001Valley High School indoor percussion ensemble. That's sweet. Impressive. You didn't want to give us a turn. It was a joke. It was a joke. Congratulations all of you for winning your Congrats and thank you. That was awesome. Very >> I love the medals. >> I love the chicken. >> It's like a Okay. It's just like different pads. felt like I was transported to some. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Kristen, you got to beat that. >> You could do your dance moves again. >> All right. That quite impressive. Oh, well, she wants to be that close. >> You don't want everybody right? >> Our SDA representative Kristen, whenever you're ready. Both National Honor Society and Leo Club held their successful inductions on the evening of April 29th, 2026 in the high school auditorium. These inductions coincided
002with the Sen Valley High School art show. So parents and friends could visit other our students great artwork before, during, and after the inductions. Teacher appreciation week was last week, and student government did various things like read us for the teachers, goodie bags, and Chick-fil-A to show our appreciation for everything the teachers have done for us throughout the year. For this year's production of the Drowzy Chaperon, the cast and crew got nominated for multiple Freddy's. Standing outstanding design by a small school. Ryan Paxad got nominated for outstanding performance by an actor in a supporting role. Jackson Bee got nominated for outstanding feature performance by an actor and the production got nominated for outstanding overall production by a small school. The four club is holding a field day on May 15th for students and students can
003sign up for activities to represent their grade in class. The events will take place throughout the school day. Well, actually, wait, I'm pretty sure that it got moved to May 18th of Monday if you care. Um, but um, seniors wear red, juniors wear blue, sophomores wear green, and freshmen wear pink. Um, prom on May 1st was successful and was held at the America's Hotel. You can see photos posted by Christmas City, the Morning Call, and Lehigh Valley Live. Um the SDI PE on Saturday, April 25th competed at regional 2 chapter championship at Solderton High School. They got the award for the progression unit with the most improved score of the season and took home gold in their division. The marathon team came first at the count at the county northampton and will move on to
004represent Northampton County at the state competition on May 20th. They competed in five categories including wildlife, aquatics, soils, forestry, and current issue. Along with seating the overall high score, the team had the highest scores in aquatics, current issue, and forestry. Huge congrats to our team including captains Gazuzian, Jacob Norwood, Kyle G, Na Gazuzian, and Ryan Paxad. For Earth Day, the environmental club asked everyone in the district to keep the lights off as much as possible to save energy. Also, the club distributed seedlings ordered through as the PA Game Commission seedlings to schools program. Around 95 native trees and bush seedlings were given out to students and staff. The remaining five will be planted in the environmental education center. The club also attended the Youth Climate Summit at NACC on April 24th to learn about the
005science and effects climate change is having locally and about current ways local organizations are working to combat these negative effects. The event was run by the Nature Center in Easton and there was also an art exhibit that focused on natural phenomenon in our region. At the Colonial League track and field meet, Gadio Heres got first place in the 300 meter hurdles and third place in the 110 meter hurdles. Isaac Osman got third place in triple jump. Sophia Pande got fourth place in the 100 meter hurdles. Dio Wckler got fourth place in the 1600 meter and fourth place in the 3200. Jerick Leser got fourth place in Javelin. Brianna Krueger got fifth place at discus. and Mason Caris got seven place in pole vault. Thank you. Any questions? >> Any question? >> Yeah. Um I just
006one thing I wanted to ask are um are you graduating sometime? >> I am. Yes, I'm a senior. >> So you do you have two more reports that you'll do for or >> I believe so. Yes. >> Okay. Yeah. I just wanted to make sure to thank you. >> Yeah. And then next year there'll be a new person. >> Okay. Great. And are you going to Lyola? >> I'm actually not. This is um one of my top schools I was thinking about but I'm going to uh the University of Maryland. >> Great. Great. Yeah. >> I'm excited. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> Awesome. Thank you guys. >> All right. Thank you. >> Presentations. We have none. Superintendent report. >> Good thing. Uh so we're less than a month away from the
007end of school and we're very excited and it's a busy time for students and staff across the board. So, I want to wish best of luck to all the students who are testing, finishing school work, and preparing for the next chapter. This is just a quick reminder that school might be out for the summer, but the district is not closed. So, administrators and other staff will be available throughout the summer to assist anyone in our community. Our admin and staff will be available Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and uh on Friday from 8 to 11:00. The agenda today is uh reflecting and I want to highlight a recommended approval of Chad Sherk as the head coach for the girls wrestling program as he also is going to continue as the head
008coach for our boys wrestling program. So some may be asking why don't we just hire an entirely new staff for our girls wrestling program. So the district has a process that's followed for the new clubs and our activities, excuse me, which helps clubs and athletic teams demonstrate consistency with adviserss and coaches and the number of participants as well as being independently and financially sustainable uh before the district sponsors and approves them as a recognized and district funded activity. So since PIAAA has recognized girls wrestling and Sulen Valley has had girls participate in this program, we wanted our girls to have the opportunity to participate and to also be recognized. So as a district, we still wanted to take measures to asssure that we are being fiscally responsible when providing this opportunity to our students and
009to determine whether the number of girl participants will sustain and hopefully grow over the years. So if we see this growth, we're going to reassess our coaching staff and needs for our girls wrestling program. Until then, Coach Sherk has been in active conversations over the last few months with Mr. Johnson and myself regarding the process and Coach Sherk has graciously agreed to lead the girls program. Uh he has done an outstanding job as we all know building and leading our boys wrestling program and the intent is for Chad Sherk to mentor a girls assistant coach. So if the number of participants sustains and grows, someone will be ready to take the reigns fully from him. So knowing our school community and the wrestling community in Sen Valley, I have no doubt that Coach Sherk and
010our girls assistants will be supporting the process and we will see big things to come for our girls wrestlers. Also in the world of athletics, uh many have seen the posting of head boys basketball coach that has been posted Friday afternoon. Coach Snyder notified administration early last week that he would be resigning as head coach to spend more time with his family and his little girl he welcomed during the season. Coach Cider notified parents and the team on Friday afternoon with any head coach resigning. We do see that the assistant coaches resign as well as they are more times than none brought by the head coach to wherever they're coaching. So on the agenda, we had the approval of two assistants who notified us late this afternoon they will not be returning. Um I would
011personally like to thank Coach Snyder. He was one of the first coaches I recommended for hire as superintendent and he has shown that he's been a dedicated coach and spends countless hours leading his team and supporting many of our athletic teams in sen uh in the crowds. So as many of us know who have been new parents or have seen shifts in our personal lives, it often leads to a rep prioritization of our professional lives and coaching is absolutely no different. Uh many of our coaches spends countless hours with minimal compensation and it's a true testament of their passion for the game and dedication to our kids. So I support coach Snyder as he takes the steps to rededicate his time to his family. Uh for the families and athletes who are affected by coach
012Schneider's resignation, we do understand that there are summer basketball activities planned. But without official coaching staff, these summer activities will be postponed and our focus will be on the search, recruitment, interviewing, and hiring of our new head coach and our coaching staff. Moving on from athletics, uh graduation is just around the corner. So, as a reminder, commencement will be held on Friday, June 5th. The stadium gates will open to families at 5:30 p.m. We're also honored to welcome back the Sen Valley class of 1976 as they celebrate their 50th reunion year. If you or someone you know from the class of 76 would like to attend, please visit our Facebook page and RSVP or feel free to reach out directly. We look forward to celebrating the class of 2026 together with our alumni, families, and
013our community. For those of you who don't know, CIU 20 awards were held last week and we were proud to be represented. I'd like to extend one more round of applause to the Sen Valley Alumni Association uh which has uh which was honored for its wall of fame alumni recognition program and we'd also like to congratulate National Merit Scholar Alexander Moroski who was also featured in the program. I do not want to overlook lastly that uh as we're discussing budget and inevitable staffing conversations internally we are in a week that brings much anxiety to our staff as any staff member who will be transferring to another position is notified this week. We have worked with SVA leadership in ensuring a process of notification was one that though in different years uh and in years past
014was this one was least disruptive and supportive to staff administration and our students. I would also like to emphasize that decisions regarding staff are made based on a thorough review of data evaluated by leadership at all levels to address building needs and to address student needs in an urgent and thoughtful way to ensure that all of our students are receiving the best education that Sen can deliver now while ensuring long-term stability for future years. The proposed moves were shared with SBA leadership and the school board and SBA leadership and I along with all administration remain committed to supporting staff with these transitions while remaining student centered and embracing a growth mindset that we will need starting next school year that will help cultivate academic excellence both our educational values that are shared and the vision
015of our district that is our foundation. Thank you. That ends the report. >> Questions or comments? Um, I just want to say that I am one of those school board members who feels strongly that um, this process has been really good this year um, in working through the needs of the district and the children and making sure that, you know, they're protected from ignorance. And there are some issues that have that have have to be addressed and um I feel like these staffing changes will definitely help that. Um um nobody, you know, nobody ever wants to move. Um you know, sometimes and and with a new curriculum that in in math particularly, um the is so important and it it's a it's a it's a really strong um package that uh is used by some
016of the best school districts in the country. uh I think it will help us and it's hard to implement one a new one and I think that um I just appreciate the teachers for their really hard work the the teaching the the union leadership and the administration for trying to bring this vision uh and this need to uh fruition. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else? say that I'm sorry to see um the boys basketball coaches go. My son played middle school basketball this year and he had a wonderful experience with those coaches and they really taught him a lot and I wish all of those coaches the best. Anyone else? Okay, courtesy of the floor to visitors. >> Seeing none, move on to the presentation of bills. Do I have a motion to move
017the bills? >> So moved. >> Second. Second, Dmar. >> Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Motion passes. Treasures report as listed. Um, do I have a motion to approve the treasures report? >> So moved. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. Um, those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Motion passes. committee reports. Um, Dr. Tattoo, do you have anything to add to your academic and personnel summary? >> Uh, nothing to add. >> Nothing to add, but for the benefit of uh, members of the public. I'll just offer a brief uh, oral summary of what was discussed. Uh, the board or the uh, committee heard from Dr. to on several different issues. The first was a new um new science textbooks for biology and chemistry. Uh the textbooks will be
018better aligned with Pennsylvania state standards for uh science and technology and we're the committee is recommending to the full board for their approval. Um the AI policy was something that a uh Dr. No along with the technology committee had worked very long and very hard on. Uh the board uh very uh had a very rigorous discussion about that and the policy that we're going to be hearing this evening is one that the board endorses or excuse me that the uh A&P committee endorses and recommends the approval of uh with the understanding that artificial intelligence is still a very much a moving target and we recognize that there will be needs for refinement in the future. uh the remaining policies uh that we were presented with uh service animals in the schools uh discipline of students
019with disabilities and behavior support uh we uh the&mp committee again recommends the approval of those policies as well. >> Thank you. Uh no report from facility. I have a comment the thank thank you for the report um uh Dr. tattoo. I there was um there was an extensive discussion about um on the AI policy. It was my um it was my sort of ask that we include in the policy um a stipulation that that important public facing content that emanates from the district that it includes a disclosure when there's significant use of of AI of especially generative AI and um I still you know I myself, you know, I I the idea of adding the administrative regulation is is important. I I do wish that the polic I mean we'll get to the policy but
020is you know somehow acknowledges that but I definitely want to it's something I want to bring up for you know to be you know added to tonight's minutes for example that this was raised you know it's not just um because to me I you know I feel very strongly about it um I I do not feel that we should be producing anything that we present to the public u That's a major you know a major document or image that where AI, you know, generative technology was used and that we that we we have to acknowledge that somehow somewhere on you know fine print or something like that. That's all. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Um facilities no um report um finance um Mr. Carpenter would you like to say add anything to
021your summary? >> Yeah. Um the finance committee met uh April 28th just before the last board meeting. It was kind of the um resolution to a multiple month uh look at um different parts of the budget and the priority levels that were given to them through consultation with the administration and and you know the the sources and holders that were there. And uh we had done we had worked on that through multiple meetings. And uh the last meeting was kind of the um pushing the cart further to say okay what what happens if we you know cut a little bit off and cut a little bit off just to see you know test that sensitivity. And that was kind of the the culmination of the process which led to me providing the board with what
022I believe the committee believes is the summary of of the options that we have before us tonight. >> Yes. And um based on advice by attorney Fitzgerald, we're going to go into a budget discussion right now and try to come to some consensus and then that way it'll allow Mr. Barnburgger if there are any calculations to be done based on our consensus of what we want to do. He'll be able to do those calculations as we go through the rest of the agenda and then insert those numbers. >> Hey Dave, you ready? >> I I have a comment before we start if I can. >> Uh thanks uh Director Carpenter. I I am looking for that advocacy tonight. Remember that word advocacy. I'm looking I'm looking to you for the for advocacy tonight. So I
023I will it will be helpful I think and I hope that you'll advocate a bit. Remember that. >> I mean yes I understand the advocacy. um you know the finance committee is four members on a nine member board and so it's difficult without any board input to I think reach at least from the committee standpoint any kind of advocacy you know um >> you'll get some input >> you uh the information that we had is you have right so I mean I'm not going to be able to tell you what you value right I'm not going to be able tell you um what parts you think uh are could be put off. I'm not here I can't you know tell you what you think uh parts are the highest priority. You know we did our
024best to sort everything and to manage that. But even with that I can't you know your your commitment your the level of you know budget shortfall that is tolerable to you for a year is not something that I can easily deduce. nor nor the tolerance for a tax increase. You know what I mean? So that's why we're all here to discuss it. Yeah. >> Anybody have any first comments on this? First thoughts? Any thoughts? All right, I will get started then. the actionable items where you put forth those that chart that was from like the um presentations we had from the superintendent about A and B. Is that what that synopsis is there? >> Yeah. Yeah. So the actionable items synopsis is if you if you were at the um finance committee meetings, there were
025multiple rounds actually of going through sort of like some of the big ticket items and some of the things that were um you know contributing to the large shortfall that was originally presented as sort of the like allin ass. And so there were efforts in the finance committee to sort of rank those in terms of like being honest and and realistic about like what was actually very very important and um what what could be um not necessarily not done but just like we could live for a year or something like that if if it didn't happen >> down the road. >> Yeah. >> Does anybody have any comments on these actionable items and proposal um as far as the priority or any one in particular? I did have a question about the curriculum writing and
026the new materials or books for curriculum. So is that those numbers reflect exactly what curriculum we decided to move forward with for next school year? >> Correct. >> Okay. All right. I think with the curriculum specifically, the the the low priority portion um was >> was the part we >> Yeah. was the part that we actually weren't ready for. Right. >> Move forward. >> Yeah. Yeah. We're not >> we set out this year uh undergoing a pretty rigorous uh curriculum review of certain content areas and it was not moved forward in certain content areas. So what we had predicted budgetarily where we were going to be is not where we landed. So some of those content areas were put on pause. So therefore they would be something that you're going to see come in November
027at the next budgetary cycle. >> Can't find that thing now. I don't know why. I don't know if it's my um but the the the the chart I'm having trouble finding it. The that has the different the priorities of uh the budget. Um, not sure why it's not coming up on my I I looked at it before. I was >> Are you looking for what Don sent out? >> Oh, I see. Never mind. I found it. Sorry about that. >> Good. That's okay. >> Any comments on these priorities? >> I thought it looked pretty good. I thought it was a pretty good um hierarchy and uh I really appreciated it. Um I understand that it was it reflects a kind of it does reflect the kind of consensus um in terms of of what is
028um so for the for the the public uh you know we have a budget shortfall and we have um uh there's been a really uh deep effort to create a sense of priorities about what can go and and and and what needs to stay. And um the the finance committee created a a really helpful document that um kind of educates the the board on on other board members on what um you know it sort of ranks it has three tiers like first priority, second priority and third priority or something like that. And um I found it helpful. You know, it does kind of rationalize the process a bit. Um all right, no other discussions. No one wants to offer anything their thoughts or feelings. Um I suggest we go through this priority list. Oh, I'm
029sorry. >> Yeah. No, just I I just wanted to add something that uh uh the finance committee did not prioritize, right? So, uh this was sort of like we we it's kind of like not our job to uh uh to prioritize uh different uh expenditures. We kind of like that that is based on sort of like what we understood to be maybe as uh Mr. Broom said uh the more of a consensus type of thing, but that's not necessarily consensus. I mean, I uh certainly would advocate for uh uh removing a few of the items that are uh on the what's it called? The the first column, the highest priority column, you know, for example, the uh the the the two buses and the iPads and the computers. I would I would I would like
030us to uh uh remove them from this year. So uh and the reason I'm saying it is that it's not necessarily sort of like consensus. It was sort of like our understanding of uh what uh each of these items are and uh where they uh uh where they fall. Uh so uh a aside that there is a u part of the budget that is uh sort of like operational uh that year after year will happen and that is uh I can't remember the exact number 70 some percent of that is related to >> yeah 70%'s already yes >> right and uh the other 30% just so that you know the public knows what what it is. Some of it is debt service that we still have. Some of it is uh paying the bills for
031uh utilities and cutting grass and uh you know uh the fuel for the buses and uh uh basically all curricular uh things that uh that we do, new books and uh supplies and um and whatnot. And uh that's really sort of like the entirety of the budget. Um so uh on that uh 30% I think there are certain things that uh we can do. I mentioned a couple of them here now that we can uh reduce the cost. Uh some of them we uh may choose not to do it because of other priorities that uh we have or we think these are uh important. Uh uh we've already talked about you know one of these uh other types of projects you know which was the uh bleachers in the stadium and uh it's a big
032uh cost item it's I don't know 500 some thousand dollar uh >> almost is is there right and uh uh the you know at the time that we discussed this uh initially um and the facilities committee discussed that also uh this was kind of like the only option that was discussed in the past. Uh we've had other uh cheaper ways of uh dealing with that. These cheaper ways do not uh uh result in a permanent uh uh repair but uh I'm a uh structural engineer and I know that there is nothing that you build that is permanent. So everything breaks. It's just a matter of uh whether uh in three years you want to have to uh come back and uh uh and fix something that was uh $50,000 uh to uh to to to
033to repair something or uh you want to come back in 10 years and uh you know replace something that you spend you know $500,000 today. So this is like uh and and you know there are times where you say let's just go for the whole thing and there are times where you say you know what we are looking at uh a pretty large number here in terms of uh both expenditures and u money that we want to go ask the taxpayers to uh to pay. We already asked them to pay and they pay a lot of money. So u so those are those are that sort of like uh part of that discretionary uh part. The other part it's uh mostly contractual uh either by uh actual CBAs and contracts or by the fact that
034there are a lot of uh protections for the employees and so forth. So once you have a sort of like certain level of staff be it you know at various levels of the organization you can't sort of like decide you know that you're going to do something about it. Although one of the school districts in this area, I think Northern Lehi either tonight or last night they did go that route. Uh which is something that I hope uh here at Son Valley we would not. Uh so uh on that uh part there are uh two uh really sort of like factors right. So one is the number of people that uh you employ and the second one is how much you pay them right? So uh uh and the the total cost is the product
035of these things and Mr. Bonenburgger has to add uh some additional money to it because of the indirect cost and the taxes and uh and all all the rest of the stuff. So that's how we get to that number 70%. Uh so my uh view about this is that uh we have to work on uh all three sides of this uh equation that we have. we have to uh go look at that 30% discretionary and uh see where we can uh make savings uh if something uh can be done cheaper maybe not you know in the permanent way that I mentioned earlier but uh still something that can take us from uh year 2026 to year 2029 that's uh that's okay u the financial picture of the district may change it will change we actually
036have a significant amount of money that we currently pay for debt services. This is going to uh end in 2027, I think. And once that happens, then there is about a couple million dollars that we pay now that we don't have to pay at that point. You know, we can we can use that to do some of these uh projects. Uh on the other two sides of it, we should control the cost by uh uh by by working on both sides of it. The number of people that we have and the amount that we pay them. I think uh this idea that uh you know this is uh uh you know somewhere where people go and you know they you know they they get paid you know uh as much as they want. It's just
037not going to sort of like be sustainable. Uh in this uh school district we pay uh the most per student in the entirely high valley. Right. So uh the total sort of like cost that we have divide by number of students. there is no other school district that uh is spending uh more than this or maybe like we are the second highest some something along that line. So uh I think we should do something about it. So uh my uh uh my my suggestion and I uh I I'm I'm going to sort of like uh talk about it as as much as I need is to uh somehow uh try to uh connect the cost with uh uh with the things that we we ask. So uh right now the structure that we have is
038that uh today is the sort of like hard day right the the day that we are kind of like checking out at uh at giant right the stuff that are in the basket you know you go to the cashier you have to pay for it and it's kind of like painful but then once you're out of it it's as if like nothing happened right so this is for the rest of the year uh we see everything say oh this is so cool I want this and then we see this one so and that's not good we have to kind of like you know try to create that link uh between what we ask and what uh we can afford to pay and I hope we can uh go through a process that would result in
039that uh again starting today. it may not uh be something that we can do something uh about it for uh for today but uh hopefully that is the way that uh we will both sort of like uh uh I'll say limit ourselves and uh instruct the administration about uh uh about the fact that the fiscal responsibility and coming up with uh a way of uh operating this district and conducting business uh in uh a fiscally responsible way is uh not just sort of like a tertiary uh priority not just a secondary priority well secondary priority first priority being the interest of the kids this should be sort of like something that comes at minimum as the as a second one now I have some suggestions when when it when it comes time I'll uh I'll
040I'll try to talk about them >> okay so we heard some of um Dr. Pexod's um opinions on it. Let's go through these one by one. We got nine new teaching positions. That was in the all-in proposal. Low priority. Um what are the thoughts on that? We're trying to get a general consensus here and and move forward. >> Which column did you say? >> I'm I'm using the >> priority. Okay. >> Yes. I'm just going down the actionable items. So the nine new teaching positions low priority. It's my opinion that that's not for this year. Anyone else? >> Not what? >> It's not for this year. >> Yeah. Correct. >> Anyone else have a a feeling on this? >> Everyone, >> I agree. That's my opinion. >> Anyone else uh you know um want to
041see those nine new teaching positions or some of them? All right. So, we're taking those out of the budget. Yes. Okay. Just trying to get a consensus of people just staring at me blindly. >> All right. >> But >> Yes, please. >> So, I know all of the kind of the nine. So, I'm okay with it, but I don't know that everyone on here knows like what those nine positions are or why they're not essential for next year or the public doesn't know that. So, maybe just like a about that understand hire new teachers, >> right? >> Absolutely. Um but they're not essential for next year, the classes for next year. So maybe I don't know if someone I'll say a word. This is the the I I I think uh we we want to
042have u the the expanded and enriched curriculum that we have for the students. That's uh for me one of the number one priorities and uh the question that we asked uh as uh Dr. Erikson Parson mentioned uh of the superintendent and uh uh the business manager was uh uh are are these necessary for providing that curriculum and uh the answer was no. And I think the reason for those being sort of like initially part of the the plan was in order to uh limit the number of uh transfers of uh staff between the buildings. So, uh it it it it so sort of like the plan that they have still results in some transfers, but uh uh but uh but but by uh sort of like putting that in the lowest priority, we are not
043uh not offering any classes for uh for the kids that would otherwise be offered. And the same goes with the second item by the >> Yeah. And probably the third as well. That's >> I just didn't like >> I just draw I just drew a line there going I should have brought these together. Would that be accurate that it's the same rationale for the next two replacing the retirement and the fact that it's a highest priority to get a world language teacher? >> Agreed. And and the world language teacher re is required for the curriculum in order to have what uh they plan to offer in uh all K to 12. Uh it's impacts uh uh elementary school Spanish immersion program. It impacts the exploratory uh language uh and seventh and eighth grade language in
044uh in the middle school and it uh impacts the high school word languages that are are being offered. >> Okay. Um so let's um combine the curriculum writing and the new um materials for the curriculum. So those two items again like was said earlier um they took out some of the low priorities because we didn't get to those um they we didn't move forward with those curriculum writings. So um you know personally I'm in favor of the highest priority uh moving forward and the low priority obviously we don't we don't need that because they didn't move forward. Anyone else have a different opinion or want to offer anything on that? Anyone in the finance committee want to offer anything on those? >> Okay. Um >> I say that that was the recommendation of the administration.
045So we're following their recommendation. >> Y Okay. Thank you. Um academic supplies. So um is this the total amount? Is was this the all-in amount for the academic supplies? Mr. Vassie, sorry I just don't >> looking at >> 150 days. >> Oh, so I can just explain this. >> Okay. >> Very quickly. There there was in the meeting there was um uh some building budget. There was a building budget item that was discussed in terms of of decisions to make about it. Um it was originally 200,000 and there was some discussion by the administration that they would go through and do a double check, make sure that that asks weren't repeated from different buildings and they would sort of do the first pass over it, but that if if there was a desire to cut
046beyond the sort of the highest priority that um that that was something that could be considered. So I just gave an estimate of the like cleanup was about 50,000 which is like kind of what was >> okay was and so that was what was remaining that is not like excess or repetitive or things like that. So it's a it's the building budgets that that have and it's just a line item that was offered up by administration during the you know sort of the prioritization of what was what was physically able to be considered. >> Okay. >> So that is >> did I explain that correctly? accurate. Um, so because we're not moving forward with certain curricular areas, the administration always uh cleans up everything as they've gone through this process. And with things being paused
047or not moving forward, those are part of the things that are going to get removed from the building budget as well. So, >> right, but the the the 150 there would would would mean reducing beyond what the current plan is. >> Okay. Well, I'm still not sure if I understand. So this is uh this is beyond the cleanup or this is >> and uh the cleanup you've already taken it into account in the >> Yeah. >> So so this this would mean that uh uh some pencil sharpeners will not be purchased or uh field trip would not be done and things like that. >> This has this has impact on children like kids for sure this this item. Yeah. Any other comments on this? Everybody's okay with moving forward the 150 on that? >> Hearing
048no other complaint. Um the next and I know the committee had a lot of discussion on um replacing teacher computers and replacing their iPads. Um could you explain I'm going to go right to you since you wrote it up. Um could you explain the the difference here the low priority and and what that means is that >> this is kind of what this is kind of what actually one of the later additions to this document in the sense that um you know the administration um kind of was was said that replacing computers was a high priority this year. Um we went back and forth about various options. Um and after some evaluation and um there it was decided that um the new laptop that Apple released which is called the Neo was like extremely capable
049and um about half the price of an Air. Um and so working with you know technology um we deter like we he kind of determined that like he would be very comfortable with the the employees using that laptop. So the highest priority means that we would replace the laptops with the Neos >> and the lowest the low priority would be to upgrade from those Neos to the airs. It's about $1,000 a laptop for the Air. It's a little bit less and it's just over $500 for the Neo. >> Yeah. >> I'm not sure that we do that. I believe that our technology department repairs our laptops. >> We buy Apple Care. Okay. Yeah. Okay. >> I don't I don't know. I'd have you'd have to ask them. I will say though that um the Neos
050are also a lot easier to repair than the Airs because the Neos everything's screwed in and the Air everything's glued in. So >> they do we have >> Yeah. But but they do repairs here. So they are repairing what they can if they if they're capable of repairing it, they are repairing it here. So, not only would the Neo probably represent an instant savings, it would probably result in some kind of savings in terms of repair as well throughout the lifetime. >> Yeah. Because they're much easier to repair. >> Everything replaceable from what they said. It's not all soldered in. >> Yeah. Yeah. You can >> replace it. Yeah. >> Okay. Just so I understand. So, the highest priority is 121770. Low priority is 78. So, 121 will buy all teachers the NEO. Is that
051is correcting? Okay. >> Uh >> and if we add the 78 to that 79 >> sure by substitute teachers but yeah yeah yeah but yes >> and if you add the 78 >> that's what it would be. >> It would be everyone gets an air. So it would be to get everyone an air is the 20065. >> Okay. Any comments on on doing this in this budget? I >> another question regarding the replacement of teacher laptops. Do we replace 100% all of the laptops at one time? >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Yeah. The the the explanation for that is that it's easier for the technology department to care for the machines if they're all the same as each other. So, they like to do them all at the same time. We we do not do
052all the teachers and all the students at the same time though, >> right? >> Is this something that we can maybe hold off until next year to input into the budget or is this absolutely necessary currently? >> Go ahead. You press the button. >> You can the the one concern would be that you have the student cycle also coming up right behind it. So, um, you would have a you would have to bump the student cycle or you're going to have both cycles overlapping each other. So, that would be a higher cost as well. So, it's just something to consider. I I would I would just sort of kind of weigh in on that decision. Um, if we get another year of use out of our current machines, uh, Apple is actually planning one, you
053know, every year we use the machines, they depreciate because we're that much closer to the time when we need to buy more. So, we would save uh, you know, 1/5ifth or so of the cost of the machines by getting by for one more year. And also the Apple is planning to red to release a new substantially upgraded version of the uh of the MacBook Neo uh either at the end of this year or early next year. So if we put it off one year, then we could get that um superior version for the same price is what you know the rumor mill in Mac world and such is saying. So, I I think that not only would we save the depreciation cost, but we could end up with substantially better machines. And even though we
054have to pay we have to purchase all of the students and the teachers in the same year, um you know, we our fund balance supports us being able to make decisions like that without, you know, without worrying about running out of working cash. Uh and it would save us money to do that. So, I think that would that would be something that I would be in favor of. >> You guys is this something that you guys talked to did you talk about the new apples at the finance committee like how they were going to be updating their is this >> that I don't think No, we didn't. I did talk about it with Mike Hansen. Um but um it's it's one of those things where it's not an official statement because Apple hasn't announced it
055yet. So, you know, it's it's one of those things where you you read about it and those are usually accurate, but there's not a guarantee. So, I will um concede that all the price could also increase. It's like it's kind of like speculative, right? This is this is the decision that you have here, right? Like there will always be a better computer next year, right? Will the cost stay the same? Will you know how many of ours will break in the interim that we'll have to fix? This is all speculative stuff, right? So, >> what about are we able to push the students off for another year then after that >> or would we be facing both at one time? >> I I don't know where the student >> we didn't get are we didn't
056get input from Mike Hansen on that. Um, students tend to be a little harder in their machines, but you know, that's something that I would be in favor of carefully looking at when the time comes >> doing both >> to to seeing if we can push those off as well. >> Oh, okay. >> You know, we need we need the students to have machines that are working. You know, if if dying, >> then we should replace them, but if they're in good shape, then, you know, we should consider stretching. >> How old are the >> Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Mr. Brown. Uh Mike isn't here today, but Mike would tell you yes, you could push it off another year for the students. Every year you push it off, you you would just have to
057be mindful of the money for tech that if something needs to be replaced that it's there. Um because the you'll see an increase of number of of iPads that Mike is always good about making it work for us if we need to push it off another year. There's nothing within the system that would be delaying instruction or anything that would be given to students. >> All the new um curriculum things will function on >> everything functional. Yes. >> Okay. Go ahead. >> I'd like to return to the the question I raised earlier about replacing 100% of computers at a time. That strikes me as a little bit unusual. Um, we are, of course, a a relatively small district and so I understand if we're talking about replacing 158 laptops, that's not the size of, you
058know, some of our neighboring districts. But, um, isn't it a little more common in institutional institutions, certainly the ones in which I've worked to have a fleet deployment system so that every year, you know, one or onethird of the laptops are being replaced. Um Mr. Deetmar mentioned earlier, you know, we could pull from the fund balance for this. Um replacing teacher computers and replacing student computers is not the kind of expense that we meet just once or once every five or 10 years. Um it's completely predictable that the machines will become obsolete within a relatively short period of time. Um whether we can have this discussion right now in the middle of uh budgetary uh talks uh I'm not sure but I I'd like to see us at some point revisit the policy of having
059to replace all of the machines at one time. Um again my my thinking there is that we we know it's 100 it's completely predictable that these machines will have to be replaced every few years. Why don't we plan for this proactively? >> I would say that we are planning. There is like a general sense that like we do this every so many years. I mean, you'd have to I think you'd have to ask um Mike because especially we have spare parts that we carry for the laptops. Like like I said, they they do repairs on here. And if you start if you have five different models of laptops or potentially seven different models of laptops, that increases a that's like a consideration that that we have to think about. >> I I just wanted to
060to return quickly to something that um that Christian raised. Uh when I said that we would pay for it with the fund balance, I didn't mean that um it was like it was a one-time thing. What I meant is that um we can afford to have that cushion where we pay for it in year zero and then we recharge the fund balance for each of the subsequent years when we don't have that expense so that then we can then pay for a big lump at the end because we can because we have the larger fund balance. we can afford to to do it that way rather than worrying each year about whether we're going to have enough money to cover a combination of, you know, all the laptops or, you know, or just a fraction
061of them. Um, so that that's what I meant. I didn't mean that it was a one-time unpredictable and not repeatable thing. It certainly it certainly is what just as you described it, Christian. >> It solves the cash flow problem. That's >> Yeah. Go ahead. Um yeah, I where where I work I'm supplied with the Apple laptops and um I've noticed that um like the the MacBook Pros are are super uh you know sturdy, but they um you know they're really expensive. And um um and then you know once I had a um an air and it was it was really a it was really you know it didn't hold up very well. Um um the year like how how old are these computers again? Because that's one thing that um >> I might have missed
062that. I apolog >> five years. >> They're five. Yeah. And that's to me that's >> we're reaching our limit. Certainly, >> that's really five years is when the the red lights start going off and it, you know, at least in my experience with those Apple laptops, five years is that's a life cycle pretty much, you know. Um, I also wonder how well they'll work with um just kind of slowing things down for teachers. I I worry about them kind of, you know, I'm waiting for this, you know, page to load. You know, it's like >> the reports on those newer ones are are really good, right? >> I mean, yeah, the NEO. Yeah. >> Yeah. And they certainly the, you know, this this option didn't exist. So, everyone here has an air, by the way.
063That's what that's what our teachers have because the NEO didn't exist then. Um, the reports are very good. And also, they're so much cheaper that, you know, if you only got three or four years out of them instead of five or six, you'd actually still save money in the long run, right? even just yeah >> you know so >> um I I will say since Mike's not here I'll just repres I'll try to represent what he said at the committee meeting which is that you know five years is like you said approaching the point at which he there are significant repairs and issues that sometimes happen with them and also not everybody gets a brand new laptop. There are some subset of our staff and employees that use the laptops from the last batch of
064laptops that we bought which are now like 10 years old. Um it's not >> typically um long-term substitutes think you >> I'm not sure if pairs are included in that. Maybe >> I'm not sure about that >> but uh there are some set of our staff that has those the the 10year-old laptops and those ones are really quite quite significantly old. So, I think that probably those are a problem for him. And so, he was I think hoping to like uh shuffle the ones that are currently in use. Yeah. I think he sells, you know, 80% of them and keeps 20% behind the use for the staff that don't get a new laptop. And, you know, it did sound to me that he was having some struggles with the 10-year-old ones. So, >> yeah, I'll
065just try to represent what he what he said in the meeting. >> Just want to make a quick comment here. Um, personally, and just to move the conversation along, I'm in favor of holding off a year in order to maintain the budget. Uh, and try to work with what we have. Um, in terms of updating these laptops, I I firmly believe that they should all be replaced at once. uh that is in order to not only keep the tech synonymous across the administration and the the district, but in terms of security policies and controls, that's something that you want to make sure that you are on top of and setting up these computers uh appropriately. So to to me, it makes sense to do them all at once. I just think that that's something that
066we can maybe hold off for next year. I I >> I agree with Mr. Santos. just having worked in the tech department, I don't know if they still do that, we would set up this laptop image and we were able to send it out to every computer when it hit the network and that they like um I was talking to um one of our technology um support people and um we were discussing about how many people were in the tech department and he was saying, "Yeah, we had that many people and we had a fraction of the computers we have now." So, I think that would be overload if we didn't replace them all at once. That would be, you know, okay, what what model do you have? What operating system are you running? And
067that kind of thing. So, you could image everybody's computer at once. So that's what and yeah I think the difference is you know the 158 that we have compared to a bigger district. So do we come to any consensus on this? I'm not sure we did. Um I'm heartened by the you know if our tech department says we can wait and our budget is as it is that we wait. any other you know I don't know what's everybody's thinking >> I can I make a comment >> uh I'll be fast u 121.7 is not a small pay is not a small amount of money um um for the high highest priority laptop um teacher computers Um but um in the context it it does seem I mean as as somebody who teaches the computer is
068is it's a huge part of my I mean it's everything you know I'm I'm constantly on it and um I guess I just know what it's like to be waiting for stuff to load and to be frustrated with you know websites that don't work right. Um that's the thing I worry more about is just stuff not working efficiently. um you know every year um the digital technology you know absorbs more memory and processing power and with the um especially with the um you know the rise of AI um our computers are you know they they they're they're desperate for for processing power and memory and um so I don't know it doesn't seem like To me, it seems important. >> I guess I'm making one more case for going ahead with >> going >> high
069priority purchases, you know, >> right? >> I I would agree with that if we were AI developers. Um, you know, at my job currently, we're we're actually getting newer laptops for the purpose of developing uh AI MCP models. However, we're not dealing with AI development. Um, if there's a case-bycase uh situation where maybe a design teacher needs a, you know, more powerful laptop, maybe that's something that we can revisit. But every single person getting a brand new laptop for the purposes of the same work that we've been doing, I think is um $120,000 too much. >> Just a rebuttal. um with respect our our teachers are they're not u developing artificial intelligence they're developing real intelligence you know there's a good reason to have you know computers that are easy for them to use with
070fluency so that's my rest that's my case >> I'm not saying no just saying >> just to I mean the the the previous uh reason for changing them was because of the AI so I I'm just going to say that uh Mr. Santos's point was that uh for the AI uh the computers are okay because they are not AI development that is happening here. for the real intelligence uh you know for uh millennia it has happened without uh the newest version of uh Apple products different apples they were using for that but uh so I'll just say that um I'm just going to pull back here from arguing about $121,000 right which is that um you know I think people on this board are are not to put words in anyone's mouth if it comes
071to directly influencing kids, um, everyone here seems pretty supportive that we should do that even though that when we get to this end of this process, it means we're going to have a shortfall almost certainly. Okay, we're not there yet, but I'm pretty sure we're going to. Okay, and uh, you know, this I I don't think that I don't think that framing this as like some sort of luxury good uh, for our staff is the right way to think about it. is like the main tool that they use to instruct. It's 5 years old. I mean it there is a real actual cost to like our employees having to fight with technology or our employees needing to deploy the technology as seamlessly as possible to educate. So I I just don't I I would I
072you know it to me my feeling is is that there's it is not just a free $121,000 that we're going to save. I also don't really see much of a difference in whether we spend the $121,000 out of our savings account this year or we spend the $121,000 out of our savings account next year. To me, that's largely a wash. Um, you know, we're not talking about covering the shortfall here. So, I I think we should this is a pretty minor minor part of of the budget. Um, it's not going to make a huge change in the numbers that we have to put into this thing here. um you know but uh so you know I I'm I'm fine with uh with doing it. I think that we did a lot of work to reduce
073it by almost half already, right? We already took it down from 200 down to 121. Um and so I'm I I think it's fine. And I don't I don't think that we should make I think like $121,000 to make everyone in the district's life better uh by you know even if it's 20 minutes a day while they're trying to instruct children is like worth it on on the grand scale of all the things that we have to decide here. >> I think you can make that argument for almost any item here that we're discussing. Whether we paid out of savings this year or next year we're going to pay. >> No, some of these we just simply aren't going to do. >> Yeah. May so this is there is a there is a thing about
074it. I mean if you want to sort of like look at each like you know ingredient of uh budget uh sort of like soup right uh they are small right uh the aggregate of them can be large this is and I I I wish we were sort of talking about it you know in that in that fashion right I think we can cut this by a million dollars without really impacting uh our uh curriculum and instruction in in a significant way. Right? That is uh one part of it. You you see right underneath that there is $71,000 for uh iPads. I think we should not do that either. Right underneath that is replacing two new uh buses. I think we should not do that either. Underneath that we have the facilities projects. I think we
075should uh go back from the $550,000 uh of uh cost for the bleachers to a $50,000 $60,000 and and you add those up then it's a million dollar. Now each one of them you look at it and say well I mean this one is like this thing and then you know you're going to end up with what you're going to end up right and I'm I I I understand the sort of like >> I think there's a significant Sorry. >> Yeah I'm just saying that I understand that you know looking at each one of them you know it may look you know like small compared with like $55 million or $60 million but uh I think that's a sort of like at least from my perspective wrong framing of uh of this for for this
076time. >> Sir >> I don't one second. So, here's what I'm going to suggest. >> I think there's a significant difference between the main instructional egg that we use and a facilities project. That's that's all. >> Okay. Um just a few things. I' I've attended most of um the meetings and I never heard speed and performance an issue. I heard we're getting old. Those kind of things. Here's what I'm going to suggest. Let's let's put this one in, Dave. And then we when we get to our final budget, we we know that we have differing opinions here and we see if that's going to sway that, you know, we really need to take that out. That okay with everyone. >> Should we do the same with the iPads as well then? Because I think it's
077going to be >> I kind of put them together, you know, where Yes. Okay, hearing no objections, we'll go on two buses. They were the highest priority. Um, and this is our replacement plan if I recall properly what this is. >> Yeah, I believe this is to do a few of the replace a few of the oldest buses each year, >> right? Sometimes it's a van, sometimes it's a bus. It depends on what he brings that year. >> And for the public, it would be two buses that we previously discussed in facilities, correct? Wasn't it two? >> Yeah, these are the one. >> It was two buses. Yes. >> Yeah. >> Is there anybody who could speak for the buses just so I understand better? Like part of a U >> I just would appreciate
078>> I can tell you the two buses he's looking to replace have transmission issues. So, the transmissions will need to be replaced >> if we don't replace the bus. >> Pardon me. >> Both of them if we don't replace the bus. >> Correct. So, you're talking $30,000 compared to $320,000. >> Is it 30 $30,000 each or is it >> 30,000 for the two buses? >> Okay. So, >> yeah. My understanding is that they're greatly needed to update the fleet. However, in the same vein as the tech that we're discussing, and while I was in support of getting the new buses, I think that that's also something that we can hold off on. >> Do we do that work ourselves, Dave, or they send those out for that? >> Right. And is do you feel that's
079the only major issue with those or we are we looking at wear and tear on, you know? Well, there's >> yeah, >> there's always wear and tear, but I told was told the major issues right now is the transmission always do busting. So, the alternative is again put transmissions in them and then run them for another year and we look out and following it. >> Those buses are going to need continuous maintenance, not just the transmission is my understanding. It's it's one of those things where it's u it's a little tricky. It's because it requires predicting the future for those buses. So, it's a little tricky. But if if you keep a bus for 15 years, then the depreciation is $10,000 a year for $150,000 bus, which is roughly what these cost. Um, so the
080transmission per bus is 15,000. So if you could get two more years out, then you would be ahead. And if you could get three more years out, you'd be a lot ahead. Um, I mean, that's just one way of looking at >> Do you know how old these buses are now? >> I do. >> I know. I'm looking at the list of 2008, 2009. We have two buses there. >> I don't recall. It could have been a 2009. Um, I'm in favor of passing on the the buses this year. Personally, I feel like the um Well, that's it. I I think that there are other priorities that are more important. >> Any other opinions on that? >> I mean, I think the whole point of this exercise is to find where we can find room
081in the budget. And again, while I was in support of the new buses previously, knowing where we are now, this is another action item that we can take to reduce the budget and ultimately save money for the taxpayers because inevitably, you know, our costs aren't going to get to a level where we don't impact the community. That that's what I'm seeing from all that I've seen. So, whatever we can do to slash the budget, let's do it now. Same reason that I've asked to move the computers to next year, the same with the new buses, same with the facilities projects that we're going to discuss next. Right? If it's not of urgency, then I don't think it should be on the budget. the buses for the replacement plan. From my understanding, what they do is
082they look about every year to replace the two oldest buses and then what they do is the two new ones go into the main fleet and then they pull the two oldest ones back um to be used as spares. So, those two oldest ones right now are spares from my understanding. Um but when you replace them, you move the new buses and then the older ones get pushed out. I'm okay with waiting a year, but I think a 20 bus that's been used a lot is probably going to have a lot of cheats and not going to last very long. Um so I do I do worry about that as well. And while I think um Jay like pushing all of these things off, it just makes them our problem this year. Like in the
083you know I think we you can push some things off but if you just push everything off then you're going to be in a worse place next year when other things break down or need to be replaced. And now all of a sudden you're looking at double the amount um that you have to pay for all the additional things that come. >> Yeah, I totally agree. However, we have a a real budget issue and that's what I'm trying to address. >> Oh, just to like maybe put some context in here. By the way, I'm fine if we want to move these off this here, but just to put some context in to it. If you remove the second priority and the low priority and you just take the high priority stuff, right? I mean, you
084can see in the sheet that, you know, we're talking about a 2.7 million roughly shortfall roughly. Just take my take that as an estimate. That's not really any different from last year. So, like I don't I I'm like I'm not sure like like you could hack everything out of the budget and delay it the next year, but you're you know this is now the third year in a row that we have one to2 and a half million dollar shortfall. So that just some context. >> Can I make a comment? >> Yes, certainly. >> Um I I mean I feel like our public they they expect from us u a sense of of of balance and um and kind of reasonable um efforts to trim things down. Um I think that they also are uh wary
085of massive kind of um changes in in budgetary policy and you know um this is not Washington. you know, this is where the the rubber meets the road uh locally, you know, and um you know, we have Republicans out there who uh understand why we need to raise taxes sometimes and we have Democrats out there who are afraid of taxes, you know, and you know, it's not this isn't, you know, I I think that this seems thing I like about this chart is that it it it's it's a very responsible chart, you know. I I love that. I love that it like is is kind of showing us, hey, here's some deeper this this is what we really need to think about this year, you know, and I I I just I really respect that
086work, you know, that and um so I I just want to, you know, for me it's like, you know, ideally, yeah, we we would really do a lot of cutting this year. Um but um but I feel like we have done that or this this this is suggesting some pretty darn reasonable cuts without um kind of going overboard because I also think that that our our community they don't they don't want us to go overboard, you know. So it's >> Mr. Bonberg, if um if we didn't replace these buses and in the middle of the year something happens to one of these buses, not usable anymore, how long would it take us to get a new bus? I mean, you know, six months, >> it would depend. >> It would vary on what's available. >>
087Depend on the chain as to what there is available. We might be able to rent one. Um but I can't tell you. I mean, um, the company we deal with a lot of times has buses there that you can rent if their bus goes down. >> Okay. >> But that would be the situation. We'd have to make sure they have one or it's not renting out somebody else or they sold it. But they in the past have told us they usually have buses we can rent. >> Business manager, it's going to be six plus months. That's the answer, right? Six plus months. I know you don't want to say depends on, but it's six plus months. Notice that's what I went to first because I I thought I remembered that kind of thing. Okay, where
088are we on this? >> I I just not sure you had anyone say that they were willing to keep it in. So, >> I'm just There are also people who didn't respond. So, maybe they're like, "No, I want these." I I was just going to say that um last our budget from last year um if you took take out the the amount the onetime amount that we paid to Votech and it's it really is a onetime amount because it's going to last for like >> 50 years. Yeah. Well, I don't think the they'll probably want to do another building before then, but it's going to last for decades. So, that's that really is a one time. um if you take that out, our our shortfall, our budgeted shortfall for the year that we're currently in
089is um 1 a.5 million. So the difference between that and starting to get up to, you know, well into the twos is that's real money. Um so I I think that, you know, it it's all your in your perspective of how you want to look at it, but to me the difference between 2.3 and 1.5 is a real noticeable difference. Uh, you know, that's a big part of the maximum possible tax increase we can do in one year. So, if we can save that, I think that's a worthwhile goal. >> What was the Bevett's number, Dave? Was 2.6 I believe was in the budget. Gotcha. >> Um, Mr. Oh, I'm sorry. Am I allowed to? >> Of course. Yes. >> Mr. Bon Bonburgger. Um C could you just mention could you say again um how
090much healthc care increases are part of the uh the the the budget increase this year for for us. We're only looking at like a 5% increase for us >> overall. Right. Buses out. All right. Facilities. Um, Don, could you go through and say the highest priority what those are or do I just go to the facilities? >> There's an append. I mean, honestly, this is from the facilities committee, so I have less information about this. >> So, this is all the A's. Is that >> it's all the A's? Yeah, >> all the A's on the append. I know that there was some discussion about some of the A's that were originally there. This is like what was originally done at the facilities committee being that I I know I think the bus depot fence might
091have gotten >> it might have gotten shunted to a B, but I didn't update it by the facilities. >> I think that's that's in the A call. >> Oh, it's in the A. Okay. >> Thought it was too. >> Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Very well. It got no moved out. >> It got moved. >> When we when we went through it got moved out. >> Yeah. I think that they might have moved it out, but I didn't change mine. So, >> oh, so what does that mean? >> There's $20,000 less. I mean, >> $22,000 less. >> I'm seeing that the highest expense in the A's column is the stadium bleachers at almost 600,000. Is that >> absolutely necessary currently or is that >> which number are we talking about? >> Stadium bleachers. The >>
092stadium again the stadium bleachers. Uh, Mrs. Veli and myself, we already took that out. So I think what um what Don is looking at, Mr. Carter is looking at is just the A's at this point which is that 848 is the >> that in Right. So that in includes the cooling tower that includes um the >> the cooling tower forget about tower the one that was >> I'm just trying to give them an idea what the holy yes the >> continue 591 in there. So, so that's $800 something thousand a almost 600 of it is that one project. >> Yeah. So, I'm seeing that without that stadium leisures, it's at about 250. That would be high priority. >> Correct. >> Could you tell me the rationale for pulling that out since we had water leaking
093in electric panels and concrete potentially falling on people? >> I I I I this is we've been we've been doing some of that before, right? So, this the leaking was was happening. This time my understanding was that uh they didn't look at any shorter term fix. The the fix that we had presented and we approved is for uh the adding of the what is it that they're adding the the metal uh pieces that would be uh fixing that quote unquote >> they were they were had special things for the gaps that would seal them with a 20-year guarantee >> guarantee. Yeah. So as opposed to the I mean in the past what they were doing is uh they were cocking the leaks and they would uh I mean in this case they would basically sort
094of like attach the parts of the concrete that are falling attach it back and some parts remove it so that it wouldn't be a hazard. So there is a there is an option that is not the permanent uh option for the next 20 years with guarantee that is uh going to cost $7,000. I'm just saying a number. Nobody actually ever did that study because we we just asked for the whole shebang. >> Could I >> This actually wasn't the whole shebang. >> Oh >> yeah. Could I just clarify? Does the 591 include the concrete remediation or the roof? There was like a whole bunch of pieces to this and I I don't remember what >> it Yes. The part of it was the concrete and part of it was um the roof for the wrestling
095room was >> Okay. So it's not just the cocking or it's not just the leak thing. It's also concrete remediation and a roof. Yes. you have the breakdown of >> A, B, and C option when uh the contractors are people who showed it to us at facilities and um the A and B is what we had decided on not the C for all. I believe it was what we just talked about the concrete and the >> I think there was some kind of pedestrian coding for walkways safety but there was one that we didn't do. You're right that I correct. Yes, that's why I said there was more to this. >> No, the I think the C was hugely expensive because it was like removing every bleacher. Yes. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry, but
096isn't this the um the contract that we voted on and approved at our March 10th meeting? >> It is. >> Yes. But as indicated, >> so we as a board have already discussed this and already approved this expenditure. >> That's correct. >> Why? What? I'm I'm cons confused then as to why it's on the table now for discussion. We've already approved this expense. because we didn't sign a contract yet. >> I'm not sure I understand why that would matter at this point. It's this is our as a board at our public. We already debated this issue. We already had a vote on it. This is our chance to reconsider. That strikes me as rather, I don't know, disingenuous to the public. We already had this discussion. Um, it's not on our agenda this evening. I
097see. I mean, if I'm a lone voice in the woods here, of course, I'll I'll be quiet, but um that strikes me as something that the public might not be very happy with us for doing. Maybe if I uh if I may bring a theory of the case or whatever uh to the it it may be that since we're looking at the entire picture again in in in in the context of having to make the the sort of massive budget decisions including a possible you know a tax increase um that uh there was a I guess maybe a thought of uh reintroducing kind of bringing everything back to the table. You know, maybe that's what I'm thinking. You that's my um and because we we are it is a you know, a kind of um
098I hear what you're saying, but I'm thinking that maybe that's the the logic, you know, >> that um we did approve it and the start date, if I remember correctly, was right after graduation so that it would be done in time for the football season, then the start of school. So, um, in our decision making in time, we may want to keep that in mind that, um, we would need someone to start right away in order to be done in time to use it for next. >> Go ahead. >> Um, I just wanted to comment on this. I I the public I hope will get a copy of this um, this document. Um I think that it they're entitled to you, but I >> Which documentary are you >> Don's document that he sent to
099us? Um >> um >> that's not I'm understanding. I'm just >> if I if I could if I could finish it >> if I could finish. I was saying I um I thought that the appendix one is is is really impressive and um you know, here's a committee that did a bunch of work. Um, I mean, this took some doing it pretty there were there were there were discussions and it was tedious and um and and there were little mini debates. Um, I I just hope that as a board we have some respect for that process. Wow, nice job. Thanks. This is this mean this should be meaningful, you know, other people for not actually respecting the work that they do, you know. Um, this is a lot every all the man my god a
100lot of work. So anyway, if nothing else, I I really appreciate all of these committees workload. Dave, you were at one point, I believe, going through what is in that 848 and that was the cooling tower, the complete stage rigging. Did we already buy that and install that or is that still coming? That's still >> No, we did part of it. It was this is the part where um to be able to raise and lower the scenes the flying not people flying out but raising and lowering of the uh backdrops um for that for the >> So that's the cooling tower the complete stage rigging and the pool area boiler. >> Yes. Pool area boiler. Yes. >> And then the stadium bleacher was the 591. >> So out are any of those room renovations we
101were talking about as well? I'm sorry. What? >> The room renovations we were talking about. >> That's not That's not in there. Not in that part of it. That's okay. >> Just a question. Did we sign the stage rigging contract? Sorry. >> No, >> that was just 85,000 for the stage rigging. Um, could you tell me the thought process between Jamie and you where or either of you that you took this out? You know what I mean? That you you felt we could wait on it or get more um get more different options for it. Is that is that why it's removed or is it removed because of the massive dollar figure? >> Which which thing >> I we didn't remove anything. I mean it actually >> Oh, I thought you said I mean it
102was it was I mean the direction was to go what was the deepest cuts and what was the most painful ones. And I think that was our last one was was the 591 was one of the lower ones coming out. I think was um I think that's why that was in the list. So because it was something we haven't signed a contract, it's a big number to help balance the budget if um the board would so choose to. >> Just a note, I I say the press box got a D. And um boy, that's just kind of the way of the way of the world these days. someone who teaches journalism and I mean those people will forgive you but still it's just like uh they're used to that you know but um boy it's
103interesting that you know it gets that's what they get D they're going to have to be in their >> to be they've been in forever >> for the announcers of sports games by the way >> no press goes in there >> okay okay >> you know I think that >> the thing is that this is on the day of Mr. Brun on the day of the game. Uh those are the nicest uh seats in the stadium. Just so you know. No, I mean the point of it is that everybody else is out in the elements. So at least there is >> right. They have a roof that doesn't leak. I think that we've said this in probably not a while now, but throughout the course of a year, the fact of the matter is the
104board is going to get requests for this that the other thing, repairs that need to be done, updates to technology, everything under the sun. And the reality is that we can't fulfill each and every single request. That's really the reality of the situation. or we get in ourselves into a situation where, you know, we're $9 million over budget and we have to figure out where to slash. And that's honestly the purpose of the conversation tonight is where are we going to find space and room for the budget so that again it doesn't impact the community as badly as it could. We have to be realistic. Um, you know, I would love new stadium bleachers. I would love a press box. I would love a playground for our kids. Um, we got to figure out what
105our priorities are is the the message here. So, in >> I'm looking for direction from the board on are we moving forward with the 848? Is that where we're going? >> I think we should move forward with the 250 and not include the stadium uh bleachers. >> Can I just ask for another point of clarification? We're talking about stadium bleachers, right? Does does that refer to the project that Mr. Degan uh recommended and that we heard about the repairs to stop the water infiltration? >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. So, by discussing I I hope people will indulge me here, but by discussing that project, which is really both a health and safety issue as stadium bleachers, it makes it sound as though we're spending money kind of frivolously, right? We're not just talking about making
106people's high knees more comfortable when they're sitting and watching the game. We're talking about water that was leaking into the facilities that are housed underneath those bleachers. Right. Um, so I'd like if we're going to move forward, I just want to make sure that we're a little clearer about what we're talking about there. >> Could we change the we stated >> also roof and wall restoration? It's not just a It's not just stadium. It's not just the bleachers like the the way when I sorry when I first came in onto that committee and these that discussion was had it prefaced around the fact that there were leaks in that area that were affecting where things were taking place. So from there decisions were made to of which way and there were meetings that lasted a
107quite a bit of time um with the scope of work with the risers, with the scope of work of roof restoration, and with the scope of work, what it would include in terms of warranties. So, all of those things involved. Um, I I can see where Dr. Tattoo is making those comments because as somebody who sat on those committees and had those conversations already, I get that a time period has passed, no contract has been signed. this is a way we can potentially take it out of the budget and fit it somewhere else potentially in the future. But that also seems like a waste of time for people who sat in those meetings and had those conversations and did that research and saw those places. Um I have to echo and this is my first
108time here so um same for you Dr. tattoo that there is that feeling that goes with that of if we already approved it, why are we coming back to it? And I get we have a clean slate, we have a spot to go back to, but the conversations that were had in those facility meetings were not about appearance. They were about safety and where the water is coming into and following through on that and then if concrete could be falling and injuring people. So, I think that is something we should keep in mind if we're going to take it out. Obviously, It might not be starting right after graduation and it might not be done in time for football, but it's something I would suggest we don't put off much longer than that if it
109comes to it. >> Yeah. May I was it? >> So, uh this is there are two things here that we are I think conflating. One is uh the goals, one is the means, right? And I just want to make sure that uh we are kind of like clear about it, right? I don't think anybody here uh from uh Mr. Santos there to uh me here on this side are saying that there should continue to be leak there. Right. The question is whether we are going to address the leak issue with a $600,000 uh project or a $60,000 project. And the point is that when we >> we had this discussion in March >> I understand and if the the desire of the board today is to continue that's okay, right? there is no uh there
110there is no sort of like forcing of uh others if the the point here is that you know back in March maybe you decided that you're going to buy a car and uh in May you decide that hey you know what uh the paycheck that I was expecting that I'm going to receive did not uh materialize so I'm not going to purchase the car that I decided back in March I'm going to pay and you can still sort of like decide that say you know what even though the paycheck did not uh come through we are going to go ahead and buy the same car with the same specs. Uh, and that's fine, right? >> The problem with that analogy though, Dr. Poxide, is that I don't elect a public official to make the decision
111to buy a car for me, right? We are all here in a matter of trust for the public. this matter was already decided and I just I I feel like it's a procedural matter. Um, you know, I I I just think it would be disingenuous to the public for us to go back now because the contract hasn't yet been signed. Mrs. Demco, you know, in just a few minutes ago asked Mr. Bonenberger, has has this other contract been signed? If we're going to do that, I mean, are we as a board now going to go back and comb through all of the decisions that we committed to spend money on over the last year and see if we can go back on any of those? >> Just a minute, please. >> Just just to just
112add to the discussion. I It's It's not unusual for boards when new information comes to light that they need to effectively resend or move away from something that had previously been approved. So, that it's not like that's an unheard of action. Um, in this instance, um, obviously there was a approval with some conditions of that contract. I guess it was about two months ago at this point, um, with this discussion now occurring. So, it's not it's not unheard of that that boards would ultimately have to come back and and potentially resend an action that occurred publicly. So, it's it's not terribly different than what Dr. Pacad is indicating. It >> But that would be, you know, if material conditions had changed. Well, material conditions can be the fact that we're looking as a as a
113board to to balance a budget. >> All right. For forgive me. I'm not going to be I'm not going to filibuster about this. I'm not going to, you know, dig my heels in and continue to monopolize the the board's time. Um I'll chalk this up to me as a newly elected board member. Uh perhaps not understanding and uh you know uh perhaps it's my naivee. I just thought that this matter had already been taken care of. >> I I I just I just want to say something that it's not your naive. It's I I appreciate you advocating for it. This is like I truly sort of like look at this as uh we as a uh board as a group of representatives of the community looking at all the options that we have. Now, if
114the desire on the other side of it of the majority is to uh move forward with the previous decision, I'm perfectly fine with that. Also, I'm not going to dig my uh heels uh either. So, this is this is basically just saying that whether this makes sense in May when we are doing this the same way that it made sense back in uh March. That's sort of like the extent of my uh sort of like interest uh in this and sort of like bringing up the issue. Yeah, >> I don't mind some heel digging here and there. >> I'll just I just want to again just make sure that we're all clear that right now we're talking about expenditures, right? And um I I I you know having been to AMP meetings and facilities meetings
115you know the work that's being done there this project I did hear about it once I didn't hear about it multiple times but this was being evaluated on a good faith effort of doing what is best right and it took a lot of time and there was a lot of deliberation over it no one was no one back then was just like who cares we have money let's do it right the project was evaluated on its own merits right and and a decision was paid and so I just think that that is not that not that we can't redo it because it you know we're we're facing a budget shortfall or whatever but uh the project was evaluated on its mayors and I think that that matters for something especially as I said before that
116we're in a situation now where we didn't balance that we we're in a shortfall right and we're going to have to spend money to fix this right we could spend however much it is we could do the thing that we evaluated and thought was the right thing to do two months ago we're going to spend the money out of the fund balance to do it. So, >> I I say that and I'm part of the facilities committee. We had the same considerations with the buses that we just removed off the budget, right? We had the same types of conversations. They were lengthy. We were informed as to what damage uh had been sustained to those two older buses. And like I had said earlier, I was in full support of getting those new buses until
117new information comes to light and that our entire budget needs to be re-examined. >> Could I ask you to elaborate a little on that because I'm I'm the what what's the new information? And I'm I'm just trying to make sure I understand cuz it sounds >> the the new information is the entire budget put together in front of me rather than just looking at one decision with buses or one decision with the repair of the ceiling. I think we should repair the ceiling. Maybe we don't need the bleachers. I think there could be some way to remediate that damage while we recuperate our budget. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Um, I know this is this is going to be another one that we're going to we're going to go with the 848 in my opinion.
118We'll go with the 848 and then you know when we get numbers we'll see what that does. Same with the computers. I think we are finished. So, um, talking with our attorney Fitzgerald. He's going to talk with Dave about some scenarios so that later in the U. Go ahead. >> Just I just want to >> Yes, Dave. You're you're good with the expenditure side here and then >> that out. >> Okay. All right. >> Okay, Dave. Um >> Yes. Thank you. Um do you know you talked about $30,000 for that transmission? Is that budgeted anywhere? Um or do we need to put that in as an expense to we're not replacing those buses now. We need to spend the 30,000 to fix them. something else. >> I was just gonna make Jim make it work
119out of what he has for repairs and services for that. Uh, and there may be something else he may have to give up on or whatever at that point, but I wasn't going to add it in at this point. >> Okay. All right. We're going to move forward with the agenda as um we asked for some calculations and things. I'm going to revise the agenda a bit here. the order of the agenda. Um, since we have Miss Baxter here, um, would you like to give your report on Northampton Community College? You know, you're certainly welcome to stay after that. However, then it gives you an option. >> The agenda switched it around a little bit. I've been at plenty of these board budget meetings and >> Yes. if you could. Yeah, thank you. >> Can
120you hear me now or do I need to talk? >> Yeah, now listen. Okay. All right. So, I'll just give you a couple of the updates. Summer classes at NCC start on May 18th and they have a accelerated studies program in which they can complete courses within the first four weeks. So, that might be good for for some students. Uh NCC is among 10 institutions statewide to receive a dual credit innovation grant from PTE. This is a 400,000 grant, $400,000 grant that will help NCC offer eligible high school students the opportunity to earn college credits. Uh Dave Ruth is among five newly elected members to the board of directors for Lehigh Valley Economic Development. NCC has signed three new transfer agreements, including a dual um including a dual admission with Holy Family University, a program
121um agreement with Arcadia University in early childhood education, and an honors agreement with BMAR College. NCTC has partnered with Northampton County and Lehigh Valley Justice Institute uh to prepare incarcerated individuals for successful re-entry into the workforce. And summer theater starts in June and their programs up there are really good and they never feel most people still don't know about their programs, but they have a chorus line June 3rd through 14th. Juny Bee's essential survival guide June 17th through July 26th. and Gypsy is June 24th to July 5th. And that's all I have. >> Okay. Thank you. Any questions or comments? >> You will stay for the budget. Uh >> no, I'm not. >> This is missed so much that I don't you know you came back on this date. >> Sorry, we moved earlier. >>
122How fast the budget I should have known, but I thought, well, maybe it'll come by really fast. I wasn't sure. So, I thought I better get down here >> now. Come on. >> I know. I I should have known better. All right. Well, good luck. >> Thank you very much. Thank you for coming. Um I don't believe there's any unfinished business, new business. Um we have um let's take the first two. We have um in under education we have a capstone academy agreement. Um it's a tuition agreement that exists for a student. This is just um approving it for the next year and approve supplemental high school senior scholarship um for this year. Do I have a motion? >> So move to >> second. >> Um any discussion? All those in favor say I. >>
123I opposed. >> Motion passes. Uh we have next on the agenda the science textbooks um to approve the McGraw McGraw Hill Inspire series for biology and chemistry at a cost of $21,19151. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any comments? I would like to ask very briefly if we have uh support and buyin by the science department that these are the textbooks that they want to get for the students for next year. I just want to make sure that we have some representative confirming that the science department is on board with the these materials. >> So uh since the solicitor is not here, Mr. uh Robert Schu may yes can can we ask for a uh recess in the middle of a motion for five minutes because I see that we
124don't have a superintendent solicitor business manager or assistant superintendent in the room so uh none of the questions that you have or I would have uh would be answered but in the middle of the motion can we request for a recess you don't have any objection for that >> sure I have no objection miss can we have five minutes recess >> yes we'll take a fivem minute recess till we get some representation back. >> Oh, sure. >> Yeah. Yeah. Come to the next. >> Sorry. You can answer that question. >> Not in a recess though. >> Not in a recess. Sorry. >> They'll appreciate it in five minutes. >> I'm just saying So, we're getting medicine here. >> Okay. That's it. Wait a second. Wow. Well, I'm told Rich point. This time you priority. >>
125They He didn't say that. These these these were approved. I have more Okay. Yeah, we need to go. >> Yeah. >> All right, we are back in session. And the question was um presented um we were we're on for those of you who are stepped out of the room, we're on the McGra Hill Inspire series and there was a question posed by a board member whether the textbooks were supported by the teacher. >> Okay. >> Good evening. Hello everyone. Uh to answer your question, yes, it was supported by the teachers uh during an AAP meeting uh last week. One of our teachers, our biology teachers actually where Mrs. Kim Mertz was present and she was there to present on the uh the inspired textbook um also to the chemistry as well too. So and whenever
126we're doing a curriculum review or having conversation or identifying or reviewing the programs uh teacher buyin and input is there is prevalent and we have dialogue and you know again it was vetted uh through three different programs and that's the one uh collectively in the consensus they used that met their needs. So yes there's there was teacher buyer. >> Excellent. Thank you. As long as we have not only top down support but also bottom up support. >> Absolutely. I'm more than happy. >> Thank you. I before you uh sit down, I'm going to ask a question that you know what it is. So, okay. Uh these two books uh other than the AP courses in biology and chemistry, are they the textbooks for all of the other biology and chemistry courses that we have? >>
127Yes. uh are there uh uh the the material that is going to be covered in the different classes of the same subject APSI are they uh uh all inclusive of the standards that I'm assuming that the books include? >> Yeah. Well, many of the standards for this the new steel standards uh that came out 2022 has has been adopted. uh many of the standards for 912 uh for the life science and environmental science it touches upon for biology but for the question you're asking every single standard will be in one course >> I'm asking so this is there is a biology book I mean I can I can ask the question you know sort of like in in smaller pieces so the biology book does that uh comply with all of the biology steel standards
128that uh are okay now all are all of those standards is taught in all of our biology classes. >> Yeah. If if in regards to the the text adoption uh for the biology and the honors biology, they'll be covered. >> Yeah. So in other words, my my question is that there is no case where we say that uh chapter 3, four and five are not covered in uh in this class because this class is for low kids so to speak. >> Absolutely. >> That's absolutely happening or absently not happening. >> It is happening. They're the standards are getting covered. Are you asking if the standards are being covered? They're being covered. There's no omission in regards to or we're omitting a particular chapter that is not covered by the standards. >> Okay. Thank you. >>
129Thank you. Oh, Mr. B. >> Yeah. Um well, this is u uh director Santos u mentioned um the need for not only buyin from the board which uh you know and the you know the&p committee. I was at the meeting when this was presented and um but also he mentioned uh support from the teachers um and and that that was important um I think that uh we've been looking at quite a a lot of new curriculum packages in the last you know two years um and um you know I think that the decisions have been the presentations have been really good you know, for for for the most part on on the new packages and um you know, with when at this meeting, you know, there a couple of the board members have, you know,
130expertise in in in the sciences and STEM and um I mean they they come in at a very high level, you know, and um we have a lot of STEM people up here. You know, I'm not one of them, but uh but we have a lot of STEM people here. Um, and the fact is, you know, I think it's important to say that those the decisions about curriculum are are are very carefully considered. and they're they're probably the most carefully considered of anything that we do on the board I would say more than anything else you know and um when they it's it it is important when we have support from teachers you know but it's not the only thing you know and um and you know it's always hard to take on a new
131curriculum and that's the thing I wanted to say was just like you know curriculum new curriculum is hard. You know, new books are hard and some teachers are going to comfortably, you know, get the program and some some may need some help doing it, but you know, if we approve a curriculum, you know, we expect it to be taught, you know, >> and um you know, that that is it. I mean, it is, you know, and I just want to say that because I think it's I you know, we're not the curriculum isn't a popularity contest, you know what I mean? Um, so that's all. Yeah, >> thank you. >> Any other comments or questions? Um I do know that this has been a recent discussion amongst uh some of us in the room about
132when it a curriculum program or a textbook is coming forth of who is uh who is part of the process and then who's coming to the meetings and who's speaking to it and whether everyone is behind it as a department or what have you. And um I've given this a lot of thought because there are people sitting at the table both administration and teachers and a lot of questions at the NP meetings are asked and then to your point Mr. Brun on the other side of it once we have the curriculum adopted we hear sort of the grumblings that are occurring about how difficult it may be to implement it or challenges that staff are having and sometimes that's mirrored back to us as well we weren't necessarily in support of it or there are
133people not in support of the curriculum. I think when we are presenting at AM uh moving forward, we internally have the program evaluation forms and the textbook adoption forms that when Dr. Schnor is part of the meetings and evaluating programs or looking at textbooks are completed by those individuals that are involved in departments as a whole and they're evaluating it based on certain criteria and those are not only just signed off by the department but it's also goes up the chain. So those those textbook adoption forms and evaluation forms are looked at by department heads, the department as a whole through the building administration up through Dr. Tenor and to the committee. So we should show those forms to you so you see what truly is being evaluated and how everyone is rating them from
134teachers all the way through. So you can see exactly where those that criteria or hiccups may be and start talking about those points specifically when we're sitting at the meeting and not necessarily just the narrative that you could be getting. You have more to work from as committee members and as board to see those things. So we'll be more front facing with those documents so you have that and know who's been also signing off on it and approving it as the process goes on. You >> sincerely appreciate the transparency. Any other questions, comments? Hearing none, all those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Motion passes. Um, first reading of policies. Let's split up the policies. We have A15.1 artificial intelligence. And as you received from Miss Wuest, um some a revision from what
135was presented since attorney Fitzgerald um addit some definitions and things like that in the um in the policy. Do I have a motion for this policy? >> That the one with the red text. >> The red the red text is what attorney Fitzgerald added. So >> the black text is what we were presented before. >> It's in the second column. >> Um any comments or discussion? >> So just to be clear, these policies do not prohibit the use of AI when a teacher has designated that the use of AI is appropriate. Just want to make that is clear, make sure that's clear to the public. Um, I I find that these are very fair rules in terms of adopting AI within the district, especially given the fact that we're taking a focus on making sure
136that the content and the use is age appropriate. We need to teach these kids how to use AI. >> Any other comments? Um, yeah, I I um when I read through these, I mean, the the I understand that there are legal considerations, but when I read through some of these, they they seem duplicative with what's already there, maybe not exactly the same, but what I would rather do is rather than have two sentences, one right after the other, that say almost the same thing, but maybe not quite, would be to consolidate them, um, And uh >> are you talking about the definitions? >> I'm talking about the red line, the adding the red line to the to the text. Oh, so like one example on the very last page, >> there are two sentences that
137seem to basically say the same thing. And then um I don't know if you guys want to read those, but >> one's about employment and one's about grades. No, the district prohibits the use of generative AI and making final determinations on student assessments and evaluations. Artificial intelligence tools uh may support assessment processes but shall not replace educator professional judgment. So our intention was that the second sentence would say what the first sentence says. And if you know if the judgment of the the solicitor's firm is that our sentence wasn't good enough, um I'm fine to change it. But I think that both of those together say are duplicative. >> Not exactly the same but close enough. >> Yeah. Yeah. So they should be combined uh so that it satisfies you know the need. And then
138in addition under acceptable use on the second to the last page um I don't know what district's technology protection measures means. What does that mean? Um, it it just seems like that that's kind of a phrase that it comes out of nowhere. >> Generated by AI. I mean, yeah, I think >> I think that's that's partly true. >> I think we should have that defined as well. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> So, um, so but I until it's defined, I don't know what it means. So maybe um I believe that when we last talked about this and and maybe Miss Flaccid you can you can weigh in is that this isn't how important is it that we uh do a first reading on this? Maybe we should either send it back or um or maybe
139move forward on a first reading and then >> I think you I think you can make move this forward. I I think these are what what I will call >> minor >> not say minor but I don't think it would prohibit as as significantly material modifications to the policy. >> Okay. >> Well from the first reading to the second reading there could be significant changes. No >> point of >> there could certainly there could yeah I mean you usually what has happened is when there have been significant changes at this table it usually goes back and then maybe comes back a month or two later but I I don't see a sort of like internal processing. That's not a uh that's not like a legal obligation. >> Oh, correct. Oh, you can do whatever you
140want in this. >> No, but the the fact that the sort of like the changes should be dimminimous, I think you were sort of like holding that as that if something is uh uh published and then you come here and then completely change the meaning, you know, then you can't uh pass it the same day. Uh but if the change is dimminimous, you say that this word, you know, whether it be changes something else, then you can do it. But uh first reading to second reading you can make significant changes. That's the whole point of it. But two readings. >> Yeah. And just one other item that I noticed is that uh in the definitions open source AI is defined but I didn't see it used anywhere uh in the document. And then you know
141it's like when we started with this there were a bunch of definitions and one of the reasons that we took all of them out like of this kind of AI that kind of AI is that I mean this doesn't even include the newest kind of AI that just came to be into being in the last you know six months or even three months in sort of the popular culture of agentic AI right where does that fit in so I I think that maybe what we thought is that we could just say AI and that would be a catchall for every kind of AI because the new ones are coming along on a fairly regular basis as people get more creative and the and the tools get more powerful. >> I I would agree with that
142statement, >> but anyway, um maybe we could um review this. It's kind of tricky because we don't have your resources, Mark, at the at the committee meeting, but uh um what what does anyone have a suggestion for the best way to move forward with resolving these changes? I have an unrelated comment. >> I I I can make a related suggestion which is that one of the two we uh move it right and if you are uncomfortable with the one with the red ones we can we can do the >> Yeah. And then uh because it's always these policies are always sort of like contingent upon uh solicitor uh you know review or something right. So, so from now until then then we can work with the solicitor and uh make whatever changes that uh is
143needed and then bring it back uh in its uh more final format the next time. >> That works for me. >> I have a go ahead. Um, and on delegation of responsibility, I want to suggest that we add uh the district encourages the responsible and transparent use of artificial intelligence tools. I was >> on the subhead. It's on page two on my document under delegation of responsibility. Even though um where it says the district encourages the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools and resources by student and staff, I I want to ask that we include the the the phrase the district encourages the responsible and transparent use of artificial intelligence tools. >> I like encourages. It doesn't say demands. It doesn't say must. >> I I agree with you. I like that. >> I'm good.
144>> I'm sorry. >> This this is something that could sort of like let's say uh you know when we were talking about this uh Mrs. McCarthy where was I think she's the one who mentioned that there are a lot of tools that uh include uh AI uh in them and they're using them but uh maybe currently they are not uh kind of like advertised as such right so uh you know parents and public and so forth they don't know that those exist so if there is a sort of like portion in the uh in the district uh documentation either website or something or something that says that these document these these tools in the classroom or uh when staff or administrators or so forth are using they have uh AI included in them. I think
145that's the that's the transparency, right? >> Yeah, that's what a good example. Yeah. Even during this board meeting, I've used AI three times, you know, to um analyze numbers to, you know, to look at policies um you know, and it's obviously a really helpful tool, you know, but I did I also found an error, you know, with the AI. So, Any further discussion? Okay. All those in favor say I. And what I was talking to attorney Fitzgerald is he'll note these changes and bring it back to the committee or send it back somewhere. >> Send it back. >> Okay. All right. >> Just got my grades in today, so I'm like I'm ready. I can go. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Okay. Policy passes. Policy 113.1, discipline of students with
146disabilities. Do I have a motion for this policy? The first one. >> So moved. >> Uh any discussion on this? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. >> I. Opposed. >> Motion policy passes. Um, policy 113.2, behavior support. Uh, do I have a motion for this policy? >> So, moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> I I just wanted to say for anyone watching, if there's anyone still there watching, um, the the the 113.1 and point two were uh only dimminimous changes. uh to be more clear there was there were wasn't really any change to the substance of the policies in my view anyway. >> Yes. Accurate. >> Um all those in favor say I. >> I opposed. >> Ally passes. Um let me see. We're going to go on to personnel issues. Um,
147there are 11 of them. Does anybody want these pulled separate or pull one out in particular? None. Okay, let me read through them. We have um approvement of an athletic worker. Um, and that was for the winter season. Um, so we're just approving that. Um, stage lighting and sound technician. Uh, we have summer IEP writers at $45 an hour. We have athletic workers for the 26 27 um school year. We have athletic athletic coaches um for the fall. Mostly are for the fall and some in the and then on to the winter. Again, we um changed the agenda where we removed um the basketball. Um and as as Miss Blacidity said about the wrestling as well, um we have unplay unpaid leave for Tracy Mullen. We approve um an extended unpaid leave for another person.
148We are number eight is the approvement of retirement Kevin Petraelli and approve the retirement of Mark Goldfeder part-time bus driver resignation of Kevin Petraelli as game manager effective at the end of the spring season and resignation of a dedicated substitute. Um do I have a motion for all 11 of those? >> So moved. >> Any discussion? just like to thank Kevin for his service to the district and um I hopeful for a great retirement. All those in favor say I. >> I opposed hearing none. All those pass facilities there are no agenda items. Um we have finance. It is time. Um Dave, could you um give us some indication of where we are, >> please? Sure. Bonenburgger, sorry. >> After all the adjustments, um the total budget would be 57,373,233. uh which would leave us
149based on the revenue uh of 54,995224 is a shortfall of 2,378,9 based on what's being in. That's based on um we took out the obviously the nine positions. We took out we took out the retirements of the two staff. Uh we added back in the world language position. We kept that in. Um we took out um the computers. We lowered it from the full computers to the the Neos and we took out the iPads. uh the building reassessment of the building budgets of 200,000 and replacement of the buses of 320 came out and you left in the um construction of the 5 91 >> a question is that with the 3.5 >> no that's the shortfall without any kind of I didn't even discuss what tax increase would be at this point that's just your
150shortfall without any tax increase >> 2 million >> 2,ion37809 009 2378009 >> ju just to make sure I understand what you were saying. So this is the things that you did not take out is you did not take out technology. >> We took out part of technology you took out you left in the 121 or whatever the number was. You only took the 78 out because we had the whole amount. >> Yeah. Yeah. But >> you took the 71 out for the iPads. >> Took out 74. Yes. for the iPad but left the 121 for the >> Yes. >> And then uh buses you took out or you >> took out >> and the project also in >> project was in. >> So and do you have the numbers for uh those uh two items
151that if we take them out what that would be? Also that's I'm I'm just I'm doing tub off top of my head that that should be 590 plus 120 that's 710 right? >> Yes. >> So that number which is 2.3 will go down to something like 1.5 1.6. Yeah. >> Mr. Vonberger, would you just repeat the numbers again? The the main ones that you started with >> the numbers that I said what the budget is after everybody approved it. Okay. The the total budget is 57,373,233. The revenue is 54995224 and then the shortfall without any tax increase is 2378009. >> Thank you. >> I just wanted to thank you Mr. Boner for all the work that you've done on this budget. If I recall correctly, we've reduced the deficit here by millions and millions of
152dollars. Uh so that can only signify that a lot of work was done by not only yourself but also director Carpenter. So actually thank you both for this. >> So if you do tax to the index, you would receive um you would get 1 point 1,247,000 would uh generate revenue by taxing to the index, which is the 3.5% 1,247 >> 1247. Yes. Which then would leave you a shortfall of 1 131 09. >> And we still have not dipped into the fund balance, right? >> Well, if you tax to the index, you're going to dip in the 1,131,9. Yes. >> That's to go to the index. >> So even with an increase, we're still short. You would still be short because you can only go to 3.5%. Yes. Which would only generate the 1 million
1531.2 million approximately in revenue. >> Dave, could you just for the for the public, could you explain just again because they they need to hear this. Um what are the how are the budgetary pressures different this year than they were last year? >> Um well again it's uh increased cost. I mean obviously of contracts as we talked about um that are already in place um special education um we are seeing increase in health not what other districts are seeing um we're seeing only 5% some other districts are seeing 20%. Um and the other issue is the revenue. The revenue is staying stagnant. I mean our assessed values have actually reduced uh compared to last year. There's a reduction in what our assessed values are at this point. Um and the revenue is just not growing
154as fast as the expenditures are. >> And and with the salaries because that that I could I could I could I could see that being distorted in in out there in in social media land and being, you know, turned into something that it's not. We're we're talking about decisions that were essentially meant to keep us up with I and Dave, you don't have to answer this, but uh essentially meant to keep us competitive with the the environment that we're in in the Lehigh Valley in terms of competing for human resources. I mean, it wasn't like no one's getting rich, you know, working. >> I wasn't even referencing that. I'm just represent, >> right? >> I'm just referencing exactly what Dr. Praxad said is it's the biggest pot is our salaries and benefits right >> of
155our budget. I mean that's those are the numbers >> as with every school district >> as compared to you know our total budget. >> Yeah. Okay. I think I I would just want the public to know that I remember many meetings where we're talking about how do we keep our salaries commenurate with the the competition and just to be in the game to be able to hold on to staff so that we don't have chaos, you know, um to try to tempt people to come here so that we can fill important positions. Um, every time that we've had those kinds of discussions, the the kinds of numbers that we're talking about have always seemed incred eminently reasonable, you know, um, and pretty much in the ballpark of what everyone else is doing. So, I don't
156we're definitely not paying tons of money here. The reason why the um the the amount of money that we pay per student is so high is because the district is small. You know, that's one of the And it's a nice place. You know, it's a nice place, too. It's also, but it's a small district. You know, >> there are just uh Mr. Brun, I I I I don't want to be contradictory, but there are other small districts and uh they don't have the same sort of like per pupil numbers. That is the reality. I mean, we are not the only small district. There are uh uh quite a few small districts the same size as us uh in uh in the county and in uh Lehigh Valley and their numbers are just basically not not
157similar to ours. >> Okay. Um those are numbers we can't control in the budget, right? You know, at this time so I'd ask that we move on. >> Mr. Bonberg, could you give us any other um scenarios other than raising it to 3.5? Do you have anything else you calculated out? >> Um, if you would raise it 1 mil, which is around 1.8% uh increase, uh, that would bring in $645,381 or $380. >> Huh? In what sense? >> And leave us with that. And that's about 1.7 that would come out of fund balance if you want one mil. Um um Mr. Bonmer, could you you it's okay. I don't want to put you on the spot, but are you aware of what other have you seen what the trend seems to be in other districts
158in in in our region in terms of um tax increases this year? Have you been keeping an eye on it at all or >> I could just interject from what I'm saying? Most are taxing to the index. Um, most are taking exceptions if they have them. Um, so there's a lot of pressures on on budgets, but yeah, I a lot of districts are are taxing to >> Could you say that again? >> Sure, I can say that again. Um, districts are looking to tax to the index at this point because of those budgetary pressures. >> And there we have it. So, >> Bethlehem Bethlehem tax increase was 4.3%. last year maybe. I think that last year >> and we can't be so smart and clever and sen that we can somehow dodge reasonable tax increases
159year after year after year after year after year which we've done you know for something like 15 years basically. So we've had tax increases but we haven't certainly not kept up with you know u with costs. we have not, you know, that was the decision. >> Just to put some context in that too, I think it's a useful information for everyone to hear is that um the last time I looked at this, which was um before we raised taxes two years ago by I don't know what it was, 7% or something like that, huh? >> I don't think it was. It was not I don't think it was. Um anyway, uh at that point of all the schools that I looked at in the in the county, we had raised taxes something like 6% over
16013 years. And we were the lowest by a huge amount. The next lowest was Nazareth at like 11 or 12% and over that time both Bethlehem and Allentown had raised taxes 30ome percent. Just just some historical context. >> How much is in the fund balance? I can't remember. >> Uh approximately 14 right now. Um if the um budget holds true to what we budget for 2526, you're potentially slated to take another four out. So between 10 and 11, it should be by the end of 2526 depending on how it is because you took 2.6 six uh of that to pay for the vote. >> The what you said the 2.3 if we didn't do anything for taxes for the fund balance. How much does it grow each year from interest >> that that's being used
161to uh pay the bills doesn't go in there. That's part of the revenue >> that interest >> but that's >> you have that information >> o overall with what's in not just on the fund balance amount I mean overall we we've budgeted about 900,000 in interest earnings overall for all the funds coming in from real estate and everything as we're transitioning. So part of it is a fund balance amount but um it's about 900,000 we get in interest earning all our revenue >> back into the fund balance >> not no everybody's asking questions of uh Mr. Bonnenburgger and Mr. Fitzgerald I'm going to do that too uh Mr. Fitzgerald, what is the uh statutory limitation for the unrestricted fund balance in Pennsylvania? >> 8%. >> And 8% of our budget, Mr. Vonenberger, is what? Like
162$4.8 million. I can do that, right? >> Right. >> Yes. >> So, uh 4.8 to 11. That's a good u I don't know push it $6 million $6.2 million that we uh we can spend it down uh before we are no longer over the unrestricted amount of fund balance uh according to actually law Pennsylvania. Just some news. I I saw um Whiteall 4.6% Bethlehem 4.3 Northampton area 4% Parkland 4% um Parkland 4% Parkland 4% East Penn 4% Salisbury often compared to Sen Valley although I think we're a much better school district 3.8 8. Um, Eastston 3.5, Wilson 3.5, Nazareth 3%, Southern Lehigh 2.6. And I think it's good to see what the, you know, >> but the other part of the information we don't have is what their fund balance is. And it is, is
163it over the, you know what I mean? We we don't have that information for all those schools. >> Yeah. Thank you for uh for for noting that, Miss Demco. And the other thing is that this is I mean you want to compare with other places uh uh is it northern Lehi that uh was it yesterday I think or the day before uh they are uh they were they were they were discussing laying off uh 18 teachers right so uh this is uh I I don't want to I don't want to compare right so uh we are not in that uh environment but the point is that this is like if you are in somewhere like northern Leh high what you say is that we are uh cutting costs significantly on one side of it, right?
164And uh then you know in order to sort of like meet the rest of the obligation, you have to raise taxes. Fortunately, we don't have that problem on either side of it, right? In other words, this is under all of these circumstances that we are talking about, whether it's the $2.3 million that uh Mr. Bonenburgger mentioned mentioned a minute ago or what I'm advocating for which is $1.5 million by uh reducing the uh those those couple of items that we discussed earlier and uh are uh still in in the budget. I think we are going to be perfectly fine. We're going to go from under my proposal we are going to go from $11 million in the bank to $9.5 million in the bank. both of them at least twice as big as uh or
165something uh something around that as big as what uh is uh allowed by the by by the state law. >> Mr. Barber, did you um do run any others? So you got about a 2% increase, a 3.5. Did you do anything else or that's it? I'm just asking question >> if if you want to know if it's a a 2% increase, which is 1.1. >> Well, you said 1.8. Close enough. >> Um, yeah. I mean, that would be 712,000 you would raise in taxes approximately, which would leave you 1.6 coming out of fund balance. >> Are we allowed? >> Yes, absolutely. >> That's okay. Go ahead. Yes. have to do like 1.99 >> or >> you could do 1.9 repeating >> do anything you want. >> Yeah, you could do anything you want. >> I
166like the sound of 2.99 or 2.95 so that we can or 2.94 would be better than southern >> we want to do. I think what could be helpful for the public is to hear what that breakdown would be per household just on average. Um let's say if we do 2.99 or 30% or whatever we may have. >> If you do 3% for a house that's assessed at $100,000 it's $165 $166. If it it's a house at $200,000 it's going to be basically double that. It's around $331 increase. Okay, >> thank you. >> I just had and maybe this is my error. Um I don't remember any discussion about the iPads. Am I mistaken? Did we did we the iPads? >> The night? Yes. >> I think you just the laptop overall together. >> I thought
167you said the laptops are out. >> The No, the laptops. You went with the >> I mean, I'm sorry. The iPads. >> The iPads. From what it sounded like to me that we weren't updating the iPads, we were updating the computers. >> That's what I I thought I heard him say, and I don't remember any discussion about it at all. And maybe that's my mistake. Be I thought that that we >> I said we're going to put them in see where we were. >> I thought I thought >> that was my understanding. >> But that's my mistake. I Yeah, I don't remember any specific discussion. Then the problem was I had it in bracketed on my paper. So I assume >> I heard take them out. So that's what I have taken out. The 71,000.
168It's >> 71,000. Okay. >> It's not any further input? So, you know, I I just I'm I will repeat my broken recordness from every year that I've been here uh around this time, which is that when I look back and I see the burn rate, uh I understand the argument about how much is in the account and the you know the uh some directors like to reference how much is allowed to be there in there by law, but actually you're allowed to designate it, which we've done. So, we're not in violation of the law. >> Um, the burn rate to me when I look at it and I read the tea leaves, the burn rate is quite high. And that always gives me pause because when we reach the end of the burn rate, the
169the the last year there will create significant cuts or tax increase challenges, right? And I see that when I look at it, if you're rolling two to four million out of an account every year, um it reduces your revenue because you reduce your interest rate when you spend that money. And it also makes it so that if you're not covering, you know, the increases that you're that you have to deal with, um, it it gives me pause on the same, uh, and the reason it gives me pause is because I really do not ever want to be into a point where we hit a year where I'm, you know, where I'm faced with a decision that I feel like I have to raise taxes to the index because I'll feel like I didn't do my
170job financial plan planning in the years beforehand. So, uh, I've always been here that I'm in favor of very small increases that reduce the slope so that I feel more comfortable that the burn rate is not quite so high. So, that's just generally speaking where where I stand. I mean, I've recommended 1% every year, right? Which I believe is tolerable. Um, no one likes tax increases. Um, but that's that's where I have been every year and uh I'm loathed to go above that. Uh, because I actually like small increases each year rather than zeros and then threes and zeros or whatever it is. That's just my preference. It doesn't always happen, but that's that's where I'm at. I'm Are you talking 1% or one mil? >> I don't think in terms of mills. So, >>
171yeah. >> Because if it Well, because if it's 1% then it's only bringing in around $156,000. I I understand what it is. >> Are the Are the buses included in your I um >> So that's without the buses. >> So the buses are basically 1% tax increase. To cover the buses, we would have to increase taxes by at least 1%. >> Or take it out of the fund balance. >> Good for thought. >> Yeah. The difference is that u uh I mean in in the case of the buses it's not a great example for what I'm about to say but uh but buses uh this year if you buy two of them uh it's one time whereas the tax increase is permanent. Now one can say that uh if you are uh uh buying two
172buses every year that is 1% tax increase uh you know in the true form of it right in other words every year you spend $300 some thousand dollars for buying two buses. >> So um um uh Mr. Carpenter, sorry. Uh, are you um so are you are you are you backing I'm asking you this. Are you are you backing a 1% tax increase and then cut making cuts and dipping into the fund balance or are you thinking that we should go with the index and acknowledge that we've been rating the fund balance too often and or too quickly? Uh I'm just trying to understand what your your I you know I would appreciate uh what just if your your thoughts on that you know. >> Sorry I what I missed the point of the question.
173Sorry you are >> question is what are you advocating for? You're advocating for a 1% increase. >> Yeah. I mean that's what I've advocated for every year just because I look at the burn of the fund balance and I would like the slope to be a little bit less. you know, we said that, you know, when we it's $356,000 is not going to change the fact that we're going to spend out of the fund balance. It we're it's not unless you keep cutting. Right. Um >> the second part was would you cut more or go to the fund balance for the rest? >> I think that I'm not going to advocate for any additional cuts beyond what's already there. So, >> does that answer your >> Yeah. Yeah. So, you Okay. Yeah. Well, the rest
174would come from the fund balance. But if I recall one of your discussions like two years prior, we thought we were only taking this much from the fund balance and that ended up being a whole lot more. Is that accurate? >> Yeah, that that is accurate. There was a couple of years ago where we thought we were only going to take a small amount out of the fund balance. Um, and I think it was in the hundred,00 six figures. It was in the $100,000 range and it ended up maybe being double that. Um unfortunately you know these are best estimates of the business manager and and things have been during the you know we have transfers in we could there's all sorts of variables that are just completely uncontrollable and then looking on the back
175end um and I did make note of this is that for two years ago we have done the audit and we know the numbers and they're they're right you know they're done right >> but for last year the 4 point whatever million you know I think Dave mentioned about it we actually don't know if that's right yet and we won't know until we have to make this decision well into next year. So, you kind of have to read the tea leaves a little bit. There is a little bit of like prognostication. Um, you could be plus or minus. Yeah, for sure. Um, one one thing I wanted to mention with the with the fund balance sort of the the sort of the slowb burn narrative that that that you were that you were uh just
176to just to kind of complete that because I you didn't go to the very end and you talked about layoffs but you didn't go to the very end and and one thing that >> No, I didn't talk about layoffs. when you're talking about the fund, what happens when a district continues to uh go to it, treat its its its fund balance like a like a sort of an ATM or or well, I'm mixing metaphors here now, but you were you were talking about the the the burning idea. >> Yeah. So, one you I'm sure you know this uh uh and and I'm sure everybody knows but but but just a reminder to the public that one of the things that happens is districts they collapse in terms of academics like like when you when you
177start to have to make massive cuts because you're out of money and you have a budget deficit and there's no more money left and you don't have the you don't have the possibility of raising taxes beyond what you would need. It's catastrophic. You know, it's this is not so just to to mention the stakes. This isn't just a little, you know, this discomfort. It's the end of like Sen Valley as we know it. You know, we cannot let that happen. It's a big deal, you know. >> Yeah. I I think that I mean I I didn't say anything about layoffs, but I think that everyone understands this, right? We all everyone understands like managing their family's finances. If you have a savings account, you have a cushion, right? But if every year you spend 20%
178of your or 10% of or 15% of your savings account and you never uh bother to like replenish or you never decide where the end is, it ends up costing you more money in the long run, right? Because you hit the end of your savings, you have no savings. If something happens, you either have to cut spending that you've already done or you have to borrow money at interest, right? So, so and that's why when I look at it and I say that the burn rate uh concerns me, you know, I'm I'm amendable, although I don't love it to saying that like $14 million isn't the appropriate level of the fund balance of this district. I can understand the argument, but the appropriate level of the fund balance of this district is also not zero.
179So, yeah. And and everyone here on this board has to decide what they think the appropriate level is and then make a decision accordingly. And that means not just in the year that it happens, it means in the years leading up to it. >> Any other comments? >> So you you you talk about the actual versus budgeted, right? And the that you you are correct. We don't know until many months from now, right? >> You're right. >> But we do have the actual versus budgeted uh for for this year, >> right? Uh and I was just uh looking at it at spreadsheet that uh Mr. that Bonburgger has uh sent us and uh this is just like back of the envelope number that I I that that I did that number is tracking uh less
180than budget right so it's $45 million out of u uh the total 59 and change that we had uh uh we had budgeted and uh that is uh for uh up through basically beginning of May. So month of May, June and then uh two months of uh summer that are deferred pay you know will come out of this right and you add that this number at least as of now it's tracking to a lower number than we budgeted this includes the uh Babit's pay that we've already paid right so that one already sort of like is uh is included in that So the reason I'm saying it is that there is a part of this that is uh easily predictable right as the salaries and you know like the things that you know you uh
181had to do and there is a part of it which is not which is the you know healthcare and uh you know charter numbers you know go up and down and you know special ed goes up and down depending on you know the cases that you have and uh and and all of that and there are pro probably other other numbers. So I I just want to caution everyone against sort of like assuming that uh you know two years ago it was supposed to be taught something and then it was uh larger than that to sort of like generalize that on the on the two side right >> either way >> and I I I say that with the uh you know Mr. Brun used the word uh rating of the thing and attributed to
182you. You never said rating of the fund balance but uh the fund balance in district has not been rated. If it had been raided, it wouldn't uh balloon to uh a huge number which was a you know a few few years ago, three four years ago, it was a something like $18 million, right? So that uh if that is rating, you know, somebody should raid my uh saving account also. I like that uh results. Uh so that that is not uh what has happened, right? In other words, at the end of the year, it was a uh a balanced budget a lot of times with 0% tax increase and at the end of it, the saving account grew instead of uh getting smaller. So have that in mind that uh this is not a uh
183sort of like you know spiral that is going uh going down. I I understand it's sort of like much easier to uh digest it if that's the case. But the reason for that is because we have at least two uh variable numbers that uh on a global scale they increase year after year. One of them is uh uh charter, one of them is uh healthcare. Uh the charter one just sort of like incidentally the higher our expense is overall it makes our charter expense go up also. Right? That's the sort of like irony of it, right? Which is that our kids go sit next to someone else from Bethlehem or Allentown and uh uh the the charter charges our students five six $7,000 more than uh more than the other kids. So this is just
184like again the irony of it. uh but that is one uh item that uh is you know volatile and uh the other one is the total healthcare costs right it depends on the claims and so forth and we had a bad day last year and uh I don't know whether these numbers are going to sort of like track the way that they are or not but uh it's very possible that then at the end of the year we are not going to be u uh using uh the whatever $3 million one >> including the Babbots, right? This is like take the Babot thing out. I think it was like $1.5 million. It's possible that we wouldn't be using $1.5 million of the fund balance. Uh we would be using a million dollars. It could be
185>> We're going to use the $2.2 million. >> What? >> You're going to use the Babitz money. >> In addition to that, what I say money was a one time thing check, you know, was >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I'm saying that the rest of it, the operational part, which is a $ 1.5 million, you know, that's a difference between the uh total uh amount of uh fund balance that was being used minus the Babit's part, right? That 1.5 could end up being 1 million, it could be end up 2 million, it could end up like 800,000, whatever, right? I mean, that number is going to be some some something that uh is around that. A year ago, this time, Mr. Bonenburgger uh uh sort of predicted that to be 1.5 right um it's you
186know clearly something that could be up or down and and and my point is that I understand the slopes right two things we can do one is that uh we can try to sort of like uh there is the slope of the revenue there is the slope of the expenditure right every time we talk about this we say that you know that this slope is like less than that we have to sort of like bring this up the other way to do it is to sort of bring the other slope down, right? That's uh uh that's within our decision- making process. We had the choice to do that today on a few things we did. On a couple of other things, I'm advocating that you should do that, right? That's one side of it. The
187other side of it is to uh sort of like say I understand that that these two will sort of like meet at some point and that's not a good uh good place. But uh with $1 million in the fund balance, I'm not sure if we are there. In my opinion, we are not there. Do we have anyone ready to make a motion? >> Yeah, I would make a motion to uh actually cut uh those two uh out of the uh budget amount. And when it says in the amount of uh I want uh Mr. Baronburgger to give us the numbers, but if it's a feal thing and no one's going to pass it, he doesn't need to do the uh uh uh addition and subtraction. But uh it would be good for the sake of
188the motion for you to if if you just uh give me that number and uh >> what two things are you referring to? >> Pardon me. >> You said cut two things out of the budget. What two things are you referring to? >> Technology and uh stadium. Uh so that that brings the uh the the the shortfall down to $ 1.5 million. That seems to be actually pretty much uh in line with what >> I request that you you do them independently. you're going to do that. >> It's one motion, so that's why I mean here it's in the form of one motion. I just wanted to fill the three numbers, but uh yeah, I can do it in >> you want to do I would just say you want he's making a motion to
189cut the stadium project and the laptop budget. I would say can you do the can you do the motion to the >> he's not making a motion for the budget per se >> point where we have a motion presented with a total expenditure now if we need to cut it out now kind of informally so then you know we can see if there's >> a temperature for those two and then come with a with a total expenditure. >> Yeah. the the the thing is that this is like the reality is that for anything that is included or excluded there there hasn't been any motion for any of those anyway, right? It's not like something is by default in the that's why I'm just thinking that that's >> okay. So, we're going to move forward. Um
190it's an informal vote >> for the motion as to >> Okay. So, >> are you okay with that? Sh >> we're going to split them out. >> We have have an informal vote on those two items so that you know put to put in the make motion. >> It's pretty easy like it's like really like very small arithmetic. I'm just going to do it if you don't mind in uh two minutes and I'll give you the whole >> We're going to take an informal vote on each of the things to to say whether or not we need to even do it and I understand the calculations very quick for you. >> Okay. Um so do we have a vote? my my motion or someone else's motion because my motion would be the whole thing. But
191I I mean if you if the solicitor says that that motion cannot be made legally >> No, it can be made. It can be it can certainly be made if there's a desire to make that motion where you you have the new expenditure number, >> right? >> And you can do it. I have no issue with that. Let's do it. >> It's so this is 566 >> 609. That's the total expenditure with uh uh that number minus the other that you had coming from the fund balance and zero million increase. So the miller rate would be unchanged. So I so these are like the four blanks that we have. We just have numbers. >> 66435 short. >> Dave, would you please um we can't hear you from down there or are you just talking to
192Shamim about calculations? Okay. >> Yeah, he's just giving me the number so that I can uh read it out. So uh so so my motion is approve the proposed preliminary budget consistent with school code in the amount of 56,659,000 with uh 1.66 million coming from the fund balance and a zero millage increase. The millage rate will be unchanged. So what what he was saying was we are removing both the technology and the and the stadium construction and that would bring us to fix 56,659,000 and that would be 1.66 66 from the fund balance and a zero increase in the millillage. >> That's without budgeting anything for the what you have described as cheaper caulking remediation. We're not budgeting for that. >> That is correct. And this is like this is like my my suggestion is
193that uh by the next meeting you have a number for that. I'll be happy to add that to the final passage. >> This is preliminary. >> Dave, are we good with those numbers? Sure. >> No, that's that's No. Are you are you are you good with >> Did you do the calculations and >> I mean it's the fund balance that's coming out. I mean it's just a little different than what he said. It's 1,664 385. But yes, that's fine. >> 1 million5 >> 1,664 385. If you take >> it's important that we get that full number. >> Yes. Yes. >> Sure. James doesn't come on. >> All right. Good. All right. >> So that's And we're looking if anyone wants to second that motion. >> I'll second the motion. >> Any discussion? >> Nope. I
194think we have to debate the motion. Debate the motion. >> I'm sorry. We're debating the motion. >> That's what we're doing. >> Do you want to talk to >> I thought you were trying to vote. >> That's I I think that >> Yeah, he was question. >> Yeah. You know, I I I I just like to say a few things. If for anybody that follows the or the popular economics, business news, you hear you hear all the time about the K-shaped economy and that's that, you know, our economy overall seems to be doing pretty well, but that's because of a fairly small number of people are doing really, really well and lots of people are really struggling. And so for those people, I'm, you know, it sounds like, you know, $200 or $300 uh for
195their taxes is is insignificant, but it's not. It it matters. There there are a lot of people that live in our community where that's a noticeable amount of money. And the philosophy, I mean, the way I think about things is if we don't really need to have the money right now, we shouldn't collect it. We should let we should let our voters or I'm sorry, our taxpayers um keep it until we really really need it. And I'm certainly the last one to advocate for running our district into the ground as uh Mr. Brun described. I mean certainly there are a few cases out in the world where districts have done that but but we're not anywhere near doing that. I mean we it's very likely that in the future we will have to raise taxes
196but but we should not take that money from our taxpayers until we really need it. And we have a very healthy cushion in the fund balance. Um if we make the cuts that Dr. Poxad has described um the fund balance will um will go down you know sim a similar amount to last year and um and there'll still be a reasonable amount left to cover us uh in case unexpected things happen and then in the future if we need to we can raise taxes and cover you know cover the the cost of things that we that that we Um but but for now I think we should wait. I I'll just I'll just add something that this is uh I mean I I'm I'm saying let's take $1.6 million out of the fund balance. I
197challenge the board to come up with a uh with a solution here that will uh take less from fund balance. Right? So this is like for anyone who is talking here about uh the fund balance being uh raided or whatever, you know, if you came down with uh whatever sort of like tax and spending scheme that was uh bringing this down less than $1.6 million, then we can talk about it, right? If you uh uh came back with something that was only uh raiding the fund balance by $800,000, then that's say that's a valid point. But the the point here is that the 1% that uh Mr. Carpenter mentioned would uh generate $300,000 uh and change in revenue. But uh this is the the the main thing here that I'm uh advocating for are uh
198two things that uh you know Mr. Santos there was in favor of both of those, right? Uh the delaying of the technology and delaying of the stadium project which I thought you know you were at some point also in favor of. So this is like I'm not sure which part of this is a rating. The point here is that uh those are the uh expenses delay them and not raise taxes and still sort of like I think at the end of it uh with the 1% I I just think that uh uh the fund balance under uh the alternative proposals that I'm expecting will come will actually be less than uh this. >> Thank you. Um any other comments? >> Yeah. Um, our you know, our our community has a right to and and a
199need for financial relief, you know, um, they absolutely are hurting, you know, especially I live in an I live in an area that has poverty, you know, and I live in Helertown, you know, it's where most of our disadvantage It's the where the highest concentration of disadvantaged students live, disadvantaged children live who go to our schools. Um yes, uh you know, people are having a hard time right now. Um but one part of the capital that they put in their pockets is belief that we have a good school district and that we're investing in it in a responsible way and in a reasonable way that's not overdoing it. Um, but we're not taking money, you know, we're offering high quality education at a reasonable cost. Um, and we're certainly not overspending. Um, so I I
200I would reject the idea that, you know, we're going to be kind of taking money away from people who are suffering by raising taxes, for example, 1%. You know, which is incinently reasonable. I mean, we're just trying to be responsible um and look ahead to the future. It's not I think an ideological argument is is not is not fair. I think it's it's unfair and it's scare tactics and you know and and let's go back to that word rating which I think you used Dr. you know pox about 20 times. I used it I think once, one time, you know. Um, and I was talking about a scenario where where really it was a hypothetical scenario where a district continues to depend on a fund balance to fund everyday priorities. It It's a scenario. I'm
201not accusing our, you know, district of, I mean, you can go back and check the minutes of of of, you know, fellow board members of constantly, you know, um, like pirates, you know, going to the fund balance and, you know, stealing selfishly away with their little priorities, you know. I I reject that, you know, but if you want to keep using it, you go ahead and keep using it. Um, I think you'll like the word. Um, >> okay. Um, >> okay. >> That's Yeah, thank you. I that just >> could I chime in? I just want to like make sure that it's a it's kind of easy to forget when we talk about just delaying a cost. There are some costs that we have discussed today that when we are just simply not going to
202do they're not going to come back next year. Right? We the the the nine teaching positions it's not going to be on the budget next year. We've made like this decision has been made. The analysis has been done. and everyone believes that this is the best interest of everything. That's not coming back. The computers are are going to come back, right? Like the keeping up with our infrastructure is going to come back, right? Maintaining our bus fleet is going to come back. The there is actually there's no like get out of jail free where you can just like say like, "Oh yeah, this year we're going to cut it down so we can get to 1 million and then next year uh what are you going to do?" Because uh you know, we have a
203family and consumer science remodel that we've talked about that's coming next year. We've already delayed it this year. It's already one of the things we've delayed. That's $400,000 plus, right? That's coming next year, right? So, I just think that saying that you can just cut cut down until you're only spending 1.5 million this year is really by just offsetting the next year is just going to make next year also very hard, right? Like, so it's not free. It's not free. It's free for today. It's to to say that we're not going to do those things. But I think that we should all think about like are those things that actually have to be done that we have to do because that's like part of maintaining our district or are they things that we honestly can
204make like a real decision about and say that like they're not in the best interests. We we we have done the analysis. This is what's best for our district and our kids and and our community to be financially sound. But to just delay things that you like, you know, the stadium project if we thought that it had merit and was a financially sound decision and we made it like saying that we're just going to do it next year or do something else is like it kind of just delays it. So there is there is one thing though which is that uh next year you're going to start having $2 million a year uh that uh comes in because of the debt service. So uh it's this is there is merits into uh doing something when
205you have the money. It's uh it's like saying I mean doing it today makes the numbers so uh sort of like drastic that uh you know you say oh how could you do $2.3 million of uh you know expenditure without uh without having you know revenue to pay for it. Right? next year when we have $2 million, then we can have $2 million more of expenditures without uh sort of like worrying about that aspect of it. >> Is it $2 million, Dave? >> Is um I'm going to um let's take the poll uh straw vote unless someone has something new. >> We have to vote on the motion. >> A motion. Sorry. >> Is it two million? Sorry. Can I just >> 1.17? >> Yeah, I thought it was one. I thought it was one
206million. I think Okay, Miss Whis, could you do a roll call? And the vote will be yes. I am in support of this um motion that's on the table. >> Yes. >> No. And 0% and >> 1.6435. >> Yes. >> And that removing the two. Thanks. >> You're not getting that was never >> You're getting the chairs no matter what. Okay, please. >> We're finished our I mean we're finished discussing. Go ahead >> for now. >> Mr. William Brew. >> No. >> Mr. Donald Carpenter. >> No. >> Mrs. Vivian Demco. >> No. >> Mr. Mr. Cedric Demar. >> Yes. >> Dr. Laurel Erikson Parsons. >> Mrs. Megan Langino. Dr. Shim Paxid. >> Yes. >> Mr. J. Santos. >> No. >> Dr. J. Christian Tattoo. >> No. >> The All right. Anyone else have a different
207motion they'd like to put on the table? I would propose um a 1% tax increase. Um and you can change that into millillage because we're not apparently literate for that. >> Um are you go you're going back to the the 57 million 370 230. So let's start with are you willing to cut the techn or anything else that's still in the budget. Are you willing to make any additional cuts in your proposal? I >> I am not. No. I mean other than the the are the school buses in or school buses out? >> School buses are out. >> Out. >> Okay. So they're out. Um >> yes. >> Yeah. Other Okay. So yeah. Now there would be uh >> 57,373 >> 57 billion 3732 >> 233. Yeah. 5737233 >> with a 1% increase. >> 1%
208tax increase. >> Okay. >> Which suggesting a tax increase, you know, >> 1% tax increase. Yes. >> Run. >> Nothing. It's just by >> line >> because it has >> 55.7576. is seven. >> I'm sorry. We're talking the 1%. Yeah. >> Yes. >> 55.7576. >> That's the one mil increase. It's 0.55 mills. >> You said 1%. >> That's 1%. >> 1% increase is because we have it. The motion in millillage is 55 >> 7576. >> Did you say that one more time? Sorry. 55.7576. >> Did you also say what's the coming from fund balance for this? >> Yes. And >> 2021 723. >> I'm saying this this time. Wait, we're >> rating. We don't have a second, so we're not ready for Yeah, I'm sorry. We're It's It's getting late. And two >> 2021 723.
209>> Mill increase. illage increase is 0.55206 >> which which is a 1% increase. That's how that it translates. >> 2021 723. >> What? >> We're all getting a little punchy here. Okay. So, the proposal on the table is Would you would you read it? Do you have the numbers? >> So, we have 2627 preliminary budget code in the amount of 57 million 37 with 2 million 21,723 fund balance and a.55206 mill increase. The mill rate will be 55.7576. >> 55.7576 would be the >> millillage rate. >> So that's your work Mr. B. >> Yeah. >> Do we have a second for that motion? >> Not the iPads. the iPads, but that >> Yes, the laptops and it includes the the projects, >> correct? And nothing else removed. I mean, because there were other things and
210nothing else added. >> And can I ask >> wait for a second? Oh, okay. >> She was just clarifying. >> I will second Mr. Burn's motion. All right. Now, please ask your question. We got a >> what that looks like for the average taxpayer at when their home is assessed at 100,000 and 200,000. >> Yes. $5521 increase at $100,000 and $11041 for those at 200,000 >> per year. Right. >> Per year. >> In my neighborhood, it would be a lot lower. So $5 a month increase for $100,000. >> Any further discussion? >> So I I I just want to note that this is this time this time I'm purely joking. Uh Bill, right? This one is raiding the fund balance by uh $350,000 more than my proposal. So, this is if the whole point of
211this exercise was to keep money in the fund balance. This one is uh taking a little over $2 million out of the fund balance. The other one was $1.6 million. So, >> the booty for two booty are laptops for teacher pardon me for two additional things >> and not having and I just want to make sure that people understand that this is like yeah, you have the expenses, you have the revenues, right? So, there are two sides of this. It's not just one side. >> Okay. Could do we um could we do a unless there is any further anything anybody wants to add additionally. Could we do a roll call? Okay. Please roll call for this. Everybody understand what they're voting for first of all? Okay. I just want to be sure. >> William Brun.
212>> Yes. Mr. Donald Carpenter, >> yes. >> Mrs. Vivian Demco, >> yes. >> Mr. Cedric Demar, >> no. >> Carl Ericson Parsons. >> Mrs. Megan Langino. >> Yes. >> Dr. Shamine Paxton. >> No. >> Mr. J. Santos. >> No. >> Dr. Christian Tattoo. >> Yes. >> That's fine. motion officially. >> Okay, thank you very much. >> There are more things on this on this agenda. >> What? >> I don't even know where we are. Okay. Um, so we're Oh, we've done the budget. Marching band drill consultant. Um, so this is a supplemental contract and this is always a supplemental contract. Um, I'm going to combine that with the donations from the senior accounts for the purchase of podiums. Um, the class of 2025 had $1,14.65 left and class of 2024 had $1,27144. So they're they
213can't keep those balances. So um they are suggesting they're going to purchase a podium with those accounts. Do I have a motion for these two items? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Just go ahead. Oh, what? >> Oh, I I just wanted to know where that podium's going to go. >> That was my foot. >> What podium is it? I'm I I'm doubtful that it's a replacement for our lecture. >> We're going to each have a podium by the time all the classes are done. I'm sorry. >> It's going up high school and they're going to be using it for graduation also. >> Okay. Thank you. >> The classes wants I think it's a little fancier. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Maybe you could take a few dollars and repair our podium
214up there. >> Slap some paint on. Good. Um, any further discussion? >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Motion passes. Community updates. >> Mr. Santos, do you have anything for the Helertown Lower Saken? >> Next meeting is June 21st. No updates today. >> Dr. Ericson Parsons. Anything? They would like to thank Embassy Bank for their $7,500 donation. >> The funding goes towards our 21st century grant, specifically the maker spaces and robotics programs at both the middle school. >> Thank you. Um, we had our presentation from Miss Baxter who quietly exited after that. Bethlehem Botech. Cedric, did you want to >> Yeah, I I want to say a couple of things that I that I noted. Uh one is that uh we had four I believe four students from the votech who
215placed first at the Pennsylvania state competition uh who are advancing to the national competition. So congratulations them. Unfortunately none of them were from Silicon Valley but uh it's still quite an achievement for our VOTE school. And then the other uh is that the uh project to construct the um campus uh on the south side is uh going according to to schedule. We received an update on that and it's doing well. >> Yes. Um just wanted to add that we got $80,000 towards um equipment grants for the welding lab and um they're also applying for a competitive grant as well for that. So the welding equipment is due to arrive June 22nd. Um so looking forward to that. That's all. Um Dr. Pel, is that still you? No updates. >> Okay. Um, did did everybody turn
216in their do we have enough to to say yes or no? Or if anybody have their things, I'll walk them over the ballots. >> Leave mine to Dave. >> Okay. Okay. So, we have them. And do we we have the person approved? >> Okay. I I don't know. I didn't see the ballot. So, >> well, I think I think these actually are filed individually and each one of them carries a uh certain weight. So what we approve here today is that these are the ballots that are going on our behalf. It could be >> 5 to 4, 4 to 5, 9 to zero, whatever. >> Okay. Whatever it is. Okay. Do I have a motion to approve um the ballots? >> So moved. >> Um any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I.
217>> Opposed? Motion carries. PSBA, anything? Um yeah, just a couple of updates. There's a the PSBA is redoing their policy portal. Um and they're having some virtual trainings to walk you through um how to navigate that new policy portal. Uh there's actually a ton of them. I guess like people must use the policy portal a lot because usually they just do like one webinar or they're doing like one webinar for like 10 straight days from June 9th to the 18th. Um, in addition, they released uh a guide about student representatives on the school board. Um, and we have a we have a student representative that comes and gives sort of like the activities updates and stuff, but there is also an option to have a student be a non- voting member of the board that
218does not go to executive session. Um, and that gives the student government perspective on the issues that are being debated. just, you know, if any student is super jazzed about local government and wants to talk about it, you know, there's options. >> I I would just say that I would really appreciate if we could do that, but I do remember that in long past years when I first started visiting or coming to meetings before I was elected, um, they had trouble finding students who were willing to participate to that degree. I did say if you're jazzed about local government. Okay, there was a qualifier, >> but not that we shouldn't try. I people want to do that. >> Um, Mr. Santos, do you have anything else to add to that or you're That's it. >>
219I think we're good. It's 10:30. >> Um, Sak Valley Partnership. >> Well, I I went to uh the Helertown Burough Council meeting. Um it was really uh it was earlier this month. I I was really um welcomed. They they asked lots of questions. I basically let them know that we had reactivated our our part of that and um uh I've since been in contact with um uh one of the council members and I think that there's a sense of excitement about possibilities. one, you know, one one one idea that has sort of been floated a little bit is maybe the idea of creating like a um a Sen Valley um like a Panther Passport type of thing where uh kids can go do events in in the community like, you know, um go to um
220the farmers market, uh you know, um I don't know, we talked about a lot of different things. um uh go to get a book out of the library, go to story hour and get like a stamp in their passport and it would lead to you know maybe sort of prizes or something like that. So So anyway, we're in in the Howardtown side at least we we're excited about this. uh you know I'm not sure if you got to do you >> I haven't but in terms of next steps I think uh it would be appropriate for ourselves and a few of their council members from uh both municipalities to meet and sync up in terms of cadence and objectives. >> Okay. Thank you. We have no board director initiated items. We have no citizens. We
221have citizens. >> Yes, but they're not here to speak. Do we have any board comments? >> Um, just one. Can we let the media know about the to make sure that they have accurate information on the the vote tonight on the budget? Because in the past sometimes they they haven't had accurate information and um it's it's something that I think I would think that uh our media professional would be really good at making sure that they've got the correct information on the you know the proposal. I'll have them reach out to Don too for >> uh I just want to say very very briefly that I hope that the work that the finance committee did was helpful in making the decisions tonight. I have this is my third time doing this. It would have I
222I I wanted to create something that I thought would have helped me in years past and I hope I did that. And if you have comments about what you thought it was weak in or or or good at and you want to feed them over to me, please do so and I can take them into consideration if if I do it again. >> It was excellent. And I have one brief comment also. Just wanted to say that I also would support uh adding a student representative to the board. If you flash the lights, we'll end. Any other comments? All right. Um just an announcement. business meeting May 26 at 7 PM and on June 9th at 26 and I call seeing no more business I call the meeting adjourned. Thank you everyone. Thank