3/9/2026 Budget Workshop

001We are live. >> Good evening and welcome to this evening's Augusta Board of Education budget workshop. It's March 9th, 2026 at 6:00 and we are here in the Roger and Bernie Kate's Family Library at Coney High School Middle School. And after opening up, we will call it to order. And we will start with agenda item number one, which are questions that we might have had from our last meeting that we wanted answered. Do we have >> Good evening. Yes. Um I believe Miss Ross passed out a packet. If I could just take you quickly through your packet. You got the agenda on the top of the top three sheets that I always refer to which is the district budget based on cost center adult education and our revenues on the back side as well as

002the reductions list on the third page. Um, after that there's a budget workshop questions. I'll have Janine take us through those in a second. And then there's some agenda there with reference to some information on -ate as well as the Coney Middle, Coney High School and athletics budget. Then there should be the Fington, Gilbert, Huzzi, Lincoln elementary schools, followed by system administration and improvement of instruction. Those budgets are what we intend to go through tonight. And unless there are any questions, I'll have Janine work us through the budget questions from last time. >> Perfect. >> Okay, >> great. Um so question number one was how many tuition students attend Augusta school department and what is the average tuition? So uh there are 64 tuition students um attending Augusta school department. Nine of those are um

003capitalia technical center students. Seven are special education students. Two of those are a combined Catsian special education student and 46 of them are Coney students. Um the average tuition for a Coney student is $11,624.80. Um the technical center can be slightly less and then special education students vary in pricing due to their differing needs. Um the second question was where does the -ate originate and is - a federal program? Uh so is typically funded through service fees on interstate and international telecommunication services also known as the federal universal service fund. Um so it's usually a fee that's on telephone bills. Um funding for e-ate is administered by the universal service administration company under the federal communication commission. So it is run by a federal department. Helps schools and libraries obtain affordable telecommunications and information services.

004Aust Augusta school department utilizes services provided by an specialist with the education consortium. we pay them 15% of the discounted rate that we receive back. So the last um piece is based on our location, our student population and their economic status. Augusta school department qualifies for an 80% discount on our purchases of um telecommunications technical supplies. So 15% of that we pay to our rate specialists, which is, I can tell you from experience, well worth it because they do quite a bit of work for us. Um, so we're still getting about 65% back. Um, and discounts can range from 20 to 90% based on student population and economic status. So, we're at 80%, so we're almost at at the top range. Um, and then the two pages, which you can read at your delight. Um,

005in the back are a little bit more about the -ate program. There's a little overview for you. And then there's kind of a timeline of what we go through in order to receive our rate. So, there's a bidding process that our specialist help us helps us with. Then he goes through the budget and discount process with us. We purchase our service. The services start and then there's invoicing. They do all of that for us. So all we really do is choose who we want to use for a vendor and sign our name and all of the rest of it is taken care of for us. It It's a fulltime it's a full-time job what they provide for us. Um and then on a the third question, on average if we reduce the budget by another

006million dollars, how many staff would be impacted? Um so this is based on an average salary of 54,000. So we have to keep in mind that some employees based on their seniority may make less than that if we were to adjust the budget. But if we look at the average salary and then you add in benefits, that's about $76,500. So that would be 13 or more positions depending on where their salary were to or to fall. And then number four, I answered this in the budget meeting last time, but I wanted to make sure I kept it in there because it was a question that was asked was how much was budgeted for furniture and fixtures? Um, and it was $22,700. Thank you. Does anybody have any follow-up questions on these questions? Board member Parks,

007>> I don't have that. I have another question. >> Okay. Any other questions on these? Board member Hello, >> just remind me how much normally do we budget for furniture and fixtures because this is a reduction of normal, but remind me what the like normal amount usually is. Sort >> Not sure. I can get >> Is it like more than that though? usually that we budget each year >> like it's more than >> I had 22,000 just at county before. >> Okay. >> Remember if I remember from the last budget that John from this current budget that we're in John had budgeted I think 75,000 and that's what was cut from this current as I remember it put back in 22 for this following budget year if I remember. >> Okay. So that was the

008cut from yesterday last year. >> Okay. because I was surprised at the amount that had been cut the current budget year and that he was asking so little for the next budget year. That was a surprising number. >> Any other questions on this board member Reynolds? >> Thank you, Chair. Um, so in here it states about the average uh tuition rate changing differing on special ed uh special education students. Is that more of a cost benefit or a negative for uh tuition and this is reimbursement like what comes we get right? >> Yes. So it would be a benefit to us. So typically we charge special education students more. >> Okay. >> We answer how we come up with that. >> We actually charge them according to their what their costs are here. And I'll

009let Shelby um it the word I want answer >> more. I need more more answers. >> elaborate on that. The rate for special education services is dependent upon if they need what particular service they need whether it be speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, what kind of academic level services, if it's uh CNA services, um what it would be and then you take what the provider's salary is or whatever that service is and then add that to the actual tuition. So it can be upwards. >> Okay. Um, >> typically we charge $55 a day for a student who receives resource room services. >> Yeah. >> Um, and we haven't had the capacity to take students who have significant needs. >> So, is seven good or bad? Not we could increase that for to provide more services.

010Would you increase that or >> we won't make money on them? >> No. It wouldn't be able to provide >> you charge the actual cost to the district. >> Right. Right. Um, and as far as students who have has have needed more significant services, we haven't had the capacity within our own program to be able to take students who are outside the district. >> I did. So, seven's probably good that we're there. Not too high for us or probably more. >> Seven students can't remember special educators. Yeah, we we've had a couple of instances where we have costed out >> two higher need students from sending communities and we were not able to pull it off. >> That's not a right fit for either us or the child. >> That's unfair. Thank you. >> You're

011welcome. >> Parks. Any more questions on this? >> Member Parks, you had another question. >> I did. Uh, how many people will be going out of the Augusta School District doors with our list of um, >> reductions? >> Yeah. Um, seven and a half. >> Yeah. >> Seven and a half or eight. If there is no retirement or resignation whereby uh does that make sense? >> Yeah. >> Attrition. >> If there's not natural attrition then the potential is there for seven and a half. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Keep my papers in order. And with that we'll start with budget presentations. And if we do the elementary teachers to principles together, that might make it So, we'll want to get those sheets out for the elementary school. >> Hi, I'm going to start alphabetically.

012Fairington's first. Um we um each have our separate budgets but very similar, you know, a lot of similarities to that because we have a lot of the same same things. Um so if you look at my sheet, the way this is set up, it's just going to show you where the increases are. Um and then or decreases as it would be. A big decrease you're going to notice is that guidance services went down, but social work services is a line we created. So that in turn went back up. Um just to split out those two and um for me I I have the reduction of one K6 um general ed tech like a conventionist edte and then um Jess Gurnie who is our liaison has been added into everyone's split up and added a portion

013into our our um budget. So there's an increase there for me. Um, and then I have a brand new librarian person and so her numbers look up, but it's just really adjusting to another person. This is someone who's going to take classes, so the tuition is in there. Um, her she had more experience. So, you know, that's a salary adjustment in the retirement. So, that's really just having another person in there in the And I think Janine also adjusted some things to put them in the right spot with library where they were supposed to be. So that also made an adjustment. Um, so I'm that's really all I'm going to say up front and then we'll see where you want us to lead questions. >> Might as well go through them all and that will

014start as a place to compare. >> Yep. So >> similar to Teresa, we took the guidance and split that out from guidance in social work so that they're they're own lines in the budget. Um, I also have a reduction of a general ed atteol um to a full-time. It's currently halftime, half funded by grant, so it will be full-time in the budget. Um, and our cultural leaison is also there. And then there's just some um tuition reimbursements um in the general ed lines in the regular ed um line that I think have increased. >> So at Lincoln uh not to sound uh redundant but as my colleagues have said uh we've split the guidance services and the clinical uh social work services so that way they each have their own separate entities. Um the past

015since we've had uh the clinical counselor um they've been combined uh they've been paid through the guidance line. So now starting next year they would the clinical workers would have their own separate line. Um I have a reduction in my prek to 2 instructor program and that is because I currently have three first grades. Um right now I have two kindergarten teachers. Um so because of declining enrollment I will not need three first grades next year. So I will end up with two first grade teachers. Um, and then with the ESOL line, um, we again paying for the cultural liaison as well as I have a full-time edtech, but half of her salary is being paid with grant money. So, this time it would be um, fully paid through the general fund. And then, as

016Tina said, we have more people taking classes and so that's why we have the tuition reimbursement increase. All right, last but not least, Gilbert School. Um, hi Eron. Sorry, you forgot to leave with that. Um, so I have very similar story. Um, I however did add the new EEL edtech to my budget as was emergency approved um about a month ago from you all. Thank you very much for that. Um, we have two edte and one teacher in our program. Based on our numbers at Gilbert, I think we're at 62 right now with students in Gilbert that receive services. Um, we did reduce a K6 general edtech. Again, the same split with guidance and social work to give them their own um, set of lines to keep it a little bit more clear. And we

017had tuition reimbursement and um, pre-K instruction. those pre-K and regular had tuition reimbursements that are visible now. We have a really good idea about who's going to take classes and what that's going to cost us. I think for everybody that was behind the scenes the reasoning for putting that so transparently in here so we knew what we were anticipating. So we all saw an increase from that questions. Board member Pillow. >> What grant? Actually two questions. The first one is what was the K6 general edtech? What were their overall responsibilities? When you talk about a gen edtech, what what are we what was that person doing or what's that position doing? >> I think it depends on the school. So like mine mostly works K all my general ed techs were K K6. They work

018within the intervention block. Um, a lot of them do pushing services. So, it did, you know, >> that's what they do in my building. >> Yeah. Um, I mine was a position that I did not fill this year. Okay. We froze. I didn't fill it. So, we were able to work with it. Um, but it's an interventionist, so they would work, you know, go in all the classrooms or >> literacy, math usually. >> Literacy. Okay. And then my second question was what grant was funding the ESOL positions that are now women identify. >> I'm sorry. >> The refugee grant. >> Thank you. >> And is that one that >> they're not hopeful for funding? >> Just no more funding. >> Just I'm sorry. >> Can people Yeah, you got to speak up so that everybody

019and I'm not yelling. I'm just projecting. I want to make sure everybody knows I'm not angry whatsoever. I'm just projecting. Make sure you project >> in here. Thank you. >> Yeah. Refugee grant >> that they do not expect to be funded. >> Is that Catholic Charities? >> Yes. >> Okay. Because I just >> Well, they're not >> there may be some, but they don't believe there will be. >> Yeah. >> And you mean that's an FY28 >> because this is an FY27 budget. we would not have the money for next year. >> FY 27 >> 27. Oh, okay. So, that >> they're currently funded in FY26. >> Okay. >> Shelby is saying they won't be >> okay. >> Most likely in 20 in FY27. >> Those are numbers you usually get later, right? >> Over

020the summer. >> I see. Okay. So, there's a chance there's funding, but or like none at all. What's the what is what what is the status of this grant? Is it actually defunct like completely? >> We were not told that. We were told not to expect >> funding. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So maybe a pleasant surprise. Okay. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Fingers and toes crossed. >> Board member Reynolds. >> Thank you. uh not necessarily a question more of an observation uh in an appreciative way after learning what I learned the last session I see an increase in gifted and talented in all across the board I've seen good things with that I believe that you know giving a little extra to the kids that are high ability learners is good I really like

021that so thank you >> you want to speak to gifted and talented adults in 82 Yeah. Um so there to Madame Chair's request um the just a reminder within the funding formula from the state the ED279 um gifted and talented is reimbursed at one 102% of the total cost. So um that is like when when we have that staff that's money in direct money out for that. So, that's a good that's a good use of that money. >> Ward member Pillow. Um, this is more of a general question about the way the elementary school structure works with your extra ed techs and such. In a given day in a classroom, how many adults are like how many adults are there in a room? Like is there sometimes where a lot of rooms it's just the

022one classroom teacher and the push in is half an hour and can some can I get an idea of the time for that is how much is a classroom teacher alone and how much do they have sort of support or some other intervention happening? >> It's completely dependent upon student need. >> Okay. >> And so it can vary across grade levels and definitely across buildings. Um, but I think that there are definitely times when teachers are solo in the classroom and I think that there are interchangeable ed techs that work in different spaces that um can provide support for students based on what their need is at the time and it can shift even throughout the school year, what their needs are. >> And like at Lincoln, I have the two I have two big

023secondary classrooms. So, there's a a primary ed tech that's in there pretty much most of the day supporting that. Um and then you know sometimes the upper end of the elementary grades don't always get as much support but they do have intervention blocks where they are getting um resources in the form of bodies to help with um >> interventions for lagging skills. >> Okay. To to follow up on that question are your interventionist pulled when you don't have subs? >> Yes. Board member Parks. >> Thank you. Um I'm not I'm not understanding why the each school talked about the guidance and social work services that you want them to have their separate lines yet there's a decrease. So may I please have an explanation of that? >> So they were both the social work and

024guidance were under guidance services last year. Okay. >> So, that's why there's a decrease in the guidance line. >> Um, it looks like the number of the like the it looks like there's a formula that didn't quite print a number for the social work, >> right? So, it's a zero. It's it's a 100% there. But, so we took it so that guidance has its own line and social work has its own line so that we can tell what we're spending for our guidance counselors and then what we're spending for our social workers. Oh, okay. >> They each have different department heads. They each have um different member services of professional affiliations. So, that was a request that we try to do that and I think we feel like that will better help us as Tina

025mentioned. >> All right. Thank you. >> Good member pillow. Are there positions or other items in like if it was nice to have or would help your staff meet your student needs? Is there are there things that are not in these budgets that are reflected? >> I would be very pleased if we kept everyone we have her. >> I would like to keep everyone and add an additional edtech >> on each building. >> I can speak for mine. >> Okay. >> I suspect they might feel similar. I would say I'm similar to Erin. I would love to keep the staff I have and add another staff member. >> Thank you. Other questions? >> That was way Maybe you'll think other just wait a second. This is just from me. Um Keith, as we heard from

026um Coney High School, Coney Middle School um last week at last week's meeting because of another type of question um the impact on the staff with the riffs is is going to happen. Um, and people are going to be working harder and doing jobs that still exist but don't have people in them. So, how could I, as a board member, um, show my appreciation for the staffs at your schools? I have no monetary, you know, gifts to give them, but just can can I, you know, do something to say I love you. Thank you for what you're doing. I, you know, I know it's not easy. >> I think advocating, you know, at these meetings in that city council for the budget that we're presenting >> and then being present when we have our events.

027I'm coming to the book fair and volunteering. >> We have bingo next Wednesday. >> That's a good time. >> They see you working at these things, you know, or they see you come by or if you want to come and read, you know, I I do think that that has an impact. They see that as being supportive. You've taken time out of your day to come and do that or out of your evenings >> and you understand what's going on in the school. So that way it allows you to advocate for what we need. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you, >> Board Member Reynolds. >> Thank you. Uh rough average on how much an ED cost for an edtech. Sorry. >> I think we've always done 50 or 60 >> 50,000. >> Uh I

028had an edtech >> growing up in school and it was monumental. Uh to this day I'm 35 years old. friends of them on Facebook in out in the community. Some of my biggest supporters. They changed my life and very grateful for them. Still good friends then. I mean, it's crazy. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. >> That's my favorite. Cody Middle High School for your next. >> All right. learn something. >> Share this. >> Sure. I'm just not organized tonight. >> I just We're all set. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Um, hello. My name is Kim Wam and I'm the principal of Coney Middle and High School and I'm here with my administrative team. I'll have each of us introduce ourselves. >> I'm Brian York. I'm one of the assistant principles of high school.

029TJ Mains, athletic director. >> Joe Velli, the other assistant principal of the high school. >> Jan Wson, the assistant principal in middle school. >> Very good. Um, so we're going to talk a little bit about what um the um budget process is for Coney. Um, and then um we're going to just kind of go over like the elementary folks did on some of the key things that you might want to be aware of as we're looking at this year's budget. So, I give this sheet out every year because there's always new board members. And so, I just wanted to make sure that you knew how we do the budget at the secondary level. So, um basically, um we come in at with basically no money. Um we every year, um pretend as if we have

030no money and build the budget from zero up. Um and so obviously like um the staff, we would pay for them, right? I don't mean that, but I just mean in terms of our things that we need. Um, we say to our staff, um, what do you need? Just start with that process. So, I meet with the department heads and district coordinators and I review the process and we all will say, please start talking to your departments or your um, as a district coordinator, your um, K12 or preK12 um, what they need. Um, and so by the end of November, basically, um, I'd probably start this in September and October, just getting them starting to think about that. And then in November, I ask for each of them to submit their requests based on what

031the teachers and staff needed. Um, and so they would say, "All right, well, I need um, you know, like let's just say I I really would like to get the science department did this reasoning claim piece that they needed a little more resources on." So they would make sure that they had that. The art department might say, "We need more clay, so we're going to budget for that." Um, and so um, basically what happens is then, uh, their budget comes to me. I meet with the department heads to make sure I understand all of their requests, create a little binder. I'm sure people like to do it, um, electronically, but I got to feel it, touch it, and every department submits it in a different way, which cracks me right up. They they're very like

032their department. So like the English department gives me a whole bunch of writing. Uh the science department has it all on a spreadsheet. Um and I adapt we adapt to each of what whatever they want to do we adapt to. Um and then um what happens is um if there's any concerns for the department head like maybe there's um something that you know is we can't afford um or that we know it might be something that is going to be tough for us to get. Um once we put that all together, um Janine asks us to put it into a a spreadsheet. And so then we put in each line, um that you have um for the requests, again coming right from the staff. So when we present the budget, it's something that the staff

033are all creating together. Um so they might say, as I said, technology, subscriptions, books, supplies, equipment, field trip. um they're encouraged to ask for what they need. Um and some departments have more money because they have more consumables like the art department versus for example the social studies department um doesn't have as much um or like the science department has a lot of consumables as well. Um remember I don't know if you know this but we separate the middle school from the high school. We're different cost centers. Um and so um we have all of that so that the and the department heads do 7 through 12. So they're managing both that budget. The biggest driver of our lines is really salary benefits. Um and that's so much of that is dependent on negotiations. So

034it's not something that we really are involved in. and it's probably one of the best things we buy is our amazing staff who are incredibly dedicated and we feel very fortunate to have them as part of um I just kind of feel like I um we often say we work among giants. People are just so dedicated to our students and we are impressed with them every day. And then the athletic department um TJ's going to talk a little bit about but before he does on the back you'll kind of see the different cost centers that we have. So, we have the middle school, the high school, athletics in the middle school, athletics in the high school, and then there's other budget things that are within Coney um that you may um see in other areas,

035but they're all connected to Coney. So, TJ can kind of talk about his process for getting to his budget. >> Sure. Um >> just the process. >> Yeah, just the process is look at what last year's budget is. where are the costs expected to go up? So, there's certain areas like referees, for example. Uh the NPA has a contract with all the referee boards and we'll know that they're going to go up by a dollar or $2 per game every year. So, it might be a couple thousand dollar, a few thousand dollar extra each year you're adding on. Currently, it's looking like n So, if you want to get into repping, not a bad thing. $98.50 per game for a varsity game, $74 for middle school and JV. So, um, you know, some sports they

036don't have a lot of games, but like basketball, you have two or three officials on a high school game. We might spend five, six, $700 a night because we'll have three games at a boys high school game. Um, and so that's a that's a driver of our cost. Another one is transportation. Um, right now currently with for a student, we're at $3.58 a mile for each trip. and that's baked into the budget that we have um with them for it's x amount of miles that we get. Once we've exhausted those miles, that price goes up quite a bit. Um we've had a problem this fall. We had a massive issue with availability of busing from first student and not it's not they don't have enough buses, they don't have enough drivers and this is an

037issue statewide. So again, anybody out there would like to be a bus driver, they would love to have you. um we had to we had to order up uh or get busing from outside services which are 50 to 60% more than what we're paying from first student. So like our fall budget uh for athletics travel was significantly higher than what it should have been if we had the busing or the bus drivers available to us. So those sorts of things of cost. So, I I ended up asking, I think, for almost uh $20,000 more than what we had the the previous year, and hopefully that will that will cover us uh where we need to be. Um the other one is supplies. So, we had a small increase there, but those prices keep going up

038and we're now at softballs are $13 a ball, baseballs are $12 a ball, football's $130. So, um, compared to where we were five, 10 years ago, it's significant. Um, you know, and certainly with the state of the world right now, I have no idea what the oil prices will be. And this may be way after what we'll be at with the travel. So, those are our big ones. And the other one that we can't, the coaching, um, you know, I just just put in the the coaching ones for the spring and that can fluctuate. We lost a middle school baseball coach that had 42 years experience and his salary was here and we just hired a coach with two years experience and we just saved 4,500 bucks. So that was great. Um so we'll, you

039know, we're certainly not hiring and firing based on how much they make. Um and we're really fortunate. We have some outstanding coaches. Uh unbelievable boosters group. I mean tonight's meeting they have 30 people up there. Um and so our athletes are in really really good shape. Um and our budget uh you know as requests are being asked for a lot of extra stuff. Eventually down the road we will uh not right now where we're at. >> TJ, would you speak to what the boosters club does? We have some new members and I'm not sure they understand exactly how well supported our athletics are. >> So our our booster program is an all sports booster program. So other towns they might have like the football team has their own and the basketball team. this uh this

040booster group uh I believe in 1989 or 88 started as an all sport. So they got rid of the single sport avenue. Uh Paul Bashon who was the girls basketball coach and he was the guy raising the most money and winning all the games back then and he said I will take my money and put it into an all sports booster account. Um and Ron Canoyer who was the ad at the time kind of helped spearhead it. Bob Moore, who's still our treasurer for another two months, who's a great community member that runs the food bank here in Augusta. Um he kind of helped lead it and so really an incredible group and it's still going strong. Uh and they'll take care of we don't ask anything in our budget like the school department doesn't

041buy uniforms. It doesn't do extra trips. It doesn't pay for meals before a tournament game. And our boosters take care of all that. And uh we'll have each team every season gives me a budget and it'll be tonight we had one that was almost $7,000 because they're getting team lacrosse clubs. Um, and another team might ask and it might be like girls tennis was like, you know, 1,800 bucks. Um, so depending on the sport. Football is like, you know, it's football. Um, it's an expensive sport, but they they make their asks. The boosters almost always say yes and then uh you know the kids get what they need and uh they we raise a ton of money through running different events and concessions and if you go in at a football game you're going to

042see 25 people working in there and uh having fun and and uh really kind of contributing. Yeah, Shel's Shelby's a >> second >> professional cashier up front for it. But it just really adds to the kind of community spirit, co spirit um that we have and we're we're just lucky. We have great coaches, people in the boosters, and we get very supportive administration and it makes for great opportunities for our athletes. >> TJ, can I add a little thing to that? >> Sure. >> So, I've worked in a few different schools. Um and I got to say like the Augusta Boosters might be the best boosters program I've ever worked with or ever ever seen. They really do put so much time in. We're really really fortunate to have so many involved uh parents and

043community members. Like like DJ said, there's there's not many wants that are met. So >> yeah. No, I definitely Yeah, I'd want a third, fourth, fifth is I know a lot of parents I'm friends with that cover shifts to keep the I love that. Um is there any way uh singly board that we can support that and try to help with that? Yeah, if you like we have a email list and we do like signups for uh for events. So, a good example is like this Saturday there's a middle school wrestling meet and then we got late getting started getting a sign up but it just went out and they're ask for people to bring crockpots or whatever else or to work in the concession stand. You know, it's like a 9:00 a.m. to 3:00

044and they usually do two hour shifts or three hour shifts or stay the whole day. Um but uh but if you're interested, I'll email the board a link um to to sign up for it. They would they would love We have our own app. We have our own website. >> They have the whole thing. So they're uh yeah, it's just a it's really an incredible group and uh Jason Dan is our president. Corey Nason who has no children in the in the thing and KBEC Savings Bank is a great partner for us and they encourage him to be involved. So he's like our vice president and um we're really uh we're really fortunate. It's a super group. Thank you. Yes. >> Yeah, please. >> Yeah. >> Does the contract process for transportation work a lot

045differently than district? Like is there a reason you're so separate? Is it because of just the hours or the >> way like because we Right. We have district transportation costs, but this is a separate >> transportation cost. >> There's a number of miles for extracurriculars that are factored in the big >> Okay. uh contract, but this is it's costed out into TJ's budget. So, it's not separate. It's just this amount of money in the athletics budget. >> Okay. So, it's the same contract for student, but >> the money is earmarked for athletics. We just account for it separately. >> Thank you. Okay. >> But has a designated amount of miles? >> Yes. And if and so if your program TJ goes over those miles, you start paying a higher rate. >> We won't. I don't

046think we will this year just because we had so many uh busing issues in the fall where we had to use a third party. >> Um that Yeah. >> It did cost a lot more. Yeah. It's a a $600 trip was 950 bucks typically. >> Yeah. >> It's a catch 22 because you guys do so well. You do well into the playoffs. It's like one of those things. >> And now all of the teams have done really well past years. Make you feel proud. Thank we we're we have really good coaches. We have people that care and we're also lucky a lot of our coaches are teachers here and that's uh that's becoming more and more rare. Um and we're uh we're pretty fortunate that way. >> And just one >> Yeah, excuse me. One

047very positive comment about sports is that we've talked a little a lot about absenteeism at the school where I work and also here and sometimes the only reason they come so they can only reason they do well in a class is so they can make the team >> and it's a good carrot. >> Yeah. about >> that and that's that for some of thankfully a lot of our athletes aren't there that's not how they're programmed but we do have kids that >> yeah there are certain sports like wrestling there are certain kids that if if wrestling was not there or football was not there that would be a very hard time for them to get to school but they're um but they come because they want to compete they want to be part of that

048team they have relationships with the coaches so again we're just super lucky to have who we have working for us you go through this, right? >> Yep. Um, well, I I was I thought you were just doing the process, but then you went through the whole budget. So, >> love it. That's >> Jack, but the also I would just echo or just reinforce also that there's a lot of act extracurricular activities, co-curricular activities, band, uh, chorus, all the different clubs that we have, um, that also help to support students getting to school and liking their school experience and such. So um that's a whole another piece that um is involved in that. All right. So when we look at budget, our goal was really to you know maintain um our um programs and services to

049benefit our students. That was our our big goal. Unfortunately, due to some of the challenges that we have with our budget, we did did need to look at um looking at trying to um figure out how to be able to really afford our our school department. Um and so there were a number of things that we needed to look at for that. So, I'm just going to go over those with you. um like the elementary school guidance services and social work services were put together as um the elementary described. So we put those separate. Um so again you'll find that in the lines as well that there that has been shifted. Um there are a several positions that we're recommending that we uh consider to cut. >> Kim, just a question. Are you doing them

050both at the same time? Are we doing con and then both? So, we do them both at the same time. >> Yeah, cuz this particular one's the positions are help both. Okay. Yeah. >> Um I'll let you know when there's one that's specifically to an area. >> So, the um a cutting a position that we are proposing to cut is the reintegration specialist position and that person works with the middle school and high school. Um there's several areas that that position works predominantly with students who are truent um students who are suspended. Uh the person runs the freshman academy, helps out with the um uh alternative education program um and um does you know lots of things connected to dropout prevention. Um so that's one position that we're looking to do and again it's a

051full-time teacher position. Um the next position um predominantly works at the high school although is available to work from with middle schools as appropriate which is the career ed tech position. That person works out of the guidance office. Um, and that person I kind of described a little of their duties last time. Um, but they're um involved in the our entire scholarship program. They help with funding schools. Uh, they help with SATs, PSATs. Um, they help with our MELMAC grant. Um, our aspiration day. Um, they help with um AP exams, the military visitors that come in. So that's all stuff related to that helping to proctor um nuya um helps with graduation. Um and so that person is an edtech position. Um it also we're proposing um that you consider to cut a high school

052science teacher. Um basically when we decide which cla which classes to run, we take course signups that are happening right now, students enroll in courses and then we determine how many sections we can have based on how many teachers we have. Okay, there is a a position that's a math science position or just a science position. And based on the enrollment for this year, it would we are able to reduce a science position. But once those enrollments come in, again, we'll look to determine whether it's math, science, or just science. So, one of those. Does that make sense? So, we have people a person that teaches half math, half science. >> And then we have a person then we have a science position. So depending on student enrollments is what will make a decision on

053which one is the most appropriate. Okay. Um and that is at the high school level only. Um we do have someone that's retiring that helps with the study hall. Um we have all of our study halls in the auditorium. Um and so there could be anywhere from uh 30 to 150 students in there. Um and we have um two people that helped to supervise that this year. The person in that position became our courier halfime. Um so the person was doing the courier position and um halftime the study hall monitor. He wants to retire from the study hall miner and only do the courier position. And so he is um we've started to fill that in with duties so that there's two staff people in there. So like if um every employee needs to have

054a a duty um and so um not every employee at text help every teacher um and so um anyway so that that one is the person was retiring anyway. And then um the you heard from the elementary school that the um ESOL position that they're took from the refugee grant and took and sliced it for every part of or every school. And so um that's the increase in ESL would be that grantf funed position into the general fund. So those are the areas that we're looking at. Um I'm I'm going to say it will have an impact on us as a school. Um but we believe that this is what's necessary at um based on the expectations of um what we believe would be something that um we can afford. And so um it's tough

055for any of us to stand up and talk about this. So um please hear me that it's um I know you guys have a very tough job ahead of you and I want to know let you know I've been in your seat. one time I one year we cut 18 positions in one year and it was incredibly challenging. So it's hard to be here speaking about it and it's hard to be in your shoes making the decision. So anyway, that gives you kind of a sense of where we are right now. >> Questions? Board member Po. >> Yeah, Principal Isum, can you talk a bit more about the middle school high school reintegrationist cut? because I know we've done at least last couple years and myself on the board, there's been a lot of emphasis

056on 9th to 10th grade, right? That those years where they either start failing and then by the time junior or senior year catches up with them, they're not they're not able to graduate or they find themselves um in other troubles. Um, and then I even heard then too with sort of the workforce program at Katsy starting with earlier a little earlier grades and then middle school the idea of alternative ed at the middle school like all of this emphasis on sort of that seventh, 8th, 9th, 10th grade. What happens with this cut for those? Can you talk a bit more about sort of the rationale just because of how much emphasis I have you know I know that you guys have all been doing with students that are at risk of dropping out. So our

057intention when we looked at this and we did this as a team and we look at recommendations is that we wanted to protect the um instructional experience in the classrooms. Um so that is what our driving force was. So again I'm I'm not going to tell you that it's going to be perfect to not have that position because there is going to be an impact. Um the in particular there's a freshman academy that we identify the 15 to 20 right >> um most at risk students. So we're going to need to figure out where that's going to go. Truency all of that work is going to go to us up here. Um, and so, um, to some degree we'll ask our staff to help us out with that in reporting, but the meetings are going

058to be this crew here, um, when we meet with families. Um, and, um, alternative ed, as you know, we got a grant. And so, that we have two solid employees that are now working in that program. And if we want to go into the middle school, we just need to think about how that might work. Um, but that that's a possibility that we're looking at. Um, so I don't know if that answers your questions. >> Yeah, it's Yeah. So, this this position was never was not it's not a classroom position at all. It's a it's a coordinator position and a program type. >> The one classroom that runs is that freshman. >> And that is a classroom that is like with the students that you guys have identified coming in from middle to high. >>

059Well, it's Yeah, just the freshman. Okay. Um so we again we pick the 15 most at risk kids from 8th grade with teacher input and then we give them basically we act in place of parent. >> Um not my question said in place >> in a supporting role with parents >> is that we would at school make sure that we gave them a little bit more structure. >> Y >> um because obviously we don't want to replace parents and I miss spoke about that. So very very clear about that. >> Yeah. All hands on deck. I don't want to get that. >> But anyway, we want to make sure that we're um like some of the organization like a lot of them struggle with executive functioning skills. So, we're going to provide extra support around

060getting materials done. Um Carly will work uh the person in the position will work with the teachers, what does this kiddo owe and provide some extra support >> almost like a case manager. Yes. Pre-opout so we don't Yes. trying to prevent students falling to the cracks. And that position came in a number of >> the funds or ARF funds. I don't know if you remember those. I I think they were like um I don't I don't know like I think it was Obama >> 10. Was it ARPA? >> Yeah, it was um Yeah. So we it's been a while like I want to say um >> at least 10 >> 10. I mean, I've been here 16, so I want to say when I first >> It was at least when I wasn't the principal

061that we've had it. It was prior to because uh Donna Mador was the >> Yeah. 13 and it was before me. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Other questions. I just have to say to all of the principles that presented tonight, it just like it really makes me sad that we're trying so hard to maintain And in maintaining it kind of stops getting better that how much stuff was asked for that never made it to the table because we already knew we weren't going to afford it. >> And it's hard to make a school a school district go from good to great when the stuff that makes that next step isn't available. And it's really hard to hear that like especially when you talk about the integration special who deals with truency and suspension and

062dropout. It's just really discouraging on how to make that move. How how do we keep moving getting better and it seems like we're wait let's just hold the line. And to me that's not good enough. And I I don't know what we do about that challenge. Any other questions? Board member Baker. Last names. If I could do first names, I'd be all set. Board member Baker. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, Principal Liskum, in addition to study hall monitoring, what are some other duties that teachers take on throughout their day? >> So, um, basically, um, at the high school level, they have out of the five days, they have one period that is a duty. So, for example, they um will roam the halls to make sure that kids are not going places they shouldn't

063go. Um they will go through the bathrooms, make sure that everything's good. We have I don't know if you remember that we actually um reduced the library attempt. >> Lunch room. That's another favorite of theirs. >> I'm sure that everybody's fine for that for that responsibility. >> Yep. like particularly middle school lunch is really fun. Um we used to have them together but now we have them separate and it's wonderful. Um subbing sometimes we have to have them take like for example if if I don't have coverage that particular day. Today we had 14 people out and two left in the middle of the day. Um and so they may have to instead of walking the hallways they might have to step in and teach Spanish even though they don't may not know Spanish. >>

064They're going to need to pretend. No, just joking. Is there anything else I'm missing? >> Yeah. >> So, sub hall, library, lunch room. Yeah. Study hall. Did you say that? Study hall. Study hall. >> Hallways. >> Yeah. >> The supervision like everything is focused around supervision. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> They We like them to make laps in the bathroom. That's the That's the big target area in the world. And all my teachers love spending extra time in the bathroom. >> Yes. All all my fellow principles say that that is the hot spot these days. So >> any other questions? Just too overwhelmed to ask. >> Yeah, it is a lot. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> You know you're still in the room. >> Oh, I'm not questions arrive. >> Okay. I've heard

065my little binders. Huh? >> Thank you guys. >> Thank you. organized. >> Here we go. Next is systems admin death service transportation. Does that mean >> Superintendent Tracy? >> Yes. pass this over to the business manager. >> All right. Thank you. Um, so the system administration sheet that you have, I'm going to start right from the top and just go down because almost each line is impacted. Um, so the first one under board of directors, you'll see a significant decrease. >> Oh, wait. Some people are still shipping. >> There's a lot of people and now they beautifully look alike but that >> system administration. >> Um so there is a significant decrease there. That decrease is from reducing the construction allocation. So, um, right now for our construction account, we're using general fund monies. So,

066for fiscal year 27, we were hoping to reduce that a bit. That is currently being reviewed in our fisc year 25 audit. So, as most of you know, um, fiscal year 24 audit is final. We've started fiscal year 25. Those funds were set up in fiscal year 25. So the check was cut and a bank account was open just for our construction funds that was set up in fiscal year 25. So that is currently being reviewed in our audit. Um I want to be transparent that there is a possibility that that 150 will have to go back into the fund. Um there is an assumption that $250,000 was budgeted for construction in fiscal year 25, 250,000 this current fiscal year 26 and 250,000 fiscal year 27. We are unsure if we can decrease fiscal year

06727 by 150 because of how it was originally proposed. So that is being audited and I am awaiting a response on that. So I will update as soon as I'm here. >> So >> yes, >> under system administration where it says board of directors where it looks like there's a decrease of $135,930. That is the line that Janine's talking about where we we cut 150,000 out as part of that trying to find over a million dollars to get the budget down um when we work with administration. So that reduction plus any increases in that area legal and etc other areas where we've had to increase it's netted out at a 135,000. But so just the punchline is we might have to add 150,000 back to this budget for next year before all things are said

068and done. We're working with the auditors to figure that out. >> I see. So that's why it's the start. >> Hang on. >> Somebody has a question. >> Board member tell >> um is that so is that why we don't have it tonight added as like a here's for sure because you just didn't want to like add it in in case >> we're not there >> until we get an auditor response. >> We're not going to put it back in. >> Okay. They tell us we have to then we'll >> I see. Okay. Thank you. I see. >> Okay. Um so the business office there's two updates there. So um this fiscal year we had approved for a part-time HR assistant to join our business office. So I've added her also to the fiscal year

06927 budget. Um I say add but she was already approved fiscal year 26. Um but we have to reflect her salary and benefits in fiscal year 27 as well. Um and our regional service center enrollment. So when we enrolled in that we could begin seeing the benefits of that in fiscal year 26 and our ED279 could be benefited by that this year. but we didn't have to pay an enrollment fee after >> an enrollment fee until fiscal year 27. So that's in those two lines. Um going down to transportation, there's an increase in trans transportation needs and costs. So um to and from school, so regular transportation, those are based on historical trends. So basically when I was budgeting out transportation, I looked at the trends across five years to see where we were kind

070of moving and it was all an upward trend. Um so I looked at that what we've been spending this year and that is based on those historical trends and current needs that we're seeing in transportation. And there is an additional bus route in there for regular transportation out of district. That's the bus run to the four semi communities for >> potential. So the bus run that I set up with Chelsea, Whitefield, Windsor and Vasselboro is also reflected in the uh transportation line. So I have a question on the to and from school that's not already included in our contract the miles that we budget for that. That's not why would that be or is that reflecting the increase in the contract >> increase? >> Okay, that answers that second. >> Right. I got that. Yeah.

071>> Also, um, did we didn't save any miles when we kind of redid kids, especially ESOL kids, to the neighbor schools. That didn't save us on any bus runs when we had so many kids who weren't in their neighborhood schools and we tried to decrease that. That didn't do anything. >> We still have crazy bus runs. >> We have a lot of bus runs. >> Got it. Okay. Questions? Pello. >> Do we know overall like percentage wise how many students take the bus to school? >> Is it like 80% or 40? >> Oh, no. No. I It >> the elementary. >> Yeah, >> it is. I'm I'm gonna have to look. I want to >> I'm just I'm curious more more of a curiosity. >> We have a lot more at elementary. >> Yeah, of

072course. And uh we'll ask at the secondary level. >> Um I don't have >> specific areas of the city have higher rates of bus taking um particularly at the secondary level like the bus will be full >> going to like Sand Hill. Yep. >> Um but then maybe some other areas like >> A little emptier >> at our level. >> Okay. Thank you. I can tell you that in the pickup line at Fington after school is about 22 to 30 cars because if I'm not in the right thing, it's not good. >> So, majority are on the bus. >> Big majority of students are on the bus every day. >> Vast majority. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> What member parks >> in the transportation line, the homelessness uh item, why has that been decreased

07331%? because there are less students under McKenna Vento. >> Um so we do have grant funds that cover some of the homeless transportation. Um and then also we base it on trend historical trends that were coming out of the general fund. >> Thank you. board member tell >> have have we overall seen increases in homeless students in the district or decrease over time last couple years >> I don't know if it's been an increase it's been pretty steady >> steady at the same level we're averaging >> a little over 100 >> little about 100 students >> in between 100 and 150 students >> across the district >> and they could be like on a couch or in a uncle's house or something something housing instability right >> unhoused >> or unable >> or experiencing housing

074instability correct or unhoused. Okay, thank you. >> And do we receive extra funding from the Mckin Vento grant or are we not an extra recipient for that? >> Well, we got $900. >> That's a state funed grant though for like utilities. >> That was I'd have to look up. >> Okay. Um, that was one we just got the adjustment for. >> Yeah, >> we do get some money, but it's I think it's between 20 and 30,000. 20 and 30,000 extra. >> I know. I'm sorry. >> We're open here. >> There's something running just to help you. >> Background noises. >> Yeah. >> Board member Baker. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, am I correct to assume that with transportation needs and costs that also includes maintenance and oil changes? This is just miles >> contracted.

075>> They contract with first student. >> So they provide the buses and they provide the drivers. >> So there was a question. >> Yes. >> About transportation. Did Did you hear it? >> No, I did not hear it. >> So I'll reiterate. Mr. Baker said asked a question about uh oil changes, maintenance on the buses, etc. And the business manager um commented that we have a contract. So all of those items are included. And just so you remember, when we contract with First Student, we don't have to purchase our own buses that they take care of all of that. They manage their bus drivers. Um we just contract for the number of miles. Uh my usually I'm I'm the principles manage bus discipline um for the most part. They love to do that for me.

076>> Sure. >> Um and and they do a good job with that. But um as far as the roots, etc., I kind I kind of manage the contract. >> Um but the does that help? Okay. >> Board member Hicks. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Is that a yearly contract or by how often? >> I believe we just did a five Three. >> Three. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Threeyear contract. >> And when does the current contract run out? >> Um we'd have one more year after this. >> This will be the second year like FY27. This budget is the second year of that contract. >> Next year we'll have to go back out to bid. >> So the advantage of having that contract is that when the price of gas goes up to wherever

077it's going. >> Yeah. Yeah. They guesstimate that. >> But it was hard to predict today, but anyway, that's a difference. Okay. >> Board member Parks. >> Um Jean said that the proposal to um decrease the uh building construction fund for this FY27 is being audited. Is that being audited by the new auditing firm that we agreed to act to hire? >> Yes. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. >> That service transportation. I also saw in here a sheet for um improvement of instruction. >> Yes, superintendent. that would be. So if you turn to your improvement of instruction sheet, the increase that you would see in staff support services for under the line of improvement of instruction is the salary line increase that we've added that extra day for new teacher orientation. So we have two full

078days and then they have a day in their classroom. It's safety care training for those who um there's special education but also there's people who are not special education that receive the safety care certification. So that's part is part of their training and then then other certifications that fall under that. So that's the increase. And then under student assessment that's amplifying the dibbles and that's our ELA screener that we're purchasing and the so the curriculum And do we have a math screener? So I was going to review that at the curriculum committee on Wednesday. uh the math com committee is working through and we'd have a presentation at the end of this month with uh amplify that we could get half price because we in the same platform that we use for our ELA screener

079would be the same for our math. So we're looking into that. >> Did you include it in this budget? >> Not in this. >> Not yet. >> But it could be after Wednesday. >> We could have other funding. >> Oh, okay. >> We have other funding. Okay. preview of coming attractions. Any questions on them? You were you done, Shelby? I'm sorry. >> Board member Parks. >> Um, why is there nothing at instructional staff training and library services? >> There hasn't. Yeah, there hasn't been. There wasn't in this year's budget. >> There just hasn't been anything. >> I think that goes under each of the buildings, doesn't it? The library services buildings. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other questions on this section? Mike, can you just review what what happens after tonight? >> Well,

080um >> I know we have public comment coming and then it seems that we've gone through we didn't talk about debt service yet. >> Um that was in the system administration which been reduced just by the annual payment amount. Um the process from here would be that the board deliberates and determines if there's anything you think you might want to add back into the budget. subtract more from the budget. This is your opportunity to begin making this budget your own. >> That's next week >> and we could you're going to start that conversation tonight under board discussion. Um, of course there'll be some public comment and that will be we we invite that tonight and tomorrow night >> and if we're able to excuse me tonight and next week uh there'll be space in the

081bud in the agenda for public comment in in the next couple of weeks. It's really you, the board, um, making this budget your own as we adopt it and bring it to city council on March 31st. So, at this point, there will be no more budget presentation unless there's something specific that you're going to want to know additionally. So, if you think of that, I mean, tonight would be great. We'll give you, we'll take a list tonight. If any of you have any other questions before like by next uh Thursday, probably Thursday or Friday of this week, if you would send those questions to me, that way we can get one less and I will forward those questions to Mike to and I can eliminate any redundancies by doing it that way. Um, we do

082have a joint finance committee on Thursday night with the members of the city council who are on that joint finance and I wanted to have a few minutes at some time to ask you to make sure it's stuff that you want us to share with them so that I'm representing your comments to those at that um joint finance committee. So, we'll do that as well. I leave anything else out. I >> don't think so. Any questions from the board members at this point in the process of where we're going from here? >> Okay. What should we do next? >> I I mean, I'd be happy to open up the discussion about the hearing this morning what I testified about and again sort of cement the superintendent's recommended budget. If you'd like to rehear any I

083mean, you've gone through and you've heard from the administrators. I'm I'm just going to say on as far as the testimony, anything that happens as a result of the testimony won't affect this budget. >> Correct. That would be >> we could save that information or save it to the end if we have time for that. >> You said it would affect FY27. >> FY28. >> 28. Thank you. >> Thank you for the clarification. >> FY28. >> Yeah. >> Well, I just have more of a statement. And I agree with Chair Wam that I do feel sad. Um our schools are all working very hard to to reduce their budgets. My worries are that as we have heard um the staffs are going to be affected and that is going to affect the children and I'm

084particularly concerned about the kiddos who are vulnerable uh in their academic performance and their functional performance. the kiddos who are uh disadvantaged economically in our district. Um so I just it feels it doesn't feel good to me at all. That's all. Thanks. >> Second. Am I gonna board member Baker? Go right ahead. >> Um, thank you, Madam Chair. I was um I was wondering if I could ask board member PO's question in a slightly different way of with this proposed cut to the middle school high school reintegration specialists, like what resources remain? Like what is what is going to fill that? And it doesn't necessarily have to be like uh a single individual, but like what what resources or support then are going to be available for those students if this proposed cut goes through?

085>> Yeah, I'll we'll ask principal to answer that. >> Okay. So the different functions of that role will be separated. Um so for example at truency, the assistant principles and I will be responsible for following up with that. Um so we would um work with our administrative assistants to send out letters um to monitor um students who are truent um or approaching truency. Um we would have host meetings truent truency meetings with families and provide support. Um typically we would invite others to be a part of that meeting. So we may have the guidance counselors be a part of that. Um the freshman academy we need to determine what that who was going to run that. Um, and I haven't um spent a lot of time thinking about what that is, but that we're going

086to have that run. That needs to run. So, would it be a duty? Would it be I don't know. I guess I've got to figure out how that might happen. Um because that has had that program has had just incredible success and we created it um to help students who were really at risk and um most of them um graduate like if not all of them. Um, so that will figure out a different way to do that and that might be somebody uh like like I said a duty or um can I rethink another um a number another way to deliver it? Um and so that's that piece. Um the alternative ed program I feel like that would have the support of our director of guidance as well as administrators. Um remember that we at

087the time that um our reintegration specialist was super involved in that which she still is. However um we have a person that's been trained and worked all year um and an edtech. So that program is is running um and um the reintegration specialist meets with students who were um suspended to get them back on track um reintegrated back here. Um and so that would be um the administrator or guidance counselor depending on the student. Um oftent times the administrator will see the student um in the food court and have kind of like a little more informal kind of thing. Um and so that would be something there. Um uh a reintegration specialist does things like um run reports about um like if we need to know like what's going on with like graph uh chronic

088absenteeism or what grade level seems to be the biggest issue, incentives for attendance, all that kind of stuff um would fall between um the administrators and guidance. >> I hope that answers your stuff. Board member Hicks. >> As I look at the list of cuts, the teacher cut makes sense based on the numbers. If you don't have the kids in the class, don't need the teacher and unfortunately that might result in someone losing a position. But cutting the integration does not make sense to me because has there been any reduction in the number of students who need reintegration? >> No. >> Probably an increase. And we're talk about suspension and expulsion. If kids drop out, we get less money from the state, which is I mean, I hate to put a dollar sign on that,

089but it's true. If they're not here, we don't get credit for them being here. We don't get the money from the state. So, that's actually I'd like to increase the retent the reintegration and the retention portion of that. Um, just personally and I and having been a teacher for 33 years, when another duty comes along, you just do it. That that totally makes sense as well with the the monitor. But this reintegration specialist, I think it's too important to let it go. So, I'll be arguing >> board member. >> Thank you. Uh, thank you board member chair and also Thank you, Hicks. Um, yeah, I do know that they play a major role, especially after long uh suspensions, 10 days or more significant role reintegrating, catching back up. Um, long-term effects pulling uh reintegration specialists

090though often can lead to out of district placements. Is that correct? Because if we can't integrate them, we might have to send them somewhere else. Um the really the only students that go somewhere else are if they have a high special ed need that we can't accommodate. The thing that would happen if they we couldn't reintegrate them is that we would bring them to you to for consideration for expulsion. >> Um but we've been working really hard on our multiple pathways. So like alternative ed we've been working with a program called Edenum the remote classes. So like we it's not that we don't have options for our students now. Like we're trying to keep them connected. It just might look a little different than what it works right now. >> Yeah. So when you said

091that you were going to cut the interventionist at the elementary school, there still will be general ed ed techs in those schools, right? Just not as many >> in the elementary >> elementary schools. Yes, >> we still will have some general ed techs. Ed tech. >> General ed tech. Okay. >> So board members if if at this point I'm seeing a lot of head nod. I haven't heard from you board member Bard on on anything yet and I'd welcome your input. Well, the uh reintegration specialist made a huge different in my daughter's life. Um as well as uh other family members. So, I couldn't even imagine losing that role. I mean, my daughter would not be a fresh a junior in high school without some of those programs. >> This this is the time board.

092If you you know, we can by consensus if you want that position put back in that can be done at this point. >> I do. >> Yeah. >> Yes, we do. >> So, I have a question. Uh what is the certifications degree qualifications for that role? You guys request >> master a certified teacher >> certified. >> So it doesn't matter the content area. >> Um they just are a certified teacher that um and then um we can adapt whatever like if they're science, math, business. >> So we'll ask the superintendent to put that back in. >> Please. >> Yes. >> I'm not I'm not seeing anybody. I move to do you need a motion on that or >> I think it would be a good idea. >> Can we vote? We can vote at this

093meeting. >> Oh, maybe this is a workshop, isn't it? >> Right. >> Nope. >> But but we can ask him to put it in and we can to see what that's going to look like and we can then vote it. We can vote on all additions and subtractions at one time. I was just one would say one thing is that like our administrative team as you know is like really struggled with how we were going to what things we proposed. My worry is that if not if you're going to come back and say that it's not this position what position would it be? That's where we're saying this is our recommendation. Okay. So like I don't like I guess I'm just saying that if we needed to come up with a number of of cuts

094that's our recommendation because it will have less impact in the classroom. But again like there's no position on this list that you will see that we want. It's just that where we need to be >> right >> financially. >> So am I hearing that this would be your recommendation if we said you could pull one thing back in this? >> No. No. Um, no. I would need to get back with my team about that because I'm saying what I'm saying is that when you say to bring one back, it makes me think in my history of being here that take something else away. >> And so my concern is what is that other thing that you're going to take away? We're giving you our best um viewpoint of what we think is um >> that

095we can reduce. And I'm I'm saying that I mean again I don't want to say like there's any reduction. Um but our reality is that we only have so much money and so we've had to make hard decisions. I don't think the team I think the team is at that stage. So if you come back to us and say I need an additional 70,000 60,000 like we're going into an area we we don't want to go. We can't cover it as well as we can cover this reintegration specialist. Board member Baker. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, Principal Liskum, I appreciate the coming at this from the potential impact inside the classroom, but then can you speak a little bit to the impact on you and your colleagues. Um, you listed, you know, in particular

096some of what you would take on with truency. Um, >> you know, I know you haven't actually had to do it because you had this position, but I mean, at this point in time, what can you envision? How can you envision that impacting your day-to-day or your workload and responsibilities? >> Yeah, I mean I think that in all of our job descriptions it says other duties as assigned. So it's the other duties as assigned. I mean like the thing is I know that sounds cavalier but we're going to take we're going to work as hard as we can do in our day um to get what needs to be done. so that any given day an administrator can do all kinds of things to make sure that students needs are met and our staff needs

097are met. So I would just say that we're going to do what we need to do to make sure kids are are being educated. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um so um assistant superintendent Tibido >> I I think the difficulty in any of these positions is that we are now at at at positions that make it very difficult to look at reducing. Um these are very they're supportive positions. They're positions that we def desperately need. Um, but I when you look at what we're able to afford, that's where the the rubber meets the road. And so I think what Kim is trying to say is, yeah, this is going to be a huge impact. All of those positions on any of these sheets is going to be an impact. >> Superintendent Tracy, what would your

098recommendation be? Well, you've got my recommendation. And I think um what's really it I don't I didn't even know I could cry, but at Gilbert the other day, I almost got emotional because the the fact is there's no way to do this without affecting people. >> And it's really really um it's a it's it's a tough place to be in. I testified this morning that if this budget goes through, we will have cut more than 20 positions in Augusta schools in two years. There's not going to be a department, a school building that you will look at that we haven't touched to reduce a position in the last two years. Um, but when I hear this conversation, I think Mrs. Lon's doing a good job to Nobody wants to do it. We like I'm glad

099to have you put it back in, but I'm going to remind you we're at 8.3% increase and we're going to go to city council Thursday night. We're going to go on the 31st. And I don't mean to sound like I I I can predict where they're going to land. I think that we've got to present we have to present our very best um reasonable budget. And I I keep calling it it's the we can get by with this budget. You're not going to have a staff member come up here that isn't going to advocate for keeping these positions. You're not going to have a a teacher or principal come up here that isn't going to say this is going to impact us negatively because it's going to. There's just no way around it. I mean,

100when I testified at the legislature this morning, it was without without me going off on a tangent, the fact of the matter is we we're not when we go out publicly and we say the state pays 55% of education, that's just not true. And and it's not true because anybody's lying. It's not true because it's their fault. It's just the formula is bad. And so what's happening is last year in Maine, we spent almost $800 million more than the ED279 funds. So in Augusta, it doesn't cost out our real need. It's a makebelieve. It's like a fairy tale um uh funding formula. So when we have to go out and we that big chunk of money that says local additional that local additional that's the real cost of education and then when we bring it

101in unders sized when I bring you a budget which I have done that I every you're arguing over should we put something back in it's undersized we all know it's a we'll get along with it budget it's still going to cost way more than the ED279 funding formula says Augusta should pay for education. It's a bad funding formula. Now, that's a different discussion. Doesn't fix We're not going to fix it this year, but what I I just We're at $3.3 million over this current year with a requested budget. And so, we can we can uh put in positions if you you know, we certainly can talk about the positions you'd like to reestablish in a proposed budget, but I'm I'm I'm with Kim. We're going to be looking somewhere else for another reduction. And and

102again, after we go meet with city council on Thursday and then the 31st, I mean, maybe they'll take our our proposed budget, but my uh like Kim, my experience with them is they usually try to have us sharpen our pencil a little bit more. >> Board member Parks. >> Well, it's a statement, not a question. I I remember when Paula Grabbell did our um professional development two months ago and she called the ED279 an adequate educational budget which means that just gives us adequate to me means mediocre and that's a problem. If you want to have a quality of education, if you want to do your your darn best for the children, you have to raise it above adequate. But like you say, the funding formula is flawed. It's out of date. And I hope

103that they will change it. >> Yeah, I'll just go. >> It's not going to help us this year. Maybe next FY. >> I'll just say I don't think it's adequate. I don't even think it's adequate. adequate below average. >> Yeah. Not when we have to go to the taxpayers for this much additional, you know, it's just >> and we're still cutting positions that >> we really need. >> Correct. >> The children need them. >> I I don't know if any of you remember the um handout. Was it wasn't a handout. It was on a an email that Superintendent Tracy sent out about what when zip code defines educational experiences. This will be something that I will be passing out on Thursday to the joint finance committee. We do have some copies if anybody wants a

104written copy on that which actually compares those will be up here if you want to anybody wants to grab one. We can make some more for Thursday night. But it it shows you where Augusta stands in relationship to other schools our size and our demographics. And I can't believe how h what we're able to provide with the challenges that are presented. And one of the reasons that we're able to do that is because our staff our staffs work so hard at finding grants and doing their level best to provide. And I urge you all to to read that to understand what it is we're working with. I still don't know. Um, Mike just passed me a note and said that the reintegration position would be around a $96,000 addition >> with benefits >> and salary.

105>> And so I I don't know given that comment, given Kim's comment, if that's still something we want to do or if it's something we want to keep in mind for a later conversation. Thoughts on that? board member Pello. >> Um I'm just struggling because I think I could I just come back to our you know our statute and our purpose here and you know city council has their purpose statutoily what they're aiming to do to keep Augusta a community that folks want to come and live and move to um and pay taxes to in order to be part you know to to live here. And um I think for me the last couple budget years my my struggle has been is not fighting even if they get eliminated not fighting for positions that our

106children need. Like I know we laugh about it but I'm still a little upset to know that our libraries are not fully staffed every day. Um, I'm upset to learn that we want to get rid of a position that is specifically part of our goals as a board for and and what I always hear city talking about too that it costs the city more when kids drop out. It costs the state more, the country more. >> It does. >> Children cost money to rear and invest in, but they are they become exactly that, our future, our investments. they be the skills they learn, the aptitudes they have, the character that they exhibit, that's all here at the schools. That's foundationally created here at the schools and then it is facilitated throughout their lives as adults.

107>> Um, so yeah, we talk about cost, it's expensive, this and that, but we're talking about really the only thing we have left anymore, which is our human beings that we rear in our town. So for me, what's hard is coming to city council and I'm fully aware that it's transparently reported and people might look at me and go, "She wants to raise our taxes and all these things." No, I just want to fight for the kids and we'll find somewhere in the middle that is appropriate and what the city can afford. understand that the city cannot afford everything and we have folks on limited income and who you know who don't have kids in the schools and so they might not see the direct uh benefit that the school and the communities here provide

108for all of us. The amount of kids and and parents at the buildings every night, the amount of meals and extracurriculars and sports, what Augusta does well is have a school community that is consistently and always there. Um, I think it's the greatest thing Augusta has. It's the schools. I want to fight. I want to fight for positions that matter to us. If they're going to reduce the quality of education, we might not get every position, but why do we go to city without the positions that I can see that are benefiting our students and then talk to them about it? Because I have heard from city council so much that they're worried about the dropout kids. So why are we cutting the dropout specialist or the person that's going to help students not drop

109out? So I I understand that we can't pay and we're not a unique community where we just don't have funding. Mike, you're absolutely right. The state's not funding the schools at the adequate amount and we're not alone in this. But I just feel like I would be remiss I couldn't sleep at night tonight if I went home and I didn't just say that our jobs are absolutely to support what the schools need first and foremost and what the students need. And so I'm okay adding a position to the budget and trying to fight for it as opposed to coming in and they're already gonna take from what we absolutely can't afford, you know, because that's been what's happened is they've taken after a list of of you know, you've been frugal, Mike. You you've tried

110your hardest to really to to care about that aspect of it, which I commend you. I understand you have a political position. And you can't be asking for every position to stay and all the I understand that you're in a place that you also what rock in a hard place. I understand. But as a school board member who cares deeply about this community um I'm okay adding a position even if that becomes a discussion for an hour and a half with them back and forth. That's fine. But that you know for us that would be meaningful as we come for the board. We know what our students need and we're willing to fight for that. Um, that's where I'm at right now with how many years these budget seasons have happened and how little they

111give how little grace there sort of is sometimes with with our budget. Um, you know, sometimes we have other services in the city that that present for 4 seconds. Um, no questions asked. Um, I'm they I'm ready for them to ask us a hundred questions and to be able to answer them for why we need these positions. And that's kind of where I'm at with our schools and what Augusta should do. But what we should do as a board is fight for our schools. Um because no services are going to go down in cost. Um and we're putting our putting our best foot forward to say this is what we need. Um so I'm in favor of today I'm in favor absolutely of adding in middle school high school reintegration specialists. I would be in

112favor of adding the gened texts back to the elementary schools. Um but that is that is again me and I sit here knowing that that might not be a possibility at the end of this process. >> Thank you. board member Reynolds. >> Thank you. Uh yes, thank you so much for saying that, Rita. I feel like it's super hard when >> even if we did absolutely nothing, the price of softballs has gone up. The price of bre and this is like No, but I because everything in the world has gone up, right? And I mean that it's like a re but it's real, right? Because even, you know, when when you just look at life to go to work, I went to work yesterday. I went to work years ago, but it costs more to

113go to work today, right? Everything in the world costs more if you didn't change anything, right? And we already know that we have to still go to work. We still have to do the things and that does impact the people that we ask the money for, right? So, we know that that's happening. And to lower that impact, like what she was saying, the unfair part. We're cutting teachers. That's not okay, right? And then people are upset with the scores. People are upset with the grades, the truency, the things that are directly impacted by the cuts that unfortunately get create what all of it's unfortunate, right? Is that uh the exact things that people are bothered by then create that ripple effect and it comes back and nothing is getting changed. And I would also uh

114the long-term effects of pulling out some some of these and I get I love and I actually want to increase more on the core curriculum. I want to incre all of it, right? But I can't do that to the people that I care about that elected us. And uh I would also be in favor a of putting back in significant changes into this and finding ways to take that impact off of off of the taxpayers. I don't know. It's not these budgets are deep and thorough and I believe that everybody has done their best and that total that total contribution uh local is the hard part, right? That's the big cut. um praying that we can find a different ratio to which we get that but that's not realistic. So you got to think outside

115the boxes because these kids need that. So I agree. Thank you. >> I'm I'm still here and put it back. >> That's what I'm hearing. >> Yes. I mean thank >> because I didn't mention the long-term impact. I mean, there's a short-term impact of they drop out, we don't get the money from the state, but there's a long-term impact of a a child dropping out of school. They don't get the job that they wanted. They get maybe they're on welfare or maybe they're getting a minimum wage job and they're not paying taxes and they're not buying a house and they're not all those things they're not doing because we didn't reintegrate them at the time. They needed to be reintegrated. So yes, I agree with you completely. >> And to be fair to the taxpayers

116of Augusta, if you remember the budget validation vote last year, last June, >> yeah, >> it was two to one in favor. >> The people of Augusta have supported their schools. >> Yeah, they did. >> Board member Parks. >> Well, I mean, society pays when children don't succeed in school. Mhm. >> Just like Superintendent Tracy said in his testimony this morning, public schools are the great equalizer. They are at the basis of democracy. Everyone gets it. No one is kept out. So if we're not going to fight for it, who will? Okay. Any other comments before we go to public participation? Board member Baker. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Should we also see if there's consensus for adding in the general tech positions, which I think board member Pella brought up >> as part of

117her statement. >> Yes. >> Am I hearing? >> I'll take I'll take nods at this point. I'll take I'll take thumbs up, thumbs down. Oh, they needed adults back, too. >> So, uh, to clarify, >> if I may, if I may, >> you're asking us to re put reestablish the reintegrationist position at the middle and high school. >> Two, both. >> There's one. >> Oh, because the freshman one and then that split. Yeah, you're good. I see that. And um I'm hearing >> three ed techs at the elementary level. >> Yes. >> Are they split between all of the schools? >> We should try >> three elementary schools. >> Which one did it teach? >> I thought they didn't have because of enrollment. >> Bington is an opening right now, right? The general >> yours

118is what Teresa? >> Mine's open. >> It's still in the budget. >> Yeah. I no we quot well I put it in right the body itself it's not >> oh it's currently not there >> okay >> am I am I understanding correctly three ed texts and the reintegration session >> that's what I'm hearing >> okay we will do that and if we also just to land the plane on this part of the conversation any uh we have not changed the superintendent's budget today we wanted you to hear all the presentations so that's been consistent. So you haven't got a new sheet every week. Remember last year we had like 18 iterations of the budget. So now tried to keep that consistent for you. >> It is likely that um if we get some audited information

119like what to do with the 150 150,000 construction companies, right? as well as these changes and any other uh the rate revenue, any of those little things that we've been tracking that might change. If we get insurance numbers in, those kinds of things, we we will do the best we can in the next week to bring you the uh most upto-date budget per the changes you've just recommended tonight. >> Okay. >> Board member Reynolds. >> Yes. Thank you. Also, thank you, Superintendent Tracy. um the insanity it was to see uh Liskam's face when the idea of putting something back in, she immediately got scared something else would go and I don't like that. So add that in with taking nothing. Okay. Is that agreement on the team? >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're not looking

120for replacements to Yeah. >> No, we just try to add them in. Yeah. >> We're just going to add those back in. >> Yes. >> Okay. I'd like to say for the record that I endorse this plan as a retired person on a fixed income with no children in the school system, but I'm totally for adding in this that adding back to the position. >> Okay. >> And there probably more people out there that feel the same way. >> This is just this is just starting our conversation. >> Exactly. Yes. >> And and when we fought to follow I might as well keep rolling on this before we do public participation. when we go to when Charlie and Jonathan and I go to the joint finance committee, which you're welcome to attend. It's an open

121meeting that I wanted to make sure the points that I wanted to share with them were something that you wanted me to share. And I'm going to sh I'm going to just give you what I was planning. And if that's not it, please share what you think I should do instead or we should do instead. But I wanted to uh start out by just saying that when I became the board chair and I think it was with you, Mike, maybe it was with Jim the first year, I don't remember. But the deal was we would bring a budget to the city council that was the real budget. We weren't going to play car salesman where you start here and we'll start here and we'll come to the middle. We're really going to bring you the

122budget we really want. It's not haded. It is what it is. And evidence of that, I think you can tell, is that by the small amount of carryover that we are anticipating at the end of this year's budget. You can see that it was a it was a bare bones budget. The only reason we had significant carryover before was because we had collected a significant amount of carryover and the city council said it should be cut and we did more than our level best because we cut it more than we should have and we ended up with no carryover. So this budget is going to ref we were anticipating it's going to reflect a pretty low level. We're allowed up to 9%. We won't even be close to that. And I think that's evidenced by

123that. And we've already made cuts. We came to We're bringing to them 11 cuts in this budget. >> 11. Is that the number? >> You're going to add four back. But we It's 20. It's 20 positions in two years. That's a lot. >> Yeah. >> That's a lot. And I'm going to ask them to read this and to look at where Augusta is in comparison. You know, we Augusta is a service center. There's no denying we're a service center. This the population of Augusta doubles during the day and then those people all go home, but we're still left with providing services to the places that they work. We also as a service center have a significant number of non-taxable properties. you know, um, >> what am I saying? >> Our tax bases, >> private nonprofit,

124>> nonprofits. Thank you. Oh my god, I didn't have my words tonight. Nonprofits. We have the hospital, we have MA, >> we have the state government. >> We have a lot of property in Augusta that we don't get taxes on. I we I know we benefit. They come into the city every day. They buy their gas. They buy their groceries. I get that part, too. But but it costs us a it costs a lot to live in a service center. It just does. So I'm hoping that when they take a look at what what we do do in comparison that they'll remember that. If there's anything else you would rather I said or anything I didn't say that you want us Jonathan and Charlie and I to convey to them, please let us know what

125that is. I just I'll say it again like this. Families, people, communities thrive when the schools thrive. >> It's just like the most bang for your buck truly. Even if you feel like you're paying too much, it's the kids you see in your neighborhood. It's the bus system working. It's your neighbors who are employed by the school district. It's all of the supports and services that people then are able to actually access day and night, be part of the community here, the events, all of the work that happens in the schools that then benefits spills over to the outlasting community. It's an investment. It's not a cost. Correct. >> I want us to start talking about children in a different way, especially here on the school board >> and the staff that work here. Half

126a lot of what we have more staff in the city. I mean, we have folks that are driving in here. They're eating lunch here. They're having breakfast. They're helping our kids. They're driving home. They're stopping at our gas stations. They're stopping at our Hannerfords. I think these are the things that we have to realize is like we are an economic engine. This school system is an economic engine. And we are in the we are in the business of rearing our children. And that is the number one most important business period. Point blank. So when we talk about cuts and the conversation we have to have with city, I want to know what their cuts are. I want to know what their reasonings are. I want us to come and be honest with each other and

127figure out the best thing because our schools are absolutely the number one most important factor to having a healthy city and a healthy town is the health of the schools. So, I'm not going to sit here and watch it decay. At least I'm going to fight to see if I can do anything. If I can't, I can't. But I know that schools are number one most important thing for a community. >> Thank you. >> Member Parks. Why I don't think that this is the first year that we've begun that we will begin to fight for our children. We fought last year for the substitutes that were at every school and employed 5 days a week. We fought for that. We lost it. But it doesn't mean we stop fighting. I think many of us are

128here because of the children, because of the staff, because of the schools, and we we want our kids, all of our kids to be successful. Um, so they we just continue fighting. Um, because that's what we're here for. >> One more then we're going to the public here that are waiting >> quote and I can't remember who said it. It sounds like something Benjamin Franklin might have said, but u if you think education is expensive, you should see how expensive ignorance is. >> Hey Charlie, you're on the you're on the committee. Bring that quote. >> First I um I will speak with Mr. Mills again, our city manager, but I know part of our conversation was ensuring you felt invited to go to the joint finance committee, although it's subject just to the finance people.

129>> Um, it would be a good thing to be present in the room and watch if possible. And I think he's going to invite his city councilors in the same vein. Um, because you know, the people that are there may or may not be representing the whole council. may or may not be represented as full board. Um, not that you get a chance to speak, but I think it's it might be worth your observation. Thursday night, 5:30. >> Oh, I don't know. I don't remember. >> I better look. >> Do you have any 5:30? >> I think it's 5:30 because they have a meeting at 6. >> 5:30. >> Yeah. So, 5:30 Thursday night in that conference room that's really hot >> and I have a timer ready. >> Okay. Um, how are we going

130to do public comment? >> I mean, invite them up here or stand at your seats. If you have public comment, what would you prefer? >> We'll invite you up to a chair. So, if anybody would like to take a turn and just have a seat and share your public comment, we're going to limit it to three minutes, which is our >> three minutes each. If you Yeah. Please, please mention if if u your names and if you have a role in the schools or not or whatever your position is. We'd appreciate that as well. Okay. >> So, begin. I'm going to go first. Sure. >> My name is Karly Wigan and I am the reintegration specialist for Coney Middle and High School. >> Um, okay. So, I'll try to go through this quickly. I may

131have to skip some parts with the three minutes, but um so thank you for the opportunity to speak to you tonight. Um I may reference my position as RISP. That's the um acronym for it. So, uh the RISP position exists to support one of the most vulnerable populations in our school, our atrisisk students. While the position is often associated with truency and attendance, the work goes far beyond that. Every day I'm in the classroom working directly with freshmen who have been identified at the end of 8th grade as being the highest um risk of dropping out of school. These students are identified based on factors such as academics, discipline, attendance, and a lack of connection to school. What makes this group particularly important is that they are not identified as special education students, nor do

132they have ESOL services. In many cases, that means the freshman academy class is the only structured support system they have when they enter high school. Research consistently shows that one of the strongest predictors of a student becoming a dropout is whether they can earn their credits during freshman year. Freshman Academy is designed to address exactly that. In this class, we work on academics and help students stay on track with their credits. But we also focus on the skills that many of these students struggle with. Executive functioning, study skills, organization, and behavior management. There is no set curriculum because every student's needs are different. The work is individualized, relationship based, and responsive to what each student needs in order to succeed. Last year, 54 students were identified as candidates for Freshman Academy. Unfortunately, the class can

133only hold 15 students. Even with limited space, the impact is clear. Just today, one of my students asked if there would be a way for them to have me again next year. Every year, I hear students say they wish they could continue in the program beyond freshman year. >> Some students even return later as teaching assistants. This year I've I've had two um because they want to reconnect with school and in their later years they're struggling to keep that connection. Um so they've come back to work with me and the students that are now in the program. Um in addition to freshman academy, the risk position is responsible for monitoring and addressing truency and chronic absenteeism. Augustus truency process is actually one the risk position helped develop. Over time, our approach has become an example

134for other districts looking um for support for truent students in how to re-engage their families. We have shared our process and advise other districts on how to implement similar systems. That is something our district should be proud of. We have built a model that works. We should continue the example that other districts want to follow, not become the example of what not to do by removing a key position that help build that system. Uh through the truency process, I'm able to identify students and families who need additional support and intervention. It's also through this work that we find students who might otherwise disappear from the system. >> Gonna have to cut you off your time, but thank you. Thank you so much. Sorry. Um, I'm Laura Richardson and I am uh the district coordinator for

135guidance counselors, also known as school counselors. Um, as well as when I'm introduced a lot, I'm the director of Coney Guidance. Um, both um positions that were put before you come directly out of our department. both the risk position and the ED um the career specialist who is an edtech three um we have focused a lot on the risk position and it's important but just as important to our overall student body is the position that is held by that edtech gra um Mrs. Liskum gave you a brief description of what um that position does. Um in addition to the things she listed, um the position also is in charge of all of the scholarships that Coney has at this time. That position manages 60 plus scholarships for our graduating students. that is in addition to

136um the many duties that this position does. Um and without that position, I'm a little nervous as to how we will be managing this. I'm going to be honest. Um I'm not quite sure how that will be distributed. Um we are very fortunate at Coney High School um because of the amount of support we have for students entering the workforce training as a one-year certificate, associate degree, and bachelor's degrees. We have scholarships for every single one of those students in every single one of those situations. This position is the one who manages all of that and works through the summer to make sure that the students are doing everything they need to acquire that money once they receive the scholarship. Additionally, that the position goes into every 10th grade English class and works with the

137students on a career exploration program. So in a you know so when you think career exploration in in the classroom it's exactly what she does. She goes in she helps them identify strengths passions and then possible opportunities beyond and helps students identify if they're going to take the CATC track if they're going to take an academic track. and we work very much together on how we as the high school team support those students to obtain their diploma. Um she works very closely um with our Melmac team and we can go into that maybe another time but we um she we take students to colleges. She arranges all of that. every college um military and corporate person who comes in is arranged through her and there's lots more but my time is up so so she

138is just as vital to the overall population of Coney High School and what we can do to help students succeed in the future. >> Thank you. Thank you. other people from the books to speak. >> Any questions that you need Mike to bring for next week that you'd like to have answered that you can think of right now? >> Hearing none, please stand adjourned. >> Oh, thank you. >> Oh, I think Pre-adjournment. Pre-adjournment. >> Are we good? >> I'd like to add that one >> to my list. >> We'll have to wait till we do that next time. >> I'm with you, Susan. >> I got I got You got a minute. No,