January 14, 2026 FPS School Board Meeting

001Good evening everyone. Welcome to the board of education meeting for January 14th, 2026. The meeting has been properly posted. Can we have a roll call please? >> Sure. Mrs. Larson >> here. Mrs. Wakowski >> here. >> Mrs. Seperski >> here. >> Mr. Sprag here. >> Dr. Khan here. >> Mrs. Yank here. And I am here. >> Thank you. And uh we all stand for the pledge of allegiance. and Pope and Sawyer will help us lead the pledge of allegiance. Please. >> I pledge aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for its one indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. All right. I'm looking for a motion to approve the agenda. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. Motion was made by Mrs. Seperski, seconded

002by Dr. Khan. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. Uh Ben Franklin Elementary presentation. Uh Mrs. Yang, please. So before I introduce the group and what they're going to be talking about tonight, I just wanted to So Mr. Hine has been with the district for about nine years, I think, but he's still relatively new at Ben Franklin. So what I did was I emailed several staff people at Ben Franklin just to elicit maybe a sentence or two about, you know, their thoughts on how he's doing and and kind of what impact he might have had. So, if you'll indulge me, I'm going to just read a a few of the comments. Mr. Hine has been a positive presence and a supportive leader. His encouragement and genuine care both professionally and personally has

003been greatly appreciated. Mr. Hine is an enthusiastic, which I can attest to, and approachable principal who genuinely connects with both students and staff. His Thursday morning meetings are something students look forward to as they are engaging, positive, and meaningful. Throughout the day, he can often be seen walking the hallways and stopping into classrooms, taking the time to check in, encourage students, and support teachers. Mr. Hine has united our school with our weekly Thursday morning mini assemblies. We get to hear inspiring messages from guest speakers in the community, watch student performers, and other fun activities. It helps us to cheer on each other, and to be proud of the hard work we do. The assemblies have helped students and staff feel more connected through Mr. Hines's innate ability to make connections to all staff and students.

004His profound positive impact on Ben Franklin Elementary is immeasurable. To better the Ben Franklin school community, his authentic, genuine actions have built solid relationships and increased the esteem of students. Ben Franklin is thankful to have the leadership and dedication of Mr. Mr. Hine to maintain high standards of academic instruction and well-being. Mr. Hine has been instrumental in bringing positivity and encouragement to Ben Franklin. He has demonstrated a commitment to helping our staff grow and also takes into consideration our viewpoints. He continues to find ways to help staff feel appreciated and encourages feedback that can help him improve as an administrator. So, those were just a few of the comments that I got back from a number of staff people. So, I'm so happy to have Ben Franklin as my school. Um, and then as far

005as the introduction, I don't do they >> welcome Mr. Hine, please. >> Okay. Um, I mean, I do have another introduction for the the presentation. >> Oh, great. Uh so Ben Franklin Elementary is a learning community grounded in the Ben way which stands for believe in yourself, encourage others and never stop learning. Ben Franklin is committed to educating the whole child by fostering strong academic growth, positive relationships, and a supportive school culture where every student belongs and thrives in their school values. Ben Franklin's goal this year centers on high quality instruction aligned to clear data practices, creating stronger systems of support for all learners and intentional social emotional development through collaboration among staff, families, and students. Ben Franklin continues to focus on continuous improvement while nurturing confident, capable learners um learners. So I just uh

006and intentional social emotional development through collaboration among staff, families and students. Ben Franklin continues to focus on continuous oh I think I just read that um for future success capable learners prepared for future success. Tonight we are joined by staff members from Ben Franklin, Amanda Boris, Stephanie Lewis, Tara Pernachero >> and and Jordan. We also have two first graders, Sawyer and Hope, to tell us a little bit about Ben Franklin is working on this year. >> All right, awesome. We can uh skip to the next slide there. Yes. And so, thank you so much for that um warm welcome um and thank you for the opportunity to to share a little bit more about what Ben Franklin is up to uh over the last calendar year since we've had a chance to present before. So

007there's our team that's here with us tonight and their roles. Uh Mrs. Boris is our first grade teacher. Mrs. Lewis is a um crosscategorical teacher. And then everybody that's at the table tonight that's a staff member is one of our school leadership team members as well. So um lots of investment in our school goals and uh obviously an investment in not just their own classrooms but um making Ben Franklin better as a whole as well. And then um we also have Sawyer and Hope and they have the uh the honor and privilege of being um children of staff members which is great. So make sure you tell mom about all the nice things that were said earlier. Okay. Um that was that was amazing. Thank you for that, Mary. >> You're welcome. Um, so we're

008and they're they will star in a little bit of a like a walkthrough video that they helped narrate um to kind of show like what we're doing in our classrooms in a way that um will give you like a glimpse of uh student life and staff life and that kind of stuff. So uh we'll get to that in a little bit, but we can advance to our next slide here. So tonight we're going to talk about our uh win practices. So win stands for what I need. Um before we do that, just to kind of lay some groundwork around what the purpose of win is and um how we're using that to drive student achievement. So our school goal this year focuses on literacy. Uh this is our second year focusing on literacy and we

009had a lot of success last year in uh attempting to simplify our goals and finding uh opportunities where all staff can see that if I move um you know two students from my classroom from uh what we would consider like not on target which is below the 60th percentile to above target which is above the 60th percentile that will allow us to accomplish our school goal. So taking it from this broad goal of we want to gain 10% in overall achievement and really breaking it down. Ben Franklin is blessed to um be have be one of the smaller schools uh the smallest elementary school in our district. And so when we look at if you know if in a classroom level if we move two and a half students past that trend line or that

010target line um which you can't have a half student so it' be three um then that means that we will accomplish our school goal and that team or that classroom will have done their part to uh make sure that they were accountable to that school goal. So, that's been helpful in our own growth and we're going to continue that this year. And you can see a little bit of a breakdown um based off of where students started in the fall and then we are just finishing up over the course of this month our winter assessments and so we'll have some fresh data to then recalibrate where our goals are headed. Now, we can skip to the next slide and talk a little bit about how we accomplish those goals. So, one piece that is helping

011to support um our growth for all of our learners at Ben Franklin is our MLSS system. Um MLSS is a multi-level systems of support. Um it's a schoolwide framework that really um utilizes data, human and curricular resources and a continuous improvement. Um and it focuses on academic behavior and social emotional. So really hitting the whole child. Um some ways we have done this over the course of um kind of through last spring and summer is really thinking about revamping our daily school schedule, being intentional with providing set ongoing times for teachers to collaborate as well as having that win, which is the um what I need time in small groups. having that intentionally built into our schedule so all students have an opportunity to get those targeted needs. And then through um that's kind of

012that operations and then as we moved into the fall winter time thinking about when uh we're meeting as a team um coming together to the table and uh bringing data to the table to help guide and uh conversations and our decisions for those students. And as we continue to progress throughout the school year, um really leaning into continuing those uh cycles of meeting within five and 10 weeks, um revising and recalibrating as we need and really leaning into that data to tell the story of how uh that what the students needs are and making those decisions and implementing them. >> So we kind of broke this down. Um it was about this time last year that we started developing our schedule that we're living in right now. Um and that has um I think there's

013been lots of uh wins uh some gains that we've seen and our goal is to continue to like tinker and and test and revise um additional ways that we can build that out just from an operational lens. And then once that exists, then we can uh really lean into as a staff like what process, what instructional strategy, what collaboration um routines are we going to bring in to make sure we're filling that time. So um excited about some of those changes. >> And then as far as when all of this support happens, um there are multiple times throughout a day, but um our two main times would be the wind time that you had heard about. um that's for 30 minutes each day and that was built into every teacher's schedule that they uh mentioned.

014And so it's a dedicated time where our school tried to find supports whether that's EAS or someone else that can come into the room and we really try and push in to do some small groups with teachers and those um educational assistants. Some students are doing independent work during that time. Some might be finishing up work. some might be in interventions with the math or literacy specialists. So, it truly is like what I need, what that child needs for that day. Um, the teachers are planning appropriately. Um, you'll see in the video, but in my class, I currently have a high school intern uh working in my room. So during this time, it's a great opportunity for her too to be able to get experience pulling a small group so that those students are getting

015what they need and so is the intern and getting to have that experience as well which is a nice opportunity all around. Um so there's those tier 2s and tier three intervention which occur one to five days per week depending on the needs of the children and um also students that receive special education support they can get their SDI time during that which is that specialized instruction and outside of wind time there's also a small group instruction time um which we think of it more as like litery small group instruction time. Um, so that would be where you're really focusing on specific literacy needs and we're really intentional based on where we see the gaps. Again, if there's SDI that's needed during that time and students can be grouped based on needs and they can

016also be shared between classes. So myself and the other first grade teacher, if I have one student that has this need and she has three, we might combine that to make one full group um in order in order to meet their needs in the most efficient way. So a really flexible um time and students aren't set in those groups for long periods of time. It's just like an ongoing thing that we talk about in um some of our PLC meetings, which you'll hear about next. Um, so we can look at those flexible groupings. >> Like Amanda had just said, we kind of have two different times in our week that are really sacred to us teachers specifically to plan those things. So on Tuesday mornings, we meet as PLC's and professional learning communities. First, we

017meet as a whole school team. Um, if we have to get messaging from administration or leadership, that happens then. And then we're allowed to work within our grade level teams to kind of do some of this planning, analyzing student data, making those small groups, and it's a really great time because it happens before school. So, all of the teams can to get together um the special education teachers are there. We can work with coaching, administration, um to kind of set some of those goals for our classrooms and what we want to do during that win time and with those interventions. And then we also have common planning time weekly. So each grade level has a time set aside where their students are in specials. They can meet again. Um the coaches is there, Mr. Hine

018is always there, um special education teachers to kind of do some of that extra planning. So if we're going on field trips or collaborative lesson planning, making those groups so if we're combining classrooms, we see which groups are which students are in each group. Um focusing on upcoming assessments and modifications we need for students. Right. You want to talk through what we might see in our video here? >> Um, so Mr. Hine went around during our wind time and it's both myself as well as Mrs. Kim who is our other first grade teacher. We have it at the same time. Uh, and so you guys will get the experience of seeing what some of these groupings look like. So you'll see students working either one-on-one or in a small group with a teacher. You'll see

019some students working independently, whether that be on some of our approved resources like Lexia or um Zern, things like that. Um you'll see also our educational assistants pushing in and working on fluency with some students. You'll see my high school interns. So, you can just kind of see what that that time looks like and how we try to make it as impactful as possible for the students. It'll be on the next slide, too, Jess. It might autoplay. >> Is that easier? >> Probably. >> That way he doesn't play twice. >> I'm Sawyer. And I'm Hope. And I'm Will. >> And we are first grade Bobcats. >> We're here to teach you about win time. >> Win stands for what I need. This is a time that we all get what we need to be successful.

020It is about 30 minutes per day. Our teachers do a great job organizing. >> Yeah, it isn't easy trying to wrangle so many first graders, but we do our best and we have great routines. During win time, we have routines and stations for learning. At one station, we work with a high school friend. She is doing something called an internship. >> You can just listen the words. If there's a short vowel, then it's that one. >> Mhm. >> If it's no short vowel, it's the other one. >> You're right. Good job. Can we say it out on our fingers? >> Yeah. >> So, >> cheese. Right. >> So, let's sound out itch. >> It sour. >> It is. You're right. >> At another station, we might be working with one of our teacher assistants on

021fluency or other important reading skills. Our teacher assistants are awesome and really enjoy working with them. >> At the core of win time is our small group time with our teacher. We were on skills that we need to be skillful readers. >> As part of this time, our teachers measure our progress. They take lots of notes. They then use those notes to design the plan for win time. I'd say they are super professional teachers who are responsive to student needs. At other stations, we work independently on computer resources. These are called Lexia Zone or we can read from a digital library. Also during win time we get to work with our interventionists. These teachers are experts in our math and reading cookbook. Win time requires some careful planning and our teachers have high expectations for

022us at each of our stations. It's great to work with so many caring teachers during this time. >> Everyone has a role on our team to help us grow. Everyone is getting what they need. >> That's win time. >> All right. >> Awesome. And then we just have on here just to finish up to some other things that we're celebrating and continuing to grow through um at Ben Franklin. So we have the Ben way which is believe in yourself, encourage others, never stop learning. Um that's like our school motto and values and we talk about it every single day. And then continuing to build on success and while also celebrating the journey that um is continuous growth and making sure that we are um bringing our best selves to the daily efforts that are going

023to compound over time and understand that um sustainable growth and change and and all those things are the result of many years of effort and not just you know uh one amazing day um but compounding those efforts over time. So, um, wanted to make sure that we had some time to celebrate that as well. Um, Sawyer and Hope, do you have anything you want to share that you haven't already shared in our video? Anything that you want to talk about about school or any questions that our board would have for >> us or our students? >> The tier one, two, and three. Are they based upon basically the students which which level of reading they are and >> so uh yes so tier one would be like universal everyone gets everyone gets that and so

024and then tier two would be depending on um a specific student need if it's somewhere within um literacy let's say they need um they have a specific need around like oral reading fluency so how how well can they um do a cold read where they are unfamiliar with the text but they can read and how many you know words per minute, that kind of thing. So that would be um might qualify them for what would be considered like a tier 2 intervention, which then they receive additional support during the week, during win or during small groups. Then we have like progress monitoring to make sure that we're tracking and um demonstrating growth in that specific area that we're attempting to work through. Um if we don't see that growth, then we also then have tier

025three interventions in which we would have uh the interventionist working with that student. we'd have tier two interventions occurring and then like I said before tier one is everyone's getting that um during the like the whole group instruction time. So um yeah depending on um the student and their level of need there may be you know anywhere from one to five days per week where they're um either working on very intentional specific skills or they are um working more and maybe maybe it's independent work that kind of stuff during those responsive times. And as those tiers increase, the amount of time in the days per week that they're working with someone also increases. So those students that are at that tier three level, most of them are working daily, oneon-one with that interventionist to make

026sure that they're getting those areas that are not showing enough growth. >> Do they have to be special ed for tier three? >> No, tier three is not special ed. And again, we're constantly looking at student data and making decisions and being responsive to their needs. So, they may be in tier 2 for a little bit, still getting universal. We're seeing growth. They're right back into just receiving universal and stuff, but we're always those that especially during our small group time is another uh flexible time um where targeted needs are being met. So, lots of opportunities throughout the day. >> And that's all grade levels. >> All grade levels. And it's 30 plus 30. >> Yes. >> Every day. >> And are the parents, for example, if you assist a student who's in tier one

027and needs to go to tier 2 for additional help, are the parents communicated about that? >> They are. Yeah. there's um communication and um that they're provided with and you know we try our best to always update parents as to how you know their students are performing both in celebrations and in areas where we're seeing some concerns and making sure that home to school connection occurs regularly. One of the reasons why we picked Next Path, remember we talked about that is it has an automation where when a plan goes in there, the parents are notified electronically. Not that it's only electronic, but that was one of the selling points of next app when app 20 came in. >> And are the parents given any resources to work with the kid at home so that they

028can >> Yes. >> collaborate with the teachers and facilitate the process of improving on them? >> Yes. So, I know like the tier three intervention, like for literacy, for example, those students go home with um a little they call it their reading bag, but there are books that they're rereading to their parents. There's like cut up sentences they may have to put together. So, they have like three little tasks that they do at home that are a repeat of what they did in their intervention. And then the parents have a little, it's not really a reading log, but it's a space where they can jot a note like this, they did really well with this today or they really struggled with this. And that's a way that I know that at least in our building

029that that intervention is is keeping that communication open and then also wrapping that around with home and school. >> Thank you. Thank you. Very important work because literacy is one of the biggest, you know, focus as a district you're doing and I think you Thank you. Anybody else? All right. Thank you very much. We uh picture please. >> Mary from Yes. >> I don't know. Mine is the same one. very much for us. >> If you made them, they're exactly the same. >> All right. Thank you. Uh, Friends of Franklin recognition. Uh Sarah Wheeler. Uh Mrs. Yank, Mrs. Spurski, please. >> Um >> Oh, sorry. Sarah, you want to >> Oh, do we usually have them come up? >> I don't. >> All right. >> It's just easy. It's just >> Sarah, do you want

030to come up? Sit down, >> please. >> Oh, yeah. Come on up. We all want to see you, sir. >> Yeah. >> All right. There there are a few puns in here, so forgive me. See if you can count them all. Um Sarah has contributed immeasurably to the music programs at the high school in so many ways for so many years. It is a daunting task to try and capture all of the things she has done to support and care for the staff and students since her oldest son Gabe was a Gabe was a freshman in the band, but we will give it our best rimshot. Sarah was instrumental in procuring the incredible trailer that hauls the equipment to each marching band performance. She spent countless hours working with an outofstate company to have the

031trailer constructed and transported here and even more time fundraising to pay for it. That is truly a part of her legacy to be treasured long into the future. I don't know if I'll make it too. >> Sarah was a member of UMPs, which is the United Music Parents Group for many years and co-president for several more. Her knowledge of that group, its policies, finances, and practices was invaluable. Sarah volunteers at every marching band invitational, coordinating shoutouts, raffles, and wherever she is needed. And her marching band meals are the stuff of legend, especially her macaroni and cheese and walking tacos. Of note, she is actually putting a guide together on how to feed the band for the person taking over. She also runs concessions at the craft fairs as well as the pancake breakfasts, rain or

032shine during band camp. She met with district administrators to advocate for music instructors and classes classes and is a staunch and vocal supporter of music programming at all levels. Through it all, Sarah's effervescent personality, unwavering love of band kids, and dedication to music events and programming in Franklin make her an exemplary parent, volunteer, and community member. She truly epitomizes what it means to be a friend of Franklin, and we are proud to call her our friend. Thank you, Sarah, for all you have done and continue to do for our young musicians and educators. I made it. Sarah, you only have 20 minutes to speak. Thank you. Thank you for everything you do. We appreciate it. >> I appreciate the recognition. Thank you to Ann and Mary and Kelly and uh and Jenny and all the

033band parents. Do we do it all together? >> I think's got a flag for you and maybe a picture. I'll get an action >> action photo. >> Do you want to do it at the >> at the background? >> She's still married. Congratulations, Sarah. >> Thank you. Uh we'll move on to uh Franklin Noon Lions Club, which we have uh seven members here tonight. Daniel Kenny, Dennis Fonds, Mike Barber, Dan Crass, Beverly Garvis, Grace Matranga, and Cheryl Swarka Swarka, sorry. Um uh so the Noon Lions Club of Franklin um visit our elementary schools with some special offerings for classrooms this year. The New Lions reached out earlier this year asking for teachers to submit under $100 grants for items for their classrooms and those were fulfilled by the club. Thank you to our community partners

034for this great show of appreciation and affection for our educators and classrooms. Thanks for making Franklin a better place to live, better place to work, and part of a better community. Um the best community in my opinion is through the schools. Thank you for sharing um with our learning community. Say something, >> please. >> Got to put these on because I'm old. >> This should only take about 45 minutes, right? Okay, I surprise many people when I tell them that there are three Lions Clubs in Franklin. The Franklin Lions Club, the Franklin Lioness Lions, and the Franklin Noon Lions. Although we all work independently, we have the same goal, and that is to help people. Our club is focused on veterans, community, and kids. They say kids are our future, and we want to help

035give them the best chance that we can. We have several programs that do just that. We offer scholarships. Uh we've been doing that forever, but for the last eight years, we focused on trade schools because there's just not anything out there for two-year programs. Three years ago, we've added an additional $500 to those students uh if they carry on their second year. So, we try to help as much as we can. We sponsor the Franklin Little League Challenger Division, which is the special needs children. We participate in Franklin's night out trunk or treat and we help out at the Franklin PD bike rodeo. We've donated to Children's Hospital to purchase a flow cyrometer to help fight childhood cancer. Oh. Uh for nine years now, we've been offering to pay for kids first classes. And that's

036the name of the program, kids first classes. We will pay for any Franklin grade school students first pair of glasses. My favorite is kids in classrooms, which you just discussed. Uh for the last six years, we tried to provide to the teachers and administrators items that the school board just cannot supply to the five grade schools. and kids club. We bought them stickers, alternative seating, chalk, books, sports entertainment, fidget toys, board games, carpet, just the whole gamut. Uh so we enjoy reading the thank you notes and seeing the pictures we receive from the teachers and students. We are very honored to receive this award for doing in our own way what you all do every day. That is to help students and be there for them. Thank you again. Where there's a need, there's a

037lion. Thank you all and I hope you all come up for photo. That's a lot of people. I thought it was really good. >> Deep in history. idea. >> Oh, look. And they're even lined up by height. That's a well organized picture, folks. You guys are great. >> Cool already. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you very much. Okay. >> All right. We'll move on to community comment. Um, we have uh veteran commenters, so I'm not going to I'm just going to tell you please three minutes. Um, and I know that I know that you'll follow that. Um, Jennifer Shipley, please. >> Mary was already on her way. >> Oh, Mary was already on her way. She's stretching her legs. >> She's very good. You can listen to her. >> Good evening, Jennifer Shipley,

0385341 West Harvard Drive. Um, I just have a a brief comment to make this evening regarding open enrollment. And I am going to read so that I do it concisely and make sure I don't miss all of my thoughts. Um, the School District of Franklin is a very desirable district in southeastern Wisconsin. That is one of the reasons I moved to Franklin over 20 years ago. It is one of the reasons that many families move into our city. However, many of our families and taxpayers work hard and make sacrifices specifically to be able to live in this district for their families. Please remember as you are considering how many open enrollment seats to add, it needs to be done methodically and not arbitrarily. Please remember that these seats are not just numbers on a piece

039of paper and not just numbers for a budget. They are students and they are families that use the resources largely funded from the taxpayers of Franklin. I challenge you to make sure that we are not opening space just to fill seats or just to increase our revenue number or just to make space in our schools because it's desirable space. Open enrollment is not an obligation to our surrounding communities. The open enrollment number should not be treated as just five more students per grade. It's not just 20 more bodies in the building. And those numbers are specifically referring to some of the high school numbers that were discussed last meeting. But it's 20 more students and 20 more families above and beyond the already increased proposal. It's potentially 20 more students in the lunchroom every day.

040It's potentially 20 more students in the hallways during every passing period. It's potentially 20 more students for our teachers and supervisory staff that may already feel overloaded with the numbers we currently have with construction happening and due to having different needs from past years requiring more of them than what we used to. Additional students aren't just going to take seats in classes or activities that have excess space today. They are also going to be vying for spots on athletic teams, classes that have enrollment caps because of popularity, and resources that all of our students need to grow and thrive. Please make sure that there is a balance in max maximizing our potential budget with maximizing the experience for the students and families that reside in this district. Thank you for your consideration and thank you

041for always making the tough decisions that our community needs. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Katie. >> Mary, >> can I come? >> Please. Mary Kolvich, 8208 West Coventry Drive. Happy New Year, everybody. I'm glad that you're all here on this very cold night. And I'll tell you, it was very cold on the playground today. Um I just wanted to address the um WSB resolutions. There are quite a few that could be very impactful. It's been several years since I've been to an assembly and I don't know who the delegate is this year, but I just wanted to touch on a couple that um and I'm just going to say I would like to support or not support. Um the first one that they had was the removal of enrollment caps. Please maintain the

04210% cap on um the parental choice program. I think that it needs to the program is spreading and um there is outside forces working on every state. Um but I don't want to see a statef funded two system program. Um and right now that's what we're heading towards. So I would like to maintain that 10% cap. Um, I also read about the revisions to the uh school district report card process and the only thing I was a little bit concerned about was uh they wanted to give extra credit to districts who um had extracurricular programs or dual enrollment or um AP things. And you know, some districts can't really afford any of that stuff. And I'm not sure that it's fair, equitable to give credit for a district like Kettle Marine or even Franklin that

043can support things like that. Whereas some of the uh districts up north, they're barely hanging on. So I um I don't know whether the the district opposed it, but I would oppose that. Uh another one I do support is having the DVR collaborate with our transition programs. I think that that's very valuable because those students as they grow into adulthood will need the extra support and so the vocational uh rehabilitation program might be something that they can use to help them thrive. the um under the amendment to the early childhood education funding. I would like to see that all public funded entities have the same accountability and uh the same reporting and transparencies that are required of public of us as a public school district. And lastly, I do oppose decoupling. I don't know what

044your discussions have been amongst you, but I'm afraid again with outside forces uh imposing their um influence, I don't want to see the state decide that they are going to allow private and charter schools a or give them a funding stream that would be some sufficient versus us who are under some certain requirements. Um, I don't think that's fair or equitable. And whether that means decoupling uh with some type of a an amendment, which I don't think you can do anymore, uh, saying that, um, I wouldn't support decoupling. And I know you will all discuss this and I know you all know a lot more about it than I do because you're involved in this more than I, but um I know it's been difficult losing students to the private schools. Uh it but if

045we can somehow show like Mr. Crommy has been doing in his budget uh re or his budgets presentation that we are losing this much money to kids who go to charter schools. If we can continue to do that, I think that would be great. Um, but if we decouple, we aren't going to know what they're getting really. And who's going to attend a budget session for the legislature to talk about that? I I don't think there would be enough people that would be aware of it, especially since Wisconsin I no longer has funding to follow all the meetings at the legis uh in the legislative chambers anymore. Um, they've shut down. So right now, unless you are a reporter and can get in there, there's no way you're going to know about it. And will

046they get the report out to every single citizen of the state? No. So, um I don't know what Mr. Cromy has recommended or what you all have talked about, but um this is a tough issue and there are a lot of resolutions this time that are very important and impactful. So, I'm glad I'm not going to be the assembly delegate. Um, but I'm sure you'll have a thoughtful discussion tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Oh, please. >> Hi, everyone. Sorry I didn't get my card in. I got here a little bit late. My name is Kelly Walker. I have two elementary school kiddos. Um I think many of us in the community are watching what's happening in some of our neighboring states elsewhere in Wisconsin with like pounding hearts um in terms of immigration

047and um I I guess my request to you is to be aware that something like that could happen here in Milwaukee. Now, I don't think Franklin is going to be folks's first start, but I hope that um that the administration and the board can get out ahead of that to think about what would happen um if there were some sort of ICE enforcement coming in into Franklin or any of our neighboring um districts. My I know my eight-year-old is nervous about his best pallet school who's comes from a Spanish- speaking family. I'm worried about our beloved 4K aid who walks the kiddos to the bus every day, right? And so, like I said, hopefully nothing like that will ever come to our doorstep, but um but I would urge the board to support the administration

048in at least having a plan should anything like that happen. Thank you. >> All right. Uh thank you everyone. Let's move on to item seven, the consent agenda. I'm looking for a motion to approve. >> So moved. >> Second. Motion was made by Mrs. Wowski, seconded by Mrs. Suburski. I think all in favor >> I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. Schoolboard calendar, there is a key communicators meeting. Uh Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 at Forest Park Middle School at 5. There's a board of education meeting Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 and February 18th, 2026 at the ECC at 6 and a school board workshop Wednesday uh March 4th, 2026 at the ECC at 6. And uh district administrator update uh Dr. Mole, please. >> Thank you. Dr. Bennon will be here shortly. Maybe she'll even walk in.

049So I'll hand it off to her if she does. Um, so I'm reading these words that she prepared to read. Um, our wellness clinic ribbon cutting is Monday. I think you have the invitation at your spot at noon. Um, that's also a PD day for us. So, we'll be letting all our teachers come over and see the wellness clinic as a part of their professional development day. Um, the actual ribbon cutting is for all our district staff, leaders, and board members um to come and see the wellness clinic. um staff and their dependents can begin making appointments on February 9th. So that's coming. That scheduling starts on February 2nd. Um in addition to the January 19th, the clinic is offering another openhouse event. Um Tuesday, January 20th from 3:00 to 5:15 for all staff or

050all family members on the health plan. So for teachers, obviously we'll be there on Monday, but there's another event on Tuesday. Our patient advocate through the clinic is lined up to visit each school. So, she'll go to each staff meeting and talk with the schools during their beating meeting building time um to share the work of the patient advocate and what she's going to do. So, that's all happening. We're very excited. Um again, I stated there's no school on January 19th for professional development day and then the following Monday, January 26, is records day. Um, you've probably seen that on the calendar, but that happens most January times. Also happening this Monday as a part of our PD day, we're hosting an all district 4K family inv engagement event at the public library from 10

051to 11:30. It is a no school day for students, but it invites all our 4K families to explore the children's area at the library and develop love of literacy. In addition to current 4K families, it's open to all prospective 4K eligible families to come and meet teachers and collaborate with other families. There's going to be an opportunity for them to learn more about our 4K program and enroll on site. So, if they want to come. So, if you have neighbors, friends, family members with soon to be four-year-olds, please pass that along. Um, last night was our 48th annual district spelling bee. Um, congrats to fifth grader and she's from Pleasant View. So, we've been celebrating cuz it's fifth through 8th grade. And we had a fifth grader that won in the 18th round. I think

05218. Yeah, 18th round. So, that's kind of exciting. No offense to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. I don't I'm never going to get to do this update again, but it was pretty exciting that this fifth grader beat out very, very much older kids, a fifth grader from Pleasant View. So, congrats to fifth grader Axara. Um, along with our other qualifiers, Sanvi, Axira, Jameson, Austin, Kaani, and Alice. that whole group will advance to the CISA 1 regional spelling bee. Um, congratulations to all the competitors. 18 rounds is a long time. So, that's kind of exciting um that she made it and um we are pretty proud of her. So, um Franklin High School AP school honor role recognition. So, we were just recently told or informed that the high school has been named to the college

053board's AP school honor role for last year recognizing its outstanding efforts to expand access to AP courses and support students on the path to college success. This honor reflects the schoolwide commitment of teachers, counselors, administrators, students, and families to building a strong collegegoing culture. So, we're very proud of that. upcoming performances at the Saber Center. Um, just a reminder that you all as board members receive two complimentary tickets to any show. If you're interested in attending any of the shows I'm about to talk about, please reach out to Tracy Stewart. Um, Friday, January 16th at 7:00 p.m. is the Zeniac. That's part of the Saber Center series. Saturday, January 17th at 700 p.m. The middle school drama club is presenting It's a Madhouse. Friday, January 30th through Sunday, February 1st, Forte Theater has Shrek the

054Musical Junior. So, that is coming up at the Saber Center. Um, community education and wreck updates. The CIRC reopened on January 5th in their new building with the winter spring program guide with strong community response, including a very highly attended fitness class. They had 30 plus participants per session. And our diverse grounds coffee is is now serving from the CIRC building Tuesday morning. They just added a half an hour onto their service to catch a class that's exiting. So, they're getting the people as they leave. So, they'll now be there 8 to 10:30 versus 8 to 10. Um, they have a steady crowd. We go there all the time and we're used to it, but it was really interesting um and fun to see. I don't want to say that we're not real customers, but

055non people that have done it with them for a year, non-district customers. It was really, really good. There's comfy chairs in there now in the fireplace. So, if you want a feel-good moment, stop by. It's my feelood of the week. Um, pickle ball has shifted to a flexible $5 drop-in format. Increasing access while keeping courts busy. Growing growing rental inquiries and new partnership discussions with the city health department signal that we are expanding opportunities for senior programs and community events. So, happy to report pickle ball. I can try to answer questions or I can jot them down and ask if they're analy specific, but I can answer most of these questions. Thank you. Anybody have any questions? >> Could I have the time at the library, please? >> For 4K? >> Yes, please. >> Monday

05610 to 11 Hold on. 10 to 11:30. So, this coming Monday 10:00 to 11:30. Just an FYI, if you see non4K people there. We also have two of our gear up sessions going to meet at the library. So, you might see larger groups of teacher there. They're not secretly at the 4K event. But Jill PGlaze is also taking a group of teachers over to do connections to their resources. So you'll see two groups of teachers over there too for PD day. >> Thank you. All right. Moving on. Will uh board Does anybody have board liaison reports? >> Well, that's a hard word today >> or school. >> Oh, I went I went to um um Ben Franklin during the holiday season. And they had the masked singer. And I should have sent you guys pictures.

057Mr. Mr. Hine was in one of these blowup Santa. It's like a big Santa. And then there were like four teachers who danced around and the kid in costumes that you couldn't see them. I don't know if you're familiar with the mass singer. I don't watch it, but I you can't see who they are. So the kids were just like over the moon with just these teachers coming out there and dancing. And then I went the next week and they had karaoke. So Mr. Hine um played the guitar and they sang some holiday tunes with karaoke. Um so that was fun. And then I went to the the spelling bee yesterday. >> So that was fun. >> Pungent. Pungent was the winning word. Really? Just so you know. >> I didn't know that. >> The

058one that she got back on to be able to compete was dolefully. >> Yes. Nice. >> Do E. >> All right. Thank you. Anybody else for school and community engagement reports? >> I was just going to mention diverse crowns. I stopped there last week and it was fun to see the kids in this new environment and then also the the community members that that the circ was hopping that Tuesday morning with classes and pickle ball and stuff. It was >> it was the place to be in Franklin on Tuesday morning. So, go get your coffee. >> Yes, I was there as well. Anybody else? All right, we'll move on to reports, presentations, and other board business. Uh, review and discussion of WASB proposed resolutions. Um, I am the delegate this year. Um, and I'm also

059on the um policy and resolutions committee. Um, so I've said at some of those meetings. Um, we can uh we can start with um we can start with talking about um any of the um any of the proposed resolutions um that if anybody has strong feelings about any of them. I don't think we need to go through them one by one, but maybe we do. >> I was interested in the bylaw change that was like before the resolutions. Anybody see that bylaw? I'm trying to pull it up here. >> It's at the end of the table of content. >> What number is it? >> There was no no number. >> Hold on. Let me It was There's a bylaw >> change. Where can I find it? Ah, shoot. Basically, it was about some districts wanting

060to like sort of be part of WSB but not be part of WSB. And it s it felt to me like it was very much a like they kind of want their cake and eat it too. And it felt very politically motivated. Um, and I just it seems to be like if you are going to be part of the WASB, you should just be part of WSB and not get to pick and choose what you agree with or support. And I'm sorry I can't find it here in this agenda packet. >> If we discussed that in our last meeting, I don't remember it at all. Um, but I >> it might have been You know what? I might have gone I might have found it on the WSB website before I had this packet. >>

061I don't remember seeing it in the packet. >> Maybe it was one of those other regional meetings where you talked about >> No, I I think it actually was maybe online before we had the packet. But anyway, if that comes up, maybe think about that. But I feel like I don't know if anybody has any other thoughts or you want to look at it and tell Mike before Tuesday next week. >> Yeah. Yeah, I mean I think the delegate assembly is the only place that um people would be able to vote on people would be able to vote on on things like that. Um so um I I I don't disagree with you. I think you should that that's that's your that's your opportunity to vote and and um and you're a member, you're not.

062Yeah, it I wish I could remember to explain it better, but it very much felt like some districts wanted their cake and eat it too, and it just kind of turned me off. >> I wish I could find it. Please, Angie, >> wonder um all of these are the types of resolutions that are submitted by um individual school boards and they always just seem to be relatively poorly written and needing a lot of amendments from the WASB staff and so I always have a hard time getting behind them for that reason just based on all of the suggested amendments from staff. I not that that's a reason we should for against them but can you comment at all since you've been in the committee are the ones that have all this suggested language change is

063that because they're fixing errors in it or why do they pop up with so many suggestions? >> So I don't know exactly but I can tell you and I I know what you're saying. Um I can tell you that um I don't know that I don't know that they're necessarily. I don't think they're poorly written. I think that when we when the when the group is meeting there are um there are different it's it's all for lobbying, right? So >> um so we decide um the the policy committee decides whether they're whether they're going to go to the floor of the delegate assembly based on three criteria. >> Okay. And so those criteria are if it's important um if it's important enough to discuss um for the larger group um if they're um uh um

064timely um and something else I don't have right in front of me >> if they're not already in the book of >> if Thank you Linda. >> I als Yeah. Um, and >> that's the part where it gets technical why they do the amendments. They don't want to duplicate something that's already and it's quite a book of positions that already taken over the years. >> Yeah, it's a hundred years of positions or 25 years of positions. So, they don't they don't they get rid of others. Um, they don't want to duplicate things. Thank you. Yeah, I think that's um >> Are there any I felt like there were a couple within here that were diametrically opposed. like if we can so can you help us sort of like identify those so that we can determine

065a position we're going to take? >> Yeah. So so there is one that's diametrically opposed and it's and it's um it's number 10 and number 11 the decoupling um or not decoupling. >> Okay. >> So um so basically at this point decoupling is is not what's happening. Um so that's why coupling is the first is is amendment 10 and not amendment 11. So if amendment 10 passes um which is which asks for decoupling >> amendment 11 will not be voted on. >> Got it. If amendment 10 does not pass, then we will vote on amendment 11 and it won't necessarily pass either >> and that would leave >> sort of neutral >> neutral ground. >> All right. Well, I would I do not support 11. I do not support decoupling. Supporting decoupling. So, I support

06611. >> You support 11 and not 10. >> Yes. >> Anybody else? I just want a clarification on what the way I understand these vultures are funded by because it's an add-on to the levy. I want Mr. Crommy to comment on this. >> It's outside the the limit. So in effect it is a some sufficient funding source on the taxpayers is it not because we fund that >> decoupling would make it a >> but right now that's how it works right we are in fact the some sufficient funding source for the voucher program whoever chooses to go voucher comes back to the place where they reside and it gets put on the levy. >> Correct. So it is some sufficient where it is right now and it's on the levy so we're funding it. >>

067Yes. >> I guess and I understand why they want to they to go at it as decoupling when really we should just and if you if you give it its own funding source then it looks like a split system. >> It's like there's no way to win on this one really. law. >> So if it was a split system, we would have no way to monitor or know >> or the state would >> what the other >> you don't have a way to do that? >> No. >> Do you have a position on it? >> Um if you just decouple without anything coming back to public school, that's just going to erode us, >> right? >> So there has to be a pretty substantial impact to public education. >> But that's not in the motion.

068>> No. So, >> so trying to fix something, but this is not the fix. >> This is not the fix. >> Either of them are not the fix. >> Correct. >> But 11 at least is saying keep it how it is until you have an actual solution. >> Yes. >> Right. >> That's what seems like the better plan to me is to keep it how it is and maybe somebody will come up with a better system. >> I guess it goes back to whether you really want a voucher system. >> Well, but we're not a position on a that's not the position statement though. >> I wonder if they have >> arguing on a voucher system is a mute argument. Like that's not changing, >> right? >> Because that has been wanted for a long

069time. It's been rolling for a long period of time. It's never go you're not pushing the genie back in the bottle. So figuring out how to cap it or smooth it the cap, slow it down. Like that's the best position you have any chance of catching any ground on is doing that. But decoupling alone again will catastrophic to some districts, certainly severe to everybody in terms of funding because that will all that funding to cover the property tax will need to come from somewhere and that's going to come from what potentially goes into public education to fill that bucket. >> Can you play devil's advocate just to say what decoupling benefits would be? I mean, it sounds like we're all of one mind, but I just want to make sure I'm kind of understanding the

070whole >> Yeah, it'd probably take estimated $2 million off our property tax levy and then everybody's levy throughout the state that has that component to it. So, property taxes would go down in support of that. Public education funding would stay flat at best and voucher funding from the state would go up. Okay. >> Trading off. I mean, it's a balance, right? and it's either property tax or state, but the state would take the bulk of that from property tax relief. >> Thanks. >> Is there a consensus around that? >> No, I think uh I agree with most of the board members have expressed. I think you know at least that will keep us maybe status quo or give us more time because U there's definitely more push to you know more and more voucher funding

071and charter funding and private schools but to safeguard hopefully we can keep working with our legislators down the road and somehow >> does does um does decoupling send us toward a send us toward a cliff? I mean it it >> us personally. >> Not us personally, >> but Franklin public schools. >> Yeah, >> it it Yeah, our levy our levy goes down. Yes. I mean us >> if there was a straight decoupling funding fund 10 and fund 27 would be pretty hard in the upcoming would be my guess just because there would be no funds coming in. >> We would be trying to do tomorrow's things on today's dollar which would be really hard to do. >> Okay. So, I think it sounds like there's consensus around around 10 and 11. Um, does anybody have

072any um any discussion that please? >> I didn't love number two for a different reason than Mary mentioned. Mary number two is the one about school district report cards. And basically, my reason for not loving this one is it's a complicated enough system that is frankly shrouded in mystery. Um, so the idea that a a three bullet point suggestion from um a couple school districts is going to actually work, I just find it hard to believe. So um I didn't like the idea of um I I wasn't convinced that student growth and achievement val um being valued equally would necessarily measure what they intend to be meas what they intend to measure. They didn't present reasons for why they wanted to make the changes they did other than it just seems more fair. But maybe

073I'm misreading it and I'm happy to be corrected. >> My question on that one was, you know, if we know how these changes would impact >> um Franklin specifically, but my my initial reaction to reading it was like, oh my gosh, don't we just already change the school report cards every year anyway? So like what why are you know what are we why are we adding something new to how we may or may not change them. >> Well one of the biggest change them every year every >> one of the biggest discussion points um with number it's number two isn't it? >> Yeah. Um, one of the biggest discussion points with number two was um adding a um uh adding a financial component um which um I'm I'm not sure what the financial component would

074be um but um but certainly us being for instance we are um we are Ammoody's AA1 um rated. Um that's certainly that's certainly good for us. Maybe that's maybe that's taken into account. Um maybe that's maybe that's in the discussion for hey are we a better district because we because we are good stewards of of funds for um for our taxpayers. Um, and I don't I don't know if it would be it wouldn't necessarily be graded on that, but but is there a way to is there a way to grade districts on how well they do how well they do with their taxpayers money? >> Who measures that? That seems hard to >> I look at the report card. It's really about students and this fiscal stuff is not right student focused. >> Doesn't feel

075equitable. So >> again, I think it's Yeah, I agree with you. It's kind of mudly and >> I mean in theory like if you really wanted to save dollar put like 50 kids in a classroom and say we're saving dollars because the report card has this component. Like is that a great educational choice? Obviously not. Like that's a terrible choice, right? But could we do that so that we score higher in that financial component and say yeah we're really nailing it there. But so I I agree with like what's happening on that side. like I don't even know how you measure it like what what's to say because every community is a little bit different >> and the needs are going to be different in terms of the community. >> Um so I don't even

076know how you'd measure it for one I don't what's the validity of the measure and what are you measuring it against because somehow you'd have to calculate community into that in order to have it be make any sort of sense in my opinion. So I >> and what and what are you trying to what is this raw number from the report card supposed to best represent and I actually agree with Linda. I think it's supposed to represent how are our kids doing. So, so I don't like this number two very much. >> I would agree with that. Is there consensus? >> I would. >> All right. And please, >> the number five there, it's about substance abuse aid. I was wondering if that is that simply to give money only for like programs around substance

077abuse or were there other mental health pieces to that? I don't >> It read like it was just for substance use and abuse. >> Yeah, it sounds like it's it sounds like it's an it's an add-on. Um, >> it just felt very specific to me like I, you know, because like if you're going to add that type of funding, you know, maybe one district needs more like a general mental health aid versus specifically substance abuse. And, you know, like it just didn't feel like if there was specific money only for substance abuse, that might not be I don't I guess I felt like maybe it might be better to keep it more general than be so specific because some districts may or may not have the same problems with that. >> I think it takes

078away from local I think it takes away from local control, >> right? >> Um and I'm um frankly I think this is one of those resolutions that even if it's passed, it goes nowhere in the legislature. I mean, >> right. >> Yes, >> I second that. Okay. Um, number seven then was about um, in my notes here I just have feed the children. Um, >> universal free lunch. >> Different WSB has never ruled on that before or discussed universal. >> I think it's been proposed and it hasn't passed. Yeah, I think it's I think it's being proposed again because of the um because of >> because of questions with what might happen at the federal level, >> which is which is why it which is why it made it to a vote, which is why

079it made it onto the >> why it's considered timely. Um, but I I don't think it's one of those things that's I think it's another one of those things that's not not going to make it to the legislature or through the legislature. >> Even if the legislature is going to say no, I think we should feed our children. So that's my thought. Feed the children. >> I think we are, aren't we? We have a school lunch program. We have a school lunch program >> in favor of making it free for all. >> Yeah, that's what she's saying. >> Yeah, obviously there's food here every day, but make it free for all students. >> And that's I'm sure that's why it got a little bit controversial. Who's paying for it is always the harder question. >>

080Yep. >> Yes. I think the state could probably do that. Anybody else have other >> I would agree with what you said universal covered meals for a variety of reasons. I think last year they had um something about the child care and people were saying that it was going to take money away from just regular child care businesses. So, I was really trying to scrutinize that and I'm not quite sure what the implications are, but it was a pretty heated discussion. >> Is there another one about child care? >> Yeah, number nine. >> 4K and and >> which one was it? >> Number nine. >> Okay. >> I'm not sure I completely grasp exactly what it was proposing. Um other than it said same accountability reporting and transparency um for for voucher funding as well

081as public school isn't that >> it's it's essentially putting 4K on an equal footing as any sort of daycare program, preschool program, not public education because they are getting state funding. So essentially saying they should be held to the same requirements that our 4K programs are held to if they're going to do that, if they're going to receive state dollars to do that. So that's essentially what that one is in general about. Um and there's been lots of talk um over the last couple of years about providing additional money to daycare facilities to make daycare more affordable. Um but again, that's going to erode dollars coming to public education. Actually, I was going to bring this up during the budget, but this is a perfect time to bring it up. And it relates directly to

082the um free meals for students that like just talked about Franklin Public Schools is a microcosm of a massive budget, right? We have a pot of money and it doesn't matter what we do with it, but the pot of money is the pot of money and it doesn't change. State funding is exactly the same. They have a pot of money. So, every time you take a slice out to do something else, it's got to come from somewhere. So, um, that program if we provide or the state provides more dollars to a non-public education daycare facility that's coming from somewhere, it's coming from us, not just Franklin public schools, but from public education. If we provide free meals to every student, and actually I'm for that, so don't take this the wrong way, but if the

083state does do that, that's coming from somewhere. That's coming from general education or special education dollars to public education and trading those dollars for free lunch or breakfast or whatever program. So again, it's the the pot of money is the pot of money. How it's diced up is how it's diced up. But every time a new slice comes in, it's coming from something that already exists and either taking that and making it smaller or removing it entirely entirely and saying we're just not funding that anymore. So like all the decisions are weighed against that philosophy, right? And our budget is no different. Our pot of money is our pot of money. We'll talk about it. It's our pot of money and we can dice it up however we want. But every time we add something

084new or put something new on, something's either getting cut or something's shrinking in terms of how we're funding that amount. I think in my opinion, you know, with the state giving more funds to child care, daycare programs. In my opinion, I think the public schools do a better job with providing not only, you know, a learning opportunity for the kids at such a early age, but I think the best environment for the kids to kind of, you know, get ahead. So it doesn't make sense for the state to giving of course we want to decrease the child care for the families needed but at the same time I think it's money better invested in 4K full day program as compared to the daycarees which are you know >> I don't think they'll provide the same

085platform as a 4K program will provide fair 4K program is more structural you know licensed teachers and I think there's more bang for the buck. So, it makes more sense that the state might be giving if anything more funding for the 4K rather than the I think we should continue to push for if if you're going to fund these if they're going to be funded, we'd like them to have the same we'd like them to have the same requirements um as as we have. >> And that's what nine basically says. >> Yes. >> So, Right. Does anybody have >> It's be a fun delegate assembly. I think >> it's gonna be a fun night for you, Mike. Um, going back real quick to my bylaw thing. I did, thanks to Debbie who found it um

086and then I was able to find it. I sent you all a link just now an email if you want to look at what that um the bylaw changes. The the quick like snippet they have is that the proposed amendment would in essence create a second tier of membership for the WASB called limited active members that would allow boards to opt out of advocacy representation by the WASB and funding of advocacy representation by the WSB while retaining access to other membership benefits. And then this piece here says this is simplified. You can click on the link for more information. But um anyway, that's why I said it kind of just felt like they wanted their cake and eat it too for being part of the WSB. And that seems like you're either in it or

087you're not. That would be my thought. >> And it's not on the proposed resolution. >> Yeah. Why does that exist? >> It's bylaws. It says um super secret closet. >> It says like it doesn't always come up. like it's not not every year do they have a bylaw change request, but this year they had a request to change the bylaws from the WASB. >> Yeah, I don't I don't support that. Thanks for bringing that to our attention. >> Yeah, thank you. I I mean, we literally did not talk about that at the policy committee. So, that's uh >> so they're trying to sneak it in the back. >> Anyhow, I did send a link so you guys can read it when we're not here on company time. But, >> thank you. And I did send

088an email to everybody. Um, there is an emergency resolution. It >> was a very worrisome subject line. >> Yeah, emergency. >> I know when you said emergency, I like stopped what I was doing. I'm like, >> did I say does it just say emergency? >> No, it's just emergency resolution. But yeah. >> Oh, got it. >> It was one of those when I saw it on my watch, I'm like, stop what I'm doing. What does Mike need? >> I hope it wasn't CPR. >> I was not doing CPR all the time though >> for that vote of confidence that you think I would. Uh so um the there is there's an emergency resolution um asking for um asking for uh the special education funding to go from some uh some certain to some sufficient basically.

089Um so that the the budget, the state budget had 42% um for special education, then 45% next year. Um it's paid out at about 35% this year. Um and so and that happened after the deadline to to create a resolution, which is why there's an emergency resolution. Um, so the committee will vote on that on Tuesday night, whether to bring it to the assembly floor. And >> I feel like that already exists in our >> in the lobbying. Like I feel like the WSB every year asks for some sufficient reimbursement for special education >> in their book of >> So I have a feeling it won't come to us because I think it already >> exists. It's already in the book of positions that we would. Why would we not support that position? We wouldn't.

090Great. Then we have direction on that as well. >> Awesome. >> Uh, all right. Anybody else? All right. Thank you. I have my marching orders and I will be there both Tuesday night and Wednesday. >> Uh, we will move on to open enrollment seats. Uh, Mr. Cromy, please. >> Um, so we talked about this at our last board meeting in December. The only update um that came out of that meeting was to move our uh 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade uh enrollment cap to 395. So that added five seats um at 9th, 10th, 11th. 12th grade has 411 projected. So that would already exceed the 395. So it added 15 more seats for a grand total of 478. Everything else remained the same 4K through 8. All right. Does anybody have any questions on

091open enrollment? Linda, please. >> I just think this is is too much of a jump to take. I don't see the we don't need to be this dramatic. I think that also based on how you calculated this part of this increase is associated with changing the cap that you have in place. And at the elementary level, it looks like you've increased the cap by 37. And that to me, I know we haven't changed our class sizes, but it's got to mean that there's more kids in every classroom because we're not adding teachers. And I just don't think that's the direction we want to go. Um, so I would suggest we back that off. I don't know, 140. I recognize that this number of I think you're up to what four >> What's the number? >>

092478. And we currently have how many >> open enrollment students? >> Yes. >> Yeah. Uh 410 if >> 410. So it's it's dramatic and I understand we're not going to get all those. And I've seen your budget proposal at 78. But I just don't think we want to we want to do that. It doesn't it's not I don't think that's what our community is looking for in terms of or our teachers in terms of pushing that cap. And that's what you're doing. That's what you have to do in order to make this math work is push that cap. which means there will be more students in those classrooms with the teachers compared to what they had the prior year. >> Just for clarity, we do not have a cap at 4K through five. That is

093all CLA number of classrooms driven. So that is calculated on a formula based on number of classrooms, maximum amount of students per classroom, back that down to 90% and we go from there. So it's not a cap like middle school is a cap because there's no there's no definitive way to do that or at the high school because it's a little bit different where elementary you are with teacher A and teacher B and teacher C middle school high school a little bit more fluid. So we have a cap there by total grade level versus by individual teacher. So just a clarity portion on 4K through five. >> You're saying there's but there is a cap. You're comparing it to a maximum number whether it's it's and it's different than it was the prior year some

094significantly. >> 4K through five is based on number of classrooms that we have in those grade levels. >> Well, it you've changed the number from last year. I don't know. Do we add more classrooms? I don't know how you got more. >> We take a look at how many classrooms we have today. We project moving forward. So essentially moving forward. So if there's three classrooms in third grade today, we would say three classrooms in third grade. How does the number go up? >> So, >> how's the number change from one year to the next? >> So, we take a look at enrollment in August, right? And then we have to sometimes adjust. Sometimes we need an extra teacher. Sometimes we say we're staying at two even though we projected three. And then that's the new

095base is actual classrooms that we have. It's not adding students to it. it possible if we have more resident students added that we have to adjust a classroom, but we won't fill grade levels or we won't fill specific classrooms to force a new teacher to be done. That would be all done through resident enrollment. >> Didn't the formula just go from 85% capacity to 90% capacity? >> Yep. >> That's the that's the reason that the that's the reason that the change >> Yep. >> is but not full capacity. 90%. We have many classrooms that sit well below the 90 right now today. >> 90% capacity. >> Okay. So that does mean there'll be more kids in that classroom with that teacher. >> Bottom line, there'll be more kids in that classroom with that teacher than

096there are now. >> Potentially, >> right? But we might be talking going from 16 to 18. >> We're not talking going from 24 to 26. >> Well, we have a cap on. I mean we have policy on that but this this proposal if it were to it's possible you're you're ask you're hoping for 450 more students in our classrooms than we had year before. That's what this open enrollment >> I would say we are not hoping for more than 450 we're pro provide or putting a formula based process to this. This is what the formula generates this particular process. >> And the formula changed from the prior year. >> Yes. From 85 to 90% in 4K through five and then by five students in the middle school and now 10 students in the high school.

097>> Okay. So again, I'm I would I would not support the 450 whatever the 400 >> 73. >> I would not support >> 73. And because I think it does add >> it it's um >> for some days >> it sends a message that we're trying to get you but we'll have more kids in front of each each classroom be more kids in each classroom than we currently have. Um it also I'm not sure what the what the narrative is. You know if you're sitting in the audience and you saw that we proved 100 forever and now we're going to come in with 450. How do you explain that to someone who's sitting in the audience that is it was 100 last year and it's going to be 450 this year overnight we're going to

098be >> I off I don't know what the number was last year but it was more than 100. >> I I think the nar I think >> I think the narrative is our enrollment went down significantly last year >> and we're filling it with non- red students. >> Yes. I don't think that's what the community would really wants to see us inviting more students in. Um, and that's my opinion and we don't have to discuss any further but that is my position. I will not be supporting the 400 plus whatever you are proposing. >> And did you >> I was just going to say we >> it was more than that last year. >> Yeah. And we won't get 400 >> students in. How many students? >> I would like if you were asking me

099where I'm pushing my chips to the table. No, we're not. >> Is it possible? Sure, it's possible. But based on looking where historical applications have come in >> and as you just said, it's not. We're not pushing classrooms to 30 students per classroom. This could bring, you know, 18 kids in a class up to 20 kids in a class or something. >> Last year, I think we only had about 270 applications in total in general. This just happens to be where the seats are available. These are classes that already have teachers hired or you know that are in the classroom. They are not creating new classrooms and hiring new teachers or new staff or whatever else. >> Correct. >> In in the high school the numbers are we've had 400 roughly give or take one

100or two graduate every year for the last four years or something. Um, and we have I don't know how many this year and then 411 next year and then it goes down significantly and that's that's why we're raising the number at the high schools that um yeah be in talking this is really comes in some conversations that we've had over the past few years with Mr. Bolo and taking a look at where the capacity sits. If you if you probably don't remember exactly all the details behind the MD RERS graph, but if you remember the high school lived in that yellow line, that yellow line represents 80% capacity from a building standpoint. So there's plenty of room. Our addition coming on is going to add room to that, right? So even with the same number

101of kids, we're going below that 80% number now just because the size is bigger, more spaces for kids to go out. But um so we certainly have capacity. We have teacher capacity there as well. Um, yep. We're going to run into some of the um issues that Miss Shipley said that yep, some classes are going to be filled because lots of people want those and we only have certain number of teachers and things like that in a specific area. But the the one piece I would add about open enrollment, open enrollment right now generates roughly three to three and a half million dollars of our budget net of our budget. And so it is a big component. It's one of our top four, right? We think about all those things related to third Friday account,

102which is property tax and state aid, categorical aid and open enrollment. Those account for 93 and a half to 94% of our budget and they have for a period of years. So, it is a large component to think about. Um, again, would 478 people come I if we get 478 applications like I will be floored >> if we have that many applications. >> Um, we haven't even bridged close to that. Um, and again, specifically when we're talking elementary, really the the the greatest idea ever would be we start filling at the end elementary and we don't we're not needing seats at the high school and eventually not needing seats at the middle school because our classes are getting right sized earlier on and we're moving up and then we're sustaining a regular size whatever we

103consider regular for say 400 at some point but a 400 student high school class and we're maintaining that but we're building that and we're having kids longer than coming in ninth grade because this is the first time we've had some high well I guess we had 10th grade seats last year but the first time we've had nth grade seats in a while but ideally we want kids for the long haul right we want you coming in 4K and spending your entire 13-year educational career with us because we think that's what's best um so the earlier we can get kids in the more ingrained they come in all of the things that we're doing and just become a part of it having been a teacher I can tell you walking down the hallway I had no

104idea who was open enrollment who was not when I was a teacher, you were just my student. That was that like that that was the end of it. And our teachers think exactly the same way. They don't know which there's no designation on a backpack or a pin. They're just a student in your class and they're a kid that you take care of. >> Right. I'm I'm looking for a motion. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. Motion's made by uh uh Mrs. Spurski, seconded by Mrs. Yank to to approve 478 open enrollment seats in general education for 2627 school year with two cross categorical seats and four seats for physical therapy seats in special education. Uh all in favor >> I >> opposed. >> I opposed. >> No. >> I know. >> Okay.

105Thank you. Motion carries 5 to two. Uh, all right. Preliminary budget, Mr. Cromy, please. Let me pop this up here. I think it'll show up. All right, let's increase size though because I can barely read it on my computer screen. So, I have no doubt you can't read it there. Um, you all have the budget attachment. You can see the same format that um I've used for the last few years. Again, kind of going back to the very first time this would have been presented to you, which would have been January of 23. That budget model is built for the way my brain processes budget today and thinking big picture bud uh bucket over the course of the next few months. At some point, that becomes much more granular and takes a look at how

106the budget's presented for the annual meeting and the final budget. But right now, it's bucket because it's so um there are so many things that are variable at this particular point. So, I'm just going to go through the variable components to make sure you understand all the things that went into making today's budget um as we see it. So, our resident population um is projected to reduce by 137 students or FTEES. Our three-year rowing average, therefore reducing by 132. So, um revenue limits calculated on a three-year rowing average to provide some smoothing for districts. So, if you're crashing, it gives you some leeway to figure out where those expenses are coming from. Um, we're estimating our open enrollment to increase by 72. That's based on the numbers that we have um that were used tonight.

107Um, 72. Um, the state budget already has an additional $928 per uh open enrollment student. So, that's moving up to roughly $11,000 per open enrollment student. So, we're already plus about 300. This would move us ideally somewhere around plus 370 um revenue limit increase of $300 or $325 per resident student that dates all the way back to the 2325 bianium. Um and is really in place for the next 300 years. Um I'm adding a 3% sped reimbursement increase. Um it is supposed to go from 42% to 45%. We all know that that's not trending at that right now. So that I didn't budget it at 45% but I am budgeting off of where I estimated we'll be for this year and then budgeting from that amount. So u right now they're funding at 35%. Um

108they're shorting that because they want to make sure they get everybody whole not to the 42% just so you're aware but that they get they're able to fund what they think everybody should be by June which they estimate to be somewhere between 37 and 39%. So then we're taking that 3% off of that. >> Can you remind me what their reimbursement rate was last year? >> Yeah, it was supposed to be 33. It ended up being like 30.9 or something. >> Okay, so we have seen uh some increase. >> For sure there's increase. It's just not what they said it was going to be. >> Quick question. At 325, what percent increase does that represent? Um, oh gosh, >> I'm not gonna hold you to the right. >> Yeah, 2.7% maybe. >> 2.7 >> maybe.

109>> So our our amount last year was somewhere around like 11,700. So $300 on 11,700. I know it's less than 3%, so I'm kind of estimating at 2.7 maybe. >> Okay. >> Um, our interest earning revenue we're going to put back down to $600,000. Um, the 95. So this year we're budgeting $695,875. That $95,875 is in direct relation to you'll see a white bus up there. The white bus does not meet the requirements of a yellow school bus. We can haul more passengers. It's on It looks just like a bus except it's white. We can haul more passengers in it. It does not require a CDL. It cannot be used for regular routes is really the different like we couldn't use it every day to go pick up kids and run a route with it.

110That's really the difference. But can golf team take it? Yeah. Can we go pick up 4K kids with it? You bet. Can we do X, Y, and Z with it? Yeah. And any one of us can drive it. So, if a driver happens to be sick, any one of us can pop into it and drive it. >> So, >> what does it have to do with the interest? >> So, last year we were estimating $600,000. We knew we were going to make more than $600,000, but we've talked about this for the past few years as well. If we start banking on that, interest is already crashing this particular year quite a bit from where we anticip like really anticipated it to be. If we start building that actual anticipation and now when it's reducing, we're

111having to figure out not only the normal problems, but we're having to figure out that net as well. So, we've been budgeting short on interest for the past few years. Last year because we need we wanted this white bus to help our overall um transportation needs. We knew we could fund it with additional interest dollars of the 95,875. So we just added that as interest to that straight expense for the bus. So that was a just a dollar for dollar um addition. >> So you're saying you want to allocate that to one time expenditures that make it easy to adjust. >> Yes, we did it the year before too with a yellow bus that was hundred some thousands. >> What about the purple bus coming up next year? What's that? What about the purple bus

112next year? >> I don't know. If the state comes up with something else you can do, we're going to take a look at >> seem to be a theme. Okay. >> Okay. No, no more buses. >> So, our So, those are our revenues. So, again, our I mean, if you take a look at our entire um line item in the budget, there's like 2500 or 3,000 lines in there. Roughly 200 of those are revenue. Everything is else is expense. There's not a ton of revenue levers to pull. Um, from an expense standpoint, um, the budget that you saw, uh, or that's attached represents 2.7% increase for all employee groups except professional educators. Um, that is 3.2%. Just yesterday, the WERC, the Wisconsin um, Employment Relations Committee certified at 2.63. So, I'll make that adjustment um,

113from 2.7. So, 2.63 and 3.13, but sticking with that 0.5. So, right now, we're still working with that. The additional 0.5 for our professional educators is really to help smooth out those first three slices of their um movement. So if you can recall our new compensation model that's been in place now for two years and this will be our upcoming third year has a master's degree, a years of service movement or a median adjustment. Um so those are the first three slices out of their total aotment of dollars. So that 0.5 is designed to help smooth that out so we're getting more teachers or more of our professional educators closer to the CPI amount who aren't getting one of those other movements. >> Can I ask what this what it means adding 0.5 to all

114other employee groups? What does that mean? >> I'm sorry that should have been to just professional educators, not to all other employee groups. So it's just to professional educators. um health premium increase right now we are estimating 10% um we are right at the 100% mark if you were to look at us um for premiums collected to expenditures out the door um I what's interesting though is I got a um it's called a um oh gosh I'm going to forget the name of the um report but um it takes a look at your entire data and our average spend per individual is going down or high cost claimments number is going like skyrocketing. And so a lot of the in my opinion and I haven't talked with our professionals about this, but in my opinion

115like the levers we're pulling are starting to be the right levers. We're just seeing this higher increase in high cost which is offsetting all of the things that we're doing. Um, so now like our task over the next few months is to figure out how do we how are we affecting our high cost claimants or what what can we do to obviously we have to provide the care but how do we figure out how do we care them better to help figure out our health plan in total. >> When you say high cost you mean above the um >> well >> the loss whatever that >> Yeah. Our stop loss is 125 per individual. So what we're really talking about in terms of high cost is somewhere between that 50 to 125 because all of

116that falls on us. Anything over 125 falls to our stop loss carrier. But how do those people that are $50,000 low? If you have a $50,000 medical spend year like you had something drastic happen to you. So um but how do we cover that group where that dollar still falls all on us and how do we figure out is there anything we can do there? So maybe it's I I didn't even want to provide a response here on what we can do because I we need to talk to the experts. Um our our our healthc care um consultant may possibly change. So we are currently with Brown and Brown. Um if you followed any healthcare news, they were taken over pretty heavily by a different group in December. Um and so many groups, public schools,

117communities, and other businesses that are with them were affected. We're one of those people that are affected, meaning our consultant team changed very rapidly, unbeknownst to us. Um, so we are we're meeting with some other individuals. We're not RFPing. So I want I'm going to let you know that we are meeting with targeted individuals who are really smart in the healthcare mind and who think about it differently. Um, we've reached out to them. We're meeting with them next week. That'd be Laura um, and I to determine what's our path from a consultant standpoint. then we start to figure go back to the drawing board on this and figure it all out. Um, so but in any case, we're estimating 10% to just stay to try to stay flat. That's not even in my mind putting

118any dollars into a health savings account, but like 10% is still a lot. You will notice that there's a couple of bullets below this. Um, we had a pretty big jump in healthc care deductible last year as you recall like that was a pretty h hefty discussion we had. So right now the way I have built the budget is the district will absorb the entire 10% increase on premium. We will not pass that on to staff as it's currently built. So right now we're 95 district 5% staff. That takes it down to like 4.78 or something like that. So then we'd be 95.22. >> Um if just one second so I can finish this thought. If we shift that, if we stay at 955, yes, it would add um about $33,400 back to the budget.

119But again, we're in a prediction standpoint right now, right? Everything is very fluid. I've built it like this because I think this is the most conservative um expense estimate we can have is us absorbing the entire cost of health. If like we get down to the nitty-gritty and there's no way we can do that, yeah, we'll probably look at the 955 again. But we're again trying to build low on revenues, build high on expenses at this point and be conservative revenues, be conservative expenses, and then as we get closer to actual actual um data, then that starts to fill in some of the gaps for us. >> Yes, Linda. >> I guess why why would you put that in here now? 955 because or why would you pose that change here as an assumption? It's

120not that significant and it's it's a policy change. Why are we considering doing that? >> So, I'd be cautious on the word policy because it's not policy. >> Okay. You I understand we did in increase the deductible last year, but they saved significantly on the premium side. >> So, it's not like there wasn't a a positive there for them. So, I don't understand why already you're putting this on the table. Why immediately now? >> So, I first I want to clarify there is no policy around 955. We do not have a policy on >> You're right. It's not a process. um why I think I just explained that I'm trying to be as conservative as possible on expenses and as conservative as possible on revenues for where we are today because there are so many

121unknowns. So, um part of it is >> to our employees what you're thinking though and >> it's something we're not you haven't even talked to the board about and you're putting it out here as a budget thing. >> I guess I'd rather they know what I'm thinking than not. I guess I I don't want to see that in this initial round, a change in what we've done because that's coming to the board, right? We're going to have to approve that change. >> So, would you like the salary increases off then? I guess >> you showed nothing to us. So, you it should stay the same until you propose something to the board. >> So, should we take salary increases off then? >> To what? >> Should we take salary increases off? >> No, I'm just

122saying don't >> But that's also an estimate. >> Don't do the 955 thing. But that's also an estimate of 2.7. So I would be showing my cards again. >> I just want clarity where you want it and where you don't want >> insurance. No change in the insurance only on insurance. >> I disagree. I think it's fine. >> I think it's fine at the assumption stage. Certainly. That's what I think. >> It feels I mean I think what you said this is a working document. All these numbers are >> massively working. So, I mean, this is just kind of an initial. This is kind of what we're thinking and as all these new numbers come in, it solidifies through the year and then we approve it months from now. >> There's only two solid things

123on this entire document that you're looking at. Open enrollment will go up $928 per student. We will get $325 additional dollars per resident student. Everything else on here is an assumption. Everything. >> Everything here is a budget. A budget is planning. There are no certainties in budgeting. It's planning. >> Correct. We're not waiting for certainty. We're waiting for your best plan. That's what we're waiting to hear. >> 100%. And at this point in time, like I don't have enough health data to say 10% is even going to work. It's possible that's 15. It's possible it's five. >> You picked 10. Okay. >> Corre. You're right. Correct. >> So, what I'm saying, Linda, is everything is so fluid today that like hanging our hats on it and debating every con considerable component of it is truthfully

124a waste of time. This is presenting a picture of where we are for planning purposes as we start getting further into planning for the 2627 school year. >> So I think that this has been helpful in that when we do have our healthcare discussion um it signals that there might be some discussion about um relative district share um will be a point of conversation that the board should have >> 100%. >> So valuable thing came out of this. Let's go. >> Um a couple of other pieces on here. We're estimating a slight open enrollment out reduction. So we have a very large 12th grade in CLA 12th grade out class going out this year. We have not seen classes as large as them come in in the last four or five years. So we're anticipating

125again that shrinking um voucher program. I'm sticking with the steady 20% increase. We've been pretty close to 20% for the last four or five years. So I'm just sticking at that 20% growth. Again, that's dollar in dollar out though. we get that additional dollar in the revenue limit on property tax and we get an expense that matches a dollar for dollar. But from our purposes from a tax levy, we want to make sure that's aware of. Um we're estimating a 14% property liability insurance increase. Um and workers comp should really fall under that. Um two things are happening there. One, property insurance has gone up 5 to 7% every year the last five years. that is really not necessarily our insurance being affected personally, but our uh the catastrophic events happening throughout the United States

126that are being funded through insurance are being passed on to everybody. So, that's a component of it. Um the second component is we've had um three really successful workers copiers. So, at some point we're going to see the blip up. So, right now I'm just preparing for the blip. So, we haven't had it yet this year, but again, I'm being conservative on that estimate and I'm preparing for it. Um we will go out for an insurance a property liability workers comp insurance review. Um for your knowledge workers comp regardless of who you go with is the exact same cost. It is state regulated. It is state proposed. So it's number of people times the rate that they provide you. It's where can you get the best dividend which is essentially did you perform well enough?

127We'll give you this money dollars back. So that's really where we work look for workers comp is what's the dividend. Um, but property and liability insurance is just like if you went off for your homeowners and car insurance, like you're going to get different rates based on whatever people choose. So, we'll take a look at that. Um, we're moving our district health clinic obviously to being funded 12 months. So, this year we were projecting six months. Um, we are one month behind. Our initial clinician backed out the day before they were to start and we went to the drawing board again, hired somebody that we think is fantastic. Um, but again, they have a certain number of days that they have to clear before they can come. Um so that's pushing us to February 9th.

128Um part of our again our healthc care 2% too is we're going to be a full month almost a month and a half behind on having any clinic data to offset health as well. So I don't know how much of that will truthfully be able to carry into the 2627 number. Um but certainly we'll have a way better chance than a 2728 but the amount um 2% 2.7% transportation increase with rightway. So that'll back down to 2.63 63, but we are contractually obligated to follow CPI with Rightway. Um 2.7% capital improvement budget increase. So, we're just following CPI. So, anywhere you see that 2.7 or back down to 2.63. Um building budgets right now are based on estimated enrollment. Um if we have a drastic enrollment change in any particular building, we'll take a look.

129But if you look at that building budget line item, that's just following enrollment and punching it into the calculator for dollars per student. And this is what it kicks out. Um department budgets right now are being processed as flat. Um we are reducing um in total $360,000, but what we're doing right now is we're just pulling out those fund um 46 transfers that we've had in a couple of our departments and technology specifically and um teaching and learning. So a curriculum and some technology based additional amounts and we're just going to say we're not going to fund those this year, but all the things you have to do we're going to do. So, if you recall, some of those were providing some long-term savings for those groups. So, when we have a large curriculum purchase,

130it's not all being absorbed in our operational dollars. Some of it is being pulled from a savings account. Um, so all I did was pull that out because right now we're sitting a million dollars in the red or a million48 um in the red. Some additional notes, you'll see student fees um coming up that'll come up at second board meeting in February. So, we're going to take a look at that. We're going to do some evaluation. We're actually going to propose a cycle with that as well. Um certainly our new staff hire salaries, hourly rates, benefits, all of those things for all new employees that will happen over the course of the next six to seven months leading up to the next school year will be evaluated. Um utility costs will continue to be evaluated.

131Andy Daniels does a great job with that. Um one of the things that I do want to remind us though is we're going to have a pretty large addition to the high school. So even if we can figure out how do we save in general on it, we're going to add a whole bunch of more space that we're now going to have to heat and cool and do all those things with. So, um, if we can actually find some savings, I would be flabbergasted. It'd be super great if we can somehow figure out how do we remain flat or have a slight increase to it, knowing we're adding a lot of space. Um, and then if there's any better place to work, uh, recommendations, we'll certainly evaluate those and consider those as we go um,

132throughout the year. Um, but again, we are a million48 in the red. Um for uh purposes of review, last year we were at 1.15 and the year before we were at 1.2 at this point um in time. So um we do have a lot of things that are again predicted right now and again predicting low on our revenues, predicting high on our expenses and that's really designed right now so that we don't get too comfortable and decide to throw something in that we don't know if we can afford. Um, and so you have an idea of some of the things we're going to take a look at um, throughout the spring and into summer. Um, our very preliminary, I want to make this short, very preliminary tax impact. Uh, 42,990,000 is 1 point roughly 1.4

133more than last year. 970,000 of that is directly related to our um, $325 per student. And what I should have added um is roughly another 300,000 of that is directly related to voucher. So 1.27 of that is related to things that we have no control over. Um the additional would just be um it's actually a slight reduction in fund 80 uh fund 80 recreation and a slight increase in fund 39 debt service is really what the net is. Um I'm using a 2.5% property value. We have not been anywhere close to 2.5% in any of the last bunch of years. But again, working on that conservative value. Um, mill rate at this point estimated to be 7.89, but um, I would certainly assume that that's going to be lower than it was last year. >>

134Yes. >> So, it's my standard question at this point. If you're unable to dig out of the red by virtue of things coming to fruition, where would you cut? And on the other hand, if you end up with more money in your bucket, where would you fund? >> Yep. So certainly our largest salaries and benefits are always the largest piece and so like while that's not the popular answer that's certainly going to have to be looked at and what are we going to be doing with that particular bucket because at a million dollars something big has to come and that's our biggest bucket. So we would certainly look there first. Um second place we would probably look um is capital improvements and are we able to shift some extra dollars to fund 46 to make

135sure we're still doing what we need to do. But can we pull some extra dollars out of fund 46 to cover? Um, a lot of that's going to be like what is some of the budget talk coming out of Madison for next year like thinking 2627 um or sorry 2729 bianium and like what what is even being kited about um to think about that. But those would be the biggest pieces. Um what would we do if we had extra? Um I guess it's really going to depend on how much. Obviously if we just squeak over we're doing nothing. we're going to we're going to cover something extra in capital improvements or find some onetime purchase that we can do. >> Um if we had a pretty significant increase, which I would >> I mean again,

136if I'm pushing my chips to the table, we're not getting there. Um we would probably take a look at is there something we can do with health because that was a big nugget last year that had a lot of angst. Um or is there something we do with salary? We leave health alone and something we do with salaries. Um I I at this point like it's too early to say like where I would push my chips on that particular table. Um but some certainly those would be considered too because if we have a lot then that's we got to figure out how do we use it towards a bigger bucket too. >> I think at this point it's all sort of about philosophy and general priorities and so that answers that question. >> Yeah our

137our priorities are certainly how do we fund our staffing increase and how do we help maintain benefits. So >> thank you >> Linda please. uh on the health health clinic I hope we don't need to wait for actual data given the fact that we are working with experts and this is not a new model this has been it's everywhere we don't need actual data in order to figure in some impact with that health clinic >> that's what I'm just saying I would expect to see something there and not just we don't have any data we can't do anything since this is a model that's been around and you base it on some impact I would like to see something in this budget that reflects that. >> Uh 100% we'll be able to probably do something

138with that from a health standpoint. Um but again, even though the law of averages tell you we should do this and X Y and Z and all the experts do that, it's possible it opens on February 9th and no one walks in the door like it's possible. It's possible on February 9th, it is full. Like every slot is full. So we want to make sure that we are projecting where we're projecting before we decide to do anything with that. So I for me personally again on that conservative standpoint I want to open the doors and figure out are we on the track that they say we're on the track of before we decide we're going to put some eggs in that basket. So being on the hyperconervative side like nope right now it's not open.

139We just know we're paying for it for 12 months. Let's get it open and then we'll start working on that particular component. But again that's where our healthc care experts will come in. our new or I don't know if we'll have new consultants, but our new consultant team for sure will have um regardless of where we stay um is going to come in. They're going to help us coordinate all of those components of health and put that into this is our new rate and this is what's going to need to fund your health plan. Right. Anyone else? Thank you. We will move on to the audit report, please, Mr. Awesome. So, we have um Amber Tiger here today. I'll offer uh her to come up from Kerber Rose. Um Amber worked uh as one of

140the auditors on our program and she is going to walk you through. Um just as a note, there is a change in the approval process this year. This is coming really part of as part of our NEOA um piece. It's not approving the audit, it's approving um review of the audit. Um, so just so that you are aware and um, Amber just let me know when I need to change screens here. >> Thank you. Well, thank you everyone for allowing me to come present today. Um, as mentioned, my name is Amber Tiger and I am an Is >> I don't know. Maybe grab the one next to you and we'll see what happens here. >> Oh, I already That's way too loud. Sorry. All right. So, as I was saying, um, as Andy said, my

141name is Amber Tiger. I'm an audit manager with Ker Rose. I've been with the firm for about five years, and this year was actually the first opportunity I got to work with the district. Um, and one of the reasons that I was very excited to work um with the district um is the rest of my team had always speak spoke very highly of the district and Andy and Michelle and the rest of the business department. So I'm looking forward to coming back in future years and continuing um that relationship with them. Um but I just want to get into we'll just do a very high level overview of the audit. Um but if there's any questions I think Andy attached the report in the management letter. If there are any questions we can go into

142more detail. Um so the first slide just the audit results. Um, the premise of an audit, if some of you aren't very familiar, is to provide an opinion. Um, so we come in, check the financials, and we want to provide an opinion on if the financials are accurately presented. Um, so we had a clean, unmodified um, audit opinion this year. Um, which is very typical. Um, it's the highest level of assurance that we can provide as auditors. So, in a school district sense, it's like getting an A+ on a report card. So, doing really good on that end of things. Um, the next thing I want to point out, I'm not going to go in chron chron chronological order. Excuse me. Um, I'm going to go to the internal control finding next. Um, and then

143circle back to the second point there. Um, the internal control finding for financial reporting. Essentially what that is is a finding that we um as auditors have to express because the district isn't the ones preparing the financial preparing the financial reports and us as the auditors are preparing that. Um at Kerber Rose we work with about 60 school districts across the state and I think we might have one school district that prepares their own financial statements. So, it's a very common thing that we see um and it's just a cost benefit um that it's just easier typically for the auditors to complete those. So, you'll probably see this finding going forward, but nothing to be too concerned about. Andy and Michelle, they review the financials and make sure that they're in agreement with them. So,

144um nothing too too too much to be concerned about there. Um, the next thing that I wanted to circle back to and it will be a new thing that you see in the financial statements is related to a compliance finding in relation to the federal single audit. Um, so what a federal single audit is, since the district receives more than $750,000 in federal funding, us as auditors have to test those programs and make sure that um the district is abiding by the different requirements set by the federal government. Um, one program that we had to test this year was um, child nutrition. So that's like food service. Um one thing that we have found was a finding regarding eligibility in relation to the direct certification process. Um so and I can go into more detail

145on this but a highle overview of this one was what happens is the district imports um essentially all of the students to a DPI website and DPI comes back with all of the direct certification. So what that means is students that are already enrolled in another like food service program. So if they're part of like SNAPS or Medicaid, it automatically brings in what um what program they're a part of. And what was happening is in the system that the school district uses um there wasn't a correct matching process. Um, so there was some and then ultimately when the district reported to DPI, um, they weren't recording the correct number of students that were eligible. Um, when we came on site, um, to kind of go back, we came on site this summer. So, this is

146as of 6:30 25, so we're six months past the year end now. Um but when we were on site um the team that works on this they were already aware that the the software um for food service was having this issue. So they were already kind of implementing some changes. It just so happened that we had to test this program this year and kind of found it. So there's already implementations of changes going forward. So hopefully that um this won't happen in the coming years. What this means from an audit perspective is going forward for at least the next two years um the district will be considered a high-risk audi um what that really means is from an audit perspective we just have to test more um that it really has no impact on the

147district's financial position or anything like that. It's just going to be more documentation that we have to kind of go through. So any questions on that before I move on? Yes. Does it impact any funding that we took from the feds? >> There there is a potential that DPI DPI can have, especially related to the child nutrition um program, they might have um they might request that there be like a a specific food service audit completed and that's something that the state would take care of. Um that's a possibility, but there's no guarantee that that would happen. We're not we're not sending money back to the feds still. There's no danger no risk in that. >> There is part of the single audit. There is uh an aspect of it called question cost. And if

148there are identified um amounts of money that we can clearly identify that were um ineligible that the district received, we have to report them. But in this case with this program and how it works, we don't have those. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions before we move on? All right. Um, like I said, I want to keep everything pretty high level. Um, so there's a lot of words on this slide, but I'm not going to um, read it word for word. Um, the key things that we want to take away from here is looking at the general fund unassigned fund balance. Um, so the general fund makes up just the general um, um, the general I can't the general operations of the districts plus um, special education. Um, so when we look at the

149ending fund balance as of 63025, um, the ending fund balance was at about 25.6 million. And what we like to compare this to and kind of see where they're at, where the district is at with this is kind of comparing to see um where the where they are in comparison to the expenditures. And why this is important is because um this number essentially represents how much cash um the district has available to pay upcoming bills. Um and with how districts worked and how the funding um is structure structured as Andy kind of alluded to earlier in the the board meeting a lot of the funding is tax levby dollars and state and federal funding. So that's not always going to come in at a consistent basis. So it's important to have a good reserve in

150that unassigned fund balance to kind of um alleviate some of those inconsistent timing of the the funding that they receive. Um so we typically like to see districts between the 25 to 35% margin when comparing to the unassigned fund balance to the current year expenditures. So, if we take a look at the next slide, um, this is we kind of just put together a little chart to see or to kind of show where the district has been over the course of the last five years in comparison to the current year expenditures, which is in the blue. So, those will be the higher ones on the chart, and the black ones, which are the um unassigned fund balance. Um, so you can see over the past five years really trending pretty consistent. across the board, which

151is what we like to see. Um, and then if we go to the next slide, this is going to analyze that ratio of the unassigned fund balance in comparison to the current year expenditures. As you can see, I know it's pretty small, but um, at during 2025, at the end of 2025, we're at 38%. So, it's you, the district has a very healthy um unassigned fund balance to make those payments and have that healthy cash flow. The next slide. Um the next couple of slides, I just wanted to pinpoint some of the more important um financial statements that you would see in um in the the large statements. So, the first one, again, I'm going to reference the general fund quite a bit. Um, so the general fund, as I kind of um alluded to,

152you see highlighted the unassigned fund balance there. Um, not too much else to add there because we just discussed most of that. The other fund that I wanted to touch on on this statement is the other pro the other capital projects. Um, in this fund, you'll see there is uh this is a big change from last year. The other capital projects has a restricted fund balance of 42 million. What that is related to is the referendum debt um and the the school projects that are going to be completed. I believe it's the high school and one other one I can't quite remember. >> Are various elementaryaries but primarily the high school project. >> Yeah. So this balance seems very high as of 630 um 25 but it will be spent down as those projects and

153expenditures get paid out. And then the next slide is looking at the revenues and expenses. And again, I know this is really small, um, but there is a copy um, of this same report. Um, so a few things here. The referendum debt service, as I kind of alluded to, the the district issued debt um, last fiscal year. Um, so you'll notice a extra other financing source, which is the premium on the bonds. So that was an extra expenditure there or excuse me. Um, yeah. And then in the debt service fund, one additional thing that the district did was they had a defeascent on debt. So what this means is that the district paid off debt early with available funds that they had. And this actually saved the district over a million dollars by paying off

154this debt early. So we it's it seems to be a little bit more increasingly common, but it's something that's very advantageous for the district to continue to do um as the cost savings are can be substantial. Then the other thing, the other capital project fund as I kind of mentioned um that is where the the proceeds for the debt went related to the referendum. And then the last thing I wanted to point out is that there is a transfer from the general fund to the another capital project fund um for $3.7 million. And what that other capital project fund is for um is for capital projects. It's essentially banking money um in a capital projects fund. So maybe in the future you don't have to go out for referendum for some capital projects. Um so

155we always like to see that that you're you're kind of building um some of those savings in that capital project fund. And then the next one we'll go to um is the budget to actual. Um so you can kind of we'll pay attention mo mainly to the net change in fund balance if that doesn't sound very familiar um because this is governmental accounting. Um you can think of it as like your net income or your net loss. Um so originally the bud or the district had budgeted um a slight deficit but then with some amendments um the district was looking to almost break even with only a $1,500 um dollar difference between expenditures and revenues. Um how the district actually ended out in the general fund is the district actually made a little bit of

156money of 120,000. not much, but it's good to at least see that more money is coming in that than is going out the door. Um, we don't see this is my third board presentation of the week, and not many districts can say that they're e even breaking even. So, um, between some changes in state and federal funding, um, some of those things coming down, but expenditures staying high and, um, people wanting, um, increases in salaries, we just don't see this as much. So the district seems um to be in very good and healthy financial condition. >> You take questions now or later? >> Yeah, I can take them as we go or later. >> Okay. Well, I I have questions on the expenditures being more than the budget in many and you actually have a

157a schedule that it's on the next page that identifies those areas. >> The expenditures being more than the budget. >> Correct. They are actually less than the budget. >> I see. Um total expenditures are >> in some in some categories. Yes, there might be but overall they would be less because >> total expenditures are 489,000 below the budget if I I mean it's small numbers but I think I'm reading that correctly. >> It is. Yes, I see what you're saying. Yes. So the expend, excuse me, the expenditures are $489,000 over the budget, but then in contrast, your revenues are 1.3 million above your budget as well. >> Well, I guess I kind of want to know why. Why are the expansions more than the budget? >> I don't have all of that detail with me

158right now. Um that's something that I could um circle back to and provide to Andy to provide to the rest of the board. Because we're looking at our next budget, we kind of want to know, >> right, >> what happened last year. >> Yes. Yes. >> So, I know we depended upon interest. You mentioned that just before, but interest is not a very necessarily uh sustainable revenue source long term. So, it is a concern when we're using that to cover almost a half a million dollars worth of expenditures over what we had planned to spend. >> Right. >> So, I would appreciate more information on that, especially as we're looking ahead to the next budget. Yeah, we can absolutely provide some more additional um detail to that. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Any other questions

159on that? And then the next slide here, one thing that we like to look at is um the legal margin for new debt. Um so state statues um has that the district can have 10% of the equalized um valuation of the district is what you can take out for general obligation debt. Um, so this is just showing uh a little calculation of where the the district is at. So the legal margin at the end of um 2025 is about $335 million. >> Amber, if I think about the expenditures on this particular page, >> um we made a roughly 750,000 additional transfer out of fun than budgeted last year, I believe, which would account for the overage of roughly 400 80,000 $89,000. I think it's all related to our fund 46 transfer at year end which

160related to our revenues exceeding our expense our total expenses. But because that transfer requires an expense out of fund 10, it is listed as an expense in fund 10 or revenue in fund 46. We can't just move it to that bank account without having that official expense or revenue accounted for. >> But which line would that be in? Which line? Uh, it's in a non-program transaction. Um, >> that's twothirds of the way down the page is total non-program transactions. >> Yeah. So, there are line items above in support services that are over. Um, but in general, our overall, if you were to look at our overall expenses is due to that fund 46 transfer. >> I don't see it. That's after the uh >> that's at your end after the actually our audit is done

161at that point or substantial completion I should say is done before we make that transfer. >> What again? Where is it? What line which line is that in? Would there be like a $700,000 over expenditure somewhere if that's the amount that you're >> So does this have to do with with going from one fiscal year to the next? Is that is that what you're >> uh Well, fund 46 has to be transferred by July 30th, but it's recorded as of June 30th. U because it considered year end in the way that it's done. So, it does cross over. Um if you wanted specific line items >> go through every line item of the budget to come up with that, but >> in total from estimated 56.4 4 to 56.9 is related to that fund 46

162transfer. >> Is that part of the line uh other financing source use where you have transfer to other funds? >> Yes, correct. Yes, >> that's 854 but it's >> you can see our transfer to other funds is budgeted by $860,000 over anticipated budget. about 750,000 of that or so is related specifically to fund 46. >> But that's not above the line. That's happened afterwards when you saw that you had excess of revenue over expenditures of 852 then you made the transfer. I just am curious. I just want to know why you you know you're $453,000 over. That's I just want generally what were the areas >> of school building administrative services is probably the largest one at 298,000 and the second largest one is other instruction. I mean those two things if you have some

163explanation I'm good to go. >> Yep. We'll have to run that the specific detail on that. We've been out of 2425 for quite some time. >> Thank you. Thank you. Go on. >> Yeah. And then the the the legal margin on new debt was the last side. So if there is any other questions um I can take those at this point. >> Yeah. I have a question on page five >> of the audit report. >> Yes. Um >> there is um you you go to net position beginning of year and then you have a change in accounting principle of 872,000. >> Sure. >> What is that about? >> That is a great question. Um so with being in governmental accounting um the financial statements have to be in accordance with Gazsby. Um so that is

164a change in how they Gazsby um wanted um governments to record um compensated absences. So it's really just an estimate. Um and there is a footnote at the end of the report to kind of give a little bit more context to it. What footnote was I could I couldn't figure out which footnote it was related to. >> Um, let me scroll through here real quick. There should be a brief section in note one which note one is pretty pretty lengthy. Um, typically just as a an overview, typically we don't go over um the governmental statements because it's not that's not how the district budgets. Um, so sometimes we steer away from trying to present some of those that information because a lot of it is estimates. Um, and it's not again it's you're very used

165to seeing the revenues and expenses. um and how you budget and that's what's most most crucial for the district. Um sorry I'm having a a hard time finding what page it's on. >> You can get back to me later on. >> Sure. Actually I just found it on page 15 of the report. Um it talks about the implementation of Gazby 101. Um so again it's just related to >> the top here. 15 page. >> Yeah. Page 15. Um so it's just related to the um the acrual of sick um vacation PTO those kind of things. >> Thank you. Does anybody else have any questions? >> I move that we acknowledge that the audit report was received. >> Second. >> Is it received or reviewed? >> Received. >> That's the change from Right. A motion was

166made by Dr. Beer, seconded by Mrs. Seperski. Any further discussion? All in favor? I >> I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh uh resolution providing for the sale of approximately 15,930,000 general obligation refunding bonds series 2026A. Mr. Cromy, please. So, I'll have Jeff Cely from Ellers come up. Uh, Ellers is our financial advisor specifically as it relates to um our bonds and debt repayment. So, part of our um it's at least semianually we take a look at all debt obligations that we have um and well, I should say Ellers takes a look at all debt obligations that we have and determines um if a refunding makes sense. So for um our purposes, refunding is like refinancing your mortgage. Um a little bit different. When we refinance our mortgage, we refinance for a

167brand new set of years and we pay the same amount every month for that particular piece. When you refinance a bond, um we pay bond principal one time a year. Typically, we always take it out for 20 years, but one time a year for 20 years. And each of those repayments is kind of like its own mortgage. It has its own interest rate. It has its own payment. it has its own call date. Um, so what Ellers does is takes a look at all of our debt. Takes a look at each one of those individually for all the debts we have and says these are these ones make sense. These don't make sense or none of it makes sense. We shouldn't do it right now. So essentially what you're seeing this is all related to

168the middle school debt. Um that has been refunded already several years ago before my time coming here. It's up for refunding right now. Um we plan to add about $825,000 of fund 39 fund balance. So important to note that that is related to our debt service fund balance um to add to this. But altogether we should see a savings um of approximately 1.6 million which is about $800,000 um in interest on the debt itself plus our $825,000 added to it. Um, but again, that $800,000 is related right to monies we won't levy in future years related to interest. The the principal is the principal, so that always has to be repaid like any debt has to, but um we'd see a pretty significant interest savings um again related to just this $15.5 million, please. >>

169Anything to add, Jeeoff? >> Yeah, so uh thank you. That was a nice overview. uh appreciate you being here tonight. Um so uh the particular bonds that you're refunding are the 2017 A bonds. Uh they have a call date of April 1, 2026. Call date is a date in which you can refund them using taxexempt rates or bonds. So we're issuing new bonds, the 2026A bonds to to refinance the 2017 A. And as Andy mentioned, we're estimating a reduced future debt service around $800,000 uh on this particular refunding. Um it's refunding the 2027 maturities or principal payments through 2035. So 9 years left on the original bonds and the new bonds match that term. We don't extend it. It's not a restructuring. It's just a straight uh refunding for savings. and you'll have a call

170date on the new bonds of April 1, 2033. Uh so there will be an opportunity. Um there won't be a whole lot left. So rates would have to be really low at that point in order to generate savings, but it's out there just in case. um moving that call date forward, uh you would have to you would pay the price this time because there's an accepted practice of having like eight years before a call date. If you shorten that to try to preserve future savings, you might um end up paying more and reducing your savings this time. So, just so you know that that eight years is kind of a industry uh practice. Uh we'll be doing um a rating on this. You just went through that not even a year ago. You guys have

171an excellent rating, a double A1. Uh we were just looking at that today and there aren't anything that indicates that that would be an issue coming up. Uh maintaining it. Uh we'll do a competitive bid process on this and solicit bids. Um any premium received will reduce the amount of bonds and you guys do have a million dollars that are going to go towards these bonds. So that's going to help pay off some of the bonds. Um it's kind of like taking it's kind of like the defeasence that we did except we're rolling it all into the refunding. So it's all one transaction. Uh so um basically it's about uh 15 scrolling through my numbers here trying to get the exact numbers. Oh for timelines um you have a resolution that's your initial resolution tonight.

172Um we will be taking care of the the bond rating and so forth in the meantime. Uh and then February 4th, we will take proposals that morning, bring the results to you that evening and you'll award the sale of the bonds. Uh they'll close, which is when the money is transferred to an escrow account for this refinancing on February 25th. And then the old bonds I mentioned have a April one call date. those will be redeemed at that time. Uh so in a nutshell, that's the finances of it. Uh it's about uh $16 million that we anticipate issuing to cover this. >> Linda, please. >> I looked through your um pre-sale report. Yes. I have a couple questions on that. Mhm. >> Um so when I compare the um prior original debt service schedule with

173the new debt service schedule, I see first of all that we have interest rates that are nothing's over 4% is the highest >> right >> the new issues got 5%. So >> right >> where's the how do we get the savings? It's well I guess I can answer some of that question. To me the savings is probably more principal related than it is interest related. So what what happens is uh it's going to generate a a large premium >> premium. >> So we're we're estimating that that premium is going to be uh about $1.8 million. a lot of money >> and and the reason for the premium is so so if you think of it from an investor's standpoint if you uh invest money if you buy bonds and you're only getting say the market

174rate of two and a half% well there's many other options out there for your money so you probably aren't interested in buying these bonds but if we give you 5% say we double it and we offer it at a 5% % interest. >> Who's the do we? >> The underwriters. When they sell, >> not the district. The underwriters. So they determine 5% they can sell all these bonds easily. They have the market for it. So people are willing to pay a premium price. So if this bond costs me, if the face value is $1 at 2 and a.5%. I might or underwriter might be charging a$18 at 5%. And it's also tax exempt. So I get the benefit of not having to pay federal income tax on those earnings. that extra eight cents on the

175dollar comes to you upfront in form of a premium. So it's generating a million8 for the district upfront even though the coupons what the the interest is acrewing at is higher than the old bonds. >> So we're making it on the premium. >> Yes. Um, also when I look at that schedule, the first one versus the existing one versus the other, I notice there's no principal payment in 26 at all on the original. We didn't we didn't have a principal payment. >> No. Um, the the prior debt is the is the uh that's the callable amount. That's the that's the schedule we're refunding. So the district will make their April 1, 2026 payments. >> So this it's after that that shows the debt that the escrow will be paying off during this refunding. >> And

176you're saying so this was the call date. It was callable on this date, >> April 126. >> The whole issue was callable. >> The 2027 principal payment and after >> and after. >> Yep. Then how come we have to do we're not like paying it off though? We're just refinancing it typically. Don't you have a call date so you can pay it off without any like a you don't have a prepayment penalty because you have a the call dates there. You can just >> right you don't have a penalty because the call date was established when the original bonds were were issued. So this uh 16 roughly 16 million that's going to be issued in the new bonds will go into an escrow account and it will sit there for a little over a month

177and then pay off all the old bonds, the 27 and beyond maturities and then the district will assume the 27 beyond maturities for the new bonds. >> To pay it off, we'd have to come up with the $15.9 million which you don't have. So essentially we're refinancing in the same time frame to save a lot of >> interest. I guess why wouldn't we left it alone since it had low interest rates? >> Because it's generating the $8,000 of interest savings. >> Mhm. It's reducing your debt service. >> So we're taxing our taxpayers less. >> We're taxing our taxpayers less. >> We will be. Yes. Eight by $800,000 over the life of this. >> Over the life of it of the nine years, which is how much? Still less than today. >> I'm sorry, what? >>

178Still less than today. >> Um, I guess I wasn't expecting to see, you know, we keep churning this debt. Is there going to be another defeasence or whatever something next year? When are we going to stabilize? We got a pretty stable debt repayment schedule. When are we going to kind of >> I guess if we can generate savings, I will always bring that to the district. I will always bring that to the board. >> Okay. Well, >> and and that's the key. >> Free. I mean, it's not free either. I mean, this cost 142,000 to issue this stuff. >> It It does. >> It's all part of our premium process. It's all part of the premium that's being paid. It's not costing the district any additional money. >> Can you talk I >> I'm trying

179to put it in as easy terms as we can. >> And and Andy's correct. It's it's all baked into this savings and everything. So, so if you can save money um an amount uh okay, if if it's generating 20 grand in savings, it may not be worth your effort. Okay, but if it's generating 800,000 and that's net of all costs, then it makes sense to do and and you know, same as when we look at the defeasences and so forth, >> right? And but there's net present value. This is 574,000 better than we've seen before. They're pretty low at previous, >> but as we spoke about before, net present value is kind of an arbitrary number because the 800 is actually the reduction in taxes. So, it's it's a tangible number once we sell it,

180if it turns out exactly like this. um where the net present value is what amount of money at the ARB rate that these are listed at would be equal to 800,000 in the future, >> right? But as a taxpayer, if I'm saving money nine years from now, I'm paying it off with definitely different value dollars than I'm paying now. >> But it's not it's actually there's no new money going to the taxpayer. It's reducing the the property tax levy that we will put on the taxpayers. Is it part of that budget presentation I just saw from you >> is our new debt cert because you have to approve that. So right now we're not we're not baking that into the cake. We certainly will in our property tax levy when we have to if we

181approve it >> but again conservative >> another $100,000 off of that million dollar deficit we were looking at. >> I I don't want to put a dollar amount to it. So >> this life of this will be $800,000. Whether that equates to $100,000 per year, I don't know. I will all right >> take a look at it. >> So I'm expecting some kind of reduction in in debt service next year as a result of this and and you did say you evaluate this because you don't take everything. So what are your some of your parameters and when you say no go not worth it? >> Uh twice a year we run the numbers and if something looks close we'll monitor it even more often. >> Million dollars in premium or >> I'm sorry what >>

182what are some of your parameters? parameters is the market. What are bonds selling at? And we basically take recent sales and what the market's at, plug it into your scenario. So in this case, refunding the 2017 because you have a call date coming up. So we know that's coming up and we can do it. So we take the market rates, plug it in and say this thing's generating some savings. or there are times we'll look at and say it's a no-go. We we just wouldn't recommend it at this point. >> And you do this twice a year. >> Twice a year. >> All right. >> It would be like looking at what are the mortgage rates currently now for whatever years you want and saying this is what I'm currently paying. This is what it

183is. Does it make sense for me to refinance? Yes. Sometimes. >> Does anybody have further questions? >> No. I move to approve the resolution providing for the sale of approximately 15.93 million general obligation refunding bond series 2026A. >> I have a question at process. Uh this is our only this is the first read of this agenda item. We require it to be on the agenda twice. >> Yeah, you're right. It's not it's not um listed as something for approval on this one. I >> No, it is actually. >> Is it? >> Yeah. >> It wasn't a >> Andy, does it need to be approved tonight because of time that we have to go to market? if you're going to market in February, >> right? >> Yeah. >> Because it's time sensitive >> and and you

184aren't actually awarding the sale of the bonds, the issuance of bonds till your next meeting. This and in fact, this resolution is not even a legal requirement. Um, but most districts choose to do it as a first reading, if you will, to bring it to the board roughly a month before they're actually awarding the sale. So they treated this resolution as a first reading and they have the board actually act on the resolution even though it is not a legal requirement that you act on it but it's recommended. >> I'm more comfortable that way. >> We have a process though. >> There's a motion on the floor >> that I'll second. >> I'll I'll second the motion. Mary just did. >> Did you second Linda? No, >> no, I did not second because it's violates

185our process. We can't take action on this if it's the first read. >> Well, I think >> I think he just explained why we would do it in this situation and that this is not this is he explained his reasons why. >> Are we going to need to take action? We're going to we're going to approve this as an exception to our process, >> but we have done that before with other things when they have >> the motion was made by Dr. Beer, seconded by Mrs. Yank. Is there any further discussion? Could we amend that to say um as an exception to our process of requiring two reads? You can say in a timely man is best practice to do a second grade read if the board at the table right now is agreeing to

186take action >> you're then you can take action at this moment >> and we have before when something comes up and it needs a more timely response. We haven't always had the second reading >> because >> I think though if the agenda if the public is reading our agenda they are not see they're not getting the same correct information. They're not expecting it to be approved at this time. >> So I think the motion should probably say something about it's out of the it's an exception in terms of >> what would you like your amendment to what you you asked for amendment? What would you like your amendment to say? Uh, could we have the uh Oh, you actually wrote that on the >> You move to >> the move. The motion is >> Can

187I amend my motion? I move to in um acknowledging that it is um a variance from our standard practice. I move to approve the resolution providing for the sale of approximately 15.93 million general obligation refunding bonds series 2026A. >> Second. >> Oh, did you already second something? >> No. Motion >> Motion was made by Dr. Beer, seconded by uh Mrs. Wakowski. Uh any further discussion? All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Safe travels. >> Thank you. >> Uh board policies, property and technology 7,000s and operations 8000s. Uh Mrs. Zaperski, please. We have come to the end of our policy journey. >> Oh my god. God bless you all. >> And I just wanted to I I just thought as I was going through things I would show just,

188you know, for a visual. This is the total amount of policies that we've gone through over the last few months and it's been a lot of fun. This is our last grouping of them. I'm sure you all read them. We didn't have any major adjustments to any of them. So, I'm just looking I will actually make the motion to preliminarily approve the property and technology 7000s and 8000s operations of the new policy manual. >> Second. >> All right. Motion was made by Mrs. Seperski, seconded by Dr. Beer. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I opposed. >> Motion carries. Thank you. >> The treasur's report is available in the board doc's library. Uh future agenda items, uh friends of Franklin, Franklin High School presentation, uh athletics and activities report, health clinic, uh report, uh board policies,

189uh final approval of new policy manual effective July 1st, 2026. Robinwood Elementary School presentation, academic excellence scholarship recipient approvals, technical excellence scholarship recipient approvals, state convention reports, and student fees. Uh, and I am looking for a motion to go into close session. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Sorry. A motion to enter close session pursuant to Wisconsin statute 19.851C district administrator self-evaluation of goals midyear and discussion of administrative contracts. Uh so the motion was made by Mrs. Seperski seconded by Dr. Khan. We need a voice vote please. >> Mr. Sprag >> I. >> Mrs. Wakowski >> I. >> Mrs. Yank >> I. >> Mrs. Mr. >> Hi, >> Dr. Khan. >> Hi, >> Mrs. Larson. >> I vote I. >> We are uh in close session 839. Take a few minutes if anybody wants to.

190>> Looking for a motion. >> Move to adjourn the meeting. >> Second. >> Motion was made by Mrs. Yank, seconded by Mrs. Witkowski. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. We are adjourned at 10:05.