MVSD School Board Meeting - March 19, 2025

001What is that? Okay, I would like to uh call the meeting to order, please. Um we'll start with the roll call, please. Kristen here. Melissa Muzzy here. Jessica Wheeler Russell Laura Vincent here. Daniel York. David Nesbet, Stacy Jarvis, Liberty, Carlile, I'm sorry, it was my I should have told you Dan York is um absent tonight. He couldn't be here. All right. Next is the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. So we before we get things underway, I just wanted to take a moment um to sort of capture some of the work that has happened and uh how we have been focusing ourselves as we do it. So you'll see

002on this first slide uh we have identified the priorities that we are working with as we begin to do this difficult work. The first being that we are prioritizing academic growth and achievement. We strive to maintain highquality educational experiences for all students. Retaining as many of our faculty and staff as possible is another priority. And then continuing our work towards our new plan for financial well-being. That was something that Randy and myself introduced to the board uh as we began this school year earlier this school year. And we we want to continue to do that work as well. So, as far as the process goes, what we have been doing so far, um, we we've been quite busy, as you can imagine. Uh, to date, we've had four meetings with the MVSD admin team. We've

003consulted with the district legal council. We've consulted with the New Hampshire School Board Association legal council. We've consulted with the New Hampshire Commissioner of Education. We've consulted with two superintendent with experience in this process. Um, we've had two meetings with the uh representatives from the MVEA. Uh, we've also had meetings with the MV SSA and the MVAA. And we reviewed all submitted board feedback. So, as we begin to do this work tonight, the guiding principles or uh to steal a phrase from from Tom that he used in a conversation we had are ground rules. Uh conversation tonight is going to be focused on budget lines which are not contractually or statutoily obligated. People and positions are not going to be a topic for discussion this evening. All right. And so I'm going to turn that

004back over to you Tracy. So we will get Whoops. Did I Are Thanks. So we'll get started with in the agenda which is public comment. Please keep in mind that there will be three minutes. Individual speakers are allotted three three minutes. Um and Fred where is he? Oh there he is. Fred will have the microphone and so if you raise your hand he will come to you and we are looking for everybody to speak only once. Thank you. Fred up in the back there. Um, do I need to tell you Kelly Denon Court Penuk? Uh, I'm also a a proud teacher in this district and I live in this district as well. This morning, the union reps all read either part or some of a statement that was written by the union executives at uh

005for the uh certified staff union. And I wanted to read that because I think it's very important for everybody to hear. I want to take a moment to stand together and recognize the reality that we right here in Marramac Valley are feeling the same budget cuts and uncertainty that are sweeping across this country. We've seen the headlines. We've heard the news. And we know the situation is dire, not just for our students, but for all of us as educators. The Memack Valley School District, like so many other districts nationwide, is facing an alarming $1.9 million cut to our budget. And let me tell you, those cuts are not just numbers on a piece of paper. They represent real people, our students, our colleagues, and our communities. These cuts don't just mean fewer supplies or less

006funding for programs. The extreme budget cut just passed will have dire consequences for our students and their education, including larger class sizes, fewer resources, and fewer opportunities for students who need the most support. They will degrade the educational experience we are so committed to providing and take away essential programs that keep our kids engaged and thriving. These cuts represent lost opportunities, lost futures, and a system that is under siege. And while we're facing these challenges right here in March Valley, the stakes are even higher when we zoom out and look at the bigger picture. As we have seen over the last several weeks, the push to dismantle the US Department of Education has begun. The students are paying the price. Financial aid offices are understaffed. Support is vanishing. And educators are expected to fill the

007gaps again. The US Department of Education is the backbone of public education in the United States. All students benefit from programs run by the Department of Education, especially lower income students, students in rural communities, and students with disabilities. Dismantling the education department and hiring up to 50% of its and firing up to 50% of its employees will have a profound effect on schools in New Hampshire. Stripping away the Department of Education is not just an abstract political move. It's a direct attack on public education and on our kids. Without the federal support that ensures equal opportunity and civil rights protections, our schools will be left with even fewer resources to help the most vulnerable students. It would be a disaster for districts like ours where every dollar counts and where students need every bit of

008support we can give them. If Congress doesn't stop the effort to dismantle the Department of Education, New Hampshire will pay for it. $61.1 million in IDA funding is on the line. Sorry, that's three minutes. Sorry. Thank you though. Thank you very much. Pat Pike from Pentacook. Um, I would just like to thank the board for working no doubt lots and lots of extra hours. Uh, the SAU staff and all staff here have my full faith and confidence that they're going to be transparent because that's all they ever are is transparent with all their actions. I don't need to see invoices in every single bill. These people are honest. They work hard and all they want to do is make our students better and that is all they're trying to do with the educators as well.

009Thank you. Thank you Pat. There's some Oh, Fred. Hi. You're doing a great job. Thanks, Brad. Um, Erikica Hall. I live in Lowden and I also work at the high school and I'd like to finish reading what we started reading. If Congress doesn't stop the effort to dismantle the Department of Education, New Hampshire families will be hurt. Public education cuts lead to larger class sizes. Yes, they do. And less less support for students and educators. Public schools that serve lower income students and their families in rural, suburban, and urban communities in every part of the country would lose needed funding. Students and families who receive support to attend college could lose PEL grants or federal student loans, leading to more students dropping out, fewer choices, and less options for families. Students with disabilities and their

010families would lose the support they need at school and at home. Our students deserve better. They deserve a school district and a department of education that is fully staffed and fully funded. Here's the good news, Marramac Valley. We're not backing down. Just like we're fighting back against the 1.9 million cuts here in our district, we will fight back against these destructive national policies because our students are counting on us. We are not going to let anyone dismantle our public schools. Not on the local level, not at the state, and not on the federal level. We will stand up. We will fight back. Whether it's defending our district from further cuts, pushing for a better state funding, or organizing against the dismantling of our Department of Education, we will continue to raise our voices and demand

011that our students get the education they deserve. We won't be silent. We will continue to organize, continue to advocate, and continue to mobilize because we know that when we stand together, we win. Just like the 60% of Americans who oppose the efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, we know that families across Marramac Valley and across the country want the same thing. Strong public schools that give every student the chance to succeed. Let's remember, we're fighting for more than just textbooks and supplies. We're fighting for our students futures, my children's futures. Um, we are fighting for quality education that everyone deserves. And most importantly, we are fighting for the community of Marramac Valley where every child is worth worthy of a chance to thrive. Thank you for your commitment. Thank you for your fight. All

012of you. Let's keep pushing back against these cuts and let's keep showing up for our students, for our colleagues, and for our community. Solidarity forever. MV. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. Name is Andrew Sur and my daughter goes to this this school over here. Two questions. Who is going to pick up the slack of the money that's been taken out of the budget? Is it you all? Is it going to be the county? Or is it going to be the state? And second, what about the people, you know, the students that have special needs? Are they going to get a lot of cuts? Are they going to be missing a lot of teachers aids? I want to know these things. Thank you. Thank you. Sean kiten louden. So at the meeting where we discussed the

013budget, I stood up there and I started with two words, competence and caring. And in the following weeks, I saw competence and caring from the elected school board members, the outer table. They cared. Tom did an amazing job going through the budget line by line to find the money to not send people to the unemployment line. That was the default answer from the head table, the unemployment line. Why? When these board members raised their hand and said, "We found the money. We don't need to send one person packing. But the headt's decision was we're going to take bonuses. We're going to get pay raises at the expense of our teachers. I support the plan that Tom and these other members put forward. I hope the board supports it as well. Thank you. Yeah. Hi, Liz

014Zucllo. I live in Penuk. My son is an elementary student over at Penuk Elementary. I'm also an educator from a local district that experienced a $3 million cut last year. Um, I beg of you, I thank you, but I really beg of you to really take a look at all the quality teachers that you have. My husband and I had a lot of choices for houses and we chose to live in this district because of the school. We knew that it was supported. We knew that children were loved and taken care of. And so, please know that that was a strategic decision on our part. Because of that, we truly hope that you hold on to as many quality educators as you can because I can tell you from knowing many of them, they deserve

015to be here. They love our children and they care for our children and they sure as heck do teach our children. So please, please hang on to them. Um, if you can be very creative, maybe we don't pave a parking lot this year, maybe we don't put on a roof improvement, if it means that there can be more teachers to help our students and support our learners, I would be in full support of that. I know that sounds like a little bit odd because you want to make sure that your facilities are maintained, but I think we can really look at being very creative if possible so that we don't experience what local districts are experiencing with larger class sizes and trickier decisions. But again, I want to thank you and the board and Randy

016and everybody for being continually transparent and I appreciate all of your work. So, thank you. Thank you. My name is Katie Goodwin. I'm a teacher here at the high school. As a special education teacher here at the high school and a proud MVY graduate, I want to express my unwavering support for Dr. Wormald, Katherine Mastersonson, and the school board. Their dedication to our students, staff, and community is evident in everything they do and as they continue to work tirelessly to provide the best possible education for our students even in the face of these difficult financial challenges. I have the opportunity to work elsewhere, could be closer to home or for a higher salary, but I choose to stay at MV because of the people. The support and sense of community here are unmatched. and I

017see firsthand how much our leadership cares about creating a positive and enriching environment for both students and staff. I can't imagine another district where I would see the superintendent walking the halls, chatting with staff, reading to elementary students, or taking part in a friendly yet competitive staff first student dodgeball game during winter carnival. These things aren't in the job description. These things are a reflection of who our leaders truly are. They're the kind of role models that I look up to and who I want my children and my students to look up to. While the budget vote was disappointing, I remain confident in the leadership of our district and in their commitment to finding a way forward. I hope that as a community we can continue to work together to support our schools and ensure

018the best for our students. Thank you. Hi, I'm Melissa Lera, an educator in our district, and I'd like to read a letter I wrote to the school board as well. Um, dear members of the Marramac Valley School Board, I'm writing to express my unwavering support for the leadership of our superintendent Randy and Assistant Superintendent Katherine. As a dedicated educator in the Marramac Valley School District, I've had the pleasure uh the privilege of growing professionally under their guidance and I'm deeply grateful the for the opportunities they have provided me. My journey in education began as a fifth grade teacher at Lowden Elementary School. After stepping away to work in higher education, I felt a strong pull to return to Marramac Valley, a place that has always valued student centered learning and professional growth. I came back

019first as an interventionist at Bosquin Elementary and later stepped into my current role as district ELA specialist, a transition made possible by the encouragement and support of our district leaders. Katherine, who was my building principal before moving into district leadership, exemplifies strong leadership and a steadfast commitment to student success. Her guidance reinforced my belief in the power of high expectations, collaborative problem solving, and putting students first. Principles I was introduced to early in my career by my first building principal, Tom Liberty, who now serves on the school board. When I stepped into my current role, Randy was my primary po point of contact. From the beginning, he made me feel valued, heard, and respected. His leadership fosters a culture where educators are empowered to innovate and grow. always with the goal of improving student outcomes.

020His and Katherine vision Katherine's vision for our schools has strengthened our district and made it a place where teachers and students alike can thrive. Thank you. Is there anybody in the back? Hi, Jared Smith. I live in Boswin. Uh, thank you for giving me the chance to speak to you. Uh, first of all, I want to thank all of you for the work you've done. I know you've been uh put under a lot of stress. So, I thank each and every one of you for serving us. Um, I want to stress that when it comes to cuts, I think if non-sports clubs are going to be under consideration, I do think that sports should be under equal consideration because I frankly think that things such as the art club, all sort of clubs like that,

021they provide a sense of community to a group of people who are a lot less likely to get that sense of community than those with sports. So I think when it comes to cut considerations I would stress that uh non-sports clubs are under equal consideration with like sport you know sports are under equal consideration to non-sports clubs because there are people who only real sense of community so the art club they join or the French club or whatever it is and um a cut to that is um equally as harsh as a cut to a sport. So thank you. Thank you. Hi, Megan Schmidt Penuk. I just wanted to say thank you for calling this extra meeting. I know there was some confusion at the last meeting, whether it's the superintendent or the school board

022that creates the plan that we'll be voting on next week or I'm sorry, that you'll be voting on next week. Uh I talked to the commissioner today. I know you guys have had several meetings. So, I'm sure by now you all know that the school board gets to say, you guys get to make motions, you get to make cuts, and there have been a lot of really great suggestions that have not been cutting positions. So, I hope that you all have lots of things to offer up tonight. And again, just wanted to say thank you all for calling this extra meeting. Thank you, Theres Pastor Ashloud in New Hampshire. I again also want to thank you for having this meeting. Uh for those of you that weren't at the last board meeting on the 10th,

023came straight in and superintendent said, "I'm cutting 20 positions." The rest of the board members said, "No, no, no. We found the money. No position, no program, no child, no teacher should be impacted." It was an increase that was voted, a 3% increase over last year along with five positions that never got filled. $300,000 in the food service. There's money there. What we did was we looked at the 75year-old who's pushing carts in Walmart who can't afford to keep a roof over his head and we said the population, the student population is coming down. There's still enough money here for us to do everything we've done this last fiscal year. Randy, for you to emotionally abuse the faculty and the children this week, okay, is absolutely abhorent. I am a taxpayer and I am going

024to speak to the fact that children are coming home in tears because they think they're going to lose their favorite teacher. Our children should not be a part of this at all at this point until decisions are truly made. You've got the super the assistant superintendent of Bedford now on the board. Bedford school district has their check register available online for every taxpayer to look at exactly where the money is going. If you want to render our support, we love these children. We love these teachers. But we want to make sure every dollar is going exactly where it needs to go. And we just had a $2 million overrun. So for those of you that haven't been on the journey and haven't been there for the vote and weren't there on the 10th, we stand

025for the teachers. We have said no teacher should be lost tonight. All of it should come from the surplus. And that is the truth. And you had six out of your 10 board members walking out last Monday on the 10th upset because they were shut down. And we had to go through legal. We had to go all the way up and show them the evidence that he reports to them. They hire him, they fire him, they decide whether or not he gets a bonus. And this superintendent making $176,000 a year is not working in your best interest. [Applause] Fred, there's another person down front here who had his hand up before. Thank you. Uh, my name is Aaron Moore from Webster. Okay, wait until she speaks, please. So, well, one person at a time. I'm

026gonna have you wait a minute because I have the microphone. Thanks so much. My name is Aaron Moore from Webster. My children go through the district. I've been an educator locally for 22 years and now I own an education consulting firm while I travel around the country working with schools. The reason I bring that up is because I have seen what happens when we make significant cuts. I am working in classrooms all over the place where there are 28 to 30 students with one adult in the room with five to 10 students who are below the grade level that they need to be at. and the teacher is trying to figure out how to not only do the job that they were hired to do, but do it in a way that meets those needs

027that is connected to their passion and their philosophy and their belief system. I am personally offended by what was just said. And one of the most dangerous things that's going on right now in our society is the level of disinformation and misinformation that is spewed all over the place. until you spend some time in a classroom in public education and then I am worried for you. I am worried for you. We support teachers. We support support administrators. We need to be looking at facts, not opinions, not this flow, this spew of hatred. And we need to be able to stick to basic civil discourse, which is what we public teachers do when we teach our students to talk to one another and listen. This should stay polite and civil and it should be based on

028facts. Otherwise, I don't know what we're going to do with the next generation of learners. Thank you. Thank you. Well, I I just wanted to respond because it makes me upset. Can I have your name, please? Oh, sorry. I'm Kim Bey and I teach at Louden and I've been teaching for 24 years at Lowden and 33 years as an educator and I love my students. I pay out of pocket for many, many, many things for my students. I keep I give up my recess and work countless hours for my students. And when I hear in the newspaper that you are ready to cut the budget 50%. How is that caring for us? Second of all, I just want to support Katherine and Randy and especially Katherine who was our principal for nine years in Lden

029who did a great job who cared about the students and the staff who was calm in the crisis of different things that happened. And I want to say what's going on and what's happening and the viciousness of things that are being said is just awful. And every day we have a quote in my room and we talk about how to have integrity and respect and tolerance and kindness and yes using your voice but for good and to stand up for each other. and it makes me [Applause] sad. And that's it. Thank you, Larry Bush. Longtime community member, retired teacher coach here at the Valley. Um, I must tell you that what I've witnessed this year at this meetings, these meetings that we've had, the first time in my life I've been ashamed of our community.

030I think I think uh I feel like an old coach here bringing a team together and talking about winning in the newspaper. Uh, that's kind of sad. I think I think the only win here is when we come together and we talk about the interests of our kids. Thank you Fred. Jen Mercer Lden first. Do you have to be a resident to speak at these meetings or a staff member? Okay, I go somewhere. Um, second, um, I just want to say thank you for having these meetings. I appreciate the transparency by having it. I'm praying that discussions and negotiations would be in good faith, and we truly find areas where monies can be saved while not compromising teacher positions, programs, and services, and that this meeting is not all for show. You want some facts?

031I've compiled a list of budget increases from the annual reports listed on the website and found that for fiscal year 2017 and 2018, it was a 1.9% increase. 18 to 19 was a 0.93% increase. From 2019 to 2020, it was 1.0% increase. From 2020 to 2021, it was 0.98% increase. From 2122, it was 0.56 increase. Fiscal year 22 to 23, it was 2.25. Fiscal year 23 to 24, 3.39. 24 to 25, 5.91. 25 to 26, 6.95 was the asked increase, but instead it received increase was a 3.0, which is not a cut. When I see that written down, I'm shocked that from 2017 to fiscal year 2020, the highest increase was 2.25% which was in 2022 with most before that around 1% and one even being a half%. When you couple couple that with the

032more facts of the steady decline in enrollment which can be found also on the annual reports October 15th I'm sorry October 1st of 2015 there were 2575 students 2016 had 2483 which was a loss of 92. 2017 was 2449 which is a loss of 34. 2018 was 23.88 which is another loss of 61. 2019 it was 2356 which was a loss of 32. 2020 had 2204 which was a loss of 152 due to co um 2021 there was a gain of two so it's 2206 22 it was 2226 which was a gain of 20. Then October 1st of 2023 it was 2215 which was another loss of 11. And then this last October it was 2167 which is a loss of 48. If you compare the 39.5 million budget for fiscal year 2016 to 2017

033where there were 2483 students to the approved 49.7 million budget dollar budget for 2526 where there were 2167 students. There's a that's a 26% increase in dollars for a student body that has 316 less students. My point is that's three minutes. Thank you, Brad. Can you get this man down front here? My name is CJ Cronin. I live in Lowden. Um, there's people building houses all over Lowden. There's going to be Can you say that again? Sorry. That's okay. There's lots of people building houses in my town in Lowden. So, I would expect there's going to be higher class sizes at the elementary school already for next year than there are this year. So, please don't cut any teachers in Lowden. Um, I think our taxes just went up too, so that should help keep

034people there. Our taxes doubled. Yeah. So, we want to keep as many teachers as we can. We should be able to do that. Um, and also only 517 people voted at that meeting after 11 p.m. on the school budget. That's really kind of pathetic. There's almost probably like 300 people at this meeting. So, we should be doing something better to get this in front of more people. Maybe we have it on the at the election. Maybe we can vote on this budget rather than having like people that might have a small social media following be able to like throw us off like this in the future. Thank you. Uh, Nick Gelinus Lden. So, uh, as a student here in Marramac Valley High School, I just wanted to kind of clear the air, uh, that administrators

035and teachers have not mentally abused me or any of my friends. I also just want to thank the teachers because I know how hard it is for you to come in to work every day and teach while having to uh worry about your job and your life. And uh each and every one of you continues to teach at the highest level for your students. Thank you. And lastly, I thank Dr. Wormald and Mrs. Mastersonson for trying your hardest to work with this budget. Your hard work does not go unnoticed from many of the students here at the Valley. There's been so many opportunities that you guys have given me and um I have full trust in you guys that many other students in the future will have the same opportunities that I had. Thank you.

036Thank you. [Applause] Um Lisa Rena Lisa Penuk. I I I wrote this at a time when I was really concerned about programs and people. Um I have full faith in Randy and Katherine and the board. Um but these were my thoughts. Um and I just want to share. So what is the worth of a child? What is the worth of a child on either end of an academic range? What is the worth of a child who has physical or mental health illnesses? Now that our district will be sliced and diced for whatever the real reason is, I ask again. What is the worth of a child in their well-being? What is the worth of your child and their well-being? The argument of wanting the budget cut because the increase in taxes is for the betterment

037of our most vulnerable children and families is very valid and I cannot argue that. But the programs and the staff that could be cut could be far more serious and egregious in nature for all our students and families. If everyone in the room truly cares about our students and families, we have to be very careful with uh how and what programs we cut. For our students who have reached middle school and high school levels, especially our seniors, and they see their educational experience experience change, what will we tell them? You don't matter anymore. We don't care about you enough anymore. You are no longer worthy of the education you are used to. As for our littles, are we comfortable starting their education experience with less than what their older siblings had or just less than

038in general? To crush their dream dreams when the time finally comes for them to belong to a group or activity and it no longer exists. All students in our schools are in our schools for seven plus hours a day where they are in a safe, warm and caring environment with professionals who are there not only to educate them but to be their shelter to shelter them from their many storms. I work in the high school and I see the students at their highest highs but also at their lowest lows. We all gather and celebrate those highest highs and all those wonderful accomplishments. getting into a first choice college, getting their first job, winning a sporting championship, hearing the encore uh musicals, celebrating the awards for our artists and musicians, and so many more. It is

039in these moments that make us feel proud, enthusiastic, and hopeful for our future. But but there are also the lowest lows, the sadness, suffering, and difficulties that are quieter and harder to see. But I witness on a regular basis there is that one person who notices. I get that call from a teacher who says, "Can someone please check in with so- and so? They seem a little off today. They're just not themselves." They see things that maybe no one else will see, and they act on it. I see the look of concern and care in their eyes, in their voices, and in their actions. These are not moments that are displayed in the pages of the yearbook, on the websites, or on social media. But for the for me um but these for me are

040some of the most important, proudest moments. how the admin, faculty, and staff rally around. Every day when I leave the school, I know that some adult helped some student get through their day and make sure to welcome them back the next. I have watched MV School District work so hard for years to build themselves up to be a respected, competitive school in a school that I was proud to send my kids to. And for now, having to witness our district being so divided is heartbreaking. Excuse me. That's three minutes. Thank you. [Applause] Hi, Elliot Andrews from Lden. Um, I would like to say that my success as a student is 100% because of every single one of the teachers that I have had in my education and I would truly not be here without any

041of them. Um, and I would also like to note that the successful students you see at our school, um, the ones that are most successful are the ones that are most active in our community. Um, and it's really um, disheartening to see that um, our budget got cut by so much because I was so successful because of the opportunities I had, because of the opportunities my teachers were able to give me and um, because of the funding that um, each one of my activities received. So yeah, thank you. Thank you. I'm going to finish Lisa's note. Uh I'm Robert Montgomery. Uh I work at the high school as a history teacher. Uh but this is for Lisa. Uh and for me now, having to witness our district being so divided is heartbreaking. Whatever that fills

042fulfills for whatever reasons, it really hurts our children the most and especially our most vulnerable children. We don't have to have all the bells and whistles and we never have, but we have always had the essentials, academics, music, art, theater, athletics, and health supports. So, I ask again, what is the worth of an MV child and their well-being? Is it worth losing programs that will help our children feel engaged and accomplished? Is it worth taking away their purpose and whatever they are most passionate about that makes them feel worthy? And is it worth losing that one teacher who may have noticed that one child, maybe your child was it was a little off today and saved them? I guess for me that would have been worth in an increase in my tax bill. But for

043now, I ask that we be very careful and thoughtful on how we slice and dice. Everything matters when it comes to their multifaceted needs. So we all need to look at these issues through the lens of the children, not ours. And what would matter to them the most, not us. Thank [Applause] you. David Emmonway Webster. I want to start off by saying that I am a fiscal conservative myself and I understand the pressures that everybody's been under. I get the opportunity to try and make the best of it for our town as part of the select board and I understand that the school board's job is not easy doing this and trying to deal with a budget as well. That being said, I have a different perspective on this that I'd like to to say.

044I grew up in Massachusetts and at the time that they passed what they called Proposition 2 and a half. Both of my parents were teachers and I was a student in the school. Both of my parents lost their jobs. My class sizes ballooned. Our education went downhill. all of the arts and music and everything else disappeared. Those were the programs I thrived in. So to say that something like this will not affect the students, will not affect the quality is a farce. It absolutely will. Any student will be able to see that. Teachers will also know that you can't just throw money at things. That doesn't make it better. The teachers are what make things better. And I'm under no disillusion that I will agree with everything that every teacher is going to say. Uh

045but I know that all of our teachers absolutely have the best interest in mind for all of our students and that's really critical. So I will end with that there and put the second uh portion to the board. Thank you for calling this extra meeting so that all of these discussions and the possibilities are put in front of people instead of just a kind of one and done proposal at the next meeting that had originally been talked about. Uh so thank you very much to all of the board. Uh and the last point I'll make is that I understand all of the political things that have been said, for example, from the teachers union. We're not going to change any of that tonight. We're not bringing any of the budget back tonight. So, please let's

046focus on solutions. The solutions are what are important for all of our students that live in the district and are served by the district. Thank you, Red. Uh hi there Oberon Dickinson Penook. Uh so in kind of uh going off of what the current students have been saying, I graduated from Marramac Valley High School in 2023. I was not at the uh meetings uh in the past because I was away at college where I study at Clarkson University getting a double major in biology and political science in the honors program. And I bring this up because obviously I would not be where I am today without the support that I had from the teachers from uh Mrs. Garland back in kindergarten to my uh home room teacher um in high school. This is very important

047to me as well as the uh the the club aspect of this. I was in nearly all of the musical ensembles. I was uh in sports for four years at high school. Um I did the musical theater. I was in Tri. I was in National Honor Society. And these things uh affect student health and prosperity more than at the high school. They go into the future as well. At Clarkson University, um it's a small school. There's only about 3,000 undergraduate students and uh there's only two D1 sports on the campus and those are ice hockey, men's and women's and everything else is D3. The ice hockey teams uh travel in the ECAC conference and uh the uh pep band at Clarkson University travels with them to support the teams. The uh women's team went to

048the national quarterfinals and the men's team are headed to uh the conference uh semi-finals right now. And as part of the pep band, I get to travel with them. I get to go to Dartmouth and Harvard and play for the team there. So the pep band has been a huge form of socialization for me at college and I would not have that way to get to know people, to make friends, to maintain human contact in a place in New York where the nearest major city is Ottawa and the second nearest major city is Montreal. There's nothing to do up there except things that are on campus. So the clubs that you have in high school, the things that you have in high school, whether that's music, art, sports, that will, if you choose to go

049to college, that will be your form of connection to people because it can be very isolating if you don't have that support. And so, thank you to all the teachers I've ever had. Thank you to all the club adviserss. And thank you to the school board. Thank you. Okay, I don't see anybody else. So now Oh, sorry. There's someone in the front row. I They're hidden by the by the tablecloth. Hi, I'm Jennifer Flewelling. I'm from Lowden. Um, I'm just finishing what Jennifer had to say earlier today. Um, if you compare the $39.5 million budget Oh, I want to make it clear to you kids. It wasn't a cut. It was a 3% increase from the budget from last year. So, it wasn't a cut. Okay. All right. Good. So, we we you're aware. So,

050if you compare the $39.5 million budget for year 2016 to 17, where there were $2,483 students to the approved $49.7 million budget for year 2025 and 26, there were 2,167 students as of October 1st. That's a 26% increase in dollars for a student body that has 316 less students. Okay, 87.3% of the numbers in 2016. My point is that we made it work back then with a lot less money and a lot more students. And I'm confident that we can make this budget work without teacher positions and programs being cut despite the significant increase in special education and other cost. This is why I voted against or for the amended budget. Please listen to what others have to say and then apply to those ideas before approving any teaching positions or program cutting. As a

051reminder, per Frank Edelbert of the Department of Education, the board does have final say in this budget, not the superintendent. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, now I think that that's it. Nope. One in the back. Fred, straight ahead. Larry Caruso Lden. I want to thank the previous speaker there for saying some of what I was going to say. Um, I did a little ciphering uh for my tax bills. And where a lot of this is coming from is Many of us are just tapped out. I went in my file. I grabbed what I had in there. Had about nine years going back to 2012 to 2020. And I wrote them all down a piece of paper and did a little bit of math and it's about a 12% increase in taxes in those nine years.

052And then I looked at 2021 to 2024, a 52% increase, folks. That's unsustainable. It's unsustainable. And this was not a cut. This was just a reduction in the budget that you asked for. You still got money. If you count the money that you went over last year, you get even more money. And I also want to point out that as far as I know, there is no law in New Hampshire that would prevent any of the folks who feel that they should be giving more from writing a check. There really isn't. As far as I can't find it. I'm not the best Google searcher, but I have not been able to find it. So, as far as I know, you can do that. And uh I think I'll end it right there. Thank you. Thank

053you. Oh, Fred. Uh good evening everybody. My name is Zachary Dura. I live in Andover, but my oldest son attends Boswin Elementary. Uh I as a taxpayer, I do recognize how um heart attack inducing it is seeing your tax bill go up, especially 50%. I know I lost a couple of years more than my fair share of hair. Um, I do want however to uh put some context into the um what was said earlier about the um how we made the dollars go further uh back in 2015 2016. I graduated from Marramac Valley back in 2009. I have no idea what the budget was back then, but I do know that inflation has taken its fair share of our spending power away. And I just did a quick Google search and uh back in 2015,

054what cost a dollar now cost a $136. That's a it works out to be about a 34.6% uh increase in inflation. That means that while yes, we did spend uh less money back in the day for more students, that money does not go as far. I have full confidence that the school board is going to do what's best for our students. I have full confidence that you're going to do what's best for my children. Uh but I do want uh that to be on everybody's minds. Yes, we spent less back in the day, but today our dollars do not go as far. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, now I think that's it. Nope, I lied. I lied. I didn't mean to, but I did. Hi, Keith Morgan. Uh, Pennook. Um, I do want to tack

055on to the fact that, uh, there was, um, I believe something of a capital gains tax that was cut and noticing that yes, there has been some increases. Um, and as a taxpayer, I'm not excited about the property taxes either, um, as a pitic resident, but I think that when it comes to the quality of education, it's really important. Um, now I can't speak from, you know, graduating from here. I went to a small school in Arkansas. Um, and I don't know if you've ever noticed, but uh, we're kind of racing to the bottom uh, back there um, when it comes to education. But I think it's really important to um consider the the work that these teachers that they provide um to students and uh make the appropriate cuts that don't uh affect the

056students when it comes to their education. Thank you, Jesse Schmidt. Penuk. I know a little bit of what I'm about to say. Probably not going to be the most popular thing here, but one of the other things that has been clearly demonstrated by the last couple years of this board, and I'll kind of agree that I'm I'm looking a lot more at the head table at this point, especially given the last schoolboard meeting. But one of the other things that we need to be teaching is accountability because that is clearly not coming through. And I'm sorry, but accountability is not taught through just giving the gentle response. It's just like with our kids, not everything can come through as just the like, oh, please don't do that. We need to teach the right way. We

057need to be able to have that unpopular conversation, the uncomfortable conversation. I'm not saying it has to be harsh, but it's not always going to be popular. We need the accountability. To have have that budget go over $2 million last year is ridiculous. and the fact that it seemingly this meeting only really was called for the public to actually be involved in some of these proceedings, which I hope I really hope that that's what we're actually going to talk about tonight is some of those ideas and seeing that public transparency. But the fact that it seems like I'm sorry not fact what it seems like is that this was only called after the commissioner of education the state was contacted multiple times and communicated that's an atrocity especially since at the last school board meeting

058there was a call for a meeting and it was shut down. So, that's a piece of where it's seeming. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. But the fact that it wasn't even considered during that last meeting that should be a pretty stark reminder and a stark showing and there's only one or two people on the board that shot that down. So, I'd want everybody in here to think about that and especially want the board members to think about that. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, Fred, I think you're done for now. Thank you. All right. So, what we have what you have in front of you and what you also will see up on the screen momentarily. I don't know that you're on. We're just not close enough. Can you hear me? um either up on the

059screen or on the paper, we we took all of the lines that weren't um contractually or statutoily required. So, we left off things that are salaries. We left off, you know, special education, things like that. We put all of those lines on this document. Um so on your paper it's you know three pages and we you know have those going all the way down and thought that uh might be appropriate to have you know going chunk by chunk you'll see where there's adjusted cuts um that column and it's totaling up right up above here and um as Katherine mentioned at the beginning we're not uh talking about uh people or positions or anything like that today. This is just uh to get some, you know, general feelings from the board on some of the some

060of the different things from these lines. So, um give you a minute to digest and then Katherine may have a couple of things to say. Um and you'll notice some of them have some notes on them and you know some of them might be uh listed as a one-year moratorum because it's not something that's sustainable um for a multiple year but certainly could do it to meet up with the um with the cuts that we need to make. Um so maybe give you a couple of minutes or Katherine if you have anything to add. Yeah the I was just going to add a little context. Um so you will notice on some of the lines that it has uh a particular town after for for example if you're looking at those first 1100s um that

061indicates that that is part of a building level budget. So that is something that um the the principles are prioritizing the needs of their of their building of their students um and and that reflects a line from their budget. And what you might just what you might notice is that the numbers may not entirely make sense to you because of the discrepancies between like for example you see Penuk and Bosco's conference line. It's because the the principles have the ability to transfer money between lines um in advance of the start of the school year based on what the building priorities are. So they have some flexibility within their budget, but their budget has a a pretty standard total amount. Those budgets are not added to on an annual basis. Maybe right here. No, the All

062right, I'll make this a little easier. I just want to make sure I understand. Um, so column that is amount from budget. That's the total amount that's in the budget currently. And then adjusted cuts would be what you were thinking about doing. Yeah. So that's that was based on feedback from either f you know feedback from you folks sending in or uh the administrative team when they were looking at at what where they could cut realizing that we're going to have you know cuts from a variety of places and those were things that they uh felt that um either in the the short term or uh long term could could cut from individual budget lines. Thank you. Sorry. Um, so is is there a total for what's put in there right now? So that's a

0631.03. Okay. Okay. Thank you. So all right. Now you can I just I I don't know how that matches up, but I I just need a few minutes to try to I'll wait to ask my question then when everyone else is finished reading. Um, my question is, um, line number 1290, summer school reading elementary. It says, "Cut to all non-special ed." So, would that be title one? Um, no. So, those are uh funding for regular education, summer opportunities. Um, so the elementary is currently used to fund uh the summer steam program and the and the middle school is um their middle school summer camp. Um, is that No. What's the middle school pro summer program? Summer enrichment. Thank you. And the high school summer program. So, we have actually in previous years been able to

064leverage um ESSER funding to fund those those programs. We don't have that funding this year. Um but that so those uh the funding that's indicated there would be used to support summer program for regular education. Thank you. Um I want to make sure I I heard you correctly. So for example, these summer programs you're discussing right now is like the steam program at PS and BS, right? That would be the Yes. The summer steam program that is held at typically typically Pentico would not be happening next summer. Thank you. Um I'd like to ask about line 2213 [Music] etc. Um about the course reimbursement. Um what is uh could you tell me what the acronym MOA is so that folks know memorandum of agreement right so we already agreed on this correct we have talked

065with well we already agreed that they have that as part of their contract so where it says uh an MOA we did when during our meetings with the unions we were looking at ways that to potentially put some things on the table for you folks to consider um as as part of the um cuts and they were in agreement that a concession could be made um to do really a one-year moratorum on course reimbursement and workshops. They agreed to this one. That's so all three um unions that we spoke with were um you know agreeable to um to make that change. And could you please define line item 2212 curriculum work please? What that means in layman's terms? Yeah. So that um that line has been used in previous years to support uh summer curriculum

066work. Teachers come in and and do work around the curriculum. Um they work in collaborative groups. Um and it's it's a pretty critical uh area as far as advancing our curriculum. I think it is something we could um go without for for a summer. Um it's it's not something that I would want us to sustain long term. I would be concerned about the the long-term detrimental effect. What how does that benefit teachers uh year round having this summer kind of prep work? Can you explain to me? Sure. Um so honestly teachers spend the vast majority of their day teaching. They don't have a tremendous amount of time to plan and prepare and to dig into curriculum. And so it is in those those summer opportunities um that that they can really do that that deep

067dive that they can look to improve uh their units that they have previously addressed. If they have a new course assigned to them, that's a great opportunity for them to uh consider what you know their syllabus is going to be and the content that that they're going to cover. So the detriment to doing this would be just allowing them the summer prepare time to prep for the entire school year, plan all their units around all this stuff. So, it would press them for more time, I assume. Yeah, it definitely is going to increase their burden uh as far as the work that they're going to have to do during the school year. I think that um it's a unique it's I would say it's unique. Other other schools offer this opportunity, but I do think

068it's something that in talking to other superintendents, our teachers have taken advantage of this opportunity and they've done some really great work. Um so, I I do know that they will feel the impact of not having this. Yeah. If I could just throw in a little anecdote to go to go along with what Katherine's saying when I was speaking to a superintendent who they offer summer curriculum work and they they can't get teachers to to show up and to to take advantage of it and they pay I don't want the teachers to hear this but they pay they pay their pdeium in the this other school district and they still can't get people to go. and he said, you know, he was asking me, well, how do you get your teachers? I said, because we

069have awesome people that want to work together and and collaborate with each other because we have hundreds and hundreds of days worth of work that's that's crammed into that um you know, into that summer time um for that collaboration. Um, so I I think it speaks a lot to the to the teachers that we have that they they want to spend that time and and do that work over the summer, but understanding that we're in, you know, a tough time where we have to make some cuts, I think, um, you know, we can, you know, scale that back and and then look to look to reset moving forward. Can we um can we talk about can we talk about um some of the things that we may or may not agree upon now? Yeah. Is

070that all right? I'm Is that all right with everybody? Um, so I am looking at 1410 uh the co-curricular and I am not willing to um do away with those the co-curricular elementary, middle school, and high school. Do you also mean elementary school as well? H I said elementary, middle school, and high school. Sorry. That's okay. Can you explain your reasoning? Um well for the reason that uh these students just talked about and uh our one of our former students spoke about I don't believe that um eliminating co-curricular even if it is only for one year would serve our students or our community I communities I agree I'd be concerned with the setback and then what we'd have to do to catch up in the next year over that. Um so I I also agree

071with that. I don't particularly care for that line item Z plural. Um, some of the things I do agree with out upon first glance, but I'd like to ask some questions like to turn the conversation unless folks want to discuss co-curriculars some more. Good. Okay. Anybody else have anything to say about co-curricular? Okay. If that's what you're looking to hear. Yeah, Melissa, sounds good. I just I just know from my experience working in a school, there are students that that is their You need to turn on your microphone. Is it not on Oh, it's just not close enough to your Sorry, I'm terrible about that. Um, I would say working in a school knowing that there are some students that that is their only connection to school that keeps them coming in every day. Co-curriculars

072are essential to the well-being of our kids. If I could take on something I do like and something I do not like. Um, I'm looking although caveat do or I should say like is the wrong word. Something I'm more okay with. Um, I'm looking at lines the 2620 equipment lines. Um, so equipment is a broad term. I'm gonna assume this is like standard everyday equipment and not say equipment for buses and things like that. This is okay. So we're talking like you know what do we have? Okay. Do we have any kind of surplus within these items right now? So say like if there's um you know a classroom that suddenly all the desks shatter in one go are we going to be able to you know pull some from somewhere else or what? Yes.

073Okay. Good. So, I am I'm okay with uh the equipment line for at least a year. Um hopefully not having to, you know, pay a few dividends on that later as we have to purchase more things as things break as and as they get more expensive. You know, the concern being the cost of materials is going up now again. So, you know, but I think with what we have to deal with, you know, saving this amount of money for that is not necessarily a bad idea. Um, but I really want to go back to the summer um, programs here at 1290. I really do not like the idea of cutting like steam camp and understanding that yes, you know, this is a tough ask. Um, and if it was a last resort to save, you

074know, positions, okay, but that summer enrichment is really critical for kids, especially kids from disadvantaged families who, excuse me, socioeconomic disadvantaged families who might not be able um to uh send their kids to other kind of enrichment programs. And so I don't want to lose that um for especially our um our schools that um you know participate in title one. Um I really really really cannot stress enough how I I I get so concerned with summer learning loss um having two elementary age students of my own um and what that can do. So I mean I'm I'm willing to hear opinions from other folks but I know I really do not like that idea. Just a point of clarification. Uh, title one schools would continue to offer their summer programming. This is just the uh

075summer steam program. Um, yep. Title one title one programs would summer programs would continue to be offered. Those are funded through title one. Um, as well as extended school year programs. Those are obligated. Yeah. Um, yes, extended school year. That was um those are special education, so those are required. I understand that. Um, thank you for the clarification. I still don't like it. So, I just uh for those of you who are new to the board, we did have um some really fabulous uh presentations from students that attended all of those summer programs, not just the steam program, but the middle school program. And um for some of those students it was really I guess eyeopening yes is not the word. Um or that was two words I guess. Um, but it was it was

076a way for them to stay connected over the summer and really help them to forge new connections when they came back into school, especially in the middle school. Middle school is tough on Brian. It's fun, but it's tough. And that it also fostered especially in the middle school, excuse me, especially in the middle school ages. um because that that's when they're transitioning into, you know, from like some especially some of our smaller schools. They, you know, it gives them faces to connect with early on um before the school year starts and they're in the building with a whole bunch of other kids. Tom, thank you. Um so I got just move it closer, Tom. Thank you. So just some questions. This is a little um hard for me to to see and look at because

077there's so many lines and so many different numbers here. So, I'm going to go back to some of the things that um I I looked at prior to which which I shared. Uh um so is the five positions that we're not talking about positions today that that are not that that nobody's in. we we point of so just to clarify those five positions that we previously talked about um like it there are people in some of those positions but when but really we can't talk about people well I I don't want to talk about people but I I don't remember hearing that before so I'm just going to clarify what I have what has already been said in regards to that. So, I'm not introducing new information, but I understand that that that must not

078have been clear. We were our our plan was to reduce the middle school faculty by two uh and then to reduce the alle uh faculty by three. Those are not the the the plan had been that nobody would would lose their job in that situation. it would be addressed through attrition and transfers. Um so so attrition right means that somebody left correct retirement what I understood is we had retirements or riffs and those people's in financials stayed in the budget that's what I heard those pe we were our intention was to keep those positions in the budget to build the fund balance. Yeah. Not riffs, transfers. I'll ask a very general question then. Are there are there positions in the budget where people are not going to hold those positions? They're they're just in there

079with not a real person in them. The budget that we proposed had that had five positions. Yeah. Can can we transparency? Yes, we got that. And we also got that. We said at the beginning of the at the beginning that we weren't going to discuss people. So, I'm just I'm I'm concerned that we're starting to discuss positions and people and that's not something that we should be discussing at this meeting. Okay. I got other questions. Yeah. Okay. So, we have $375,000 um that's in the CIP plan. Is that been looked at in this? Yeah. So, if you go to the uh line that was in I'm in the uh you're talking about 4600 building improvement line. Yeah. So, I'll give you the number, Randy. Um, yeah, the 4600 building improvement, there's, uh, it was increased

080by 100,000 for 375. Yeah. On this paper, we we pulled back on 50,000 of that, um, you know, to see how the board, you know, if you wanted to pull back the whole increase. I mean, the the idea as we we laid out the new plan was to hopefully chip away at the small things on the on the CIP and and reserve the ME for like the high school roof uh moving forward. You know, some of those bigger bigger projects which, you know, we kind of tried to lay that out and those increases would allow, you know, for some of those smaller u projects on the CIP to be taken care of. Sure. Sure. Um, so considering that and and I really first of all I appreciate everybody coming here and I I know there's

081some disagreements in here, but I think what I've heard from everybody in here is that we want to um take care of people and I agree. I think that the greatest resource that we have are people and they make the biggest impact on children. So I'm all for that. And I also want to make sure that we offer everything to our kids, sports, arts, summer programming as best we can. And there was somebody here who talked about, you know, roofs and so forth. And and and I would rather um sacrifice that personally. So I look at that 375. That's a that's a good chunk of money. and um you have the CIP uh you have the ME, the maintenance expendable trust that has $716,000 in there. I would recommend that we remove all of that

082$375 and then we use the expendable trust. Um and you could use up to $216,000 and that would leave you a half a million dollars. Um, and that way we're we're prioritizing people, programs, and kids versus projects. Um, can I um Okay. Um, I also I took that to heart and I looked at it and I also looked at the CIP and um, forgive me if this goes on for a little bit, but next year's CIP line items are is seems to be building siding. at a high school. And please, Fred, I can't see you, but correct me if I'm wrong. Um, fire safety and bathrooms. Um and while that is not um you know according to the CIP a large expense comparatively to the roof um my concern is that if we rob Peter

083to pay Paul on that and we steer off from the plan that has been put in place to ensure that we can actually pay for this roof. Right. Um, we're going to be deferring building maintenance and, you know, shaving off $100,000 off the top of this this year, I think, is probably a better move so that we can um kind of go with this plan because, you know, looking at it that, you know, they want to try to get to the roof in the year 2728. And if we push that off for another year, what does that look like as we're trying to um build the ME to do that, right? Um we know that if we you know some some of us those of us who are in um Panek probably are a little

084bit aware of um you know some of the municipal buildings that were not kept up and we are now paying dividends on those um within our tax base and I I don't want to get ourselves into that situation too. So, I think that this is that the um offering the $100,000 between the two line items, 4200 and 4600 is um you know is a good reduction that can keep our buildings going so that they're not you know the roof isn't falling down upon starheads in a few years. um or it costs, you know, instead of, you know, I forget, was it $ 1.5 million or $1 million, it costs $2 million, right? Because if we defer it even longer and costs keep going up and keeps increasing, we're only going to be paying for it

085more. And then we're in a situation of in the warrant next year, do we ask for $500,000 in the ME um or do we keep trying to build it up slowly so it's not such a large hit? Um that's just my two cents. And also I sit on the facilities committee so I have a lot of uh ex you know I spend a lot of time with Fred talking about this stuff. So I mean that's just my opinion. I I think this is good. Um at least $100,000 is is is a good start. David, did you raise your hand? Laura Hello. Yep. Yep. I agree with the modest cuts the fif the to the site improvement and building improvement. I think we need to not neglect what we what needs to be done but not

086do a lot this year and save it and be prepared for when the roof comes up or whatever. I do agree with that. Also, I'd like a little bit of explanation about the middle school sports. It's various at the end. At the very end, the $8,000. Yeah. So, there's Yeah, there's four different um scenarios, if you will. Um actually five, I guess. One we actually put on there. um that is cutting of Bports at the middle school and you know that's a smaller smaller number. It's basically stipens and um and that numbers that one's not exact. The others are all you know sort of ballpark. Um the others would be you know the one below that is um cutting all sports at the middle school. That would be about $90,000. Uh looking at high school

087subvarsity sports so that would be freshman and JV. That's about 95,000. Um, cutting 53% of the high school subvarsity sports would save around 27,000. So, by cutting some of those games down, it's transportation and it's officials and some of those things. And then there's also um paytoplay which um at $230 per sport per um student athlete um would yield about $98,000. So those were all options that um our um athletic director put together at at our request to look at some different models for uh for sports and if we if we had to make some of those cuts, what might that look like? Um there have been some more um extreme not it's not on this sheet but um a district recently right here in New Hampshire that just cut sports entirely. Um so that

088was um I I didn't put that on this list. I thought having having five uh choices where uh sports were were taking a hit having you know the co-curricular and some of those things above um was was probably sufficient. Okay, I kind of take that opinion. I'm thinking about the B sports at the middle school. We the towns tend to have strong sports teams and I think many of the kids could transition to playing there and save some money. Maybe not cut it out, but certainly cut quite a bit of it. I don't like the idea of paytoplay because I I just don't think that'd work in our district. There's too many income disparities. Thank you. That pay to play just just to add a little more context. Um that is accounting for anyone that

089would um qualify for free and reduced lunch. They would be um they'd have a waiver for for that and that would also be capped at two sports per year. So, just add a little context to that um pay-to-play model. So, I have um a couple of questions. How was the $230 per sport uh figure arrived at for paytoplay? I'm going to point to somebody in the crowd randomly and see if they'd be willing to grab a mic. So, good evening. My name is Kenny Edwards, athletic director, and I am in fact the person that put all four of those plans together at the request of Brandy and Katherine. Uh, to answer your specific question, the $230, uh, that number comes from two referees. the cost it would it would uh the cost we would incur

090for two referees to referee a game that includes max amount of travel which is why Randy mentioned a range uh in athletic cuts uh it's because referees at the varsity and JV level get travel we have no idea and it's and it's a scale of travel so we have no idea of the exact number until those referees are actually assigned so the 230 represents one game fee which is $115 plus max travel um which would be oh no it's 85 plus max travel is 30 for 115 for one referees. So we just took the two referees and that's how we came up with the $230 figure. Um all right couple more couple more questions about this. Um and so that figure, well maybe not that figure, but um some sports are more costly than others

091in terms of dressing players and equipment. Um, would athletes, no matter what sport they play, be paying just that $230 or would there be like a sliding scale based on how much it costs in fact to dress a team? Uh, it would be the same uh regardless of the sport. Okay. Um, question. Let's see. Actually, I'll I'll hold off. My question has escaped me and I don't want to just got one. I've got a question here about this. Um, okay. So, right now, it looks like that's not been added into the potential cuts on the right hand side. Yeah. So, if there's nothing in column D on your paper or what you can see up on the screen, uh, that means it's not as as the as a cut. Um I'm going to ask a

092question about our other um programs, you know, the arts and some sciences and stuff like that. Um so do we we don't supply our our band students with their own instruments, right? They they have to like pay and stuff like that. So they they already have to do this. Um and like I'm going to ask about, you know, um that's another one. Um like uh robotics I assume they have to fund raise to participate in first. Am I correct in that in that understanding? Um, so two things. Most of the instruments that our our uh band students use that they have purchased, but there are some instruments that that are provided by the school and that we have to maintain and replace. Certainly some of the the larger and more um expensive and unique instruments.

093See the phone. I was thinking of drum. Yeah. A big drum. Um, in terms of robotics, uh, robotics supplies and registration for events is funded through currently, um, a grant. However, the stipen for the the faculty that that supervise that is is in the co-curriculars. Um, and they do some fundraising because then there are additional expenses that come up because we're really fortunate. But we have a fantastic robotics team and they oftentimes qualify for um some great opportunities, but those come with travel fees and and expenses related. Yeah. They don't tend to hold nationals in New England anymore. Um so I guess kind of like knowing that and understanding, you know, some of how our other um extracurriculars um participate in their, you know, in their club activities. I'm and as long as we are

094sure to have an equitable path for students who qualify for like free and reduced lunch, I don't think necessarily think any of these are a terrible idea. And I'm I'm kind of leaning towards Yes. at least on the sports lines for pay to play. Yeah. Pay to play or um I mean I'd rather not cut but pay to play or any of just a point of clarification on the uh free and reduced that would be based upon self-disclosure. Yes, of course. Yeah. Just so folks are aware, um the SAU doesn't know who requalifies for free and reduced lunch. So, it would have to be self-disclosure, right? They would have to tell. The only the only person that knows is our uh food service director. That's all. Just if I can ask um which of those

095were you in favor of since there are different things? more in favor of paytoplay if it keeps more sports. But, um, I will, you know, leave that to, um, for the athletics administration to take our opinions and decide which one they think is probably the best. But, yes, pay to play is one I'm kind of thinking about right now. So still on the uh the subject of athletics um it's my limited understanding that there is a mechanism by which students can try out for and play for teams at other area schools if a sport is not offered here. But we still do have an athletics program. Is that correct? Kenny may be able to jump in. So Kenny, if I misspe, just um pop that on. But um if we do offer athletics, that is

096true. Like we might have a student who does gymnastics at conquered because we don't have a gymnastics team. If we don't if we cut sports, that option is off the table. Folks can't go and just, you know, join a surrounding town um to Just to clarify, so for instance, if if we let's say cut lacrosse, do we have um but kept football? Uh the lacrosse players could No, I'm I'm confused about this mechanism. Kenny, do you wanna want to weigh in on this? Yes. I spoke to Jeff Collins, the executive director of the NHIAA this morning and Jeff confirmed that if we do not have sports here, students are not allowed to travel outside the district as long as they remain enrolled at Marramac Valley High School. So, the students would have two choices. They

097could transfer legally, which would involve a change in residence for the family, the parent or guardian, or they could transfer to a private school. So Sally's question was, if we still had athletics, like we still had football, but we didn't have lacrosse, could our students who play who did play lacrosse then go to, I don't know, conquered to play lacrosse or theoretically, as Randy stated, uh, if you had a gymnast that wanted to go to another school because we don't offer gymnastics. Theoretically, that would work. With a sport like lacrosse, there are so many people involved that a school like conquered, a school like Bow Hopkin, they're not going to give up spots on that team to residents, to students who are enrolled at that school just to accommodate a school that wouldn't fund the

098sport. And that's a direct quote from Mr. Collins. Thank you. That answer your question? I I just want to clarify also that um because I did say pay to play, but I'm also looking at what Laura said and if we it was what the middle school B sports was it um that we do have some strong um out of district leagues. So it's also something I'm okay with as long as they still have opportunities. That's all figure I should probably mention that as well. Do you know how many I don't know if it's for you or for Kenny. Do you know how many schools around the area have paytoplay. Yes. I've gotten a report from the NHD, NHADA, the Athletic Directors Association. The ones in the area, Conquered High School has a $90 paytoplay. I'm

099not sure of the details. I know the number figure is 90. Bo High School has a $100 pay-to-play fee and I believe they have a family limit tacked on to that. Uh Hopkin also has a $100 pay-to-play fee as uh as I remember. Thank you. Anyone else? Lorna, I don't have a mic, so you Is that one working? Yep. Okay. Um, I have two questions and I just would hope for clarification because I'm new to to new to this. So, line 2740, you've got vehicle camera replacement. I assume that's multiple cameras. And is that like on school buses? So, that that line that was increased uh this year is uh primarily for um new uh lease purchase agreements. So we we have a cycle where every year we try to get uh depending on what

100the transportation director um you know informs us uh typically it's two buses and if we get two this year we're also paying the second year of another lease and the third year of another. So one is leaving as a new one is coming in and that's been the replacement cycle. Uh and we do have the camera replacement on our some of our existing buses. those costs have gone up and that line had been level funded for a while and it wasn't covering uh two large buses which is why there was an increase. Okay. I'm just curious and then the other thing is you've got on uh 2225 equipment. You've got 301,500. It says possibly subtract 200,000 if if no one to one initiative no more Chromebooks. I guess I would just like what's that about?

101What does that mean? Yeah. So that equipment line we currently have a onetoone initiative. So every every student has a device. So they they get a Chromebook and we were moving along at a pretty good uh pace towards that um in you know 2017 2018 and then when uh when COVID hit and we had the you know the remote learning um we were at that time doing fifth grade and nth grade. So we were getting close to 400 Chromebooks and then we added first grade because we kind of go with a, you know, that fouryear by the time a kid's done with a Chromebook after four years it's uh pretty much had it. But we take those after they're done the four years and we use them for repairs and parts and some of those

102sort of things. Um, if if the board were to say, "Let's get rid of the onetoone Chromebook initiative," then that's a couple hundred thousand dollars off of that line. Or if we decided, you know, because we've tried to get away from remote learning days on on weather, unless we had a real lot, you know, we could look at downsizing that a little bit and maybe not doing the onetoone um for first grade and maybe go back to fifth grade and ninth grade. So that would save us 200 devices um at a couple hundred bucks a pop. Can because again I'm looking at if you could cut some from that then you go back up to the the co-curricular um lines it's about $165,000. So I'm just thinking that would save those three things if you

103held off on a Chromebook. I don't want to Oh no, Tom. Go ahead. I've talked a lot. That's okay. That's okay. So, um, does this uh this proposal here eliminate CRT? No. Is we put we try to put all the lines on there? It's only if it's in the right hand column. Thank you. Because Thank you for that. I I should I No, you you explained that before, Randy, and I'm sorry. Oh, that's fine. Um, you know, to me, and nobody's jumping up saying we should cut that, but I still feel the need to say that would be a travesty if we if we cut that line. Agreed. We We can't hurt career readiness. No. No. Um, so I got a couple things and I'm going to ask maybe a little challenging question. I don't

104mean to after, but after I got a couple things here. There is uh $350,000 uh dedicated to vehicle cameras. No. Uh, no. Just talking about just that. It's a vehicle replacement. 146. Yeah. Was that that was the increase 146,000 that put the line up to 350. Yeah. So, but but nothing's been taken out of it. Correct. Okay. Yeah. There's nothing in that next column. All right. So, I I I apologize for not catching that. I was um trying to make sense of something over here. So, can we take $350,000 out of bus cameras? No, they're not bus cameras. They're buses and cameras. Buses and cameras, right? So, the vehicle replacement cycle is typically two per year on a lease purchase. Um, so if we have two new ones and camera, it just happens to be

105in the same line. I know it's a little confusing that it has vehicle and cameras, but the camera replacement comes out of that same line. Um, but it's really the vehicle, it's the two buses per year. This year we we got two smaller buses to 14 passenger to allow um you know some some flexibility for nonCDL drivers. Um but that's typically what that line is for. But um without the increase of the 146,000, it won't cover the cost of two large buses. So that's the replacement cycle as buses come off the road um and we you know continue to move those forward. Okay. Do we need to replace I can look out to our transportation director and I actually had an opportunity to connect with Noel and so yes the goal would be to replace

106two of our large buses next year. Uh that that's what our need is the I get I I understand the goal Katherine um necessary. Yeah, I was gonna ask this is an absolute need, right? That's what I was gonna ask too. Our transportation director is well versed on on the department. She feels we need two new buses next year. So, I'm going to say yes, we need two new buses next year. So, those buses will not will not go down the road next year. We actually have one right now that is currently um we're concerned about making sure that we we can keep that roadw worthy for and for the duration like in a we're currently in that situation. Um so yes, I mean I'm I trust the people that are in these positions that

107they're going to inform us as to what our needs are. We had a pretty direct conversation about we're in a tough fiscal state. What is it that we need? She feels we need two new buses to continue to ensure that we are able to run our routes that we currently have. So you you'd get two new buses for $350,000. To be honest, I that is a concern that I have um based on what the the two 14 passengers cost us this year. Um and it is a lease purchase agreement. So it's a three-year lease. So that's when I was saying that the third year of the lease is going out then the second you know so as part of the lease purchase that's why it's under that um under that total but it wasn't going

108to get the job done for two full-size buses without that increase going in. But we maybe only in in do one that's what I'm thinking. I mean, we we try we just like or is there a way to do something similar we do with the two smaller buses and cycle them up that way? Is that at all an option? Either only go for one or if there's a way for our transportation director to speak to can we do something similar like we did this year with the smaller buses and allow for nonCDL folks. Yeah, I you know, I've stated what I've stated what the transportation director feels that our needs are. I'm certainly we're gonna I can I can go back and I have that can have that conversation further. Um as if as if

109there is any flexibility, but again, we put people in charge of these departments and we trust that they're going to do their job and they're going to do their job well and and I believe that she does that and and this is what her recommendation is. I I don't think we're questioning their No, I I certainly understand that. But I guess this is a like we've had this conversation. We've certain I think I I feel very confident that the entire faculty is well aware of how dire the situation is. Um as as you can see in a number of the concessions that they've made. Um so that's the best that I can answer that question. No, I I I look at that one again. I think that's something probably drop it down to one. Um,

110and we have a repair station, correct? In the they do their own repairs. So, we do we do uh a challenge with that is our driver shortage and very we're very fortunate that our maintenance drives. So, that is a challenge to getting things repaired efficiently. Okay. But I would look at one um can can you talk about the surplus in food services this indicated in here? So the um we dug into that a little bit more and that was that bubble was from a while back and looking at the reconciliation. I don't know what our actual total is but this year we're in the whole 134,000 last year was 156,000. So if there was that that bubble still left from COVID as we're reconciling these one of the people that we contracted with um has

111been going through food service and getting that through. So that surplus if it if it was there when you know you and I spoke about um you know during that COVID time um it's certainly not there now and it's it's not atypical that food service is underwater. We we pay them you know we have to get them in at zero each year and we've never charged as much as what the meals cost. So it's always been um something that runs a negative a negative balance and then that squares up at the end of the year. Um, so there is no fund balance in uh in that fun. There's no surplus. There's no surplus. All right. Well, can I Sorry. Is there a line on here about food service? There's not. This is just the general

112fund. Um so I have a a um so people who have who have contacted me um said um one of the things that people have said to me is um to think about paytoplay. I'm concerned about $230 per sport. And I know that I know that and I'm not saying Kenny that you didn't do your job. You did. Um, that's not at all what I'm saying. I just I'm concerned about and I really and truly I love you, man. No. Um, but $230 seems like a lot to me. Um, especially when area schools are um, and I know I know what you're going to say. Those area schools have more money than us. Yes, they do. But um still um $230 I am not against paytoplay. I think that that's probably the way that um

113a number of schools are going to start to go. But I would hope that we could look at something less than $230 per student. If you have two kids, I mean, and if you have, you know, if you have a three sport kid, that's $690. That's a lot. I mean, so it's just a just something to look at, please. Trace. Oh, so yeah, the we would cap it at two sports. So if you could participate in three, we would cap the the expenditure at at two. Kenny. Yes. Turn on your Oh, you got to get the mic. He took it away from you. So there, and I I totally agree with you. I hate 230. Just between me and you, since you love me, I'm going to love you back. I I hate 230. But

114there are other options. And there are options that are familyfriendly and that are there are options that are studentfriendly that we can further explore, further research. Um the point was brought up, paytoplay to save sports. great idea, but there are other ways within paytoplay that we can find avenues to help families and to help the kids so that every kid that wants the opportunity can play. So, thank you. Thank you. Could have I mean, I'm I'm just wondering just thinking about that um would there be a way to maybe put out like a an ask for support from local businesses to maybe help curb that cost a little bit to lower it? Just something to think about, sir. Anyone else? Yeah, Tom. Yeah. Is health insurance is that what it's going to be? 300. Okay.

115Um, thank you very much, Kathleen, for that. That's a fabulous thing that has happened. Well, to be to be clear about that 300, that's really 300 off of the $ 1.5 million increase to healthcare. So, it's not like we're subtracting 300 from our existing cost. So just just so because that was one of our biggest drivers, you know, between special ed and and healthcare, those were our two by far our two largest increases to this budget um for you know going into um the 2526 budget. Again, those were the the two big drivers if you remember the the visual that we put together that went along with the annual report. Um but that subtracts from the 1.9 Oh yeah. Yeah. No, I was saying the as far as the healthcare increase. So, you know, sometimes

116when we say we're cutting 300,000, it's like, "Oh, good. We're going backwards." Well, we went up 1.5 million and then down three. Um, so 1.2. Julia, is it on? Am I on? Okay. Um, thank you, Tracy. Yeah. So, if it came down to I would like to see more one-on-one um versus the Chromebooks. I mean, 200,000 that's that's a lot. And uh I'm not we spend enough time with screens and whatever. Um if it means we're going to have the summer programs, um the summer programs totals 29,525. So, um I'd even consider taking that in addition to the 50,000 that we took off of either building or site since uh we didn't do a good job with um that area of spending this past year. Um I think that the kids need the programs. In

117fact, this entire meeting I've been getting messages from people who are like, "My kid's going to the middle school next year. We need to have that program." It's like, okay, okay, thank you. Um, so I'm speaking up for the public. Thank you. Um, you know, my son included, he's going into sixth grade and he was really looking forward to I know. And I'm gonna have a kindergartener, so I have both ends of the spectrum here. So, I think that um less screen time and more outdoorsy. I think that that's what we need. So, can I clarify? You're talking about for first grade as or you mean all of them? Thousand uh equals let's just That would be all of them. Yeah. I mean, more hands-on learning. I think we need to get away from screens.

118I don't think we can get rid of the all of the Chromebooks when you're thinking about getting our kids college and career ready. Yeah. So, um I actually want to talk to this about because um this is the area I've been giving a lot of thought to um in technology. I am as a friendly software engineer, I tell you. I am not um in favor of completely getting rid of the onetoone initiative. Um, we have to remember that there are some families that might not have computers in their house and we have a lot of learning online now. And I'm not saying like, you know, all learning online all the time. No. Um, I don't really necessarily think that maybe our first to fourth graders need to be having a onetoone. I would I would

119be more in favor of, you know, removing that that, you know, having a fifth grader and a third grader. There is still some online work, but they don't need to take their Chromebooks home anymore. Um, which is good. Um, so I'd be more in favor of ensuring that we still give some of our students who don't have that access all the time at home, the older students who, as I understand it, a lot more middle and high school assignments are being more worked on online and submitted in that fashion, if I'm not mistaken. I'm not there yet, so honestly, somebody who's got a high schooler told me. Um, yes. Okay. Um, so I I think um at the very least maybe reducing the elementary school one to one is a good idea because also speaking

120to the screen time concern. Yeah, that's when their brains are really rewiring this kind of thing. So yes, I agree. I think maybe elementary school is too early for all these onetoone screens and putting them there. I'm not saying that's what our teachers are doing now, but um you know if that reduces the cost um at that level. The other thing um I've been looking into um around Chromebooks is um as Randy had said before, yes, these Chromebooks are I I think I I use the equivalent that like the cell phones of laptops, they're obsolete after a very short time. They're not really they could be reused for a tiny period after say a student maybe got it in ninth grade, but not for very long. So I would um and in researching and how

121some other enterprise um you know businesses handle um Chromebooks like this that sometimes vendors do offer almost a buyback. So like you return a chunk. So if we you know get them back at the end of their senior year and if the vendor offers a like you know we'll give you a discount of 10% off of 200 laptops or whatever um maybe that should be something you can look into to also reduce that line item. But um yeah, that's kind of how I I I I kind of think I think about it, Julia. Again. Again. Yes. Thank you. So maybe not the whole 200,000, but if it means that the kids get to stay in sports and get to do the summer programs, I think that we would be able to compromise that number. Um,

122I'd also like to throw out, sorry, Tom, that um our baseball program that I head up also um has a middle school option. So, if that helps at all, we do serve 13 to 16 year olds. Yeah. So, I think that that was what Jessica was talking about when she was saying that a lot of towns do have up through middle school leagues. They don't all have um high school. There's not a lot of high school kinds of leagues. Uh, can I have Sally speak and then come? Thanks. Um, so the questions I have are actually for Fred and these are um not big ticket savings, but I'm curious. Um, how much might we save, for instance, if we reduce the temperature in all of the buildings by a few degrees, turned off half of

123the lights in the classrooms during daylight hours? um that sort of thing. So, can I just say something first though, Fred, before you go there? I know that there's a bill before the legislature about um about the temperature in school buildings and um so just putting that out there. There is really I just I just want to note that I'm not I'm not endorsing any particular idea, but we're in crisis mode and I think we need to consider all possible venues for saving money. Now you can talk, Fred. So back in 2008, and I don't know how many of you people up there, I see one and she just gave me the signal. Um, back in 2008, we did a page and a half of energy reduction. Um, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Um,

124we can save a little bit of money and I don't know how much. We'd have to go through a year and see how much the electric, you know, electric bill bills go down. [Music] Um there's a the only code that dictates the temperature of classrooms is actually in the plumbers's code with the mechanical code building code and it has to be 68 degrees. Right now it's systems in all the schools except Salsbury and Webster that don't have the Jases um a set at 70 and sometimes we battle to keep those up to 68. Mhm. So I'm not going down from 70. Um because we hear and you heard the laughter. We get calls all the time. It's cold. It's cold. You know, and part of the problem is is that in most of our schools,

125we deliver 100% fresh air. And it's still tough when it's 10° outside, even though we're increasing the number of energy recovery units, which preheats the incoming air. So, it's less work for the boilers to bring the temperature up to 70. Um, so I don't think we can save money on the heat, Sally. We can we can save money um on the electricity. You know, we can double down. Um, the high school has done very well here, keeping the lights in this room off until they're needed. You can turn the lights on just inside these main doors right here. Um, we can do better with gymnasiums. Um if gym starts at 9:30 in a school, we don't need the lights on at 7. Um even though we have um you know, we're converting to LED lighting.

126Um it's one of the things that I have planned this year. Um we're getting it's $98,000. We're getting 30 back from Unatil. So out of our pockets at 68, we'll save $14,000 a year. So it's a 7.25 year payback. Um, I don't think that's the type of thing that we're going to cut, but we'll have to wait and see what you guys do. Um, you know, we're on top of this as far as utilities and um, you know, I signed multiple year deals to get the best prices. We're at it, you know. Thank you, Fred. Tom, then David, yeah, I want to go back to the the Chromebooks. Can you explain how the onetoone works? Uh so each year uh first graders, fifth graders, and ninth graders get a Chromebook. So they use it for

127the next four years and by then, you know, kids with a Chromebook, it's, you know, pretty well pretty well done. We we take those or we collect them and use them for parts or replacement, you know, if they're in good shape. They're the ones that, you know, if you forget your Chromebook at home, you can go to the library and sign one out, that sort of thing. Um, so, um, c can I just add one piece? Elimination of the elementary one:1 Chromebook initiative would not mean that we would be eliminating Chromebooks entirely from the elementary school. They're they're are a critical piece of of our instruction. Yeah. So, my my question is instead of every kid having one, could we have class sets? That's what the model would be for elementary if and any um

128I know in other districts that kids don't always get a get a Chromebook. They have a financial piece to it. I would much rather see that versus sports where a Chromebook is what maybe I don't know 200 somewhere in that ballpark. I don't know. I think so. Somewhere somewhere 250ish. Yeah. 50ish, you know, if you know they paid 100. Never mind. 330. Sorry. 330. So that's a significant savings. Can I just ask is that with lensure? So would would then parents be responsible for paying for lensure over the course of the entire school year uh school career of their child? Because lensure is is not cheap per Chromebook per year, one a whole time over the life cycle of the entire um support. Okay, never mind. I stand in corrected. So I I think that's

129something we could could look at is not pay to play sports, but maybe it kids kids could contribute to a Chromebook. I think we could do both. with the free and reduced uh self-disclosure waiver for those who Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Kids that financial Yeah, absolutely. David, you're next. And I think that's a good idea of doing both of the amount lower to a Hopkin level of $100 as opposed to the $230. But I still give a little bit of incentive there. And certainly in our district um when I'm still teaching uh we did have classroom sets in many cases and we were able to save a considerable amount of money there. Eventually they did go to full but I think they've retreated from that. And just one last quick comment. I went to uh

130to university during the u um oil crisis of the early 70s and some of you a few of us had did and certainly I know we had to cut back on lighting like crazy and I know we're comparing apples to oranges because lighting is much more effective efficient now. Yes. Uh but still I think anything we did in that area that's saving something is certainly a step in the right direction. Thank you. So, I'm gonna I'm just gonna throw some things. Am I on? Yeah. Yeah. I'm just going to throw some things on. Our CIP plan for next year is $553,000. You need to be closer to the All right. Sorry. Our our CIP is uh $553,000. I think we really need to take a serious look at that. I know you talked about reducing

131it a 100. Can I ask where you're looking at the I'm looking at the CIP plan? Uh, it's on the It's on the website. He's not looking at the lines. He's looking at the actual CIP. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. I was confused. Under maintenance. So, it's 553,000. I think we really I mean, unfortunately, we got to make some some hard decisions. And I I appreciate the work that we're doing, but I think we're just we're kind of, you know, not hitting the numbers that we need to hit. And um I would really like us to think about um I struggle when we start talking about um pay to play and and arts and sports and summer programs. And um I think that's that's important. I think we should just do one bus. And I I'm

132struggling because the main thing that I want to talk about I can't talk about um which would have biggest financial impact and I just want to make it clear I'm not talking about real people and I don't know how to have that conversation. Um, I actually emailed the um the I emailed our leadership my suggestions in that same venue and that's how we're we're planning on doing it out of respect for sure request being made. So, it's not like we can't be heard, it's that it's just this is not the meaning for it right now. So, you can still make that suggestion. You just got to write it out. Um well, so when you say the CIP is $553 and you want to cut it, uh not $553,000. Sorry. What? Yeah. Um and you want

133to cut it. Um and I understand that, but I um I taught here for 23 years. um had some of those people sitting in the in the audience. And um there were a number of years that we didn't do our due diligence in terms of maintenance and um it was really awful, awful, awful. Um I remember one year when um Anyway, doesn't matter. But um so when we talk about cutting to the CIP or cutting money from maintenance, um I just hope that we're really careful about what it is that we that we cut out. Um I know that everybody has to feel the feel the hurt in every single area of what we're doing. Um, but just be really careful if that's one of the things that we end up doing is cutting out

134some of those maintenance. Um, because I don't want us to go I don't want us to go back to having rundown buildings and um Yeah, it's a year. Well, it's a year. Well, it is now. Yeah, but we're trying to make some some reductions. Yeah. So, I think that at some point we just got to make some decisions and I don't know where where we are now as far as a as a number and we haven't landed on some things and I think that no and that's um just over a million now it's 1 million 89,000 with the changes um that's with the ones that you see um up on the screen. Um so a couple of the changes that's um dropping the vehicle replacement to 175. I went based on what um what people

135had said. Um so that's what was the reduction Randy in the uh um I did uh 175. I went with your suggestion of one just to see what the number came out to be. I left the uh site improvement and building improvement at at uh 50,000 on both of those. We had a couple people that said 50. One person said take the whole hundred. You wanted to remove the whole thing. Um, you know, so that's something that maybe if other other folks want to weigh in on where they where they stand with those. So right now you got between um uh building improvements and I can't remember what the other one's called. Improvements that total of 100. Yeah. Okay. And I would I would highly recommend that that number gets higher. Okay. I I can

136can and I hold on because Stacy and then Laura, they had their hands up first. Um I was just going to say if we are going to start to look at CIP, I heard it was mentioned that one of the projects was for fire safety. I would just really strongly suggest that any safety items are not touched. Um, I also support the paytoplay if we could maybe look at reducing that number a bit, 150 even, as long as um the free and reduced is is in there for students that um might not be able to afford that. And then also support the um removal of of Chromebooks for elementary as well. But I my daughter's in high school and she uses that every night to do her homework. It's there's really no papers coming home

137um at the high school. So thank you Laura. This 500,000 number was talking about is that money that's there or is it money in the plan or is it money? I don't have a piece of paper so I can't figure out what it is. You want to say that it's on the the the paper that you have. Are you talking about the CIP or the CIP? Oh, okay. So Tom is looking at the CIP online and he's just adding up what Fred has for for next year. But if you look tomorrow that could be different. Um, so you know, when Stacy mentioned the fire safety, and Fred, correct me if I'm wrong, but you know, we have um, you know, every 10 years we need some um, you know, uh, they're not sprinkler heads, Fred,

138what are they? They are sprinkler heads. Okay. But it's the dry system, right? Those are the ones that need to be replaced. There's most of them are dry heads. Um, but there are some other ones as well. all totaled. I believe it's 60. It's either 63,600 or 66,300. It's mandated. Can't cut that. Um I mean, obviously I'm going to work around whatever the decision you folks make, but that's something that will get done this summer. So So that's money that's planned to be spent was originally planned to be spent this year, correct? Yeah. So this this coming year, Fred, you know, Fred's always in the CIP playing around and moving things. If they don't need to be done and we can put them off, he puts them off. If they need to be done, like

139those, you know, um dry head um sprinklers, then he puts them on there and kind of locks those in. Other things are fluid. Honestly, if you looked a month ago, the the next three years wouldn't look anything like, you know, what they did a couple months ago. So, okay. Now, Jess, now thank you. Um, are you changing from the CIP? No, no. I'm continuing with CIP work. Yeah. Um, so I'm I'm looking at the the CIP, right? Um, and the biggest ticket item is the roofing sighting at the high school. Am I correct? The sighting essentially is what it means. Yeah, the roofing is 2 228,500. And what I'm trying to do there is pick away at that $1.8 million. Um the siding the siding in the high school, middle school in Lowden is the

140gray sighting that you see outside on the high school, the exterior stairwells and the blue portico. Middle school is the tower and Louden is over the main entrance. That can wait. You know, it looks horrible. It's cracking. It can wait. I mean, I have it on there for some of them, but that's that's a perfect example of what something can kick back a year. If the sighting is not something that is imminent, right, or will not damage our buildings long term. Can we scoot it for another year and reduce this number even more? Maybe maybe five years before we do it. It all depends what else comes up. And then like say you find a magical grant of some kind to assist with it. But if if we can scoot the siding, I mean, definitely

141not the bathrooms or the fire safety or that kind of thing and we can reduce that number even more without hurting our buildings so that you know we're paying extra in a year or two. I'm in favor of lowering that even more. But I would like you to work a little bit um do a little bit more of a brainstorm session together for Monday to kind of give us a better idea of what that would look like. Tom. Yeah. So, I realize that um Fred moves the CIP around, but as it sits now, what's in the CIP is 553,000 and what's budget is um six uh 631,000. So, we've actually got more in the budget than uh is the CIP. And I would recommend But don't forget that No. So between maintenance, not just the

142right. This includes maintenance, right? Just the I I did the site improvement and I did the uh building improvement. Building and site. Yeah. I was up to 631, right? But it doesn't include just the CIP. That that includes Fred. That includes regular maintenance. It includes some regular men, some regular maintenance. You know, I've added more stuff into the CIP um that normally wouldn't be in the CIP that would be covered by repair and maintenance in the operating budget. Mhm. The 5430s. Um, so that 553. Um, I mean that's what I planned on doing before the budget was cut between building improvement and site improvement. Um, obviously all of those things aren't going to happen, but I really can't talk about what's not going to happen until there's a number settled on. Uhhuh. Um but the

143sprinkler heads 636 or 663 is going to happen and to put a handicap opening in our sidewalk out underneath the blue portigo roof and that's 15,920 I believe that is also going to happen. Um and whatever you guys decide on I'll make it work. But, you know, and Tracy Tracy mentioned it when I took over in 1997. Um, there were band-aids galore in this school district. Um, and when Randy Bell asked me what I needed, I said money. And that kind of led to the 2004,56 78 construction. You know, we got we got $100 million worth of buildings and grounds here and it costs money to take care of that. Um, you know, we have 71 air handling units or energy recovery units on the roofs and in atticss. Those aren't cheap and a lot

144of them are nearing closing in on 40 years old. Um, I understand I want to do my part in helping to keep teachers, but you can only you can only cut it down so much. And you know, Tom mentioned, well, it's one year and then Tracy mentioned it is now. Um, we can't sustain hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars of cut cuts more than a year, year or two. So, I'll deal withever with whatever you guys decide. It's a tough decision. So when um so I'm looking at this Tom and the site improvement and the building improvement, you're right, adds up to 631, but we took out 100. So it's 531 now, right? Yes. Yes. So So you would like to see more taken out of sight and building personally. Yes. And and I

145think you know a couple things I'll I'll jump to say at the end. I think that you can use some of his ME this year and I think we can this is a this is a big area and then I really start when we get in our finance meetings and really start to think about where do we want to be in three years and start planning for that and um think about what if if we want to get to I know one million or 1.5 million what does that look like as far as warrant articles? Um, but I think that this year, I mean, I'm all I think I'm all for I mean, if you cut that back and allow that me if we allow that ME to be used, I we can we can

146have a significant chunk. I can I can um I can support taking out the hundred for that was put in for each one. So, 200 total. 200 total. Okay. It's getting there. Thank you. Yeah, but I mean we're just Yeah. No, we're throwing things out. But yeah, I could support that. Yeah. And you know, this is this is just a conversation. Then on Monday, we will look at what three or four scenarios. We seem to be circling around. Okay. We seem to be circling around a lot of the same things. So I don't think Yeah. Um I think because some of the options are things that people don't seem to be um for. So you know if the board um you know so desires we could either bring one or two options based on the

147fact that probably there seems to be some you know overall agreement with with some of these lines. I did um I was remiss in the beginning when I did not thank the um the different collective bargaining units for um their work that they did to come up with the things that could be cut. L'Oreal, I'm sorry. I saw you sitting there and I was like, I never said anything. and Sam for the um for the administrators. I I really appreciate and and Gail, is Gail here? No. So, and Gail for the um support staff. I really appreciate all that you did uh when you said these are things that we can forego for next year to help us come up with a plan that doesn't that doesn't too badly affect um what has to happen.

148So, I really appreciate that. Thank you guys. There is a representative from MVSSA here. The vice president is here. Gail had to go out of town. Thank you, darling. I appreciate all I'm sorry. I really appreciate all that you guys did. I really, really do. And when I came in, I was talking with some of the teachers and I said my I really wish that it had that it hadn't come down to you guys having to give things up. Thank you, Randy. What's that number at now? The number is uh almost 1.2 million. Okay. Um, and honestly with the other things that we have that's we're right on on target with with some of the things we were looking at with attrition and and movement for some of the things. Um, perfect. It's good news.

149Uh, it's great news. And um, you don't know where I'm going. Um c can we if it's un if it's reputation or whatever it is can we speak in non-public about these things so that I can get some clarification more than that more than that it but it's yeah I'm going to promise you it's not about one position going away it's not I don't nothing about that I'm not asking to take a physical person that we have and not offer them a job. That's not what I'm talking about. We were told no when I asked that specific question. And I asked I asked the I asked also I asked um Barrett Christina from the um school boards association and I asked um Jim Oanaughy our um our legal and I was told that we couldn't

150talk about people can we in nonpublic I don't No, the advice we were we received was that in order to be transparent, we need to have these conversations in public. Sure. And they said not non-public. So, I mean, when I talked to them, so that was, you know, I mean, I I want you to know I called and I believe you, Tracy. I believe you. Did I mean, you know, I tried to say, "Well, what if we do this or do this or do this?" And um and you know, I'm I'm tire I'm tired of hearing that we're not transparent. I'm I'm out there doing my due diligence. I want to make sure that we are doing everything we can. Okay. Um I just don't know how to how to address this um because it's

151it's a big number and it adds a big number to that. I think that you're going to need to send it to to me and to Katherine and to Randy and then it will be on um it could be on the the scenarios for next week and we can vote on it vote on it. Tracy, uh, just for clarification on the situation, just because we're not um going to be speaking to these open positions or or whatever we're going to call them, that's not to say that Randy and Katherine are already looking at those to be absorbed in these cuts and stuff. Correct. Right. Okay. I just wanted to um I would remind you one of the priorities that we have had as we've been um taken on this challenge is retaining as many of

152our faculty as we can. That's yeah um also while I have the mic um and I know a lot of people have left and I don't know if this is the right time um but I just wanted to take a step back and have everybody acknowledge that voted to cut the budget thinking that there was a lot of fluff in it and just realize what we're sitting here talking about right now. Um, and just keep that in it's not fluff that we're talking about. I mean, I know my students going to be impacted as well as thousands of other kids. This is not fluff and this is the result of a group of people cutting the budget down. So, just some reality for everybody. Thank you. Anybody else? I don't want to keep swiping, but

153go ahead. Swipe or no swipe. My god, I've spent so long on this in three weeks. Um, I know Tom had had brought up something um uh a while back and I just have a question about our snow maintenance and stuff like that. Is that contracted ser is excuse me is that contracted services like the snow maintenance lines and things like that that we can't like maybe renegotiate a contract or is that just outright general funds that we maintain ourselves? So I actually think Fred spoke to plowing um at the annual meeting. Um remind me. Sure. Well then I'm gonna I'm gonna let Fred do that. Ed remind me please. It's line number 2630. There's a there's a line in the budget for snow plowing and sanding. Um there's $93,000 in it right now. I

154believe we have spent it was 45 and I believe I just submitted a bill last week for $17,000. So we're about 62. Mhm. Um we went up several years ago. I want to say $16,000. Mhm. Um it went out to bid probably five or six years ago. I can tell you that Maul's Farm has plowed the Pentacook schools in Boswine. Boswine since 1996. The rest of the district every year since 1966 but one. Um we have never had to cancel school because they couldn't get their job done. And I would say I could count on one hand the number of times they have asked for a delay. Um, and forgive me if I just misheard. So you said it was like 45 and then another 17 up to right now. Yes. For right now. And

155there's still towards the end of the year. I know that we've budgeted about $93,000 I believe was the item. It doesn't I mean, please correct me if I'm misunderstanding, but it doesn't sound like we might need $93,000 if we were to shave it down a little bit more, or is there like going to be a surprise snowstorm next week? You know, it all depends on the weather, but you know, yeah, that 93,000 is for all the schools in the district. Mhm. So I have a contractor in Lowden that plows and sands. I have a contractor in Salsbury that plows and sands in Webster. Um the road agent town of Webster plows and sands. And then we mow the soccer field, the baseball field and town hall. In exchange for that, we have a m memorandum

156of understanding. Not quite sure what that is, but I can stick my tongue out so I'm safe. Um, it all depends. I mean, if we get a foot of snow over a weekend, the money's going to be gone. You know, we also use that line to clear roofs. Mhm. Um, okay. We haven't had to do that. I think we did it once three years ago, but only part of them. Um, I'm not having anybody clear the roofs over, we're only doing roofs over the large opened areas. We're not doing it over hallways and classrooms anymore. Um um I guess just my thought process is if you know we find that towards the end of this you know wintry season obviously not being able to predict weather if there's even a way we can shave off

157five or $10,000. I know we're nickeling and dimming this a little bit but honestly that's the point where we're at right like we want to look at everything. So if there's any way to even like say hey we spent this much this year this much last year this much this year. Maybe we don't need to budget 93. I would I would appreciate that. So, we're actually just a hair under 70,000 spent this year. Um, and I have bad news if you thought winter was over because if we look back historically, we that we we spend more than that. Um, so, uh, I would anticipate that that the more of that will be will be spent. Anyone else? Yeah, Fred, do we use um are our actuals for the fields and grounds? Are those utilized? Do

158we do what with our actuals for the fields and grounds in the do we traditionally spend all that money? Well, we I hire a company, Boston company, that they were being used before I got here. They do a great job that $70,000 a year for fertilizing, seeding, uh, herbicide, that type of stuff. Um, and I think he came in this year at 68 and change. So there's no, we use all of that. Um, and you can see on the list that u, they took some money from replacement equipment which is in grounds. Um, so they've already cut that some, but you know, snow plowing, I mean, that's a place. Some years we spend it all, some years we don't and if we over it, then we have to I I'll find it somewhere else. Tom,

159can I ask a followup to your question? Mine. Okay. Um, so this is going to be a tied conversation a little bit. If we were looking at reducing sports activities, would that potentially reduce reduce costs within maintenance of our fields and that line item as well. It's not going to reduce the price for the company that comes in and does the air rating and the seating and the fertilizing. No. All right. But um upkeep Well, what we do on the athletic fields on this campus is we get them ready to play, which the athletic director thinks we're going to start next week. [Laughter] because he said he feels good about it this year. Um he just cursed us with more snow. So Kenny and I and Aaron who runs the grounds department, we go out

160and we walk the fields and then we have Frankie Dennady who owns the company that just bought out Boston company. Um same as we did with June Boston for 25 30 years and she recommends when we can start using it with just sneakers for two weeks and then they can get on and play normal. Um the cost, most of the cost is mowing. Um so when when the athletic season is over in the spring, we raise up the mowers probably 3/4 of an inch. And it doesn't seem like a lot, but it is. And then we cut it 3 in uh 3/4 of an inch high or an inch higher than we play on them. And then first or second week in July, we start taking a quarter of an inch off every week or

161two because they're back on the fields again in beginning of August. Um the problem is if we let it grow higher than that, then we have to bag it. It's not like our lawns at home where you can just spray the grass out and it's actually good for the can't do that on athletic fields. Thank you for the clarification. And saying that, I mean, coaches, athletic directors from around the state rave about our fields. Um, but you know, can we Boswine, for instance, there's clay underneath the lom on the field up there. We have to mow that three times a week in the summertime. It just no way around it. Or we have to bag it. And bagging it. If you bag it, you got to drive somewhere to dump the bags and then go

162back and keep going. Can we save a little money? We'll certainly try. Um, so since we're, you know, having some radical ideas right now, um, I would like to point out that because Panakook is a, um, city in this district and we share municipal um, venues with conquered, we should have the availability to use city fields as well as um, memorial field. Um, and I was wondering, has anyone considered using municipal fields instead of ours and just for at least one year pulling back on maintaining those fields and saving this money and then next year seeing if we could reopen this? Um, I don't see that happening. I don't think that we have an inherent right to use the city of conage fields. We actually do because I've I've spoken to some conquered school board

163members. we are on equal par pairing with the um or I should say that it was my understanding when I was speaking to conquered school district that we are on par with um the city in making requests on fields and that there had been some concerns in the past because we weren't exactly receiving that but um I'm hoping that that was something that you guys could look into and ask as a just a potential. I'm not saying I agree with it. Certainly look into it. We used we used Ralph Park for a number of years. Then we started building our own fields and we got away from that because we didn't need to. Um, you know, Memorial Field, I don't think they're going to be too keen whether or not we can or not. They're

164not going to let us play a Memorial Field because that's got a whole smorgish board of problems in itself. I mean, half the time the main field down there is underwater. Underwater. But yeah, um, Kenny and I can look into that. Kenny has a very good relationship with David Gil, the park and recreation director down there. We'll certainly look into that. I I would appreciate it. Thank you. Can I piggy back on Julia? Just to Jess. Yeah, sure. So, I just know that like imagine if you don't mow your lawn for a year. The amount of work to make the field playable. Oh, yeah. It would it would not benefit the players at all to take a year off. And I'm curious if there would be a transportation impact if our kids had to be

165transported to a field that's further away. So, and we know the transportation costs are um kind of out of control. Ridiculous. Um so, that would be something I'd want to consider, too, because if we're robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak, we're not really saving any money. Yeah. Um um but while I have the mic um we've been talking a lot about pay to play, pay to have the kids have uh pay to use the Chromebooks. Could we look at having some sort of um pay for the summer programs because these are extra. These are things we put in place because we felt they were valuable. But as we're cutting the budget, is this somewhere else where if a family wants their child to participate in a summer program that's not a federally required

166for us to meet, is that another area where we could be looking at a cost? Um, you know, we offer a lot through this district and the budget reflected that and we are looking at everything. So, if we're going to look at pay to play sports and pay to uh use a Chromebook or have a Chromebook, we should also be looking at our extra things that we're offering that are above and beyond what we need to offer all students because we believe in them. But, um just another area that we could be looking at. Maybe there's a tuition cost for participating in those activities. I I don't want to steal it again if somebody else has another opinion. I'll steal. Go for it. Um, if we're if we're considering summer programs educational, I mean, we

167don't make students pay for education. I just think that putting a tuition on that would So, you're not in favor of that, Julia? And that's totally fine. It's It's just that I I and I agree. I think personally I believe in year- round school, but that's a whole another discussion. Um I think that it's extra and if we're looking at the extras then we like look at everything. We are not it's not something that we have to do. We are doing it because we do think it's in the best interest of students. But again it's not it's be above and beyond what we are required to provide for students. David and Sally, how many students are we talking about in these summer programs? Just to get an idea, if we did a a nominal fee,

168I'm just going to throw out a number off the top of my head, 50 bucks or something like that. What what kind of money are we talking about? I don't want to be impacting people because they're paying on top of their property taxes obviously. Um, but just what's what's the number? There's a lot. There's a lot. That's a lot. Over a hundred, I'd say. Yeah, we're not. So, um, go ahead. So, we've been pay with the exception of the elementary program, we've been we've been funding the, uh, middle and high school through grants. So, we have been able to run some really fantastic programs. Um, we're not going to be able to do that. I have to look back. I I believe our summer programming through the grant last year ran us at around 40,000.

169Um, in terms of student participation at the middle school level, Brian Lynch might be able to speak to that. Um, how many kids? 70. I think they're about 40 in that 40. 40 to 50. Yeah. Yep. Thank you. I would estimate the summer steam programs um summer participation and it's a rough estimate. I would say at around 30. Yeah, I was going to say I think we capped it at 50 yes uh last year. Thanks, Jen. I'm not saying I totally support not funding it. I'm just looking at anywhere we are looking at making cuts, we should be looking at across the board if we're trying really hard to not lose teachers if that's our focus. So just like I said, one more opportunity to look at another line because I do believe in summer

170work, but again where you've got to look at everything. Sally, I'd like to go ahead and support what Melissa is saying. Um because if our goal is to protect teachers and provide the you know what the the programs throughout the school year that are essential to students education then that has to be our focus. And if that means that we need to move to paytoplay or setting price tags on some of the extras, I think that is that is the the hand that we have been dealt and that again preserving positions and people and uh you know the integrity of the education that we offer during the school day and during the school year is of primary importance. And I also just want to qualify that by saying, you know, I'm not thrilled by any

171of this. Yeah. Um can I ask a question maybe about um a situation because I I too I agree and I don't like it either. You know, my concern is again obviously families who qualify for free and reduced lunch, but families on the line as well who might not. Um, I was hoping that maybe if we could look at a way for families who or other folks who would be willing, say like the summer steam program is $50 a student and I wanted to give a hundred so I could sponsor another student if we could figure out a way around like just understand the legality of that impact because I, you know, something like that. Um, just so our community can if they choose to do so can do so and that includes sports too

172obviously. Thank you for sliding scale. I I would just add so every time we we move to this pay to option um there's an increased level of of work that is going to go along with all of those as in terms of yes keeping up with this running all of that down. So just something to keep in mind. I appreciate the I appreciate the reminder that admin work is also on top of this. Tom, Randy, what's our number up to now? Okay, so and we're gonna add to it. Um, and a big number. And I I just want to just remind everybody um so at the uh Friday meeting the 5% contingency uh was passed right um and up to up to up to 5%. Yeah. So, and we got to give some credit here

173because Randy, Katherine, maybe Kathleen, I don't know who's doing the books, but you do not have a business administrator, which is a full-time position of somebody that's an accountant. Somehow, you're doing it and you need to be commended for that. So, I don't know who to commend, but nice job. All of them. The whole Julie maybe, I don't know. So, whoever's over there, the whole SAU and we have um and I was looking to see because one of the one of the complaints was that um our SAU is overstaffed and I was looking and we have of a similar size district, we have the second lowest number of people who work in our SAU office. So, we're not overstaffed. I wasn't going there. No, I know. But I but it allowed the opportunity. All right.

174Um, but you're going to have a VA and so my guess is you're not going to spend every penny. You're going to make it work this year. you might have, I don't know, 75, 100, 150,000 maybe um in um fund balance, which you can apply to that contingency because that was the first thing on the warrant if I remember right. So you could do that and that would go into next year and come next year, let's just go with you're not gonna that this two million thing isn't going to happen again and just go with the the 1% that you talked about that you you know you mentioned that generally where we are that's a half million dollars and the board has control over that money. I know it's a little bit of a a

175gamble but I don't think this is going to happen again. We had I don't know I I don't know how far back you went, Randy, but you mentioned several years back that it was 1%. So that's that's a half a million. And this is where I would say that and and and Fred, I'm I'm sorry I'm I'm kind of going after you a little bit. Um, but if we could take a little bit more money out of that CIP, then when we get to June and we have a half a million dollars in there and we have a $100,000 in that CIP, you got money to do some of those things that we've been talking about that we've been worried about that we can't do. So, there's just just so that the board knows that

176that is something that can happen, right? that we could we could use some of that money. I do have to check. I need some clarification on when I know that you said first and that is true for we have special ed first and then we have the maintenance. I thought we had we had the contingency but because that's going to be something that is going to be until people until it's voted away it's in place. So, um I'm a little bit unclear on whether the special ed um maintenance the special ed trust fund would get funded first, then the maintenance expendable, then whatever's left would be up for the contingency. Um so, right. Right. Yeah. The contingency is for unfor unforeseen things. So, it can't be something that we have in the CIP or or

177whatever else. Fair enough. Yeah. But take away the contingency and you still if if you have a half a million dollars, you could we could use 200 250 um for um for CIP projects, which that we can do, right? So, yes, just just something for everybody to to think about. So, if we because we're getting pretty darn close here, um considering that yeah, that other thing that um can't talk about. Um I think that where we're at right now, I think that we'll be able to bring a couple of options to the board with some of the um things that we've looked at. So, um I think this number I know that we're still, you know, chipping away at, but I I think we're going to have two, you know, well, at least one very

178palatable option and then either a second or third that, you know, would be something um you know, based on this on this feedback and the numbers I've been throwing them in as as we're saying this after, you know, so three people I feel if people haven't spoken up, then that means they're either in agreement or Um, well, they don't get a say. Can I and I know it's I know we've been here a long time, but can I just how much money is in there where we're asking families to pay roughly? How much how much is that? You mean if we started doing all of this paytoplay? Yeah. Do you I mean, what have you guessed in here? Well, if we knock down sports to a hundred, you know, some of the things if we're

179talking about all summer programs, we haven't circled back around to co-curricular. So, I don't know if it's the board's intention that co-curricular would fall in that same thing. If so, Lego club is probably going to be different than robotics, right? Because we have the Legos, you show up, that's after school. Um, you know, some of that would be, you know, is your kid in 10 of those, uh, different, you know, do you go Lego and then chess club and all the all the different ones. I don't know what that charge would look like. I mean, we can try to dig into that, but uh, so, you know, there's a couple things. There's co-curricular, there's summer programs, and then there's sports. you know, if we're going to do all three of those, I don't and I

180don't know with co-curricular that seem to be taken off the table early, so I don't want to bring it back on, but if we're talking about paytoplay, maybe it's pay for those as well. We'd really have to dig into those numbers. Okay. So, I probably didn't ask the right question then, Randy. How much did you subtract from those to get to wherever we are? the pay to play. Oh, I'm sorry, Tom. I didn't understand. No, no, no. I I It's not It's You're fine. Um I didn't put anything in, so I left that. The only thing I kept in there was uh Bports because folks were saying we have town programs and that seemed like and that eight grand. I Kenny, do you have a a sense on Bports? I know. So, my sense on

181on Bports is it's mainly uh soccer, boys and girls soccer in the fall and boys and girls basketball in the winter. There are no Bports programs in the spring. I think it was Julia that mentioned that there are very vibrant programs in the community that could absorb those students and will be willing to absorb those students uh and will probably give them as good of an experience as they're getting right now. And as far as the total, I put 8,000 down. Does that seem like a number that would cover the stipens and officials or I would have to revisit that. It sounds like it's in the neighborhood, but um I'd have to do a deep dive into their schedule and and all that. Okay. Thank you. I didn't mean to put you on the spot,

182but I you know I when I was just putting that out. Um so Tom, to get back to your question, that's the only one I put um any money on. I didn't put anything under pay to play. Um, so if we were going to do a $100 U pay to play, we have, you know, 230 is about that 98,000 that was for for all of them, you know. So if we cut that in half, that would be times 100. Um, you know, so that would be another, you know, maybe 50,000 if we were going to cut that down based on what when people were saying they not in favor of 230, but might be in favor of a smaller number. Okay. So I guess what where I'm going with this based on what I said

183about a fund balance which I have full confidence that we'll have next year. I would rather reduce something a project or something and not have any kids pay to play not have any loss be sports. I want all our teachers and all our activities for our kids is what I really want to get at. So, I would rather take a chance at a project that we can't do that we could live without if it came to that, but when we come to I know we're going to have a fund balance that we could use that money in June to take care of those things. I would rather do that personally. Can I talk? Did you want to talk? Um, Randy, I just want to clarify that it says my initials under 100% removal of middle

184school. I can only um speak to baseball and so I don't not 100% maybe like 10%. So like just to be clear, I don't think soccer or basketball is offered for the middle school um age group. So baseball I can support other not so much. Laura Okay. I I think I think we don't just go oh and let the towns take care of it. I think we need to talk to the towns. I know Lden has some pretty good programs in different areas. I'm pretty sure the other towns do. We need to work with the towns to make sure that the kids can go there and figure it out from there. Thank you, Sally. Um Tom, can I ask you to clarify something, please? Um so, you're you're counting on a fund balance even though

185that money doesn't isn't guaranteed. Is that correct? in your in the plan that you have just forwarded. I I am, but having looking at projects that we could potentially live without, okay, that could be delayed. So, I'm very wary of counting on money that might not show up. Um, and so I just want to put that out there. Maybe we'll have a fun balance, but and so I really don't want to um I I can't support an approach that is based on what we don't know at this point. I just want to make that clear. Thank you. Tracy, Julia, can I make a motion? Boy, all of a sudden you are like talking about everything. Uh, it's because I'm tired. Uh, can I make a motion to go to public comments so we can Do

186you want to wrap this part up? Can I just say one last thing? You may say one last thing. Uh, first I want to thank the administration for all the work that they are doing. We have received so much communication from the staff and it speaks volumes to a leader when the people that they are responsible for has sings such high praise for them. So, thank you for all the communications we've been getting. I really appreciate it. It's been it's been fantastic. Thank you. Secondly, um I assume obviously, you know, we've gone through and we've talked about a bunch of things. There's a lot of things we haven't talked about. I assume that if board members have opinions on other things before Monday, we can still throw out emails to to you to kind of

187say, "Oh, I thought of this like, you know, when I was driving home." I would say not on Monday. Yeah, please don't do it on Monday. maybe close of business Thursday. I don't know. But we can still communicate if there's questions we have or suggestions or things like that. Right. Okay. And please remember to direct it to the chair and Randy and Catherine. I I was getting really nervous with um the questions that were coming in. I want to make sure that we're respectful of the fact that we have to anything we put there those discussions would become public. We didn't have any. kept my hat on and my eye on that, but we do need to make sure we're directing everything to Randy and the chair and Katherine so that they can funnel it

188to the rest of us if we need to know ahead of the meeting. Um, so I appreciate everybody respecting that, not having a dialogue online. Thank you. Can I just say what? Yep. Go ahead. Sorry. I talk a lot. Um, I know talk to my wife. Um, so where is Jenny? Can you can you curb that? So, can I ask a question about what class sizes are? Is that okay? I think they vary. I'm not sure. Can you have that? While you're Yeah. schools. I I I don't want to want me to run you through. I can go through the elementaryaries if that's helpful. And will I be able to ask a question? As long as How about if she sends you the information or I send you the information on class size and what

189we expect them to be next year? Is that okay? That will be good. and and I'm sure you'll you'll you'll consider it. Okay, that that would be helpful. But can you just tell me what the class size is at the elementary? Well, it so it varies somewhat widely right now. Um obviously, let's set Webster and Salsbury aside because they are smaller schools, Singletons. Um so at Penokeook, they're um over 50 per grade level. Um and they have three teachers per grade level. Um at Bosowin they are well they do fluctuate quite a bit um but between as around 30ish up to slightly over 50 in within that building. Um there's they are yeah pardon me per grade level. Um at Lowden they are uh right around 40 per grade level with uh an exception for

190they have a they have one grade level that's over 50. And how many teachers at per grade level like at uh so Penook has three per grade level. Bosquin has two per grade level with one exception. They have that that larger class. And then Louden has three per grade level with one exception being um with one exception. Okay. Can you send me that data? Yes. Okay. And the number of teachers in in Okay. Can I just say a thank you that um this happened tonight? I'm very much appreciative. I unfortunately I will not be here on Monday. I have a conflict and I cannot get out of that conflict with my professional career and uh I uh really appreciate the opportunity to talk and share um and uh I'll be reaching out with with some

191suggestions and I appreciate it. Thank you. And can I just say that I was um I feel like I was rude when I spoke of the teachers. Um the president of the Marramac Valley Education Association is L'Oreal Jordan Foot and I just called her L'Oreal. And of the Marramac Valley Administrators Association is Sam York and I just called him Sam. And um Jen Woodard is the vice president of uh Marramac Valley Support Staff Association. And just so you know, they're all former students of mine. I have a quick question just about the the number of students in ratios. Um I don't know the numbers but I know that there's significant um homes being built especially in in Penuk is yeah at Bosowan as well. I don't know about the other towns but Katherine when you

192were mentioning anticipated numbers for next year does is there some insight into how that's going to impact our numbers? I just I guess I'm concerned with class sizes if we have a significant enrollment increase due to those housings. Yeah. Yeah. It's going to have it would certainly um have an impact. Uh if we're speaking about Pinnacook, we we do have three three teachers per grade level. Okay. um there and if that's certainly a community that oftentimes faces the greatest amount of transitional situations. Okay, thank you. Okay, so that concludes uh that business. Um I'd like to Fred, are you ready? Public comment. Uh, thank you to the board and Randy, Catherine, everyone. I love seeing these kids here. That was the highlight of my night. Great job. Um, I just want to say you guys

193have thrown out a lot of things and I don't know some of my colleagues might be upset with me for saying this, but um, if it comes down to it and you could put back in the summer program stipens for teachers, a lot of us are going to do the work anyway because we have to to be able to do our job. So, I would love for that to be put back in. And obviously it doesn't affect me because I retired in the nick of time. You're welcome. Um, but I do know for my colleagues that's an important thing. So I don't know how much that money is because I can't see that fine print, but that would be an area that I would ask. I think it's important. Thank you. Thank you, Sally. Anyone

194else? Hi, I'm Shannon Matram from Louden. Um, I just want to make a comment about the paytoplay. Um, I have four kids in the district and all of them are athletes and I just I know a few of you had mentioned like you don't want you know the kids to the families to have to pay. Um, and just coming from a family that we that's all we do is if anybody knows me, you know that usually I'm going to a sport event for my kids. My oldest would probably kill me right now if she knew I was even saying this. Um, but $230, yes, it does sound a lot. Um, and if my husband even knew I was saying this, he would tell me to be quiet because I'd have to pay for all four

195of my kids. Um, but actually in reality, it it doesn't. And I was just saying before, if you've ever paid for travel, it's it's minimal. Um, and I have the full belief in that we have boosters and um that the sport community could really take care of a lot of that with fundraising. Um so when we say like no, I I want the you know the kids not to have to worry about that or the parents, we've been actually honestly been paying that the whole entire time that these kids have been playing sports. I think I've paid over $80 per one of my children through ICB through Blue Storm. I just paid $300 in signups for lacrosse for my kids, a hundred per kid. I paid $200. I'm that's going to be coming up for

196my son to play tackle through Blue Storm. So, those are all things and when those families can't pay, you go to the community, you go through the the program and you talk with them. So we do have that here like they said with the the lunch program. So there are options. So I think if it does help us this year and not only that it does put a little responsibility back on the families. I think there's been a lot in the school district that we've taken on. We pay for everything. We pay for school supplies. We pay for this. We pay for that. So, I think in the long run, if that's what we could pay for, I I think that's something that the parents could could take on. And like I said, if they

197can't, then the schools, they're there to help that. And we do have fundraising. We have boosters. I think that's something to consider is the paytoplay. Thank you. Dave Hemonway Webster. The There has been a lot discussed tonight and it I think it's been a very productive and good conversation especially in the transparency of having all of it here. There's kind of two ways that you can look at how to handle this. And I want to caution you that the numbers that you're looking at do fall in both categories. And so you as a board, I want you to to think about this when you go to vote and as administration when you're presenting options. It's one thing to say this is a one-year hitch because we need to weather through it. We will make up

198for it with, for example, using some of the maintenance expendable trust instead of using maintenance budget line. Uh it's one thing if you think and are confident that this is just one year. we need to make it through this one year, restore confidence, and then go back to fully funding the way that we want to fund it. And that's great if you're just trying to find particular items for one year. The second way to think of it is that the reductions in growth uh that have been put forth may not go away. That may happen again next year if you try to just recover everything and the second opt set of options whether it's for things like paytoplay help in or you know have a portion for the Chromebooks those sorts of options are things

199that can very easily continue forever to help offset every single time. uh whereas you you can't continue to draw down a maintenance expendable trust fund that you're not funding. Um, so I just want you to very clearly think about and express in terms of the way that that you decide on things. It can you afford this to be a one-year only or do you really need to look at all of those different programs so that it's less of a hit in all of the further years and much more sustainable? Thank you. Thank you. Trace, pastor Ashclouden. So, one of the big things I again appreciate you guys making this meeting tonight and sharpening the pencils. Um, and again, I think the taxpayers will be more willing to support if there's transparency. Uh, render their support

200once we know the actuals. um like we were seeing in other school districts where they're actually putting that information right out there for us. We are the ones that are funding and we want to make sure that it's um being used appropriately. I think one of the big takeaways for me tonight u coming from my background in corporate America is every contract should be being put out to open bid. Chromebook for $300 is actually quite high when you're buying them in bulk. having a company from Boston come and take care of our lawn and that's never gone out to open bid since Fred has been here. That's not how you really run a business. So, we need to be looking at this in order to make certain that the children and the teachers and the

201fundamental constitutional responsibility we have to educate our children that we're doing it as judiciously as we possibly can. Um, you know, I still don't know when we walk away tonight whether or not we have a salary and a benefit that holds a body. Like Randy said, we're not talking positions. Positions don't equal people. I think is what you said on last Monday. I still don't know if we have people who are going to actually not have a job with the SAU. And I don't think that's fair to the faculty. I think we should be able to understand that at this point um without taking names, without saying which school, which grade, we should be able to give some sort of clarity to that because there's, you know, in the paper everywhere else we're cutting tw

20220 people and that's scary for the children. That's scary for the faculty. It's not nice. Um I would also ask that we take a look at Washington Street. That's that's an older building. Um, I know it serves a purpose, but I I can't imagine that it's a cheap thing to maintain. So, that might be something we look at. Um, and I'm grateful that you were able to get a better contract for the health benefits, the 95 or 90% coverage that the SAU provides. And I would again say that we need to look at that capital improvement plan, make certain that the children and the teachers are not harmed this year and then that we get as transparent and as clear with the actuals as we possibly can so that when you go into the vote

203next year, you have the taxpayer support. And I do think bringing it back to the families a little bit for some of the extracurricular doing boosters and fundraisers um takes it away from the 75year-old who's really having a hard time right now with paying their property taxes. Thank you. Thank you. Not seeing anybody else. Anyone? Anyone? We are adjourned. Thank you.