APPROVED 06-26-2025

Board of Education Finance Committee Meeting (Tuesday, April 22, 2025)

Generated by Nikkol Sipes on Thursday, April 24, 2025

1. Board Finance Committee

A. Call to Order

Mr. Kelly called the meeting to order at 1:32 p.m.

B. Roll Call

Members Present: Zen Kelly, Kelley Cizek, Sarah Douthit, Jason Tauriainen(joined the meeting at 1:44 p.m.)
Other Members Present: Penny Vadla, Virginia Morgan, Dianne MacRae, Tim Daugharty

C. Approval of Agenda

The April 22, 2025 finance committee meeting agenda was approved as presented.

D. Approval of Minutes 04-07-2025

The April 7, 2025 finance committee meeting notes were approved as presented.

2. Finance Ongoing Business

A. FY26 Budget Reduction Scenarios

Mr. Kelly began the discussion with a review of the latest budget reduction scenarios and noted some of those revisions made during the April 7 work session. Mr. Kelly discussed the budget process and timeline of transmitting a preliminary budget document to the Borough Assembly. He recommended the committee and the Board move forward with working on reductions for a 680 BSA increase budget scenario. He noted the most recent developments with HB 69 and the Governor's veto as well as the Governor's current proposal for education funding. He also noted the Mayor's public statements regarding district funding. Mr. Kelly opened the discussion up to committee members to add additional information to the reduction scenarios. Ms. Cizek requested clarifications regarding the quest certified salaries and the ability to still have the quest program without these specific staff. Mr. Holland spoke to how the schools would keep quest programs within the schools but that the program would run differently. Mr. Kelly noted Administration's presentation during the March 25, 2025 committee meeting which had information regarding administration's proposals to quest staffing reductions and how the program could still operate. Ms. Douthit clarified that the staffing of the program is what is changing rather than the program being eliminated. Both Mr. Kelly and Mr. Holland provided the clarification. Mr. Kelly requested Mr. Holland to clarify how the reduction or changes in staffing will affect different programs. Mr. Holland spoke to this and how schools will have the autonomy to have differentiated instruction. Director Denise Kelly added that middle school students should still be able to partake in the quest programs. Ms. Douthit suggested changes to theater techs/managers and pool managers to keep those positions but reduce their working days. She would like to see reductions distributed rather than eliminations. She also would like to discuss the athletic stipends and bringing back just a reduction to the stipends again rather than whole eliminations. Mr. Kelly spoke to the athletic stipends and the communication from constituents that are opposed to complete elimination. Mr. Holland spoke to the logistic behind the elimination of the stipends and that it makes a space for funding tentative non tenure teacher contracts. Mr. Holland noted that there could be some disparities in athletics with the lack of funding. He suggested to fund the stipends for the head coaches of the varsity teams to possibly make up for these types of disparities. Mr. Tauriainen posed a question regarding the committees intent today and which scenario the committee and the Board are working off of. Mr. Kelly clarified and recapped what he noted at the beginning of the meeting regarding the budget timeline and process. Mr. Tauriainen noted his opposition for lack of funding for student athletes, however he is open due to the budget constraints to Mr. Holland's proposal to provide some sort of minimum funding for athletics and perhaps subsidize with volunteers. The committee worked through the figures for the costs for extracurricular stipends for Middle and High school head coaches. Mr. Tauriainen was hesitant of only funding varsity head coaches. Ms. Douthit noted that it was fair to all schools to staff all varsity head coaches rather than picking and choosing sports to staff. Mr. Kelly was in agreeance with Ms. Douthit. Ms. Cizek posed a question regarding a 50 percent reduction in funding for all extra curricular stipends. Mr. Kelly requested administrations recommendations. Mr. Holland noted that many other schools in the state are cutting middle school sports. He noted the opportunity of the Board to adjust the budget up until DEED's July deadline as currently the borough and state funding is unknown. Mr. Tauriainen proposed looking into reductions of nurse positions. Mr. Kelly requested the committee to continue working through the athletic stipends. Ms. Douthit again requested clarification whether the stipends could be reduced by 50 %. Mr. Kelly spoke to this and that administration would need to work those numbers out. Mr. Kelly noted that the borough and state funding coming in will affect these figures and scenarios and the Board will be able to adjust the budget accordingly. The committee is in agreeance to move forward with only a reduction of the athletic stipends by 50 % rather than elimination. Ms. Douthit would like to again propose keeping the theater tech and pool manager eliminations and reduce working days instead. With these proposals Ms. Douthit also suggested adding Sterling Elementary school closure to the reduction list. Ms. Cizek spoke in opposition to the Sterling closure over the Tustumena closure. Mr. Kelly noted the Mayor's public statements regarding school closures. Mr. Kelly was more supportive of Sterling closure rather than Tustumena. Mr. Tauriainen asked for clarification on Mr. Kelly's reasoning. Mr. Kelly noted the financial aspects of both. Ms. Douthit proposed the elimination of the library aides to the 680 scenario. Mr. Tauriainen was opposed to the library aides being added to the list. He again would like to discuss adding reductions of nurses in particular high school nurses. Mr. Kelly noted that the balancing act didn't have much feedback for the reduction of nurses. Ms. Cizek proposed the 50 % reduction of elementary school councilors rather than the elimination. Mr. Kelly noted the grant funding for these positions that were discussed at the last Board work session. Mr. Crabtree spoke to these positions as well as student interventionists filling some of the positions when there is not an elementary school councilor. Mr. Kelly reviewed the changes and the overall 680 scenario the committee has drafted so far. Mr. Kelly noted if the committee would like this scenario to move forward then there are areas in PTR that could possibly be adjusted and suggested adjusting/increasing the middle school PTR. Mr. Kelly addressed the athletic directors and an elimination of athletic stipends. Ms. Cizek proposed a reduction of 50% of the athletic directors funding. Mr. Holland spoke to how this could impact athletics as well as the athletic director. Mr. Graham was invited to speak to this as well. Ms. Douthit proposed leaving the athletic directors off of the reductions list. And she also proposed increasing elementary PTR as the committee is still short of their contingency target. Mr. Kelly was opposed to increasing elementary PTR. Ms. Cizek posed a question regarding increasing PTR only at larger schools rather than across the District. Mr. Tauriainen noted the staffing formula and making potential alterations to the formula. Mr. Tauriainen proposed eliminating middle college as he is proposing that jump start would still be an option for these students. Mr. Holland noted an upcoming meeting with KPC regarding middle college and spoke to the program itself. Ms. Cizek proposed the 10 day reduction over a 5 day reduction for instructional aides. Ms. Dendurent spoke to the presentation Administration provided with information regarding these work days and different scenario calendars. Mr. Tauriainen was opposed to a 10 day reduction in instructional aides. Mr. Tauriainen would like to again propose reductions or elimination of some nurse staffing. Ms. Dendurent spoke to this and some of the needs of certain students with IEPs and obligations of the district in this respect. Mr. Kelly noted the nurse staffing funding figures. Mr. Tauriainen would like to revisit the theater tech positions and potentially use a stipend to cover these positions instead. Ms. Douthit was opposed to this as it could potentially take away from other staff educational time. Ms. Cizek requested clarification regarding a potential BSA increase. Mr. Kelly spoke to the funding from the Borough. Mr. Kelly reviewed the committee's adjustments to the 680 scenario. Mr. Tauriainen and Ms. Cizek proposed reducing the staffing for theater technicians. Mr. Holland noted his hesitancy of the elimination of library aides. The committee was in agreeance to not eliminate library aides. The committee debated whether or not to keep pools on the reduction list. Mr. Tauriainen proposed adding the pools to the reduction scenario and keeping athletic stipends intact. Ms. Cizek proposed keeping the central pools open in particular the Skyview pool. Mr. Kelly would like to keep the pool managers on the reduction list with the consensus of the committee. Mr. Kelly reviewed once more the adjustments of the committee. Mr. Kelly noted the proportion of reductions targeting middle school. The committee discussed middle school reading certified salaries/benefits elimination and adding this back in verse a middle school PTR increase or programmatic staffing. Mr. Holland requested Mr. Crabtree speak to the 25% programmatic staffing reduction. Mr. Kelly noted the middle school reading certified salaries/benefits elimination only affects the middle schools where the programmatic staffing affects both middle and high school and so he would like to see middle school reading certified salaries/benefits elimination removed from the reductions. The committee removed middle school reading certified salaries/benefits elimination from the reductions. Mr. Kelly again reviewed the committee's adjustments in total to move forward with the preliminary budget recommendation that will be presented to the Board for action and approval. Ms. Cizek requested clarification regarding tentative non tenure teacher contracts and how the district can offer more contracts at this time. Mr. Kelly spoke to non-tenure teacher contracts and his discussions with Human Resources and that the district is hoping to offer as many contracts based on a 340 BSA increase scenario to remain budget conscious but retain as many staff as possible while being fiscally responsible. Mr. Kelly noted the consensus of the committee to move forward with the preliminary budget scenario that the committee constructed today based on a 680 increase to the BSA and have it be brought forward to the Board for approval with the intention that once both Borough and State funding have been set, that the Board can make adjustments as necessary and fiscally allowable.

3. Information Requests to Administration

A. Information Requests to Administration

There were no further requests to administration at this time.

4. Adjourn

A. Adjourn

Mr. Kelly adjourned the meeting at 4:06 p.m.