that this evening I'll take that feedback and ask for a little bit
060more because this is again is our intent not the last uh time we're going to be discussing that. And so to that point here was the timeline. This is back from the preliminary budget presentation. you heard this I highlighted kind of in the time period where we're at the bolded pieces have transpired we have passed that um and so as we're kind of in a section where really I think your feedback is important although I know as we discussed in June you know there are limits into what can be adjusted into the budget uh as we move forward and so because of the big forces at play in Wisconsin on school finance and how schools are funded. And I know that is always typically one of probably the more frustrating things is what can really
061be influenced. Um and we're going to talk about that again. And as we talked at the preliminary budget, the one the single biggest remaining I shouldn't say single, one of the big remaining factors when we talked in June was the the approval of the state two-year bienium budget. And that has happened that happened on July 3rd. Um and the the legislature and the governor uh reached a compromised consensus to for the spending plan at the state and as we've talked before that what the state decides to do is a huge has the great influence on really what what local boards can do and so with that in order my presentation highlights the financial impact of that because that's really important I think for you uh for some consideration on feedback. We're looking for some feedback
062on that approach with that. And then um um really it's the other formula factors going through into September as we've outlined. And so here's another series of really key points for for the upcoming year. And one point I want to make note right below the highlighted section is this week um uh we have our fieldwork for our independent financial audit. So the contract with an independent auditor. They don't work for me. They don't work for Mr. Steinbart. actually work for the the school board. Um, and all public school districts have to be independently audited on their financial activities from the prior fiscal year. And so in June, you may recall we presented that budget in three years in the format 2023 24 which was true audited. That's actually what happened. Um, and they're not finalized
063till the December month of the year. But the fieldwork where they come out to our on-site and test what happened last fiscal year 24-25 happens this week. So examples of fieldwork testing are all kind of ironically similar in a lot of ways to some of the important oversight work that you're doing with asking about checks. They test checks. They give us a randomized listing of the thousands of checks we write and they say let's pull all the substantiation behind that. Randomize. So it's no it's not predictable. we know the check we started the first check we wrote in July 1 of last year to the last check from June and then they'll test all of that to make sure one that we're accounting for it correctly have the right documentation was appropriately managed and so
064you know that's an important independent check that's part of the fieldwork process they do a similar test in our payroll processes um and then also with our the big piece is for accountability in our state reporting uh which if you do a little Google searching across the state there's been some big stories not about, you know, districts being challenged with with some of this required public reporting and we believe public reporting at the state level to the DPI is really important because that's accountability to the state as well as to the public. So I audit the audit's a big deal. Um um I if you have questions about that I um I would welcome those. We're pretty busy with the auditors when they're here on site with fieldwork. It's it's certainly a time that um
065Now, I certainly would say you you certainly can come in as the board, they work for you. Um, and discuss that if you would like. Um, but it's also a pretty busy time. So, I'd ask if you're planning to kind of make a pop in here, the 13, 14, or 15, send me an email because I'd like to coordinate that with our auditor. Not that I'm going to supervise it, but I think it's important that they know because they have some important work. Um, for the record, the district um contracts with Ericson and Associates as the independent auditor. They have a field office here in Fondelac, but they also come out of the Fox Valley. So, I want to take a moment in this presentation from a budget standpoint, there is an additional layer of
066audit accountability over the district. So, with that real high level, >> just a reminder, we're going to keep all of our questions and comments till the end and then we're gonna just want to remind you that. >> Thank you, Mrs. Motor. Um, uh, fundamentals. You saw this chart before. I didn't make this up. This comes from our W my professional association chart. I think it's just really important when we talk about the state budget to say there are really schools are funded on two primary sources. What the state puts into this cup the green picture and what then after that happens what is required of local property taxpayers is the blue portion. So that's the basics. It's really that simple and until that f formula factors are known um it's always a little bit of
067an estimation in in prediction and again I want to remind you we do utilize a forecast model to try to model this so that we're not just taking wild guesses and so we've been pretty confident in how that goes moving forward. So as a reminder uh we the board um adopted a balanced budget for the 202526 year in June. uh we based that at that time on no new increases coming from the state budget process. So the model I presented to you said well we're not going to get an increase in general a we're not going to get an increase in the revenue limit. We need to build uh an expense budget based on no increases. I didn't have a reason to do that other than being conservative and some of the feedback we get
068as much as you can glean out of our professional associations from what they're at what they were hearing in Madison at the time from the various political processes. Um, as a result of that, we the board had to make pretty significant staff reductions to get to a balanced budget. And we said we were going to continue to plan to address expense reduction because that's about the only tool left uh for boards. What other expenses can be reduced particular with an eye of being sustainable moving forward and then a continued plan to continue the conversation talking about new revenues. and the only way to do get new revenues is via referendum. So I'm just kind of recapping the conversation from June and that's where we find ourselves today. Um again I I left in the enrollment
069history. This just shows enrollment student headcount in the FondeLac school district. I know perhaps in the viewing public it's a little small to see but um the graph kind of demonstrates a 25 year history of of enrollment. And the big number we were predicting was out of our model. This is unknown at this time. 6,44 students and seats coming here in the next month. Um, enrollment drives revenue. Money follows students in the state of Wisconsin. So, it's the single biggest factor outside of what the state puts in that that influences. So, it's still an unknown. So, I again it won't be finalized till after the third Friday count in September, but as you can see, um using a five-year cohort survival method, we were forecasting 6,44 students for this fall. Um I added one bullet
070point in bold. Um and I'm not an alarmist when it comes to the school finance thing because we use a lot of predictions, but I work closely with our pupil services department that monitors enrollment. Um, and we just they're watching the enrollment in Skyward cumulative. Um, and I'm because mine's a a predictive model. It's not actuals. Right now at the end of July, that number of student enrollment was at 6,268. So obviously that's a big discrepancy and that that will will in the long term have a financial pretty significant financial impact. If in September there are 6,268 students, that's over, you know, I was already predicting about a decline of 40 students. This is an additional 130. Now, please don't misunderstand me. That's not a real number yet. Um because we are going through the
071enrollment process. We typically it is typically higher than the July, end of July number. I can tell you because students and families come through the doors in August and September. So, I don't believe it's at that low of a number, but I tell you that to say it it's it's I am not predicting an enrollment increase. Um, and so I think that's really important to just try to get a handle on. I think it would be appropriate for you as a board to understand that. Um, and under so that you're not surprised if the September enrollment number is actually lower than my predicted number. I I just here we sit in August. It's important that you understand that. um we we don't have like a deep basis for the why yet to that. Uh but
072again that's really an important number to talk about and as we discussed Mrs. Motor when we reviewed our presentation said you know that's a frustrating situation. Um but based on you know we're not the only district and this chart might be a little tricky to see in terms of the key but the percentage change in district's revenue limit membership which is a real close equivalent to enrollment over these past years. This is out of um the the um DPI data warehouse. Uh the purple is declining enrollment districts. The green is growing. And as you can see, I think kind of the visual like I know the detail I could provide you a much more greater detail if you wanted to see the the actual percentages by district. Uh but the majority of the state public
073schools in the state are in a declining enrollment situation. So, I know sometimes it may appear, while this is very localized, um, as you can see, even if you just geographically look around the Fox Valley, Lake Wnebago, which is an easy target, easy visual graphically, much of the Fox Valley schools are in a declining enrollment situation. And you might say, well, why is that? We've had a lot of conversations. A lot of it is based in the post-pandemic instructional world, students choosing whether it's virtual homeschool um and and private school choice. That's a reality that's out there. Um that there are fewer students attending the public school systems. And so I think that was just something to say that we're not it's not just fond it's not as if FondeLac's the only purple shaded school
074district in here. Um but that said, it's still a pretty important factor to be aware of. Okay, state budget. Um, this is a big deal because now for the next two years, we know what the state is going to put into this. Uh, the only way this changes is if they have a special legislative session. Uh, that is highly would be highly unusual and I it just there isn't going to probably happen. All right. And so the budget was complete on July 3rd. And so there is no change to the allowable per pupil revenue limit. It's 325 per student both years. Uh this is really probably a result of as you may recall the last legislative session um the governor's line item veto had put this into law and you know for 400 years and
075that upheld was was upheld in a supreme court challenge and so that is that's built in which is a positive that there's an allowable per revenue limit but we were as a low revenue district hoping for more. Uh there were some conversations possibly advocacy about getting over 12,000 a student. uh that's not the case and won't be the case over the next two years for low revenue school districts. So again, as a low revenue, low spending school district, we built the budget. I built the budget thinking this was really going to be the case and that is the case. And that's probably the single biggest issue in terms of funding that, you know, I was hoping to see an increase. It's not there. Um but that that's the way it is. Uh no change to
076general equalization aid. Um Mrs. Maine, you had a question about, okay, what is general equalization aid? Um, as we go back to that first slide, um, or the second slide, when when residents in the state pay income taxes, like a state of Wisconsin income tax through their tax returns, that goes to the state and the state has a choice to divvy that all up with all their spending appropriations. And state general equalization aid is is the largest part of that at the state level. So they take all of the state of Wisconsin residents income taxes and payments in and then they dish that out to public schools in the form of state aid. It's state support for public schools, but it doesn't mean spendable new revenues. It simply offsets local property taxes under the revenue
077limit. Think back to that cup. It's the green portion that gets poured in. Now when that that portion gets poured in that's usually a huge benefit to property taxpayers because that reduces what's required at the local level. This was also we were really probably expecting an increase in general equalization aid just to just because it's usually well received by local property taxpayers because it offsets it reduces the levies. No increase to that either. So it it is on the predicted model. We're at about 48 million in in predicted general equalization aid. And so that that doesn't financially in terms of spendable dollars really impact the district because it's based on student enrollment um at some level or at a pretty high level. But it does it does put pressure on the local property tax levy.
078Uh the big increases were in state special ed categorical aid for special education. Um this this really is a a very positive really something I do want to you know express appreciation uh to the legislature and the governor on the fact that the recognition that uh the cost to educate students that access special education is pretty significant. Um you know district has a $17 million um expenditure budget in fund 27 for students that that that to serve students that access special education. the state was sharing in about 30% of that and I want to take a moment to to for those of you that might be a little astute might say in the last bianium budget well wasn't the reimbursement rate 33.3%. That's correct but this is the difference between what is known as some
079certain which and versus some sufficient. There's another question Mrs. M you asked about well what is really the difference? What do you mean by that? Well, some certain means the state's going to put in a certain amount of money to reimburse special education, and they think that's going to probably reimburse 33.3% of special education costs. But if those costs are in the whole state are higher, well, the actual reimbursement rate is about 30.6. It's not sufficient to fund a pure 33.3%. It's only certain a certain amount. They allocate a dollar amount and then if more mouths are at the table to to eat that away, the re the actual reimbursement rate the district receives is a little bit unpredictable and it's less than typically. Unfortunately, it's still some certain on some sufficient, but they did
080increase it to 42% of of costs in fiscal year 26, which is this year, and 45% in fiscal year 27. Those are real numbers. That's real spendable dollars for the district. It's a big deal. It's an important thing as I will forecast out for you. Um, you know, unfortunately, you know, we still believe it should be more. Uh, and but at the same time, budgets are about compromise and progress. And I'm I'm really pleased to see this type of compromise and progress coming out of the state banium budget. It's the single greatest financial impact out of this lat next bianium budget to the district. Um probably the second uh significant piece was the an increase to the high-cost special education aid um estimated again at 25.9% this last budget cycle to an increase in 50%
081and 90% by the end of fiscal year 27. Again some certain not some sufficient meaning if there are more costs submitted across the state that reimbursement rate is not a pure 50% it gets less. Um, you know, financially this is an important piece because the difference between high-cost special education aid and state categorically also another question you asked Mrs. Maine uh was um the students that that are that are served by our special educa our special education staff and students that access special education. It's pretty big big spectrum. Okay. Um, and there are certain certainly students in our district that have some pretty significant needs that require some pretty significant services financially. Uh, it's a it's a really big financial commitment that school boards make. Um, and it's not equal across all all schools. Um,
082typically smaller rural schools really are challenged with finding staff to to meet this these needs. And so a district like the Fondelac school district though we can hire people like occupational therapists and physical therapists. We can um hire uh you know u interpreters to help or you know have the the staff trained to be able to serve students that really have some very intensive and important needs. Uh the state recognizes that that's pretty expensive. Um and through so through a formula they aim to reimburse some of those costs um above a certain dollar threshold above $30,000. And so we go through an application process and then submit our application requests to the state and then it gets reimbured back based on how everyone else has re been spending. And we've gotten a little better over
083the years in this. We need to get better. It's an area now with the reimbursement rate getting up there that we're going to try to work with our pupil services staff to do identify the staffing needs a little bit better. Uh but this last year at about 25.9% we got a reimbursement of a little over $123,000. I mean this isn't a million dollar reimbursement program for the district but it is important. Do I think there's a a greater gain to be made? Absolutely. We got to put some more resources into doing, you know, getting that reimbursement a little higher. I think at 50% we might get another $100,000 of spendable money out of this. Um, but we could do better. And I again want to want to say thank you to uh the legislature and
084the governor for recognizing that this is an important funding source that we need to see an increase to. Um but really the the the big the big change is the state special education aid which is for across all instructional levels. So every all we sweep up all special education staff and then get a reimbursement on those costs. That's kind of the difference with high cost. We only get a reimbursement through an application process for very specific staff like OT PT partic sign language interpreters um and interveners. And then the last was an increase to the open enrollment transfer amount from $8,962 to 10,102 in this fiscal year and then 11,030 in fiscal year 27. Um back to this is the best example of money following students uh resident students that choose to en open enroll
085to a different district. there's a dollar amount. Last year it was 8,962 that follows them. All right? And so districts um receive money for students that go open enroll into them, but there's a corresponding expense out. Um so students that live in the fine school district that school district go somewhere else. We pay for that. That money follows them out to another to that other school district. And so when you have a net loss on open enrolled students out versus in, that's a financial loss that your expenses exceed your revenues. And so uh the the district had about 1.6 million in revenue this last year for students choosing to come to the Fond School District and it was um over five million in in net out. And so and that's you know that's due to
086the discrepancy in open enrollment. we have more students that choose to open roll out versus in. Now, is that the sole issue in district enrollment? No. Because because those students are going to other public schools and so but to increase the amount um I haven't done a lot of research on to the conversations around that, but uh this will simply obviously increase the revenues but also increase the expenses. So, um it's not really a a dynamic financial spendable money situation for the district. You might see elevation in the expense and revenue numbers because of that as we as it goes through, but not significantly here. So, we talked about this. Pardon me, I misspoke on the earlier July 8 estimate. I don't know why I said 48 million. It's closer to 60 million. Um, as
087you'll see, no no impact on available revenues, just impacts the low the district's um tax levy. Our le revenue ceiling is 11,325 student. Um, so the real numbers, so state special education aid, this is the deal. Uh, we were projecting about 5.7 million at I built the budget on the 33.3. I wasn't, I guess, holding my breath on an increase in reimbursement rate. Didn't know if that was really appropriate to plan for, so we didn't do it that way. Um, at 42% we would project about a an in 7.1 million in state reimbursement. Um, you know, that's a possible additional revenue, 1.4 million. You know, that's real money. That's a big deal. That's we're grateful for that. Uh, again, I talked a little earlier about the the possible increase of $100,000 in the special education
088aid. It could again be less. Um, but the real game change for us is state special education aid in terms of the impact. And that's about it, folks. I really want to be honest with you. There's not really new financial. there are some other elements in there that we want to look at uh with like mental health um you know some of the school mental health services and grant programs but at the same time in terms of really what is a big deal for the board with potential referendum planning you really need to understand the state categorical aid increase and so here's what really it results on I took this this is a key point if you go to projected district enrollment So I I this is a projection at this point. If I take
089enrollment through our model down from 6,404 to 6268. Now I don't I think it'll be higher than 6268, but if I take it all the way down to this July 31st level, that strikes me as a worst case enrollment scenario. Okay. So you're I'm working a little bit through my mental process and how I model this. no other changes except adding in the changes I outlined before. Um, and using that enrollment projection number, what happens is the state categorical aid in special ed does have an impact on our local fund 10 because fund 10 has to balance out fund 27, our special education funds. So I would project and this is important not to really run away with this too far. We probably are at a little bit of a surplus now hopefully coming through
090here. You know it looks at a little over 97. I'd like to I I don't think it's prudent to do anything. Honestly, my recommendation with to you would be not to there's no way to allocate that out yet until we really get a better enrollment number. It could get better if enrollment gets better. So, I'd like to be honest about that. Um, but there are some factors at play that are really important to acknowledge. Um, the district gets a declining enrollment exemption in the first year. We really should lose 867,000 out of that, but the state says, "Well, in case something dramatic happens with your enrollment, you get a one-year pass for that dollar amount." That money falls off next fall. So you we can have a surplus here in the fall, but we really
091have to plan for a deficit of that 867 coming out of that surplus for the future. So this is kind of my recommendation to you is to play this out through the end of October. And you know, unfortunately, as we're going to show a little bit later, even at those numbers, you know, I'm not certain it dramatically can have an impact on some of the major expense reductions we already you already made. Um, and we don't know, Mr. Steinbeck and IR, if it really is right. This August now is not really our recommended time to say, well, hire a number of long-term additional staff because those are long-term commitments and sustainability, as I mentioned earlier, is something that's really got to be front of mind to to, I think, our financial future. But there are
092demands. Um, and when I work with my colleagues and after you hear the principles come back, we know that staffing is a thing. And so we kind of like to tread carefully as we move forward too with that. But again, this is an area when we get to questions, we want your feedback on this. That's this is a real key point. Um I I would prefer not the headline to be well now district projects surplus. You know, you have to remember we're over a hundred million dollars of financial activity. This is a really small margin. Now 9 that I know that sounds like a large number but it's an incredibly small margin less than 1%. Um and so to run this larger business we really don't think it's appropriate to to really do much more
093than let's play out and see what this number really becomes. So um from a tax standpoint because this is critical. We're projecting a levy mill rate decline um to $5.25 per thousand dollar of value. Um I think we were at what 597 this past fall. So that that's because there's no allowable increase on the limit. So it flows through to the formula. Um that's that's predicted. So again, we're going to probably Mrs. Motor thought this was important. She asked listen if you're going to we want to understand so taxpayers and I know that this is a real thing, but the district this is last year's mill rates in the county. They will all get a different mill rate as well. So, I'll update the mill rate chart, but we were the lowest last year. I
094would predict we would be the lowest again um based on and many of these districts, although not all like Oakfield and North Fondac had operational referendums successful. Now, they didn't get that. So, their le mill rates and levies might look a little different. Those reflected old falling away debt or falling away um levies. Okay. So, what do we need to know? I you know a significant decline enrollment is really going to reduce available re revenues and I I wanted to demonstrate it'll mitigate that state categorical aid increase. It really that's great but it's going to kind of take away um from that and that's not something the state really weighs in on. Um but that that's a reality you need to know. Uh so I wanted to demonstrate that I I really do think we
095have to consider additional revenue sources through operational referendum or additional expense reductions to maintain a balanced budgets and financial stability. You know, those are the tools. We got to keep talking about that. Uh I know um you've already begun the community survey process. Uh I don't know, Mr. Steinbart, if you want to jump in about kind of what we're kind of thinking or looking for out of that or anything to add on the community survey process or discussion that you'd like to see come out of it. >> Again, I think that's where when we if we decide to go with school perceptions or someone to find out what the community is comfortable with. That's where we'll really have to decide again what is that what is that dollar amount that we're asking for. Obviously, there's
096a safe and secure schools getting cameras and everything. Um, but there's also, as I've said on the radio and other uh opportunities right now, our middle school is operating in a formula right now that there's one sixth grade English teacher, one seventh grade English teacher, one eighth grade English teacher. In terms of education, at least what I've had, that's not the best for collaboration among staff. I don't think that does the best for our students. So, I'd love to see at some point getting back to where there's two at least of each of those subjects as well as it was brought up at the high school level that they're teaching six of seven instead. And again, the the planning process that that takes and not having the opportunity to collaborate when we have also a
097sub shortage is that's real things. And I as I talk to people, everyone's going to believe who they want to believe in terms of how this district is spending money or not spending money. And I'm hoping that we get people or we get opportunities to show this to people and that they see that what we share is the actual thing that's happening and that they'd hopefully support us in the future for a possible referendum. >> So, um you know, I had a great conversation um with uh with Mr. Oliver just about okay, you know, there's there's a lot in the reports we present to you. um maybe trying uh felt it was important to try to I don't know simplify is the wrong word but it's coming to mind uh to say yeah like in
098a household budget standpoint uh to try to make it a little maybe more um uh digestible uh for for the public and so I started with revenues and if this doesn't work I love the feedback I'll do something else um and so state revenues sources think of like these are your income What do we get for income? And so this is just our fund 10 budget which is as you can see at 98.1 million the biggest budget. All right, the biggest this is where the activity there are other budgets where you know other funds but this is where this happens. The state puts in and this includes 60 million nearly 60 million of state aid and then other state aid sources. You can see the district is funded really primarily at the state source level.
099So what the state budget does is huge. I mean it really uh puts puts in that into perspective. Local sources what comes from the local public is really property taxes. Um there are some like you know fee revenues local fee but that does not fees don't really drive the funding in in the district. Every dollar matters folks but the reality is is our big forces that really have an influence. And then federal grants. This is just fund 10. We get more in federal grants and like our special education fund, but this is just reflecting like title one grants and the title services. You may recall this summer there's some national conversation on perhaps some of those limits on the title funds. Those have since been released. So there's really not a lot to talk about
100with that other than, you know, perhaps there's going to be pressure on federal revenues in the future. might be a referendum conversation like does the board want to plan for the po prospect of possibly losing certain federal revenues. I don't I don't know if I'd be recommending that you do that right now. Um but but at the same time it's important to know that there's about a $3 million federal revenue source out there that's important to know what's happening. And then you may say, well, what's these others refunds? we do have to account for there's some all this sort of other financial activity that we sometimes have to do like refunds of dispersements for people um and it kind of sweep it up into other so pictures may be worth a little bit more than
101the numbers graphically I put three big federal sources 70% of the district's money income comes from the state so once the state puts in that portion we know we really do know outside of enrollment what we're going to have um you know only about I should say only 25 the other 25% or so comes from the local property taxpayer uh and so this isn't this way in all other school districts there are other districts where this charts reversed where it's on the property taxpayer primarily and they don't get state aid um but the the Fondelac school district is pretty pretty heavily state aided district meaning we we we have a low lower requirement from the local property taxpayer And again, as you can see, federal revenues, although there's a lot of stipulations and requirements with
102federal revenues, if you take federal revenues, we take that three million, but we have to have a lot of compliance. It's heavily compliance driven. This is sort of graphically the image. So, if you if the district, the only portion that the district can like increase in this chart is the red portion, and that's through operational referendum. So you could make the whole chart bigger by increasing the red portion really so to speak. So uh Mr. Oliver also we kind of discussed gosh you know there's there listen and this is a true point. I'm really glad you brought it up because we we buy we purchase and have expenses from everything from the cables on these TVs and things all the way up to wages and benefits. I mean it's deep. It's robust as you found
103in the check registers. We work with many many reg many many vendors that provide very nuance specific services supplies and all of that detail can be substantiated and don't have any issue talking about it, explaining it, putting it out there. It gets audited. All very important work. But at a high level, what does the district spend its money on? As I've said, it's staff salaries and benefits. Those are the largest pieces. And by correlation, the district's fund 10 transfer to special education to pay for those services. Also, the majority, the overwhelming majority of that is wages and benefits. So, that number kind of belongs in staff salaries and benefits in this argument. And then you can see our open enrollment student expense out. We also have pretty big voucher payment where there's a tax piece
104that we end up expending to other school districts. And then I kind of this isn't exhaustive. It's just to try to quantify a little grasp at it like utilities. That was a question we talked what what do we spend on our light water and sewer bills? We budget 1.8 million. That's that's a lot of money, but we're also through some of the studies we've done, we're running pretty efficient. I mean we we've you know how do you reduce utilities? Got to reduce consumption. Are there areas where we can certainly um we've certainly this number got better as we improved our our capital equipment through the operational referendum or pardon me the capital referendum more efficient systems but there is an efficiency max that can be reached and in terms of our efforts to ma when
105you want to manage the budget as you know with a $7.5 million deficit if we're only going to spend$ 1.8 8 million to keep all the lights on literally with water. We can't possibly reduce that area out. It's not a budget area manage. It is an area that needs to be actively managed through human control like let's turn off the lights when you leave the room. Let's try not to to, you know, waste things, but it doesn't fill easily a seven half million dollar deficit. Okay? And I don't want to like mitigate that because somebody say, "Well, I'm trying. I'm doing my part. We need that. But when we look at areas to address, there are areas that are easier to address than others. Um, purchase services from student medical services, specialized services. Um, that's
106a big part of that fund 10 budget. We talk a lot about consultant services. And I didn't put an exhaustive lift on consulting services, but uh, you know, this is the 2526 budget. We made reductions to that um, going into this fiscal year. that was presented throughout the spring uh that we put out there. But again, things that legal expenses are consultants. Uh you asked about Wymer's uh who does our bleacher inspect inspection. They're a consultant. They fit into this category. Um uh OW Communications, also part of your question, Mr. Frame. They're a consultant that tests our fire alarms. Um they're a purchased service and so they can be a firm, they can be an individual, they could be an attorney, our accountant, uh pardon me, our our audit services, our purchase services. So we
107spend about 1 point we're budgeting 1.5 million for con. They're not all one consultant alone. They go into services that we can't probably financially afford to provide by employing them directly. We can't afford them. We can't afford an attorney on staff. Can't afford an a a CPA. We can't afford to have a bleacher inspection in our certified person in our maintenance services. That's a reality. And so that's the why behind consultant purchase services where we believe we get high value and high return on our investment by purchasing that service outside curriculum. This is um direct these aren't supplies. These are like a lot of the curriculum purchases. I know those were approved like big pieces that we need to support. Um you saw kind of a part part of an element when you asked about
108math learning center math manipulatives will fit into this as part of it. to purchase instructional material directly um to support education student transportation. What do we spend with Johnson Bus Service? That's a big purchase service contract. Um that uh you'll get a chance when when it when they're up for renewal to go through the the RFP bid process for that. We're actually for a district our size a relatively lowcost transportation service because of being a pretty much an urban district relatively speaking. We do have about 1.3 million in expense with that maintenance and repairs. This includes our capital improvement budget for like major roof repairs, but also just you know what the lights break um we got a plumbing leak. We we actually it fits into purchase services because we hire plumbing services, we hire
109electrical services, we hire repair services, we hire roofing consultant services and repair services. You know, this this was a cost that we mitigated dramatically with the capital referendum. Uh this number, if we had not done that, would have to be significantly higher simply because things would be breaking and need much more repair. Um I the district, you know, you saw that with the property bid insurance. We gave them our roof age study and they were blown away. That is an incredible expense avoidance, future expense mitigation that you have such great roofs. That's great. Well, we had to insure them. Um which is important. And so I just think that that there's a lot of positives in some of the budget decisions we made. Could this area be reduced? Maybe it's an area you say, you
110know what, we want to want to take more be. But when something breaks, water does have to get shut off. We do have to get lights on. We we owe that. And from our lens and perspective, you know, I would recommend probably against this because this alone, this whole budget doesn't repair some of the parking lot surface areas that we need to address. This is also part of the long-term capital planning. We have to probably say we're going to improve parking services and outside We did a lot of improvement on inside instructional surface spaces and heating, cooling, and roofs. It'd be difficult and my recommendation to you would not be to look at maintenance repairs because this would be tough because stuff will break. We got to fix it. Uh general supplies, this this runs
111the gamut. This just isn't paper. Um this is the gamut from stuff that's really non-c capital things that are under like $5,000 that they could be desks. It could be a chair. It could get coded there. Um, if you have the opportunity to go to Tyson's store room ever, I highly recommend it. Um, you will see a good accounting for the supplies that the district has to purchase from custodial janitorial supplies from paper towels, toilet paper. All of these things go into what we It's not just teacher classroom folders and books and pencils. uh what goes into our general supply and in this number I kind of rolled up sometimes there's computer technology supplies that go into this uh as well. Um this is an area that we we we sometimes say well we could
112say we got to go down to bare minimum but but honestly this this impacts classrooms this impacts service this impacts students and we're trying to keep those reductions away from that. you would you would likely hear from stakeholders, you know, that there's there's sort of a rationing back of that um and would want to understand the why. So, we would want to do that in a thoughtful manner, but it is an area that I'm not saying it's there's no there's no extra in this. This is what we believe we need to do to to run the district, but it it's it's an area we could look at. Uh insurance, we address that over a million dollar expense. That's kind of committed by at this point with the decisions you made um with that approval. Software
113support. Some of the things you were asking about like class link and where does like the educational experience is run via software application. Um and so we have to have access and that is paid on a licensing arrangement. You want to access this instructional software, you pay for that licensing. That's that's the financial model that software is based on. Capital equipment. Uh this can range from hey do we look at a vehicle replacement which we haven't really done a lot of um at all um to to some of our computer technology systems or uh do we need to replace some heating heating equipment in cert certain areas. And then I kind of rolled it down to some other dues and fees and some all other areas. And then that lease payment. You also asked about
114James leasing the copy print cost us around 50,000 a year all across the district to we don't own that equipment. Um we we get a service contract with it. We pay um a print managed service out of it. So when that's up, we would cycle that equipment back. And we we've gotten a lot better on that. Um Paul Hermus tech services uh did a great job two three years ago I can't remember now saying let's get into a better lease where we we have kind of follow me print meaning it'll just print and it prints everywhere we ration that kind of back we've we've gotten better better equipment we've got a better lease cycle so we really manage that that I think area pretty well it'd be difficult I think right now to really change
115that unless we were going to significantly cut back the number of pieces of equipment so I don't I don't know if this helps. Um, but back to the the chart, if you look at the blue, the red, and the yellow gold, which is the transfer to special ed, which is really wages and benefits as well, you will see 75% of districts expenses are wages, staffing, and benefits. And there's just no other really way around that. I'm not saying the other expenses don't matter, but of what boards, particularly local school boards, have control over, it is on wages, benefits, staffing. Those decisions really are what stage the district financially. I I'm not trying to steer you in another direction. If that's what you maybe think, well, you don't we don't want to talk about purchase services
116or consultants or supplies. I just want to show you some numbers that say when we're trying to address structural deficits in the multi-millions, you could eliminate all the utilities in all the supply purchases in theory, which we listen, we're being realistic. We know that's not true because we have to have utilities and we have to have some supply. We have to have toilet paper and paper towels and all of those things. I there's really no there's no other way than to do what the board had done which is to take a look at the the staffing piece and it's a big deal and we know it's where the the rubber hits the road. It's the most important it's the most important to me when I'm looking at the budget. It's the most important for us.
117What are we going to do those big changes and how that fits into it. Um so with that oh that is it >> Mr. Gerlock. Thank you so much. But I I really would like any questions and and go back wherever we want to go. And so um >> and I Yeah, I think what we'll do is we'll go around and ask questions, but um what I really appreciate is the side meetings you've also had to help clarify as well as revising your uh presentation given the questions we've given you. I just um I know this is your job and appreciate the extra um effort so that we can truly understand as well as help those in our community understand so we can make the best decisions. So really thank you for all that time
118and effort and so then >> my pleasure. >> Um then we just open it up for who has questions and so um is there someone that wants to start? Luke, you want to start? Okay. Uh, I wrote them down. Um, and some of them answered along the ways, but I just want to make sure. So, um, >> how big of a financial impact will 200 students be on our finances? Was that the 800,000 number? 67 86700. >> Well, uh, good question. It's a predicted um, it because it has to run through the formula. the decline the closest way I can explain it is the declining enrollment exemption which you would see is about after run through the revenue limit formula 867,000 >> that that that be the lost potential revenue >> meaning the district could
119not get access to that the pot shrinks of that dollar amount >> um and then how with the projected enrollment how much would we get uh with the 325 per student. Now, was that the Did we go over that one? >> So, one important point if you're questioning this because you're saying, well, don't we get 11,325? It the as I didn't put it in here, but as those of you have seen, there's a it's a formula driven headcount and enrollment gets translated into a new number called membership. And that membership number is averaged over three years. And it's And certain students, particularly 4K students, are only counted at 06. I don't mean this to like muddy the water. But it gets muddied. So you're saying that doesn't line up to my math. I'm trying to
120multiply out 6,200 by 11,325 and I'm netting that out. You're doing the straight math. It has to be run through the formula. And if you would like to see that modeled out, I could show that at another workshop or demonstrate that. Yeah. um because the membership number and I could do it now I suppose but at the same time I think I'd rather get get you the actual accurate prediction. >> That's why that decline in enrollment if you want to know what's the financial impact ultimately of that type of decline in headcount. It's best expressed as a loss in the decline in enrollment exemption. >> Okay, >> but that's after it gets converted to membership through the revenue limit formula. I'm sorry to say it that way, but that's about the best answer I can
121give you as I stand here today. >> Yeah. Um, and then the next one was, and I I think this was answered um as well, but I just want to say it. Um, how much did we put into the special ed to cover up um the gap for state funding? And that was that 11,313,000. Yeah, this is the this is the budgeted amount for 2526. Typically comes in at just a little bit less than that. I think um >> I'm I'm looking at we're probably at for 2425 about 10.9 million in actual for last fiscal year for this past year that ended in June. But we won't know that final number till we get done through with our audit and can make sure we accounted for everything correctly. So, I'm predicting 11.3 million fund 10
122has to and that also um you know is important to to note that could change by probably 900,000 based on that categorical aid change. >> So, if you're saying, well, where does that number play? >> It it lives in that that arena. >> So, this could be less by 900,000. >> Okay. Um and then I know you mentioned uh the consultant services and we have that for the expense. What was the expense last year >> or the last fiscal year for that? >> Do we know that >> we tried if we went and trimmed out probably say it Mr. >> Stewart? >> Yeah, I'd say it was under a million. We probably we put we probably reduced um 600 800,000 in purchased other purchase services uh coming out of last fiscal year. >> Yeah, because
123I know that was a question that uh a lot of people asked. >> Um >> that was as part of the budget planning knowing that we didn't have a the the operational referendum and and you know I think Mr. Steinbart I no one every expense has a story and as as he mentioned all the work that we're doing we've had to get more focused on certain things that really think we think are going to make a big difference you've you know I haven't been part of it but my colleagues certainly have with the University of Virginia that this is part of that purchase service that was some consulting services professional development that we said we need to keep um and not everything was left you know but we we also made we said no to
124re-uping in commitments not because we don't necessarily think that they could add value but it was a prioritization is really the process so I think that's important to note Mr. Steinbart. >> I think the other thing just to add on to that when we did the work with our administrators last week, one of the first prompts I gave them is without and I said they I don't want anybody ever telling me what they think I want to hear. I want to know the truth of what they're feeling and I just said what three system things have we put into place over the last six years even that have had the biggest impact. And it was we had them broken into five different groups. Every single group had UVA pretty much as the the first one.
125They had the DDI process that is really managed by us but was given to us with the University of Virginia. And then the last one was initiative one. Those things culturally they feel like have made the the biggest impact on us as a district that they said whatever we can do to keep those things and to keep expanding it to more people is what the administrators had said they'd like to make sure we see and continue doing so. And keeping in mind what you just said, I know as you've talked through um UVA, well like you just said DDI, you're now like you're doing that internally, right? And I also believe we have initiative one trainers within now as well to do some training. Correct. So, keeping in mind these great um opportunities also, how
126do we become um yeah, self-sufficient and lead learners to now teach others what we've learned within our system? >> So, so and I don't mean to skip jump the line here, just real quick since we're on that, are we going to be eliminating them down the road because we're going to have our own in-house program kind of based on the things we've learned from these programs? Is that something we're looking for to save more money? We have already done a lot of of reducing of those things. There is still a I think a very big component in the accountability that they give to us and the partnership that we have with them. Does it have to be at the level that we're doing right now? Not necessarily. But again, with UVA, the support that they
127give us throughout every single school year, I mean, they meet with us whenever we need to. but also they have it planned out, you know, four, five, six times a year besides the times that we go and meet with them. And then we also have times where we're uh with them virtually that they're asking about our own 90-day plans at the the district level and some of those things that they're really focused on. I would hate to not have a partnership with them and see that go away. Um, and then the same thing I will say with initiative one, they do a lot of that leadership piece with myself, the admin team, and some of the cohorts that they've gone through of check-ins and things like that because, and I think Joan, you put it
128perfectly when I met with you. Sometimes staff get tired of hearing Matt Steinber talk and sometimes hearing somebody else say this is the important piece or feeling like they can be vulnerable enough to share information that that maybe it gets back to me but not who said it or where it's coming from. But a unified piece I know last year one of the things that was said often from what I was told was we need to get ahead of referendum work and it was shared a number of times. So they gave us that input like we need to be doing more, we need to be be doing more. Um and then they do supply us with our our train the trainer manuals for staff as they get them that they do their own writing in.
129So to eliminate the partnership, we lose a big piece of what they do to support us as well. But again, you know, as as Mike has said, we've reduced the expense that we've been been having with them pretty significantly. But when I look right now at the consultant services, and this is This is everything. This is CISA. This is UVA. This is initiative one. And it says 1.6% of our total budget. For me, training our our staff and doing those things. That's not a a huge percentage of of what we're putting into making sure that we continue to operate at a really high level. And that's my opinion, but it's just some the way I feel right now at least. >> Now, in the Sorry, I got I got a couple more things, Joan. Sorry.
130I don't want to get off this topic. If you're going to change topics, >> this topic though. >> Oh, okay. >> Um, so the travel fees, are those in the consulting? >> Yeah, like professional development. Yes. That would go into like if we send staff to a professional conference. Um, it's a it's a purchased service like you're purchasing >> a hotel or a conference service uh so to speak. That's how we that's how the state classifies it. So, yes. That's a really good question though because it's all part of it is payment individual. It's the process. Yeah. >> Of me is like well where's the travel and the budget and stuff like that? >> Yeah, that's a great question. >> Um Mr. Oliver asked whether or not if we have are committed this year and
131then we're going to get rid of uh UVA and I1 and that association. first and foremost or first of all obviously we can't answer that question because uh we don't know what the financial situation would be down the road but to uh elaborate a bit more on your and my conversation Mr. Steinbart. Um, I believe it's really important for people to get outside of their uh area, not their area of expertise, but their ge their physical area. Uh, people need to communicate with people that are not that they don't communicate with every day. They if in communicating with people, they every day you keep saying the same thing over and over and people need to hear uh that somebody in Virginia or Oklahoma or wherever it may be uh are facing similar if not exactly
132the same same problems. And uh it it energizes and in makes people enthusiastic and motivates uh people to come back and be ready to rock and roll. And this is uh I honestly believe if you only talk to yourselves it's nepatism and it becomes stale and un there's no growth or growth is you keep saying the same thing and doing the same thing and the results that you received from the administration saying that UVA and I1 and DDI are the three most important things that they have taken away, you know, as a takeaway, not taken away, t a takeaway, uh says a says a great deal to me. And uh obviously uh we have to be prudent and careful, but at the same time look at the big picture. Uh because we want people who
133are being energized, challenged, taught um are going to want to stay and want to contribute and want to help each other which is the collaboration that you are are looking for. >> Thank you. Is before we move on to uh Mr. Frame because I know you have more questions. Is there anything else regarding that specific area of topic that um consultant part that anyone wanted to add on? Otherwise, we'll have them continue. >> I was going to make just one comment to piggyback on what uh Joan said. We talked about, you know, the results we're getting and what we have as far as growth the last three, four years. And that is testimony on the transformational change that we're trying to create within the culture of the school to get the outcomes we're looking for.
134And that's makes me feel good because that means mission accomplished in that way. And um you when you have any kind of school and you're looking at statewide, you know, turnover 10 to 15%. I think that's a forever cost because we're always going to have new people coming in and they're going to have to still transform and continue and ingrain them into that culture of transformational change for growth and for academic excellence and outcomes. And hopefully we continue to grow, not just be top 50, but be top 25%. And and continue that growth. And and that's an investment. And in the business world, everybody's got executive coaches and it it's so important to have those um coaches in place and and having that um those processes in place and connections. So um I agree with
135that. >> Thank you. Anyone else? >> Let me be clear. I'm not opposed or denying the success that you've had with UVA I1. I'm trying to take a pragmatic look. We're already having issues financially. Let's be realistic. We need to start looking and we will with referendum and throughout this budget process of what is needed and not what is wanted. If we can do something almost as effectively or as effectively internally, then we should be cognizant that we may come up short on our budget, especially if we don't pass a referendum and some of the nice to haves we may have to look at differently. I don't think that we should get rid of leadership training. I have never heard a bad word about I1. As a matter of fact, I've heard nothing but praise.
136I'm just looking for budget reductions anywhere that we can possibly do it because we haven't spent enough time and that's not this current board, but it's boards in the past and I'm not even talking about the last board. I'm just saying over the last 10 years of thinking forward and that's why we're kind of where we are in many ways. There are many cases. So, we should think forward because I believe the uh University of Madison had a thing out I don't know you you all got the magazine I'm sure >> recently in the mail we're talking about possibly 7% drop in enrollment statewide >> you know so we're going to be in a financial you know two three four years from now it's going to be worse than it is now and if we
137don't get a referendum passed these are the things that we should think about I think I1 is incredible I mean I've never heard of a program where everybody praised it until that came along And I know the successes that have taken place over the years and I agree with you 100%. We need to have outside information coming in otherwise we're just in this bubble but we also have to think about the practical side and that's and it's not just consultant fees. It's in all kinds of expenses. So that's all I >> Thank you. >> And Mr. Oliver, just to confirm again, and I think I've said this at the board meetings as well as with my exec team, we have to be thinking three to five years from now as we start making decisions right
138now. It it can't be for next year. And I had a long speech with the exec team about hoping. Hoping doesn't get too far. Um we need to be able to look at what we actually have in front of us and we need to make some plans in terms of what that may look like with or without a referendum. there's going to be tough decisions that we have to make at this table in terms of what the final act school district is going to look like moving forward. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Um Luke, other questions? >> Yeah, a couple more. Um and then I think this was answered in there. So the um new budget uh has a higher percentage in special education reimbursement. So that was that uh 1,490 right there.
139possible you know because you said it's uh what uh formula some certain not some sufficient >> or yeah what did I say >> oh yeah >> my bad uh yeah yeah yeah 1,490 >> well and again there it's a it's based on if I just extrapolate out last year's expense costs but then if I pl put through a new enrollment number that that does because in theory some of those costs >> okay >> I mean so I think I think um again these are modeled scenarios this this is not the the meeting I suppose to say um well we've got these revenues to spend and these not but I would predict our our actual come comeback would be around a million dollars in new spendable monies coming out of that um that reim only because
140the services required to to help ed to educate students that access special education are are high. It's a dilemma that is facing the state. It's evident in the last budget cycle. Um there are states that funded at 100%. 45 in two years is is phenomenal. Um because the rate had hovered in the low 20s for years. But yes, Mr. frame. I would say it's around 900,000 to a million dollars. >> Um, and then I had a question too about the um what general supplies. So, you mentioned like toilet paper, paper towel and stuff like that. Do we contract out for like a supplier for that or do we all like just free order that? >> Well, it is managed. It depends on kind of the supply. we do inc push to large vendors like um
141and I think like there are certain vendors I'll give an example like a it's called like a vendor called school specialty could supply just about every classroom supply under the sun and so we do encourage people to try to look to those large vendors for competitive pricing it's not just at anyone's take we do have like larger contracts for paper um the the large consumables You may notice that the towel dispensers in every restroom if you go in the district are of of particular kind. You know, we we a year or two ago we kind of as an example of expense active expense management and kudos to our uh the maintenance staff that are responsible for our storoom purchase. Um we used to have those you may recall they were motion sensed and there was
142a battery supply expense along with the paper towel supply expense and then the dispenser. we were able to negotiate a different purchase contract to get a different supplier. They supply the dispenser and the new paper towel and no batteries. Um, and so, you know, we're always kind of vendors approach us all the time saying we think we can do better for you and it's up to us to try to not just put them away and say no, but is it reasonable and can we save enough? I I point out the general supply stuff, Mr. frame only because I think we can all agree it is not reasonable to simply say, "Well, just cut out all the supplies or all the utilities." It's just far more nuanced than that. If you as a board would like
143us to get more aggressive or limiting on that, we certainly can, but at $1 million and less than 1%, there is going to be a financial limit because you certainly aren't going to say no more paper towel. You're certainly never going to say that because that's not realistic. And so we are always very realistic with that. But yes, to answer your question, it is not an incredible free-for-all. Um, is there some discretion? Um, we do utilize, yeah, we do utilize certain e purchasing vendors, Amazon business, um, Walmart business for consumable type things. Um, but like for office equipment, we try to steer towards large vendors because of the quality and the service we get out of them. >> If that helps answer your question, that's that's down into some detail that if you'd like more,
144we could demonstrate some of that out or you'd like to see some of the cost differences, we could demonstrate some of that. >> Uh, and then this is the last one. Um, and this might piggy back into are are we is there a workshop on the referendum tonight too or is it just just this? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um, so I know uh transportation costs now and this might be something that we look at going forward. Will those go up if we close schools down? You know, would that be an extra expense that uh we'd have to think about? because I I know you said right now for our district our size because we're urban um we don't have as much transportation costs, you know, I'm assuming that's something that would go up because we'd
145have to do more busing >> depending on the routing maps and the boundaries and that kind of conversation it could. Um >> and I think that's where um if that's a decision we look at that we Okay, go ahead. >> No, that's what you were saying. >> Yeah. Is we're going to have to look at all aspects of it. what what does it save? >> Um and where does it how much would it actually save if you look at all these different areas? >> Okay, that was all I had. >> Thank you. Any other questions regarding this budget part? >> Just wanted to thank you for those last few slides. >> Absolutely. You're welcome. >> Turn it turns it from financial ease into English for me >> and I can try to continue that. It
146was excellent. I I appreciate the feedback, Mr. Olive. We had an excellent meeting. And it was really it's wellreceived. Likewise the questions Mrs. Ma Mr. Frame every everybody really you know are we are on the same page in trying to present this information in a digestible manner. >> Thank you Mrs. M. >> I just have a question on that expenditures page. Um the lease payment what is that? >> The lease payment is for the district's copy or print equipment. >> Oh >> uh there isn't one in the build in this room but if you look down the hall I can show you a couple of them. um they're just not it's not cost feasible or as we believe sustainable to own them. Um and perhaps it's akin to the argument of why you get into
147a vehicle lease. There is maintenance, there is service, regular maintenance and service. There's consumable supplies. And so we just feel we don't have the staff to do that. And we believe it's for what we want to get out of it. We pay a company James Imaging in their leasing division to they own it. So yes, at the end of the three or fouryear lease at the outset that what ends up happening is they cycle those back and we have a decision. Do we get back into another lease, but there's a pretty high capital cost to owning capital equipment and you have to decide is that really your business and we view it in probably akin to like the vehicle side. It's just it's just we just need something to drive. Um and that's it. And
148and that's just a business decision we've made. Um but if you wanted us to evaluate the cap the cost benefit analysis of owning versus leasing, >> we could and I think some of the questions are just really clarification and we'll let you know if we want to dig deeper, but I think people are asking and so to clarify then at least people know and then if we need if there is something specific we would. That's Thank you. That's right. If >> I could just ask, how are we going to get this disseminated to the public? Do we have a plan to engage the community so that they can see this and maybe come back with questions in the future? >> Well, and that could be part of our as we're looking at referendum and so
149forth, how are we communicating completely, right? And what is the story and what have we looked at and what are our next steps? >> I think part of this is premature. We got to get the counts. This isn't a final budget. >> No, no. Yeah. Yeah. I would say listen certainly obviously they can view this presentation conversation I think that's the most effective to tune in and engage with that um so but also we can publicize any of this it's not finalized so that that's I to your point Mr. potential got to be cautious. I want to put a big disclaimer. Unfortunately, I know there's going to be people saying sounds like you have a surplus and and you know, but I I wanted to have transparency in a projected estimated number. I don't want
150to pretend like, well, you're not going to get anything out of the state budget. That's not appropriate. But it's not appropriate at this time to say with us with a less than 1% projected surplus thrown in here given the enrollment factors, we're not in a position to make significant budget decisions and if you're going to in the terms of if you if the board is not, this is really my point tonight. If the board does not want to consider additional staff reductions or account for, you know, dramatic changes in employee benefits and things of that nature of which we're in the process, you met today to get a read on where our district health plan is running. And you know, we're we're going to have to bring that back to you that there's going to
151be we may have to consider budgeting more to maintain or a district health plan. you already took that big step of going self-funded in that big 20% of your budget, our budget. I think to get people into the no, this is what leads into the next part of the workshop, which is on community survey, what matters to the community. If if you're hearing that the staff reductions that took place and the schedule changes, Mr. Mr. Steinbart and I talk all the time. If that is the case, then it really points the direction that the board and the community have to go to additional operational referendum because without that, you're you're simply going to have to go to those big you're going to have to take those other expenses down. >> Thank you. >> Um, did
152you have something yet, Mr. Henshel? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I got a couple things. I'm doing a lot of calculations. Um, couple things. Uh, I know for the special ed we have 33.3. We've never seen that fully funded. >> Correct. >> Obviously. So, when we do the budget and we go to 42%, the the interesting part will be where does that end up at the end of the year? >> Yes. >> And when we look at the total special education need, I mean that Yeah. So-called surplus could disappear really quick on that. >> Yes. Um, do we when you do the budgeting, are you budgeting the full 42 or do you give yourself a little room in there because we've never seen like I it was at 33 I think. What did we see
153last year? 29%. So we're 4% off uh you know from what we actually received. I I run it through um our BARD financial forecast model and as part of if you decide to engage in a community survey referendum process those you are on the board you met Todd Hayesi and the our team from RW Baird they they come and I plug it into the model it's a big Excel file that uses all the formulas I put the they they have a special highlighted cell this is a cell you can adjust add that from 33 to 42 and then takes all your formulas and it outputs that to get to that number, Mr. Henchel. So, I'm not rough mathing it myself. I'm running it through the formula because because it's formula driven, I have to do
154that and then I'll engage our consultants, their purchase service, consulting service that comes back and says, am I doing it right? Because it's that important to model the scenario. >> So, they're modeling the full 33. >> Uh was 33 42. >> Now, you're on to it. They're modeling the full 42, right? >> That's that's where I'm heading. So we're modeling the full 42. So that comes in 6% less. >> That's a huge impact on our bottom line. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> That was my >> good observation >> because I'm a conservative budgeter and I'd be going that's, you know, that's aggressive to 72 when we probably going to see somewhere in between there. I mean there's, you know, like you said one and a half million dollars sitting that it could be anywhere in
155between there. It could >> from my experience. is usually tracked about two to three percentage points lower than the rate. >> So, is this around 40? Probably. >> Yeah. Okay. >> If you'd like a better number, I could put it. >> I did my own numbers. I'm good. >> But it's a good observation, Mr. You're right. >> Um the other piece when you looked at the percentages, the uh $4.5 million going to vulture. We talk about school choice >> and school choice, you know, the dollars follow. >> Yes. >> And we look at the dollar amount that we spent on school choices. Can you let the public understand the difference between, you know, we had $4.5 million in losses for students going out versus coming in? >> You know, we're it's an expenditure, $4 and
156a half million uh for us for school choice, but we're also spending about $4.5 million in vouchers. >> So, can you separate those two and explain it uh the differences on that? The voucher number is part of what local property taxpayers are paying where the district is the taxing entity. So there's no voucher program. That property tax burden is less, but it's a big it's an expense on our our our expense side. In theory, you would say potentially those students could be resident. I mean, they they choose to go to a prochial school. They live in the district. Maybe they never step foot into your building. What we've seen is oftentimes those are students that they don't go into the open enrollment number. They might have attended the district and then they sometimes leave and
157go. We don't have a good tracking on that totally like where they end up. Whereas so to answer your question, the voucher program is is really got an impact on the local tax burden. If there's not a voucher program, significantly less in property tax in that sense because we're the pass through kind of entity to that. The flip side of the open enrollment is those are real net spendable numbers. When you're a in a positive scenario and you take in more revenue than you put out an expense that those students effectively financially prop up your district. And so from other so when you become you might hear this term more of a magnet attracted attractive school district well you have less financial pressures now you have the additional pressures of larger class sizes and building
158spaces and stuff but that's just as you saw in that big chart the purple and the green that's fewer and fewer school districts that are saying hey I need to build a whole new elementary school because I've had so much high open enrollment. uh the but they do sort of raise the boat to raise the the the level because there's a certain economy to scale. You can increase class sizes without necessarily add adding additional staff. >> So let let me ask let me try to say it. >> Maybe I didn't explain it. >> No, you did. I just want to make sure everybody is following on that. So if a child is going to a local private school, >> correct? never touched foot into our school district. >> It's irrelevant. >> Correct. >> If a
159child stepped foot in our district and then went to another public schools, then that money follows it. Well, as soon as they enroll in the in the program to go to a private prochial school and then they only financially impact us really when they apply for and receive a voucher. So that's where then they then the district becomes a taxing entity. It's the taxpayer >> support. But on that piece of it, if they receive a voucher, we're they go, "Okay, Final School," and I'm going to break it down real simple. Final school district, we received the voucher for Suzie. >> So then we're like, "Okay, now we have to tax for that voucher and we have to pass it along." >> Yes. >> So it's a pass through. And that's one thing we've talked about
160at the state level is how do we make it transparent on the tax bill because they like to separate everything else out for our expenses. So people are thinking we're receiving all this this tax money but in reality we're taxing on their behalf and then passing that money along. >> Okay. So versus someone that's going from public school to public school then that is an expense side. >> Yeah. And it impacts when you look at the expense going out versus what we got coming in, you know, it it that one's costing us more money really in a sense. >> Um because it truly is coming out of our coffer, you know, to to pay for that. >> Correct. >> All right. >> A followup question from what you just said though. >> Um does it
161matter if they live in our district from what you just shared, Mr. Henchel? So for example, student lives in North FondeLac goes to a prochial school within our district area. Did the does the the um does the funding still go through us even though >> where do they live? >> Right. They live in North FondeLac, but they're attending Fondelac. So then does do the funds go through us or do they go through North Fondelac? Well, I I'll get you the exact answer. I should know that answer right off. >> Oh, no. That's okay. I should have asked it. I was just thinking that because >> students that So, students that are from outside of Fondelac, for example, North Fondelac, Amro, whatever, if they go to um parochial schools and there's um and they believe their
162child has a disability, Fondelac school districts in charge of evaluating that student, that's a cost on us even though the students don't live within our district. So I'm just wondering if this is at cost for us too. >> I'll get the exact clear. I don't want >> Sorry we'll I'll stop to be >> So I guess the bigger the bigger picture is when you think of what affects us more. I think the school choice affects us harder than voucher systems because the voucher system is really >> us passing through the taxation of it. I'm that's what I'm just organizing in my head versus the school choice is a truth. Like I I did hear at one time North Fond had got 136 of our kids, you know, attending there times 11,000. It's a big number
163that go to North FondeLac that uh that you know are supposed to come here. We write a pretty big check to them, you know, in in a sense. Um, so those are the things as we perform better and people want to come back hopefully because we're doing great things here. That's those are investments that we're putting in the education to bring people to us or want to be like you said when we had stutter come in they go what's your goal? I go be a destination district for students, teachers and parents and families. That simple. I mean that's what that was my goal personally. I want people like other ones in our conference like Kimberly they close open enrollment. they don't have room, you know, um that people want to come to us because of
164the great things we're doing here. I mean, that that's that's my goal uh as a board member. Um did you want to add that part of it or I got a couple things? >> I'm going to add to that part of it quickly. Um it it it uh what you're saying is is yes. Uh and that refers to Mr. Oliver's question is how do we get people to know about this? And it refers to Char Troder's comments this at uh today where she said this is sad if people don't know this gets to our PR problem. >> Yeah, >> we uh don't toot our horn well enough. We need to be telling people all the great things that are happening and um so uh that is that is a weakness >> that we have. >>
165Yep. >> Okay. >> So two two more things. One is you talk about the 7% um enrollment decline. I've seen that a lot of different places. So if we take our 6,400, you know, and do our 7%, that's that's a $5 million loss in income, you know, revenue that we have. So, and that's not just one year. That's continual, you know, forever. So, you know, when people, like you said, oh, $900,000 surplus, that's first of all, we've been taken out of our bank account, our savings the last couple years to so we didn't have to make the cuts that we had to this last year in hopes that we could sustain. Um, but with that, that that goes away really quick. You know, that's and I would like to put a little bit back into
166the savings account in my opinion. Uh, you know, to try to build a little bit back to give us a little more safety net in case something happens. and a half million dollars. When we got $485 million worth of real estate, you know that you got, you know, even if you I always say we budget like a million. I I know businesses budget like 5% of total budget, you know, which then that would mean we're about four million short on where we should be on capital improvement budgeting and upkeeps and maintenance and things like that. when you look at our long-term uh cap what we didn't do that could be done uh I mean things don't get done sometimes because of the budget constraints so we're really behind when you look at a 10 year
167fiveyear threeyear uh maintenance slashupkeep type uh philosophies out there even if you start looking at technology and buildings and things like that um but I do want to say one last thing is when I did the mill rate that's a 12% decline on the mill rate 12% So, I heard people in the past, "Wow, my taxes went." No, you're not looking at the school portion of your taxes. Look really close because you'll see our portion was a decline. And I hear that all the time. Well, my taxes didn't go down. Well, the rate went down. Look at your look at that specific portion. I know a couple years ago when Marine Park, I mean, that was like a 50% increase on my taxes for Marine Park. It's a smaller number, but it was still uh
168an increase that was substantial that my kids, you know, never go to Marine Park that I'm paying for. You know, those types of situations or scenarios. Um, you know, I want people to be aware that's a decline. However, the reassessments that could have eaten all of that decline up though, too. So, you know, there's Yeah, there's a lot that's going into that formula. So, we when I say that, I I'm caution people. So it doesn't mean your taxes are going to go down by 12% if you live in the city because city just did a reassessment that could change that whole formula, you know. So but those are what I do want to say is we're we're very low as far as our mail rate when you look at some of the areas and stuff
169like that. So um but yeah, this is going to be interesting as we start seeing future here and get our accounts. Hopefully that goes up in the next month. >> Uh I don't know how they run it. I did not register my kid yet. So maybe, you know, I don't know if that helps, which I have to do, but I'm assuming they took him from last year. Yeah. All right. So, um, >> he's leaving then. >> Yeah. Okay. Yeah. He He's got his classes, so we should be good there. But I thought of that actually. I'm like, I didn't register my kid yet. So, does that account those, you know, >> a plug? Verify verify is out there. Exactly. >> Verify your child. >> Verify they're they're registered. make sure our accounts are where they
170but yeah I'm hoping that goes up in the next few weeks here. >> Thank you. Um is it if there aren't any other questions regarding this area is it appropriate this is this part would be new for me for us to take a five minute break before we start discussing um the next portion so we can >> thank you thank you Mike for this more to come more to come we have other presentations >> um does the does the board feel the team needs to stick around for this next session >> absolutely absolutely need to go out and get some pizza. >> So, I'm taking that as a no. So, uh what we'll do is we'll take a five minute break and then it's still part of a workshop though, correct? So, um do I
171need to like say we're taking a five minute break. Is there anything do I need to Okay, we're going to take a five minute break. It's I don't have to crack it. Okay. 7:32. We'll come back at 7:37. Thank you. And thank you, staff. Yeah. >> Okay. Oh, I don't have to do that. Sorry. We're back. All right. So, um, we're moving on to the referendum planning portion of our meeting. >> All right. >> So, again, this is just really where where you are at in terms of a board and moving forward with school perceptions, finding out what the community wants. And as I talked at the meeting we were at the other day, we are listening to the community and that's what that school perceptions piece will will really do. And I think that's
172how we sell it in terms of we're finding out what you are comfortable with. If it comes back overwhelmingly that nobody wants us to go to referendum even well that that's a message well received and then we have to make different decisions. But I think the best way, as we were just talking about, you know, I think Luke, you had asked, how do we get people to get information to people, this is the forum for people to get information if they want it? Um, and again, with budget things, we can put those things on Facebook. If people ask Mike to to do it that what is this piece, you can do that. Um, I know we talked just a second ago. If we continue to ask the questions in detail, we'll have to put that
173as a separate budget or separate line item in the agenda. We can't do a consent because it's just you can't have the questions once it's been approved that way. So, if we want to go to that, we'd have to have the budget conversation in a separate way. Can I can I ask a question on that? >> On so instead of asking the question and drill, we can ask like we did behind the scenes. >> Can the board get their answer from Mike and just make a statement? Absolutely. You know that maybe that's the better way because these questions were already asked behind the scenes in email. >> Or if somebody asks the question to you, you have a right to if you have the answers, you can tell them this is what that is. I
174asked that question to Mike, to myself, to Justin, to anybody. I've asked that question. Here is the answer. Feel free to share it with other people. We can do all those things >> because I don't think it's fair to Mike all the time is to ask questions here. He doesn't have the time to research it, look it up. And some of them we did ask ahead of time and stuff like that. >> That way we can just say, "Hey, I just want to make a statement. Here's four items that I >> asked about and here's the responses I got." You know, I'm just trying to to make it >> You can't go ahead. No, >> you can't do that. >> Nope. In if an item is on the consent agenda, there is no discussion associated
175with that. So it would have to pull off the consent agenda question. The B the B monthly financial report would then need to be its own separate resolution if we want to do any explanation any questions anything like that. >> Okay. However, at the end when we do the round table or anything >> any additional >> yeah any addition >> appropriate matters then you can make the statement on your behalf on here's the question just so people know here's the questions I asked on the budget here's you know responses >> and I would never ask any new questions that was strictly all off of that email that should have been familiar with you know that's not saying it can be brought to I want to make sure people understand let's do it there We'll just
176do that at the end and I'll continue to it's been working out really well. Um and then if there's any additional but usually what I do is I just review it with them as we're planning for the meeting and I'll say what is this? Can you explain it? Some of them I'm like I think you explained it before but I it's still not I'm not fluent at it. And so then we'll have there but like um Karen had some other so that was great. I think you did. Maybe someone did and then you clarified them and then um that would be a great point I think like you said Mark at the end but then it's also interesting where we can share yep this is what we answered and then Karen could say I asked
177some additional questions because then it's also showing the people that are reaching out to you that you are thinking about what they're asking you >> and I I mean some of the questions referendum wise though do we want two separate questions and that's something school perceptions to be able to tell us what's the best >> regarding that because I know I've had conversations with many of you that school safety piece is a different level as well. I will say when you have two separate questions I think school perceptions would also say that one of them has a very high likelihood of not passing then so we'd have to be ready for that as well. Um, but they will go through the full gamut of what our community is is currently thinking. Do they want and
178I'll you know at the meeting Jen Lucas that we were at said, "Why aren't we closing buildings?" Well, is that what the community is wanting us to do? Close buildings to do this. I'm going to be honest. I don't think we can put any more financial burden on the backs of this the staff really. We are we're asking teachers to do more than they've ever done. aids, custodians, everybody more than they've ever done with more students as well. And that's I guess a piece for me as we talk about do we want to see retention of our staff. That's going to be a huge piece. If they know they can go to North Fondelac or go to Oshkosh and teach, you know, five classes instead of six at the high school level, they're going to
179make that move just for themselves personally. So, I think those are the conversations that we just need direction from you of going full forward with school perceptions and really finding out what types of things we want to do because we're >> we're right where we need to be right now. >> We had made that decision last time we were together that we were going to move forward >> with the >> with school perceptions. >> I don't know if it was ever unanimous. >> We were moving forward on the school uh survey number one. Number two, I thought we were separating the um possibility of closing schools uh not as a referendum piece but um strictly as a communication piece and a decision that is being made by the board. And three, uh, that we were
180putting to referendum the, uh, safety issue with cameras across all of the schools and, uh, uh, updating the entrance to the high school. >> And that's where I think we need I want to hear full board agreement on Can we maybe do one of these at a time just to make sure that we're like So did did everyone understand and agree that we would be using school perceptions for a survey? >> Yes. >> Um I did >> but wasn't it asked last time to get uh >> cost? Yeah. A closer number two cost because I know in the email it says Mike is preparing summary >> of our previous spending with the school perceptions. I I didn't >> Oh, the previous spending. That's right. >> Yeah. >> Anything on that? >> Okay. >> I did
181look that up. >> I looked it up. >> I I did look up um through our financial software all the charges I could find that we paid to school perceptions related to the 1819 referendum and survey things and it was about $14,000. >> So, this has gone up a little bit, but >> what as far as what was the number? concern. That's nothing. >> It was like 820. It was around 20. >> That's what I was going to say. And some of that didn't include the postage though and some of those other components >> which we would have to do anyway. >> Six cents per envelope and things like that. >> Plus, so what I just saw as I looked around, the majority of us were in agreement in it. There was just conversation regarding
182cost yet. Uh Luke, would is there something else? >> No, that was that was it. I I agree that we we should go ahead and go forward with it. I just wanted a closer cost because that's gonna I foresee that a question that up uh >> later on. >> Who designs the questions for the survey >> that >> Well, it's a great question, Mr. Oliver. I think there's we would engage with Bill Foster the school perception. he's their lead and his team and they have a standard kind of bank, but I think he would want to come and have a workshop especially with you to say kind of maybe to what you were sort of saying Mrs. And I remember last time, what do you want? Like do you what do you want to know?
183And I really think the board at that time was pretty active in the question writing in sort of he can give you the stock bank like if you want to know safe and secure entrances or whatnot, you can put that. I think he could tell you it could be as long or as short as you want, but I think to Mr. Steinbar's point, it's really important to what do you want to know from the public >> because It's a it's a it so serves as information and communication too. Now, we're not gonna >> like >> So, I think I saw a lot of heads shaking. >> Yeah. >> Safe and secure in every school. That wasn't something that anyone was like, "No, we don't want a question about that." >> He would help you. You
184You would say this is what we want to know. He would want to know. What do you want? >> So, he would help us formulate the actual question that we would ask on >> not only for the sake of security is what we saw this last couple days ago. I saw on the scanner with the with two of our schools getting broke into. I mean that that's even for an insurance you know purpose and you know for just making sure our assets are protected too >> which by the way our SRO's are working on actively right now too just so update. >> Yeah. If we had the cameras we'd have a better situation >> potentially. Yeah. >> Can we set up uh see if they're available for our next board meeting to have them come
185in and design? Is that how that goes? I think for me, I just want to hear what >> what as a board you are prepared to to look at. Again, we heard people saying school closures. We heard um you know, different things like that. What what are we prepared to really look at? >> Um so I I've really thought about that and uh I know there is a possibility of talking of three school closures. I'm not comfortable with a STEM closure. I feel there are kids that learn differently and STEM really I I know it's a smaller school and it's not as many kids there and I I mean if you bring me just overall facts I mean obviously um that might change my mind but but those those kids they need the project based
186learning. So, I guess as far as me, I I'm not comfortable with with STEM closure, you know, but possibility, you know, if we need to do an elementary and a middle school, I could I could >> Luke, can I question on that one? Because I I was right with you on that. What if they could learn in that model in a different building? >> Yeah. >> Um, that's good. I guess is >> that was my that's my first gut too is that you know but >> what if you know that's a older what if they can continue the curriculum or that model of learning in another building? >> I I'd be open to that discussion. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Well, that's what I was going to ask. Can we house them somewhere else that's you
187know can we absorb that? >> And I the way I would put it and again I'm not saying any one of them we have to do right now. Similar to our ACE program, we have a very unique track for students that are involved in the ACE program that we have now housed at the high school. With that opportunity, >> if we want to start looking at opportunities, >> it can it can be STEM. There's a lot of things that we could have track at the high school or at the middle school that students would be able to >> access and have it a little bit different as well. But >> I mean this these are the discussions that none of us are going to want to have to >> so Matt here >> the boardroom
188will be full. >> Here's my suggestion and you know talking and listening at some of the meetings um as we go forward what's that you know if you're looking at a 7% you know decline I call right size in the district what does that look like? And and I know you don't have that, but what I'm saying is is I think you and Mike or whatever, you know, uh is involved in predicting or at least looking at here's where we could look like. Here's where we are today. I know we're only at 60% utilization on certain buildings and things like that. How I think we need to have that project put together while we're doing the other work. I don't think we can wait, >> you know, because we're going to be behind the eightball.
189I you know I I would like to as a board member you know kind of throw those marching orders and say start the work. >> It should be a five plan or something >> and we have that but if you talk 7% right now of what we have that's about 450 students. I know I did the math. >> That's old school. That's a whole middle school. >> And again, I don't like throwing this number out, but 1,200 in the span of how many years that that that's also significant. And at the same time, we had added a school during that >> during that time. >> Yeah. When we were >> so when we look at the right sizing, but I would do a couple scenarios. one is you're here's what I'd like it to look
190like because we know that at the high school going to six and I know you've had conversations where you really believe we'll get better outcomes at the five and all of that. So I kind of look at it this way and say all right what's my with expenditures of right sizing what's my perfect picture of you know multiple uh two English and two math in the middle schools and and have that because you know obviously as you look at building closures you can absorb some of those employees into these other buildings to do those things that we want to do to get the outcomes we want >> right and the staff reduction at that point would be the indirect staff members with students not the direct, the teachers, the aids, people like that. There'd be
191an indirect >> staff reduction. So, someone >> I was going to say I think we need to see, you know, I have it in my head flying around, but what does that structure look like? What does and really nail it down? >> Really nail it down. >> And what would be the cost savings? Because if we're transferring students or I'm sorry, transferring students and teachers and like you brought up before, what is what what now? What would we be adding on with transportation? Um there would probably be some decrease in um would we would we sell the buildings? Would we rent the buildings? Like so um looking at the cost savings verse the versus the cost what how much is it really going to save us to do something like that? >> Well, that would
192be part of the whole >> and the transportation and this is just me and Mike you can correct me if I'm wrong. The transportation I don't think we're going to see a whole lot of change because it's the students in St. Peter and outside the city limits. Those are the students we transport right now. They're going to be transported either way. Um so I don't see that being a huge difference. I mean I see transportation continuing to go up um no matter what we would do with school closures >> myself. I think yeah from what you're looking at is you know important part of the survey is ultimately there's there's a budgetary tax tolerance that I think school perception is going to say which is you know we'll model those enrollment scenarios I guess if
193you're deeply concerned on facilities use I know we did last year do a facilities use occupancy I think it's what you're referencing Mr. ial, we could, you know, kind of dust that off for representation andor evaluation if further enrollment declines. Um, you know, the enrollment numbers I'm using are out of the bear forecast model. How many years ago? We went to WMadison's applied population lab. >> That was probably a $10,000 expense at the time that if you wanted to really say what's a 10-year predictive model. I mean, >> I think um I think it would be really important. I think with school perceptions experience, you could better help you steer what the survey could look like. Um because if maybe to your point at some level, Mr. Frame, if any level building closure is off
194the table or I mean if all options are on the table and you want to test all options that's important to know what support there is for that but if there are just some options that are not on the table then you're not going to survey on that and I think you as the board I think Bill would tell you that um so you just I think having that in your mind ready to say but again you're prudent you you're you want to be open to what those options are and the survey would tell you like building closure is just not an option but staff changes are or think I mean and that that's powerful and I think that's the important thing you want to know >> and I think that piece of what as
195a instructional >> person to get the outcomes that we're looking for at the academic piece >> you know Matt as the leader and you know the leadership team can say you know like we like you said a couple times hey I I would want an extra teacher at my middle at my middle schools to do that that might be that we eliminate one you know to bring that over you know to be prudent in the financial. So I I really think that model of delivering the academic piece of it what does that look like to perform at the level we want to perform at and then you back into you know the building piece of it. How can we deliver that that education within >> would be structured? the district believes this is the best
196educational outcome is a predicted cost of this in an oper tax impact of this on an operational referendum you know and your support for that and it goes on down through that so you can kind of gauge well if 80% of people do support you know the the but nobody does I mean you're going to get a real really actionable feedback from an enrollment standpoint as an example that board in in 2018 wanted to know wanted to demonstrate to the public that they had considered enrollment >> because at the time before we put millions into as an example, it just was the example discussed. Waters Elementary being the oldest building at that time needed the most quite quite a significant investment. So there was nothing in the 10-year study that predicted a dramatic the dramatic
197decline. Obviously the pandemic induced in enrollment. So it they deemed it, listen, they answered to the public, enrollment is going to be stable enough to warrant putting that type of investment into a Waters Elementary. And so that's what that enrollment study did. So I guess if you want to know a facility's use or enrollment study, we would want to know that because we would want to engage with that. There's few firms that do it. We would probably start with a proposal from W population applied. >> I don't think we need that. I mean, we have enough data and I think like everything we do is going to add on time and money. We know we have declining enrollment. There's plenty of data that shows that we if we have some studies that were done last
198year, let's take those out again. It was only last year, right? And so I think instead of um what do we already know within and then how do we use that survey to make some decisions, one of the um options they talked about when we learn more about it is um possibly three different scenarios. And I don't know much about that um if that's a good thing to do or not. Like this is good, better, best. But when they come here they can talk about I don't like I said I know you all might have more experience with that. I don't know. But is that a good option or not? They can speak about that. But I just think we've got our you guys did the hard work. We have the information. You've done the
199hard work. >> I totally agree, Mrs. Mo. I just at that time there was conversation. They we would want to provide you all the information so you could answer constituents and said, "Well, have you really thought about enrollment? Have you really you if someone approaches you and says, well, how do you know facilities aren't being used or at what capacity?" We we do That's that accountability. We want to be accountable to you. Um, and so, but yes, there is a time element in terms of deciding if you even want to do an operational referendum. You have till the middle of January, but we would typically probably want that by December. I think the timeline was shared. So, >> we're getting into where we want to put some time into crafting survey questions. To your point,
200Mr. Oliver, if we want involvement, that that's not happening in one meeting. So, you're going to want a couple of two, three meetings to be able or a special meeting to do that. I can't recall if we did that, but >> it could be. >> I think the other component because I've heard it already. Obviously, it's in the community that we're talking about school closure. Again, I think part of last year we kept saying school closure and nobody knew exactly who we were talking about. That caused a lot of angst, uncertainty, not only with staff, but with our parents, with students of am I going to be displaced and going somewhere else? I think the earlier we get out what we are thinking the better because it's it's upfront and honest with people this is
201what we are thinking so that people know that as well and it's not a threat. It's not it's this is where we currently are and this is what we're thinking of so that they can make their own decisions as well because I think that's important as a district that we're giving people that opportunity to make decisions for themselves. when we talk about open enrollment things with even within district and components like that if we're >> you can't wait till April 1st because it's too late then >> we have to be we have to be cognizant of that and you know possibly say this is what we're looking at what we're thinking well in advance of any of those timelines >> and and I think working at the level of this is what we have to
202do if one doesn't pass and if it does and have what we want, you know, our wish list within that. This is what we can gain from it, >> you know, the value add because this is what we're doing. >> Mhm. >> X, Y, and Z >> because we have to plan without it. >> If that passes, this is what we're going to do with it. >> Yeah. Even even if it passes, we may still be looking at having to close this school for, you know, for reasons, >> you know, of declining enrollment, getting more teachers into the schools that will continue to operate so that we can meet this academic plan that you'd like to see. I think we'd all like to see getting two at least two teachers per subject. >> So, how
203soon could we get like what Katie Motor was talking about? Um or Miss Motor uh use your formal name. >> Madam President, Madam President. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um like the uh cost savings that we would get, you know, um realist or just a rough how how soon could we get that done? >> Some of that depends on which school, too. >> Well, that would be the other thing. >> I think we'd have to go through >> all schools just to do our I mean I know that's more work for >> and I I'm going to be I think we could look at a middle school which one makes most sense and I'm just going to say it out loud again. Woodworth at one point was closed and it's I think I've talked to Woodward
204staff that have that know that as well. Woodworth at one point was closed. If we're not eliminating staff and saying you'll be moved to a different middle school, that that's more of the parents and the students that are currently at Woodworth that would need to know that >> we brought up STEM. >> And let's talk let's talk about that one quick on the capacity piece though. They have 415 >> and that's that's where we did a space study and Mike you have the numbers I think better than I do of what that looked like at one point. it. I think to be fair, you should see that capacity study. But we do believe, yes, that it could be a possibility based on occupancy to be able to move to those two. But that's just ahead
205of the game here. I I just because it is doesn't mean it is the right choice. And Matt's absolutely right. >> The staffing if if you're not reducing staffing, the cost change is is I mean, like you said, Mrs. Moyer, I mean, do you what do you do? You still have to own you still own it. you still have to maintain it even if it's shuttered. There's a lot of dynamics at play with it. Um I think before we do that, we would look for an endorsement on moving with school perceptions. You can get some better feedback on how he he's going to have a bank of many districts that have had that school closing question. You could see how the questions read. We can give you a space study as part of that and
206share with maybe we ballpark and say well here's what basic and elementary closer could look like give you a rough estimate what a middle might look like I think is really what you're getting at but the name specifically would be tricky at this point >> and with the elementary piece just to and Luke I appreciate the question we have a Parkside Parkside's the only school in that area that students can access Um you have an Evans same thing. There's not really anywhere around that that if we close that down where they would go. You have to really look at schools in the middle of the community >> that you can disperse students into potentially ideally three other schools by changing the boundaries and doing things like that. And that gets that other piece of you're
207changing boundaries. That's a completely another component because you have to let students know this is what your home school would be so that they know that. I mean there's there's a lot that will take place with this. >> So could Oh, go ahead. >> I I I this is all really good, but still so would we wait more for like after the survey to see what the cost savings would be for that stuff or >> and I think also find out what the community was thinking. I mean, if we said we're we're looking at one, two, three schools in this, that survey is going to come back and say this community doesn't think that the right thing to do, which gives us a better understanding time-wise, >> it's it's pushing it. I think myself of
208if you're waiting for that to come back because then you're still waiting for the referendum to happen. and stranger things have happened in in elections and referendums and things like that that all of a sudden we're caught off guard that the community didn't buy into what we were thinking. >> So, you just said uh one, two, or three schools. Um I don't know. My question is I don't know what I I don't even know what I think about this but um we start this year talking about one school and then depending on many things and the studies that are going on behind the scenes and the impact of X number of schools and what the projections are for for uh enrollment here and across the nation. probably uh that you then but you also say
209to the people that if uh we this this may have to continue we may have to close another school in another year or the next year I don't know staggered as opposed to one two or three right now >> I don't know it's what's co I think it's going to be ultimately what's cost effective what's going to get us the biggest bang for our buck >> if If you drag this out too long, people are going to probably tire. But I I I understand what you're saying. Can I read a few things to you? I got a bunch of feedback that came in um recently >> regarding Can you maybe share the theme? >> The theme overall is how do we get the referendum passed? Maybe it's too early to share this. I don't know.
210>> Maybe if you could hold on that for now >> until we get our questions >> and let's and let's see if there's any themes we're finding. um because I I um and see how they make sense within it. >> Yeah. Because the these these are people talking about how do we approach >> because I kind of put it out there to look at our last meeting. >> So >> to see the workshop. So how do we how do we get the referendum passed is what everybody on top of that Tom too I think we got to play devil's advocate because those are probably people that voted yes for it right. >> No these are some of the people that voted no for the >> because those are the ones I want to hear from.
211>> Yeah. In actuality, these are people that voted >> and that's where I think school perception that's why we >> but but this may not be the right meeting. Maybe it's down the road. I just let you know that I have some feedback. I'm going to ask for some more feedback because I know people watch this either at home or later >> and so I I like to just get hear from them because it's a quick way of getting some >> and part of the survey is also sharing information. So, it's sharing information as well as gathering information. >> Um, another thing too, and I know, um, last referendum they did like, uh, the envision, but is there a possibility to get out in the community and just like hold like a public forum, you
212know, multiple? Absolutely. When when can we when can we start doing some of that? >> Yes. Once we know what the referendum is going to say. What what did what did the gentleman say about the committee they put together to get their referendum passed? They public people 50 people from the community >> and that that's Kiwasum a lot smaller community they got theirs. >> It's the strategic plan. What is our strategic plan of moving this forward and so the feedback you've received and I you know you've received information as well and they might be similar they might be different but all of that's going to help us design. So, um, >> I mean, I can go out right now and talk to people why we need a referendum. That's that's >> But nobody knows how
213to You can't give them a number. You can't, you know, they're going to >> We don't want to overload them too early where they get exhausted from it and don't >> That's why we have to have a strategic plan. >> So, when do we want to look at going out into the community then? >> So, let's get school perceptions in here and they can give us some feedback on timelines. >> When we know what it is. Yep. >> I'd like to know what it is before January. I' I would like to get that done before the holiday. >> That's why we have to like move now. We have to get them in and we have to get the question out. >> It's it's absolutely important. Um I think what we would look what we're hearing
214I think Mr. Stemer that you're willing I haven't heard an objection to to engaging with school perceptions. We will I told them we'll wait till till tomorrow and or we'll get that information and we can kind of lay it out. They'll talk to you about what works, what they see successful districts sometimes doing. They're not really going to consult on getting referendums passed. They just can see give you perspective of how boards maybe approach that uh uh process a little bit. And so, uh especially the testing with all of what you want to see and know and understand, you really got to know what do you want to know from your public because it's a public engagement. It's it's a huge strategy in engaging the public. So, if you want to know about building closures,
215we will put together like the projected budget and with enrollment, you're going to probably need X dollar amount and a tax impact. I will provide all that behind the scenes and then they will test that all out. You have workshops where you can craft questions. It'll it'll I think you will be it'll be a very positive experience and um you just all your feedback I think will be really important. And then from there once you know what the public says you can really get that strategy moving >> and then in the meantime like um what uh Mr. Olifer and Mr. frame said, you know, what is our strategic plan for going out into the community once we know that information? >> I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> I just have a question on all that. Okay.
216So, we are saying we need to get moving on this now, but it sounds like there's a lot of, you know, meetings to get to that. Are we going to be able to do this in just workshops after our meetings or are we going to have to have some special meetings? >> We might need to. Okay. Can I ask if I may wi with that those projections? >> Could you give us >> what we owe if we have mortgages on any of the buildings that we would potentially consider um uh closing also what the maintenance gen the average maintenance cost for each of those buildings would be as well because I think that would give us some idea of potential savings. >> Yeah, I think you're Yes. Well, to answer the the debt question, the
217district all the costs that went into maintaining the buildings in 2019, um that's a debt payment that you're continuing to levy for and make. So that debt that there's no debt savings unless you sell a building and take that to prepay to go off capital debt effectively sell a building. That's what districts do. Um, but again, in terms of getting a ballpark, pardon me, number of, okay, what could be a range, an estimated range, if the district could save a million dollars or $2 million annually in operational expenses by closing a particular building. It's that type of high level there. We're not going to probably unless you really wanted to know support for closing a particular building. I think Bill would he be open to say well then we got to know but you're on
218to it Mr. Oliver you want to know is the bang worth of that you know is is that worth that that cost. So I think to start we're going to follow up with school perceptions. >> Okay. >> Try to work with you Mrs. Motor I think to get a real clear plan. Mrs. main. It probably could be special meetings, but I think you will find once you get into it, it's it can it can move pretty efficiently. Um, this isn't writing it from scratch. It's got banks of questions. It's the priorities of the district, what you want to know from the public and what you believe the public needs to to understand is being considered >> is really the heart of it. Off of your question though, I wonder if keeping whenever possible, like if
219we have to add some in that they would continue to be Monday nights uh at 5:00 if need be. Does that work with most people's schedules if we needed to add a special meeting if it were to be a Monday night at five o'clock? >> I see Joe. Yes, Oliver. Yes. Yes. Yes. Um >> right now. Yeah. >> Okay. Mr. Frame, >> I guess I just I'm and I know you guys are uh working on getting us more information, too. Um, so if a school closure does happen, the the plan is that we would move that staff to a different school. And then so where where would the savings be? Because the biggest cost to the district is salary. And I'm I'm looking at utilities and uh maintenance and repairs for all of last year.
220And that's, you know, I roughly around 3 million right there for the whole district. >> You know, >> there's a lot. >> Okay. So support >> so we would lose staff >> which could possibly be through retirements because it's not going to be a lot of I probably would >> goal. >> Okay. >> Then people who aren't retiring could be potentially moved around as well. >> Okay. So, >> just because the public might want to know because your mic's not on. So, I'm just going to re or do you just want to repeat what you said because I I feel like that's a that's a problem. What I was going to say is when when you have a building and you got all the people that are touching within that building um not all of
221them are student facing you got a lot of ancillary supports staff of running a building that goes into that. So you know a lot of the teachers you would hope that we would absorb based on what we want to accomplish with um as long as they're qualified and that to teach in other uh buildings and stuff like that but you're going to have some even administrators possibly you know that But yeah, I'm just saying in general, but like you said, >> and there's retirements, >> cafeteria, certain things are reduced of course, but um there's also if we sell a building, >> you know, there's profit in that in some manner. Um less insurance, less building to ensure, one less building to insure, two less buildings to ensure, >> you know, closing buildings. >> I've had
222people say that about selling building, but the academy is off the table. I mean, Woodworth, if we would have sold it, we would have had to build a new one, right, when we reopened it. So, you got to be careful on the selling property. Number one is who's going to buy it, you know? I mean, >> yeah. Depends on the building. >> Yeah. >> And years ago when Woodworth was closed, we rented it out to people, too. So, >> and it was a rec department. >> Yeah. WCK department, the Ark, the Marylander daycare was there. I mean, we had a lot of stuff. >> If we can do a 3K or do dayare, I mean, there's a huge need for There's a huge for that. >> There's opportunities, >> but there's also a lot of
223open commercial real estate in town, too. >> Right. So, can I pause the conversation at this? It sounds like yes, school perceptions. Let's move ahead. We know we need a strategic plan regarding how we're going to publicize moving over. We know we might need to have some special meetings. We also know that you're looking into um what would be the cost savings or um what would and or what buildings would make most sense. Did I summarize the majority of what we talked about? Did I miss anything? >> Okay. >> I guess I just had one. Is there anything else that you need feedback from the board on >> pertaining to this? >> Just again because it was brought up and I think it fits in this. We are in January up with our um our
224contract with STEM the their governance board of having it as a charter school. So just so you know it was a five-year contract I believe Mike correct and that that is up at the end of December. >> The charters can go year to year. Um but there is an action where you renew it or not. Um the past charters the the boards had said well we'll do fiveyear charters. So um you know we just know that we We've got a decision to make on that in terms of not we but you as a board have to take action on renewal of the STEM charter. Uh and so again can do a one-year multi-year. It's just one of those things but that you know again >> all the nuances. >> So so is there >> but
225that doesn't include the board the building itself. No, the academy is the structure, the way students are being taught, the connections with the community, not the building. >> Is there a place that who who makes up this governance board, I guess. And who's on it? >> Well, they have a big governance board I've attended to yet. I haven't been to the meeting. >> So, the principal was there and then um Ed >> I forget his Ellen. >> Is there a place to go find out who the actual people are? >> I'm on the email. I can let you know. >> I think it's probably in >> in the website as well who their their board is that way. They're mostly business owners and >> but again just so people are clear >> it is financed
226through the school district. >> Okay. >> Well I know I don't know if everyone knows there are some charter schools that are operated through a different >> vendor I guess but ours is >> it's a school public school charter could we get a copy of the current contract emailed to us? >> Sure. Because would that have all the finances on that contract? >> I don't think so. No. >> No. >> We're we're known as an there it's an instrument netality charter meaning we own the building. We employ the staff. They are our district employees. We purchase all the expenditures. We provide the utilities. They are effectively another school in the Fondai school district. The charter primarily relates to the instructional models Mrs. Motor outlined. Um so can Yes, we can give you a breakdown of
227what it costs the FondeLac school district taxpayer in you as a school board, but because they're an instrumentality charter, they're all you're you're spending money on them every month as it goes. So I think to get the charter if you're interested in looking at it again I do think at a high level the survey process will will play out any of those questions you may want to know particular about a building >> and then along with that um we also get revenue though because there are students >> um right and and we also have to follow um Wisconsin state law when it comes to there are students whereas in some locations there are private charter schools um but this is it's actually up part of Fondelac school district public school just run >> but there
228are some components as well >> that are different >> yeah yeah days that they have to be in front of students is different um hours things like that they do have some leeway in terms of what they deliver because of their charter status >> I just have one more clarifying question before we move forward with this I saw and heard some of you make a comment regarding supporting continuing the STEM academy um not necessarily the building but the place. So I heard correct u Mr. Oliver that you feel strongly about supporting >> Oh absolutely because I also think that that's kind of one of the things that being recommended in districts around the state is make sure you have things that will attract students and the STEM academy is so critical to that >> and
229also the work that they do there. So I saw you say I saw Karen Shaker head yes. I saw Luke I had I saw Mark make a I just want to if the majority of the board right now is saying we're not looking at >> I like the concept. I like what they do. I you know the reason I ask for board is you know we make decisions and we got to do that. We got to make sure you know I don't know who's on there. I don't know if I got conflict of interest on there. So, I got to start looking at that, >> you know, and PE and all board members should look, you know, do you have friends that are sitting on the board that might be a conflict, you know, you
230got to start questioning those type of things to make sure that you're making an objective subject. So, I don't want to get myself into trouble. >> Got it. >> I want to make sure I know who's on that board before I get phone calls, you know, coming from someone, you know, and I'm like, "Oh, I didn't know you were on the board." My and my only po my only point was I saw the majority of the staff say hey we think this is important majority of the board was like that we need something like this then that wouldn't be something that >> spend time looking Mr. bar would spend time on looking at >> well I think it's important like ACE Academy and all the other services that we do that um you know there's
231there's a need for that type of education >> you know is what I'm saying now like I said is it the building itself is it just instructional somewhere else you know as long as we can provide a good education in a lot of different areas >> and that's what I was going to say if if we can provide it through another avenue or another building and they still have the same things they're getting there. >> But but then the legal entity >> is why do they you know is it a charter or do we absorb it into our curriculum? you know, is there an advantage to that absorbing it into our curriculum under the ACE Academy or some I don't what does the governance board do? You know, those are the questions I'm asking. >>
232You can go back and you can see all their meetings, all their meeting notes and all that. >> What value or can we bring it into the curriculum and and create the same education piece of it? >> I don't know either. That's why I'm those are the what's going through my head is what's the structure? Is that the right structure to still >> I think that's where we can bring their board in front of all of you as well where have some discussion >> so that it's understood because I don't know if anyone is on the board when STEM was first originated. I know there's been a lot of change at STEM all the way from originally third grade up to 8th grade and then it started at adding nth grade and then 10th grade
23311th grade 12th grade then it started eliminating >> I was going to say I know my kids were recommended to attend there and I >> my son attended >> was that >> my son attended and I also think >> some cool stuff you know >> but also thinking of location and I think it's great to have the board here I know there are some families that also choose that because of the location and the culture there might be a little bit different than at one of our other schools and it's smaller it matters. So, so um so then our fourth bullet point would be school perceptions. Yes. Um we had talked about when I did the summary the fourth thing to add on the summary then is how can we connect and learn more about
234STEM as a charter and how they fit with us and their board and so forth. And I guess another thing question that I would have is u what their population trends have been. Have they been going up? I mean I know overall we've been decreasing but maybe they've been going >> up or question or something like that. >> I think that'll be harder because it's changed so much each >> step of the way with number of students in services or grades. >> So it'll be hard to >> Well, maybe just cut out, you know, the the grade school stuff. So >> I think it was last year though. >> Oh, was Oh, okay. Yeah, I think they have the number of students though. I think we could look at the information from the last 10
235years just to get a little bit of what it's telling us. >> Look between six and 12th grade. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. If there is isn't anything more, I think this was like a great discussion and we're digging in really deep to create a plan and moving forward on what what best for our students and community. So, thank you. And I'm going to uh can I have >> move to adjourn? >> Yes. Second. >> All right. Uh, we have a motion by Mr. Lawrence and a a second by Mr. Henchel. Um, can we have the roll, please? >> Frame, >> yes. >> Henchel, >> yes. >> Wins, >> yes. >> Maine, yes. Oliver, >> yes. >> Panau, >> yes. >> Motor, >> yes. uh board uh workshop is adjourned at 8:28 and
236we will be having meals whenever we have workshops >> the end. >> Sorry, did you say we're gonna have barbecue?