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Chesterfield School District Meeting Session I - February 27 2021

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Chesterfield School District Meeting Session I - February 27 2021 - 1:00pm Chesterfield Board Members met remotely. Transcription available upon request.

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begin the recording and then just offered some preliminary information for folks as we get ready to get started I'm going to do that by sharing my screen most of you already received all of the documents through the mailing but in case you're looking for on the easiest way that I know how to get there and someone might have an easier way that's fine least to go to SAU 29. Org under schools in district you clicked on Chesterfield School District on the right hand side you'll see budget and warrants as a link and all of the documents we have posted their I want to thank the staff of Jay Godfrey Doug miles for putting all these things up in a timely manner for us and making sure that they're there for us and for the public so that they have access to all of the information as well real quickly we started the process back in January with a with a public hearing if you will it was conducted virtually via zoom and we're here today on the 27th at 2 which is a school district meeting is the first information session resume this is meant to present the information to the public is it is not meant to be an open dialogue discussion type of. But based on what is presented here today everybody in the public will have an opportunity to provide comment on this sheet this document which can be found on that page I showed you earlier you can put your comments in for the town portion of the budget or for the school district portion of the budget in the information is here but it's play important that you submit your name address and phone number with your comments all of that information is due by Monday at midnight March 1st at what time both the town in the school district will take the input they received and have a second information session which will address all of the input in the comments that were submitted from the voters from the town eventually after that goes to Second sessions are done there will be posted the final Warren articles websites are here where you will be able to find the final warn article and then it will proceed to the drive-through voting and I will let this time hand it over to the moderator because I think he wanted to talk a little bit more about that portion thank you you think I've been control what's going on in the screen is Rob said this meeting was decided on to be run according House Bill 1129 and I school board and I decided that I would moderate the meeting you will not be a little not be taking quite is today but we do welcome questions I'm going to get a couple things legal things out of the way here as a mater of the moderator the Chesterfield School District do the covid-19 coronavirus crisis in accordance Governor sununu is emergency order 12% of the executive order 20 2004 this committee is authorized made electronically please note there's no physical location to observe and listen contemporaneously. meeting which is authorized pursuant to the governor's emergency order however in accordance to that emergency order I would like to confirm that we are providing public access to the meeting by telephone with a additional possibilities by video other electronic memes we are utilizing the zoom platform for this meeting the public has access to contemporaneously listen and if necessary participate in this meeting through dialing the following phone number that number will be one 646-558-8656 in New York or one 312-626-6799 in Chicago and the meeting guide +38-289-510-5005 passcode being 6 60640 if anyone has problems accessing the meeting please call Scott Lazaro at 603-757-6111 or email s Lazzaro misspelled Lazzaro sau29. Org for guidance or you can join Zoom meeting through the link which is on the page that Rob just showed you reprieve I gave notice to the public of how to access this meeting using zoom and instructions are also provided on the both on the Chesterfield School District website and the town of Chesterfield website a mechanism for alerting the public body during the meeting at 3 problems with access if anyone has a problem accessing I just gave you that information to contact missile Lazaro in the event the public is unable to access the meeting we will adjourn the meeting and had to reschedule at that time but at this point it appears that the public is laksa so this point I would begin to meeting I'd like to start by introducing some of the major people that you will be hearing from today I'll Steve Laskowski is here speaking is Chairman of the Mini from the school board we have a good for Dell share of Nick belski weather in Moscow ski Janine Hawkins Smith and we have Amy treat all of whom I believe are present on the screen not everybody but Erin On video okay High School clerk is Fran Shippy who is also present our principal is here Cher and Dionne and from the sau29 we have superintendent Rob malay we should have a assistant superintendent Brian Campbell and business administrator Scott la as I Rob just explain to you both the town school websites have been populated for the information that we will be discussing today under the town website you'll find it find a heading at the top of the page I will also make the comment at this time that the town reports are available also on the town website and they should be available in print by Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week for those who wish to have a hard copy look at they will be available in the town office which is open regular hours and Friday from 92 new and and I said before that can be those two sites can be reached at c h e. Sau29. Org as you saw screen moment ago and it Chesterfield. New Hampshire. Gov I'm going to ask everybody keep their microphones muted as I said before we're not going to be having formal Russian today are we going to be presenting information to you from the warrant for your consideration you do have the opportunity to make comments today if you look at the bottom of your screen you should have a chat function if you wish to make comments or forward questions to the board I type them into that chat function please include your name your telephone number and your address and those questions will be compiled and answered on the Thursday the 4th at our second meeting and they also be used as part of the consideration for any changes should the school board choose to make those as I if you were at the previous meeting for the town of this meeting is information for you to make formulate questions and provide them to the each of the boards the 2nd meeting we will be having for the school would you be on Thursday the 4th at that time the school board I'll be reading your questions providing the answers and that point the school board will have the option and at their option to amend their Lawrence as I see fit based upon the information they receive from you was borders so they will be acting in your place as you would have its meeting they will be moving there are radical mastectomy them and then voting on them that does not adopt the articles that merely moves the Articles forward to the Bala at which point what's that actions taken by the ballot will be put together with those final numbers and the bat bow will be what you will see on Tuesday when you go up to vote I had to I'm at this time I just I I would like to ask Rob just to put up the voting picture the polls will be open on Tuesday from 10 to 7 as they would normally be for voting as you go to bolt you'll be voting on 5 balance this year there will be a ballot for the town it will be about for the school for both those ballast for the officers bodies there will then be about for the town in about for the school of the budget Ward articles at the top of each one of those ballots the first article you will is an article saying to see if in this case the school district will go to conduct this school district meeting by ballot voting with the understanding that on the date of the ballot voting meeting will be no discussion of any of the Articles and noted men do any of the Warren article that first article is the most critical article you will have to vote on and yes vote on that article means that whatever you do and in the the voters do from there down will be counted and we'll will constitute your budget if they are that first article has a carries as a no vote therefore it fails then all of the voting below that point which is again the monetary articles only will then I'll be Nolan boy and at that point we will have no budget for the school and we will need to school too hot we have two choices one is to live with live with in what they had for a budget last year with no special article or they would then seek to have a second meeting which have to take place I Believe by September 1st even if that first article is a yes vote then again the balance of the Articles will all go up and down based upon yes or no vote Emma is an individually also there will be a fifth out this year as well for all of the zoning articles that the town has so you're going to have 5 ballots in your hands on Tuesday I would strongly urge you to go to the website both the town in the schools and familiar Kaiser sells window balance you are permitted to bring material with you in your vehicle to Aid you in your voting but you will not be printing off the actual ballot from your home you will receive ballot at the at the voting location you are permitted to have other people in the car other family members can control travel together and you and I say you met you may use the voting some previously look brought with your voting material to help you speed up your your time in your car and save stopping possibly have to study each and every one because you knew her not know you're with it you will need to bring a writing material with you I would suggest pencil or pen and I would also I strongly urge you you may wish to have a clipboard or book or something with you cuz your steering wheels Tech usually doesn't work very well for taking notes and on the screen going to see basically the voting pattern you're going to face when you come in the boy will take place at the highway burn which for anyone has ever been there and just be on the transfer station I just packed a wreck right past the gate to the crustacean you'll get the highway Barn where you voted Last Summer there will be a change in the pattern that we had last summer instead of going up the right hand side of the building you're going to go across the front of the building to the first tent where you'll receive your ballots you'll be checked in as a as a boater you need to come prepared with a picture ID driver's license is most common breed person in the car receiving balance you'll need to present that to the person at the tent they will check you off on the checklist give you your ballot again we are urging masks as much as possible for the productive workers that are there you'll then proceed around the side of the building and you can park in the back area take your time there to fill out the ballot are the ballots and once that is completed you move down the other side of the building to the next 10 where they will receive your balance and then you Lex it I will caution you keep in mind you are cross in traffic at that point if you are not a registered voter currently you are able to vote you are able to register to vote on on this Tuesday to give me an order do that you'll pull up in front of the Highway by where it says check out checklist and enter the highway burn and the supervisor the checklist will be present to take the documents that you need to read and to register you to vote at that time and at that point you would go back to your car get back into the line of traffic and make your way around so that in a nutshell is the boat procedure for Tuesday then again the vote the polls will be open from 10 in the morning to 7 at night for the purposes of voting again if you have any comments as we go along today please type those into the chat function after today you are free to make comments to to the school by the yard by the address on your screen right now for school comment please keep in mind to school meeting and the town meeting or two separate meetings your comments on the town budget need to go to the town your comments on the school budget need to go to the school so please make sure to make that distinction and you were making comments that you send them to the right location and again we were looking for your name address new phone number mainly to make sure that the people making comments are from town and not not from a some other corner of the state is just decided to drop in today because they were able to get into the meeting as to who's watching this meeting today if you view the speaker view you'll be able to see who's actually giving you the information at that point you've seen the screen sharing function already and I guess the biggest thing to ask for your patient we're all new at this and I'm hoping beyond all hope this is the last time do they affect me personally I don't think any of us are doing this out of a choice of thinking it's the best way to have a meeting but but because of the situation I think we all agree that this is the safest and the way to conduct a meeting at this point for everyone's well-being your input does need to be in by midnight on Monday night in order to be considered so please sit down today listen to here make your comments as soon as you can and get those in so that we have time to compile them and have them prepared for the school board on Thursday change believe that covers all the details and if anybody knows of anything I missed just holler at me and give me one moment just realized that I lost the ability you weather screen so I've got to pull up the warrant Gary I can pull him up on the screen for you that would be excellent you would Rob if you had that right in front of me that would be I have a sound problem when I try to use my second screen so moving to the warrant first article on the warrant is to hear the reports the agents Auditors committees are officers chosen in the past any book relating there to does the school board know of anything that we should be reporting to people for any outside of the Warren at this time I believe they have anything at this point I believe there is either moving on Article 2 radical 2 before you is the operating budget to see if the district will vote to raise an appropriate the amount of 8827000 $301 for the sport of schools for the payment of salaries for the school district officials and agents and for the payment for the statutory obligations of the district this article does not include Appropriations paint and special or individual articles address separately and I will recognize Steve Laskowski at this point absolute all my name is Steve Laskowski on the chairman of the budget committee as we all sat in this chair what's your voice just went off stage at you might have muted Steve somebody out there is always a possibility as I was saying as we as we sat here a year ago in these chairs none of us had any idea of the challenges that we were going to face during the year of all the town certainly had their challenges I think a lot of those challenges pale in comparison to try and manage between 350 and 400 young people in eight grades on school buses and with social and educational mandates that that still had to be mad in recognition of us challenges and in the way that the school responded to them the budget committee was most receptive to seeing the new budget that was presented by the school board and by the prince of I'm that we believe representative are irresponsible handling of the money that was given out last year and is certainly reflective of a of a strong fiduciary response to the money that's going to be required in the upcoming year and we showed that by passing the budget without any any changes on virtually majority votes the only changes the budget committee made were to housekeeping chain used to have two items I moved into into the proper line and we certainly at the end of that I took pains to point out the good work that was done by principal Day on in the school board and all of the teachers within that school so I think it's fair to say that the budget committee supports the budget of 8827000 thank you Steve this point I would recognize Janine hockensmith to give an overview of the major changes that taken play snap budget between last year and this year near me so I'll just go through like you said that sort of hotspots line by line if the bigger categories the total increase from last year's budget is a 273 638 17638 and they drivers mostly as I talk are on things we cannot control their it was a guaranteed maximum increase rate of 6.1% health insurance that doesn't mean it will be 6.1 but we need to budget for 6.1 and also the new retirement system contribution rate is 18.9% which is an increased so that drives a lot of it a lot of the other costs that are not controllable have to do with special education and things that are written inside fuse that sometimes can be costly that being said there's approximately 1.5% increase in a regular instruction budget that salary and benefits tuition students taking high and things of that nature that is again due to the increasing health insurance maximum rate the retirement system we're sending five additional kids were budgeting for 14 high and we offset what would it be a large increase by Spanish teacher is retiring and instead of hiring that position full-time and having a full-time Spanish teacher we are purchasing from Westmoreland 50% of their Spanish teacher and you figuring the program a bit his to save a little money in the interim the next category would be special instruction there's little change in that line your variety factors and that does include an out-of-district preschool placement to the tune of $22,800 bilingual expenses are up 2.4% again IEP driven usually and they're selling 30% of that Westmoreland so they'll be a revenue to us from that that you included in place in the budget co-curricular Sports and clubs that budget is down white 7% because we had an allergic budget last year for bleacher repairs that's not included this year so that went down extended school year is up 45.2% night is not controllable that is again driven by special education needs and things that are written into the kids IEPs that need that service attendance is $0 so that's level-funded worth Sunday and then we have the social worker position that is level funded at this point social work I just like to point out it is actually 10 adjust counselor they handle a lot of different issues both special education and social emotional needs of the kids as as the total full body it's not part of a traditional social worker, as people might think of it. is up 4% basically the increase in school enrollment that we budgeted for there are testing software and you have to do that her her test that you need and that's a $2,000 increase big increase in health services that is due to an LNA that needed to be hired that is special education ribbon that not simply an extra nurse that is a nurse a child special education needs on there's also a slight increase in that line for a PPE obviously that we would have to buy psychology Psychological Services in school psychology size up by 3.4% which is 19 dollars because of the need to purchase a new computer speech is up 10.8% which is $11,134 again that's for summer speech services for an it identified need PT and OT we had to contract out some of those services for a piece purposes up 2.9% we do spell 40% are PT ot to other districts are getting that will come back in a revenue line the staff Support Services I'm up slightly the travel in that line was up $2,000 due to what is a budget to be meetings that people have to travel to above and beyond what has been done in the past if it has been underfunded in the past and so the principal Dion recognize what the actual need has been as opposed to what we have budgeted for so that we are scrambling around for money when when it does almost always go beyond what we budgeted for Media Services which is basically Library there's a benefit increase its contractual plus some additional software for $2,650 stop constipation that probably jumps out to people that is outside consultation is up 250% primarily because we have an a preschool IEP driven behavioral Consulting that we need to pay for which is $18,000 so that's a chunk of the $20,000 that that line has increased the other $2,000 is for consultation with the Clarke School for the Deaf for some kids with hearing I need that we need to consult about school board is basically level-funded there are no negotiations schedule for next year so we left the legal line alone and that that should be fine SAU formula which I don't pretend to exactly understand but increase that line they they faced what we owe the SAU for those administrative services on a lot of factors housing values enrollment other towns imperative but so that is up because of the formula that they use 8.4% principal's office is 4% of again that's based on that what I noted earlier primarily on the health insurance guaranteed maximum that we have to budget for and the retirement system at 18.9% points 9% the Builder cost are down I should note though that included in that line is a significant roof project that is in the maintenance line there is another two separate parts to that project that are warrant article we wanted to address the immediate needs through the budget the actual budget process but then there are ongoing and needs for the roof better in the capital Improvement plan that we put Warren article that we'll talk about later transportation is up a bit we did contract with a local bus company as opposed to jumping on the group plan with First Student First Student had not been meeting our needs many levels and and when we got this quote from The Local Company it was it was actually lower than what first I've been charging and continues to be lower than what the district's you did do with first student are paying the increases because you two different configurations in town people moving to different places and students coming from different place geographically we realize that the bus stops in the buses we had identified for those were not meeting the students needs that some kids were having to walk a fairly significant way to the bus stop down fairly dangerous very early times of the morning so we we have a van of Peter Van that that's $61,000 773 of the increase they are so that those kids are safe and that are buzzing neither fully met staff services level-funded Tech is down 10% I don't even know what architecture is but it's zero so that should make people happy and then we have transfers at the bottom so ultimately the budget is again up by about 273,000 638 that from my understanding of the hand out increases although it's about a 3.3% increase it does increase the school property tax by 7.71% to be transparent because of a decrease in Revenue we got more money this year then we will be getting next year so it United direct offset as far as what that impacts regular people with people on homes it's about $103.71 on $100,000 home a hundred and $55 plus or minus on $150,000 home $207 on a $200,000 home and that does not which we'll talk about later include what the impact would be if the teacher's contract which was negotiated this year that would add some it would add some money to the budget in each of the four years of the contract is but just to get it out of the way now the health benefits don't change because remain the same in this contract as they have been so that's not for the regular budget Agri Janine again I just repeat if you have any comments or any questions please put them into the chat function and they will be part of the consideration on Wednesday or Thursday with Thursday's meeting Article 2 are free cap Reserve funds if the school district of all trades inappropriate the sum of $10,000 to be added to the capital reserve fund established by voters on March 5th 1994 full amount is to be raised taxation is articles recommended by the Chesterfield budget committee and the Chesterfield School Board I have some information from the school board I guess I'll continue be the talking head here that those numbers are a little bit lower than we usually request of the town we did that purposely given the climate we've all been living in for the past year and that people are still struggling to get out of with jobs and I'm having to continue to pay taxes and mortgages still with us this year and we normally do with 15,000 going to the capital reserve and five I mean 10,000 going to capital reserve and 5,000 going to the special education trust we looked at those funds and he'll like for this year anyway that that money will be sufficient to meet the needs that those could be used for I can name a starter at your you have someone raising their hand I don't know that you were taking input at this time but you do have a hand raised if you wanted to recognize what level is dojo do it let's let you all speak and I say I don't want to get any running conversation cuz we're trying to provide information but Joe I apologize then if it's not appropriate I'll simply send it in let me just ask a few questions and you decide whether their best answers year or by email first question is how was transportation how is the transportation been affected by covid-19 hybrid classes no classes seems like our transportation ask your Mikey down what does it look like for next year and my other question is looking at the amount of money that we pay the district it was in the range of 450 accuse me the SAU it was in the range of 4 + 5500 what do you get for that Mom I think the first question might be very appropriate on the transportation lines and then you did speak to the the extra boss dress up based on Weebly answers May I lost you earlier the different audience you are just I would think that it we have been able where appropriate are the gas and and some of the maintenance and things they did by and things Boston specific for our contract so they do still have to pay for those so we have to pay them to pay for those they've been helping to transport meals to places and do other stuff and also there even during the hybrid times there have been kids attend school on different days and more regular days due to their needs so the flesh company does pick up for that as well so they say Do you still have to recognize if they have cost and where Hey Joe I would ask you to put the second question into the chat or send it for by email I believe you're asking is to the what we get for our services from the essay and I don't think I mean they they are here but I think that would be an appropriate question to be answered on Thursday the next article before us is to specialize article for to see if the school district will go to raise appropriates them $5,000 be added to the special education High School tuition established by voters on March 7th 1992 full Mount B race and Taxation radicals recommended by the chesco budget committee and the Chesterfield School Board Janine you may not have every in front of you perhaps the voters would like to know what is in these tourist capital reserve funds I know that's a typical question is asked by the boulders I do not have that information for me too bad that someone else from the board does I can weigh in on that if that's appropriate mr. motory if you would Rob basically that's the contingency Fund in case you have move-ins that after the budget is passed and you don't have sufficient funding in your budget to accommodate some special education and or High School tuition needs that may have moved in after the budget was passed all of all of our districts have been building These funds to alleviate the possibility of having to overextend the budget and it has proved to come in handy in at least two of the districts in the essay you over the last five years so really it's it's more of an insurance policy and the contingency fund so that you're not really depleting what you approve major budget in the event you get move in switch do during the course of the school year after you've already approved and passed your budget thank you Rob next article before you will be collected the collective bar agreement to see if the school district will vote to approve the cost items included in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Chesterfield school district and the chest Bill Education Association which calls for the following increases in salaries and it's at the current Staffing level for the fiscal year 22 which is this school year this coming up in the air estimated increase is 36,000 modern $30 for the 2223 school year estimated increases $58,244 for the following school year the estimate estimated increase is $47,680 in for the 4th and final year of the contract the estimated increase is $66,610 lb the 2425 school year how to raise an appropriate $36,230 for the current fiscal year such some representing the additional cost attributable to the increase in salaries and benefits required by the new agreement over those that would be I need a current Staffing levels the board recommends this article and the budget committee recommends this article Mega are you sticking to that or I certainly can the negotiation was relatively fruitful in that we were able to get a four-year contract which really helps us when we're budgeting annually we felt that we came to some very fair and Equitable increases in addition to some moderate language changes that were very small very direct and had good impact from the board perspective and was much appreciated by the teaching staff Beyond fat Gary if you is there additional details that you are interested in having shared today at us and them that way is perhaps 2% increase as you came out with some further information after the public hearing that not everyone has had the opportunity to see that I was given to the budget committee I believe I have I think I have those numbers if Edna does not have them go ahead Janine thank you I have written down that c2122 increase is approximately 1.26% 520 the next year 2223 1.94 23-24 1.55 and 24 25 I think I got those years right by 2.14 for the first year impact in case cuz I know people like to know what the real numbers look like in the $6.88 per hundred thousand a proper diet NICU and for anyone that's totally new to seeing a collective bargaining agreement on the on the warrant basically passing this article this year you will be increasing this year's budget by the amount of the 2122 fiscal year amount is $36,230 and you will be accepting the balance of that contract and his burden put up on the following three years budgets so after this year these dollar amounts will show up in the budget versus being in a separate warrant article moving to article 6 she'll the school district if Warren Article 5 is defeated authorized the governing body are one special meeting edit option to add sworn Article 5 cost items only would anyone like to speak to that the effect of that I can do that if it's okay with you sir that's wrong basically that's if Article 5 does not pass it allows the board to go back to the bargaining unit in negotiate cost items only and then call another School District Two specials district meeting only do address the cost items items only it's kind of a contingency plan in case the previous article does not pass and it allows for that process to continue on this path who's had to be in place before we go into the budget season so that it could be included on a warrant article and this is a kind of The Back-up Plan in case that article does not pass thank you Circle 7 withdrawal from capital reserve fund see if the school district will go to raise an appropriate the sum of $87,200 for roof repairs outline and outlined in the district's Capital Improvement plan an authorized withdrawal of $87,200 from the capital reserve fund established by voters on March five 1994 created for that purpose board recommends this article and the budget committee this article is this a possibly Nick like to stick to this as the maintenance person we have Capital Improvement plan that we do some heavy editing on 2019 and we have a schedule for repairing roof around the building which has a lot of different sections to stay current with plan we would be spending this money from our capital reserve fund all the board kind of was looking to see where we could potentially save or bisects a money out of the watch it you know for the citizen such a tough year and you know you see this reflected in article 3 and 4 as well as historical year and again just to highlight at is coming from a capital reserve fund that is currently in place so that is not a that line does not affect the bottom line in the tax rate moving down is article 8 which show you will not see on the on the ballot I do not believe is to transact any other business that made legally come before this meeting so this is the budget it will be coming before you Richmond for the school board again on Thursday they are looking for your input positive or negative and any questions they will feel those question on Thursday evening before forwarding their final ballot for the voting on the following Tuesday the night again if you have put any questions into play in the chat function those question this meeting is being recorded so those questions will be included with the questions that are put forth on Thursday please make make this a any question you have a priority and get those in by Monday night at midnight so they can be included and was that when does the school board have any further comments that they would like to make Frank gehry I have one if you are adjusted to provide the balances for the capital reserve Fund in the printable Trust balance as of July 1st was $260,800 and Expendable trust found on the same date was 205. 317 so I should be getting an updated set of numbers for interest so those will be cited a higher from the trustees of the trust fund shortly. That's what they were July 1st thank you seeing no other business to come for this meeting I was all entertain a motion to adjourn from the school board the movie Mobil gas or second I II 2nd and by Aaron all of the favor I think we need to do a roll call I try to see if I have Bill roll call vote this up until I'm sorry Amy treat yes Janine hockensmith yes yes and I don't want to miss one not functioning great but but yes Mega Motors 5526 majority vote and I just want to thank everybody that has attended today and again I urge you to submit your questions and comments to the Chesterfield website or to the school telephone number and please do so by Monday evening good night and I will forward to seeing everybody back here on Thursday evening for the final review of those questions and finalization of the school budget vote School warrant for the ballot vote on March 9th at the Chesterfield town play back thank you all right I'm going to end the recording now

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Chesterfield School District Meeting Session I - February 27 2021

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