[00:00:01]
SPECIAL MEETING.[1.
CALL TO ORDER
]THE TIME IS NOW SIX OH FIVE AND I CALL THE FEBRUARY 3RD, 2025 REGULAR MEETING OF THE E'S ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ORDER.[2.
ESTABLISH A QUORUM
]DO WE HAVE AN A QUORUM CONFIRMED? MADAM PRESIDENT? WE ARE GOOD TO GOVERN.WE'RE NOW GOING TO MOVE TO OUR MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH IS OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THE MISSION STATEMENT IS UNITE, EMPOWER, INSPIRE EVERY PERSON, EVERY DAY.
WE UNITE OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS, CREATING A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR ALL.
WE EMPOWER STUDENTS PROVIDING AN EXEMPLARY EDUCATION THAT DEVELOPS CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY, AND INDIVIDUAL TALENTS.
WE INSPIRE EACH OTHER TO LEAD PURPOSEFUL LIVES OF EMPATHY, GRATITUDE, AND COMPASSION.
AND NOW, AFTER THE MISSION STATEMENT, I DO WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE BOARD.
WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S REGULAR MEETING.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS FOR THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE AND VOTE ON MATTERS LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
AS ALWAYS, WE'RE COMMITTED TO ENSURING A RESPECTFUL AND AND CONSTRUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND WE ASK FOR THE SAME COURTESY AND RETURN.
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM ANY OUTBURSTS OR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR DURING WHICH I KNOW WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE.
UM, APPLAUSE IS ALWAYS WELCOME.
DURING THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT SHORTLY IN THE MEETING ON THE AGENDA, AND I'M GONNA PROVIDE FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WHEN WE REACH THAT POINT.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE ENTIRE MEETING TO LISTEN TO THE BUSINESS OF THE BOARD, BUT IF, IF YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE EARLY, PLEASE DO SO QUIETLY AND TAKE ANY CONVERSATIONS OUT IN THE HALL.
UM, THERE ARE EXITS HERE FOR SECURITY PURPOSES.
THERE'S EXITS BEHIND YOU AND THERE'S EXITS TO THE BOARD'S LEFT.
UM, WE ARE NOW GOING TO MOVE WITH THIS.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND TONIGHT WE HAVE A SENIOR HERE WHO IS ZED HUS COTE V HUS COTE, WHO'S A SENIOR AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, LEADING US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I'M GOING TO SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT V UM, YOU ATTENDED BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY, WESTRIDGE AND WILL GRADUATE FROM WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL THIS SPRING.
YOU ARE V IS A DRUM, IS THE HEAD DRUM MAJOR FOR THE CHAPS, MARCHING BAND, LEADING THE BAND TO A GREAT SEASON WITH MANY, MANY FIRSTS THIS YEAR V'S.
ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL, AS WELL AS CO-FOUNDER OF THE AUSTIN CHAPTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA.
V WAS AWARDED THE ONLY SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND TEXAS BOYS STATE, AND CHOSEN AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM TEXAS TO ATTEND THE HIGH SCHOOL DEMOCRATS NATIONAL SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON, DC THAT IS A NATIONAL MERIT, SEMI-FINALIST, AND A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY, AN ACCOMPLISHED DANCER AND A VOLUNTEER WITH THE BLOOD CANCER UNITED V.
YOU'RE, UM, OFF TO COLLEGE THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR, AND YOU'RE GONNA STUDY POLITICAL SCIENCE IN COLLEGE WITH AN INTEREST IN POLITICAL POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US, AND WE WILL NOW SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE, OH, SORRY, STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[5.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
]UM, I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, UH, IF THAT'S OKAY.UM, YOU KNOW, TRUSTEES, WE WERE GONNA, UM, TAKE SOME TIME LAST WEEK IF WE WOULD'VE BEEN HERE, UH, TO RECOGNIZE YOU ALL, BUT MOTHER NATURE GOT IN THE WAY.
SO, UM, WE HAD TO CHANGE OUR PLANS AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL HERE TONIGHT.
UM, PLEASE, UH, DO US A FAVOR.
UM, JANUARY, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WAS, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH, AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL AND SHOW OUR GRATITUDE FOR WHAT YOU DO, UH, FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, STAFF, COMMUNITY.
SO THERE'S A SMALL TOKEN OF OUR AFFECTION THERE, UH, AND A SMALL GESTURE TO SAY THANK YOU.
UH, THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO.
[00:05:01]
THERE I GO.NEXT, UH, ALSO, UH, LAST WEEK, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, WAS VERY TRYING.
AND, UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE TIME TO THANK OUR STAFF AND MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS, CUSTODIAL, ALL OF WHOM, WHO WORKED SO HARD TO ENSURE OUR CAMPUSES AND BUILDINGS WERE WARM AND SAFE AS STUDENTS RETURNED, UH, FROM OUR ICE DAYS, WHICH I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAD.
BUT, UM, THOSE TWO ICE DAYS, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, THAT WE PREPARED THE CAMPUS PROPERLY AND THAT STAFF JUST DOES AN AMAZING JOB.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR STAFF FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
UM, I GOT TO DO SOME AMAZING VISITS AROUND THE DISTRICT OVER THE LAST, UH, COUPLE OF WEEKS SINCE WE WERE TOGETHER.
LAST, AND I SPENT TIME, UM, WORKING WITH OUR HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETERIA STAFF.
UM, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT THEY PUT ON THERE.
UH, I GOT TO VISIT OUR A TS CENTER LAST WEEK, AND, UH, ONE OF OUR SENIORS WHO'S TRANSITIONING OUT WILL, UH, TOOK ME ON A TOUR OF HIS TEAM AT WHATABURGER, WHO HE CALLED HIS FAMILY AND MELTED MY HEART.
UM, WITH THE WORK THAT HE DOES, UH, THAT WAS VERY SPECIAL.
I GOT TO GO ON A RIDE ALONG, UH, WITH A BUS DRIVER, MISS HOPE, WHO RUNS STUDENTS OUT TO BRIDGEPOINT AND REALIZED JUST HOW TRULY SKILLED OUR PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS ARE, UH, ESPECIALLY AFTER TWO ICE DAYS.
AND, UM, THAT WAS, UH, WONDERFUL TO SEE THE RELATIONSHIP SHE HAS WITH HER STUDENTS.
AND ALSO, UH, GOT TO ENJOY SOME TIME WITH OUR ROBOTICS TEAMS, UH, AS THEY WERE TOURING ME AROUND THEIR FACILITY, WHICH IS TRULY ONE OF A KIND AS PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE KNOW, UM, BUT MAYBE EVERYBODY DOESN'T KNOW IS ONE OF 11 FACILITIES LIKE THAT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND VERY FEW NATIONALLY, UM, THAT REALLY HELP OUR STUDENTS TO BUILD THIS STEAM AND ROBOTICS CULTURE THAT WE HAVE HERE THAT'S SO SPECIAL.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY AT FOREST TRAIL, THE CULTURAL ARTS DAY, UM, OUR GLOBAL PARENT NETWORK IN THIS DISTRICT IS AMAZING, AND I KNOW THAT THIS HAPPENS IN OTHER BUILDINGS, BUT WANT TO THANK ALL THOSE VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR TIME AND EFFORT.
AND, UH, I LEARNED THREE OR FOUR THINGS VERY QUICKLY FROM OUR PARENT VOLUNTEERS, SO THAT WAS WONDERFUL.
JUST WANNA MENTION, UM, ALSO THAT, UM, RECENTLY, UH, DR.
SAILORS, WHO'S IN THE BACK ROOM THERE, GOT TO, UH, PRESENT ON A PANEL FOR A NATIONAL COHORT THAT NASS, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS PUTS ON, UH, WITH APPLE.
WE ARE ONE OF 20 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION, INVITED INTO THIS LEADERSHIP COHORT, UH, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT DESIGN THINKING.
SAILORS IS ONE OF THE EXPERTS THAT WAS NOT A SUPERINTENDENT THAT GOT ASKED TO PRESENT TO THE GROUP AND SHOWCASED OUR STUDENT PROGRAMS K THROUGH 12 IN SUCH A FINE FASHION.
UH, SO IMPRESSIVE, UH, WHAT SHE BROUGHT TO THAT, UH, EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, MOLLY MAE, GOT TO JOIN US ALSO, UH, WITH NATIONAL THOUGHT LEADERS ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE COHORT, AS WE TALKED ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND AI TOOLS IN THE FUTURE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO I APPRECIATE THEIR PARTICIPATION AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH APPLE'S CONSULTANTS IN THE FUTURE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED OUR WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM, THEY'RE PLAYING TONIGHT AT THAT OTHER PLACE.
AND, UM, THEY'RE 32 AND OH, AND THEY'RE NINE AND OH IN DISTRICT PLAY, AND THEY ARE ON A HISTORIC RUN THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN IN THIS DISTRICT.
UM, SO IF YOU GET A CHANCE, THEY'RE AT HOME FRIDAY NIGHT AND THEY ARE WORTH WATCHING AND THE SEASON ISN'T OVER YET.
SO PLEASE CHECK OUT THE GIRLS.
UM, FINALLY, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, I THINK SOME FRIENDS AND A TEAM OF CHAMPIONS THAT HAVE JOINED US HERE.
SO I'M NOT GONNA SAY TOO MUCH, BUT REALLY EXCITED TO WORK WITH SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT ON A NEW INITIATIVE CALLED RAISE YOUR HAND, TEXAS.
AND SO I'LL FINISH MY REPORT THERE AND THEN, UH, WE WILL GO TO OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND I'LL COME BACK TO THAT WITH, UH, DIANE IN A MINUTE.
UM, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT? KELLY, I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION.
UM, WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR LUNCH TODAY, UH, WHEN YOU WERE IN THE CAFETERIA? OH, WE SERVED CHICKEN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO AND BREADSTICKS AND SALAD.
AND I WANT TO THANK, UM, MOLLY ANN CHRISTIE, UH, FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE CONFERENCE.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT ON BEHALF OF BEANS.
[6.
OPEN FORUM
]ON THE AGENDA TODAY IS THE OPEN FORUM, AND I HAVE A FEW THINGS THAT I NEED TO READ TO THE GROUP.SO IT IS NOW TIME FOR THE OPEN FORUM PORTION OF OUR MEETING.
WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ABOUT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, EACH SPEAKER WILL, WILL SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES.
TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, PLEASE WATCH THE TIMER, WHICH IS BEHIND ME, UM, ON THE SCREENS WHEN YOUR TIME'S UP, FINISH YOUR SENTENCE AND STOP.
IF YOU DON'T FINISH YOUR PREPARED REMARKS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO EMAIL YOUR FULL COMMENTS TO TRUSTEES@SD.NET.
WHEN SPEAKING, PLEASE DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD UP HERE, NOT THE AUDIENCE OR TO OTHERS.
IF YOU DON'T, UM, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 PROHIBITS DISRUPTION
[00:10:01]
AT BOARD MEETINGS.SO WE ASK THAT THERE ARE NO REACTIONS AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WILL BE.
IF YOU WISH TO NAME A DISTRICT EMPLOYEE IN A COMPLAINT, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE BOARD MUST DO SO IN A CLOSED SESSION AS REQUIRED BY THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1.
THE BOARD CANNOT DELIBERATE OR RESPOND TO COMMENTS ON TOPICS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA PER TEXAS LAW, THIS IS OUR TIME TO LISTEN, NOT TO REACT OR ENGAGE.
CLARIFYING INFORMATION MAY BE PROVIDED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT IF NECESSARY.
AL ALSO NOTE THAT THE PORTION OF THIS MEETING IS BEING, THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS BEING RECORDED AND WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE WITHOUT ALTERATION YOU CONSENT TO THIS PUBLICATION BY SIGNING UP FOR OPEN SESSION.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, AND WE WILL START OUR OPEN FORUM WITH MR. SAM GONZALEZ'S PARENT AND SPEAKING ON RAISE YOUR HAND, TEXAS.
WE, HOW ARE YOU? YES, IT IS WELCOME.
HOW'S EVERYONE DOING? WELCOME, SAM.
UM, SO MY NAME IS SAM GONZALES.
I THINK I'VE MISSED ALL OF YOU ALREADY.
UM, I AM A PARENT OF A SEVEN AND A 9-YEAR-OLD THAT ATTEND BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, LIKE MOST PARENTS, I DIDN'T SET OUT TO GET INVOLVED IN UNDERSTANDING EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT EDUCATIONAL POLICY.
I'M GETTING INVOLVED BECAUSE I'M SEEING SOME CHANGES HAPPENING, UM, OR TALKS HAPPENING IN MY OWN KITCHEN TABLE.
AND SO, UH, IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT, UH, IF WE WANT BETTER OUTCOMES FOR OUR KIDS, UM, AS PARENTS, WE CAN'T JUST STAND BY THE SIDELINES.
THIS LED ME TO SERVE ON THE BLEND COMMITTEE, UH, ADVISING THE DISTRICT ON THE MERGER BETWEEN VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK LAST YEAR.
AND IT WAS MY FIRST REAL LOOK INSIDE OF HOW THESE DECISIONS ARE MADE AND HOW MUCH THEY MATTER.
I SAW DEDICATED EDUCATORS, CONSTRAINED RESOURCES AND FAMILIES WHO ALL WANTED THE SAME THING, SCHOOLS THAT WORK FOR KIDS.
I BRING OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN BUSINESS CONSULTING AND CORPORATE LEADERSHIP.
MY BACKGROUNDS IN LEADING COMPLEX TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE INTERSECTION OF PEOPLE, PROCESS, TECHNOLOGY AND CHANGE.
AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS THAT GOOD OUTCOMES DON'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.
THEY REQUIRE CLARITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SUSTAINED ADVOCACY.
I ACCEPTED THIS INVITATION, UH, TO PARTICIPATE ON THE, UH, UM, ON THE FELLOWSHIP FOR THE RAISE YOUR HAND, TEXAS.
UM, BECAUSE I WANNA LEARN DEEPLY AND RESPONSIBLY HOW PUBLIC EDUCATION REALLY WORKS IN TEXAS, NOT JUST AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, BUT AT THE STATE LEVEL WHERE FUNDING AND POLICY DECISIONS ARE MADE.
I'M HERE BECAUSE I BELIEVE STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE THE FOUNDATION, NOT JUST FOR OUR KIDS, BUT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND FOR OUR STATE.
I'M EAGER TO LISTEN, LEARN, AND DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE IAN HAS THE FUNDING, SUPPORT AND VOICE IT DESERVES.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS, UM, I, I DON'T SEE CHANDLER HATCHET.
I'M ALSO PART OF THE, UM, THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
IT'S 10 OF US, SEVEN OF US ARE IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH FIRST WITH THE LONG RANGE FACILITIES PLANNING COMMITTEE AND NOW SERVE ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I ALSO HAVE A SECOND GRADER, A THIRD GRADER AT BRIDGEPOINT AND A SEVENTH GRADER AT HILL COUNTRY.
UM, GOT INVOLVED ON THE LONG RANGE FACILITIES PLANNING COMMITTEE AND HAVEN'T STOPPED.
UM, AND I'M VERY MUCH, UH, HUMBLED TO BE PART OF THIS GROUP THAT IS GONNA REPRESENT THIS DISTRICT AND HOPEFULLY HELP TO MOVE THE NEEDLE.
UM, IT'S A BIG PUZZLE AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE, BUT LIKE SAM, WE ALL HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN SEEING THIS, NOT ONLY FOR OUR KIDS, BUT FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS.
UH, AND HOPEFULLY THAT THE WORK THAT WE CAN DO CAN THEN TRANSFORM AND CAN CONTINUE ON AS WE ARE ABLE TO DEVELOP PEOPLE THAT COME BEHIND US.
UM, SO IT'S A MULTIFACETED, IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF WORK AND EDUCATIONAL, UH, AND I JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I'LL ALSO BE PARTICIPATING WITH RAISE YOUR HAND, TEXAS.
UM, I'M THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT CEDAR CREEK ELEMENTARY.
MY SON GRADUATED FROM WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL IN 2024, AND HE'S A SOPHOMORE AT UT AND MY DAUGHTER IS A SOPHOMORE AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL.
TEXAS BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE CAPITOL.
[00:15:01]
THE VOICES OF EDUCATORS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE NOT JUST HEARD, BUT ALSO RESPECTED IN THE DECISIONS THAT SHAPE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TEXAS.I BELIEVE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
I BELIEVE THAT IT'S A PROMISE TO OUR KIDS, OUR COMMUNITY, AND OUR FUTURE.
BEING INVOLVED WITH RAISE YOUR HAND, TEXAS ALLOWS ME TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT PROMISE TO STAND UP FOR EQUITABLE FUNDING STRONG SCHOOLS IN POLICIES THAT PUT STUDENTS FIRST.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, FOLLOW UP IF THAT'S OKAY, BECAUSE I THINK RAISE YOUR HAND, TEXAS IS SOMETHING THAT I NOT EVERYBODY IS AWARE OF.
AND SO, UM, I KNOW, UH, DIANE THAT YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH HELPING US, UH, IDENTIFY A TEAM OF CHAMPIONS AND MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE US SOME, UM, DETAIL.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS GROUP, THANK YOU TO THE SEVEN WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM.
AND I, AND CHANDLER HATCHETT IS UNFORTUNATELY ILL TONIGHT, BUT, UM, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, WE LEARNED TO APPLY TO BECOME PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
SO WE STARTED LOOKING AROUND THE DISTRICT.
IT WASN'T JUST ME, IT WAS OUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTS OF KELLY AND JOHN AS WELL.
AND THEN ALSO THE OTHER TRUSTEES AND ADMINISTRATION SAYING WHO WOULD BE THE BEST PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICT? 'CAUSE WE ONLY HAD UP TO 10 SPOTS.
AND WE LOOKED TO PUT TOGETHER A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WERE, YOU KNOW, DIVERSE, WHO HAD DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE, WHO HAD SERVED ON DIFFERENT COMMITTEES, WHO HAD UNFORTUNATELY EXPERIENCED, YOU KNOW, SOME, LIKE THE BLEND, FOR EXAMPLE, AS SAM MENTIONED, OR THE LOSS OF A BELOVED PROGRAM SUCH AS SPANISH IMMERSION LAST YEAR.
SO WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE GROUP THAT SPANS DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AS WELL.
AND AS YOU HEARD, THEY'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE ENGAGED.
UM, WE'RE MODELING WHAT IS ON OUR WHEEL.
WE WANNA ADVOCATE THE
WE'RE MAKING SOME TOUGH DECISIONS TONIGHT.
AND I HOPE THAT WHAT YOU SEE HERE, UM, GIVES EVERYONE A BIT OF HOPE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN BEST PULL TOGETHER THE STORY THAT TELLS WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH, WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, HOW WE GOT HERE, AND WHAT WE NEED FROM THE STATE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE THE S DISTRICT THAT WE WANT TO BE.
UH, THE OTHER, I JUST WANNA NAME THE OTHER COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN NAMED YET WHO ARE PART OF THIS COHORT.
WE HAVE JENNIFER BLACKMAN, WHO'S SITTING IN THE FRONT.
UM, SO WE ALSO HAVE TIES WITH EEF, UM, WE ALSO HAVE ELLEN BAZAR, OUR RECENTLY RETIRED TRUSTEE WHO WAS SAT ON THIS, UH, BOARD FOR 24 YEARS.
WE HAVE HEIDI SAUER, WHO IS THE, I BELIEVE HER TITLE IS DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING, WHO IS SERVING AS WELL, SUSANNA MCCONNELL, WHO IS AN AP MICROECONOMICS TEACHER.
SHE LED A VERY INTERESTING PROGRAM FOR HER CHIL FOR HER STUDENTS, HER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY COULD HELP US SOLVE THE BUDGET PROBLEMS AND HOSTED PANELS WITH EXPERTS IN ACTUALLY LEGISLATORS.
UM, AND THAT ROUNDS OUT THE, THE 10 I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR NEW SUPERINTENDENT, KIRK ECKY, BECAUSE VERY QUICKLY AFTER FINDING OUT HE HAD THE ROLE, WE SAID, HEY, WE'VE GOT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND I WILL SAY HE DIDN'T HARDLY BLINK BEFORE.
HE SAID, OF COURSE WE NEED TO BE DOING THIS.
I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO'S HERE TONIGHT AND WHO SPOKE AND ALL OF THE MEMBERS WHO ARE PLANNING ON COMMITTING TO THIS.
THIS IS A GRANT FUNDED PROGRAM.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT.
AND IT'S AN 18 MONTH COMMITMENT.
UM, SO LIKE COURTNEY SAID, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF LEARNING AND THERE'S GONNA BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES, UH, AHEAD OF US.
AND WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THIS EFFORT IS IT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO REALLY FOCUS ON WHAT THE NEEDS OF E NS ARE, UM, AND THAT WE CAN WORK ON OUR OWN COMMUNITY ADVOCACY AND PLAN, UH, WHILE WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT THE LARGER, UM, SCOPE OF THE ISSUES THAT FACE US, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND NATIONALLY WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING.
[7.1 Quarterly Financial Report and Budget Amendment(s) for the quarter end...]
NOW GOING TO MOVE TO OUR REPORTS SECTION OF THE AGENDA, AND WE ARE GOING TO START WITH THE QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT BUDGET, A AMENDMENTS FOR THE QUARTER ENDING IN DECEMBER, 2025.AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MARIA STEAD.
SO IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE SEEN YOU GUYS
SO THIS IS OUR FIRST, UM, QUARTERLY REPORT.
UM, OF COURSE FOR THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS FOR THE MONTHS ENDING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.
THOSE REPORTS WERE SUBMITTED IN PREVIOUS BOARD MEETINGS AND THOSE WERE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD DURING THOSE, DURING THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, SO FOR THIS MEETING, WE'VE GIVEN THE UPDATED, UM, AMOUNTS FOR THE MONTH ENDING DECEMBER 31ST.
UM, AS FAR AS, UM, THE SIGNIFICANT
[00:20:01]
CHANGES YOU WOULD'VE SEEN, YOU SAW FOR THIS REPORT IS IN THE TAX COLLECTIONS.THE LAST TIME THAT WE MET, WE, WE, I WAS ONLY SHOWING YOU THE PREVIOUS YEAR, UH, TAX YEAR.
AND SO NOW WE'VE UP, WE'VE STARTED COLLECTING ON THE NEW TAX YEAR AND OF COURSE, DECEMBER BEING THE FIRST MONTH WHERE OUR, OUR COLLECTIONS RAMP UP.
SO, UM, THE, UM, COLLECTIONS AT THIS POINT THIS YEAR ARE A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN WHAT THEY WERE LAST YEAR AT THIS POINT, BUT STILL VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH WHAT WE EXPECT THEM TO BE.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAD, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE GENERAL FUND, UM, THAT WERE SUBMITTED FOR.
UM, OF COURSE, THE ONES THAT COME IN FROM DEPARTMENTS AND FROM CAMPUSES, WHICH HAVE ESSENTIALLY THEY JUST MOVE MONEY, MONEY AROUND.
AND SO THERE'S NOT AN EFFECT ON THE FUND BALANCE.
BUT THEN WE DID OUR REGULAR, UM, MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WE DO AT THIS POINT WHERE WE START TRUING UP NUMBERS THAT NOW WE KNOW MORE INFORMATION.
AND SO WE UPDATE THOSE AMOUNTS.
AND SO BASED ON THOSE, UM, AMENDMENTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED FOR THE GENERAL FUND, IT MOVED THE, UH, THE NET EFFECT OF THE AMENDMENT DECREASED THE BUDGETED FUND BALANCE DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR BY APPROXIMATELY $3.1 MILLION.
SO IT MOVED IT FROM A NEGATIVE 7.1 TO APPROXIMATELY 4 MILLION, NEGATIVE 4 MILLION.
UM, AND THE BULK OF, UM, THESE WERE THINGS THAT WE KNEW ABOUT IT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, BUT WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY, UM, HOW THEY WERE ALL GONNA TURN OUT ESSENTIALLY.
SO THE BIGGEST CHANGE THAT YOU SAW WAS RELATED TO PAYROLL, AND THAT WAS THE TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT THAT WE, THAT WE KNEW WHEN WE APPROVED THE BUDGET AT THE BEGINNING, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXACT AMOUNTS.
AND SO, UM, THOSE AMOUNTS WERE UPDATED IN THERE.
AND THEN THE OTHER BIG MOVEMENT THAT WE SAW WAS IN PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS.
AND THAT JUST HAS TO DO WITH, AGAIN, THE ORIGINAL BUDGET IS BASED ON CERTIFI, UM, ESTIMATES VALUES.
AND THEN WE RECEIVED CERTIFIED VALUES IN JULY, AND SO WE'VE UPDATED THOSE AMOUNTS FOR THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN IN SEVERAL OTHER AREAS, OF COURSE, THE TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT WE HAD FOR THOSE SPECIFIC TEACHERS, BUT THEN ALL OTHER STAFF ALSO RECEIVED A RAISE.
AND SO THAT ALSO WAS UPDATED IN THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT.
AND THEN IN THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, THERE WAS ALSO A BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRED FOR THAT SAME THING RELATED TO PROPERTY TAXES THAT AFFECTS BOTH THE MAINTENANCE, THE GENERAL FUND AND THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
SO THERE WAS A MOVEMENT THERE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO UPDATED IT FOR THE, WE HAD A NEW ISSUANCE OF BONDS IN, IN AUGUST, AND SO THIS IS ALSO UPDATING THE, THE PAYMENT THAT'S RELATED TO THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY.
UM, AND THEN, UH, SO THE NET EFFECT FOR THE BUDGET AMENDMENT HERE WAS THE, IT DECREASED THE BUDGETED FUND SURPLUS BY 545,000.
SO WE MOVED IT FROM A SURPLUS OF 363,000 TO A DEFICIT OF 182,000.
UM, AND THEN CHILD NUTRITION, UM, FUND AS WELL HAD SOME, AGAIN, JUST TRUE UPS OF NUMBERS, UH, ALSO RELATED TO RAISES.
UM, THEIR CHANGE WASN'T AS SIGNIFICANT, BUT THEY DID HAVE A DECREASE IN THEIR BUDGETED FUND SUR SURPLUS BY 54,000.
AND SO THAT MOVED THAT FROM 86,000 TO 32,000.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MARIA.
JAMES, UH, MARIA, A COUPLE THINGS ON THAT, ON THE FIRST SLIDE, QUARTERLY OVERVIEW.
THOSE, JAMES, YOU NEED TO TURN ON YOUR MIC.
DO YOU REALLY, DO YOU NEED TO HEAR ME? SO ON, ON THIS SLIDE MM-HMM
WE'VE, WE'VE RECENTLY SWITCHED FROM LOOKING AT THIS MONTHLY TO LOOKING AT THIS QUARTERLY, BUT YOUR, YOUR WORDS ON THERE STILL SAY MONTH IN MONTH TOTAL MONTH IN, IS THAT QUARTER END? I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR.
IS IT, IS IT DECEMBER? IT'S MONTH IN, BUT IT'S, I MEAN, A LOT OF THESE ARE, UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S THE A BALANCE SHEET BALANCE, RIGHT? SO LIKE THE CASH AND INVESTMENTS IT'S MONTH IN, BUT IT'S ALSO QUARTER IN.
SO, SO IS THAT, I GUESS SPECIFICALLY I WANTED TO DRILL IN ON THE YIELD NUMBER IS THAT LAST YEAR WE WERE SEEING HIGHER YIELD NUMBERS MM-HMM
AND I THINK IT WAS DUE TO SOME OF THE FED MOVEMENTS AND STUFF, RIGHT? 'CAUSE OUR INVESTMENTS TEND TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE.
DO WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE NOW INTO, IS THAT THREE-ISH PERCENT? IS THAT MORE NORMAL? MAYBE CHRIS IS GRABBING A MICROPHONE, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IS, IS THIS, ARE WE BACK INTO A NORMAL RANGE OR DO WE EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE TO TREND DOWN ON THE INVESTMENT RETURN? I, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY EXPECTING, UM, AT LEAST ONE MORE CUT DURING THIS, UM, FISCAL YEAR, PROBABLY IN JUNE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, ON FED WATCH RIGHT NOW AND PROBABLY TWO TO THREE MORE CUTS, UH, IN THE CALENDAR YEAR.
SO WE'VE NOT BOUGHT 'EM OUT YET.
UM, AT LEAST ON, ON CURRENT PROJECTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, JAMES? DIANE, MARIA, I DON'T THINK YOU TOUCHED ON THIS ONE, BUT WE ALSO SAW AN INCREASE IN FEDERAL FUNDS COULD FROM $75,000, WHICH IS MUCH LOWER THAN WHAT WE'D SEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS, RIGHT? BECAUSE OF
[00:25:01]
CHARS AND THEN IT BUMPED UP TO TWO 80.CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? SO THE MAIN REASON FOR THAT WAS THERE WAS A, UM, UH, I THINK IT WAS FROM 2122, THE CHARS ALLOTMENT FROM THAT WE WERE APPEALING BECAUSE THEY HAD, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE THE AMOUNT THAT WE WERE GOING, WE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE.
AND SO WE FINALLY ENDED UP SETTLING THIS YEAR, AND SO WE RECEIVED THAT FINAL AMOUNT.
SO THAT WAS AN ADDITIONAL 273,000 THAT WE RECEIVED.
SO THAT IS REALLY, IT'S ONE PAYMENT THAT WE RECEIVED RELATED TO THAT ONE YEAR, AND THAT'S WHAT MOVED THE, THAT BUDGET FOR THAT.
AND FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, WHAT CHARS ARE IS IT'S RELATED TO MEDICAID, UM, RIGHT.
IT'S REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES THAT WE INCUR ANYWAY.
IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE INCURRING ADDITIONAL EXPENSES, BUT EXPENSES THAT WE INCUR ANYWAY RELATED TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.
AND THESE ARE REIMBURSEMENT, FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR, FOR MEDICAID.
SO, UM, TONIGHT IN OUR CONSENT AGENDA, ONE OF THE ITEMS IS TO APPROVE THE AMENDED BUDGET.
AND THAT AMENDED BUDGET INCLUDES THIS SWING IN OUR REVENUE PREDOMINANTLY FROM, UH, PROPERTY TAX VALUES.
SO MAYBE IT'S JUST HELPFUL FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE, WE SET A BUDGET IN JUNE WITH SOME PROJECTIONS, AND NOW OUR PROPERTY VALUES HAVE COME IN 7 MILLION.
$3.2 MILLION HIGHER THAN EXPECTED.
AND SO THAT IS ALL TO THE GOOD FOR THE DISTRICT.
BUT ALSO DURING OUR BUDGET PROCESS AND WHEN THE BOARD ADOPTED OUR BUDGET, WE ALSO DIDN'T HAVE CALCULATED IN THERE YET THE COST OF THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE, IF ANYONE'S LOOKING AT THE FOOTNOTES, THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE A BAD NUMBER, BUT IT WAS PROJECTED INTO OUR BUDGET.
AM I SAYING THAT CORRECTLY THAT WE HAD A, A NUMBER TO THE GOOD, BUT ALSO OUR EXPENSES ARE SLIGHTLY HIGHER, BUT WE KNEW THAT GOING IN BECAUSE OF THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT INCREASES.
AND, UM, AND FOR THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT, I MEAN, WE KNEW THOSE WERE MONTHS WE WERE RECEIVING.
I THINK WE HAD, WE HAD GOOD, WE HAD ESTIMATES AT THE POINT THAT THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED.
WE JUST DIDN'T, THE MAIN THING IS WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET THEM TO ACTUALLY CALCULATE THE REAL NUMBERS AND GET THEM INTO THE ORIGINAL BUDGET BASED ON THE TIMING OF WHEN THEY RELEASE THE INFORMATION.
SO, AND, AND TO CLARIFY, UH, THANK YOU.
ON THE ADJUSTMENT ON THE INCREASED, UH, TAX COLLECTION, ALMOST ALL OF THAT WOULD'VE BEEN OFFSET BY, UH, AN ALMOST EQUAL INCREASE IN THE RECAPTURE PAYMENT.
AND SO, UM, IT, IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THAT KIND OF BALANCED OUT WITH EXACTLY HOW MUCH MONEY, UH, WE ALSO, UH, BROUGHT IN FOR THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.
SO IT KINDA LOOKS LIKE THE, THE RECAPTURE DIDN'T CHANGE MUCH, BUT, UM, THAT WAS, THAT DIDN'T REALLY RESULT IN MORE MONEY FOR THE DISTRICT'S USE.
WELL, I GUESS FOR ME, WHAT I NOTICED IS WITH ALL OF THAT, THE NET IMPACT OF THOSE SAVINGS IS THAT THE DISTRICT IS BRINGING IN MORE MONEY THAN WE ANTICIPATED.
AND IN GENERAL, OUR BUDGET, OUR, WHAT DO I WANNA SAY, OUR VARIANCE TO BUDGET IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN WE WERE ANTICIPATING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
THE GENERAL, I, I'M, I'M SORRY, I, I, I MISSPOKE JUST THERE, I, I THINK I CALLED, UH, THE TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT.
I CALLED IT THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.
THERE, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT THAT CAME IN? YES.
WHEN I LOOK AT OUR PROJECTED FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, EVEN THOUGH THESE NUMBERS ARE TO THE GOOD, WE ARE STILL GOING TO END UP BELOW THAT 25% THRESHOLD.
THAT IS OUR GOAL FOR THE YEAR END BUDGET.
SO I DID A QUICK BACK ENVELOPE, MAYBE A LITTLE OVER 22% VERSUS THE 25.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S ROUGHLY CORRECT, YES.
I JUST WANTED TO CALL THAT OUT.
I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A BUDGET, AND I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT, THAT THIS IS A, THIS IS A TOPIC THAT WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING FOR A WHILE AND WE'VE COME TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE EATING INTO OUR FUN BALANCE.
SO I JUST WANNA KIND OF SET THE FLOOR.
WE'LL, YOU KNOW, IT IS IN OUR CONSENT AGENDA, BUT I APPRECIATE THE DETAILS.
ALRIGHT, MARIA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND I, I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE, THE DETAIL THAT YOU PUT IN, IN THE VARIOUS BUDGETS.
UM, SO IN, IN THE VARIOUS FUNDS, UM, THE GENERAL FUND, THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, AND THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND.
[8.1 Consideration and possible action approving Budget Optimization plan]
MOVE TO THE DISCUSSION ACTION PORTION OF OUR AGENDA, AND WE WILL HAVE CHRIS, SCOTT AND MOLLY[00:30:01]
MAY AND CHAD BURNETT AND LAURIE LEE, COME JOIN US IN A DISCUSSION ON CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION APPROVING THE BUDGET OPTIMIZATION PLAN.CHAD, MOLLY, CHRIS AND LAURIE, WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
UH, SO MOLLY AND I WILL BE PRESENTING TONIGHT AND CHAD AND LORI UP HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE ANYTHING NEW TONIGHT.
UH, YOU'VE SEEN EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TONIGHT, YOU'VE SEEN MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE.
SO I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UH, TO LET YOU KNOW THAT OUR FEELINGS WILL NOT BE HURT IF YOU DON'T ASK US QUESTIONS, BUT WE'RE HERE IF YOU'VE GOT THEM.
UM, SO AGAIN, UM, OUR, OUR GOAL, UM, WE'VE GOT THIS, UM, ONGOING REVENUE, UM, VERSUS COST DEFICIT THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR, FOR A WHILE.
AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T SEE AN END TO IT.
AND SO WE'RE, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE ADDRESSED IT LAST YEAR, WE'RE ADDRESSING IT THIS YEAR, AND WE MIGHT BE THE CASE THAT WE'RE BACK HERE AGAIN, UH, NEXT YEAR DOING IT AGAIN.
UM, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FOR THIS YEAR IS SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF FIVE TO $6 MILLION.
UM, AND SO THIS IS THE WAY WE'VE SHOWN IT TO YOU BEFORE WE LOOKED AT, UH, LOCAL REVENUE INCREASES, UH, STAFFING OPTIMIZATION, UH, SALARY FREEZE AND, AND THE VADER.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO SIMPLIFY A LITTLE BIT TONIGHT, UM, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND SO IF WE COLLAPSE THOSE THINGS, AND SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THESE FOUR OPTIONS.
AND THE THIRD ONE, THE SALARY FREEZE IS, DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED TONIGHT.
IN FACT, PLEASE DON'T ADDRESS IT TONIGHT, UH, BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU AND YOU CAN MAKE A MORE INFORMED DECISION IN MAY, UH, WHICH IS WHEN WE NORMALLY BRING THAT TO YOU.
AND SO, UH, AT THE END OF THE EVENING, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING YOU TO GIVE US GUIDANCE ON THESE THREE PORTIONS OF IT.
UM, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THEM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UH, SEVERAL TIMES.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA JUST QUICKLY GO THROUGH WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I WILL POINT OUT, UH, THAT ON THE V-A-T-R-E, UM, QUESTION, UM, YES, WE WOULD LIKE GUIDANCE TONIGHT ON, IF YOU THINK IT'S LIKELY THAT YOU WANT TO GO FOR A-V-A-T-R-E, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW TONIGHT BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE.
AND THOSE STEPS HAVE A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
UM, IF YOU DON'T THINK IT'S LIKELY, UH, THEN, UH, YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL US TONIGHT, BUT YOUR, YOUR, YOUR WINDOW IS NOT CLOSED ON THAT YOU CAN STILL DO IT AT A LATER TIME.
AND IT'S, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD, UH, ACTUALLY DO WHAT'S KNOWN AS EFFICIENCY AUDIT, UH, IN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, WHAT IT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REALLY QUICK, BUT IT CAN BE DONE.
OUR AUDITORS HAVE TOLD US IT COULD BE DONE, BUT THAT'S THEIR BUSY TIME IN SCHOOLS WHEN THEY'RE DOING AUDITS ANYWAY.
AND SO IT, IT MAKES IT HARDER TO SCHEDULE THEM.
UH, BUT IT COULD HAPPEN, UH, IF YOU WANTED TO DO THAT.
AND SO, UM, UH, I GUESS MY, MY GUIDANCE TO YOU ON THE GUIDANCE TO US IS
UM, IF YOU DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A, IT'S A FOR SURE THING AND YOU WANNA WAIT AND SEE HOW THINGS SHAKE OUT AND MAKE THE DECISION LATER, UM, THERE'S STILL TIME TO DO IT AND IT'S NOT YOUR FINAL WORD.
UM, LOOKING AT THE LOCAL REVENUE INCREASES, SO LAST TIME WE SHOWED IT TO YOU, THIS HAS HAD A SLIGHT IN CHANGE.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THESE THREE DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, AND ONE OF THEM WE INCREASED.
AND SO BASED ON OUR DISCUSSION THE LAST TIME WE MET, WE SAID THAT WE CAN PROBABLY, UH, SQUEEZE ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND OUT OF, UH, INCREASED RENTAL USAGE AND FEES.
UH, WE FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT THAT, AND SO WE'RE SHOWING A $600,000 INCREASE IN REVENUE.
UM, AND I, AND I JUST WANT TO REASSURE YOU THAT ONCE WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT $600,000, WE'RE NOT STOPPING, IF WE FIND OTHER REVENUE GENERATING, UH, AVENUES, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA EXPLORE THEM AND TAKE THEM IF WE CAN.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO MOLLY AND LET HER PRESENT FOR A BIT.
DID YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS PART? WHAT'S THAT? YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT PART? UM, I'LL DO IT.
UM, SO THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS BEFORE ABOUT KIND OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, STAFF AND WHERE THEY FALL INTO IN UM, TERMS OF SORT OF HOW WE'RE CLASSIFYING THOSE.
SO THIS IS JUST A, A CHART TO SHOW YOU, UM, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE FALL.
SO YOU HAVE THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES IN, IN TERMS OF INSTRUCTION OR LIBRARY STAFF DEVELOPMENT, THAT BEING SOMETHING AROUND CAMPUS BASED.
UM, INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP WOULD BE AT CENTRAL ADMIN, LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION THAT FALLS UNDER OPERATIONS.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SPECIFIC SALARY
[00:35:01]
CATEGORIES AND, UM, FUNDING CODES, THIS IS SORT OF WHERE WE'RE PULLING FROM AND WE TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT WHEN YOU SEE IN OUR OPTIMIZATION, OUR STAFFING OPTIMIZATION, WHAT WE'RE SPEAKING TO AND WHICH GROUPS FALL INTO THOSE.SO WE WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT FOR THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT.
UM, SO THIS CHART ALSO THEN WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, OUR FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS AND PROPOSED PERSONAL BUDGET, PERSONNEL BUDGET IMPACT.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE CHART BEFORE, SO LOOKING AT NON-CAMPUS CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, A TOTAL REDUCTION OF SEVEN FTE, LOOKING AT THE SAVINGS AND TO, TO SHOW THAT WHILE THAT NUMBER IS RELATIVELY LOW OF JUST SEVEN, THAT IS 7.1% OF THAT PAYROLL BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE WITH THE, UM, CAMPUS LEVEL, SO THAT'S INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF, TEACHERS, UM, SUPPORT STAFF.
THE 62.5, UM, WITH WOULD BE THE FULL AFTER THREE YEARS.
AND THEN WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR NEXT YEAR, THE 43.
AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN THE SAVINGS IMPACT THERE AND THE PERCENT OF THAT BUDGET CATEGORY, UM, IN, UH, PERCENTAGE AND THEN MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.
AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW, WE ARE NOT MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE IN THAT AREA SPECIFICALLY.
WE END UP OFTEN FINDING THAT IF, FOR INSTANCE, YOU HAVE TO HIRE A PLUMBER OR CONTRACT, SORRY, CONTRACT WITH A PLUMBER OR OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS, THOSE CONTRACTS OFTEN ARE A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BRINGING THOSE SERVICES IN-HOUSE.
AND SO WE'VE LOOKED AT OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS STAFF AND AT THIS POINT ARE NOT MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE THE STAFF IN THAT AREA.
MOLLY, CAN I JUMP IN THERE REAL QUICK? YES, PLEASE.
JUST ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT BE AWARE AND, AND OUR STAFF MEMBERS HAVE LOOKED VERY CLOSELY AT THIS.
MANY OF OUR STAFF, SOME OF WHOM WORK IN MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS ARE ALSO BOND SUPPORTED STAFF.
AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES WHEN WE SEE ZERO THERE ARE ON THE SCREEN, THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS THAT GO INTO HOW WE BUDGET FOR THIS PARTICULAR PART OF OUR, OUR DISTRICT AND OUR EXPENSES.
AND THEN, UM, THE BOTTOM IS JUST A TOTAL OF ALL OF THOSE, UM, ALL, ALL OF THE REDUCTIONS AND THEN THE TOTAL PERCENT OF THE, OF THE BUDGET.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THERE AND WE KNOW WE WERE ASKED, UM, FOR THAT INFORMATION ALSO AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING.
SO THEN I'LL, UM, MOVE INTO OUR STAFF OPTIMIZATION.
THERE'S TWO CATEGORIES, UM, AND THESE ARE RIF CATEGORIES.
AND AGAIN, AS CHRIS MENTIONED, YOU HAVE SEEN THESE SLIDES BEFORE THESE BEEN PRESENTED, THERE'S NO NEW INFORMATION, SO I'LL GO RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
THE FIRST ONE BEING NON-CAMPUS STAFF, AND THESE ARE POSITIONS ACROSS CENTRAL ADMIN.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT CONSOLIDATION, REASSIGNMENT OR ATTRITION, BUT THESE, THESE POSITIONS WILL BE GOING AWAY, UM, TRYING TO LIMIT THE IMPACT ON THE CLASSROOM, UH, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN TAKING THE DUTIES THAT, UM, EXIST AND REDISTRIBUTING THEM AMONG THE STAFF.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE SAVINGS AND THE FTE COUNT THERE.
THE NEXT IS OUR CAMPUS BASED PARA PARAPROFESSIONALS.
SO WE VALUE ALL OF OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS GREATLY.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME SPACES AND, UM, AREAS WHERE WE THINK THAT WE CAN REDUCE, AGAIN, HAVING VERY LIMITED IMPACT ON CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND HAVING THE SAME TYPE OF, UM, REASSIGNMENT AND REDISTRIBUTION OF THOSE, UM, JOB DUTIES.
THE NEXT TWO, UM, CATEGORIES LOOK AT STAFFING OPTIMIZATION IN TERMS OF GRADE STAFFING RATIOS.
AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE.
YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT, UM, STAFFING ONE TO 22 AND K TWO ALL THE WAY TO ONE TO 25 AND GRADE FIVE WITH, UM, THE PRODUCTED ANNUAL SAVINGS THERE.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS ALL THROUGH NATURAL ATTRITION AND NO STAFF ELIMINATION.
THAT IS THE SAME ALSO FOR OUR SECONDARY GRADE STAFFING RATIOS.
AND, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASING THE STAFFING DIVISOR.
UH, IT WILL, UM, EVENTUALLY WHEN YOU GET THE ATTRITION THAT YOU'RE, UM, THAT WE'RE HOPING FOR, YOU WILL HAVE SOME LARGER CLASS SIZES.
IT WILL, UM, LIMIT SOME OF THOSE LOW ENROLLMENT OR SINGLETON ELECTIVES AS THE MASTER SCHEDULE.
TI UM, SCHEDULING JUST GETS TIGHTER, UM, AND YOU HAVE LESS FLEXIBILITY AND YOU CAN SEE THE SAVINGS THERE AND THE NUMBER OF FTE.
UM, THE NEXT AREA ALSO THROUGH, UM, ATTRITION IS OUR BARTON CREEK BLEND.
THESE THREE FTE ARE JUST REMAINING FTE FROM, FROM THE BLEND.
AND, UM, JUST REASSIGNING THOSE PEOPLE.
UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE, IF THEY, IF THERE'S NOT ATTRITION, THOSE PEOPLE WILL STILL HAVE POSITIONS, UM, THROUGH THAT, UM, THAT BLEND.
[00:40:02]
THE NEXT AREA, UM, IS STAFFING REALIGNMENT WITH ELEMENTARY SPECIALS.UM, AS WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, THIS DOES INVOLVE US, UM, PUTTING THE LIBRARIANS INTO THE ELEMENTARY SPECIALS ROTATION, UH, CREATING A FIVE DAY SPECIALS ROTATION.
IT DOES NOT CUT ANY PROGRAMS, BUT IT DEFINITELY, UM, REDUCES THE TIME FOR ART AND MUSIC.
AND WE HAVE HEARD, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AS I TALKED TO CHAD AND I AS TEACHING AND LEARNING, AND TO ALL OF YOU UP HERE, A LOT OF YOU WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS WHO'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THOSE, UM, WE WILL STILL SUPPORT ALL OF OUR ACTIVITIES, OUR MUSIC, AND OUR ART.
UM, OUR PE WILL BE TWICE A WEEK.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT LIBRARIANS, UM, THEY'LL BE AN IMPACT.
THEY WILL BE TEACHING ALL DAY.
THE LIBRARY STRUCTURE WILL BE DIFFERENT.
HOWEVER, WE WILL STILL HAVE FUNCTIONING LIBRARIES WITH KIDS THAT CAN CHECK OUT BOOKS.
UM, THEY'LL BE IN THE LIBRARY EVERY WEEK NOW TO CHECK OUT BOOKS TO RETURN THEIR BOOKS.
AND WE WILL BE, UM, INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE IN WAYS THAT WE ARE GONNA SUPPORT ALL OF THESE, ALL OF THESE CHANGES SHOULD THE BOARD, UM, DECIDE TO GO WITH THIS, THIS, UM, OPTIMIZATION, UM, PLAN THIS EVENING.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES IS ANOTHER AREA.
UM, THESE ARE, THIS IS KIND OF A BROADER CATEGORY WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE NON-CLASSROOM, UM, POSITIONS, BUT POSITIONS THAT SUPPORT THE STUDENTS, OR I SHOULD SAY NON-CLASSROOM TEACHERS.
UM, AND THEN ALL THOSE SUPPORT PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT THE STUDENTS.
SO THIS MIGHT BE CSS STAFF OR COUNSELING OR SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFF.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT EACH ONE OF THESE POSITIONS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND SEE WHAT THE, THE NEEDS ARE ON THE CAMPUS, HOW THAT IMPACTS, UH, OVERALL STUDENT SERVICES.
BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN GET, UM, SEVEN FTE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALL THROUGH ATTRITION, SO THERE'S NO RIFS IN ANY OF THESE POSITIONS.
AND FINALLY, UH, THE VOTER APPROVAL, TAX RATIFICATION ELECTION, OR THE VADER.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AGAIN A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND, AND YOU, YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF THE BOTH THE PROS AND CONS.
THE PRO IS THAT IT BRINGS IN APPROXIMATELY $3.8 MILLION, UH, THAT HAS ZERO IMPACT ON, ON STUDENTS.
THE, THE CON IS IT INCREASES THE TAX RATE, UM, AND IT ALSO INCREASES OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT.
AND THE RECAPTURE MAKES UP, UH, THE BIGGEST PORTION OF THE EXTRA MONEY THAT WE WOULD COLLECT THERE.
UM, SO, UM, ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT, UM, NINE, THE 3.8 MILLION IS RELATED TO THE, THE FULL NINE PENNIES, BUT YOU COULD DO ANY INCREMENT, UH, BETWEEN ZERO AND NINE THAT YOU CHOSE.
UH, SO AGAIN, HERE ARE THE, UM, THE THREE QUESTIONS THAT, THAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO ADDRESS IN, IN YOUR MOTION.
UH, AND WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU, LORI, CHRIS, MOLLY, AND CHAD.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE YET A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
UM, DO WE HAVE AT THIS POINT QUESTIONS PRIOR TO A MOTION BEING RAISED? YEAH.
DOES ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? I, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE STEPS TO IMPLEMENT THE REVENUE GENERATION AND COST SAVING MEASURES FOR THE 20 26 20 27 BUDGET, AND PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF CALLING A VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE ELECTION, WHICH INCLUDES ENGAGING WITH AN AUDITOR TO CONDUCT AN EFFICIENCY AUDIT AND ANY OTHER STEPS AS MAY BE NECESSARY.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? DIANE? I HAVE A MOTION BY KELLY AND A, UM, AND A SECOND BY DIANE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? YEAH.
WELL, THIS IS, UM, SORT OF WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW.
AND, UM, UH, UM, WE, WE HAD A STUDY SESSION A FEW WEEKS AGO AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS VERY OPENLY AND FREELY AS A BOARD.
[00:45:01]
I WANT TO KIND OF, I, I HOPE WE CAN KIND OF CONTINUE THAT DIALOGUE, UM, THIS EVENING.UM, THE MOTION THAT KELLY MADE WAS, UM, DIFFERENT THAN SORT OF WHAT WE HAD OR WHAT I HAD ANTICIPATED.
UM, WE, THE JOB OF THE BOARD IS TO SET THE BUDGET.
THE JOB OF THE BOARD IS TO GIVE ADMIN AND THE SUPERINTENDENT DIRECTION.
Y'ALL ARE THE EXPERTS IN RUNNING THE DISTRICT AND RUNNING THE SCHOOLS AND RUNNING THESE BUDGETS.
UM, I, UM, AM MORE COMFORTABLE MAKING A MOTION AND, UH, UH, VOTING ON TAKING ACTION ON SOMETHING THAT IS HIGHER LEVEL THAN WHAT Y'ALL HAVE PRESENTED.
Y'ALL HAVE GIVEN US GREAT INFORMATION, BUT IF WE WERE TO TAKE ACTION ON THE SPECIFICS THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TO US, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S OUTTA LINE.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GOOD GOVERNANCE.
UM, AND IT'S NOT OUR BOARD RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SECOND OF ALL, IT PUTS US IN A POSITION WHERE YOUR, YOUR HANDS ARE TIED.
AND TO MAKE ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS, YOU WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO US OR TO REVERSE ANY OF THESE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO US.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK THE DISCUSSION THIS EVENING REALLY, WE, WE HAVE THESE DETAILS, BUT ULTIMATELY Y'ALL ARE THE ONES WHO Y'ALL ARE THE EXPERTS AND Y'ALL ARE THE ONES WHO WILL NEED TO, UM, IMPLEMENT A PLAN THAT GETS US WHERE WE DECIDE WE NEED TO BE FINANCIALLY.
UM, I THINK THAT I'M GONNA STOP FOR NOW.
I WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK, BUT THAT JUST KIND OF, THAT'S, THAT IS WHERE I AM IN REGARDS TO THE DIRECTION THAT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO GIVE, UM, ADMIN THIS EVENING.
WE'LL HAVE KELLY AND THEN JOHN.
SO I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE COMPLEXITY OF THESE DECISIONS AND EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR THE TIME AND THE EXPERTISE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ALL CONTRIBUTED, JUST LIKE LAURA SAID.
UM, I GUESS FOR, UM, GOING FORWARD WITH THIS, AND I DO REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THE EXPERTISE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
UM, ALTHOUGH I HAVE WORKED IN OUR SCHOOLS AND I HAVE SEEN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF WHAT GOES ON THERE, YOU GUYS ARE, UM, I DO NEED YOUR EXPERTISE TO REALLY HELP GUIDE US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE CHANGES, WHAT CHANGES WE CAN DO, WHAT'S MOST EFFECTIVE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND THEN I GUESS MY QUESTION AFTERWARDS IS IT'S JUST IMPORTANT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE GONNA EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THESE CHANGES.
SO IT'S KIND OF MEASURES LATER THAT WE'RE GONNA USE TO ASSESS OUTCOMES AND UM, AND THEN HOW WE'RE GONNA KIND OF REPORT THOSE BACK TO THE BOARD.
I GUESS THAT'LL BE WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR NEXT.
UM, SO LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UM, THE STAFFING OPTIMIZATION, HOW ARE WE GONNA BALANCE SOME OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL IMPACTS OF THE INCREASED CLASS SIZES WITH OUR GOAL OF RETAINING OUR HIGH QUALITY STAFF? AND HOW WILL WE KNOW THAT'S WORKING? AND I ALREADY KNOW WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB BECAUSE WE ARE RETAINING OUR STAFF, BUT UM, GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE KEEP LOOKING AT THAT AND MAINTAINING IT? THE FEATHER DUSTER JUST DID A REALLY GREAT ARTICLE WITH THE TEACHERS THAT SHOWS THERE ARE KIND OF LIKE THE PLC CHANGES DID HAVE, SOME PEOPLE WERE LIKE ROLLING ON AND SOME PEOPLE IT WAS REALLY, THEY FELT A LITTLE HINDERED IN THEIR ABILITY TO COOPERATE.
AND I KNOW YOU REPORTED BACK TO US IN THE PLCS THAT YOU ADDED SOME EXTRA DAYS AND TIMES FOR THEM TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND YOU DID KIND OF GO OVER THAT AGAIN TODAY, WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATED.
BUT, UM, JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, TO MEASURE THAT AS WE GO FORWARD TO KNOW IF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS OKAY, IF IT'S WORKING OR IF WE'RE GONNA HA AND THEN HOW WE'LL BE ABLE TO KNOW WHEN WE NEED TO STEP IN AND MAKE FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS.
I GUESS THAT THAT'S A QUESTION TO ADMIN.
IS THERE A WAY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEASURE THAT? LIKE DO WE KNOW? UM, I MEAN YOU CAN ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT, WE HAVE LOTS OF DATA AND LOTS OF METRICS AROUND OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT THAT COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE OF DIFFERENT CLASS SIZES.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS NECESSARILY, THERE MIGHT BE CORRELATION AND NOT CAUSATION, YOU KNOW, SO THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT
[00:50:01]
DIFFICULT TO, TO, UM, DETERMINE EXACTLY.BUT I THINK IF WE WERE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN OUR TESTING SCORES OR, UM, STUDENTS' SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLBEING BASED ON DATA AROUND, YOU KNOW, COUNSELING VISITS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT'S SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE WOULD USE TO SEE IF SOME OF THOSE, UM, THOSE OPTIMIZATIONS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE ARE HAVING, YOU KNOW, A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT.
I THINK THAT WE WOULD ALL SIT UP HERE AND SAY THAT THERE, THERE, THERE IS AN IMPACT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IF YOUR CLASS SIZE IS BIGGER, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
NOW, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S SIGNIFICANT OR NOT, I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'LL HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK THROUGH AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I, WE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY LIKE IN LOOKING AT ELEMENTARY CLASS SIZE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE OR TWO STUDENTS NOT THINKING THAT THAT'S GONNA HAVE, AND, AND THE DATA, UM, NOT EAMS DATA, BUT DATA NOT SUPPORTING THAT, THAT CLASS SIZE, THOSE TYPES OF INCREASES WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR STUDENTS.
BUT THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, OKAY.
AND WE DO LOOK AT STUDENT OUTCOMES REGULARLY, UM, WHEN WE, YOU REPORT THOSE TO US PRETTY, UM, ON A REGULAR BASIS YOU SAY.
UM, AND SO, BUT SOME OF THESE CHANGES WE'RE NOT GONNA REALLY BE ABLE TO EVALUATE FOR, FOR YEARS.
UM, WHAT INDICATORS WILL WE USE TO ENSURE THAT THESE CHANGES ARE SUPPORTING OUR STUDENT ACCESS, ENGAGEMENT AND OUTCOMES, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS OF OUR FINE ARTS AND THEN OUR, IN OUR LIBRARY SERVICES, WHICH ARE, WE'RE KIND OF CHANGING HOW WE'RE USING THE LIBRARY AND THEN WE'RE, UM, JUST ADJUSTING THE FINE ARTS SCHEDULE.
CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION? SORRY.
ENSURE THE CHANGES ARE SUPPORTING THE STUDENT ACCESS, THE ENGAGEMENT AND OUTCOMES.
IS THERE ANY WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE THAT OR LOOK AT THAT? I DEFINITELY THINK THERE'S WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO LOOK AT THAT IN PARTICULAR, MAKING SURE THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ACCESS OR ARE STUDENTS STILL HAVING OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, PERFORM IN FRONT OF, UM, IN FRONT OF OTHER STUDENTS OR PARENTS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE STILL OFFERING MOST OF THE SAME KIND OF ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
IN TERMS OF THE LIBRARY, AGAIN, IT WILL LOOK DIFFERENT.
OUR STUDENTS AREN'T ABLE TO, UH, MAYBE HAVE FREE LIBRARY TIME TO GO IN AND CHECK OUT BOOKS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO LIBRARY NOW EVERY PERIOD OR EVERY WEEK.
UM, AND SPENDING LONGER IN THE LIBRARY.
WHEN THEY DO GO, THE LIBRARIANS HAVE DISCUSSED THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE BOOK FAIR AND WHAT IS THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR THE BOOK FAIR? WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR THE BOOK FAIR.
WE THINK THAT THOSE ARE IMPORTANT EVENTS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WE DON'T WANNA TAKE THAT AWAY.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING TO MAKE SURE IT'S REALLY OUR GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE STILL ABLE TO GET THAT WHAT WE'VE CALLED IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, OUR GUARANTEED VIABLE EXPERIENCES, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE STILL HAVE ALL OF THAT.
IT MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENT, IT WILL LOOK DIFFERENT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY CAN'T STILL BE HIGH QUALITY EXPERIENCES THAT THE STUDENTS GET A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT OUT OF.
AND WE AS A TEACHING AND LEARNING DEPARTMENT ESPECIALLY, ARE THERE TO HELP SUPPORT THEM.
WE'VE TALKED TO THE PRINCIPALS A LOT, LIKE, WHAT IS THIS GONNA LOOK LIKE? HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER AND ENSURE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE STILL THERE? ARE WE STILL GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, VETERANS DAY ASSEMBLIES? ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, MIGHT THEY NOT LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME, POSSIBLY ART SHOWS? DEFINITELY.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE, ALL THOSE SAME OPPORTUNITIES ARE JUST GONNA LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND, UM, THERE IS LESS TIME SPECIFICALLY FOR ART AND MUSIC AT THE ELEMENTARY.
YEAH, YOU BRING UP VETERANS DAY AND JUST HAVING BEEN AT PEARL HARBOR WITH THE BAND AND SEEING THE KIDS PLAY THOSE SONGS THAT I KNOW THAT THEY LEARNED HOW TO SING AND KIND OF LEARN THE ORIGINAL MUSIC IN ELEMENTARY, THEN THEY LEARNED HOW TO PLAY IT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEN THEY GOT TO PERFORM IT IN HIGH SCHOOL.
IT'S JUST A REALLY FULL CIRCLE MOMENT.
SO, UM, IT'S NICE TO HEAR YOU MENTION THAT 'CAUSE THAT'S REAL SPECIAL.
AND, AND I ALSO MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY CRITICAL TO HAVE THAT ALIGNMENT PIECE K 12.
SO WHAT IS IT THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, STARTING WITH OUR SENIORS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WHAT ARE THOSE, THE BAND AND THE CHOIR AND THE THEATER AND ORCHESTRA, WHAT DO THEY, WHAT DO THEY WANNA SEE AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GO DOWN TO KINDERGARTEN AND WE BUILD ON ALL OF THOSE SKILLS? BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME SKILLS THAT ARE MORE FOUNDATIONAL THAN OTHERS AND WE MAY HAVE TO PRIORITIZE SOME SKILLS OVER, OVER OTHERS, BUT YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAVE A STRONG FOUNDATION AND WE CAN STILL BUILD ONTO THAT IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL FOR THOSE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS. I, I REALLY APPRECIATE TOO, YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE WITH SPACES LIKE THE LIBRARY WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'LL BE REALLY HELPFUL.
[00:55:01]
I GUESS THE ONLY OTHER THING TOO IS THEN THE, UM, ON THE STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES, UM, JUST HAVING WORKED IN THE NURSE'S OFFICE, I CAN ALWAYS SAY THAT, I MEAN, I PROBABLY CHANGED A PERCENTAGE EVERY TIME, BUT I SWEAR AT LEAST 80% OF MY JOB WAS MENTAL HEALTH.SO, UM, AS MUCH AS I WANTED TO BE THERE TO SAVE SOMEBODY'S LIFE, UM, IT, A LOT OF IT CAME DOWN TO MENTAL HEALTH.
AND SO WE DO HAVE A CHARTING SYSTEM IN THE NURSE'S OFFICE WHERE WE CAN CHART THAT, RIGHT? I CAN SAY WHAT THE KID KIDDO CAME IN FOR, WHAT WAS GOING ON? IS THERE ANY WAY FOR LIKE TO MAKE SURE LIKE THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PRACTICES TOO.
YOU KNOW, JUST THINKING ABOUT HAVING SYSTEMS THAT TALK TO EACH OTHER AND STUFF.
BECAUSE IF I HAD A STUDENT THAT ALWAYS CAME IN AT, AT LIKE THIRD PERIOD WITH A STOMACH ACHE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, UM, YOU CAN UH, DOCUMENT THAT AND THEN KIND OF REALIZE IT'S MATH CLASS, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A STOMACH ACHE.
SO IT'S JUST BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND HAVING SYSTEMS IN PLACE WHERE ALL THE DIFFERENT SERVICES KIND OF CONNECT IS HELPFUL TOO, I THINK.
AND I WOULD SAY WE ALREADY DO THAT BECAUSE YOUR EXAMPLE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE AND THE NURSES OFTEN ARE REALIZING THAT A SYMPTOM IS MAYBE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THAT DOES, IS NOT A, NOT NECESSARILY A MEDICAL ISSUE AND LIKE GOING TO THE COUNSELOR IS HELPFUL.
AND SO WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF THAT IN PLACE AND A LOT OF COMMUNICATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING ALL OF THOSE NEEDS OF THOSE OF THOSE KIDS.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY DO, THEY MIGHT GO TO ONE SERVICE PROVIDER OVER ANOTHER BASED ON MAYBE JUST A RELATIONSHIP AND THERE'S REALLY SOMETHING ELSE DOWN, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE DEEPER THAN WE MAY NEED TO DISCUSS AND THEN THOSE PROFESSIONALS ARE ALWAYS COLLABORATING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ONCE AGAIN FOR YOUR EXPERTISE EVERYBODY.
WE HAVE JOHN AND THEN CATHERINE, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR, UM, ALL THE ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH AND THOUGHT THAT WENT INTO THIS.
UM, I DO HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS TO START WITH.
UM, WELL FIRST AS A COMMENT, UH, CHRIS, WE TALKED LAST TIME ABOUT BUMPING IT UP TO 600.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY I, UH, APPRECIATE THAT AND WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
UH, AND UH, I KNOW THAT WASN'T EASY AND UH, YOU THAT AN EXTRA A HUNDRED, SO THANK YOU, UH, 'CAUSE THAT MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE.
UM, A CLARIFYING QUESTION ON THE REVENUE NUMBER.
UH, DOES THE, THE NEW LEASE THAT IS SIGNED WITH THE PACK ON SUNDAYS FOR AUSTIN RIDGE, IS THAT IN THAT NUMBER FOR NEXT YEAR? UM, IT, IT, IT IS PART OF THAT AND SO YES, IT WILL BE, IT'S IN THERE.
SO, BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE INCREMENTAL ON TOP OF THIS 600 THAT'S ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR.
UH, AND I LOVE THAT, UH, FACILITY RENTALS AND, AND MAXIMIZING FACILITY RENTALS AND GETTING CREATIVE WITH FACILITY RENTALS, UH, I THINK IS FANTASTIC.
UM, AND THEN I HAD ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THE LIBRARIANS.
UM, SO A LIBRARIAN'S DAY NOW WILL BE TEACHING THE WHOLE DAY, HOW, HOW MUCH PLANNING TIME WILL THEY HAVE IN THE COURSE OF A WEEK? AND NOW THAT IT, NOW THAT LIBRARIAN IS MOVED INTO LIBRARIES, MOVED INTO THE SPECIALS, SO THEY HAVE THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER WOULD HAVE.
SO THAT'S, UM, ABOUT 50 MINUTES A DAY THAT THEY HAVE FOR THAT PLANNING.
AND THEN HOW WILL THE, BECAUSE I THINK, AND YOU KNOW, I'M BRINGING, UH, SO I'VE BEEN A LONG TIME LIBRARY VOLUNTEER.
I'VE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS IN THE LIBRARY.
UH, AND I GET, IT IS SO MUCH FUN TO BE THERE.
UH, AND YOU GET TO SEE THE LIBRARIANS TEACHING THEIR LESSONS, UH, AND NOW THE KIDS' FACES LIGHT UP.
UH, AND THEN YOU GET TO BE THERE IN A WAY TO VOLUNTEER WHEN YOU'RE AROUND THE KIDS.
AND I'M THERE EVERY TWO WEEKS, UH, AND IT'S FANTASTIC.
UM, AND SO I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THAT A LIBRARIAN'S TIME IS BOTH TEACHING LESSONS AS WELL AS LIKE THE PHYSICAL MANAGEMENT OF THE LIBRARY ITSELF.
UH, AND SO A QUESTION I HAD IS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE PLANNING TIME, A LOT OF THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY BE GOING TO LESSONS.
HOW, WHAT ABOUT THE PHYSICAL MANAGEMENT OF THE LIBRARY, HOW WILL, HOW WILL THAT BE HANDLED? DOES THAT QUESTION MAKE SENSE? OH, IT, IT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, THEY'LL, THEY WILL RELY ON VOLUNTEERS, UM, SUCH AS JOHN TROY, WHO COMES IN
UM, WE, WE WILL, UM, I MEAN, BUT SERIOUSLY, WE WOULD APPRECIATE MORE VOLUNTEERS COMING IN AND HELPING SHELF BOOKS.
IT WILL BE AN ADJUSTMENT FOR THEM TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANAGE THEIR LIBRARIES.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T, UM, WANT TO DIMINISH ALL OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY DO HAVE.
UM, A CLASSROOM TEACHER WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF PLANNING, MAKING PHONE CALLS, GRADING PAPERS,
[01:00:01]
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF ADJUSTMENT FOR A TEACHER.START TO THINK OF THEIR ROLE AS MORE OF A TEACHER IN THAT KIND OF, AS LIKE A CLASSROOM TEACHER CAPACITY, THERE IS A LOT TO MANAGE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL KIND OF FIGURE OUT THEIR WAYS TO BE ABLE TO, I THINK, TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, AGAIN, SOME THINGS MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'RE HAVING THE KIDS WHEN THEY COME IN, MAYBE THEY'RE HELPING SHELVES, SOME BOOKS AS PART OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN A LIBRARY, YOU KNOW.
AND SO I THINK, AGAIN, I, I WON'T SPEAK FOR ALL THE LIBRARIANS OF HOW EVERYTHING WOULD RUN, AND IT MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENT IN EACH ONE, BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT, AGAIN, SOME WAYS, UM, TO BE CREATIVE AND TO SOME THINGS MAY GO AWAY, AND YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T HOLD EVERYTHING CONSTANT IF YOU'RE MAKING SOME CHANGES AND THEY HAVE LESS TIME, UM, TO MANAGE THE LIBRARY, BECAUSE IT DEFINITELY IS A PHYSICAL SPACE THAT YOU HAVE TO MANAGE FOR SURE.
UM, AND I DO RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY DISTRICT IS FINDING THEIR, THEIR WAY FORWARD.
UH, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS PLAN IS THAT, UH, WE'LL STILL HAVE LIBRARY.
AND WE'LL STILL HAVE MUSIC AND WE'LL STILL HAVE ART, AND THEY'RE ALL THREE WILL BE FANTASTIC.
UH, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE KIDS WELL.
UM, I KNOW MY KIDS HAVE BENEFITED FROM ALL OF THEM.
I KNOW I HAVE ENJOYED VOLUNTEERING AS MANY OTHERS HAVE AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS A BAND KID.
I SEE HOW THE, UM, THE GROWTH FROM ELEMENTARY FEEDS INTO MIDDLE AND THEN ULTIMATELY INTO HIGH.
UM, AND I, I'M KEYING OFF OF SOMETHING YOU MENTIONED, MOLLY, ABOUT THAT GU I THINK IT WAS GUARANTEED VIABLE EXPERIENCE, JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL ENS, LIKE WE STILL HAVE AN INCREDIBLY HIGH BAR, UH, AND WE GOTTA FIND A WAY TO ACHIEVE SAVINGS.
UH, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE STOP BEING ENS.
LIKE WE HAVE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS AND FIND A WAY TO GET BETTER WHILE ALSO TIGHTENING.
UH, AND I REALIZE THAT IS A HERCULEAN ASK, UH, AND THAT OUR STAFF ARE, ARE DOING THOSE HERCULEAN, UH, FEATS EVERY DAY.
UM, AND, UM, THAT JUST, IT KEEPS CONTINUING BECAUSE THAT'S THE JOB.
UH, AND, UH, PARENTS WILL CONTINUE TO VOLUNTEER AND DO ALL WE CAN TO HELP.
UM, WELL, UH, I'LL NOW, UH, TALK TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, I THINK STAFF IS COMING TO US AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR OUR DIRECTION, UH, AND I THINK WE OWE IT TO THEM TO GIVE CLEAR DIRECTION.
UH, I WILL BE A NO ON THIS VOTE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE ADD-ON OF THE VADER AT THE END.
UH, I THINK THE VADER IS A TERRIBLE DEAL.
I CAN'T VOTE, UH, I CAN'T VOTE FOR IT.
UH, I THINK IT PUTS THE BOND AT RISK.
I DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD GO TO OUR COMMUNITY AND PUT A TERRIBLE DEAL IN FRONT OF THEM AND SAY, HERE'S, GIVE US 20 BUCKS SO THAT WE CAN GIVE MOST OF IT TO THE STATE.
BUT WE'LL GET TO KEEP $3 AND 80 CENTS, AND FOR EVERY 20 BUCKS, WE GIVE AWAY ALMOST ALL OF IT.
UH, TO ME, UM, LIKE ME AS A VOTER, I WOULD VOTE NOTE FOR THAT.
UH, EVERYBODY I HAVE TALKED TO WOULD, UH, I'VE, PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME THEY DON'T WANT THAT.
UH, AND THEY'VE ALL EXPRESSED TO ME LIKE, HEY, WE'RE GAME FOR A BOND.
UH, AND FOR ME TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY AND PUT THAT FORWARD, UH, I THINK THIS JUST ME PERSONALLY, AND FOR MY CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS, I THINK IT BURNS TRUST.
UH, I DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD DO IT.
UH, AND I DON'T WANNA PUT THAT FORWARD.
I ALSO PERSONALLY BELIEVE IT WILL FAIL.
UM, AND THEN TO HAVE THAT FAIL, AND THEN SIX MONTHS LATER, UH, GO BEFORE THE COMMUNITY WITH A BOND, POTENTIALLY A TRANSFORMATIONAL BOND, UH, THAT TO ME, A HUNDRED PERCENT WILL STAY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHATEVER WE END UP PUTTING FORWARD, IT WILL STAY IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, SO A HUNDRED PERCENT PAID STAYS HERE.
WE KNOW OUR FACILITIES NEED IMPROVEMENT.
UH, TO ME, THAT BOND, UH, I, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT GOES IN IT STILL, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT, UH, BUT I AM EXCITED TO PUT FORWARD A BOND AND TO WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH THIS BOARD ABOUT WHAT GETS PUT FORWARD, UH, A VADER I JUST PERSONALLY AM AGAINST, UM, AS FAR AS DIRECTION TO STAFF.
UM, I HEAR YOU, LAURA, THAT YOU KNOW, A BOARD'S JOB IS GOVERNANCE AND WE DON'T NEED TO BE IN THE WEEDS.
UH, I THINK THE SIGNAL I WANT TO SEND TODAY IS, FOR ME AT LEAST, I WANT STAFF TO WALK AWAY VIEWING
[01:05:01]
IT AS THE BOARD'S PRIORITY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.AND WHAT I PLAN ON VOTING FOR TONIGHT IS A BALANCED BUDGET.
UH, TO DO THAT, CHRIS HAS SAID WE NEED TO CUT FIVE TO 6 MILLION.
UH, AND SO WHAT'S ON THE DOCKET FOR NEXT YEAR, FOR TONIGHT IS REALLY 3.9.
IF WE DON'T DO THE VADER, AND THEN IMPLICIT IN THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HIT PAUSE ON THE STAFF, BUT UNLESS WE FIND MONEY ELSEWHERE, OR UNLESS THINGS TREND OUR WAY, AND IT ENDS UP BEING FIVE INSTEAD OF SIX, YOU KNOW, WHICH WILL COME BACK TO, BUT IMPLICIT IN THAT IS, UH, NO STAFF RAISES IF THINGS DON'T CHANGE.
AND WE'LL OBVIOUSLY COME BACK TO THAT LATER IN THE YEAR AND MAKE A DECISION.
UH, FOR ME, I'M HOPING THAT CHRIS AND ADMIN AND THE TEAM FIND MORE MONEY ELSEWHERE UNDERNEATH ROCKS, WE'RE ABLE TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE, UM, THAT IT ENDS UP BEING FIVE INSTEAD OF SIX.
AND THINGS WILL TREND OUR WAY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GIVE A RAISE.
UH, 'CAUSE IN ORDER TO DO A HIGH QUALITY, UH, EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR OUR KIDS, WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR STAFF.
UH, AND SO TO ME, UH, I AM REALLY HOPING TO COME BACK AND GIVE A RAISE.
UH, BUT I'M ALSO SIGNALING TO THE REST OF THE BOARD, UH, THE ONLY WAY I'M GONNA VOTE FOR A RAISE IS IF IT'S STILL BALANCING THE BUDGET.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M HOPING, UH, THAT BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN THAT VOTE HAS TO BE DECIDED, UH, THAT WE CAN FIND THE, THE MONEY TO GET TO BALANCED ON TOP OF THE 3.9 THAT'S BEING PROPOSED TONIGHT, UH, IN SOME OTHER WAY.
UH, BUT IF IT, BUT IF PUSH COMES TO SHOVE WITH THE POINT THAT CATHERINE MADE EARLIER, WE'RE ALREADY TRENDING TOWARDS, I THINK IT WAS A 22% FUND BALANCE.
IS THAT RIGHT, CHRIS? AT THE END OF THE YEAR? YEAH, IT'D PROBABLY BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THAT, BUT IT'S PROBABLY GONNA DIP BELOW 25% FOR SURE.
AND SO WITH US BELOW 25, I'M FIRM ON A BALANCED BUDGET.
UM, AND TO ME, UH, BALANCED BUDGET MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T SPEND MORE THAN WE BRING IN
UH, AND I DON'T WANT TO ERODE THAT FUND BALANCE EVEN LOWER, IS WHAT I'M COMMITTED TO.
SO, UM, TO ME, UH, THE SIGNAL I WANNA SEND TO STAFF IS A MINIMUM OF 600,000 IN REVENUE INCREASES A MINIMUM OF 3.3 TO 4.5 AND STAFF OPTIMIZATION WITH THE 3.3 BEING ACHIEVED NEXT YEAR AND A NO ON THE VADER.
UH, AND THEN, UH, THAT WOULD BE WHAT I WOULD VOTE ON TONIGHT.
AND THEN, UH, MY EARLY THINKING ON THE, ON WHAT WOULD COME LATER IS THAT I'M HOPEFUL ON A RAISE, UH, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF A BALANCED BUDGET.
UM, SO, UH, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION.
I, I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT, I MEAN, ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN MAY, WHICH IS, WHICH IS THE BUDGET.
AND, AND I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT, WHAT WE ARE, UH, WHAT IS ON THE BUDGET FOR BUDGET OPTIMIZATION.
NOT, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE MANY, MANY CALL CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN NOW AND MAY WHEN WE VOTE ON A BUDGET.
BUT I THINK, UM, KURT KNICKY WAS JUST A, KIRK KNICK WAS GONNA CLARIFY JUST FOR ANYBODY WHO'S LISTENING.
AND, UH, AND BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF HALFWAY INTO THIS DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, NOW, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, AND I APPRECIATE THE, THE LANGUAGE OF THE MOTION THAT I HEARD, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FROM MY STANDPOINT, THE TEAM NEEDS FLEXIBILITY.
AND SO I, I HEARD WORDS LIKE POSSIBILITY WHEN IT CAME TO VADER.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO, UM, UH, GET INTO A, UH, A DEEP DIVE INTO THAT CONCEPT, BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT PLENTY, AND CHRIS AND THE TEAM HAVE, HAVE SHARED A LOT ABOUT IT.
BUT I THOUGHT THE LANGUAGE THAT I HEARD CLARIFIED IN, IN THE MOTION THAT WAS MADE WOULD PROVIDE US WITH THE FLEXIBILITY.
BUT NOT TO MR. TROY'S POINT SAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT.
AND SO I THINK, AGAIN, JUST FOR ANYBODY LISTENING, WE'RE NOT, UM, HAVING A REFERENDUM ON WHETHER WE WOULD PUT A VADER ON A BALLOT RIGHT NOW OR NOT.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HAVING THE POSSIBILITY TO EXPLORE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF A BUDGET ISSUE.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE, THE CLARITY IN THE LANGUAGE I HEARD IN THAT MOTION BECAUSE IT'S MORE FLEXIBLE TO LAURA'S POINT AT A HIGH LEVEL.
AND MY TEAM NEEDS THAT FLEXIBILITY.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND OR SUPPORT VADER TO THE TRUSTEES EITHER.
IT MEANS IF WE WERE EVER GOING TO, TO TAKE THAT UNPRECEDENTED STEP AT S WE AT LEAST NEED THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO THE HOMEWORK ON IT.
AND, UH, THE OTHER POINT I WANNA MAKE, WHICH I THOUGHT CAME UP A COUPLE TIMES ALREADY, WAS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE, AND MOLLY DID A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING, WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH ANECDOTAL, INFORMAL OPINIONS.
BUT THIS TEAM HAS SPENT MONTHS WITH THE TRUSTEES FOR ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE MY PERSPECTIVE,
[01:10:01]
GOING WELL, PAST OPINIONS TO DO RESEARCH.AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING IN A VACUUM.
IT'S HAPPENING AT EVERY LEVEL IN EVERY DEPARTMENT OF THE DISTRICT.
AND THEY'RE TAKING INPUT AND FEEDBACK.
AND THAT RESEARCH IS NOT JUST SOMEONE'S SUBJECTIVE OPINION.
IT, IT'S LOOKING DEEP INTO THE DATA.
AND I THINK OUR TRUSTEES HAVE PROVEN HERE THAT THEY DO THAT ALL THE TIME TOO.
UM, SO I, I APPRECIATE THOUGH BACK TO LAURA'S POINT, THAT THIS IDEA OF, UM, WHAT THE TRUSTEES SHOULD BE DOING, LOOKING AT THIS, AND THEN SIGNALING TO US THAT WE NEED SOME FLEXIBILITY TO DO IT.
AND SOME OF THIS, TO JOHN'S POINT, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT REVENUE STREAMS, WHICH WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO DO.
AND, AND CHRIS POINTED OUT, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT HR, WHICH IS AN EVOLVING THING ALL SPRING ALONG, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT PEOPLE AND, AND LOOK AT ATTRITION FIRST.
SO, UM, UNLESS I MISHEARD THE MOTION, I WOULD JUST SAY, FROM MY STANDPOINT, I APPRECIATED HOW IT WAS WORDED, AND MAYBE WE COULD REPEAT IT AGAIN AT THE END.
NEXT WE HAVE CATHERINE AND THEN JAMES.
UM, I, I WANNA ADDRESS THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF GOVERNANCE, RIGHT? UM, YES.
THE BOARD'S DUTY IS TO APPROVE A BUDGET.
I BELIEVE THIS IS PART OF THE PROCESS TO APPROVE THE BUDGET, RIGHT? WE DON'T GET TO GO IN A CLOSED SESSION AND VOTE AND APPROVE ON A BUDGET.
WE HAVE TO DO IT IN OPEN FORUM, WHICH MEANS ASKING THE QUESTIONS.
ONE OF THE OTHER FIVE DUTIES OF A TRUSTEE IS TO SET TAX RATES.
AND SO TO ME, CALLING A VADER IS SETTING THE TAX RATE, WHICH THEORETICALLY SHOULD BE A COMPLETELY SEPARATE VOTE FOR THE TRUSTEES AND SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED.
'CAUSE IT'S A INDEPENDENT ITEM FOR APPROVING THE BUDGET.
SO IT MIGHT MERIT SPLITTING ONE AND TWO OUT FROM NUMBER THREE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS VOTE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DEBATE.
I MIGHT MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT, BUT I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS BEFORE I GET THERE.
UM, COULD WE BRIEFLY GO TO SLIDE 15? THAT'S NOT THE SLIDE WE'RE ON, BUT TO SLIDE 15.
MY INNER MATHEMATICIAN HAD A QUESTION.
I, UH, I THINK, I THINK WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT NUMBERS I WAS LOOKING AT.
OKAY, THIS IS AVAILABLE OPTIONS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR WITH A AND A B BROKEN OUT.
UH, NUMBER TWO, STAFFING OPTIMIZATION IS PRESENTED AS A RANGE, 3.3 MILLION TO 4.5 WITH A SAVINGS BY A REDUCTION IN FORCE OF 780,000 AND A AND SAVINGS BY ATTRITION OF 2.9 TO 3.7.
IF I ADD 790, 700 80,000 TO 2.9, I ACTUALLY GET 3.68 MILLION, NOT 3.3.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE LOWER END OF THAT RANGE IS ABOUT 300,000 OFF.
IS THERE, IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? IS THAT, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
SO NUMBER TWO, THEN, IF WE CARRY THAT FORWARD, THE 3.3, THE 4.5 IS, IS THE CORRECT NUMBER AND, AND THE, THE SAVINGS BY ATTRITION, UH, NUMBER IS PROBABLY OFF.
IS, UM, ARE YOU DOING SOME MENTAL MATH OVER THERE? NOT REALLY.
WELL, THE SLIDE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE SCRIBBLING FURIOUSLY, AND I GET THAT THE LOWER NUMBERS SHOULD PROBABLY BE CLOSER TO $3.68 MILLION, NOT 3.3.
SO THE VOTE ON THE TABLE SHOULD ALSO BE AMENDED TO 3.6 TO 4.5.
SO WE NEED TO AMEND IT JUST BECAUSE OF A MATH ISSUE, THERE WASN'T, THERE WASN'T A NUMBER ON THAT.
SHE SEEMS DIFFERENT WORDING THAN WHAT YOU SAID SHE DID.
OH, YOU, IT CHANGED FROM WHAT'S IN THE PACKET.
WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON I THINK WE NEED TO RESTATE IT AGAIN AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH, THROUGH HERE.
LET'S RESTATE THAT RIGHT, BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT.
UM, THAT SAID, UNFORTUNATELY, I FEEL THAT I HAVE AHA MOMENTS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S LACK OF SLEEP BECAUSE I STAY UP AT NIGHT AND WE'RE DOING ALGEBRA ONE HOMEWORK
UM, UH, MY AHA MOMENT IS BECAUSE WE GOVERN THAT THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS AND SIGNALS THAT HAPPEN BETWEEN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM WHO'S WORKING VERY HARD IN THE TRUSTEES.
[01:15:01]
IF CHRIS IS SIGNALING THAT THE TRUSTEES WILL APPROVE A BUDGET THAT'S NOT BALANCED, THEN OKAY, HE WOULD PROPOSE A, A, A BUDGET THAT ISN'T QUITE BALANCED AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO MANIPULATE AND WORK ON THIS IN FUTURE YEARS.IF THE TRUSTEE SIT AT THE DAIS AND WE SEND A SIGNAL THAT SAYS NO, AS AS, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE GET FEEDBACK FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, FROM THE COMMUNITY IN OUR TWO ZIP CODES THAT WE WANT A BALANCED BUDGET TRUSTEES, THEN OUR DUTY AS GOVERN, AS GOVERN TO GOVERN IS TO SEND MESSAGES BACK TO YOU TO SAY, WE, WE WANT A BALANCED BUDGET.
SO WE HAVE THIS GLOBAL ISSUE THAT THE, THE NUMBERS ON THE TABLE STILL DON'T BRING US TO A BALANCED BUDGET, AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T HELP US REPLENISH OUR GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS ALREADY BELOW, OR WHAT IS PROJECTED TO BE BELOW THE 25% THRESHOLD.
SO WE HAVE A REALLY GLOBAL PROBLEM.
SO WHEN I SEE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS SEND US EMAILS LIKE, PLEASE DON'T TOUCH SPECIALS, PLEASE, LET'S NOT TOUCH CLASSROOM SIZES, THESE TYPES OF THINGS, I'M ACTUALLY THINKING THAT WE HAVE MORE TO DO.
SO I SAY ALL THIS TO SAY, VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE ELECTION.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US THINK THAT THIS IS A VERY GOOD DEAL.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ONE PERSON COME TO ME AND SAY, I BELIEVE THAT IF VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE ELECTION IS SOMETHING THEY WOULD APPROVE.
AND SO MY SIGNAL BACK TO YOU ALL IS THAT'S NOT HOW WE WANNA SOLVE THIS BUDGET ISSUE.
BUT I BELIEVE TO JOHN'S POINT, THAT IF WE AS TRUSTEES ARE NOT ACTUALLY SENDING SIGNALS TO OUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM THAT WE WANT A BALANCED BUDGET, THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT GOING TO PASS THE VA.
AND I BELIEVE WE PUT BIGGER, LARGER THINGS FOR OUR DISTRICT AT A HUGE RISK.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S A REPUTATIONAL RISK.
WE WANT OUR DISTRICT TO BE, CONTINUE TO BE A DESTINATION DISTRICT.
THE REASON WE HAVE ALL OF, OF THE AP CLASSES IN THE HIGH SCHOOL IS THAT IT IS ASPIRATIONAL, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE DON'T KEEP OUR DISTRICT AT THIS, LIKE HAVE ALL THESE ASPIRATIONAL THINGS, THEN WE WILL BE IN A, IT'S NOT A VIRTUOUS CYCLE.
IT'S A, IT'S A NEGATIVE CYCLE WHERE WE CONTINUE TO NEED TO BRING IN MORE TRANSFER STUDENTS BECAUSE OUR OWN POPULATION CONTINUES TO CHOOSE PRIVATE.
WE HAVE, UM, THE VOUCHERS KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR, RIGHT? THEY'RE COMING THROUGH VERY, VERY SOON.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DATE IS, BUT THAT, THAT THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS STARTING.
AND I THINK OUR COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE THAT THE TRUSTEES, THE SEVEN OF US, ARE WILLING TO HAVE THE HARD CONVERSATIONS PUBLICLY SEND THE SIGNALS TO OUR ADMINISTRATION, THAT WE WANNA BALANCED BUDGET, THAT OUR REVENUES MATCH OUR EXPENSES.
SO, UM, I SEE ALL THIS TO SAY, I'M WITH YOU, JOHN.
I, I WOULD NOT, UH, ADVOCATE AT ALL FOR VADER AT THIS TIME.
IT FEELS LIKE A BREAK THE GLASS SCENARIO TO ME FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO GONNA SAY, I THINK THIS IS PERHAPS STILL NOT ENOUGH TO GET US TO WHERE OUR COMMUNITY FEELS LIKE WE ARE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF TAX DOLLARS.
UM, THAT THE THREE POINT, I'M GONNA SAY 3.68 TO $4.5 MILLION STILL DOESN'T GET US TO A POINT WHERE WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS PUBLICLY.
AND THEN, UM, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FILL THE PIGGY BANK BACK UP.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BUILD OUR GENERAL FUND BACK UP TO THE POINT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, BECAUSE NOW AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR WITH IT BEING BELOW THE 25% THRESHOLD.
WE'VE GOT JAMES AND THEN DIANE, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS, CATHERINE.
I, I ALIGN VERY WELL WITH THAT.
A COUPLE OF, UH, THOUGHTS AND, AND QUESTIONS.
ONE IS, I APPRECIATED THE SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE DIFFERENT, UM, WHERE THE MONEY, WHERE, WHERE THE STAFF REDUCTIONS WERE COMING FROM AND, AND SPECIFICALLY THAT, THAT THERE'S ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS A BALANCE BETWEEN CENTRAL ADMIN AND WHAT'S GOING ON ON OUR CAMPUSES.
AND, AND I, I PUT A QUESTION TO YOU MORE DIRECTLY THAN THAT.
I WOULD SAY, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THESE IMPACTS ARE SPREAD OUT SO THAT THEY ARE NOT UNFAIRLY OR, OR, OR OVERBURDENING A SINGLE PROGRAM, A SINGLE CAMPUS, A SINGLE AGE GROUP, THAT WILL BE HIT HARDER ON PURPOSE THAN ANYTHING ELSE? AND I, AND I GO, THAT QUESTION IS SORT OF BASED ON, OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO GET EMAILS THAT SAY, DON'T REDUCE THIS AND DON'T DO THIS AND DON'T DO THAT.
AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE WITH THAT.
IF WE HAD A CHOICE, WE WOULD NEVER MAKE SOME OF
[01:20:01]
THESE CHOICES THAT WE'RE MAKING TODAY.BUT WE WE'RE BEYOND THAT POINT.
AND NOW THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE REDUCTIONS, THE, CAN SOMEONE SAY THAT THIS IS PRETTY EVENLY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FEEL THE PAIN.
WE HAVEN'T PICKED ON FINE ARTS, WE HAVEN'T PICKED ON SPORTS, WE HAVEN'T PICKED ON ELEMENTARY.
WE HAVEN'T PICKED ON ONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA FEEL THE PAIN HERE.
IS THAT FAIR TO SAY? I'LL SPEAK UP FOR THE TEAM THERE, JAMES, IF THAT'S OKAY.
I WOULD SAY THIS, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, COMING IN OVER THE LAST 40 TO 45 DAYS, I HAVE ASKED THIS TEAM A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THEY HAVE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO THIS TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THE CLASSROOM IS PROTECTED AND CHILDREN ARE PROTECTED FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, THAT KIND OF, THAT TARGET MODEL THAT WAS SHOWN.
AND THEY'VE BEEN, UH, THEY'VE DONE THAT WITH FIDELITY AND THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK UNDER EVERY ROCK.
BUT THIS TEAM HAS DONE THAT HOMEWORK.
SO I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT THEY'RE DOING THE RESEARCH AND TRYING TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
IN FACT, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE WORDED THAT AS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE ARE NOT, WE'RE NOT OVERBURDENING ONE THING MORE THAN ANOTHER.
AND, AND, AND TO THAT POINT, I I ALSO THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE VERY, I THINK THAT THIS TEAM IS VERY MINDFUL OF PROTECTING TO EVERY EXTENT POSSIBLE, THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE SS AND I KNOW IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DEFINE THAT, BUT WE DO HAVE THAT IN OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS.
UM, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE MINUTE OR, OR A QUICK MINUTE ABOUT THE, THE VADER.
UM, IT'S BEEN SAID, AND I AGREE, I SAID IN IN MY COMMENTS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THAT, THAT I, I'M OPPOSED TO EVADER, BUT I'M SORT OF OPEN TO THE IDEA OF PUTTING IT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR A VOTE.
I'VE SINCE KIND OF CHANGED MY THINKING ON THAT.
UM, WE ARE THE ELECTED LEADERS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND AS SUCH, I THINK WE WEIGH THESE DECISIONS VERY HEAVILY.
AND, AND I'VE, I THINK WE'VE ALL PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS.
AND MY DEVELOPED THINKING SINCE THE TIME I SAID THAT WAS, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT WE JUST FLIPPANTLY PUT A VADER OUT THERE ON THE BALLOT JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
UM, IF WE DECIDE TO GO AFTER A VADER AND, AND I'M, I REALIZE WE'RE NOT DECIDING THAT TONIGHT, BUT WE ARE AT LEAST DECIDING WHETHER TO SPEND MONEY TO START HEADING DOWN THE PATH TO EVADER.
AND, AND I AGREE WITH OTHERS WHO HAVE SAID, I THINK, UM, EVEN PUTTING A VADER ON A BALLOT KILLS A BOND BECAUSE IT KILLS TRUST, BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT WE, WE WOULD FLOAT IT OUT THERE AND JUST SEE WHAT PEOPLE THINK.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT APPROACH.
IF WE'RE COMMITTED TO EVADER, WE NEED TO GO INTO IT AND PUT EFFORT INTO IT AND GET THAT TO PASS.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE THE COLLECTIVE SUPPORT TO DO THAT FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, NOR FROM THE TRUSTEES.
AND SO I BOND IS, IS A NO GO FOR ME.
AND I, I WOULD MUCH PREFER, SORRY, VADER, VADER BOND IS A BIG GO FOR ME.
VADER IS A, I'M READING MY NOTES HERE.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THAT MONEY THAT WE, WE WOULD SPEND TO DO THIS AUDIT, THE EFFORT AND TIME THAT WE WOULD SPEND TO GET READY FOR THIS AND FOCUS THAT MORE ON GETTING US READY FOR A BOND, WHICH MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THE BOND IS THE FUTURE OF THE DISTRICT, NOT A VADER.
AND SO, UH, THE OTHER THING IS REAL QUICK BALANCED BUDGET.
WE, I AGREE WITH, I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH IT.
I AM, I AM IN SUPPORT OF A BALANCED BUDGET, AND IT'S TOUGH.
AND WE'VE ASKED FOR THE TOUGH WORK TO BE DONE.
I I STILL STRUGGLE WITH THE DEFINITION OF A BALANCED BUDGET BECAUSE CHRIS, YOU EVEN, YOU BRING US SORT OF A BUDGETED LINE AND A PROJECTED LINE, AND I USUALLY LIKE THE PROJECTED LINE A LOT MORE THAN I LIKE THE BUDGETED LINE.
UM, AND, AND I, AND I'M WONDERING, WHAT'S YOUR TARGET? IS YOUR TARGET TO MAKE THAT PROJECTED LINE LOOK LIKE ZERO OR YOUR BUDGETED LINE LOOK LIKE ZERO AT THIS POINT? AND THEN IT, IT DOES BEG A FEW QUESTIONS AROUND THE EXACT DIALING OF THE NUMBERS.
UH, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE, NOT, NOT THE BUDGET.
SO, SO IN OTHER WORDS TO, IF, IF I COME IN WITH A, A BUDGETED DEFICIT OF ROUGHLY A MILLION DOLLARS OR LESS, I WOULD CONSIDER THAT BALANCE BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE, WHERE THE BUDGET WILL PERFORM.
SO A TRUSTEE WHO'S SITTING HERE AND WANTS TO SEE YOUR BUDGET COME AND SAY, ZERO, WE'RE SPENDING WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN, THEY MAY NOT SEE THAT.
RIGHT? SO IF, IF I, IF I, AGAIN, IF I CAME TO YOU WITH A, WITH A TRULY BALANCED BUDGET AND THE BUDGET SAID HAD REVENUE AND, AND EXPENDITURES EQUAL, THEN I WOULD EXPECT THAT THAT'S GONNA OVERPERFORM AND IT'S GONNA COME IN INTO SURPLUS OF, UH, UPWARDS OF A MILLION DOLLARS OR MORE.
SO I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS A WAY TO, I WANT, YEAH.
AND, AND USUALLY I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE CONSISTENTLY PROVIDED THAT SORT OF OVER PERFORMANCE.
UM, I, AND THEN GOING TO THE, THE EXACT MOTION, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE.
[01:25:01]
AND I WANT, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, AND THIS GOES TO WHAT LAURA AND OTHERS HAVE SAID, IS I DON'T WANNA LOCK US IN ON WHAT YOU'VE SHOWN US HERE.IF, IF CHRIS CAN GO OUT AND FIND ANOTHER $200,000 IN REVENUE, LET'S DO IT.
AND, AND IF CHAD'S FLYING ON A PLANE AND HE AND HE HAS A GREAT IDEA FOR SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO, LET'S DO IT.
LET'S, I DON'T WANNA LOCK YOU IN WITH THE WORDING WE HAVE TODAY.
I THINK THE WORDING, I THINK THE WORDING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TODAY IS, UM, WE'VE HEARD YOU, YOU SEE A WAY TO DO IT.
WE DON'T LOVE THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO, BUT IT, BUT IN JUNE, OR WHENEVER YOU BRING US A A BUDGET, IT'S GONNA LOOK CLOSER TO ZERO THAN $6 MILLION OFF.
AND THAT'S THE WORDING I PREFERRED KELLY'S WHISPERING THAT SHE'S READY TO DO WITH THAT.
AND I, I ALSO WOULD PREFER A, A MOTION THAT DID NOT INCLUDE A VADER.
AND, AND IF A MOTION CONTAINS A VADER, I, I WOULDN'T VOTE FOR IT TONIGHT.
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD SPEND THAT MONEY IN EFFORT.
I THINK WE NEED TO PUT THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THOUGHTS FROM DIANE AND MYSELF AND, AND THEN WE CAN, YEAH.
A LOT'S BEEN SAID AND I'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THESE ARE GONNA COME OUT IN THE BEST ORDER, BUT HERE'S MY THOUGHTS BASED ON SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS SO FAR AND WHAT I'VE COME IN WITH ALREADY IN MY MIND AS WELL.
UM, I DID WANT TO, YOU KNOW, THANK KELLY FOR POINTING OUT THAT WE WANNA BE FOLLOWING THE IMPACTS THAT ANY OF THESE CUTS ARE MAKING.
OF COURSE, TALKING ABOUT METRICS, THAT'S MY, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT'S MY MIDDLE NAME.
I MEAN, I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH, MOLLY, YOUR FOCUS ON INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY AND HOW WE MANAGE THIS TO KEEP S EENS DESPITE MAKING CHOICES THAT WE DON'T WANNA MAKE AND ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A STRONG FOUNDATION AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
WE HAVE HAD A LOT, I'VE HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AS I KNOW MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE.
AND I'VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING THEY JUST DON'T WANNA BE BACK HERE IN ANOTHER YEAR MAKING MORE CUTS.
YOU KNOW, THEY WANT US, TO YOUR POINT, CATHERINE, BE MAKING DECISIONS NOW THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF STABILITY.
UM, SO THAT NEXT YEAR WHEN WE'RE GONNA BE ADVOCATING AT, YOU KNOW, THE CAPITOL, WE'RE NOT ALSO WRESTLING WITH MORE DIFFICULT DECISIONS BECAUSE THERE WILL NOT BE ANY MORE MONEY COMING FROM THE LEGISLATURE UNTIL AFTER THE 90TH SESSION.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA REALLY WORK HARD ON THAT IN A WAY WE NEVER HAVE BEFORE.
UM, THE, YOU KNOW, I, TO THE POINT OF THIS 25% FUND BALANCE, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS.
I FIND THAT NUMBER 25% JUST AN INTERESTING ROUND NUMBER.
I GUESS IT'S A QUARTER OF THE YEAR, YOU WANT THREE MONTHS OF YOUR OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, I WAS LOOKING AND ASKING A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BALANCE SHEET AND OUR FUND BALANCE, AND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO, UH, WE'VE HEARD CHRIS DESCRIBE FOR US THAT THIS ISN'T JUST A RAINY DAY FUND.
IT'S, IT'S THE MONEY THAT HELPS OUR CASH FLOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND IN FACT, JUST LOOKING AT THIS PAST NOVEMBER, UM, ONE PROXY FOR THAT IS OUR TEMPORARY INVESTMENTS IN THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH WAS SITTING AT $16 MILLION.
AND OUR, AN OUR MONTHLY BURN RATE FOR THAT MONTH IN THE GENERAL FUND WAS $14 MILLION.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT TAKES US RIGHT UP TO THE POINT WHERE WE START COLLECTING MORE TAXES.
IS THERE A LITTLE BIT OF WIGGLE ROOM FOR A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OR A MILLION DOLLARS? I THINK THAT'S AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
UM, UH, FOUR 14 MILLION IS A HIGH BURN RATE.
AND SO THAT PROBABLY INCLUDED MORE THAN JUST, UH, GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
AND, AND ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT, UH, WE ARE EACH MONTH, UH, RECOGNIZING, UM, ONE 12 OF OUR TOTAL EXPENSE, UH, RELATED TO OUR RECAPTURE, WHICH DOESN'T HAPPEN TILL TILL AUGUST.
AND SO IF YOU SEE 14 MILLION, THE ACTUAL CASH OUT THE DOOR WAS CLOSER TO SEVEN.
SO I GUESS A QUESTION I WOULD POSE, MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TONIGHT, IS JUST HOW COMFORTABLE ARE WE DIPPING BELOW 25%? UM, THE, YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE, UM, KIRK, YOU TALKING ABOUT THE LANGUAGE OF THE MOTION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S AN INTEREST IN CHANGING THE LANGUAGE OF THE MOTION, BECAUSE I WAS GONNA, YOU KNOW, ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? HOW MUCH FLEXIBILITY WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? 'CAUSE ULTIMATELY, I DO WANT DISCRETION AMONGST YOU ALL TO BE THINKING ABOUT THESE STAFFING REALLY TOUGH STAFFING DECISIONS.
AGAIN, LIKE LAURA SAID, WE HAVE TURNED OVER EVERY ROCK WE'VE HEARD.
UM, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF PARENTS SAYING, PLEASE, ELEMENTARIES GOT HIT SO HARD LAST TIME AROUND, PLEASE, AFTER LAST YEAR'S CUTS, PLEASE BEAR US.
I YOU'VE ALREADY TALKED TO THIS, JAMES, WE, THE MOST OF THE STAFFING CUTS ARE REALLY AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL IN THIS ROUND.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE $2.1 MILLION I BELIEVE IT IS, THAT'S AIMED AT THE SECONDARY RATIO CHANGES, WHEREAS THE ELEMENTARY RATIO CHANGES WILL BRING IN MAYBE A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
[01:30:01]
SOME OTHER ELEMENTARY, UM, NOTED, NOTED ITEMS, OF COURSE, INCLUDING THE SPECIALS.UM, WE TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL REVENUE COMING IN.
WE ALL HOPE THAT COULD HAPPEN.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
WE HAVE, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, A FOUNDATION THAT WORKS VERY HARD TO RAISE MONEY FOR US.
UH, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM RECENTLY, BUT I, I DO THINK IT BEGS THE QUESTION, IF MORE MONEY WERE TO FLOW IN, WHERE WOULD WE PUT THAT MONEY? UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT THIS CONVERSATION IS.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF THERE'S INTEREST IN HEARING WHAT, WHERE WE FEEL THE MOST PAIN IN THESE CUTS, UM, I THINK THAT TO THE POINT THAT WAS MADE WHERE WE SAY THAT A LOT OF ITS IMPACT ISN'T REALLY GONNA BE IMMEDIATE.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE DAY-TO-DAY EXPERIENCES FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS MIGHT CHANGE A LITTLE BIT WITH THE RATIO CHANGES.
BUT IF WE GO AND WE FIGHT FOR MORE, A HIGHER RATIO OF FUNDING, UM, A MULTIPLIER FOR THE FINE ARTS ALLOTMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL, THEN MAYBE WE CAN BRING THOSE BACK, YOU KNOW, UM, AND BEEF UP THE PROGRAM TO WHERE WE LIKE IT TO BE RATHER THAN WHAT WE ARE FORCING TO DO HERE.
UM, I, THE LAST THING I NEED TO MAKE SURE I SAY IS THAT IN SECONDING THIS MOTION, I MAYBE GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT I'M IN FAVOR OF A VADER.
I, I'M ACTUALLY NOT IN FAVOR OF A VADER.
I TO AGREE WITH YOU COMPLETELY, JAMES, ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME AND ENERGY TO GET SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND TO PASS.
AND I JUST DON'T SEE, I THINK WE NEED TO BE PUTTING OUR TIME AND ENERGY ELSEWHERE.
UH, SO I'LL THROW THAT IN THERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, THANK YOU CATHERINE, FOR POINTING OUT THE NUMBERS AND I GUESS THIS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST POINT IS WE JUST APPROVED, OR WE HAVEN'T YET, WE HAVEN'T APPROVED THE CONSENT AGENDA AGENDA, BUT WE HAD BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT SHOWED THAT BECAUSE PROPERTY VALUES CAME IN DIFFERENTLY, WE HAD ADDITIONAL MONEY.
AND CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT TAV WAS BUILT INTO THIS BUDGET? CHRIS? UM, RIGHT NOW IT'S BUDGETED, UH, ZERO GROWTH, UH, ON TAV.
UM, OKAY, SO, UM, HIS, UP UNTIL RECENTLY, THE, THE ONLY TIME WE'D EVER SEEN A DECLINE IN TAV WAS FOLLOWING THE, UM, THE HOUSING CRISIS IN 2008.
UM, AND IT TOOK A COUPLE OF YEARS TO DIG OUTTA THAT HOLE, GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE.
UM, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, UM, WE'VE HAD TWO, UH, NEGATIVE GROWTH YEARS, UH, AND ONE YEAR WHERE WE HAD GROWTH OF, UH, JUST OVER 1%.
AND SO IT'S BEEN, UM, RELATIVELY FLAT FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, I'VE BEEN KIND OF LOOKING AT THAT TO ME.
UM, AND, AND FROM WHAT I'M HEARING ABOUT, UH, THE, THE AUSTIN, UH, HOUSING MARKET IN PARTICULAR, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST FYI, UM, ROOFTOPS MAKE UP ABOUT 80% OF OUR TAXABLE VALUE.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS ANOTHER KIND OF A MEDIOCRE YEAR OR DOWN YEAR.
UH, AND SO I'VE GOT IT IN AT ZERO.
IT MIGHT TURN OUT TO BE NEGATIVE ONE.
IT MIGHT TURN OUT TO BE PLUS ONE, OBVIOUSLY, UM, PLUS ONE IS BETTER THAN NEGATIVE ONE.
UM, BUT I DON'T EXPECT IT TO GO BACK TO OUR LONG-TERM AVERAGE.
UM, BUT IF, AGAIN, IF I'M LOOKING AT THE CURVE, IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THAT REAL SPIKE, UH, FOLLOWING, UH, THE, THE, THE PANDEMIC WHEN LOTS OF PEOPLE MOVED HERE AND OUR HOUSES WENT UP.
UH, IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, WE'VE ABOUT COME BACK TO TRENDLINE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND SO I WOULDN'T BE AT ALL SURPRISED IF THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE'RE LOOKING, UM, AT GROWTH.
BUT FOR THE, FOR THE, UM, THE EVALUATION FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH WILL BE THE 2026, UH, VALUES, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY, UM, REPRESENT THE TOTAL VALUE OF OUR PROPERTY ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2025, UH, WHICH WILL GOVERN WHAT WE'RE COLLECTING NEXT YEAR.
UM, AGAIN, I'M PROJECTING ZERO.
AND SO, UM, I WISH IT WAS, I HOPE IT'S GONNA BE MORE, BUT, BUT I'M NOT COUNTING ON THAT.
I THINK WHAT YOU SAID JUST HELPS US HIGHLIGHT HOW CHALLENGING IT IS TO BUDGET FOR SOMETHING WHERE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR TAX VALUES ARE, AND IT'S A MIS, WELL, NOT A COMPLETE MYSTERY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF UNKNOWNS THERE.
UH, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS TO ADD, UM, EXCEPT THAT REPEATING BACK TO THIS MOVEMENT WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE REALLY TRYING TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY AND GET THEM TO HELP ADVOCATE FOR US, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW,
[01:35:01]
SESSION IN A BETTER POSITION.UM, I'LL MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND THEN I KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER, UM, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
I DO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ADMIN.
UM, OUTSIDE OF, AND THIS IS MORE GENERAL, UM, AS WE'VE ALL SAID, YOU GUYS ARE THE EXPERTS AND, UM, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, EVERY PRESENTATION THAT YOU BRING UP BECAUSE IT JUST SHOWS AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS DISTRICT AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THE COMPLEXITIES OF THIS DISTRICT.
THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, SO I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, I AM IN FAVOR OF THE GEN THEIR REVENUE GENERATION PROGRAM AS PRESENTED AND THE STAFFING OPTIMIZATION PLAN AS PRESENTED.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE WORKED, WE HAVE WALKED FORWARD WITH CERTAIN PLANS AND THEN REALIZED THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO IT.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT THE TEAM IS GOING TO BE MONITORING THE QUESTION WAS AROUND HOW DO WE MONITOR THIS? ARE THERE WAYS TO MONITOR? I MEAN, I, I WOULD SAY AS, AS A TRUSTEE, AS YOU MONITOR IT, AND IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, MISESTIMATED, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND WE'RE JUMPING ON THAT SO THAT WE DON'T, IF, IF THE CUTS WERE A LITTLE BIT TOO DEEP, THAT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE, UM, HOW WE CAN RECTIFY THAT, UM, FOR BOTH OUR STAFF AND FOR OUR STUDENTS.
I MEAN, THERE ARE CONSTITUENTS, UM, AND, AND I KNOW YOU WILL DO IT BECAUSE I'VE SEEN IT DONE BEFORE WHEN, WHEN THERE HAVE BEEN, WHEN IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO DEEP OR NOT DEEP ENOUGH.
SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE CONSTANT MONITORING AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND AS WE DO THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'VE ALL SAID YOU GUYS ARE THE, THE EXPERT.
WHAT I HEAR FROM TRUSTEES, UM, IN TERMS OF EVADER, WHEN, WHEN I READ THE LANGUAGE OR WHEN I HEARD THE LANGUAGE ABOUT THE VADER, I, I DID NOT READ THIS AS BEING IN FAVOR OF THE VADER.
UM, I READ IT AS GIVING ADMINISTRATION THE ABILITY TO PLAN OR TO LOOK AT A VADER.
I, I DON'T SEE THAT AS THE WILL OF THE BOARD AT THIS POINT.
SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR SIX MONTHS, FOUR MONTHS, A LONG TIME.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO, UM, AT THIS POINT.
SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT, UM, WE MAY HAVE, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
I, I DO THINK THAT GOING TO, AGAIN, SO MANY OF THE POINTS HAVE BEEN MADE, UM, AND CHRIS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER ON, ON THE BOND AND THE BACH.
UM, AND, AND AS, UM, AND FOR THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, AS YOU JUST POINTED OUT, DIANE, SO WELL, YOU, THERE ARE SO MANY VARIABLES THAT GO INTO OUR BUDGET.
AND I HAVE BEEN HERE WHEN WE'VE OVER PROJECTED, AND I'VE BEEN HERE WHEN WE OVER UNDER PROJECTED, AND I'VE BEEN HERE WHEN WE'VE BEEN VERY SURPRISED, UM, WHEN THE TAX, UH, WE, WE'VE JUST HAD SO MANY THINGS ALL OVER THE BOARD, SO WE DO NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT.
BUT I HAVE ALSO HEARD GOOD COUNSEL IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A RANGE BECAUSE WE'RE, THIS IS, THIS IS A BUDGETING PROCESS.
THIS IS NOT, UM, CONCRETE AND IT IS GOING TO CHANGE CONSTANTLY.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, JAMES, YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS OF COMING IN AS A ZERO BUDGET IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT REALISTIC.
IF WE CAN GET IN WITHIN A RANGE THAT WE CAN GET COMFORTABLE WHILE SERVING OUR CONSTITUENTS, WHICH ARE OUR STUDENTS AND THE GOOD STAFF THAT, THAT TEACH OUR STUDENTS, UM, THAT WOULD, I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA BE HERE NEXT YEAR TALKING ABOUT THIS SAME THING, AND THERE ARE GONNA BE VARIABLES THAT SURPRISE US, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MODIFY THEM AGAIN.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT, THAT YOU DO ALL THE TIME FOR US.
WHAT OTHER COMMENTS? YEAH, THANKS LAURA.
'CAUSE THE FIRST TIME I SPOKE, I WAS JUST KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THE MOTION.
SO NOW I GET TO, UH, ADDRESS MY FELLOW TRUSTEES AND, AND CABINET SORT OF WITH WHERE I AM.
UM, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY Y'ALL ARE ASKING FOR OUR RECOMMENDATION AND HOW WE WANT YOU TO PROCEED.
UM, I DON'T WANNA BE HERE AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
I THINK WE OWE IT TO OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE THE DECISIONS NOW
[01:40:01]
SO THAT WE'RE NOT BACK HERE AGAIN.THEY NEED STABILITY, NOT JUST OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M TALKING OUR STAFF AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DEFINITELY, UM, IN THE PAST, UH, DIPPED INTO OUR FUND BALANCE.
IT WAS ONE OF OUR FUND BALANCE WAS HIGHER, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT NOW WE'RE AT THIS THRESHOLD AND IT'S REALLY NOT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR US TO BE DOING THAT ANY LONGER.
SO I THINK THAT THE ADJUSTMENTS, THE CUTS, THE CHANGES, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS YEAR ARE SIGNIFICANT.
I'VE ALSO BEEN IN THIS DISTRICT LONG ENOUGH THAT I'VE SEEN SORT OF THE EBB AND FLOW, AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS HIGH LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO OUR STUDENTS AFTER THIS YEAR AND GOING FORWARD.
UM, SORRY, MY NOTES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
ALSO,
SO
YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE STABILITY THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE TO OUR FAMILIES.
DIANE, YOU, YOU, UM, YEAH, WE DON'T KNOW.
THE, THE LEDGE MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT.
AND JUST BEING A GOVERNMENT ENTITY AND, AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE FUNDED, IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, NEXT YEAR.
I MEAN, I WISH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO SAID THE CRYSTAL BALL IS VERY FUZZY? IT WAS, OH, THAT WAS AT A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD A CRYSTAL BALL, WE DON'T, BUT IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY BLURRY.
IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL.
AND WE HAVE SO MANY MOVING VARIABLES.
UM, BUT, AND THAT IS WHAT IN THE PAST HAS ALLOWED US TO SORT OF PASS THESE BUDGETS WHERE WE WERE DIPPING INTO THE FUND BALANCE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE VADER GOES, I'M IN ALIGNMENT WITH, I BELIEVE MOST OF MY FELLOW TRUSTEES THAT I JUST, I, I CAN'T SUPPORT THAT AT THAT TIME, AT THIS TIME.
UM, IT IS, WE ARE NOT AT THE RIP THE PARACHUTE CORD, BREAK THE GLASS POSITION, AS DIFFICULT AS THESE, THESE, UH, CUTS FEEL, AND THEY ARE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE.
UM, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE ARE THERE YET.
SO MY QUESTION ACTUALLY FOR MR. KKI IS, DO WE ACTUALLY NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS? UH, I THINK, I THINK YOU COULD TAKE ACTION ON AN AMENDED MOTION, AND I THINK THE FIRST PIECE OF IT IS VERY WELL WORDED AND GIVES US THE FLEXIBILITY WE NEED.
AND I'M HEARING THAT YOU MAY WANT TO AMEND THE MOTION AND STRIKE PART OF IT.
I THINK POLITICALLY SPEAKING, UH, MOTION, OH, SORRY.
I THINK POLITICALLY SPEAKING, HEARING WHAT THE TRUSTEES ARE SAYING ABOUT THE VADER, AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE MOTION, WHICH WE COULD READ SO THAT IT COULD BE HEARD AGAIN MM-HMM
SO, SO KNOWING HOW PEOPLE FEEL, I, I WOULD SUGGEST WHAT YOU DO IS THAT YOU LOOK TO AMEND A MOTION.
I THINK THE FIRST PORTION OF THE MOTION SERVES THE PURPOSE FOR THE TEAM.
SO I ACTUALLY WOULD, AND, UM, THIS IS FOR, WE'RE STILL PART IN THE DISCUSSION PART, IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS I, SORRY, I'M TRYING TO GET THE WORDS AS CLOSE AS I CAN.
UM, DO YOU WANNA SEE THIS? YEAH, I'M TRYING TO MODIFY THIS.
YEAH, SO I WOULD, I WOULD SAY SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES, ESSENTIALLY WHAT I'M ASKING FOR, MY POSITION IS THAT WE IMPLEMENT REVENUE GENERATION AND COST SAVING MEASURES, UM, FOR THE 26 27 BUDGET.
AND I DON'T, I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN GET AN AGREEMENT ON BALANCED BUDGET OR BASICALLY WE NEED TO MAKE THE CUTS THAT WILL PREVENT US FROM DIPPING INTO OUR FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR.
UM, SO HOWEVER, IF SOMEBODY CAN HELP ME WITH THE WORDING ON THAT.
AND THEN WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THIS, BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO BE BACK HERE NEXT YEAR, AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME VARIABLES, AND ONE OF THE BIG VARIABLES IS, UM, STUDENT ENROLLMENT.
BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS A PROCESS TO
[01:45:01]
ADAPT TO THE FUNDING CHANGES BASED ON ENROLLMENT FLUCTUATION OR SOMETHING ALONG THAT LINE.I, I, I NEED TO SEE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST DOING THIS FOR THIS YEAR, THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR, AND THAT WE WILL, THE DISTRICT WILL HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE FOR NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
CAN I JUST SAY FOR CLARIFICATION, LAURA? I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I THINK THE FIRST PART OF WHAT YOU SAID, WHICH COULD BE RESTATED MM-HMM
TOTALLY WOULD SERVE OUR PURPOSE.
AND I THINK JUST TO CLARIFY, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT PUTTING IN A MOTION SPECIFIC LANGUAGE LIKE STAFFING OPTIMIZATION.
STAFFING OPTIMIZATION IS ALWAYS TIED TO ENROLLMENT.
AND SO I THINK WE WERE TRYING TO KIND OF AVOID SOME OF THAT LANGUAGE OKAY.
SO I THINK LET'S JUST STICK TO THAT MOTION THAT YOU JUST RESTATED.
STRIKING THE OTHER PIECE THAT I DON'T THINK TRUSTEES WANT.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE NEED FOR THIS EVENING.
HOW DO WE GET BEYOND THIS YEAR? UM, I THINK TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT ENROLLMENT TRENDS, UM, AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, SORRY.
AND I USED ENROLLMENT TRENDS JUST BECAUSE I THINK, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU BROUGHT IT UP.
WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT ENROLLMENT TRENDS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ENROLLMENT NOW INTERNALLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT ANNUALLY.
WE'RE LOOKING AT IT AHEAD OF TIME.
WE'RE PROJECTING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO AN AUDIT.
WE, WE GOTTA CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT.
AND THAT, THAT'S JUST GOTTA BECOME PART OF OUR ROUTINE PRACTICE.
I THINK THE TEAM HAS BEEN DOING THAT.
SO, UM, UH, I THINK TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT HOW WE'RE MONITORING AND BRINGING THAT FORWARD, THAT'S GONNA BE A REGULAR PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
AND SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT.
ARE YOU, UM, UH, THAT, THAT IS, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I, I AM.
UM, THANK YOU LAURA AND CATHERINE AND THEN KELLY AND THEN JOHN.
UM, I THINK WITH ROBERT'S RULES, WE ALL GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TWICE.
SO HERE'S MY SECOND, UM, COMMENT HERE.
UM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS TO HIRE A SUPERINTENDENT, AND KIRK'S BEEN AMAZING SO FAR, AND FOR THE DUTIES OF TRUSTEES, I EVEN TOOK A MINUTE TO PULL UP A TSB WEBSITE.
AS WE'RE SITTING HERE, UH, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS AS TRUSTEES, WE HIRE THE SUPERINTENDENT, WE SET THE TAX RATE, WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, WE REVIEW AND APPROVE POLICIES, AND WE ALSO LOOK AT THE STRATEGY ON HOW WE WANT THE DISTRICT RUN.
AND SO, LAURA, I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US DO, BUT I THINK THE STORY IS THAT WE PROBABLY WILL STILL TALK ABOUT THIS NEXT YEAR.
I HAVE TO REPLAY THE TAPES IN MY HEAD FROM OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHEN CHRIS CAME TO THE TRUSTEES.
I WASN'T A TRUSTEE YET, BUT I WAS PAYING A LOT OF ATTENTION.
AND HE SAID FOR THE CURRENT YEAR THAT WE ARE IN NOW, THAT THE EXPECTED BUDGET DEFICIT WAS 6 MILLION AND THANKS TO INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES, IT LOOKS LIKE THE DEFICIT WILL ONLY BE THREE.
AND THEN FOR THE YEAR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, I RECALL HIS RATES WERE SEVEN TO 9 MILLION.
AND SO WHAT THAT'S BEEN REDUCED, BECAUSE WE TOOK ACTIONS LAST YEAR, WE CLOSED VALUE VIEW, WE ELIMINATED THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM.
THERE WERE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED.
SO NOW WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT A BUDGET DEFICIT THAT'S FIVE TO 6 MILLION.
WE REDUCED THE NEED TO FIND CUTS BY $4 MILLION.
BUT THEN IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE YEAR FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR, 27, 28, 'CAUSE WE ARE NOT THERE YET.
I RECALL CHRIS IS SHAKING HIS HEAD.
IT WAS $11 MILLION DEFICIT WE HAD TO RESOLVE.
THESE CUTS TODAY ARE NOT GONNA SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
IT WILL BE LESS THAN IT WAS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHEN HE PRESENTED IT.
BUT IT IS STILL SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS.
UM, THESE CONVERSATIONS AREN'T OVER.
I MEAN THIS IS, BUT THIS IS WHY WE WERE ELECTED TO HAVE THESE HARD CONVERSATIONS.
SO SINCE WE HIRED KIRK AND BECAUSE AS TRUSTEES IS GOVERNING, WE GET TO SET THE STRATEGY FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, ONE OF THE PROCESSES WE WILL RUN THROUGH IS GOING THROUGH A STRATEGIC PLAN AND WHAT DO WE WANT OUR DISTRICT TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FACE OF FISCALLY CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENT.
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE.
SO THAT DIRECTION FROM A STRATEGIC SUMMIT OF SOME SORT TO WORK WITH KIRK AND HIS ADMINISTRATION WILL HELP US SET THE PLATFORM TO ADDRESS THIS.
[01:50:01]
NUMBERSO COMMUNITY, I'M TALKING TO YOU.
THIS IS NOT THE LAST BUDGET, TOUGH BUDGET CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.
WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE ONE NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S JUST THE STATE OF AFFAIRS.
I, I WISH IT WEREN'T SO, BUT IT IS.
BUT I THINK WHAT THAT ALSO TELLS US IS THE LEVEL OF CONVERSATION WE, WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE WHEN WE GO INTO OUR STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS.
WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY STRATEGIC AND NOT TACTICAL.
UM, THE BOND AND THE CAPITAL PROGRAM WILL BE PART OF THAT ALSO.
'CAUSE WHAT WE DO NOW, SETSS THE FUTURE TONE FOR THE DISTRICT.
SO THESE, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN PROBABLY A THREE TO FIVE YEAR PLAN TO HAVE A DISTRICT THAT PREPARES US FOR SOMETHING TRANSFORMATIONAL.
THESE ARE JUST THE INITIAL STEPS IS ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
SO, UM, ONCE AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU DID, UH, UH, THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR MONTHS HERE.
UM, MY QUESTIONS WERE JUST TO HEAR YOUR, THE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT WE, THAT YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED METRICS AND YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT OUTCOMES.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AND GO OVER THAT AGAIN SO THAT EVERYBODY KIND OF UNDERSTANDS THAT WHEN WE MAKE THESE CHANGES, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT NOT PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS.
LIKE WE'RE MAKING CHANGES THAT ARE STRATEGICALLY BEEN LOOKED AT AS CHANGES THAT THAT WOULD WORK AND THAT CHANGES WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR.
SO I DO SUPPORT THE, UM, REVENUE GENERATION, AS I SAID IN THE MOTION AND COST SAVING MEASURES THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED, UM, AS NECESSARY TO MEET OUR BUDGET.
UM, AND I ALSO BELIEVE, AS JAMES HAS TALKED ABOUT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A ZERO BUDGET.
IT'S, UM, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK YOU HAVE MADE MAJOR DONE A LOT OF WORK AND MADE MAJOR STEPS TOWARDS WHAT WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW AND WHAT WILL HELP US IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, AS FOR, UM, THE VADER, IT IS, THE MOTION WAS FOR THE POSSIBILITY, BUT IF EVERYBODY'S FEELING STRONGLY THAT IT'S NOT EVEN A POSSIBILITY, THEN UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, YES, I'M HAPPY TO AMEND THE MOTION.
WE'VE GOT OTHER COMMENTS, BUT, BUT WE CAN COME BACK AND, AND, AND AMEND THE MOTION.
UH, JOHN CATHERINE, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT THIS IS, I MEAN, I JUST THINK THE REALITY OF WHERE WE ARE IS THIS IS A THREE TO FIVE YEAR ISSUE.
WE'RE GONNA BE BACK THERE, UH, AND JUST GONNA HAVE TO KEEP WRESTLING THROUGH THIS.
LIKE LET'S, LET'S GET AHEAD OF IT.
LET'S, UH, TRY TO MAKE THE BIG PICTURE DECISIONS WE NEED TO SO THAT THIS ISN'T JUST EVERY YEAR FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY.
JUST GOING THROUGH THESE REALLY PAINFUL DISCUSSIONS AND IT JUST IS SO HARD ON EVERYBODY, STAFF, COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I LIKE HOW YOU PUT IT, LAURA, ABOUT BASICALLY, UH, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M PUTTING WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH THAT ARE WRONG, BUT IT WAS AN EFFECT THAT WHEN ALL IS SAID DONE AT THE END OF THE UPCOMING YEAR, WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED THE FUN BALANCE.
UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW, CHRIS, YOU, THE, THE TWO TYPES OF, LIKE, THE, THE RIGHT WAY TO STATE THAT IN A MOTION IS THAT IF MY GOAL IS JUNE 30TH, 2027, WE HAVE NOT TOUCHED THE FUND BALANCE AND THAT'S MY GOAL.
IT WOULD, HOW WOULD YOU WORD THAT TO SEND YOU THAT SIGNAL? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE WHAT I'M SAYING? I THINK YOU'VE SENT THE SIGNAL.
IS THAT A PROJECTED BUDGET? IS THAT IS ACTUAL BUDGET? YEAH.
WHAT IS THAT? UM, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY, UM, IF YOU'RE GONNA PUT IT IN THE MOTION, UH, THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO REFLECT THE EXPECTED BUDGET PERFORMANCE, EXPECTED BUDGET PERFORMANCE, RIGHT.
THAT, UM, THAT THE EXPECTED BUDGET IS BALANCED.
HOW YOU EXPECTED, UH, A BALANCED EXPECTED BUT BALANCED EXPECTED BUDGET PERFORMANCE.
SO THEN, UH, I ALSO AGREE WITH THE THOUGHT OF, UM, GIVING AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY TO STAFF ON HOW WE DO THIS.
AND SO, UH, I THINK WE COULD ACCOMPLISH THAT JUST BY SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE THE BUDGET THAT ADMIN BRINGS
[01:55:01]
TO US IN JUNE TO REFLECT A EXPECTED BUDGET PERFORMANCE WITH A FUND BALANCE OF THAT'S, UH, OR A FUND DEFICIT WITH NO FUND DEFICIT OR I'M, I'M STILL STRUGGLING OVER HOW TO SAY IT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.I LIKE THAT WORDING BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY ON HOW TO DO IT RATHER THAN MICROMANAGING THE SPECIFIC, UH, SPECIFIC ITEMS. AND IT GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I KNOW AT THIS POINT, UH OH, I'M SORRY, JAMES, GO AHEAD.
NO, I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY CATHERINE COMMENTING THAT YOU CAN SPEAK TWO TIMES IS CORRECT FOR LARGE BOARDS, BUT A SMALL BOARD, I, AND I'M NOT ENCOURAGING US TO TALK A LOT MORE
I I JUST DON'T WANT US TO GET A LOT OF ARROWS THROWN AT US.
IF WE END UP TALKING THREE TIMES, IT'S
SO I MAY SPEAK ONE MORE TIME JUST TO SHOW THAT YOU CAN SPEAK THREE TIMES.
SO ARE YOU SPEAKING AGAIN,
I GUESS MY QUESTION MAYBE FOR COUNCIL IS WE LOOKED AT THE AGENDA ITEM AND THE AGENDA ITEM IS BOARD GUIDANCE, UM, ON OPTIMIZATION.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN ACTUALLY THEN PUT REQUIREMENTS AROUND AN ULTIMATE BUDGET.
AND THAT WAS REALLY WHAT, WHERE I WAS GOING AS IN, UH, MY EARLIER COMMENTS THAT I'M, I'M STICKING TO THE AGENDA, UM, AND, AND WHAT WE HAVE POSTED FOR THIS MEETING.
AND THAT WOULD BE AROUND WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL CON CONVERSATIONS ON THE BUDGET.
UH, I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND I KNOW WE'RE SENDING LOTS OF SIGNALS,
UM, BUT I, I'M JUST QUESTIONING YOUR COMMENT ON KELLY'S ON ANY TYPE OF AMENDED BUDGET, OVERSTEPPING WHAT'S AGENDA ITEM? WHAT IS ON OUR AGENDA? AND KIM, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
I, WHAT I'M WAS TRYING TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT THERE SEEM, IT SEEMED TO BE THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD TO GIVE MORE FLEXIBILITY TO STAFF.
UH, AND SO I'M TRYING TO HONOR THAT WHILE STILL GIVING GUIDANCE SO THAT THEY KNOW, UM, SO THAT WE'RE STILL GIVING THEM THE BIG PICTURE AND STAYING OUT OF THE WEEDS.
SO I'M OPEN TO HEARING A REVISED, UH, MOTION.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY THIRD TIME
YOUR, YOU'RE ALLOWED, UM, I, I'M GONNA ASK THIS QUESTION AGAIN BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE SENT VERY POINTED SIGNALS.
DO WE HAVE TO TAKE, TAKE ACTION? I KNOW IT'S A BUDGET ITEM, BUT REALLY WE'RE PROVIDING FEEDBACK, WE'RE WE'RE PROVIDING GUIDANCE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT WE, THIS IS ACTUALLY AN ACTIONABLE ITEM.
I KNOW IT'S AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT WE COULD JUST PULL IT.
I MEAN, I THINK SOME OTHER PEOPLE OH, OKAY.
WE'RE WE'RE GOING, I THINK THERE'S, OH, GO AHEAD.
I THINK JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT LAURA'S ASKING THOUGH, I THINK ALL THAT'S ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW IS MAYBE AN AMENDED MOTION MIGHT BE MADE THAT THEN YOU CAN STILL DISCUSS IT,
THEN I WOULD LIKE TO MODIFY MY MOTION TO NOW STATE THAT THE BOARD DIRECTS THE ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE STEPS TO IMPLEMENT THE REVENUE GENERATION AND COST SAVING MEASURES FOR THE 2026 AND 2027 BUDGET.
I HAVE A MOTION FOR, UM, FROM KELLY.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION FROM KELLY AND A SECOND FROM JAMES.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? LAURA? JUST A QUICK REMINDER.
YOU'RE VOTING ON ALLOWING HER TO AMEND RIGHT NOW, AND THEN THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT SHE SAID WOULD BE THE
[02:00:01]
SECOND.CAN, IF SHE CAN AMEND, SHE'S WANTING TO MODIFY HER AMENDMENT AND SO YOU HAVE TO VOTE ON IF YOU'RE GONNA ALLOW FOR THAT.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO MODIFY THE MOTION.
UM, THERE'S A MOTION BY KELLY AND A SECOND BY JAMES.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON MODIFYING THE MOTION? ALL IN FAVOR? THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
I THE MOTION PASSES SEVEN ZERO.
UM, KELLY, DO YOU WANNA MODIFY YOUR MOTION AGAIN OR YOU DO WANNA STATE IT? YEAH, STATE IT AGAIN.
SO I WOULD JUST STATE IT AS A MOTION NOW.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD DIRECTS THE ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE STEPS TO IMPLEMENT THE REVENUE GENERATION AND COST SAVING MEASURES FOR THE 20 26 20 27 BUDGET.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION BY KELLY AND A SECOND BY JAMES.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDED MOTION ON THE FLOOR? NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? AYE.
CAN I JUST SAY, AS WE WRAP THAT UP, I, I UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE AND I WANNA THANK THE TEAM FOR PRESENTING AGAIN AND BRINGING THAT DATA FORWARD ONE MORE TIME.
AND I KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A LENGTHY DIALOGUE.
I JUST WANNA APPLAUD AGAIN, TRUSTEES, THE THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS I HEARD TONIGHT.
NO ONE LIKES TO TALK ABOUT, UH, BAD NEWS, AND NO ONE LIKES TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT THEY FEEL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY FEELS THAT VERY DEEPLY.
IT'S OBVIOUS HOW MUCH YOU'RE, YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR RESEARCH AND TIME INTO THIS.
AND I THINK WE ALSO GOT SOME REALLY GREAT INFORMATION FOR OUR TEAM AND, AND DIRECTION.
UM, AND CATHERINE MADE A COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT THIS, AND SHE, THE WORD GLOBAL.
THIS IS THE GLOBAL ISSUE FACING PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NOT JUST HERE, BUT EVERYWHERE, BUT FORENS.
YOU KNOW, WE USE THE ANALOGY A LOT OF TIMES THAT WE'RE DRIVING A FERRARI AROUND HERE AND, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A DIFFERENT VERSION OF A FERRARI NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF EXPECTATIONS.
BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME SHOP THAT WE HAD BEFORE.
AND SO THE TEAM AND THE FERRARI MAY LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT THERE'S STILL GONNA BE A MODEL NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER AND THE YEAR AFTER, BECAUSE E'S DOESN'T GO AWAY.
SO WE ARE GOING TO SHOUT THAT FROM THE ROOFTOPS AS, AS DIANE MENTIONED, WITH OUR TEAMMATES.
AND NONE OF THIS IS EASY AND I'M NOT SURE ANYBODY WHO, WHO DESERVES A BIGGER THANK YOU THAN PUBLIC SCHOOL TRUSTEES RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE IT IS A THANKLESS, UH, ROLE AND YOU PROVED IT AGAIN TONIGHT WITH REALLY THOUGHTFUL DIALOGUE.
UM, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING, UH, WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS.
UH, THE TRUSTEES APPRECIATE THIS.
[9.
ACTION - CONSENT AGENDA
]ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.AND YEP, WE GOTTA MOVE OUR AGENDA BEHIND US.
BUT WE'RE HERE AT THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR, UM, THE CONSENT AGENDA? KELLY? HOPEFULLY I GET THIS RIGHT THIS TIME.
UM, I MOVE THAT THE TRUSTEES APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS POSTED.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I HAVE A SECOND BY JOHN.
I HAVE A MOTION BY KELLY AND A SECOND BY JOHN ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, IS THERE ANY QUESTION OR DISCUSSION? I HAVE A MOTION BY KELLY AND A SECOND BY JOHN.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, THE MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[10.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
]UPCOMING MEETINGS.WE WILL SEE THE COMMUNITY AGAIN IN FE IN FEBRUARY TWICE.
AGAIN, WE HAVE A MEETING NEXT WEEK, FEBRUARY 10TH, WHICH IS A STUDY SESSION.
AND WE HAVE A REGULAR MEETING ON FEBRUARY 24TH, BOTH HERE IN THE BOARDROOM IN OUR BEAUTIFUL BOARDROOM.
UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING US AND
[02:05:01]
WE SHALL, UM, STAND ADJOURNED AT EIGHT 10.