001Okay, good evening everyone. We'll open the meeting. Please rise for the pledge. 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. We'll open the meeting up to public comment. And again, public comment on the front end is for agenda items only. So if you have any questions regarding the agenda, u please state your name and ask a question. Okay, we'll close public comment and we'll go into our uh budget presentation this evening. Okay. So, as we know from the last meeting, our uh business official uh had to not be here this evening uh for a prior commitment. So, I'm going to walk you through the the slides and um you know, I have
002his talking points. So, bear with me as I I've read them a bunch of times today to try to get through them as quickly as possible with as much explanation as I could uh I could give you on each slide. So, uh this is our presentation of April 8th, 2025. So tonight we will be reviewing our draft 2526 budget. Um we do have a revised revenue budget that we'll go over. Um we will talk about the proposed budget shortfall and what our next steps are. So in this slide here you'll notice that uh at the last well actually at the last meeting on March 18th our budget shortfall was $610,610. Uh so the district was waiting and we are still waiting uh for a New York state budget which was due on April 1st. The
003state has not approved a budget and uh has extended their deadline. So with that in mind, we don't know where those numbers will fall, if we are uh expected to get anything more or if it will stay uh at the at the dollar amounts that we know today. Um, so the board agreed at the last meeting that we would use reserves to help close that 610,610. So that uh that number 610610 I did play that in the lottery and I didn't win. So I'm hoping now that we bring this to a different number I can play a different number. Always interesting how the numbers work out in budget. Isn't it very you'll see patterns of Yeah. So uh on this next slide uh uh Mr. Barnett uh re-evaluated some of our revenues and uh the
004use of our fund balance and recognized two additional revenue sources. So you'll notice that there he made an adjustment of $160,000 there in that middle column bringing our now deficit to $450,000 or sorry yes $450,610. So um and I'll explain in the next slide how he is coming up with those numbers. Maybe that's the number you have to play. So, yeah, I'm thinking 450 and 610. We'll play those numbers and see if they come in. Um, yeah, we maybe I'll go do that tonight. Um, so where did that revenue come from? So, he uh took a look at um the tax levy interest and penalties that have been historical for our district. And um you know for whatever reason there are folks that don't pay those tax payments on time. So there are uh some
005late fee penalties that are applied that he is conservatively he said it's more than 75,000 but he feels comfortable with taking se 75,000 of that estimate and applying it toward uh the the budget deficit. And then he also took a look at our debt service and um the financial advisors are recommending that we could use $85,000 from debt service. So that gives us a a nice number of 160 bringing that number down to uh that $450610. All right. So on this next slide, this is slide six. Uh so based on the recommendations that the board made at the last meeting, this slide is going to show the gap. You'll notice that our ERS reserve, he's proposing using $74,347 to cover that budget shortfall. Um that uh ERS reserve is a little over uh $2 million
006right now. So he feels that 74,000 roughly $74,000 can be taken from that reserve to help us bridge that gap. And then the other item that he actually spent quite a bit of time with our uh legal council on is the tax certiary reserve. Um, so that balance is in the higher 700,000 range and uh that reserve language actually requires that after four years any funds that exceed the balance of exposure must be returned to the general fund. So when they took a look at what the what the two outstanding uh litigations are, they think that they're probably uh combined approximately $300,000. But to be conservative, he added an additional 100,000 to that. Um, so that would uh allow us to use 360 376,263 from the taxert reserve, bringing us to a zero difference. So
007now all of that said, if the state were to come through with any additional funds, we could go back and we could replace funds into these reserves. So that's uh a nice place to be. Too fast. So, if you take a look at what our current balances are, where we our ending balances need to be, our adjustments in this iteration of the budget is that $74,347 from the ERS reserve, the $376,263 from the tax uh C reserve, bringing that to the $450,610, which is the deficit that was identified earlier in the presentation. So, um, that would give us a balanced budget. So, what are our next steps? I think everyone across the state is awaiting what's going to happen with the state budget. So, that might have an impact on us. We know it's not
008going to hurt us any more than what we currently have in this presentation. So, if we just go with the uh the numbers that he proposed this evening, we would have a balanced budget. If the state comes back with more funds, the board would have the option of putting money back into any of those reserves. The board has the option of approving what is on the table this evening, and I have a resolution for that just in case you were ready to move this evening, but we don't have to have that tonight. It could be done at the April 22nd meeting, which is our next meeting uh right after spring break. And that's when the property tax report card resolution would also be put on the table. That needs to be done by April 28th.
009And that takes us to our I actually spoke about this slide before I got to it. So you can see in yellow we have two dates that we're trying to hit now. April 22nd, we would like to have this budget adopted and the tax report card uh ready. And that needs to the adopting of the budget should be done no later than uh the 23rd. That is also the night of the budget vote uh not the budget vote sorry the um vote for Boseies. So we'll be doing that and uh in the next few weeks has nothing to do with this. you'll be getting uh some biographical information on the candidates that are running for the Boseies board and our board would have to come to cons consensus on uh where we would be placing
010those um those votes for the Boseies positions and that will happen on the 22nd and then that's where I'm at so I can go back and try to answer. I tried to make it as clear as I possibly could thanks to Desmond giving me my notes. Um, but if there are any specific questions that I can try to answer, um, I think it's pretty straightforward this year. Uh, we're very fortunate that, uh, we're not in the same situation that we were in a previous year. So, thank you to the board for extending, uh, that opportunity for us to take a look at using some of the reserves and the um, the fund balance. any have you heard any conversation coming back from the state level regards to what additional funds that could be out there
011if it's a percent or two or very slim well if you took if you if you look at the assembly bill and the senate bill it's like another percent so that could help us dig into those numbers and and return some of those funds to those budget lines where that's going to land I don't know um and when that's going to I'm not really sure. Could they could potentially go to those budget lines? Y can't they also go to lower the levy? You could I mean we would have to know that by the 22nd so that we could um make that adjustment. We're always raising the levy albeit modestly. I just wonder if there's a potential where you gesture. That's it. Yeah, it would only be a gesture. We're not talking about lots of money.
012I didn't hear this this morning on the on the radio, but one of my colleagues heard on the radio on the way in that the governor is in no hurry to settle this budget. Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but that's what was on the the radio this morning. Well, it can only help. I mean, that the only reason you wait is for you hope those numbers settle into where the proposed budget, right, where the estimated budget will be. My feeling right now is to to wait until the 22nd to vote on the budget. I mean, we could do it. We could adopt it this evening, but I think it'll be in the best interest to have the entire board here if that's possible the next meeting. I mean, we might miss one
013or two, but at least we'll have the opportunity for those members to be present. Uh I want to thank uh the entire administrative team, the directors um uh and also u Desmond for the hard work that they put into this budget. This is a budget that not impacting our students or staff. I mean we have not cut programs. We have not cut staffing. So um I appreciate all the hard work and I think the entire board appreciate appreciates that also. So, let's wait until two weeks from now. Maybe the governor will uh present a budget and everybody will agree and we'll get another percent or so uh that we can put towards uh replenishing with two reserves that we're pulling money out to balance the budget. So, that being said, if the entire board good
014to move till next meeting, two weeks from tonight, to adopt the budget, we'll we'll do that. Yeah, just some commentary. Um, yes, thank you to the administrative team. I'm happy there wasn't a lot of work to do. Uh, I'm also very grateful to I know Al, Tom, Heather are very uh reserve-minded and actually over the years really talked about creating reserves, putting money in there, and it's done to stabilize program and that's how we're using it in this case. But I was really pleasantly surprised to see some of these balances and how they've grown over the last few years. So I just want to say thank you to you for for that. And we also know that taking some difficult decisions last year allow these next few years to be smoother. And we know that
015there's some districts out there with some really big challenges this year. So with that said, absolutely. I look forward to approving the budget whenever it's on the agenda. Great. Yeah. I would just say my only um confirmation that I would want to make is just in obviously, you know, when Desmond is back and the next time just making sure he's comfortable with where these um reserve balances are after borrowing from them. I think I'm um happier about is because we were able to use um the reserves that apply in different we weren't just pulling from everyone just to make it work using it properly looking at the tax area to say okay we don't need it so it is the right thing to do regardless of whether it was I think the the exercise that
016we went through in March was to just show you the breadth of where we were looking and really get some guidance as to what the board was comfortable with and I think that's where we went back and sharpened the pencils and started looking at the different things that we could um make those numbers um calculate out by using different um percentages from different places. So yeah, absolutely. Um and similar to con but contrary to what Mike said um I appreciate because it hasn't been a lot of work for us because I know you guys have done a ton of work on your end behind the scenes to make this as good as it is. So certainly appreciate all that work. Great. Thanks. Um going to our consent agenda. I'm going to move um the acceptance
017of reports into our consent agenda. So our consent agenda will be from EA to 3.6 F. F2.6. Correct. Okay, as normal, u want to pull something out, if you need clarification, uh we can do that. Um otherwise, we can accept the uh consent items as a block. Does anyone have any questions regarding the consent agenda? All right, I'll entertain a motion. Motion by Tom, second by Heather. No further questions. All those in favor? I opposed. Any obstensions? So carried. Just a quick comment. Just appreciate the the donations um from the community foundation and then also the Highland Wrestling um booster club. I know they do a ton of work on behalf of our our program. So certainly want to appreciate those donations. Thank you. Okay, we'll move on to uh our system soup for doing
018instructions. Good evening everyone. I have one item to share with you about UPK. Uh last Thursday, April 3rd, the district sent out a press release to several media outlets about next year's UPK program. It reads as follows. The Highland Central School District is pleased to announce that we will continue to offer its universal pre kindergarten program next year. The district will begin accepting applications for the program on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025. It is anticipated that there will be 48 UPK spots available for the 2526 school year. The final number will be determined once the New York State budget is adopted. Spots will once again be assigned using a random lottery selection process. The program is not first come, first served. The UPK application period will close on Friday, May 2nd, 2025. The online application and
019list of frequently asked questions can be found on our website. That that's the district website. And there's also a link that will be on our Facebook page tomorrow. Uh, a lottery selection will take place in early May to determine which students are eligible to register for the program, which will start in September. The district will email each applicant after the lottery to let them know whether their student was selected or placed on the waiting list. In order to be eligible for the UPK program, a child must be a resident of the Highland Central School District and turn four years old on or before December 1st, 2025. If anyone has any questions or would like more information, please reach out to uh Carly Jacobson or me at the district office. Um so just to recap, the
020application process will go live tomorrow and it will be open for about three and a half weeks and end on May 2nd. Any questions for how many seats was that available bill? 48. Okay. Is that similar to last year? Uh yeah, last year we offered 58 but we were only able to fill We started the year with 58 but ended with closer to 52 right about now. So almost right about there. Any other questions for Bill? Thank you. Okay, Dr. Boyd. Hi everyone. Um we are wrapping up our third quarter. Uh so we're collecting our homeschool reports and we'll be putting out our uh progress reports for our uh students uh with disabilities and we are wrapping up the majority of our annual review meetings. Uh big thank you to staff on all of that
021with their flexibility in attending those meetings. Um we have still have a few days left and some makeup meetings but uh majority of them are are done at this point. Uh we will be out visiting our incoming kindergarten students uh over the next in the next few weeks uh to go see how they're doing in their uh current placements and then uh getting to see them as well on kindergarten uh screening day on May 9th. So we'll get a clear picture uh so we can place uh our students appropriately and prepare for them um for when they come in September. Uh and just last I just want to commend all of our staff and students. This is a long stretch uh before spring break um that we've had. So um just want to commend them
022for all their hard work. Uh it's been great seeing a lot of our celebrations of learning uh with some gallery walks, some book publishings. Uh so we always love to go see those events uh showcasing our students learning. So uh just a big thank you to everyone for their hard work leading up to this well-deserved break coming up. Okay. Any questions for Dr. White? Thank you, sir. Superintendent. All right. So, I have a visual this evening. So, our new poster has arrived for the upcoming induction of the uh Hall of Fame. So, Jean Rizzo, Fred Deo, and Mary Beth Sasso. That uh dinner will take place on Friday, May 9th, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Indian Ridge. $65 a piece for the tickets and they are still available from Becky Omoody at 8452341522. I have
023not hung the poster because it actually goes to the dinner. It's one of the things that uh welcomes folks, but when we bring it back, we've already adjusted the wall so they will be there right above uh Mrs. Heisenbuttle's head. Pull one straight across. Right. So, um so as Dr. Boyd said our spring break is upon us and we have not used any of the snow days that we talked about at the last meeting. So we are adding Friday, February 11th and Monday uh April 21st back to the calendar for 10 month uh employees and students. And then should we have any need to close after that, we still have two additional days. If we don't use those, those will be returned around Memorial Day on May 23rd. That's a Friday and May 27th, which
024is a Tuesday. That was April 11th. Did I say the wrong day again? February. Boy, oh boy. And it says, No, you know what it says? It says Friday, April 11th. Hopefully I didn't say any wrong numbers over there. I think I have disgraphia or something. Um, let's see. Uh, the budget video. We, uh, we'll do the budget video again like we did last year, except that this year it will be a little bit more professionally done. Also, I have the folks from Boseies coming over to meet with Desmond and I after the next uh after you approved the budget at the next uh board meeting. So, um last year, if you remember, we kind of threw it together at the last minute on an iPhone in my office and it still came out okay,
025but we would like to get it to be looking a little bit more professional. So, we'll get that done the week after spring break and then we'll have it on our socials. We'll ask folks to please share it out so that the community is aware. Um, I got a lot of good feedback last year that people felt that they didn't have to necessarily come to a meeting to get all of the information about the vote. So, um, so we'll get that done right after break. Uh, I want to thank the administration uh, of the buildings that hosted an internet safety and cell phone procedure evening here at the high school on May 20th. Um, it was an informative evening. It was not as well attended as we would have liked it to be, but um
026nobody can say that we didn't put the information out there and make it available. So, I want to thank them for uh taking time out of their their busy schedule to do to get that all together. Uh this coming week, tomorrow evening is the Seal of Civic Readiness presentations here at the high school at 6 PM. On Thursday, World Language Night is taking place here at the high school at 6 p.m. And our next board meeting, April 22nd at 6 p.m. And that's when we will be adopting the budget. That's all I have for this evening. Any questions for the superintendent? Plenty of events for anybody. What's that? said that's plenty of events for anybody. Good stuff. Thank you. Yes. Yes. The world language is always does a nice job. Okay. Okay. Moving on to
027our board of education new business. Uh Highland Central School District candidates nominating petitions. Petition for nominating candidates for the office of the board of education for the Highland Central School District are available at the central office beginning March 10th between the hours at 8:00 a.m. to 400 pm Monday through Friday except for April 21st which is 5:00 p.m. Following vacancies which expire on June 30th, 2025 are to be filled. Term of Janine GML, term of Tom Miller. The term of office is for three years. In order to be considered as a candidate, the individuals must be 18 years old, a registered voter in the Highland Central School District, and able to read and write. They must also have been a resident of the district continuously for one year prior to the election May 20th, 2025.
028The completed petitions with the signatures of 25 qualified district voters must be filed with the clerk of the district no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, April 21st. Candidates may submit an email declaring their intent to run and to request a packet. Only the original petitions accepted must be received by 5:00 PM on April 21st. Only original completed packets will be accepted. For any questions, you may contact the district office or Lisa Sir Niglia, the district clerk at 8456911020 extension 3157. Okay. Okay, under all business uh presentation of graduation diplomas. I know at the last meeting Tom had mentioned uh some discussion regarding the u presentation of diplomas by uh current board members, past board members so we can continue that discussion and come to some consenses moving forward. And again, you know, it's not
029a policy. It's a an agreement and it can be changed in future years by future boards. Tom, you want to? Um, basically we're looking at um like Al discussed um current board members, former board members, uh handing diplomas to their children, grandchildren, um that sort of thing. That that's about it. uh we don't want to get too crazy and you know start adding more kind of other levels of relatives into the mix just a way to honor the board. You you have to have served on the board. Yes. That's to enjoy that courtesy. Right. Yep. That's that's the extent of it. But that's also the limitation, you know, is that well, it's a very special day and it comes with many limitations. Right. Right. We want to keep the focus on the graduates. It's been
030done in the past and uh for a couple years it got a little out of control because there was, you know, they were honoring a lot of people, you know, cousins and nieces and nephews and that that's the, you know, that was uh just not the, you know, what it was supposed to. I think the intent is that you honor your child or grandchild. Yeah, that's that's the uh So, do we want to set those parameters that it's it's child or grandchild or or No, I'm just trying to encapsulate just for our discussion what the practice has been historically generally. Historically, and as Tom said, you can go back quite a few years ago where student graduating students would request a board member to give out their diploma, right? And then that would expand to
031multiple students. So one board member could in essence be giving out you know 10 12 sounds very sprawling and never ending and no good and and it it kind of uh extended the graduation process and graduation for for the students for the ones that are graduating. It's not to honor you know past board members or whoever that's giving out the diploma. It's for the graduates. I would simply say that we have to just kind of police it a little bit that it's a current sitting board member or a past board member giving out to their children, stepchildren or grandchildren. I don't think it should be expanded to cousins, other relatives or such. Uh I think we have to establish a deadline where that request is I know Brandon's not here but Bill maybe you can
032answer what lead time prior to graduation would you know you're looking at three or four weeks that guidance should know who's giving out what diploma so they can make it part of their I would recommend about a month in advance would be advice I didn't know it was student driven actually I thought it was adult driven otherwise how would students know that that's even an option. Recognition of the students you would want them to make. They're all being recognized. It's graduation. I'm just Yeah, but you would want them to make that decision. I would think probably the if my kid doesn't want me to present it, you know, should shouldn't be me telling them. It's their celebration. Not my No, but you have a conversation. Absolutely. Absolutely. That's that's all it was. And then Leon,
033you know, mentions that to principal and That's how it happened. It's a simple thing. Yeah. It's a nice addition to the ceremony, right? So, and for for past board members, it's going to be, you know, word of mouth. I mean, they got we're not going to go out and notify every past board member that they can do something like that. It's just just a practice that we internally have been doing. You're saying this in public, so that should reverberate, right? Okay. I'll put it in the minutes. And just for the record again, it was to child, grandchild, stepchild, stepchild. Okay. Thanks. 30 days prior. Was that 30 days prior to the graduation ceremony? Good. Okay, we're good on that. Um, next item under old business is our policy regarding community use of turf fields. This
034is our second reading. Um, it has been vetted by legal. It's now no longer a draft. If we accept it uh as our second reading, it'll go in as policy and it would be u policy ZR is revision of our current policy. It's actually an addition to to the 3280. Okay. So this would be the regulation that goes along with just this the field part and there was no change from last meeting to this meeting on the policy, right? No, it was just a reumbering, reorganizing um verbiage to make it more clear. So, it is just to be clear, it's policy number 3280R. Why? Because you have a form going on. It's a regulation. Is there a form? So, this would be the regulation that goes after the the existing policy. I got you. So,
035thank you. Yep. They did make all the changes that were suggested by the board. You know what, Tom? Motion to accept the community use turf fields policy. Motion by Mike. Had a second. Second. I've read it several times. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I opposed. Any extensions? 5 Z I'm sorry four. Okay, let the fun begin. Since we're just uh talking about the turf field in that area, I guess we're still under old business. I was going to ask anyway timing of the track pour any idea or May 20th somewhere around somewhere around May 20th. Okay, we're first on their list because it's temperature sensitive. So, we're first on their last list. I mean, if there's some rain, it'll get pushed out, but it ain't doing it outside right now. It's got to
036warm up. So, I hear they're confident that uh we have no issues with graduation. So, it'll be completed prior to graduation. Thank you. Just look for that. Right. Um, anything for the good and welfare of the district? I just want to make um comment uh over a week and a half ago. We lost a dear friend of the Highland Central School District and the board of education, Kim Sweeney. Um, our thoughts and prayers go out to their family. uh she was an asset to the board when she served and uh we appreciate the time that she devoted to to the school district. It was sad situation to hear that she had passed on. Okay. Anything else for uh good and welfare of the district? Okay. Open the meeting up to public comment for general items.
037Mr. Reynolds. Yes. I have a couple of questions. Um, a few weeks ago, uh, or a week and a half ago, we wrote I read a story or did a story on the crematorium for the pets. Has the district ever been notified about that possibility? It's 100 feet from the elementary school. Is there proposing? It's been before the planning board for months. Just read that. And has there been ever any notification? to my knowledge. Yeah. There was no zoning uh change requested because normally if there's a zoning change, we would get notified. Land owners would get notified because there's no zone in the district that allows in in the town that allows crematoriums. So, they're putting it under a certain category uh of in the it's a GB zone right now. But I think the
038thing that they're trying to do is make it part of the uh design business zone. But and I I know I spoke with Mike briefly about it. Yeah. Next to Mercedes Bank, there's a parcel there. Used to be like an office for medical. Let's reach out to Dave Plav check and yeah, we'll have to um reach out. But I think normally you would get some sort of a notice. I'm not sure if the district got a notice. Not that I'm aware of. We would have read it tonight. I mean, we would have been notified of it because I didn't know normally change a letter that you can attend the public hearing, but I don't know once it reaches planning board. I'm not sure if there is a public. It's been there since December in front
039of them. And I didn't find out about it till relatively recently. I I just found out when I read your article. Yeah. But I didn't know whether the board might have an opinion about that or negative or positive about it. And do you are you going to weigh in at some point? I think at this point we will weigh in as we learn more about it. I don't know that we can speak to it to see find out what No. Um I have a couple other questions. The um Joel, you mentioned there are two litigations in terms of that u do you know who they're with or what companies they're with? Off the top of my head I don't. All the notes that I have here are just that the you know there's always there's
040always something in the taxert. I don't have that information this evening. Okay. Maybe I'll get it from Lisa if I could do that. Yeah. I don't see why not. Or Desmond. Or Desmond. Okay. And And the tax levy is not decided at the moment or will be decided soon once New York State finishes their budget. Yeah, I think they're going to give us an idea that on the adoption date at the next meeting and we were talking I believe about 2 something a few meetings ago, but there was nothing firm. There was still information. Right. You think under the tax cap it'll come under the tax cap? Absolutely. Which and what is the island's tax cap? Just that's in the last presentation. Okay. It's in the presentation off the top of my head. I don't
041have that. I have that. And the last question I have was um in the consent agenda, you had a a stipulation of settlement. Do you know generally what that was about? And is there a monetary amount that was paid? that was with insurance and I don't know if that's something that can be spoken about student related and is there a dollar amount that you can release? I don't believe so because it's not from us. It's through insurance. Oh, it's not an issue with the district. Well, we have to agree but it's not something that it's all done through insurance. Was it a Was it a uh a lawsuit that occurred? Uh I don't think we can talk about it. No, we can't. Okay. Personnel, so we can't we can't speak about it. Okay. It would
042be identifiable to that child. So I I don't think we're allowed to speak about it. I'll check with legal counsel and see and I can report the next meeting, but I don't believe that we're allowed to make a statement on it. Okay. Thanks. Anyone else? Okay, we'll close public comment and I'll ask the board for a motion to adjourn. Motion by Tom, second by Heather. All those in favor? I carried. Thank you all for coming out.