Okay. So, I'd like to call to order this meeting of the Springfield School Committee Budget and Finance Subcommittee on uh September 30th at 3:31 p.m. I am very sorry for the delay. We were going to start about 15 minutes
ago and had difficulties getting on. So, first I would like to take a roll call. Uh so, myself, I am here. Member Goodwin >> and member Childs >> here. >> Okay, we are all present.
And uh next item on the agenda is public comment. There is no one uh present in the room for public comments and I don't see anyone online. So, I'm going to carry on to item three, which is approval of the meeting minutes
from our previous two meetings, September 10th and July 28th. I would take a motion to approve. >> So, moved. >> I'll second that. Any discussion hearing? None. Uh, I will, uh, call a
vote on that one. Uh, I say yes. Member Goodwin. >> Yes. and member childs. >> Yes. >> Our next item is a postfiscical year 2025 wrap-up summary from the business manager and discussion about that. This
uh was requested in uh at our July meeting and so that's why this is on the agenda and we will let Andy take it away. Uh so you have the summary I I did like if you remember I brought to the school committee meeting just the salary
portion the 5100 series and I even then I actually just focused on I'm going to call it the permanent positions. This now here with the year closed technically it's not closed but all our expenses are have been charged and encumbered. So this reflects
you know as of June 3025 everything as is and so I I provided more for the salary lines that's all the salaries and then also the contracted services supplies and those other major categories. So you have that I did it by
those respective categories and then uh by the schools or cost centers. Um and then uh just to give you and to show you what it is that it's like as far as the I'll say the major changes we had were
in the primary areas. If you remember I kept reporting on the sped maintenance of effort. So that's where we were looking at the balances that we had in the salaries and reallocated those to make sure that we met our which is why you'll see the major portions of the
district-wide supply being over and the intergovernmental tuitions over as well. Uh that's also combined with the fact that um with the savings I say as much as we don't want to vacancy savings we
have we were able to not use some of the revolving accounts that we plan better prepare ourselves for the future. So getting uh high level but it tells
the story that we've been kind of telling throughout the um you know like if you remember I did report last month like our budget was built on $300,000 of school choice. We actually
used $511,859 of school choice. Uh that's the major one. We built the budget on 1.2 million of using circuit breaker. We used 1 million380,686.
Um, but I'll say again if you remember and referring to the September meeting stuff, but I did again that kind of multi-year income statement as far as our plan for FY25, what we planned on, what we started the year with and our projected revenue and
projected expenses for FY26. So that there's a wrap- up of the local and then combining it with the status as to how the revolving accounts ended in 26 the major one choice tuition circuit breakaker transportation
uh and going forward. Roland and I were just talking before the meeting about you hearkening back to that meeting. We will be using, you know, three million and change of what it is that we're starting a year with in our reserves. That's before admittedly
before we have include what we're collecting for FY26. So, but it is we're using more and more of those reserves. So, that's really it in a nutshell. >> Hi. Anything I can answer be more than
two. >> Z member child has a hand up. >> Uh yes, the materials being discussed, are they just from the last meeting or was there something that I don't have access to?
>> Is this in >> the materials that were emailed by Becky? >> I don't think Becky, she told me that. Let me see. Yes. I didn't see the >> Yes, I did.
>> I will send it to her. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. And it's while member Charles is having a chance to look at that. Um Andy, are there any additional um loose ends or items that
have yet to wrap up from? >> Uh nothing as far as budgetarily goes right now. We're just waiting on the city to finally do their formal close of the year for uh the we're required to submit an end of the year people
financial report to the state. Uh that's due today. Uh but since it's not closure, I've asked for an extension from the department of so they always honestly the two a month extension I should be
once they give me the school side expenses that are paid for on behalf of the schools by the city um it's a day for me to do this report. So we're just waiting on that piece. >> Okay.
And so you wouldn't expect anything to look substantially different. >> Other questions or discussion? >> And member child, if you'd like um Andy to repeat anything from before, please um just chime chime in. I think I will
just have to uh relisten to the meeting once the recording is released while looking at it because I don't think repeating it for everyone is a good use of time. >> Okay. >> Obviously, email questions. >> Member Goodman, did you have a hand up?
Yeah, I just the the districtwide under um contracted services. Is that because of the special ed? >> Yes. Okay. >> Yeah. is to actually I'd say yeah just under
300,000 of that is right >> special education medical therapy services >> and that would also include any site seriously >> right >> about those positions. >> So I guess you know where where I'm at
is like can we like right now you're looking for I forget I think it's five paras um that's on the on the website. So instead of being kind of at the end of the year realizing we didn't make our
special ed minimum effort or whatever we're supposed to >> um kind of address the staffing issue >> if I just clarif because once the target is known sometimes it is known after the budget is built.
>> Okay. >> And so it was just a matter then of being uh I'll say uh worked right in his planning as how it is that he would end up meeting that. So, >> okay. >> But anyway, so your but your question
around that is still >> trying to um again we spend a lot of money on psychological money to have another we could find one for school psychologist. I mean I'm just looking at >> we have one posted >> no posted and looking and then last
school debating anybody too excited posted. I apologize. I I we did talk about last week we >> position's been posted for a while, I believe. I think it's been posted for like what a year and a half. >> Oh, they're all Yeah. >> Um Yeah.
>> And it the last that I recall um from a discussion during school committee meeting was the general landscape for hiring of school psychologists is just very bad. um many people with that type
of qualification can make a better living working privately and so they do and so it's hard to find people uh willing >> willing to take this >> accept a public school pros and cons of everything is as you mentioned right the pros work school whether it's a school
schedule hours that type of stuff with that come politely a lower salary versus somebody who is going to probably work longer and have to run their own business but they're going to do quite a bit better doing that. You know,
>> most schools end up contracting out. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> And paying higher fees, >> right? >> Mhm. >> Just that particular one is is a pretty clear
numbers issue. I think on that front >> uh are there any in addition to evaluation services are there any other particular um larger chunks uh that repres are
represented in that um districtwide number. There was uh the other I'd say the major portion outside of those contract services though is the sped transportation contracting services because we didn't have drivers. So we
had to contract out for for those. So that's again one of one of the balances in the district is the unfilled driver positions. We have those 17 CDLs last year. So >> would you say those are the two biggest chunks of this number evaluations and
transportation services? >> Again as a carryover I can give you a real real life update today. So we had a a yellow bus driver not not the large large yellow buses that you generally see on the road. Not yet it's a medium
size. Not even a mini. It's a medium. >> We have two of those and we have one operating right now. We had a driver leave us just before the start of school. So we have just contracted and we have one of our 70 which is a van driver. 70 is just a license. The van
driver going to get certified starting on October 10th. So they will then do their 60-hour training do 60 hours in classroom and some driving all then take a test by a state trooper generally like people would for their driving tests
and um go from there. So then we're replenishing. So back to that, you know. So in the So in the meantime, just so you see, you probably you might know how this works. Anyway, but so last year's so right now we're
sending some children through. We've we can cancel at any time, but we have another transportation firm, not mascus, but >> driving those students who would need a wheelchair van or us with the lift and everything. But once this person gets
trained, let's hope, don't quote me, but maybe is it by Christmas, who knows, a couple months, right? Then we can stop that service, that payment, and kaboom, put them on our bus sense. Uh, other questions or discussion
on item four? >> Member Goodman, >> I think this just goes back to um, well, transportation, how to figure it all out is the question. I went to looking through the strategic plan and there was in 2023
there was supposedly and I don't know if this actually happened so Andy may be the only person who knows in 2023 the strategic plan said that they did a um like looked at all the the vans and
created a like when they were going to be fixed or when they were going to be updated or taken offline. fine. >> I would have to look into that. I'm not sure. >> Okay. I mean that I just wasn't sure if that existed >> whether or not that would rest because
the maintenance department for the city does all that for the for the vehicle. So I have to I'll check with >> I'll ask I'll ask you to was a vehicle study. >> Yeah. the strategic plan for 2023
>> because before Christine Dearge left she told me to go to the strategic plan and look at transportation so I went through that and so I wasn't sure if she had done that um and then you know in 2028
was um a full analysis of everything so I was just trying to figure out where we were in that process that that is outlined just to see if the pieces were happening. >> I think that will relate um right into
the ongoing discussion answer questions for people. >> That would be good. >> Um other questions or discussion on this item? >> Okay. Um so I want to go on to item five. Uh, and I'm gonna try to I'm gonna
aim for 15 minutes, you guys. And I'm sorry for trying to keep it chugging along here. I just, um, want to be mindful of the time. Yeah. >> All right. So, um, so I just set a
little timer to this. So, um, this is about strategizing our stakeholder outreach plan for the FY27 budget development. Uh so just a little recap. Um last year the school committee um initiated an outreach process in order
to implement our budget development policy which is policy DBD in the manual um which stipulates that the committee will essentially engage with um stakeholders in order to um inform the
budget development process. So uh we took a run at that last year. Um and what the this subcommittee did was um conduct we we sent an individual member to a meeting each of um each of the PTOs
at the different schools and uh the GHS school council because there is no PTO for uh GHS and also to the CPAC and the LPAC and and then we coalated the feedback that we um heard at each of those
meetings and um that then went into it was transformed into um a guidance document. Uh so last year was the first year that Greenfield School Committee or at least that I know of um established
voted uh priorities in budget development. So that's how that process worked. And um this so this item is uh for us to hash out um uh or sketch out what our plan might be for this year to conduct
similar stakeholder outreach. Um and what I'd like to be able to do is um bring this on back to the full committee at our October meeting for approval of our plan. Uh so I will open that one
up for discussion. Do members um have any ideas about how they might like to folks. Little hiccup in our internet I think. Uh okay. So, uh, members, uh, ideas, discussion, um, in regards to how
you might like to, uh, go about, uh, outreach stakeholder, um, input gathering for the year. Uh, member childs, >> uh, one thing I will say, so last year we simply emailed the PTO's asking, you
know, for a spot at specific meetings, and that ran into trouble with some of the PTO's who already had crowded calendars. So I would advise that we are very flexible in what we approve of and we don't try to be too rigid like the
members of school committee will visit at November meetings because that might not work for the specific PTO's. >> Okay. Um, we could put forth a more general form of outreach to PTO's um, and say that we're happy to send a
member to a meeting if they would like um, or they're welcome to um, send us feedback by email or any other, you know, type of input that they might like to offer and just let them know that we value their input and would like to have it in the development of the budget.
>> Member Goodwin, >> just a question. Are there school councils still at the schools? >> Wow. Well, it's Greenfield. So, I decided I would ask the question. >> So, I >> because they're usually the people who deal with budget stuff.
>> My experience with school councils is that they have been mostly defunct. Um, so they technically exist but um don't necessarily really meet except for GHS. And I think the GHS one is more um
>> alive because there isn't a BTO >> and they become more advisor. >> So they're required to happen but when they first started with that reform they had a finger in a strong finger in even approving >> the budgets >> budgets and improving field trips. So I
remember >> in Springfield where they could approve whether you were going on an out of state field trip and then I think the state realized like wait this is getting be a little too much like overseeing. So then they pulled back where they became more advisory for that and now you
probably get input you said through a PTO if you have an active PTO they might act as a little of a school councilish by recommendations and things like that but >> in real life I think the PTO's have been fairly active at um the schools except
for GHS the GHS school council does meet and um on a regular basis and um it sort is like the standin kind of for that I guess. Um the other school councils um it seems like it's been hard to drum up
participation. I think that um it's really hard for people to do know that there is no video. Um, I think that might be challenging.
Hold on. We're just going to pause because uh individual on the Zoom has noted that there isn't a video. I don't >> you're not going to get the whole room unless we
>> and we move that without >> there >> making anything dysfunctional. So, okay. So, um thank you Jimmy for your note. Um you're talking about school council. So,
uh so yeah, school councils haven't been too active. Um the it's been difficult I think to get people to turn up. It's a lot to ask for people to come to school committee meetings and subcommittee meetings and PTO and school council and their kids activities and all the things
that they also have to do. So yeah, I don't that's just my my >> So I will ask >> so the school improvement plans on the website are about five years old >> because I wrote the last one for Newton.
So, they haven't been updated since the pandemic. So, I was wondering if that's if we even have the ones >> as of today. No, you don't have >> No, I mean like if there are new ones that just haven't been uploaded like a
school improvement plan for each school. >> Well, that were done like the last year. >> Yeah. Or any four five years ago. >> Say that. >> So, I was I wasn't here. So I will check. I would check for you. >> I would ask for you to >> I will check.
>> There may they may exist and just not have been uploaded is what I'm saying >> because that's supposed to drive everything. The >> the you know the zip drives the debt drives the valuation process, right? >> That's good to know. I've noticed the
same thing. So big question. >> I'm like that. So, um, in terms of budget development outreach, um, what how about I will just throw this out
there. Would we like to um send out an outreach message to each of the PTOs, CPAC, LPAC, and uh we can send to all of the school principles in regards to the uh school councils as well. um if they
are >> yes >> having a meeting and offer um along the lines of what member child suggested which would uh to offer uh to send a member um to receive feedback or input in person and also um just invite them
to share their input in regards to FY27 development um you know however they would like and that was interested in that. >> Okay. Um, are there any additional um, actions that members would like to see or things that you'd like to suggest?
>> I think it would be a good idea if we designate one person to receive the feedback emails just for organizational purposes. >> Okay. Okay. Um, I will do that unless someone else wants to.
Hands up now if you do. All right. Um any other suggestions, additions? Okay. All right. So, um then I will um I will put that forward to the school committee and uh and ask for approval
of that at our October meeting. Um I think members should anticipate um if we are going out to attend a meeting like last year for example I attended a meeting of CPAC and one of ELPAC um I'm going to anticipate doing that if they
would like me to um either late November or in sorry late October or in November because um that is also the time when um the executive leadership team is um requesting and
receiving back um requests from their building administrator. Correct. Yeah. So, uh that would be the ideal time to get that kind of input so that we can have that all put together for our second um set of budget guidelines um to
be voted on come January. So, we'll be able to discuss it in December, vote in January. >> Okay. >> All right. Great. Hey, we made it under time. Love it. Uh, next item is item six. Um, identify next steps towards
adopting a rubric for annual budget document improvement. So, uh, in July we just to go back a step before that. So, the committee has um had a long-standing
desire and discussion towards um improving budget documents so that they're more digestible, more understandable um for folks. And um there in our previous meeting we discussed um
one potential rubric and then also other uh general ideas about the improvement of our annual budget document. Uh so uh in our materials for that July meeting was information about the Association of
School Business Officials meritorious budget award which is a rubric by which one could seek to improve their budget document. Um and there were also examples of um budget documents from other districts that have uh achieved
that award. Now, um, Greenfield is not a member of ASBO, as far as I know. Um, so, uh, we, if we wish to do that formally, I believe we would have to decide to join that.
>> There's a member rate if you were to. >> Okay. Um, and either way, I the committee would would just need to make some decisions if we decided to go with that one. Now, um it's been a couple of months. I don't
know if folks have had a chance to go looking for other um other rubrics that they might use. I'm Any other suggestions or things that people would like to bring up?
>> Well, I know that you had mentioned giving us copies of me that you >> wanted to see things like that and we were planning on >> I don't want to say copying it, right? But modeling I was >> I was I started to go down the road of
taking the 25 >> merging into the long >> that format format >> right yes >> is it pretty much all the information that is in the long one we do have it's between both the former superintendent
PowerPoint and the long detailed sheets that we have. So, but before I went any further, I just wanted to make sure I didn't want to start constantly going down a road of >> that was going to change. >> That's right. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay.
>> But it's doable. I guess >> that's great. I think people are looking for um the taxpayers in town are looking for something that's easy to read and to understand where their money is going.
And so when I browsed through all the different budgets and I just randomly picked districts that I thought were close to our size because a big city is very different then um and Long Meadows was simple. You
knew how many first grade teachers, you knew how many teachers in each school, what was the cost of the staff. It was broken down so people could really understand where the money was going. You know, the challenge is when a budget looks different, like if it's all clumped together, the staff is all
clumped together and you're not quite sure like what that represents, like is there two second grade teachers and three first grade teachers? So, the detail, I think, is what people want to see. Um,
and they want to feel that. And that's true throughout the city. It's not just the schools. I mean, it's the city budget. It's the school budget. And I'm one of those people. I mean, when you go to pay your taxes, and our taxes are very high, you don't know what you're paying. Um, and that's that's kind of an
important thing. And I think um I liked Long Meadows because it seemed simple. It seemed clear. You could see the cost of each school. Um, you could see that information and that
was one I liked. Um, so I I that was just my favorite one. But I guess what are the benefits of us joining Maspo? You what would what would we get for that? >> Is there any
uh I'm a member of ASPO. I'm not a >> um it's a discussion for another time. Um so I mean I get all the stuff from ASBO. Okay. >> As an individual company, >> I mean, it's got a wealth of information. Quite honestly, it's got a wealth of information that if you just
Google, >> okay, >> you know, school budgets and school budget best practices, you could find various sources, public domain out there. So, >> you know, all our practices for what
it's and we we take from I'm a member of ASBO. I'm a certified government finance manager by the association of government accountants. So um I've got the national from ASBO's SFO lensure which comes with a lot of other resources at our disposal
that we use. Um so and then I'll say like the document that we have used despite the criticism of it has been cited as an exemplar from the state's accountability agency. That's where I took it from when I was with the PQA.
um that uh was designed by a former business manager CPA member volunte and stuff. So, but you know it's not for everybody. I get it. So, it shows everything you know and then now we have added the column regarding the personnel
but you know I mean there's all different ways. So, the resources are there you know as far as joining it and to go for the meritorious budget award. Um, personally, I mean, you know, look at
the districts that do get it. They've got their own, you know, full-time marketing, printing staff. Um, the staff who I can provide. I mean, you're looking through looking through all the mentors where all the financial information is there. you know, it's
just a matter quite honestly the narrative side of those types of things where you know and I for those districts have districts that have gone for it. Um you can't just quite honestly say okay Newton school write your narrative for
the budget you know Federal Street write your narrative because then you're going to want to have it. you will not get the award if it's not all written in you know there thing like is if it's if somebody you know we all have our different writing styles >> and so if you write a different writing
style um from one school to another one administrator to another um you're not going to get it >> okay >> you know so it's things like that that are again very you know it's a worthy endeavor to to choose should you want to devote the efforts or the staff to go
ahead and do that um And I'm not even necessarily concerned finance because the numbers are the numbers. You know that's I want to say it's it's cumbersome but for all the birds it's easy enough. You >> export everything into Excel and then we can manipulate it six ways till Sunday.
No, it's really the narrative side of the equation that is where >> it's really the story. >> Yeah. >> So um correct me if I'm looking at the wrong thing. Um but um these are Long
Meadows budget documents for FY25. Uh so there is this PowerPoint. >> I think it was an old one I had >> and and then each spreadsheet >> is they have their spreadsheets broken
down different ways. >> That's what you had given us I think. >> Okay. I just want to make sure I'm looking at Andy. >> We had their cover sheet. That's what Andy, >> okay, >> provides. It was the actual breakdown. So, you could see the staffing, you
could see the number of children, you could see, you could see even the money like maintenance, you know, in the building and everything else. It was the detail of each building, which I think in Greenfield that's important. Some of
our buildings are older than others. I mean, that's just the way of the world. So, as if I recall correctly, we basically said that lines line items like that can be incorporated into the
budget, no problem. Um, I want to show um because because this for some people that would work and then for other people they look at a spreadsheet and go panic. >> Um, I don't understand this. It's like
number and word salad. So, it's really intimidating for some folks to look at and it's also fairly time consuming, especially if you're not used to looking at a document like this in order to start making heads or tails of it. um which is why
these things get paired with something like a PowerPoint that has these um more truncated um pieces of information put into more of a graphic kind of presentation. Um and we have that we do that every
year. However, um that seems like it has not been enough, not adequate for um certain folks, particularly folks on city council who would like to have something more in depth than a
PowerPoint. So, um I took a look I gave I passed out some um materials there. This is just um something I because I need to see things in front of my face with like green field on it in order to to see how I
feel about it. >> Future. I took basically the format of um some budget books from other districts that do have the MBA or have had at one point um and
just try to mock up a format of what it might look if Greenfield produced a budget book RA rather than our usual spreadsheets and PowerPoint for our annual budget document. Now, um, this
amounted to I stopped at like page 29 or something because I didn't want to put too much effort into something um, that we will not necessarily do. But um
in order to achieve the MBA or even if you're not trying to necessarily achieve the award but you're just trying to use that rubric to improve your document then you would include um four basic sections which are outlined here in this table of contents which begins with an
executive summary. And that's probably where most people would go to and stop there um unless they really wanted more nitty-gritty. Um, and um, so I just tried to tried to mock up what it would look like if we had a book like this and what the
executive sum summary section might start to look like. Uh, so there's no numbers in here. This is just it's good just like a format basically. Um, so it would begin. Can I
>> Superintendent? If I email this to you, can you toss it up there on the screen? >> No. >> No. Okay. I >> have a computer in front of you right there. >> Yes. But it's connected to your
>> No. That's connected right there. I don't think >> I'm telling me that that keyboard. >> Sorry, I'm such a Lite. >> That's a That's a computer up there. >> Yes, but is this >> It's not linked to her. >> I'm not linked to my laptop. >> No, it's not. >> No. Right.
>> It's a standalone computer. >> That's okay. >> Okay. Sorry, folks. This looks >> member tiles, you have this in um in your email as additional materials. >> Yes, I got that from you today. >> Okay. So um members can look at this and this will get added to materials
uploaded to the website for folks to look at later if they um okay so it would begin basically with a breakdown of the school committee and the district administration um and ways that folks can connect with those people.
Thank you Andy. it would be followed by the superintendent's message which is like a letter from the superintendent um that begins the the whole thing and then um these are just topics that I saw that
were common to these executive summaries um that would then be covered in here. Um so a summary of overall um FY27 or whatever year you're doing spending increase drivers um chapter 78 local
contribution offsets things like that um revenue changes and um cost increases new budget initiatives strategies that were used to balance the budget areas to watch which gets at larger pressures that the school district faces like uh
what may become coming down the pike in terms of federal funding and then also enrollment and things like that. Um and then um there would be this would be a graphic um breakdown. So like Andy was
saying this there's like a a lot of footwork that would be involved in design um for this because it makes things more understandable for folks. uh rather than just putting spreadsheets in front of people, it would be um a document that has charts, graphs,
narratives that go with them. Um things like that to explain things like um FY27 revenues and budgeted expenses. And um I think it's helpful to um keep design in mind like with these
um things that are more like a spreadsheet when they have um color design that's used to help people differentiate between those lines then it looks less like a onslaught of numbers. Um it makes it easier to digest.
And uh I really liked some of the graphics that I saw um because they're different. they kind of get your attention and they make it easier to understand like staffing. If you want your staffing history over the past um few fiscal years um and what you're looking at now if you put it in a graph
that has actual people um >> then that um just sort of helps to to get that idea in your head. Anyway, um yeah, I I'll just stop there. I don't know.
I like the idea of producing a budget book. Um, but I also know that it's >> a lot of work. >> A lot of work. And I'm I'm happy for um this subcommittee to um sit here and
help do that work, but um I wanted to just get people's I impressions, opinions on producing a document like that. I think I love that.
Um, and I I too like the graphics. I think the most impressionable budget presentation I ever saw was Buzz Nimbercow and his pie charts. um kind of scared me with all of his pie charts, but they were powerful and it was a
Greenfield presentation and um because it it really hit hard where the money was going in a pictorial way. And so as a taxpayer, I knew exactly like that was I mean he was blunt. Everything
else was grant-based. He was not spending any money on except on people pretty much. Um, and he showed you that. And transportation at that time wasn't so bad because they had schools. Um, and all our schools were open at that time.
So, a lot of kids walked to school or rode a bike. Um, so, um, they used to brag about that. Greenfield was like braggy. And so, I think I love this and I love the breakdown. And I think the
breakdown allows us that every year we can see it. Okay, we lost a teacher at this school, we gained a teacher here. I mean, when it's all clumped together, you can't see the changes. And I think even whoever's looking at it, whether
it's a city council person or somebody who's just worried about their taxes, you know, like one year it was like, we're going to cut a Spanish teacher. So, everybody got upset and wanted the Spanish teacher put back, but the Spanish teacher wasn't put back and that that would have showed up. But what did
get put back when that money was put back in the budget? So what I'm saying is each time we go through this crisis of cutting school budgets and all of that pain, if you can actually see it this way and
in numbers, you have a better sense of why it's happening instead of it's just some mean person is cutting the money. I mean, it's really really real and I think that is necessary in Greenfield and it's necessary city side and school
side for all of us to know like all the debt that Greenfield is in. I want the numbers. We owe money on the library. We owe money on the fire station. We owe um we still, you know, the $66 million high school. We're still paying two
million off every year. all of that as somebody who writes a check of my blood and sweat money and I worked for Greenfield Public Schools. So, I mean part of it is really knowing where that is. Um, and I think there is a call for
that in this community because we are all very frustrated by our taxes um and what we're paying. >> Okay. >> So, I think this is great. >> Yay. Okay. and and where Andy is is great, too. I think the two go together.
Um, but again, the voting, we're a small district. This would go into a hand of a business office. In South Hadley, we had somebody who just did the book with the superintendent who did all the
writing for the book >> and it was a huge binder and it was passed around. It was like the worst Christmas nightmare of my career. It was due before we could leave for Christmas was my budget book. Andy Walzac
had to have her budget book. I couldn't have Christmas and justify every expenditure reforms. I still have it. And it's like the most scary binder you've ever seen. But what I'm saying is
the process is part of the journey, too. I'm used to zerobased budgeting, taking inventory, doing all of that. Um, Greenfield's never engaged in that process. So, I think that's a future
thing in the, you know, but I think this is a great start. >> A really great start. I mean, Roland's only here for a year. >> So, um, we've already broken his arm. Yeah. >> So, let's And Andy's finger's at risk.
So, I think we have to be careful. I think I think um I think we got our start last year by forming a budget development calendar for the first time and now we have it for the second time that can go right in here without having
to produce a new additional document. Um, I was thinking of um your comments and some of the questions that we get sometimes about um staffing uh and things like that when I was looking through these books and going like how can we how how could we present
something about staffing that's really um >> real >> digestible you know real and I think that graphics like this are very helpful for people who are visual >> and then also um like you were saying one of the things that you don't really get out of um
your current your um documents is the look back um over the >> over time >> over time like you were saying change >> you know if we get 50 more children and we have to hire another teacher or um another child goes out of district and
we lose some funding. I mean, all of that is the history of our schools, and if we're trying to improve them, we have to look at um where we need to and put the money to make them better. >> So, I think it's important. >> I think it helps people breathe, too, because when you look at trends over
time, it's usually less >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And Greenfield has a history, you know, the bankruptcy story that was big, >> right? >> Yeah. Then they rebuilt. Now we're kind of like
here we are again. So trying to rebuild and so >> right >> this is where we're starting from. This kind of the story beginning story >> five years from now hopefully the story completely changes. >> Yes. >> Member Childs you have a hand up and I'm
not sure if I have to click view or not. >> Oh it it's should be just when I talk. I was just waiting to come off of mute. Uh, something that member Goodwin said that really struck me is that we do only have Rol in for one year. Whoever we get in next as the permanent superintendent
will likely have had their own experiences, their own style. So maybe what we want to do is less of a this is the exact format and more of a list of here are the things that must be in it if that makes sense. Things like the monetary breakdowns that
Mel was talking about. Let's um I agree with that. It's really it puts us in a a really challenging spot um to be in this position where um our previous
superintendent left um and we have an interim that's just for now. We also have not been able to attract a staff business manager which um the committee's been trying to do for a while and uh we deeply appreciate what
Andy does for us and uh and puts up with us from us in the meantime. Um but it just makes it difficult because you um ideally you would be taking on a project like this with a superintendent who with
uh long past and hopefully long future, you know, longevity with the district and and your staff business manager who has the ability to devote all of their attention to you um to your district. And we don't, you know, we don't have that right now. Also, I I do think that
your example is is very nice and I don't want to I could take the easy way out jokingly say, "Hey, that's a great idea. Wait till the next next guy or next lady comes to do that." But on the flip side too, whatever we start here, >> it's the beginning >> the process, right, is is not about the
person in the seat. It's about what I say what you you being the school committee, right? Want the position to do. So if the position starts something this year, and I'm not saying pull hog into it, but then the next person in the position continues the work.
>> It's better better. >> You know, >> what if we were to um attempt to produce just an executive summary for FY27?
Normally a budget book like this it would incorporate in addition to an executive summary section also an organizational section, a financial section um and that financial section would include um all these um additional like
subcategories and then um location budget and then you would have anformational section as well. That's four different major sections. What if we were to attempt just to create the first one? the first section. My understanding from having been
through a workshop um learning about the ASBO MBA program was that this is even if we were to do that formally, it would be a multi-year project. You know, >> school districts don't just like wave their magic wand and
>> get this um in order in a year. The only one I would think might be hard would be the trends and projections unless Andy can pull up the past. I mean, I don't know. >> We only have like units only goes back.
It is on our budget document. >> Yeah. >> Three years >> of history. >> Okay. >> Um projections. My only caveat about projections is that >> that's there's that there's several of
those caveats, but also along the lines of being held to it, >> right? >> Because I've been in places where as soon as we make it public and if there's $1,000 deviation from that, it was you guys don't know what you're doing. >> Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. That's the only
thing I'm all I mean I'm all for. I mean we've got models already in place where we >> have your current staff and just like >> have them actually go through the entire salary schedule all the way out to 2030. You know that's something that I build
just by because it always helps your negotiations. You've seen what it looks like. Yeah. >> Negotiations. So but then it's just the other variables and then you never know how negotiations go all those other things and with the trains and keep
where one of the things that I've heard and I've adopted it from training to actually is long range planning in some communities is you >> know that's a challenge as far as it goes. So >> right >> I'm all for it but at the same time it's
the to get the majority. >> Are there enough, you know, we could end up having enough variables that what is the value in it to sort of say that the value because you know, well, we got this variable here that we factor. So, >> right, >> do you start to lose integrity of the
forecast >> all these other variables that are just so >> right. this >> I was thinking that when I was looking at this chart I think I was looking at Wister and um that's what this budget
trends page is based off of um and they have these three years projected um in regards to revenues expenditures and they ex break down expenditures two different ways. Um
it's page 22 >> and I was thinking the same thing. Well, what you know what happens in Worcester when it differs from what they projected because you know that there will be um some folks in the in the gallery saying but you said it was going to be this and that's
>> so um I don't know how you I think projections are actually required as part of the NPA and I don't know how districts balance that. Yeah, >> I think we can get most of the first executive session because a lot of it is
just organizational >> actually. You're talking about the scale this show, right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. A lot of it is like some of it can come right off the state website
all that stuff. >> Everything in this whole packet would be executive section stuff. >> Yeah. >> Um I didn't even finish. >> It's worth a try. Um, so this would produce something that's probably I don't know like
3540ish pages, but a lot of that is things that are broken down visually for folks. So um the narratives can can and should be kept relatively concise, you know, so that it
meets the needs of folks who are more um >> literal, folks who are more visual, just kind of meet people where they are. What if we uh Oh, >> I didn't even click. >> That's all right. >> Touch this.
>> You did that. >> We still see and hear you. Fine. >> Okay. We don't see you, but okay. So, uh, how about this? Um, why don't we
put this on the table again for our next meeting and when we come back, let's talk more specifically about uh about listing items for an executive summary. >> Yeah. Okay. That would give folks time
to go back, run through um other budget books, see what they like, what they don't like, um and just come back with specific ideas just to create that one >> right >> section. >> And is this one somewhat of a Wisterish? >> This is Wisterish. Yeah, Whistler has a
beautiful budget book and they also have like >> an entire department of like nine financial analysts, you know, because they're huge and we don't have that, you know, this this has to be doable for Greenfield. >> Um,
but it is wisterish. Yeah. >> Member Childs, what do you think of that idea? >> I think that's a good idea. >> Yes. Member Goodwin, are you good with that? Absolutely. >> All right. Very good. Then I do I need I
do not remember that particular parliamentary procedure. Do I need to move to lay something on the table? >> I don't think so. >> You've introduced >> Yeah, it just said discussion on the agenda. There's no vote. So, okay. Uh
very good then. So we will move on then um to our uh last item which is number seven discussion of the superintendent's recommendations on capital improvement priorities which we will uh which will come up for
approval by the school committee in October. So how are we looking? Um what is coming? >> Have um there was a facilities capital plan that you've had you would being greenfield
right recently and some of the things that would be upcoming potentially this year. I did speak with Mike Budro, our facilities director, and he went through and showed me some of the things that had been done or some things that are still on the table, and he'll have a
final one next week obviously to present forward. But some of the things that are being looked at would be potential uh middle school awning roof replacement by the gym doors. That's at the back over there. That's a potential $30,000.
Some of these are not final figures in and they're not even final asks. I'm just giving you >> So, it's the awning over. >> Yeah, it is. The Federal Street parking lot paving the city had approved $75,000 for that.
No. And but that cost is about roughly 200. He believes it would be in that range. So, there would still be money for that. They're the Greenfield High School lighting control system update. So they have when the school was built,
you may have heard well not as bad as what you was down having down at Minog High School may have heard when those lights were on for three years be shut off. >> Yes. >> Not what you want to end up on channel. >> No. Or Saturday Night Live, right? For that they ended up.
>> Oh yes, that's true. >> Yeah. So, so similarly, we do not have our lights on overnight, but I think we have components of that same system in that type of scenario. So, something would have to be done at some point prior to getting to that point, right?
>> Under warranty. >> I can I can't answer that question. >> Okay. >> You know, >> and I know there's still funds, >> but I'm almost gonna say he's asking for this. I don't want to answer definitively but that it's not a new
warrant to you. >> So >> asking >> another followup question about this. Um my understanding from last year's discussions in regards to capital improvement was that there was a small amount of money left from construction of the high school that could
potentially be >> repurposed for certain things. And this sounds like maybe it would be in that potentially in that category. And uh I don't know what the answer was to that. So um that would be helpful to know.
>> And there might be somebody on building sites who would be willing to go to the mat to address the fact that this is not okay. Here we are still paying for a brand new school and something's not right. As somebody who's been on
building and sites, I still, you know, >> yeah, you sit there and you listen to everybody tell you, "Yeah, everything's going to be fine." they lie. So, >> potential maybe $50,000. There are some gutter repairs at AEL,
potentially 10,000. Exterior painting, possibly 30,000. There is some work at the Greenfield High School track that's about almost 10, 11 years old now. Just painting and maintenance repair on track. Tracks generally lifestyle is around that 10 12
year range for that. Um we have an inspection of roofs happening this week some tomorrow for AEL and Newton water leakage type of generic flat roofs in New England right as you can
>> no for roofers >> imagine and general floor covering replacement and a lot of places for carpet whether it's are we replacing the discussion would have to be held carpets with carpet squares which are easily
replaceable or are we replacing carp carpet and putting flooring similar to ACT or other things down which generally tends to be the trend right now going away from carpets and possible
truck with a plow in that sense and I say possible for plowing. So those are some of the things that are on the list and we'll have more of a >> say graph or chart come second. Okay.
So, um, do you have a sense right now in regard of which of those things cannot wait and which of those things could potentially be pushed for a year? >> I can get you the the priority status and we'll do that as a priority.
>> Roofs obviously would be very important, right? Roofs, um, p any type of safety things with flooring inside of a building, right? parking lots. We can all complain about it, but we can all drive over potholes slowly. And I joke, but Right. >> But yes and no, right? It all depends.
>> That's that's always the discussion with all of our things is there's a finite amount of money, right? An infinite amount of jobs to do, right? >> That we know that >> and what's more important than the next, right? when we talk about some of the things we'll bring about at our regular school committee meetings and
>> when you're cutting X Y and Z positions and you had to do that last year and create a budget and then we want to try new things. Do we want to spend X amount of dollars for this little program? Is that program more important than a human being? And I'm not saying anybody's more important, but
>> the discussion the discussion has to be held, right? Oh, are we saving trash or are we hiring a human being so your kid can read? I mean, in that sense and and I know that it can be swayed either way. You and I know that, right? But that's the reality of there's only so much money. So, we'll I'll talk with
Mike Weel, our facilities director. Ian, I will not only obviously we'll have a chart for you, but we'll prioritize as well. >> Okay. Um I'm also just thinking about the general distribution. It seems like things are
just from the sound of it fairly evenly distributed around the buildings in terms of repairs and cost except for Federal Street. >> Um we all know we had a very big cost
there for the elevator. Yes. >> That was very recent. >> Yes. >> Just closed down and inspected. >> Yeah. And now there's this very expensive parking lot that needs to get done. Um, and I imagine >> that's been waiting for a couple years
that's been talked about. >> As Mike mentioned, some money has been allocated, not enough to cover it. Federal Street would also be in line for much many of the flooring issues that we've talked about. I guess on upper levels, >> many of their rooms are, don't quote me,
>> say hardwood or flooring, but then half is carpet, >> right? to time for the carpet either to be replaced or go a time the carpet was 50 years old. >> Yeah, there was quite a litany of things that needed to get done at federal
streets um which was all kind of overshadowed by the elevator but u it seems like in terms of our buildings and high needs like Federal Street is up there. Um >> yesri >> priority
>> right was the original green field higher not maybe not the original but >> the early ones >> okay just wanted to get a sense of that um other that's it I I we're not um this this is a discussion for the whole
committee to to have and um and make approval for um come October our October meeting but um do members have other questions right now Um, in regards to capital, member childs,
>> I just have a quick one for something that went before capital planning last year and I don't think got approved. It had to do with the nurse's office at four corners and its accessibility. Are there any updates on that or is that
just something that we're pushing down the road? My recollection is that there was about $30,000ish dollars worth of work that needed to get done in order to make the nurse's office accessible there. And in addition to
that, there is also a 15-year-old ADA complaint about accessibility at the back of the building there. Um, and we need to fix that as well. And I don't have I don't recall a ballpark cost on that.
>> I do not >> I don't know if we even had one, but I knew I do know we did on the nurse's office, which is outdated now and would need to be updated in terms of what that would cost. >> Should have a box there. >> So, we can get you a um updated
projected cost. >> Member Goodman. So the nurse's office has come up at other small elementary schools as well. >> And moving the nurse's office to another space which is ADA compliant has happened at other schools.
So that should be something that should be looked at at four corners as well. The teacher's room is right next door to the office and it has a bathroom and a sink. It would be unpopular to move the teacher's room, but there are other spaces that could become the teacher's
room and that would be 88. >> So that would be good in terms of follow. >> So a walk through maybe. >> Yeah. >> I don't got to build stairs off the back. That's going to be >> if there's a workaround for the nurs's office that's great. I
because then in terms of ameliating the back of the building I >> you have a ramp too. Andy, do you remember this? Do we need to build a man? >> I forget how [Music] >> summer school there. They need a ramp.
>> Well, I believe one of the complications for the back had to do with needing to regrade the land in order to accommodate. So, it would be a pretty big project. >> That's why there was no ballpark on it. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay.
So any follow-up information about that would be great. It nettles >> for me to have an ADA complaint that's just sitting there open for ages and obviously there's no enforcement. >> Not that I'm calling, you know, anybody down in our heads, but like that's as a
parent of kids with disabilities not okay. You know, we need to be addressing it. So >> well, each time we have a CPR audit, they come in. So I don't remember the last time we had that. So it's every three years. So
>> other um capital related questions or discussions. >> So do we have the plow? I guess like we have one we have one. >> We have plows. Yes. >> Okay. >> We have two. Is my understanding there's an unusable small car. Maybe a Ford
Focus or something. And there are two plows, two trucks. I don't know the exact ages of them. >> Okay. >> In that sense. And there's one maintenance, but we're hiring another maintenance person. There's one left.
And then if that happened, then Mike doesn't wouldn't have it or one of them is old. But we'd have rationale for all that. As you know, I'm coming through the door. So I don't have all the history unfortunately, >> but I can bring you the people with the history for that. Other
questions or discussion about capital? >> So all the elevators have been fixed. Correct. >> The one that was broken was fixed. See the history. You're trying the elevator. >> That's a trick question for him >> about the All right. So the elevator AAL works, correct?
>> I don't know of any elevator problems. >> Okay. Federal Street's been talked about for 10 years. maybe more longer and the one at the high school works. I used it and the one at the middle school is currently functioning than
>> we hear about their issues. >> Okay. All right. Um I'm not going to suggest there's not enough information right now to um make a recommendation about um capital. We'll just cover all of this at
the October meeting. Uh so with that said, it's 4:43. We are right on time, which is amazing because we left. Um we got started rather a little bit late. Um so I would take a motion to adjurnn.
>> So moved. >> Okay, I'll second it. >> Okay, I'm gonna call that one and two. >> Uh all right, >> whatever you need. >> Okay, I uh I'm going to make a roll call because we have somebody online. So I
say yes and member Goodwin. >> Is that a yes? >> Yes. >> Oh member child. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you very much everyone. We are adjourned at 4:44 p.m.
[Music]