[00:00:01]
>> THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
MARK, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY AGAIN. WELCOME BACK.
[1. Opening Items]
IT'S 3:33 ON JUNE 28, AND HERE ARE WORK SESSION THAT WE'VE GOT SOME END OF THE FISCAL YEAR BUSINESS TO TAKE CARE OF.I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
SECOND BY MR. JACKMAN. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
MS. WAYMAN IN ABSENT, BUT WE'RE HOPING SHE'LL JOIN US SHORTLY.
BOARD MEMBERS WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A WORK AGENDA HERE FOR US.
LIKE I SAID, END OF THE FISCAL YEAR ON THIS WORK SESSION.
IS THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR SUBTRACTIONS TO THE AGENDA OR WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA.
MOTION BY MR. BARTON, SECOND BY MR. JONES TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
[2. Individual Action Items]
WE'VE GOT A FEW APPOINTMENTS TO TAKE CARE OF.THANK YOU. MR. NEWCOMB. BRINGS ME GREAT GREAT PLEASURE TO COME TO THE BOARD THIS AFTERNOON, USED TO SAYING EVENING, THIS AFTERNOON WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
WE'LL WORK THROUGH THOSE WITH THE BOARD THIS EVENING.
OUR FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT THAT IS COMING THROUGH THE BOARD IS FOR OUR POSITION OF ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT.
I APPRECIATE THE BOARD ALLOWING THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR INSTRUCTION POSITION TO BE BROUGHT BACK INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, BACK INTO THE BUDGET.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT POSITION AND THEN WORKING FORWARD.
WE STARTED OUR PROCESS FOR INTERVIEWS A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO.
WE DID AN IN-DEPTH PROCESS INTERVIEWING SEVERAL CANDIDATES.
IN OUR JOB, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS DEFINED THE BEST POSSIBLE CANDIDATE FOR PCPS FOR THE POSITION MOVING FORWARD.
WE NARROWED OUR PROCESS DOWN WITH OUR SEARCH COMMITTEE AND THEN I FOLLOWED UP AND HAD ADDITIONAL SECOND ROUND INTERVIEWS WITH THE FINALIST CANDIDATES.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD DR. TARA DOWNS, WHO IS HERE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE POSITION OF ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
DR. DOWNS HAS EXPERIENCED AS A TEACHER OR SCHOOL BASED ADMINISTRATOR IN BOTH MARYLAND AND DELAWARE.
SHE ACTUALLY IS A GRADUATE OF NORTH CAROLINE HIGH-SCHOOL, AND SHE DOES HOLD HER ADMINISTRATIVE CERTIFICATE WITH AN ENDORSEMENT FOR SUPERINTENDENT.
SHE HAS COMPLETED HER DOCTORATE IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION AND HER DISSERTATION FOCUSED ON THE IMPACT OF HIGH-QUALITY TIER ONE INSTRUCTION AND NARROWING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.
DR. DOWNS AND I HAD GREAT CONVERSATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND HAVE CONTINUED TO SINCE THEN.
I THINK SHE'LL BE AN EXCELLENT FIT OVERSEEING OUR INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION IN WORKING WITH ME AGAIN, AS WE WORK TO IMPLEMENT THE GOALS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND AGAIN, TO MOVE INSTRUCTION FORWARDING IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
I KNOW SHE'LL BE A WONDERFUL FIT.
DOWNS, WELCOME. I'M SAYING CAROLINE COUNTY, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SEMI-NATIVE.
BOARD MEMBERS ANY QUESTIONS? WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT DR. SIMMONS RECOMMENDATION TO APPOINT.
DR. TARA DOWNS TO ROLE AS ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT.
I MOVE WE ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR DR. DOWNS.
MOTION BY MR. BARTON'S, SECOND BY MR. JONES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
I'M WILLING TO ABSTAIN AND THIS IS NOTHING PERSONAL.
I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO DO WELL, BUT I'VE ALREADY SAID, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHO ELSE APPLIED.
BEFORE I'M GOING TO START SAYING YES OR NO TO THINGS, EITHER I'M GOING TO HAVE AN INFORMED DECISION AND BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCEDURE.
I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN BECAUSE I JUST, WORKING IN CAROLINE COUNTY FOR 20 YEARS, I SAW TOO MANY PEOPLE TO RUBBER STAMP, RUBBER STAMP AND THAT WILL DO IT.
I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE GOOD, PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS PERSONAL.
THEY ALREADY KNEW I FELT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.
I DON'T THINK I SHOULD MAKE THE DECISION, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE DECISION OF THAT MAGNITUDE. THAT'S FINE.
THREE PEOPLE SAY YES, BUT LIKE I SAID, I CAN'T MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION WHEN WE'D HAVE IT, BUT I CAN SAY I'M SURE YOU'LL BE GOOD.
PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL.
[00:05:03]
WE HAVE THREE FOUR, WOMEN'S ABSENT AND EXTENSION,SO THE MOTION CARRIES.CONGRATULATIONS. WELCOME BACK TO CAROLINE COUNTY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH DR. DOWNS.
INSTEAD, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AND MAKING OUR PLANS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
EXCITED TO HAVE HER START JULY LINDSAY, OFFICIAL DATE, BUT FIRST WORKDAYS, JULY FIVE, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A FULL DAY PLANNED AND SCHEDULED.
LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. GLAD TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD.
SANDY, DO YOU WANT US TO GO THROUGH ALL THE APPOINTMENTS? WILL IT MAKE IT EASIER? THAT MIGHT BE WE'LL ROLL THROUGH ALL FORWARD IF THAT'S OKAY.
OUR NEXT ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT COMING FOR THE BOARD AND THIS AFTERNOON IS FOR PRINCIPLE OF DEBT AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE POSTED THE POSITION OF PRINCIPAL IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ACTUALLY, ONE TIME WE DID A FULL INTERVIEW AND THEN WE POSTED SPECIFICALLY FOR DENTIN ITSELF AFTER OUR POOL.
WE HAD AN INTERVIEW COMMITTEE THAT CONSISTED OF A BELIEF SEVEN INDIVIDUALS LARGELY MADE UP, MOSTLY OF STAFF FROM DEBT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THEY WERE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS, WHICH IS GREAT TO HAVE THEM THERE.
THE TOP CANDIDATE COMING OUT OF THE INTERVIEW POOL WAS MRS. SARAH CRABS, WHO'S WITH US TONIGHT? SARAH IS CURRENTLY THE AP ORIGINALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SHE'S BEEN AN AP WITH US SINCE 2018.
PRIOR TO THAT, SHE WAS A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER IN BOTH OUR COUNTY AND A NEIGHBORING SCHOOL SYSTEM.
EVEN PRIOR TO THAT, SHE HAD TEACHING EXPERIENCE AS WELL, COMING FROM OUT-OF-STATE.
SHE HAS HER ADMIN CERTIFICATE WHICH SHE EARNED FROM SALISBURY UNIVERSITY.
SHE'S WORKING ON HER DOCTORATE IN CONTEMPORARY LITERACY PROGRAMS AT SU AND SHE'S GETTING CLOSER TO BEING DONE.
FINISH LINE IS INSIGHT, WHICH IS EXCITING.
I LIKE TO RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD SARAH CRABS FOR PRINCIPAL AT DETIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
>> IS THIS SOMETHING YOU REALLY HAVE TO VOTE ON OR THIS JUST?
>> THE PRACTICE FOR CAROLINE COUNTY HAS BEEN TO DO AS INDIVIDUAL ACTION ITEMS AT BOARD MEETINGS.
THE BOARD WOULD HAVE THE DISCRETION, IF IT SO CHOSE, TO MOVE IT TO A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM AS OTHER PERSONNEL ITEMS ARE.
>> LIKE TEACHERS. BUT THE PRACTICE IN CAROLINE FOR PROBABLY THE AND THINK WE LOOKED INTO THE PRACTICE.
>> I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO PRACTICE ON THE LEGALITIES.
>> LEGALITIES, YOU CAN MOVE TO CONSENT AGENDA BUT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON IT.
IT WILL BE VOTED ON AS A CONSENT ITEM.
>> ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, WE'RE [OVERLAPPING] OKAY, THAT'S THE QUESTION.
>> I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, AND I GUESS AS WE MOVE INTO THIS AND GO INTO THE NEXT, WE HAVE ONE, THIS 1, 2, 3, 4 MORE ITEMS. I DIDN'T REALIZE THE ABSTENTION DISCUSSION.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE WERE GOING TO GO BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO VOTE ON.
THE BOARD'S NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN THE HIRING OR FIRING OF STAFF, TO BE HONEST.
[OVERLAPPING] I DIDN'T KNOW, THAT WAS UNCLEAR.
>> I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
SOMETIMES I THINK I'M TALKING APPLES AND ORANGES.
I SIT AT A POSITION THAT HIGH, I THOUGHT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.
THE DAY-TO-DAY HIRING FOR NORMAL THINGS, THAT WOULD BE LUDICROUS.
BUT SOMETHING THAT HIGH, IT'S LIKE THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ONE HEARTBEAT AWAY.
[OVERLAPPING] I WANT TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AND IF SOMEBODY HAS A PROBLEM WITH THAT, [NOISE] THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM.
>> WELL WE MADE AN INFORMED DECISION WHEN THE BOARD'S PRIMARY ROLE WAS TO HIRE THE SUPERINTENDENT.
THAT'S OUR [OVERLAPPING] ONLY PERSONNEL DECISION TO MAKE AS DICTATED BY STATE LAW.
>> RIGHT, AND THEN I HAVE [NOISE] THE ABILITY TO ABSTAIN.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABSTAINING ON A LOT?
>> WHY CAN'T YOU JUST SOMETIMES LET THINGS GO? I WAS TRYING TO BE VERY PROFESSIONAL, VERY NICE.
>> I'M TRYING [OVERLAPPING] WE'VE GOT FOUR MORE CASES HERE TO GO.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
>> I DIDN'T SAY I WAS GOING TO ABSTAIN AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO START AN ARGUMENT, AND I'M NOT ARGUING.
>> THAT'S JUST HOW I FEEL. YOU DON'T HAVE TO COMMENT ON EVERYTHING.
I ASKED THE QUESTION, DO WE HAVE TO VOTE? THAT WAS ALL. I COULD SAY I WAS GOING TO [INAUDIBLE] EVERYTHING.
>> CAN I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, MRS. KREBS?
>> WE HAVE A MOTION BY MR. JONES, SECONDED BY MR. BARTON. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
>> CONGRATULATIONS, MRS. KREBS.
>> AGAIN, I KNOW YOU'LL DO A FANTASTIC JOB, AND WE'LL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH YOU AS YOU TRANSITION OVER TO THE HOME OF THE DOLPHINS. CONGRATULATIONS.
>> YOU'RE GOING TO ANSWER THE NEXT ONE, DR. SIMMONS.
[00:10:02]
>> THANK YOU, MR. NEWCOMB. OUR NEXT APPOINTMENT THIS EVENING, TRYING TO CATCH THE SMALL PRINT, MAKE SURE [INAUDIBLE] WRITE MY NOTES.
WITH MRS. KREBS MOVING INTO THE POSITION OF PRINCIPAL AT DENTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, IT DOES CREATE AN OPENING FOR AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT RIDGELY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND MR. BRETT EVANS PARTICIPATED IN THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL POOL INTERVIEWS THAT WE CONDUCTED A FEW MONTHS BACK IN PREPARATION OF ANY OPENINGS THAT COULD HAVE OCCURRED ALONG THE WAY WITH FOLKS THAT MOVE AT TIMES.
AFTER THAT INTERVIEW AND WITH THE POSITION OPENING ORIGINALLY, MR. LEE SUTTON HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS FROM THE POOL OF CANDIDATES AS WELL AND DID NOT TAKE LONG AFTER HAVING A MEETING WITH MR. EVANS, MR. SUTTON CALLED AND SAID THAT'S DEFINITELY, I THINK, THE DIRECTION WE NEED TO GO IN AT RIDGELY AND WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MR. EVANS AS MY NUMBER 2.
MR. BRETT EVANS IS CURRENTLY A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AND COACH FROM [INAUDIBLE] HIGH SCHOOL.
PRIOR TO COMING TO CAROLINE COUNTY, MR. EVANS SERVED AS AN IA AND A SUBSTITUTE IN WICOMICO COUNTY.
HE EARNED HIS MASTERS OF ARTS IN TEACHING AT UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE, AND HE WILL BE COMPLETING HIS ADMIN 1 CERTIFICATE FROM ASU VERY SHORTLY.
MR. EVANS IS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR RIDGELY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL [INAUDIBLE].
>> BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT DR. SIMMONS' RECOMMENDATION?
>> I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR MR. EVANS.
>> RECOMMENDATION FOR DR. SIMMONS ACTUALLY.
>> SECOND BY MR. JONES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
>> THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. DR. SIMMONS, NEXT.
>> OUR NEXT ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US THIS AFTERNOON IS MR. TOMMY JEFFERSON.
MR. JEFFERSON CURRENTLY IS THE DEAN OF STUDENTS AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.
HE'S BEEN THERE SINCE 2019 AS A DEAN.
NORTH CAROLINE HIGH SCHOOL, WE WERE ABLE TO FUND THE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL POSITION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO FUND THAT THROUGH L.E.A.D.S GRANT FUNDING SO IT DID NOT GET ADDED TO THE OPERATING BUDGET THIS YEAR.
AGAIN, WE'VE GOT STATE GRANT MONEY THAT'LL COVER IT FOR TWO YEARS DUE TO THE INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD MR. TOMMY JEFFERSON AS THE THIRD ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL IN NORTH CAROLINE HIGH SCHOOL.
PRIOR TO HIS TIME AS DEAN OF STUDENTS AT KERNEL HIGH, MR. JEFFERSON SERVED AS A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT KERNEL HIGH AS WELL.
HE'S A GRADUATE OF BEAUMONT UNIVERSITY WITH HIS MASTER'S IN SPECIAL EDUCATION AND HE HAS COMPLETED HIS ADMIN CERTIFICATE FROM SALZBURG UNIVERSITY.
MR. JEFFERSON HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AS THE DEAN OF STUDENTS AT KERNEL HIGH.
DR. [INAUDIBLE] HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AS WELL AS MR. SHERMAN IN PREPARING MR. JEFFERSON.
[INAUDIBLE] DID THE SAME WHEN SHE WAS THERE WORKING WITH MR. JEFFERSON AND HE'LL DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
HE JUST HAS TO CHANGE HIS COLORS FROM BLACK AND RED AND BLUE AND WHITE.
BUT HE SAID THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
>> BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT DR. SIMMONS' RECOMMENDATION OF MR. THOMAS JEFFERSON, THE NEW ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT NORTH CAROLINE?
>> SECOND BY MR. BARTON. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
>> YES. OUR LAST ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT FOR THE AFTERNOON AS THE BOARD RECALLS, FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFFING PLAN AND SOME ADJUSTMENT OF POSITIONS, WE ENDED UP ADDING THE SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR POSITION INTO THE BUDGET, MOVED OUT SOME TEACHER SPECIALISTS.
INTERVIEWS WERE HELD AND THEY INTERVIEWED MULTIPLE CANDIDATES FOR THE POSITION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR AND THE TOP CANDIDATE IS MRS. RAQUEL JOHNSON.
MRS. JOHNSON WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL.
SHE HAS SERVED AS A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER WITH US FOR SIX YEARS.
IF YOU MEET MRS. JOHNSON WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, YOU CAN FEEL THE LEADERSHIP OOZING OUT OF HER.
SHE WILL DO A FANTASTIC JOB IN THIS POSITION.
PRIOR TO COMING TO US, SHE WAS A BUILDING ADMINISTRATOR IN DELAWARE FOR NINE YEARS, AND PRIOR TO THAT, SHE HAD EXTENSIVE TEACHING EXPERIENCE AS A BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST AS WELL IN DELAWARE.
BUT MRS. JOHNSON WILL DO A FANTASTIC JOB AS COORDINATOR OF SPECIAL ED AND I KNOW SHE'S EXCITED TO GET STARTED ALSO.
>> DO WE HAVE TO ACCEPT A RESIGNATION PROCEDURE FIRST?
>> YES. SHE WILL BE RESIGNING HER TEACHER POSITION.
MR. EVANS IS IN THE SAME BOAT.
MR. EVANS HAD ASKED TO RESIGN HIS TEACHER POSITION AS WELL AS MR. JEFFERSON WHO ARE ALL RESIGNING THEIR TEACHER POSITIONS AND ACCEPTING THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT.
[00:15:01]
>> BOARD MEMBERS, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THIS RECOMMENDATION FOR MS. RAQUEL JOHNSON TO MOVE UP TO COORDINATOR FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION?
>> I MOVE WE APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF MS. JOHNSON.
>> SECOND BY MR. JONES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
>> CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL CANDIDATES.
>> NOW, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL.
SANDY, DO YOU WANT TO DO A PICTURE NOW?
>> MR. [INAUDIBLE] WANT TO DO IT NOW?
>> SOUNDS GOOD. IT'S NOT BY YOURSELF.
WE ACTUALLY COME DOWN WITH YOU. [LAUGHTER]
YOU JUST STAND THERE AND WE STARE AT YOU.
>> SORRY, GUYS. [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] [NOISE]
>> NEXT. [LAUGHTER] [BACKGROUND]
>> [BACKGROUND] THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE BUDGET APPROVAL.
>> IF YOU'RE SITTING ON THAT SIDE.
>> GOT TO MAKE SURE YOUR LINE. I DIDN'T GET THROUGH.
>> BOARD MEMBERS, WE'VE GOT THE OPERATING BUDGET HERE THAT'S NOT SO DRAFT ANYMORE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, PRESIDENT NEWCOMB, DR. SIMMONS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU THE FY23 BUDGET SUMMARY AND BUDGET DETAIL.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEARING WITH ME ON THE BUDGET DETAIL PART.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR FIRST-TIME EVER PUTTING THIS MASSIVE DOCUMENT TOGETHER.
IT IS MASSIVE, 95 PAGES AND FULL OF FORMULAS AND SPREADSHEET.
>> DO YOU GET A BREAK FROM THERE TOO AFTER THIS? [LAUGHTER]
>> I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS DOCUMENT NIGHT AND DAY FOR A LONG TIME.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT? TAKE A THREE-DAY WEEKEND. [LAUGHTER]
>> THANK YOU. BUT NUMBERS FASCINATE ME. IT'S EXCITING.
I WILL SAY THAT I'M ALREADY THINKING ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS THAT I WANT TO MAKE FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET DOCUMENT.
OUR GOAL IS TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE AND MAKE THIS DOCUMENT AS EASY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHEN YOU APPROVE IT.
IN MY OPINION, I THINK I CAN DWINDLE IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT SO IT'S NOT A 95 PAGE DOCUMENT.
I'VE LOOKED AROUND AT OTHER SCHOOL BOARDS AND MOST OF THEIR BUDGETS ARE NOT 95 PAGES.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO CONSOLIDATE IT A LITTLE BIT.
>> DO THEY RELEASE INFORMATION OUT?
>> THEY STILL HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR DOCUMENT, THERE'S A LOT OF ZEROS IN THERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A LINE ITEM FOR LEARNING COTTAGES.
WELL, WE HAVEN'T HAD LEARNING COTTAGES IN FOREVER AND IT'S ZERO.
[OVERLAPPING] IT'S WHAT THEY USED TO CALL THE PORTABLES.
[00:20:01]
[LAUGHTER] THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO TRY TO CONSOLIDATE.YOU'LL STILL SEE THE SAME DETAIL, BUT THOSE LINE ITEMS THAT APPEAR ACROSS THE PAGE ON THE BUDGET DETAIL SECTION IS ALL ZEROS.
YOU DON'T EVEN NEED TO SEE DETAIL THAT CONSISTS OF ALL ZEROS.
JUST TO RECAP, OUR BUDGET SUMMARY, THIS IS THE ONE-PAGE SUMMARY THAT OUTLINES ALL OF THE CHANGES IN REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE OPERATING BUDGET.
IF SOMETHING DOESN'T APPEAR ON THIS LIST, THEN THAT JUST MEANS THAT THAT LINE ITEM IS THE SAME AS IT WAS LAST YEAR.
THIS BUDGET SUMMARY IS THE SAME AS WHAT YOU SAW LAST BOARD MEETING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE STATE REVENUE, WE GOT OUR FINAL STATE REVENUE NUMBERS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE REVENUE WENT DOWN BY APPROXIMATELY $12,000.
I THINK THIS YEAR EVERY TIME WE GOT NEWS, IT WAS A DECREASE IN REVENUE, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE OTHER WAY.
BUT ANYWAY, WITH THIS $12,000 DECREASE IN STATE REVENUE, I ADJUSTED THE LINE ITEM FOR OTHER THE INTERESTS AND MISCELLANEOUS TO BALANCE IT OUT SO THAT LINE ITEM.
I DON'T BUY 120,000 NOW WE'RE ONLY REDUCING IT BY $107,645.
THAT WAS JUST TO GET THE REVENUE TO BALANCE OUT.
NOTHING ELSE BELOW IT WOULD CHANGE.
AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S NO CHANGES IN PART 2 OR 3 TO THE REDUCTIONS OR THE ADDITIONS.
I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE BIG TICKET LINE ITEMS. A LOT OF THE INCREASES YOU'LL SEE ARE COST OF DOING BUSINESS INCREASES.
WE HAD SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN HEALTH INSURANCE, TEACHER PENSION COSTS.
WE ALSO HAD TO INCREASE THE LINE ITEMS FOR FUEL AND ELECTRICITY.
EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND, IT SEEMS LIKE ELECTRICITY IS INCREASING EVEN MORE AND THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT ON THE NEWS.
WE HAD TO BUDGET FOR THIS, AND HOPEFULLY WE BUDGETED ENOUGH.
BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THIS IS OUR BEST GUESS ESTIMATE AS TO WHAT WE WILL NEED FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE ARE ALSO DEALING WITH MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES.
THE CURRENT MINIMUM WAGE IS 1,250 AND NEXT YEAR IT WILL GO TO 1,325.
THIS IMPACTED ALL OF OUR FOLKS ON THE SUPPORT SERVICES HOURLY SCALE THAT ARE ONLY IN A, WHICH ARE OUR CUSTODIANS, FOOD SERVICE, CAFETERIA WORKERS.
>> APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY PEOPLE?
>> ARE WE AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON THAT THOUGH?
>> THERE IT GOES TO 1,325, JANUARY 1ST, OF 2023.
>> ARE EVEN OUR STARTING SALARY FOR LOWEST HOURLY. AREN'T WE AHEAD OF THAT CURVE?
>> WE'VE GOT TO MAKE THIS EASIER- [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE ARE NOT AHEAD OF THAT- [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE STARTING SALARY FOR CAFETERIA CUSTODIANS ALSO ARE DAILY SUBSTITUTES.
WHEN YOU RUN THAT CALCULATION, IT WOULD PUT THEM UNDER THE NORM. WE HAD TO.
>> THE BEST SOLUTION FOR US WAS LOOKING AT THAT ENTIRE WING.
INSTEAD OF DOING A ONE-YEAR OR A SHORT BAND-AID FOR A FEW BEST AS TO TAKE THAT ENTIRE WING THIS PAY SCALE AND MOVE IT OVER TO THE NEXT LINE.
I THOUGHT WE HAD DONE THAT A FEW YEARS AGO.
WITH THIS, ISN'T OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE SUPPORT SERVICES WITH THE EXTRA PERCENTAGE?
>> THAT'S TIED TO THAT BASELINE?
>> WE'RE NOT EVEN KEEPING UP WITH FOR HOUR HOURLY FOLKS.
WERE NOT EVEN KEEPING UP WITH MINIMUM WAGE.
>> WE'RE GOING UP TO 1,325? IT WAS?
>> CORRECT.. ON THE HOURLY SCALE, LANE A IT IMPACTS INCREMENTS ONE THROUGH FIVE.
WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE 1,325.
>> SEVENTY PEOPLE WOULD BE HAPPY?
>> SEVENTY PEOPLE ONLY. THEY WILL GO TO THE PERFECT RATE.
>> LET'S SAY SOMEBODY WAS AT 1,325 ALREADY.
[OVERLAPPING] THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE UP TOO?
>> THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE RIGHT INTO LANE B AT THE SAME INCREMENT THEY WERE AT.
>> IT REALLY BENEFITS MORE THAN JUST THOSE 70 PEOPLE.
>> BECAUSE WE COULDN'T JUST BUMP UP.
>> SEVENTY IS THE WHOLE LANE, NOT JUST THOSE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> CORRECT, 70 IS THE WHOLE LANE.
>> THE REST WON'T MOVE UNTIL AN AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH THE UNIONS; IS THAT ACCURATE?
[00:25:07]
>> THE SUPPORT CONTRACT IS CLOSED.
>> BUT THEY GET 1 PERCENT MORE THAN WHAT IS. [OVERLAPPING]
>> CORRECT. THEY GET A PLUS ONE.
>> YES. THAT IS CONTINGENT UPON. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WHAT YOU'RE ASKING DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, IS BEING AFFECTED BY MINIMUM WAGE.
>> SEVENTY PEOPLE IN THAT. EVERYBODY ELSE WON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING UNTIL THE TEACHERS UNION AND THE BOARD SIGNS CONTRACT?
>> JUST THOSE 70 GO HERE BUT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ALREADY HERE STAY THERE?
>> THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU'RE SAYING EVERYBODY IN THERE.
>> WE HAVE A COMPRESSION THIS WAY, TYPICALLY WE ALWAYS COMPRESS THIS WAY. IT'S COMPRESSING IT.
>> THE MINIMUM WAGE IS GOING TO KEEP GOING UP.
HOPEFULLY THIS WILL PUT US AHEAD.
>> BUT ONCE YOU DO THAT FOR THE 70 AND THEN WHATEVER THE AGREEMENT IS, SAY IT'S WHATEVER IT IS, AND THEY GET A PERCENT OVER THAT.
THOSE 70 WILL GET THEN THAT INCREASE AS WELL?
>> [OVERLAPPING] THEY SHOULD BE WELL AHEAD OF. [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT SHOULD HELP. THEN WE'VE GOT THE CLASSIFICATION [OVERLAPPING].
>> HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR WE WON'T BE COMING SAYING, WE NEED TO BUDGET TO KEEP UP WITH MINIMUM WAGE.
>> A NEW PERSON COMING IN NOW WILL BE AT 1,325, LET'S SAY?
>> GREAT. THEN THEY GET TO TWO PERCENT OR THREE PERCENT, WHATEVER.
LET'S SAY BRINGS IT UP TO 1,330, THEY'RE NOW 5 CENTS AHEAD OF MINIMUM WAGE. EVEN A NEW PERSON?
>> YEAH, BECAUSE THE SCALE MOVES AT ONE TIME TO PROVIDE YOU WHEN IT GETS.
>> NO, THAT'S FINE. FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
>> FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS AS I GO THROUGH THIS.
I WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE APPROVING AND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FUND MANY REQUESTS THIS YEAR.
THE MAIN PRIORITY HERE IS THE SALARY ENHANCEMENT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
THIS IS SUBJECT TO NEGOTIATIONS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FINALIZED YET.
AS WE JUST DISCUSSED, THE SUPPORT CONTRACTS CLOSED, BUT THEY GET A PLUS ONE BASED ON WHATEVER IS NEGOTIATED WITH THE TEACHERS.
>> A PLUS ONE PERCENT COLA OF THE SUPPORT CONTRACT.
>> THAT'S WHAT WE INCORPORATED A FEW YEARS AGO TO TRY TO GET THEM UP TO MORE OF WHAT ARE CALLED NOW THE LIVING WAGE, BUT ALSO KEEP THEM AHEAD.
I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD KEEP THEM AHEAD OF THE YEAR.
WELL, IT SHOULD KEEP THEM AHEAD, I GUESS.
>> I THINK NOW WE'VE FIXED, IF JULY 1, WE'RE ABLE TO COLLAPSE LANE A.
>> WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE GOING FORWARD.
>> UNLESS THEY RAISE MONEY WE'LL NEED.
>> OH, IT'S ALREADY SET. IT'S GOING TO KEEP.
WITH THESE ADDITIONS, THE MAIN ONE BEING THE SALARY ENHANCEMENTS, A COUPLE OF POSITIONS.
THE SUPERVISOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY LAW, SOMEHOW THAT GOT CUT OUT OF LAST YEAR'S BUDGET AND WE HAD TO ADD IT BACK IN.
WE HAD A BAND-AID FIX FOR THIS YEAR TO THE CURRENT YEAR TO GET US THROUGH, BUT WE NEED TO ADD THAT BACK IN THE BUDGET.
ALSO WITH SOME OF THE RESTRUCTURING.
WE NOW HAVE FUNDING FOR AN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTION, AND THIS POSITION IS ABSORBING THE BLUEPRINT DUTIES ON THE BLUEPRINT IMPLEMENTATION COORDINATOR DUTIES WHERE WE WERE USING A CONSULTANT TO PERFORM THAT ROLE.
NOW WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTION FILLING THAT ROLE.
ALSO WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOME OF THE FUNDING FOR THIS POSITION.
BY BUDGET REDUCTION, WE ACTUALLY REDUCED THE DIRECTOR OF STUDENTS SERVICES POSITION.
WE DID REDUCE ONE ADMIN POSITION TO GET THIS OTHER ADMIN POSITION.
>> WHEN YOU SAY REDUCED, DO YOU MEAN ELIMINATED?
THAT DIRECTOR OF STUDENTS SERVICES POSITION IS NO LONGER THERE.
THEN THE GRANTS ACCOUNTANT, WHICH IS MAINLY GOING TO BE GRANT-FUNDED, WE'RE USING INDIRECT COSTS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM A LOT OF OUR GRANTS TO OFFSET 75 PERCENT OF THE COST OF THIS POSITION.
THEN WE ADDED THE BOARD ASPIRING TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP,
[00:30:04]
AND WE'RE INCREASING THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT GREENSBORO FROM 10.5 MONTH TO 12 MONTH.THIS IS THE ONLY 10.5 MONTH ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL THAT'S STILL IN THE COUNTY.
>> WAS IT THE ONE [INAUDIBLE]? WE HAVE ONE THAT DONE A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THEY HAD TO AND IT WAS JUST THAT IN GREENSBORO.
I'M NOT SURE WHEN THEY MOVED THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
>> NOW I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IN THE LENGTHY 95-PAGE BUDGET DETAILED DOCUMENT.
RACHEL, IF YOU CAN GO TO PAGE 1.
IT'S THE FIRST PAGE THAT HAS NUMBERS ON IT RIGHT THERE.
PROBABLY TOO SMALL TO SEE. I CAN'T EVEN SEE IT WITH MY GLASSES. THERE WE GO.
[LAUGHTER] THE LINE ITEM, TOTAL UNRESTRICTED STATE AND LOCAL REVENUE.
IF YOU FOLLOW THAT ALL THE WAY ACROSS TO THE RIGHT-HAND COLUMN.
WE HAD AN INCREASE IN REVENUE ON THE BUDGET SUMMARY OF $3,668,556.
THAT MATCHES WITH WHAT APPEARS HERE ON THE REVENUE PAGE.
GOING DOWN, THE RESTRICTED STATE REVENUES.
THIS LINE ITEM HAS DECREASED SINCE LAST FISCAL YEAR.
THE REASON WHY IT'S DECREASED AS BECAUSE OF THE BLUEPRINT FUNDING WHICH WAS RESTRICTED.
THE BLUEPRINTS, SOME OF THE GRANTS, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES GRANT, THE MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATOR GRANT.
THIS WAS COMING IN AS RESTRICTED FUNDING.
NOW IT IS NO LONGER RESTRICTED, IT'S UNRESTRICTED.
THOSE POSITIONS HAVE BEEN ROLLED INTO OUR UNRESTRICTED OPERATION, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF THEY MADE THINGS CONFUSING THIS YEAR BY SWITCHING EVERYTHING UP ON US.
JUST THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY IS COMING IN.
IT JUST WENT FROM RESTRICTED TO UNRESTRICTED.
IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE NEXT ONE, TOTAL RESTRICTED FEDERAL REVENUES, THAT INCREASED BY A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT, $14 MILLION.
THE REASON FOR THIS INCREASE IS THE ART MONEY THAT WE HAVE COMING IN, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, WHICH YOU'VE HEARD ON SEVERAL BOARD MEETINGS, YOU'VE HEARD US GO OVER WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR IN THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
THE MAIN GOAL OF THAT MONEY WAS TO ADDRESS THE LEARNING LOSS.
A LARGE CHUNK OF THAT FUNDING IS BEING USED TO ADDRESS THE LEARNING LOSS.
ANOTHER REASON FOR THIS INCREASE, THE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE OF $14 MILLION IS THE NEW MARYLAND LEADS GRANT, WHICH YOU'VE ALSO HEARD THE MARYLAND LEADS GRANT WHICH THE STATE DECIDED TO USE SOME OF THEIR FEDERAL MONEY AND DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE LOCALS, AND SO WE HAD TO WRITE A PLAN FOR THAT.
NOW, THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE ABOUT THESE TWO MASSIVE GRANTS THAT ACCOUNT FOR THE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN REVENUE IS THAT BOTH OF THESE FUNDING STREAMS END SEPTEMBER 30 OF 2024, THEY BOTH END AT THE SAME TIME.
WE HAD TO BE VERY CAREFUL AS TO WHAT WE WROTE INTO THESE PLANS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T WRITE POSITIONS NECESSARILY OR SALARY ENHANCEMENTS OR THAT THING BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE A FUNDING CLIFF SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.
WHAT WAS WRITTEN INTO THESE GRANTS WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD SUSTAIN IT.
MAKE SURE IT WAS ONE-TIME COST OR COSTS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, OUR TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR IS $112 MILLION, WHICH IS SUBSTANTIAL.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT OUR OPERATING BUDGET HAS ACTUALLY GONE OVER A $100 MILLION.
[LAUGHTER] IT'S A LOT OF MONEY, A $112 MILLION HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY, IT JUST BLOWS MY MIND.
HENCE THE REASON FOR THE GRANTS ACCOUNTANT POSITION, WE HAVE SO MUCH MONEY COMING IN IN GRANTS THAT WE NEED ANOTHER PERSON IN THE FINANCE OFFICE TO HELP OVERSEE THIS MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
WE HAVE AUDITORS COME THROUGH THE DOOR ALL THE TIME AND WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE CONTROLS IN PLACE AND THAT'S ACCOUNTED FOR PROPERLY.
>> YOU'RE ROUNDING OFF. IT'S ACTUALLY.
>> YES, I'M ROUNDING UP I THINK A 112.
>> I THOUGHT MAYBE WE HAD, [LAUGHTER] A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE REVENUE, THE STATE KEPT SHIFTING ON THIS ONE HERE.
YOU SAID, YEAH, IT KEPT SHIFTING.
IS THAT BECAUSE THEY STATE WHAT DO THEY CALL IT, THEIR REVENUE FORECAST.
IT KEEPS SHIFTING THAT AND WHEN THEY KEEP ADJUSTING THAT, RIGHT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, THEY'LL KEEP DOING THAT TO YOU OR IS THERE SOME OTHER REASON FOR THAT?
>> THE REASON WHY IT SHIFTED THIS TIME, THE $12,000 IS BECAUSE THEY WENT THROUGH AND VERIFIED ALL OF THE STUDENT COUNTS,
[00:35:04]
ALL OF THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT COUNTS OF THE FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEAL COUNTS.THEY GO THROUGH AND VERIFY ALL OF THE SPECIAL EGG COUNTS, ALL THE ELL OR EL.
>> THEY'RE JUST BEING PRECISE?
>> YES, THEY'RE JUST BEING PRECISE AND THEY HAVE CHECKS AND DOUBLE CHECKS.
THEY RELEASED THE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS.
WE GOT THE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS EARLIER THIS CALENDER YEAR AND THEN THEY KEPT SAYING PRELIMINARY, PRELIMINARY.
WE JUST GOT THE FINAL NUMBERS TWO WEEKS AGO.
>> THEN YOU HAVE TO SCRAMBLE AROUND OR ADJUST THE NUMBERS.
>> NOW. THANK GOODNESS, THE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS NORMALLY AREN'T TOO FAR OFF TARGET.
IT MIGHT FLUCTUATE BY A COUPLE OF KIDS ENROLLMENT WHEN THEY VERIFY EVERYTHING.
THE REASON FOR THE LARGE FLUCTUATION IN THE BEGINNING FROM WHAT YOU SAW LAST DECEMBER VERSUS WHENEVER IT CAME IN FEBRUARY, MARCH WAS DUE TO THE NEW BLUEPRINT LEGISLATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES WAS WAY OFF ON THEIR PROJECTIONS BECAUSE THEY WERE USING PRE-COVID ENROLLMENT.
THEY BASED ALL THEIR PROJECTIONS ON THE PRE-COVID ENROLLMENT NUMBERS.
THAT'S ALL WE HAD TO GO BUY AT THE TIME.
>> THAT'S A PRETTY BIG ASSUMPTION.
>> BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE THEY COULD DO.
>> THEN FINAL NUMBER YOU SEE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT-HAND CORNER, THAT IS THE CHANGE FROM THE FY22 OPERATING BUDGET TO THE FY23, AN INCREASE OF $18 MILLION OVERALL.
I'LL TRY NOT TO BORE YOU WITH TOO MANY MORE NUMBERS.
I DO WANT ON PAGE 6, JUST HIGHLIGHT, THE NEXT.
PAGE 6 ON THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS.
LET'S TRY THE NEXT ONE, TRY PAGE 8.
SORRY. I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, THIS IS OUR UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET.
IF YOU ADD THE FIRST COLUMN, THE TOTAL SALARIES AND WAGES, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY $49 MILLION, AND THE FIXED CHARGES NUMBER OF APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILLION DOLLARS.
THIS ACCOUNTS FOR 85 PERCENT OF OUR UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET.
TOTAL SALARIES PLUS TOTAL BENEFITS ARE APPROXIMATELY 85 PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET.
THEN WHEN YOU PASS OUT THE OTHER DAY-TO-DAY OPERATING EXPENSES LIKE TRANSPORTATION, ELECTRICITY, MAINTENANCE, IT DOES NOT LEAVE US WITH MUCH MONEY FOR DISCRETIONARY SPENDING TO DO WHAT WE WANT WITH.
WHEN EVERYBODY IS SAYING, HEY, WHY CAN'T YOU FIND THE MONEY FOR THIS OR THAT? EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE AN $80 MILLION UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET, 85 PERCENT GOES TO SALARIES AND BENEFITS AND THEN WE HAVE OUR REGULAR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATING EXPENSES.
>> THAT 85 IS GENERALLY PRETTY STABLE, RIGHT?
THEN THE PAGES THAT FOLLOW ARE THE EXPENDITURE BUDGET DETAIL PAGES.
YOU WILL, AS YOU GO THROUGH THESE BUDGET DETAIL PAGES, SEE SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN SALARIES THAT MIGHT NOT ALIGN WITH YOUR TYPICAL COLA INCREASES.
THE REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE THIS YEAR I WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET, I TRIED TO TRUE IT UP AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
ALSO, YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION A LOT OF THE BLUEPRINT FUNDING THAT WAS RESTRICTED THAT NOW ROLLED INTO OUR UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGETS.
THERE WERE A LOT OF POSITIONS THAT WE ALREADY HAD.
BUT WHEN THEY WROTE INTO THE UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET AND MAKES IT LOOK LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, SPECIAL ED, IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THOSE SALARIES WENT UP BY QUITE A BIT OF MONEY.
BUT REALLY IT'S SEVERAL POSITIONS THAT ROLLED FROM RESTRICTED TO UNRESTRICTED.
ALSO THIS WAS A RESTRUCTURING YEAR WHERE WE DID SOME RESTRUCTURING.
LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ELIMINATED THE DIRECTOR OF STUDENTS SERVICES POSITION.
WE NOW HAVE AN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTION.
EVEN THOUGH WE ELIMINATED THE DIRECTOR OF STUDENTS SERVICES THAT WAS IN CATEGORY 2.
THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTION POSITION IS IN CATEGORY 1.
THAT'S WHY THERE'S SOME FLUCTUATIONS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEIR SALARY AMOUNTS.
>> I'M SORRY. IT'S ALSO A GOOD TABLE TO SHOW.
[00:40:03]
SOMETIMES YOU HEAR AND MAYBE SOME WESTERN SHORE COUNTIES ARE TOP-HEAVY, BUT I'VE HEARD IT HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY HERE MIGHT BE TOP-HEAVY.THE ADMINISTRATIVE HAVE THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
YOU LOOK AT 40 PERCENT OF THE STRUCTURE IS GOING TO SET INSTRUCTIONAL SALARIES ALONE.
THAT 60 PERCENT YOU MENTIONED THAT'S SALARY, NEARLY 40 PLUS 39.3 OF ITS GOING INSTRUCTION AND 2.8 IN ADMINISTRATION.
OTHER 6.8, I GUESS THAT'S SCHOOL MANAGEMENT SUPPORT, THAT'S PRINCIPLES.
>> FORTY-FIVE PERCENT IS SCHOOL-BASED SALARIES.
I DON T THINK CAROLINE COUNTY'S TOP-HEAVY. JUST A COMMENT.
>> YOU WILL SEE, AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE NEW BLUEPRINT LEGISLATION, WE ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO SHOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START CODING EVERYTHING TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL BECAUSE 75 PERCENT OF OUR EXPENDITURES HAVE TO BE ALLOCATED TO THE SCHOOLS.
>> HOW DO YOU DO THAT WITH DR. SIMMONS POSITION.
>> [OVERLAPPING] THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE 25 PERCENT CUSHION FOR POSITIONS LIKE DR. SIMMONS'S POSITION.
BUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO IMPACT IS THE OPERATIONS SHOP.
SAY, FOR INSTANCE, RIGHT NOW, WHEN OPERATIONS BUYS MAINTENANCE PARTS OR SAY TECHNOLOGY WHEN THEY BUY COMPUTERS, THOSE ITEMS RIGHT NOW, WE DO NOT CODE TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START BREAKING THOSE ORDERS DOWN.
IF YOU BUY 100 COMPUTERS, WE HAVE TO CODE 10 TO GREENSBORO.
>> THIS AFFECTS MORE, THING, OBJECTS, NOT PEOPLE.
>> IT AFFECTS THE CODING AND THE PROCESSING AND BEHIND THE SCENES.
>> IT WILL AFFECT BOTH BUT THE PEOPLE ARE THE EASIEST PART TO MANAGE OF THAT.
BECAUSE MOST ARE LOCATED IN ONE BUILDING, BUT THEY WILL COME INTO IT, SOME THINGS WE WANT TO LOOK AT IS IF WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO FLOAT BETWEEN BUILDINGS LOOKING AT HOW DO YOU SPLIT THEIR SALARIES OR HOW DO YOU LOOK AT HOW DO WE PLACE INDIVIDUALS.
BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE A 25 PERCENT CUSHION.
ALL THINGS THAT CAN BE CODED TO THE DISTRICT LEVEL.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUSING, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT.
THE TENTACLES WILL GET REALLY HARD AND BECAUSE IT'S A CUSHION OF 25, WE THINK WE'RE OKAY BUT ONCE WE GET INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS, NO PUN INTENDED ON THAT, MR. MINGLE.
[LAUGHTER] BUT ONCE WE GET INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF TRYING TO FIGURE THAT PART OUT, THAT IS WHERE THE REALLY HAIR-SPLITTING IS GOING TO COME FOR PARSING.
BECAUSE THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO LOOK AT NOT JUST 75 PERCENT GOING TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL, BUT WHAT IS YOUR ALLOCATION FOR SCHOOL? ARE YOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FUNDED EQUITABLY? PROBABLY NOT EQUALLY BUT EQUITABLY THOSE WITH HIGHER POVERTY, ARE THEY GETTING MORE FUNDING THAN THOSE AREN'T? ARE YOUR MIDDLES IN YOUR HIGHS? THAT'LL BE THE REALLY TRICKY PART OF THAT LOOKING AT IT AS WELL.
>> IT'S CLASSIC COST ACCOUNTING.
>> CORRECT, YES. THAT'S A GOOD ANALOGY.
>> IT'S GOING TO SOUND TERRIBLE IF YOU LOOK AT THE STUDENTS AS THE OUTPUT PRODUCT.
FOR THE MANUFACTURING PLANT AND YOU'RE PRODUCING WIDGETS, WHAT GOES INTO THE PRODUCTION OF WIDGET? IF YOU HAVE AN ATTORNEY OR ATTORNEYS IN YOUR COMPANY, SOME ALLOCATION OF THEIR TIME WILL BE PER WIDGET.
[LAUGHTER] YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY COST AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE ELECTRIC, FIGURED OUT HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO PRODUCING EACH ONE OF THOSE PRODUCTS SO THAT YOU CAN DETERMINE WHAT'S CAUSING THAT PRODUCT TO COSTS WHAT IT COSTS.
IN BUSINESS IT WOULD BE HARD TO PRICE THAT THEN.
NOW, HOW DO YOU PRICE IT? THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO. GOOD LUCK.
[LAUGHTER] IT SOUNDS GREAT THAN THE ACCOUNTING CLASS, BUT STUDENTS AREN'T WIDGETS.
THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE THAT GOES INTO IT.
WE'LL SEE HOW WELL, I WANT TO SAY, THEY PULL IT OFF BEING HIGHER LEVEL PEOPLE WHO ARE MANAGING BLUEPRINT, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE RIGHT ON EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM AND EVERYBODY IN THE WHOLE SYSTEM IN EVERY COUNTY.
IT'S CLASSIC COST ACCOUNTING, BUT TEXTBOOKS[OVERLAPPING] DON'T ALWAYS WORK.
>> TEXTBOOKS, THAT'S A GOOD ONE.
A TEXTBOOK ORDER I MIGHT HAVE TO BE SPLIT AMONGST STUDENTS, YES.
>> YOU'RE GOING TO NEED HELP. I DON'T MEAN YOU PERSONALLY, BUT HAVE WE ACCOUNTED FOR ALL THIS EXTRA WORK?
>> ADDING THE GRANTS COORDINATOR POSITION IS A BIG PIECE FOR US TO HELP WITH THAT COMPONENT.
>> SO THAT I CAN SPEND MY TIME ON THIS BUDGET DOCUMENT AND
[00:45:03]
START TO GET THE CODING WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.>> STATE'S SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON SOME STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORKS THAT WILL ASSIST ALL COUNTIES BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO WANT AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE WHAT INFORMATION BELONG TO THEM.
I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO GIVE US THE SANDBOX TO WORK WITH, THEN WE'LL SEE IF THE SANDBOX IS WORKABLE OR IF IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF THIRD-PARTY VENDOR SOLUTIONS OR THEY HELP NARROW THAT A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IT IS GOING TO BE A BIG LESSON.
GRANTS ACCOUNT WILL BE HUGE IN BRINGING THAT UP.
>> BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SO MANY DIFFERENT DATES.
WE'VE GOT TWO MORE YEARS [NOISE].
BUT I'VE I'VE STARTED TO PREPARE ALREADY.
THIS YEAR WE ALREADY HAVE OUR SALARIES CODED TO THIS, THE SALARIES THAT WE CAN ARE CODED TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
THIS YEAR I SPLIT OUT THE BENEFITS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR SALARIES AND CODED THEM TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
ALL OF THE WORKERS, COMP COSTS, ALL OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY COSTS, ALL OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS.
I HAD TO SET UP 10 ACCOUNT NUMBERS FOR EACH ONE JUST SO THEY CAN BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
WE'RE DISTRIBUTING ELECTRICITY, FUEL OIL COSTS.
A LOT OF OUR HUGE CONTRACTED SERVICES COST, I'VE PARSED OUT TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
I'M INTERESTED TO SEE WHEN WE CLOSE THE FISCAL YEAR, WHAT PERCENTAGE WERE AT.
I KNOW WE'RE NOWHERE CLOSE TO 75 PERCENT, BUT I'M CURIOUS, ARE WE AT 60 PERCENT? I'M JUST TRYING TO START TO GAUGE.
BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT I DON'T WANT MR. MANGLE TO HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR EVERY NUT AND BOLT AND WHERE THAT GETS DISTRIBUTED.
[LAUGHTER] I'M SURE THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
>> REALLY. WE'RE MULTIPLE YEARS AWAY, YOU'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT NUTS AND BOLTS DON'T COUNT THAT I'M IN SYSTEM-WIDE STAFF, WHETHER IT'S DR. SIMMONS OR YOU AARON, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ROLE FOR EVERY STUDENT IN THIS COUNTY OR MR. DOMINGO OR WHOEVER, CAN YOU JUST DIVIDE THAT OUT BY THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND THEN PUT IT IN THE APPROPRIATE SECTION OF SCHOOL?
>> TO BE DETERMINED. THAT'S WHAT MSDE.
>> WE GET THAT MOST CERTAINLY, YES.
EACH COUNTY APPOINTED A MEMBER TO SERVE ON THIS WORK GROUP AND I'M THE MEMBER.
IT'S A WORK GROUP THAT'S COMPOSED OF THEIR OVERHAULING THE WAY THE FINANCIAL REPORTING SYSTEM, THE WAY WE SUBMIT DATA.
THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO CRUNCH THE NUMBERS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE AT THE 75 PERCENT.
THEY'RE ALSO CHANGING SOME OF THE THINGS ON THE STUDENT INFORMATION SIDE.
THIS WORK GROUP CONSISTS OF SOME COUNTIES NOMINATED PEOPLE ON THE STUDENT INFORMATION SIDE.
THEN I ASKED DR. SIMMONS IF I COULD SERVE ON THE WORK GROUP BECAUSE OF THIS 75 PERCENT.
I WANTED TO KNOW RIGHT OFF THE BAT WHAT THEY WERE DISCUSSING AND WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE THE GUIDANCE WAS GOING TO BE SO THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET IN FRONT OF IT.
>> WHEN THE KIDS ARE HERE AND YOU HAVE COOKIES, YOU HAVE TO TRY AND COME WITH[LAUGHTER] EACH CHILD EACH HAVE TWO IN THE SCHOOL [INAUDIBLE]
IT'S SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES, YEAH.
>> RIGHT, AND THEN I GUESS REALLY IT BOGGLES MY MIND.
BECAUSE IN THE END, ALL I'M THINKING OF IS THIS IS ALL THIS TIME MONEY EFFORT.
IS IT REALLY GOING TO MAKE ANYTHING BETTER? HOW IS THIS GOING TO HELP THE STUDENTS?
>> IT'S NOT ONLY ON THE CODING SIDE.
IF WE HAVE TO PARSE OUT THE COMPUTERS AND HOW MANY ARE GOING TO EACH SCHOOL AND CODING IT.
OUR ACCOUNT NUMBER AS AN 18 DIGIT ACCOUNT NUMBER.
YOU'RE TALKING YOU GOT TO KEY IN 18 DIGIT NUMBER 10 TIMES IF STUFF IS GOING TO THE TEN SCHOOLS.
DOWN THE ROAD WE MIGHT NEED ANOTHER ACCOUNTS PAYABLE PERSON.
>> THAT'S WHAT AM SAYING. AGAIN, HOW DOES THIS HELP THE STUDENTS? BECAUSE THAT TO ME IS ALWAYS THE MAIN QUESTION.
HOW DOES IT HELP THE STUDENTS? I CAN'T COME UP WITH A GOOD ANSWER.
>> BUT IT'S THE LAW AND WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAW.
>> NO, I GET THAT, [INAUDIBLE] BUT IT'S LIKE WHEN WE WERE AT THE MEETING LAST WEEK AND THEY HAD A MAP OF EVERY COUNTY.
THE WEALTH OF THE COUNTY, I GUESS IT WOULD BE GOOD WAY TO PUT IT.
WE WERE THE ONLY COUNTY ON THE EASTERN SHORE THAT HAD NO GREEN.
NO LIGHT GREEN, NO DARK GREEN.
ACTUALLY, IN FURTHER LOOKING INTO CONVERSATION WITH MSE AFTERWARDS,
[00:50:03]
DISCUSSING THE MAP AND WHERE THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT KNOWN WITH IT.WE'RE THE ONLY JURISDICTION IN THE STATE THAT WHAT THEY SET UP FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT AND WE'RE NOT SEEING IT.
MSDE HAS BEEN PILOTING A STUDY ABOUT CHANGING THE WAY THAT WE ALLOCATE OR DETERMINE WHICH AREAS ARE CONCENTRATIONS OF POVERTY.
NOT BLUEPRINT CONSTITUTION OF POVERTY, BUT JUST THEIR AREAS OF HIGH POVERTY AND AREAS OF NEED.
RIGHT NOW THEY BASEBALL FOR YOUR MEAL FORUMS. THERE HIT OR MISS FOR COMING IN AND WE DO A GREAT JOB AT TRYING TO GET THEM IN.
BUT YOU'RE ALSO ASKING SOME OF THE NEEDIEST FAMILIES AND SOME WHERE ENGLISH IS NOT THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE TO FILL OUT A FORM THAT'S PRIMARILY IN ENGLISH, DESCENDED BACK TO SCHOOL, TO QUALIFY FOR BENEFITS.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT THROUGH CENSUS BLOCKS, KNOCKING THE CENSUS DOWN TO THE SMALLEST UNIT BASICALLY, AND LOOKING AT MEDIUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOME OWNERSHIP, EDUCATION LEVEL OF THE PARENT, AND THERE'S LONGER TO MOVE IT ON THIS LIST, IT WAS FOUR PIECES.
THAT WAS ONE OF IT, YEAH, TRADITIONAL HOUSEHOLDS, TWO-PARENT HOUSEHOLDS.
LOOKING AT THOSE FOUR INDICATORS BY CENSUS BLOCK.
THEN THEY SET UP, TOOK THE STATE DIVIDED INTO FIVE TIERS.
THE WAY THEY GRABBED THOSE FOUR THINGS, IT'S BASED OFF OF RUBY BEANS RESEARCH ABOUT POVERTY LEVELS, IMPACTS OF POVERTY.
THE FIVE TIERS ARE BASEBALL FROM MARYLAND IN ESSENCE.
THE HIGHEST HERE, I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT $160,000 COMBINED FAMILY INCOME.
LOWEST HERE WAS BASICALLY 45 PERCENT, MEANING COMBINED FAMILY INCOME.
CAROLINE COUNTIES DATA, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT, CAROLINE WAS ALL TIER ONE, TWO AND THREE.
WE'RE THE ONLY COUNTY THAT HAD NO IDENTIFIED CENSUS BLOCK SINCE IT'S BLOCKED WITH A TIER FOUR OR FIVE, WHICH FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT THAT LED TO A CONVERSATION THAT DAY AROUND WAS IN FUTURE YEARS, NOT JUST THIS BUDGET YEAR, BUT IN FUTURE YEARS, HOW DO YOU GENERATE WEALTH TO MEET JUST BASIC BUDGET AND COMPONENTS, WHETHER IT'S BLUEPRINT OR JUST GETTING BY ONE EVEN LOOKING AT THE CENSUS TRACK DATA.
WE HEAR, THE OVERUSED CLICHE IF YOU CAN'T GET BLOOD FROM A STONE OR BLOOD FROM A TURNIP.
CAROLINE REALLY WAS THE TURNIP THAT DAY ON THE MAPS AND REALLY ARE LOOKING AT IT BECAUSE WE TRULY ARE THE ONE PLACE THAT INCOME TAXES ALREADY MAPPED AS HIGH AS IT CAN BE, OR FAMILIES IN THIS AREA DO NOT EARN A LOT.
TAXING PEOPLE DON'T EARN A LOT, DOESN'T GENERATE YOU MORE MONEY ON THE BACKEND.
HOMEOWNERSHIP WAS LOWERING CAROLINE AND ANYWHERE ELSE.
GENDER, TYPICAL WEALTH WAS LOWER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.
AGAIN, SUB-UNIT TAXES ON PROPERTY TAXES ARE WHAT HELPED TO GET FUNDING, GIVES THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT THEIR FUNDING TO RUN ON.
AGAIN, YOU DON'T HAVE THE POLICE TO PULL IT FROM.
MUCH BIGGER THAN THE CONVERSATION FOR THE DAY, BUT REALLY LED THIS REALLY GREAT FAULT IN CONVERSATION AS THE STATE AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ED IS LOOKING AT CHANGING POSSIBLY DO THIS.
MY PUSH-BACK WHEN THE CONVERSATION WITH THEM EVEN THAT DAY AND WE BOTH AGREED TO FOLLOW UP, TALKING MORE ABOUT IT WILL BE WHAT WILL THE POLICY SHIFTS BE AT THE STATE LEVEL? WHEN YOU HAVE IT HISTORICALLY UNDERFUNDED SCHOOL SYSTEM LIKE CAROLINE, NOT THAT IT'S ANYBODY'S FAULT, BUT LOOK AT OUR LACK OF WEALTH IN THE COUNTY THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A FUNDING SYSTEM THAT BENEFITS THOSE WHO MAY HAVE A DOWN YEAR, WHICH IS WHAT'S HAPPENED THIS YEAR WITH FUNDING OR AS IT RELATES TO COVID, BECAUSE THE WEALTH FORMULAS BASED OFF OF BASICALLY WHO BECAME POOREST, THE QUICKEST DURING A BAD YEAR.
IT'S LIKE FREDERICK COUNTY MADE OUT REALLY WELL AND STATE FUNDING, NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM FREDERICK, FREDERICK HAS A LOT OF WEALTH.
CAROLINE COUNTY WAS POOR WHEN COVID STARTED.
WE WERE STILL POOR WHEN COVID HIT.
WE DIDN'T HAVE FAR TO FALL, BUT BECAUSE OUR WEALTH DIDN'T DROP HARDLY AT ALL, BECAUSE WE WERE ALREADY POOR.
WE GOT THE LEAST INCREASE IN STATE FUNDING OF JUST ABOUT ANYBODY OUT THERE AS IN DORCHESTER.
SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THE FORMULA WHEN THAT'S, WHAT IT'S ALREADY [INAUDIBLE].
[OVERLAPPING] THAT BECAUSE THE BIGGER ISSUE AS WE START LOOKING AT FUTURE YEARS TO REACH THE FUNDING.
THIS IS PUT TOGETHER, BUT IT IS FUTURE YEARS PIECES THAT'LL BE SOMETHING.
I FEEL A LITTLE POLLYANNA, I AM A LITTLE EXCITED THAT THE STATE IS LOOKING AT THIS FROM A DIFFERENT LENS AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW TO CHANGE THAT FUNDING FORMULA.
THE DEVIL READ THE DETAILS AND SEE IF THEY CAN ACTUALLY CARRY THEM ALL OVER THE GOAL LINE HERE.
BUT AT LEAST THEY SEEM TO BE WILLING TO PICK IT UP TO TRY TO MOVE.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S TIED INTO THE KERWIN NINA.
THE GOAL THEY SET IS NOT A BAD GOAL, BUT A LOT OF REASONS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TAXING AUTHORITY BUT THE COUNTY DO IT.
MAYBE THAT'S TOUGH. MAYBE IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THAT'S TIED IN.
I'M SORRY, I HAD TO STEP OUT ON THAT PRESENTATION.
I HAD A CONFLICT, BUT THAT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS INTERESTING.
[00:55:02]
A LOT MORE FOR AARON TO DIGEST HERE IN THE COMING YEARS.I MEAN, I APPRECIATE YOU TO EXPLAIN THE EXACT THING THAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND.
BECAUSE IT BLEW, I THINK IT BLEW ALL OF OUR MINDS.
SEEING IT IN THAT VISUAL WAS VERY TELLING.
YET THEY EXPECT US TO KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES AND ALL THAT.
IT'S JUST LIKE WITH DR. SIMMONS AND YOU SAY WE DON'T HAVE MONEY.
IT'S JUST NOT A LIE, AND THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FINE, BUT NOW YOU'RE THROWING MORE THINGS ON US LIKE POSITIONS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FILL JUST TO SAVE THIS LIGHT BULB WENT THERE AND IT'S LIKE CAN BE BREAK.
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE REVENUE COMING IN THIS YEAR LIKE WE WERE HOPING FOR.
WE TOOK A HARD LOOK AT REDUCTIONS AND REALIGNMENTS THROUGH ATTRITION.
I MEAN, WE WENT THROUGH EVERY POSITION AND SAID, OH IS THIS A POSITION THAT WE CAN DO WITHOUT, THAT WON'T TRICKLE DOWN AND INCREASE CLASS SIZES, AND THAT SORT OF THINGS.
WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO GET AS MUCH SAVINGS AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE HAVE THE MONEY TO PUT INTO SALARY AND BENEFIT ENHANCEMENT.
[OVERLAPPING] WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
[LAUGHTER] THAT TO MEET, BROUGHT IT HOME EVEN MORE.
I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU DO PUT INTO IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE AREN'T IN BUSINESS. WE'RE NOT DUNKIN DONUTS.
WE CAN'T GO AND RAISE THE PRICE OF A CUP OF COFFEE TO INCREASE REVENUE.
WE'VE GOT TO MAKE DO WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE TO SHARE? THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD CONVERSATION.
SURE. MOVING ALONG, IT'S PAGE 92 OF THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS, SO IT SHOULD BE DOWN TO MAYBE PAGE 94 ON THE PDF.
I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN DOWN WHAT PAGE ON THE PDF.
[OVERLAPPING] SWITCHES AROUND LIKE THAT.
THIS IS OUR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET.
NEXT YEAR WE ONLY HAVE ONE CAPITAL PROJECT GOING ON, AND THAT'S THE ROOF REPLACEMENT.
I'M ORIGINALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WHAT YOU ARE ALREADY AWARE OF, YOU APPROVE THIS BID BACK AT THE MAY WORK SESSION.
WE HAVE THAT ROOF COSTS APPROXIMATELY $2.3 MILLION AND WE HAVE FUNDING COMING IN FROM BOTH THE STATE AND THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO COVER THE COST OF THIS BRIEF REPLACEMENT.
THEN MOVING ALONG TO THE NEXT PAGE, I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON THE FOOD SERVICES BUDGET.
THIS IS A FLAT BUDGET ESSENTIALLY.
PRETTY MUCH ALL THAT WAS INCREASED WAS THE SALARY AND BENEFIT COSTS.
THE CAFETERIA WORKERS ARE ONE OF THE EMPLOYEE GROUPS THAT WAS IMPACTED BY THE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS MONEY TO COVER THE COST OF MOVING THOSE EMPLOYEES TO KEEP UP WITH MINIMUM WAGE, AS WELL AS TO COVER THE COST OF LIVING INCREASES.
THE REASON WHY THIS IS A FLAT BUDGET WITH NOTHING ELSE OTHER THAN THE SALARY AND BENEFIT INCREASES IS BECAUSE OF THE UNIVERSAL FREE LUNCH PROGRAM, WHICH WAS GOING ON DURING COVID AND WAS A GREAT THING EVERY STUDENT GOT TO EAT FOR FREE.
THIS IS GOING TO BE COMING TO AN END.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO PREDICT WHAT ACTUAL REVENUE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE COMING IN BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TWO YEARS OF COVID WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL IS BUYING THE ALA CARTE ITEMS AND THAT SORT OF, SO WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH AT THIS POINT IN TIME IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WITH UNIVERSAL FREE LUNCH PROGRAM GOING AWAY, AND WHAT THE REVENUES.
I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT IT'S BEEN EXTENDED.
[OVERLAPPING] AS OF RIGHT NOW IT APPEARS IT WILL BE THERE'S BEEN A LAST DITCH EFFORT IN CONGRESS TO BRING IT AROUND.
BUT I DON'T THINK THEY'VE GOTTEN IT OVER THE LINE YET.
IT DID SOMETHING WITH SUMMER MEALS.
THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL? YES, AND SUMMER MEALS PROGRAM, THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP GOING BECAUSE THAT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE.
IT'S KEPT GOING BUT I THINK THAT WAS THE FIX.
WE'RE GOING TO BE BACK TO THE YEAR BEFORE COVID, WHERE WE REALLY HAVE TO WATCH WHAT REVENUES COMING IN AND WHAT EXPENDITURES ARE GOING OUT AND RUNNING THE PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENTS BECAUSE OUR FOOD SERVICES FUND IS RUN LIKE A BUSINESS.
THE IDEA IS THAT IT'S SELF-SUSTAINING AND SUPPORTS ITSELF
[01:00:02]
WITHOUT OUR LOCAL OPERATING BUDGET HAVING TO KICK IN ANY MONEY.THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT AS FAR AS MY HIGHLIGHTS ARE CONCERNED.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS MASSIVE 95 PAGE [LAUGHTER] DOCUMENT?
IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT THE VOTE, I DON'T BELIEVE BUT DID WE EVER GET ANYWHERE FIGURING OUT HOW LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR ELECTRICITY IT'S FIXED? THAT FOLLOW-UP QUESTION BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I REMEMBER YEARS AGO, I WAS A PERK OF PUTTING THEM IN AT FIXED RATE FOR 20 YEARS AND I KNOW THE SCHOOLS USE A LOT OF ELECTRICITY, DON'T GET ME WRONG BUT THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE'RE NOT USING AN ELECTRODE.
WE'RE OUT THERE JUST CHUGGING ALONG, MAKING THOSE KILOWATTS.
I'D JUST BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING THAT WE HAVE 25 PERCENT OF OUR KILOWATT USAGE FIXED OR IS IT 75 PERCENT OR WHAT?
>> YOU ARE CORRECT. I FOUND THE ACTION ITEM FROM WHAT YOU ARE DISCUSSING.
THAT NIGHT, I WENT HOME AND LOOKED IT UP AND YOU ARE CORRECT, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS WHERE THE SOLAR PANELS ARE AT A FIXED RATE.
BUT I NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OUR ELECTRICITY THAT I HAVEN'T RUN THE NUMBERS TO FIGURE OUT THE PERCENTAGE.
>> IN YOUR SPARE TIME, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY OUR HEALTH CARE.
>> THAT IS ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES.
WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING THAT EARLIER, DR. SIMMONS AND MYSELF EARLIER TODAY.
>> GREAT JOB WITH US. I KNOW YOU'VE FINISHED YOUR FIRST TIME.
>> EXCELLENT JOB ANSWERING THEIR QUESTIONS.
>> I THINK WE ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT A LOT MORE THAN WE DID LAST YEAR.
>> YOU GUYS JUMPED IN DECEMBER. [OVERLAPPING]
>> IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING THROUGH IT AND READING IT, AND STUFF THAT ISN'T CLEAR THAT I NEED TO IMPROVE UPON, PLEASE BY ALL MEANS LET ME KNOW.
BECAUSE MY INTENT LIKE I SAID EARLIER IS FULL TRANSPARENCY AND FOR EVERY READER, WHETHER IT BE A COMMUNITY MEMBER, WHETHER IT BE A TEACHER, OR WHETHER IT BE THE BOARD, UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT.
>> YOU HAD AND I MEAN, WHEN WE SAY WE APPRECIATE IT, WE'RE NOT KIDDING.
>> TO COMMENT BECAUSE IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME THAT YOU'VE GOT THIS BOARD WAS THROWN INTO THE FIRE LAST YEAR, PEOPLE COMING ON IN DECEMBER AND A LOT OF DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS.
BUT I'M JUST REALIZING TOO THIS MONTH THAT I BELIEVED IN AND I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK.
I DON'T EVER RECALL GOING INTO JULY WITHOUT A SIGNED CONTRACT WITH THE UNION AND OUR SUPPORT STAFF AND I FEEL THAT'S PART OF THE BUDGET.
THERE'S A LINE ITEM IN HERE AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS FOR PAY RAISES.
MY HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE IS THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PRIORITY, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT SEE IT.
IT'S ALWAYS THE BIGGEST NUMBER ON THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST 15,16 YEARS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED.
IT'S ALWAYS THE BIGGEST NUMBER FOR SALARY AND THE FOLLOW-UP BIGGEST NUMBER WHICH WE DON'T CONTROL AT ALL.
WE'D LIKE IT TO BE LESS BECAUSE THEN WE CAN PUT MORE INTO SALARY SIDE IS HEALTHCARE AND EVEN WHEN EVERYBODY'S BUDGET AFTER THE HOUSING CRASH AND 08, 09 AND I WAS HERE AND 10, 11, 12, EVERY BUDGET WAS GOING THIS WAY, HEALTH CARE COSTS STILL WE'RE GOING THAT WAY IN THE BUDGET AND I REMEMBER THAT SPECIFICALLY.
ALL THAT TO SAY IT'S SIMILAR THIS YEAR.
BUDGETS ARE TIGHT, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT TITERS' BUDGETS.
THE BIGGEST NUMBER WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS FOR STAFF AND IT'S GOING TO BE WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE NOW BECAUSE WE'RE PASSING THE BUDGET.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME FAMILY EMERGENCIES THAT HAVE AFFECTED JUNE, I GUESS FOR SOME PEOPLE BUT IT JUST CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE END OF JUNE.
WE PUSH OUR MEETINGS PURPOSELY JUST FOR BUDGET BECAUSE THE STATE NUMBERS AND THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO PICK AND BACK UP ON A UNION THING TOO BUT THIS NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT MUCH SOONER THAN THE LAST WEEKS OF JUNE, EXCUSE ME, JUST IN CASE SOMETHING POPS UP.
MY QUESTION TO YOU, I GUESS IS BECAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF THIS BEFORE IN CAROLINE COUNTY, HEARD IT IN OTHER PLACES AND IT'S USUALLY BEEN OVER CONTROVERSY AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT SO WE GET A SIGNED AGREEMENT.
[01:05:01]
WELL, I GUESS WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING NEXT WEEK IN JULY WHICH HAPPENS TO BE CONVENIENT.BUT WHAT IF WE DON'T HAVE A SIGNED AGREEMENT? WHAT DO WE HAVE IT FOR JULY WORK SESSION OR THE AUGUST WORK SESSION? HAVE THE STAFF NOT GET THEIR SALARY IS NOW THEIR SALARY FROM LAST YEAR?
>> CORRECT. THE CONTRACT THAT'S CURRENTLY IN EXISTENCE REMAINS UNTIL A NEW CONTRACT IS SIGNED.
>> SO NOBODY IS GETTING A RAISE JULY 1.
>> AND YOU GET PAID TWICE, FIRST IN AS 15TH AND THE 30TH?
>> FIFTEENTH AND 30TH. [INAUDIBLE].
>> DON'T REALLY TAKE THE FACT UNTIL.
>> FOR 10 MONTH, THEY DON'T TAKE EFFECT UNTIL.
>> AGAIN, THERE'S RETROACTIVE WORK THAT POSSIBLY HAS TO BE DONE ON THE FINANCE OFFICE IF THERE'S NOT A SIGNED AGREEMENT.
>> THEN AUGUST, THE 11-MONTH EMPLOYEES ARE SUPPOSED TO, AND THEN SEPTEMBER IS WHEN THE 10-MONTH EMPLOYEES.
>> IT'S LIKE DIFFERENT LEVELS THAT AFFECT.
>> FIRST UP IS THE 12-MONTH EMPLOYEES.
>> THESE ARE 12-MONTH EMPLOYEES.
I'M NOT REALLY UP TO SPEED ON ALL THAT BECAUSE I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THAT SYSTEM BUT EVEN 10 MONTH EMPLOYEES CAN CHOOSE TO GET 12-MONTH PAY, RIGHT?
>> IT DOESN'T AFFECT THEIR PAY BUT WHEN I WAS A TEACHER, I GOT 12 MONTH PAY BUT WHEN WE GOT A RAISE, I DIDN'T SEE THE RAISE UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. [OVERLAPPING] 12 MONTHS OF WORK, 12 MONTH ADMIN, DO WE HAVE 12 MONTH TEACHERS LEFT? NO, 11-MONTH TEACHERS, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT WOULD SEE THE IMPACT [OVERLAPPING] GO BACK AND DO.
>> NEVER HAVEN'T SEEN THIS BEFORE.
IS THERE A SPECIAL ACTION THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE OR IS THAT JUST ASSUMED THAT DO MAKE IT RETROACTIVE OR YOU NEED APPROVAL TO MAKE IT RETROACTIVE? WOULD MEAN IT'S A CONTRACT IS DATED AUGUST 1ST, THAT'S CONTRACT, THAT'S WHEN IT STARTS.
>> IS THERE ANY ADDENDUM OR I'VE NEVER SEEN IT SO I'M ASKING YOU.
THIS IS A QUESTION I CAN LOOK INTO MR. [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED IT ACROSS [OVERLAPPING]
>> [OVERLAPPING] HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
>> THAT'LL BE A WONDERFUL QUESTION FOR ME TO POSE TO OUR BOARD ATTORNEY FOR THAT PIECE OF HOW TO WORK THROUGH THIS BECAUSE IT'S OUR FIRST TIME WE'VE BEEN IN THIS.
>> IT'S KIND OF WEIRD BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN FINALIZED BUT WE'RE REQUIRED BY LAW TO HAVE APPROVED BUDGET BY JUNE 30 AND HAVE IT APPROVED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND ALL OF THE DATA SUBMITTED TO MSDE OR IF WE DON'T, OUR FUNDING, THEY CAN WITHHOLD OUR FUNDING.
>> THERE WERE THREATS OF THAT LAST YEAR ACTUALLY [INAUDIBLE]
>> SO WE'RE REQUIRED BY LAW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS OPERATING BUDGET AS IT STANDS WITH A LINE ITEM FOR SALARY ENHANCEMENTS.
>> THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE OPTIMAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> BUT I'VE SAID IT'S HAPPENED ELSEWHERE SO THERE'S GOT TO BE A SOLUTION SOMEWHERE.
LIKE SAY, NOT WHAT WE WANTED TO GO BUT THERE IS A WAY TO HANDLE IT.
>> WE HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT IT BEING CONTROVERSIAL.
USUALLY, IT'S OTHER OR SOMEBODY CALLED IT.
>> [OVERLAPPING] WE'RE NOT THERE. NOT YET, DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK WE ARE.
IT'S A TIMING THING AND AGAIN, IT CAME UP, IT CROSS MY MIND, WE SAID INITIATION BY FIRE.
>> I'M JUST ENCOURAGING OUR NEW SUPERINTENDENT AND OUR NEWER OR NEGOTIATIONS TEAM AND OUR UNION NEGOTIATORS WHO ARE NOW WATCHING US ONLINE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE AND NOT NECESSARILY SITTING HERE TOO, LET'S MAKE AN EXPECTATION TO WORK THIS OUT.
>> WE A LOT SOONER THAN THE END OF THE YEAR.
>> I BELIEVE THEY WANT TO GET IT DONE TOO IS JUST GETTING TOGETHER.
ALL OF US ARE FOCUSED ON THE KIDS BOTH GROUPS AND WE VALUE OUR STAFF.
>> YEAH, AS FAR AS THE BUDGET, IT WAS A BIG PROPONENT OF TRYING TO GET HEALTH CARE FOR THE IAS [NOISE] AND I STILL AIN'T.
IT'S A BASIC THING BUT I'M ALSO REALISTIC AND WE TRULY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY AND I'M NOT BEING FRIGHTENED WHEN I SAY THIS BUT IT DOES SADDEN ME FOR IT'S A REALITY THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT AND OTHER COUNTIES CAN.
>> THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO LOOK INTO IT AND SEE IF THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO BRING OUR HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS DOWN.
>> WELL, WE'VE HAD SOME GOOD DISCUSSION.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR CONCERNS? ALL RIGHT.
HEARING NONE, WE HAVE A VERY DETAILED AND A NICE SUMMARY BUDGET IN FRONT OF US WITH A LOT OF HARD WORK, MAN AND WOMAN HOURS BEHIND IT.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE BUDGET, APPROVE THE BUDGET AS PRESENTED?
>> SECONDED BY MR. JONES, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
>> THANK YOU, AARON, FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
[01:10:01]
>> THANK ALL OF YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS.
>> WELL, MEMBERS WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING RIGHT ON OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS, UPCOMING MEETINGS. [OVERLAPPING]
[4. Upcoming Meetings/Events]
>> SEE YOU IN A WEEK. [LAUGHTER]
>> WHAT TIME IS TUESDAY'S MEETING?
>> NORMAL MEETING TIME? MR. NEWCOMB AND I HAVEN'T SPOKEN ABOUT THE CLOSED SESSION.
I'D RECOMMEND WE DO IT CLOSED.
>> I MEAN, WE'RE ALWAYS WITHIN OUR [INAUDIBLE] 4.30.
>> IS 4:30 WORK WITH SIX O'CLOCK SIR?
>> INSIDE THAT [INAUDIBLE] WE HAVEN'T HAD MUCH TO TALK ABOUT.
>> WILL YOU JUST LET US KNOW FOR SURE IF IT'S 4:00 OR 4:30?
>> FOUR THIRTY IS FINE WITH ME.
>> FOUR THIRTY ONCE, 4:30 TWICE.
>> CLOSED SESSION, OPEN SESSION AT 6:00. [INAUDIBLE] THERE'S NOTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE CALLS, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN?
>> SECOND. MOTION MR. [INAUDIBLE] SECOND ALL IN FAVOR?
>> THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL FOR STAYING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.