Good evening everybody. It is 5:03 on Mon Tuesday May 13 2025. We are in the boardroom and this is a work study session for the Robinson area school board and I am Gina Evans Becker your fairness chair. Let's go around this way. Renee Bowman, board director. Terry Sal, superintendent, school board. Caroline Long, school board. Helen Bansson, school board. Kim, school board. And executive director education, athletics, and activities. Amy, executive director of human resources. Bob, assistant superintendent. Kristen Hisel, chief financial officer to school board. Molly Olsson, executive assistant to the superintendent and school board. Thank you. Amy, community member Nikki, community member. April Anderson, community member. Thank you. All right. The only thing on our agenda tonight is the district district organizational restructuring and budget updates with Dr. Salo. Excellent. I'll go ahead and get started. Uh Kristen and I are going to tag team this evening and we've got the rest of our team here. And go ahead. I forgot one thing. Yes. Okay. Board members, you all have a brand new pen and a brand new notepad at your places. We're going to try something a little bit different tonight. When the presentation is going on, write your questions down because your questions are very important. But we're going to do the whole presentation and then have time for questions because some of your questions might be answered during the presentation and um we don't want to get derailed. Okay. So, crack open those pens. They do have a little red thing on the tip that you have to pull off. And thank you. Sorry. No, absolutely. It's great. Thanks uh for everybody for being here. Thanks for um being open to an additional uh study session. We just we wanted to be sure that as we enter the full uh clearance of the budget season that we have an opportunity to have some extended time to make sure that you um are well aware and informed uh of things as we go forward. So I just want to um you've got a packet. We're not we don't have a formal presentation tonight. We've got information in a packet. So we'll be walking through that. Uh so as we look at the second page right after the cover sheet of that we've been talking about budgets for a long time actually I think since my interview. Um so we've been talking about them for a long time and our purpose tonight is to provide the board with updates and information specific to the ESC budget reductions and positional alignment. Remember that's about uh 2.1% or million dollars out of the proposed budget cuts that we have. That's the piece that I think there's been some questions about and um we've probably done the most work in terms of restructuring some things. We just want to make sure that you are all on the same page with that. Um I want to also remind uh the board and the listening public that Robville Area Schools is in um a unique position in terms of uh of fiscal reduction needs. Most schools around us, most school districts around us are facing budget reductions. Um, AMSD, the Association of Metropolitan School Districts, did a survey of its member districts. I think there's about 50 member districts, 42 maybe, uh, member districts. And in that survey, there's almost $300 million that need to be reduced from school districts. Um, so I was with colleagues last week and you know, it's for some districts it's 2 million, for some districts it's 4 million, for some district it's 6 million, and and some with more. We again are faced with $21 million. So while everyone is facing this, I I just want to set the stage of um really a heavy lift and a huge deficit and a reminder that 17 million was proposed last year to be cut, planned to be cut. So, I'm guessing some of these same conversations took place last year and concerns um from board members and community members and parents were brought forward with the reductions. Um and I'm not surprised that concerns are coming forward now. I've never been a part of a $21 million budget deficit, but I've been a part of um other budget deficits, and concerns always come anytime you have to make those changes. So that burden did go away when $14.1 million was not reduced from the planned 17 million. That burden didn't go away. And in addition to that, and I knew this as I had researched the district, um I knew that there would probably be an additional 7 million that we have to reduce, which gets us, of course, to the 21 that we're speaking on um right now. Uh so I just want to set the stage as a reminder with that. Um and tonight as we go through the process, what our outcomes are for this evening, um is that you all understand updates regarding the targets that we had set with you uh several months ago. Um the financial reductions and how things align or realign with some of the position changes. We want to be sure that you understand the current status of some of that positional restructuring because I think there's maybe a story out there that we're adding and adding and adding when we're really not. You're going to get a chance to see that tonight. Um and the board will also understand um the results of the administrative uh organizational structures, the needs and the plan that we have moving forward. Um part of what we're going to do tonight, they'll be later in the presentation, but I know there's been several board members have been asking about um organizational charts. Um and I understand that um on our website currently and and it has been up on the website and it's I think third page in your packet um there is a organizational structure in terms of the leadership organizational structure and I know some of you want more than that deeper um uh organizational charts and we'll we'll get those. Um we're just in the process right now continuing to look at some of that realignment. So, those will come. But as a starting point, I just wanted to be sure you had this in front of you. This already has multiple changes. This was updated um January 1st. It looks even different than it did July 1st when I came in. And I think I kept you a breast of those organizational changes that I made both in terms of when the executive director of communications left. We changed that. Did not replace it with an executive director. and then where I realigned throughout my time here different um oversight and responsibility of programs. So I just wanted you to also have this as well. Um I know that there was some work being done around this. There was a electronic piece or a a interactive piece of the orch structure online and it wasn't working in the way that we wanted to. So we pulled back. We'll have these up and we'll have these ready as we start the new school year. Um, so tonight we're going to be presenting a lot of information. Um, we want to be incredibly transparent, making sure that there are no concerns about uh anything that's happening. And there might be concerns. Actually, there will be concerns. I'm confident of it. But as we start tonight, I just I want to inform you um of the results of some of the analysis that we've been doing really since July 1 and especially since November as we've thought about what are the needs that we have um and how do we make sure that those needs are being met at the same time as we follow through with the ESC over $2 million um restructure and reduction that we talked about. So in the budget, you know, and in all things, especially with the budget, the board's role is is to really be clear on the what. So I think the clarity around the what 21 reduced $21 million. Um making sure that we reach that fiscal marker. And again, tonight, the piece that we're going to be mostly talking about is the just over 2 million from the ESC. Again, that's what we have said that was the what that we would hit that fiscal marker. Uh my role the role of our team is how that happens. Making sure that we've assessed the needs of the organization as well as looking at efficiencies um um being as effective as we can making sure that uh the needs meet the strategic plan making sure that our principles and our staff have the support that they need so that they can do the work that they do on behalf of our students. Um, so throughout the time we've worked um with that ESC budget, like I said, that's really where we're starting this year or tonight, I mean, um, to make sure that we are looking at those reductions. Again, a reminder, and I think you'll see it later as we talk through the slides, but um, the 2-year the 2-year reduction in this building is uh, 30% of the staff in this building. This year's reduction is 17% and last year well only just over 3 million was reduced over two million of that was also in this in this building. So I think that's an important context as well as we look at the the 2 million there. So actually um I think that is one of the next uh I just copied a couple slides from previous conversation. I just wanted to update again this was shared at the March 17th board meeting. Again, those were the proposed the FY26 preliminary reduction targets. You can see where the ESC administration is 1.1 million other ESC staff 800,000 school-based reductions between 13 and 15. transportation at 728 for a total of at that point we thought we'd be able to reach between 15 and 17 million of the 21. We knew that we would not um we knew that we would it would be really difficult for us to to reach the full 21. And then again on that next slide and that has those percentages that I was just talking about um where you can see both the administrative dollars again and then at that time some of those positions that we thought that we were going to eliminate. And you'll see throughout the night that um as we continued to review things, we exceeded met and exceeded by a bit the the dollar reduction number. Um some of the the FTE in those positions look different. I think as we would reduce we just say you know we've said from the beginning Kristen has actually said from the beginning and we've all uh agree with her is that we can't cut our way out of it. So instead of just looking at this as an exercise in reductions, we've really taken the stance and prioritized an exercise in realignment in making sure that we've got uh the positions that we need to lead this organization to a better place. And I think, you know, as I look at all of the metrics that I've reviewed, and I've been really honest about this in all of the community meetings I've had, if you look at any of the metrics that we have right now, either our student achievement, the state of our facilities, concerns about school safety, um our enrollment trends, none of those none of those metrics um are where we want to be and where we need to be for our kids. So part of my charge um I believe in you hiring me was to not only get our budget to a more fiscally stable place, but to make sure that I was making the decisions that needed to be made in terms of what's a leadership structure need to look like. Um how do we attract the absolute best talent that we can? because you've heard me say multiple times, our kids absolutely deserve excellence and deserve the best. Um, and that's a task that I've taken really seriously since I've been here. Assessing needs. Um, and then looking at it from a structural position. What are the structures and systems that we need and how do we do all of that in a place of a $21 million budget deficit. So, bit of context about that. So, you're going to see as we talk about this, um, some of the numbers that we had here don't look the same and and I hope what you can recognize in this is it's far less about numbers and some of those positions and for me far more about what's the leadership structure, what's the staffing structure we need um to get the work done. Um, we've been in the position right now of hiring posting position. So, again, we want to really make sure that you've got clarity around all of that. Um, we've also, as we've looked at other districts around us that have been posting, especially senior leadership positions, we continue to watch the market um, analysis of those positions. And I've talked to you before about concerns with where we are with some of our positions. I'll be talking with you again tonight about that. And again, if we want excellence and we want to attract the absolute best, then we're going to need to make sure that we are at least competitive in doing the market adjustments needed to be sure that we are um um hiring really amazing people. Um also, as we've been looking at some of the skill sets that we have in this organization, we've taken a look and saying, do we have all the right people in the right seats in the bus? and are there some people that we need to do some movements around? We actually had that conversation today. Our job is to tap the talents of the people around us and then we need to make sure that they're in the right positions for that. And if they're in this position and that might free up the space for somebody else with a different skill set to come in. So, we're not done with all of the departments yet. Um we are getting closer to that. Uh and again um as we finalize this the board will will see and we'll have um online the organizational charts for each of those departments. So with that I'm going to hand off to uh Kristen to talk a little bit about the a couple of departments where we we still have some work. Thanks. Thank you. Good evening everyone. The next uh page that you're on is tit or should be on in on your packet is titled organization chart documents department of information and instructional technology. Um this is kind of back to as we've been walking through this um with the board I'll say early winter into now this spring certainly recognizing that there has been a lot of frustration about what's going on there's a dollar amount things are happening we're behind the scenes trying to um best figure out how to align the district prim priorities and still uh meet student staff needs. And how do we do that within our departments? We want to make sure we're m making the necessary reductions without harming any any movement moving forward, especially as the lines to the to the strategic plan. Why technology is in front of you is is it kind of showing you how we're making the sausage a little bit, which we you we'll get to the other departments later that are kind of run through. This is still in its inception phase. Um the top half of that page is our current alignment within um the technology department. That is what our district looks like today. And whether it be through years of reductions um well that's a that's a piece of it. Years of reductions from the top down have created a more flat environment. And the challenge with that is multi- uh faceted. First, it's like who's reporting to whom, who do people go to for questions because it's all level and flat. The second is is we have the boots on the ground workers, but those boots on the ground workers aren't necessarily capable of doing higher level districtwide meets. Whereas if you have other positions that are higher level districtwide, they're fully equipped to do boots on the ground. So it's kind of inverse of of what you think maybe it how it should be structured versus especially in technology how it probably needs to be structured because you have you have the people that are doing the work in the buildings but conceptually can't necessarily uh easily develop a five or 10 year plan as far as what is you know what are our dollars going to be used for what makes sense technology-wise and leading that within the our team, I will like to say this because I'm going to I'm going to call them out and I and and I would say this is districtwide people have through the course of time have grabbed the ball and ran. They they they've seen empty spots. They've known something needs to be done and it's also caused a disjointedness as far as like job descriptions. they might be doing something because no one was left to do it and so they took that as a component of their new job even though it doesn't make sense anymore with job descriptions or whatever. So holistically we collectively have approached every department this way. Technology is the last on the list. And so I figured maybe it would help to see how this plays out of what we did with the other departments and now what we're looking at with technology. The next half of that page is conceptually how that department probably should be structured. And when I say that you can see it has more of a cascading approach. Um, there is a chief information officer. I, you know, you could call that a senior director, which would also be linked to a chief information security officer. Again, there's a position there that doesn't currently exist in our system. It's not an executive level uh type of position, but it's also probably not a director level position. It's somewhere in between there. We don't have that job. But I will say the face of technology as we all know over time has changed considerably. Cyber security alone is a huge huge um challenge and then you throw it in the realms of you know the people the the student information the parent information payroll I mean you name it. It's it's it's it's a beast. And by having that position that kind of rests the flow of how work goes and has some crossover where people now positions would be structured no different than um what they are looking like to do in curriculum and instruction to job descriptions. They're no longer necessarily to the people. um the people that are currently employed would have rights to bid in the to the position, but it just makes more sense to have a cascading hierarchy than a flat system where no one reports to anyone and no one's really in charge. And so as we look and again it's this document is twofold. As we look to how to move forward with technology, well, we will continue to have a conversation um as far as what does that look like on the bottom half and how do we get something that kind that aligns to this sort of workflow, information, reporting, whatever. It also shows conceptually how we have worked our way through um each department of our own or areas of responsibility to show where our needs strategic plan um again cost cost reduction and still not losing the integrity of uh the organization and what we need to do. But I will say as we work our way through this conversation, I do want you to keep in mind that there is going to there is a position out there that's that we will be looking at having that does is not an executive director but is not a not a director either. It's somewhere in between there. So I just want to call your attention to that as we look at that. I'm going to ask you well to to go on then to the next page and you can't see the watermarks on this. There were there were watermarks and now there's not but this is so we went department by department and said kind of to the slides uh that Dr. Stallow had presented how did we come up with the numbers and where are we today? the column on the left side, the current positions are what existed in that particular area if you look at the organizational chart and what was eliminated. So your director of elementary curriculum and instruction and the cost and work your way down. Now that's not to say that the organizational structure of these positions will lie within curriculum and instruction moving forward. They might they might move to a different person to report to like the director of security and that might end up under somebody else's purview next year, but it's where we are today. And curriculum and instruction in all likelihood will be changing to teaching and learning, but it's curriculum and instruction. On the bottom part of that left column, you can see where the director FTE reduction is, the program assistant FTE reduction is, and then TOSA reduction and the dollar amount. Then on the right side, future positions. And you can see the cost of um what that would look like by adding or adding those positions for next year. So the director of teaching and learning, this position would mirror the position I just talked about within technology. It's not a director level, but it's not an executive director level. It's like a senior director type of position. and where that position would uh be banned and graded. Then you moved through the director, assistant director of teaching and learning. Um both sides and I will say just so you know actual actualized uh salaries were used on the current positions averages um because we don't know exactly what a person would cost are used on the right side. We do that with teaching. We do that with everything. We're taking an average because until the position is filled, it could be more, it could be less. And so working your way through, you can see that then the adback is 1.448 million. So you cut 2.148, but we're adding back uh 1.448. Moving on. So, I'm going to jump in if you're okay with that just because I want to be sure because this is an area where what we thought two months ago when we took a look at the director positions that we thought we would reduce and then how we would restructure that. Um, we thought we would restructure and keep three director positions. Um, we thought at that time we'd likely maintain the current structure that we have in terms of a director of elementary curriculum instruction or teaching and learning, a director of secondary and then director of assessment or something. The more we talked about it, the more we learned about and thought about the technology piece of it, we said, you know, part of what I believe is the misalignment of our current structure is we have so many directors in that CNI department. And I I just think it it allows for silos and it allows for people in charge of certain areas and leading certain areas, but not some of the collaboration that's needed. So then as we continued to research and learn and think about what we needed, we took a step back and said, "No, instead of having this lead of elementary and this lead of secondary, let's put that at an assistant director position, let's have two positions where then we hire the best talent we can." And we figure out those two people where their skill sets are, where their experience is, and how they will with an assessment person with the tossis help support kind of this position that Kristen was talking about in a director or senior director of teaching and learning. So that's an adjustment and a change from what we originally had talked about. Again, the how changed, the what didn't. we still are meeting that budgetary target that we shared with the board and that we're I'm accountable to making sure um that we do that with um I think that that level again looking at where we are with student outcomes where we are with with assessment practices where we are with some of the offerings and our effective instruction and teacher evaluation and all of that. we need to find somebody that's just got a very high level of expertise. And I would argue that in other districts, and again, we're not other districts. I own that and recognize that, but in other districts, there would be um a chief technology officer, an executive director of teaching and learning. We knew that that would not be a conversation starter here. So, that's why we didn't start here. um that I clearly came out saying I was cutting two executive directors and I've maintained that and as we've continued to take a look at this I think through the restructure piece we also need as as Kristen said something between our current director contract and that current executive director contract. So I think I just if you're okay talk a little bit more. So I think one of the other um I know that in my previous role I had a very small cabinet and what I learned through my work with the bald criteria for um performance excellence and continuous improvement is the importance of the role of senior leadership. So what I did pretty early on in that last tenure is um I extended the senior leadership team from three executive directors and assistant to two executive directors to about 10 eight other directors at that time. So my senior leadership team was larger and I needed that as we're going through things and I especially think about when we were in CO. So I had the director of facilities on my senior leadership team. I had the director of child nutrition services on my senior leadership team. And those perspectives were invaluable to me as we were doing some big work. So in the same way as we talk about these positions that we need um I'm going to extend the team from a cabinet. there'll still be an executive team obviously with the four folks sitting apparently across the table from me. Um, in addition to that though, as I think about the senior leadership team, I can see this technology person. I can see this teaching and learning person. I think given what's in front of us, there's going to be a lot of time that that director of transportation, the director of facilities is also at this table during um, senior leadership meetings advising, providing data and perspective with them. So, I want you to know that and and part of this shift for me is really because of my belief in shared leadership. I can't possibly know everything and I really hope you don't expect me to have the expertise in everything because I certainly don't. I'm smart enough to know that I've got to have really wise and amazing people around me if we collectively are going to do the work that our kids and our families and community and staff deserve. So I think that's an important um piece of this as well. Um just thinking about that senior leadership team thinking about um how we're redoing some job descriptions again to get the efficiencies and the effectiveness that I need we need. This is also something that our principles have said since the second I started meeting with them in July. their greatest need was around instructional leadership support in um in helping to implement some of these huge systems that we're trying to move forward whether it's our bridgeto read literacy work whether it's our MTSS system um but we need that expertise and support and again Bob can't do it alone um to supervise 20 principles and then to also and he is in charge charge of all of the departments that fell under the former role of the executive director of student services. He's got to make sure that he's got some amazing leaders who he can work with in the support of principles and staff in our students. Um, so one of the things that I just want to talk before I hand it back to Kristen is that as we're looking at this restructure, we looked at multiple options and ways of doing this. And where we've landed is um believe that the best route forward in this senior director position is to add a lower level to the current um cabinet contract. So at a lesser salary but within that group. Uh we felt that was better. We also explored adding levels to the director pos contract. that contract already um has a lot of questions that I have when we've got the number of different kinds of directors in that. So, I didn't think adding to that yet another level um was the right thing to do or as coste effective um as we did some of the comparables as well. So, uh, what we plan on doing is, um, looking at doing anou, uh, that articulates a lower level position in that contract, um, for both the technology position and the teaching and learning position, um, and then moving that out of anou during the, um, negotiations process. So, the last thing that I want to add uh and then I really will hand it back to Kristen is again the purpose of tonight is to be continue not to be just tonight but continue to be transparent with you all um and the community. I I remember recall a recent meeting where I I think some of my uh decisions and actions were called to question and so I wanted to be sure that we had this opportunity for a very open relation or conversation so that that wasn't the case. Um I know that I talked to I know that as we talk about the the cabinet contract and that allows a clause in there for uh market adjustments. um that precedent was set before I got here. Uh that was done in order to try to seek originally the CFO, which then we ultimately did. I also talked to each one of you about my concern with looking at the comps across uh area districts where our current executive team was. And I knew that to hire an assistant superintendent um I I needed to do that market analysis. Originally when I talked to you all, I said that my plan was to make that mark adjustment for the entire executive team and that I pulled off that um in in because I knew that at this point and with the budget constraints and concerns that you raised um and I know uh I pulled off that um and I'm going to bring that back. I just think as we continue to look at we've got two area uh districts that currently are posting an executive director one an executive director of HR and uh CFO one just an executive director of HR. Um both of those districts already exceed by over $10,000 uh our current CFO and assistant superintendent contract. So, we're just not going to be able to, um, get the talent we need or keep the talent we have if I don't do that market adjustment. So, um, additionally, I think that I've talked to you about this, but I want to also publicly say it and remind you that in preparation of that hiring the new assistant superintendent and studying this, um, I had concerns as I looked at the principal contract and as we reviewed that and studied that, we had steps six, seven, and eight of our high school lead principles have a daily had a daily rate of pay higher than where our assistant superintendent and CFO are that we made the adjustment. Currently, in addition to those people, 12 other uh 12 of the steps of the other principal positions have a daily rate of pay higher than our current executive directors. And from an equity uh perspective um and a comparison perspective uh to others, I just I can't do that. I I don't feel like that is at all the right thing to do um for for the team. So, just want to be sure that you're also aware of of that. Um again, I hope and I know you will come to see how in a lot of ways you get what you pay for and we had an unbelievable candidate pool for that assistant superintendent position. Um, three of the four people that we brought forward for the semifinalist round um, had superintendent experience. People wanted to be here to work with me, to work with this team, to work with this community to do some incredible reimagining. Um, so I'm beyond delighted uh that Bob chose and said yes to us. Um, and I'm excited to make sure that we maintain the caliber of leadership this district and our students deserve. So, wanted to put that all on the table as well. And now I'll hand it back off to uh Kristen to go through the other departments. Thank you. I will like to say when looking at the cabin uh cabinet organizational chart, there was items and this was run off without uh color ink that one uh area the executive director of community ed activities that one was actually in red on that. Um it's because and the reason why I'm saying this is because it's not the general fund. And so when you try to sum up the adback on the right column, you're not going to get there because it does not include fund for it's only the when we're taking into account the impact to the general fund. So I just wanted to make that clarification. The whole no just just the uh the the final one the executive director of community added activities. So if you take the first three that would equal the 82 the fourth does if you try to add that back in there it won't match. All right moving on to facilities and operations and some of this you have seen already and are aware of in some capacity. Um, as far as on the left the current positions, uh, you can see changes to the facility project manager, administrative assistant, health and safety program assistant, and director of low voltage. Again, all of these sheets will show uh, the reductions in their particular categories below. So that had a a one in total a 10 FTE reduction a program assistant reduction of a 10 and then an ask me reduction of a zero. On the flip side um we did already hire the director of risk management and um are looking at uh hiring a operations finance manager. That is the restructuring there. I'm just gonna jump in for a minute. Um, you know, I I think this is a really great example of the needs um that I heard heard both around this table um and throughout the district. So heard have heard needs about ensuring that our schools are safe places to learn and work. And as I came into the organization, again, it didn't take very long to take a look at what our current director of of security had on his plate. And he was absolutely um and it's not about the person. That position was absolutely set up for failure. There's no way one person can be expected to have the level of expertise and do the the leveled work that was expected. So from the beginning we knew that to be I knew that to be a gap area. So through this restructure that was a priority ensuring student and staff safety and school safety and crisis management and all those things have the proper resources because we talk about how important it is. then we've got to be sure that we've got the right people in the right seats doing the work so that we can be assured that um that we're operating in an excellent fashion. So, thanks for letting me jump in on that. reports. Uh, moving on to finance and enrollment, a reduction of accounts receivable, purchasing director, special education accountant, and an enrollment office, which is an office employee. And then adding a senior another senior accountant. So, I currently have an accountant. it would add another accountant and senior accountant. Again, this is a market value adjustment. Um they're current we currently seem to be a training ground for our neighbors for accountants. Um and so we prefer not to continue to lose good talent. I will continue to move. I know this is your first look at it. Um, but again, we'll be open for questions later, so you can come back. Moving into human resources, communications, and print shop, a halftime director of benefits, which oh, by the way, was paired with the sped account on my side. So, it was a full position. It just happened to be between um two departments. back to the how things aren't aligned necessarily in in a in a highly effective way. Uh human resource director we had or we currently have five HR specialists that would go down to [Music] four. And then on the other side again the director of benefits that was the split that actually just becomes the director of benefits but you reduced human resource director. So there's different positioning as far as alignment and job duties and description and who's owning what. Moving into the print shop, um there would be a we would go from a program assistant for in publications from a two one. And then as far as communications goes, now this is not reflective as none of them are because they're NAS of the executive or cabinet level positions. This is what lies within the department and there is uh changing in titles but there is not any um reduction from that area. And then finally, what what um wraps up ESC for how we're restructuring for 2526 is student support organizational chart. Now again, this stops at uh essentially this building. So if you have uh staff that is student support within our within our school buildings, it doesn't relate to them. So you can see the director of student services. That one's reflected on curriculum instruction. So they're NAS and then moving through we would go from uh six special education supervisors to two and then the combination of and again it's assignment names application we're actually going from eight special ed coordinators and eight induction coach or excuse me six induction coaches to 14 in total. So, that's really a wash, but it's a change in in uh in titles and I'm presumably duties. And that then brings you to the last what will last would be the last two slides of the permanent preliminary reduction targets. You can see the number for ESC administration and ESC other staff. What was presented in on March 17th of 2025, which was just over $2 million. And then when you look at what is in front of you at this work session, um it is just over uh $2.1 million. And that is the what how it plays out as presented. Um comparing March FTE to May FTE. You can see executive directors are at two. They were in March. Uh they currently are now in May. Program directors had a had a pivot from an 8.86 FTE reduction to a 6.86 86 reduction program assistance actually went up by one FTE from a 1.5 to a 2.5 and then the toen asked me remained as presented in March. The one thing I would like to say before we open it up to questions, uh, ideas, what have you, is, um, I I am aware that there is a, uh, an agenda item on the 19th for the budget and it was supposed to be a report, a presentation on essentially this. that agenda was created before deciding to have a work session with the board to give you the opportunity. Um it so I would I would be requesting um of Dr. to have that removed because you know I think collectively it's better to be able to have this than to be getting a report which is what you've been getting all along as we move into the June all the funds the budget book what have you. That was my thought process. Um, I can still certainly try to present on one day if you would like me to, but again, the intent was to give you this information, but it just seemed more advantageous to be able to have a dialogue about it. So, that's my thought around the 19th. Just kind of a sidebar. So, all right, I've seen people jotting down things. You start raising your hands. I'll make a list for who like to ask questions. [Music] I can't hear you. Are you talking the same? I Yes. I said um this is the time. Oh, I didn't know that. That's okay. I have you. I may have you so far. Any other hands of questions? Basset and Bowman is targets. I eventually will, but I Okay, Dr. Bes. Well, I have a comment to what was just said and then maybe I'll come back to my question because I have several. And so my comment is that I think that another work session per that should this reviewing this again should be on part of the work session. That's just I'm just making that statement. This is the first time we're taking a look at it. Uh we're just going to have an opportunity to ask questions about it. I myself have a number of questions about it that's asking us proposing some entirely new uh direction to go in. Um I'm not certain how it all affects our students. So uh that's my comment is that I think we should have more conversation about this in whatever forum you think is good because there there will be more questions. If at the end of the day on June 30th you want to vote for a budget then I feel like that for me I want to make sure I understand if I'm saying yes or no and why. So not mystical or mysterious. Pretty straightforward. This the first this is significant. These are significant changes and shifts, new positions and some fold. Again, that's not a critique. It's just a fact. And I'm not sure how that all aligns with students and student success and the delivery of services. I don't I have no idea. I'm not even clear about the context. So without context, it's impossible to know. That's that's just a comment. I don't necessarily need an answer at this moment. I I have some other questions that are specific, but since you said that about the meeting and taking it off the agenda, I just want to make it clear that I feel like this is just an opening and some of us have been asking for more detail about it, getting, you said it yourself, getting an update about, well, here's what we've been talking about. Here's where we are. we might do this or we might do that is not the same as some concrete proposals about change. And then for us to be able to understand how does that impact the organization? How does that impact student learning? That's that's why we're here. And this feels very big people oriented, adult oriented. It doesn't feel student oriented to me. That's not a criticism. That's just how I've seen this and I don't understand that yet. So I don't want to get sidetracked or be accused of sidetracking or any of that. That's my opening comment. And so if other people have questions, maybe they can ask. Okay. So then um after other people have had a turn, you want me to put you back on the list? Please do. Gotcha. All right. Director Bowman. The name is more of the Well, first I want to say thank you very much for putting the information together. It ties the information together that we've been receiving since March and it seems to make sense. It seems to be logical. I have a good sense of how uh the organization will work with these changes. as I can see uh from that the orchard if you will that you're talking from that um you've got bases covered uh in a way that um is creative and and also for me you've allowed for um some creativity in making it affordable which uh I like the lower level thing and doing some of that. My my only my one logistical question just uh is about the chief information officer and then and it and it's just would that would be for the entire district that would be the whole records and information management piece the retention of records the um well but understand many times in chief information officer roles they I mean if you're going to have this where's that because that's also a compliance piece. So that's my curiosity. Well, if you have something in to be answered later, great. Because I know you guys are dealing with all these little systems or you know, not rogue systems. Yep. how it all connects has been has been something very interesting to unravel. And I think that's why to Kristen's point, the technology piece was kind of this last piece of what we're unraveling to make sure that we've got positions and oversight in the right place. So I don't know that I can answer that know that I can currently but what I'm hearing your question being is making sure that the responsib that it's clear and makes sense where the responsibilities are for record retention kinds of things. Yeah. Records and it may not fall into that one but it needs to sort of fall somewhere. They're going to wait and see. Okay. Yep. So that's my question. Thank you very much director Holmes. Thank you. Um I'm going to echo Director Basset's general sentiment in terms of wanting another work session around this because of the volume of information you just gave. Um I mean we didn't have this to come into the meeting. So this is a lot of information to process. Um one of the things that's not connecting for me are smart goals around it. you're asking for these positions and this organizational style, but there are no smart goals around any of them in terms of safety, in terms of technology, how we'll tie it to the levy. So, to me, that's really critical before we approve anything. What are we trying to achieve? And I know we talked about this as a board, we are missing goals. Are we trying to increase, you know, literacy scores across the board by 3% and an additional 2% for our marginalized students? That's a big big component that is missing for me that will justify if these work or not don't work when we're measuring them at the end of next school year. Are we seeing the movement we hope? Um general sentiments before I come back around and I'll go back on the list because I too have a number of questions. This is not thin enough for me. my value, my per um I guess how I would see the organization running and achieving excellence is starting from the boots on the ground. You alluded that they don't have, you know, the big vision component. They have what it takes to support our students and they do day in day out regardless if we've been in budget constraints before. And so I would like to get that built from the ground up. What do we need to do to support them? Are you talking specifically technology or are you talking Nope. I'm talking overall, this is a general comment. What do the teachers need? And it's not reduction in EAS. It's not um you know reduction in support staff. That's where I see value. That's where I really wanted to go. Not from the top down. Yes, there's vision components here, but I think history has shown. We've had charts come, you know, whether it was the two um gentlemen that Marty brought on and talked to us about um in increasing positions of a certain level, senior staff, and I think um Reinhardt came and said the same thing and showed the chart how principles have increased, directors have increased, and we've had it going back and forth of schools opening and closing. Those increased regardless of what we did, and what continued to be constant was declining enrollment. And so if we have a capture rate of 62% in this district, I'm not seeing how these roles and restructurings and increasing of salaries are going to keep that capture rate, the goal of increasing that front and center. So it's just not connecting for me. Um, you know, we've got stakeholders who are talking to us about concerns over class sizes and not having EA support for dismissal times and recess. And again, that's my justification on why we need to look from the bottom up. And then I'll go back to your list with my other ones. Gotcha. Do you want to talk to that? I think Kim, I I appreciate um the metric piece that you talked about again 10 months into the organization. Um what I've been leading through is the strategic plan as I told you I would. You have been seeing updates from nine different you saw updates from nine different teams about the work to move the work forward and we've been building the district scorecard. So you know that's something that has the metrics in that we've been looking at internally and I I think to your point you know what we have looked at is the targets to say is that and exactly the questions you have is it a 3% across the board what is it and we have those um for multiple not just MCA results but for multiple metrics um it's been a working document this year just like I told you it would be again I I came into the district without any of that. So, we've created the entire system of continuous improvement and and well, I was planning on sharing that with you on June 16th. I think that's the night of my end of the year evaluation. Maybe that would be helpful to do that sooner rather than later in this process because I think it gets at um director's questions too. And and I know even for the ad hoc safety committee that was a question I wanted to be sure whatever metrics we want to review we've got built into that scorecard. So maybe that's something that could come earlier because that might help this conversation. So happy to push us to to get that earlier. Um, so while there's no smart goals attached to this, I think the question around I just need you all to know that what guides my purpose is what are the systems and structures that move that will move the needle the most on student outcomes, student opportunities, um, operational e efficiencies, all of those things. Um, so I just want you to know that's what grounds every conversation that we have about reactions. I think the other thing that I just want to add is is again I want us to stay grounded in the task at hand tonight. We came to you two months ago and presented a what we said we're going to reduce over $2 million out of this building after 2 million was reduced last year out of this building. So that's the what you've charged me with how am I going to make that happen? Um and we presented that how right now well maintaining um the expectation of what what we said we were going to cut and actually exceeding that. So but I I think that might help if we can get that scorecard those measures um that might help at least that question that both the two of you had. I just I just I just want to be very clear when I spoke about and I'm specifically and and and Kim I completely recognize that's not what you're saying. I just want to make sure my statement is cleared and it doesn't get misconstrued when I was speaking about building the capscade and cut from the top um with the lower level that was specific to technology. I do not want anyone in this district to hear that I believe the district should be here and not the boots on the ground. It was a specific approach to how technology was reduced in the past and it is not producing an efficient effective result as much as our employees are working their tails off to make it so and I just want to be very clear it's technology. Thank you. Okay. I've got director long, then Hillerbrand and Basset, Ben Holmes, and then both. Okay, so first is Director Long. Okay, so first I'll start out with saying that I agree with Holmes and ask it that we do need to have another work session to discuss this. So I would add to that request. Um my question is have any efficiency audits or reviews of administration's operations been conducted? If so, what were the findings and how have they informed budget decisions? Yep. Have any efficiency audits or refused? Yep. Of administration of administrative operations been conducted? If so, what were the findings and how have they informed the budget decisions? Well, I can't speak to efficiency audits of the organization, but I can certainly speak to the uh the audit the actual financial audit of the organization, the financial position we're in. And I think um I don't actually think I need to say more about at least as it relates to the finance organization structure of how that worked. So that's my position on at least one a formalized audit. Granted, it wasn't efficiency, but it it wasn't working the way it was in absent. Okay. A couple of clarifying things. So if that answer to my question Oh, sorry. I would say answer or will you come back? I would say no. I mean, I don't I don't know. It's been 10 months. In 10 months, we have not done that. I again unless I don't know what was done before 10 months ago, but no. Thank you. Yeah. Sorry. Sorry to catch you up. Do you have another part? Do you have like a part two or three to your question? She's trying to get your Oh, no. You can put me back on the list though. Okay. I'll turn uh couple quick clarifying things. So if something's not mentioned on these charts, we should assume no change then. And then I I think I'm understanding so teaching and learning which was an executive director is now is going to be under a different area. We've eliminated we've eliminated that position. Right. Okay. And so it's going to be under it's going to be under the assistant superintendent. So, department of ANI, achievement integration, department of student services, department of teaching and learning assessment, and all of the schools and principles will fall into the assistant superintendent. I don't know what he's going to do. Um, he's going to have some boots on the ground. Yeah. All right. So, and just my comments are, you know, obviously this is only for here at Davis, but there's no change in any sort of frontline staff or people working directly with the kids. So, I just want to say that um it seems like a lot of thought was put into the efficiency and staff support that was needed. And so, I really appreciate that. Um I would say that um and that that's here at Davis. Obviously, the other decisions have already been made because the contract ESC what ESC ESC Davis I think the other district did I say Davis ESC as opposed to but uh but not those other decisions in terms of staffing have already been made and taken care of right and and that will come back to you wholly um we're 95% done we wanted specifically for ESC tonight but yes those are all also coming back and then Kristen will have more of an idea of we had that range earlier between the 13 and 15 million. So, she'll have a better idea of what that pressure is. All right. And then my last thing is just for sure you don't need to do the same presentation again on Monday. Um I know they're talking about work session, but I don't think we need to have it at the like the meeting or the second meeting as the 19th. Yeah. Because it's if if no information has changed. Um, but you know, I'm not 100% sure the purpose of bringing this to a work session. I'm just gonna out there only because I don't know how much it is. I don't I want to balance that. It's not We don't hire these staff people and we don't we hire the superintendent to do this work and I just want to be cautious stepping into that too much. So, I just don't necessarily understand the purpose of taking it to work session. I'm not saying I'm against it, just saying I don't understand it. So, just putting that up. Thank you, director. Good. Good. Um, so um I see your attention to uh efficiencies, realignment, reductions, all of those things as in your ballpark. I'm not questioning. What I am saying is that um I'm going to the 30,000 foot which is where we're supposed to be. As I hear you talk about these various contracts, what I'm thinking is one of the things at the work session might be access to those contracts so we can see what they say. Okay. Because if you're talking about making changes to the contracts and we have deliberately as a board historically kind of let the administration do the contract stuff. We haven't really reviewed contracts except maybe about 10 years ago. We did and we changed how um retirement benefits happened. We turned the board did all of those things. So I see that your work is figuring out trying to come together with some of those things. I don't have problem with that. When I talk about context for a decision making around teaching and learning and how this district goes forward, that visioning is belongs to the board as well. We are elected by the people and we listen to them. That's a political kind of animal and we listen to them because we're one of them. The people pay the taxes. It's their schools. They get to have a say so and so do we. So we so for us to understand how this is going to benefit students is fundamental and for us to understand the changes. For example, one of the questions I had is that I had a couple um that we're going to eliminate some um 8.86 86 program directors without without the context of what kind of responsibilities those were which is why I asked for a functional org chart at least three weeks ago because functional the p the position the kind of duties they do and kind of just who's the leader is helpful to understand context the board needs context I'm not interested in the day-to-day I'm not trying to do that work the law says we don't have to that's why we hire a person to do it. I'm not trying to do that, but I am wanting to understand and I think that that's my responsibility to do so and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I'm clear about what the role of the board is. Some people think if you ask the question of the administration, you're dipping into trying to tell the administration what to do. Not true. But the this administration needs to be accountable to the board just like we're accountable to you. But a board is the one who kind of helps set the vision. So the superintendent is implementing that. If we don't understand the context and we don't have metrics and we don't have goals, we're not establishing anything. We're just going along for the ride. Now, I've gone along for the ride at different times with different superintendents over the years, but I have gotten to know them. We have been in work sessions and and I've got getting to know you. So that's not any kind of input job. But I'm saying that the roles and the positions that we've had in in place over time have been eroded. Some of the things you're talking about putting back used to be there. So, we just kind of as people made changes, we kind of went along and now we see ourselves where we are right now in my opinion with a $20 million deficit and other kinds of challenges that this board is facing that you now know you're digging into. So, it's no wonder that I should sit here and feel the way that I do. I don't I'm not apologizing for a minute for it. I've been here for 23 years. I don't wave that as some kind of magical banner. I've worked hard all the time I've been here. So the new things you're talking about doing, some of them were there. They were taken away. They were changed. They removed. And so I trusted and I think many of those things were good. But I'm not so trusting anymore, you know. And I'm saying that context matters. I don't And we're not Hopkins. We're not in Dina. We're not eating prairie. We're not Weisetta. We don't have the tax base. We don't even have the student body and many of them are leaving and we're and we have tried to pull this community together. East side, west side, the halves and the have nots. And I think we over time have done a pretty dogone good job to recent times. There's a lot of fracturing going on. So, I mean, I got there's a lot of things on my plate and and I'm not apologizing for any of it. I feel like it's all appropriate. It's public. It's with my colleagues. It's with the new administrator. So, I mean, people would tell you if you go back and ask them, many would tell you, Helen is she's so easy to get along with because I really am. But I'm also honest. I'm also straightforward. I'm also frank. I don't have secret private meetings. I don't need to. I say what I have to say right up there or right in here. You can't ask for anything more than that. And I will be respectful all the time. But there's nothing wrong with me being upset about where we are right now. Anybody with good sense would be superintendent. I I I just want to be sure. I don't know if you're upset with this or if you're upset with the status of the the district because I think that what I brought forward is exactly what you expect. I want to say a couple other things though because I've heard you talk a number of times about the board goals. I came into a board that didn't have goals. I came into I came into excuse me I came into a strategic plan and what a strategic plan is it's a board approved docu. It's a community created board approved document that gives us permission and responsibility to do what we need to do on behalf of kids. So that was the community's voice and the board approval of what's most important and what's most important are those strategic themes around academic achievement around student engagement around partnership and collaboration and around investing in students. So the goals that I've been leading our team around all year have been around those things and that's the score that I was referring to before to to share with that. So again came into metrics weren't there I developed it. You asked a question about what directors have been reduced and I think if you go back through each of these each department it calls out um just and it's hard to see again. I know you just got this now but I just want to draw your attention to it so you can take a look at it later. In each of the sheets it has um what directors were reduced and then at the bottom it kind of has that running total. So that that might help just as point of reference. Okay. And then just since we're talking about that document, so from the adback to the net, how how am I to assume the net? The net is those last two um we don't have a net on each of those sheets, but those last two sheets that Kristen went over. That has the the net is that 2.1 total of savings. So the last two slides Um, does somebody have it at their disposal to just help her out with? Well, to that point of that, I would just say this. Someone said that they didn't understand why I don't necessarily need to know what each director why they have the questions they have. That's not something they get to have their questions. You know, in the meantime though, I think that one of the things is that if there's some some a little bit more clarity on this and maybe you and I can talk offline about that. We can because it may be sign overlooking something. It's possible. I mean, I you know I mean I'm talking about more detail on the sheets themselves because they talk about specific things and that's actually what I refer to. So I can talk about that another time. And these are what those last two look like. So it isn't I have those and I saw that it's not a net on each page. You're right. We just we just did the total there and and each one of them talk about a specific area of work. So the net changes there matters to me. So you know I mean it's somebody else's turn, right? So can I address that? Sure. The reason and again teachable moment right like as I work my way through the first time with the board and the community and what everybody wants to see. I haven't My particular philosophy and of course will follow the direction of my superintendent and ultimately the school board is I don't particularly like just saying a flat reduction biscuits 3% biscuit because I I think that's how things become disjointed. Like there's areas where it's it's it's lean and and you shouldn't go there and then there's maybe areas that have a little bit more uh affordability for change. And so I never like just a we're going to cut every department gets a 5% cut. That's just philosophically not how I like to approach a budget. But again, we'll do it. The reason why each department doesn't have an individual item is is in part because again who fits where and I had stated in there and a lot of words and a lot of information where people are reporting today doesn't necessarily mean that's where they will report next year. And so then when you're trying to match up, boy, you said you were going to cut $200,000 that doesn't match this next year. That's because you might have different people being supervised or in different areas. And honestly, Helen, that it's it's easier as a loan with a building. But again, I'm totally good with, you know, what people need to see there was that was the rationale behind what you are seeing. Thank you. Okay, that brings us to Director Holmes. Yep. And I still have multiple questions, so we're just still going one at a time. Well, it depends kind of if they're related or who's your judge. Okay. Well, I'm just going to go director and I'll address the workshop question because you oppose that because the dots are still not connecting for me. I still want to tie it to metrics and I believe that this board has a strong accountability oversight role and to approve this large of a budget by the end of June, that's my preference. This is a lot of information and it's still not lining up for me and how we're going to move things forward for students and families. So, I think this amount of information, I'm not a performative vote yes person. I have lots of questions and if we have an administration who's willing to do it, that is my preference. Um, then I'm going to move to the cabinet restructure and salary increases because you said that it was brought up at a meeting and I am the one who brought it up. I tried to bring it up in email numerous times. So, it wasn't brought up at the board table because I had questions and concerns. I followed my protocol. I think we are that close to contract negotiations. This contract expires on June 30th. that was not appropriate. I went back and listened to um the conversation that we had um and it was a couple of sentences. I didn't realize we were getting our input on it at that time and I think decisions of that magnitude warrant discussion at the board table because contracts are public um in terms of what we're producing and I think the rates we have in there along with the benefits associated with those positions are very very significant and substantial. Um those dollars are then taken away from what we could put into schools. So that's just how I operate. It's how I operated in last negotiations. I believe in living wages for our frontline workers. Advocated for that and will continue to advocate for that. My values align with bodies in schools supporting students, supporting our teachers and removing barriers for those teachers because they're the ones who move the needle for me. Always have, always will. I'm a big believer of educators. Um, so I would I would like the board to pay attention to language now because we've had a couple of incidents come up in contracts in terms of leave and then that clause if we're relying on that. Um, so those are big points for me. Um, and then I can go back to the list. Um, I may come back later. Okay. Yeah. I I think my question was actually answered. Uh what I was going to ask was to make sure that what we have on the adbacks right as far as positions or new positions being new positions being realigned all of those were accounted for on these sheets that same. Yes. Right. So it's not that we are adding a a chief information officer that could change the 30% reduction that we are expecting to see over the the last three years including this year. Correct. I'm really glad you asked that clarifying question because that's what again for me the what of coming forward with $2 million from this building was what we promised to the board and said we were going to do. The how has changed but we've still exceeded the target that that that we had. So thanks for asking that clarifying question. Okay, um I too um would like to just go back and address, you know, we all learn and uh comprehend information at different rates. Um and so I guess I wouldn't have asked for another work session if I didn't feel like there was more information that I needed to gather or more information that I needed to understand and some time to process the information in between. Um, so I just want to add that piece to it. I also want to add the other piece to it too is, you know, there's that saying, do you have McDonald's money? So with the size of the organization that we have, I don't know that we should be looking for people to be in our spaces to hire that don't fit within our budget ramifications. So, that's why I'm throwing that out. If I cannot afford to shop at Bloomington or Bloomingdales or um Marc Jacobs, I don't shop there. I shop at where I can afford and what's within my budget because that's what I have. And so, I think the same should go for our staffing. And I think, you know, when you want to look at all the directors that we've added and like director Holmes has brought up, how directors, principles, leadership have increased while our student enrollment has decreased. I think those are though I see those as luxury things and I don't know that we need to continue to add on to that especially with the higher price tag that comes with those positions when we're not taking care of what we need which is our students which is giving them smaller class sizes which is giving them the nursing support that they need which is giving them the educational support staff that they need to support them because that's really why we are here. We wouldn't be getting the dollars coming into this organization because it goes off of people's head. You know what is it the you know how many people we have per days and the Yeah, thank you. And the enrollment. So, I guess I I for me that doesn't seem like a a legitimate reason to pay a bunch of people six figure salaries and then almost have, you know, three staff or four staff or five staff, you know, taking a million dollars out of our budget just in their salaries alone, not counting whatever benefits that they get. Um, so I'm just going to stop there because that really wasn't my question, but I just wanted to let people know kind of where my values were in that. You know, I don't really feel like we have the McDonald's money, so I don't know why we're going down that road, but um, what are the financial impacts of reallocating funds from administration to reinstate classroom [Music] positions? I I don't I don't know that and I don't know that that was the direction. Again, I'm follow we are following up tonight on where we were on March 17 when we shared with you because we had heard the concerns at that time about the reductions needed to come from the ESC. So, at that time we came forward with a plan of the $2 million reduction. I didn't hear a direction or expectation from the board that you need to cut four million or 5 million out of it. So, we have worked to do exactly that, to hit that financial marker. And again, the how we've done it is my responsibility to make sure we've got the positions that align with our strategic plan and student outcomes and needs and support our buildings and our principles and our staff. Um, and to do it under the financial constraints that we have. So I that's a direction that I haven't heard and we haven't explored and we said tonight we're coming forward to explain to you and make sure you understand that 2 million that and the detail behind that. Um, you know, I I've heard some of the stuff over the last couple of months about paying for staff and this and the other. And what I'm really struck by this evening is [Music] um you know what expectations or aspirations do we have for our students to go through school? We encourage education. We provide resources that include uh academic, social, emotional behavior, all the avenues that our kids and any kid throughout the last 100 years in this country have gone through in public education. And I say that because my point is is that if our expectation for education and expertise is that when these people become adults, they're not worth the pay that you give them for their expertise and their years of being in school. Uh then right there, we're just kind of on this icky road of failure for public education. I'm incredible that incredibly impressed that people with the credentials that they have have come forth and said we want to be part of this. We want to see a better way. And the only way that gets seen is that if you have people with expertise, education along with the common sense and all the other, you know, ethics, honesty, those other pieces. I am really disheartened to sit through another meeting where we worry about first of all the context of tonight is a $2 million cut that's being made at the out of the $220 million but the fact that we want to on one hand exalt classroom staff but on the other hand these other educated people that go hand in hand with what goes on in making classrooms successful. We don't want to pay them. We don't think they're important. And you know, I'm really sorry if people have that view. It's not a view that I share. And and I think that when you look at kids uh having aspirations of going forth in life, I would want kids to have an aspiration to be an executive director of finance for the public education system. That to me would be a huge win. And and part of this conversation sort of even just feels like bashing of of public employees, bashing of government employees. Like for we have had our problems and there have been people in this district for a number of years that should not have held jobs in this district. Many of us can agree with that and and I personally have a list. I personally have a list. But this is about embracing the education that we need to create the education we need to create for these kids. And so, um, I just had to make that clear. Education to me is important. People with education need to be paid for the work that they that they done, the experience that they've had, the education that they've gotten in. And and really, if people don't agree with that, I don't want to argue with that at this point. This is only my opinion that in the aspirations of this world, I'd love to be able to grow up, have lots of education, and get paid. Well, isn't that sort of the American goal? And if not, or isn't that the American goal, or is it not for this school district? We can have that goal out here, but oh my god, we can't pay anyone decent in the school district. To me, it's disingenuous to say we support the staff and we're going to pay the staff. when in reality many of the problems that these poor staff were victimized from over the last 10 years was the poor leadership in other positions of higher paying positions. We have an opportunity to straighten that out and make it healthy and and it not only impacts the students but it impacts those that are provide that are here to deliver for those students. So, I just really want to go on record to say that um we need the expertise, we need the experience here because that is what is going to serve our kids. And now I'll go back to it. Thank you. My turn. People in ESC have increased responsibility just like principles have increased responsibility in the school buildings and they are paid at a at a more substantial level. They have um they have additional responsibilities uh accountability accountabilities and the people here are to support everybody who is doing the teaching and working in the buildings and without the people here with the expertise that they need. The people who are working with the students and working in the buildings would not be supported. And when you are in a building and not supported, things do not go well. To be supported and know that you have the support and you have develop professional development that you need and the backup that you need makes everyone's job easier. And so I support paying people to get the quality people that we need in the rights in the right places, seats in the right buses, whatever it is, I support. And moving on after me is home. Wonderful. Thank you. So the reason um chairman Becker, I'll I'll take to that point just because you spoke to it. Yes. But we have limited amount of funds and to to me giving supports in the school is what matters because having those EAS are critical when when a teacher is trying to conduct a lesson and they have a behavioral support issue that they need help with or somebody needs some um you know coaching on their their reading or um the services that we offer those students so they can maintain pace with their peers are critical and we're missing that and I will speak to that personally. because this is going to go director Bowman, you just spoke about the employees being victims of administration. What about the the students who have been victims? And that's what I'm advocating for because I am part of the organization or part of that group that is not okay with how things have been run. And if our capture rate, please continue. If our capture rate is 62% and we're ignoring or continuing to dismiss concerns, it's not going to improve. And I've sat here and I've been told that I shouldn't be asking about certain things or it's not my role. It's not my responsibility because it doesn't matter and administration's going to take care of it. I ran because it hasn't been the case. And I'm not pretending to speak for all of the people who have chosen to open enroll elsewhere, but I will speak for myself how it feels not to be welcomed at this table. How it feels to be called a bleeping idiot and crybaby by one of my colleagues. And how it feels to be told when I share that I'm thinking of open enrolling my students, my own students, that that decision is respected instead of fighting for them. So that's why I'm here. That's why I bring up these hard conversations because most people don't. And it's not to bash the district. It's not to bash the employees at this building. It's because it's not working outside of this building for a good portion of us. That doesn't make me a bad person. It doesn't make me someone you should cast away. Beyond that, I don't know where it falls. I want to talk about health services. I don't know where it falls in these order charts. We've had nursing staff, the experts behind our health services, email us numerous times with suggestions asking to talk to us, stating that decisions were made without their input. I would like additional detail on that and how we're going to provide the same level of service to our students on a day-to-day basis and our extremely medically compromised students. I'm guessing that one might be for the next work session, but I am still extremely alarmed by that, extremely concerned about it. I expressed that on June, 2024 to the previous superintendent, and I don't know if you're aware of this, but we were left with a memo. We had outstanding items that we were still trying to discuss. the director of career and college health education assistant EAS nurses and a technology integrationists. We didn't get to finish that. We got a memo that said take it up with your new superintendent. So my concerns still stand around that health services and what we provide to our students. I don't think those are positions to be getting rid of. I understand the structure has changed and it was briefly presented and I thank you for that. It's still not clear to me and I'm really concerned that we didn't bring in the experts who had ideas that emailed to us on suggestions because it wasn't presented in that plan and I can't just go on a hope that we're going to hire the people that were explained there. So, I would like additional details there. Thank you. I can go back on the list. Okay, Dr. Long. You're nurse. Well, actually, I raised my hand before she did. I just knew that, but that's okay. You can put me on Eric. That's okay. That's fine. Um, so I just want to point out to today in uh the Milwaukee newspaper, the new superintendent there cut 31 administrative positions from the district office. Um, so sorry. Let me find out where my question is here. Okay. So, um I would like to know how does the district ensure that administrative costs do not decl detract from classroom funding? Sure. For the next meeting or this meeting if they don't have an answer? I I don't have an answer and I don't know how I would assess that the second again I think that I think it's a fair question. I I'm not even sure what the analysis of that will be to answer that question. I think again our job is to make sure that our students and staff have the supports that they need, that our teachers have expertise in district office staff that can provide professional development and support the coaching and implementation of new curriculum and support assessment practices. um aligned to supporting kids like competency based and standardsbased assessments instead of some of the traditional grading systems that we have. So I that to me is the job um of supporting our teachers. So I wouldn't know how to even do that analysis around how you know will you ask that question again? Yep. How does the district ensure administrative costs do not detract from classroom funding? Yeah, I think probably what probably what we could do and I can't I can't cite it right now is I know that in our budget we've got pies around what percent goes to administrative and instructional cost and those things. So I mean that's the only data point that I can think of that we would have and and to make sure that that stays stable and doesn't grow I think but otherwise Caroline right now I don't I don't know how to answer that. Okay. And I guess too kind of around that to kind of clarify it a little too not only from here but also administrative costs within our building. You know, when I'm hearing like some buildings are going to have five administrators on it and use their compensatory ed to buy that up, I don't, you know, I guess I'm concerned about then how is that impacting our classrooms and the funding that should be going to our classrooms and to our students. Yeah, good questions. you know to that Caroline I I completely support and agree um the concept of what you're getting at the challenge we rest with right now is quite honestly we're just operationally too big to to to support a declining enrollment we have too many buildings open we we're we're doing too many things so we back to you know trying to achieve the 21 million and it's that we can't cut our way out of it. We need to we need to shrink and we just can't do that in 6 months. I mean, and so I hear what you're saying. I'm saying it's not achievable in the amount of time with with the reimagined process and what that looks like with the number of buildings we operate and the um let's say grade level configuration, the curriculum, I mean, you name it. you pick it, that changes your operational efficiency. And we can't just fix that on a dime. at least and again I I recognize what you're saying about dollars going to the classroom but to get the supports in the the most the most money you can on the supporting system the support structure that you want designed uh for our kids for our staff requires efficiency in other areas that we're currently working on we just weren't in a position to address immediately if that makes sense buildings i.e buildings and administration and things that come with it. I understand that wasn't your direct question, but that's where my brain went. Well, and I I guess I kind of feel like some of that was and should have been addressed because before we went into giving the principles their budgets, I had asked how are we going to ensure that this doesn't happen because last budget round a bunch of toes were bought up in buildings. And so how are we going to make sure that that when we the principles sit down and they're making these decisions about their building that they are prior prioritizing our students and two you know prioritizing what the community wants and then when I still hear that that still is happening that doesn't feel good and that makes me and the community feel like nobody's listening to us. Well, I think part of I'll just respond to part of that. You know, again, the way we currently and and we'll see how this evolution continues as we work through the district that the the way that we staff with that base level and then leaders make decisions just like I'm making decisions. I expect them to work with their staff on their school improvement plans and make sure that they're staffing their buildings in a way that helps get results. Now I think that's the place to come back as we look at the metrics as we look at is it working or isn't it working um and that's where we just have to do a far better job with metrics and the sophistication of how we analyze that and then too if I could just add one more piece to this conversation too. So we say the principles get the decision on you know deciding what the budget is for their schools right and then when the principles make those decisions and people go and you know so go talk to the principles about that decision then when community members go talk to the principal about those positions or their decisions that they made then we hear from the principles the community is hearing from the principles oh no the superintendent told me that I needed to make these decisions so Then it feels like community and parents are getting caught up in this wheel. And how does that stop? Because that's just a wheel of confusion and non-transparency and you know and and it causes angst around people. So then who should people be going to to get those questions answered? If it's not the principal, the superintendent says go to the principal. But then you go to the principal and the principal says no, the superintendent told me to do that. So now we go back to the superintendent and the superintendent says, "Oh, those are the principal's decisions. Now we're back to I mean, you kind of get my point, you know." No, and I think I think it's complex and I think I I I think that the principles all did get a specific standard of service. They had expectations about what they needed to staff with buying up administrative staff. That's on their discretion. So then when they do that and they say, "Oh, the superintendent told me to buy up administration staff." Well, I didn't tell anybody to, so I don't think you're talking about me because I don't know who you're talking about, but if you're trying to talk about me, I didn't tell anybody that. The other thing that I just want to loop back on because you mentioned Milwaukee and how many administrators did you say they reduced? 31. They have 69,000 students and 156 buildings. we have um reduced at least 11 administrators with 10,000 students. So proportionately we would have reduced even more administrators um than Milwaukee. We could be groundbreaking and outdo her. Okay. Uh Dr. Basset. Well, you know, um I I just want to be clear. I said it before when I started my comments but it might have got lost in some of my passion which I love passion. Uh I did say that I think that your look at some of these things and look at all of these things administratively is your work. I believe that uh do we need efficiencies? Yes, we do need some. I have been thinking about this and you may have heard go look for just the 2 million in the administration. It's all been a running conversation in my head for me because we get an update here and an update there then I have to try to integrate it all into whatever we get next and then move forward. So, it's been in some ways for me peacemeal unfortunately uh and and uh and so um I just want to say that uh because it has been peace meal even the program side has been peacemeal. So do do so for tonight for there to be an expectation that directors would come in and see this and understand everything immediately and integrate it all and be totally clear I think might be for me is unrealistic. And so that's why one of my first comments was about having another work session. I'm not trying to I don't other people need other information. I'm okay with that. I never question what another director needs. you know, they need what they need. You know, it's not my job. You know, I just need to be clear about what I need and make sure it's appropriate. And the things I've talked about tonight are I think that our the 30,000 foot our board needs to have a better understanding about what's in those contracts. I mean, we do now we then we can share with you. I mean, because then we know where we are now because we do negotiate those. We do negotiate contracts. We do negotiate raises. That is the board's work. We have made a choice over time not to get into the manu the boards I've been a part of talked about it made a choice not to get involved in the minutia you know but I just want to be clear that it's okay for a board to look at contracts and understand how they work what that means and and are there some things that we need to talk to the administration about. we're not going to go try to change it, but at the negotiation table, it's real. That is real. That is a fact. And so I think that sometimes and so unfortunately I think um when I talk about the past and my experiences and what I know, I get push back because for whatever reason, I don't even care. It doesn't stop me from saying what it is that I know and what it is that I'm questioning, but I'm just acknowledging that that sits with us has set with us at times, but that is true that we can and can do that and do we need to so we are more aware of it. I think that's one thing down the road that this board should do to become more familiar with our contract especially when the board has to sign up on anus and anything else the chair does in behalf of the board. So we're signed on off on those things and so we should know what's in it. Okay. So that's one thing. Um so the other thing is that I I am I hearing that we are going to have some more time to talk about this at the work session at a work session whenever it is that was I was going to speak next. I was going to check about the will of the board. You got three three board members can call me. Looking at the time I know that the FIC starts meeting at 7 o'clock. I've heard from three board members. Yep. that they would like additional time, but I'm wondering if it's going to be if what you want is on a broader topic. I mean, do you want to know about other you want to see the bigger picture or do you just want us to do the same? Can we send the budget other budget cuts? We can just send our questions in. What? Can we just send our questions in about the budget and other things? Sure. Always good. Can it not just be titled budget work session and then we come prepare or send in advance like director just said yes but definite I'm hearing people want to have another session on budget but what I want to know is do you want to know about more than the 2 million the 2.13 that would cut here I listed a few questions that I would was looking for more information out. So, are you willing are you willing the board is are you posing that on my questions? So, you want more information and you wanted it more. I listen. Yep. I've noted them here tonight. And you are one person. I want to know. There we go. I'm one person. Thank you for clarifying. And so, what I want to know is is there interest among the other board members for this additional information session? Yes, I see another. Yes. Director. Yes, Evans Becker. From this conversation, I think you can see that I just heard a couple who said they're they're not going to speak for them, but you've heard three directors who've asked questions about the budget and we want to get to a place in June where we can actually have a budget. So, I think your decision your you you can assess what you're hearing here. You know, I mean, I think we've used the disadvantage of this board, this will of the board phrase when it's convenient. I I mean, I'm I'm serious. I think we've used that when it's convenient. When we're thinking people sitting around a table who can judge the tenor of a meeting and understand that there's interest in having further discussion, director Bass, what I'm trying to clarify is you want the same information presented again or you want additional information is what I'm thinking. I might, but let me I just got this tonight and I've just and I've asked the questions I've had tonight one at a time after the presentation to give everybody a chance to ask their one question. I may have more. So, director, yeah, I think it would be nice to have a broader one and then if people still have questions about what was given to us tonight, we can. I think also it would be nice to see what those building decisions were. Okay. I don't Yeah, we're gonna So, I don't Whatever y'all want, we can get ready for. I just I just want to be sure that we are clear and that there is a consensus that the information that we're going to spend time preparing, gathering is going to be helpful to ultimately get what you need. when the question comes of requesting approval on a budget. So I don't know that all of the staffing sheets of the decisions principal ma principles make are going to be helpful in you making a decision about the budget because those decisions have been made. So I I just I'm struggling to understand they are I mean I'm still hearing from the community as director Basset pointed out earlier in our conversation like we're here representing the community. So I'm hearing questions from the community about decisions that were made at that level. So yeah I would like to be able to understand that and how that folds into the overall budget question. I I you know and I want to add I want to see the conversation become um specific oriented. Uh we were we are all sitting in this room representing the community. Every last one of us sitting here represents the community. And to talk about we hear the innuendo of the numbers being to the point of 12 to 15,000 people when we say I've been talking to the community. We all talk to the community. I get many compliments about what we're doing here when I'm out and about talking in the community. And that doesn't negate what you're saying, about what you're hearing from the community. But we were elected to listen deeply learn and and be able to come to some decisions about what we're doing here and and to and and I'm you know I would love to go forward and learn what it is you really want to learn but I can't quite even understand what it is you're asking for about this budget. We are here to talk specifically tonight about 2.1 million as it relates to the education service center. We've managed to wander all over the place talking about information we haven't received from people that no longer even work here. That's what I'm concerned about. I want to make sure that we are talking apples to apples, oranges to oranges and not allowing an innuendo or the lack of fact to sort of keep things propped up that maybe shouldn't be propped up. So, yeah. Well, I guess that's your voting for wanting another work session. So you can send your questions to the superintendent and to me. What you said? You said you want to send questions. Send your questions to the superintendent and to me. Appears that we need to have another session to discuss. I want everybody comfortable when it comes time to be voting on the budget. We'll have another session. We'll have multiple sessions, I'm sure, about budget. Can can we can we get some parameters around when is that going to be and when will we when will we when will I receive the questions so that we have time to prepare some sufficiently for um this month has to be before the 20th I believe in June. I mean it all has to be wrapped up like ASAP. Well, I just wanted to suggest that maybe I my concern is that it's not going to be focused and that we're not going to be uh that we don't know exactly what we want to talk about yet. And I appreciate what you guys had to say. I just am not still understanding other than you you had a concrete ask about the the principal budget. So, I'm just still not quite understanding exactly what we would cover in it. So I just want to and I don't have to necessarily I just want to put the caveat out there that we shall make sure it's focused and and that we have an plan of what's on our work session. Thank you. What's on our work session for the first meeting in June? Do you know? We haven't looked at if we're going to do it maybe we do a 4hour work session on the Saturday because it doesn't seem as though we're getting any closer. I think if you don't want to attend you don't have to attend though. there just some of us that have questions. I think I appreciate you saying that, Greta, that you want to make sure we're as comfortable as possible. I think that's that's the goal. That's the role of the chair. If you if you are comfortable, you don't need to come to the work session. Um, as far as questions, I can round them up if you give me a deadline. Well, I think questions from questions from board members sent in will help focus the discussion. Did anybody questions that were posed tonight? I wrote some down. But if you feel you had a question tonight that was not answered, show what you want. Send it. That will be Can you review what we said tonight? No, no, not right here. I'm saying so I don't have to duplicate because I have others. Okay. Thank you very much. Do we haveformational? Can we do at the first meeting in June or do we need to ask? So that's going to be certainly that's going to be the fir that's going to be the night that Kristen shares the first round of the complete budget process. So maybe maybe that is the right time. I think that probably is appropriate then. Kristen, what were you thinking? Yeah. So the plan would would be um just because you go first reading second reading is to be in front of the board in a report form and again that's not to answer your questions that can get added on to a work session but in a formal purposes in a report form I was coming forward to the board first meeting in June to say here are your funds here are some deta it's not the devil's in the details right it's not each and it's not health services it's not the things that you were talking about tonight but it is the budget. Um, ultimately I would hope to have the budget book done by the beginning of June, but if not, then it's approval the second meeting in June. So, that's procedurally where I would be when you're looking forformational of how do you address the questions? I don't see why that couldn't come after that report in a work session because it's addressing the questions that you have. I I don't I guess it depends on how seriously we're taking those questions and if they're going to be weighed because the board can give directive and I I have I have the notion to say your cuts here aren't thin enough or the cuts that were established here aren't thin enough just based on first glance. I want to get into the goals and what it's going to achieve. I want to get into that. Minnesota statute 123b.09 09 gives us that authority because we have deep limitations of passing this this budget. So I don't think it's going to give us the amount of time that at that point if you're saying that's the first draft and it's kind of baked in and then we're going for not first draft I'm sorry first readish and then approval by second. Well, it is it is May 13th and a budget is a budget, right? Like that's a point in time and it's a working document. You we all know legally we needed to pay the bills. That is I heard that last a year ago, too. I I understand that it's a living breathing document. I I get that. Right. So, with that, adjustments can be made after an original budget to still continue to make changes. There is nothing that you can't do at any point in time within the cont within the guides of if if you were looking for adjustments of adding staff or I mean there's contract provisions and people have rights within that like notification of licensed staff and what have you that you have to meet that. But if you were to turn around and say, "We want this done for more money," or, "We want to." That's always within your right. That's always within your right. It's just harder to change once you pass. I know this game. Well, I don't I don't view it as a game. Well, I do because I went through it the same thing last year and I got a memo saying, "Take it up with your new superintendent and here I am with the same questions." So, excuse my choice of words. It's just my questions are not being taken seriously and I'm looking for detailed explanations on them and I'm getting I'm not out of order. Well, I'm I'm looking at Yes, you can call the meeting because of time. I understand I have to call I'm sorry cut you off but people forc are here and I want to respect that they got here in time. Also, as I mentioned in my update to you, this sheet is two options for professional development on the dates that appear to be available. You can just look at and check first and second like this is my first choice, this is my second choice, and then we'll see what goes from there. We'll see everybody on Monday at the bottom. Thank you very much for presentations, caring about what's going on, asking questions. We will get through this and upright. So, turn it in tonight. Yeah. Don't take this with you. Just do not put it in your bag. Just turn it back in first. My first choice. [Music] I have no preference.