[00:00:04]
>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. IT IS 5.30,
[1. REGULAR MEETING CALL TO ORDER - 5:30 PM]
AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN OUR MEETING.IF YOU WOULD PLEASE RISE, IF YOU'RE ABLE,
[2. CULTURE]
AND JOIN BOMNEY IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.>> ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, AND CONNIE HENNESSY.
>> I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE GEOGRAPHICAL REGION OF CAMAS IS LOCATED ON THE ANCESTRAL AND TERRITORIAL LANDS OF THE CHINOOK AND KALASH PEOPLE, AND THAT THE CHINOOK ARE STILL FIGHTING TO BE FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE ON THEIR OWN LAND.
>> THANKS, CONNIE. MOVING ON TO 2C ON OUR AGENDA.
WE'RE TAKING A LITTLE PAUSE FROM MILLTOWN PRIDE AWARDS THIS MEETING, BUT I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE PLAN TO CELEBRATE ONCE SCHOOL GETS GOING AGAIN.
WE DO HAVE BOARD COMMUNICATIONS, SO ANYTHING ANYBODY WANTS TO SHARE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING OR BRING TO OUR ATTENTION?
>> I'LL JUST HOP IN HERE. YOU GUYS PRICED ON E-MAIL FOR ME TODAY ABOUT WAZDA ELECTIONS THAT ARE COMING UP.
IN OUR AREA, WHICH IS DISTRICT 6, THERE'S A LEGISLATIVE POSITION OPEN RESOLUTIONS AND THE INTERSCHOLASTIC COMMITTEE.
THERE'S THREE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT RUN FOR THEM, BUT I'M JUST LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THOSE ARE OPEN AND YOU'LL START SEEING MORE INFORMATION AND E-MAILS FROM ME, PROBABLY, AS IT GETS CLOSER.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? I ALSO WANT TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDARS, TOO, SEPTEMBER 20TH AND SEPTEMBER 21ST, THAT'S THE WAZDA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND WE GET ONE VOTING DELEGATE, IT'S AN ONLINE THING, SO ZOOM AND ALL OF THAT.
TYPICALLY, WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IS WE GET ONE LOGIN CREDENTIAL THAT WE SHARE FOR THE FIVE OF US TO GET IN.
I HAVEN'T GOT THAT LOG IN CREDENTIAL YET, BUT THE PERMANENT POSITIONS, THE BOOKLET SHOULD BE COMING OUT WITH ALL OF THAT.
IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD SHARE SOME TIME ON THAT.
FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S THE FRIDAY THE 20TH AND SATURDAY THE 21ST.
I'M REALLY UNABLE TO ATTEND MOST OF THE FRIDAY STUFF, BUT I COULD DO FRIDAY AFTER 4:00, IF IT'S GOING, AND I COULD DEFINITELY DO ANYTHING ON SATURDAY.
THE BIG THING I JUST NEED TO GET COVERED IS IF THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO CAN DO SOME FRIDAY STUFF?
>> I, GENERALLY, COULD DO FRIDAY, AND I ALSO WONDERED IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THE THINGS, AND IF WE HAVE A WORKSHOP ON THAT BEFORE SO WE KNOW HOW WE'RE VOTING.
>> I CAN GET THOSE TO YOU MAYBE AT THE SEPTEMBER WORKSHOP AND GET THOSE.
>> THAT COMES OUT SEPTEMBER 1ST, I THINK.
>> I DON'T THINK THE FINAL DRAFT HAS COME OUT ON THOSE YET.
>> I CAN LET YOU KNOW AFTER THE 8TH, I WILL EITHER BE COMPLETELY UNAVAILABLE OR COMPLETELY AVAILABLE.
WELL, EITHER WAY, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
LAST YEAR, I WAS THE SATURDAY PERSON, AND WELL, IT WAS DONE BY REALLY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
USUALLY, MOST OF THE ACTION IS ON FRIDAY.
ANYWAY, JUST MARK THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR AND I'LL REVISIT THAT, PROBABLY, AT THE WORKSHOP.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS 2D, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE DO HAVE THREE FOLKS SIGNED UP FOR THAT.
FIRST, THE GUIDELINES, THE BOARD VALUES PUBLIC INPUT.
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BOARD IS TO LISTEN AND REFLECT ON PUBLIC COMMENTS ACTIVELY.
THE BOARD MAY ONLY DISCUSS AND ACT UPON ITEMS INCLUDED IN THE WRITTEN AGENDA.
FOR THAT REASON, BOARD MEMBERS CANNOT RESPOND TO ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT CAN ASK THE SUPERINTENDENT TO FOLLOW UP ON ISSUES RAISED DURING PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
GUIDELINES FOR PUBLIC INPUT EMPHASIZE THE RESPECT AND CONSIDERATION OF OTHERS.
BOISTEROUS CONDUCT WILL NOT BE PERMITTED AT ANY MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, NOR WILL ANY HARASSING OR THREATENING REMARKS BE TOLERATED.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE AS A PERSONNEL MATTER.
THE BOARD REQUESTS THAT ANYONE WHO HAS SUBMITTED WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS REFRAIN FROM READING THEM DURING THIS PORTION OF OUR MEETING TO ALLOW OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SHARE THEIR COMMENTS.
EACH PERSON PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT HAS A TOTAL OF THREE MINUTES.
ONCE CALLED UPON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE MICROPHONE, FACE THE BOARD, AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
THE BELL WILL RING AT THREE MINUTES TO REMIND YOU THAT YOUR TIME IS UP.
LOOKS LIKE OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT IS KAREN VITECH.
[00:05:04]
>> CLICK THE MIC TO PUSH THE BUTTON.
>> KAREN VITECH. I'M THE OWNER AND MANAGER OF EVERGREEN TENNIS, A SMALL BUSINESS IN CAMAS THAT MY HUSBAND AND I OWN.
I HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONTRACT BETWEEN USTA AND THE CAMAS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IN 2018, USTA RENOVATED AND TOOK OVER OPERATIONS OF VTC, WHICH IS ALSO IN CLARK COUNTY.
ANOTHER FACILITY IN CAMAS WOULD BE THE SECOND FACILITY IN THE SAME COUNTY.
THE CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL USTA AGREEMENT DOES NOT CLEARLY SPECIFY THE LEVEL OF USE ALLOWED BY CAMAS SCHOOLS.
I SENT, SEPARATELY, TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, THE CONTRACT ADDENDUM BETWEEN VANCOUVER TENNIS CENTER AND VANCOUVER SCHOOL PROPERTY, WHICH SITS ON THE PROPERTY.
IT PROVIDES ONLY 90 MINUTES PER DAY ON ONE COURT FOR EACH OF FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER DURING THE TENNIS SEASON.
THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE DEAL THAT VANCOUVER SCHOOLS GOT WITH USTA.
FOR MAXIMUM FINANCIAL BENEFIT, USTA IS GOING TO WANT TO RUN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THE SAME TIME THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL WANTS TO PRACTICE AND PLAY MATCHES.
I WOULD ADVISE YOU, AT A MINIMUM, GET A BETTER DEAL THAN VTC GOT.
WOW. THAT PROVIDES USTA WITH A ZERO DOLLAR LEASE OF A FACILITY AND A PARKING LOT IN EXCHANGE FOR AN UPFRONT $1,500,000 OR $2,000,000 CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS WAS NOT A COMPETITIVE BID PROCESS, SO THE SCHOOL HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT THE ACTUAL VALUE OF THAT CONTRACT IS.
BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, OPERATION OF EIGHT COURTS COULD GENERATE ABOUT $15,000,000 OVER 30 YEARS.
THAT'S WHY USTA WANTS TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND GET YOUR FACILITY UP AND USE YOUR PARKING LOT AND YOUR SCHOOL GROUNDS.
THEY WILL MAKE BACK THEIR INVESTMENT IN A HANDFUL OF YEARS.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO 30 YEARS.
NO ONE HERE WILL REMEMBER WHAT THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS.
THERE WILL BE A WHOLE NEW SET OF PLAYERS, AND YOU'LL BE LOOKING AT A CONTRACT LIKE VTC HAS WITH VANCOUVER SCHOOLS.
WOULD THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVE A 30-YEAR CONTRACT FOR AN OUTSIDE PARTY TO MAKE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND RUN MAYBE, SAY, PUT A COVER OVER DOC HARRIS STADIUM, AND GET THE USE OF THAT FACILITY FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES FOR 300+ DAYS WHEN THE FOOTBALL IS NOT IN THEIR PLAYING MATCHES? THAT'S A RHETORICAL QUESTION. IS MY TIME UP?
>> YES. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLARK VITECH.
>> SORRY, WE HAD TO DO IT THAT WAY, BUT I GUESS YOU UNDERSTAND.
I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS TO ADD TO WHAT MY WIFE SAID IS SOME THINGS FOR THE BOARD TO BE AWARE OF.
THE USTAP&W IS ACTUALLY NOT A REGISTERED AND NON-PROFIT IN WASHINGTON STATE.
IN FACT, THEIR NON-PROFIT STATUS IN WASHINGTON STATE WAS ADMINISTRATIVELY DISSOLVED IN 2017.
THERE'S NO STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL LOOKING AT THE OPERATIONS OF THEM, AND THEY'VE BEEN ADDING CASH TO THEIR ASSETS AT THE PACE OF ABOUT $1,000,000 A YEAR FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THEY NOW HAVE 9 MILLION IN NET ASSETS.
THIS IS EMPIRE BUILDING, IT'S NOT A BENEFICIAL, NICE, LITTLE NON-PROFIT.
THE TYPICAL GRANTS, MEANWHILE, THEY GAVE OUT FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE ENTIRE REGION, OREGON, IDAHO, WASHINGTON, MONTANA, IS AROUND $2,000 AT A TIME.
YOU REALLY HAVE TO WONDER WHY THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PUTTING THE SAID $2,000,000 TO A SECOND FACILITY IN CLARK COUNTY.
I'LL ANSWER THAT QUESTION IN A MOMENT.
THE USTAP&W PAYS OVER 75% OF ITS REVENUES INTO SALARIES FOR ITS EMPLOYEES.
ABOUT A QUARTER OF THAT GOES TO THEIR TOP FIVE EXECUTIVES, INCLUDING PAT DRIVES, INCLUDING CHINA KIRK, THAT EACH MAKE ABOUT $300,000 A YEAR.
I CAN TELL YOU, IN 10 YEARS OF OPERATION AND OFFERING AFFORDABLE TENNIS INSTRUCTION TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY, THE OWNERS OF EVERGREEN TENNIS HAVE NEVER BROUGHT HOME EVEN ONE OF THOSE DIRECTORS' SALARIES.
AGAIN, NOT FOR PROFIT, IT DOESN'T MEAN NOT FOR SOMEBODY'S PERSONAL PROFIT.
THE REAL REASON THAT THEY WANT TO PICK CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOR A SECOND USTA FACILITY IN THIS COUNTY IS THEY WANT TO SQUEEZE OUT EVERGREEN TENNIS.
[00:10:04]
WE, VERY FRANKLY, TOLD THE USTA THAT WE WOULD NOT HOST THEIR USTA TOURNAMENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOW A COMPETITOR AT VTC TO OUR INSTRUCTIONAL BUSINESS.THAT WAS NEVER IN THE MISSION OF THE USTA TO ENTER INSTRUCTION.
THEY'RE THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE SPORT FOR LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS, THEY HAVE A MONOPOLY ON THAT BUSINESS, THEY COLLECT FEES NATIONWIDE FOR LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS, AND WHAT WE DO INSTEAD IS WE OFFER UTR TOURNAMENTS.
IT'S AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION, AND THE POINTS THAT JUNIORS EARN IN OUR TOURNAMENTS ARE RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY.
FOR THAT REASON, THEY'RE WIDELY USED BY UNIVERSITIES FOR RECRUITING PURPOSES FOR D1 AND D2 SCHOLARSHIPS.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE MORE VALUABLE THAN USTA POINTS TO JUNIORS BECAUSE COLLEGES RECRUIT INTERNATIONALLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE D1 OR D2 TENNIS TEAMS AT ANY BIG UNIVERSITY HERE, IT'S MOSTLY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS.
TO GIVE OUR KIDS A SHOT AT EARNING ENOUGH POINTS TO GET SCHOLARSHIPS, WE OFFER UTR TOURNAMENTS.
ASK THE USTAP&W IF THEY WILL LET YOU OFFER UTR TOURNAMENTS IN THIS PROPOSED FACILITY.
THEY SHOULD DO, AT LEAST, ONE A MONTH TO GIVE KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN THOSE POINTS WITHOUT HAVING TO TRAVEL TO CANADA TO PARTICIPATE IN A UTR TOURNAMENT.
SIMPLY PUT, THE USTA VIEWS US AS A COMPETITOR, THEY WANT US GONE, PARTICULARLY IN THE TOURNAMENT BUSINESS, THEY'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND THAT'S A NATIONAL INITIATIVE.
>> THANK YOU. OUR FINAL PUBLIC COMMENT IS MICHAEL SANCHEZ.
>> GOOD EVENING, I'M MICHAEL SANCHEZ.
IT'S NICE TO SEE FAMILIAR FACES.
DIRECTOR MCENRY, IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU, TOO.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CAMAS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF OUR ABOUT 450 MEMBERS, JUST TO SPREAD BEGINNING OF YEAR GREETINGS AND OUR WELL WISHES TO YOU.
I KNOW WE ALL HAVE VERY FULL PLATES ALREADY.
I WAS TALKING TO JASON MCKEEN, AND HE SAID THE COMMITTEES HAVE ALREADY STARTED.
I KNOW MEETINGS AND BACK TO SCHOOL FUN HAVE BEGAN FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION, AND WE'RE USING THIS WEEK TO GET READY TO WELCOME THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE HAVE, OUR STUDENTS.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND TO SOLVING.
WE ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING WITH THE BOARD AND WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I HAVE A BOX HERE, AND WE DECIDED WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE FUN THIS YEAR FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
WE HAVE CEA COOKIES THAT WE'D LIKE TO OFFER TO THE BOARD AND ANY OF OUR STAFF AND AUDIENCE MEMBERS HERE, JUST AS A GOOD WILL TOKEN TO SAY, "WE HOPE YOU HAVE A SWEET BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THIS YEAR." THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WITH YOUR PERMISSION, DIRECTOR MCENRY, I'D LIKE TO PASS THESE OUT NOW.
>> THANK YOU. THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM 3A ON THE AGENDA.
[3. LEARNING]
WE HAVE DISTRICT-WIDE BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS, AND I BELIEVE I'M TURNING IT OVER TO DOCTOR ANZALONE WHILE WE'RE GETTING THAT SET UP.>> WELL, THANKS EVERYONE, AND GOOD EVENING.
THANK YOU AGAIN, CEA, FOR THEIR WONDERFUL TREAT.
JUST TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION VERY QUICKLY TO THE AGENDA, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS, AND OF COURSE, THE TEAM WORKING IN ALIGNMENT TO REALLY CONNECT OUR BOARD AGENDA TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT, SO TO SPEAK.
IF IT'S WORKING FOR YOU, GREAT, IF IT'S NOT, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, IN ALIGNMENT TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE HAVE LEARNING, WE HAVE SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS, AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR OVERALL WORK, OUR CULTURE, WHICH IS REALLY AT THE BEGINNING AND ALL THE GREAT BUSINESS ITEMS WE DO.
TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE EVENING,
[00:15:02]
AND WE'RE OPEN TO FEEDBACK.WITH THAT SAID, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ALL AWARE OF DISTRICT BACK TO SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, AS MICHAEL SAID, SUPER BUSY RIGHT FROM THE GET GO.
YOU CAN SEE AUGUST 26TH WHERE WE HAVE EVENTS HAPPENING, ORIENTATION EVENTS THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT.
ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THESE ARE WHERE THE SCHOOL OFFICES HAVE OPEN DATES TO POP IN.
THIS IS FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL SCHOOL AND DISTRICT OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED ON THE 28TH, WE HAVE OUR DISTRICT-WIDE, ALL-STAFF MEETING, REALLY A KICK OFF AT GARVER THEATER, AND THEN OUR STAFF WILL BE BACK DOING THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR EQUITY MODULE AT THEIR BUILDINGS IN THE AFTERNOON, SO WE JUST DECIDED TO ALLOW EVERYBODY TO GET THAT WORK DONE AND THEN REOPEN ON THURSDAY.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
>> WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS ATTENDING ON THE WELCOME BACK MEETING ON THE 28TH.
>> WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WEDNESDAY, COREY.
AGAIN, WE FEEL LIKE THE THEATER WILL BE PACKED.
I KNOW MARY IS EXCITED TO WELCOME EVERYBODY.
WE HAVE A STUDENT AND A STAFF PANEL.
THE THEME FOR THE MORNING WILL BE AROUND CONNECTING TO STUDENTS, CONNECTING TO ONE ANOTHER, AND REALLY THE IDEA OF MAKING SURE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING AND WELCOMED EVERY DAY.
WE KNOW HOW CRITICAL THAT RESEARCH IS SAYING THAT KIDS JUST LEARN SO MUCH BETTER WHEN THEY FEEL THAT THEY BELONG TO SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY THEIR SCHOOL.
WE'LL HAVE THE BEGINNING OF OUR EQUITY MODULE BEFORE WE RELEASE EVERYBODY BACK TO THEIR SCHOOLS, AND I BELIEVE CEA WILL HAVE A SHORT MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN BETWEEN THERE.
LOTS GOING ON AT GARVER ON WEDNESDAY.
I ALREADY KNOW OTHERS HAVE THEIR OWN SCHOOL KICKOFFS GOING ON. THERE YOU GO.
NEXT ONE, AGAIN, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED.
IT'S PROBABLY HARD FOR THE AUDIENCE TO SEE THAT, BUT EACH OF YOU HAVE A COPY OF THIS.
AGAIN, THESE ARE OUR BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS.
YOU SEE ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS LISTED.
HOPE TO SEE SOME OF YOU OUT AND ABOUT AND SOME OF THOSE EVENINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE OFF OF WORK, PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME AND BE THERE AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THAT? DID YOU WANT ME TO GO INTO MORE SPECIFICS ON THAT?
>> I HAVE SOME WONDERFUL NEWS, SOME EARLY NEWS AND KEEP IN MIND THE KEYWORD PRELIMINARY, A LOT OF TIMES WE WON'T RECEIVE OUR OFFICIAL GRAD RATES UNTIL EVEN THE EARLY SPRING, REALLY MORE LIKE THE LATE WINTER IN FEBRUARY.
BUT WE PUT TOGETHER SOME EARLY NUMBERS FOR YOU ALL, SO JUST TAKE A SECOND TO PERUSE THAT.
THIS IS OUR FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATE DATA.
NOW, KEEP IN MIND OUR FIVE-YEAR STUDENTS THAT ARE TAKING A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO FINISH, THOSE NUMBERS COULD TRICKLE IN AND CHANGE AT ANY GIVEN DAY.
DEPENDING ON WHAT PROGRAM THOSE STUDENTS ARE IN, WE SEE A BIG INFLUX IN JULY AND AUGUST.
BUT THEN AGAIN, WE'LL TRACK THOSE STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SOME OF THE STUDENTS THAT DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT HERE WILL THEN FLOW INTO OUR FIVE-YEAR DATA.
CAMAS CONNECT ACADEMY, I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE TOO STARTLED ON THAT.
I KNOW YOU'RE SEEING A 4% DROP OFF, BUT JUST LIKE ANY ONLINE OPERATION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE KIDS GRADUATING THROUGHOUT.
I'M TALKING TO DR. HOLT, HE'S NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.
HE REALLY THINKS THAT HE COULD SURPASS THE 85% THAT THEY HAD LAST YEAR.
WE JUST NEED TO GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
THOSE 30 STUDENTS WILL HOPEFULLY BE WORKING VERY SOON.
CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL, THAT'S GREAT NEWS, NEARLY A FOUR PERCENTAGE INCREASE.
IN A SCHOOL THAT LARGE 1% IS PRETTY DARN BIG, 482 GRADS.
I THINK IF MY MATH IS CORRECT, THAT'S ABOUT 33 STUDENTS WHO DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT.
I'LL READ IN JUST A MOMENT A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT PRINCIPAL O'ROURKE SHARED WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING TO HELP GET THOSE 33 STUDENTS ACROSS THE STAGE.
DISCOVERY HIGH SCHOOL HAD A VERY LARGE INCREASE, I'M VERY VERY PROUD OF THAT WORK.
FORTY-TWO GRADUATES, LAST YEAR, 2023 CLASS, 83% GRADUATION RATE.
WE THOUGHT THAT WAS AMAZING UNTIL WE SAW THIS YEAR AT 97, ALMOST 98% OF THOSE STUDENTS.
JUST A COUPLE SHY OF 100%, AND THEY'RE STILL WORKING HARD TO GET THOSE COUPLE STUDENTS ACROSS THE STAGE.
THEN INCREDIBLE NEWS OVER AT HAYES FREEDOM, WE JUST SEE THINGS CONTINUING TO GET BETTER AND STRONGER EVERY YEAR THERE, 54 GRADUATES, 96.4%, SO OVER A 3% INCREASE.
NOW, KEEP IN MIND, THOSE ARE PRELIMINARY, SO THINGS COULD HAPPEN, THINGS FLUCTUATE, BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT QUICK UPDATE AS WE GO INTO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.
[00:20:05]
I KNOW THIS IS SMALL, SO I'LL JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT PRINCIPAL O'ROURKE SHARED.FIRST OFF, SHE REALLY WANTS TO CELEBRATE THE BRINGING ON OF ADAM MATHESON.
HIS DIRECT IMPACT AND INTERACTING WITH THE RUNNING START STUDENTS.
HE WAS ABLE TO DEVOTE SOME REALLY GOOD, STRONG, INDIVIDUAL TIME WITH THOSE STUDENTS.
SHE SAID SURPRISINGLY, OUR RUNNING START STUDENTS ARE SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE TO BE AT RISK OF GRADUATING, AND THEY SOMETIMES GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.
BRINGING ON ADAM WAS REALLY HELPFUL IN KELLY'S EYES.
AGAIN, HE'S VERY GOOD AT TOUCHING BASE AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE STUDENTS ARE STAYING MOTIVATED TO GRADUATE.
I THINK I'VE SHARED THAT WITH YOU A COUPLE OF TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WELL.
SHE ALSO SAID THAT THIS YEAR, THE COUNSELORS WERE REALLY PROACTIVE IN WRAPPING THEIR ARMS AROUND STUDENTS.
I THINK ALSO THAT SHE DIDN'T NOTE HERE, ASSIGNING ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL, SIENA POTASSI DIRECTLY OVER ALL COUNSELORS, THERE WAS A MUCH MORE OF A STREAMLINED FOCUS.
THEY HAD A GREAT COMMUNICATION.
SHE'S NOW WORKING UPSTAIRS WITH THE COUNSELOR.
AGAIN, IT BECAME QUITE A TIGHT KNIT FAMILY UP THERE, WHICH I THINK REALLY BENEFITED OUR STUDENTS TO SEE THAT INCREASE IN GRADUATION RATE.
AGAIN, FOR THE STUDENTS THAT THEY'RE NOT CATCHING IN TIME, THIS IS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL IS FOCUSING ON.
ONE, A DIRECT LINE TO THEIR FRESHMAN, PROGRESS MONITORING WITH THEIR MAP SCORES.
I KNOW YOU MAY NOT KNOW A LOT ABOUT THAT, BUT PRINCIPAL O'ROURKE IS ASKED TO PILOT MAP TESTING, AND SHE'S SEEING SOME IMPROVEMENT ALREADY WITH HER FRESHMAN.
PLANNERS FOR ORGANIZATION AND CONTINUED SUPPORT WITH THE LINK CREW, AND THAT'S BASICALLY PAYING KEEN ATTENTION TO CREDIT DEFICIENCY.
ALSO, THEY'RE FOCUSING ON TIER 1 INTERVENTION STRATEGIES AND INTENTIONAL COACHING BETWEEN COUNSELORS AND STUDENTS.
LOTS GOING ON THERE TO HELP RAISE THAT RATE, AND YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM, THEIR RATE GOAL IS 95% FOR THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, SO KUDOS TO THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
AGAIN, JUST A COUPLE OF STORIES HERE TO SHARE AT CCA AND DHS.
THAT ONE'S A LITTLE SMALL, SO I'M GOING TO GO TO MY SCREEN HERE.
I THINK LAST YEAR, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO READ THAT.
AGAIN, AS DAN SAID, THERE'S A STUDENT FROM CCA FOR WHOM I JUST GOT REALLY PROUD FOR OUR TEAM AND HOW WE WERE ABLE TO HELP HIM CROSS THE FINISH LINE.
THROUGHOUT HIS HIGH SCHOOL CAREER, HE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING HIS WAY AND OFTEN STRUGGLED IN VARIOUS SCHOOL SETTINGS.
DURING HIS TIME AT CASCADIA TECH, HE DISCOVERED A LOVE FOR CARS AND MECHANICS, AND THIS EVENTUALLY GAVE HIM HOPE AND PURPOSE TO PUSH THROUGH GRADUATION.
OVER THE COURSE OF HIS SENIOR YEAR, OUR CCA TEAM MET WITH HIM, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS TEACHERS MULTIPLE TIMES TO MAKE SURE HE KNEW WHAT WAS NEEDED TO FINISH.
AGAIN, IT'S JUST THAT CONNECTION PIECE, WHICH IS A HUGE FOCUS OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ON WEDNESDAY AS WELL.
THEN A SIMILAR STORY AT DHS, TO READ, IF YOU LIKE.
BUT AGAIN, I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT OUR STAFFS AT OUR SCHOOLS ARE REALLY HOMING IN ON THESE STUDENTS.
I THINK AT OUR SMALLER HIGH SCHOOLS, IT BECOMES VERY PERSONAL, AND I THINK OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE IT THAT WAY AT CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL AS PERSONAL AS POSSIBLE.
THEN HAYES FREEDOM, JUST A COUPLE OF POINTS AND ANNUAL PRINCIPAL HOLMES IS HERE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
BUT JUST GREAT SUCCESS, 100% OF THE 2024 SENIOR CLASS ARE IN LINE TO GRADUATE.
EACH STUDENT WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN COMPELLED, I SHOULDN'T SAY COMPELLED THERE, COMPLETED, THAT WAS PROBABLY MY MISTAKE, GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS HAVE DECIDED BY THEIR CHOICE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT TO REACH OUT AND COME BACK TO HAYES ON THEIR OWN.
I THINK THAT'S REMARKABLE, AND IT SHOWS REALLY WHAT THE IMPRESSION IS FROM THAT STAFF ON THE STUDENTS.
THESE STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED AND HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN CONTACT WITH AMY ALREADY THIS AUGUST, 100% OF THEIR STUDENTS SERVED BY IEPS GRADUATED ON TIME, AND JUST A REMINDER, I BELIEVE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, PRINCIPAL HOLMES, AMY DOES HAVE THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF STUDENTS SERVED ON IEP IN THE DISTRICT AT OVER 37% SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
IT'S INCREDIBLE WORK, AND 100% OF THE STUDENTS WHO STARTED WITH HAYES AT FRESHMAN YEAR GRADUATED ON TIME.
REMARKABLE. AMY, WOULD YOU MIND POPPING UP AND SHARING ANYTHING I MISSED OR? [LAUGHTER] YOU SURE?
[00:25:15]
AGAIN, THAT KEYWORD PRELIMINARY.UNLESS THERE IS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? CONNIE, YOU'RE GOOD. I KNOW THIS WAS SOME DATA YOU WERE WANTING TO SEE, REALLY.
>> AS WE DIG INTO IT, I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, AMY, THESE KIDS THAT WE DIDN'T GET ACROSS THE STAGE, ARE THERE ANY PATTERNS TO THAT? BECAUSE ONE YEAR, WE HAD A LOT OF RUNNING START KIDS AT CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL THAT DIDN'T GRADUATE FOR SOME REASON.
WE HAD PUT A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THAT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING THOSE KIDS WERE NOT SERVING OR THAT DIDN'T GRADUATE AND SO THAT WE CAN DO BETTER IN THE FUTURE.
THEY'RE GREAT GRADUATION RATES, BUT THERE STILL WE'RE MISSING SOME KIDS JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE ALL OF THEM.
>> GREAT. ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE BOARD? THANKS, JOHN FOR BRINGING THAT DATA IN THERE.
>> CAN I GO BACK. I JUST WANTED TO I THINK DEREK GRABBED ALL THIS TOGETHER AND I DIDN'T THINK YOU HAVE IT TOGETHER FOR TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORT THAT HE PUT IN THERE YOU ARE.
THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU EVERYBODY WHO DID IT. YES. THANK YOU, AMY.
>> IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL WITH SOMEBODY THAT'S REALLY LOOKING STRONGLY AT DATA.
IT'S HELPED THE STAFF A LOT, AND THAT'S ONE OF DEREK'S MANY TALENTS, SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT HE'LL BE HERE ALL YEAR.
>> WELL, ONE OF OUR GOALS AS A BOARD IS TO MAKE SURE THAT AT EACH MEETING, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LITTLE BIT OF DATA THAT WE CAN TRACE BACK TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN NOW AND STUFF.
I KNOW THAT WAS QUICK TO PULL THINGS TOGETHER IN AUGUST WHEN THINGS REALLY HAVEN'T BEEN GOING, BUT APPRECIATE THAT AND THAT'LL BE OUR LITTLE PLACEHOLDER SPOT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DIGGING INTO.
MOVING ON TO SECTION 4 OF THE AGENDA SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS.
[4. SYSTEMS/PATHWAYS]
WE HAVE OUR SUPERINTENDENTS REPORTS.>> WE HAVE A LOT OF CELEBRATIONS, AS WE JUST MENTIONED, BUT I DO HAVE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME HEAVY BUDGET STUFF THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AND OF COURSE, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I CAN.
I KNOW JASON, WILL DIG IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER IN HIS REPORT.
BUT REALLY MORE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT STANDPOINT AND WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE REGION, THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING, NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT STATEWIDE.
I DEFINITELY FELT IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE KICK OFF THE SCHOOL YEAR, NOT TO RUIN THE CELEBRATORY VIBE, BUT DEFINITELY GET THE BOARD INVOLVED IN THESE DISCUSSIONS SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AS WE DIG INTO THIS YEAR AND BEYOND.
REALLY LOOKING A LITTLE BIT MORE HIGH LEVEL AT THE STATE, YOU SEE THIS SLIDE TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND WASHINGTON.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE STRUGGLING TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGETS.
I KNOW IT'S IN THE NEWS CONSTANTLY.
I KNOW YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN IT AND MAKING SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO STAFF AND PROGRAMS. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO LIMIT THAT THE BEST WE CAN AND CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE BUDGET PLAN THE BEST WE CAN.
IN SEATTLE, IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST DEVASTATING RIGHT NOW.
IT'S THE STATE'S BIGGEST DISTRICT, AS YOU KNOW, THEY'VE PROPOSED CLOSING 20 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BY THE END OF NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE ONE OF THE LARGEST ONE TIME CLOSURES NATIONALLY IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A FOREGONE CONCLUSION, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME WORK HAPPENING AROUND THAT.
FIVE DISTRICTS, INCLUDING MARYSVILLE ARE NOW RUNNING IN THE RED, AND YOU'VE HEARD THE TERM BINDING CONDITIONS, WHICH I'LL DIG INTO A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S HEARTBREAKING TO SEE WHAT SOME OF THESE DISTRICTS ARE DEALING WITH.
ANOTHER 14 DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE, THEIR BUDGETS INDICATE THAT THEY COULD FACE FINANCIAL TROUBLE AHEAD ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY THE SCHOOL FINANCIAL HEALTH INDICATORS IN THE OFFICE OF SPI.
EVEN MORE SAY THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGETS AT THE EXPENSE OF MEETING STUDENTS NEEDS, WHICH AGAIN, IT'S DEVASTATING TO HEAR THAT, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS IS OUR BUSINESS.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF ARTICLES I DUG UP JUST SO YOU COULD TAKE A LOOK AT.
IT'S PROBABLY NOTHING NEW TO YOU, BUT JUST AS A REMINDER OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SOME OF THESE ARE VERY CLOSE TO HOME.
THEIR AUDITOR ACTUALLY USED THE TERM, IT'S ALARMING AUDIT, THE MOST ALARMING IN 17 YEARS.
BUT THEN MORE OF OUR NEIGHBORS, VANCOUVER AND EVERGREEN, VANCOUVER JUST RECENTLY SLASHED $35 MILLION TO THEIR BUDGET FOR THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR COMING UP.
THEN EVERGREEN, WHO WE KNOW THE STORY THERE, THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF $20 MILLION CUT.
[00:30:01]
I GUESS THE NARRATIVE HERE IS THAT I KNOW LAST YEAR WE FACED SOME BUDGET CUTS.THIS YEAR, WE'RE LIKELY GOING TO FACE SOME AS WELL.
WE'RE ALREADY STARTING THAT PROCESS, GOING INTO NEXT YEAR.
IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE NOT ALONE AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST.
TO MICHAEL'S POINT, WE'RE WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS, OUR BARGAINING GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING ANY STONE UNTURNED.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT WE DEFINITELY ARE FACING SOME TOUGH TIMES AND WHY IS WHAT I'LL GO INTO NEXT.
AS FAR AS CAMAS GOES, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WELL BEFORE I WAS HERE, I KNOW THE BOARDS DID A LOT OF WORK WITH DR. SNELL AND ALSO DOUG BEFORE ME, AS WELL AS OUR BARGAINING GROUPS TO MAKE A PLAN, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT AS WE'VE KNOWN, OUR DISTRICT'S FINANCIAL HEALTH HAS BEEN ON A DECLINE DUE TO SEVERAL REASONS, TWO BEING RISING COSTS, WHICH ARE ASTRONOMICAL RIGHT NOW, NOT JUST IN OUR OWN PERSONAL HOMES, BUT IN BUSINESS AS WELL.
OF COURSE, OUR LAGGING REVENUES.
THESE GAPS HAVE RESULTED IN GROWING DEFICITS THAT OUR RESERVES OR FUND BALANCE HAVE COVERED.
THEN MOST RECENTLY, JESSICA ROBERTS, WHO'S A SPOKESPERSON FOR VANCOUVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SAID, "OUR STATE FUNDING MODEL IS TRULY WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES." IT'S SIMPLY NOT ALIGNED WITH STUDENT NEEDS AND THE REAL WORLD COSTS OF RUNNING A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
RECENT FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS HAVE OUR DISTRICT FUND BALANCE REACHING A CRITICALLY LOW LEVEL OF 3.6%, WHICH IS A LITTLE UNDER $5 MILLION, WHICH I THINK I COULD SPEAK FOR THE FIVE OF YOU, THAT'S DEFINITELY AN UNCOMFORTABLE NUMBER.
TO AVOID HAVING OUR DISTRICT FALL INTO BINDING CONDITIONS, WE DO NEED TO ACT NOW AND HAVE COMMENCED AN INITIAL ROUND OF BUDGET CUTS.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS KEEP THE BUILDINGS AWAY FROM THIS AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
YOU'LL SEE IN JUST A MOMENT, WE'RE REALLY STARTING AT CENTRAL AND HOPING TO KICK THE CAN A LITTLE BIT MORE TOWARDS THE SPRING SO WE CAN GET A GOOD START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR AND KEEP THAT CELEBRATION GOING BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS REALLY DESERVE THAT.
NOW, KEEP IN MIND WE HAVE ALREADY HAD THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH ANY STAFF WHO'S BEEN AFFECTED SO FAR, SO THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE THE FIRST TIME THEY'RE HEARING THIS.
IN ORDER TO SAVE APPROXIMATELY $700,000 GOING INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR, THE TEAM AND I HAVE DECIDED THAT WE WILL ELIMINATE SIX POSITIONS AFTER A SIX MONTH RUNWAY.
BASICALLY, WE HAVE MULTIPLE EMPLOYEES THAT SIGN ONE YEAR CONTRACTS FROM SEPTEMBER THROUGH A YEAR.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE ASKED THEM TO SIGN A SIX MONTH CONTRACT WITH THE INTENT TO NOT RENEW THEIR CONTRACT AT THE END OF THE SIX MONTHS.
ONE IS, WE DO WANT TO STICK AS CLOSE TO OUR PROMISE AS POSSIBLE, THAT CUTS WON'T HAPPEN THIS YEAR.
NOW, SIX MONTHS, YES, DEFINITELY STILL FALLS IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT IT'S VERY LATE INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WHAT THAT DOES IS IT PROVIDES THESE EMPLOYEES A SIX MONTH WINDOW TO LOOK ELSEWHERE, TO WORK WITH OUR TEAM TO BUILD UP THE RESUME, TO POTENTIALLY FIND OPPORTUNITIES CLOSE TO HOME AS POSSIBLE.
THEY DID SOME VERY TOUGH WORK THIS WEEK, AND OF COURSE, THE STAFF WERE JUST SO PROFESSIONAL AND KIND AND UNDERSTANDING.
THIS IS NOT EASY NEWS TO TAKE.
BUT I FELT AS THOUGH THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS AS FAR AWAY FROM THE CLASSROOM AS WE CAN GO, BUT ALSO SHOWING GRACE TO OUR TEAM AND OUR EMPLOYEES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE TIME.
WE DEFINITELY DID NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING IMMEDIATE.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THAT SIX MONTHS, WE'RE HOPING THAT THESE PEOPLE WILL STAY WITH US.
MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR MANY YEARS, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE GREAT SERVICE TO OUR SCHOOLS.
IF NOT, IF THEIR ROAD TAKES THEM A DIFFERENT WAY, THEN WE'LL ADJUST AS A TEAM.
WE'LL HAVE BACKUP PLANS AND OTHERS WHO CAN PICK UP SOME OF THAT WORK.
OF COURSE, IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH.
WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT IT DOESN'T STOP THE GREAT SERVICE AND SUPPORT WE'RE PROVIDING OUR SCHOOLS WITH BUT WE THINK WE HAVE THE TEAM THAT COULD PICK UP THE PIECES, IF NECESSARY.
>> ALSO, WE'VE DONE A SIX DAY FURLOUGH TO MYSELF, AS WELL AS OUR CABINET AND SOME MANAGEMENT POSITIONS.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO STAY HOME.
YOU'RE REALLY OFF THE CLOCK COMPLETELY FOR THOSE SIX DAYS.
WHAT WE'RE DOING TO PROVIDE THE LEAST IMPACT TO OUR SCHOOLS IS POSSIBLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A SPREADSHEET WHERE EACH OF US FILLS IN THE BLANKS, AND WE'RE PICKING RANDOM DAYS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR SO THAT WE'RE NOT DOUBLING UP.
[00:35:03]
FOR AN EXAMPLE WITH DEREK BEING AN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT OUT ON THE SAME DAYS, SAME THING WITH LISA.I CAN GO ON AND ON, BUT THAT'S HOW WE'RE DOING IT.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS HAVE MULTIPLE CABINET MEMBERS AND MULTIPLE MANAGERS OUT AT THE SAME TIME.
AGAIN, THAT IS A FULL PER DIEM PER CABINET MEMBER FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR, SIX OF THOSE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR.
THEN LASTLY, REGARDING CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, WE'RE REDUCING EXTRA WORK OVER TIME AND STIPENDS THAT, LUCKILY, OUR STAFF HAS HAD THE LUXURY OF THAT FOR MANY YEARS TO GET COMPENSATED FOR THAT EXTRA WORK, SO WE'RE TIGHTENING THAT UP AS WELL.
SOME OTHER INITIAL REDUCTIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND WE'RE PUTTING INTO EFFECT IS REDUCING OUR MATERIAL AND SUPPLY BUDGET BY 10%.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE CALL SOMETIMES OUR BUILDING BUDGETS.
THAT WAS A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE CLOSEST THING TO THE SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
HOWEVER, OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR TEAMS ARE REALLY CREATIVE IN THEIR SPENDING, AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY CAN MANAGE WITHOUT THAT EXTRA 10% THIS YEAR.
THEN RESTRICTING TRAVEL AND ELIMINATING MEALS AND REFRESHMENTS AT MEETINGS.
THIS ONE'S A TOUGH ONE AS WELL.
THE TRAVEL WE'VE REALLY BEEN WATCHING REALLY CLOSELY ALL THROUGH THE LAST YEAR AS WELL.
WHAT WE HAVE IS A SPREADSHEET ON OUR CABINET AGENDA THAT WE LOOK AT EVERY WEEK, AND WE REALLY MONITOR EACH OTHER'S TRAVEL, SO ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO BE, AIRFARE OR EXTENDED HOTEL FEES OR MULTIPLE PEOPLE THAT WE CAN MAYBE STREAMLINE TO ONE OR TWO.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS STIFLE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AS WELL, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE CAN STREAMLINE IT AND MAYBE PEOPLE CAN BRING BACK THAT INFORMATION THAT NORMALLY THEY WOULD HAVE A TEAM WITH.
I KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR PRINCIPALS, IF NOT ALL, HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED SOME MEALS THIS WEEK WITH THEIR TEAMS AND SO I DIDN'T WANT TO CUT THAT, BUT STARTING NEXT WEEK, ONCE SCHOOL STARTS, WE'RE LIMITING THAT AT OUR BUILDINGS, AS WELL AS CENTRAL OFFICE.
WHEN YOU COME TO MEETINGS, EVEN OUR EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, WHEN WE'RE JUST GOING AFTER, THOSE ARE LITTLE THINGS THAT REALLY ADD UP.
THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE THIS PAST WEEK SO I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND OBVIOUSLY ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS YOU HAVE ON THAT.
>> YOU SKIPPED OVER THE RETURN TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR HELP.
>> OH, I'M SORRY. THANKS, CONNIE.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK THAT STEVEN AND MANY OF OUR COACHES HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND WE WENT AHEAD AND DECIDED TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
WHEN STUDENTS TRAVEL TO A ROAD GAME, THEIR PARENTS WILL BE ASKED TO PICK THEM UP.
WHAT I'VE HEARD, I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE IMPACT BECAUSE OUR FAMILIES, HERE IN CAMAS ARE SO SUPPORTIVE THAT MANY OF THEM GO TO THOSE GAMES ANYWAY AND ARE THERE TO PICK UP THEIR KIDS.
MANY OF OUR BUSES HAVE ALREADY BEEN RATHER LOW CAPACITY ON THE WAY BACK.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE A STUDENT STRANDED, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A RIDE BACK, IF NEED BE.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THE RETURNS.
FOR SOME OF THE LARGER TEAMS, WE'LL HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE IT'S EQUITABLE FOR STUDENTS WHO THEIR PARENTS ARE WORKING, THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE TO BRING THEM BACK.
>> IS THAT PLACING EXTRA BURDEN ON THE COACHES AND THOSE THAT ARE?
MARY, OR MAYBE JASON, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT BETTER.
YOU'RE A LITTLE CLOSER TO THAT WORK THAN I AM. THANKS, JASON.
>> YEAH, WHAT MARY SAID? [LAUGHTER]
>> NO. REALLY, I WOULD JUST ECHO EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAID AND JUST SO THIS PICKS UP FOR THE MIC AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
STEVEN BARREN, OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR HAS MADE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE STRUCTURES IN PLACE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE A KID AT MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST FOR THESE LOCAL COMPETITIONS.
WE DO PLAY A GOOD HANDFUL OF COMPETITIONS UP IN KELSO AREA, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO INCLUDE, COWLITZ COUNTY AT ALL.
IT'S JUST THE CLARK COUNTY SCHOOLS THAT WE COMPETE WITH.
SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS THAT WE COMPETE WITH,
[00:40:02]
THEY'VE IMPLEMENTED THIS ALREADY, AND IT'S COMMON PLACE.TO MATTHEWS POINT, WE DO HAVE SOME RATHER LARGE TEAMS. WHEN YOU'RE MOVING AN ENTIRE TRACK TEAM OF 250 OR WHAT HAVE YOU ATHLETES, WE'LL PROBABLY LEAVE A BUS BEHIND THERE IN THAT CASE.
JUST BECAUSE THE ODDS OF THERE BEING POTENTIALLY, ATHLETES THAT NEED TO RIDE HOME, THEN THAT CHANCE IS HIGHER.
BUT FOR MOST OF OUR SMALLER TEAM COMPETITIONS, WE DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE AN ISSUE AND WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF PAST EXPERIENCE, OBVIOUSLY, STEVEN KNOWS THE FAMILIES.
HE KNOWS ALL OF THE TEAMS. HE'S VERY ENGAGED.
HE'LL BE MONITORING THAT VERY CLOSELY, I'M SURE.
>> WILL THIS IMPACT ANY CLUB COMPETITION TRANSPORTATION?
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION THOUGH.
WE HAD NOT NECESSARILY CONSIDERED THAT.
THIS WAS MORE ATHLETICS BASED.
BUT, CAN I GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, CONNIE.
>> THANK YOU. I MENTIONED THE TERM BINDING CONDITIONS, AND I JUST WANTED TO GET INTO THIS JUST FOR A MOMENT, JUST TO GIVE THE PUBLIC AND ALSO ALL OF YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE IF WE EVER WERE TO GET INTO THE RED, AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, OF COURSE, TO MITIGATE THAT.
BASICALLY, THE STATE, AS YOU KNOW, IS LOOKING FOR A BALANCED BUDGET, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT A BALANCED BUDGET TO OSPI JUST LIKE NORMALLY.
ANNUALLY IT'S AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE, OURS IS AUGUST.
THEN THEY WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT REVENUES TO EXPENDITURES, AND EXPECTED EXPENDITURES MUST NOT EXCEED EXPECTED REVENUES. PRETTY SIMPLE.
IF THE BUDGET IS NOT BALANCED AT THE END OF THE FISCAL PERIOD, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MUST REQUEST PERMISSION FROM OSPI TO INCLUDE FUTURE REVENUES TO BALANCE THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET.
ESSENTIALLY, YOU'D BE BORROWING OFF YOUR APPROPRIATION.
THIS IS WHAT WE EXPECT OUR PROJECTED ENROLLMENT TO BE, CAN WE HAVE AN ADVANCE ESSENTIALLY ON THAT AND THEN WE NEED TO REALLY HOPE AND PRAY THAT OUR NUMBERS COME IN THE WAY THEY NEED TO.
NOW, LUCKILY, IN CAMAS, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TRANSIENCY, SO TYPICALLY OUR PROJECTED NUMBERS COME OUT TO BE WHAT OUR ACTUAL NUMBERS ARE.
WE WOULD HAVE APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST FOR PERMISSION, WHICH WOULD COME WITH BINDING CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL CONDITION, AND THEN THOSE BINDING CONDITIONS ARE A SET OF FINANCIAL GOALS OR CONSTRAINTS THAT THE DISTRICT MUST ADHERE TO OR ACHIEVE.
BY NOVEMBER 30TH OF X YEAR, THE DISTRICT'S ACTUAL GENERAL FUND BALANCE MUST BE GREATER THAN X AMOUNT OF DOLLAR.
YOU ARE REALLY DIRECTED TO HAVE AN N FUND BALANCE AT THAT POINT.
GENERAL FUND REVENUE PROJECTIONS MUST EXCEED AN X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR SO THEY'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON NOT JUST YOUR GENERAL FUND, BUT YOUR SAVINGS.
BY JANUARY 31, THE DISTRICT'S PROJECTED YEAR AND GENERAL FUND BALANCE MUST BE GREATER THAN ZERO, AND AN N FUND BALANCE MUST BE AT AN X PERCENTAGE SO THEY WOULD SET THAT FOR YOU.
THESE ARE THE BENCHMARKS THE DISTRICT MUST ACHIEVE THROUGH ACTIONS THAT ARE LOCALLY DETERMINED BY YOU.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO A SCHOOL DISTRICT? THOSE FIVE DISTRICTS THAT I TALKED ABOUT THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER BINDING CONDITIONS.
THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH AND EACH ONE PROBABLY HAS SOME UNIQUE CATEGORIES THAT THEY NEED TO FOLLOW.
BUT ESSENTIALLY, AN ESD FISCAL OFFICER WOULD BE ASSIGNED AS OUR CONSULTANT.
THE ADMINISTRATOR WOULD SERVE PRIMARILY AS A FINANCIAL CONSULTANT TO US.
THE LIMITED AUTHORITY THAT THEY HAVE WOULD ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH BINDING CONDITIONS AND THERE'S LESS THAN 15 DISTRICTS WHO HAVE BEEN ON BINDING CONDITIONS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, BUT WE'RE SEEING THAT NUMBER INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY.
MOST OF THE DISTRICTS RESOLVE THEIR ISSUES THOUGH WITHIN 1-2 YEARS, AND LESS THAN FIVE OF THESE HAVE HAD STUDENT ENROLLMENT OF GREATER THAN 2,000.
THESE ARE MOSTLY MID SIZE TO LARGER DISTRICTS THAT RUN INTO THIS.
LIKE I SAID, WE CURRENTLY HAVE FIVE DISTRICTS IN WASHINGTON THAT ARE ON BINDING CONDITIONS, BUT THE LAST REPORT WAS THAT WE COULD BE IN DOUBLE DIGITS BY THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
[00:45:02]
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THERE.>> I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THOSE ARE EXAMPLES.
WE ARE NOT IN BINDING CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER REALLY BEEN A POSSIBILITY FOR US THAT IS NOW POTENTIALLY A POSSIBILITY IN THE YEARS TO COME.
>> YEAH, I THINK JASON WILL DIG IN TO THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT.
I REALLY WANTED TO TALK TO THIS FROM A NON FISCAL PERSON, REALLY MORE FROM A SUPERINTENDENT STANDPOINT.
WHAT CAN WE DO? I THINK THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THE BALL ROLLING HERE IN CAMAS.
WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
WE STARTED THE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE LAST YEAR.
WE'RE PLANNING ON CONTINUING THAT WORK.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE FAMILIES THAT WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS.
WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMUNITY? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE WATCHING NOVEMBER VERY CLOSELY, WHO'S BEING ELECTED, WHO'S BECOMING OUR NEW GOVERNOR, WHO ARE GOING TO BE OUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES AND WHAT CHANGES ARE GOING TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE LEGISLATION.
FEEL FREE TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS.
I KNOW WE AS A BOARD, HAVE BEEN PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE TRYING TO IMPRESS UPON OUR LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE, ON HOW TO DO THAT AND WHY TO DO THAT AND POTENTIALLY EVEN CHECK UP TO OLYMPIA ONCE THE SESSION STARTS IN THE SPRING.
SPREAD THE WORD TO OTHER PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, EDUCATORS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
LOG INTO OUR FALL BUDGET TOWN HALL, WHICH WE'LL BE PLANNING.
I'M EXCITED TO DO THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE OUR ENTIRE CABINET READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WE'LL DO IT LIVE, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY ANSWER REAL TIME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AND ULTIMATELY JUST PROVIDE A REAL HIGH LEVEL AND ALSO A MORE INTENSIVE CAMAS BUDGET SITUATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY, WHERE THEY CAN GET INVOLVED THAT WAY.
I WOULD PLAN TO DO ANOTHER ONE IN THE SPRING PROBABLY DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, MAYBE AN UPDATE HOW WE'RE FEELING, WHAT FUNDING IS COMING DOWN TO EDUCATION, AND WHAT REALLY OUR OUTLOOK IS LOOKING LIKE AS WE START TO PLAN THE '25, '26 BUDGET.
AGAIN, WE'LL OPEN INVITATIONS FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE HERE REALLY SOON AND THEN I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS ALL OF US NEED TO STAY INFORMED AND NOT BE SURPRISED BY ANY OF THIS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMUNITY WE HAVE A VERY INTELLIGENT, EDUCATED COMMUNITY HERE, AND THAT HELPS THE MORE PEOPLE ARE INFORMED IN HELPING TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS TOGETHER.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ABOUT THAT?
>> NO, I JUST THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE'VE BEEN RINGING THE ALARM BELLS ON THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW, THAT THIS IS WHAT'S COMING IF NOTHING CHANGES AND WE'RE HERE, AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
>> I AGREE. CONNIE, YOU TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING FORMULA A LOT, AND I THINK YOU'RE SPOT ON WITH THAT THAT I THINK OUR WORK WITH OUR LEGISLATORS HAS TO BE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO REALLY LOOK AT A FULL REVAMP OF THE MODEL, WHICH COULD TAKE MULTIPLE SESSIONS WE GET.
I THINK THERE WERE SOME POSITIVE MOVES THIS LAST SESSION TO LOOK AT SOME CALCULATIONS AND MULTIPLIERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT IT SEEMS SOMETIMES LIKE IT'S JUST BAND AIDING THE PROBLEM.
WE REALLY DO NEED THE LEGISLATION TO CONSIDER A FULL OVERHAUL, JUST TO REALLY GET TO MODERN TIMES.
I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES WE'RE FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS AS IF WE'RE 20 OR 30 YEARS AGO, AND IT'S JUST NOT HELPING.
I APPRECIATE WHEN YOU SAY THAT, CONNIE.
I JUST HOPE THAT THE RIGHT EARS ARE LISTENING, AND WE'RE TRYING.
WE'RE REALLY TRYING. I KNOW OUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS AND I KNOW DEREK WORKS REALLY CLOSELY WITH THEM AS WELL.
THEY'RE VERY ACCOMMODATING TO US.
THEY DO LOOK AT US AS EXPERTS IN OUR FIELD.
IT'S JUST SOMETIMES IT'S A MINORITY, AND WE DO THE BEST OF WHAT WE CAN. BARNIE?
>> A DATE FOR THAT FALL BUDGET TOWNHALL. CAN I [OVERLAPPING]?
>> NOT YET. I'M WORKING ON THAT.
I'LL GET THAT TO YOU PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
WE'LL RECORD IT TOO, SO PEOPLE CAN WATCH A PLAYBACK AS WELL. SHIFTING GEARS.
I KNOW THAT WAS PRETTY HEAVY STUFF, SO I'LL LIGHTEN IT UP WITH SOME SLIDES FROM OUR LAST FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS TOGETHER.
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE TEAM HAS BEEN REALLY WORKING HARD ON BONDING AND COMING TOGETHER AND REALLY HELP OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR TEAMS AT OUR SCHOOLS OPEN NEXT WEEK.
WE HAD A LEADERSHIP CAMP, WHICH WAS A LOT OF FUN WITH ALL OF OUR BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS.
WE USED LACAMAS LODGE, AND WE HAD SOME TIME TOGETHER HERE AT ZACH, REALLY JUST A CAMPFIRE THEME.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE MIDDLE THERE AND SINGING SONGS AND DOING SOME THINGS THAT TOOK SOME OF OUR TEAM A LITTLE OUT OF THEIR ELEMENT.
[00:50:04]
BUT THEN SOME ARE SUPER GUNG HO ABOUT IT AND GET UP AND THEY'LL LEAD THE WHOLE THING.REALLY GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE AND ARE READY FOR A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR.
IN THE MIDDLE, YOU SEE DOUG SHERI AND KATIE WORKING TOGETHER.
WE JUST AGAIN, PUTTING OUR TEAM IN THESE POSITIONS OF WORKING TOGETHER AND LEARNING TOGETHER AND SHARING PERSONAL STORIES.
THEN ON THE RIGHT, YOU SEE, WE HAD CABINET CAMP, AND WE HAD OUR LEADERS OUT THERE DOING CAMPING ACTIVITIES, AND I THINK THAT WAS ARCHERY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT GETTING A LITTLE COMPETITIVE, WE HAVE TO CALL THAT OFF SOMETIMES AS THINGS GET A LITTLE HEATED.
BUT EVERYBODY'S JUST HAD A GREAT TIME THIS SUMMER GETTING READY TO COME BACK.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF ALL OF OUR BUILDING LEADERS AND OUR CABINET TEAM TOGETHER.
WE TOOK OUR LITTLE DAY CAMP PICTURES.
YOU CAN SEE OVER ON THE WALL TO MY LEFT, IS THE SUNSHINE, AND WE PUT TOGETHER SOME WORK AROUND THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND SHOWED OUR CONNECTIONS TO IT, AND THEN HOW THAT ALIGNS TO THE LEADERSHIP PARADIGM, WHICH IS THE IMAGE ON THE BOTTOM THERE.
THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH SCOTT SIEMEN AND AWSP, AROUND BUILDING CAPACITY AND OUR LEADERS.
AS I SHARED WITH YOU IN THE PLANNING SESSION, ONE OF OUR MAIN GOALS THIS YEAR AND INTO THE FUTURE IS TRULY BUILDING CAPACITY, NOT JUST WITH OUR CURRENT LEADERS, BUT WITH THOSE AMAZING PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL AND PROVIDING THOSE PATHWAYS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO BECOME LEADERS, AND A LOT OF THAT WORK IS AROUND THE LEADERSHIP PARADIGM.
ALSO, JUST A QUICK UPDATE FROM OUR BOARD PLANNING SESSION.
THE BOARD AND I CAME UP WITH MULTIPLE GOALS.
I THINK THERE'S ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT GOALS, ALL ALIGNED TO THE STANDARDS FROM WAZDA, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS, SO YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE WHEN YOU HAVE A SECOND AND WE'LL BE WORKING TOGETHER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
I KNOW ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR SESSION WAS POTENTIALLY HAVING A SECOND PLANNING SESSION, MAYBE IN MID YEAR.
COMING TOGETHER, SEEING WHERE WE'RE AT WITH OUR GOALS, IF THOSE WERE THE RIGHT GOALS, DO WE NEED TO CHANGE THOSE GOALS OR WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO REACH THOSE.
SO THEY ALL ALIGN TO THE FIVE STANDARDS THAT I MENTIONED.
THIS CAME OFF OF, REMEMBER THAT SELF REFLECTION SURVEY THAT EACH OF YOU TOOK THIS SUMMER, AND SO THOSE WEREN'T JUST POPPED OUT OF OUT OF THIN AIR.
THOSE WERE THINGS THAT YOU ALL SAID THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES ME AND MY SUPPORT.
THEN THIS WAS FROM OUR NEW STAFF INDUCTION LAST WEEK.
THIS IS OUR GROUP OF ALL OUR NEW STAFF COMING ON BOARD, BRIGHT-EYED AND BUSHY TAILED.
LISA AND KATIE AND CHERI AND DOREEN AND MANY OF OUR TEAM WORKED TOGETHER ALL DAY LONG WITH BRINGING THESE PEOPLE ON BOARD.
SO MANY OF THEM PEOPLE RECOGNIZED FROM THE COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VOLUNTEERS IN THE PAST, THAT FINALLY DECIDED TO TAKE THE PLUNGE AND GET ON THE PAYROLL AND REALLY BE A PART OF THE TEAM, SO GREAT DAY LAST WEEK.
THEN LASTLY, JUST SOME UPCOMING DATES.
AGAIN, I MENTIONED THE 28TH, OUR ALL STAFF WELCOME BACK AT GARVER STUDENTS RETURN.
FINALLY, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S BEEN TAKING FOREVER, MAYBE NOT FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT FOR ME, I'M EXCITED.
MICHAEL'S LAUGHING HERE. STUDENTS RETURN, OF COURSE, ON THE THIRD.
BOARD AND I ARE GOING TO BE AT FIRST FRIDAY ON THE SIXTH, 5-8 WE'LL BE OUT IN FRONT OF JOURNEY CHURCH, REALLY SHARING ALL OUR GOOD NEWS, SHARING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I'M EXCITED FOR THAT. THEN I'M ASSUMING MOST OF US WILL ROLL ON OVER TO DOC FOR THE GAME AGAINST ROOSEVELT, WHICH STARTS AT SEVEN. THAT'S IT.
I KNOW DESPITE SOME OF THE BUDGET WOES, I KNOW THAT'S ONLY ONE PIECE OF ALL THE AMAZING THINGS WE DO.
I WANT US TO HAVE A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR.
I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS YEAR MAKING STRONG CONNECTIONS AND WELCOMING OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.
>> MOVING ALONG, WE HAVE OUR MONTHLY BUDGET REPORT AND JASON MCKETHERN.
>> WELL, THIS WILL BE FAIRLY SHORT BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY ADOPTING THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, AND I DON'T WANT TO RUN OUT OF WORDS THIS EVENING.
[00:55:03]
BUDGET STATUS REPORT.I'LL MAKE A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS HERE.
YOU'LL SEE SOME DIFFERENT NUMBERS AS FAR AS WHERE THAT ENDING FUND BALANCE IS FOR THIS YEAR, AND A LOT OF THIS IS JUST TING SYSTEM CONVERSION IN THE MONTH OF JULY.
EVERY TIME YOU DO PREPARE A PRESENTATION OR A REPORT, IT'S STATIC AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
THIS IS THE LATEST, THE DEFICIT IS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN WHAT WE HAVE AND I THINK BUILT INTO THE BUDGET, WE HAD ASSUMED 3.6 MILLION DEFICIT.
ANYWAYS, YOU'LL SEE SOME FLUCTUATION THERE, THAT'S JUST NORMAL, BUT STILL GROWING IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE DON'T WANT IT TO.
HENCE, SOME OF THE ACTIONS THAT WE'VE TAKEN HERE IN PAST WEEK.
NOT MUCH TO REPORT ON THE TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE DEBT SERVICE, CAPITAL PROJECTS, ASP FUNDS, AGAIN, IT'S SUMMERTIME.
WE DIDN'T GET ANY BUSES, THEY'RE STILL ON ORDER.
WE WERE HOPING TO GET SOME OF THOSE, OUR DEBT SERVICE, OBVIOUSLY, NOTHING REALLY THERE.
SOME ACTIVITY IN CAPITAL PROJECTS, BUT WE REALLY HIT THAT PRETTY EARLY IN THE SUMMER JUST SO WE WERE READY FOR THE START OF SCHOOL WITH THE PRACTICE FIELD AND CHS ROOF.
EVEN SOME OF THAT ACTIVITY HAS REALLY DIED DOWN.
LOOK AT OUR LATEST PROJECTION AS OF JULY, AGAIN, REALLY BRINGS THAT ENDING FUND BALANCE.
IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 8.8%, SO IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD SET 8% AS OUR TARGET, AND THEN ABOUT 12 MONTHS AGO, WE FELT WE CAN BRING IT TO FIVE, BUT THAT WAS THE BOTTOM, AND WE WEREN'T COMFORTABLE THERE AT ALL.
WHEN IT STARTS TO DIP BELOW THAT EVEN, FIRST IT'S THE GAS LIGHTS ON THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ON AND YOU START TO REALLY SPLUTTER AND THAT'S WHERE WE GOT TO GET THIS FIXED AND WE HAVE TO WORK ON IT RIGHT NOW.
THESE ARE ALL INDICATORS, AND AS COLLIN SAID, KNEW THAT THIS WAS COMING, BUT YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW UNTIL YOU'RE THERE, JUST AT WHAT PACE DOES IT ARRIVE.
YOU KNOW IT'S COMING AND YOU REALLY WANT TO PUT SOME OF THOSE VERY DIFFICULT THINGS OFF AS LONG AS YOU REASONABLY CAN, BUT THEN SOONER OR LATER YOU HAVE TO TAKE SOME ACTION.
THAT'S THE SITUATION THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN.
ONE HIGHLIGHT, I WANT TO STATE ABOUT THIS BUDGET STATUS REPORT.
UNDER CUMULATIVE, YOU'RE STILL GETTING THE SAME BUDGET STATUS REPORT, BUT IT JUST LOOKS DIFFERENT, AND SO IT'S THE SAME INFORMATION, EXCEPT FOR, WE HAVE A TEMPORARY ISSUE WITH THE ENCUMBRANCES.
THE REPORT THAT'S GENERATED NATURALLY OUT OF THE SYSTEM SUGGESTS THAT WE WOULD ONLY USE 91% OF OUR BUDGET.
AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S NOT CALCULATING THESE ENCUMBRANCES.
AND SO ENCUMBRANCES, ARE BASICALLY OUR ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND WE ONLY HAD ONE MORE MONTH LEFT IN AUGUST.
SO WE KNOW WE'VE VALIDATED THE BUDGET FIGURES ARE ACCURATE, WE KNOW THE ACTUAL NUMBERS ARE ACCURATE, BUT THAT ESTIMATE, IF YOU WILL, OF WHAT THE EXPENDITURES ARE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT THE ENCUMBRANCES ARE.
THAT CALCULATION WAS NOT COMING OVER IN THE NEW SYSTEM.
SO WE KNOW THIS TO BE A TEMPORARY PROBLEM.
WE HAD TO TRIAGE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO WORK ON? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON KNOWING THAT IN LESS THAN 30 DAYS THIS PROBLEM IS GOING TO GO AWAY BECAUSE WE'RE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR? SO IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
I APOLOGIZE THAT THE REAL NUMBER ACTUAL ENCUMBRANCES WOULD BRING UP THAT WE WOULD UTILIZE 99% OF OUR BUDGET.
SO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, KNOW THAT IT IS TEMPORARY, IT'S PART OF THE SYSTEM CONVERSION PROCESS.
AND WE WERE REALLY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD THE BUDGET AND ACTUAL DIALED AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
[01:00:03]
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? IT'S FOOTNOTED FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD AND ALL THAT STUFF.SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED THAT THOUGH.
OTHERWISE, SYSTEM CONVERSION ACTUALLY HAS GONE VERY WELL ON THE FISCAL SIDE, VERY HAPPY WITH HOW IT'S GONE.
SO WE SEE IMPROVED CONTROLS IN THIS NEW SYSTEM THAT WE HAD PLANNED FOR AND IMPLEMENTED AND WE'RE SEEING THAT COME TO FRUITION, WHICH IS EXCITING AND WE'LL HELP US.
I THINK MANAGE AND CONTROL OUR SPENDING LEVELS AND THE BURN RATE GOING FORWARD.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I KNOW YOU GOT A COUPLE OF ITEMS BEFORE WE GET TO THE MAIN BUDGET PRESENTATION, I BELIEVE SO.
>> ACTUALLY, IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE ONE ITEM THAT IS JUST DRAWING YOUR ATTENTION, THE HUMAN RESOURCES ADDENDUM THAT WAS ADDED TO THE AGENDA AND THEN WE ROLL RIGHT INTO 4D, WHICH IS THE BUDGET RESOLUTION.
SO CORRECT, I DON'T OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING UNTIL AFTER YOUR PRESENTATION, JUST MAKING SURE. THANK YOU.
>> I'M BACK AGAIN AFTER THAT VERY SHORT BREAK.
SO HERE WE ARE AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS OF WORK.
SEEMS LIKE WE START THIS PROCESS.
IT LASTS SIX MONTHS, AND SO WE GET THIS BRIEF REPRIEVE BEFORE WE STARTED AGAIN HERE.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE ANNUAL PROCESS.
THIS IS TO ESTABLISH IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR STATE LAW THAT WE HAVE TO PASS AN ANNUAL BUDGET.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS REALLY A SCHOOL BOARD DOES EVERY YEAR.
AND THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT FUNDS.
GENERAL FUND IS OUR OPERATING FUND, CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR CAPITAL ASSETS, DEBT SERVICE, SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY, NOT OUR MONEY, IT'S THE KIDS MONEY, BUT YOU STILL BUDGET IT.
AND THEN TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE FUND, THAT'S WHERE WE BUY OUR FLEET AND OUR BUSES.
ALL TOLD THAT'S ABOUT 185 MILLION IN TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR.
BUT THE LION SHARE IS THE GENERAL FUND AND IS THE ONE THAT WE SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE OUR OPERATIONS ARE FUNDED OUT OF.
WE'RE IN BETWEEN BONDS, SO THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT AS FAR AS CAPITAL GOES.
BUT KEEP IN MIND, AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT THIS OUT THAT WE DO HAVE CAPACITY BUILT INTO EVERY SINGLE BUDGET.
AND WHEN WE BUILD IN CAPACITY, WE HIT BOTH SIDES OF THE LEDGER, SO WE DON'T INFLUENCE THAT ENDING FUND BALANCE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
SO IN THIS CASE, WE'RE REALLY PUTTING IN CAPACITY OF 2.6 MILLION FOR EXPENDITURES AS WELL AS REVENUES.
AND SO THAT ENABLES US IN CASE THERE'S A NEW GRANT THAT COMES ALONG, WE CAN NOT ONLY ACCEPT THE REVENUES, BUT WE'LL HAVE CAPACITY TO SPEND ADDITIONAL MONIES.
HOWEVER, GIVEN THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING, I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE WATCHING EVERY DOLLAR VERY CAREFULLY.
SO IT IS MY INTENTION NOT TO USE THAT CAPACITY WHATSOEVER, BECAUSE UNLESS WE'VE GOT SOME MORE REVENUE COMING IN, I JUST DON'T FEEL WE CAN AFFORD IT.
WE'RE AT THAT POINT. SO THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THIS IS THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS, SPEND MOST OF THE TIME ON THE GENERAL FUND, FINANCIAL OUTLOOK, AND OTHER FUNDS.
SO WE'RE AT THE END HERE AND AT THE BOTTOM IS, WE'VE DONE OUR LEGAL NOTICE WITH THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER.
WE WILL OPEN A BUDGET HEARING PRIOR TO ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION.
THE BUDGET HEARING IS TO HEAR ANY SORT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO THE BUDGET.
THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THAT MEETING.
THIS IS ALL SPILLED OUT IN STATUTE, AND WE DO IT EVERY YEAR, BUT I'D LIKE TO COVER IT ANYWAY.
SO LOOKING OVERALL, THIS IS COMING BACK FROM WHERE WE WERE AT THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET IN JUNE.
THE REVENUES ARE PRETTY DARN CLOSE.
EXPENDITURES ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE, NOT TERRIBLY MUCH.
IT'S STILL PRETTY DARN CLOSE TO WHAT WE HAD IN JUNE.
SO WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT IT FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE, WHEN YOU START BOILING IT DOWN TO SHIFTS OF FUND BALANCE, IT'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF MONEY WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES IN TOLD, SO WE'RE DOWN ON PRETTY THIN MARGINS THERE.
[01:05:06]
REVENUES, OBVIOUSLY, THE VAST MAJORITY IS STATE FUNDED ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, IT'S PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS, AND THAT'S THE LION'S SHARE.PROBABLY HIGH 80S, ALMOST 90%, PROBABLY OF OUR EXPENDITURES TEND TO BE ON PERSONNEL, SO WE'RE PEOPLE BUSINESS TO EDUCATE KIDS.
NOT MUCH ON THE FEDERAL FUNDING OF K12 SYSTEM AND IN PARTICULAR FOR CAMS. OUR DEMOGRAPHICS DON'T REALLY RENDER MUCH IN FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO THAT TENDS TO STAY IN THAT 2, 3% RANGE AND FLUCTUATES VERY LITTLE.
LEVY, AGAIN, WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN FEBRUARY, AND THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL IN, OBVIOUSLY, IN PREPARING THIS BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD CHUNK THAT WE RELY UPON TO FUND OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND PROVIDE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
SO KEEP IN MIND THESE NUMBERS ON THIS SLIDE, THIS EXCLUDES THAT 2.6 MILLION DOLLAR CAPACITY.
SO WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE, YOU GO, THESE NUMBERS ARE LESS.
IT'S JUST BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE NUMBERS, THESE ARE ACTUAL BUDGETED, TANGIBLE TO A PARTICULAR REVENUE SOURCE, INTANGIBLE CONNECTION TO EITHER A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL AND/OR MATERIAL SUPPLY AND/OR CONTRACT.
>> REVENUE FORECAST, NO CHANGES SINCE THE PRELIMINARY.
BASICALLY, ENROLLMENT IS THE PRIMARY DRIVING FACTOR ON OUR REVENUES, AND IT'S STAYING PRETTY CONSISTENT FOR US.
WE LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE AT WITH STUDENT REGISTRATIONS TODAY VERSUS WHERE WE BUDGETED, WE'RE CLOSE.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT SOME KIDS THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH IN THE SYSTEM BEFORE THE START OF SCHOOL.
WE'RE GETTING THERE, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL COME IN PRETTY DARN CLOSE TO WHERE WE HAD FORECAST OR EVEN BETTER IF IT EXCEEDS FORECASTS, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL, OF COURSE.
REMINDER. AGAIN, I WOULD SAY WE KEEP SAYING THIS, BUT WE LOST A LITTLE BIT MORE REGIONALIZATION THIS YEAR, ANOTHER 1.5% IN CLASSIFIED AND ADMINISTRATORS.
THIS IS HOPEFULLY THE LAST YEAR OF THAT, AND AT LEAST WE GET SOME STABILITY BECAUSE IT'S ROUGH WHEN YOU START AT 12% AND IT JUST CHIPS AWAY YEAR AFTER YEAR.
I DON'T EXPECT THE LEGISLATURE TO REALLY BE TOUCHING THAT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T EDUCATE THEM ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE HERE OBVIOUSLY IN CAMAS.
IPD. IPD IS 3.7%, KEEP IN MIND, THAT'S WHAT DRIVES OUR REVENUE SIDE.
THERE'S DIFFERENT INFLATIONARY FACTORS APPLIED TO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THE IPD IS THE ONE THAT REALLY COUNTS ON THE REVENUE SIDE, SO WE NEED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THAT.
BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY THAT WE'RE REALLY GOING TO TURN THIS TIDE IS WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR REVENUES ARE GROWING AT A GREATER PACE THAN OUR EXPENDITURES INTO THE FUTURE.
THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THIS GAP, IF YOU WILL.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT GAP AND I DON'T MEAN THE ACCOUNTING GAAP, IF YOU WILL.
ON THE EXPENDITURES SIDE, REALLY PRETTY MUCH THE SAME JUST THAT WE'RE USING A LITTLE BIT MORE FUND BALANCE TO BALANCE IT.
WE'VE DEFERRED BUDGET CUTS BY USING FUND BALANCE AS MUCH AS WE COULD.
THE ENDING FUND BALANCE, WE WERE TARGETING THAT 4.5, 5%, WE'RE NOT THERE.
BUT THOSE WERE OUR TARGETS GOING IN.
APPORTIONMENT THIS IS STATE FUNDING.
AS IS APPORTIONMENT, THAT IS THE STATE PORTION.
LOCAL TAXES ABOUT $2,700 PER STUDENT.
YOU CAN SEE FEDERALS JUST VERY SMALL, 432.
WE GET SOME LOCAL NON TAX REVENUES.
KEEP IN MIND LARGE PART IS MARY'S PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES, WE COLLECT FEES FOR FULLY PAID LUNCHES AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
[01:10:05]
THAT'S ALSO IN THERE AS WELL.BUT THE LION SHARE OBVIOUSLY IS ON THE STATE SIDE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR EXPENDITURES EXCEED OUR REVENUES PER STUDENT, AND THAT'S WHAT'S CREATING THIS DEFICIT AND EATING INTO OUR FUND BALANCE.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN TEACHING AND TEACHING SUPPORTS.
THAT IS THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHAT WE SPEND OUR MONEY ON, AND THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
BUT WE DO HAVE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION COSTS AND OTHER BUILDING ADMIN COSTS THAT ARE NEEDED TO RUN THE DISTRICT, OF COURSE, BUT THEY ARE DEFINITELY THE SMALLER PIECES OF THE OVERALL PIE.
BUDGET PRIORITIES, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS AND IT TAKES PEOPLE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE.
EIGHTY-SIX PERCENT OF OUR COSTS IS REALLY IN OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THAT'S ABOUT SECOND HIGHEST IN CLARK COUNTY.
IT'S UP THERE AND AMONGST LIKE SIZED DISTRICTS.
WE'RE ON THAT HIGHER BAND THERE.
TEACHING, OBVIOUSLY, ALMOST AT 74% HIGHEST IN CLARK COUNTY, EIGHTH HIGHEST AMONG LIKE SIZED DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
THESE HAVE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT AND INTENTIONAL INVESTMENTS ON OUR PART OVER THE COURSE OF YEARS.
CENTRAL ADMIN, I'M ALWAYS PROUD TO BRING THIS UP THAT WE KEEP IT LOW.
WE ALWAYS HAVE, AND WE CONTINUE TO DO SO.
WE KEEP IT VERY LOW OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET.
FOR YOUR PROJECTION, THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE INTERESTING.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BALANCING OUR BUDGET, JOHN MENTIONED THAT WE'VE BEEN USING OUR RESERVES OR FUND BALANCE TO COVER SOME OF THESE STRUCTURAL OR OPERATIONAL DEFICITS.
IT'S GETTING TO THAT DANGEROUS LEVEL.
IN THIS FOUR YEAR PROJECTION, WE'VE GOT THIS '24-25.
THIS IS THE ANNUAL BUDGET, AND THEN WE PROJECT OUT THREE MORE YEARS.
KEEP IN MIND, THIS PROJECTION ASSUMES THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THIS GAP WITH BASICALLY BUDGET REDUCTIONS IN ORDER TO BRING THAT EXPENDITURE DOWN, SO IT'S BELOW OUR TOTAL REVENUES.
THE REASON IS THAT WE HAVE TO REBUILD OUR RESERVES GOING INTO THE FUTURE.
WE CAN'T REALLY HARDLY SURVIVE ON 5%.
THAT'S CUTTING IT REALLY CLOSE.
I'M TRYING TO SHOW LIKE HERE IS A PATHWAY THAT SLOWLY REBUILDS OUR FUND BALANCE.
DOESN'T DO IT ALL AT ONCE, BUT IT TURNS THE SHIP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE ARE A VERY LARGE SHIP, SO YOU HAVE TO TURN EARLY IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ANY MEANINGFUL CHANGE THERE.
WHAT'S A 10% GAP? TEN PERCENT GAP IS ABOUT $14 MILLION, SO IT'S NOT SMALL.
WE'RE COVERING THIS GAP IN THIS '24-25 YEAR WITH FUND BALANCE.
ONCE YOU BRING THE FUND BALANCE DOWN AND THAT'S NO LONGER AN OPTION, YOU'RE ONLY LEFT WITH BUDGET REDUCTIONS.
ONLY OTHER RELIEF BUTTON POTENTIALLY THAT WE GET IS OBVIOUSLY LEGISLATIVE HELP WHERE THAT COULD INCREASE OUR STATE DOLLARS.
KEEP IN MIND THOUGH, WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL CONTRACTS THAT ARE UP FOR BARGAIN THIS COMING YEAR TOO.
WE DO A FOUR YEAR PROJECTION AND WE DO MAKE SOME ASSUMPTIONS, BUT SOMETIMES WE ARE LIMITED IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW AND THERE ARE SOME VARIABLES OUT THERE IN THE FUTURE THAT OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T PREDICT THE LEGISLATURE AND WE CAN'T PREDICT CONTRACT NEGOTIATION OUTCOMES INTO THE FUTURE.
THOSE WILL HAVE A HEAVY INFLUENCE ON THE TRAJECTORY OF OUR FINANCES FOR SURE.
I'M GOING TO PAUSE THERE. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE GRAPHICALLY?
[01:15:01]
BECAUSE SOMETIMES JUST TALKING THE NUMBERS ISN'T QUITE ENOUGH, BUT THIS IS REALLY JUST TALKS ABOUT HISTORICALLY, WHERE IS OUR FUND BALANCE BAND? THIS GOES BACK A NUMBER OF YEARS AND WE WERE RIGHT AT ABOUT 15%.IT WAS GRADUALLY COMING DOWN AND THEN THIS IS PRE-MCCLEARY.
YOU'VE GOT MCCLEARY CHANGES IN HERE AND YOU'VE GOT THE INFUSION OF COVID DOLLARS HERE.
IF YOU RECALL, WE WERE ONE OF THOSE LUCKY DISTRICTS THAT THE NORMAL S REFUNDING THAT WOULD COME ALONG AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THAT AT YOUR DISCRETION.
WE DIDN'T GET A LOT OF THOSE MONIES.
WE DID GET SOME STATE RELIEF MONIES THAT WERE COMING IN AT THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT WAS DRIVING THIS FUND BALANCE UP.
BASICALLY, COULDN'T ANTICIPATE IT.
WE'VE BEEN INTENTIONAL ABOUT USING THAT OVER A FOUR YEAR PERIOD HERE, LEADING TO ABOUT THIS THRESHOLD.
THEN THIS IS THIS CURRENT YEAR, THIS '24-25 YEAR, THAT'S THE BIG NUMBER.
WE'RE USING A LOT OF OUR FUND BALANCES LIKE OUR LAST THING THAT WE CAN REALLY DO BEFORE MAKING SOME REDUCTIONS IN OUR PROGRAMS. THEN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, PROVIDING A VERY METHODICAL, GENTLE GLIDE SLOPE TO REBUILD THAT FUND BALANCE OVER TIME.
ULTIMATELY, AGAIN, WE SHOULD BE TARGETING THAT 8-10% RANGE, AND THAT'S PRETTY TYPICAL FOR DISTRICTS SIZE.
WE'RE NOT ALONE, BUT THE TIMING IS DIFFERENT.
GOT THIS FROM FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THEIR CFO CARIS, SHE IS TOP NOTCH UP THERE.
SHE'S SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY'VE BEEN DEALING WITH AND ACROSS THE STATE.
WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS IS '23-24, BASICALLY WHERE FOLKS WERE GOING TO END THE YEAR AND WHAT SORT OF ENDING FUND BALANCE PERCENTAGES.
YOU CAN SEE, IN A SENSE, AS IS LAGGING ABOUT A YEAR.
THESE ARE END OF THIS PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR, THEN. GOT IT.
THIS IS GOING TO BE END BASICALLY THE END OF AUGUST. RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE THAT 12 MONTH RUNWAY AHEAD.
NOW, YOU TAKE AND LOOK AROUND THE STATE FOR '24-25, EXPECTED DEFICITS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT THIS IT'S NOT A CAMPUS ISSUE, IT'S NOT A CLARK COUNTY ISSUE, IT'S THE STATE OF WASHINGTON ISSUE THAT A LOT OF DISTRICTS ARE FACING.
THESE ARE PRETTY GOOD SIZED NUMBERS.
I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS THAT IT IS NOT ONLY JUST A LOCAL ISSUE, IT IS A STATE WIDE ISSUE, BUT IT'S VERY UNIQUE FROM ONE DISTRICT TO THE NEXT, REALLY.
EACH DISTRICT HAS UNIQUE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT THEY SERVE.
THE FUNDING MODEL WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR EACH DISTRICT.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A COMMON THEME, IF YOU WILL.
THERE'S A DANGER ZONE, IF YOU WILL, OF FUND BALANCE.
THIS IS THAT BELOW 5% FUND BALANCE ON THE SLIDE.
THE LIST ON HERE ARE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAVING TO TAKE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT MEASURES GOING INTO THE FOLLOWING YEAR HERE.
WE'RE JUST DELAYED ABOUT A YEAR.
I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE THAT RUNWAY.
THAT GIVES THE LEGISLATURE ONE MORE SHOT AT GIVING US A HELPING HAND.
THE FINANCIAL OUTLOOK. AS I MENTIONED, FUND BALANCE, IT'S REALLY CRITICALLY LOW.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE RISK NOT HAVING ENOUGH MONEY TO FUND OUR CASH FLOW.
WE DON'T GET THE EXACT SAME REVENUES ONE-TWELFTH EACH MONTH.
[01:20:04]
IT'S WAY MORE VOLATILE THAN THAT.WHEN YOU CAN'T COVER YOUR SIMPLE CASH FLOWS, IT GETS FOR AN ORGANIZATION AND THEY RISK GOING INTO WHAT'S CALLED BINDING CONDITIONS.
I MENTIONED THAT LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY, SO DID JOHN.
EACH SESSION IS ALWAYS CRITICAL, BUT THIS ONE WE'LL BE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY.
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO TAKE ACTIONS THAT AVOID BINDING CONDITIONS.
WE FEEL LIKE IF WE CAN TAKE SOME IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TO HELP AVOID COSTS IN THAT '24-25 YEAR, THEN WE'LL GET A COUPLE YEARS WORTH OF SAVINGS, WHERE WE MIGHT ONLY EXPERIENCE ONE, AND WE START THE DIALOGUE AND WE START DOWN THAT PATH.
THIS FIRST ROUND WAS REALLY PRETTY SMALL.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A $14 MILLION GAP, JUST THIS FIRST ROUND IS LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS REALLY.
BUT IT'S THE START OF A LONG JOURNEY, I GUESS, I WANT TO SAY.
WHAT IS BINDING CONDITIONS? I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT WHAT JOHN SAID.
IF YOU BOIL IT DOWN TO YOU WOULD GET TO A POINT WHERE YOU'RE UNABLE TO BALANCE YOUR BUDGET.
YOU CAN'T FALL BACK ON ANYTHING ELSE.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY SHORT-TERM BORROWING OPTIONS TO, YOU DON'T HAVE FUND BALANCE TO LEAN BACK ON.
>> THAT'S REALLY WHAT DISTRICTS ARE FACING.
IT'S THAT TRAJECTORY OF EXPENDITURES GOING AT A MUCH STEEPER PACE THAN OUR REVENUES.
UP TO NOW, I THINK THIS YEAR IT HAD BEEN PRETTY RARE TO HAVE BINDING CONDITIONS.
I ONLY KNOW OF TWO THAT I WAS EVER EVEN CLOSE TO.
ONE WAS BACK IN 2000 IN SPOKANE.
NORTH OF SPOKANE WAS RIVERSIDE AND THEN THERE WAS ONE UP HERE IN RYDERWOOD, THAT GOT ABSORBED INTO CASTLE ROCK.
PRETTY RARE AND I'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC SERVICES IS LIKE YEAR 30.
JUST THIS PAST YEAR, CURRENTLY WE'RE SITTING AT FIVE DISTRICTS.
SPOKE WITH A GOOD FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE OF MINE, AND SHE WAS INDICATING THAT IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE BUMPING UP TO 20 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE HERE SHORTLY THAT WILL BE ON BINDING CONDITIONS.
OSPI, I BELIEVE THEY SET UP A WEBSITE JUST SOLELY ON THIS BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SO MANY QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SOME PRESENTATIONS THAT THEY'VE PUSHED OUT THERE THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO BINDING CONDITIONS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, LIKE MOST THINGS, IT'S A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN JUST THIS ONE SLIDE.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO SEE ABOUT $700,000 IN SAVINGS IN THIS INITIAL ROUND OF REDUCTIONS.
JOHN DID A GREAT JOB OF GOING OVER THOSE.
I'M NOT GOING TO RECAP THESE SINCE HE ALREADY COVERED THIS.
MSOC REPORTING, QUICK NOTE, WE ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO INCLUDE THIS IN THE BUDGET AND REPORT WHAT WE'RE SPENDING OUR MSOC DOLLARS ON.
I WILL SAY THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST YEARS IN A WHILE WHERE WE ARE EXHAUSTING OUR MSOC BUDGET ON ACTUAL MSOC EXPENDITURES.
FOR MANY YEARS, WE WOULD POTENTIALLY HAVE SOME MSOC DOLLARS LEFT OVER THAT WE COULD FUND PERSONNEL WITH.
WHAT THIS TELLS YOU IS THAT YES, THERE IS A LOT OF LABOR MARKET PRESSURES THAT'S INCREASING EXPENDITURES, BUT ALSO THERE IS FOR SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS.
YOU'LL HEAR QUITE A BIT ABOUT INSURANCE OR FUEL UTILITIES.
IT'S GONE UP IN YOUR OWN HOME.
WE'RE NO DIFFERENT. THIS IS A CONCERNING TREND.
WE GOT SOME RELIEF FROM THE LEGISLATURE THIS PAST YEAR, BUT IT JUST WASN'T A WHOLE LOT.
I WANT TO SEE IT WAS LIKE 21, $23 PER STUDENT. IT WASN'T VERY MUCH.
BEFORE I MOVE ON TO ANY OF THE OTHER FUNDS,
[01:25:01]
I JUST KNOW I MOTORED THROUGH THAT.I WANT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THOSE PREVIOUS SLIDES.
THE OTHER FUNDS, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AGAIN, WHILE WE'RE IN BETWEEN BONDS, WE STILL HAVE A CAPITAL LEVY, WHICH IS AWESOME.
AGAIN, THAT'S KEEPING THE KIDS SAFE WARM AND DRY.
WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING PROJECTS EACH YEAR.
WE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT LIGHT THE YEAR AFTER NEXT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOME TAX COLLECTIONS TO COME IN BECAUSE IF YOU RECALL, WE DID A FOUR YEAR LEVY.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF.
SOME OF THOSE ROOFING PROJECTS ARE A LITTLE BIT LARGER.
I'VE BUILT IN CAPACITY INTO THIS FOR SHOULD A LAND PURCHASE OPPORTUNITY COME ABOUT? I'M NOT SAYING WE ARE GOING TO IN THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST TO PROVIDE SOME CAPACITY TO DO SO.
I'VE OBVIOUSLY GOT THE TENNIS CENTER IN THERE, LEAD BETTER SITE PLANNING.
THESE ARE THE ONGOING THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT ARE GOING TO SPAN INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND A SMALL PORTION THERE OF 100,000 FOR CAPITAL MAINTENANCE.
>> HEY, JASON, CAN YOU GIVE YOUR EXPLANATION FOR OUR FRIENDS AT HOME ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE OF YOU CAN'T DIP INTO ONE FUND AND TAKE MONEY AND PUT IT IN THE GENERAL FUND TO FIX THAT DEFICIT.
>> YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO. THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT FUNDS THAT ARE REALLY PART OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET, AND WE GET DEDICATED FUNDING AND REALLY IN FOUR OF THOSE, AND IT HAS TO STAY, IF YOU WILL, IN THOSE BUCKETS.
CAPITAL PROJECTS IS ONE OF THOSE.
WE CAN'T DIVERT THESE MONIES THAT ARE INTENDED FOR EITHER THE CAPITAL MAINTENANCE OR CAPITAL ACQUISITION OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU CAN'T DIVERT THOSE TO PAY FOR OPERATING COSTS, WHICH IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
NOW, THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND AND DEBT SERVICE FUND ARE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND SO THEY HAVE VERY SIMILAR RESTRICTIONS.
AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, DEBT SERVICE, YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR DEBT.
THAT'S ACTUALLY THAT'S NUMBER ONE ON THE LINE AS FAR AS OBLIGATIONS YOU HAVE TO PAY, IT'S YOUR DEBT PAYMENTS.
THEN OBVIOUSLY, THE SAME THING IF THE ASB, AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS A KIDS MONEY.
OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T USE THAT TO COVER OUR EXPENDITURE OR OUR OPERATIONAL COSTS.
THEN LAST IS TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE FUND, WHICH IS SOLELY FOR REPLACEMENT OF SCHOOL BUSES.
WE ARE AUDITED EVERY SINGLE YEAR ON THIS, SCRUTINIZE DOWN TO THE PENNY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE USING THESE FUNDS FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE.
WE HAVE A TRADITION OF CLEAN AUDITS AND I'D LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY, SO WE'RE GOING TO PLAY IT STRAIGHT ON THAT TOO.
DEBT SERVICE. THE ONE THING IS UNIQUE ON THIS IS PRETTY RARE THAT YOU'LL SEE A DEBT SERVICE WITH A DEFICIT IN THE BUDGET.
NORMALLY FOR A SCHOOL BOARD OR ANY GOVERNING BOARD, IT'S A MAJOR RED FLAG.
HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE ACTUALLY A SINKING FUND, WHERE WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING MONEY TOWARDS, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE'VE BEEN PUTTING MONEY INTO AN ACCOUNT TO PAY ONE LARGE LUMP SUM BALLOON DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT, AND THAT COMES DUE THIS YEAR, $15,000,000.
THAT'LL BE COMING OFF THE BOOKS.
IT DOES LOOK LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH REVENUES TO COVER OUR DEBT OBLIGATIONS, DIFFERENCES AS WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE SINKING FUND WE'VE BEEN PUTTING MONEY INTO, AND WE'LL COVER THAT FULL EXPENDITURE.
WE HAVE PLENTY OF RESOURCES TO DO SO.
BUT IT LOOKS WEIRD AND UNUSUAL AND I NEEDED TO EXPLAIN THAT.
ASP, I KNOW YOU'VE GOT I THINK A PRESENTATION COMING UP ON ASP.
>> I THINK IN A BOARD WORKSHOP OR SEPTEMBER WORKSHOP. YEAH.
>> YEAH. I WON'T STEAL THEIR THUNDER.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OBVIOUSLY IS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
THAT'S WHERE MOST OF OUR ASP ACTIVITIES ARE AND REALLY BETWEEN ATHLETICS AND GENERAL ASP AND CLUBS,
[01:30:02]
THAT'S WHAT IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT [INAUDIBLE] MOST OF THE ACTIVITIES ARE.YOU'LL NOTICE AGAIN, THIS IS IF YOU WILL A DEFICIT.
AGAIN, THIS IS BECAUSE WE'RE CARRYING FORWARD OUR 23 24 BUS ORDER BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THOSE BUSES.
WE'LL HOLD ON OR ANTICIPATING HOLDING ON OR BRINGING FORWARD A FUND BALANCE THAT WE WILL SPEND THE VAST MAJORITY OF.
AGAIN, ASSUMING THAT WE WILL RECEIVE THE BUSES THAT WE ALREADY ORDERED AND RECEIVE THE BUSES OF OUR NEXT ORDER.
THEY STILL HAVE A DELAY ON THESE BUSES.
THE COST IS STILL MUCH HIGHER THAN PRE COVID, FOR SURE.
BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH OUR FLEET.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T LET THESE BUSES GET TOO FAR DOWN THE ROAD AND TOO OLD AND TOO MANY MILES.
>> IS THAT THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION THEN?
BUT JUST AGAIN, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY'S THE PERCEIVED SILENCE FROM US TO THINK THAT WE'RE NOT, THIS IS NOT A BIG LOOMING ISSUE.
WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING WITH THIS FOR YEARS NOW.
THIS PRESENTATION IS LARGELY SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT YOU GAVE IN JUNE.
BUT I DID JUST WANT TO GIVE US A CHANCE TO SPEAK WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND OR GET ON THE RECORD A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME THINGS.
JASON, THERE'S A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT AGAIN, CONNIE SAID, FOR THE FOLKS AT HOME THAT MAYBE YOU COULD PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR.
THIS PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 3.6% NEXT YEAR IS REALLY THE LOWEST OUR FUND BALANCE HAS BEEN CAN I SAY MODERN HISTORY? IS THAT REASONABLE? I THINK THAT MAYBE CONNIE, YOU'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, I DON'T EVEN THINK IT WAS THIS LOW DURING THE '08 FINANCIAL CRISIS? DID IT GET AS LOW AS 4%? DID IT GET THERE? WE'RE TALKING THAT KIND OF LEVEL THEN.
WE'RE SAYING THAT AT THE END OF THIS NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE MAKING AROUND A $14,000,000 CUT.
JUST TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT IN '23, WHAT DID WE CUT?
>> WE WERE TARGETING, I WANT TO SAY ABOUT FIVE MILLION.
>> ALMOST THREE TIMES WHAT WE JUST HAD TO DO?
>> YEAH. FOURTEEN MILLION IT'S A 10% CUT.
ONE IN TEN OF EVERYTHING, IF YOU WILL.
BUT IT'S NEVER EQUITABLE BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU STILL HAVE TO TRANSPORT THE KIDS.
YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY REDUCE BUS DRIVERS.
YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET MORE EFFICIENT IN ROUTES, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THERE'S SOME THINGS YOU REALLY CAN'T CUT, SO SOME AREAS ARE GOING TO TEND TO SEE HIGHER CUTS THAN 10%.
>> THEN REALLY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW CAMAS IS A YEAR BEHIND EVERYBODY ELSE OR NOT EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT A LOT OF THESE DISTRICTS THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT ARE DOWN IN THIS DANGEROUSLY LOW LEVEL.
A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE BEEN USING OUR FUND BALANCE THAT WAY THEN.
>> YEAH. WE WANTED TO PROVIDE, I THINK, AS LONG OF A GLIDE SLOPE AS WE COULD, KNOWING THAT WE NEEDED SOME LEGISLATIVE HELP.
WE NEEDED SOME HELP ON, WE NEEDED TO SEE INFLATION TEMPER A LITTLE BIT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S MULTIPLE THINGS THAT WILL LEAD TO A FINAL SOLUTION.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY SINGLE ONE THING.
I'M HOPEFUL OF GETTING SOME HELP, OBVIOUSLY ON THE REVENUE SIDE FROM THE STATE.
>> JUST I'LL ADD ONE COMMENT, MAYBE FOR AGAIN, PEOPLE THAT ARE HOME.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BECAUSE JASON AND THE TEAM ARE ACCESSIBLE.
WE GET THIS INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE MONTH.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THIS.
PEOPLE THINK WE DON'T ASK QUESTIONS WE'VE ASKED QUESTIONS AND THE DATA YOU PROVIDE AND THE WAY YOU PROVIDE IT IS VERY ACCESSIBLE, SO IT'S ABLE TO DIGEST IT.
I GUESS I HAD A QUESTION FOR UNBINDING CONDITIONS AGAIN.
IT'S A TOOL TO GET YOU OUT OF INSOLVENCY, AND THAT'S WHERE WE DON'T WANT TO BE.
NO ONE WANTS TO BE INSOLVENT, NO ONE WANTS TO BE IN CREDIT CARD DEBT AND NOT HAVE A JOB,
[01:35:02]
AND YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY.BINDING CONDITIONS ARE A GOOD TOOL FOR DISTRICTS THAT HAVEN'T APPROPRIATELY PLANNED.
THAT'S WHY WE DON'T WANT TO BE THERE.
IT'S OUR FIDUCIARY DUTY TO TAKE CARE OF THESE STUDENTS.
IF WE GO ANY FURTHER, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'LL RUN OUT OF FUNDS TO PAY THE BILLS.
BINDING CONDITIONS IS GOOD FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT NEED IT, WE SHOULD NOT NEED IT.
>> WELL AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF SAYING THIS IS FOR DISTRICTS WHO HAVE NOT PLANNED.
BECAUSE WE HAVE PLANNED BUT THE WAY THAT THE STATE MODEL IS, IT DOESN'T ALLOW US TO FUND WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO FUND THAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING FOR WITH OUR SAVINGS FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS.
THEN THEN THE SAVINGS IS GONE AND NOW WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FROM THE STATE TO PAY FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE AS A DISTRICT OFFERED.
>> THAT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT.
WE DON'T WANT TO GET THERE DEFINITELY.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THOSE DISTRICTS.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE THEY'VE MISMANAGED OR MISPLANNED.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE HAD A FUND BALANCE TO GLIDE FOR A WHILE, AND THEY'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE HAVE EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE TO HONOR.
IT COMES TO A CERTAIN POINT WHERE YOU GO UPSIDE DOWN, AND THEN THAT HAPPENS.
BUT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO AVOID OBVIOUSLY THAT.
>> WE'VE KNOWN THIS FOR A WHILE, RIGHT? THIS IS WHY WE'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD.
>> THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD THAT FUND BALANCE AND WHY WE'VE BEEN WANTING THAT GLIDE SLOPE.
>> BUT IT ALSO HAS GIVEN US TIME TO DO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND TRY TO GET MORE MONEY FROM THE STATE BECAUSE THIS IS A PROBLEM AND WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MAKE IT THIS FAR.
IT'S VERY ALARMING TO ME, AS IT IS TO THE REST OF YOU, I'M SURE TO SEE IT GET DOWN BELOW 4%. THAT'S FRIGHTENING.
BUT I THINK WE'RE SHOWING WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO GET BACK THERE, AND I KNOW BEING VERY ACTIVE WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'VE SHOWED US TONIGHT OF CUTTING THE 700,000, I APPRECIATE THE PROACTIVENESS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING SAYING, HEY, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE NEXT YEAR, BUT YOU'RE ALREADY STARTING RIGHT NOW WITH WHAT WE CAN START WITH RIGHT NOW, AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR THAT WE'RE SPENDING THIS YEAR.
EVEN THOUGH WE PUT THIS BUDGET OUT, EVERY SINGLE THING HAS TO BE LOOKED AT BECAUSE THAT'S ALL GOING TO HELP US IN THE END BECAUSE NEXT YEAR WE'RE SHORT $14 MILLION, IF WE COULD BE SHORT 13, ANY DOLLAR IS GOING TO HELP US.
I KNOW THEY SEEM LIKE TINY LITTLE THINGS, BUT THEY ALL ARE GOING TO BE A HUGE IMPACT TO THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS NEXT YEAR AND WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, THAT'S GOING TO BE SOME HARD DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE.
I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE REALLY TAKING THAT EFFORT THIS YEAR TO START DOING WHAT WE CAN WITH IT. THANK YOU.
>> I THINK AS IT RELATES TO BINDING CONDITIONS, THERE ARE SOME IT DOES OPEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET ADVANCES ON YOUR STATE APPORTIONMENT, WHICH YOU HAVE TO REPAY IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
IT'S NOT A GIFT, IT'S A SHORT-TERM LOAN.
IT DOES OPEN UP SOME FINANCING OPTIONS, IF YOU WILL TO COVER YOUR OPERATIONS.
I FEEL AS THOUGH IT'S MY JOB TO PRESENT TO YOU A PATHWAY FORWARD THAT'S SOLVENT.
I WOULD NOT WANT US TO JUST FALL INTO BINDING CONDITIONS.
IT'S MY JOB TO TELL YOU, HEY, WE NEED TO AVOID THIS, AND THIS IS A PATHWAY TO AVOID IT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH ALONG THE WAY.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT OTHER DISTRICTS NECESSARILY MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO GO INTO.
I DON'T KNOW THERE'S CIRCUMSTANCES.
SOMETIMES YOU CAN GET A LEVEE FAILURE, DOUBLE LEVEE FAILURE.
SOME THINGS ARE OUT OF YOUR CONTROL AND I KNOW SOME OF THEM HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT.
TO BE FAIR TO ALL THE OTHER DISTRICTS, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU'VE WALKED IN THEIR SHOES SOMETIMES.
BUT I KNOW FOR OUR SHOES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE HONEST TRUTH FROM ME OF WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE GOING AND IT'S NOT WE'VE TAKEN ALL THE CONTINGENCY OUT.
WE'VE SCRUBBED EVERY LINE ITEM.
WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE CAN.
[01:40:02]
I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD TAKE THE ACTIONS NECESSARY TO AVOID BINDING CONDITIONS.BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES OR OUTSIDE INFLUENCES THAT YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER ALONG THE WAY.
BUT THIS SHOWS A PATHWAY TO AVOID IT.
IF THAT PATHWAY CHANGES, OR IF THERE WAS A DIRECTION OTHERWISE, I WOULD REFLECT THAT.
I HOPE THAT THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
>> IT DOES OPEN UP SOME OPTIONS.
>> YEAH. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A PLAN.
THAT'S WHERE I THINK AND AS YOU SAID, THINGS COULD STILL CHANGE, BUT WE HAVE A PLAN TO GET OURSELVES INTO A SAFE POSITION.
>> JASON, I KNOW ONE THING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE IS THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE TARGETED THAT 8% FUND BALANCE WAS BECAUSE WE FOCUSED SO MUCH ON THAT END NUMBER, BUT OUR FUNDING AND EVEN WHAT WE SPEND, WE AREN'T CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THERE ARE MONTHS WHERE THE REVENUES HIGH AND THERE'S MONTHS WHERE WE GET ALMOST NOTHING IN.
WITH A 4% PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE, DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE TO DO SOME SHORT-TERM BORROWING AROUND SOME OF THOSE LIKE JANUARY, FEBRUARY MONTHS?
>> YEAH, THAT'S WHERE IT GETS TIGHT FOR US.
WE WON'T HAVE CASH AND CASH FLOW AT THAT POINT FOR A WHILE.
>> IT'S TOUGH BECAUSE I'LL BE HONEST, IT MIGHT BE TOUGH TO MAKE IT OUT OF SEPTEMBER.
SEPTEMBER WE TEND TO SPEND MORE THAN WE HAVE IN REVENUES AS WELL.
IT'S GETTING TO THESE LOCAL TAX COLLECTIONS OF OCTOBER AND APRIL.
THAT'S WHEN OUR REVENUES TEND TO REALLY SPIKE AND THEN WE GET THAT 22.5% OF OUR STATE MONIES COME IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
WHEN WE DID THE LAST CALCULATION, I THINK OUR CASH FLOW TREND WAS WE NEEDED ABOUT 5.5-6% JUST TO COVER THE CASH FLOW FLUCTUATION.
WHEN YOU START TO FALL BELOW THAT, YOU HAVE TO DO SOME SHORT-TERM BORROWING.
WE WOULD EXERCISE THOSE OPTIONS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, THAT'S ONLY AS GOOD AS LONG AS YOU CAN REPAY THEM, AND THEN THEY'RE OFF THE TABLE.
YOU MIGHT GET THEM FOR A YEAR IF YOU'RE LUCKY.
IT'S NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION, BUT IT BUYS YOU POTENTIALLY A LITTLE BIT OF TIME IF YOU NEED IT TO IMPLEMENT SOME MORE EITHER BUDGET REDUCTIONS OR HOLD OFF FOR SOME MORE LEGISLATIVE FUNDING HELP OR SOMETHING, POTENTIALLY.
DOES THAT ANSWER EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS?
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS?
WE DO THIS, BUT I'M THINKING REALLY WHERE WE WANT TO BE IS 5.5-6% TO NOT HAVE TO DO ANY SHORT-TERM BORROWING WITH OUR FUND BALANCE, CORRECT? CAN WE MONETIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 3.9 AND THE 5.5, AND THEN MONITOR THAT ALL YEAR? HOW CAN WE CHIP AWAY AT THAT EVERY DOLLAR AND MAYBE YOU DO THIS BY JUST MONITORING THE FUNDS? IN MY MIND, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT GAP IS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND HOW CAN WE THIS YEAR MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS, AND I KNOW WE HAVE ALREADY DONE SOME REALLY SERIOUS COST REDUCTIONS OF 700,000.
BUT I'M REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT THIS 3.9%, AND IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT GAP ALL YEAR LONG AND LOOK AT WAYS TO DECREASE IT?
>> I'M THINKING LIKE BIG THERMOMETERS, THAT THIS IS OUR DEFICIT, IT'S GOING DOWN.
>> ABSOLUTELY, CONNIE. WHEN YOU GET TO THIS LEVEL, YOU HAVE TO MONITOR CASH FLOW NOT JUST ON A MONTHLY BASIS, BUT WE'RE RUNNING PROBABLY TWO MODELS A MONTH HERE TWO-FOURTH UNTIL WE'RE SAFE.
[01:45:01]
KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS TOTAL FUND BALANCE, TOO.YOU ALSO HAVE TO ACCOUNT SOMETIMES THERE'S RESTRICTED FUND BALANCE.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE RESERVES DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN SPEND IT ON EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING.
SOME OF THAT INCLUDES DEDICATED OR PROGRAMMATIC FUNDING.
THE HEALTHY PLACE TO BE IS 8% FOR SURE.
BUT FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME, IF YOU COULD JUST SUSS THAT OUT AND SAY, HERE'S THAT BALLOON. THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
>> WHERE I TEND TO MONITOR IT IS WHAT'S THAT POINT IN WHICH WE GO BELOW THE LINE AND WE NEVER COME BACK UP.
>> BUT LIKE YOU SAID, EVERY DOLLAR WE'RE SPENDING.
>> WE TRACK WHAT I LIKE TO CALL ACTUAL CASH FLOW, BASED UPON WHAT WE KNOW FOR SURE, WHERE OUR DANGER POINTS ARE.
THEN IF YOU IMPLEMENT, BUDGET REDUCTIONS, THAT CURVE STARTS TO TILT THIS WAY, AND IT EXTENDS OUT THAT TIMELINE.
WE'RE CONSTANTLY UPDATING THAT.
I'M TRYING TO FIND A RUNWAY FOR US THAT GIVES US THAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE BUDGET REDUCTIONS AT THE LAST MOMENT WE CAN.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU PASS CERTAIN STATUTORY DEADLINES, YOU CAN'T GO BACK.
I LIKE TO CALL THEM FREEWAY OFF RAMPS.
CABINET HATES USUALLY THINGS I TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME.
BUT ONCE YOU PASS THEM, YOU CAN'T GO BACK.
WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF OFF RAMPS TO REALLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LEAVE OURSELVES ENOUGH TIME AND WE DON'T CUT TOO EARLY AND WE DON'T CUT TOO LATE.
TRY TO HIT THAT TIMELINE THAT AND YOU DON'T WANT TO BE TOO BULLISH ON WHAT YOU MIGHT GET OUT OF A LEGISLATIVE SESSION, YOU REALLY DO NEED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION AND MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER ESTIMATES THAT WE'RE USING GOING INTO THIS WINTER ARE THE BEST THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY PROVIDE.
>> JASON, THERE WAS ONE THING I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR SOME CLARIFICATION HERE.
IN TERMS OF THE ASSUMPTIONS YOU MAKE IN THE BUDGET, DOES THIS ASSUMPTION YOU'RE ASSUMING IN TERMS OF LEGISLATIVE ACTION, THE 3.7 IPD IS REALLY THE ONLY LEGISLATIVE ACTION THAT YOU BUILD INTO THE BUDGET, CORRECT?
>> LIKE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, WHEN YOU'VE SAID, WE'VE DONE THIS BUDGET, IT'S LIKE OUR ENDING FUND BALANCE IS GOING TO BE THIS, AND THEN WE GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR, AND IT'S SLIGHTLY HIGHER.
USUALLY THAT'S BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE TOOK SOME ACTION.
THEY FRONTLOAD THE MONEY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND IT ARTIFICIALLY INFLATES OUR FUND BALANCE, IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT ACCURATE?
>> CORRECT. IN A NORMAL, I WOULD SAY, PRE-MCCLEARY AND BEYOND, THE LEGISLATURE REALLY DIDN'T FRONTLOAD MUCH FOR FUNDING.
THEY WOULD DO THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
IT WAS ALWAYS FOR THAT NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
JUST THIS PAST HANDFUL OF YEARS, THEY'VE BEEN-
>> ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE START GETTING STUFF IN JUNE AND JULY WILL NOT SPEND MUCH.
>> YEAH, WHICH IS, AGAIN, WE'RE THANKFUL FOR IT.
IT'S JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO PLAN FOR THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO PLAN FOR IT.
>> ONE LAST THING AND DR. ENZO, MAYBE YOU MIGHT JUMP IN ON SOME OF THIS TOO, JUST IN TERMS OF SCRUTINIZING EVERY DOLLAR.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE APPROVING TONIGHT AN EXPENDITURE AMOUNT, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE COME IN, WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN TO COME IN BELOW THAT.
YOU JUST MADE SOME CHANGES IN CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, SOME OTHER SMALLER NUMBERS THAT WE CAN SAVE APPROXIMATELY 700,000 RIGHT NOW ON THE FRONT.
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER COST SAVING MEASURES THAT YOU MIGHT BE, NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SYSTEMS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, FOR EXAMPLE, SCRUTINIZING IF THERE'S FTE THAT'S GOING TO BE ADDED OR LOOKING AT CLASS SIZES OR MAYBE DELAYING A LARGE CURRICULUM ADOPTION OR SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO COST WE ALREADY HAVE A CURRICULUM FOR ELA.
CAN WE WAIT LONGER ON AN ELA CURRICULUM ADOPTION, FOR EXAMPLE, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
>> WHAT I WOULD SAY, TO GET TO 14 MILLION ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS POTENTIALLY ON THE TABLE.
[01:50:03]
YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER EVERYTHING AND THAT PROCESS NEVER STOPS.IT NEVER STOPS UNTIL WE GET ON A SUSTAINABLE PATH.
WE'VE BEEN REPORTING THE TRAJECTORY AND NOW WE'VE TAKEN SOME TANGIBLE ACTION TO REDUCE OUR COSTS, AND THAT WILL JUST CONTINUE UNTIL WE CAN GET THIS THING ON A SUSTAINABLE PATH.
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, OF COURSE, IT INVOLVES A LOT OF BRAINSTORMING AND LOOKING AT THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE HAD TO DO THIS, WE LEARNED FROM SOME LESSONS FROM A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN WE DID SOME BUDGET REDUCTIONS BACK THEN.
YOU START TO LOOK AT, WHERE IS THERE DISCRETION BASICALLY? IF YOU HAVE DISCRETION IN THIS CURRENT YEAR, WE NEED TO BE USING IT WISELY.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH DISCRETION IN ELECTRIC BILL.
BUT WE MIGHT HAVE DISCRETION AROUND TRAVEL, OR WE MIGHT HAVE DISCRETION AROUND MAYBE A CONTRACT OR SOMETHING.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THIS CONSULTANT TO LEAD US IN X, Y OR Z, BUT WE'RE GOING TO FORGO THAT.
THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT YOU DO MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.
OTHERWISE, REALLY YOUR PERSONNEL AND STAFFING ARE LOCKED IN.
YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT WHEN THAT'S CLOSE TO 90% OF YOUR COST IS VERY DIFFICULT.
>> WE'LL BE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO AVOID SOME COSTS AND THEN REALLY LAYING THE GROUNDWORK.
IT'S ABOUT LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR DOING THE LARGEST AND MOST SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS INTO THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF GROUNDWORK.
WE HAVE A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS TO ENGAGE ON THAT INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PROCESS.
>> CONNIE, I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT. THANK, JASON.
FROM THE MACRO LEVEL, LAST YEAR, WE STARTED A STAFFING COMMITTEE, AS YOU KNOW, SO WEEKLY WE MEET TO SCRUTINIZE EVERY SINGLE HIRE, EVERY SINGLE REDUCTION, EVERY SINGLE AD, WHERE IN THE PAST, WE'VE REALLY JUST HIRED WHEN WE NEEDED TO HIRE.
EVERYTHING FROM A POINT TO CUSTODIAN ALL THE WAY TO AN ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATED POSITION AND BEYOND.
WE'RE CONTINUING THOSE WHERE OUR STAFFING TEAM REALLY LOOKED AT ALL OF THOSE.
THEN WORKS WITH OUR PRINCIPALS AT THE SCHOOL LEVELS AND OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS IN CENTRAL.
WE JUST ADDED A BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE.
IT CONSISTS OF FOUR CABINET MEMBERS, INCLUDING MYSELF.
IT'S MEETING WEEKLY TO GO OVER EXACTLY WHAT JASON JUST SHARED, WHERE TYPICALLY, IT WOULD BE ALL OUT OF BUSINESS SERVICES, BUT NOW WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT LEADS THAT ARE LOOKING AT THINGS AND LOOKING AT WAYS TO MITIGATE THESE COSTS.
THAT'S A NEW ADDITION THAT WE JUST STARTED, AND THEN REPORTING BACK TO OUR CABINET AND THEN TO YOU AS FAR AS WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS WE'RE DOING? ALSO, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE BUDGET COMMITTEE THAT STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO UNDER DOCTOR SCHNELL, WE'LL CONTINUE THAT AND GET THOSE MEETINGS GOING.
MORE ON THE MICRO SIDE TO COREY'S POINT, CURRICULUM ADOPTIONS, IT'S SO HARD TO GET INTO A GOOD CYCLE OF CURRICULUM.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE MADE SOME GOOD STRIDES WITH THAT, BUT THAT WILL HAVE TO SLOW DOWN.
NOW, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOWN THE ROAD WITH CERTAIN PROGRAMS. IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO COMPLETELY HALT THOSE, BUT ANY NEW ADOPTIONS, WILL JUST HAVE TO HOLD ON.
ALSO, JUST THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORK GROUPS.
THOSE COST MONEY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT BECAUSE OF PAYING PEOPLE FOR THEIR TIME.
ORIGINALLY, WHEN I REPORTED TO THE BOARD THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT SIX WORK GROUPS MAYBE PER YEAR, WE MAY HAVE TO KNOCK THAT DOWN TO FIVE MEETINGS OR FOUR MEETINGS, OR SOME OF OUR CO-LEADS MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT JUST MAYBE TWO MEETINGS FOR THE YEAR.
I DON'T WANT TO STOP REPORTING BACK TO YOU, BUT KEEP IN MIND, SOME OF THOSE WORK GROUPS WILL COST TIME AND MONEY TO RUN.
WE MAY HAVE TO BITE SIZE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED.
OVER TIME, AS I MENTIONED IN THE SLIDES, WE ALREADY HAVE LOOKED AT AREAS THAT TYPICALLY, WE WOULD JUST SAY, HEY, WORK PAST YOUR SHIFT, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT.
NOW WE HAVE TO GET A HECK OF A LOT MORE DONE IN THE TIME CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE.
[01:55:05]
I THINK ONE OF THE BIG MOVES THAT WE JUST MADE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY ATYPICAL FOR CAMAS HISTORICALLY, IS MOVING FTE FROM ONE SCHOOL TO ANOTHER.THAT WAS HEARTBREAKING TO DO IN THE PAST, IF WE FIND THAT A SCHOOL IS OVER, FTE AT ONE SCHOOL, WE WOULD EITHER KEEP THOSE PEOPLE AT THEIR CURRENT LOCATION AND JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THE YEAR.
WHAT WE JUST DID WAS SOMETHING UNPRECEDENTED WHERE WE MOVED TO FTE FROM ONE SCHOOL TO FILL THE NEEDS OF ANOTHER SCHOOL.
THAT RIGHT THERE ALONE IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ANYTHING AS A FORMER LONGTIME PRINCIPAL, YOU WANT TO DO, AND IT UPSETS TEACHERS, IT UPSETS STAFF, AND IT UPSETS MOST IMPORTANTLY THE KIDS.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS THE NEW NORMAL THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO TAKE IDEAS FROM YOU, FROM OUR BARGAINING GROUPS AND ALSO OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE, AND ALMOST THIS IS A DAILY PRACTICE NOW.
DOES THAT HELP, COREY? ALRIGHT, THANKS.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR JASON? JASON, I WON'T MAKE YOU DO THEM, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE A PLUG, AGAIN, FOR THE APPENDIX SECTION OF YOUR PRESENTATION, WHICH IS IN BOARD DOCS, SOME OF THOSE GRAPHS THAT YOU SHOW OFF ON THERE, COMPARING CAMAS TO OTHER DISTRICTS IN CLARK COUNTY AND STATEWIDE.
I APPRECIATE THAT AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO ON THERE AND LOOK AT THOSE.
I THINK WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU, JASON.
AT THIS POINT, IT'S 7:27, AND I'M GOING TO RECESS OUR REGULAR MEETING AND OPEN A BUDGET HEARING.
DURING THIS TIME, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO COME UP, STATE YOUR NAME AND PROVIDE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED 24/25 SCHOOL BUDGET.
>> THERE WE GO. I AM BEST SARON AND THIS IS MY FIRST MEETING I GET TO TALK AT, SO THANK YOU.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE EARLIER, BUT WE HAD KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION THIS AFTERNOON AND I GET TO WORK WITH KINDERGARTENERS.
YOUR EMAIL, JOHN WAS REALLY HARD TO STOMACH, AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE REACHING OUT TO ME.
THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT I'VE SEEN IS THE TRANSPARENCY, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
CAMAS SCHOOL DISTRICT JUST HIRED A NEW ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT.
I'M ASSUMING THAT COMES WITH A PAY INCREASE. I WOULD HOPE.
WE HAD OUR BUDGET MEETINGS LAST SPRING ENDED BECAUSE WE WERE FINE AND NO LONGER NEEDED A BUDGET COMMITTEE.
WE JUST SPENT AND I KNOW IT'S A DIFFERENT FUND, BUT IT'S STILL IN THE DEFICITS WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR LIST, A MILLION DOLLARS TO PUT IN A BUBBLE UP AT CHS, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE AWAY INDIVIDUAL ACCESS TO THOSE TENNIS COURTS.
THEY WON'T HAVE THE ACCESS THEY HAVE TODAY.
WHETHER THEY HAVE TO JOIN THE CLUB OR SIGN UP TO GET IN, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO JUST GO THERE AFTER SCHOOL AND USE THOSE FACILITIES, WHICH THEY CAN DO TODAY.
WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE STARTING SCHOOL.
A WEEK FROM TOMORROW AND NOT BEING AT THE TABLE AND DOING WHAT WE HAD TO DO LAST YEAR.
I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT, AGAIN, NEXT YEAR.
BUT JUST REMEMBER THAT YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR STAFF ARE GOING TO BE WATCHING EVERYTHING YOU DO.
WHEN YOU DO THINGS LIKE CANCEL MEETINGS, HIRE NEW ADMINISTRATORS AND SAY WE'RE IN A DEFICIT, IT'S REALLY HARD TO STOMACH.
>> GOOD EVENING, MICHAEL SANCHEZ.
[02:00:02]
PRESIDENT SARON JUST MENTIONED THE BUDGET COMMITTEE.IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TONIGHT, BUT I WOULD LOVE SOME ANSWERS.
WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL IN THE SPRING SAYING, OH, WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN THAT BUDGET COMMITTEE.
I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THAT COMMITTEE FOR YEARS.
THEN TO SEE JASON'S HELPFUL GRAPH THAT SHOWS SUCH A REDUCTION IN THAT FUND BALANCE.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING AS A REGULAR ATTENDEE OF THAT BUDGET COMMITTEE THAT I WAS PREPARED TO SEE.
I FEEL BAMBOOZLED AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE WE WERE GIVEN THE IMPRESSION, HEY, WE'RE JUST GOING TO SKATE ON THROUGH AND THEN TO SEE THIS AND TO HEAR THESE ALARM BELLS AT THIS FREQUENCY.
IT'S BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO SIT ON AND TO HEAR FROM THIS BODY THAT WE'RE BEING TRANSPARENT WHEN I FEEL THAT THERE HAVE BEEN THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN WITHHELD.
ESPECIALLY HEARING SOME OF THE COMMENTS TONIGHT WHERE WE SAY, WE'VE BEEN SEEING THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THAT BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR YEARS.
WHAT I SAW IN THAT GRAPH WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
I GET THINGS HAPPEN, BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND TO OUR MEMBERS WHO HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY.
JUST STOPPING THAT BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING, THAT GATHERING I THINK IT WAS A POOR CHOICE.
BECAUSE WE HAD NO INPUT AT THAT POINT.
WE HAD NO WAY TO TO EXPRESS ON THAT. THANK YOU.
>> ANYONE ELSE? AT 7:32, I WILL CONCLUDE THIS BUDGET HEARING.
THE HEARING IS NOW CLOSED, AND I WILL RECONVENE OUR GENERAL MEETING AT 7:32.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, YOU HAVE BOARD RESOLUTION 2401, 2024/2025 BUDGET RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF YOU.
UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION IN A SECOND TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION.
>> I MOVE TO APPROVE THE 24/25 BUDGET AS PRESENTED, OR AM I MOVING TO APPROVE OF THE BOARD RESOLUTION 2401, WHICH IS THE 24/25 BUDGET?
>> MOVED BY TRACY, SECONDED BY CONNIE TO APPROVE THE 24/25 BUDGET.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
>> MOTION CARRIES. THAT MOVES US DOWN TO ITEM 5,
[5. SYSTEMS/PATHWAYS: CONSENT AGENDA]
WHICH IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA, JUST LOOKING FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.>> I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT IS PRESENTED.
>> MOVED BY MATTHEW, SECONDED BY BONNIE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES.
THAT MOVES US TO SECTION 6 OF OUR AGENDA, SYSTEMS OF PATHWAYS.
[6. SYSTEMS/PATHWAYS: INFORMED AND RESPONSIBLE USE OF RESOURCES]
WE HAVE ITEM A IS LET'S SEE.THANK YOU, SORRY. THIS IS A STUDENT PLACEMENT TO TRIUMPH ACADEMY, REQUESTED BY SPECIAL SERVICES.
>> I MOVE TO APPROVE THE STUDENT PLACEMENT AGREEMENT WITH TRIUMPH ACADEMY AS PRESENTED.
>> IT WAS MOVED BY CONNIE, SECONDED BY TRACY.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
>> MOTION CARRIES. WE ALSO HAVE ITEM B, WHICH IS THE RENEWAL AGREEMENT FOR ZOOM.
LOOKING FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND.
>> I MOVE TO APPROVE THE TWO-YEAR RENEWAL AGREEMENT WITH ZOOM FOR OUR MEETING IN WEBINAR SOFTWARE, WHICH COSTS 5,672.83 DOLLARS ANNUALLY PLUS APPLICABLE SALES TAXES AND COMES OUT OF OUR TECH LEVY, I'M ASSUMING.
>> YES. THAT'S CORRECT FROM THE TECH LEVY.
>> IT'S MOVED BY CONNIE, SECONDED BY MATTHEW.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OTHER THAN VAPOR? OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES.
[02:05:01]
ITEM C. THIS IS FINAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE FIELD TURF REPLACEMENT AT CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL.SO THIS IS JUST DEEMING IT AS COMPLETE SO THAT WE CAN DO THE FINAL PAPERWORK AND RELEASE THE RETAINAGE.
>> I MOVE FOR FINAL ACCEPTANCE DECLARING CAMASS HIGH SCHOOL CARDON FIELD TURF REPLACEMENT PROJECT WITH COAST TO COAST TURF AS COMPLETE, AND THE MONEY FOR THIS COME OUT OF CAPITAL.
>> IT WAS MOVED BY TRACY, SECONDED BY BONNIE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR?
>> MOTION CARRIES. WE HAVE ANOTHER FINAL ACCEPTANCE.
LOTS OF WORK DONE OVER THE SUMMER HERE FOR DECLARING THE CAMPUS HIGH SCHOOL ROOF REPLACEMENT PROJECT, PHASE 1 AS COMPLETE.
AGAIN, THIS JUST RELEASES THE RETAINAGE, FINAL PAPERWORK, AND YES, THIS DOES COME OUT OF THE CAPITAL FACILITIES LEVY.
>> I MOVE FOR FINAL ACCEPTANCE, DECLARING THE CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL ROOF REPLACEMENT PROJECT, PHASE 1 WITH GARLAND DBS INCORPORATED AS COMPLETE.
>> IT'S MOVED BY CONNIE, SECONDED BY MATTHEW.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
>> MOTION CARRIES. OUR LAST FINAL ACCEPTANCE PROJECT IS FOR THE FINAL ACCEPTANCE FOR THE WIRELESS ACCESS POINT PROJECT THAT WAS COMPLETED OVER THE SUMMER.
LOOKING FOR MOTION AND A SECOND.
>> I MOVE FOR FINAL ACCEPTANCE DECLARING THE DISTRICT WIDE WIRELESS ACCESS POINT PROJECT AS COMPLETE.
>> IT'S MOVED BY MATTHEW AND SECONDED BY BONNIE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
>> MOTION CARRIES. THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA.
[8. EXECUTIVE SESSION - Property - RCW 42.30.110 (b)]
WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS PROPERTY THAT WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AND NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN FOLLOWING.I'M GOING TO RECESS US AND I'LL BE BACK TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT LET'S JUST ROUND UP TO 8:10.
OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION HAS CONCLUDED, AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.