In-Person Special Meeting of the Bridgeport Board of Education 12/15

001All right. Um, good evening. This is the call to order for the special meeting of the bridge for Board of Education today, Monday, December 15th at 6:34. Um, I'll take Jennifer here. We have in person, Joan Brooks, Jennings, and Lamont Daniels. And then online I see Marissa Jimenez Jose and Andre Woodson. We'll get started. Um first item we have is public speaking. And so we have Jess Russell. Everybody good evening members of the board acting superintendent Dr. Avery. Um Bridgeport's children have endured so much. five different superintendents in the past seven years, hundreds of essential staff cut schools with over a thousand students and only one social worker. This is not oversight. This is neglect. And while I and while I speak to you tonight, members of the board, I want the commissioner listening to

002hear this clearly. The state is failing our children and the families like mine will not stay silent. I speak as a parent who has lived this chaos. My daughter, now in fifth grade, has experienced instability no child should face. My husband and I, along with other families, attended every state listening session, hoping for answers. What did we get instead? Fewer resources, last minute decisions, political stunts disguised as solutions. Commissioner, how much longer will Brushport's children be told through actions, not words that their education is worth less? Last year, our schools were in turmoil. Meetings were tense and reactive. Communication was disjointed. Decisions were made in public conflict, disconnected from the needs of students and families. The consequ the consequences were felt in every classroom and every hallway. Then Dr. Avery stepped in. Things began to

003change. People started talking instead of shouting past each other. There is finally an effort to work together. Stability matters and Dr. Avery has brought it. He has built rebuilt trust one marble at a time. His dedication has not gone unnoticed. We see and feel it. But stability alone cannot fix what the state has left broken. The commissioner, your office has the power and the responsibility to act. Stop treating neglect as acceptable. Stop leaving families and children to pay the price. Bridgeport does not need disruption. We do not need another leadership shakeup. We need accountability. We need partnership. Dr. A has brought steadiness and let's let's help him build on that and not tear it down. Our children deserve better. They deserve resources, support, and respect. We will not stop demanding it. Commissioner, it's time to

004act. Let Bridgeport rebuild marble by marble instead of starting over yet again. Thank you. From October 2nd, 2025 is a special meeting. Is there a motion for those minutes confirmed? >> Is there a second? >> Second. Um any discussion on that? All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? Mr. Daniels estates. Great. >> Um we have presentation from Faith Viegas on the Bridgeport Public Education Fund. >> Well, thank you. Should I have to stay here or >> if you don't if you want to go to breakfast? >> We can see you. Well, you can see me well. Uh hopefully I get technology right. I am from the old school. I was born in the late 1900s as one of the high schoolers informed me uh this Friday and I had to uh

005gather myself because true indeed. I was born in the late 1900s and it is 2025. So, um not only do I want to talk about the late 1900s, but I came here tonight to talk about the Bridgeport Public Education Fund. Uh again as um board chair Miss Perez thank you announce my name is Faith Vijgas but my uh maid name is Faith Harrison. So if you happen to go for my data people uh and look at some Bridgeport public school data, you just may see FA Harrison there and don't look at the discipline reports, just the academics, okay? But uh class of 1995 from Warren Harding High School. Uh but I also attended what was uh formerly Newfield Newfield Middle School and then Dunar Middle School. So, um, I bring that up to say that

006not only am I a service provider here for the past 25 or so years, but I've also been a parent when, uh, my children attended both, uh, Madison and Fairchild women high schools to get their, um, high school diplomas, and one is a graduate of Houston Community College. And the other one is a junior/senior at Morgan State University majoring in cyber security. and she should be getting on the train to come home tomorrow. So, uh, you're gonna get everything from me tonight because I may not be around tomorrow. So, um, the agency I represent, see, look, technology in me. Am I doing it right? >> Did you turn on the There you go. >> Transitions, I tell you. I thought they were just for glasses, but the Bridgeport Public Education Fund, uh, we are a

007501c3 that was created in 1983. Um, and that pretty unique because we were literally founded with one purpose. Well, maybe two, but uh, our primary targets are students and educators. So you'll see a couple of photos throughout this presentation representing uh students from your Bridgeport public school as well as educators and community leaders. Um we recognize the need to do inspiration, recognition and support. And uh not only do we focus on our educators, we also focus on our students and last but not least, the full community of Bridge Florida because we do believe that students will be the driver and the sustainers of change. Us adults, we're great. We're good. But as each generation continues to grow, I'm going to give you a little history about what we've done in the past and I'm going

008to bring you all the way up to the future and where we're going. So, if you could bear with me. Okay. Uh, we started off doing many grants to teachers where um 1983 again giving almost $1 million to small projects to classrooms. I don't know Mr. Rover shaking his head. You remember your sticker? >> I did too. >> You did too. Um, and we were funding projects, programs, just resources that we thought would improve student outcomes. We also used to do first day that lasted for 21 years where we were concerned about enrichment of students reading and writing, right? Because if you can read, you could potentially do math, right? So we wanted to make sure that we did that and it was called first day because we focused on every first grade classroom in

009come in and provided books to every first grade student hoping to help build their library but also their love of reading. Okay. So, we also had what was called the Charter Oak Scholarship Program. And in that program, we had some donors who um as you can see provided significant funding for 126 students to attend postsecary education. Each year, 15 students from Bridgeport would actually get a $10,000 scholarship payable over four years. Out of that 126 students, 99 of them were Bridgeport Public High School students. That is significant to me. And I will tell you, they have gone on to complete bachelor's degrees for Highlander. I know four that are actually doctors out of that group and there are many, many more. So that program is no longer in place, but stay tuned. We have another

010surprise. So moving forward, we want to continue to facilitate events and programming that recognizes the importance of education, leadership, community engagement. I was about to say like Miss Russ talked about, but she's not in the room right now. So um for 32 years, these next couple of slides is going to talk about how we've worked with our educators. We have supported 245 Bridgeport public schools teachers for their excellence that they exhibited in the classroom. Okay. And we have provided each teacher with $1,000 worth of professional development. So over $250,000 committed to the city of Bridgeport Bridgeport public schools solely for teachers professional development. And I can share with you with confidence, most of that money is actually utilized for classroom materials. We're talking about flexible seating. We're talking about uh materials and manipulatives that will

011support the curriculum that teachers are currently using. But um I think it's a pretty significant um mention in this slide because Dr. Avery and I were on a panel last week and our neighboring city of Statford or town of Stratford, they are now starting to do what? Many grants starting at $500 through the business community. We were doing that 40 some odd years ago. So, um, if you didn't know, Bridgeport has been ahead of the time or ahead of the curve for many, many years. We just need to get back there. Um, we've also recognized 44 educators, again, classroom teachers with the Beardor and Margaret Beard Excellence in Teaching Award. Anyone here ever get that award? No. I wish you would have. Sorry, Mr. Trella. But that award is actually $20,000. It is the second

012largest educator prize in the United States of America and it's only dedicated to this particular school system to Bridgeport Public Schools. Again, uh my predecessor, Miss Mara Hiller or Marge Hiller as you all know her, I have been gi credit for establishing a number of these opportunities for our community. And um so far we're looking at about $800,000 as given to these recipients. Uh many of them have remained in the district because a part of our model was to pay out that $20,000 to two teachers annually over the course of three years. We know that we don't, you know, work in HR, but we try in our own little way to promote teacher recruitment and retention because if I can get $20,000 for being an excellent classroom teacher, I'll dedicate. >> You all heard that,

013right? >> Yeah. >> So, when I get into teaching, make sure you think about it. We've also established what was called the George E. Bellinger Leadership Award. Again, we don't want to leave any of our school community out of our equation obtained. And so, uh, George Bellinger, he was one of our, uh, longtime board members, but he was a notable manufacturer here in Bridgeport. He created Barcat, um, which had patents and, uh, created products for NASA. I mean I mean he was high level but one of the other things he did in the Bridgeport community was to help found Ryan Sat which is now formerly known as Catalyst CT but before he did that he was on the board of the Bridgeport Public Education Fund and his wife Miss Barbara Bellinger who was working at

014People's Bank as one of their local leaders. So uh we have given $20,000 to an administrator. They do get a check. So, um, those applications will be coming out soon. So, make sure we encourage and we inspire our school leadership and our educators to nominate for the Bellinger Leadership Award. Now, we have the Elizabeth M. Cynic Award. Anyone know Betty Free? Have you heard her? Elizabeth Frame was the uh, if you've been around Bridgeport long enough, you know before it was the CT. It was the Bridgeport Color Center. She was the owner of the CT Post, but she was a noted philanthropist throughout the Northeast um all the way, I think, all the way until Philadelphia or Pennsylvania, I should say, the whole state where her family was notable there as well. Um we've given

01540 different individuals or organizations recognition for their work in contributing to the larger Bridgeport community, but with a focus on education. So again, we're trying to leave no target untouched in the work that we do. And those individuals were able to get uh gold lapel pen, 14 karat gold. But then there were others that we started to now provide $1,000 small grants to different community based organizations hoping that they would be able to do something a little bit more impactful with those dollars than just have a public health. It's not a bad thing if you can get it, but we understand the needs of our community and uh we want to support other community organizations. So, the young lady here, I have to change her last name. It's no longer Felicia Garand. It's Felicia Garan

016Flormont. If you have gone to the Houstononic Community College or Connecticut State College campus locally here, you will see her as the number one or number two uh leader in the manufacturing program at Patonic Community College. She was one of our students. She is also a central high school graduate. BPF's greatest work is done with students, by students, and for students. And the reason why I say that is because again going back to talking about what's measurable. How do you know that there will be impact? We know that we're making impact by the work that we're doing with our students and how we're able to measure their progress. This is not about perfection. It's about are they moving the needle for themselves and their families. So our next slide now it's just changing colors. Okay.

017It talks about Okay. It talks about our MAX program. The organization started in 1983. It took us five short years to realize that we needed to do a little bit more work. That's when the MAX program started at BAC High School. They were our first partners. Then we were able to expand to all five of the comprehensive high schools by 2013. I was gonna say that make sure I'm keeping track. By 2013 and uh our organization was truly founded to address the high dropout rate and the low college attendance rate of Bridgeport public high school students. You all remember me saying I was an alumni. I am an alum of the Bridgeport Public Schools. When I see words like that, it gets to me. Does something to me. It makes me dig in and fight

018a little bit hard. This is how I continue to fight. Our MAX program is a 26-week high school program where college students from the uh local universities where students could commute back and forth. They come in during the school day and they sit with students one on-one to help them to develop personal, academic, and financial goals. Kind of like what the district is asking students to do when they ask for student success plans. Right? We've been doing this work since 1988 to help students to understand success doesn't start as soon as you exit the doors. It starts while you're sitting in these seats. So we try to help them to uh pair them up with college students that'll help them to develop those goals. And so far 94% of our students our seniors who have

019said miss I want to go to college two year or four year they have been accepted. Do they vote? Not all of them but we help them design to design an alternative pathway if that's not where they want to go immediately. Um again four 400 volunteer service learning hours for our college students. So, not only do they come in and get paid by us, but they also volunteer and do service learning based on some of the agreements that we have with the uh colleges and universities throughout uh our let's say Fairfield County uh catchment area and 14 over 14,000 hours of mentoring to our high school students. And this little man right here is my son. He's now 24 years old and his hair looks nothing like that anymore. But this is nostalgic for me.

020Um, and the MAX program started in 1988, 5 years after the organization. We ran that program. We thought we were doing a successful job, but then Marge Hiller, the founding executive director of BPF, ran into a parent in the grocery store. How is your daughter doing? My daughter dropped out because she had a $2500 tuition gap. >> Not to be in anyone's business, but can you all afford to cover $2,500 of the tuition gap for your child? Raise your hand if you talk about gainfully employ. I know that you [clears throat] care. But the point being is that there were so many obstacles for our first generation, first in the family students to attend college. But nowhere in our period of change did we think that it would be a tuition act that would stop

021a student in their class. We found a solution for that. It was called the College Assistance Program. And right now the college assistance program has worked with 646 students to date because there is a criteria. You don't you just don't come into the program. You need to be in our uh MAX program, our high school mentoring program for two or more years. You needed to come to a college readiness and success workshop that's held at uh Fusatonic Community College and your parent meeting to give you permission. 647 46 students, excuse me, from the classes of 2003 to the class of 2025 have entered into that program. And I can tell you uh at this point 346 had graduated with an undergraduate degree or higher. I want to say that 79 or so uh have gone

022on to complete certifications. We have 10, no 11 that have gone into the armed services, rather that's the army, the navy, the marines, andor police departments and our local community. We also have a hundred or so that are still in college working toward their undergraduate degree. So, this is numbers that we're very proud of. And as we ran this data through National Student Clearing House, we had what is a 73% college completion rate. You can come back for that. But serious, we have 73% college completion rate. Does anyone know the national average? >> Sorry, I cheated. 62. >> Ah, 62%. So if no one ever told you your Bridgeport public school students who have gotten the supports that they needed whether it's financially, socially, emotionally, they are succeeding at a greater average. So just wanted

023to share that with you. Um and as you see, we have some stats here for the PhDs, the masters, the medical doctors, the certifications, the bachelors, and the associates. So when people say that students in Bridgeport can't achieve, that they do not succeed, you tell them it's a lie. We know better. So, we've distributed over $800,000 in funding to purchase textbooks, tuition, and transportation because again, we now understood after running the MAX program for 25 almost 30 years. Hey, you need to make a change because the students that you're getting into college are not ensuring that they graduate from college. So, uh and those students also have access to scholarships. Right now we have four family funded scholarships. One is for textbooks only. The other three are again $10,000 scholarships payable over four years for

024students to go to any college in the United States and its territories. Okay, we went through this already. Um that's Felicia again. This was at our cat reunion. Uh don't mind me. I was a little younger and thinner here but film me. And Mr. Terron Jones, he was working in the city of Bridgeport. Again, another one of our graduates who is now an associate professor at uh the University of Bridgeport and Southern Connecticut State University Basset High School, class of 2003. Okay. Now, I talked about the past. I want to bring you to to the future. And uh about a year now, I sat with the city of Bridgeport, negotiated a contract to now pilot or launch, if you will, the Bridgeport of Scholarship Program. The city of Bridgeport has allocated about $1.5 million between

025ARPA money and uh money from city coffers to ensure that we've put the building blocks for this program together. tell them I'll call them back to put the building blocks together for the uh Bridgeport Promise Scholarship Program to uh really again make it or fashion it in a way that's going to be useful but also sustainable for our community. You will hear about New Haven Waterberry and Hartford Promise programs and there are promise programs throughout the country but Bridgeport now has its own. We are taking on the baby of the group personality, but we know within four to five years, we hope to be the lead in this. Um, right now we are getting support from the city of Bridgeport as I've talked about the Bridgeport City Council, Board of Education. Thank you, Dr. Avery.

026Thank you to our board of education and private foundations who are coming on board to help us financially support this. And before you get to the rest of your agenda, I did not ask the Bridgeport Board of Education for any money. [laughter] Joe was staring me down like we gave out money. You did not give out money, Jeff. But um never too late to ask. No, I'm joking. I'm joking. Uh any questions so far? Okay. Now, there are four pillars of the Promise program. AC academic excellence. We are looking for a 3.0 old GPA. Every single grade matters. I don't care if it's your um what do we call it? Where are my educators in the room? Electives versus there you go. Get an A in all of them is the message that we're sending

027to students because every single grade matters. Consistent attendance. We need at least a 90% attendance records for students to be eligible for the promise program. positive disciplinary record. If you're getting exposed, I don't know if we can support that, but we are looking to create an appeals process where again, we don't know all of the details. We don't know why things happen the way that they do happen, but we do know that um explosions on anyone's record is maybe not a good thing, but we also want to be fair and equitable in the way that we distribute this uh scholarship. must be a Bridgeport resident and contend continuously attend Bridgeport public schools from ninth grade on. And um I just want to put a disclaimer. I know that I'm going to get some flack because

028they like why not just all students no matter what school they attend or school systems they attend. We just talked about the fluctuating graduation rates. We just talked about or you will talk about the budget deficits that we've experienced year over year over year. We can talk about I know Jim I'm sorry I don't want to take your thunder but we can talk about the school counselor to student ratio. >> Okay. We can talk about the teacher to student ratio. There were hard decisions. There were a number of us in the room and I really fought back to say listen this is where we need to start. It's not that we can't explore and open this up in phase two for other school systems, but we understood that right now Bridgeport has the greatest need

029and that's where we felt we needed to start. So, Anthony, you have any no tell uh and we are um starting with the class of 2026 when uh Carly Roa and Carly Roarez and Mr. for raft but thank you for that. They did an assessment as we were again putting together the building blocks to see how many students actually met the criteria of those four pillars and I believe it was almost 350 at the time that met that and I'm quite certain with the work that all of you have been doing pardon coming off of that turnaround list I'm certain that number has actually grown and if it is we're going to be really really excited. So, um, but we also want to work with students in lower grades. So, not only are we going

030to start scholarshipping the class of 2026, we understand that we need to go back all the way to our middle schools starting in sixth grade to help students to understand you need to build a sturdy foundation that your house of success will be built upon. Okay. So, we will be working with students and their families to help them to understand what they need to be doing at that grade level and how to proceed throughout our uh Bridgeport Public Schools. And you can see in your packet, we will be supporting those kids all the way until they complete uh their two or four year college degree. So, they can enroll. Our website is up. It's ready uh birchportpromisct.org whenever they are ready. But we are focusing on those uh comprehensive high schools so far. Right now

031we have three college partners and one that's sitting in my inbox waiting for the agreement to be signed. But the University of New Haven, Alberta Magnus, and the University of Connecticut, they are ready to provide 25 minimum $25,000 a year per student. Okay. Campus employment. We work that into the agreement to say, "Listen, one of the things our students worry about is finance. Can we ensure that they are in line for federal work study dollars or employment dollars on your campus?" That's part of our articulation agreement. Early college experience courses, we want our students to be taking those courses so they can be better prepared or even cut down some of their college costs because they can get credits before they even get there. Um, and again, ECE courses are not a new thing, but

032when it comes to this agreement, uh, we want to make sure that we're getting those students in there and that they're taking advantage of those opportunities and mentorship. Each one of these universities have created a group or uh, some liaison that our students will be meeting with uh, because they have other promises that have been operating uh, for a number of years and PA being the longest at 12. uh they have actually started to do cohorts. So each promise program each each year that they come in they put the kids in what's called a promise cohort. So our Bridgeport students when they go on they're going to meet kids from the New Haven Waterberry and Hartford um community which I think is a good thing right because sometimes we can get territorial the state is

033too small for that. and Central Connecticut State University, University of Bridgeport, um, Saber Hart and Fairfield University are also on the list and they are, uh, actively engaging in conversations with me. Southern as well, and I'm hoping to have them online and ready to go before January 1st. So, please pray for me as I will be doing this during the Christmas holiday. Right now we are doing this work with the help of donors, foundations and sponsors. And I want to repeat that we are doing this with the help of donors, foundations and sponsors. Um I know that we have some challenges that we are set to address throughout this year. It's going to be a [clears throat] lot of hand ranging and um difficult decisions being made. But I want you to know that we

034are here to support you guys. We're not here to ask for any additional money and additional support outside of what the district can potentially give us, which is the staffing and in kind space at the high schools. Any questions so far? >> Oh, thank you. Um, you mentioned that last part. Um, but me personally as a board member, as a community uh leader, what can we do more to support you? Where else can we go? I know you mentioned that you're going to through the holidays you're going to be visiting some of those colleges or contacting. I don't know if you actually are visiting them or not as far as being in person. I mean, what can we do to support you and be present to know that we're working with you collaborating? Well, I

035would say right now the biggest thing that we all need to be doing and assume, thank you for that plusher, is making sure that we address the narrative about our public school system. Um, I think I talked to Joe, I talked to Rob, I talked to you, I've talked to Jennifer, I'm talking to Mr. Lamont. I think you might be the only one that I haven't spoken to. When I say speak to call on the phone in the lobby, I will corner you and I will talk about, hey, we need to change the narrative. But that starts with us and his children, how we talk to each other, how we talk about our school, and how we talk about our students. I think that is the biggest gift that the board of education can give

036me. If you cannot write a check for a million dollars, uncumb [laughter] that will be the biggest gift because again our students, they come back and tell us these stories. They don't like reading about their schools in their sociology textbooks. They don't like hearing about Bridgeport as a community being an abject failure when they're sitting in a private college city paying $85,000 a year, but now they're, "Oh, you're from Bridgeport. You must be No, they're not DEI. They're not any of that. They got in that seat because they deserve me." And I feel like that is the biggest thing that we can do. not just change the narrative, shift the narrative to the positive so that way other communities can start to come along and understand, hey, it's not what we thought it was. It's

037very different. >> Yes. Thank you. Um, uh, as far as number of scholarships, if there are more applicants than available scholarships, what's the selection criteria? The selection criteria for one are those four eligibility uh standards, right? And the fifth one is actually completing your passport or your Here's the thing. You saw only Connecticut institutions listed there, right? So promise programs like many of them around the country is dedicated to keeping the talent within the state scores. So we know quite naturally some students would like to get out of here. my student is down in Baltimore or my child is down in Baltimore and we feel like a lot of other no a lot of other students will decide hey we love what you're doing we appreciate the incentive that the Connecticut institutions are giving us

038but I want to see a different part of the world and we can't control that. So out of the 350 that are actually uh eligible at this point in time, we do anticipate at least 175 will take us up on that offer. So that is where we're trying to uh do some work with uh the school counseling department and Carly uh to get the message out to our students who are eligible. I just talked to PJ about uh some data exporting so we can send letters to parents and students who are eligible so we can start to build not only the database for our students but also getting them to identify are you going to a connected institution because if they will be then we want to make sure they know which institutions are supporting

039them and at what level because it matters. >> What's the uh anticipated application period? The anticipation application period is actually uh it started I want to say after the first report card conference so that was uh mid November. So right now we're getting students who are getting onto the platform indicating uh where they might want to go. But there are other pieces that the school counseling department has to upload like their transcripts. If the students don't use SCORE I think that's the data system. if they don't utilize theirformational score, we're asking that the school counselors actually upload that information, but a training has to happen before that. So, after the holidays, we'll get that ready. But by February 15th, we want to get the first list to all of our college partners of most likely

040to attend your institution. So that way before those um award letters come out and students are presented with hey this is your scholarship this is your merit case this is your need based a day we want them to make informed decisions not just decisions by default and you're Mary with us >> yeah thank you um I had a um just a a few questions about the um Whoops here we go around the $1.5 million. And first I I want to just preface my question around thank you so much for the con for the presentation because I had no idea you guys provided so many different scholarships and I really appreciate that and I can actually um relate to going to college and not knowing how we're going to pay it and being super stressed out

041about it. So my question around the $1.5 million is um what happens twofold? How how long time frame do we expect the $1.5 million to last us? And what happens after the money's exhausted? Would we go out and get additional donors to keep Bridgeport Promise going? >> Great question, Miss Emz. She had a really great question. So, I will answer it to you this way. We are actually building out the program in a way that we had to hire a de a director of development whose job is going to be to go out and raise money. We have actually submitted two grants already. And I'll I'll talk a little bit about that in a minute, but we are um not expected to extend that uh $1.5 million until that second cohort gets in. So, we

042kind of budgeted for a half million for each um for the inaugural class of 2026 and 2027, but along the lines, we will still be fund raising and uh trying to do dollars and that's the role of the Bridgeport Public Education Fund. And we do hope that the city Oh, Anony's gone. That the city of Bridgeport will continue to make an annual allocation because um these are your youngest citizens and these are our age and we need to invest in the future. So, um, it's our hope that we do not run out of money. That is bad for business. And that's why I started off the presentation talking about our work since 1983 and how we've been consistent and not just um changing when we needed to change, but also understanding where we needed to

043be in that change. >> So, we are actively fundraising and speaking to foundations such as the Scripps Foundation for Education and the Arts. We have already had meetings with Mnt Bank to talk about their financial support of the Bridgeport Promise programs and there are many more conversations to be had. >> Excellent. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> One, I still have my nets any grant that fishing nets for an annual field of my class for 20 years. Um but um on this uh this is kids are applying now for next fall >> for fall >> early admissions. >> No that that is why we couldn't start that process earlier because early admissions and early action as you know the difference between those two um for students that are going into some of our partner institutions

044they know that they're going to revise those financial aid packages if that is the case. But that is why we didn't try to start down the line. >> Down the line. >> Yes. >> No more questions. >> Oh, yes. >> Have you have is your your website you said you just you just finished it. Is it connected to our website? Have we worked on that that that transition between us and you? If not, I will follow up with John Carlo to make sure because I do know that it was put on the I feel like it was put on the district's website, but we were trying to get it onto the high school website. So, you can do all of that. You may get with with PJ's department and we can connect those to they

045should be on every single high school campus in the district. So, you have families that really kind of congregate in their high school campus websites. So, let's make sure we can connect to that one. We'll we'll work with you on that. >> Thank you. Thank you so much, Dr. Avery. And uh one last uh student because I showed you a student from Bassic, I showed you a student from Central. This is a student from Harden. Her name is Dr. Alexandria Wilhoy. She is uh Warren Harding High School, class of 2008. She is uh the director of career and technical education STEM program at the Academy Charter School in Bronx, New York. Bridgeport Public High School, Bridgeport Public School graduates. Again, we are leading. we are a force to be reckoned with. Anyone who doesn't want

046to recognize that we just >> Bridgeport Away >> Alex everywhere. She actually was the board rep too. >> Exactly. On seaside bar. >> She was the student board rep. Um, so if you want to reach me, uh, cell phone is the best way, but I've left my email address here, and you can always come and visit on the lovely, uh, campus of the University of Bridgeport. No, we are not a UB program, but we have space on their campus at 271 Park Avenue, literally a block down from PJ's office. So, if you stop and see PJ, you can stop and see me. Yes. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. keep me connected. Let's make sure we kind of keep things rolling all the time. >> Thank you to Lamont Daniels, too. Um, sorry,

047Mr. Lamont Daniels, although he's the board of education member now, but uh, Lamont and I have actually known each other since he worked at the city of Bridgeport 10 years ago, maybe. Oh, wow. 12 years ago maybe but I ran for board of education as well and uh you know when you need that listening ear someone to cry always say oh my god but he has been instrumental in actually helping me to contextualize the work that we did and actually presenting it to the city of French court so I want to actually thank Mr. for the long days as well. I think it's so hot. >> Thank you. All right. Next, we have um we're going to go to the state and phase one of the demolition and a bait mandre. >> There you go.

048>> For those of you who don't know me, I'm Michelle. I run school construction on behalf of the city of Bridgeport. I'm coming to you today to basically sign this cute sheet of paper saying that we are authorized to go out for phase one which is demolition and abatement of Winthre Elementary School. That's really all it is >> Mr. J. >> Yeah. What is just can you elaborate on what what are we tearing down? >> So we're we're because this is selective demolition. So as long as we maintain 55% of the original building pretty much the rest of Gal. So it's kind of in a variety of areas. We're still working on the layout as is. But for every phase that we go into, so this particular project is going to be done in three

049phases. Phase one is demo abatement. Phase two is construction and site work. Then phase three will be FAF and play dates. So for every single phase, I have to go to the state to get their blessings. They can issue us that nice little letter that says we'll reimburse you. So that's just what we're doing today and we're hoping to go to the state in January. >> Sorry. >> Yes. Yeah. Quick question. Quick question about the t timeline about when would the demolition and stay as you may may or may not know that there are are still students in BMA which was the intended swing space. Correct. >> Where the stu that's property. But the way and again working in conjunction with building operations, the way we have it is we've pushed um this phase one

050off until the tail end of June and hoping to give enough time to be able to get the students out and then building operations going to come in pull some of the stuff they need out of the building as well. >> So the intent is that we will move BMA we're working on the details now of moving BMA over to Fairchild Wheeler in a temporary basis. Um, [clears throat] we had to move the scheduled demolition back into June in order to keep the whole population of the VMA together, which was a very important. Um, and then we will have around 3 weeks plus or minus to be able to get in. There's lockers, mill work, and things of value that we want to pull out. We'll be working alongside the construction team to go ahead

051and then move over the furniture and all of the day-to-day needs that reside within um, Winthra over to BMA. um right after we move BMA out and into Fairshaw Wheeler. There's a lot of junk this summer, but uh we've we've opened five buildings in one year. So, we know that we can make this happen and we have a good plan in place. >> Is fair child wheel a given or locked in place? So, no need for a plan B. >> No need for a plan B. [clears throat] Is there a favor? >> He need >> Thank you. Um you mentioned three phases, one, two, and three. to being the construction part of it. >> Um, is that still the plan for SC being constructed in that site? How is that being >> moving the sky

052school into the win? Yes. >> Wow. Is there two buildings each? >> So, our expectation right now is all technically one school, one facility, but there will be a wing that is devoted to SCA specifically. >> So, Scain will have an identity within the building. Um, they have their separate entrances. Um, so you know, we wanted to make sure that the integrity of both programs was met and uh the design team did a tremendous job putting that together for us. >> Since I'm new to these plans, um, where can we where may I or even the entire board see those uh, schematic? How many students are going to be allowed in that building? What's the number in that building as a whole? >> So altogether it's 750. >> So 750 as a whole. So as

053a whole, correct? >> Part is going to be John Winro. >> Yes. And part is going to be ske. >> Yes, SCA is about 200 kids, but they come in two different waves. So, it's usually like a hundred at a time. So, >> get your welcome. >> You can see um we did present to the parents just keeping them engaged. We want to make sure that there's community involvement and comment. So, we had a meeting with the parents group. We intend on going back out uh opening that meeting up to the whole community. Um but on our website, the building operations website, there is that presentation that gives you some of the overview of that project. Does anybody have off hand side of winter right now? How many students are registered at Winter right now?

054>> Give me that. >> I'm looking right at you. Y One of the elements just as we were for PJ of that project is that we will be taking all of the traffic off of the roadway which as we all know is a nightmare. Um and it will be all on-site circulation. So making a safer environment for 586. Any other question? Is there a motion >> to uh approve um phase one demolition and abatement of Win Elementary School? >> Second. >> Any further questions? All in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? Any objections? Great. >> Thank you. Did I get your signal? Yes. of >> the program to defer the layoff with administrator the juvenile cutter >> chair. So last spring and summer when the layoffs were happening, we had sent a letter to

055Kesha Howard, who is currently the administrator of the juvenile detention center program, that her layoff was deferred till December 30th, 2025. So since that's in a couple weeks, we're here to ask the board if you would consider deferring her layoff until the end of the school year 2026. we're required to have an administrator at the juvenile detention center to help those students there. So, um, we would request instead of, uh, you know, enacting the layoff on December 30th that we would extend it to the end of the school year 2026. >> Questions? >> Yeah. First, I'd like to make a comment when we discussing budgetary budgets and positions. Can we not use names of the people because that personalizes it entirely too much to make a federal decision one and two what would the cost

056of this deferred layoff be to an impact on the 26 budget 20 26 27 no for the remainder of this bud this budget cycle >> which 25 26 budget cycle which has already just been discovered and we have close to a $10 million budget hole two codes that we haven't begun to address yet and what additional place should we make the cut to make up for it if we wish to so approve that tonight >> I believe the positions allocated for through the year it's just a matter of that we had this letter that was out there as a layoff so we would need an administrator anyway >> yeah I think the chair I think when when we budgeted for the position this past year it was a full year salary that was actually budget

057although we only have permission for the board to take it to a half year. So the funds are is already there. It's just a matter of we wanted to make sure that we brought this back to the board uh for permission and not just you know pile through it and not get the board's approval with it. >> Follow question board meeting but I'm on I've got it on >> you're not on mute. I got it on there. Okay. Direct question for the CFO. Um, when you last presented the budget to us with this item in it and the six month deferral, were those savings not baked into the number you presented that day? Well, it was >> the six month the remaining six month savings was the the only thing the board did was absorb

058the first six months expensive. >> Correct. So we added six months to it. So now if we do defer this layoff to December, we are adding another six months of this individual salary to the budget deficit. We're going from 9 something million to whatever the cost of this is. at some level. We made up with that corresponding cut somewhere else. >> Again, like say when you see either way, if we let the person out, let's just be honest, they're going to be entitled to collect unemployment. Then we are bound to have a supervisor there. and we're going to go and hire somebody else in order to make it hard. So I'm sorry again the reality >> without then why was it presented as a cost savings initially when we had the first conversation that we

059need to save this money and we need to have an administrator there back then because this was put forth as a cost-saving measure one of the costs saving me and now if this position is eliminated there's absolutely nobody in the thinking There was never any possibility of saving money by eliminating the opposition. What you're telling me now, which is in direct controversy of what we were told then we could save money. I think you just add a little bit more to it. Move back. One of the things that happened when we when we did a cost savings for this position, the state came back to us and said, "No, you can't cut the position." So, you have to be able to have somebody there. So, yes, I understand what you're saying, you know, but I

060think it's also being able to supervise the children in that detention center. we have to be able to kind sometimes you have to you have to change with straight through the do through things. Okay. So we we we're working through that as best we possibly can but again we wanted to make sure that we present it to the board to say we really need position. Could we go extend this out? That's what we're asking for. We'll work through the cost savings the cost. We will work through all of that. And f final point on this matter myself anyway. When did the state tell us and why do we keep getting information the last minute December 30th 20 something? >> I think this is when >> we just from the state that we need to >>

061when we position back that's when they told us. >> Yes. >> A few months at the end of school year when we brought the position back there was a list of positions we brought back >> and that was this was one of them. And >> there's there's more coming coming down the pipe. Well, due to the timeline of when they're coming back, right? So, >> I I'm I'm sorry. I don't mean to be difficult, but I'm trying to get clarity around the subject. So, if they told us last year that we need to have this position in place, why wasn't that point when we made the cut in the first place you can't cut that? That's a mandated service by the state. You need to keep that in place for the whole entire year. Safe

062account that we cannot cut. >> We did not hear right right at the time when we made the cut, sir. Okay. And then we got we got the clarity that we needed from that point. we we we move forward. There was a need. She she's an excellent ministry. She does a really super job there. Uh if you need to go and visit, I would love for you to go and visit as well like you've done there. Uh so again, it's it's important to be able to fight for the things that we need. And that is one of the things we need. What we're requesting with this agenda item is for the board to, you know, accept the additional six months for we for us to kind of work through getting her to stay in the

063position. >> Absolutely. And I I get you 100% just on final final point is mentioned something that again personalizing position that they're doing a wonderful job. Every single position I voted to eliminate in the last two years was valuable positions of people doing their jobs and they were all valued and they were all doing a great job. Just because there's a layoff doesn't mean they're doing a bad day job. Good point. >> Hands up. >> Yeah. I listen uh we can't do this on everything. U but Mr. Scot is right. Um we we established a budget and um when the state tells us something different afterwards, we need to know as as soon as possible that the state has informed us of something different and I'm going to give you the the which I'm not

064I think I'm preaching to the choir. the state's holding $5 million over on the side that should come to us. It would help pay for this and whatever else we're going to end up cutting. And they're playing games with the city and whoever else about how what what hoops we have to jump through to get this $5 million and whether we'll ever get by the end of the year. Meanwhile, they're telling us we have to pay for this position which has students from multiple districts in this region and we're responsible for now. I I worked in a juvenile detention center in New Haven 1970s, early '7s. I understand what the importance of these children and their education and taking care of them. I I support it fully. I I'm not I I don't want to.

065This is ludicrous that we even think about not doing taking care of them and and the staff and the responsibility of of taking care of these children. That is not an issue in my mind at all. But that the state plays games with us on this and the funding to do this and says you have to do this knowing our financial situation while it's holding back $5 million, that's what's really ludicrous. Um so I I do understand the frustration that Mr. Scalic is expressing um and and not towards the superintendent but to towards the ultimate um [clears throat] sort of adjudicator of where where do we get money and when do we get money? Um and so that's the frustration that sort of just it's like it's death by a thousand cuts. Um, and that's

066what's just [snorts] frustrating as we sit here trying to do the best job we can and then it's like, oh, here's another cut fellas. Um, so thank you. That's it, Madam Chair. Mina, >> thank you. Um, I don't know who dropped the ball. I mean, that we were talking. I agree with Mr. Sagalovvic and Mr. Traver, and I don't want to cut Neil in the head, but that's the only hammer I have is to make sure that I don't miss. Um, somebody dropped the ball. Um, next meeting is January 12, 2026 according to our calendar. This is coming to us in a special meeting today. Um, we supposedly had no agenda item November 24th and we didn't have meeting. So, this should have came sooner. You know, yes, this position matters and whenever we found

067out this should have been brought up whether it was in committee or whether it was, you know, through the chair at that time and the chair still right now, but this should have came up sooner. I don't know who dropped the ball, but this is the things that we cannot allow to continue to to do. It was done before. We were getting things last minute and now we're forced to make a decision, you know, because if we don't do something today, what happens? We're not going to have another meeting until January 12th or if the chair decides to do a special meeting to make sure what is the savings because I I need a number. What is the savings or not savings? What are costing us to keep this position? I can't wait outside of

068that. I need a numbers. Oh, bye. She's triple While we get that, um, speaking of the the students that are in the program, um, do they get tuition reimbursement from their from their districts? >> Yes, the state juvenile department provides a budgetary allowance for what happens because of the other districts that are paying for those students to be reside with at the detention center. money goes into that in order to to fund that particular position and teaching positions in there. So, it's all lumped up and they provide that. So, the salary for that position will co also be part of that uh that allocation as part of that. So, you can use it for addition teachers if need be, equipment, uh curriculum, those types of things. So, it could easily be broken out that way.

069>> So, if we get tuition reimbursement, then that money go staffing. Yes, that >> it's not coming out of our budgets >> and and it can actually be come out of out of our I think normally over the past couple years the districts just took over the cost of that not necessarily you using those grant fund for the reimbursement funds to be able to do it. Uh and so even like last year we were it came out of operation and not necessarily out of because we were like having someone from from staff go over and be the supervisor in that building. So, uh, in talking with the the state supervisors that come and that regulates that campus, we we talked a little bit about making sure we get somebody fulltime there. So, that's that's what

070when we established a full-time uh, AP position in the building uh, and working through that way. So, if we find >> Yeah. a combination this salaries plus pre benefit it's aboutund 160 $160,000 for the year. So 6 months is about $80,000 net total cut including the benefit and the salary and the employees are satisfied the certified personnel meaning that it belongs to the teachers union. So the district does not have to pay pay some percentage of cost. The state pays your pension cost. So if you if it was a if you he was a regular employee then you're going to have to tag on 20% of your salary towards the pension. But the state absorbs pension cost for all certified personnel. So if I understand the position is roughly 160K we're averaging about 15%. So

071it's about 80,000 for this position that we have to uh >> inclusive inclusive of the print housing >> frank benefits and all that stuff. That's what you're talking >> 80,000 out the door. >> Thank you. The reason why I asked that question, the reason why I'm somewhat and I apologize if anybody took offense to who dropped the ball and we'll soon find out about that because I spent over 20 plus years ministering in the prisons not only statewide but also fed. So I know what it means for this. I've been in these places even that missing youth bringing ministering bringing and you know uh Bible studies and preaching over to these kids. So I understand what it is to have a kid in front of me that that can't read a Bible or can't join

072in conversation because of of issues with education. So this is a very high passionate area of mine and I would love to go on business. So that that that invitation to Mr. Sakal I I've been dying to have somebody approach me because I made this invitation before. I would love to get involved to help out um because I couldn't do it back when I had those state certification that federal certification. I couldn't visit their children or I couldn't go into a place like that, a juvenile detention case of that conflict. But now I'm not involved in that right now. So I can go in. So you know I you know that's all I have to say. >> Yes. >> M you need someone to hold accountable. You could hold me accountable for not dropping the

073ball on that. So I'll take full responsibility to not getting that to the board. Uh again, we we're juggling 50 million things around here, but I'll take full ownership of that and I'll own it. Uh and I I'll make sure that it'll it's it's going to be taken care of. But again, it's important that we we look at that. Again, I didn't want to not do it. So, we didn't have to bring it back, but I wanted to make sure that we're very transparent to the board in the things that we do under my leadership. And so, if you want to blame someone, blame me. uh I'll take full ownership of it and we know what we have to do that in order to fix this but we're going to fix it uh and we'll

074make for we have a few more coming up that that's going to be considered so we need to bring them to the table and let you deal with them now we'll definitely do that for you as well I appreciate you saying so but then at the same time now that it is you taking the the responsibility let me know what I can do to support because you know we're only here to put our best foot forward and we want every child not only the ones that are at Bridgeport Public School, but those that are in the detention class is this opportunity. And to Mr. Traver's point, I know we have students from all over in there. So, we should maybe try to take a look at where we can um get support from the other

075areas because those kids are not all Bridgeport students, but they're in our Bridgeport facility. See if we can figure out how we can um support each other, you know, as far as the the kids. I don't know if it's possible, but food for thought. want to put it out there >> and through the whole for for for clarity. I think that's what and in the transition and understanding exactly how that those those tuition funds are used. Uh that's what we've been working out and as we got those those clarities from and and I think we're misinterpreting the state. This is not the commissioner state. This is the juvenile division of the state that provided those that guidance to us. So I don't want I don't want that to be mixed up because I think I

076think there was some crosspollinating there but it's the state juvenile department that has and gave that clarity to us. Uh and as we worked through it I mean we were just making decisions because we had cut 32 near 32 million dollars guys and so as we got clarity we provided that clarity and we just did what we needed to do internally. So again again I take ownership of that. I mean, it's was all kind of new for us and new for me and for the team as well. So, we were juggling y'all. I mean, so again, I I I'll take ownership of it, but we'll work through it. We'll get the clarity. Uh we'll ask, you know, for a little bit more direction as we move forward, but I know we have a few others

077that the board uh considered the same thing. We postponed a little bit in order to kind of keep them there, but we'll bring it back. We'll make sure we'll get ahead of it. We'll go from there as well. U Mr. J I do understand the difference between the two having worked with the juvenile door as I said would be years ago. Um but it's all part of the state government which is all under the governor. U so that's who I was referring to. I would like to see um I did not realize that the Thank you Faith. Uh I would like to see at some point just you know intellectual to see what that because it hadn't occurred to me that we were getting reimbursed by the other districts. It would be worth us looking

078at to see what the how the cost is shared because that's a legitimate problem. Um and um and I do in the time that I visited there, the assistant principal that is assigned to that facility is very helpful. Uh so I I want to support that the presence of that position in that facility um way beyond whatever I saw 50 years ago in the facility in New Haven. Um so it is absolutely essential for the children that are there. the fresh question based on something Dr. just mentioned twice. >> You got a few more those a few more positions you're going to bring for reverse school board vote in the past. >> If I'm if I'm thinking correctly when we there was a couple things that we had postponed but maybe it was April >>

079I think it was four position they were deferred or >> deferred to a certain date. So, we're going to be seeking to essentially restore those positions to full time. And >> the board has the board has a decision or the opportunity to decide on what you want based on our current reality. >> Just I just want to know what's coming. Are we going to be potentially adding those positions to the deficit? And if so the question on remains and I want everybody on this board to remain consider's going to be a corresponding cut somewhere else talking about administrative levels holding them sacra those cuts will be in the class but there's nowhere else to go we've got $37 million to cut not be adding to that burden that we have and the destruction on our

080school systems we're already at the just those aren't necessarily the case as we learned last year with employment. We have to look at had to cast one of those. So we'll look at we cross that bridge >> hopefully the end of the month. Okay. Got it. All right. Is there a motion? I would move to defer the layoff of the administrator of the juvenile test. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> See, no further debate. Um, all in favor, please. >> We're going to roll call Miss Ez. >> Okay. Um, first first Mr. Benahan Graales. >> He's not here today. Yep. Mr. Woodson. >> Yes. >> Okay. Miss Perez. >> Yes. >> Mr. Sakalavic. >> No explanation being that um it's going to end deficit and we're going to have to make a corresponding

081cut somewhere else and we board are going to have to make decisions and stick to them at some point. Miss Burks Jennings. >> Okay. >> Mr. Daniels. >> Yes. >> I vote yes. Mr. Traber. >> Yes. >> Mr. Medina. >> No. With an explanation. Sure. We can figure it this out with our staff. In my opinion, I think there was a strategy before and I think I want to support that strategy or whatever it was. It wasn't brought up today and I wasn't going to question it, but something had to be up as a plan. Um, so I know it's passing. So I just wanted to make sure everybody understand why. Thank you. >> Thank you. That passes with five 521 five yes to no one extension. Um thank you. Um moving on we're going

082to Hey guys, we're finally going to get this right here. Promise. Um the approval of the 2026 regular board meeting calendar as revised. in your portal. The change that we made obviously last week was to um put it in the right year. But then um after we passed that, I realized that the March um the second March date was actually the wrong date. It was actually supposed to be March 23rd because we meet every 2nd and fourth um weeks. So originally it was March 30th which was the fifth week. So that's the only um additional change on this. Is there any other Go ahead. Uh, Mr. Ch, >> I have a question. Yeah, >> we did modify that March date. >> We did. So, you said we only made one change. We made two changes.

083>> Yeah, we modified it from March 29th to March 30th. Yes. >> But, um, before after we approved it, I realized that was a bit Monday. >> So, we had to go back and get the board. >> Okay. >> Um, I double checked everything else. I'm almost almost 100% sure we're good. Um >> it does. Master Himea say what you got. >> M her looked at it. Danielle looked at it. You know, we had three eyes this time on it. So I >> think we're all set. So we're just um I'm just taking a motion to approve the revised calendar. >> So move. >> Moved by Mr. Medina. >> Second by M. Traver. I heard both at the same time. Any further discussion on that? All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed?

084Any Okay. I'm a pass it as well. All right. Next is just a um not big stuff. Um just a little budget workshop. Um we're going to look at the budget calendar process. Um and I know we have public works public work, but um Dr. A's going to start and then >> Good afternoon everybody. I think this is a a great opportunity. We're we're starting our our budget workshop uh this this evening with an overview from public works. uh they are the uh external um agency that is supporting uh this work on behalf of the uh state of Connecticut. And so there I have Dr. Julian Cox uh and Betty Russell uh online that will also start out start the presentation off and uh I'll turn it over to you ladies >> and everything can

085be found in your portal guys. >> Uh good evening Dr. Bravery board and staff. I hope you can hear and see me. I think the camera is on. Um, as you know, CSDE has hired public works LLC to provide the resources needed to assist the district staff in successfully implementing the audit recommendations. The budget process should have been started back in October. Um, and there has to be a sense of urgency to complete this budget process. I'm going to turn the conversation over to my colleague Betty Russell to discuss uh in a little more detail the process budget process that we hope to follow. Betty, are you there? >> I'm here. Uh, can you hear me? Okay. >> Yes. >> Okay. I saw someone waving in the background. Was there a problem? Yeah, we couldn't

086see your colleague. We can see and hear you. >> I have I have I guess someone has uh >> turned off my camera because I am clicking on the camera and it is not allowing me to put it on and I don't know why it was working earlier today. >> It's on your side. >> We can hear you. That's >> We can hear you. You hear >> very well. So, you're good. No worries about the picture. Thank you. >> Okay. Well, I I uh my name is Betty Russell and um I have been assigned to work on the budget portion of this and when we came before the board before I told you that our plan was to bring you documents uh outlining processes and procedures. And tonight we have brought uh forward a planning

087guide which was prepared for the principles uh and has been distributed. Um it is a work in progress and even as late as this afternoon we found some typos that we had to correct. So I believe a new copy of the manual is actually in your portal. Um in the forensic audit there are 34 recommendations and uh 15 of those recommendations uh are involving the budget budget creation and budget monitoring processes. And this manual that is before you is attempting to answer many of those 15 items. Um the budget creation process. Uh recommendation one is develop a budget process that includes collaboration with district leadership and the community. develop the budget at the account level and um control over spending uh during the year. Include educational factors in the campus allocations. Include capital improvements, maintenance

088needs and annual budget process. Uh include department heads in budget building process. Use the factors to determine campus level allocations. Use other factors to determine campus level allocations. Continue to have grants department budget the grants separately and keep grant revenues and grant fund revenues uh separated and then budget and operational categories with more specificity. And as we go through this document, I'm going to point out some specific elements of this manual that address some of those concerns. And if you have the budget manual in front of you, if you uh look at the very uh beginning once you get past the introduction of names and people that are involved in the process, >> yeah. Hey Betty, is there a way that you can share your screen, the doc that's on your screen or no? >>

089Some of us have access to it, but some of the people in the room don't. >> Is there really? >> I'd be glad to. I'm not sure I know how. >> Let me see where the share button is. >> It may be on the top right >> on the top of your teams. >> There it is. Share. So, I want to choose what I want to share. Yeah, just choose the window with the presentation. >> Can you see that? >> Yes. Yes. Thank you. >> Okay. This is the table of contents and um the first thing that we felt was very important and there seemed to be a great deal of misunderstanding about um the rules, guidelines, purposes of the budget creation process. So we started this manual with a purpose statement as shown and

090then here are the superintendent goals and everything uh as we are working through the budget these goals are of primary importance and then state city and BOE board policies uh contain main guidelines. The statutes uh require that each BOE prepare an itemized cost estimate and that that budget um is itemized for the year. It must have broad categories include at least salaries, fringe benefits, utilities, supplies, and all of that. Uh and after within 10 days after receiving the proposed budget, the board of finance or other applicable uh authority must make spending recommendations. That is state law. Then your city charter has its own guidelines. And so the city has prepared according to its guidelines its own budget calendar. And uh each of each of the departments which the board of education is one of the

091many departments uh has to follow these guidelines. And as you can see in this section of the budget of the uh charter there are dates not later than the second Tuesday in May, not you know the first Tuesday in February etc etc. So all of this is spelled out uh in broad terms and then from that the city creates its own budget calendar, distributes it to the departments and then the departments are required to comply with that. The Bridgeport schoolboard policies contain a good bit of information on what the school board expects the administration to do. And the board has a a broad amount of uh responsibility in all of this and and controlling and financial management etc. And it goes on under the operations. Here is a real important piece of this. The superintendent

092shall make expenditures and commitments in accordance with harmony with the budget. The superintendent shall be responsible for the preparation and implementation of the annual school budget adopted by the board of education. And in excerpts from the budget planning policy 3110, the superintendent establishes and recommends a budget to the board of education. The board of education then has the right and responsibility to go through that superintendent recommended budget and make modifications as you see fit. and the adoption of the budget. There shall be at least one budget workshop. There will be uh groups, community groups and large uh involvement of representation of the certified and non-certified staff and the administrative staff in the development of the process etc. So, as you can see, the annual budget calendar shall be developed and distributed in October of each

093year. And and Joanne mentioned this that we're getting a late start. So, a lot of this timeline that you're going to be looking at is compressed. And what what to the best of our ability we have done is try to document a process that is doable in the timeline provided. And on page five of your of your document is the annual budget calendar that is proposed. Some of these pieces have already occurred. The capital improvement request form was sent to principles and that is um a new thing. That capital improvement request form uh was sent to the principles. they were asked to send it back to um Mr. Garcia and his team and they were able to take a look at that and they are now in the process of building a capital improvement budget.

094And what's really important about that is that it is involving a much larger group of people and in addition their organization has produced a facilities master plan which is the first in a very long time. I don't believe that one has been produced in in the last decade at least. And so we have actual verifiable information from a third-party consultant that says has an assessment of your facility and a an estimate of what it will cost to address all of these needs. And so what uh Mr. Garcia and his team are looking at is trying to compile all of that information and we understand that the city has said we will pay this much but for this year with this facility's master plan in place. It is critically important that the city understand the magnitude

095of need that is out there as identified in this 5-year facility master plan. And so in order to address what the city wants and what we believe they need to see, which is the truth of what the facilities, what condition the facilities are currently in. Um the idea is that we we're working together to try to document what the real needs might be. Now, they may choose not to address them or they may say there's a different way to address them. Um, and they may still say that's all we can give you. But we we believe that they need to see the the breadth of the need. And so if you look down the budget calendar, you'll see that uh the 5-year capital improvement plan will be submitted to you on or about December 23rd.

096And then there will be a full board special full board meeting here on January 5th to go through that 5-year capital budget. And then on January 9th, you submit your 5-year capital budget to the city. What you submit and what you are given and what you submit to the city, that's your choice. You are the board and you make that final decision. But this information is being compiled for you and it is far more comprehensive than I believe anything that has been submitted in the past. And I wanted to let you know that this is specifically addressing that forensic audit recommendation having to do with the capital improvement planning. So now going back to what we're doing with this manual, um the superintendent's c on December 3rd, they went through a plethora of documents that

097had been gathered and analyzed. They looked at enrollment projections. They looked at staffing information for each and every campus and department and the funding source for all of the staff. Uh and then they kicked off this process with the principles and the department heads announcing to them what the process looked like. And now uh there the entire team of cabinet etc are meeting with individual principles to go through their budget and allowing them the opportunity to look at the budget allocation model which we'll get to in just a second and to u look at their current staffing levels as compared to what the allocation models show etc. And so uh these meetings are occurring and will continue until the winter break on the 19th. Is that correct? And uh at that time all of the

098principles will have been met with individually. During the course of that, the principles were also given instructions for how to get into MUNS, view their budget, etc. That also addresses one of the recommendations in the forensic audit. That the principles and the department heads need to have access to their budgets so that they can adequately monitor their budgets themselves. So this kickoff is happening. The the next one of the next steps in the process is to do the same type of individual uh meeting and [clears throat] uh collaboration with the department heads throughout the district. And those department head uh meetings are hopefully going to be concluded by the end of this year, this calendar year. and and then in at through the end of Janu uh December and beginning in January, the the department,

099the cabinets will be working with the superintendent to develop an operating budget and that is going to be a a fairly intense process. On January the 9th, as I stated, you're submitting the 5-year capital budget. January 1st through 15th. There are going to be a series of superintendent BOE community forums here. January 9th. That was one of the dates. It was set for a Saturday and I believe it's now on a Friday as it should be. Um, these community forums are an opportunity for people to give their input and opinion on what they believe should be priorities and areas of need. At a special full board meeting on January the 15th, that's a Monday, the superintendent and CFO will present the superintendent's budget to the board for review. The finance committee will then have an

100opportunity to review the budget and make recommendations and modifications as they see fit. in a regular board meeting on January 26 is the date that and I would encourage you to set this meeting aside for no other purpose than the review of the budget. And that is then the precursor to February 7th is the deadline for the board of education to submit the operating budget to the mayor and OPM. Then the mayor is on a timeline to submit the capital budget to the city council and then to submit the general fund budget to the city council in March. So during that period, they will be looking at your budget and making recommendations and modifications potentially. On June 16th, the city council sets the mill rate. And at that point, there are other other dates and

101timelines that go on through the end of the summer. However, at that point, the budget is in stone. And so you have the budget in your hands starting uh with the January 15th presentation. It goes to this and then the city takes it from there. Are there any questions about any of these dates? These are following city guidelines, city calendar, and all of the various statutes and ordinances that are out there on the budget. Questions? I do want to clarify the January 12th forum will be before the regularly scheduled board meeting. So, we'll figure out the appropriate time for that. But people respond, but that was a question they had. This is the the community forum, but that date uh the January 12th date was a typo. It is Monday, January the 15th. So, the

102community forum would be on Friday. >> 15th is a Thursday. >> That's a Thursday. So, that's another um that's something I was going to bring up, but I was going to wait for people to ask questions first because we don't have a meeting on Thursdays usually. >> So, it's going to be a special meeting that >> it says a special full board meeting. Um, but I think that's something that the board was we to make sure we have a forum. So, we'll um I'll I'll ask other questions first and then we'll go back to that one. >> Yeah. To that point. [clears throat] >> Ready? >> Yeah. To that point, it's probably a simple fix for that. The word on or before. >> Yeah. So, so you give us a little wiggle room on that

103because we need a full >> Yeah, we can just put in honor before the 15th. Um, we just wanted I just want to make sure the board um can in consensus be be available that day. So, >> and as you can see, this is a really tight timeline between there and the February 7th that you have to submit it >> to the mayor. So, uh it it's when we rewrite this for next year, which we will do, we're going to start this process in September >> with the calendar being adopted in October. And that is going to give us a lot more wiggle room. This year we don't have any wiggle room. >> So it is it's difficult. It's going to be difficult and everybody's, >> you know, going to have to be on their

104best, you know, to get this out the door in the time frame that's shown. >> Mr. Collins have some questions. >> Yeah, I had couple. Maybe I should run through them well first though. Um, yeah, I got I got several things. I'm just curious is if you've seen our previous timeline because prior to 2022, we did have a timeline that began in October and went through the a lot of the series of these steps. In fact, this this timeline is actually excluding some steps. I do not see budget gap gap budget gap proposals on here. Um, I think we need a couple more community forums on here. Uh, because going from January 12th, January 9th and 12th, we're just getting we're soliciting input, but we have no community forums to present the budget to the

105community and have them ask questions about the budget when it gets closer to the time for the city of Bridgeport and the state of Connecticut, which is also very, very responsible for our budget and our underfunding. factory $450 million in a whole due to a lack of inflationary resistance since 2013. So let's be clear, it's not only a city responsibility to fund the capital budget and the other budgets, it's also the state of Connecticut. Um so I I think it's important to take a look at what we already had because there's some things that are being left out. I mean >> what what we did when we were building this calendar is um we jointly uh prepared it's probably an a an eightpage document give or take that is a more comprehensive timeline with all

106the parts and pieces in between and and that it does have the gap analysis. does have those other pieces. What what uh we worked with the cabinet on is what were the key functions that were important to lay out for the community uh and the due dates. Uh if you look at the city budget calendar, it has even fewer dates and yet there are lots of inter intermediate steps all along the way. So, we do have that much larger uh more detailed budget uh timeline which actually goes all the way through August. I believe >> I think um one of the things that Mr. Sakalic was saying was that in the past um so I like the forums that we solicit feedback from the community but in the past we've also had forums in which

107the board presents the actual budget that was sent to the city so that the community is aware. I think that's what what you're getting asked. And it does look like there might be some time after we do submit it to the city in February when we can probably add a couple forms in there so that we're really involved in the community and they know what's on, you know, on the line um should the city not approve the budget. So I think um maybe we were Dr. Ay on on getting a couple dates of forums in there in that month. I definitely think I definitely think that there's room for um additional steps in here as y'all see fit. >> Yeah. >> And and Benny, I know you mentioned, but I want to make sure the

108board is is clear that we do have an internal uh budget development calendar that has tons of different steps, but the steps you're talking about that's on that, but this is a public facing calendar. We didn't want to put all those things out there for the world to see because we have work that we have to do behind the scenes. Uh part of that is the gap analysis. If we're going to cut, you know, 10 or $30 million, we have to figure out and give the board a plan of what we're going to cut. So, all those steps are in the plan, the the internal one that we're working from, my staff and I. Uh and but again we can I can actually you know once I once we get it uh finalized um Betty

109we can also share that with with uh the board as well uh so that we can make sure that you guys are following >> too. So we can definitely do that. >> So Mr. called it good. >> Yes, thank you. Um, yes. So one one of the major things was the budgeting gap and since we are under such a timeline I just want to point out that nor in the normal course of business in December January we pretty much got a good idea of where things are going to where things are going to be landing and we prepare the worst case scenarios with the initial budget gap plan because what I don't want happening is to go through this and what has happened before when the state has made suggestions that we adopted them as

110a board as a mindset that Oh, we got to file file this. We cannot amend. We cannot do anything outside of what was presented to us by the state. So, I want to make sure the board retains its authority to approve the budget, retains it authority to amend the budget, retains its authority to have its own calendar and add processes and procedures and to do the due diligence because the point of the exercise and one of the main things that the auditors pointed out was the board is the board is not handson enough with the budget. And that's what I'm making sure that does not get lost in this conversation. Probably be on record. It mean being done already, but I'm thinking >> I I think you're right on point. I think you're right on

111point. >> This is part part of guys. We're we're we're a team. We have to make sure that we're part of a team. It's not the board by yourself. It's not the same thing by himself. It's a team of capable individuals in this room that is willing and able to to rally the troops and let's get it done together. This is a very very intense process and you don't know understand how intense this the last two weeks that my staff has been under trying to get we've met with almost 39 principles guys individually. We're stopping everything that we're doing try to make sure because the principles need to be involved in this budget process. We haven't done that in the past couple years. The district has just fed principal budgets and said this is what

112you're going to do. We we're trying to do it differently and it takes a lot of time. We're in a small crunch time frame and so again we're going to start in August next year. We're going to have all this worked out. God, this is a beautiful piece of document that they've helped us create. [snorts] This will keep us honest in everything that we do. It steps us through making sure we're going to hold ourselves accountable and this community is going to be able to hold us, me, you, you know, everybody accountable for letting them know transparent wise what the dollar is being spent on. And it's it's it's it's detailed. It's a breath of fresh air because this is what should have been done 20 years ago. Uh, and we should have been tweaking

113it every year to kind of modify it, but but we didn't have that, but now we do. Uh, and it's a good piece of work. I'm excited about it. I think once once all said and done, you guys are going to be thrilled and say and and again, you're have the number one authority and that's part of your that's part of your roles at a board member, right? Is to make sure you have a solid budget that is that's going to help this district move forward. Uh, and we're we're setting the process right now. So, it's going to be a good thing. And ask the questions, poke the holes, do what you got to do. It's all good. We understand that it's a work in progress. >> The next section, I think, is one of

114the most exciting pieces. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> We have a few more questions. Uh, Mr. Chabber, >> you have page four. >> Yes. Um, excerpts from 3110. Planning, second paragraph. In an effort to make the budget a comprehensive reflection of the financial needs of the school system, recruited in a special committee will be representatives of the community students, certified, non-certified staff, and the administrative staff in the budget process. Their names will be submitted to the board of ed. The procedure for the involvement of these representatives shall be developed by the superintendent of schools and implemented by the superintendent's office with notification to the board of ed selected participants in this process. That's not even quite good grammar, but when is this happening >> change survey? I believe that what what our our read on

115this and you can help us with this is that in these community forums there will be invited members to this so that there is a broad rep representation. Now uh clearly at the moment we have been working very hard with the principles etc to get initial information. The principles then are being asked to go back to their individual campus leadership teams and I think they call them by different names. Uh Dr. Avery, you may have to help me with this, but some have packs, some have >> [clears throat] >> uh >> ETSs. They are taking their budget [clears throat] back. >> Go ahead. >> Okay. I I I was looking at this here as >> as a broader >> plan. >> And so if you're just quoting indiscriminately from this uh you know from policy,

116you're folding it in through the school governance councils. I get that. This is not then >> it's a it's a worse bending we have to do with it. >> Okay. For the clarity, I read that today. I was like reading it and I was like I don't like the English. I don't even understand where this fits in. When I look at the timeline, >> I don't see where it fits in. I'm trying to follow where it's going to happen. I'm not opposed to the idea. I like the idea, but I don't see it anywhere in the timeline um as being built in. I did read I I did read the part about the school governance councils. I used to be the chair of a school governance council. I'm I'm not I just I know I

117I know that they don't h they don't happen very well. they don't happen particularly functionally. And when I read that part in the timeline, I was going to get to that question uh later on when we get there. I I have that question in my in my comments about how quickly you only leave a couple of days and anyone that's been in a building administration knows school governance council meetings don't happen that quickly or effect efficiently. Um so being able to schedule one and make it happen doesn't happen throughout the district that efficiently. So I'm concerned about it being relied on as the sole mechanism for making this happen >> in some of the some of the detailed timeline information. I envisioned it being more at at the larger group level during these uh BOE

118community forums. >> Now I I defer to Dr. Avery on this but in the more detailed timeline I believe that there was discussion uh you know this whole business January 1st through 15th superintendent and BOE seek input that's where I saw this happening the mechanism for it this is a work in progress the mechanism for it we need to work out because How did it happen last year or the year before or the year before that? I don't know. I couldn't find anybody that could tell me that. And this policy has been in place since pardon me >> forever. >> In the past. >> Okay. Well, the last couple years that's been non-issue, but in the past there wasn't necessarily a mechanism for input on developing the proposal, >> but there was a mechanism for

119community forums after the proposal was developed when uh so there was some variance on getting involvement on developing proposals with staff andor the community comm community the school community and I'll leave that general as whether that's school governance council staff etc. and who is the superintendent at the time but then there was community involvement what Mr. Skulliv was referring to there's input for developing a proposal and then there's input for uh getting people involved for advocacy purposes um and those are two different what Mr. ing out of it. So, >> and I think to to that point um like that said earlier, this is a crunch timeline. So, next year >> hopefully we get this in December. Other districts around us are doing it already. >> Um have done it. >> I've done it in

120December, some September, not September, but like earlier this school year or that seeking that input for next year already. Um there's there's quite a few districts that do that. We haven't. So, I do like >> Yeah. >> the idea that next year we'll have it a lot earlier, I'm assuming, than uh 3 days before we present. I just invited why these excerpts were being laid out here as if they were because the next one on this same page um which says adoption of the budget um it'll be compiled and submitted um and then it says uh before taking action the board shall hold at least one budget workshop and I didn't even know what that is referring to and then it says it shall be examined altered if necessary and approved the school budget which

121shall then be submitted. I I didn't even understand that. So, I was going to ask what that meant. Um, >> was that >> I would like >> Can I inject here? I think there is >> I'm sorry. >> I I I would like to inject here that I don't think policy as it is written today is as clear as it needs to be. and it would it it's um a a fairly old policy. It it does what it does and that's good. But I think what we need is more clarity on what is expected and and how you as a board want to see this process go in the future. We're in survival mode and we're going to get through this one way or the other, I suppose. But it is this is your opportunity

122to say that worked, that didn't work. Let's do something different. And we're just laying it out here for you um in the spirit of transparency to give you an opportunity to ask just exactly those kinds of questions. And I love it. I love the fact that you're questioning it, >> I completely understand. We've been in survival mode for about 35 five or more years. So, I'm not you're not telling you're preaching to the choir here. Um, but I just didn't understand why these excerpts were laid in here. So, they confused me. I'm I'm happy to to to understand now what you're telling me >> and and move on to let you move on to the rest of it, but in reading them, why they were included was confusing to me. Uh so I'm happy to

123um uh turn the turn the meeting back over to you, Madam Chair. Um and >> before we move on, is there anything else on this calendar? Any questions on this before we move on? So you know we can um you can continue the presentation. >> Okay. As I said I think the most exciting part of this um is this uh budget allocation module [clears throat] that uh has been compiled. Um I believe that this uh model um shows how and and gives order to the manner in which staff are assigned at campuses. And one of the forensic audit pieces was uh in regard to um [clears throat] making sure that the budgets were developed not just on the number of students but the needs of students and I believe when you read through this and

124it it there's a lot of information on these couple of pages you will see that a standardized allocation model has has been developed and actually has been in use by the district for a number of years. I don't know that it was published in this way and the enrollment projections that PJ and his team put together in order to build the insides of this uh gigantic Excel spreadsheet that does all of this allocation. the enrollment projections that he did. He broke it down not only by grade level and school but by special needs and by grant types and so on and so forth. And I specifically asked the uh superintendent to include in uh your packet of information one sheet. It's a sample from a staffing chart that we were using and giving out to

125each of the principles. But if you look at that staffing chart, it has a source funding source. And you'll see that a goodly number of the special needs positions are grant-f funded. So you are approving an operating budget, but in addition to that operating budget are grant monies that are also funding positions that are very specifically targeted at those students with special needs or special student populations at risk. uh idea for special education, title money for atrisisk kids, uh career and technology education, etc. that's grantfunded, not necessarily pulled into the operating budget. And I really wanted to emphasize that because there was concern throughout the forensic audit about special needs and really, you know, doing something other than just allocating money according to the number of kids in a grade level. Uh this clearly shows

126that the district has given a great deal of thought to those kids that have special needs and is allocating accordingly. But this is not the end of the story because in addition you have these grant funds that are supplementing what is in the operating budget. The operating budget in most cases, not in every case, but in most cases funds basic education. It's the grants that are adding supplementing the basic education with those special programs. And so we for this purpose purposely used and showed the funding source for each position so that the principles and the department heads would be able to see their staff and understand this one is basic, this one is supplemental and this is how we are addressing the needs of the students. I am so excited about this. I really believe

127this is a real winwin for everybody questions about this. >> Yes, we have a few questions. I I do want to say that um when I saw this model, I was really impressed by the work. I guess we can PJ I guess this is your team that did this >> all everybody but this this spreadsheet is amazing. Um you know it's it was really great and just another conversation from this time but to see like you know what the staffing model should look like versus what we what we have um if it you know we had a limited resources right um but I'll let Mrs. C answering question. Max from I think it's important that you know I think one of the things that Fetty kind of pushed us towards is making sure that we

128made this public to the to the board and to the community because it's we wanted people to understand that we just don't randomly do things. There's a there's a system of being able to kind of keep the budget at a at a at a manageable you know u amount in order to kind of accommodate the different levels of schools. So when you look at the the school with 500 students in it, you get this many staff and you get a you have a school have schools that's less than 200 kids right now and you get this many kids this many staff members and so it's important for you as a board member to kind of see and learn that uh because most districts do it something similar similar some the allocations may be different based

129on the size that they can afford whatever but it's important to for me to clarify that as well. So yes, >> Mr. Sakali, >> yeah, I'm going to leave one of the last things you said based on the size that they could afford. That brings me This is our This is current This is our current staffing allocations. >> Yes. >> No, this is for next year. >> I'm sorry. Next year. >> This is proposed allocations for next year. >> Is that based on the prayerful budget or the reality budget? where we might be facing based on past history. Let's say we've gotten as much as seven to 10 million. So figuring we need 37 on $20 million going up this month or is that based on the current year budget with no cuts? >> This

130is based on this the number of students that are that are projected to be in this district for next year. That's how it's it's actually you know programmed and >> which what you do is as you as you as we met with individual principles based on the allocation you know this is where you're going to be if the budget is passed. Okay. Now, now what happens if the budget isn't passed, we have to go back to the allocations and say due the fact that we don't we're not going to be able to do this. So, so we we would have to adjust that based on the approved budget by the board. >> I'm going to try to ask this question again because the board approves the spending of the budget. We don't approve how much

131money we got. This model is based on how many dollars? How many dollars does this >> model? This model is is based on educational need. >> And >> how much will it cost to satisfy these educational needs? That's what we're working. >> We will know that. We will know that at the end of this. >> This is not a budget like presentation. This is in the workshop on how we're going to come up with a budget. >> Well, right. We have to finish. We got to come up with a budget. We don't We're not coming up with budgets on what's best for our kids. We're coming up with budgets based on what we get. Nothing we're doing is this has nothing this says nothing about point of information here. >> This is a budget. If

132we had all the money we want to this is not the reality here. This is a if we get what we want what we need. >> Does that does that clarify here? >> Understood. So >> what do we need to make this a reality? This what do we need to make this a reality? >> This finish for the forums. >> We got we got numbers we got petitions all in there. We know the cost of these things already. I'm I'm just saying that because that brings up one of the main things in here in this document. There's nowhere that says it says subject to it says subject to this and that but then not not in one place does it say subject to available funding because that's what it all boils down to is this

133is what each state has asked us to do >> and we're again the state has not taken us all over so we are in charge of the budget. We are in charge of those allocations. Yes, presenting it. But if the state is asking us for the do, I'm going to ask the state fund it and we will do it. But if the state does not fund it, they are leaving us in a position to exercise our power and authority under state statute >> to amend this to change it to decimated to go and I don't even think this is even close to >> the best allocation of a um >> special social worker to student ratio. >> This is not even close to what should be. This is far from ideal. So, this is not

134I'm not saying the work isn't great. I'm just saying the numbers as they exist aren't great. The funding that we're going to get to possibly implement this is not great. And >> this is what class size has maxed out. You see, if you looked at it, >> so yeah, there's still work to do. This is just the beginning steps to it. Right. >> Right. We don't have the budget yet. That's coming in January. We solicit feedback from the community. We get the budgets from the the principles. So >> it is a great word. It's great documents. It's great that it was put together and it would also be great if the city and the state come together and fund every single thing we need to implement this. >> You have another question. Mia, >> I'm

135sorry. I don't know if it's in line with what Mr. Sakalovic is looking for, but I definitely would like to ask this question and have that information either now or later. looking at the staff um position and what we each campus will look like as far as staff and to run the schools. Uh this is for next year. Do you guys can somebody with this data get us a number of what would it cost to to fulfill this staff? uh kind of like best case scenario, you know, because I see this as a wish list, which I like it, don't get me wrong, but how much would it take to have those staffing according to what you're recommending, according to what the commissioner work assigned to you guys? If this is what the platform they

136would like to see or what you recommend the each campus to look like, what would it take financially to hold these numbers if we needed to? Can you guys get that for us? Either you guys or I don't know for >> I think that's what Mr. Sak just asked. >> Yeah, but that's what >> So that's coming out when the budget comes out. This is just a >> preliminary. This is just >> it's coming budget comes out. Yeah, this is not the budget yet. This is just a calendar here. When the budget comes on, this is what it's going to be because we already know where, you know, those $37 million just to keep the status quo that we have this year, next year. Now, we're looking at these staff kind of like adding and

137moving around. Um, I don't have a hard copy right now. I will, but I just wanted to know when will you guys be coming up with those figures? >> We're following that >> February the 15th. following the timeline. January 15th. >> She just I'm sorry. >> Yeah, >> she just answered. 2026. >> Thank you, madam. >> January the 15th. >> There are the public works is not the one coming up with the numbers. the superintendent and I and the and the team after having meetings with all the principles >> and directors >> in guidance as to what the state wants the state instructed us talk to the principal see what they need to run their schools efficiently that's what we're doing and that's part of what this model is all about one thing I can

138guarantee you is going to cut a lot more a little more than your current base that I can tell you >> until we put all the all the chips together. It's not something you just do a magic wing that gets his number doesn't work that way. You got to go into each individual's cases, special education, children depending on their degree, depending on their severity, you might tweet a little thing, few things here and there. So it it's all variable depending on the school and to be very honest with you depending on the area of zoning of the school. You might have to assign a little more counselor and psychology to a particular school in order to mediate things. So it's not a one size fit all. Let me make it clear again. The process that

139we're going through is a process that this district should have been using years ago. Uh it's a very tedious process, guys. And yes, we have not we we've we together collectively, my team that's in the mix of doing this right now, we've never done it for this district. So, yes, it's it's it's different. It's different for you guys that's been on the board for a while that has never really been exposed to the inner workings of the budget development side of it, you know, and it's and it's strange for you. Just like previous years, they did the same thing, but they did it just in a controlled manner and they dictated what everybody was going to get. the state just like every most schools in the state of Connecticut has a process that they're involving

140everyone. Again, I think at the end, Mr. Medina and Mrs. COVID, you're going to see that there's going to be an ask of the superintendent for the budget. You guys will say, "Well, that's $20 million more than it was last year. We can't afford that. You got to go back and cut." That's the process, you know. It's different, you know, and and we're on a very small timeline to get it done, but as we as we build the ship, you know, we're not going to let and you guys have the authority to to cut to say that's not the appropriate budget. We can't we don't have enough funding from state of government, the federal dollars to be able to run that budget. You got to go back and do more cuts to the budget. and

141we'll go back and there's a process that we're building to be able to look at each individual campuses where we were. We can look back at what they started with last year and then and then what the new budget proposal for next year is and say we don't have those funds. You're going to have to go back and cut additional you clerical additional you know or we got to go back and look at cutting administrations again. So that whole process is part of this and we will be very diligent in making sure that everybody that is going to be in the process is going to have add value to that process including the board. I think you guys are going to be very instrument like you said Mr. Sakovic you know part of the audit

142said board had to be a little bit more hands-on to the process. we're gonna we're gonna allow you to be a little bit more hands-on, you know, but we have to work through the process ourselves to give you that and then you're able to go back and say, you know, that kind of thing. So, that's where we are with that. >> Mr. Medina, >> thank you. >> Mr. Woodson. >> Yeah. I just want to Yeah. I just want to make sure everybody understands why I ask my questions and there's always a method to my if some people want to even with our new colleagues on the board because I need a number that when I'm advocating out there when I'm saying this is our pay perfect when I sit down in the table and see

143each school and what is the best case scenario for each school as far as staffing funding and all that stuff or as a as a whole then I can go and advocate for these numbers and that's why I ask these questions specific specifically I want to make sure everybody understands me as what I why I want some information is because then I can go out there to the state I can go out there to this uh wherever I go and speak about numbers and organizations that back us up to know and this is this is our perfect case scenario you know we're looking at 2025 2026 we know what we have to be able to maintain this next year we already know it's about $ 37 billion but yet we're still not meeting the needs

144of our students of our campuses of our leaders in each campus and those teachers that are there, they need help. One of the things especially that I spoke with u our superintendent was, you know, coaches. We need more coaches inside to be able to support these kids to be able to get them up to par and it's something that all the other district have enough funds for. So, I need numbers. I need some of the information that when I go out and speak, I have those tools. So, I'm just trying to help you guys, help me, help you guys when I go out there and advocate. So, that's why you hear these questions is because I want to know that way I can go out there and speak up because I want when I when

145I sit down in the table with people and they tell me, "Draw a school. What is a perfect school looks like?" And when I drew it, we always talk about the outside because you only draw what's in outside. I drew a school. I drew a playground. I drew trees. I drew nice neighborhood. But then they say, "What is inside?" Well, that's what we got to break into and see what do we need inside. You know, that's what keeps me up at night, that I know that other districts that have the tools to be able to help those kids get back on track, be part of their peers don't feel that that shame to say that they can't do certain things in their classrooms or even for example that I got, you know, a class that's

146being empty because there's no teacher, there's no substitute. Now, those students are being moved to other classrooms, putting more pressure on our staff. Um, so this is why this is what keeps me up and that's why I ask these questions. So if anybody ever has a doubt of why I'm asking, please come and see me because that's what that's what keeps me up. I don't know what keeps you guys up, but that's what keeps me up at night. >> Sure, >> Mr. Woodson. Um, first of all, I feel I this is not the first time that we've talked about budgets and timelines and stuff like that and asking for money from the state and I just, you know, I I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but we we in order for us to

147to to ask the state for money, we need to be more efficient with our funds. Now, if we have old buildings 100 years old, if we have buildings that are not more than 70% filled, if we have classes that don't have more than 17 kids or 20 or 22 kids in them, we're not being efficient with our money. We cannot ask the state for money. I don't know. I don't know what we don't understand about that, but this, you know, we we and I hate to say it like this, but we're trying. It's like we're we're trying to run a business. We're not run we're not running a a a um a a gift a thrift shop. We're running a business. We have to be efficient with our money. That's why we go to school.

148We How do we all say that we go to that we all been to school? We we're trying to fix, you know, the school system and we can't we're not even smart enough to be efficient with our money. We got to we we we got to be better. No, this lady is telling us we need to start listening to the superintendent. Take his budget, you know, do what we can't do. You know, let let him do their job. Let you know, let the let the administration do their job. Let them come to us and let us decide if it's if it's okay. But it's not really our decision to to to be in the in the budget room. That's what she's saying. Let them do their job, then come to us when the job is

149done. We only have a couple of weeks to get this done. you know, these these dates, these are not these are not like madeup dates. These are these are laws, she said. If I'm not if I if I'm if I heard it correctly, these are these are these this stuff goes by the charter. >> We don't have time to be going back and forth and deciding, you know, what what what's you know, we we we know what's important. We've been through this last year. We need to make the hard decisions right now and we need to be there for Dr. Avery so so he can make the tough decision that he's not, you know, walking on pens and needles trying to make us happy. We need to make him happy. We we need to make

150him want to be be here in Bridgeport. We keep fighting him and and and and opposing everything that he's doing. He's not going to want to be here next year. who going to want to be here next year with a $40 million budget and and and a and a board that can't that can't decide what's you know who they trust and and and and what's important. No, we we we we need to start, you know, making the the the important decisions and the time is now. Thank you. >> Any further questions board members? Mr. Traver, >> I just want to make sure I understand what you're putting forth here. Um, if I read this right, you still retain the kindergarten perils as we currently have them. >> That is correct. >> Yes, that is correct.

151>> Um, we're not restoring libraries. >> We we went from where we currently are not just looking at >> where we currently are. If that's something again that the board wants us to vote, I can come back. >> I'm just talking about the process though. But I think that's where that's where you guys will add value because what's valuable to you and your constituents is what we want to make sure that we add to the budget. >> I'm not trying to have that debate right now. I just want to make sure I understand what you're putting on the table right now. Um we will have the arguments about what we think is important to add or what we're or or take away and that will also be kind of part you know partly the condition

152of what we end up getting. this one. Um, so I get I get where we'll be at on this and there's no change in the current ratio of counselors or social workers or any of those positions if I see it right. >> No, there's not. >> Okay. >> head head count. >> Yeah. doing a quick scan just to see all Portland >> and does the is there any significance to the green um next to the kindergarten teachers I'm just curious I noticed they got >> yeah I just was checking um if there was any significance that's just been made No, I need to hear >> not that I can >> just ask right well that's all the questions I have not >> I would like I would like to add one thing um from the

153discussions um the idea that this was a wishlist of the ideal situation if you look at these ratios class size ratios many of these class size ratios are taken out of the bargaining agreements >> and are already at the a tight level. The beauty of this number one is it's transparent. Number two, it's equitable because it is based on formulas that take into account the needs of the students. And um I think the cabinet debated on this long and hard when PJ produced that uh projection model with all of the breakouts with all of the individual special needs, the ELLL in all of the you know uh categories of special education etc. that really took it down to a new level and the cabinet level and the the people that are directly involved with delivering

154the curriculum were involved in analyzing these. What can we do at a minimum to build these schools and give them the kind of people that they need? Now, the principles took their spreadsheets that had all of their staffing on it, and if their population in grade three went down, but the population in grade four went up and they had more ELELLL students, which is by the way true uh almost across the district, that if there were more of these and fewer of these, then we don't need this kind of teacher here. we need a different kind of teacher and they were in the planning today. they were in the planning process of how am I going to reallocate my current staff and that is so [snorts] critical and I don't believe they've had the opportunity

155to do that kind of thing and and so that's why I believe this is a beautiful thing that's been created and it's laying out an equitable system if you need to cut instead of the way that the principles told me it was done last year. Cut a million dollars. What? Wherever you can get it, just cut a million dollars. Well, that's not preserving equity. If if a million dollars needs to be cut, then these allocations need to be changed so that equitably everybody is affected in the same way. and that one campus decided to gut an entire program whereas another campus uh gutted something else. In other words, equity is the big word I really want to emphasize here and and it's not a wish list. These class sizes do not indicate fluff. >> Does

156that help? It does. Thank you. I'm glad you go, but um I just like address something about Oh, was just my my initial thing was something else, but I'll get back to that. Um this has always been done in some way, shape, or form. Just to be clear, the district never had a FL because this came up in the audit and it was one of the big glaring red flags that they weren't really paying attention to a certain area. They had conflated the 20 and $30 and $35 per pupil and conflated that with the same amount of funding for each student and that we needed to look at special education course and English language learners when making the allocations and that has always been done might be doing get done a little better now through

157this work here and a little more efficiently a little more transparently but there was that work being done before this is this is nothing new we've always funded our special education students at a higher level uh English language learning in schools is have I always had more special educ I mean more um language arts not language arts something if I'm if if I'm if if I'm just speaking somebody feel free to speak up I won't get offended >> on target >> so this has always been going on so this is just improving upon that process I don't want anybody to think that we were short changing equity is a new thing about this district because we have been somewhat equitably funed maybe not 100% perfectly and I do agree with the equitable cuts Uh however,

158one thing I don't see in this presentation though back to my original point was going to be the budget deficits and the cuts that come are really really very important and one thing I haven't seen us do uh Mr. Monroe will be more familiar with this process than everybody else. We don't have the directors come before us and explain the needs of their departments. What we have is the budget directors coming before us when we're ready to make cuts and we asked them Mr. Karaf Mr. lines on everybody's names. They got that. Yes. >> If we if I'm gonna ask you, let's pretend you're head of um computers because that's a good example. Few guys, not the head of tech. If we cut your staff by three, you'll be okay. And look at the superintendent.

159We'll manage cuz you're going to have to. But what we don't hear is how it's going to impact. What we don't hear is down the line we're not going to have enough people. If I ask I'm going to pick on Mr. Garcia now. If we ask if we if we cut facilities I've respectfully heard you say this a couple of times throughout the years when we decimated your budget your budgets one of the first ones that get hit all the time. Uh we'll manage we'll manage. But through to present you've always said you can manage you can manage no our facilities have to have deferred maint and that's how you manage the impacts of that need to be brought to us when we're making the decisions to make these cuts so we can actually balance

160out the impact because everybody would say maybe facilities is not as important as this position but if where not maintaining our buildings up to a standard that's safe because of budget cuts. That'll weigh in maybe differently a little bit on somewhere else we might need to move. So I would definitely like more input from the directors and even even the finance director if say because we're looking we're looking for areas good. I'm not picking on anyone department though at the finance say we need to get rid of two three we need to instant say well we can manage but this is the consequences of me managing I'm not going to be able to deliver it on time I'm not going to be able to do this and that as social worker psychologist we're going to

161have our students are going to be some of them are going to be lost to us well we'll manage but this is the consequences of us managing and we need to we need that information and the consequences before they hit because you guys can see them Sometimes the board members cannot and unless you guys are bringing that up, nobody's going to see the consequences of their decisions before they make they're going to be coming back later and say, "Oh my god, we cut the Paris was a horrible decision because it affected you basically all noticed but it wasn't voiced." >> Yeah. I would definitely like to see more interaction between the board and the directors at SM one of the budget all the budget meetings initial budget meetings but they lay out the budgets for

162their departments that they know they do it on the city council. I'm sure they do it in other boards. I mean this board doesn't meet very long on budgets and hasn't since maybe 2018. We were doing good up until co co struck a whole bunch of things happened and then we never got back on track. Thank you. >> Any more questions? Is there more to the presentation? uh just uh instructions for the principles and I think someone brought up um the issue of the taking it to the council's whatever they're called at the campus level that is really huge. the staffing worksheets uh with the list of the current staff. That staffing sheet has a series of questions out to the side. Is this person going to stay? Are, you know, are they planning to

163retire, etc.? Uh do you plan to move them? Because if they don't need a third grade teacher and you know but they need a fourth grade teacher is that person certified in both. This whole staffing worksheet is also a key instrument that the district wants to use and I believe finance is the one in the hot seat for doing it. If those staffing lists are incorrect in any way and there was some indication in the forensic audit and then discussions about that not all of the staff were in the right positions and you know etc. This is an opportunity for us to do a cleanup on all of the staffing and we're getting that feedback directly from the principles. Who's on your campus? What do they do? Are they going to stick around in 26

16427? and are you going to need to do some adjustments and movements in order to accommodate the changes in your student population um in the coming year. So those those things are enormous uh just changes in the way that the principal is being asked to look at how they're operating. And then um as was pointed out the elementary and secondary allocations per student, every principal received not a budget because in the budget of past years it was a lump sum but their actual expenditures for 24 25 and year-to-ate 26 were provided broken out with these codes that are on the next page, the operating accounts, and it says, you know, you spent this much on this and this much on that, and what are you thinking that you're going to need? And the principles are

165being asked to take this $30 or $35 per student and allocate it out to an actual account. And that way they can be held accountable for their budget because they said, "I'm going to spend this much on stipens. I'm going to spend this much on, you know, whatever the other operating accounts were. Last year I spent $1,000. This year I'm planning to do something different." and and forcing them into the idea and mindset of allocating it for themselves, not depending on finance or someone else to do it for them, but then that allows us to hold them accountable. Again, another one of the forensic audit recommendations that allows some reasoning for holding them accountable for staying within their budgets. Hopefully that makes a little bit of sense. Uh the rest of it is real mechanical,

166but if you have any additional questions, I'd be happy to answer whatever I could. Mr. Yeah, I um on page 10 I had um this is where I had mentioned earlier that the school governance council timeline down uh the bottom of the page is just a a very tight timeline. Um, at this time of year, um, with the holidays coming up, getting a meeting together before Christmas or right after Christmas is going to be extraordinarily difficult because you need to get the parents and the staff to have a meeting um at the after school. Um, and this is not a good time to call to get people to come to a meeting after school. uh with holiday parties and everything else going on, you pulling that off is going to be very difficult. Um so

167one that that's a a logistical problem that the superintendent and the administrators are going to have. Um two, um what I just heard you say about the staffing worksheets, that's just an I I don't see how you can do that quite frankly. uh as the former head of the union for the teachers, nobody knows who's sticking around next year other than somebody who's near really near retirement. Um where you're guessing are they going to stick around? But a couple guess, >> pardon me, >> it's a guess. I'm saying the largest the largest factor that I can think that's going to affect whether they're sticking around is going to be the budget and what's happening with the budget next year. Uh and how much money we get, how many cuts, how draconian the cuts are. Um

168and that's going to severely impact whether or not people decide to stay again. um is you know we have a certain percentage of our turnover which we all know about that every year that has to do with the people that seek greener pastures. >> It's just a given built into Bridgeport's budget that we lose a certain percentage every year to greener pastures. Uh and then that has been exacerbated in recent years because of the the severity of the cuts that have been required to be made in Bridgeport. And so that's really what's going to impact it. And we won't know that until later this spring. And so for an administrator, a mill administrator to try and predict, uh, they may have some in intuitions about some people. But over the last few years, some of

169the people that I've seen leave have been chocking to me. People who have been here 15 to 25 years who just decide to hang it up uh that I wouldn't have thought they would. Um, so it it's not that's that's really uh going to be difficult. >> I let me may I respond to the first item which is item five um or or the discussion about the the councils. Um the principles were informed of the budget process December the 4th. the cabinet has been meeting with them and the principles are they've got they've got their budget in hand. They've got their staffing charts in hand and they can go back to that council right now. They don't have to wait until a final budget and they can show what the the allocations are showing. they

170can show them what they have to work with and that they're trying to uh put it into some kind of form and format and allocate it to those account codes. They can take that preliminary budget and and take it to that council and let them provide feedback on it. Uh that's that's one thing. they don't have to wait until late January to call that meeting. So that's response number one. And on the on the staffing, whether or not they are staying or not staying is a guess. Obviously, if it is a vacant position, um what the finance people do is they take the average salary for that position plus benefits and they still fill it into the hole. Uh as long as that vacancy needs to be filled. If there is a vacancy, this gives

171the HR people a heads up on how many teachers in this category and how many counselors and how many social workers do we need to start recruiting because recruiting starts in the spring and if you don't grab them up early, you don't get them. So this is trying to give a bump up for HR in the recruiting process to allow them to begin that planning and I know that we're going to have 5% vacancies. So I'm going to fill some of these positions. This is all advanced planning trying to be more proactive in the way that staffing are allocated, hired, recruited, retained in that process. Third thing, the way that they are looking at the budget, one of the budget assumptions that I'm understanding from finance is all of the salary, step increases, and colas

172are all being factored in to the dollar amount of salary that will be projected for a given campus. So helping the with the help of the principles trying to figure out who's going to be there, how many of them are there going to be and and so forth. They're, you know, I I've got three teachers at step five, you know, a couple here, a couple there. What are their salaries going to be next year? that is built into the formulas so that they can act or as accurately as possible because it is a guess. You don't know who's going to quit and whether you're going to hire someone with 10 years experience or four years of experience. So this is a way to project and do advanced planning as opposed to reactive. Oh my god,

173I've got 10 vacancies. I don't know what to do. Is that helpful at all? Yes, it is. Let me ask helpful to you. You ask the questions. >> Yeah, I understand what she said. >> Any further questions, but do you have more to present? No ma'am that is the end. So >> I don't see any further question. I do want to say thank you for the presentation. I know you know this year like like we mentioned in the beginning this is a tight crunch but I am excited to see um where we take it and also for next year um we'll have a a head start on this um which is um something to look forward to I guess. And so a lot of the stuff that's crunched in right now, we'll have a lot

174more time to work on. Um, but I do I want to thank the staff for really taking your time, all your time on this the past few weeks. Um, you know, we really do see the the work you put into it. So, thank you all for this. Um, I don't know if anybody else has any further comments. We'll if we don't, Mr. Maja, >> I make a motion to adjurnn. Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> thank you ladies. >> Thank you very much.