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I CALL THE CALVERT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET WORK SESSION TO ORDER.GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE AND WELCOME.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
[1.01 Pledge of Allegiance/Moment of Silence]
AND I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE STAND.[1.02 Budget Discussion]
SO THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S MEETING IS TO ALLOW THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS TO ASK SCHOOL SYSTEM SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE BUDGET TO DIG A LITTLE DEEP INTO THE BUDGET.THEN TO JUST WELL, JUST THEN THE SURFACE NUMBERS THAT WE SEE ISSUED IN THE BOOK AND TO GET CLARIFICATION DETAILS, WE'VE ASKED SOME QUESTIONS ALREADY OF OUR SUPERINTENDENT.
SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU HEAR MAY BE CLARIFICATION.
SOME QUESTIONS JUST MAY BE NEW AND, YOU KNOW, NEED TO BE ANSWERED THIS EVENING.
AND WE'LL KIND OF GO IN A ROUND ROBIN.
WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO FOLLOW THE SUBJECTS AS THEY ARE OUTLAID IN THE BUDGET BOOK SINCE THIS, I THINK IS THE WELL, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE THIS.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS, NOT THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS.
SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS MAY ACTUALLY FOLLOW THE BUDGET BOOK SECTION AND SOME MAY NOT.
JUST TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU A HEADS UP, DON'T BE SURPRISED IF YOU GET A QUESTION THAT'S NOT FOLLOWING THE SUBJECT WITHIN THE BUDGET BOOK, BUT WE'LL TRY OUR BEST TO TO STAY THERE. BUT I WANT TO ENSURE THAT EACH OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE ABLE TO ASK THEIR QUESTIONS AND THAT EVERYONE GETS THEIR QUESTIONS.
AND SO WE WILL START TO MY RIGHT.
I'LL START WITH THE STUDENT BOARD MEMBER IN CASE SHE HAS ANY QUESTIONS AND SHE CAN ASK A FEW.
I'LL ASK HER TO ASK MAYBE 1 OR 2 AND THEN WE'LL SWITCH TO ANOTHER MEMBER.
IT'S UP TO YOU. I'M GOING TO BE HONEST.
IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT AREN'T IN THE FRONT OF THE BUDGET BOOK AND YOU WANT TO JUST ASK A QUESTION THAT YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BASED ON YOUR CONSTITUENCY THAT YOU REPRESENT, GO AHEAD AND ASK.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TOO FAR BACK TO START IN THE OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL COST, 16 OR 1668.
YES. UNDER OTHER CHARGES FOR PSAT SAT AND AP TEST FEES.
SO THERE IS A SIZABLE INCREASE FROM THE LAST YEAR.
SO IS THIS MONEY GOING TO BE USED TO PAY FOR EACH STUDENT'S SAT, PSAT AND EVERY AP TEST OF EVERY STUDENT? OR HOW IS THAT MONEY GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED? SO THANKS, MAGGIE. I'M SUSAN JOHNSON, THE CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER.
AND THAT INCREASE HAS TO DO WITH THE BLUEPRINT FUNDING.
SO AS PART OF THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND'S FUTURE, WE ARE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR FEES RELATED TO AP TESTING AND OTHER TESTING AND FEES RELATED TO DUAL ENROLLMENT AND CTE PROGRAMING.
SO THAT INCREASE HAS TO DO WITH THE BLUEPRINT AND THE FACT THAT WE DO PAY FOR PSAT AND SAT FOR STUDENTS ALREADY PARTICULAR GRADE LEVELS.
BUT THE INCREASE HAS TO DO WITH THE AP TEST FEES.
SO IS IT EVERY AP TEST THAT EACH STUDENT TAKES IS PAID FOR.
SO WE HAD WE BUDGETED IT BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE CALCULATED THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN OUR AP CLASSES AND PROJECTED HOW MANY TESTS THAT WOULD EQUATE TO AND THAT'S HOW WE BUDGETED FOR THIS BUDGET BOOK.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE EQUATE IT FOR EVERY TEST.
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR $211,000.
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WHAT IS THE BUSINESS NEED OF A CHIEF OF COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR? YES. SO WE ADDED A CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS TO THE DISTRICT TO COVER ALL COMMUNICATION NEEDS FROM PRINTED MATERIAL TO MEDIA REQUESTS AND SUPPORT. EVERY AGENCY, EDUCATION AGENCY IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND HAS A DEPARTMENT DEDICATED TO THAT.IN ADDITION, AGENCIES LIKE COUNTY GOVERNMENT ALSO HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
WE DID NOT HAVE THAT WHEN I CAME ON BOARD.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT COMMUNICATION WAS ONE OF OUR WEAK POINTS, SO WE ADDED THAT TO OUR EXECUTIVE CABINET TEAM AND NOW IT'S A PART OF THE EXECUTIVE CABINET AND IT'S THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DISTRICT.
MR. JOHNSON, YOU HAD SOME ADDITIONAL INPUT.
THANK YOU. YES. THIS IS FOR TWO POSITIONS, NOT ONE.
ONE OF THE POSITIONS REFLECTED ON THIS PAGE IS A TRANSFER FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT SALARY IS NOT FOR ONE PERSON ALONE.
THANK YOU. WHAT IS THE $211,000 FOR? THAT'S FOR THE CHIEF OF COMMUNICATION.
AND IT'S ALSO FOR A TECHNICAL PERSON WHO IS OUR WEBMASTER.
IT'S LONG UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO ASK AT THIS TIME.
ANOTHER QUESTION YOU WANT TO ASK AT THIS TIME, YOU CAN GO AHEAD WITH A COUPLE MORE.
WHY ARE WE HIRING ANOTHER HUMAN RESOURCE SUPERVISOR? HAVE WE HAD THAT MANY ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL THAT THIS POSITION'S NEEDED? GOOD EVENING, MS.. GUINNESS AND PRESIDENT CLAGGETT.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I'M ZACH SEWELL, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
THANKS. ZACH SOLE, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, MRS. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WE'RE REQUESTING ANOTHER SUPERVISOR FOR HUMAN RESOURCES.
THE BIGGEST REASON, THOUGH, THAT WE'RE REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL SUPERVISOR IN HUMAN RESOURCES HAS TO DO WITH CERTIFICATION AND BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT CERTIFICATION FOR OUR TEACHERS.
MSD REQUIRED 6 TO 8 WEEKS TO PROCESS CERTIFICATION.
THIS PAST SUMMER, OUR SUPERVISOR WE ONLY HAVE ONE SUPERVISOR IN HUMAN RESOURCES.
HOWEVER, NOW SHE SPENDS A LOT OF HER TIME HELPING WITH CERTIFICATION.
SO IN ORDER TO ASSIST WITH THE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES THAT SHE ALSO HAS, WE ARE REQUESTING ADDITIONAL SUPERVISORY HELP AGAIN IS THE BIGGEST REASON. WE ALSO WENT THROUGH A STUDY WITH WESTED A FEW YEARS AGO TO STUDY OUR HIRING PRACTICES AND HUMAN RESOURCES.
ONE OF THE OUTCOMES FROM THAT STUDY WAS THAT ONE OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS WAS THAT CSPS NEEDED TO CREATE POSITIONS AND OR DEDICATE SUBSTANTIAL STAFF TIME EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE RECRUITMENT, HIRING AND RETENTION OF TEACHERS.
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WHY IS MID-LEVEL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISORS GETTING A 10.3 INCREASE WHEN ENROLLMENT IS DECLINING AND THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF ADMINISTRATORS? I KNOW THAT'S ON PAR WITH WHAT THE TEACHERS ARE GETTING.BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY HEFTY INCREASE.
TONY NAVARRO. TONY NAVARRO, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER.
THAT WAS PART OF THE AGREEMENT.
THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO AS A NEGOTIATED SALARY INCREASE.
AND I THINK THIS IS A CASE WHERE THE MONEY SIMPLY ISN'T THERE FOR THAT KIND OF A AN INCREASE.
THANK YOU. MR. JOHNSON, FOLLOW UP.
IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THERE'S A HIGHER PERCENTAGE INCREASE FOR THE WAGES.
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHERS.
THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO BE FOCUSING OUR MONEY IN THE BUDGET.
MS.. POST. SO I DID SPEND A LOT OF TIME SENDING EMAILS, AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO KIND OF CULL THROUGH THIS BIG DOCUMENT OF ALL THE QUESTIONS, SOME OF WHICH WERE MINE AND SOME OF WHICH CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE WANTED TO KIND OF DO OUR BEST TO ANSWER THOSE AS THEY CAME IN.
I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION THAT'S NOT.
WELL, I HAVE A COUPLE. I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
RIGHT. BECAUSE I KNOW, BUT I DO.
I DO WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH DO WE PAY WEST ED FOR THEIR SERVICES? I CAN I CAN GET THAT.
I ACTUALLY HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN MY COMPUTER.
I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
AND AS A SECOND PART TO THAT, YOU KNOW, DO WE SEE THAT BASED ON WHAT WE DO SPEND OR WHAT WE DO PAY THEM, THAT THE RETURN ON WHAT WE'RE INVESTING IN THAT COMPANY IS SIGNIFICANT IN TERMS OF RECRUITING OF THE TEACHERS THAT YOU KNOW OR OTHER STAFF THAT WE WANT.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT EARLY. WE JUST STARTED THE ACTION PLAN THIS YEAR.
WE DID IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT THEY RECOMMENDED LAST YEAR.
WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN SOME HIRING, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR EFFORTS IN MINORITY TEACHER HIRING.
TO CLARIFY, OUR CONTRACT WITH WESTED WAS WAS A ONE YEAR CONTRACT.
AND THAT DID GO THROUGH THE BID PROCESS.
THAT WAS A COMPETITIVE BID WITH OTHER COMPANIES AS WELL.
YEAH. I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT THAT COST IS.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT I KNOW THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HIRING SUPERVISORS AND WHILE I CERTAINLY WON'T DISAGREE THAT THERE I THINK THERE REALLY IS A NEED FOR FOR THOSE TWO ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATORS AT THE TWO SEPARATE HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND I DO APPRECIATE BECAUSE DR.
TOWNSEND I'VE, I HAD SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE IDENTIFIED BASED ON THE NEED, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, WE REALLY ARE TALKING ABOUT NOT JUST ABOUT THE STUDENT NUMBERS, BUT ALSO THE NEED.
SO I THINK THAT THERE WERE ADMINISTRATORS THAT WERE REDUCED, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, BECAUSE OF OF ENROLLMENT NUMBERS. BUT THERE CERTAINLY WAS A NEED FOR THOSE ADMINISTRATORS.
SO I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE TWO ADMINISTRATORS BACK AT THE TWO SCHOOLS TO KIND OF LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD, IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEED. THAT BEING SAID, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE OTHER POSITIONS AND LIKE MS..
GRANNIS SAID ABOUT HIRING A SUPERVISOR FOR H.R.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NEEDS OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, ARE WE ALSO CONSIDERING, ONE, WHAT THE ROLES OF THOSE SUPERVISORS ARE AND TWO, ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH ASSISTANTS OR OTHER STAFF TO TO.
TO DO THE WORK THAT IS NEEDED IN THOSE OFFICES.
AND IF THEY AREN'T, ARE THE SUPERVISORS NOW DOING THAT WORK?
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I CAN SPEAK SPECIFICALLY FOR HUMAN RESOURCES.I. CAN'T ANSWER WHY THE DECISION WAS MADE FOR THE SUPERVISOR TO GO FORTH, NOT THE ASSOCIATE.
BUT WE WE DO NEED WE DO NEED BOTH.
AND YOU ARE CORRECT IN THAT WHEN THE ASSOCIATES WHO ARE.
OKAY. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT, I KNOW TRANSPORTATION HAS BEEN A HOT TOPIC AND I GET TO TURN AWAY FROM ZACH AND TALK TO SOMEBODY ELSE NOW. BUT I KNOW TRANSPORTATION WAS KIND OF A HOT TOPIC FOR FOR A LONG TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TRANSPORTATION FOLKS WERE. PAID COMPETITIVELY, IF YOU WILL.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE ASSISTANTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THAT.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR A LOT OF MONEY FROM THE COUNTY, AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE KNOW, INCLUDING THE COMMISSIONERS, WHAT THE LEVEL OF EFFORT IS THAT WE WENT THROUGH TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND AND DETERMINE HOW WE ARRIVED AT THIS POINT, WHY WE NEED THIS NUMBER.
RIGHT. AND THAT WE DID EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD, LOOKING THROUGH THE ENTIRE BUDGET TO SEE WHERE WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE MONEY OR WHERE THERE WERE COSTS THAT WE REALLY COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T CHANGE.
UM, SO THAT BEING SAID, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, THE TRANSPORTATION AND I KNOW THAT MANY OF THESE ARE WELL, ALL OF THEM ARE CONTRACTED SERVICES, BUT DO WE EVER ENCOUNTER A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE PAYING FOR BUSSES OR STAFF BECAUSE BUSSES ARE BROKEN DOWN AND THAT'S STILL A COST THAT THE THAT THE COUNTY OR THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS TO ABSORB.
AND IF THAT IS THE CASE, WHAT DO WE DO TO KIND OF MITIGATE THAT WITH THE WITH THE.
WITH THE COMPANIES THAT WE USE.
I'M ED CASSIDY, THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION.
HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
THE MOST OF THE CONTRACTORS DO HAVE.
A NUMBER OF BUSSES DON'T SERVE ALL FOUR TIERS, SO THERE IS SOME BUILT IN OPENNESS IN THE SCHEDULE WHERE SOMETIMES A BUS CAN COVER FOR ANOTHER BUS THAT'S BROKEN DOWN.
BUT A NUMBER OF THE ROUTES ARE TOO LONG FOR THAT EVEN.
WE DID INSTITUTE A PRACTICE ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN A BUS DIDN'T RUN DUE TO THE LACK OF A DRIVER.
REGARDLESS OF HOW WE GOT THE KIDS TO SCHOOL OR DIDN'T.
SO IS THAT THAT KIND OF DOES I MEAN, BUT ALSO, DO WE DO WE KIND OF DO WE MONITOR OR REVIEW AT SOME POINT EVEN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BUSSES SO THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ABSORBING A COST? THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ITSELF IS NOT ABSORBING THE COST WHEN IT REALLY WAS THE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE CONTRACTOR OR THE OWNER OF THE BUS THAT MAYBE IT WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND PART OF THAT IS PER MILE RATE FOR THE USE OF THE BUS.
AND THE FUEL RATE VARIES WITH THE LOCAL FUEL RATE.
SO THOSE ARE ALL PAID TO THE CONTRACTOR.
WHAT WE DID INSTITUTE AGAIN ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO IS THE BUSSES DO HAVE TO BE INSPECTED 3 TO 4 TIMES A YEAR BY LAW DEPENDING ON THE AGE OF THE BUS.
AND WHILE THERE'S NO REWARD OR PENALTY AT THIS TIME FOR THOSE INSPECTION RESULTS, THEY WE DID START USING THOSE AS RANKINGS FOR WHEN A CONTRACT BECAME AVAILABLE FOR A PIECE OF CRITERIA AND AWARDING THAT CONTRACT TO A CONTRACTOR WHO HAD GOOD RESULTS. AND THOSE RESULTS ARE SPREAD OUT OVER THE PAST SEVEN INSPECTIONS.
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CONTRACTOR THAT'S ABLE TO IMPROVE THEIR RESULTS.WE JUST WEREN'T THE CONTRACTORS DID JUST ASK US TO CONSIDER AWARDS AND CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR INSPECTION RESULTS AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO ENTER INTO CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT AWARDS AND CONSEQUENCES MIGHT LOOK LIKE FROM OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE SO THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING WELL ARE AWARDED.
WELL, MY MAIN I WOULD LIKE US TO TO TRY TO DO THE FORMAT FOLLOW THE FORMAT BUT THE FIRST.
THING OF INTEREST TO ME IS THE REVENUE.
SO I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE AT THE BACK OF THIS PACKAGE THAT WE JUST GOT TODAY THAT THE STATE GAVE US JUST A WHOPPING $10,000 INCREASE IN OUR VERY MEASLY ALLOCATION THAT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY THAT THEY GAVE US.
UM, IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT? I MEAN, IN OVERALL, THE STATES, THE STATE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE BUILT INTO THE THE STATE'S REVENUE ALLOCATION THAT WE HAVE BUILT INTO OUR BUDGET IS 5.1 MILLION. HAS THAT CHANGED? ARE YOU LOOKING AT PERHAPS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SPREADSHEET THAT SAYS ESTIMATED BLUEPRINT FUNDING? OKAY. THAT IS JUST THE BLUEPRINT PORTION.
SO THE I THINK THE PART THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR WOULD BE ON THE TOP PART OF THE SPREADSHEET.
SORRY, IT WASN'T LABELED MORE CLEARLY.
SO. OKAY, SO MILLION, RIGHT? WELL, ACTUALLY THE WE ONLY HAD ONE ONE 106.4 AND THIS HAS 109.5.
SO THE SO CALLED FIVE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COLUMNS THREE AND FOUR.
OKAY, SO THAT MEANS SO 100 AND.
$8.2 MILLION INCREASE FROM THE STATE FROM THE CURRENT BUDGET? YES. FROM THE CURRENT BUDGET.
LESS THAN WHAT? THAN WHAT WE HAVE TO ASK FOR THE COUNTY.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IF WE'RE GOING TO STAY WITH THESE YOU KNOW, OUR $25 MILLION IS OUR PROJECTED REQUIRED EXPENDITURE BASE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COVER.
OKAY. SO $1 MILLION IS A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
BUT AGAIN, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE STATE THAT THEY TOLD US THAT CALVERT WOULD BE GETTING AN INCREASE OF $14 MILLION IN ONE OF THEIR FIRST SCHEDULES THAT IS STILL BEING USED IN DIFFERENT MAYB IS STILL SENDING THIS OUT AS BEING A CURRENT. SO THIS HAS CHANGED.
AND IF PEOPLE DID LISTEN TO THE MAKO'S PRESENTATION TO MSDE, YOU KNOW THOSE.
THE COMMISSIONERS VERY ELOQUENTLY SAID, TRIED TO CONVINCE MSDE THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO BUILD A BUDGET WHEN WE ARE WHEN THE STATE IS BASICALLY CHANGING THINGS AT QUITE SUBSTANTIALLY.
I THINK QUEEN ANNE'S COMMISSIONER.
SO THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING.
YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T, WE'RE HAVING TO TO PUT EVERYTHING IN 2024.
WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH UP TO THE 10% SALARY INCREASE AND THE LIKE.
AND THIS IS NOT COVERING THAT.
THEIR ALLOCATION TO US REALLY DOESN'T APPEAR TO TO COVER THAT.
OKAY. SO DID WE WANT TO KEEP ON WITH THE REVENUE OR DO I JUST START ASKING MY QUESTIONS? OKAY. SO YOU HAVE DO YOU HAVE A SCHEDULE THAT SHOWS WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE IS BUILT IN TO OUR BUDGET FOR BLUEPRINT RELATED SALARY INCREASES AND THE LIKE? I KNOW THAT YOU GAVE US SOMETHING PRETTY EARLY ON.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD GIVEN ANYTHING ELSE.
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AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, IT SAID THERE'S 4.4 MILLION WAS TO DO THE CATCH UP FOR THE TEACHERS.AND THEN WE HAD WHAT WAS MAGGIE'S ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH THE AP AND THE THE DUAL ENROLLMENT FEES AND THE LIKE. UM, AND THEN THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
SO I'M, WHEN I TRY TO ADD IT DOWN, WHAT EVERYTHING WE HAVE IN OUR COST, I GET ROUGHLY 8 MILLION.
IS THAT WHAT YOU GET? IT'S CLOSE. THE ESTIMATE WAS JUST UNDER $10 MILLION FOR BLUEPRINT RELATED COSTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, OF WHICH THE STATE IS EXPECTED TO PAY ABOUT 17 OR 18%.
YEAH, BUT I AM NOT INCLUDING THE SALARY ACTIONS FOR SUPPORT STAFF IN MY NUMBER. AND YOU'RE NOT EITHER, RIGHT? I AM, YES.
BUT SEE, THAT'S NOT BLUEPRINT.
THE BLUEPRINT HAS NEVER SAID THAT THEY WOULD WOULD PICK THAT UP.
IT'S NOT A MANDATE FROM THE STATE.
EVERYTHING ELSE IN MY 8 MILLION IS WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A MANDATE.
AND SO I WOULD KEEP THE THE FACT THAT WE WANT VERY SERIOUSLY TO HAVE THE EQUIVALENT SALARY, SOMETHING CLOSE TO EQUIVALENT SALARY ACTIONS FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST THE TEACHERS.
SO I WOULD KEEP IN MY MIND WHEN I'M ADDING IT ALL UP, I KEEP THAT SEPARATE.
OKAY. I GOT LIKE 7 MILLION QUESTIONS.
WE SAID SCHOOL SAFETY LIAISON AND ADVOCATE.
LAST YEAR IT WAS 324,878 AND NOW IT'S 504,100.
I WAS WONDERING, WHAT'S THE BREAKDOWN FOR THAT? WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY GOING TO THAT THAT DIFFERENCE OF 179,000.
THAT INCLUDES THE THREE ADDITIONAL SAFETY ADVOCATES.
SO THE COSTS ARE DUPLICATED SO THAT AMOUNT WILL BE REDUCED OR WILL BE REDUCED IN THE OTHER AREA.
OKAY. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE REDUCED.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE. AND THOSE THREE NEW SAFETY ADVOCATES, WHERE ARE THEY GOING? DO YOU KNOW WHICH LEVEL? MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE CURRENTLY HAVE THREE SAFETY ADVOCATES, ONE PER TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO ONE SAFETY ADVOCATE PER MIDDLE SCHOOL.
OKAY. SO IT'LL BE SIX IN TOTAL.
EXCELLENT. AND MY SECOND QUESTION WAS WITH SAFETY ALSO ON PAGE 93.
AND WE WENT FROM 29,000 TO 62,000.
IS THAT? THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION, MR. WHITE. BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM THE CONTRACTORS AND THE BUS ASSISTANTS, THEY ARE ASKING FOR MORE TRAINING FOR DEALING WITH THE MORE CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, NOT JUST THE STUDENTS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS.
SO WE HISTORICALLY HAVE TRAINED THE BARE MINIMUM AS REQUIRED BY MA SIX HOURS PER YEAR.
SO WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO INCREASE THAT COORDINATE WITH SPECIAL ED STUDENT SERVICES AS APPROPRIATE TO TRY AND EQUIP THE BUS ASSISTANTS AND THE BUS DRIVERS WITH MORE TOOLS TO DEAL WITH THE REALITY OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH STUDENT SAFETY AND THE OTHER ISSUES THAT WE ARE GRAPPLING WITH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS A COST SAVING MEASURE, A FEW YEARS AGO, WE CUT INCLUDING THE BUS CONTRACTORS AND WHO DRIVE BUSSES AND THE SPECIAL ROUTE DRIVER WAS OUT OF OUR SPECIAL TRAININGS.
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DRIVER OR IN THE OCCASION THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BUS ASSISTANT, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO SERVE AS A BUS ASSISTANT.SO THAT BUS KEEPS RUNNING FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO HENCE THE INCREASE IN THE SAFETY, MEANING THAT IS FOR DIRECT SAFETY TRAINING.
THANK YOU. SO I'LL START OFF WITH A QUESTION ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION ON PRE K FUNDING.
THE RESPONSE WAS THE ALLOCATION IS BASED ON ONE THE NUMBER OF PRE K STUDENTS TO THE STATE'S DOLLAR ALLOCATION PER PRE K STUDENT AND THE COUNTY'S WEALTH INDEX AND FROM WHAT STAFF COULD COULD DETERMINE THE REVENUE CHANGE FROM 22 TO 24 APPEARS TO BE CLOSELY TIED TO FLUCTUATIONS IN PRE K ENROLLMENT RATHER THAN TO OTHER FUNDING THE OTHER TWO FUNDING FACTORS.
SO I SENT A FOLLOW UP QUESTION THAT JUST ASKED ARE OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR PRE K CHANGING? AND THAT QUESTION WAS JUST TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE IMPETUS FOR THE FLUCTUATION IN PRE K ENROLLMENT.
HAVE WE DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT? DO WE HAVE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS? IS IT THE CHANGE FROM HALF DAY TO FULL DAY THAT'S CAUSING AN ENROLLMENT DECREASE? DO WE NOT HAVE ENOUGH PRE K SLOTS BECAUSE NOW WE'RE GOING FROM HALF DAY TO FULL DAY AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE SPACE FOR THE CHILDREN AND THE THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN THE BUILDINGS THAT WE USED TO.
IS THERE A PARTICULAR PAGE NUMBER YOU'RE REFERENCING? YES. UM, ORIGINALLY IT WAS THE.
IN THE REVENUE SECTION AND I DIDN'T ON PAGE 29.
THAT WAS WHAT MY FIRST QUESTION.
NOTED. SO I THINK IT'S ON PAGE 29.
IT INCLUDES SOME INFORMATION ABOUT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, I BELIEVE.
BUT RATHER THAN READ THAT EMAIL, I'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT SUBSEQUENTLY TO THIS MEETING.
SURE. I'LL CIRCLE BACK AGAIN TO OUR STUDENT MEMBER.
THANK YOU. SO I'M ON PAGE 65 AND THE SECTION SUICIDE PREVENTION.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT SPECIFICALLY THE MONEY UNDER SUICIDE PREVENTION IS BEING USED FOR.
JAMES KERR, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SERVICES.
THAT'S TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE USE FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION.
UM, CAN YOU GO INTO A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT THE PROGRAMS ARE LIKE? UM. WELL.
I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
I'D HAVE TO I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO EXACTLY WHAT WHAT PROGRAMS THEY ARE.
$99,942 MORE ON TEXTBOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES AT CENTRAL OFFICE.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN OR ELABORATE ON THAT? WHAT ARE THESE? WHAT TEXTBOOKS ARE BEING PURCHASED? I NOTICED A HUGE DISCREPANCY.
WHAT IS THAT 40,000 BEING USED ON? THANK YOU, MISS GRANNIS. I'LL START ON THAT ANSWER.
SO I JUST WANT TO JUST CLARIFY.
SO WHEN YOU SEE TEXTBOOKS AND THE NUMBER BESIDE EACH SCHOOL, EACH SCHOOL LOOKS AT THEIR CURRENT INVENTORY OF TEXTBOOKS, AND IF THEY HAVE TEXTBOOKS THAT ARE LOST OR IF THEY'RE ADDING SMALL NUMBERS OF TEXTBOOKS THAT ARE ALREADY APPROVED BY THE DISTRICT, THEN THEY ALLOWED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THEIR BUDGET FOR THAT.
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SO EACH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL CAN DETERMINE HOW MUCH THEY NEED TO PUT TOWARDS TEXTBOOKS, WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE VARIABILITY BETWEEN THOSE IN CALVERT COUNTY.ALL NEW ADDITIONS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
MRS JACOBS WILL BE ABLE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE BOOKS ARE.
THANK YOU. JACKIE JACOBS, DIRECTOR OF SYSTEM AND INSTRUCTIONAL PERFORMANCE.
SO AS OUR SUPERVISORS WENT THROUGH AND IDENTIFIED WHAT WERE THE NEEDED TEXTBOOKS THAT WOULD BE PURCHASED AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE, THOSE INCLUDE TEXTBOOKS FOR THE HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PART OF TAM ACCOUNTING TEXTBOOK UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT, POWERPOINT, EXCEL, THOSE TEXTBOOKS.
SO WITH THE ACCOUNTING TEXTBOOK, THE COPYRIGHT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS REALLY, REALLY OLD.
SO WE WANTED TO GET THE MOST UPDATED VERSION.
SAME WITH THE OTHER BUSINESS COURSE.
EACH YEAR OUR ELA SUPERVISORS PUT IN A SMALL BUDGET FOR BOOK CLUB BOOKS TO RECYCLE THROUGH THE TYPES OF BOOKS THAT ARE OFFERED IN BOOK CLUBS. SO THAT IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THAT COST.
ALSO WITHIN THAT COST ARE THE READY READING AND READY MATH MATERIALS.
THERE ARE THE CONSUMABLES ALSO WITHIN HERE ARE ADDITIONAL TEXTBOOKS FOR INCREASED ENROLLMENT IN SOME CASES AND THEN PURCHASES FOR THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY IF THEY WERE NEEDED IN THAT REALM.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR PRE-K CURRICULUM ADOPTION.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A NEW PRE-K CURRICULUM.
SO THERE'S AN INCREASED COST THERE AND THEN AN INCREASED COST WITHIN OUR GIFTED AND TALENTED AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE COST FOR OUR CALC THREE TEXTBOOKS. OUR CALC THREE WILL GO INTO PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME NEXT YEAR.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE ALSO INCLUDED IN THAT COST.
OKAY. UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A HUGE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE MONEY BETWEEN ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'RE SAYING.
THE BOOKS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WERE MORE EXPENSIVE.
BUT WHEN I THINK OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
OUR INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES INCLUDE THINGS LIKE SCISSORS, GLUE, UM, TISSUES, MARKERS, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THOSE ARE NEVER PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL.
WE HAVE TO COUNT ON PARENT DONATIONS FOR THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
IT JUST SEEMS THAT'S VERY INEQUITABLE.
YOU KNOW, TEACHERS NEED THOSE SUPPLIES FOR CHILDREN TO.
FOR FOR THOSE ARE THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES.
SO. SO FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTION, WE REALLY LOOK AT PURCHASING WHAT ARE THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS LIKE, THE STUDENT WORKBOOKS, THE MATH MANIPULATIVES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO PRINCIPALS AREN'T PUTTING IN FOR PRINCIPALS AREN'T USING THEIR MONEY FOR THOSE SUPPLIES BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL AND THAT COLUMN IS EMPTY.
AM I READING THAT CORRECTLY? MATERIALS OF INSTRUCTION WOULD BE FOUND ON PAGE 59.
ALL RIGHT. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE ALLOTMENT THAT IS ASSIGNED BY EACH SCHOOL.
UM, AND IT DOES CARRY OVER TO THE NEXT PAGE AS WELL.
PAGE 60. SO KIND OF IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
MS.. GRANNIS ON PAGE 59, I GUESS THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THESE NUMBERS THAT ARE THAT ARE LISTED HERE BY SCHOOL, IS THAT BASED ON WHAT A PRINCIPAL HAS SUBMITTED? AND THAT'S WHY THERE ARE THERE COULD BE SO MANY DIFFERENCES.
LIKE I JUST I HIGHLIGHTED, FOR EXAMPLE, CALVERT HIGH, ALTHOUGH IT'S IT'S IT'S LESS THAN IT HAS BEEN IN PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS BUT IT'S IT'S VERY LARGE, COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING. SO THESE ARE NUMBERS THAT THAT ARE PUT TOGETHER BY A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND SUBMITTED TO YOU ALL.
ARE YOU JUST REFERRING TO PAGE 59? YES, YES, YES. JUST SO I KNEW WHAT WHAT PAGE YOU WERE LOOKING AT.
SO. YES. SO EACH EACH SCHOOL GETS A PER STUDENT ALLOCATION.
[00:40:06]
SUCH AS BUSINESS ART, PE, SPECIAL EDUCATION, ETCETERA.WE ARE REDUCING OUR BUDGET FOR THE CORE SUBJECTS.
CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN THAT? SO AS I REVIEWED THE BUDGET REQUESTS FROM OUR SUPERVISORS, WHAT I SAW CONSISTENTLY ACROSS THE BOARD IS THAT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE PURCHASED A LOT OF KITS AND MATERIALS THAT ARE ONE TIME COSTS VERSUS A REOCCURRING COSTS.
SO THE CHANGE IN WHAT WAS ASKED FOR LAST YEAR VERSUS WHAT WAS ASKED FOR THIS YEAR IS JUST A CHANGE IN THE FACT THAT THE MATERIALS THAT THEY BOUGHT LAST YEAR DID NOT NEED TO BE REPURCHASED FOR THIS YEAR.
SO THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENT KITS AND MANIPULATIVES THAT WERE PURCHASED THIS YEAR AND THEN A LOT OF JUST ONE TIME COSTS AND ELEMENTARY ELA.
SOME OF THE COSTS ARE ACTUALLY COMING OUT OF OUR MARYLAND LEADS GRANT THROUGH.
THE READY TO READ PIECE OF IT.
SO OR THE LETTERS, TRAINING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SOME OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL KITS ARE BEING PURCHASED OUT OF THAT GRANT.
AND I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE'S WELL, THE CORE SUBJECTS.
THE BUDGET FOR THE CORE SUBJECTS HAS GONE DOWN.
UM, WHAT WILL THIS FUNDING BE USED FOR IN HEALTH? SO FOR THIS INCLUDES BOTH HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
AND SO THERE ARE TWO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PIECES TO THAT THAT MAKE UP THAT AN ADDITIONAL 20,000.
ONE IS THERE WAS AN INCREASED COST FOR GREAT BODY SHOP, SO THAT COST WENT UP $4,400 WHERE LAST YEAR THE ONLY THING PURCHASED IN THAT HEALTH ACCOUNT WAS GREAT BODY SHOP.
SO THERE WAS AN INCREASED COST FOR PURCHASING FOR THIS YEAR AND THAT ALSO INCLUDED ADDING IN PRE KINDERGARTEN, THERE IS AN $8,000 INCREASE FOR HEALTH MATERIALS.
AND THEN THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE FOR PE EQUIPMENT ACROSS THE BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE MOST INNOVATIVE TYPES OF EQUIPMENT IN THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
AND THEN FINALLY THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE FOR UNIFIED PE.
SO IF WE NEEDED ADAPTIVE PE MATERIALS, THAT WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THAT COST.
BELINSKY. I'D LIKE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE IT EQUIPMENT.
THE 750,000 MADE A VERY ELOQUENT ARGUMENT ABOUT PURCHASING VERSUS LEASING AND HOW IT COULD SAVE OVERALL HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF HAVING TO PACK UP ALL OF THE LAPTOPS THAT ARE AT THE END OF THE THREE YEAR LEASE AND SHIPPING THEM BACK AND THAT WE'D BE STUCK INTO THEIR TIMEFRAME VERSUS WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY UTILIZE THESE LAPTOPS IF WE OWN THEM DIFFERENTLY.
AND JUST WOULD TAKE YOU WOULD PUT YOUR DEPARTMENT MORE IN CONTROL.
IF THIS IF IF WE CAN'T MAKE THE DECISION THIS YEAR TO GO TO PURCHASE BECAUSE THIS IS JUST FOR ONE GRADE LEVEL, RIGHT? UM, WILL THERE BE ANY COST THAT WE HAVE TO INCUR THIS YEAR TO MAKE UP FOR THAT? I'M SORRY. COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? IF WE HAVE TO REMOVE IF WE HAVE TO RE STAY WITH LEASING AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING $750,000 IN OUR BUDGET TO OWN THESE THIS YEAR? WOULD WOULD WOULD WE HAVE TO ADD SOMETHING BACK IN TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE THIRD GRADE LAPTOPS? NO. THE ORIGINAL REQUEST THAT WE MADE WAS GOING TO ALLOW US TO LEASE THE THIRD GRADE LAPTOPS AGAIN.
THE ADDITIONAL 750 WOULD ALLOW US TO PURCHASE THEM.
OKAY, GOOD. THAT THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
UM, AND IS THIS A PURCHASE TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR?
[00:45:04]
WHAT'S THE TIMING ON THIS PURCHASE THAT YOU WOULD DO? THE 750.AND THOSE LAPTOPS ARE SENT TO US AND RECEIVED AND THEN WE WOULD PAY IT FOR THEM.
SO IT WOULD ALL BE FY 24 MONEY OUT OF THE FUTURE READY BUDGET.
RIGHT. THAT WAS JUST YEAH, I WAS TALKING ABOUT FY 24.
SO IF WE REMOVED IT FROM FY 24 THE 750, WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO INCUR ANY MORE IN FY 20 AND FY 24.
CORRECT. THE 2.566 WILL COVER IT, AND THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED.
RIGHT. WHEN WOULD THE PURCHASE BE MADE? WHAT TIME OF YEAR? WE WOULD MAKE THE PURCHASE.
AS SOON AS WE GET APPROVAL TO TO MAKE THE PURCHASE.
THEY WOULD NOT BE RECEIVED, THOUGH, UNTIL PROBABLY CLOSER TO JUNE, JULY.
OKAY. SO IT WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY ALMOST FOR THEM TO BE BROUGHT IN.
WE WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO REDUCE OUR ASK FOR FY 24.
SO WE IN FACT WOULD BE ABLE TO REQUEST TO DECREASE THAT.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS ONLY GOING TO BE IN 25.
OKAY. SO IN 24, WE WON'T REALIZE ANY IMMEDIATE SAVINGS BECAUSE WE'RE PAYING THE 750 UP FRONT.
SO WE ARE GOING TO BE SPENDING MORE MONEY IN 24.
IF WE DO IT, THE SAVINGS WON'T KICK IN UNTIL 25.
SO WE WILL BE SPENDING MORE IN 24.
BUT WE CAN REDUCE THE ORIGINAL ASK BY ABOUT $200,000 IF THE 750 IS APPROVED.
AND THEN ON THE I SAW SOMETHING.
THAT THERE WAS NEW INFORMATION.
I'M SORRY. I CAN'T FIND WHERE IT IS.
BUT THE THE OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT WE LOST, OUR UNIVERSAL SERVICES GRANT THAT THAT BECAME REDUCED.
AND THEREFORE WE TRANSFERRED YOUR THE SIX TECHS INTO OPERATING BUDGET.
THERE'S CAPACITY IN THE RESTRICTED FUND BUDGET FOR NOT QUITE TWO FTES.
OKAY, SO BUT WE BUT WE PUT ALL SIX INTO OUR OPERATING BUDGET, RIGHT? YES. FOR FISCAL YEAR 20.
YES. THANK YOU. SO WE CAN AMEND THAT AND PUT TWO OF THEM BACK INTO RESTRICTED.
SO. SO THESE GUYS HAD BEEN ON IN THE IT DEPARTMENT ALL ALONG.
AND SO WE THOUGHT WE WE WE MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT WE WERE GOING TO RUN OUT OF MONEY.
I GUESS WE KNEW THAT IT WAS A REDUCING PILE OF MONEY.
YES, INDEED. IT WAS A MUCH OF A STRUGGLE.
IT'S BEEN MANY YEARS. THE UNIVERSAL SERVICES ACCOUNT WAS QUITE LARGE.
IT'S BEEN COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED BECAUSE OF PAYING THE SIX TECHS.
WE HAD A PRESENTATION AT THE LAST MEETING.
WE WOULD HAVE USED UNIVERSAL SERVICES MONEY FOR THAT.
WE HAVE TO USE ECF MONEY FOR THAT, WHICH WAS THE GRANT THAT WE APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED.
THE ECF WAS FORTUNATE TO GET US TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO SO SINCE WE'VE BEEN HAVING PAID THE TECHS OUT OF THAT GRANT FUND. WELL, I MEAN, WE NEED TO OWN UP TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE THESE SIX PEOPLE THAT THAT REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED CORRECTLY.
THIS IS STILL WE STILL WILL GET SOME MONIES COMING INTO THAT, RIGHT? YES. YES, WE DO.
IT'S JUST I THINK THE SIX TECHS COSTS ROUGHLY $370,000 PER YEAR.
WE DON'T GET NEARLY THAT AMOUNT IN.
[00:50:03]
RIGHT. THAT'S GONE.YEAH, THAT USED TO BE A LARGE AMOUNT IN THERE OVER THE YEARS, SO IT WAS NICE TO TAP INTO IT.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO GO ON THE PAGES TOO.
ON PAGE 29, THERE IS THE LINE ITEM FOR SUMMER SCHOOL.
AND IF I LOOK AT FY 20, 21 AND THEN 22, THE AMOUNTS THERE ARE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT.
SO IS SUMMER SCHOOL SOMEWHERE ELSE OR ARE WE? WHY IS THERE. IS THERE NOTHING THERE? THERE IS NOTHING THERE BECAUSE WE CURRENTLY PAY IT OUT OF OUR ESSER GRANT FUNDS.
OKAY. OKAY. DO WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT WE SPENT OR WHAT WE HAD AVAILABLE IN ESSER FUNDS LAST YEAR, IF WE MAXIMIZED THIS MIGHT NOT BE A QUESTION YOU CAN ANSWER RIGHT THIS SECOND.
BUT DID WE MAXIMIZE DID ALL THE CHILDREN THAT COULD HAVE BENEFITED FROM BEING IN SUMMER SCHOOL? DID THEY GET THAT OPPORTUNITY? DID WE FULFILL THAT AND PAY ALL THE TEACHERS OR WERE THERE NOT ENOUGH STAFF TO FULFILL ALL OF THAT? DID WE HAVE ENOUGH TEACHERS TO ADEQUATELY.
ACCOMMODATE. I CAN SPECIFICALLY RESPOND TO SECONDARY SCHOOL AT THIS POINT.
SO OUR SECONDARY HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM IS FOR CREDIT RECOVERY, AND ANY STUDENT WHO WANTED TO ATTEND FOR CREDIT RECOVERY, NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE A SPOT FOR THEM, WE WE DON'T OFFER EVERY COURSE THAT ANY STUDENT MIGHT NOT PASS.
WE OFFER CREDIT RECOVERY FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO DID NOT PASS COURSES.
AND WE DID HAVE STAFF FOR THE THREE REGIONAL PROGRAMS THAT WE RUN.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR MIDDLE AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THEN MORE OF A DEPOT SERVICE FOR HIGH SCHOOLS FOR OUR ELEMENTARY PROGRAM.
WE HAD OUR SIX REGIONAL PROGRAMS AT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND THEY WERE STAFFED.
WE DID HAVE MORE TEACHERS WHO WERE INTERESTED LAST YEAR THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
HOWEVER, I DON'T I CAN'T SAY THAT IT CAPTURES PROGRAMING FOR EVERY STUDENT WHO NEEDS IT.
THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS ALSO ON PAGE 29, AND IT'S FOR ABOUT $924,000.
SO THE THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT WE HAD ASKED OR SOMEONE HAD ASKED.
AND THE RESPONSE ESSENTIALLY, WHAT IS IT FOR THE CONTRACTOR SERVICES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT? AND THE ANSWER WAS THAT APPARENTLY IT'S AS A RESULT OF NEW LEGISLATION, ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT NOT BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE BLUEPRINT.
THERE IS SOME COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, AND WE KNOW THAT THAT'S PART OF THE BLUEPRINT.
SO I'M WONDERING AT WHAT POINT DO WE GET TO REFINE THAT ANSWER AND REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT $924,000 IS FOR? AND TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT QUESTION, SHOULD SOME OF THOSE COSTS ACTUALLY BE CONSIDERED RESTRICTED AND NOT GENERAL FUND? SO I LEANED OVER AND ASKED MR. JOHNSON THERE WAS A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT, I BELIEVE IT WAS $62 A STUDENT BASED ON OUR ENROLLMENT.
SO BASED ON OUR SYSTEM ENROLLMENT, WE HAD TO BUDGET FOR $62 A STUDENT.
AND THAT GOES TO CAREER COUNSELING.
THAT IS ACTUALLY IS PART OF THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND'S FUTURE.
SO THAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LINE IS TO SUPPORT CAREER COUNSELORS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE SYSTEM WILL PAY FOR CAREER COUNSELING.
IT MEANS THAT WE WILL WORK WORK WITH THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO DETERMINE WHAT THOSE CAREER COUNSELORS LOOK LIKE, AND THAT MONEY SHOULD BE DESIGNATED TO SUPPORT THAT EFFORT. SO ONE OTHER QUESTION IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT.
AND I THINK THAT THERE HAVE BEEN INCREASES IN IN MOST RECENT YEARS.
[00:55:06]
ALL THE OTHER THINGS ASIDE, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, HAVE WE IDENTIFIED SPECIFICALLY WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS AS IT RELATES TO THE BLUEPRINT? AND WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT MONEY HAS TO GO AND HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO NEED OVER AND ABOVE THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT AND OVER AND ABOVE WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY GIVEN US.AND THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T GET THAT $22 MILLION? WHAT GETS CUT FIRST? WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GO? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO LOOK FOR? SO I'LL START WITH THAT ANSWER.
BUT MR. JOHNSON AND ANYBODY ELSE MIGHT WANT TO ADD TO THAT.
SO THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, WE DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME DETERMINING WHAT IS REQUIRED BY THE BLUEPRINT AND HOW MUCH MONEY THAT IS, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE GETTING FROM THE THE STATE.
SO SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS ARE REFLECTED IN THERE.
IF WE DON'T GET THE MONEY THAT WE ARE REQUESTING, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH AND DETERMINE WHAT CUTS WE'RE MAKING AND WE START TO LOOK AT WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME CUTS THAT WOULD BE THE LEAST IMPACTFUL TO OUR STUDENTS.
SCOTT, WHAT? WOULD YOU ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT THAT WAS MY ANSWER ABOUT THE CUTS.
BUT I WILL SAY WITH THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, I, ALONG WITH THE OTHER SUPERINTENDENTS IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND, ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON WHAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LOOKS LIKE IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND.
WE MET WITH I MET LAST WEEK WITH PRESIDENT YOLANDA SMITH OF COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND.
THANK YOU. I JUST I SAID IT LAST MEETING.
I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN. AS LONG AS THE KIDS AND THE TEACHERS AREN'T THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE FOR THE BLUEPRINT AND THAT THE WAYS THAT WE HAVE TO CUT OR THAT WE HAVE TO INCREASE CLASS SIZES.
39 AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION EQUITY IN SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.
AND. WHEN IT SAYS SALARY AND WAGES, IT WENT UP $10,000. UH, UNDER FOR SALARY AND WAGES.
THEN WHEN YOU DROP DOWN TO CONTRACTED SERVICES THAT WENT FROM 11,000 DOWN TO 11,600 TO 4000 IS THE SALARY INCREASE.
IS THAT BECAUSE WE WE HIRED SOMEONE ELSE OR WHAT'S WHAT CAUSED THAT INCREASE? THAT REFLECTS A SALARY INCREASE COMPARABLE TO WHAT THE TEACHERS ARE RECEIVING.
PLUS IT REFLECTS A STEP INCREASE.
OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THE CONTRACTED THE CONSULTANT.
CONTRACTED SERVICES THAT'S TIED INTO IT ALSO.
THAT'S WHY THE DECREASE THERE NO MR WHITE THROUGH THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE BROUGHT IN TO DO A DEEP DIVE IN MORE LIKE A TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAM FOR EQUITY AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY WERE COMFORTABLE AND EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE THE IN-PERSON TRAINING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PROVIDE AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
OKAY. SO THEY CAME, THEY DID THE WORK, AND NOW THEY'RE GONE.
SO IT WAS TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS.
MY QUESTION IS ANOTHER CLARIFYING QUESTION BASED ON AN INITIAL ONE THAT I HAD.
SO ORIGINALLY I HAD ASKED ABOUT THE $164,600 INCREASE IN CONTRACTED SERVICES ON PAGE 37 FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
MISS DANIELS PROVIDED THE RESPONSE AND SHE BROKE IT UP INTO TWO COST CATEGORIES.
ONE CATEGORY WAS 77,500, AND SHE SAID THAT THAT THOSE WERE COSTS THAT WERE IN THE IT BUDGET AND THEY WERE BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE COMMUNICATIONS BUDGET.
[01:00:03]
THOSE COSTS WERE COSTS THAT WERE NOT BEING TRANSFERRED FROM THE IT BUDGET.THE OTHER PART OF THE DIFFERENCE WAS NOT TRANSFERRED TO IT.
WHY ARE WE SHOWING THE PART THAT WAS NOT TRANSFERRED AS AN INCREASE? IN COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
IF THAT COST IS REMAINING IN THE IT BUDGET, WHY IS IT BEING SHOWN IN COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING AND CLARIFY THAT, YES, THERE WAS MONIES TRANSFERRED FROM THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, BUT THEN I ALSO PRESENTED OTHER ITEMS THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO INCLUDE THAT WOULD BE NEW CONTRACTED SERVICES.
OKAY. SO YOUR TITLE THAT SAYS COSTS THAT ARE NOT BEING TRANSFERRED FROM THE IT BUDGET ARE NEW COSTS THAT YOU HAVE COME UP WITH THAT YOU'RE INCLUDING IN YOUR BUDGET, NOT COSTS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY IN THE IT BUDGET, BUT YOU'RE NOT BRINGING THEM TO YOUR OFFICE.
THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THAT EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENCE.
63 FOR ATHLETICS, ALL PROGRAMS FOR THAT $78,200.
HOW IS THAT MONEY DISTRIBUTED TO ALL SCHOOLS? SO THAT MONEY IS DISTRIBUTED IN THE FOLLOWING WAY.
25,000 STAYS WITH THE THE SUPERVISOR OF ATHLETICS, WHO HAS TWO BIG PURCHASES FOR LINING THE FIELDS.
AND I'M DRAWING A BLANK ON THE SECOND PIECE.
12 POINT. 12,500 GOES TO EACH HIGH SCHOOL AND $600 GOES TO EACH MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I CAN HELP WITH THE OTHER PIECE.
MISS GREENWICH OR MISS ROTHGEB? WERE YOU DONE? OKAY. PAGE 68.
I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE $860,000 FOR BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT.
UM. SO WE AS WE'VE SEEN IN PROTEST, AS WE HEAR IN TESTIMONY, THAT THERE ARE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES IN OUR DISTRICT THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED.
IF YOU DIVIDE THAT BY OUR 25 SCHOOLS, THAT'S AN INVESTMENT OF ROUGHLY $34,000 PER SCHOOL.
WE'RE NOT MARRIED TO ONE PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY.
THERE'S A RANGE OF PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT SUPPORT STUDENT BEHAVIORS.
SACHSE. SO WE ARE SAYING THAT THE PLAYBOOK IS NOT IS IS NOT PART OF THAT BUDGET.
YEAH, WE'RE NOT MARRIED TO ANY SPECIFIC PROGRAM.
IF WE WOULD LIKE TO USE PLAYBOOK, THEN POSSIBLY WE COULD USE PLAYBOOK.
BUT THAT'S NOT GUARANTEED FOR A PLAYBOOK.
THAT'S GENERALLY BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT IN CALVERT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
OKAY. I'M JUST WONDERING HOW THAT NUMBER CAME ABOUT THEN.
SO WE ESTIMATED THE COST OF WHAT PLAYBOOK COSTS FOR SECONDARY AND HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT WHEN YOU DIVIDE THAT AMONGST ALL SCHOOLS, IT'S $34,000.
DOES THAT INCLUDE ELEMENTARY OR ARE WE JUST LOOKING AT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL THAT INCLUDES ALL SCHOOLS, ELEMENTARY INCLUDED? YES, MA'AM. 25 SCHOOLS.
OKAY. SO THAT LEADS ME INTO MY NEXT QUESTION.
[01:05:05]
WITH DEESCALATING SEVERE BEHAVIORS? WE WILL USE THOSE FUNDS FOR TRAINING.TRAINING OF TRAINERS SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE WHOLE NINE.
YEAH. I GUESS MY CONCERN IN THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M HEARING IS IT'S.
WHEN IT COMES TO THESE BEHAVIORS, IT'S ALL PUT ON THE TEACHERS SHOULDERS.
OR IS ADMINISTRATION GETTING ANYTHING TO HELP WITH THESE BEHAVIORS? ABSOLUTELY. IT STARTS AT THE TOP.
ADMINISTRATORS SHALL BE TRAINED AND IT MUST TRICKLE DOWN FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I'VE BEEN TRAINED.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT HERE.
OKAY. I CAN JUST ADD A COUPLE THINGS TO THAT.
WITHIN OUR BUDGET, I CAN ADD JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS.
SO WITHIN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION AND STUDENT SERVICES BUDGET, WE DO HAVE MONEY THAT IS SET ASIDE IN THE LOCAL BUDGET FOR CRISIS PREVENTION, INSTITUTE TRAINING, CPR TRAINING, LIFE CRISIS, LIFE SPACE CRISIS INTERVENTION, POSITIVE BEHAVIOR, INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.
AND THEN THERE ARE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE BUDGETED FOR VERBAL DE-ESCALATION CAMP VERSUS WON'T BEHAVIORS, BEHAVIOR, NORMS AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES. SO THEY ARE OPEN TO ALL TEACHERS FOR THOSE TYPES OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN OUTLINED FOR FROM THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN THINGS.
WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE TRAINING FOR CPI AND LCI THERE AND THERE, MORE SPECIFIC TO THE CRISIS TEAMS AT THE SCHOOLS FOR SEVERE BEHAVIORS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
SO BETWEEN STUDENT SERVICES AND SPECIAL EDUCATION, THERE'S MONEY IN THOSE BUDGETS TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE PIECES, AND THAT'S ALL SCHOOLS REGARDLESS OF LEVEL FOR THOSE MORE DEMANDING BEHAVIORS, WE DO USE OUR TITLE FOUR FUNDS AND ANOTHER GRANT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, WHICH I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THAT GRANT IS.
UM, THE ACCESS EQUITY AND PROGRESS FUNDS THAT ARE GRANT FUNDED TO INTEGRATE COLLABORATIVE PROACTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR FOR TEAMS. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED WHETHER OR NOT THAT TRAINING CAN JUST BE DONE ON A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY AND AND IT CANNOT BE.
IT'S A 16 WEEK PROGRAM THAT HAPPENS EVERY TWO WEEKS AND THEY TRAIN UP TO TEN PEOPLE AT A TIME.
BUT THAT THAT TRAINING IS IMPLEMENTED INTO OUR TITLE FOUR AND OUR ACCESS EQUITY AND PROGRESS FUNDS TO HELP SUPPORT OUR STAFF WITH CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS. SO TEN PEOPLE ARE TRAINED.
YES. AND RIGHT NOW, NOT EVERY SCHOOL.
SO BUT BUT WHEN YOU WORK WITH LIVES IN THE BALANCE, THAT IS THE SETUP THAT THEY HAVE.
THEY YOU THEY HAVE LIMITED NUMBER OF TRAINERS.
FIRST, COULD YOU REPEAT HOW LONG THIS TRAINING TAKES? IT IS A 15 WEEK PROGRAM AND IT'S NOT 15 STRAIGHT WEEKS.
THEY MEET EVERY EVERY OTHER WEEK.
IF IT HAPPENS OUTSIDE THE THE DAY PEOPLE ARE PAID.
HUH? SO IF IT'S NOT BUILT INTO TO THE DAY, IT'S BECOMES SELECTIVE.
I DON'T MEAN TO CHALLENGE THIS, BUT IT JUST SEEMS THAT THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY FOR FOR TEACHERS TO HAVE THIS KIND OF TRAINING AND IT CRUCIAL THAT THIS BE PROVIDED DURING THE SCHOOL DAY FOR FOR TEACHERS.
AT A BOARD MEETING. WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE HAD PLAYGROUNDS OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH ADA.
WHICH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO RESOLVE IT? AS THE. OH, WE WERE INFORMED AT A PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING THAT WE HAD SCHOOLS OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE ADA.
WHICH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO GET THEM TO COMPLIANCE?
[01:10:02]
MISS GRANNIS. IN OCTOBER, I MET WITH SEVERAL OF THE PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AT HUNTINGTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND THEY POINTED OUT IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE TO THE KINDERGARTEN THAT PLAYGROUND AT HUNTINGTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.AS A FOLLOW UP, WE MET WITH JANET STEFFENSEN, GREG GOTCH, RASHEEDA WARNER, KENDY ANDERSON AND THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST, AND THEY GAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE TYPES OF PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT THAT COULD BE ADDED.
AT THIS TIME, WE'RE CONSIDERING PLACING RENOVATIONS OF THE PLAYGROUND INTO THE CIP AS THE NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT WITH THE POUR IN PLACE SURFACES IS IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MISS WARNER.
GOOD EVENING, SUCHITA WARNER, DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.
SO JUST TO JUST MAKE A CLARIFICATION IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE VERSUS NON COMPLIANCE, WE ARE GOVERNED BY THE MARYLAND ACCESSIBILITY CODE WITHIN COMAR, WHICH SPEAKS TO OUR BUILDINGS AS WELL AS SITE AMENITIES WHICH INCLUDE PLAYGROUNDS.
SO WITHIN COMAR, THERE IS A PROVISION THAT UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO BE BUILDING A NEW BUILDING OR MAKING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS, THAT YOUR STRUCTURES, INCLUDING YOUR BUILDING AS WELL AS PLAYGROUND AMENITIES ARE GRANDFATHERED IN.
SO ACTUALLY IN TERMS OF THE LAW, WE'RE NOT OUT OF COMPLIANCE.
GOT IT. AND IN TERMS OF WHENEVER WE'VE DONE NEW CONSTRUCTION OR RENOVATION AND WE HAVE REPLACED PLAYGROUNDS, WE HAVE CERTAINLY GONE BACK WITH ACCESSIBLE STRUCTURES.
SO WE'VE FOLLOWED THOSE ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR PLAYGROUNDS.
HOWEVER, MOST OF OUR PLAYGROUNDS WERE CONSTRUCTED MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
CURRENTLY BEECH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THAT WILL BE A FULLY ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND.
THAT SCHOOL WILL COME ONLINE THIS SUMMER.
THEY WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THAT PARTICULAR CODE.
SO NOTHING WILL BE DONE FOR THE SCHOOLS THAT JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE OLD.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE'RE NOT INVESTING IN THE PLAYGROUNDS BECAUSE IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY MEET CODE.
SO THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE A QUESTION FOR THE BOARD.
WE HAVE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WANT US TO STAY UNDER IN TERMS OF CAPITAL DOLLARS THAT THEY WILL GIVE US FOR PROJECTS.
SO I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF SETTING PRIORITIES.
AND CERTAINLY THE NEW PLAYGROUNDS AT BEECH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COST US FOR THE PRIMARY AND THE INTERMEDIATE A LITTLE OVER $330,000.
SO IT IS, I BELIEVE, A POINT OF DISCUSSION.
IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, THEN I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT, LOOKED AT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER CAPITAL NEEDS. OKAY.
SO ALL JUST TO CLARIFY, ALL PLAYGROUNDS ARE IN COMPLIANCE.
AND CAN YOU JUST REMIND US JUST EXACTLY WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT? THE WE HAVE DONE THROUGH GRANTS AND I BELIEVE IT'S HEAD START GRANTS.
CORRECT. WE'VE DONE BIG RENOVATIONS AT PAC WAS ONE, RIGHT? YEAH. THOSE ARE FULLY ACCESSIBLE.
SO I BELIEVE HEAD START THROUGH A GRANT PROGRAM, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
THEY DID ADD SOME PLAYGROUNDS.
SO I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS DONE AT BARSTOW, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AND PATUXENT ELEMENTARY.
HI GREG GOT DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL FACILITIES.
SO PATUXENT ELEMENTARY WAS THE FIRST SCHOOL TO BE UPGRADED.
THEY HAVE THEIR FEATURES THERE.
THE WHAT WE REFER TO AS POUR IN PLACE SURFACES WHICH ARE THE RUBBERIZED SURFACE.
[01:15:06]
NOW, EXCUSE ME, I AM NOT A BUDGET EXPERT, BUT I HAVE JUST A QUESTION THAT MAY SEEM OBVIOUS TO OTHERS, BUT NOT TO ME.WHEN THEY'RE GIVEN MONEY IN THIS BUDGET.
IS THERE ANY WAY FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SAVE THE MONEY, TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT IT OVER PERIODS OF YEARS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO UPGRADES AND RENOVATIONS? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE WAY IT IS NOW, THEY HAVE TO SPEND THAT ALLOTTED MONEY.
THEY IF THEY DON'T USE IT, IT CAN'T TRANSFER TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND IF IT IS CORRECT, IS THERE A WAY TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THAT SO THAT THEY CAN SAVE UP OVER YEARS? YOU'RE CORRECT THAT THAT IS NOT TYPICALLY PERMITTED TO CARRY OVER FUNDS, UNUSED FUNDS FROM ONE FISCAL YEAR TO THE NEXT IN EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH I'VE SERVED.
THAT'S BEEN TRUE. SO IT'S NOT SIMPLY A CALVERT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS REQUIREMENT.
COULD THEY? I MEAN, THEORETICALLY THEY COULD.
THAT PRACTICE COULD BE CHANGED.
BUT IT CAN CREATE SOME EQUITY ISSUES.
I'M NOT TALKING NEW PLAYGROUNDS.
I'M TALKING LIKE THOSE THE RUBBERIZED SURFACES, YOU KNOW, $20,000.
IS THAT ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD COST? WHAT WOULD IT COST? NO, IT WOULD COST ABOUT $150,000 FOR THE RUBBERIZED SURFACE.
SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO TAKE OUT THE EQUIPMENT.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO RAISE IT UP.
YOU'D HAVE TO POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE NEW FOUNDATIONS FOR THE EQUIPMENT.
SO THEN AT THAT POINT, IT TRIGGERS NEW EQUIPMENT.
SO IT'S NOT AS EASY AS JUST CHANGING ONE COMPONENT OF THE PLAYGROUND OUT.
IT MAKES A LOT MORE FISCAL SENSE IF YOU'RE GOING TO REPLACE AN ASPECT OF THE PLAYGROUND, SUCH AS THE ACTUAL SURFACE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PLAYGROUND AT THAT POINT.
ARE THERE CHEAPER WAY, CHEAPER WAYS OF GOING ABOUT IT? LIKE I KNOW SOME SOME PLAYGROUNDS I'VE OBSERVED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW A WHEELCHAIR COULD ACTUALLY GET OVER TO THE WHEELCHAIR SWING.
SO CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, IT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE ASPECT WHICH IS PROVIDING AN ACCESSIBLE PATH TO THE PLAYGROUND, BUT THEN IT DEPENDS WHERE SOME OF THE ACCESSIBLE EQUIPMENT THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCESS AT THE PLAYGROUND IS.
SO I THINK IT WOULD HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT IN A CASE BY CASE SCENARIO.
SO PAGE 67, THERE IS THE AT THE VERY BOTTOM IT SAYS FIELD TRIPS SUBTOTAL.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, IT SEEMS VERY LOW, BUT IS THIS IS THIS THE SAME SITUATION AS THE AS AS WE'VE SEEN IN OTHERS ABOUT INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS OR SUPPLIES WHERE THE PRINCIPALS OR STAFF AT THE SCHOOLS SHOULD SHOULD SUBMIT WHEN THEY WANT TO DO FIELD TRIPS OR WHAT? THAT COST SEEMS VERY LOW FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO THAT FEE DOESN'T COVER THE COST OF A FIELD TRIP FOR A STUDENT TO TAKE.
THAT IS JUST CLEARLY TO PAY DOCENT FEES.
WHERE IS THAT COST FOR A STUDENT TO TAKE A FIELD TRIP? SO OUR MOST OF OUR COST IN INSTRUCTION FOR FIELD TRIPS, FOR THE THE TRIPS THAT WE REQUIRE, EVEN THE OLD WALKERVILLE TRIP, ALL OUR TRIPS FOR CHESS PACKS ARE IN TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE WE PAY FOR THE BUSSES FOR THOSE AND IN SUBSTITUTES BECAUSE WE WE PAY FOR A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE TEACHER WHO'S GOING ON THE TRIP.
ANY SCHOOL BASED TRIP THAT HAPPENS, THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SCHOOL.
[01:20:05]
COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR THE PRINCIPAL.AND THEN THEREFORE, THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN IN WHAT'S REFLECTED HERE IN THIS BUDGET.
YES. EACH NOT YOU WOULDN'T SEE THAT IN THIS BUDGET.
SO SO THAT MIGHT BE HANDLED THROUGH THEIR SCHOOL BUDGETS AND THEY THERE IS A PROCESS FOR SUBMITTING FIELD TRIPS FROM A FROM EVERY SCHOOL AND THE APPROVAL PROCESS HAPPENS AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
THEY HAVE TO ARRANGE FOR THE LOCATION, TRANSPORTATION.
AND IF THE STAFF MEMBER NEEDS A SUBSTITUTE AND THEN ONCE THAT PRINCIPAL APPROVES THAT FIELD TRIP, IT COMES TO THE INSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT FOR NOTIFICATION SO THAT WE ARE AWARE OF WHO'S IN AND OUT OF BUILDINGS ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
THANK YOU. AND ONE ONE LAST QUESTION, AND I KNOW WE ALL HAVE A FOOD COMA FROM EATING PIZZA, OR MOST OF US DO ANYWAY, SO I WON'T BELABOR THIS, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT INCREASES IN PART WHAT WAS BLUEPRINT FOR FOR TEACHERS AND THEN ALSO JUST INCREASES IN GENERAL FOR, YOU KNOW, INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS AND OTHER STAFF.
AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT THERE IS NO PLAN AT THIS POINT TO GIVE SCHOOL COUNSELORS AN INCREASE OR A PAY RAISE IN RELATION TO EVERYONE ELSE THAT'S GETTING A PAY RAISE.
IS THAT IS THAT TRUE OR FALSE? EVERYBODY OKAY.
THERE'S NO PLAN NOW MRS POST TO INCLUDE COUNSELORS IN THE SALARY INCREASE.
HOWEVER, IT IS A SUBJECT OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. IS YOUR QUESTION OVER ABOUT THE 5.5%? YEAH, THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET FOR COUNSELORS.
OKAY. PERFECT. MEMBERS OF THE CEA.
MR. WHITE? YEAH. ONE MORE TIME.
OH, MY FAULT. SORRY, BUT SERIOUSLY, UH, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS THAT HAVE NO SERVICE AS FAR AS, LIKE, HUNTINGTOWN HIGH SCHOOL, BARSTOW.
THERE ARE TWO SCHOOLS THAT THEY DON'T.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CELL SERVICE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE ARE EFFORTS BEING MADE TO EQUIP STAFF WITH A WAY OF GETTING DIRECTLY TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. THERE ARE DIFFERENT APPS AND THINGS THAT OTHER STATES USE WHERE THEY HAVE IT ON THEIR PHONES SO THEY CAN GIVE UP TO DATE REAL TIME.
WHAT'S GOING ON? I DON'T WANT TO SAY IF THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING IN A SCHOOL THEY CAN GIVE.
YES. AND IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, THANK YOU.
THEY CAN GIVE REAL TIME OF WHAT'S GOING ON IS I KNOW THAT CURRENTLY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH AT&T TO TRY TO GET SOME BOOSTERS BECAUSE I THINK HUNTINGTOWN HIGH SCHOOL IS LIKE A HUB.
IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY AT THE POWER PLANT, THEY USE HUNTINGTOWN HIGH SCHOOL.
IS THERE SOMETHING GOING TO BE LOOKED AT TO SEE IF ALL SCHOOLS WHAT OTHER SCHOOLS MAY NEED IT? BECAUSE I KNOW BARSTOW, ONCE YOU GET IN THE PARKING LOT, THAT'S IT.
YOU HAVE NO SERVICE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO IS THERE SOMETHING AND I KNOW YOU SEE THAT IS THERE SOMETHING POSSIBLY BEING LOOKED AT TO TRY TO GET SOME SORT OF BOOSTERS OR SOMETHING IN THE SCHOOLS THAT NEED SO THEY CAN BE CONNECTED? FOR. SO TO CLARIFY, THE THERE ARE BOOSTERS THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO GO INTO HUNTINGTOWN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY ARE GOING TO INSTALL THESE BOOSTERS FOR AT&T SO THAT WHEN THAT IS USED AS A SHELTER, THEN THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THEM. ALL THAT IS BEING DONE THROUGH THE COUNTY AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
OKAY. SO POSSIBLY LATER ON MAKING SURE THAT ALL SCHOOLS CAN BE CONNECTED.
AND I THINK THE LAST THING THAT I HAD WAS ON.
[01:25:05]
SCHOOL, SEND THE SUPPLIES, THE MATERIALS AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUBTOTALS.IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE OF PRICE FOR THE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT ONCE AGAIN YOU DID? WE NEEDED SOMETHING, SO WE HAD SERVICES OR WE NEEDED CERTAIN MATERIALS LAST YEAR.
ARE YOU REFERRING TO? PAGE 75, ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN UNDER SUPPLIES MATERIALS? YES. $405.
THAT WAS AN ERROR OF MINE IN A CELL.
THANK YOU. MR. CASSIDY. I HAVE A TRANSPORTATION QUESTION ON PAGE 93, YOU RESPONDED TO MY QUESTION ABOUT THE $841,000 INCREASE IN CONTRACTED BUS ROUTES IN STUDENT TRANSPORTATION BY SAYING THE INCREASE INCLUDES A 6.5% INCREASE, PLUS ABOUT $75,000 FOR A POTENTIAL PARTIAL YEAR BUS ROUTE ADDITION.
HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THE 6.5% INCREASE OR LIKE HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THAT? PERCENTAGE. BEING A GOOD PERCENTAGE INCREASE TO USE FOR INCREASED COST IN THAT CATEGORY.
SO MOST MOST OF THE MULTIPLE CATEGORIES THAT THE BUS CONTRACTORS ARE PAID NOW ARE TIED INTO THE CPI THAT WE CAPTURE.
BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER OR BEGINNING OF OCTOBER.
AND THEN WE USE THAT TO APPLY THOSE TO THOSE FIELDS.
THERE ARE TWO FIELDS THAT THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO THE THE HEALTH AND WELFARE TRUST.
THE BENEFIT TRUST AND THE MAINTENANCE RATE PER MILE THAT'S PAID.
SO THAT WAS JUST THINKING AHEAD THAT COSTS ARE INCREASING AND THEY'RE TIED INTO THAT 6.5%.
SEEMED LIKE THE MINIMUM AMOUNT THAT THE INCREASE COULD COULD POSSIBLY BE.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU'VE BEEN TRACKING CPI SINCE LAST OCTOBER TO NOW AND YOU THINK THAT FROM NOW UNTIL NEXT OCTOBER, THE OVERALL INCREASE FOR OCTOBER TO OCTOBER WILL BE 6.5%? NO, I'M TELLING YOU, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO INCREASE BASED ON THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS MADE WITH THE PREVIOUS SUPERINTENDENT AND THE CONTRACTORS AND THE DRIVERS, THAT IT WILL BE 6.5% WHAT THE MARKET ACTUALLY DOES IN THE NEXT YEAR, WE CAN'T SAY, BUT COST CONTINUE TO INCREASE.
OKAY. THEN I ASKED A FOLLOW UP TO THAT QUESTION REGARDING SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU USE WHEN YOU RESPONDED AND THE RESPONSE TO ME WAS THAT YOU, MR. JOHNSON AND MR. NAVARRO WILL BE COLLABORATING BECAUSE YOU FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A BUDGET INCREASE AND YOU USE THE WORD SIGNIFICANT.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU FEEL WHAT WE SEE NOW, YOU STILL NEED TO INCREASE MORE BASED ON WHAT YOU ALL BELIEVE WILL BE MORE POTENTIAL INCREASES? SO THE NUMBER HERE IS GOING TO INFLATE MORE BEFORE WE.
FINALIZE OUR BUDGET AND SEND IT TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING BASED ON WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE EXCEEDING IN REGULAR AND SPECIAL? I'M CONCERNED THAT THE NUMBERS THAT I SUBMITTED IN NOVEMBER MIGHT NOT BE ADEQUATE GOING INTO FY 24.
THAT'S CORRECT. AND WHEN WILL WE SEE YOUR NEW PROJECTIONS? BEG YOUR PARDON? WHEN WILL WE SEE YOUR NEW PROJECTIONS? I'M WORKING ON THEM CURRENTLY, HOPEFULLY TO DISCUSS WITH MR. NAVARRO AND MR. JOHNSON WITHIN THE NEXT TEN DAYS.
THAT. THAT WAS MY QUESTION. OH, I'M SORRY.
GO AHEAD. IF I MAY FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
THANK YOU. WITH SOME OF THE INCREASE IN THE STATE AID FROM THE PREVIOUS STATE AID ESTIMATE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO FUND SOME OF THAT PROJECTED COST INCREASE FOR TRANSPORTATION.
OKAY. THAT'S A THAT'S A NICE RESPONSE.
I STILL THINK THAT THAT NUMBER WILL INCREASE A LITTLE BIT MORE BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING HERE.
BUT YES, THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON, FOR THAT ADDITIONAL THOSE ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
YEAH, I WAS I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THAT.
BUT THAT WAS MY QUESTION TO THE RISK AND TRANSPORTATION.
[01:30:04]
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT.I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE CONTRACTED BUS ROUTE NUMBER, WHICH IS THE LARGEST NUMBER, OF COURSE, 12.6 MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR, THAT INCLUDES THE THE INCREASED BUS DRIVER RATES THAT THEY RECEIVED A FULL YEAR.
SO DID OUR 11.8 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET.
DOES THAT HAVE THAT IN IT ALSO THE HIGHER RATES.
THAT DOES INCLUDE THE HIGHER DRIVER RATES.
YES. AND ALSO SOME OF THE COMPONENTS OF CONTRACTOR COMPENSATION THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THE CPI INDEX.
SO THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE EXCEEDING BUDGET IS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAPPEN TO BUDGET THAT THOSE HIGHER PAY PAY RATES. WE DID BUDGET THE HIGHER PAY RATES IN 2023, BUT WE'RE STILL EXCEEDING BUDGET.
YES. AND THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION, DOLL.
DID YOU HAVE FOLLOW UP FOR THAT? ALSO, IN ADDITION TO MY RESPONSE TO THE TRANSPORTATION QUESTION, MR. CASSIDY, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE MAGNITUDE OF THE INCREASE COULD BE REDUCED IF IT IS PAIRED WITH A PUPIL TRANSPORTATION EFFICACY STUDY CONDUCTED BY A CONSULTANT WITH PUPIL TRANSPORTATION EXPERTISE.
HAVEN'T WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE STUDIES IN THE PAST? I BELIEVE IT WAS DONE A FEW YEARS PRIOR TO 2019 WHEN I WAS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD.
YES, THERE WAS A TRANSPORTATION STUDY IN 2017 BY PRISMATIC.
ALL RIGHT. AND HOW MANY OF THOSE AS OF TODAY, HOW MANY OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED? A NUMBER OF THEM. I CAN GIVE YOU A COMPLETE RUNDOWN.
OKAY. I BELIEVE ONCE GPS WAS PUT IN PLACE, A NEW TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT WAS PUT IN PLACE.
THOSE WERE TWO OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.
OKAY. SO IF YOUR RESPONSE HERE IS THAT YOU THINK THAT STUDY SHOULD BE DONE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD, IF YOU COULD REFRESH MY COLLEAGUES WITH THE PREVIOUS STUDY THAT WAS DONE SO THAT WE ALL ARE ON THE SAME PAGE AS TO WHAT WAS DONE PREVIOUSLY, HOW MANY OF THOSE FINDINGS WERE IMPLEMENTED, AND ARE WE SEEING ANY COST SAVINGS FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE FINDINGS? AND ALSO, IF THERE WEREN'T FINDINGS THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED, WHY WERE THEY NOT IMPLEMENTED? WAS THERE DID WE FEEL OUR COST WE COULDN'T AFFORD TO IMPLEMENT THEM? OR WERE THERE OTHER BARRIERS THAT WERE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH FOR US TO SAY, NO, THANK YOU? WELL, I HAD I DID HAVE ONE MORE TRANSPORTATION QUESTION.
SO WHAT DO WE BELIEVE HAS CAUSED THE UNANTICIPATED INCREASE IN COSTS? WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CONTRACTORS, BUT THERE MUST BE SOME PORTION OF THEIR BILLINGS OR HOWEVER IT WORKS THAT IS MARKET RELATED.
IN OTHER WORDS, IS IT FUEL OR WHAT IS WHAT IS IT THAT'S CAUSING THE INCREASE? WELL, THE FUEL RATE DOES FLUCTUATE.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO PREDICT A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
WE ARE PREDICTED TO TRAVEL MORE MILES THAN WE TRAVELED LAST YEAR OVERALL IN BOTH REGULAR AND SPECIAL ED ROUTES, REGIONAL ROUTES. SO THERE'S A COST INCREASE.
BUT THE I BELIEVE THE BIGGEST FACTOR WOULD BE THE THE PAY INCREASES AND THE THE EIGHT HOURS PER DAY.
THOSE ARE RANGING FROM, I THINK, 29 TO 40% INCREASES TO THE HOURLY WAGES.
SO PERHAPS I DIDN'T BUDGET PROPERLY FOR THAT FOR THIS YEAR.
PERHAPS THAT'S WHY I NEED TO DIG INTO THOSE NUMBERS.
AND THAT'S WHY I'VE SHARED WITH MR. NAVARRO AND MR. JOHNSON CONCERNED ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS MADE FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M DIGGING IN ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I MADE BASED ON THE 6.5% OF THIS YEAR, AN INCREASE TO SEE IF THAT'S ADEQUATE FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND. SO ONE OTHER THING FOR NEXT YEAR, WHEN WE IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET PRESENTATION, THERE WAS A REFERENCE TO THE INCREASE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
AND SO I DID TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK BACK AT OUR COSTS FIVE YEARS AGO.
[01:35:05]
47% IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.ONE OF THE VENDORS AND AGAIN, THIS IS A SMALL PIECE OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET.
ONE OF THE VENDORS RAISED THE PRICE OF THEIR BUS 25% FROM NOVEMBER TO MAY.
WE'D ALREADY MADE OUR BUDGET SUBMISSION IN MAY, AND SO THAT WASN'T CAPTURED.
SO AS WE GET THE NEW COST FOR NEXT YEAR, THOSE WILL BE CAPTURED IN THAT BUDGET THAT THAT WHAT WE CALL THE PER VEHICLE ALLOTMENT WILL INCREASE TO OFFSET THAT COST.
AND YOU ALSO ADDED TWO ROUTES.
RIGHT. WE ARE LOOKING TO ADD WE'RE MAXED OUT RIGHT NOW AT 152.
WE DIDN'T START THE YEAR AT 152.
SO TO CURE THAT, WE HAD TO SPLIT SOME ROUTES IN HALF AND, YOU KNOW, EASILY SPEAKING SO THAT SO THAT THE BUSSES CAN BE ON TIME TO THOSE TO THOSE SCHOOLS.
OKAY. ONE OTHER THING THAT'S DIFFICULT TO PREDICT IN THE OVERALL BUDGET IS WHEN WE HAVE A MCKINNEY-VENTO STUDENT, A STUDENT WHO BECOMES ELIGIBLE FOR HOMELESSNESS, TRANSPORTATION OR EVEN SPECIAL EDUCATION AT OUR NON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE OUT OF THE COUNTY, THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT WE PAY THE TUITION FOR, WE DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO SAY NO.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE OTHER LINES, YOU KNOW, AND MATERIALS, LAST YEAR WE DID 6000.
IT'S BECAUSE I WAS REPLACING THE COMPUTERS IN THE OFFICE.
THERE'S THE MONEY GOES TO THE ROOTS.
BUT WHEN WE GET A CALL THAT WE'VE GOT TO GO TO THIS NEW SCHOOL IN VIRGINIA.
THAT'S $110,000 NOW, PLUS THE EIGHT.
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET THE STUDENT THERE OR MCKINNEY-VENTO.
WE HAVE TO GET THAT STUDENT HERE WHO MIGHT NOW BE LIVING IN UPPER MARLBORO OR IN WALDORF.
SO WE'VE NEVER BUILT IN A BIG CUSHION.
THERE'S NO CONSCIOUS CUSHION TO SAY, WHAT IF IT'S BEEN A SMALL CUSHION THAT WAS IN THERE FOR THOSE THOSE KINDS OF COSTS? THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS BELIEVE IT WAS LAST YEAR, PERHAPS THE YEAR BEFORE WHEN WE WERE BUDGETING THE COLONIAL PIPELINE IN NEW ENGLAND WAS HIT WITH A RANSOMWARE ATTACK AND THAT JACKED UP THE PRICES OF FUEL.
AND THEN THERE WAS THE WAR IN UKRAINE AND THAT JACKED UP THE PRICE OF FUEL.
AND SO AND THAT'S A SMALL PIECE OF THAT 19 MILLION.
AND THAT JUST THAT JUST ADDS UP OVER TIME.
THAT THE BIGGEST PIECES ARE THE MILES AND THE TIME IN THE DAY.
IT WILL BE A SUBJECT OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WITH THE NEXT.
SUCCESSOR AGREEMENT THAT WILL START NEXT FALL.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. THAT WILL START NEXT FALL.
NOW, IF WE WANT TO TRAIN AND RETAIN STAFF, WE NEED TO MAKE THAT THAT HAPPEN WITH.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT PAGE THIS IS ON.
IT'S REGARDING THE ATHLETICS PROGRAM.
$78,200. WILL THESE FUNDS BE DIVIDED EQUALLY AMONG ALL ATHLETIC PROGRAMS AND ALL SECONDARY SCHOOLS? OR IS THE MONEY SPECIFICALLY FOR HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS? SO THAT MONEY IS SPLIT AGAIN? 25,000 GOES TO THE CENTRAL OFFICE FOR THOSE TWO BIG THE WEATHER AND THE MARKING ON THE FIELD PIECES OF THEIR.
I WAS ACTUALLY TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE WHAT? THE. WHAT? THE ACCOUNT WAS LIKE A THE ACTUAL LICENSE CHARGE FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN 12, $12,500 GOES TO EACH HIGH SCHOOL.
$600 GOES TO EACH MIDDLE SCHOOL.
OKAY. THAT INFORMATION IS ALSO IN THE PDF THAT WAS SENT US LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
SO A LOT OF THOSE ANSWERS ARE THERE.
[01:40:02]
IS THERE A NEW PR PROGRAM THIS MARCH OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS AGES 9 TO 12 GEARED TOWARDS MOTIVATING KIDS? AND IS THERE FUNDING IN THE BUDGET TO EXPAND THIS? I AM NOT A PARKS AND REC PROGRAM.THIS WAS ONE SUBMITTED BY OUR COMMUNITY.
PARKS AND RECREATION. SO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY.
OKAY. UM, IS THERE FUNDING IN THE BUDGET FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS TO ATTEND CONFERENCES OR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? YES, THERE IS.
YES. YES. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
YES, THERE IS. AND IF YOU GIVE ME A MINUTE, I CAN FIND THAT IN THE BUDGET.
BUT THERE'S I THINK IT'S $6,500 FOR SIX COUNSELORS TO ATTEND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE.
AND WHAT LEVEL WOULD THOSE COUNSELORS COME FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY? I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD BE A CROSS SECTION.
OKAY. AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP QUESTION REGARDING COUNSELORS AND TEACHERS SPECIALIST ELIGIBLE FOR THE NBC SALARY INCREASE, WE WERE GIVEN GUIDANCE FROM THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAST APRIL REGARDING THOSE POSITIONS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NBC SALARY INCREASE.
AND THEY WERE NOT AS THEY ARE NOT IT'S NOT REQUIRED BY THE BLUEPRINT.
IT WAS SPECIFIED IN THAT MEMO.
AND I CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
RIGHT. BUT THOSE GUIDELINES SEEM TO CHANGE.
I KNOW WHEN THIS FIRST CAME OUT, PRINCIPALS WERE SUPPOSED TO TEACH DURING THAT 40% AND THAT CHANGED.
SO IS THIS AN EVER CHANGING? THERE ARE CHANGES. IT'S.
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE TWO GREAT TEACHERS SERVING ONLY AT MOUNT HARMONY AND PLUM POINT ELEMENTARY.
WHY IS FUNDING NOT ALLOTTED FOR OTHER STUDENTS IDENTIFIED IN THIS COUNTY TO HAVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES? AND HOW DID THOSE TWO SCHOOLS GET SELECTED? SO TO ANSWER THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION, WHY IS THERE NOT FUNDING IN THIS BUDGET FOR ADDITIONAL GATE? SO WE DO HAVE GATE LIAISONS AND ALL OF THE BUILDINGS AND THAT'S DONE THROUGH EXTRA DUTY, EXTRA PAY.
I DID SUBMIT IN THE BUDGET FOR ADDITIONAL GATE STAFF, BUT THAT DID NOT MAKE IT TO THIS BUDGET.
THANK YOU. AND THEN YOUR FINAL QUESTION ABOUT SELECTION OF THE SCHOOL ARE GIFTED AND TALENTED.
ADVANCED LEARNING COORDINATOR SLASH SUPERVISOR HAD LOOKED AT WHERE THERE WAS LOOKED ACROSS SECTION OF THE SCHOOLS AND MADE THAT DETERMINATION OF WHERE TO PLACE THOSE TWO.
THANK YOU. I GUESS I WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF THAT QUESTION WHILE WE'RE HERE.
WHY WAS IT DETERMINED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO ADDITIONAL TEACHERS ADDED? YOU SAID IT DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THIS BUDGET.
WHAT WAS THE REASONING BEHIND BEHIND THAT? I WILL START.
WE HAD, OF ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS, 56.5 POSITIONS THAT WERE REQUESTED THIS YEAR.
THE THE SUPERVISOR OF ADVANCED LEARNING DID REQUEST A TEACHER FOR EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THEN MRS. JACOBS HAD PUT FORWARD A REQUEST TO AT LEAST INCLUDE TWO SO THAT WE COULD KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
SO AS WE LOOKED AT THOSE 56.5 POSITIONS, WE MADE A DETERMINATION AS IT'S CONNECTED TO THE INCREASED SALARIES THAT WE ALSO HAD TO PAY, WHICH POSITIONS WERE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AND WHICH POSITIONS WERE NOT AT THIS TIME.
YOU MENTIONED THAT TOO, THOUGH.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE TWO AT.
NO, THEY WERE TWO ADDITIONAL ONES.
SO SO WHEN I SAY 56.5 POSITIONS WERE REQUESTED, OF THOSE 55.5 POSITIONS THAT WERE REQUESTED THAT MADE IT TO THIS LEVEL, AS I SAID, DR.
[01:45:07]
TO YOU. OKAY.AND DID DR. RICKS INDICATE IF IT WAS PARED DOWN TO TWO, WHAT TWO SHE WOULD LIKE OR WHAT WHAT SCHOOLS WOULD BE PRIORITIZED? WAS WAS THERE ANY DETERMINATION MADE FOR THAT? NOT AT THIS TIME.
THANKS. AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT'S ONE OF THE COMPLICATIONS OF THE BLUEPRINT.
LIKE I'M MANDATED TO HAVE PRESCHOOL.
SO THAT'S 12 PRESCHOOL LIAISONS AT EVERY SCHOOL, PLUS A TEACHER AND A HALF.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 13.5 POSITIONS MANDATED.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A GREAT TEACHER AT EVERY SCHOOL, BUT.
I UNDERSTAND. THERE STILL LIES EQUITY.
AND AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE STILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS WE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET.
SO I WHEN I ASK MY QUESTIONS, IT'S SO THAT I HAVE A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THOUGHT PROCESS, WHY CERTAIN DECISIONS WERE MADE, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE WHAT IN THIS BUDGET GOES FORWARD OR WHAT IN THIS BUDGET MAY BE ADDED TO AND GOES FORWARD. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE UNDERSTAND FULLY WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN CONSIDERED SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE PROPER DECISION.
THANK YOU, DR. THOMPSON. DO YOU HAVE A SPOUSE? DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. YEAH, MR. WHITE. ALL RIGHT.
MR. BOLINSKI. YES, THE HEALTH INSURANCE.
SO JUST LOOKING AT, FIRST OF ALL, HEALTH INSURANCE.
FLUCTUATES BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO GET COVERED.
BUT IT DOESN'T FLUCTUATE BASED ON THE LEVEL OF THOSE SALARIES.
CORRECT? THE COST? THAT'S CORRECT.
THE LIFE INSURANCE WOULD BE AFFECTED AND IS AFFECTED BY THE SALARIES.
WE HAVE I THINK IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 16 TEACHER VACANCIES BACK WHEN THIS ESTIMATE WAS PREPARED.
OH, SO SO IN OUR BUDGETED HEADCOUNT, WE ARE 16 LOW.
THE HEALTH INSURANCE IS INCREASING 8%.
SO 8% JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE SALARY, THE AVERAGE SALARY INCREASE FOR EVERY ONE AND EVERY DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF THE ADDITIONAL SALARY ACTIONS WE'VE TAKEN.
SO I JUST WONDERED WHAT IS DRIVING THAT 8% ESPECIALLY IT'S GOING TO IF WE COME IN LOWER THIS YEAR IN HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS.
UM, THAT'S GOING TO THAT INCREASE IS GOING TO BE HIGHER.
SO I JUST WONDER, DO WE HAVE A HAVE WE DONE THE FINE TOOTHED COMB ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS IN OUR BUDGET? UPON THAT ESTIMATE WAS PREPARED BEFORE WE RECEIVED THE HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASE ESTIMATE FROM OUR INSURANCE CONSULTANT.
OKAY. WHEN I HEARD YOU SAY INCREASE.
NO, I MEAN, BECAUSE IT IS BASED ON EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? THAT THE CLAIMS EXPERIENCE.
SO IF WE'VE HAD A PARTICULARLY BAD YEAR THAT COULD THAT COULD GET US.
I REMEMBER ONE YEAR WE HAD THIS HORRID, HORRID INCREASE THAT CAUGHT US ALL BY SURPRISE.
SO I WAS HOPING THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO REPEAT, BUT OKAY, GOOD.
SO THAT WE MIGHT HAVE THAT AS A POTENTIAL AREA OF SAVINGS TO.
AND LASTLY, MY LAST QUESTION IS THE THE OPEB THAT WAS PUT INTO THE BOARD OF ED BUDGET OF $500,000, THAT WAS THAT WAS A NEW STRATEGY WE HAVE IT WAS JUST TWO YEARS.
[01:50:04]
$5 MILLION IN OUR UNASSIGNED, ANYTHING ABOVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD GIVE TO THE COUNTY TO TRY TO HELP PAY DOWN THE LIABILITY ACCOUNTS FOR OUR TEACHERS. UM.WE'VE NEVER BUDGETED ANY OPEB BEFORE.
SO I FRANKLY WOULD NOT NOT LIKE TO BUDGET IT BECAUSE WE CAN'T.
YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION MIGHT EAT UP ALL OF OUR OTHER SAVINGS.
SO I WOULD I JUST THINK THAT THAT 500,000 PERSONALLY, I WOULD I'D LIKE TO SEE IT COME OUT.
THE OTHER POINT THAT YOU AND HAD GOTTEN AN ANSWER, THAT THERE WAS A 25% INCREASE BUILT INTO THE BUDGET AND THE BILLING RATES FOR A LOT OF THE SPECIAL ED CONTRACTED CONSULTANTS, THE THERAPISTS.
DOES ANYONE KNOW? THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH THERAPIST AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
COMPETITIVELY PRICED SERVICES.
SO THAT'S THAT'S COSTING US AN EXTRA 150,000.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW WE NEED TERRIBLY SO.
ALL RIGHT, MISS GRANNIS, STUDENT MEMBER.
ALL RIGHT. LOOKS LIKE OUR QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.
MR SOOL IS SIGNALING HE HAS SOMETHING TO ADD.
A COUPLE OF FOLLOW UPS, IF I COULD.
MRS POST YOU HAD ASKED EARLIER ABOUT OUR EXPENDITURE FOR THE WEST END CONTRACT FROM 2021.
IN JULY OF 2021, CORRECT? AND THEN MRS GREENWICH. JUST THE FOLLOW UP TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE HUMAN RESOURCES SUPERVISOR, I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE IN THAT ANSWER, HAVING A SUPERVISOR WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE DO NOW THAT CAN PROCESS CERTIFICATION FOR OUR EMPLOYEES IS A HUGE BENEFIT TO ALL OF CALVERT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ALL OF OUR TEACHERS.
WE VIEW THAT ABILITY TO ASSIST WITH CERTIFICATION REALLY AS A BONUS TO US WITH TEACHER RETENTION AS WELL AND HELPING TO RETAIN OUR TEACHERS. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THERE HAS BEEN AN UNFORTUNATE TREND IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES OVER THE PAST 6 OR 7 YEARS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SUPERVISOR AND THERE'S ONLY ONE SUPERVISOR IN THE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY HAVE BECOME CERTIFIED IN THE PROCESSING OF CERTIFICATION THROUGH MSDE, THEY HAVE LEFT AFTER AFTER BECOMING CERTIFIED, RECOGNIZING THAT WORK AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT THAT TAKES ALONG WITH THE OTHER WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
THAT PERSON DID GO TO ANOTHER COUNTY, HAD MORE FOCUSED WORK.
THE ONE PRIOR TO THAT, IT WAS SHARED WITH ME ALSO LEFT FOR THE SAME REASON.
SO I DO WANT TO JUST EMPHASIZE THAT AGAIN, UNFORTUNATE TREND AND HOPE THAT WE CAN MAYBE CONSIDER THAT SUPERVISOR SO WE CAN BREAK THAT AND NOT ONLY RETAIN THE SUPERVISOR STAFF, BUT ALSO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS TO HELP RETAIN THEM AS WELL.
DID YOU NOTICE THE HEADS NODDING FROM THE TWO UNION HEADS THERE? SO I'D LIKE TO THANK EACH OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE WITH US TONIGHT GIVING US ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS.
WE SAY THAT ALL THE TIME AND YOU KNOW, WE TRULY APPRECIATE EACH OF YOU.
SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.