001six coaches as well the nonhuman capital right so I identified these as human capital because this kind of directly affects individuals uh next so the non-human capital so we've gone through software and we're reducing software uh where we can so forecast 5 school dude our panorama climate survey that's our our climate survey that we've had for last couple years. We think that we can do it in-house. We know we can do it in-house with tools that we already have. All right. Technology purchases, right? So that includes, you know, uh reducing the number of interactive displays that we're going to order. So those those types of equipments, data reporting, mentorship. So this past year, uh we did have we did participate in their mentorship program so that the person reporting the data, we got up to
002speed on what exactly they need. So we will not need that next year. So we're taking that out. We went through our supply and material lines, reduced those. our equipment lines, reduced those where we could. Uh private school transportation. So our director of transportation said that if we reroute uh the busing going to our private schools by bringing everybody to the high school campus first that that there is a savings there. So we are planning on doing that next year. So it's not going away. It's just a reving. Uh changing backup phone systems. We're looking at everything across the board as to where where we can save money. And then using current resources for for one time purchases. So, you've heard me talk about uh the AC needs. So, next the law was passed that
003if a classroom is 82 degrees, you have to take proactive measures to cool it, right? Open windows, turning lights off. It says opening doors, but that goes against safety plan. So, we'll have to we'll have to address that. Um, and if it's above 88 degrees, you cannot occupy the space. So, we have indicated that would be about $50,000 to purchase air conditioning units for that. So, instead of purchasing them next year, we're going to purchase them this year while we have resources right now. So, we're kind of shifting that cost where we can. Dan, do you want to ask questions as you go along? Ask. Okay. Just um with regards to um the the coaching reductions. Can you guys hear me? Yep. I don't I want to be able to Yeah. Make sure you make
004sure. Yeah. People online. I mean, even if there isn't anybody online, but the recording doesn't pick it up if you're not in the mic. Is that working now? Yeah. Um just with the coaching, you said that modified you only had eight uh co uh students this year. Um what if there's a big influx next year if we cut down coaches and then there is an influx of um wrestling um participants next year? Like what how would that impact us? I mean would we just still try and run it with one coach or and and same with the football program. like has there been a decline in the program over time that we can expect that to continue that we're comfortable reducing to coaches or um Sure. So, good question. So, I've spoken with with our
005athletic directors about both of those and they are comfortable based on the the numbers of of athletes and kind of tasks that coaches typically do. They're comfortable with with reducing the football down to six and the modified down to one. Um if we do get an big influx of say 25 kids or 30 kids, right, then we may have to next year appropriate, you know, money for an additional person. So financially wise, it's probably like $4,000. Thank you. Yes. Go ahead. Oh, sure. Okay. Um just a question about the private school transportation rerouting. So kids would come here, they would transfer around to another bus, and then they would be taken to wherever. Is it going to add a significant amount of time for them being on the bus? Uh, I don't have the exact
006number of minutes. I can get those for you though. Okay. But other districts do do that. I'm aware of other districts that transport the mall to one central location. I know they did. Yeah. Yeah. I think they did in Ronda Valley. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I would like to know how early they would have to start getting on the bus in order to transport to the high school and then Yeah. So they would actually get on the on the high school run. So they would get when the high school students come in. Okay. Go out. Okay. At the same time. Okay. Got it. Okay. But I'll I'll double check and get numbers. Five minutes. Um Okay. Any other questions? How what's the number of staff like we had in the 25 year? So instruction sort
007of like 24 FTE. That's a lot. I'm just sort of curious. Um I know it was last year. Yeah. 23 24 year. So I mean the total numbering what the kind of percent with with everybody um we are we're under I think I think we're we're under like 500. I have to get I don't have the exact numbers off top of my head. So I get that curious because that's a big number and it's also just when we talk about staff it's also uh you can have two people filling one FTE position. So it's the number of IND of individuals hired could be different than the actual FTE if you go ahead and calculate them that way. All right. Uh just to highlight once again certified administrators this always comes up everywhere I am. Um
008so from last year to this year once again just showing that there will be there are three cuts in administrative positions. We are director of HR elementary project coordinator and our athletic director assistant principal. Right now, our athletic directors are are stated a position on top of their daily duties, right? That's what we would be moving forward to next year as well. All right. Proposed additions, right? We we are still focusing on providing the best education that we can for our students. So, we're still focused on our blueprint, right? So, we do need to add things. Human capital, English as a new language. We're proposing going increasing from a point4 position currently to a 1.0 FTE, right? It's has to do with the number of students that we have and grade levels and and providing
009the the federally required number of minutes for our students. Modified sports, right? Our community was very generous this past year to reinstate modified sports, but we are proposing to reinccorporate it back into our budget. Here is our elementary certified teacher that kind of swaps out the one from the previous page. Um, we need to create a third section of sixth grade at Kill so that we maintain our staff to to student ratios. Uh, part-time nurse at Woodstock. Um, previously we had been uh providing funds for a nurse. Now, we need to provide an actual physical person, one of our employees to them. So, while it's not necessarily a big cost difference, it's an additional staff person. Uh part-time social worker, Woodstock School has also requested social workers, we need to supply a social worker there
010as well. And uh Dan, just on those, it's more of a clarification. So, those two things I when you know people see Woodstock Day School, we have to do those two things. Correct. It's not an it's not like we're being nice to Woodstock day school like we have to so yeah so there are certain things that if a private school ask us for we have to provide at an equivalent um what's the phrase equivalent we have to provide equivalent services what we have in the district got it okay so there is a calculation that goes into it and says you know they have to be there for two and a half hours and half hour whatever okay thank you um special education continuum uh as Jamie shared last presentation and I'll share in the next
011slide right we're going to be changing uh some special education things we think for the better to provide more services to our students in a in a more uh constant and continuous fashion. Um other additions right the I park lease which I've talked about right it's amazing opportunity for our students there is an additional cost for also through that uh the cell phone ban right so indications are that it will be incorporated into the budget so we do have uh we did allocate funds where if you do choose to go with pouches for students field trips which are PTA's did amazing job this past year and went over and above um we did incorporate that back into the budget as well as just general general professional learning needs right so you've heard Dr. you talk
012about our science of reading, right? We need to continue to make progress towards that. We need to continue to to work on restorative practices on trauma-informed instruction, right? On all those research based instruction instruction, could you go back? Um, and I broke my own rule of not asking the question into the microphone so people could hear. Um, like if I take the cell phone ban, right? So that is something that is in the proposed governor's budget, right, of doing something around cell phones. If we allocate it in our budget and then the state budget has funds for that, we'll see that as a surplus in our budget. Yes. So there' be extra. So at the end of the year, theoretically, it' be unspent and it wouldn't Got it. reallocate it to something else if we
013needed to as a board if you brought it to us. Okay, perfect. Dan, yes. Um just going back to the prior slide um when we talk about the athletic director position um what about the d does the district need a director of health is that a mandated position the district is required to have a director of physical education which is different than the dire than the athletic director right so we have a person who receives a stipen for that currently okay and is that going to continue this year is is that has to that that has to continue or that's also contractual. So when we say two assistant principles at the secondary campus, we really only currently only have one full-time assistant principal and we have one assistant principal who's also fulfilling that role of
014the director of physical education. Is that correct? Uh I would phrase it differently. I would consider them two full-time assistant principles with one having additional responsibilities. Got it. Okay, that makes sense. Yep. Thanks. Other things in the budget which I shared previously is adjusting our our hourly rates for our our non-aligned titles. So monitors and some of our substitute titles up by 50 cents each. And then just to highlight changes in special education that we're proposing as well. Um so currently in Do you want to share Jamie? Sure. Pass. year. I guess you tossed that potato quick. Yeah. So, for next school year, instead of having uh co-e just in uh let's say starting in third grade, technically, we're going to have it throughout basically. So, you'll have co-e in your um math and ELA
015classes and then science and social studies will be supported by a teaching assistant and that'll be kind of across the board. And then we're going to add uh in the junior high a class for our academic behavior communication academy which really focuses on our neuro uh diverse students so that they can uh stay here with us in district and get a smaller class setting and meet their educational needs. Uh there's students that are just moving up from Cahill. They've already been in that program for a long time. So we certainly have enough students to fill the program um to not have to pay to send them out of district. I think those are the highlights. Thank you. Um just also to to kind of re-emphasize so currently this school year in grades five and six
016there is co-eing in math ELA science and social studies. So what's happening now is students you know grades three and four receive co-eing two periods or I'm saying periods but for two subjects then they get in five and six get all four then they go to the junior high and only get it in math and ELA again. So this provides more continuous flow while also providing more support at the at the primary levels for that. Okay. We would like to include another possible uh capital outlay project uh next year. So this year we're going to propose multiple things and then with our design team and our facilities team kind of hammer down one specific one to go with uh additional flooring in our classrooms which we've been working on at Ricardi. Uh additional ADA egresses.
017Uh just as a side note, we did go out to bid for these two egresses. We did not get any bids. So we're we're working uh trying to recruit other individuals uh to to and then reopen the bid um ramp upstairs. So there was she was shared with us that right this the older Cardi is not accessible right because of the stairs. So if we can we're going to explore the possibility of putting a 8 ADA compliant ramp that may be challenging with door placements. Um and then the other option that the facilities team came up with is also the duckless AC. So installing some form of mini split um in some of those classrooms to comply with the AC mandate. Okay. Items maintained in the the proposed budget. Right. There is a slew of
018items that were maintained. Here are some of the just some of the highlights. Right. So, uh, similar class sizes, right? So, yes, there's always variations in class sizes depending on the the size of that group, where people live, and so forth. But what I'm saying is that overall, if we maintain the the staff that we're proposing, we should have pretty consistent class sizes, right? Yes, I'm going to say it now once again. There will be a class of maybe 29 kids or 30 kids and then another class of 22. But overall, right, the average class size should be there, especially when we get to the high school, right? If there's an elective and there's you know 58 kids right you're going to have two classes of 30 and 28 perhaps right so it's all driven
019by that and then there'll be other sections that will be lower it maintains a social work in each building right this is a big one for student needs school psychologist in each building uh it maintains armed security in Ricardi Morris Khill on our secondary campus uh current levels of art music library it will maintain our four Wilson train reading specialists that we have uh our school advoc advocacy specialists or professional learning opportunities as well as extra extracurricular activities. Okay. Right. There's many more. I just wanted to bring out some of the highlights. Okay. So, this gets it gets us to our numbers. So, without going line by line because we went through kind of in great detail last month, uh our 2526 anticipated expenditures is down to 79.9 million. Okay. That's taking out those additional
020reductions from the last time we met because last time we met it was 80 point something. Okay, so this is where we are now. Last year's approved budget was 77 million um for an increase of 2.6 million or 3.49%. Okay, now just as a frame of reference, last year's budget was increased just under $6 million or 8.4%. Okay. So, overall, we're in a much better pattern than we were last year. All right. And I'm guessing the 10 almost or 10 and a half% change in sports is simply because we didn't have modified sports in the budget. Yes. Even though we got money for it, that's why that number that 660 didn't include. Correct. So, it's not like we're adding 70 grand. No, it's not like we're adding a whole extra transportation. Got it. Okay. Perfect.
021Thank you. That's a good point. Y right tax cap calculation anticipated revenues we've gone through this before go through detail if you want but I'm assuming you don't right so takeaway is roughly 47.3 million in we go to the tax money cap that's an increase of 1.57 million or a change of 3.43%. Okay. oftent times well this right is asked what is that going to do for my taxes right so this slide shows that this before we go over it right this is based off current assessments right around budget time the town of sers usually sends out new assessments right so this is off current assessments as they are right now it's also based on the current equalization rates so that could change depending on your mun your your municipality so ties has been at
022100% equalization rate for the past several uh for that. So currently the tax rate per for per,000 is $12.50 50 cents 26.90 266 62 just as a frame of reference right these are different because they're equalization rate is very different than sarities okay so annual taxes based on a a house assessed at $300,000 that is not the median house in soies I do not know what the median house of soies is we picked $300,000 because I thought it'd be easier to scale up and scale down right depending on where you are okay so is so annual taxes right now would be $3,754 for $300,000. The new tax rate would be estimated, right, this is purely estimation based on those caveats that I said, would be $12.94 or $3,883 for a change of $129. Okay? So,
023if your house is set at $300,000 in the town or village of Sarius, right, your tax bill would estimate, right? An estimate of the increase would be $129. So if you had a $600,000 home, right, it'd be $260 roughly. Okay. Change per month, $10.75. Same same scenario with with town of Woodstock and Olster for that. I'm going to say it for the 10th time, right? This is purely estimates based on what the information that we have right now. This will change depending on the town assessments, equalization rates, and everything else. [Applause] Okay, other state aid that we've talked about, u many of these numbers, these numbers have all stayed the same for right now from our last presentation. Um, the state budget is still not passed. So, we still still do not have exact information,
024right? So, it could benefit us a little bit or it could actually take some money away from us. Okay, went through these slides last time. All right, here's our revenue kind of all together. Now, we've got our tax levy, we've got our foundation aid, our expense based aid. Those are those things that we get reimbursement from from after we expense, right? So, we get after we pay for transportation, we get money back the following year. Uh Bosey's refund, health and welfare services, and day school tuition. Uh Medicaid, Medicaid is the one that primarily changed from last time, and we had estimated at 210,000. Uh Mike and Michelle were comfortable increasing out to 300,000 based on our our current kind of current uh success I will say in getting documentation in. Okay. So this gives us
025without the reserves and fund balance just like last time I left that spot blank for now of $77 million. Okay. Similar to what we showed last time. Here is our uh revenue breakdown. It's very similar to last year. So up here corner here is last year. Here's where we are right now. If we were to appropriate reserves and fund balance, then these little wedges would change slightly. So we would be pretty close. So 77 in anticipated revenue, 79.9 million in proposed budget gives us a difference of $2.8 million. Okay. So right now without appropriate anything else, there's a gap of $2.8 million. Okay, just like just as we talked about last time, there are things we can do to either increase revenue or reduce expenditures, right? So, if we increase in revenues, we've examined our
026anticipate anticipated revenues, right? Which we've done and we've continuously done and we made adjustments based on that. We'll talk about use of fund balance and reserves in a second. Uh, and also propose a tax levy that exceeds the tax cap, right? That's one possibility. Reductions, purchase onetime expenses with current resources, right? So that's kind of our AC purchases. Uh defer expenditures to future budgets, right? So instead of replacing technology this year, see if we can push it out in a couple years. Reducing services, reduce program and opportunities for students and then review title fund expenditures, right? So are there things that we could take advantage of through title funds kind of free up money as well? So kind of shift where things are. Okay, so reserves and fund balance. So, here are our current balances
027as of today. Okay. Our proposal, my proposal would be to use uh the unassigned fund balance of $2.8 million to make the gap this year. Okay. Now, last year, you recall, we used some employee retirement reserve, some teacher retirement reserve, and then unassigned fund balance. This current school year, right, we're hope we we should not be using much of that $3 million. primarily because we got the insurance holiday the dehick holiday which was a million dollar savings there. Right? So there's unused money that we allocated this year. Now this year right now we're suggesting to use unassigned fund balance because as we shared previously we're still waiting for our uh general liability insurance to come through. So, we do have money allocated in the budget for general liability insurance. But if we were needed to
028self-insure, then we as a district would have to put money into an insurance reserve. All right? You could put up to 3% of your budget in that insurance reserve. So, if we needed to do that, then the recommendation from from me in business office would be then to see where we could take money out of the other reserves to fund that insurance reserve. So, that is the rationale right now as to why we're just recommending to use our unassigned fund balance. Okay. And speaking with Michelle, the board can also [Music] um elect to to shuffle things around later on as well. Okay. But right now, it's recommended to use our unassigned fund balance. Okay. So, revenue projections just filling in the box. So now we get to that 79 or yeah $79.9 million. Okay. Another
029option which was brought up last month and I I well I addressed it before as well is going above the tax cap. Right? So what happens if we go above the tax cap by $500,000? So that's what this slide shows. Now if we were to do that and it was successful, right? Then we would appropriate less out of the fund balance. That would that would be my recommendation. Okay. Once again, these numbers are strictly based on current assessments, current equalization rates, right? So, if the board did want to do that and we would have to get a supermajority, so we'd have to get 60%, not just 50% plus one, right? Have to get 60%. We would it would increase uh $170 versus the 110 or where it was before. 29 29 29, right? makes it
030a little better. All right, that's on a house at $300,000. Okay, there any questions on that? [Applause] If the So if the state budget passes and we get less than we expect, what buffer do we have to do we then have to are we cutting positions once that gets you know are we cutting stuff once that comes in and we have less than we expected or I mean like what's our buffer against that? Sure. So when as Dr. Tim said when you plan a budget, right, you do want to have like the 1.5 million in cash flow at the end of the year. Right. Right. Right. And currently we have three SDA positions budgeted in case right. So if the budget or when the budget comes out and there are cuts or significant cuts, right?
031Then we have to see what time of year it is and then make that determination. if we appropriate stuff out of reserves out of fund out of the addition out of fund balance or we make cuts mid year like like happened was that 15 years ago or so now I think um so so there is that possibility as well okay in addition right we could also look at other cuts right so when we talk about cuts it's what things are are we required to have as a school district, right? So, we are required to have certified teachers in front of our students, right? With with certain ratios going on. So, when I say mandated stuff, it's stuff that we need to operate the school, right? So, what where we look to is those quote unquote
032non-mandated things or things that we're not required to have. So, as we've shared previously, right, are the things that we've talked about in the past, right? It is it is our ARM security, whether it be SRO or or Atlas security, right? It's not required. Um but it has become a custom in our building right but it's not required that's one of the things our community had asked for right athletics not required modified athletics not required athletic trainer not required club stipens not required social work in each building psychologists secondary core teachers yes we can reduce right but on the flip side of that our class sizes will go up opportunities for kids will go down right that's just a math game um and then department chair persons Right? They're not required, but they provide a
033big benefit to our departments. Okay. Other things, our advocacy specialist, elementary art, elementary library, field trips, instructional coach, part-time counselor, elementary music, right? Once again, New York State says in order to provide an education state, you need to meet these meet these minimums. Right? These are the items that are not part of that minimum. Okay? But I think every one of us, right, can attest that our art program is very limited as it is, right? And those are some of those passions that are that our kids [Applause] have. So my recommendation, right, would be to vote for or approve a budget for $79.8 million. Appropriate that 2.8 8 million out of fund balance for this like for the upcoming school year. Okay, that would be my recommendation, right? The board could of course have conversations
034if they want to go to the tax step and we would reduce this number, right? Or if they're directing me to find additional cuts, we can do that as [Applause] well. Just to round things out, right? What happens if the budget does not pass on May 20th, right? So, we could revote on on June 17th. It could be the same or different budget or we can adopt a contingency budget. If the June 17th budget goes down, then we have to go to contingency. The tax levy stays at the same as it was this past year and there would be uh really devastating cuts at that point that we would not have a choice for. Um right now, new equipment administrative component is capped. No capital outlay project. Public use of of our buildings is no
035longer free. We have to charge a fee for all those. Um, and then non- essential building maintenance as well. That's just kind of the highlights of that. Okay. Timeline. Today is the day where the board has to adopt the budget to go before voters on May 20th. The public hearing is May 6th. Board vote is May 20th. May 27th. We c count the app the affidavit ballots. And then uh stick on June 17th in case we need a revote. Fingers crossed. Okay. Also on the ballot will be a board of member elections. We do have three seats and uh those three seats um there are three candidates for those three seats. They will be in this order on the ballot. Michelle Ramolei or Robert Tolman and Christine Bel Rosa. Uh the candidate with the highest
036vote count will begin their term on May 27th when the board adopts or accepts the budget. Okay. The second and third highest vote getters will start July 1st. Okay. Because we do need to fill that vacant position. So with that, are there any additional questions? She resigns her current seat. She takes the seat and then comes back on her open seat. Homes are in Woodstock and Olter. Explain that. It's weird. She would actually have to resign her back in seconds. So, so if I mean if I ask um like ballpark. No, it's small. We know small. Yeah, I I'm not going to that's something I'm not going to guess that. Okay. We wouldn't I'm sorry. What was that question? The question was what percent of our homes are in the town of Woodstock and town
037of Olter? Oh, I do not know that. As far as taxable excess value, 90 90% is in so Yeah. So So okay. So 10% 10% is in the is in town of Olter between those two. Well 10% of the assessed value. Right. Right. Questions discussion. Um are we discussing this now? Are we talking about this? Yeah. This is not an executive. No. Um my my the reason for my asking the question simply comes down to in the mic. Yeah, sure. Just so people can hear your question. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Perfect. Thank you. So I I asked a question about the number of uh of you know homes taxable right uh properties in the town of Oster for Woodstock just because we're talking about a voting uh uh the prospect of voting here. We're
038also looking at the fact that they have a higher rate um of tax per $1,000. Uh but they've also been given obviously because they participate in our district uh you know equal billing in this presentation. Um so that that adds some clarity for me. Um I I I guess it's all related to the budget, so I won't say my next question is unrelated, but can you just explain for us um Dr. Tims made a really pointed um you know, expression of support for the fact that last year we did exceed uh or the tax cap and we did try to put forth a budget that exceeded the tax cap. He definitely applauded the board for for making that effort and we certainly all commiserate uh certainly much more than he did he does uh that
039that didn't go through. But why would we not try to consider exceeding the tap cap cap again given the fiscal picture that that he had projected? Mhm. So, uh I mean part of that I guess is me kind of tossing it back to the board to see where the board's comfort level is with that. Right. Again, uh if we do choose to exceed the tax cap, uh then every one of us at this table here are going to have put our boots on and go marching into the community and set up community sessions where everybody can kind of share the value that public education provides to our communities such as sovereignties and particularly where where a high number of students do come back and live and reside and raise their families. Um so you know
040the risk of it is going down and then pre-oting right and then if you do it again down again. So, you know, but it's comes it comes down to the board's comfort and in and challenging that the tax cap and and commitment that our community will support us. What is the So, I'm going to just ask rhetorically for dis I'm just going to ask this question for I guess it's not rhetorically, but put it out to to my fellow board members. Um, you know, we we didn't anticipate what happened last year. Um, we all accept that it it wasn't the outcome we desired. Um, what what has changed that would make it more risky this year? Um, the the second budget vote, we had really overwhelming resounding support for it. Um, and I think that
041despite what we see here, right, like literally in attendance, thank you folks. Um, but I don't know that there's a lot of conversation going on about this budget. Are we are we running the same risk or are we not running the same risk? Has we elevated the conversation at the at the community level where they know that we're looking at, you know, a long-term fiscal plan that has to be developed. Um, you know, my again my my kind of questions are discussionoriented, not really rhetorical. Um, I think that there there is fiscal value in exceeding the cap. I think it when we did it last year, it barely went down. Um and and everyone of us, you know, agreed it barely went down. And some of us commiserated that we didn't put it up the
042same way it was the second time. So, you know, let's talk about where we are right now this year and what's changed and and uh and why we wouldn't try to do that again. Why is it more risky this year than last year? Um I guess my question was on Yeah, you were on. Yeah, you were on. Thank you. Um I guess my question is the b is there a negative to taking from the reserves? Is there is is there a net negative to taking from the reserves versus going over the tax cap? That's kind of how I'm making my decision. Is there a negative to completing the reserves? Well, so reserves are a rainy day fund, right? Just as your own savings account in your house, right? If the hot water heater breaks, you
043got a new hot water heater. You have to take money out of your savings account, right? It's less there for the future. Um, you know, and I I would not anticipate, right, during COVID, we had a huge cash flow from the federal government. New York State finally funded foundation aid, right? So, we had cash flow at that point in time. I'm not sure that we're going to have anything like that in the next couple years. Okay. Then my other question, I thought that this came up during Dr. Tim's um presentation. Are is there a limit to how much we can have in the reserves? So each reserve does have uh statutory kind of regulations that guide it, right? Um as well as the way that the board approve approves a resolution. Um so there are
044there are limits to to reserves. The the the question I think you're getting to is in the unassigned only allowed to have 4% unassigned. Okay. In your un in the unassigned one, right? That's that's what that's what he was pointing out. Okay. And no, we're we're below that now. Yeah. Because what's 4% of 9 million, right? It's 2.8 or something. So, what so what's an instance? Um, let's just say in the in the, you know, the conversation we're talking about also waiting to hear from our insurance carrier. Um, we're having conversations about having to create an additional insurance, you know, reserve to fund our own insurance. Um, I want to I want to formulate this question and then I'll come back to it. I'm sorry. I do want to formulate this question because I have
045a gem there. I'll talk slowly. Um, so I mean it seems you're propos I mean the proposing of raising the tax cap you the number was 500,000. I mean that still doesn't get us there. So yes, it doesn't just an example of like this is what 500,000. Yeah. So this is just just as you know with previously, right? We can scale it up, we can scale it down. This was the number that we went with last time. So I kind of continue that kind of thought pattern. So if you didn't want to go above a million, you'd have to double it. But we'd still have to then use 20 2.2. Yes. Correct. Yes. Right. Whereas last time after it went down, we made additional reductions to bring it down. Right. Right. this time. If we
046do do it, I would just say we should do use less reserves. Dan, I just wanted to clarify that the the the money from the unassigned fund balance is not the same as money that's used um where we have to cover some of these insurance claims. Or is that where we So if we were to create an insurance reserve, then we would recommend to take money out of other reserves, right, to fill that reserve because the most we could have in that insurance reserve is 3% of our budget, which is going to be like 2.4 $2.5 million, right? So we so we could fund it up to that level by pulling money out of other reserves. So it different reserve balance and I'm just we would take I think we take money from one reserve
047put it into this new reserve. So the total would be the same. Right. Allocated differently. Right. Right. And once again it would be in case something were to happen. Right. So you may spend it, you may not spend it. Insurance work. Where did money come from that we had to spend out of p pocket to cover some of our claims that went uncovered? Okay, so I think you're So the question was where where did money come for where have where does that's not coming, right? No. So all of our current claims are covered by our current insurance carrier because we've had Udica I want to say like 10 years at least. I'm not sure. It goes back longer by the way on this sheet, right? We saw. Um, so those are all covered by UDICA
048and they will be continue to be covered by Udica, you know, until everything is is closed with those claims. In the past, we did have CDA claims, Child Victims Act claims in which the board authorized funds to cover those those costs because we could not locate the insurance carrier from the time that it occurred. Okay. Thank you. I guess what I was just trying to get get my hands around and try to help everybody else understand is the use of the unassigned fund balance and why we would want to maintain it. you know, at a certain level as opposed to use it for a budgetary, you know, again, it feels like, you know, kicking the can down the road. I've used it maybe too many times, but um I'm again only as good as the
049best advice, right, that we can get and and I thought I heard Dr. Tims say pretty clearly a few a few things about how we should begin to project, you know, forward. Having said that, having said that, um, you know, we have to vote on a budget, but the superintendent has to has to operate within this budget. Um, you know, so other than kind of maybe trying to foster a little discussion about whether or not we want to exceed the cap or not, um, you know, I I do think obviously the the superintendent's recommendation has to be uh has to be a strong consideration, too. So, Um, so I think Christine actually asked this question last year. So we took money out of out of fund last year and here we are again taking more
050money out of the fund next year. So like what did what does next year look like for us if we don't go above that tax level? Are we going to be right back in the same spot again? So good good good question. So um this right this current school year we did appropriate $3 million hoping to spend very little of that $3 million. So that money is there kind of to reappropriate in a sense, right? Um I will say I do think we do do need to look at our instructional model at the elementary level, right? For to see how we can become even more efficient because I mean I just I don't want to as as Bill says kick can down the road. I mean then we're sitting here next year having this exact
051same conversation. Um, I mean, either we need to go above the tax cap and have some more influx of money to try to start to offset that and yes, okay, maybe we take a little bit or whatever out of out of the balance um the unassigned fund balance, but at least it's we're taking a lot less. And from what I understood with Dr. Tims with with us going above the tax level, that's all going to compound as we move forward. I'm not looking like right now. I'm looking also like 5, 10, 15 years down the road at what it's going to look like for sardies, you know, as we sit here like go beyond my kids being out of the school. I mean, there was $8 million that we didn't, you know. Yeah. Over the
052last decade, right? Yeah. Exactly. That that's we need to kind of get back hopefully back to that at some point and and not be having, you know, who do we cut, what do we cut conversations. and and I think Dr. Sims also said that a lot of other districts in the area have better reserves as well. Correct. Um comparative to us. So I mean clearly we need to do something to kind of regain um you know or at least get ourselves on a loving level playing field with some of those other districts. Um so I mean that that's that's kind of where I sit. I will say I did go through Olster County Schools look at their proposed budgets. I don't know if they've been adopted by the board for judge or not, but the
053group most reserve presentations and some of them are using a significant amount of reserves. I'm sure as well at this year. I'm sure. Um, but you know, you know, as I think I said last time too, I think we are extremely efficient in our current model at the elementary level, right? Just highlighting that. Um, so I do think we do need to kind of embark on that. And did you um in looking at the other budgets, are they going over the tax cap? Uh, not in Ulster County. Not that I'm aware of. Well, just to echo other people's, it seems like for long-term fiscal responsibility, you know, I certainly would be okay with going over the sack cap, whether it's $500,000 or a million dollars or something. It seems like and otherwise we'd have to
054cut things that, you know, some in the community have indicated they wanted, but didn't pass last year. So, by five votes, right? Right. But it didn't pass. So there are consequences that you know they said they wanted whatever armed security but if it doesn't pass then we can't afford it. So things like that thank you for saying something. You can't do it. So Dan, what is what will the percentage increase be if we do increase by 500,000? The what do you mean the percentage? I'm not sure. So what? Because I think that's what people want to know like how much are their taxes going to go up if we add 500,000 or take Yep. So, let me get to that point whatever Okay. So, a 300 uh $300,000 home in the town or village of
055Sardies, right? Their tax bill would go up $170. So, if you have a $600,000 home, I'm just going to double it and get to $340. Right? But that would be the impact, the estimated impact on your on your tax bill if you had a $600,000 would be double that. And comparative to the tax cap, that is like an additional $60 basically, right? For or 39, whatever, right? So that's that's what I want to know. I want to know like what is the and there's I know it's in these slides somewhere. It's on slide 18 and then the one that you just had. So it's 129. So say 130 versus 178. So, $40 on a $300,000 home. So, $600,000 home be $80 a year, which is a $4 a month difference. $48,600,000. Can you guys hear
056me back? Not over the copier. We can't hear you. I guess the question or not the question but something that Bill had asked um is what can't hear me now. Can you guys hear her? I nail the one off next to you. There we go. All right. Is that better? Can you guys hear me? There you go. There we go. Um, I guess to answer Bill's question that he asked, um, I had to see if I can give my perspective of where he said, "What is different this year than last year of going over the cap?" Um, and yes, it was only 34 votes. I I appreciate that. And I, you know, I was dismayed that we couldn't get there last year. Um, but if I look at this year versus last year, what is
057at stake if it if we go to the over the cap and it doesn't pass, what we're going to have to go through a revote, so there'll be a cost to that. Um, and what is it costing the district? It's costing longer term fiscal impact because we're taking more of fund balance. the I don't see us losing anything um or the district the community losing anything if they vote this budget down like last last time they were losing sports they were losing field trips there was a motivation last year to go above the cap that was impacting this year I think it's not that it's not worth an effort but I think it's going to be a harder cell to tell people that we need to make this up because of sins of the past
058and we got to pay now for the you know for people you know for the way things were voted on in the past. It may be a tougher cell. I'm not saying maybe we shouldn't try it, but I'm just saying from people the the state of the economy and where people are feeling a crunch in everyday expenses to add to this when we're looking at the impact is really just our longer term fiscal impact than the current year. Um I I just that's my perspective on it. Um, so, um, I voted last year to go above the cap. I actually voted last year to go more above the cap than we did in our conversations. Um, but we it got defeated. Um, whether it was 34 votes, which I couldn't believe that night or not,
059um, it was defeated. Um, I think the difference, um, people are asking what the difference is this year. I think it's part of the climate you're in. I think over the last 60 days, people's 401k accounts have been decimated. Absolutely decimated. So now to go tell them on top of their 401ks getting decimated a good portion of sorities, we're also going to increase your taxes because seven or eight years ago people went below the tax cap. I just don't think the time is right to do that. I also appreciate the fact that you need reserves. I also have a problem, a little bit of a problem having I think a total of $15 million in reserves over the over all the accounts. And I know the the capital reserve is the one you can't really
060touch. um you can't do anything with except a capital project, but having so I'll say $11 million in reserves and telling people that we're going to hold that um and we're going to raise your taxes regardless of how much because one thing I did learn last year and I tried to explain to people whether it's $47 or $7 or $4,700, they don't care. Their taxes are going up. Um, and yes, last year the assessments for the town came out at a really awkward time. Yeah. Um, but that's probably going to happen again this year or in and around there. Um, and I think those things compound one another. Um, so having those reserves, which is what they're for. Um, I I personally don't think I also think if you're going to go at the cap
061and it gets rejected again, whether it's by four votes or 34 votes, it would be it's a level of arrogance to go put that same budget back up and say, "You beat you defeated it this time, but let's try again. Let's just try again." You're going to have to make cuts. You're gonna have to show the people who voted down the increase in the in the tax cap that we're actually cutting things, which is the last thing I want to do. I we need to start to get our district to where we're increasing things. And I think over the next two years or three years, they're increasing by the tax cap to get an extra $500,000 and still have to go tap your reserves. and the perception in the community. Um, I think that's what's
062different. And if I look at our teaching force and the retirements that are coming and some other things that we're going to start talking about of how we do things a little bit more streamlined um, and a little bit more efficient over the next few years with how we're going to re how we want to redesign some things in our district. While I appreciate Dr. Tim's um perspective and giving us kudos for trying to go over the tax cap. I just think when you look at things at a macro level that are happening in the economy Yeah. and happening overall, I don't want to go tell people that their taxes are going up. That's my perspective. I didn't really mean to turn the lights off in the room. I'm I'm just going to add, you
063know, my perspective because their taxes are going up irrespective um uh with your budget and again it comes down to a majority or supermajority. um you know I'm I'm not going to be here right uh I don't have any impact to my life right overall in terms of the budget that's being developed here meaning I don't have any family here I don't have any now that's not true I have a nephew here I don't have my children here I'm not engaged in the sports community right I'm not connected so if if this the tenor and the sentiment you know that led to the to the ground swell and overwhelming positive vote. The second time around has has dissipated, you know, that that, you know, quickly in the calendar year, I'm going to trust the people
064that are out there talking to the the community and the school. Um, you know, when they say they they they don't have the stomach for that this year. Um, but I think that along the same lines and not to get too macro, but I think that when we think about the way decisions are being made, you know, nowadays in the economic climate that is causing so much distress, I think having a long-term fiscal plan, all right, that that seeks to write some of the wrongs of the past isn't necessarily a scary idea. it might be one that people take some comfort in um rather than thinking that we're just going to do this, you know, pull a string and change, you know, the kind of the kind of orientation and the mentality that we have.
065That's not a direct repudiation to anybody's sentiment. Um I will support whatever the consensus of the board is. Uh I just know that, you know, you you don't often have this opportunity. Um, in fact, once a year you do. Yeah. And I I I I am one who I am fully on coming up with a long-term plan. Um, and I I think we need it. I I guess my my difference is I don't think going over the tax cap is your um fix it longterm plan. Um because you're still going to tap into reserves. You're still going to have to tap into reserves pretty heavily. Um, so I I think the benefit you get, like I said, I think the one thing that Dr. Tims wasn't looking at um while because I I I loved
066a lot of things he said, he also wasn't privy to a lot of information of things that you want to do more efficiently in this district, which doing things more efficiently, sizing the district correctly, um the amount of retirements that are coming over the next few years, those are the things that need to be the cornerstone of your long-term financial plan. um and not the raising of a tax cap to eliminate taking and I agree with you Bill the one thing I do agree with you regardless at your at the tax cap or above the tax cap people's taxes are going to rise I mean that's that's a that's a given um but I just think um and I and I agree not going too macro I just think in the economic impact that people
067have already had um asking an additional increase in their taxes to write the wrongs of things that happened 9 years ago when it is not the magic button. There are many more things that need to happen. I just don't think the environment is right to do it right now. That that's my opinion and where's there's eight of us here and I will go with the sentiment the majority sentiment. So, well, I guess just to go back to Dr. Tim's presentation. I guess if I guess I'd feel more comfortable dipping into the reserves the full amount if we had sort of a a bit of a plan that said, "Okay, this will wean us off the reserves in the next three years." And it's like a short-term thing, but it doesn't seem as of today we
068have any any document that gets us off relying on the reserves every year. And I guess that's that's where we are today. And so maybe there's an efficiency plan or some other thing that can down rightsize the district, but um absent that, it just it seems it seems hard to just have the reserves be the the fallback. So um but [Music] how common is that in other districts to use two to three million dollars of their reserves for their budget? Uh I I don't know. I mean across the state where it is. the ones I was looking at today. I mean, I think right now's using several million dollars this year with big cuts. Um, Brighton million. No, no, sorry. Several million. Several. Okay. Brighton, they're using it's like 3.25 million. Um, so is not
069unheard of to use, you know, reserves or fund balance. And did I hear you and I just and this is a clarification. I don't know if I heard you correctly. Nobody else in Olster County is going over the cap. Not Not to my knowledge. Last time I knew, last Okay. Trying to go over the tax cap is very rare in New York City in general. We were alone in that respect last year also, right? One of one of a handful. Well, maybe maybe two dozen or so. Oh, yeah. I remember that state that article about that. One of the very few. Yeah. So, is this a call the question moment that you made a re recommendation for your budget, right? Yep. So, is this a call the question moment then? Yeah. Uh, do we have
070the final figure then? Again, plug it in. Kind of drive this, but we could get this over sooner. Give everybody an opportunity. Yeah. Budget resolution is after executive session. I say I thought though exactly right I mean at least on the agenda we can change the budget. Yeah. No, I don't want to. Okay. So, we're still only at presentation stage. Yeah. I don't want to I apologize. That's okay. I apologize. I thought we were ready to rock and roll here. No, Bill wants to go Bill wants to go home. Huh? Listen, I got big Newton's waiting. All right. Thank you, Dr. Urs. Um, moving on to board action items. Um, we have the, uh, Ricardi Elementary School State Environmental Quality Review Act. Um, the resolution of it. Um, and make a motion to accept that.
071So, move, seconded by Miss Keller. Any discussion? Any questions on that? All those in favor? I. All right. Moved. Um, next item is the Olster Board of Cooperative Educational Services. This is the admin budget. Um, and Dr. Urs, if I'm correct, this has been taken into account. Correct. Our budget. We've already budgeted for this. We've already budgeted for this. So, this is just the approval of the admin budget um for Boseies. Motion to accept. Miss Bellar Roa seconded. Second. Mr. Meer, any discussion, questions? Yeah, I just want to make a comment um that uh there was a very compelling graph that I saw a couple of years ago about this budget and it would be great to see it graphically. So, for people who are, you know, wondering about the mount and that goes for
072the Bosey's budget as well as well as um our budget, the lion share or not the lion share because the lion actually eats all of it. um is retirement health insurance. So, people have problems with their taxes going up and budgets. I hope they're all out there advocating for singlepayer healthcare because health care costs are the bulk of that budget. Okay. Thank you. Anybody else? If not, all those in favor? I I All right. The next one is the annual election of the members of the of board of cooperative educational services. Boseies. Um there are um there are basically four um seats. Um the two that are listed in the agenda, Barbara Carroll and Lucy Vanickle. Um those are for Newton Roundout Valley. They are running unopposed. Um so in essence, we actually don't have
073to give them a vote, but um we would. The other uh two seats are at large um and they are um out of four different candidates. U William Bruce um junior out of Ellenville, Allison Dodd from Monteora, Suzanne Jordan from Kingston and David Thompson from News. Um we have to pick two of those people. Um my recommendation um would be for Willie Bruce um from Ellenville. He's been instrumental in Boseis. He's part of their put together a big part of their PEK program. So, he's very familiar with them. Um, and then, uh, Suzanne Jordan from Kingston, who's a longtime was a longtime board member in in Kingston. Um, and a teacher before and a teacher before that. So, those those if those would be my two recommendations out of those four. Um, and when we
074vote, we're only ca even though we're all voting, we only cast one vote for them. So, it's not like seven votes for them. It's the sorghes vote gets to go to them. I have that correct. So, do we second your nomination? No, we would I would we would make a motion to accept those four people and then somebody would second it and we vote. So, do I have a motion for those four individuals? Miss Keller seconded by Miss Azari. Any discussion or question? All those in favor? I [Applause] Okay. Uh proposed to recess into executive session. Um resolve the board would um let's accept a motion um to recess into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel items and employment of a particular person. So move by Miss Keller, seconded by Mr. Wells. Any
075discussion? All those in favor? Hi. All right. And we will be coming back out to vote. Yes, we will. Okay. Those two. Yes. Two that are running on the post. The s boats. Those your glasses, Tim. Yeah. I know what it feels like in like two and a half weeks. Yeah. Come in. I'm supposed to be in North Carolina this week though, so I'm very glad. It does mean like I'm in a virtual conference. Okay. That's not as fun. Yes. color choice. I know. I noticed that playing that. Well, when you sat down, I said, "We're gonna slow down a little bit." Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. Good for you, Maggie. Good to see you. Good. I went to Italy. [Music] Oh, really? That's so funny. Everybody's going to Italy. I'm like 30 years old. Enjoy
076your day tomorrow. Did you go to Mickey's or Sawyers? Sawyers. Oh, okay. It was It was expensive for a kitty cone. Jess and I went that one day after like her basketball game at her school. It was me, her, and her sister. $20. Yeah. I got a kitty cone with rainbow sprinkles. It was $5 and something. I was really surprised. How do you go? Yeah. How does a family go out ice cream? Yeah. Crazy. [Music] It was good though. I'm happy I did it. Birthday. Yeah. Yeah. Like all the time. It was definitely There you go. Hold on. She's like freezing out here. We have a colder hot air left. I know. I know. Could you open all the shuffle any papers here so that I don't annoy people that are online? Um uh make
077a motion to reconvene to open session. So moved by Mr. Ball, seconded by Mr. Wells. Any discussion? All those in favor? I All right. Board action item. Um the action uh resolved that the board of education of the sorghetti central school district hereby adopts the 20252026 budget in the amount of 79,876,153 and authorizes the submission of the property tax report card. And that property tax report card will be at the cap, will not exceed the cap. It'll be at the cap. Um, Virginia, we're going to do a roll call vote here. Um, so if you would be so kind, William Ball, I Bellarosa, yes. Katie Emerson Hos, yes. Hinai, yes. Carol Keller, yes. Michael Meyer, yes. Jeffrey Azie. Yes. Timothy Wells. Yes. Okay. So moved. All right. Motion forjournment. Wells. Seconded by Skeleter. All those
078in favor? Thank you guys. Thanks Dan. Thank you Dan.