[1. Opening Items]
[00:00:09]
GLAD TO HAVE EACH OF YOU HERE AS WE GO OVER OUR BUDGET INFORMATION FOR THE ENSUING SCHOOL YEAR.
AND WE'LL BEGIN BY STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
OKAY. AND WE ACTUALLY NEEDED TO TAKE A VOTE IN ORDER TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
SO ALL IN FAVOR OF CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER? MEMBERS. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? SO CARRIED. THE MEETING IS IN ORDER.
THANK YOU. AND WE WILL NEED TO HAVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA WHICH IS IN FRONT OF US.
WE NEED A MOTION FROM THE BOARD MEMBER. I CAN MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
SECOND. IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED BY MISS BARTZ AND SECONDED BY MISS JOHNSON THAT WE HAVE THE AGENDA AS IS. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? SO CARRIED. AND AT THIS TIME, OUR SUPERINTENDENT WILL LEAD THE DISCUSSION
[2.01 Budget Discussion with Caroline County Commissioners]
WITH THE CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REGARDING OUR SCHOOL BUDGET.I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSIONERS AND YOUR STAFF FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
THIS HAS BEEN A TRADITION IN OUR COUNTY FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW, FOR MANY YEARS.
AND THEN THE CHALLENGES THAT COMES FROM WHATEVER HAPPENS IN ANNAPOLIS. SO FOR TONIGHT'S AGENDA TALKING A LITTLE BIT WITH STAFF AS WELL, WE FIGURE WE WOULD HIT SORT OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT BUDGET PRIORITY WISE.
WE'RE ROUGHLY ABOUT 55 RIGHT NOW, SO WE'RE ABOUT 5,000 AWAY.
WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH OUR BARGAINING UNIT WITH TEACHERS TO GET THERE.
BUT OUR BIG DRIVER FOR THE BUDGET CYCLE THIS YEAR IS OUR SUPPORT STAFF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
THE SUPPORT STAFF CONTRACT IS OPEN THIS YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY NEGOTIATING IT. CAN'T TALK SPECIFICS WITH NEGOTIATIONS GOING ON AND RULES OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, BUT WE ARE HAVING VERY SUCCESSFUL SESSIONS WITH THE GROUPS WORKING THROUGH IT.
THAT IS OUR NUMBER ONE DRIVER. THAT CONTRACT HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE 2012.
BUT IT HAS COME OPEN AND WE'RE PUTTING A LOT OF EMPHASIS AND A LOT OF BUDGET PRIORITY BEHIND BRINGING PARITY WITH THAT AGREEMENT WITH OUR OTHER SPORTING EVENTS. AS WE WORK THROUGH THAT, IT'S NOT JUST SALARY, BUT BENEFITS AND CONTRACT LANGUAGE.
A LOT OF IT WILL BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THAT. AS THE COMMISSIONERS ARE AWARE, AND STAFF AND OUR STAFF IS AWARE, WE'VE REALLY PRIORITIZED OUR PEOPLE. THE LAST COUPLE YEARS TO REALLY MAKE UP FOR SOME THINGS.
WE HAD SOME LOST STEPS WITH TEACHERS THAT WAS A PRIORITY TO GET THOSE CAUGHT UP LAST YEAR, AS WELL AS CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT REQUIREMENTS. AND CONTINUE TO PUSH THROUGH THAT. IT IS A PRIORITY OF OURS TO MAINTAIN OUR MAINTAIN OUR STAFFING LEVELS WHERE THEY ARE ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
[00:05:03]
READING AND MATH AS THE CORE CONTENT AREAS. AND A PRIORITY THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IN THIS BUDGET ALSO IS STAFFING UP OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION.MR. NAGEL SIDE OF THAT HOUSE. WE DO AN ANNUAL REPORT EVERY YEAR THAT HAS TO GO TO MSD THAT LOOKS AT OUR STAFFING BASED OFF OF OUR SQUARE FOOTAGE, NUMBER OF BUILDINGS. AND WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN ABOUT 50% OF WHAT THE RATIO IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR STAFFING.
OUR MAINTENANCE CREW DOES A FANTASTIC JOB, BUT WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED.
AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH WORKING STAFF THAT UP A LITTLE MORE, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT WITHIN LARGELY IT WILL PROBABLY COME IS WE'LL DO THAT WITHIN EXISTING STAFFING. WE'LL LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN OUR TOTAL EMPLOYEE BASE TO FIND OPEN POSITIONS AND REPURPOSE THEM TO COVER THE OPERATION SIDE.
WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING ADDING THAT IT WILL BE WITHIN EXISTING POSITIONS AND REPURPOSING.
SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT. WE'VE GOT ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS OF OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT. I'VE ASKED OUR TEAM TO LOOK AT THERE'S THINGS WE'VE ALWAYS DONE. ARE WE GETTING THE RESULTS WE WANT OUT OF THOSE THINGS? AND IF WE'RE NOT GETTING THE RESULTS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PER STUDENT COST AND TRYING TO USE THAT INFORMATION TO MAKE TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION TO REPURPOSE FUNDS AND PUT THEM WHERE WE'LL SEE A BETTER RETURN ON INVESTMENT TO GET THAT BACK TO WHERE IT NEEDS.
WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR BUDGET PICTURE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS. APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS FOR US TO REBUILD OUR FUND BALANCE. THAT IS WHAT'S GOING TO HELP CARRY US FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS THROUGH WHAT IS A PROBABLY GOING TO BE A TOUGH BUDGET PICTURE STATE WISE FOR OUR REVENUE PIECES. BUT OUR BUDGET INSURANCE WISE, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE BEING TOLD TO ANTICIPATE ABOUT A 10% INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE.
AS I EXPLAINED TO STAFF IN THE LAST MONTH WHEN WE'VE BEEN DOING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, AND I'LL KNOCK ON WOOD WHEN I SAY IT, CONSULTANTS ALWAYS COME IN HOT. NOBODY WOULD REHIRE A CONSULTANT THAT CAME IN LOW AND THEN BROUGHT YOU A HIGHER BILL LATER.
BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S THE INSURANCE HOLDER THAT THEY'RE GIVING US TO TALK ABOUT.
WITH THE BUDGET. WE WILL STAY WITHIN THE REVENUE PICTURE OF WHAT THE FORMULA PROVIDES.
RIGHT NOW, I'VE HAD GREAT CONVERSATION WITH WITH DANNY AS WELL.
WE RECEIVED THE BUDGET PICTURE FROM THE STATE OF WHAT I WOULD SAY IS SCHOOL SYSTEM, BEST CASE, PROBABLY COUNTY BUDGET WORST CASE. WE RECEIVED WHAT THE PROMISE OF OF THE REVENUE PICTURE IS WITHOUT ANY CHANGES.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE HIGH END OF WHAT OUR BUDGET PICTURE COULD LOOK LIKE. AND WE'VE HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. WE THINK THAT'S THE HIGH END. THE GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED A DIFFERENT BUDGET PICTURE THAT WOULD DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT THE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM RECEIVES BY ABOUT $1.5 MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR, OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. IT WOULD BE A WOULD BE A DECREASE OF ABOUT $15 MILLION, AND OVER THE NEXT EIGHT WOULD BE A DECREASE OF ABOUT $41 MILLION.
BUT IN ONE YEAR IT'S A $1.5 DECREASE. WE'LL BE OKAY.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT A PICTURE OF US HAVING TO LAY OFF STAFF AND DO THOSE SORTS OF SCENARIOS.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT FURLOUGHS. OUR ENROLLMENT CONTINUES TO TREND UPWARDS.
OUR ENROLLMENT IN SPECIAL POPULATIONS CONTINUES TO TREND UPWARDS.
SO WE'RE NOT IN THOSE KIND OF POSITIONS THAT SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS ARE IN RIGHT NOW, WHICH GIVES US A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT OF A BETTER PICTURE IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HEAD.
THE PIECES THAT I CAN'T PREDICT FOR THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND AGAIN, WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS. I CAN'T PREDICT LOCAL SHARE.
I'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE FORMULA.
WE CAN MAKE ASSUMPTIONS BASED OFF OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE THIS YEAR, BUT IN THE OUT YEARS, I CAN'T.
[00:10:08]
BEYOND THIS FISCAL YEAR WHICH IS PART OF THE PROMISE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO.BUT I THINK THAT'S THAT'S PROBABLY OFF THE TABLE.
AND THAT'LL CHANGE THAT, THAT THAT FORECAST FOR US.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO HELP YOU IN TERMS OF LONG TERM BUDGET PLANNING.
YEAH. IS WAS BASED OFF OF PRE-COVID NUMBERS. IT IS BLOWING THAT OUT OF THE WATER AT THIS POINT.
AND THERE'S A THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ANOTHER STUDY BEING DONE.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO LOOK AT SOME OTHER THINGS. BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW DEEP DELVING INTO THE ADEQUACY PIECE WHICH IS WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT DRIVER FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES IS FOR LOCAL, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
SO THAT JUST BECOMES THE REAL CHALLENGE IN THE OUT YEARS.
IT REALLY DOES. EVEN THE CHALLENGE FOR THIS YEAR, WE'RE USED TO NOT KNOWING UNTIL MAY, APRIL OR MAY.
BUT WE FINALLY THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE IN A YEAR WHERE IF YOU PUT THE NUMBERS IN THE FORMULA, IT TELLS YOU WHAT IT IS. AND THAT'S NOT QUITE WHERE WE ARE NOW.
SO I'D LOVE TO GIVE YOU A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE, BUT AT THIS POINT, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US CAN PREDICT WHERE THAT GOES WITH ANY CERTAINTY FOR YOU GUYS.
ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL ON OUR THE PRIORITIES WE'RE WORKING THROUGH OR ANY THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS? WE WELCOME ANY OF THOSE. WELL, I MEAN, I BROUGHT IT UP TODAY IN OUR COMMISSIONER MEETING THAT MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND RESOURCES SETTING UP ALL THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, STRUCTURES REQUIRED BY BLUEPRINT AND ALL OF THOSE PIECES, ONLY TO HAVE IT ROLLED BACK.
AND MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT THERE MAY BE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND MONEY WASTED SETTING UP A STRUCTURE THAT THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR DOESN'T HAVE THE WILL TO RAISE TAXES TO ACTUALLY FUND.
SO, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
I DON'T I DON'T KNOW. AND I WOULD JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU GOT TO YOU GOT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE TOWARDS THAT CLIFF HOPING THAT THE REVENUE STREAM IS THERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT SEEMS TO US LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE THE WILL TO TAX THE MIDDLE CLASS, WHICH IS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO. IT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY'RE GOING TO PAY, BE ABLE TO PAY FOR BLUEPRINT, THE RAISING FEES. ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE HEARING IS THE ONLY WAY IT CAN BE DONE IS BY RAISING TAXES.
SO ON EVERYONE. AND THEY'RE GOING TO LEAN ON US TO DO IT, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE THE TAX BASE TO DO.
AND I THINK THAT'S OUR JOB TO TRY TO CONVINCE THEM, THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR, THAT WE ARE A UNIQUE JURISDICTION THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO RAISE THE REVENUE NECESSARY. I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST THIS YEAR ALONE TO COVER THE $1.8 MILLION INCREASE BY FORMULA. THAT'S, WHAT, 6, $0.07 SO, YOU KNOW, GOING FROM 98 TO $1.04, YOU KNOW, WITH THE RISING ASSESSMENTS.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT'S KILLING US IS THE GOVERNOR THAT WE DON'T KNOW IS THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED INCOME TAX REBRACKETING, WHICH REDUCES OUR REVENUE BY $1.1 OR $1.4 MILLION THIS YEAR.
THAT'S ALL THAT GOES DOWN. YES, YES. TO CAROLINE, IT'S $1.4 MILLION IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND IT'S $1.1 MILLION FOR EVERY YEAR AFTER. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE DLS REPORT FOR BLUEPRINT IMPLEMENTATION WHO REALLY BELIEVES THOSE NUMBERS THAT FAR OUT. BUT SO YOU KNOW IT'S IT'S A TOUGH PICTURE I THINK YOU KNOW WE'RE COMMITTED TO HOLDING UP OUR END OF THE BARGAIN BUT OR OUR END OF BEING FORCED TO DO IT. IT'S NOT REALLY A BARGAIN LIKE WE HAD ANY SAY IN IT, BUT IT'S IT'S JUST DISHEARTENING AND VERY CONCERNING WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE STATE LEVEL RIGHT NOW AND THE UNCERTAINTY THAT IT NOT ONLY IS PUTTING US IN, BUT ALSO PUTTING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION SO AND I THINK WHAT'S GOING TO RESULT IS A LOT OF TIME AND DOLLARS ARE GOING TO BE WASTED.
BUT AT SOME POINT YOU CAN ONLY PUT SO MUCH MORE ON PEOPLE'S BACKS.
[00:15:02]
PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE FULL TIME JOBS, AND THEY HAD ABOUT TWO MONTHS TO GET IT ALL ACCOMPLISHED IN, BECAUSE BY THE TIME WE GOT WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AND WHEN IT WAS DUE, AND THAT'S JUST TO GET IT SUBMITTED, DOESN'T COUNT THE REVISIONS THAT NEEDED TO TAKE PLACE. MY REAL CONCERN ON THE FISCAL SIDE IS THE WAY THAT THEY'RE ASKING US TO FOLLOW THE DOLLAR. DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. THE SHORTEST EXAMPLE I CAN GIVE WITHOUT GETTING INTO A WHOLE BLUEPRINT BASHING, BECAUSE WE COULD BE HERE THE NEXT 12 HOURS, AND IT IS WHAT IT WHAT IT IS, BUT SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS.AND I'LL TAKE MISS JOHNSON BECAUSE SHE'S SITTING NEXT TO YOU.
IF MISS JOHNSON IS A TEACHER AT GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHO TEACHES GRADE THREE.
PROBABLY A 10%- 15% OF HER KIDS ARE ML KIDS. ANOTHER 5% ARE PROBABLY SPECIAL ED.
WHERE DO I ACCOUNT FOR HER SALARY? DO I TAKE 5% OF MISS JOHNSON'S SALARY AND PUT IT IN THE SPECIAL ED BUCKET BECAUSE I HAVE TO TRACK MONEY THERE? OR DO I PUT 15% OF IT IN THE ML BUCKET BECAUSE I NEED TO TRACK IT THERE? DO I PUT 70% OF HER SALARY IN COMPENSATORY EDUCATION? BECAUSE I CAN'T PUT IT ALL IN FOUNDATION BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO TRACK IT THAT WAY? AND I GOT TO DO THAT FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE TO FIGURE OUT THE RULES OF THE ROAD FOR ALL 1000 EMPLOYEES, TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY FIT.
NOW, TRANSPORTATION IS EASY. IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE WE HAVE A LINE ITEM FOR TRANSPORTATION.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS IT'S UNDERFUNDED BY ABOUT $1 MILLION BY FORMULA.
AND WE'RE ONE YEAR AWAY FROM HAVING TO HAVE THAT FY 26 BUDGET IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEVELOPED, SHOWING THOSE THROUGH LINES. THAT'S THE CRAZINESS THAT CONCERNS ME MORE THAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE WRITTEN IN IT, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT GOOD CLARITY ON HOW TO SET THAT UP.
IF I HAVE TO SPLIT FUND ONE TEACHER SALARY OVER FOUR DIFFERENT BUCKETS BY SCHOOL TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACCOUNT FOR IT IN THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING AND THE WAYS WE'RE GETTING IT. I UNDERSTAND IN THEORY WHAT THEY WERE TRYING, BUT THAT'LL BE AND I AGREE, I SHARE YOUR CONCERN. YEAH. HOW CLOSE WILL THEY DRIVE IT TO THE CLIFF BEFORE THEY SCALE SOME OF THE COMMON SENSE THINGS BACK? YEAH, AND I THINK I THINK WE'RE WE'RE KIND OF IN THE SAME BOAT.
WE'LL BE OKAY. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE DONE SOME, SOME GOOD, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL PLANNING, BUT WE DON'T THERE'S NO LEADERSHIP AT THE STATE LEVEL.
I HATE TO SAY THAT THERE'S NO LEADERSHIP. THERE'S THERE ARE NO ADULTS IN THE ROOM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE SIT HERE, THIS IS MY 15TH YEAR. WE SIT HERE, THE BLUEPRINT WAS A BAD IDEA.
IT'S STILL A BAD IDEA. AND THERE'S NOT ANYBODY THAT'S GOING TO BE WILLING TO STAND UP AND SAY THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS FOR US TO BE WE WE HAVE OUR BUDGET ROUNDTABLE NEXT WEEK. WE GOT OUR BUDGET BOOKS TODAY. I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM.
I COULDN'T TELL YOU SITTING HERE TODAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE WHAT THE FINANCIAL PICTURE IS GOING TO BE BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S PUSHING THIS THING AROUND AND THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT OTHER STUPID STUFF.
THEY DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE REAL ISSUES HERE.
SO I'M I'M AS PESSIMISTIC NOW AS I'VE EVER BEEN BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON INFORMATION.
WHAT INFORMATION ARE WE BASING THOSE DECISIONS ON? WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE DON'T WE'RE NOT GOING TO RAISE THE TAX RATE HERE THIS YEAR. NONE OF US HAS AN APPETITE TO DO THAT AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT.
BUT DOWN THE ROAD I DON'T HAVE A CLUE. WELL, IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
IT'S NOT. YEAH. $2.3 MILLION LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR WE'RE LOOKING AT $1.8 $1.1 MILLION OR $1.4 MILLION IN REDUCED REDUCE REVENUE POTENTIALLY, IF THAT MAKES IT THROUGH.
SO SO WE'RE AT $2.9 MILLION. AND JUST SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS INCOME TAX RECEIPTS ARE ARE FLAT.
IF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL DOESN'T GO THROUGH, I THINK WE'RE ESTIMATING $100,000 LESS IN REVENUE FOR CAROLINE COUNTY THIS FISCAL YEAR THAN LAST FISCAL YEAR. PROPERTY TAX RECEIPTS ARE UP DUE TO HIGHER ASSESSMENTS.
[00:20:01]
WE'RE LOOKING AT AN ADDITIONAL TWO. TWO. YEAH.SO ALL OF THAT IS IS CONSUMED BY THE BOARD OF ED ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION.
SO YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE IF IT CONTINUES, IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE $2.3 TO $1.8 MILLION INCREASES EVERY YEAR, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED IT TO MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS.
BUT IT'S AND THAT'S WITHOUT PAVING A ROAD. YEAH.
INSURANCE COSTS THAT YOU EXPERIENCE. AND I MEAN, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN OUR BUDGET BOOK, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS NEED EVERYTHING THEY NEED.
AND I MEAN, WE'RE NOT SAYING THEY DON'T, BUT IF WE DON'T FUND ONE PENNY OF ANY OF THE BUDGET REQUESTS THAT WE GOT TODAY, WE STILL COULDN'T DO IT. WE STILL I MEAN, IF WE IF WE FLAT FUNDED OUR COUNTY BUDGET, WE STILL COULDN'T COVER THE BLUEPRINT COST.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S IT'S NOT IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
WE ALL HAVE THE WE ALL AGREE. I HONESTLY BELIEVE AND I'VE SAID THIS IN PAST YEARS, IF WE SIT DOWN TOGETHER AS A GOAL AND WE WANTED TO HAVE EACH TEACHER HAVE A $60,000, THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT.
WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND DO IT.
THIS JUST GETS IN THE WAY. THIS JUST THROWS THIS JUST MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW I DON'T THINK THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. I MEAN, HOW MANY DIFFERENT NUMBERS DID WE GET LAST YEAR YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE FINALLY KNEW WHAT THE NUMBER WAS, IT WAS AFTER WE HAD OUR FIRST BUDGET HEARING. WE GOT TWO FINALS.
BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE COUNTIES THAT ARE BEING HIT WITH LOCAL SHARE THAT HAVE MOVED OUT OF MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT IN THE LOCAL SHARE OF THE COUNTIES THAT ARE BEING HIT THE HARDEST WITH THE SHIFTS. AND ANECDOTALLY, THOSE WHO IN MY HEAD I'M RECALLING WHO WERE IN LOCAL SHARE ARE THE LESS WEALTHY COUNTIES.
A BIG PART OF THAT IS THE REDUCTION IN THE TEACHER PENSION SUPPLEMENT THAT WE RECEIVE.
THE POORER JURISDICTIONS RECEIVED A SUPPLEMENT TO OFFSET PART OF THE TEACHER PENSION LIABILITY ON THE ON THE COUNTIES, AND THAT'S BEING PHASED OUT. SO THIS YEAR WE'RE SEEING A REDUCTION OF ABOUT $350,000.
DISPARITY GRANT. WELL, IT'S DIFFERENT. IT'S A TEACHER RETIREMENT SUPPLEMENT.
BUT WE'RE ALSO SEEING A DISPARITY AS WELL. THAT'S ANOTHER CUT FROM THE STATE.
BUT AND THEN NEXT YEAR IT GOES AWAY COMPLETELY.
SO WE LOSE WE ALREADY KNOW WE'RE GOING TO LOSE ANOTHER 350 NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT MEANS THAT THE THAT SUPPLEMENT GOES AWAY.
AND THAT'S WHY US IN DORCHESTER AND PROBABLY WICOMICO ARE SEEING LARGER SHIFTS THAN THE TALBOT.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TALBOT SHIFT IS LESS THAN CAROLINE'S IN DORCHESTER.
YEAH. TALBOT JUST WENT INTO LOCAL SHARE THIS YEAR.
YEAH. SO IT DOES SEEM. IT DOES, THERE DOES SEEM TO BE TO BE A PATTERN OF THOSE WHO ARE LESS WEALTHY MOVING INTO THAT HIGHER REQUIREMENT QUICKER. I THINK THAT THIS THE DISPARITY GRANT FORMULA IS BEING LOST, I THINK.
SO AGREED. AGREED. BUT I THINK DORCHESTER IS REALLY GOING TO FIGHT THAT FIGHT THIS YEAR FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEIR BOARD OF EDUCATION IS UNDERWATER.
THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE NOWHERE TO GO FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
THEIR PROPERTY TAX RATE IS ALREADY HIGHER THAN OURS.
AND I THINK COMPARABLE THEIR TAX BASE IS VERY COMPARABLE TO OURS.
IT'S ABOUT THE SAME. SO $0.01 ON A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE TO THEM IS ABOUT THE SAME AS IT IS FOR US.
AND I THINK THAT'S LIKE $0.15 ON THEIR PROPERTY TAXES.
SO YEAH. YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE LOCKERMAN BUILD KIND OF DISCUSSION? WE'LL WORK THROUGH IT. BUT HAVE YOU HEARD ANY MORE ABOUT ANY MORE TEACHER PENSION SHIFT ONTO THE COUNTIES? THAT IS A RUMOR THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING. THE ONLY THAT I HAVE HEARD WAS WHAT WAS IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET.
OKAY. WHICH WAS THE SHIFT AND THE REDUCTION IN THE GRANT.
[00:25:03]
ELIMINATING ELIMINATING THE SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT AND THEN THE PUSH BACK ON THE PENSION, WHICH I THINK YOU'VE ACCOUNTED FOR.IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO I MEAN, WE'RE NOW PICKING UP 90% OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE.
THE HOUSE IS GOING TO PRESENT, YOU KNOW, THE SENATE'S GOING TO PRESENT THERE, WHO KNOWS ALL THE WORK THAT OUR STAFF DOES PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT WAY.
YEAH. I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO RESOLVE THIS BUDGET ISSUE. BUT YEAH THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.
YEAH. NO THANK YOU. AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP WITH TESTIFYING, I'M INCLUDING IN I'M TESTIFYING TOMORROW FOR THE GOVERNOR'S EDUCATION BILL AND INCLUDING COMMENTS ABOUT, IN ESSENCE, THE HARD WORK BEING DONE BY THE COMMISSIONERS HERE TO COVER THE COST.
AND THEN NEEDS TO BE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S JUST NO OTHER PLACE TO GRAB ADDITIONAL REVENUE, AND THAT THEY NEED TO CONSIDER THAT IN THE IN THEIR EDUCATION FUNDING AND THEIR REDUCTIONS, RIGHT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY PRESERVE THOSE.
SO IT MAY FALL ON DEAF EARS, BUT AT LEAST IT'LL GET OUT THERE.
WELL, I KNOW THE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION, WHATEVER THE HEARING IS FEBRUARY 28TH, NOT THIS FRIDAY, BUT NEXT FRIDAY. WE WERE ASKED BY [INAUDIBLE] TO TESTIFY, POTENTIALLY TO TESTIFY THAT AS WELL.
YEAH, LET ME KNOW. YEAH. AND I'LL LET YOU GUYS KNOW HOW TOMORROW GOES.
OKAY. WE'LL SEE. SO THE LOCKER ROOM PROJECT, I'M GOING TO HAVE MR. MENGEL TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS. AT LEAST UPDATING WHERE WE ARE.
AND AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE COMMISSIONERS SUPPORT.
AND THIS PROJECT LOCKERMAN IS DEFINITELY DUE.
WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATION. IT'S DEFINITELY NEEDED.
VERY GOOD. SO ON THE SCREEN THERE IS THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
WE HAD HIRED CONSULTANTS FROM THE FIRM OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES PLANNING.
THE FIRST PROCESS IS GOING TO BE THE EDUCATIONAL SPECS PROJECT.
WE'LL MEET ABOUT EIGHT TIMES OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
SO THAT'S WHERE EVERYBODY IS WAITING TO GET TO THAT POINT.
THE SPECS, JUST SO YOU KNOW, ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE THOSE THREE RING BINDERS THAT YOU SEE, PROBABLY 2 OR 3 OF THOSE THAT WILL BE ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
MANY MEETINGS HAVE BEEN HELD ALREADY. WE MET WITH THE LOCKERMAN STAFF DECEMBER, MAYBE EARLY DECEMBER? YES. EARLY DECEMBER. JUST TO KIND OF BRING THEM ON BOARD AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS WHOLE BUILD AND THIS WHOLE PROCESS AND, AND THE STAKE THAT SOME OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS WILL BE INVOLVED WITH THE COMMITTEE. WE JUST MET WITH THE NAACP AND THE LOCKERMAN ASSOCIATION LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS THEIR CONCERNS WITH THE WHOLE BUILD.
SO WE'RE STARTING TO GET THIS, THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED, THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED. WE STILL HAVE TO MEET WITH THE MARYLAND STADIUM AUTHORITY, WHO'S VERY INTERESTED IN OUR PROJECT AS WELL AS THE IAC.
OBVIOUSLY THE IAC IS THE THEY HOLD THEY HOLD THE CARDS FOR THE MONEY.
THEY'LL DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO SEE IT GO THROUGH.
[00:30:03]
SECOND YEAR OF THAT PROJECT. SO LITERALLY THERE'S LIKE A HOLE IN THE GROUND WITH BLOCKS AND NOTHING IS BEING FUNDED THIS YEAR, SO THEY'RE PICKING IT UP AGAIN NEXT YEAR. I EXPRESSED THAT THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE A GOOD VISUAL IN CAROLINE COUNTY.SO WHEN YOU START DOING THE FUNDING PROCESS, WE NEED TO HAVE CONTINUATION.
AND, AND I SAY IT A LOT. IT'S A GREAT, GREAT QUOTE DR.
SIMMONS SAID IT'S NOT A SPRINT, IT'S A MARATHON.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE FIVE YEARS FROM START TO FINISH.
AND I THINK WE STARTED PROBABLY LAST YEAR SOMETIME WITHOUT US EVEN REALLY KNOWING IT.
IN OCTOBER. SO WHEN I COME TO YOU WITH THE CIP, IT'LL BE MULTIFACETED WITH THIS BUILD AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, TOO. SO WE'RE KIND OF PUSHING THROUGH WITH ALL THAT.
THERE ARE I'LL LET THE RABBIT OUT OF THE HAT HERE A LITTLE BIT.
THERE ARE THREE LOCATIONS WHERE I THINK YOU GUYS ARE ALL AWARE OF. WE'RE LOOKING AT LOCKERMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL'S LOCATION, DOUBLE HILLS IS THE LOCATION, AND NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL IS THE LOCATION.
I HAVE ASKED AROUND. I'VE ASKED THE TOWN. I THINK WE PUT SOME FEELERS OUT TO THE COUNTY.
IF THERE'S ANY OTHER PROPERTY THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE THAT WE COULD LOOK AT, BECAUSE THIS IS THE TIME. NOW TO START LOOKING AT THESE, THESE SITES WHEN THEY START DOING THE FEASIBILITY STUDY. HAVEN'T HEARD BACK SO I THINK THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH. I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, EVERY ONE OF THOSE SITES HAS SERIOUS PROS AND SERIOUS CONS.
THE PLUS MINUS LIST IS GOING TO BE EXTENSIVE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS GOING TO FALL YET. AND THAT'S WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET THAT DONE GET THAT STARTED EARLY APRIL.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. LIKE I SAID, THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE ABOUT 20 PEOPLE WELL REPRESENTED FROM DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS IN THE COUNTY, DIFFERENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE COUNTY. PARENTS OF WHO HAVE STUDENTS LIKE MAYBE IN THIRD GRADE NOW WHO WOULD BE ATTENDING LOCKERMAN WHEN IT'S BUILT. YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GET, LIKE, THEIR INPUT LIKE WHAT WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR? WHAT WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE? AS WELL AS JUST, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS PEOPLE AT THE IAC AT THE STATE LEVEL MSDE, THAT WILL BE INVOLVED IN THERE. SO IT'S GOING TO BE KIND OF KIND OF LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION.
THAT MAY BE A RUSH SINCE WE'RE ALREADY PUSHING THINGS BACK 30 DAYS ALREADY.
SO I WOULD THINK THAT THAT MAY KIND OF GROW EXPONENTIALLY.
SO MAYBE, MAYBE TOWARDS THE END OF FY 28, MAYBE IT'S A SPRING SHOVELS IN THE GROUND.
THE CONSULTANTS ARE STILL PRETTY SERIOUS AND ADAMANT ABOUT BEING ABLE TO MOVE IN FOR THE AUGUST START OF 2030, WHICH WOULD BE 2029, AUGUST 2029. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE THAT'S KIND OF THE END GAME IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. WE'RE TRYING TO STAY ON TRACK SO WE CAN MEET THAT. I DON'T KNOW I'VE NEVER BUILT A SCHOOL BEFORE, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ACTUALLY LIKE, MOVE IN, START A SECOND SEMESTER, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
WE HAVE AN INITIAL DEADLINE OF OF OCTOBER WITH THE SUBMISSION TO THE CIP TO THE IAC.
SO FROM THERE, I WOULD THINK THAT THINGS GET BACK ON SCHEDULE PRETTY QUICKLY WITH THE FUNDING. WE ARE LOOKING TO START PUTTING OUT THE BID AN ARCHITECT THAT WILL HELP US WITH THE FEASIBILITY STUDY. I'M WORKING WITH TALBOT COUNTY, WITH KENT COUNTY WITH SOME OF THEIR MOST RECENT BUILDS.
I HAVE A CALL OUT TO WICOMICO COUNTY BECAUSE I THINK THEY BUILT A BUILT A SCHOOL ALMOST EVERY YEAR.
[00:35:02]
AT LEAST THEY HAVE BEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO KIND OF KIND OF SEE WHO THEY USE.JUST IT'S JUST IT'S EASTERN SHORE, YOU KNOW. WE WANT TO TRY AND KEEP IT HERE, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING SOMEONE COME ACROSS THE BAY BRIDGE AND CHARGE US FOR TIME AND LABOR AND TOLLS AND ALL THAT EACH TIME THEY COME OVER THREE TIMES A WEEK.
NOT TO MENTION THEY'RE JUST HERE WHENEVER WE NEED THEM, WE CAN CALL THEM UP, AND THEY CAN THEY CAN MEET US ON THE PROPERTY. THE ONLY THE ONLY THING I ASK IS, YOU KNOW, KEEP IT PRACTICAL. YOU KNOW, I'LL GIVE YOU A PRIME EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, MY WIFE TEACHES AT GREENSBORO. MY PARENTS WENT UP TO GRANDPARENTS DAY ALL THROUGH MY SON'S GOING THROUGH THE OLD SCHOOL. MY DAUGHTER'S IN THE NEW SCHOOL, AND MY DAD CAN'T EVEN EAT LUNCH WITH HER DURING GRANDPARENTS DAY BECAUSE THE CEILING IS 30 FOOT TALL, BUT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FLOOR SPACE FOR THE GRANDPARENTS TO GO IN.
SO THESE ARCHITECT ARCHITECTS HAVE GRAND IDEAS AND THEY THEY WANT TO BUILD MONUMENTS.
LET'S MAKE IT PRACTICAL. SO WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE FROM THE GS BUILD ALREADY THAT GIVE MY MAINTENANCE CREW, MY CUSTODIANS, MYSELF HEADACHES. ABSOLUTE HEADACHES.
SIMPLICITY IS GOING TO BE MY PUSH. NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT WITH TECHNOLOGY AND BUILDING THESE BUILDINGS AND EVERYTHING, BUT SIMPLICITY AND SIMPLE ELEGANCE IS GOING TO BE KIND OF MY MY PUSH OF WHERE WE GO. YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
I THINK THAT WAS MEANT TO MAYBE BE AN EXPANDED GYM COMMUNITY PIECE.
YEAH, EXACTLY. SO, NO, I HEAR YOU. I AGREE WITH YOU.
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT, I THINK TALKING WITH DR. SIMMONS ALSO, HE WAS TELLING ME CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THEY LEARNED LESSONS FOR COLONEL HIGH BASED ON THE BUILD FROM COLONEL MIDDLE.
YES. AND THEY REALIZED THAT ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES ARE GREAT.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED FUNCTIONALITY. RIGHT? AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COLONEL MIDDLE BUILD WAS A TOUGH BUILD, AND THE COLONEL HIGH TWICE AS BIG WAS CALLED AN EASIER BUILD.
MORE UNDERSTANDABLE. YEAH, YEAH. SO WE'RE I'M KIND OF IN THAT SAME SITUATION WITH GS.
I'M SEEING IT, I'M FEELING IT. AND YEAH, EVEN MY MAINTENANCE TEAM AND ENERGY PEOPLE, THEY'RE LIKE, WE WANT TO BE AT THE TABLE WHEN WE MEET WITH THE ARCHITECTS AND EXPLAIN WHY THAT VALVE DOESN'T WORK VERY WELL HERE, BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE BOUGHT FIVE OF THEM FOR A SCHOOL ALREADY THAT'S VERY NEW THAT SORT OF THING.
YEAH. WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING AT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU LEARNED FROM GREENSBORO AGAIN, BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL. YEAH. EVERY BIT OF LANDMASS AROUND IT HAS SOMETHING ON IT. IT IS NOT A SCHOOL THAT PRESENTS ITSELF FOR AN ADDITIONAL WING.
IT DOES NOT. SO WE HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT WHATEVER COMES FROM LOCKERMAN, WHEREVER IT IS, THERE'S GOING TO BE ONE PLOT OF LAND ALONGSIDE OF IT THAT DOES NOT HAVE SOMETHING THAT WOULD PRECLUDE SOMETHING BEING ADDED ON.
YEAH. SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT. WE CAN'T LOCK OURSELVES IN.
YEAH. WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE RATIO? I DON'T EXPECT THAT TO LAST. I WOULD SAY, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN NO DATA OR BACKGROUND TO REALLY EVEN SAY THIS AND STAND ON IT, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY WORST CASE SCENARIO WOULD BE AN 85 15.
I'M HOPING IT'S CLOSE TO 90 10 SORT OF THING.
I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF THE THINGS WE RAN INTO WITH GREENSBORO WAS THAT DIDN'T COUNT THE YEAH. YEAH. YES. FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT. SO IS THAT STILL THE SAME? THAT SHOULD STILL BE THE SAME. AND I. THAT IS NOW A CHANGE THAT THEY'VE TOLD ME THAT THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED WITHIN.
I THINK NOW YOU CAN INCLUDE THAT IN THE COST, BUT I THINK YOU CAN NOW.
YEAH. OKAY. AND IS THERE A POSSIBILITY TO I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT WE DID WITH THE JUNIOR CENTER IN GREENSBORO, BUT IT IT ENABLED US TO WORK AROUND THE PREVAILING WAGE.
IT IT WOULD IF WE WOULD HAVE A FEDERAL. SO IF IT'S IF WE HAVE A FEDERALLY FUNDED CENTER, WE'RE BUILDING ALONG WITH IT ON THE SAME PROPERTY WE COULD I DON'T WE YEAH. WE WOULD HAVE TO THINK OF HOW THAT WOULD WORK DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION AND WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO PUT THERE TO DO THAT. MIGHT BE WORTH THINKING ABOUT.
[00:40:08]
THAT'LL BE A QUESTION I'LL COME UP WITH WHEN WE MEET WITH THE MARYLAND STADIUM AUTHORITY, BECAUSE THEY'RE A DIFFERENT POT OF GOLD ALSO.RIGHT. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY CAN HELP US, BUT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO HELP US.
YEAH. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND WITH THE DOUBLE HILLS LOCATION AND I'M SURE WHEN THEY DO THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, THEY'LL LOOK AT THIS. BUT THE PUMP STATION THAT THE SEWER WOULD HAVE TO GO TO IN THE DENTON INDUSTRIAL PARK MAY NEED UPGRADING.
SO IT'S SOMETHING TO MAKE SURE THAT'S FACTORED IN.
ALONG WITH DOUBLE HILLS I MEAN, I SPOKE TO YOU.
I MEAN, THE DETENTION CENTER DEAL. I MEAN, WE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S GOING TO GO YET EITHER.
SO WE DON'T KNOW IF THE REHAB WHAT WE GOT. YEAH.
OR WE HAVE TO BUILD A NEW ONE. YEAH. AND TRAFFIC.
THE TRAFFIC FLOW, AS MRS. BARTZ MENTIONED THAT TO ME AS WELL.
AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE TRAFFIC FLOW AT DOUBLE HILLS. NO MATTER WHERE YOU COME, THERE'S NOT A GOOD SPOT TO SEND 50 BUSSES AND 400 VEHICLES OUT EVERY TWICE A DAY OFF THAT LOCATION.
YES, THERE'S THERE'S THINGS I THINK FEASIBILITY WILL END UP RULING SOME SITES OUT.
YEAH. BUT THE EXISTING LOCATION IS STILL A POSSIBILITY.
SO WHAT'S THE CURRENT SITUATION THERE, SQUARE FOOTAGE WISE? HOW MUCH MORE ADDITIONAL SQUARE FOOTAGE DO YOU THINK YOU NEED? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? I HAVE NO IDEA. I CAN FIND OUT.
GO UP. YEAH. WE'D HAVE TO GO UP. REALLY? YEAH.
OR WE'D HAVE TO COME OUT THE. WELL, THAT'D BE A TEAR DOWN.
THEY SAID, MILTON SAID YEARS AGO, I REMEMBER HIM TALKING THAT PART OF THE LOCKERMAN BUILDING WAS DESIGNED TO TAKE A PARTIAL, I THINK, A PARTIAL SECOND FLOOR, WHICH WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH SPACE FROM WHAT I KNOW.
FROM WHAT THEY'VE FLOATED, YOU'RE TALKING A MULTI STORY BUILDING, NOT A 2 3 PLUS FOR THE NUMBER OF KIDS AND SPACE AT LOCKERMAN SOMEWHERE WITHIN THAT EXISTING FOOTAGE TO MAKE IT MAKE IT WORK.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE LOGISTICALLY RENOVATING AN OCCUPIED BUILDING? EXACTLY. WHICH IS WHERE THEY'LL HAVE TO. WHERE DO THE KIDS GO TO SCHOOL? YEAH. YOU WOULD. YEAH. YOU KNOW, IT WAS EASY TO DO.
WELL, IT WASN'T EASY. IT WAS EASIER TO DO IT AT COLONEL.
RIGHT? BECAUSE THE BUILDING ITSELF WASN'T AT 100% CAPACITY.
IT WAS ABOUT 70, PROBABLY. AND YOU COULD KNOCK, YOU COULD LOCK OFF WINGS BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T.
LOCKERMAN PRESENTS A CHALLENGE WITH COULD YOU BUILD NEW BACK ON THE TRACK? IT'D BE REAL TALL, RIGHT? COULD YOU BUILD NEW THERE BEHIND? YEAH, BUT WHERE DO YOU PARKING? THAT DOESN'T SOLVE YOUR YOUR BUSSING INFLOW AND OUTFLOW ISSUES DOESN'T SOLVE YOUR TRAFFIC PATTERN ISSUES.
DOESN'T IMPACT YOUR KIDS WHILE YOU'RE BUILDING, BUT ACTUALLY, IT STILL PROBABLY.
I DON'T KNOW DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HECK YOU'D STAGE ALL YOUR CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MATERIALS. YEAH, YOU'D HAVE TO DO IT AT THE BALL FIELD. YEAH, YEAH. IT JUST THERE'S REAL LOGISTICS TO THAT SPOT. AND WHICH WAS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE NAACP AND LOCKERMAN ASSOCIATION, BECAUSE IF THE DECISION IS NOT THERE WENT VERY WELL. AND I APPRECIATE MISS WAYMAN HELPING TO SET THAT UP AS WELL.
LOTS OF GREAT THOUGHTS. I TALKED ABOUT THE WAY THAT TALBOT COUNTY EMBRACED THE MOTEN AND DOBSON BUILDINGS BEING TORN DOWN AND WHAT THEY DID AT THE NEW EASTON ELEMENTARY TO HONOR THE PAST.
TALKED ABOUT THAT CONCEPT AS WELL AS SOMETHING FOR US TO CONSIDER.
AND I'M GLAD THAT THEY'LL BE AT THE SPECS COMMITTEE AND PART OF THAT WORK AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
BUT MY MY PERSONAL I DON'T SEE HOW THE FEASIBILITY STUDY SAYS IT CAN REMAIN AT ITS SITE WITH A RENOVATION OR A BUILD GIVEN THE NUMBER OF KIDS AND ALL THE LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES WE HAVE THERE.
SO WE'RE BASING THIS STILL ON THE SAME CLASS, CLASS ROOM OR CLASS CONFIGURATION WITH THE SAME NUMBER OF GRADES, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SOME THINGS FLOATED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING ONE OF THE GRADES GO TO NORTH CAROLINA OR, YOU KNOW, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF GRADES THAT ARE GOING TO GO THERE. IT WOULDN'T HELP US MOVE ON TO NORTH HIGH,
[00:45:02]
BECAUSE NORTH HIGH IS GOING TO BE THERE SITTING AT THE LARGEST THEY'VE BEEN NOW IN A LONG TIME.OUR PROJECTIONS AREN'T SHOWING THE NORTH END SCHOOLS GETTING SMALLER.
THEY'RE GOING TO STAY IN THE SAME ROUGHLY RANGE.
SO WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY REDUCTIONS WE COULD DO.
THERE ARE SOME MODELS WHERE YOU BUILD A FIVE THROUGH EIGHT, BUT DENTON ELEMENTARY IS NOT BUSTING AT THE SEAMS, SO THE FIVE THROUGH EIGHT DOESN'T REALLY HELP US.
DON'T LOVE THAT CONCEPT OF PUTTING THEM TOGETHER. SO IF WE COULD STICK WITH THE SIX TO EIGHT TRADITIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL, I THINK IT HELPS US. R EALLY I DON'T ENVISION DEMOING THE EXISTING MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I THINK REPURPOSING IT TO SOMETHING COUNTY NEEDS OFFICE SPACE, COMMUNITY SPACE.
SO I DON'T SEE I DON'T SEE TEARING DOWN A BUILDING THAT WE COULD REPURPOSE AND USE.
YEAH. SO WE GOT A STRETCH. WE GOT TO STRETCH EVERYTHING AS FAR AS WE CAN STRETCH IT.
YEAH. SO, BILL, AS YOU AS THESE CALLS COME IN WE WE ARE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO PRETTY, PRETTY QUICKLY, I THINK AN EVALUATION OF IMPACT FEES.
YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT FEES THAT WE CHARGE GO TOWARD SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.
I THINK THEY'RE TOO LOW. SO IF WE COULD KIND OF WORK TOGETHER AND GET SOME INFORMATION ON COSTS.
YEAH. DO YOU KNOW OFFHAND WHAT WE HAVE IN THAT ACCOUNT? YEAH. WE'RE JUST OVER $1.5 MILLION WE HAVE THE SECOND HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION ENROLLED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
N OT SURPRISED. IT'S LIKE 15.9% OF OUR POPULATION IS IN THE SCHOOL.
I SAW THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE REPORT WAS LAST WEEK, BUT.
AND ALSO OUR FACILITIES ARE KIND OF ON PAR WITH THE STATE AVERAGE FOR AGE OF FACILITIES.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? BECAUSE OF THE EFFORTS OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE WORK OF MILTON.
AND I'LL PUT IT THERE AS WELL AS CREDIT. AND DR.
SHIRLEY AND OTHERS, BUT REALLY ALIGNING AND GETTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF BUILDINGS THAT WERE BUILT IN THE 70S AND 60S AND 70S GETTING THE COLONELS DONE AND PRESTON WHEN YOU GUYS DID AND THEN GREENSBORO.
YEAH. THEY FLIPPED BECAUSE OF THE PLANNING THAT HAPPENED UPFRONT.
IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT, WE'D BE SITTING WHERE SOME OTHER COUNTIES ARE.
YEAH. WHICH DOES MAKE US LOOK ON THE GRAND SCHEME, EVERYBODY ELSE LOOKS LIKE WE GOT ALL THESE GREAT.
RIGHT. BUT IT'S NOT THE CASE. WE WE'VE BEEN THIS IS ABOUT WHERE THE TIMELINE SHOULD BE.
WE'RE RIGHT AT THAT SPOT WHERE WE SHOULD BE FLIPPING AND NOT HAVING THEM ALL AT ONE TIME.
. THAT'S WHAT THEY REASSESS IT EVERY TWO YEARS.
EVERY TWO. YEAH. YEAH OKAY I MEAN I HAVE A LITTLE DIFFERENT LENS.
US AND WICOMICO ARE SITTING DEAD LAST FOR WEALTH PER STUDENT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT AND HOW WE'RE PROJECTING, I'M HOPING WE STAY CLOSER TO THE 94 6.
WICOMICO HAD SOME YEARS WHERE I THINK THEY WERE 96 4.
I THINK THEY WERE A LITTLE HIGHER AT ONE POINT, AND HOPEFULLY WE STILL STAY IN THAT. YEAH.
I'M NOT WISHING LACK OF WEALTH ON US BY ANY MEANS, BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD A SCHOOL YEAH, IT'D BE NICE FOR THAT TO FALL. YEAH. WHAT WAS GREENSBORO.
GREENSBORO WAS 85, 85, 15, I BELIEVE. YES.
AND A PORTION OF LOCKERMAN WILL NOT BE 40 A WING.
[00:50:03]
YEAH. BECAUSE IT WAS RENOVATED IN THE 90S. SO ONE WING WILL BE 75% OF THE STATE'S ALLOCATION.YEAH, BUT IT'S A SMALLER SQUARE FOOTAGE PIECE THANKFULLY.
THAT'LL BE 75, 25, 75. IT'LL BE 75 OF THE STATE'S PIECE.
SO IF IT'S 94 6, IT'LL BE 70. IT'LL BE 94 OF THE 75% 75 AND 94% 75 OF THE 94.
SORRY, THE OTHER WAY AROUND. OKAY. YEAH, IT'LL BE A PORTION OF.
SPEAKERS] ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON LOCKERMAN? DO APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AS WE WORK THROUGH IT.
AND WITH THE FACT OF ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS BEING BUILT IN KIND OF IN CLUMPS RIGHT BEHIND LOCKERMAN DENTON WILL BE COMING RIGHT BEHIND THAT, AND RIDGELY RIDGELY BEHIND THAT, AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK TO FEDERALSBURG AND NORTH HIGH AGAIN.
WELL, OTHER PEOPLE WILL BE. YEAH. AT THAT POINT.
BUT THAT'S IN ESSENCE THAT'S WHERE THE CYCLE WILL LITERALLY KICK BACK UP AND START OVER AGAIN.
WE WERE THRILLED TO SEE THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR RECOMMEND A DELAY TO THE TIME TO CARE ACT.
NEW LEGISLATION WAS PUT IN BY SENATOR HERSHEY TO TO DELAY IT TWO YEARS.
I FIGURE IF THE SECRETARY IS RECOMMENDING A DELAY OF 18 MONTHS, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
BECAUSE THAT'S A THAT WAS A BUDGET PIECE THAT WE WERE NOT PLAYING IN THE CARDS.
BUT WITH THEM TRYING TO PUSH IT THROUGH THIS YEAR, THEY ALSO HADN'T GIVEN APPROVAL TO [INAUDIBLE] AND MACO YET FOR THAT MODEL, WHICH WAS GOING TO PUT ALL OF US IN A TREMENDOUS BIND. SO I'M GLAD THEY PUT THAT OFF. AND THEN THE GOVERNOR'S BILL, I'M JUST THAT'S RIGHT NOW WHERE A LOT OF OUR ATTENTION IS.
THE HEARING ON THAT IS TOMORROW, AS I SHARED EARLIER.
I HAVEN'T READ THROUGH THE FULL FISCAL NOTE YET. THAT'S ON MY TO DO TONIGHT. BUT MOST OF THE REDUCTIONS THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE SEEING OUT OF BLUEPRINT IS GOING TO OTHER PUBLIC EDUCATION THINGS. BUT IT'S DOING AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL THE LOCAL SYSTEMS. LIKE I SAID, OUR REDUCTION NEXT YEAR IS ABOUT 1.5.
BUT FOR A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE STATE, THAT'S THE LAST THING THEY NEED.
IF I'M A. IF I'M SORT OF HEDGING WHERE THE ODDS ARE FALLING, I THINK THERE WILL BE CONCESSIONS.
I DON'T THINK IT'LL BE THE FULL FUNDING OF WHAT BLUEPRINT.
SO YOUR 1.8 NUMBER WILL COME DOWN SOME, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH.
IT MEANS OUR REVENUE WILL GO UP A LITTLE BIT.
IT JUST WON'T GO BACK UP TO THE FULL 1.5. AND IT'S STILL THE OUT YEARS I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
BUT WE'LL STILL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT AND KEEP PUSHING FORWARD.
THE OTHER PARTS ARE MORE EDUCATIONAL TYPE THINGS.
AND ACTUALLY, SOME OF IT WOULD HELP US WITH RECRUITMENT WITH BRINGING TEACHERS IN.
NO CHANGE TO NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO REAL INTEREST IN FOLKS AND CHANGE TO NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION. WE'VE ASKED FOR SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE ASKED FOR CONSIDERATION TO REMOVE PRINCIPALS FROM NEEDING TO BE NATIONALLY BOARD CERTIFIED
[00:55:10]
AND BEING PUT ON A CAREER LADDER. THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.I'M GOING TO HOPE WE GET TRACTION. FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, WE PROBABLY AREN'T.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT PRINCIPALS THERE, HARDLY ANY IN THE STATE.
THAT'S JUST THE DIRECTION THEY'RE THEY'RE ROWING.
AND THAT DOES SEEM TO BE THE PIECE THEY'RE STILL HOLDING TO RIGHT NOW.
HOW ABOUT PRE-K? ANY CHANGES THERE? THE STATE STATE BOARD AND AIB MADE A DECISION THIS MONTH.
NO, SORRY, END OF JANUARY. THEY MADE A DECISION THAT WILL.
THEY'RE GOING TO THEY'RE TRYING TO GET PRIVATE PROVIDERS TO FOCUS ON PRE-K THREE AND PUBLIC PROVIDERS, SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO FOCUS ON PRE-K FOUR. WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT FULLY THAT WAY, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO TRYING TO GET MORE OF THE ATTENTION THERE.
SO WE'RE NOT FIGHTING EACH OTHER FOR RESOURCES.
THEY DID PASS THE SLIDING SCALE FOR TIER TWO PRE-K KIDS, WHICH WE WILL BE DISCUSSING LATER.
WON'T BE THIS MONTH, IT'LL BE EARLY MARCH, BECAUSE THE CHALLENGE OF TIER TWO PRE-K IS SO IT'S BASED OFF OF INCOME GUIDELINES. SO THIS YEAR, WE ONLY GOT FUNDED FOR TIER ONE KIDS FOR PRE-K.
WE GOT NO MONEY FOR TIER TWO. SO WE TOOK TIER ONE KIDS FOR PRE-K.
IS THAT THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLD'S? YES. OKAY.
THAT'S YOUR HIGHEST POVERTY. IT'S YOUR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND YOUR ELL KIDS .
IT ENDED UP DID IT END UP REDUCING THE NUMBER OF [INAUDIBLE]? YES IT DID, IT DID REDUCE. WE WERE ONE OF THE ONLY COUNTIES THAT REDUCED. IT'S RIDICULOUS.
BUT IF WE GO TIER TWO, WE HAVE TO DEVISE AND SET UP A UP A BILLING MODEL TO BE ABLE TO BILL PARENTS.
THAT SAYS WE MAY BILL. BUT I'LL BE HONEST, WE'RE FUNDED AT THE LEVEL REQUIRED.
I HAVE TO GENERATE SOME REVENUE TO COVER THE ADDITIONAL COST TO DO IT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR WHEN THE PARENT DOESN'T PAY. YEAH.
BUT WE HAVE TO DO AN ANALYSIS INTERNALLY TO SEE WHERE THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT FALLS.
HOW MUCH COULD WE GENERATE BY BILLING? HOW MANY SEATS ARE WE REALLY GOING TO FILL TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION OF WHERE WE LAND AS A SYSTEM? AND THIS IS A PIECE WHERE, AS I'VE SHARED WITH THE AIB IN THE MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH THEM.
WE'RE NOT THAT KIND OF COUNTY. WE'RE NOT. WE'RE NOT A COUNTY THAT HAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EXTRA REVENUE THAT CAN LITERALLY COVER THE COST FOR THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO DO. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SOUND HEARTLESS, BUT WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT A HOWARD.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW WE HAVE PARENTS WHO NEED PRE-K SERVICE.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PROVIDERS IN OUR COUNTY WE ALL KNOW THAT. AND IT SURE AS HECK ISN'T AFFORDABLE.
WE KNOW THAT. SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO IT.
BUT IT IS A MODEL THAT DOESN'T FIT. THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO WE TELL YOU CAN'T COME IS IF YOU DON'T LIVE HERE OR IF YOU'RE HERE YOU DON'T LIVE HERE AND YOU DIDN'T PAY YOUR TUITION BILL. WHICH IS VERY FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.
AND THIS PUTS US IN A MODEL OF TELLING POTENTIALLY PARENTS OF YOUNGSTERS AT FOUR YEARS OLD.
I'M SORRY YOU WOULDN'T TELL THE KID THIS BUT SORRY PARENT YOU DIDN'T PAY.
CAN'T COME BACK TILL YOU DO. YEAH, THAT'S JUST NOT WHAT WE DO.
YEAH. AND YOU HAVE A STAFF MEMBER THAT YOU HAVE TO COMPENSATE IN THE INTERIM.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, IS HOW DO WE FIT THAT IN.
BECAUSE WE DON'T WE DON'T BILL FOR SERVICE SPEAKERS]. SO BASICALLY ALL OF THE ALL OF THE BUDGET REDUCTIONS, THE ROLLBACK THAT AFFECTS ANYTHING FISCALLY IS IN COLLABORATIVE TIME.
YES. THAT'S IT. THAT'S THAT MOST OF IT. CORRECT.
[01:00:02]
THAT'S THE MAIN REDUCTION IS IN COLLABORATIVE TIME.THERE ARE SOME SLOWDOWNS, NONE OF IT IN FISCAL 26.
THE SLOWDOWN OF CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY FUNDING IS IN FY 27.
RIGHT. SO IT'S ONLY IN COLLABORATIVE PLANNING? YES. WHERE ELSE COULD THEY GO TO SAVE EXPENSES? THE PRE-K RIGHT IS THE NEXT LOGICAL PLACE. YEAH.
AND I BELIEVE DELEGATE GRACE MENTIONED THAT HE HAS PUT.
I'VE NOT FOLLOWED UP I HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT BECAUSE HE WAS THAT POTENTIALLY COULD.
I'M NOT SEEING ANYBODY WHO'S MAKING IT WORK. AND I'M NOT PERSONALLY, I'M NOT HEARING A PRE-K PROVIDER SAYING, MAN, I LOVE THIS MODEL. I LOVE THE FACT THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE A CAREER LADDER I HAVE TO DO TO PUT IN PLACE FOR MY DAYCARE WORKERS, AND I'M GOING TO GO GET CERTIFIED. YEAH, AND I'VE GOTTA GET THEM CERTIFIED.
I'VE NEVER HAD TO IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, BUT NOW I GOTTA.
IT JUST FEELS LIKE THEY'RE MISSING A MARK WITH LOOK, I FULLY SUPPORT PRE-K I WISH EVERY KID COULD.
WHETHER IT'S WHATEVER THEY WANT TO GO FOR OR WITH US, I WISH THEY COULD.
WE THE REVENUE IS NOT THERE TO COVER THE COST OF IT.
AND THEY'RE REGULATING THE HOME DAYCARE PROVIDERS.
THEY'RE REGULATING THE DAYCARE CENTERS OUT OF EXISTENCE.
YEAH. MY KIDS HAD A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE WITH A HOME DAYCARE PROVIDER WHO WAS PHENOMENAL.
ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. DOES NOT PARTICIPATE. WOULD NOT.
AND TO BE HONEST, SHOULDN'T FROM THE MODEL THAT THEY HAVE.
FANTASTIC. SEND MY KIDS BACK THERE TODAY IF I HAD YOUNGINS.
YEAH. BUT THIS MODEL DOESN'T APPRECIATE THAT.
HOW MANY DID WE LOSE, DO YOU THINK, OVER THE YEARS? TOTAL. OH, HEATHER HARDING JUST DID AN ARTICLE IN CAROLINE REVIEW ABOUT IT LAST MONTH OR THIS MONTH.
I BELIEVE WE'RE ONLY DOWN TO 55. AND LARRY, I COULD BE A LITTLE BIT OFF ON THE NUMBERS.
I THINK WE'RE DOWN TO LIKE 55 PROVIDERS IN COUNTY, IN PRE-COVID WE WERE 100 AND SOME 125, 130, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. PART OF IT WAS COVID, PART OF IT.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT THIS IS WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM TALKING TO FOLKS IN THE COUNTY.
YEAH. THOSE SHIFTS STARTED REGULATING A LOT OF THEM OUT OF THE INDUSTRY.
SOME OF THE HOME DAYCARE PROVIDERS GOT OLDER AND STOPPED, AND THE BUSINESS MODEL WAS NOT A GOOD BUSINESS MODEL FOR YOUNGER PARENTS BECAUSE OF ALL THE REGULATION. I WAS THINKING 50%. YEAH. SO.
YEAH. IT'S TOUGH. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. AND THIS SEEMS TO BE GENERATING ALL OF THE TALKING POINTS, AT LEAST IN EDUCATION. IS THIS BILL HERE TO SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF IT AND SHAKES OUT OF IT FOR US? I'M VERY INTERESTED TO SEE, JUST FROM A COUNTY PERSPECTIVE.
AND AGAIN, A CITIZEN OF THE COUNTY IS ALL THE PUSHBACK COMING TO THE COUNTY ITSELF.
THAT'S FRIGHTENING. ALL THE PUSHBACK, SO.
ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR ANYTHING TO.
REAL QUICK I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO PUSH BACK ENOUGH ON THE SCHOOL BUS SEAT BELT LAW.
I THINK THEY DID NOT MAKE IT RETROACTIVE. IT STARTS IN 2027.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND YEAH. YEAH. I THOUGHT I SAW THAT AS THE I TALKED WITH YOUR GUY AND I THINK MAY WAS WORKING ON THAT, BUT I THINK WE AT LEAST GOT TO WHERE IT'S ACCEPTABLE.
I THINK THE I DON'T AGREE WITH IT, BUT I THINK WHEN THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, WHICH ALL THE YEARS PRIOR, HAD SAID SCHOOLS WERE SAFE AND NOT TO DO BUSSES BUS THEIR SEATBELTS, I THINK A YEAR OR TWO AGO THEY CAME OUT AND CHANGED.
THEN IT WAS ENDED UP BEING ONE OF THOSE. THAT'S HARD TO HARD TO ARGUE WITHOUT LOOKING HEARTLESS.
YEAH. BUT YEAH. BUT SO, SO HOW DO YOU MAKE IT AS COMMON SENSE AS YOU CAN AND DOABLE FOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS. WELL YOU TAKE AWAY THE LIABILITY FOR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THEY'RE THERE.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE DRIVER IS INJURED AND INCAPACITATED.
ALL THOSE THINGS, LIKE YOU SAY, IT'S TOUGH TO TO TO BE AGAINST SCHOOL BUS SAFETY.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR SCHOOL BUSSES, THE WAY THEY'RE BUILT.
[01:05:04]
AND I KNOW YOU KNOW, [INAUDIBLE] TROY, I'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENTS.YOU KNOW, AT THE FARM, THEY'RE BUILT TOUGH. AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY'RE BUILT TO HANDLE.
BUT I THINK I THINK THAT WAS ABOUT THE BEST WE COULD DO.
YEAH. YEAH. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY.
HER AND DANNY BOTH ARE KIND OF LIKE YEAH, THEY. IT IS WHAT IT IS.
YEAH. I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ARE UNIQUE, THAT CAROLINE COUNTY AND BOARD OF ED AND SUPERINTENDENT AND COMMISSIONERS ALL SIT DOWN AMICABLY, BUT TOGETHER AND DISCUSS THE BUDGET THAT IS BEFORE US.
AND A LOT OF INFORMATION HAS COME FROM BOTH SIDES TONIGHT.
AND IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS, WE ARE ALL TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN, AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND, THAT WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE THE BEST LEARNING SITUATION THAT THEY CAN AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE, AND WE REALIZE THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL.
YOU KNOW, MONEY DOESN'T GROW ON TREES. I LEARNED THAT AS A KID.
I THINK I HEARD THAT A LOT OF TIMES. BUT YOU KNOW IT IT'S GOOD THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
AND, YEAH, I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OF EACH OTHER'S STRENGTHS AND HELP EACH OTHER DO THINGS IN THE MOST EFFICIENT MANNER. I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF DOING THAT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, IN MANY OTHER LOCATIONS.
SO I THINK YOU KNOW, AS RESOURCE POOR AS WE ARE, I THINK US WORKING TOGETHER IS IS IMPORTANT AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M I'M COMMITTED TO NOT LETTING BLUEPRINT, YOU KNOW, DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN US. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BOTH, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND AND WE, YOU KNOW, CONVEY A UNITED MESSAGE TO THE DECISION MAKERS IN ANNAPOLIS THAT THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.
YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S IT'S UNIQUE TO CAROLINE AND A COUPLE OTHER JURISDICTIONS, BUT IT'S GOT TO BE LOOKED AT. AND YOU CAN'T YOU CANNOT PUT US IN, YOU KNOW, ONE SIZE FITS ALL BOX HERE.
SO HOW WE DO THAT, AND IF THEY LISTEN, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.
BUT THANK YOU. I WAS ASKED TO SPEAK A FEW YEARS AGO ABOUT WHY WE GOT ALONG.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE TOPIC. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S BECAUSE WE KNOW EACH OTHER.
IT'S A SMALL, SMALL TOWN. WE KNOW EACH OTHER.
WE RESPECT EACH OTHER. AND WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENCES, BUT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK ALSO BECAUSE WE PUT IT ON THE TABLE AS IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOTHING SHADED, YOU KNOW, IT'S TRANSPARENT.
AND I THINK THAT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE. YEAH.
OKAY. THANK YOU. WELL THANK YOU GUYS. MOTION TO ADJOURN.
YUP. ANY DISCUSSION OF UPCOMING MEETINGS? NO, JUST THE LIST IS ON FOR OUR BOARD.
[3. Upcoming Meetings/Events]
RIGHT. LOTS OF STUFF COMING UP. OH, YEAH. PLEASE BE SURE TO USE THE GOOGLE SHEET TO TRACK WHERE YOU'RE GOING.IS IT DUSTY? DUSTY DID GOOD WORK GETTING RID OF THAT SNOW.
YEAH, WE DID, WE DID. WE HAD THE RIGHT, RIGHT VIBE IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
OKAY, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, THEN WE NEED A VOTE A MOTION TO ADJOURN OUR MEETING.
BOARD MEMBERS? ABSOLUTELY. MOTION. I'LL SECOND.
ALL RIGHT. IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED BY MISS BARTZ AND SECONDED BY MR. PLUTSCHAK THAT OUR MEETING BE ADJOURNED. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED? I DIDN'T THINK SO. SO MOTION CARRIED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.