001I don't know. We were talking. >> I know. I was thinking about that today. >> Okay. Are we we all set? >> Okay. Okay, if we could, we'll start the meeting with the flag salute. >> I 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. >> Okay. Could I get a Thank you everybody for that. Um, can I get a uh motion to approve tonight's meeting agenda? A >> motion. I get a >> any any discussion? All those in favor? Okay. Thank you. Um can I get a motion? Um well, I'll do the motion. Motion by me to move into public hearing uh amended district-wide school safety plan for 2025 through 2026 portion of
002the board meeting. Can I get a second? >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? What do you got here? >> I think it just went off when I turned it off. All done. >> Okay. All those in favor? Okay. I will introduce Miss Moren Phillip, Philip and Lad, the school business manager to present the public hearing portion of the board meeting. After the presentation, Miss Lad will ask if there's any questions from the public. >> Okay. >> You going to do this without a screen? >> Sure. I have one right up there. I >> Okay. It's actually really easy because this is an amended um updated district safety plan. We had to the district safety plan is just the one piece the one document of a five different documents that make up the district safety plan.
003This one is the comprehensive y multi hazard plan. Can you hear me? Oh, >> how about if I go quicker or closer? >> So there that we're required to have this for the um emergency responses and management at the district level. So this is the one that's on the district website and does not include a lot of the details that the building level plans include. Basically what happened was over the summer the governor signed into law DEA's law which is to add um the emergency cardiac response plan to business to our districtwide safety plans. What happened is basically um with because of some students that had collapsed on fields, she wanted to formalize this and add it to our district safety plans. All districts already have these plans. So for us, we just had to
004um basically kind of get it back out and um get it amended into the form that it could go into the district safety plan. So the new requirements are that we have a new public hearing and update our district safety plan with the cardiac arrest emergency response piece. It's needs to be done by January 20th. Hence tonight's public meeting. Again, basically we have included the protocols and the responses that are need needed for the sudden cardiac arrest and any other life-threatening emergencies. So we have to adopt the plan. It includes where our AED equipment is, that we have the AED equipment, that we have signage, that how we maintain them, who's trained, and who responds. So, tonight you'll have in the um in the board packet, it is item I thought I wrote it here
005somewhere. Yeah, it's item H2. And there's a new highlighted section in this third section under responses that includes all of the cardiac responses that are necessary. The district-wide safety committee had to be formed, which is why this wasn't done at the October or the August meeting for September one. Um the district safety meeting committee was formed. We met on November 12th and everybody approved the revisions and now we're here tonight to bring them to the board for your approval. So that's basically the long and short of it. It's just an amendment to the plan that we already have to include the cardiac response piece. Is are any questions, comments? And it is we had to formally do public meet public session again. We had it in the paper again for public comment. And if anybody
006has any questions, you are allowed to ask questions before we close. Anybody? Thank you very much. >> Thanks, M. >> Okay. Can I get a motion to close the public hearing? >> A motion. >> Can I get a second? >> Any discussion? All those in favor? >> Can I get a motion to open the regular meeting? >> A motion. >> Can I get a second? Any discussion? All those in favor? Do we have any uh blue cards? No blue cards. Okay. On to item D, special presentation of the board. We're going to do uh staff recognition for 20 and 15 years. Invite all the board members into the ring. the hugger zone. >> All right. So, we are here tonight to recognize some many years of service for our staff. So, to start, we will
007recognize the staff who are in attendance that have 20 years of service. And we're going to start with Amy Catelyn. 20 years of service. Go through the hugger zone. Remember that. >> There's treats. >> Treats. >> Our next staff member is JenRandle. Jennifer Crannle. I'll be formal. Jennifer. Our next staff member is Melissa Dela Posta. Congratulations. Next we have Denise Hawkins, 20 years of service. We have Barb Montlair with 20 years of service. We have Joanie Pierce with 20 years of service. and Katrina Vant with 20 years of service. Those staff members with 20 years of service that were not able to make it tonight very quickly are Miriam Garrow, Jesse Green, Stephanie Hall, Brian Hatch, Ryan Henry, Margaret Levy, Diane Maw, Richard Moraglia, Bonnie Honey Murphy, Martha Plant, Janelle Papovich, Jennifer Shant, Dean Schlutoter,
008and Vicky Turo. So those all have 20 years of service. So those staff members with 15 years of service that are here is Diane Gibbons. And those staff members with 15 years that were unable to join us tonight are Eric Eli, Michelle Gladel, Louisa Johnson, Christina Christine Msina, Mark Shaughnessy, Allison Week, and Eric Wetszig. There are treats on the other side. And then we'll Are you going to do a group picture with Jordan with all of them or and a group picture? So everybody with 20 years of service, go get your treats. Well, anybody can go get treats. Sure. What do you want me to do? >> But I just wondered when I heard school as you were talking about the federal campaign for giving but it wasn't just federal. It was like All right,
009here we go. >> Okay, Moren, you can start with uh we're back on. Okay, >> we back. >> Our three-year projection long range planning. It's my favorite one. >> It is mine, too. So this is an exercise that is basically required highly recommended I guess I would sh say by sedd and controllers's office they want you to do some projections out threeyear fiveyear I only do three because it looks so bad the further out you go and it's just hard to take so so I do three and to set it up you basically put your 24 25 actual numbers so these are the numbers that we closed with this year These are the numbers that are on our financials. If you do the revenues in the pie chart, you can see that obviously state aid
010is our biggest contributor to revenue and the tax levy and we sometimes use fund balance and we have other small revenue sources. And the same on the expenditure side, salary and benefits basically make up the bulk of our um expenditures. We spend a good amount at Boseis. Our debt service is basically the mortgage payments that we have on our capital projects and we spend 5% on all other and that's everything basically that we talk about all the time is really only 5% of the budget and utilities and fuel is 2%. This is the same breakdown of numbers and it's the budget we're currently in. So we have a $102.6 6 million budget that we're currently operating under. And when you put it in the pi graphs, it's almost the identical set of percentages. And as
011I say all the time, I think these percentages are very hard to change. They basically stay the same no matter what we do with it. And it's basic and it's no different than most other districts in the state of New York, which we'll talk about later on. So what I do is what this um this is the comprollers's um what do you want to say what the the agenda or whatever you want to say that I use you put that actual against the budget of the year that just closed and you set it next to the budget that we're currently in and you start projecting forward on those numbers. Some of the things that we do know right now going forward is that currently the ERS or TRS number is projected to go down slightly.
012It's not at 9.59 right now and there's they're projecting between 8.25 and 875. The ERS projections are to go up. It's currently sitting at 16.5% projected to go up to 17.6%. Sometimes I'm not sure if it's clear, but every employee in the district is a civil service. Either you're certified and you're under the TRS system or you're civil service and you're under the ERS system. So, we pay on every salary that we have in the district. Oh, and also health insurance they had basically said they're trying to keep in the seven eight% possibly nine this year. So I in for this purpose I just did the seven. So how this um basically these projections move is we take all of the expenditures and we take year 1, year two, year three estimates of what this
013entails. So I'm using 4% across the salary lines. I'm using ERS and TRS one and 2% on the outy years but 20 and 10 right now because the number I currently have is too low. So I need to bump it up knowing what's coming and I put sevens on the health insurance both we I'm using 3% on the actual number. If you act if I go back to this slide right here you can see the Boseies number and the current year actual is higher than the budget year we have right now. And that's the same with a c with the appropriations. And so basically I take the 3% on that actual number just for something to project out. And up on the revenue side I have tax levy at 2% on each of the outy
014years. The appropriated fund balance going down a half a million each year and leaving the other revenues at the 2.6. 6 million. So, as you go through this and put those projections in, you can see the negatives across the bottom. This is the 2% state aid increase. This is a 3% state aid increase and a 4% state aid increase. Now, these are just real generalizations across it, but it's easy enough to show. I'm going back to the two again. If you look at the expenditures, the percentage increase across the bottom, it's a 5.2, a 3.9, and a 3.39. Those are in the range. If our salaries are at 4% and our benefits are higher, we're going to be somewhere in the four or 5%. So, the discussion becomes getting enough revenue to meet the expenditures.
015The numbers are big. They won't be that big. Obviously 2% is on the total state aid and we have expense driven aids and we have building aid formulas that are rolling. So it will be more than 2% per se, but the foundation aid at 2% is is going to hurt. And so as we look at these projections, I think the number one piece that we need to understand is we need to make some decisions this year. Over the last three or four years, we've been adding big- time adding essentially because of all the COVID money. So, I mean, we had money that we had to add and now we kind of need to get back in track with what our state aid is going to be. We have a program called forecast 5 analytics and
016I like to use some of these when I have a chance because these are little um these are in comparison with other you can pick your districts or you can pick the state. So this right here is our district's revenue by source just in a graph. So you can see that the the blue is the taxes and basically the orange is the the state aid or the foundation aid and you can see that the taxes really haven't come up much because as we've discussed in the past we have not been taxing up to the tax cap. So we have been getting increases in state aid and a lot of that is due the expense driven aid. And this last one is remember we building aid came on because of the capital project. This next graph
017is that property tax. As you can see the property tax has slightly been going up over the years. The the zeros you can see in the 21 22 23 because they stayed equal. The difference between the blue line and the orange is the star reimbursement. As um time goes by, less money is received from through Star. As people sell their homes, Star is actually not given to them as a credit on their taxes. It's a check that comes in the mail. So, it kind of changes that graph a little bit. On the expenditure size, this is basically the same. Um the yellow is the wages, the green are the employee benefits. So, you can see that those are the two biggest. And as I always say, these generally don't change. They're all getting slightly larger
018or proportionately the same as we move forward. These are the expenditures by type. And I like this graph because it shows how much the health insurance is as a the benefits in total. That's the green portion of these lines. And it continues to stay that large. So health insurance is something that we can always try to work on to have some larger savings. These this is the last six years of our our revenues versus our expenditures our actuals and I picked this graph to show you because in the you know 2021 22 we had some bigger swings. 22 the negative 4.7 was when we put all the money into the capital project. We moved the the 3.2 million over and we put some money in reserves. But the reason I like this graph because if
019you look at 2425, you can see how close it's getting to the re to the revenue, which that basically shows that I'm slowly taking all of the um what do you want to say the buffer out of any of the expenditure lines. This graph shows our fund balance over the years, the last six years. Um the blue is our restricted funds, yellow assigned. Um the green is the non-spendable which we have used up and reclassified and the orange is the unassigned. So the orange is the 4% piece and we're starting to go down on the fund balance in general. And I just like these next set of this is actually central square by itself the last six years. The gray line is enrollment. So enrollment is slightly going down. The blue line are students with
020disabilities which remained the same and are slightly going up in the last two years. So the percentage of students with disabilities against our totals is going up due to that little shift of differences. And I think it's interesting, the orange line is the economic disadvantage percentage. And as I keep saying, it's gone down again. We're we're getting richer as far as that projection goes, which does not help our foundation aid formulas at all. This is us against the nine districts in our county. We are not the largest last year. Awiggo beat us by what is it three students but if you look at the um the low income percentage at the end the 46.7 we are basically the lowest except for asiggo so that is where we do look I always say we're the wealthiest
021of the poor districts of the whole county. This is central square against the state in total. So the first to the left is the revenues as a percentage of total. So um we have state aid is the orange and taxes is the blue. That's central square. But the state in total on average gets less of their money from state aid and more of it from taxes. So that's why we are we are highly dependent on state aid. the num the um graphs on the outside are just as a per pupil number versus a total. This one is the expenditures in the same in the same graphs. And this is where I always say to you, we don't spend any differently than the rest of the state. As you can see, the the state by category
022lines up just like we do. All districts are made up of probably 75% is salary and benefits. On the far side is the per pupil breakdown and we do spend less per pupil than the state in total on average. This is the operating expenditures per pupil for Asiggo County. Central Square is down almost to the bottom. Phoenix is the only one that's underneath us. and everybody else. So the average is the line out there. So we are well under average. So we do um do well with the budget that we have. This graph I like because this is the fund balance as a percentage of revenues. And we do have a fairly low fund balance as a percentage of revenues compared to the other districts in our county. This is the enrollment trend and it
023does project out to 27 when you input the live births and we're I I'm using a factor saying 100% of the live births will show up at the district and doing that you can see that we really are projected to just go flat in the outy years. We shouldn't be experiencing any more decline per the birth rates in our c in our district. >> You know, it's interesting. When I started here 11 years ago, that was a Severki study and he's like 10 years from now, that study said it's going to do exactly what it did right there. >> Yeah. And it's amazing that he was able to get it that that close. For sure. So, where do we go from here? Obviously, we need to as administration, cabinet, board um work on looking at
024ways that we can save. In January, the executive budget will be released and that's where we'll start. Um February through March, we'll do budget development. We'll make fund balance decisions. We'll make tax levy decisions. And then in April, we'll adopt the budget. In May, we'll have a public hearing. and May 19th. I have that date wrong. We will go for vote. Um the vote is always the third Tuesday in May. And I left the TW I think I left that 20 there from the prior presentation. And that's just a little rendition of what we have going on in and some of the I like those graphs. I just think it's important to share them with you just where our data points are compared to the county and the state. Does anyone have any questions, comments?
025>> I don't just to clarify because I I think you know especially this year with with what happened during the budget season and the the amount of misunderstandings and misinformation that was out there. I don't have your graphs in front of me but um two two primary points strike me in that presentation which is one um we get more than half a substantially more than half of our money to fund this education um in our district from the state. Correct. >> And so if 70 is that about right 70% of our our money is coming in and increasing by only 2%. >> Correct. Um then the other piece of the pie which is primarily the taxpayers um has to make up the difference um because that is this is this the >> this is the
026Yep. So 63% is state aid 37% is tax. So 2/3 almost and then a third of the pie you know is is the tax levy. And if two/3s goes up by 2% and we're overall on average four, five, 6% in terms of the increase just just from inflation from contracts, things that we can't do anything with other than fire people or, you know, um it's not it's not extras. This is all just contractual stuff. If that's going up 2%, then one-thirds got to go up six to make up that difference. And so it's important for the taxpayers to understand, you know, while it's been nice for us to be able to not hit the tax cap uh every year or any year really since I've been on the board. Um you know, there's got to
027be some kind of balance in terms of we we don't have the ability to negotiate. Those rates are given to us. The 2% or whatever we get from the state, that's not negotiable. Um, and obviously I'm a taxpayer in this district. So is everyone at this table. You know, that's not negotiable either, except for what they did, which was to vote it down. Um, so that's important. And then on the other side of things with benefits and the insurance, I think it was 4% and 7% increases, and that's 70% of our budget or more. So it's again if you've got things increasing at five and six% on average for twothirds of the budget and the other third has to decrease substantially you know almost 10% just to make that balance and have no increase. And
028so you know it's two things that I guess I'd like the the public to have a better understanding of when they're considering their votes for the budget. um you know, as much as nobody wants to pay, you know, any more money than anybody has to, you know, something's got to give essentially. And I do think that, you know, the board has tried its best for the recent years anyways to let that give fall on the taxpayers. And so hopefully at some point they will, you know, accept that give themselves so that we can continue to provide similar programming as we're providing or better um as we've been trying to do. So >> y and that's where I think um like this we we know these graphs. We do them every year. We understand them. They're
029there. They're on the website. I mean anybody can see them. But people do not engage in this process, you know, and I don't exactly know what we've we've tried all sorts of things, you know, >> and and I think I I think this is a year of reckoning really. it it you know we've taken money out of the fund balance the last two years and when the state decides to only give us 2% increase and everything on your graph I only saw I only saw one 2% >> right now >> okay >> and and you know I'm not an educator but I have a business degree >> you that these numbers aren't going to add up >> add not going to add up and I don't know where even going to the max is going
030to help because it's not going to help. >> No, we're going to have to make some um increases. And I would and I would like to say that it would fall on sympathetic ears with a local legislature, you know, at at the state level, but to me, their their phone needs to be ringing off the hook off the hook because if they think that they can collect state tax money and only give 2% to this district is it for me personally, it's unacceptable in that when we we don't control health costs. Right. But we we want to be able to provide, you know, good coverage. We want to be able to do all the right things, but we're not going to be able to afford it. >> We're not going to be able to afford
031it. So, I I see I see big big cuts coming >> and everything that happens too across the state anymore that um there every knee-jerk reaction is then a mandate for the school. Even though nobody wants to say that out loud, we're doing everything nowadays. >> Well, that's what I was going to say. just education >> and people can say >> where there healthare where there food where there um you know where there everything >> people can say that we've had a steady decline why is the budget where it's at well it's very easy to go back and say that one little line about the special ed numbers climb which is it's very costly but it's not even just that we didn't have police officers in every building which we have six right now right
032one in each building we didn't have elementary counselors at all in any of the buildings buildings. They're full case loads. We didn't have social workers at the elementary buildings. And for the families that say, "Well, but my kid doesn't need that." But I take those phone calls when a student is in crisis and flips the desk and the state says, "You can't restrain that kid. You have to get everybody else out of the room." Those are the things that why we have the counselors, the social workers, why we have increased our um partnership with Arise and Liberty Resources. So to your point, we're expected to do all of that now, the social, the emotional, it, you know, the state hasn't changed the fact that our administrators have to do the observations in classrooms and yet
033still take care of all those other things. Today I covered Brewon Elementary. Um, um, Kristen Enright covered you at the middle school, right? High school, middle school covering. And so it is all hands- on deck, but we are looking at things and looking at certain data points over the past, you know, four or five years on programs that we had invested in that didn't show the numbers that we needed. So we're able to look at that, make data driven decisions because that's the way that it's going to have to be because we're only going to get the 2%. Gone of the days of the 4% foundation aid, which was great. We were students come up and say, "Hey, we want flag football." Yeah, that's great. Now, we can't we can't just have that knee-jerk reaction
034and say, "Wow, that's going to be great for kids to be involved." We have to look at the limited um amount of money that we have and the appetite for the community of not wanting to go up to the tax cap. And so, those are decisions and we're going to start the road shows again. And, you know, I've been I put it out there, different organizations, please have me ask questions. Um, but we need to start those conversations now because it's almost Christmas break. Before you know it, we're going to be sitting here adopting a budget and moving forward. >> Well, and I think I think anytime there's a question as far as how the district is run, the cost per student is below the state average. And to me, that's the key. Out of
035all the slides that other than we're going in a hole, the slide is is that you're you're doing a fantastic job for under the cost of of the average school district in New York State. And I think that's something to be applauded. So, you know, you know, the the the mantra of, oh, they're wasting money. No, that's not what's happening at Central Square School District. It's not what's happening. We're very we're we're very >> efficient. We're frugal. you know, it all the things that that we're trying to do to facilitate a a well-run district were below the cost of average. I mean, I I mean, I I don't know, maybe I'll get in trouble, but I I remember sitting down with Will Barkley. I to me, I wouldn't support that guy for nothing. Nothing. He
036said, "Well, we spend more money." Well, not Central Square. Central Square doesn't. And yet he thinks, you know, and when you're getting the percentage we rely on from the state aid, he's he he's he's clueless when it comes to that. And he's put us into a pinch where we're expecting a third of our budget to be made up. >> You could you could go out with a 8 to 10% increase and it's not going to make it up. >> Exactly. >> So, so you you as I told him, you've got skin in this game. You know, I I won't put it as I'll go a little bit on Tim McCarthy here, but it no understanding of what's going on and the money that it's required that the state requires us to do, but yet you
037got no skin in the game, >> right? >> I'll leave it at that. >> Well, I'd like to get have the union maybe they should start getting more involved again. Years has passed. the union used to do. Um the leaders in the U would um get phone trees going and call everybody in the community and tell them what's going on and ask them to get out and vote. But that hasn't been done in years. So maybe they need to step up and start doing that again. Well, and I I think, you know, I think it's all hands on deck at this point in terms of a community position. Obviously, the budget failed and we had more people at a board meeting at the following board meeting than we'd had in a long, long time since
038the days of voting to close the middle school. Um, and so community involvement, coming to the meetings, getting informed, spreading the word, you know, I mean, again, all of us obviously come to these meetings and we and we watch these presentations and we send out the 50 texts to all of our friends and family in in the district, you know, asking them to go support the budget. But um you know it's imagine if that was done by 500 people you know I mean if if the community the boosters came they wanted to help you know and that's the thing is they can't people become complacent right a budget's going to pass it always passes and then I don't have to go vote I don't have to inconvenience myself and and then this is what happens
039and so it's great that seemed like there was a good portion of people that were energized by the fact that you know things didn't go the way that they were expecting them to go but >> and hopefully that'll they'll they'll take some lead there, >> right? And it's got to sustain though. It can't drop off because next year maybe passes or whatever. >> And we had the $1.2 million the $1.2 million that we had to make up could because it was only a 2% increase. So if it stays just a 2% increase, >> we're pulling more than just 1.2 to to cover all the other additional expenses that we just talked about with the rising health care costs and other contractual items. So that's what people need to understand is that when you we got
040rid of like the 530 shuttle, people realize that's gone. We got rid of the paying for all of the elementary supplies. A lot of schools, they don't do that. Starting next year, that's when people are going to realize that because the supplies had already been purchased for this school year. So, but then it's going to be tapping into some extracurriculars. I mean, there's there's only so much you can do. You'll see larger class sizes. You'll see things that what made this district very special with just a huge assortment of extracurricular activities and sports and band things that you know kids sitting around the table right here with DECA and and and other sports that we have have been able to you know take advantage of and that look really good for whatever career path they
041go into. Those are the things that we now have to look at. But >> but the the pie chart of the 5% is not going to solve this problem. >> Right. That's okay. >> It's not going to solve the problem. >> It's got to come from the bigger chunks. It just has to. >> It's the bigger chunks. >> So salaries and benefits. >> It's I mean last year it kind of kind of solved it, but it helped putting $3 million out of the savings account into the into the checking account. >> Right. >> It we're not doing that because the fund balance is down to back where when I first got on the board nine years ago. We're back down to those numbers. We can't. It's just not sustainable. >> Household economics 101. >> Okay,
042now that we got that great news out of the way, um, if I could get a motion for item E in its entirety. Motion. >> Get a second. Any discussion? All those in favor? Thank you very much. Could I get a motion for item F, consent agenda, in its entirety? >> A motion. >> Get a second. >> Any discussion? >> Question. >> Okay. the small buses for maintenance that we lost in that accident. >> I was referencing the two small buses purchased for maintenance. Oh yeah, we did a bid on those just for used ones. I mean, I don't know if you saw the >> Yeah, I did see that. Traditionally, we we bid out to an outside source and not repurpose our own. >> No, we traditionally we repurpose our own. We just don't
043have any. >> Got it. Thank you. >> Yep. >> Any more discussion? All those in favor? Okay. on item G. Who's gonna lead us? Emma. >> Yes, I will. >> All right, take it away. >> All right. Well, DECA has its regional competition Tuesday, December 16th, just like you were talking about. Our school is a very big chapter, and their final preparation meeting is tomorrow, and we are really excited to see them compete, including myself. The Polar Plunge took place yesterday at Onidita Shores in Breton. It's very cold. Uh, the Special Olympics raised over 1,600 $165,000 with the help of Central Square and many took the plunge, including myself. And uh, the girls JV and varsity basketball team won their first game of the season on Friday the 2nd. Uh, we had some people come
044out and they're excited for their uh, coaches versus cancer game that's coming up in January. and the student government had its NYCA conference in Niagara Falls from November 23rd to the 25th and it was a great success for our school and our state as a whole and we're really excited for next year's in Syracuse. >> Yeah. Um so um as Christmas is coming around, we are talking about spirit weeks and um different events that our school um will be partaking during school hours. um little um things like candy caneing like different cars and um paying for um gifts for uh fellow students. Um sports are starting up. Um track has its um meet coming up and um boys and girls wrestling just had a um tournament themselves which they did really good at. So I
045applaud them for that. Um we had the jingle bell jog that went really well. Um our community really um showed up for that and it was really nice and um a lot of people came to support and it was very very nice event. I applaud all the teachers that came. Um Boseies had a 10th grade orientation which went super well. I think it was very well organized um especially the previous years. Um it was clean in clean out. Um, and I think all of the students said that they're very well informed and um are really excited for um what's coming. Um, and I'm really applauding our tech team for our new Central Square page. It looks super nice and I've heard nothing but good things. So, >> good job. >> And that's all I have.
046>> Okay. Uh, board member report. Anybody have anything to uh to talk about other than Christie and I will both be judges at DECA next week? So study study hard. >> So I just want to talk about the mics. How about this one? Hello. Can you hear me now? >> This one's This one's dead, too. >> I'll talk loud. I'll talk loud. >> I I give up. hopefully make that happen again. >> So, it was good that it went to the one day when it was originally the overnight. We just did not have the chaperones to be able to do that. We were paying for substitutes as well. uh and it it became very costly and it at that point it was the halves and have nots because only a quarter back years ago when
047I started 10 11 years ago you only had a quarter of the the kids going so you can't even call it a class trip. So when they do day trips, that's a lot better. But the issue that we have, and I'm super happy um and grateful to the uh PTO to want to be able to spearhead things like this, but if the cost is 160 and we have a lot of families, let's say, that struggle with that number, then we're we're putting ourselves in a spot where the ones that can afford it can go and the ones that can't can fund raise. But very similar to what we used to have with Wintergard, it was like $4,000, but you could fund raise. But a lot of the families didn't have time because they're working to
048be able to fund raise when other ones did. So, if the board feels that it first off, I'd have to say like it's good to to be able to have the um what do you call it there? The survey. We had a survey for girls wrestling and we had like, you know, 50 kids and we only had two that really ended up wanting to do it. So if the numbers I guess what we'd have to look into is what's the cuto off. So if we're talking half the students are going to go now the district's going to pay the cost for the substitutes. We had the fund nights but the fun nights actually cost us about $1,500 a night to put on because we had to pay the chaperones at their contractual rate to be
049able to supervise that. So that first presentation we saw right there, we have difficult decisions we have to make. So we're not in a situation where the district can incur costs that we we that have to go to things that you know are are more of a pro programmatic um expense. So I do think it's important that it is talked about here. It used to be talked about a lot at board meetings the eighth grade trip. So I think we just need to figure out where everybody is at with that and what the overall cost would end up being on the district. >> I have a few questions. um you know when we to I remember Tom because I think Steve and I and maybe a couple other were on the board when we ended
050up sending it back essentially we didn't forbid the trips but we just it was like you said there was 25% of the kids going a lot of the staff members that were going weren't even eighth grade so it was disrupting all of the grade levels and so it was a lot different so I guess since it's been there for two years I mean has the participation been like how many What percentage of students have gone the last two years? And I know you don't have the data, but >> Seb, so last year was $100. We went to Seabbze. Um, and we had our class was like 280 and we had 215ish that went, >> right? So that's like 75 80%. >> The only reason why some of the band kids didn't go because they had
051the next day. >> Oh. For their for their event that way. So I'm sure it would have been larger if those kids some people did go twice. Okay. >> Um and then the year prior was our first year. It was overwhelming. They Oh, like three of the kids. >> Yes. 7. Yeah. >> And then was with the fundraising like I remember Kenny did it two years ago and it was like you guys did direct subs. There was group fundraising, >> but there's also individual fundraising. Okay. And I think it was candy bars that he had to sell. >> You guys take candy bars. Last year we did um pretzels. So basically if you sold four boxes you could go for free. Okay. And when is the trips when? >> Trips in June. >> Okay. >>
052Casey, did the did the survey put something out to the parents to say, "Would you commit to this so we would know the numbers?" Or was the survey like were the kids excited? Is this where you want to go? Or did the parent actually have the opportunity to say, "Yes, I'll I'll pay for that." >> That's a great question. So, our survey said I I can say as an eighth grade parent that I received the survey, um I knew everything I needed to know about it because I heard it from my eighth grade student going into that. Um and as a parent, it was very clear. This is what your options are. Where would you like your kid to go if these are the choices? Um and what the cost would be. So I mean
053anybody that responded knew what they were responding to and and what their interest would be >> I also got between 40 and 50 parents that would want to sh right which obviously to Tom's point it's not a committ right but I'm just saying from the two years that you've done it with the one-day trip it's been above 50% participation >> correct and the parents I had 40 parents last year and then 30 your year >> okay which I didn't go my son forbid me to go >> I I I think my junior would go back to 8th grade for the trip if he could. He was one that missed it >> right. >> Yes. And uh my oldest went loved it and my youngest really wants to go. So >> I think that's kind of
054the general consensus of the students, parents, we got to find a way to make it happen for opportunity to do that. >> And not for nothing, but it's it's eight months away. I mean there's eight months of time. I mean, I'm sure there's got to be a point where you can check in and see who's fundraised, what their status is, if they're going to need help, you know. Um, >> we already have three fundraisers down. We have at least two more community ones to go and then I'll get >> Okay. And so the group fundraising, does that defay the cost for everybody? So that the 160 is the raw cost. >> So basically last year we fundraised They're pretty excited for the coach buses, too. >> It's all part of it. >> I've heard all
055about it and I don't need to hear about it. >> I have an eighth grader, too, but she has not mentioned a word, nor do I think she probably will go. Just that's but that's her own choice. It's not financial. It's just, you know, there's certain students that don't want to go. So, um, but I think but I think for the students that want to go, it sounds like there's ample opportunity for them to be able to go despite this financial status. Um, so, you know, hopefully that can all work out. Um, and then is there kind of a a trap door for the students that end up unable to meet the cost but still want to go? That being said, I still think that people should contribute effort to try to do that. >>
056When does the um when >> All right, let me circle back and see. I mean, obviously, it's going to be pulling the eighth grade teachers out, right? Last year I looked and it looked to be between two and three teachers. >> So wait, so if half the students or more are gone, I mean two teachers per team would probably be sufficient to be able to >> Well, that's the thing is if if if that's the case and that many do go, >> I'm talking eighth grade, not seventh and sixth two teachers per team of five eighth grade, like the three teams of eighth grade. >> Correct. So if if that's the way that it works and it's not that half the eighth graders don't go and we have you know 150 of them that we
057now have to figure out something with >> right so you when when will you have those numbers >> the numbers of the kids that are actually fully committed there got to be a point where if they're going to go they have to pay by a certain amount >> it won't be until I don't have to have final payment But there has to be some part of the payment. >> Sure. I think that it >> then that'll give us an idea of how many kids are actually going to go on this as well, >> right? Yeah. You'll have like >> But Casey, could I mean could you send another parent survey asking for parents to commit as to whether they >> do whatever you like? I would like that just because then I can then say
058yes, there's ample there's there's more than enough kids that want to go to this that the district's not going to have to acrew a cost of the substitutes. >> You want >> Yes. Yeah. The parents 100%. Because the kids are going to be like, "Yeah, I'm going." >> Yeah. >> I just >> Okay. >> And and again, I don't want anyone to think that I'm standing And Tom, just because I remember when Kenny went and again I didn't chaperone, but I remember there was like like you have to transport yourself, you have to pay for yourself the chaperrons, which all was fine and dandy, but what is there a certain ratio that they have to keep for staff versus just parent chaperon? >> Yeah, there is. So parent chaperone So, is there some type of
059ratio >> number? Okay. Is it like 10 to 10 to one? >> 10 10 to one for 10 students per staff member chaperone. Okay. Cuz I I remember when Kenny went I want to say the groups were like four or five per chaperone, but there was parent but there was parent chaperones also doing that. So I I just was wondering. Um Okay. And so some of those chaperones obviously come from other grade levels or specials or some, you know, and so I I would assume that the administration could try to help pick and choose where those chaperones should come from. >> Yeah. Ideally, you don't want it to be somebody that, you know, is going to be servicing whatever needs that they need for the other grade levels. Now, they won't be won't be able
060to get subs for them. So, what how can we make this happen with the least impact on the rest of the building, >> right? >> But that's a conversation, right? Yeah. So, >> I'll get that I'll get that out. >> Perfect. Awesome. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Anybody else? >> You're up, Tom. >> All right. The following teams have achieved scholar athlete status. And I have to say, I really feel that Central Square leads leaves actually I know that we do the county in the number of scholar athlete status teams. It's pretty amazing. Girls uh cross country, competitive cheerleading, boys volleyball, boys golf, girls volleyball, girls tennis, girls soccer, boys cross country, boys soccer. Um great job to all. Good news from the music department. On Saturday, November 15th, 230 students, grades 7 through
06112, audition at Paul Vmore High School for the Asiggo County Music Educators Association All County Honors Bands. The following students from CSMS qualified for the junior high school band. David Borton, um, Joselyn Dval, Andrew Flynn, Madison Fontana, Anika Hip, Leila Hopkins, Walker McDow, Aiden Mundy, Adeline Newton, Ivy Pay, and Megan Revangh. The following students qualified for the senior high band. Colton Allen, Keegan Allen, Owen Butcher, Eli Connor, Nathan Downey, Alex Fenton, Daniel Flynn, Avery Ford, Andrew George, Josie Georgees, Caitlyn Gilbert, Amelia Gil, Liam Hunter, Mason Hunter, Christiana Jolman, Kenzie Katab, Alex Malone, Madigan Murphy, Braxton Nichols, Laurel P, Pulley, Marilyn Pulley, and Jackson Stevens from Central Square Middle School. In November, there was a student experiencing a medical emergency. We would like to commend the heroic actions demonstrated by one of our own one of
062our students, Hunter Burns, and the bus driver, um Amy Reer. Under Amy's guidance, Hunter took immediate and thoughtful action by turning the student on her side, elevating her, and carefully monitoring her pulse until help arrived. Hunter displayed compassion and maturity when he joined the other students on the second bus that came to pick them up. He checked in with each student to ensure that no one uh was recording the incident, respecting the priv uh the private nature of the situation. Both Hunter and Amy exemplified quick thinking, calmness under pressure, and genuine care for others. Hastings Mallerie Elementary School under the guidance of Mary Jane Quinnville has received the helping hands shinaman grant. The project summary is the Hastings is the Hastings Mallerie Elementary School helping hands project is a vital initiative created to address the
063critical challenges of fis uh fiscal fi sorry financial instability food insecurity and students uh experiencing transitions or trauma. This grant will fund hygiene supplies, lice treatment services, laundry supplies, peanut free snacks, food items, footwear, clothing, and comfort items. Huge thank you uh to MJ for organizing all of that. Thank you. >> Okay. Thanks, Tom. Okay. I get a motion for item H in its entirety. >> A motion. >> Get a second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I will make the motion that Central Square School Central Square Central School District Board of Education hereby move into executive session to discuss matters regarding the superintendent's evaluation with no action to follow. Can I get a second? >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? I'll lose in favor.