Feb 13, 2024 Board of Education

[1.01 Pledge of Allegiance]

[00:00:13]

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING TO ORDER FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND A MOMENT OF SILENCE. PLEASE

STAND. >> 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. >> YOU MAY BE SEATED. TODAY WE

[1.02 Budget Work Session with Staff]

WE WILL HAVE QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD TO WORK THROUGH THIS . PRAYING FOR A VERY PRODUCTIVE DAY AND SOME GREAT COMMUNICATION. OKAY. SO, YOU WANT TO START?

>> BEFORE WE ACTUALLY BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON THE MEETING THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN SOME BOARD EVENT MEMBERS AND THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU.

>> YES MA'AM, THANK YOU. WHAT DAY WAS FRIDAY? ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH, MYSELF, OUR CFO, OUR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE COMMISSIONERS, COUNTY EXECUTIVE WILLIS, MEMBERS OF THEIR FINANCE TEAM, TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION WE ARE IN WITH THE $22.5 MILLION REDUCTION IN STATE AID . THE GIST OF THE MEETING WAS, COMING TO AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE REALISTIC THAT THEY MAY NOT COME TO US IN THIS UPCOMING YEAR , WITH OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS FINDING AVENUES TO ADVOCATE FOR BEING HELD HARMLESS FOR THAT AMOUNT THIS UPCOMING YEAR, BUT ALSO IN THE EVENT THAT DOES NOT OCCUR, HAVING A PLAN TO NOT ONLY , A PLAN TO PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET, BUT MAKING A COMMITMENT TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH ONE ANOTHER, MEANING WHATEVER , IN OUR BEST THINKING, PUTTING TOGETHER A BALANCED BUDGET , CUTTING WHERE WE MUST CUT IN WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH KENNY COMMISSIONERS AND ENSURING WE HAVE A TOP RANKED SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. ONE THING I SHARED, WE LOOK AT THE MONEY WE RECEIVED IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, WE SEE THE RETURN ON INVEST, TOP RANKED DISTRICT, HIGHEST TEST SCORES, HAVING A SAFE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CONTRIBUTES TO A GREAT COMMUNITY AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT ACHIEVES . LOOKING AT THAT TEAM EFFORT , WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE ALL OF THE AGENCIES IN CALVERT COUNTY, SUCH AS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. ANY SITUATION THAT OCCURS WE CAN PICK UP, CALL THE SHERIFF, CALL THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER, SO STRENGTHENING THAT RELATIONSHIP. THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS THAT WE HAVE A CHALLENGE WITH OUR FINANCES AND WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND KEEP THE SYSTEM TOP RANKED IN THE STATE.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW THAT UP WITH MY FIRST QUESTION. IF WE DO FACE THAT CUT, WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES TO ELIMINATE THE IMPACT TO TEACHER SALARIES, COST OF LIVING INCREASES, AND

COST-OF-LIVING INSTRUCTION? >> BECAUSE WE ARE IN NEGOTIATIONS, WE ARE NOT USING THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO NEGOTIATE AND WE ARE STILL GOING TO WORK OUT WHAT WE MUST WORK OUT IN NEGOTIATIONS. THE CUT, WE PRAY, HAS ZERO IMPACT TO OUR CONTRACT WITH OUR BARGAINING UNIT , SO WE ARE NOT USING IT AS A VARIABLE. AS A TEAM, IF WE HAVE TO PROPOSED

[00:05:03]

AREAS. >> THANK YOU.

>> YES, MA'AM. >> MISS ACE?

>> I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE EXACT SAME TOPIC. IS NOTATED THAT THIS BUDGET DOES NOT ADDRESS THE POSSIBLE REDUCTION AT ALL, CORRECT? SO IN THE CASE THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING THIS REDUCTION, I UNDERSTAND YOU STATED YOU WERE WORKING WITH THE PRINCIPLES AND DEPARTMENT HEADS TO DETERMINE WHAT NEEDS TO BE CUT. DO YOU ALREADY HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN SET IN ACTION IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN? IS HE BACK GREAT QUESTION. NO, BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING ON THE PLAN. WE FOUND OUT THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE BUDGET PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE CUTS TO MAKE. IF YOU THINK OF $22 MILLION, YOU'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT OVER 200 PEOPLE. WHY PEOPLE? 80% OF OUR BUDGET IS PEOPLE. WE ARE POTENTIALLY TALKING ABOUT 10 BODIES PER BUILDING BUT ALSO, IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE, AS WELL.

IT IS A REDUCTION OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE BOARD, WORST-CASE

SCENARIO. >> CAN I FOLLOW-UP TO THAT QUESTION? IT'S MAYBE A QUESTION, BUT ALSO AN ASK, AND I REALIZE A LOT OF IT IS IN THIS VERY FINE BOOK , HERE, WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO ANALYZE BECAUSE IT'S FROM PAGE TO PAGE AND I AM NOT GOOD AT LOOKING FROM ONE PAGE TO THE NEXT PAGE. IN TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE, I THINK WHAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR ME AND MY COLLEAGUES IS THAT WE SEE AN ENTIRE SPREADSHEET OR DATABASE OR SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER, THAT SHOWS US EVERY SINGLE STAFF POSITION BY DEPARTMENT, IF IT'S AT CENTRAL OFFICE, BY SCHOOL , THE TYPE OF POSITION , THOSE THAT ARE CURRENTLY HELD BY A PERSON AND THOSE THAT ARE VACANCIES. TO SEE EVERYONE AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WE HAVE MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL TO KNOW WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY REALLOCATE RESOURCES INSTEAD OF GET RID OF PEOPLE BECAUSE THAT IS THE LAST THING I THINK ANY OF US WANT. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN NEGOTIATE , BECAUSE THIS DOES NOT GIVE US A CLEAR SNAPSHOT. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK UP AND ANALYZE , PER SCHOOL. I WANT TO SEE WHO WE HAVE AT CENTRAL OFFICE THAT COULD BE REALLOCATED TO A CLASSROOM IF THAT'S WHAT HAD HAPPENED OR WHO IS IN WHICH SCHOOL THAT MIGHT HAVE NEEDED TO GO TO ANOTHER SCHOOL. IN ADDITION, LOOKING AT ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS WE HAVE THAT ARE DIGITAL LICENSES , I.T.

SOFTWARE, ALL OF THAT, TO KNOW WHERE THERE'S CUTS CAN BE MADE. EVERYTHING SEEMS LIKE A PRIORITY, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION OR HAVE A CONVERSATION IN THIS FORMAT. I GUESS THAT IS MY REQUEST, PLEASE. IT'S OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO BE ABLE TO ANALYZE THAT DATA AND MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE THOSE CUTS NEED TO BE.

>> TO PIGGYBACK ON MY COLLEAGUES QUESTION, I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED ELECTRONIC DATA. WHAT I ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE IS FOR, AND I THINK I ASKED THIS QUESTION IN OUR SPREADSHEET, THAT WE PROVIDE ACTUAL AUTHORIZED POSITIONS AND NOT BUDGETED. I UNDERSTAND THAT POSITIONS CAN MOVE , HOWEVER, WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET BOOK , I NEED TO KNOW THAT WAS THE ACTUAL FTE AND IF YOU WANT TO GO AT THAT, THAT IS WHAT OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. WE ARE SHOWING AUTHORIZED VISIONS, WITH ACTUALS , WE ARE SHOWING BUDGETED THAT DOES NOT PROVIDE A TRUE AND ACCURATE COMPARISON FOR ME, AS I ANALYZE. I WOULD SAY THAT I NEED ACTUAL BUDGETED , BECAUSEWE ARE WORKING IN THAT FISCAL YEAR. IF WE CAN MAKE THOSE CHANGES TO OUR ONLINE BUDGET BOOK , THAT WOULD

BE APPRECIATED. >> SO, WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, THE PURPOSE OF TODAY IS WE HAVE QUESTIONS AND WE WANT TO FIND OUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS

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PRESIDENT? >> ON PAGE EIGHT, FISCAL YEAR '23 WAS NOT THERE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT GETS ADDED.

ANALYZE? HAVE YOU GATHERED THE LIST OF ITEMS, EXPENDITURES, THAT WE HAVE AND PRIORITIZED OR BEGUN TO PRIORITIZE THE MUST HAVES OR THE NICE TO HAVE? THINGS LIKE ONLINE LIBRARIES, DIGITAL LICENSES, I.T. HAS THAT

HAPPENED YET? >> I WOULD ENSURE THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH OUR BUDGET AFTER THE PROPOSED BUDGET DEFINED ADDITIONAL CUTS WE DO NOT NECESSARILY SEE IN THIS RIGHT NOW. WE DO HAVE THAT PRIORITIZED.

>> I WOULD ASK , IF YOU WOULD KINDLY SHARE WITH US.

>> YOU RECEIVED QUESTIONS WE'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED. CAN WE SEE THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ARE PREPARED TO ANSWER ALREADY? NEEDS TO HAPPEN FIRST, I WILL ASK A QUESTION. THE BLUEPRINT COORDINATOR FUNDING, I SEE THAT THERE IS A 2000 BLUEPRINT COORDINATOR PROPOSED IN '25, BUT THERE'S NO PREVIOUS YEAR FUNDING INDICATED , HENCE LEADING TO MY QUESTION THAT I ASKED ABOUT BLUEPRINT COORDINATOR FUNDING . FUNDING HAS ALWAYS BEEN RECORDED IN THE UNRESTRICTED FUND, WHICH LEADS ME TO QUESTION WHY THERE IS NO PRIOR-YEAR AMOUNT REPORTED FOR BLUEPRINT COORDINATOR AND THAT CHART ? SO THE FUNDING FROM BLUEPRINT COORDINATORS , IT WAS NOT , I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT WAS COMING FROM THE STATE IN FISCAL YEAR '25 AND IS PROVIDED IN '25 AND '26 BUT BEYOND THAT, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION SO WE CANNOT SPEAK TWO YEARS PRIOR.

>> I THINK I ASKED BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES, THERE'S NO LINE ITEM ALLOCATED SO IN MY MIND, THERE IS NO FUNDING THAT THE STATE IS ALLOCATING SPECIFICALLY FOR BLUEPRINT COORDINATOR. YOU ALL SEEM TO FEEL DIFFERENTLY AND I WOULD ASK THAT HALF CONFIRM THAT BECAUSE WHEN ATTEMPTED TO PUBLISH, THE CHARTS ARE NOT WRONG. IF WE COULD FOLLOW UP AND ENSURE THAT THAT IS BEING ALLOCATED, AND FOLLOW UP TO CONFIRM WHY THERE IS NO AMOUNT REPORTED IN THE BLUEPRINT COORDINATOR COLUMN. IF WE WERE ALLOCATING IT AS UNRESTRICTED REVENUE. WE SHOULD NOT BREAK IT OUT IN '25 AND SHOW IT AS A LINE ITEM, IF IN PAST YEARS WE WERE SHOWING IT LUMPED IN WITH SOMETHING ELSE.

[00:15:05]

>> WITH THE QUESTIONS, I THINK I HAD THE FIRST ONE , FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THEY SEE THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE CUT ENTIRELY .

IF I KNOW THAT IT WAS A TWO YEAR GRANT OR TWO YEAR PROGRAM AND WHAT I'VE SEEN AND HEARD, IS THERE A REASON WE ARE NOT

CONTINUING THAT PROJECT? >> THAT WAS PAID OUT OF THE MERRILL LEADS GRANT WHICH ENDS IN SEPTEMBER 30TH OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. WITHIN THAT GRANT WAS A SPECIFIC POSITION THAT WORKS WITH TEACHERS AND COACHING THROUGH THE PBL MODEL.

THERE ARE NO POSITION FROM GRANT , SO THE FUNDS FOR THE ACTIVITIES RELATED WERE BEING PULLED OUT OF THIS BUDGET SO BECAUSE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SUSTAIN IT, WE ARE LOOKING AT CUTTING THAT FROM THIS BUDGET.

>> AND THAT'S WITH DOING FOLLOW UP WITH ANYONE TO SEE IF IT WAS BENEFICIAL AND TALKING TO TEACHERS?

>> ABSOLUTELY, AND I THINK ELSE WILL SEE THE IMPACT OF THE LAST TWO YEARS BUT SOMEONE SPECIFICALLY WORKING WITH THE TEACHERS AND PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE POSITION AND THE WORKSHOP PAY . ABSOLUTELY BENEFICIAL WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE, BUT IN CONVERSATIONS , IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO REPLICATE THAT WITHOUT SOMEONE DEDICATED TO THAT POSITION AND THAT POSITION IS NOT IN THIS BUDGET.

>> AS WE ARE LOOKING AT IT, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSE AND HEARD FROM A LOT OF TEACHERS IN THE WAY IT'S GROWN AND THE EFFECTS OF HAVING . SOMETHING THAT HAS DATA FOR TWO YEARS WITH MISERABLE RESULTS, WHY WE WOULD NOT AT LEAST LOOK TO TRY TO FIND THAT. SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE DOING NOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT. THE SECOND ONE WAS ALSO FOR ME, I WAS TALKING ABOUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS , ASSET DEVELOPMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS IN PLACE IN 2023, WHAT I AM SEEING WITH A LOT OF OUR REPORT, IT'S A CULTURE PROBLEM . WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEHAVIOR AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT SMITH, THAT FOCUSED ON VALUING KIDS AND WE'VE GONE AWAY FROM THAT AND A LOT OF THE ISSUES WE ARE HAVING IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS, IF WE CAN GET THERE EARLIER, CAN GET INTO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, TO CURB THE CULTURE, I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WE SHOULD LOOK INTO AND REACH OUT TO SMITH AND MYERS TO VOLUNTEER TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT MOVING INTO THE SCHOOLS . I KNOW THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET SO THESE PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER TO DO SOME OF THAT.

WE HAVE RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AND THAT'S ACTUALLY IN OUR CODE OF CONDUCT AND THAT SAID, A LOT OF THE ISSUES OR PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE, PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING RESTORED. WE ARE NOT FINDING OUT WHY THEY ARE FIGHTING. WE ARE NOT GETTING TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF IT BUT I DID SEE THAT WE DO HAVE SOMETHING COMING UP SO I CAN BACK OFF OF THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THERE IS A GRANT AND THEY WILL GET SOMETHING DONE WITH THAT.

FINDING OUT, GETTING THESE KIDS INTO A ROOM WITH THEIR PARENTS ON THE PRINCIPLES AND THE RESOURCES, TO FIND OUT THE ROOT CAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE TWO GROUPS THAT ARE HAVING AN ISSUE OR A COUPLE KIDS HAVING PROBLEMS AND IT'S A YEAR OR TWO, WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON TO TRY TO GET

[00:20:02]

>> OKAY, TRENT TAYLOR. I DISTINGUISH MY QUESTIONS BY CATEGORIES, AS OF THE FIRST ONE WAS SALARY AND WAGES, I UNDERSTAND . THERE'S 2% FOR STEP INCREASES, SO IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO KNOW EXACTLY BY DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE DID NOT KNOW THE HEADCOUNT. IT DOES SAY SOME STAFFORD ACTIONS, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LETTING ATTRITION TAKE CARE OF EMPLOYEES AND I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT INCREASING CLASS SIZE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. DO WE KNOW? I DON'T KNOW WITH THOSE 20 POSITIONS ARE.

>> I WOULD SAY THAT TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, WHILE IT'S NOT KNOWN IF WE REDUCE THAT, THEN IT WILL AFFECT CLASS SIZE. I THINK THERE IS AN ALIGNMENT SO I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD NOT AFFECT CLASS SIZE . I THINK THAT IT WILL IMPACT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM.

>> I THINK WE DO HAVE A SMALL REDUCTION IN ENROLLMENT .

WE'VE GOT TO PROTECT THAT. THAT TERRIFIES ME ABOUT ANY KIND OF FLAT FUNDING, IF THE COMMISSIONERS STAY WITH FLAT FUNDING , OVER 80% OF OUR BUDGET IS PEOPLE, AS YOU SAID AND THAT WOULD MEAN INCREASING IN CLASS SIZE. ARE THERE ANY TRICKS? I DON'T KNOW. WE HAVE TO PROTECT THAT AS MUCH AS

WE CAN. >> I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT . THERE'S A MAN NAMED JOHN HATTER HE, WROTE A BOOK ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF CLASS SIZES AND SHOWS IT HAS LITTLE RELEVANCE, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S ACCURATE AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. SPECIFICALLY IN THE PRIMARY GRADES TO KEEP

CLASS SIZES SMALL. >> I FULLY UNDERSTAND PRIMARY IS THE IMPORTANT YEARS, SO WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ENSURE OUR CLASS SIZES REMAIN SMALL . I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS MY PRIORITY, ALSO. MAYBE IF WE ALL CHIME IN .

>> CONTINUING ON, COULD SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE SROS AND WHERE SAFETY ADVOCATE WERE IN 2023 AND WHERE THEY ARE NOW AND HOW THEY ARE ACCOUNTED FOR IN OUR BUDGET BOOK? ADVOCATES, THERE IS A LINE ITEM.

>> I DID NOT MANAGE THAT ACCOUNT, BUT THEY ARE RESEARCHING THAT AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE INITIAL QUESTION RELATED TO THIS INCREASE AND THERE WAS NO INCREASE IN SALARIES AND WAGES IN THIS BUDGET BOOK , BUT THE SAFETY ADVOCATES AND SOCIAL WORKERS WERE TRANSITIONED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT LINE ITEMS , SO TO CONFIRM , THEY HAD TO MOVE INTO STUDENT SERVICES SO AS TO WHERE THEY WERE PRIOR, I WILL DEFER TO MR. JOHNSON.

>> DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? DO YOU MANAGE THOSE POSITIONS?

[00:25:08]

>> WE SUPERVISE, OUR DEPARTMENT SUPERVISES AND MANAGES THOSE, BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT PART OF THE SALARIES AND

WAGES? >> THEY ARE PART --

>> THEY ARE DIRECT REPORTS. >> IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE ALL ALONG. WHO KNOWS HOW WE HAD DONE IN THE PAST.

>> JUST TO CLARIFY, SROS ARE NOT DIRECT REPORTS , WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THE CALVERT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT THEY DIRECTLY ALIGN WITH OUR DEPARTMENTAL

SUPPORT . >> DOES MR. TITUS HAVE MORE?

>> CORRECT. THE SAFETY ADVOCATE , WITH THAT CONTRACT.

IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT? DOES ANYONE KNOW ? IS THAT

SHARED SALARY ARRANGEMENT? >> I WILL HAVE TO LOOK, BUT FOR ALL OF THE SROS THAT WE HAVE, OUR MONEY PORTIONS , THE EQUIPMENT , WE CAN SHARE THAT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.

WHILE. OKAY.

>> I WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME QUESTIONS

ABOUT THAT. >> IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, I DID PROPOSE EXTRA SROS, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY FOR THE PAST YEAR , TO GET MORE OFFICES TO SUPPORT AND ENSURE SAFETY AT ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES . THIS WAS PRIOR TO THE EMERGENCY , BUT IN GOOD FAITH, WORKING WITH SHERIFF COX AND DEPUTY SHERIFF

PAIN, WE DID ADD THAT . >> DO YOU KNOW WHERE WE WOULD

POSITION? >> WE DO HAVE AN IDEA, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SAY RIGHT NOW. I DON'TWANT TO MISSPEAK, BUT

WE DO HAVE AN IDEA. >> I NOTICED THAT WE WERE CUTTING A BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT , IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN IN PLACE? I AM SPECIFICALLY INTERESTED IN THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL WHERE I BELIEVE THAT IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN BEING PROACTIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE, AND IF WE TEACH IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE HAD A HIGHER EXPECTATION AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.

BUDGET , A CURRENT VACANCY POSITION. WITHOUT A DIFFICULT TIME. WE ARE LOOKING AT BUILDING CAPACITY , SO THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE BUDGET BOOK AT THIS TIME.

>> YES. IN CONTRACTED SERVICES, WE SHOW THAT THERE WAS QUESTIONS TO PRODUCE THE NUMBER OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND TO FILL EXISTING VACANCIES WITH SCHOOL SKY SOLID -- SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST. IT'S BASICALLY SHIFTING BECAUSE WE DID REDUCE PSYCHOLOGIST AND LEGAL SUPPORT. THAT MEANS THAT WE

INCREASE THAT HEADCOUNT. >> THERE IS THE EXACT SAME FTE ALLOTMENT , THERE IS NO ALLOCATION REQUEST FOR

[00:30:03]

>> AND NO ADDITIONAL STAFF. >> CORRECT.

>> THAT EXPLAINS IT. >> I HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THE SROS IF YOU WOULD LIKE THAT DID I REACH OUT , AS SCHOOLS PAY FOR TWO AND WE PAY FOR THE REST, WE HAVE REQUESTED THE SCHOOL PAY FOR TWO MORE CONTRACT DEPUTES AND ARE STILL AWAITING THAT. RIGHT NOW THE SCHOOL IS FOR TWO AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT PAYS FOR THE REST.

>> HOW MANY ARE THERE? >> WE HAVE 13 SROS AND ONE SUPERVISOR THAT IS PART OF THE STAFFING AND 15 SAFETY

ADVOCATES. >> THEY ARE AMAZING AND THE 15TH OF THIS MONTH IS SRO APPRECIATION DAY, SO PLEASE

CELEBRATE THEM. >> WHO DO THEY REPORT TO?

>> WHICH ONES? THE REPORT TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

>> WHEN I SAY WE WORK CLOSE TOGETHER, WE ARE PARTNERS .

THE CONVERSATION LEVEL, WITH SHERIFF COX , IT'S A

PARTNERSHIP, FOR SURE. >> WE DO MEET , OVER THE SAFETY AND SECURITY , WE MEET WEEKLY. WE HAVE A WEEKLY DEBRIEF TO ALWAYS CONNECT AND THEY ARE IN AND OUT OF OUR OFFICES AND SCHOOLS. THERE IS A STRONG PARTNERSHIP ANY REGULAR LINE OF

COMMUNICATION. >> I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ONE IN

EVERY SCHOOL. >> ON THE ATHLETICS SIDE, WE HAVE 380,000 IN TRAINERS. THIS IS CONTRACTED SERVICES. I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HIRING, THAT WE PUT IT IN CONTRACTED SERVICES UNTIL WE IDENTIFY PEOPLE, IS THAT

WHAT'S HAPPENING? >> DIRECTING ACTOR OF TRANSPORTATION, THAT IS CORRECT. THEY ARE UNDER CONTRACTED SERVICES BECAUSE WE BEGAN, AND WERE HOPING TO PICK UP A CONTRACT , NONE OF THE KIND -- COMPANIES WERE WILLING TO TAKE ON MORE THAN THEY ALREADY HAD. WE HAD NO TRAINERS FOR THE FALL AND WINTER AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO GET ATHLETIC TRAINERS HIRED FULL-TIME AS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES. 380,000 IS AN ESTIMATE BASED ON THE PROCESS THAT IF YOU HIRE THE TRAINERS, YOU WILL MORE THAN LIKELY GET PEOPLE SOME EXPERIENCE. THEY WON'T BE COMING IN AT THE BOTTOM, THEY WILL BE STEP FIVE OR STEP SIX, SO THAT'S WHY WE INCREASED. ORIGINALLY, WE HAD 267,000 BUDGETED FOR POSSIBLE TRAINERS , SO THE 380 IS LOOKING AT HIRING THAT WOULD WORK FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

>> AND THAT WOULD BE FULL BENEFIT.

>> SO WE COULD SEE THAT , IF YOU CAN GET SOME. ARE THEY

AVAILABLE? >> THEY JUST HIRED 29. THEY

[00:35:05]

HAD OVER 80 APPLICANTS. >> I HOPE SOME OF THEM LIKE TO

LIVE IN CALVERT COUNTY. >> WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM THAT HAVE BEEN CALLING AND CALLING AND ASKING WHEN WE WOULD POST.

THE COMPANY WE USED TO HAVE, THEY WANT TO COME BACK TO THE

SCHOOLS. >> SINCE WE ARE NO LONGER LOOKING AT THIS , WILL THEY BE HIRED OVER THE SUMMER WHEN THE

SCHOOL YEAR STARTS AGAIN? >> WE ARE TRYING TO HIRE SOON AS POSSIBLE THIS SCHOOL YEAR. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM FOR THE FIRST GAMES IN THE SPRING.

>> IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THIS GO FASTER? I DON'T KNOW , I'VE BEEN TO GAMES WE HAD TO RESCHEDULE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TRAINERS. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET THIS TO HAPPEN FASTER?

>> I'M NOT SURE THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO,

NEGOTIATING . >> THERE WAS A LINE ITEM CALLED ATHLETIC FEES, THAT, WHY DOES IT NO LONGER EXISTS? FEES WILL FURTHER TO MIDDLE SCHOOL FEES. TO HELP FUND THAT PROGRAM, I'M NOT SURE . THOSE FEES COULD CHANGE. IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY STUDENTS , AND ME AND MY OFFICE, I DON'T KNOW THE TOTAL NUMBER. I'M NOT SURE WHY IT'S NOT IN THERE.

>> I BELIEVE THAT HUNTING TOWN IS PROBABLY ALREADY LOOKING

FOR. >> I SECOND THAT.

>> I WILL SAY THAT PERSON IS QUITE INTERESTING.

>> DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS?

>> CAN YOU SHED SOME LIGHT ON THESE?

>> YOU PAY A ONE-TIME FEE FOR CLINICS AND YOU CAN DO ANY OF THE THREE CLINICS IN THE FALL, WINTER, AND SPRING. I THINK

IT'S BEEN A WHILE. >> THERE IS A FEE, A ONE-TIME FEE, AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A 30 OR 35 . THE MONEY GOES INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND THEN IT IS USED FOR ATHLETICS.

>> WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT TOTAL IS, EACH YEAR?

>> I DO NOT. >> IS THAT CAPTURED ANYWHERE? $52,000, AND THAT WAS RECORDED IN A STUDENT PAYMENT FEES LINE ON PAGE 29. WE HAVE AN ATHLETIC FEES ACCOUNT, BUT FOR SOME REASON BACK THEN, THESE WERE DEPOSITED IN THE STUDENT

PAYMENT FEES ACCOUNT. >> THEY HAVE A LINE THAT SAYS ATHLETIC FEES AND IT'S KEPT IN A SPECIFIC ACCOUNT , SO IT'S EASY TO GO INTO THOSE ACCOUNTS.

>> THAT MONEY IS UTILIZED AGAIN, FOR SPORTS RELATED ACTIVITIES. IT'S JUST DISTRIBUTED WHEREVER ?

>> THE GENERAL FUND PAYS MORE .

[00:40:09]

>> SO, IF A SCHOOL FOR INSTANCE, SOUTHERN MIDDLE SCHOOL'S BASKETBALL TEAM WAS FOLLOW THE NORTHERN SORT OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS LESS STUDENTS, WOULD THAT PUT THEIR ATHLETIC FUND OR GENERAL FUND AT A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE THERE'S LESS STUDENTS COMING OUT?

>> IT WOULD NOT AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT. IN YEARS PAST, 14, 15 YEARS AGO, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR PLAYER.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS ALL SCHOOLS GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM US, AND ALL OF THE UNIFORMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH MY OFFICE , SEVEN HAS THE SAME COMPANY, THE SAME EVERYTHING, SO NO, IT DOES NOT MATTER BECAUSE YOU ARE CORRECT. THE SCHOOLS ON THE NORTHERN END OF THE COUNTY TWICE AS MANY OR THREE TIMES AS MANY SCHOOLS THAT COME TRY OUT FOR TEAMS SO THAT WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT .

>> FANTASTIC. >> CAN I CLARIFY THE NOT FUNDRAISING? THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED , BUT I'M INVITED TO A FUNDRAISER EVERY OTHER DAY.

>> AND IT COULD BE OTHER ITEMS SPECIFICALLY PAID

>> THE TEAMS THAT HAD MORE MONEY WERE COMING OUT , ADVANCING WARM-UPS, NAMES ON THEIR JERSEYS, OTHER SCHOOLS

COULD NOT DO THAT. >> APPARENTLY, I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS. I KNOW WE'RE SPEAKING TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS, BUT HOW DOES THE FUNDING FOR ATHLETICS, I MEAN, MY TRAINER

FORM DOESN'T LOOK THE SAME. >> IS TO BE A DIFFERENT BALL GAME. EACH HIGH SCHOOL, WHEN YOU LOOK THROUGH THE STATE.

$12,600 , WHEN IT COMES TO UNIFORMS, CHEERLEADING IS UNIQUE BECAUSE EACH HIGH SCHOOL CAN ORDER WHATEVER THEY WANT TO ORDER, FROM WHATEVER COMPANY , THEY ARE FUNDRAISING AND TICKET SALES, SO THAT SCHOOL WILL HAVE MORE MONEY TO SPEND ON UNIFORMS AND WHATNOT. IT'S BASED ON THE KIND OF INCOME THEY CAN BRING IN. ANYTHING ABOVE THAT , THEY

CAN SPEND ON THEIR PROGRAMS. >> AND I MOVE ON TO EQUIPMENT? SO, THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS . YOU KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE WE ARE ASKING FOR A $10 MILLION INCREASE IN OUR SPENDING LEVEL AND OF THAT , $3 MILLION IS EQUIPMENT AND IT'S A SHAME BECAUSE YOU WERE ABLE TO GET FUNDING THAT WAS BASICALLY OFF BOOKS. THESE WERE EXPENSE BASE BUT IT LOOKS LIKE A MESS. I WAS SORT OF HOPING THAT YOU COULD FIND MORE RESTRICTED FUNDS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE TRIED HARD, IF THE COUNTY PRESSES THEIR FLAT FUNDING PROPOSAL, THEN WE CAN BE IN A BIG AMOUNT OF HURT. DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER WAY THAT WOULD HELP US WITH

[00:45:03]

THE FUTURE? >> WE WERE FORTUNATE , FOR THE OVERAGE THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR . WE DO HAVE A BIT OF MONEY LEFT OVER THAT WILL LEVERAGE . SO MUCH OF THAT IS COMING OUT TO FUND THIS YEAR, AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF ANY OTHER LARGE FUNDS, WITH REGARDS TO BIG GRANTS WE CAN APPLY FOR AT THIS TIME SO SO MUCH OF THOSE GRANTS WE'VE BEEN AFFORDED ARE COMING OUT AND OUR FEDERAL FUNDING. WE WILL SEE IF WE CAN ADD ANYTHING TO THAT IN REGARD

TO TECHNOLOGY FUNDING. >> UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD MORE FUNDING PRIOR TO BEING AVAILABLE, WHICH WAS A FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM. WE ARE ABLE TO OFFSET OFFSET. THOSE FUNDS HAVE BEEN EXPIRED AND WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER PROGRAMS ON THE HORIZON . I DO WANT TO BE AWARE OF THAT. THAT ONLY COSTS US $6000-$12,000 , AND WE WOULD HOPEFULLY BRING IN $665,000 A YEAR FOR TEACHER DESKTOP COMPUTERS. THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY. YOU DON'T SEE THAT ANYWHERE IN THE BUDGET.

>> THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING. WE REALLY NEED TO ADVERTISE THAT MORE. MAYBE YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING ELSE TO PULL OUT OF

THE HAT. >> I WILL FOLLOW UP BECAUSE IT IS AN I.T. QUESTION. OUR PRINCIPALS NOW REQUIRED TO PAY

FOR INTERNET SERVICES? >> I ASKED THAT QUESTION IN THE SPREADSHEET, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE COST IS FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF , WHICH I WANT TO ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION , FOR SPECIFICALLY, WHAT FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF? ARE WE BEING CHARGED FOR INTERNET SERVICES , THAT STUDENTS AND

STAFF ARE USING? >> WE HAD ONE LARGE INTERNET BILL FOR THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, SO WHEN WE SAY FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF, IT'S FOR ANYONE AND EVERYONE. IT'S INTERNET FOR ALL AND WE DO HAVE TO PAY QUITE A BIT .

>> TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT , WE ARE PAYING FOR SOMEONE TO HAVE INTERNET WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A STUDENT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES DURING COVID. WE ARE NOT PAYING FOR STAFF TO HAVE INTERNET AT THEIR HOUSE . THIS IS IN THE BUILDINGS.

>> CORRECT. I THINK THAT THERE MAY BE THREE OR FOUR STAFF MEMBERS IN OUR DISTRICT WHO HAVE HAD COSTS PAID FOR WHO WERE GRANDFATHERED IN BUT NO, THAT'S INTERNET COST FOR THE

ENTIRE DISTRICT. >> WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REASON TO GRANDFATHER IN TO PAY FOR SOMEONE'S HOME INTERNET?

>> BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN PAID FOR BEFORE AND THE EXPECTATION WAS THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO USE IT. I DO KNOW THAT UNION MEMBERS -- NEW MEMBERS HAVE HAVE ADDED TO THEM, AND ONE

RETIRED. >> THIS MIGHT NOT BE A GREAT EXAMPLE BUT THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS AND RE-EVALUATING THAT. WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING NOW. WE SHOULD NOT BE PAYING FOR ANYONE'S HOME INTERNET. THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME.

>> I AGREE. >> WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE

[00:50:07]

>> I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP. I KNOW WE WERE DISCUSSING STAFF HOME INTERNET BEING PAID FOR, CORRECT? I KNOW WE ARE DISCUSSING STAFF HOME INTERNET BEING PAID FOR, CORRECT? ARE WE STILL ABLE , I REMEMBER DURING COVID, WE DID PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH POSSIBLE INTERNET CONNECTIONS OR USAGE TO SCHOOL FACILITIES TO UTILIZE INTERNET, SO ARE WE PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH THOSE OUTLETS AND RESOURCES?

>> YES DID FORTUNATELY, MOST OF CALVERT COUNTY IS VERY CONNECTED, BUT FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE CONNECTIVITY, WE ALSO HAVE INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES IN NEED , FOR FREE INTERNET SERVICE AND THOSE WHO DON'T QUALIFY , WE STILL HAVE HOT SPOTS.

>> THANK YOU. >> I DON'T KNOW, SOMEONE PUT THEIR QUESTIONS IN MY BLOCK, SO THOSE ARE NOT MY QUESTIONS. LET ME DROP DOWN , TRANSPORTATION, $215,000 IN EQUIPMENT. I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE THE NEW GPS OR ANYTHING,

RIGHT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. WE HAVE OUR CURRENT , SOME OF OUR SYSTEMS ARE 16 YEARS OLD .

MUCH LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S ELECTRONIC, ANGEL TRACKS, THE MOST UP-TO-DATE ONE WAS JUST RETIRED . THEY ARE MAKING A TOTALLY DIFFERENT MODEL WHICH IS A LOT BETTER , MORE CLEAR, WE HAVE THE THIRD OLDEST SYSTEM , AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOLS HAVE TO KNOW WHICH KEY TO USE AND WHAT KIND OF HARDWARE. WE ARE TRYING TO CHANGE THE FLEET TO THE NEWEST MODEL THAT JUST CAME OUT.

INSTEAD OF TRYING TO DO IT IN ONE FELL SWOOP, WE WERE GOING TO SPLIT IT UP SO THAT WE COULD CHANGE ONE THIRD OF THE CAMERAS AT ONE YEAR, AND DO ANOTHER THIRD AND THEN ANOTHER.

WE WOULD HAVE ALL BRAND-NEW SYSTEMS, SO THAT IS THE COST

TO BE EQUIPPED. >> I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP WITH A BUS QUESTION. HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT THE APP? IS THERE A QUESTION BETWEEN THOSE TWO? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS , SO WILL THAT HAVE AN IMPACT?

>> YES. THIS IS AS GOOD AS WHAT WE HAVE, SO THE EQUIPMENT WOULD BE BRAND-NEW, WHICH IS WONDERFUL. THURSDAY NIGHT WE ARE WORKING WITH SIX-YEAR-OLD EQUIPMENT AND IT'S STARTING TO FAIL. ONE OF THOSE BOXES CAN START -- STOP WORKING.

THAT'S ONE THING THAT WILL HELP. THAT'S ONE PART OF IT.

ANOTHER PART OF THE APP WORKING IS WHETHER OR NOT DRIVERS WHEN THEY GET ON THE BUS, IF THEY ARE IN A DIFFERENT BUS THAN NORMAL, THEY CAN LOG IN , SO IF THEY ARE BUS 300 , THEY WOULD GO IN AND SAY, I'M BUS 300 THROUGHOUT AND IT WOULD TELL

[00:55:03]

OF THAT ISSUE. >> AND WHY IS OVERTIME SO HARD

FOR TRANSPORTATION? >> OVERTIME IS HARD FOR US BECAUSE IT IS OUR OUT OF COUNTY OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE HAVE BUS ASSISTANCE, AND WE ARE GOING TO ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, SO THEY ARE ON THE BUS FOR 10, 11, 12 HOURS. WE HAVE TRIED TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO GET THEM OFF THE BUS ONE DAY A WEEK SO THEY WOULD WORK FOUR DAYS AND SET OF FIVE DAYS, AND YOU HAVE TO MOVE, YOU HAVE TO ADJUST WHAT THEY ARE WORKING, BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL GETTING PAID SEVEN HOURS.

>> WOULD BE MORE COST EFFICIENT TO BRING IN STAFF MEMBERS OR DO TWO TO WORK ON DIFFERENT SHIFTS?

>> WE NEED THE BUS TO COME BACK FOR THAT. THIS IS OUT OF COUNTY. THE BUSES THAT STAY IN COUNTY, MOST WORK EIGHT HOURS OR LESS. IT'S OUT OF COUNTY BUSES AND THE OTHER OPTION IS IF YOU HAD TWO TRIPS, AND TURN AROUND AND DRIVE BACK AND THEN

WE ARE, TO THE CONTRACTOR. >> SO THIS IS A GOOD SPOT FOR MY QUESTION, HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE ON THOSE BUSES?

>> VERY FEW. SO, WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS FOR OUR STAFF TO BE PROACTIVE THAT ALLOWS US ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES TO TRANSPORT STUDENTS. I THINK THIS BOARD HAS BROUGHT THIS UP IN THE PAST , TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO PUT THAT INTO PLACE. THERE ARE COST SAVINGS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WE CAN SAVE MONEY AND HOPEFULLY THAT WOULD OFFSET , TO PAY THE OVERTIME.

IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY IN THAT

PROGRAM. >> I WAS ASKED TO HEAD A TASK FORCE WITH THAT NOTION, TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES .

>> TO FOLLOW UP ON OVERTIME, PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, HERE WE ARE. THERE'VE BEEN SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES AND I HAVE NOT BEEN A STRANGER TO THOSE AND NEITHER HAVE MY CHILDREN AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN THIS ROLE, I DO KNOW THAT. IS THERE OVERTIME THAT WE ARE INCURRING IN YOUR OFFICE OR THAT WAS INCURRED THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF AS A RESULT , AND I DON'T WANT TO USE THE TERMS IMPROPER PLANNING, BUT FROM WHERE I CAN SEE, A LOT OF THINGS WHERE THERE WAS NOT AS MUCH PLANNING THAT COULD HAVE GONE INTO IT? ARE WE PAYING OVERTIME COSTS IN OTHER AREAS BECAUSE WE ARE NOT BEING PROACTIVE IN THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. THAT WAS A BIG

ISSUE. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE HAD MORE ISSUES WITH ROUTES THIS YEAR THAN IN YEARS PAST. YES, THERE IS OVERTIME. THROUGH THE ROUTERS , TYPICALLY THE WEEK RIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS , MOSTLY BECAUSE OF OUR SPECIAL

[01:00:01]

>> WHAT IS , I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A NUMBER FOR THIS, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF STUDENTS WRITING ONE

PARTICULAR BUS? >> ANY GIVEN BUS, HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?

>> IF YOU HAVE NUMBERS FOR EACH, GO FOR IT.

>> I DO ACTUALLY HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, I DON'T HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF ME. THE ANSWER IS ON A GIVEN BUS , I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE SHOOT FOR. WE SHOOT FOR BETWEEN 45 TO 50, ROUGHLY TWO PEOPLE PER SEAT. MIDDLE SCHOOL, SAME NUMBER, ELEMENTARY, WE CAN SHOOT FOR 55 TO 60 BECAUSE THEY ARE SMALLER.

KINDERGARTNERS AND FIRST-GRADERS CAN SIT THREE IN THE SEAT. ON AVERAGE, IT'S INTERESTING . WE DO NOTICE THAT MORE KIDS WILL WRITE A BUS THAN OTHERS. I SCHOOL AVERAGE NUMBER , IF I REMEMBER, WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 30 TO 35 .

MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER, AND OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS DROPS WAY OFF . I WANT TO SAY THAT WAS DOWN INTO THE 20S . I WILL GIVE YOU THE ACTUAL NUMBERS IF YOU'D LIKE, BECAUSE WE DO TRACK THAT. JUST TO LOOK FOR BUSES THAT ARE

OVERCROWDED. >> THAT WOULD BE GREAT. SINCE YOU DO HAVE THE NUMBERS AND ROUTES ARE SET FOR THIS YEAR, WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT WAYS TO CONSERVE COSTS. ARE WE ABLE TO RE-EVALUATE WITH THE PROJECTED AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WRITING THE BUSES OR USE INFORMATION TO DETERMINE NEW BUS ROUTES THAT WILL RESULT IN LESS BUSES RUNNING?

>> SURE. THAT'S A QUESTION EVERY TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY YES, 100%, WE CAN DO THAT. THE PROBLEM WE RUN INTO IS THAT WHEN YOU TRY TO SET UP ROUTE , WE ARE WORKING IN APRIL OR MAY, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHO IS GOING TO RIDE THE BUS AND WHO IS NOT. WE HAVE TO TRY TO BUILD ROUTES FROM 14,000 AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BUSES.

IT'S LITERALLY ALMOST A GAME , IT'S A PUZZLE. EVERY YEAR WE TRY TO LOOK AT WHO RODE THE BUS LAST YEAR, AND GO BY THAT AND THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT . OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM TWO YEARS AGO JUST TRIED TO HAVE PARENTS LET US KNOW IF THEY WERE GOING TO USE THE BUS OR NOT AND IF THEY SAID WE ARE NOT, WE TOOK THEM OUT OF THE DATABASE SO THAT WHEN THE MAP SHOWED UP, WE WOULD SEE OKAY, THESE KIDS ARE GOING TO RIDE THE BUS AND IT DID NOT HELP BECAUSE IT TURNED OUT ONLY 2000 PEOPLE RESPONDED . IT TOOK US DOWN TO 12,000, SO WE HAVE TO BUILD ROUTES BASED ON EVERY SINGLE STUDENT RIDING THE BUS.

WE HAVE TO GO DOWN EVERY STREET AND STOP AT EVERY CORNER SO UNFORTUNATELY, UNTIL THERE IS A WAY WE CAN ACTUALLY GET, AND I CAN TELL YOU, ANOTHER COUNTY JUST TRIED THIS AND IT DID NOT WORK FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY WERE 40 OR 50 BUSES SHORT , IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE NO IDEA WHO WILL RIDE THE BUS.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE JUST ROUTE FOR EVERYBODY WRITING , EVERY POSSIBILITY AND THEN WE HAVE TO ADJUST BASED ON WHO SHOWS

UP . >> DO YOU CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR MORE THAN ONE POSSIBLE ROUTE DEPENDING HOW MANY PEOPLE DO

RIDE THE BUS? >> CONTINGENCIES, NO.

BASICALLY, WE GO IN WITH PLAN A AND AFTER WEEK ONE, WE SPEND THAT FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY, AND WE READJUST ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE VIA JUST DID AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT THIS POST WAS ASKED ABOUT WITH OVERTIME PAY. ON A SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT EXTRA PAY, BUT THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN DONE. THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN

DOING. >> DO YOU THINK IT'S BEEN EFFECTIVE IN CUTTING DOWN THE AMOUNT OF SEATS LEFT OPEN ON A

BUS WHEN UTILIZING ROUTES? >> I DO. IN 2017, WE HAD AN

[01:05:07]

HAVE WE SEEN A DIFFERENCE? YES. PRIOR TO THAT OUR SOFTWARE DID NOT TALK TO OUR STUDENT DATABASE , SO WE WERE JUST DRAWING ROUTES PRIOR TO THAT. NOW THAT IT'S AT THE TOP OF THE DATABASE, WE KNOW EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT LIVES AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AS FAR AS , IS A GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO LIVE IN THIS AREA SO WE ONLY NEED ONE BUS. THE ROUTING SOFTWARE WILL MAKE SUGGESTIONS AND SAY OH, IF YOU CHANGE THIS ROUTE AND MOVE IT OVER HERE TO PICK UP THESE KIDS, YOU CAN GET MORE KIDS ON THE BUS WITH AN EXTRA TWO MILES ON THE RUN. THE ANSWER IS YES, I DO THINK THAT

WE COULD BE MORE EFFICIENT. >> THANK YOU.

>> TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION, WHAT WAS THE LEVEL OF EFFORT BY EVERY SCHOOL TO GET PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT SURVEY? SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, I CAN TELL YOU THEY GAVE IT ALL THE EFFORT BECAUSE I RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY AND GOT TWO PHONE CALLS. IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE REALLY BEING PROACTIVE IN TRYING TO GET PARENTS TO ANSWER. EVEN IF I DIDN'T ANSWER ON THE SURVEY, THEY CALLED TO BE SURE THEY RECORDED MY ANSWER. I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF WE UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF EFFORT EVERY SCHOOL PUT IN, OR WAS IT

DIFFERENT ? >> HONESTLY, I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE WE DID ASK SCHOOL, WE NOTICED THESE PEOPLE HAVE NOT RESPONDED. A LOT OF PEOPLE RESPONDED AND SAID, WE ARE KEEPING IT WERE, WE ARE NOT SURE, BUT NO, WE DID ASK EVERY SCHOOL TO REACH OUT TO EVERYONE WHO DID NOT RESPOND TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR ANSWER WOULD BE BUT AGAIN --

>> THEY PROBABLY JUST CALLED ME TWICE BECAUSE THEY KNOW I AM EXTRA. ONE OTHER QUESTION, THE ROUTING SOFTWARE USED , IF IT'S AN EXPERIENCE THAT'S HAPPENING TO ME, I KNOW IT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER PLACES, BUT, I LIVED IN THE SAME HOUSE FOR NINE OR 10 YEARS, AND THE BUS STOP HAS BEEN THE SAME , NOT TO SAY THOSE THINGS CAN'T CHANGE, BUT THE SOFTWARE , THIS LAST YEAR, ASSIGNED A BUS STOP TO AN ADDRESS THAT DID NOT EVEN EXIST , SO WHERE IS IT THAT THE SOFTWARE WE ARE USING OR, HOW DO WE GET THAT DATA? OUR PLANS CAN ONLY BE AS GOOD AS WHATEVER

WE ARE USING. >> SO, LET ME ASK, DID YOU HAVE A HOUSE NUMBER THAT DIDN'T EXIST?

>> IT WASN'T EVEN A PARCEL. >> SO WHAT IT DOES , WE CLICK A BUTTON TO SAY, HERE'S WHERE WE WANT TO STOP AND IT USES ITS OWN , WHERE IT GETS ITS INFORMATION FROM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS ONE OF THE MAP DATABASES, LIKE GOOGLE EARTH , IT GETS ITS INFORMATION FROM THERE. WHERE WE PUT THE DOT, WE SAY WE WANTED TO BE HERE, LET'S SAY IT'S IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE, IT MAY NOT KNOW YOUR ACTUAL ADDRESS SO IT WILL USE WHAT IT STATUS AS IS A HOUSE IN THAT AREA OR STREET NUMBER IN THE AREA. WE DO OUR BEST TO CORRECT THEM BUT WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF THOSE WHERE THAT HAPPENED, WHERE IT GIVES YOU AN INCORRECT HOUSE NUMBER . WE CAN CHANGE IT, WHICH WHEN PEOPLE CALL AND TELL US, WE HAVE DONE. IF USING ITS OWN MAP DATA TO CREATE THE ACTUAL, WHAT IT'S CALLING THE STOCK OR

HOUSE NUMBER. >> IS THERE NO WAY FOR STAFF HERE TO VALIDATE THOSE ADDRESSES WHEN PUT IN? ARE

THERE THAT MANY ? >> THE ANSWER IS WE COULD. IT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE A WHILE BECAUSE IN TRYING TO THINK HOW MANY STOPS WE HAVE. WE JUST LOOKED THAT UP, WE RAN A REPORT. I WANT TO SAY THAT OVER 4000 OR 5000 BUS STOPS BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN'T DO. WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO EACH YEAR, WITH THE NEW SOFTWARE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIX THAT, WHEN WE GET A PHONE CALL , THAT'S WHEN WE TRY TO FIX IT SO THAT WAY IT'S FIXED FOR THE NEXT PERSON.

>> THANK YOU. >> WHILE YOU WERE TALKING, HOW MUCH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DO YOU AND THE EMPLOYEES IN

[01:10:03]

YOUR OFFICE RECEIVE? >> ON --

>> WHATEVER. THAT'S PREDATION.

>> PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT , WE DON'T, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OUR FOLKS GO TO MORE CONFERENCES AS FAR AS WITH THE ROUTING SOFTWARE . THEY PROVIDE A CONFERENCE EACH YEAR FOR ALL THE FOLKS WHO USE THEIR SOFTWARE TO COME AND WORK WITH THEM TO GET BETTER. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, OUR ROUTING SOFTWARE, WE REALLY JUST HAD , I'M TRYING TO THINK HOW MANY HOURS IT WAS. 40 HOURS OF WORK WITH A ROUTING SOFTWARE COMPANY FOR TWO BUS RIDERS, SO WE DO THAT . OUR BUS DRIVER TRAINER GOES EVERY SUMMER TO THE MARYLAND STATE MEETING IN SALISBURY, SO THAT'S THREE DAYS. MYSELF AND THE DIRECTOR ARE USUALLY IN SALISBURY, AS WELL FOR A THREE DAY CONFERENCE, THERE. I WOULD SAY AT LEAST THREE DAYS.

>> AND YOU INTERFACE OR COLLABORATE WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE STATE OF MARYLAND? IS THERE SOME TYPE OF ASSOCIATION? DO YOU HAVE MEETINGS WITH EACH OTHER AT ANY POINT IN TIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO SHARE IDEAS ?

>> YES, THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF TRANSPORTATION IS ALL THE DIRECTORS AND SUPERVISORS FROM AROUND THE STATE. THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A CONFERENCE TWICE A YEAR, ONCE IN THE FALL, ONCE IN THE SPRING, AND THEY GET TOGETHER.

SINCE I ALSO DO THE ATHLETICS AND TRANSPORTATION, ALL SAY THAT THE TRANSPORTATION IS VERY CLOSE KNIT. WE ALL WORK AS A TEAM . TODAY, MY PHONE WAS BLOWING UP THE WHOLE TIME WITH ALL THE SNOW UP NORTH BECAUSE EVERYBODY CHIMES IN . WE ARE BASICALLY ONE BIG TEAM . WHETHER OR NOT THEY ON THE BUSES OR WERE CONTRACTED, EVERYBODY IS A TEAM AND YES , WE DO WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER. WE STARTED THE SUMMER CONFERENCE IN SALISBURY 18 YEARS AGO AND I HAVE BEEN ON THE STAFF THAT CREATES THE PROGRAM EVERY YEAR. WE DO WORK

VERY WELL AND VERY CLOSELY. >> RATE, THANK YOU.

>> CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER, AS A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION REGARDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN LEARNING, AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE TRANSPORTATION STUDY OF 2017, OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WENT TO SEVERAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND HAD PRESENTATIONS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT . WE WENT TO CARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE LISTENED TO MR. THOMPSON AND MR. HARDISTY ON HOW THEY RAN THE DEPARTMENT REGARDING SPECIFIC OPERATIONS. WE ALSO VISIT THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND WERE SEARCHING FOR THAT PLATFORM AS

WELL. >> I ASK BECAUSE I AM A BIG BELIEVER IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT . YOU GRADUATE FROM SCHOOL AND YOU DO WHATEVER IN YOUR CAREER AND YOUR JOB AND SOMETIMES YOU BECOME COMPLACENT . IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO ENSURE THAT STAFF HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT . THERE ARE NEW, INNOVATIVE IDEAS, CREATIVE IDEAS BEING ESTABLISHED ALL THE TIME AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT STAFF HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR AND LEARN ABOUT THOSE IDEAS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING OUR BEST, HERE IN CALVERT COUNTY. SOME OF OUR COST SAVINGS CAN COME IN, HAVING THAT MENTALITY, BEING PROACTIVE, ENSURING THAT WE ARE WORKING EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE. I KNOW WE HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF STAFFING AND A BIG JOB THAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH. IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT OUR STAFF HAS THE BEST RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR JOBS DONE IN THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE MANNER.

>> I DID JUST REMEMBER , AND ONE OF THE TEXT MESSAGES AMONGST ALL THE DIRECTORS OF TRANSPORTATION, THERE'S TALK OF CREATING ONE JUST FOR ROUTERS AND TALKING ABOUT THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY . THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE TRYING TO WORK ON NOW , LIKE WE HAVE FOR DRIVER TRAINERS .

>> I COULD SEE WHERE THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING IN YOUR OFFICE WITH MY HAIR STANDING ON END, TRYING TO GET EACH STUDENT THAT NEEDS TO BE TRANSPORTED FROM THEIR HOME TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY IN A SAFE MANNER , SO I CAN IMAGINE WHAT YOU GO THROUGH AND I CAN IMAGINE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO STAY ON TOP OF THE BEST TECHNOLOGY TO ENSURE THAT ALTHOUGH YOUR HAIR MAY BE STANDING ON END, IT DOES NOT FALL OUT.

>> I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT , AND A LITTLE BIT BACK TO THE OVERTIME THING, I WOULD , IF IT'S NOT ALREADY IN PLACE, I

[01:15:05]

WE ALL IN SOME WAYS, OUR CIVIL SERVANTS BECAUSE WE ARE FUNDED BY THE TAXPAYERS AND OUR OWN MONEY SO WE SHOULD BE BEHAVING IN A RING ACCORDINGLY. -- ACTING ACCORDINGLY.

>> WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ON TO INSURANCE.

>> MY QUESTION IS, WHY DID THE RANGERS -- WAGES FOR HUMAN

RESOURCES GO UP SO MUCH. >> THERE REALLY WAS NO --

>> SO WHAT ARE THE REIMBURSEMENTS FROM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT?

>> TURNING TO OUR CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER .

>> THE HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS PROVIDED BY CALVERT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE SELF-INSURED, MEANING FUNDED BY THE EMPLOYEES, RETIREES WHO RECOVERED MEMBERS AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL HEALTH INSURANCE EXPENSES INCURRED BY EMPLOYEES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS, SO WE PAY FOR ALL EXPERIENCES, WHATEVER THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED, WE PAY FOR. CLAIMS ARE PAID EQUAL , CAN BE EQUAL , TOO, EXCEED, OR FALL SHORT OF WHAT IS PAID IN THE PREMIUM. IF THEY EXCEED THE CLAIMS, WE RECEIVE A REIMBURSEMENT BID IF THE CLAIMS EXCEED THE PAYMENTS, WE MUST PAY IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIRED PREMIUMS. AS WE WORK WITH CAREFIRST, THAT'S A

YEARLY BASIS. >> SO JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT, THE QUESTION IS THE ONE $.8 MILLION INCREASE IN HEALTHCARE, YOU ANSWERED THAT BOLTON HAD SAID BETWEEN A 4% AND 6% INCREASE AS AN ESTIMATE?

>> WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO ON THE LOW SIDE. 4% VERSUS 6%, BUT WHEN WILL WE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE?

>> WE WILL KNOW BY MARCH 1ST.

>> MARCH 1ST? >> WE WANT TO DO CLAIMS ON MARCH 1ST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.

>> I THOUGHT YOU MEANT THE PREMIUM INCREASE .

>> YEAH, WHATEVER IS IN THIS , IN THE FIXED COST IN OUR HEALTH INSURANCE. THE $32.37 MILLION. WHATEVER THAT IS

MAKING UP. >> THAT INCLUDES BOTH.

>> THAT REFLECTS THE FULL INSURED EQUIVALENT PREMIUM AND IS BASED ON THE ACTUAL CLAIMS SO THE AMOUNT IS LIKELY TO

VARY FROM THE ESTIMATE. >> YEAH.

>> WE DON'T KNOW TODAY. WE CANNOT KNOW TODAY WHICH OR HOW

MUCH. >> SO THAT IS ON THE REVENUE SIDE. WE PUT IN THE REIMBURSEMENT. $975,000. I DID NOT KNOW WE BUDGETED THAT . I THOUGHT IF IT HAPPENS, IF WE GET, IS THAT PART OF A SETTLEMENT , ASSUMING THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET A POSITIVE SETTLEMENT?

>> I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE SETTLEMENT. WE SOMETIMES GET A RETURN FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

>> I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER THAT 975,000 IS.

[01:20:03]

>> THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE RECONCILIATION FROM FISCAL

YEAR 2023. >> SO IT'S REAL, IT'S ACTUAL?

THAT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024. >> OKAY, SO WE'VE HAD MORE IN '24 , BUT YOU PUT A BUDGETED REVENUE ITEM IN FOR 2025. IS

THAT A GROSS ESTIMATE? >> IT'S OUR BEST ESTIMATE AS OF TODAY. WE CANNOT KNOW WHAT OUR ACTUAL CLAIMS WILL BE

TODAY. >> WHAT PAGE ARE YOU WORKING

FROM? >> PAGE 29, THE LOCAL , THE ITEM IN THE BLUE:. INCOME REIMBURSEMENT.

>> WE COULD RECEIVE MORE, WE COULD RECEIVE LESS, WE COULD

RECEIVE NOTHING. >> THAT'S WHY I CONSIDER IT A RISK. I WOULD ALMOST PREFER JUST BUDGETING. WE USED TO JUST BUDGET NOTHING AND THEN IF IT CAME , WE DID A BUDGET

ADJUSTMENT. >> WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT IN THE NEXT VERSION OF THE BUDGET.

>> IT JUST MAKES THE SITUATION WORSE.

>> WHAT'S THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND PROVIDING A NUMBER?

>> WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND BUDGETING A REVENUE AMOUNT? WE'VE RECEIVED REVENUE FOR THIS FOR THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS , SO THE INTENT IS TO PROVIDE A REVENUE ESTIMATE CLOSE TO ACTUAL AS POSSIBLE. WE COULD BE MORE CONSERVATIVE AND ESTIMATE LESS OR ZERO. THE BOARD'S

PREFERENCE. >> SO UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A PREVIOUS YEAR REVENUE NUMBER , BUT ALSO COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT IT'S A VOLATILE NUMBER , IS IT PRUDENT TO PLACE A NUMBER THERE? THAT THE QUESTION THAT I PROPOSE FOR STAFF. I THINK THAT IT COULD PAINT AND IN ACCURATE PICTURE UNLESS WE HAVE IN OUR MINDS, SOME WAY WE WOULD COVER A REVENUE SHORTFALL IF THE NUMBER IS ESTIMATED HIGHER THAN WHAT WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED. IF WE ARE GOING TO SAY ANY DIFFERENCE, WOULD TAKE OUT A FUND BALANCE OR SOMETHING ELSE, I COULD UNDERSTAND THE NUMBER BEING PLACED THERE, BUT IF IT'S A REALLY VOLATILE ESTIMATE, IT COULD BE ANYTHING , I THINK IT'S MORE PRUDENT AND CONSERVATIVE TO NOT HAVE A PROJECTION FOR THAT CATEGORY, SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.

>> OKAY, KEEP GOING. >> OKAY, THEN I JUST WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ENROLLMENT . PLEASE TELL ME IF I'M CORRECT IN SAYING THAT OUR FISCAL YEAR 2025 STATE FUNDING , WHICH IS DONE ON A PER PUPIL BASIS , IS GOING TO BE BASED OFF OF OUR ENROLLMENT NUMBERS FROM SEPTEMBER 2023 ? SO THIS PAST YEAR, IN SEPTEMBER , THEY WILL USE THAT NUMBER TO GIVE US OUR NEXT YEARS , FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET , BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY ACTUAL NUMBER THEY HAVE THAT HAS BEEN VETTED , SO WHAT THIS MEANS IS , FROM 2020 TO 2023, WE LOST 360 STUDENTS. WE ARE DOWN IN ENROLLMENT AND I BELIEVE MR. JOHNSON HAS QUANTIFIED THAT THAT IMPACTS US BY LOSING $1.6 MILLION IN STATE FUNDING JUST BECAUSE OUR ENROLLMENT WAS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME , SO THERE'S THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, THEN , HOW STRONGLY WE THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN ENROLLMENT IN SEPTEMBER OF '24 , MEANING THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF KIDS IN SCHOOL WHEN FISCAL YEAR 2025 START . WE SHOW AN INCREASE OF 161. HOW DO WE, IS THAT

[01:25:05]

COME FROM? >> I CAN HELP ANSWER THAT AS DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES. THERE IS A COMMITTEE OF DIRECTORS AND SUPERVISORS LET ME A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR TO DO PROJECTIONS AND UPDATE PROJECTIONS. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING. THEY'VE BEEN DONE , THESE ARE A YEAR OLD. WE'RE NOT REAL CONFIDENT THAT THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE INCREASED IN THESE REDUCTIONS. I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO GET RECENT DATA SHOW THAT NUMBERS OF GONE UNDER 15,000 , CURRENTLY AND THAT TREND UNFORTUNATELY DOES SEEM TO CONTINUE BUT WE ARE NOT POSITIVE WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE BUT WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU ALL IN

PROBABLY ABOUT A MONTH. >> OKAY. IRONICALLY , IT'S BETTER FOR US IF WE HAVE LESS STUDENTS, BECAUSE THAT MEANS WE WOULD NEED , THEORETICALLY, THE CLASS SIZES WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO UP BECAUSE WE WOULD STAY WITH THE SAME NUMBER OF TEACHERS. SO, BECAUSE OUR BUDGET IS SET BASED ON THE NUMBER THAT IS QUITE OLD, IF WE DO END UP, THAT IS WHY THOSE SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT ARE GROWING, WHICH WE DID FOR 10 YEARS, WE WERE THE FASTEST GROWING SCHOOL SYSTEM IN MARYLAND FOR A LONG TIME, WHEN YOU ARE GROWING YOU ARE OUTPACING YOUR BUDGET ALREADY . AS SOON AS THEY GIVE YOU A BUDGET, YOU OUTPACE IT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE STAYED PRETTY LOW AND THE LATEST NUMBER DOES SHOW EVEN A DECREASE FROM THIS 15,000 47, WHICH IS WHERE WE SORT OF

BAD NEWS. >> ARE THOSE THE NUMBERS THAT WERE USED , ON PAGE 138 WITH PROJECTIONS FOR '24 THROUGH

'27? >> WHAT PAGE IS THAT?

>> 138. >> CORRECT. THAT'S ACCURATE AS

OF LAST YEAR'S PROJECTIONS. >> IT MUST ALL BE DEPENDENT ON YOUNGER KIDS, ELEMENTARY, PRE-K , I HAVE TO IMAGINE. AND BIRTHRATES, SURE. OUR POPULATION IS SLATED TO STAY FLAT . I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER.

>> THE POPULATION DEFINITELY PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A TEAM THAT MEETS TO DISCUSS THAT AND I'VE BEEN ON THE TEAM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. WHERE THE BUILDING IS GOING ON, WHAT TYPE OF BUILDING, AND WE LOOK AT TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE, MORE KIDS IN CERTAIN AREAS . A LOT OF WHAT WE SEE IS CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A WHILE. THE BUBBLE OF KIDS WENT THROUGH AND DISAPPEARED AND NOW WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THOSE FOLKS ARE SELLING THEIR HOMES AND YOUNGER PARENTS ARE NOW BUYING THOSE HOMES, SO WE ARE STARTING TO SEE KIDS COME BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE POPULATION DEFINITELY PLAYS A BIG PART OF IT AND RIGHT HERE, WE SEE THAT THEY ARE STARTING TO BUILD EVEN MORE TOWNHOMES AND APARTMENTS.

>> TO SOMEONE ELSE WANT TO JUMP IN?

>> AND I ASKED, ON THE BASIS OF THE $1.6 MILLION WE WOULD LOSE THAT THIS PROJECTED NUMBER, WHAT IS OUR CURRENT COST PER PUPIL? HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE SPENDING PER STUDENT TO

EDUCATE THEM? >> I CAN LOOK THAT UP AND PROVIDE THAT LATER. I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER AT OUR

FINGERTIPS DID >> OKAY, THANK YOU. I WANT TO FOLLOW UP BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING ENROLLMENT DECREASE, I KNOW WE ARE LOOKING AT BIRTHRATES WITH A FLAT POPULATION, BUT WE ARE LOSING STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION AS TO WHY AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO

REMEDY THAT? >> YEAH, A LOT OF THE REASON WE ARE LOSING YOUNG PEOPLE IS A COUPLE OF THINGS. LOW BIRTH RATES, LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING . YOUNG PEOPLE ARE

[01:30:08]

PER STUDENT IS AN ESTIMATE. >> THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED, THAT SPENDING PER PUPIL PUT US ABOUT MID-LEVEL OF ALL THE COUNTIES IN THE STATE. WE ARE ABOUT HALFWAY. WE ARE NOT OVERLY HIGH, WE ARE NOT OVERLY LOW.

>> ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK OF THE BUDGET BOOK UNDER THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET SUMMARIES, SOME OF THE BUDGET RECAP BY OBJECT CLASS ITEMS HAVE AN ASTERISK AT THE END , IN RED.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? >> IT'S CHANGES THAT ARE THE HIGHER AMOUNTS , I THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A NOTE. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO CHECK ON THE DETAILS BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT FILE IN FRONT OF ME. ALEXA THAT INDICATE A NOTE TO STAFF

REGARDING THAT LINE ITEM? >> I BELIEVE IT WAS BECAUSE THESE WERE SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INCREASES YEAR OVER YEAR , BUT I SEE THAT , ON HEALTH SERVICES , UNDER EQUIPMENT, THERE'S A 183.2% INCREASE THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE THE ASTERISK SO THAT MAY NOT BE, I WOULD BE GLAD TO DOUBLE

CHECK. >> IF YOU COULD SHARE THAT , I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WHEN I SEE THAT, IT PIQUES MY INTEREST SO EITHER MAKE SURE WE DON'T PRINT THEM IN THE BUDGET BOOK OR IF WE ARE GOING TO PRINT THEM, CAN YOU PROVIDE WHAT THE NOTE IS? THEN I JUST ADDED A QUESTION TO OUR GROWING LIST OF BUDGET QUESTIONS. CAN I BE PROVIDED A CHART THAT OUTLINES PROGRAMS OFFERED AT EACH SCHOOL , TO GO IN LINE WITH THIS SCHOOL AND CENTER-BASED ALLOCATION AMOUNTS IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK? LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SCHOOLS, SCHOOLS HAVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, I'M NOT SURE WHAT PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED IN EACH SCHOOL. I KNOW SOME, BUT THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CONTINUED BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 2019, SO I MIGHT BE THINKING OF THE PROGRAM WE ARE NO LONGER OFFERING. IT HELPS ME TO READ THE BOOK BETTER IF I KNOW WHAT PROGRAMS ARE OCCURRING IN EACH SCHOOL AND WHY CERTAIN ALLOCATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED BY PRINCIPALS FOR THEIR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION REGARDING THE MICROSOFT LICENSING. YOU SAID THAT COST INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY , IS IT BECAUSE WE'VE ADDED ADDITIONAL LICENSES, IS MICROSOFT MOVING TO A PRICING STRUCTURE, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S MORE THAN A 5% INCREASE IN COST , SO WHAT

TRIGGERED THE INCREASE? >> WE ARE ALSO NOW REQUIRED TO HAVE ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES AT A FIVE LEVEL. WE COULD GET AWAY WITH A ONE BEFORE, BUT THEY TOOK AWAY SOME OF THE A1 ARCHIVING RESPONSIBILITIES OR FEATURES THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

>> I WILL GO TO PAGE 69 OF THE BOOK .

>> WHILE YOU ARE GETTING THERE, CAN ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION? I KNOW THIS IS PROBABLY INCREDIBLY ABSURD, HOWEVER SINCE THERE'S BEEN SUCH AN INCREASE , HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM TRANSITIONING TO USE SOMETHING LIKE GOOGLE ? ENTER DURING COVID, A LOT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS UTILIZED GO LIMITS, GOOGLE DOCS, AND GOOGLE SLIDES AND IT IS MORE AFFORDABLE BUT I OBVIOUSLY DON'T HAVE SPECIFICS ON THAT . WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING FEASIBLE TO LOOK AT? AT AT THE PAST AND SHARED VIEWS ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS OF MAKING A SWITCH AND WE CAN LOOK INTO IT AGAIN. IT WOULD BE A MASSIVE STRUCTURAL OVERHAUL AND CHANGE TO OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM ,

[01:35:05]

WE CAN DO THAT AGAIN. >> I DON'T WANT TO CREATE TOO MUCH WORK FOR YOU ESPECIALLY WITH ALL OF THAT TRANSITION, I KNOW I OF DOCUMENTS FROM FIRST GRADE, I WAS JUST WONDERING

ABOUT COST WISE. >> PAGE 69 , OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS. I SEE IN THE OTHER CATEGORY WE HAD 90,000 , AND THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT EXACTLY ENCOMPASS THAT COST, BUT HOW ARE WE GETTING AWAY WITH NOT HAVING A BUDGETED COST IN THAT COLUMN? I SEE THAT IT IS PD AND SPECIFICALLY TEACHER

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. >> I DIDN'T HEAR WHICH

ACCOUNT. >> OTHER. THE VERY LAST LINE ITEM. THERE IS NOTHING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024. WERE THOSE COSTS IN ANOTHER CATEGORY? DID WE JUST NOT HAVE ANYTHING

BUDGETED? >> THE OTHER LINE?

>> I WILL BE HAPPY TO CHECK THAT WE HAVE OVER 10,000

ACCOUNTS AND AM SORRY -- >> YES, I WOULD APPRECIATE

CLARIFICATION. >> I CAN GET SOME. LAST YEAR, OR THIS CURRENT YEAR, WHAT WAS BUDGETED IS 103,000 , $425 .

I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT'S NOT NOTED, BUT THAT IS WHAT I CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE INSTRUCTION BUDGET FOR THE

SCHOOL YEAR. >> IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY IF THOSE COSTS ARE BUDGETED SOMEWHERE ELSE , OR IF IT WAS

NOT REPORTED . >> I THINK FOR NOW --

>> JUST SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE CLARIFIED, THERE WAS SOMETHING, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT PAGE, SOMETHING ABOUT UNIFORMS FOR SCHOOL NURSES? I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE A PENNY AWAY FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSES THAT I THINK THAT SHOULD BE CLARIFIED, BECAUSE OUR NURSES DON'T NECESSARILY WEAR UNIFORMS, SO MAYBE THE WORDING OF THAT SHOULD BE CLARIFIED.

>> SURE. PER THE CASE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT, THIS IS A NEGOTIATED ITEM. IT'S A LINE ITEM, SHOES, SCRUBS, LAB JACKET. THERE ARE VARIOUS MATERIALS , THAT SHE CPS DOES NOT HAVE A DRESS CODE SO WE CANNOT MANDATE WHEN THEY WEAR THEM OR EVEN MONITOR. IT COULD JUST BE SHOES , AND THERE IS A VARIANCE IN WHO ACCESSES THAT BENEFIT AND WHO DOES NOT . ANY PURCHASE IS FIRST REVIEWED BY MY OFFICE AND APPROVED .

>> I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION THAT DEALS WITH THE ACCREDITATION OF KINDERGARTEN. I KNOW THAT WE, KINDERGARTEN HAS HAD TO GO THROUGH ACCREDITATION PROCESS FOR MANY YEARS. WHY HAS THE PRICE INCREASED ? CAN ANYONE ADDRESS

THAT? >> I CAN ADDRESS THAT. IN THE PAST, OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS GONE THROUGH ACCREDITATION WHEN KINDERGARTEN WENT FULL DAY . THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, HAS NOT BEEN A REQUIREMENT , BUT WITH THE BLUEPRINT , ALL PRE-K SETTINGS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MARYLAND EXCELS IN PART OF THAT IS THE ACCREDITATION PIECE SO WE HAVE TO RATE AT A LEVEL FOUR OR FIVE AND TO DO THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH ACCREDITATION. WHAT WE DID WAS WE TRIED TO APPROXIMATE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST FOR THE MATERIALS AND THE FURNITURE, SO GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE PRE-K CLASSROOMS, ENSURING IT AT THAT LEVEL THAT IS REQUIRED TO THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS, THERE COULD BE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT 10 SPECIFIC CLASSROOMS GOING THROUGH ACCREDITATION NEXT YEAR .

CURRENTLY, WE HAVE THREE SCHOOLS GOING TO IT THIS YEAR.

WE HAVE SOME FUNDING THIS YEAR BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY AN INCREASE BECAUSE AS WE WENT TO FOLD A PK, THAT'S A

REQUIREMENT. >> EITHER QUESTION ON PAGE 108

[01:40:02]

$3000. WHAT CAUSED THAT? >> EACH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL GETS A PER-PUPIL ALLOTMENT, THE TOTAL AMOUNT AND THEY WORK WITH STAFF TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY EACH DEPARTMENT AS OUTLINED IN THAT DOCUMENT RECEIVES. THEY WORK WITH THEIR STAFF TO DETERMINE WHAT THE MATERIALS OF INSTRUCTION THEY ARE GOING TO ASSIST -- GOING TO SPEND, STAFF DEPARTMENT'S WORK TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH THEY NEED ON TEXTBOOK RENEWAL , THEY WILL LOOK AT WHAT THEY NEED ON OFFICE SUPPLIES, THEY WILL GET WHAT THEY NEED IN THE NURSES DOMAIN AS WELL AS THE LIBRARY.

EACH PRINCIPAL MAKE THAT DETERMINATION BASED ON THEIR SPENDING NEEDS ACROSS A COUPLE YEARS OR WHAT THE CURRENT NEEDS

ARE RIGHT NOW. >> AND SINCE I'M TALKING ABOUT COUNSELORS , AS FAR AS CONTINUING EDUCATION OR DIFFERENT TRAININGS FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, IS THAT IN HERE SOMEWHERE? I APOLOGIZE , I MISSED THAT.

>> THAT'S OKAY. ABSOLUTELY, WE DO HAVE A SPECIFIC LINE ITEM FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND STUDENT SERVICES AND SOME OF THAT IS EARMARKED SPECIFICALLY FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COUNSELORS. WE CAN'T SEND ALL COUNSELORS EVERY YEAR, BUT THERE IS A ROTATION AND A PLAN THAT IS INTENTIONAL AND STRATEGIC AS TO WHO GOES TO SOME NATIONAL AS WELL AS LOCAL OR REGIONAL CONFERENCES IN ADDITION TO WHAT OUR SUPERVISOR OF THE COUNSELORS PROVIDE LOCALLY AS WELL.

>> AND WHEN THEY GO TO THESE TRAININGS AND COME BACK, TO THE REPORT TO THE OTHER COUNSELORS?

>> THEY DO. WE DO HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE WHERE THE LEAD COUNSELORS MEET REGULARLY WITH OUR SUPERVISOR AND THE ■ GENERAL COUNSELING MEETING WHERE THINGS ARE SHARED FROM PARTICULAR TRAININGS OR MAKING SURE EVERYONE IS UP TO DATE -- UP-TO-DATE ON BEST PRACTICES AND CURRENT RESEARCH.

>> IF WE CAN MOVE TO PAGE 111. I NOTATED THIS BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS VERSUS THE NUMBER OF MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. IF YOU LOOK AT CATEGORY 204, YOU CAN VISUALLY SEE THAT CERTAIN HIGH SCHOOLS ARE RECEIVING LESS MONEY FOR CERTAIN THINGS . A LOT OF IT IS NOT PROPORTIONALLY THE COST . BUSINESS EDUCATION , THINGS THAT ARE NOT PROPORTIONALLY DIFFERENT BUT I'M WONDERING WHAT DETERMINES HOW MUCH MONEY IS ALLOCATED TO EACH HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE DIFFERENT MATERIALS.

>> THIS GOES BACK TO THE ALLOTMENT THE PRINCIPLES % RECEIVED BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THEIR BUILDING AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH AND FROM THAT TOTAL ALLOTMENT, THEY WORK WITH THEIR DEPARTMENTS TO DETERMINE THAT.

THEY WILL LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN PROGRAMS, YOU MENTIONED BUSINESS, MORE OR LESS BASED ON COURSE REGISTRATION AND THEN BASED ON WHAT THE TEACHERS NEEDS ARE AND THEY DETERMINE HOW MUCH THEY WILL SPEND EACH YEAR ON THAT. IT WILL LOOK DIFFERENT COMPARED TO LAST YEAR BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE A ROTATION TO SUPPORT THOSE BUT THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH STAFF TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY EACH DEPARTMENT

IS GETTING. >> SO WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO INDIVIDUALS , HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING ALLOCATED WHERE, THIS IS INFORMATION WE ARE RECEIVING SAYING THIS IS HOW MUCH MONEY

WE GAVE TO THIS, CORRECT? >> THIS IS FROM THE SCHOOLS INDICATING HOW MUCH MONEY THEY DESIGNATED.

>> OKAY, THANK YOU. >> YOU SAID IT WAS ON A

PER-PUPIL BASIS. >> YES. IF THEY HAVE APPROXIMATELY 1100 STUDENTS, WE WILL ROUND IT, THAT'S NOT THE TOTAL, THEN THEY GET PER-PUPIL, AND THEN THEY HAVE THAT TOTAL AMOUNT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH THAT IS. I THINK IT'S 143 FOR HIGH SCHOOLS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT , IN ORDER TO CREATE THAT. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THERE ARE OTHER

[01:45:01]

THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED. >> OKAY, THANK YOU. I'M REALLY JUST MAKING SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS. WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOTTOM , THAT ALLOCATION IS BASED OFF THE AMOUNT OF STUDENTS THEY HAVE ENROLLED IN THAT SCHOOL AND WHEN IT'S BROKEN DOWN, THAT'S UP TO THE SCHOOL?

>> CORRECT. >> IN THE PAST, WE'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT ESPECIALLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, CERTAIN SCHOOLS HAVE HIGHER NEEDS THAT MAY NOT MATCH THE NUMBER OF KIDS IN THE SCHOOLS VERSUS IN OTHERS AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE LEANING HEAVILY, ALLOCATING MORE RESOURCES TO THE SCHOOLS WITH THE GREATEST SOCIOECONOMIC CHALLENGES. SO

WITH THAT BEING DONE? >> THAT MIGHT BE DONE IN DIFFERENT WAYS. ONE WAY IS CURRENTLY DONE IS THEY MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENTIATED STAFFING. THERE MIGHT BE, FOR EXAMPLE, ADDITIONAL STAFFING TO RUN THE AP PROGRAMS AT THE SCHOOL WITH LOWER NUMBERS WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS THE TOP, WHEN YOU HAVE EVERY AP PROGRAM RUNNING , THEY MIGHT LOOK SMALL AND IT MIGHT CAUSE SOMEONE TO CUT THAT. WE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND THERE'S ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES WHO WORK WITH TEACHERS ON INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES . THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE A WHILE. TYPICALLY ST. LEONARD IS A SMALL SCHOOL THAT THEY HAVE A FULL-TIME TEAM, SO YOU'LL TYPICALLY SEE DIFFERENTIATED STAFFING TO SUPPORT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THAT

HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS. >> YEAH, I REMEMBER BACK IN THE ANCIENT DAYS, WHEN MY KIDS WERE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE FOUGHT AT DOWELL FOR THE PTA TO GET , TO SCRAPE TOGETHER AND GET ONE SMARTBOARD AND THERE WERE SCHOOLS UP NORTH WHO HAD ONE IN EVERY CLASSROOM. THAT'S WHAT, WHEN YOU GET ON THE BOARD YOU SAY NO, WE NEED TO MAKE UP FOR THAT , WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THEIR STUDENTS WITH

SPECIAL THINGS LIKE THAT. >> UNFORTUNATELY DURING THE TIME YOUR KIDS WERE IN SCHOOL WE WERE FUNDRAISING FOR SMART BOARDS AND SINCE THEN I.T. HAS A REPLENISHMENT PROCESS OF SCHOOLS AREN'T HAVING TO FUND RAISE FOR THOSE THINGS BUT I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE PUT ON HOLD LAST YEAR'S SMARTBOARD REPLACEMENT AND IS CURRENTLY ON THE LIST FOR HOLDING OFF AGAIN BECAUSE SMART BIRDS ARE MAINTAINING BUT EVERY YEAR WE HOLD THAT THAT JUST MEANS A NUMBER OF SMART BOARDS THAT HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN THE THIRD YEAR INCREASE , SO WE ARE WATCHING THAT CAREFULLY TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT CAUSING A

PROBLEM DOWN THE ROAD. >> IF WE TURN TO PAGE 73, SPECIAL EDUCATION , I'M GLAD TO SEE WE ARE NOT DOING MUCH CUTTING THEIR BECAUSE THE RESPONSE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS GETTING IS PRETTY REMARKABLE . THE ONE QUESTION I DID HAVE WAS , I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEEN MOVED , OR IF THERE ARE OTHER CHARGES . IT WAS 367,000, 750 FOR '24 AND 192 FOR '25.

IT'S A CHANGE OF HUNDRED AND $75,000.

>> DIRECTOR SPECIAL ED, I THINK THIS HAS MOSTLY TO DO WITH THE MOVEMENT FROM CONTRACTED SERVICES TO CALVERT COUNTY EMPLOYEES, THEMSELVES. WE ARE TRYING TO HAVE OUR OWN EMPLOYEES BUT WE HAVE AREAS WHERE YOU CANNOT FIND THEM AND I THINK THAT THIS OTHER COST FALLS IN THERE, IS

THAT CORRECT? >> OKAY. THANK YOU. WHAT WAS

THE OTHER ONE? >> I'M NOT SURE , IT'S DECREASING IN ONE AREA BECAUSE IT'S INCREASING IN THE OTHER AREA AND THERE IS A FLUIDITY IN THAT CATEGORY IN WHICH WE

CAN HIRE FOLKS . >> OKAY, YEAH, LIKE I SAID,

IT'S SO LARGE -- >> IN MY HEAD THAT MADE MORE

SENSE THAN HOW IT CANNOT. >> OKAY, THANK YOU.

>> I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY MY EARLIER QUESTION REQUESTING

[01:50:05]

YOU MIGHT HAVE GIFTED AND TALENTED TEACHERS OR ASSISTANCE WHO ARE ALSO DOING OTHER PROGRAMMING AND YOU MAY NOT SEE THEM AS GIFTED AND TALENTED , THE GIFTED AND TALENTED IS A SPECIALIZED PROGRAM , SO I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE BROKEN UP INTO SPECIFICS. AND THEN, WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU TODAY, MR. GOT. I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOUR AREA. HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT WE ARE MOST LIKELY FACING CUTS AND I WOULD LIKE TO PREFACE THAT YOUR AREA NOT BE AN AREA OF SIGNIFICANT CUT BECAUSE I ALREADY KNOW THAT WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH RETAINING BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT AREA FOR ME BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT STUDENTS SHOULD ATTEND BUILDINGS THAT ARE THE BEST BUILDINGS , WORLD-CLASS BUILDINGS, AND I KNOW WE MAINTAIN OUR BUILDINGS VERY WELL AND I DO NOT WANT THAT TO SUFFER AND I CAN IMAGINE IT'S ALREADY SUFFERING A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE OF OUR LACK OF ABILITY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A.B.S. W AND EVERY SCHOOL AND THAT WHEN SOMEONE CALLS OUT, WE HAVE A SUBSTITUTE TO BE ABLE TO REPLACE THAT, SO WHILE EVERYTHING IS A PRIORITY, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY OUT LOUD THAT YOU ARE ALSO A PRIORITY. AS WE ARE CONSIDERING CUT, I WOULD LIKE YOU, YOUR DIVISION TO

REMAIN IN MIND. >> THANK YOU.

>> THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CHANGES IN YOUR AREA, MS. GROSS, UNDER SALARIES , THERE IS A DECREASE OF $6700.

>> CAN'T YOU GIVE UP MORE? >> I CAN'T ANSWER THAT BUT MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE CAN. I MEAN , IT IS WHAT IT IS, I GUESS .

>> I WILL SPEAK TO IT. SO, SALARY IS BASED ON THE PERSON AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT SOMEONE SERVED IN A POSITION, VERSUS HOW THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SALARY SCHEDULE . IT COULD BE, I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT IT COULD BE THAT MR. WALKER HAD BEEN A SUPERVISOR LONGER THAN MS. GROSS HAS BEEN AND THAT MIGHT BE THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT, BUT THE SALARY IS BASED ON WHAT HER SALARY IS.

>> AND DR. JOHNSON IS CORRECT. I WILL CONFIRM THAT ALL OF OUR SALARY SCALES ARE NEGOTIATED , INCLUDING ADMINISTRATORS AND SUPERVISORS AND ARE BASED ON YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND THE POSITION , SO IT'S HARD TO NOT TALK SPECIFICS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ONE PERSON, BUT THEY ARE PLACED BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND IF SOMEONE RETIRES, AND WE BRING SOMEONE IN THAT START AT STEP ONE, YOU'LL SEE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN

SALARY FOR THAT POSITION. >> OKAY, THANK YOU DID

>> JUST WONDERED IF YOU HAD , IF YOU FORESEE ANY , I IMAGINE THESE BUDGET NUMBERS IN ELECTRICAL AND THE LIKE , YOU REVIEWED THEM AND MADE THE DETERMINATION AS A PROJECTION FOR 2025 , BUT DO YOU SEE ANY RISK AREAS?

>> I BELIEVE WE ARE STILL SEEING FLUCTUATION IN UTILITY RATES . AS AN EXAMPLE, BECAUSE I HAPPENED TO LOOK AT IT TODAY, SPECIFICALLY, GAS PRICES SINCE JANUARY 15TH TO TODAY HAVE GONE UP $.18 A GALLON SO THEY HAVE NOT LEVELED OUT , BUT WE DID SEE SOME DECREASES EARLIER IN THE YEAR. THEY ARE STARTING TO WORK THEIR WAY BACK AND THAT'S IN EVERYTHING, SO IF GAS PRICES GO UP, ELECTRICITY PRICES GO UP, SUPPLY PRICES GO UP. IT'S STILL VOLATILE OUT THERE. AS FAR AS PURCHASING, WE CAN MAKE THOSE ESTIMATES, AND I TRY TO BE VERY CONSCIENTIOUS . THE PRICES ARE STILL CONTINUING TO RISE.

[01:55:08]

>> AND BEFORE WE CAME IN, THE STOCK MARKET TOOK A DIVE AND WHEN I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT WAS BECAUSE INFLATION SEEMS TO BE INCHING UP AGAIN . IT DID NOT COME DOWN AS MUCH AS PEOPLE THOUGHT AND SO I HOPE WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE PAINFUL, WITH A TIGHT BUDGET.

IT WOULD BE VERY PAINFUL FOR US.

>> AND ALSO ON PAGE 37 , I WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE TOUCHING ON EVERYTHING. I HAVE OTHER CHARGES , ALSO AWARD SERVICES AND MEETINGS AND IT WENT FROM 5000 TO 10,000.

>> SO THE INCREASE FOR THAT IS BECAUSE WE PROVIDED AN INCENTIVE FOR EMPLOYEES WHEN THEY CAME BACK TO SCHOOL , SO IT WAS NOT BUDGETED PREVIOUSLY AND I DECIDED TO PUT IN THE BUDGET , THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL BE COMING OUT OF THE BUDGET BUT THAT IS WHAT $5000 IS FOR, TO PROVIDE A WELCOME BACK GIFT FOR ALL STAFF.

>> CAN ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION ON THAT SAME PAGE? WHERE IT SAYS SALARIES AND WAGES , IT WAS HUNDRED AND 10,000, 517 AND NOW IT'S 216 , ONE? IS THAT AN ADDITIONAL PERSON ? WHAT

REPRESENTS THOSE INCREASES? >> THE FIRST YEAR WAS A PARTIAL FISCAL YEAR FOR ONE EMPLOYEE, THE SECOND WAS FOR A FULL YEAR OF TWO EMPLOYEES OF WHOM WAS TRANSFERRED FROM

ANOTHER DEPARTMENT. >> RIGHT.

>> SO THE WEBMASTER WAS ORIGINALLY I.T., SO THAT FUNDING CAME FROM THAT DEPARTMENT AND WERE PUT INTO

THIS ACCOUNT. >> THE SALARIES AND WAGES , THAT'S WHAT THAT REPRESENTS . OKAY.

>> ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. WE WILL GO INTO BOARDMEMBER COMMENTS.

BUDGET RELATED, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT JUST THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, THE $22.5 MILLION REDUCTION IN OUR STATE FUNDING.

I SPENT SOME TIME TRYING TO PIECE IT TOGETHER AND FROM WHAT I CAN UNDERSTAND, THE STATE , NOW THAT THE TWO PILOTS , THE PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAX PROGRAMS HAVE FINALIZED THIS PAST SUMMER, FOR THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT BUT MAINLY FOR COLD POINT NATURAL GAS , IT ALLOWED THE STATE TO VALUE THE DOMINION FACILITIES AND THAT IS WHERE WE FOUND OUT THAT WE WENT FROM $350 MILLION UTILITY PERSONAL PROPERTY TO PERSONAL AND REAL PROPERTY TO $5.7 BILLION. THAT WAS OVER $5 BILLION INCREASE. THE STATE, FROM THE EDUCATION SIDE LOOK AT WEALTH PER PUPIL AND SO THEY LOOKED AT THIS MASSIVE INCREASE IN CALVERT COUNTY AND THEY PUT , WE ALSO HAD AN ENROLLMENT DROP, BUT MOST OF IT, OF COURSE, WAS THIS HUGE INCREASE IN OUR EVALUATIONS. WEALTH PER PUPIL WENT FROM, WE WERE 12TH IN THE STATE , FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS , AROUND MIDPOINT, AND NOW WE WERE UP TO NUMBER EIGHT I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WOULD PUT US HIGHER BUT THERE ARE SOME COUNTIES THAT ARE JUST WAY UP THERE. IT PUT US AHEAD OF HOWARD COUNTY, CAROL AND HARFORD AND BALTIMORE COUNTY, EVEN. THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE , PURELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE $22.5 MILLION DROP, WHEN HE PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AND SAID, WHAT THE HECK, THEY SAID YEAH, WE SAW THIS , THIS HUGE INCREASE IN YOUR EVALUATION,

[02:00:02]

IF THEY VALUE THEIR TAX BILL AT $4 BILLION , WE WOULD BE GETTING $30 MILLION MORE THAN THAT $54 MILLION. THAT'S THE KIND OF SWINGS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. IT'S JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEIR ASSESSMENT AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT WAS SO LOW FOR MARYLAND'S LARGEST INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT , EVER.

SO, IT'S REALLY HURTING THE STATE, AS WELL, OBVIOUSLY.

THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT. ASSUMING THAT WE CAN BE HELD HARMLESS FOR THIS AT THE STATE LEVEL , WHILE THIS IS BEING WORKED OUT, WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THEY DON'T WANT US TO DECIMATE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, THAT THEY WANT TO BE HELD HARMLESS , BUT THE COUNTY THEN IS ALSO TELLING US THAT THEY ARE GOING TO ONLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FLAT FUNDING.

WE NEEDED $10 MILLION MORE TO STAY COMPETITIVE , TO HAVE OUR EQUIPMENT. FOR , REALLY, PRETTY BARE-BONES THINGS. NOW, WE ARE OUT $10 MILLION WITH THE COUNTY , FORGETTING ABOUT THE $22.5 MILLION. IF THE STATE CAN MAKE IT WHOLE AGAIN, THAT'S GREAT. WE WILL ASSUME THAT AND WORK HARD TO TRY TO GET THAT FIXED, BUT THEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF BELT-TIGHTENING. WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON

THAT, AS WELL. >> VICE PRESIDENT?

>> I WOULD LIKE TO PIGGYBACK ON THOSE COMMENTS AND ADD THAT I THINK THAT WE ARE NOT DISCUSSING THE FULL AGREEMENT WITH DOMINION, WHICH IS NOW BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY PURCHASED WHAT DOMINION WAS PREVIOUSLY HOLDING , WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SITUATION, DO NOT FORGET THAT THERE IS A 42% TAX CREDIT THAT WAS OFFERED BY OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT ON THE NEW AND REPURPOSED EQUIPMENT HELD BY BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY , ONCE THE PILOT EXPIRED . I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS CAUSING THE TRUE 22.5% DECREASE IN REVENUE . WHEN YOU TAKE THE ASSESSABLE BASE, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT LOCAL TAX

[02:05:02]

THEY ARE MOST LIKELY EVALUATING THE ASSESSABLE BASE AT A TOTALLY DIFFERENT NUMBER THAN WHAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY RECEIVE WITH REAL OR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.

>> I LOOKED AT THAT. WHEN YOU EXTRAPOLATE THE $54 MILLION PROPERTY TAX BASED ON $2.23 , IT TURNS OUT THAT THE EVALUATION IS $2.4 BILLION. THE STATE , BERKSHIRE BOUGHT THEIR 50% HALF , AND THERE WAS ALREADY $3 BILLION IN PLACE BEFORE THE EXPANSION . THE DLS I , I THINK GAVE ME A NUMBER LIKE 7.7 BILLION. I THINK THAT PERCENT OF THE TAX BASE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WITH THE SCHEDULE THAT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE CFO , AND THAT WAS SHOWING AROUND 4 MILLION. I AM ASSUMING THAT YOU ARE RIGHT. WE ARE GIVING MORE CORPORATE WELFARE BECAUSE WE ARE GIVING A 42% TAX BREAK, BUT THAT 2.4 IS NOWHERE NEAR. IT'S AN INEXPLICABLE LOW VALUATION THAT I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM AND AM HOPING THAT THE STATE , BECAUSE IT WILL, THE STATE GETS $.28 FOR EVERY HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR UTILITIES. THEY ARE MISSING OUT ON MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IT'S IN EVERYONE'S INTEREST.

>> OKAY. SINCE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT , THERE WAS A TOUGH MEETING . IT ENDED WITH HANDSHAKES AND HUGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND LATER THAT NIGHT, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH COMMISSIONER HANDS AND WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL BE TOUGH. IT'S A VERY TOUGH SITUATION WE ARE PUT IN , BUT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER AND COMMUNICATING TO COME UP WITH THE BEST OUTCOME POSSIBLE . ALL OF THE FIGURES IN NUMBERS AND THINGS, I KNOW IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH, SO WE ARE JUST

[1.03 Board Comments]

>> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING THE PROPOSAL FOR ANY PROPOSED CUTS FOR DISCUSSION TO THE BOARD . I WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT WE LEAVE OUR LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND THAT WE CONSIDER ALL THINGS. IT WILL BE TOUGH DECISIONS, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION HOPEFULLY SOONER

RATHER THAN LATER. >> YEAH, WE WILL DO BOARD

COMMENTS NOW. >> YEAH, USUALLY I WRITE A BOARD COMMENT BUT I DEFINITELY OVERLOOKED THAT SO WE WILL GO OFF THE CUFF TODAY. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING YOUR TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO BE HERE. I KNOW YOU HAD TO BUT I APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE I KNOW THESE MEETINGS CAN BE LONG ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE NOT THE ONE TALKING. I APPRECIATE YOU FOR BEING HERE AND HEARING MY QUESTIONS AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE CHANGES BEING MADE AND FINALIZED. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, THANK YOU. THIS IS EXCITING AND HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, THE STUDENT BOARD WILL ACTUALLY HAVE A VOTE ON WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE GOOD CROSSING OUR FINGERS.

>> I WANT TO ALSO THINK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY .

THANK YOU FOR THOROUGHLY ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS WE PRESENTED. I THINK THAT WE ARE JUST AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS BUDGET WHEN WE LOOK AT $22.5 MILLION CUT IN ADDITION TO $10 MILLION ADDED TO THIS. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. IT'S HORRIFYING TO ME, BUT I WANT TO REITERATE THAT MY BUDGET PRIORITY WILL ALWAYS REMAIN HAVING , TRYING TO ELIMINATE THE IMPACT TO TEACHERS AND STAFF SALARIES , TO ENSURE A COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE , WHICH THEY DESERVE , AND TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS RECEIVE A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION. EARLIER, I TALKED

[02:10:02]

>> THANK YOU . YOU'RE THE BEST. WE REALLY APPRECIATE HOW RESPONSIVE YOU THEN. THANK YOU.

>> VICE PRESIDENT? >> DITTO. I KNOW WE HAVE TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS GOING FORWARD , SO I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I HOPE WE CAN ALL WORK COLLABORATIVELY IN MAKING THOSE HARD DECISIONS , WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT NO ONE IS PURPOSELY BEING PUNISHED , BUT WE ALL HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AND DECIDE WHERE WE CAN MAKE THOSE CUT SO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM CAN CONTINUE TO BE WORLD-CLASS AND SO OUR STUDENTS CAN CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE FUTURE AND HOPEFULLY IN FUTURE YEARS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO REBOUND AND GET BETTER AS WE LOOK FORWARD. THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU FOR BEING HERE, TODAY. I KNOW IT IS YOUR JOB, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU SITTING BEFORE US TO GIVE US YOUR ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO THE BUDGET NUMBERS.

>> MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT I WANT TO SAY ANYWAY. FOR ME, SALARIES FOR OUR UNIONS AND STAFF , RETAINING PEOPLE, PROJECT-BASED LEARNING , FUNDING FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND ONCE AGAIN, A THANK YOU FOR THE COMMUNICATION AND CLARIFICATION AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE DOING AND WITH THAT,

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.