1
00:00:04,220 --> 00:00:07,330
>> good afternoon. Thank you for being here. I call to order this special meeting work session of

2
00:00:10,330 --> 00:00:13,375
the battle ground school district board of directors for november 10th, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.

3
00:00:17,380 --> 00:00:19,890
>> good afternoon, board. This afternoon, we've got about an hour and a half set aside,

4
00:00:23,890 --> 00:00:27,450
and I want to thank you for your willingness to engage in this information and ask lots of questions.

5
00:00:31,410 --> 00:00:33,490
at the end of our hour and a half, our hope is that we will have provided questions and you've asked

6
00:00:37,410 --> 00:00:37,410
clarifying questions that will help guide us,

7
00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,230
that you will give us some input around the levy amount, and when we might select an election date to look at a potential resolution.

8
00:00:53,790 --> 00:00:53,790
we need this direction in order to put a resolution in front of you as well as to seek

9
00:01:00,990 --> 00:01:00,990
a pro and cons committee and our plan is to have

10
00:01:06,170 --> 00:01:06,170
that information for you at the next regular board meeting later this month.

11
00:01:11,700 --> 00:01:15,610
today, we're hoping to provide enough information that you can have some dialogue and that we can get that clarification,

12
00:01:19,430 --> 00:01:21,590
and I just want to thank you for that because I know that this is a difficult decision or will be

13
00:01:24,230 --> 00:01:24,230
a difficult discussion for all of you to just make decisions that could impact our kids.

14
00:01:31,170 --> 00:01:34,370
certainly, last time we heard about some of those impacts, and so I just want to acknowledge that this isn't always an easy decision to make.

15
00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,750
just encourage you in that and appreciate your leadership. Carla, you want to get us turned on.

16
00:01:47,550 --> 00:01:51,090
I know that you have these slides in front of you, but wanted to make sure that we

17
00:01:54,865 --> 00:01:54,865
also had them for anybody who's watching that they can follow along as well.

18
00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,880
our first slide is just a pretty basic one, one that I'm sure that you are aware of.

19
00:02:07,700 --> 00:02:10,460
obviously, where does our school funding come from? It comes from a variety of places.

20
00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:12,600
the only piece that is really stable right now is the state funding that we receive.

21
00:02:19,220 --> 00:02:20,960
that comes through apportionment, essentially through the number of students that we have and then

22
00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:24,240
through the funding formula in our prototypical school model.

23
00:02:28,335 --> 00:02:32,250
we do have a capital levy right now. That's our local funding that we're taking in.

24
00:02:34,490 --> 00:02:37,350
that was, of course, voter-approved several years ago, but can only be used for the capital projects that we outlined in the capital levy.

25
00:02:46,110 --> 00:02:49,790
we cannot use it for operations. The ep&o levy can only be used in those general cases,

26
00:02:54,870 --> 00:02:56,575
not the capital levy. We don't have a current bond, as you know.

27
00:02:59,290 --> 00:03:02,490
when we had one, it fell off two years ago, and it was voter-approved and was over 20 years and that fell off.

28
00:03:08,745 --> 00:03:08,745
we replaced that rather than a bond through the information

29
00:03:12,910 --> 00:03:16,870
that we provided and gathered from our community, we decided to go for a capital levy instead of a bond.

30
00:03:20,645 --> 00:03:23,570
we still do get federal dollars. Those federal dollars certainly have been adjusted in the last year or so,

31
00:03:28,380 --> 00:03:30,240
and we're watching some of those. Some of those are grant dollars and some of those are

32
00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:36,420
for things like special education or help for our lower-income families and students

33
00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:39,440
for meals and a variety of other programs like that.

34
00:03:48,340 --> 00:03:48,340
next. We wanted to paint a picture of

35
00:03:54,380 --> 00:03:56,800
the last few years and give you an idea of where our revenues and our expenditures are coming from.

36
00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:00,160
you can see from this slide here that the expenditures

37
00:04:04,780 --> 00:04:04,780
continue to grow in a variety of different amounts based on the year.

38
00:04:09,660 --> 00:04:09,660
some of that is we don't always know what all of our expenditures are going to be,

39
00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:15,700
and of course, we budget, we plan for what we know and hope that we have

40
00:04:19,380 --> 00:04:19,380
all the information that we need in order to maintain a balanced budget.

41
00:04:24,370 --> 00:04:24,370
you can see in the gray here that we have all of the expenditure pieces in place,

42
00:04:34,190 --> 00:04:36,460
the revenue in place, but the expenditures as I was talking about,

43
00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:41,480
there's a difference in what we had been functioning at between last year and

44
00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,840
this year because of the loss of levy dollars was a half of a year's collection because our current levy runs out in december of this year.

45
00:04:59,300 --> 00:04:59,300
that's why the $20 million cut instead of a $40 million cut is because the budget is

46
00:05:06,100 --> 00:05:06,100
coming two school years.

47
00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,020
let me say that correctly. You can see here that we've tried to outline this information

48
00:05:19,060 --> 00:05:19,060
because the only piece that is stable is the part that's in blue.

49
00:05:24,430 --> 00:05:24,430
in 2022/'23, we had sr dollars as well,

50
00:05:30,420 --> 00:05:33,250
and we also had those in '23/'24. We used the end of those dollars last year in the first half of the school year.

51
00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:40,680
they ended at the end of the calendar year 2024.

52
00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:45,920
you can also see in this example that we maintained a fund balance,

53
00:05:52,340 --> 00:05:52,340
and you can see, it's a small amount on there that we have been using to pay our bills.

54
00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:01,160
then you can see that we've also had the ep&o levy.

55
00:06:05,165 --> 00:06:05,165
obviously, that falls off at the end of '25 so when we go into '26,

56
00:06:12,285 --> 00:06:16,160
we won't have any money coming in in the spring. What else can I tell you about this.

57
00:06:18,940 --> 00:06:18,940
michelle, anything you would add to this?

58
00:06:23,210 --> 00:06:26,580
>> no. I think you covered it. >> okay. >> question quickly. I think there's no orange on '23/'24. No fund balance.

59
00:06:34,490 --> 00:06:36,975
>> in '23/'24? >> yeah.

60
00:06:38,510 --> 00:06:41,940
>> there is. It's just little. >> it's so small. >> it's so small we can't see it.

61
00:06:44,975 --> 00:06:44,975
>> [laughter] will get to a slide that explains what's happening with our fund balance,

62
00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:50,080
and we'll talk specifically about fund balance in a little bit further.

63
00:06:54,140 --> 00:06:57,120
>> there's a little sliver in there. [overlapping] >> because we didn't use our fund balance.

64
00:06:58,860 --> 00:07:02,475
>> oh, I see. This is the expenditures. >> revenue and expenditures.

65
00:07:05,095 --> 00:07:05,095
the expenditures are in gray or that gray scale color,

66
00:07:10,780 --> 00:07:10,780
and the colors are the types of funding that we use to pay those sources.

67
00:07:17,225 --> 00:07:19,780
>> but just for clarification, so when we're looking at '24/'25,

68
00:07:22,870 --> 00:07:22,870
that 30 million will be gone by the end of december this year?

69
00:07:28,605 --> 00:07:29,460
>> correct. >> yeah. Going forward,

70
00:07:32,660 --> 00:07:34,610
that yellow section will be gone. >> we'll have a bit of it in the '25/'26 school years.

71
00:07:39,060 --> 00:07:42,500
as you can see, this is last year's budget, and that's how much we used of last year's budget, $30 million.

72
00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:46,320
but that doesn't include the first part of this school year

73
00:07:50,580 --> 00:07:50,580
because it's based on a calendar year, not a school year.

74
00:07:55,890 --> 00:07:58,920
>> but when we look across there, that's a significant number.

75
00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:01,000
>> it's our second-largest funding source that we used to pay our bills. Yes..

76
00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,675
>> at the end of this year, december 31st, it will be gone. >> correct.

77
00:08:11,425 --> 00:08:15,080
>> okay. >> yes. Good point. Really, what do you need to know?

78
00:08:18,470 --> 00:08:21,470
these are some basics you probably are well aware of. 97% of washington schools have an ep&o levy in 2025.

79
00:08:26,890 --> 00:08:29,230
it's really uncommon. Usually, the schools that don't have a levy are those schools that

80
00:08:32,830 --> 00:08:32,830
are really tiny or those school districts that get tribal dollars.

81
00:08:36,870 --> 00:08:39,770
oftentimes, the necessity is not there because of those extra funds they get in another means.

82
00:08:43,665 --> 00:08:47,400
levees expire. You have a choice. You can run them for one year up to four years.

83
00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:53,660
we typically since that change to allow for four years, we've typically run them for four years,

84
00:08:55,940 --> 00:08:55,940
just because consistent stable funding is better for us,

85
00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:00,540
and it costs significantly to run a campaign and well,

86
00:09:05,740 --> 00:09:06,960
not a campaign for us, but to run a levee, it's not cheap.

87
00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,900
we have quite a bit that we're paying for, and so we typically don't.

88
00:09:16,205 --> 00:09:16,205
a rate change is we'll go over some information about rate changes,

89
00:09:20,270 --> 00:09:20,270
but school districts can make different decisions and we'll do a look back

90
00:09:24,970 --> 00:09:27,470
at some of the decisions that we've made in the past and talk a bit about why we've made those.

91
00:09:30,950 --> 00:09:34,410
it is a simple majority 50% plus one. There is no voter turnout requirement like there is with a bond,

92
00:09:38,690 --> 00:09:38,690
and there are exemptions for seniors or people with disabilities.

93
00:09:45,310 --> 00:09:48,570
we're going to talk a little bit about survey results, and I'm going to let amanda take the lead on this.

94
00:09:53,780 --> 00:09:57,040
>> board, as you know, earlier this fall, we worked with the research firm to conduct a survey of community perceptions.

95
00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:05,460
what a survey like this helps us do is expand beyond input that you may hear from different individuals or small groups,

96
00:10:09,180 --> 00:10:11,520
and really look at our community as a whole and also put some data to community perceptions.

97
00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:17,870
that's why we go through something like this. The interviews were conducted in early september among 250 participants,

98
00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:23,400
and the firm really tried to ensure there was an equal balance of different groups.

99
00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:28,360
what I mean by that is they looked at things like age, race, gender,

100
00:10:32,660 --> 00:10:32,660
whether or not people are current bgps parents and where they live within the district,

101
00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,685
whether they're more north or central or south. The survey has a 95% confidence level and a plus or minus 6% margin of error.

102
00:10:48,070 --> 00:10:49,770
that is pretty standard. What this means is that we can be 95% confident that

103
00:10:53,590 --> 00:10:53,590
the survey results would represent the population of the district as a whole,

104
00:10:58,570 --> 00:11:01,175
plus or minus 6%. I just to give you a comparison point.

105
00:11:03,630 --> 00:11:06,190
there was a survey over the summer of washington state residents' perceptions about state government,

106
00:11:10,505 --> 00:11:12,790
and to represent the entire state of roughly eight million washingtonians that survey reached out to 400 folks.

107
00:11:18,895 --> 00:11:22,775
we're right in line with the industry standards. Any questions about methodology before we move on?

108
00:11:26,740 --> 00:11:28,400
>> how was it given? >> it was given by telephone and also online. Good question.

109
00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:39,080
one of the questions asked about people's perception of the district's funding level.

110
00:11:44,420 --> 00:11:44,420
the question was, do you think bgps definitely needs additional funding,

111
00:11:48,580 --> 00:11:50,500
probably needs additional funding, has enough, or some people said they weren't sure.

112
00:11:54,260 --> 00:11:56,540
they asked this question twice. One was without providing a lot of context,

113
00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,620
and then they shared some information about what levy funding pays for, and then they asked the question again.

114
00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:05,240
the percentages you're seeing on screen represent the second time the question was asked.

115
00:12:10,315 --> 00:12:10,315
I will note that the last time we did a survey like this was in 2023,

116
00:12:15,430 --> 00:12:17,950
leading up to the capital levy, and at that time, 53% said that the district needs additional funding,

117
00:12:21,770 --> 00:12:24,290
40% said sufficient or too much, and 7% were not sure.

118
00:12:26,365 --> 00:12:27,950
over the two year span, there's been about a 10% shift.

119
00:12:34,910 --> 00:12:34,910
one of the other questions that was asked was around tax sensitivity.

120
00:12:39,990 --> 00:12:39,990
I would like to note that this is not around school taxes specifically,

121
00:12:44,090 --> 00:12:44,090
but rather taxes for all public services.

122
00:12:48,990 --> 00:12:48,990
we can't ask what rate or amount people would support,

123
00:12:53,430 --> 00:12:53,430
but we can't ask about whether they think their taxes are too high or about right.

124
00:12:57,890 --> 00:12:57,890
that 56% you see that says taxes are too high,

125
00:13:01,980 --> 00:13:04,130
whether that's too or just a little bit, that is unchanged since 2023,

126
00:13:06,330 --> 00:13:06,330
so no movement there.

127
00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:11,160
then the survey asked about people's priorities for how levy funds would be used.

128
00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,340
they were able to say whether something was a priority, and then the survey folks asked them to say,

129
00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,160
what is your ultimate top priority number 1, recognizing that not everything can be the top priority.

130
00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:31,840
then what emerged with safety and security is at the top of the list

131
00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:36,480
followed by smaller class sizes with special education coming in third.

132
00:13:42,525 --> 00:13:46,350
we also conducted a thought exchange, as you know, with a smaller group, certainly not the scale of this survey,

133
00:13:48,510 --> 00:13:48,510
but safety and security also was at the top of the list in that exchange as well.

134
00:13:56,330 --> 00:13:56,330
any questions about the survey?

135
00:14:00,950 --> 00:14:00,950
>> you mentioned on the page about

136
00:14:05,150 --> 00:14:05,150
perception of funding that there were two times that you asked them that question.

137
00:14:09,510 --> 00:14:13,105
this is the second time after they had more information? >> correct. >> what was their initial response?

138
00:14:15,030 --> 00:14:17,810
the cold call response? What's your perception? >> I think it was about four percentage points lower initially.

139
00:14:20,650 --> 00:14:20,650
>> lower, so less. Thank you.

140
00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:31,520
>> we're going to share some information about what we

141
00:14:36,290 --> 00:14:36,290
believe are factors to consider additionally in our review,

142
00:14:41,730 --> 00:14:45,070
rising costs, fund gaps, and the fund balance, because we believe those are

143
00:14:46,370 --> 00:14:50,090
important components for you to have some background information. Please do stop us at any point or ask additional questions as we go.

144
00:14:55,170 --> 00:14:58,110
I think this is the part that is really key to the discussion of the board this next piece.

145
00:15:02,310 --> 00:15:05,290
some of the things that we are experiencing, I think, are important to note.

146
00:15:07,580 --> 00:15:07,580
we have been talking about in the past about rising costs.

147
00:15:13,050 --> 00:15:16,870
you certainly heard it when we discussed a levy last year. We talked about the risk insurance having gone up about

148
00:15:20,430 --> 00:15:20,430
$100,000 and utilities over the several years going up a $0.5 million.

149
00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:27,720
as we know, not unlike our own budgets at home,

150
00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,490
costs are continuing to rise. Some of the upcoming things that we're hearing about after already being into

151
00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,920
this new school year include a water rate increase of a little over 34% over the next two years.

152
00:15:48,955 --> 00:15:51,135
a real surprise for us, you've probably heard that one of the things that the legislature passed was

153
00:15:58,270 --> 00:15:58,270
a requirement for school districts that contract

154
00:16:03,010 --> 00:16:03,010
their transportation services to provide health benefits to the employees.

155
00:16:09,890 --> 00:16:13,670
the intention, we believe, was for it to be a pass-through; that they would send the money to the districts,

156
00:16:17,830 --> 00:16:19,250
and we would pass it on through. We would write our rfps or our new contracts to basically say,

157
00:16:23,530 --> 00:16:23,530
the money that's coming to you from the state is going to be passed directly to

158
00:16:28,070 --> 00:16:28,070
the contractors in a similar way that it's done for our own employees currently.

159
00:16:33,590 --> 00:16:37,355
unfortunately, they didn't build that into the budget. Next year in '26/'27,

160
00:16:40,390 --> 00:16:44,350
it's a $2 million cost that we anticipate needing to pick up because the state didn't fund it.

161
00:16:49,890 --> 00:16:53,805
they didn't build it in the budget, even though it's a state requirement. >> how much again? >> two million.

162
00:16:54,630 --> 00:16:57,540
>> two million. >> two million dollars. >> that again is an increased cost that was unexpected for us,

163
00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,060
and my hope is that they might fix that. But obviously not something we can count on,

164
00:17:08,850 --> 00:17:12,630
and we will be required to make sure that those benefits get passed onto our contracted service,

165
00:17:16,740 --> 00:17:18,315
whoever that may be. You'll see on the regular session that we have an rfp out for a new contract.

166
00:17:23,595 --> 00:17:23,595
it only impacts districts when a new contract gets open,

167
00:17:28,170 --> 00:17:31,760
but for us, that's hitting next year. Additionally, new sales tax requirement, we don't know.

168
00:17:36,990 --> 00:17:39,600
it could be more than a quarter of 1 million, but we're doing some estimations based on last year's costs for some of these services.

169
00:17:46,755 --> 00:17:50,730
any of those contracted services that we have, whether those be for professional services or services, for instance,

170
00:17:56,130 --> 00:17:56,130
if we have to hire outside of our own staff for a nurse,

171
00:18:01,770 --> 00:18:04,590
a special kind of nurse, or those kinds of things, there's an excise tax that we would be paying.

172
00:18:07,590 --> 00:18:09,585
did I say that right, michelle? Sales tax on it.

173
00:18:11,805 --> 00:18:11,805
that's a new piece that everybody across the state and it's not unique to us,

174
00:18:17,925 --> 00:18:21,165
are all trying to grapple with. You probably have heard some of it happen with healthcare,

175
00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:28,245
and they've said, oh, healthcare is exempt. They've exempted a handful of federal or state governments,

176
00:18:35,130 --> 00:18:37,995
but we're not one of them at this point. That is a cost that we're still trying to get handle on.

177
00:18:43,050 --> 00:18:43,050
healthcare rates those continue to increase, and obviously,

178
00:18:47,460 --> 00:18:51,030
there are some costs that we can't determine until they come out and tell us what the new rates will be.

179
00:18:55,515 --> 00:18:55,515
as you know, we are covered from the state when

180
00:19:00,090 --> 00:19:00,090
it comes to any costs for people that are funded staff,

181
00:19:04,545 --> 00:19:08,220
but any staff above the prototypical school model, the district typically is paying for that with levy dollar.

182
00:19:13,205 --> 00:19:15,185
any questions? >> can you give an example of that?

183
00:19:17,330 --> 00:19:20,900
what you just said about. >> healthcare cost. >> yeah.

184
00:19:21,515 --> 00:19:22,970
>> we have staff, as you know, our class sizes, typically,

185
00:19:27,050 --> 00:19:27,050
we have not run them at max across the board because sometimes we

186
00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:31,280
wouldn't be able to offer courses like ap courses,

187
00:19:35,675 --> 00:19:35,675
aspire courses, even some of our intervention courses.

188
00:19:40,025 --> 00:19:43,670
we staff above what the state says we need. It could be in that area,

189
00:19:45,900 --> 00:19:47,460
it could be nursing staff. We talked about programming for nurses last week;

190
00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,200
it could be counselors. We employ more staff members in

191
00:19:55,950 --> 00:19:55,950
some areas than the state says that we get in the prototypical school model.

192
00:20:01,050 --> 00:20:04,935
in those cases, we don't get the health care coverage. We don't get the cost.

193
00:20:06,645 --> 00:20:06,645
this year, it's 1078 per employee,

194
00:20:11,310 --> 00:20:12,765
I believe, is the rate. >> [inaudible].

195
00:20:15,930 --> 00:20:19,200
>> oh, is it that much now? >> $1,300. >> it went up 11% from last year. It increased.

196
00:20:24,285 --> 00:20:27,345
we don't know with the healthcare benefits, what's on the horizon.

197
00:20:29,445 --> 00:20:31,710
they haven't established those rates, but we feel like they may also increase significantly.

198
00:20:37,455 --> 00:20:41,295
they won't necessarily be two or 3%. We expect that they'll go up greater than that.

199
00:20:44,985 --> 00:20:47,940
>> that's annually. 01,300 annually. >> [overlapping] no, per month.

200
00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:55,860
>> it's in that situation. >> got you. Well, that's why I asked. Big difference. [overlapping]

201
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:00,600
>> huge.

202
00:21:04,910 --> 00:21:04,910
>> we used to say it was about when we first went to seb,

203
00:21:09,105 --> 00:21:12,840
you could count on about $1000 a month per employee, and we had a number of employees that weren't covered,

204
00:21:15,540 --> 00:21:19,070
and it was about a 200. No. I'm going to quote it wrong.

205
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,680
we had about 200 employees that were that were above the prototypical out of our 1,600 employees,

206
00:21:29,550 --> 00:21:29,550
and so we were picking up the difference for that cost.

207
00:21:34,460 --> 00:21:34,460
with rates, you just don't know how those are going to be impacted.

208
00:21:39,615 --> 00:21:39,615
good questions. Anything else rising costs.

209
00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:43,920
>> we don't have the option to not pay those because it's part of their contract.

210
00:21:48,765 --> 00:21:50,040
>> no. In fact, even if an employee chooses to turn down.

211
00:21:52,950 --> 00:21:52,950
this is one of the interesting things about this health care situation that we have.

212
00:21:57,795 --> 00:22:00,135
even if they turn down the benefits, we still have to pay that amount.

213
00:22:03,530 --> 00:22:03,530
>> why?

214
00:22:08,610 --> 00:22:09,660
>> I didn't write the law. [laughter] I don't know.

215
00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:13,760
there are things that don't make sense. That would be one of them.

216
00:22:18,585 --> 00:22:18,585
good question. We wanted to give you a sense over

217
00:22:23,370 --> 00:22:23,370
a four-year look of some areas where we continue to have funding gaps.

218
00:22:30,015 --> 00:22:31,680
these are some big buckets. We could probably go into many more areas,

219
00:22:35,100 --> 00:22:35,100
but these are some big buckets and we chose some of these things because you could

220
00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:40,500
see that lower class sizes and safety and security were matters to our community,

221
00:22:46,620 --> 00:22:49,665
and they told us that in those surveys. You can see what they cost over that time frame,

222
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:58,020
and you can also see how much state funding that we received. Costs of 238 million,

223
00:23:01,755 --> 00:23:05,235
state funding of 203 million. For teaching 35 million,

224
00:23:08,625 --> 00:23:08,625
35.5 million underfunded over the course of those years.

225
00:23:14,175 --> 00:23:18,120
essentially, about 7 million per year, safety and security, almost 11.5 million shortfall.

226
00:23:24,555 --> 00:23:26,085
substitute costs. This is one that impacts every single district across the state of washington.

227
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:30,840
we are funded for four substitute days per employee,

228
00:23:35,730 --> 00:23:35,730
and we are required to allocate one sick day per month.

229
00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:41,100
obviously, if people are using all of those sick days,

230
00:23:45,195 --> 00:23:47,955
we have to cover the substitute costs, and there's no reimbursement for that.

231
00:23:50,610 --> 00:23:50,610
that's just an underfunded cost for us that we have to pick up,

232
00:23:55,830 --> 00:23:59,670
and we're required to by law. We don't have a choice in that. Athletics. Again, athletics,

233
00:24:02,370 --> 00:24:02,370
the state does not send us funding for athletics.

234
00:24:07,070 --> 00:24:07,070
athletic pieces come through a variety of different things.

235
00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,820
levy support is a big piece of that. Obviously, user fees.

236
00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,400
our students talked last time in our work session about the increased costs for them to play sports,

237
00:24:24,420 --> 00:24:24,420
and so much of those have increased for our students to be able to even keep that.

238
00:24:31,410 --> 00:24:31,410
but that's an area that's not funded at all.

239
00:24:37,820 --> 00:24:37,820
>> this is a figure that is based on four years?

240
00:24:41,835 --> 00:24:43,980
>> yeah, it's 21 through 25. >> twenty-seven million in four years for the first item, teaching.

241
00:24:51,050 --> 00:24:54,330
the 27 million at the bottom says, we're underfunded by $27 million for four years.

242
00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:01,590
>> or the powerpoint. [overlapping] >> we didn't get an update. [overlapping]. >> that was originally three years,

243
00:25:03,825 --> 00:25:06,945
the one you must be looking for. >> this is four years. This is a four-year look.

244
00:25:08,700 --> 00:25:11,655
>> but I'm looking at the one that's on our docks. >> oh, wil, you've got printed right there.

245
00:25:13,365 --> 00:25:16,080
>> got you. I thought they were the same. I'm sorry. >> sorry. We made some minor tweaks even as late as today.

246
00:25:20,670 --> 00:25:23,910
trying to get even better at giving you the information. >> thank you. That's appreciated. [laughter].

247
00:25:25,830 --> 00:25:28,725
>> sorry. >> but that is a four-year value. >> this is a four-year value.

248
00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:31,400
correct. Essentially 7 million per year,

249
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:40,470
if you just break it down, it doesn't out that way because the costs go up,

250
00:25:43,290 --> 00:25:47,220
of course, every year. But essentially, you could take each one of those and divide them by four to see an annual amount.

251
00:25:53,780 --> 00:25:53,780
going back to this slide,

252
00:25:58,020 --> 00:26:00,330
I think terry hughes set this next piece up really nicely for us to talk a little bit about fund balance.

253
00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:05,640
you can see that in 22, 23, 23 24,

254
00:26:10,710 --> 00:26:12,420
and even 24, 25, we had federal sr dollars that we were using.

255
00:26:15,810 --> 00:26:17,580
you can see those in green. The fund balance shrinks to almost nothing.

256
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,680
you can barely see that on the slide, and you can see that the ep and o levy is the second largest funding source for us.

257
00:26:29,850 --> 00:26:29,850
what is critical to think about in

258
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,290
this next slide is that our fund balance has continued to go down over the last few years.

259
00:26:41,940 --> 00:26:45,570
not only will next year in 2026, be without a levy,

260
00:26:46,935 --> 00:26:50,370
our fund balance reliance is not something that we can continue to rely on moving forward.

261
00:26:55,125 --> 00:26:57,390
those, as we've talked about many times, is our one-time monies.

262
00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:00,930
it's our savings account. It's not going to renew itself,

263
00:27:04,710 --> 00:27:04,710
and that's essentially what has been happening over the course of a number of years.

264
00:27:12,090 --> 00:27:12,090
you can see a large amount of the fund balance in 21, 22.

265
00:27:17,235 --> 00:27:20,805
you can see that used in the blue as assigned. One of the things that was a priority for us as we were coming out

266
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:25,200
of covid is looking at some of the curriculum that needed to be updated.

267
00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:33,345
you know, we did a huge purchase when we did our ela, our k-8 ela purchases,

268
00:27:35,865 --> 00:27:38,955
and we've been continually trying to update. In the last few years,

269
00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:45,150
we've been doing lesser of updates, and you can see that reflected in the blue,

270
00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:49,470
not as much money assigned. Most of that is curriculum and projects that we had set aside,

271
00:27:54,525 --> 00:27:54,525
whether it be technology upgrades or curriculum pieces.

272
00:27:58,905 --> 00:28:00,690
as you know, this year, we decided to put all curriculum updates on hold,

273
00:28:05,310 --> 00:28:09,030
and we were not doing any of that this year. We really are only looking at the unassigned minimum fund balance in our policy 60,

274
00:28:19,490 --> 00:28:22,455
22, that piece here. Michelle, anything you would to add on this slide?

275
00:28:27,500 --> 00:28:27,500
anything? No. We just have become more and more reliant on the fund balance.

276
00:28:34,875 --> 00:28:34,875
>> what would be slang or street talk for what the fund balance is?

277
00:28:40,155 --> 00:28:43,890
>> your savings account. >> your savings account. >> yeah. >> now, when we say assigned,

278
00:28:45,900 --> 00:28:48,765
we're talking about a savings account that I've set aside, and I'm going to spend a certain way.

279
00:28:50,820 --> 00:28:54,390
>> exactly. It's like when you're at home and you say, I'm going to need a new roof in five years,

280
00:28:56,670 --> 00:28:59,430
and so I start putting away some money to pay for that. That's essentially what the assigned balance is.

281
00:29:01,980 --> 00:29:04,470
>> if I wanted to have a pool, I could say, well, you know what? What we said we would use that for the roof,

282
00:29:06,165 --> 00:29:08,205
or we're going to use it for a pool instead. Now the roof doesn't have any money.

283
00:29:10,890 --> 00:29:14,070
but the green is, in fact, what we set aside the rainy day.

284
00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:18,495
we just don't know what it's for. >> I wouldn't even call that the rainy day fund because what

285
00:29:21,510 --> 00:29:25,260
really that is is to take care of cash flow. What happens is our money comes in at different times throughout the year,

286
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:30,090
and when we do have a levy, you get a big amount at certain times of the year.

287
00:29:33,750 --> 00:29:37,635
usually, once in the fall and once in the spring, you get a larger amount. In between those times,

288
00:29:38,820 --> 00:29:42,735
you still have to make payroll. Sometimes you get very little, if any money, in certain months,

289
00:29:44,550 --> 00:29:44,550
and you still have to have that money available in order to pay your bills each month.

290
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:49,440
the unassigned is really the rainy day or the unexpected.

291
00:29:53,895 --> 00:29:57,840
that's the hole that you saw as you were coming in today, probably out front, which is a water leak.

292
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,590
that's really the unassigned fund balance. That's being used for emergency.

293
00:30:06,045 --> 00:30:07,530
>> you just said something really important, I think we need to be sure we're clear on, and that is,

294
00:30:11,780 --> 00:30:11,780
you have to have certain balances in the unassigned

295
00:30:16,620 --> 00:30:16,620
because of the way the monies go from the state to the school,

296
00:30:22,110 --> 00:30:24,750
in how monies are flowing through, and getting your payroll done and all that stuff.

297
00:30:27,045 --> 00:30:29,445
you can't just have it at a zero. >> no. >> there as a matter of fact, some districts who

298
00:30:31,470 --> 00:30:33,360
have and they ended up having to borrow money from banks to get their money ready for payroll or whatever.

299
00:30:38,115 --> 00:30:42,030
that is not just money sitting there that's not being used, it is a pass-through thing that is very fluid.

300
00:30:51,260 --> 00:30:51,260
we don't really have a rainy day fund that is sitting

301
00:30:57,180 --> 00:30:57,180
somewhere that I can use for an emergency if I wanted to have my pool kind of a thing.

302
00:31:03,105 --> 00:31:05,715
there's no money sitting anywhere any place. >> no, you can see here that the

303
00:31:08,175 --> 00:31:11,865
unassigned that I would have said would have been the rainy day fund. No, it's not there anymore. We've used it.

304
00:31:18,255 --> 00:31:21,330
>> I think the important part [overlapping]. >> I was just going to say I'll just remind the board that our policy 60,

305
00:31:25,410 --> 00:31:28,395
22 does not cover one months of expenses. That is not even a rainy day fund by any stretch.

306
00:31:32,445 --> 00:31:35,700
we reduced that policy from 6,000,000-46,000,00. >> 46%.

307
00:31:36,630 --> 00:31:36,630
>> 46%.

308
00:31:40,740 --> 00:31:44,085
thank you. [overlapping] our budget. >> when you say we reduced the policy.

309
00:31:46,740 --> 00:31:50,235
>> we reduced the percentage required. Sorry, let me clarify.

310
00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:51,360
we reduced percentage from 4-6% to cover as part of our policy.

311
00:31:58,845 --> 00:32:02,010
that used to be at six. At the end of our fiscal year,

312
00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:05,760
we have to have by policy that amount set aside.

313
00:32:09,870 --> 00:32:09,870
again, the point being it won't cover one month's worth of expenses.

314
00:32:13,965 --> 00:32:16,320
>> that is in the unassigned fund. >> that's in the unassigned to minimum fund balance.

315
00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:22,400
that's policy 60 22. >> just trying to keep it in the same term so we can all understand.

316
00:32:27,060 --> 00:32:27,060
>> I think the important part of this graph to is showing

317
00:32:33,090 --> 00:32:33,090
that we are using all of the assigns money that was set aside for curriculum adoptions.

318
00:32:38,895 --> 00:32:38,895
money that was set aside for potentially a capital need is

319
00:32:44,490 --> 00:32:44,490
going to be depleted this year and part of next year,

320
00:32:51,375 --> 00:32:51,375
because definitely there's not enough to cover the levy lows.

321
00:33:04,300 --> 00:33:04,300
>> any other comments on this piece or questions?

322
00:33:13,270 --> 00:33:16,655
we'd like to talk about two options, option a and option b.

323
00:33:18,275 --> 00:33:21,890
option a would continue at current level of operation, but would not return all the student program support positions that were cut.

324
00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:30,050
further cuts may need to be made based on rising costs because it feels

325
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,485
like every time we think we know exactly what we're going to have, there's a new cost that wasn't accounted for.

326
00:33:39,770 --> 00:33:39,770
we go into option a with some hesitation on saying, yes,

327
00:33:46,025 --> 00:33:47,870
we know we could have x, y, or z because that two million dollars surprise was a bit of a surprise to us.

328
00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:56,090
we say that cautiously. Option b would return some programs and support positions.

329
00:34:00,140 --> 00:34:00,140
we know that we would be looking more towards where we were last spring.

330
00:34:04,805 --> 00:34:04,805
but again, I hesitate to say all.

331
00:34:09,005 --> 00:34:10,400
that's why we didn't say that, and we say return some student programs and support positions because what we also

332
00:34:15,950 --> 00:34:15,950
know about levies just historically and personally having lived here my whole life,

333
00:34:21,665 --> 00:34:24,950
I know that there are some things you can never get back. We certainly made a good go of middle school sports,

334
00:34:28,010 --> 00:34:28,010
this last levy when we returned middle school sports for the first time since the 1980s.

335
00:34:35,540 --> 00:34:38,960
but what we know is that the starting of things is very difficult and we need to make sure that we have

336
00:34:42,410 --> 00:34:42,410
enough money to sustain that rather than start and promise

337
00:34:47,450 --> 00:34:47,450
our community that we could go back to a full middle school plan like we had.

338
00:34:53,225 --> 00:34:53,225
I think that we probably could do some with option b, certainly,

339
00:34:57,980 --> 00:35:00,980
but I don't know if we could do all and that just depends on what else might hit us between now and when we

340
00:35:04,310 --> 00:35:04,310
have to budget plan again for our next school year and our next budget situation.

341
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:12,000
we wanted to give you a sense of where we were by calendar year and what has happened.

342
00:35:19,420 --> 00:35:19,420
I think it's important to have the historical context of some of this information.

343
00:35:24,580 --> 00:35:28,540
I think it's also important to understand why it is that we're asking for more money than we just had in the last levy.

344
00:35:33,275 --> 00:35:36,845
there is very specific reasons beyond the gap. The gap is one reason.

345
00:35:38,810 --> 00:35:38,810
but I think what people fail to know or really truly

346
00:35:43,820 --> 00:35:43,820
understand is when we went out for the levy previously in 2022,

347
00:35:49,925 --> 00:35:49,925
we didn't ask for as much levy dollars as we had in the previous levy,

348
00:35:55,985 --> 00:35:58,925
partly because we had esser funds. We had enrollment stabilization funds,

349
00:36:01,910 --> 00:36:03,830
we had transportation dollars. We had dollars coming from the federal government because of covid,

350
00:36:07,910 --> 00:36:07,910
and so we did not ask for more than we needed.

351
00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:11,960
we asked for what we needed based on that additional funding source.

352
00:36:16,820 --> 00:36:20,390
if you look at this slide, you can see that in 2021, we were just over $40 million between our ep&o levy,

353
00:36:25,085 --> 00:36:28,940
our local effort assistance program, which we no longer qualify for,

354
00:36:31,190 --> 00:36:33,935
and our esser dollars, we were over 40. Even if we go out and we passed this levy,

355
00:36:38,510 --> 00:36:38,510
we will not be above that amount that we were back in 2021,

356
00:36:45,020 --> 00:36:48,125
if we ask for option a. Option b, we will only be slightly

357
00:36:50,945 --> 00:36:54,500
above that and our costs have gone up significantly higher. I don't want anyone to assume that if we ask for that,

358
00:36:57,710 --> 00:37:01,595
that we're going to go back to the same programming we had in 2021, because our costs have grown.

359
00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:03,920
I think that's an important aspect of all of this to understand

360
00:37:08,570 --> 00:37:08,570
is that we're continuing to be extremely frugal in our ass,

361
00:37:12,950 --> 00:37:12,950
particularly at a time when we know that our community is struggling financially,

362
00:37:19,295 --> 00:37:19,295
just like every other organization is with rising costs.

363
00:37:24,035 --> 00:37:26,930
we're trying to be very thoughtful about it. I think it's also important to know that in 2026,

364
00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:35,375
we will be leaving some local money on the table. You've heard about the dabbler timber money,

365
00:37:38,315 --> 00:37:38,315
and only school districts or municipalities that have a levy can take in those dollars.

366
00:37:45,695 --> 00:37:49,310
we will not be eligible to take in those timber monies in 2026 because we do not have an ep&o levy.

367
00:37:53,195 --> 00:37:53,195
unfortunately, it will get spread out by other districts

368
00:37:57,530 --> 00:37:57,530
around us and we will not have the advantage of taking in those extra dollars as well.

369
00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:04,240
anything I'm forgetting on this, michelle?

370
00:38:08,630 --> 00:38:11,540
>> can you explain the maximum allowed. Those numbers on the very right.

371
00:38:13,895 --> 00:38:16,530
those are a little bit different numbers. >> we are allowed by law to request up to $2.50 per $100 of assessed value.

372
00:38:25,345 --> 00:38:25,345
those would be the dollars that we would generate if we were asking for the max.

373
00:38:29,965 --> 00:38:32,270
we are not asking for the max, but those would be the dollars that we would be taking in,

374
00:38:37,115 --> 00:38:37,115
approximately 10 million more each year than what is on the slides here.

375
00:38:49,300 --> 00:38:52,720
other questions? >> I'm trying to formulate it though,

376
00:38:55,010 --> 00:38:57,230
so give me a second there. >> absolutely. >> anybody else?

377
00:39:00,070 --> 00:39:00,070
>> last october, on our replacement projections,

378
00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:06,080
we were projecting at $1.95,

379
00:39:10,630 --> 00:39:14,180
which is irrelevant because it's really about the money we would bring in each year for 26,

380
00:39:18,620 --> 00:39:21,740
which isn't an option, but for 27, 28, 29, it was 40 million,

381
00:39:22,790 --> 00:39:22,790
42 million, and then almost 45 million.

382
00:39:28,780 --> 00:39:28,780
I realized that even since last october, costs have skyrocketed.

383
00:39:33,410 --> 00:39:35,300
we were talking, even in that, utilities had gone up 60%,

384
00:39:38,210 --> 00:39:40,910
custodial supply 68%, insurance 84%, and it just continues to rise.

385
00:39:46,010 --> 00:39:46,010
is that some of the basis for asking for these dollar

386
00:39:52,370 --> 00:39:52,370
amounts now because these are higher so we're going to talk about that. [overlapping]

387
00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:02,960
>> we felt like there were two things that were important, and you don't see that on this slide,

388
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,895
but you'll see the rates on the next slide. There were two things that we heard rumblings about.

389
00:40:12,230 --> 00:40:15,455
there are things that we always hear rumblings about. One is when we go out for a levy and we don't pass at the first time,

390
00:40:19,850 --> 00:40:22,955
there's a bit of an expectation that we'll lower the amount. We didn't do that last year,

391
00:40:25,430 --> 00:40:25,430
and we didn't do that because we needed every single dollar.

392
00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:32,810
we'd never asked for more than we needed. We felt like it was disingenuous to go

393
00:40:37,670 --> 00:40:37,670
out and ask for that amount of money and then still make cuts.

394
00:40:42,605 --> 00:40:45,575
we felt like we need to stay with what we have because we're going to make promises to our community

395
00:40:48,410 --> 00:40:51,605
about our programs and how is it going to feel if we pass the levy and then we make cuts following that?

396
00:40:55,790 --> 00:40:58,040
we felt like it was important to do. Since then, we've received some criticism and certainly

397
00:41:02,900 --> 00:41:02,900
criticism makes this better or stronger or at least think about things a little bit more.

398
00:41:09,635 --> 00:41:09,635
one of the things that you will see is we're putting out $1.90.

399
00:41:13,985 --> 00:41:16,940
that doesn't mean that yes, it will generate more dollars,

400
00:41:18,530 --> 00:41:20,450
but if we had passed the levy, we would be more than 41 million in 2026 because

401
00:41:24,890 --> 00:41:24,890
our projection for that first year was 38.3,

402
00:41:30,170 --> 00:41:33,790
and the next year was-. >> 40.4. >> 40.4, so not quite,

403
00:41:36,785 --> 00:41:40,100
but a difference of about 500,000. What we know is that each year we're going to continue to get rising costs.

404
00:41:46,705 --> 00:41:48,625
we're going to continue unless something significantly changes at the state level to get unfunded mandates.

405
00:41:52,710 --> 00:41:55,550
we know that our costs are not going to stabilize and that we're not going to get some relief in that way.

406
00:41:59,825 --> 00:41:59,825
we made the decision that we would put forth two options.

407
00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:04,520
option a with a slightly lower millage rate and an option b,

408
00:42:09,740 --> 00:42:12,185
which is $1.99, which again, is a little bit higher than what we went for in the spring,

409
00:42:18,455 --> 00:42:21,200
but is exactly what we asked for last time. We asked for $1.99.

410
00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:24,350
it didn't happen. By the time we paid our first bill as taxpayers,

411
00:42:29,420 --> 00:42:31,100
it was down to $1.97, and then it continued to drop to where it is now, which is $1.87.

412
00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:38,560
our thought was asking for $1.99 gives us

413
00:42:44,630 --> 00:42:47,030
a little more confidence that we could go back to last spring and where we were last spring.

414
00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:52,480
I do think that there's an expectation from some individuals

415
00:42:57,710 --> 00:42:57,710
that we absolutely need to go back to last spring and where we were in staffing.

416
00:43:02,660 --> 00:43:02,660
we felt like we needed to give you two options keeping in mind that

417
00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:07,880
we also know that a lot of our community is struggling with taxes as well.

418
00:43:13,175 --> 00:43:13,175
that's the balance of what we have in front of you.

419
00:43:18,215 --> 00:43:18,215
the 2026 number of going down to absolutely no collection next year.

420
00:43:25,775 --> 00:43:29,300
as I was saying earlier about middle school sports, that's also the year that they sold off,

421
00:43:31,355 --> 00:43:34,355
ended up selling off buses in the school district, and we've been beholden to contracted services

422
00:43:37,340 --> 00:43:40,310
ever since because once you go away from something, it's really hard to get it back.

423
00:43:41,750 --> 00:43:44,375
we couldn't create a new fleet. I don't know that we have anything that we could sell off.

424
00:43:47,660 --> 00:43:51,050
certainly, we're looking at any of the property that we have, any of those things as a potential,

425
00:43:54,950 --> 00:43:54,950
but I personally don't feel overly comfortable with that because

426
00:43:59,570 --> 00:43:59,570
property costs we eventually will need to build new schools.

427
00:44:04,580 --> 00:44:06,230
we continue to grow. Many of our districts around us are shrinking in enrollment and we're not.

428
00:44:11,915 --> 00:44:15,050
I don't think that's a great option either, but we're going to have to do something.

429
00:44:18,395 --> 00:44:18,395
living without a levy is not sustainable as a district.

430
00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:27,395
>> did you remember your question? >> well, I formulated it more, I think.

431
00:44:30,365 --> 00:44:34,240
what you were just saying. My perception, just to say,

432
00:44:36,980 --> 00:44:36,980
is that the state has built the need for the ep&o into the system.

433
00:44:43,715 --> 00:44:44,990
that's the whole point of it. They have built it into the system.

434
00:44:48,470 --> 00:44:51,215
in other words, they're not going to give us enough money. You see, the fact

435
00:44:54,530 --> 00:44:58,025
that they build it into the system means they realize we need the money, which is what they're supposed to be giving us.

436
00:44:59,930 --> 00:45:03,545
if we need it, they're supposed to be giving it to us, but they're not going to give us a little portion. We're going to have to ask for it ourselves.

437
00:45:05,150 --> 00:45:05,150
fine, that's the way I see it but it's built into the system.

438
00:45:11,350 --> 00:45:15,260
then how much do we need in all that stuff? That's what I'm formulating my question around trying to get it here.

439
00:45:19,505 --> 00:45:19,505
on this page we're looking at,

440
00:45:24,125 --> 00:45:24,125
one thing that I see then that I can say in words that I can understand is that in 2027,

441
00:45:31,460 --> 00:45:31,460
if we were to get the orange our option a,

442
00:45:36,275 --> 00:45:36,275
we would be receiving a little just about the same as we got in 2021.

443
00:45:42,425 --> 00:45:45,190
am I seeing that correctly? Then you've got to say, well, yeah,

444
00:45:48,140 --> 00:45:48,140
but all everything is six years more expensive today thing. That's just my point.

445
00:45:53,180 --> 00:45:53,180
we'd be getting the same amount of money that we got in 2021,

446
00:45:57,395 --> 00:45:57,395
and you're going to be paying six years later inflationary expenses,

447
00:46:03,380 --> 00:46:05,630
which we all know is crazy. Now I'm going back to the next page,

448
00:46:08,240 --> 00:46:10,100
which is where jackie went that I hadn't looked at yet so I'm looking at the second page now.

449
00:46:12,455 --> 00:46:13,505
>> you want me to flip it? >> can I look at that now and ask because it's a continuing question?

450
00:46:16,850 --> 00:46:19,760
>> sure, absolutely. [laughter] >> what we're saying is then that we're going to ask for $1.90 if we do the orange?

451
00:46:27,635 --> 00:46:28,205
>> correct. >> the minimum. We're going to ask for $1.90 per thousand, right?

452
00:46:32,150 --> 00:46:34,360
>> yes. >> that will give us, as you can see,

453
00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:37,160
like in 2028, where we were at in 2020, 2021,

454
00:46:42,470 --> 00:46:42,470
2022, we're going to be where we're going to be at in 2028,

455
00:46:46,565 --> 00:46:50,195
which is much lower than all of those years. >> correct.

456
00:46:51,755 --> 00:46:55,355
>> we're not going to be able to do as much with this money as we used to because there's not going to be as much.

457
00:47:01,540 --> 00:47:04,130
>> yes. >> I got my mind around that. I'm going to continue thinking here now.

458
00:47:06,050 --> 00:47:06,050
I just wanted to talk it in terms is easier to understand.

459
00:47:10,535 --> 00:47:13,130
we're talking about getting by with a lot less money? >> yes, and I think that is one of the points is that we have been

460
00:47:17,660 --> 00:47:17,660
doing as much as we can with less for quite some time because obviously,

461
00:47:25,790 --> 00:47:27,590
if you go back to 2020, when we had both an expiring bond and the levy,

462
00:47:31,775 --> 00:47:31,775
we passed it or we had passed before the state redid all of the funding model,

463
00:47:39,470 --> 00:47:42,410
and part of your taxes go up to the state right now and they allocate it as they see fit across the state.

464
00:47:45,965 --> 00:47:45,965
that's when they lowered the amount that you could ask locally.

465
00:47:50,285 --> 00:47:54,245
that $2.50 that you see in 2021 was after we had approved a levy and I can't remember the total amount,

466
00:47:58,550 --> 00:47:58,550
but it was like 3.66 [overlapping] that we had approved.

467
00:48:05,945 --> 00:48:05,945
we had a levy approved back then for 3.66,

468
00:48:10,010 --> 00:48:10,010
but when the state redid the levy,

469
00:48:14,540 --> 00:48:15,590
the way money works, some of it going to the state and some of it staying locally,

470
00:48:18,860 --> 00:48:21,080
that is when at that point, we went to 2.50 or we kept at 2.50 after it had dipped down to 1.50,

471
00:48:26,030 --> 00:48:28,820
and the state said, that was a mistake. We didn't allow you to keep as much as you need so now you can go 2.50.

472
00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:37,280
when we did that, we actually did some capital improvements. The board at that time,

473
00:48:38,630 --> 00:48:41,270
made some decisions that we would go to 2.50, but we would use some of that money in a different way

474
00:48:44,165 --> 00:48:44,165
than just the operations of the district.

475
00:48:48,860 --> 00:48:51,455
you can see that since then, the amount that we have been using has continually dropped by tax rate.

476
00:49:00,590 --> 00:49:00,590
when we intentionally used the colors orange and black,

477
00:49:07,415 --> 00:49:07,415
it's not because we love ted and we wanted him to have the tigers.

478
00:49:13,220 --> 00:49:13,220
[laughter] although, go with that.

479
00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:21,440
it's because orange is really close to red, and we're still worried about being in the red,

480
00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:28,460
and the black is more where we feel more confident that we might be operating in the black.

481
00:49:32,980 --> 00:49:32,980
>> I think that choice gives us the idea that what we're

482
00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:38,840
trying to do is continue to do what's best for our community and our kids.

483
00:49:46,300 --> 00:49:46,300
I'm proud of the fact that we have one of the lowest tax rates in the country,

484
00:49:51,530 --> 00:49:54,380
and some people are always like, why don't you ask for more? You need more.

485
00:49:56,780 --> 00:50:00,215
well, I think it's because we've heard from our community. I've heard it for decades.

486
00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:05,345
I've lived here my entire life, and I've heard it over and over and over again. We are asking for absolutely what we need

487
00:50:08,195 --> 00:50:08,195
in order to provide a good program for our kids.

488
00:50:12,230 --> 00:50:12,230
that really is where we want to continue to be.

489
00:50:19,930 --> 00:50:19,930
we believe there are other ways to get what we need on the state level.

490
00:50:24,890 --> 00:50:24,890
I'll be speaking to legislators on friday about unfunded mandates and

491
00:50:30,425 --> 00:50:30,425
doing some work about getting some of those things repealed and removed.

492
00:50:36,500 --> 00:50:39,650
the state says we have no money. We want to listen to that, hear that,

493
00:50:43,070 --> 00:50:45,860
and say there are other ways to help us in the schools, and that is repealing some of these things,

494
00:50:48,260 --> 00:50:50,540
some of these unfunded mandates. If we can get help in those kinds of ways and those kinds of relief,

495
00:50:54,920 --> 00:50:54,920
we don't have to continue to ask our taxpayers to be overburdened.

496
00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:05,750
I think there are things that we can continue to do, but we can't survive without a levy.

497
00:51:08,525 --> 00:51:10,130
the fact of the matter is, we are the only district around that's not got a levy.

498
00:51:14,120 --> 00:51:14,120
other districts are borrowing to an earlier point.

499
00:51:18,590 --> 00:51:22,445
they're borrowing to make their payroll. We're not in that case. We're being responsible with our funds and we're doing a good job.

500
00:51:25,655 --> 00:51:25,655
our problem in '25 '26 this year and next year,

501
00:51:30,185 --> 00:51:32,390
because this is a two year problem we're in, is that this is all self inflicted.

502
00:51:34,895 --> 00:51:37,490
we're trying to make sure that that doesn't continue, that we can communicate what we need,

503
00:51:40,400 --> 00:51:43,370
we can get people to understand what we need and really be able to move forward for our students.

504
00:51:48,790 --> 00:51:48,790
other questions about the tax rate comparison.

505
00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:57,035
>> well, just in terms of the tax burden, at the end of 2027,

506
00:51:58,775 --> 00:52:02,155
the capital levy ends as well. >> yes. We'll have to decide at that point whether it's time for us to consider a bond,

507
00:52:08,980 --> 00:52:12,620
whether we have projects that are desperate. We've been desperate around hvac systems,

508
00:52:15,560 --> 00:52:17,120
the roofs, and then, of course, we asked our community for some help with some of with our trades program,

509
00:52:23,510 --> 00:52:25,070
our culinary arts program, and our health science program, and they responded.

510
00:52:28,265 --> 00:52:28,265
what's sad about all of that to me is that we're getting ready,

511
00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:32,960
we're six months out to build a construction trades building.

512
00:52:38,360 --> 00:52:40,775
if we don't pass a levee, we will not be able to put kids in

513
00:52:43,010 --> 00:52:46,610
that building because we will be in a situation where we'll have to run our cte numbers as tight as we do other classes this year.

514
00:52:53,465 --> 00:52:57,215
that would be an absolute travesty, particularly because we know that that is a high need in our area and in our community.

515
00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:03,320
I think we heard last time from a variety of different people speaking to us,

516
00:53:08,870 --> 00:53:08,870
but certainly, when derrick hugle was here as one of our cte partners.

517
00:53:14,450 --> 00:53:14,450
that's a critical program for our community and our kids.

518
00:53:20,390 --> 00:53:22,565
it's really sad to think, we got the capital levy and we're going to be

519
00:53:24,680 --> 00:53:26,720
able to do some projects for health science, our culinary programs, our construction trades,

520
00:53:29,270 --> 00:53:29,270
but if we can't run at a class size of 25,

521
00:53:34,880 --> 00:53:34,880
then we're not going to be able to put kids in those facilities after we've built them.

522
00:53:40,505 --> 00:53:40,505
that's ridiculous, frankly.

523
00:53:46,060 --> 00:53:46,060
I think these next slides also paint a picture of the difference.

524
00:53:50,240 --> 00:53:52,070
we wanted to give you an idea. If you start out with assessed value of 650,000,

525
00:53:56,840 --> 00:53:56,840
people can figure out up or down from there where they're at.

526
00:54:01,040 --> 00:54:04,940
but you can see that difference in estimated cost monthly for the difference between option a and option b.

527
00:54:10,535 --> 00:54:14,300
this is assuming about a 3.5% assessed value increased on a property over the four years of the levy.

528
00:54:18,905 --> 00:54:18,905
you can see how we would anticipate that might go up month to month.

529
00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:23,960
this is always a hard piece to help people understand,

530
00:54:28,415 --> 00:54:28,415
especially since some people they're paying through their escrow account.

531
00:54:32,600 --> 00:54:34,880
they don't pay much attention to it. It happens once or twice a year if they're paying it as they own their property,

532
00:54:42,460 --> 00:54:44,650
or they don't have something in escrow. Otherwise, it's a monthly cost.

533
00:54:46,555 --> 00:54:50,350
this is the monthly example, if it was coming out of an escrow account, of what that amount might be.

534
00:54:53,155 --> 00:54:56,995
any questions about this slide? >> right now, what am I paying out of my escrow account if I have a $650,000 house?

535
00:55:03,390 --> 00:55:07,010
dick, is that something you could tell me? >> yeah. >> anybody? >> yes. We can in a second. Is it on one of those?

536
00:55:13,820 --> 00:55:13,820
a $1.68 plus the $0.45.

537
00:55:22,550 --> 00:55:25,430
>> that's 2.14. >> yeah, 2.14. [overlapping]

538
00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:31,250
>> as you said, I didn't see that payment. Two hundred and fourteen dollars.

539
00:55:33,650 --> 00:55:36,530
right now, I'm paying $214. >> $2.14.

540
00:55:38,540 --> 00:55:40,715
>> $2.14. Well, how does that relate to the hundred three?

541
00:55:42,785 --> 00:55:45,110
>> per $1,000 of assessed value. Whatever your house is assessed at?

542
00:55:47,060 --> 00:55:48,725
$650,000. >> tell me how much I'm paying if it's 650,000 today.

543
00:55:53,945 --> 00:55:53,945
this is what I'm paying that I'm not seeing.

544
00:56:04,420 --> 00:56:07,070
>> [inaudible] >> thank you. I'm sorry to put you on the spot. I'm a math teacher. I'm supposed to be able to do this.

545
00:56:09,500 --> 00:56:11,420
>> $115. [overlapping]

546
00:56:13,520 --> 00:56:17,105
>> how much? >> 115. >> one hundred and fifteen. I just paid 115. I didn't know I paid it. I don't know, I pay it.

547
00:56:20,870 --> 00:56:24,425
all I know is you're asking me to pay 103, and I'm thinking, I'm sorry.

548
00:56:26,915 --> 00:56:30,470
I don't mean to be, but I'm not trying to insult anybody. I'm just saying that this is something that the

549
00:56:33,680 --> 00:56:37,610
system that the state has built in on how schools are run. We've been paying this ever since I've been a homeowner.

550
00:56:41,330 --> 00:56:41,330
we pay something. Property owners pay this stuff.

551
00:56:46,190 --> 00:56:46,190
not the renters, the property owners. Okay, fine.

552
00:56:50,390 --> 00:56:53,810
but right now I'm paying a 115, and we're asking everybody if we push this through this or whatever, maybe 108.

553
00:56:59,015 --> 00:57:01,445
>> no. >> 108. >> well, plus the capital levy plus the capital levy.

554
00:57:09,160 --> 00:57:09,160
>> somebody help me how much. It's going to be it's very similar.

555
00:57:13,475 --> 00:57:15,410
it's very similar. >> correct.

556
00:57:19,240 --> 00:57:21,905
>> you answered my question. What are you asking me?

557
00:57:23,450 --> 00:57:25,895
you're just asking me to keep doing what I've been doing? >> correct. I think what's difficult

558
00:57:30,410 --> 00:57:30,410
is that there are very few costs that a homeowner can control.

559
00:57:35,600 --> 00:57:35,600
as you know, costs went up for emergency services last year.

560
00:57:40,415 --> 00:57:44,135
there's an additional library tax. I think a lot of people thought that when we were running the levy last year,

561
00:57:48,410 --> 00:57:48,410
that there were additional costs that we were asking for more.

562
00:57:53,555 --> 00:57:53,555
we were asking to replace what we already had.

563
00:57:57,740 --> 00:57:59,960
we were asking for a replacement, and it really wasn't an increased cost from what we approved.

564
00:58:06,590 --> 00:58:08,585
we approved $1.99, and we were asking for $1.95.

565
00:58:11,015 --> 00:58:14,915
it's just that people had gotten used to $1.60 something, $1.74, they'd gotten used to a lesser amount.

566
00:58:19,430 --> 00:58:20,960
but that happens naturally. All of these, unfortunately, for us,

567
00:58:23,585 --> 00:58:26,420
it changes the minute that we put it out there because the assessed values change every year.

568
00:58:29,360 --> 00:58:31,340
>> thank you for clarifying. The amount that we're collecting doesn't change.

569
00:58:34,595 --> 00:58:34,595
>> maybe it gets spread out more.

570
00:58:39,005 --> 00:58:39,005
that's why the dollar amount drops 1.99-1.68. I apologize.

571
00:58:44,540 --> 00:58:44,540
I was looking at last earlier this spring for the buck 67, but $1.68,

572
00:58:51,350 --> 00:58:51,350
and so it's like that's the part that people don't understand is the collection,

573
00:58:57,395 --> 00:59:01,280
the millions are still the same every year, and we don't collect more than that, and that's why the dollar rate goes down.

574
00:59:03,080 --> 00:59:03,080
as more people come in as our schools grow as our district grows,

575
00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:08,480
we all pay only the share up to the total for that year.

576
00:59:14,090 --> 00:59:14,090
>> that's why on this slide we put it that way in millions is

577
00:59:18,950 --> 00:59:18,950
because that's what the millage rate can change from one year to another,

578
00:59:24,320 --> 00:59:27,200
but these amounts would not change. These for sure is where we would be,

579
00:59:30,380 --> 00:59:32,435
so good point, jackie. >> your 115 could actually be 110.

580
00:59:39,035 --> 00:59:41,950
>> right. >> I think we all get hung up on that dollar rate.

581
00:59:45,350 --> 00:59:45,350
it's really hard because it changed even our last levy changed so drastically so quick.

582
00:59:52,225 --> 00:59:54,535
we never hit $1.99. We hit $1.96, I think our first year,

583
00:59:57,460 --> 01:00:01,025
and then it dropped from there even more. >> look at all the new developments going on right now. More houses.

584
01:00:05,840 --> 01:00:08,930
which actually just so that the information's out there, the developer's cost, is that tax called, I forget.

585
01:00:12,590 --> 01:00:15,455
>> impact fees. >> impact fees. Thank you. What bucket do those fall into?

586
01:00:17,660 --> 01:00:17,660
[inaudible] no, I understand that.

587
01:00:22,715 --> 01:00:25,190
>> capital projects fund, and it can only be spent on projects in relationship to student enrollment growth.

588
01:00:33,785 --> 01:00:36,350
frankly, those dollars have really saved us in a variety of ways to respond to increased enrollment.

589
01:00:39,260 --> 01:00:39,260
without those, I'm not sure how we would be surviving as a district.

590
01:00:44,090 --> 01:00:44,090
we're one of the largest takers of those funds statewide.

591
01:00:49,565 --> 01:00:52,190
we build cam with those dollars. We're building bgva or battle ground virtual academy.

592
01:00:55,820 --> 01:00:55,820
we will be building the futures program, our operations buildings.

593
01:01:01,325 --> 01:01:01,325
they are being used for sure and have really saved us

594
01:01:07,220 --> 01:01:10,940
from struggling with bonds and having to go right back out and ask for a bond again without those dollars.

595
01:01:14,840 --> 01:01:14,840
I think we'd be in a little bit of trouble with our facilities as well.

596
01:01:22,780 --> 01:01:22,780
this is the slide that I said I'm proud of this fact.

597
01:01:27,950 --> 01:01:30,725
I mean, a lot of people look at me like I'm crazy. I think the first time I said that to denny,

598
01:01:32,540 --> 01:01:35,135
he looked at me like, what are you talking about? I said, it just reminds me that we do really good work for our students with less money.

599
01:01:43,340 --> 01:01:43,340
a lot of people say that we're not using our funds well,

600
01:01:48,680 --> 01:01:48,680
and I push back on that and challenge that concept.

601
01:01:53,105 --> 01:01:57,100
I think we do a lot with a little. This makes me really happy.

602
01:01:59,525 --> 01:02:01,700
this slide, not so much. This scares me to death, frankly.

603
01:02:06,850 --> 01:02:06,850
we know that this is a two year problem,

604
01:02:12,050 --> 01:02:12,050
and if we can't get this next levy try across the finish line,

605
01:02:17,900 --> 01:02:21,740
this will be a much longer problem for us, and we will be cutting more than $20 million as we go into this spring.

606
01:02:26,600 --> 01:02:26,600
I said at the last work session that we've been trying to identify the cuts because

607
01:02:31,550 --> 01:02:31,550
some of the feedback that we got after our spring fail in april was,

608
01:02:37,010 --> 01:02:40,790
you need to tell us what the cuts are, you need to tell us before you run it. We've been working pretty hard this fall to identify those things that could be cut,

609
01:02:45,860 --> 01:02:45,860
and I will tell you there's things on our list that I'm not sure that I can

610
01:02:50,930 --> 01:02:53,645
guarantee safe and secure buildings and all of the things that I know our community expects from us,

611
01:02:56,765 --> 01:02:59,735
and we're only up to 12 million right now. I'm very worried about our districts moving forward without passing a levy.

612
01:03:10,535 --> 01:03:14,330
questions about either of these slides, this one or the next one,

613
01:03:16,070 --> 01:03:16,070
I think it just hits home where we're at.

614
01:03:20,450 --> 01:03:22,085
>> this hits home way too hard, and it's the saddest slide because I

615
01:03:25,865 --> 01:03:25,865
know the battle ground community cares more about their schools than this.

616
01:03:30,290 --> 01:03:32,360
when I look at this, that's what I see. What I would see as an outsider is,

617
01:03:35,710 --> 01:03:35,710
they can't possibly not care about their skills.

618
01:03:39,850 --> 01:03:39,850
>> I say that you will pay now or you will pay later.

619
01:03:44,525 --> 01:03:46,760
you will pay now for your students and their success or you will pay later for them struggling.

620
01:03:50,705 --> 01:03:52,940
I'd rather pay now, and it'll cost me less now than it will later. Question?

621
01:04:04,840 --> 01:04:04,840
>> mistakenly, I thought we were having some time,

622
01:04:09,845 --> 01:04:11,705
like last work session, for the possibility of community input.

623
01:04:15,425 --> 01:04:17,660
there is very few community here. Are we in a place where we can't allow a few minutes of input,

624
01:04:22,085 --> 01:04:24,080
if anybody like any of our upcoming board members that might want to share something or anything,

625
01:04:30,095 --> 01:04:33,395
or it's not on the agenda? I'm sorry to even say that, madam chair. I'm sorry.

626
01:04:34,640 --> 01:04:36,950
but I know that they're here, and I don't have any more questions myself,

627
01:04:38,750 --> 01:04:40,895
but I just raised that question. >> I certainly serve at your recommendation.

628
01:04:45,335 --> 01:04:48,080
I know that it is a board decision, but certainly if you hearing from the community,

629
01:04:51,860 --> 01:04:54,770
we could certainly set aside a couple of minutes for each person. I'm not opposed to that.

630
01:04:56,600 --> 01:05:00,155
>> was there any more presentation? >> no. Obviously, we need to make a decision about timeline,

631
01:05:03,695 --> 01:05:07,265
and we need to make a decision about amount. Those are things that we need to have

632
01:05:09,830 --> 01:05:09,830
some indication from you so that we can prepare a resolution for you,

633
01:05:14,045 --> 01:05:14,045
and we need to go out for a pros and cons committee as well.

634
01:05:18,980 --> 01:05:18,980
>> I feel like we need to finish up some business that we need to take care of?

635
01:05:23,480 --> 01:05:26,330
>> yes. Absolutely. >> I certainly feel like [inaudible]. >> absolutely.

636
01:05:27,875 --> 01:05:27,875
>> because we do still have some work to do if we look at the timeline.

637
01:05:32,090 --> 01:05:33,965
>> the timeline is tight. As you know, we have to have the ballot resolution with the pros and cons by december 12.

638
01:05:40,385 --> 01:05:43,580
our next board meeting is our last opportunity to pass a resolution and to move forward with that pros and cons committee.

639
01:05:48,755 --> 01:05:48,755
we really just have that opportunity.

640
01:05:53,870 --> 01:05:53,870
what questions, what conversation do you need to have?

641
01:06:00,245 --> 01:06:02,660
>> this has been great presentation. >> it's been good.

642
01:06:05,830 --> 01:06:05,830
>> I just want to say, I really appreciate taking the time

643
01:06:10,550 --> 01:06:10,550
last time to talk about programs and just highlight some of the programs.

644
01:06:14,900 --> 01:06:18,830
I mean, I know as board members, we've been in the schools and we've seen some of the programs, but just to have them come and give a presentation and be able to have that conversation.

645
01:06:23,060 --> 01:06:26,120
I appreciate the fact that you queued to the previous meeting and told us that we were going to take some time to do this,

646
01:06:29,990 --> 01:06:33,770
and this isn't just being done in one meeting. >> you're right. >> you've had a lot of time in between to think about it and to go over the information.

647
01:06:38,615 --> 01:06:38,615
what other questions do we have as board members, ted, anything?

648
01:06:42,710 --> 01:06:42,710
>> no. We've done this so many times already.

649
01:06:46,940 --> 01:06:49,430
I feel like all the questions I would have had questions to, I could figure out just by looking at the information.

650
01:06:53,450 --> 01:06:53,450
it's pretty intuitive at this point.

651
01:07:01,970 --> 01:07:04,725
>> I think for me, I'm just concerned that our community and I think you and I've had

652
01:07:13,830 --> 01:07:13,830
conversation about one and done instead of two has.

653
01:07:23,445 --> 01:07:25,650
I see the need for it. I know that we need to pass something.

654
01:07:29,520 --> 01:07:29,520
what the number is?

655
01:07:34,820 --> 01:07:34,820
I'm not convinced that that we're going to get 199.

656
01:07:44,600 --> 01:07:44,600
I wish I knew more of what the community was thinking and if what their wishes were,

657
01:07:51,710 --> 01:07:51,710
and that was what I was hoping was to hear more from them.

658
01:07:57,315 --> 01:07:57,315
I'm hoping that if anyone does have more questions that they will take the time

659
01:08:04,350 --> 01:08:04,350
to call and speak to or email their thoughts about this.

660
01:08:11,025 --> 01:08:13,590
because I think if we're going to take the time and energy and spend the money to put this together,

661
01:08:17,100 --> 01:08:19,260
we want it to be successful. We wanted to go through this time.

662
01:08:25,520 --> 01:08:25,520
it's very clear what is going to happen

663
01:08:31,440 --> 01:08:31,440
if they decide that they don't want to agree to another levy pass.

664
01:08:42,020 --> 01:08:45,315
I guess, for me, personally, like I had already said, I really would wish that we would just do it in april with a new board coming,

665
01:08:50,730 --> 01:08:50,730
getting their feedback, and just hopefully getting

666
01:08:55,230 --> 01:08:55,230
the community behind us so that it's going to successfully pass.

667
01:09:00,960 --> 01:09:00,960
so that would be my only comment or thought right now.

668
01:09:05,715 --> 01:09:07,650
>> that's what you meant by one and done because I was going to go back and ask you what you meant?

669
01:09:10,380 --> 01:09:10,380
>> I really feel that I think given the new board an opportunity to take a look at this,

670
01:09:19,475 --> 01:09:21,005
new eyes, fresh eyes, not to say that you guys' eyes are not great.

671
01:09:23,615 --> 01:09:26,930
but I think that they're going to be the ones that whatever happens, they're going to be the ones that are going to be

672
01:09:29,760 --> 01:09:33,465
governing and helping us govern and get through this period. So that would be my wish.

673
01:09:36,585 --> 01:09:36,585
but obviously, if a decision is majority decides that they want to move forward for two,

674
01:09:43,710 --> 01:09:43,710
then I will support the levy being presented.

675
01:09:50,550 --> 01:09:54,300
>> I think we didn't go over this and you're bringing up a point, debbie, and I think it's important for me to loop back.

676
01:09:57,210 --> 01:09:59,190
I want to make sure everyone understands. There are four opportunities in a year to run a levy.

677
01:10:03,840 --> 01:10:03,840
there's february, april, august, and november.

678
01:10:09,315 --> 01:10:09,315
so if we were to go out for a levy and not pass it,

679
01:10:15,525 --> 01:10:18,525
say we run it in february and we don't pass it. We have a choice between three other times to pass it.

680
01:10:22,695 --> 01:10:22,695
I want to be crystal clear that as your superintendent,

681
01:10:27,270 --> 01:10:27,270
my recommendation would not be to turn around and run it in april.

682
01:10:31,950 --> 01:10:31,950
it would be to wait until november and to make the cuts.

683
01:10:37,910 --> 01:10:37,910
our community would be forced to understand the decision that they made.

684
01:10:43,350 --> 01:10:43,350
I don't want that to happen because it's going to impact kids.

685
01:10:49,160 --> 01:10:52,095
in all good conscience, I could not be in a place where I gave up the opportunity to run it again

686
01:10:58,410 --> 01:10:58,410
without that understanding and impact our kids for yet another two years.

687
01:11:05,475 --> 01:11:07,620
I couldn't do that. I would prefer to show

688
01:11:14,160 --> 01:11:14,160
people what their decision led to and then let them decide that.

689
01:11:21,270 --> 01:11:25,200
so that would be my recommendation to the board. If I were making that decision,

690
01:11:26,805 --> 01:11:30,375
I would recommend february, and should it not pass, we wait until november.

691
01:11:31,845 --> 01:11:34,530
obviously, three of our board members will be stepping aside and that will be a decision for the other,

692
01:11:37,980 --> 01:11:40,065
the incoming board members. But I can't bear the thought of failing again.

693
01:11:46,230 --> 01:11:48,900
all the time that I've been in this district, we've never more than double levy failed.

694
01:11:52,430 --> 01:11:55,275
>> well, and that adds clarification, I think that might be helpful for us and for you,

695
01:11:58,815 --> 01:11:58,815
debbie, because you need to run it in february.

696
01:12:03,540 --> 01:12:05,430
if you're going to have to make cuts, you have to have that information in february.

697
01:12:08,040 --> 01:12:08,040
you can't wait and run it in april, that's too late.

698
01:12:12,525 --> 01:12:16,275
>> you can't wait until april because you would have already had to set up the rif. You would be doing a rif resolution to

699
01:12:18,855 --> 01:12:22,185
lay off all the employees and get rid of all of the programs. The timing doesn't work out to wait until april,

700
01:12:25,500 --> 01:12:28,275
you would have to still make all those cuts. >> so I understand what you were saying,

701
01:12:30,720 --> 01:12:33,675
debbie, that's the glitch. >> I understand now. >> and statistically, the passage rates for

702
01:12:36,420 --> 01:12:36,420
washington state levies have a higher passage rate in february than they do in april.

703
01:12:41,955 --> 01:12:45,915
>> thank you. I was just going to ask. >> and the second highest is november. >> well, I think,

704
01:12:48,015 --> 01:12:50,430
the kids that are listening to this, talk to your parents and tell your moms and dads to vote yes.

705
01:13:00,770 --> 01:13:00,770
>> we can't say that.

706
01:13:06,230 --> 01:13:09,645
>> I don't have anything to add. I think I asked my questions.

707
01:13:11,340 --> 01:13:11,340
they were answered. But I will add for debbie's sake.

708
01:13:17,430 --> 01:13:17,430
I'm a board member till I'm not,

709
01:13:21,810 --> 01:13:24,930
so I'm not going to not do my job while I'm here. And this is part of my job as an elected official, and I agree.

710
01:13:30,300 --> 01:13:33,030
I really want some input from everybody, so that's not it, but there's things that can't wait for the new board.

711
01:13:38,330 --> 01:13:38,330
I don't want you to think we're trying to push something because we're on our way out.

712
01:13:43,440 --> 01:13:47,370
>> not at all. >> so we have a job to do. >> I respect that. >> thanks.

713
01:13:49,050 --> 01:13:51,900
>> anything, terry? >> I believe we got to get it passed.

714
01:13:56,745 --> 01:13:58,755
I think we've talked about this. So my concern is that if we don't do

715
01:14:04,380 --> 01:14:07,890
all the right things that it doesn't pass because we didn't do all the things we needed to do to set it up for success.

716
01:14:12,060 --> 01:14:15,675
I'd love to hear, for example, see, so where we're at here. What we're talking about, am I not mistaken.

717
01:14:19,640 --> 01:14:19,640
what we're saying is, give you a little bit more details so you

718
01:14:24,120 --> 01:14:27,825
could finalize what it is we want to vote on at the next meeting. >> correct.

719
01:14:32,060 --> 01:14:32,060
>> and the reason we can't run it in april, is, again,

720
01:14:38,430 --> 01:14:41,655
could you explain because see, we ran it in february, then we ran it in april because april would still get the job done last year.

721
01:14:46,170 --> 01:14:49,410
but now why is it not getting the job done this year? >> if you remember, we did a rif resolution on april 25th,

722
01:14:54,780 --> 01:14:57,495
but we had to have that ready well before that, which means that we had to have all the conversations with all of

723
01:15:00,930 --> 01:15:00,930
the programs and the staff and all of those things.

724
01:15:05,475 --> 01:15:09,090
so if you're going to have all of the staff that are here tonight spending their time on that,

725
01:15:13,200 --> 01:15:13,200
they're not going to be spending time on levy communications and work.

726
01:15:19,335 --> 01:15:22,380
they're going to be spending time on what are the cuts? How are we going to do this?

727
01:15:23,670 --> 01:15:27,495
communicating to those people, having all of those things, and we have to have the rif resolution ready before the april verification,

728
01:15:34,380 --> 01:15:34,380
certification of that election would happen.

729
01:15:39,195 --> 01:15:40,920
>> actually, before the voting, right? >> well, no, the voting is in april.

730
01:15:44,535 --> 01:15:47,240
>> well, here is a thought. We'll be preparing all that stuff and could present that.

731
01:15:51,285 --> 01:15:53,970
here's where we're going, folks, and now get ready to vote. I'm just the thought.

732
01:15:55,935 --> 01:15:58,380
see, so my point is, I'd rather do all that preparation work and have it

733
01:16:02,235 --> 01:16:02,235
pass than put it out to vote too soon.

734
01:16:09,200 --> 01:16:09,200
I'm just suggesting that we don't have to do

735
01:16:14,970 --> 01:16:14,970
a vote on the next meeting if we wait until april,

736
01:16:20,535 --> 01:16:22,740
and I appreciate what you said, jackie, about who's voting on what.

737
01:16:25,350 --> 01:16:25,350
but again, I feel like to set this thing up for success,

738
01:16:31,845 --> 01:16:31,845
we would be in a much stronger position if we

739
01:16:36,390 --> 01:16:36,390
start bringing the community in to talk with us at meetings.

740
01:16:41,760 --> 01:16:43,920
here we've got a picture now. The community can see this and they can come and they

741
01:16:46,380 --> 01:16:48,855
can comment on it and they can ask questions about you. Now, I know people don't come to our meetings. I understand that.

742
01:16:54,430 --> 01:16:58,115
but interestingly enough, I asked someone about our meetings and they weren't here at our previous work session,

743
01:17:02,645 --> 01:17:03,980
and they said, I didn't know that I could come.

744
01:17:07,390 --> 01:17:07,390
so my point is that we don't necessarily communicate as well as we should about things,

745
01:17:14,505 --> 01:17:16,200
and I think we can do better. I think we can get people to meetings.

746
01:17:18,765 --> 01:17:22,620
I think we can get people to talk and ask questions. My only concern is that february 20th,

747
01:17:27,795 --> 01:17:30,075
with the holidays and everything, it just seems like I'm not convinced it's

748
01:17:34,260 --> 01:17:34,260
going to provide enough time to really get the word out and people understand.

749
01:17:38,505 --> 01:17:41,865
we said last time it didn't. At least I heard people say, it didn't pass last time because of misinformation.

750
01:17:46,140 --> 01:17:49,290
or maybe flat out not telling the truth. Didn't we hear that? It was misinformation, miscommunication.

751
01:17:54,420 --> 01:17:56,445
if that's the case, whose fault is the miscommunication other than ours?

752
01:18:00,540 --> 01:18:03,570
you say, well, people were saying things that weren't true. Who's going to say the truth?

753
01:18:05,865 --> 01:18:05,865
us. So who's going to know the truth if we don't get the word out somehow?

754
01:18:11,460 --> 01:18:11,460
maybe people did vote because of miscommunication. Maybe they did.

755
01:18:16,470 --> 01:18:16,470
but that just means that we need to do a better job of getting the truth out,

756
01:18:21,510 --> 01:18:23,475
the facts of this situation. And so february 20th is going to be here real soon.

757
01:18:27,780 --> 01:18:30,390
>> well, what we have to remember, terry, is, we, as a board, and as staff,

758
01:18:33,390 --> 01:18:33,390
are very limited on what we get to say because of the pdc guidelines.

759
01:18:38,955 --> 01:18:38,955
so what we can go out and encourage

760
01:18:43,455 --> 01:18:43,455
our community we can't tell them how to vote, what to vote.

761
01:18:48,135 --> 01:18:51,090
we couldn't even ask the question in our survey that I think all of us would have liked to have asked,

762
01:18:55,215 --> 01:18:58,305
which is would you support a levy? We can't ask that question.

763
01:18:59,670 --> 01:19:01,500
we can ask about funding priorities. We can talk about tax sensitivity.

764
01:19:03,750 --> 01:19:05,670
we can ask a variety of things. But when we talk about communication,

765
01:19:09,060 --> 01:19:09,060
just remember that our hands are tied in many ways where we

766
01:19:13,410 --> 01:19:13,410
cannot go out and be perceived as convincing,

767
01:19:19,275 --> 01:19:19,275
be perceived as we can provide information in a very simple way.

768
01:19:27,075 --> 01:19:29,790
amanda is our guru on pdc guidelines, and we certainly have a policy around what we can and can't say as well.

769
01:19:35,430 --> 01:19:35,430
I wish maybe I had brought it with me or had pulled it up.

770
01:19:39,645 --> 01:19:41,895
>> back to my concerns, if I may, then. So I hear what you're saying.

771
01:19:44,070 --> 01:19:44,070
but again, it shouldn't depend on the staff to do the stuff.

772
01:19:48,195 --> 01:19:49,980
you see if it's depending on the staff, then that's why we can't do it in april because the [inaudible] and all that.

773
01:19:53,565 --> 01:19:55,725
it shouldn't depend on the staff. We've got to do something different.

774
01:19:58,035 --> 01:19:58,035
and personally, I would love to see a unified.

775
01:20:03,705 --> 01:20:03,705
if we make this decision prior to the new board being seated,

776
01:20:08,760 --> 01:20:08,760
it's going to be a lot harder for them to own the vision with reality.

777
01:20:12,945 --> 01:20:15,300
just suggesting that. I think we have a plan.

778
01:20:17,760 --> 01:20:17,760
I think we need to go forward with a really firm,

779
01:20:24,620 --> 01:20:28,290
enrolling the community and getting the community to talk and getting us into meetings with each other.

780
01:20:31,365 --> 01:20:33,390
I believe that's the path forward, and if we just try the same things that we've been doing,

781
01:20:36,510 --> 01:20:39,015
I think we're going to end up with the same results. >> if you were to ask that community,

782
01:20:41,730 --> 01:20:43,950
I'm not sure who that community is. But if you were to ask that community,

783
01:20:46,605 --> 01:20:50,330
what would your question be? >> I'd love to hear what terry's got to say about this plan.

784
01:20:55,070 --> 01:20:57,180
I would love to hear what, terry, has to say about what were the decision we're trying to make before we make the decision.

785
01:21:03,330 --> 01:21:03,330
that's what I would ask. Here's the plan. What do you think?

786
01:21:09,350 --> 01:21:09,350
>> what you would all prefer is to have two minutes

787
01:21:14,490 --> 01:21:14,490
a piece right now to allow people in the room to say what they think?

788
01:21:19,875 --> 01:21:22,695
>> no. What I'm suggesting is we have many more months april to get this over the finish line.

789
01:21:27,180 --> 01:21:30,180
that's all I'm suggesting. You're going to get my support, and I'm going to work as hard as I can,

790
01:21:31,920 --> 01:21:34,395
as a matter of fact, I'm trying to think, when can we have, what can we do? When can we meet? How can we get the word out?

791
01:21:37,170 --> 01:21:38,820
so we'll do that. If the board wants to do this by february 20th,

792
01:21:42,150 --> 01:21:44,430
we will do as much as we can. I'm just suggesting from my experience,

793
01:21:48,120 --> 01:21:52,050
it's a little rushed, and I'd love to have the rest of the board members on the board with us, moving together on it.

794
01:21:55,035 --> 01:21:58,710
so that's just all I'm saying. I'm not saying the two minutes right now. I'm saying, terry and I got a lot of talking to do. That's what I'm saying.

795
01:22:04,460 --> 01:22:06,750
>> that's all I'm saying. >> that's good input. I guess just from my perspective,

796
01:22:11,910 --> 01:22:11,910
I feel like february is the only realistic option that we have.

797
01:22:17,820 --> 01:22:20,190
I think we need to move forward, and we've had this same timeline.

798
01:22:22,680 --> 01:22:25,410
yes, we can have many, many opportunities to talk to the community in

799
01:22:28,560 --> 01:22:28,560
maybe some different ways and still being very careful because we cannot.

800
01:22:35,580 --> 01:22:37,125
>> we have to be careful. >> we have to be careful. The other thing that I think is important from what you said,

801
01:22:43,605 --> 01:22:46,845
we have to be careful how we're using our resources now. If we're going to use huge resources to plan a riff if we wait until april.

802
01:22:57,975 --> 01:22:57,975
I am confident that when the community sees this number,

803
01:23:03,285 --> 01:23:06,410
if they see this slide, I'm confident that the community will make a good decision about this.

804
01:23:11,115 --> 01:23:11,115
I think that february for me is the time to do it.

805
01:23:16,005 --> 01:23:16,005
also, because I know traditionally,

806
01:23:20,175 --> 01:23:20,175
february is the time when most levies pass.

807
01:23:25,455 --> 01:23:26,295
>> we have that? >> we have that, and we also have the fact that it will cost us much less to run it.

808
01:23:33,050 --> 01:23:36,495
certainly, it went up from 180-240 in those months.

809
01:23:46,095 --> 01:23:46,095
certainly, it will cost us less to run it in february as well.

810
01:23:50,780 --> 01:23:50,780
there's a lot of work to do but I think I can trust

811
01:23:56,430 --> 01:23:56,430
mr. Dotson to activate the minute that we give him the green light. [laughter]

812
01:24:01,110 --> 01:24:01,110
>> that's true.

813
01:24:06,140 --> 01:24:10,050
>> we have six minutes left. I would ask, what's the pleasure of the board?

814
01:24:13,815 --> 01:24:13,815
would you like to hear from a community member or two?

815
01:24:19,200 --> 01:24:21,930
>> we could ask if anybody would want to say anything. [overlapping]

816
01:24:23,760 --> 01:24:25,965
>> we do have a person out here that would like to speak. >> just one or is there seven [overlapping]

817
01:24:28,260 --> 01:24:31,880
>> I see one hand. I see two hands. >> two hands. >> going once, going twice. >> come on up.

818
01:24:32,585 --> 01:24:34,265
>> I think we have time for two people. >> can we do a couple minutes a piece so you guys have time to talk about anything?

819
01:24:40,520 --> 01:24:44,040
>> I could do it in one minute. >> perfect. >> mr. Rylander. >> how are you, mr. Rylander?

820
01:24:46,215 --> 01:24:46,215
>> good evening. My name is richard, nicknamed dick rylander.

821
01:24:52,110 --> 01:24:52,110
I'm known to many of you in good or bad ways.

822
01:24:57,720 --> 01:24:57,720
I will note that I have paid close attention because as shelly knows,

823
01:25:04,005 --> 01:25:04,005
I may have been the only one to comment on the budget from the public.

824
01:25:08,895 --> 01:25:11,520
with fairly extensive comments and I spent a couple of minutes doing that so I have a feel for it,

825
01:25:14,250 --> 01:25:16,005
so I appreciate all the information. I just want to say that there is one item I think that has not

826
01:25:19,710 --> 01:25:23,700
been put on the table that is an 800 pound gorilla. That is next year in 2026,

827
01:25:26,400 --> 01:25:29,130
I believe, your teachers' contract comes up. >> many of our contracts will be up this coming spring.

828
01:25:32,760 --> 01:25:34,875
>> there's three. Evergreen, camas, and battle ground following the same cycle come up next year.

829
01:25:39,150 --> 01:25:39,150
what I don't see in any of this is how you're planning to deal with

830
01:25:44,460 --> 01:25:44,460
the potential contract demands from

831
01:25:48,900 --> 01:25:48,900
the teachers given that your single biggest expense over 80 percent is personnel.

832
01:25:54,120 --> 01:25:54,120
then the only place you have to control cost really is in the personnel side and

833
01:25:59,310 --> 01:26:02,760
your personnel costs they're going to ask you to increase because they've had bills to pay, etc.

834
01:26:06,645 --> 01:26:09,975
I'm just going to make that statement. I don't intend to any discussion. But that is my concern, the item,

835
01:26:12,135 --> 01:26:12,135
and it is an 800 pound gorilla for me that you're not attending to,

836
01:26:16,305 --> 01:26:19,350
and I have to run. Thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you.

837
01:26:21,115 --> 01:26:23,870
>> see, lori, I thank you had your hand up. >> here we go. Thank you, lori.

838
01:26:32,400 --> 01:26:32,400
[background]

839
01:26:38,490 --> 01:26:38,490
>> sorry. I think we have to run it in february.

840
01:26:43,055 --> 01:26:45,095
we've got a plan for next year. We've got to have the money in place as soon as we can start getting it.

841
01:26:49,240 --> 01:26:52,020
I don't think if we wait until april, it's already a tax month.

842
01:26:53,730 --> 01:26:53,730
people are paying their land taxes and whatever taxes that they owe the irs.

843
01:27:00,270 --> 01:27:02,805
then you throw a levy on top and they're like, taxes, forget it,

844
01:27:04,410 --> 01:27:06,210
so they'll vote no. I think february is our best bet to start getting the money

845
01:27:09,960 --> 01:27:09,960
in and make plans if it fails,

846
01:27:15,480 --> 01:27:19,170
but let's just try and make sure it doesn't fail. >> thank you. >> thank you.

847
01:27:20,115 --> 01:27:23,010
>> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> good insights. Marshall.

848
01:27:27,135 --> 01:27:28,080
>> yeah, sorry. [laughter] >> I didn't raise my hand.

849
01:27:32,790 --> 01:27:33,990
>> [inaudible] raise your hand. >> hi, I'm marshall merritt.

850
01:27:36,800 --> 01:27:36,800
I got involved years ago because of levy and questions.

851
01:27:42,585 --> 01:27:42,585
I appreciate the concern that gets put into the levy discussion. I really do.

852
01:27:48,090 --> 01:27:48,090
that being said, the slides all show that we have to have

853
01:27:52,500 --> 01:27:52,500
a levy in order to be solvent and march forward.

854
01:27:56,640 --> 01:27:59,400
I would propose that we do the levy, we put it towards the vote in february.

855
01:28:03,510 --> 01:28:03,510
that way, we're not doing all the work in the background, as was stated.

856
01:28:08,010 --> 01:28:11,955
we can plan things for good or for bad afterwards. Then if we need to do a secondary,

857
01:28:15,015 --> 01:28:16,500
the fall is a great idea. I just learned about that option today earlier and I was

858
01:28:19,320 --> 01:28:22,635
grateful to hear that it doesn't have to be one after the other, and it can give the community a chance to digest what the options are at that point.

859
01:28:29,460 --> 01:28:32,580
I would propose february. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you.

860
01:28:36,980 --> 01:28:36,980
>> we will put together a resolution for february,

861
01:28:41,040 --> 01:28:44,730
but I still could use some insights or direction from all of you around option a and option b.

862
01:28:49,350 --> 01:28:51,720
didn't hear much conversation. >> [overlapping] convince easily. Option b. I don't see how you can not do the $8. Go.

863
01:28:59,960 --> 01:29:03,060
>> I'm on the fence. I'm sorry. >> I'll come back.

864
01:29:06,210 --> 01:29:06,210
>> option a or b?

865
01:29:15,830 --> 01:29:15,830
>> I'm not sure either. [inaudible]

866
01:29:24,180 --> 01:29:26,565
>> for me, of course, I'd prefer option b, just so that we can continue to cover concerns of increased costs,

867
01:29:30,720 --> 01:29:30,720
but I'm also pragmatic enough to know that some is better than none,

868
01:29:37,095 --> 01:29:37,095
and if running a lower number is a better chance of it passing,

869
01:29:41,730 --> 01:29:41,730
then at least that's some funding that's going to cover the majority of it.

870
01:29:46,640 --> 01:29:46,640
the risk then is that some of the other rising costs,

871
01:29:51,450 --> 01:29:55,440
additional unfunded mandates, puts us right back in the same scenario, but at least we have some coverage,

872
01:29:57,315 --> 01:30:00,405
and not laying off more people. Whereas if we try to go big,

873
01:30:03,300 --> 01:30:03,300
which is relatively [laughter] but it's really big.

874
01:30:07,365 --> 01:30:07,365
but then it just may come across as

875
01:30:12,885 --> 01:30:12,885
a money grab to try to bring some programs back and then potentially risk failure.

876
01:30:19,610 --> 01:30:19,610
again, I would lean towards option a because some is better than none.

877
01:30:26,630 --> 01:30:29,220
>> I'm going to lean towards option b because just with the unknowns and with the rising costs,

878
01:30:34,950 --> 01:30:38,025
I don't think option a will get us there. I really don't.

879
01:30:39,675 --> 01:30:39,675
looking at the numbers on here in terms of the difference in tax,

880
01:30:44,610 --> 01:30:44,610
I just feel the community will support option b.

881
01:30:54,645 --> 01:30:54,645
>> I'm not seeing the total dollar that we're asking for on any of these slides.

882
01:30:59,790 --> 01:31:01,480
>> it's right here. >> is it that orange seeing in the top right corner?

883
01:31:04,220 --> 01:31:04,220
>> yeah. It's the number in the slide.

884
01:31:10,520 --> 01:31:11,975
if you look at the orange, it's 41 million and 43 million in 2027.

885
01:31:16,590 --> 01:31:18,645
>> this is 250. These are 199, 190.

886
01:31:22,215 --> 01:31:25,895
this is 250. That's right. We're not doing this. >> this is projecting what we will bring in.

887
01:31:29,210 --> 01:31:31,720
>> this is the math here. That if we were running it at $2.50,

888
01:31:35,235 --> 01:31:38,265
this is 41 million. That's option a.

889
01:31:40,710 --> 01:31:42,510
>> option a. >> forty three million. >> thank you. Forty one million.

890
01:31:45,420 --> 01:31:49,215
it's a difference between asking for 41 million and 43 million? >> correct.

891
01:31:50,930 --> 01:31:53,520
>> I don't think they will flock at that number. I mean, balk at that number either.

892
01:31:55,575 --> 01:31:57,720
>> michelle do you have anything [overlapping] >> [inaudible] a chance to say a word and I'm sorry. Students.

893
01:32:02,900 --> 01:32:04,640
>> thoughts? >> I'm curious to hear from michelle because she was integral in putting together

894
01:32:09,140 --> 01:32:12,765
these recommendations with the fiscal cliff that we've been speaking about for several years too.

895
01:32:16,755 --> 01:32:20,550
will you speak to the projection and the fiscal cliff that is here right now and recommendations here.

896
01:32:27,050 --> 01:32:27,050
>> I think what has been discussed with the options is that there is

897
01:32:35,715 --> 01:32:35,715
no guarantee that we'll be able to bring back as much as we cut for this year,

898
01:32:44,205 --> 01:32:47,730
under the option a. Option b more likely we would be able to bring back more of it.

899
01:32:55,590 --> 01:32:55,590
I don't think we're going to be fully restoring.

900
01:32:59,970 --> 01:32:59,970
this is a very conservative ask from our community.

901
01:33:05,760 --> 01:33:08,130
you can see from the levy rates. You can see that we're going to try to make it work.

902
01:33:11,580 --> 01:33:11,580
we won't have reserves to have availability

903
01:33:19,260 --> 01:33:19,260
to hold us if we might be able to do a little something for our emergency,

904
01:33:28,560 --> 01:33:28,560
but it's going to be very difficult with either option.

905
01:33:42,560 --> 01:33:45,885
>> it is 5:33. >> she needs to know whether we want a or b, right?

906
01:33:48,390 --> 01:33:52,200
so we're going to have to vote on that? >> no, there's no vote.. >> we won't. It's not a vote. >> so if we just gave you our feedback, you're going to work with that?

907
01:33:55,305 --> 01:33:57,480
>> I've got two undecideds, two for option b and one for option a. [laughter]

908
01:34:00,540 --> 01:34:03,350
>> I don't know if I can work with that. >> help me out.

909
01:34:04,950 --> 01:34:04,950
>> you guys have sat through this so quietly for hours.

910
01:34:09,350 --> 01:34:12,645
what would you choose, option a or option b? >> especially in light of the students you've been talking to and

911
01:34:15,720 --> 01:34:19,605
knowing what these programs highlighted. >> you mighty help us a little bit.

912
01:34:20,490 --> 01:34:22,575
>> and knowing the funding gaps. >> just speaking as a student,

913
01:34:26,505 --> 01:34:30,210
talking to the students, it seems like option b, because as a student, you always want more opportunities and bringing back some of those things.

914
01:34:35,660 --> 01:34:38,235
I think I would go with option b. >> I think one thing I worry about too is-

915
01:34:40,830 --> 01:34:41,625
>> thank you. >> -the lack of activities and options.

916
01:34:44,850 --> 01:34:47,700
we have a increase of enrollment right now, but what would happen if we lost those opportunities for our students.

917
01:34:53,145 --> 01:34:56,595
we're able to offer such a multitude of programs now, so I think that's a draw for enrollment.

918
01:34:59,610 --> 01:35:02,460
>> it was certainly part of our discussion in the spring that when we talked about certain programs going away,

919
01:35:05,025 --> 01:35:05,025
our fear was that would also lead to decrease in enrollment, which again,

920
01:35:09,225 --> 01:35:12,405
is a snowball going down a hill, getting larger and larger because you lose enrollment, you lose funding,

921
01:35:15,930 --> 01:35:18,360
you lose funding, you lose more programs, and it just keeps happening.

922
01:35:21,060 --> 01:35:24,240
certainly something for us to consider if we're not able to provide c team sports, for instance,

923
01:35:27,090 --> 01:35:27,090
or bring back any kind of middle school program in the out years.

924
01:35:33,705 --> 01:35:36,870
obviously, we wouldn't be able to next year no matter what, but if we don't pass the next levy,

925
01:35:40,470 --> 01:35:40,470
we wouldn't be able to bring it back the year after either in any form.

926
01:35:45,540 --> 01:35:49,140
>> no. >> no. [inaudible] >> I'd honestly go with option b for the reasoning,

927
01:35:52,770 --> 01:35:55,620
just looking at one school that me and toby have visited, the amount of responses we got for our middle school sports.

928
01:35:58,995 --> 01:36:01,890
it wasn't just bringing back the sport, but it was the effects that the sport had on them,

929
01:36:04,050 --> 01:36:07,320
whether it was enrollment, it was absences, it was grades. All these student programs affect so many things on

930
01:36:11,880 --> 01:36:11,880
a student's life and perspective on school that even though we bring some,

931
01:36:17,145 --> 01:36:20,460
they're still going to feel that heaviness of not having those programs and those opportunities to have at school.

932
01:36:24,840 --> 01:36:26,745
again, why would they show up to school? Why would they stay in our district if they're still not having those opportunities,

933
01:36:30,255 --> 01:36:32,610
even though they fought to pass the levy because a lot of students I've heard are going to fight for it.

934
01:36:35,325 --> 01:36:37,170
they're going to fight because that's what they want. But if they're fighting for something that may not benefit them to the full 100 percent,

935
01:36:42,570 --> 01:36:45,015
may not see those changes, they might not agree with it.

936
01:36:47,205 --> 01:36:50,640
right now, our biggest voice is students. >> thank you.

937
01:36:51,690 --> 01:36:54,360
>> I would go with option b. >> thank you. >> there's two more for b. [laughter]

938
01:36:58,830 --> 01:37:02,415
>> we will adjourn this meeting at 5:37. >> thank you.

939
01:37:03,315 --> 01:37:03,855
>> thank you. >> thank you.