001process on the campus and uh we have a member has to leave in an emergency so we'll at least get us started >> uh right now. Um >> okay. Hi, I'm Eve Folton and this is the Cincinnati School Board Finance Committee. We're going to go around the uh horn so to speak or the U. Uh and everybody please introduce yourselves if we'll start over there. >> Hi, I'm Nan Hagen. I'm the state federal programs manager in the treasur's office. >> Hello, my name is Julia Varcia. I'm the senior grant accountant. >> Good morning. Cody Hutchkins, contract analyst. Good morning, Vera Brooks, director of early childhood. Shauna Murphy, superintendent. >> Good morning, Deb Klein, assistant superintendent. >> Good morning, Kendra Matt, board member. Mr. Crosset is on his way. Treasurer >> Jim Cross, board member. [laughter]
002>> Right on queue. Entered stage left. Now get seated. Now we're good. >> Get it. Treasure. Michael Gustin, treasurer. >> Liz Martin, assistant treasur and controller. >> Kevin Ashley, director of financial reporting and transparency. >> Good morning. Lauren Habercos, chief audit executive. Carrie Arburster, board member. >> Phyis, board assistant. >> Rob Wilson, technician. And if you'd like to speak during the end of this meeting for the hearing of the public, please click the hand icon and we will invite you over at the end to speak. And then, of course, if you're in person, you can also let the uh chair know as well. Thank you. >> Thank you, Rob. And just in order to get started, let's uh begin right away with the treasurer and uh old business. >> Unless there's some reason agenda, >>
003go to it. >> First thing on the agenda would be treasur goals for 2026. If you're following along at home, also slide 33. [clears throat] >> So, um there's also full text of it. So, working through my goals for 2026, if you remember, the treasures evaluation period now runs um January through December, but basically here's a calendar year. I did create some goals last fall and you know based on kind of a different arrangement I've updated those six goals for your review hopefully approval to kind of move forward with those from this committee I know send out for comments thank you for for the comments I've received back feedback individual feedback has been helpful kind of the big sticks and I think I tried to in some in some ways kind of the superintendent has
004kind high risk, high reward goals. So, so I've tried to do kind of a similar thing here. Um, just quickly to go through them. First one obviously is budget process improvements. It's an ongoing thing that we work through. Second one is building a financial strategic financial plan >> or all three. Now feel like you have the press conference. [laughter] You got >> exactly >> you got five mics in front of you. Is this better? Um, >> it is. >> Okay. So, yeah. So, second goal um is working on the financial side strategic plan and consist in conjunction with the superintendent and the district financial district strategic plan. Goal three is a new one, but uh one of the things that that we've learned in working with the state is there are a lot of new
005expectations around not only the financial forecast, but also how we do our financial reporting and coding and stuff. So, that is that's going to be a big um state emphasis and we're going to have to do some work to make sure we're we stay in compliance with that. Um goal four is continuing community outreach. So, which is the which is, you know, the town halls, the podcast, other places. Um, got got to do a fun um episode of Boiling Point last night. [laughter] Miss Dunn was there so for a little bit. So, got to hear the end of her. >> It went well. >> I think it went well. Got got to hear the end of her section and so that was fun. >> Yeah, she had a star, too. >> She is a star.
006Yeah, she is a star. I was listening along. I'm like, this is good. So um you know goal five and we've talked about this is creating a new we call it popular annual financial report. So so while while we do the annual comprehensive report every year and which is award-winning by the way um we we also want something that's a little more accessible to the public and so so we've been working on that. Um Kevin and Cody and I have been working on that project. And then our final goal is a reorganization of the accounts receivable function at the district. So this is involves making sure we get all the revenue we can that we book it correctly, we manage cash and all those things. So happy for feedback on the goals. >> Do any
007members have any uh comments, suggestions? Um, well, this is our kind of our sort of our third time through in a way and uh very very important because we do hold these folks accountable to to the goals that we all mutually work out. Member Matt, >> I was just going to say um thank you for uh receiving the feedback. Um I like that your goals are comprehensive and well-rounded um and it's covering several different aspects. I like um the consideration with you know um having this engagement with bellweather to work and working through the strategic plan um and um given this outlook of where we are with our finances as it pertains to levy discussions obviously that's a very um um critical and uh topic that you know not only we are discussing but the
008community is discussing as well and so I thank you for including that in your goals. Um, I like the um the opportunity to engage and interface more with the public um through the annual report. And so um and also I know we talked about making that really digestible um in our um committee meeting. And then um just lastly making sure that there's the uh the accountability aspect um with the um the accounts uh receivable function. So I appreciate that. I think is a well-rounded well uh a well comprehensive um you know presentation of your goals. So thank you for that. >> Great Mr. Crosset. >> Oh yes. Thank you. No, these [clears throat] are these are great goals. Uh really really good goals. They're they're the the goals that we need as a district. Thank
009you very much for your um willingness to take these on. On goal number two, I don't know if it needs to specifically say that, but I think there's a really big deal here, which is the payoff of the uh facilities master plan in 2031. I think that is a giant strategic component of our future and I don't know if that needs to be specifically identified in the goal too incorporate that into you talked about future levies, but also maybe about you know that that's a big big point. So, uh, I'm sure you would consider that, but I don't know if it needs to be highlighted or not. Um, and also on the accounts receivable function, um, I I think that's a that's a really good one. I I think, um, there might be, um, I
010guess you mentioned that cash cash management is part of that. >> Okay. >> Our accounts, our current kind of accounts receivable function is really accounts receivable and cash management. >> Okay. and and kind of segue to our next topic, but but really making sure we put the right amount of effort into both of those separate functions because they're both separate and both critical as >> Okay, great. Thank you. >> I think uh they're good and I'm glad to see them. I I continue to be very interested in what you and the assistant treasurer continue to work on which and we talk about a little bit later today about the the emphasis on what the school treasurers are doing and the activity within the schools and I think the more that we um send to the
011school which seems to be one of the forward thrusts of this budget process uh the more that'll become important. Uh, I appreciate you also uh putting some uh high stakes uh goals in there to you have that similar uh kind of weight on your shoulders, so to speak, that the superintendent has. I mean, she has to depend on more people to deliver than you do, including what 34,000 children. But uh uh I think it's I think that's uh I think that's important to understand and I think that's greater kind of your relationship partnership there and I would agree that I think the the aim of almost anything at this point in time our our north star is that 3031 and the payoff of the FMP and and of course when we're talking about today how
012do we get there and how will the public have to help us. So I do think that that's that's a guiding star for sure. >> I'll add a sentence just to call that out. >> Any other comments? Superintendent, do you have anything you'd like to say? >> I'm delighted that Treasurer Gustin is uh including all the work with Belleather. It has been a journey. I'm very excited to see where this will um land and he's been a good partner to be able to work with every week on this. >> Great. And since we did introductions, we've had a wonderful person uh join us, star of stage, screen, and radio. Uh Michelle Dunn, do you want to introduce yourself? >> Yeah, Michelle Dunn with Cincinnati Federation of Teachers. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. If
013Yes. I'm just uh just kind of looking through it. Um, are you able to speak to Treasure Gustin? Um, and I see some metrics in here, but are you able to speak to I guess kind of like the the aspects that would be measurable for us? >> Yeah. Some some of it unfortunately are are going to be done and then and then how the quality >> for example you know the financial plan you know >> obviously is it done on time but then also how useful is it the board have to board meals have to kind of make those value judments >> some places are easier to do the goals um >> you know some some of the goals are all or none do we pass the audit as a stage except for task. >>
014So it it is it is hard to do some of the traditional you know X to Y goals. I think I I think a lot of times you're able to go from here to here. Some of these things are new and so implementing something new would be might be this year or next year like for the AR stuff this year might be more baseline baseline next year if it's the goal then >> assistant treasures goal then we can say okay here's where the baseline is in 27 28 we've increase >> totally understandable and I recognize needing that baseline data um I'm wondering Um, is there room where capacity um, maybe would go six? So, I'm just and I'm looking for your just input. Yeah. >> Or is this still B would you still consider this
015as like a area of baseline data? >> I I mean, we have we have metrics for some of these things for sure, >> but but we're also contemplating a fairly big reorg. So, so like so hope hope so this is really more of establishing a new baseline >> and so maybe that is something that can I mean to some extent either be called out um or even in maybe just the discussion of the goals just with the additional board members um highlighting that as well. >> Any other comments? >> Great. Thank you for presenting any number of times and and taking the the input. Um we also for the public's uh benefit both the superintendent and the treasurer have been engaged in their own separate kind of reorganization uh of of of their shops and
016uh so we'll talk briefly about some aspects of the uh treasures uh reorganization. Uh we've done this before u in executive session and we have some limited discussion today about some aspects. Treasurer, >> thank you. Thank you. And so I I will say if you go to the next slide, Rob, or actually next two, um it's it's a little easier to talk in detail with in my organization. I have far I have far fewer employees uh than the superintendent. So So I I can get I can get much more granular. Um but kind of where I want to give a wanted to give this committee an update. As you mentioned, we talked in executive session. Our current state of our reorganization is really a mixture of three things happening kind of concurrently. um you know
017you know my internal leadership team in the treasures office you know we create a strategic reorganization plan which is what we shared with this committee in executive session before concurrently you know obviously the FY27 budget there are constraints so there were there were some reductions based on budget constraints and trying to and trying to hit our budget target um and then as part of that and I'm sure you'll see it in the slides um as before is one of the recommendations s that will come up is is that from the from union leadership and administration is kind of a merger reorganization between a couple central office departments including the treasur's office. So all three of those things Hello, thanks for joining us. Um all all three of those things are happening concurrently and so and
018so sometimes it's hard. you're taking things out, putting things in, moving things around, negotiating as negotiating with other stakeholders as best you can, you know, try trying to do what's right for everyone. So, part we wanted to talk about today, um, I'll go one more slide. I'm going to turn this over to assistant treasure second. Um, the other thing I think is really good about our reorg is is it's integrated with the overall and kind of integrated with what the superintendent wants to do. So the way to think about our office is two separate kind of types of employees. So we have folks who do district-wide task, you know, so there are things that are done at that district level. You know, the person who actually processes payroll does it for all 6,000 employees. You
019know, um same thing with paying, you know, paying our taxes, you know, making sure the unions get their union dues. Those are district-wide tasks. Um you know, getting in our foundation funds from the state, those are district-wide tasks. Um, but we also have the ability to align um, a good group of our staff with the corridors with the networks. And I think Superintendent's going to present a lot about her networks. Um, and it's it'll be really easy for us to align people to those networks. So, you know, like assistant superintendent Klein has a network. You know, we can assign an accountant there. We can assign some payroll folks there. And so, again, these people work in people can work in a more tight group. And I think that's I think that's a really really good
020way to set us up for future success. I wanted to say that. Um, and then assistant treasure Martin's going to talk about kind kind of the the AR cash management reorg and and what we need to do there. [snorts] [clears throat] >> Yes. Um, so Rob, if we go to the next slide. So right now the current structure in accounts receivable is we have one supervisor who handles the cash management as well as all the accounts receivable um duties and then there's a senior account tech that supports him. What we would propose this proposal is to create like fill positions one and accounts receivable billing specialist whose duties are to invoice the CRA agreements. um says 10.5 million there, but we just sent out the May billings and it's actually going to be 11.5 million
021million in CRA billings [laughter] total for the year. Um posting the tiff payments that we receive uh timely invoicing of pass through stipens. So we have community partners that pay us and then we pass those stipens along to teachers or um employees. And so we want to make sure we get better at invoicing those community partners so we have the revenue to pay everybody more timely. uh as well as accurate and timely posting of the tax revenue, making sure that when it comes in, we're getting it distributed to the correct lines and other district billing as needed. So really someone whose entire job would be focused on the invoicing and posting of revenue. And then another person whose job would be the cash management oversight. So they would oversee all deposits at all schools and
022all central office budget units that accept cash. they would reconcile the activity that happens in focus, which is our cash drawers at the schools with the bank activity that we're seeing. So, making sure that we're not going too long without seeing those deposits in the in the bank. We know where it's all coming from. We know where it belongs to be. This person would also travel around and do school visits um making sure that they're monitoring the safe, that cash isn't piling up in safes, that the safe is uh working and everybody who needs access to it has the uh the code to get into it and is using it appropriately. Uh this person would develop and update the SOPs for cash handling. they are um old at this point and we would want to
023revamp that and also work with all school school support staff on the cash handling procedures. So that would include training uh senior lead secretaries or senior um support specialists at the elementary schools as well as working with the senior account tech or the school treasurers if you will at the high schools making sure we have uh like processes in place of what to do if you're collecting cash later at the basketball game. How do we make sure that's managed appropriately? Um >> I think that's so good if I can jump in. I think I think you know um Chief Audi Dave Havoc would tell you that cash is one of our biggest potential liabilities >> uh cash at the district but also being able to proactively train folks you know and there is there is
024a decent amount of turnover at the schools plus the number of folks who could handle cash you know there's a there's a lot of places where we don't even think about it but you know you have a play you have a you have a sporting event you know you know you're trying to find people who are willing to you know willing to do that and collect the tickets and those sorts other things. And so being able to proactively put a lot of time into going out, meeting with folks, you you know, staying on it is a is a huge is a huge change in what we're doing. And it puts a lot of support as as you mentioned, uh, Miss Bolton, you know, as we're asking the schools to do more, you know, we're saying
025schools to do more. We want to make sure that we can give them the supports to do it well. >> Good. >> Um, yes. And then this would also give the supervisor an opportunity to do true um aging work, making sure that we're not having outstanding payments that we're not receiving, making sure they can troubleshoot, reviewing everything to get a second set of eyes on billing procedures and entries. And um again, I wouldn't speak for her, but I'd say chief audit could like that extra review would be helpful for our risks as well. >> Mr. Crosset. Uh yeah, I just I just want to be be sure I'm clear. Which one of these two positions is going to collect would pursue collections of late payments? >> That would be the supervisor that we have now.
026That role would change. This would not be either of these. >> I see. >> So we'd be separating these two functions from the supervisor. Okay. >> The supervisor would then move into that um true AR supervisor collections um efforts, reviews, tracking down. >> Great. >> Making sure everything's landing in the right spot. >> And then um on the cash handling, will we put a strategic emphasis on minimizing where we have cash transactions? Can we uh >> um emphasize more and more transactions v via debit card or credit card? Is is that strategically an an um could be a goal or or an objective or for the assistant treasur? >> We've made a lot of progress there. I will say um [snorts] state did not help us when they required that's superintendent Murphy's like yeah state
027did not help us when they required us to take cash for athletic emissions. That was a helpful. I mean, we've done it wherever. We also have to be, you know, cognizant, you know, of our families and, you know, we we have folks who are unbanked. We have folks who who who we and we want to be able to be responsive to them. But we we try, you know, there's, you know, Focus has a payment portal, you know, happy to, you know, put your credit card in there. You know, we've we've successfully put credit card um devices at all our schools. So, so the options are there and we and we try to push down, but we also realize you're never going to get to zero. >> Thank you. >> Um, any other questions about this?
028Um I think this is great and uh I I would this is just from personal background and maybe things are different here but uh for the training it wouldn't be bad to just have some aspect of that training pertain to how uh getting the u teenagers the young people who are handling money on behalf of of uh their program. Uh, for example, if you run a theater program, you're training kids to manage the box office. Uh, you're training kids to keep uh accounts and reports and what have you and receipts. So, just not that that you all would have to do that training, but the idea that you need some assurance, but the grown-up that is in charge of those kids if they're learning those things because it's such a little theater thing is like
029a little world and it's all kinds of jobs. So, um, that would just add that as something that the the school personnel should be doing. Okay. Any other concerns that you have? Is there a timeline about this? We're going to get it ready for the beginning of the school year or >> what's the thought? >> That would be the game plan. >> Okay. >> I like it. That's the best thing about schools. You get to start school like January is the calendar year and there's August. You have any number of the beginning and then semesters it starts all over. >> New beginnings. >> All the time. >> There's a constant new beginning. >> There's a [clears throat] constant new beginning. It's part of the charm of the whole thing. >> Yes. All right. Let's spend
030a couple minutes just on I know you I know this was a concern of yours. Um talking about the school treasurers >> or we call them senior county tax. So >> um yes. So we discussed previously and again there's kind of two models to consider. the the school treasures or the senior countex are only in the high school. That's um a point I wanted to make clear and right now they're reporting to the principal. So I wrote some pros and cons to kind of the two different models we can consider. Reporting to the principal gives them a pro is it gives them on-site leadership and accountability right there in the building. They're integrated with the school staff. they can get more familiar with the specific or unique school attributes so that they can tailor what
031they need to do to the schools. Um, some of the cons with reporting to the principal is there's a little bit less fiscal oversight. So, the principles aren't always in the details of the fiscal oversight. Um, and there's no consistent centrally managed processes for things and it's our current practice that we're doing. we have noted some issues um you know here or there uh with reporting to the treasur's office it would of course the pro would be increased fiscal oversight that's what our job is uh and centrally process centrally managed processes we'd set a standard everybody would be doing the same thing and a con would be it would be some administrative overhead in the treasur's office as we think about you know where we're making reductions for budgets that's something to consider and there
032could be conflicts and directives between the treasur's office and the school. So, we're not on site. There could be some issues that arise. Um, I think that this is a pretty good indication of of where we are. I do want to point out that if there's a cash management specialist, even if the school treasurers would report to the principal, we would have someone on our team working with them still. So there'd be a little bit more increased fiscal oversight than we have now with that cash management specialist. Um and um I just think that that's important to consider when looking at these two as well. I think after last conversation we had with with the superintendent um and the and this committee, I think where where administration consensus kind of landed um were a couple
033of things. I think we landed at least our kind of thinking was they would continue to report to the principal. Um we [clears throat] would we would require folks to to come to do mandatory training. Um and Dr. Smith is working on that and we've been in communication um with that to make sure on those on those district-wide training days that we get we get some time to do training with them. Um and that we would like we would like to be able to give some feedback back to the principles for evaluation feedback. So we could we could set up a process so that we can provide the principles who are the supervisors you know some metrics about about how their staff is doing on the financial stuff so that they you know they because
034they they see them every day. But we would just give, you know, some some very black and white, hey, from our perspective, here's financially how how your staff is doing. >> Great. Jim, any question? >> Yeah, I I u [clears throat] understand that there's a an [clears throat] interest in having these folks continue to report to the principal, but I think the idea of increased financial oversight from from our treasur's office is critical. And I also think that um I'm I if we put something in some of these more stringent oversightes and maybe it's even a dotted line to the treasur's office um I think we should calculate a baseline. I think there's some ROI here that that could cover some of that administrative overhead in terms of cash flow and cash management. So I
035I would I think that's [clears throat] going to be really important for um you know our taxpayers feeling good about how we manage the district. So that's those are my thoughts. >> That's I think that's good. um you have any enough guidance there and appreciate the administration's recommendation and with caution from um board member crosset and I think all this fits together actually quite well the training and the stuff you just discussed before. Uh any other items for us there comments further superintendent? All right, let's uh go on to new business, Mr. Ashley. >> Thank you. Um, glad to be back after being out. >> Yes, seriously. >> Um, [laughter] one was a vacation and one was a conference. So, um, but I'm back this month at least. Um, but I appreciate Cody presenting the
036last two months. Why? >> He wasn't nearly as good as you. [laughter] >> Definitely not. and he even said so. >> I don't know. He said got a bit of a shave over there haircut >> a little bit but >> but he's been a big help in putting together the sli helping put together the slides as well as presenting. So appreciate that. >> U so we'll just go through these pretty quickly. >> The um slide number four is the um [clears throat] general ledger balances. Um, so you'll notice if you look at previous going back a few months at least, uh, Star Ohio, we do have 81 million there as a result of the first half uh, tax settlement being received. Um, and no real changes there. The only thing I would note is we
037will be paying off the $3 million debt issuance that had a syncing fund attached to it. So, we have all the invoices ready to go for debt payments at the end of this month. >> We like that. Sorry. Sorry. I I >> Yeah. Yeah. Superintendent and I are trying to coordinate our clapping times. >> I know, but putting the applause sign on opposite parts of the wall is a little much. That was not in the budget. >> It's still a work in progress. >> I'm sure you'll work it out. >> Keep on going. >> Okie do. Um, so next slide. [laughter] [snorts] Um I'm trying to follow along here. Sorry. [laughter] Um general fund is at 70 million. You'll see that again in the other slides. Debt service again with 67 million. U and then
038real no real surprises in terms of the other funds where we are at this point. Um we'll be getting ready to do like final PCRs for the year, the fiscal year. And so we'll see where we are in terms of having to do fund advances at the end of June and we'll probably talk about those at finance next month. Okay. >> As we get ready for board. >> Um general [clears throat] fund. Uh I'm sorry. Go back to slide seven. Um Mike put together the cash flow statement. I don't know if there's anything in particular you want to highlight. I think you're a little rusty, Kevin. Miss you. you miss a couple you miss a couple months and you get a little rusty. Um, no I think I I think you know I usually try
039to always explain significant changes specifically negatives or high numbers. This is really the property tax settlement um related. So so if you recall when we get property tax advances we book everything to general property tax. Um the final settlement tells us how much of that needs to go to tangible um personal property tax. So you see that that line has money but that means we take a little out of the general it already booked overall it's there you also see under other expenses that number goes up significantly that is kind of the money that gets taken off the top for property tax collection fees. So so the the county charges us to to collect the property taxes and also to work on collecting delinquent taxes. So all all comes out of the settlement. You know,
040we get we get one check, but then we have to recognize >> fix it >> revenue in different spots and recognize the expenses for that side. But that that's a big one. So I'll send it back to Mr. Ashley. >> All right. The next slide is cash balances. Um you'll see, you know, compared to the prior two years, it's a little bit lower. Um I think some of that will resolve by the end of June, but um you know, we're monitoring that. So, we know um tax revenue is down, state funding is down um from where we anticipated it. So, um all of that will hopefully flush out by the time we get to the end of the year. Uh incumbrances are down a little bit. Part of that is pulling back some of the
041funding or some of the funds that were available [snorts] that hadn't been spent. Um so, we're a little bit lower there, which which will help us as well. Uh, next slide shows a three-year history of general fund cash balance. >> Uh, you can see 70.5 kind of in relation to where it's been the last few years. Uh, next slide is [clears throat] um revenue showing all the revenue. Um, revenue is down slightly from last year. Some of that is timing. Um, but we're at like 88% of revenue budgeted where we were at 89 last year. So, pretty much on track in terms of that expenditures, >> I think that's pretty very much on track at 88 versus 89. That's great. >> So, expenditures when you go to the next slide are a little bit higher
042like at 86% versus we were at about 81% of actual last year. just comparing budget to actual for general fund. So, um the key areas that were up obviously salaries and benefits are up about 7 million. Um the other things are down a little so that kind of offsets but um next slide is unencumbered or uncommitted. Um this year we have um 8.3 million in that bucket. Last year it was about 8.8. So again, pretty well on track with the prior year, >> very flat. Yeah. >> Uh the next slides are what we typically present for preschool um >> preschool >> and we have Miss Brooks here today. So >> luckily we have the expert. >> Any questions [laughter] can go to to Miss Brooks. But um just we'll go over these real quick and
043then if if she wants to add anything that'd be great. Um, this one shows all preschool students served by CPS, um, all funding sources. And so for April is 1,880. Um, which was pretty much the same as the prior month. Uh, and then comparing to last year. Uh, the next slide is where we calculate the tuition assistance um, for the month. So again, 604 students were assisted in some way through tuition assistance, maybe partial funding, etc., but at least some of their funding source came from the the levy dollars. Um the next slide again is showing that um the number of students being served through that. Uh and then the the the last slide I well no it's not the last slide. Next to last slide is um kind of a profit and loss statement
044for the levy dollars. Um and the middle column is the current year actual compared to last year's actual. The following slide is one that um Cody did some analysis on put together. Uh we got some information from Hector Paleno at uh CPP. He was very helpful in giving us some of that. We tried to compare this kind of came as a request [snorts] from Mr. Crosset I believe. Um just doing some comparison of the number of students that CPS serves uh the number of classrooms and sites taking the portion of the levy dollars that were utilized by CPS as well as adding in all the other funding sources like title one Head Start um the ECE grant pilot grant we had. And so what we focused on here was last fiscal year because the year
045was complete and so we had full data for the year. Um we took a stab at 26, but we kind of want to see if this is the format you'd like to see. >> Um and then it probably be more meaningful once we close the year to do to do a full assessment for 26. >> Um >> so I think that's as far as as far as I have as relating to the presentation, but if you have any questions or Anything else? >> Just if I think you did explain, but [clears throat] because of the chart and because we go to the public, uh, if you look at 16 again to be able to have that, uh, I think you have a footnote and whatever for the difference of the years. >> Yes. >> People
046benefiting from the subsidy and what have you. If you'll talk a little bit more about that. I think you started to or you did a little bit, but maybe a little bit more there. So one of the things is um the objective is always to find the funding sources that are available to students >> and we do have the super sleuth over there [laughter] >> and so those funds are utilized first and in the last last year correct me if I'm wrong um they did expand the ECE grant as a pilot program. This year they didn't provide as much funding for that but we continued the pilot. >> We continued sorry we continued. So we have in our state grant of ECE grant there are still 600 seats. 120 will continue to be full day.
047The other 480 will be half day that we will have now with some of changing of their guidelines we will be able to match with other grant funding. So, our goal that I've set with my team for the upcoming year, and thank you to these great people on this side that meet with me monthly to come up with brilliant ideas. Um, we will our goal will be to fill our Head Start and our ECE grant seats first by October, the first week of October, and then it will go to the other expansion dollars. >> That's great. And if we are going to the public anytime soon, this would be one of the narratives that will have to be explained. Not necessarily because of preschool or anything we're going to be asking for is about preschool.
048But this chart looks like we're we're not doing something unless that's explained. >> Yes. Because each each grant along with our expansion dollars has a family poverty level we have to a family has to qualify for. >> That's right. It's great. Thank you for that Jim. >> So this is Thank you for creating this chart and I appreciate [laughter] this. So what I was curious about is so the preschool promise has about half of the students number of students as CPS has they [snorts] receive twice as much of their levy money. >> And is that because we have other funding sources that drives that towards school promise? Is that the Turn your back on. >> Turn your back on. >> Is that the agree way the agreement works? >> But yes. Yes, we as you
049can see and that other sources used, you know, we and preschool the levy dollars are always last dollar in. >> Yeah. So, you know, we've done, you know, director Brooks and her team with some assistance from our side and, you know, we we've done a really good job of bringing in all sorts of extra funding sources from Head Start and Title One to the early childhood grants and state continues to fund those for us. So, we must be doing something right. I' I've never heard anything but glowing, you know, remarks from the state folks. And so, and so, yeah, we, you know, we use those dollars first. You know, Preschool Promise does not have really other significant funding sources. >> Well, it appears they have some, right? >> Uh the total sources are 14 versus
050>> I think the 14,000 was through some agreements they have with partners. I >> we didn't really delve into too much, >> but they have some I mean it's very minimal. It's [clears throat] very minimal. But >> so my question is in you know like we just [snorts] passed this levy uh last year and it's a 10-year levy. >> If if say five years from now some of these other sources that we have, say Title One changes, does that mean that if we have less money from other sources that we would be able to recoup more from the levy dollars uh allocation or not? >> Yes. because the the the way theou works um the split is recalculated every year. >> Okay. >> And and so yes, if if for example the early childhood grant
051would would be phased out or head start changed >> Yeah. >> you know, then we're going to need to give we're going to need to use more of the money which then rele >> So we so we have some built-in sustainability. >> Yes. Great. And I did request at their last board member meeting um and I've brought the topic up that we will need more support especially regarding around diagnostic teams and students that may qualify for um special ed education services because our diagnostic teams right now we set aside an amount of money and correct me if I'm wrong on this. we set aside part of this funding to support those diagnostic teams that then service um students who are in private providers and others. >> Okay. >> So, I did put out there a
052request of some of their share should come over and help us because that number is growing. >> That makes sense. That's a fairness moment. Agreed. And I do think it needs to be emphasized that as a person that was here when this was all created, there was a a belief and assumption and I can broadly remember a commitment of the effort of the private providers who were going to be receiving in order to serve their students, their kids. Uh they would be receiving these public dollars. This is a remarkable thing when public dollars are given to private group which of course is happening all over the state in many ways but we we kind of limited obviously the preschool. There was an assumption that there would be money raised from other se from other contributors
053other concerns that really has not happened uh in great numbers. And so it does look very strange. we have this many kids and they're receiving so much more money of the very limited funds that exist and it is keeping you know it's it's a it's a problem with growth too. >> Uh and we've now kind of not we are not in a position to grow anymore. We may have reached the saturation mark anyway and we knew we would and we and and and and those numbers have actually declined the number of very little people uh in in the district. um that might be able to be served. But that is a problem and we'll have to but I'm glad that as I think it was the previous treasurer and folks and superintendent that worked that
054out that the agreement would be more reflective of the number of kids served >> if I recall that's one of the changes in theou I believe >> it was worked out. >> So any other comments regarding preschool super sleuth Assistant Soup, you good? >> I'm good. [laughter] >> Okay, >> we good there. Let's keep going then. >> Let's talk about Let's talk about grants. >> Good job. >> Hit it. >> All right, I'm ready to go now. Um All right, here is our graph of where our spending is. Um overall on federal grants, we did see, as expected, a pretty good boost. um bringing in the end of March and April as schools finalized not just schools but budget managers finalized their plans for the year um entering items for summer school and things like
055that. So we did shoot quite a bit up over the 56% from last month to 63% which is also about 7% >> ahead of our target. That's of course in encumbrances. So, um, a lot going on last month. Of course, the details are always available for the individual grants by clicking on the slides. >> All right. >> Yay. >> Um, yeah, we are um >> I didn't put the applause sign on, but my my bad. I missed that queue. >> So, this you breaks it down again. Um, shout out to the non-public team and my um, person that works with them, Jill, that she's really been in constant contact along with, you know, Dr. Futch and the team to really help them identify ways to spend and get that out. And again, that only benefits
056the district, especially in terms of carryover. So, um, it we all have to work together to manage these funds properly. >> Um, we're up above our goal again at 63% and >> great, >> probably even be a little bit more next month. It's great. >> I did add the school amounts because they're always on there, but I don't know if anybody through, but we spend a huge amount of our time working with schools and principles, especially Serena, um, our compliance officer. And so, um, we definitely, um, want to shout out to them as well, all the people it takes to get to to get something processed that they've, you know, done a good job of trying to get those funds spent appropriately this year. >> Yeah. We like to spend this year's money on this
057year's kids. Absolutely. Absolutely. >> Before you go off to the next slide, let's talk about the monitoring review. Uh >> oh. Okay. >> I think that's a worthwhile. >> Yeah. So, we've had a busy month working on these numbers. Um we had our monitoring review for all of the consolidated grants, which are basically the ones that are displayed on the next slide with the state. They they actually monitored last fiscal year. They've changed their process a little bit, but it basically is a deep dive into all of those programs. You their alignment with the intent and purpose, the impact outcomes, the measurable outcomes, our financial practices, you know, they they pull invoices and and all kinds of things. And so we were we had our final like meeting with them and we were um considered
058compliant on all those aspects. So, >> applause. Now, we're [laughter] getting there. >> Come a long way. And so, obviously, we couldn't do that without the work of of my team. Billio is our expert on DSS and ECE which among other things works a lot with the schools especially on these title one grants. >> Are [clears throat] there other are there other school districts that are not compliant? I'm just curious. >> Yes. And and >> generally >> there can be different levels. So you can get kind of like suggestions for improvement. Um you can actually get a finding or you can get a technical assistance. And so um you know in my first year of of taking over and the transition before my team you know started I felt like working so hard um you
059know we did have an issue cited for our spending. So we were actually non-compliant on our spending in one of our on one of our grants. So of course that was our target the first year. So we have um you know gotten to the point where we did not have findings this year or um those kind of things. So >> I I was thinking you were going to say like, "Yeah, Cleveland's never compliant or something like that." >> I mean, we can we can see everybody's reports, but there it's it's very common. >> We'll bring them next month. >> No, no, no, no. >> It it is very common to have at least some, you know, technical or findings. And when that happens, you have to have a 30-day improvement plan. I mean, it's it's
060pretty much similar to the financial audit where steps have to be taken and and you know, at the at the worst case scenario, you could be denied funds if it's determined over multiple years that you're not managing them compliantly. So, um again, it's, you know, I feel like we've worked really hard to get to the state and hope you have be able to continue. >> Other than that, of course, just spending times with the final spins and the budget planning as everybody is right now. the next one. So, as I said, these are basically the grants that were part of that um audit except for the last two, the non-competitive. We are now finally above, you know, our target goal on all of the grants. Great. Last month, we we're still down. >> Superintendent's applauding.
061I'm sorry. [laughter] >> Celebrate what we can. Um, and then of course the last two that are in green, those are the the two, you know, schoolbased grants that don't have carryover. So, we always focus on those because, you know, any penny you don't spend goes back to the state. So, those are always important for our budget management. And I will I'll interject in fairness so that the public knows there have been years not only about being cited or something which is not that often ever but but the idea where we were not spending all the money that we we could and we had to kind of have a I think it was two years ago particularly in finance committee treasurer finally had to kind of say that and that and that was a that
062was a that was a concern. Uh but now it's it's we can go to the public and say listen we are efficient enough that what we're getting we're spending on your kids. Uh so I we really greatly appreciate it especially since it's a pretty unsupportive federal government anyway. Um we certainly want to spend all those federal dollars that we possibly can. Uh and you never know when you like we had to earlier sue them to get them. But uh I'm glad you're spending them. >> Yeah. And I mean the states really doubled down on that to the point you know just in the last two years that they have implemented guidelines that if you have swept funds you will not be you know given the additional allocations you won't share in the redistribution of funds.
063>> So there is a there is a direct impact of of not doing that a direct financial impact. >> So we're going to um try to try to keep it up and >> thank you >> keep doing the best we can. >> That's it for me. All right, >> treasure. Next. >> I think we are on to KPI updates. So, >> yes, sir. So, Rob, if you want to go to the next slide. Um, to come full circle today, we talked about the financial side of things. We're going to talk about outcomes for preschool. >> Great. >> It just so happens we got the expert here, my best friend here, Director Brooks. >> Peoples. >> Um, and thank you also, assistant superintendent Klein for coming to assist us. But if you want to go to
064the Yep. Thank you, Rob. So here what we did, we took a couple slides and um took from the kindergarten readiness assessment uh report. >> And this is big news. >> This is huge news. Huge news. >> This is big news. >> That's why I called him the big dogs. I'm talking about [laughter] >> Well, you know, I do think CPS is big dog. >> I think so. And we got a slide that's going to prove that. >> All right. >> Right. Right. [laughter] >> Oh, I'm sure they're listening off site. >> I'm sure. Um, so what we have here in this first slide is just the overall and the the language and literacy of the kindergarten readiness assessment [snorts] in 2024 and 25 the K um report is out on the district website and
065those links are there at the bottom if anybody wants to see the full report or the summary report. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the the 2026 report is yet um published. So I don't have a link to that. So we got some graphs from that as well. um in 2025 2026 that readiness um assessment changed a little bit to include a little more breakdown and we'll show on those slides of our preschool disability um and pre and preschool special education um component. So as you can see here the big the big things to know here are the demonstrating blocks and how much larger those have grown. I think almost 11% from last year. So that's that's incredible. Um and we see the literacy score going up, correct me if I'm
066wrong, almost 20% on track. Can can I >> absolutely >> green is good. >> So even dark green and um light green >> means that students are on track. So and um the 26 27 the next year data we don't take this test until next year. >> So this is the most current that innovations has provided us. And these two these two charts tell us what that we are. >> We are doing great. We're >> doing we put some numbers there for the public. >> So >> can I ask a question about >> Oh yeah. Uh yes. Remember arm >> burster. Yes. So I read a lot of these types of things for my own kids. Um but so the first one you can see the light green and the dark green are demonstrating and
067approaching which is great. This next one says on track and not on track, but it's the same coloration, >> but that's just for the standard of language and literacy. >> Okay, the coloring is confusing though because the coloring means one thing in one slide or one graph and another thing in another graph. >> That's how innovation. >> So just that's confusing. >> I will give them that feedback. Um we try to keep it consistent because they work and we have a shared agreement with also CPP and CAA or Head Start. So, but that is a very good call out and I will let them know that. Yes. >> Some different shades of green. >> That's right. Jim, >> so >> yes, [clears throat] >> this year on year over year, these are significant improvements. Why?
068Um well we were at this stage before 2020 home and 2020 hit >> and we were limited to only accepting due to regulations with co we were could only accept 1500 students um due to spacing um and so we have come back to then show regain this past year last two years, we've realigned the department and individuals roles and responsibilities with more of a focus thanks to the direction of these two young ladies of next to me. um that instead of just being pure compliance, we really got to dig deep and align and collaborate with principles in other grade levels, primarily K1, um on instruction and really start getting access to the other data at kindergarten and first grade and scaffold back to then create our own professional development for our own preschool teachers based
069on our data. that we were doing then in the trainings for them to implement in our preschool classrooms. So, we continue to grow. We're continuing to develop those PDs and how we're coaching um to really service our kids at where they're at and how we can continue to move forward. So, we did see a big jump in instruction which we were thrilled about. >> So, do is [clears throat] there any This is just the CPS kids. This is not um the K overall the first chart are all preschool. >> So if I'm correct >> and that would be our kids that were serviced either one year or two years in a CPS preschool along with any other experience. It could be from a private provider. It could be that maybe they didn't go anywhere. >>
070Right. I understand. And do is is is [clears throat] any of this these efforts going to have an impact on third grade reading outcomes in the future? >> I think we um have shared past data that suggests yes without question. Happy to dig into that for a more updated report. And by the way, we should get our um preliminary third grade results next Wednesday, I believe. >> Okay. And uh so I think India just as a piece of information I believe that um our community resource uh clicking that manages resource coordinators for some of our schools. I have some understanding that they might be able to collect they are collecting some data on kindergarten readiness from students coming not from CPS. Not sure if that's right or not, but that might be a suggestion to
071talk to them. >> There may be some data there that could be helpful. I think >> their process is so much more dar >> I think their process is so much more robust than any of the other >> resource coordinators. They've got data and that might be a model districtwide if it's data that's help >> well in their particular [snorts] in in their particular schools too, at least in a couple of them, they've been doing early literacy more so than um than we've been able to do. And they've done that through other groups, so to speak, that are serving those those schools. But yeah, that'd be I think that's great. The more information we have, the better. >> I'll reach out to >> uh we do lead the state uh in preschool, so let's just
072walk it. Keep going. >> Next slide, Mr. Ro. >> So, I think this addresses one of the points uh board member Crosset was just talking about whether it was CPS experience or all other experiences. So, this chart breaks down the first overall chart into whether they were CPS enrollment versus all other experiences, whether they attended a private preschool or did not attend preschool at all. Um, but we do segment that out and you can see that the the greens are higher um for CPS and all other. So once again, demonstrating that we are um superior and we're doing [clears throat] what we're supposed to be doing and our our teachers and our directors are doing what they're supposed to be doing and educating our kids. Any questions on that slide? >> Nope. >> And the
073big slide >> and then this one is So we got one more until the big slide. So just kind of >> big. Yeah. You want to go back? >> I want it. >> Whenever you whatever you would like. And I just wanted to kind of just point out on the slide that shows overall experiences and then we started to divide it out with disabilities and non non-disabilities. >> We did that for a reason because when children come into [snorts] kindergarten, they're coming in from multiple experiences >> and we were seeing in our data where we were struggling. So we were like okay we need to really dig deeper to see what types of trainings we can give to our mainly traditional or monosuri teachers to help them have a better understanding of differentiation and how
074to service children with those IEPs before they can continue to move up. Um we have been in discussion with some private providers to also include them into this some of this training um as part of ourou with them >> um to see if we can build that because there was a big differentiation there >> and it's not the kids it's >> what we're doing >> okay I'm sorry >> no don't apologize anytime you want to take over you. So this slide here just breaks it down the data even further of whether they attended preschool for one year versus two years um and then breaks it out whether it was like uh director Brooks talked about whether they had disability non-isability identified and just gives that data at a at a higher glance as we can
075see there the greens um the more preschool they attended the higher the greens were. All right and then the big slide that everybody was waiting on. All right. And if you want to talk about this slide here. Um, so this this talks about how we compare to the other urban aids in demonstrating kindergarten readiness. And as you can see, CPS um is the dark blue line, not the black line, but that dark blue line that does um indicate higher going into school year 2025 that we are above the rest of the urban eights um and demonstrating kindergarten readiness. So I think that deserves another round of applause if we do that. take [applause] one out of Superintendent Murphy's book there, but just just a kudos to Director Brooks and her team. Um, looking at this
076data, we get to look at things from a financial side all the most of the time and not really getting to see one good thing about my role is I do get to team up with some of the directors and look at outcomes. And this is just one of those areas that highlights and remembers your why. Why we're all here is getting the kids ready, getting the kids ready to succeed. Um, and just remembering why we all do what we do and not just getting delved into the day-to-day finances, but the overall mission of our district. >> You know, I think it's it's very big news and I and I I get worried when people try to say, "Well, we shouldn't use that cohort." Well, you have to use cohorts that make sense. Mhm. >>
077You know, you're talking about the same kind of, you know, uh, experiences kids have, the same challenges, the same diversity, the multiple languages, greater number of kids with particular learning challenges or whatever. It makes sense to have a cohort that that uh has similar uh population. But I I think we have to also thank the folks that uh the taxpayers that tax themselves more in order because they believed an early start. gives a chance, you know, to a kid to get a leg up, especially our kids. And that's why that subsidy is so important. And that's why it was so important at the beginning of this that the emphasis was on the families that would need the money >> necessarily because there was great talk about everybody gets this, everybody gets the same what it
078was. It was targeted especially and I think that that's I think that's important. That's called equity. Uh, and the community has just been great about the CRE School and it is one of the things that makes us very proud as a as a community. Jim, anything? >> What's the black line at the top? >> That's all of Ohio if I'm correct. >> And that that includes suburban and rural. >> And then it looks like Columbus is doing pretty well with us. >> Yes, >> they should [clears throat] be. Yes. >> And do they have do they have public do they have public preschool as well in Columbus? >> Most of I believe most of Columbus is under the state grant. >> So they have public funding. >> Good. >> And then the final slide to
079close this out. >> Just as we talk, >> can we go back? >> Yeah, please up a good question. >> Mention it. Um because I do know Dayton is also >> working on this >> working on they have like what we have with expansion dollars. It's taxpay dollars >> and that's new >> new for them. They actually about the same time >> same time I think they're they've done something about the organizing it the private group a little bit more >> differently but yes >> but they're mostly the public >> but they're very close to us >> I love it >> location >> and also uh have you calculated the negative impact on all these numbers that's going to happen because you're going to 6 >> [laughter] >> Boy, that Yeah, >> I haven't done
080the ROI on that yet, but I can impressed. >> I have a plan. >> Always has a plan. >> I I will promise you we will see more growth than next year. >> That's the spirit. >> No personnel discussion in here, Mr. Cross. [laughter] >> It was a mathematical number, of course. [laughter] I'm always on call. >> I have a question. Um, for >> sure. Thank you. My name is Terrarina. I'm a parent and I love to see the growth. This is amazing for our preschools. Correct. And I wanted to go pick you back on your comment. I said it's not the kids, it's us, it's the work, which is true in the teachers and educators. But as a parent that I sit here, I know parents are supporting >> their teachers, right? They're supporting
081the work. So, I want to make sure we give acknowledgement to them. But also I want to know are you able to range that um that engagement that parents or are committed to? Right? Because I've seen the results of kindergarten they do well and then first grade it starts to drop down. So how are we keeping them involved right now? What can we do to keep that momentum going? >> I'm so glad you brought that up and I apologize that I left that because [laughter] it begins with the families. It begins with the parents. Um, we do keep documentation um of our parent engagement and I can start to put that together in a more formal form. But in all of our locations, we have our monthly meetings that parents give input of what they
082want to learn about, what resources might be needed that they learn about, and our family service assistants then hold those monthly meetings. And what's been exciting over the last year or so and we've seen more growth in participation is instead of schools doing it in isolation, we've kind of gone a little we're moving towards more of the corridor model that we've grouped different schools together >> for these meetings. And it's f it's exciting to see parents from different their kids might go to different locations or schools but yet they're engaging with each other and they're supporting each other. So I will be happy to put you know how many contacts we make and things like that if that would be helpful. >> Sure. >> Um but the parents are a vital part of this. >>
083Awesome. Thank you. And I just think it's good to have that in the meetings too. Just like to have their reflection and representation here too as well. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> I I to uh [clears throat] say something budget-wise. I I am concerned about any cuts and I know there have been some proposed regarding the family uh service assistance >> and uh I'm I'm concerned about that. that if you all can be reassuring to us not now. >> Um but >> well I can reassure you to this point that my department and my leadership my little leadership team >> yes >> we have been brainstorming and getting input from our team our extended team. So we are also reorganizing in a way to make sure that those services do not lapse. >>
084Okay that everything is taken care of. We're just we're looking at how to do quality work but maybe just in a different way. >> All right. Thank you. >> Is that a good answer? Yeah. And so we will still be providing our goal is to provide as many services as possible in the schoolhouse in the buildings >> returning it to the schools. Jim, >> would it be helpful [clears throat] at this moment to have a little more uh description of what it means to be at the saturation point? Isn't that related to parents or not? >> That's demographics. >> You mean the number of kids available to enroll into this? Well, I think that doesn't the saturation report [clears throat] the saturation point is about not just the number of kids that are available, but
085also the number of families that are actually interested in sending their kids to preschool. There's a component to that, correct or not? >> Well, that is a saturation point. Yes. the number of kids and also in the most conservative county uh in you know over I don't know how many 85 years Hamilton County the number of folks that actually believe that they don't want to send their kids yet to preschool or they do it in at home in home with family it's a the saturation point there's some really old studies about it when we started and that there and and that's what was remarkable when we got up to like 2000 or something and then and that's when there were >> yeah so that would be good to find out as a matter of fact
086a lot of the census stuff we need to have better numbers >> uh as we are planning schools and what have you but that's that would be great to look at that >> I agree >> especially with this strategic plan moment we have now >> yeah the demographics I'm sure are going to be part of that and that particularly in the preschool piece might be helpful Any other preschool information, sir? >> Just one more quick slide. >> Go for it. >> Um to kind of demonstrate the component of why we they were tracking the disability and the special education >> just seeing the rising number over the last few years. Um >> and still on track to keep rising. Just wanted to bring point and bring light to that. Just call that out. >> Yes.
087Inexpensive. And please know that that date is of that number. The last number is May 8th. They are still evaluating and identifying children and they will throughout the summer. >> Thank you. >> That's it for preschool. >> I appreciate it. All right. Continue. >> Rob >> CRA do it. slides down. 7500t of commercial office space, eight res, but every every dollar helps. >> That's right. >> That will be added. We just wish that the city and everybody would invest more in housing, especially for families >> because we're also in the process of losing many of our families because of housing changes as well as policies that are not looking for families to move into the city. >> Next, Mr. Ashley talk about um the required resolution that'll be Monday as far as accepting the announced
088tax >> for the county formality but Kevin >> hit it. [clears throat] So, what the county does, the county budget commission takes our tax budget that [clears throat] we submitted in January, um, as well as all of their calculations, reassessments. They actually in their notation mentioned they use a percentage u based on collections. So, again, this is >> the 100% that they calculate and then they they estimate it based on a percentage. I actually sent this uh resolution to Rob because it's in the board docs for Monday, but I don't think it's in there for today. Um, interestingly, so all of these numbers came from the county once they approved it and then we have to s the board has to certify that back to them. So, in putting the resolution together, dropping the numbers
089compared to last year, they're almost identical really if you look at them. Uh and that's because we didn't have a reappraisal cycle. You know, there's some border revision items that would have happened, but again, using an estimate. So, >> remember this is this is this is property tax reform. These numbers are by design not to change. >> Absolutely. >> And they also add a caveat that it may not include all of the tax reform measures. So, as they learn and do their final assessments for next calendar, >> it could go down. >> It could change. The one thing I would point out on the third page, >> so this details out each levy and how much is expected for the tax year as well as the fiscal year. So that's the difference in the two
090amounts. >> But on the third page, it details our emergency levies and they obviously did update the um preschool levy, the partial preschool levy, >> um the full levy that was approved from a fiveyear to a 10-year period. Uh so in the middle there you would see that's updated but again no change to the amounts simply recognizing that it has a 10-year cycle now. Uh so again that'll be on the board uh agenda for Monday. Once it's certified we send a certified copy back to the county which I think is due the 28th. So we have to make sure we do that ahead of time. Do we know if that is uh uh part of the business or is it part of the consent agenda? >> I believe it's a separate item. >> Good. Okay.
091It really should be to for the benefit of the public. Okay. >> We have to have a separate >> that would be great. >> Thank you. >> If not, we'll make sure that it is. >> I would I would think President Craig would do that. Yeah. >> Yeah. I think it's listed as a separate item. Excellent. >> So, >> um, so I think that's all I have on that. It's kind of on our agenda today as two separate things, but it's accepting the rates, accepting the amounts, certifying them back to the county. >> It's one resolution. >> And when we get to that, treasurer, you're going to present what that all means. >> Yes. >> All right. >> Hopefully, I'll do as good a job as Mr. Ashley. >> I don't I wouldn't count on
092it. >> I mean, I mean, I guess I could make him comments at Monday. [laughter] >> I know. Is it >> no punishment? No punishment. >> Is it before or after? >> Exactly. Is it It's the end of the meeting. We're going to do this. >> Yeah. [clears throat] >> Seven hours later. >> That's why we don't put these things in the consent agenda. Right. [laughter] >> That's right. >> Okay. >> Continue. >> I think next item is a budget update. >> Yes. Tell us what's going on. >> Yes. and we'll try to do the whole agenda and maybe return to some more specifics about the budget if you don't mind, but give us kind of an overview of of where we are. >> Sure. Sure. So, um you know, it's kind of late breaking
093news, so obviously, you know, luckily superintendent's here, luckily Mr. Galahghue is here. You know, we've been been working hard on on the budget for quite some time. Uh we're happy to bring kind of a balanced proposal to to the board on Monday. As we were thinking about this, trying not to kind of duplicate presentations, but but there'll be obviously some of that. Rob, if you'll go forward, um I'm just going to keep hammering on this until you tell me not to, but part of this is to remind folks that that our budget situation was something that was done to us. Uh this was done to us by the state, and we we need to remember that at all times. And yeah, we can talk about the three driving factors which I will talk about adnauseium,
094but just remember inflation rates continue to be adjusted upward uh due to the rise in fuel cost and as long as gas and fuel cost are where they're at, you're going to expect to see the cost of everything that we purchase, which is quite extensive, continue to rise. Next slide, Rob. Um wanted to bring out the forecast summary to just remind folks for for this conversation and the next conversation. You know we are anticipating uh flat flat revenues for the next five years roughly flat. Uh we are able to forecast flat expenditures for the next five years because the board has committed um to passing budgets that that meet our revenues. Um, if that wasn't the case, this graph would look a lot uglier. Our cash balance would quickly dip below zero and and would
095be would be problematic. So, so reminder of that reminder of that thing. If you go to the next slide, Rob, couple of these slides I actually used in a presentation couple of weeks ago, but just wanted to drill into where property tax revenue really looks like. And you can see historically the benefit of reappraisal in the 20 mil floor. You know, you can you can see the ups and kind of the slight downs from board revisions. And then, you know, there's some there's some small ups for new construction. And then you see going forward how that just flattens out. And if you hit the next slide, Rob, see our state aid over the same time period actually decreases slightly. So, so the state continues to invest less and less in our students and expects our
096our local community to come up with more and more. So, all of that said, just to set the stage for for what is a t what is a difficult budget conversation. Next, also wanted to bring these graphs back. I think the these are influential from from a very high perspective of where the money goes. And so you can see you know over time you know I think I think you know central office central office percentage continues to decrease as a percentage of the budget. Um obviously school-based chunk of the budget increases and school support increases. Um school support a lot of that is our students with disabilities. Um those sort of things those sort of supports for students I think we don't that's that's a trend we all recognize. That's important to say. And then
097if you hit the next slide, Rob, you can >> Mr. Crosset >> go back. >> Yeah, that one. Does this include just the money that we spend on our own district or does it include money that we spend for transportation for the nonpubliclix? And >> yeah, transportation for nonpubliclix is built in there. >> Yeah, it's built in there. That's a whole it's a whole another conversation of the fact that we are a we are for the most part you know the [clears throat] trans we are the transportation provider for our entire district you know regardless of where of where students t choose to go to school we provide a lot of special ed services as director Brook said we provide diagnostic services that are things that we do for for everybody so so so part
098of Cincinnati public schools is being this overall school district for the entire the entire area that we cover. All right. So, Rob, one more. And just to just to point this out again, this is an interesting thing about we break down instructional spend where it goes. Uh you can see you know g general ed obviously should be the biggest part but you can see over time the increase um in spending on students with disabilities the increase on spending for English language learners and and historically an increase in career tech career tech's kind of flattened off a little bit but you can see it you can see a jump over that over that long period. So again just just to set set the stage for for where our budget lives, how it looks, what the cost
099drivers are. [clears throat] >> Just a a general comment about the the size or proportion that is represented by central office. [cough and clears throat] >> There is a a community bias about spending any money any place besides schools. And I think it's a good bias and it goes all the way back. It's part of at Hamilton County. It's part of southwestern Ohio. Uh it's a antibbias about bureaucracy. Um and uh it's very important that we recognize that where central office was uh a few superintendent ago versus where it got uh over time. um uh kind of in the last post Ronin era uh there's it's been expanding and so it makes perfect sense uh to be thinking that there would be uh reductions central office especially though if we are talking about putting things
100back to the schools uh or being a little bit more um uh kind of actual discreet about what is being spent where. So I I think that preparing ourselves for the public, it makes sense that the public will will be more inclined to believe that money is being spent and work is being done and that the schools are being held accountable because if you're going to be putting more resources there, you're going to be telling the schools they have to deliver. There's no place to hide. Uh there's nobody at central office you can say was supposed to be looking at something. This is and and I think this is this is a bit of a shift >> and I won't say a correction yet because I don't know that it's a correction but I do
101think that it's an end of the trending through at least three different superintendent not the current one but three uh since uh Miss Ronin. So this is this is hard. >> So thank you for that. >> Really good people are not going to have jobs. >> Yes. >> Thank you for that. All right, Rob. >> So So one thing I did I did want to drill into a little bit because this is important for Monday. >> Okay, >> this is our forecast summary. You can see what we're projecting um our revenue for. And and I I think you asked this very specifically, you know, you know, are does our revenue forecast match match our budget target? And the answer to that is yes. >> Um if you hit the next slide, Rob, however, um administration
102would recommend >> good >> that that we increase um the revenue target for next year. And so so recently we've been approached um by by the group that we actually lease our W we actually own some Wi-Fi spectrum. That's one of the things the district owns um kind of given out by the federal government. We've been leasing it. Um we've been offered we've been offered the opportunity to sell that to the company that leases to us. So So we recommend that the board move forward with that. Um we put in a very conservative estimate of of $2.3 million in revenue for next year. That is that is very conservative, I think. But but but [clears throat] I think but that helps us. But that if if the board is is willing to move forward with
103that, you know, that would increase our revenue target by 2.3 million >> uh which would make the new budget target $630.2 million. >> And the last budget uh there was a later change >> uh in the target. It makes sense. These targets are created rightfully so and actually by resolution. We have to live by these targets. Uh but uh we the last budget or so we made those kinds of changes and adjustments. It makes sense. It makes sense. It's we are have been operating at least for four years now on the scarcity mentality. And you cannot keep delivering a quality product operating from scarcity. And and and we have somehow been able to do it through I mean a great effort and great a number of changes and restructuring. There have been a number of
104departments that have been restructured. There's whole kinds of quality improvement stuff that's been going on and on and on and on. So this is uh it makes sense that you've added couple more million. >> Yeah. I >> this was this was >> is that when the the plus sign idea in the uh big room happened? >> I think the plus sign. Okay. So So yeah, so we wanted to bring that obviously first to finance committee. So So you would you would kind of see that first. That was a change from everything we've discussed. It's kind of a late change. So that was good. Um if you keep going, Rob, >> tell us more. Yeah. >> Yeah. That just that just does I know I know we've talked a lot about the 155 million you know
105and that's >> before Yes sir there is a 10 million to 11 million increase in billings >> that we talked about at the beginning does that help this >> we'll see how it comes in um >> you're not banking on it yet >> not banking on it yet >> it's I and the money will come in it depends on where it comes in um you know there there are a lot of there are a lot of things that are built into the revenue revenue, you know, I mean I mean we've built this year's budget on sale of property. We haven't actualized that yet. So, so >> there has to be some cushion. There has to be some >> we are just too close. >> I I am probably a little too conservative. But also I
106understand but also I also I understand the consequence of of being wrong >> and the consequence of being wrong is is what keeps me up at night. >> I appreciate it. Thank you. But yes, but the answer is yes. But >> yes, I yes, I would love I would love to have find I'd love to find additional revenues and we continue to look under the rocks where we can. Um but yes, so if we talked about if you remember we talked about this 155 million being what was left. That's now 157.7 million. >> So So you'll see that in the presentation and so I I just want to clear it up because people are going to be looking for where's the 155. Well, that's where you left us and that's where you left the public.
107So, you have to you the message, the numbers have to >> jive. Um, >> and people receive so many documents and so many very specific documents have been on board docs that adjustments to any of those documents have to be able to be explained or people are coming in thinking something's cut, something's not cut, uh, something's in the budget, something's not in the budget. So we appreciate all the specificity has been remarkable. Uh and I I know we all appreciate it but you you have to kind of keep keep the same terminology or confusion happens. >> Yes, it is. >> So now it's 1577. Yes, it is it is hard to stay it is hard to stay, you know, I think dedicated to one model, you know. I think I I think every year, you
108know, we start with one model and we we test the model out and then we're like, well, that didn't work well or or that didn't that made sense to us but didn't make sense to the public or vice versa. So, >> it it is budget is always a learning process from from both sides. Um, if we keep going, Rob, I would I would just say this this slide is important. I think we said it before. um you know you know we went down the pathways model three pathways you know none of those pathways gave us a result that that wouldn't be you know long-term detrimental to the district and so and but I will say the pathways were good because it made us consider a lot of different things and I can tell you superintendent
109can tell you we went we went through a lot of different things that we considered talked about discarded even costed out and said oh no or really or ideas that we said yeah this is great. And then we talked to more people and said, "Yeah, that's not going to fly." So, so, so there there's a lot of deliberation um on the administrative side, you know, several meetings a week a week to to get to where to get to where we're going to come end on Friday. So, so but just important and I think Miss Bolton, as you said, you know, this is successive years of budget reductions and and your options just get when you're in this kind of deficit, you know, era, it's, you know, your your options get more and more limited. You
110know, there there are levers you could pull last year or one-time things you could do that then are no longer one-time things. There are reductions you make that where things are things are at the bone in some areas. Well, uh I think on the pathway of the board discussion two or three meetings ago, three meetings ago was the idea that the pathways of uh unilaterally or just one of them doesn't get you. >> But I think the board and it looked like we were being indecisive, but I think we were actually being kind of smart. All of this that you're presenting to us, I think there are it's all three pathways are represented in some way or another. Whether it's the precoid kinds of numbers at least you kind of go back to figure out
111how where the growth has been or uh partners picking up stuff or us uh most importantly the biggest thrust has been moving uh efforts to the schools which again includes accountability. >> Um >> so I think there was a a mix if it was helpful that's great. >> Yeah. I don't think without going down the pathways, we wouldn't have had the broad range of options that we're considering. I think and [clears throat] I so it wasn't it was an important exercise and we never came to okay here's the pathway and it works. Yeah. >> You know, and and Super Denton Murphy early on was like we're going to have to have a blend. I mean, she she saw she saw that really early >> in discussions and so that was that was good. Um >>
112I think it was a member map that first said about the >> Yeah. >> U merge them. at the public at the public meeting or the full board meeting. >> So, >> yeah, that's great. >> Okay. >> All right. Keep going. Um, um, so this is interesting, Mr. if you want to this is this was this was kind of your slide if you want to jump in and >> because I I like how you I like how you phrased it. Okay. People say some of it for Monday, but uh I mean the gist essentially is as we move through that process from what we talked about at the last board meeting to this board meeting and what will be presented on Monday and what we're seeing some of today was you know kind of what
113we call a guiding principle in terms of how we were looking at priorities [snorts] and things that we were pri looking at how we were making decisions around the 155 [snorts] million and where all that looked at. So you know the short version that I like to summarize it as is, you know, prioritizing first how to get the students here, right? So in order we have to get them here, provide them an education and teaching and teachers, moving through core curriculum, adding on those supports that incentivize them and make them have maximizing student outcomes and then through efficiency and streamlining our operations. So that built our priority that we used to guide as a principle how we were working through the rest of these. >> See I like how he say it. So >> I
114think that's very strong. >> Get them there. Give them a teacher. Give them curriculum. Give them supports and then >> and so from that 157 minus how much transportation's costing? Transportation was only what about another fourth. It was there. Yeah. The big contract was metro. I mean a lot of lot of transportation we put in the legal requirements [snorts] and because it's legally required you transport K to8 students. Um but you the metro contract >> and and so that needs to be said particularly that the transportation piece we already accounted for yellow bus in what we already voted on >> and the and and I guess there's there's other stuff too for example you know some of the extraneous sorts of travel but >> yeah but yeah definitely the definitely the metro >> you have
115metro you might have also special need stuff I'm not sure if all that yellow bus stuff was and that's hideously expensive. >> Special needs is very expensive, but it's also legally required. >> Well, yes, yes, yes, yes. But I'm just saying that there have been years when it was costing as much to transport our special needs kids as it was the rest of the population in elementary. >> Yeah. >> It's because it's >> it is what it is >> and has been. So, as long as that's all part of what we already voted on, that would be great. >> Yeah, we can we can do kind of a quick deep dive. >> Just make sure that all of it >> all together. >> Yeah, I've done a lot of deep dives on these spreadsheets. >>
116Oh, okay. >> And my understanding is that it is just the metro and then athletics transportation that has not previously been approved. >> So, those are the two outstanding that we would then have in to approve on Monday. Great. Everything else is accounted poor >> on my deep dive. >> Thank you. >> I would look at field trips. >> So that's actually a great conversation. >> that is a great conversation to have. I think >> I would look at your field trips because we already are inadequate in that >> uh for our kids and uh but athletics um certainly the artistic children get the same coverage as our athletes should and do >> or academic competition or the children going to uh right now the some of our high school class uh grades are paid
117for privately to go to the Holocaust and Humanities Center, not paid for by us. So I I would I [snorts] would ask you to look in transportation that all aspects >> that are still left out there >> unless you have decided to not have field trips for preschool, which I saw as a cut. >> That is out of the general fund. We still will have funding through grants to support some. >> Excellent point because there are also cuts that also say will be picked up by grants. >> Yes. >> And that shows a lot and this is my bias that the person was here forever. Don't I do not like to see any cuts in the arts because people were viewing it as in uh some sort of enrichment instead of a full educational uh
118compliment which so just if we can really be sure I don't know that there's going to be a vote on Monday I I I think there's some concern that uh we should have a vote and if you presenting this big plan to us maybe we as as president uh Craig has mentioned maybe something from the res the floor could come but uh we also are going to be missing at least one member uh uh on Monday night who would almost be a guaranteed vote for an administrative recommendation. So I think that's that's something to take into consideration. But the presentation of this plan for the public and everybody, but know then that we'd have to wait till the first meeting in June to vote. So tell keep telling us about this plan. I appreciate you
119bring Oh, Jim, go ahead. >> Superintendent had something she want to say as well. >> I just wanted to see if I can get a little clarification because I am also supportive of the arts and athletics, all the extracurricular [clears throat] activities have a benefit to the whole educational outcome. >> Yeah. >> Um positive educational outcomes. >> Are those things uh Mr. Galaghue included in supports in this priorities? Yes, for the most part they will be yes, they will be included in that supports tier. Got it. >> Okay, thank you. >> The only thing I'm going to mention um board member armbrewster already did and that was around um where we already accounted for transportation and conversation we had around metro extracurriculars in particular is what I was going to hit upon, but she took
120care of that. The other thing that we'll have to do a better job of explaining on Monday is some of the things that you might see in categories that we're choosing not to fund are um requests that came from departments for the first time. So not really technically a cut um based on how we traditionally think about cuts. So we'll have to be very careful about how we explain that. uh diving deeply into this at least this most recent uh documents are the documents about contracts. >> Mhm. >> And there are contracts that are not being recommended that I think are and could be problematic as to getting full board support. And so we might be wanting to review that uh as well since it's new. I mean, and since it's being published now, people
121are aware that it's going to be happening. So that might be part of the crowd. There might be some wisdom to voting on the same night that it's presented because if you wait, uh, it begins to be problematic. And I'm sure that's part of the thinking. But also, if we're presenting on the same night we're voting, that will also be problematic to the community because they'll say, "Oh, wow. Look, after all this talk, you started in January and now we're going to see what the presentation is." Even though we've done how what's the percent of the budget we've already adopted? 80%. >> 80. Yeah. [laughter] >> But this it's that we knew it was the last 20 that was going to be going to be the issue. But there's this is a this is a
122communication issue and this is a political issue uh and about maintaining trust too. So I know you guys have to kind of figure that out. I know President Craig and Vice President Moffett will be helping you with that. But >> yeah, but I I mean I think that's a good point. A lot of the budget has been approved, but I think that strategically that was good because >> Yes, absolutely. focus the debate on this last 20% but that's you know that that's where the debate I think needs to be. I did want to say a little bit about contracts. I think I think contracts has been the hardest part of this budget process um just because because of because of how our contracting works in the district, right? And so and and so you know
123obviously everyone wants to look at list of contracts. We're happy to provide it. It's a lot of work because you're working in two separate years. So, so, so, and I this is one of the things we talked about changing how we do budget requests next year to make the data a little easier, but but you know, the basic requests are, you know, say I need $100,000 to do X, right? And that's I need 100. So, we'll use field trips. I want $100,000 for field trips. Okay, that's what the budget request line looks like. Now, in any given year, that could be contracts with 20 different vendors, right? Depending on who you're going to use, where you're going to go, what you're going to do. And so, you know, a lot of our contracts work, and
124thank you, Cody Hutchkins, for for doing a lot of this. Um, co Cody Cody kind of spearheaded it and then he, you know, worked the whole leadership team to try to get their pieces because everyone kind of man everyone manages their own chunk of the budget. Uh but looking at this year's contract and then trying to extrapolate into what's next year's and that's and that's always difficult cuz you know some sometimes there's a plan change of vendor right you know we use this vendor this year they weren't great we want to do someone different it's hard it's hard to capture that in hypothetical the other issue that I think is really struggling with are school-based contracts versus district-wide contracts it's it's easy for us to look at district-wide contracts and say hey you know are
125we doing this or not um but we also have to also have to remember that the schools have a lot of leeway at their level you know you know they're given budgets they're given you know a per pupil allocation to allocate you know they're given also title we're not really talking about title today but we're also given title funds to allocate >> and the schools have a process working the ILT and going through the LSDMC of how they're going to spend those funds and and we are while we maintain compliance we make sure they're compliant we are more handsoff on what how they actually choose because you know we preserve that local school decision- making [clears throat] and so when sometimes when it's hard to roll all that back up is what I'm saying you
126know be and I know there are certain vendors that get more scrutiny than others but sometimes it's hard to roll that back up I know you know you know sometimes our union partners you know have a lot of have a lot of you know they have opinions on it you know central has opinions on but also the schools have opinion on so trying to get that right mix of what contracts are really in or out is tough to do Uh and and it's really as we talk about the budget, you know, I don't know theoretically to talk, but there's two sides to the budget, right? There's there's where we where is the district going to spend its money. You know, what is the board going to prove us to spend in what dollars amount in
127what areas, right? That's kind of a B is how do you operationalize that? And I think that operationalizing it comes into, you know, is this a is this a position? Is this a contractor? Is this insourced? Is this outsourced? Is this done, you know, as one giant contract? Is this done for a bunch of little contracts to little vendors? Like there's a lot of pieces to operationalize the dollars. And and part of this contract discussion is we're doing both of those things at the same time. >> Well, and four years ago, we talked about the fact that it's a problem that we should be the size of these if you bring them together should be RFPd. And some of these contracts are purposely lower than they should be in or are low so we don't
128have to RFP or in the decentralization sending stuff back to schools then they you want them to have discretion but it's a it's a problem and I and I would just suggest that you look at the u I know there's some not determined yet >> and there's some that are recommended and some that are not recommended but I think a fine tooth comb again I'm I'm sure you already have done that, >> but I I would hate to see such a big effort go down the tubes because there's some um um relatively small decision, but uh you know, sirens go off. >> Yeah. >> Okay, keep going. I'm sorry. >> Fair fair enough. Fair warning. Just I'm telling you there's a couple there that was there's more than a couple. >> Sounds like you could
129use some AI. >> That's your new theme, isn't it? [laughter] >> That's that's that's two two meetings in a row you brought. >> But I but I but I am serious. I mean, it seems like that that there could be some component of trying to project uh doing a projection of that that could maybe be enhanced by some modeling. Maybe you're doing that already, but >> if AI can sit there and figure out the crowd coming in the room, >> that would be great. If >> we can run all the hearing of the public through AI and know exactly what to [laughter] talk about and we'll >> I'm going to tell you, >> we'll get there. So, >> I wasn't I sounded silly, but I was I wasn't making so much sense. >> I mean,
130no, of course. >> Yeah. [clears throat] In all seriousness, yeah, there there is some there is some analysis to it for sure. We could we could do it better. I know. I know. Just thinking about, you know, the just thinking about the cow meeting too and some of the things that >> that purchasing [clears throat] director Levens talked about with with trying to, you know, really honor our local minority vendor commitments, you know, and and those board policy. Yes, that's a board policy that and also get the best bang for our buck. >> I'd be looking at that for sure because it's board policy >> and it doesn't change because it's a different board >> unless we want to change it >> and then that's and that's a different committee >> and that's a different
131committee this >> and they do they're changing a lot so you never know. >> Let's keep going. Um on the budget I don't know. Superintendent, do you want to anything you want to say on the budget pieces? >> You're good. All right. Um, keep going. So, next slide. There are some items that >> there's some items that we that administration looked at um, you know, and did not did not they're not part of the recommendations um, for reductions this year. So you can see that list >> and I think this should be emphasized for the public >> uh as to that you know that it not that we would choose them or anything like that but they need to know uh the things that you've decided against and might have to help figure out why
132or what have you. And and I I think we would say that, you know, we we looked at pretty much every spend, you know, every line item we were going through kind of line by line looking at things and, you know, we had at one point we had that, you know, there's no bad ideas, so put everything out there, but then, you know, through a process of of analysis and discussion, >> some of our conversation was, you know, what do you see the suburbans eliminate first or what do they share when their uh levies are in danger? They talk about transportation, athletics, extracurriculars and we chose not to do that. >> No. And because it has been a philosophy all these years not to threaten but to explain but um and and and over time
133u things that appear to be extraneous have become part of the core >> uh value of what we're offering. So, it's it's just really hard. But I I think the job that you all have done is remarkable. Um it's very difficult. >> I would I would say though when you say eliminate band, well, there are cuts to bands. You didn't eliminate band, but you might want to look at the really some of the specific things, whether it's itinerant uh music teachers or guests artists or whatever. There are some specifics there where the broad stroke you didn't do that but uh you've had to pick and choose but picking and choosing whether we are going to have uh uh Suzuki or not have Suzuki or it's going to be during school after school or uh only
134for those who pay or is it only going to be in particular schools. We've we've paid for this territory. My dad would always tell me World War II guy, you don't pay for territory twice. >> So that's the other part of of cutting anything. If you've already won that battle, whether it's field trips or whatever it is, it's hard to say no. >> No, >> but you guys are you you get the money to do this. But I'm just saying look very carefully. >> I agree. >> Even more so than you already have. >> Okay. I agree. I mean, this this is part of why this committee is great to get to do kind of a preview and and get feedback and then it helps us kind of sharpen >> Monday's presentation. >> Do you
135have a question? Excuse me. Do you have a question? >> Yes. I'm sorry. >> That's all right. I mean, >> that's okay. >> We're voting. >> That's all right. >> Um, so first, this is definitely overwhelming to see as a parent, right? Um, and I know you stated like more in depth when it comes to the meeting on Monday, and we're definitely going to appreciate that. And when you go into depth like to explain why these cuts were made, are you going to be able to also present maybe some alternatives? And for an example, you said proposal on increase in class size >> or we going to have another student, maybe a par in that class. Like how is this going to be like, >> oh, these are things are not Oh, okay. Thank you.
136I'm so sorry. >> That's all right. >> I was losing it over here. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So >> that slide could that slide can be improved. >> So maybe we [laughter] >> All right. So So maybe we changed the title on this slide. >> Yes. Please. >> Well, you know, really when we think about it, remember that we had we had vocabulary. You're okay. We had vocabulary problem about high priority. That was probably an incorrect. So maybe some of the numbers people need to talk to some of the language people. [laughter] I mean, I don't want to see any more bridges or anything, Jeremy, but going way back. >> Oh my gosh. >> But yeah, let's let's make sure we're using the right vocabulary. >> Yes. >> No, you're
137No, no, no. That >> Yes, >> I know. I started to twitch, too. Don't worry about it. >> Yeah. And and just I mean it's a great comment to talk about class size. We looked I mean we looked elementary all the way up to 35. >> Yeah. Well that would be really remarkably stupid to do that >> which is and you don't you don't really see savings until we hit what 2829 and and it's like that's you you know it was it was a math it was an exercise to see where the savings come in and 28.29 was it was something we no one felt comfortable. Yeah, if it was if there were savings at 26, okay, maybe that's further discussion, but >> I think we budget already too much to the highest extreme or
138range of the CFT contract >> as and we've done that for year after year after year >> and it's it it is a flawed system. I'm I'm mad at CTF for ever giving that kind of range or the district ever engaging in that kind of contract negotiations about class size at all because it isn't something that should be done districtwide. It does not make any sense. >> But I know that it's an easiest way to negotiate and to budget, but to me that whole class-siz piece is is very rough. And you can it just we could do so much better. I think. But I'm glad you didn't do what you and you never were going to do that any more than you were ever going to say we're not going to have buses. >> Come
139on. >> That's just not going to happen. I don't know one >> because look what not having buses us having to put our seventh and eighth graders on metro versus other people not having to put their and actually making a state law that kept the other kids from having to ride metro if they were seventh and eighth. It was specifically done to draw down our enrollment. I mean that would have been a tough pill to swallow any >> well that and that's part of our problem in our enrollment in our middle schools because the other people leaving the elementary they have a transportation to get to some charter school and they don't have that is a yellow bus or it's a van that was specifically done >> don't hurt the internal auditor. >> Okay, >>
140we needed her but keep going. Go ahead. Yeah. Yeah. I think again these are all things that are done to us. >> Exactly. >> You know, and so and we have to adjust. Um if you go to the next slide, Rob, this is the big grid um of what's [sighs and gasps] what's recommended, what's not recommended. >> Um and then >> yeah, this needs to I have trouble. It's nobody no other board member has trouble with these. The next two charts I do the budget breakdown update administration's recommendation for a balanced budget. I I it's confusing to me and then the recommended for funding versus not recommended. Obviously you're going to be spending the most time on I would assume those two. I assume slide 15 will be where everyone everyone everyone stops and wants
141to make wants to have discussion on. So >> yes and and >> yeah I think I think slide slide 14 um Jeremy by all means jump in jump in this is your grid >> hit the grid. So yeah, I mean from a from a readability aspect, we tried to simplify this slightly. So essentially there's there's four sections to the chart, right? >> Okay. >> The first section in gray is basically where we started. It's just our target, the amounts of the original ask and it captures what our new target is based on what Mike presented earlier, the 630.2 million and then what our ask was over. So that's the just where we started first stage. The next These sections are the more prominent parts that the green specifically are the things the board has already
142approved. That's the legal requirements and the compliance positions at the schools both central and the school base >> and that's when we said no to the 70. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> The recommended for funding the blue section is what you'll see to on Monday that comprises 1550 million that we have left to spend. So that will be all the recommendations for how we believe we should spend the $150. >> Great. >> And then finally the section of the not recommended those are the things that were not able to be included in the recommended list from the original acts. So or trying to avoid a colloial term but reductions or cuts >> and there is going to be or whatever a list that takes care of this 58 million >> there is so that would
143be on our next slide. This is a very small capture of those charts for the slide and presentation version, but the book that's linked to it provides the the blow up the full blown up version. Yes, the each section essentially now have one tab in the spreadsheet that provides the first tab with the green that matches the legal requirements. >> Oh, it is. [snorts] But I'm sitting way back. Sorry. The second sheet will match the blue column that provides an detailed list of everything that's included in the recommendation for the 157. And then the third column or the third list comprises a item by item of everything that is in the notrecommended list to match the PE section of that 58 million. >> And that that's great and that that will be the list that
144you know will be of of great concern. But um that list on the not recommended that will be uh is posted on or available. >> It is currently the slides are currently posted. The budget book is currently shared with the board members. It is not >> okay. >> Publicly available yet. We're still completing some of the >> Well, absolutely. And that that's no no problem there. the and the budget book is different than the budget books that were shared at the last schoolboard meeting. So these are new budget booklets. >> This is Yes. This would represent just a singular comprehensive book now. >> Okay. And it has the recommended and it has the not recommended. >> Correct. >> According to this chart, >> correct? balance back to the >> I think that that's really important
145because you're using the same kind of document. You're using the same kind of language, the same kind of well with some corrected vocabulary of some of the charts. [laughter] Uh but I think that's important to see something that takes this long. It's important to have the same u the same language. Okay. Go ahead, >> Jim. the 20 million that's in yellow. >> What what is that again? >> Uh so this one will take a little more explanation once we get to it. But the so these are the additional items outside of what we have as recommendations and not recommended that are itemized. There is a separate list of things that don't fit neatly into a reduction bucket. Like most things we could say ITM is going to eliminate a specific contract. That's a line reduction.
146The yellow items will be comprised of things that are more multilateral, multi-tered across different things if they're not clean one line. >> But but they're also they're but they're not recommended. Correct. >> They are recommendations. >> Wait. >> Sorry. Term recommendation maybe getting >> Are they blue? They're administration recommendations, but they're not recommended for funding. I think >> not recom they're not recommended for So they'll be in the orange detail. They're not recommended. >> Got it. Okay. >> Thank you. >> It it applies to both column for balancing purposes. >> And it's part of your total 58. >> Correct. Correct. >> It's part of the total 58. >> Thanks for asking that. I can fix. Well, >> already posted, but we can revive. >> You kind of been ready to vote on this budget for
147several weeks [laughter] >> because you are a can do man. I tell you, I love it. >> It might just be cleaner not to have it in that >> in the field. Yeah. >> Or maybe on a file card next to something or at our place. >> I think we're always subject to overthinking. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. >> It does. >> This is a It's a tough crowd. It's seven people. [laughter] >> It's never easy. >> Rightfully so. >> All right, Rob, if you'll keep going. Um, >> and here's the big >> We're get we're getting close to the noon hours. >> Yes, we're going to get done. >> But, um, so this is what Jeremy was just talking about, the budget book. If you go one more uh this is go
148one more please Rob. Next slide. I think this will be really this will be really useful. This is a schoolbased position table. Um and obviously there's a link to that but but based on everything this gives a lot of detail um on what's >> and we've seen this before in its entirety. This was shared with the board I think specifically. Yes. Um it's obvious I I think there's some updates from the last talk last time last conversation but but gives you an idea of what each school has. So so I think as as you know we're going to talk about reductions for for several hours probably uh to come back to this to show what resources each school has under the proposed budget. >> Yes ma'am. >> Sure. Is there um Thank you. Is there
149a link available? I know you said board docs, but for parents to be able to see this, parents, families, community me, whoever may want to see this before the meeting, this this position table right here, the schoolbased position table, >> typically the add these data addendum parts that have the full breakdown of everything are post they become live at the meeting or before the meeting on Monday. >> So, right before. Okay. All right then. And it's on board doc. So it wouldn't be anywhere else that they can we can re um look for the information. I don't know why I got stuck like that. >> Correct. Okay. >> I would I would say that that's part of that earlier conversation or comment that we kind of made. Um the administration first of all this this
150this budget process has been accelerated. It is it is almost a month and a half faster than it supposed to be uh because of our strategic plan and because of a a looming levy dis discussion. We're not talking about trying to pass it June 30th. We're trying to pass it May, you know, May 30th, let's say, or thereabouts. Normally much of this the public normally if it's not budget stuff or it's not a work in progress when something goes on board docs for the board it is also available to the public >> and that's part of the issue here right now >> because this is available or will be available to the board But it's it it it it will cause an issue for the community that if all this very specific stuff is shared
151uh moments before the meeting >> and and then we vote. I mean more and more it's looking less and less like we can vote on on Monday. Not because we may not be ready or that and wonderfully the administration's got something to propose. We also want to be able to have the community feel as though they had pretty much knowledge. And I think the amount of knowledge that's already been out there is phenomenal. >> Yeah, I agree. >> But let me finish. I think that we we this group, the administration and and the board leadership has to figure out how they want to approach this uh regarding a vote and how much is shared when it's shared. Uh we are getting this preliminary opportunity here. And so, um, the all of this, we'd have to
152do all of our business in public, >> but the public also has a right to be informed early enough that they have the right to advocate, even though that uh certainly makes more difficult what people have to do or not do. So, um, this recommended for funding versus not recommended, uh, and all these other the school position table that you just mentioned, >> all of that is is available on board docs, but whether or not all of it is available at this time for the public, that's the issue. And is it going to be ready in on Friday afternoon, close of business or the weekend or Monday during uh the the board uh day or board meeting? Then you all have to decide that and the president will have to help you decide what you
153want to do about that. >> Yeah, thank you for explaining that. Um board member Bolton, I just wanted to make sure that it's out there, right? Transparency is everything and I know a lot of parents can't even navigate board docs let alone. So I just want to make sure that we're really making sure that it's out there and I know that you are and I'm not saying not. I'm just saying speaking from that point of lens. >> Well, and you don't have to even be from the parent perspective. We're elected officials and that should be our same perspective. >> Thank you. >> We because that's who we're representing. [snorts] >> Uh be they parents or they don't have kids or they taxpayers versus whoever. So, no, you're you're not voicing a parentonly view. You're you're
154you're voicing uh where we are because this work has to be done publicly. >> Thank you for that. >> Continue. >> Yeah. Um I think that's kind of the wrap up of the budget um section. Can we look also before we kind of close out this issue and I know we've we've done this before a million times but the um student enrollment and capacity there was 66ome schools on that on that chart that's already been shared and by the way that chart that does have all the positions for the schools what what will be there what won't be there and then it also Alo has a couple of columns about the enrollment and the and the building uh capacity. That's a gem. That's that is fantastic. That is great. I love that. Uh it's it
155was like I think the as I said some years ago the cost of transportation uh by school was the Rosetta Stone about six five years ago that made us start making all kinds of different changes. This is a Rosetta Stone that helps us uh a great deal. But there's 66 schools. There are a number of schools that are less than 75% capacity. There are a number of schools that are less than 55%. >> And and I think that uh I would hope that we will be talking about that especially um is some of the things you decided not to do. You have to start I think is that President Craig mentioned if we we have some issues of capacity we have to begin to tell people early on that that's a problem. you decided maybe
156not to address it yet by merging these lower enrolled schools, but it needs to come to the public as something to be thinking about because you you're going to have great difficulty having a levy. And if you can if somebody that doesn't want to support the levy, you'll say, "Well, yeah, but you've got six schools that are less than 50% uh uh utilized or some of them it's worse than that." So this is a this is kind of another kind of political piece as well. And are have we really done the hard stuff? Well, of course we have, but this is the stuff we have to be ready to say. Jim, >> yeah, I I uh to that point, I think if it's possible on this chart to add some footnotes, for example, like Woodward
157has a lot of career tech space. I think uh Vine Street has a lot of disability classrooms. Those are good explanations as to why the capacity isn't what it is because it's used for a good purpose but in a a legally required purpose but it affects the capacity and I think the more we can head off some of those schools with explanations proactively would be helpful. >> Yeah, I I agree. I think as we've had capacity discussions, there's like the state capacity which is which is you know your occupancy or FMP capacity and and then there's the real capacity which is which is different I think. Absolutely. Career tech career tech takes a lot more space a lot of times you know than traditional classrooms. Um you know students in disability classrooms have a lot
158less kids and so you know it's eight kids versus 25 in a room. >> Sure. and and and so yeah, I think one of the things that you know, we certainly have to talk about CPS capacity and how we define it. I think, you know, one of the advices I've gotten from from some of the people that that I work with is is that we should be very we should very explicitly define what CPS capacity means. Um and and and get ahead of get ahead of I think that what the state eventually the state's going to come around to landing back on the sale or transfer property thing. I mean, they they've they've been on that for years. Um, it never quite gets enough support, but it's just a matter of time and and so
159getting in front of that narrative, I I think for Miss Bolton's purpose as well, if people are say, "Hey, why do you have a school with, >> you know, 40% capacity?" You know, have you have you done these things? And the the state trend obviously, you know, we don't live in a vacuum. If you if you do any search, you see that, you know, CLE Cleveland this year >> shutting down a third of their schools. Columbus did something similar. You know, a couple Columbus is struggling. They proposed a lot, but they're they're not actual they're not actualizing a lot of their reductions is what I'm hearing. But >> yeah, and and the and the thing to to be aware there is that dating back to the FMP um not quite 20 years ago, but definitely
16016 years ago, the state said that we would only have 28,000 kids and that they told us exactly how many schools we had to have and we actually had to have more and we had to foot that bill ourselves. So, the state is always going to screw it up. They're going to screw the pooch is it's a given. Um but yeah it's we but we have to we have to be able visually uh and intellectually show that we have behaved in a fiscally responsible way. I mean all the all the uh awards mean as much as if somebody's looking at something and they see maybe one school has a bad graduation rate or another school only has 35% occupancy. I mean as it's because out there in the political whatever it only takes one as
161we've learned uh time and time again recently, say one bad fact >> that then creates the narrative. So, you got to get rid of bad facts. >> I was on an Ohio 8 call this morning and we were talking about this very thing and >> um the uh legislators were talking about this a couple years ago and we made moves that we felt we needed to make the board supported. uh but they are concerned that this is creeping back into some of the bills. >> And so we had conversations about who's doing what as well today. >> Um and so one is still not knowing how the state is defining uh what capacity needs or should look like. So that's a little bit challenging. Um but it actually came up in the principal's meeting yesterday,
162the specific question, are we going to close any buildings? And I did tell them that the proposal right now does not include that right now. So we'll begin to um start to work on that a little bit. And the other thing I wanted to say uh board member Bolton, I appreciate the kudos about the document. Um and I am grateful for the entire team in this budget process with Mike and I because all of the ideas that we've had to generate and and work through. Jeremy is the brains behind the documents and uh is able to navigate the documents and so I deeply appreciate that because then he comes back the next day superintendent look at this and I'm like oh my god that's exactly what we talked about so I'm super appreciative of the
163entire team but in this case these documents you are giving some kudos to that's Jeremy's brain on the paper >> it's great it's great the clarity is very important. Any last we've run a little bit o over. Could we I I mean I don't know how I don't know how long we want to go over but um one of the items on the agenda talked about administrative um suggestions for meeting the district's future financial needs. If I could if I if I could have maybe 10 minutes to go through that chunk of the >> I I appreciate it. And I know that you have previously shared with us the possible kinds of dollars that will be needed and how that translates into various levy type requests. >> I know you've done that. So, this will
164be a kind of a second round or a third round. Please do. >> Yes, I'll try to go quick. Rob, start on slide start on slide 47 if you don't mind. Other slide deck. Sorry. I know we we did two. >> Anybody else wants this saltwater taffy? I've had like three of them. [laughter] >> Uh, actually I got that I can't say the name because Michelle is here, but I got them at Sam's. >> Well, I'm I got it because it's the same brand I usually get when I would go to Florida. So, I I think I have 7,000 pieces of it. [laughter] >> Yeah. No more sugar. No more sugar. >> Right. We're going to we're going to we're going to limit her sugar intake. >> Mhm. Uh Rob announced it. >> But yeah,
165>> okay. >> Please do. Let's do this and then >> we'll go there for sure, Michelle. >> Okay. So, so as bad as as bad as the budget has been this year, I think we also have to recognize it's not getting better. And so looking at looking at 28 and 29 just just to be completely honest, you know, look at our change in revenues versus known expense increases. And the and these are the minimum known expense increases. You know, we're going to have to make an additional $6.3 million reductions in 28 and on top of that an additional $7.9 million reductions in 29. And that is without doing one new thing. Right? So this is there's this is not doing one new thing and so and so we need to be cognizant that as painful
166as this year is um we we we are in a pattern of this. Um if you go to the next slide Rob >> I don't know. >> Go ahead. >> Back over. [clears throat] >> So is the 6.3 million is that what you're considering to be% inflation? It's step increases plus 3% inflation on our purchase services. I should say that >> 3% inflation could be another 10 million. >> No, the 3.3 [clears throat] million is 3% on what we would consider purchase services and supplies. So when so when you break the budget down I grabbed >> so you're looking at a total of 10 million >> looking at yeah ba basically nine $9.3 million in new we think are get $3 million in new revenue. But but that means the net is we have to
167we have to cut 6.3. >> I bet the 10 million is even million. >> Again, this is this is best case scenario. >> Best case scenario. Okay. >> And this and this is not doing one new thing for the strategic plan >> before gas prices. >> Your best case scenario. >> Yeah. This is not doing one new thing. This is not >> just that warrant. >> I I I mean this assumes we don't start any other wars. Well, >> you never know. But yeah. >> Okay. Thanks. So, yeah. And and and these and these are these are these are a lot of tough call. If if as tough as this year's reductions are, you know, this cuts even deeper in into what we're already struggling to fund. So, that's I want to put that out
168there. I also wanted to if you go to the next slide Rob um Moody's Investment Services put out put out kind of a public sector a sector comment which they do from time to time about Ohio schools and said there's a lot more risk in getting levies approved um they recognize that property taxes will machine revenue growth and they really spent some time and I I in your packets you have the comment there you really spent some time talking about governance and how important how important really the board's role any administration really the board's role in governance is in in keep in you know how schools are going to stay solvent over the next few years. So if Moody's paying attention to the school funding picture, you know, that, you know, that means there's concerns,
169you know, and I think >> again, as we talk about, you know, when we get to when we get when we pay off the FMP, >> you know, the the concept is we're going to want to borrow new money, you know, we want to do that the most favorable rates possible with the highest rating possible. And so these next couple years are also critical to having a strong borrowing position um for for the next round of whatever whatever we choose to do. So um next slide, Rob. So thank you, Mr. Crosser, for making me do this. Um, I I love this slide, but this looks at if we >> if we go back to 2022 and and we and we took our expenditures and we >> and we compared them to the same amount growing
170at inflation. >> You know, you you see we're pretty even until we get to 27 and then we get a gap and that gap continues to grow. And what we're saying what we're swaying to everyone is our revenues aren't even keeping pace of inflation. you know, you know, and that that gap compounds and so and so it's just a cut cut mentality. Um, also next slide. Wanted to do a recap what happened. >> I'm I'm sorry I made you do that. >> No, I >> Nobody wants to look at that. >> No, sorry, but I I've gotten a lot of traction out of that graph to be honest. Absolutely. It's it it's powerful to watch to say, you know, >> you know, a lot of people talk about school funding, state legis school funding, and
171this net thing. We've given you more dollars than ever before, right? They'll say that a hundred times. >> We put more money in K12, but if you're not keeping up with educa inflation, you're not real dollars, you're not. And that's a thing to talk about. or if we lose 20ome million dollars because they don't do fair funding formula and finish it out which was according to the steering committee we lost $27 million >> because they didn't continue fair funding. >> Sounds about right. I they fair funding formula is no longer fair. >> That's right. Hardly exists. It >> it's really I guess you could say it's also no longer funding as it go but you know it's 150 150 plus million a year. So, um, so May ballot was not was not kind to school
172districts. Um, you know, about about a third passed. Going back a year, about twothirds passed. So, not not a great not a great climate. Um I will say there are more new money levies um on than traditional but you can see you know you know only a third of new property tax levies passed and only 21% of new income tax levies passed. So >> would it be interesting to have a chart to [snorts] show that if we had school funding that we wouldn't need that >> Oh yeah. >> Yes. I think that's a good chart. >> Well or showing how if [clears throat] >> I keep giving you >> No, that's a good chart. >> No, it's we have to be accused of making more work. No, no. We have to we have to show
173to Mike start from the whole presentation is that other people are causing us this and they're doing it purposely. >> They're not just doing it because they want they have an interesting idea. This is a this is a to kill public schools. >> So So it was this was not a good election. Um sometimes primaries aren't good elections anyway depending on who's on the primary. but was was not a good election for schools. Um, just as a reminder on the next slide, you know, the opportunity to get money the fact November November 26th is our opportunity to get money that would impact fiscal year 28. Uh, even made waiting until May of 27 then pushes you into fiscal year 29, which is which means another year of very very tough budgets. Keep going, Rob. I
174will bring these back. These were our sizing scenarios. If you remember, we did these mathematically. So, you know, you can see the next slides how much money they look to generate. So, so as a as a concept for discussion, um I've updated the last future levies um slide. Again, this is this is not an official recommendate. Go one more Rob. It's not an official recommendation from administration. Um but but kind of taking a bunch of conversations um and just been talking >> try you you know trying to get something a little more definite. Um you know I think I think think current expense levies your your fixed rate levy is probably based based on election results in May that might be your best bet at this point. Uh income taxes did not do well. Um,
175I think we've talked about and multiple board members have comment about having a defined term for this levy. Um, you know, and I think this this get to get to the next thing a fiveyear length would would cover the strategic plan. >> So, that would be good. Um, would give us an opportunity to come back after the strategic plan was executed, you know, with the results from that, you know, and talk about >> it gets us to get gets us there. Um, and as far as amounts, I just I took two of the numbers. Um, I I discarded the bottom scenario four because it doesn't keep up with inflation. >> So, so this 6.1 mills is kind of right around your inflation numbers and then the 8.53 mills is is a little bit higher, but
176but wanted to just put those things on the slide and get some reaction. >> I suspect I mean I don't know, but I think we should prepare something coming out of this strategic plan. something that's new and that would make the 8.5 sense. I mean, if we really had some big new strategic initiatives that come out of >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Absolutely. I mean, it's you if you don't have a levy, you're not going to fund a strategic plan. So, I don't know why we're having one. I mean, this is a this is a a questionable activity, very frankly, unless the people that want it so badly uh agree to have a levy because we don't have enough money to fund what we're doing right now or what we plan on doing. So it
177would seem to me that the strategic plan would be one of the reasons that we have to do it for sure as well as the fact that the um we you know have a future regardless of what the strategic plan is. I mean the children are coming [laughter] have a school district and we might be the last man standing among the urbans if this keeps up. So I think yeah the the eight uh and the six uh that looks good. I you had it figured out about some capital issues as well in there. Uh that we can use some of this for capital purposes that are crucial or serious like you know Achen sliding down the hill is an issue. Uh but um >> we we we don't want to lose our ac farm to
178drop off and >> we don't want to lose the farm. I you know I >> I like this year and I like the fixed in the smaller amount to get us to >> our celebration to get us through to our you know our bsentennial as well as the close of the FMP. Those that's all good messaging. That's all good messaging. Um, and I do I do and everybody knows this and the board members don't agree, but politically as the person who's been doing this a long time, not just schoolboard stuff, but political stuff, this particular November is going to have the optimum opportunity probably for any positive um be because of who's going to be voting. In the first year I was on the board, it was the board decided to do something, a new
179money levy, because it was a primary when uh Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were on the ballot and they knew that those two constituencies would pass a new money levy and that that's what's that going to be um [sighs] of May or so. and that and that was it. So, you have to figure out what's happening. I feel badly for the people that went uh in in the spring. That that was that that's not a good idea. >> I I think [clears throat] our levy strategy is going to be [snorts] I think the idea that that the need for the levy is clear. >> Yeah, >> I think the levy strategy is going to be really important. you know, whether we go November now or next year or May, you know, I think we got
180to look at those options really really carefully. And and I also think that um you know, we got a we got a fairly short window here to do this. >> So, we got a shorter window than normal, I think. Even even with uh even if we can get the the budget passed in May and we vote to do a levy in June, it's still tight window of timing to market this levy. And I I do think that there's a component because it's short. Educating the business community around this is going to be >> critical to get get them in front of this quick as quickly as we can because that'll be the one constituent that will can can have a lot of influence on our success. Well, and I think that's part of the issue
181regarding bellweather and rice and all. >> I didn't have my microphone on for that. Rob, >> is that okay? >> Mike, any closing remarks about this or thoughts or when is the administration going to try to present such a thing? On Monday night, are you not doing a recommendation, but are you saying anything about this? >> Not on the agenda for Monday. Um, I think >> I would make it part of your budget presentation though, just that just not this necessarily, but again, the need for a levy somewhere. >> I will weave that in. [laughter] I will weave that into my opening slides, but >> we don't have any money. I yes I think >> this but I do think that the paying off of our 2031 payoff is really critical to the strategic plan
182that's not if you haven't already on that but I think that's a giant thing that's really important >> I I don't I think it might be hard for the average voter to understand that in terms of why we just need to get there. But I I I think the business community would understand that very well. Well, I I before we go to Michelle, I would also say though that the paying that off is a testament to the fact that the community and previous boards and our unions and our taxpayers in the community supported a $1.7 billion facilities master plan that we completed and funded and maintained. And indeed, when uh other districts are collapsing around us and other districts like us are having great problems, That's a big credibility build. So, yeah, I I would
183just I think the levy thing has to be somewhere there. and and the administration may have to recommend that you want us to meet uh earlier than the first uh what is the first board meeting in June is >> the >> is it the 3rd or something the >> I keep thinking the eth but that might be wrong >> my dad's birthday um uh you know 2nd >> June 8th that's starting to be way late We we >> so you and the superintendent may want to talk to some of the union folks too about whether or not to recommend that we >> not maybe we June one something like that a week makes a difference in a campaign. >> It does >> if indeed the board decides to do this. >> Uh other last comments
184from administration. >> No I think >> board members >> thank you for the feedback today. I think this was >> okay. Good. >> Very useful meeting, very productive. >> Good with those contracts. Now, sorry to make you wait, Miss Dunn. >> Okay. Michelle Dun with Cincinnati Federation of Teachers. Thank you for affirming many times who the villains are in this story. And it is um a story of multi-year successive cuts. It's not the teachers spending enough time on some product. Um, it's the deep cuts to student supports over the years that impact student outcomes made possible by stu uh these state politicians. But what I want to talk about is I am flabbergasted that there's even some question that a levy should even be discussed. We are so far behind in this. I I've been
185sitting in these meetings for months. I remember we started talking about the need for a levy months ago when Brennan Craig was chairman of this committee. Um, [clears throat] we had a higher turnout than ever in the primary of Democratic voters in this county. So, if you want to do a political analysis, you really don't want to compare our district with suburban districts in a May primary. We're looking ahead to a historic turnout in the midterm elections. That is a fact. And so to not put a levy, a desperately needed levy on the ballot is sabotaging this district. And forgive me, but the two board members who are here are not the ones that we're really talking to. It is the full board. The Moody's report said strong governance to support a levy is required
186and we are hugely disappointed in the fact that many board members have said publicly that they are not comfortable supporting a levy. It's preposterous. I want to say that the strategic plan apparently had some community engagement session. Guess how many people showed up? zero parents and community don't care about a strategic plan. We care about strong, stable, thriving, open schools, particularly for our parents of special needs children who don't have the choices that other students do. So, the fact that we do not even have a levy mentioned in the current agenda for Monday is unacceptable. Let the community decide whether they want to support our schools or not. The board simply has to put it up for the ballot. It is not your decision whether it passes or loses. It's your decision to offer us
187the opportunity to support our schools amid massive cuts. Shame on board members who decide that you don't feel like it will pass. That is not your decision. Your responsibility is to the fiscal health of this district and it is a responsibility to allow our community to decide for themselves whether we want to support our schools or not. Please do the right thing and put a levy on the ballot. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. We appreciate the comments greatly. >> Thank you. Much appreciated. >> Was that what [clears throat] was on boiling point, too? >> No. >> Oh, >> no. That was Mike's uh Mike's interview. >> Uh that but you had you had what's his name? Didn't you >> Peter legend? >> So who got you? Clayton or who got you? Oh >>
188Clayton and Mark got me. Yeah. >> Oh Lord. >> Yeah. >> But no I I listened >> I got to I got to listen to about the last 20 minutes of of Michelle's and then >> she did great too. Well, Peter is But at least he didn't make you all sit in a circle, though, did he? >> Oh my god. [laughter] Thank you so much, Michelle. We appreciate it. And I know that the all board members are seriously trying to work through this as best they can. And um we the encouragement and the advocacy and the and the scolding is is all welcome and part of part of it. appreciate it. If uh this has been helpful and even if it hasn't been helpful, uh I think we would uh happily adjourn and um appreciate
189this work and everybody taking the time. Thank you.