APPROVED 03-25-2025

Board of Education Finance Committee Meeting (Monday, March 3, 2025)

Generated by Nikkol Sipes on Monday, March 3, 2025

1. Board Finance Committee

A. Call to Order

Mr. Kelly called the meeting to order at 11:01 a.m.

B. Roll Call

Members Present: Zen Kelly, Kelley Cizek, Sarah Douthit, Jason Tauriainen

Other Members Present: Dianne MacRae, Tim Daugharty, Penny Vadla, Virginia Morgan, Miss Emerson Kapp, student representative

C. Approval of Agenda

The March 3, 2025 finance committee meeting agenda was approved as presented.

D. Approval of Minutes 02-03-2025

The February 3, 2025 finance committee meeting notes were approved as presented.

2. Finance New Business

A. Balancing Act Analytics and Budget Scenarios

Mr. Kelly noted the attachment on the agenda with the three scenarios and that as committee members make recommendations Ms. Hayes will adjust the columns. Mr. Kelly directed the committee to begin with the scenario of a 1000 BSA increase. Ms. Cizek proposed that no matter if there is an increase seen to the BSA she would like to see that reductions still remain in effect. Mr. Kelly was in agreeance. Mr. Tauriainen began with proposing pool closures, and extra curricular transfer costs. Ms. Cizek proposed curriculum reduction, hockey ice rental, extra curricular transfer and library aides. Mr. Kelly clarified the language on pool closures. He would like to propose changing the language regarding closing pools to language relating to that the District can no longer afford to staff and operate the pools. Mr. Tauriainen spoke to funding for pools including pool revenue and certain expenses. Ms. Hayes noted that pool revenue does go certain expenditures including life guards, chemicals and other expenditures. Ms. Dendurent requested clarification of the amount of curriculum reduction Ms. Cizek is proposing. Ms. Cizek said that 50 percent is listed however she would be open to even higher reduction. Mr. Kelly noted that he is not willing to support more than a 50 percent reduction to curriculum. Ms. Douthit spoke to her additions of reductions of pool managers/supervisors and Theater technicians 10 work day reduction days. She also requested clarification on pool supervisor position. Ms. Dendurent spoke to the pool supervisor position. Mr. Tauriainen proposed district office and operating account reductions. Ms. Cizek proposed the instructional aides work days. Mr. Tauriainen was opposed to this. Mr. Kelly proposed adding the increase to Connections PTR. Mr. Holland spoke to the impact that this could have on Connections and that it could be fairly minimal. Ms. Cizek supported the increase to PTR for Connections. Mr. Kelly proposed moving the safety funds to the reduction list. Mr. Tauriainen opposed this suggestion. Ms. Douthit posed the question of whether these costs could be passed on to parents of the football teams. Mr. Kelly asked for a consensus and the committee was in support of moving the safety funds to the reduction list. Mr. Holland recommended to have the committee make reductions so that there is a surplus for savings in the future to cover potential increases in particular those due to negotiations. Mr. Tauriainen is not in support of making further cuts than what it takes to balance the budget with the given BSA increase or equivalent. Mr. Kelly spoke to Mr. Holland's comments and that the Board and committee must keep negotiations in mind when making these reductions suggestions. Ms. Hayes reminded the committee that these scenarios reflect the KPB assembly funding to the cap. The committee proposed further cuts to attempt to achieve a surplus to cover potential future costs in healthcare, salaries and benefits that they may have to cover due to negotiations in particular. Ms. Douthit proposed the transportation transfer reduction. Ms. Dendurent spoke to reductions in regards to distance education classes. Mr. Tauriainen was supportive however Mr. Kelly would like to keep this intact in a scenario of a 1000 BSA increase and look at reducing it in a 680 BSA increase scenario. Mr. Crabtree spoke to the distance education teachers and vacancies within those positions as well as outside agencies being a potential option to fill those unique needs and positions. Ms. Douthit does not support the distance education 50 percent reduction being in the 1000 scenario. Ms. Cizek does support the distance education 50 percent reduction being in the 1000 BSA increase scenario. Mr. Tauriainen does support the distance education 50 percent reduction being in the 1000 BSA increase scenario. Mr. Holland noted that the quality of personnel is crucial in these areas and the ability to recruit and retain these quality staff critical to the success of these programs. Mr. Tauriainen proposed the Quest reduction being on the reduction list. The committee moved both Quest reductions to the 1000 BSA increase scenario. Mr. Tauriainen is not in support of a full reduction of this program, and would like to move the elementary school councilors instead. The committee is in favor of adding the elementary councilors that are not grant funded to the reductions list. Ms. Douthit is still opposed to the distance education being in the reduction list of the 1000 BSA increase scenario. The committee moved on to proposing reductions for the 680 scenario. The committee moved all reductions that were agreed upon from the 1000 BSA increase scenario to the 680 scenario and will bring back those programs listed that they do not want to see reductions in. Ms. Douthit proposed all PTR increases be removed from the 680 scenario as well as distance ed. Mr. Tauriainen is in favor of this except for the distance ed. Ms. Cizek would like to see all reductions that are being proposed to the 680 BSA increase scenario implemented. Mr. Tauriainen is opposed to increases in PTR. Mr. Kelly is in support of looking at increases to PTR. Ms. Douthit requested administration clarify the reductions being proposed to the PTR increases in particular. Mr. Crabtree spoke to this and the different impacts these can have in various schools throughout the district. He noted that the leadership administration thought that a high school student classroom may be able to withstand the PTR increase better than other grades or schools. Mr. Holland agreed with Mr. Crabtree and noted his concerns and conversations leadership had in relation to these reductions suggestions regarding PTR. He also noted that there is an option to eliminate specialist positions which includes classes like PE, art and music. Mr. Kelly noted school closures have not been accounted for nor decided on at this point and is still a variable. Mr. Tauriainen would like to move to the 340 scenario with keeping PTR reductions out of the 680 scenario. Ms. Cizek would like to keep the PTR and add further reductions to the 680 scenario. Ms. Douthit noted that she was still undecided regarding reducing PTR especially with the school closures still an unknown variable. The committee is moving forward with the 680 scenario leaving out the PTR reductions. And the committee moved forward with all reductions proposed on the attachment that were listed and applied those to the 340 BSA increase scenario. The Finance committee will look further into school closures as it is discussed further and more recommendations come forward from Administration. A draft of the scenarios of the committee's recommendations will be provided in today's finance work session and also provided to the Board.

3. Information Requests to Administration

A. Information Requests to Administration

There were no further requests at this time.

4. Adjourn

A. Adjourn

Mr. Kelly adjourned the meeting at 12:10 p.m.