001meeting of the budget and compensation committee of the Golf County Board of Education. It is uh April the 7th and this is a committee meeting of that group. So we're open for discussion. Uh as such uh we have Miss Holly here, Miss Beth, Mr. Scott, myself, and Miss April. Who's going to start? Well, I guess one of the questions that I have the TISA money that we're getting, what is it earmarked for? So, we have TISA money that's earmarked for certified raises. That is that's really all that's required. So, this year's amount is $530,000. The remaining part of TISA can be spent on pretty much anything. So, usually that's done for to meet other salaries like classified staff and then also like building needs basically to help support our budget. But the only requirement of
002TISA is that we spend the $530,000 on certified employees and that's anyone who holds a certificate counts in that number. Did you just say that we could use it on classified as well? the 530 cannot be, but the additional TISO funding can be used on anything. And we typically try to use it on to pick up whatever remaining we want to do for certified or classified raises, building needs. So, basically, it just helps pick up other things in within the budget. And that's the same thing for local. Local is not earmarked. It just picks up what helps pick up what state funding can't pick up. So, what's the total amount? Um well this month's estimate was 530,000 to be to be spent on certified races. And what was the total um uh March's estimate was
00333,460,172 and that's just from the state. That's just from the state dollars. So we get a letter March, April, May, June and July, right? Starts in February, we get the first one and it goes all the way to June. Usually June, July, we get our final estimate. So that number theoretically could go up or it could go down. So it's based on what Mr. Cornelius is doing in his department and all the cleanup and monitoring numbers. And so that number could fluctuate based on enrollment. Um, so it usually does each month. And we did see a decrease a little bit between February and March. Around $6,000 is what we lost from February to March. So this is a restricted restricted funds. 530,000 of it is or whatever that amount might be at that time. There's
004money set aside for certified employees. Right now it's 530 or as of this last month's estimates. And we've typically never really looked at it in that aspect. We just looked at it as to make sure we spend that on certified. So last year I have to do a survey to the state that tells them how we do those those raises. So I have to fill that out and prove to them that we spent the 500. Well, last year I think it was more. I think it was 800ish. So, we had to make sure we had had to do a report to the state to make sure we spent that funding. If not, the state could come take it back from us and we'd have or they would reduce our estimate or reduce our payment each
005month or that amount if we do not spend it on certified. Can administration be included in that? Anyone that holds a certificate? Yes. Okay. Yes. That's anyone that holds a license, a teacher license or certificate. Yes. Certified. But that that doesn't have to go to We can hold it just to classroom teachers. It does not have to go to the office, I don't believe. Oh, yeah. You could you could choose to do that. That That's correct. As long as you spent the 530,000 on certified employees, but you could restrict it to just classroom. I could if there was a separate pay scale, but we're all on one pay scale, so it would be hard to separate those two pay those two sections of the budget. You said there I think when we had talked you
006said there was 333 that are on the certified um what I understood 3 Hang on I can pull that Miss Beth I can pull that 372 37 372 was total and I kind of broke out the the categories of okay the ones who were in the classroom I think it was around 280ish I have to pull that up and hold let me pull your let me see if I can pull your email up I send it back to Keep in mind the certified would not would include or could include more than just your classroom teachers, right? It'd be anyone that's certified, whether it's administrator, whether it's a supervisor, school counselor, those individuals, as long as they've got a a license, a teacher license and certified, that's where that money could be or would have to
007be used. So it doesn't necessarily have to be just a classroom teacher. What about uh school nurses? They're not included at all. They're not included. No. So that would would be where we would pick up the additional funding like either local or state. The remainder of state would pick up the increases for those people for for those people and classified employees. Right. That's correct. Because they're not covered under this either, right? I'm sorry. Classified employees are not covered under this. No, classified employees are not. Okay. Certified would include your librarians, counselor. So I have regular instruction, special ed, CTE, all these categories, guidance, librarian, preschool, speech pathologist, district, district supervisors, uh, virtual academy coordinator, academic coaches, and then principles assistant principles. And that adds up to 372. That's the number I send out to you
008guys. How does that divide out by 530? I mean, does that bring us up to the the 1,400 we need this year as half of I I don't know where I got 536. It may have been that was it's 536, but it's been changing with the estimate. So, when the estimate goes down, it changes just a little bit. So, so if you divide 536, 30 372 ways comes out to 14486. If if just calculate numbers. Yes. Right. Exactly. What would it take to do the 3% across the board this year? Um, so we you want to they hit the fund balance or do you want to know that? I think we I can mention it again. Let me get there. So the rest of it would come out of fund balance. Um, well, right now
009the proposed 3% of Let me get down to the bottom of the sheet. Oh, yeah. That's so the cost that's the cost. That's the cost of what it would cost for each category. But right now, the proposed the proposed hit to fund balance is 895,000 to give a 3% raise across the board. But keep in mind of that is all the new positions also take in account for those. So that if you take those out really to give the rate 3% rate that would cost less than that but we have those the new the new three art teachers and then the two high school teachers a new librarian um a feet p feet a feet pathologist I think that was all the certified positions I think we I think there were five or six additional
010positions that we're going to recommend that the board hire this next school year. So this would include those folks. So if you take those out I think I think we did that to look at it and it was around 400,000 hit the fund balance. So those new positions cost us additional about 400 450,000. Where does that leave our fund balance? Um so I'm estimating estimate I know all this is estimating all this is estimating because I have you know we still have uh I think five months of revenue four months of expenditure. So there's a lot to estimate there. So right now um total fund balance if you take in account assigned and unassigned I'm estimating we're going to be around 21 million at the end of the school year how much of that is
011unassigned unassigned is 13.3 is what I'm projecting we're going to start the end of school year with and that after we take out it'll leave us around 12 what I say 8.96 so 12.6 six. So you're saying 20 million at if we did a 3% across the board or is that 20 million before we do salary increases? That 20 million is before. So and then why was I thinking last time you told us 1.1 million 3.3 3% across the board would be 1.1 million. Well, because like we had probably enough revenue to cover some of this and then the what the hit to fund balance is always going to be different because you're not going to see the hit and I've I've tweaked some stuff in the budget, too. So, that number's probably changed since
012y'all seen it last, but the budget wasn't enough to cover the 1.1. So, that's why we're going into fund balance. So, it may cost us 1.1, but we may go into fund balance for less because we can the revenues make up the difference kind of. Does that make sense a little bit? Did you say the 3% would be 895,000? Okay. That's that's including the new if the board approves the new teachers that's includes those. That's for everyone. Yes, sir. Okay. That's for everyone. Every employee. Now's the time to ask questions, folks. Well, so where will where will we get the money to increase um classified employees and say school nurses? That that's fund balance, right? So the 8.95 is everybody. Oh, that that's everybody. And the 8.95 kit is will be for everybody. Keep in
013mind too that this is worst case scenarios like we've we've high estimated um expenditures like your fuel, your diesel and your fuel and your parts for the buses and kind of the electricity is high. So those things are higher. So we typically try to give the worst case scenario and revenues. Um I wasn't able to get new local revenues because we just got Dr. Pal just signed off on our um split between us and the city. So, I have to do a calculation each year that um splits our revenue, local revenues between us and the two city districts. And um that just came in this week, last week. And so, Dr. Pal sent that over. We did see a slight decrease, but it wasn't enough to make the budget for me to change the budget.
014So, I don't know what the true revenue numbers are yet for that part. But keep in mind the revenue numbers are estimates and they're based on kind of last school year and they're kind of low lower than because we want to try to give you the worst case scenario in case you know these things happen and we hit fund balance. We don't want to be you know I don't want to be deceiving on we're not we're going to hit for $8.95. I want to say 8.95 but we actually hit for more than that. So, I try to make it worst case scenario. And I will say that this year we had a show we we were showing we're going to hit fun balance and I don't think we're going to hit fun balance at all.
015So, but that's still really early. Um I have five months of revenue and that could change a lot of things, but um I don't think so. But so I'm showing we're going to add to fund balance this year. You think about that. We're going to add to fund balance and then we're going to go into we're really not going to go it's really going to wash I think between the 3% raise and what we're going to add this year. So what you're basically saying and say what you want to say but the 3% would cost us $8.95 and that would not have to take anything out of the fund balance. Is that what we're saying? As of right now my estimates yes sir. So, I'm saying that we're going to add to fund balance this
016year and we're going to um So, that 536,000 would be out of that 800. Yes, it would be part of that 895,000. So obviously if you just gave those which would be really hard, incredibly hard still because you have to if you just gave those 372 I think that's what the number was employees a raise then that wouldn't include your nurses. So that that's why I'm saying it would be really hard for us to break apart sections of that certified pay scale because everybody's on that one certified pay scale. And so like if you chose to do that, it would be really hard for us because we have that one pay scale and everyone's attached to it in payroll. And so if you didn't want to give raises to certain groups, you would have to
017break them apart and put them on a different pay scale. And then you could make those different decisions on how on how you wanted to split out the raises. Well, and I don't know that it's so much that nobody wants to give a raise to a certain group, but maybe just a different amount, whether that's more or less or just h have the flexibility to be able to do that. I understand that. Well, to to be real, we're about to get a new director and the new director is going to have their own ideas about how they want to do this. So for us to make these changes at the last minute before the new director, I don't think that's a really good idea myself personally. Um, so I'm advocating for the 3% across the
018board for this year. Now you next year when our finances come in, we'll make and you get the new director, we're going to have to look at that again. uh if the finances aren't there, maybe nobody gets a raise next year except our ones we have to get up to 50,000. We'll have to take it year by year, but it sounds like this year it's feasible. Um so that's my recommendation. Keep in mind too that they are they the the state is given additional funds to get us to 50,000. So we will see a little bit of we should see a little bit of increase in the not the next school year but the next school year to get to get our teachers until 27 probably will continue to give us the extra to get
019us Yes ma'am. what you're saying so we've got how many teachers it's going to get $2,000 this year anyway. Um well I haven't got that final list yet so I don't know who that's going to be who who's going to get included in that but that is a one-time payment that doesn't go on the salary schedule. Understand? Um, and then pretty much like a bonus. So, I don't know how many of that 372 I will get. I I won't get that list until next week. So, I won't know how many people. Dr. Ne, do you have any speculation about how much the how many teachers would get the $2,000 from the state based on the uh legislative deal about the Now that is that is for classroom teachers. I mean for teachers only that doesn't
020include certified it doesn't include uh principles uh doesn't include um uh administrators supervisors that is for classroom uh it does include the counselors I understand and it does include librarians those that have direct contact with the students u on a day-by-day basis is how that number how that money will come into us we will send an information sheet to the state, they will look at it, tally it out, and then send us back exactly who receives that. We're hoping that everyone we send in is able to get it based on our numbers. Um, but that would be for anyone except principles and supervisors would get that $2,000 onetime bonus. Uh, probably in July or August. We're not sure exactly. Yeah. So, they didn't really say they I'll get the first draft in in April. I
021I enter I'm I'm responsible to enter all the T compass. So each year I collect the the master schedules from the schools and it tells me what each person's position is at the school level. I take that I enter into T and encompass and then by that list is what they'll generate a list from what I've entered and I'll take that list and I'm going to share it with all the principles um some hopefully next week sometime I'm going to share it with them and um that make sure everyone's agreeable on the list that I haven't missed a teacher the questions that when I went to my fiscal conference about a month ago questions were new teachers that came in midyear whether they were going to get it from their district previous district or a
022new teacher that started that was a brand new teacher started mid year which I don't know that we had a lot of those and then guidance counselors were a question I think they said they're going to get them but there was still a question about those so we really won't know who gets that until we get that list but correct me if I'm wrong I don't I don't think that the $2,000 onetime bonus will have any bearing on the $50,000 No it does not at the end of the pay that 536,000. That's not a recurring thing though, is it? No. So once we get to the 50,000, that money will more than likely go away. Okay. That's just to help us get there in the next few years. Here's some of the concerns that I
023got. If we do the 3%, if you're making $138,000 a year, you're going to get a $4,000 raise. If you're a teacher that's making 70,000 70 75 80 you're going to get $2,000 rate. Our people, our custodians, our cafeteria workers, they're going to get bucks. It's $14 a week. They don't even fill up our gas tank. What I would like to propose is to do across the board dollar raise amount this year so that everybody gets the same amount. And we've also got this email uh Friday that we don't even know what our federal stuff is going to be and they're advising us not to do anything. Y'all get that same email from Chris from Chuck Kaggel and Ben Torres. This one here. Yeah. So potentially if our federal funding was cut, but we're telling
024it's not been it's not going to be. Um we've already got allocations, but they're last year's they're this year's allocations. So we know we're going to get some fun. We're going to get at least that funding possibly. Looking at Christa because we talked about this this morning. So, I mean, potentially potentially, yes, we would have to make a decision on, you know, if the funding was cut or went away, we'd have to make decision on those positions. I mean, it would basically come out of our fund balance, right? Yes, sir. You're talking about those new teacher positions, the three art teachers. I'm talking about like the interventionist at that Christa and then also on top of that, there's aids that, you know, out of this fed budget that we would have to cover. So it's
025not just the interventionist, it's it's special ed aids. Yeah. So we're constantly in communication about those things. And so if that if that money could be in jeopardy, that federal money, would we not want to play it more conservative now in order to avoid having to cut positions like on the salary increases now? Would Would it and it would just, you know, I know the whole board would vote on it, but would we want to play it conservative now in order to avoid the possibility of having to cut positions because of funding? That's just a question. I don't know. Okay. Miss Cole, could you address that? All right. Come up. Come up here if you don't mind. I think the question is if If the if the federal funds are cut this next school year,
026will we have enough carryover that we can handle our people this next school year, but the next year maybe not. Is that Holly? Is that what you're asking? That's what I'm asking. Yeah. I just don't want us to be in a position where we feel like we have to cut people, but we've handed out a million dollars in increases just a few months before. So So that's possible. Uhhuh. But when I spoke to the board um like maybe it was last month, I said I don't know what our allocations are going to be. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to transfer as much as I can out of title four into title one so we can save our people. And so um there's a possibility we will be fine. It's just not
027knowing that number. And so, like, I'm I'm not a voting member and I don't have say so in this, but if if that were to happen, then, you know, we've got people on board. We've had people hired in these positions for years and years. Like, I would hope that we would have a year to where we could keep these people on board and then get ready to make our plans for the next year because this puts personnel in a bad position. Yes. When you don't know until the middle of the summer, and it could be later in the summer. Who knows when it will be to truth be known. Yeah. But at least that would give us time to have a long range plan on what's next because right now every district in this state
028is just like us. Yeah. They want answers and they can't get any. Right. I I guess what I'm saying is if since we're all in this position, you do do we want to hold back somewhat on increases? Would would a dollar amount be less on us if it would give us the ability or the more confidence that we could keep everybody or most people? I know cuts sometimes are inevitable, but if it would just put us in a better position. I I understand what you're saying to be conservative on the front end instead of the back end. Exact. Be proactive instead of reactive and have to lose people. That's what I would like like to avoid. April, explain what you were explaining to me about how it's set up this year if we were to
029do a flat across. Thank you, Miss Cole. Um the ones that come in that So I going back to previous meetings, we talked about doing a flat amount across the board. So, if you look at that last column on your budget sheet um that I've sent you, it's the flight of it's the because I we talked about 1400 and Miss Beth had asked me, well, we talked about 1400 and I said, well, when I went and did that, so y'all keep in mind that we be to be at 50, we do a three and a three. That takes 6% to get there if you're going to do a percentage. If you're going to do a fixed amount, it takes $2,757 to get there in two. You could divide it in half if you're doing it.
030If you wanted to split it in half, yes, ma'am. And so I said when I went to do the 1400, it was less than the 3%. So it would put us further behind getting there this year than um um doing the 3%. So, and I and I know intention was was want pushing you guys in any way, but there was a lot of interest I mean just to talk about how we get there to 50,000 if we could get there this year like how can we get there? So, I put together and no intention of pushing any kind of extra budgets or anything on you guys. I just wanted to show you the fact of hey, if we we got there this year, this is what it would cost. Um because I there was I
031think Miss Freda had mentioned it and there were several other board members during a work session that you know there were really a lot of concerns about getting to 50 and if we were going to be able to get there. So really that third budget option I just put together for you guys to see. It wasn't for me to you know push any kind of extra budget at you. And I told Miss Yinch that I could do any other flat amount. I just didn't think 1400 made sense because it puts us just a flat 1400 because it puts us further behind and then other districts are going to be, you know, we've we've worked on our pay scales and we've tried to keep competitive with the surrounding districts and I think we would fall behind.
032Well, so this past week, we were sent some data on districts from all over the uh South Central region that we're in, and it's just showed various positions of where we were compared to all the the districts around us. Um, and with the exception of Toma, I don't know how they do it, but they don't have a transportation department. Okay. So, and they get, you know, they they have a lot of out of county students that they get fund they get state funding for. Okay. Um, we are higher than everybody. Our teachers are hired. Oh, there's nothing wrong with it. And I'm glad that we are and I'm proud that we are. I'd rather be ahead than behind. Yes. And but I'm just saying like we're we're in the same boat with everybody else except
033we're we're in a better position than everybody else, which is a good thing. So, you know, I don't know that I'm worried about falling behind really because we're higher than everybody just about on every scale that I looked at. Some a lot more than others and some just a little more than others, but our teachers are and that's a good thing. That's I think we want that and we want to keep that. Um, but I guess I'm just saying I don't, you know, I don't know that I would be worried about falling behind on the 50,000 thing because most people are in a worse position on that than we are in our in our South Central region from what I looked at. We don't have what 70. How many How many teachers do we have?
034It's below 50. I think it was 71. 71 30. I'm sorry. 71,000. Yeah, it's 31. 31, not 71. So I mean me and you even talked about that we're a year ahead. So they just put this in perspective for you guys. So we don't know what sorry Dr. Pal Manchester City is going to give or is going to give because obviously they don't have they don't have the transportation district like the transportation cost that we have and that's a big part of our budget. Um we don't know what they're going to give this year. So we we got a bunch of teachers back this year because we went ahead of them. Yeah. I think they're waiting on us from what they've told some of their board members told us. We snuck that said what what
035are you guys gonna give? And they haven't been told yet. Okay. They said we're we're waiting on y'all. Yeah. And I think we snuck that 7% in this year and that's how we went ahead. They said we didn't communicate. We tried not to communic We try to keep it kind of, you know, on the down low what we're going to give because it helps us stay competitive with other districts around the districts, districts within our, you know, touching districts. We lose teachers. Yeah. Left and right to other districts. So, we try to keep, you know, what we're going to do to the last minute. Yeah. And so, but the thing is too when when when and if the web to when this 50,000 minimum comes into to play, that's going to have a lot of
036effect on all districts because sometimes we'll have people that'll be coming here to Coffee County from other counties that that are not close to that 50,000. when they get to be 50,000, of course, that's going to up everybody else probably uh some. So, you got to think about in the future what's going to happen. You're going you're going to be more competitive when everybody gets 50,000 than you are now, I guess, is what I'm saying, especially on beginning teacher pay. Well, looking too, we've got a lot of stuff, you know, we we've got bleachers this year. We're looking at doing lights. Uh we've got a lot of stuff that's that we're talking about doing, too. And it's just And then we're talking about going into a recession, talking about the federal government taking away a
037lot of our money. We don't we don't know that for sure. You're correct. We don't we we don't you know, and it's kind of what you taught me in elementary school. you know, you sit down at a kitchen table and you're you're doing a balance and you're trying to come up with a budget and do you spend money that you don't have or are you are you just going to rely on and hope that you get it? I don't think it's a matter of not having it to do this year. I think the concern is once they take a 100 the 530,000 then that means we have to come up with that from that point on and anything we come up with every year we have to come up with and anything else we add
038on you know um because we only have what this year and the next year for the 500 and I would hope that the state will will give us money again next year to come up that 50,000 I think they will after that we're not sure we've got to come up But we're going to have to anyway. But we're also going to have increases in the base. We'll have that. That'll help us with our And then I think this year the B I can't remember what the base increase, but each year you're going to have base increases. So that's going to help a little bit of your funding. It's not going to probably pick up that whole amount, but um who knows what they're going to do with Lisa once we get through with what in
039two years when we get through all these salary increases. I think hopefully they'll recognize that they have required us to come up to these mounts and well I think maintenance of effort maintenance from effort from local increases a little bit each year too um to get us to that point. Um but we we're pretty good on maintenance of effort from local part. I think the truth is it's got to go to before the full board. So if if you guys have a figure that you're wanting to come up with as a flat rate across and Dr. Pal is willing and April has the time to figure that number out and we can take the 3% before the board and we can take the flat percent before the board because we're not going to make the
040You mean flat out? Yeah. Yeah. And then show them the two and let the board make the decision. Yeah, I mean it ultimately goes for the the whole board anyway. So, we can just present some options and I if you have time to work that Melissa, no, I'm just I It's It's up to Dr. Powell. I'll do whatever Dr. Powell, he's my direct supervisor. I'll do whatever he wants me to do. Well, 3%'s been figured, so you know what that's going to be. You know what that's going to be? the 1400 or 2757 whatever number you're looking at there that's going to take some time but it's going to take time your time I can build another flat the only thing with the flat and I just wanted I said it in the email um
041the flat could only can apply to certified because class it's really hard so it's really hard to do for our classified employees and I was trying to explain to Miss Hench when that's what I I want you to explain. Okay. So, that's what you want me to explain. Okay. So, basically, we have a salary schedule that has for all of our classified employees. It's broken out into sections. I think y'all seen it. It's got custodians, um, aids, all the different categories. And so, within those categories, you have people who work different hours. So, nutrition is a really good example. So, Carllin bases her employees, and Carlin, speak up if I'm speaking wrong, bases her employees by the need of the school. So she may have an employee that's four and a half five four and
042a half like at east I'm just going to throw out numbers she may have a four and a half hour employee and she may have a six hour and a six hour employee and then she may have a seven hour employee her manager and then at let's say Hillsboro we have somebody that works four and a half five and a half six so it's based on the need at the school to save to save cost pretty much so because you wouldn't want to put the same number of staff and the same hours at every elementary school when you don't have the students to support those hours. So within that nutrition, there's one line for nutrition. Basically, our payroll system is built off of hourly rates. So it's really hard for me just to go say,
043"Okay, I'm going to give everybody a $1,400 raise without really redoing hours or redoing salary schedule." So when I went and looked at Mr. Hanser mentioned Warren County. So I did talk to finance director at Warren County and I did go look at their salary schedules. So everyone classified is on a on the same salary schedule except for maintenance custodians and nutrition. And I would say it's probably for those reasons. Um, everyone, if we were to do that, we would have to break apart the salary schedules and everyone would have everyone would have most people would have to go on one salary schedule, which would mean you would have to raise your lowest person to the highest amount paid. So, I think the highest amount paid on an hourly rate is our technology technicians. So
044everyone would have to go to that level or you would have to break certain groups out to be able to accomplish that. So it's not just as easy as saying I'm going to add $1,400 to your salary because we don't load by salary total like we load by ours hourly rates. So it makes it incredibly difficult for us to do that way. And we could work on doing something like that, but I said if we raised everyone to that highest paid, it would be really costly to the district. And keep in mind too that different people have different hourly rates. Uh and that's that would you'd almost have to go an individual by individual to get a sire for them this next year. That would also just completely eliminate that certifi that classified salary schedule
045because remember each year that's that steps up the the the certified is just like the classified or classified like certified. It's based on not only just their pay. I mean just their hours but also the time they've been with the system. So you're not you're you're completely disintegrating a classified pay scale at this point in time if you had to do that. Even if you just give a flat rate to everybody the same amount. Yes. If you're talking about I mean but it aren't they worth it? Aren't our aren't those people worth it? Absolutely. Yes. They're worth it. We're not saying they're not worth it, Scott. But we're not we're not doing that for about not worth it. To accomplish that, we would have to completely redo the salary schedules to accomplish what you want
046to accomplish. I'm not saying they're not worth it. Absolutely. But that's what we're telling them if we don't do that. No, I'm not telling them that. But we're not doing That's not what That's not what she's saying. No, I know. But that's what we're showing them to me. I mean, that's what I'm not. So, don't say that I am. I'm not. No, but we're not What would it take to How much time would it take to do that? I would I would not at this point in time recommend redoing the whole classified cyber schedule. That's what you're going to have to do. Now, if you want to look at it next year, that's a whole different ballgame. I won't be here, but the next person comes in may want that done and they may not
047want that done. But I think we're getting too tight right now to do a lot of anything unless we give everybody across the board the same percentage increase. Would it be one, two, three, five, or seven? I could um that's my Well, what I'm saying is, you know, look at what we're doing here. You know, if we do a 3% across the board, again, it goes back to the the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poor. We're giving a $4,000 raise to our top people and a $900 raise to our bottom people. Well, remember though, Scott, those people are getting that $4,000 raise. that that be the case, they probably got a whole lot more invested in their life than someone that doesn't have degrees and experience so forth and so on.
048I mean, that's just life. That's that's I'm not being critical. I'll let you tell them. That's just the way it is. I just told them that. Well, we have we can't do without our our bus drivers. custodians and and and to to to start them out at $13 an hour, we are to be ashamed of ourselves. And I think a lot of those people would and to be here for 20 years and make $20. A lot of those people could tell you that we've done a ton of work to those scales and we spent hours and doing that and I to say that we don't care is really bothersome because we spent a lot of time on those classified pay scales. I'm just saying are they not worth doing that? They are very worth it
049and we have been working on those and we're going to continue to work on those. Yes, I should have worked on that. We're just not going to do it this year though. We're not going to do it this year. It's under I'm I work for Dr. Pal and he we've talked about the budget options and so these are the options that were came up with. If you have an issue with what I've presented, you can talk to Dr. Pal about it. My recommendation is going to give whatever percent you give, give it across the board to everyone. So, okay, April, for this coming school year, for the 25 26 school year, I if if we don't have time to do a dollar amount because it's it can be really cumbersome is what I hear you
050saying like especially for our hourly people, right? It wouldn't be cumbersome for the classified for the certified people, right? But you're saying the those that work hourly it could be very timeconuming. Keep in mind also you're going to also increase because of the scales you've got a zero to 25 year experience on uh certified people. If the person up here that's that's at year 23 and you give them the $1,400 plus what their increase is would be under the pay scale. you're going to be giving those folks more than $1,400. So, they're going to get more than 1,400. So, I went back and worked on it when after we left this meeting. I went back and worked on it. And once I realized that we could it would be really hard for us to do
051that because of our hour hourly schedules and the breaks out the breakout between the um different categories. Um, I looked at like a do like if you could do it if you wanted to give like a dollar per hour or$ two dollars. So when I went and looked at that, I looked at a I just looked at a dollar because that was just the easiest thing to do. No justification why. I just picked the number. Like some of those scales would get less with a 3%. So for example, bus drivers, like if they got 3% it was going to be like $2 and almost $3. Well, if we just gave them a dollar, it means they got less with the 3%. So then you would have to sit down and figure out what categories you
052want to give. Like, okay, this category, do we want to give a $3 raise? Do we want to give a $2 raise? So, it just you want to make like I just was trying to make sure that we didn't hurt some categories to try to help some. We just want to try to hurt help all, right? And so that's when I sat down and started looking at options. I thought, well, we could do but then how do you when Dr. probably never talked about it because obviously the time crunch of trying to get all of that put together and how do you justify, you know, how do you justify what you give to each category? So, if somebody making $13 an hour gets a 3% raise, they go up 39 cents an hour. Does that
053sound right? And gosh, I hate that. I mean I mean that's that hurts me. I mean that's I know you're doing your best, April. I'm not saying it. I'm not saying that towards you. Not disrespect, but you know, whenever we go out and I've been approached by this several times, you know, it's no disrespect to you at all or your time or whatever. I've talked to four different school districts. That's one of you talked to one of them and I asked them. I said, you know, how long will this how long will this take to do this? They said about a week. Okay. I mean, are they wrong? Did you come talk to me and ask me? I mean, did you come to my office and ask me anything? I did. Did you come sit
054in my office and ask me anything? April, don't get mad. This is this is the business. I'm frustrated with you because you you what? have not bothered to come talk to me and talk about salary schedules and talk about calculations, but you call and you share our budget with other districts, which is totally unacceptable. I have the email where you shared it where you shared it to Warren County Board Chair and ask him to check my work. That is you want to be professional, let's be professional. I didn't check I didn't send that to them. I have the email. Get it? Absolutely. I have right here. I can forward it to everybody. Get it. Can you please check on this? Is what it said with my budget attached. The email I sent out to entire
055board. Send it out. Right. Well, the bottom line is the board's going to have to vote on it one way or the other regardless of whether we one number or three numbers or whatever it may be. We have a 3% on the table. We've already got the figures for that. I like figures for a flat dollar rate. What amount do we know? 1,400. It's up to Dr. Powell because he's the one that has to prove April going through and putting that work in. So that's strictly up to you. Can you be more specific what you mean by $1,400? Because is that for everybody or is that because I that's everybody. Scott, the new director is going to look at a lot of this stuff. So, it's it's coming down the pike and you can talk
056to the new director and let them know your desires, but it's late in the game. But that's up to Dr. Pal. My recommendation would be a 3%. Whatever that if you own on 3% or 5% whatever you pay one group you need to pay the other group the same amount of money. So okay, if y'all want if this committee wants to come back to the board and say they can either have a 3% or 5% or $1,400 or $1,500 per person or that's this this group's decision to make. Okay. Um, could I would not be in favor of it? Would it be since we've talked about trying to play it conservative because of the all the unknowns, would it be a possibility maybe easier instead of a dollar amount, do a 2% and just show
057us the numbers and how and what that effect would have on us. Okay. The only the thing about that, Holly, I think you have to remember now next year you've got to get to. So that means what you don't put in this year, you're going to have to either add to or take away from next year. But by next year, we're hoping to have these pay scales broken out. And we could possibly pull those that were under 50,000 and put them in their own pay scale. I mean, that's a possibility. Yeah. I'm I'm just saying like if it would be easier for you because a dollar amount seems hard with hourly employees. If it's a matter of just plugging in that percentage number, maybe it would be more, you know, take less time to figure
058it that way. If you on the on the classified staff, if you put in a dollar amount this year, this next year, that's going to completely demolish the present per hour scale. You'd have to go back and calculate that from the very beginning. Right? This why I'm suggesting just a different percentage. It's going to save you. So like a usually generally um a 1% raise will cost you around $350,000. Yeah, I think I remember telling that. So you would be around 545 if you went with a 2%. Um but obviously that you know would that cause us to use though the the 530 that we need to use on the certify calculate that and that's because we want all we want to use. We want them to get Yeah. We want them to get all
059of that. Yeah. Because if we don't that we will have to the money the state will take that money back from and we don't want that. No. So that's a part of the I figure. Yeah. He that gives can take us away. That's right. That's right. We want them to have all of that. And so I guess maybe if we figured a two or a two and a half tell us how much of that 536, you know, because we don't want any of it going back. We want our teachers to get all of it. And then how much more over that? because classified has to come out of something else and nurses and maybe some would hit fund balance just a different percentage that would give us vote on right that would give us a
060a proposal other than just the 3% to% based on April's budget projections will not hit the fund balance the 2% won't the 3% won't the 3% it will based on worst case scenario yeah that's what I thought not what we know right now that if if it comes out as well as you hope that it won't hit the fund balance, but our federal funding is unknown. Our federal funding is unknown at this time, right? So that's that's kind of what um funding for next year is unknown for next year. Right. That's that's why we're saying maybe play it a little bit more conservative till we know more better use it. Yeah. And and I mean, who's to say we couldn't add if we ended up getting that money or more money that we couldn't add
061an increase, then I don't know. I'm just trying to throw out different scenarios. I mean, I could definitely build if Dr. Pal wanted me to build a two two% two and a half%. You just would not see it before Thursday. I just there's just no way for me to like get it turn it around that quick. It would take me it would take me the next couple days to do that. Oh, I would fully expect that. Yeah. Yeah. Just an idea. What do you want to shoot for? Two, two and a half, four. Whatever uses our $530,000. We want to use it all. We want to use it all. I wouldn't know that until I prepared all of it. So at the very end when I go calculate it. So yeah. Well, how much are
062we using now with 3%. Um we are 8 800,000 I think. But that was Yeah. 800,000. Is that everybody or just our certified? That was just certified. So I think 2% would get us there. Would get us there. Yeah. But keep in mind that doesn't that number may be high because that's all certified and that includes nurses and that includes new positions. So it probably not terribly high but that number probably is a little bit high for just because it includes all of our certified and not everyone qualifies for that 530,000. So if we did that and we still got obviously a gap up to 50,000 but we don't have to have that 50 thou those entry level teachers up to 50,000 until the start of 2026 the next not next budget but next the
063next one following one. So by that time we could have separate pay scale pulled out and whatever they're lacking if we have to we could just give it to them and it's going to mess up your pay scale but but if it's on a separate one maybe it wouldn't mess it up. I don't know. I'm not an accountant. Well a 2% is going to show a little bit difference. Two and a half% versus a 3% is not going to show. Yeah. It would be I would say a 2% beern with you. We got two things to present to the board and those who are feeling more conservative have an option. Yeah. So a two and then the three is that and I know it takes time. Okay. The board retreat is on Thursday the 10th.
064Next Thursday. It's coming Thursday. coming Thursday. Oh, yeah. This week. Yeah. Two days. Oh, gosh. Okay. That's what I'm saying. I wouldn't have I wouldn't be able to give it to you before Thursday. Like you would walk in here and see it fresh if I if I was at the meeting on the 15th if I could. Yeah. Because I mean I'm having I'll have to add a whole like I said everyone's on a it's a manual process to add and I' have to add a whole new line in my payroll budget for We wouldn't need to have it Thursday, would we? Could we not have it at our board meeting? Yeah. I mean, that's what I'm not saying that you I wouldn't asking it for Thursday. Yeah, we wouldn't have to have it before we
065vote. I want the whole board to be able to see it during the work session so they could talk about it. And also keep in mind, too, that I'd have to do I'd have to provide because I give all the payroll stuff for Carlin. So, that would change hers some, too. I do all of her pay I give all her payroll information to her, too. Yeah. Not only just general budget, but that's another about 60 people. Well, you could because I don't want to kill you, April. Um, I'll do whatever Dr. P. I'll do. I would say not figure anything less than 2%. So, what y'all are saying, you got a 2% or you got a 3% or you want to kick the $1,400 in all that? That's going to the $1,400 is what's going
066to be the longtime kicker on the banks right now. that's going to mess a complete scale up in its entirety. Yeah. Not the certified people, but the classified people. Because if you if you take someone that's making $15 an hour and you give them $1,400, you got to go back and calculate how many hours are they working to figure out what their hourly rate might be. And that's going to going to re that's going to read you almost have to figure everybody's salary as an individual person, right? Yeah. That's I think this is something maybe, you know, next year. Yeah. Not saying it can't be done. Yeah. But I think don't think it can be done on the short time frame we're looking at. Right. I agree. That's what I'm saying. I agree. Too much
067wants to do or what the next director comes in and wants to to change that, then y'all are perfectly fine to direct the director to do that. Yeah. But I I cannot I cannot recommend it. But but the two that would give us two options. The two and the thing is two is not going to make I don't think the two is going to make enough difference. Yeah. In anything we do here. I mean it's it's not that much difference in the two or three. We can do a two but I don't think it's going to make enough difference to to in the budget itself. Yeah. As large as the budget is. If we were talking about three or4 million dollars whole different ball game. And hopefully we can do all of this and not
068get into the fund balance, but you can't spend your savings all the time. That's for sure. Uh because you don't know what's going to come up to have to use that money for in the future. So, if y'all want to look at a 2%, we can figure a 2% or H, excuse me, April can figure a 2%, but I think the $1,400 per person is not feasible at this time. Not that it can't be done, it's just not feasible right now. Well, I don't think it's for now. We've got a new director coming in. All that's going to be looked at. Sure. So, Yeah. [Music] So, where are we? You want to make a recommendation to myself? Do you want to go at 2% and 3% or do you want to go two and a
069five or two and a seven again? whatever you Oh, no. We just I don't think the $1,400 is feasible at this point in time. Percent's a little bit different. 2% 3% is not going to be enough to make that much difference in the budget. I don't think and even if it does, it's not going to go that it's not going to make that much difference in the fund balance if you have to go into fund balance, which right now we don't think we will, but you don't ever know. But the difference between a 2% and a 3% is not going to make much difference in that. Mr. Gilly. years. Three years ago, I come on to this board and unanimously every year, every board member. Some of us have been here the whole entire time.
070A few have come on in the middle and then of course we have our new board members. This 3% has been designed and known for 5 years. That is the steps we have individually went and looked at people like janitors and things of that nature because when I first started here the janitors was making $8 an hour. Eight. So, we've constantly continuously tried to move and move and move and push and push and push. One thing I wanted to say about the 3% and about the plan that the majority of the current board, the majority of the current board has continued to carry out, we're talking about minimal hits to a fund balance that even if we didn't take one dime extra of a budget increase from the county each year, maintenance of effort will
071make up for that. no more than we're using maintenance of effort in three-year time period. If we don't get a single dollar extra, maintenance of effort will cover that. I still believe that we do need to address the other items. I think y'all are definitely looking down the right paths of some future things. Uh but Mr. Sher, all I wanted to say was I I expect to see the three on the agenda as it's posted on the agenda already. I don't think that's a discussion right now in my opinion. Thank you. So, we go back to the original. So, what I'm gathering is that we're back looking at the 3%. I would go back to whatever percent y'all want to come up with. All right. So that I just across the board to whomever. So
072okay, 1% you said comes out to about 350,000 for every percent. So a 2% would cost the district 700,000 um approximately. other things in there. I mean it would reduce your 8.95 to around 545 your 8.95. So instead of 8.95 a 2% would be five I mean give or take that's going to change it's going but based on like yeah it'll be around 545 for two% depending on you know because it's specific employee so that's coming right at the 530 that's all employees right? Yeah, but keep in mind that's not our total cost. That's just what we're going to have to go and fund balance to give the 3% it to certified. It's to give the 3% raise. We estimated around 1.1 million total cost. We didn't have enough revenue to take care of that.
073So, we're going to go into fund balance of 895,000 each. Okay. So, the 3% uh hits fund balance 895,000. So the 536,000 is on top of the 895. Correct. The 500 there two separate things. So the 530 has to be spent on certified. Yes. So it's just part of that $33 million, but it's the only part that's restricted to what we have to use it on. So there's not enough revenue to make up for the all the fixed cost and this 3% raise um to cover everything in the budget, not necessarily just the raises, just to cover everything in the budget. So we have to say we're going to dip into fund balance to help cover the remaining part that our revenues won't cover. So, it's a matter of $350,000 between 2% and 3% approximately.
074Yes, sir. I just want to ask one question. Last year, we gave what percentage to everybody? 7% 7%. What was the expected hit fund balance? What was the expected hit to fund balance at that time? Um 900. We were gonna the original budget that we presented to the board that was passed um and went through the commission was um the hit to fund balance was going to be $939,000. Um the hit fund balance that that was expected. Now what is your anticipated I know you don't know the exact but what are you anticipating because basically you said we're going to be putting more money in fund balance right? So, I think we're going to end up right now as good as revenue um sales tax is doing really well. Um if that continues to trend
075and we meet meet and exceed budget, I don't I think we're going to actually add to fund balance around a million dollars. And over the past what three or four years that you have been here, how many times have we taken actually a hit to fund balance? None. After we did the raises and in the recommendations as given, none. Thank you. in my Yeah, I'll just make that statement as in my time here, we've not hit fund balance for races. We've managed been fiscally responsible and we've um presented budgets that are fiscally fiscally responsible um given worst case scenarios. So, you know, if the worst case happens, this is what could happen. But those have not in my career. Now, I would say that in my career that's not happened could happen, but it's not
076happened yet. Still the chance at 3% there is a chance you're giving the possibility but your anticipation think that it's going to be very similar this next year as it has been the past three or four years if revenues trend the way they're trending with sales tax and us getting that um point sale point of sale sales tax uh I in budgeting the worst case scenario could happen but I don't think that this potentially we could probably hit fund balance but I don't think at this moment in time looking at revenues and all the information that we would. So the need to go down to 2% is that a need that you think to keep us from hitting fund balance is that a need or do you think 3% would still be fine with the
077possibility even a 4% raise? I've always just thought about it like this and this is just me doing the budget and working the numbers and 85% of our budget is in people. I mean everything else is fixed. um like you know you can't the fixed cost can change but 85% of your budget is people and I'll say that and that if if we were we should have I know 7% was a hot topic for this year but we gave a 7% raise and we are not going to hit fund balance so we're not going to the county to ask for more money to give a 7% raise we put money in our employees pockets who need that we shame on us. We should have done more last year. Did we do more than we had
078started out with a plan for last year? We went with the 7% but it actually started out looking at approximately what 4%. We started with four and we started pushing it up and pushing it up and still turned out really well. So that's my point is if we say a 3% is going to hit fund balance and it doesn't say revenues are high and your fixed costs come in lower than what you estimate and you don't hit fund balance you've just taken money out of your employees pockets that you could have given given to them. Thank you chairman that fund balance who pays that where does that come from? So that's the our um local dollars and our state dollars that we did not we were fiscally responsible with and did not rain day fund
079ultimately it's still our tax dollars right and it's required that we have a fund balance by the state. Yeah. So that's that's money that we're giving and our taxpayers are giving a 7% raise to people that didn't that didn't get 7% raises that's paying those tax dollars, right? Everybody got a 7% raise every That works here. Yeah, but that this is a separate budget from the county's budget. This is school's budget. Okay. You're missing I guess we're missing maybe I'm missing a point. The the point of those people that pays our taxes that we have to represent that we're representing. They didn't get a 7% raise. That's not my problem. It's mine to worry about. It's mine to manage the school budget and to give the raises that we're fiscally responsible for our school employees.
080Yeah. I think you're also, Mr. hands are responsible for the people that you run for the board of education to work with their employees and balance out that with the taxpayers. Scott, teachers have been notoriously underpaid for a lot of years. I mean, normally if you go in and you even get the basic bachelor's degree, you can count on going into industry and making a certain amount of what above what teachers could make for a lot of years. So, I was delighted when I heard that we have to get teachers up to $50,000. Um, yeah, a lot of people out there might not be making that and our lowest pay is not, but we're trying to get them to that to making a decent salary, but it takes time. And with the new director coming
081on, I will say this, our county average income is $57,000. $57,000. Okay. Those are the people that's paying our fund balance part of it. And they want their kids with the best teachers that they can have. Absolutely they do. And you have to pay for that. Yeah. So, I feel like um obviously a dollar amount um is advantageous to the classified employees, most of them. Sure. Because for Yeah. $1,400 is more than seven or $800. Um, and so I guess I mean I don't know that we have time to do any of this this year, but I guess what I'm thinking, you know, in the future, even next year, let's really focus on and give ourselves plenty of time to help close that gap. You're never going to completely close it. and you you know
082you you shouldn't because it wouldn't be fair. And I think you can you know I've heard the comment made well you know we're making more than most county employees are but we're there's two different groups involved here. Look at our classified staff and I don't know how much they're making in terms of what the county makes because I don't have anything I don't know what the county makes as far as their employees are concerned. That's different. Some of them are more, some of them are less, I'm sure. And I mean, that probably has something to do with what the state sends for education versus county off. I I don't know anything about that. I mean, I don't think the state dictates to us what our what we pay our classified employees. What about the county
083commission? Do they have I I'm all new to this. I'm a complete rookie here, but they have a certain amount you and you might want to explain this to me, but do they have a certain amount that they contribute to our budget? And then do they have an option to contribute more than that? Sure, they do. Okay. So, when do we find out how much they're going to contribute or have we already found that out? So, if you look at there's a required amount on the TISA um estimate. I can try to pull it up, but we Yeah, that's what I was thinking that it was 30, but they have an option to give more if and they do currently. Will they do a really good job? Okay. They do a really good job. They've
084taken care of us for Okay. for a long time. I think they So, is that something that they vote on or the commission on the amount they're going to contribute over the 30? Like the state gives them guidelines on what they the percentage they have to give. But then also, so I go back to the calculation that I do. So I have to calculate based on it's like a weighted ADA. So it's not really our ADA. It's this calculation that the state does. They send down to me and I have to take that it's by it's like a student number and I have to take that and I have to calculate. Yeah. So it adds up to 100% of whatever's allotted for per student for for the school district. As far as think about county
085dollars just for the school. Yeah. they have to lot this amount of money maintenance of effort but then on top of that I have to do a calculation that splits that total allocation out between oursel and the two city districts. So um that is done every year and we I provide that calculation to the local finance department here and we usually get our numbers like our really true numbers in May. Okay. From from Marian at Miss Ed maybe next month. Mr. Neil, you have five minutes or less. I will try my best. Thank you. The um the maintenance of effort that she's talking about. Yes. The state the state is required 70%. That's what they kick in with Tissa. The local is 30%. They divide that statewide. They don't care how many school systems you
086have in a county. they divide that by 95 to come up with their maintenance of effort. Okay? So in that 95, those 95 counties, and there's several districts around that are like this. For instance, Lincoln County, Williamson County, Wilson County, um anybody that has more than one district in their system. And then of course, Coffee County, we have three. So what happens is all of that is there's a fiscal capacity index that comes out by May 1st of every year. Part of that it's an average of what the Boyd Center at UT comes up with and the Tennessee it's TACIR some kind of intergovernment formulas. Yes. Two and they take the average of those two and give your county a fiscal capacity index. Coffee counties last year was 71. So they take that 71 fiscal
087capacity index by the county and they decide how much of all of that um revenue that was that was that the county generated, how much Coffee County did, how much Manchester City did, and how much to Oklahoma City did on the base side and the weighted side. And with us we generated out of all the ADM that was generated the for the 30% throughout the statement for Coffee County we generated 45.77% of that. Now the other two districts they would have had the remaining what 54.43% and I don't know what theirs I don't know that's right divided between them and that's all the same formula used for them. So then they took that amount out of the total county multiplied that by 04577 and that's what they said that the local had to come up
088with for coffee count for coffee county schools. Then they figured up a city and a Manchester city rate. They did the same thing with the base and the required the required local portion with the Tissa formula is going to hit around for Coffee County for this year. It should hit pretty close to 8.8 to $9 million that the local will have to kick in for their maintenance of effort. By law, the local cannot reduce their maintenance of effort. They cannot use if the state increases, the local cannot use those state dollars to supplant. And that that's in that's in statute right now and that's in law. So that's how that's how it works. And like I said, like I I so I told you I addressed a group of three to 400 people last week
089and and used Coffee County as an example and I said Coffee County's government typically does always much more than what their required maintenance of effort is. So they do they do a very good job. I hope I've explained that in Dr. Powell's five minutes. In the last estimate, very complicated in March estimate our local local portion is 8.8 8 million is what they're required the maintenance of effort and currently right now in the FY25 budget we're 17.4. So the local provides and now remember this committee is on advisory committee. They're they're the board will determine if they give any kind of a pay increase and what that pay increase will be. So this will be an advisory capacity from this committee. You're not deciding whether they're gonna get money or not or how much they're
090going to get. Yep. You will just advise whatever y'all come up with. If you can't come up with a with a a firm thing, you need to tell the board. We can't come up with a firm decision. It's left up to the board to do what they would like to see done. Okay. So, we can conclude this meeting pretty much. What are we doing? Well, Dr. How what was the final decision? We made it. What are we doing? We doing two or three or both? You're not you're not doing anything, Scott, except advising the board what your recommendation would be. Right. But are we doing two and three? My recommendation is to leave it like it is. But now, if you want to do two, then I'll instruct April to do two. You want to
091do five? We'll instruct her to do five. But now remember she can't do all this stuff in two days time and I think this is something that probably the whole board needs to be discussing at the work session on Thursday and you folks can give your input into it like anyone else can of course. Yeah. So if y'all can't come to agreement to do this and then when we have this work session on Thursday, you're welcome to give your opinion, your opinion, your opinion, and anybody else's opinion that's on the board. Why did we come here today? Well, we don't have to have her if you don't have time to do it Thursday, we don't have to have that in front of us to discuss it, right? Not necessarily. I mean, you can kind of
092do the numbers in your head sort of to know what it's going to shake out. I mean, she might be able to give you if you do a 2% it's going to cost this much money, right? But as far as making out a salary schedule, no, that cannot be done. Yeah, I think I can do I think I can squeeze it a 2% by I think I can think it can. Would that just being an option? You know, I'd hate to put a ton of work because it might not might not even pass. Well, we could, but if we could have an idea, maybe just a a rough idea, just something to discuss and then maybe we could throw that out at the work session and see what happens. Oh, look. The consensus then is
093that this group is going to let April present a two or a 3% advisory from this committee and then they can decide what they want to do from there. Whether they do a three, two, five, zero. Can I leave what I have on there because it will be harder to take it off than it is to put it back. I mean, I just insert a column. It's already gone out. Yeah, it's already went out. Yeah, but the 3% you have right you've already got that you can I don't know why April couldn't just say what she did to us today it will be approximately this this will be the approximate difference and that's all she have to do generally always given three options usually some last year was four we put I think we pushed
094four out there um because you just I mean this is a committee meeting not nothing to that But you don't know what the general consensus of the board is going to be. So you want to give multiple options. Yeah. Right. And you know because you don't know what the full majority is going to want. Exactly. Yeah. A roundabout figure, you know. Yeah. It might not even I would hate for you to put tons of hours into it. I mean, I could probably get it by Thursday. It would just be um you all probably won't see it before then. I won't be able to send it out and ahead of time. Well, we could just even ask you and say, "Okay, what do you like we did tonight, what do you think the difference will be
095approximately and just having that figure and then if we decide to go with the 2%, you can make up that budget later, but there's just as good a chance knowing the board we've got, they'll go with the 3%." So, I hate to see you put that work in. If you can give us that approximate, yeah, that would probably be more than sufficient. We just say, "Okay, April, if we went with the 2%, how much less is that going to hit fund balance?" And you can say approximately this amount. I would prefer to go ahead and build it just in case. Just in case because then it kind of to help you, April. Well, I'd just rather give an like accurate number of, you know, what the worst case scenario is because I'd hate to have
096to build it on Friday. Yeah. And then, you know, try to build it on Friday and have it for Tuesday board meeting. Okay. Okay, unless anyone else has anything else to say, we're going to say that we're going to April's going to bring a 2% and a 3% to the work session Thursday and then that will be discussed then and then the board at their next board meeting will make a decision as to recommendation as to what they want to do um with that. Can I leave what's on there right now? Can I leave my options on there and just add a 2%? Yeah. Are you okay with that? It's fine with me. Yeah. Just it complicated more for them, but it's fine with me. Well, it'll complicate more for me. I'll have I'll have
097formula errors and all that kind of stuff. Yeah. Okay. Anything else that needs to be said, folks? I know you put a lot of work into this and and then there's a lot of discussion about it. It needs to be discussed. Uh and I don't have any problem with with making changes in it, but I think this is not the time to make the changes uh because of the restrictions we have. Uh I know our a lot of folks are are underpaid. I I will agree to that 100%. No, I agree. Uh I don't have any problem with that whatsoever. But uh whatever percent y'all come up with will be fine as long as we give everyone the same percentage. Whatever that number might be again will be my recommendation to the board if it's
098worth anything. But I will not give a percentage increase. I've already told you that. I think you know why. Okay. Any questions? All right.