BOE Work Session 3-20-25

001SL [Music] I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America. America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Music] I glad to have everybody here this afternoon. [Music] So, we've got a work session items listed here. Items two, five, six, [Music] yeah, uh, human resources was looking at this um to stop requiring a physical for new employees. Uh, it's a $75 or $79 cost, but they do would have to sign a health declaration form. And same down on number seven on the second page. Um, bus drivers will have to present a physician certificate showing satisfactory health. So those were recommended changes by our human [Music] resource. Yeah, the policy change is in blue. And because it's blue, that means it's

002coming from my office or TSBA. TSBA would be red, right? Yeah. TSBA is the district changes. Number four changes that they have to have physical and seven for bus drivers. They still have to have positions certificates for bus drivers. The the blue is the um the changes. Yes. Mhm. Okay. [Music] Okay. The next one is uh artificial intelligence programs. So we do not have any policies for AI now. So we worked on this a lot utilizing different resources. This would be a recommendation. Was this um was this um any of it come from TSBA? Some. Yes. I find out exactly what it is and we Right. Right. because we really they went over this at the TSBA legal conference that we were at. I know that they sometimes have policies that that we can look

003at and advise us by. Yeah. Yeah. Uh they they gave I think I scanned and sent all of the board members that AI workbook or whatever they call it. Yes. I got it in mail. They sent it in the mail too. So they mail it to you too. Good. Okay. So we use that. There's some scary stuff in there. Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How else do we use it now? I know we already have some, right? Using it for a while. So, have they had any discipline problems with teachers and teachers usually pretty good about catching it, but it is an issue. Yeah. Have we had any cases where they've used bullying with it? Not that I'm aware of. Okay. Good. [Music] LA the last is just for I guess you chairman Mr.

004Chairman DOS search process on the DOS search process. If you look up there, you can see there's several steps that we involve. First one policy. You look down position before. So, did you work on this with um did you work the executive committee work on this list of items? Ultimately, we have for the board to decide the uh job description part of it. Right. So, um I think you've been here on the board with me and we just hired Miss Maxwell and of course Mr. Step. So, I don't recall doing something like this. I mean, I I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but um we missed some steps last night, so we should Yeah. Yeah. So, and and I don't know if um you've been around the central office longer than I have, but

005other um directors that have been hired in the past, have they had some kind of itinerary like this? Yes. Yeah, we did. Say again. I was a human resource director. We did this. Okay. Thank you. So in looking at the contract framework, I'm going to have to do a contract again. Last time we did that before we negotiated with contract that amount only go transportation components. Yeah, they can't hear you. I'm guessing that my mic wasn't working. Yeah, it's not working. It's a new mic. It's the new one. Yeah, that's better. Thank you. Sorry, I couldn't tell. Um, then there's transportation components that we have in the contract that was in question before. We get a car, we pay mileage, any other specific things that you want to include in the contract. need to decide

006on those before we start search. Then we need to decide on the area of consideration in county only within so many miles within middle Tennessee within the world or whatever. Did we uh have something like this before or did we just uh accept everybody's um cuz I think we asked Miss Bray, did we not Miss Bray ask you to send out the information for uh uh people to send in their applications or and uh we we didn't have any kind of um we didn't say just Tennessee people or just C County people. No, ma'am. Okay. So, we just kind of left it open to what came to us and Yes, ma'am. I wasn't in on all that. I'm just thinking that we just we posted it. I mean, there's several places that I put it

007up. I put it on my personal LinkedIn page, Indeed. There was probably seven or eight different places. TSBA, toss, Tennessee Superintendent Association, things like that. And then whatever. Yeah, we had several. And whatever I collected then I several applications. Correct. Correct. By doing it that way. And they were good applications. Everybody, you know, but ultimately the board voted to narrow it down. Narrow it down 50 miles to 50 miles. Yes. We narrowed some down. But we didn't have a set thing saying, "Oh, we only want people from Cumberland County. We only want people from the state of Tennessee." And ma'am, I I've advertised it everywhere. Yes. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you. So I I think if we limit, you know, if we if we say, okay, only 50 miles, I think we're limiting what

008we possibly could could get possibly could get. Is this also not something that we can enlist TSBA to help us with, help us with the search as far as them sending us candidates or things like that? It is But we have to specify that's what we want. Right. So that's I thought this was a work session and what we this is about one at a time. I'm going to go back to want to go to them all start to do what we do. Um, we'll have to develop our interview rules, a scoring and selection process, what criteria that we're using, the voting process, and the length of each session to interview. The exact questions will have to be reviewed by HRO the attorney with GSPA also they've got a list of standard questions we can

009add to that but need to have each of them review agree on what they are who's going to ask which questions be the same for each candidate then once we get that accomplished I think we can post the vacancy interview application process the information what is talking about. Then we need to set interview dates probably based on the number of candidates we're going to consider 10 or 20 or five or whatever and figure out when we're available to do that. So if we limit the time to each applicant to 20 questions or 30 minutes, then we can kind of figure what we're going to do. If it's 2 hours, whatever we want to do, we got to figure that too. And once we do all that, make our selection based on our rule, we decide

010which in the policy said we got to decide those rules before. Mr. chairman. Yes. Um question are are all these bullet points referencing are your are these referencing either your recommendations based on your experience or these based on recommendations within following the policies that we have cited obviously following the policy but that's just what I recommend. So the so all of these are going to be items that we're going to that tell us that we need to f we need to do these things based on those four policies of those things that are in there some of the HR things but we'll have to follow the standards and be guided by those so it was consistent with each other agree consistency is key. Um, I just trying to get a basis for where these these

011items came from. Um, as a recommendation, I can't I can't disagree that that these are all items to be considered. I'm just trying to get an idea is where where all this comes from. If it's pretty much Okay. Thank you. Then once we get to that point, we decide on someone we're going to offer them the position, you got to think about that contract. So that's why before we get there, can you tell us what you know about um asking TSBA to pilot the search as opposed to this? Like this is model A. This is us essentially saying we're going to internalize the search. Correct. We have done it before different ways we've done where we asked those service applicants. That's the only we it's been a while. The boards back then took the first

012five them after the five more rejected them. After five more rejected them after the five more said I can relate. This is it. We search from that. I think three got chopped up where one ticket then turned down my one took it. Gotcha. So again, this is this is recommending that we internalize the search as opposed to enlisting TSBA. We can do it either way, but once we get those applicants from GPS, still have to go through these things to get. Gotcha. They just got to give it to candidates from all across the state. Okay. And TSBA has a fee. I'm assuming it's not a free service. Three different fees. Type one, type two, type three, however. Three different types of searches. I'm emailing that link to you guys right now. So, you got the

013link to it to that. Thank you. I don't recall us going through all this the last time. And I know Miss Gray has, you know, been around longer than me. And I I'm know that there's several um times that we've hired a director of schools and um what has your been your experience, Miss Bray? We've never I've done it twice. This would be my third go round, but it'll be Miss Neie's goound this time. But I'll help her if need be. We We didn't go through TV TSBA. the board decided they didn't want to pay the money to do that. Yeah. But I mean, I will advertise it. I put it up at TSB. A lot all of these associations will let us post for free and then I just collected all the applications and

014then forwarded everyone copies and then you folks made the decision who you wanted to interview and and set the interviews and then I just called the candidates and told them their designated times and set up all of that. Correct. So um but we they the decision was made at that time they did not want to spend the 3,000 5 whatever it is exactly to do that. Thank you. Thank you. Um there were some of these items last time that the board decided not to go through. Could that be the reason why we've gone now through five in 11 years is that we don't have a process, a good process to vet? They specifically not follow. It's embarrassing. It's just embarrassing. [Music] God, I think you guys [Music] So all those items you want to start

015at the top and work our way down. See what we want to do. This is what you [Music] recommend. I mean well in my opinion we got to start somewhere. Okay. And we need to look at the different policies. I think we can put those up on the should that TSDA there's three different plans. They just get more descriptive as you go. But the first plan is $3,000 plan is 7500 and the third plan is 15,000. Yeah. And it's listed on that link I gave you. just look at the superintendent packet and they'll explain it. Yeah, I I've looked at that on on on the [Music] site. Okay. 5.800 800 up there. Just director of school shall be the chief executive officer of the school system and shall have under the direction of the board

016general supervision of all the public schools, personnel and departments of the school system. The director of school is responsible for the management of the schools under the board's policy and is accountable to the board. The director of schools is at his her direction may delegate any of his her duties to other school personnel. 5.800. Any questions about that [Music] policy? Look at 5.81. [Music] one. This is where it gets a little more specific. [Music] You want me to read it? You don't have to. All right. Scroll. Thanks, Diane. [Music] You can see 10 11 or 12 or 13. I think they're lifting that I thought I lifted. [Music] 14 on specific says we can make up a committee to set up a review group resume or something and that candidate 10 people on the staff

017community groups the entire traditionally do that last point in front of full board it's been done in evenings it's done on Saturdays just a variety of different things we have some people come from far off make reservations and travel somewhere nearby. Just there's variety of things going on. Number three says we'll interview them in open session only to ask questions [Music] about session questions about 5.81 5.82 said that we would make sure that candidates have these qualifications. You can add things to that. Kind of goes back into the job description in a way. [Music] one of my I guess I know it's it's kind narrowing the field. Um but at the same time that number two qualification a master's degree in education with preference for a doctorate degree personally I think for leading our entire

018system um having a doctorate um to me means a lot more um it it it's a um I would rather have a a someone a doctor than I would someone with just a mast's I think they've got I think they're got a more in depth understanding do what I think that's why the word preference is there yeah but I mean could we just for our search eliminate the master side of it and go with the doctorate side I think it's a bad idea to try to narrow down candidates in this situation [Music] We can do that, but we need to keep in mind the page, right? Yeah. Big time. I mean, I'll be honest with you, I'm not I'm that's the least of my worries. the most of my worries is my kids' education and

019making sure that everything that we're wanting to attain um we can and having someone to lead us in that direction is is what my main concern is. The salary part of it is the least of my concerns. Um and then there's another degree in EDS. Wow. So that's in between a master's and a doctorate. It's It's a step above a bastard's but not quite a doctorate. And I think you can get your EDS in leadership. Yeah. Yes. Got everything. Right. Correct. Okay. So, this one outlines the responsibilities of the job description pretty well, pretty thorough. [Music] So as we read these, the candidates will read this. I hope when they look at their policy, reach out to them. And you can see there's four pages worth none of which are especially one important or less

020important than the other. Just a whole lot of different things. I don't think you mentioned the 600 different decisions that have to be maint And down here the terms of employment we looked at above evaluation process and contract itself. We scroll up. Thank [Music] you. A lot of community relations there. You scroll down. [Music] So now you've seen the policies up to 5.02. Number three, Congressman John Rose from Tennessee says he is running for governor today. As a grateful descendant of fearful Tennessee pioneers and as an eighth generation, I humbly announce mine did that in church last Sunday. Just took off. Can you pull your mic closer? They still can't hear you out there. How's that? That better? Yep. Okay. So, 5.803 the evaluation process tells us all the things you have to do in

021that which we are working on. says we issued this in 42524. That was just about a year ago when it was reviewed. Say again. When it was reviewed. When it was reviewed. Yeah. That date's updated each time that it's looked over and edited if needed or if TSBA sends any changes. Yeah. That's why I miss the policy committee. So the evaluation is not uh really how we u hire one. And this is how we evaluate. But in the process of hiring, we have to have a evaluation tool. Read number four there line 26. Why do we have to vote on this when we're asking to um not voting? We don't have to vote on it. Okay. Just that we're reviewing so we know what's on there. So, those are the four main policies that deal

022with what we're doing here. Search. We can go back to our list. So when we do B up there, 5.82 is pretty good to go with. I think it's 802. Gives you the description. think they match pretty close from what we have right now of 50 of 802 801 or 802. Um, do we have our current um job description for the position to reference for this conversation? I emailed you guys a link just now to look at that. So, it might be in your mail as Diane. Um and and that was some of the notes taken like in reference to the recommended items to be considered for the um the process and or how it ties into the job description and the policies. Some key key things that I saw that I'd like to see

023um are tying I think it used language um long-term and short-term planning. And I would I would propose we we migrate toward uh tying our strategic planning uh and how we report those strategic plans um and essentially the physical reporting that pertains to the strategic planning documentation. Okay. So, we need to do a change in the policy or I think it if they were to mirror each other obviously to like to your point to be consistent um would give us the best opportunity to capture what we're looking for. Okay. With the strategic plan, don't we change it every 5 years? It comes up every 5 years to change. That's part of what we have to do as a board. According to We're supposed to review it every second year. Look at But we look at

024it every year. The director looks at it all the time. Comes up with recommendations, check what we've done. But didn't we as a board help work on that strategic plan whenever it came up for review? It should. Yeah, we did. That's that's what we're that's that's the point I think is that we are indeed being mindful to that. Yes, sir. As often as we can with the expectation that the director is reporting to us, how we're navigating it, how well we're doing along the way. um and what support may be needed from us to help in those efforts to either change course or stay on the course and and support either financially or with new policies or um hear the recommendations based on where we are um toward that. Okay. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. [Music]

025There's the current director school's job description. Yeah, there's line two. Short and long range plans. [Music] the financial management piece on line number three. Um would like to see a little more language there in just the relationship between the DOS and the chief academic or I'm sorry chief financial officer um as to where we're we're reviewing that with more frequency I guess essentially that it's expected um as instead of suggested because currently we're just saying and this the way I read the read this and y'all can tell me if I'm wrong it's just saying you know, let's make an appropriate written report or I'm sorry, we're going to might have to scroll back up. There we go. Prepare a budget. Present it. Make appropriate written reports for the board detailing all receipts and expenditures of

026public school funds. Submit them to the local funding body. ensures the funds are spent prudently by providing adequate control and counting of the district's fiscal res physical resources. Um so again I guess trying to tie the budget to the plan with more frequency would would be I think relevant in the same breath as we were talking with the uh policy. You want to recommend a change to the policy. Put that in there. Uh yeah, I guess. Yeah. And then that way it would follow the job description or they would mirror each other. I think that's it. Goes on down. Item three, line 10. I think that's pretty much where the job description comes from. If they need to change the policy to make the job description different, we can do that. I would I would

027suggest that. Which one are you talking about? Uh is it 802 under finance of financial management? [Music] I think most of those come from Tennessee code, but we can beef it up more if we need to to be more specific. Gotcha. That would be great. So, if you will look at that and make some notes. Okay. We can consider those. Okay. We'll do put them in for a policy change board. [Music] Okay. On the job description, there any other things that you see that you want to discuss, bring up for the full board? Not at this time. I think this uh policy outlines what the um director of schools director of schools uh job description should be. It does. And they match pretty close. Not word for word, but they're very close. If we want

028to make them mirror each other with some other language to add position descriptions follow particular format. This incorporates it pretty good. But you got the narrative basis down at the bottom and the qualifications that further identify what the part above says. The bullet of this narrative which is protocol for just about all. So when we do a job description, the HR makes sure that each component is there that has to be needs to be be corrected standards. mixed in between that's all the laws that go with it depending on the position while that's in a working environment. How much weight you have be able to lift? How much seating standing whatot? All pretty much standard stuff. Okay. Are there other areas of the job description that you want to talk about? seems like um the

029strategic planning if we implement that that would cover I mean a broad group of everything important in that in that sense. Um, if we had to narrow it down, academic achievement, strategic planning, financial reporting, I'm just saying those are the three I mean I guess needle movers to be mindful of if um we'll be I mean I I don't know how we would make it any more complicated cuz it's it's pretty complex. is is deep. Yeah, that's I think only thing we could do there to be more complete would be to put the words strategic plan to include these. Sure. Yeah. That makes it clear to the person that we're looking at the plan every time. Where does it relate to what you're doing? Okay, let's go back to our list again. I think we

030have the item three sheet. So if we revise the contract framework to include things that we're going to expect them to know what their salary range is or they're going to ask us how long we're going to want them for 3 years, three and a half, four, two, need to know that ahead of time. And then that transportation component. Do we want to put a car in there or state that differently in the new contract? Well, I think we've done this before, but we just negotiated with with uh the person whenever we um offered a contract. We said this will be the salary range. This will be the length. Um that's what I'm saying. Right now, we don't know that. We we've left it at a blank and then you know when we did the

031contract and then we write it in when we talk to the person but when we talk to the person whoever talks to the person needs to know all those parameters. Exactly. Well I mean we've already as a general as a general disgusting idea. Yeah, I can see it. But at the same time, depending on who we get, the candidates that we've got or whatever, it it's hard to to me getting that specific already is putting the cart before the horse. We don't even know who we've got or who's you don't know who's going to apply if you don't put a number out there either. So, it's chicken of the egg. So, you put a salary range 100 to 150, 100 to 200, and then see who applies. And if they're qualified, if they're if they're

032worthy of 150 contract, then you you do your best to retain them. Yeah. If they're if they're not necessarily, right, you review what's worth it, what's not worth it. Length contract, minimum of two, maximum, what's three? Four is the most we four, I'm sorry. Yeah. Um, so that's might want to settle on three, which is what we usually do to keep us out of the overlap. And to me, going back to the to the transportation part of it, I I think that needs to be included. That's just um because of all the expectations of our DOS um providing them a vehicle I think is is it we should do it anyway. I mean, because we expect them to be here and there at any point in time, you know. So, um, to me, the transportation

033aspect of it, it's a it's a given. So, in transportation, we're deciding whether not we provide the car or we provide um money. I would say provide the car like like we had done in the past, but it's just really old now. Yeah. Yeah. We need a But then we also need it to be something that that's, you know, for the position. And I mean, you know, we need it to be a good vehicle. We don't need it to be a, you know, correct, not a service handicap bus, you know, we just we need it to be something nice that they can use, reliable, roadw worthy, and appropriate for the business. Yes. Yeah. Because my I mean one of my thoughts is you know at any point in time they could need to you know

034if we've got vendors or special guests around you know they may need to haul them around or you know to show them to different schools or whatever like that. And it I would want it I would want it to be something that they would be anybody any VIP would be happy to ride in type thing. Agreed. Then we keep up with the maintenance and stuff, right? Yeah, that's Yeah, I agree with that. Okay, we had a work session. We talked about a lot of that for hours, so we should be able to come up with an answer. Have we had that in a contract before, Mr. King, since you've been here? patient. Yes, sir. So, when was it taken out? Which director you're talking about? Different boards did different things. Okay. So, uh what director

035had it taken out? I think the board that was in place after Dr. Ragdale. Dr. Ragdale. We kept the be contract. Okay. We kept the vehicle because we owned it. We still do. I think we do. Roady and appropriate isn't the case with Yes. Understood. [Music] So, we'll need to kind of put that down at some point in item D. We do a worldwide search. I think last time we had somebody Saudi Arabia somewhere. So, we may want to consider that. do a national search, state search, even more restrictive, southeast search, Canadian search. Well, I don't think that we should limit it to the county only or within 50 miles. That's, you know, we're limiting our Yeah. applications. Yeah. Yeah. I think you should I don't think you should either spend D Like I say,

036you've been here longer. Sometimes the board said internal only. Sometimes they said external, right? I don't think that that um I don't think that's a good idea because you're limiting who your pool of of people that would want to apply for the job. So, we're looking at just whoever sees the application process, want to put in wherever they may be. And to me, getting back to that, you know, the TSBA side of side of the the whole thing in that packet that um Mr. Step sent us in the search process, they come out the initial trip is free. So, I I think one of the first things we need to do is just contact them and say, "Hey, we need we're going to start this search. we need you to come out and help us

037get through this this part of it. Um see what we need what what best suits our needs here in the in the county. So okay and that will I mean that to me will help help us decide part of D E and um F really Well, we do have an HR person. Uh, you know, you could send out uh the res, you know, our ideas or or that type of thing. I mean, we we've hired an HR person to do that kind of thing. And to an extent, I mean, I I understand all that part of it, but at least I guess the TSBA seems like they have a larger pool of people they know, you know what I mean? And just just having them, hey, I'm new, so I'm just asking for some help.

038Yeah, I'm for the consultation part of it, getting started and getting this process going. Um, That way we're not muddling through a lot of this. Well, like I said, that's why I asked Miss Brady what she did last time because she was HR at that time. So, um I think we have some expert people that we hired. We do. And so if we say, "Miss Bray, Miss Neely, will you please handle this?" They have to know some of these answers. Salary range area to search. They can get tsb and get it worked out. They'll get it posted for us. You just have to tell them the specifics. Personally, I think I'd rather see TSBA be involved in this process simply because and and I'm not discounting what y'all do. Don't don't take this the wrong

039way. But if we're hiring for a teachers position where that's something that's kind of bread and butter for them. They do it on a somewhat regular basis, then yeah. But we're not hiring for a position that has multiple openings. we're hiring for one very important position. I would rather see it in the hands of TSBA. That that is what they do. That is one of the things that they are there for. That's their intended purpose. Even if it costs us a little money, that way if it goes great, great. If it doesn't go great, we can say, well, we got the experts involved and it didn't go great. I think that would be a level of insurance over us as a board to make sure that we are doing the right thing. Yeah, I agree.

040And to that and kind of to that point also in in the grand scheme of things, Miss Bray and then they don't really work for us. So asking them to do something is not our position as a board. That's the director of schools position. So our to me in chain of in line of chain of command type thing, it's we need to contact TSBA and get them to come in and help us get through at least the initial part of it. Um if nothing else and that way we're not trying to direct them which they don't ultimately does don't work for us. You know they work for the directors not us. I see your point. So when you look at E up there, they will help us with those things there. TSB will and the

041attorney will and the HR will So be thinking about specific questions you may have you want to ask. We'll pull in specific questions for the applicant or for Okay. There's certain things that we want to know. You want to know we're running through the attorney, the HR and TSBA. Make sure they're consistent legal question that we can ask. Where did we get our questions last time? There's a pool of them. I think Miss Bray has Miss Bray has some questions that we can I have the list of questions that the current the board at that time put together. Okay. But I still have those questions. So, we might want to look at those or or not. Just Sure. Yeah, I think most of them came from GSB to start with, but we looked at them

042and we said we want to ask these questions and then we asked certain ones that we we individually wanted to ask. We went through a process. Mr. Attorney looked out and said, "Yeah, these are linking questions and they rephrase so that they and then When we did the interviews, each board member had certain questions they asked each. I recall that. I think we had three a piece. Something like three or four a piece. We usually only got questioned three. Another thing that I that I've been looking at the different levels of services from TSBA. They have a guarantee that if a vacancy occurs during the two years following a hire that they will provide the service again without charge. So basically it's a 2-year insurance policy on the candidate that's hired. I think it'd be

043a good idea. Okay. When they see us, they start tw. [Music] So once we go through that, we as a board need to decide what we want to ask to be done with those things in mind right there. Then we can get on with the posting and the interview process. We'll have set dates to look at your calendars and be thinking about that. Okay, we want to do Saturdays, Thursday evenings, Friday evenings, Sundays. What do you want? Have to think about that. Then we kind of need to look at our calendars together and agree that these are the dates we're going to use so we can all be here. I think we did them Saturdays before normally. That's what happens because some of these people are employed elsewhere and that's the only time they can

044come. Correct. If there are some that can come on a Thursday night, we can do that for those candidates the others on Saturdays. Then we can we can also decide when we get the applications look at them. How many do we want to consider? Five, 15, 20, three. We want to do two rounds of interviews. One round. Have to think about all those things. Then we can get to the H. We've got to go back up there, make sure we got all this other stuff figured out, too. Somebody's going to have to negotiate with them. They have to know what they can offer and can't offer. Who who did that in the past? Was it the lawyer? The last time it was the chair. The chair. In this most recent time was the chair. And

045when that was considered and negotiated, then the attorney looked at it and said, "It's all there. It's all legal. It's all proper. [Music] So as a board we need to decide that too at H. We want one person to negotiate. You want to do an open negotiation with the whole board or do you want to sign somebody else? For a negotiation to take place pretty much has to be oneonone with the candidate. And then that's brought to the pool board discussed open. So, do we have any questions up there still on any of those items? And I've got the question, will we be prepared to come to a meeting and nail those down and all of us are here to what? How can we how can we help make sure everybody has all this information?

046Is there going to be a summary provided by the chair and the executive committee or should we just expect everybody to go back that wasn't here today and read through this entire meeting and come up with their own opinion? Good point. That'll be short view between now and next Thursday. Yeah, think we can do that. But we can come up with what we can vote on or what we don't not ready to vote on by 30. And I guess this is my question as far as the voting side of it goes. Do we need to add a something to the agenda for us to vote to ask TSBA to come in and and yes, that will be part of the consult. So, um for next Thursday or whatever, add that on to one of these

047items that we need to vote on that and get it started. [Music] So, I think that's what we will do is have items that we think we can vote on. We get to something that the board doesn't want to vote on yet because they're not prepared, then we can postpone that part. That way, we get some things done. Might get them all done. I don't know. Anyway, as I see it, that's where we are. You have other questions on this piece search process? Well, yeah. I guess that's maybe I'm just not understanding. Um but to go along with this an entirely separate item of voting to ask TSBA to come in, right? We're going to spend money. Yeah. Well, I mean even for the initial consultation to, you know, inform them and according to that

048um search packet um once we inform them, they'll come in for a free consultation. Their first trip down here is free. So, we need to inform them so that they can come and give us that initial consultation. Good point. So, that needs to be a separate item on the agenda for um Thursday. Yes. So, I've got a note here to do that. Mr. Paul, you have something. Anyone else before we go to the next item? Okay. So item three is the finance portion. So the Chromebook quote, excuse me, the Chromebook quote that was actually going to be on next year's FY26 budget. We we do this every year to rotate in new Chromebooks for for the students for two grades. And uh we got information from the vendor that the tariff would hit them if

049it did go into place for about 25% more. So we put this on here to to see if the board would consider us actually order them while they still have a bunch in stock so we can maybe beat that 25% tariff. Is this company under contract by us as our sole vendor for Chromebooks? we get it off of the state um bid site the tips. Does that mean that we don't have to follow the three bid process cuz they're they're approved? That's what I thought. State contract. Just want to be clear. You know that question. Yeah. On the the second box, not the black box, but the white box, that's where it says it's TIPS technology solution products and services contract. So TIPS is that state contract. So, we'll have a budget amendment on the

050next meeting for for uh you to approve or not approve. So, do we get these every year? Every year. Every year we get new Chromebooks for every student or just fifth grade and nth grade. Fifth grade and nth grade. So, essentially this is just us moving forward the 26 expectation the FY 25 years. Yeah. What are we doing? Just to be clear on this, what I would be asking you to do is allow me to go into the fund balance temporarily pulling this money out so that we can go ahead and order these cuz we can't order them without adequate appropriation in that line and then next year I just remove them from the budget and the money would go back. So budget amendment, correct? But we save how much? A lot. Hopefully 25%. Yeah.

051Hopefully hopefully well I would dare say I hope that it doesn't happen but if it did terrorist Yeah. cuz we're going to make up for it on the other end of this things that aren't. So how many other items are we considering trying to bypass the potential tariffs that we don't know? This is the only thing. Is there any particular reason we've narrowed it to this one item? It's just such a significant cost which is total of 25% on No, I mean like the total the total of this bill is 194,000. I mean we got how many? We got millions of dollars yet to be spent this year. I'm just curious why we're not looking at those other items in addition to this. Well, this is the one that I had official notice that this

052was going to happen. I've got two other items on the budget where I' we've talked to vendors, but I've not got anything really in writing officially that they're concerned about this. What about our construction projects? Are they communicating with us that those things are pending as well? Well, we'll get into that a little bit later when we talk about the budget for next year, but I know we're anything like with the bus garage, they've told anything rubber, petroleum products, things like that. They're giving us about a 30% increase on those. Wow. But nothing in writing. That's just verbal. What are you looking at for next year sort of thing. This is something that's more conc This is the most concrete thing that I have. So essentially that if we're if we're buying these now as

053opposed to waiting till later, we buy these now at the regular price. Correct. Or we can wait and buy them anyway cuz we're going to have to buy them. You have to buy them at an increase of $100,000. Yeah. Could be. Potentially. Potentially, right? Yeah. But why not do it? Oh, yeah. And save $100,000. And then if we don't then we didn't miss anything. Yeah. It is cuz we have to have them. The kids have to have the books. We have to have them as much as we have to have everything else that's already in the budget. I mean, I'm just saying kids have to have the Chromebooks. Well, we we survive without Chromebooks until Chromebooks are invented. Yeah. But now we have federal regulations and we have teachings and kids have to have Chromebooks.

054So, if we have to have them, we can save $100,000. To me, that's a win-win. And then if we don't spend $100,000, it goes back in the budget and we're good. But it's getting ahead of the game. Oh, yeah. No, we can I just My question is just more general like how many other items are we potentially viewing as well? Nothing that's going to enforce the tariff the tariffs on these particular items, the petroleums and the rubbers and those type of things. Those are the things right now they're saying this could be an issue if they play games with Trump. This is what we could get stuck with. So, not get ahead of it. Maybe order a few more rubber mats and some more gasoline and stay ahead of things so that we don't and

055then if it doesn't happen, we're no more we're no more less for the game. But the kids have to have them. We're going to buy them anyway. I'd hate to have us have to come up with another $100,000 for computers. This makes sense. We're not necessarily gaining or losing anything. We're just keeping taking advantage of the price. If if the tariffs don't go into effect, spent the 394 anyway, if they don't go into effect, it's just a matter of where it comes out in the in the year and she'll pull it back out the end of the budget season. Hopefully, it won't help it because ultimately this money will just go right back for next year's budget. Go right back. I will remove them from the budget next year is what it boils down to.

056We're just buying ahead. Yeah. Just in case if that's what you good folks want to do. Can I ask one? And I know this may sound like a simple question. May maybe it's not even a question as I'm trying to read read through it and and look at the year subscriptions and things like that that that come with that. But do those come into effect? Are we starting our years early type thing? I mean, is it going to cost? But there's no real money. I don't guess in it, is it? I'm sorry. Thinking out loud. It don't do me very well sometimes. [Music] Oh, what you're saying is we've already got a subscription that remaining on an item that we purchased and this would move that up. We'd have overlap in subscription services. Yeah, that's

057kind of the thing I but at the same time I don't guess there's that much cost. There's not that much expenditure on that side of it. This is just the hardware more or less. Correct. Are we I guess the echo or not echo would we take delivery of these items a year early or are we just going to pay the bill a year early? Hopefully we'd be able to take delivery but I can't promise that. But that is the plan to have them though when the kids start school. So they essentially be just on the shelf. We'll let Mr. Heath can answer that. When do you think we'll get delivery? Yeah, we'll get delivery this year. this school year. We'll we'll house them here and then scheduled to pass them out next year in August.

058As soon as school starts, they'll be be ready for freshman night. So, we'll be moving our entire cycle up a full year. Not not a full year. It's just, you know, if these tariffs hit, we're going to have to pay 25% more, you know, uh when our budgets pass. Who knows when that's going to happen. Yeah. you know, so uh the county commission's been really good to me the last two years and as soon as July one rolls around, they've let me order them. But if those tariffs are in in effect by then, you're going to pay 25 more for these Chromebooks. And to answer your question, Anita, what we do with them, uh when the freshman get them, they carry them four years. Okay? And they have a 4-year warranty on them. And then

059once they graduate, you know, you all voted and well, actually, you didn't vote. Mr. chef was able to uh sign a piece of paper and we give it to them. So So the seniors take them home and after four years they're not working. Yeah. I was just going to say they're really Yeah. their technology is a little So we give them to the to the high school students. That's good. You know, and some of them still use them to this day, you know, when they go to college. Some kids just can't afford to have a device. So they take them to college with them and use, you know, good point as much as they can. the the ones we buy for the fifth graders go up all of them all the way up to eighth

060grade and if they're still salable we we we bust them back down to prek first and second and get everything we can out of them and then we surplus cool but you know just like Miss Bray said you know you can either buy ahead she'll take it out of the budget next year or we all can take the chances on you know possibly about $100,000 That's a chunk of change. Anybody else got any more questions about it? Thank you. I'm good. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Next is preliminary timeline for the outcomes money that y'all voted on. This is for the bonuses to all the employees. This is just the timeline. No further questions. We'll go on to the running fund balance total as of February 28th. Miss Bray, we're still predicting by end

061of FY25 it'll be six 6 million. Well, depends on what we do between now and then. That's part of the presentation. That's part of our next presentation. Okay, the next is the Stone Memorial Middle School requesting funds for the state tournament travel. Again, this our policy says for um state, I mean for um national and not state. Correct. And and I get that, you know, they're a brand new um a brand new team and all this, but other other uh other um clubs raise their own money for things. So, they think we'll be opening the door to um more and more clubs saying, "Well, you did it for this club. Why can't you do it for ours?" I've dug in a little bit since our last meeting, too. And you're uh I I did not

062realize the number of our clubs and stuff that make it to the state level because those things don't get advertised for some reason. This dead. Yeah. And another situation with this I guess without our approval. These kids are not going to miss out on this cuz this is already happening. That was my question. So is this is this needed for overages of the trip? Is that I should have called and talked to you about that. Um is it for overages? I think this is them asking us to pay them for 13 rooms at one night at 142 a night and they have six meals and there are um their entire um everything they spent money on is there. Um but good point, right? like are we willing to support people's extra efforts at the state

063level and let them carry our name or are we just too cheap to do it? I don't that's for us to decide if we're only going to be willing to spend them for national competitions and I'm not really sure. Um if you think about national competitions versus state competitions, this team can't compete in a national competition. None of our athletic teams compete nationally because there's not a national competition to meet in. I would recommend we change our our policy to actually reflect what the bulk of the student athletes or extracurricular groups can be better supported by. And so there's how many of them that would just out of the ballpark that you looked into would be going to state level? 10 groups, 12 groups? Way more than that. It' be way over 20. Where does

064that funding come from? Do we take that? They have to raise their own money. I know like for archery and stuff, but if they're asking for us to help them at that level, I mean, where do we get where do we get the money to do this or fun multiple times? Yeah. Or fund balance. I know. like with archery budget archery for sure. You know, they go to state just about every year and then um all these other I mean there's just so many other I'm I'm torn between in between because our policy right now states nationals. Let's use numbers. I'm sorry to interrupt you, but let's use numbers. What's the maximum amount of money we could possibly spend if every team that that applied could go? $200,000. Okay. How much? And that's just probably

065a minimum cuz if they're asking for 2,000. So what's the maximum amount that's ever went in one year to state? I'm just hypothe trying to get us a baseline for like how to make a good financial decision, right? instead of just being scared of this boogeyman of saying, "Ah, it's all too much." Well, how much is too much? What's reasonable? What's history tell us? Well, if you're looking at at to the state level, I know just in archery, each school can have up to two teams that qualify for the state. So, that's people. Um, that'd be 40 rooms. So, it'd be twice as many rooms as what this is. And I I mean, you're talking about it it could get extremely expensive. Our policy says you cannot can't request more than $1,500. Well, they're requesting

0662030. Agreed. I'm just I'm just saying what's the math tell us that we're we've been spending on average and then what are we willing to support? Um, and I think that's where we go back to what our policy is right now. And it says the national level because only national athletes are the only eligible people. Is that what we're willing to say? We're willing to tell everybody, hey, congratulations. Only the national athletes can get money. Well, we've got probably 30 people going to nationals here in a couple of months for archery. Right. So, I mean, we're not I listen, if I could give everybody a $1,000 each to go represent us at state, but most of the time from here to states an hour, it's Murphy'sboro. You know, it it did they have to go

067down there and spend the night? I I don't know. I don't know what their schedule was, but I know for archery, most of them travel down in the day and then come come back that that evening and or they may have to be there to shoot at 7:00 on a Saturday morning. So, I mean, there's at some point we've got to we've got to take in consideration that hey, there's if you want to do this stuff, there's going to be sacrifices on both sides. So, I mean, listen, I completely understand the expense on parents and everything else. Um, but I know like for archery when they go to nationals, they raise money to pay for the kids' hotel rooms. They do fundraisers and they do they put on their own archery tournaments and they they

068fund raise to pay for those trips. You think that this group didn't fund raise? I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that they didn't fund raise, but that's the that's the ability that we give them to fund raise. Yep. So So we we can't afford people to go to state tournaments. No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying our policy states nationals. So So would we need you better if we modified the policy to include Yeah. I mean, if the policy said state, then we could go to we could fund the state things, but that would have to be a policy change. And right now, I don't we don't have that. So, this is asking for an exemption to [Music] that. I, you know, we're not a uh entity that makes money. We have to go

069to the commissioners to get our budget. the county commission and they do it however they do it and they say you guys only get this much. Spend it wisely. It's not that we don't want to do that. I mean, we'd all want to do that. I want these kids to soar. I think it's awesome, but we come up we can't make the money. Yeah. And and I think to me, I think that's where individually as an individual, I try to support every fundraiser that comes around. when I try to give some money. I try to go out candy bars, cards, candy bars. You don't know how many thousands of candy bars I probably bought. But that's but that's what I feel like my responsibility as just a a member of our community is um is

070trying to support these student athletes and and help them to reach their goals. And I want to do that. But whenever you're like with this coming to it, the board as a whole, we kind of have to think a little bit differently to for funding like this. I don't know. There's no easy answer. No, there's not. Now, the timing on it rough, too, with all the unknowns from the voucher program or whatever we're supposed to call it now and everything else. Like, we don't know what next year's really going to even look like. So, to put oursel on a hook for every club that's going to a state level competition, I don't think it's a good idea right now. Yeah. I hope our I hope the people that we ask to donate money don't have

071the same answers that y'all do. No, they do. That's their prerogative. I I don't understand that. Well, I'm just saying that we're saying the fun the community is responsible, not the school board, which is what you're saying. And that's okay. I understand it. But so long as when when your archery student comes and says, "Hey, I really would like some money to go to this national level competition." Like, "Hey, man. Sorry, bro. Tariffs are up. I can't do it." And then everybody says the same thing. But our policy states national in theory. in theory. Like if we don't do it, that's fine. We don't do it. And most of the archery archery clubs don't ask for that type of money most of the time. I know most of them are pretty self-sufficient on on that

072side of it. And listen, it's not that I don't want to support them as much as I can. I'm just saying according to our policy and that's all we have to go on right now. Well, I think we moved this from last meeting be reconsidered and to look at it again, make sure we want to do what we do. So that'll be on me agenda to decide Thursday night next week. Do we fund it? If we do, how do we right? Change the policy. Don't change the policy. I don't [Music] know. I wish I could just write a big fat check. Yeah, I'd do it in a heartbeat someday. Not any further discussion? No, I'm good. Okay. Next on the agenda is FYI for y'all. Uh Homestead's fundraiser. We get those on every meeting. And

073no further questions. Next is Miss Bray. As far as the financial report, there's a couple of things that you folks need to keep in mind. We're at 50,435,21563 in revenues. Basically, we've got 71% of our budgeted revenue already collected. Property taxes are right at 95%. We will get three more TISA payments. One in March, one in April, and then the true up will be in June because we do not get one every month. So there will be three more this fiscal year. Expended here wise we're at 45 million712 09345 sales tax. Sorry, Miss Dian. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sales tax were still running ahead for the year. 22 26 226,731 and that is good news. Any questions on any of this? What percentage is the sales tax over? Percentage wise it's 226 over I don't know

074I'd have to calculate it. Okay. There was the other the original one that you had put. Um I say original the one I was looking I made it go show like 17 or 18% over. I just didn't know if that was the same as this this number you have here. Local local option sales tax. Right. Right. Local option sales tax. We're at 60%. Like I said, we're 226,731 ahead for the year, but now that can turn around. So on the So 40 40210 local option sales tax number. Is that the right spot? Correct. So it says we're 114% of average. So, would that be fair to say we're over 14%. Correct. Okay. Is that considering where we are? That's for the month. Okay. For the month. That's a I can Okay. So, there's some there's

075some where the money would come from. But there again, just not to be a naysayer, that can turn around and turn the other way cuz last year we did not reach their budgeted amount for sales status. Yep. Any other questions? Okay, next item. Budget summary graph. This is just basically a little graphical presentation that I did, but I've already showed you just to make it look a little bit different. Now, what is this a graph on the budget? Well, this the budget. It's basically the same numbers I just gave you. Uh that's your year-to- date budget and the year-to- date expenses. Basically, we spent roughly 60% of what was budgeted for the year. And this just gives you the breakdown of the income. It's just a little bit different way of looking at it. Yeah,

076I think it's I like it. Thank you. Same thing. It's just a monthly presentation as far as our monthly expenses versus our monthly income. Basically, this month we spent 73% Was it 74 million? Was that our budget? Yes. So, we're scheduled to spend 81% assuming the six 6 million over. Well, we like I said, we got another further discussion we got to go through. Okay. Just currently at where we are. Currently where we're This is currently where we are. We're currently at 81% of projection. Correct. [Music] Are we ready for budget amendments? Because there are several. I think the budget overview is next. Oh, the budget over. Sorry. So, as we've discussed for a couple years commission to utilize unbalance to balance our budget, it's going to catch up to us. Yep. So this is

077the letter from the controller with their recommendation for the county commission to create a policy and it's small correct me if I'm wrong so I have to say something out of place but create a policy to require us to have a 12% um fund balance 17 sorry 17 which is basically uh two months of our expenditures and fund balance. Did I say that right, Miss M? So, that's that. With all that being said, this year, as I said, is going to be a tough year budget wise. So, when you look at what I'm looking at right now, and this is just a overview of what we're working on, and I've been board chairs been involved looking at this already, so we can come up with a budget to propose to you. So, um, so we're

078in the third year of our strategic plan, 5-year plan. We go next. So, here's the required stuff. Well, the classified raise is not required. But that's what the board had said. They were good with us doing that. Go back. Yeah. Health insurance increases. Those are projections. an increase in TCRS rate estimating around 9% for all employees. So total salary and benefits increase is 3.629958. Next slide. I was going to u try to add two halftime APS at the large the other two larger schools. Martin has piloted this year and it's helped them out greatly. Um might not be able to do that now. Uh, next page. So, this is our projected revenue. And that's just a different way to look at it. It's the same as I sent out in the Tissa. The TISA itemized

079all that, too. Does everyone remember that? So, so that's that's the projected. The majority of our expense is or I'm going getting ahead. All right. Next slide. For us to stay at our current strength, it would be 83.480210. So we have a budget gap of 7.6. Our projected fund balance is little right at six, but with the new the new policy, we got to get up to around 12 in the fund balance. So just providing information today so everybody knows where we are. I don't want to surprise anybody once we hand out the budget. Uh, next. Can you hang on just a second? You said what which new policy you referencing? Uh, the the county commission, uh, the comproller recommended that they create a policy that the school fund has to fund balance has to

080stay at 17%. So, the comproller made a recommendation to the county commission. County commission. The county commission indeed. Then I think it passed this week. It's not passed yet. So it's not pass not even this had even happened. Correct. Is this is this on the same voting item as the county's proposed raises for all the employees of D? No. So that's so we're going to they're in consideration of that right now. So, we're going to consider the county commission is. So, I want it to be fully transparent with you guys. So, you know, if that passes that it'd be about 12 million in fund balance we'd have to keep. And and and the best reason for that is in summary, we've used fund balance to balance the budget every year. We got to do it

081once like so the spring before I was hired they used a fund balance of 5 3 million and then last year we used fund balance which was equal to the amount of the raids that we sent out to balance the budget. So we burned down the fund balance and the comproller does not agree with that. We interesting take on that by the comproller unit. Mhm. Well, that was in their findings on the audit. Um, so so what I'm what I'm working on right now, and this isn't no decisions have been made. You guys have to vote. It's y'all's decision, but trying to find that 7 million within FY26 budget. So, right now, these are things that are regular items in the budget. So, maintenance plan for 2526. They would still have a few hundred,000 for

082daily operations and maintenance and that kind of stuff. uh scheduled maintenance projects that we haven't bid out yet for 2425. The scheduled major projects for next year purchase of one special education plus plus two regular. We got tech science textbooks that were budgeted CT plus the CTE um textbook budget within our departments. We've looked at uh program platforms, that sort of thing of up to $200,000 right now. Uh don't fill the finance controller position, but we've already interviewed two people. So, if we keep it um in the last two weeks and then we added onto the GP the tutor positions, we made them 120day contract so we wouldn't have to do benefits. So, there's eight, nine of those. uh eight at 120day and then one at 80day and that's the savings for that. So just

083just with what we've been working on up to this point. Next slide. What do you mean eliminate? Go back eliminate the maintenance plan. So the maintenance plan we have that rotation of floors and partitions and painting and all that kind of stuff. So we're not going to do that anymore. I'm the decision hasn't been made. What I'm doing is I'm just showing y'all some of the stuff that we have to do because we can't really spend our fund balance right now. Yeah. So, try to balance it without spending fun. Well, we could spend it. We could. You're correct. Yeah, we we 100% could spend it right now. We could. It's again, we're we're we're have to put it in the budget. Correct. But we have to take care of our schools. We can't let them

084fall. I'm not saying not take care of anything. I'm just showing you options. Yes, sir. So, I'm not saying one way or another. Um, these are just some of the bigger ticket items that would get us towards that 7 million. Um, so we're trying to show you what all those items are so that everyone's aware, but but like Mr. Davis said, it's the board's decision. So, can I ask question? D, can you go back like two slides? Um yeah, that one. So as I look at current local contribution Mhm. of 18 million, that's 24% of our budget, right? Correct. That comes from the county. Correct. I I I just that's to me that's property tax, sales tax, um trustees collection, circuit court clerk and master, interest and penalties, just it's a whole list, but the

085majority of it comes from the local sales tax option. Yeah. 16 it would be 16.4 million this year just from sales tax. And I guess I guess to me as as I'm thinking about it, according to the state constitution, it is the the county's obligation to fund our schools and education. They have a minimum maintenance of effort required. Yeah. And that's the number the state gave us when they handed they sent us the T sub formula. Yeah. Numbers. That's the one they calculated. It's 69 or something like that of the county's budget or whatever. Is that right? Yeah, they're total that's a physical capacity. The state count calculates each county's physical capacity and based on their physical capacity is how much of their responsibility of the the funding is. So, it's not even 1% of

086the physical capacity. Physical capacity. You can find it on the comprollers website for every county. And I guess that's I guess that's kind of where I I I get aggravated with some of these numbers is it's it's not even 1% of contributions and we're not investing in our schools. We're not investing in our education. But that's a question for another day, I guess. But whenever we start talking the next few slides of of having to eliminate things out of our budget, having to eliminate positions of teachers, having to eliminate maintenance plans and maintenance programs and um we're we're letting our schools and um everything else run down because we're eliminating maintenance repairs. I'm like to me I'm like why are we just we've got to the county's responsibility is not let those facilities run down

087and I I don't know that's like I said another argument for another day but we're you look at that and we're not even getting 1% their fiscal capacity and on that page at the bottom I should have point this uh our TISA allocation was was 2 million more. Basically, our average daily membership is going down. This is ba the TISA projected for FY26 is based off of 75 less ADM than last year. So that's between5 and $600,000. But this is not our final estimate. This is just the first one for FY26. Yeah. Fine will be in June. Is that right? June 15th. Tom, I I guess my my argument, my frustration is we need to get with our county commissioners and start talking more money. We need help. Our facilities need help. Uh next page

088that shows the gaps. These are just big ticket items. Like I said, the board will decide on whichever direction we go like Mr. Davidson mentioned. Next slide. So with those changes alone, I'm just showing you that what it would look like with those big changes. We're at 78. Go to the next slide, which leaves a gap of 1.3 right now. If you go back up previous slide, the biggest pot is in every school system is the salaries and benefits. Most are around the 80, 81, 82, 83. Ours is 86. Insurance it's gone up every year. Required salaries have been over last 3 years, four years, and now we got one more year after this year for the salary increases. So that's where the fund balance keeps getting Yeah. Yeah. We had to use it. at

089least last year. Next slide. And that's the gap that we've we've found up to this point. But like I said, once we get it to you guys, you just tell us what you want and we'll go from there next. This is just the process where we're at. So, we're still working hard every day this week and last week trying to figure the budget out to get a good one to you guys, but it's just a recommendation just for y'all to consider, edit, change, however you feel you need to do that. So, that's where we are in this process. So, I wanted to do the overview now even though we haven't started budget meetings so everybody can process. Can I ask a question to going back to this is um back on the other pages where

090you was talking about eliminating the the maintenance plan and and this that and the other. How does that affect us next year? How if so now we're going to have to pick up? I mean why are we looking just one year at a time and then over the next 5 years? How bad is eliminating those things going to affect our budget and needs and everything else? It's going to start making more things more critical, I guess, as you start looking at the longevity of the of eliminating stuff. So, we didn't Some of these projects are end of life projects where we can't get parts. So, electrical is a big one. fire alarms end to life, but we've been duct taping together. Maintenance has done a great job to keep them all running. Yeah. So, they

091say uh there's a roof that has a leak and we want to change that roof out, but it's 20 years old. So, they've been patching it just so it keeps a safe, clean environment for the kids. Yeah. So, that that would be what we'd have to do right now. And and I guess if y'all chose to do that. Yeah. And I guess kind of to my point, it puts us in a bind like we're we are now with the with the football field and stuff like that where we're going to have to do some spend some money on our track. I mean, they can't even host track events and things like that. And I honestly didn't realize until um I went to a track meet of how many kids that really affects. Um, I mean

092there's 50 or 60 just in the middle school track it seems like. I I don't know the number of it. I'm just saying. And then you've got the high school and everybody else too. So I mean by pushing these maintenance things down the road, man, they're like it's it's like they just keep building up and building up and now we're going to be in a bond. I agree. It's a discussion we've had for a couple years with that fun fund balance thing. Um, and I do mention when I present it to the county commission, I was worried about this year. Um, so, but we'll keep working on it. We're definitely not going to diminish any of our services towards our kids. We don't want to do that. Want to do what's best for kids. So,

093question. Yep. when this was September the 4th of 2024. Yeah. The mayor sent it to me last week or this week something. So, I'm just reading it as you're as you're talking and I'm trying to wrap my head around why is it now the first time that this conversation is being had between you and us? Well, this is in audit every year. I'm talking Why are why is this the first time that you are not have brought this to our attention? Well, when we went to I'm not asking you. I'm sorry. Yeah. So, when I was sitting in the budget meeting, this came up. That letter came up and I immediately had the mayor send it to me and that was last week, I think. Was the budget meeting last week or beginning of this

094week? Uh-huh. It was just presented this. So, I sent this to you now. So, we get a letter from the mayor on September the 4th of last year. We did not get a letter to the mayor. This is the controller to the mayor and the county commission. Yeah. So, would it not make good sense for us to have known about this before February, March? I'm just trying to understand why why do we constantly not provide the same level of information as it becomes available? You got it right now. I mean, I got it last week when I and I asked for it when I heard them discussing this in the in the uh budget committee meeting. And the reason I'm asking that is because it says in here that says, "We reviewed the budget and

095determined that project revenues and other available funds are sufficient to meet the expenditures." Meaning, you got a check mark. Review the budgets based on the information that we've received. Not sure when they received the information because it doesn't provide a date. I do know the date of this letter is September 4th, 2024. With regard to programs put in the budget, such as education, roads, corrections, they've not attempted to determine that the local government has complied with specific program statutes or guidelines or with any financing requirements prescribed by the state or federal agency. Meaning they don't know if the federal or if our local government has complied with all the stuff they're supposed to comply to. And then it says, "Please note the local officials are required to ensure the budget remains balanced throughout the year

096and that all maintenance of effort are met. Our office has not reviewed or approved any maintenance of effort programs in the budget. So there we act like the sky is falling even though they've not even done the math to determine whether or not we are or we aren't in compliance. This information is based from September the 4th of 2024. So, if we're talking about March on a maybe or might have situation, where are we? Like, do we know where we are compared to where we thought we were in September? Like, is there an official letter that's current? Is that new? This is new. This is what we received at the county commission when we went to the budget committee. The new fund balance policy. And when I walked in that room and picked this, this

097is the first time I've ever seen this. And this is where the recommendation is for all county departments, but our fund balance should be calculated at 17% of the appropriation, which would be 17% of our total TISA appropriation, which is a big change over what we had in the past. And the reason for that change is indicated in your letter, not the one I'm holding. I mean, we need if we're we're asked withholding more money in our reserve, then there should be findings to tell us why that is. Right. Well, I think that from the controllers's office, this resulted from that. Correct. Correct. Like I said, I saw this when were we there? Two weeks ago. This was the first time that I had seen or heard anything about this. So, what's the current percentage

098that we're holding now in reserve? What's the If 17%'s what the new ask is, what was the what's the current ask? State law is 2 or 3%. 3%. Okay. So, we're going from 3% to 17% is what they're recommending. Correct. And that's what they're recommending as of this month, not September the 24th of 24th. That's for next year, next year's budget. But they told us this was coming in in September, which is right after the budget got passed, and we just now found out. Okay. Um, they told I sent an email out to the board on March 5th at 11:58 uh a.m. in the morning with a copy of that fund balance policy. Soon as I found out, I sent it out to you guys. So that letter, the first letter that you read is

099the result of the audit. Yep. The whole county audit, not just school system. Okay, thank you. have a copy of the uh letter that you're holding, the the more recent one. Did you give him a copy of the fund balance policy? March 5th. I emailed that fund balance policy to you guys. Before we jump in, I can send it again if y'all want me to to put it at the top of your mail list. Mr. Chairman, before we jump into the budget amendments, can we take a recess? [Music] or Tuesday. I come back to my car and [Music] gas. Oh, yeah. Here. [Music] I had no idea. Yes. I thought it was handy. [Applause] Okay, I'm going to bring a sheet for my chair, Mr. It's shedding all over me. I got black marks on

100my white jacket. Yeah, if you wear dark clothes, you're okay. Not good. I'll just I'll bring the sheet in and come back. A cute one. Okay. Oh, dear. Okay. I think everybody's back. Yes. Started again. Can we move on? Budget amendments. Okay. The first one is from Dr. Eldridge on the Gear Up Grant. Uh this is just where she needs to move some funding around to increase her certified teacher line and decrease some of the other lines. The next one is just another budget cleanup for her ISM grant. And the next one is basically just taking the funding from the teacher line for the outcomes money and moving it into the appropriate bonus uh lines in the budget so that we can get the bonuses paid to the employees. And there's two of these. The

101really long one is for all the employees that are in GP. And then the one that says outcomes money two is for our federal employees so that they can be paid. Can you um explain that just a little bit, please? Which one? The last one. You were the $500 and whatever $100,000 amendment. Basically, when we got the outcomes money, we put it just dropped it to get it in the budget in that regular instructional teacher line. In order to pay it, we need to move it to the appropriate lines where everyone is budgeted. During COVID, we did a budget and we created a bonus payment account in each function and this basically does that. Does that make sense? Good. Thank you. And then the next one is this is just where we can pay our

102federal employees their budget, their bonuses. And then we get the food service. You'll see another one for the food service employees. because they're all in different functions and budget codes. The next one is just a reallocation of our special education funds. She's moving monies from salaries and wages into her contracted services. These are people that we've been a unable to hire and we're contracting these services out. And then the next several are your federal budget amendments and this is just all cleanup things that they need to do so that they match e plan at the end of the year. The first one is for the ARP homeless grant. Second one is for the ARP homeless navigator grant and this cleans up our ESER 3.0. This should have this pretty much completed. Now is that uh

103we still have ES for money? No, this is just cleaning. It's done, right? This is This is just to clean up to match everything that's in e plan for our books to match theirs. Okay. Cuz I thought we were out of that. We're done. Yeah. The auditorium took care of that. Yeah. Yeah. Uh the next one is the literacy implementation grant. I think title two And then we go to Miss Handy's the cafeteria funds. The first one here is just recording this so that we can pay our cafeteria workers their bonuses in 143. And then the next one is just a line cleanup that she needs to do so that she can increase her state retirement and get that balanced out for the end of the year. Any questions on any dates? Okay. Next, um

104sh you'll vote to approve if you if you vote to approve this. This is a um $20,000 grant for seamless summer option. So, it helps offset some of the wages and other expenses, purchase items. Next is they're asking permission to apply for the fuel up equipment grant. That's through nutrition also. And then these other things consent agenda type items that are approving overnight field trips. It's required by policy that the board approved those. [Music] Tell us about the TNTP agreement. Mr. Ste, where you at? all the way down. I can't I can't can't get mine to cooperate for some reason. Yeah. So, this is money that uh we get through federal programs, I believe. Is that right, Miss Kim? And this is for a partnership with TNTP for a targeted school improvement. And they come

105in and help with literacy and math. We've used them at the high schools. We're using them at Stone Elementary and uh there was some federal money where we could hire a person, not TNTP, but a person to go to to uh Pleasant Hill and North to get more targeted help in their literacy and math side. Literacy. How long have we been using this company? Uh they were they were here before I was here, right? So it's been it's all state money. It's not GP. I think we started with the original TNTP group through the lip network probably in [Music] 2020 right after co. How effective are they or how do we measure them? Well, the each school has shown improvement across the board since I've been here um achievement wise. So the final option is

106looking at test scores. The quarterly option is benchmarks and then teacher surveys. But I mean TNTP, how do we how do we how do we measure their effectiveness? How do we know if we need to continue the relationship? Well, it's they've done a great job coming in. It's our our opinions, surveys with teachers. They also work to build capacity within the principal and the assistant principles and what they need to look for in quality instruction in the classroom. We have a document that we use called an instructional practice guide and we go over those and we look for trends in our county and the principles work together to do that. We also use another company that's similar to what TNTP does. Is that right? that um probably is on the agenda the last time. And

107I the reason I'm saying that is cuz I know that I went through TNT TP's website and read all of the stuff that they that they bring to the table and kind of the the value within them and it it's pretty impressive what what they do and how they do it in inside our schools. and the other program. I'm not sure if I'm I'm saying they're maybe they're completely opposite things, but I know that they were on that um on the agenda item from the last time. I think I think maybe what you were talking about was the um Kate Martins's group uh Accelerate I think it's Accelerate Education and she specializes in working with students with disabilities and part of our support for ATS high school at Stone Elementary. She has been working with

108uh Stone Elementary and we've also been able to get her as Mr. Steppp said into Pleasant Hill and North as well. Yeah, the le leverage. That's Yeah, they uh but going to both of their websites and just kind of researching what they are and who they are and all that stuff, I know that they have a an impressive um what do you call resume or whatever of how across the the country and so many different states and this that and the other improvements and stuff that they see. So yeah, TDO recommends them. They got a couple different that they recommend that we spend ATSI money on. And then there's warm body count, annual planning calendar. And we got calendars and newsletters. Um, have you heard, and this is just a question of Have you heard

109how the uh the steam evaluation went north the other day? I haven't heard. We won't know until April. April. I knew it was coming. I know it wasn't too far off. You did theirs the same week. Did they? Both went really well. The faculty did a great job. I don't I didn't mean to. The kids were great. They did the job. They really did. Are there any other questions about anything? So, I'll go back to say got some things to look at Thursday. Next Thursday. Yeah. But in between we had a 25th Tuesday budget work session already previous schedule. So you know you make that [Music] what's that Tuesday night coming up between now and the board meeting. It was previously scheduled a budget meeting on the 25th that calendar put out last [Music] fall.

110What time is it? I'm sorry. 3:30 or 4 if possible. is scheduled two work sessions. Budget meeting budget budget meeting budget meeting March 25th at 3:30 same time as the work session I guess. How long do you think I'm supposed to have a meeting with Aiden and the football at 5:30? It'll be just the initial meeting that we have. This will be the budget lab questions. Okay. A summary few details. Okay. [Music] days. Think about these [Music] things. Generally though, most of it's important and that's the 25th. You said agenda will come up 3:30. Did you say 4 3:30? Mr. Chairman, can I ask you a question? Also, this was something that that's kind of come up over the last couple of months. We talked about it in either a work session or maybe even

111in a in a meeting last month or something, but it's how we're um I guess recording our our meetings and and stuff. Um, is it necessary and I I know what the lawyer said that as long as we're recording each session that it's not necessarily necessary that we type out dictation more or less for every every word that's said during the meeting. And I know that it takes up a lot of Dian's time and she's got a lot of other stuff going on as as well. But just the the time that that takes, is that something that we need to vote on on how we record that or how do we get that to where we're not taking dictation for every word that's said in a meeting? We could and normally usually the budget financial

112stuff's what we recorded. Mhm. Yeah. Well, it was decided back in the previous board. We went to summary and then we didn't want summary. we wanted and you and Miss Anita may remember and then we went back to recording everything I think it was used more for bringing up in later meetings. So currently right now the last decision that was collectively made I'm typing out every word that said is that something maybe that we just at the beginning of the meeting if we decide hey we're going to I mean since we're recording anyway we're fulfilling our our our duties um and we're we're putting it on our website or whatever we're fulfilling our duty as far as open records and all that stuff. when I was summarizing, I was hitting the high points. Yeah. You

113know, so we've done it both ways since I've been here according to the Lord's wishes. And that that was just my my thought is there because I to me it's it's a lot of time spent. A lot of times it'll help the So we take the hours down to minutes. You take the weeks down. [Music] Yeah, that's something we can put on there. Look at Okay. Thank you. This is if there's anything else from anybody. Not we'll stand adjourned.