001Right. Good evening. This is a meeting of the finance committee. Today is May 21st and it's 5:31. Um I am Jennis. You have committee member Lily Medina. Committee member Marissa Shamra Jimenez online. We have board member Jose in person out in person or four members. Um all righty. First item on agenda is approval of the meeting minutes by Medina. I'll second it. All in favor? I I I um All right. agenda. The next item on the agenda is discussion of possible referrals from the pool board the fiscal year 2025 26 game membership [Music] I don't know um to the madam chair is pretty annual membership renewal for the board member The annual membership cost for next year like chair saying it for 2526 fiscal year 29,000 $95 is the annual membership fee. So that's what
002we're looking for the board to approve so we can pay the in so you go to the pool board so we can process the invoice. I'll just say 25,95. Yep. Mhm. Um any discussion on that from board members, uh committee members? None. Okay. Question. Yes. Um there's a couple of levels of Cape membership. Which which level are we at? And because we we use some supplemental services and added a couple of those. Is it possible that the next level of service can provide certain things for free would be more cost beneficial? I could look into it. Honestly, I was not aware of membership to be honest. A member express and I know there's a level above that. I think we're in the first bottom tier level where we got to pay we got to some
003sometimes pay a fee to attend the seminar. If we could do a quick analysis on that before the meeting to see if if this we'll we'll research that and then we'll send it out to the board members by email before the next before the new board meeting will give you the levels of um levels of services or enhanced level of services you you can get and the added cost of it if at all. Thank you. I'm I'm totally I'm totally in support of K. I just want to make sure we're getting the right but I see you're saying it's self incurring and this will cause absolutely thank you madam chair u what exactly cover all this 25 that exactly for the whole year what exactly um so people understand because I know some had a
004convention over there sometime you know you had to pay um the board you know, be there. But that's exactly what cover and that's kind of what Yeah, I know it's part but I don't have I don't have that contract in front our previous contract in front of me. So again, once we break that down, we'll give you a little bit more detail that because Kate hadn't broken down that way. We'll make sure that we we we have the comparison and you'll see exactly the additional the conventions, the webinars, all the other things that we provide. So yeah, we'll definitely do that. Thank you. My question madam chair there is a no I do not but there is a uh somewhat of an invoice that was presented here um and it says that there's a policy
005update publication description with CD at 350 what what that is is that every year after legislative session they provide policy and they make sure that each district that that is a member can get it at a at a pretty cut rate. So, that's a pretty good deal. And so, we want to make sure those things are part of the contract that we actually renew for next year. Uh because this is a legislative session and you're going to get a lot of those new policies that need to be plus we still have our we're we're finishing up our policy contract with them now. That's going to probably already be part of it. Uh so once we finalize all the policies that we're uh we're that we're updating now um it's going to that's going to be
006part of but that's that yearly $350 uh dish that you'll get with all the policies on it you know which is pretty bargain when you when you think about it you know and non you know legislative years that yeah I see they're actually not charging us when I see it here it's a dollar amount but it's not being charged but then I see uh board book at $3,000 that's added. So I think that might be some of the importance I mean and that's one of the things we're going to be shifting to is board book uh and Kate supports that as well and that's just electronic way of doing the work of the board and and supporting administrative work in connecting all those things together. So yeah, again, and that's and I'm glad you're looking
007at that because some of the things that that we're going to be trans, you know, really working towards moning on is what we do in the business to streamline the services that we provide and and expedite things as part of what CA is trying to push school boards and school districts to be able to do. Uh, and it's they're adding those those features into the membership. Thank you for that. Yeah. So I get that the total it will be 28,95 according to this. Yes. Right over here. I heard 25 but I never heard them say talking about the the hear the added fees that we want to include. Thank you. Is there a motion to bring the full board? uh make a motion to is the word right here toward the copy of that be
008the full board uh the fiscal year 2025 K membership so I'll move to the full board the cave membership for 2025 to be presented and move forward for vote for the full board with uh for the contract of 28,95 I'll Second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. I. All right. Um. Next item on agenda and file for girls to the pole board continuation agreement for the SEO climate programming the catalyst and it's for barn school for the military academy and D bar school. So, I'll give it over Miss Clark. Um, first up is going to be Varna. Uh, their um contract with Catalyst former Rise app, which is what would have been on um last year's agenda, which is why this is referenced as continuing. It is to continue their restorative practices
009facilitator. Um that is actually coming out of the commissioner's network. It's $87,823. It's a standard con subcontract document that you've seen in the past. No additional changes were needed. Uh the budget is built by the catalyst team and it's providing services as expected. We do have um Mark here and also I believe the representative from part of the event if you have any questions or they can provide some information how the program has gone or the service has gone over the last year. Any members, do you have a question? Yes. I'm just trying to get because nothing was printed out. I'm just trying to get you set bar right. Thank you. And what is that price consist of or what is it of where do we get from to that number? So the cost benefit
010um into into the contract is for the staffing for a social worker including her benefits. It does not include division and other kinds of works which is for the staff of the soldi worker that's here and there's only once correct correct and that's including that's the total or that's including uh is that all inclusive meaning a friend that's everything that's everything yeah salary and benefit that's something thank you missa do you have any questions on the catalyst program. No, I actually went read them last night and I did they were mentioning restorative practices. Is that different than the roles that were eliminated um in the in the 30 million um budget cuts that we had a few weeks ago or is this different? I was having trouble like distinguishing the title. [Music] Is is the
011restorative practice that are included in here um different than the restorative practice that we cut already? Same thing the same thing but it's this is calculus that Mr. It's the same concept. It's just you know it may be a different version of um based on the objectives of the contract. So, it's it's all pretty much same. And we're we're going to be doing a a district-wide focus on restorative practices techniques across the district next year. Uh but remember, we we also remove the restorative practices um what you call them coaches, facilitators uh in the district. So, we're going to be doing that districtwide and making sure that we can continue that uh that disciplinary focus across the district. The difference with this uh with the people that are presenting tonight is that these these people
012were funded through either commissioner network or the school improvement grants. Perfect. Thank you for that. That was going to be my followup question. Where's the money coming from? Thank you. Yesterday was going to be my followup. So all particular grant fun school improvement grant commissioner at the county. Thank you. Yeah, that was my initial question as well. Um but these these monies could be spent on something else but they got to be spent in that specific school. So we're not we're not over we're not over the people we just terminate usually unfortunately put significance have no impact on them. Um and first thing not too many do minor thing the date contracts needs to be updated and I've got a question about page eight B mediation I I think they're all there and it'll be
013the same question throughout all the mediation now we're going through arbitration why why Why don't we just hold it to binding arbitration rather than possibly incur the expense for the next step? Yes, I know that every time I see it city um we can certainly ask yeah because and also the rider that we got to split the expense. We would I think it would cut down on needless arbitration if we could get a writer of the losing party for the bill of the mediation. It's just a question and suggestion throughout basically all contracts I think it would be a good fence to avoid unnecessary expenditures on the chair. I think one of the things that guys we we take this through legal we we we balance it out city attorneys regarding contractual things that we
014correct uh and so I'm not a lawyer so I would prefer to allow our legal team to you know advise us if we need to kind of change but you can take uh the suggestions and be able to kind of have that conversation as we move forward as contracts but that's pretty much in standard in all of contracts. That's I would I would prefer to, you know, that's something that most of us as educators won't even get into. I would prefer that they advise and and push us to change, delete, add whatever we do in the contractual pieces of it. Right. As Miss Clark said, I asked this question before, but I don't believe I ever actually received a response. Several years ago, actually. Oh, sorry. Yeah, because this has been the the general language.
015Um I'm scanning my brain as to the resolution but again that's been standard in in I will ask that's all Mr. Medina I just want to make sure it was pointed out did anybody take a note of the uh it was in a portal because like Mr. scholar said the dates are not matching. You've given us a a document here and that is expiring on on 6:30 and 25. So this doesn't reflect what we want to push forward to the board whatsoever. Oh, it does. It does. Well, why is this contract what I see here is dated from 71 20.4 and it's going to end fiscal year full contract end 63025. And then it says budget fiscal year FY 2425 I think. Isn't this an extension? That's what we're voting for for next year or
016this is No, this is this is to complete this year. So the issue that we same thing we had last Sorry, I need you to speak a little. I really can't hear. I'm sorry. I think that's my log know that. Um so the issue that we have particularly for this is that we have to get the notice of award from the state particularly these grants were approved later the services began because it's a continuation and that's why we're continue with a later contract. So they haven't got paid for the work that they've been doing through all this year or you trying what you're trying to understand. Correct. Appreciate that. We I apologize for that. Yes. And that's okay because I think it's there was a there was a delay on a lot of the funding
017in those particular school improvement grants. You know, we got the notification late. They approved it late. And so now we're just trying to make sure that we take care of our obligations financially to the people that have been providing his services to the district. So absolutely good feed services. Absolutely. Thank you for your grace. Absolutely. Thank you. You know, Mr. Um I just want to be sure you know we clarify for the work and you know because that Mina said about the date we don't want later you know policy thing change we got new laws and what we going through they don't say oh you guys never change the date and time so I don't be sure you know that part is clear and my question for you how come they said they um they
018never get paid why the reason they never get paid because they have to contract they have a contract so so once they contract their appeals that are waiting will be able to process. So for these cases, their notice of award from the state, which we can't issue an actual contract for services until we get those delay and that was actually the same grants. So all of these are just coming together again in the f it's the same thing that happened to us last year recall. Um this is the last cycle grants and this is the end of this period of the commission group. Uh the expectation is that we're not going to be in the situation. We say that every year. I really believe that next year we won't as we're having all these other
019discussions. Um but it's unfortunately a situation we found ourselves in and it's been going on for a period of time. Not just this year, last year and the year before was the same as well. And again, I extend well grace to the catalyst team because they do understand what the situation is and coming to provide your services as expected from the students. Thank you. I have a question on following questions. Um, thank you for providing uh services on spec basically. Um when when this they would have done their final approvals in December, later December into January and at the time they were going through lots of other discussions. It just was not worth to make sure that we were able to get all the things in. Yes. And it's it seems very strange to a
020contract with two months left. Yeah. No, not even. And just we're not discussing that today, but even our alliance grant that wasn't approved until like February, March. We were put into a very awkward situation with a lot of Thank you. Is there a motion to bring us toward my sheets together where I can help you? I'm going to do each one individually. You want to do bar. Okay. Can I make a motion to move uh or to the full board the continuation agreement of SEAL/Climate programming with Catalanist CT at Barnum School. I'll second it um for the debate. All in favor say I speak to the rest. I was going to wrap it in the board. I I passes. You make the motion to say it again. Oh, we're not going to go to contract.
021Make sure or the same. I'll make it I'll make it motion for to move to the full board a continuation agreement of seal/climate programming with catalyst Connecticut at Bridgeport Military Academy. I'll second. Any question on that one? All in favor say I. I. Any oppos? Are we doing that? Sure. I make a motion move to the full board uh continuation agreement with climate programing with Canada and Dunar School. I'll second. Any further question on that one? All in favor say I. I. Passes. Thank you guys. It'll go to the floor on Tuesday. Uh the next item is the presentation of the updated district or angle chart from Dr. Good afternoon everybody. I have copies. It's not it's not on the organizational chart, but it's I want to do a precursor to what you have in
022front of you right now. One of the things that is should be happening over the next couple weeks is that we I am going to be considering u providing uh this district organization structure of what we do and how we do our business in in public schools. And what I've done for you today is I've provided you with um a couple of different organizations of DIS districts around us. I want you to kind of take a peek at how some districts organize their school systems and working through it that way. In addition to that, I've given you two copies of some research documents regarding best practices in central office staffing structures and best practice for central office structure and restructuring. Uh we're going to need to be able to um go through that process and
023understand the research behind how districts are organized. Uh, and so I just wanted to give you guys a foreshadowing of some of the things that I I'm looking to to to be able to do. uh and so I will in the future I will bring back to uh this committee first and then we'll take it to the full board uh a a a new glimpse of what I feel we can do uh with the the limited position that we have left in central office. So I want to make sure I can kind of you know work through all of that. So that's really that's really my presentation just to let you guys understand that I am going to be bringing something to the board. Uh that's why you didn't have I worked on this all
024this afternoon going to websites getting some some additional things that you can look at uh as you you know we I presented a tentative uh organizational chart this past I think it was December when I took took on the interim superintendent position as we looked at uh the first round of uh cost-saving measures that I presented to the board. I also presented to you guys a an organizational chart there that is the current organizational chart that we have. Uh and but since then we've cut a lot of positions. Uh just a couple weeks ago, we we cut an initial nine positions uh that when I bring back the new organization chart, I'll show you some of the things and some of and and I'm trying to make sure it's it's as as cost neutral as
025possible. Uh and making sure that you can see the savings that I anticipated that we were going to save as well in that last round of of cuts for central office. again. So, it just this is just really food for thought today. I'm not going to go into any rationale behind anything. I just wanted to make sure that I gave you some reading materials. You guys always want that you want to know. So, I want you to kind of dive deep in and see the structure of um districts that are smaller than Richmond public schools. We have the largest school district in Connecticut. And if we don't change the way we've organized and we function on the financial side of the house, on the administrative side of the house, on the academic side of the
026house, and on the operational side of the house, we're never going to change what we do uh for and how we impact academic progress in schools. But I think that I think the the research behind how that works is very intricral. Uh, and so I'm giving you some documents. I need for you to give me some input on when you go through reading those documents, you know, so we can have I'll have individual conversations with you guys. Uh, and and we're going to have a deep conversation about what I feel this district needs. And it's my it's my professional opinion when I bring it to you. Uh, you can agree or disagree. That's okay as well. But I think it's healthy for boards and superintendents to really understand how to do the work. We have
027to really I don't think we're going to get much more money from the state, guys. And if I don't plan to restructure based on the current cuts that we had, even this last $30 million cut, if I don't restructure and I don't change the way people think about this, not my job, so I can't do it. people are gonna have to be they have to multitask. They have to, you know, understand how HR works with finance, with operations and and and sometimes we're going to have to do two or three different types of jobs to get the job done, right? And that's okay, you know, but we we all got to do it together. And I think we are I think we're ready. Uh we just have to have some guidance. And the organizational chart
028is is a way you guide that work in a district. And so I just need your mindsets to be with me. And this is what I've I've already researched. I've read the research. I've done a few organizational pieces. Uh and I'm going to try to kind of rightsize the organization to be able to, you know, especially when you guys set your goals, you know, and the things that you guys want done. We the organization has to map that out based on the things that you you you you set forth for me as a superintendent and then me for my campuses and and the the the campus and district improvement plans. Those things are all part of how the organization hovers over those things to make improvements. So, uh and that's pretty much my presentation for
029you, Madam Chair. And um I'll take any questions. question. Yes. But um so out of all of this, is there any specific recommendations that you're providing tonight or is that coming at a later time? It's coming at a later time. I I just want you to kind of see how some structures uh at the bottom of the page I'll put the number of kid number of students that they serve so that you can kind of understand even with this district here in front of you Waterberry we're bigger than Waterberry you know but you look at how they structure their their system in order to take care of 18,000 kids but then when you see our structure it's going to be totally different because we just don't have the luxury to do and have the number
030of people that they had. So what do we do? We have to figure out the people in that division that can do the work that we have to do. We got to do the work regardless of how many people we have in the district, right? So we have to understand how you blend that out. And you have to also understand districts have people that are certified to do certain things and you have to have people above them that have to supervise them in order to evaluate them. There's some positions we have in the district that they can't they can't evaluate any instructional any academic people because these people are governed by the unions which are also governed by certification. And if you don't have a higher certification than the person that you supervised, you can't
031supervise them. So it's it's it's an intricral part, but that's my job to be able to make sure these people are able to be tiered enough to be able to supervise what we do. Thank you, Mr. Medina. Thank you. We're good. Um, yeah, that's kind of weird. So, I'm the first one to say we need a leader administration. Not that we should have a legal administration, but we need to. I mean, some people sitting in this room, I suggested that there positions be eliminated because of the experience we had. I mean, that's not saying that these jobs aren't necessary. They obviously necessary think all these local districts have what we're doing is necessarily I think concern right side because that that it's not it's not it's not really accurate to say we're right sizing them
032we're detonating our administrative rights which are necessary but when we got to choose whether to cut off an arm or a leg but basically treating the arm and This is the situation we're put in. Before before last year, I was able to make the argument each and every year. I'm already aware of all this that we had the leanest administration in the entire state of Connecticut on people racist the leanest. And yeah, over the last year that may have shifted, but it didn't really shift too far even with all the hiring, which we shouldn't have shouldn't have been adding to subtract in the first place. But that's a whole other story. Because when a governor and the mayor comes in and say they're wasting money on all these highly paid administrators to throw smoke on
033their failure to fully fund our budget and you look at these I I would love to see these posted on right next to our organizational chart on our website what we got versus what they got and to hear the states coming in here because we are spending our money recklessly when we are in survival mode. There's districts that they got homeless outreach director. There's districts with a director of um outreach for community that even looking at you got several directors here we don't have um and and it's disenheartening to hear and I agree with your assessment. I don't think there's much coming out of um I don't think there's much coming out of parking. I don't think there's much coming out of the city because they're leaving us defending ourselves and they already they already
034got into arguments. or already the narrative is they're not spending the money for us. That tells you that signals that they don't want to give up that they want to put their failures at the feet of the district. We need the money to function. We need the same people amount as grants to function. I I know there's nothing you can do about this budget definitely bears the chair. Well, I think I I I understand your argument, you know, but I'm the type of person I don't sit around thinking about that. I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do to help this district. That's my job. That's what you're paying me to do. And I I I don't I don't deal with negativity very well, but I I I know what the state's going
035to do. I know what the city's going to do, but I ain't worried about them. I'm worried about what my team is going to be able to do with the look that we had. And we fight every day to try to keep smile on our face to be able to do this work. And sometimes, you know, it's it's we we got to be able to to to ease up on this a little bit to we we got your best interest. We got every member board member around this table. We got your best interest. You gota you gota you gota give us an opportunity to to do with the little that we have because it's a little you know and it's disheartening because it is it's that way but I still feel we're going to fight
036with that little bit and we're going to do what what's important for kids and our kids are going to rise and then we're going to say see you see what you didn't give us but we did it anyway. That's what I want this team and you guys part of my team. That's what I want you to understand because it's not we're trying to do and get one. We're not trying to get that over on anybody. It is it's it's just that I just don't like distractions. I'm trying to keep everybody on track to get this thing done. But I'm going to I'm going to provide you with an organizational chart that's going to be lean and mean. Uh and it's going to help us be successful with what we have. And I think that's what
037I want you guys to be proud of. I want you to be able to to let's do something different in this district for the kiddos. And I mean, I had a pretty bad day today, you know, but I'm trying to be very positive about, you know, because I heard today that we're not getting anything, you know, and it's disheartening to me that we you go and fight, you smile, you shake hands, you do what you got to do, but for what, you know, and it's just it's just Yeah. But I'm not going to let that distract me. It's here. We're here. We got a good plan ahead of us. you know, I think the state still is going to support us. Uh, but they need they need to see a leader that's going to keep
038everybody together. And that's my job, you know, and I'm going to do my due diligence to make that happen, you know, but it's just, you know, it's we have good days and bad days, but it's one of those things where we'll wake up tomorrow, we're g we're going to fight the fight and and my team knows I tell them all the time, it's like, hey, it's okay. We're gonna make it work. But but this is going to be very important. So in the next couple of weeks, um we'll be, you know, bring it back to you. I may even shoot it to you in an email said, "Hey, here's what I'm looking at. Give me your thoughts and uh and let's make this bad baby work." And um go from there. So again, that's that's
039what I I you make a good point, Mr. So I appreciate that. And I know you know we've had side conversations, too. So I 100% support your mission to do the best you can under the constraints that you won't be forced upon to relive but make no mistake that yeah we we all expect you to do the best you can expect our students to try to succeed but you're being put in an impossible situation make no mistake that I will keep raising up that our children will be would be being physically abused and neglected by the state of Connecticut and the city of Bridgeport and unless we keep raising that up and keep taking that news as people I understand you're superintendent that's not this that's not your role roles and responsibility it's my role
040to be that it's the board role to beat that room it's your role to exit and deal with the money you got and bring us the best advice we can under those constraints but uh that it's our role to fight to get that money there there's no way shape or form that I allows it that accept this to my community for my community league without speaking out and without raging against the machine in the because this is it. It's unacceptable but we are totally again supporting and I don't want you to feel like you know Mr. Thank you, Madam Chair. I know we have something like this similar right Joe that's never finished well on the west I'm very glad to bring it down very and I agree and I again I agree with you
041um very nobody can say we never did nothing nobody can say we tried nobody can say for nobody was we did so many things you know problem emails meetings uh we bring the kids May 8th We bring uh uh told the team the day the night team over there nobody can say we never did we never tried. So now people from Bridgeburg they cannot point us that we never did they need to point the people from the state people from Hartford if they don't want to give money for our kids because not us it's for our kids to be sure our kids you know have better future you know you know and present but this is something that we always fight for years and I know I have um Mr. The rest have the news
042from 1952 1952 and they have the pro they still always fight in bridge fight for better education funding the bridge public school this isn't something we start now and this is something they always put bridge on the side that I make me more upset that another towns get more money because they have state rep they support that town and my question is and I always say this and for the record where they are state me to send Bridgeport the one they said they're going to take care of Bridgeport public school because I don't forget things trust me I don't forget things and they know I don't want people they say I got you I got you up there no I want actions I want them bring you know what what we want what our kids
043deserve and you know Dr. for the first time when you hear and I'm going to keep saying and people think you don't like it. That's going to keep saying thank you for everything you do. You never give up. You can be another person say I'm out of here. This is a mess. I'm not going to get stressed. But you say no, I'm here. I'm going to do it for Bridgeport. You I'm going to do it for the parent. I'm going to do it for the student for everything. Not only you, Kevin. Amazing. You see the email I sent for everyone that today. You know, I take out my all of you. This is not easy. Not as always I say that we can make the difference. Thank you. Regina waiting for the board. Um well
044we look forward to I don't know if we look forward to the we try to um we will continue this discussion um at a future date. Like I said, it's not something we look forward to in terms of this reorganization, but um yeah, so if there's no further question on this item, this will come back to committee in a couple weeks. Um um the the the next item is just adjourning. So anyone wants to journ at 612? Thank you very