I'd like
to call the May 9th, 2022 meeting of the Derry Township School
District Board of Directors meeting to order
and announce that this meeting is being livestreamed and audio recorded.
This meeting is being conducted both in-person and virtually, and
I would like to request four board members to please state your name when speaking.
This is a roll call, please.
Mr. Bennett.
President, Dr. Cronan Here. Mr..
You here. Dr.. Cuts here.
Mrs.. MANY here.
Mr. Riso.
Here. Mrs. Schmidt.
Mrs. Sicker.
Mr. Singer. Here.
Seven present. One absent.
Thank you.
Please rise if you are able, and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Which will be considered by the States
and other countries. Mr.
Sands, One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Please have a
motion to approve the May 9th, 2022, Board of Directors Meeting agenda.
So move to Miami.
Second, Mike Rizzo.
Is there any discussion?
This is a standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please say I, I any opposed.
The agenda is approved.
First up this evening, we have a general fund budget presentation.
Mrs. Purcell.
Sure.
So tonight,
what I want to talk about is pretty much everything we've talked about
in Finance Committee the last few months leading up to tonight's
vote on the proposal to display, rather, the proposed final budget.
So I want to talk through what we've talked about in finance,
make sure the entire board understands all the conversations that have happened.
What we're seeing from a financial standpoint.
For our district.
So tonight, really, like I said, is just the proposed final.
So what happens between now and June 13th, which is when the board
will actually adopt officially adopt the final budget.
So there's there's a lot of moving parts still between now and then.
I put on here May 17th only
because that is the primary election and PD sets this calendar annually.
The interesting thing is
it's always set around the primary date and the number of days
calculated from board votes and displaying and certain
advertisement is all really geared around that primary election.
And then the all district budgets
have to be submitted to PD no later than June 30th.
So based on that calendar, we will approved to move forward
the proposed final tonight. Keep working.
We'll come back at Finance May 23rd, and then we will vote on the final June 13th.
So the assumptions that are included
in the proposed final budget, where we're at with some things.
So the Tax increase Act one index is 3.4%.
So these are things that we've talked about in finance and recommendations
coming forward. I just want to briefly talk about what's included in here.
We'll go a little bit deeper as we go through the presentation.
But just at a quick glance, the bigger drivers of this budget.
So the tax increase in the proposed final does take us to Act one index,
which is 3.4.
That will add about almost $1.4 million to our revenue budget
and the median assessed value of properties,
homeowner properties in
Derry Township is 161 300.
That tax increase will add $103 per year to the average taxpayer.
Not in Hershey Trust.
As you know.
We typically in the past,
up until this year, have done a 4% withdraw from the trust.
This year we did a one time 7%.
Based on what we're seeing and conversations with our consultant
trust advisors who have come in a few times over this
the spring and in the Finance Committee to talk about it.
We can still go to a 5% based on
need withdrawal, another one time
withdrawal from the trust.
There will be a board vote on that tonight just to have the full
agreement of the board that that is the direction
we want to go in for this year and then after that, to keep the stability
and the trust and to keep that balance in there
and let it grow for future, we will go back to a 4%.
And the Fulton Committee has said that is what their expectation is, that we
revert back to 4%.
So in this
we've talked a lot about this to the Giants that are pilot revenue.
As you all know, the H&R Idea has not been able to make a payment
for two years based on COVID and the complete shutdown
of the entertainment industry in our district.
As of Finance committee, that was still there are still some discussions
ongoing between HD and AH and the ICD and how they make that payment out.
Since then, we're pretty comfortable that they will be able to make
a pilot payment in December.
So they need to get through as long as everything stays on track.
Right now they are trending back to 2019 hotel taxes.
It's the hotel taxes that drive the pilot payment that comes out.
We get a pilot payment,
Derry Township gets a piece of it, and the commissioners get a piece.
So there's been a lot of pressure on H&R to find a way forward
to make this payment out, because it has again,
it's been two years for everyone without that in their budget.
So as you can see, we should get approximately 700,000.
So that is something I think we are pretty much I would be comfortable
putting that into the final budget and building that back in it.
At this point, unless things really turn for the worst, we can expect that.
And I think the pressure will stay on Agent R to be able to make that payment.
As you know, we've been
getting the Esser funding from CARES Act.
This is the third round the ARP Esser funds.
So the district has gotten a total of $4.4 million in this this round of AAP.
Esser We will use half of it in the 2223 budget
and the remaining half of it in the 2324.
All funds must be spent by September 30th of 24.
So we've been able to use to layer in the other pieces of the cares funding.
So this piece we will use half and half for the next two years.
The big drivers in expense increases is the
salaries.
It's an average 4% across the board for all between the sets teachers.
That is our Act 93 group and that is our support staff has the group.
So that's a blended 4% increase for everyone.
Benefits are going up 9.8.
I can tell you the biggest driver that is a 12% increase in the medical.
We've just had a and fortunately we've just seen a lot of increase in that area.
That is what our consultants have given us based on all their actuarial data
that taking all of our stats and throwing it in.
And that's where they expect us to land next year.
So and based on trend and what I've seen just since I've been here,
I would say that's a pretty good figure.
The other piece that's really significant that we've talked about is
the increase in cyber.
Our cyber enrollment and placement of families
and students choosing other options for their students.
So that is an area that we just
will see it a little bit further.
But that further into the presentation.
But that's pretty much just to get us up to where we're trending right now.
And that's that's the increase that we really need to cover in our budget.
So those are the big those are the biggest pieces of it.
Again, we'll keep talking.
A little bit more.
This is person.
Would you prefer that
we just hold questions to the end so that you can get through all of that?
Is that the easiest.
One could go go ahead.
And if I think I'm going to cover it later, I'll just say it's.
CUMMINGS How about we do the first part?
The first question I had for you regarding with the tax increase,
noting the median assessed value and just looking at that impact
as we've
been preparing for this, I've looked at some other districts
because I think one thing that we often hear is Derry Township
School district taxes are significantly higher than other areas.
But when you really look, the millage rates are not that different.
It's really the value like the home values that are driving those parts.
But one thing that has continually stood out to me is that there has not been
a reassessment by the county for assessed values in nearly 20 years.
And so I ultimately my understanding is that
by reassessing the taxes, some people's go up, some go down,
but it helps to really more proportionately share.
The. Burden, like the tax burden among staff,
because currently you could have homes that market value
are significantly higher than others, but others are.
The the.
Lower valued home is paying a lot more in taxes
because of the assessed value and how that's calculated.
Are you aware of anything, any conversations as we go through these?
Because I know we're not the only district facing
budget issues and needing increases if that's come up.
I have not heard it.
And again, I'm very new to Derry Township and Dauphin County,
so I know in Lancaster when we did it a few years
back, it is a rebalance and it is a it is a fresh look, basically a reset.
So there's winners and there's losers.
The goal at the end is, so if we have 50 million in taxes
prior to, we will still come out with 50 million taxes.
It's just that that the shift will be in there as to who's paying what.
But no, I have not heard any talk yet.
But that is something I will I will kind of because I
one of the things that we'll look at to I know I will be hearing from the county
with updated median values, updated homestead form
said and updated
tax values for the district.
So I will reach out
and ask them if there's any conversation happening about it about that.
Okay.
Thanks for me, the sensitivity to that tax increase and and, you know,
the folks that are most affected by that, I think it's just important
if there's a way for us to
be mindful, you know, of those types of things
that help to kind of balance.
And that's not for everybody.
That is something that's completely out of
play.
We don't have control over that, but any control.
So even when it comes to an assessment or, you know, an appeal
with at the county level, that's truly the county between
the individual, the commercial property and the assessment office.
So that that is one thing that just takes it out of,
you know, out of our control, out of our hands, so to speak.
Thanks.
My one other question was regarding the medical premium increase.
And we've not experienced an increase in the premium,
especially not double digits over the last few years.
This would more just be a request for the future is just
maybe we could have a better understanding of the terms of the way
that that is done and the timing that we can expect to see.
I know that because we're self-funded, we usually can have
somewhat of an
idea of what the expenses look like.
And if, you know, our stop loss insurance is being utilized,
but a 12% is kind of a large hit
to take on on that size of numbers.
So it is it's approximately about a $900,000 increase.
And that's truly just it's the stop loss.
And because of some higher claims or stop loss
and that's going through the industry as well.
And I know from other districts and those conversations, the stop loss
premiums are just really getting hard to handle.
So no or carrier does what they can.
Our consultant.
Yeah, that's something I think we talked about that at finance that that is
something I do want to look a little deeper.
It's not an area I've had a whole lot of time in,
but I can see the drivers, so I, I trust the data coming forward.
But I do want to understand it better. Yes.
And understating the timelines, I think too,
so that we know how to budget, you know, or anticipate for that
because there are other factors that play into that, those things
and other decisions are made without knowing what that that increase could be.
Well, I think as we spend more time and start building that out month over
month, that is something in finance and that is something I typically look at.
And again, coming in at this point in the year,
it was here it is, and that's what we have to work with.
Okay. Thank you. Quick question.
Do we have a consulting firm that comes in
that comes in and discuss all of, you know,
all of this like the budget and the health care or anything?
We don't have.
We have a consult.
We have a consultant that was board approved in January, I believe it was.
It's eight consulting group and they are medical they
so they take care of well they take care of all of our our benefit pieces.
So medical life, dental vision, that whole thing.
So they're sort of our adversaries between us and Hi, Mark,
who is our carrier to
help manage that plan a little bit.
And we've they've been with us for a number of years,
but we opted into other services
in January with the change in having Mrs.
Purcell join as a business manager to provide that additional support.
I have a quick question.
Is our mean assessment value directly from the Tax Office?
Yes, it is, and I expect that to increase.
Again, that'll come out with Homestead forms to file
when we get it, but it won't go up much.
I normally when I see it increase, it's a couple of hundred dollars a year,
but that's a number that comes from when they send out the preliminary
tax file.
Thank you
so much.
And so this is just for the history of Act one, Index PD.
Act one is the maximum tax increase
short of any exceptions or adjustments to your base index.
This is a number that set by PD for all 500 school districts.
As Derry Township, we are in a position
we do not get an adjusted index, so our the base index is typically what we get.
So you can ignore all those lines.
It's just but that's all the factors that go into the state
when they throw it into their formulas and do the calculations.
The important line is that base index.
That is what the state puts out every year.
So the. Block below. It is just.
A historical look at what the millage increase was board approved each year
and then what that millage rate, what that impact on the military is.
So that you can see we did not do a tax increase the last two years.
We did a couple of years prior.
But that again, that's just a historical look at
board action in the tax increases.
I talked about this a little bit at finance.
This is just based and this is these are the numbers
that will come out from the county.
I had asked the county for updated numbers in February.
So this this is still the February 25th numbers.
I know they will be sending out.
They always send it out mid-May, so I should be getting it any day now.
Updated numbers.
So I just didn't reach out and update this.
That will be built into the final.
So as of February 25th, we already
had 2.65% increase in our tax base.
And that's just what it was.
You're seeing a lot of interims in interims
or new builds that are renovations or additions to homes.
So that we've seen a lot of ads that way.
But that just that with with nothing else
that actually just builds into our base and gives us more tax dollars each year.
So that said that there's a zero or one and a 3.4 why I left the one on
there is just that everyone knows a 1% tax increase equals
about 385,000, going all the way up to the base index of 3.4.
That will bring in the 1.4 million that we were talking
about a little bit earlier.
So anything on this piece
before we move. On,
the other thing.
I will say,
the other thing to note on here that I want to look a little closer at.
We have historically budgeted a 96.5% collection rate.
We typically collect a little higher.
That just means
how much money that we collect prior to it being turned over to the county
for delinquent collections.
I think we're closer to 98,
so that actually can bring a little bit more revenue.
But I want to make sure that I'm comfortable
with what I've seen historically before building that in.
So this is
there's there's two charts in here that are new for finance.
I just put them together for a different look so you can kind of get an idea.
So this is a revenue chart.
So basically you can see our big drivers.
Unfortunately, school districts are really funded by local real estate taxes.
So you can see 55% of our revenues come from real estate taxes.
So unfortunately and that's the hard sell we don't get.
If you look at the other pieces, the components
in total, 73% of our funding comes
from local sources, 19% to the state.
And then the Fed is just 5%.
Now, fortunately, you know, with me being here in Milton, Hershey.
Or. In Hershey, we do have Milton Hershey trusts.
So that gives funding that other schools do not get.
The other funding that we typically get
in, we do get added to our local revenues is the amusement tax.
Again, the pilot payments when we receive them.
So those are some of the and the occupation tax.
That is not something that a lot of districts still have with that occupation.
Tax for the district has been is profitable.
You know, it does really help fund our revenue stream.
So I won't go through.
A lot of this. I put all of it in here.
So anyone that's interested in really looking at the numbers
and the line item, so this is just broken down.
So these are the local revenues.
Again, there you see your 3.4% tax increase at this point.
No, no.
Pilot and really what I'm trying to do, what I was trying to do in this budget is
next year it will really be a reset trying
to get us back to where we were, the 2019, 20 levels we've been out of.
You know, everybody's been out of whack for two years.
So it's really hard.
So trying to look back a couple of years
to see where we were and where do we need where do we need to go?
Even in the line, the occupation amusement
pilot taxes in 2021, why that was so low, amusement tax just shut down.
So we had amusement taxes through basically February and then nothing.
So that really impacted how that year, you know, so
so looking at 3.373 there,
if we add another 700, that will be over $4 million just in those in those
few local taxes.
So again, that's there.
Any questions on locals? I did
the next pages is sort of the same.
Go ahead.
So state revenues,
I think the big thing to think about in here and it's one thing
I'm still watching the two
lines, the basic education funding and the special education funding.
The governor still has lofty plans for what he wants to fund in his budget.
I'm not sure, and there's been very little chatter about it up until now as to
what's really going to land on school district budgets.
I looked at the actual increase
from 2122 over 2021 and built that percentages.
That is subject to change. If
you know, based on information that comes out of the state.
So I wanted to at least put that on there so that you were aware of that.
The two basic education, Social Security
and the state share of retirement, those two numbers.
Peters and Social Security, we must pay 100%
into it as expense and then we do get 50%.
So this represents the 50% of expense that we get back into the district.
And again, you can see that number, that 35.26
this year is 34.94, I believe.
But it's it's projected to go up every year.
Now, granted, it's not the escalating cost that had been,
but it's still projected to be over 37% in a few years.
So it's it's not stopping, which they always said it would.
Cliff.
So it's
you still see that little incremental but when you have 4% increasing salaries
and just even a little bit of increase in Peters, it can be significant.
And. There's nothing else
the state had the federal federal again, we're seeing more typically
we're not a district that gets a lot in the title one, two, three, four world
just because of the economics in this area.
However with CARES and Esser funding that's sort of that change things.
So you can see kind of what that funding has looked like the last couple of years.
So in the 2122 budget, when I had said that we were using round two,
that 2.2 million is round two
in this current year budget, and then we'll take the ARP.
Esser.
Again, 50% over the next two years.
And quick.
Question, what what are we using
the Esser funds for in.
The grant was written to cover salaries.
Okay.
And so then what's going to cover the salaries are you're saying that
the real estate taxes were to cover the salaries in what we're done with this?
Because that's not sustainable, right?
It's not so that is and that is the conversation we've had to
finance to is to really start coming out of this budget season
and then really start early next year, coming up with a plan as to,
okay, let's do the things that we need to
take care of and get ourselves re situated then what are we doing going forward?
And that's going to be the big conversation next year.
I think that's a big part of the conversation
we've been having over the last two years, because with the
the various, you know, funding packages that have come through,
while they did help to excuse me,
shrink the gap between the budget and like what actual revenues were
on paper, it could give a little bit
of a false sense of comfort because there's a cliff there
when those dollars can no longer be used to supplement the losses in tax revenue.
And that's where we see, you know, once those are done
that we'll have to look at, you know, where that gets made up.
And that is a big a big piece of actually going to the taking the full 3.4,
because then you're building that base so that any increase or any future
new homes or like you said, you see the natural growth that comes in,
you're automatically going to benefit from that higher tax base
and it will help
ultimately sustain and fund some of these longer initiatives.
Again, 5% on the trust.
Then.
So sort of looking at expenses
similar to revenues,
unfortunately, you can see there it. Is.
Most of our
expense budget goes to salary and benefits
and benefits are not just medical.
That's appeasers.
Again, remember, it's it's 100% of the pizza's expense.
So that number is actually $11 million that's sitting in benefits.
It's medical, dental, dental, it's tuition reimbursement is anything
that's built into all of our agreements, it's worker's comp.
So those are the big drivers anyway.
But that right there, that's, you know, 75% of our budget is already given to us.
We have very little discretionary spending.
So when you look at some of these categories,
I think my takeaway or what I wanted to kind of explain
professional services, 5% might seem like a big chunk.
That's that's our special ed That's the object 300,
which is our services, which really most of that is going to
special education services.
Very little of it is in our maintenance.
So then the other purchase services that next blew the 5%,
that's transportation and those tuition costs
that almost $800,000 increase that I was talking about the all the cyber charters.
But it's also not just the sabers,
it's the it's the money to hack, it's the CTC payment.
So, you know, and again, those things are costs that we must pay transportation.
So we have very little wiggle room in categories,
supplies.
That's everything across the district, even down to
computers and everything.
And we've talked about this of finance a little bit.
So things that stopped two years ago and we kind of got by
because we didn't have all the staff and all the students back, perhaps.
So we were able to
use a lot of reserves and things sitting around in closets.
Well, that's pretty much all been depleted now.
So next year we're going into a fresh year with a full replenishment of
consumables and classrooms and supply,
you know, all of all of those things that we kind of were able to do without.
And all the spending was really just cut and said make do and people did.
But now it's the point
we need to replenish and things
that again things so that there's not a whole
I just from that there's there's very little again discretionary
spending of things that are not mandated that we have to pay for.
I'm looking at the expenses similar to the revenues salary benefits.
Just trying to note on there.
Just so from a you know, a take away when you look at it,
just really what's driving those increases and trying to get back to that
pre-pandemic 2021 or even go back to 1920.
So even if you look at special, special education at 2 million, even though it's
I think we're going to be over budget in 2122,
I don't think that $1.8 million is going to cover us for this year.
If you look back to the year before,
we were already at 2.2 million and special ed trends have not
gone down.
They've gone up so that line will go. Up.
Tuition.
There's the increase that we talked about.
And looking at the trends, I don't again,
the 2122 budget, that 1.5 million
will be well beyond that in when we finish this year.
So I'm not that number. I think
I think it was it was probably budgeted before we knew
how many students maybe were in some of these programs.
So we have about
80, 90 students, I believe, currently
in a cyber program, which is what's really driving that.
Some of that was collective, correct?
Just we hadn't had that.
But that wasn't part of the tuition budget last year because we shifted
to virtual offerings. And
and kale is
not actually in there because it's an IU course that sits in a 300.
So with other professional services.
Okay.
A quick question.
The special education number is that.
It seems like a dumb question, but
that is the salaries now.
Now, so what is that?
Services.
It's not going to be placements.
It's placements for any student that has an IEP or any special needs,
autistic support, any programs that we do through the IU
that for for students that we need as additional services for that,
we don't have the keep, you know, it's beyond what we can do here.
So what special education does and sitting down with them is really
they have a list of students and we know where they're going to be next year.
And we look at the costs and that's really what's driving, driving that number.
Thank you.
So you can see even in other expenses that that catchall
and that's that's pretty much curriculum administrative budgets,
buildings and by buildings I mean like the principals
and the principals here actually like all the
the specials, all the at the high school, all the
department budgets and the house, you know, those things
are all in there, extracurriculars that that covers athletics
and any of the student activities that the district sponsors.
So even at 3 million, I look at that and want to make sure
I'm looking back at 2021 and it's already not quite where it was last year.
So I think, you know,
there's just some things we really need
to keep an eye on and make sure that we can fund
now that students are back and want to want to do things.
And we want to be able to fund curriculum, curriculum.
And we've talked about that.
You really we stopped doing anything new.
So, you know, there's some new initiatives, new math books,
those kinds of things that we really need to get back into the budget.
And until we know more about food service
and we'll keep that $150,000 in there,
and then the planned million dollar transfer to Capital.
Reserve,
I have a question.
The tuition number for 2223.
Is that accounting for the same 80 to 90 students.
To continue in cyber or is that number.
A potential increase in our cyber school?
Students? Been pretty consistent this year.
I've had them do some analysis just so I could get a handle on it. State
So unless they make a decision at the end of this year,
that's the only thing that would change it.
Oh, you know, at that point.
So here's,
this is what I'm having trouble wrapping my head around.
It seems like we have so many unknowns in what we've
kind of written out as far as, you know,
you know, the money from
the giant center.
And, you know, okay, now we're going to do curriculum.
But that's you know, we're we're investing in the new curriculum.
That Nest won't necessarily be there next year.
Is that because it's already been implemented, then?
It's not like, you know, this is all projects are going forward.
Okay.
But just
you know, the goal is, I guess, with like college to bring students back
or to bring students back from their other where they've transferred from.
Right. It just I don't know.
It just seems like we're jumping the gun a little bit, going at 3.4.
It would almost seem like
we should kind of let things settle
over this next year.
Well, I. Think,
again, being new, but I'm going
I think you go back as you build your budget, you go back
and you really look at that trend line and you really look at what things
have been the last couple of years and look at that year to date, a lot of this
and it's not really on here so much is that just shows the 2122 budget.
But what where are we at year to date?
And that's that's a big part of it too.
So if if that trend line is still going that way.
That.
You have to budget for, unless you know something is is significantly changing
that you can.
Okay, we're not doing that program.
We're we definitely have commitment from kids
you don't use don't get that so you sort of follow that trend.
But what happens then is if it's not needed,
then this conversation, then you keep watching it and
you're going to have expenses that come in better.
You're going to expenses that come in worse.
So you're budgeting model is really where do we feel the most comfortable
with what we're seeing today and where we think we're going?
And then can we expect
an increase in salary and especially benefits each year?
You will see you will see an increase in salary benefits each year.
Now, you might not see the 12% there.
There will be an increase.
However, if
the trend factor for benefits turns around again,
that's where we rely on the actuarial science of taking.
But it really is based on our population of enrollments.
So all of the enrollments,
they have all that data, the medical data, so they can sort of project
based on claims and where people are in their
unfortunate, you know, health
situations, they can sort of project out what that's going to look like.
So best guesses then next year we look at and keep looking at it to two messages.
Point, you know, throughout the year and really get a handle on, well, hey,
things are looking way better.
We're going to be able to pull that back.
But right now what they're seeing that that's there, you know,
so I'm going to rely on them because that's why we
have them in place and they've got the data to do that.
Historically, we have anticipated and realize
around a 5% benefits increase is kind of the baseline.
So that's where 12% this year
with premium changes that were unexpected is making a big difference.
Oh, no, I get that.
But if you're looking at 5% each year
and you know, as your money goes away and that,
you know, real estate is
bringing in, if you do 3.4, what would you say, 3 million or so.
One of my I'm sorry, what.
Was the 1.4? 1.4.
You know, so I mean, not
specifically adding it all up, but
you're not going to have
after the 1.4 million
if it goes up another 5% next year.
And then you're looking at
always having to go up 3.4.
Do you know what I'm saying?
That makes sense,
right?
Well, again, those are you keep looking at it.
And what we what I need to do.
Over the summer and into next year is really build a long term
where we start modeling and we start changing some of those those
assumption factors and see what that's going to look like in another year
because we do have to get a handle on all of that.
I think that what you know, where we come to it today
is there's very little I, I look at the discretionary spending.
There's not a whole lot
I can tell buildings and principals to go take 5% of the budget.
It's not going to get us very far. No, I get that.
So, I mean, the expenses is the salary and medical salary.
And then, you know, which we want great teachers.
I'm not saying we don't.
But then, you know, if all the income is mostly real estate,
you know, you're going to be looking at that kind of increase every other year.
You have to remember, too, that the last several budget cycles
since before the pandemic,
we also had the pilot payment for the giant center was not there.
So when you look at what the CARES Act is funding currently
and where that cliff comes in, when that's over.
That shrinks.
By 40%
when the pilot payment comes back in because we're missing
three quarters of $1,000,000 at a minimum from our revenues that we had.
Before.
Which will come back.
No, no, I get that.
But then you also have, you know, unforeseen maintenance, unforeseen,
you know,
things that come up. So,
you know, I was just talking strictly about the salary and medical
and medical, really.
And unfortunately, fortunately, unfortunately, those numbers are given.
They're contracted, they've been board approved.
So those are at this point, we work with it.
We come up with the plan.
We figure out how we
how we fund these things that are already in place
that we're mandated to fund at this point.
Good point.
We're down.
So if you think about it, we've lost 1.4 million just in the pilot,
but all the other local revenues were really down.
We were impacted by now.
The one thing that wasn't impacted was was earned income tax.
We've stayed pretty strong in that way, meaning our taxpayer base
has continued to to work and we get about $5 million from that.
So that that continues to grow.
But over the last couple of years, the amusement tax was was off.
That's finally coming back.
So that's why we see that that local increase,
the increase in that line item.
So I think those things, as long as
everything stays open, people are anxious to go out.
We are seeing increased revenues and that's that's why we'll keep going.
But we'll we'll really keep looking at.
And that's what I see the importance trends.
We'll keep looking at those trend lines and see what's coming in.
And if I can bump up a revenue
budget in revenues because things are really coming in good,
I don't want to take this too far.
At some point with budgeting, you need to be a little conservative
just to say,
I don't want to oversell my revenues and income in so short that we really,
you know, hurt our fund balance
because that's something we need at the end of the day to keep in mind.
Mrs. Purcell, if I can also just add to that one thing
that's been helpful for me over the years to remember is that the
what we're talking about here is our general fund.
And those are costs that occur year after year after year.
It's not those one time capital expenses.
So all of the like
you mentioned is the improvements or if something is wrong,
those costs are general operating budget includes the million dollar
transfer to the Capital Reserve Fund and that capital reserve fund
kind of operate standalone to be able to address those needs.
And we use the capital plan to be able to anticipate the costs for that.
So large one time expenses will not create
the hit on this general operating fund budget each year.
It may cause some projects to be tabled
until another year if it has to be addressed,
but it's not going to pull from the funds that we see of revenue in expenses out.
And then also the other component of it is the debt service
and where the district is set over the next five years
to be in a position of not having. The.
You know, is a four and a half $5 million,
$4 million debt service payments.
The way that the debt has been structured over the last few years,
that won't be there.
So as we look to large expenses, building renovations, that type of thing,
with our credit rating and our budget model,
our capacity to take on debt is is large.
We would be able to take on close to $75 million,
I believe it is in debt without impacting our budget
from a debt service payment perspective because of the way over the years
we have structured debt service to be able to pay those down
and anticipate cost in the future.
Sorry.
No, that was sure.
I have a quick question.
This obviously is is not clean and simple.
This is complicated.
Further, further complicated, I should say, by the fact that
you're trending is based on two years where things were not normal.
So we're we're making.
Projections based on an unstable time, which makes it even further
more difficult for you to come up with your standards.
Is that fair?
No, that's a fair statement.
And I believe even in all the budget conversations, everyone's very mindful
of the budget, the impact on the taxpayers.
So first, when I started to look at the budget
requests for next year, I thought, Oh, they're so much higher than this year.
But then looking back, when I even look back and I've, you know,
this is cut off at,
you know, 2021, but I've really looked at 19, 20, 18, 19 and just seen that.
And we've typically have had a pretty much a 3% increase year over year
in our expense models.
So, you know, just trying to think where we where would we be.
Had. It not been for Coburn and had it not been.
So this is a really a reset year for, everyone,
to figure out what normal looks like next year.
And can you just one also explain how our usual
withdrawal from the trust is 4%
and we had a one time 7% was that last year or it's this current
is this current In the current year we're taking 7% less
and then we got recommended approval.
From our.
Remote.
Was it more so now it's 14 financial.
Back.
For the 5% was their recommendation as a financial consultant, so to speak.
Right.
And because they have to go to committee and actually get approval
from a committee, it's not just we say we want 5%.
You know, we raise our hands and ask for 5% and they give it to us.
We actually have to show need
and show there's there's a good reason that we do the 5%
and then they have to go
get the blessing from their committee that they're all happy with
because they are looking at the longevity of the trust and the investments
and again, everybody knows that model right now is struggling
because of, you know, economics and worldwide crises.
That was our ask because moment we asked, we asked for 5%.
And they they did confirm that we can, based on what they're seeing
and the budgets that these numbers that are coming forward
that we can justify in another year at a higher
again, a one year, 5% and I go back to four, but that will be it.
We will go back to for next year.
Now, as
the good thing with that though too like expenses grow,
but as that fund balance grows, 4% still gets higher and higher each year
because the performance of the trust,
as we saw in finance, has been doing really well.
And they modeled for us that
long term in perpetuity of wanting to make sure that we're being
responsible stewards of that trust, that taking these additional
amounts in this year's budget and next year's budget will not have
a massive, you know, detriment to the balance long term.
I want to make sure I didn't miss here.
You mentioned this was a reset year and that.
Usually pre-COVID
the budget would go up about 3% every three years, not all at once,
but over the course of year, every year it was averaging.
So I went back again,
looked year over year, and the expense increase was about 3% total.
I didn't go through areas, but just in total the budget grew 3% per year.
Thinking
it's.
This is just a summary.
So based on right now I'm not taking that $700,000
and taking all the assumptions that we've just discussed.
We're still at a -675 for next year.
And that's just again, looking at.
The few.
Years prior to next year.
So this is saying from the proposed budget,
obviously so many variables play into this that it changes.
But with
looking at a
deficit of 675,000, if this is not factoring in receiving the
the pilot payment and all projections of revenues and expenses
played true,
receiving that pilot would allow.
A balanced.
A balanced budget.
Okay.
So the next step so this so between now and June 13,
what we really do want to shore up those projections the budget because
again so what happens with this proposed final it's no filing with the state.
It's just basically the board says, yes, we're going to
advertise this as a proposed final knowing we're coming June
13th to vote on the final.
So the big
key pieces in my mind anyway, pulling that giant pilot
and I think I should be getting any day now, the hotel tax will support two
more months of hotel tax
revenues just to to gauge that, as long as they're coming in strong.
I think at this point we can be pretty confident on that.
We need to get some updates on state subsidy revenues that also that does
include basic education, special education, try and get a little bit
closer to knowing what the.
Our. State legislators are going to give us next year.
We will be.
Getting from the county the updated tax rolls again
and the homestead farm side calculations.
And so that'll be something that that will come into play.
The tax base will be updated from the county, so we'll know how much
natural growth we've had
and then be able to do that calculation and really know what our
revenue tax revenues will be next year.
You know, and then again, like like
I just said, we'll keep really looking at how things are trending 2122
if they're coming in really strong and,
you know, if there's any movement or, you know, changes that we should make
to that revenue budget, we'll do the same thing for for expenses.
I really want to look at the salaries now.
We pretty much are in good position with getting everybody see it and make sure
those final projections on what those numbers look like that
we have, you know, we have that personnel budget
nailed down so that we have a good number in that projection
still waiting on the property property and liability insurance record.
Kind of a rough year here, too, with some of the sinkholes.
And we've got some coverage, but
carriers get a
little leery looking at our history this year.
So I think they've got it down under an 8%, though.
So I'm hoping to be around an eight.
Unfortunately, cyber the cyber world, cyber coverage, which we absolutely need.
I know
knows they're working very closely with them, trying to get them
everything that they need.
But cyber carriers are pulling out of the market left
and right because nobody wants to touch it anymore.
Just because there's been so many
unfortunate happenings.
So we're still kind of waiting on that.
Just again, just something to be mindful of.
And again, we will look at will keep looking at those expense line items
if there's anything that we can change or think differently
on, we'll we'll make those adjustments too.
So then the next thing would be the May 23rd
finance committee and then really come out of that with
pretty much a good feel of where we're going.
And what we're. Going to do. June 13th.
Mrs. Purcell, this is Terrie Singer.
Just go back to Slide 11 for one second.
For 2122, you're predicting a surplus then of
86 886,000.
That's not my prediction.
That's the budget as it was passed last year.
So I'm still looking at we're really cleaning up encumbrances.
That's another thing I want to do between and finance is to really try
and get a better projection to figure out where we might land.
Again, I know some that that tuition specialty.
We've got a couple of line items that are going to come in over
in hoping there's others that don't come in because we still
I think have been pretty cognizant on spending this year.
So so I think some of the spend areas are down.
So that's just based on a projection
from last year, not an estimate of what you think it might be for this year.
Okay.
Thank you. I want to. Do that from finance.
Thank you.
If I can just comment, this is Lindsay Druitt.
I've struggled with the tax increase
because it hits people wallets and their livelihood
and we're seeing inflation costs everywhere.
And the impact of that is real.
I feel it personally,
but I think one thing that's important to keep in mind
is that this budget
has a lot of wants that are not in it,
and that I think that
the administration and district has done a really good job
at really identifying those things there.
This budget is not without sacrifice.
Their positions that we didn't feel when we did early retirement incentives
to be able to
avoid any, you know, furlough situations during the pandemic.
There were a lot of things that that we did proactively to try to
to get expenses under control and anticipate for
what this is going to look like as we emerge from the pandemic.
So I think that's something important to and also the fact that we haven't raised
taxes in a number of years and taxes that were projected to be increased
in the budgets a couple of years ago ended up being decreased
in the total amount that needed to be done.
And it was specific to full day kindergarten.
And the staffing needs to be able to carry out full day kindergarten.
So we've been able over these years to
absorb that average 3% increase
without increasing our tax base
and revenue by that same amount.
And so I think when we made the decision
last year and in the previous year to not pass on the tax increase, given
the economic conditions and what was going on
in kind of pandemic life, we did that knowing that
we would come to this day and have to look at where those
fund balances needed to be made up and how we would be able
to kind of reposition for the future, too,
to make sure that we were, you know, financially secure.
So I think sometimes it's really easy to forget those pieces of it
and all of the things that have been done.
We restructured debt to be able to save money on debt in the last budget,
you know, for that year so that we didn't have a larger deficit at the end
and have put a lot of protective measures in place.
But I know that doesn't always show just here.
You know, when you're looking at the budget.
This is Erika Schmidt.
So have you I'm assuming
that the Finance Committee and yourself, you
maybe worked through
trying to balance this with maybe
half of the 3.4%
going in a lower increase for this year.
Like I said, it just seems like there's so many things it could change over these
this next year.
Can you explain what things you're referring to?
Like what things what things are you saying could change?
Well.
If I mean, we have the
the pilot that was not in here
that is going to be brought back
the most.
And she's still without the pilot.
There's a deficit.
Like we're negative without the pilot.
I see that.
Okay.
So it's balanced, which with the pilot.
So now it's balanced
the hopefully tuition.
Hopefully if we can bring kids back, that might give us some money there.
The technology is that
is that is going to be
200,000 each year.
Is that.
If you look back, it's actually less than it was a couple of years. Ago.
On that one item.
And that is that is just to keep up.
It's all it's on a refresh cycle.
So there is a cycle so each year and to not have a spike in a jump,
you're going to see at least that amount every year,
just as laptops are refresh to student.
You know, it's the students and the staff laptops.
It's all the all the the drivers, all the access points, everything that we have.
So in order to keep that line item from,
you know, having its ups and downs,
they have a really good cycle in place to do all that.
Plus, it's not just the hardware, it's all the software.
And so big component of that piece is the software.
And that's that's what's driving the curriculum
and bringing that instruction into the classroom.
So well, and not just on the ED side.
So all of our administration, it's the
there's a contract coming just to renew our accounting and h.r.
Software. So there's just things.
That.
We and i will say from discussing with
the technology department and the buildings, they really do
take a close look every year at are we using the software course?
That's one of the questions I ask.
I know that's it's something you know, I've dealt with in every school is is
is it being used?
Is it working? You know, is it beneficial?
So they've really they really have and continue to do
to go through those lists and make sure that it's
not just throwing money at something that we're not using.
So I you know, I have
confidence in what is
being requested is not a lot of wants.
It really is needs at this point.
I think on the technology piece too, for historical context,
when you look at the fact that the technology budget is
375,000 and close to $400,000 less
in the proposed budget than the actual for 2020 2021
back then was when we also made the transition to be 1 to 1 technology
for all students, which ended up being a blessing in disguise
because when we switched to the virtual learning, we had
a device for every child K-12, which we wouldn't have had before.
But I think it also lends to the transition
that the technology department's done a great job with of leasing those iPads
and the way they've structured that. So
with the, you know, four or $500,000 a year towards that lease, the way
that those devices have shifted across buildings and depending on what the needs.
Were.
For newer technology, you know, with some of the
secondary students, elementary students were able to use the younger ones.
So that was costs have shrunk.
While we've been able to expand access to technology
and save costs on the lease programs. Yes.
So this Robert Bennett, what can you talk about like what impact
there would be on the capital fund with that transfer?
I know didn't get transferred last year.
It looked like
if that were to be decreased or not happen again, I'm not familiar
with the balance of the capital fund of my head.
So what would that look like if that were to be foregone?
What happens then
is and one of the things that we have to be mindful of knowing
that we will have in the next five years some significant
needs for debt service to do something with the elementary school.
So we are looking at no matter what the answer
is, it's going to be significant and we will need funding for it.
We're currently coming into this year.
We had approximately a $6 million on capital balance.
What that does between our capital, all of our fund balances,
it really helps to keep our bond rating.
So when we go to sell bonds, we
can get very good rates on them.
So it is important that we don't want to card that down.
Last year, the $1 million did not go over.
So the fund balance, I believe in CAP went down almost to pushing
$2 million, maybe
not sure where we are this year.
So I do plan to bring that for next month
that we go ahead and make that fund balance transfer, get that over there.
And once we know for sure what our
projected year end looks like,
because we do want to maintain that balance in there, as has Dr.
Winslow said, like
anything that happens of significant numbers,
we need to be able to have a fund balance and not go
have a need for money at that at that point in time.
So you do want to keep that fund balance.
I've been through ratings calls and they are very key
on what your fund balances are and how you manage your fund balances.
So that's that's a big part of keeping your bond rating.
I have a quick question, so
I'll just make a comment on the fund balance.
It doesn't have to be an all or nothing.
It can be a grading in there.
But the pilot payment of the 700,000,
that's what was that's been shared with us of what the expectation is.
But isn't that less than pre-COVID years?
And could it be could it be greater since they've been.
Doing well.
That I don't know.
I have to look at those numbers.
I think that we know in the last few years that was just the estimate
that was thrown out that the plan for the December payment
and I'll verify that again, I'll back and double check if there's any.
That's a lowball from them.
But it was around 700.
Prior to.
Maybe 750. I was thinking was closer to 750.
But the numbers, when I look back, it's been like high six, 9700.
Thank you.
With the all or nothing too.
I think with Cap reserve, the thing that happens is if there was
if we couldn't make a fund balance transfer just because it's in the budget,
we don't have to transfer it.
I would like to promote that.
We do make that transfer this year since we did not last year,
just just to keep that fund balance
about, you know, above the $5 million mark.
And you're currently reworking the capital plan
to really identify the timeline because there are a number of projects
that got put on the back burner with the pandemic that we didn't move forward with.
So figuring out
what is
earmarked and what is going to be needed to catch up.
We that will be coming forward and general services
also on May 23rd.
So anyone have any additional questions
regarding the budget presentation?
Thank you, Mrs.
Purcell.
I would like to announce that the board met in executive session
prior to this meeting to discuss informational and personnel items.
Moving on to the first recognition of citizen for agenda items,
this is an opportunity for residents and taxpayers
to address the board On matters related to the agenda.
Citizens wishing to speak
should come to the microphone or, raise their virtual hand.
If attending virtually, you must have registered
individually with your first and last name to be recognized.
Once recognized you're unmuted, please state your full name and address
for the record, this is a reminder that public comment is not a forum
for personal attacks, antagonistic behavior or harassment.
Please be advised that you are accountable for any legal ramifications, actions
and liability resulting from statements
that misrepresent the truth, defame individuals,
or disclose personal information, not of public concern.
To provide other residents with an opportunity to speak.
Each speaker during the public comment portion
is limited to 5 minutes of speaking time once recognized and limited
to one opportunity to address the board during each of the public comment periods.
If necessary,
the board may set a maximum time for public comment portion of any meeting.
I will ask Board Treasurer, Mrs.
Sicard to please keep time and Mrs.
AG had also like to note for the record that Mrs.
Sikka is now with us.
Are there
any residents or taxpayers who would like to comment at this time?
Not here in person getting a head nod,
anyone virtually attending.
Please raise.
Your virtual hands at this time.
See one.
Tim. Carol Smith, you've been given permission to speak.
Please state your name and address.
For the record.
Go ahead.
This is Tim Smith, 226 Highland Road, Hershey,
go ahead.
Do you hear me?
Yes, we can. Thank you.
Thank you.
Hey, I had it. I just have a quick question.
I just wanted to make sure this because I'm not sure about the 3.4% increase.
Is that is it possible it may not be 3.4%.
Is it possible it could be lower?
Mrs. Purcell, would you
typically just for clarification, we typically don't have question
answer during public comment, but I think I'm sorry.
That's okay. But I think that that's one
that's relevant and probably can be easily addressed.
I think going back to the last the next steps,
if we based on what we're seeing in the over the next month,
if we can make changes or look at projections differently,
we will take that into a part of the discussions that finance on the 23rd.
Okay.
Thank you. Thank you.
Is there anyone else who would like to participate virtually
in public comment at this time?
I do not see any other hands raised,
so we will move on to standing committee meeting reports.
The Curriculum Council and Policy committees met today. Dr.
Cronan, do you have a curriculum report to share, please?
I do indeed, and we had a very robust meeting.
I will try to be as brief as possible.
The first thing we did was a presentation on a pilot math program.
So for those of you who are unfamiliar with the elementary school
that we've been using everyday
math for 20 years, it does meet the standards of the state.
But there was a committee formed to speak with various company
vendor representatives, watching videos, looking at reports, viewing samples,
and it was agreed to do choose a program to do a pilot on to look for
a possibly a an approved plan.
So our Eureka two is a platform that was chosen.
It's standards based. It offers various levels of proficiency, it
offers differentiated differentiation for student
education, including enrichment as well as ELC.
The pilot will begin in
this school year, August of 2022.
It will involve two teachers per grades K through five for one year.
It they will have professional development every two weeks, including weekly
coaching of those teachers, and the teachers will provide feedback.
They will give the findings to back to Curriculum Council in February of 2023
with a final read of their output data
in March of 2023 for approval for instituting in the following year
the basic presumption in of everyday math is that you do spiral learning
so that although it moves quickly, concepts are repetitive,
whereas with the Eureka program it's a mastery approach.
So you may do multiple, you know, a set of maybe three lessons
and everyday Matthew may do 20 in Eureka until students get it.
So it's a a change from mastery, from the spiraling.
Obviously in math, it always spirals just by the fact that it is a
new mathematical.
Concepts are repeated despite the level.
The second
thing was looking at graduation pathways for the state.
So for 2023, there is there has been alternative
pathways provided for students to graduate rather than just passing the three
Algebra one Biology and literature Keystone tests,
which have been previously required for graduate.
And so the initial path for students would be to take those tests and pass them
and then that would be their graduation requirement.
The other pathways do not alleviate the need to take the test
because that remains a federal accountability guideline.
But if if a student does not pass
either proficient or advanced their, the second pathway
would be a composite of scores such that they could have
proficient or advanced in two of them.
And as long as they weren't less than basic, they could potentially still pass
or they could have a composite score of all three of them
at a level 4452 to still be able to graduate.
The third pathway is a passing grade in the
corresponding course.
The fourth pathway would be an assessment.
They would have to pass the course, say what biology they did if they did not pass
the biology keystone test, but they passed the biology course,
that would be the second the alternate pathway, the fourth pass.
We would be passing the course
and passing another indicator such as the ACT, your S.A.T.
or an AP test or drawn dual enrollment course
or being sent into a four year college.
The fifth pathway would be
an evidence based approach where they would have to pass the course,
demonstrate proficiency in other ways, including some of those I just mentioned.
Subject S.A.T.
Subject testing three getting a three on AP,
a three on several AP courses, tests
any drawn réellement course an industry credentialing college acceptance
and a
final one would be based on IEP goals or a superintendent waiver.
So the bottom line is these six additional pathways offer alternative ways
for students to still be able to graduate if they don't pass
all three Keystone tests with a proficient or advanced.
And the p the p
PPE is providing
a tracking tool for the district to keep track of students availability.
So it just offers more alternatives because especially during COVID,
there was a lot of stress about students being able to to pass those.
There may be additional COVID relief pathways for the class of 23
and 24 because of what they lost during COVID.
The other thing we talked about was the the book challenge.
There are the books saying
gender was challenged in terms of appropriateness for middle school
committee met on April 25th two to address it, a multifactorial committee, various
representatives, and they will present their findings back to us on May 12th.
Let's see new business.
There were let's. See.
Four books were proposed.
One was a sixth grade book called Command R,
3/7 grade books, Refugees Wednesday Wars.
They called us Enemy and Drum Girls in Dangerous Pies.
All four of those books are I'm sorry, five of those books are considered
read aloud books.
So they're not necessarily textbooks, but they're options for the school,
for the teacher to incorporate in their curriculum.
And they were all approved to move to a first reading.
So they'll be on display the next 30 days.
The old business was three textbooks.
Two of them were Spanish Rebel and La Noche.
And so Stand Bill, which I'm sure I'm pronouncing wrong, and little fires
everywhere, all three of those were approved
to move to a second reading and then they will come to the board
and they were also force for course, revisions.
Sixth grade, cocoa principal, sixth grade digital literacy,
seventh and eighth grade family, consumer science and eighth grade
digital literacy, which were all approved for course, revision,
which will move to the second reading as well.
And the next meeting will be on June 13th.
Curriculum CO curriculum.
People didn't miss anything.
I think you got it.
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you.
I have the Policy
Committee report for today.
The first. Item was.
Oh, excuse me.
Unfinished business regarding the attendance meetings.
Yeah, electronic communication.
The proposed changes were not approved to move forward to the board for review.
But another amendment with a language change.
So that will be coming to the board for.
A. 30 day review consideration.
The next were revised and reviewed policies,
many of which had recommendations from PSP. A
the first one student discipline Policy 218
that adds language regarding off campus activities and the
committee recommended that
and approved that to move to the full board as presented.
The next one was policy to 20
student expression and dissemination of materials,
which has a title change,
and that was also approved
as presented to come to the board for 30 review.
Next step was policy 227
for controlled substances and paraphernalia
that was approved to come to the full board
with the amendment of adding the definition of off campus activities
because it had been referring
back to student discipline and we felt it would be better to include
that definition in the policy so that it was clear and concise.
The next policy was policy to 37 electronic devices.
This was a rather large overhaul of the text in this policy.
Ultimately, what it's doing is allowing for clarification.
The policy had not been reviewed since 2013 and technology
has obviously changed, advanced quite a bit.
It was still you making reference to the use of pagers, which ironically Mr.
Bennett had one of those with him.
So all electronics are still relevant,
but we've added quite a few to that list.
But what this really does is level sets from the board expectation that
electronic devices per board policy are not permitted
for use by students during the school day in the district and then allows for
the use by building by
based on the the building principles.
Structure for.
How they want to see electronic devices used within that building.
The Policy Committee did recommend this for approval, but added
just a clarification in there to make a reference to the student handbook.
So that policy does state that.
The student handbook is always what should be.
Referred for the.
Most appropriate and up to date building level guidance on what electronic devices
are acceptable to use and when based on the building principles
outlined for that in administrative regulations.
And then the final that we reviewed
or revised was for food services.
This change had an update regarding language
based on USDA regulations, but ultimately
it took out a paragraph that reference for students
who are not eligible for free or reduced meals.
Previously, if they had a negative lunch balance for a certain amount of time.
The policy called for the allowance of serving alternative
meals to those students.
That language has now been removed, so there are no longer will no longer be
alternative meals provided for students, whether they are.
Eligible.
For free or reduced or not, and regardless of the negative account balance.
So that was approved
to the full board as presented by the committee
for our next meeting.
We're looking at the board operating guidelines and the board policies
that they associate with just to make sure that everything was laid out there. Dr.
Cronin volunteered to work with Dr.
Refsnyder on those, and the committee will be doing a full review.
Of. Board operating guidelines and the policies associated
and seeing making sure that they're not any changes necessary
in order to have consistency amongst those.
And that concludes the report for Policy Committee.
Lest anyone can think of
anything I miss, the committees were very full.
Today, so thank you for your patience of that.
Moving to Committee Correspondents Report.
Ms.. Karp, how do you have a report for us, please?
I do thank you for the month of April, the district
seven Community correspondence Submissions, comments and questions
from this month included a question about spring recess,
a question about high school transcripts, two comments about in library books,
a concern about middle school, a question about the recent finance meeting.
And a question about the. 2223 school year.
Not everything.
Thank you for student
Representatives report Masala Deepa, do you have a report for us, please?
Yes, I do.
So, Senior prom will be next Friday,
May 20th, and it will be from 615 to 11 p.m.
at the Hershey Hotel.
And the Hershey Gardens will be open from 5 to 545 pictures.
The class of 2022 commencement will now be held at the giant center
on June 8th, 2022, at 7 p.m.
This will allow students to have an additional five tickets to invite.
More family. And friends.
AP testing will conclude this week on Thursday at the high school.
I, for 1 a.m.
very glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel
and Hershey Band will be having their last concert of the year
tonight at 730 in the high school auditorium Hershey Middle School Choir
and Orchestra will have their concert tomorrow May 10th at 7 p.m.
in the middle school auditorium.
And to finish off the week, Hershey High School Orchestra will have
their final concert on May 11th, Wednesday at 730 in the high school auditorium.
So I have the Trojan ten for the month of April.
And congratulations to Bathsheba Grant,
Representative Claire Dato,
Kevin Ding, Rachel, Elissa Connor, Pugliese and arrangers Catherine Tuition,
Julia Toia, Riley, Walsh and Grant Zimmerman.
They were invited to the library conference room on Friday, April 29th.
They had their picture taken.
They received a certificate and a little small gift back from the school.
So Thank you to Dr.
Andrew Gregory off, Mr.
Chris Boggess and Mrs.
Nikki Fisher, who started this last year and were able to just celebrate
positive role models in at the high school.
And lastly, although it is a little late, Jordan, about the and I would like to say
Happy Teacher Appreciation
Week to all our teachers in the Derry Township School District.
Our teachers have been such a fundamental part
of our education for the better part of like 12 years or so.
So we just wanted to thank all the teachers past and present
for helping foster grow and shape us into the people we are today.
Thank you. Thank you.
There is
no unfinished business, so consent agenda is next.
The consent agenda contains routinely adopted items and items
that normally do not require public deliberations on the part of the board.
A member may pull items which will then be discussed and voted on separately.
Please have a motion to approve the consent agenda items as listed.
So moved to Miami.
Second. Donna Cronan.
Is there any discussion?
This is a standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please say I and the oppose
consent agenda is approved.
Moving on to new business.
The first item is approval of the Caq Agreement for School age
Special Education Services. Dr.
Winslow The administration recommends the approval of the SIU agreement for school
aged special education services from July 1st, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
Thank you.
May I please have a motion to approve
the SIU School Age Special Education Services Agreement?
So wrote Miriam I May 2nd.
Cathy Zucker Is there any discussion.
This is a standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please.
May I add the opposed.
Item is approved approval.
Of direct energy Business marketing contracts for natural gas. Dr.
Winslow Administration recommends the board approve the contract
with Direct Energy to provide natural gas pricing
as a participant in the IU 13 Electricity and Natural Gas
Procurement program effective July 1st, 2022 through June 30th, 2026.
Thank you.
May I please have a motion
to approve the Direct Energy Business Marketing contracts for natural gas?
So moved Kathy Secker second. Maria Mimi.
Is there any discussion?
This is a standard voice.
All those in favor, please say I I any opposed.
Item passes.
Approval of Direct Energy Business Marketing.
Contract. Dr. Watson.
The administration recommends the board approve the contract with Direct Energy
to provide electricity pricing as a participant in the IU 13
Electricity and natural gas.
Natural Procurement Program, effective November
28, 2022 through June 30th, 2026.
Thank you.
May I please have a motion to approve
the Energy Business Marketing contract for electricity pricing?
So moved Kathy Zika second. Maria Mimi.
Is there any discussion?
Can I just ask Mrs. Purcell, this is Kathy Zika.
This is new for us right?
Yes, this is.
And currently our electricity and natural gas pricing are two separate contracts.
This will get us on the same cycle.
That's delayed start on this one, the electricity.
But yes, this is a new participation in the IU 13
cooperative program.
So hopefully this cooperative agreement will get us lower prices.
That's payment.
And this. You brought this to us, right? Correct.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
Any further discussion?
This is standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please say I opposed
motion passes
approval of Amendment three agreement with, as you point, educational systems.
Dr. Winslow.
The administration recommends the board approve the Amendment three with you.
Point educational systems to add synergy analytics
to the District's existing software license agreement with any point.
May I please have a motion to approve the Amendment
three Agreement with Education Educational.
Services So moved Miami.
Second. Donna Cronan.
Is there any discussion?
This is standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please say I opposed
approval of premature progressive systems contract.
Dr. Winslow.
The administration recommends
the board approve the contract with Hummer Turf Grass Systems, Inc.
for athletic field maintenance.
I do just want to note that this is retroactive.
They have begun their services for us.
Thank you.
May I please have a motion to approve the Hummer trip Grass Systems contract.
So moves Brahimi second.
Kathy Sicker.
Is there any discussion?
This is a standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please say I and the.
Oppose.
Approval of life to touch contract.
Dr. Winslow.
The administration recommends approval of a one year contract of life
touch for the middle school yearbook during the 2022 23 school year.
Thank you.
May I please have a motion
to approve the light touch contract for the middle school yearbook?
So moved. Where am I? May 2nd. Cathy Seger.
Is there any discussion?
This is standard voice vote All those in favor.
Please say I try.
Any opposed to No.
And passes.
Approval of listed presenter Contract agreement.
Dr. Winslow.
The administration recommends the board approve the presenter contract with more.
It's consulting.
Do you want to make clear
that this is specifically for social emotional learning?
And the outline of the JS program is in the contract for public view?
Thank you.
May I please have a motion to the listed presenter contract?
Thelma Cathy's sticker Second.
Maria. Mimi Is there any discussion?
This is a standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please say I any opposed? No
item is approved.
Approval of request for increased distribution. Dr.
Winslow, The.
Administration recommends the board approve the one time
increase of distribution from the Milton Hershey Trust from 4%
to 5% for the 2022 2023 fiscal year.
Thank you.
May I please have a motion
to approve the request for increased distribution
from the Derry Township School District's Milton Hershey Trust?
So move to Kathy Sicker second Maria Mimi.
There any discussion?
This is a standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please say. I.
Any oppose, Say no
transfer as approved resolution
authorizing the 2020 to 2023 final budget Display and advertising, please. Dr.
Winslow Resolved by the Board of School Directors of Derry Township School
District is presented to the School Board on May nine, 2022, available
for public inspection at least 20 days before the date
scheduled for adoption of the final budget and to at least ten days
before the date scheduled for adoption of the final budget.
The Secretary shall advertise a final budget notice and substantial.
Finally, the form as presented to the school Board.
The notice shall be advertised months in a newspaper of general circulation
and shall be posted conspicuously at the school district offices and websites.
Thank you.
May I please have a motion for the resolution authorizing the 2022
2023 proposed final budget display and advertising.
So move to Kathy Secker Sackett.
Maria Mimi, is there any discussion.
With this approval?
Is she just put it out there, is that what you're saying?
Yes. This going to the public display period and then the final
resolution on the budget will be at the June 13th meeting.
Okay.
So what if there want to be changes
to be made or anything from here?
The Finance Committee will meet on
May 23rd and make the recommendation for the final budget
for any changes differing from this displayed
one to the full board for the June 13th meeting.
And then obviously board members have the individual
vote on June 13th for the final approval.
Right.
But if we vote no
at the next meeting, it has be taken back
because it has to be some kind of approval by the end of June, correct?
Correct.
If a majority of the board did not pass the budget at the.
June 13 meeting.
Ultimately we have to pass a budget by June 30th.
This is Cathy Dicker.
I would say that this I would anticipate this being the.
Final budget.
Because is the proposed.
Budget and
things may not change.
So if you're opposed to it.
You vote no tonight, okay, because we won't have time in June to.
Do that. But that was my question. Tonight's your night.
Okay, Thanks.
But also. When would.
Individuals be able to provide the Finance
Committee there any anything they want to propose?
Like you still have a voice before the May 23rd meeting
to make suggestions that you're not on finance?
Right now. So she could
this is just
I mean, you all have seen this a million times.
Most of us or some of us have not.
So just something to digest and understand.
But May 20, there would be a forum
or provide you with information if she wanted to offer.
Right.
I mean, you can give information to the Finance Committee
or you can come to the Finance Committee and sit in the audience and and.
Comment as a citizen.
Since they only have four members on the Finance Committee.
So we're not a quorum,
but I would say that since we've worked through the budget process
since last fall till now.
That this is the budget.
That is likely going to go forward with not.
A lot of changes. So.
All right,
with that being said, can I ask a question to.
Is this the consensus of the.
The. Finance Committee that this is what necessary moving forward?
And that's kind.
Of like a collective consensus among everybody
who's really been diving into this for a significant amount of time.
Right. So there's four board members on the Finance Committee.
It was approved by all four of us to move to this level.
I, I will say that,
you know, in the past, the board has not had a finance committee.
We were a finance. Committee of the whole.
And we would discuss Finance one meeting month.
But in the last few years,
we've relied pretty heavily on the Finance Committee to kind of deep.
Do a deep dive into.
These, because we didn't feel when we were a committee as a whole,
we didn't feel like we spent a lot of time on it at board meetings.
Now we spend an hour every month that finance committee going through this.
So it's a much more detailed process.
So, yes, this has been vested through the Finance Committee
and all four board members are recommending it. Things.
Are there any other questions?
This is easy.
I'll ask for a roll call vote on this place.
Mr. Bennett.
No, Doctor.
Per annum.
Yes, that's true. Yes.
Dr. Cook.
Sorry. Yes,
This is many. Yes,
Mr. Rizzo. Yes,
Mrs. Schmidt. No.
The sticker.
Yes, Mr.
Singer? Yes.
Know.
I would just like to note that all of the finance committees are recorded
and they've been, like Kathy said, that they've been discussing it.
So I think that would have been a good way to
go back and listen to what they have been proposing all along.
So, as you know, this didn't just come up last week.
Nobody said it did.
But for some of us that this hasn't been
one thing we have been diving into.
So it would be nice to go back and just,
you know,
digest it a little bit.
I guess
this is not a personal attack on your budget meeting.
It's just something that I want to look at.
Right.
I'm just saying, if you're you
this was on the agenda tonight, like there was an opportunity to listen.
I mean, and Cheryl was always available for questions.
I mean, but we have been talking about we've been talking about this
in executive session through negotiations with ACA.
I just wanted to make it clear that
this isn't something that just got popped on the agenda tonight to not be.
I understand, but there is a lot of resources available to educate yourself.
But again, I'm just I just want the public to know that
the finance meetings are audio recorded.
Anybody can sit and listen to them and bring themselves up to speed.
Well, thank you for that, Mrs. Mimi.
We appreciate that.
Personnel Resignations.
Dr. Winslow.
The administration recommends the approval of the personnel resignations.
Thank you, ma'am.
Please have a motion to approve the personnel resignations.
So moved. Maria. Mimi.
Second. Cathy Singer.
Is there any discussion?
This is a standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please say I any opposed personnel?
Resignations are. Approved.
Personnel. General. Dr. Windsor.
The administration recommends the approval
of a list of personnel and recognition of any listed transfers.
Thank you.
May I have a motion
to approve enlisted personnel and recognition of any listed transfers?
So moved.
Maria Me second. Mike Rizzo.
Is there any discussion?
This is a standard voice vote.
All those in favor, please say I.
I. And the opposing no
personnel general is approved
Delegate reports.
The SEIU report is attached.
Mr. Schmitt, do you have anything to add to that?
Nope, not tonight. Thank you.
The SBA report is also attached.
Dr. Cronan, do you have anything you would like to add?
No, I do not think you.
Derry Township Tax Association, Mrs.
Mimi or Dr. Cronan.
Do you have a report for the Jerry Township tax Association?
I do.
We approved
the financial reports January, February and March 2022 and.
Then I also wanted to make a note that they are looking into processing
credit cards.
So that's a hot topic at the tax Association.
That's all I have.
Thank you.
Special reports.
Are there any board members who would like to give a report?
Yeah, this is Donna Cronan.
This isn't necessarily a report, but two comments.
One, I just want to say that I,
I believe all board members do their best to keep up and everyone has
their own means of doing it.
And I don't think it was it's I'm sure you would
didn't mean it that way, but I feel like it was not really fair to Mr.
Schmidt who who is doing her due diligence.
But we all have our own timing and means of doing that.
I don't believe that everybody here is ever, always fully prepared and in any case,
I trust that you'll make the decision that you're comfortable with.
But I also wanted to make a huge shout out to
Justin Rogers has just made a Traverse Award winner
representing Hershey, which is a an amazing accomplishment.
The fact that he broke this, the 17 foot mark in the high jump just gives me chills
when I when I first heard it and that he'll he'll be going on
to to the state championship at the end of this month.
And I'm just very proud that Hershey is has another
amazing Traverse Award winner.
Thank you. Dr. Brennan.
Are there any other board members who would like to give a report?
Doctor One's idea of a superintendent support?
I do. Everybody is still in my things. But
so I was going to start out with congratulating Justin Rogers for the.
I'm sorry. That's okay.
It's a good thing to recognize for the Anti-bank John Travers Award.
It was just awarded this afternoon in Harrisburg.
So it's very exciting.
Also wanted to make sure that
the high school commencement change of venue was which
we're seeing represented and so some shared
but we are switching to the giant center.
We had the opportunity last week,
the district that had reserved the giant center for June 8th decided
to continue to hold their commencement ceremony outside,
which meant that it was available for us and
we talked about it with the high school team and
decided to make that switch from the theater over to the giant center,
which is very exciting.
It gives us a lot more opportunity for participation.
Students can now have ten tickets a person instead of per family
instead of only six, and a lot more staff can participate and be present.
So we're very happy about that change and very thankful to our partners at.
AEG and.
For reaching out to us and giving us that opportunity, especially
Heather Storm and Garrett Goglia.
And then
I also wanted to take a moment because I forgot to do it last week to
publicly appreciate our teachers.
It's been a really rough years and they have been very flexible.
They have worked through very difficult times and have
just continued to to give our their all to our students and to the district.
And I'm very grateful for them.
I thank you, Dr.
Windsor, for board president's report.
I just want to officially welcome Dr.
Cook for her first public meeting.
And thank you for the time that you've spent over the past week since
being appointed and getting prepared
and going through the orientation,
I think that you're to be an incredible asset to the board.
And and we're excited to have you here.
So welcome. Officially,
I'll also just echo from the teacher appreciation part
and then hearing the seniors, I can't believe that we're already
in May and that senior activities are coming
and that prom will happen, senior prom will happen before we meet again.
So just best of luck to everyone as they're going through these AP finals
and heading into the fun part of senior activities.
It's so good to see it back
and for the students to be able to have these experiences.
So a lot of exciting things to come.
I always somehow forget how may just becomes the most busy month
and each year it's like, Oh, right, May is crazy,
so best of luck to them.
Um, recognition of citizens.
This is the opportunity for residents and taxpayers to address board on matters
related to the agenda
or matters of district governance which are not on the agenda.
Those who speak are asked to follow the same guidelines
as outlined at the initial public comment portion of our meeting.
I'll once again ask Board Treasurer, Mrs.
Sicard, to please keep time.
Are there any residents or taxpayers who would like to comment at this time
getting another
no shake from the audience member
So we'll move to virtual.
Okay, seeing them,
is there anything else for the good of the order?
The next public Board of Directors meeting will be held on
May 23rd, 2022, beginning at 7:00 PM.
Please refer to the District website to register virtually.
The meeting draws closer now please have a motion to adjourn this meeting.
So moved. Maria Mimi second Gabby Zeiger.
All in favor, please say I oppose.
No meeting is adjourned at 8:39 p.m..
Have a great evening.