001Good evening and welcome to this evening's adust board of education budget workshop. It is March 16th, 2026. It is 6 o'clock and we are here in the CATC cafeteria. With that said, since we've we've opened the meeting and called to order, we'll start with our first agenda item which are to answer any questions from last March 9th's meeting. So, if we have any questions that we asked to be answered, do we have those, Mr. Superintendent? >> We do. Want to do introduction? I did want to do introductions. Thank you. And we'll start on my right. No, that's my left. That was my left. My other >> stage right. >> Tony Tippetau, assistant superintendent. >> James, beautiful. W three. Charlie Hicks at large. >> Susan Park two. >> John Reynolds at large. Sam Baker, W one.
002>> Rita Paulo at large. Bobby Joe, wine, business manager. I'm Mike Tracy, superintendent of schools. >> And I'm Martha Wam, chair of the school board. And I'm also going to ask the members of our audience also to introduce themselves as well. >> Karen Veril, principal at Gilbert School. >> Kayla Sakura, adult director. Kaitlyn Rodriguez, director of technologies. >> Teresa Bo, principal of Kim, principal. >> Tina McDonald, principal at Hazy. >> Heather Goth, principal at Lincoln. Misty Pabro, interim special ed director. >> Thank you. And thank you for that reminder as well. >> No problem. >> Good evening everyone. Thank you. This is uh we've made it through our budget presentations from the entire school department. So you met with all your department heads, the principles of every building uh as well as central office to
003present what we what is known here in Augusta as the superintendence budget. So you have that. We did discuss last week uh some varieties of things to uh adjustments to be made to the budget which um business manager Ross will present just a second. But there were some questions from last week and I'll let you go ahead and take us through that. I believe you provided those. >> Yes. Yep. They're underneath your packet there. Uh so on the back side of the question sheet um we only had two questions that we weren't able to answer during the meeting. So on the March 9th meeting we got asked how many miles a day do our school buses travel. So first student reported to us that our buses travel about 1,900 miles per day. Um and then
004March 11th at this school board meeting um Mr. Orur had asked the question um number one what category does the school board's budget fall under and it falls under system administration and then what percent of the schoolboard budget segment are legal fees? So, as of March 12th, the day after this question was posed, 43% of the school board budget spending, so whatever has been spent for this year to date, 43% of that has been spent on legal fees. >> Mr. >> So, if I was to equate that to a here's what we have dollar amount and what we have spent dollar amount, >> what would that be? Sure. So, as of March 12th, what we have spent under the school board category is 97,97 I'm going to round $977. What the legal fees are is
005$42,38. >> 42,38. >> And can I ask a follow-up question? Does all the legal fees come under the school board budget? >> Uh, yes. So that would include any any other special cost with any case. So all of that would be under that. >> Okay. >> And I believe those were the only two questions. >> Thank you. The next item on the agenda is public participation. Do we have anybody who's out there speaking as the public rather than your usual roles? Mr. Stonier has joined us. I see. Welcome. Having no public present, we will move on to number three, which is budget discussion, >> Mr. Superintendent. >> All right. Well, we have before you there are a couple of documents and we pack it and again I'll ask this manager Ross to take us through
006this, but I will give you quickly a high level. Um after a meeting last week, there was some discussion to reinstate um four positions, which we'll cover in just a second. Back into the budget, and you'll see that the impact of that is around $400,000. We'll give you the specifics in a second from the 3.3 million to 3.7. And this specific number we talk about in a second. um and an increase from an 8.2 to a 9.2% expense. There are some details we'll cover in a second back related to the revenue side but how it's funded but overall those are the changes and we'll get into those details now I guess. >> Sure. Uh so just to go through the packet, your first page front back is the updated budget after the requests from the
007last meeting. The next page is what we added back in on the very very bottom of things. And I'll go into more detail, but I just want to make sure you understand what's in front of you. And then the third page, front back, is the original from um before the updates were made. So that's the original. So you can compare the two as well and then the original updates before the board requests. So you should have the agenda and then four pages increment. Um so the positions that were requested to be added back into the budget was one middle school high school reintegration specialist, two gen edte at the um elementary level, edtech 2s at the elementary level and one gen edte 3 at the elementary level. Um then you'll see that we did hear
008back from our auditing team and we did have to reinstate the $150,000 that we had originally removed from the budget. We had to put it back in. Um so that is is in this updated budget. Um we increased legal fees slightly by $5,000. Um, I updated the e- rate based on the new contract um that we just signed. And then um we added in a program called givebacks which is about $4,700. Um I haven't had a chance to present that to you yet because I would normally present that at finance committee. Um, but givebacks is basically um a way for us to offer um online school store if any of our clubs and organizations want to sell something and have electronic payment instead of cash check like they're doing right now. Sell tickets for events.
009Do fundraisers. Like if we want to do a fundraiser come construction time, we can do fundraisers in there. But it also allows us to have um compliance piece. Um so it allows us that if somebody wants to do a fundraiser and the administrators want to set it up that somebody has to request the fundraiser and then get it approved that now there'll be an electronic way of doing that instead of paper. Um it will allow our auditors to have a login to that. So they can actually audit our transactions directly instead of trying to audit. Right now like for a lot of our activity accounts we use QuickBooks. So this program will actually have auditing documents and compliance materials within it. Um so it's just a a big benefit to the school and it wasn't
010a large price tag. So, we're hoping to um instate that for the coming coming year. Um so, those things all together, those positions, the construction um and then the services is adding $391,678 to this new budget. So, just to clarify, Jimmy, the updated B rate was Yep. So, um the amount that we actually had budgeted in there for the service portion of -ate, so the expense portion of -ate was already um a fairly adequate amount. Um but because the new contract we just signed was for a service that's $75,000, I had just added in $2,000 to that. It wasn't a large increase cuz again it's just 15% of what we get from and that $75,000 contract is over five years. So we will get the e- rate also split over five years and then 15%
011of that so it's just a small amount and the on the give back >> that 4,700 is money that we pay them. Is it money like we put in? Is it annual expense? >> It's the annual expense. Got it. >> That's our annual expense. There's a $1,500 implementation fee, but we believe we'll be able to this year. >> Okay. Thank you. Any questions from any board members at this point? Um, business manager Russ, can you tell us what are unknowns still in the uh budget if any at all in terms of any like rates that have been guessed and don't necessarily >> Yes. So, we don't have our insurance our health insurance rates yet. We're being um told that we should have those around the second week of April. Um, we're negotiating the custodial contract
012and the support staff contract. So like our edte all in that support staff contract. Um so those amounts have been estimated at this point. Those are the big those are the big ones. Thank you. >> Okay. Next. Okay. budget discussion. >> You want me to go through the digital? Okay. So, on the back of your um first page >> of the new one. Yes. The one dated March 9th. Um you will see that um these are the revenues on the back of the new page. So increasing our budget by the 391,678 also meant that our additional contribution, our local additional contribution increased. So you'll see that that is an increase now of a little over $2 million um compared to $1.661 million. questions. >> Board member Reynolds. >> Thank you. Um and so because of
013the added due to also by the way thank you guys for that um at our request to add that back in see what it would look like. So that's what brings the point uh 8 the 8.3 up to the that brings up 1% falling into the general and then it goes to total local 8.3 to 9.2 >> 8.2 that's what it was. Yeah. >> One, pillow, >> based on sort of how the fund balance works, is that also still an unknown or is that generally? >> Um, it is an unknown because fiscal year 25 hasn't been audited yet. We are of course tracking like a estimated projection amount. Yes. >> But if I may speak to fund balance real quick, um what is our la last audited? I'm not if you remember correctly, >> a
014little over $800,000, >> a little over 800,000 unassigned. And those of you know that usually I will try to use half of that. And that's why the schools portion under the 1,68,416 that's broken out $450,000 of that is the schools >> general fund >> fund balance and cats is 16 excuse me 618,416. Those two numbers make up that $1,68. And so we're uncomfortable suggesting we can contribute more than that at this point. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Before we go into the budget discussion, did do you want to share from the >> finance committee input from the city council at this point? >> Was there I guess maybe other question any other questions for Miss Ross what she's presented? Um I I mean I mean Mr. Hicks, member Hicks, Mr. Member Hicks and member
015Reynolds were also at that meeting. So I don't want to steal your thunder. If you want to give your general sense of maybe what the feedback we received at the joint finance committee. >> Yes. >> Member member Reynolds. >> Uh yeah, I mean um without like I'll allow you to be able to do like the fulfilled uh explanation. I'm just grateful to work with the city council uh in doing these things. I believe that everybody that is uh has the responsibility of an elected official in this town is dedicated to providing a healthy uh balanced budget that will give equitable services across the spectrum. I'm just grateful to be able to do that. So that's all I have to comment. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Member Hicks, did you want to add to that?
016>> They seem resistant at our number. persistent I >> the two gentlemen that were there not I don't know the whole board thinks but >> so the the my my est my uh thought is like yours I maybe tweaked the word the concerns I think they the members the two members present uh the city council mentioned the concern for taxpayers and ability to pay they also uh I think they were very sensitive actually and compassionate to the district's needs needs and the needs that we that we articulated. Um I think there were just generally some concerns. Nobody's nobody gave us a number. Uh nobody gave us there was no direct um guidance of of to to do, you know. Um and so they heard us. They heard the the board's position on where you're at
017with the budget. Uh I didn't get a sense that they were going to sort of like rubber stamp approval it. I didn't get that sense but um I did get a sense that they were um compassionate and empathetic to the needs that we have and uh but they both were concerned with the amount of increase of the school department's budget. So I think that was the general feedback that I took >> and we did we did share a little historical perspective on how when starting with the co funds that we got that the co funds sort of created an artificial cost of education because the co funds were providing opportunities to make improvements in the school that weren't in the budget so that things were happening and because and we didn't hold school it was
018zoom And so money was saved and we were able to collect a little more in carryover funds at that point and having that those funds that amounted to how much do you remember sharing to >> total? Yes. >> The um the er monies altogether were about 15 million dollars over five years. I mean there's a lot of money and that allowed the the district to not use its own general fund for some sense and uh a lot of one-time projects, a lot of things were taken care of on the facilities operations side and there were a handful of positions if you remember. There was a district nurse, there were a couple of positions at the high school, there were ed techs and teachers added to the elementary level. Um we had permanent subs. There were
019a number of those positions and that was a question that was asked by one of them and uh we don't have any of those positions left that were developed and created with co so that's important to know that all the positions and then some uh have been reduced to precoid staffing and we've reduced and then some last year we we cut 16 positions so >> I think we also questions were asked regarding the cost of our ESOL students that I think there was an assumption that we got a significant amount amount of money in our ED279 for the cost of educating ESOL and I think Shelby shared with them or somebody shared with them that the amount that we actually received and additional funds in the ED279 correct me if I'm wrong was around 30,000
020>> No that's TI money >> oh that was t money >> that he asked about grant the actual 8279 I think is around 800. >> No, no, it's um so the the one of the questions that was asked at city council at the joint finance committee was about ESOL or multilingual monies. Assistant Superintendent Tibido talked about a grant that we received that we received through title money where we received um about $30,000. We also have received a Catholic Charities grant where you funded our our cultural liaison. Remember how we had to assume that position into this next year's budget? >> That went away. >> That's going away. You told us that. >> So then it was asked how much do we receive in ESOL money and I think business manager manager Russ is going to
021pull it up. But within our 8279 on page two I think we get earmarked money for four-year-old might even be on page one four-year-old monies set aside multilingual monies that get set aside uh put poverty lowinccome students there's an allocation for those all within that 8079 you remember seeing that probably when Paula came and taught us about that. So I don't know if you have the number in front of you or a rate. We do receive more monies >> for that. Look it up. We've all got While she looks at that, we can continue with. So Mike has presented his budget. The board has asked from for some adbacks into the budget. And now the discussion on the table on the floor right now is which budget or what budget do you want? What do
022you want in a budget to finalize the budget? Because if you look at the last item on our agenda tonight is to vote on a proposed budget. So what budget would that be is my question to you thoughts? >> Board member Pell. >> Yeah. Um my vote overall tonight would be to move forward with the budget that we have as of right now, the March 9 budget. Um, I am curious about the career edtech position because I see a 0.5 technology edtech and wonder if that um position of somebody who's dealing with the laptops and things could also be 0.5 doing um scholarship work or coordination work for our students because I still am concerned with the loss of that position. Um maybe guidance or administration can pull that up, but um if we were
023to see a decrease in scholarship opportunities or students receiving like money or up ability to go places, I would be pretty disappointed. Um if that's not a possibility, just given the fact that we're asking for more, my vote will be um to move the budget forward as is. But that's my lingering question is if that technology edte can be a full-time position with the loss of that 0.5 career edte but I feel like it looks like it's a full-time position. So I'm not sure if that's feasible, but that's my lingering question around that. >> Could could we are you saying add the other five to the position in Caitlyn's budget? >> Right. >> Well, we can do whatever the boards to do. Um we hadn't envisioned >> Yeah. that that uh creation of those two
024I mean maybe just list them come up for a second >> I know there's going to be some discussion about what to do if these positions were reduced right >> so I don't know if you or your team have thought about if to member Pel's question what would happen how would we be assuming some of the career uh support and the guidance office with a reduction of that position. If the risk position was reinstated, might that position be able to do some of that work >> possibly, but I would say that the um as I have said every time that it's going to have an impact on all of us. So um what would we end up doing is taking each of the tasks associated with that and determining the right place for that. um
025example like scholarships might be more um supervised by the director of guidance but would be helped to be administered by the um secretary in the office with um a support person with administrator. So like that it's going to really be task by task um that we determine the right course of action on that. Um, most likely those kinds of scholarship, um, administrative type tasks would be under the supervision of an administrator or a guidance counselor to make sure that that's done correctly, but maybe it makes sense to have a secretary do it. Maybe it makes sense to have um, a different, you know, maybe the guidance counselor is one somebody coordinates that. like we all have tasks that we do that for example as administration I know that Brian is taking care of the safety
026plan um so we all don't do it we divvy it same thing with the guidance counselors somebody's responsible for the SAT um and PSAT administration so that's what we would do is we take all the tasks and determine the right course of action for each one of those but likely it would be within um most of that job would be within in the um guidance admin health suite of the edtech position in the career center. Some of when you're looking at the reintegration specialist like it makes sense that the truency would go to the assistant principles freshman academy contemplated all kinds of options there. Maybe that would be um a duty that we would look at. Um maybe it makes sense to have that be um in a particular department. Um so we we would
027need to look at all the different options on that. We um much like when we reduced the library position, we didn't know exactly, we had some speculation, but we were able to work it through. We would do the same thing um with this those two positions is we would figure out what makes sense to be where >> can you can you remind me what the duty was of the half time that remember Paul what that technology position >> responsibilities would be >> I'm just trying to see if they mesh together >> yeah it's asset management but maybe Caitlyn can answer a little bit more the question is two questions one is can you remind us what that half a position is going to do here. And then to member Pelo's question, is there could there
028be a combination if you had a full-time person that did asset management, career readiness, support, and guidance on the other? >> Uh, so the asset manager position would just be managing our laptops and any devices that we have both on the student side and on the staff side. none of the technical support that would go with any of the break fix part of it. That's still going to live in the IT world on the city side. Um, this would just be if a new student comes in, getting the laptop off the shelf, ready to go, loaded up, ready to go out to the new student. Um, same thing if the student leaves the district, taking that laptop, wiping it, putting it back on the shelf if we need it. Same thing with staff laptops. Um
029if we get in any number of devices, for example, when we buy over the summer, this person would help um with all of the devices that come in and out. Um we when the city kind of took over this position the last couple of years, we've been looking at how to run it. Um we it used to be a full-time position. There used to be a full-time uh co position staffed up there up until um Mr. Massie about summer. Did you finish >> October? October. Okay. >> So, right up until fall time frame, it was a full-time position. Um, with Mr. Massiey's input as well as the IT person who's currently up there, Joseph Chance, um, they both recommended and I agreed that it could be a halftime position. So, that's where we landed on
030the halftime ed position. what you put on the other side of it. Um, it doesn't I don't think I have a say or or it really matters to me. Um, the person that I need in my position, it's got to be detail oriented, has to be computer proficient um, in the sense of being able to organize and run spreadsheets and data and stuff like that. So, that's what I need from my position. then that may or may not be the same personality as a >> maybe maybe not for that guidance type position. >> Thank you. >> Okay. I had another question I wanted to ask and looking at the positions that were added back in. I see that the the edte for Fington and Gilbert were an edtech 2, but the one for Hussy was
031an edtech 3. Why did he need an edtech 3 and they could get by with edtech twos? >> Do you remember why? >> So I think it's the position we at we had we had two edtech twos and we had one edte. So we you know when we were looking at what we would cut we just we chose the three versus the two. Huzzi has less like some of the other schools are funded. Some of those positions were funded in title funds. Huzzi doesn't have any of those positions funded in title. They were all in the regular budget. >> So it just happened to be the positions that you guys were looking at producing where you could stand to do that. >> Yeah. and and the difference in the cost between an edtech 2 and
032an edtech 3 uh well it's about 10,000 thank you thank you thoughts from other board members >> so the question on multilingual So together it's around $840,000. >> You're right. >> So that's 840,000 for about 278 kids. 258. >> Yeah, we've been a little over 250. 260 >> 58. I got 60. >> Yeah, >> the last >> I'm not doing that. that math >> the meeting with the ESOL folks were around 260 providing services districtwide. >> Did you do that math? >> Huh? Did you do that? >> Oh, in terms of student cost I didn't know if you had done that. >> No, I was just looking at No, I can though. Um, for the sake of knowing is 840,000. Okay. So, yeah, $3,000 >> per student. >> Thank you. >> Member P. >> Yeah,
033I just wanted to add that um we've sort of received preliminary allocations and titles this just this week. It'll be a couple weeks till essays concede, but we are a slight decrease as a state. So, I think we're not going to see title funding be able to bolster positions much. >> We've heard from title, we've heard flat funding, correct? >> And each state then oscillates a little bit. The overall flat funding is for the entire federal aotment of 18.4 billion. As a state of Maine, we received about 200,000 less. Now, that's preliminary allocation and that's not a ton less, but depending on poverty rates, other states, if their poverty rates increased at a rate higher than ours, we will see decreases. It's similar to how the state allocates to SAUS. It's a shared pot >>
034and it's based on poverty increases or low-inccome counts. Um, and they have a whole harmless formula. So, we never, you know, as a state, we wouldn't lose like four million in a year. Um, but we're not winners. And I just want because this is all information that's new and we haven't put public, but I wouldn't say that >> title funding for the state of Maine is going to be like a win. It will be >> flat or a slight decrease. >> So you said this $200,000 loss for preliminary for the state. >> So just about flat, but >> Gotcha. And and what's the total amount that may receive, do you know, Rita? Yeah, we receive about 61 million, but that's with administrative funds as well. So, SAUS last year received 56 million just about throughout
035the city. Got it. Thank you. Other thoughts, people? >> All right, Jonathan, here we go. Roll call. >> Good. Yeah. No, I I've got a million things. Um ideally like the initial budget that uh Superintendent Tracy had presented in February was uh after speaking with all of his heads of his departments. They had presented you know as hard as they could. He still went back and did everything to bring bring us that. My real question is the current one that we just came up with on the 9th. I don't I want to know what the teachers and staff feel like. Would they be okay with that? >> Oh, there's not a person in this room that won't advocate for reinstating all the positions we've taken out. And we could have an absolute rationale for doing
036so. And um though, you know, again, I think every like Kim said nicely, I think every one of these positions has an impact. And yes, it, you know, it might mean, you know, the administrators pick up a new job next year or this thing goes to a secretaries next year or this thing goes to operations. You know, there's there are there's going to be an impact no matter what we do. >> I think without a doubt, I don't think there's I don't know anybody on staff that would be advocating for less. >> Yeah. No, I would. So the the newest iteration of the budget with those four positions reinstated I think have have been warmly received. In fact, I've received a couple two or three >> the board two where uh two or three members
037of the community have reached out to you and said yes thank you for doing this and they support um providing those services and positions back into the budget. Um, and I I believe in trust the experts and I uh agree with that. I just am concerned about the transportation. I don't know. I've been looking through the contract and I tracked it from the first time in 19. They went to 21, 21 to 23 and then we signed a new one 25. Am I accurate for that? We're in that one currently until 27 or 28. >> 28. >> Yeah. Three year second year. So this right 27 will be a third year. So, I was digging through that and I'm looking through like clauses and that I don't like this. This keeps going up. It's like
038one of the biggest ones every time, right? And you know the trans >> I want to drive kids to school. I'll drive I want to get this down. >> I think for a while it was the there there are two major costs. One is fuel. >> Yep. >> Like just like fuel costs. >> Um and the second one is staff costs. >> Correct. And it is important there's not a shortage that they also have a bus driver union with their first for students. So we pay five hours a day. So even if a driver drives four hours total, they're getting paid for five. >> So there's, you know, there's those are the two costly things within this transportation contract. >> Is there any negotiation? I I don't know how to read >> once we once
039we sign it. No, you know there's and and the way that transportation is we go out to bid every few years. >> So like in 27 we will likely go out to bid for the next three years. Uh and there are a few different transportation contracts and I believe first student came in first student came in the most reasonable and good answer out of two or three quotes that we had. So, I just see extreme value in the work they provide. I, you know, our our sports do amazing. So, that's the unfortunate part, right? We travel far. We stay in the seasons long because we don't go out fast. It's good. It's expensive. And I don't like that significant part of that increase falls on the taxpayers because that's where the part of that and
040it's right. >> My uh my vote I mean I don't I have nothing to discuss. I trust my I trust my experts. I think that this budget's good. Thank you for adding that in. Thank you. Because the initial line we all brought it up was you were like it might be 500. You left it under four. So, thank you. Good work on that. >> I'm not sure what your vote was. >> March 9th, new one increased with the the added positions. >> Thank you. >> Board member Parks March 9th budget. Board member Hicks. >> Well, I've heard a lot of people talking about what goes on with their programs and I don't think there's any unnecessary work being done. I trust them to say what's going on and it is going to have an impact
041when we cut the positions that we're cutting in the the March 9th. I think putting back in the retention a reintegration specialist sends a message that we're concerned that people aren't getting back into school and if they drop out that it creates a situation where you haven't just lost them for that year. We haven't just lost the money from the state for that person that dropped out. We've lost a tax base. we've lost whatever job they might have gotten had they stayed in school, gone to the uh tech center and learned a trade and made a decent salary and so we've lost that into the future. I think so. I think reinstating it, it there's a number on it, but I think the more important is the message that it sends to say we really
042want to make sure that these kids don't drop out, that they don't get expelled, and that, you know, we work with them. So, I would go with the March 9th as well. What number four? Well, I'm not in as I talked to Mr. Tracy about prior about the renegate reintegration specialist. Um I think that that is something that we do need uh because of the fact that we have the dropout and we have the absenteeism. That's a focus that we as a school board has said we wanted to make sure that we maintained. Um so I'd be in favor of that. Now the other ones not not as much. Um, we keep on asking the taxpayers to pay more and more and I and I realize that a lot of this is due to the
043failure of our state legislature to do their job to update uh the formula for the 279. Um, so I wouldn't necessarily be uh against the 8.3 or the 8.3 plus uh um the uh integration specialist. Um but for me to vote on any of these, uh I'm going to be voting no. Uh, and the reason why I'm going to be voting no, um, is just as a as a point of until we decide that we're going to follow federal law and title N and stop this gender nonsense, I'm not going to be voting in favor of any budget until we can get identity politics out of our schools. >> Board member Bishard. Um I'm definitely um in agreement to the March 9th budget and personally having a child that um gone through the school system
044and had is affected by the rest specialist. I mean she wouldn't she's hanging out by a thread. So the fact that we reinstituted that is just amazing and many many ways. Um getting rid of any support staff if I had my way we wouldn't have any cuts at all. So, this being my first budget season, it's really difficult to sit here and watch all these positions being cut for sure. But March 9th is I guess what we got. Board member Baker. Uh, thank you, Madam Chair. I definitely support the March 9th budget. Um, I really appreciate putting these positions back in because I think that they provide really critical services in the schools. um especially for some at risk students um or students that are at risk. Um and I just I appreciate some of
045the explanations about how the duties and responsibilities may be divied up for other staff, but I remain concerned about what impact that would have on their workload and their ability to do the great job that they're already doing. And um they're under a lot of pressure um and pulled in a lot of directions. So I think it's really critical for the students and the teachers that we move forward with this March 9th budget. >> So just to clarify what I'm hearing is the board would like to send on the March 9th budget and that includes what is on this piece of paper right here. So to be clear, it does not include the you did not add back in the um scholarship person, right? >> Correct. So >> uh if you look at the top
046of the list since we're I want to appreciate you wanting to sort of let's just look at the reduction list so you you do know what is being removed. Um at the top where it says 11 positions, the first grade teacher at Lincoln I'm at the very top. >> I'm going back up to the top. >> I see what you're doing. >> Going back up to the initial. >> So, we've reinstated the reintegration in your budget. The first three because the first three lines first grade teacher Lincoln career in tech at the high school science teacher at the high school three special ed techs the study hall monitor the laptops the technology purchase services special education services construction account actually we've reinstated that um and capital improvements >> okay so before you go on let
047me just ask a couple of questions on this so that everybody understands are any of these positions funded with title money? >> No, this is all general fund. >> Got I just want to clarify just if anybody's going to anticipating these kind of questions >> and that's a whole separate list of stuff. >> The portion of purchase technology is not to have it's eliminated grade level first. >> No. Well, there were first grade laptops and then there was uh a little what did we purchase technology? Cut a couple other things out of your budget. >> We did uh I think the big thing was a grade level of laptops and then I think it a lot of it was I have um a small pocket that I would keep in case something to replace a
048server or whatever. So, we have that I think. Yeah, contingency a little >> the repair and maintenance line basically. >> Oh, the first grade laptops are already on there. >> Correct. >> So, the portion of purchase technology would be >> I'd have to look back at how much we actually cut from it. It was Mr. Tracy. I want to say it was like five or 10,000. >> Five or 10. Yeah. It's not It wasn't a crazy cut, which is why it's not like sticking in my mind, but it was enough for, you know, cut my contingency in half. So, >> yep. >> Yeah. And the special ed services that were cut, >> that was a contingency amount of money we had in there. >> And John shared with us the capital improvement changes >> about
04945,000 for John. >> Anybody else have any questions on those positions? board member parks. >> It's on this we're looking at the preliminary reductions list. >> Yeah. um says special education services. Um but when director Fabro presented to us that was we asked if there was a million what was the million dollar cut and we were told that it was edte CNA's assistant special education director special education administrative assistant and a teacher is that's still intact. >> Those were cuts from the original budget that was presented to me before I presented it to you. So, those were reductions to get us even to these 11 additional cuts. So, we had we we had cuts that were above and beyond what's in this year's budget. So, we cut what we added. Does everybody understand what I'm
050saying? So, so that's what when Miss Favro talked about that, those cuts were from ads to the proposed budget. Then the administr I knocked a lot of that out. >> Those were original. >> Those were the original requests that never made it never even made it here. Then the administrators took a deeper dive and cut those 11 other positions. >> Okay. >> Special education services. That does not include the special education administrative assistant, the special education assistant director. That doesn't count those. >> Correct. The special education services were another aotment of money that we had in as a contingency fund for when things happen next year that we haven't yet budgeted for. We were trying to be preventative. So maybe >> and and next year, every year I'm going to try to do that because
051I think it's wise when you know you have a volatile part of your budget. You want to account for that. So you plan, you know, I could go over by 50 grand very easily next year with with one thing. You could go over by more than that. So it's good. I think it's good to have that contingency money there. So we started with that there and then that was what was removed here. remove this portion here of the special ed services. >> Any other questions or clarification that anybody needs on that section? Just to make sure we all understand this budget. We know about the ESOL positions that were added and we've had the conversation on the bottom of the P of the positions that were added back in. So, we're all clear and it
052looks like we have a decision. >> Your marching orders? Well, it looks like um we have a So, to be clear, the total proposed budget that's now going to become the board's budget will be 43,979,718, which is 3.7 million 3,718,826 over this current year's budget, bringing us to an 9.2% increase. That's what we're bringing forward. >> And that ne So we're done meeting. >> If if if the board's comfortable with this budget, then we don't need to meet next week. And and what will happen is we'll put the documentation together for the city manager to include in his budget. Now it's the board's budget and we'll begin communicating that as such. >> And that meeting is scheduled for when? um >> with city council >> 31st >> Tuesday >> I believe it's I think it's
0536:30 I have Tuesday March 31st at 6:30 in the city chambers and and they invite the board to be there um I will be there as well as business manager assistant superintendent will present the budget uh our budget as is and we'll go from there. I'm not uh putting the warrants together until we get feedback from city council. Um >> we do have a drop dead date on those. >> We will. Yes. Usually the uh it's 30 days prior to the referendum. So it's um early May. We've got to early May. So I'll talk with Mr. Mills about that and get him this information. >> And we do not have a board workshop scheduled this month because we're doing budget instead. So that's been cancelled because that was written on the agenda. So I want
054to make sure. Yeah, we're not going to we're not going to have that. Okay. >> 23rd meeting. >> The 23rd meeting. I think we got enough going on. >> Yeah. The building committee is still slated to meet, but I'm working on agenda with CHA unless they don't have something. Got it. >> I hate to I hate to make them we can have the night off. I'd be happy to give everybody the night off. So let me I'm working with CHA to see where we're at. >> So wait a minute. I had me pillow first. Oh, I I had a general comment. So, uh try >> gonna say that for the newer people and for people who don't have a really good memory, what's the next step as far as the city council? >> I'm going
055to do that in a minute. >> Okay. >> I'm going to do that in a minute. >> Okay. Yeah. I just I wanted to sort of at least tie it up for this budget process because we've been in for a couple weeks and I want to thank the administration and staff for budgets that were clear. um all questions that were answered. I'm sure it's not comfortable officially. I am grateful we were able to add a few budget positions back into the budget that align with our goals as a as a district. Um we I know we have a lot of intervention services at the elementary level so that students are reading by third grade. um data shows that if they're not reading by third grade, they will find themselves in worse outcomes. So I know
056there's so many early intervention happening and then I also know that our high middle schools in seventh, 8th and 9th have been dealing with transition right challenges um staying academically in good credit standing by 9th and 10th grade. So when I look at this budget, I see a school department that is um trying very hard not to add any extra any any extra position or $5 where they don't need to be and instead creating a budget around the key services, key supports so that our students graduate on time and with opportunities. So I'm grateful for this budget season. I know it's actually just the beginning because of the process that we have as a city that will be collaborative and we will do our best to continue to have these conversations. But as a school
057board, I think we advocated on behi constraints. So I'm proud of the work that we've done over the last couple weeks. >> I think Rita ought to kick off the meeting the city council. >> Yeah. I And and you made me thinking I'd second you. Um, it shouldn't go it shouldn't go without notice noticing that in I don't want anyone to think ever that when we reduce or cutting that that that's good enough because I just had a conversation today with Mrs. Liskum about a creative idea with meeting the needs of middle schoolers much like we've done with remote academy. So in the last 18 months, two years, we've got a remote academy. We've started an alternative ed program, synergy with the with the teen center, an innovation center at here that was just used
058by middle school today, uh that's being mimicked at Fington. Um the the list goes on and on. So we have less money to do things, so we're still doing more. And that's not to that's not to say that we shouldn't be investing in funding things. I just want you to know that we don't we're not sitting idle going oh just because we did this in 2018 and you know like we don't have we we have less money so we're going we're going to do less that's just not how we think >> we think their needs and how can we be creative and innovative and that's what this team does um and that's what's happening across the district so I you know I just and and believe me we we know uh the needs around special
059education assistant superintendent met with regional superintendents last week or the before to talk about, hey folks, Richmond, Mammoth, Gardener, hey, do you want to collaborate with this? And people are are uh tenuous around the idea, not about collaboration, but about the sizable concerns and the risks associated with these kinds of volatile special ed programs. So, it's like where do you put it? >> Uh because who's going to assume the liability, >> right? And when and when you you know and with the number of legal matters that are associated with special education uh it's no wonder you know I mean you know without sort of like we're on we're on we're public so I can't like talk about all of the things that we're we're involved with but it's no wonder uh people would say I
060don't want that here in my district or geez if we do this or this or this people could get hurt more than our people are already getting hurt. So, it's just we really I appreciate your comments that you see it that way. Thank you. Because uh I see it that way, too. That we're pushing people to the brink of having the amazing I mean, I see the stuff on Facebook, too. Like, look at the kids. We had nine kids win skills. Is that what Nick just said today? Nine kids win skills USA Maine. That's pretty dang good. Okay, that's amazing. That's today. That was today's good news. And then we, you know, the athletic program. So I, you know, people love the stuff we do. I mean, people love people come to Augusta to use
061our facilities. I drove in this morning. I thought, "Wow, look at the green grass down there. Everything else is brown. It's green on the turf, right? Looks great. Don't even have to water it." And so people come here. >> People come here, otherwise it would be >> and use our stuff with books out till like 9:00 at night. John has to say go home to people because we you I mean I don't I'm kind of going off on a tangent but we're not stopping at because there's less money. We're saying we're going to still meet the needs of two two middle school kids today. We're trying to create multiple pathway program to Mrs. Liskum for being creative. That's what's happening in your schools. So when we hear all the stuff we hear uh and I
062hear it too like I'm the I'm the guy looking at niche.com and and you know US schools US News and World Reports like I'm I'm looking at that too because I want to know. So we know what people have to say. So that's just not good enough for me. I'm looking into the it's not good enough for me or the people are in the back of the room. We're constantly trying to be innovative and creative uh even against obstacles of having less money to do it with. >> Thank you. >> I think those of So what happens next for those of you that haven't been through this before is we were going we'll meet with city council and we will all sit together in what they call the well. We all get to sit at
063the tables as long as there's room and there has been room in the past. They've done a good job of making room so that we're all equal sitting there at the table. We'll talk about our challenges. We'll talk about why we're at where we're at. And some of the comments that we've had here tonight, I think are important to hear again for every for all of them to hear as well because not everybody is listening to this streaming tonight. Um I think as we know that when we become board members our clientele becomes our students and that we answer to the students because they don't have a voice to at the table and we're their voice and to make sure that we're advocating best that our that our kids the best that we can afford
064for our kids. The other thing to remember is that Augusta has significantly supported the school budget when we go to that June referendum validation that the people of Augusta support their schools. So our job is to convey to the city council how important their schools are to the city and that um information that sometimes that will be will will be good for us to have is to look at past tax bills to see the percentage of the taxes that go to the school and go to the city that yes there's an increase but what portion are we of that budget? I don't think that our amount of the city budget has gone up significantly in the past few years. Another big concern of the city council is the valuation. And I for some reason didn't
065think that the valuation was going to affect this year's tax bills, but yes, it is because there's already valuation going on. And one of some of the numbers that they shared with us at that meeting was that um Augusta was valuated at 44% of what it should be 44% of its real value. You're obligated to carry a 70% valuation at least. The average in the average cost of a house in Augusta with the 44% valuation was 135,000. It's anticipated already. They know that with the new value, the new reval, the average cost of a house in Augusta will be 260. When we had the old reval, there were two houses in Augusta worth over a million. There will now be 20. So, it's going to be a change. And they always say that when you
066have a reval, a third go up, a third go down, a third stay the same. Will that hold true? Nobody has that crystal ball to know. So we don't want people confusing and I don't think that it's fair to put the burden of a reval on the backs of the students. The reval is the reval. It is what it is. It's been 20 years since we've had a revaluation. That's not the fault of the school system that we have to take a significant cut because there was a reval. So I think that's an important part that we need to share as well. Any other comments? I think our work is done. >> Think we have a budget? >> No, no, our work is just beginning. >> The board has a budget. >> Oh, and I
067did want to say I'm sorry for the new people. Here's what happens. Once the city makes this determination and says the school budget will be blah blah blah, you will need to cut this amount of money from your budget. It's not their job to tell us where that money comes from. We're back at the table because once they give us that amount, that's the amount. There's nothing we can do other than encourage taxpayers to share with their counselors the importance of providing a good education to the students of Augusta. >> Yeah. So then we would come back to the table once we know the amount of money allocated from city council. We would finalize our budget and then we would do the warrants from there which you approve and then sign and then that goes
068out to referendum to for this for the city to vote on the school's budget. >> Questions about the process after tonight? Board member Baker. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um does the school board go before the city council just one time? >> No, we'll go to present it because they haven't heard from all of their departments yet. We're one of the first departments that goes and so there will be there will be another we have to pay attention when they're going to have their other their other budget meetings to make sure that we're in attendance and then when they have their conversations about where their bottom line is going to be and how they're going to get there. So we just we keep pay this is our presentation to them and then they have the
069our budget is in their l. >> Thank you. My my experience in the last four years has been it's not a one and done. Yeah, >> we go and then often times we're invited back to be part of the sometimes even part of the pre-eliberations to answer and last minute questions. Thank you. >> Okay, I think I think that's it. Experienced board members, anything else that we haven't talked about? Preview of coming attractions? Okay, very good. Thank you.