This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. I'm going to call to order the meeting of the Southampton Select Board for the February 26th uh 605
and we have Steven Ellen and myself and if uh finance committee you look like you have a call you want to call yourselves to order. >> So call um to order the Southampton Finance Committee on February 26 at 606. >> Okay we are in need motion. Let us uh do
our usual stand. Pledge allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
>> Very good. >> Yes, that's an old I think that's >> um Yeah, this is the last year's school budget. Their new their new budget is not done yet released yet. >> Yeah. So, tonight we're we're here for
that's a whole package. Yeah. >> Um we're here to have the u budget hearing for uh North School uh and not Hampshire Regional, just North School tonight. And we've got Kim Sha who is here to talk to us about that. >> Yeah. So, I am the chair of the school.
Hi, everybody. >> Okay. So, um, as advertised to Scott, the North budget is still a work in progress. So, really my point in coming tonight is more to talk about where we are right now. >> Um,
and I because I think people need context for what's going on in Norris. So, um, when the override failed in May of last year, Norris lost a kindergarten teacher, a first grade teacher, the art
teacher, two pair of professionals, half a nurse, uh, 02 reading specialist, half an administrative assistant. Occupational therapy dropped from full-time to uh, 0.75. Speech dropped from 75 to 0.5. and we
eliminated all math interventionists. In addition to that, all of the K through six classroom supply lines were zeroed out. So teachers right now are depending on the PTO families and in a lot of cases their own money to um
supply their classrooms. When we started working on the budget um last year and one of the things that we were thinking about was that in the past few years there has been an effort to align the learning opportunities amongst the elementary schools that send kids to
Hampshire regional. Um because you don't want to you don't want teachers to be able to say I know that kid went to this school or that school because they have this thing right. Um so trying to keep it a level playing field for all the kids. So one of the things that we had hoped to add to the last year you know
so before this school year uh was a steam program which is science technology engineering art mathematics um it's an interdicciplinary approach to teaching and learning that helps children develop critical thinking skills and Norris is the only elementary
school in the greater Hampshire Regional School District that does not have this program. So when it became clear though that an override was going to be necessary to fund a level service budget um we made the difficult decision to not even try to put that into the fiscal 26
budget. So on top of everything else we lost we also have this other thing that our children aren't getting that the other kids are. Um I need to say this in case it isn't obvious when I say our children. I don't have kids in the school. My kids are adults. So I'm not
fighting for my own kids. My kids had the privilege of going through the school when it was not the way it is now. >> Can I ask one quick question to clarify? Um, so Norris is the only primary school among the five, >> right? >> That does not have a steam, >> right? So, New Hingham, West Hampton,
and Williamsburg all have steam. Either steam or STEM. Not everybody has the arts in there. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, we don't have that. >> And so, we don't have even one of the initials of steam, >> right? We don't even have art anymore because the art we had one art teacher and that position was eliminated. Um and
and you know when you talk about a list of the things you know the question is well what's the impact of that? Um and I think you know one of the big impacts especially with first we lost a kindergarten teacher and a first grade teacher. Um so we had to go from four
sections of each down to three which means class sizes went up. and kindergarten and first grade, it's really critical to have small class sizes because those kids really need they're learning how to go to school and it's also I if if there any struggles
teachers need to be able to have the time to recognize it and address it and with the specialists that we lost with reading and math interventions. The other issue is that it's going to take longer. it's taking longer to address identified needs because we don't have
the personnel to do it. >> How big did the classroom sizes go up from? >> So they went from 15 to 16 students to 19 to 20. Um the other thing too is that you know we do have a school choice program and a lot of times what happens
is you know when the sixth graders leave they take their school choice dollars with them and often we have openings in kindergarten that can make up for that revenue. But we're not going to take a bunch of kindergarteners this year and make what's already a big class for kindergarten. We're not going to make it
bigger. We're not going to do that because, you know, quality of education goes down by. So, there's a revenue impact there as well. >> I realize it's um it's a function of how many kids can you manage in a classroom as well as how well they can learn in a classroom. Is there anything that's set
by the state in terms of >> Don't you dare go above this or you know >> not that I'm aware of but our contract >> minimum or whatever >> our teacher contract though um >> the school committee so what the contract says right now is that the
school committee will um try to keep classes below 25 and that we'll ne we would never put forward a budget that would go to 30. So um so those are the restrictions that we have.
The other um you know some of the other impacts of this is you know there's reduced nursing coverage during the day which is a thing. I mean there are children who come to school with chronic medical needs who part of part of the reason they're able to come to school is
because they have medical attention available every day to meet you know whatever things they have going on that they need to have done daily. So that's that's an issue. I mean, they're still getting what they need, but other students might be waiting. Then um we've got, you know, the reduced
administrative support impacts the daily operations and family communications. People are waiting longer to hear things. With the reduced um speech and language services and OT services, the things and reading specialists, what what you end up doing is small group instruction, small group work that needs
to be small by the nature of the work. those those groups are bigger now. So, you know, there's there's serious impacts is my point. Um, and truly any further cuts,
I don't know how we would absorb them. I mean, this is already not great for children and any any further cuts would really have direct serious adverse impact on children.
So that's it. We are working on a budget. So in terms of timeline, because y'all want to know what we're doing, um we are having our public hearing on our budget on March 11th at our March 11th school community meeting. So our budget will be
available um by 6 p.m. on the H Regional School District website on March 9th. So that's where we are. And that is all I have for you because we are in the infancy of getting our this year's bud this fiscal 27 budget
put together. >> So I have a question. I had the same question last year, but um the difference and this sounds terrible, but when we were kids, >> right? Well, >> we when we were kids, we did not have special education except for a handful
of kids probably. >> When I was on the school board like 25 years ago, we had special education, but it wasn't the size that it is today. >> I think I calculated last year it was 38% >> of the total spending.
>> Mhm. So my question is I I know it's all legal, so you got to do something or you're going to get sued. But is there any management being done of special education spending because if you dive into the numbers, the the big things are special ed and their benefits, salaries
and benefits, >> uh we know benefits are going crazy because of the insurance problem, >> but it seems like nobody makes any attempt to manage the amount of money spent on special ed. And in fact, they kind of work to expand it.
So, you know, I I kind of I I worry that the schools lose the port because it gets so expensive. And one of the reasons they get so expensive is we're spending so much money on special ed. Well, here's what I will say.
For the past 18 months roughly, we have had a new um director of people services um who knows her stuff and she is doing a lot. She has found a lot of um she's
been she's been working on um finding efficiencies, finding cost savings. She's also um when students choice in if they have special education costs the cost of those special ed services gets
build to the sending district for several years that wasn't happening or it wasn't happening to the 100% level of what was available. So one of the things that she's been able to do is she's really gone through it with a fine tooth comb.
And so one of the things she has been able to do is identify revenue that we should have been getting and that we are now getting. So she is working on those things. As for um the rest of the your
question about management, I can I can ask about what's going on with that. I mean if there are any particular initiatives that they have going on. I'm not aware of any at the moment. Um I mean it's really it's a it's a political thing and it's state and it's federal.
So again it's not like something you can change in a >> right I mean there are laws about what ch you know children getting what they need >> and who has to you know free and free and appropriate public education >> in the least restrictive environment that is all law. It just seemed like the
definition has has changed over the years and now now people can >> I would say it has across all of the municipalities. So so I don't you know it's not it's not specific to Southampton. I appreciate that.
>> Maybe just just for context talk about the number total kids for 450 something >> four. Yeah. Don't ask me how many kids are special. Oh, I was going to say or how many how do we know how many? >> 478 students. >> How many choice? 478 students. >> About 40 choice in >> 40. Do we set a limit on the choice in
or is that >> Yes. So, what we what we typically do each year is um the principal looks at the anticipated enrollment for the fall and a lot of times you'll get like birth certificate like birth data and stuff like that like for the kids the children you assume will be coming like in
kindergarten. And if if there's any grade that um can spare a couple of seats, then we would advertise that we had openings for those positions, you know, th those um those classes, and we would ask, but it's not a like it's a
year-to-year decision, >> right? >> And it's conservative because you also don't know how many children might move in over the summer or move in partway through the year. So we don't max out on school choice because we could end up in a in a mess there with having too many
children in our classroom. >> And is there a a flat >> It's 5,000 for students. >> That's what I thought. >> Okay. It's 5,000. >> No matter if they came from Westfield, >> doesn't matter where they come from. The only the only the only difference would be if they have special education
services, we will bill them on top of the 5,000 for the special education services. Does that include their transportation? Sorry. Like Mckin Vento and things like that or >> Mckin Vento is different. Um as far as school choice students um
were not required to provide transportation for them. Some students I believe they come I don't know if they do for Norris but for HR I think some school choice students pay a bus fee if there's a bus near them they can get to that isn't full. I think that, don't
quote me on that, but I think that's how that works. >> I think a few years ago, I remember when I think when I first started on Select, the same $5,000 has not changed for the state, right? That's been there for >> I think it's long. I was on the school committee back 20some years ago when we decided to become a school of choice
>> and I think it was $5,000 back then. I don't think it's gone up. >> Is that a break even or is that a loss? >> It doesn't sound like you make money at 5,000. No, but of educating that kid is I mean it used to be like 19 or 20. >> But what it does is if if we had a
classroom that was going to have a teacher for say 15 kids, >> right? And we're paying that teacher to teach 15 kids. Well, we could bring three or four choice students in and bring it to 19 kids. You still have that one same teacher that you're paying
whatever that teacher makes, but you're bringing in $20,000 to offset. When when I was in Vermont 25 years ago, it was 16,000. >> So we were a pure choice town and we could send kids any. >> So they get $16,000.
Has enrollment like So we already have, I think, locked in a lot of our school choice students before the override failed. um if there's not a restorative budget um you know or further cuts I would assume that you know anyone that's
paying attention is going to pull their school choice and in fact are going to have flows the other way. Well, yeah. That >> elsewhere. >> Absolutely. One of the one of the the risks that we are facing is not only school choice losing kids that are
coming in, but you can only take so much away from a school and then parents will start parents and guardians will start looking for other options for >> school choice in charter schools >> and and then we'll be paying more out. >> So that is absolutely I was trying to find okay here it is. It's right here.
Um so just to give you an example. So, in kindergarten this year, we have two school choice students. In grade one, we have five. In grade two, that was a smaller group of children. So, we have 10. In grade two, we have five in grade three. Two in grade four, eight in grade
five, and seven in grade six. So, you're not you're never it there's never a point in a grade where you're taking enough students in that it makes up a whole class of kids. It's just it's topping them off, >> right? >> And bring I know this isn't what we're
talking about. Is it Sanford the high school? >> $5,000. >> $5,000. >> That's insane. >> Yeah. >> I mean, kind of to to your point, you almost don't care >> about people coming in if you're only doing $5,000. >> Well, again, >> what was the total?
>> Well, we have 404. So, it's a couple hundred,000. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> You know, >> assuming, you know, there aren't other expenses that go with >> there. There aren't. I mean, that's the thing. They bring the they bring the money and we're not ever doing it where we're creating their classroom because
of choice kits. So they're they're supporting the level of classrooms that we would have had either way, but they're bringing some money in with them. >> Yeah. Straight teacher salaries essentially. >> Yeah. But I mean the real cost to educate that person whether they're bringing in money or not. I mean it's
closer to >> $20,000 and we get you know a maybe a fourth or a fifth of what it really cost. Well, keep in mind though too that for the kids that are choicing out, we're also only paying $5,000 to students. So, you want to be careful what you wish for there, right? >> Yeah. >> And then we've got the out of district
placements though, right? >> And that's those can those can vary wildly. Those those can >> those are only special education. >> Yeah. >> So, it's someone has a school school for the blind or something like that. >> Right. Right. And sometimes, and I mean,
I can remember a million years ago when I was on school committee, we had a a residential student that cost us, you know, $250,000 a year. Um, you know, so those things do happen as well. Um, but but you know, we
these these cuts that we already had, these impact all all children, all the children in the school. And if we had to do anything further, it would be even more devastating. Um,
so I don't have, you know, we're we're in the infancy of putting our our budget together, but we will have it for our our March 11th um public hearing. But, you know, at the moment, you know, I can't tell you yet
what would have to be cut if we had to make cuts. Um, but we will be able to tell you by then. Are there any big changes from last year either way? I mean, is it >> in terms of >> in terms of knowing that there's new special education has to be spent or
new? >> To the best of my knowledge, I have not heard anything yet about any anticipated um increases in that there. It's possible that there could be decreases too if children move out of district. So the big increase in special ed last year
though and this is something that's important to know that was to make up that was making up a mistake that was made because what happened was I think you're aware and we've had some wonky years with ad business administration and we had I feel like it
was the year without a Santa Claus but it was the year without a business administrator and there was an error made in the budget and it showed special education some some part of special education was budgeted at only like $8,000. The actual cost of whatever that thing was that's
escaping me right now was actually over $200,000. >> So, while it looked like a huge increase, it actually wasn't a huge increase in what actually needed to be spent. It was fixing a mistake that had been made the year before when we were in some turmoil with um with some of the
business stuff. >> Well, outside of contracted was it the contracted services? It might have been contracted services, >> but like outside of that, everything's a fixed cost. Unless you do more headcount or you have an out of district placement, you know, unless you hire,
you know, two more, you know, um, speech and language pathologists, that cost is somewhat fixed. It's just how it gets spread out, >> right? >> So, so is there a plan to hire possibly to hire some of these people back? have the same people necessarily, but >> well positions
>> at so at our last school committee meeting on February 11th, we had a preliminary discussion and the um the directive from the school committee to the business office is was to um
prepare a restorative budget. Um the definition of restorative wasn't >> it's a little soft. Um, so that that is our goal >> to restore >> to restore some
>> two years to two years ago. Is that kind of what that might mean? >> That that would be like the golden that would be like what we would really, you know, if I was queen for a day, that's what we would do. Um, I don't
know if I don't know if that's possible, but we're we're going to do everything we can to restore as much as we can. um with with the under you know also understanding that we are one department and um none of us want to pit
departments against each other so we're trying to work together because we all think that's important too >> you mentioned earlier on the the K and the first grade going from four classes to three >> does that mean that second through six
are >> they are They were already at three. >> They were already at three. So, it's those two that have been >> impacted. Yes. >> Particularly. >> Yeah, they were. I mean, that's a that's a real and that's a really big impact. You wouldn't think four extra children in a first grade or kindergarten
classroom would make a difference, but I taught first grade, let me tell you. >> It makes a difference. Um, >> I've witnessed it. So, like I have somewhat of a, you know, a conflict of interest. My son's in the kindergarten class and I went and read to the
classroom and they're all doing miracle work with how many kids are in those classrooms. It's amazing. Just reading them a book >> and you have 19 kids sitting there all asking questions all at the same time. It's not orderly. >> I don't know how I can barely I can
barely get through a a children's picture book. So, I don't know how they're pulling that off. >> So, I did my student teaching in first grade. That's the first grade that I taught. I got to tell you, I felt like it really prepared me for a lot of other things. Like if I can make it through first grade, I could make it through anything. Um, yeah. And you know, it's
those those grades, too. You know, there's this fallacy that it's, you know, go to school and play, you know, or you know, the teacher had, you know, you're handing out juice boxes. You might be handing out juice boxes and if you're lucky, there's some play built into your day. But the thing that I
think people need to remember, too, is that so I'm 61 years old. School is not the way school was when I was 61 years. When I was a child, you know, 50 years ago, I got even further back. 55 years ago, right? When I was in first, it's a
completely different world now. What we expect of children is much different now. What we expect of teachers is much different now. And you can't meet those expectations in classrooms with 30 kids. >> It can't be done. >> Households are different, too. You don't you don't have most families now, you
know, a stay-at-home mom or dad that's providing additional education at the house. >> Two two working family, you know, two working family uh households. >> And you know, like losing the math interventionists. I was a math teacher, so this feels especially especially
painful to me. But >> so is there is there one left or there's none of those? >> There's no math intervention. And there were two >> there were we've had two then I think we went down to one and a half and then we got we had to get rid of everybody. Um >> I think people are gotten too there's
still delays second third fourth fifth grade from co there's and I think some of those kids are >> well and the other thing too is that you know what you said about you know having people at home who can help children. Some people don't like this, but the way
we teach math now again is not the way I learned it back. Not my thing. >> And so, but here's the thing. It's a it's a lot more about thinking than just wrote stuff. But a lot of families aren't even aren't equipped to help children with that
>> because that's not how they learned it. Yeah. >> And so if if you've got if you have big classes where teachers are taking big group of kids and can't individualize these services and you don't have the math intervention, I mean think about the world we live in right now in 21st century skills. Math is really
important. You know, I'm not saying anything else isn't, but you know, math is really important to a lot of what a lot of what children will go to after high school. Mhm. >> So, >> so I don't know whether you or Scott conducted this, but just in terms of the the state aid coming in or federal aid,
what do we what are we seeing this year? >> So, the incre So, the cherry sheet for um it's only the governor's right now and the increases to chapter 70, which by the way, >> last year's um local contribution of
5,859,582, 42% of that's chapter 70. So in terms of what's coming from property tax, 58% of it comes from property tax, but 42% of it's coming from chap came from chapter 70 last year. And I think in general the public
should know that um chapter 70 though it's only between fiscal 26 and 50 fiscal 27 for the governor's budget. It's only like a $36,000 increase. >> But who knows? I mean there was a difference you know the governor's
budget and then what the conference came out with by the end was different last year. >> So could you say again what we got last year >> for chapter 70 >> for fiscal 26 2 mill 2,742,798 and the governor's budget right now says
for fiscal 272,778,723. >> Thank you. Yeah. And the re the way I figured out the math is so that chapter 70 can go it can only be used for education. And so I took so it's about I said 90% of it because the other 10% could could be put toward vocational. So
I didn't take the whole thing for Norris. I I did it based on student population. So 90% of it would go to Norris and 10% of it would go to vocational. That's that's where my math came from on that.
So the 274 Scott that was it last year. >> There we go. Sorry about that. >> So when you actually have the assessments and the sending tuition, it's actually a reduction. >> Yeah. >> Which I haven't looked I didn't look that part yet. We're just looking for we just >> So we have the we have the chapter 70
and then we have the school choice receiving tuition. Yeah. >> Um so that actually goes down I think a dollar a little bit and then that actually goes directly to Norris. So that's in the budget then right out um charter reimbursements
and then the school choice sending tuition and school choice um charter school sending tuition which is comes from our general fund. So the thing the other things we don't know about right now um we don't know anything about what you
know what we can anticipate for grant um income for grant revenue um particularly at the state at the federal level you know there's department of education and things like that there's been some change in the past year and we don't know if that's going to impact our
our um our federal grants can you walk Actually, let me I'm sorry. Let me just uh got the wrong one. >> Do you think are you anticipating at least level from last year or are you guys anticipating increases or decreases >> level in the grants
>> in the federal? Yeah. From the >> we honestly it's a it's a big who knows. >> Okay. So, how how do you read this Scott? says Jeff Jefferson 70 money coming in. >> Mhm. >> And school choice coming in.
>> Mhm. And then that goes >> zeroed out. >> Yeah. >> Cuz it goes right back in. So how does that tie into the $5,000 per pupil >> um >> that we just talked about? >> That is that is determined by the state, >> right? But I mean
>> is that the $5,000 per student? >> I don't. >> So okay. So one, so remember I told you that and this might so that number that 376859 um that would be a lot more than the 40 kids that we have. Is that the proposed for 27? What's the yellow column? Is
that >> that's that's the 27. >> Oh, that's still a lot more students, right? >> So what that could be and I'm not 100% sure of this. Remember I told you that when students come in with um if they have special needs that we can also um
bill the sending district for that. I think our business administrator told me that that hits our school choice line. So that's possible that that that might also include it's called spent increment and that might include that but I'm not 100% sure. >> Let me bring it up. Uh school choice was
that sending or receiving? I'm sorry. >> You I think it's it was next to receiving. >> Receiving a thick >> official Uh, school choice receiving. Yep. >> Uh, school choice. >> But it's about the same as last year, though. So, that's what's
>> here. Page 14. So that school choice receiving figure is charged to multiple communities that send them to us. >> Correct. >> Right. >> Right. >> I think it goes to the state and the state >> just takes it off their Okay.
>> Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, did you pull that back up? >> The cherry sheet manual or the >> No, the uh the spreadsheet. >> The spreadsheet. Okay. >> That's totally Sorry. So it's it's actually about the same as last year,
which is interesting. >> I guess my question basically was on the last two lines, which seems like it's money going out. >> It is. So we Right. So we have to pay >> we're paying 300,000 plus 112,000. >> Mhm. >> For kids going to charter schools and and other public school children.
>> I mean, it's taken off of our state aid. >> So yeah, we are >> Okay. >> Yeah. It's less state aid. We're receiving it. >> Yeah. >> We actually never see it. Yeah. So that is more than what we're getting. >> And the and the charter school sending tuition that's going to increase yearly
because the way it works is like the first year they'll reimburse you like 100%. And then every year it goes I don't know what the percents are but it decreases. >> So the amount you're you know the amount of reimbursement you're getting is reduced.
>> So are there charter options for our kids? It must be >> kids in town. Yeah. >> So, school choice sending, am I doing my math? So, 112,000 projected >> and 5,000 per kid. >> This is like 22 children.
>> Wow. >> Roughly 22 kids maybe going up, >> right? >> Seems like a lot. >> What do the charter schools get for Do they get 5,000 or do they get more? No, I think no charter school tuition is different, but I don't know what the
numbers are in that. Um, and vocational is I mean vocational isn't talking about but because the town just from the town side, but vocational budget is is also, you know, that's a much different number as well. >> That's more that's closer to like actual for pupil expenditure.
>> I thought the chart the the charter school funding mechanism is pretty I don't know punitive to the towns. So, it's great for, you know, the people going into the charter school and terrible for everyone else for >> So, I was just going to add one other
thing when you talked about maybe the restorative budget. So, that might mean more bodies and if it means more bodies, it means more benefits. So, that'll have an effect on our our insurance costs >> too. So, it's >> I think the school committee should
recognize that it's not just the numbers that are here, >> but it also includes benefits. >> We do recognize that we also recognize a huge hit the school took last year. >> Well, and just to say that the town did take a hit. >> Oh, I am absolutely not ignoring it. I
mean, we keep hearing that yes, the school we we agree the school took a hit, but the town also has other costs that we ended up paying too that some of the soft costs that are not part of this budget that we have to cover. Be that insurance, unemployment,
>> you name it, retirement, >> that's all our money. I mean, out of this side of the pot, it's all everybody. It's out of the town side of the pot is all I'm saying. So, is there more that you need to tell us tonight or is this kind of where we are? >> No. Um, I'd be looking at the Hampshire
Regional School District website on March 9th around six o'clock. Um, there's a, you know, one of the choices of school budgets. So, you go to that and it'll take you, it will list the, you know, list the five towns. You can go to Southampton and fiscal 27 and
that's where it will be. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you. Thanks for coming in. Appreciate it. >> All righty. So, so just a quicky question. Would we have the schools come back again after that?
>> Um, if there if there's more detailed questions maybe, but be got to be after the 11th, >> right? But would would Hampshire come back in? Would come Hampshire come into us at some point? >> Yeah, they're going to do mid-March. >> Okay. Got it. >> Can I ask just how Hampshire works? Once
Hampshire sets their budgets and kind of allocates them to the towns, we don't have any control at that point, right? We can no >> it it takes several towns to reject it through their budgeting process, >> right? >> So, yes and no.
>> Yeah. And there was a there was a time when that happened, wasn't there? >> We know three years ago, I think we turned down New Hampshire. >> And then what did they do? They have to go back to work and they had to sharpen up. Can't remember if we were the only town that voted. We I think we have to
have two towns that voted down. >> Can't remember if we had a second town. >> Yeah, you need two towns. Yeah. The year a couple years ago when Southampton shut it down. The other four towns approved it. So have Southampton have. >> Right. Right. >> So we can just follow that.
>> Yeah. Okay. >> Thanks, Kim. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Anybody have any other questions, thoughts on budget stuff as where we are or do you want to give us some other updates in terms of where we are? >> Um, I think next week it'll be we're going to talk about some revenues, general budget and philosophy and maybe
talking about overrides. It's like we're meeting. >> Is there any thoughts on um maybe doing a presentation to the town um about overrides and like um you know I was doing some research on it like the towns actually have not done an override.
actually almost a disservice why you think it's good like that costs go up the only way to support that sometimes you know so sometimes I do think that it is an education gap sometimes between you know old school to your point Reggie school wasn't isn't the same as it was
30 years ago a lot is different at local government as well so the more educated the taxpayers are >> those facts you just said what what that refusal that not passing the override what that cut from the schools what that meant for the students Those students had no art education because of that.
Yeah. >> Right. I think >> and costs are going up higher than the two and a half% that we're allowed. I mean, just look at the insurance. >> And I think Scott, I think what you were asking a million dollar override, why it sounds like a lot, it's actually minimal impact.
Oh, it's >> we're not at any >> All I'm saying is, you know, I had heard a million dollar override or even a 2 million, whatever it is is. But to really lay it out what that looks like and you know I I just think that sometimes education
>> I think we're going to have to do something >> I do think a lot of people in town probably and uh who just say you know I'm getting by on a certain amount I can't believe this is going up this much. The easiest thing for me to do is just vote against it. >> Yeah. But look at electricity. We can't
help that. Look at you know groceries. But they're not going up to this degree where, you know, I personally think this is me telling you, I think that the state has mismanaged the insurance process for one thing >> by even introducing weight loss drugs in
the first place. I mean, we weren't going to do that in my business because we knew better. Um, and now we're paying for it. So, you're telling towns people, your taxes are going up so that we can give money to people to buy waist weight loss drugs that are going to the pharmaceutical companies. GIC voted to
get rid of them this this fiscal year >> today. >> Oh, okay. That's our message. >> Oh, good. >> That's our new plan. >> That would be a good message then >> because that I mean I I have a problem with the weight loss drug
>> anyway. But look if you do it the cover success. >> I don't I kind of bang on that board a bit too. And I think it's the the problem that I have with it is that it's you know it's
above and beyond what you know regular citizens have available through their private insurance. Same with the the co-pays and everything else. If I decide I have a call, if I go to the emergency room, you know, my insurance cost me a $500 coay for, you know, emergency
rooms. Why? Cuz they're trying to keep people from going to emergency rooms when you have, you know, what's the GIC? $150. >> Like it's it's not even, you know, in like close to what everyone else is. >> Yeah. And that's not close to what any
of our our taxpayers get stuck with. >> Cay just for anything happened. Yeah, >> I I'd have to have a bone sticking out of my leg,000. >> People don't understand the overall economics, you know, bankrupting us bankrupting the town for one thing. I
mean, >> well, just just understanding, you know, what people appreciate about living here and what the services are that they do value and how how do you put a price on that? You know, it's it's really it's hard. You know, it's you know, people >> people use different services at different times. we don't all all use
all the all the things that are available to us in town. So, it's hard to sort of say, well, we're going to do this, but we're not going to do that. You know, it's like you're going to you're never going to satisfy everybody no matter what. >> Even not services, just environment, you know, low crime. Um, and and the other
things that are are, you know, just what makes Southampton special and some of the smaller hilltowns, like that's why people move to live here, you know. But there are, we were talking about this last week, but if things get too expensive, then people start looking, well, maybe we don't need a library.
Maybe we don't need a senior center. Just get rid of all this stuff. >> Because a lot of people, they don't they none of my neighbors are paying attention >> and they'll see it's going to go up by a certain amount. They'll just say, I'm just going to vote against it. They don't even want to know the details. They're just going to vote against it.
I think that's our challenge is how do you how do you get people that are not the ones that regularly tune in or >> come to town meeting even. I mean there's a lot of people that don't even know what the town meeting is all about or why they should participate. And so I think that's a whole a whole other
education process because there's so many people that you know any of the town meetings I'm sure you've all been to. I mean you know if we had 200 we'd be surprised. I mean, you know, we're we're >> 150ish in the in the neighborhood is usually where we where we land. And so
there's a lot of people and and you know, people have other things to do, too. But I mean, it's just to say that there's a lot of people that have never been to a town meeting >> and don't know what it's all about in the first place. So, >> I think Becky's from the senior center. Is it is it Becky?
>> Senior center director. Okay. >> But her presentation last week, we have a very big over 60 population right now. And I think that that's and and it's not an issue at all, but it's it's the disconnect almost, you know, like they're not sensitive to the school kids
needs cuz to her point, she's like, I'm not here advocating for my kids. My kids are all grown. So when it doesn't affect you, so to say, I think it's a disconnect. >> Well, and you could use it the other way around, too. >> You know, I mean, just take a look at last year's override that failed, right?
I said >> a little bit of that that were voting for one and against the other and >> well but I I think a lot of people on the you know certain demographic was much more towards the school and and kids you know and and didn't have any
relationship to why that was important to seniors for example having an ambulance having police handy so that's another story okay do we have any other budget things for tonight if not I think we can call it a night and we will have
a regular site board meeting on Tuesday with finance. Okay, sir. On March 3rd, is that correct? Okay. >> All right. Good. I'll take a motion to adjurnn. >> So, move second. I'll >> All right. Are you guys a journey or doing
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