[00:00:02]
CALL THE MEETING TO WELCOME[I. 9 AM Call to Order, Board of Supervisors and School Board Members]
AND HAPPY DAY AFTER ST.IT'S A GREAT DAY IN GOLAND COUNTY.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, UH, SCHOOL FIRST, I GUESS SCHOOL BOARD WILL CALL.
CALL THE GLAND COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD TO ORDER.
UM, AND I KNOW WE HAD A PROPOSED AGENDA.
DO WE NEED TO FORMALLY ADOPT THAT NOT WORK SESSION? VERY GOOD.
CAN WE ASK CHARLIE TO TELL US HE'S PRESENT AND WHERE HE IS AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE CAN HEAR AND SEE US? YEAH.
I, I AM PRESENT AND ON A HIGHWAY IN FLORIDA,
[II. New Business]
KMAR TO WALK US THROUGH A PRESENTATION OF THE SCHOOL, CIP AND[Schools' CIP]
UNFUNDED NEEDS.THE REASON I ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT ADOPTING THE AGENDA IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALSO RESURFACING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT A MARKET ADJUSTMENT FOR OUR TEACHING PROFESSIONALS, WHICH IS INCLUDED, UH, IN THIS PRESENTATION.
SO, OF COURSE OUR FOCUS IS CIP PER THE AGENDA.
UM, AND WE WILL JUST TURN IT OVER TO DR.
KUMAR AND OPEN IT UP FOR CONVERSATION.
THANK MAD AND CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD SUPERVISORS.
UH, AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT SUGGESTED AMENDMENT.
WE STILL HAVE SOME THINGS THAT ARE PRIORITIES FOR US THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNFUNDED IN OUR PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, ONE OF THOSE THINGS BEING AN ADDITIONAL $120,000 TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ADDITIONAL 2% HEALTH INSURANCE RATE INCREASE.
YOU ALL MIGHT RECALL THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY PROJECTED THAT TO COME IN AT 9%.
IT ACTUALLY CAME IN CLOSER TO 11.
THE DIFFERENCE TO FILL THE GAP SO THAT WE DON'T PASS THIS ON TO EMPLOYEES WILL TAKE ABOUT $120,000.
UM, IS MENTIONED BY MADAM CHAIR A WHILE AGO.
WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN PURSUING THIS $1.4 MILLION TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A MARKET POOL ADJUSTMENT FOR STAFF.
IF YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING THE MEDIA, LOCAL SCHOOL DIVISIONS HAVE RELEASED WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR STAFF MEMBERS.
HENRICO IN PARTICULAR LAST WEEK, CAME OUT WITH A 4.8% PAY INCREASE FOR EMPLOYEES.
AND IF YOU HEARD IT AND STOPPED THERE OR READ IT AND STOPPED READING THERE, YOU'D THINK, OH, THAT'S GREAT.
AND THAT'S FACTUAL ACROSS ALL EMPLOYEE GROUPS.
HOWEVER, HENRICO HAS DONE AN ADDITIONAL 2.4% FOR THEIR TEACHING STAFF.
SO THE TEACHERS WILL ACTUALIZE A 7.2% PAY INCREASE, EVEN IF WE KEPT EVERYTHING ELSE FLAT.
AND I PRAY THAT WE DON'T DO THAT.
BUT EVEN IF WE KEPT EVERYTHING ELSE FLAT AND THEY GAVE THEIR TEACHERS A 7.2 AND WE GAVE OUR TEACHERS A FIVE, THE GAPS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS ENTIRE BUDGET SEASON GROW EXPONENTIALLY.
SO I CANNOT EXPRESS ENOUGH THE URGENCY OF US TAKING THIS ON AS A SERIOUS ENDEAVOR AND DOING THIS FOR OUR TEACHING STAFF.
NOW, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR, UH, NEW TEXTBOOKS BASED ON VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $350,000.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONISTS, THE READING SPECIALIST, ONE PER EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT WOULD HELP US ADVANCE THE INITIATIVES OF THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT.
WE COULD REALLY USE A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT BOTH THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TO REDUCE THOSE CASE LOADS IN EACH OF THOSE BUILDINGS AND FILL IN THE GAP ON DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS BECAUSE OF LESS CFP FUNDING THIS YEAR, AT TOTAL, ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DEBBIE WHITE WHO'S GONNA EXPLAIN THE RATIONALE BEHIND OUR, UM, MARKET ADJUSTMENT FOR A 234 TEACHING STAFF.
SO WHAT, WHAT WE DO HERE ON THE SCALE IS THIS IS, UM, AN EASY EXERCISE FOR US.
UM, OUR FORMULAS ARE VERY, UM, CLEAR RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE A 0.8% STEP GAP BETWEEN OUR, UH, BETWEEN EACH OF OUR STEPS, WHICH IS VERY, VERY LOW.
IT'S, IT'S ABOUT 2% OR MORE, UM, AFTER YOU GUYS DID YOUR, UM, YOUR, UH, UH, MARKET ADJUSTMENT SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT'S HURTING US AS WE GO DOWN THE SCALE IS THE STEPS ARE TWO, UM, TOO SMALL BETWEEN 'EM.
AND SO BY THE TIME YOU'RE A, A TEACHER THAT HAS 18 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, YOU'RE, THERE'S NOT, UH, A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH DIFFERENCE
[00:05:01]
WITH THE FIRST YEAR STUDENT, UH, TEACHER.SO THE FIRST THING WE WANNA DO IS WE WANT TO IMPROVE THE GAPS.
WE, IT HAS BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, WHAT I FOUND OUT, I WAS IN A, A MARKET, UH, A TEACHER SALARY STUDY THIS PAST FALL, UM, AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND WE HAD EXPERTS COMING IN FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND WHAT THEY SAY IS THOSE FIRST 10 YEARS ARE VERY CRITICAL TO GET THOSE TEACHERS IN AND KEEP THEM IN THE PROFESSION.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO WOULD BE, UM, TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO STAY THOSE FIRST 10 YEARS.
ONCE ONE, ONCE YOU HAVE 'EM IN THE FIRST 10 YEARS, THEN GENERALLY THEY'LL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UM, IN THE PROFESSION.
AND SO THEN WE CHANGED THAT, UM, THAT STEP DIFFERENTIAL TO 1%.
THIS WAS A RECOMMENDED, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS RECOMMENDED, UH, FROM, UH, NATIONAL SPEAKERS CONSULTANTS.
AND THEN WE WOULD CHANGE THAT, UH, FIRST STEP OF THE SALARY SCALE TO BRING US AT 0 5, 10, AND 15 UP TO OUR, UH, JUST ABOVE THE REGIONAL MEDIUM.
NOW, THIS WAS BASED ON, LOOK, THIS IS OUR SALARY SCALE FOR THIS YEAR.
LOOKING AT WHAT PEOPLE ARE PAYING THIS YEAR IN, IN THE REGIONAL, UM, SCHOOL DIVISIONS.
THIS IS NOT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY THIS, THIS BRINGS US AT THIS POINT OF TIME UP TO THE, THE REGIONAL MEDIUM AFTER EVERYBODY GIVES SALARY INCREASES NEXT YEAR, INCLUDING OUR 5%.
THIS IS GONNA CHANGE SLIGHTLY, BUT THIS WAS THIS POINT IN TIME.
WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO DO TO OUR SALARY SCALE, UH, TO GET IT TO THE REGIONAL MEDIUM AT EVERY AT STEP ZERO, STEP FIVE, STEP TENS, 15 AND 20.
UM, THAT ACTUALLY IS MORE TEACHERS THAN THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE PART-TIME TEACHERS.
UM, OUR TEACHERS ARE REALLY SORT OF, UM, VERY EVENLY SPACED.
WE HAVE NINE TWO FROM STEP ZERO TO 10 93 FROM 11 TO 20 AND 48 THAT ARE STEPS 21 AND ABOVE.
OUR AVERAGE SALARY BEFORE THE 5% IS 66,000.
THAT WAS, ANYWAYS, IT'S ABOUT 61,000.
AND SO, UM, LET'S SEE, NATIONALLY, THE, THAT AVERAGE IS 67,000.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR THEM TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO GET THE VIRGINIA NATIONAL AVERAGE UP, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SO FAR BELOW, ALL WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS CORRECT TO GET US UP TO THE REGIONAL MEDIAN, NOT TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AT THIS POINT.
IF WE, IF WE DO OUR, IF WE FOLLOW WHAT THE STATE'S GONNA BE RECOMMENDING AS FAR AS, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE RECOMMENDING A 3% THIS YEAR, ET CETERA, HOPEFULLY THE STATE WILL BE PROPELLING EVERYBODY FORWARD, UM, TO THAT NATIONAL AVERAGE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
WE ARE JUST TRYING TO GET US UP TO THE REGIONAL MEDIUM.
SO, UM, THIS WAS OUR PROPOSAL WHEN WE THREW THIS IN AGAINST ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE AT EACH STEP.
THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP TO THE 1.4 MILLION.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A MATHEMATICAL EXERCISE, A PURE MATHEMATICAL EXERCISE THAT WE DID TO GET TO THAT POINT.
AND I JUST WANNA REITERATE WHAT, WHAT DEBBIE SAID A BUNCH OF TIMES IN HER PRESENTATION.
'CAUSE I THINK THIS POINT SHOULD RESONATE.
IT IS NOT OUR INTENT, NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN TO LEAD THE REGION IN TEACHER COMPENSATION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A SCHOOL OF THOUGHT THAT SUGGESTS THAT IF WE WERE TO DO SOMETHING SWEEPING TO GO TO NUMBER ONE TODAY, BY THE END OF THE WEEK, WE'D BE NUMBER FIVE AGAIN.
'CAUSE OTHER, THE DIVISIONS HAVE THE POWER TO DO MORE AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO DO IS RAISE OUR AVERAGE TEACHER COMPENSATION TO THAT OF THE REGIONAL ME THE REGIONAL AVERAGE, SO THAT WE CAN SAY TO FOLKS AS WE'RE WORKING TO RECRUIT OR RETAIN THEM THAT WE'RE AT THE MEDIAN AND WORKING TO GET BETTER EVERY DAY.
UM, SO ON THE LAST SLIDE, IS THERE A POTENTIAL SCENARIO WHERE SAY A TEACHER OF 11 YEARS IS MAKING A LOWER EQUAL SALARY TO A TEACHER AT 10 YEARS WITH A NEW, UH, STEP TO COMMERCIAL? NO.
SO THE MARKET ADJUSTMENT WOULD BE THE NEW STARTING SCALE, AND THEN WE'D ADD THE 5% ON TOP OF IT.
[00:10:02]
IF, IF YOU HAVE A TEACHER THAT HAS, UM, HAS A SATISFACTORY, UM, EVALUATION, THEY'RE GONNA STEP SO THAT A TEACHER THAT'S ON STEP 10 THIS YEAR WILL BECOME A TEACHER THAT'S ON STEP 11 NEXT YEAR.SO THAT THE INCREASE OVER THE CURRENT IS SHOWING YOU AS, AS YOU GO DOWN THE, THE EVERYBODY IS GOING TO GET AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE SCALE.
BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS ALREADY IN LOCK STEP.
IT'S CALLED A STEP AND LADDER SYSTEM.
AND SO THEY'RE JUST GONNA MOVE DOWN AND EVEN IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T HAVE A SATISFACTORY EVALUATION, THEY'RE GOING TO GET AN INCREASE BECAUSE THE SCALE ITSELF IS INCREASING.
MS. CHRISTIE? I DO THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THAT DOES RAISE AN IMPORTANT POINT.
UM, GLAND'S DONE A WONDERFUL JOB WITH HANDLING COMPRESSION IN ITS SCALE THAT WAS CREATED FROM WHEN THE MARKETS TANKED AND THE ECONOMY TANKED AND SALARIES WERE FROZEN.
AND THEN SUDDENLY WE WERE IN A PLACE WHERE WE HAD TO RAISE STARTING SALARIES TO BE COMPETITIVE.
AND THERE WAS LITTLE ROOM BETWEEN PEOPLE WITH 10, 12, 15 YEARS IN THE FIELD AND WHERE WE WERE STARTING NEWBIES.
UM, I'VE BEEN PLACES WHERE THAT COMPRESSION IS A REAL DEAL AND, AND THIS CARRIES SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE HERE WELL BEFORE MY ARRIVAL, OBVIOUSLY TO, TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF.
OKAY? UM, TEACHERS NEED THE MONEY.
BUT WHEN YOU, WHAT CONCERNS ME IS IF IF WE'RE BROUGHT UP TO THE MEDIAN THIS YEAR, EVERYONE'S GONNA BE BROUGHT UP TO THE MEDIAN AND THE MEDIAN'S GONNA KEEP GROWING AND GROWING.
SO WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING RIGHT.
COUPLE, UM, MERIT, UH, YOU HAVE, I MEAN, YOU GOT A SALARY ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM HERE.
WHAT, WHAT ABOUT MERIT? HOW DOES THAT, I MEAN, YOU JUST SAID THAT EVEN IF YOU HAVE UNSATISFACTORY REVIEW APPRAISAL, YOU STILL GET THE SAME RATE.
SO WHEN WE SAY A 5%, THAT 5% HAS A MERIT ELEMENT IN IT AND IT HAS.
UM, THEY WILL GET SOME INCREASE BECAUSE THE WHOLE SCALE SCALE WILL SHIFT UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT THERE IS A MERIT, SO THERE'S SOME INCENTIVE TO DO WELL.
NOW I'M JUST WONDERING, HA HOW DO WE GET TO WHERE WE ARE? HAVE THE OTHER DIVISIONS IN THE REGION STEPPED UP THEIR SAL QUICKER THAN US RECENTLY? OR HAVE WE ALWAYS SORT OF LAG BEHIND AND NOW WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CATCH UP AND, AND SO I, I THINK IT'S MORE, I THINK IT'S MORE THE LATTER
I THINK THAT WE'VE CONSISTENTLY BEEN OUTPACED.
UM, THE LONGITUDINAL DATA THAT I SHARED AND HAVE BEEN SHARING AT THE TOWN HALLS DOES SHOW THE SEVEN YEARS AGO WE WERE VERY, VERY COMPETITIVE THROUGHOUT THE RANCH.
SO THAT WAS OUT IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
AND WHAT HAPPENED IN 2017 WHEN WE FIXED OUR COMPRESSION ISSUE, WE GOT THIS SALARY SCALE AND WE, WE, UM, WE WERE ONE STEP AHEAD OF OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS IN GETTING THAT, UM, COMPRESSION ISSUE FIXED AND THEN THEY JUMPED.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE, SO WE WERE A TARGET ON OUR BACK ON THIS OR SOMETHING.
WE WERE SO PROUD OF OURSELVES AND FIXING THE COMPRESSION YES THERE.
AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR EVERYBODY ELSE FIXED THEIR COMPRESSION ISSUE AND WE LOST THAT ADVANTAGE ALMOST.
UH, THIS IS WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, THIS LAST COLUMN INCREASE OF CURRENT.
I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A 5% NUMERIC, UH, UNDER DISCUSSION.
SO I'M SEEING 4% WITH THE FIRST YEAR.
AND, AND SO THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THE 5% THAT IS ALREADY IN.
THE NUMBERS THAT ARE I BE CORRECT IN ADDING 5% TO ALL OF THOSE YES.
SO WE GO FROM FOUR TO NINE, FROM FIVE TO 10, FROM SEVEN TO 12.
IN MY HEAD,
THE 5% THAT WE ARE, UH, RECOMMEND AS PART OF OUR REGULAR BUDGET WOULD BE ABOVE AND BEYOND ANY MARKET ADJUSTMENT.
AND THAT WOULD RUN CONSISTENT TO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE WITH OTHER COUNTY EMPLOYEES IN THE PAST WHO'VE RECEIVED SIMILAR ADJUSTMENTS.
SO YELLOW 54 6 IS SHOWING THE 5% OVER THE 52, 4 50.
[00:15:01]
WE DO NOT SHOW THE TWO SCALES COLLIDING.SO THIS WAS JUST THE MARKET ADJUSTMENT BACK IN JANUARY.
UM, THE COUNTY ASKED US TO TELL 'EM HOW MUCH A MARKET ADJUSTMENT WOULD BE TO GET US TO THE REGIONAL MEDIA OR JUST ABOVE THE REGIONAL MEDIAN.
AND UM, SO THIS WAS A POINT IN TIME THAT WE COULD CLEARLY SAY FOR THIS YEAR, IF WE COULD HAVE GIVEN OUR FOLKS THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, THEN IT WOULD'VE BEEN ON TOP OF WHATEVER THEY HAD RECEIVED FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD TAKE THIS SCALE AND THEN WE WOULD ADD THE 5% ON TOP OF IT, UM, WHICH IS ALREADY IN THE BUDGET.
MARTY AND DEBBIE, IF THIS WAS SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, WHY WAS IT NOT IN THE BUDGET YOU PRESENTED IN FEBRUARY? THIS IS, THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO GO ABOUT FOR INCREASES LIKE THIS.
AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN A SOMEWHAT CONSISTENT THEME AND UM, I JUST WANNA RAISE THAT POINT.
I, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT MR. VARS, IF I COULD.
UM, A LITTLE BIT OF A CONTRAST IN BUDGET PHILOSOPHY.
UM, I WAS OPERATING UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO SUBMIT A SUPERINTENDENT'S ESTIMATE OF NEED.
AND IF THAT WAS OUR REALITY, IT MOST CERTAINLY WOULD'VE INCLUDED THE $1.4 MILLION.
ASK RATHER, WE WERE GIVING, UM, AN ALLOCATION OR AN ALLOTMENT AND THEN LEFT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE OUR DREAMS COME TRUE WITH THE DOLLARS THAT HAD BEEN ALLOCATED TO US FROM THE COUNTY.
SO NATURALLY THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO PRESENT AN UNBALANCED BUDGET TO EMBARRASS EITHER THE SCHOOL BOARD OR THE SUPERVISORS AND THEN HAVE THIS SQUABBLE OUT IN PUBLIC DISPLAY.
SO I DECIDED TO USE A BIT MORE DISCRETION AND GO ABOUT IT AS DIPLOMATICALLY AS WE TRY TO.
AND MS. FODDERS, SO THIS IS VIC.
KUMAR AND I WERE MEETING IN DECEMBER AND HE WAS, UM, SHARING THIS, THIS IS A NEED AND THAT, UH, THE SCHOOLS HAD NOT BEEN INCLUDED WHEN THE COUNTY HAD DONE, UM, WHAT WE DID ABOUT TWO, THREE YEARS AGO.
AND, UH, MY, MY, UH, CONVERSATION WITH HIM WAS THAT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HADN'T ASKED SO THAT I ENCOURAGED HIM TO ASK, UH, FOR SOMETHING, WHICH IS WHY IN JANUARY, UH, THAT'S WHERE WHEN THE COUNTY SAID THAT WAS ME ENCOURAGING THEM TO FORMALLY LET THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KNOW WHAT THIS ISSUE WAS BECAUSE IT REALLY HADN'T, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION UNTIL HE AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
OTHER THAN JUST IN GENERAL TERMS, UH, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN OUR REGION AT LARGE, PREVIOUS SUPERINTENDENTS HAD SHARED THAT, YOU KNOW, SALARIES IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE, BUT IT HAD NOT COME TO THE POINT WHERE, UH, THEY ARE NOW OF FORMALLY LOOKING AT IT AND SEEING WHAT THEY FELT THEY NEEDED.
SO, UH, SO THAT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND FOR THAT.
ARE YOU FINISHED? 'CAUSE I WAS GONNA ASK A QUESTION.
UH, WHAT IS THE SCHOOL BOARD'S CONTRIBUTION? I MEAN, I SPENT SOME TIME AND I HAVE A GREAT MENTOR AND SHE AND I SPENT SOME TIME TOGETHER, BUT I'M LOOKING AT, YOU'VE GOT $278,000 IN STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT.
HAS THAT ALREADY BEEN PUT TO SOMETHING ELSE OR IS THAT 278,000 AVAILABLE? YOU ARE ESTIMATING SALES TAX AT 97.5%.
WHY NOT A HUNDRED? I MEAN, WHAT DOES OUR TRACK RECORD THEN WITH SALES TAX REVENUES FROM THE STATE? ARE WE HITTING A HUNDRED? ARE WE HITTING 101? SO I, I WILL TALK ABOUT THE OKAY.
THE STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT, AND THEN I ALLOW DEBBIE TO TALK ABOUT THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE 97.5 AND A HUNDRED PERCENT SALES TAX.
THE, THE, THE NUMBERS THAT WE REPRESENT IN OUR BALANCED BUDGET TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ABSORPTION OF THOSE INITIATIVES THAT WE STRATEGICALLY ABANDONED.
SO WE'RE NOT, IT'S NOT LIKE WE STRATEGICALLY ABANDONED THAT MONEY AND HOLD IT AS A SURPLUS.
WE MADE THOSE STRATEGIC ABANDONMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF ABSORPTION TO GET US TO A BALANCED BUDGET TO FUND THE THINGS THAT PRIORITIZE THESE NEEDS.
THAT'S, THAT'S THERE, THERE, I SAW THE GES 300 SALES TAX IS A SEPARATE QUESTION.
CAN I ANSWER THE SALES TAX? OH, YES, PLEASE.
SO, JUST LIKE THE COUNTY WE ARE, WE ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT CONSERVATIVE ON THE SALES TAX.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT WE TAKE ALL THE RISK.
SO IF THE, IF THE STATE HAS LESS SALES TAX, THEN WE DON'T GET OUR FUNDING.
[00:20:01]
SOQ FUNDING THAT, THAT MONEY, AS LONG AS WE HOLD OUR STUDENT COUNT TO WHAT, TO WHAT WE'VE ESTIMATED OUR STUDENT COUNT TO BE THAT WE GET.BUT EVERY MONTH RIGHT NOW WE ARE RUNNING ABOUT 200,000 LESS THAN WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAID WE WOULD BE GETTING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO WE E EVEN THOUGH WE UNDER, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAD 97.5%, WE ARE STILL $200,000 SHORT OF THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET WHEN WE BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE HAVING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO ABSORB THAT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO, UM, WHEN I HAVE PRESENTED OUR BUDGETS TO OUR SCHOOL BOARD IN THE PAST, THEY'VE BEEN VERY PLEASED THAT I HAVE BEEN CONSERVATIVE ON THAT SALES TAX ALMA.
AND, UM, WE HAVE BEEN, EXCEPT FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAVE BEEN SAFE AT THAT 97.5% LEVEL.
THE OTHER QUESTION IN THERE, I NOTED THAT THERE'S $370,000 FOR THE NEW GOON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IS THERE ANY OFFSET? IS THAT LIKE EVERYTHING WE'RE SPENDING AT THE CURRENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS NOW GONNA GO UP BY 370,000? IS THAT GONNA BE EVERY YEAR HERE ON OUT OR AT LEAST ONE TIME? ONE OFF EXPENSES.
SO THOSE, THOSE MONIES THAT WE PUT IN THE BUDGET FOR THE NEW GES ACCOUNTED FOR TWO ADDITIONAL FTE FOR CUSTODIAL SERVICES, WE HAVE, UM, 70,000 MORE SQUARE FEET IN THAT BUILDING.
UM, IT ALSO TOOK INTO ACCOUNT WHAT WE ESTIMATE OUR, UM, INSURANCES TO BE AND UTILITIES TO BE FOR THAT BUILDING.
SO IT'S SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FACILITY, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S MORE ABOUT THE OPERATIONS THEREAFTER IT'S NOT MOVING CLASSROOM AND THINGS.
SO IN MY STATE IN SAYING EVERY YEAR HERE ON OUT, WE SHOULD EXPECT ANOTHER $370,000 IN INCREASED MAINTENANCE COSTS ON THE NEW BUILDING, I WOULD SAY AN ADDITIONAL THREE 70 YEAR OVER YEAR, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT NUMBER WILL HOLD AND THE UTILITIES PORTION NATURALLY WILL GROW AS THE COST OF UTILITIES FLUCTUATE.
AND THE SALARY PORTIONS WILL GROW AS WE ELEVATE SALARIES.
BUT I DON'T WANNA GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT IT'LL BE AN ADDITIONAL 370, IT WON'T BE THAT SEVERE.
IT'LL BE WHATEVER THE RAISE IS FOR THE CUSTODIANS.
AND WHATEVER THE COST OF ANY INSURANCE IS, OR UTILITIES, LET'S SAY THAT NATURAL GAS INCREASES 5%, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GOTTA BE REFLECTED.
IT'LL BE AN ORGANIC INCREASE TO THREE 70 EACH YEAR.
SO THREE 70 EACH YEAR, 5% ON THE THREE 70.
BUT IT IS GONNA BE AT LEAST 370,000 EVERY YEAR TO OPERATE THAT SCHOOL.
AND NO SAVINGS ON, I MEAN, WE'VE JUST BEEN EXTREMELY EFFICIENT OPERATING THE CURRENT SCHOOL BECAUSE IT'S COSTING US 370,000 OR LESS TO OPERATE THE CURRENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
NO, I THINK WE SPEND HOW MUCH 160,000, 180,000 TO OPERATE THE CURRENT SCHOOL.
I CANNOT TELL YOU THAT ANSWER, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS WE'VE DOUBLED THE CAPACITY AND WE'VE MORE THAN DOUBLED THE SQUARE FOOTAGE BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE AN ART ROOM, A MUSIC ROOM, AND A GYM.
BUT, SO I'M TRYING, THE THREE 70 IS A BRAND NEW MONEY.
THERE'S SOME OF THAT THAT'S ALREADY BEING SPENT.
WE'VE GOT A BIGGER STAFF AND THEY'VE GOT BIGGER BILLS TO PAY.
SO THEY'RE TAKING WHATEVER THE BASIS FOR THE CURRENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ELIMINATING WHATEVER GOES AWAY THEN ADDING WHATEVER IS NEW WITH THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RESULTING IN THE NET GROWTH OF 330,000 TO RUN THE NEW SCHOOL COMPARED TO BILL SCHOOL.
I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M, YES, THE NEW SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE 70,000 AND, AND PERHAPS I DIDN'T DO GREAT EXPLAINING THAT, BUT THREE 70 WON'T FOLD OVER TIME.
IT WON'T ROLL THREE 70 EVERY YEAR BECAUSE SALARY'S A PART OF THAT.
SO FOLKS SALARY WILL ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
I TROUBLE IT SEEMS EXACTLY LIKE IT SHOULD BE WRONG INTO YOUR OPERATING BUDGET.
THREE 70 DOES BUT NOT A NEW THREE 70.
OH, SO THREE 70 GOES FROM YEAH, THOSE YOUR NORMAL ABSOLUTELY.
THIS IS PART OF OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET AND WILL ONLY IMPROVE INCREMENTALLY A SALARIES INCREASE IN COST OF ENERGY INCREASES.
SO WE, WE WERE ASKED A LITTLE WHILE AGO ABOUT SCHOOL BOARD OR SCHOOL'S CONTRIBUTION.
SO THE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS PUT OUT SOME NEW NUMBERS AND IT, WE STILL DON'T HAVE A CAL TOOL FOR THESE NUMBERS THAT SHOULD SAY NO INSTEAD OF STILL O UNLESS THE O REPRESENTS NOTHING.
SO THESE ARE OUR BEST GUESS AT WHAT THESE NEW, UM, GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDMENTS WILL MEAN FOR GUCCI A 3% INCREASE INSTEAD OF A 1% BONUS FOR
[00:25:01]
STAFF.WE THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA MEAN ABOUT $93,000 FOR US RESTORE THE GROCERY TAX TAX HOME HOLD HARMLESS.
WE HAD HOPED THAT THAT NUMBER WOULD'VE BEEN LARGER.
THAT'S REALLY GONNA MEAN ABOUT 530 ADDITIONAL THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR US.
AGAIN, I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH, THESE ARE OUR ESTIMATES.
WE DO NOT HAVE A CALCULATION TOOL, EXPANDED SALES TAX BASE, AN ADDITIONAL $104,000 MONIES FOR OUR RISK LEARNERS AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING POPULATIONS ABOUT $46,000.
SO OUR TOTAL PROJECTED, AND THIS IS NOT ADJUSTED FOR AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP, BUT OUR TOTAL PROJECTED INCREASE IN REVENUE FROM THE STATE IS AT $771,723 RIGHT NOW.
UM, I DON'T THINK I'M OUT OF POCKET FOR SAYING THIS.
I DO THINK IT WILL CONVEY THE URGENCY OF US GETTING US DONE THIS DONE IF ASKED TO COME TO THE TABLE AND THESE MONIES ACTUALIZED, THEY WOULD ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 50% OF WHAT IS REQUIRED TO DO THIS FOR OUR TEACHERS NOW.
AND I WOULD BELLY ACHE ABOUT IT EVERY DAY THAT I SEE YOU OUT IN PUBLIC.
BUT I WOULD SAY TODAY, IN GOOD FAITH TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY OUR TEACHERS TODAY, WE WOULD DO THIS.
SO THAT WOULD LEAVE THE COUNTY WITH ABOUT AN EQUITABLE PORTION TO HELP ACCOUNT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE $1.4 MILLION TO MAKE THIS MARKET ADJUSTMENT.
NOW HAVING SAID THAT, ARE THERE OTHER EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL DIVISION THAT WE COULD USE $771,000 TO ADVANCE? ABSOLUTELY THERE ARE, BUT I GET WHERE WE ARE.
I WANT YOU TO GET THE URGENCY OF US BEING ABLE TO DO THIS FOR OUR PEOPLE.
NOW, THERE'S ALSO SOME ADDITIONAL MONIES, UM, FOR RESTORATION OF VIRGINIA PRESCHOOL INITIATIVE CAP.
UH, THESE MONIES ARE NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE THEY USE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE VIRGINIA PRESCHOOL INITIATIVE.
I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE ON THESE DOLLARS AS A REMINDER.
UH, GLIN HAS THE HIGHEST LCI LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX OF, WELL ON THE STATE SCALE 0.8.
SO IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AND YOU GO FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT THE STATE GIVES US, SHOULD THE COUNTY GIVE US FOUR MATCHING DOLLARS? IT'S A PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION.
IT'S ONE THAT WE HISTORICALLY, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, HAVEN'T ENTERTAINED.
IF THE LCI SAYS THE COUNTY CAN SUPPORT 80% OF THE SCHOOL'S FUNDING, THEN EVERY DOLLAR THE STATE SENDS OUR WAY SHOULD COME WITH FOUR LOCAL DOLLARS.
I WANNA PUT IT OUT THERE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION.
I'M ASKING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE LOCALLY CONSIDER WHAT THE STATE HAS DETERMINED AS OUR LCI BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE OUR FUNDING GETS SPREAD SO THIN BECAUSE WE JUST TAKE THESE $771,000 AND TRY TO MAKE THEM GO THE FULL HUNDRED PERCENT WHEN THEY WERE ONLY INTENDED TO GO 20% OF THE WAY.
WELL THEN LET'S JUST, UH, SO CAN I, CAN I, SO I'M, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING ME HERE.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS LIKE, SO THE STATE COMES IN, LET'S TAKE TEACHERS OUT, LET'S SAY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE GIVE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES A 5% RAISE, AND THEN, THEN RICHMOND SAYS, OH, WE WANNA GIVE A 5% RAISE.
NOW WE'RE MANDATED TO GIVE A 10% RAISE 'CAUSE WE DID THE RIGHT THING INITIALLY.
HOW IS THAT ANY DIFFERENT BENEFITS? SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS IF THIS IS A 3% INCREASE, THE STATE'S PORTION IS ONLY 92, BUT ONLY IS 92,000, WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE UP 80 MORE PERCENT OF THAT.
SO THIS IS AN UNFUNDED MANDATE.
AND, BUT MY OTHER POINT IS TO, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MEDIANS, THEY'RE NOT JUST GIVING THIS GOOSE HUNT, THEY'RE GIVING THIS TO EVERYBODY.
SO THIS DOES NOT DO ANYTHING TO IMPROVE US.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THEY'RE DOING IT FOR EVERYBODY AND MOST LOCALES ARE GETTING IT AT A FAR MORE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT THAN WE ARE BECAUSE OUR LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX IS SO HIGH.
BUT, BUT TO, TO, TO MS. ALLEN'S POINT OR COUNTERPOINT TO MS. ALLEN'S, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.
WE MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE ON THE UNFUNDED MANDATES.
WE ARE NOT MAKING UP THE DIFFERENCE ON ALL THE OTHER LINE ITEMS. SO I'M NOT GETTING A FOUR X MULTIPLIER ON GROCERY TAXES OR SALES TAXES AND SO FORTH.
SO EVERY DOLLAR FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ISN'T DONE WITH A FOUR X MATCH WHEN THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF BUDGET.
SO THINGS LIKE THIS, YES, WE ARE LEGALLY MANDATED TO CLOSE THE 3% INCREASE WITH LOCAL FUNDING, BUT THE OTHER ITEMS WOULDN'T COME WITH A FOUR X MULTIPLIER.
AND I DO WANNA CORRECT SOMETHING.
THE 3% INCREASE IS NOT A MANDATE.
[00:30:01]
THAT EVERY ONE OF OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS IS GOING TO GIVE THAT 3%.UM, AND, AND THEY WILL GET SUBSTANTIAL STATE DOLLARS TO DO IT.
THIS IS NOT 3% ON TOP OF THE 5%.
SO OUR 5% THAT WE'VE ALREADY PUT IN THE BUDGET IS IN EXCESS OF THE 3%.
SO WE WILL GET ALL OF THAT 93,000 FROM THE STATE.
NOW YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT IT WAS ABOUT $1.3 MILLION TO GET TO THE 5%.
SO 93,000 IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
FEELS LIKE A DROP IN THE BUCKET TO, TO DO ANY OF OUR SALARY INCREASES BECAUSE THIS IS ONLY A PORTION OF OUR STAFF THAT GET THAT 3% INCREASE.
THAT'S THAT WHOLE SOQ STAFFING FORMULA THAT THEY, THAT THAT THE STATE DOES.
AND I WANNA 5% WAS COST OF LIVING.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE BUDGET THAT WE SUBMITTED.
THEN WE'RE DISCUSSING AN ADDITIONAL 5% MARKET ADJUSTMENT JUST FOR TEACHING PROFESSIONALS.
THIS 3% TO DEBBIE'S POINT WOULD BE ROLLED UP UNDER THE FIRST 5%, BUT ONLY FOR SELECT ONLY FOR SELECT FOQ.
SO Q POSITIONS, WHICH IF WE CUT LOOSE EVERYBODY WHO WAS AN SOQ FUNDED, WE'D BARELY BE ABLE TO OPERATE A SINGULAR SCHOOL.
THERE'S A, A LENGTH FROM A LAYMAN STANDPOINT ON THIS, UH, THE CONCEPT OF, UH, THE STATE MANDATING, MANDATING THAT WE DO 75% AND THEY DO 25 80%.
THEY DON'T KNOW OUR OPERATIONS.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE BEFORE WE CAN AFFORD AND WE SHOULD NOT GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO ABIDE BY THAT.
I, MR. WINFREY, I DO NOT DISAGREE WITH YOU.
WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE THAT UP WITH OUR LOCAL SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN.
WELL, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN FORMULAS AND IT'S INDEPENDENT OF OURS.
IT IS, IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING.
'CAUSE GULA IS FISCALLY SO WELL MANAGED AND THOSE FORMULAS HAVE PUT THE BURDEN OF FUNDING THEIR SCHOOLS.
WE CERTAINLY TAKE ALL THAT INTO CONSIDER.
SO THE, I THINK THE PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT IS IMPORTANT TO GO TO KIND OF CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO THOUGH IS THAT THIS IS A ONE TIME REQUEST FOR AN EFFORT TO, FOR THE MOMENT BRING US INTO A POSITION WHERE THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD LIKE TO BE, UM, NEXT YEAR WHEN OTHER COUNTIES AROUND US DO WHATEVER THEY DO, IT COULD GO AWAY JUST LIKE THAT.
SO WHAT THIS REQUEST IS DOES NOT EVEN GUARANTEED TO SOLVE ANYTHING FOR MORE THAN ROUGHLY 12 MONTHS.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO BE OUT THERE.
AND AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE IN THAT RACE.
SO WE DO THIS AND WE, WE GET TO THE MEDIAN ACROSS THE REGION, AS WAS WAS STATED EARLIER, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE DOING THE COMPARABLE EVERY YEAR TO MAINTAIN THIS POSITION, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A CHANGE OF PHILOSOPHY TO HOW WE HAVE DONE OUR BUDGETS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S BAD, I'M SAYING IT'S GOOD, BUT IT'S A CHANGE OF PHILOSOPHY TO HOW WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR OUR SCHOOL BOARD AND, AND OUR SCHOOL BUDGET.
SO, SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE OUT THERE AND UNDERSTOOD THAT, THAT THIS IS NOT A ONE AND DONE.
WE WALK AWAY FROM GOOD ABOUT OURSELF IF, IF THIS IS DONE.
SO THAT REQUIRES ON MY SIDE, OUR SIDE TO LOOK AT FUTURE BUDGETS AND IF THIS IS THE BOARD'S DESIRE THAT WE INCORPORATE THIS CONCEPT INTO OUR FUTURE BUDGETS AS WELL IN ORDER, OR ARE WE GOING TO MAINTAIN PARITY? THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TRIED TO DO IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE'RE NOW ASKING THE SAME THING WITH SCHOOL AND SCHOOL DIVISION.
IT'S MAINTAIN PARITY ON A REGIONAL BASIS.
SO I JUST KIND OF WANT THAT OUT THERE THAT IT, IT CHANGES THE DYNAMICS AND THE METRICS SIGNIFICANTLY OF OUT THERE.
SO, SO THIS IS NOT JUST A ONE DONE FEEL GOOD.
A, A A CHANGE THAT IF WHAT THE BOARDS, WHAT SCHOOL BOARD IS REQUESTING OUT NOW SUPERVISORS CAN DO WHATEVER OR THE SCHOOL BOARD IS REQUESTING IS ESSENTIALLY THAT WE LOOK AT THIS AS A PERMANENT CONCEPT CHANGE, NOT A ONE AND DONE AND, AND IT GOES AWAY NEXT YEAR.
SO IN FACT, IT WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC IF WE, IF IT WERE TO GO AWAY NEXT YEAR, THAT THAT WOULD BE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD AND CREATE A PROBLEM NEXT YEAR THAT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE TODAY.
WELL, I I'D LIKE TO YOU'RE YOU'RE COMING.
YOU, YOU, YOU LANDED AT A DIFFERENT PLACE THAN THE FIVE YEARS.
WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE SAME ASK EVERY YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD.
[00:35:01]
A BONUS FOR COVID THIS TIME.LIKE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S OUTPACES ANY OTHER INDUSTRY.
UM, OUR INCREASES HAVE OUTPACED EVERYBODY.
UM, AND AT SOME POINT, LIKE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE UP THEIR MINDS.
UM, THE EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE TOP THINGS THAT FOLKS TALK ABOUT, BUT THIS HAD, THIS HAS BEEN THE SAME ASK EVERY YEAR.
I'LL ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHILE THE, THE INCREASES OUTPACE EVERY OTHER INDUSTRY, THE SALARIES DO NOT
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN MY, MY AUNT TAUGHT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS IN THE EIGHTIES YES SIR.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THE PROFESSION YOU GO INTO TO GET RICH.
UM, I'M WORKING FROM THE FEBRUARY DRAFT, SO THIS MAY NOT BE CURRENT, BUT ON PAGE 44, THERE'S A MILLION $400,000 FOR SOMETHING CALLED GOAL TWO, INCLUSIVE AND ENGAGING CULTURE.
CAN YOU DECIPHER THAT FOR ME? I WOULD HAVE TO GO FIND THAT PRESENTATION TO REFER TO.
SO THE GOAL TWO IS, IS MAINLY HOW DO YOU CREATE AN, AN ENGAGING AND AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS.
BUT IT'S MAINLY WHERE WE HAVE OUR STAFF.
SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE RETAIN OUR STAFF? HOW DO WE ENGAGE OUR STAFF? UM, AND SO THAT, THAT GOAL HAS A TENDENCY TO INCLUDE ALL OF OUR SALARY IMPROVEMENTS AND OUR HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASES.
SO THE MAJORITY OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH STAFF COSTS.
SO IT'S NOT DEI PROGRAMS OR THINGS LIKE THAT? NO, NO, NO, NO.
ITS JUST YOUR INTERNAL EFFORTS OF, OF COMPENSATING YOUR STAFF ESSENTIALLY.
THE 5% WAS IN THERE AND THE, UM, THE 9% HEALTH INSURANCE.
THOSE WERE THE TWO BIG EXPENSES.
I KNOW YOU SAID WE HAVE THE 234 FDA TEACHERS.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD STAFF BE? SO WE HAVE ALMOST 500 STAFF.
SO WE ARE ONE OF THE TOP FIVE EMPLOYERS IN THE COUNTY.
AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS WHY EVERY TIME WE NEED WE COME TO YOU FOR HEALTH INSURANCE AND SALARY INCREASES THAT IT, IT, IT FEELS LIKE A VERY LARGE ASK BECAUSE IT IS, WE HAVE SO MANY STAFF, UM, THAT, UM, RURAL COUNTIES THAT IS TRADITIONAL, THAT RURAL COUNTIES, THE SCHOOL DIVISION IS THE BIGGEST, ONE OF THE BIGGEST EMPLOYERS.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? ONE OF THE, UM, POINTS THAT HAS BEEN MADE WITH PRIDE IS OUR SMALL CLASS SIZES.
TO WHAT DEGREE IS THAT PART OF THE DISCUSSION IS MAYBE WE GO FROM X NUMBER OF KIDS PER TEACHER TO Y NUMBER OF KIDS PER TEACHER AND, AND, AND DO SOME, UM, CONSOLIDATION OF THAT ASPECT.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN INFORMAL ANSWER AND THEN I'LL LET THE EXPERTS GIVE YOU A A GOOD ANSWER.
WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO FEEL THAT TENSION AS WE LOSE TEACHERS AND THOSE TEACHERS ARE NOT BACKFILLED.
UM, AND AS WE'RE UNABLE TO STAFF DUE TO COMPETITIVENESS IN THE MARKET, MAYBE WE WANTED FOUR TEACHERS, BUT WE ONLY GOT THREE.
SO WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO FEEL THAT PINCH AND WE'RE TRYING TO MITIGATE THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW STUDENT OUTCOMES ARE IN PART CORRELATED TO CLASS SIZE.
NOW, DO WE NEED TO HAVE 15 KIDS PER CLASSROOM? I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE SUBJECT AND THE AGE.
I DON'T WANNA GIVE A BLANKET ANSWER HERE, BUT GOING UP TO 25 AND 30 KIDS PER CLASS, WE SAW THAT IN THE HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE CLASSES IN RECENT YEARS, AND IT WAS NOT BENEFICIAL FOR OUR STUDENTS, UM, FROM JUST A CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT POINT OF VIEW AND EFFICIENCY TO GET THROUGH THE CONTENT WHEN EVERY LEARNER HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA START TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE PRIDED OURSELVES ON, WHICH IS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT OUTCOMES SUFFER.
WE USED TO SAY WE WERE HIRING THE A GRADE TEACHERS RIGHT NOW HIRING SOME B MINUS AND MAYBE C PLUS TEACHERS BECAUSE THE POOL IS GETTING REALLY THIN.
UM, I WILL YOU JUST WALK RIGHT INTO THAT.
I'LL, I WILL ONLY ADD THAT OUR CLASS SIZE, AVERAGE CLASS SIZE IS A SELLING POINT FOR US.
IF IT GOES UP AND WE LOSE THAT SELLING POINT, THEN ALL WE'VE LOST IS THE SELLING POINT.
IT GOES UP AND SALARIES REMAIN AS COMPARABLE AS THEY ARE.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS WHAT, UH, MS. ALLEN
[00:40:01]
JUST ALLUDED TO OUR HISTORICAL SUCCESS WITH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.ALL THE RESEARCH INDICATES THAT IF YOU CAN FIND THE SWEET SPOT IN AVERAGE CLASS SIZE, AND I THINK WE'RE WITHIN THAT, THEN THAT STAND THAT SETS BOTH TEACHER AND THE STUDENT UP TO, TO HAVE GREATER SUCCESS AND DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTES TO OUR STUDENT OUTCOMES.
WHEN MS. ALLEN TALKED ABOUT HOW WE USED TO BE ABLE TO ATTRACT THE A GRADE AND A PLUS GRADE STAFF, THAT IS VERY TRUE.
AND NOW WE'RE ATTRACTING MAYBE THE C SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER WITH THAT IS THAT WE ARE TRACKING LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO US THROUGH ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS.
PEOPLE WHO DID NOT SPEND THEIR LIVES WANTING TO BE PUBLIC EDUCATORS, PEOPLE WHO TRIED A CAREER MAYBE WERE SUCCESSFUL, MAYBE WERE NOT, AND NOW THEY WANT TO TRY THEIR HAND IN TEACHING.
SO THEY COME IN WITH ALTERNATIVE LICENSURE AND USUALLY WHAT THEY'VE MISSED BEYOND AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THE MOST VALUABLE PART IS A STUDENT TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND 15 TO 18 COURSE HOURS IN EDUCATION TO DEAL WITH HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO NOT TO BE DOOM AND GLOOM, BECAUSE THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT MY DISPOSITION, BUT WE HAVE GAPS TO FILL AND WE'RE GONNA INCREASINGLY HAVE GAPS TO FILL AS WE START TO HIRE THIS TYPE OF EMPLOYEE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET THEM TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE PROFICIENT TEACHING FIRST.
IT'S BETTER FOR US TO DO THAT WITH 18 PUPILS IN A CLASSROOM THAN 27.
I SHOULDN'T SAY BETTER, I SHOULD SAY EASIER.
IT'S EASIER FOR US TO DO THAT.
UM, KIND OF EXPAND ON JUST A SPOON.
I, Y'ALL COME TO US, WE WE'RE REALLY COMING.
WE'RE STEWARDS OF THE TAXPAYERS MONEY.
WE'RE REALLY COMING TO OUR TAX, OUR CITIZENS AND OUR COMMUNITY TAXPAYERS, AND WE'RE ALL NOT JUST THE BOARD SUPERVISORS, BUT ALL OF US STEWARDS OF THAT TAXPAYER MONEY.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S, IT'S NOT COMING TO US NECESSARILY
WE ARE THE GOWE, YOU ARE OUR BANK.
SO WE CAN, WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T GENERATE OUR OWN REVENUE LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY.
SO YES, I WAS, AND AGAIN, I I'M WORKING FROM WHAT I STARTED THIS PROCESS, IT'S THE FEBRUARY 13TH VERSION OF IT, BUT ON PAGE 56 IT SHOWS, UH, HERE'S MY NOTES HERE, UH, 262,000 END OF YEAR, UH, OVERRUN WORK EXCESS.
AND, AND SO I BELIEVE WE HAVE A GENERAL PERSON'S AGREEMENT THAT ANY TURNBACK IS GONNA GO TO, YOU KNOW, $15 MILLION OVERRUN ON THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, THIS IS PREVIOUS BOARD NOT SINCE JANUARY, BUT IS THAT 362,000 FACTORED IN, IF THERE IS AN END OF YEAR, UH, I GUESS I'LL USE THE WORD SURPLUS OR TURN BACK, UH, HAS THAT BEEN IMAGINED DURING VISION? THIS POSSIBLY BEING USED FOR THE 1.4, UH, IMPRESSION OR NOT COMPRESSION, BUT I'M TRYING TO, IF I COULD SPEAK TO THE PROCESS AND THEN YOU SPEAK TO THE NUMBERS.
WELL, I, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU HAVE A SURPLUS NUMBER, BUT I'M, I'M LOOKING AT PAGE 56.
SO FROM THE FEBRUARY 13TH VERSION.
SO CAN I JUST LOOK AT THE PAGE JUST TO SEE WHAT, WHAT, I MEAN IF I CAN, OH, OH, THESE ARE OUR UNFUNDED ITEMS, RIGHT? IF WE WERE TO HAVE MONEY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD BUY ONE, ONE TIME ITEMS THAT WE COULD BUY WITH.
SO THE, THE, THE GOAL OF THOSE, I JUST SAYS POTENTIAL USE EOY.
SO THERE IS, I'M ASSUMING AN EOI OF 3 6 2.
NO, NO, THERE'S NO, THERE IS NO KNOWN END OF YEAR.
UM, ANSWER MY QUESTION
THOSE WOULD BE ONE TIME PURCHASES THAT WOULD NOT CARRY FUTURE
SO WE'D BUY THINGS, WE WOULDN'T USE THOSE DOLLARS TO INVEST IN SALARIES OR CREATE NEW POSITIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT MONEY ALSO GENERALLY IS ONE TIME LEFTOVER MONEY BECAUSE IT COMES FROM, UM, UNEXPECTED THINGS LIKE VACANCIES AND POSITIONS.
SO YOU CAN'T COUNT THAT MONEY TWICE AND USE IT FOR A NEW POSITION AS WELL AS THE OLD POSITION.
AND IF THIS 1.4 IS RUN TIME, WELL, IT'LL BE GOING FORWARD FOREVER.
I MEAN, WE WON'T ADD A NEW 1.4 EVERY YEAR.
IT'LL BE PART OF THE BASELINE BUDGET.
SO IS WHAT I USED AS A 5% INCREASE IN 1.4 WOULD BE ABOUT 70,000 ADDITIONAL YEAR.
AND THEN JUST BECAUSE I DID DEAL TO THE NITTY GRID, YOU HAD ATHLETIC STIPENDS GOING UP ABOUT 20% AND THE STIPENDS ARE A CALCULATION OF THE TEACHER'S COMPENSATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? AT THE HIGH SCHOOL? YES SIR.
[00:45:01]
9% INCREASE, THEY ARE GOING TO GETTING AN INCREASE IN THEIR STIPEND BECAUSE WHAT WE CALCULATE ON NOW, IT'S ONLY 20.THE AVERAGE WORDS COME OUTTA MY MOUTH WHEN I SAID ONLY 20,000
I'M SORRY, DON'T TELL MY PARENTS
SO, BUT THAT 20,000 IS GOING TO BE, I MEAN, THE ATHLETIC FOLKS AND I HAD GREAT COACHES IN MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER, SO I IT'S A LABOR OF LOVE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE BASIS OF WHAT'S BEING LOOKED AT.
IS THAT CORRECT? SOME, SOME OF OUR, UH, OUR COACHES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, IT IS BASED ON TEACHING SALARY SCALE.
THERE ARE, UM, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT COME THAT CAN PASS OUR, UM, CHILD PROTECTION CRITERIA, UM, TO COME IN AND COACH FOR US.
SO IT, IT IS NOT SIMPLY, UM, SOMETHING THAT IS OFFERED TO TEACHERS.
IT IS, WE TRY TO GET THE BEST COACH IF WE CAN FOR OUR STUDENTS.
I, I BELIEVE, AND, AND THE $20,000 WAS, WE WERE, WE HAVE SOME SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS THAT WE LIKE INDOOR TRACK, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A HUNDRED PERCENT VOLUNTEER, NOT PAID.
WE WERE TRYING TO CORRECT THAT SITUATION.
WE, WE HAD A STATE CHAMPION AND WE WERE GOING TO PAY THE, THAT COACH.
WELL, I DON'T THINK YOU COULD PAY FOR SOME SPORTS AND NOT PAY FOR OTHERS YOU CREATED.
I'M A CROSS COUNTRY TRACK GUY.
WE ALWAYS GOT SHORT INTO THE STICK.
I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT HAS NOT CHANGED.
AND THEN I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A LEARNING GAP DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, BUT YOU HAD 109,000 IN THERE FOR SUMMER SCHOOL AND THE AFTER SCHOOL TUTOR.
I MEAN, SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE AND TEACHERS WERE GOING TO BE GIVEN A A 4 MILLION ADJUSTMENT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE REASONABLY LOOKED AT OR NOT? I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S A QUESTION LOOKED AT TO REMOVE FROM THE BUDGET, RE REDIRECTED TO THE TEACHERS NOT REMOVED.
I I WILL, I WILL SAY THIS IN GENERAL TERMS TO HAVE TO ELIMINATE ANYTHING THAT WE PUT IN AS A IDENTIFIED NEED FOR THE BENEFIT OF WRITING THIS SITUATION WITH OUR STAFF.
UM, I DON'T, I WOULD CAUTION THIS TO GET IN THE BUSINESS OF, AND I KNOW IT'S GOOD BUDGET PRACTICE, BUT ROB AND PETER TO PAY PAUL BECAUSE WE MAY IN FACT GET $160,000 CLOSER TO, TO MAKING THIS MARKET ADJUSTMENT FOR STAFF.
BUT I'D SAY THAT WHAT WE BROKER FOR THAT $160,000 COULD CARRY FAR MORE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES IN TERMS OF STUDENT READINESS FOR THE SUBSEQUENT ACADEMIC YEAR.
BUT WE'VE GOT SOME KIDS WHO AREN'T AT NEUTRAL IN THEIR ABILITIES, AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY, IT SHOULD BE OUR EVERY EFFORT TO GET THEM IN NEUTRAL SO THAT THEY'RE SET UP TO BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS THEY CAN AS THEY TRANSITION FROM ONE GRADE TO ANOTHER.
I, I COULD NOT IN GOOD FAITH REALLOCATE A REPURPOSING DOLLARS FOR REMEDIAL SUMMER PROGRAMS. EVEN AT THE BENEFIT OF WRITING THIS GRADE WRONG, I TEACHING STAFF.
WELL, I DIDN'T ASK THE QUESTION OF WHAT A ACCOMMODATE ABSOLUTELY, YES, SIR.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION.
SHOULD WE SWITCH TO THE PRIMARY REASON FOR OUR CONVERSATION AND LEAVE THIS TOPIC FOR YOUR FURTHER CONSIDERATION? YEAH.
SO I, I PROMISE THAT OVER, OVER THE YEARS I'M GONNA PROVE MY WORTH.
YOU WOULD BE MORE THAN THE SOLICITOR OF PUBLIC FUNDS, BUT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS ONE THAT WE'VE REALLY NOT PROPORTIONATE.
WE'VE REALLY NOT TALKED A WHOLE LOT ABOUT, AS YOU ALL WELL KNOW, AND AS OUR CITIZEN, WE WELL KNOWS.
IT RUNS SEPARATE AND APART FROM MY OPERATING BUDGET.
BUT I DO WANNA ALIGN IT TO OUR STRATEGIC GOALS.
OUR GOAL IS TO EXCEED INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY STANDARDS, MAINTAIN AND CREATE SUSTAINABLE FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT, AND CREATE FLEXIBLE LEARNING SPACES.
AND PARDON ME, I'M SUFFERING TERRIBLY FROM CENTRAL.
THERE'S SOMETHING IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA HERE THAT I DIDN'T GET OUT IN HAMPTON ROADS.
IT'S BEEN CRIPPLING ME HERE THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
SO THE, THE, THE BASIS OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN TO ADDRESS CAPITAL PROJECTS OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION TO MEET THE LONG-TERM NEEDS OF OUR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY.
AND HOPEFULLY WE LEARNED FROM OUR HISTORY, HISTORY INCLUDING INFLATION, COST
[00:50:01]
OF MATERIALS AND GOODS, OTHER ECONOMIC FACTORS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT.THESE THINGS ARE OFTEN DIFFICULT TO PROJECT AND TO PRESENT.
FULL CAPITAL COST TO PROJECTS INCLUDE INDUSTRY STANDARD CONTINGENCIES, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, SUSTAINABILITY OF SITES, JUST TO TALK TO YOU.
AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA REINTRODUCE YOU TO OUR FACILITIES.
I WON'T TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT
THAT BUILDING'S GONNA GO FROM A 316 STUDENT CAPACITY TO ABOUT A 650 STUDENT CAPACITY BY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND RANDOLPH.
WERE PRETTY MUCH LOCKED STEP BOTH BEING BUILT IN 1958 AND HAVING ADDITIONS IN 1970 AND 97 WITH GYM EDITIONS MORE RECENTLY.
THE CAPACITY AT BYRD IS CURRENTLY 3 13 4 0 9 AT RANDOLPH.
OUR NEW SCHOOL, SO TO SPEAK, ARE OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS UP AT THE JOINT SECONDARY COMPLEX 988 PUPIL CAPACITY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL 695 PUPIL CAPACITY AT THE MIDDLE, OBVIOUSLY.
WE ALSO HAVE RIGHT NEXT DOOR, THE KOREAN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER, WHICH WAS BUILT IN NINE SEVEN IN OUR FLEET.
WE HAVE 59 BUSES AND 64 VEHICLES.
THE MAJORITY OF THESE ARE FULLY DEPRECIATED.
WHEN WE TOOK ON THE PROCESS OF BUILDING THE NEW
THE RE THE ZONES ARE BROKEN INTO THE THREE AREAS THAT YOU SEE ON OUR COUNTY MAP UP FRONT.
THIS IS GONNA PULL APPROXIMATELY 40 STUDENTS FROM THE NORTHWESTERN END OF THE COUNTY DOWN HERE TO WHAT THE CENTRAL AREA TO GO TO GWIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SEEMINGLY REDUCING THE ENROLLMENT AT BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NOW BY ABOUT 40 STUDENTS.
BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF NEW NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE BEING BUILT IN THAT AREA.
I TALKED WITH, UH, MR. CARPENTER AT THE FOUNDATION GALA THE OTHER NIGHT.
THAT AREA IS HIGH SPEED INTERNET AWAY FROM PROBABLY BEING THE MOST SAVORY AREA OF THIS COUNTY.
AND I THINK THAT'S COMING, WE'VE GOTTA BE PREPARED FOR IT.
AT BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 80 TO A HUNDRED STUDENTS WILL BE PULLED FROM RANDOLPH IN THAT ZONE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY TO COME UP AND PARTICIPATE AS STUDENTS OF THE NEW GES DEBBIE.
SO THIS WAS THE, UH, FIVE YEAR CIP THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, UM, IN DECEMBER.
AND WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A $4.9 MILLION ASK PER NEXT YEAR.
THAT MEANS THAT HALF OF THAT IS COMING IN FOR THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL CTE EDITION.
UM, AND THE, THE RENOVATIONS THAT WOULD OCCUR, UM, AFTER THAT.
SO THE CTE CLASSES MOVE INTO THE WING AND THEN WE CAN O OPEN UP SOME OF OUR, UH, OTHER CROWDED CLASSROOMS LIKE FINE ARTS AND INTO THAT, UH, SPACE.
SO WE HAVE THAT AS A 25, 26, UM, PROJECT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE IT'S BEEN PLACED.
UM, LIKE I, I THINK THE COUNTY'S MOVING US EVERY YEAR JUST OUTSIDE OF THE, THE WINDOW.
SO WE PUT IT IN WHERE, WHERE IT HAD BEEN PLACED LAST YEAR.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A BUS NOW IS COSTING US ABOUT $136,000.
JUST SAYING THAT, THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY THE COST OF A NEW YELLOW DIESEL SCHOOL BUS.
UM, SO OVER THE, THE FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE A $46 MILLION ASK AND, AND WE'RE GOING TO SORT OF TALK YOU THROUGH, UM, OUR NEEDS HERE.
BUT THE MAIN THING I I WANT TO SAY IS THAT, UM, WE HAVE HAD, UM, CONSULTANTS COME IN.
UM, WE USED COVID MONEY TO DO THAT.
THEY LOOKED AT ALL OF OUR FACILITIES AND THEY TOLD US WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO AND THE PRIORITIES.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING, IT IS BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S AN ISSUE.
AND SO, UM, YOU SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OLDER BUILDINGS.
UM, WE JUST NEED TO KEEP THOSE BUILDINGS UP UNTIL WE CAN REPLACE 'EM.
UM, OUR HIGH SCHOOL, UNFORTUNATELY, IS AT THE 20 YEAR MARK.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THAT HVAC EQUIPMENT JUST HAS TO BE REPLACED, UM, WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THIS NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND, AND THAT'S REALLY SORT OF OUR, OUR BIGGEST ASK.
WE HAVE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL COMING IN FINALLY AT 20 YEARS IN THIS FIVE YEAR TIME PERIOD.
SO, UM, IT IS, THEY ARE VERY BIG ASK.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, UM, OUR CONSULTANTS HAVE TOLD US NEEDS TO BE DONE TO
[00:55:01]
KEEP THESE FACILITIES, UM, WORKING THEIR BEST.SO WE IDENTIFIED AS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY NEEDS, THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE SCREEN, LIGHTING UPGRADES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, UH, FOR AUDITORIUM STAGE, REQUIRING SOME SCAFFOLDING.
THIS IS GONNA COST US A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MAINTENANCE POOL WITH CARPET CEILING UPGRADES AT BIRD AND RANDOLPH, $400,000 CAFETERIA EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENTS AT $300,000.
SCHOOL BUS FOUR VEHICLE REPLACEMENT AND NECESSARY REPAIRS AT OUR GARAGE, $431,000.
AND YOU CAN'T SEE IT ON THE SCREEN UP THERE, BUT THAT'S HOW WE ARRIVED AT THE $1.2 MILLION THAT HAD BEEN ALLOCATED FOR US FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
THIS CURRENT IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL.
BUT AGAIN, I REITERATE THAT THAT IS A TOTAL OR A PORTION OF A REQUEST OF 4.9 MILLION IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL.
THESE ARE LESS CRITICAL NEEDS, BUT STILL NEEDED LIGHTING UPGRADES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, $415,000 PARKING LOT REPAIRS AT BIRD $80,000.
AND I'LL JUST THROW IN JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, ONE OF OUR, ONE OF THE VARIABLES THAT WENT IN OUR SION TO CLOSE SCHOOL ON MARCH 5TH, THE DATE OF THE PRIMARY WAS THE CONDITION OF THE PARKING LOT AND THE PARKING SITUATION AT BYRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
NOW, THAT'S NOT TO SUGGEST THAT IF WE HAD IT PAVED AND HAD MORE SPACES THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO CLOSE, IT MIGHT'VE STILL BEEN WISE, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST VARIABLES THAT WENT TO THAT DECISION.
PHASE TWO OF THE ROOF REPLACEMENT AT BYRD, IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT AN EQUAL COST OF THE INVESTMENT THAT, THAT THE COUNTY HAS MADE FOR THIS ROUND FIELD IMPROVEMENTS AT GOWAN HIGH SCHOOL.
WE'LL SAY THIS, OUR, OUR PROGRAMS ARE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS ARE VERY COMPETITIVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE UP AGAINST, SUCH AS GEOGRAPHY AND WHO WE GET TO PLAY.
THERE ARE SOME NEEDS FOR, FOR FIELD IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMS OF PRACTICE SPACE IN SOME OF THE COMPETITIVE FIELDS.
WE'VE GOT 1958 RESTROOMS AT RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP TO A DA COMPLIANCE AND IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR US TO STILL BE TALKING ABOUT A DA COMPLIANCE IN 2024, BUT WE ARE, AND THAT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $400,000.
AN ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR THE CTE EDITION THAT'S BEEN PLANNED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL COULD COST AN EXCESS OF $2.3 MILLION, LEAVING $3.7 MILLION UNFUNDED OF THE TOTAL 4.9 THAT WE REQUESTED.
SO THE ITEMS ON THE ORIGINAL SLIDE WERE THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COVER WITH MONIES THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
THESE ITEMS REPRESENT THOSE ITEMS THAT WE'VE MOVED AWAY FROM DUE TO, UH, NOT HAVING THE FUNDS TO DO THAT, THE UPCOMING FISCAL.
SO I WANT TO TALK AGAIN ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATION CTE EDITION, THE $2.3 MILLION IS WHAT IT WOULD, WHAT WE THINK IT WOULD COST IN FISCAL YEAR 25, UM, TO, TO GO AHEAD AND HIRE THE PROJECT MANAGER AND THE ARCHITECT ENGINEER FOR THIS $20 MILLION PROJECT.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, CARLA'S GONNA TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT BOND ISSUE, ET CETERA, AND HER PRESENTATION.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROJECT IS GONNA MOVE OUTTA HERE.
UM, I, WE HAVE IT IN OUR ADOPTED BUDGET IS THIS YEAR.
I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, E EVERY YEAR THAT WE MOVE THIS PROJECT OUT, THE PROJECT COSTS MORE MONEY.
AND SO THIS $22.5 MILLION PROJECT RIGHT NOW WILL PROBABLY ESCALATE ANOTHER 5% WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SEE IT IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO DON'T THE UM, WHEN, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS PROJECT, THE $18.2 MILLION WAS SUFFICIENT FOR THIS PARTICULAR ASK AND WE'VE MOVED IT OUT NOW ABOUT FOUR YEARS.
SO IT, IT JUST IS CONTINUING TO GROW.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE USED IS A MODEL, UM, TO COST THIS PROJECT.
THE, THE COUNTY HAD A VERY GOOD MODEL FOR, UM, NEW BUILDINGS AND IT HAD SOME, UM, IT HAD THE BUILDING TO INFLATE.
IT HAD A PERCENTAGE OF WHAT AN ARCHITECT ENGINEER WOULD COST, WHAT A PROJECT MANAGER WOULD COST, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF CONTINGENCY FUNDING.
SO WE'VE BEEN USING THAT, THAT FULL COST MODEL IN THESE VERY LARGE PROJECTS.
AND, UM, SO THAT, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
IF THE PROJECT IS, UH, DELAYED UNTIL FISCAL YEAR 27,
[01:00:01]
THAT WOULD STILL MEAN THAT NEXT YEAR WE NEED THAT 26, UM, PROJECT TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, HAVE, HAVE THAT WHATEVER THE, THE INFLATIONARY EQUIVALENT OF THE $2.3 MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR.WE, WE WE'RE LOSING, CAN WE, CAN THIS BE, UH, MODIFIED SO WE GRAB THE WHOLE PICTURE? YEAH.
FOR SOME REASON WE'RE LOSING SO IT DOES A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
YEAH, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE FINE.
SO WE WERE THERE AND YOU PUT A PIN IN IT OR DID YOU? I'M DONE.
SO IF WE TALK ABOUT BIRTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SPECIFICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT SEVERAL FISCAL YEARS, 26 TO 29, 200 $50,000 ARE GONNA BE REQUIRED FOR PHASE THREE OF ROOF REPLACEMENT.
ESTIMATED $300,000 FOR CLASSROOM FURNITURE, NEW CLASSROOM FURNITURE JUST FOR THAT FACILITY.
WE'VE GOT SOME 1958 RESTROOMS THERE THAT STILL NEED RENOVATION FOR A DA COMPLIANCE AT ABOUT 317, 300 $18,000.
THERE'S SOME LIGHTING FIXTURES THERE THAT NEED TO BE UPGRADED.
$175,966 UPGRADES AND INTERCOM DATA CABLES, $95,361 AND THERE'S AN ELECTRICAL PANEL THAT REALLY SHOULD STAND TO BE REPLACED.
WE HAD ABOUT 1958 FOR INSTALLATION AND TO GET THAT UPGRADED WOULD BE ABOUT $281,820.
NOW, I WANT TO NOTE FOR EVERYONE WATCHING THAT THE ITEMS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED, THESE ARE ITEMS THAT IF THEY WERE TO GO AWRY, WOULD CHANGE THE WAY WE OFFER PROGRAMMING.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF THAT 1958, ALMOST 70-YEAR-OLD ELECTRICAL PANEL FAILS IN SOME WAY, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE SERIOUS, SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS ON OUR ABILITY TO OFFER NORMAL PROGRAMMING AT THAT SCHOOL UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT'S BROUGHT ONLINE PROGRAMMING, MEANING KEEPING THE SCHOOL OPEN.
RIGHT? Y'ALL GOTTA BE REALLY EXPLICIT ABOUT WHAT THAT WORK IS.
THE PROCESS OF ARRANGE ARRIVING AT THESE STAKERS, UM, YOU GO OUT AND GET BIDS, OR HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THAT COST? SO, THE ROOF REPLACEMENTS OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE SHOWN, SO THE 400,000 THAT WAS BASED ON A BID, WE ACTUALLY HAD A CONTRACT IN HAND FOR THAT 400,000.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL ROOFING CONTRACTORS COME OUT AND EXPLAIN HOW TO SOLVE THE, THE ROOF PROBLEMS AT BIRD.
AND SO THEY HAVE COME UP WITH THESE COSTS.
SO THEY'VE GIVEN US AN ESTIMATE.
WE'VE INFLATED A LITTLE BIT, UM, AS WE PULL IT OUT, YOU KNOW, IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, THE, THE ELECTRIC PANEL CAME FROM THE ENGINEERING FIRM.
MARTY'S POINT ABOUT IN SHUTTING DOWN THE SCHOOL, WE HAVE, UM, HEAT SENSORS ON THAT ELECTRIC PANEL.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE DOING FINE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE ARE WATCHING THAT PANEL.
WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO MONITOR THAT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE THINK WE CAN PULL IT OUT TO 28 BEFORE WE REPLACE, UM, THAT PANEL.
SO WE, WE ARE, WE CAN WATCH THAT.
UM, WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE ELECTRICAL PANEL REPLACEMENTS, OUR, OUR, OUR, UH, STAFF ARE, ARE VERY CLOSELY MONITORING THAT.
THAT'S A SEASONAL PROJECT, JUST LIKE THE ROOF.
YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO THAT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS? YEAH, SO WE HAVE ELECTRICITY, SO I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU WANNA USE EXTENSION
[01:05:01]
CORDS.SO YES, OUR, OUR, OUR NORMAL, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS THE WINTER BREAK.
THE SPRING BREAK, AND THE SUMMER MONTH CAN BE DONE THAT FAST.
I JUST IMAGINE THIS IS LIKE MONTHS OF WORK.
THE, THE ROOF CAN TAKE UP TO THE TWO MONTHS.
THE, THE ROOF PROJECT THAT YOU JUST APPROVED IS A SIX TO EIGHT WEEK PROJECT.
THE ELECTRICAL PANEL CAN BE DONE PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT IT REQUIRES SHUTTING DOWN THE WHOLE FACILITY.
AND LINGERING DOWN THERE IS $19,144 FOR A CAFETERIA OVEN THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
THAT, THAT BRINGS THE ASK FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS FOR ALONE TO ABOUT $1.4 MILLION.
THEY'VE GOT A ROOF REPLACEMENT THAT'S HOPEFUL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 AT $248,063.
THEY TOO NEED CLASSROOM FURNITURE REPLACEMENT THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL AS PART OF FISCAL YEAR 2026, $300,000.
THE SAME NEEDS ARE THERE FOR LIGHTING FIXTURE UPGRADES.
$203,273 PORTION OF THEIR ROOF HAD BEEN REPLACED FROM THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE IN 1958.
BUT THAT ROOF IS STILL, UH, OVER 45 YEARS OLD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED $400,000.
UM, THEY'VE GOT SOME AND I, DEBBIE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE NET E-RATE FUNDING PORTION OF THIS SO THAT I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT BERG? SO WE, WE HAVE PETER, OUR IT EXPERT BACK THERE, SO HE, HE'LL CORRECT ME IF I'VE DONE THIS WRONG.
SO THE DATA CABLES IN GLAND, UH, BIRD AND RANDOLPH ARE HOW OLD NOW? ABOUT 1990S, RIGHT? FOR THE MOST PART.
SO ARE IN THE NEXT ROUND OF OUR E-RATE FUNDING WILL ALLOW US TO TAP INTO THAT, TO, UM, TO FIX THE CABLING IN, IN THOSE OLDER PORTIONS OF THE, THE BUILDING.
AND SO, UM, E-RATE COMES AT AT 60%.
AND SO THIS IS OUR 40% PART OF THAT PROJECT.
YES, IT'S FOR SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES.
THANK YOU TO, UM, TO ALLOW THEM TO HAVE INTERNET THROUGHOUT THEIR FACILITY.
I DIDN'T WANT TO MISLEAD ANYONE TO THINK THAT THAT WAS TOTAL COST TO DO THIS, RATHER, THAT IS THE 40% CONTRIBUTION THAT, THAT THE COUNTY WOULD'VE TO MAKE TO GET THAT PROJECT DONE.
A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR PLAN FIELDS UPGRADES.
$413,774 TO REPLACE 1958 ELECTRICAL PANELS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE JUST DISCUSSED WITH BIRD $306,159 FOR PARKING LOT ASPHALT SEAL AND STRIPPING $38,288 FOR A CAFETERIA DISHWASHER REPLACEMENT THAT'S DATED AT 1993.
IS THAT A QUESTION? YES, MA'AM.
UM, THE CLASSROOM FURNITURE, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THE, TO THE FURNITURE FROM
AND IT'S, IT'S, IF GLIN WERE TO REMAIN OPEN, THAT FURNITURE TOO WOULD BE COMING UP ON RENEWAL AROUND THE SAME TIME.
BUT IT MAY BE BETTER THAN SOME OF THE THINGS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE MAY BE ABLE TO TAKE OUT SOME OF THE WORST FURNITURE AND SUPPLEMENT IT WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT AREN'T AS BAD FROM THE EXISTING
AND THIS ONLY WORKS FOR THE OTHER TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
THE FURNITURE'S SMALLER NATURALLY.
SO I CAN IMAGINE, UNLESS THEIR TABLES AND DESKS YEAH, SHORT LEGS, THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL WON'T BE ABLE TO BENEFIT THAT.
SO THAT, THAT BRINGS, UH, FISCAL NEEDS FOR, OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS FOR RANDOLPH TO ABOUT $2.1 MILLION.
GETTING THIS THROUGH THIS AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
RANDOLPH IS, I NOTICED BEFORE, IS SCHEDULED TO BE ABANDONED IN 2040.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL TRANSITION QUICKLY TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, WHICH IS A NEWER FACILITY.
AND YOU WOULD THINK THAT BECAUSE IT'S A NEWER FACILITY THAT IT WOULD ULTIMATELY REQUIRE LESS IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS.
BUT WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW THAT'S NOT REALLY THE CASE.
THEY, THEY'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT A NEED AT THAT SCHOOL FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TOWER REPLACEMENT IN THE HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS, ABOUT A $10,000 CAFETERIA MILK COOLER REPLACEMENT.
[01:10:01]
VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.LITTLE BIT OVER A $1.5 MILLION, UH, NEED FOR HVAC UNITS.
AND AGAIN, THIS BUILDING IS COMING ON 20 YEARS OLD, $65,606 IN CARPET REPLACEMENTS IN THE LIBRARY AND THE OFFICE $581,167 IN LIGHTING CONTROL UPGRADES AND A LITTLE BIT UNDER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AT 4 82, 2 0 1 FOR A ROOF REPLACEMENT IN 2029.
WE PROJECT, 'CAUSE THAT ROOF WILL BE 21 YEARS OLD AT THAT TIME.
SO THE TOTAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, $2.8 MILLION, THE HIGH SCHOOL AROUND THE SAME TIME, $100,000 FOR TOWEL REPLACEMENT IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS.
THERE'S A CHILLER AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT'S PROBLEMATIC TODAY AT COST OF GETTING THAT CHILLER.
AND THOSE HVAC PUMPS REPLACED $1.4 MILLION.
IF THAT CHILLER GOES DOWN AND WE CAN'T GET IT TO A PLACE AND TEMPERATURES TURN UP TO BE 85 DEGREES, WE'VE GOT A DECISION ON OUR HANDS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE KEEP THAT BUILDING OPEN.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S, IT'S ON THE SKITS RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
$312,000, $312,283 TO REPLACE A 2001 CAPTURE EQUIPMENT OR EQUIPMENT THAT'S ORIGINALLY INSTALLED IN THAT BUILDING WHEN IT OPENED $215,000 IN FIELD TRACK, MORE UPGRADES, $738,427 IN ELECTRICAL PANELS, SWITCH GEAR REPLACEMENTS OUT TO FISCAL YEARS FROM NOW, A LITTLE OVER $3 MILLION IN HVAC AIR HANDLE REPLACEMENTS.
THERE ARE EIGHT UNITS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED OVER TIME.
THOSE EIGHT UNITS ARE GONNA START TO FAIL WITHOUT A DOUBT.
$614,291 IN BOILER AND RELATED PUMP REPLACEMENTS.
$443,956 FOR GENERATOR TRANSFER SWITCH REPLACEMENT FISCAL YEAR 20 29, 630 $3,290 FOR STUDENT PARKING LOT REPLACEMENT AND A DA IMPROVEMENTS AND $121,750 FOR VIDEO SURVEILLANCE REPLACEMENT, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT IN HIGH SCHOOL AS PART OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 2029, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL TO ABOUT 7.6, A LITTLE OVER SEVEN $26 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UM, SO IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE HAVE A NEW SCHOOL, THE OPERATING COSTS AND THE CIP GOES UP, THAT NOT MAKE SENSE.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE NOTICE THAT OR PINE ON THAT? WELL, WE HAVEN'T HAD A NEW SCHOOL FOR 20 YEARS AND SCHOOLS AREN'T QUITE BUILT THE SAME WAY THAT THEY WERE BUILT IN 1958.
UM, EITHER TO BOTH SIZE EQUIPMENT SAFETY.
I MEAN, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS.
A HOME BUILT 1958 MIGHT HAVE COST, WHAT, $38,000 A HOME BUILT TODAY WILL COST 380,000, RIGHT.
AND OPERATE THAT HOME TO OPERATE A HOME, SAY 1958.
COST MORE NOW THAN MORE EFFICIENT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M THESE A LOT OF THESE ARE ALSO JUST SQUARE FOOTAGE.
SO IT'S, IT'S A MULTIPLIER, RIGHT? SO WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING A LARGER FACILITY, 70,000 MORE SQUARE FEET THAT WE'VE GOT A COOL THAT WE'VE GOTTA HEAT.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE BUILDING ITSELF IS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT, IT TAKES, I MEAN, IT'S TWO AND A HALF TIMES THE SIZE OF THE EXISTING FACILITY THAT WE HAVE.
AND WE ARE REPLACING AS ALL THAT HVAC EQUIPMENT.
WE ARE TRYING TO REPLACE IT WITH THIS AS THE MOST ENERGY EFFICIENCY WE CAN INTO THOSE THAT, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE ARE ASKED TO, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY THE OPERATING COSTS EXCEPT FOR THE NEW SCHOOL, ALMOST ALWAYS OUR OPERATING COSTS OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE MINIMAL BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING IN MORE EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT.
BUT YEAH, I MEAN, IT IT'S VERY, THAT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE.
AND FRANKLY, FOR THE SECONDARY COMPLEX, WHICH IS ALSO ALSO HAS A LARGER FOOTPRINT, YOU HAVE A LARGER SCALE ON YOUR ROOF, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE A ROOF THAT YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THAT'S
[01:15:01]
A LARGER FOOTPRINT THERE AS WELL.CAN YOU GO BACK ONE SLIDE? SURE.
SO THIS IS THE NEXT STEP OF WHEN WE HAD THE BOND ISSUE.
WE TALKED ABOUT A GYM AND A WRESTLING ROOM EDITION.
UM, BECAUSE OF THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION, WE SHIFTED THIS PROJECT OUT OF THE CTE EDITION PROJECT.
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS NO BOND FUNDING.
WE SHIFT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE SHIFTED IT OUT OF THE FIVE YEAR WINDOW, AND NOW IT'S STARTING TO COME IN.
SO I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT, UH, THIS PROJECT, UH, ALSO EVERY YEAR THAT IT GETS DELAYED, IT'S JUST COSTING US MORE.
UM, BUT THIS IS TO CORRECT, THIS IS TO ADD MORE ATHLETIC, UM, SPACE INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL COMPLEX AND ALSO TO, UM, WE HAVE ONE VERY LARGE COMBINATION CLASSROOM.
IT'S IN THE CENTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, UM, IT'S CALLED C 1 43 OR, OR THE I-D-A-I-D-E-A LAB.
AND, UM, THERE, THERE IS A NEED TO MAKE THAT SPACE MORE, UM, EFFICIENT.
UM, AND SO, UM, THAT THE RENOVATION, SO WE, UH, WE REALLY NEED, YOU KNOW, THE ARCHITECTS, PROJECT MANAGERS, UH, UM, BACK INTO THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND WE'RE ESTIMATING RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S ABOUT A $10 MILLION COST TO DO THIS PROJECT.
AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S SERVED RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THIS FIVE YEAR WINDOW.
UM, BUT I I, IT DID COME BACK IN WHEN WE DID THE, THE FIVE YEAR ROLE.
YOU KNOW, IT, WHEN WE SHIFTED IT OFF, IT, WE, WE GRABBED THE FIRST FIRST YEAR OF THAT PROJECT BEFORE I GET TOO DEEP INTO THIS ONE, AND WE ARE TURNING THIRD BASE.
UM, WE'VE DETERMINED THAT WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT THE 1.3 MILLION FOR THE OIL BUILD BUS GARAGE PROJECTS.
I MEAN, I HAD SOME CONVERSATION LATE LAST WEEK ABOUT WAYS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, THEY NEED TO PAY THEM FOR THE TRAINING AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT AT OTHER PLACES, WON'T TALK TOO MUCH BEYOND THAT 300 TO $425,000 PER YEAR FOR FACILITY MAINTENANCE POOL.
THAT'S AKIN TO THE POOL THAT THE COUNTY HAS $142,800 TO $165,309.
THIS WOULD BE THE COST FOR ONE SCHOOL BUS REPLACEMENT PER YEAR.
THESE THINGS ARE NOT GETTING CHEAPER.
THEY'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, $231,000 TO $267,411 FOR YEAR REPLACEMENT, OR EXCUSE ME, FOR FOUR REPLACEMENT VEHICLES PER YEAR AND HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO DEMOLISH AND RENOVATE OR RENOVATE OR RENOVATE, EXCUSE ME, THE CURRENT GTECH CENTER.
AFTER REMOVE ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS TO THE ADDENDUM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS COMES IN AT JUST A HAIR UNDER $5 MILLION FOR OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
AND I JUST WANNA SHOW YOU WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR SCHOOL BUS INVENTORY.
UM, MORE THAN HALF OF OUR BUSES ARE 15 YEARS OR OLDER.
AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN 2010 AND ABOUT 2017.
THAT WAS RIGHT AFTER THE GREAT RECESSION WHEN THE COUNTY JUST THE FUNDING, UM, RETRENCHED.
AND SO, UM, WE HAD, THE SCHOOLS HAD ALMOST NO, UM, CAPITAL BUDGET AT THAT POINT, AND SO WE JUST DIDN'T BUY BUSES.
AND SO YOU, YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE BUSES THAT WERE BOUGHT, THREE, THREE GREAT RECESSION, AND THEN YOU SEE US TRYING TO, UM, TRYING TO CORRECT THAT.
UM, FROM 2018, 19 20, 21, 22, UM, AND 23.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN 23 AND 24 BECAUSE NOW IT TAKES SO LONG TO GET, SO WE ORDER, WE ORDER A BUS AND YOU CAN SEE A SPED BUS THAT WE ORDERED IN MAY OF 2022.
IT SHOULD BE SHOWING AS A ONE BUS ARRIVING IN 2024.
UM, AND I JUST DIDN'T UPDATE THE SLIDE, BUT IT TOOK US TWO YEARS, ALMOST TWO YEARS TO GET THAT BUS IN.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE ORDERED BUSES AT THE, THE FOUR PER YEAR LEVEL, OR THREE PER YEAR LEVEL FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
THEY JUST HAVEN'T ARRIVED YET TO TAKE OVER THE BUSES THAT ARE, THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED FROM 2005, SIX, AND SEVEN.
[01:20:01]
SO, UM, OUR OLDEST BUSES ARE NOT ON THE ROAD EVERY DAY, BUT AS WE HAVE TO FIX OUR BUSES THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAVE TO PULL THOSE, THOSE VERY OLD BUSES INTO THE FLEET.SO, UM, THIS IS A REAL ISSUE FOR US.
WE HAVE TWO BUDGETS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET, AND WE'VE HAD ONE IN THE CIP UM, FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WE USED TO HAVE THREE BUSES, UM, IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET AND ONE IN THE CIP AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAD FOR FOUR, FOUR YEARS.
WE HAD FOUR BUSES COMING IN EVERY YEAR.
SO HOW DO WE HAVE HALF A BUS? I MEAN, THAT'S ONE, TWO AND A HALF.
YEAH, IT'S 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 ON THE SIDE,
AND THESE, THESE DATA REFLECT ONLY OUR SCHOOL BUS NEEDS.
THEY DON'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OUR, UH, PRIVATE VEHICLE NEEDS, OF WHICH THERE ARE PLENTY AS WELL.
OUR EMPLOYEES, WHEN THEY HAVE TO TRAVEL, THEY GO TO CONFERENCES AND STUFF MORE INCREASINGLY ARE OFTEN TO TAKE THEIR OWN VEHICLES BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE COUNTY UNITS.
WE'VE HAD EMPLOYEES WHO'VE BEEN PUT DOWN IN PLACES AND THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE VEHICLES DON'T NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE BEST OF OUR COUNTY WHEN THEY'RE IN OTHER PLACES.
AND I THINK PROBABLY A MORE APROPOS EXAMPLE OF PRIVATE VEHICLES IS TRANSPORTATION OF STUDENTS FOR VARIOUS NEEDS THAT DON'T MEET THE BUS CRITERIA.
UM, AND THOSE VEHICLES HAVE DIFFERENT STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENT AND THE DRIVER.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE, UH, BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED RECENTLY THAT I WANT TO, I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN BROUGHT, THEY'VE BEEN BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
BUT I WANNA TALK TO THEM IN SO FAR AS THEY PERTAIN TO OUR BUSINESS HERE.
ONE IS HOUSE BILL 8 0 5 AT AN ADDITIONAL 1% OF LOCAL TAX BE SET ASIDE SPECIFICALLY FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
AND FOR CONTEXT, I PUT WHAT WE ESTIMATED THOSE RECEIPTS WOULD BE IN 2023 AND THEN HOUSE BILL 5 99.
ANY UNEXPECTED SCHOOL FUNDING AT THE END OF THE YEAR MAY BE PUT INTO A SCHOOL CAPITAL RESERVE FUND FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT DESIGNATED BY THE SCHOOLS.
NOW, EITHER OF THESE BILLS OR BOTH OF THESE BILLS WOULD REQUIRE, UM, LOCAL APPROVAL, BUT I WANNA SHARE THEM IN SO FAR AS THEY PERTAIN TO OUR, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS GOING FORWARD.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE 8 0 5, UH, THE ADDITIONAL 1% MEANS WE WOULD AUTHORIZE A TAX INCREASE.
IT'S NOT THAT WE WOULD TAKE 1% OF THE EXISTING SALES TAX, CORRECT.
THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL SALES TAX.
YES, THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL SALES TAX.
AND THEN WITH 5 99, SINCE WE ALREADY EXCEEDED THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BY I'M GONNA SAY 15 MILLION, THOSE FUNDS ARE ALREADY, ANY UNENDED SCHOOL FUNDING IS BEING DIRECTED TOWARDS THAT IS NET CORRECT OR IDEA OF WORKING? I I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THERE.
I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IF THAT MEETS THE SPIRIT OF THE BILL.
UM, I THINK THE SPIRIT OF THE BILL WOULD BE LOOKING AT CAPITAL PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD.
AND BUILDING THOSE RESERVES TO, TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME HISTORY HERE REGARDING THE EXTRA 15 MILLION AND SOME THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ARRANGED OR NOT, BUT I THINK THE SPIRIT OF THIS BILL WAS TALKING ABOUT MOVING FORWARD FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
YOU SAID THAT WOULD REQUIRE LOCAL YES, SIR.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE OPERATING FUND.
SO EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO, THE SCHOOLS HAVE TO TURN BACK TO THE COUNTY, ANYTHING, UM, ANY OF OUR SURPLUS, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, OR I GUESS THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, IT'S BEEN AN AGREEMENT WITH THE, THE COUNTY THAT WE CAN PUT IT IN CIP OR WE CAN DO IT FOR ONE TIME TYPE OF EXPENSES, UM, THAT COME UP.
AND SO, UM, USUALLY THAT ALLOCATION IS, IS MADE IN NOVEMBER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AFTER, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE AUDITORS HAVE DONE THEIR WORK ON THE BOOKS AND WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT SURPLUS IS.
UM, AND SO THAT WOULD JUST, 5 99 WOULD JUST FORMALIZE THAT ARRANGEMENT AND IT WOULD SAY, NOW WE'RE JUST SAYING WE'RE GONNA PUT IT IN THE SCHOOL CAPITAL RESERVE.
AND THERE ARE MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE STATE THAT ALREADY DO THAT, THAT ANY SURPLUS JUST ROLLS INTO
[01:25:01]
A CAPITAL RESERVE FUND FOR THE SCHOOLS, UM, TO HELP, TO HELP BUILD UP SOME OF THE, THEIR CAPITAL RESERVES.UM, THAT, THAT MIGHT REDUCE OUR, OUR ASK EVERY YEAR IF WE HAVE, IF WE HAVE FELT LIKE WE HAD SOME, SOME MONEY THAT WE COULD USE WHEN OUR CAPITAL NEEDS ARISE.
RIGHT? RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE JUST, AGAIN, WE HAVE NOTHING, WE HAVE NO MONEY IN RESERVES FOR ANY OF OUR NEEDS.
SO EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO ASK THE COUNTY FOR MONEY EVERY YEAR.
UM, LOOKS LIKE WE HAD A REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRICAL PANEL BUSINESS ALSO.
UM, AND I'M SAYING, DOVETAILS INTO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE HAVE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE ELECTRICAL PANEL, WE'VE GOTTA FIX IT.
NOW, WHERE DOES THAT MONEY COME FROM? YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE A CONTINGENCY FUND WOULD WOULD COME, SO IT HAS TO COME TO US TO, UH, TO FUND.
SO OUR, WE WOULD, WE WOULD WANT TO MOVE QUICKLY BECAUSE BACK UP AND RUNNING, I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AT, UM, SHORTLY AFTER I CAME TO THE COUNTY, UM, PAT PALINS, UM, HIGH SCHOOL, THE CHILLER FAILED.
THAT WAS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT.
IT WAS ABOUT A $10 MILLION EXPENSE.
AND THE COUNTY HAD TO VERY QUICKLY, UM, FIGURE OUT HOW TO FUND THAT.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S WHY SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE'RE TELLING YOU WE'RE SAYING, YES, WE HAVE SOME CHILLER REPAIRS AND WE'RE, WE'RE FIXING IT RIGHT NOW.
WE, WE WEREN'T, WE DID NOT HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN THE SCHOOL TO FIX THE CHILLER LAST WEEK, BUT IT'S SHOWING THE SIGNS OF AGE.
AND SO WE'RE TELLING YOU NEXT YEAR WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO PUT $1.4 MILLION IN THE CIP AND GET AHEAD OF THAT CATASTROPHIC EVENT WHERE WE ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE TO ASK YOU FOR FUNDING.
UM, THE, THE, BUT THE CIP BUDGET THAT WE'RE SHOWING IS, IS IN IT.
WE ARE TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW WE ANTICIPATE THE NEEDS THAT THE SCHOOL IS GOING TO NEED SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU FOR EMERGENCY FUNDING.
UM, WE ARE TRYING TO STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF THAT FOR OUR FACILITIES.
SO THE REALITY THOUGH, IS WE'LL BE GETTING INTO LATER TODAY THAT THE WAY OUR, WE ARE CURRENTLY ANTICIPATING OUR REVENUE STREAMS AND EXPENSES FOR BOTH COUNTY AND SCHOOLS, THERE IS NO ABILITY TO MEET ALL THESE NEEDS.
RIGHT? UH, NOT EVEN CLOSE, UH, WHEN YOU THROW IN THE COUNTY'S NEEDS ON TOP OF THAT.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S A VERY LARGE DELTA HERE.
UM, SO COUNTY STAFF HAS ALREADY GONE AND STARTED REDUCING ITS CIP, UH, FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UM, TRYING TO FOCUS ON WHAT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY AND CRITICAL TO KEEP THE HEART BEATING OF THE ORGANIZATION AND SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR, OUR CITIZENS EMPLOYEES AT FIRST.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT THAT STILL DOESN'T GET AS CLOSE TO WHEN WE THROW ALL THIS IN TO IT.
UM, OF WHICH AGAIN, I DON'T SEE IT, IT'S NOT MY JOB TO SAY WHAT IS, IT ISN'T CRITICAL, BUT IT ALL LOOKS IMPORTANT TO ME.
UM, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, ONE OF THE, I GUESS ONE OF THE REALITIES IS HARD CHOICES, HARD DECISIONS.
AND, AND WITHOUT GETTING INTO ISSUES OF THE BONDS AND REFEREND AND WHATNOT, I GUESS THE QUESTION I WOULD ASK, TO WHAT DEGREE IS THE CTE AND BRUCE
'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE TALKING BONDS AND REFERENDUMS AUTHORIZING ONE THING, BUT THAT'S AN 18, 20, 20 $2 MILLION ASK THAT YOU'RE SHOWING, WHICH ABOUT HALF THE ASK FOR THE NEXT FIVE, 10 YEARS FOR THE SCHOOLS, FOR THESE.
SO I, I JUST THROW THAT TO WHAT DEGREE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE SCHOOL HAS LOOKED AT AND SAID, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DELAY? AND THEN, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE COUNTY HASN'T ISSUED BONDS FOR THAT, UM, WHICH IS, AND THE REASON WHY 'CAUSE INTEREST RATES ARE SO HIGH THAT IT WILL LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE CAN ACTUALLY GENERATE.
SO WE, IF WE SOLD BONDS, WE WOULDN'T GET AS MUCH AS WE NEED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WE HAD ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED A, A A DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD NEED TO GENERATE FROM BOND SALES, UH, WITH INTEREST RATES MORE THAN DOUBLING SINCE THEN, WE WOULD GET SIGNIFICANTLY LESS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SELL THE BONDS.
SO I, I JUST KIND OF THROW THAT OUT AS AS, AS AN UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTION, BUT I THINK IT'S A QUESTION THAT SHOULD BE ASKED OF THE SCHOOLS.
[01:30:01]
UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTION, BUT A FAIR QUESTION I THINK GLAND HAS, FROM FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY, FEEDBACK FROM OUR GRADUATES, WE'VE ACTUALLY BECOME A BEACON FOR HOW WE CAN PROVIDE CAREER READY GRADUATES, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW NOT EVERY KID SHOULD OR IS GOING TO COLLEGE.AND SO WHEN YOU COME OUT WITH A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA WITHOUT VOCATIONAL OR TRADE SKILLS, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BE WORKFORCE READY.
AND SO BY OFFERING 16 OUT OF THE 17, KEEP ME HONEST, MR. WATSON, ALL, ALL 17.
ALL 17, UH, CAREER PATHS TO OUR STUDENTS.
I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S A TREMENDOUS RETURN ON INVESTMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE'RE NOW TAKING KIDS THAT WE'VE BROUGHT THROUGH 13 YEARS OF SCHOOLING AND THEY'RE ABLE TO BE EMPLOYED AT LUX STONE, AT SERGEANT CORPORATION AND THE LIKE, AND CONTRIBUTE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S A TRADE OFF THAT I WOULD BE WILLING TO MAKE.
I ALSO SEE THE GROWTH AND THE INTEREST IN THE CTE PROGRAMS OUTPACING OUR PHYSICAL SPACE TO SUPPORT 'EM.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT CAMPUS BEING REMOVED OVER HERE AT GTECH, BEING SEPARATE FROM OUR PRIMARY CAMPUS IS A DETERRENT FOR SOME STUDENTS.
THEY'RE LIKE, OH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WANT TO GO OVER THERE.
I THINK I WANNA STAY IN THE MAIN CAMPUS.
SO YES, I THINK WE SHOULD CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, GREAT LIGHTING.
ISN'T THAT FUN? MAYBE NOT LIGHTING, MAYBE BULLDOZERS.
RIGHT? UM, AND I ALSO HAD SAID DURING THE SERGEANT, UH, BULLDOZER DEDICATION, I'D LOVE TO SEE MORE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS EMERGE FROM THIS.
I'D LOVE TO SEE OUR CORPORATE COMMUNITY ENGAGING WITH THEIR SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE TALENTS OF OUR GRADUATES AS WELL.
SO I THINK THAT IS A, IN MY MIND, A TOP PRIORITY.
UM, AND HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, EVIDENCED BY OUR GRADUATES AND ALSO BY FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
MADAM CHAIR, I'M NOT, YOU REMOTELY YOU OPINION.
SO I, I DON'T THINK ANYONE IN THE ROOM WOULD PROBABLY ARGUE THAT IT'S A VERY CRITICAL THING.
UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING SAID THAT, AGAIN, IN THE POSITION I HAVE TO COME LOOKING AT IT, IS WE ARE BASICALLY CUTTING THE MAJORITY OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO FIRE TRUCKS, SHERIFF'S CARS, THINGS LIKE THAT, AMBULANCES, UM, VERY LITTLE OUTSIDE OF THAT.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, YOU KNOW, THE COST FOR THE COUNTY IS FAR LESS THE COST FOR SCHOOLS BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF SALE OF THE BUILDINGS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO, SO WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH, UH, ABILITY TO CUT INTO.
AND, AND AGAIN, WHEN, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY IF YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUS AT THE BIGGEST EXPENSES, UM, THAT'S GENERALLY THE EASIEST PLACE TO FIND, FIND SAVINGS.
SO THAT'S WHY I THROW THAT OUT, THAT AGAIN, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT AT ALL IMPLYING THAT THAT, UH, CTE IS, IS CRITICAL TO WHAT WE DO.
COULD IT BE DELAYED SOME YEARS? AND, AND FOR, AGAIN, SO WE'VE NOT ISSUED BONDS FOR THAT YET.
THAT MAY FREE UP REVENUE THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO FOR THAT TO SOME OTHER SCHOOL PROJECT IF WE CONSTRUCTED IT CORRECTLY.
THIS IS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SHIFTING AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD AND THAT ALLOWS THAT MONEY TO GO TO SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD OF MAKING BOND PAYMENTS FOR THAT.
THAT GOES TO MAKING BOND PAYMENTS FOR NEW ROOFS, UH, CHILLERS HVAC SYSTEMS TO, TO KEEP OUR CURRENT STRUCTURES OPEN AND SAFE AND SECURE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO CONSIDER EVERY OPTION.
SO DEFERMENT WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE.
YEAH, WELL, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE CTE PROGRAM, SCHOOL BUSES, SHERIFF'S CARS, DIESEL MECHANICS.
DO WE HAVE A VOCATIONAL COURSE IN DIESEL MECHANICS IN WE DO, DO WE INCORPORATE THAT? WE HAVE A WHOLE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR SMALL ENGINE REPAIR AND DIESEL MECHANICS IN IT.
AND DO WE INCORPORATE THAT WITH OUR SCHOOL BUS MAINTENANCE? I DO NOT BELIEVE SO BECAUSE THERE ARE LAWS THAT PREVENT USING STUDENT LABOR.
NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT INTERESTING QUESTION.
BUT YES, WE HAVE A ROBUST PEOPLE CAMPUS PROGRAM.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I, I'M A, I'M A VISUAL LEARNER.
SO I NEED, AND WHAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, SEEING THE, THE V ITEM LIST OF THINGS DOESN'T GIVE ME A FULL PICTURE OF HOW WE ARE HELPING THESE OLDER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS LIVE ALONG TO A CERTAIN POINT.
SO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET, UH, SLIDES FOR EACH OF THE BILL, EACH OF THE SCHOOLS THAT SHOWS GRAPHICALLY, HEY,
[01:35:01]
WE'RE GONNA INVEST $300,000 THIS YEAR.UM, AND I, I KNOW WE HAVE IN THE CAP THE LINE ITEM, BUT JUST SEEING IT BROKEN DOWN BY SCHOOL TO SEE HOW, WHERE WE THINK WE NEED TO INVEST TO KEEP, UM, THOSE THINGS GOING.
UM, SO IF I COULD MAKE THAT ASPECT THAT WOULD MAKE HELP, HELP WITH THIS DECISION JUST TO BE ABLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, VISUALLY LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS HOW MUCH THIS COST, KEEP THE SCHOOLS OPEN AND ET CETERA.
UM, IF I ADD UP ALL THE RED LINE ITEMS THAT COMES OUT TO MY MAP IS CORRECT, ABOUT 18.8 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 4.7 A YEAR.
WHAT ARE, WHAT DID WE CURRENTLY, WHAT ARE WE PROPOSING TO FUND THIS YEAR FOR CA ONE FOR THE SCHOOLS? 1.23.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE PRESENTATION REGARDING, UM, THE CURRENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND VACATING FROM LIKE A COST PERSPECTIVE.
WE'RE GONNA DEFER TO THE CHAIR.
SO THAT'S A WONDERFUL PIECE OF PROPERTY ON NEARLY 19 ACRES OF PRIME REAL ESTATE THAT FITS IN BEAUTIFULLY WITH YOUR COURTHOUSE VILLAGE PLAN.
UM, THE MOST RECENT TAX ASSESSED VALUE IS ABOUT $9.8 MILLION.
I WOULD LOVE TO BACK TO USE MR. CARPENTER'S TERM, EXPLORE OPTIONS, UM, WITH THE BOARDS TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT FACILITY MAY SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY.
UM, SO I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT WE WILL BE VACATING THE SCHOOL FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
BUT REMEMBER, OUR CAREER AND WORKFORCE READINESS SCHOOL WILL STILL BE OPERATING FROM THE OTHER PORTION OF THE PROPERTY.
SO THAT'S MY ORIGINAL QUESTION.
I DIDN'T SEE ANY LIGHT ITEMS REGARDING STUDIES TO SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE OR ANYTHING LIKE, DOES THAT NEED TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR AND RIGHT.
AND CURRENTLY WE ARE, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF SUCH A STUDY ON THE BUILDING ITSELF WITH THE, WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD OR SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, COUNTY EMPLOYEES, UH, WORKING TO COME UP WITH POSSIBLE USES THAT WE COULD THEN PRESENT TO THE BOARDS.
UH, THESE ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO START SEEING WHERE THE BOARDS WANT TO GO WITH THAT.
UH, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, TASKED THEM LOOKING AT EVERY POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR THE BUILDING FROM, UM, KEEPING IT INTERNAL USES FOR OFFICES, UM, UM, SELLING IT TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, USING IT FOR HOUSING, USING IT FOR, FOR WHATEVER, WHATEVER IS, IS THE BEST RETURN TO THIS COUNTY IS THAT BOTH BOARDS WOULD, WOULD DETERMINE.
SO THAT'S CURRENTLY WELL UNDERWAY.
AND WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING I JUST, I'LL JUST EDITORIALIZE AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE WRAPPING UP, THIS WILL NOT BE POPULAR.
UM, BUT THIS IS IN A POPULARITY CONTEST.
SO WHEN I RELUCTANTLY VOTED TO APPROVE THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOUND, THE ONLY ONE HERE, UH, ON THE ELECTED SIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, I MADE A STATEMENT THAT, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT THE CITIZENS SAID, AND THAT'S WHY I VOTED FOR IT.
I, I THOUGHT I HAD DIFFERENT OPINIONS, BUT REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, AND I SAID, ALL RIGHT, THIS IS IT.
THIS IS GOING TO COME AT A COST AND THAT COST IS FUTURE RAISES.
THAT COST IS ADDITIONAL CIP STUFF THAT COMES AT A COST.
SO THEN TO COME BACK AND, YOU KNOW, A YEAR OR SO LATER TO SAY, OH, YEP, WE GOT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUR TEACHERS A VERY, VERY DESERVING INCREASE.
BUT LET'S NOT MAKE ANY, ANY QUALS ABOUT THAT.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, MY VOTE, IT CAME WITH A STIPULATION THAT IT'S GONNA COME TO COST AND THAT COST POTENTIALLY COULD BE FUTURE RACIST AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO KIND OF WANT BRING EVERYBODY BACK WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE WE ARE FUTURE RAISES OF WHAT, OR EASIER FOR IF IT SAID, HEY, WE'RE GONNA INVEST, WE'RE GONNA INVEST AN EXTRA 15 MILLION IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IT'S GONNA, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH, HEY, DON'T BE COMING NEXT YEAR SAYING WE NEED THESE HUGE RAISES.
'CAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS, IS THE NEED.
I, YOU KNOW, I, I APPLAUD YOU, YOU GOTTA ASK.
UH, BUT I'M JUST KIND OF EDITORIALIZE FROM WHERE ON AND CHAIR I'LL, I I WILL, UH, ALSO ADD THAT, UH, I, I, UH, I HAD SPOKEN AT ONE OF THE MEETINGS ABOUT THE LAKE, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR A YEAR WITH THE THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS EVERYBODY HAS DREAMS THAT THE COST STRUCTURE WOULD DIMINISH.
SOME OF THE LUMBER COSTS HAVE DIMINISHED AND ALL.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE TEACHERS MADE THE OBSERVATION
[01:40:01]
THAT THE TEACHING ENVIRONMENT IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE MONEY.AND, AND SO I SAW THE AIR, MY WAYS IN THAT COMMISSIONING, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS THE RIGHT DECISION LAST YEAR.
AND, AND I COME FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND COMPANIES I'VE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH WERE NEVER THE BIGGEST AND WE NEVER PAID THE MOST.
BUT WE HAD A CULTURE AND ESPRIT CORPS, IF YOU WILL, THAT I WAS BENEFICIAL IN HAVING PEOPLE STAY WITH THOSE COMPANIES LONGER TERM WHERE THEY COULD HAVE MADE MORE MONEY ELSEWHERE.
AND I COMMEND JERUSALEM COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVING THAT SAME CULTURE.
'CAUSE I APPRECIATED THE COMMENT, IF YOU KEEP 10 YEARS, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE I ONLY DID THREE YEARS IN THE MILITARY, SO I DIDN'T REENLIST BECOME WHAT'S CALLED A LIFER.
BUT THERE IT BECOMES A COMMITMENT TO THE, THE, THE ENDING MIND.
SO I, I HIGHLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED.
YOU'VE DONE MORE WITH LESS, UH, IF, IF YOU WILL.
AND I'M REALLY FOCUSED ON THE TEACHERS.
'CAUSE I DON'T CARE HOW PALATIAL THE SCHOOL IS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TEACHING CADRE, IT, IT, IT'S NOT THE BUILDING THAT EDUCATES THE, THE STUDENTS, IT'S THE TEACHING CADRE.
SO I'M, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE THAT YOU MAY, I, I MAKE SURE I SAID THIS CORRECTLY, PITCH AND MOW ABOUT COMMITTING TO $700,000, BUT THAT HAS NOW TAKEN A 1.4 MILLION LEFT DOWN TO ABOUT A 700,000 LEFT, WHICH IS AN EASIER NUMBER TO GET TO.
SO READING COMPREHENSION IS MY BIG BUGABOO.
IF YOU CAN'T READ, I DON'T CARE WHAT ELSE YOU ARE TACKLING, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE THOSE READING FUNDAMENTALS.
AND SO I'M ACTIVELY INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT HOW WE CAN MEET THE ORIGINAL ASK OF, OF THE, THE TEACHER ADJUSTMENT.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE I KNOW THE RIGHT PHRASE TO USE, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS HIGH INTEREST TO ME.
UH, NUMBERS ARE STUBBORN THINGS, AND SO YOU GOTTA MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK.
BUT, UH, I, I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR ARE GOING TO ACTIVELY EXPLORE THAT.
YOU SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH BECAUSE, UH, IF YOU, YOU EVANGELIZE WELL, I STILL APPRECIATE THE PARTICIPATION AT THE DISTRICT FIVE.
I'M ALL AND, UH, EVANGELIZE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A POSITIVE WORD.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THE DISCUSSIONS.
I DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR ANY OF THE QUESTIONS I ASK.
UM, AND, AND, UH, MORE WILL BE REVIEWED.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, ASK MY QUESTIONS, AND PARTICULARLY MY DISTRICT FIVE SCHOOL BOARD MENTOR WHO HAS HELPED ME GET ON, UH, A STRAIGHT AND NARROW AND UNDERSTANDING THESE THINGS.
SO I, I SO APPRECIATE THE RELATIONSHIPS SHE AND I HAVE AND CONTINUE WORK ON.
I WANNA GO BACK TO THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION RAISED.
UH, I, I SEE ALL THIS AND I'M LOOKING AT THE WHOLE BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDES THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
UM, AND I, I'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION MANY TIMES, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE AFFORD THIS IN THE FUTURE? AND, YOU KNOW, SPENDING MONEY NOW AND WE'RE OBLIGATING OURSELVES TO REPEATEDLY SUSTAIN THAT EXPENDITURE AS RAISES AND SO FORTH.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST, AND, AND THE TAX RATE, REAL ESTATE TAX RATE IS SOMETHING THAT'S SACRED TO US.
BUT I, I JUST SEE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SHEPHERDS OF THIS, THESE TAXPAYERS DOLLARS, AND I SEE PRESSURE ON THAT RATE IN THE FUTURE, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE NEED TO PROTECT IT AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
OUR STUDENTS CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A SCHOOL BOARD.
AND THEY'RE DEPENDING ON US TO EDUCATE THEM.
AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE DEPENDENT ON US.
A TEACHER, A SINGLE TEACHER, COULD NOT LIVE IN GLAND COUNTY AND SURVIVE.
I MEAN, THERE ISN'T ANY PLACE THAT SHE OR HE COULD RENT SOMEPLACE OR, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE RENT, BUT BUY AND LIVE.
SO THERE HAS TO BE A DOUBLE INCOME, I GUESS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I TAUGHT A BIRD, I LIVED IN MANNEQUIN AND DROVE THAT LEFT EVERY DAY OF IT.
BUT I COULD, BECAUSE THERE WAS A DOUBLE INCOME.
[01:45:01]
BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF AS A SCHOOL BOARD AND AS POOR SUPERVISORS ALL MAKING THESE DECISIONS FOR OUR CHILDREN.BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE FOREMOST.
ARE WE GIVING THEM THE TEACHERS, THE QUALITY OF TEACHERS THAT WE NEED TO SUSTAIN OUR REPUTATION, WHICH WE'RE RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE BEST OF 'EM RIGHT NOW, THAT THEY WILL TELL YOU WE'RE LOSING.
AND NOT BECAUSE OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS NEW SUPERINTENDENT, BUT BECAUSE OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN'T EVEN COMPETE WITH.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE THE FREE SUITE, AND WE HAVE TO, WHETHER EVEN LAST NIGHT COMING HOME FROM A TRIP, I THOUGHT, AND I MET THROUGH THIS TO JONATHAN ONE TIME, MAYBE WE SHOULD GIVE A GASOLINE ALLOWANCE.
MAYBE WE COULD, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THESE QUALITY TEACHERS.
AND WE JUST REALLY WANT YOU TO CONSIDER THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT ONLY ADULTS, BUT FOR THOSE LOOKING AT OUR CHILDREN, VERY WELL PUT.
WELL, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THROWING QUESTIONS AT TO YOU AGAIN.
UM, WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS, OF COURSE, IS WE'RE, UH, DOING TOWN HALLS.
WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, NEXT MONTH WITH, UH, A BUDGET GOING BEFORE THE BOARD, I THINK APRIL 16TH.
UM, THERE IS, IT'S A GOOD PROCESS BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US THE ABILITY TO REFLECT ON WHERE WE ARE.
IT ALLOWS US THE ABILITY TO MAKE COURSE, UH, CORRECTIONS AS THE BOARD SEE FIT.
YOU KNOW, WE START, I START WITH, WITH A BUDGET THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION EVERYTHING WE KNOW.
AND THEN THINGS CHANGE AS WE ALWAYS KNOW.
AND SO IT HAS THE ABILITY TO, TO CORRECT.
SO THE BUDGET'S OUT THERE THAT WE WILL HAVE TO SEND IN A BUDGET TO THE NEWSPAPER.
SO AT SOME POINT, THAT'S WHAT'S PUBLICLY OUT THERE.
IT DOESN'T STOP BOARDS FROM MAKING CORRECTIONS TO IT.
AND, UH, SO, UH, WE HAVE TIME.
I KNOW THAT I'LL BE TALKING TO, UH, TO THIS BOARD AND LISTENING TO THEIR, UH, UH, THEIR THOUGHTS, UH, ON THESE ISSUES.
ESPECIALLY SINCE AS OF THE, UH, TOPIC OF TODAY.
UH, AS ALWAYS, I WILL DO MY BEST TO GIVE THEM GOOD INFORMATION OVER WHAT IS POSSIBLE, UM, UH, TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION SOME OF THESE REQUESTS, UH, TO KIND OF ECHO MR. SPOON, HOWER, UM, THEIR CONSEQUENCES, THEIR DECISIONS.
SO SHOULD, UM, SHOULD THE BUDGET BE ADJUSTED TO REFLECT ANY PART OR ALL OF THIS, THERE ARE THE CONSEQUENCES WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, ROB PETER TO USE FOR AND PAY PAUL, UH, IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH IT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD'S JOB IS TO DECIDE WHERE THIS POLICY AND THOSE PRIORITIES REALLY LIE, UH, GOING FORWARD.
UM, BUT WE DO NOT JUST HAVE MONEY SITTING ASIDE THAT THAT IS EASY MONEY.
SO ANY, UH, ANY CHOICES MADE WILL REQUIRE, REQUIRE DECISION TO BE MADE OF WHERE IT DOESN'T GO AND WHAT WE'RE NOT GONNA DO OR WHAT WE'RE GONNA DELAY.
UH, WE ARE BLESSED TO LIVE IN A COUNTY THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO HAVE THIS KIND OF CONVERSATION.
A LOT OF COUNTIES CAN'T EVEN HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
WE AT LEAST CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION AND DECIDE, UM, WHAT'S THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR, OF OUR, OUR CITIZENS AND OUR RESIDENTS.
I'LL CONTINUE TO BE WORKING VERY CLOSE WITH DR.
UM, WE LISTEN TO ALL MY BOARD MEMBERS AND AS HE'LL LISTEN TO HIS.
AND, UH, WE WILL, UM, ACT UPON WHAT THE BOARD'S GUIDE US AND, AND DIRECT US TO DO.
UM, AND REMINDER, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
WE HAVE A BUDGET THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A TAX INCREASE, UH, IN THE RATES.
UH, WE HAVE A BUDGET THAT DOES GIVE PAY RAISES TO ALL EMPLOYEES, UM, THAT ARE EQUAL OR ABOVE WHAT OTHER COUNTIES IN THE REGION ARE DOING.
SO WE'RE STILL MAINTAINING THOSE ASPECTS, UH, WHAT WE DO.
IT'S STRONG BUDGET AS A BUDGET.
I GO HOME, SLEEP AT NIGHT, UH, KNOWING THAT THE, THE BASIC CRITICAL THINGS ARE THAT.
DOES CHARLIE HAVE ANYTHING? CHARLIE, MR. VOS, ANY COMMENTS? NO, I'M GOOD RIGHT NOW.
I'M SURE I HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, I WILL NOW INTER TUNE IN, DIRECT THEM TO, SO I JUST, IF YOU WOULD, I JUST KIND OF WANNA WRAP UP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS.
SO, UM, FELLAS, I, I SO APPRECIATE YOUR POINTS AND WHAT, WHAT THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS, I HAVE CITIZENRY THAT SAYS, DO NOT GROW THIS COUNTY.
RIGHT? SO THEN WE HAVE NEEDS, AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EACH OF THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A DAUGHTER THAT'S GETTING MARRIED AND CAN'T LIVE IN
SHE HASN'T BOUGHT A FIRST HOUSE YET, NEED TO BUY HER SECOND OR THIRD HOUSE.
BUT THE DECISIONS WE'RE MAKING, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE OUR,
[01:50:01]
IF YOU INCREASE THE SALES TAX 1%, YOU'RE INCREASING THE COST TO LIVE HERE.YOU'RE MAKING IT MORE EXPENSIVE.
WE'VE PASSED SEVERAL ORDINANCES AND WE'VE GOT AN ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF US.
IT'S GONNA MAKE IT MORE EXPENSIVE TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTY.
SO FAR, THE CITIZENS SEEM TO BE OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT MY, MY FINAL COMMENT, I PROMISE IS THIS FEELS DIFFERENT.
UM, THIS MEETING, I, THIS IS THE, ACTUALLY THE FIFTH OR SIXTH BUDGET I'VE DONE BECAUSE I HAD TO DO DURING COVID.
UH, THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD IS MORE THAN I'D SEEN IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
SO HEARING THAT FOLKS, YOU KNOW, MY SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE REACHING OUT TO TALK ABOUT THAT BUDGET, I WOULD TALK TO OTHER, LIKE DEBBIE HANDLES THAT FOR US.
UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE ENGAGEMENT.
IT FEELS VERY MUCH LIKE A PARTNERSHIP.
AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE, 'CAUSE THERE HAD BEEN THIS FEELING PRIOR THAT IT'S LIKE, OH, YOU GUYS CONTROLLED THE PURSE SPRING.
I DON'T, I DON'T GET THAT SENSE.
I GET THE SENSE OF EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER.
I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND ALSO, I SEE I DETECT A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DR.
WHERE DOES SUPERVISORS, YOU SHOULD TOUR OUR SCHOOLS? I, AND ACTUALLY CAN I, OH, I KNOW YOU, I MAY BE, I SHOULD GO BACK TO SCHOOL
I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO SOMETHING, UH, MR. SPINELLA JUST SAID.
IT IS, YOU KNOW, I DO APPRECIATE THE COLLEGIALITY WE HAVE IN THE PARTNERSHIP.
WE'RE BUILDING JUST, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS BETWEEN BOARD SUPERVISORS AND THE SCHOOL BOARD.
BUT WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO IMPLORE THE SCHOOL BOARD TO BE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BIGGEST SUPPORTERS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
BECAUSE TO MEET THESE NEEDS AND THESE REQUESTS THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF HEAVY LIFTING FROM NUMEROUS OTHER DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY AND, UM, FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT GROWING REVENUE.
AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, UM, CITIZEN READ THAT DOES NOT WANT TO DO IT BY, BY WAY OF TAXES OR, OR BEGRUDGINGLY TO IT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE IMPROVE OUR SCHOOLS, HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEM BETTER? IT IS, IT REALLY GOES TO, WE'VE GOTTA BE MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY AS A COMMUNITY.
WE'VE GOTTA FIND NEW CREATIVE WAYS TO ADD TO THE TOP LINE BECAUSE, UM, THESE ARE BIG NUMBERS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO SEE JUST DEFERRED MAINTENANCE GO, YOU KNOW, INTO PERPETUITY.
I, I WANNA SEE US INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT IT'S GOTTA, WE'VE GOTTA SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND REALIZE THIS CASH HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE AND THINGS GET MORE EXPENSIVE EVERY DAY.
SO, UM, I, I'D LIKE US NOT JUST TO BUILD THE PARTNERSHIP WHEN WE SEND IN MEETINGS, SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOL BOARD, CI, UH, THE SCHOOL'S CIP, BUT IN ALL THE OTHER WAYS, WE'VE GOTTA GROW THIS, UH, COUNTY.
UM, IF, IF WE'RE DOING THAT, THANK Y'ALL.
MS. CHRISTIA, WHAT DO YOU WANT? SAY SOMETHING? NO, PROBABLY.
WELL, WE ADJOURN THIS PORTION OF
[III. Adjournment]
MEETING.ADJOURN THIS PORTION COME BEFORE THIS ADJOURNED.