good evening I'm calling to order this special board meeting on the New Jersey Department of Education's uh tax levy incentive aid program Um this meeting has been appropriately advertised Miss Coleman roll call please
Mrs Brown here Mr Craig here Mrs Divine here Mrs Maya I got you Right on time Right on time I got you Mrs Mrs Makowski here Mrs Seltzer here Mr Sherman here
Mrs Z here and now Mr Dilkus Mr Chu here Uh please rise for the pledge of allegiance All right moving on to session two There was no executive session tonight Uh so we will move on to
uh section three which is committee of the whole where we'll also have a presentation Can I have a motion uh to enter committee of the whole and a second All those in favor I I Okay So we're now
in committee the whole uh Dr Madall and I will be presenting a uh presentation on the tax levy incentive aid program uh we're going actually use the the big screen knowing that there are a lot of people in the audience so that's easier to see Um and then after that we'll come back to the board and uh have a board
discussion about the presentation of the program Good evening everyone Thank you so much for being here for us to talk about this opportunity to provide um financial stability to our schools in Colleingswood And so tonight's agenda uh the focus is
what ch with the challenges that we're facing and how can the tax levy incentive aid program help us navigate Uh we will summarize the current budget challenges and its impact to our schools We will provide an overview of the program uh and why colleagues would qualify us for it We will describe uh
three potential funding scenarios and their financial impact on the community as well as our schools And then we'll discuss the continued partnership with the bureau We'll also review timeline and next steps Uh the board will have an active uh discussion talking about uh
the presentation and some of the additional factors Uh and then uh we will u be responding uh to uh community questions and feedback And so I'm going to jump in here to talk about community questions and feedback knowing that there are probably a lot of
questions from the community concerning this program uh and that we're going to have public comment section after committee the whole but the public comment section is not a great question and answer format and so what we're going to do we'll take a page out of Hatton uh township's uh book where
during their budget form what they had was they had index index cards for the audience members and and pens so folks can write down questions pass them up and then we'll answer them during committee hall uh so that folks can have all their uh questions answered and then we'll enter uh public comments
afterwards so you have questions for us there are index cards at the uh back along with pens Please feel free to to take one or or few Uh write down your questions Uh Miss Howell Turner and uh Mr Longo will help collect those uh index cards and you know we'll collect
them up here and then towards the end of uh today's agenda we'll read through all of them and and answer all the questions as best as as possible Right Thank you Mr Chu So um First and foremost uh we always want to start with something positive And so
last week we shared with our community with the public release of the New Jersey School District performance reports We just wanted to highlight the collective work and partnership between our students our staff and our families Three consecutive years of English and math proficiency Um and so that's
something to be celebrated And so we always want to make sure that we're giving credit where credit is due in addition to some positive behavior trends that we're also experiencing And so based on the collective efforts coming from our schools we're seeing a statistically significant decline in
chronic absenteeism across our schools in addition to 28% fewer days of suspension uh which means that young people are spending more time in school and that school culture continues to improve
And so before we before I dig into numbers and statistics and history and so I I want to uh provide a disclosure that I am not only speaking this evening in this community forum as a uh superintendent as a district executive
as a Collingswood uh employee I'm also speaking as a homeowner a taxpayer a parent who has two small children in Collingswood public schools And so the duality of what that represents uh as well as the commitment that each of the
board members who also live here own homes here have children who attend school here uh is pretty significant And so uh in full disclosure this is not where we wanted to be uh as a community The challenges
that we face as a community we've been talking about for several years and it has been our collective uh expectation that we come together as a community in order to not only confront but to address this challenge We fundamentally
believe that our students and staff deserve to have schools that are financially stable And this is an opportunity that many of you in this room have been advocating for for many many years both at the local county and state level Uh and this particular
program is an opportunity for us to begin to address some of those challenges that have been extremely difficult over the last several years with uh significant reductions to programs services and personnel So what is our current budget
challenge Year-over-year what we are experiencing is a continued increase or a rise in the cost of goods services uh and operational expenses and a uh significant gap in the amount of
resources or new dollars new revenue available to address annual operational expenses Back in 2223 our budget gap was $1.8 million In 2425 it was $2.8 million and this
current year the gap is $3.6 million And so when we talk about the gap there's two numbers I want us to focus on First and foremost there are calculations within our state formula that talks about what is adequate and
what schools and communities are expected to spend in order to provide a thorough and efficient education for their students And so the difference between what the state has determined the local contribution for the town is
and what the town actually provides is 8.7 million per year Over the last three years we have already reduced $5 million from our operational budget in the form
of very painful reductions to personnel programs and services And so the last remaining uh figure for this year which was a deficit was the $3.6 million What would this have meant if we had not
had the opportunity to partner with our burough leaders Uh what would this mean Number one we would have been facing layoffs of 30 to 35 additional personnel
across every category of employee administration teachers secretaries custodians nurses technicians and so on We would have experienced a merger of
services between our middle and our high school which would directly contribute to larger middle school and high school class sizes We would also be forced to close a Collinswood elementary school the
consolidation of an elementary school into four the redistribution of students across our town larger elementary classroom sizes and the conversion of scheduled preschool classrooms to elementary classrooms in order to fill
the gap which would ultimately result in fewer early childhood education seats In addition all athletics and co-curriculars would have been converted
to pay to play for Collinswood residents A revised fee structure would have been established and sports band theater other after school activities would have been dependent on the number of young people who signed up and paid to
participate This is what we were seeking to avoid with our partnership in addition to further budget line items classroom supplies technology uh professional development additional
services And so we continue to call this the nuclear option We call it the nuclear option because when a nuclear explosion goes off there is fallout for many many years We have already experienced over the last three years painful but necessary reductions due to
the lack of revenues that were available to be able to provide support to our schools And despite this particular challenge our staff and our students have worked incredibly hard and they have continued to make progress But it's not enough They need
to have dependable stable and consistent funding to continue to provide services to young people And we have a collective responsibility to make sure that we fully fund our schools because our young people depend on it Thank you Dr McDow
So I'm going to talk about now the uh NJTOE's tax incentive uh tax levy incentive program which is a program that we as a district just learned the details of on March 31st We've heard that this was coming down the pike for a while but we were unsure when we heard
on March 31st that was a Monday Um we immediately got into action to to try to see okay well what do we need to do How will this benefit the district How will this help us bring financial stability uh to this district So quickly uh to
explain this program basically what this is is it's a onetime exception to the 2% tax cap law So all school districts and municipalities within uh New Jersey are subject to a 2% cap And that what that means is basically every single year whatever your uh whatever you taxed
whatever we as district taxed last year we're limited to increasing our taxes by only 2% There are also some additional exceptions that we can uh take like if our healthcare costs skyrocket we can increase our taxes by a little bit more but that limits the amount of taxes we
can raise every year This program lets us have a one-time exception So for this year and this year only we can exceed the tax cap Um and this gives us opportunity to raise our local tax levy uh and permanently reduce those budget
deficits So the the blue bar and the the yellow bar that you said saw earlier it lets us uh reduce that gap permanently uh with with a tax increase Um now in order to incentivize the use of this exception the New Jersey Department of Education uh will provide additional
funding in the amount of 5% of whatever we uh raise our taxes by using this program So if we raise our taxes by you know additional a million they will chip in for one year 5% of that money as well
as an incentive for us to go out and use this program Now I want to be clear not every school district in the state qualifies for this program In order to qualify for this program in layman's terms uh your district has to be locally underfunded
and it has to have a budget that's below educational adequacy And those are two uh two concepts that Dr Dow mentioned just a second ago For Kingswood we are both underfunded locally and below educational adequacy What does that mean It means that basically the state
calculates every year for every single school district how much money how much tax levy should the local community be be contributing to their local schools That's a local fair share Um and so we're underfunded locally because for
next year our local tax levy is $8.7 million below that local fair share And because of the 2% cap it's impossible for us to catch up uh to that amount The larger accuracy So every single year the New Jersey Department of
Education calculates for every single school district what is the minimum budget that we believe your district needs to provide a thorough and efficient education for all of your students We are below educational adequacy And what that means is not only
are we locally underfunded but our budget is below the amount of money that the state of New Jersey believes uh we need to spend to provide a thorough and efficient education for all of our students So because of those two pieces and also the fact that we are maximizing
our own taxation ability that is why we qualify for this program Right So again not all uh districts qualify for this program Only districts that are underfunded locally and below their educational accuracy budget Um so what is the financial impact of
this program uh and the community So we're going to present just to show and to uh help with our discussion three potential uh options uh for using this this uh tax levy incentive program and I'll also go into a little bit more about what the actual next steps are
with this Now before uh we do I want to talk a little bit about uh just to to I know it's really I think a difficult concept to to understand how the state funding formula works but I want to show this chart here Um and what this chart here what this graph shows is basically
uh all 37 school districts uh in Camden County All right And it shows what percentage of their local fair share they receive from local taxes In other words if you're that
red 100% line you're receiving exactly the amount of money from your local taxes that the state says you should uh to in order to have a thorough and efficient education So this is for this current school year school year 2425 for all 37 districts in Camden
County Collinswood we are here in red We are the sixth lowest in the percentage of fair share that that we receive from our community in all of Camden County So this gap between the 100% and uh the red bar is that's that's uh for
this year 5.6 million For next year it'll be 8.7 million Right And so this is the challenge that we've been uh facing for for years now is that we receive one of the lowest percentages of our local fair share of what we should be receiving for our local community out
of Camden County The the only other districts that are below us are Brook Lawn Camden County Vocational which is not not really the the same type of thing Um Gloucester City Cheshurst and Camden And also just just so we know the average for 2025 2024 2025 is 100% So if
you were average this it's 100% is the average Um and so this is one of those things where this for me at least is really important to understand When I say we're locally underfunded this is why I mean we are sixth lowest in Camden County in the actual percentage of local
fair share that we're supposed to receive Okay So let's talk through three different options uh that that this could help fund this program would help fund First is is the full funding increase So this would be the maximum amount of additional tax revenue that we
could bring in according to this program All right And so what this is is basically the state has calculated that we are below adequacy by about $6.4 million All right So uh I understand that our our local fair share gap we're
getting $ 8.7 million less than what we should in tax levy The reason why we're only about 6.4 million is because the state has been chipping in additional state aid that they shouldn't be into our budget uh for years now But basically what this is is basically this
is the maximum amount we can go for in this program Uh it'd be $6.1 million of additional tax increase and that would equate to about $111 additional taxes on the average household per month
Now the state oops uh the state right here that's the 5% So they will chip that in uh for one year So that's the additional state aid they would chip in for one year if we went out for this much Now the expected impact of this now
let's just hope that there are not any absurd increases in inflation because of all that's going on you know at the federal level and in the country all that stuff right the expected impact of being able to bring in this additional amount of
money is that one it lets us avoid the devastating cuts the the the cut you know the riffing of of 30 to 35 staff members the closure of a elementary school the having to turn all of our extracurricular activities into complete payto-play situations right It avoids that situation for this
year It will allow the district to bring back some of the previously cut staff and programming So if you remember last year last a year ago this district we had to um uh cut 21 positions three administrators 18 teachers
That meeting was probably one of the worst meetings that a lot of the board members that have been on the board for multiple years was in because we heard over and over again from community members about the excellent amazing work of the teachers who uh were being laid
off did And so this right here would give us the opportunity to bring back some of those staff Um then also knowing that our uh high school and middle school wellness center is federally funded and that
grant ends in 2026 This full level funding would also allow us to bring in and support our middle school high school wellness center uh within our own budget And finally I think this is one of the most important pieces which is with this level of tax increase it could
also help provide stability right budgetary stability for the students and staff for the district for the town uh for several years And this is one of those things where we see year after year increases uh increasing costs We've
had cuts after cuts after cuts And this is why this increase could help us provide stability by basically getting us closer to to the amount of local fair share that we should be raising the amount of local taxes we should be raising so that we can actually support
the the staff the services programming um that that we should be uh supporting as a school district So this is the full this is the maximum amount that we could go out for with this program Example of a mid-level funding increase
would be uh 5.4 million And this would be a average of $97.92 um monthly cost on an average household And the you know if that went out for 4.4 million then the the state
would chip in an additional $270,000 just just for a year But that's their incentive um this type of funding just to understand where uh we're coming from here is is that with this type of funding we wouldn't have the space to
maintain the middle school and high school wellness center within the budget after it leaves the uh after the federal grant expires This would provide some budgetary stability but again understanding that the the rising costs it would provide some budgetary stability not as much as if we went out
for the full amount And then finally I want to present the we'll say the minimum funding increase So right here we're saying $3.8 million a additional tax increase Additional average monthly cost
for the average household about $6942 and the additional state aid here would be uh around $191,000 a chip in This would be what we would need to maintain our services for
next year It would not buffer us at all in the following years for any any price uh any increases in inflation and costs uh uh in salaries any of that stuff It would not buffer us for the following year but it would get us through this
next school year without any cuts And so this would be what the minimum funding increase amount would be So I also want to speak a little bit about the the burough partnership Um and so one of the things that we've been talking about over the last month or so has been a partnership uh with the with
the burrow And this tax levy incentive program is actually part of that partnership And so uh we're very grateful that the that the bureau was able to find a way to help us temporarily for one year plug this this budget gap right to prevent cuts for
next year As part of that uh joint agreement um item number three in it uh we agreed that if the state with such a program we would go out uh and use this program to minimize the uh amount of uh funding that the bureau would have to
chip in Uh one of the the main concerns was that the from the bureau was that they did not want to be part of having to you know fund the the district and wanted us to be able to fund us through our own mechanisms And so this is part of the agreement making sure that uh
that if this such a program came out we would utilize it to uh so that it would reduce and potentially even eliminate the burl's need to chip in for a one-time temporary pole One of the differences big differences here and one of the the good
things about this program is it provides a much longer term solution So instead of just having be able to plug our hole for one year and one year only um this uh tax levy incentive aid program lets us uh raise our taxes permanently so
that we can have much more stability year to year to year rather than just plug in the hole for one year and then having to uh uh figure it out afterwards The other thing too is the partnership is uh continuing Uh we're currently the the the district is currently in the process of reviewing uh
the redevelopment agreement for the middle school and high school athletic fields that the burough sent over And so that's one of those things where we're excited to continue working with the burrow especially on these items that can can help um uh all our students and the district
itself Finally uh let's talk about timeline and next steps So today's this meeting to introduce this program to talk uh those those uh options We're going to have another board meeting on Thursday so in two days uh and that will
be to vote uh to pass a resolution to apply for this uh NJ DOE tax levy incentive aid program So there will be no vote tonight is uh to introduce uh the program to discuss it amongst the board to answer community questions and to also hear community feedback On
Thursday we'll we'll actually pass a resolution um to apply for this Monday the application is due They gave us two weeks basically to apply for this program And something that's that I want to make sure everyone understands is that how this process works is that in order to apply for this program every
single bit of the tax increase has to be justified by line items by our business administrator Justified for why that tax increase uh would go towards and would be helpful for the thorough and efficient education of our students So every single bit of that tax increase
has to be justified once it's sent into uh Trenton at uh for New Jersey Department of Education They will then uh spend the next hopefully week maybe week and a half two weeks uh going through all the submissions checking the work uh
checking the justifications and then they will get back to us about about how much uh what the maximum tax increase they will approve for our district will be Right So the maximum as I a minute ago was 6.1 million So when we get heard
back from them they'll tell us is is it that they're actually going to approve the 6.1 million or or is it going to be a little bit less We don't know yet and that's part of the application process So again all these all that has to be justified We have to wait to hear back from the NJ DOE Uh we have uh which
we anticipate to hear by the end of April because then there's a lot more work for a business administrator and superintendent to do to add that back into the budget We have a regular board meeting uh on April 28th and then we'll have on Monday May 5th our official public hearing uh for our 2025 2026
budget and that's also when we plan to then also officially pass our budget and uh and that would be when the final tax increase uh would be voted on as part of passing the budget So just to clarify on Thursday we are not actually passing a
tax increase uh we are applying to the state to see how much we can actually increase our taxes by when they come back and then at that point we'll know how much we can and then we'll have a discussion to understand how much we will and then on May 5th the plan is then when we pass the budget that is
when we would pass uh what the actual tax increase ends up being so that's the timeline that's the next steps uh at this point uh we're going to move to board member discussion uh so we'll come back to the the table
And then uh from there we'll also answer all those those uh note cards I think I I'm seeing a lot of them being passed around So that's awesome Again if you have questions please uh feel free to grab uh note card in the back write them down uh and um Miss H Turner and Mr
Longo will collect them Um and Dr You want Okay So for uh board members I know that uh this will be our first chance to discuss this as a uh board Questions comments thoughts from board members
I'll start Um that was a lot of information Um I really would have liked to have seen that presentation before just now Um but I um I guess I just want to clarify that whatever we end up um asking for the
application on Thursday um that does not we have to wait for the state and the state is going to come back to us you think within about a week and a half from that point Is that the time frame I I'll let uh Bethan answer timeline I do want to it's Trenton so um they're not
very timely They didn't give us a lot of time to um do all of this Um but we did everything as fast as we could for two districts to get everybody the information that they needed Um but we do have to certify taxes by the middle of May So Trenton is aware of that
statutory deadline So my hope is probably a week to two probably when we're on spring break I'm probably going to get an alert and I'm probably going to have to come in That's exactly what's going to happen Um but that's going to give us Well you know it happens Um but then we're going to have to revise the
budget So we'll have our still have our April meeting as regular and then we'll have to meet like in committees to redo the budget again And I I also want for May 6th do do want to clarify that um the information in this presentation the the cuts were uh discussed with the entire board um on March 7th The
information about the the new about the tax incentive levy program was shared uh with the board last week I do appreciate the honesty of all the cuts that were coming I think that the community needs to be aware of what could have happened I appreciate that a lot Um all right I guess that's it for now
Yeah I think the the issues or things that we've been talking about for years now particularly around funding and we have been aggressively going after funding opportunities for the last five years
This is something that we have been advocating to the state saying that we need a solution that 2% cap is causing these issues that have provided property tax relief for program started but now districts
like ours have to come up with the fact that one keeps going up and the other one just can't catch up So the state's answer was instead of fixing this statewide to put this down on our shoulders to decision This is an opportunity that I
think we sit at where we can close this gap and put our district in better footing to afford the things that we say that we want and that we value We need to avoid being in this place every year sat here for five years and every single year has been this
conversation about how are we going to cut and this is an opportunity to get a district out of that conversation and I think that's something that so um it would have been nice to see the whole presentation before tonight um so
I'll start with that but I also want to acknowledge that sixth lowest in Camden for local funding we received But at the same time school performance was up three years in a row decrease in absentee and 28 fewer days of suspension So our teachers are still showing up
doing what we asked them to do regardless of my biggest um issue is um what does this mean for contracts I know we can't have an open discussion about negotiations but um this has to If
we're going to tax people an increase of like this that has to mean that you know the contract sees you know is is final soon I mean I can't imagine us taxing uh taxpayers this much money additional and
um and not finishing what we started here Um I also just really want to acknowledge that anywhere from $70 to almost $12 a month for some folks is really a lot of money but for others
it's a lot of money And I just want to take that into consideration when we're reviewing the plan We don't want to lose teachers We don't want to cut programs but we have to think about our community and you know their pockets at the end of
the day In terms of of uh I I think what you're talking about you're striking at one of the I think core challenges here right Which is which is that
basically we want to be able to provide as robust of raises to teachers as we can and we also do not want to have to lay off teachers yet after year One of the challenges that we've had is that um is that the the you know we we've
offered above uh county average races and one of the problems is that frankly speaking this the the district can't even afford that Someone mentioned to me the other day they said "Well we seem to have afforded it for this year and we have to remind
them we had to lay off 21 positions last year in order to afford it." And so what this is why this program I think is so exciting is because we cannot keep on going through a cycle of of laying off staff over and over and over again And
we also recognize as board I'm sure all of us agree that we need to be providing raises for our staff And so that's why I think this tax le program is really important for us because we we can't as a community say our teachers deserve
more and also say but do not make us pay for it because this is public education This is a public service The public the community pays for this And so if we want to provide more for our students for our teachers we have to pay
Um I wanted to Thank you for drawing attention to the good news at the at the beginning of the meeting because it is really really good news and I think um seeing years of of growth and progress in our district is a
something that shouldn't fall through the cracks right B is absolutely the result of the hard work of the people who work in this district um and of course our families and our our students as well And I think it's with that progress in mind right that we we don't
want to continue to say let's do more with less right We want to really make sure that we're doing every single thing we can turning over every rock we can to keep that progress going without overburdening right And continuing to to
have to do more with less right So we're doing it and and that is really impressive on the part of our schools Um but to me this is a way to say let's get a little more so that we have to necessarily do so much with less
Can you guys um be specific I think in the maximum that you put in there of the $6.1 million uh you mentioned that if we get that and that passes that you would be bringing some programming back that was removed I think like in the last
couple years you can be more specific about for the public what programming that you plan on bringing back if you were to get that money So first first and foremost um there has been a question regarding the financial long-term sustainability of
the wellness center And so back in 2022 uh we were very fortunate uh to secure a federal grant uh which brought in roughly $970,000 per year for four years Um and so the original
uh grant program uh provided for opportunities for renewal if schools or if grantees uh fulfill the goals and objectives of the original grant Um needless to say uh the conditions from the federal government the department of
education and the department of health and human services have dramatically changed Um and there is no there is no longer an opportunity for and so what we have found um after meeting with our leaders both at the middle school and the high school as well as those in the
counseling department and the wellness center is that critical mental health services and and counseling support to anywhere from between 150 to 180 students every single month um is currently taking place And so in order
to be able to sustain a large degree of those really timesensitive emergent critical services to students uh that would be included in that In addition uh we followed up with all of our elementary uh administrators our
secondary administrators and all of our supervisors and we asked for them to provide targeted areas of prioritization should additional funding be made available And so things like curriculum things like specific programs things like uh training professional
development uh additional teacher opportunities we have a running list Um but we can't speak for specificity until we know how many dollars would be would be made available And so we have all of that waiting and in the queue Um our school leaders were very mindful and
meticulous to understand this is not a a credit card It's not a shopping list It is how do we uh resto some of what has been lost um and what is most critical to be able to support students and staff And I know
that one of the discussions that that I think has been had is around potential NTSS positions um potentially And so that again this is one of those things where it depends on the the amount of funding that is approved and and that we end up as a board vote voting for because in the end this this is a board
vote Um I I do also want to be very clear that uh in terms of of the money Part of the the goal here is to bring long-term stability to the district And so one of the things that that uh I think us as a board we should be mindful of is we we don't want to say uh bring
in $5 million and then try to uh bring in as many staff as possible with that because what the because we have to be careful of what inflation will do in the following years And so we don't want to be bringing in staff just to have to lay them off the following year And so there's a really clear balance there that depends on on um how much is
approved uh and then how do we balance the the the needs of of our our students uh in that amount for long-term stability I have one more question Um you mentioned that the bureau submitted some sort of redevelopment plan to the board
Um can you tell us a little bit more about that redevelopment plan and what's that what's included in that Like would it be rebuilding the stadium you know all the things that we talked about Yeah So that that is part of the joint agreement So basically uh it it's the
redevelopment plan for well the not the plan but the redevelopment agreement for uh night park and the middle school high school uh fields And so it's it's just the it's the agreement between the uh burrow and the the district um for uh doing that project you know jointly uh
using the money that the the bureau will uh bond out for So that's currently with the the board attorney uh reviewing it uh making There's probably going to be you know a few rounds back and forth to to make sure it's good and then at that point it would have to be voted on by the by the board
So to clarify if it's a joint agreement what would the So you said that funds would be provided by the burrow what kind of monetary contributions would the district be making for the for the Yeah For so so that is the that is the bond
that the that the uh burrow is taking out So uh the part of the joint agreement was that the uh burrow wanted to take out $15 million to both do the uh redevelopment of the fields and night park and then also the idea would be to use some of that money to help
temporarily fill our gap uh for the coming school year So I just want to be clear that I don't think we haven't articulated this is what that money would be used for I don't think anybody's received that It's the agreement that we will continue to partner around that bond that would be
ask stuff like I want to be really clear about what we're asking Is there some like list of short list of items or is it we're agreeing to proceed in this direction knowing that the bureau is getting funds to support and reinvest in
uh recreational facilities both for the school to use and our community I just want to clarify that it's that agreement nothing has been further discussed Oh yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah That's the the joint agreement that was discussed March 10th Yeah So that was just the the kind of next steps of that joint agreement that
was discussed on March 10th Yes Y um I just want to make sure that I'm understanding some of the numbers here So firstly um when we're talking about our three our current $3.6 million uh deficit and that was according to the presentation to maintain staffing and
programs as is Correct So that would mean if the state decided and that's when we get said um the state's aware of miday so we should have that in a few weeks So if the state decided to allow for a mid the mid level or the maximum
then then we would be looking at additional you know pro programs coming back staff positions coming back things like that so I think it depends on how much they're they approve and how much we approve as a board right so so they will approve basically'll say this is
the maximum you can go for and then as a board part of the May 5th vote part of us approving the final budget is it would be how much we're actually going to take Um just considering um all the public and um being here this public meeting
and all the staff here is there a backup plan in case the state does not give us the answer that we need in a timely manner because they have to have their notices I would imagine about mid that's the time frame So is there a backup plan
just in case so that we don't have to go through the process of you know letting people know they're not going to be they are Yes So this is so so I think that there are two pieces to this right One is is on the state level what their kind of operation of
their plan is right And so the state knows that there's statutory requirements to get we have to we have to pass our budget by uh uh May 14th We have to have our public hearing by May 7th Right So So that's what we're doing
is May 5th And so they know that that's statuto in the law books requirement So so they know that and and they're working I think unfortunately that's why the timeline is so tight Um the second part of that question is again this is part of of the joint agreement right We
agreed um uh the the bureau found some temporary funding for us for one year and we also agreed that should this program come in we would go out uh for this program to lower that that um the amount of money the bureau would have to chip in My my understanding was that there was a second reading yesterday uh
uh by the commissioners um to approve the $15 million bond Uh and so that that option should should I think um the uh uh the NJTO program for some reason not get done correctly That
optionally would still be there Okay So just so everybody is clear and so I'm clear that partnership is still very much in place and active We have not said to them that we're not doing this at all We're not partnering with them for any of the other things aside from that aside from the athletic field So
that partnership just so everybody is aware is still on the table and still very much a thing We're just hoping to sort of balance that out with this new plan essentially right So this is part this is part of the partnership right This is so Yeah Yeah Yeah So on the on
the partnership I guess maybe I'll just ask it different way We can't counter eggs until they hatch And at this point we don't know what we don't know We are asking and hoping for more so we can meet all of the needs of our teachers who have clearly done the work in the
results And it could be less than what we asked the bureau for It could be not enough to fill the gap So we have to like sit in the space of we said "Can you help us?" And this is our long-term sustainability plan Um and position
where both are necessary and we're going to have to have a longer term discussion around okay if it's too low what is our longer term plan to fill these gaps that are going to get bigger and bigger So like that's the reality is there is nothing that is super certain yet but we committed to making this first step
towards a more long-term solution is what I'm gathering but our minimum required is 3.6 right am I just to maintain Um I was just going to say um just a couple of things kind of broadly Um I
teach in a district that is facing a $13 million shortfall um in its advocacy budget right now and they are gearing up to do the exact same plan tomorrow Um can you talk briefly about some of the other districts surrounding us in Candy County that are also facing this I mean
I've met with several of them during the fair funding collective meetings but um do you know are other Cayman County districts doing the same So of course I think Oakland is is going out They're having their board meeting Um yeah tomorrow night um is their
meeting to vote tomorrow And then we know Hatton Township is as well um a number of other ones Yeah Uh so so far uh we put out a call to the districts in Canada So not all of
the districts um there are 300 school districts across the state of New Jersey that qualify for this program And so I I I think that that illustrates the magnitude of the challenges associated with the funding formula where 300 school districts out of roughly 600 are
underfunded at the local level and are below adequacy And so in Camden County uh we reached out um with our partners and right now we we know that Haden Township um Oakland us um uh are
currently uh actively going through this same process this week Um not everyone we I've only heard back from about half of the districts so far in Camden County but those are the ones that have already confirmed And I know one of the things to also keep in mind is that in order
for us to actually apply for this program not there's actually I think three criteria It's not only that we're below uh underfunded locally and that we're uh our budget is below educationally adequate It's also that we've maxed out our own uh legal ability
to raise taxes And so there I know there are a few other districts in the area that have banked cap So they haven't maxed out their taxes in in the last several years And so they can actually go out and raise a lot of taxes already on their own They would have to max that out first before they can go out to do
that I know I think township uh has maxed out they had bank cap they maxed out their tax and they will now go out for even more right now because of of the funding gaps and I think this speaks to kind of the larger systemic issue you said you know 300 out of about 600
districts that's half the districts in New Jersey um you know this is a state that has you know we're the state is like 7300 square miles and it has 600 districts just for comparison I'm from Virginia it has 132 districts and 42,000
square miles So this is a larger systemic issue And the the word that kept coming up over and over again in our last um fair funding collective meeting was unsustainable This is a great first step kind of talking you know to what Mr Craig was saying but I
think this also screams of like down the road there's going to have to be some larger conversations about how our districts look because even Um while this is I think a wonderful opportunity to kind of get us out of this hole um this is going to be
something we're have to consider We are a small tax base right now And um $70 to $100 is a lot of money for a lot of people including me I'm a public school teacher My husband is a public school teacher who is also working without a contract 70 to $100 for us is grocery
money It is uh wreck money for our kids it is going to hit us on top of our reassessment and on top of all of other costs So I am very aware of the burden that this is going to place on teachers in this district Um but I do believe
there is something to be said about investing in this school Uh we hear constantly from members of the community about prioritizing how our budget needs to speak to our priorities I think this needs to speak to our town's priorities because an investment in our schools is at the end of the day an investment in
our town and its future period Um and so I I just think this is kind of going back to Mr Craig said an opportunity like this is not going to come along very often especially at a time where we are getting threats from federal funding
title one funding from grant money Who knows what's going to happen with that I don't know we have the opportunity or the time to you know nickel and dime everything at a point when we are looking at some real serious financial problems in the future And as a public
educator I am very willing to make personal financial sacrifices if it means that our schools are going to stay open We had discussed part of the as a next step within the other plan having to go out for a budget referendum This would
eliminate the need to go out for that while also instead of having to referendum the other I'm sorry it's that thing I'm fighting closer I'll lean in Sure
Um the the reality being that if we went out for a budget referendum in the fall and it did not pass we would have to go out for another budget referendum December And if that did not pass we would have to go out for another budget referendum at the next available time
because the option of laying off all those staff and closing the school isn't good this year It is good next year or any years forward So we would continue to fine-tune the ask and spend the money that we need to and aggressively get the funding to try to get us back to where
we need to be But this is an option that allows us to eliminate all of that uncertainty for our staff for our community and to to put us on on the right foot I would like to comment around like I I can appreciate that we also need to recognize in our agreement we kind of
put in writing that we will show up for the community particularly for those where this is going to push them beyond and I I do not sh that responsibility in this conversation right this board will have to mobilize and get out there and help people to stabilize what this can mean to them and I think we all have to
recognize that that is just the reality of the work we have to do is not with this conversation or the next but we do need to make sure we're supporting those who have this is going to be a tipping point We need to find a way to make this possible Um and show up in that regard
as well And I think we all need to just figure out how we show up for our community We are really asking them to lean in and show up fully and in a way that I think is completely necessary Um but we will also have to do some of those detailed things We said we've set
up that right those supporting our senior citizens and those on fixed income so that their taxes are remain the same That's the work after we and once we get to a point of understanding what this impact will be I think that was one of the the pieces
of the partnership with the burough that felt very promising to me right was that you know we don't have access to the broadest of you know of the community because we have access to the people who are a part of our school district right
So partnering with with um sort of the other large decision-making body in our town would mean that we can do some of those supportive things in ways we can't alone right So I do think that there's opportunity there to do exactly what you're saying Zakiya um in partnership
right with with with the burough also I think I think Zakia and Sarah what you have said basically is that and I agree with you which is that this is not the end of the story this is not happily ever after right the work has to keep on going because this will provide
us you know hopefully with stability for for several years but we have to make sure because we're facing a structural deficit right where 2% still there We have to make sure that we're still continuing to be as efficient as possible advocating at the state county local level for for additional ways to
uh properly fund or or save costs um and and to do all the work that comes after right this is just not the end of the story here I was wondering if we could be specific about what we mean by by being there for the community and the people who are
going to be mostffected I mean obviously I But what power would we have to do that You know like do we have the do we have the ability to determine who who gets saddled with most of that tax levy and who does not Like I just wonder what mean by being there for
those Yeah So I believe what uh was talking about was was the um proposal from the the bureau to uh have um students help to uh go around and talk to senior
citizens within the the town uh to make sure that they were all signed up for all of the uh tax um uh incentive programs for for senior citizens like like the senior tax and so forth You know I think that that sort of
uh communication outreach is is is helpful and of course that would have to be in collaboration with the burrow because I think the burough has has a bigger reach there Um but again you know I think I think your point is Correct We we we don't as a school
district have any authority to say this person should get taxed this much and that person should get taxed that much Right We we are within the law when it comes to uh how the the taxes are are dispersed amongst our community
If the state were to approve us for the maximum which obviously it would be a dream come true as Matt said considering what we've all been through for the last couple of years um would an option I'm just throwing it out there would an option be for us to
say you know that might be a little too much for our community maybe you know thank you for the max but we we decide to do mid-range so we an option Yeah Yeah So so very specifically the the uh from the communications I've seen um what the state has said is basically you
apply you get approved for an amount and but that does not lock you into having to do that amount That just lets you know what you can do and then the board must vote to decide how much if any of it we do
So a couple of comments Um one I do think that I know I know um you you've touched on this many times before but the um what it would cost for the community if we were to take out the arts programs and the music programs and all the things and what that would cost if we
were going to have people pay to play essentially would be possibly significantly more than this So I do want people to sort of think that out But I do also want to make sure that everybody understands that we recognize that by not doing a referendum
and by doing it this way we are taking away your right to vote And we get that Um And you know I just want to touch on that because that's not anything that any of us want to do if that's our that's not that that would not be our choice if we didn't have to do that Um this is I definitely see that this is a
one-time opportunity and we're trying to weigh the trying to weigh the cost versus the risk and all the things Um I do want to make sure that as a board we're taking responsibility for anything that we do do because I know that we don't want to find ourselves in a position next year or the year after
where we're saying we didn't do anything this isn't our problem This is a state problem or this is what whoever's problem We need to be mindful of how we're all spending the money and making sure that we're doing the best thing that we can for the kids in the community and the staff And the third and final piece I think it's really
important for the community to understand I'm just going to touch on this because I agree with Maggie that it's important for them to see that we are respecting our staff and that the contract is settled if we're going to be having such big activity So can I just speak to um the the the
frame of the right to vote because we're all here because people use their voices and said we trust you to show up for our community and we're having this conversation so you can hear what we're trying to balance and think through and
frankly we're going to have to keep going back and asking or we will fundamentally not look like what we do today Right So that that's just true right can't afford what we want to do and need to do Like we we can't afford
it So that's the rock and harder place we are in today We can't afford and as I think everybody's heard us all say if we could afford it we would be doing it right I don't if the lights on is what we are trying to focus on I also think
we don't want to cut off our nose despite our face right So we don't want to be here next year Oh well we didn't really do enough So Now we still have to go to referendum and hope it works So I do break everyone's questions this conversation We're not voting today with
intention Um we've heard and learned We need to hear people and adjust We also don't know the answer The answer could be you're getting two million and then we're having a completely different conversation The answer could be six million and then we have an even better conversation in terms of the rock and harvest for other things right We don't
know But what we do know is everyone here needs to make sure are fully representing our community as taxpayers as parents as just people and show up for this thing that is public education that is publicly
funded right Like that's what we are doing And I think we're all really earnestly trying to show up wholly and fully and I want to really make sure we allow time for everyone's questions so we can internalize them because the last thing I would say is this presentation frankly digested a lot of communication
that I was looking up right those are scenarios like it's just giving us an example of what the map would look like without us having to make it up So it's just helping us digest font 10 updates right Like is that we need to understand but we really need to hear what
everybody's prioritizing I've heard people prioritize teachers and the contract 100% I've heard everyone prioritize bringing programs back I've heard everyone prioritize making sure that we aren't here and disalenating members of our community So we all need to figure out how to show up and support
all of those things And so we are in That's that's just true And so push us ask us and make sure we show up in that way is what I would say is our responsibility I think the the other thing to to remember I guess is we'll whatever we
get approved for how we will see it will be through the budget and where we apply it So we will be able to see as a board where this money is directly going as it as it budget as you pointed out but also just important to remember we talked about budget process and how it starts in
early October So we have a list already of things that we've already had to tell that we can't afford So finding ways within the first year and easy
to look forward to prioritize Actually Matt to your point um so I just want to make sure I understand the timeline So um on May 5th not only would we be I just want to make sure I understand Not only would we be voting
to whether to raise the uh the tax levy to the point that the state had approved but we would also be knowing where that additional revenue would be going like the budget finished and us Yeah So the the vote to approve the taxes is the vote to my understanding is
it's actually not a separate vote It's the vote to approve the budget right And and so is the taxes are part of that de facto is the vote to approve the the Um so I I think I want to get to the the audience questions You're able to bring those
index at cards up All right So I'm going to read through uh all the in questions Uh uh Miss How Turner was able to group them maybe by by loal groupings but I'll read through them all I know they're there most likely going to be some repeats but I don't think it hurts to answer the same
question multiple times Uh so the first question full funding increase question Um doesn't set uh us up for future budgets We have to be planning for continued rise in operational costs Um oh so I guess that's a comment about the
full funding increase and then the next comment is mid-le increase What does some stability actually mean So here's the question right So what does some stability actually mean for the mid-level increase Uh what that means is that is that there would be some buffer right Let's say $5.4 million option
right Our current budget gap is 3.6 billion There would be some buffer uh to help next year when there's increased costs uh because of of inflation um just like that there would be a
little bit of buffer there And so that's what some stability actually means The difficulty about this is is trying to to I think Miss Coleman says earlier you're trying to nail jello to a wall Part of the problem is we don't know exactly what inflation will uh look like Like this year in our budget process uh we
heard about um a 20% increase to our utilities I don't think anyone had on their radar until we heard about it right And so that's what some stability means is that there is some buffer there It's not like we're just taking out the money we need to get by this year but it's not as much as if we were to take
out as as much as we we possibly could here um did the tax levy pass legislation and then what is the plan if we uh don't receive it so I believe that this question is basically oh yeah so then the next question is so
these are related next question is how confident is the DOE that these additional uh costs will be approved um so these two are are the same so basically legislation and how confident will it we be that this cost will be approved So my understanding this is part this tax levy
program is part of the governor's budget uh uh proposal that's working its way through the uh the state right now The my understanding is that the DOE is confident enough to tell districts about the program and have us go down the process Yeah my understanding once the
governor's budget is approved it's what's written in there is acts of law So it's I think he did set aside when I get the number wrong maybe 20 22 million of all these like little pockets of the 5% for all the districts So it is in his budget
what I mean with with that one too I mean the state budget won't be done until the middle of the summer and they're going to have to give us an answer before that So well June 30 June 30 Yeah Middleune But answer We don't know
No he he set aside money in his budget for this program and my understanding from the county office today is they're moving forward They're getting ready to accept the applications Um and Trenton I don't know who in Trenton's reviewing I did ask today who was who was reviewing
these on behalf of the districts Um I asked that of the county office and they said staff and Trenton So it won't be the county offices I guess it's office of finance and Trenton I'm assuming Given that we have a lot of questions here I've been encouraged to read through all of the questions in a thematic group to then be able to answer
them uh uh together So next one is what is the average household uh you used Uh as example many households are already seeing 150 to $200 a month increase Um how much do we spend for each student Uh do those other towns have higher uh
school taxes than Kineswood Um are the other towns paying higher rates of taxes Can we get the data so we can compare Um how much closer does this um I I think initiative get us closer to
the other bureaus Is it enough as a long-term solution Um 8.7 million uh state equals to calls responsible state will contribute 5% of increase I'm not
sure that's a question do repeatedly offer that staff is at risk of layoffs While uh true for for this district it appears as a veiled threat and bargaining tactic to get what you determined to be best Why does the BOE do layoffs and continue to maintain five
elementary schools Uh if this is for the school year 2526 seniors who did not already participate in the senior freeze will not be able to uh avoid tax increases Um so I think there's a few pieces here about the tax increase First
one was the average household used I believe that's the the uh 400 I think $45,000 average uh tax assessment uh in in town something like that Yeah it's it's the average uh assessed value of
the home in Kingswood Um how much closer does this uh uh initiative get us to the other burrows So remember our local fair share we're 8 next year we'll be $8.7 million below our local fair share in local tax levy
without this program So that means that we'll be paying 70% of what the state has calculated we should be paying as a community for our schools This would get if they pass the maximum amount this would get us 6.1 million So 8.7US 6.1 we're looking at at 2.6 million still
below that that local fair share Uh and so it gets us much closer much closer than we've been right uh for for a long time but it doesn't quite get us at that 100% Um and then I think there's also a
question about about uh uh layoffs And the the the thing is I just want to be clear the the layoff discussion We're trying to be very clear with the community about um the consequences of of the budget poll And and let let me be
clear we had to lay off 21 teachers last last year and the year before we had to we couldn't renew we couldn't fill 11 positions um of folks that that left because of these budget holes Um this is 100% not me to a threat but to
understand tell the community we have to pay for our education so we can maintain the teachers that we need If if you search through um uh I'll kind of call you out here Mr Craig out here he he periodically sends me links because there are so many news articles right
now about school districts throughout New Jersey that have budget deficits that have to cut staff And it's one of those things where right now we have opportunity to help bring stability so we don't have to do that
I'll just share I mean we've done trainings and I have been on trainings talking about the the funding gap that the nation was facing posture esser and the fiscal cliff that's coming up and my algorithm right now is school school budgets that are just facing absolutely
devastating cuts and you look at middle town yeah it's There honestly are too many to name right now but it is really really devastating out there What the realities that folks are having to deal with
and somewhat creative but unfortunately a lot that sounds the same as what we're looking at now staff layoffs It's closing buildings It's getting rid of extracurriculars It's going so bare bones that it doesn't look like the school that you would expect Um the next questions have to do
with uh the uh use of this program instead of the referendum So I I'll read through them and I've grouped them as well here So uh the first one is the burough plan involved a referendum which would give residents a voice in this decision Why would you pursue a funding option that eliminates opportunity for
local people to choose Uh then on an annual basis the BOE was able to uh present a budget above the 2% cap with a community vote Why did we uh not use democracy to fund this outcome rather than this huge increase uh at uh once
while losing teachers and educating programs in the uh interim Um why didn't the BOE work with the bureau and residents to create a plan for residents to vote on a referendum instead of a big tax increase
We knew we've we uh we knew we've been having funding issues for the last few years Why did we not propose a referendum to increase uh percent levy percent levy to this exemption program especially if the quote nuclear
option was being explored So I think those questions are all about why don't we go out to to a referendum I think this strikes to a statement made earlier about how uh this program takes away uh communities right to vote and so I disagree with that that sentiment
strongly that that this program takes away the community right to vote the community votes for the board and they vote for the board they vote they vote for the board and for us to govern and so one of the things that that unfortunately we have
to do as board members I'm speaking to the board here is that we have to govern and make sure we have a responsibility to make sure that we can keep the lights on in this district And just because it's a hard choice for us to make does not mean that we should not
uh be considering making this hard choice In the end one of the things that that uh I've been thinking about is that why would we turn down 5% from this state and why would we gamble with the
education of our our students when we can create stability now for the district I think it's important to keep in mind also going back to what Mr Craig said if we do go out to referendum and This
district has not passed a referendum to support schools in 20 years then we would have to go out again And then we'd have to go out again And every person who's sitting up here was elected And this is the way that school boards the 300 school boards who were given this
letter are doing this Flemington was one of the districts that I said just had this where they went out Flemington went out for a referendum in the fall didn't get it or was it it was in March after saying that they were going these were
the these this is what was going to happen It's very similar closing schools and making cuts that if the referendum didn't pass The referendum didn't pass they had to make the cuts and now they are having to live with the reality of those cuts
Um do you have a plan to address the stress this tax increase will put upon seniors and families who can't afford it Why would the BOE decline the bureau offered funding to to close the budget gap for next year given the current economic environment and the tax increases due to reassessment Residents are already facing large tax increases
The community told you we cannot afford an increase of $671 Why would you think it's okay to drive residents out of Kingswood with an increase of $800 to $1,300 And so this I think these questions are about the the impact of the of the um tax increase on folks And
so I think this all of us We're all we're all residents in town and we 100% understand the impact uh that this would would have um on us on the community and and also I think we've talked about this for a while now about
the cuts the the impact that this not doing this would have on our our schools and bring the stability so that we're not talking about in a year these exact same same cuts 30 to 35 staff closing an elementary without additional space
making all our pay to play additional line item cuts and more because inflation being able to prevent ourselves from having to have that discussion next year that I think is also something we have to consider okay next group uh is it
someone's job to look for other sources of federal state uh or uh other aid Um have you discussed info Um sorry Um are you
considering shared services with the bureau or other districts for um I think it's just cost savings Have you discussed infrastructure problems and other projects with the
community to see who can help Is there an option where you accept money from the bureau that was offered in addition to whatever tax increase Uh any and if not why Uh will you still be pursuing other aspects of your partnership with the bureau Is it some
Oh yeah sorry that sorry right now So this one I think this I think is about uh if we're looking at other funding options uh and other ways to cut costs Uh the answer is yes We we've been bringing in I think the last several years million or more in terms of of of grants
into the the district That's what that wellness center was And so yes absolutely there are people in the district looking for additional funding sources Um yes we have shared services uh with and that's actually one of the ways in which we bring in revenue into the district is by offering shared services to other districts
Yes we are continuing with our partnership uh with the bureau and um we and if if the bureau wishes to contribute additional money on top of uh the the uh tax levy then there's absolutely need for our school district
absolutely continue to use more funds to to help uh increase the the education to meet the needs of our students Can I just ask a question while you're reviewing this So like the buffer question earlier that is to help absorb a program that is like critical probably
to a lot of the wellness center that will roll off federal dollars onto the operating budget and I and perhaps we can try to be really intentional about identifying these things are going to roll off fund funding and we don't have any cushion to absorb it and this is the
opportunity so buffer probably isn't the right word it's planning budgeting for what will become our operating expenses or we don't have those services and I just want to make sure I'm really understanding buffer because you kind of answered it with other stuff but it is
about absorbing those things that are either grant funed and from a federal government that does not seem to be rolling out money at this moment We have to anticipate absorbing that right That's what I understand Yes So let let me answer that I think that um you know
just so that we're all clear is that over the last three years we pretty aggressively went after um federal uh state and philanthropic uh dollars in the form of of grant funds in order to give us more time while the advocacy was
taking place in order to secure long-term permanent funding We were able to secure $7.2 million over the last three years and that has helped give us time It didn't the problem As a school district we receive roughly $5.5 million
in federal funding in the areas of of title uh one two three and four as well as IDA uh and then uh some additional uh extraordinary aid based on uh some of our student population uh we are uh
working collaboratively with uh our local regional and state agencies and organizations in order to be able to keep what we currently have There has been and I don't think all you have to
do is turn on a TV or go to your news feed There has been a continued decrease in federal investment not just in public education but federal investment period The challenge is that should the federal government deliver on the threat
that we received last week um we will be in a very different fiscal reality with no buffer no funds to replace it no new federal opportunities no additional grant funds in order to
close said gap Okay So the next set of uh cards have questions to do with the the teacher contract So I'll read out through them Also understanding that that uh there's only so much for us to talk about in terms of publicly about negotiations So first is will teachers who live here and
work here uh as teachers get a tax break Um if the unions are unhappy with raises offered but anything more has to come from a fixed tax revenue Uh I and
and grant amount What are they proposing to cut or uh pull funding from to cover uh better raises Would you be able to guarantee that the teachers contract would be settled with this local tax increase If so would they would a contract be agreed upon Uh you are
taxing teachers that live in this district and work for the district How are you going to provide fair pay and settle the contract for all teachers You have many families who live off a teacher salary raising the taxes will make it unaffordable for teachers to live here and work here So once again how are you going to settle the teacher
contract Is this part of the plan Is settling the the contract one of the expected impacts in any of the three options with the increased tax levy Will the uh board be uh adding additional funds to its uh current CA proposal to the CA to settle the contract Will any
of these scenarios provide the teachers with a settle contract that provides what teachers are seeking Uh does the proposal to maintain staff in 2025 2026 resolve the outstanding CA contract Uh what will it take to settle the teacher contracts at the fair rate that they
deserve Uh will any of the uh proposed plans fund the CA contract Uh what assurances do we have that the teachers contract will be settled So that was a big uh uh clump of cards about the teacher contract there What I will say
about the teacher contract is that the current budget that we approved in March I was March uh 18th uh that is now under review at the county level uh does include um the the raises that we've
offered in that contract and the current budget uh that we're currently operating under also does include uh raises those raises for teachers One of the challenges we've had and what I said earlier is that this district obviouslyvious has not been able
to afford uh uh raises and but at the same time this entire board we all know and we all believe that our teachers deserve raises and so what uh what I think we're
hopeful for with this program is that it will let us afford the the teacher contract without having to lay off teachers like we did last year and like we would have had to this year funding Um there are two other questions in this group which is why didn't you
accept the offer from CA for $225,000 to settle the contract issued March 27th if we can partner with the bureau to fund athletic facilities Why did the BOE decline the $225,000 offer from the burrow to settle the contract Um the the
board and district have not declined uh have not refused any money So I'm not sure what that means there Um next Uh understanding that April is the uh
largest uh line item but what it's some it's actually some fantastic impressive but it's hard hard to read Yeah How many staff members will be reinstated in which programs Uh who will be making those decisions How can the residents gain a better
uh better detail understanding of the BOE budget Why are the budget expense details not transparent to taxpayers Um when will line item justification of the tax increase be made available to the public Uh would you plan to use the increased local tax on funds to hire
back to hire back all or any of the 20 plus teaching positions that were limited last year If so how many Um are you uh looking to buy good sheeperd and close schools and use money from the tax levy to repair schools what uh what the
referendum was vote was no voted no on Why would you deny the offer from the bill to let the taxpayers vote on this in se September Will you show how the money will be used contract for teachers hire for positions that were cut Are you concerned about forcing people out Taxes
were just raised with reassessment Uh can we see the full budget before it gets voted on We have many experts in our town understanding that payroll is line item Um but what scrub has been
done on the other line items Do you want to talk about the the budget just like the auding process rounds in terms of where the process begins But yeah I will try to get better at my
microphone skills Um again um the so the budget process starts back in October where administration takes a look at where where the funding priorities are from the last year where they think
they're going to be the next year and garers feedback from building leaders through January giving us a very short answer in terms of what that looks like and then Beth and Dr Dr McDow look through those requests go
line by line to see what we can afford Go back and forth with budget leaders and then talk to us as a as a finance buildings and grounds committee about where they see things going And this is all before we know what our funding is going to look like We find out in February after the governor's address
what money we can anticipate and then we adjust and for the last several years that has been lower than what we had hoped it would be So we've had to make negative adjustments based on on what we could afford Um was there other specific questions in
there that you wanted to I think the other questions were around like when can the the public see the budget So the the budget is some of the transparency Budgets and audits are posted on our website every year Um after we'll have the budget
posted but then when would when would this year next year's school budget be Um I have to have it on the website within 48 hours of the public hearing I think some of the specific questions in that cluster were around this particular provision and will there be
transparency around uh the the stipulations and the justifications with this ask I think I was interpreting the questions correctly Yeah So that I mean that's a that's appition submitted to uh the state and then we will have to vote on the on the
budget of how that money is then been then used and so yeah that piece will will be public It could be helpful within our process to understand too where this money shows up in the budget I don't know if that's possible but we're going
through the process Yeah Once um again once we my words Thursday we're voting on the application So um once we're done the application will be on the on
the board docs in the administrative content so the board members can see where what the entire application looks like so you guys will be able to see it before it's still kind of still a mess Um and then when we do the public hearing again it will we'll once we
decide how much if anything at all then yeah it will be addressed in the public hearing which line items mostly it's right now it's in it's in staffing and it's um supplies and curriculum will that application be available or is it internally available
I'm just asking um it'll be internally available to the before before Thursday when I'm done with it Then after Thursday anybody can find it Uh I don't know if I'd have to check with the state I don't know if it's a public document or not to be honest with you I know I have to upload it to Trenton on uh by
Monday I don't know if it's a public document or not to be honest Thank you And again when we're talking public hearing um that's the May 5th date correct Yes All right So then next group of questions about the Good Shepard school building How does Good Shepard fit into
the new increase Under any of these circumstances or scenarios will you be purchasing Good Shepard Does the BOE intend to use any funds to purchase the Good Shepard building Would the tax increase go towards funding the purchase of Good Shepard If so would that include money to renovate Good Shepard or would that be done through referendum If so
would the board move forward with the plan of turning Good Shepard into a grade four five school Are you planning to buy Good Shepard So this question I think has uh folks are are wondering whether or not what we uh propose tonight and what we present tonight would be used the purch and uh the
answer is no This right here is about our operating budget So basically what we uh what we have to bring in in order to keep the lights on in order to keep our staff in order to pay our staff um in order to keep our programs going So
this right here does not have to do with with the purchase of Good Shepard It has to do with keeping the education of our students going Um the other question here uh Are you planning to buy Good Sheper And something I think this has been brought
be uh to us before and I just want to be very clear Our facilities needs have not changed We have three elementary schools over 100 years old We are out of space within our elementary school system So of course as a board as a district we have to explore all options It would be
negligent of us not to explore all options Good Shepard still is one of the youngest uh school one of the youngest school buildings options for us in this uh uh town and it would allow us to um renovate and and update our elementary
school buildings at a uh much cheaper price than trying to build a new one And so of course we're exploring and trying to figure out how best can we um meet our facilities needs because that's the responsible thing to do for our district But that has nothing to do with this
because this is about keeping the lights on as they are now and and paying our staff Um and just to make sure I'm being clear so that people don't don't say that that I'm not Now of course within any operate operating budget you have to
have money to like if I don't know if a window breaks here you have to have money and operating budget to to repair that window right So of course some of this money will go to maintaining these buildings because that is part of keeping the lights on So can I just be
really crystal clear In order to make any significant capital investment which would be the purchase of anything at this moment it would be presented at the board and possibly have to go out for asking for additional capital funding right I think that's right We don't have
the budget to buy anything barely roofs windows and stairs right So I just want to make really clear that we would have tore ask for the money to be able to make that level of purchase Correct I mean we we had to cut you know $5 million from our budget last two years This year we're looking at $3.6 million
budgetable that we're talking about trying to get our nose above the water not even our head above the water right And so this is all about that budget and and there is no money in there to to purchase buildings When is the lease up for Good Shepherd
Uh we have one more year Uh next set of questions Dr D said that he is a consent home earner Is he aware uh he makes six times as much as his lowest paid teacher Is he aware these taxes would hit uh teachers uh harder than him How can the superintendent
justify uh uh his raise for uh and not pay teachers I think there is um one item specifically mentioned by the board is $700,000 spent on transportation for uh
students that cannot attend here How many students How are they transported for the last uh three years uh are uh district has been refusing to provide and document the provision of
onetoone assistance in the 504s of students for whom your professionals have advocated for Please explain your justification I'm very confused and concerned about the wellness center plan the center has not been well maintained over the past few years despite the free federal grant How can we be assured that
the increased funding will be used wisely Uh the assistant superintendent salary was funded by this grant even though it does not relate to mental health So I think there are several comments here about the uh uh salaries of our of the board's employees Um you
know I'm not really going to go into uh individual employees here because that is uh unethical for us as a board to to do so Um what I I I will mention is that I I'm not really sure how you
know continued attacks on individuals that are serving our our district is going to solve our budget issue here And and that's something that having been up here years now Um I I've seen that happen
through COVID through the pandemic through budget crisis And from my perspective that that does nothing to help solve our our budget issues And I'm really grateful that we right now have an option and a program that can help us solve our our budget
issues Uh will the presentation slides be shared publicly And how uh what option fully funds the teacher contract How long does stability uh last How are you incorporating feedback to determine what to ask for
What is the well uh what is the wellness center So the first one about the presentation slides uh they will be shared publicly uh tomorrow on our website Uh also there will be a one-page FAQ that recaps the the slides and I think the presentation slides that will be shared tomorrow will actually be very
detailed uh with even even more information that that we wanted to go through but understood that we didn't Yeah the transportation question There was a question in there about special ed out of district transportation Um we are a member of Cammy County Ed Services Commission which is a large shared
service um group in Cammy County Department of School Districts Um we all join but Cammy County Ed Services Um they transport for us We're non-transporting district So um they do all of our transportation for us I'm just making sure I didn't drop any
index parts I think that's it So thank you So we're not going to discuss negotiations here Um oh the so the the wellness center I mean you want to
describe the wellness center just what is the wellness center So the the wellness center um is part of a federal grant and The purpose of the federal grant was addressing uh trauma in schools And so there were u provisions
in the funding for staff um clinical uh social workers uh behavioral specialists uh MTSS coaches uh administrative support uh in terms of grant secretary uh professional development training and
capacity building um over a four-year period And so uh in terms of the funding direct services to students was it primary goal and at the onset uh of this discussion we shared that uh between 150
and 180 students are receiving u clinical uh mental health counseling and support every single month eight to 10 students are receiving emergent uh crisis uh uh uh support weekly Uh in
addition to targeted level support for teachers in the form of of MTSS uh um uh support last month the uh board of education approved a digital platform that will allow all of the data from all
of the students that are receiving services or who need to receive targeted services is all contained in one place in order to reduce the amount of time that our educators are spending searching for data in multiple areas and so that they can spend the majority of their time focused on students Uh in
addition to uh targeted levels of training and additional community engagement uh and then ongoing activities events and then special programs that come based on the wellness center staff uh that determine new programs that come in and new
partnerships All right thank you everyone for for all of your questions That was I'm glad that uh I think that that worked out pretty well and so hopefully we're able to answer folks's questions I know now that uh we've been at this for a while so I want to be able to open up now to uh
public comments So before we do that I need a motion to come out of committee of the whole and a second Uh and uh all those in favor Okay So now we're going to move on to uh section four which is public participation So
tonight there's only one public participation section So this is the section Um the public is reminded that attempts to resolve all concerns complaints should first go through staff members and administrators The intent of public comments is to give comm opportunity to provide feedback to the board We'll be actively listening and
taking notes so that uh we can take all that is being said into consideration Um uh appropriate clarifying comments may be made uh at the end of public comments for more detailed responses to concerns Communication may go out later in the week by the appropriate staff members or administrators or be discussed by the
board during future committee meetings Members of public are welcome to speak and expect to do so with utmost sensitivity for everyone in attendance Um and in fairness to all who wish to speak there is a strict three minute time limit per person during public comment and Miss Coleman will assist by keeping time Please remember to state
your name and your address for the record Thanks Listen um uh I I really wish I'd been able to talk a little bit earlier but Um because I I have some information Roger and I have talked on Friday and Saturday about
meetings that we've had with um with the state different folks at the state and and I think with the tax incentive levy there's some changes that may very well be coming that I think will help Um so
so as as you set the stage for this this is the guidance that was provided for this program is part of the budget the 2526 budget that um I'm sorry the 2526 budget that the state will adopt So the
language in it that allows this is still flexible still in it's a very fluid process and have had discussions with the governor's office with legislative leaders um with legislative staffers
today literally until I got off the phone and came over here and I believe there is a good likelihood that there will be changes made that help reduce the impact on
taxpayers Roger you and I tal touched on it just real briefly on Saturday that there there may be set up a bank levy a cap the cap bank for like the next five years So you get the one time increase this year but you're able to
bank that and use it over the next five So it would mean that there would be a would put a little more flexibility so that you didn't hit taxpayers with the full blow of whatever
you decide you're going to do in one year and it could be worked over a few years So I I think there's a likelihood that that that can happen Hasn't yet But guess what None of this has happened yet Uh so we're still roaming around with
everything up in the air Um and what I want to propose to you the the the email we got last Tuesday um from the board was saying "Look we don't need the borrow's money." Um and I just want to suggest to you and listen we've taken
actions based on that but after the last couple days I I think even the actions we've taken are going to get thrown out the window because um because I think still be an an
ability to help reduce the impact Um and I just give the hypothetical if you go the full if you go the six that impacts you know 1,400 a year on the average household That's a that's a killer That's just a killer Um and if
we were to do something that we spread that over five and for the first couple of years we went back to the the proposal that we originally to fund to fill in that gap so that we filled in that 36 Next year we filled in we could
do a little bit less and and get it to where after like my rough calculations like in the third year you'd be at a point where you were you could make it up just with that levy So thank you three minutes is up will if
um where if you If you would if you would like for us to discuss we can discuss later but the public comments is three minutes It's over Thank you Shut down This is a public comment section We have three minutes for each
person We got a partnership right parters Can I get recognized please for three minutes and can I seed my time to let Jim finish May Please please continue No Roger
We're partners right Right May we please continue Yeah All right So so we're trying So so what I'm suggesting is stay open to stay open toward a lot of different
options that could still be coming down the pipe Don't close the doors on any of these because I think there are ways that we can in in collaborating together we can minimize the impact on on
taxpayers So we at our budget last night we one of the actions I I think we're going to have to change again depending on what I because of what I think is coming down the road is we introduced our third amended budget Um and this
budget we've made revisions to it anticipating that the board is going to take advantage of this this levy We've changed our budget so that our municipal budget is instead of a $91 increase is a zero Okay And we're doing that again to
try to minimize the impact of what a larger than usual school tax increase would be Okay So we've done that but I still think there may be room for us to look at the the the overall if things
change and you use all of this in one year There's the opportunity to help work this so that we we get the schools back to that level so that you've got a realistic cap that you're working with and we minimize the impact on taxpayers
Okay And and lastly I just need to urge the one issue that we just have to get out of the way is resolving the teachers I'm happy I'm happy for us to be to to help
give that financial stability to give the board comfort that they can resol can resolve it But we just have to get that out of the way because it is confusing and confounding everyone and we just got to move it to get it done
Okay I thought we had it with the even the plan B as it's been described which is go back to the burl to get all the if all this the state program goes away Uh even with that I thought we had it all resolved So I really just want to urge you let's get this done so that we can
just focus on the really hard part about getting out to people um and and letting them know this is going on The my last one I'll I'll get out of here is is uh we really we haven't had a good dialogue so far We haven't had folks getting back
about the public outreach Um this has all so fast we have not not had the state just notified everybody what last Tuesday there's not enough time to get notice out that's the problem nobody knows that this is going on nobody does uh our text message system is is so
ineffective and that's we really need to have some meetings I know Sandy reached out to Lori is it Lori and there hasn't been really any dialogue there so we got to get something done to get it out to people and let them know what's going on okay thank Thank
you My name is Dash Korea Fisher I live at 107 Ultra and I am a senior at Collinswood High School Um Trey is handing out a document to each of you which you and the board already have It shouldn't surprise you guys though because you already know what it says Take your time to read it for yourself
but I'll come right out and say um we've all heard the rumors that in addition to their announced funding partnership the board was offered another 225,000 by the bureau government for the express purpose of settling the union contract I'm here right now to tell you that it's all true In fact it's even worse than
that He further said that this was because Oh I skipped ahead After hearing these rumors yeah after hearing these rumors I actually came across Mayor Mali himself while he was campaigning door to door and I thought to ask him straight up if
this was true He said yes He further said that this was because the board specifically asked for this exact amount of money because it was the exact amount they still needed to settle the union contract I asked if I could get that in writing He said yes And that's the email you're
looking at right now What the email tells us is the board asked for this money specifically in solely to settle the teacher contract Got the money then found out they could just raise your taxes instead by a total average of 671 to,400 instead of zero Let me be clear
The board found a way to be able to pay the goddamn teachers and then turned it down without ever telling anyone it ever happened I wish it was a lie but the only People who have lied about this are the people I'm looking at right now Roger you didn't actually deny the money You still haven't acknowledged that you
just asked for it Once again there is this lack of transparency Many people in this town will find it hard to pay these new over the limit taxes especially the teachers 50 of whom live in the Collinswood city limits You are raising their taxes while denying them a fair raise He wants to deny everyone in the
stam room the knowledge that you could have settled the contract by now with no changes to your budget To say the least it's tonedeaf of you In times when people's retirement and saving accounts are plunging people are already losing enough money You can't lie to us any longer and say the raises you've been
offering the CEA are fair You know they aren't because you asked for my money You can't say you can't find any extra money because they were sitting in your grubby little hands You're all holding obvious weird contempt for Mali because he didn't like your referendum idea Guys nobody liked that referendum It lost You
lost You could have just accepted the 225 and still raise taxes We've been telling you we'd be happy to pay the extra taxes if it meant higher teacher pay for years but we already paid enough tax dollars to settle this contract You could have got it from the bureau I don't know why
you're trying to prove you can go it alone Go alone Number one you don't have to Number two I have no confidence that you actually can Clearly you have no real concern for the people of this bureau its teachers or anything but your own egos Now that your lies have been exposed the best way to protect those
egos is in turn per ter and beg for the bureau to give you the money back Do it or get out of the way and resign We demand a fair contract because we can give us one today at no cost Thank you I I do believe I I need to address
several of these these points All right Hi Katie to Shane 11 Maple Lane I have a couple logistical questions I guess my first one is how do you actually decide what option you're going to apply for You've heard a ton of public comment
here tonight So it would be helpful for us as a group to understand if we're going to go for the low we're going to go to the medium we're going to go for the high the full funding I know it goes to vote on Thursday but clearly you're going to come up with a proposal So what input are you taking and from who And
how is that brought into the decision for what we're going to ask for funding And then I think my second question is around actually the the stability and ID asked that question on the card and it was not answered So we are in a deficit of about what 3.6 8 million We cut $5
million So even if we get that full six we're not back to baseline So you have I mean the fact that you said you didn't anticipate a utility cost like that's against basic budgeting We're assuming that there's going to be an increase in cost You got to assume your Chromebooks are going to be a lot more expensive
Your computers are about to be a lot more expensive Your insurance costs are about to be a lot more expensive on for your staff So how are we projecting our budget year two year three year four Even if we go for full funding we're not back to baseline and your costs are to
increase by at least 10 to 20% every year So we're going to be in the same position in not too long So it's not it's not really a long-term stability It's a pretty shortterm stability How are you addressing that And how are you planning for that And how are you also
then sharing that information with the community Trey Ramsburg 32 East Culture Avenue I'd like to point out to everyone here that when Roger said that the board didn't turn down any money to pay the teachers from the burrow that was absolutely a
lie You have proof in your hands in the audience from Jim Mi himself telling you that the burrow did in fact offer the school board the $225,000 they asked for and didn't tell any of you about and that the board ended up saying no You
actually heard Mi himself say right now that the board told him that they don't need any money from the burough Someone isn't telling the whole truth here And I I struggle to believe that these people up here board
leadership has our best interests at heart Dr McDow I don't have any confidence in you Neither did the Trenton Teachers Association when they voted no confidence in you when they sued the school board for giving you a raise You're not there anymore are you
You're here You're the Elon Musk of Collingswood You're not from Collingswood Collingswood elect you and you're very bad with Collingswood's money These tax increases are unnecessary as we all know at least at
this degree If you're talking about sustainability you had what you presented as a sustainable partnership with the Burough government that you seem to be all too eager to throw to the wayside now that you found out you can raise our taxes the taxes of 50 of these
teachers who haven't gotten a raise in years and who you are continuing to deny fair pay that we know you can give them today That's it Good evening My name is Kelly McInness I
live at 412 Catel Avenue Um so my question wasn't answered so I just want to reiterate again From my understanding I'm a licensed clinical social worker I'm thrilled to hear that the district values the wellness center My concerns
are information that I've heard about the wellness center despite it being a basically free it's been federally funded Um that staff in the past few years has gone from six or seven people running the center to now two clinical
um and one admin I'm a social worker I do not understand how these two clinicians are seeing 150 to 180 students a month Um that is that's just a recipe for burnout Um
and so again I think the wellness center is a wonderful initiative Um I We just want to see that if we are as a town to invest in it what the kind of oversight is going to be what the plan is for really keeping it strong Um retaining
staff Um as a as a mental health worker I'm always happy to partner with the schools or to provide any kind of consultation excuse me consultation Um but to me this is very disheartening and I think there's a disconnect from what I
hear about what is actually happening at the center now versus um the way that the board is talking about it So I just urge you all to um ask questions and come up with a really solid plan Thank you Everybody DeMarco I live at
524 Avenue by the Scottish right Um I have two kids at school one in second grade and one in kindergarten Um I just want to really quickly there was a question that was asked about um salary
and the the board and the superintendent being aware of the effect on the town I myself don't mind taxes going up I especially if it pays our teacher salary and things like that But Mr Chair your
response was that you're not going to answer a tax questions are not Especially when you're an elected official people asking you questions is not attacking you People asking salary discussions is not attacking you
Especially when your salary is paid by the people in the town not your salary Roger the superintendent salary So that's that's just you have to be willing to answer questions when people ask you of them It's not question Um and again I don't
mind paying extra taxes I know that I am in the minority though in that I can afford the extra 70 to $100 a month Not everybody is in that position and to just flip that off as in people just won't pay for it or if we do some sort
of partnership with the burrow and the t the tax ask is not 70 to $100 per month per household that would get people to vote for it You you keep saying that referendums will pass in this town but
that is not true when you're talking about funding teacher salary funding bringing people back rehiring people getting um things back to the high school the way the the way that they were getting more electives back into the high school The town would vote for
that and would approve it The town loves its schools every single day Magic happens in these buildings every single day My kids are in second and kindergarten and I think it's amazing that they leave my home and
come back and they know how to read and they're learning about all these wonderful things and the teachers in those buildings do those things every single day And again if you were asking the town to raise teacher salaries the town would say yes
I'm not sure if I get three minutes since I did offer to give my three minutes mayor So if there's still time peritting I'd like to make a few comments Crystal Ward from 325 Newton Avenue So I have a few uh thoughts First of all it seems like
that was presented would mostly just retain the potential uh staff cuts So um it seems like that option is almost exactly the same as what the bureau has offered to
help the district with without increasing our taxes So it doesn't make sense to me that the BOE is considering raising our taxes instead of accepting free help from the bureau Number one Number two um I think it's obvious from
all the questions that were submitted that the town is um quite concerned at least those represented here tonight about these potential tax increases And um based on the dialogue that I listen to um I don't have a very high level of
confidence that more than two or maybe three people on the BOE have a very detailed understanding of what is going to be voted on in two days time massive impact on most of the residents And um lastly I really feel that the BOE
should be taking the offered buroughed assistance um to get through the next school year and should continue your previous commitment of which I was here at the latest meeting that I heard you all agreed to and you all um very excitedly um promote that you had this wonderful new partnership and you were
going to be working together the um the burrow and with the town residents on a special committee to figure out the long-term funding solution needs So I am extremely disappointed to hear that that's all been thrown out the window because you're just going to tax us all out the wazoo and I don't support that
Thank you Rock 740 Avenue And I just want to say one thing that is part of what that lady just said but to make it real clear because it's just one thing I'm stunned at the number of board members I heard
say tonight They had not seen the presentation and seemed completely unaware of the details of the budget How is that possible Hi Mike Paluchi uh 357 Park Avenue and also VP of the uh Ca for the high school
I just wanted to make two points real quick Um so I know one of the board members Sarah like some of our other our former colleagues who live in the burrow here um used to work here and have gone to other districts to make more money essentially Like I I totally get where
you're coming from but the district like that's just an example Now it's not a comparable district to ours but the guide where at the district that you work at starts at almost $10,000 more than we start at here So like that's the kind of that's the kind of numbers that
we're talking about and we're not asking we're not asking to be put on par with a district of that size Okay Second I understand that it's frustrating because there's people on various sides of this issue who don't all have their information right Right And that's people that are behind you guys That's
people that are behind us Like and there's facts out there that people are misinformed about And that's just the nature of this And it's frustrating to hear especially the opposite side have the information right So I think we all agree on that Um you know it's
understandable to take advantage of the tax levy incentive program because none of us will have to sweat out a referendum in September right Like that's the negative side of the partnership with the bureau because we'd all be pushing for this referendum because it would be for operation costs
and if that goes down we'd be in big trouble So it makes sense to take advantage of this program That's why the state is putting it It's it's it's rather rushed and haphazard but that's that's why they're putting it forth Okay That being said it should be abundantly
clear regardless of how deep into this you are that as I've been saying we're not that far apart If this was a priority settling our contract it would have been done If it was a priority it would have been done with
all of the resources with all the resources that the bureau has that the board has as it at its disposal and now with the tax levy incentive program It it's it's abundantly clear that this is not a priority and that's why I think you're
seeing so much frustration Thank you Robin Hogan teacher at elementary school Um I think a lot of things have been said very well better than I can say them but I just it seems like seems like even tonight the mayor
is leaving the door open for some type of substantial partnership that we can get some work And that settling the teacher's contract and I'm feeling there's like there's a disconnect because you've got the burrow is saying that settling the
teacher's contract is important Community members are here saying settling the teachers contract is important and I feel like there's a disconnect between what's what is being said You've repeatedly said well we
budgeted for we're not increasing what we budgeted for We budgeted for this before you know for the proposal our proposal CA before any of this came down and we're not changing it But the mayor has come up and again yet even though you closed the door on him he has said we're still willing to help out and I
don't see any movement And I don't understand I feel like the CA and the community are the only ones who are saying that retaining and attracting teachers is important that it's not good enough for our teachers to be in the bottom third anymore And I feel like
it's not being heard and I don't know what to do I honestly don't know what to do anymore that you will hear that message But we're going to keep on saying it I think the community is going to keep on saying it until somebody hears us and until there's a change
Hi I am a 105 Avenue I'm in sixth grade at Middle School I am so disappointed to hear the other comments tonight and hear how you have been unwilling to settle the teacher contract I keep hearing about how you don't want to raise taxes
but it seems like that's the only option you're actually willing to go with Students are watching and we know why this is happening It's not fair to expect our teachers to work for free after school hours when they aren't being treated respectfully by their employers We want the people who are our
major support at school to be treated with the same care and respect that we are expected to show them Show them show them that respect and settle a fair contract Make it your priority to get these wonderful teachers fair
contracts Teachers deserve to be paid fairly for everything they do We don't have to lose more time or more amazing teachers Please settle the teachers contract Hi I'm Laura
I live at 110 Park Avenue I also am an employee of this district and I've been here for two years Um I would love to settle this teacher contract Um not only are you guys upping
my taxes but I'm on a one income salary based on a teacher salary I'm struggling and I'm going to be pushed out of your district soon if if we don't settle Um and I know others around me are probably like that too You know I'm not speaking
for myself You know my situation is different from others but people live off these salaries and our our taxes are being increased every single day in this district I will not be able to afford to live here anymore I have two little boys that go to school here I would love for
them to grow up in this town It's an amazing place to live It's probably the best place I've lived actually in all of my years of my life Um even even growing up you know based on like Comparing to where I grew up this town has everything
for kids that I'd ever dreamed of to raise kids in You know they can go downtown they can bike around and what else are we going to do but drive kids and families out of here I mean you guys have to settle the teacher contract Otherwise I will no longer be your
employee Hello Collings with Middle School Um wasn't preparing to say anything tonight However I just want to mention the fact that we're talking about things being personal and
attack This feels really personal to me $225,000 that could settle our contract We are exhausted I don't want to be here wasting my time on this nonsense when there is basically
way out of this and $225,000 that is what we are battling over so that some teachers who have been at the top of the salary guide and haven't seen a raise in years will actually we won't get cost of living but
we'll see a little extra money in our payche personal It feels like you don't want teachers like me here anymore I still have a good amount of time I love my job I love what I do every day And that is
the one thing that's keeping me going and not making me want to just throw in the towel with this district I've written emails sent them to all of you told you my colleagues are looking right now good
colleagues Another middle school recently posted jobs They're offering for 16 years $100,000 More than that actually 101 We here 16 years We're in the low 80s I
believe it is We can't compete with that But you can take the $225,000 that's being offered as a gift no strings attached and put this This is ridiculous This feels personal It absolutely feels like you don't want
us here So please knock it off It feels like you've dug your heels in You've said this is the way it's going to be No matter how much money we get from the state this is what we're
willing to offer you Above county average that will still keep you below the middle Do you know what that feels like Like seriously can you empathize with that Can you put yourself in our
shoes We are so frustrated right now Thank you Okay seeing as there are no more more public comments uh we'll close up the public comment section and I think there are many uh issues that that need to be
addressed Um the very the very first one is uh with regards to um the uh burough plan uh versus uh this uh tax increase And so Part of the joint agreement with
the burrow was that uh if the state came out with a plan for us to be able to raise taxes we would do so to offset the uh the burrow's contribution to the district So we are doing that as part of the joint agreement The reason why this needs to
be done is because it provides us with year after year stability not one year of temporary funding There were were statements about the referendum Uh why wouldn't we go out just go out for a referendum if uh it would lower the tax
burden on the town And let me be very clear The ref referendum for the same amount would have the same tax impact on the town except except that we would not get
5% from the state It would not So one of those is that is that is I think the big issue here is that uh we as a board can provide stability to the district financially Um and and that is I think
the big difference but again the tax impact between a referendum and this would be the same It's not like a referendum is is suddenly cheaper So then there was also uh the statement here about um 200
$25,000 that that the district has supposedly uh declined The the board district has not refused any money from the burrow If it the the burrow is the burrow is statutoily allowed to provide additional
funding to the district The the bureau can provide additional funding to the district whenever it wants It could have provided additional funding to district last year We have not refuse any funding and indeed if the bureau wishes to give additional funding there is of course
space for that funding to to be used uh to improve uh the our student to meet our student needs So again let me reiterate We have not refused any amount of money Also a statement that $225,000 would would settle the
difference between the teacher contract and and uh the board's offer is not true You're a liar Um the I want to make sure I've addressed um finally I think one of the the points that I also want to reiterate is that uh
again I believe everyone on this board uh of course wants uh to settle this this contract and we've been willing to sell this contract for as soon as uh as um quickly as possible I want to reiterate and remind the community that last year we had to lay off
21 staff This year we have a deficit that would lead to 30 to 35 uh uh cut staff cuts So one of those things that we have to make sure we do is bring
in funding to be able to afford our teacher contract The funding piece is very real and we cannot agree to a contract that would force us to continue cutting teachers when we can't bring in revenue That is
again why we want to uh go out for this program I think the the final piece that I want to address is uh there's a question about when will the amount of uh money be decided for what we're going out for and uh the idea is that we will
apply for the the a whole pot because the the um state is asked will will then go through and determine what we can and cannot uh uh receive and then from then that gives the board the maximum amount of flexibility to then have the
discussions and uh figure out how much uh uh tax rates that that we will actually uh go out for in order to provide stability for our district So so that is what it is Again our vote on Thursday is to approve our application
The actual tax raise will be would be be approved uh uh in in May So I think those were some of the issues and questions that were were brought up Um with that I'd like to take a motion to journ So is there a
motion And is there a second All those in favor Thank you