[1. Call to Order]
[00:00:04]
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AT THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BATTLEGROUND SCHOOL BOARD FOR A WORK SESSION THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY.
SO LET'S CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 4:01.
[2. Levy Work Session]
NEED TO DO, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SHELLY.ALL RIGHT SUPER, THANK YOU BOARD WE HAVE SOME GUESTS HERE THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE OUR COUNTY ASSESSOR, PETER VAN NORTWICK, AND ON THE WAY IS ALICIA TOPPER.
AND THEN ON OUR OTHER FRONT TABLE WE HAVE TIM MERLINO, HE'S THE SUPERINTENDENT OF ESD 112, AND BESIDE HIM GAVIN HOTTMAN, AND HE IS ESSENTIALLY THE CFO OF MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, INCLUDING THE ESD, AND HE HELPS WITH FINANCIALS ALL OVER CLARK COUNTY.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU TO HAVE SOME PEOPLE TO ASK QUESTIONS OF AND WE SENT SOME QUESTIONS HI ALICIA AND SO UM WE ARE GOING TO JUMP IN AND CARLA HAS SOME SLIDES TO SHARE WITH YOU FROM BOTH PETER AND ALICIA AND WE'LL START THERE CARLY YOU WANNA GET THEM A CLICKER. OH YOU GOT IT.
ALL RIGHT, PERFECT PETER, ALICIA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SORRY I WAS A MINUTE LATE RUNNING FROM DOWNTOWN.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START, WE HAVE A SLIDE THAT BASICALLY GIVES YOU OUR AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING AND WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE AMPLE TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
AS YOU KNOW, PETER AND I ARE HERE AS NEUTRAL PARTIES AND WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT TAXES IT TENDS TO GET POLITICAL AND HEATED BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN OPINION SITTING DOWN HERE WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE ON THE DAIS.
SO FEEL FREE TO PEPPER US WITH ANY QUESTIONS WE'LL GIVE YOU WHAT INFORMATION WE HAVE, AND IF WE DON'T HAVE ANSWERS, WE'LL HAVE OUR TEAM BRING BACK INFO.
BUT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE DAY, YEAH, YOU'LL HAVE TO SCROLL IT.
WE CAME PREPARED TO DISCUSS A FEW ITEMS, AS YOU CAN SEE, OBVIOUSLY INTRODUCTIONS, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS WHY SCHOOLS HAVE LOCAL LEVIES BASED ON WASHINGTON STATE RCW AND STATUTE.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT, WELL PETER'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE LEVY RATE VERSUS THE AMOUNT COLLECTED, JUST TO ADD SOME CLARITY AROUND WHY THERE'S A RATE AND THEN WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS ONCE THAT BALLOT MEASURE IS PASSED.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STATUTORY LIMITATIONS.
THERE IS A MAX AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO COLLECT AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND PETER WILL DIVE INTO THAT.
WE'LL LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, HOW DOES BATTLEGROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT COMPARE TO OTHERS HERE IN THE AREA.
AND THEN LASTLY, HE'LL PASS THE BATON OVER TO ME AND I'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS ONCE A LEVY IS PASSED AND WHAT MY OFFICE DOES TO MAKE SURE THAT MONEY IS COLLECTED, DISTRIBUTED AND ACCOUNTED FOR.
SO WITH THAT, SINCE I'VE GOT THE MIC, I'M ALICIA TOPPER.
I'M YOUR ELECTED CLARK COUNTY TREASURER.
I ALSO SERVE AS YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT'S EX OFFICIO TREASURER.
MY TEAM MAKES SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR WARRANTS ARE PAID.
AND WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH BATTLEGROUND.
WE ALSO INVEST YOUR MONEY IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT AND WE PAY ALL YOUR DEBT.
SO VERY VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING HERE.
YOU CAN THINK OF ME AS YOUR MONEY LADY.
AND I'M PETER VAN NORTWICK , THE CLARK COUNTY ASSESSOR.
WHAT MOST EVERYONE KNOWS US FOR OF COURSE IT'S OUR FAVORITE JOB RIGHT IS VALUING PROPERTY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT.
WE ALSO MANAGE ALL THE TAX EXEMPTION PROGRAMS. SUCH AS CURRENT USE, THE SENIOR EXEMPTION AND DEFERRAL PROGRAM, AND THINGS LIKE THE MULTIFAMILY TAX EXEMPTION AND STUFF THAT RUNS THROUGH OUR OFFICES ALSO.
PART OF THE JOB OF THE ASSESSOR IS DOING THE LEVY CALCULATIONS AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT LATER AND I'LL GET INTO THAT.
I CERTIFY THE TAX ROLL AND I ALSO HAVE THE PART OF MY ROLE IS TO ENFORCE WHAT'S CALLED THE HIGHEST LAWFUL LEVY AND I WILL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER ALSO.
AND THEN ALSO I DO THE LAND RECORDS WHICH IS THE MAPPING AND LISTING OF ALL THE PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY.
SO YOU GO ON DIFFERENT MAPS AND LIKE THE MAPS WE USED TO GET HERE, THOSE START IN OUR OFFICE AND THEY DO ALL THE MAPPING AND THEN ANY MAILING ADDRESS CHANGES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROPERTY AND STUFF THAT WE ALSO DO THOSE ALSO IN MY OFFICE.
AND ONCE PETER CERTIFIES THE TAX ROLL AND HANDS IT OVER TO ME, MY TEAM AND I ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING THE TAX
[00:05:01]
STATEMENTS.SO WE HAVE A UNIVERSAL PROPERTY TAX STATEMENT IN CLARK COUNTY.
SO ALL DISTRICTS, ALL LEVIES, ALL SPECIAL PURPOSE FINES AND FEES, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MOSQUITO CONTROL AND SEPTIC PERMITS GO ON OUR TAX STATEMENT.
SO SOMETIMES YOU MAY HEAR ABOUT TAX INCREASES AND IT MAY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.
IT'S ANOTHER ELECTED BODY THAT VOTED SOMETHING IN OR THE VOTERS WHO APPROVED A MEASURE.
SO WE TAKE THE TAX ROLL, WE CREATE THE STATEMENTS, WE MAIL THEM OUT.
WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER 190,000 PARCELS IN CLARK COUNTY.
ABOUT 51% OF FOLKS PAY THEMSELVES, 49% PAY THROUGH A MORTGAGE ESCROW.
THEY DON'T RECEIVE A PHYSICAL STATEMENT, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
YOU'LL RECEIVE IT IN THE MAIL.
ONCE PEOPLE START PAYING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, WE COLLECT THAT PAYMENT AND THEN WE DISPERSE IT WITHIN 24 HOURS TO THE TAXING DISTRICT THAT THAT REVENUE IS OWED TO.
THE OTHER, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THE OTHER THING, SO WE'RE COLLECTING OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN PROPERTY TAXES IN CLARK COUNTY.
SO BATTLEGROUND SCHOOL DISTRICTS IS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THAT.
TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT IS ACTUALLY THE STATE SCHOOLS LEVY.
SO WE'RE COLLECTING THAT LOCAL REVENUE AND WE'RE SENDING IT TO THE STATE SO THEY CAN PROPORTIONATELY DISTRIBUTE IT BASED ON THEIR OWN FUNDING FORMULAS.
WE INVEST MONEY THAT ISN'T NEEDED FOR IMMEDIATE EXPENDITURE.
SO YOUR FUND BALANCE THAT YOU'RE HOLDING RIGHT NOW, THAT IS ACTUALLY IN AN ACTIVE INVESTMENT POOL.
AND WE HAVE ADVISORS AND A TEAM WHO ACTUALLY IS A CERTIFIED INVESTMENT OFFICER, MAKING SURE WE'RE HANDLING THAT MONEY AND GIVING YOU BACK YOUR INTEREST.
WE MANAGE DEBT, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
SO I HAVE ABOUT A $1.2 BILLION PORTFOLIO FOR DEBT PAYMENTS.
THAT INCLUDES EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT, FIRE DISTRICT, LIBRARY DISTRICT, THE COUNTY, SOME SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS.
AND WE MAKE THOSE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS ON YOUR BEHALF EVERY JUNE AND EVERY DECEMBER.
AND THEN LASTLY, I MENTIONED ALREADY THE DEPOSITS AND DISBURSEMENTS.
BUT THAT ALSO INCLUDES THE REVENUE COMING FOR SALES TAX AND OTHER THINGS FROM THE STATE THAT WE THEN RECEIPT AND THEN WE ALSO WILL SEND OUT TO THE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE EARNED THAT MONEY AND THE NEXT SLIDE. ALL RIGHT SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THEY WANTED US TO ANSWER WAS WHY SCHOOLS HAVE LOCAL LEVIES.
AND FIRST THING IS WASHINGTON ONLY GUARANTEES BASIC EDUCATION.
THAT'S SET UP BY THE LEGISLATURE.
THEY DETERMINE THE FUNDS THAT ARE DOING THAT.
AND SO WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS THEY'VE ALLOWED THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO THEN RAISE ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
BUT LEVIES FUND ENHANCEMENTS, NOT JUST THE BASICS.
AND AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE, CAPITAL NEEDS ARE ALSO SOMETHING THAT HAVE TO BE DONE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AND THE REASON THE STATE DOES THAT, I GUESS, IS LOCAL CONTROL AND COMMUNITY PREFERENCE.
OF COURSE THAT, AND AS I'M SURE YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF IN THE BATTLEGROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT, THERE'S SOME TRADE-OFF THERE WITH THE EQUITY VERSUS THE LOCAL CHOICE OF WHAT PEOPLE DECIDE TO VOTE IN FOR LEVIES AND DIFFERENT THINGS, TECHNOLOGY LEVIES, BONDS, THOSE OTHER THINGS FOR THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE LEVY RATES VERSUS THE AMOUNT COLLECTED AND I DECIDED TO USE A DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICT RIGHT BECAUSE AND IF YOU NOTICE ON A SCHOOL LEVY WHEN IT GOES OUT ON THE BALLOT YOU'LL NOTICE THERE'S ON THE FAR RIGHT THE LEVY AMOUNTS THIS IS EVERGREEN SO IN 2026 IT WAS 71 MILLION 800,000 THEY WERE GOING TO COLLECT NEXT YEAR IS 71 400,000 AND THEN THIRD YEAR 72,260.
72 MILLION SORRY I'M SORRY 72 MILLION 260,000 AND THEN THE FOURTH YEAR 73,000 390 YEAH I GUESS SOME BIG NUMBERS THERE SO YEAH 73 MILLION 390,000 UM AND WHAT THE LEVY AMOUNT REALLY OVER THERE IS FOR MY OFFICE THAT'S WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE HIGHEST LAWFUL LEVY AND SO THE VOTERS WHEN THEY VOTE FOR THAT, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SETTING AS THE HIGHEST LAWFUL LEVY.
WHEN THAT HAPPENS AND THE VOTERS APPROVE THAT, THEN THE NEXT STEP IS THAT YOU NEED TO REQUEST THAT MONEY IN THE BUDGET.
AND, OF COURSE, YOU WORK WITH ESD 112 AND YOUR BUDGET'S THERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE MONIES.
ONCE THE VOTERS APPROVE IT, YOU CAN BUDGET UP TO WHATEVER THE LEVY AMOUNT IS FOR A PARTICULAR YEAR TO BE COLLECTED.
AND THEN THE RATE PER THOUSAND, YOU'LL NOTICE ON THERE THAT'S THE MIDDLE ROW AND IT'S ESTIMATED LEVY RATE.
[00:10:03]
AND WHATEVER AMOUNT THAT YOU DECIDE AND BUDGET TO COLLECT, THAT WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE ASSESSED VALUES.SO WHATEVER YOU ARE ENTITLED TO COLLECT, YOU'RE GOING TO COLLECT THE SAME AMOUNT WHETHER ASSESSED VALUES ARE INCREASING OR DECREASING.
SO IF ASSESSED VALUES ARE INCREASING, RIGHT, IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE MATH, THEN THE YOU.
IF MORE PEOPLE MOVE INTO THE AREA, RIGHT, AND THEN YOU'RE SHARING AMONG A BROADER BASE, THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE THE OVERALL ASSESSED VALUES.
THAT WILL ALSO LOWER THE LEVY RATE.
AND THEN THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT IS DONE AND REDONE EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND READJUSTED BASED UPON THE AMOUNT THAT THE DIFFERENT TAX DISTRICTS REQUEST AND ASSESSED VALUES.
BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO UNDERSTAND IS WHEN PEOPLE VOTE, WHAT THEY'RE VOTING FOR IS THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT YOU NEED TO FUND THE BUDGET.
AND WE ARE GOING TO COLLECT THAT AMOUNT, WHETHER OUR SET VALUES GO UP OR DOWN, REGARDLESS OF IF PEOPLE MOVE IN OR OUT, YOU'RE STILL ENTITLED AND I WILL ENFORCE THAT HIGHEST LAW.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE ENRICHMENT LEVIES, THERE'S TWO STATUTORY MAXIMUMS THAT ARE ALLOWED IN LAW.
THE FIRST ONE IS $2.50 PER $1,000 OF ASSESSED VALUE.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE, IT'S $2,500 PER STUDENT, INFLATION ADJUSTED.
AND I THINK GAVIN PROBABLY WOULD HAVE MORE UP-TO-DATE OR OSPI AS EXACTLY WHAT THAT RATE IS BECAUSE THEY PUT IT INTO PLACE AND IT'S ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION.
AND PART OF IT IS WHEN WE GET BUDGETS IN WE DO HAVE TO WRITE THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH OSPI TO ALSO TELL US IF THE AMOUNT COMING IN PER STUDENT IS ALLOWED TO BE COLLECTED.
SO THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT LEVY RATES THAT ARE BEING DONE BUT AS LONG AS THE LEVY RATE IS BELOW 250 AND NOT ABOVE THE AMOUNT PER STUDENT THEN WE ARE GOING TO COLLECT THE AMOUNT WHATEVER AMOUNT WAS BUDGETING NEXT SLIDE ALL RIGHT SO DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WHAT THEY'RE COLLECTING AS THEY'RE CURRENTLY E&O LEVIES AND THIS IS FOR 2026 IN VANCOUVER THEIR RATE WAS $2.10 HAWKINSON WAS $1.64 LECENTER WAS $1.54 WOODLAND WAS $2.19 WASHOUGAL WAS $1.96 EVERGREEN WAS $2.30 KAMAS WAS $1.74 RIDGEFIELD'S $1.68 AND THEN THE STATE'S STATE SCHOOLS AS PART ONE AND PART TWO ON PART ONE WAS 144,000 PART TWO IS 78,000 ONE OF THE CHANGES IS HAPPENING THIS YEAR FOR NEXT YEAR'S TAXES NEXT YEAR'S TAXES WE JUST PASSED THIS YEAR IN THE LEGISLATURE WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BOUGHT COMBINED STATE SCHOOLS PART ONE AND TWO BUT I BELIEVE THE QUESTION WAS IF YOU WENT OUT AT A HUNDRED AND OR DOLLAR NINETY NINE PER THOUSAND DOLLARS OF ASSESSED VALUE, YOU CAN SAY YOU'LL BE SOMEWHERE MIDWAY IN THAT RANGE OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORINGS SCHOOL DISTRICTS. NEXT SLIDE I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ALICIA.
I THINK SHE WAS TOO PROUD TO SAY THAT SHE IS A BATTLEGROUND TIGER AND A RECORD HOLDER ON THE CRACK WALL.
I WAS GOING TO WEAR MY LETTERMAN JACKET, BUT I WAS TOO LATE.
IT ACTUALLY MARKED 30 YEARS THIS YEAR, SO HAPPY 1996 GRAD.
YEAH, I GREW UP OUT IN AMBOY AND CAME HERE FOR HIGH SCHOOL, SO EARNED AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP TO GO TO WSU, AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF BATTLEGROUND AND YOUR ATHLETICS PROGRAM THAT ALLOWED ME TO EARN A HIGHER EDUCATION AND BE WHERE I AM TODAY.
SO IF YOU COULD SHRINK THAT DOWN JUST A BIT.
I KNOW THE FONT IS A LITTLE SMALL.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EVERY DETAIL HERE, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT HAPPENS.
IN THE CYCLE OF PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS.
ESSENTIALLY, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT JANUARY.
THAT'S WHEN PETER HAS MADE SURE ALL THE BUDGETS MEET THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS, AND HE CREATES HIS CALCULATIONS FOR THE LEVY, AND THEN HE CREATES A TAX ROLL.
ONCE THE TAX ROLL IS CREATED, THAT GIVES ME ALL THE INFORMATION I NEED ON HOW MUCH TO BILL EACH PROPERTY FOR THEIR PROPERTY TAXES.
SO WE DO THAT IN JANUARY AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS I HAVE TO CREATE A FILE THAT GOES TO THE PRINTER THAT ESSENTIALLY MERGES ALL THE INFORMATION INTO A FORMAT THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND.
[00:15:01]
OPTED TO GO OUT TO LEVY INTO THE VOTERS IN A SPECIAL ELECTION.SO IF YOU WANT TO GET PROPERTY TAXES APPROVED FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, USUALLY THEY'LL GO OUT IN FEBRUARY OR ANOTHER SPECIAL ELECTION.
I KNOW VANCOUVER LOVES GOING OUT FOR VALENTINE'S DAY AND THAT'S KIND OF THEIR GIFT TO THEIR VOTERS IS THE OPTION TO FUND SCHOOLS.
BUT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET ON THE CURRENT YEAR STATEMENT.
IF YOU PASS A LEVY IN FEBRUARY, IT WILL NOT BE ON THE 2026 STATEMENT.
THAT WOULD GO IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE HE'S ALREADY CERTIFIED THE LEVY.
I'VE ALREADY GENERATED MY BILLS.
SO EVERYTHING'S A YEAR BEHIND.
SO WE THEN BILL STATEMENTS BY LAW.
I HAVE TO MAIL THEM BY THE MIDDLE OF MARCH.
SO ALL THOSE STATEMENTS GO OUT BY MARCH AND THE DEADLINE FOR PROPERTY TAXES IN WASHINGTON STATE IS APRIL 30TH.
SO WE TYPICALLY OFFER PEOPLE TWO PAYMENT OPTIONS.
YOU CAN PAY YOUR FULL YEAR BY APRIL 30TH OR YOU CAN SPLIT YOUR PROPERTY TAXES INTO TWO INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS.
THE SECOND DUE DATE IS OCTOBER 31ST. SO WE TRADITIONALLY COLLECT ABOUT 55% OF THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BY APRIL 30TH, WITH SOME FUNDS TRICKLING IN FROM LATE PAYMENTS COMING INTO MAY.
AND THEN BY OCTOBER 31ST, WE USUALLY ARE ABOUT 95% COLLECTED FOR THE YEAR WITH THE REMAINING 3% UP TO 2% TO 4%, DEPENDING ON OUR DELINQUENCY RATE THAT YEAR, BY DECEMBER 31ST. SO YOUR REVENUE COMES IN IN TWO MAJOR WAVES.
REALLY SCALES DOWN, NO REVENUE, YOU'RE LIVING OFF OF YOUR RESERVES FROM THAT PROPERTY TAX COLLECTED FROM THAT FIRST INSTALLMENT, AND THEN IT PEAKS AGAIN IN OCTOBER, AND THEN YOU'RE MADE WHOLE FOR THE YEAR.
AND THEN IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T PAY, YOU HAVE AN OPTION OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE REFUND LEVY, SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY ASK TO GET THE MONEY THAT YOU DIDN'T GET FROM PEOPLE WHO PAID.
SO PETER ALSO CERTIFIES THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFUND LEVY, THAT GOES THROUGH ESD, AND EVERYONE'S MADE WHOLE.
AND THEN I DO COLLECT 100% OF TAXES BECAUSE AFTER THREE YEARS OF DELINQUENCY, I WILL SELL A HOUSE IN ORDER TO COLLECT THOSE TAXES, AND YOU WILL GET YOUR TAXES NO MATTER WHAT.
I TRY NOT TO GET TO THAT POINT.
WE DO OUR BEST, BUT IT DOES HAPPEN.
FOR THE BIG PART OF THE CYCLE HERE IS WE DO MAIL PAST DUE NOTICES.
WE DID IT BEFORE IT WAS ENACTED AS A MANDATE, BUT WE DO MAIL THOSE IN JUNE AND NOVEMBER OF EACH YEAR JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING AS MANY PAYMENTS AS POSSIBLE.
SO THE PROPERTY TAX CYCLE IS VERY CYCLICAL.
PROPERTY TAXES ARE PROBABLY YOUR MOST STABLE FORM OF REVENUE AS A GOVERNING BODY THAT YOU CAN COUNT ON YEAR AFTER YEAR.
NO MATTER WHAT, DEATH AND TAXES.
YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR PROPERTY TAXES IN WASHINGTON STATE.
THINGS I JUST WANTED TO ADD IN BECAUSE ALICIA DID TALK ABOUT WHEN THE ELECTIONS USUALLY HAPPEN.
AND TYPICALLY SCHOOL DISTRICTS GO OUT IN FEBRUARY AND THEN AGAIN IN APRIL.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND I'M SURE GAVIN AND ESD CAN TALK ABOUT THIS MORE, MOST OF THE TAXING DISTRICTS ARE DOING THEIR BUDGETS INTO NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER.
SO IF THEY HAD SOMETHING WHERE THEY VOTED ON SOMETHING IN THE PRIMARY OR THE GENERAL ELECTION, THEY HAVE TIME TO DO IT IN THE BUDGET.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE BASED UPON A...
SCHOOL YEAR, BUT TAXES ARE COLLECTED BASED UPON THE ANNUAL JANUARY 1ST TO DECEMBER 31ST AND SO THE TIMING FOR SCHOOLS IS GONNA LONG QUEUE RIGHT.
SO IF YOU'RE TO GO OUT AND I DONT KNOW, I ACTUALLY DONT KNOW WHEN YOU'RE GOING OUT TO ASK FOR LEVY BUT IF YOU'RE GOING OUT THAT'S AFTER YOU'VE DONE YOUR BUDGET.
AND I'M SURE ESD GAVIN CAN GET INTO SOME KIND OF RAMIFICATION OF DIFFERENT TIMING THAT YOU GO OUT AND YOU ASK FOR THE MONEY BUT WHEN WE COLLECT AND WHAT WE CAN'T COLLECT AND WHAT THE ESD SENDS US IS REFLECTION OF WHAT WAS ASK FOR IN THE BUDGET FOR COLLECTION OF THE PROPERTY TAXES ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH SO IN OTHER WORDS, I GUESS I WOULD SAY IF MY UNDERSTANDING IS FROM WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WHEN WE'VE BEEN ON AN OFF ELECTION TIME, LIKE A NOVEMBER ELECTION, GENERAL ELECTION, IS THAT IF WE DO THAT, THEN WE HAVE TO DO A BUDGET EXTENSION, WHICH MEANS THAT MICHELLE SCOTT, OUR CFO, HAS TO RECREATE PART OF THE BUDGET FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO WE'D HAVE TO RECREATE THE 25-26.
WE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER LATER ON ABOUT THE DURATION OF A LEVY AND WHAT I MIGHT RECOMMEND BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A MOVEMENT BY SOME DISTRICTS TO MOVE TOWARDS RUNNING A LEVY
[00:20:02]
PRIOR TO ITS COMPLETE EXPIRATION LIKE IN NOVEMBER VERSUS RUNNING IN FEBRUARY OR APRIL AND PART OF THE REASON DISTRICTS HAVE MOVED TOWARDS THAT IS BECAUSE THE THE MORE PEOPLE ON A BALLOT THE MORE YOU SHARE THE COST AND IT DECREASES THE COST FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO RUN IT'S ALSO TENDS TO BE A TIME WHERE MORE VOTERS PARTICIPATE AND WE WANT OUR VOTERS TO PARTICIPATE WE WANT TO HEAR OUR VOTERS AND SO SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE ACTUALLY STARTED TO MAKE THAT SHIFT WHICH IS WHAT HAS TYPICALLY HAPPENED AT LEAST IN MY 10 YEARS OVER 30 YEARS IN EDUCATION.SO YOU MENTIONED THE MEANING TO REDO SOME OF THE BUDGET AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, ARE YOU SAYING THAT BECAUSE WE STARTED RECEIVING SOME....
I HAVE A QUESTION JUST TO CLARIFY, WHAT IS ADMINISTRATIVE REFUND? I LOVE REFUNDS AND I LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT SO ADMINISTRATIVE REFUND IS WHEN THE AMOUNT OF LEVY SAY, I'M OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE ON THE SENIOR EXEMPTION PROGRAM, ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO ASSESSMENTS IN PAST TIMES, LET'S JUST SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'RE ONLY ABLE TO COLLECT.
99.5 MILLION INSTEAD OF 100 MILLION.
THOSE THINGS THAT WE MADE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS FOR THAT THEN SHORTED THE DISTRICT MONEY, THEN THE NEXT YEAR THAT IS RECOLLECTED THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFUND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TAX DISTRICT IS WHOLE, GETTING ALL THE MONEY THAT THEY WERE BUDGETED FOR, BECAUSE MOST OF YOU ARE PROBABLY AWARE WITH WASHINGTON STATE LAW, BUDGETS MUST BALANCE.
SO IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO COLLECT IT ONE YEAR, THEN WE'LL...
COMING BACK AND GET THE TAX BASE CORRECT AND A LOT OF IT IS IF YOU QUALIFY FOR AN EXEMPTION OR DEFERRAL PROGRAM MOSTLY EXEMPTION IT REDUCES YOUR TAX BILL BUT I'VE ALREADY SENT YOU A BILL BASED ON HOW MUCH MONEY YOU NEED TO COLLECT SO IF I CAN'T COLLECT IT YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT YOU'VE ALREADY PASSED A BUDGET AND INCURRED THOSE EXPENSES SO IT GIVES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO FILL YOUR BUCKET.
AND A LOT OF DISTRICTS WERE NOT SUBMITTING ADMINISTRATIVE REFUNDS UNTIL JUST RECENTLY.
IT APPEARS THAT IF THE LEVY HAD PASSED IN FEBRUARY OF 25 AT A RATE OF $1.95 PER THOUSAND, THIS VALUE WOULD BE DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY $1.80.
I THINK YOU COVERED IT, BUT...
ONLY ASK PETER TO LET ME TRY TO HACK AT THIS QUESTION BECAUSE IT WOULD TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO UNDERSTAND A SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MATCH.
ASSESSED VALUES GO UP AND THE RATE GOES DOWN.
THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE A SINGLE PIE AND THAT'S YOU HAVE 100 PERCENT OF THAT PIE AND THAT'S ALL YOU CAN EAT.
SO IF ALL THE ASSESSED VALUES GO UP, RIGHT, THE PIE DOESN'T GET BIGGER.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO LOWER THE AMOUNT ON THE OTHER SIDE SO YOU'RE NOT TAKING MORE.
SO THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU SEE THE LEVY AND EVERYONE IS PROMOTING THE RATE, THE RATE, THE RATE, THE RATE, THE RATE IS AN ESTIMATE.
WHAT VOTERS ARE REALLY APPROVING IS THE BUDGET THAT YOU NEED TO DO THE WORK THAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO, PERIOD.
THEIR ASSESSED VALUES GO UP, THE RATE'S GOING TO GO DOWN, AND EVERYONE THINKS BECAUSE THEIR ASSESSED VALUES WENT UP AUTOMATICALLY, THEIR TAX BILL IS GOING TO GO UP PROPORTIONATELY.
SO WHEN PEOPLE SCREAM AT YOU BECAUSE PETER RAISED THEIR ASSESSED VALUE AND THEIR TAXES ARE GOING OUT OF THE ROOM, IT'S NOT TRUE.
YOUR TAXES MAY GO UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO GO UP PROPORTIONATE WITH THE BILL BECAUSE YOU'RE RESTRICTED BY HOW MUCH YOU CAN COLLECT.
WE'RE A BUDGET-BASED SYSTEM IN WASHINGTON STATE, NOT A RATE-BASED SYSTEM.
SO PETER, YOU'RE A POPULAR MAN COME TAX BILL TIME.
[00:25:04]
AS WE HAVE, BECAUSE WE ARE IN A GROWING AREA AND WE HAVE, DOES THAT REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT SPREADING THAT? YEAH, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PIZZA, RIGHT? SO LET'S SAY THE PIZZA IS $10 AND YOU HAVE 10 PEOPLE, RIGHT? THAT MEANS EAST...PERSON IS GOING TO PAY A DOLLAR.
WELL, IF ANOTHER PERSON COMES AND SITS DOWN AT THE TABLE, THAT $10 IS GOING TO BE SPREAD OUT THEN OVER 11 PEOPLE, AND ANOTHER PERSON COMES IN, IT'S GOING TO BE SPREAD OUT OVER 12 PEOPLE, RIGHT? SO THE AMOUNT EACH PERSON HAS TO PAY WILL GO DOWN, BUT WE ARE STILL GOING TO COLLECT THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT AS WHAT THE VOTERS HAVE APPROVED FOR THE HIGHEST LAWFUL WELL, IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, NEW CONSTRUCTION JUST EXPANDS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING FOR THE SET DOLLAR AMOUNT.
I WANT TO SAY THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN CITIES AND COUNTIES BECAUSE THEY GET TO ADD NEW CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS IN TO THEIR BUDGET.
BUT IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IT JUST SPREADS THE FUNDS OUT FURTHER WHERE EVERYONE'S PAYING JUST A LITTLE BIT LESS HOUSING.
WHEN I STARTED GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT YEARS AGO, THAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE THAT I HAD IS LOOKING AT FUNDING.
THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON I STARTED GOING TO LISTENING SESSIONS AND OTHER THINGS.
HOW DO YOU ESTIMATE, IS THERE A WAY TO ESTIMATE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM ONE YEAR TO THREE OR FOUR YEARS OUT? BECAUSE CLEARLY THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ASK EACH INDIVIDUAL PER HOUSEHOLD ON THAT $1,000.
IS GOING MOST LIKELY GOING TO GO DOWN BECAUSE ASSESSED VALUES CONTINUE TO INCREASE.
IS THERE A GOOD WAY TO ESTIMATE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AT THE END OF THREE YEARS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL? WELL, AS AN APPRAISER, I'M NOT USUALLY INTO FORECASTING.
I USUALLY LEAVE THAT TO OTHER PEOPLE.
BUT YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE TREND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING OF ASSESSED VALUE IN EACH OF THE DISTRICTS AND HOW MUCH KIND OF NEW CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMITS.
THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND YOU CAN KIND OF GET AN IDEA BASED UPON YOU KNOW THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE COMING IN BUT LIKE I SAY IS AS APPRAISERS WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING BACK WE'RE NOT REALLY INTO THE DOING THE ESTIMATES BUT JUST LOOKING AT THAT TREND AND HOW IT'S INCREASED AND KIND OF ASSUME THAT THE SAME SORT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION IS THE VALUES ARE GETTING IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAD PRETTY STABLE VALUES, RIGHT? YEARS BEFORE THAT, THE VALUES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND SO WHEN IT WAS INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY, THEY DROPPED QUICKER.
SO THE RATES WILL DROP QUICKER IF A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE MOVE IN OR ASSESS VALUES ARE INCREASING BECAUSE THE STATE OF WASHINGTON DOES ASSESS AT 100% THE MARKET VALUE.
WELL, I THINK I CAN, I ACTUALLY ASKED MICHELLE TO KIND OF PULL OUR HISTORY FOR THAT BECAUSE IT WAS IN MY, HOW DO WE PROJECT OUR GROWTH? AND FOR 2022, THE AV GROWTH WAS 11.74%.
2025, IT WAS 3.44% FOR CLARK COUNTY.
THAT'S JUST THE COUNTY SO RIGHT WE HAVE OURS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE WITHIN OUR BOUNDARY IT YOU HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF OKAY WHAT WHAT DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO BE TYPICALLY AS A DISTRICT THE LAST TWO TIMES THAT WE'VE GONE OUT I BELIEVE IT'S TO MICHELLE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG WE'VE WE'VE PROJECTED AT FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT BECAUSE WE'VE FELT LIKE THAT'S PRETTY CONSERVATIVE OVER THE LIFE OF THE OF A LEVY ASK BUT IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A GUESS BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW FROM YEAR TO YEAR WHAT THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, WHAT'S GOING TO COME IN.
SO WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO BE CONSERVATIVE IN THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO OVERSHOOT THAT.
WELL, THE NUMBERS YOU JUST LISTED, NONE OF THOSE ARE BELOW 5.5%.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIT OF A STAB IN THE DARK.
[00:30:01]
WE DO WANT TO BE CONSERVATIVE, BUT ONLY ONE OUT OF THOSE FOUR YEARS I LISTED WAS BELOW THE 5.5%, AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THAT.SO I THINK IT'S STILL A CONSERVATIVE NUMBER FOR US TO USE.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LEVY RATES.
SO ONE THING MY OFFICE DOES IS IT FILLS ALL YOUR CONSTITUENT CALLS WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR PROPERTY TAX STATEMENTS.
SO WE HAVE A CALL CENTER WITH LIVE REPS THAT TAKE EVERY SINGLE PROPERTY TAX CALL.
ONE THING I WOULD SAY, AND I WISH I COULD TELL, I PROBABLY COULD TELL EVERY SINGLE ELECTED BOARD THIS, IT WOULD TAKE ME A WHILE, BUT TAXPAYERS DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND RATE.
AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY UNDERSTAND HOW IT'S CORRELATED WITH THEIR ASSESSED VALUE AND HOW IT CORRELATES TO THE BUDGET AND THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
IF MY ONE WORD OF ADVICE TO EVERY ELECTED BODY WHO'S CONSIDERING THE DECISION IN FRONT OF YOU WOULD BE TALK ABOUT THE WORK YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE MONEY YOU'RE COLLECTING.
IS THE RATE AND YOU TAKE AN AVERAGE OF THE INCREASE OVER THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD SO IT'S GOING TO BE $200 ALICIA AND FOR THAT $17 A MONTH HERE'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET FOR VALUE.
THE RATE IS CONFUSING AND IT IS IMPORTANT BUT IT ISN'T STAGNANT, IT ISN'T ACCURATE, IT ISN'T HELPING ANYBODY.
SO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH THE MONEY AND AVERAGE IT ON HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE ON A MEDIAN PRICE HOUSE AND THINGS WILL GO SO MUCH BETTER FOR YOU.
I'LL JOIN IN HERE, AND THAT IS THAT I HAVE HAD SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS CALL ME AND SAY, HEY, IF WE PUT THE RATE HERE, HOW MUCH CAN WE BRING IN? AND THAT'S REALLY KIND OF BACKWARDS.
YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT YOUR BUDGET, AND IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE LEVY LIMITS, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE BUDGET THAT YOU NEED TO RUN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE FOCUS REALLY NEEDS TO BE ON HOW MUCH MONEY DO I NEED TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS.
AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT RIGHT AT THE STATUTORY MAX, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE MONEY AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET WHAT YOU NEED TO DO THAT.
AND SAY, LIKE LISA'S SAYING, FOCUSING ON THE RATE REALLY CAN KIND OF GET YOU OFF OF WHAT THE FOCUS IS, AND THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED IN THE BUDGET IN ORDER TO FUND WHAT YOU NEED TO FUND.
THE QUESTION ON THAT PART WAS...
SO, THE MISUNDERSTANDING HERE SAYS 2.1 MILLION AND...
SO IF THAT'S RIGHT, WOULD THAT MEAN MORE THAN $2,500 PER STUDENT? AM I DOING THAT MATH RIGHT OR IS THAT MY MISSING SOMETHING HERE? LIKE I SAY, IT IS STUDENT ADJUSTED.
THAT PORTION IS THROUGH THE OSPI AND ACTUALLY I THINK PROBABLY GAVIN AT ESD 112, RIGHT, IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THESE TYPES OF THINGS.
TYPE OF THINGS AND YOU ACTUALLY SEND YOUR BUDGET THROUGH TO ESD I THINK THEY LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE FIGURES AND THEN THEY SEND THE NUMBERS OVER TO THERE SO WE KIND OF LOOK AT HEY IS THE RATE BELOW 250 OR NOT YEAH AND THEN OSPI IS ON PER STUPLE PER PUPIL AND THOSE OTHER THINGS IS OSPI IS LOOKING AT THAT OKAY SO THE 2500 IS BASED ON SO THE LEGISLATURE, WE REFER TO IT AS MCCLEARY, THAT HAPPENED IN JULY OF 2017.
THAT SET IN MOTION A CHANGE TO THE LEVY CALCULATIONS, WHICH IS YOU'RE SEEING THERE.
SO THAT'S THE ORIGINAL THAT CAME OUT OF 2017 LEGISLATION.
I THINK THE FIRST COLLECTION WAS JANUARY 2019.
WHAT IT INCLUDES, WHAT'S NOT SHOWING THERE IS THE LEGISLATURE MADE A ONE-TIME ADJUSTMENT.
TWO YEARS AGO, A $500 TO THE $2,500.
SO REALLY THAT BAR GOT RAISED TO $3,000.
AND THEN FROM THERE, IT HAS THE ANNUAL INFLATIONARY NUMBER.
SO THE CURRENT YEAR, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBER, THE RATE, IT'S A LITTLE OVER $3,800 PER STUDENT IS REALLY WHAT THAT CAP IS RIGHT NOW.
SO THE $2,500 WITH INFLATION IS ADJUSTED NOW IN CURRENT TIMES,
[00:35:01]
IN CURRENT DAY.TO $3,800 AND IT'S SET TO HAVE OTHER INFLATIONS AND THEN IN 2031 THE LEGISLATURE HAS ACTUALLY RAISED THAT TO A WHOLE TO ANOTHER LAYER TO OKAY YOU KNOW, I THINK IN 2031 IT GOES TO LIKE FIFTY ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER STUDENT IS THICK SO IT'S SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS RIGHT NOW FOR YOUR 2026 THE AMOUNT YOUR CAP WOULD HAVE BEEN $48,246,000 WOULD BE, SO THAT'S WHAT THAT $2,500 TIMES YOUR ENROLLMENT WITH THE INFLATIONARY ADJUSTMENT.
LEGISLATURE DEFINITELY MADE THIS CONFUSING.
BRIEF QUESTION JUST TO CLARIFY MY CONFUSION BECAUSE I THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD, BUT THEN LOOKING BACK ON...
SLIDE FIVE WHICH IS THE ONE JUST PREVIOUS TO THE I I THOUGHT THEN BECAUSE THE EACH YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT I KIND OF EXPECTED.
SO I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING SOMETHING BECAUSE I EXPECTED LIKE 27, 21.4 WOULD BE THE TARGET EACH YEAR AND THAT WOULD CAUSE THE RATE TO CHANGE SOMEWHAT.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY ACTUALLY COLLECTED INCREASED.
SO WHY WASN'T IT THE SAME AMOUNT EVERY YEAR? IT'S LIKE NOT A FOUR YEAR LEVY.
WELL, THIS IS A LEVY AND WHEN YOU RUN THE LEVY.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THAT FAR RIGHT COLUMN, AND THIS IS EACH DISTRICT WHEN THEY PUT IT ON THE BALLOT, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY VOTING ON IS THAT FAR RIGHT LIMIT, AND THAT IS WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE HIGHEST LAWFUL LEVY.
AND THEY ARE CHOOSING TO TAKE IT THE FIRST YEAR, THE $71,800,000.
THEY'RE TELLING ME THAT'S THE HIGHEST LAWFUL LEVY THAT THE VOTERS HAVE SAID.
SO THE REASON IT INCREASES IS BECAUSE THE HIGHEST LAWFUL LEVY.
APPROVE THIS AS THE HIGHEST LAWFUL LEVY.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE PROJECT WHAT WE BELIEVE OUR COSTS WILL GO UP TO MAINTAIN THE SAME EXACT PROGRAM.
THAT'S WHAT I SAID WHEN I SAID TYPICALLY WHAT WE'VE DONE THE LAST FEW LEVIES IS 5.5%.
SO WE FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED THE FIRST YEAR OF THE LEVY WITH REAL DOLLARS OR AS CLOSE TO REAL DOLLARS AS WE CAN GET, AND THEN WE SAY TO OURSELVES WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE THAT INFLATION IS GOING TO HIT US IN TERMS OF THOSE COSTS.
AND TYPICALLY WE HAVE CHOSEN FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT AS THAT NUMBER.
AND SO WE ASK FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT THE FIRST YEAR, AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR IT GOES UP BY FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT, AND THE YEAR IT GOES UP FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT.
LET ME MAKE THIS REALLY, HOPEFULLY, REALLY EASY.
AND THAT IS, LET'S JUST SAY IN 2026, THE $2.35, LET'S JUST SAY WE BRING IN $73 MILLION, RIGHT? AND SO THEY SAID, HEY, WELL, WE SAID THAT'S WHAT THE RATE IS GOING TO BE.
AND SO THEY BUDGETED FOR THAT YEAR TO COLLECT $73 MILLION.
WHEN IT ACTUALLY COMES THROUGH ESD, AND GAVIN'S PROBABLY GOING TO CATCH THAT, BUT IT WOULD COME INTO MY OFFICE AND I'D SAY, YOU ASKED FOR $73 MILLION, BUT YOUR VOTERS ONLY AUTHORIZED $71,800,000. AND SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS IT WOULD COME INTO MY OFFICE AND I'D SAY, THEY'RE ASKING FOR $73,000.
THE HIGHEST LAWFUL LIMIT SET BY THE VOTERS IS $71,800,000.
SEND IT BACK TO GAB AND SAY, WE DON'T ACCEPT THIS.
YOU NEED TO ADJUST THE BUDGET TO GET IT DOWN TO THE $71,800,000, AND IT WOULD NEED TO BE REDONE.
SO I SAY THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE VOTERS ARE VOTING ON, IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE PAYING.
WE'VE HEARD THAT OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE AREA, TOO.
THE VANCOUVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAD LIQUIDITY ISSUES, SO THEY HAD RUN THEIR FUND BALANCE DOWN TO A LEVEL THAT WOULDN'T SUSTAIN THEIR MONTHLY EXPENSES.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, BECAUSE ENROLLMENT HAS DROPPED, THEIR REVENUE ALSO DROPPED, AND THEY ALSO HAD ISSUE WITH THE APPORTIONMENT SCHEDULE.
A LOT OF THEIR EXPENSES WERE OCCURRING DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY IS COMING DURING THE SUMMER.
[00:40:02]
I ESSENTIALLY PROVIDED THEM A LINE OF CREDIT THROUGH REGISTERED WARRANTS, WHICH I AM ALLOWED TO DO UNDER STATE STATUTE.SO I GAVE THEM A MONTHLY LOAN.
WHEN THEIR APPORTIONMENT CAME IN, THEY PAID IT BACK.
I WOULD ISSUE THEM A NEW LOAN.
AND I THINK WE'RE JUST ABOUT DONE WITH THAT CYCLE.
BUT THEY MAY NEED TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR.
THE CUTS TO THEIR BUDGET ARE SIGNIFICANT AND PAINFUL, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE TO DO BUDGET CUTS.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE MORE TIME THAN GOING AS DEEP AS THEY NEEDED.
I'M SUPPORTING SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WE HAVE A REGISTERED WARRANT PROGRAM HERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PROTECTS US AS A DISTRICT FROM THAT IS YOUR BOARD POLICY AROUND THE FUND BALANCE AND US STAYING BETWEEN 4 AND 6 PERCENT.
AND AS LONG AS WE'RE FOLLOWING OUR BOARD POLICY TO STAY BETWEEN 4 AND 6 PERCENT, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE CASH FLOW ISSUES ONE OF THE ADDITIONAL REASONS WHY AND THANK YOU BOTH ALICIA AND PETER THAT'S SO HELPFUL SO VERY HELPFUL ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I ASKED TIM AND GAVIN TO COME THIS EVENING AS WELL IS BECAUSE OR THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL IS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY AND I'VE EVEN HEARD SOME OF YOU KIND OF TALK ABOUT WELL WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IF A DISTRICT DOESN'T BALANCE THEIR BUDGET AND THEY GET INTO ISSUES WITH THEIR FUND BALANCE AND THEY CAN'T MAKE PAYROLL AND ALL THEY DON'T PUT FORTH A BALANCED BUDGET WHAT HAPPENS AND WE WERE SEEING MORE AND MORE DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE DOING THAT AND SO I ASKED GAVIN AND TIM TO COME SO THAT THEY COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT BINDING CONDITIONS ARE WHAT RECEIVERSHIP IS WHAT WHAT IT MEANS BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HEAR THE OH DISTRICTS CAN BE BROKEN UP AND GIVEN TO OTHER DISTRICTS AND WE'VE YOU KNOW I'VE ASSURED THE BOARD MULTIPLE TIMES THAT WE'VE ONLY SEEN THAT HAPPEN IN ONE SMALL DISTRICT CALLED VADER WHO WENT AWAY, BUT THAT DOESN'T TYPICALLY HAPPEN, AND I CAN'T EVEN FATHOM WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN A DISTRICT OF OUR SIZE.
SO I WANTED THEM TO JUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT AND KIND OF THE TREND THAT THEY'RE SEEING ACROSS THE STATE WITH MORE AND MORE DISTRICTS STRUGGLING.
TIM MERLINO, I'M THE SUPERINTENDENT OF ESD 112, AND I'M JUST WRAPPING UP MY 40TH YEAR AT ESD 112.
12TH YEAR AS SUPERINTENDENT, SO I WAS THE FISCAL OFFICER BEFORE GAVIN BECAME THE FISCAL OFFICER.
ANYWAY, WE HAVE, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BINDING CONDITIONS AND REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A DISTRICT THAT IS UNABLE TO PRESENT A BUDGET THAT BALANCES EVEN USING RESERVES.
SO MEANING YOU'D END UP WITH A NEGATIVE FUND BALANCE AND IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, AND IT HAS HAPPENED, IT'S HAPPENING KIND OF, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THERE ARE.
12 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE ARE IN BINDING CONDITIONS, AND THAT KIND OF INVITES THE ESDS AND THE OSPI TO COME IN AND WORK WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON BUILDING A PLAN ON HOW TO GET OUT OF BINDING, WHICH USUALLY INCLUDES CUTS, PASSING A LEVY, AND THAT KIND OF THING, ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WELL, LET ME LEAN BACK A SET UP IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IF THERE'S NO LEVY HERE.
LEVY FAILS AGAIN, SCHOOL DISTRICT BATTLEGROUND COULD BE ON BINDING CONDITIONS SOMETIME IN 27-28 BY THAT TIME BECAUSE THERE'S A FUND BALANCE TO START WITH HERE THAT COULD CARRY IT THROUGH 26-27.
BUT GOING BEYOND THAT IF THE PLAN NEVER GETS MOVED ON MEANING THAT YOU CAN'T EXECUTE IT THEN YOU CAN GO AND DROP INTO WHAT'S CALLED FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT FROM THE STATE.
AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE ESDS, OSPI, AND LESS OF THE DISTRICT THAN THE BOARD MAKING LOCAL DECISIONS.
IT WOULD BE THE STATE TELLING YOU THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO RIGHT THE SHIP.
I MISSED SOMETHING ON THAT? ANYTHING TO ADD? AND WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
SO, GAVIN, YOU CAN PROBABLY TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE STATE LEVEL FROM OTHER PLACES TOO, OTHER PARTS AROUND THE STATE SO I MEAN.
I'VE BEEN IN SCHOOL FINANCE FOR 27 YEARS AND DEFINITELY HAVE NOT THIS IS A DIFFERENT CLIMATE WITH THIS MANY DISTRICTS IN FINANCIAL DISTRESS. SO I MEAN, IT'S REALLY THIS OH, EVEN OSPI HAD TO SORT OF DUST OFF THE MANUAL AS FAR AS HOW TO EVEN WORK WITH DISTRICTS
[00:45:03]
IN DISTRESS. SO WE'RE WORKING I HAVE A WE ACT AS A BUSINESS MANAGER FOR A DISTRICT IN EASTERN WASHINGTON, SO I'M IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW WORKING WITH A DISTRICT GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS. AND SO REALLY THE BINDING CONDITION SIDE IS WHERE TARGETS ARE SET.USUALLY DISTRICTS HAVE A COUPLE YEARS AS LONG AS THEY'RE PROGRESSING THROUGH THAT.
TO REACH A POSITIVE, YOU KNOW, TO BE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, A POSITIVE CONCLUSION TO HOPEFULLY REMEDY THAT SITUATION. IF EITHER PROGRESS IS STALLED OUT OR THAT TIME HAS ELAPSED, THAT'S WHEN, LIKE TIM TALKED ABOUT, THAT FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT TAKES PLACE. THERE'S BEEN, THERE'S BEEN A FEW DISTRICTS IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THAT HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES INTO FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT.
FORTUNATELY, THAT THOSE ARE AT LEAST AT THE CURRENT TIME HEADED IN WHAT WE HOPE IS A POSITIVE DIRECTION. BUT YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY A SIGNIFICANT RISE AS FAR AS DISTRICTS FINDING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE THE FINANCIAL SIDE.
AND LIKE TIM WAS MENTIONING, WITH LEVY PASSAGE IS ALSO ONE OF THOSE PRIMARY INDICATORS AS FAR AS DISTRICTS THAT FIND THEMSELVES IT'S NOT THE ONLY REASON, BUT IT'S A SIGNIFICANT REASON.
JUST ONE OTHER THING FOR ME. I- SO, LIKE ALICIA SAID, NOT ALL COUNTIES WILL LOAN DISTRICTS MONEY.
WE'RE FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN ONE THAT DOES.
BECAUSE CASH FLOW ISSUES WILL START, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T, AND THEY COULD START FOR BATTLEGROUND IN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S 26-27, BUT IT PROBABLY WOULD IN 27-28 BECAUSE OF THAT APPORTIONMENT CYCLE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MONTHS WHERE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT WITHOUT A LEVY.
SO IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
WHAT, FOR MY OWN AND THE BOARD, WHAT IS, I MEAN, THOSE 12 DISTRICTS? THAT ARE IN FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT DO THEY HAVE THIS DO THEY HAVE LEVEES DO THEY ARE IS IS THAT THE PROBLEM HOW DOES THAT COMPARE WITH OUR SITUATION OR DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHTS AND INTO THAT WELL YOU IT'S A IT'S DEFINITELY A COMBINATION THERE'S I KNOW THERE'S A FEW DISTRICTS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTED THAT HAVE HAD WITHOUT LEVEE PASSAGE THAT FIND THAT THAT ARE IN THAT GROUPING THE BUT I'D SAY IT'S PROBABLY OVER HALF OF THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE FINDING THEMSELVES, ESPECIALLY EVEN BEFORE BINDING CONDITIONS, IS WHERE MOST OF THOSE 12 ARE AT.
WE'VE ONLY HAD A COUPLE THAT ACTUALLY WENT TO FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT.
BUT IT'S A SITUATION WHERE YOU MAY HAVE WHERE THE DISTRICT FINANCES GOT OUT OF CONTROL, ALONG WITH OTHER FACTORS.
I MEAN, I KNOW WORKING WITH YOUR DISTRICT FOR A LONG TIME, YOU GUYS HAVE VERY STRONG FINANCIAL CONTROLS.
SO A LOT OF THOSE BARRIERS, YOU KNOW, VARIABLES WOULDN'T BE IN PLAY FOR YOU, YOU AS A DISTRICT, BUT THE LEVY, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, I MEAN, I THINK RIGHT NOW THERE'S ONLY, THERE'S LIKE THREE DISTRICTS THAT DON'T HAVE LEVY PASSAGE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE OVER 1,000 STUDENTS IN THE STATE.
LEVEES IS A SIGNIFICANT PART AS FAR AS OPERATIONS OF A DISTRICT.
SO WITHOUT THAT, AS YOU WILL, WITHOUT THAT REVENUE, THAT'S WHY WE, THEY, A DISTRICT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY FIND ITSELF ON A WATCH LIST.
AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE MONITORING DISTRICTS AND FINANCES BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S SUCH A, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF AN OVERALL OPERATING BUDGET.
ESPECIALLY TO PETER'S POINT THAT IF YOU WANT SOMETHING BEYOND BASIC EDUCATION, YOU WANT THINGS LIKE ATHLETICS OR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS IN NEED OR THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
I WOULD GIVE A LITTLE PUSHBACK TO SAY THAT THE STATE DOESN'T PROVIDE TOTAL BASIC EDUCATION.
EACH LEGISLATIVE SESSION GIVES US MORE STUFF TO DO WITHOUT PAY, WITHOUT FUNDS.
THAT LEADS ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION HERE.
SO OPTION ONE ON OUR LITTLE CHART HERE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
SO WE'RE SAYING WE NEED TO PASS A $1.28 LEVY JUST TO COVER UNFUNDED MANDATES FROM THE STATE.
AND IF YOU DON'T PASS $1.28, THE STATE IS ESSENTIALLY GOING TO BANKRUPT A SCHOOL AND PUT IT INTO...
ONE OF THOSE 12 THAT ARE STRUGGLING, IS THAT KIND OF THE CORRECT READ HERE? SO I DON'T THINK THEY'RE AS FAMILIAR WITH THE DOCUMENT BECAUSE THAT'S OUR INTERNAL DOCUMENT.
THAT'S KIND OF THE NEXT STEP FOR US TO TALK ABOUT.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE LISTENING SESSION LAST WEEK, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS ABOUT UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT HAVE COME TO US AND OUR COST, WHICH...
I THINK POINTS TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DISTRICTS THAT ARE ALL ABOUT THE NEXT LAWSUIT AGAINST THE STATE AND GOING BACK TO MCCLEARY.
[00:50:02]
2.0 WE'VE HEARD THAT THAT STATEMENT AND I THINK THAT'S INDICATIVE OF THE FACT THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE COMING TO US THAT ARE NOW PART OF OUR BASIC EDUCATION REPORT PART OF OUR SPECIAL ED REPORT PART OF OUR OUR FEDERAL PROGRAMS REPORT THAT ARE NOT FULLY FUNDED WE'RE REQUIRED TO GIVE US A LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND THERE'S NO FUNDING FOR IT SO WHILE THE INTENTION AT THE STATE LEVEL IS THAT IT'S FOR ENHANCEMENT YOU'RE RIGHT A BIG A BIG PORTION THAT WE'RE FEELING IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS.AND SO ON YOUR SHEET IN FRONT OF YOU, I'LL JUST JUMP IN AND TELL YOU WHAT I THINK IS IN FRONT OF US.
BEFORE WE GO DOWN THAT ROAD, CAN I JUMP IN AND ASK A QUESTION? WE'RE TALKING POSSIBLE BINDING CONDITIONS OR OVERSIGHT IN 27. 26- 27? 27-28 WORST CASE SCENARIO.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU...
LOAN MONEY, SHORT-TERM, MONTH-TO-MONTH KIND OF STUFF.
WHAT'S THE COST ON SOMETHING? MONEY IS ALWAYS FREE.
SO WHAT'S THE REAL COST ON IT? SO WE WOULD CHARGE A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHAT THE LGIP IS EARNING PLUS 75 BASIS POINTS.
IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT LESS THAN A BANK.
TREAT ME LIKE I'M NOT A FINANCE GUY.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT LIKE 3.65% FROM THE STATE LGIP, YOU WOULD ADD ANOTHER .75% TO THAT.
AND IF YOU, AND LIKELY, BECAUSE I TRIED LOOKING AT OTHER OPTIONS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, REGISTERED WARRANTS, I CAN'T EXTEND LONGER THAN A YEAR.
AND SO I HAVE TO WORK OUT AGREEMENTS WHERE IF IT'S A YEAR, WE HAVE TO GET A RENEWAL.
AND MOST BANKS WON'T TOUCH IT.
SO REALLY, THERE AREN'T A LOT OF LENDING OPTIONS.
I SENT A LETTER DIRECTLY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT ASKING HIM TO RECONSIDER HIS ADVANCED APPORTIONMENT TO VANCOUVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND HE WOULD NOT BUDGE.
AND BLAMED THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT FOR NOT MAKING THE TOUGH DECISIONS.
SO I WILL SPEAK VERY STRONGLY THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR HOUSE HERE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE STATE IS STEPPING UP.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION ALSO BEFORE WE GO ON.
I HAVE A QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THAT ANSWER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST ASK IT. IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE HEADING TOWARD A CLIFF AND WE NEED TO PUMP THE BRAKES. IS THERE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE TO US AS A BOARD OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING OR THINKING ABOUT OR FORWARD THINKING OF HOW WE CAN HELP. I MEAN, CUTS, CUTS, CUTS, WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF BEEN DOING THAT, AND THAT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIKE ONE OF THE MAIN ANSWERS THAT I ALWAYS HEAR. BUT I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE BECAUSE YOU'RE WORKING WITH FOLKS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, ALREADY IN THIS SITUATION.
PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE TO AVOID THAT AT ALL COSTS. I DON'T WANT TO GO OVER THE CLIFF.
I'D LIKE TO STOP WAY BEFORE WE EVEN GET CLOSE. DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU'RE THAT YOU COULD OFFER US AS SOMETHING TO THINK ON OR SOMETHING TO EXPLORE OR CONSIDER? BECAUSE I'M VERY OPEN TO HEAR ANY RECOMMENDATIONS YOU'D HAVE.
THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION I HAVE IS THE LEVY. YOU NEED THAT IN ORDER TO FUNCTION WITHOUT YOU MIGHT STILL HAVE TO MAKE CUTS DOWN THE ROAD, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE NEARLY AS DRASTIC. AND YOU CAN PROBABLY LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN PROBABLY ADD SOME THINGS BACK FROM THAT TOO.SO OFFERING A LEVY AT A RATE, WHICH EVERYBODY SAYS DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE RATE, BUT OFFERING IT AT SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN SUPPORT.
AND WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT THE LEVY IS GOING TO GO TOWARD.YEAH, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY ACCURATE.
AND WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT OFFERING A RATE THE COMMUNITY CAN AFFORD IS IMPORTANT TOO, BECAUSE YOU GOT TO HAVE IT PASS. I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY OUR DISTRICTS IN CLARK COUNTY, NONE OF THEM LEVY TO THE LID, I DON'T THINK. DO THEY? I THINK THEY'RE ALL SHORT OF THAT NUMBER BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PASS ANYTHING HIGHER.
ACTUALLY, FOR OUR WHOLE REGION, NONE OF THEM DO.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK THEN ABOUT SOMETHING I'VE HEARD MUCH TALK ON, AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS. I DON'T KNOW WHO THIS IS FOR, OKAY, BUT TAXPAYERS, HOMEOWNERS, PROPERTY OWNERS PAY THE LEVY, EXCEPT BUSINESSES PAY FOR THE LEVY ALSO. AND SO FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE I UNDERSTOOD YOU MIGHT EVEN BE COMING TO KIND OF SHARE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE HOW WE'RE DOING COMPARED TO OTHER PLACES DOES OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT SUFFER FROM NOT HAVING BUSINESSES THAT HELP FUND THE LEVY BURDEN?
[00:55:01]
AND IF SO, HOW IS THAT? SO HOW DOES IT OFFER FROM THAT WELL, I MEAN, I GUESS I'LL TAKE IT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ANYONE ELSE WANTS IT.OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVE A DISTRICT THAT HAS MORE BUSINESSES IN IT, RIGHT, THAT TENDS TO ADD BUILDINGS OF HIGHER ASSESSED VALUE TO TAKE A PORTION OF THAT. SO THE LOWER YOUR PERCENTAGE OF YOUR ASSESSED VALUE THAT IS BUSINESSES, RIGHT, THAT MEANS THE HOMEOWNERS ARE GOING TO BE TAKING MORE OF IT. SO, YOU KNOW, IN A DISTRICT LIKE VANCOUVER WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES, YEAH, THE BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO PAY A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF THAT LEVY THAN THE TYPICAL HOMEOWNERS IN A DISTRICT LIKE BATTLEGROUND, WHICH IS MAYBE MORE TOWARD THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE AND HAS LESS BUSINESS.
SO IS THAT SO FOR EVERGREEN? IS THAT SO FOR CAMAS? HOW DO WE COMPARE? I'M LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A COMPARISON AND MAYBE EVEN A PERCENT, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF IDEA. LIKE, WE HAVE LIKE A THIRD OF THE BUSINESSES VANCOUVER HAS, A FIFTH, A TENTH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.
ANY THOUGHTS? AT THE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UM, I DON'T YOU HAVE LESS BUSINESSES THAN VANCOUVER AND PROBABLY LESS THAN EVERGREEN, AND I WOULD GUESS LESS THAN CAMAS ALSO.
I DON'T HAVE ALL OF THEM, BUT I DO HAVE SOME OF THEM. I WAS INTERESTED IN THAT QUESTION MYSELF.
PEOPLE MENTION IT ALL THE TIME.
SO FOR INSTANCE, EVERGREEN, THEIR, THEIR LEVY RATE THIS IS FROM 2025, SO IT'S NOT THE CURRENT YEAR WE'RE IN BUT THEY, THEIR, THEIR LEVY RATE WAS WHERE IS IT? I'M LOOKING AT THE WRONG LINE. NOPE, SORRY, THIS IS TIMBER. I'VE GOT TO GET TO THE RIGHT THE RIGHT RATE. DISTRICTS WITH LEVIES.
EVERGREEN. SO EVERGREEN AT THEIR TOTAL OH, THAT'S WHAT LET ME GET TO JUST THE LEVY AMOUNT.
$28 MILLION, BASICALLY $28.8 MILLION, AND THEIR RATE JUST FOR THAT, JUST FOR THE LEVY RATE, SAYS $1.67, $1.68 IF I WAS ROUNDING TO THE, TO THE HUNDREDTH. SO YEAH, I MEAN, THEY'RE COLLECTING SIGNIFICANTLY.
MICHELLE, IS THAT RIGHT? CHECK MY NUMBER BECAUSE I, I'M LOOKING AT THE TABLE THAT YOU SENT.
IS THAT JUST THE P&L? SO I THINK THE QUESTION WAS ON COMMERCIAL VALUE AS OPPOSED TO RESIDENTIAL VALUE.
YEAH, AND WE DON'T HAVE WE'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION BEFORE AND IT'S BEEN WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT COMMERCIAL VALUATION AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL ASSESSED VALUATION OF A DISTRICT IS. AND I DON'T KNOW, PETER, IF YOU GUYS HAVE THAT INFORMATION AT YOUR OFFICE. I THINK WE'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION BEFORE AND WE DIDN'T THAT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THAT I ASKED THAT QUESTION, AND THAT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
BUT I THINK THAT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IS THAT A DISTRICT LIKE SEATTLE, WHICH SEATTLE IS THE BIGGEST ONE, RIGHT, THEIR, THEIR LEVY RATE IS 65 CENTS PER $1,000 OF ASSESSED VALUE, AND THEY'RE BRINGING IN JUST SHY OF $300 MILLION.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE MORE INDUSTRY YOU HAVE, THE BETTER.
HOCKINSON, LA CENTER, THEY HAVE VIRTUALLY NONE.
WE HAVE SOME. VANCOUVER, EVERGREEN, THEY HAVE MORE THAN WE DO, BUT CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY LESS. WE HAVE LESS, BUT THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO I THINK EVERYBODY'S SITUATION IS DIFFERENT. AND I THINK WHAT MAKES BATTLE GROUND SO UNIQUE AND I KNOW MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS IS THAT BATTLE GROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT SPANS THE CITY OF VANCOUVER, BRUSH PRAIRIE, BATTLE GROUND, YAKULT, AMBOY, CLARK COUNTY. IT'S SO DIVERSE IN TERMS OF ITS TAXING TAX BASE THAT EVERY TIME THAT YOU GO TO A SEPARATE PLACE WITHIN THE COUNTY, IT IS HARD FOR US TO MESSAGE TO OUR TAXPAYERS THE IMPLICATION OF THEIR OVERALL TAX BURDEN IF THEY ASK US THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE IT'S SO DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT PLACES. YOU KNOW, LA CENTER IS LA CENTER AND THE COUNTY. HOCKINSON IS HOCKINSON SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT'S WITHIN THE COUNTY. THEY DON'T HAVE A CITY PER SE. SO
[01:00:01]
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET A MESSAGE TO OUR TAXPAYERS THAT HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THEIR TAX BURDEN BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY LIVE.I DON'T KNOW IF THAT RESONATES.
AND WE CAN GET THOSE. IT'S JUST NOT A REPORT THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE THERE'S NO THERE'S REALLY NO NEED FOR US BUT IF WE REALLY HAD TO, SAY, RUN A REPORT, WE COULD. BUT LIKE I SAY, IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD UTILIZE FOR THE STATE OR ANY OF OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR ASSESSING. BUT IT IS WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE NUMBERS.
BOARD, THE OTHER THING THAT WE PREPARED FOR YOU AND WE LEFT ON THE TABLES AS WELL IN CASE THAT THERE WERE ANY CONVERSATIONS THAT, THAT ESD STAFF OR ALICIA AND PETER WANTED TO ADD WAS WHAT WE LOOKED AT AT THE LISTENING SESSION. WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK, AND, AND THE FEEDBACK I FELT LIKE WAS REALLY GOOD. I WOULD HAVE LOVED FOR US TO HAVE TIME TO DO MORE LISTENING SESSIONS, BUT AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON A TIGHT TIMELINE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW IS THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO NO MATTER WHAT. WE HAVE TO DO OUR UNFUNDED MANDATES.
WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE THINGS WE HAVE TO REPORT ON, AND IF WE DON'T DO THEM, THEN THE STATE COULD DECIDE THAT THEY AREN'T GOING TO SEND US OUR APPORTIONMENT IN THOSE FOR THOSE THINGS, THOSE AREAS. SO IT COULD BE WE COULD PAY DOUBLE JEOPARDY IF WE DON'T MEET THOSE OBLIGATIONS.
THE OTHER THING IS WE TALKED ABOUT AND SHARED WITH OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE SOME CURRICULUM THAT WILL EXPIRE IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS. SO IF WE DON'T REPLACE THAT CURRICULUM, THAT WILL LEAVE OUR STAFF TO FINDING THINGS ON THEIR OWN. AND WHAT WE KNOW IN OUR COMMUNITY IS THEY WANT CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE SCHOOLS. THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE BEING TAUGHT THE THINGS THAT MATCH THEIR DESIRES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO THAT TO ME FEELS LIKE A REQUIREMENT. I FEEL LIKE THAT WE PUT IT IN OUR REQUIREMENT. AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS THAT THIS YEAR WITH THE AGREEMENT OF MANY OF OUR LABOR PARTNERS THAT LED TO FURLOUGHS, SALARY FREEZES, AND THE LIKE, WHICH YOU CAN DO THAT FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET AGREEMENTS.
WE HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS, AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET AGREEMENTS ON A 1-YEAR BASIS, BUT WE CAN'T COUNT ON THAT YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE, GIVE UP THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PROMISED TO THEM. SO WE PUT THOSE 3 THINGS INTO REQUIRED ITEMS. THOSE REQUIRED ITEMS ADD UP TO $26.82 MILLION. AND SO WITHOUT A LEVY OF THAT AMOUNT, WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE MORE CUTS IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS. AND THEN WHAT WE DID IS WE TRIED TO GIVE YOU SOME OPTIONS. AND AS YOU KNOW FROM THE LISTENING SESSION, WE WHEN WE PUT NOT EVERYTHING BACK, BECAUSE WE ALSO KNEW FROM PREVIOUS COMMUNICATIONS AROUND THE LISTENING SESSIONS WE DID WHEN WE DID THE BUDGET CUTS THAT WE CAN'T PUT EVERYTHING BACK. AND SO BUT WE DID I'M SORRY.
PUT BACK A LOT OF THINGS AND GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION AND OUR COMMUNITY THAT INFORMATION FOR THE LISTENING SESSION, THAT WOULD LEAVE US TO $42.59 MILLION AND A LEVY, AN ESTIMATED RATE OF $2.03.
HOWEVER, WE DO NOT BELIEVE AS OUR TEAM THAT WE WOULD PASS THAT. WE DIDN'T PASS $1.99, WE DIDN'T PASS $1.95, AND SO WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO PUT SOMETHING ELSE OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN SUPPORT. BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD, WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF $1.70-SOMETHING TO $1.80-SOMETHING AS THE MAX.
THAT, IN MY OPINION, IS THE MAX THAT WE COULD GO OUT AND ASK FOR. SO $37.7, I THINK, GIVES US MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY, REALLY NEED. BUT IF WE WANT TO MEET SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AS A TEAM AND A BOARD, I THINK OPTION 3 TAKES US TO $38.96 MILLION, WHICH IS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT IT PUTS IN SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS AND OUR GOALS. IT ADDS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SHEET THAT YOU HAVE, IF THERE IS A HIGHLIGHT, SO YOU CAN SEE REQUIRED ITEMS IS HIGHLIGHTED ALL THE WAY ACROSS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT NO MATTER WHAT.
IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN JUST IT IS A LIGHT GRAY. SAFETY AND SECURITY, BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD LAST WEEK AT OUR LISTENING SESSION, NOBODY WANTED TO MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS ON THAT. EVERYBODY SAID, I DON'T WANT TO SEND MY KIDS TO SCHOOL UNLESS YOU CAN SET A LEVEL THAT WILL MAKE SURE THAT MY KID IS SAFE. AND SO THOSE THINGS YOU CAN SEE GRAYED IN OPTION 2, 3, AND 4.
[01:05:02]
SOME THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.WE HEARD A VARIETY OF FEEDBACK.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE NO CHANGES BETWEEN OPTION 2 AND THOSE IT WAS PRETTY STRONG THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE HITTING OUR BENCHMARKS IN MATH AND READING. THOSE CAME ACROSS LOUD AND CLEAR. IT WAS ALSO PRETTY CLEAR IN THE FEEDBACK THAT WE SENT FORWARD TO YOU THAT OUR COMMUNITY WAS FEELING LIKE WE HAVE KIDS THAT ARE STRUGGLING. THEY ARE STRUGGLING IN READING, THEY ARE STRUGGLING IN LANGUAGE, THEY ARE STRUGGLING, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE SUPPORT THAT WE CUT COULD BE RETURNED TO SOME LEVEL IN SOME WAY. SO WE PUT IN PUT THOSE THINGS BACK, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE OPTION 4 ADDS SOME OF THE INCREASES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS COORDINATORS TO HELP STRUGGLING STUDENTS WITH ACADEMIC BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL NEEDS. WE BELIEVE THAT IN OPTION 2 OR 3, THAT'S A LEVEL THAT OUR COMMUNITY COULD SUPPORT THE TYPES OF, OF SUPPORTS THAT WE NEED. IT WOULD GIVE US THE ASSESSMENT PIECE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, K-12, SO WE WOULD HAVE SOME LEADING INDICATORS SO THAT OUR STAFF THROUGH THE PLC PROCESS COULD WORK ON GROWTH OF OUR STUDENTS, WHICH CERTAINLY HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION WITH THE BOARD IN, IN SOME OF OUR MEETINGS. AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT STUDENT WELL-BEING, ONE OF THE PIECES THAT CAME ACROSS IS CERTAINLY HELP FOR COUNSELOR HAVING COUNSELORS.
I'VE GOTTEN A FEW EMAILS, I KNOW YOU HAVE TOO. THAT'S PROBABLY BEEN THE NUMBER ONE THING IN THIS AREA THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT. WE'VE ALSO HEARD ABOUT PREVENTION INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS THAT WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS THAT EITHER THEY THEMSELVES ARE IMPACTED BY DRUG OR ALCOHOL OR THEIR FAMILY IS AND THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH THOSE TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT KIND OF THING.
ALSO, WE KNOW THAT ONE OF THE NEEDS OF OUR STAFF IS THAT BEHAVIORS ARE ON THE RISE, AND WE LOST WE DIDN'T WE LOST, OR THIS YEAR WE HAD TO CUT OUR BEHAVIOR TRACKING SYSTEM, SWIS, THAT WE USE. WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED THAT IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE PLANS, THE SAFETY PLANS, AND THOSE PIECES. SO THAT PIECE, AS A BOARD, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ATTENDANCE AND HOW ATTENDANCE IS IMPACTING OUR OUTCOMES. WE NEED TO IMPROVE MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTENDANCE TRACKING AND GET OUR ATTENDANCE OF OUR STUDENTS UP ON A REGULAR BASIS.
BUT YOU DON'T DO THAT WITHOUT THE PEOPLE OR THE SYSTEM TO DO THAT. AND SO WE PUT THAT IN OUR PLAN. SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT'S THE SAME IN OPTION 2 AND 3, AND THEN THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN OPTION 4.
WORKFORCE READINESS, THAT REALLY HAS A LOT TO DO, WORKFORCE READINESS, WITH OUR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AS WELL AS OUR HIGH SCHOOL STAFFING. WHAT WE WOULD THE ADDITION BETWEEN OPTION 2 AND 3 IS BASICALLY RESTORING 75% OF THE STAFFING THAT WE HAVE CUT THIS SPRING BACK. SO THAT'S OPTION 2. IF WE WERE TO DO 100% OF THAT STAFFING THAT WE HAVE CUT, THAT'S OPTION 3. SAME THING FOR CLASS SIZE IN THE, IN THE K-8 REALM, OR THE 4 REALLY THE 4-8 REALM, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T MAKE MUCH CUTS TO THE K-3 REALM BECAUSE OF THE ENHANCED FUNDING THAT WE GET IN THAT AREA. AGAIN, A 75% INCREASE OR RETURN TO WHERE WE CUT TO THIS YEAR.
AND YOU REMEMBER FROM THE DOCUMENT WE SAID THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE 2 TO 6 KIDS IN OVERLOAD, THAT WOULD VIRTUALLY GO TO 1 TO 3 IF WE WERE TO GO TO 75%.
WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RESTORE IT TO 100%. YOU WOULD HAVE AN OCCASIONAL OVERLOAD, BUT YOU WOULDN'T WE WOULDN'T STAFF TO OVERLOAD. SO THAT'S WHAT OPTION 3 WOULD GIVE YOU.
DISTRICTWIDE SUPPORT, IT'S DIFFERENT AT EVERY LEVEL. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU RETURN SOME OF THESE THINGS IN THE UPPER LEVELS, YOU NEED STAFF IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM RUN. WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT CUTS, AS YOU KNOW, TO OUR OPERATIONS TEAM. SO WE'VE CUT 2 HVAC, A PAINTER, A WAREHOUSE PERSON, AND A GROUNDS PERSON. WE NO LONGER HAVE A MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR. SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS THERE'S 2 DIFFERENT LEVELS. OPTION 2 BRINGS BACK THE MINIMAL THAT WE WOULD NEED. WE WOULD STILL PROBABLY HAVE TO CONTRACT FOR SERVICES IN CASES OF EMERGENCY. IN OPTION 3, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RETURN SOME STAFFING SO SO THAT, THAT COULD BE DONE IN-HOUSE INSTEAD OF OUT OF HOUSE. AND THEN OPTION 4 WOULD RETURN THAT TO PRE PRE THIS SPRING'S CUTS.
[01:10:05]
AND NEITHER ONE OF THOSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAID IN THE LISTENING SESSION, YOU PROBABLY SAW IN THOSE NOTES, THAT NOBODY HAD HEARTBURN OVER THE FACT THAT WE'VE MOVED AWAY FROM THE K-4 CLASS SUPPLIES AND PAYING FOR THOSE. THEY WE FELT ACROSS THE BOARD THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT OUR FAMILIES COULD, COULD DO INDEPENDENTLY. AND THEN THE FINAL AREA IS STUDENT ACTIVITIES, AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THE DIFFERENCES THERE THAT THE ONLY THING THAT OPTION 2 GETS US IS RETURNING THE ATHLETIC CUT PART OF THE LEVY LOSS. SO WE HAD SOME SPORTS THAT WE SAID, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS MANY KIDS, WE WON'T RUN IT. AND SO IT RETURNS THAT AND THEN JUST THE STAFF THAT WOULD GO WITH THOSE PROGRAMS. IN OPTION 03, IT WOULD RESTORE MIDDLE SCHOOL AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, NOT MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS, BUT AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES WHERE THEY COULD HAVE HOMEWORK HELP, THEY COULD RUN THE CHESS CLUB, THEY COULD RUN A HANDFUL OF ACTIVITIES AFTER SCHOOL. SO THEY HAD SOME, SOME PIECES.AND IT WOULD ALSO WE WOULD ALSO COVER SOME OF OUR FACILITY USE COSTS FOR SOME OF THOSE SPORTS LIKE GOLF AND SWIM AND BOWLING, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COVER THE FACILITY COSTS.
AND THEN WE HAD MADE CUTS TO THE C-TEAM SPORTS, SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL, BECAUSE WE GET NO GATE FOR THAT, SO IT'S NOT SELF-SUFFICIENT AT ALL. WE WOULD JUST THAT WE COULD RESTORE. SO, AND THE STUDENT ACTIVITY, THE ONLY ONE THAT WE RESTORE MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS WOULD BE IF WE WENT TO OPTION 4, AND I THINK BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD IN THE LISTENING SESSION, I JUST DON'T THINK NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO GO BACK TO OFFERING MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS.
I DON'T THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION. SO, SO THESE THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE ESTIMATED RATE, BUT IT REALLY, TO ALICIA'S POINT, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT PROGRAMMING YOU MIGHT GET IF YOU WENT WITH OPTION 2 OR 3 TO RETURN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CUT COSTED OUT THIS SPRING OR CUT THIS SPRING.
OPTION 1, AGAIN, OPTION 1 OF RUNNING THAT $26.8 MILLION, WE REALLY ARE JUST GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE CUTS IN THE FUTURE, IN THE FUTURE YEARS. WHAT, WHAT DID I MISS, LYNELL OR AMANDA OR MICHELLE? WHAT DID I QUESTIONS? YEAH.
DISCUSSION? DISCUSSION? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? WELL, I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY THE AMOUNT AT THE TOP, THE 26.82 IS ONE, OR LET'S LOOK AT OPTION 04, 42.59. OKAY, THAT NUMBER, IF THE WAY I WAS READING IT IS MAYBE WRONG NOW, I THINK, BECAUSE THAT NUMBER I WAS THINKING SAID LIKE IF WE ADOPTED EVERYTHING IN OPTION 2 THIS WOULD BE $37.71 MILLION.
OKAY, SO THEN I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING FOR THEN IS IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO IMPLEMENT THE GRAYS, WHICH IS NOT ALL OF EACH COLUMN.
NO, THE GRAYS ARE WHAT IS RESTORED IN THAT COLUMN.
OKAY, SO AGAIN, BACK TO OPTION 2.
THERE'S 3 THERE'S 4 ITEMS THAT ARE GRAYED AND THERE'S 4 ITEMS THAT ARE NOT.
SO IS THE $37.71 MILLION JUST RESTORING THE TOP 4 THAT ARE GRAYED? I'M SORRY.
OR IS IT THE WHOLE COLUMN? THE GRAY IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT NOT BY ROW INSTEAD OF BY COLUMN. THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT AS WHAT HAS CHANGED.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN REQUIRED ITEMS. ALL OF THAT IS GRAYED ALL THE WAY ACROSS BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT.
I'M SORRY, SO I'M STILL NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS. SO WHAT DOES THE 37.71 REPRESENT? IT'S RIGHT HERE.
IF YOU GO ACROSS, THIS STAYS UNCHANGED, THAT PART.
SO, SO OPTION 1 SAYS $26.82 MILLION.
SO WE'RE GETTING EVERYTHING THAT'S GRADE, WHICH IS ONLY UNFUNDED MANDATES, REPLACEMENT CURRICULUM, AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE IS GRADE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING EARLIER, IS BASICALLY IF WE PASSED A $1.28 LEVY, WE'RE JUST PAYING THE STATE'S PROMISES OF WHAT THEY SHOULD BE GIVING US.
OKAY, OKAY, SO LET ME ASK THAT QUESTION TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
OKAY, I'M LOOKING AT OPTION 02, AND ALL I WANT TO PASS IN OPTION 2 ARE THE FIRST 4 ITEMS AND NOT THE LAST 4 ITEMS. WHAT AM I PROPOSING THAT'S
[01:15:02]
GOING TO COST US? SO YOU'RE SAYING NOTHING IN CLASS SIZE, NOTHING IN DISTRICT? YEAH, JUST THE GRADE ITEMS, WHICH I UNDERSTAND ARE A PRIORITY, CORRECT? NO, WHY ARE THEY GRADE? BECAUSE THEY DON'T CHANGE. SO LET ME DO THIS. LET ME, LET ME HELP WHAT JAMEL WAS TRYING TO DO.THERE IS NO CHANGE ON SAFETY AND SECURITY FROM OPTION 2, OPTION 3, AND OPTION 4. THEY'RE ALL THE SAME.
OUR COMMUNITY SAID SAFETY WE WANT, SO THERE IS NO DISCUSSION ON THAT IF WE WANT TO TAKE WHAT THE COMMUNITY TOLD US IN THE LISTENING SESSION.
THERE WAS VARIATION WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ACADEMIC SUPPORT FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE WAS SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER WE NEEDED THIS LEVEL OF SUPPORT, BUT THERE WAS THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT HELP FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO READ, SO IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN BOTH OF THESE OPTIONS. SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN ENGLISH, THAT WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY DISAGREE WITH THAT.
PROGRAMS TO HELP STUDENTS MAKE UP FOR CREDITS NEEDED TO GRADUATE. THEY WANTED GRADUATION RATES. SO THESE ARE EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAID THEY WANT.
SO THE GRAY ALIGNS WITH THE LISTENING SESSION FEEDBACK.
SO DID ANYBODY SAY IN COLUMN 02, OPTION 2, THAT THEY WANT TO RESTORE 75% OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION STAFFING? YES.
WELL, THEY DIDN'T SAY 75%, THEY SAID SOME. THEY USED THE WORD SOME. SO IF YOU LOOK BACK ON THOSE SHEETS THAT WE FORWARDED TO YOU, SOME OF THEM SAID SOME.
SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING THEN WE RESTORE 75% AND THEN RESTORE 75% OF STAFFING TO REDUCE CLASS SIZES. THAT ALL ADDS UP TO THE 37.71.
AND WE HEARD BOTH, RIGHT? WE HEARD SOME PEOPLE SAY SOME AND WE HEARD SOME PEOPLE SAY ALL.
THAT'S WHY SOME OF THESE ARE DIFFERENT. THE ONLY PLACE THAT THE GRAY STAYS CONSISTENT IS WHEN THE FEEDBACK WAS CONSISTENT. OKAY, THE FEEDBACK WAS CONSISTENT ABOUT SAFETY AND SECURITY ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD.
VARIATION IN THOSE. SO WE TRIED TO GIVE YOU SOME OPTIONS BETWEEN WHAT WE HEARD AT THE LISTENING SESSION AND WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU IN THE OTHER PIECE, IF YOU GO CLEAR DOWN TO THE BOTTOM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW, AND THIS IS AN ASSESSMENT OF YOUR QUESTIONS, 10 CENTS IN A RATE, WHICH AGAIN, A PROBLEM, IS ABOUT $2.1 MILLION.
SO AS A BOARD, YOU COULD SAY THERE'S SOMETHING ON HERE I FEEL LIKE IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT'S NOT HERE. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT. AND THAT WOULD TELL YOU, OR THERE'S SOMETHING ON HERE THAT I DON'T THINK IS IMPORTANT. AND SO AGAIN, SUBTRACT $2.1 MILLION TO TAKE 10 CENTS EITHER DIRECTION. SO WE WANTED YOU TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS AS A BOARD BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT BOTH WE HEARD AT THE LISTENING SESSION, THE DISCUSSION HERE, AND WE WANTED YOU TO BE ABLE TO, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THAT, THAT'S THE PIECE THAT YOU HAVE TO DECIDE AS A BOARD.
I THINK SOMETHING TO POINT OUT TOO IS WHILE WE REFERENCED THE LISTENING SESSION OF LAST WEEK, IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE 3 PRIOR LISTENING SESSIONS, THE BALANCING ACT, THE THOUGHT EXCHANGE. SO IT IS A COMPILATION OF A LOT OF WORK AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, FEEDBACK AROUND ALL OF THE STAFF AND STUDENTS UNENGAGED.
SO WHILE WE DO REFERENCE THE SHEETS THAT WERE FORWARDED TO YOU WERE SPECIFICALLY FROM LAST WEEK'S LISTENING SESSION, IT'S VERY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'VE HEARD ALL YEAR AROUND OUR WORK IN THIS AREA.
THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. THANK YOU.
THIS IS VERY WELL DONE, BY THE WAY.
TEAM EFFORT. AMANDA AND MICHELLE. MAKES IT EASY TO SEE.
YEAH, WHAT ARE OUR THOUGHTS AROUND WHAT OPTIONS ARE WE LEANING TOWARDS TO KIND OF JUST START THAT PIECE? I'M GONNA HAVE TO MARINATE ON IT AND KIND OF REALLY DIG THROUGH.
WHEN WILL WE BE TALKING ABOUT THIS AGAIN, THAT WE CAN HEAR EACH OTHER'S THOUGHTS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PLANNED.
AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THE OUTCOME OF TODAY, OUR GOAL WAS TO GET SOME INFORMATION FROM YOU ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO. OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING IS JULY 27TH, AND WE NEED TO GO TO THE COUNTY WITH OUR AMOUNT, OUR RESOLUTION, BY AUGUST 4TH.
[01:20:01]
YEAH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD HELP GIVE US SOME DIRECTION IF WE KNEW KIND OF WHAT GENERAL AREA.SURE. AND THE OTHER PIECE THAT I HAVEN'T SHARED WITH YOU IS THAT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE GOING FOR A 4-YEAR LEVY. AND WE'VE RECEIVED SOME QUESTION ABOUT HOW LONG AND A LENGTH, AND I KNOW IT COSTS US MONEY TO GO OUT BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN AN UNSTABLE, NOT VERY STABLE PICTURE RIGHT NOW.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD IN THE LISTENING SESSION IS THE DESIRE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE MORE INVOLVED WITH BUDGET CONVERSATIONS, TO BE A PART OF SOME OF THESE PIECES. THERE'S BEEN SOME REQUESTS FOR WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR THE MONEY THAT WE ARE PUTTING FORTH? AND WITH SOME VERY SPECIFIC GOALS AND SOME VERY SPECIFIC THINGS BEING PUT BACK IN OUR BUDGET, HAVING A COUPLE OF YEARS FOR US TO IMPLEMENT THOSE THINGS, LOOP THAT OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN COME BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY AND ASK AGAIN, WHERE ARE WE? WHAT DO WE WANT FOR OUR EDUCATION? WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE YOU'RE GETTING IN TERMS OF A VALUE FOR THE DOLLAR? I THINK IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF BUILDING TRUST AND ENGAGEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT IF WE RUN IN NOVEMBER AND WE PASS A LEVY, THAT WE TRY TO ONLY RUN A 3-YEAR LEVY. AND THEN IN A 3-YEAR LEVY, THIS OTHER DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE HERE SHOWS THAT IF WE RAN A 3-YEAR LEVY AND THEN WE WENT BACK TO OUR VOTERS, AFTER WE HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION AND WE'VE SHARED WITH THEM WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THEIR, THEIR MONEY AND HOW IT'S TURNED OUT FOR OUR KIDS, THEN, THEN THE PLAN WOULD BE TO POSSIBLY GO OUT FOR ANOTHER LEVY IN, IN NOVEMBER OF 2028, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, MEANING THAT IT WOULD LIKELY NOT COST AS MUCH BECAUSE WE'RE SHARING THE COST WITH OTHER ELECTIONS, AND IT WOULD BE WE WOULD KNOW WHEN WE WENT INTO THE NEXT YEAR THAT WE HAVE STABLE FUNDING. ONE OF THE STRUGGLES THAT WE HAVE ALICIA KNOWS THIS HAVING LIVED HERE A LONG TIME, ME BEING A LIFER IN BATTLEGROUND, I KNOW IT TRUE AND TRUE ONE OF THE BIGGEST STRUGGLES THAT WE HAVE IS THE INCONSISTENCY OF FUNDING, AND THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM FOR WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
WE NEED TO DELIVER ON WHAT WE, WHAT WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER ON. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GO OUT AHEAD OF WHEN WE ACTUALLY NEED THE MONEY SO THAT WE CAN TELL PEOPLE, WE CAN TOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED, AND THEN WE CAN ASK OUR VOTERS TO CONTINUE THAT AND GET FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT MOVING FORWARD INTO THE NEXT LEVY SO THAT IT CAN BE STABLE.
I HAVE A QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW WHICH OF YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I'M CAN YOU I'M SORRY, CAN YOU DO A 1-YEAR AMOUNT WITH IT INCREASING AND MAKE IT A 4-YEAR OR 3-YEAR? START WITH THE $1.28 AND THEN SECOND YEAR, CAN IT INCREASE 3 SECOND YEAR, THIRD YEAR, FOURTH YEAR, OR IS THAT NOT POSSIBLE? YOU CAN PUT WHATEVER YOU WANT IN TERMS OF DOLLAR AMOUNTS FOR EACH OF THOSE DIFFERENT YEARS. THE ONLY THING THAT YOU CAN'T DO IS ASK FOR MORE THAN WILL GO OVER YOUR LEVY LIMITS. SO YEAH, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER AMOUNTS YOU WANT. YOU COULD DO 10 ONE YEAR, 21 YEAR, AND THEN BACK TO 8, YOU KNOW. THAT IS COMPLETELY UP TO YOU AS LONG AS YOU DON'T GO OVER THE LEVY LIMITS.
THANK YOU, BECAUSE WHAT I WONDERED IS, IS IF WE DID THE LOWER NUMBER FOR ONE YEAR, AND THEN AT LEAST WE'D STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, AND THEN WE'D BE ABLE TO SHOW EVERYONE THE DATA TO SHOW WHAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED FOR YEAR 1, THEN YEAR 2 WE COULD MAYBE LOOK AT SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS TO INCREASE IF IT WAS INCREASING, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I DO.
AND YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL, OF COURSE. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL HAVE TO CONSIDER IS WHAT PETER DESCRIBED, IS THAT YOUR COLLECTION YEAR IS DIFFERENT THAN YOUR SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR.
SO IF YOU CHOSE TO RUN FOR 2027 AS A HALF A YEAR OR A LESSER AMOUNT, YOU COULD DO THAT. IT JUST MEANS THAT IF YOU DIDN'T RUN FOR THAT IN THE PLANNING OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR, YOU INSTEAD OF HAVING A FULL LEVY, YOU'RE GOING TO BASICALLY HAVE 3 QUARTERS OF A LEVY AMOUNT. SO YOU ALMOST HAVE TO CHOOSE WHAT YOUR
[01:25:01]
PROGRAMMING IS GOING TO BE IN THAT, IN THAT PART OF THAT YEAR, BECAUSE IF YOU LESSEN IT YOUR FIRST YEAR YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO YOU'RE GONNA GET SOME OF THAT IN 2027, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO INITIATE ANY OF THAT IN THE OUT PART OF DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, THE THING IS, THOUGH, IS IT BETTER TO HAVE NOTHING OR IS IT BETTER TO HAVE SOMETHING? AND THAT'S ALWAYS THE THING THAT'S RUNNING AROUND MY MIND. YOU KNOW, IS IT BETTER TO MEET THESE 3 REQUIRED ITEMS FOR THE $1.28, IS THAT BETTER, OR IS IT BETTER FOR US TO GO OVER THE CLIFF AND WORK WITH THE ESD AND BE, BE IN TROUBLE? SO I GUESS THAT'S HOW I'M LOOKING AT IT, WHICH MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT WAY TO LOOK AT IT. I DON'T KNOW. I'M REALLY TRYING TO BE CREATIVE HERE.EVERY WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS THE RIGHT WAY.
THAT'S THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION. I SERVED ON THE VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LEVY, AND NO LEVY HAD PASSED IN CITY LIMITS IN ANY TIME ANYONE COULD REMEMBER, AND WE ALL THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO FAIL. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS IMPORTANT, I THINK, FOR ME AS I'M DELIBERATING AND LOOKING AT ALL YOUR OPTIONS I JUST DID LIKE AN AVERAGE $700,000 ASSESSED VALUED HOME. LET'S JUST HYPOTHETICALLY SAY THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPTION 1 AND OPTION 4 IS $525 A YEAR FOR THAT TAXPAYER. AND AND THAT'S $43.75 A MONTH. SO IS IT WORTH $43.75 A MONTH BETWEEN JUST MAINTAINING UNFUNDED MANDATES OR RECEIVING ALL OF THE OTHER BENEFITS THAT YOUR STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE? AND IF THAT IS TOO MUCH IN YOUR MIND, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPTION 1 AND OPTION 3? JUST, JUST DO THE MATH. YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT OPTION 2 AND 3 ON YOUR CHART, THAT'S $49 A YEAR FOR THAT $700,000 ASSESSED VALUED HOME.
SO YOU JUST HAVE TO THINK, IS IT WORTH $49 TO ADD ALL THAT OTHER BENEFIT? AND DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR TAXPAYERS WOULD AGREE WITH YOU? SO MOST TAXPAYERS SAY THEY CAN'T AFFORD ANY MORE. THEY'RE ALREADY PAYING ENOUGH. THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY ANY MORE TAXES. AND THEN WITH OUR STATE DOING INCREASES ALSO, I'M LIKE, MY PERSONAL HOUSE PAYMENT, YOU KNOW, WENT UP $300. I MEAN, BOOM, OVERNIGHT. I HAD A $300 BILL. AND ESPECIALLY A LOT OF SENIORS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE KIDS IN THE SCHOOLS, WHICH I KNOW THEY CAN DO THE EXEMPTION PROGRAM, AND I TELL THEM THAT ALL THE TIME. I'M LIKE, APPLY FOR THE EXEMPTION. WELL, WE WOULDN'T QUALIFY. SO YEAH, THERE ARE OPTIONS OUT THERE FOR FOLKS WHO REALLY TRULY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
SO I'LL JUST BRIEFLY ADDRESS THE SENIOR EXEMPTION PROGRAM HERE.
AND THAT IS WITH STARTING WITH THIS YEAR'S INCOME, THE STATE DID RAISE THE LEVEL OF INCOME REQUIRED TO QUALIFY. SO IT IS MOVING FROM $62,000 TO $85,000 BASED UPON STATE 26 INCOME. PLUS, IN ADDITION, THEY ADDED IN STANDARD DEDUCTIONS. SO ONE-PERSON HOUSEHOLD WILL GET A $7,500 STANDARD DEDUCTION, A 2-PERSON HOUSEHOLD WOULD GET A $15,000 DEDUCTION. SO YOU TAKE THE $85,000 PLUS THE $15,000, THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF $100,000 NOW THAT THEN WOULD QUALIFY FOR THE SENIOR EXEMPTION PROGRAM STARTING WITH NEXT YEAR.
DOES THEIR DOES THEIR AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR NEST EGG DISQUALIFY THEM FOR THE EXEMPTION? IT'S ONLY BASED UPON INCOME.
SO, AND I HAD A QUESTION DOES THAT EVER HAVE TO BE PAID BACK? NO, IF YOU'RE ON THE EXEMPTION, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY IT BACK. THERE'S ALSO A DEFERRAL PROGRAM, WHICH IS IF YOU MAKE TOO MUCH FOR THE EXEMPTION OR YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY YOUR TAXES, THEN YOU CAN GO ON TO THE DEFERRAL PROGRAM. BUT THE EXEMPTION IS A STRAIGHT EXEMPTION. YOU HAVE TO APPLY SEPARATELY FOR THE DEFERRAL, AND THAT IS A LOAN.
SO EVEN FOR CHILDREN THAT ARE GOING TO BE INHERITING, IT'S THE SAME SITUATION. THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY THE TAXES BACK EITHER? NOT IF THEY'RE ON THE EXEMPTION PROGRAM. IT IS AN EXEMPTION FROM PROPERTY TAXES COMPLETELY.
IF I MIGHT ADD SOMETHING, BOARD, AND TOBY, I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON US ON THE SPOT FOR A SECOND, SO BE PREPARED.
I, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DON'T SPEAK UP FOR OPTION 1 AND WHAT THE IMPACT IS ON OUR STUDENTS.
I THINK OUR CORE FUNDAMENTAL REASON OF EXISTENCE IS FOR STUDENTS. EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, EVERYONE THAT GOES TO WORK EVERY DAY. AND IN OPTION 1, AND THE REALITY THAT WE'RE LIVING RIGHT NOW, IS WE'RE HAVING STUDENTS HAVING A HARD TIME COMING TO WANTING TO COME TO SCHOOL. NOT A LOT OF FUN THINGS. IF YOU LOOK AT MIDDLE SCHOOLS, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO FUN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
[01:30:02]
ANYMORE. AND IS THAT WHAT OUR BATTLEGROUND STUDENTS DESERVE? YOU KNOW, ALICIA JUST SAID SHE HAD SUCH SUCCESS BECAUSE OF OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAMS. IS THAT WHAT BATTLEGROUND DESERVES? IS THAT WHAT OUR STUDENTS DESERVE? WHILE THE BURDEN IS ABSOLUTELY BUT I THINK THAT'S OUR CORE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION OF WHAT DO OUR STUDENTS DESERVE AND, AND WHAT MAKES IT WORTH COMING TO SCHOOL. AND I JUST WANT TO CALL ON YOU, TOBY, TO KIND OF LEVERAGE YOUR VOICE IN YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLE.THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON OPTIONS AND KIND OF WHAT YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT.
I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID A LOT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE, THAT LIKE THE $49 BETWEEN OPTION 1 AND OPTION 4. I THINK, I THINK WE NEED THE WAY WE PHRASE THIS TO PARENTS, RIGHT, IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT IT BEING FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THE KIDS, I FEEL LIKE PARENTS AREN'T SEEING THAT. THEY'RE JUST SEEING IT AS ANOTHER PAYMENT.
AND I DO THINK THAT OPTION 1 IS NOT GOING TO CUT BECAUSE OPTION 1, LIKE, I KNOW IT'S BETTER TO HAVE SOME MONEY THAN NONE, BUT I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GONNA WE'RE GONNA PASS OPTION 1, THEY'RE GONNA SEE US HAVE MONEY, AND THEY'RE GONNA SEE NOTHING COME FROM IT.
WHICH WILL NOT SET US UP FOR SUCCESS ON THE NEXT LEVY IF WE TRY TO PASS ANOTHER ONE. LIKE, THEY'RE GONNA SEE US GET MONEY AND DO NOTHING, THEY'LL BE LIKE, WHY WOULD I WANT TO TRY TO PASS ANOTHER ONE? WHEREAS ON THE OTHER OPTIONS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SO MUCH, SO MUCH MORE OR NOT SO MUCH MORE, THEY JUST ARE LIKE, THEY, THEY SHOW US DIFFERENCES.
BECAUSE I MEAN, A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AREN'T SUPER INVOLVED.
SO THEY DON'T THEY ONLY SEE LIKE, LIKE THEIR VISION'S SUPER LIMITED. SO THEY SEE THEY DON'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT WE DO, RIGHT? THEY ONLY SEE LIKE, OH, THEIR KID DOESN'T HAVE SPORTS, OR THEIR KID DOES HAVE SPORTS.
SO I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO GO WITH THE HIGHER OPTIONS.
I DON'T THINK OPTION 1 IS GOING TO CUT IT.
BUT I ALSO THINK WE DO NEED TO PHRASE IT LIKE WHEN WE LIKE GIVE THIS TO THE PEOPLE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TO ACTUALLY VOTE ON I THINK WE NEED TO SHOW THEM THAT THEY, LIKE, THEY'RE PAYING EXTRA MONEY ON THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, NOT FOR THE SCHOOL, BUT FOR THE KIDS THEMSELVES.
LIKE, I DON'T THINK THEY UNDERSTAND THE ACTUAL IMPACT THAT THIS IS HAVING ON THE KIDS. LIKE, THAT CONNECTION IS NOT THERE. AND THEY'RE IT'S LIKE SUPER DESENSITIZED TO IT. IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST MONEY. THERE'S NO THAT CONNECTION IS NOT THERE.
SO YEAH, I THINK, I DO THINK I THINK THAT OPTION 1'S NOT GONNA CUT IT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA HELP AT ALL. I DON'T THINK IN THIS CASE, I DON'T THINK HAVING JUST SOME MONEY IS GONNA DO WHAT WE NEED. AND I DO THINK THAT, YEAH, WE GOTTA FIND A WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY VOTE YES. AND I THINK THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO MAKE THEM, LIKE, SEE LIKE, THEY, THEY NEED TO SEE THIS PAPER, AND THEY NEED TO SEE, LIKE, THE DIFFERENCE THAT $50 IS GONNA MAKE ON THE STUDENTS.
AND ALSO, WHEN KIDS AREN'T HAPPY, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO WORK. WE'VE LOST A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE IN THIS. I MEAN, NOT ONLY OF THE REDUCTION IN FORCE, BUT JUST PEOPLE VOLUNTARILY LEAVING, AND IT LEAVES HOLES ACROSS THE WHOLE ALL LAYERS OF THE WHOLE DISTRICT.
I APPRECIATE THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RUMINATE ON THIS, OKAY, BUT, BUT WE REALLY TRULY DO NEED TO HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS THINK.
WE REALLY DO, BECAUSE I DO, BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT I THINK, BUT I WOULD PREFER TO GO WITH WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS THINKING RATHER THAN MY OWN GUESS. YOU KNOW, I KIND OF, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I I HEAR WHAT TOBY'S SAYING ALONG THOSE LINES, OKAY? BUT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PASS ON TO THEM, THE BOARD NEEDS TO DISCUSS IT, AND THIS IS OUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY UNLESS WE RUN A SPECIAL MEETING.
SO LET ME VOICE MY OPINION. AS I LOOK AT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT RATES. SO I LOOK AT THE OPTIONS BETWEEN OPTION 2 AND OPTION 3. THAT'S WHERE I, THAT'S WHERE I TEND TO LAND.
IT BEING 7 CENTS DIFFERENCE, WHICH ISN'T REALLY THAT MUCH, BUT I THINK THAT THE MESSAGING BEING JUST BELOW $1.80 SPEAKS SOME VOLUME TO VOTERS RATHER THAN BEING JUST 15 CENTS LESS THAN WHAT WE WERE ASKING FOR IN THE PAST 2 LEVIES. I OBVIOUSLY WOULD RATHER HAVE OPTION 3, BUT I THINK OPTION 2 IS MORE VIABLE. IT SETS A DIFFERENT PRECEDENCE FOR THE MESSAGING THAT WE CAN GIVE. SO I WOULD LOVE OPTION 3, BUT I THINK OPTION 2 MIGHT BE MORE RESPONSIBLE. AND THAT
[01:35:03]
BEING SAID, IT HURTS MY HEART TO SAY, BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE, IT'S SO LITTLE FOR THE 75% IN RESTORATION AND STAFFING AND CLASS SIZES, 75% CAREER AND TECHNICAL. ALL THE EXTRA SUPPORT THAT COMES DOWN HERE AT THE BOTTOM, IT HURTS MY HEART, BUT I WOULD RATHER HAVE OPTION 03, BUT OPTION 2 MIGHT BE MORE ACHIEVABLE.IN THE PAST, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN WHATEVER THE DISTRICT NEEDS, THAT'S WHAT THEY SHOULD ASK FOR. THEY SHOULDN'T BUDGE FROM THAT. SO OPTION 4, HOWEVER, IN THE REALITY THAT WE ARE LIVING IN WE HAVE TO FIND A PLACE THAT WILL RESONATE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE VOTERS.
AND I ALSO AM KIND OF LEANING TOWARDS OPTION 2, BUT BOY, I'D REALLY LIKE TO DO OPTION 3. I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME MIDDLE GROUND.
SCHOOL ACTIVITIES THROWN IN THERE SO THAT WE'VE GOT THOSE KIDDOS WANTING TO COME TO SCHOOL AND ALL THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR STUDENT REPS AND THE WORK THAT THEY DID TO GET THAT INPUT FROM THOSE STUDENTS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE, AS STUDENTS. SO YEAH, IT I MEAN, LIKE MARSHALL SAID, HURTS MY HEART NOT TO GO 3 OR 04, BUT REALITY IS WE, WE CAN'T GO 4.
THAT, I MEAN, IN MY MIND, OPTION 3 WOULD SURE BE NICE, BUT TO GO LESS THAN, YOU KNOW, $1.80 OR LESS THAN THAT WOULD BE MORE PALPABLE POSSIBLY TO OUR VOTERS. IT'S ALL GOING TO COME DOWN TO HOW DO WE MESSAGE THIS? WE'RE GOING FOR THIS DOLLAR AMOUNT AND THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE BUYING FOR STUDENTS. SO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
I WOULD ADD A SECONDARY THOUGHT. OPTION 3 REALLY IS MORE IN LINE WITH THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE AS A BOARD. THAT SMALL 7 CENTS SOUNDS SMALL, BUT JUST TO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THE, YOU KNOW, LOOK DOWN AT ROW THE DISTRICT-WIDE SUPPORT TALKING ABOUT INCREASED COMMUNICATION AND FOCUS ON VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. IT'S ONE OF OUR MAJOR GOALS IS TO BE ABLE AND DIRECTLY IMPACTS STUDENTS IN A GREAT WAY.
WITHOUT IT, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS BLINDLY IN THE DARK FOR DATA.
IN THE NEXT 2 OR 3 YEARS, WHY DO WE HAVE IT AS A GOAL IF WE CAN'T EVEN MEASURE IT? THE 7 CENTS, HAVING SAID THAT, I WAS LOOKING AT THE 10 CENTS AT THE BOTTOM. SO THE 7 CENTS IS LESS THAN $2 MILLION, AND MAYBE SOMEHOW WE MIGHT DISCOVER WE HAVE HIGHER ATTENDANCE THAN WE WERE PROJECTING, OR IF SOMETHING BRINGS IN ANOTHER MILLION, WE GET CLOSER TO THAT, YOU KNOW. SO, I TOTALLY HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MARSHALL, AND I THINK THE SAME WAY.
BUT, I ALSO WANT TO SELL IT AND GET IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. AND, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 7 CENTS IS LESS THAN $2 MILLION, THEN LET'S TRY TO FIND THE $2 MILLION SOMEWHERE. I DON'T KNOW.
AND, WHAT DO YOU THINK BUT, AGAIN, MAYBE ATTENDANCE WILL BE UP.
SO ARE YOU SAYING OPTION 2 FOR YOU, TERRY? WELL, NOT, NOT YET. NO, I GOT SOME OTHER COMMENTS. SHALL I GO WITH THEM, OR DOES SOMEBODY ELSE WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? CHRIS, YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, WITH, WITH OPTION 2, WE HAVE THE IN THE DISTRICT-WIDE SUPPORT, THE INCREASED TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION ABOUT DISTRICT FINANCES AND STUDENT OUTCOMES, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID 2 YEARS AGO IS WE CUT A POSITION OUT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, AND THIS SPRING WE CUT SEVERAL OF OUR OF THE I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL THEM PROGRAMS THAT AMANDA USES IN ORDER TO TRACK INFORMATION. SO WE'RE FLYING A LITTLE BIT BLIND RIGHT NOW, AND WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BRING THOSE THINGS BACK. WE CAN'T COME OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND CELEBRATE THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING CORRECTLY IF WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF IN ORDER TO PUT THAT STUFF TOGETHER TO SHARE. AND I KNOW SHE AND JENNA RUN ABOUT AS FAST AS ANYBODY I EVER SEE RUN, BUT WE'RE BURNING OUR FOLKS OUT.
[01:40:01]
YEAH.AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GIVE THE KIND OF FEEDBACK. SO THE INCREASED TRANSPARENCY IS A COUPLE OF THINGS. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, ON DISTRICT-WIDE SUPPORT, BE ABLE TO HAVE A REASONABLE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM. WE ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADD THOSE, THOSE PIECES BACK IN WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE MICHELLE'S TEAM, THE BUSINESS OFFICE, SUPPORT THAT SHE NEEDS IN ORDER FOR US TO RUN THE REPORTS THAT WE NEED. WE MOVED FROM SKYWARD TO Q THIS LAST YEAR. WE CAN'T GET ALL THE DATA THE SAME WAY.
WE'RE STRUGGLING TO GET OUR BUDGET READY FOR YEAR-END BECAUSE OF THAT Q. SOME OF THE REPORTS WE'RE STRUGGLING TO GET. SO SOME OF THAT IS WHEN WE CUT THE STAFF, EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO DO MORE AND NOT DOING IT AS THOROUGHLY AND AS CORRECTLY AS WE FEEL CONFIDENT DOING IT. I'LL TELL YOU, THIS SHEET THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, IT'S WE STARTED THIS AT 4 O'CLOCK, WE FINISHED IT AT ABOUT QUARTER TO 3. THAT'S THE KIND OF BANDWIDTH THAT OUR TEAMS HAVE.
SO I THINK THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO, I HEARD A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I JOTTED DOWN FROM ALL OF YOU AROUND MIDDLE SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, ATTENDANCE, AND CLASS SIZE BEING A PRIORITY. IF YOU WERE TO SAY, SHELLEY, MAKE IT HAPPEN SO THAT IT WAS STILL $38 MILLION, SO IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, OR THE ESTIMATED RATE IS STILL GOING TO BE AT $1.79, I CAN PLAY WITH THESE 2 COLUMNS.
AND I CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PRIORITIES AS A BOARD ARE REPRESENTED ON THERE. IT MAY MEAN THAT INSTEAD OF MOVING BACK TO HAVING 2 PIS AT OUR 2 HIGH SCHOOLS, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO STAFF WITH ONE THAT GOES BETWEEN THE 2 SCHOOLS. THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN MASSAGE AND MOVE FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
IT I GO BACK TO WHAT ALICIA SAID. WHAT IS THE PROGRAM THAT WE WANT FOR OUR KIDS? WHERE IS THE PRIORITY OF THOSE PROGRAMS? I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD ATTENDANCE, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE DATA TO HAVE OUR LEADING AND LAGGING INDICATORS FOR MATH AND READING. I HAVE HEARD SOME OF THOSE THINGS FROM YOU AS A TEAM. THOSE THINGS I CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE BUILD IN THERE AS LONG AS WE ARE SOMEWHERE IN THIS OPTION 02, OPTION 3 RANGE.
SO IF YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THOSE THINGS WE HAVE TO HAVE IN ORDER TO GET THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR, I THINK WE CAN BUILD A PLAN WITH THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE THINGS.
I DON'T THINK, TERRY, YOU GOT TO FINISH ALL OF YOUR WELL, HERE'S WHAT I KIND OF HEARD THAT TICKLED MY EAR.
SO, UM, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT LET'S RUN IT FOR 3 YEARS, AND THEN YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT MAYBE RUNNING IT AGAIN IN NOVEMBER. SO I DIDN'T QUITE FOLLOW THAT. OKAY, SO HERE'S MY QUESTIONS. OKAY, CAN WE, CAN WE SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE CAN RUN A LEVY FOR 3 YEARS AND THEN LET'S SAY REVISIT IT TO CHANGE THE AMOUNT AT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE LEVY IS DONE, WE GO IN AND WE, WE ASK FOR A DIFFERENT LEVY AMOUNT IN A PROGRESSIVE YEAR? NO, THAT'S NOT NOT FOR AN EP&O LEVY. YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE EP&O LEVY.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, RATHER THAN WHAT DISTRICTS OFTEN DO, IS THEY OFTEN WAIT UNTIL FEBRUARY AND APRIL.
FEBRUARY IS THEIR PLAN TO PASS IT. IF THEY DON'T PASS IT, THEY OFTEN GO TO APRIL BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO MAKE THE CUTS THAT ARE NECESSARY.
AND SO LIKE THIS YEAR, WE RAN IN FEBRUARY, WE DIDN'T PASS, WE WENT AHEAD AND MADE THE CUTS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO DO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. SHOW OUR COMMUNITY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WITHOUT A LEVY. THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WITHOUT A LEVY. IT DOESN'T DO US MUCH GOOD TO TURN AROUND WHERE THERE'S NOT MUCH CHANGE FROM ONE MONTH TO ANOTHER. AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE ON THAT IS WHAT I SHARED WITH YOU. WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH AS A STAFF TO TURN AROUND AND RUN A LEVY 2 MONTHS, 2 AND A HALF MONTHS AFTER WE JUST RAN A LEVY AND MAKE CUTS, BUDGET CUTS, SERIOUS BUDGET CUTS. YOU COULD RUN IT WE COULD RUN IT AGAIN EXACTLY LIKE IT IS AND NOT ADJUST OUR BUDGET,
[01:45:01]
BUT WE HAVE A STATUTORY DEADLINE OF MAY 15TH TO LET OUR STAFF KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING BYE-BYE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT HAS TO HAPPEN IN THOSE MARCH, APRIL MONTHS TO GET READY FOR A REDUCTION SO THAT WE DON'T END UP ON WARRANTS AND WE, WE END UP WITH A BALANCED BUDGET. AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, SO WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVEN'T MADE ENOUGH CUTS TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO THAT.THAT'S THE REASON WE DIDN'T ASK YOU TO CONSIDER ANOTHER LEVY IN APRIL, AND WE JUST SAID, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE CUTS, WE'RE GOING TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT THE REALITY IS, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER STAB AT IT IN NOVEMBER. AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK REALLY CLOSELY AT REALLY WHAT DOES OUR COMMUNITY WANT IN PROGRAMS, BECAUSE WE HEARD THEY DON'T WANT THEY DON'T WANT THE 40 $1 MILLION THAT WAS IN THE FIRST YEAR WHEN WE RAN AT $1.99. THEY DIDN'T WANT THAT. SO WE NEED TO GO LOWER.
WE NEED TO PULL SOME THINGS OFF, WHICH WE'VE PULLED ALL OF IT OFF NOW. NOW THE LOVELY THING IS IF WE PASS A LEVY, WE GET TO DECIDE VERY SPECIFICALLY ON WHAT WE BRING BACK. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU AS A BOARD HAS BEEN A PART OF THAT DISCUSSION. OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN A PART OF IT. TO LYNELL'S POINT, NOT JUST LAST WEEK'S INPUT, BUT THE INPUT THE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED ON WHAT THE CUTS WERE. SO I THINK WE'RE ALIGNED WELL TO SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY THE PLAN, TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT WE BELIEVE OUR STUDENTS MUST HAVE. TOBY AND ITZEL THIS YEAR DID SUCH A GOOD JOB, WHICH IS I THINK WHY OUR COMMUNITY IS SAYING WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT SAFETY AND SECURITY.
THEY HEARD OUR KIDS SAID RESOUNDINGLY BULLYING IS UP THIS YEAR, WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH THAT, WE DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT SECURITY GUARDS AND SROS AND SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO WE'VE HEARD THOSE THINGS AND WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR COMMUNITY? NO, WE NEED THAT NO MATTER WHAT. SO THE REST OF THE PROGRAMMING SEEMS TO BE WHERE PEOPLE THERE'S NOT AGREEMENT, THERE'S LEVELS. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MAGIC NUMBER IS. I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T PROPOSE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO KNOW THAT 100% EITHER.
I JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PICK AN AMOUNT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN THAT BUDGET, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRY TO RETURN AS MANY THINGS AS WE CAN THAT MEETS WHAT OUR COMMUNITY SEEMS TO BE TELLING THAT THEY WANT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN THIS RANGE WE CAN DO THAT. I THINK WE CAN DO THAT, AND THEN WE CAN DELIVER ON THOSE PROMISES. WE CAN COMMUNICATE TO THOSE PROMISES, AND THAT WILL HELP US IN FUTURE YEARS.
SO DEBBIE WAS SUGGESTING 1 YEAR. YOU SPOKE ADEQUATELY TO THAT.
IS THERE IS 2 YEARS A POSSIBILITY? YOU SUGGESTED 3 YEARS.
SO I AM SUGGESTING LIKE THE SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME THAT YOU CAN DO, 2 YEARS I FEEL LIKE 3 YEARS ALLOWS US TO SWITCH WHAT WE'RE DOING FROM SURVIVAL MODE AND LEVY, LEVY, LEVY, LEVY, LEVY, BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET, TO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE OUTCOMES WE WANT FOR KIDS. WITH THE LEVEL OF STAFFING WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, IF WE HAVE TO RUN A LEVY IN ANOTHER YEAR AND DO THIS AGAIN IN ANOTHER YEAR, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE WORKING ON OUTCOMES OUTCOMES FOR KIDS. WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON HOW DO WE GET THE NEXT ONE ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. AND I THINK IT GOES TO WHAT TOBY SAID. WHAT DO WE WANT? WHAT DO WE WANT FOR KIDS? WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DELIVER ON.
UNFUNDED MANDATES, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE COMPELLING. EVEN REPLACING CURRICULUM THAT IS EXPIRING, NOT GOING TO BE COMPELLING. CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE ALREADY OWE TO OUR EMPLOYEES. THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE COMPELLING TO OUR COMMUNITY. NONE OF THAT IS GOING TO BE COMPELLING AT THE END OF THE DAY. SO IF WE ONLY GO WITH WHAT'S REQUIRED, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO COMPEL THE COMMUNITY IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM TO EVER INCREASE THAT AMOUNT BEYOND WHAT IT, WHAT IT IS, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER MORE THAN WE ARE RIGHT NOW. THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY OPINION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT. IT'S JUST MY OPINION.
I LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE CAN LAND ON, SAY, OPTION 2 AMOUNT, AND THEN YOU BEING ABLE TO WE GIVE YOU THE, THE POWER, THE WHATEVER, TO GO OUT AND TRY AND, YOU KNOW, ADD SOME THINGS BACK IN. IT CONCERNS ME WITH SAFETY AND SECURITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR PRINCIPAL, 2 ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS COVERING 2 BUILDINGS IN MANY CASES. I KNOW HOW HARD THEY HAVE WORKED TO FUNCTION IN ONE BUILDING. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW SUPERVISION IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THEM HAVING TO COVER 2 BUILDINGS. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE TRICKY.
[01:50:01]
SO, AND WITH THE LOSS OF THE SEL ROOMS, THAT SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS IS NOT THERE OR WON'T BE THERE, WHICH IS GOING TO LAND MORE ON THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AND PRINCIPALS, THE WHOLE SYSTEM. AND IF WE CAN'T GET SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS, IT WILL AFFECT ALL STUDENTS, NOT JUST THOSE THAT ARE STRUGGLING. SO, AND THEN GETTING SOMEHOW THE ACTIVITIES AT LEAST SOME ASPECT OF THAT IN FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. I MEAN, IT'S ALL NEEDED. I DON'T KNOW.I THINK WE PUSH FORWARD. I'M NOT TRYING TO SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY, BUT REALISTICALLY, IN THAT $179,000, $180,000 SOMEPLACE IN THERE TO GIVE YOU A PLAN TO WORK WITH DURING THIS NEXT MONTH.
IT'S HELPFUL BECAUSE A LOT OF US ARE OUT, IN AND OUT THIS NEXT MONTH.
YEAH, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE DAYS OFF.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ME, I'M TALKING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.
YEAH, I THINK THE 179 OPTION 2 MAKES SENSE, YOU KNOW, LET'S EXPLORE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK ANYWHERE BETWEEN 150 TO 179. WHAT ARE THE SMALL INCREMENTS THERE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND KIND OF TARGET SOME OF THAT BANDWIDTH, YOU KNOW, AND KIND OF SEE WHAT THAT PROGRAMMING LOOKS LIKE.
I WAS LOOKING AGAIN AT HOCKINSON 164, RIDGEFIELD 169, CANVAS 170.
SO, I'M THINKING $179,000 WOULD BE THE HIGH END, BUT IT WOULD BE LOVELY TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO WITH $169,000.
YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD WE DO WITH $169,000, AND THEN WHAT WOULD WE ADD TO GO UP TO $174,000, OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. BUT STARTING AT $169,000 WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR ME TO SEE. DEBBIE, YOUR THOUGHTS? OF COURSE, I WOULD LOVE TO DO OPTIONS. I MEAN, IF I RULED THE WORLD, BUT I DON'T. SO REALITY IS, MY UNDERSTANDING, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS TALKING ABOUT OPTION 1, WAS BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WHAT THE VOICES THAT I AM HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY PEOPLE, THEY WANT LESS AND THEY WANT MORE FOR LESS.
AND I MEAN, DON'T WE ALL? I ALWAYS GO FOR COUPONS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD DO A 150 THERE. YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK WORKFORCE READINESS TO ME IS LIKE SO IMPORTANT AND LIKE 75%, I MEAN, LIKE FOR ME, I'M THINKING THAT SHOULD BE 100. AND THE SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND THE ACADEMIC SUPPORT. FOR ME, THOSE ARE THE 3 TOP, THE TOP THINGS. THE OTHER THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TOO, BUT SINCE WE HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES, AND OF COURSE I HAVE A HEART FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL FOLKS STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, LOVE TO SEE THEM HAVE THEIR ACTIVITIES AFTER SCHOOL. I MEAN, IF WE COULD SOMEHOW LIKE HAVE A BUFFET THAT WE COULD LOOK AT INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT COLUMNS AND IT'S ALL IT'S BEAUTIFUL, IT'S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.
BUT IF I COULD HAVE A BUFFET OF THINGS, I THINK I WOULD BE HAPPIER THAN LOOKING AT COLUMNS, PERSONALLY.
PERSONALLY, I LEAN MORE TOWARD THE 150 MYSELF. I WOULD LOVE TO DO THE 203. I'D LOVE TO DO THE 250 THAT HE SAID WE COULD GO TO, BUT THE REALITY IS I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT OUR COMMUNITY WILL SUPPORT THAT. I JUST, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T SENSE THAT. I THINK FOR ME PERSONALLY, I I KNOW TOBY DOESN'T AGREE WITH ME, BUT I THINK SOMETHING'S BETTER THAN NOTHING.
BUT THAT'S JUST ME. I FEEL LIKE WE NEED, WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO PASS. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO. THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. I DON'T REALLY EVEN WANT TO GIVE A NUMBER BECAUSE I, I DON'T EVEN REALLY KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS WILLING TO DO.
I MEAN, I'M I KNOW I'M WILLING TO PAY THE $47 OR WHATEVER IT IS, BUT THERE MAY BE FOLKS OUT THERE THAT SAY, NO, I'M NOT WILLING TO PAY THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW, I REALLY DON'T. BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I LEAN. I'M LEANING MORE
[01:55:01]
TOWARD THE LOWER END OF THINGS AND HAVING MORE OF A BUFFET AND CHOOSING AND PICKING THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM THE LISTENING CENTER AND THAT WE THAT I'VE HEARD IN THE COMMUNITY, THE SAFETY AND SECURITY, THE ACADEMIC SUPPORT.AND THE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SPORTS, THE ACTIVITIES, AND THE CTE. THOSE WOULD BE THE 4 THOSE ARE THE 4 THINGS THAT I'M FEELING REALLY, REALLY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING WITH THIS LEVY. AND I THINK IF WE ADVERTISED IT TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A STRONG CTE PROGRAM WITH 100% OF THE OF THE STAFFING, YOU'RE GOING TO GET STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE READ, YOU KNOW, AND THESE THINGS THAT ARE BEING SAID THEY'LL GET, THAT MIGHT BE A SELLING POINT. I DON'T KNOW.
CLASS SIZE, 3 YEARS GIVES US ENOUGH TIME TO GET SOME HEADWAY ON THIS MCCLEARY 2.0.
CLASS SIZES IS ALSO A IF YOU GET TOO MANY KIDS IN A ROOM, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO I AGREE WITH YOU. I DO. I DELIVER.
I WISH WE COULD DO IT ALL. I WISH WE COULD JUST TELL THE COMMUNITY, DUDES, WE'RE DOING 203 AND IT JUST HAPPENS.
BUT THE REALITY IS, RIGHT, THEY'RE PUMPING THE BRAKE.
BASED ON OUR TIME, BOARD, I'VE HEARD ANYWHERE FROM $1.50 TO $1.79 FOR A RATE, BUT I'VE ALSO HEARD AN AMOUNT.
AND I AGREE THAT THE MILLAGE RATE IS REALLY DECEPTIVE BECAUSE EVEN IF WE AGAIN GO OUT AND WE SAY THAT RATE, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING FOR IT. SO I'M GOOD WITH SOME OF THE CONVERSATION AROUND PRIORITIES. AM I HEARING THAT THE PRIORITIES AROUND THE GOALS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST 2 TIMES NEED TO BE ON THE LIST NO MATTER WHAT? MM-HMM.
OKAY, SO IF WITH YOUR BLESSING, I WILL GO AND WORK WITH OUR TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE ON THERE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN ORDER TO MEET THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE WILL DEFINITELY ADD THE SAFETY AND SECURITY THINGS BECAUSE WE HEARD ALL OF THAT FROM OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN WE WILL MASSAGE THE PIECES THAT ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THESE. I HEARD CLASS SIZE COME OUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT I KNOW THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO 100%.
SO I WILL HAVE US WORKING TOWARDS A BUDGET WITH THOSE PRIORITIES IN MIND AND A DOLLAR A TOTAL IN MILLIONS FOR YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH ME MOVING FORWARD WITH A RESOLUTION THAT HAS A 3-YEAR? I THINK IT'S GREAT. LOOKING AT THE ELECTION CYCLE, I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
OKAY, WE'LL PUT THAT TOGETHER FOR YOU TOWARDS FOR THE LAST MEETING, AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE SOME THINGS, I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE SIT.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A 5-MINUTE RECESS, SO CAN WE START AT 6:04 YES, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO PETER AND ALICIA AND TIM AND GAVIN FOR STAYING. YOU REALLY DIDN'T HAVE TO, BUT WE APPRECIATE IT. IT'S GREAT BEING HERE.
GET THE AC FIXED, RIGHT?
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.