001special called meeting for the public hearing here at the Woodford County Central Office. Roll call. We have four members here in person and one Dr. Gould joining remotely. Can I have a motion to recess our special called board meeting to conduct the public tax rate hearing? >> So move. >> Motion by Mr. Wilson. >> Second by Miss Macauen. All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Passes. 520 to zero. Can I have a motion to open the public tax rate hearing? >> So moved. >> Motion by Mr. Wilson. >> Second by Miss Macauen. All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? We're not opening the public tax rate hearing. So just as we begin this do want to throw out some of the guidelines. So when it comes to public comment this is for
002the public to share your opinions and ideas with us as the board. This is not a discussion between us at this point. So we are going to listen and take in everything you have to share and then when we actually go to make our vote later on that's when we'll have a discussion with the board up here in an open meeting. So just want you to know there's not discourse back and forth. This is for you to share your viewpoints with us. Um, as we discuss the tax rate, before I call everybody up, I would like to review the three options that have been presented and advertised. Option one is the compensating rate of 60.9, which would create a projected increase of revenue of $149,46259. This would mean a $1.8 million cut to programming or
003about 28 staffing positions. Option two is the 4% growth rate 63.3. Projected increase in revenue $829,21428. This would mean a $1.3 million cut to programming or about 16 staff staffing positions. And then option three would be keeping the tax rate flat at 67.3. Projected increase in revenue 2,445,224.88. This would maintain current programming and positions while restoring funding to transportation and technology that was removed. Um, and then there's links that were provided as well for through our budget transparency uh tab on the website. One thing to also focus on that option three would be a recallable tax rate. So, if that was voted on and passed, the public would have 45 days to get a petition together to um put that on the November ballot. So, just want to be very clear that that option three
004is a recallable tax rate and you would have the ability to get a petition. I think you'd probably need about 1500 people or so to sign sign that petition and that would uh be on the November ballot. So, just wanted to put that out there. And at this time, we're going to start asking people to come up and speak. So, first we have Moaki. Thank you uh Chairman Brickler, superintendent and board members. Uh I come from the great community of nuns such which is southern uh Woodford County and we were probably one of the instigators of the uh recall and the uh refusal of the five cent tax rate and our community still feels the same way. I serve on a couple boards in the city and we've gone uh and ironically it's with many
005other boards that have reduced our tax uh rate because we think according to uh PVA that the amount of money coming in is going to exceed our expectations and we're not going to need an increased amount. I'm recommending and the friends that I've talked to the 63 cents the 67 cents which is a 4 cent edition is a recallable rate. It took us less than three weeks to get 1500 signatures. The cost of it is embarrassing. Uh we have to pay the election office. We have to pay the county clerk. we have to pay the people uh to run it. So, please take that in consideration. One of the things that I find serving on boards in financial reports is your fiduciary responsibility is no more or no less than your personal checkbook. Things must
006balance. Things must make sense. When you spend money, you have to know what your return is going to be. If you don't have the money, you don't spend it. Uh I respect the board for accepting my uh suggestions and we'll wait and see what you do. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Uh next I'll call Ryan Wilson. All right. Uh, again, my name is Ryan Wilson. Uh, currently I'm the principal at Huntertown Elementary. Um, I've had the distinct pleasure of working in this district for 13 years now. Um, starting as a high school special education teacher, uh, spending five years at Simmons as an assistant principal, and then the past two years at Huntertown. And, uh, the reason I came here today is to speak on behalf and be a voice for for
007all of our teachers and and staff members within our district. Um, as I know the decisions tonight can have an impact on our staffing throughout the district. Uh, a couple things I just wanted to speak on. Um, specifically the the staffing that we have added since CO. Um, that's kind of what I wanted to address primarily. Um in general I know we've added uh teacher positions since co but that has allowed our classes to be smaller which has helped us to address the learning gaps that we we have seen increase since the pandemic. Um we have been able to add interventionists and instructional coaches uh which has helped us to provide targeted small groupoup instruction um and to specifically and intentionally address those gaps and and I believe we have slowly started to see our
008scores rise um since then. And so that those those positions and people are very important. Uh most importantly I think is the mental health. Um we continue to see our mental health needs rise. Um and I think we would even argue that um you know with the supports that we have in place we still see more needs than we can uh service at this time. Um but we have seen I believe last year and correct me if I'm wrong I think we saw about a 40% reduction in our um discipline referrals. So we have seen a positive impact on the mental health services that we're seeing in our schools. um we're able to keep our teachers. I think our retention numbers are are low and so our teachers are staying because we have the support
009in place uh within the classrooms and within the community to support our teachers and students. Um in addition, we've been able to uh provide uh staffing to help support our families and community members. Um we have seen our needs within our families continue to grow. Sorry. Uh but overall uh these positions just didn't help us grow uh recover from COVID. I think they have helped us to prepare our students to become lifelong learners um and strong community members, which I know when we we look at our portrait of a learner, that is our ultimate goal. So um again, I'm I'm here on behalf of our teachers to advocate um that we do everything that we can to ensure that we can keep our staffing as we need uh to to support our kids. Thank you
010very much. >> Uh George Day or Marty Day. >> Thank you for allowing me to speak, but I am not speaking my words tonight. I am speaking from one of our community members who is unable to be here because she works more than one job. So, I'm going to read it's from her. Um, I'm not going to adjust it, so it may not flow as well as might be. We can't afford an increase in expenses. I include myself there. I have had to ask for help, whether it be for utilities, food, health care, or taxes. The poverty rate in Woodford County is 16.9% and that's a recent increase of 30.8%. The schools just need to tighten their belts like the rest of us. Cut expenses, not raise taxes. The food pantry has around 30 new
011families every month. What do they do when the food runs out? It's estimated that two weeks is about what that month's worth of food is lasting. There are many of us that step up and assist where we can, but we are getting more and more requests. We have some we can't help and they go without. I am part of the community household pantry. We give out cleaning supplies, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, diapers, etc. We try to have a free table where visitors can take what they need. We try to have food and miscellaneous items to help. We believe that giving them these items will free up some of their money for things like rent, medication, car repairs, food, and the like. Many don't qualify for assistance anywhere else. I have been told by more than
012one that they were only $5 over, but they still didn't qualify. And if the quality of the assistance isn't enough, these are not lazy families. Many work two and three jobs. And it isn't just single family homes. I think that's single family parents. Don't think that this tax affects only the homeowners either. You know good and well that the landlords will raise rents to cover the additional taxes. The schools do deserve the newest and the greatest, but not at the cost of we the people's suffering. New buses are not needed every year. Fix the old ones till you can't anymore. That is what I have to do. I drive a 10-year-old car and I but I would love to have a brand new car. I can't ask the community to help me do so. So,
013I make do with what I've got. We have budgets and we need to live by and if we cannot then we need to do without. Thank you. >> Thank you. That is everybody that we had on the list, but I saw some people walk in. So, if anybody else would like to speak, you do have the option to right now. All right. Seeing no one else, can I have a motion to reconvene the special called board meeting? >> Motion by Mr. Wilson. >> Second by Miss Macauen. All those in favor? I >> All right. Uh, can I have a motion to approve option two, the 4% growth rate 63.3 cents for the fiscal year 26 tax rate. >> So moved. >> Motion by Miss Macauen. >> Second by Miss Springgate. And I'll start the discussion
014on this. You know, one of the things that really worries me as a board member is when people feel like their voices are useless and that they don't have any meaning. And we have listened. There's been a lot of people reaching out, whether that's social media, whether that's privately. We understand that there is enough people that would really recall this if it went to that flat tax rate and and keeping the rate the same as it is today. And so we all, most of us remember what it was like before and how it split the community. I don't think it is worth that to try to split the community, have that dramatic scene again, and ultimately probably not get it voted on in November if it went to that. Um, you know, it was mentioned
015the cost, right? it would cost somewhere around $40 to $50,000 to get this on the ballot in November when you add the additional cost associated with it. Now, I do believe that the flat tax would provide us the revenue we need to do a lot of great things and retain staff that has been very important and it was mentioned that we've added since COVID. Um, and although I'm, you know, recommending that we take the option two, the U 4% growth rate, I do want everybody to understand that that will mean cuts. That will mean tightening the belt as was mentioned, but that's going to mean adjustments in the classrooms, too. And it's not just that you can cut that much from central office or that much from certain areas. It's going to be things that
016need to be looked at across the board. So when these happen, I just want everyone to understand that we're going to take very careful looks at all of the positions. We're going to look at this across the board. I know uh Dr. Jones is probably going to share a little bit about a budget committee and so this is very serious and I just want everybody to understand we do hear you. We do value your voices and with the public's, you know, opinions moving in that direction, we need to appreciate that. But I also want everybody else to appreciate what the impact of this will be. So, um, Dr. Gold, since you're remote, I do want to also give you an opportunity just in case technology fails us. So, I'll turn it over to you. And
017I apologize I can't be there tonight. I have had something that was um, prescheduled many months ahead of time. Um, but I wanted to make sure that I was here at least virtually because I do value the opinion of our public. Um, can everybody hear me? Okay. >> Yes, we can. >> Perfect. Um, I wanted to say a couple things. Um, one, I've had one person reach out to me personally um, via email. Everything else that I've heard from the public has been raised on Facebook. Um, I want to say that I think it's really important for the public to understand that the best mode of communication for us is to be able to reach out to us directly and all of us on the board serve all of our community. Even though we are
018elected in our own districts, we are still a board of people that come together and have conversations and like if you were to reach out to a public official that was on a different committee that might be passing a bill at the House or the Senate, then you know, even though you're not your elected official, you could still reach out to other elected officials and let your voice be heard. So, I think that that is a really important thing to to say and I appreciate those people who came in person and chose to speak up. Um, so also want to address social media. There's a lot of misconceptions that are being passed around and I I ran on the platform of transparency. I have advocated if anybody who has watched the board meetings, I've advocated
019for trans transparency since I came on in January. I'm a brand new board member and that is something that I find very important with our new superintendent. I say give her time because she has really picked up that goal and I'm very proud of that that she is providing transpar transparency as well as other members of our central office to be able to make we have clarity in the information that were provided. I know that that's something that is a shift from prior, but make sure you go to the sources of information to get that. Um, go to our web page, go to our Facebook page, all the different places that we share information. And so, continue to expect transparency. That's something that including transparency with our budget. That's something that's also being placed on
020our website. So, I just wanted to put that out there for those of you who are listening that don't just gather your information from social media. go to the source and double check the information that you have. The other thing as a parent, but also as a person who is a proud graduate from county schools, our school system creates the people that are put back into our community. We may leave and come back. And I would love to see a show of hands even though I can't see the audience of how many of us are a product of our public school system. Our public school system creates our nurses, our doctors, our people that work make our goods in factories, the people that are in our, you know, working those blue collar jobs, um, those
021people that are in our business offices everywhere across the board. These are people that are products of public schools. And most of us are products of public schools. And in order for our public schools to be effective, we have to make sure that we adequately fund them. And I absolutely hear about the situation that we're all facing. Our property values have increased tremendously. That is part of and the pressure that we're feeling with these tax rates. And I feel it, too. As a member of the community, my my property value has increased significantly. My property um taxes have increased significantly, too. I drive an 8-year-old vehicle. I work multiple jobs to make sure that my husband and I to make sure that we provide for our kids. Our kids are in public schools. I think
022it is incredibly important for us to realize too that public education is will to people out of poverty and keep people and prevent people from becoming homeless. And I know that there's a lot of information right now on Facebook about all the statistics around that. But the information that was not shared on those those posts were that our public school systems are preventing those things from happening. We are pulling people out of those situations. A strong public education can really contribute and make a difference in everybody's lives and it trickles down. Even if you do not have kids in the community, think look around at your elected officials who are products of our county school system who are taking care of multiple needs that we all have because they went to public schools and many
023of them county public schools. So I really think it's incredibly important that we continue to support our school system and that means funing. we have to have funding to be able to pour into it. And just like Mr. Wilson said, there's been a lot of need since co um it has changed how the mental health needs are significant and tremendous. The needs and the community within our schools, our kids, what they're experiencing. We have had to fill in those gaps. Now, that doesn't mean that we can't tighten our budget and that we shouldn't tighten our budget. And I have called since I have taken office to make that we are cutting the fat, if you will. The programs that we may not need or that are duplicated or even, you know, positions that we may
024need not need needs to be saved, but there are vital positions that we absolutely have to keep. And so this is a very challenging and and difficult vote for all of us. Um, I do believe because we realize the community voice, but we also realize the things that are needed for our kids to be able to thrive. So I just beg the community to listen and understand that our we have to pour into our kids because our kids are future. They are the future of our community. They are the future of for all of us because we will all rely on the next generation at some time to do something for us regardless of what age we are for each other. That's what we do with our community, right? We lean on each other. We
025have a wonderful community and to pull kids out of poverty, to pull people up instead of pull them down, we have to make sure that our public education dollars are adequately spent and that we're supporting our kids. But we also have to make sure that we're good stewards in other spaces across our community, too. And the information that has been provided is so important and vital and how our property values have put us in a struggle with our city dollars as well as, you know, we have to make sure that we have the money provided for our raises for our teachers to make sure that they want to come into our community because we're fighting big dollars on the outside too and our surrounding communities to make sure we have quality educators and we have
026to make sure that we're letting our voices be heard and again going through the proper methods for that and again looking at the transparency that's going to continue to come from our county schools and from our school board. also beg that each of you watch our school board meetings. A lot of the rhetoric that's going around on Facebook right now could easily be answered by our school board meetings. There was something about why Simmons and St. Barbara's the only individuals that are receiving free free lunches. Well, that was answered in a school board meeting when we talked about that. That's something that I advocated for and it's because of the way that the federal funding works um and the state funding for around free reduced lunch. Those numbers are met in those two schools. So,
027you have to pay attention to the information that's being fed to you through our meetings and through our communication um platforms that we have. Parents Square if you're a parent or a guardian um the county um uh school system page um both on Facebook as well as website. Look for the reliable pieces of information and don't just listen to, you know, be critical stewards with thinking about and paying attention to the information and taking it in for yourself. Don't rely on others to share that information with you. So, super important to reach out to your board member. Um, that's all I have to say. Um, when we vote, you know, I would love to hear from my other fellow board members about their thoughts and comments. And sorry to take up so much time, but
028this is something that I've really been thinking about um, especially all the things they're doing on Facebook. >> Thank you, Dr. Gould. Uh Miss Macauan. >> Yeah, I my thoughts are and this has definitely been um a difficult thing to wrap your head around. Um because I know where we're at. I know how we got here. Um and I know what needs to be done and sometimes what needs to be done is hard and but it's past time for us to do it. Um, I think that before we ask the county to support a tax rate that creates greater than 4% gross revenue, we've got to do our due diligence. Um, and I I don't believe we have a revenue problem. I believe we have had a problem with expenses for a really long time
029and it has caught up with us. So before we ask the community to to to um to do more than we already do, I think we've got to do our part and make sure that every single expense is examined um and that we're using uh those taxpayer dollars uh in the state funding that we get, all of all of our revenue. make sure that we're using it wisely and appropriately and not basing decisions that we make off of things that may or may not happen. Um, so I think that is a a difficult lesson to learn, but we are we're we're going to be able to deal with it. I'm very confident in Dr. Jones's leadership um and in the board that we've got. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Miss McCallen. Miss Springgate. >>
030Yes. First, I would like to say I am beyond thrilled that Mr. Brickler um you've chosen to do a complete 180 and back off the recallable tax. I think that is the right thing to do for our community and I honestly think it's the right thing to do for our schools to look at our expenses and to actually go through that as a first step before we go to the public and ask for a recallable tax that we never tell the public is recallable. Um, so what I would ask is that um, we schedule a budget meeting and at this budget meeting, I would like for us to be able to schedule that in advance so that that can be placed in the Woodford Sun so that folks know about the meeting. I would also
031like for that meeting, the questions that we submitted for the 8:15 budget meeting to be answered. I would like to receive the documents before the meeting in advance, not at the meeting. Um, and I would also like and I have asked for for a number of years, a list of the positions that were created since 2022 and in what departments those positions have been created. Because I do think that the way things were presented on this handout um had a lot of scare tactics making people think that we were going to cut positions if we didn't get the recallable tax. Um, not calling the recallable tax a recallable tax. just little things I think that really hurt our credibility with the community. And I think that as the people who fund us and as a
032board for the taxpayers, we really need to do better and I do believe that we will do better under Dr. Jones. I'm excited about that. But I think that we have to make sure the meetings are live streamed. If they're not live streamed, they need to be recorded. We need to make sure information we're putting out is accurate. I don't agree with a lot of the information on this sheet and I have been told that this sheet serves as the minutes for the 8:15 meeting. None of the information I provided is on these minutes and some of the things I thoroughly disagree with and had numbers and documents from KDE and also from Woodford County um financial reports to back up. So, I do think that we really need to start there. I would like
033for us to have that budget meeting. I would like for us to have the information in advance. I would like to have the questions that have been submitted answered. Um I would like to have um communication uh from the board chair um that goes to all board members and so that we're all kept in the loop early. I would love for us to have a list of budgets by department which I've asked for over and over again. And I think that before we can sit down and start discussing this, we have to know where we are and how we got here. and we have not received that information to be able to do that. So, I think that Dr. Jones idea of establishing the budget committee and I did suggest adding community members and possibly
034a board member and I think you were open to doing that which I appreciate. Um, I think those are all great first steps and I'm very thrilled that I don't know if it's because there was some social media presence or because there are folks here tonight or because folks just realized that this was a recallable 4 cent increase, not leaving it just the same, you know, as a favor to everyone that it actually was to the level of recallable. Um, so I'm thrilled that that that that is the motion tonight. And one final information I just would like to share is the 2526 seek forecast, the assessment value for Woodford County Schools is 4 bill230,000. that that is the forecast for the seek property values for for Woodford County. So we're talking about enormous sums
035of money. The assessments have gone up since 2022 over a billion dollar and that's the reason that the rate can go down and we can still get 4% more revenue. So the taxpayers are are definitely doing their part to fund the schools. Now, we need to do our part as a board and provide financial oversight, provide financial accountability, and that is something that I do believe that Dr. Jones, your administration will be forthcoming, and that will be something that we can do, but we absolutely have to do that. >> Thank you, Mr. Wilson. >> Mr. Chairman, thank you. Uh before I I start, I'd like to to thank Mo, Marty, and Ryan for coming and expressing your feelings. I I know that that takes courage to do, and I appreciate all three of you for
036doing that. Um, since I've been on since I came back onto the board, I've talked with past administrators, current administrators, past board members, current board members. Uh, and it's my understanding that the reason we're in this, the reason we're having these discussions tonight was that we gave 10% pay raises to our staff in two years. I think that's indisputable. Uh, and it's my understanding that the reason we did that was to be able to recruit quality employees, to retain good employees and to increase the morale of our staff and let let them know that they are appreciated. If we continue on the path of not funding that and and and we enact the motion that's on the floor, there's nothing to be thrilled about. Mr. Wilson told you what's going to happen uh tomorrow morning
037when teachers and p and employees get together. What's going to happen to us? What are we going to do? You know, if you're an art librarian or a music teacher, you're going to be going, "Will they keep us? And if they keep us, may they consolidate instead of having four, have two." Uh, if you're teaching an elective at the high school or the middle school where you may not have 25 students, they're going to be thinking, "Am I gone? will my job be eliminated? Um, and I don't think that uh by telling people what could happen. I don't consider that scare tactic, you know, I consider that transparency. This is what could happen. Um, and I can see no way if we continue and vote for the motion on the table that this will not
038have an impact on each and every student in our system. All 4,000 will be impacted one way or another. Um, and I don't think that's right. Uh, I've never been a big believer in two wrongs make a right. uh and I think that we need to fund previous decisions uh and do what's right not only for our employees and for our students but also for our community. And that will be the that is the reason that I that I will be voting no on the motion on the floor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Mr. Brinkler, could I >> Hold on. I'm going to let Superintendent Jones have her say as well. >> Um I just wanted to let the um community know and our board members know that um we have um we have now
039created that budget committee and um we do have two community members, two parents, uh a classified employee, a certified employee. We have a school administrator, a district administrator, our finance, our chief financial officer, and myself um working together and Sarah Macauen as our board uh representative. And we will be um working together to analyze the the current uh we will be looking at our um finances and looking at um surrounding districts around us to look at are there how do our what does our staffing look like compared to other districts. Um we will be looking at our central office in comparison to other districts. We will look at everything. We will be looking at everything. and then that budget committee will be reporting to um our public and to our uh board members about recommendations
040moving forward. >> Thank you, Dr. Jones. Miss, you had something else? >> I did. I just wanted to add that um the 4% rate increase that's on the table does produce a revenue an additional revenue above and beyond the millions that we got last year of $800,000 in new tax revenue from taxpayers. So, it's not that doing the 4% rate gives us a loss of revenue. It gives us 800,000 more dollars year after year after year. And the past two years, we've had increases in revenue of around 2.5 billion, I'm sorry. So, we we have been increasing the taxpayers have we've increased tax revenue year after year after year after year. Um and this what's on the table would increase our revenue um conservatively I guess 800,000 but it could be you know up to
041a million or so. Um and then the other thing I wanted to say was I do believe that there is enough fat that can be cut that that immediately saying that this is going to result in these positions being teaching positions or school positions um you know being cut. I think I I I do think that's sort of a scare tactic. I'll just be honest. I think there's enough fat if we look at um you know hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees. If we look at you know tens of thousands of dollars in non-instruction food and state dinners um tens of thousands of dollars in celebrations um you know you look at the costs of out of state travel you look at the costs of trainings. I think if we're looking at some
042of those costs, my hope is that that some of the cuts that can be made will absolutely not be in the classroom or or in the schools. Now, that will have an effect. You're right. If we, you know, have some central office staff or we have some, you know, positions not filled or or whatever the case may be, that will have some effect. But one thing I would also like to see at that budget meeting is a position control document such as Faget County is creating. I think that would be very useful. And I also think it would be very useful to have, like I said, a listing of the positions that have actually been created because some of the positions, the mental health positions, they were created before CO. So th those have been
043here a while. Um, the reading and math interventionists, um, some of those positions we had before CO. And so I do think it would be a good idea to look at exactly like you said our staffing formulas and um you know our budgets, but my hope is that we would not be looking at and I think with an $800,000 increase in revenue, we would not need to look at um you know any school level or classroom level positions. But I do think it's important that we get the information so that we can start having the discussions um and be very honest and transparent about what this actually looks like and where the cuts might come. Maybe the cuts come from not getting a, you know, $200,000 bus. You know, I think we can be creative.
044>> All right. Thank you everyone for speaking. Oh, Dr. Gold, did you have something? >> Yes. I just wanted to share like and again I think that when we speak about the positions that have been created precoid and postcoid some of those positions have been contracted out like some of our mental health you know we have district mental health providers but we also you know work out with contracted employees to come in that that has helped with the budgeting and that sort of thing. But I also want to keep in mind like as as someone who served on site based on limited budgets there for many many years, you know, the interventions and those kind of I want to say fringe because they're incredibly important positions are some of those that you have to look
045at whether or not they're being cut. And I think what is so vitally important as we look at this and I can 100% understand again I'm a taxpayer as well in the county have been majority of my life either work or live in county. Um, and I do think we have to be good stewards with our money. We just have to because this is we owe it to the people that we represent, but we also owe it to our kids and our our teachers and our staff that also work in our districts. We have to be good stewards. And I love the fact that we're doing this budget committee. And I hope that it can also be recorded and potentially live streamed so people can again be good spirits of taking in that information and
046knowing exactly what is discussed in those meetings and a report being shared out for those who don't have the time to watch maybe an hour or two hour long meeting that I've talked about several times. But I also think really incredibly important to realize that and what I would advocate for um and I know that the board has limited capacity to you know hire we don't have Dr. Jones is our our one employee right that we have um contributions to but I would say as this committee looks and as we take a look at what positions can potentially be cut or may be cut that we try to spare as much as we can of direct intervention with our kids as as possible. Um, our teachers, our interventionalists, our mental health professionals, those are people
047that are vital to um, our social our school social workers, all those people are very vital to what happens in the day-to-day um, operation of our schools, but also keeps our teachers here and our staff here because of some of the things that Mr. Wilson highlighted. Um, I will also say that as much as I think that we to absolutely cut the fat as much as we possibly can to prevent jobs from being lost. Again, from that experience being a part of Saudi faith for many, many years, I know that those are some of the first positions that get looked at. And I think we can't gloss over that as we have these conversations because the next thing that is probably going to be of concern to many parents, caretakers, guardians, and other individuals in
048the community, just like it will be for me as a parent within the district. How is this going to impact my kids education? Right? So, we have to be prepared to also answer those questions. I do trust in Dr. Jones. She's hit the ground running um making this budget committee. This is something that we haven't been used to at this level of transparency. And I think it's incredibly vital that we continue this this track and this path and be able to look at the positions and see um what we may and the the different pieces some of the things that um the spring gate highlighted you know travel um training all those expenses. So we think we have to also be mindful of some of that training is necessary for our educators. So, you can't
049just look at every single thing and say, "Oh, well, that was training. We need to we need to cut that out." Because there's some things that we need to have to continue to be on the cutting edge of providing education for our students. So, again, benefits one thing. Um, but also being mindful about when we hear information, this is for the people that are there and the people that are watching, when you hear information trickle down that when we make cuts, I mean, try to balance that budget and secure it as best we can, you know. We have to be good stewards with the money that we spend and how we spend it. And it all every dollar needs to trace back to the betterment of our River County kids. We have to be able
050to do that. Um, and if it's not, then we need to consider what needs to change. >> Thank you, Dr. Gold. Thank you everybody for sharing. I think a lot of good points were brought brought up not only by the public but by the board. Um, obviously we do have things to look at with certain types of expenses like Miss Springgate mentioned. Um, but also I do want to reiterate what Mr. Wilson said that, you know, it's unrealistic to say that we can only do certain types of discretionary cuts and that will fix this. It's not a scare tactic to say that it's possible positions might be cut. It's a realistic and transparent view to the public. What would be worse? We say, "Oh, we can just cut some celebrations and we'll fix it." and
051then all of a sudden a year from now we have to cut 12 positions, then we're going to be accused of not being transparent that that was going to happen and was not going to impact the classroom. So again, we want to be honest with you and having those potential scenarios available to you is part of that. Um so with that, we'll call a vote. So again, the motion on the floor is for option two, the 4% growth rate at 63.3 cents. All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> No. >> And had a nay from Dr. >> Wilson. And and I'm sorry, do Dr. Gold, would you please unmute to cast your vote? >> It was I. >> Okay. So motion passes four to one. Can I have a motion to adjourn the
052meeting? Do we need uh Okay. >> Before you adjourn, I just want to make sure you got my vote correct. >> Yeah. I a yay. >> Yes. Yay. Vote. Yes. >> Mr. Chairman, I move we adjourn. >> All right. We have a motion by Mr. Wilson. >> Second by Miss Macauen. All those in favor? >> I. >> Thank you all once again for coming. Appreciate it.