Board of Education Meeting 3/11/26

001But anything >> see the thing with his mom. >> She's actually I don't get too >> funny. Are we ready everyone? I'd like to call the meeting to order and thank everyone for being here this evening. Um, can I have our Mr. Murphy if you want to let him please to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We have a motion to approve the agenda. So move >> second. >> All in favor? >> Motion carries. Next on the agenda is the job market analysis update. Uh who's doing that? Dr. Sax and Dr. Lewis. >> Well, I'm asking where he's at. Uh but I'll go ahead and get it started. Um, madame board president and board

002members, um, Berkeley County Schools, as everyone is well aware, has been taking, um, very strategic steps to, uh, strengthening our career technical education programming for students. Um, as outlined even in our our lawn call, um, we have a new Hedgesville Middle School which is, uh, on the on the docket, which will have a an emphasis of CTE. um uh for the programming for that middle new middle school. And then of course we also have um our center for advanced learning and careers um which will hopefully you know supplement uh the exceptional program we have going on at James Rumsy currently. Um, we also have some fantastic CTE programs in our current high schools, but the demand of what this area is looking for in a skilled workforce, uh, but also creating opportunities for students for

003them to be able to have success, um, is is extremely important. And as we think about trying to expand u opportunities for students and align our strategic uh growth of CTE programs to what the industry and workforce demands are in the region, we wanted to be able to have a comprehensive study um that determined exactly what that job market uh growth and um uh outlook really looks like. So we have a great relationship with handover research. They help us conduct research on best practices for not only uh instruction um and meeting the needs of our students, but also best practices in school district operations and program uh functionality. And so uh we have with us uh today a representative from Hanover. Um and so I would like to welcome um Tiffany Davis, Dr. Dr. Tiffany

004Davis from Handover Research who actually I am excited to say is a West Virginia girl. Um lives in Morgantown and just happens this is one of the uh my relationship my working relationship with Hannah over over the past couple years. I've always had to work with people from Virginia you know and um and so you know uh being able to have a a mountaineer working with us has been great. So >> well thank you for that. >> Dr. Davis the floor is yours. >> Thank you. Um I have enjoyed our partnership tremendously and also working with a client um from West Virginia because West Virginia is an incredibly unique state um and the educational system is incredibly unique. So um if I click right will the presentation go up? Okay. Um >> can you make

005that full screen? Yeah, >> there we go. >> Okay, there we go. Um, so in our first discussions kind of talking about the expansion of CTE programming within Berkeley County Schools, um, we discussed conducting a labor market analysis. And so what this is is it is an analysis of the existing labor market needs um that will not only inform investments but also inform any kind of changes or development of CTE programming. Um we look at the most recently available 10-year employment projection data um to identify high growth and high demand career clusters and occupations within a specific region. Traditionally what we do is we look at specific counties and states, but because of the unique location of Berkeley County being so close to the DMV area, um it's a little bit more unique than say

006the rest of West Virginia and doesn't quite align with a labor market analysis that would go for the entire state. So because of that, we focused on two areas. We focused on Martinsburg, Hagerstown area, which is outlined in black, and then a larger area to include Arlington, DC, and Baltimore, and even up, um, further into, um, Chambersburg. So, just really quickly, um, some key terms and methodology. So when we look at living wage, this means that the labor market analysis only includes occupations that offer a living wage for one person household. When we look at high growth and high demand, this means that is above average annual percentage growth and total demand plus the above average annual job openings. And I'll kind of get more into that a little bit later. You can see that

007the oneperson household for the Hagerstown, Martinsburg area is about $42,000 a year for one person. Washington, Arlington, Alexandria is about 60,000. And then for a threeperson household, we're looking at 73,000 for Martinsburg, Herstown, and 92 for the Washington, Arlington, Alexandria. For the purposes of this presentation, we're just going to kind of focus on that one person household. So really quickly, if you look at Hagerstown and Martinsburg area, the projected average annual percentage growth is about4% annually every year for 10 years. The projected annual job openings is 177 job openings each year. And what that means that that's new jobs created. That is not counting jobs that already exist that open up because of retirement. When we look at projected average 10-year total demand at 4,100, that's looking at place on things like retirement, transitions away

008from careers. This includes jobs that already exist and jobs that would be up and coming. So, this analysis is based off of the 16 career clusters. However, this has been reassessed recently. So, there are actually only 14 career clusters now um reported to the National Career and Technical Education Program, but um I wanted to include all 16 because this was based off of that when we completed it. >> What were removed? >> I'm sorry. >> What were what were the two removed? >> Um I believe that the IT and science and technology may have been merged. Not Not removed. They were many of them were merged together instead of taken away. And I'm not sure on the other one. I have to check in on that one. >> I'm just curious. >> No, it's a

009good question. Yeah. Okay. So, when we look at um cluster level key findings, high growth career clusters within both areas within Martinsburg, Herstown and then Washington, Baltimore, Arlington is health science, information technology, and human services. Those are just high growth. High demand is business management and administration, education and training and marketing. And I'll explain kind of the difference between those here in just a minute with another chart. But you can see that these um in the left side, health science is high growth and high demand in both areas. Whereas human services, education, training, and transportation, distribution, and logistics is high growth and high demand in the Martinsburg Hagerstown area. And then IT and architecture and construction is high growth and high demand in the Washington, Baltimore, and Arlington area. >> Dr. Davis, is there a

010part in your presentation that you explain what types of careers are in human services? >> So that is in the um that is in the larger um labor market analysis that I sent over so that you all would have in this presentation. >> No, but there is the IT section. Sure. Um I didn't know how long I had and so it was like 57 pages long. >> No, no, you're good. You're good. I just wanted to make sure that board members that when we think about human services, we're actually talking about like education. >> Yeah. >> Uh we're talking about like uh uh hospitality. We're talking about hotels. We're talking about >> uh getting, you know, auto work, auto auto care, we're talking uh hair stylists, nail techs, those types of things. >> Massage therapists,

011things like that. Yeah. So that was the second phase of the labor market analysis. When we first began this work, we focused specifically on clusters and then we chose four to five clusters in conjunction with Dr. Saxs to then focus in on those um high growth, high demand occupations that come from those clusters. >> I know I said teaching, I meant I meant child care. I apologize. >> Okay, so looking at the occupation level um it the um and the I in the information technology career cluster. These are some of the examples when you were talking about the actual occupations you have software developers, computer system analysts um and other uh types of computer occupations that they are projected to be high growth and high demand. That's not surprising especially with the emergence of AI.

012Um and these high growth and high demands are also aligned to many of the pathways of West Virginia Department of Education already have in place for CTE programming. For human services, we have substance abuse behavioral disorder and mental health counselors, massage therapists, social community service managers, health care and healthcare social workers, child, family, and social school workers that are all projected to be high growth um and high demand across both of those regions. And then the pathways within West Virginia Department of Education include substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, child, family, and um school school social workers, healthc care social workers, hairdressers, hair stylists, um and cosmetologists. Within health science, you have those nurse practitioners, physical therapists, um assistants, um medical and health service managers, occupational health and safety specialists. Again, those are

013um high growth and high demand. And they also have um pathways for physical therapists, assistants, pharmacy techs, and registered nurses within um the West Virginia Department of Education. Now, transportation, distribution, and logistics, um the logisticians, sorry, it gets like stuck. Um and automotive service technicians and mechanics are projected to have high growth and high demand. Um and then the pathways that are available on within the West Virginia Department of Education is the heavy and tractor trailer um truck drivers um airplane airline pilots, co-pilots, and flight engineers. Though I do want to say that the aviation cluster within CTE is up and coming within West Virginia's um career and technical education programming as a whole. But you can see that actually nationwide that um aviation is kind of on the up and cominging for CTE programming

014quite a bit. And then we have architecture and construction. This was always my students like favorite cluster to be involved in um when I was a teacher. So you have the electricians, um construction managers, HVAC, um carpenters, plumbing, pipe fitters, um and there are many pathways within West Virginia Department of Education that align with the various occupations for architecture and construction. So we can circle back to the recommendations. Um I want to go over a couple of slides just to help you all um kind of go through the larger analysis um together. So on the top six projected employment demand by career cluster these are based off of existing jobs now not jobs that will be created future. So you can see the total demand for business management administration is about 12,900 with the annual

015wage of 81,000 um dollars a year. On the left you have the projected average annual percentage growth um by premier cluster. So you'll see that h the health science, human services, um IT and so on are all um growing or projected to grow whereas um business administration is actually not projected to grow but the demand is still high and I'll explain that a little bit more with this chart. So right here you have the top um right quadrant which means that this is a high growth quadrant. Um this will show you these numbers will show you um the number of job openings annually. So human services, transportation, distribution and logistics, education and training and health sciences are all projected to have high growth. But the size of the bubble actually represents the size of the

016demand. So you can see that the business management administration is actually much larger than what we have in education and training. So even though business management administration isn't actually projected to grow as a field itself, the demand is still quite large. So just because it's not necessarily conceived to or projected to grow within the field, there's still quite a demand. So it should be kind of considered um as a programming option. So the high growth and high demand clusters um are health science, human services, education and training and transportation distribution and logistics for the Martinsburg Hertown area. And then when we look at Washington, Baltimore, Arlington, business administration, you can still see that demand is quite high. 539,000 um with an annual um average salary of 121. Um but again, it's growing but not quite

017as much as the others. Um and you can still see that in this quadrant of high growth, you have human services, health sciences, and information technology. Now within the Washington Baltimore area, I wanted to include the clusters that are high growth. So you have the IT, the human services, the health science, the architecture and construction. But those that are high growth and demand um are just the IT, the health science, and the architecture and construction. So the human services, it's high growth, but not quite as high demand, if that makes sense. Um this is the occupation level analysis. This comes this comes um as the second phase of the labor market analysis. And in the full report that I sent over, you'll see that this includes um all of those high growth and high demand

018clusters. Um but for the purposes of the presentation, we're just going to focus um on the information technology. So this this chart right here, the reason why all of these um are just in one quadrant is because we are only looking at high growth um career clusters. So they are all above average by definition. And then this kind of just gives you a few samples of the various occupations, the average annual wage, the total job demand, the total job openings, and then the annual um growth, and then the education requirement for those occupations. And you can't quite see it, but it's bolded software developers, which means that it's in alignment with um pathways that already exist with West Virginia Department of Education. That seems like a little big dollar figure for you for a software

019developer. >> Well, that's for the Hagerstown Martinsburg area. So, if we look at the Washington Baltimore, you can see that it's about $30,000 more >> typical. Yeah, for us. >> Yeah, these are all um individualized based on the region that you look at. And again, this is this is just looking at high growth um high growth clusters. Um so they're all above average in growth. And then very quickly, I wanted to just kind to kind of show some of the high school programs that align with these clusters. Um and then the credentials that students can earn um through participating in various CD CDT programs. And there's my contact information if anyone ever wants to reach out. >> Questions from the board. Um what do you um I know some of the IT um positions. Uh

020I think there was a report recently saying that AI would replace several of those or at least reduce the need because they get to advise the people. Um >> do that. >> No, it was prominent. some of the AI company, >> they were like, "We're going to get rid of we're going to get rid of these >> Yeah. >> So, I mean, >> how do you think that would impact um how we decide on what CT programs to encourage our students to or to to provide, >> right? >> Since we'll be, oh, we provide this, but then yeah, >> they'll be in the job for maybe five years. And >> right, I mean, I think that's the topic at hand with, you know, everything. I think that Berkeley County just got approved to have their

021the data center here very recently. Um, >> thank you for bringing that up ago about that. >> You know, I think I was also reading another article that was saying there was a huge growth in communications right now because regardless of what AI produces, you're always going to need human eyes on it, right? And so this labor market analysis is based off of MIT MIT and census data. And so I think that as AI does kind of step in, we're going to have to start taking that into consideration through our analytical lens, but I also I mean maybe this is the idealist in me that I always think that there are going to be a need for humans to watch over what's happening with computers and AI. At least I hope so. So but it's

022a good question. It's a question I also have, you know. So other questions >> the CTE [clears throat] is not white color versus blue car. >> Mhm. >> I mean, >> right. >> I saw duplicate and that's what I was kind of thinking CTE. Well, you know, we're going to be training carpenters, mechanics, blue collar type jobs, and this straddles it with health and everything else. >> Um, One of my first question was what's a living wage? And I thought I wonder how many of our employees are enjoying a living wage here in Berkeley that your uh your study was including Hagerstown. I'm sure even though you didn't include Winchester I don't know if you did or not. >> I don't think so. But the >> but I mean I mean north and south both

023of and east. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I think we discussed that right the last time. >> Okay. But but uh I my big my big misconception was CTE was blue color. >> Yeah. I don't know that that's necessarily um a misconception per se. I think that that was the view of it for a very long time and I think that there was a narrative that you know go to high school go to college graduate and so on but now we're really looking at return of investment where college isn't for everyone not every student wants to go to college but there are still especially with the advancements of technology where we can create programs in a secondary level that really set kids up to where they graduate can go get an associates degree to to complement

024what they already have and make make a really good living. >> Yeah. >> So, I think it's transitioned and evolved over time. >> Well, you even look at what WVU Medicine Berkeley is is um getting ready to to roll out um which is a mirror of what's in Morgantown right now, which is their RN program. Y >> you know, it's an RN program that doesn't require a bachelor's. Y >> and and so um you know being able to go through an 18-month RN program, go get out and be able to make you know $70,000 starting out without any student debt. >> Uh because some of these programs that we're talking about are 100%, you know, tuition, you know, free assistance. >> Right. Exactly. Um and so I think you know identifying those those uh levers

025and um you know a lot of a lot of these high need areas you know as we talked about aviation those sort of things there are also grants out there to help them uh fund startup programs and those sort of things. And so >> um I already had started having conversations with uh the Martinsburg Initiative uh to to look at some grant writing for some actual grants for us. Um, even handover has uh has some uh grant writing services that they can help us with and seeking out these, you know, very very uh lucrative grants that help us expand these opportunities for students and, you know, help help fund them, get them off the off the ground uh for several years. So, >> I think we've also missed the mark in some some ways in

026in the last few few decades because we've been pushing >> college a lot and it's not a bad thing that we've left college. Um, >> but I think we've we've missed the mark because we are now um we've got a large gap in certified plumbers and electricians and we've got a dying group of electricians and plumbers. Yeah. Um and we do not have enough people in that in you know in the education um when I say education the certification programs going through those to become um certified electricians and plumbers and um carpenters and and all of the things that they need to to be um successful um in that arena and they are not necessarily their own employer either. we are losing small business owners to the larger corporate um owner. So there's there's a

027lot of flavors here that we've we've missed because we've we've pushed for certain things in the past. I think we as we've evolved and we've we've seen what has happened and we've said okay now we need to course correct and we're laying our plan in the middle and we're going okay some things we some people need military some people need you know the the CTE programs in the sense of going towards college and furthering their education needs the CTE programs in going and getting their certifications and >> being their own boss right and and I think in doing pursuing a different career and and what does that look like? I I think there's different avenues and I love that we're embracing that now. Um but I and thank you for doing the study. I think

028that helps us hone in a little bit further to what we need to do. Um, >> yeah. And I'm glad that you said that you mentioned the CTE could be the launching pad for going to college because a lot of these programs can take you to a bachelor's and then a master's or even an associates, >> right? Associates. But that doesn't mean that if you participate in a CTE program, it's not a stop gap, right? You could still continue on to post-secary education all the way to the doctorate level. um which I think is also something like a myth that has to be addressed you know to make sure that students know that if they choose this doesn't mean that it cuts off opportunity in the future. Yeah. And if if that's if it's okay

029just one one last thing I I loved hearing what Dr. S Dr. Sax was saying about the medical aspect thinking of nurses who you know you start out you want to be that nursing assistant then or medical tech and then you become a nurse and then you become you know a masters of nursing so you maybe become the charge nurse of a unit and then you want to become a nurse practitioner and then you want to be the doctor of nursing. So like you can progress to become you know really really advanced in your in in your craft in your in your science. So I I think we we can really hone that. Yeah. So >> well one thing I was going to say is WBU medicine is only round two of 25 individuals. >>

030Yes. >> Scholarships. >> Yeah. Um so >> but what I was going to say is Mr. Murphy and I have seen it all. We've seen where uh CTE was the big thing >> and college wasn't pushed and then college became the big thing and now we're back to CTE. Is that not true, Mr. Murphy? >> Everything you say is true. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> I think sometimes that's true though for education in general, right? Kind of go zigzag back. >> But I think that what what I see with Berkeley County though is that you all are kind of trying to merge them, right? kind of just talking about how CT is the launch pad um for post-secary education if you choose. Um and so I think that's really wonderful and will be quite successful. >>

031One one thing really just was as I was preparing for the meeting creating the slide going over the slides so um West CTE is something as more advanced say up in New England. Uh because I can just remember something influenced me as far as looking at education. First I had a teacher in middle school who taught me ohms law but really I was in a school and in the service back in the 60s where kids were sitting in class who'd already had the schooling. We were studying electronic theory >> and they had it in high school. Uh and and and believe me, I was at the bottom of the body hanging over dear life trying to stay in the school. And uh but so what we're doing now, we not only are we preparing for

032occupations or alternatives to higher education, some of these kids, but we're also preparing people for military service for upper echelon schools, which a lot of people don't realize. One one concern I had uh and Dr. Saxs pointed this out a couple months ago. He was talking to a student at Spring Mills who wanted to become a mechanic, but he didn't qualify to get into the vocational school here in the county because they could cherrypick the best students and he was just I would assume an average student. Well, we still will have we will now have a greater opportunity for average students, but they will have to have some sort of basis, >> right, >> when they get in there to be able to uh run the technical side of it, >> right? >> Now, it

033may be the hands-on aspect of it. They'll be more prepared or have a greater aptitude to doing it, but but there will it won't just be for students or family. Yeah, >> it they will have to be able to accomplish and have some preparation. >> How do you recommend interviews and making them dress the part? One of my most like greatest stories of being a teacher, I had a student Hayden who was um applying for Mtech, our CTE program, and he forgot a tie and I was a yearbook teacher so I always had ties and things like that. and he came in. I've put a tie on him real quick and you know put a jacket on him send him on his way and he graduated at the top of the CTE program and now

034he's like working on alternative fuel re like cars and things like that which is super cool but he had nothing that day and he he was so into it so concerned about that interview because it was his first like real interview and so I'd highly recommend that it makes them take pride in themselves you know >> well when we participated in the mock interviews at the schools that's one thing that they do stress is they're dressed, >> right? Dressed the part. >> Dressed the part. >> Dressed for success. >> Yeah. And uh actually what Dr. Davis is is mentioning is is very much in alignment with you know um the the goal that we have for our new workforce and development center. um which is not only would we have you know you know student

035students would apply to go to it and it would be based upon a student interview but but um and it's not necessarily because that they need to be the the you know the the highest achieving student but it needs to show that they are committed to entering in the program and doing their very best and that they they'll see it through. And then the programs we have being operated as simulated workplace environments just as you you need need to get a job you go through an interview process um you know you have uh um business plans and sort of things these CTE programs would operate as their own little mini businesses that the students would be responsible for running and uh u those are very very the simulated workplace environment is very a very very

036successful model that teaches the kids students those soft skills um and um a lot of the the interpersonal skills that they need to be able to have to be successful in the workforce or college for that matter. Um so >> anything else? >> Did the like the scope of the report or analysis um did it I don't know if we got like a recommendation for programming specific for our I don't know if you're going to get to that or not. >> Thank you for reminding me. We got on to questions. >> You talk about earlier. I just said that. >> Yeah. So, um, yes. So, we do have some recommendations. Um, the first is to really consider expanding the CTE courses for areas that demonstrate both of that high growth and that high demand within

037both of the areas or the regions that we looked at. Um so those with the highest projected annual growth over the next 10 years was health science, IT and human services. And then the clusters with the highest projected total um job demand was business administration, education and training and marketing. So even though the ones with the total highest demand aren't necessarily high growth, still possibly consider those because the demand will still be there. Um and then also promoting those West Virginia Department of Education pathways that are aligned with high growth, high demand careers. So across uh several of the clusters, the high growth and high demand occupations that align with the existing West Virginia Department of Education CTM pathways. And so promoting those, emphasizing them will kind of give you a really strong foundation because

038they're already there. That does not mean not to look at things like aviation which are on the up and up, right? Um, but yeah, that's kind of where we landed with our recommendations. I think the most important one is just not not just looking at high growth and high demand, but also considering those that are in high demand as well. >> Thank you. >> Oh, wait. No, I had a question. I thought Mike might have another um did you um I saw the um the airline information. Did you uh consider air traffic controllers in that scenario? So, what part of the occupational level analysis comes with um an extensive data supplement that has like almost every single occupation that you could think of in it. That one isn't in here. I'm sure that it's in

039the data supplement, but I need to check and get back to you on that. But yes, you're absolutely right. That's a very important one. >> Well, just just because I know there's a lot of people that are probably going to be retiring at the same field and it's a very difficult job to begin with. think from what Mr. Clinton and I heard the other day from Marshall people was that it's uh wide. >> They need individuals in every uh >> air mechanics CTE arena. >> It's every single level. >> It's everything imaginable. The guy that's out there directing the plane in what do you call him? >> The black >> I guess wherever he is. I mean I mean everything, >> right? Yeah. Absolutely. >> And you're seeing that. So I work with a lot

040of clients around CTE. It's kind of my passion project. Um and you see aviation growing everywhere as being really a key focus area. >> Um instructors. >> Um [clears throat] could you give us some advice when it's obtaining instructors? how it sounds. >> Um, fair point well made. Um, but you know, I think that this is totally anecdotal. Um, but I think that when you have instructure instructors that have real world experience in the field and then are also really great with kids in like a mentor like aspect, those are the best that you can find for CTE for sure. >> So, you're not looking for college generated instructors. [snorts] you're looking for actual practitioners. >> I'm not sure what goes into hiring for specific CTE roles. I know that within the programs that I've

041worked with, um, the CTE instructors were people who had worked in that field in the world. Um, like the HVAC guy did the HVAC on my [laughter] house. Like that kind of, you know, >> that's what we see in our vocational. >> Do they have to be certified some kind of certification? >> I think Mr. I could probably answer that question. >> Yeah, the state recognizes um experience in that uh if they're coming from welding, they have to have so many years of experience and that's recognized. I think the number is 4,000 hours >> that they have to have to be industry certified to be a teacher within the school system. >> Yeah. Well, this isn't directly related to the presentation, but we have CTE teachers here in Berkeley County and they come in with

042zero years on the pay scale. Uh, does the state require or do they like at Rumsy? I think they get so many years of experience on their pay scales to help track. But here in the county, I I don't think we give them experience. >> We do recognize their experience for their industry related job. >> But do we give them steps of experience in pay? >> Yes. >> No. >> Oh, my bad. >> So, we're working on So, if depending upon what degree levels they have, you know, starting out, they'll get they'll get credit for that. but years of service or years of experience. The state allows you up to provide up to six years of um proven experience to be able to put into a pay table. Um now I don't know if the

043state if that is used in the state reimbursement also when you've certified that. That's something that I have to have Mr. butts look into, but we are exploring in our budget for, you know, review of the of the board being able to add that sixstep increase for not just our current CTE teachers that teach 100% of CTE during the day, um, but also being able to attract additional CT teachers in the future as well. >> So, that is something that we're we're definitely taking a look at because other school districts across the state of West Virginia are able to do that >> and do do it. >> Yes, that's correct. Yes. and presently do it. I would say not do do it. >> Any other questions? >> Just one other thing. Um for any parents

044listening or even teachers, there may be students that want to get in some of these fields and just remind them that uh like for example the medical field, there are positions that you can get where you don't actually have to >> have direct patient access but still make a lot of money. Yeah. >> It's like working in a lab. work in a lab and make six figures and never be a patient ever. >> Right. Right. >> Yeah. >> We um um X-ray technicians, anything like >> that. They have to actually talk to the patient. >> In the lab, you just sit in the lab and run test and send it back to the doctors. One of the things that we've done with some other clients for outreach for students specifically is make um like student

045friendly infographics that show kind of a cluster possible careers and then aligned it to um poss like average salaries based on what educational level they are within that occupation. Um, and it's it's proven to really garner interest among students because, you know, at 18 you see something that's like $60,000 a year and you're like, "Woo!" You know, so it really helps like kind of gar that interest, right? Exactly. But you can see that you can start at 60 and go all the way up 150 and maybe get two more years of education on top of it or something like that. So if that's ever of interest, um, just let us know. >> Well, [clears throat] that's that's one of the issues we face here in the panhandle. You can go north, you can go south

046and make much more money working in other states. I was looking I know from my past experience in government, we had uh our our local human service workers were they have masters and doctors >> and making far less than what they could make in the other states, >> right? >> Uh doing that and I that's something that we have to recognize. We may be training students for good jobs, but they may they may only be going 20 miles, but will they be serving our community because the pay scales in West Virginia, especially at the state level, >> right? >> And so, >> and that's the crux of West Virginia is like brain drain is a problem within the state as a whole, you know. >> Yeah. We're training them to go elsewhere. >> Yeah. And

047we we have a we're having a big issue about locality pay, but I I was telling somebody in the family app, I got my electric bill the other day. Well, we're having look we're having locality pay here in the pandle and what we pay for electricity because we're subsidizing coal in the southern part of the state by having this this need to subsidize co it's just >> yeah but >> Mr. important. >> So like with the like the recommendations of the clusters are on that part of studies that you're breaking down even further like what that program should be or could be. So >> at the center >> that would be a course sequence alignment analysis and so we haven't completed that project. um but we certainly can. And so what that does is it

048looks at the um suggested um clusters that you all already have within CTE programs or in this case perhaps the ones that you all are thinking of having and then you go ahead and start aligning some of the program that you programming you already have in place and then also what class stop um what what uh courses you would need to actually create to uh do that. So that's something that we could definitely do as well. That's usually kind of the third project in this line of work. >> Dr. Saxs, after seeing this study, what have you and senior staff been? Anything new? >> Well, I wouldn't say that anything specifically new has emerged. Um, other than what it has, it's validated the directions that we've been we we believe we needed to go in

049based upon uh the programming that we know is available. um and some of our own conversations just you know with with in our own uh the work that we were doing around the our our u CFP amendments and talking with stakeholders um you know uh being able to serve on several different boards in the community and hearing where some of the the the pressure points are. I think what this has been able to do is to validate some of the the direction we're going into so that it also um ensures that as we prepare the development of programs that it's rooted in well this is why um obviously the aviation the aviation sector but you know thinking about adding the additional um high what I call high bay programs like uh m construction plumbing HVAC

050electrical um automotive you So adding those because those are traditional CTE programs and even replicating what is already available. Is it do we want to replicate because the demand is there or is it better instead of replicating that we co go into a different different area and what we've learned is that those are still very much high need area high growth jobs in the area. Um I think making sure that we continue our to strengthen our focus on the uh the health care sector. Um in fact you know we we have the med program um that you all are hope I think familiar with which is a wonderful wonderful collaboration with WVU medicine but what that does is 11th grade students are pre are selected u they go through a program with us with uh

051uh healthcare related course work as an 11th grade year in 12th grade they have a paid internship in the hospital system learning those job embedded skills and what's great about that is not only they earning an income As a high school senior, uh they're they have the supervision of their nursing instructor, but the hospital system staff are able to work alongside these students so that they see their work ethic and and can offer them jobs, you know, as they as they graduate perhaps as patient care techs or what have you. Um and so taking that and replicating it into some other areas, I think is is uh highly um advantageous, especially as we think about the medical field. We also know that um one of the things that that we want to be able to

052do is we want to be able to have what we would call for West Virginia some non-traditional type CTE programs which are the non high programs. So we're thinking things like cosmetology uh for students to learn how to be able to do u hair uh nails cosmetics barbering um because those are those are in high demand in the area as well. child care uh you know the the child care programming because we know that child care is a huge pain point here u being able to have those type of folks the grow your own we know we need more teachers you know being able to have programs that lead uh and partnerships with like Shepard and Blue Ridge to be able to have students go through our programs to become certified teachers or ECATs um

053you know those are the areas that we want to be able to provide opportunities for students >> didn't Shepard start as teachers college like originally >> there you Y >> now we're talking about beginning in the ninth grade. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Are there advantages versus disadvantage study young? >> Well, there are um there's there's a quite a big movement I think towards moving towards middle school CTE programs. Um Montiguel County is moving towards um having a middle school uh CTE program. >> The thing is that Berkeley County is already going in that direction. So, uh, I just want to say, you know, Berkeley County is is is well ahead of Mon County schools. I just want to make sure that that's stated. So, uh, but you know, Mr. Pack, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

054I gota I gota, you know, doc, listen, Dr. Campbell is a great superintendent, but you know, he's learned everything from me. And No, I'm kidding. It's Listen, Mont County has a great program, but we are adding CTE programs to our middle schools. We have we've added a we're adding project lead the way which is exciting stuff too. So >> I didn't mean to cut you off but I >> No, but I was going to say it's it's expanding on a lot of districts at the middle school level because I think that you know project based learning with the middle school level is such a strong type of pedigogy and that's CTE totally and so middle school kids they just embrace it wholeheartedly. They just I mean we know middle school kids they need to be

055moving and doing things with their hands constantly. So, >> and actually um when I was at the middle school, some of those discipline issues would go to the vocational school and >> Yes. >> in the afternoon and >> you know that that it's what they needed. It was excellent. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. >> Shop class. >> Yeah. >> Exactly. >> We both ask Dr. Wall about a shop class. >> Good. >> I love shop class. >> Good. >> South still has it. >> They do. They do. That student made me one time. >> Oh, there you go. >> If there's nothing else, >> Thank you so much for having me. Nice to meet you all. >> Thank you. >> Next on the agenda is a budget workshop. Mr. Butts, >> but when you see Dr.

056Campbell, you say to him, they catch up Berkeley now. >> I will. I will for sure. This is our second work session for the budget. What I wanted to do tonight is update a word on the increases revenue IP and access will be on the board agenda for Monday March 16th. I want to update the board and staff and recommendations from the staff committee. we've already had. We still have other meetings that we need to happen with directors with this information that of course final work session will be on the 21st but I think pass lead us to have solid budget to present on April 21st. So that making it to the journal and then having the final pres date there, April 21st to have a preliminary budget to this board that that we can

057agree with. And again, we're going to talk about the general fund. And this is again, it's just a reminder of our fund balance. Last two years, we've dropped a little bit as we're spent money towards the housing allowance. The goal for 27 is to flatten that out and not spend the observes and present a balance budget. Again, this is our assessed values for the county. They just came in the county the first week of March. And as you can see, you know, we continue to have growth in our assessed values countywide. We're at 9 billion dollars. It continues to grow. However, the amount in growth has over the last four years. While we still have an increase, the amount of the increase has actually started decline. So, something we need to pay attention to. As

058you can see, it has gone down.8 all the way down to 2.1 in 5 years. Dual growth. We're still working more than 11 or four. Uh but it is flat. >> Why do you think that is? >> Uh well, the counties created 10 districts, taxable funding districts. Um I think there was a rush maybe to get in before the the um >> the $5,500 impact they have now. So I think we'll flatten off for a little bit. just the values facility please >> with that again this will be on 16 the top box is our proposing levy rates 16 but what it generates there will be 543,718 for the regular levy that's 15% we get the key the state takes 85% of that growth and offsets our state aid funding and then the line below

059that the excess levy we're projecting it to be 56 million which is an increase of 4.5 million for the prior year. So in total in the yellow box you can see we'll have 5 million65,986 in projected new local revenues for fiscal year 27 and I just want to make note of those bond rates while it's not part of our general budget it does show you see from 26 to 27 uh given the increase in the assessed values the amount our residents will pay will actually drop. So the range for class 2 will go from 9.6 6 to 8.96 and then the class three to four rates will go from 192 to 1792. >> Yeah, >> we'll see a slight decrease. That's something to celebrate. >> Yeah, that's good. >> We ask a question. >> Yeah,

060absolutely. >> If you could go back. >> We're not going back, Mr. Murphy. just >> I was just kidding you. >> Um the uh if the board tried to set a goal of all new money there in your local share your excess levy of 15%. If they set a goal of saying all new money we're going to take a percentage of it and give it and pay raises at the period. What would be the downside if if we try to do that? I say we've set a half of the money, >> right? So if we do that, obviously once you put money in the pay table, it's a permanent pay raise, which means you'd always have to have money to continue to pay that. And it's not just when you put it the first time

061because every year there's a step increase. So you got to make sure you have enough growth each year in the assessment values to continue to pay it. We'd have to continue to look at your staffing because again staffing is about 80% of our cost. Um then there is a we'll get to a minute we're talking about that you want some of this money >> using the five million. >> Yes ma'am. >> On the same topic a little bit the impact fees is that like >> that just started in November wants to start start impact fees. So it will be part of we'll have to apply for money as my understand >> well >> we won't get it here locally general operating for infrastructure and there's a separate process to to get access to >> so

062it's not be part of any budget per se but just a requested needs >> yeah so that that is correct so the the entity that actually controls that is the commission so uh they have a a line that's for schools and that acrus every month funding So theoretically, we could request money today um and as long as it's an allowable cost under um the requirements of impact fees, which is you can only put it toward um uh projects that are to address growth uh in the school district. So that means you can't do a class you can't do a school renovation with it because it's not adding seats. You could do added classrooms if you were building, you know, if you had to build two more classrooms onto a school, you could use impact fees

063to build those classrooms or to improve the infrastructure into that into that addition. That those kind of things, but >> you can't use it for salaries or anything. >> Yeah. So, you can't use it for salaries. You can't use it for renovations. It can only be for those capital growth projects. And um so let's say that the balance in the account is $200,000. Well, then we could request that $200,000 for a a project and we would have to be able to show that it's for growth. So, I think that the projection right now based upon the impact fee structure for us and the number of homes that could be built uh on that are built on average would yield about a million and a half dollars per year. Um, and so we wouldn't see that

064theoretically that million and a half till around October of this coming well November of this coming year. That would have been one full cycle. Um, and so strategically what we probably will need to do is as we think about our CFP and the budgets that we've prioritized is identifying which projects we would want that would one meet the need or the categorization of an impact fee expenditure and say okay this is what this is. this is a project and we believe that we will have this much impact fee collected by the time that we're ready for it and so we're gonna we're gonna earmark it so that we're prepared to know what we want to ask for the impact fee when the the time comes. So, I hope that helps answer that question, but it'll

065never hit our our financial statements because >> well, it'll probably hit it when it when it comes to a transfer in and out projects and not necessarily the general operating >> fun. That's right. >> That's what I'd like to do. Yeah. So if you recall from the first work session that we did have a decrease in 200 students from last year to this current year and with that is a estimated decline of funding of 1.2 million from the state again look at that staffing. So here we have the number staff is over formula currently for credential services and support and then we had our staffing meetings with all the principles in late February February. Uh so we met with every principal over three days and this what we're reflecting here is just from those meetings.

066There's other staffing uh issues that will be addressed and there's other meetings that will happen. But just from the schoolbased student enrollment level staffing, we're proposing uh and again a reminder that we're closing two schools and opening three. So we're proposing right now a change in professionals to add nine and a half staff but on service to decline 40 staff. So that's going to net us about $1.3 million at savings. And again, we're trying to offset the a decline in the enrollment of 200 students. With that being said, leaves us about 132,000 short of what we've done so far, but I know we're continuing to work at looking at all other areas outside of the uh the school population and the student based staffing needs. >> Dr. Sax, can you explain um a little bit

067about the minus 40 in service? what those specifically were taken from. >> Yeah. And I' I'd also like to address the plus nine in professionals. That that number is not finalized. That's just where we currently are in the process. We still have um some additional work to uh identify staffing uh potential staffing changes uh not necessarily at the school level, but more at the district level. And so that that number I do anticipate u changing. Um but all of most of the we actually had some professional reductions um in the uh secondary level. Most of the additions I'm sorry most of the additions were related to class size changes and requirements in elementary schools. Um as well as um when it came to service, uh most of those service uh positions are related to um

068uh again could be special special education students no longer needing specific services uh because they've graduated out. Um and then there's uh some that when it comes to providing the uh support in K through three classrooms um some schools are are looking at wanting uh an interventionist in lie of two classroom support ECATs as an example to provide more direct instructional support um across the across the school. And so um that's primarily where you see some of those uh those service changes. So it's [clears throat] so they're anticipating one interventionist to take the place of two aids. >> That's the the under the third grade success act. That's what the code allows is that you have to have those support systems in place for K3. But um schools do have the discretion to be able

069to elect to have an interventionist in lie of an interventionist for two classrooms compared to uh an ECAT for each classroom. So, two two ECATs or one interventionist. This is the the way that the state funding formula would work. >> Yeah. I just Well, I'm just concerned about that only because we have so many students with extreme needs and I'm just hearing from a lot of special um education teachers that they're already stretched in or say that intervention is out then who's then all the coverage is just gone. So it's just it creates a lot more pressure and the students may not be getting serviced the way that we need to be. >> So I understand it's it's allowed but saying at the store >> it's the best thing. >> What's the pro and con

070versus the an interventionist versus the ECAP? What's the difference? >> Well, you got one person covering too instead of >> Well, I understand that that's one huge thing right there is you don't have that person there with to help that child. So you have a really severe child in each class. How are you going to >> I understand that. >> I think that wasn't her question. I think your question was >> what is the pro and con what is the pro and con? I I I hear what Dr. I'm sorry. I get what Mr. Wright is saying. >> Um trying to add PhD PhD here. I'm just saying. Um, but I'm I guess what my brain is is is that it's it what is if an interventionist has some additional oomph, has some additional training,

071has additional background, is additional certifications. Does that give credence to having the interventionist being shared versus having two ecats? I don't know the answer to that question. That's why I was asking is there what are the pros and cons of having one interventionist versus two ECATs? I don't know. There could be to your point, Mr. Wright, there could be the desire to have two ECATs. I don't know. I'm just posing those questions in links with yours. >> And I think some schools did u choose their to have two ECATs. Correct. Yeah, I was going to say I want to I'd like to clarify and answer both those questions because they're I think they're they're very good questions and they're very thoughtful questions. Um I think that both models have their their uh their benefits as

072well as some of their what I would say challenges. Um and when school leaders are given the option to say all right do we want to have you know all ECATs for example in third grade or second grade because this can only apply [snorts] in second and third grade by the way. So K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K and and first are are not permitted. You have to have an ECAT for every single class. >> Uh either 10 students or 12 students. And but in the the third I'm sorry in the second and third grade classrooms you can you know

073opt to have an interventionist in lie of of an ECAT dedicated for each two classrooms. What the principles will do is they will be able to also utilize those interventionists not just for that one class but they can use them in other places. So let's say you're now a K5 school. You have you can use an intervention that's where you need them in the schedule, but what you do is you rotate your ECATs. So you may have an ECAT schedule that would still provide support for all those classrooms, but they may have to move around a little bit in as a as as a schedule in the day. So, they're going to and you want to schedule them around the times that you're providing that targeted um reading block instruction or math block instruction so

074that they're there to support those needs uh for for instructional purposes, but at the same time, you also want to be able to have the support with an interventionist as well. So, again, it really comes down to master scheduling and and utilizing the staff in the building to make sure that um all of the needs of your of your u second third grade classrooms are being met. Um and it gives you some additional flexibility with an interventionist that is a that is a um you know an individual who has been specifically trained in how to provide targeted reading and math instruction for students. Um whereas with the ECATs um they are receiving training in how to support the teacher in providing that instruction also. So again, it provides a little bit more flexibility in the

075schools to be able to to meet the needs of really additional students beyond just those in the the second third grade classrooms. >> One one thing I want to us to be sure that we're known school is uh say for instance the interventionist just in one class and then this teacher is just there totally by herself >> of course. Um, and that's going to take some thinking in the master schedule, but um, I can see that that can be a problem at times. >> Yeah. Well, you have to think about like the time for planning. So, you have your planning period, you have your lunch period, you have sometimes your unified art period instructed times that gives you the flexibility so that you can try to ensure that that doesn't occur. Um, so I absolutely

076I completely agree with that. Um the other thing is is that you know when you take a look at um our um our our personnel overages of the state aid formula you know um we currently are over I think it was about close to 200 service personnel >> 199 service >> 199 and of course professionals are at 77 now as you see there you know right now we're looking at a plus nine based upon uh some of our our student needs um like I said I think that's going to change and what I think you'll probably see in the long run is um probably the professionals sort of holding holding about where they're at. Um and then you'll probably see a little bit of a you're going to see a reduction in service and probably

077a little bit of a potential reduction in support. So again, part of this is also being um uh financially responsible with the allocations the state has given us. Now, if the funding formula changes, you know, obviously those things can evolve, but we're also trying to make sure we're making decisions that that show that we're trying to live within our means as well. And none of these are easy easy decisions, but I think that that's one of the reasons that we want to be able to share with you all sort of where we're at at this point. um and you know how we're trying to make sure we're being you know financially responsible with taxpayer dollars uh with the resources that we're getting from the state um and our local funds as well as making sure

078that we're not sacrificing um the the quality education that our students deserve and the support that our teachers and our service personnel need also. Um and so that's uh that's that's sort of where we're at right now. Um, >> no, I would say, well, aren't we sort of where we are is because um we're over because the state and even the federal government haven't giving given us the funds because we have basically all these unfunded mandates. So, the students need these services, but we don't get the money to provide the services. So, now we're over uh what we're supposed to be. Well, technically we're only over because we're not getting what we're supposed to receive. >> I I mean, I think in in partiality, you're exactly right. We we have some unfunded requirements or they're

079not fully funded, I should say. So, even the the the K the the the kindergarten I'm sorry, the third rate success act that puts ECATs in classrooms, you know, um you know, they try to they try to build it to where you know, you're you're capturing everything, but a lot of times what you find is is that in order for us to really comply with an ECAD in every single classroom before this is before the bill that allowed intervention interventionists in L of two ECATs was actually introduced, you know, um uh I I would I would surmise that there were several there were many ECATs that we had to hire in order to be compliant that were above the funding formula just because you may have had 15 kids in a class instead of 23

080but because there was over the 12 you had to add an ECAT um and so you know those those things have to be taken you know into consideration as you're as you're looking at staffing is that there are limitations with what I would say partially funded mandates special ed is another big one I mean there's a we have a lot of special ed staff Um and those are that's both professional and service um that uh that are are necessary to be able to address um you know uh learn the students who who have uh uh struggles around um you know learning with learning disabilities but also behaviors >> you know the behaviors uh in our in our schools um and I want to be very careful here you know it's not it's not one of

081those things that that all students are are or or a majority of students are are having behavior problems. But we have seen an increase in the number of students that exhibit behavior challenges which requires us to add additional staffing to address those so that the the learning of other students are not are not impacted. Um I think that there was a report out that from what we actually get in state aid for special education, Berkeley County Schools spends about $36 million more in being able to meet the needs. >> Yeah. you know, and so that is absolutely an unfunded mandate, you know, from the federal and and the local government or the state government of meeting the needs of our special education students. And I'm not saying it's wrong because I think we have a

082moral imperative to make sure we're meeting those needs, but we are not abs we are absolutely not adequately funded to do it. that I was sort of throwing you a softball because I wanted the public to hear because when people hear that we're so far over formula they think oh they see they're just spending all this money and they shouldn't be doing this and they got so many all these extra people >> I'm glad you provided an explanation why because people need to understand >> that we're just not we just don't have people just sitting around with their feet up on the desk and because we're so overstaffed we don't need them >> that's exactly what I was going to say for um but one of the things that really bothers me now is that

083uh as many individuals as we're over formula now they're getting they've crunch put to us all over the state because we are over formula but yet you have to have bodies with those students you have to have staff with those students so then you you're going to have to cut and then the bad guy is the county but um you can't be in the red because of staffing. So there we are. >> Correct. Again, this slide here is to address the decreases 200 students at the school level. Again, as Dr. Sax said, there'll be other staffing cuts proposed as we get closer to the April 21st. This is just on the school piece. >> The one to pick up your your concern, Dave. Um, Berkeley County leads the state in autistic identified students >> and

084I think we lead and Canal County is larger than us in enrollment and I think we have more than 100 more students identified as autistic than Canala County. Uh, I think we're around 600 or so. But the uh you said something earlier there and I shot jot it down because I didn't want to forget it. You said on personnel the 9.5 profession we're not we're we're looking at the district you mentioned now I remember last year we cut I think 10 sessions at the district level. Are we looking at increasing or decreasing? >> Decreasing. Decreasing. >> Definitely decreasing. >> You did say that. >> Okay. I'm gonna miss >> But it's Well, it's good to clarify it though because Yeah. No, we we are looking at uh having to make some trims. Um and you

085know, I firmly believe that, you know, what happens at the school level needs to be, you know, commensurate at the district level because I know that there are hard decisions being made at the at the school levels. um you know it does get to a point where it's very difficult to trim much more or you lose the the the service that you can offer. Same thing at the school level, you know. Um I know that we've had to make some, you know, and that that that 9.5 does not mean that there haven't been I I want to be very clear that does not mean that there haven't been professionals cut. That means that when you take the cuts and then you have to have the additions that are that you have to have, that's where

086you that's where you wash out because um and even the the the the service for of of what that projection is right there. That doesn't mean that that that there are not additions to service. There are other places that we have to add service, you know, whether it be in a special ed classroom, [clears throat] they need two additional aids, they need um a bus aid, they need another another u uh cook. Uh we I know we you know, we've actually I know in the in the year ahead we have to add cooks. Um we've also had to you know you know um uh decrease in some other areas but there are service personnel additions and there are service personnel deductions but that's the that's the the the net or the gross I'm sorry there's

087potential for some additional capacity of students coming in because of the as you recall we've added actually three more classrooms which gives us more capacity so if the students show up we will get funding for that we have to do based on what we have today as a bronze >> yeah that's a that's a really good that's a really This is as of today, but we have also set up um systems of of exactly what he's talking about because he was opening up. We have some additional classroom spaces in some of our schools that we don't want to overcommit ourselves to, you know, to to doing something else with other than holding them for perhaps prek students because in the north end of the county, we had a hundred family 100 students that were on

088the waiting list that we didn't have a spot for them. We had we didn't have a spot for them in the north end. we had spots maybe in the in the south end south or the central part of the county but it wasn't conducive for those family schedules. So they opted not to send their students. We want to make sure that if there's an opportunity to capture those 100 students again that we can do that and and actually we think that we can we think that we can we think that we can probably um increase our prek just ba by the space that we're creating by almost another 200 students this for next year. Well, I just want to say this too um before I forget uh just because this these are the numbers now.

089I mean in my years past I've seen okay you're going to cut 30 positions but as because where we have to do staffing right now that you know that changes can change drastically by the time the year ends or school starts. So >> yeah, as we start to see enrollments pick up, you know, obviously we adjust the staffing based upon the new enrollments as well. Yeah. >> How many orbits do you have? >> Um I think I had 17 in service and I don't recall probably had a professional >> but let's just let's just take the service for example. The 17 orbits >> and an orbit is like a placeholder. >> Yeah. So a what an orbit for for those who are not familiar is is um we we know that in this that based

090upon numbers that in this classroom this this position or what or this area that it doesn't justify at this moment in time that we have that position but we also know that by October uh there may be a student that comes in that needs that service and so we know that we're going to have to we're going to have to end up hiring for it. That means that that orbit position, we budget for it, but we don't necessarily have it when it comes to the the staffing changes that people feel. So, um, that's another important component there is that there's the potential that we're going to have to hire back 17 service personnel when it comes to the, you know, uh, at some point during the school year. >> Correct, >> Melissa? I I I

091have a question because I'm going to go back to what Mr. Murphy asked because now I'm confused. I don't even remember what that [laughter] was. >> Um and and I get the net because there will be increases decreases as we go, you know, um for service and for the professionals. I I I'm I'm getting that. So, right now, right now, as it stands, we're netting a loss of service of 40 and we're netting a gain of nine and a half professionals. But what I I thought I heard you say was that is at the district level. >> Yeah. Well, what I'm saying is that all the school level decisions so that so at the school level the work we've done with principles and the site supervisors that this is where we are from a staffing

092>> across so across >> the district. >> So across the district >> what we have not done yet is we have not made and or held the meetings quite yet. Those are those are planned over the next week or so is to be able to make decisions on non-school staff. So that would be staff that are um at central office the central office level. >> Okay. I just want to make sure that everybody is un understanding of that because what what I am there are there are those who say the board will make a decision and it's not us as a board it will be those who are in the board office those who are in the central office. I just want to make sure that that when we say when you say district, it's

093not the central office. It's districtwide. It is countywide. It's all schools encompassing. >> Correct. >> I'm just making sure that that is clear that it is clear that that's clarified because I was when you said district I I started to go, wait a second, we we decreased now we're increasing. What are we doing here? Yeah. And then I got I got muddied a little bit and I just wanted to make sure I was clear and that everybody else was clear. I just >> Well, just recall too, you know, about school. It's always better than five students that >> so when the student roll goes up, the staffing goes up. When it goes down, you know, we down look at that. >> Just because there doesn't mean the central office districtwide usually grows. I mean, there's

094>> no mechanism to that. Um so it's just to keep that we always try to justify what's the school level based upon the students at that time we have these fab gears a little bit talk about the housing alliance of the PIA uh we're trying to become compliant with the requirements around the PIA which are the 8020 split we currently contribute $22 a month uh towards the invoice PIA we do that through a deduction we apply that deduction to their PI premium. What we're recommending to become compliant is to move that $22 per month into the pay tables. The reason behind that is the state is looking at a new uh information system replace weas when they do that the district level we want to control the deduction code the state will have that option

095to put it in and it doesn't comply with what we're supposed to be going to split anybody so we want to move that into the pi to the pay tables the other one is the one we've done before which is the thousand allows is the 800 900,000 that we have have given uh previously over the last two years is above that additional $1,250 on top of that number. So this part here reflects just the 800 900,000 we put into the pay table. When you do that the biggest piece of it becomes the retirement portion. You see I have that broken separate um because again right now the way we have been paying the house amounts on that third check in in November it's not eligible considered for retirement. So we haven't had to pay the

096fee on that. the employee doesn't get credit for for their average salary base. So by moving both of these to the pay table, it's going to cost the district about 452,000 to come compliant with what the the state expects us to be doing. And again, I broke that down. The salary portion is 183,000 and portions 268. The these are non-negotiable. These are what we have to do comply. Now the existing in policy $89,000 housing allowance that we're now paying not the 1250 >> correct >> is reflected in the housing allowance. >> That is correct. >> Okay. Now later on I'm hoping that part of the 1250 will appear. >> We we will talk about that. I just want to make sure I was with this >> going the same way. We're going to get to

097>> Yeah. I just want to make sure which stone in the stream I'm blowing here. So to summarize where we are so far before we talk about moving forward with potential housing allowance additions is right now we're looking again that we propose to expect from the increase in local monies that we get the district level excess levy the regular levy is about $5 billion. Again, next slide there is the net decrease in state aid from decreasing state aid from 9 and2 students. The next one is again what our cuts were uh at a school level basis say it's about 1.3 million and then from the previous slide with the housing of the compliance about 452,000. So once you deduct that out 4.4 million left over revenue paper before we move forward. Now, again, this is

098based upon today. I know the legislative session doesn't end until uh this weekend, Saturday. So, again, I know the state is proposing a raise. I don't know where it's going to flush out finally, but but given the numbers I've seen, it was $1,560, I think, for professionals and $870 for service. So, running those numbers out, it's about a million dollar to the district, a million76. We know PIA approved is going to increase this year. resting maybe that at 200,000 so we get the final numbers and then of course generally the budget in total we tried to put in some kind of increase just put prices increase year after year currently the last 12 months the consumer price index 2.4% so 400,000 so that leaves about $2.8 $8 million from uh additional revenue for fiscal year

09927 that we haven't accounted for at either staffing cuts or cost from a state pay raise. With that being said, now we get to Mr. Murphy's request is once those three things happen, the housing allowance, the PIA, and the state pay raise. What I'm proposing, the administration's proposing is to again since we used to give 1250 but the house went out. So again what we did that is creating a deficit to this district to remain a flat budget. We are proposing to move the starting pay for a professional to 50,000 and the starting pay for a service personnel to 30,000. to do that. That means another $748 to be added to the pay table for the professionals and another $798 to be added to the search. If we do those two things, I think it's

100going to help us recruit and also it's going to help us uh move up in the state rankings part of the packet you have on your desk uh that handed out before the meeting that lists where county specialism service. I just want to follow. I just want to make one one key focus here is that this proposal that would get folks uh starting teacher salary to 50,000, starting service salary to $30,000. Um that when you take a look at what has been discussed this so far this afternoon, um that's part of it is the staffing uh decisions that have to be made. um and um debt service that all those sort of things that have to be have to be taken into consideration in order to do this and bring a balanced budget to the

101board for for consideration. Correct. >> So this doing all of that and getting this accomplished will bring a balanced budget for the board to consider. Um so I just wanted to share that. >> So when looking at this the it's total of 2,7,950. So Pat, back to your uh statement earlier, this is about not quite 60% of that increase in the in the local revenues that we see. That's 5 million. This will be about 3 million of it. So it's not quite 60%. I know you mentioned earlier in your statement about 50% this about 60 to get us at a starting 50 and 30. >> So then we have 2 million. >> Um >> well, we won't have any effect on that because >> we're at 2.4 after the state gives a pay raise after

102>> PI. >> So he's upon that that full 2,84,000 to the pay totals to get us to the 50,000 and the 30,000. Oh, then okay. The 20 still worth even >> Yeah. >> $5,000 that's so again I think it's they two things that it allows us to try to provide a balanced budget that gives a focus on putting some of the increase in our local records back in the pain table and meets in the middle of what we have been doing with the with the uh previous years with the house when we had we didn't have a funding source for that. So that is that is our proposion and again this is the original request some of the board members made two large items when there relates to I mean a or to the hospital

103I think you know this slide addresses that request and still allows us to reflect or at least attempt to reflect a balanced budget moving forward. >> Questions for Mr. Brooks? >> I I just wanted to be able to share a couple things. I know that that as we look at these, I did want to let the board know that um we when we tried to address the board, if you can go back to the board of initiatives, we were obviously we're trying to address number one and number uh 10, but I just wanted to be able to talk quickly about some of the others here. Um the CTE teacher step increases as a as a request. We are still trying to flesh out what that would cost. Um I I actually had a meeting with

104um uh Ken Pack this morning. this yeah this morning I'll be giving um Jim some of those uh some the number of staff that that would impact so he can crunch that number to see what that would cost um the and I don't anticipate it being you know huge or anything like that but that is one of the challenges we have with recruiting and and giving some additional flexibility there um the the increase in the nurses allocation up to 750 that's that's obviously still there um now none of these are reflected in the budget that he prepared but I just want to make sure that the board knows that these are can still be up for conversation. Just know that that will dictate what we do on the other side as it relates to some

105of the other changes that we have to be able to to make. One of the things that we obviously still have to do is we still have to refine some staffing decisions. >> But the other thing that we we also have is that that we have some other departmental budgets that we want to be able to look at too to see if there's some cost savings there still as well. um because we haven't been able to get a full review of those things. Pretty close to it, but there may be some things that we can move over into into some other um restricted type funds that are being paid for a general fund if if some of those restricted funds come available because I do think we have a little bit of an increase in

1067D. >> Yeah. So that we can be able to try to some of these things I think we can we can be able to help help accomplish through some of that other restricted funding. Um, you know, I think that when it comes to the number number four, the request to consider assistant principal contract days, I think we're we're part of that was to be able to um increase some of the compensation for our assistant principles. I think we are are kind of addressing that in the pay table adjustments. >> Yeah. Because it would get it will get u calculated based upon their number of days in our contract and their index. >> Yeah. um still taking a look at what what it would take to do a a focused STEM school. I know we've we've

107had some conversations about that that we're still we're still just sort of trying to explore what that might look like. Um I think I needed >> Is that step 7B or whatever it is? >> What's that? >> Uh number five. >> It is not. Well, we don't have it funded anywhere right now. >> I I know. I mean, would that be allowable on step seven or what? >> Uh, probably not. Maybe 7A, but um but again, 7A is discretionary and it's still really part of the general fund. So, if you put it there, something that's in steps up, >> it would have to come out. Now, what I would say is that I think that there is the potential that you have a uh STEM school that let's say there's that school qualifies for other

108types of funding like title one uh you know that type of funding based upon that school's needs assessment. If their needs assessment said we need to we want to be able to to move it toward a model like that, they could use some of their their title funds to be able to do that because we're not using we would not use for example in that scenario general funds to do it somewhere else. So it wouldn't be a supplanting issue. So we just have to be able to look and see how we could, you know, and and the other thing is is there might be some competitive grants out there to do that. >> So like I said, those are just things that we're still trying to flesh out. Is it the right direction for us?

109Um is it the right direction for let's say a specific school that has an interest or something like that? >> Goes right it goes right into the next number six teachers. Um before you go on um any idea of what the cost of that would be either >> magnet? Yeah, >> I I don't and that's why I I I'll be completely transparent. >> Just ah >> Oh, you're really putting me on the spot there. I I I would say I really don't know because I to be honest with you, when you're really doing a a focused school like that, it's it's years worth of work. It's not just like a >> it's not like a a a switch being flipped. And when I say years worth of work, it's capacity building with teachers, teacher trainings,

110going and seeing other sites and schools that do the same that are already doing it and doing it well to bring it back. I mean, so that I I would feel I mean I I think it would be very exp. It's going to be very expensive. >> But um is it going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars compared to, you know, several million? I I I I don't know the answer to that. >> Well, I was just curious of what just a start of looking at it >> cost. Uh I mean, we had talked about one particular school maybe. >> Yeah. >> Focusing going towards that time. >> Maybe and maybe what we do is instead of saying we're going to create a focused step magnet school, what we do is we could dedicate

111some money into researching the the feasibility >> of it. Which means the feasibility is you also maybe have a a vision or a focus group that's able to go see one in action to say, "Okay, yeah, this is something we'd get behind." And then you're able to do some budget budgeting around here's what it would take to actually happen the right way. >> Washington County Schools made several of their schools, uh, middle schools specifically, magnet schools. And so I would recommend inquiring with them. Um if we're looking at a neighboring school um in our area, um there's a lot of work that they went into to certify their schools to become magnet schools. Um and it took years. They had to put their teachers through a lot of extra training and work to become um

112that. So I would I would recommend maybe reaching out to to their county to find out what they did. >> Um >> Dr. Woods, take notes. I I guess I'm just going to just spit this out. Uh I I would like for us to actually focus on the things that we think that we I mean we're going down this list, but we have a pretty tight budget um that we want to maintain and be on budget. So I would like us to let's get rid of the fluff. I would say right now if we're looking at at this line item number one, number three, number four, number five is something we probably could cross off the list currently because it's either something that's being currently being addressed with the with the initiatives that we're currently

113working through with the in enrolling the the housing allowance and PEIA into the pay tables and or the STEM is just not it's not feasible for us to do that in the next year. There's just no way that's going to take a lot longer than than uh two weeks. So, it's just not going to work. >> Yeah, that's my >> I don't know how anybody else feels. What What are anybody else's thoughts? Just as those are the ones that we've just initially gone gone over. I I don't I didn't look at the other ones past number one and number eight. I'm sorry. Number one and number 10 and number four and possibly number seven. We kind of address the pay change. >> Yeah, I think number three is not an issue for us. We can

114do that. >> Yeah, >> it's just >> we'll just do that. >> Um the ISSA again, we looked again at the staffing school levels already and I think we're reallocating some of those ISS currently. We were I believe Justin, correct me if I'm wrong. We were going to look at how they were >> staffed along with like for example the other one was we we have some other we have some other positions that we want to see that are shared between schools to see is there a better way to not increase staff, not decrease staff, but just utilize staff. So that was >> they're being utilized in the correct way they were intended. >> Correct. Well, not not just yet. Absolutely. Yes. the correct way they were intended but also um based upon a full

115year of implementation um is the efficiency of how they're how they've been allocated appropriate based upon the the demand also. >> Okay. >> Number eight, I know it's a just the the wording itself but mentors are comfort step 70 and coaches are not 70 is a separate funding uh that we do have capacity for the mentors to stay there. I'm not really sure what the intention was on the instructional side, but again, mentors was something we'd want to keep in step seven. Coaches would go to the general fund. >> So, I got I had a question. Are as considered coaches or mentors? Which one? >> Right now, our mentors >> mentors coaches [clears throat] aren't they school based? >> Well, there are um I don't know. Do we have actes? Well, we also have we

116also have teacher mentors at the school level. That's a supplement that they get. So, they so you're a regular let's say you're at a let's say you're sixth grade reading or sixth grade math teacher and you you teach uh sixth grade math all day long, but you have a new teacher in the building. You could apply and get a supplement as a mentor for a teacher in your building. Um and I I don't know how much it is. That's probably $1,000 or something like that maybe. And um but then you have I don't know if we have we have curric we have we we've had um uh instructional coaches but those are full-time positions that are at the school level. They're usually only like a 200 day contract I believe. Are as all 200 day

117or are they like 205? >> I think they're 200 >> or 200. So Ames are pretty much paid as a an academic co or a u a coach at the at the they're already paid that anyway. I mean it's a teacher salary. There's no real difference. >> There's no difference in pay. It's the funding source for is there. Correct. They are also the steps. >> Oh yes. Exactly right. But they're paid as mentors because they are mentors. Right. >> But they're full-time mentors. I think there's a there's a a a mass confusion with the board and if I'm speaking wrong >> uh of of the the academic specialists, the Ames and the mentors. >> So the specialists and the Ames are all step 70. We have I think nine specialists and eight or nine aims

118that are full. We have we current we we have we started the year with 10 aims. We're down to eight >> and and we do not plan to fill those two other positions. We and I think we have nine academic specialists. >> Okay. Uh so the mentors are school-based. >> The mentors so the the supplemental mentor position is a school-based supplement. >> Yeah. The Ames are full-time mentors that are districtbased. Uh they're itinerate basically, but they are they have new teachers in the provide support to new teachers and permanent substitutes. >> Okay. >> Yes ma'am. The academic specialists, their difference is what they do is they provide support for all teachers around the curriculum resources that have been adopted, how to implement those those curriculum resources, instructional strategies. Um, let's say that there's a a

119um a teacher that needs additional support and and on they're on a focus support plan or something like that. this is someone who can go in and help them um with again implementing the curriculum well professional develop embedded professional development modeling in the classrooms those types of things. >> So do um academic specialists get any supplement as far as being a coach or a mentor or just >> no they just have more days because they have to deliver professional development over the summer. So when we have trainings in the summer for for different groups of of teachers, whether it be textbook adoption, it'd be other other curriculum type uh uh activities, it be revising >> patient guides, curriculum maps, those types of things. They have they have uh additional days in the summer and I

120think it's like 20 days. Am I right? I think they're two. So they have 20 20 additional days. That's the only difference in paying. They don't they don't get a an index. D do A as get a bonus for mentoring or just their regular >> just the regular salary? They don't get any they don't get a bump for being a mentor. >> They do coordinator coordinator. >> They do get the call coordinator softord. >> Oh, they do. They don't they don't get cited because these individuals wouldn't have been on those jobs if they >> Yeah. They're they're they're 7 and a half% index. >> The as the as the specialist. >> Yes. >> Oh, okay. I apologize. That's the coordinators. >> It's coordinator 75. Okay. credit our coordinator directors are they the ones that are

121paid out of the local fund >> dependence the instructional ones will count towards the the formula the non-instructional will not since finance HR and IT are not instructional we're not part of that uh when you get into these a they will be >> yeah but so the Ames and the academic specialists the the positions we just went through they're all out of 7D or title funds or they're not out of the general fund. >> Correct. Yeah. >> Okay. >> They do not count for try to utilize the 7D if I do. >> Yep. >> Back back on slide eight. [clears throat] You now these are the the current staffing over formula. Are they those numbers? Do they reflect what the anticipated payraises will cost us? >> No, this this was back what what they were

122when we put this together. This that is this slide is just currently what they're what they're being paid this fiscal year. >> Okay. And what I what I'm trying to figure out is what's coming out of the 5.065 million local share increase. And um do we have do we have the pay raises for all these people were outside the formula calculated in here? >> Yeah. So this so both this slide and this slide counts all the employees that we have whether they're county funding or above the state paid the state formula. And again, even though it's a state has an employee in the formula, like if you look at our pay table, >> you know, it's 46,628 is our starting PA. The state doesn't give us 46,000 for that. So, you know, basically what we

123have, which again will be your access levy and your rare levy and then whatever. So, let's get back to this page. >> Yes. And if let's start at the top and I want to go down and I mean we've taken off one um >> information forthcoming on the CT. I want to get that for you. >> Three is okay. We're going to continue that four's been addressed in the um >> that would be my recommendation addressed in the payday. >> Yeah. >> Are are we going to full five days? >> No. this with >> that bill there. >> They're going to see an increase based upon the work. >> So, so on this slide here, the 748 professional. So, the principal will get 748. That's a 200 day amount. So, obviously, if they're working extended

124contract, the amount will be for the 748 and they have their assistant principal text on top of that. Uh, >> five, the STEM school, that's we've scratched that, correct? the science club for teachers, hands-on experiments on I don't even know how much that cost. >> Yeah, that was a question I had. I wasn't sure exactly what we were thinking. >> That was fine. Um, it was basically the materials. First, you go through and find your standards in science that have to be taught. Then you figure out, well, what are some of the science experiments the teachers would benefit? uh instead of paying them a a statement if they come to the thing they get the materials they need to do the experiment. >> Did they ask for them? >> Did some teachers ask for them?

125>> I just talked to a few of them. >> Okay. >> No, it's it's it's not a big it's not a big dec. It's just an option just like >> but it would be you're you're thinking specifically if they were to come to certain trainings that we would have resources that they could take back with them. >> Yeah. So, I think what I'd like to do now that I have more clarity under that one, uh, I'm going to ask Dr. Woods and, um, probably Mrs. Laskkey to sort of put together a little proposal based upon the science trainings are going to have for some, um, types of, uh, resources that could be put together to support those trainings and implementation of the classroom and see what kind of what that would cost. U,, but I

126think I think that that would be something that I don't think it would be too expensive and we could we could just see how we could work that out. increased instructional technology coordinator. What is going on with that? >> I had some people say that they felt that that person maybe needed on a longer contract. >> So that's >> what what is that person's contract 220 >> I believe I believe they're two >> probably. >> Yeah. >> Is we just have one? >> We do. >> And what would that person do? The other 21 days. >> 21 days. >> They would be vacation days. >> Yeah. Besides vacation. >> What do you mean the additional days they would be working? I'm assuming >> the difference the only the only difference between 240 and 261 is

127uh is actually vacation and out of calendar days. >> It works. So half the time would be >> okay. Um, but I think we've also been able I think it won't it won't necessarily be this amount, right? Because this 8,000 is also reflective of benefits and and so on and so forth. But I I do think that um the rising tide that lifts all ships, for example, with what we've been able to do um as proposed, this individual would be able to see a pay increase also >> in the in the P scale. >> In the pay scale [clears throat] and hopefully they'll pass locality pay on Saturday. So >> yes, exactly. That's spot. >> Well, the other thing you have to be careful of is if you hey give one coordinator more money, >>

128would that open you up to agreements to all the other coordinators? >> That's that's a a valid concern. >> Just a concern. >> Yeah. >> Okay. We already addressed the uh mentors. Correct. >> Yes. >> Uh train pair professionals prior to the school year. I think that wasn't mine, but I think that's a great idea. >> That was mine. was trying to get training for um >> so train. >> Yeah, that was that was me. Um for main mainly special needs y >> teachers because a lot of them from several uh current special uh ed teachers have said that they come and they they think it's one thing and their eyes are quickly opened and they don't stay long. So if they and plus just to prepare them >> so they can serve the students

129better and I got pricing on it is Uh there's uh it'll range from either 14,000 or 30,000. 14,000 would be the low because that's three different sessions and >> where did you get those estimate? >> Uh from head of Dr. >> D. Yeah. So what we could do I think is is because I think pair of professionals are also allowable. I believe there are they allow I think it's >> 7D with the other trainings that >> Yeah. So I think I think we can do that. We'll just want to I want to be able to make sure that we come full circle to be able to address the request. So we'll we'll talk with Mr. Dilly and make sure we understand what um the training could look like and is the cost uh an accurate

130cost so that it can be reflected in the budget and that that that could be addressed too. >> We have several pots of money for professional development throughout whether it's regular fund or the general fund restricted or 7D. So we do that. I just thought it' be something that could help especially >> sure get to start the school year on brain. >> Dr. Dr. Schooling, how many pair professionals do we have now? >> I mean, we don't have hardly any versus we had ECAT. >> I can get you that in the Well, I mean, you're talking special education aids, not necessarily a pair of professional. >> Yeah, we don't hardly have any. >> Looking all that together, you're probably think at least 115 or so. that have a pair of professional certificate. No, he's talking

131about class. >> Oh, you want to say that that when you put pair of professionals on there? >> I didn't put paral. I just put what they said. >> Yeah, because we don't have we have some pair of professionals, but we have about >> Yeah. So, you're talking about classroom aids, >> special ed classrooms. Yes. U my my concern and I get I think it's a great idea but my concern is that we the majority of them we hire like right when school starts or after school starts or um that's I guess you could I mean you'd be training them in handful. Well, that's that's part of the thing I'm trying to avoid is hopefully when you get them hired Friday because getting going into a job, say you get hired a week before school

132starts, you are not going to be >> I think where you need to be to help the students. I I think what we could do I think what we could do to address both both of those things is we could we could organize a training but I think it would be very very >> wellreceived and needed >> prior to the prior to the school year um for uh our aids and then for any new aids we could offer like a quarterly training in the evening or something like that that they could also uh participate in. we would just need to make sure we can figure out, you know, how many hours are we talking about? How much is it going to cost to compensate their time in addition to paying for the training? So, I

133we we will endeavor to do that over the next week and uh see what that is and I I think we'll I think we can make something work. >> Well, it's my understanding um before Dr. Woods came in in our previous uh deputy superintendent that we were going to start training aids, but we never did that. some training with AIDS Dr. school. You're looking at me like >> trying to think which programming which are you talking about special ed you talking about >> I'm talking about in general all we did I thought >> yeah I thought there was supposed to be not last year but the year before maybe I'm wrong >> that there was supposed to be some some designated >> trainings that um they they would be attending >> that was more geared

134towards >> teaching that they that that would help them in the classroom to support the teachers on their profession development days. >> Okay. Okay. >> Dr. Alonso's office and his team. >> So I guess my question has offered some. >> So the question I guess where where maybe we need to be asking I think maybe the question we need to maybe rephrase to staff is what's the gap if we're already offering that? What is the gap from that to what you're getting Mr. Wright in feedback from staff of getting training at the beginning of the year? Whether that is what is reality in the classroom from being hired like what what is the where's the what is the training that they're talking about that they're not getting that they feel that they should be getting?

135>> Here's my thinking of it. I'm just going to give you my thoughts. I think it's individuals that are hired right when the school year starts or after the school year regards that we just put in the classroom that have really not a concept of what the job entails. Now, that's my thinking of the ones I talked to were veteran that saw some of the newer ones struggling and not have the training and not know how to appropriately deal with the students. And also one of the biggest um concerns was that they're coming in and not holding special needs students to a higher standard, expecting less of them because they're special needs that to the point where everything they do is is just oh it's it's because their special needs instead of expecting yeah they

136can listen they can do you know some things of course may be more difficult but you work with them they can still do more than what you you're you think. So that even that could be part of the training like don't underestimate students because they're in a special needs classroom. >> So we need to put them through a a different type of training because we can't just put them through like a a a quote seminaresque type training and go okay now you're in the classroom. I I hate to say that, but we're we're in a we're in a day and age where you've got people that are coming in off the street and they've not gone through college courses. They've not been in a classroom to see what the behaviors are. They don't have some

137of these the the background that our veteran teachers have. And our veteran teachers and our and our staff don't have the time in the moment to handhold. So, do we need to have a little bit more extensive training with some of our new staff that are coming in just because of the extensive behaviors that our kids are having in the classroom? >> Dr. Alonso, we have we have constant professional development going on for all of our different staff. I was trying to make sure as I heard the question because for example like we have um Amanda Stevens our ECAT academic specialist she's working and doing professional development constantly with the ECADs for for our special education department. Uh Mr. Dilly's office is working in conjunction with Dr. Alfonso for a lot of the professional development.

138Um for example, some of the things we've done like after school with our teachers including our special ed teachers and so forth. But I just wanted to make sure I was clear on like which specific group out of those is the ones that are saying they need maybe a little bit more support management and and and behavior management. >> Well, here's my here's the concern I have. I don't know. Are you talking service or are you talking professional? That's what I want to know. What what what's >> it's more service in terms of the aids and ecats? >> Sounds like it's o and ecats. Well, anyone >> anyone additional other than the the uh classroom teacher? The additional help that the teacher has. Um well, of course, we're short, so we don't have enough enough

139additional help for the for the teacher, but anyone else that's involved in that, we're just >> so ecats, pair professionals. >> So, you're saying a combination of all. I just make sure. >> Well, that's what that's what I wanted to clarify. I didn't know if you were talking about the teacher, too. No, at least from the people that I've spoken to, it's it's mainly the teachers talking and I talked with teacher and with some of their uh their aids or heads and anyone else that's helping and they were even saying the same thing like it's not >> mainly comes the teacher the additional help >> that is is lacking. >> We can we can we can review we can follow up. I know one of the big ones that that I do hear though is

140um because is as as the needs of our kids sometimes come up and we have do have to bring on you know additional staff and so forth. It does get hard sometimes because you know we might have already done that professional development with this group and then you know we've had had to hire like an additional eight or so forth but but that is something we can kind of look at and look at that model and make sure we have a way to kind of a mechanism to catch those folks as we bring them. I think it's it's also going to be a little bit difficult because I mean you might have to work with autism aids, autism mentals or you might have to pull out um the aids that work with severely mentally impaired.

141They're not called that now. Justin, what are they called? You know, you're looking you're looking at different uh disabilities. Um, so you just can't lump them all in one kind of training unless it's just the general training that you'll need to use. >> So >> it's some of the trainings are being offered when they're starting to substitute aid as well as in the [clears throat] summers or during the school year on these PD days. But Mr. I can probably tell you when we're meeting with employees that have had some misconduct issues, they'll say, "Well, I never received training on when you present them with, >> well, you went to this, you went to there's a disconnect sometimes been like the theory of a classroom and coming in and talking about it, practicing in a classroom

142and actually going in and seeing because they are so new a lot of times and and haven't had the ability to get that mindset of just to apply what they have. So maybe more of a refresher we can look at or something like that to allow them okay now you've been in 9 weeks what does this look like on CT day hearing what you have what have you seen how do you handle that >> I was going to say that's a good idea >> that that might be a really good idea because I hate to say it but hearing somebody talk about it >> when you those first few days when you after you get hired you're you're all kinds of you know rosy eyed and and everything's just nice and shiny and then the

143moment you get in the classroom you're looking at you think Listen, listen. >> This is not connecting. Something's not adding up. And so I think I think doing that followup is a good idea, Jonathan. >> Well, so I guess what we need to determine is um the cost of that how what we would put in the budget for that versus what the what the training would be. >> Yeah, I'm not sure it's going to be new money in the budget. It's just part of the we already had but >> and I think it's important that we we also get their input as to what they feel like they need >> and then how do we sustain it like Dr. Woods was saying is that once you've done the initial training how do you continue to

144build capacity for those new folks also. >> Yeah. >> The we're finished here to bring something else up. >> Oh okay. But um we took 10 out. >> Yep. Then two ISSAs for intermediate. >> Two ISSAs are being I I wanted two additional but um if they're being um re-evaluated and um >> we are we are going to do that. Yes. >> So we could take those out or what? >> Um well we'll keep as a placeholder for now, right? We are okay. >> Yeah. I I'll let you know. I don't want to I don't want to I want to make sure that there might not that you know as we look at the the efficiency and effectiveness of spreading them out a little bit that we're not um creating a vacuum where we still

145have a need. So >> yeah. Okay. So Mr. M you had something else you wanted to add? >> Yeah. I I mean this is my last thing doing this after I don't know how many years I've been on the board but a lot. But the U and I'm not complaining but but we're talking about reality and learning and everything and I've been learning things even on this budget. I was looking at for example Mr. bus and I were talking earlier about the figures you get from the assessment with and I mean it was 9 bill372 million dollar in value all of the classes of property that the levy breeders applied to. But then when you I don't I know this this document that we get every year is pretty uh great but it's it's very

146interesting learning about all the different plans and stuff but on page 71 you will see the previous year what you actually collected versus what is projected now Mr. BRs has to go by the assessor's projections. No, but these numbers do fluctuate as I understand. And so you will see an increase in revenue. You can't spend it again. >> Yeah. >> Until you get it. But my one question to you is when do you get it? At the end of the year, next year or does it come? >> I thought you said you got it every month. Oh, no. That was state money. >> That we do get it every month. >> Oh, okay. Obviously the the September March figures are usually the biggest influ because you don't know who's paying early or all of it

147in September versus those who are paying >> you halves equally. So you really don't guarantee to get it but mostly by mid April May we have the funding is it trickles in after that. >> Yeah. But again, the assessor to some people failed to pay their taxes to fire years as well. >> So, you know, so you get it all at the end of the year. You don't know exactly what to get. >> But, um, but you have to in order to have the balanced budget, which is a good it's a fantastic report. [clears throat] You have to live with the numbers that the assessor gives you on the front end to develop your budget. But money does come in and as a board, we don't I don't know we have those uh budget transfers

148but we don't I don't understand extensively and so you will have more money coming in and so some of these projects that you may have but >> they also hire people that have to hire you >> right right you have you have this whole fluid thing of >> playing what do you call >> yeah you're sitting there trying to keep there but I I just wanted to point that out to you but another think that as I leave I'm trying to think of something that will stay with us that will be good and that is we we do have we uh the locality pay issue we're fighting at the state level but if we set a goal of a percentage and I was just sitting here I said 50 that would be been too high

149but you don't want to remove your flexib ability to meet new demands but in the same breath you don't want to forget the people who are providing the services to the system and I would suggest that we come up with a number and say we're going to try to have when we have this this line item the the yellow thing that we set a goal of trying to give a certain percentage of that money to the salary ure not for new employees, not for extended contracts. Just take care of the existing day in day out employees and try to find a percentage that that's that doesn't choke you off their future needs but in the same breath keep the present salary employees in mind and they benefit from this little growth here. I mean that's

1505 million is not a little number in a lot of people's books but in the scheme of a whole budget it's a small number but but I think I just think that we we should always be setting a goal say well 30% 40% of this new yellow line money the part of the 15% that we get on the regular levy and the growth of new buildings and everything we get we try to put that towards is the existing workforce and a salary increase. And when you go back and look, and I I shared this with Jackie and uh Dr. Ryan and Mr. uh Dr. sex. But but when you go back and look at where we were actual growth money in all system, um you can see that back uh just as recently as the

1512019 we had an actual growth of 34 million. Last year we had an actual growth of 53 million. And that's and that I don't know what last year's >> not growth. It's actual >> excess revenue revenue. >> Okay. >> Not growth, >> but it's but it's new. It's taxes on new buildings. >> Yes. >> And that's what what I was talking about. Just look at how much that's going and if we could have done now here's here's the argument against me and I Mr. But uh I'm surprised he didn't jump down my throat. I said it >> because he he he would have been right. In 2008, the market value of houses shot down. >> Correct. >> And when you put money into that pay schedule, that's permanent. And I don't know how you would

152have dealt with 2008 in my scheme of things if we had a big recession or something. >> It would have been >> people staff because 90% of our businesses were people. But I but I think that still putting in a percentage goal of putting money into the existing workforce salary schedule would would be >> I I I think it's a a commendable thought and and I I would definitely like to do that. I don't want to tie our hands into something that we can't totally commit to over year. I think you'd want to look at that each year. We'd have to >> because you never know if the state legislator is going to do >> and if they do local to pay that is a huge number for both the county. >> We'll never be

153able to compete with the market in this county with the north and south. And when we talk about sending our legislators off for locality pay, I think that we have an obligation to try to pay more locally out of out of the increased revenue. >> Well, and we knew that we we contribute on top of what state minimum salary is. Yeah. >> But we don't increase it. What I'm talking about is increasing it. We I know every everybody in this city benefits from the excess levy just because they're coded number one for the funding source. Everybody gets excess levy money. But there so that's that's something look always start looking at your certified list. You'll learn a lot about that and and try to find a time to read this. It it it's you still

154won't understand it all, >> but it but it helps it helps you a lot just understanding those different parts. >> You're my only fan who reads it. >> Yeah, I read it. I don't Sometimes no. Well, when I got to a certain point, I thought I have no idea. I Jim told us what that was, but it I mean it's it's very complex. >> Yeah. >> Very. >> Um back to what you're saying though. Um, >> I'm not ask for a percentage policy number right now. I'm just saying it should be a goal to try to take some of the increased revenues and put it into the existing workforce. We we we haven't increased it a lot. I Well, I'm not going to I digress if I could. >> Well, I mean, I think the

155board feels that way. I just think we have to look at it yearly. I think >> I think this year we have accomplished a lot. We've taken we've done a lot. We've got a balanced budget >> which is difficult >> is very difficult in this day and age. Um and we've been able to increase the pay tables >> and that would be wonderful to be able to do that every year. >> So I mean that's that's a huge huge thing. Um it's not something that >> I mean it's not going to be by leaps and bounds but it is something that we're able to do. >> You know if we if we had a 5 million excess next year and we could um do something like we've just have done. I think that would be

156>> from Yes. Yes. We will look for your name Pat. One one thing I I will uh make sure the board is aware of is that you know um obviously this evening we talked about the potential for a 3% pay raise uh based upon the bill that is currently being considered in the legislature. There is an uh an amendment to that bill which has a u uh local market uh cost adjustment uh provision um which is I think been very much needed for quite some time and my hope is is that that will finally get across the the the line this year. Um but um it would require us to also make some uh very strategic decisions in order to pay for it for the again for the individuals that are beyond the funding formula

157if the funding formula goes unchanged. Um Mr. Buts has already started crunching numbers to to make sure we sort of know what that impact will be and depending upon what happens we'll we will share with with you those um that amendment um for that adjustment would not be for based upon the way it's currently written is not to impact uh not to go into effect this coming school year but the the 27 uh 28 school year. So uh we would have time to prepare for that but um there again that's that's a big one. And then of course there's also the um uh funding formula bill that is currently out there. I don't think it I think it's still in the in the works. And that is that we could see some impact to um

158uh weighted weighted funding for tier 2 and tier three special education student uh students. And so if that that occurs, that would be very helpful obviously. Um so there's there's still a couple miss unknowns yet. Um I think we'll have a really a much clearer picture by uh Saturday evening when the legislature uh sign and dies, but we'll we'll see how it goes. So we'll we'll get that on Saturday. Then I think the state usually wants about two two weeks to get the final revenue numbers to us. Uh we'll have in early April the rest of our meeting with their other directors and it'll be from where we are today. There's what safety we can find through contract adjustments or whatever kind of thing we can find to put that in contingency on both. What

159if what if we need to hire more service personnel because specialists do in one need to send now state placement. >> Yeah, >> I think that be the right track to continue. Jessica, could you uh forward us a clean copy of this when if if would that be what the board would like? >> We take clean copy like you want to make the edits to it. >> Yeah, we do that. >> Yeah, we'll get a copy of that. >> They for the employees. So, of course, everything's kind of in in flux right now with legislature, but right now the housing allowance that we had is first is outside the boundary of a permissible funding, >> right? Okay. So, the employees have to understand that uh and Hancock County fought this out pretty clearly. Uh so

160we're going to have to get the housing allowance and the PEI supplement we gave both outside the bar. So they will now that will now be moved in part over into the pay salary >> pay tables but there will be a decrease of what we were giving when we gave the 1250 to the employees of about $4500 right >> so we have to make sure the employees know that >> there won't be a November extra check. >> Yeah. And I forgot to mention that we have talked to our local credit union and also our local bank that we deal with. In fact, most banks if the employee chooses to each pay, they can do a direct deposit deduction into an old fashioned Christmas club to get that extra check if they so wanted to save

161that way. >> Yeah. which would come out of the pay table that we put the money in there if they >> their personal paycheck. We're going to increase it say $1,000 they would all pass go to Christmas but they could do that on a period basis. >> I want to make sure that when when we have this um conversation with staff um that there's an awareness this is not our desire is to make sure that they they know we do appreciate them. This is not out of out of unappreciation. Um >> I think they'll appreciate that. >> I agreed, but I think that there there I don't want them to um I think that there could be the unforeseen miscommunication of where's where's the bonus? Where's you know that that extra check um that usually

162occurs. >> And I'm I'm concerned that we are very forgetful people. We're very forgetful. Um, and I just want to make sure that they are understanding that this is not out of um >> I think we can Yeah, this is a compliance issue and I don't I I just I want to be careful how we >> communicate that. Yes. Sorry. I'm It's been a long day. and other district same thing. We're not the only county that is probably >> and we >> Jefferson's already done that. >> Theirs will be in fact one also. >> Yeah. >> And we're also we were spending a couple years ago when we increased the housing allowance by $1,250. we were dipping into our reserve and we have to keep a certain amount of reserve uh conventing uh and that's

163what happened in Hancock County. They they ate into their reserve and got themselves into a unbalancable budget and we're preventing the system from going in there. We were hoping that our growth money would have helped offset that world 50, but it it didn't as much as we've grown. We haven't grown as much as we wanted to. >> Well, and we did say at that time uh there'd be a time that we might not be able to do that extra 15 and now is the time. >> unfortunately. >> But we have a plan to >> to increase >> to to more than half and make it permanent. >> Yes. So >> yes. >> Yeah. >> So there's some there's some avenues here that we're going to be able to make inroads on. So >> and the

164nice thing about it being in the pay tables I just want to reiterate is is that it it impacts retirement. Um and and that's a that's a big deal >> retention and retention. I do uh think that uh when the time comes that we need to uh put something out um just like when we tell them that they're getting their housing allowance something like November 15th or something that that they know that what exactly is occurring if that's a possibility >> I think it'd be appropriate to do on the September 10th pay countywide because the first pay with all the adjustments of change on the Okay. I think we'll certainly see an increase in there as a as a nice reminder and certainly, you know, along the way, you know, communications sets up, but certainly

165September 10th would be and give them that that option if they wanted to use in that credit union opportunity, you know, they have that that option. >> Any other questions for anyone? Mr. But um >> so the plan is on the 21st to have a budget in front of you guys last move forward and get it in the paper. >> You also have given us pay tables you didn't mention. >> Yeah. >> No, it's in the back. >> That that is before the state that is what we are today. It does not include the additional amount from the pay table because again I didn't know how to that but I knew for the housing we had to put it in. So that will change again by the the 748 and 798 for service professional. >>

166Yeah I want to I want to that's a really good important point the 50,000 30,000 is contingent upon >> the 3% pay raise getting approved and you'll see that when you look at the pay tables now this doesn't have that. So the type would be if they get 1,800 instead of 1560, you still want to leave 740 in there. We want to adjust that data. >> Oh. Oh, and uh it can also if the locality amendment for that bill, >> that's huge. >> Well, that's true, too. >> Y >> I I would just like to take a moment and say thank you to each of the board members for uh you know, working through this process uh to this point. you know, um, some of the requests, some of the the conversations that we've had.

167Um, and then, of course, I also want to thank Mr. Buts, uh, for his time invested in this process. Of course, his work's not done, but, um, I do hope that one of the things that, um, that we're able to walk away from is saying that we were able to listen and and uh, to all of the concerns and the suggestions, the ideas, and flesh those out as a very collaborative team. And I just appreciate all everybody working in harmony on it. Uh Jim, thank you for your work on this since you're of course, like I said, we got to get to that that April finish line and have the board bless it. So, >> and I just would like to end with this. If we could just pay exactly what we want and have

168a this this paper that we could have everything on here. Um I mean, wouldn't it be a great day? So, I'm not gonna say I'll be talking. So saying all that, do I have a motion to move? >> Second. >> All in favor? I can't proceed. This is moved.