001Good evening everybody. Uh, welcome. And if we could please stand for the pledge of [Music] allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Uh so we are here tonight to uh adopt a a version of the budget that will uh we'll then on the 2nd we'll sign we sign a warrant tonight whatever we decide tonight and then on the 27th right 27th of May is when the district um board meeting is where we go through each section and the public has, you know, uh the ability to be there and to to vote on it with us. Um so that's happening on the 27th. So, uh even even though we will
002vote on something today, it's not over until the 27th when whatever is voted on then actually will go to uh for folks to vote on in June. Uh, also just want to say this week it's a staff and teacher appreciation week and so I know all the different all the schools are um doing different activities and different things for their uh teachers and staff and just want to say thank you to all all the RSU1 staff. Um, you know, that's why we we go through all this with for the students um and for the staff. We have an amazing staff and uh I know you know I can speak for the board. That's why we're it's why we're all on the board because we know we have such a great district that that we work
003with and appreciate everyone who who works uh with and for RSU1 and all they do for the students. So, thank you. All right, we're going to start with the public session uh where folks can come up and let us know uh your name and and where you live. And uh we're going to try to keep it to about 3 minutes a person. Uh so we're going to check that out and uh uh you know not super hard and fast but just you know so we know about where people are. Uh but we want everyone to have a chance to say uh what they'd like to say. So I'll invite people to come up now if uh you are so interested. Is that is that working? Okay. Great. All right. R good evening. I'll go first.
004uh Rudun 57 Green Street in Bath, parent of a graduate of Morris and a rising freshman. Uh the last several times I've done this um I've told you the story of our continuing pleading for the retention of world languages and thank you I've now adopted that uh in middle school and it's a mandate from the parents that hasn't yet been answered. Um, I told you the story of my kids believing that I began learning Latin written on tablets and of my early educ my early professional life where I was abroad with a show and talked about a strawberry instead of a border that was black and our eldest achieving the main certificate of biiteracy here at Morse and Josephine scheduling French already for the next four years. I talked about RSU1's commitment to complete education
005and without world languages we are not teaching completely to the students. Uh and and I you know wanted to expand something a little bit at the city of Bath where I'm a city councelor and Saget County budget where I'm on the advisory committee. We've cut things this year that are big. I'm the guy who's trying to kill a trolley purchase, even though we love Charlie and Charlie the trolley. And to drive the trolley, you have to be named Charlie. Um, but that's a physical thing. That's capex. And you guys have already cut your capex. I I'm aware of that. Um, but we can buy the trolley another year. We're going to cross our fingers that the replacement transmission doesn't drop on this one. But if you eliminate world languages, that's a cohort of students. They're
006going to go at least a year, possibly three years with no world languages. They carry that to Morris. You don't pick up and start at Morris as a freshman in high school with all the pressures and electives and choices in high school and proceed through. You're going to be graduating fewer people, fewer students with a foreign language um ability. Um the the bottom line and and I know that you understand this and you were getting kind of close last time, but then you talked yourselves out of it again. Um is that is that we're talking about less than 1 half of 1% of the total forgive me total business bottom line of the total budget less than one half of 1%. And and I think it sets a really poor example for as an employer,
007you can have a job, you can be onboarded, you can have move through your I'm going to use the wrong terms, uh probationary period into your permanent employment and then we make a not a trivial decision because money is money but an important decision to cut a piece of education. So, I'm going to leave you with the thought that that at this moment I won't be able to vote to support the the upcoming fiscal year budget without world languages. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, R. Um, anyone else like to come up? Hello. Hi, I'm Leonard Bernham. I'm a freshman at Morris High School and a previous attendant of Bath Middle School, including Mr. Cross's class. I'm here to attempt to defend his position here explaining that I think having a world language teacher especially one
008as enjoyable as him that strikes such an interest. I have many classmates that take French here specifically because they were inspired by him that you know won't take any other language class. they will take French and they, you know, they they speak amazingly because of him. Especially in a country like America where the average citizen doesn't even fully speak English. It's so it's so difficult to get students to be inspired this well to speak another language. Thank you. Um, hello. I am Alden Piro, a student at Bath Middle School, and I've been taking Mr. Cross's class for uh three years, all of my years of attending Bath Middle School. And I um would also like to defend his position in in being employed here. And I think that he um he both obviously foreign language
009is an important class that I think we shouldn't get rid of in general, but also him in particular, he's an incredible uh teacher and just I think a very good person and I think that he is um maybe not underappreciated, but that he would be he's very necessary to our our school in general. Um thank you. Thank you very much. Uh, hello. I'm Braden Anger and well, I'm a student at Bath Middle School and I've been attending the French program for three years and it's been very enticing. It's been a great program. Um, I feel it's helped me learn a lot and going into high school. I feel like I will take French and continue to go on with that, possibly even into college. That's all. That's all right. Thank you. Hello, my name is
010Gabe Weathers and um I believe that Mr. Ross should stay in BMS and I've because of him I'm thinking about continuing French into high school and he's really just been a great teacher in general and I don't think that it would be you know I just think getting rid of him wouldn't be as good as you know I'm I'm sorry I'm bad people you're you're fine you're absolutely fine you're doing fine thank anyone else? No. Thank you all. Um it means a lot and thank you for coming up and speaking. Um if that's it for the public session, if no one else is um coming up, we'll uh continue. Um no, we really appreciate you coming out, all the students, everybody. Thank you. the uh 4 point or 5.0. Um so before we do this
011um we're going to do you see on your agenda 5.0 is the adoption of the school budget as it is. Before that we want to make sure this is what people want. So I want to make sure the board is has a chance to weigh in and discuss if this is what we want or if you want to do anything else or change anything else. Um and that will be separate from the elimination of positions which is something is which is something else. So before we get a motion um I just like to hear from the board if anyone has comments, concerns, people have thought things through, they want to change where what's on here or or you know you know where we're at, you know what this is. Um it's not that everybody wants
012to do it, but it's it's where we are. Um financially, there's a lot of uncertainty still and I think that's how we came to this place where we tried to manage what we can afford and you know where we are. So is there any any discussion before we get to an an adoption motion? No. Yes. No. No. Okay. Then if that's where we are, um I think Kurt, you're going to This is for the uh adoption. Go ahead. Yeah. Uh I move to adopt the 2526 proposed budget in the amount of 45,475,717. And do I have a second? I'll second. Megan will second it. Any further discussion regarding the budget? Okay. All in favor? Opposed? Okay. It passes um with one of one opposition. And then the second piece is going to be the uh
013we have a list. So, in in part of this um in moving people around, people retiring, all of these things, there's a list a small list of positions that we have to officially eliminate um in order to do this. Um which is on here. So, if you want to read Yeah, why don't you read it? Okay, read through. So, again, these are not this is positions, not people. And so the positions to be voted on tonight for elimination would be at Morse High School English teacher and edtech 2 in special ed. Woolwitch would be a foreign language position and two edtech 2 positions in special ed. Bath Middle School would be two classroom teaching positions, one foreign language position and edtech 2 special education. Dyke New School would be a classroom position and districtwide would
014be a technology integrator. And then Megan, if you have a Yes. I move to eliminate the positions presented to us due to local conditions as part of the fiscal year 26 budget process. Okay. May I have a second? Second. Okay. Jamie, I'll second it. Any further discussion regarding this? No. Okay. All in favor? Any opposed? Okay. Thank you, Patty. Um, it passes. And now, so 6.0, we move on to vote to call and approve the warrants for the fiscal year 2026 school budget. I move that the vote entitled vote to call and approve the warrants for the budget meeting and the budget validation referendum and to authorize the notice of amounts adopted be approved in form presented to this meeting and that a copy of said vote be included with the minutes of this meeting.
015voted that the warrant for the regional school unit number one, the regional school unit budget meeting presented to the ME meeting be approved and that a regional school unit budget meeting be called for May 27th, 2025 for the purpose of voting on the annual budget for the regional school unit for the 2025 2026 fiscal year. that the warrant and notice of election for the regional school unit budget valid referendum presented to the meeting be approved and that a regional school unit budget valid referendum be called for June 10th, 2025 for the purpose of approving the budget adopted at the regional school unit budget meeting for the 2025 2026 fiscal year. and that the form of notice of amounts adopted at budget meeting presented to this meeting be approved. and that the superintendent of schools of
016the regional school unit be authorized and directed to complete said notice in accordance with the regional school unit budget meeting on May 27th, 2025 and to cause copies of said notice as completed to be delivered to the municipal clerks of each municipality of the regional school unit for posting at the polling places for the June 10th, 2025 regional school unit budget validation referendum. Okay. And may I have a second? May I go to second it? Any further discussion? All in favor? Any opposed? No. Okay. All right, that passes. Um, and that really is our business today. We I need everybody to stay after to sign for the warrants. And again, I just want to emphasize that while we have a board meeting on what is that the 19th uh is our next board meeting because
017the normal Monday would actually be Memorial Day. So, we're not doing that obviously. Um it will be that day after Memorial Day, the 27th when we have each, you know, we have to vote on each section. Uh what's that's not the right word. What's the right word? Article. Thank you. that'll believe each article at which point when you have everyone from the district showing up everybody votes. So that's you know that's when sometimes things change or get modified. Uh and then what however that ends up on the 27th that would then move on for the vote in June and uh you know for the public to vote to pass the budget. Do you have a question? time the time on the 27th isn't usually six. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Sure. Six o'clock. And I'm guessing that
018one will be in the theater, right? Yes. Yeah. It'll be here and more in the theater 6 o'clock. Yeah. Thank you for the clarification. Um so if there are no further questions, I would ask um for a motion to adjurnn. So moved. Second. All in favor? Thank you all for coming and thank you. That's I know how difficult this is. Um, every budget year is tough and we're going to keep up with the process. So thank you all.