Finance Committee Meeting of PSRC Board of Education: 5/6/26

001All right, we'll get this meeting started. It's our finance committee meeting. We are going to open up the meeting by doing a moment of silence, please. Thank you, Miss Erica. When you're ready, get us started. Madam Chair, before Erica get started, I want to say that this budget process started for us in August. We started having conversations about our needs and how can we reduce budget. So, it's been ongoing and that'll be pretty evident tonight when we look at the information with that. And then I just want to say again to Erica, thank you one for and as a cabinet, we met every month almost on the budget, but thank you Erica for your knowledge and for your leadership and helping us to understand the budget and and following all that. You're going to see

002an outstanding presentation tonight, Miss Fields, that I think answers on the questions that you sent and be part of of this process and we do ask that any questions stop for clarification. I've asked the cabinet to chime in. Um, again, we've been ongoing all year with that. Erica, >> good evening, Chairman Fields, Chairman Britt, and board members and Dr. Williamson. I hope you'll indulge me for just a minute. Um, since it is teacher appreciation week, I've seen we have a a post that asks people to say who their favorite teacher is. So, I I had many favorite teachers. Miss Jennifer Williams, my kindergarten teacher, Miss Carolyn Pedikin, my um algebra teacher in high school, but my favorite was Miss Mary Davenport at Fair Grove Elementary. She was my fifth grade teacher and love her to

003this day. Took my children to her home after long after I graduated. um to trick-or- treat and she's always had a special place in my heart. So, thank you for that. >> Erica, now you do realize all your other teachers are listening. >> I know. >> And my husband's a teacher, so I didn't name him either, but he is well, he's my favorite, too. [laughter] >> But I they do an outstanding job and teachers really make a difference. Um we all know that and see that and I hope they truly have felt that um this week and and every week. I know it's a struggle um but we do appreciate everything and they do touch the lives of many children. I wanted to start by reading um the superintendent's budget message and then we'll get

004right into the 2526 budget. So the proposed budget message is actually for the planning for next year and it reads, "Dear Chairman Britt and members of the public schools of Robinson County Board of Education, I respectfully present the 2627 superintendent's proposed budget and request county appropriations to support the continued success of the public schools of Robinson County. The backdrop we are facing going into the new budget season is no federal planning budget. So as I stand here before you, this is not part of the message. This is me talking. As I stand here today, we still have not received federal planning aotments for next school year. We were supposed to receive them by the end of Monday, May the 4th, but we still do not have them in hand. No state budget benefit increases, insurance

005premium increases, decreasing ADM, transportation cost increases, EC services increase, contracted services increase, and local revenue has not aligned with increases requiring cuts. Robinson County has long recognized that strong public schools are essential to a thriving community. This community sustained investment in public education has helped build one of the most successful school systems in North Carolina. One that attracts families, supports a strong workforce, and contributes to the economic vitality and quality of life that define Robinson County. This year's budget arrives amid considerable uncertainty. The financial environment facing our school district is shaped by several factors beyond our control, including rising operational costs and evolving federal and state funding. >> Excuse me, Miss Erica. I'm sorry, Terry. Brother, Mr. Terry has a question and I'm trying to figure out the >> I was just wondering if someone

006could um email me the documents, please. >> Can you email Mr. Terry the documents? >> Okay, I think Miss Melissa's going to take care of that. >> Thank you, Melissa. Okay. Including rising operational cost and evolving federal and state funding conditions. At the same time, our community continues to expect and our students deserve the high level of educational opportunities, so they will be future ready. We continue to face challenges due to the underfunding of public schools. The state supreme court's decision to throw out the long-running educational lawsuit Leandro could eliminate a future funding source. It should be noted that PSRC serves 86% of eligible students in the county, clearly demonstrating that many of our parents see the public schools as the best option. Each year, maintaining current service levels becomes more expensive. Rising costs for

007staffing, benefits, transportation, utilities, and essential operations continue to increase pressure on the district's operating budget. We are exploring a performance contract to help address operating costs. This budget includes targeted reductions in operational adjustments to responsibly manage costs while preserving the core educational services that support teaching and learning in our schools. We recognize that every reduction affects our families, students, and the dedicated staff who serve them each day. The partnership between the Robinson County Board of Education and the Robinson County Board of Commissioners has been instrumental in building the educational opportunities available to our students today. The investments made by local allocations will help prepare students for college, careers, and civic life while strengthening the economic and social fabric of Robinson County. As you review this proposal, we appreciate your continued leadership and thoughtful consideration. Together,

008we share a common goal, ensuring that every student in PSRC has access to the opportunities and support needed to succeed in school and life. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the student, staff, and families of Robinson County. Sincerely, Dr. Freddy Williamson, Superintendent Erica Setser, Chief Finance Officer. So now we're going to move forward with the 2526 budget. And I have to start by saying this is much later than I normally submit a budget. And I do apologize for that. But as we all know, the state of North Carolina did not approve a budget this year. So, we kept waiting to see since I am responsible for implementing the budget if there would be something else that came, if there was a raise, if there was anything else that we'd have to do. So, we'd

009only have to do that work one time. And obviously, we're at the point where we're pretty sure they're not going to submit a budget. So, some of the highlights of the 2526 budget, which you have in front of you, and I recognize you're only seeing it now, but it's 58 pages that detail all the funding sources and expenditures we have in the current year. If you would take a look at the document that says PSRC 2627 planning budget, that first page summarizes everything that I have in that detailed document. So the total budget we're looking at for 2526, thank you Cole, is $341 million. The bulk of that almost 57% is from our state public school fund, 7.28% from current expense, 13.34 from federal programs, 15.68 68 capital outlay and 7% in capital outlay. I'm

010sorry, in enterprise funds, you know, capital outlay is higher. That is a much higher number than we normally experience because of the school we're building right now. So, we have a huge increase in our capital budget. Capital budget normally runs anywhere between 10 and 13 million, but we're at 53 million this year because of the expenses included for the career and technical education school. Erica, if you would for the public, uh, define enterprise. >> Enterprise are what we consider, uh, funding sources that have to be self- sustaining. So, all the revenue that they take in, they have it has to be responsible for all of their expenses. That would specifically include the child nutrition department, shining stars preschool, and the prime time program or our before and after school care funds. And again, this is

011why all of our students are on community uh C where they get free and reduce I'm sorry, they get free breakfast and lunch. And so we always anytime anybody ask about enterprise, I always want to take that as an opportunity to encourage our students to get a meal at school. Please get that meal. That's the only way we get reimbursed. Um so participation is key at all of our locations and the meal is free. So please pick it up. and that is the only way that we get continue to get reimbursed. Also, that federal reimbursement rate doesn't necessarily keep up with the rising salary and benefits costs that the state of North Carolina implements. So, that's another reason why we stress um that Michelene um and her staff do a great job. We just heard

012an audit there last month. Um but as I said, those two don't necessarily match. So food rising food costs and the salaries impact her budget but she has to be responsible there for covering all the costs with the revenue brought in. I also included in the summary I like to break it down by purpose and object. I won't necessarily go over that unless anybody wants me to specifically, but that just shows you what areas that the budget spent on instructional versus um systemwide and so forth. Most almost 61% goes to direct instruction that um for classroom instruction and student facing services by object. We I know it's always important to know the salary and benefit breakdown versus contracted services and other expenses. And then on that summary page, you also see the changes to our

013ADM within the last six years. So beginning in 202122 we were at 20,961. We experienced a slight increase in 23 24 but cons after every year there's been a a considerable drop and projection for next year which I'll get in more detail once we go to the planning version for next year is an additional 440 students. So that represents slightly over a 2% reduction for us as we're looking into next year. Some of the highlights of the no budget that occurred this year with the state of North Carolina. There were no across the board pay raises. Employees were only eligible to receive a step increase. So obviously there were employees who did receive one and employees who didn't. If anybody knows what the teacher pay scale looks like right now, step 15 through step 24

014are the exact same pay. So any teacher that falls within that area did not experience a pay increase um in their checks at all this year. Another thing u that was implemented this year for our teachers that began with their December paycheck was the state health plan began charging premiums based on a salary range. So all the employees in PSRC pay a different amount for the same health insurance based on their salary band that they fall into. So there's no longer a flat amount um depending on if you're single with family and or dependent. It also varies based on your salary and that will continue as long as the state health plan implements that. That was new for this year as well. So, not only do we have employees who didn't see a pay raise,

015they actually saw more money coming out of their check for a covered benefit. The retirement match, Miss Erica, Dr. Emanuel has a question. >> Will you hit your mic? Dr. Emanuel. [clears throat] >> All right. Give me There we go. next time. Okay, >> thank you. >> It's on now, Dr. Man. >> Okay, I This is for clarification. Regardless of the years experience that teachers have in our district, regardless of the steps, we don't have to pay. the state automatically pays for that. In other words, there's nothing off our bill. In other words, if we whatever you submit our teachers, excuse me, number of years experience, the steps it we're not penalized. The state automatically pays that. Is that correct or not? Correct. >> That is correct to an extent. That's a correct up to

016the number of positions we have. And they don't even call it positions anymore. We now converted this year to days. So we have to track teachers salaries by days now. But it used to be one position. It didn't matter if that teacher was at the step zero at 41,000 or at masters with 30 years at 59,720. It was it just cost us one position. That's that part's correct. But we only are allotted so many positions. And we do have um some uh schools that have positions out of dollar aotments like lowealth or DSSF and those do cost us but if they are in a position aotment the state is going to cover that but if they're in a dollar a lotment we have to make that work within that budget and they devel the state

017broke out O1. So we don't only have 01 now we also have O4. So they wanted to be able to track resource teachers at the K5 level separately. That's new within the last two years. Everybody used to be lumped into O1, but now we have O1 and O4 because there was a push at one time to be able to see the resource teachers separately. And resources defined as PE, art, dance, music, and world language. >> U so that's the reason at one point in time they would try to get the cheapest teacher out of Title One. That's correct. Other words, the one with one year experience, two year and etc, etc., etc. >> That's correct. >> Okay. >> And also as we look, which as I've indicated, we don't have federal planning, but if the

018state gives a 5% increase and the benefits raise by 5%. The f our federal a lotment is not going to change. The federal allocation does not change based on what the state of North Carolina does. So, we also have to account for any changes that state implements because we obviously have to treat all employees the same. But we're not going to get any additional funds in our federal a lotments to to implement that. >> One more followup and I'll be finished. Okay. When we do our I for lack of I don't remember tell me the right name instruction on what coaches. Okay. What funds are they paid out of? >> Instructional U coaches are paid out of PRC1. >> What does that mean? the where the classroom teachers are paid from the position aotment. So

019they're covered by a position. >> So okay, thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. >> If if I may, Dr. Emanuel, and I know there's some conversation around our academic coaches in your package uh placed for you to show why we need that. Jamal, can you identify that why that position is so critical for us? >> And while Jamal is doing that, Mr. Terry said he doesn't have his documents yet. Miss Melissa, did you >> They just came in. >> Okay. >> And I apologize. Uh Dr. Ler, I um didn't consider who was not going to be remote. I'm sorry. We'll do better. >> It's okay. Good. Thank you. Good afternoon everyone. Um chairman um Christy Hills and board members in your pack I have listed um I've given you a chart with our beginning teachers um

020who have um the list of beginning teachers from 2024 to and this year is 2526. And it's very important you see that number because you'll see that in last school year we had a 406 beginning teachers. Of that 46 BM teachers, 281 had alternate license, meaning these are people who did not come in with um teaching backgrounds. They did not go to school to be teachers. This is probably their second career or another career, you know, that they've chosen. And so this year we we've seen 353 beginning teachers with teachers with alternate license. Once again, this is very important because once again, these individuals are not coming with educational backgrounds, which means they need that additional support to know how to do lesson planning, data walks, um data meetings, um internalizing lesson plans. They need

021that additional support for that. Um and you see with our district, um our size, we are having a lot of beginning teachers who don't have that teacher background that need that additional support. So, I want to make sure I included that particular um information in your um sheet so you be aware of what we're dealing with and the level of support that we have to provide to our teachers in our buildings each day. And furthermore, I want to say this last thing. Um we're going through our beginning teacher of the year of nominations. And as I was going through his nominations, every single beginning teacher commented on the level of support that they've been provided their first year. And they were so thankful for those academic coaches walking through, showing them how to do lesson

022plans, showing them how to do data meetings, showing them how to be that that support classroom management, things of that nature. Um doing um separate individualized meetings with them and coaching with them. every last person who are going through that teacher um um of the year process spoke to that. And so that just and that's also been our selling piece with new teachers coming to our district that we tell them that you have a person in your building who will support you. um as we've been doing our meetings with UNCCTP the brave scholars that's one thing they look forward to hear and they talk about and they ask questions about our our um the guaranter support and that's been a major selling piece for PSRC for the past several years is that we have a

023person dedicated in that building to support our beginning teachers and once again this data shows you why that those individuals are so important to us. >> Dr. Carl if you will please. So if you remember, we changed from mentors that we had that was restricted in terms of what they could do to the academic coaches and with no restriction. Talk about what they do and we're able to just we've gained so much by having them and changing from mentors to academic coaches. >> So as academic coaches, what we have is somebody that walks side by side with every teacher. So, it allows them to go into classrooms and work with teachers directly to model for them in the classroom what it [clears throat] should look like if I'm a struggling teacher, if I need behavior

024support, how do I handle behaviors in the classroom, how to write a lesson plan. They meet with them weekly for data meetings and lesson planning meetings so that they can look at their data and determine what do they need to change in their instruction to meet the needs of their kids. So, it's somebody that really spends the time to say, "What do you need?" and also what am I observing in your classroom that's going on so I know how to better help you and so they're really that partner in those classrooms with a lot of our teachers and a lot of times they even end up with you know sometimes we have subs they'll write lesson plans they'll jump in and teach a group of kids so we have k um academic coaches that are

025actually doing intervention groups on top of coaching the teachers so they're really part of that community to help work along and sometimes co-e with our teachers so by just not being a mentor that somebody that can just check in once in a while, they're able to every day step into those classrooms and help support them. Um, and they also help them with testing. So, you think about amplify testing, read to achieve testing, they're part of that community to help them understand and they're also the part um because they come monthly to us, they help us roll out professional development. So, if there's something new coming down, like for example, we know the new standards are coming for ELA and we'll all be trained in June. Our coaches are vital to help us then train them

026so they can roll it out into all 36 buildings. >> Dr. Carr, Mr. Terry has a question. >> Sure. >> So, I'm looking at this um the ADM trends and it's my understanding that um that uh we used to have 23 24,000 in in the system. So, how is this uh this trend or or this decline in our ADM impacting our uh average class sizes? Because um we've got to have a lower number of students per teacher, you know, than we had years ago. >> I mean, so I do have the information. If you look at the historical budget data, I show what our ADM has been from 9798 forward and at the height in the tw uh 1999 2000 school year, PSRC had 24,000 students. I don't know if anybody presently has average class

027size from this year to that year, but the trends have been smaller over the last five years. So the average class size has not changed much then but I would imagine if we compared it to that year when there was 24 you would see a change and Mr. Jamal can speak >> and so to your point Dr. Terry um and uh Miss Erica is also going to speak to this component to your question about um the ADM um decrease as relates to teachers. So as the ADM decrease, our funding aotment also decreases as well. And so as we meet each year, the projected up enrollment um comes out and we have to make adjustments and begin to see based off of this um our allocation, can we um continue those positions and usually the state

028reduces our um teacher a lotment due to our ADM. Um also Dr. and the school board members, we got to remember K3 is under a statemandated class size requirement. So, um, kindergarten, you can have a cap of 18 with a max of three additional students. First grade, you have a cap of 16 with the additional three students you can have. And second and third grade, you have a cap of 17 with an additional three at the most students. So you have to abide by at least um statemandated K3 high or class size cap. [snorts] So you know when when you're looking at any reductions or you're looking at um class size um reductions whatever those are areas you cannot touch and you try to avoid touching as much as possible. Um and so but yes

029to your point when there is an ADM reduction the state does do a decrease in teacher aotment which are 01 positions. Um those are not those are not things that we do as a district. Those are coming from the state. So they're saying if your ADM has dropped we are reducing your allocation by such amount of teachers. We're not funding that. So that's very important for us to understand that is a state thing. That's not a district thing. >> I want to add to that. So historically in the past you had private schools and church schools. That was it. But now obviously you have charter schools opportunity scholarships all of that add to so the decline does not necessarily mean it's choice which which I support 100% because we need to be the best option

030what we study all year is our decline and and it's happening across this state we serve 86.34% of the eligible students in this county in our public schools. That is one of the highest rates in the state. And so while we see that decline, we know why, but we're still serving majority of our students. >> And the other information when we get the reduction in the ADM, it's not always isolated in certain groups. I'm sorry. I apologize. Dr. Emanuel, >> wait, can you turn on your microphone? I got traded. Did you have a question first? >> Okay. I'm sorry y'all. >> Dr. Emanuel, >> uh to Mr. Terry's point, high school would be sort of different. Uh you may have some classes with nine in it. You may have some classes with 10. Students select

031what they take. And then the core courses like English, they're usually full because they got to take it. So high school's still a different animal when you come to sizes. Thank you. >> Mr. Jamal, this question may is for you, but mainly so you may need to step back up there and answer it. Um, right now in the public school of Robinson County, how many vacancies do we have far as teachers? >> As of today, we have 56 vacancies. 56 vacancies. Now, this 19 number that we have right here, is that coming from the state based off our ADN? >> Correct. >> So, that is coming from the state. How many academic coaches do we have in this county? >> 29. >> Thank you, Miss Bills. >> Mr. Craig. Thank you. Uh just a general

032comment and Miss Erica, you might can help me with this. Uh I know we talked about the enrollment going down and uh month or so ago I'd asked for a number for our students that were in charter, private, wherever they were and and the number was like 1,500. If you look on the historical budget data sheet that I provided, >> okay, >> and look on page one, >> that shows the budget breakdown over the last few years towards the bottom, it shows the breakdown of PSRC, charter, private, and home schools. And it shows the percentage for 2526. >> Okay. And then I hadn't looked through that. I had got that sheet. >> It's 1586 is what the number of charter for the this current school year. And so, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. >>

033No, that's not my my my only comment was like it was 1500 or so that's gone to those schools and then it shows how many what our population is. So, yes, we've lost students to those schools, but there's just students. People are not here as much. I mean, that's my opinion. I might be wrong. >> So, our birth rate >> birth rate whatever statistically statistic is down is down. So, it's not like we've lost 3,000 to 4,000 students. We have, but we lost 1,500 of them to these various schools. And then you got the people's just not here. So, that's a different way of loss, just in my opinion. And um I know you had sent that. I hadn't looked at it on here yet, but I just wanted to point that out. >> And

034also um the charter students are not just restricted to the charter schools that are in Robinson County. We send um county appropriations to 15 different schools um and only three of them are located in Robinson County. We also have virtual charters that have um some of our students. And again, as Dr. Williamson mentioned, there used to be a cap on charters and since that um cap has been pretty much eliminated, that has additional charters have been implemented. And we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Keeping up with my documents to the slideshow is not one of mine. So I apologize ahead of time, but we're we're going to try. Mr. Trey has a question. >> Question piggybacking on Mr. Craig's comment because he brought up some. Is the number available to us of how many

035leave to go to charter schools that actually come back in to the public schools of Robinson County? Is there a >> I don't I don't I don't know. >> Was just curious. I think Dr. Lachler has a Dr. Lair. >> Yeah, if you don't mind, I I just want to point out that I also think it's interesting that we have uh 386 students in private schools and over a thousand that's doing homeschooling. So, between homeschooling and private schools, that's almost as much as the charter. And I did want to point out that I got that information from my future NC um and the private may actually represent homes and not students there. So there might be more students associated there but the only data that I could find was homes. Okay. So, I believe we

036were still going through the budget summary um and what has or has not happened with the budget in this school year in 2526. Um I'm not sure if I talked about the retirement matching change from 2404 to 24.67% and hospitalization increase from 8,95 to 8,500. So, what that means is we have a dollar budget. We have to find those funds. Um and that's the matching we pay per person for their retirement and for um their hospital insurance. So as that increases, we have to all lot those funds to cover those differences. >> And Miss Erica, is it true that the state is going to switch from Etna back to Blue Cross Blue Shield? Has that decision been made yet? >> The only decision that I'm aware of that has been made is the state is

037not going to continue with Etna's contract as is. they want to rebid it. Um, we have not been told that they have secured a new vendor yet, that they are going to rebid. They're not going to keep Etna during the duration of the existing contract. >> And is this the lower cost? Hopefully. >> Hopefully, hopefully. But, um, you know, we we're all waiting to see. I think we either way if they get a new provider uh it couldn't be implemented and Mr. Schwarz let me know if I'm wrong. I don't think it could be implemented until January of 2028 regardless of what happens. Is that date correct? >> I believe that's correct, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. >> Right. Right. But we're we're just hearing about a lot of changes. Um, nothing

038that I'm saying has happened yet, but the state uh, health board meets and they have discussed changing the way they um, pay out for doctors. They've talked about doing a preferred and non-preferred plan where the the plan would pay out based on the doctor that you go to. Um, of course, right now they have the lantern system in place where if you're having non-emergency surgeries, it will be covered, but you can't control which doctor. You have to call in and see if your doctor. So, that would be like maybe you have to have knee surgery, shoulder surgery. There's a list, but all employees should have received information from Lantern. I haven't heard from anybody who's used that yet to see if that is helpful, but um there's been a lot of interest in that. But

039right now only thing we've been hearing is of course nobody wants to pay more for the same type of insurance the salary bands and so forth. That's the biggest complaint and delays in payment is what we have heard with the switch to Etna. And again I you guys tell me what else like where do you want me to go with the 25? I know you're just seeing it. So, I know you may or may not have a lot of questions there. I did want to point out a couple of things. Um, if you will go to >> I do have one question, Miss Erica. >> Yes, ma'am. >> So, for the state planning aotments for 2026 2027, the it appears the classroom teacher dollar amount is decreasing by over a million dollars. >> I'm going

040to get to that one um after. >> Am I ahead of you? I'm I'm Yes, ma'am. But I we can jump there if you want. That's why I say that's not my strength is staying on the the task here. >> No, tell tell me where you are and we'll get >> I'm going through still the 2526 budget, the current budget year we're in. And I just wanted to point out um because we have talked about it before where >> uh public schools would request addition to for the county to take our sales tax money that would be coming to us anyway. We're not talking about new funds that the county would be giving us and transferring that into our current expense. So, if you'll look at page four in the 2526 school year budget document,

041I do show that and we are going to request to submit a letter to the county to ask for a transfer of $3 million from our capital outlay sales tax into our current expense. And I did want to point that out. [clears throat] >> And again, Eric, let's be clear. That is not new money. >> That is not a request for new money. That is money that would be coming to us anyway because of article 42 and 43, if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Schwarz, that's just moving buckets. We h we have to ask the county um to do the transfer if we want to move it from capital outlay to current expense, but it is not additional funding. And that is because as indicated in our um independent audit and as indicated as we've discussed

042we are at a position where we don't have a lot of fund balance or options. Um if you will look at the historical budget data on page four I show our fund balance for local over the last seven years. and page four on the PSRC historical budget data, page four. And so if we go back to 1819, we're talking about precoid. The public schools of Robinson County was in a similar position. We were in a $2 million deficit then. You can see our fund balance was only $2,93,000 in the 1819 school year. I showed the last seven years to show of course everybody knows we went through the pandemic. During that time we got PSRC received over $173 million that was used in a variety of ways. One of which meant we didn't have to

043use local funding for some positions and some overages like transportation. COVID year was the only year in my 26 year history that we did not have an overage in transportation because students weren't going to school. So, we didn't have to pay that money. So, we had $4 million in that the year that could be used to cover all the other state overages that I always talk about. So, I just wanted to show over the seven years that we increased our local fund balance by $7.6 million. Yes, we did spend 5.9 of that, but we used all of our COVID money as we should. And in the years I show why what we used in detail that fund balance on in the 2223 school year. That was the year that the state of North Carolina mandated

044we move all um minimum wage uh from $13 an hour to $15 an hour. But that was not funded based on our individual employees. The state funds that on an average. So, we had gaps there in moving all of our employees to that $15 an hour that still exists today. And I just uh thought that that information would be helpful um as we move forward in this process of having conversations with the county and to show that we were good stewards of all those funds and used all of those federal dollars first and state dollars before using um capital. And I know sometimes it seems when we don't have that conversation year to year, it gets lost and sounds like, oh, we're asking for so much money right now. But we really haven't. Over the

045last 30 years, um, our capital county appropriation has increased $3.5 million in since 1997. So, I just wanted to put that in perspective and show again the details on how those funds were used and explain we're still having these same overages as to why we're asking for that transfer. And as we move to the 26 27 planning, you'll also see there's an additional counter request. Mr. Craig has a question, Miss Erica. >> Miss Erica, you might have just answered it. So, we're asking for the 3 million, which is just a transfer. >> It's just a transfer. It's not new money. It's already money that will be coming to us. >> Now, how much new money are we asking for? >> I'm I have a >> You ain't got >> I ain't got that yet. It's

046included in my presentation. >> I got something I want passed at the very end. >> We can skip there. >> No, no, I'm fine. Go right ahead. Go right ahead. >> Okay. I want to come back to [clears throat] So, over this period of time, we increased fund balance by 7.6. >> Correct. >> At the same time, we invested 10 million plus in capital projects. >> Yes. to upgrade our schools and and that and so that's important now that that we're able to do those capital projects at the same time increase our fund balance. >> Yes, that is correct. And this particular document only details our local it does not include our capital outlay. >> Right. Any questions I can answer about um 25 26? >> I do have a question. Yes. The SRO's so

047>> did the county agree to help us offset this cost and what's if they did what's the what do we >> still waiting for funding? My understanding is the county stated that they would add new positions so we could have a person at every school. They did not indicate that they would help us with the existing SRO that are on that we are currently paying for the conversations we had including adding so we wouldn't be um without an SRO at each site. So once that conversation was out there, we made it clear that that's fine. That's additional funding for you and from you that cannot and should not be part of our current spans or our capital funding. >> Correct. >> And when we made that clear, the conversation went away. >> Bobby, talk about

048>> while Mr. Bobby's coming up. I also want to um make sure everybody understands that when we talk about the SRO's and what we reimburse the county, it's everything. So, it's not just their salary, it's all of their benefits, whatever they pay, it's their longevity, it's workers comp insurance, it's every expense that they incur for that um resource officer. So, if the county happens to give a raise, we have to reimburse that raise. So that's an increased cost for us in every year that the county and or municipalities because correct me if I'm wrong Mr. Bobby we use county of Robinson city of Lumberton town of St. Paul's and that's all but anytime any of those municipalities give their officers a raise we have to increase the amount that we pay out for those officers.

049>> Good afternoon uh Chairman Fields board members. So u that is correct. Last summer, there was a conversation among the board members at county commissioners as they were doing their planning for their budget to set aside funding for an additional 11 officers at that time. Once we started doing some calculations, uh that price tag would have exceeded a million dollars. We did send them a letter of request or support for those additional officers and as Dr. Williamson Erica indicated, that would not be additional funding to us. It would just be a set aside. And since we have sent that letter to them, it has not moved forward. >> But we're not asking them to give us a million dollars. We're asking them just to fund the positions. Is that correct? >> So it was their

050it was their intent that they would set aside an additional dollar amount and it would be excess of a million dollars to cover those 11 additional officers. >> Hold on. Mr. Craig, will you turn it to your microphone again? >> Okay, Mr. Craig. >> Uh, every what was said is exactly right. Uh, there's a conversation Dr. Emanuel and I had and then we had it with a commissioner and then I was told later on when the price come in there, the commissioners just said, "No, that's where it come from." It was just we're not going to do that. I mean, I can say it any way you want to, but they just wouldn't fund the positions because they were strictly going to be the ones funding and they turned it down. >> Bobby, if I

051may, for lack of a better uh term, our resource officers are 11 months. >> Correct. So, part of inind match, so to speak, is that that we employ them for 11 months. A month of that they serve the county totally. Right. >> Correct. >> During the summer, >> Dr. Emanuel, did you turn it on? >> Um, piggybacking on m piggybacking on Mr. Craig's conversation. I was told after the fact by a commissioner that they gave us an extra million dollars and Erica can respond to that and we could use that extra million dollars to pay for those resource officers. So on page three of the historical budget data, you will see that yes, in the 2425 school year, we got an additional $1.3 million. And yes, that money can be used to pay resource officers,

052but there's a lot of other state overages that we have to pay, and I have that included in my spreadsheet. So, but yes, that all of that is correct, but that doesn't say stagnant every year. So, that 1.3 getting that one time with all the other overages we have is not enough to cover it year after year. And I use three different funding sources to pay SRO's. I use um DSSF, 069, and local. >> Oh, follow up, Madam Chair. Follow up. I'm sorry, Dr. Emanuel. >> Comment. I was just repeating a message given directly to me from the commissioner. >> Yes. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. >> Let me let's clarify that because I heard the same comment. So, our per people expenditure is what? So as of 2526 our per pupil expenditure looking at our

053decreased ADM for this year of 20,389 that's where we are for 2526 is 71905 and that is on page three >> right >> of the historical budget data that I gave everyone. >> So our conversation last year was over a three-year period of time we needed about a $6 million increase. Our hope was that we would have gotten half of that last year. Part of that million plus increase was that we made the request for current expense. >> Correct. >> So that we could bump our per people which we're at last place in the state. So to say that you gave us a million dollars we could use it however is not exactly the facts now on on that. We requested the in current expense where we needed >> and so they just gave us

054that $1 million bump in 2425 school year, but we really needed a million dollars the next year or to be ongoing. >> Well, what we did in that year, we actually requested three million in that year. So, that's the conversation we've been having. Um, we were told we would get updates as the re-evaluation occurred that of the three million of our requests from that previous year, we received 1.3 of it. >> And that [clears throat] was for 2425. >> Correct. >> And the previous two years we got no increase. >> That's correct. >> [snorts] >> And I also included on that um page three. I'm not sure if this is where we should on the historical. >> I'm sorry, Miss Mr. Bradley has a question. >> Okay. >> So, not really a question, just just

055a statement. Um, Miss Erica, will you just just for the folks uh listening from home, year 15 to 16 and then this year, will you say those per pupil numbers what we're getting from the county? In 2015-16 we received $53249 in per pupil expenditures where our ADM was 23,240 and in 2526 where our ADM is 20,389 we're receiving $71905 $7195. >> That right there falls 100% blame on our county commissioners and that's embarrassing for anybody that's listening. That's a shame and that's that's nowhere close to putting us anywhere where we need to be. Just for the record, I just want to clear the air. We have just want to check check the numbers I've got here. In the last 20 years, there have only been four years where there has been any increase in county

056appropriation for current expense. Is that correct? >> In the last 20, Chris, correct? Yes. since 20067. >> Correct. That's correct. >> Only four out of the last 20. >> Correct. >> And in the other 16, there was zero increase. >> That's correct. >> If I may, Erica, at the bottom of page three, let's talk about that. Address the conversation about we need to close schools. There's a mindset that when you close a school, you gain additional funds. That is not the case because the other considerations. You keep that principal position for one year. >> You actually can keep it for up to two years, but we're well past the two years. And that principal position cannot be used to cover anything in your local or capital. You'd have to use those funds somehow in an

057ABC transfer that would be allowable into another state fund. So that is the that's the conversation we always want to have. Yes, our budget for when people see how much state and federal money we receive. It it does appear like it's a lot, but it is so restricted. It is so categorical and there [snorts] are so many rules. There are there's no flexibility in those funds to use it for what we actually need. I did list there on page three all of the closures andor changes that have occurred. I just went from 18/19 and I think I may have missed Cur Middle School. So I apologize. I think we did some grade configuration changes at Cur. But in 18/19 obviously because of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 we closed West Lumberton and that is the year

058that Southside Ashpole was transferred to ISD the innovative school district. In 1920, we closed Green Grove and transferred those students to Fair Grove and it was restructured to an elementary from a middle school. In 1920, we closed uh the school we're standing in, JC Hargrave, and transferred central office here. um in August of 2020 during well really May finance came and then in August um 2020 during the pandemic central office moved in and those students transferred to Knuckles Elementary. In 1920 RBD Dean was also closed those students were transferred to Townsen and Townsen was changed into a prek 8 school. 1920 Roland Middle was closed. Um those students went to South Robinson was intermediate now middle school. Um and we transitioned the LAP RAZ program there. Uh 1920 we closed South Robinson High School and

059transitioned it to a middle school. In 2122 Southside Ashpole transferred back to the public schools of Robinson County a year earlier than was anticipated through the ISD contract. >> And I want to make a comment. So last year, Southside ASPO now met growth and missed exceeding growth by one student by one student in that short period of time. So they've done an outstanding job. Um, Miss Jones is as a principal is a strong instructional leader, but I did want to note that they miss it seating. Um, by and that one school if had there and that one student had we exceeded we would have been off the state list. You got to be 50% that would have given us 50% of our schools that exceeded growth. And also in 21-22 we began the lease options

060with um RCC for the use of Green Grove. And you know utility savings is one of the things that's mentioned when you talk about closing a school. And as part of this transfer option, we had to gather what our utility costs have been since we started this process. So back from July of 2022 through December of 2025, our utility costs at Fair Grove were $107,000 over almost a three and a half year period. So that is a savings absolutely, but not a considerable amount over that timeline. In 22 23 we then transferred the 68 grades from Townsen to South Robinson Middle School. So now Townsen has reverted back to a preK5 school. And then in that same year we transferred the fifth grade from St. Paul's Elementary to St. Paul's Middle School. And again I

061think I missed Carol Middle. I'm not exactly sure when that occurred, but the sixth grade and um there was a gray configuration change there. They went to Lumberton Junior High. That may have been prior to that date, but we just wanted to show that, you know, we had the conversations about closure and move forward, but there are other things to consider like current space available at individual schools. One of the things we've heard over the years when we talk about making any changes to our transportation model is we don't want students to be on a bus for an extended period of time. If you close a school with how large our county is, you increase the time that a child may have to spend on a bus. So, there's a lot of things to consider.

062Overall, the student amounts counts would stay the same. So, the teacher amounts would stay the same. Again, you would have access to the principal salary for a two-year period, but it could only be used in an as an ABC transfer in another state area. You cannot move that principal salary to local or capital for use. And after that two years, DPI removes that position a lotment from you. So, you no longer have access to use it for any reason. Okay. Any other questions about 2526? I can answer. If not, um, we >> Erica, I I do want to make one more point. [clears throat] >> Okay. >> At this point in time in this fiscal year, if we get a state budget, it would put most school systems in a bind. >> That's correct. >>

063Okay. Explain that. So, we would not want to say that we don't want anybody to get an increase. If the state passes a budget now that they're going to implement in 2526, we obviously would implement it. But there are a couple of things. Um, the orbit system, the online reporting for retirement has a 90-day cap. So, if we have to retro back to July, obviously that's outside of the 90 days. So, that creates some issues in making sure individuals retirements accounts are correct. We'd have to update all our pay tables that we have in place, implement that before we would do supplements because supplements are based on on that. It would it would be a tremendous amount of work and impact all of our dollar aotments at this stage. Now, the hope is if there

064was a budget passed that had increases, we would get increases in our allocations, but as I've indicated before, those don't come in as a list of our employees and what their increase would be. It comes in as an average. And then for our federal dollars and our local dollars, we don't get any increase if the state adopts a budget at this point. We have to make that work within the revenue sources we already have. So at this point in our f fiscal year, most local dollars are spent. >> Yes, sir. >> As should be and they invest that money as we're ongoing. The other part and our concern is this. At this point, we probably received what 90% of the state allocation. >> Yes. >> We hope we can get to 100%. We might, might

065not. So that's an additional loss of funds if we can't get to 100%. Correct. >> Yes, sir. Okay. If um I'm sorry, Mr. Craig has a question. >> Let me decide. Mr. Erica, now what part are you going to now? You going to the next year? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. This might be as good a time as any. Um, if I did something wrong, now I'm not going to say I'm going to apologize cuz I don't think I did anything wrong, but I do want all ask all of you to listen and I know you do. Um, I spoke to four commissioners. I've got four more I'm going to speak to. And all those four have said the school system, we need to give you more money. And I said, I agree. And in

066my conversations with them, uh, we're not having meetings with them. I'm not talking about the whole school board, but Miss Erica, Dr. Williamson, Miss Kelly, who their their chairman, Mr. Edge, we're not talking. Miss, you tell me if I'm right or wrong. You send over a budget and they might be communication with you and Miss Kelly, but that's basically it. And as far as I can understand, they're not getting somebody to sit down and explain these numbers to them. Now, my [clears throat] conversation and I will tell you it was the day with Mr. Edge and I said, "Well, I figure out when to say this." He said he would be all in favor of certain people getting together and meeting on these budgets. And I think they need to meet before a budget is

067done and not just pass paperback and say, "Yes, give us $3 million or we need three million." They need to understand why they're giving us the three million. And to me, it's hard to do that when you're just passing paperback. And I know you could fix it where they would understand when you're asking for something. And I know we've talked about SRO's, subs, buses, and ECS. They see that's where we can use local money. >> Correct. >> Well, that needs to be to me explained to them. And you can't explain that passing a piece of paper. >> That's correct. >> So now I am going to ask German Trey, Dr. Williamson, M. Miss Fields, whoever is on since your finance chairman to uh Mr. Edge said reach out to him or reach out to Kelly

068and give them two dates and let's set up a meeting to where you can have a conversation. Now, you might already plan to do that. I might have overstepped a little bit doing it, but I I just got tired of being on this board for 10 years and seeing the money that we get from the commissioners, Mr. Bradley. Like you said, it's ridiculous. and uh you know it's been on and on and been nice about it but there just needs to be a sit down meeting and we talk about it the SRO's we ain't had nobody shot on campus thank the Lord >> and I don't care what school what school you're at we have well >> I know the incident there I'm talking about like during the day that kind of situation to where

069we don't have an officer at a school and the police station's right down the road. They can't get there in time. I mean, we I could go on and on about these things, but again, my point is I hope we leave here tonight that it's unanimous and Dr. Williamson, y'all come up with a group of people and let's try to meet. >> Craig, let me let me respond to that. So, Chairman Brick and I, we've had that conversation that once we go through this budget process that we will sit down and we've had those joint meetings before. We've had them had that conversation. The other part of it, and I'm not throwing stones at anything or anybody. >> How many times did I walk to your office, Erica, and say try to set a date

070so that we can sit down and have a conversation? >> Multiple times. >> Okay. >> And Dr. Williamson, I can I've asked Miss Erica, have you met? No. Okay. >> So, I mean, it's not it's not just you. It's just and and folks you you got to meet on certain things and to me >> the dialogue is always welcome. I mean the the dialogue of why anyone feels like we can't have a conversation about additional funds or we shouldn't is important to know the same reasons why we should. I mean, we just need some dialogue back and forth to say um whatever that needs to be because we have not been a district that has asked for a lot, but we have set the funding priorities. And I don't think it's wrong to say we

071need more funds. >> I mean, I know cuts have to happen and things have to run efficiently. And when we always look at that, we've never been a district that is way overstaffed anywhere. um our local funds wouldn't allow for that. Um like I say, the state um gives us funding in a lot of our dollar a lotments based on averages and we've always had to make that work and we have this will be the first time in all my 26 years that we've ever made a request to the county to transfer current expense, but we're there. We're going to have to make that request. And again, that's not new money. That's transferring a funding that would already come to us. >> Mr. Craig, do you have any >> Yeah, just real quick. and and

072my conversations was in general about the need of money and then we did talk about the meeting thing if we could do that and uh again and I did bring up the fact of the like money that has been given to us over the years um that something needs to be done and and and you look on TV and I can't remember the counties but you look and I'm going to throw figures out they request $10 million and they get 7 million and I mean you see that on TV all the time. I just threw that one out. I could whatever it is, but they get something that is significant. Now, we know across the state this year, there's all these shortages. That's what you're hearing. But you still see these requests and they get

073X. So, >> but you also see new initiatives. I mean, we're at a point where we're just asking to sustain. A lot of districts are requesting funding to implement new salary structures, new uh supplements for their staff. I mean, we don't have any money at this point. We would love to consider those things as well, but we're just talking about maintaining. >> We'd love to everybody on this board would love to increase every supplement that teachers get. Absolutely. Every supplement coaches get everybody. Everybody would love, but if you don't have the money, >> you have to have the local to be able to address those. >> Okay, that's enough. Thank you, >> Mr. Trey. >> Um, and just to piggyback on what Mr. Craig said, Mr. Craig, I've I don't think I've directly told you,

074but in the past three weeks, Dr. Williamson knows that I would say in the past three weeks, I have met with four myself as well. And through me and Dr. Williamson's conversation, we wanted to have this meeting here first before we moved into a possible joint meeting because that's one of the things I want to see done. We need to have a joint meeting together for the betterment of public schools of Robinson County. Well, Okay. So, um if there are no other questions, we would ask for the 2526 to be presented um as an action item on the board agenda for Tuesday night. If there are no objections to that or I guess we'll get to that at the end, Miss Fields, I'm sorry. Okay. So, moving forward to if you'll pull the PSRC 2627

075planning budget document. And again, the the first part is a budget summary that we've already gone over. I know it's repetitive, but that's how I always start the planning for the next year is reviewing that. So, just skip that first page. And if you go to page two, you'll see what our state planning allotments are for the 2627 school year. Thank you, Cole. This isn't a on the screen is not an entire list, but the grand total at the bottom is what we are expecting to receive. The list you have is a complete list, but overall including position dollar allotments um and months of employment based on our ADM decreasing to 19,949. You'll see what that dollar amount is. $2.5 million in state starting next year. >> And again, that's because our ADM has decreased.

076>> That's correct. Yes, ma'am. >> And that planning aotment shows >> Attorney Schwarz has a question. >> Yes, >> Erica. How accurate have the uh planning aotment projections been for ADM for the past several years? They have been very accurate especially the last two years when they started they moved from doing a projected future to using more of what your year end is. We have not received any reduction or addition in the last two years. >> Thanks. >> Yes sir. >> So what Mr. Schwarz was asking the the state used to forward fund us and they would say well what are your projections based on your best one of two months as you move into the next school year and a lot of times districts would receive money but when they short up what their

077student counts were in those months they'd have to take the money back so now the state has changed that funding formula and they look at what our um ADM is towards the end of the school year and use that to fund us. So by reverse those districts that have an increase in um ADM they would get additional funds. But I want to say I saw in uh some information that only a hundred of the 115 leas either had a stagnant or reduced ADM moving forward to 2027. So 100 out of 115 experienced some type of loss in students. And Miss Erica, can you explain to us how ADM is derived? How it's derived? >> I don't know. There's a lot of ways you can look at student count. How about we go there? Um, there's

078all kind of acronyms and Mr. Bobby might actually be better. There's ADM, there's average monthly membership, there's average daily membership, there's average daily attendance, there's beginning of the year, end of the year. I just read an article that was about five pages on how you can look at what student counts are at any given point. There's PMR every month that looks at all of these things. So the average daily membership is the number of students that are enrolled based on the number of students that attend. Is that correct? No. Okay, we'll let Mr. Bobby do that. >> All right. So So there are really two two numbers that we look at when we look in terms of students in our district. ADM is the number of days that a student is on the role in

079a school. So if I'm in I'm in every how many days I'm enrolled in a class divided by the number of school days. So that's how you get your average daily membership. Average daily attendance is would be how many kids are in attendance versus how many kids are enrolled. So those are really two two different u when we start talking about how do we measure the number of kids in a building average daily membership number of days a kid's name is on a roll versus the number of school days average daily attendance how many days I'm present versus how many are enrolled >> the number that I always use Dr. Terry has a question. Miss Eric, >> I I always thought that uh ADM was set uh I guess for the year based on the

080ADM in the first 20 days. >> So I was just going to say the number that I use for ADM is the number that DPI projects that's going to be our best one of two. So that is a documented number and I in the system a lotment revision area that DPI sets. That's what I use because that's what they use for our funding. But that number will fluctuate all during the year. Every P every monthly principal monthly report will show a different ADM. But as you've indicated that ADM has to be stable for them to to give us money. They're not going to change our funding every month based on what those changes are. So DPI looks at our end of year and then shores that up based on the best one of two in

081the next school year. >> Also, uh Dr. L clear. So the first 20 days are important because historically in the past that was determined if we had to send some positions back. >> That's correct. >> The downside of that was once you get past those 20 days, you can enroll 500 additional kids. You don't gain ADM until the next year. >> That's correct. And there is no more showing up. If that was to happen after those best one of two, we are not going to get any additional funds until the next school year. The only thing that changes in the middle of a school year with our um any changes to our a lotment is um for exceptional children. If there are exceptional children transfers, they pick one time of the year. It used to

082be December. I think it's going to be April now. April one, they will transfer those funds um if we have lost exceptional children. that is the only aotment that could change in the middle of a school year. And again, that's an area where if we lose a child in the middle of the year, we would have to um pick up that additional funds from somewhere because losing those children doesn't mean it's enough to lose a teaching position [clears throat] >> and you'll talk about that in a minute. One of the areas that everybody is struggling with is EC. >> Yes. ZC numbers are just increasing across this state. Have to provide services and and so EC is going to be one of those areas where the a lotment does not match the growth. >> And

083so EC state EC is capped at 13%. We used to have as many as 17% of our students fall in the EC category, but now we're less than 14 if I'm not mistaken. we're less than 13, but [clears throat] that doesn't mean because we get 13% funding that that 13% is enough to cover all the needs of our students. Individual needs vary between EC and some services that need to be provided are much more expensive than others. Um, as you can see by the EC contracts that you have to approve every year and ongoing. >> So, I want to explain that a little bit more. I think it's important because parents get upset sometime when we don't automatically enroll kids in the EC program, the testing part, all all of that. But go back to

084what Erica just said, the cap, we used to be almost at 18%. We got funded on 13%. So, you know what that meant? That that additional students we had to pay for out of local. And so they've done a great job in in terms of reducing that uh number so that we're we're not having to find money to to pay for those services now. So pretty much in line with what the state that may [clears throat] change as as they look at changing the funding formula for EC. We all recognize some um EC designations cost more to serve than others. And what we're seeing an increase in [clears throat] Dr. Car is that the high end of services the high end of what it costs to meet [snorts] the needs of those kids. So there's

085a lot that always and and so it's not as simple as us just saying yes we can do that and then the other part even when we put a kid on a 504 which means that the testing they didn't qualify but when we do that you give that student the same right as if they did and we're going to meet the need of every child but this is a business conversation right that we're having in terms of how do we keep this district out of the red and why sometime we have to say no regardless of what our heart is telling us. We better look at the business side of it. But they've done a great job of getting that under control. >> And we also apply for most every grant that is out there

086for EC. So of course we um re also receive federal 060 IDEA funds. Um, we also receive funding specifically for Shining Stars Preschool. Developmental Day is one. Um, we also have, and I'm sorry, you know, I use PRC's a lot. PRC 118 and 119 are grants. Um, we just recently received an additional 350,000 plus and 118 to help support um, some training in EC in three different categories. And there was a collective Sand Hills application that we also were included in and were awarded. Um so moving forward again though with those federal dollars and that EC those contracted services whatever changes occur we're not going to get additional funds and as I said earlier in the presentation we don't know today what our planning aotment is that does include 060 and 118 and 119. We

087don't have those planning allocations yet. >> Miss Erica this question is for Dr. Williamson. I'm just going to ask because I know there are people sitting out there wondering. So it they the cap is at 13%. Is it feasible? Is it really financially feasible to ask the county to help offset the the EC cost? Why or why not? >> Um the better answer is what we're asking for. Give us an increase in current expense because we have the flexibility to to move that money wherever we need. Um I don't think that we should ask for a specific program but just increase our current expense to a thousand uh per child and it covers all the kids and all the needs. Great. >> Good question. Thank you. with regard if I may on the other [clears

088throat] the EC children are the children of this county just like all the other kids are and the funding is capped from the state and federal sources and the remaining source of funding to take care of those children of this county is a county obligation >> agree and one of the things and it it's probably not the only thing but one of the things that we noticed about being in Robinson county as opposed to maybe say Wake or Charlotte Mick. There are competing agencies in those EC service areas. So, you're going to have a lot of different OT, PT, speech providers that can compete and maybe give offer more competitive pricing than what we experience here. So, we're not really in a position. We we've tried and tried to hire those people, but obviously they

089make more money as a private vendor and um but we don't have that same expansion here where the pricing can be different. So we have to use the availability um of those providers that are with us. >> Okay, if I may. And so we said EC services we can't control that the numbers we have to provide the services but the twin to that is contracted services >> yes >> that links itself to EC we never know we can only project uh what that might be so the two areas that most of the time we find ourselves over is EC out of our control services out of our control and a mandate to provide those services. >> And I have some slides that touch on that um as we move forward with the um so again

090overall you have the planning a lotments in front of you and you'll see for the most part we see a reduction everywhere with the exception of EC which could change anything that we're dealing with now is based on whatever was in the current budget that was approved. The legislators are going to work on hopefully presenting a budget 42627. Whatever changes they make will be reflected in these aotments. And you will also see that our 071 um supplement will be funded for next year based on this current allocation and it has increased. Um I presented that last month and showed that the maximum a teacher could receive I think was a little over $3,500. Well, next school year for 2627, that maximum amount goes to over 4,000. So that's why you see that increase there. And

091that is a funding formula that the state gives us. I'm not really sure what goes into that and why all the different counties have I know our low wealth um and um all of that has to factor into it somehow, but I'm not really sure what that funding formula is, but it does change annually. And this just reiterates what we've already said. Um, our enrollment changes, the classroom teacher positions and total state positions that we will see a reduction in in 2627 from the state automatically because of that. And I've probably drilled this to death too, but I'm going to talk about it again um, as well. This was going to be in your historical budget data. On page two, I show the history of the retirement rate and health insurance. Since the 910 school

092year up until 2526, the retirement match has increased almost 182%. In the 910 school year, our match for an employee for retirement was 8.75%. >> Miss Erica, where is this? Which packet is that in? >> If you go to your historical budget data, I'm sorry, it's on page two. So the retirement match and that is the amount that we as an employer have to pay for our employees into the retirement system. Our employees have always paid 6% that doesn't change but the match that we have to provide as a district has increased almost 182% since the 910 school year and the governor is proposing for next year. We only have his percentage right now moving from 24.67 to 25.76. So, that's an area where we're going to have to find funding in all of our

093dollar amountments a lotments and what we keep referring to as to why we need additional funding to help bridge those gaps. The health insurance match for every employee, we have to also provide matching funds that elects to use our health insurance. In 910, that match was $4,527. So, it has increased almost 88% since then to 8,500 is what we're paying in this current year. And the governor's proposal increases it by another 5% to 8,925 a person. And those are increases we know we're going to have regardless of salaries, those are going to be um the retirement match will fluctuate based on also what the salary increases are. And I just wanted to highlight that to to show that's all in what our request includes. The gaps in all of these things that are outside of

094our control that we have to implement. We can't offer another type of health insurance or another type of retirement rate to our employees. Those are requirements for us being state employees. We don't get to deny that in any way. That has to be something we offer. If we go back to the planning budget on page three, you'll see the 26 27 potential cuts. Some of those we've already mentioned in the state allocation. Some of these are from title one budget, state textbooks, low wealth, um DSSF, um all the different funding categories. We also listed the changes that have been ongoing at the central office and those positions and dollar amounts and positions that have been added here. And you'll see that net cut of three and a half almost $3.4 million um that have been

095ongoing and that will impact the 2627 school year. >> Dr. Terry, you have a question. So, is this what you're proposing to be cut for 2627? >> This is what we're proposing that will be cut. Yes. And part of what has been ongoing prior to 27. Yes, sir. >> Okay. Let's walk through the central office because that's part of the conversation is what is the central office given up? And again, um, that's been an ongoing process for us that we from day one began to reduce position. Walk us through that. >> Okay. So, we previously had a K2 supervisor and K5 supervisor now is one position to K5 supervisor. Um, the staff development coordinator retired and that position was not replaced. a technology lead teacher left the system and that position was not replaced. Um

096we had an executive director of school transformation position that was not replaced. Um we had a certification and HR online facilitator which was a full-time person and halftime person that was not replaced. A HR secretary and administrative specialist who was part-time for one and a half positions. Our prime time program used to carry a director and two um a bookkeeper and secretary for a total of three positions. That's now a halftime position. We previously had an AIG coordinator that retired. That position has not been filled. A maintenance secretary, those duties were split with another employee. That position was not filled. A CIA bookkeeper position was not filled. an autism specialist position not filled and a social worker for EC Willie M was not filled >> over what period of time was that >> probably been

097over three year period >> over three year period >> and can you uh clarify local CIS >> so currently we pro there are three employees that are part-time through the local community and schools program that are funded through low wealth. There is an additional $99,000 that is given to local CIS to cover positions and $9,000 for three other schools. Okay. So, that's what's encompassed there. Dr. Emanuel, were you first or Trey? I wasn't paying attention. Dr. Manuel, >> Trey was first. Ladies. >> Oh, it is sweet. I have several questions. First of all, I want to go back down to the previous central office position cuts. Miss Erica, which of these were funded by ESA funds? And when the ESA funds went away, they would have naturally gone away. >> None of them. I have

098the funding source in the middle. None of them were funded through >> uh also which were federally funded like AIG. It paid for its own right, >> right? State paid for AIG. The only federal there's two federal funded positions there. The staff development coordinator was funded out of title 2 PRC 103 and the autism specialist was funded out of PRC60 a funds. >> Okay, go back up to >> I'm sorry. Also the executive director for school transformation was out of federal 050 title one. >> Help me understand at the top you referred to 031 024 and you said textbooks. What is where's the textbook in the first part where you're going to do cuts >> the online platform. >> We use state textbooks a lotment there. That's $400,000. >> All right. Now look, this is

099where I'm confused. What is the online eel platform? Is that what we use with the reading program? It's on. >> It's on. Sorry. So, it pay usually um there's two pieces that we pay for that come up to uh together. So, the textbook is one fee itself, the materials and then the online platform has a separate fee. So, we're suggesting we're going to cut the L platform to help reduce costs. >> What does that mean? That does that mean you can't go on like in the classroom? they can't go on and do the little things they do. I mean, whatever they're supposed to do, >> they can still teach with the textbooks they have in the books and they'll still have PowerPoints, but they will not have like the online assessments and those types of

100things. >> So, it would just be the assessments that were >> mostly assessments and the online lessons. Some teachers use the online platform for their lessons and stuff. So, we they still have all the lessons in a hard copy, but some of them preferred the other piece because it tracked everything online for the grading, the assessments, those pieces. Well, can can you refresh my memory? You or Miss Erica? What is the price of the whole kitten kaboodleoodle? All of the >> I know you're saying 400,000 is for the online portion. What is the price of the whole thing? Miss Eric, >> if it was if it was together both pieces would be a million >> and that's per year. >> Yes. for renewal for K8 >> which is the cheapest real that's how we landed

101that what could we afford that we could any other curriculum was 2 million plus >> um I have another Madam Chair may I ask my other question I have a major problem with doing away with CIS we have been in this partnership for approximately 30 years there programs at schools. Uh, and I was told before that that this program is redundant. Any program where you tutor children is appreciated and needed. I I don't see it as redundant. Now, this is my opinion of the program. I think it's going to cause some major PR problems if we do away with this CIS initiative. Um, I'm against it. I am one person. This is my opinion. Um, I do not know what Cammy is. What we Somebody refresh my memory what Cammy is. I don't know what

102that is. I think the name sounds like the rest on >> Miss Fields. Could you be >> Yeah, there's a Cammy out there. I know what that is. >> No. So, Cammy is an online platform. Um, it's not a curriculum or anything. It's online platform that allows teachers to transfer PDFs into word documents for their students or to translate documents for their students. Um, so it's one of the resources that we have been paying for over the last several years. >> May May I continue, Madam Chair? What [clears throat] is Major Clarity? >> So Major Clarity is what we used to help do the um career plans that are required by the state, but now the state has a free um platform that we're going to switch to called NC Careers. So that's how we're

103going to try to save some cost and not pay for a separate platform. >> One more. Madam Chair, what is CTAP second show? >> That is the show we put on for our kids, the uh theater show. We pay for two right now. Um when we have funding and this year based on what we're looking, we're trying to cut one and just pay for the one that we always have paid for. So would it be possible that we charge admission so that let the parents and the community fund it? >> Do you may I may say one statement before she answered your mind. Madam Ch. >> No, go ahead. >> Y'all, this is one of the biggest community events. I I am totally against cutting the show with involving children. I mean, that's me now.

104I've said my piece and I shouldn't be talking. I'm not on the committee, but I when you involve children and you cut a shape with children, I I have a problem with that. >> Okay. May I speak to that? It's $10,000. We'll leave it in. That's not a problem. I agree. That's $10,000. I do want to go back though to community in in schools and explain that a little bit more. So you have the local that we're investing this money in. And when we're saying that we're going to cut the funding to that, we're not saying that they cannot be in the buildings. That's not the conversation. Welcome in the building at any point in time. We are also affiliateated with the state. In fact, we just received notification that we have one of the

105best programs in the state that we operate at Pronostra. uh sweat where they do career training and Eric I mean um Wendy you might want to speak to that we do get funds for that so so again we're not saying to the local you can't be in the buildings we're just saying that's an area that we think we have to cut >> so we get JNCG and that is it's a national well a state um CIS program and we get actual grant funding to support that so there's a grant the state puts out that we apply for and that program focuses on career development and developing the skills of our students. And so um that fund pays for that particular teacher and the support they get to help work on small groups to work on

106the career and partnerships with different businesses. And so we have been um seen as one of the um best programs in the state at Pernell Sweat for that. We also I don't it's a separate grant but they funded in the same PRC also gives us funding um for the computer science component. So we also fund a teacher as part of it's funded through that same PRC for um computer science and CTE >> for sixth grade. one like final comment. Wonderful. I'm I'm glad for those grants. Anything to help our children. However, my comment still stands for this local CIS. Thank you, >> Mr. Trey. >> All right, Miss Erica, just so we're clear, 19 vacant teacher positions. >> That's coming from the state though, right? Because of ADM. Okay. Correct. Technology assistance. How many does

107that consist of? >> 17. 17 technology assistants, parent leaison. How many? >> Six parent leaison. Um >> here you go, Dr. Emanuel. This is my opinion and my opinion on um the second CAP show for $10,000, that's peanuts in the grand scheme of thing, I support keeping that show 120%. Me being on the local CIS board, um I'll never agree to the local CIS board. My question to that is how much do we spend a year on new vehicles? We haven't really spent. We had said we would set aside 225,000. That was dependent on us getting some from fixed asset sales. So, that hasn't really happened. So, okay. >> We don't spend anywhere near that amount on the vehicles. >> My personal opinion, again, never I'll never support the local CIS. That's just me. The

108major clarity and Cammy, um, I've checked with principles, guidance counselors, and that sort of thing, and I think we we're good there in my opinion. And if I may, >> yeah. >> Um, capital outlay funds couldn't be used to support those types of initiatives, but current expense could. >> Okay. If I may, let me add, how do we make the decision on our um technology assistance? Because when you put them in during COVID, that was for hardware. There has been a shift now to instructional technology. Talk about that please. Before you do that, C, Mr. Craig, do you do you want to say something or you good? >> I think Dr. Terry may have a question as well. >> Well, I think Bradley. >> Okay. >> Did you have Do you want to say it

109now or you want one if I could um the PRC 131 um >> textbooks? >> Yeah, the Yes. I'm sorry. Uh Dr. or Okay, we're getting rid of the online. Okay, but we're going to keep the textbooks. >> Now, how much are just the textbooks? >> I know it said the whole thing was a million. So, the textbooks are are 600. >> It's 5.99 and some change. >> Okay. Some change to keep the textbooks for another year if we keep those. Okay. But we're not bringing back the online part of it. And that's if we keep that curriculum. Okay. And then we'll talk about CL curriculum when we get there. Okay, let's go. Mr. A, a couple of questions just with the CIS. Um, that cut there of 224,000. Okay. Are we keeping some programs

110with the CIS? I know we talked about what's at Pernell Sweat, those people that work there. Are we keeping some CIS programs and stopping some other ones or are we just stopping all of what we're doing >> in the conversations we've had and what we pay out? That would not that would continue. um that wouldn't continue any programs. That would be in all the programs. The only allocation that they would receive was the required appropriations, local appropriations. >> So all the extra would be eliminated. >> Correct. >> Okay. Well, u again me just >> And again, [clears throat] that's that's three >> employees. It's three schools and I'm sorry the schools escape me right now where there's $9,000. Um might be Lumberton Jr. >> I think Red Springs Middle. Red Springs Middle and and then

111um 99,000 >> um to support. >> That's the con all of those together is what equals that dollar amount. >> Eliminate all of those. >> Yes. >> Okay. Well, just uh for me, just knowing the the history and and how that school was started and the development of that school, you would be like the other two. I would not to see that like to see that stopped. I'd like to see it continue. That's all. Thank you. >> Mr. Bradley, did you want to go ahead or you you can wait? You want to go ahead and then Mr. Terry, you'll be next. >> So, when we just when we say textbooks, we mean physical textbooks, correct? >> Okay. >> Um, how much are we spending yearly on curriculum overall? The whole the whole gamut. >> Yeah,

112it's it's the 400,000 for the online platform. was it's $5.99 and some change and I submitted all that as a sole source last um in April. >> Um >> everything from K to 12 yearly everything, right? >> All of those things add up to about 1.876 if I'm not mistaken with all the subject areas that would include science. >> Yeah. >> Um yes, I think it's 1.86. >> Okay. >> Your Hold on a second. >> Miss Dr. Terry, do you have a question? >> I'm sorry, Dr. Hold on. Hold on. Dr. Terry, hold on. Hold on. >> Go ahead. Just for clarity, the 1.8 renews all the curriculums that we currently have in place. A new just for one subject, a new curriculum would cost us 2.5. >> So, I just want to have a

113relationship to how that's different. So right now the renewals are that and then we get approximately $700,000 in textbooks a year. >> Okay. And this is building on top of what the state already mandates. Correct. Like something that you don't technically have to to buy. >> We have to have a core curriculum. So part of it is is how do you meet core instruction? So you have to have an adopted core curriculum that you use to teach the standard course of study. So having materials to help support teachers implementing the standard course of study because the standard course of study drives everything those so those standards these are the materials that help support it. So part of what they talk about when we talk about school improvement and district improvement one of the things they

114ask is that you have a core curriculum. And so they will not tell a district this is your particular core curriculum but they will tell you that you need to have a core curriculum. And again, the state's allotting us 700,000. Is that what you said? >> Okay. Dr. Terry, >> I'm sorry. In that and for next year, it's reduced by 16,000. So the allocation planning a lot more for next year is 741105. >> Dr. Terry, do you have a question? [sighs] So when we look at um the uh the cuts uh I'm just looking at some of like you know the the online platform. I'm wondering uh what uh what sort of uh measure do you use for that and and and are there any other uh tools that we're paying for that's potentially being

115utilized? I would love to see um some some more information about, you know, what we're paying for and how much it's being used. Um and and another thing, so we're looking at cuts, but at the bottom here, I see that it looks like there's uh there's a proposal for three new positions, technology, CIA, and federal programs. So, just help me um justify the village versus Okay, so that's not true. >> That that's not new. Those are positions that have been added within the last three years. We didn't feel it was fair to show one side of cuts and not show where we have added. Those have already been added. They are not proposed as new. >> Okay. But but I did get an email like I don't know maybe a few weeks ago that was

116something about a new position in it or I was wondering if it was a new position versus uh one that was being refilled. >> No sir, it's not a new position. I think there was one that was reclassified. I'm not sure if it was a land first. It was a land first and it was reclassified as cyber security, but it is not a new position. Dr. Terry um in that um when I that was the cyber security officer back in um February 2025, this board had uh approved for that position to be reclassified. It was the land engineer. And so the individual who occupied that position recently uh resigned and so we are still in that position but that is not a new position. [clears throat] >> So you're saying we approved that? >> I

117don't remember seeing anything about a cyber security position. >> Yes. February 2025 at the board meeting it was on there for u reclassification on there. >> Madam chair if I may. Um Dr. Car clarify um the textbooks also include workbooks and all instruction. Clarify that please. [clears throat] >> I'm sorry. This is a lot of work up here. Do that again for me. >> I need an increase in pay. So when we talk about textbooks, we're talking not only about the workbooks that students get. Um but we're also talking about Canvas. So when we look at, you know, the um platform that all of our high school principal, I mean high school teachers, middle school teachers use to teach. It's also included with Canvas, which is a platform we use. It also includes like we

118talked about Discovery Education, which is purely digital for our science. Um, and it also includes, and I'm missing one, [clears throat] another digital platform that's required to help make sure that the curriculum goes um not our particular one. >> Huh. >> For the self-contained, the unique and um and goal book. So, it is including all of those different areas. So, it is not when you look at the 1.8 is inclusive of a lot of different areas. So, that is the EC curriculums that we have for K12. It is the K8 math curriculum which is the um workbooks and the book that the teacher needs. It is also the L education workbooks and the materials they need to teach. And it is also the um online platform that our all of our teachers need to teach

119for Canvas using that platform so that kids can submit assignments, have assignments graded that all of our middle and high school teachers use on a regular daily basis to teach. and then also clarified the technology assistant that was hardware and is now shift too. >> So with the shift then um you know with ESER all these uh things came in and so the technology assistant was added sort of as a um position to help support all the new technology that came in. So that has really shifted more to what we call digital teaching and learning coaches, which is where we have people in every building that are identified that get a supplement um as so they're a teacher or sometimes a media specialist that gets a supplement that works with our technology department to learn

120how to use the various tools that we have because it's really about the instructional pieces. So how do you use Canvas, how to use um at the time Cammy, how to use Infinite Campus. So that person is now responsible for helping coach people. So it's not about the hardware anymore. It's about how do we help teachers use the actual software that's available. And so that's where the digital teaching and learning coaches that we have in the building um help support that work. So Lisa and Cole do a great job of coaching them and teaching them those tools and then they go out to the teachers, help work with them. And there's also was a shift um as districts were grappling with um a physical textbook versus a digital resource. We used to get a separate

121allocation for both. So then the state I'm not exactly sure it might have been three years ago combined. So the textbook aotment now is textbooks and digital resources together. There used to be 10 years ago a separate textbook warehouse at the state that you got an aotment from and now they've combined those resources. >> Miss Miss Crystal had a question. >> Um so talking about the textbooks and that's through the high school. Correct. Now um the pricing I was just wondering if it's 1.8 aid and then you get rid of this. Is that a discount that they're giving you like by buying them together >> where if we just go separately, is it going to be higher? So, what we're paying for right now are renewals. These are So, we have not purchased anything new.

122The renewals are always a lot cheaper than when you do the initial purchase. Nothing's changing right now because we're renewing. Okay? Now, if we go and say we're adopting a new ELA curriculum, you're talking for just one curriculum at least $2 and a half million dollars. >> One subject >> for one subject. >> And we're paying that for everything for all subjects >> right now. Everything for all subject is the 1.8. >> We used ESSER funding to implement the curriculum that's in place now. Um, >> Dr. Dr. Erica, Miss Erica. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Dr. Emanuel needs a break. >> Okay. No, you're the only one that gave me a T. >> Okay. So, could we we take a little in Yes, ma'am. >> [laughter] >> A five So before we leave the cut screen,

123I did want to mention with the federal uh title one cuts um specifically any of the positions. Again, as I stand here before you today, we don't have planning aotments. These are um cuts that may have to occur at the school level because of any changes to their individual um budgets that they'll receive, but we can't calculate any of that yet because we don't even have a starting point. So, all of these things could change in the future. And we're also going to um be using our Title One aotment to help move forward with additional new computer hardware to support the 101 initiative that we started during COVID. That has to come from somewhere. And Title One at the district initiative is technology that we are looking to fund. So that's again money that would

124stay at the district to support the schools but wouldn't be allocated to them as an individual budget. Um >> and then the last things that I wanted to mention unless anybody has any additional questions is again to reiterate the things that need to occur that we're going to ask for with our county commissioners. So I just wanted to show here what our per pupil support was in 9798 what it is now amount is increased I think we we've gone over that multiple ways and you have that detailed information there and the other part is to show what I included to show why we're spending local money for state for different things in the state PRC3 is where we are supposed to pay for custodian substitute teachers and office staff. This fund 15 years ago paid

125for all three of those. It no longer it may pay for one, maybe one and a half now. And again, substitute teachers are an area we can't control. Our entire O3 aotment is projected to be $6.725 million next year. And last school year we paid almost $6 million alone in subs. >> So this is another reason why we are asking the county for help in covering this. This is something we've absorbed all of the salary increases, all of the retirement match, all of the hospitalization. We absorbed the salary increases from where they were to $13 up to $15. All of these areas, there's restrictions in ABC transfers that we used to have funds we could transfer to help in this area that we can't anymore. All of these things create a burden for us that

126we're asking for help with with the county. And I just wanted to to show that and give some context to that dollar amount. I've also included what our projected local current expense revenue would be for 2627. This screen does not show every line item, but it does show the total dollar amounts. Um, and you at your desk have the entire local budget planning document. You'll see that it shows a variance of $5 million based on the 205 526 that we just discussed. moving forward to 2627 planning. That difference is the $3 million that we're talking about requesting for um our county sales tax to transfer into local current expense and the appropriated fund balance we used last year. But as I mentioned, we don't have a lot of remaining fund balance. Miss CO, Mr. Craig

127has a question. >> Okay. >> It's not really a question, Mir. It's just a comment. When Dr. Williamson and whoever has the meeting with the commissioners. Uh I know you can put all this to where it's not a lot of numbers. It's just a few numbers and I hate to say it this way but they can understand what we need >> in a short form. >> Yes sir. And I'm I welcome any dialogue and we'll put together any kind of presentation that I need to to show this information. >> When the numbers I know you can take care of it. So this screen this um is kind of a snapshot of what we've been leading up to. The total immediate funding needs is 5527 3 million of that being the transfer. And I I know

128you're like please don't say it again the transfer from capital outlay to current expense. But that does mean then we would request an additional 2,527252 from the county on top of that $3 million transfer. And it's for all of these reasons. Transportation, we're in a war at the time. Fuel costs are rising and continue to rise outside of our control. Transportation, and I know you say I've beat this to a dead horse, too. Transportation has been over spent in every year I've been here except for COVID. And I've been here 26 years. Robinson County is the largest county square miles, and we have to cover a lot of area for our schools. Um, and the transportation funding formula has just never been enough to support that. The operational gap I just went over was a

129custodian substitutes office. And then I added in the school resource. That's also a gap that I mentioned in the fund balance that I gave you, but it's not O3, but it is state funds. And then exceptional children that we've already touched on um before with contracted services and the federal government says any services that need to be provided to a child on exceptional children program must be provided regardless of your budget. I'm sorry this screen is kind of small but this shows what that would move our what our current per pupil dollar amount would be and what that additional would take it to requested dollar amount. It also again details the $3 million transfer from our own funds from sales tax to current expense which represents $14255 per pupil increase. You also have on the

130next page the projected >> excuse me can you go back to the previous slide >> I'm sorry yes sir >> that per pupil increase that you're showing there of 86160 is that based on the new ADM numbers >> correct it is it's based on the um 19 is based on the current year we're in the new requested is based on 19949 Erica and the truth is that dollar amount may move us from being last to that's correct >> and Mr. Schwarz shared a very good article um from the >> I'm sorry was it the border bill Mr. Schwarz um that uh discusses how where all of us in the surrounding counties fall um reiterating the the fact that we are the lowest per pupil in the state. Um so that was a thank you for

131sharing that. And just to show the capital outlay revenue, we're back um to what we normally would see in a capital um outlay budget. The huge difference there again is the need-based building grant. We hope to finish that up towards the end of this year. We will have some expenses in the next school year, but that's why you see that large dollar difference there. >> And why is the projected state lottery less? >> It's not that we would get less money in lottery. it's that we may have projects that either don't fit the criteria for lottery or um but it's not that our amount we receive that's in our uh lottery account stays pretty constant around $1.5 million. So we have a balance build up there just based on what we use for this year.

132That's a more a number that represents more that could change if we uh put in new projects, but you're kind of limited what you can use that money for. Madam Chair, let me ask so Erica now in terms of the $20 million that we that was financed the balance of the career center. We project that our payment >> 15 it was 15 and then interest. >> Right. >> Yes. >> So none of this impacts our ability to be able to pay our portion of that. >> No sir. >> Right. And then Bobby, once we close and open that building, what monies are going to be available to us? Just as a reminder. >> So again, we are approximately three months out from being able to get in the building. We are currently still under budget.

133So any money that's left over in that, we would get a portion of that sent back to us. But we're also in negotiations with a firm now that will uh apply for the tax rebates for our geothermal system that was put into the building at the time of installation. U the rebates that were on the table were approximately $3 million. Now since that time, of course, there's been some tax credits and other language and the laws that may have changed, but we were anticipating at one time at least 3 million. It may uh not quite sure if that current language is still in place now. Yes. Yes. But it's going to be at least 18 months out >> and they're still trying to call style um solar panels, right? You had that conversation this >>

134Yes. So again, we are uh between Metcon, SF LNA and myself, we are still looking at a possible um venture to uh equip the building with solar panels. The building was the building has been built with the infrastructure in place to uh handle once we if we are able to put them on the roof. So no running of conduit, nothing like nothing of that sort. There may be some breaker boxes that may need to change, but we are looking at exploring the solar panel option and there could possibly be some rebates associated with that as well. >> How much did you say were under budget? >> I would have to go back and look at uh our total budget. My next meeting's tomorrow, so I'll have updated numbers tomorrow. At one point, we were approximately

135a little over $3 million under budget, but we had technology in that. So, our technology is going to push us down about 1.2 million. So, we're hovering around at this point somewhere around $2 million. >> Okay. >> I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Bradley. Ask ask that again. >> Can you Mr. Can you remind the public the uh like the solar panel outfit and the you know lighting updates that we had talked about before like those solar panels that wouldn't be physically costing us out of pocket. That would be part of the um >> so u >> program that we had discussed, >> right? So we would have to um foot the money up front. So we would have to pay for installation pay for materials installation and then we would have to do the same thing

136we've done through the geothermal is apply for rebates. >> Okay. That completes my um presentation, Miss Fields. >> Are there any additional questions or comments? >> I got a real short comment. Eric, I appreciate the job you do. >> Well, it takes all of us a lot to put there. I appreciate everything that you do and everybody does to help support uh public schools because like we said, you know, it's everybody's children and everybody's teachers and everybody impacts us. [clears throat] Thank you. And so, and so this is just a propo a proposal. It's a potential proposal, not that it's going to happen, right? >> Hold on one second, Mr. Leech. Um, I would like to uh make a motion to accept this proposal to take it to the for board um with corrections of

137the the CEP second show. We want to put that back in also with the local CI CIS. We want to put that back in. So I wanted to make that motion before we can take it to the to the full board or make that motion for make that motion. I would like to make that motion now to see do that. >> So you're making a motion for we take local CIS and CAP out. >> Yes. >> To consider the others. Yes. >> Mr. B, you second. [clears throat] >> I think Dr. Ller has a um question. Dr. They're locker. >> Can we hold off on making uh making this official um and just maybe vote on it during the full board meeting because if we make it official here, it'll have to have like a

138twoth3 vote on that side, right, Mr. Schwarz? >> Oh, it's going to the this for the motion for it to go to the board >> as a recommendation. >> Yes. >> It would be a committee recommendation to the board. It would only require a majority vote at the board. >> I still think I I just think we need to take some time to maybe um think about it a a little bit more. Um I I would have to >> Okay. Motion in a second. Yes, >> I got a motion and second. >> Bradley was a second. >> Can you can you clarify the motion now? Motion is to propose this to the full board with removal of the CIS and CEK cuts. >> Yes. >> All right. All those >> you can have a discussion

139if you want. >> Are is there any discussion? I'm actually not on this committee so I can't vote anyway. Just clarify that. >> Trey, >> um just verification, Miss Fields, that uh Dr. Terry, you are on this committee, Bradley, Vonte, and Crystal. So, those would be the ones that you would want to vote from from the subcommittee to the full board. >> Did you hear that? Dr. Terry, you are actually on this screen. Yeah. >> All right. Is there any other discussion from the committee members? >> All right. [snorts] All in favor? All right. Those on the committee, all in favor of presenting before the full committee by show of hands. Trey, are you gonna >> Okay. I'm sorry. There's three. That was Vonte. >> The comm the committee members are uh Fields, Britt, Lleier,

140Phillips, Leech, and Monroe, right? >> Yes. >> I recuse myself then, Mr. Schwarz, because I am on that CIS board. >> Yes, you should. Okay. So that was >> So we got >> Dr. Terry, you are you did you vote yes or no? No. >> So Vonte, Crystal, and Bradley are yes and Dr. Terry. >> Okay. So passes three to one. >> Okay. [clears throat] Thank you. Thank you, Miss Erica. >> Are we going to still going to close session? >> Um, we can combine. You want to do the I can I can put my portion of the closed session into the board meeting. They've just >> I can do want to want to make a motion to uh to ajourn. >> We can't just yet. >> Okay. >> So, are we going to do

141a motion to >> All right. We do have a a motion on the floor to adjurnn this meeting. Second by Crystal. All in favor? >> Ah. >> Any oppose. [laughter] Figured you wouldn't. You don't count. >> All right. >> Pass six, right?