School Committee: March 13, 2023

Transcript captured from YouTube auto-captioning. No speaker labels; proper names and dollar figures occasionally misheard. Click any timecode to jump to that moment in the source video.

0:16 I just want to confirm everybody got the line live stream message we I messed that up technologically wise last week perfect thank you um

0:29 let me check yeah we’re still waiting for a couple of our school committee members

0:41 [Music] [Music] give people one more minute we’re still missing one member

1:11 he looks like we have everybody so I will call us to order at 9am

1:20 and we um I was asked by Dr Bucky last week to um book this last minute meeting I’m going to kick it right off to him so he can explain that I just want to thank the clerk’s office for working with us to so quickly be get this posting up with the 48-hour requirement um Jen and Jill are really quite amazing so I’m gonna kick it off to Dr Bucky thanks Sarah I just wanted the school committee to have an opportunity to you’re on you’re muted Dr Bucky

1:51 am I muted still no I hear you good um I wanted to have this meeting so we could get some direction from the school committee as we’re preparing various budgets certainly we have the austerity budget the 800 000 uh We’ve outlined what those uh what the impact of that budget would be we have the level service budget and then we have the original budget that was presented at school committee workshops by principals and directors and so as we are uh working with the finance committee and budget subcommittee there have been some talk about town and school coming together

2:37 for an override but that would not address the original budget that we proposed and certainly the forecast on the town side which we still have not got a final number we’re continuing to work with the eight hundred thousand dollar number um so looking for school committee to kind of uh weigh in on your thinking on next steps what’s your Dr Bucky obviously is the CEO of the district you you also read the same tea leaves that we do we we have the guidance from the budget or the town on increased appropriation of around eight hundred thousand dollars and you know what the we all know the impact there is we’ve talked about publicly and I know you’re you’re standing by at

3:23 the ready to actualize that because apps in any further guidance from the town or the voters you have to put that in motion with collective bargaining so that starts mid April if I’m not mistaken collective bargaining no the the notifications under the yes for any involuntary transfers that would be by April 15th and then we also know sort of the number we need to up get to in order to under the assumption of level services with contractual obligations with increases in other variable expenses like energy Etc you you sort of know what that number is we did and that number is something that you believe other Town departments will also be

4:10 real trying to realize which is how can they basically provide the same level of services to the town through their departments okay I want to be clear in Dr Bucky correct me if I’m wrong but we were told very very clearly to my knowledge during our fincom meetings they cannot guarantee level service in what would be article 30 um 31 it would because for us level Services would include our out-of-district placements as well as utility costs and a few other contractual obligations that is that has not been determined so we could get what what has been our level funded plus um contractual obligations that only refers to the the

4:57 um bargaining contractual increases that does not include our um our other pieces correct Dr Bucky I’m sorry I didn’t hear your question I I just want to be clear that when we talk about Collective and I want to make sure everyone is either using the raise hand function or going through the chair so that we can just make this efficient um we I just want I would like you to clarify that level service for the schools because we have the increase in out of District placement the increase in the utilities as well as the increase in the i-Ready in math curriculum which we have contracts that obligate us to do we may we have not gotten a commitment from the town that that will be included

5:44 in level services I do I don’t know that they’ve not committed to that okay when we’ve talked to about level service we haven’t indicated what our level service budget would include okay all right I I was under the the understanding that that was still to be negotiated those items would be included in level service I could have misunderstood that wrong Allison your hand is up yeah I I was just gonna say I I think I kind of understood maybe in the middle of YouTube I understood that I don’t think it had been included I don’t think it had been confirmed as not included I think they were still

6:29 I think what Alex said is that he was still hopeful you know he wasn’t sure and didn’t needed Clarity on that too and I think he I thought that he had said his understanding was his understanding or assumption would be that it would be included because that kind of it does make sense right um but that he was not sure and that Clarity was still needed there and then just by one other point that I would make on that is you know wanting to make sure that the same is holding true for all Town departments I just feel like that should be said well that’s not our purview no I know but I’m yeah I’m not I’m not suggesting it’s my purview but I would like I think that’s an important thing given the state of everything

7:15 um I think it would be an interesting question not that we can do anything about it that’s not what I’m saying yeah

7:23 meeting last Wednesday they were pretty clear that they would it would not be an even Steven split if you will it wouldn’t be by by depart or like a percentage of what your budget is um they will have a list for instance fire and police they felt were something they’d rather not touch um because what number is included will be approved by fincom but it is the will of the select board because they sponsored the article so what they will and will not include is to the will of the select board Sarah gold right and then Megan Taylor Megan or Allison do you have more you wanted to say on that oh no sorry did I take my hand down oh no I did no I just didn’t know if I cut you off Sarah Gold’s your hands is up first then Megan Taylor

8:11 I think Sarah was frozen I think she’s Frozen um Megan I’m gonna skip to you because Sarah looks like she’s Frozen maybe she’s napping just kidding go ahead Sarah you’re a frozen person go ahead okay uh sorry I’m not really sure what why my internet is not working well um I think what if I’m understanding what Allison is saying is that you know no other department in the town has something like special education out of District placements that that takes up a a certain chunk um to leave off any clarifiers on it a certain chunk of their budget that has to be met otherwise other things have to go you know we all have paper we all have to keep our lights on we all have to pay our heat bills but that that something like special education is a

8:56 unique and large piece to our budget and I think if I’m understanding what Allison is saying is that to just understand what what is being put into each budget um and allowed to go move forward is is sort of what what you’re asking for Allison obviously we can’t control it but just to understand it yes yeah oh no I just want to make sure we’re it’s hard on Zoom when we all jump and Allison if you’re answering Sarah’s question go ahead yeah I just didn’t I was trying to follow the rules I’m new um I yes that is what I meant Sarah again not because we can have any control over it understanding that

9:41 entirely I just think it’s information that we should know I also think it’s just information that the community should know if I’m being honest thank you Megan and then Tom yeah because it would end up looking or feeling as though we’re being penalized for special education okay okay Megan so I’m gonna apologize in advance because it’s Monday morning and I am not following this conversation so I guess I’m trying to get back to what does Dr Bucky need from us in this meeting and then facilitate a conversation around that because I feel like we just kind of went off a little bit and so I’m not clear what our objective is for this meeting and if we can start there and then okay

10:27 so we’re required to post our budget that we’ll be presenting at the budget hearing by Thursday which would be prior to our meeting so he wanted Direction on what budget to publicize okay fine

10:44 so my understanding is we have to present the what I think we’re calling the austerity budget right because we have to get that approved and so the next question is are we presenting the midline budget or the aspirational budget is that um the original thought was that we would present the three scenarios and explain what they represent and then hear from the public on on what their feedback is and then make a determination we have to um next week vote on the um the the 800 budget but we have a little a slight bit more time to decide if we

11:30 will be including article 32 once we get some more feedback from the town on what will be included in 31 because I think a lot of it matters if if special education utilities and our other two contractual pieces are are something the select board is willing to bring into that budget that makes a big difference if not just to stay quote unquote level service we’re cutting another one plus million so I know you have no control over this but had they get indicated some type of date when they may give us I mean because how do you make decisions if we don’t have you know actual numbers to make decisions on it’s really hard we keep asking um fincom keeps pushing them there’s just no guidance they haven’t closed their books and we we don’t even

12:16 know if the 800 number is real or if we there will be movement there okay um Tom I just wanted to complete the initial thought that I started with The Yesterday by Jay contemplates an increase in appropriation of eight hundred thousand dollars we already know what we have to do for that that’s our base scenario the fixed budget and all this discussion about what town understands or doesn’t understand costs us 1.8 million dollars so it’s an increase of appropriation of 1.8 million dollars so really how we spend that additional 1.8 million dollars we can’t even determine because you may have new out-of-date District placements arrive

13:02 in the summer or what have you that were obligated for but I think fixing a budget is important than Dr Bucky and his team have to then allocate those resources appropriately based upon what we learn on an ongoing fashion whether energy goes up more than we think or less than we think we have more out of District placements or less what have you and there’ll be some trade-offs you may or may not be able to fill certain positions that you would hope to fill in fy24 but we at least we know what our fixed number is it’s going to either be an increase appropriation of around 800 000 or 1.8 million dollars under article 31 if the spirit of that discussion holds true that we’re kind of level servicing if you will I think that based on

13:48 um conversations I’ve had with certain people around town it’s not exhaustive so it’s just a snapshot I think going beyond that is going to be difficult in having a separate article 32 and I would worry that we would um we should really focus on getting to article 31 with the town and um and hopefully we can make that budget work and then focus our our attention on fy25 when we can really evaluate um you know with a new Collective Barney bargaining agreement under our belt maybe look at some other initiatives that we really want to put our political Capital into but I would like to hear from Dr Bucky as CEO of the district

14:35 you’ve been doing this a long time what you would recommend yeah um I think we have presented what the needs of the district are and we also have the fiscal reality of where town is um we presented the needs last year uh the override was unsuccessful for probably many reasons uh one of which was town was signaling that they would be going uh for an override we find ourselves this year where they’re looking at perhaps um a one-year fix for lack of a better

15:22 word and then really looking fy25 and beyond for how to address the structural issues in the budget um I think I would not recommend going out alone as we did last year I think the voters sent a very clear message going out uh without town and so we find ourselves in the same position and I’m not sure the outcome would be any different

15:59 so um that you know that’s that’s kind of what Tom was saying as well and and you know I’m I’m got a lot in my head at this point but I I agree with all the points that are being put forward um I think I think it was a really difficult ask last year um like Dr Bucky just said I think there were many reasons behind the failure um if there was one or two it’d be a lot easier to figure that out and and figure out how to work around that um but I do think that one of those reasons is that we weren’t with town and that for whatever reasons that’s the that is the way many voters at this point in time like for things to move forward in Marblehead

16:44 Marblehead Marblehead um I will I would like to know a little bit more um when I talked to Dr Bucky last we talked about um fully understanding some of those um Personnel pieces and what you know we obviously understand what it means to have to let somebody go but what does that mean for what is the impact on our students um and you know if there’s impact I I think it’s it if there’s direct impact that can be stated as to the morale of the staff I think that’s a lot harder of a question I think just generally it’s bad but if there is any kind of direct impact like we can point to you

17:30 know right raises raising ratios and classes like that type of thing um for students you know if there’s any direct impact to staff that would be of interest as well so um facts and data around what the difference between the um I believe it’s a 5.4 something ask and then the 7.9 um die on the hill because there’s there’s four budgets we’ve talked about at this point um ask that that would be of of interest to me in laying out what you know what we what we discussed at the hearing or what is presented hearing because I do think we need to present something at the hearing we need to solicit feedback direct feedback on what is on something

18:17 that is presented so we all know what the article 30 austerity budget is going to be but kind of because we actually don’t we’re hoping that that’s 800 000 it could be less and then it would be even worse um so I you know we know what we need to do to balance the budget um with nothing but what does it mean what is that 5.4 task look like you know

18:43 all of this is a bitter pill um but I don’t I don’t think I can at this at least sitting here today I don’t think I can move forward without asking people asking the town of Marblehead to keep the lights on and to keep to keep our district intact um obviously again like Tom said we can’t control for how much of the electricity goes up and that type of thing so some of that is a moving Target but I I can’t I cannot sit back and one just allow but you know fifty percent of our our teachers live in town so if we’ve got you know however many 30 ftes like and even if it’s with retirements down closer to 15 that’ll actually be let go you know I cannot I cannot stomach the idea of of

19:31 allowing you know seven of the people that I could see in Crosby’s on a daily basis to be let go without without making that request if the town says no but you know and and again to kind of go back to my other point and then I’ll shut up um what is the impact of kids as well

19:59 I think I forget what I was originally going to say because then my mind went somewhere else because they’re squirrels so sorry I I think one one thing I do also just want to note from our fincom meeting because I’m not sure how many folks watched it or looked back at it I’m not suggesting anybody should or has had time yet um when we talk about the charter kids coming back and the money that comes from that I just want everybody to realize or to recognize because I had asked the question on Friday and Michelle shared that that money goes back to the town it doesn’t in any way shape or form make its way back to us is that correct Michelle right that’s

20:45 what I heard I think Michelle’s on here right oh yes that is correct the town pays the assessment and then the funds go back to the town the are in our Chapter 70 well the towns Chapter 70 I should say because we do not get that directly will increase the following year after they come back but the town also receives that funding we do not receive that funding directly and it never right so I just want to make sure I’m understanding it never makes its way back to the school department to us correct that doesn’t sit right so I just again want to make the statement Megan um like Allison I had a lot of things kind of written down and now like just listening to everybody it’s kind of

21:31 going all over the place but let me see if I can kind of um streamline a little bit I guess from what I’m hearing and anyone correct me if I’m wrong here is that to the town will present that austerity budget for lack of a better word um and then the question is do we also present you know an increase above that as much as I you know we specifically asked Dr Bucky and the leadership team to bring to us what they needed to run the school district and they’ve done that and the unfortunate place we find ourselves is that we’re probably not going to be able to um you know get that funded through the town so what’s kind of like the next best thing and I think from what I’m

22:19 hearing and again correct correct me if I’m wrong is that I’m getting a sense that maybe you know it’s going to be that 5.4 which I can definitely get behind I think I’m just not clear on you I would like the you know I think we’ll need to come back to it once we know what that actually includes let’s include utilities does include special education and I’d really like to have the conversation with the town on how we kind of protect our budget starting with fiscal year 24. um for these increases so we’ve got the special ed Reserve fund we’ve talked about this a number of times right now it’s at 250. the intent when we set that up was that we’d you know continue to increase it by that not just set it at 250 so I would like to know you know

23:04 kind of what the plan is for that and also the utilities um you know we’ve been in this situation before where they have kind of bumped up um the the kind of research on yeah the utilities reserved from but you know we have in the past we have kind of like bumped up where the threshold is for that so we don’t take you know so our operating budget doesn’t take the hit as much so you know if we’re gonna be kind of working for that 5.4 I would like some clarity on those two pieces um you know just so we can protect ourselves and make sure that we you know aren’t losing staff because of those kind of increases so um I guess that’s kind of where my thoughts are right now okay um I just want to say something I’m going to go to Tom because I really haven’t gotten to to speak from my

23:50 perspective yet and I was really happy to hear every everybody else’s perspective um we asked the I I still am at the point where you miss 100 of the shots you don’t take I firmly believe it is my job as a school Committee Member to bring forward a budget that is representative of the needs of our students and then I feel it is the responsibility of the will of the voters to say if they want to fund that or not so I’m still at the point at least through the budget hearing that I would like to present all three levels of budget to the budget hearing that’s the town’s opportunity to speak freely with us to ask questions voice concerns I want to hear those questions and

24:35 concerns I want to see if their support if there’s lack of support I know we each have our own conversations in the community we each have different takeaways that’s great that brings different perspectives to the committee but we asked our our um administrative team our principals our directors Dr Baki to bring us what it need what it what it they need to present an education that is appropriate to our students and I have a really hard time saying without any educational background without any degrees in education then I’m the one that’s going to say no you’re wrong that’s not what it takes so I I still want to present all three options and hear from the voters and the community

25:21 members and everybody that can speak on Tuesday night at our budget hearing before we make that decision um but that’s just my take on one voice I’m not prepared to say we’re we’re that I’m not prepared to say no to what our Educators have said they need before I hear from the community um so that’s just where I’m at but if it is the will of the committee that we not present the administrator’s requests that’s what we needed to be to determining today in time to you and then Megan’s hand after let’s just think that um in the school committee folder for today there is a all fun summary which uh Michelle Cresta put together which

26:08 was amazing it’s basically a proxy income statement which allows the public to see all the sources of income on the top all the sources of expenditures on the bottom and you can see using current District enrollment projected enrollment for next year you can look back to FY 21 and look at different metrics of change you can see a complete picture emerging from the district there are a few things that that jump out what we’re we’re talking about yes there are three potential scenarios that we’ve been discussing and deliberating over the last period of time one based upon Town guidance which is the responsible thing to do two which is some presumptive level

26:54 service number and I hear all the caveats about we don’t really know this or that but you have to use um you know some some number to drive from and you know when you think about the increase in the town appropriation it’s 1.82 under the 800 000 austerity budget it’s 4.12 increase over last year under the level service and we’ve discussed and deliberated on an aspirational budget of an increase in town appropriation of 7.93 I think the key metrics that we can just push aside as fact is enrollment has basically stabilized we’re down two percent and the total head count in the district has gone down or number of teachers I

27:39 should say has has pretty much matched that it’s around three percent um I think what that means is that we have under the austerity budget where we’re going to be cutting headcount you will see an increase in classroom size in the district on average there’s nothing we can do about that that’s fact I think that um you know if we level fund you hopefully can can stem that key metric that parents and people in town point to the one metric that we we have to have a better sense of is our Pro people spend is increasing at a rate faster than our general fund appropriation in any scenario and that’s because of external factors such we think

28:25 could be special ed costs it could be energy Etc but it’s not just uh salary increase and so I you know the narrative that oh we’re paying teachers more head count more and that we can’t keep up with now it’s just not true I do think that we have to be cognizant that this town is in a major financial pickle and so that’s we take half the appropriation from the town the town’s revenues where 50 of their cost center if you will and so as I think about that what is I want the aspirational budget I’d love to push for the aspirational budget I just worry that we would spend a lot of

29:10 political energy and capital on a bridge too far given the financial situation of the town we are in a structural deficit period going into a contract here that will inform a much bigger potential override in fy25 that’s what I worry about I completely understand Sarah Fox’s point about hearing from the people before taking any firm decisions but I also just want to mentioned we have this massive structural deficit that we can’t escape I’ll stop there

29:46 Megan Megan so um I agree Sarah I you know this like I said this is what we asked the leadership team to put forward and it’s really you know this is where the whole time I’ve been on the school committee where I’ve wanted to get to to be able to fund what our school needs 100 percent but I think and I’m just throwing a different perspective out there I’m not saying you know either way which way you know we should do just another thought process is um we know we’ve got a collective bargaining coming up and we also know where we ended up last year and we’re getting close to April to

30:31 so I guess in the back of my head is even if we make the ask will we be successful and what’s the impact to you know the next year when we know we’re going to have additional costs most likely um so from a long-term objective standpoint where do we need to get to and what’s the best best path forward to be successful in that without and impacting our students and our staff as little as possible and hopefully you know

31:08 being able to get move it forward in some direction and I guess I know I’m kind of babbling but this is kind of where I go back and forth in my head you know we also have to think about where we’re going to be long term and make sure that we can achieve that as well Allison um so Megan I I don’t want to repeat everything you said because I think I’m uh that’s how I kind of feel I also just want to point out it’s not

31:36 yes our educator yes we asked our Educators to tell us everything they need but it’s also the town also put us in place to look at that landscape as Megan noted and kind of see writings on the wall seeing the forest through the trees whatever phrase you want to use there to understand and recognize collective bargaining is going to require like there is no we will never not need something next year with collective bargaining and that directly to the teachers not that everything else doesn’t help them in some way shape or form because it does but it’s also that is is replaying in my mind over and over and over again and knowing what

32:24 we’re going to need for that and whether knowing how last year went knowing what a lot of the thoughts and comments were around the budget and around the why or around even you know when people were voting whether it’s for no or a school committee member or what have you I think it’s also our job to take those into consideration and I don’t want to lose sight of that because absolutely everything that we’re doing is for the children we don’t all volunteer our time effort and energy away from our full-time jobs parenting families friends everything else for nothing so this is for our children but it’s also we also still have to look at it as something that we

33:10 we need to forecast out Beyond just right now and we need to be thinking about that and I I just think that that’s an important point the hard piece for me is you know in 2019 I I stood up and I I said we need we need to wait the town’s going to help us next year and then that the next year was the town’s going to help us next year then it’s the next year I looking back it is abundantly clear to me and I can only speak from my perspective if we’re waiting for the town to welcome us to the table for an override that increases our level of service I don’t ever see that day coming so if it’s that we don’t want to bring this budget forward this year that’s fine if it’s because we think the town

33:57 will include us next year or the year the structural deficit is one thing I truly believe based on everything that has been shared to me and everything I have seen there is no point that we will be welcomed into a town-wide increase of services override I do not believe that that day is ever coming and where I find us right now is that our educators are telling us we need to increase our services I.E we need these additional curriculums we need some additional positions and that and and they have really explained this year and I feel a very articulate way how those things benefit students and I would like that

34:43 explanation to be brought forth to the budget hearing but that’s the decision we have to make today are we only bringing forth the austerity budget and the potential 5.4 and we have to remember if 5.4 becomes three because they’re only going to cover our our contractual obligations we no longer like if we recommend to indefinitely postpone article 32 we don’t have a placeholder so we’re still cutting an article 31. so I just I just want to be clear I want to present all three options and hear from the community on Tuesday next Tuesday but we need to decide that as a committee um I thought I saw Megan I see Allison’s hand now or was it Sarah

35:30 maybe not maybe not do we lose Sarah

35:36 no I lowered my hand okay I just wanted to say that I I’m not

35:43 I think we are perpetually waiting on the town but my comment about next year isn’t in any reason I mean I think it would be ideal and I think in a I hate to use the word normal but in in an expected scenario you would be going together with the town why wouldn’t you why would any town and any school committee not want to be in lockstep and I it is a huge bone of contention for me so I I but I I know the town is not there and I nothing that I’m saying is under the presumption or assumption that next year they will actually be like hey let’s let’s do this together I’m not I I don’t think that and that’s okay though because we still have you know I’m I still feel the same way

36:28 but it’s not for any reason related to the town I I don’t think that’ll happen unfortunately and sadly go ahead Tom I think you said something really important which is you know expansion of services whether it’s this year or next year or any year that is a separate issue that we should not conflate with The Current financial situation of the town and so I agree with you on that we would have to have a really strong case for expansion of services um to to make that work in any given year I think that the town’s financial situation is guiding us to either ask

37:14 for an 800 000 increase in appropriation of 1.8 million dollar increase in appropriation for a 2.7 million dollar increase in appropriation and I think each of those are scenarios that Dr Bucky and his team have to figure out how to best spend that money and if we get to article 31 and there’s an increase approximately of 1.8 million dollars over this current year for the fy24 in the town appropriation I think it’s up to leadership then to balance addition of new potential programs versus making Personnel decisions and as a school committee I wouldn’t feel comfortable being overly

37:59 prescriptive on that because you may choose to fund something new out of that 1.8 million dollars in that level service that does come at the expense of filling an open position what have you so I I think that we have to just deal with the potential numbers that are workable given the the structural deficit in the town I don’t disagree with the moral argument of presenting all these wonderful new programs that leadership came to us and said they’d like to to provide to the kids in the district but I I just want to again not ignore the situation in the town

38:45 okay so to wrap this up I think we need to make it an affirmed decision of what we’re asking Dr Bucky to present or have Michelle post the numbers for for next Tuesday for the budget hearing I do not hear a consensus so I will ask for a motion so that we can just figure out where we are um I’ll ask for an emotion to have Dr Bucky and his team present the differences between the three options and to hold off and and for us to follow up with our vote following that

39:28 so I see no one moving on that motion would someone like to make an alternate alternative one I’ll make an alternative motion and that is that um based upon the advice from from Dr Bucky and his team and discussion that I’ve heard today that we present a budget based upon Town guidance and that we also present a budget based on going with the town under Oracle 31 for a level service override the amount approximately of 1.8 one three four four eight I think is the number of increased general fund appropriation and that we present those with the

40:13 detail of services under each of those that would be presumed to be either maintained or cut um and certainly we can amend our discussion in the media if we need to if there are pitchforks and torches but that would be my motion

40:42 I’m opening for a discussion Michelle Cresta

40:48 do something to add and then Megan yeah I just wanted to clarify um the number of 1.8 million for our level service budget is incorrect so I just want to clarify that before we go down a rabbit hole too much um the 1.8 was just the contractual obligations for payroll the utilities and the special education increase it did not include our other contractual obligations such as the I ready the math curriculum and items like that so really it’s a 2.2 million dollar which brings us to a 5.06 increase so I just wanted to clarify that before we

41:23 men’s emotion to reflect that we’re asking you to present a level Service as well as the austerity balance budget

41:35 can I get a someone to move and I’m fine with that it was my motion originally so I’d be comfortable amending the motion to present two scenarios the uh the town guidance of 800 000 increase over appropriation to a presume level service article 31. budget of 2.2 million dollar increase in appropriation okay um I just wanted to be clear we’re not we’re not approving a dollar amount right now we’re just approving the the two scenarios that will be presented because otherwise we’d be voting our budget and we’re not voting our budget right now I can see Michelle shaking her your head yes the school committee has that

42:20 information in your packet I could share my screen but we sent a sheet that is the budget tracking sheet that provides all of these scenarios I just want to be clear we’re not at a point that we’re prepared to vote a budget because we don’t have any numbers in the town so we can’t vote a budget until we know what the town can afford um Megan and then Sarah I think just um I think it is our job to present a budget and so I think you know that’s kind of what this motion gets us to and but Sarah to your point like just because we’re not presenting all three scenarios doesn’t mean that we’re not getting feedback on the wants and and kind of perspective of the Town that’s the whole point of the hearing right so

43:07 that’s but we need to have a starting point to have the conversation I think that’s why I think it’s you know our job to present one budget um so that’s kind of like my rationale for supporting this motion the problem is we won’t be presenting those wants and requests so unless you know one of these 26 people or the 70 from the other the other meetings are there they won’t we’re we’re gonna we’re not putting out we have to put out documentation we’re not going to put out any documentation that’s reflective of that 7.9 aspirational Inc request we’re not going to present it in in the slides that Dr Papi goes through we won’t be presenting that information so there will be nothing to discuss I wanted to present the information to them hear people even if it’s a slide

43:55 this is what we also are our administrators came back to these were their additional asks but that would reflect an additional override and then here people say yeah no we really want that we will show up for you or no this isn’t the year I just I think it’s premature for us to say there’s no support in the community before we’ve given the opportunity a chance to speak to it that’s why I wanted to present all the information but I’m I didn’t get a I didn’t get anybody to move that motion so

44:37 all right I’ll move to Alice there’s more Tech issues okay okay you there Sarah

44:45 Allison go ahead yeah all right oh go ahead Sarah I remember now what I was gonna say Sarah I’ll just mine’s just quick so um you can how about it after um do we I know we keep asking this question and I feel like it keeps being said well we have a new this is to no fault of anybody on this call well we have a new you know Financial person now so we’ll have it by the end of this week um is that still the tagline are we still no one’s even guessing anymore I don’t think I don’t know I just have a lot of like

45:32 what about that not and not just for us right obviously the most of my UL is because of us as a school committee um and trying trying to decide and make decisions but it’s literally impossible and it is extraordinarily frustrating if there’s one thing from this meeting from the 20 people that aren’t us that are on the call that we can push forward is the incredibly frustrating fact that we do not have a number from the town and again thinking from a business perspective from a town like if I was at the Town it doesn’t matter when you’re running a business if that person if that position is not filled the things that that position is responsible for still need to be done and the fact that it wasn’t

46:19 done doesn’t seem to have any progress it’s certainly not a new person that’s stepping into this barrage of whatever but gosh oh okay sorry I understand I know I’m speaking what everybody’s saying but I just feel like I I want to keep saying it because I want it to keep being on record and I want as many people as possible to hear that I’m not I am speaking for me but I feel like I’m also speaking for the committee because I’m I’m certain everybody here feels the same yeah one one other point to why I kind of wanted to present all of them you know for my professional career sometimes when you ask someone what you’re looking for that’s a little bit more like oh wait but people usually have a very strong opinion on what they don’t want so

47:05 um especially here in Marblehead so one other thing is if we’re saying we’re going to start you know June or July 1st working on this for next year again um you know it to me having the feedback from our our ass this year maybe not all the way to the polls but at least in a budget hearing would be really useful information is there something on here that a lot of people feel great about is there something on here a lot of people are like hold the boat no way if we don’t bring this forward if we don’t give the public a chance to speak to what they will support we may be very well in a position next year where we turned away data that would have been really valuable to have so I just I keep

47:50 saying we have a very intelligent engaged Community I’d like to show them what our Educators have asked for get their feedback and then decide how we will proceed for us to decide how we’re going to proceed before the budget hearing seems incredibly

48:12 premature to me Sarah are you back with us you tell me am I back yes okay great I’ll speak quickly I’m gonna leave my camera off um I think so I think in my head we need to give Dr Bucky directive on on which of the budgets that we’ve discussed that he’s going to present to us with with increased data and it doesn’t mean that the other budgets aren’t still out there and available you know that we heard a lot last year about being able to see the books and the budget books and and where they’re at all of this stuff is is online and available to the public to look at and so what we’re tasking him with today is is officially

48:58 presenting one that that we we want the feedback so I I feel like this one that we’ve asked this the five-ish percent is sort of that middle ground where it’s not it’s not a happy budget at all it you know but it’s also it also could be so much worse it also could be so much better so I would ask that after our budget hearing people you know people really are or before a budget hearing I guess if they want to give feedback in the moment like that they really go back to other meetings we’ve talked about all of this stuff a lot there are pieces that the administration presented to us two weeks ago with the die on the hill cuts that brought it down to the seven some odd percent that that I

49:45 found troubling that where we had cut a few things that and and added other things that you know all of those all of the asks from the 12 are really good asks and none of this has changed from last year even if some of the asks have changed all of those requests and needs are still out there it’s just what we’re choosing to prioritize at this moment given the fluctuations within the district and education and our students so that’s that’s my thinking around this five something percent presentation is that it it gives us a point to direct to the community and then lets us hear feedback on which way we sh which way people want us to go okay okay

50:31 I’m gonna go to Tom and then I’m going to call for a vote because I at that point all of us will have had a chance to discuss go ahead Tom I’ll just remind us that under the current motion we are accepting the advice from the administration um which is to present the the two scenarios and go under with the town under article 31 for the level service budget and that he can operationalize either of those I’ll also note that at least in public forum we have not um been overly descriptive of services that would be cut under any of these and so that will be really important for our next budget meeting to to have that from administration

51:17 because I think we’re making decisions and discussions based upon just the financial scenario of the town so I think I’ll just leave it at that in Sarah Fox I I thank you for your leadership and your passion to advocate for expansion of services because it is so important for a healthy school district totally hear you and so I don’t want this by any means to be an indictment of what I think is your passion and and um and Leadership on this issue so again thank you for pushing pushing us as a committee we’ll see where the vote goes okay I’ll start with a roll fall vote um Allison Taylor

52:04 yes yes Megan Taylor yes yes Sarah gold yes Tom Mathers yes Sarah Fox no

52:24 the motion carries four to one um so Dr bakkie you have your direction and those will be the numbers that are presented next Tuesday just um for no to clarification in a public meeting last Friday we we did talk about and I believe it’s out on our website if not I’ll make sure it gets up today the reductions for which would be reflective of um no no additional funding just a balanced budget that includes I believe 30 positions um as well as the elimination of all freshman Level Sports so that that sheet is up on our website and um we’ll be talking about it more in depth I believe on Thursday’s meeting that that she’s on the website now because I don’t think I’ve seen that it

53:12 isn’t up on the website yeah okay okay yeah all right I think that’s that’s an important piece for this committee to to have some briefing from Administration on because again I feel under-informed on that from the specificity so all right Megan so I just want to let the committee know that um I’ve had a personal issue come up for next week so I will not be able to attend the hearing or the scheduled vote right now um so the one thing I wanted to see if there was any appetite from the committee and either way is fine so um but right now we’re scheduled to vote the budget on that Thursday if anyone has an appetite for moving it to Friday

53:58 and again I’m fine either way I just wanted to see if there was a it’s not a different time of the day like seven in the morning that would work given your situation or is it no I will be out of town uh next week unfortunately I’m coming back late Thursday night I’m I’m happy to meet to be um to vote the budget on on Friday what I would say is whether we voted on Friday or we voted on Thursday without Megan either way at our following school committee meeting I will would just recommend because it would be at a normal date in time that we re-vote it in front of the public so that if all of us aren’t there we’re all voting it as well as we’re voting it in a place that is is typical so there’s been some

54:44 pushback from the community about off-cycle meetings and this is such an important one so I would just say that it’s fine we’ll just take two votes whichever wherever we land so that the community knows what happened where we are with the votes but I’m I’m fine with voting it either yeah as a reminder I’m also going to be participating remotely on Thursday and if it’s a Friday meeting I will also be remote and probably in both scenarios there is some risk for some whatever reason if my flight gets delayed what have you I would would miss it so I just want to make that clear because we wouldn’t have a forum I don’t think if both Megan and I miss right we’d have a quorum still we’d have three perfect okay um yeah so I think the ultimate takeaway is

55:30 I want to have this vote before we go before fincon the following week which is I believe Monday and but either way if we don’t have everyone there I will re-vote this and are following normal Thursday meeting so that the entire committee has an affirmative vote on this um Sarah gold would it work better for Tom and Megan and I am available on the Friday I think there’s you know a lot of pitfalls on for the Friday meeting um but especially this type of magnitude but would it be would anybody be able to do like the fincom is at seven on Monday would it make sense for us to do a 6 p.m on Monday pre-fincom so we do have it voted but then a greater possibility of having

56:18 everybody available for the vote we could do it at 6 PM prior to fincom I’m okay with that I love that idea yeah I can do that actually let me double check

56:33 and I just want to make sure we’re still able to do it and project it via zoom and everything else I just we can always meet in the conference room prior don’t do that okay that piece we can work out offline um so that brings us to closing business um under new business I had reached out to Dr Bucky this weekend asking to attend his weekly um I’m sorry I have a little one trying to speak to me his weekly meeting with the Union this week um just because we would to talk about the budget um you know a lot of times those weekly meetings are operational but I think it’s important for the school committee

57:19 to be part of a conversation about about budget and to my knowledge has been pretty regular throughout you know the the history for the school committee chair to come and speak about that but I just want Dr Bucky asked me to bring this up under new business and kind of get the the committee’s feedback we would actually go meet with uh the union Collective bargain Dr Buffy yeah we um would meet with him on his Thursday a little bit like so that that would be a new practice in what I’ve been um experienced you know in in previous districts it feels like um we may be overstepping our role I think it’s um Dr Bucky’s role as the CEO of the the

58:04 district did I use that because that’s what the Massey calls him um to to work with his building leadership and labor Etc it’s not our role so I would probably be less comfortable for any of us really to to be in the building in those meetings when it’s really his role to communicate um as a leader of the district so that would be my initial gut reaction this is this is a New Concept for me my take is just from the ad Reform Act that um technically the school committee is the only one that can speak to the school to about issues with budget and things like that um so I just want to go I want to hear

58:52 what the feedback is to our budget so that I can then best you know have verbiage to go out to the community and say no we we this is what we’re hearing but again this is a request I made dependent on I know past chairs have been present at these meetings so um I don’t know if well Dr Bobby’s been here has happened but I know with all of our previous supers attached I just don’t want to undermine the role of Arsenio and I feel like that’s what you’re doing I would feel if a board member of my company wanted to go in and meet with my you know and speak to things that would only be at the invitation of me as a CEO and if it was prescriptive I would feel like this is you know what do you need me for as a CEO we’re not a publicly Health company

59:38 though Tom we do have different structures under the ad Reform Act understand but this is overstepping that structure in my opinion okay and just for clarification I I did try to I have reached out to masc to kind of get their feedback as well I’m just waiting for some answers there I’m Sarah and then Megan so I think you know as as far as when as when I’ve been on the committee the only time in myself included as chair that that I went with the union with Dr Bucky was when there was some type of collective bargaining piece that we were working out most notably I think was when we were um moving students back into the buildings um particularly from hybrid to full-time

1:00:24 um and that needed an mou so I I you know I think negotiating wise it makes sense I just I I am unaware of a budget piece and I guess I just am still unaware of what the or unsure of what the goal would be um I think we could ask Dr Bucky to ask those questions and and then have him give us a report um as to what the union is is hearing and feeling um I just I don’t know that it’s you know again I like I always struggle with this with the with with power viewed um as school committee members and the just the entity of power that we that we have and you know when to whom much is given much

1:01:10 of much is required so I think we just have to really be mindful of that when um when working with individuals in the district okay Megan

1:01:27 I guess what I guess I’m not clear on what the objective would be of the school committee going in there I guess that’s a question like what’s the objective and why do we think that Dr Bucky’s not capable of of doing meeting that objective from my point you know it is

1:01:51 I think it this this they should hear directly from the school committee Representatives whether it’s all of us or or just myself this year I I would be fine that we support them we support moving forward for them with as a budget just more so to hear from our mouths that we support the work they’re doing because we’re about to move forward and not not bring foreign a number that represents their needs so I think morale wise would be really helpful for them to hear directly from us that we support them

1:02:33 I I I’m reading the tea leaves as Tom likes to say I do not have the support of Tom Sarah and Megan and possibly not Allison so this leads me to a larger question of if I even have the support of this committee as chair

1:02:52 um I I’m not not supporting you going uh being new I don’t it it might be against I guess the purview I have no idea um I can’t speak to that part of it I would have no I I don’t have a problem with someone going to represent morale I certainly understand wanting to do that you have my support as chair unequivocally um nothing if I felt you if you didn’t have my support as chair you would have known that already I you know none of these votes or decisions or parts of the discussion while I can certainly understand when you’re sitting in the different spot that it

1:03:37 you may think that I never want you to think that if that was ever my thoughts and that’s not up for debate right now I appreciate that I just I I want to make sure um

1:03:54 you said it so I just want you to know my thoughts and I will appreciate if I I see fit with that for this um for this particular thing I don’t I don’t mind if if it’s allowed for you to go I don’t know the stipulations there so maybe hopefully masc can help you more with that I also don’t think that it’s I just wanted to say I don’t think it’s a slight or I don’t want Dr Bucky to think it would be a slight at all to his capabilities if you did or if any of us did go I think it would just be providing additional support to him to go and show morale and show that this is going to be a hard year I understand we’re not doing everything that you had brought forward to us and wanting to show solidarity with Dr Bucky I think that that is is nice to have that as well

1:04:43 okay Sarah and then Megan and then I’m gonna move to a German soon because I know a lot of people had a hard stop at 10. uh Sarah I just wanted to express my support for you as well um you know I think again we can we can have the girls debate we can disagree and agree to disagree um and I don’t think that that has any bearing on your ability to um you know lead the meetings and and keep us in order and you know move us forward so you know I think you know we’re talking about the budget is a really emotional thing and um you know I I actually wish we of course I do we I wish we were all together today in person because I think emotion can be conveyed a little bit more easily that way that way um but you know I I

1:05:29 know I think I can understand some of where you’re coming from and your wishes um and you know I’ll I’ll certainly think about continue to think about it I’ll look forward to hearing what MUSC has and maybe that misc has other ideas on how we can convey the sentiments um that that you’ve expressed without any muddying of any Waters so but you have my support as chair okay I I apologize I don’t want I didn’t I wasn’t looking for everyone to go around and um and and stayed or not state that um so Megan and then we’ll adjourn thanks Sarah so I think just back to this point it’s our job to support Dr Bucky but it’s Dr Bucky’s job to run the

1:06:16 district and this is one area you know operationally you know he’s it’s his job to kind of handle morale and messaging out to his staff and if he needs support from us then it’s Dr Bucky’s job also to ask us for our support and at that point you know we can figure out how we want to move forward but it’s our job to support him in his role so I think that’s where I’m coming from um secondly you know these are hard decisions that we’re having to make and I actually think that this meeting’s been really good with some of that healthy debate and deliberation so it’s not a great feeling when you come out you know when it maybe doesn’t go the way you hoped it would but I think it’s shown that we’re having healthy debate and really thinking through these decisions so um that’s the only piece I wanted to add

1:07:01 to it thank you I appreciate that and I appreciate you know being this dissenting voice I think I’ve been the soul of the scenting voice for I think three or four years now um so just be just before you adjourn though did we decide on 6 p.m March 27th um I have to confer with Michelle and Dr Bucky to make sure that they can could be there as well but um barring any obstacles I don’t see that being a problem okay all right thank you thank you very much okay with that I will and I apologize I do not open the meeting to public comment and that was at the beginning of the meeting um I didn’t see any hands but just just because it was on here I will open for public comment if there is any just raise your hand in the chat function

1:07:47 function function nope I do not see anything um I will with that I will adjourn us at 10