001E1 Duke. >> Okay. Welcome to the board of education regular finance and operations committee meeting Wednesday, March 14th, time is 6 p.m. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. Okay, first item item on the agenda approval of the minutes of 12 uh 2-1225 regular operations meeting. >> So moved. >> Seen the minutes. Any changes or additions? >> No, no changes or or additions. >> Make a motion to approve. >> Uh motion to approve. >> I will second that. Um, Dante Zan, can you hear us? >> I can hear you. >> All in favor? >> I motion passes. Approval of the minutes 40925 regular finance operations committee meeting. >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Chair will second. Discussion. All in favor? >> I. >> Public comment. And we do not have public comment. Anybody online
002clamoring? Okay, >> we did not receive any public comment. >> Item number four, 2025, budget update through 43025. >> Mind that I do it from here because I'm running the Zoom. >> Yep. >> Our fiscal year 2025 balance of April 30 was a negative $8,952,49. Our general control, transportation, pupil personnel services, and operations and maintenance of plant facilities remain the most significant areas of concern. The general control budget is over $91,132 due to increased professional services expenses. The transportation budget is currently over by $240,798. Pupil services is over budget by $7,54,726 while operation of maintenance of plant operations and maintenance of plant are over budget by 515,464 and $272,743 respectively. As the end of April, we maintain a budget freeze and only allow purchases directly supporting the curriculum, necessary paper products, emergency repairs, graduation, and
003all grant and student activity expenses. We are actively identifying areas where we can reduce incumbrances for goods and services. Currently, there are 698 purchase orders open. We continue to work on closing all purchase orders that are not explicitly related to curriculum repairs, graduation, or necessary supplies. I will continue to closely monitor the fiscal year 2025 costs and continue to inform you of all areas of concern in the following months. >> Okay, questions? >> Uh yes, if I may through the chair. Um I I did have some uh some questions. I'm noticing that um that uh transportation is still uh is still a pro a hard point for us. Um and is and that's still largely due to uh the sped transfer uhation. >> Special ed transportation costs this year when we got the new contract
004went up between 30 and 70%. So it was definitely something we did not budget for. Now, is this something where they uh um they came in maybe lower than we uh than we uh lower than we expected or they expected and there, you know, they had to do an increase? Uh what's the uh what are some of these other overages from >> the um the reasoning behind it was our contract was so was created so long ago. It was pre-COVID. We had a very long contract for our special education >> uh transportation. So when we went out to bid last year for this year, the prices went up exponentially. >> Um operation and plant of course maintenance plant. Those I I find that those tend to be tied together. Um would would uh would a
005a portion or a substantial portion of this be tied to uh like the the issues with the roof at Edgewood or are there other other parts? We had >> roof leak. We had water leaks and stuff that >> we did have water leaks throughout the district. >> Water. >> Yeah. >> But we also had water mane breaks over the winter. Um there were two at at schools and one here that had to be taken care of. >> Yeah, I remember because we got the yellow emergency repair, >> but that one was uh that one was approved. Um but we still went over budget on that or >> it was not something we had intended to pay out of the general fund. We thought it we could use S or ARP money for it and it
006came down that the state would not allow that. >> Okay. Um as uh the other question that I had um let's see so um I had another question as far as um as far as for controlling costs and things like that. Um uh are we planning um over the course of the uh of the summer uh to be uh to be sending any uh any school employees for any conferences or any kind of trainings or anything like that that may be uh um would be uh tied to you know some of the budget you would you know that would add to the budget overages that we're currently experiencing. >> For the most part the trips that people go on are paid for through grants. >> Okay. There's very few that happen that are paid for
007through the general fund. >> So, we are planning on on doing uh some some conferences or >> grants were written in some cases a year and a half ago. So, it was well before we were in this predicament. >> Okay. So, it's money we already uh because that was going to be my next question. If there were, you know, how was it going to be funded? So, it's going to be uh funded through uh uh particular grants. >> Most definitely. >> Okay. believe some of those are covered under the U contract tool that we're required to pay for. >> It's true. They are contractual. >> Yeah, they're contractual. So, we can't can't just 86. >> So, some of those are contract we're contractually obligated to provide uh Now, let me ask you this. Are there
008some that we could do that are uh for that training? Are there some that we could do that are maybe more local that would help uh maybe um offset some of that cost? >> I could not answer that question. You would have to ask Mrs. Foron. >> Okay. Hey, do the chair. >> Yeah. >> Um, so Mrs. Porton has arranged for the AVID training. I'm just giving you an example, the AVID training where we used to go out to state for that. >> We're actually working on bringing the trainers in state. So that's an example of how we're we're um utilizing instate rather than having people go out of state for conferences. >> Thank you. Um, see here, you know, I hope you don't mind me asking this, but um uh you know, for for
009um uh for Mary's uh deputy superintendent position, is she now being paid um the uh the dep uh the deputy superintendent's uh current salary or is she still being paid um her salary plus the stipen? So, at this point, um, the salary, the schedule of payments, >> yes, >> we may be off by a week or two, but she will now be on the regular deputy superintendent salary. >> Okay. All right. >> Once the next cycle starts, payment cycle starts. >> Okay, that's good. Um, I guess the last question I have would be, um, I know that we have, uh, there's been, uh, discussions about a budget workshop. Um, we've been hearing about it. We're we're closing in fast on on voting on on the budget. Are we still planning on doing a budget workshop
010um with all of the uh with all the commissioners and uh some other people? It's been discussed and that's why I asked >> I have not discussed with chair ponds about doing a workshop with the board of ed commissioners. We've done some workshops with our unions, but I haven't had that conversation with chair ponds >> for the chair. >> Okay. All right. because it was mentioned that we were going to be holding a a workshop and I haven't seen anything yet. So >> with the chair, >> sure. >> Commissioner Tagarella wanted to speak. >> Go ahead. >> Um with respect to the workshop, um >> can you hear me? >> No, >> we cannot hear you. >> Can people online hear me? >> I can hear him online. Yeah. I thought as I heard Susan
011before, but I don't know if they could hear us. >> Yeah. This is what happened last month. We could hear them. >> Can you hear me >> in the room? Yeah. >> In the room? >> No. So, they must not >> We can hear Everyone online can hear each other, but not there. >> Okay. >> Oh, good. >> We can't hear. >> We have to start, I guess. Right. Ah, this is unfortunate. >> Can you hear me? >> Yeah, we can hear you. >> Okay, >> there we go. Oh, you can hear me now. Perfect. Um, with respect to the workshop, uh, I think the city is voting on the final budget, um, next Monday. It's either next Monday or Tuesday. So I think that will give us an indicator of where we actually stand
012in terms of our budget. And so I think it'd be a good idea to have a workshop following that when we get the final number. >> Makes sense. >> We won't reote. We don't like revote on a budget, right? We we vote on a recommended budget, which we did, which was the trimming of the $6 million, and then the city has an obligation to come back and respond. And then the that's what the final number is. We don't have to reratify that as a matter of procedure. So >> the chair >> usually you vote on the cuts that we make that we bring forward to you at the June meeting. >> Okay. >> For the chair. >> Go ahead. >> Yes. So what I had um offered was when superintendent receives the final number, if
013it's less than what we actually requested, which it looks like they reduce that amount by almost $4 million. Um what would happen is the superintendent would propose a budget with the possible reductions for the board of finance and then it would have to go to the full board for approval. And at that point or sometime in that time period, a workshop would be appropriate to discuss the different reductions that will have to happen and give the board the opportunity to voice their opinions on what they would like to see cut um or what they would not like to see cut. So, it was always uh the the plan was always to allow the board the opportunity to have those discussions, but it was premature to have the discussions before we knew how much money we
014were actually going to get. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Also then there's potential legislation in the correct and then the session doesn't end until June. Is it June 4th? >> June 4th. But you can board meeting >> trust 100% of what the state says they're going to give you because every year they say they're going to give us a certain amount and then don't. So it's it's good to be very conservative based on what they're saying. >> But then we would know. Okay. I just have one more comment that I want. >> Yeah, go ahead. >> Eric, can I speak? >> Yes, you may. >> Okay. Thank you. Um the other comment that I wanted to make is that in reference to the deputy superintendent stipen uh theou to support a stipen was a
0154monthou which will now cease and I believe May on Monday I believe is the last day that the stipen would have uh been in effect. And what that means is that the total amount that could have possibly been funded through thatou was in the 30 to 35 range. Um, but what we'll actually have much less than that, uh, we can ask Lynn for a total on that to have full transparency to the public to show that we did not ever pay anyone $288,000 a year. Uh, that was actually completely fabricated math. And I want the public to be aware that the amount of money that was put into theou outlined as a stipen was approved by the union the administrator's union and never spent more than what was allowable actually much less which will total
016I Yes, maybe half or the most $20,000 more than the principal salary, but we can get an exact number. I just want the information to be made very clear that no one re $188,000. >> Thank you. >> Okay, next item. Cafeteria report. Our snapshot balance shows a surplus of $618,245 as of the end of April. Side note, we will no longer receive additional COVID funded funding this year, which we have been getting for the past three years, which was approximately $180,000 per year. We served our scholars 43,152 breakfasts, 95,940 lunches, and 1,784 after school snacks. >> Any questions >> through the chair? >> Go ahead. Um because we're no longer getting anything additional, um are we looking at ways to conserve in this program and um to to get it close to zero or profitability
017as we move forward? >> It's really difficult to give um a zero balance budget because we don't know how much we're going to receive the next year. We're doing this budget in November and we don't find out how much we're going to get paid back by the state until July of the next year. So, we do our best to figure it out based on what we have and what we assume to be. >> Yep, that's fair. I think that's from the revenue perspective. I just mean operationally and from the expense side of um managing our expenses and operations. Have have we started to look at those things? the the food service program has actually taken on far more expenses than they ever had in the past. The board of ed used to subsidize the equipment
018and the purchasing of contracts for them and they're now holding their own and they're still with a $618,000 balance as well as buying all new equipment for three different schools and a a new van or I'm sorry, a new truck for the program. So, I believe they're doing a good job of staying where they need to be. They did have to spend down from the 1 million that we had because we're not allowed to have that much in the bank. So, I think that um David is doing an excellent job managing the program. >> Thanks. >> You're welcome. >> If I may through the chair. >> Sure. >> Um yeah. So uh uh the truck that you mentioned is that for the delivery of uh food to uh the schools that do not have the
019facilities to to um to prepare a meal. >> It's for the food and the supplies. Yes. >> For the food and supplies. Okay. Um would you say that the uh the uh inflation costs that we have been um that we've all been faced with in food when we go to the grocery stores that have been um um would you say that that's been a significant drag on on the budget this year? >> It it has been. Okay. Do you feel that um do do you have any concerns with that continuing into the summer because we still have the summer to uh to cover as well? Correct. >> This summer is the new fiscal year. >> The summer is in the new fiscal year, so it would be the new year's budget. >> Okay. All right.
020I wasn't sure if it was uh if it ended in uh if it ended um at the end of August or or started in uh started in the summer. So, I confirm that. >> Board for Board of Education purposes, it ends on June 30th. For the state purposes, it goes through August. >> All right. Thank you for that clarification. >> You're welcome. >> Okay. Next item. Appropriations transfers over 10,000. >> In the month of April, we transferred 38,740 to and from individual lines within the PEP grant in order to make it all balance out for the end ofear reporting. Okay. Any questions? pupil personal services report. >> Good evening. Tonight I'll be reporting on the special education enrollment count. As of May 1st, 2025, 1,839 of the 8,094 enrolled Bristol students are identified as requiring
021special education programming. This enrollment reflects 22.72 of the percent of the total BPS student population. As of May 1st, 125 students with disabilities require out of district placements at private special education school programs. There are 93 students requiring special education programming at other public out of schools. That would include magnet schools. During the month of April 2025, 22% of the newly registered students were identified as requiring special education programming at the time of registration. There were no newly enrolled students receiving their programming in and out of district school program for the month of April. And during the month of April, there were 22 211 calls and eight 911 calls. I do have an additional report to go over, but are there any uh questions about the student special education enrollment count? >> No, proceed. Thank
022you. So, at the most recent board of education meeting, uh, one of the items on the agenda was the approval of our preschool policy. During the discussion, there were a few questions that came up regarding tuition for um, preschool age children. And so, I'm just going to speak a little bit about that. And we do have Mrs. Sugarman here, our supervisor of early childhood programming, if we have any additional questions. Um but for the group to know um historically many of the Connecticut school districts used to provide preschool education at no cost. However, as we've seen over a number of years, the demands for early childhood education has surged not only in Bristol but across the state. This particular surge has been seen mostly within urban area districts um who often faced financial uh constraints.
023To support families and to ensure equitable access to preschool education, Connecticut has implemented a variety of different school grant programs, one of which is the school readiness preschool grant. This this initiative provides funding to high-nee communities to offer affordable highquality early care and education services. Under the program, districts may charge parent fees based upon a sliding scale that is determined not by the district but by the Connecticut office early childhood office. Um and then re just for you to know um state legislatively um that because of the response uh of the needs of our students but then also because of the financial challenges within the district, Governor Lamont had proposed a $300 million universal preschool endowment for the years between 2025 and 2027. With that, the aim is to increase the number of school readiness
024seats. His proposal was to increase slots um up to 2032. I can say that Mrs. Sugarman fought hard at the state level and she got Bristol 15 additional seats which allows for additional funding for us. So this is part of the reason we've been so passionate and adamant about some of the particulars around PE preschool because it does impact funding when we make certain changes. Um, in terms of our sliding scale, we do follow the legislation and the guidance from the early office of childhood um, office uh, I believe that Mrs. Sugarman shared some of the forms that we have for families to share, you know, what and how there are they are in need. It is a confidential process. It is vetted by a committee of members and again it follows the procedures that
025are outlined by the early um, childhood office. So that was a brief summary of uh the tuition and the sliding scales. Are there questions regarding our process? >> So if I may to the chair. >> Sure. >> Um so the uh the additional seats that we're looking at it's an additional 15. >> Yes. Mrs. Sugarman was able to get 15 additional seats in Bristol. >> Well, okay. So um how does that impact the funding? I'm assuming you know there you get additional funding for each additional seat. >> Correct. >> What does that look like? >> Mrs. Sugarman, do you want to talk about um one the f fiscal impact, but also how that helps us kind of um balance our 5050% need and how we're able to bring in students based upon the seat allocation?
026>> Sure. Absolutely. Can you hear me? Okay. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Um so the office of early childhood, as um Amy mentioned, um opened up a process to receive additional seats beginning in June of this year. Bristol was awarded 15 additional seats um in the amount of $45,000 as an added to our um our prek budget. Um for next year moving forward, the process changed slightly. Um they said we're going to allocate additional funding and you can determine the space type based on your program um and your and your community needs. So, for next um school year, we were able to receive an additional $90,000 on top of um the money already budgeted for our school readiness program. Um assuming we can fill the seats and we have a a pretty robust weight list.
027So, um we're looking to to fill the seats and to, you know, ensure we receive that money from the Office of Early Childhood. >> You're the chair, if I may add. >> Yes. So this funding becomes very much so important as we've been hearing that you know we're over 50% of our preschool age children receiving special education services. I think I shared in past um even the percentage of students who are requiring some pretty significant robust services when we have additional funding for example it offsets by which we have to open up different programs. So Mrs. Sugarman and I were just speaking this morning about how um we're prepared at the moment to have an autism program with a pretty high number. However, we are able to offset that and not have to request in
028the general budget an additional staff member because we can offset in different ways. So, um I think it's just important for you to know kind of how we checks and balances with what we're given here and how we can offset asking for additional costs in other ways. if I may. Um so, uh um you said something to the effect that you're you're anticipating an increase in special needs services to be provided to the preschoolers. Um do you have an estimate as to what that you know uh how many students um or is it still too because they haven't been >> um we certainly >> haven't been really evaluated yet. >> I would say that the best number is truthfully uh offered to you maybe in that August time. September and October, it's really finalized. Right
029now, I can tell you just for our lead autism program, we know that if we leave things as is, we would be starting the program with 13 pretty significant uh needs in an autism program, which is not ideal. So, we need to uh calibrate that. With that said, it is important to know like the number of students that leave our district and come into our district fluctuates so much, especially at this time. Um, oftentimes we even choose not to give you numbers in July because they're just so skewed by when people are enrolling and disenrolling. Um, but we watch that very closely every month. Um, I'm sure Mrs. Sugarman can attest that every other week when we're meeting together, we're looking at our program numbers, looking where we need to make shifts, um, so that
030we can make sure we're programming for children appropriately. >> Okay. um depending on what we find you know for the need of students we'll have already gone you know we've already >> um you know we've already voted on the budget >> um so that number will be you know at you know that number will be set >> what happens if some of these students um are in greater need than what we've already budgeted for how you know do we have anything do we have a any kind of plans in place to kind of offset those costs >> Oh that's a great question I would say the easiest answer I could say is in pupil personnel services we're always looking about how we make things equitable where we can share how we combine with that said
031there are times that we have no more wiggle room and we have to either create a program I think you saw that a couple springs ago where we had to open up another destination's program which saved us a lot of money um but it was an investment and we've kept that program going and we've been at full capacity ever since um so there are times that we do need to open up additional programming or request additional staffing. Um, at this time right today, as of as of May 14th, we have vetted the entire district, all the programs, all the case manager lists, and we feel like we're adequately equipped to meet all of those needs. The tricky part is we never know what will happen, what who will move out, who will move in, and
032we have to respond to those. I will say there's not much wiggle room. >> Okay. Um, and I don't mean to put you on the spot on this. No, that's okay. Uh, I do apologize, but you know that, you know, I' I have been I'm not going to lie. I've been a fan of I've I been a fan of closing uh Edgewood because I think it would help to reduce our our our expenses. It would help reduce our our um you know, square footage, our you know, uh our footprint in in in general um in terms of maintenance and and and and things like that. However, um would there be a benefit to expanding special needs services in a school like Edgewood um to you know maybe greater than what we are currently doing. So
033actually adding more classes and being able to provide you know more services inhouse um you know that we can kind of you know the you know the kids can be closer to home less travel time for them you know it's good for the families you know getting the services that they need here in their community um you know just it better all around I think it would be a win-win situation what you know what do you think uh you know is there is there a possibility is there a feasibility of opening up more classes for children with special needs today. >> Well, I'm I'm going to answer that in two different ways. Um if that's okay. >> So, the research and you know um all the discussions in the state of Connecticut are showing and
034highlighting that our students or our children I should say early children are coming to school districts with higher and higher needs. >> They also say that the more services that you remediate at earlier years it will c it will save you exponentially in the long run. So, I do believe that the more that we can support that preschool intensive service will save Bristol public schools in the end. I will share that uh Miss White and I and Miss Sugarman and a couple other supervisors, we um have talked about a really creative way of servicing a bunch of programs in a more collaborative way, but that also might be able to bring students home. Not ready to share it just yet. Sure. But I will be putting a proposal together that will be embedded in the
035next budget presentation and I really think that we would make some strong forward movement if we were moving in that direction. I just feel like it's too premature to share. >> Sure. >> I'm glad I asked the question. I look forward to hearing the proposal >> through the chair. >> Go ahead. just wanted to um kind of tag in on not the same question but the same topic and specifically I think you know the desire to provide more services to increase our long-term savings right the early investment to save down the road right I think one of the things that would benefit the district and I think we did this before in our initial budget presentation when we talked about saving, you know, millions of dollars by investing in specific programs. I think it's important
036that as we move along, we know that we're likely to end up in a deficit again in special education. And I think showcasing what the potential savings would have been had we invested fully in special education rather than cutting us by, you know, 6 to10 million. I think that will be helpful and illustrative along the way because what what we'll end up seeing is that we're going to end up paying for these services regardless. But to your point, I think if we can showcase that had we made those investments in the meantime, we've actually might have saved some money. >> I agree with that. >> Thank you. It's my thought is that uh it's the outplacement that costs us the most money. We don't we have very little control over that. Whereas when we keep
037it in house and again get you know dealing with the children at the youngest age and and getting them prepared I think saves will save money in a long run. Right now it may seem expensive but uh you know it could be more expensive down the line. So >> yeah, I totally agree. I think you know having a centralized location where there isn't additive costs like transportation and tuitions and instead potentially have a program that may charge tuition from other districts instead especially if we had a enhanced service offering would be a tremendous boon for the school district. So >> the chair if I might just add um I agree completely. Um, I did do a recent analysis of where our out of district numbers and percentages compared to other similar districts and I will
038tell you that we're either right at that same threshold or we're much lower than other thresholds like New Breton for example. With it all said, out of district is um quite a cost in order to bring students back. I think you might have heard me share at our city finance meeting that we have been talking for a few years about some ideas. However, as Dante has suggested, in order for those things to occur, we do have to invest upfront um in order to see that come back to fruition because we have no wiggle room. So, we don't have the staff and the related services to make that happen. It would c it would cost uh an investment upfront which then would return. So, um to Dante's point, when we go into the next fiscal year,
039um I think you'll see some proposals and I do think it's a good idea to talk about what the cost is, what the pro potential benefit is in the short term as well as the long term and then if that is not moved forward then what is the what is the um cost that ends up impacting us year-over-year because I do think it's important to see that long term >> you know and if I may um you know I would say it's not even just the cost of whether we do or we don't you know is it going to cost us more to not do it versus doing it um there's also like um for for some of the students >> I mean I can recall my own experiences, you know, uh my child had
040to, you know, commute like an hour um to get to that, you know, to get to the their school that they were being outplaced to. And so that's one way. So that's two hours. They were in back. So that's a long day for a long time. >> It's a long day for the kids, too. So um you know, if there's things that we can do to be able to provide them what, you know, what they need in their in their IEP and, you know, put them in a least restrictive environment where they can learn and grow, um and and be able to do it in-house. Not only do I think it's going to not only I think it could save us money, but I think it, you know, would be uh I think it would
041be a a better quality of life, you know, issue for the family and for the children. >> Your statement is feel it's felt right in my heart. That is right up my alley. Get them home. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Let's move on. Student activity accounts report. >> Bristol Central Athletics began the year with a balance of $35,7629. A total of $3,4796 in expenses and $36,666.84 in receipts left the balance of $41,950.7. The Bristol Central Student Activity Fund began the year with $141,74738. They had $121,484.90 in expenditures and $176,7457 in receipts, leaving a month end balance of $197,755. Bristol Eastern Athletics began this year with a $2,3834 balance, a total of 17,88026 in expenses, and $36,453.95 in receipts, left a balance of 20,95673. Bristol Eastern Student Activity Fund began the year with $147,11189. They've
042spent three $13,392 in expenditures, $160,11482 in receipts, leaving a month end balance of $23,83469. >> Any questions? Moving on. Finance and Operations Committee acting as the building committee. >> We have no report this month. >> Excellent. We got too much stuff to do right now. >> Yes, sir. >> Old business. New business. >> New business. Um, we have received an additional anonymous donation for our scoreboards and um, Miss Sarah Orner is online to explain it to you. >> Thank you, Lynn. Um, hello everybody. I um understand that I presented at the board of finance um last month and I last week presented to the board of education where our donation for the Bristol scoreboards of $174,000 uh $174 637 was approved. Um, we received an additional quote for the Bristol Eastern Turf Scoreboard to be
043relocated, which is going to require the work from RNC Electric. I worked with the finance department to secure a quote for the um for that um movement of the scoreboard. Um, the quote came out to $13,985. um the same donor who came forward with the um original donation would like to cover the cost of that board being relocated. Um so the new total of the donation would be adjusted to $188,622. I am just asking um to revise the value of the donation to cover the relocation of the Bristol Eastern Turf scoreboard. >> Motion to revise and accept. >> Second. >> Motion made and seconded. Discussion. All in favor? >> I chair votes I >> and thank you for the donation. >> Thank you so much. Would you guys um would you like me to fill
044out a new donation form with the appropriate amount the 188622 would that be appropriate or um is it just understood that this quote is going to be encompassed in the original donation? >> Uh I would go with however the recordkeeping demands. So if Lynn needs a revised form for her records then that might be the right route. >> I think that that would be perfect. I'm >> agree with Commissioner Tago on that. >> Okay, good. I'm I'm more on the on the school of thought of of of paper. Put it on paper. So, thank you all so much. I I very much appreciate your attention to this. >> Thank you. >> Okay. No other new business. No other business before the committee. Meeting is adjourned. >> Thank you. >> Thanks everybody. Thank you.