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one more member join us. Um but we can go ahead and jump in. Um let me call the July 23rd meeting of the school committee to order. Take a quick run through the uh agenda this evening and then we will jump into it. Um we'll start with

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>> roll call. >> Oh yeah. Thank you Jeffrey. Good call. Uh so we'll do a roll call to order. Um Laura >> here. >> Jeffrey >> here. >> Tom >> here. and Sean is here. I don't see Aaron just yet.

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Um, okay, perfect. Uh, all right. So, with that out of the way, then, um, we'll do public comment for anything that's not on the agenda. We'll take the consent agenda. Um, see if there are any reports this evening, and then we will jump into our new business section, which is, um, entirely about potential

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override this evening. So, we'll start with a presentation from Dr. Turner and the the uh the team on the FY28 budget outlook and sort of the impact of a potential override or a failed override. Um we'll have some discussion about our role and participation in the process

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from here and um you know uh discuss and potentially take a vote on sending a letter to the select board endorsing either the finance committee override recommendation or uh some other course of action potentially. So um with that let's start with public comments. So, if

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there's anybody here who wants to speak to anything that's not on our agenda tonight, um if you could just use the uh the raise hand feature under the react button. I'll leave it open for 30 seconds here just to make sure. I can take you off mute if you do. Raise your

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hand. Okay. And Olivia, I'll just note for the minutes um Aaron joined us as well. Okay. Um, I don't see any hands raised, so we will jump in. Um, we'll start with the consent agenda. Um, would anyone

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like to to make a motion to approve? >> Motion to approve the consent agenda. >> Second. >> Second. >> That's good. Yeah. Seconded by Tom. Um, any discussion about the consent agenda? >> Okay, we'll move to the vote. Uh, Tom,

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>> yes. >> Jeffrey, >> yes. Laura, >> yes. >> Aaron, >> yes. >> And Sean, yes. That passes. Thank you, everyone. All right. Um, I'll just open the floor. Anyone have any reports this evening before we jump into the primary

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order of business here? Okay. Um, then with that, I think we'll start I'll turn over to Dr. Turner and the team on the uh FY28 budget outlook. >> Okay. Okay. Well, thank you very much for um giving us this time to to present. We know that there's been a lot

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of um conversation about this topic. uh since the last time that we met two weeks ago, um you asked us to present on um the uh forecasting for the FY28 budget, uh the impacts and um the impact

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if a uh override um if there was no override um whether not um put up for a vote or whether there was a failed vote. And so since that time, um I've worked with the entire team of the central office. Um Olivia, Jen, and Sarah, Kate

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and Phil, um Liam, McKenzie, um our principles we've met with multiple times, interacted with, they they put a lot of um their summer efforts into um shaping this presentation as well. It was a real team effort. Um as we um uh

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present this presentation, we recognize that there are multiple eyes on this. certainly uh you as our school committee, but we also um see this as a way to share with the community um and so um have put a lot of information into uh this presentation. We also have an

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appendix which we won't will not present on but we'll have data um for this and we will update this uh slide deck um into the into our packet. Um, we also recognize that the select board's

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decision um is uh to determine how much free cash uh to use and the size of an override if they choose to do an override. Um, so the focus of this presentation um is um what the budget forecast would look like and uh the

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impact if there is no override. Olivia, if we can go to the next slide, please. >> [clears throat and cough] >> Oh, call up the slide. There we go. All right. Can we see that? >> Um, okay. So, if we go back a slide.

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Thank you. So, um this presentation is um to um give you first an outlook of the budget. This is going to we're going to establish some context um for you. Um this will include some community comparisons. Um we're going to tell you

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about um uh Reading's academic uh and learning story. Um we're going to share some other additional information. As I said, some of it will be in our appendix in terms of our school size and then um the context of the budget over time. Um, we're also going to then talk about on

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the second part of our presentation will be about the impact of no override considerations for FY28 with no override and the impact of Bren public schools if the override um doesn't occur, if there's a or if it fails. Next slide.

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So, um we're now going to talk to you about um establish a little bit of context for you and we'll start with um the current school year that we are going into um FY27. So, this would be the 26 27th school year. Um and it's

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important to to note that um the FY27 budget which was approved last year um is a level service budget. And in order to balance the budget, $800,000 was used from non-reoccurring funds. U meaning uh

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uh different funds um that are really one-time money that are onetime money. And so therefore um the community priority um money of $917,000 is essential to remain level funded for

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FY28. So that's an important assumption for us. Next slide, please. And so we know there's some questions about how did we come to the 5.25% increase. This was shared with the town um in the spring um and um it includes

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uh the total budget uh of $62 million $823 um $100,000. and the FY28 budget of the assumptions are that we added no positions um which is consistent now would be consistent for two years with FY27 FY28

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um we are going into collective bargaining with all of our unions and so there are assumptions that are made um into factored into this there are uh non-personnel budget increases that are required um namely our increases um for

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our elementary literacy and math programs that are the foundation um that our teachers are utilizing for the academic success that um you you know about and will and will continue to learn about. Uh it also increases it um

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includes uh putting $200,000 um as a as a accurate line item for our tech renewal budget. Um and it also includes regular day transportation which is total of $46,000. We're offsetting uh we have some offset

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assumptions that include um our school choice at 128 students. Our school choice special education um increment of $100,000 death and heart of hearing program through the same collaborative with revenue continuing at $40,000.

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Three students from other districts into our special education programs. So that would be tuition. We know that um going into FY27 we have um exceeded that number of three and all other offsets are level funded except for the rise preschool program um full day

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kindergarten and previous year school choice. Next slide please. So what happens next is the select board will vote on whether to place an override on the November ballot. uh the imp for the direct impact. If they vote no, the outcome determines the scale of

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the required budget reductions across the school department. If they vote yes, we will educate the community on the impact of a failed override on the schools. Our strategy is to proactively prepare this community for multiple reduction scenarios and also to maintain

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a core philosophy that um for all potential budget scenarios, we're going to aim to align to our writing public schools values and our educational goals. Next slide, please. So now I'm going to pass it to uh

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assistant superintendent Jen Stice and Sarah Hardy who are going to share more about um the success of writing story. >> Thank you Dr. Turner. We are so proud to share the work that we have done and

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want to really tell the story of all the staff and families and students who go into making Reading a wonderful place. Next slide, Olivia. So, what you see here are the um the

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signs for each school. And a lot goes into every single school day. and all of the people that help make each school the individual schools that they are where people are so proud of their

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individual schools are really successful only because of everyone that works with us, including the custodians, the staff that are answering phones. And as we think about how we continue to improve

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outcomes for our students, when we say all staff, we really mean all means all. All these people are here to ensure that we have excellence for all of our students. Next slide, please.

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So tonight you're going to hear us speak at different points about the academic excellence um that we that is underway in the Reading Public Schools. There has been a lot of work done um to build up our um students in the area of

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academics. You will see that this ranges from elementary, preschool, elementary all the way through high school. These photos just highlight some of our amazing National Merit ST scholars, some of our writers at the elementary level and our middle school math teams. Um, and these accomplishments really are due

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to the hard work of our students, our educators, and our support staff who set high expectations for students every day and some of the recent investments that you'll hear a little bit more about as we go through the presentation. Next slide.

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And we also know that our students are very well-rounded and we're not just focusing on academics. We also have um a thriving student engagement. In some of these pictures, you'll see some of our um students engaged in extracurricular

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activities, including Will Merkel, who is an allstate uh champion wrestler, and Ryan Pulpy, who broke a 52year-old record um at the state level. And then there's also um the boys indoor track

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that captured um a state track and field championship. and the um U the RHS drama team that went to the state finals um for the theater competition and out of 96 schools reading was one of only 15 to

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make it to the finals. We are really proud of all of our students and what they do to make Reading Public Schools u a better place. Next slide please. So when we talk about the values of Reading Public Schools, um we really

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focus a lot on the idea of like making sure that our students are ready for when they leave us. And so there's been a significant investment over the last um four to five years in improving options for our high school students. So making Reading Memorial High School um

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more than just a traditional high school model, but really offering our students a wider range of uh engaging and relevant learning experiences. This might include career pathways, dual enrollment courses, more advanced placement options, and expanded

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electives that really allow our students to explore what they're interested in and develop a clearer plan for when they leave us uh and when they graduate. And um we're proud of these things not only because they support and engage our students who are with us, but we believe

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that they also make our high school um a more attractive choice for families when they're considering if they want to stay in the public schools or if they want to move their students to a private school for high school. And so the work that's gone into making our high school future ready is really um work that we wanted

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to highlight for you. Next slide. The other thing that we really wanted to highlight for you is our belief in inclusion and having all people participate. Uh we have a thriving

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unified sports program. We have students who sit um on our children's cabinet which is a multi- um town agency committee. Uh we also have our rocket leaders who think about the community

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and how to help the reading food pantry. On the next few slides uh you're going to see some work from our principles. They are extremely proud of the work that they have done at their school buildings and they spent a lot of time

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really highlighting for you some of the things that they are really proud of that make Reading Public Schools stand out as a leader in excellent education. >> Next slide, please. >> So, as Jen was saying, um these next few

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slides were developed in collaboration with our principal leadership team. um our elementary and preschool leaders really wanted to focus on the student success um that we are seeing and it's that it's not just happening by chance that it really is happening because

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we've moved away from outdated curricular resources, outdated instructional practices to building a really strong foundation for our students using highquality resources and robust professional development. And then on top of that, we've been able to

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layer in some of those supports that we think are just really foundational to making sure our students can fully access their academics. Um, and they set up our teachers to be able to really deliver that highquality curriculum. Um,

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and I think that, um, we definitely want to, um, do, you know, bring these slides together in like a little bit more of a cohesive, um, and, um, you know, cleaner presentation style. But for tonight, we wanted to actually show you sort of the

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values and the the, um, the items that our principles listed as the things that have been happening in our elementary schools that have led to some of the success we're seeing. And not only are we seeing success um academically, but we know that that

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academic success is very much tied to the social emotional learning and the work that our inclusion specialists and BCBAs are doing. We are providing um direct professional development and

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school support right in classrooms and helping um teachers make changes so that all students can learn. We um supported 114 students this year in their

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classrooms to make sure they could be successful and help the teachers set up systems so that they could teach the entire class. We also know Reading had a long-standing relationship with Understanding Disabilities, which

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unfortunately was no longer able to continue, but we were able to take their good work and continue it out to create um lessons called understanding each other that are at every elementary school. uh where we're finding a lot of

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success because we know that some of these non-eing positions lead to good academic results. As a matter of fact, uh we know that USC just released a study in January saying that students

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who participated in universal SEAL programs showed a significantly um statist a statistically significant improvement in overall academic achievement compared to the control

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group that did not have those lessons. And that's really important because they're providing evidence that SEAL programs can improve academic achievement and math and literacy. And in uh 2017, the National Commission on

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Social Emotional and Academic Development convened a council and they concluded that having students directly taught social emotional competencies are essential for learning, positive development, and success in schools,

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careers, and life. So, we really want to honor all that new research and make sure our students have what they need as they are going through our school system. So, you're going to see those social emotional supports and coaching

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opportunities through all of our school levels. We wanted to just explain it a little bit more at the elementary, but no, it happens at the middle and high school levels. If I can just interject, one um thing that I have learned from our principles who are very knowledgeable and passionate about our

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schools is um the shifting needs of our students over the last several years um and developmentally needing more social um and emotional support. Um and so some of those skills that they could work on are working on are around resilience and

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social interactions with peers. Um and you know certainly those are critical skills for students to be developing particularly in a postcoid and hyper techchnology um world. And so um for for those in our community who have not been

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um in an elementary school in in in in a while um the the needs of our students certainly are um different than maybe 10 15 years ago. Um but in order to get the same sort of academic gains, we need to support the social the so the social

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emotional um components of their of their learning. And I would just lastly say that you know they also noted that in terms of new positions, the assistant principles have been a critical um component to being able to support that um social emotional um connection for

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students and development. um particularly so it allows for the principles to be in classrooms more to coach teachers um and to work on instructional practices. >> Yeah. Thank you Dr. Tuner. Dr. Turner because I think the other piece of that

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is that we've also been able to work on really strong transition planning especially from the prek tok level so that the um teachers understand the students that they are receiving and can jump right in starting with strong

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academic instruction and support for them. Next slide. >> Yeah. And so what you've just been hearing about the needs for social emotional supports is is not actually unique to elementary. Um we're actually really proud of the work that's been

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happening at our middle school level as our middle school teachers and staff really um are learning how to meet the needs of today's middle school students who might present um with different strengths and with different areas that need support. Um, with the addition of the school adjustment counselors at the middle school level, we are better able

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to meet those needs that we really know is foundational for our students being able to access the challenging academics. Um, we've also had some really strong curriculum and instruction work happening in each of our content departments um with alongside investment

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in highquality materials and professional resources. And we believe that that um paired with our model of team teaching where our students stay in a cohort um together. So there's a group of teachers that get to know those

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students are able to meet regularly to discuss their needs to discuss how to differentiate for them are some of the things that are leading uh to stronger outcomes at our middle school level. The additional um things we've been doing at the middle school level um

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which is actually happening at all levels is that targeted direct instruction and data collection um that then allows us to make directional shifts if needed for our students with disabilities so that they

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are making effective progress in all areas. Um it is all rooted in researchbased um um academic work including the work of Maryanne Wolf and Joan Sadita and

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Kilpatrick. making sure that our teachers have the latest knowledge on how brains work and what is the best way to instruct students so that they understand reading, writing and math in

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a way that makes sense for them. The thing that I would just also add is that um the both middle school principles emphasize this and I I had a chance of meeting with middle school um parents both at Parker and Coolage um is the need for their kids to feel seen in as they are in this developmental age

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for them. And um you know the middle school model which is really was founded on the idea of um the whole child um supporting students socially um socially and academically allowing them to stretch and grow um allowing them to

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make mistakes um and addressing behavior as they grow and and metriculate into high school. Um and so it's clear that this passion for the middle school model is um is central to the schools and the principles wanted to emphasize that their schedules are built on this and

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there's a long history of building these schedules which um any shifts to that model would um would require um an incredible amount of um of labor and really a restructuring of their of their school cultures.

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Next slide. Yeah, there we go. So, um I already shared information on a few few slides ago about some of the innovative work that's been happening at our high school level with our innovation career pathways and our dual enrollment. Um, I want to also build on that a little and

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just say that our high school really offers exceptional um, enrichment programming for students, extracurricular activities, and of course um, a really high quality athletic program. Not only does that enrich the experience of our students there, and really give them lots of

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different ways to um, express themselves, learn about their interests, try things out, but it also makes our high school attractive. um and it will um you know keeps keep students wanting to come back to RMHS each year. In regards to um running a high school, a

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high school is um a very busy place with lots of moving parts and we've been able to layer in some really important support staff over the last few years that we think actually really enhance the student opportunity and allow our students to maximize programming. Um

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even simple things like um making sure that we have the right level of office support staff so that um everything runs smoothly really does enhance the student experience. We also are proud of the investment that's been made in our school counseling department. Um that's

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part of that making sure that our students are ready for the next step. Um and giving um room in our schedule so that our school counselors are able to meet with their students to um talk with them about um understanding how their

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high school experiences connect to what they want to do next and helping them as they go through that important decision-making um point in their life in high school. One of the other things that is unique to our high school is we have such a strong partnership to the coalition that

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is um out of the police department. They come and teach classes for our students and really support all of the work we're doing and it is a wonderful thing that reading um helps to support all of the students in a multitude of different

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ways across departments. Just real quick, one thing that I was able to observe the other day was Sarah leading a um a summer workshop with uh middle school and high school history teachers who were uh vertically aligning their work. So, not only were they

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working on coherence across our two middle schools, but how do they work together both from the 6 through 12 model in terms of history learning, both in terms of content and in terms of skills, which I think is just a a real demonstration that our schools, our

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secondary schools are really in um a great stage of continuing to grow and thrive and there's a lot of momentum and buyin among our staff. >> Next slide, please. Um in the previous slides you had obviously heard about some of the

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special education work that's happening but we also wanted to highlight it um on its own slide because as you know we every year have to do either a um program review or a programmatic review

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of the work that we are doing in special education to ensure that we are doing what is best for for our students and we have done those very publicly and often hired outside people to come in and give

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us feedback so we can ensure we have very strong programs and we are gaining momentum. This is not work that is is finished. It is work we are continuing to do and are very proud of. um

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including continuing to align our district-wide programming with a focus on curriculum and data collection uh with the support of the school committee. We've added some key positions uh to make sure that work can

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continue. We've also developed our own 18 to 22 year old program to support students who need a little bit more time to work on life skills, socialization, and um

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being out in the community. And some of that work what we are seeing is um as Dr. Turner mentioned, we are actually um planning for the fall to tuition six student in six additional students from

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other area school districts are coming to our programs. Um it is across all of our programs. Uh we just got another student for our lead program at the high school. We have somebody trans that has

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already been in our um lift program which is our 18 to 22 year old program. So we are very excited about that. Um over this past year and into next year we have six students returning from out of district programming because our in

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district work is so robust. we can support them and have students gain um academic and social emotional access in a least restrictive environment. We have also done a tremendous amount of work

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enhancing our reading evaluations and instruction and really based in data as you had heard earlier. And we are providing that direct support for behavior management and inclusion practices which allow

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teachers to uh focus on their teaching in their classrooms rather than um learning how to do that behavior management and uh data collection independently. And it really allows our

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students to have a very robust experience in Reading Public Schools because we are providing PD for staff and families and our community partners. We're also renting space to steam for

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their deaf and heart of hearing program which really enhances Woodend school as they're bringing in other students um which is very nice and really truly one of the things we've been um focusing on

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is just investing in our indist programs to save in outofd district placements. Not only is it fiscally responsible and we want to be good stewards of the the town's resources, but we also know that students deserve to be educated in the

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least restrictive environment for them. Next slide, please. >> I can as you switch slides, I just want to give a shout out to Jen and her team. It's uh as you as you know, summer uh still is a time of hard work um for um our student services department. Um and

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we have ESY going on right now. um are it is clear that the commitment to inclusion in this community is um being seen um and it's clearly felt and so I just as I bump into our paris uh on a daily basis now seeing that their

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passion for kids and support and seeing how our kids are um are doing so well um in these in in in our um in our uh summer programs has been uh really um exciting. So, we've been talking a lot about um our programs and our offerings and

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things that we are really proud of that make Reading a wonderful place to be for our students, staff, and families. And we really wanted to take some time um to just summarize this investment and then show you where that spending is over the

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next two slides. >> Yeah. So, um, I am actually going into my sixth year here as one of the assistant superintendents in Reading Public Schools. And just, you know, hearing what we've just shared with you over the past few slides, um, really

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makes me proud to have been part of this work. When I think about the changes that have happened over the last few years has really been an investment um, by the town in adding in those things that we really think are foundational to allow our students to be successful. um

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really making key staffing increases in spots where there were deficits, where we didn't have the things that we needed, that our teachers didn't have the things that they needed um to really support the academic outcomes we were looking for. um and just really being careful and and thoughtful about what

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needed to be funded in order to build out the systems and structures that we believe um really are leading to some great progress that we are starting to see um shine through in our student results. So, um just to brag for a

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moment, we um when we look at how our students are performing against, um you know, the 300 so other districts in Massachusetts, um we are pushing towards the 90th percentile statewide in u math and ELA achievement. So, that's a really

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it's a really great place to be. Um we also have amazing momentum in our literacy outcomes. Um, for those of you who perhaps tuned in to my end of the year report, our early literacy screener, Dibbles, um, we had tremendous, um, results from our K to3

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students, um, with very small percentages of students, um, not meeting or exceeding benchmarks. Um, when we also look at our MCCAST ratings, um, our schools accountability percentiles have all been growing, many of them reaching,

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um, the highest account, um, the highest percentages that they've ever had as schools. Um, and then when we also line up the social emotional supports that we've been able to put in place, we've been able to bring Reading up to the level of supports that we see in um,

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some of the other surrounding districts. So, we're we're really proud of this. We're excited for what comes next, but we wanted to um sort of lay out for you um some of the things that we believe the investment that's happened over the last few years has led to.

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>> Yeah. And to add to uh Sarah, I think we are so proud of some of our outcomes around student attendance and the decrease in chronic absenteeism because we know that students need to be in

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school in order to make progress. And also, we've had other districts reach out to us asking how we are dealing with the changing student population um and engagement. And for a past couple

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of years, we have been running um book clubs around for parents and for staff around the a anxious generation and having speakers come in such as Lynn Lions uh and Sarah Ward who talk about

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anxiety and executive functioning respectively. Plus having all of this in district support and in-classroom support which has really put us ahead of so many places who are trying to catch up with.

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Who are the students in front of us and how do we support them and how do we highlight their unique and exciting needs that um skills that they're bringing to the table that other students didn't have. Next slide please.

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So, as we are are talking about all these good results that we are getting and the important things that we've put in place, we also wanted um to just point out that um we are lower funded

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around our per pupil spending than some of our surrounding districts. This graph shows um data from the state from DESIE. They only have data available through 2024. That's why we're only showing data through 2024.

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But if you notice, reading is the red line in terms of per pupil spending. So for us, we want to make sure that what we are doing in terms of student achievement continues to be preserved,

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but also knowing we are doing it um with funding that has less than some of our surrounding communities. and we are proud of that work. >> I think it's a real celebration um that um of the momentum that is happening and in speaking with elementary school

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parents um uh today they they see that momentum and they see um their students growing and they are excited for their children's future. um speaking with a um uh a community member whose children went through the

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school district a few years ago um remarked about um how lean it felt years ago in the reading public schools and how proud we should be of the investments that have made the last few years. Um and it's clear in this in this graph uh that yellow dotted line is uh

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the state average that um you know indicating that we are um um that the district has been physic fiscally responsible uh in terms of its investment and investing wisely and smartly uh in terms of areas that are strategic to support student learning

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and having uh huge impacts and it's clear that we are continuing this momentum is continuing um this is not the end of this end of the story. This is we were right in the middle of the story. Um and it's really kudos um as the newcomer I will say kudos to uh Dr.

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Milchesky and um and and the entire district uh for um this commitment and the level of level of work and certainly for me was certainly one of the the lures for um applying to this u position being a part of this community. Next

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slide please. So it is challenging to transition from all of that um good news and excitement um to talk about um what would happen um if um we had to make um reductions. Um and it is clear that um you know we we

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that um these reductions as indicated in the town presentation and will be in our presentation is that um if we have to make reductions um we will have to include staffing positions. Um and it will it will be larger staffing

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positions uh depending on the number um of the reductions that we would have to make. Uh next slide please. And so we are taking this uh very seriously as I indicated in the previous meeting with you all. Um that this has been topic number one for this team. Uh we've been

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meeting on this topic um every day uh for the majority of our day. um and um you know are prepared to work hard uh to um you know to deliver um the the the um uh the service for you in terms of being

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clear um transparent um and collaborative in terms of our decision-m um philosophy. Um we developed this philosophy and share it with you for your feedback. This is not a these are not fixed terms but something that we wanted to share with the community for

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your input. Um and so our um proposal is that our decision-making philosophy um around this budget be valuesdriven that it's uh that it is first and foremost student centered that it's committed to the excellence for all students that it

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continues the improvements to learning instruction and support for students that were just shared on the last several slides. that we continue systems for supporting students such as the early literacy and screening and intervention uh work. We also um are proposing that this work be

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collaborative and certainly um that we are sharing ideas and we're look looking for feedback from uh uh from you the school committee and also from um our community members that we we aim to be transparent to be sharing with you um the the data in terms of how decisions

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are made and what our budget looks like. And we also want to um continue um you know as best we can to continue to move forward as a district um to see where um can we what can we how can we evaluate in order to improve within this process.

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Next slide please. And so we listed here um some district long-term priorities that have been clear as part of the strategic plan such as curriculum and instruction improvements, special education programs and programmatic improvements um and

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supports for students. And then uh for this upcoming school year, you as a school committee listed uh three budget priorities, preserving classroom resources, evaluating MECO funding and adjustment counselor roles, and emphasizing efficiency and alignment.

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Next slide, please. And so our steps to date um is that uh Dr. Machesky and I uh met um over the course of the spring um uh in our transition meetings. Uh he invited me to join um in a town um and school joint

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meeting uh in which the presentation of um our FY28 um proposed budget um occurred. um with the assumptions. Um we had we've had daily meetings on this topic as a central team. We've worked with both our HR and finance uh teams to

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do analysis for us. Um and uh we most recently had a July meeting. Uh we have another one propos uh planned for next week with the town and um we've been working both uh individually with our principal team and um um and as part of

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our district leadership team. Next slide, please. And so financial action steps um for 2027 include tuitioning and special education students to our programs, increase school uh choice enrollment, analysis of subscriptions and

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educational platforms. We're not yet yet ready to um share that. We are doing that analysis uh currently. um reduction in paying for external professional development in conferences that has started already in terms of how we are making decisions around PD and

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conferences which is already being felt by um our staff um and a reduction in paid curriculum working groups outside of the uh the teacher workday. As I shared we had some teachers who were working during the summer um but certainly we know that this is these are going to be lean decisions that we're going to be making moving forward. Next

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slide please. We also wanted to share with you um the uh revenue from our school choice. Um as you know uh school choice started a few years ago. Um and what the slide on the left shares is the increase of students that we have uh

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received through school choice. Uh which is a clear demonstration that um families want to send their students to reading. Um and the revenue um is on the on the right um uh for school choice tuitioning students. Um and um you know

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it's important to to recognize is that um that we're adding students into open seats. Uh this is not requiring us to to add additional staff. Um and uh we certainly can share we have not we are not yet ready to share the 2027

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um uh school choice uh tuition revenue but we certainly can come back to you with that data. Next slide please. This is the um net um revenue from students who are tuitioned into reading public schools. As we shared um students

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who are um being placed um in district um uh to reading from other communities uh through special education uh tuition um and this is the net revenue. So this is uh we have no we we sharing that we have uh no additional costs for these

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students being tuitioned in. similar to what I share with school choice that these are we're filling into open seats. Um and so it's not requiring additional staff. If there is additional staff that is required for a student um the um sending district will pay for it.

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Next slide please. We also wanted to share um this slide which is the net cost of athletics. Um as you know there are um there are fees related to athletics. there's been slight increases to these fees and despite the fees, the district is still um net paying uh more

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and more every year for athletics. Um and so it has had an increased impact on the overall budget. You'll see that in um the a huge jump in 2021. Um I'll just share I was a high school principal at that time and that was something that was felt across all high schools as

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transportation costs um increased. there was a shortage of bus drivers. There was um and gas prices uh were were ticking up and overall um uh bus transportation uh fees were were increasing. Um we're also um you know there was increases in

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coach in kosher salaries and rental fees um for where our teams are um are practicing that they're that are offsite. Next slide please. And so now um I'll bring Phil in who's going to share with you um some of the

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direct impacts um or um um in context um if an override fails. >> So as the superintendent had said earlier, you know, we're not here to talk about how much um reductions may need to be, but we're talking about our

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analysis of certain amounts. if we had to cut the budget by x amount of dollars, what we'd be looking at in terms of meeting those reductions. Excuse me. So, some of the assumptions that we've made is, you know, 80% of our overall budget is people. So, that's one

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of the areas we really need to take a look at. So, for an educated equivalent, we have $100,000 that we're using for part of our Excuse me, my voice is still recovering from my back surgery here. Um, my education equivalent is around

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$100,000 of salary. A power equivalent is around 32. A custodian equivalent is around 61. And the administrative assistant equivalent is around 66. One of the things you want to be careful with is that um, if we need to reduce costs, not all costs are going to come

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from staff. And if you go back and look at one of the slides from the Tom's presentation where they're talking about the number of positions that might need to be cut, u we prefer to use the number of equivalent positions, so to speak. It's just a way, one way of representing

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how many dollars that we'd be looking at. One of the things that did come up in our conversations with uh all the town departments was that we need to keep in mind that if we do have to reduce positions, there is unemployment expenses involved. As you may or may not

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know, all cities and towns or most cities and towns in Massachusetts are self-insured for unemployment. Which means if somebody goes out claims unemployment, we as the town pay the entire boat, the entire amount for that. Unlike a corporation which pays into the

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state unemployment insurance fund, we don't pay into that. We just pay the expenses directly. And right now, the maximum unemployment that one can collect is around $33,000 a year. So in the first year of any staff reductions,

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you need to factor in the potential for unemployment expenses as well in order to get to the number of position you actually need to cut. Um Olivia, the next one, please. So we looked at this in three different trunches, so to speak. So, if we're

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looking at a1 to $2 million reduction to the school budget for 28 that we that had been presented, here is what we are potentially looking at in terms of staffing reductions. It could be up to five educator positions. It could be up to seven paraprofessional positions. And

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we talk about paraprofessionals. We are not talking about special ed parrofessionals. We're talking about non-special ed par professionals of which there are I believe about 54 within the district and those are tutors

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um kindergarten paras as well as um paras in the front office of the all the schools and we'd also be looking up to three non-union positions as well in terms of non-staffing impacts you know we've done a lot of thinking already as

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to where can we look and try better minimize the amount of staffing reductions in this 1 to2 million trunch. The first one would be we can increase fees or extracurricular activities and athletics. As we know, we increased a lot of the fees for fiscal year 27 this

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year, but you know, it's difficult to raise the fees because of the impact that that can have on families and students. Um so in terms of how much that would be you know that's a difficult one to um forecast at this point and again we would use this to

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offset reductions elsewhere. Um we've also started talking about um increasing the facility rental fees. Again we increased them about 5% for this year. um we may have to raise them even more if we want to help to offset uh reductions in terms of staffing

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reductions or other non-staffing reductions that we may have to do. And I hate to talk about perhaps a potential third rail here. Uh but we're also starting to think about do we need to start reinstituting full day kindergarten? As many of you probably

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know, um the revenue from full day kindergarten up until about four years ago was about $600,000 a year. Uh we have eliminated a that entirely so that full day kindergarten is now offered um at no tuition to any parent who wants

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student or child I should say to attend full day kindergarten. Um some other things in terms of reductions, one of the things we're looking at is our uh onetoone program and our laptop purchasing program and the superintendent may want to elaborate

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elaborate a little bit more on that. Um but we did put 200,000 in the budget as we as the superintendent mentioned earlier for 28 and we'd be cutting that down to 100,000 which would mean that um there we may have to go to a 5-year replacement cycle on some of the

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devices. Um we may pause on the prepay about a district tuition. What we've been able to do for the last number of years is when we get to the end of the year, if there are funds left over, we are able, as allowed under Mass Law, to prepay tuition for the following fiscal

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year with current year uh money. And for the last three or four years, that's ranged between 800,000 and about 1.2 million. Um for fiscal year 27 right now, we are forecasting that we're only going to have about $500,000 available

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to do prepays. And then for 28, um, depending on what happens, we may not have anything available to do any prepaids for fiscal year 29. Excuse me. Um, we're also starting to look at drawing down on the special ed um,

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reserve fund. Right now, that's forecasted by the end of 27 to be around $663,000, which includes the interest that we're earning on that for. We did not put any money into that for fiscal year um 26,

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but for 25, 24, and 23, we had put in 600,000 uh into the reserve fund, which got us up to about 1% of our overall expenses. And we're also looking at using a percentage or partially of circuit breaker funds within the current

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year. What I mean by that is typically every year we end our with a balance in our circuit breaker account of what we got reimbursed that year and we use all that in the following year. Uh this would mean that we'd have to start using money that we're getting in fiscal year

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28. We'd have to also spend it in 28 rather than holding on to all of it and not spending it until uh 29. Um I'm going to go off a little bit of a side for 27. That was one of the things that we did in order to balance fiscal year 27, we did that with our school choice

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um tuition money that in order to balance the 27 budget, one of the things we had to do is take 500,000 from school choice that we're going to get during fiscal year 27 and spend it in fiscal year 27 rather than being able to carry that as a balance at the end of the

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year. All right, can we go to the the next one? Hey, before you start, I wanna I want to Tom's got his hand raised. I want to >> Thanks, Sean. >> Um, so a couple of quick notes here. Uh, Phil, first of all, everybody, thank you for all the time to put all this together. Um, as as we look at this, I'm

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not saying we're going to raise the rate back to it, but just so we're on on the on the level, our revenue for FDK was 1.2 million give or take it at its high, not 600,000. So, double what was mentioned there. that would be a full 4,500 give or take for 270 kids. Um, we

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go up obviously it's there's more kids, it's more money. Um, so that's one thing. The second thing is I think the risk that you're laying out here needs to really be understood in terms of using money from one year to pay the next year and how we will not have that

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money again after that, right? Um, and that becomes a bit of a problem. Like this prepaid, if we delay this, that means we then have to pay the full bill the next year, and it makes the next year much more expensive for us and causes other ripple effects that are more severe. So, we need to really kind

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of hit on the the long-term impact of some of these as we think about this on a go forward basis, almost projecting out a couple years if we make some of these decisions and what it means for the following year, right? because we're going to have to catch up with that money the following year if something else doesn't happen. So, as we think

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about this, it's not just a one-year impact with some of these decisions. It becomes a multi-year ripple impact for some of these decisions. And we need to make sure that's very clear for people that that is not a good practice or good pattern. We want to make sure we steer clear of that, which unfortunately we are doing in FY27. Right? Uh I'll hit it

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again. Many people hear me say it. I'll say it 15 times between now and then. All right. probably this $800,000 bucket that we had to fill this year in FY27 is not sustainable at all. We used one-time funds to do that. That causes us to not be ready for the next year. Uh and that

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in particular, although you could argue it's not one time completely with school choice, but a reserve of school choice is now going to be gone after this year. We will no longer have a quote unquote reserve uh unless we start building it back up with some of this stuff. So we need to think about that and make sure

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people understand that one year becomes worse the next year if we keep doing this. So Bill, thank you. And John, thanks. >> Thank thanks for sharing that. Uh, one thing I should have mentioned is that we um designed these slides um as uh in in

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terms of uh the reduction um because there's still things that are unclear um in decisions that have to be made such as how much free cash will be used on the town side um and what the decision would be for for an override. And so we thought this was the best way to to share with you. Um but um there may be

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questions like what you know what would happen if um you know it was a $6.5 million override or a $5 million override or others that were used. So I will just share that if anything other than a $6.5 million override um assuming

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um uh um that um there may be some or no free cash additional used. Um this would um be the slide that would be what the reality would be for for us. So, just to say again that anything other than the below the $6.5 million um

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override plus additional free cash, this would this would be uh the impact uh for the schools. >> Next slide, Phil. >> Yep. So, this would be for a $2 to $3 million reduction school budget. Um, in terms of the non-staffing impact, the

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only change that we have down there is we'd end up um, considering using more circuit breaker funds than we did in the previous slide. All the other numbers are uh, the same under the staffing reductions because once we get beyond the one to $2 million um, the only place

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that we can look at that point is really starting to increase the number of staffing reductions we'd be looking at. So, in this scenario, uh, we'd be looking up to 10 educator positions, up to 13 par profofessionals, and up to,

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uh, five non-UN positions in order to be able to close a2 to3 million um, overall reduction. And the next, >> as Phil indicated in this slide, is that um, you know, we really are starting to top out in terms of non-staffing um,

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areas. And so, uh, what we'll see on what we see in this slide and on the next slide is that, um, the the multiples for, um, position, uh, position cuts are are greater here because we've really exhausted all of our non-staffing,

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um, impacts. Okay. So, then here's the last one, the 3 to four million. Again, just the scenarios that we've been looking at to look at what the impacts would be in terms of the um, non-staffing impact. we'd eliminate the entire new laptop purchasing. So, we remove that 200,000.

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The other numbers are stay the same. Staffing reductions again continue to go up. Now, we talking up to 15 educator positions, up to 20 par professional positions, and up to seven non-union. So, some mixture of all this is what we're going to have to do in order to

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hit that 3 to4 million reduction to the school budget. Um if if I could superintendent I did want to just go back to one thing in terms of 27 and 28. If you look at the 27 um budget that was

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approved by the school committee the overall increase in funding in from the general fund from the city is 2%. So if you look at it, we had a 7.3% reduction in our accommodating cost line

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and on the operating side, we had about a 3.1% increase. So that netted out to be like 2.01 and then we had the additional 25,000 um that was voted on later on. So I think it brought up to 2.05. I'm bringing that out because one of the reasons why 28 turns out to be

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5.25 25 is we do need to make up some of those onetime funds that we've used in order to make 27 work. So if I were to add the 2% increase from 27 and the 5.25 for 28 both of which are level service budgets that means across the two years

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it's an average of about 3.6. So we are recognizing that for 27 the 500,000 that we're using from school choice we can't do it again and that needs to be made up from funding that has to come from at this point from the uh city's allocation

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to the school department. So you know we are keeping those things in mind at least for 27 going into 28. The >> previous slide we're looking at about 3% of our total staff and this slide we're looking at 5% of our total staff. um that would be that would be reduced and

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um if the um salaries of the staff members that we would be reducing um are those positions are lower than the assumptions that we made um we would be making more cuts than what's on the slide. Additionally um with the um

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unemployment number that Phil had shared, we could be looking at more positions beyond this as well. Yeah, and I apologize I couldn't sound as upbeat as uh Jen was in her presentation, but you know, unfortunately I had to do the numbers portion.

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>> Thank you, Phil. >> And so now we're going to talk about the impacts um of what this will look like in the different um categories um um if the override um there's no override. Yeah, obviously um seeing these numbers

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is sobering for us, especially after talking through all of the good work that's been underway, especially by our educators. Um when we look at educator positions, obviously finding any spot to cut is tremendously difficult. Um there's no fluff uh in our schools.

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Everyone is working um fully to support our students. Um reductions in educators would most likely um be from reductions at the high school or middle school level which would result in increased class sizes for our students. Um would

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also result in us not being able to offer some of the things we currently have at our high school. Um and that could even impact the amount of advanced placement courses and elective courses which are really um core to our instructional program there. Um this

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could mean the loss of that team model at the middle school if we need to dig into the schedule and arrange it differently. Um at the elementary level due to um the you know the size of the the the number of students at each grade level um classroom teachers really

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wouldn't be a possibility. We'd have to look at specialist positions or some of those other positions um and like reductions in student support positions which we know are essential. We really feel that, you know, cutting any of these positions will diminish the

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experience for our students and it it also, you know, has a negative impact on the programming that that's offered in Reading. Sort of, you know, what you've heard about um the number of students wanting to come into our district, whether it's school choice or tuitioning in for special ed programs. Um we don't

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want to lose um that reputation and lose uh really that experience that we've built for our students. We also are so proud of our outcomes. Um, and we know that um the the tier 2 supports, so those intervention supports that we're able to put in place for students that

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might be struggling a bit um especially in the areas of early literacy, setting our students up for success as they go through the years um in our school district are really essential. Those will be impacted. Um we just we also just don't want to lose the momentum that we have underway. [music] Um, we

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feel that we really like owe to our students to continue the work. As Dr. Turner said, we are we're not at the end here. We're still in the middle of a lot of the work that's happening. A lot of that is based on really individualizing for our students. Um, making sure that they have access to the interventions

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and the enrichments that they deserve. Um, we do take very seriously the learning environments that we provide for our students. Um, their social, emotional, behavioral um, interventions. uh that happen make a difference in their success. Um as we've highlighted

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already, that whole child philosophy at the middle school, we don't want that to be impacted by cuts. Um and finally, um as Dr. Stice had highlighted, the work that we've done around attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism really made a difference of

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having our kids in school each day and some of the support staff we have in place are really crucial to making sure that that happens. Next slide. Um similarly um the work that happens in our schools to support students is not

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just our our educators. They really work alongside our paraprofessionals and our paraprofessionals are often sort of the glue that holds a lot of things together in our schools. Um in general we would be looking at um pair of professionals that are not aligned to IEPs. Um, so

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those are our pair professionals that provide additional supports, including our tutors who do a lot of that intervention, that tier 2, that small groupoup work that our students really need to be successful. Our kindergarten pair of professionals who are there, you know, to support our youngest students

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when they come into school. A lot of routine learning, um, you know, when you're working with young children, really being able to make sure that we're setting up them up, um, as they learn the school expectations. The other um position that that could be in jeopardy is our office clerks that are

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um that support in each of our school offices. They really um you know because of them there's more capacity to ensure that we have timely communication with our families and just that the buildings run smoothly. They really are essential. Um and then just in general, you know,

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we we know that our par our general education pair professionals run some of our really important tier 2 small groupoup intervention supports and um without those in place, we do worry that more students will be referred for special education services um if they're

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not able to have their needs met in that um general education small group intervention. Next slide. So, we also know that um if we have fewer non-union positions that our

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students are going to have to wait longer for support at times and it's going to also lead to the building administrators having to prioritize what gets taken care of and they may not have

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as much time to do academic coaching. in the classrooms if they are dealing with some of the attendance or um social emotional behavioral issues that are occurring. We also know that um there is

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um less ability to do some of those proactive tasks that help students stay in our indist programming. One of the things I wanted to highlight here is that we have had excellent

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retention this year of our hard to hire positions in special education. Uh we've had a team working um with our new special educators. um our inclusion specialists are doing that work and we have a 100% of our

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elementary uh special educators returning next year which is the first time I think since I've been in the district and we are really proud of that and they felt much better equipped uh to support their students right out of the

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gate as new teachers. Um, additionally, we know that um, this may be also less support for students with really complex needs. And we want to make sure that as

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we are thinking about who our students are and what they need, we do a lot of outreach um from the school administrators to our team chairs, inclusion specialists, our literacy specialist, and our um program

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coordinator. And we've actually heard from the students that have come into our district as tuition in students how much the families appreciate that outreach and that openness and that's not what they have found in other districts and or out of district. Uh we

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also have that really close relationship with our CPAC and we just want to be aware that if we have to cut those non-UN positions some of that outreach and connection may shift to just compliance which is our mandate and we

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really don't want to lose that for our students and families. Um, we also know that there's going to be reduced oversight around arrival, dismissal, lunch, and recess. And there could be more classroom disruptions that are

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going to take longer to address and give us less time to do problem solving and timely communication. Um, and really truly, we're worried about having less administrative visibility, which will impact our

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relationship not only with our staff, but with our families and our students. >> I know Tom, you have Tom Weise has a question, >> a point or something. Jen, I appreciate. Um, uh, I want to hit something that Sarah said home a little bit harder for

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those in in the public that may not understand what she was saying or may not recognize the the downstream of it. If we have to send more district more kids out of district, that increases our costs. It makes things significantly harder for us going forward. One of the great things this administrative team

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has done over the last six years is bring down the out of district placements, which decreases our costs. It's actually one of the reasons we were able to do what we did in in FY27 in terms of reducing our o our our accommodated cost number. Um so we we

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want to be really careful that we don't start doing things that lead towards additional costs and then lead towards other problems. Um so just hitting that home for anybody watching at home or paying attention you know when we cut costs that lead to cost that's even

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worse right? Uh so we just want to be really careful. It's a double whammy. avoid the double whammy. >> Yeah, Tom, I think that same observation would also apply to school choice, right? I mean, one of the reasons that we've been as successful in filling as many school choice seats as we have has been the desiraability of this district

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and the outcomes and the performance of the district. And um, you know, as we review these cuts, all of which, you know, are going to have some impact on the student experience and potentially on outcomes, um, you know, that's another place where it might it might impact us from a revenue perspective.

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>> Well, thank you, Sean, for stealing the thunder of my second point on on this slide. Oh, sorry, Phil. >> That's That's >> You know what? I've read this slide about four times. I probably should have remembered it was coming. My my fault. >> That's all right. So, one of the things we want to keep in mind as we go through this is, you know, potential cuts and

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what the impact it may have on not just athletics, which we talked about a little bit earlier, but also all the extracurricular activities. And so, you know, as I had mentioned earlier, it could be the we'll see increased financial pressure on families and there'll be some inequities there because there'll be those who can afford

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increases and there'll be those who can't afford the increases. And so, we need to keep that in mind as we go through the exercise of what we think we're going to be able to do, not be able to do. And as uh Sean had mentioned, you know, if our offerings

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are not as robust as as they have been, they could have an impact that we may see a reduction in school choice coming in because now what we're offering out there is is not as um I'll say not as good as it has been for a lack of a better way of putting at

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it. Um then of course um threaten smaller or less visible programs. I'm I'm going to use a athletic example for this fund. When we look at you know which programs you know cost the most money say on a per student basis there are some programs whose expense

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structures are very expensive but the number of participants is very small you know we may have to look at those as well and those are things that we prefer not to do. Um and so all in all that's you know what we're looking at in terms of if we have to look at looking at the

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fee structures for our extracurricular activities in athletics as well. Uh next slide. >> Hey Phil, before we move on to the next slide, I I I think inevitably some people are going to hear these comments about sports and other extracurriculars

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and um you know believe that we're we're sort of fear-mongering here and you know striking at something that resonates in this town. And it's true, these things resonate in this town. This is a lot of what, you know, the sort of pride in writing schools comes from is our is our strong extracurricular programs. I do want to highlight though that there's an

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example of a Massachusetts town that had a failed override that eliminated sports. Now, we're not we're not talking about doing that, right? Um but, you know, when you get to these kinds of budget cuts, um even the things that we hold, you know, we hold really really dear, you know, have to be considered as

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as opportunities to address those budget deficits. So, um, it's, you know, this isn't fear-mongering. These are these are real real impacts that we would have to be evaluating against some of the other options. >> Yeah. You know, and again, from our perspective, it's our duty to look at

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everything that may be a possibility and then be able to bring those to you on the school committee to help make those decisions. All right. So, uh, All right. We've also talked about reducing um funding for the

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device purchasing. Um I I think the superintendent will has stated that this is probably part of a bigger conversation as to what our overall um device strategy is for the district whether we remain onetoone across the

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board or whether some things need to change. But as I had mentioned, you know, if we have to do a reduction in terms of uh device replacement, it may mean going to a 5-year replacement cycle instead of a four-year replacement cycle, which just may mean, you know, we're going to have more maintenance

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costs, more repair costs on the devices because as they get older, you know, they tend to get used quite a bit and so, you know, they're going to get worn out. Um so you can read on there you know some of the other issues that um may arise as well in terms of if we

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reduce our uh investment in our device refreshing every year I think the next one's mine too is it yeah it's mine and mine and Jensen's okay um you know as we talked about again for the prepaid the

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out of district tuition and as you know Tom we said earlier he's absolely absolutely right. This is not a one-year issue. It's going to roll from year to year to year unless we somehow were able to refill those coffers in future years. But, you know, part of it is we try we

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have successfully been able to end each fiscal year with in reserve what we got for circuit breaker reimbursement that year. For those of you who aren't familiar with circuit breaker, you know, circuit breaker is a state that reimbures school districts for part of

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our special ed costs. So the money that we got um in fiscal year 26 is reimbursement for fiscal year 25 and we have to spend it all by the end of fiscal year 27. So we ended fiscal year 26 with the exact amount that we got

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reimbursed in 26 and we'll spend all that in fiscal year 27. And as I said earlier, if we start spending some of that money in the same year that we're getting it, that just cuts into, you know, some of the reserves that we like to have available in case we have

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students who move in that we have not anticipated. Um, as you could see, you know, I I've been bald for many years. And part of it's because that's what happens. You know, business managers live in fear of having students come in mid year that's suddenly going to cost you three, four, $500,000. and you

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haven't budgeted for it, you like to have those reserves in place, whether it's the specialed uh reserve fund or it's within circuit breaker to allow us to be able to smooth some of those out. And so, as we talked about, that just increases our risk on an ongoing basis

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if we start digging into uh what I'll call have been some of our reserves um in the past if we start digging into them going forward. Jen, do you have anything to add to it? Uh, Phil, you did a great job. Um, I did

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want to just let everyone know that um Phil and Kate um his um assistant business manager and myself, Allison Wright, who's our director of special ed, and Fran Green who is our administrative assistant. We meet

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monthly and go over all of the bills, all of the tuitions, anything that we think may come up um that is not budgeted for and we look at it very very closely. Um but there, as Phil said,

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there are sometimes unexpected um needs that we are not aware of, either students moving into a district or um needing a higher level of programming that we had not budgeted for. And it is our legal obligation to

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fulfill those. So just so people know, we do spend um a lot of time and expend a lot of energy to make sure we are being very thoughtful and careful about what we are doing and how to support students throughout this process.

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>> Next one which I believe is back to the superintendent. >> Yeah. So, we'll close and just share that our um as I said in the beginning that our um our strategy here and our goal is to proactively prepare our community EU with multiple different uh

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reduction scenarios and to u make propose proposals um around budget decisions that um aim to align with the Reading Public Schools values and our educational goals. And so, um, moving beyond this, uh, presentation tonight,

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our goal is to communicate, um, with families with with updates, uh, to develop, uh, we have developed a FAQ for, um, the the community that will, um, answer, uh, frequently asked questions. Um, uh, as you, as I've

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shared, my first first meeting with you is, um, utilizing my entry meetings as a way to answer questions. um to spread awareness uh with families as I meet them. Um and we um are working on a one-pager um for the community that to

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help make this information that's in the slide deck uh more digestible. Next slide, please, Olivia. Um, so these are just a few bullet points for our timeline is um to using the rest of this month uh to roll out

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our communication and our FAQ uh respond to any questions uh wait for the psych board's vote um and uh in August uh there's already a planned meeting uh August 6 that will be virtual um and and obviously we'll report back with any

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more uh uh details responses to questions. Then as we move into the school year going into November, um this would be presuming that there was an override on the ballot would be to continue with outreach um around answering questions um as we uh wait for

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a November second vote. And with that um we know that was a long uh presentation. We thought it was important to to be comprehensive for you. Um if there are questions uh further as we um put post this

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presentation there is more d there's data in the appendix u as well as slides from the town's presentation um and uh our our goal is to use this as a foundational slide deck so that as we come back to you that there will be um some repeat information uh in these uh

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in our future presentations. Uh with that we'll take any questions. So, school committee members, select board members, uh Jane Wellman, you're you all should have the ability to take yourself off mute, so feel free to jump in if you have any questions or comments. Um I see a number of, you

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know, teachers and staff and and others, maybe FinCon members as well. And so, if any of you would like to uh ask any questions, just just ask you to raise your hand and I can take you off mute as well. Tom, it looks like you're off mute. I don't know if you wanted to if you had something you wanted to jump in with.

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I don't have anything to jump in right now. I'm I'm mulling right. Um I think a lot of work has gone in, but it's hard. My takeaway is it's hard for for this to inform, you know, last night's select board

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discussion necessarily. Um right, other than Dr. attorney, your your very clear statement that, you know, if it's if the 6.5 is not approved, then we're we're looking at cuts, right? Um but the conversation of six 6.5 versus five that

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was happening last night, for example, um it's it's not clear how that would be broken down. Obviously that's a discussion that would have to happen um among you know uh yourself and Jane and and then the different elected bodies fin and the allocation and whatnot of what

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would come out of that. Um, so, you know, presuming a 2/3 1/3 holds as as a general weight, you know, we'd be looking at a million, uh, which generally would be that $917,000 number that's that's out there from our requests. And,

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you know, I have a hard time saying we're going to dig into future things as a result of that. I have a hard time saying we're going to just default to cutting people. I I think we need to we'll have I would be proponent of pushing hard at looking

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at the revenue side of it much more. Um and I hate that especially since I built the model in particular um that I'm talking about. Um I think it's a it's just unfortunate that with what happened in FY27,

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there's a direct correlation to that particular revenue stream. And um if we don't get that back in FY28, all the work we did over the last 6 years uh on the FDK side, I think could be at risk unless we're ready to start,

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you know, maybe we cherrypick and we do some here and some there, but to to get to a $917,0001 million number, I'm not ready to start, you know, impacting the classroom. And that I think that's a that's a that's something

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we have to really be conscious about um in that regard. So I'll just pause there. I'm sure there's other thoughts, but stop there. >> Chris, I saw your hand go up uh during Tom's comments. If you want to jump in, feel free. >> Yeah. No, let uh just let Aaron go first, please.

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>> Oh, Erin, go ahead. Sorry. >> Uh thanks. Um, so first off, thank you to everyone who worked really really hard to put this together. Um, this is obviously very sobering and and a lot of it's

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incredibly hard to think about. Um, especially given how well things have been going and and how much positive news we've we've had for the past few years. Um, I just want to have a a better grasp um, and maybe

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That means members of the select board do too. Um because different numbers have been floated and um even the option of giving the voters a a choice in in more than one number um which I am

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personally in favor of. Um if if the town were to pass a $6.5 million override, um I'm understanding that the schools

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for fiscal year 28 would have a level service budget without having to make staffing cuts. Is that accurate? if that 6.5 million was augmented with I think it's $3.3 million of free cash

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>> of free cash >> which would um based on the projections uh allow for less regeneration than we typically have you know so the concern that that raises is that you're reducing our our reserves as a percentage of town

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budget you're impacting debt ratings you know so on and so forth it's got all those impacts right so um one of the reasons that the fincom recommended recommended the path that they did is that with a $9.8 million override, which was the larger of the two tiers, they

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recommended it would fully fulfill the structural deficit, allow FY28 to be funded without the use of free cash, um, which would allow for, you know, presumably several years of healthy regeneration before we started having to, um, dip into free cash to augment the budget to support the, you know,

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inevitable cost increases over the following fiscal years. Thank you, Sean. So, that's kind of what I I was trying to get at. So, we would still need to augment with a with a chunk of free cash for fiscal year 28 and we'd be setting ourselves up for

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difficulty in fiscal year 29. Correct? If we only had do a $6.5 million overhead, we're looking at needing more and more free cash. Again, >> difficulty in the sense that I think, you know, and and Chris and Tom and

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others who've been close to this as well, um, feel free to jump in here, but difficulty in the sense that we would immediately find ourselves in the position of having to use increasingly more free cash um to level budgets in future years or to level services in future years.

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>> I think the the alternative answer to that though is that I've heard that 6.5 gets us three to four years, 9.8 gets us five to seven years and one of the key things that's out there is the is the year I think 2032 Jane keep me honest of

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when you know some of the uh uh pension related commitments roll off at which point 3 million of an annual bucket becomes available be to be spent again for lack of a better way to say it right um and I think as a result of that it's

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it's what is necessary to get us to that cut off point um And in between the 28 override and the 32-year, um there might be more austere years. I think Jane's recommending that you focus

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more on um capital being the free cash number, right? So whatever that is, as opposed to just throwing a number out and saying, "Let's go for this number free cash because the town is at the schools want 4% and the and the town wants three and a half percent. So we're going to go with $7 million free cash."

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Nope. Sorry, the free cash is going to be X number because that aligns to what our capital spend is from a percentage basis and you guys will deal with a 3% number or 2.75% number in the meantimes to get to to to go there. That's not yet

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policy. That's just a suggestion um that's out there um that that's being proposed to Fincom. Um, so it might be that 6 1/2 has a series of more austere years before we get to 32, in which case we free up 3 million and then they, you know, there's a little bit more flex uh

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that might might last a little longer. That that's my read on on what I've been hearing, but I see Jane nodding generally, so if I need to be corrected, please correct me. >> No, you're right on, Tom. So, so that's been said that we think 6.5

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could get us three to four years without cutting staff. >> The austerity question is a matter of how we manage that to to avoid cutting staff, >> right? >> So, we're cutting >> we're just not necessarily cutting staff.

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>> Well, you know, without saying what's there there are a lot of lot of levers that we have between then and now. um some of which are smiling at our faces right back at us as we're talking unfortunately right we all know that the whole town has union negotiations to go on so that is a lever as we go through

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this without saying it right I just said it so not very good at myself um but you know as we look at this we also all know our our biggest expense is is employees and and as we manage that number uh versus whatever the austerity number

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is we have to be cautious and and conscious of that and and leverage as well some of the savings that we have on a year-over-year basis from retirements or things like that to help manage our numbers without hopefully too many reductions um if any reductions right I

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think there is a way that we can navigate that it's not going to be easy um but there is a way from my perspective that it could be navigated with limited impact from a staff reduction that is a a a layoff or anything else like that perspective It might be more of a a reorientation. You

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know, a higher cost employee or set of employees becomes a lower cost employee and therefore you don't have to lay off somebody else, right? It just from a natural attrition perspective. >> Um that's been standard anyway. That's not new news. It's just >> I was going to say that's not a new strategy. That's a strategy we already

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use to >> balance the budget. So I No, I'm I'm not saying that to you. You know that. Yep. >> I'm just saying that out loud for anyone watching who's like, "What a brilliant idea." Like, >> we use that every year to make the budget work. So, I I just

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>> I don't get a vote on this. Um, but I would like to reiterate that I think the voters deserve the opportunity to have a choice to understand that there is a different impact depending on that choice. that neither choice means we are

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adding or getting frilly with um with our departments. It's just a matter of how much we're pulling from free cash, how long that we think we might be able to get until we need the next override, um and how

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tightly strung uh town and school budgets will be. So it it may be that a higher number is is not palatable to the town. Um but I do think there's a strategy in giving two options um that

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should not be ignored um that has worked well in other communities. Um, and I have every confidence that between all of us, town and school staff, we can explain the difference between the two before

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people have to vote in November. So, just my two cents. Chris, I know I know you were one last night who expressed interest in, you know, hearing this presentation this evening before moving forward with a vote. Any questions or comments on your end?

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Yeah, thanks Sean. Um, I appreciate you all putting this uh together. I know um I know I had mentioned last night about putting the information in the packet uh and I don't want to start this off on the wrong foot, but uh it is not in the packet. So I had to screenshot various

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things as you were going through the presentation here. Um so I think that that should be the first thing that gets updated tomorrow morning unless I somehow missed it. But I just went to the website right before >> it as I shared. It will it will be up updated on the in the packet.

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>> All right. But yeah, it's just a little bit hard for me to follow along and then reference back various points in this because I didn't want to interrupt anybody that was speaking back then. >> Um so um just going forward a couple items

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that I that I saw. So the laptop reduction that you guys were mentioning that is for staff that would end up having to get changed from three to four to five years or something or is that like everybody >> students? >> So it's just line item is both students

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and staff. Uh but we would be speaking specifically about uh students. >> Okay. Um, and then it was also a little bit hard to follow along because unless I know you briefly mentioned the 6 and a half million at the beginning, all the

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other slides said 1 to 2 million, 3 to 4 million, all of that. I I didn't really see anything on the 6.5 million, unless I also missed that, but I can't go back and reference it. Um, just to see what 6.5 million would have been, what 9.8

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million would have been. You know what I mean? Like I obviously 9.8 8 means you're not cutting anything like but I would have seen that >> Chris those those numbers don't reference the size of an override those ref those numbers reference the deficit and the school budget that we would be

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looking to fill so it they are dependent on what happens with an override if if it's a $5 million override there's a you know there's a a small deficit if it's a $6.5 million override with 3.3 million of cash there's no deficit um if it's a if there's no override then you know

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there's I think a question to be asked about how do we apply that the the overall deficit that's created, how does that apply from a split perspective and are the schools filling two, three, four, you know, more millions of dollars. So, we were trying to sort of

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represent um the impact under deficit scenarios versus, you know, if you put a particular override on the budget, respecting frankly that that that question is not our purview, right? you know, we can certainly advocate for something. Um, but you know, it it is up

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to you and you've got advice from FINCOM and you've got, you know, the town staff um to help think through what the appropriate override is. Our our response was to the how how certain deficit levels would impact our budget. >> Just to add to that, to make it crystal clear, Chris, I think

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>> we didn't 6.5 is is none of them because we're we're flat. We're assuming the 5.25 25 number that is part of it with the 917,000. Right? That is the quoteunquote community priority which I'll keep calling the fully kindergarten realization until I'm blew in the face.

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Right? So that's one. Um the 1.1 to 1:2 you could equate that to the 5 million if you wanted to, right? Because there's an assumption there that there's a 2/3 1/3 and we have to come up with 1 million of that of that 1.5 that's out there, right? So use it from that

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perspective. um the two like and then the rest of what Sean said applies, right? So 9.8 means nothing to us versus 6.5 because it's whether we use free cash from the town or not use free cash from the town, but from our perspective, it's the same thing from the schools. Um right, as it goes and it's all just a

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matter of if we don't get 6.5 and don't get our 917,000, what are we what are we looking at cutting? Yeah, I think that to be succinct on the same page, like we should be always presenting things based off, you

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know, if if the select board did 6 and a half or 9.8 or any of these correlating to what the percentage of the schools is, but without seeing it and you having to explain it even to somebody like me, like it's, you know what I it's it's

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going to be done maybe um in addition to what you already had, you know, just >> Yeah, I I think certainly as we transition to, you know, hopefully having the opportunity to communicate this to, you know, to residents in advance of a vote, when there's a particular number on the table or maybe

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a couple of numbers on the table and we can, you know, we can identify explicitly what that means to the schools part of the budget, then we can we can match it to the U deficit scenarios that we outlined tonight. And then I know from seeing obviously

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the school slides and the uh no the um town slides uh last night in the presentation that Jane gave um and I know she's mentioned it a couple times before that on the town end that um she instituted a hiring freeze that um she's

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not filling various positions. Um we don't have an assistant town manager and probably won't forever. Who knows? Um, so those kind of roles have been all merged into other employees and and doing things like that. Um, to be able

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to come to the number that we're at, but unless I missed it, I did not see a single aspect of that in the school's presentation at all. >> You saw non you saw non-union personnel eliminations in each of the scenarios.

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um non-union represents um many of the types of roles you're highlighting are included amongst those non-union roles. We're not outlining the specific roles at this point because I think it would be um you know, frankly unfair to those individuals because those are people in

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seats, not unfilled roles that we may not backfill at some point and we would just need further discussion on sort of what the right places are to to to look there. Um, but those non-union roles would absolutely be on the table under any personnel reduction scenario. >> I would I would add to that. I would add

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as well, and Dr. Turner can chime in where he needs to, but there's a little bit of a difference between a legal obligation that we have to educate students and and a a non-legal obligation to fill a particular role. Right? If we if we have if we lose a

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teacher, a I'm just going to take a worst case scenario, a special education teacher, and therefore we don't fulfill somebody's uh you know, um I I'm blanking for some stupid reason. Jen, help me out. Um [laughter]

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>> we we don't fulfill IDP. Yes, thank you, Jeff. Even though I had one at my right here on my desk. Uh even if we don't fill the IDP, we we have a legal problem, right? So, it's like we cannot not hire in certain cases. Um, and it's not like we have just optional hires all

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over the place. They're in the great majority to Sean's point are impacting the classroom. The students there, whether it's a pair, whether it's a teacher, whatever it is, it's it's not an option in many cases. >> And just to add to that, Tom, oh sorry, Henry. Um when you are thinking about if

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we can't provide those services to students in district then it's our legal obligation to look at outofd district placements which is an even bigger cost. So we need to try to meet those legal obligations

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um in district first. I just say Chris what's in the slide is that if there's any any freezes um what we indicated were were would be supplies and resources um and not in in person. That's what we're recommending.

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>> Yep. Um and then just my last comment or question uh going through and hearing all the various you know cuts or you know increases to athletics and all these various scenarios. Um, and I say

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this knowing that you guys have spent the last couple years resolving the full day kindergarten scenario and looping it to the budget. And John, I mean John, geez, Tom just referenced it. Now, I need to know why.

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And Tom mentioned 1.2 million. I need to know why we are not cutting full day kindergarten for the 1.2 2 million just like or at least bare minimum to work with me here on a you know uh not

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negotiating because I am speaking on behalf of myself but at least bridge the gap of just instituting you know 50% again or something like that like is there other than you work three four

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five years on this like what is the reason because you're you're you're running the risk of jeopardizing actual teachers being cut when this is simply full day kindergarten. You lose nobody and

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>> and it's cheaper than because you know I have a 14 8-year-old and so do you Sean and other people. um it is way cheaper to send someone to full day kindergarten at the full price it was back in the day that I had to pay um than going to

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daycare or any one of these other scenarios. So like there is a significant cost benefit for kids to actually be going into school as opposed to three four 5y olds. So what is the reason that we're just still sitting on

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the full day kindergarten being included? Um, I'll give one perspective and you I'd love Dr. Hardy and and and others to to weigh in as well. Um, it is no longer the case that the

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compulsory half-day program is effective preparation for first grade and and and the requirements um the requirements for students in first grade and beyond. Um we when we had um paid full day kindergarten and we had many students uh

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not many students but we had many families rather um opting out of it because of the cost um you know that was a significant number of students who were entering first grade with you know frankly you know probably insufficient preparation in many cases and they were making that choice because of the cost

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because of the things that they would have to forego or what have you. Um we are I haven't I don't know what the numbers are you know going into FY27 or yeah FY27 but the uh most recent set of data I saw was that there were something like 16 16 communities in Massachusetts

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still charging anything for full day kindergarten and most of them that are still charging were you know a quarter or a fifth of our prior tuition rate. We were at the time the number two highest tuition in the state. I'm certain that our our prior tuition would currently be the number one because I think Rotten

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Dunable was up ahead of us and they've they've uh they may have eliminated full tuition altogether as well. Um and so, you know, we think it's the right thing to do and necessary for preparing students for first grade. Um you know, the the the sort of cost benefit or the

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co the ROI on early education investments is typically the highest of anything that you look at in a in a school district. Um, we think it's the right thing to do from an equity perspective to make sure that it's accessible to every family. Um, it's it's not because we did so much work

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over the last five, six years to make it happen. We did so much work over the last five or six years to make it happen because it was maybe the greatest deficiency in our school district becoming a leading competitive, you know, very competitive school district in this state is really investing in some of that early education funding. um

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full day kindergarten, the the uh curriculum implementation we've done in early education. Those were probably some of our greatest efficiencies in building towards the, you know, outstanding um exceptional long-term district that we want to be. We don't want to go back and I don't think families in this town should want to go

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back and and that's, you know, so that's that's that's the rationale from my perspective. Chris, you know, again, I'll invite others to to jump in here as well, but um you know, I I acknowledge that it has to be on the table. None of these cuts are going to be easy or fun or without impact. I acknowledge that

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this one has to be on the table, but um I would find it um personally devastating for it to have us go back and I'm done. I don't have any more kindergarteners coming as far as I can tell. So um you know, me. >> Yeah. So >> I I just think Sean that um

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people are literally paying to come to Reading Public Schools and we are expending out all of these additional hires and everything else that we're doing to be able to make us one of the premier places to be uh

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obviously in the state. And to that end, we're we're, you know, kind of handcuffing ourselves on just this figure. And I understand that, you know, it's not good to be one of only 15 communities in the entire state to be

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for something. But if that is the only thing, whereas all of our other academics and everything else gets to excel because we're investing in other opportunities, then, you know, fantastic. That's the way it should be. And then for the the equity standpoint

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that you mentioned about people like you can always do low-income families or who don't qualify or whatever full day kindergarten I'm I don't make the decision but I'm fine with that too and that's going to be a small portion of the number that people would still be able to qualify to go and receive you

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know the education that they still would have and then families that you know can afford it can afford it but you're running up against getting nothing and I just think that you know when it comes comes to a light turning off. Um, when it comes to a give and take thing, I

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just I I you know, you guys are in control of what you're in control. I am on the other end. I just think there has to be something. You know what I mean? And this is the easiest scenario, I think. I don't have your five years of

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experience of being deeply involved in this, but I I just think that this is the easiest thing to just resolve pretty much everything. You keep everyone all the school every everything remains the way that it is and I'm

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paying $4,000 for my kindergartner instead of spending $16,000 on daycare for the year. It is still a win, but it's just my opinion. And you know, >> Yeah. I and I Chris, I I totally understand the point. I don't I don't view this as a supply and demand

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question, which is I think a little bit of how you're framing it. I think our experience with the families that choose not to send their kids is not that is not that their alternative and the choice they made was intend to send their kid to the Goddard school for $16,000. It was um you know, it was

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truly a truly a cost consideration. um we did have and would always have you know consideration for stu for uh families who qualified for free and reduced price lunch and you know that sort of thing. So certainly um the folks who are um you know really sort of you know uh at the bottom from an income

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from an in socioeconomic perspective you know there was supports there but even still we saw a meaningful number of families opting not to not to send their kid because of the cost. It's, you know, how however you structure it, there's going to be there's going to be that that middle there. Um, and um, you know,

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I don't know. Erin, Tom, please uh, jump in. >> Go ahead, Erin, you're up first. Um, I I don't have the most articulate thought right now, but I I think ultimately what what every decision is

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going to boil down to is is what kind of community do we want to be? And from the school's perspective, it's what kind of school system do we want to be and who are we serving? And it's a disservice to the young children of our community

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to not provide full day kindergarten, to not provide that educational foundation that will then allow them to succeed in first grade and second grade going forward. There there are a lot of reasons that

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went into trying to figure out how to make it. It's it wasn't just about eliminating a fee. It was about ensuring that every kindergarten in Reading was getting a full day education. So we

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didn't have the inequity of some getting a half day in education, which Sean acknowledged, you know, the way that things have advanced and the expectations that are now put on kindergarten teachers um of of what curriculum they are

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supposed to cover in a year is just not what it used to be. and it cannot be condensed to a to a half-day program. So, it's a it's immediately off the bat a disservice to any family that then feels they have to

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choose half day for financial reasons. Um, and if we get into offering exceptions and where the cuto off is then it's, you know, probably that much more that we have to charge from the families who are paying. Um, and that's

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the danger with with any fee structure, right? I mean, it's it's the tip of the iceberg. But the second we start waiting into increasing fees, um, which I'm not saying I'm opposed to,

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I'm not saying fees should be off the table. Um, everything has to be talked about, but you know, I I just think it's really muddy water to to start looking at like, well, these people can afford to pay fees. Um, so let's slap the fees on

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them. Um, again, I go back to like what kind of school district do we want to be? Um, all we have talked about in the last several years is trying to increase our

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academic excellence, our sense of belonging, our accessibility, our equity. And we have done so much work to advance that. And then everyone's raving like, oh, the schools are doing well and it's all, you know, it's so great what's

401
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happening in the schools. Well, that has been substantial investment. And as soon as we start peeling away at that, we need to expect some steps backwards. Um, and if that's the kind of school district that people want in Reading, then they won't be

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voting for an override. Um, because they're they're going to have to say, "Okay, then I'm okay with larger class sizes, fewer supports for kids, you know, going back to a half day kindergarten model." You name it, school's going to figure it out. But if

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they want to continue on the path that we're on, we are not asking to add more. We are not asking, you know, there's tons we would love to do and add. We're not, that's not even on the table part of the conversation. We are simply

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asking to continue to maintain the level of services and staffing and quality of education that we have worked so hard to get to. Uh, I think well said, Erin. Thank you. Um, Chris, since I brought it up, I'll

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just raise a couple of quick things here. Is um I think Sean hit a lot of the key points there. There was a population though, just to counter a little bit of Sean that didn't think that Jimmy or Sally was ready for kindergarten yet. And they and a half day was something that was the right

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option for them. It wasn't a large population, but I would say it was probably 50/50 between that population and and the population that from a cost perspective were the concerns. We did have in place before we finalized um some some plans there for how to handle

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cost related issues and we were handling them. So I don't I don't particularly see that as a limitation. I'll say this, I don't think I will advocate in any of the conversations that we go back to 4500 either. So we shouldn't be thinking, oh, $1.2 $2 million. Boom.

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I've only raised that because that's what it was, not because that's what I think it should ever be. If we go through these conversations again, um I would if I if we end up advocating or pushing in that direction, I'd be thinking much more like half that number if we get anywhere, right? Much more

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like 2,000 or something in that in that range. Still significantly less to your point, but still a revenue stream that gives us four staff members, six staff members, right, as part of it. Ultimately, to Erin's point, it's it's a matter of of weighing all of the

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different options if and when it comes, um if we have to cut a million in your fi in the $5 million option, you know, it's not going to be easy, right? Um it's not going to be pretty. Uh it's going to be some some challenging stuff that will potentially dig into future future years and then lead to other

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problems, which is also part of the genesis of Aaron's question, right? Initial question, right? We could save something in one year, but that might lead to a trickle effect. And I think as we start pushing through some of this, we need to start to demonstrate a little bit more of that trickle effect in some

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of these cases if that becomes the option, right? Um so even from a school committee perspective, Dr. Turner and and uh uh Phil, as we look at this, right? Um we're going to have to start thinking if we do this, this is the impact of the next year and the next

413
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year and the next year, right? In certain cases. So we understand the ramifications of those as we make decisions. Um so while I think it has to be on the table and I'm I'm somewhat the one who's kind of forced it on the table. Uh I'm not going to be one who

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advocates the full cost Chris if we end up going in that path. I think it's going to be part of a balance of other things, right? Um so I I personally still want you guys to get the 65 at a minimum. Um, you probably heard me at the FinCom conversation as well where I

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think the two numbers are staring you right in the face, you know, and if you don't think the town is going to vote for 98, then what harm does it do to put 98 on the ballot, right? Um 65 and 98. That's what I told Vinc at the time. They went with seven and 98. So be it.

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Um, you know, I think that gets you that gets all of us to a point where we can sustain until the the pension cliff and then it potentially gets us a little further as well. And I think what Aaron's point and Sean's point as well, you know, you you've experienced it yourself too, Chris, in terms of the the

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turnaround of this district as we've gone through this, we do not want to fall back. We put a lot of focus into this district and the growth of the of this district. Um, a lot of, you know, really strong uh investments into this district. Some of that led to massive

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savings for this district uh that allowed us to keep going as long as we did um as well. Um, so I think I'm proud of the work that we as a group have done over the last six plus years, seven years as the case may be in some of us. Um, you know, and I don't want us to lose it just because we're fighting over

419
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5.5 million versus 6.5 million, right? Um, so who knows what happens, right? Um, I said I ted to you guys last night as well, think strategically. So I I do think strategically is two options on the table. You guys have to decide what your two options are. that

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is your cho your purview, not ours. Um, and I think Sean's been really thoughtful in how he's asked for this to be presented in in a way that we're looking at certain things. I understand your request of saying, "What if it's 65 or what if it's 98 or what if it's something else?" Um, but it's not even

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why I just did advocate. It's not our job to tell you what to do. Um, but just to kind of inform what the impact might be uh if we have to cut certain numbers. So, I'll pause there. To close the loop on one point, I just found the data. The most recent school

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year was 14 districts remaining in the state charging for full day kindergarten, down from about 29 or 30 when we first started looking at it several years ago. >> Just real quick, if I could, I I just think that, you know, I I'm in the unique position. Like I

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said, I still have kids in the school. Both of them are going to be more affected by this than, you know, the or normal everyday person here in Reading. But I say that with caution because I I I know that there is a subset of the population that

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is not going to go for this no matter what number we put forward, but I don't want to say it's a token of good measure or something. We something has to get shown because you just keep talking about if it's five or 65 or 98. it the

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zero is on the table. Like we we we want we know something has to pass. We understand that because we're more, you know, uh we spend all these times on these meetings and we know more about the town than the average lay person. Um

426
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you know, which might be good or bad, but like there has it there has to be something. And like how Tom mentioned he he would want to see it be half or something. I'm fine with doing something meaning halfway at half just in general my

427
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opinion kind of thing and and it's just I want to see something pass but it is very difficult for me to say you know what I'm going to put 65 and 98 on here when you're not willing to compromise on something like full day kindergarten

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that no positions are cut and I I personally don't think that um you know you can make the car boat for families who can't afford it or whatever or you can make it free for them and everyone else pays the half price 2,000. There there has got to be

429
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something to just say that this is what we have, you know, it's not up to us. Just go ahead and vote for it. Like I I can't make the leap between 65 and 98 knowing that I would want to act some stuff off something I don't have control over. Chris, I I think I think we're

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telling you the way we presented this that if again it's not our purview to decide what that what those numbers are, right? We're telling you what we believe they should be and and you can disagree and that's fine and you're you know the other members of the of the board may may agree or or not as well. Um it's not

431
01:58:39.599 --> 01:58:54.800
our purview to tell you what what number to put on the ballot. What we're telling you is if if if you and the select board feel in your collective wisdom that the best path forward to a number passing is to go with, you know, X and it's 5 million or

432
01:58:54.800 --> 01:59:11.840
4 million or 6 million or whatever the number is. There's going to be an impact. There's going to be an impact on the schools. There's going to be an impact on the town site. And we've identified for you given certain deficit scenarios the things that we would prioritize. We put full day kindergarten tuition on that list for a reason, right? It is. It's on

433
01:59:11.840 --> 01:59:27.840
the table. You know, will it if we if we need to fill a $300,000 hole or $500,000 hole, is that going to be where we go? Maybe not, right? But it's on the table. And and certainly the larger the hole becomes, the the more likely that becomes. So, we're not I'm not I'm not sitting here telling you we're not

434
01:59:27.840 --> 01:59:44.320
willing to do it or we're not willing to, you know, but but again, we approached it from the perspective of what things would we be, you know, sort of forced to examine or forced to to look at under certain deficit scenarios. it. I don't we're not in a position to

435
01:59:44.320 --> 02:00:00.000
proactively, you know, cut a bunch of things out of the budget, you know, proactively cut a bunch of things out of the budget. We're going to cut things out of the budget in response to a deficit, right? And we've told you what those things are and and full day kindergarten tuition might be one of those things. That's not a cutting out of the budget. That's an

436
02:00:00.000 --> 02:00:14.560
offset on the revenue side, obviously. But so I I don't I I I think if you just look at it from the other direction, like we're doing exactly what you're asking, which is saying there are things we're willing to do that don't that that offset the need to eliminate eliminate

437
02:00:14.560 --> 02:00:30.719
headcount. Um including potentially, you know, uh reinstating tuition for full day kindergarten. We are willing to do those things if that's what it takes to accommodate some override that either fails or is less than the number that's required to provide a level services

438
02:00:30.719 --> 02:00:46.480
budget. we we've we we're trying to very clearly signal that difficult decisions like that one are very much on the table and we're you know open to those discussions if that's where we land. >> I'll just add to that real quick before you jump back in. Right. I mean I I want

439
02:00:46.480 --> 02:01:02.000
to be fair to the team here as part of this. Um it's we have not had discussion after discussion been able to prioritize this in a detailed level and say you know if it's 500,000 it's this these two things or these three things. If it's a million, it's these two things or these

440
02:01:02.000 --> 02:01:17.760
three things that are on top of the 500,000. We haven't had the time to do that with the with a management change, with a few other things going on with the team. It just it this is this is a very detailed look at it, Chris, right? In terms of what what the potential impacts are, but

441
02:01:17.760 --> 02:01:34.239
the the greater group, you know, we talk we talk about budget generally in in a in a tough year. We haven't had tough years recently, but in tough year it's it's four or five long exhausting four, five, six hour nights going through the budget, right? Um, and that would be the

442
02:01:34.239 --> 02:01:49.520
ramification of something that we'd be do we'd be doing is those conversations would be long and detailed debating pros, cons, etc. We have not had the chance nor the time to do that as a greater group, right? Statutoily, it is

443
02:01:49.520 --> 02:02:05.360
our job as a as a school committee to to make those hard budget decisions. Is the administration's job to advise us on options in that decision? Administration is advising us on options. Right now, we as a school committee have not had a chance to sit down and say, "Yep, it's

444
02:02:05.360 --> 02:02:22.239
these two things, that one thing, these three things, and all six of us or at least four of us agree to that." Right? Um, so it just is it's just timing related issue in terms of what you're specifically asking for. And that's why I also think, you know, the way Sean, you know, has guided the team and the way the team has executed um is is right

445
02:02:22.239 --> 02:02:40.239
for where we are in the in the time frame. >> Yeah. No, thank you. I I appreciate your time with, you know, engaging with just my questions because it's probably only going to get easier from from here on out, I guess. Um but, you know,

446
02:02:40.239 --> 02:02:57.239
I appreciate it. Any other uh comments or questions? Um committee staff select board.

447
02:03:01.119 --> 02:03:16.639
Okay. Uh I guess maybe technically that all rolls up in our first agenda item. our our other agenda items were really just about discussing our role um our role moving forward from here. Um you know certainly there's a role for us to play

448
02:03:16.639 --> 02:03:31.920
should we choose to in you know in advocating uh advocating for for um an override publicly. The the more near-term thing and you know we've already at least a few of us have already sort of done it here tonight. Um but the more near-term thing is that you know as I understand it the select board

449
02:03:31.920 --> 02:03:49.440
now is expecting to vote on uh in their meeting next week on an override figure. Um I know not everyone was able to attend last night but the um you know you hopefully you had a chance to read my um memo and some of the materials in the packet but um going into last

450
02:03:49.440 --> 02:04:06.880
night's select board meeting uh the finance committee had proposed or recommended a two-tiered override approach. So, two questions, one at 7 million and one at 9.8 million. Um, as I understand it, the reason it was 7 million versus the 6.5 that that Jane

451
02:04:06.880 --> 02:04:23.360
had had suggested was um it would you know, sort of defer the um you know, sort of immediate dipping into free cash or the the depth of dipping into free cash that we would have to do >> to provide balance budget. Go ahead, Tom. >> It was it was to pay for recycling every

452
02:04:23.360 --> 02:04:39.599
week. >> Oh, that was the difference between the six. was the difference. They were adding $450,000 back to pay for recycling every week because they'd heard a lot of people wanting recycling every week. >> There you go. Totally missed that. So, so, so that's the delta between the seven and the 6.5. Um,

453
02:04:39.599 --> 02:04:54.880
the so the finance committee's recommendation again was was a two-tiered question. Um, for those that didn't join last night, um, I you know, my sense was not that most members of the select board were sort of landing in that place. Um, you know, I don't know

454
02:04:54.880 --> 02:05:10.000
that there was consent. There certainly wasn't consensus support. I don't know that there was majority support for a tiered question. I think several of the members sort of expressed interest in in lower figures on the ballot, whether it was a lower single figure or a lower lower uh higher figure or double figure.

455
02:05:10.000 --> 02:05:25.280
Um, so, you know, a decision for us tonight is what do we want to advocate for? Do we want to advocate in advance of that as a committee? I have a I have a letter in the in the packet um which I drafted just to give us something to start with um which we can you know use

456
02:05:25.280 --> 02:05:41.040
or not. Um but let me let me stop there and open it up for discussion. And one thing I'll just say before we do go forward, um, you know, maybe we if we if we go forward with something like my letter, you know, maybe we open it up to say a first number or a lower number in

457
02:05:41.040 --> 02:05:57.679
that 6.5 to 7 range and let the select board decide how they want to handle the recycling piece given that again that's not really in our purview. Um, but I'll I'll pause there and open it up for thoughts that others have and sort of your interest in taking a formal advocacy position tonight beyond beyond

458
02:05:57.679 --> 02:06:13.679
us all yelling at Chris. I'm just kidding, Chris. >> Nobody was yelling. >> Nobody was yelling. No, of course. >> This is this is rookie stuff. Sean, come on now. >> Chris, you know what? >> Rookie. >> Uh, there's a there's a reason that it is um easier to be on the school

459
02:06:13.679 --> 02:06:29.760
committee sometimes. I'll just say. >> Oh, yeah. It's a real breeze being on the select one. >> No, I'm saying I'm not I'm serious. It's it's a much uh you know, our meetings are are more fun than yours on average. I'll just put it that way. >> Uh that's debatable sometimes. So,

460
02:06:29.760 --> 02:06:46.360
>> well, you have a weird weird version of fun then. Um but anyway uh so you know Tom, Erin, Laura, uh Jeffrey, you know, thoughts on, um you know, interest in taking sort of a a collective advocacy position.

461
02:06:46.960 --> 02:07:03.360
I'll speak up and say I definitely think that we should um I think that there's been a lot of really good points brought up tonight regarding the progress that the schools have made and the potential for regression if an override should

462
02:07:03.360 --> 02:07:21.040
fail. And so I think that it is the responsible and right thing to do for the the school board to um to advocate for a ballot measure that would as Aaron was saying at minimum, you know, let us keep

463
02:07:21.040 --> 02:07:37.440
what we and I I say we not being relatively new to this body, but what the school committee has been able to achieve uh in the last number of years. Um, I think that that it really is the right thing for us to do to to strongly

464
02:07:37.440 --> 02:07:56.880
push for the opportunity for people to show us that they want that continued investment in the schools as well as the town. >> Thanks, Laura. >> Others, I had things to say, but I'd like to hear from others. I've talked

465
02:07:56.880 --> 02:08:15.679
enough tonight so far. Jeffrey, I'll cold call you. What are what are your thoughts here? >> No, I I agree. Um, you know, back at the the old override, I I felt it was that that, you know, we are the the elected officials that have really us and the

466
02:08:15.679 --> 02:08:30.320
select board and the finance committee that really dug into these things and we need to speak up and say, look, you know, those of you who voted for us to represent you, we have looked into these things and we need this money to to keep our school district where it needs to be

467
02:08:30.320 --> 02:08:45.360
and we should advocate for this is what we need. um that you've asked us to to run the school department as the school committee. Uh and we think this is the way it needs to be done and and we should urge the select board to to join

468
02:08:45.360 --> 02:09:01.840
in that that effort to make sure the school and the town. Um and there there are certainly some some significant cuts that would be seen on the town side as well. um which obviously is not where we're going to be putting our our advocacy um

469
02:09:01.840 --> 02:09:20.320
specifically in this memo that you've proposed. >> Um I'm also in favor of of taking a position um you know in in full disclosure I wrote my own letter to the select board when I thought they were

470
02:09:20.320 --> 02:09:35.599
going to be voting before we had a chance to meet. Um, and I I was eager to convey some of my thoughts as as an individual person. Um, not trying to represent the school committee, but um,

471
02:09:35.599 --> 02:09:50.320
you know, I I I hear that [laughter] there's a desire to um, not a desire, but there's um, a thought process that like the schools

472
02:09:50.320 --> 02:10:08.079
need to feel some pain points. Um, but I, you know, I just, I think we need to remember that that every decision has has a big ripple effect and and has major repercussions. So,

473
02:10:08.079 --> 02:10:25.280
if we charge a tuition for full day kindergarten, we have to go back to offering half day kindergarten. We can't make people pay a fee for kindergarten. Um, and then we run into the stickiness of do we have enough to make a full

474
02:10:25.280 --> 02:10:44.079
classroom of half day kindergarten? Do we need to hire a a half day teacher or are we cutting a teacher to halftime who really wants to be a full-time teacher? Um, you know, if we are cutting some teachers from any level, it could mean

475
02:10:44.079 --> 02:10:59.679
increase classroom sizes. So that's a whole year at least where every student in that class is getting a little less attention, a little less support than um

476
02:10:59.679 --> 02:11:14.960
the their counterparts in previous years. And you know we might not see the effect of that immediately but we will see the effect eventually. If we're cutting supports then it's less supports. If we're cutting options, you

477
02:11:14.960 --> 02:11:31.599
know, if we if we get back into peeling back some of the progress we've made at the high school, then, you know, we're going to see a change in the competitive schools that our kids are getting into. We're going to see a change in how many are going to private school. Like with this, every

478
02:11:31.599 --> 02:11:50.560
action has a reaction. So, I understand that people want to think that there are easy places to peel back money, but we don't have quote unquote fat in the budget. It's all very carefully

479
02:11:50.560 --> 02:12:08.639
allocated. Um, so if no override passes, we have some really, really incredibly hard decisions to make that we will make because we will have to make them. If a smaller than $6.5 million override

480
02:12:08.639 --> 02:12:24.320
happens, we still have some difficult conversations in front of us, and we will have them because we will have to. Um, but I I just want to be clear that it's it's not, you know, we're not in a position to say no to anything because

481
02:12:24.320 --> 02:12:40.960
we don't know what our budget is yet, which is the whole point of doing this in November. Um, so that when we go into the true budget season, we actually know what our budget is and we're not we're not talking about false numbers. So that when we go into union negotiations, we

482
02:12:40.960 --> 02:12:58.480
actually know what our numbers are. So, um, I think it's vital that we take a stand. We have invested a lot of time and energy in getting the schools to where they are. I don't think any of us want to see that undone. I don't actually think the voters want to see it undone

483
02:12:58.480 --> 02:13:17.760
if they truly understand what's on the line here. Um, and yeah, sorry, I can't help myself. Um, I guess so many thoughts. I got to figure out how to put it all together. So, uh, bear with me for a second. But I

484
02:13:17.760 --> 02:13:33.920
think you all did did a great job in in what you just said. Um, yes, we have to advocate 100%. Uh, it's part of the reason why in reading through certain things, I was like, let's make sure that we are clear that we as individuals and as a committee can and should advocate um, inclusive of having meetings that

485
02:13:33.920 --> 02:13:50.560
are advocation meetings um, not just to the select board but to the town, right? Um, so that is not just now, but in the next couple months, we need to have advocation meetings, for lack of a better way to put it, right? Come learn more about the override and why we're

486
02:13:50.560 --> 02:14:08.000
asking for it. Um, so that's one thing. Um, uh, second thing I think is, um, as I said last night, I'll say it again today, um, the approach to this override needs to be extremely strategic. Um I I have

487
02:14:08.000 --> 02:14:23.440
heard a lot uh as has the select board of of absolutely no way not going to vote for it. Right. Um you know I I think if we look at a lot of the those that are louder on public forums there it's it's it's almost a 10 to one or

488
02:14:23.440 --> 02:14:39.599
more. Um it might even be 100% that are saying no in the threads that I've seen. Um but that doesn't mean but that doesn't mean that we should give up on November um in any way, shape, or form. What it

489
02:14:39.599 --> 02:14:54.880
means is we have to be careful about how we approach November. Um in my mind, and I never thought I'd say this, so whatever. Um I actually think we should put three on the ballot. Never thought

490
02:14:54.880 --> 02:15:10.079
I'd say that. Um, I I think the option of 9 9.8 should be out there and explaining what it means in the longer term. Um, and how that works. And that's not fluff. It's just it's going to make us sustain longer. It's going to give us another

491
02:15:10.079 --> 02:15:25.520
10-year horizon, right? And, and I disagree with an assertion made that we should plan for overrides every two or three years. They're too painful. There's no way we should be planning for them every two two or three years. It's I think it's a horrible strategy, personally. And 9.8, 8 I think gets us a

492
02:15:25.520 --> 02:15:41.119
much longer horizon of of time in between them um and allows people to make really strategic thoughts. I couple that with Jane's recommendation of of of anchoring um the free cash number to capital uh I think that really expands things in the

493
02:15:41.119 --> 02:15:58.000
long run and I think that's even more diligent and I would I would urge the fincom to really heavily think about that concept as well. Um, not that it's used just for capital, but it's a guideline. So, you're not just willy-nilly putting numbers out there just because you see large uh free cash

494
02:15:58.000 --> 02:16:14.639
numbers. Um, 6 and 1 half to seven. Uh, I I'm kind of six of one half and one of the other. Um, I happen to be in one of those, you know, two family households to a degree, so I have two recycling bins. Um, but not everybody's in that in that

495
02:16:14.639 --> 02:16:32.000
in that in that thing. So I I could you know I could go either way in that regard. Um I understand what the FinCom was doing. I understand there was a lot of noise around that. Um so if if that is what you know people are interested in. So then you know I think there's a really clear anchor there that people

496
02:16:32.000 --> 02:16:48.000
will frankly get interestingly passionate about. Um you know so that that is an an item to talk about from a six and a half to seven perspective. I I do worry though that neither one of those numbers has has a a legitimate

497
02:16:48.000 --> 02:17:05.040
chance of passing in November. I have that real concern even with our advocacy and something I'm committing that we need to do. And so this is why I'm saying I I almost would think that we should ask for three. And if five is five is a reasonable number to me, five is one we can we can navigate around in

498
02:17:05.040 --> 02:17:21.200
some way, shape or form. Um, and we just have to show the difference that there are legitimate hard cuts with five. 6 1/2 to 7 gets us level service, but only 3 or 4 years before the three and 9.8 gets us a much more sound financial

499
02:17:21.200 --> 02:17:36.880
position that we can manage over over the long run. Um, you know, with with a with additional and improved financial policies, right? And I think that financial policy portion should be a part of the commitment from my perspective that goes forward as part of that that vote, not my decision to

500
02:17:36.880 --> 02:17:52.880
greatly to Sean's point, it's not our position to say that, but I'm going to say it anyway as an individual. I think it's something that should get should be out there. Um, so I'd be I like I said, I never thought I'd say that. Um, never ever ever did I think I would advocate for almost a rank choice voting um

501
02:17:52.880 --> 02:18:09.040
option, uh, which is what this becomes. Um, but I think it it gives us a much better chance that something passes in November. Nothing passing in November essentially means we come back in April for 5 million, right? I mean, and if 5

502
02:18:09.040 --> 02:18:24.559
million is the only thing on the ballot and that doesn't pass, it's that's tough when we come back in in April for 4 million, right? Because you're never going to come back with a higher number. It just doesn't happen, right? So I think the the we have to be very I would

503
02:18:24.559 --> 02:18:41.120
hope that this and I know that they're very very diligent in the conversations but really think about what are the ramifications of these decisions and how do we how do we market it um appropriately without saying you know what November's lost right um uh

504
02:18:41.120 --> 02:18:56.880
appropriately. So my my suggestion Sean is that we look at this and we say you know we think the numbers of 6 and a half7 to 9.8 8 was B. You know, we fall off income, but we we acknowledge that we're seeing a lot of negative out there

505
02:18:56.880 --> 02:19:14.240
as well. There's a lot of no nos and we think uh an an outright failure in November is is a catastrophe and not one that we should go down. Um so go therefore thus hence provide a three- tier option 5 6 and 127 9.8

506
02:19:14.240 --> 02:19:30.639
with appropriate uh information around that that that truly and completely informs the public and then we go through a massive marketing and advocacies process between now and then. Um that's my 25 cents since you didn't give

507
02:19:30.639 --> 02:19:50.640
me two cents. Tom, I want to push back a little bit on that in in your comment that you don't want to see an override every two to three years. Suppose we get we put 5 million on the ballot and we got a lot of people say, "Okay, you know, the the town needs some money and we'll give

508
02:19:50.640 --> 02:20:07.439
them the the absolute minimum that they said is acceptable and and they said 5 million is acceptable and we start cutting some stuff and now we say, gee, you know, this is really pushing us back a little bit here and pushing us back a little bit there, but we don't want to do another override shortly thereafter,

509
02:20:07.439 --> 02:20:22.880
right? that that we're kind of stuck with this $5 million that's really a cut to what we we believe is the right number for keeping the district moving forward or not backsliding. So I I don't know, you know, if we get to that 5

510
02:20:22.880 --> 02:20:38.160
million, we show people, look, we really did need it. Uh look, you know, look at healthcare. Look at that. And they're like, "Yeah, okay. You know what? You did need that and I probably should have given you a little more, but but when do we when can we ever get that >> that fill the gap of the five to six and

511
02:20:38.160 --> 02:20:54.640
a half that we didn't do when we asked for it?" >> So, I I feel like it's it's giving people a choice that that really isn't a good choice for them. and and by putting it on the ballot, we're saying we could do something with this, which I mean, yes, we could do something with it, but

512
02:20:54.640 --> 02:21:09.280
I don't think it's it's the right move for the town. >> I I mean, I think that's a it's a fair point or question, Jeff. Um uh you know, I think that's that's where our our education is going to have to come to the table, right, as part of the

513
02:21:09.280 --> 02:21:26.880
process. And the alternative is they vote no on both, right? I mean, the al the alternative might be, you know, okay, if like I guess I'll say it this way. If people believe in 6 and 1/2, they're going to vote for 6 and 1/2, right? If they don't believe in 6 and 1/2 and you don't give them something

514
02:21:26.880 --> 02:21:43.520
lower, they're going to vote no on everything, right? And and I I I think the answer to that becomes, okay, is is nothing and going back in in April with 5 million better than 5 million in November,

515
02:21:43.520 --> 02:21:59.840
right? I that that's that's the counter to that right as you think it through. Um you know and personally I would rather have enough time to have real deep thought in January about the budget with a 5 million number than hope

516
02:21:59.840 --> 02:22:16.240
we get 5 million in April. And in January we're talking about a cut of four plus million on the school side right at that point in time because we have no override that's passed. Um, now fair or unfair, that's just kind of my

517
02:22:16.240 --> 02:22:34.319
my view on it. Um, and I I think there's a a real real risk that six and a half will not pass. Um, so to that end to the other side of the question becomes, okay, if we get 5 million and will that take us to 32, you

518
02:22:34.319 --> 02:22:52.080
know, maybe not, right? But that's where we have to start talking about other things. And again, not our purview to a degree, but we are doing certain things on our side from a revenue perspective. We're driving revenue in certain places. We we can continue to drive more, try to drive more. Um, we've talked about it

519
02:22:52.080 --> 02:23:07.120
amongst this committee, right? We've talked about can we do more advertising, can we do other things that that we would want to do to to raise that the bigger revenue is a question for our friends on the select board, right? Will Eastern Gateway and reszoning Visher

520
02:23:07.120 --> 02:23:23.520
Gateway actually bring more revenue to this district to this town? Are there other places that we can drive revenue to the town? Not necessarily to increase taxes, but other business related revenue. We all know this town is in a bad shape from a from a uh residential

521
02:23:23.520 --> 02:23:39.359
versus commercial base, right? Can we do something over the next three years that drives a commercial base up if Eastern Gateway moves with any sort of, you know, velocity? Possibly. Right? If if some of the other, you know, buildings that have not been built

522
02:23:39.359 --> 02:23:54.880
that were permitted multiple years ago actually come to fruition, there is more revenue there. Right? So the other side of this conversation is, you know, new growth for this town is something that has to be a higher focus, not just new taxes.

523
02:23:54.880 --> 02:24:14.800
Has to be. and advocating for the folks at Beacon Hill to fix all of the structural problems that are creating this wave of overrides across the estate. I think as well, um Tom, I you know, I I think I've kind of come around to your Well, I I

524
02:24:14.800 --> 02:24:30.000
shouldn't say come around to it. I was for three questions from the beginning and you've heard me talk about Marblehead, you know, until I'm blew in the face. So, um but I've I've I'm I'm coming around to to injecting that in this situation as well. Um, and I the reason for it, and Jeffrey, I think this

525
02:24:30.000 --> 02:24:45.120
gets to your question a little or your point a little bit. The the duration of the override, the duration of an override and how long it lasts is not entirely about the magnitude of the override. It's also about what do we do in response to that to that magnitude,

526
02:24:45.120 --> 02:25:01.280
right? So, you know, a $5 million override, our path forward would be could be u or a $6.5 million any, you know, any figure that's less than sort of addressing the full structural defic deficit. Our paths forward are um you know make the cuts to accommodate what

527
02:25:01.280 --> 02:25:17.439
you can't afford or use free cash to fill the gap, right? Um so it's it's the depth of use of free cash, how much free cash you're using in a year that really dictates how long the override is good for, right? you know, I mean, if we continue budgeting sort of the

528
02:25:17.439 --> 02:25:32.720
conservative way we have on the town side in terms of excise taxes and all those other, you know, revenue sources that are are a little bit uh unpredictable, um, you know, we can expect to continue to have re some degree of regeneration, but if we're using more free cash than

529
02:25:32.720 --> 02:25:48.720
we're regenerating or we're using at roughly the same level, then obviously the duration the duration of the override isn't as great as it would be in a higher number where you are, you know, regenerating faster than you're drawing down from free cash. So, you know, if it if it's a $5 million number,

530
02:25:48.720 --> 02:26:04.319
it's not just an us decision, but there's a decision to say, is it 5 million with that 3.3 number, you know, that Jane proposed to augment the 6.5? Is it 5 million with 3.5 or 3, you know, 3.7 with something less than 3.3?

531
02:26:04.319 --> 02:26:19.439
There's, you know, there's still a range of outcomes in terms of the the magnitude of the deficit that we're left with, and that's what's going to dictate how long it lasts, right? Is is what what actions we take there. So, um, you know, that that'll open up a whole new Pandora's box in terms of sort of town

532
02:26:19.439 --> 02:26:36.240
and schools negotiation and fin negotiations and what do we think is the right answer and what do we, you know, what gets brought to town meeting and that kind of thing. Um, when the cuts become very real. Um, and we layer on top of it, you know, by the time we get to, uh, town meeting in April, you know,

533
02:26:36.240 --> 02:26:52.080
we we know the outcome or hopefully we know the outcome of all of our union negotiations, right? So you layer all that on top and we've got a whole different trunch of information to work with. Um, and we'll have to sort of make those decisions that are really going to dictate how long any given override might last. So I'm sort of coming around

534
02:26:52.080 --> 02:27:08.000
on the idea of including a number like that one in our, you know, sort of advocacy position. Um, I think also, you know, Tom, one thing I disagreed with that you said, you said, you know, if people are support 6 and a half million, they're going to support 6.5 million. I think that's true for in most cases. I

535
02:27:08.000 --> 02:27:23.840
do think there's like, you know, frankly a Goldilocks effect um you know uh that I I wouldn't ignore from a psychology perspective as well. So um that's another reason why I like the idea of including a tier that um does require some cuts and they're going to be real

536
02:27:23.840 --> 02:27:40.439
and and people should understand, you know, what those are obviously. Um you know, but but it's an option. It's an option that may be more palatable for some and and to your point, it you know, it gives us a fighting chance um should those larger numbers not pass.

537
02:27:40.720 --> 02:27:58.720
Go ahead, Aaron. >> I didn't mean to hit the applause reaction. So, >> I was like [laughter] I thought it was a really good point, too. Thank you. Appreciate it. >> I appreciate what you were saying. >> You didn't have to tell me that. You could have just let me could have just let me have my moment. Erin, come on. >> [laughter]

538
02:27:58.720 --> 02:28:17.439
>> So, I apologize. Um, I hear what you're both saying. Um, and you know, ultimately what I'm advocating for is is choice. Um, I I think it needs to be informed choice, but but choice. Um, but Tom, I I go back to a couple

539
02:28:17.439 --> 02:28:33.280
things you said. Um, you know, you said if if people believe in 6.5, then they will vote for 6.5. Like I see that onus is being on all of us. Everybody on this call, everybody on the select board,

540
02:28:33.280 --> 02:28:51.200
everyone who is not able to join us tonight but is in a position to fully understand the budget and the implications. Um like we we have a lot of work to do to to help educate people. Um and I also

541
02:28:51.200 --> 02:29:08.160
Thanks Sean. >> Really good point. Um [laughter] but I also understand um nobody nobody wants more taxes [music] and many people um will be deeply impacted by

542
02:29:08.160 --> 02:29:23.200
this. I I do understand that. Um, but part of the reason I think people deserve to have a choice is so that they can understand like are are are we a town that is

543
02:29:23.200 --> 02:29:40.240
comfortable making some cuts? Um, to have a a minimum impact last the least amount of time, you know, are we a town that that doesn't want to see cuts but understands this might only get us a few years? You know, there's there's different approaches to it, right?

544
02:29:40.240 --> 02:29:58.000
there's different philosophies. Um, and I I think there is a huge portion of voters that are not clued in yet and have not have whose voices have not been represented yet. So, I know some of what

545
02:29:58.000 --> 02:30:15.120
you've been reading or seeing or hearing because I've seen some of it, too. But um I actually think it's not a a huge portion of the voting population. Um and there's also been so little information out there, right? Like we shared

546
02:30:15.120 --> 02:30:32.720
information tonight that has not been shared yet and and there's more to come. Um it will get more fleshed out. We will have lots more opportunities um for people to engage and and weigh in and learn. So, um

547
02:30:32.720 --> 02:30:48.560
I I don't you know I don't want to see a decision made out of fear um because we've you know people are afraid of higher taxes and what that means. Um I think ultimately

548
02:30:48.560 --> 02:31:06.399
the um people we have asked to identify what is needed have done that and we have those numbers before us and select board has those numbers before them. Um we don't get to vote on a number but we can certainly advocate and hope that

549
02:31:06.399 --> 02:31:23.600
enough of the select board values our opinion. Um, but I don't, you know, I think I don't know where the 5 million came from. It feels like a number out of thin air. Like we don't have the we don't quite have the data on it. We don't quite have um anything to back it up

550
02:31:23.600 --> 02:31:41.439
because everything has been about these other numbers. But ultimately, I will sign something that gives voters choice and and advocacy in what they want to see for our community. Go ahead, Tom.

551
02:31:41.439 --> 02:31:57.600
>> Um, I I I like the feedback and I like the conversation, right? I think we're we're a very collaborative board and I I appreciate that. I just want to say that as well. Um, I think one other thing from a strategy perspective that needs to be considered is this is a midterm

552
02:31:57.600 --> 02:32:13.840
election. November turnout is going to be very large, right? Um, this is not a 20% election. This is normally a 65 to 80% election. Um, with where we are from a

553
02:32:13.840 --> 02:32:29.520
national/global politics perspective, it could be very interesting to see who actually shows up at the polls. So, that's another reason why our advocacy and our education is going to be that much more important between now and then. One of the backdrops of that

554
02:32:29.520 --> 02:32:45.760
is a waste, fraud, and abuse backdrop that's going on nationally that we're going to have to rebut as part of this conversation. Right? There is no from my perspective, and I, you know, we're pretty detailed about the financials here, waste, fraud, or abuse going on

555
02:32:45.760 --> 02:33:02.720
here, but that's a backdrop, right? Um that we're going to have to be cautious conscious about as we talk through, you know, some of the some of the stuff um that that's going on. Um, so I just I you know, as we think about that, we just have to like who's coming to the

556
02:33:02.720 --> 02:33:18.399
polls, it's going to be a lot more people. Um, while yes, we are generally u actually significantly percentage-wise, more Democratic than Republican, there is a large large swath that's bigger than either side that is unenrolled.

557
02:33:18.399 --> 02:33:35.359
Right? You know this, we've both played this game a little bit looking at the the overall voter roles. So that unenrolled population in particular is going to be our target audience. Um not trying to summarize for any person or or put anybody in a box necessarily, but that target audience is the is the

558
02:33:35.359 --> 02:33:50.640
audience we're going to be looking at as we go through a lot of these conversations and strategically address this. But in the context of a national election where over the last couple years very very heavy focus on waste, fraud and abuse across the country, including in Massachusetts,

559
02:33:50.640 --> 02:34:06.240
right? um that has been going on with government programs. So we have to think about that as we talk about this. And another reason why from my perspective we will see a a challenge with a larger number. And another reason why from my perspective we have to provide an option

560
02:34:06.240 --> 02:34:23.040
for a lower. Now to your point 5 million where did it come from the blue sky right nice round number um bigger than the 4.15 number from you know before right that passed. Uh, and you know, it shows some degree of of financial restraint, for lack of a better way to

561
02:34:23.040 --> 02:34:38.479
say it, right? Whether we like it or not, it it shows I think what Sean was saying is that, you know, there's giving you an option of are we willing to do a little bit less. So, somebody has to take some cuts and we want to see that the government cut back a little bit or, you know, you're you are where you are

562
02:34:38.479 --> 02:34:55.280
and you know, this sustains us longer. So, I don't think there's any perfect science to it. There may not even be perfect science to 6.5 and and 9.8 8 necessarily. There's a lot of great work that Sharon and and Jane and Phil and others have done. Um but um options and providing options and providing

563
02:34:55.280 --> 02:35:14.800
strategic thought around it I think is is really important as as we go forward with this. So thank you. >> Anybody else? and then I'll um I'll throw up some language on the screen that um maybe addresses Tom's input and you know we take a straw poll move

564
02:35:14.800 --> 02:35:32.479
forward with the vote potentially. Anybody else before I do that though? Okay. Um so can everyone see what I have shared? >> Yes. >> Okay. Is there a way to make it bigger? >> Yeah. Can you make it bigger, please?

565
02:35:32.479 --> 02:35:48.640
>> I probably can make it bigger. Uh, let me just make sure I'm only zoomed in. I just want to make sure I get all the language on the screen here. Is that better? >> Yep. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Um, so this is largely the same as the the memo or the proposed letter that was

566
02:35:48.640 --> 02:36:04.640
in the packet. Um, the text in bold is what's added. So, um, school committee voted to endorse finance committee's recommended position tiered override. However, we acknowledge there are concerns about the ability of these tiers to pass when encourages the select board to also include a third question for five uh, 5.0 million. And then we make the same adjustment down here where

567
02:36:04.640 --> 02:36:20.720
we say we ask that you place two questions on the ballot as recommended by the finance committee in addition to a 5.0 million $5 million figure, support the passage of those questions for without reservation, etc., etc. Um, >> and should that that two questions

568
02:36:20.720 --> 02:36:35.040
sentence just be rewritten and just say we ask you put three questions on the ballot just to make it more clean? I'd rather not have the negative language in there. Like we automatically think the higher ones are going to fail, so put a lower one

569
02:36:35.040 --> 02:36:54.479
in. That's fair. Uh we ask you place three questions on the ballot, including those recommended by the finance committee in addition to a 5.5 million figure. Um and I think you that's a good point, Eron.

570
02:36:54.479 --> 02:37:27.359
Um, we would encourage this report to also include a third question for $5 million. Thoughts on um on that language? Should we throw in the the increased user fees in in that line? Should we since we've talked about it today rather aggressively

571
02:37:27.359 --> 02:37:46.080
full day kindergarten? >> Yeah. Um we we can my my only hesitation, Tom, is you know I frame these as likely cuts. Um >> yeah, >> you know, >> likely cuts or

572
02:37:46.080 --> 02:38:03.600
>> I agree it's on the table >> or means means to close the financial gap instead of cuts me necessarily because >> I guess my I guess my point was you're going to have to drag me along kicking and screaming on that one. So I don't know how likely it [laughter] um uh among likely cuts or other impacts

573
02:38:03.600 --> 02:38:29.040
would have to consider and influence some of most of the following. um reinstating tuition for full day kindergarten and and I I just inserted this here as well. We would um you know I'll include

574
02:38:29.040 --> 02:38:45.920
the specific vote count um once we're done here. Um, I know you're trying to keep it relatively short and to the point, but there are other things we've added in that list of, you know, reduction. I mean, I I think supply technology

575
02:38:45.920 --> 02:39:01.520
reduction might be one item as well. So, it's not just personnel like we're looking at all possibilities here somehow because everything else is >> Yeah. So, >> personnel related really. >> Yeah. I'll just I'll just sort of share my thoughts here, Tom. This this wasn't this was one wasn't um

576
02:39:01.520 --> 02:39:16.880
>> when I when I drafted this I I didn't do an exhaustive list because I I don't intend this letter to be the vehicle to educate the public about all of the things. Yeah. >> Um it was it was you know sort of a sampling of some of the most direct the things will most directly impact student

577
02:39:16.880 --> 02:39:32.800
experience and outcomes. Um you know given that that's sort of the tenor of the letter that we feel like you know a failed override would would undo a lot of the progress. >> Yeah. Um, so some of those things that we, you know, wouldn't be easy, wouldn't

578
02:39:32.800 --> 02:39:48.399
would certainly make things difficult for for our staff. Um, you know, but but don't have as as much of a sort of devastating impact on uh on student supports. Um, I didn't include those for that reason. It's, you know, it's not intended to be an exhaustive

579
02:39:48.399 --> 02:40:03.120
list. >> Yeah, I get that. Um, okay. Yeah. Anybody who cares can watch back the conversation. We'll have plenty of material after this, etc. So, we'll have a lot of going on. So, >> yeah.

580
02:40:03.120 --> 02:40:18.800
>> Say ultimately this is just for the purpose of the Slack board. Correct. >> Yep. Yep. >> It'll be in the back. It'll be official. So, it'll be kept. But >> yeah, but I I would expect that >> they were either here tonight or they would watch this.

581
02:40:18.800 --> 02:40:37.359
>> Yeah. I mean, it's the whole reason they delayed their vote, right, was for us to have this conversation. So, >> yes, that and we're thankful that they did do so. >> Yes. >> I'm also thankful. Yes. Thank you, Select Board.

582
02:40:37.359 --> 02:40:54.160
>> And apologies for any misunderstanding on our part about the timing. We were we were uh under the impression it was um the vote was going to be a week for a couple weeks from now. So, um apologies on that. Um all right. Any other thoughts on this? And then otherwise I'll make a

583
02:40:54.160 --> 02:41:15.040
motion. All right. Um move to approve sending the letter as presented on screen um to the select board signed by the members of the school committee. >> Second. >> I'm going to give it to Tom. Any further

584
02:41:15.040 --> 02:41:33.520
discussion? Okay. Uh we'll go to the vote. Cara, >> yes. >> Tom, >> yes. >> Jeffrey, >> yes. >> Aaron, >> yes. >> And Sean, yes. Thank you, everyone. So, we'll mark it as a five to zero vote. I will uh check in with Sarah. I assume

585
02:41:33.520 --> 02:41:48.319
she'll Well, I shouldn't say I'll assume. I'll make sure she's interested in signing as well. Um, actually, you know what? She can sign either way because it represents the will of the school committee, even if she would have voted against it. So, um, but, uh, I I'll connect with Sarah on

586
02:41:48.319 --> 02:42:06.560
this as well. Um, all right. That is the end of our agenda this evening. Um, we currently have a placeholder for a meeting next week. Um, I don't know that it's necessary, assuming the select board sort of moves forward Tuesday. Um, you know, we

587
02:42:06.560 --> 02:42:21.760
certainly will need to have start having active conversations about how to organize. Um, but we, you know, it is on the calendar. So, let me let me open the question to the committee. you know, thoughts on um thoughts on keeping that for now. Um we're certainly going

588
02:42:21.760 --> 02:42:39.520
to have to get organized around messaging and communication, so we don't have a lot of, you know, a lot of time to waste there. Um but we don't necessarily need to meet next week unless unless there's some question or something that comes from the select board. >> I will be out of town. I can't make it.

589
02:42:39.520 --> 02:42:55.040
>> Okay. >> Sarah, I think she wouldn't be able to make it next week either. So, we're down to four at at best. Go ahead, Tom. >> Are we We're posting for the select board meeting on Tuesday, too, right? Just in case. >> Yeah, we submitted already posted. >> We submitted postings for select board and I think there's a FinCom meeting

590
02:42:55.040 --> 02:43:10.160
next week as well. Or we posted >> They're posted for the same meeting, I think. Yeah. >> Oh, that's Yeah. Okay. >> I don't I don't feel a need to have it. Presuming they're going to vote for something, which is clear, right? Um that they're going to um I think the question becomes more to you and Dr.

591
02:43:10.160 --> 02:43:26.640
Turner in terms of how do we planning how are we planning if at all to use the offsite in this in this vein or not um and andor you know when can we um talk about it I think that the marketing for this is really going to kick in heavy late in August when people start returning from vacation right so I would

592
02:43:26.640 --> 02:43:42.399
just want us to be ready for for basically back to school um I don't think we need to start marketing before that personally maybe I'm wrong others others opinion certainly is welcome and so as a result as long as we have some time between you know, now in the end of August to

593
02:43:42.399 --> 02:43:58.640
put our our collective heads together on how we want to frame it. Um, I don't necessarily think Thursday is necessary. >> I think that's a good idea to consider using some of the uh some of the retreat time on on this topic, you know, once we have some more information after Tuesday. Um, I also think that, you

594
02:43:58.640 --> 02:44:15.359
know, it's sensible to use, you know, a chunk of time in August to refine some of the analyses and and, you know, sort of, um, to Chris's point earlier, um, tie the scenarios to whatever ends up being on the ballot, you know, more explicitly because, again, that's it's

595
02:44:15.359 --> 02:44:31.760
just a it's just a pivot from what are we going to do if we're asked to do a certain thing to, you know, what are we going to do under these actual scenarios in front of us. So, um I think that's sensible, Tom, to think about August inclusive of the retreat and our our other meeting in August as as and

596
02:44:31.760 --> 02:44:46.319
probably time in between and you know in small groups or um you know and one-on- ones with Dr. Turner and others um to advance some of this thinking as well. >> You might want to stop your share, Sean, just FYI. >> Oh, sure.

597
02:44:46.319 --> 02:45:03.760
>> Oh, I got my email there. Good. >> Good times. >> A lot of spam. Don't Don't forget to go to Atlanta tomorrow. Sean, >> a lot of spam. I'm going to Atlanta tomorrow. >> I'm going I'm going to Raleigh first and then I'm going to Atlanta and then I'm going to West Palm Beach tomorrow. So, got a lot of lot of flights tomorrow.

598
02:45:03.760 --> 02:45:19.439
>> Safe travels. We uh we have a draft agenda for our retreat. So, um we can um happy to talk uh as soon as you're as soon as you're you're ready. >> And then we're not meeting until the 27th. Is that correct?

599
02:45:19.439 --> 02:45:35.680
>> That is currently the case. Um, >> yeah, that feels a little far out, but >> yeah, I think um >> I don't think we need to meet next Thursday. I mean, I think we need to tune in Tuesday night, but I don't think we need to meet next Thursday. >> Meet in a couple of weeks and then our

600
02:45:35.680 --> 02:45:50.720
next meeting would be a couple of weeks after that. So, you know, we we can look at whether it makes sense and there's availability for something in between. I know I'm personally out for a week in between. So, um dep you know, and I'm going to be on the West Coast for most of that. So, you know, it gets a little

601
02:45:50.720 --> 02:46:05.760
bit more challenging to even do it virtually, but um >> I'll be in Paris for 9 days in August. So, uh I will also be unavailable for a chunk of that time. >> Laura, >> I'm so sorry you have to deal with that, Laura.

602
02:46:05.760 --> 02:46:21.920
>> Everybody your tiny violins for me. >> Um All right. >> Yeah. I mean, summer I mean I think I think Tom's right that summer's hard and we're just going to have to be hit the ground running in the fall.

603
02:46:21.920 --> 02:46:38.720
>> Just to share there are steps taken as we share the slide deck. Jane and I will be uh there August 6th uh for the first town forum. >> We should post for that too just in case. >> Go ahead J.

604
02:46:38.720 --> 02:46:55.600
>> Thanks. So, we have um a number of outreach uh plans already scheduled um through September, October, and November. We're going through and starting to um lock down locations for those. We have um our plan has already

605
02:46:55.600 --> 02:47:10.560
taken into account multiple different days and times of the day. Um we have Saturdays in September and October as well um to be uh you know, have outreach, give people a chance to come in and talk. We have um inperson inerson

606
02:47:10.560 --> 02:47:27.200
only um webinar um and then hybrid meetings that we're offering. And then we have so many channels that we use on the town side, you know, through our website, various email communications and newsletters, social media, um our media relations

607
02:47:27.200 --> 02:47:44.000
and um those kinds of and then inerson sessions. So, you know, at our senior center, the Pleasant Street Center. Um, I'm happy to come do um events at schools. Um, and I've shared this uh schedule with Dr. Turner today. Um, so

608
02:47:44.000 --> 02:48:00.880
he's he's seeing this for the first time today. We've also met with our um the company that we use to put out um you know, videos. Um we did that through the budget message this year and for some of our um capital projects through debt exclusions. Um so we met with them today

609
02:48:00.880 --> 02:48:17.040
to also um create a videos short videos that will help distill these issues down simply for the public. So there this work is already starting to begin on the town side. Um we're very organized and motivated to have um this information

610
02:48:17.040 --> 02:48:33.840
put out and working closely with administration happy to work with any of you um on what that messaging should be to the public. Um, so that that work is is well underway and we'll continue doing that um through the summer and there's a number of August meetings as well that and I'll be at every one of

611
02:48:33.840 --> 02:48:49.600
them. So I look forward to seeing all there. Feel free to call me anytime. Um I'm I'm text me is probably better. Um but I'm happy to reach out and talk with any of you as well and answer your questions. Um we have a we have a lot of

612
02:48:49.600 --> 02:49:04.800
work ahead of us. Um once the select board picks the the number or numbers that they're comfortable bringing forward to the community, um we will we'll be ready to go. >> Thanks. >> Thank you. And thank you for your work tonight and for the staff who put a lot

613
02:49:04.800 --> 02:49:20.720
of time there. You've done a great job. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. So, we will uh Oh, go ahead, Jeffrey. Sorry. >> Yeah. Yeah, I just wanted to ask um couple years ago there used to be social

614
02:49:20.720 --> 02:49:37.840
media liaison um where certain people were specifically um you know encouraged to write so that we didn't have all of us or a quorum of us chiming in on social media. Um so I I think we will certainly be needing to to

615
02:49:37.840 --> 02:49:53.680
speak up on social media and we should probably try to identify who will take the lead on that. Yeah, I I appreciate I appreciate that. I And I'm sorry. I know you emailed me the other day about that and I hadn't gotten back to you yet, so thanks for raising it again. Um, can can

616
02:49:53.680 --> 02:50:10.240
I ask um uh and this isn't a deliberation thing. This is a you know sort of chair appointment thing. So, um I don't think we have a open meeting law issue just asking for folks interests. Um, is there anybody who wants to sort of opt out of

617
02:50:10.240 --> 02:50:26.800
being tasked um on a revolving basis to be a social media leaison? If not, I'll I'll uh create an assignment schedule. >> Okay, I appreciate it. Thanks, Jeffrey. I'll follow up on that. >> Yeah.

618
02:50:26.800 --> 02:50:44.000
Um, and maybe, you know, I'll take I'll take the first shift, uh, f, you know, find somebody else to pair off with, but, I'll take take the first shift and cover us, you know, through, uh, through at least August. Um, I guess I'm going to have to start getting back on Facebook. It's been so nice not paying much attention to Facebook for a long

619
02:50:44.000 --> 02:51:01.680
time. Um, all right. Is uh, so we will plan to cancel the meeting for next week. We'll have some retreat content on this probably specifically on sort of prioritization discussions um you know and on what analyses we might need to advance uh you know in the

620
02:51:01.680 --> 02:51:17.680
coming weeks and months um with you know more with more information after the select hopefully hopefully uh lands on something on Tuesday. Um and then you know expect to see this sort of as a recurring topic on our agendas um in the

621
02:51:17.680 --> 02:51:32.560
months to follow. Jane will we'll uh you know take a look at what um what you all are sharing in terms of the outreach schedule and make sure we work backwards from there and plug it into our meeting schedule as well so we're prepared um where we need to be and um you know stay

622
02:51:32.560 --> 02:51:51.359
coordinated along the way. >> All right. Is there a final motion? >> M Jane's hand is up. Did she mean to do that or is it accidental from before? I >> think it's stuck from before or she was just trying to clap for me. >> Motion to adjurnn. Second. >> I'm gonna give that one to Jeffrey. Uh

623
02:51:51.359 --> 02:52:07.200
Tom Tom's motion. Jeffrey second. Um uh we will do a roll call vote. Uh Tom, >> yes. >> Jeffrey, >> yes. >> Aaron, >> yes. >> Laura, >> yes. >> And Sean, yes. Thanks everyone. Thanks for hanging in on >> Good night.

624
02:52:07.200 --> 02:52:10.680
>> Thank you. Good night.