Board of Education Workshop Meeting 4/3/25

001I aliance 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. That sign approve agenda. So move second. All in favor? Oppos? Motion carries. Uh 26, budget discussion and priorization projects. Mr. Bucks. Thank you. So, tonight we're continuing with our third work session. Uh this one here, we've tried to clean up some of the numbers as we get more information and get closer to the uh the end of the budget process. We are still about three weeks away from getting the state the final state aid numbers. But on slide number two, one thing that we have pencile in right now on April 30th to have another work session after the state comps are released and try to

002clean up and present a budget at that time as final for the board. turn eight. I've updated this slide from our proposed levy rates. If you recall last time we had the timing from the first slide put together when the the county amended some of the rates. This page wasn't updated. I just want to make sure you had an updated page for what our levy rates for both regular levy excess levy would be and that's 3.4 million dollars. So the next slide kind of gets into what we're here to talk about later is what's in the budget right now then what's proposed to be in the budget and then decide to rank up those items. Um so on this sheet here you've seen this before we have updated the school staffing changes. Uh we have

003this is for meeting with all the principles and going through all the schools based upon enrollment at each school in each grade level. We're looking at a net of 279,566. That is adding 20.5 professional staff and reducing service personnel by 26. That that's mainly because of the prek uh classroom aid system. What we also added to this slide that you didn't see before is the CP child nutrition increase. If you recall from back in October, the board agreed to go to the C for child nutrition. that projection for next year based upon the current meals served there would be $1.9 million increase over what we're currently transferring to child nutrition fund to put that perspective if we were to eliminate the C program after charging last year in 24 we only accepted 995,26 from the

004parents so even though we had 1.9 a year if we went back you're not going to save 1.9 I just want to make that clear what what would we save So well I think we'd have about a million we collect from the parents. Okay. So that leave 900,000 left but again we'd have to then reevaluate. We have to add staff back to go back to the charging post each stage processing which we believe would be one person. We believe it be one person. Okay. And then this next slide is also this is what Dr. Sax presented that field administrative staff and other staff. So the total savings is one point. The other savings is $1.4 million there. And of the administrative staff that made up $989,763 of the 1.4 million. Can you just I want

005you're going fast. I just want to slow down real quick to make sure they don't have any questions. I do want to clarify. the amendment, you'll see that there's a difference in the school staff changes and the the school staff changes of an additional 279,000 as Mr. Buts had mentioned that includes reductions where we are trying to get back to uh state formula um areas for different classifications. That's also accounting for the additional staff that we have to hire because of class size increases at different schools. So the additional cost for staffing based upon the projections for next year um and those staffing changes is $279,000 well 27 $280,000 more in additional cost from this year. the administrative staff changes and the restructuring um uh is 1,481,000. But I wanted him to delineate specifically for

006you all is that the staff changes of a reduction of nine administrative positions at the district office is $989,763. Yep. And then there's a handful of other positions, non-administrators, and still out of school, out of school themselves. There's another 491 362 989763 and we could clarify positions if if you have a question on that, but I wanted to make sure that we we're showing you how we're also trying to save money from the restructures. If you have any questions, How much from the school? The schools were actually increasing staff 279,566. Just want to make sure I have that. And uh Mr. Buzz, also I want to clarify that while these are there are several I think there's two items that are actually listed in our priority list. You went ahead and included though in those

007school staffing changes and and this can change based upon the priorities, but when he had originally done this work, we just left it. But the there'll be a slide showing later that if you decided not to do those stand back and which would reduce this cost but one is the CTE programming in the middle schools and the other one is adding uh five counselors so that every school has a dedicated counselor. So that is included in this staffing change number of 279,000. I just wanted to clarify that for you all. Okay. Thank you. So with that being said, the uh what we know right now from the preliminary state aid rates between the step increases, the natural years of service step increase and the PEIA increases, we expect another 5.6 million from the state aid.

008So when you take the 5.6 and add it with all the other changes listed above, it's 2,664,974 in additional expenses. And then from the previous slide, we have 3.4 four coming in from the levy. So that leaves us about 747,553 of which we have available to spend at this point. Then the rest of the slides will talk about what some of those recommendation suggestions are. Now again this is still very process. We still have to address our interest earnings because then again as we spend money and the interest rates go down as we anticipate they will. the amount that we put in the budget for our revenues in the final year will be a little bit less than than normal. Our current interest rates 4.34% that we've been earning. Also, we'll have to anticipate what

009we think the student growth will be next year. For instance, student growth is about 600,000 in addition. So, we'll have to back what we think of growth is we begin last year. We've been pretty flat and we'll take a look at that. It's always in the rear anyway. Yeah. Right. So, but if you uh well, they they reconcile that December. So, the October number, they'll adjust for that. Oh, okay. So, we'll get that information. But we could see an additional if based upon if the trend it continues. We can't count on it, but if it continues, we could have an estimated additional $600 in revenue if the enrollment goes up. But the enrollment goes up, we have to add staff, too. So, right. Yeah. So, and then of course, you know, we always have to

010be aware of the construction cost as we got four projects on the way at this time. So, the next page, this is I think the meat of the meeting tonight. This is where these were recommendations by you, the board. Um, I think we want to go through each one of those and then rank them. I won't go through all seen this before, but I do want to point out that the RS by allocation right now 14,000 is sitting at step 7A. So that is in our our budget as a breakdown if we decided to do a do the art supply that would bring up 14,000 out of our general fund to offset that step 7A right now. Also this has been a request communities and schools that's under 7A funding right now. So again if

011we chose not to do that that would add that back to our fund available balance the communities and schools is for seven schools currently and the grant I think for 35,000 that's a change per school. So we believe the two for the offset of what the S will be what the grant amount is. So I don't know if you want to go through this page now we go through all the sides and we come back Dr. Sax. No you're okay. Yeah. Well that's important difference. No no I I question um going back to page nine where you talked about um over by 265 correct. Did you say that that's primarily due to the prek aids? Is that No, no, no. Okay. We were talking about the school staffing changes there when I mentioned that we

012reduced service personnel by 26 staff. Okay. That was because in the second class we made pre classes. It's 265 for look at our student enrollment our professional staff our service staff and of course the status is not covered in the state to start with. Do you know just a particular group that makes up the bulk of the 265 service personnel a I also want to clarify on that um is that with the ECAT adjustments at the prek level. um we we have made accommodations so that there are in the in the plan that we can go into more detail, you know, during the the transfer time, but I want to clarify the plan has at schools that have um larger numbers of prek classrooms or they're all PE or the whole site is prek like

013Pipes for example. uh the addition of floating ecats to be able to help when um an a has to be out for uh a certain amount of time or if a teacher has to be out so there's still two adults. So um I I wanted to clarify that. The other thing is is I believe this also includes the whatif scenario of the bill that is currently in the legislature that would require um an ECAP for every kindergarten, first, second, and third grade class regardless of class size. So currently um the way that it operates is is that if you have uh for example in a Justin you're you may have to help me because I get this a little confused from time to time but like for example in a kindergarten class if you have

01410 or less students look at look at him over coaching me if you have 10 or less stu if you have 10 or less students you don't have to all you have to have is the teacher okay if you go over 10 then you have to add an ecat in first second and third it's 12. So we can work class size out so that we fill the first one with 12 with no no ECAT and then the others we can um have larger enrollment but we add an ECAT. The bill requires that you don't do that. You even it out. Um that would require us to add back 23 ECATs in the county which is about a million dollars. Yes. And it's it is a true unfunded mandate. Um because we only get so many

015ECAT FTEEs based upon our student population. We don't get it based upon the number of classrooms. And right now, I think the bill that I think was predominantly pushed by Delegate Hornby to help rightsize the um mandates with additional monies from the state to to to allow us to not use our general fund for those positions. it has stalled. You're talking about the bill where it increases. Yeah. In finance, which is which is a concern um because he he was trying to make Yes. Rightfully so. And thank you for we appreciate his leadership in that he was trying to increase that that step by I think a multiplier of two and a half. Yes. Is that right? One and a half. One and a half. Special. One and a half. Okay. Yeah. Special. And so

016I applaud I applaud him for doing that, but my concern was if this bill passes and that doesn't pass, then we're in a we're in an unlimited situation. Yeah. I don't think it's going to because it's stolen by us saying this morning. So I say that is that we have gone ahead and included if we had to add that back in this budget scenario. Is that correct? That is correct. So, if that ECAP budget fails, we could actually see um us not having to retain those 23 and go back to the original method of of how we staff our classrooms if possible. There's another one out there that that and I'm just bringing these up because these are things that could affect the budget later on. There's another bill that is actually making pretty good

017progress and that is a an interventionist bill. that bill um would permit in certain grade levels in lie of hiring ECAST, you could hire an interventionist for every two classrooms. Um and so I know that some of our schools that I've spoken with, they like that that possibility because they they're used to having interventionists, but yet they don't have ECATs in their third grade yet, and they can see that as a possible solution. Um, and I think where you would potentially save money in that regard is is in benefits with hiring one person over two service folks perhaps, but we also know that here we have a hard time getting certified teachers. Um, and so we have to be able to look at what can we actually staff depending upon what the legislature um flexibility

018provides after after the legislative session. And interventions may also help our staffing the special area. That's right. as well. Absolutely. No, it's it's well, it would be saying that you they would give you you're still going to get the funding for the ECAST, but but instead you could because they're just saying you get this based upon your student numbers, but you staff it however you want to make sure you're in compliance. Gotcha. Curious, sir. Um on the slides we have for um communities and schools is 240,000 but then on the actual handout that we received here it has it as 370,000. Yeah, that's a timing of when the request was first made we we weren't aware of the total amount that each each one was going to get for a tool. Was it seven sites

019you can change that would actually be the 200 whatever. This is the 200. Instead of it being 300 instead of looked at it before we 18,000 class right there I gotcha. Thank thank you for that clarification. I saw that extra 130,000 and I'm like that's actually right now in our budget right now decid before we go um on the continuing the housing allowance increase 1250 the people the people will no matter what we do here the expectation next December will be that they'll get the same housing allowance that they got this year. Um my question is if we if we don't vote for the housing allowance then they will have a reduction in the housing allowance next fall. It would go back to where it was before. Yes sir. And we'll talk about that as

020we go on because again that's fun for that. Yeah. That's why it's in the budget recommendation. Correct. So these are additional initiatives that that we have looked at before and one of the summer schools are Dr. Sax's recommendations boardroom modification. I think we discussed that last time. This versus the bathrooms over at 401. security personnel to three intermediates to 240 student facilitators. That number has been in several different areas. We're looking at three right now for a cost of 243 973 and that includes benefits. Yes. Okay. Again, sure. Well, yeah, it changes. I use the current existing facilitator that makes sense. um going upgrade skills use right now is in step 70 or 780 depending on the time and when the skills you have was before after July 1 and that's currently in the budget

021so we decided not to do that and that was to bring up some money as well and then as Dr. Saxs mentioned earlier the last two items in yellow the CT for middle school and the counselor that's already in that staffing number from the previous page the 2700,000. So if we decided not to do that that would add back to that 473,000. Question if it's already included in step D or 7D or 7A and on the previous page there's one here that's you know there's a couple here that are 7A. Why are they included in this versus not just go ahead and just leaving it there? If we choose not to do, we can back up with some other expenses that we currently have in 7D. Okay. So, how were they funded previously? Were they

022previously funded through Well, the communities and schools was funded through a grant. Sure. Some of the stuff we weren't doing before. So, well, specifically, but specifically 7D and 7A. Um, we're not we wouldn't be putting communities of school in 7D or 7A because it doesn't really qualify. 7A. Well, 7A 7D would not. And that's the only thing I wanted to to clarify is is that 7A has a lot more flexibility than 7D, but 7D is very it it has some restrictions on it that fall under what skills you we could do with skills U. Um but so if you back that out, which I I we we absolutely could do, we have to make sure we can fill it with something in the budget that qualifies under that under that requirement. So uh but basically

023step 7A is unrestricted general fund. It's just a carve out the state that wants to see it in a separate instruction. Unfortunately, not all of us are privy or or have memorized all of the different steps and the the sub uh letters that go along with those various numbers. It's okay. I'm still learning. That was your homework assignment. Yeah. Well, I failed miserably then. The very last page Uh if you recall from the last meeting, we had a request of $3.2 million. We have not looked at that at that time and I think we handed out a summary of those. The CN leadership has has met and of that number, you know, we thought 274, 264 was worth pursuing and I kind of summarized below the kind of areas that the numbers hit. The biggest

024part of that 274 is our elementary focus classroom and that's about 160,000 and that' be a stop gap measure before we send students to an out of state placement out of school placement that's for special ed kids as a last stop. Actually if you don't mind I think it might be good for Mr. Dilly to come up and explain that because that's a special challenge I've given him and if you come up here but it's it's to address some of those behaviors that we're seeing in some of our needs. Yeah, we're when we experience extreme behaviors in the classroom currently, what we do is we try to look at the each child of course and try to figure out what we can do with them and if they become to where the behaviors are so

025egregious, we really don't have an option to do anything with them but to find out a state placement for them. So, what this classroom is going to do is going to be able that's going to be a spot for them to go to. we work with those ch children and see if we can get them back to at least being able to be in our schools schools and if not then that will be a way for us to judge to make sure that they that we can put them in out of state facilities if we would have to. This could include special education students. In the past, we've we've been limited by being able to move, for example, special education students to cares academy, for example. Right. This is strictly special ed with more wraparound

026services. Right. And very extreme behaviors and that that is for staffing. Correct. Yes. I have a few questions for that. Sure. um when we're talking about student behaviors and if not working with the with the resources that we have in our schools and then we for lack of a better word we ship them out to to and there's not always a place for them to go. Okay. Are we why are we shipping them out? that is um because that's they need to be in their least restrictive environment and we cannot provide that environment for them due to the fact that the behaviors are so egregious that we our staff are we just cannot right I guess where my brain is going why are we paying for it that is something that's a legislative a legislative

027that's what I'm looking for legislative because my brain's going everybody's going to hear that we're shipping them to another facility and they're going to why why Are we doing that? That's the reason. Yes. Apologies. I want to make sure everybody is hearing currently doing that. Currently, we because we can't service. We cannot service this. Okay. And it's mandated to to do that. I'm just making sure everybody hears that because that is something that not a lot of people understand. Yes. I I was talking earlier looking at the grants and um special ed out of state placements. We have a $109,000 grant, but the current year receipts was $370,000. So, this focus program is trying to reduce reduce that that cost for us as well. Plus, it's going to benefit our children because we'll be able

028to bring them out of the school environment where it's they're not being very successful in get them interventions that we hopefully will change their behaviors so we can possibly get them back into our schools and not be a burden on the schools themselves. How much how much do you anticipate the focus classroom costing? 160,000. How much60,000? I think it's 60. I do want to clarify though that I don't I don't want to overpromise and underdel and so I I don't I would not look at this as a costsaving measure. I I I would be very cautious of that because some of our you know some of the behaviors we have out there and when we talk about this I know that it can dominate the conversation but that's because um there are a few students

029that we have that take up a tremendous amount of our time and it's not indicative of um 99% of our student population. However, that 1% um especially within a small school can really dominate the the work of a an administrator or the staff the BCBAS that we have. And so we believe and then of course then the other issue is that these out of these outofstate placement locations are full. So when we have an issue, we we are having a problem even having these these sites be able to pick up the children for service because they just don't have the room themselves. So this is really a another level of intervention that we're trying to introduce. One is so that perhaps we are able to um provide enough wraparound service and intervention um and what

030I would say um coaching of the child to be able to uh regulate behaviors and emotions in a in a manner that allows us to transen them back to either a special education classroom or a regular classroom for that matter hopefully um without having to send them to placement. Now, it doesn't mean that a student that ends up in this focused classroom uh wouldn't be on a waiting list and that if something opened up that they they may go uh but right now they're so maxed out that um we're having a hard time getting them to to be able to be placed. We've actually had children that have been on the waiting list for over a year, sometimes almost two years before we could even get them into and so then what we're then so

031what we're doing is we may have to provide homebound service which is you know um is not ideal. I was going to say that that's not the right because it's not well it's providing them an education but it's also not putting them in certain uh environments where there can be interventions that help them regulate and learn how to it's not those matched resource that's right where would this classroom be located actually we're running a test pilot right now over Tesco so we've actually what two weeks now it's not too bad so forward. So we we've actually took some of our heavy hitters out of the schools and moved them over to there. Seems to be going pretty well. They have three students in the morning and three students in the afternoon and it's a series

032of RBTs that run and BCBAS that come in and out program during the day. Are strictly our focus is around more around their behaviors right now than their academics just due to the fact that the behaviors are allow not allowing them to be academically challenged. And I have to commend Dr. Long because um you know he he already was the the area where we had had um the CARES Academy established and so he was leading that effort and so when I came to him and I said would you be willing to do this he didn't hesitate he said absolutely and so I I appreciate his leadership in that regard um and and working with us to help make this pilot hopefully work and hopefully we can replicate it. So yeah. So how long have those

033students been there? About two weeks now. About two weeks. Yeah. They came I think 31st I believe it was. Yeah. And I'll be honest with you um M Mr. Dilly this is Mr. Dilly has worked on this uh activity and I gave him a challenge said let's find another let's find an additional intervention we can do. He actually came to me with two classrooms and I said well we're we're pretty tight on the budget right now. Let's give one classroom a try. Let's see how it works and if it works well and we can Yeah. have success then it gives us a foundation to say okay we can add to so or add add to it let me put it that way I'm sure we can build to I'm sure we can build to we

034probably can but I want to make sure I want to make sure we can show success under this new model first yeah thank you Mr. We have a breakdown of the 274. Yeah, I can get that for you. But it should be if you if you still have your sheets from the last meeting, the summarized sheets, these items will be listed there in the in the notebook. Oh, it's in the the several pages of Yeah, I think we gave you like 10 sheets last time. So, each one is listed somewhere somewhere. Yeah, but I do have Mrs. Kener here and Mrs. Butner, I think it might be helpful to give some context on the extra duty assistant principal extra extra duty days for the assistant principles that was at the for the high school level.

035Can you come up and just explain because this is something that the reason it's here is because we we've been doing extra duty time sheets every year because of the need. I'm I'm suggesting let's stop making an extra duty time sheet. Let's just let's just make sure that they understand it's part of their expectation of their of their responsibilities. Can you just explain why there was the request and why we're as a group why we determined that this may be something that we should go ahead and just put in the budget because we've been approving it every year anyway. Yeah, in the past we used to um you know with hiring everybody's hiring all summer long now used to be hiring season and maybe hire one or two people in the summer. Um that's a

036big one now that um sports are year round. We have 32 flex days and the coverage um the athletic directors can't cover all of those anymore. Um it's just like they're they're constantly asking for time sheets. Um it could be 5, 10, 15. It just depends on the year. Um but this year they've requested I can't remember how many days they requested additional. I think what we were looking at was five I think was it was it five additional days for so to be an extra 20 days uh per school. So when Dr. Sax and I were having the discussion it's it's think it would be better served if we just added days to their contract as opposed to that's why we gave them a raise. That was that was the head that was well

037that was athletic director director that so so this is but they're assistant principal well the so there's a difference the athletic directors went I think they're up to 240 now the assistant principles are 213 oh okay that's why right so the assistant principles are only 213 and so and the and the problem is the athletic directors can't be everywhere e because you have multiple things going on And so, um, if you do, if we were able to add those five days, they're considered flex. So, they're not going to have a defined like the principal is going to schedule them out so that there's coverage on everything. That was the design behind that. Some would be the the hiring principles. Um, some would be the athletic coverages. Um, and it it could just it would even

038it out that way. And I and I I just want to make sure that that we're all on the same page because there's one line item in in this packet that is Hedgesville High, Martinsburg High for athletic director extra duty days. They've asked for that. I've not included that. That that was that was I think that's where the question from Jackie was was coming from was that one because then two lines down it is the extra duties for assistant principles. I just wanted to make sure the differentiation that this is not athletic directors. This is the assistant principles that are in the schools that we're looking to to do. The thing with the thing with the athletic directors, they they do not the only week they are off the entire year is Fourth of July.

039That is the only week that is a dead week for sports. So with them being 240, there's no way to cover it. They're you're still working Christmas week, Thanksgiving, spring break. Um so this way it would spread that out. um give them the relief they need and then um yeah we can cover the whole year. And to be fair, what all the princ all the high school principles had requested was to move the athletic director to 261 and I felt like and they not that they're not deserving but they are being spread thin. And so I think giving some of these extra responsibilities to the other AP the other administrators we have in the school which also I'll be honest with you moving them from 213 to does 250 to 220 I'm sorry thank you

040250 to 220 um that does make it a little more competitive when we have an opening for someone to go in a position when we're competing against other areas for high quality leaders as well. So So what's the cost of that? It was 30 probably 30 30,000 for the extra duty days assistant principal $7,500 per for assistant principal at each school for 30,000. What sheet was that? Um that is on the third or third sheet on the packet last time. Okay. I'll make sure I'll make sure you don't have that. So this is where every single at the high school. Yes, sir. Well, that's up to her. She's the boss. Would you like Well, this is supposed to be for all principles, not just high schools. That's what us as a union, that's what we

041had we advocated for. Oh, you had advocated for the assistant principal days. Yes. For all programmatic levels. Oh. Oh, I you I'm sorry. You have this was just the one that came from the principal. So, that's why we were talking about it. But what I'll say is that I do I did invite Dr. long and um uh uh Mrs. McCoy, thank you. Mrs. McCoy, representative from principal association to be here to talk about um some of the requests that they had specifically the uh student assistance facilitators. So when the board is ready, I I would like to be able to invite them to speak, but I just wanted to clarify that that this was specifically as a request from the schools and we were trying to accommodate that. So but but mention that with you

042thought. Yeah, I definitely will. Okay. So the reason I was asking I wanted to make sure that because the athletic director needs help spread thin. I want to make sure that if the money were to go to each assistant principal, how are we making sure that um all of them are going to be going to be doing this coverage and doing it equally? Yeah, I'm actually developing a calendar. I actually talked to um an assistant principal today, not explaining that any of this to him, but asking help to develop the 240 calendar. There is a 240 calendar like for custodians, um I think some secretaries, but it doesn't work for an athletic director because it has them off spring break, Christmas week. I mean, there there's there's 20 ball games over spring break. So, we're

043doing a flex schedule with them. So, what they're helping me do is is the the actual downtime that they have and we're we're going to plug these in to those those different dates. It's hard to explain because it's a flex calendar and I don't have it with me yet. We literally talked about this morning, but it ensures that everything is covered, correct? Based upon this this the calendar and the days that we have for those administrative employees. Correct. Yeah. No, I I wouldn't be concerned about it being covered. My my concern is that say I'm the athletic director and I just need enough help just for my but then Melissa's also going to get the bonus and she's not Michael will cover 10. Melissa covers two but she still am. That's why we're going to

044have that calendar for those extra. Yeah. Oh yeah. I'm going to make sure that they're working those days if that's what you're asking. So, you're monitoring the calendar, not the principal. We're going to give them a calendar, but they're going to have to fill it in and and show us where they're being serviced. Yes, absolutely. And it's going to change here, too. That's part of it. Yes, sir. Not to throw the mud in in the water here, but we have the principles here. We have central office staff. I was looking through the list here. uh for advocates and I'm just concerned that I don't see the professionals representative nor the service present if I'm looking out there I don't see them and I'm just concerned that it all comes down to the classroom the teach

045comes down to the bus if it runs and I'm concerned if one of the criticisms from my radical days top of the needs assessment determine the needs at the top and I don't see here other levels here you know well um so to be to to be transparent we've gone through the last several days of our faculty senate uh meetings uh where we've had input we're also we've also been meeting with our employee association representatives of WBFT and the service personnel association WBA service um monthly and I've engaged with them about where some of their needs have and so we've tried to include these things as we think about where we are class sizes those sort of things to this evening I had my administrative staff here because I expect them to come to these

046meetings um but the principles association um had reached out and said when would be an appropriate time for us to be able to speak and so I said well if you would like to then we have the the activity this evening. Um the employ the other employee associations have not made any specific requests, but I would be absolutely happy to invite them um at one of our next budget meetings to be able to come and and um advocate on anything. But I'll be honest with you, in our conversations, they um most of their things have been around more um logistical operational type things as opposed to specific requests. other than they would like for us to continue to find ways to do uh employee compensation with um our uh housing allowance. One of the requests

047was can we increase the the well I should say it was not unified. There were a few people that said can you increase the attendance incentive cost or or reimbursement. That was not I would say a a u there was not a huge I don't know that there was a consensus on that one but there was a consensus on being able to try to keep the um the housing allowance. So um uh but I would be happy to invite them to come and speak for sure. We're going to make decisions tonight finalize these lists. They won't be present to have input. Well Mr. I'll say this as a president of those organizations for many many years. I never missed one of these meetings and nobody invited me. So, and that's nothing against them. They may

048they maybe have already put forth their wants and and Dr. Sax's my point is since this meeting is fall. Yes. Exactly. I get that. Okay. I will make sure that I engage them though um to make sure that they know that they do have an opportunity for a voice and because their voice is important and this meeting is going out to them right now. Right. So if one of the leaders showed up that would be great. That's right. Absolutely. I wish they would. Well, I also want to say this isn't just only for athletics coverage. is for they you know um the hiring also for um summer school the the um assistant principles are done basically the same day the teachers are done. They come back early to start the year, but at the end

049of the year, there's so much with transcripting um that has to be done. And the these these few days will help commen to their credit. I'm sure just like the teachers take papers home and grade them over the weekend. So, these people are probably working off the off the clock. I'm sure many days. Uh the other thing that I would say was loud and clear was that teachers were concerned with behav you know the behaviors in those early earlier uh classrooms and that was one of the reasons we wanted to prioritize this focus classroom too. So it there may not be specific things that appear on the surface to be uh things that are are directly being requested from them but they are methods by which we are hoping to address their concerns too. So,

050just just wanted to share that just because I was curious um when I was looking at and because Mr. Murphy kind of prompted it prompted this um I went through the packet that we gotten the last time and pulled out the numbers for what the leadership was looking at. Um I couldn't find necessarily um a breakdown of specific various software cost increases. So that that one while that one is on there, I didn't include that. But the various items there when I corresponded it with the amount that was listed in this sheet, it comes to 324,000, not the 274. So I'm trying to figure out what that means. You can tell which one is more. Well, though it's the leadership team recommendations for each one. Yeah. Well, some of them we didn't totally find either.

051like we we might say, "Well, you asked for this, okay, but here's what we'd be willing to do." That's what I'm specifically asking for because as far while it's not broken down here, I think we asked for 50 tuition and put in 2500, right? Oh, okay. That perfect because that's the part that I was like, I don't know, we got the three. Yeah, we were trying to we were trying to say, okay, we can do a little because remember all of these requests that the leadership team is recommending that we consider are requests from the schools. I just wish it had been broken down so we understood what was in the 274. And we can still do that. We will actually do that. Yeah. And it's if it's the wrong number, if it's just it's

052dollar amounts per hair, it' be much easier. Yeah. Take less time for us. We can do that. We can we can absolutely do that and share that with you so that you have it. Yeah. I I think that the safe school platform increase is actually um if I'm Is that the one that Dr. Branch talked to us about? And that's that's Justin's school. Uh we have we have an increase because we have to add some of our substitute teachers in. So the number of users are increased. Sure. Plus every year the license fee itself goes up as talking about software increases. So that's to cover an increased number of users that have to be put on the system as well as the increase in the five cost. Yeah. The the tuition reimbursement that you were

053talking about is listed in the packet is 50,000 versus the 25 you were you were you mentioned. And so that's the that's probably where the crux of some of this is. Like the halftime secretary was listed as 38,000. I'm assuming that's probably not a that's a high number for a halftime secretary. Not with benefits. 38,000. Yeah. Yeah. There there's not much difference, but I mean there's not a huge difference between halftime and fulltime when you factor in benefits to be honest with you. Okay. So you still have to pay the fulltime person for retirement. So retirement. Okay. I get you. I get you. The reason I was asking that is that um I wanted to make sure that one of the things we've also been working on is the um all the um save schools

054button um that Dr. Brandon talked about. Is that in this? Um I don't think we put that in here. Okay. That may be another thing we have to look. That's the emergency panic buttons. We've been we've been betting we've been vetting some companies on that. So that that may be something. So we don't cost that. Um 160 200. It was 200. Got 200,000. This is where my He told us that at one time when he didn't he present something like that to us. I think he he let me He mentioned it. I guess this is where my brain goes. As much as I I want to keep the housing allowance as high as we had it. I don't want to reduce it all the way down either. But is there something in between that we

055can do? Maybe it wasn't as high as it was last time, but is where my mind goes about having that in my head. I think that does bring up a good point for us to discuss. But before we do that, I I did I did challenge Mr. Buts. I said take I'm going to make some scen I've asked him to come up with a scenario and this is not by any stretch of the imagination saying this is how this how you all should do it or even my recommendation to do it. But it's a way that gets us to the priorities and me trying to deliver a balanced budget. Okay. So, but before we do that, Mr. Buts, I would like to have an opportunity for our principles association to come up and talk about

056the request and the after our last conversation on the student assistance facilitators. Um, I met with them and said, "Look, I I don't know that I can do nine. I definitely can't do 19. I don't know that I can do nine, but what if I was able to do three and how would that look? And so, we've talked about it and I don't know what they're going to tell us uh because they're the ones who've been working with the principles, but I wanted to give them an opportunity to um after as their request on this item to to speak. Uh first of all, thank you for the opportunity um to speak with everyone this evening. Uh we appreciate you listening to the concerns and as as principles, we we understand and and back to Mr.

057Murphy's comment as a principal uh you know the legendary John Sparero told me a long time ago my job as a principal is to protect and and to advocate for everyone inside my building and that is teachers students and staff and so while we are here representing our administration our requests are to help um every single person inside of our buildings. Um the student facilitator position uh came about a few years ago at the high school level to help alleviate some um of the um I guess administrative duties required of special education. Um those duties are not going away. Um and they're growing astronomically every day. Um and also not only with special education but with um 504s. Um I can speak on behalf of of Mil Creek. We currently are sitting at 47 504

058plans. With those 504 plans, um, my one assistant principal not only has to be our IEP chair and for all of our special education case loads, but in that 504, she does all of the administrative paperwork requests, writes the 504s, does all the meeting notices, and holds all those meetings. All of that time is used up within those administrative meetings are removing her from being an instructional leader inside of the classroom um and being able to work individually with with teachers and students um because she's sitting in meetings doing those things. So the role of the student facilitator um would help chair those IEP eligibility committees um help with the multi-tered system of support documentation planning and writing um the 504s and ensuring that we remain in compliance with timelines and legal requirements with special

059education um and federal guidelines. um many of our facilitators are actively um participating in the SAT process and helping to make sure that that referral those referral timelines are met and monitoring those processes through them. Um and that is how the um job description of the facilitator was originally created and written for us. Um it is crucial in helping us maintain those federal and state regulations. I think Mr. Jill can appreciate that role with us and there's a lot of checks and balances that go um into that. And while we recognize, you know, that this is a rather large budgetary request and and we've talked to Dr. Saxs about some compromises, um I also want to um recognize that in these meetings it's never easy and being a representation it's never easy because what is

060good for an individual is not always what's good for the whole. Um, and we have to as individual leaders sometimes take a step back and reflect on how can I look at this as the broader picture because what may not be 100% what's best for Mil Creek Intermediate School that it it may not be what's best for Mercy County Schools. Um, so with that being said, I would love and what we originally requested is to have a facilitator for every single school. Um, especially those with large special education populations. Um, but that's just not in the cards. So, we met with Dr. Saxs roughly and seems to roughly maybe 10 days ago, maybe a little longer than that. and we came up with, I think, a pretty fair uh compromise or or just a pretty

061fair method of how we want to do things. I will tell you guys this though, um, kindergarten through fifth grade, we drastically need help. I understand that high schools have have student assistance facilitators, but many of our schools do, too. I will tell you personally, I have 43% of my school in special education. So, if I did not have a student assistance facilitator, I'm not really sure how I'd do my job. I'd be sitting in special ed meetings all day long. Our intermediate schools, she Miss McCoy, she only has one assistant principal. So they are drastically needed at the intermediate level as well. You know when you have 600 kids and a ton of special needs students yeah most of our our intermediate schools are range anywhere from 20 to 30% special education population. So

062essentially I understand that and assistant principal helps a lot with special ed but you have to understand too that discipline is running wild in our schools and that takes many times two of us to handle. So it puts a lot of burden on the intermediate principles and it puts also a lot of burden on the assistant principles because they're trying to handle discipline and also trying to handle the increasing amount of student IEPs we have. Um, I will tell you at the intermediate schools as well, they have a ton a ton of 504 plants, you know, over 50 in some cases. And it's just something has got to give because I will tell you that our administrators are are burning out. You know, you can't you can't handle exorbitant amount of special education meetings and

063then do your job simultaneously. Let's say for middle schools too about conversation and and what we what we Dr. Saxs us what we came up with was I think a pretty fair plan based on the on two things. Number one student to administrator ratio and number two the amount percentage-wise of special education students that we have as a school. And that is I believe how we came up with this. And I don't know if Dr. Sax is going to present his plan to you tonight. Uh no, I I will what I'll do is I will present if I if I know where the board is leaning when it comes to the to the budget. Um I actually will present my plan during the transfer employee transfer meeting or if an employee has a transfer uh

064a transfer hearing. Okay. That's when I'm able to present that information. When you say we, are you talking about the principles? When you say Well, could you put that in the context? You said we. You said we. I know that, but but that's your context. What? What is But you got to put it in a sentence. I think I said we like 17 times. Well, are you talking about when we met with Dr. Sax? Yes. That's So when I say we up here, I'm talking about the the principal union and the executive committee. Okay. Uh but but we drastically that's what I meant. We the principal. Yes. Well, the principal's union. Not every principal is a member, but we try to advocate for everybody. And I also want to add not every member of the

065principal association agrees with right the plan and and that's okay. And and my message to every principal was as principles, our jobs are to advocate and facilitate for what is best for our own individual schools. And back to my, you know, opening statement of sometimes what's best for the individual isn't what's best for the whole. And, you know, um we have to have to look at the whole here. Um two other things that we did as far as budgetary things go, um were full-time counselors in our primary schools and our schools that currently don't have one. Um, and I I think all of us can agree how vital that position is and and how important it is. We currently have a few primary schools that are sitting without even a part-time counselor right now because

066they couldn't fill those positions. A being a part-time counselor and split between two schools is not as desirable um place to be um and they were unable to fill those positions. Uh they have I think retired teachers and retired principles really even coming back just helping in that role. But as far as certified full-time counselors, they don't have them. Um, so we advocated, you know, the importance for that. And then also back to the the assistant principles, um, we talked about, um, that many of our assistant principles are working unpaid time just like teachers, just like secretaries, just like everybody. Um, but over in the summer, we need their support and their help with hiring. Um, and at the elementary level, um, like my assistant is only 210. And so she, um, it comes in

067and helps over the summer. I can pay the teachers, but I can't pay her. And so we were asking and requesting out of respect for them to come in and um, to have the ability to be able to pay them. And I and I would I would echo I do think that the number of days that our assistant principles um have across the board is relatively low, especially when you compare them to other large counties. Um and the other large school, you know, other school systems. Um and so I I do think that that may be something that we need to take a look at in the future. Um, but I was trying to start in one place and and move. So, the other question I would have is if if you would permit me,

068um, it was very important for me to be able to try to accommodate some of the requests. And so, that was one of the reasons that I wanted to be able to tackle the counseling request. I actually had a conversation with one of the principles uh one of our principles this morning who would be affected uh because they have a full-time facilitator currently but under this this plan we what would happen is some that have full-time facil facilitators now because of their low special ed population may move to a part-time facilitator because they split between two schools. And um in my conversation with this principal when they learned that part of the possibility they get a full-time counselor because right now they only had a part-time counselor that wasn't able to be filled because it

069was hard to fill a part-time counseling position. They were much more at ease. Um, and so I guess the the the qu because I'm I'm trying to do a little bit as much as I can um in my recommendation to the board and I know the board wants to be able to do the as much as we can as well because we know that that has a direct impact with with the operation of the school which impacts the good of the classroom. Um, does the principal association have a priority of for us as to which one you'd like to see us do first? counselors. If we could only do one of them, is it is it adding five counselors or would it be adding the facilitators? I'm just curious what what you think in that

070regard. Um, we have I think it's unfair to answer or ask or answer that question really because we haven't prioritizing. Um, I you know, originally we had requested the addition of I think it was nine facilitators. Um, and then with the compromise being of sharing, it would reduce that to three. Um, so three additional I guess I should add that on there. Um, recognizing our primary schools without assistance and without full-time counselors and having their facilitator, you know, on the potential transfer, um, they need help and that full-time counselor would help be able to support them in those roles. So, how many do we have that are just only have a part-time counselor? and what? Jaredtown, Back Creek B. Well, and some and so and also some have a full-time counselor, but it's halftime funded

071with title one dollars and they're losing title one dollars. So that's but in order for us to make sure that all schools have a full-time non-slip counselor. And that's the other thing is when we add I think the problem is that when we add let's say a school that is having half that is not title one we now give them a full we can no longer use title one funds to fund the other half position because we're it would be a supplanting issue. So in order for us to be taken care of for everybody and have everybody at the at with equality across the board, right, we have to we would have to add five counseling positions total. I and I think the larger the larger message is, you know, overarching is our jobs as

072principles are to help protect help run our schools as instructional leaders in the best efficient way that we possibly can. Um, and to help support our students and support our teachers and we feel that, you know, all of those the things that we've requested will help do that. And um I mean I will tell you my student assistant facilitator is amazing. Um she runs all my IP meetings. She runs all my 504 meetings. She runs all my staff meetings. She runs pretty much everything when it comes to special education. Um she's a lifesaver. With the eight to nine special ed classes I have plus academy on top of that. There is no way that I could effectively have gone to school without her. I mean that's she's just good and I know that there are

073a lot of other schools in need as well. Um there are a tremendous amount of special education students in Berkeley County and those of us who have prek classrooms as well. You know that's an extra burden in terms of meetings for us as well. So we desperately need you guys to consider the these three facilitators is has been determined where they would go and you're just requesting three positions and then sex would so there's basic so we based upon uh some of the work that we did if there were to be three we do have a a plan of how we would probably go about the staffing we would need to finalize that. everything is so fluid right now because I can't I couldn't guarantee that there's gonna be nine funded, three funded, any any

074additional funding. Um I I would also say though that even if the board was to if if if this the three the three uh additional could not be accommodated in this year's budget, I think that there is still a warranted um restructuring of how the facilitators are allocated um regardless. And so we would we would still need to look at that, I think, even if we don't have the three. Well, the three could there be six halves? Well, and and honestly, I don't want to reveal the plan or what really what the perceived plan would be, but yes, that's how it is broken down. Yeah. Halfves, thirds, things like that. Um and and guys, one other thing I would really like to recommend, too, and and this is something that Dr. Sax and I haven't

075even discussed, but I really think you guys need to look at Pike as well. Mr. Fry has a tremendous amount of IEPs there. And I'll be completely honest with you, when Beth and I met with Dr. Saxs, we just our minds went blank. We didn't think of Mr. Fry. Um, but he has just as many special education students in his building, if not more than I do. And I I don't know how he does it alone. two two questions. Um, Dr. Sax, you've been here for nine months. That's long enough for a baby to be arriving. You you brought some good ideas. It's not how I was going to say keep birthing new ideas on he's gone through labor pains. That's good. But I I I you have found some things going on that I

076was unaware of in the county like extra aids at certain levels and and transportation costs and everything else and and I'm listening requests for people to basically meet the needs of paperwork and and I'm I'm just wondering Are we generating internally extra paperwork or is this extra? No, I would say that paperwork is as a result of federal mandates and guidelines. But but I don't think but I I don't think that the I want to get a little philosophical for you if you don't mind. I think you can do that from time to time. All right. Um well I'm going to tell you. So, as a parent, um I actually shared a story um uh with a principal this morning and I was talking about the importance of if I am a parent, especially at

077the primary or intermediate level and I have a child that is going through the SAP referral process uh to determine eligibility. Um, and I without without making my wife upset, I I have done that as a parent and even as a parent who has a doctorate in education, um, has is a superintendent and a wife that has a master's, going through that process is a very, uh, emotional thing because you're talking about your child. And so when you're talking about your child's um struggles or needs um it is really important that when you sit down in that meeting that there is a relationship established that there are trust that is built between the teacher um perhaps the a specialist or or a special education teacher and the school administrator because they are the ones to

078make it all work. And if you go into that meeting and you feel that you're a an item on the calendar and that you're not necessarily going to have the time to be listened to and to express your concerns and to be able to work through that, um, that's not going to be a really positive experience. And so as an administrator, I think it's really really important as we think about a customer service mindset with all of our families, but when we're dealing with this because it's a it's a it is a milestone in a family's life when you go through this process with your child um to have that time with the school and to have that trust built. And so I understand when you are a principal, especially let's say a single principal

079in a building and you're having um you know you're trying to monitor instruction in the classrooms, you're trying to be visible and these sort of things and then you have let's just say one meeting that's supposed to be an hour, but in order to get it really done and to make them feel heard, it has to go over it has to be an hour 10 minutes or an hour and 15 minutes because you don't want to shut someone down and say, "Well, I got to go do this now." And so I I see I I applaud and I am exc I was very I applaud the vision of having these people do the these these roles in our schools. And if I could put one in every single one so we could free up the

080times to be able to to do that. I think I think it's it's a worthy cause. Um, but I I I think that where our principles are coming from is they want to be able to prioritize that time with our families, but they also know that all the other things that we have to be able to do and it's not the paperwork thing. It's really just it's being able to talk, you know. So, I just want to share that and that's what I was going to say, the paperwork aspect. I mean, that has to be done. That's an individual service plan for a student, you know, that's all part of process. The paperwork is not what the big thing is. It's the time and the investment you're putting in in these meetings. And routinely, most

081of these meetings now last an hour and they run to an hour and a half. And when you're dealing with a prek student or with a with a student who has a lot of additional services, you know, each person that works with that student is presenting in that meeting and each person gives their all. So they don't they don't, you know, cut things short. So these meetings run very long and so it's not really a paperwork issue, it's a time issue and the paperwork can be an issue for a certain member of the staff. Yeah. Right. But the reason that we have the facilitator is to assist someone in the paperwork is really want to make sure that that time can be there with the parent. So I think it's important to remember this packet

082of paper represents a child. Yes. Two. You you generated one more question, but uh two two other questions. Two. You just said one. You're talking about the facilitator and the counselor. Talking about there. Are counselors able to do the same thing as the facilitator in IEPs? No. And so what are we gaining if we get five part-time counselors? We still have the facilitator hanging over our head. That is right. Well, that's why I I mean, first of all, the counseling issue I think is it it's just it's a it's another part of the uh challenge that we have to meet our kids needs with um uh first of all teaching the counseling lessons that are required in code, but also being available for social emotional support and those sort of things. Um and so that's

083one of the reasons that I tried to prioritize the counseling in in the budget. Um but they're really two they're really two separate things. Okay. And my final question is last year when the principles came to us and we sat down and they went out to school and talk um a couple um you were what was your counter 220 contracts? Yeah. Uh we ended up being we're 235. you you moved to 250. Yeah. Okay. I I knew you were working a lot of days. You had to work to interview people off the off the counter and so we increased the 250. Um my my concern here and I Mr. But I had this conversation is I don't mean to be picking on um this job is not picking between good and bad. You have two

084great requests. We only have money for one, right? And we have to pick between between two. And I'm sitting here thinking, okay, we're talking about facilitators that you that that you're going to come back next year and we're talking about the social needs with counsel. But I don't see why how we can do both even with the priority of five counselors how we can do both and still get back to the housing allowance or anything else. Well, and I will go back to So, which one do you want? Well, I will go back to our last year were originally part-time counselors for the elementary schools. That was our original request. Um, and you know, graciously the board and uh at the time uh superintendent gave full-time facilitators to those schools, which you know, I think

085has been very beneficial to them. Um and and I'm going to go back to I feel like Tyler might have a different answer, but I'm going to than me. Um I have a full-time counselor, so I I know the vital thing of that role. Um, but as if we're standing before you representing our entire organization without speaking to them, I don't feel that it's fairly for me to say I want this over that. Yeah. Um, but I will say that yes, both are very vital to the success of a school. Um and um if there's anything that we can do to you know look at that. Um I will tell you uh I saw on another slide the ISS for intermediate schools. I'm speaking for Mil Creek not the others. I will forgive my ISS

086um aid um for that. Number one because I'm gaining a ton of classrooms and I'm not sure I would have even a location for them. But um but you would forgo the ISS aid to in order to have a facilitator a facilitator facilitator if we could figure out how to swing is a full she does have over 600 kids or close to 600 and and I will say this once you hear Dr. Sax's plan for facilitators. It may change your mind a little bit because he has a very I think strong plan. Um it doesn't it doesn't please everyone and I understand that but he does have a plan where every school you shouldn't be saying Dr. Sax is not he's telling he's just saying I got a good plan. He's just saying yeah he's

087just telling you how how he feels about it. I'm just saying that he has a plan that every school is represented in some way and while it's not the same as last year, I do think it does for now adequately meet those needs. Do you think that it potentially puts us in a stronger position as in as an organization? Yes, absolutely. Yes, definitely. Um, we did things again by admin to student ratio and by the percentage of special education students because if you do look at the job description, it is predominantly dealing with that type of paper in those meetings and special education students. Well, request I have then if if um you're willing to you know my that those in school suspension groups were my request but if those uh intermediate schools would rather

088have their facilitator I'm speaking for me I'm sure I'm sure Dr. Arch and Dr. But that is but and that well that's something that I'm I'm very comfortable in engaging with our principles and say hey you know this is part of the conversation. I know we may not be able to reach a a 100% consensus but tell me how you feel about it. That way I can amend my recommendation to you all based upon that additional feedback with our administrator. And I'll tell you my rationalization behind that. I'll be honest with you. Our goal was always to keep our students in our classrooms. Um, and when you start looking at the difference between in school suspension and out of school suspension, either one, the student is removed from that classroom. And on paperwork, the students

089are still suspended and it counts towards your manifestations. So, um, you know, I I don't do a lot of in school suspensions for that reason. I do a lot of, you know, um, restorative practices, but also my my population is very different than some of the other schools, too. So the only thing I call is being with them in school. You could send them down the hall for 2 hours. Absolutely. And then bring them back. When they're out of school, they're gone for they're gone for the whole day. Yeah. Or that's my Yeah. They're important positions, but if I'm prioritizing today, that would be I I would be curious to see if to your point what it would look like if we you keep the keep this line item of counselors within the elementary schools.

090um having the three facilitators that I think was mentioned um and then not necessarily doing anything with the ISSIDs. I know that that's Jackie's baby. Um however, however, I think I I that was requested. Yeah. But I also think that at the time it was requested, there was probably not knowledge of what certain activities were also going to take place as it relates to facilitators and counselors. So I think I would I would personally encourage Dr. Saxs and his team to go back and you know the especially given the schools that have a part-time counselor that they either have or can't fill and figure out is that is that an option? I I agree. I would like to know personally if they still want an ISS because we can't do all three. We can't. So,

091we get to all three. That's the unfortunate part. And one thing that I will say is Dr. Sax has always been good to us and he's always he's always worked with us and we are willing to work with him. Um, you know, we don't have a hard black stance on anything. We're we're willing to listen. We're willing to I don't know if negotiate is the right word, but but have conversations. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're not up here demanding anything. you know, we he has I believe a really strong plan. Um he has met with us on it. Um and our goals don't know if we endorse it as too strong, but we we do agree with it. And our goals as as leaders within the county are are not only to advocate and support for

092our individual schools, but the county as a whole. You know, if we didn't care about Berkeley County schools as a whole and what would was successful, we wouldn't be here. Um, so you know, we could care we care about the success of the whole county. Um, too and looking at there has to be some give and take in budget season. You, you know, if you've been around long enough, you know that like you just have to do that. Had a question because earlier don't want to keep this going forever. Sure. But um, earlier Well, somebody um, you earlier you mentioned that you didn't have consensus. So can you share some of those that do not agree what their other ideas were or their thoughts? So there are there are many principles who would prefer to

093have their facilitator all day every day and that's how it was. But Beth and I and Dr. science realized that, you know, this organization is not made of money just like any organization isn't. And while I'm sure he'd love to do that, we can't. We don't have the financial resources to do that. Um, on top of that, the association had requested nine additional ones. There's just no way for county schools to meet that need. And we understand that. That's why we listen to Dr. Sax's plan and and he's not giving us nine, but he could possibly give us three in some way. And I feel like that three is better than zero. And so we'll definitely take that. And I think that the principles that don't have assistant principles and don't currently have full-time counselors,

094um removing that facil full-time facilitator from them is scary. Um they're they're in their schools alone. As a leader, there's a lot that happens. um you know even while they have the smaller populations they still have some discipline issues they still have um other things but I think looking at the job description of the facilitator um we really have to if that is the role that the county as a whole wants to go [Music] um as an association take that signing back and present it to your principal. Well, that we already have. Oh, but based upon our conversation today, I I'll I'll be happy to meet with um the different principal groups also um so that we're meeting with principles that are not just in the association, but the other just so that everybody has

095a voice and let me get a little bit more feedback from them based upon today's um conversations. and then that will help me solidify maybe a more definitive recommendation based upon their feedback and some of the options that we're we've been um I guess throwing around here a little bit in order to you know because as Mr. But uh in you know indicated we're right now we we have 747,000 you know roughly 747.5,000 to allocate with a lot more requests than that and so um I want to thank you all. I appreciate your your time today. Uh Mr. could you present a the scenario that that maybe you have worked on and I've talked with him roughly about this so I haven't actually seen it so I'm a little nervous I don't know what he's

096come up with but I want to just have an opportunity for him to share that this is where the rubber meets the road is we are responsible presenting to you a balanced budget and again as Mr. Murphy said these are all great ideas. Uh the biggest one on the list of course is the housing. But the challenge was how do you do most everything on the list and provide something as a housing balance and with every option there's a lot of choice you have to make. You know we met with the principles we met with staff and we cut the staffing down as much as we can based upon the role class size and that's you know 75% of our budget. Once you get outside of that, you know, with utilities, you're not going to

097know change make changes there or food service, you're not going to make changes on the cost of food. So, there's not a lot left outside of that. So, the challenge is how do you provide everything on this list and provide something in the housing and the two areas that we really have left would be the child nutrition if we didn't go if we went back from the C back to the charity parent. But again, in 24, we only collected just under a million dollars. So that' be a million there you could get back. The other big area that's really left is the second plan here for middle school. That'd be 25 to 30 positions and that'd be about another 2 million. So $3 million there still doesn't make up the 4.1 in the housing allowance.

098So if you adjusted that to about 500 per employee instead of 1,250 I think we could accomplish everything and stay within a reasonable balance budget. But what you're talking No, I want I want I do want to clarify though. But I wanted to clarify though is what you're talking about is not doable this year because we haven't made any we haven't made any concessions on middle school planning. He's talking about a scenario of if you want to be able to have a a sustained housing allowance as it has been. He's talking about the what if what you have to do beyond this coming year. Um, so I just wanted to clarify that is that that that solution would not be possible this year with this year's budget. And um, but I just wanted to share

099that that's that's one way we could get there in the future if we wanted to to investigate that further though. Right. Because again, it's always become a problem with us for that. You mean for the second plan? No. No. In order to keep to keep the housing that high, right? That would be one method that we could have a cost savings that would still be allowable under state code and class size and those sort of things is that that you could look at the uh C child nutrition and possibly some restructuring at the middle school level of our six middle schools with that second planning period. Um because you you would you would be able to reduce staff if you did that. Um you wouldn't. And we're not saying that's what we want to do.

100We're just saying it's a scenario of how that could trust me. Don't put that out there. And we're not And we're not looking at it. We're not looking at it. We're not looking at it. challenging everything to do, buddy. Thanks for did you come up with a scenario of possibly of what we could do for this year's budget though where we could possibly take a look at, you know, maybe not doing the full housing allowance, but giving a somewhat of an increase to the housing allowance. There's there's no way with the way we presented so far tonight with 747,000 even with this even with the food service the food service is going to gain you a million but if you look at this more than a million in the quest year above above the seven

101well I guess what I'm saying I'm not saying you you fund all the priorities I'm saying you're eliminating some of the other priorities but so for example I'm just going to I'm going to I'm not saying I'm but as an example if we were to silver loans 587,000 most of 750. So when you start picking those out and you do summer school and and the safety officers I mean you did that max. Would you like to sir? Yes sir. Let me throw a grenade into the I was waiting for this grenade. I I know Jim Mr. bucks. It's a conservative balance the budget, keep it balanced and everything else. But I was looking at the paper you gave us the last time and and at the top of that page you said it's recommended that

102we keep 16 and 2/3% of the budget. And I also know that we have to go no no no lower than 3%. But that's that's disaster if you're beginning that close. But I'm also looking at rankings here. Right now we uh we we did rank a couple years ago in 2020 overall 27th academic. Um and that was from that source book of the business services. academically and that's and that's what I'm concerned about. I'm concerned about a balance judge. I have all these concerns and I have all this gray hair from concern. But I'm also looking at right now on the data that they gave me for the school year. We ranked now 46th in math. We r we ran 31st in reading. We won't at the end of the school year. But I'm just

103saying that's my confidence coming in. Yeah. But that and and I'm I'm glad to hear that. But I want to get these numbers higher and I'll sacrifice the ranking of being 41st in the budget and go down a percent or two myself. So, an urge and not have and and not be at 16 and two close to go down to 14% to save the amount of money that we have in the housing for the employees because when they find out if we reduce it or eliminate it next Christmas, we're going to see resignations because they're not going to hear what's going on right now. They'll hear it, but they won't understand it. that when they don't get that paycheck, we might as well get show them which door they need to exit because they're going

104to be looking for it. And I I will sacrifice a more solid reserve in order to preserve what we have in the classroom right now. And so that's another option there that we have on the students paying a million dollars for their lunches. that that concept. I'll go to second planning period two years from now. I'll make hard choices on AIDS and TIS and TIF and all the other things. But I want to make sure across the board we're saving those people in the classroom and not cutting what money they get. And I'll make unpopular decisions with staff, you anyone else in order to do that. And I I agree with that. I think that we need to fund the housing allowance. Um we got all tremendous amount of comments regarding that last year and

105to take that away now and even half it would not be kosher to me or a smart thing to do. Uh let me ask you Mr. Buds, what is our what is in the budget? What is our projected fund balance for the fiscal year that we're in? is 35 million 35 million and 24 with 21 million. Okay. So, one of the things that I think would be helpful is hearing Mr. Murphy's and first of all, I want to thank you for your your transparency and expectations because that does help. I think that helps us on our end because we we want to know what mark we have to meet, but we also know that if if we're doing something with a long range plan of making sure that we do sustain it, then that allows

106us to start having conversations now about some of these bigger impacts later on. That and it gives us it gives us a um a metric or a pinpoint on the map that we know we have to hit. Um, and so if there is a stop gap to say, okay, well, we we're going to do this this year, but the goal is to get here, then that gives us something to to long range plan. Um, I think it'll be helpful to know what number you're you are actually willing to sacrifice there as a board and then Mr. But I need to meet and say, okay, this is what the board has said. Are we comfortable with that? And if we are, then actually Mr. bus will never be comfortable with it. But let me say that

107he and I will we he and I will collaborate to determine where his where where we feel like we can go strategically in order to meet the charge that this board has established. Um and in order to do that though, I do think we need to establish maybe what type of a number we're willing to go to. Um and with with knowing that it may take more than one year to stair step to where we hope to get. Well, I mean, even if we dropped um to 13.3, you're already going to be there when you did the housing announce last year for this year because this is based on 2024. 2024, we were at 16 point something%. You spent 6 million in reserves last year. That's going to knock us down to 35. That's probably

108around 12 13% right now. when so if you do another five six million you're probably around 10%. Question for you Mr. B. When we did the housing allowance last year and we just talked about the principal's salary increase from 235 to 213 and there were some other increases there. Were those pay raises going to be rescended along with the housing allowance if we do we have to renew because they would have to give a notice if that's what we were going to do? I know but that's that's my concern. We're we're some people get it for good and some people are just have to go year to year for it. And I'm I'm concerned that people are going to be budgeting next year thinking they're going to get this amount and if we cut it

109out, we're cutting it through. It's still $1,000 is still a thousand speed on top of that. I'm hearing it. I I guess where my was a year ago we were in a completely different space for finances than we are this year. And with the looming possibility of how the federal dollars are going to end up coming in for next year. I'm very very concerned that we aren't even going to have this. So, it doesn't matter what we vote on now. We're just not going to have it or we'll be digging ourselves into a real big hole. It's going to get the state looking at us real good. I just I'm very very cautious. I'd love to be able to give everybody across the board $10,000 for every single freaking year. I'd love to be able

110to do that because I think they're worth it as a bonus. However, we can't do that. So, how do we do this? How do we do this measured? They knew last year when we passed it, and I understand that there were some people that might not be aware, but it was said last year that this was a pilot. We were going to see if it worked. If it didn't, we were going to re-evaluate the next one and it could decrease. We said that before we voted last year. We're here at this table and I'm sitting there going, I don't know how in the world we're going to do it. We're all ready to go down a few points. And I get it. We want to go up in in in rank, but if someone's going

111to leave because we financially can't pay them $1,250 more dollars. Do you know how many years? I'm sorry. I just I'm having a hard time swallowing and we go in so much more debt. Do you know how many years Pat Murphy can tell you too that we were down to 3.8 or down in that bracket years and years? will be down there in less than two years. Jackie, not going because there's always something else on this list that you cut. You can't just We need to cut other things before we other things. I'm not willing to take that housing allowance for these people. That affects every I'm not discounting you. I'm just saying we can't do every single piece on this list. I agree with that. We're going to have to take some bets off.

112That's the hard part. I think it's I don't want to take away counselor. Dang it. I don't like What is that number? Is it 10%? Is it? Well, I I I would also be remiss in not doing my job if I didn't also say the other thing that you know that unfunded B or the unrestricted fund balance that we have is is also helpful to have is that we still have a falling waters project that we have to be able to complete and we know that we're going to we know and I don't know how much we still have left in in capital the capital projects but 16 16 and and So, we have some capital projects we know we have to do out of that prior even beyond the bond. There's um the possibility

113of some other property purchases that we know we might need to make as an investment to be able to build out. And so, if we get that 15 million with finishing, you know, I don't know what falling waters is going to end up being at with inflation and now we have new tariffs. So, we do need to be conscientious that I agree with that with that project that we may have to go into our reserves in order to complete the commitment that we have for completing that project. Um, and so and and I also we cannot go back to the SBA for any additional funds on these projects. Future projects, yes, but the ones that that have already been established because they they've already put um 20 $25 million toward the uh Mountain Bridge Primary

114and uh the falling waters. I will say there is good news and that is is that Mountain Ridge Primary the bids came in um $4 million less than what under current pricing than what we were what the what was what was expected. However, it's still over budget from what was planned from just because of inflation. So, uh not not a lot, but we don't know what that's going to implications going to have for Falling Waters, which is twice the size of the mountain. So, I just want to share I just want to make sure that that's still on the radar and um there's a you know there's obviously a lot of moving parts to that. There's a lot of whatifs and I think that it is um I think that these are all very important

115things that we have to that we have to consider. Um I can bring the board an absolute balanced budget of the of of uh revenues equaling expenditures. I can do that. Um I als but we but I know that I can't do that if there are some things on here that we that that are non-negotiable and the only way to do that is to go into the fund balance a little bit and if the board is comfortable with that then that's the then we will make it work but I think we have to know what is that number that you feel comfortable with. I'll forgo thing everything on this list to give that housing. I mean, I want additional counselor for sure, but it would still we and I I hear you. It would we

116would still have to go into the fund balance. I just want to make sure I think you have to run summer school as well as the half I on summer school. I'm sorry. You have 36 weeks to learn. And if you sit there and goof off and don't do your work and then you have this idea, I'm going to go to summer school to pick up what I didn't learn in 36 weeks, you waste money. The only thing I thing I worry about if I were to scratch summer school and not put it off the list is that the kids get a chance to eat. Just but but but but find another way to open up your cafeterias and children can get through the school. But we are sitting there the word that we do

117not have in our mission statement is students will be taught and instill that they understand accountability. You're here you have a Friday spelling test. You have you have 20 words and you have and we've lowered the standard to 60%. You have to pass 60% of that spelling test. If you make 55, you got an F. But if you got nine 55s during the weeks, you deserve an F. And at the end of the year, you float spelling if you keep doing that. We need to instill accountability. We keep giving people second chances. And we push the can down the road here. And $500,000. I'd rather give in the housing allowance than to have summer school for people who failed to do the work during the year. That's it. But don't Well, I was going to

118say, but aren't there some students that go to summer school because Well, they're not special needs. I'm just saying. No, it's just I want to take the summer school class so I can take an AP class or whatever. I think our return, but I don't think our return on investment I hear what Dr. Murphy is or Mr. Murphy is saying our return on investment is not there for $500,000. And me personally, when I'm hearing when I'm hearing from teachers that actually work it, they they I I have I have um a lot of a lot of stuff that that a lot of comments from teachers that have done it and they say it's a joke. I I'm just making the statement. They they've texted me and said it's a joke. I want to be able

119to provide some clarity though. Um, I understand what you're saying and I and I don't disagree with you, but Mr. Molax, I want you to get prepared to highlight some of the summer school programming that's in that number because a lot of it is not credit recovery. Most of it is not credit recovery and that's what we're I think that's where the crux of your frustration is. It's these are actually enrichment camps. So, I I would like Do you have it? Can you find it, Mr. Molax? I will. Um, I want to share with you what what this specific line item so you have a better understanding because the credit recovery we're going to charge and so there is more skin in the game because before we we were not charging into dollars. So anybody

120that has to take credit recovery because of they didn't meet the mark during the school year, they're going to have to pay in order for it to for them to to participate. So, how do our younger kids when they went to summer school, what how how did that work for our, you know, the elementary and middle school when they went, right? I I I get that. But for pre years, you're because you're talking about enrichment camps and those that are now going to be coming back and they're going to do the the credit recovery that it's specific to high school, they pay, but what about and middle Okay, and middle school. So, what about the elementary students? Is it going to be free for them to do any sort of credit recovery? It is free

121because because the third grade but but you know what I mean the passing of it. So the third grade success act actually requires that we provide um a summer learning experience for the students that are below level on their that we we've determined are not on grade level. Of course that's unfunded. It is unfunded. Yes. So we do have a we do have a specific legislative mandate to provide summer learning in um uh learning to close those achievement gaps for kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. Okay. So we have to we actually have to do that part. Um, we also have uh some again this is a wish. This is this is part of one of the things that I think will that I would like to be able to do um as a public

122school system to as a resource for our parents and our families over the summer months be so that their kids have enrichment learning activities. And these are not like you come in and you're sitting in a classroom and you're learning your your ABCs in the traditional way like you have during the school year. And so that's why I wanted Mr. Molax just to share. Now I I'm I'm vulnerable here because you're going to sit here and you're going to say, "My goodness, this guy's crazy. Did we really hire him?" Um because there's some things that are non-traditional summer programs here. But I want to I want to emphasize that the majority of that number for summer school of summer pro summer programming 587 is in salaries of our existing staff. So it it is additional

123funding for our our our school staff over the summer um that is compensating them more. And I just want to I want to stress that. Did you find it? Yeah, I did. Can you come up here to Mr. And if you'll permit me, just be uh very brief, very quick, unless they have questions, but give them a give them a give them a synopsis of what we're hoping to offer our families over the summer at different grade levels and and there's one even one today that we just talked about with Shephard, uh which will be a Chinese immersion camp, but go ahead. Yeah. First of all, we have steps to success. that's that's dictated by House Bill 3035 that we have to have that which would be that um what we're going to do is

124try to make sure that the kids are successful readers by the end of the third grade. So that would be offered to anybody who doesn't meet benchmark. Uh we have already sent out those invitations. Um we actually have close to 200 kids already enrolled which is a good thing. I was not actually even expecting that number. So they'll be housed at three different schools. um Spring's Primary um Rosemont and at Valley View. So, we will have hub transportation to each one of those places and we'll provide the staff. Um one of the first things I said, Jackie, to everybody is that there's no recess. So, yes, we're going to feed them. We're going to provide them that um during the day, but then we're also going to provide that reading and that math instruction. We're

125going to make sure that we look at it and use our Ready platform. It's not about testing the kids more. We do not we do not test them. We actually use the end of the year diagnostic and the beginning of the year diagnostic to see whether they had no learning loss over the summer. That's our goal. It's we'd like to see them grow up. That would be a a great thing, but we don't want to see that summer slide with these students. So, all the time is spent actually focusing on individual instruction during that time. Now, Dr. Saxs, um, of course, what happened to my phone? It went off, but that's okay. Um, he also has enrichment camps because we want to offer something to the four or five students. So at the the fourth

126and fifth grade students, yes, fourth and fifth, thank you. The fourth and fifth grade students. So we have um worked actually and last is the one that's put the work into this. She's done a phenomenal job. But she's worked so that we have these enrichment camps and we started with three because what we would do is we're going to rotate these. So if you're at the end uh if you're at Valley View, so Valley View might have the first one they might have would be the Blue Ridge um and the STEM camp. So, they're going to work with Blige Community College. Um, and of course, she has a lot of list of the things that they're going to do. They're going to be um scratch and create. They're going to be doing their own coding

127for one day. Um, the second day they're going to be doing and again, I'm not even sure about all this stuff whenever it has that Minecraft Adventures and um doing some other coding and and animated stuff um all on the computers. Um they're going to be animating stories on the next day on Wednesday and they're going to be doing brick by brick creations with Legos and again it's all STEM activities and coding and things that the kids would truly be interested in. There is there's a cost to us and I we there will be a small cost to the families that that do want their kids to do that. So that's one of them. So as it's taking place maybe at Valley View then we're going to have another one offered here maybe at Rosemont

128that week which would be horses for hearts. So then our kids are going to be out at Horses for Hearts. They're going to be going through a week long training um at that school or at that facility out at the at the barn and and doing all those activities with Horses for Arts. And then we also have one which I think is truly interesting. We have a lot of kids that participate in the theater. So then you have maybe spring meals during this time. That group going to the Apollo Theater. They're going to be a part of like figuring out like what the theater's like. um doing presentations. A lot of the things that we do is in our classrooms we do um we do theater uh reads. So whenever kids are doing theater reads

129they it helps them with a lot of fluency uh vocabulary and a lot of things. So this camp and the George camp they're going to be combined together to make a great experience for our kids. So then we're going to rotate those throughout. So if you then the next group and have courses for hearts the we'll just rotate. So as those go through then we'll have um the kids having these enrichment camp. Dr. Sax gave another one that he's been reaching out that we would have a a more more of an a lang a language camp like a Chinese diversion um camp maybe possibly working through shepherds. So we want to add to these as we go throughout. So we have this going on this summer. Can we add a couple more next summer so

130that we're not doing more um catchup, we're doing more enrichment during the summer. So, and and the and but these but these activities will have lessons established with them that align to reading and math reinforcements. Absolutely. Yes. And and and this is free. Uh most of them are would be free. Yes. Our students that are enrolled in Berkeley. That that is my that is my vision. Yes. Ryan, it's my vision. I'm just vision. Lewis. Yes. Mr. Mullen. Um classes start at what? 8:30. Um, we would run the same transportation hubs as the other teams. Which is what? Which is what? Yeah. 8:30 to what? Um, and they're half days. Yeah. I know. So, we're going to Let me pull it up here. Actually, what I'll do right after this is I'll go print this for

131you and give this to you. Yeah. Because it's super then you have it in writing and you can look at it. So, I'm actually looking at 8:30 to I'm thinking 11:30. Well, and then if you had lunch in there 8:30 to quarter to 11 8:30 to it would be half day, Justin. So what are we talking about? Half day for teachers would be what? I'm talking about the kids and half hours. So yeah, I know what the standard is, but what what would be the when would the kids get out? When's lunch start? What time, Jennifer? Well, we open to the public. So, it's an open feeding site. So, like we to be open for an hour. So, usually we start at like 10:45 11 noon. So, about 9:00 to 10:45. Yeah. Two hours. That's

132about an hour for reading and an hour for math. But no, like other than that, other than reading, you know what I'm saying? I'm sorry. No recess. There'll be an hour for reading and an hour for math. That's predominantly. Melissa, did you hear that? No, I didn't. I'm He's trying to He's trying to tell me I'm going to guess what it's going in one ear, out the other. I'm not listening to the emotional aspect. You're not going to get me on that one. Friend this for you. So then you have that what Anna sent out. So then I'll bring a copy. They'll go do that now. Yeah. And we can share and we can share more details with them just because they don't have to decide the night. I I just wanted to make sure

133we talked about it because I know there's a lot and I apologize, Mr. Murphy. I really want to cover up this. I admire your style here. You don't want to have a vote tonight. I will I will say you you've you've gone past my filter. There's no filter in my mouth. So Well, I saw that. Oh, my filter's gone. Um, I also wanted to ask because Lewis talked about elementary, but I'd like to talk about middle school because we also have our CTE summer camp that that I wanted to talk about as well. So, can you share that one, Mr. There's two weeks. It's free. Um, June 23rd through the 26th and July 7th through the 10th. Um, this is 8:30 to 3. This is an all or 2:30, excuse me. Um there'll be a

134one at Musleman High and one at Hedgesville High. Musleman High will have millworking, greenhouse, building maintenance, baking and pastry, broadcasting, hospitality, and photography. And Hedgesville will have millwork, greenhouse, animal care, baking and pastry, broadcasting, hospitality, graphic design, photography, and esports. And just so you're aware, this is for middle school students to enroll. They select two of those items. In the morning, they're with one with one program and in the afternoon they're with another program. Of course, they they get lunch, but they're getting exposed to two different CTE type uh programs. She is correct that it that one is free, but that is not in the general education funding. That is actually from F. It's federal CTE funding we can use for that. So, I just wanted to share that that one does not hit this

135budget, but it is sharing with you the the summer learning plan. So, The only thing I can I have a concern with with for summer school is the time. By the time we get started, it's 8:45 and when they uh for lunch it's 10:45. That's two hours and for that's not a return on investment. Sorry. I just my personal opinion. And I I I'm gonna I'll tell I'll tell everybody what I told Dr. Sachs. You're going to get people that just want to pet a horse. there's you're going to get person wants to pet a horse. That's not the that's not the point of the program. You're going to get other kids that are there for the right purpose. But I'm just saying like at at some point we've if this is an enrichment camp

136then it then and we're doing camps then there needs to be some incentive. There needs to be some level of investment just like we're doing for the return, you know, for the the credit recovery. that even more in in my opinion credit recovery might not necessarily I go with me for the sake of the argument docu Mr. work with me. I'd rather not spend or not have people pay for the credit recovery and I'd rather have them pay for this. The reason why is because there' be some charge for that. Correct. I I'm free. No way. Yeah. Not not a chance. It's my personal opinion. What I'll do is we will share additional details with you so that you have a full scope of some of these programs and I will also work with Mr.

137Lu, Mr. Mullenax to develop a a mechanism for charging um that will reduce costs that you all could consider if you decide to fund portion of it, any of it, none of it. Right. That would I'm thinking about that 4 million that gave to our teachers. Yep. So, we're paying our teachers for these too though. So, I understand. I I I get that. But but if we are paying for our teachers, we're going to be if we if we are charging students and their families, okay, and only 10 students are signing up, then then I mean that's that's the hey, but you're also you've got an idea of maybe this isn't working. That's right. Maybe this isn't the right one for this area. Maybe we need to do something. Maybe it's STEM. Maybe horses only

138get 10 kids, but maybe STEM gets a hundred. So, okay, next year we're going to put a lot more into the STEM than we are the horses. It's just Mr. That's fair. Um you mentioned um that the students that are getting for your program, there are students that through the legislature that said they're behind the wording again. U yeah we have steps to success that's required for us to offer that student support who are not making benchmark scores throughout the school year. Um, and we have, like I said, 200 kids that are signed up. And it's by invite only because one thing that the state has said is we're not just offering a generic summer school where people just want to send their kids and dump them off. It's not that. We need to be

139targeted and specific with what students that we have there. So, these are students that got an invitation. We sent them out via email. We also sent um we translated some for certain children. We made sure that everybody got a copy of it. We sent home reminders. Um but what happens is those kids are only that are not hitting the benchmark that in January we can go ahead and send out to them that we need to give them some extra support over the summer. Right. Okay. So, so my my question is is it true or is it not true that primarily a lot of those students are also below SCES group so economic group they could fall. Yes. Yes, I could see that. Yes. But I was wondering just because if if a lot of them

140do fall into that group then charging them people that don't have much to begin with um they may be like well I think for steps for success we would not be charging that that this is we need to offer this because when we get to that point where in the third grade if that's one of those I I want to I want to it's one of those things where you have have to consider if a student has for instance I just had a phone call from a parent the other day And one of the things I said is I know I I could pull up the scores and I could say have you registered your child this summer and the parent said absolutely because one of the things the school is talking about is a

141possible retention. Right. So one of the first things I mean what are you doing as a parent are you utilizing all of our resources and that's a resource. So I just want to make sure because and then I had a conversation about our third grade success act that by the time that your child reaches the third grade they will be retained. But again also I encourage you to she had already enrolled. So just trying to pro I think this is support for our students that are struggling and I and I think it's truly neat. And again, so like what we can do is how do we get the stretch on that investment for you? Like the first thing we talked about is the schedule, what it's going to look like. I'll get you those times

142to see exactly and I think you should be privy to what that schedule looks like whenever they get there to and maybe we can even do activities with them while they're eating their breakfast. Well, um the steps to success um there was no funding. It's county funded. South count out of our funding. Well, also we are using some of the we're using some grant money that we received from the state that is included in that. So it offsets some of the cost the state. So they do provide some money for that that we choose to use it to spend toward this. So it's not completely 100% funded out of the general fund. What about the other steps like step seven? You have a lot of latitude there. What are we spending on step seven now

143that we could be spending on the summer school because mandate bucks state? Is there you know programs that aren't beneficial at all? We we have been take we've actually been taking a look at our seven we we have been buding our 7D and 7A um and there are certain well there's a there's there's staff in both of those um I'd be happy to share those with that that what we are saying that we're going to budget out of those state aid funds. U there's nothing is there anything in this that is actually in 7D or 7A already this punishable no no I mean anything that's non- staff related that's on this these lists yeah I identified at one of the slides which ones are 7 okay yeah like art supply allocations are 7A communities and

144schools is um 78 is that already in did we put that in 7A if the board was to approve it yes they pulled that out the entire back. That's right. Okay. Okay. So, we could keep communities and schools under the budget that we have that does not include. So, se So, the communities and schools that's over here on your item list. Yeah. Is included in that. Well, we have 747,000 left, right, to allocate. That's that's including keeping communities and schools. Okay. We we kept them on the list because they were board requests. So, I wanted to make sure everybody saw it. Yeah. Yeah. Um I have couple questions. Um first first question um we heard a lot about the elementary schools and counselors. Um do middle and high schools have um do they have full-time

145counselors? All of them. And are they all filled? No. Middle is not filled. Okay. They have two. This one's not filled. They they have Yeah, they have somebody they have a sub in there right now and it's fantastic about it. Okay. So, they have two positions. Yeah, they have one that's not Okay. But but they do have they but for high schools they're all filled. Okay. And high schools also have assistant proess. Do high schools have um the student facilitators? That was the first. Can we can we pull those and stick them into the three the three facilitators for the elementary? Because my my the reason why I'm thinking is you've got counselors, you've got and this is this was one of the things that got got brought up with the with the elementary. If

146you've got the the assistant principles and you've got the counselors there, then you've got that thing that is that that has that stop gap where we're having the issues is the elementary school. So I'm I'm trying to figure out are we have we allocated this appropriately because if elementary school is where our foundation is set for their for students entire life we've we've done heavy on the high school but do we actually need to be doing it on the elementary schools and intermediates? So the high school facilitators were in place for past couple years just so it's been two years now. Yes. Okay. I apologize. However, um the the date by which we would have to put them on notice has already passed. So that was that was April 1st. Yeah. So that's why I

147say I can't right now. And each high school there's there's 400 plus IEPs. Um you know, you times that by two hours. Yeah. But there's multiple assistant principles and multiple counselors. And I I I'm I'm not trying to be a a smarty hand. I'm just I'm just sitting there going, I get that, but I also we we've also got elementary schools and inter intermediate schools that don't have counselors that need them and they don't have school facilitators that need them. So, like, are we doing this appropriate? I'm just asking. No, and it's a fair question. I think that you the thing is that when you have populations of 18 17 1800 high school students um that's also um when you're dealing with teenagers the behaviors discipline that's where those assistant principles are dedicating a ton

148of their time right in addition to but if we don't stop it I hear that we're still we're still reacting we're still reacting we need to be proactive and started earlier. But the problem is is like I said the facilitator in the high school just like all the others they're doing all the 504s and things like that. Those numbers aren't really going the discipline may be better but the numbers aren't going to get down. So you got the high school counselors that are doing their job assistant principal usually one of the assistant principles at least athletic director and then you got other things that they're doing. So all of their resources are they're already doing all they they're doing. So the counseling too is vastly different. Right. Well, of of course. And I'm not saying

149that it's not. I'm just saying are we have have we we we have been to use what some are referring to as a woke word. We have not been equitable in how we've stretched our our our staff. We just haven't. I'm gonna be I'll I'll be bold on that one. Have not. Just in terms of if you're talking to high school counselor, you're you're not meeting with students for the social emotional as much as you would at the lower level. At the high school, you're doing scheduling transcripts, making sure they have the right classes, getting them into college, getting them a job. It's a Right. But we haven't even opened up to have the possibility of having a full-time person in elementary school because we're still doing halftime. So, we haven't even afforded them the

150opportunity of of seeing if that's even a possibility for them. We're just saying it's full-time over there and they're doing something different, but that does that mean that that person isn't doesn't maybe want to do more of the counseling piece. Is that even like I guess where I'm sitting there and I'm going where we could catch this so that we don't have the extreme behaviors later where we could catch it is in elementary schools. Well, here here's we're just continuing to react. I don't want to take something from one to give to the other and then say you're balancing that out because we're not. The bottom line is I think we they're there and they're needed. I I mean that was presented to us last year. The amount of paperwork that high schools had to

151do for special needs. That's what we put the facilitators there for. I get it. But I'm just wondering if we did that correctly. That that that was the correct placement for them. That's what I'm questioning. And I agree with that. That's all I'm saying. And I'm not saying that they're not required. I think they have a tremendous amount of IEPs. Um, but they do have more help there than the elementary schools. My concern is even for the adding additional counselors on, are we going to be able to fill those positions? And that is a valid concern. There's a bill that is out that scares me to death. Every I think it's a council for every 250. Yeah. Um, Miss Powers, I would like to say if if you were to ask Ryan Sachs about the

152equitability of resources at different at different levels, I think that I have in our current staffing plan and restructuring that I I feel like I have am trying to address that across the board. Okay. And I don't believe that there is an um equitability issue between elementary, middle, and high as it relates to what the high schools have because of first of all, every programmatic level has different challenges based upon um the students that they're serving and the age span that they're serving. High school obviously has a multitude of different challenges than what would be in a primary or an intermediate school or even a middle school. Um, and I think that they are staffed appropriately. Okay. I don't think that there is, at least with the the areas that we've talked about today, I

153don't think that there's any uh fluff or or overages. I think that we have we have staffed them appropriately. The um I think that there are some other areas that were more like u district level support folks that I did not think was allocated as efficiently as possible. And that's what I've tried to address. Um, and so I mean you all got emails so you know where some of those are. So I just wanted to plan because I think some of the questions and concerns we have especially addressed in in this meeting as it comes from we don't know your plan yet. So when do we get to hear your plan? So I I can talk about in general terms about positions. The the thing that I have to be very careful about is I

154don't want to violate anybody's due process right there because we do have hearings. So what I what I can say is that let's I'll be happy to talk about um technology integration specialists as a whole. Well, so is that right? Oh, go ahead. Why don't you finish? Well, what I was going to say is that part of our restructuring plan is in in order to um make sure that we have uh focused classroom uh support on our core content areas is to be able to have academic specialists that are core that are content area experts that also have the you know, when you're talking about delivering um professional development or embedded support in the classroom around content delivery or the instructional resources that we have that are both county adopted for core or supplemental. It

155is only um it is only inclusive that that could also include how do you use technology to enhance the learning of this lesson or this activity and so those individuals need to have a blend of skills which includes technology and so on and so forth. Also making sure that we are able to support all of our schools with our onetoone initiative when they have a device issue or a login issue. So in restructuring the the um some of the positions that are around technology integration or TISS TSS's or CISOPS, we will also have in this restructuring plan the ability for our schools to have a TS dedicated TSS. Um some schools may have them split, but those will be the people that help triage technology device issues. Um and so that that's the first one.

156There are also some gifted um uh restructuring Because if you were to take a look at state code um and the uh number of students that we have in gifted education compared to how we have to serve them, we have like nine positions in the county, but we could actually go down to four. And so, um we're we're not suggesting we go down to four. We don't we want to be too extreme, but we do see that we have a way that we could be more efficient. And so uh and we've actually in that topic we have heard from principles and we've heard from some of our gifted teachers their concerns and their thoughts and we're actually revising that initial draft plan. So um Mr. Dilly and I have been working on that and and

157I'm going to have a more of a refined plan prior to we us having any transfer hearings that I can share with you at that time. um the um and then of course then there's also we've already talked a little bit about student facilitators and some of those challenges and that restructuring and then of course we also have some of our our prek ECASTs. So, you know, state code requires that if you have um for every prek classroom that's general education, um as long as you have under 10 students based upon the maximum classroom size or eight students for a smaller classroom size of special education, you only have to have one aid u or one ec. And what one of the things that we learned is that we were staffing all of our our

158class our prek classrooms regardless of student need or student population or student identification for special education services with two. So out of the 67 classrooms we have of prek in the district uh we have I think it's seven that are um that are considered which is special education classrooms which would require two aids but the remaining only really by law and by code require one. So that's 60 additional positions and that's a cost of somewhere around $2.5 million. And so I felt that it's we it's only responsible to take a look at okay how are we not only staffing those those classrooms but how are we enrolling students in order to make sure we're efficient with how we do staffing and I know there's a lot of concernation around this one. Um, and that's why

159part of that rest that that restructuring plan is to also add floating ecats so we can still reduce and still have coverage for these certain areas. Um, so they can get breaks and they can get breaks and they can be compliant with with policy 2525 which does require that um uh you have two adults with those those students. Um, and and honestly with schools that are not just prek facilities, but they have, let's say, preK, kindergarten, first, second, they have a lot more staffing ability to be able to in in their schedule to be able to provide for some of those accommodations. Um, in addition to maybe a floater if if if it's uh warranted for that site. The other thing that we we are also taking a look at doing is is um as

160we have to post new transportation aids is we post them as a uh transportation/classroom aid u because they can go from the bus they can go from the bus to the classroom and those positions because of the hours they would be entitled to overtime pay and we may have some bus aids that would say hey I would be interested in putting a little bit more you having more work um if It means that my salary could go up with the overtime pay. Uh because anything over 40 hours, we would have to pay time and a half. And that right there would save us from having to hire a position and pay benefits for an additional ECAP. But they could be they could be at a site, be a floater, be uh help with special needs

161services. There's a tremendous number of counties in West Virginia that do it that way. Um I'm not saying we restructure what we're currently or must have because that they're comfortable with those positions. I'm saying anything we would add. So that's just another example of how I think that there's some ways that we can be more efficient um save money but also put the money that we are spending to better use for the classroom itself. I've already had um conversation with Dr. talks about that is very much against that but um if it's for new positions coming forth yeah not pre-existing position if we only knew we would try Mr. the uh on high school counselors. One thing that we we should keep in mind, a lot of students um we have low socioeconomic or even

162um regular means do not have the family support or guidance to wait through the process to go to college or military or the trade school. And the counselors in the high schools provide that you know high school set as departments. So the students are going through an assembly line and the counselor is kind of the human touch of where are you going to go after we get finished with you here and help give you that guidance. And that's something that the elementary people I don't I know the elementary people and I I don't want to get in trouble here but I'm going to go ahead and jump in. Um the elementary counselors a lot of times are taking the place of the Sunday school teachers of yester year. They're teaching their children the social interactions,

163the lessons of treating each other in a good way. And so I' I've watched the elementary process. A lot of kids don't go to church at any point and and our counselors are meeting that need of trying to help the children know what's right and wrong uh in the school setting without bringing in a particular religious benefit. But it's these examples that they used to do on Sunday morning in church. Well, one thing might do is get us back on track to to to that point. Can I ask one question? It It is because it's not going to be able to be answered tonight. We're not concentrating on this budget. It's not going to be able to be answered tonight. It would be something that they would have to provide us later. Can we get

164a breakdown of how many students are in each school to have IEPs and 504s just to have clarity because we don't we that was something that Jackie and I were asked about this morning on WRNR was, you know, what the percentage was in our whole school system. We were able to do that. But I'd love to know, you know, a little bit more about our schools and what they're dealing with. I think I already have a little bit of homework and I'll add that I'll add that. No, what I'm saying I'll make sure I get it all together so you all can see that collectively that it's maybe I know it's dated. We need current though, Mr. Murphy. Nice and quiet. I want to know what you're thinking. See, that's what happens. He gets quiet

165and I want to know what you're thinking. Okay, Mr. All right, let's pick up where we left off. Mr. Murphy talking about using the reserves and going down percent. So, put that in perspective. For every 1% change, it's roughly $2.6 million. So to do everything on the list, you'd be between two and two and a half%. So that would take us down to what? That would take us down to the third 30 million. 13. Oh, well he's Well, you what percentage or are you talking 30 million to give us property? 13. Yeah, that's what I said. We could go down to 13%. Still be comfortable. Yeah, we'll be at 14 this year. I think will be around 11 12 these just numbers off top of my head. So right now so right now the housing

166allowance is an additional 1250. Correct. Yes. Correct. Right. So if we were to go down say 200 just a,000 I know it's not much 250 but 250 600,000 right? Yeah that's still Yeah. But on on our number, it's 3.5 million instead of 4.2. I don't I don't care. That's still not much. If you're just Yeah. If you're trying to give somebody a housing allowance and then take $250 off of them and then we're we're That's not much. $600,000. So, I think for tonight I need to know what the marching orders are to get to April 30th meeting. If there's anything on the list you absolutely do not want, you need to let us know now. absolutely do want housing. If I if I could summarize if if you permit me, I think what I hear

167is that the board is comfortable reducing our fund balance slightly to around um 13 13% million. Yeah. And we need to see if we can't figure out how to how that would work. Yes. Am I am I hearing that correctly? And then reduce that 13 probably another two and a half million. Yeah. and then figure out uh come back with 14. Well, you're going to be well if the me if we were to run a scenario where we reduce I guess the question is do we think that the the C is something that because that would add another million. Okay. So if we were to if the C Oh, you know could be part of the the equation that we have to consider I guess. Um you mean whether to fund that whether to because

168it would be another billion if you're if you don't want to go below 13 million. If you don't want to go below 12 million I mean it's just or 12%. I mean, that's the that's the the thing. And I think the other thing we have to remember is that at some point we just have to be conscientious that we're going to say, "Okay, you know what? At this point, Dr. Saxs, next year, you better bring us a we need a balanced budget and we're going to live within it." You know what I mean? Because that's we can only take from it so so many times. I I would like to take from it this year, but I'm not willing to go past that point. What's your point? At the 13% 13%. That's but it rolling.

169So it's not necessarily the next one. It could be this one. I think we're already at the end of 25 million. Yeah. But he's saying that that right now we're going down to 14. He doesn't think we're going to hit 13. He thinks we're going to be below 13 after this year. So it's going to end up being more like 12 202 projected because the end of this year will be 13. I think 13. Okay. And then where are we going to be at at the end of this next year if we do everything? Right. But that's saying we do everything on the list. Yeah. Well, I'm not definitely Could we just go down and see where where we are? Yes. Okay. So, which one are we do? What list are we doing it from?

170Are we doing it from the the ranking list? Yeah, let's do the ranking list. This this list. Um I'm looking at this list. Do do we want to add to I'm just going to make a suggestion. If we add to this ranking list and because I think we're you're going to go down it. Do we want to go ahead and add C the food service to the list for topic of we're going to keep it or we're going to cut it? Yeah. Well, I thought we Okay. Where where wasn't in the ranking or did it was not in the ranking. It was just built into the budget. So, it would add money if you decide not to. But if you keep it, then we know that we're keeping it. Okay. So, we need to add

171that to the list at the bottom. 1 million and of course there's an ad back of a staff member. Yeah. Um but it it'll Okay, let's start at the top of the ranking list. ISSA no full time. Take it off. Well, let's cut it in half. Yeah, we can start there. Start there, too. Which would be 82,000. We'll start there. I go back. Yeah, roughly 82. Yeah. And housing allowance. I'd like to leave it where it is. Okay. We the people uh cut it down to one. I don't know. That's what I like. What am I going too fast? You about to say something about housing, right? How for me, the housing allowance when we first proposed it, it was a pilot program. Yes. And they're it was an addition to their housing allowance that

172we give them as a benefit anyway. Yes. I just see the burn rate of where we were before I got on the board in 2019 and where we're projecting right now. stopping the 13% reserves will not pay 4.1 million in. I think they recognize that. They're just want to go through to see where it is. I think they just want to see where it all ended. That's exactly right. I would like to propose even going down just going down to thousand $600,000 but it's better than that. That's where we're no instead of the 1250 additional. I'm saying just do the,000 additional. So instead of this being the 12250 additional which is what this is which is the 4.1 only doing a,000 additional. So it's only actually reducing it by $250. Now still I mean it's

173still small amount $600,000 which is we have over 3,000 be like 750. Okay. Yeah. So three4 of a million. Yeah. Whatever. They're still getting a lot more than what they were the two years ago. I'll concede to that for right now. I I I'll oppose it, but but we're gonna go through this two or three. Yeah. I mean, but u Well, I'll keep it at that until we go through the rest of the list. If we have if I have to come back and you cut it off, Jim, what do you want us to estimate for that then? 3.4 3.4 million. Well, no. She says we're not going to touch it yet. Yeah. We want to go through the rest of the list and then we'll circle back and we'll circle back. We're going to

174circle back with that. Okay. Okay. So, we the people supplement. My personal opinion is we keep it. It's only $10,000 and it helps people understand what the federal government is and our constitution. But I I it's $10,000. I called around and found out it is going on in one school at Martinsburg High. Um I forget the name of the lady. She was the one who taught the African Oh, okay. Yeah. Well, so she's Yeah, she's teaching it. But I asked her, I said, "What do you have to do to do this?" And she came up with a budget of higher than what I did, but I looked through it and it $1,000 for cover. Okay. 1,00 But we can keep it. Yeah, but it's 1,000. Well, that's pett. We probably just take that off the

175list, Jackie. No, I'm not. I'm serious because we're just adjusting it. That's all. All right. get 9,000 back CTE middle schools. I I'd say it's keep it at this rate for the first round and then let chew on it after the second round. Not three. How many schools do you have? Four schools. Dr. Saxs. This is for two. This is for two. This is This is I'm actually not sure what the 329 is though because it's just it's two positions. Yeah, this I assume was with the green houses. I'm not really sure. Oh, the green houses are are are federal. It's Perkins. So, it's not the list I have. The list I have will be um and it could have been it could have been a copy copy paste there or something. Well, that seems

176I thought it was 164 or something. 144 804 for the two. Okay. For the two 144 802. Okay. For each one or for total total total. Okay. from our school. Can we cut that? You tell us what to live with and we'll make it work. Well, you can't vote. You just give me feedback. Yeah. What's your pleasure? I'm zero. Zero. Michael zero. Charger. Michael 300,000. Well, that's not half. That's more than half. being a writer. That's um writer is 23,000. Yeah, but that one has so that that one has such a following on it. Well, this is the expand. I know I know that. I'm just saying there's such a following on it that wanted that wanted it. Let's let's actually feel the water with the people who are using it. Now, we're going to

177do a little survey. We're going to survey and get their feedback. Just I think that there's some success. There's some concerns. We want to make sure we cross that out. Okay. Counselors in a middle school. Yes. They're actually 329 100. 100. Okay. Okay. Yes. Safety officers at the intermediate schools. Well, currently, let me just say, currently our safety officers at the middle schools are providing assistance at the intermediate schools when needed. So this is again just this was an effort to begin moving in the direction of knowing that we're going to end up have you know we would like to be able to see us move in this direction where we add safety officers. So how many you have here? So this would be three and so it would be there basically be split between

178like each intermediate school would get half and they would split their time between each each of their two schools. I'd love to know how the how the legislature is is doing as far as their their desire to do the referendum for the county so that the counties can put vote up or down to put on the ballot an increase in the tax, the 1%. Correct. And they were saying that that would be going to safety and schools would be included in that. And so if that 1% tax is then voted on the by the public, do we need to include that? I know that, but I'm just saying everyone, do we need to do this right now or do we wait to see how things flush out and then progress it next year? Two years

179for that to happen. I know. I'm just asking, do we wait? How about if we go fund one? I can think of one intermediate school. I'm not going to tell Dr. Saxs where to put them, but it's his job. But I think I think they could there's one school that at the intermediate level. We heard earlier this evening one intermediate school said they don't need the ISS. So why are we sitting there trying to get resource officers in schools that don't even need say they'd rather not. Well, I think that the I think that the safety officers, and this is just my opinion, and I'll be happy to talk to the principles about it, but is a comfort to the families when you know that you have a a person that is uh armed, that

180is ready to neutralize a threat that breaches the schoolhouse doors potentially. And and when you split them between schools, you never know when they're going to be where. Um, and so I do think that it it brings a level of comfort to our families and our and our employees for that matter to know that there is someone there. And so, um, I don't know that I mean, I honestly think that if the I'll be happy to engage with schools to get their feedback on this, but I do think that they would be in favor of us trying to expand this safety officer program. Um, but I also understand that we don't have it now. we already have a system in place that if they need that extra support that we can provide that um and

181if this is not their year to expand then then I also understand I think that I would prefer well I don't know if I should say that I think that it would be hard to say that one school out of all the intermediate schools will get one the other one wouldn't um you could obviously split one between two but then what do you how do you what do you I think the question is this how do you explain that the reason these two get it and the other Don't. So this is for three to be split between all intermediate school. So it basically be you'd have one school safety officer for every two intermediate schools and they would have a schedule that they would split their time between like the two sites. So let's leave

182it for then come back to it if we have to. Uh community and schools 240,000 and explain that a little bit. Yeah. So each uh so we have seven communities and school sites um um that those sites um were or were grant funded through the legislature and specifically through Governor Justice's administration and each year the grant gets less and less and really it was designed so that school districts would if they if they liked it would find a way to sustain it. Um, and so it was sort of like here's your startup. Let's see if we'll help you out with the first couple years and then you got to find a way to keep funding if you're going to keep it. So this year for each of the sites that we have, if we keep

183them, it's $35,000 I think is what that number is. 355 or something like that. And so obviously the staff and and we're required in order to be a community school site and to be eligible for the grant money, we have to have a staff facilitator that meets that is working with at least 10% of the school population. And so there are restrictions upon getting the grant money and and the restrictions are that there are unfunded things that you have to do with having a a full-time person. Um, so the additional cost to keep the full-time person and then to get the $35,000 is a total of $240,000 for each site. Each site for total, I'm sorry, total. Now, if you were to reduce the number of sites and say, "Okay, well, we've had seven, but

184we only want to prioritize three, for example, that $240,000 would go less, but you would also lose the $35,000 for the sites that you cut. So you you you there is a way to reduce this number but it means you're reducing services to those sites. Are those county employees that we would have had to put on transfer? They are and they do they those individuals um are on transfer pending the outcome. So oh I'm sorry those employees are either on transfer or riff. Um I think a majority of them are on riff because they're not certified teachers. Okay. They're not they they don't have any seniority or anything like that with a teaching position. So they would in essence be potentially out of a job. What do the princip out of our just all but

185one what are the principles saying because they're in here for the faculty I mean the facilitators and counselors where they stand about the communities and schools. I'll let Dr. Afondo's here. She's over that over that program. Would you would you want to just give some feedback? I mean, I can tell you that many times with principles that I I work with, there's a lot of positives, but I would also say that when it comes to how they're would be prioritizing because they're going to want to prioritize what's in the classroom, it is considered a an extra position that is very helpful being the need of the population. So, so the seven schools are Spring Mills High, Martinsburg High, Hedgesville High, North Middle School, South Middle School, Orchard View, and Eagle School. And all seven principles

186wrote a letter um to support the budget request. I was going to say I have an excerpt that I could read to you from someone who works with community. We all got that. So, we all know we all got that. Go ahead. Sure. Well, Yeah, um she says, "In terms of mental health, our district is also meeting the family's needs by partnering with some some great agencies. Um they are we all collaborate, but no one not but no one or two agencies can meet the needs. We are growing county and the infrastructure cannot keep up." Um she's worked with this particular um she's worked at East Ridge and in a community mental health agency as a therapist and she says their weight longs are so long weight lists are so long that they would need

187other resources. Yeah, we we we need I mean personally understanding some of the stuff that they're going through I mean they need it. Here here's one of my concerns. Are we have a lot of programs similar to this? So are we overlapping some of these programs? The only program that I would think that we have similar to this are our federally funded social workers. Well, but but we have counselors. We have especially in the high schools, there are many things that deal with these children. We do have counselors. the so the communities and schools programs they have goals and the goals are typically related to attendance and behavior or if it if their attendance impacts their academic success. Um so their case load is predominantly students who are um missing chron having chronic absences and

188it's impacting either their discipline rate or their grades. So um like Dr. sack said 10% of the buildings um the case load the case manager has 10%. So they have like for example if um let's say spring mills may that case manager may have 150 students or 140 students well how can you deal with all of them? Well, um they do need to meet with their case. From what I understand, they need to meet with their case load every week. And so there might be some group sessions or some tiered strategies to meet with everyone. Um there might be like circles. We've done restorative circles so that you can meet with a large group at at a time. They may have themed days of the week where they're touching on certain topics. Um, and then

189they have their intense their more intense students that they're working one-on-one with. They're working with uh the parents. They're working with community agencies. Yep. For services and support. Every student has different needs. Have we seen if there's an impact that they're doing and the truency issue? I don't have that data, but we do collect data every week. Um, and we do have those records. They they keep they keep their own records in another system. Okay. And oh, sorry. No, that's um how did we choose which schools these programs were in? Were I attend their attendance records? I don't recall how they were selected. It was several years ago. Yeah. Um, I know that I I can tell you that when the when the the grants became available, usually the Department of Ed said, "This school

190would qualify. Do you want to apply for it?" Okay. Um, and so a lot of times it was, you know, um, it was based upon identified need or feeder pattern need that kind of thing. Low socioeconomic status was how it was first determined because at Eagle when I was there, we were a community schools in the startup and that's how it was determined. And our goal, we actually chose behavior at the time. Um, but we were the only school that chose behavior. So, we all switched over to attendance. Is that our focus? And it it's it's evolved through time. But, um, yeah, that's how it got started. I I guess I can speak to that, too. So, I was assistant principal at Orchard View and Margie Lynch was our communities and schools case manager and

191we chose attendance and discipline. And we found that on that level, we had to coach parents on how to get um structures and routines in their home so that they could have um healthy routines at night with dinner and homework and getting their student to bed early and then healthy routines in the morning and getting them on the bus. It was almost like a lot of what we were doing was um coaching parents and they were invited to our sessions. It's kind of like parenting. It It is. And I I'll share a a story. I know that we were talking about uh truency and those sort of things. I I do think that they're making an impact because they anecdotally and quantitative qualitatively they're building relationships with these at risk students and and you know

192we talk about a lot of times in our schools students having that one caring adult you know and a lot of times because they've taken a special interest in this group they that is that one caring adult for them and and the story I want to just quickly share was that um at a community school site that that I had. Um I met with one of my one of these students who came up to me and he said he was a senior and he said I want you to know he said um the impact that this person who was a communities and schools coordinator not this county I know our our folks are great but in that situation he said I want you to know what she did for me because she's here with communities

193and schools. He said, "When I was in fifth grade, I was roughousing with my brother on the bed and uh I fell and I hit the bed post with my my face and it uh it it dislocated parts of my mouth which caused my teeth to fall out and my family didn't have enough money to send me to the dentist." And so what happened was he started developing some uh rotten tooth decay. And he said it it greatly affected my social ability in schools because I was so self-conscious of my mouth and how ugly it was as he described it. And he said, you know, I have I've had this with me since all the way through middle school and and high school. And he said, "When I met her, um, you know, we started

194talking about things that, you know, that that I that he he struggles with." And when he opened up to her that it part of it was his mouth, she was said, "Well, what what can we do for it?" That community schools person was able to go out, find a local dentist and partner with that local dentist to be able to provide free reconstructive surgery for that student. When I was talking to him, he had a beautiful smile. I said, "For the first time in my life, I feel like I could smile." And it was just it was so moving, but it was because of that that program that was there that made a difference for him. So, I just wanted to share that. Uh, you know, the couple emails that we got were very compelling

195in what they do with parents really as much as what they did with the students. So, and I I will be honest with you. I think that sustaining this it again it's going to have to become a priority that we say long range. Okay, we're making a commitment to keeping these at these schools or doing something different but um you know um it's obviously worth worthy but we just have to figure out how we can prioritize it. We do have counselors, we have social workers. I think there's areas where you know our initiatives or one caring adult people that can do this obviously can be there but other people would have to pick up those the slack the slack if you don't have these schools so what's your pleasure keep it sorry how could you

196not I told that story I mean just the letters got that's right that's right I mean with all the different stuff that we hear of things that how they're impacting and with the truency with the parent advocacy and and trying to tie them in and bring them in and be co you know a holistic view you we I think we just need to keep it I see how we can okay it's on skills year it's on two skills you I think it's a good I think it's good unattended it's a good program for and skills you is actually one I might be able to fit into our title budget. I don't know yet. We haven't actually been on our title. Right. Right now it's in 7A or 7B depending where. Oh, okay. So, it's it's

197already built in to the existing budget that we're supposed to use. We can take it off of here. No. No. If you do, then we're reducing. Don't say that. What I'm saying what I'm saying is so confusing when you say stuff like that. It is a budget, but it's But I may be able to try to get it into title two possibly. And um I think we have a meeting next week on that. Ryan. Okay. I'm sorry. Hey, listen. She had a chance to be here. That's all I can say. It seeped in. It seeped in. The 1453 I think is about I think 45,000. Okay. We're taking that off for right now. Say, wait, did we did we say yes to skills you? I was too busy laughing about my hair. Yes, we said

198yes to skills. We skip you. Okay. Sorry. Did we say yes? Um, and we're not we're taking off boardroom right now. Skip. Skip. We're skip no no scratch. scratch. Um, you say yes. It'll save on labor and I agree with that. Longevity what it'll save on. I don't know if we can save on it right now or save on it. If that makes any sense. and it's close to three hours in. So, you know, so the sign facilitator should be three. The nine facilitator should be three and 243 973 243 973. Yes, ma'am. Mhm. Girl trips 243973. Yeah. I would say no. Well, we do field trips already. It's it's it's I will tell you that it is um these are the field trips that we we've established. Um these are so small. the cost

199of limit is so small, but I think that we could absolutely continue to do them at any point that I think at most. Yeah, it's it's Oh, okay. So, it's not because all I see is TB TBD and I'm like maybe probably four different locations and it's not Let's go to 5,000. Okay. 5,000. 5,000. Background checks for subs. Uh, scratch. No. Yeah, scratch it. I I wanted it. It would be one time money because most of your subs are once you do this, you're not going to reimburse them each year. You just do the initial thing, but um Well, we put a lot of subs on. Yeah, we got a lot of new subs. Yeah. Well, I I just I I wanted to do something for them out of the survey. I thought that was

200reasonable. We got we have to whittle down in order that we're not that we so for a house and then uh the C million that comes C. So Jim, how much is that? It was 95,000 is what we collected in the year before from parent. I mean the total are well what about what about what you mean? Well, I just want if you take that, what would the total? Oh, I thought you could Well, you're pretty good with that. I think adding it up in her head as we went. I thought you said it would pay us about a million dollars. Yeah, that's what he said. Yeah, but she was how much everything was it? No, with that list. Ain't you all follow me? No. Like 6.1 like 6.15ish is and then subtract like 747,000.

201Subtract 747,000 from that. Why? Because that's that's the money we have left in the in the green the last six. What then? Roughly six. That's pretty much what we started. 5.4. But but if you add back the 747 there, right, Jim? Yes. Well, yeah. What do you mean? If you add If you add the 747 to it, then it's five. Yeah. Okay. What do you mean we're back where we started? How much? He said, he's bas. You haven't cut too much. 2,000 100,000 200,000 pretty much everything else. No, we have to start over again with what we've got. Okay. So, start over again at the top. The 82,000. But remember, you still have the CP. Okay. So, the CD, what you tell us on that? It was a pilot. Mr. Martin, start the list. I'll

202start over this time. Guess what? Remove it. Yes. Remove it. Remove it. Michael, what was your question? Jackie, um whether we're going to do the C or and again this year or have they're going to have to pay. They're going to have to pay. Damon. So that's a No, let me let me clarify. This is districtwide C. We would still potentially have schools that qualify and would still get full. Right. Correct. This was for districtwide. Yeah. I'm asking you if we were to go back. If we were to go back, we still have schools that would end up still being Yeah, but they weren't funded 100%. They were grouped and the multiplier was higher. But now remember, we're going to have to reapply because now our grouping goes away and reapply based on now the

203new numbers for this year. But remember, as I discussed at the previous board meeting, those numbers are going down. So, we potentially may not have as many schools eligible. I can't give you the number because we haven't. But there could be some schools that would still qualify. Yes, but I can't give those numbers at this point. That's fine. That's fine. And logistically, should you begin the application process here in the spring for next fall? I can't I cannot begin accepting applications to July 1 for the upcoming school year. We'd have to fill out our agreement with the West Virginia Department of Education Children Programs with our intent to participate in the National School Breakfast Program and label what schools would be C, what schools would not that we would be collecting paper applications for. So

204those would go out then we would send those out beginning of the school year home of the student. We begin collecting those that data. But I hear you, but couldn't you distribute the rather than have to mail out 20,000 letters July one, could you distribute the letters now and say turn them in after July one? No, sir. That's because of a regulation. Yes, sir. Thank you. Yeah. I just want to make sure you clarify. It's not out of stubbornness because there's a regulation that requires it. Yes. So, your pleasure is to not fund it. It everyone not funded. Yes. Not funded. Just keep the schools that we can can or would qualify. Once we get the data, I will get with Mr. Bucks. We will review the number and we'll add as many schools that

205we can to the program that qualify to get to the number. Yeah, that's all we can do. But it would also be less also because I think on last meeting we were told that many of our schools are because our poverty level is as high as we were. That's why I'm saying it might not be the same school was previously that I can't guarantee that they'll come back. So I guess to summarize what she's saying is we may have more parents that should be expected to pay but it doesn't mean they will pay. Yeah. Okay. While we collected 995,000, it doesn't mean we're collecting more than half bads are likely to increase the federal per million you're 5.4. Well, 5.4. So then you take a million. Yeah. So that's 700 something minus the 700US. So

206it still it would end up being something. Okay. That's 47. Excuse me. We'll need to discuss then and approve the cost per meal for the student for event the pay as well because it hasn't been raised since 2017 and we know right now bill we're paying 30 cents a piece and we're charging a quarter if he sets it upside down situation as well. Well, it'll be up to future board item that we have to bring. And of course, it's also because nothing's formalized here. It's a work session. It's also we would know that we need to do that after the board approves the budget. So yeah, but I I was just talking to Mr. Right. If a school reaches that 40% threshold, right, to qualify or the old 20% where before the 40% everyone in

207the school is free, correct? No, not necessarily. Okay. So if somebody is very wealthy in that school, they're going to pay for their children's [Music] lunches or above a certain threshold of money. If you're a title one school, everybody in that school's um pretty much correct. No, not necessarily. Just the kids on title one. No, if they're not a C school, they have to fill out an application or be approved by direct certification from the state. Yeah. Just like normal process. Correct. The normal process. Correct. And then we could identify the schools that could be potentially eligible for C that would have costed less for us like we had the grouping prior to going into division Y. But we'd have to look at our numbers once the data is released for the upcoming school year

208of what schools would be and use the multiplier to C. So people means everyone in the entire regardless of what their So So everybody's on the same page still taking Okay. So, we're deducting. So, that still brings it down to 5.4. I think you may have picked up numbers that we already have in the budget or 7A and 7B and staffing because council's already in there school. He's going to save us some money. Well, thank God. We need to get the the staff 4.1 million. Okay. We were coming up with that figure, Michael. We just kept cutting and cutting and cut. Somebody didn't cut um we we received we we know what monies we're getting except for which one which one is still outstanding that we know money federal state I mean because the state

209budget approved and there's legislative items mandates so I mean in essence that's all very potentally everything we're doing right now is based on things we know. Okay. So, he needs he needs he needs sugar. You're at 3.3 million right now with the with the reduction of CB. Correct. Give it to him. So, you're at 3.3 million. 3 3.3 million with the reduction of C. Okay. million%. So that would take 13%. Oh god. Okay. I think we got it then. Okay. Are you all listening? Evidently not. I'd said Jim said um we're projecting 3.3 right now. That would be about one and a half% of the reserve to make up the difference. Okay. Was that what taking the housing rounds to 34,000 or was that that's a 4.1 meeting there. Um, I'd like to just if

210if if this is where we're feeling, we're getting more comfortable. I'd just like to clarify a couple. There's one more item to the very last page before we have 274. That's not what this all the staffing staffing approvals. Oh, 274. The 274. It's the very last page. So, that's the focus classroom, the tuition reimbursement, uh, safe schools platform. That did not include the panic the panic button program 200,000. So we need to have I think we made it. So we need to have turn up some well do all those things. Do we want to do all those things have time and I want to say that that that this I think I would be remiss if I didn't say that this um yeah the original request made by the school staff was 3.2 and what

211we what we're saying I mean we we have really shaped that to 274. I think the only one that h makes me pause is the vehicle replacement less trade. What is that about? So we So what happened? I think I'll get this right pack here. Well, we've been taking our driver's ed cars and when they age out, we bring them in here and then when they age out, we got to replace them. So we've got our mileage out of the vehicles. We have two that really need replaced. Okay. And we'd like to get a larger vehicle so more people travel together when they go Charleston. I was gonna say what what is the vehicle used for? And it sounds like it's it's for business. It's counting business counting tres or for stuff for the staff.

212Okay. We currently have one explorer that is used quite a bit for long range long range things and um what we're we were hoping is to have another one because we're just we're just using them a lot. Okay. So what are the cost for that? I think there's 40 42,000 40ome,000. Yep. Well, that's before the term car, please. Listen, I don't care how you do it because there are some poor cars that are getting made in America. So, I'm just saying they're not all I'm sorry that anybody All right. So, oh yeah, I would say yes to the leadership to go over the list so we can make sure. Can we add this to the list so then we can go over the list? I would the leadership. Can we add that to the list?

213Are we saying yes to this to add to the list? Do they go over the list? Yeah. Well, we need to make sure we want to do all these things on this list. Do we want to do all those things on the list? Well, let's hear what he has to say about each one. He already did. Oh, I'm I'm Yeah. Okay. Well, the tuition reimbursement was 50,000. 25 25,000. Okay. Yeah, I had 50. Vehicle is 42. Safe school platform. We don't 200. He said, "No, it's 4,000." Yeah. I think that's the P. Oh, that's But he but he thinks that we can we can actually put that in a different maintenance budget, but maint that that is the panic button. That's the licenses for the software. Yeah. How much? Which I thought you said was

214$200,000. Emergency panic button. Oh, okay. Gotcha. Right. The emergency panic buttons, Ron estimates to be about 200,000. And what if I hear you correctly, you're thinking that you may have a little bit of room in the regular maintenance budget for those things. Okay. The safe school platform increase. Um, he's going to look that up. While he's looking that up, what about the extra duty days assistant? I say yes to it because it makes it more equitable for the staff. But but that's only for high school. Was 4,000 4,000. So the high school uh Holly, did you have a cost for the high school? It's 30. It's 30,000. 30,000. Various software cost increases. What was that? Um, that was from the Epic Visual Library is $864. $164 plus another I think that's for that's the um

215I believe is that for the virtual school. This is Yeah, the virtual virtual okay. And then under that also is the lock down browsing tool response. That's an increase. Oh yes. But those are all virtual school funding requests. So what how much is that Jim? That's 30,000. 160 is 190. Another 25 is um it's still$274. $274. It's still $274,000. How they can do that? Because you're adding up all the different ones. I'm not saying how. I know you add it up and you get a total. I'm saying I thought we put some things off. You didn't take any explain what they were. So, we're adding 274 onto this million. Okay. So that makes it if we had a 275 on that that's 3575. Yes. 345. Okay. Now I just want to make sure I go

216through this. Um the in school suspension aids you all reduced two. Yes. Is there an idea of how you're thinking that you want us to allocate those? I suggest that we work with those intermediate to see a come up with who I mean. Sounds like you just got someone for the team. That's all right. Okay. We will we will work through that. I just want to make sure there wasn't any kind of thought process to public or even sharing if there's any sharing that can be done potentially. Yeah, even sharing. Um and then of course the housing allowance is at the full 4.1 which is an additional $1,200 per person. Correct. 1250. Thank you. Uh we the people is a,000. I'm sorry. Me and Michael we were like we can go back and talk about

217it if you all want. I I just want to make sure I'm getting it right there. You didn't want that. No, no, no. We we the people supplement a thousand. The CTE middle school is 144,000. Summer school, you you you all had moved that to 300,000. Okay. Uh being a writer is 23,000. 23,000. I thought you went to a survey on that. We are. I mean, it can it can evolve, but I just want to make sure that that there's something. The counselors at the elementary school, $329,100. Yes. The safety officers at intermediate schools. Yes. Is that a yes? Yes. Yes. The communities and schools at 24. Is it 240? Yes. What is it? It's 240 as well. Yes. Yes. Skills. U 200,000. Yes. The uh boardroom expansion. Yes. Said skip. We said skip it.

218Say skip it. I would say yes only because it's going to afford not just the extension for board meetings when we are when we have multiple schools wanting to come in because someone's getting recognized or have collaborations but then on top of it this gives you a bigger room for some of the trainings and stuff and other meetings that you guys have because there is no other larger space. Well, so Mr. in the maintenance budget. Okay, that's good cuz I know it's needed, but okay, but it's hard to prioritize that. Well, Mr. Mr. Tyson has an annual operating budget that we believe we can fit that into the Yeah. So, we're taking that off this putting it on ties. Taking it off. Uh flooring upgrades. Flooring upgrades. We're not going to We're not going to

219prioritize that this year. No, the uh three facilitators. Okay. We He's He's groaning over here. So, we need to have a conversation about the floor. I I didn't mean to go too fast. I like to see like a yearly cost of like labor wise of janitors moving furniture in and out of classrooms. What that looks like and what the actual cost is of the use of the wax and the machines and the this and the that, right? The materials. I think we can uh run a cost analysis, I would I would imagine. Can Can we do that, Brad? It would be a challenge. Yeah. Because you don't buy wax for just one school, right? track of us. Well, however many schools he's he's wanting to replace floors on floors at we can [Music] be one

220school is one we were hoping we No. Well, I mean cost analysis you could take the number of um of containers of wax that was requested this school year. We can we will we will endeavor we will endeavor to do some sort of analysis and I think that we might even be able to ask CMTA um to run an analysis for us because they have because and the only reason I'm saying that square footage yeah they can do a square footage because I I did a a energy savings contract that part of what we did was also the flooring because there was deferred other deferred maintenance savings and so I I know that they have a method to figure that out that they could help us in giving some sort estimated savings that we could

221look at. So, we'll we'll work on that. How can they put that? Now, with your savings, you you so you can do um if you're doing some other projects um it is allowable to finance the flooring like that um through that is a possible a possible scenario. Are we doing a project like that at that school that you're thinking about? We don't have any new projects. We are finishing some projects that were already approved. Well, why didn't you create a project? kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. But that was before my tax. So I know I'm kidding. In all seriousness, um, is there a way to use it out of our energy savings? There is not a current under the current energy savings contract we have. There is not a way to tie that into this

222one. But any future ones that we may want to look at, there is a possibility that we could look at that for for future energy savings. Did we u Mr. Buzz, I'm not sure of this. Do we have any financed items like with HVAC or anything like that that we've done through CNCA? Just one. We have one project from 2016. Okay. Uh it's a 15-year. Okay. But it's about paid for. It was 2016. So, I didn't laugh at you. I laughed at Mr. Martin laughing. I want you to know that was not that was awfully close. No, I was like, "Oh, you not." Um, so but the but the short answer is is that you know you you can um you can things that are and I know it's crazy but they they think of

223the for like something that is tangible that if you default they can pull back and so that's why like the Hback you can finance those things because if you default on them they can come and take them out I guess but that's what they think anyway but um we could absolutely look at that to in the future but under the current structure we'll be have um we can't but I will absolutely talk with our folks and say hey if the board wanted to go in this direction and be able to spread out things like that that we can we can take a look at that. Would you be in favor of that or you want to go now and do it? I mean I think it's a great idea to school by school start that

224transition now whether it's that or capital improvement or whatever. So the 350 was sp how many floors? one one school one school one school well based upon it's so we could do more than one school but the thing we have to worry about is we have to worry about the um there's different grades of the flooring that you can look at so like you can either do like a a 20 mil or a third I think it's 20 mil or 30 mil and the 30 mil is just more durable. So the other thing we can look at is we can look at certain spots of the of the schools can have a there's there's ways that we can look at how to do it to where it could be as uh extend as much as

225possible. Well, make sure it's Americanmade. Well, um I suggest that we just do the same grades that we try and that's why this number is is that we've been trying to follow that suit. So, so I what I would suggest is for now let's take it off and I will do some more research and if there's ways that we can build it in in the future then we'll we'll find ways okay we'll look for some creative ways to do this where we're at the end right [Music] [Applause] yes and then and then the background checks for service is 312 the only thing field trips was the leadership request in totality. Oh, 274. Yes, we added that in. Yes, we add that in. About 275 your 274 the leadership from the Oh, yes. I'm sorry. Yes.

226Yes. I was going to say it's going around because I didn't understand what we were doing earlier. So, it's okay. It's all pending the final state in commerce race. And I will say that we're I guess we're around three that 3.5 number. But I will say that if um if the ECAP bill helps us, that's going to be additional savings. And so there's still some unknowns that we're going to see and um even as I work on the federal budget, there might be some things that I can fit in there possibly. I can't make any promises. But this gives us this number. the work you all done this afternoon uh into this evening is very much appreciated and that helps Mr. Butts and I come up with something that we can bring back that can

227be successful. I'm still going to make sure I work with our principles association. I'm on top of our our principles because and let them know that we have a tenative agreement that we're going to be funding the the counselors um and three facilitators and then maybe what we can do is we can hash out exactly what that restructuring would look like under that scenario so that everybody's on the same page and then that way there's a little more clarity. I just want to say thank you to you guys, Mr. Butts and Mr. Yes, that name that I cannot say. I don't ask me to try. Um be that. There we go. Keep. Okay. Um thank you so much for doing this because Okay, there's something there. Um that's okay. Um, so thank I just want

228to say thank you because LA the last couple years when we've done this, it's been a little bit later in the season and we feel like we are trying to drive a, you know, a big Mac truck through a little teeny tiny hole. Um, this feels a lot more informed. I I know, but I'm a little at least a little bit more informed about the road ahead of me and I like it. So, I appreciate it. Yes, um he said I want I want I would say I really really want the housing allowance but for like your professional opinions moving forward having this incremental I mean like like five years out what's that look like for the budget you think five years out I would recommend the board find a way to put it in

229pay tables to help recruiting and other areas and you're chipping away a little bit again value the committee go up and how you spend that know this year we had 3.3 in increase of tax revenue but a lot of places where dedicated portion of that each year to a pay to get there in a matter of several years or maybe you know what that's another conversation and when we do that when we add it to the pay table then it actually increases our ranking in the state the our ranking right now does not include the housing allowance if we were I'm just going to say if we include the housing allowance in the pay table. We would probably I understand I bet uh well you know what I'm comparing myself I'm sorry yes maybe top

230three yes but that's that's also big challenge table but it's smart decision we did have 3.3 or 3.4 new tax dollars and we chose to spend it a lot of places. Yes. some and a lot of the additional staff that we're putting in. If we chose not to put that toward additional staff and paytum, thank you all for your participation and even the abuse that I had from this appreciate it. Sometimes you use us, Jackie. Right. You know, it's like it's hard to keep them off. I I will say though in my reflection upon the um collaboration of the board this evening. Um when you know you have good friends, a lot of times what they'll say is that if if I didn't give you a hard time, it mean I wouldn't I didn't like

231you. So I I can tell that there's a tremendous amount of respect and uh camaraderie with the board and I do want to thank I do want to thank the board you're [Music] delegation with nine months here. Might be as far as I get at night. So can I have a motion to adjurnn? So move second. Second. All in favor?