001meeting the order. So if everybody will will rise for a moment of silence and pledge of allegation. The pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you all for that. We got any public input? Two in a row. Done. All right. All right. So, that brings us down to new business, which is the um fiscal year 2025 2026 jur school budget. Um director, do you got anything to say before we just been in your hands? I mean, if y'all have anything that that comes up or any questions um any questions that they have, be happy to answer them, take care of. Mr. Chair, if I may, I make a motion, please. If
002Uh, I move it that we adopt the Jefferson County School budget for fiscal year 2025 26 as presented. I'll second that. Move in a second. Any discussion? Do I get to go through? Yes, sir. Uh I have I'm not a numbers person, but I have every confidence in this budget that has been presented to us. uh and uh uh over the past years starting with Langon Pops and now Jessica uh we've had uh a a balanced budget. We've not had to ask for a tax increase and we've rolled over money. So what else could you want, you know? And so I have every confidence that they uh what's in this document will work and and we'll in we'll be balanced next July. So with that said yeah just want to put a couple words in
003um yeah I'm kind of the numbers nerd I think on this morning and uh I met with Dr. on yesterday whole list of questions. Every question was answered satisfactory. I feel very comfortable with this budget going forward. Let's talk about that. Um I when I we're talking about this budget, right? Um when I went through this uh I see a lot of line items that say other other uh what do these is contained in these other linements. Which ones are you? Um so 399 the object 399 is other contracted services. There is a payroll line 189 that's other salaries and wages. So it's just different jobs that are in that one but other contracted services or if we have a contract. So like what kind of other jobs? Um 189. What all does that include?
004I mean multitude of um positions such as um specific um within different. So you take for instance a [Music] 7100 189 could be some office personnel. um could be some um that includes retirey service incentive pay. We pay our uh tutors out of 189. Um so they are in that 71100 tutors are in there. Homebound teacher pay is in there as well. Um some of the coaching supplements is included in that through 189. So we have a chart of accounts that we have to follow and it's guided by um mainly guided by e plan but we have to follow that for certain positions. So like teachers are certified so they're not categorized in 189 normally. Um are there sub accounts? So this is the chart of accounts. It's the state chart of accounts and we
005write those descriptions. They give them to Yeah. The county follows it as well. Are there sub accounts behind each of sub funds or cost centers um that go under that? Yeah, there can be um like uh we broke out in your federal 142, those are broke out in the sub funds. Um these right here, we use a lot of subobjects on the school side, which is another piece of the chart of accounts. And so let's say um 189 normally you can um use a subobject to categorize the specific group that you're paying for. Like for example counties easier um we have SRO's so we use SRO for that and it pulls out the SRO specifically. So they could be rolled up under this but on this one that you're you were given it has the
006subobject listed out. So there's not anything up under that number. Okay. If a sub subobject is used, it'll be listed in that um column, it's right before the 2425 approved column. At the very top, you'll see those column titles. It's four to the left from the end. It says subobject. So, that'll show the subobject that's utilized. Now, when we give you financials, um those subobjects don't normally show up because that is a really long report and it will fall under just the object. Okay? And so if there's an X, does that mean there's no subobject? We just have to use it for our spreadsheet to pull in. So that if there is uh a number under there, it that's just it's for a specific person for us to keep separate for our required reporting that
007we have to do. Okay. Um under health services. Is this all like employee health services where the 72120? No, that's student health services. That's student health services. So those are your like it says 131 medical personnel. That's your um school nurses. Um your other contracted services that is um Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic to provide um athletic training services at the um sporting events. So that's what that is. Okay. And then on the uh so then there is now these don't have a page number. I guess it kind of has a page number. It's cut off for me. So after 73400 there's page. Yes. You know, like what how is this one different from that first that just breaks it down into So starts out the first one um is she on page 16 or 15. Okay.
008So we we broke it out differently. Page 15 is um a recap a recap of the function which is per the chart of accounts. Oh, I thought the 15 was Oh, okay. I apologize. Uh 15 is the recap of the object. So that that's kind of like what you were asking. Um, for example, you you would find um 189 on here, but by the description, I don't see that. Where is 189? Okay, I see 189 on seven on function 7100. Mhm. Okay. So, like 189. So, where would I find that on this page? So, on page 15, it's uh probably about halfway down. says other salaries and wages and it's decreased. It's showing a decrease 92,000. Okay. Now the next page Uhhuh. Um is that's a continuation, isn't it? Recap by department. Recap by department.
009Okay. Apologize. Page 16. Like the second page is a recap of the object still. So, it'll show you like our insurance, gas, electricity, it can show you this current year that we're in and what we're proposing for next year. And then the next page, if it shows you page 17 of 17 at the bottom. Yeah, it's cut off. It's just before the pink page. So, Oh, okay. I don't have a pink page, so Oh, okay. So, that that's just finalizing it to show you. Okay. And then that helps us too because we want to make sure Yeah. We check our variances because we don't if we see something really off that's that's a red flag for us. Okay. And then uh then after that we have school federal funds. Can you give me a breakdown
010of all this or is this just a part of the first section? So federal funds we budget um basically so a budget's a huge guess but federal funds is an even bigger guess um because right now especially right now um so we we budgeted in now you may see budget amendments definitely throughout the year amending funds and these are for grants federal grants that we currently have okay or that we know of that we may get next year but normally it's what we currently have and that's what we budgeted based off of. So this is a grant related. Yes, that's federal funds. Those are all grants. All right. And then and then the final one is your student nutrition. Okay. And that's your fund 143. And those are restricted funds. So it does show a
011use of fund balance about a million dollars. Um every year we use their use of fund balance. That's all we can use it for. And so um Okay. Well, thank you for um clarifying all of that. I appreciate it. Yeah. So, in the health services, you said that there's it's for student health, right? Like nurses at each school. So, is there room in there um for another nurse to be hired or is it just account for the current nurses that we have in our schools? current nurses in our schools. So there there is no there is not a additional position. We we have some sub nurses that we utilize. Um if someone goes on maternity or someone is sick, not necessarily, you know, they wake up sick on Tuesday morning, we get a sub. um
012we use that internally to move people around and care for um students. But this would be more someone has a planned absence then we have uh sub nurses who are willing to come in and work. They don't want fulltime but they'll sub. So if we if we have a sub that can't come in, right? one of the who would go I guess there's white pine who has one nurse correct all schools have one nurse except for the high school who has two nurses okay and if we have a nurse out of the school and there's a sub I guess there's a sub or whatever can't come in or is already over over something my issue is the lack of when we have a nurse that has to be pulled from the high school. That leaves
013one nurse in charge of 1500 plus kids. Um I've actually seen that on a couple occasions, but we have only one nurse. I'm just kind of worried that one nurse I think that's a lot for the high school for for her to deal with. I don't know, you know, if we need to get somebody else, if we need to, you know, I don't know. Yeah. I have a nursing supervisor who um today I was at the high school and the nursing supervisor was at the high school uh helping with coverage there. Okay. So, she she'll help if if we're short there at the high school then. Sure. Okay. Yeah, she she will um you know it's just like I mean you know I can't I have subs for classrooms. I have and I can make
014that work. It's kind of like bus drivers. I can't just go get somebody to sub, right? You know, they have to be a licensed credential, be able. So, nursing's the same way. I have to have some I can't go get coach to sub as a nurse. He can't take care of himself, much less somebody else. Believe it or not, I taught school. I was a school nurse. I had first aid class. So, so it is difficult. We only have so many positions. We have two sub nurses that have said they would sub and then even sometimes whenever an absence they've done prolonged periods they didn't want to do but they knew we needed coverage so they stepped in but there is days that we have to rotate people around to be able to provide coverage.
015So, so we're not going without a nurse at one of the schools though, not to provide um you know it I mean occasionally something may happen where somebody gets sick unexpectedly has to leave. Um we've had a child one one of you know um at a school a child broke a bone that nurse had to leave suddenly go get their child take them to the hospital and then we had to transition somebody from Talbot to White Pine for a period of time to take care of some medical procedures and then float them back and forth. Okay. Okay. Um the only The only big problem I have with it, and I, you know, I know everybody works hard on this, the only thing I struggle with with this budget is I worry about our teachers exiting
016over the lack of pay. I know it happens every year. Um, I'm really concerned that our teachers assistants slash aids Um, I think that they're getting pretty unnerved about their pay. You know, I just wish that we would I mean, at some point, I know that we have a fiveyear plan or whatever. Next year, they got to get the $50,000. you know, at some point at the at the progression rate that we're going, the other districts are going to keep moving up as well, even once we get to $50,000 next year, which I think we're going to really be stretching to try to get into that next year. And I know we have to think at some point we need to go to the county commission and just tell them I think I think everybody
017needs a significant race across the board that works as employees. Um, I'm speaking for the teachers and teachers aids and assistance because in three or four years from now, what are these other counties going to be being able to raise up? And and we're not going to be I I think we're going to be falling behind as the years progress and um I think we're going to still see exiting and it may even be higher numbers. Um, and it just it bothers me that we can't give our teachers more money, our employees more money. Um, and and I've had a discussion with you and I understand the implications of going to them and getting that um would require probably taxes going up. But I think people in this county need to understand that we can't
018sit here with our taxes the same. This isn't 2000 or 1990 or 1980. And if they want better education, they teachers pay. Um, we need the money to be able to do it. And I think at some point we just need to step up and go to county commission and say, "Look, I know it's unbalanced. This is why this is where our employees need to be." And um, you know, kind of put our arm. I've sat here for seven months listening to a fight of putting a new school up that you know I I honestly I care less it's a new school or remodel. I mean I'm not against a new school but it require taxes going up and it kind of I struggle with the fact that people will sit here and fight for
019a new school and burden the whole county over their over over the money to raise and it will raise our taxes to do it. But I don't see nobody standing up fighting for our employees which will raise our taxes. And I've even watched some teachers get in here and do it. And that bothers me that they they put their own personal wants ahead of all the other teachers. It's very disappointing. I just want to make that for the record. Couple of things on salaries. Um, so I did go into hourly um, employee pay and um, people who have been here 5 to 9 years got a 50 cent raise on top of a 3 and 12% raise. People been here 10 to 14 years got help me out um, 75. So there there was a
020significant um not significant but you know if you've been here 30 years you got two more dollars on your pay. Um so I spoke about that where we have custodian who's been here 30 plus years and made 14 38 hours and that's just not acceptable. So so we're moving in that direction. It takes time. Just those small bumps cost $160,000 to those hourly employees this year. Um a um an employee a teacher who has say 20 years experience and makes $65,000 a year. Remember that that salary is on a 200 day um um contract. So they only work 200 days and get paid for 200 days. Whenever you hear that, you know, correctional officers or somebody else in in the um community makes, you know, 55,000 starting out. Remember that's on a 260 day. So
021a $65,000 teacher salary on 200 days is $85,000 salary on 260 days. So, I think we spoke about that a little bit um in that teacher pay is based on 200 days that they work and we are working to improve our hourly employees. Everybody with five years or more experience got an additional raise on top of their three and a half% this year. and the bonus the bonus. Um, so that's another I've already heard from somebody in the county. They said, "Hey, I'm going to transfer over to you for one day so I can get that bonus." I said, "All right, come on. We're all trying." But, you know, those are good things. Health insurance went up significantly. We still pay 100% of that cost. Um just a little bit of information talked about the
022prek program for employees. I've had two employees, one in severe, one in Hamlin, reach out to us that um um said that they would transfer in next year if they could get in that program. Um they said that's a additional $4,000 that would be on their salary that they wouldn't have to pay if we could do that. So there are, you know, a little bit of fringe benefits that we could offer time to time. I know that we are continuing our uh part-time benefits for employees. Um those are hard positions to fill and and u you know we are still giving them their $10,000 um life insurance and their health benefit that we are providing for them. Bus drivers are extremely happy um with the monitors being in there. Uh that's important to them. that
023helps out a lot whenever they struggle. It just provides they know that it shows that you care and it pro provides them some support that they need on their bus routes whenever they do have trouble. Anything else? Anybody? I have a I have another question. Um and my apologies if you might have mentioned this before. uh under um what is what is covered under other contracted services. Exactly. Just depends which uh which line you're looking at. So I am we'll start with um see here uh function 72120 health services. Sure. I think Dr. Arnold mentioned that's the Dogville Orthopedic Clinic services and then um 7213 other student support I see a whole lot of other or I'm sorry it's uh yeah other contracting services as well. So if you look at the subobject of 800
024that is a safe schools grant. So that's paying for our navigate prepared um license that we use to set off alarms for schools whenever there's an emergency or something of that nature. Um so that's what the 800 line is. The U 010 is No, the 175 is coordinated school health. That's [Music] $2,160. Small amount there. Um most of this is software materials to go along with um um some items that we from some companies to provide some um so for one that does not have a sub subject object. Uh what companies it's SRO at Jefferson? It's the SRO 3.99 $3.99 $71,000 is that's because um the SRO grant only covers one SRO at the high school and so that's the second one. So that's where that goes. Okay. And then um the uh regular instruction
02572210 uh we have other contracted services there. Object 399 the the one without it or the one with 020. Um, actually both. Gosh, I didn't recall. Charges are under 3.99. copier like copers, mailing machines, anything with a contract like that. That goes under $3.99. Okay. All right. So, like just office essentials, anything. We have a contract for the office, which we have them for the copying machines and the the mailing postage machines. Yeah. Like in office of the principal, we increased that $25,000 just because copers have increased over time. All right. And and then uh 72215 alternative instruction other contracted services object 399. Is that also office for $1,800? I don't I don't have the detail. It is Jefferson Academy copier. Okay. And then uh their special education program that one's 39,000. What is that?
026Yeah, that's the vision. Vision for them. Yeah, the vision services that we have to have. Okay. And then career and technical the one they got there. And education technology. 5,000 for careers tech. I don't know. Maybe copers. I don't know if that's a copier. They might know. Well, I noticed that they all say 3.99. So everything under the 3.99 category. Is that all basically office related type? Not all. No, because like the Knoxville Orthopedic I mean it's it's just a SRO as you get into U kind of depends on which category operation of the plant and 72610 and 7262. Um other contracted services is what we bid out or HVAC another company providing work on the school system. mowers who mow or um school grounds. Okay. HBAC workers that come in and and provide um
027that work. Jamie's gone, but to fix a canopy. Yeah, fix a canopy. Blew off. That's what that is. Well, and and my last question is probably kind of silly, but uh at the top where it says object description and cost center description. Those look like they keep sharing the same column. Do they or are they had to slide it together to get it all in one because of the spreadsheet and we're trying to combine it. Yeah. So, cost center description. Um, just to kind of go in, I don't think the schools use a whole lot of cost centers. They use it for school location, but that's all we use. We didn't use it's only school locations. School location like 950. Isn't that That's a subject. That's okay. So like Jes for Jefferson Elementary and DEES
028for Dandridge when we assign certain expenses to those schools that we use those letters but we never use those in the budget. We don't budget by school. We budget by department. Well, thank you for clearing that up. The county budget. Yeah. So I'm used to county and we we wear out cost centers. All right. Thank you. All right. Anything else? All right. Coaches move to adopt the budget as presented for fiscal year 2026. All those in favor of adopting the budget as presented show by raising your right hand. Six. All those opposed zero. All right. Motion passes. Is there a move to adjurnn? So any move. Is there a second? A second. Call second. All those in favor run for you.