Discussion:
Bray- starting with the regular instruction page really the only changes that have been made here since the last time we went through this is uh this reflects the teachers increase and then this also reflects the 8.75 for State retirement for our classified employees.
Boston- okay I have a question before our difference in our teachers was 1.347 was that using what scale?
Bray- that was using that original teacher scale.
Boston- with no increase whatsoever.
Bray-right, and this is with using the scales that we currently have and I just averaged it at 57,000 times 357 positions.
Boston- so according to the scale everybody bumps up a year
Bray-correct
Boston- that would be the 1.3 and then adding the $3,000 that bumped it up to 1.7.
Bray- you have to remember there's some people that they're not going to move up on the scale cause they top out so they're just getting the 3,000.
Boston- okay now on line 163 is the 72 noncertified is that the 4% the 72,000.
Bray-yes ma’am and then they get 2% I went ahead and put their step raise not everybody will get that but for these purposes I add that, the majority of folks will but now I mean I just don't go through and look at everybody's individually, that's the four times the two.
Boston- and that's that's leaving in there only eight interventionists?
Bray- yes ma'am currently, this allows for summer school if we have to pay for it next year classroom overages and strategic comp.
Boston- say that again
Bray-it allows for a class if we have to do summer school we don't know yet we'll have to pay for that so we put some money in for that our strategic comp that's there every year the state reimburses to us and then our interventionist
Boston-so we're setting aside $250,000 next for next year?
Bray- yes for high school and regular summer school
Boston- and if we don't have to pay for that
Bray-that's money in our pocket
Boston- we get to roll it back in
Bray-yes but I can't gamble on that.
Boston- what is the Strategic compensation?
Bray- that's what we get every year where we go in and that's where they get paid for we have a committee we're currently meeting and like lead teachers and things like that and they're compensated for that but the state pays us that money back.
Boston-okay so we get the 100,000 back?
Bray- we do
Boston-okay any questions on that sheet?
Bray-I really think the only thing that changed here is the 8.75 percent on the retirement for the classified at the alt school.
Boston- okay now on your teachers line you've got four teachers and they're getting 22,000 so that's an average of 5,615 increase average.
Bray- and that's just because all of them I believe are getting a step increase.
Boston- what is your tell me what a step increase is.
Bray-that's the difference between the levels like over the years when I say step like you go from year one you're at 44,011 year two you go to 44,477 but then there's some years like between year 14 and 15 you go from 57,000 to 58,000.
Boston- okay so you think all four of them get step raises
Bray- I figured them I yeah they will I mean I know who they are and I can go like people like this I can I actually can figure it.
Boston-okay and what is the 10,000 classroom overage where did I see that?
Bray- it's up in the top that's basically if teachers maybe get some help from somebody on this this is if teachers teach more than what the class minimum is and they get an overage for that at the end of the year based the number of students.
Stepp- they're teaching during plan times.
Bray- there's a list that we send to County payroll we just produced it that they get an average based on how many students extra that they have.
Stepp-oh it’s the student overage, that's right.
Boston- but that's that's total that's not each classroom?
Bray- no no no that's total. Special education basically the same thing here retirement and then the addition for the additional pay now I did not hand figure every one of these I just use the 57,000 average.
Boston- okay do some of these teachers get step raises because...
Bray- they do they do some of them get additional, they get a stipend too as well.
Boston-what do you mean they get a stipend?
Bray- they get extra, like an extra okay Ms. Holton help me out like some of yours they get a stipend.
Holton-like they're on system wide.
Bray- you have some that get like an extra like thousand or something for supervising SLP’S or something like that.
Holton- so um the school psychologist supervise the diagnostician so they get a stipend for their supervision of the diagnostician.
Boston- how many is that?
Holton-um we currently have two but we we'll have three I hired a late one this year.
Bray- and then some of these teachers obviously will get step raises.
Boston- what is an SLP?
Holton- speech language pathologist.
Hale-are you are you expecting to need any more special ED teachers this year?
Hamby-we've got positions open that we approved last year.
Boston- but we've got new two new positions one SPLA and then one new position?
Holton- uh no we have well an slpa which is a speech language pathologist assistant so with that we would have less contracted services so we're basically just moving that from contracted services to that line and we've moved from that SLP line to contract it back and forth because I can't find personnel um and then I requested a special ed assistant at South.
Boston-here it is okay so it's uh one FTE 35 what's that?
Bray- that's what we currently have, plus her new one, plus her SLPA.
Boston- okay so you're asking for one halftime position or one full-time position?
Holton- um the slpa is um paid on a I think it's um I think $28 an hour scale so that person would be paid in 189 $28 an hour and then the um assistant would be just on the assistant...
Boston- classified position.
Holton-yeah, so we didn't ask for any certified positions.
boston-have we been contracting out the SLPA?
Holton- we um have not been we either contract SLP’s or we have speech teachers but I had an applicant reach out that has an slpa that was not had before and so instead of paying for an slpt in contracted Services I could pay her $28 an hour and i’m currently paying 90 an hour contracted services.
Boston- if we hired her would she not be on our pay scale?
Holton- um she is not a certified teacher so it's one of those like noncertified non-certified hourly positions not because she's not a certified teacher.
boston- what pay scale would you pay her off of?
Bray- she's paid there's a a specific rate that we pay those folks any that we've ever had I think is it 30?
Holton- um the person that's been here for several years makes 35 but starting out it would be 28.
Boston- where's the pay scale that we pay them off of?
Holton- it's just based on an hourly rate. it's not a pay scale per se.
Boston-do I mean are they contracted services?
Holton-no, we only have we have one employee the PT and I think it's on the job description the PTA I think it's on that job description
Boston-well they would have to be on some...
Bray- it's been like that ever since I've been here it was it was $30 an hour when I came for just that position, from the day I came here it was like that.
Boston- but it's but it's not a contracted position?
Bray- no they're our employees and we write them a paycheck. I think it's kind of based on whatever the going right like if they were doing that private Industry.
Hale- yeah okay like a speech therapist like we couldn't...
Bray- it's a unique position I mean we've never had more than one or two since I've been here.
Holton- and that position's not been hired somebody just reached out.
Boston- how were you providing the speech language did you have...
Holton- contracted services.
Boston- through who?
Holton- um Sidekick and then we have two private contract um well it’s service agreements but we have sidekick and then we have Chelsea Hamilton, Mallory Varney and Serecia Seiber, individual contracts with three people that do the SLP services and then Sidekick is the company.
Boston- and then we would just pay Sidekick?
Holton- they um sidekick bills for Tenncare so we don't pay for the students that have Tenncare; we do pay for the students who don't have Tenncare but their rate for this upcoming year is $90 an hour. We're just up against the medical model when it comes to these personnel they could go work private clinic (inaudible).
Boston- oh I get it I mean I understand I just didn't I didn't know what an SLPA and I certainly didn't know that we were just because I don't know and it may have been that way for 30 years and I don't know it because I've never questioned it before but I don't know how we how we approve that off of a different scale and not if they're not contracted we just got one employee that...
Bray-I don't think they fit in any category I guess that might be how it was it came to be they don't fit they're kind of in the category all by themselves.
Boston- but once we approve this budget they're approved?
Bray-yes I mean it's been that like I said from the first day I ever came here but we only had one and she was unique she didn't fit in any of those categories.
Boston- do we pay her Insurance?
Bray-yes, but I still agree with Marlene I think we'll be money ahead.
boston- oh I think you will be too especially if we're paying for non Tenncare services.
Hale- so they're not considered working for the state do we pay them like do we pay into the retirement like a regular teacher, certified or principal.
Bray-a regular classified; they have a license but they don't have they're not a certified teacher
Stepp-this is always a hard to staff position because they make so much in the private sector. bray-they can pick their hours, I mean they can if they want to work four hours a day...
Hale-like the physical therapists that would come in the schools and the and the and the speech therapist that kind of thing.
Bray-absolutely it's Unique they have a license it's a different category.
Boston-and they are required to keep their license?
Bray- oh yeah there's a there's a list of requirements this long I don't some don't even know what it means but yeah it's seems like a big deal. Page 8-okay this is our CTE page um did the same here and Dr Eldridge has pretty much put in all of her detail and all her supplies and so forth.
Boston- well I know that we are the 70,000 for four Aviation scholarships is that where the grant expired?
Bray- yes ma'am.
Boston- so the 70,000 we're giving four students 70,000 in Aviation scholarships, is that new?
Eldridge-that is new and that is to sustain the first ISM grant that we received-the million dollars. Boston-so if we couldn't sustain the grant that those would go away?
Eldridge- yes ma’am.
Hale-how many are in that program at this time?
Eldridge- we have four that's all we can currently fund.
Hale-say again
Eldridge- we have four students that's all we can currently fund the grant actually ended last year and we had some carryover with that grant and we chose to use it for four students this year so it actually ended last year; we're making it work this year and then in hopes of our our board picking up for next year and years to come for four students.
Hale-did we just did we apply for the grant and just didn't get it or...
Eldridge- it was a one time grant.
Hale- it was one time yes I remember that thank you ma'am I remember that now.
Eldridge- I did apply for other related to Aviation and we did not get those.
Boston-we buy two house packages where does the money go when we sell those houses?
Eldridge- it goes back into our our programs at the high schools.
Boston- so could it go back into buy the plan, I mean the two house packages, do we make that much money?
Eldridge- well we haven't done it in a few years because of teacher turnover so it really depends on the type of house we build moving forward and the market at the time. I don't think we've sold the house in four years so they don't have any funds to to to buy those packages now and I believe four years ago and Mr King may remember this I believe that money came back to this line item rather than going to the high schools is that correct Mr. King?
Boston-so when we build a house and we've not sold one in four years?
Eldridge- we have not because of teacher turnover we probably had four different teachers every year unfortunately and and again that's a hard to staff area because those professionals can make more money in the industry rather than teach, so that's a hard position to fill especially you throughout COVID when we were struggling to to build houses so that has been a challenge for us but it is a goal moving forward.
Boston- so the money goes back into this line item or it goes to you?
Eldridge- it goes into this line item which is CTE Building Supplies.
Boston- it goes into line item does it does it come to I guess what I'm asking it does it come to the board or does it go to yours?
Eldridge- well the board is mine this is the GP.
Boston- okay.
Eldridge-so this is what the board allots CTE.
Bray- it would come in as a revenue item and if the board chose they could move it back to that line because everything has to be recorded as revenue and then we do a budget amendment. Boston-those resolutions got it.
Eldridge- but that is the money that we earned four years ago and you all put it back in there for us to build those houses and we have used it for um you know small storage units possibly a tiny house moving forward so we used it for building those things with those classes but not in the um capacity of a house.
Boston- well you've got a house that's almost or that may be TCAT’S house I don't know.
Eldridge-that's TCAT’s house.
Boston-okay so where do we build the houses?
Eldridge- well we in the past we've built it um over by the barn at CCHS, across from the auditorium now and at Stone it was right behind the shops where we had built those houses.
Boston-and we've not ordered house packages in four years?
Eldridge- we have not.
Boston- okay bless them, okay, now we have put here 132,000 um and and part of that is the four students I'm looking at line 399 last year we did 62,350 for CTE National competitions what what does that mean?
Eldridge- National competitions students who qualify at State competitions in FFA HOSA FBLA all of our student organizations where they qualify to go to Nationals and and normally you know we we send several students to Nationals I know one year in FCCLA alone we almost sent probably 20 students this year we're sending right at 10 students and they're going to Seattle and that's plane tickets that's hotel rooms that's cost for their teachers.
Boston- do they not raise any of their own funds?
Eldridge- they do raise funds yes; we do not pay for the student registrations we do not pay for those out of federal funds so we don't pay for them out of our general funds; they also raise money for food for anything that they do any um you know extracurricular activities they do when they go to different states they'll raise that money as well.
Boston- do we pay for anybody else's competitions.
Bray- only I think if they come in they make Nationals you give them a $1,500.
Boston-the 1500 and that's it but the CTE program do we get any TISA funds on those competitions?
Eldridge- no ma'am we do not, we get TISA funds on the courses they're in during the school day and we also get TISA funding for the outcomes, the industry credentials, the dual enrollment classes.
Bray-uh the next page is where all of our coaching supplements...
Eldridge- Ms. Bray can I say one thing about can you go back to the CTE um what we were requesting proposed this year did you mention that part of that was part was ISM funds?
Bray- I've got a note.
Boston-right, 700,000 we' got that-if we' got why is it 1,004,880 for 61 teachers?
Bray- that is the difference between the two years.
Boston- that's 61 teachers?
Eldridge- for the teachers or the total budget?
Bray/Boston no for the for the teachers.
Hamby- it's showing 3,477,000 proposed for...
Bray- oh that's my bad, well I've got 61 teachers...
Boston-with a million I mean I've got 357 teachers that's 1.7 million.
Bray- yeah that's my bad.
Boston-okay that's just a typo?
Bray- yes.
Hale- so we don't-we have more than 61 teachers.
Boston- no we just not spending that a million dollars in overage.
Eldridge- and part of that is coming from our ISM fund.
Boston-right and and I and I saw that at the bottom we've got $700,000 that the ISM grants will pay 700 of the $5.2 million budget. What what did we do with that, I mean what should that number be?
Bray- that's what I'm looking at but we have 61 teachers correct?
Eldridge-that is correct
Bray-If I do 61 teachers times we're saying average of $57,000 that's 3.477.
Hamby-that's what it’s showing.
Boston-but then it’s showing a million over.
Bray- but that's the difference between ‘24-25 and ‘23-24 that's the difference if you take 3,477 and subtract it from 2,472 in ‘23-24 that's the difference.
Boston- that gives that gives almost and this is average of course but that gives everyone a $166,000 raise and there's no way that can be.
Bray- well I don't think we had as many teachers in the previous budget year.
Eldridge- we didn’t, we had 46.
Bray- we had 46 we' got quite a few more teachers than we had in ‘23-24.
Boston- so we're adding positions?
Eldridge- no ma'am we’re not adding.
Boston-I didn't think so.
Stepp-last year through the ISM Grant we added positions that was paid for.
Eldridge- they were paid 100% by ISM this current school year next year ISM will pay 75% of those salaries and we have to pick up 25%.
Stout-it's a decreasing scale every year so it kind of helped us get things started with an investment and then decreasing.
Bray- see what we've done is I budgeted as if we were going to pay them all but then I'm putting it back in the revenue so it'll come in at the bottom line but we're still at some point there's 61 and I'm budgeting when you look at the cost because they're going to come out of this line it looks like that we're paying for all of it but we're getting Revenue up in the revenue section to offset it.
Boston- I understand that but I've got 3.47 for 61 teachers.
Bray- that's 57, you got 61 teachers times $57,000, it's an average.Eldridge- and then ISM will pay 75% of some...
Bray- of some of those teachers but not all.
Eldridge- I think it's 13 and a half or something like that.
Boston- just a minute it just clicked.
Hamby-that that's a scary number when you look at it.
Boston-well I just looked at it and I thought that's the increase that we've got but we added more teachers through the ISM Grant.
Bray- correct.
Boston- okay well don't scare me like that.
Eldridge- we are not adding any more teachers this year school year.
Boston-but now next year ISM will pay 75%.
Eldrige- so next year 75 and then the next it will pay 50%.
Bray- and then the next it'll be ours.
Boston-it just keeps decreasing and decreasing.
Eldridge- well after 2 years years it's gone so this coming year and then the next year.
Boston- will we pick up that expense?
Eldridge-yes.
Stepp- currently TISA the credit we get for what they're teaching exceeds the cost.
Eldridge- much exceeds the cost.
Stepp- yeah it's it's about two or three times what we're going to spend this year.
Eldridge- so our CTE teachers are making us money and they're paying for their positions and then some. And they're doing a lot of good things for kids.
Boston- they're teaching life skills but Imean I just didn't understand.
Eldridge- absolutely it's confusing, I know it’s confusing.
Bray- are we ready for page nine- this is just where all of your athletic supplements currently live. Boston-I have had let me ask you a question while we're on this particular I have been asked when we if you have a a person who coaches more than one team and they get that supplement if you turn in both supplements on the same because it's the same name whatever they take out more taxes can we not submit those individually?
Bray- no.
Boston- why?
Bray- the County finance I can submit them twice a year and they're going to run one check they they're what they do is they go into that payroll that person and that's an add-on and they put that block amount in they're not going to run multiple checks for that people they're all Direct deposit.
Boston- last year it cost one of our coaches about $600.
Bray- well at the end of the year so taxes are really figured on an annualized basis at the end of the year if he paid too much he'll get that back. I understand that doesn’t help at that time but taxes are based on an annualized basis it's not a per paycheck.
Boston- I'm but what I'm saying is we submitted it like you said twice a year.
Bray- right and that's that's the rule all of them are done that way.
Boston- so they take out that much taxes and there's no way we can submit them individually.
Bray- no ma'am they will not run multiple checks.
Boston- okay I was just asked to ask cause it cost him literally 600 a little bit over $600 because it was submitted at the same time.
Bray-anything else on this page cause we really didn't change anything. I just increased the supplements a bit assuming some people would move up. Are you ready to move to page 10? Okay support services this is our attendance page uh we have two employees on this page one certified one non-certified I think the biggest uh difference here is the Skyward the 20% price increase and this is the last year the state subsidy on that and the contract so we really after this year we don't know where this is headed.
Boston- where what is headed?
Bray- Skyward- that's our student information system.
Boston- right which everybody uses.
Bray- right but apparently the state is the one that negotiated that deal and the deal is up at the end of this year.
Boston-so you have no idea what's going to happen?
Bray-correct.
Boston- and are you talking about in June or in January?
Bray- would be in July,
Boston- we get it one more year and then they'll renegotiate that contract?
Bray- correct okay and they don't really they not give us too much of an estimate; next page is page 1,1 this is Ms Marsha Polson's page and we do have her grant for this year which is $113,000 she will have that for the next five years and basically she has has chosen to fund an additional nurse and then lots of things to help the students and do healthy stuff for them.
Boston-- I'm assuming on line 105 that's going to change?
Bray- yes
Boston-okay.
Boston- and we give staff wellness incentives, where Marsha, she's not here uh we give incentives is that like to students or staff?
Bray- I think both from what I've seen she does just different things; she's bought some different games for the kids but there's like a wellness coordinator at each school and I think she's given them a little stipend to coordinate that within their building um she's utilized this I mean it's very specific what she can and cannot do with this money but that's what she's uses like but there's a wellness coordinator in each school and she pays them a little bonus.
Boston- is that the nurses?
Bray- not necessarily.
Boston- really?
Bray-this is more the yaya person come on let's do this kind of you know let's get out here and play this game and go play kickball or whatever it is we're going to do that.
Boston- what's the lady's name at Crab Orchard that does the archery Ms....
Bray/Stepp-Cindy Miniard.
Boston- so she would have to be the wellness coordinator at Crab Orchard because she does a great job
Bray- let's see page 12 would be where guidance counselors live uh the big difference here is Mr Stepp as we previously discussed has requested five additional days for our high school guidance counselors.
Boston-is that mostly I mean they spend so much time scheduling; do so we have 14 positions currently staffed?
Bray-no we're still down 2-there's no one at Crab Orchard and there is no full time at Pleasant Hill. 16 full time positions.
Boston- that's that's what we're going to or that's what...
Bray- no no no no we currently would like to have 16 we currently have we were at 14 but now we're still down two.
Boston- so you're telling we only have 12 counselors?
Bray- well now you count this there's six let's see there's three at each High School there's six and then there's only seven so 13 we have a part-time at Pine View. We'd like to get those two back that we don't have.
Boston- that would be lovely.
Bray- and that’d give us a total of 16.
Boston- did the legislature address that at all about how they would help us?
Bray- no the state Department's trying to look at a way you can uh get your license for counseling quicker but they haven't released what that would look like yet.
Bray- like a provisional sort of thing where they could work could work under somebody which I've already talked to several live counselors and they said yeah bring them along uh but they we got to get the go ahead from them; they did that with sped a few years ago and it's very helpful. Boston-and are they then they're looking at it?
Bray- that's what they said.
Stepp- they are looking at it but we...
Bray- I've seen something on that but nothing's come through.
Hamby-and you're wanting to add five extra days for the high school?
Bray-just the high school.
Boston- everything else we have I mean like our behavioral coach and our social worker we have those positions filled.
Bray- yes.
Boston- okay and I'm on line 170 I'm assuming that will change as well?
Bray-yes ma'am, just need to know what you wanted me to put there. Moving on to page 13 this is our regular instructional support page this is where our three academic supervisors live, and our librarians.
Boston-what is the 82,000 in staff development what do we do there?
Bray-that's what we give to each of the schools for staff development plus we add another $1,000 for gifted.
Boston- we give what what do we give to the schools?
Bray- we divvy it out to the schools I'd have to look there's a formula for it but that's part of the money that they give.
Boston- is that where if you have so many children you get x amount of dollars a day?
Bray- I believe that's where it's either children or staff either children or teachers but we just divvy it out, they call it their PD money; moving on to page 14 this is where our special ed supervisor lives, our school psychologist, our sped behaviorist um and then a couple other ladies in the sped department that do our testing.
Boston- okay now on line 399 we're Contracting Services for speech pathologist.
Bray- that's the one we moved from the other page we took it off that page and put it here.
Boston-but we're wanting to hire our own is that correct?
Bray- that would be nice.
Boston- but we're still contracting?
Bray- just to make sure we've got to have it covered.
Hale- that's one of those positions that they can make more money in the private sector and it's hard to get them to come down to teacher certified salaries.
Bray- they control their own schedule when they work in the private sector.
Boston- what is uh other salaries and wages we've only got four listed there but we've got 25 or 104,000 increase.
Bray-well there's four employees there uh one of which is very tenured, has a doctorate degree.
Boston-I understand and then but we've got 104,000 worth increase.
Bray-that's additional.
Bray- what do you mean?
Bray- that's the change between the two and I think maybe last year did we just have three people there last year?
Boston-I mean that's not that's not adding any new positions.
Holton-it should have been 4 last year.
Boston-you see what I'm saying?
Bray- yeah I'll just have to like I said I know two of those normally I would have just hand figured that based off but I was thinking we had one maybe one person there that we didn't have last year I could be wrong on that.
Boston-would you please check this and see what we're doing.
Bray- I will yeah was Dreama there last year Marlene?
Holton-we had 4 there last year.
Bray- okay.
Boston- I mean that seems like an awful large...
Bray- I can check it I know that like I said I'll just hand a figure of those again. Anything other than that?
Holton- oh the the new slpa would be...
Bray- so there is an additional?
Holton- that the new SLP if they approve the slpa position would be paid out of 189.
Hamby-so that would be paid out that line so that means that the other contracted Services would go away if you hire the slpa?
Boston- well you've got it you've got if it should be on this page you've got it on another page.
Bray- we put the slpa on the first page there, this is teachers correct?
Holton-71200 189 is the Interpreter.
Bray- right and this is 2200.
Holton-right so the slpa would be in that line.
Bray- but Inman, Roff, those four names are correct? No? I know three of them are.
Holton-one of them will be retiring this year.
Bray- I'll look at that I'll just see for sure.
Boston- that's what my notes say you're going to look at this.
Bray- moving on to page 15 this is where our CTE director lives with our CTE coach our CTE counselor, our computer science STREAM coordinator and our inventory clerk.
Boston- now this also has the staff development students and staff travel to competitions so you've got another 62,500 in this particular budget as well is that correct?
Eldridge- yes ma'am.
Boston- so you that's like at 125,000 that we're paying for competitions and...
Eldridge- no some of that is for professional development for CTE teachers when they go to training they go to CTE summer Institute that is also their training their professional development.
Boston- that says 15,000.
Eldridge- what line are you looking at?
Boston-524.
Eldridge- it says 15,000?
Boston-it says CTE teacher and staff professional development 15,000 and then the remainder of the it would be 50,000 student and staff travel to competitions.
Eldridge- okay and that is another line for student and staff travel.
Boston- what's the the difference?
Eldridge- the other line is our teacher line the other 524 that we looked at previously and that is more for teachers.
Hamby- and this one's for students?
Eldridge- it's it can be both we can use it for both.
Boston- and that's for competitions?
Eldrige- some of it is for competitions yes ma'am some of it is for our professional development for teachers so the schools get PD you mentioned they all get PD professional development they don't get professional development dollars for CTE teachers that comes through this budget.
Boston-okay okay so anything that schools get computer money equipment money for their teachers CTE comes out of this items.
Boston- okay so why do you have two and I'm I'm I'm just curious why do you have two sheets? Eldridge-one of them's a teacher line it's 71300 this is a 72230 this is more admin.
Boston- and the other one is more teacher?
Eldridge-yes ma’am.
Bray-yes that's where the 57 teachers or 61 whatever it is. Moving on to page 16 this is our technology line.
Boston- what happened to our wireless?
Bray- it's been taken care of, it's completed.
Boston- what do you... I I don't...
Bray- it's a wireless project he's got that completed so we don't that was a one- time thing we put in for last year that's why we don't need it again this year.
Boston-okay so we had a project we approved last year.
Bray-right and it's completed there I mean I think it's just about done now but we've already paid for it, it's just the installation piece of the wireless router so it's done.
Boston- oh good deal I just didn't know if it went away and...
Bray- no no no it was just something that he E-rated and got it and got it taken care of and we're moving forward.
Boston-how many techs do we have?
Bray- uh there's eight nine if you count the two in this office I believe, some schools share one.
Boston- do we have individual techs anywhere or do are they all out of this office?
Bray- well they all technically are out of this office but they're they stay in the schools like the high schools all have their permanent techs and then some like they share a tech like Ms um Tabitha goes what schools does Ms. Tabitha go to, she works here and at South some of them travel.
Stepp-but they stay in schools they're not in this building.
Bray- they're never in this building unless we need them for something. Are we good on page 16? Page 17 Boe page and the biggest increase here we've already discussed was in workers comp.
Boston-did we find a new firm?
Bray- no ma'am.
Boston- you say that very sharply.
Bray- I'm a little frustrated we've emailed probably 12 firms we've either been turned down or they just don't respond at all I've reached out to our fiscal rep he's going to try to help me find someone we did have a contract in place that our partner broke well they asked to get out of it so it wasn't like that we hadn't had something in place. Page 18 this is the director's page. is this life life insurance is 31,000 who is this for?
Bray- what line are you on?
Boston- I am on 206. No no no no medical insurance never mind okay so that's medical insurance that's a 6% increase I thought life insurance whose life is 31,000 perfect.
Hamby- and the uh line 101 will be adjusted?
Bray- yes ma'am okay page 19 this our principal page this line, of course this will all be adjusted when I do my recalculations.
Boston- why did we why do we have a deficit in assistant principals?
Bray- cause some people moved around and we have some less experienced people so they're going to make less money.
Boston- is it is it new people or current?
Bray-new people and they have a lesser degree but that'll change as well when I recalculate; this is our school secretary's page and our bookkeeper’s page.
Hale-okay so how much are they getting the secretaries how much is the raise that the secretaries are going to get?
Bray- 4% and a lot of them will get a step raise as well.
Hale- okay and it is 4%?
Bray- yes ma'am, anything further there okay page 20 this is my page.
Boston-now will this be adjusted as well? Will 105 be adjusted?
Bray- that's just my salary and the control's position.
Boston- with what kind of increase?
Bray-I gave myself a 4% like the other supervisors.
Boston- but we didn't give an increase to a position that's not there did we?
Bray-no.
Boston- so you get a $17,000 raise?
Bray- no my salary increased when I became the COO.
Boston- I understand that and I'm ok with that but do you see what I'm saying last year...
Bray- it's only like $4,000. I don't know see my salary is only partially paid because I took that job in the middle of the year so my full salary for last year wasn't in there.
Boston- thank you that's all you had to say but we didn't give an increase to a position that we've not filled okay, okay go ahead.
Bray- anything else on this page? Next page is Page 21 this is our HR page. I don't think there's anything to-the biggest increase here is just for fingerprinting.
Boston- yeah why did it increase so much?
Bray- well it's just it cycles around every 5 years everybody's got to be printed and some years there's a bigger group than others. Next page is operation of the plant page 22 on my sheet, this is where our custodial staff lives more or less.
Boston- did we have that much of an increase in electricity?
Bray- unfortunately yes VEC went up.
Boston-but now this will change also no next one will change, right?
Bray- the salaries that are on here for the non for the classified supervisor should be correct they were based on the scales you guys passed.
Boston-yeah and the biggest increase there is is the electricity.
Bray-well the electricity and the insurance I mean the content insurance is going to hit us hard. Boston-how come that went up so much?
Bray- they revalued the property for the first time in many years the valuations went up on the contents and our properties, everybody's went up.
Boston-okay I mean that's something you can't stop.
Bray- and then the next page is maintenance of the plant this is where the supervisor the bookkeeper and then our maintenance our 12 maintenance personne live and now I have not made the adjustment that was agreed to yet and I will be doing that.
Boston- that's 717 I think is what we decided coming out.
Bray-I've got that one circled to make the correction there.
Boston- now on on at the very bottom what did we decide you took the mowers out of rotation. Bray-these are the mowers that Mary, her staff uses, mowers and other equipment the mowers that were in the rotation were for the schools that we were going to purchase.
Boston- but that's that's gone because we suspended the rotation.
Bray-correct, these are these were like for her and she thinks she's can, do she was 60,000 previously she thinks she can make do with 30 this year.
Boston- how many mowers does she have?
Bray- I have no idea but there's a lot because in the summertime they have to help the custodian staff mow like the high schools and things they do a they really help them out a lot there's one grounds keeper and then the one custodian that's usually assigned to mowing and they jump in and they help them, like when Billie's out here they come over here and mow for us.
Hamby- okay so we have one grounds keeper per high school?
Boston- then do we have do we have grounds keep or janitors custodians excuse me.
Bray- you usually have one custodian at the elementary school that their primary responsibility is the grounds but they do other things as well.
Boston- but do they do they work they work during the summer?
Bray-no the the only one that works during the summer is your maintenance custodian sometimes they pick up the mowing and then sometimes we have to assist them.
Hamby- so your grounds keepers at the high school work in the summer?
Bray- yes they do. They are year round.Next page is Ms Martin's page this is where the supervisor uh your mechanics your bus drivers bookkeeper...
Boston- on page on line 142 is that the is that two mechanics?
Bray- no we have two actually we have two mechanics that are in one column and then we have one mechanic that's in a different column because of their training.
Boston- but 142 is um...
Bray- they're the mechanics.
Boston- and there's only two of those?
Bray-there's three now.
Boston- three is that their salaries?
Bray- well with overtime because you have to understand they drive buses as well and that usually puts them into an overtime situation that's why...
Hamby- they have to be diesel certified and all right now
Boston- how many drivers are we short?
Bray- well the last time I asked Kathleen it was 10 drivers but we've hired one but I expect in the next probably month we're going to have some retirements, we have some people with some pretty serious health issues that I don't believe will be able to continue.
Boston- how many do you think that will be?
Bray- I can think of two.
Boston- so we'll be down 11 drivers, what do they do at that point?
Bray- they double their routes which is not good but that's what that's the only way to handle it the mechanics drive Kathleen drives.
Boston- let me ask a question do we need to look at bus drivers salaries again?
Bray- I don't really think it's about the salary because our salaries are very competitive especially with the insurance piece I think it's the schedule the responsibility and quite frankly sometimes the behaviors of some of the students. I've watched lots of bus tapes.
Boston- and we've not been able to put any assistants?
Bray- not not consistently.
Boston- on those buses.
Bray- I've tried teachers aides, I've tried everything but it's just it's a big commitment early in the morning in the afternoon or even I've even tried just for afternoon but consistently we just can't keep anybody.
Boston-any other suggestions where we could help?
Bray- well you could be a bus attendant.
Boston-no.
Bray- okay.
Stepp-I mean we've offered to pay for all the CDL all the training...
Bray- we do that we pay for that we train them.
Stepp- there's no expense.
Boston- we changed that we changed that about what two two to three years ago bonuses. Bray-correct and that has helped as far as the safety aspect of it I mean we have a lot fewer like what I call just little bumps and like hit a mailbox that kind of thing um it's just hard the schedule is very difficult you're early in the morning late in the afternoon and then when you throw in the Athletics and all the extra stuff and it's it's a lot it's just a lot and a lot of people don't consider it a full-time job, but really it is.
Boston- you've got to clean your bus out you got to get it ready.
Bray- you got to fuel your bus you got to clean the bus.
Hale-so do we bill it as a full-time job or...
Bray- yes ma'am they get benefits like a full-time person and a lot of them if they run trips I mean they're working 40 hours a week.
Boston-and they get they get they get paid.
Bray-they get compensated additionally for that.
Boston- like if I take a and I'm going to use baseball because baseball's going on right now if they take then the team compensates.
Hale- okay.
Stout- do we partner with TCAT or any of the schools that do the licensing?
Bray- not currently uh you have to be 25 to be a bus driver.
Stout- I know there's a lot of people going back and getting their CDLs now from working other careers.
Bray- they just to be a bus driver you have to be 25 and that limits that a bit.
Boston-so you don't think look at re revisiting the salary with...
Bray-I don't think it's about the money I really don't I think think it's about responsibility the time the hours and like I said the majority of our kids are great but there's always those few that it's just it's very difficult when you're going down the road you got to keep your mind on what you're doing and it's hard to know what's going on behind you right be utter chaos.
Stepp- that's amazing how great these bus drivers are that we have I mean every bus I've ridden or bus driver I've talked to they got it going on they know what do very professional.
Boston- I don't doubt...
Bray- they know their children they call them by name.
Stepp-oh yeah they greet every kid on the bus it's amazing.
Boston-I'm just trying to figure out how we encourage somebody to to a bus driver.
Bray-it's a nationwide problem I mean it's it is a nationwide problem in every district in every state.
Stepp- I I got a friend of mine's a COO and another huge district and he's he was very happy that they're at 82% of having enough bus drivers, that's the best it's been.
Bray-I mean we've got to a couple of well we have two teachers three teachers now that drive I mean I've tried to appeal to them but I mean it extends their day.
Stepp- nurses driving.
Bray- yeah nurses driving.
Hale-assistants I mean no I just know in Mississippi my assistant she had her...
Bray-anybody that would like to be trained we will be more than happy to train them and we have the capability to do that.
Boston-what is the other salaries and wages on this sheet, who are those folks?
Bray- that's our bus attendants and you have to keep in mind this is like our sped bus attendants where we required to have them I think without exception everybody on here works another job in the school district therefore this is overtime for them.
Boston- okay but this is what the attendants will have mostly for our sped?
Bray-oh yes absolutely we don't I don't think I have a single just regular attendant now on a bus at all.
Boston- do you have anybody that inquires?
Bray-no.
Stout- how have we marketed needing attendants?
Bray- at one time we ran ads we put up flyers just like they did at the bus garage where you saw the banners and things like that but there again you're going to work a couple hours in the morning really early and a couple-
Stout-the schedule's challenging there's no doubt about that yeah.
Bray-and it is a part-time job so they don't get insurance.
Boston-the attendants?
Bray- if they were just that was all they did but most everybody we've got now I think without exception is also has another job in the school system.
Boston-I don't think there's anything on page 25 is there?
Bray- no that's a grant that's gone away. 26 is our community services page this is where uh one of our social workers lives this is where our folks that work at kids club live.
Boston- is that CCQCP or...
Bray- well it's kids club now but yes it was CCQCP, we changed the name a couple of years ago I just forgot to change this; this is where they all live.
Boston- we get a grant we get a grant for ccqcp?
Bray- we do not but they're self-supporting they charge.
Boston- okay so they do charge?
Bray-right the only thing that we really give them is $2,000 a year for snacks, she is self-sufficient.
Boston- do um and that's just how many schools do we do that, two?
Bray-just North.
Boston- just north and it's just North's students?
Bray- well no I think she in the summertime she has students from all over the county during the school year it's primarily North.
Boston- so she's open year round?
Bray- correct she certainly is, everybody needs to meet Ms. Loretta.
Hale-yes absolutely we're proud of her at North.
Boston- now will line 105 change?
Boston- that's just a social worker page and that was one that you approved the other night.
Boston- because is so that's a new position?
Bray- no that's been there that was Ms Lisa Phillip’'s position.
Boston -okay so why are they going to 40,983?
Bray-well they get there 4% and then they get a step.
Boston- okay.
Hale- how many helpers does she have now, just one?
Bray- Ms. Loretta, I think she has two now. Based on numbers is how many helpers she has. Miss Doris has been with her forever but then when they especially in the summertime when they have more children they have to have help. Are we good for page 27-this is our pre k preschool. I've shown down at the bottom we're getting the grant as we had in years’ past for 1,104,583 which offsets quite a bit of the cost.
Boston- is this a required is this required by the state of Tennessee to have preschool?
Stepp- it's a grant
Bray-no it's a grant.
Boston- you get a grant to operate?
Bray- you folks have contributed to it because I mean we get a little extra money every year but it never offsets like pay increases and things like that but I mean we've proven that the program is very viable.
Boston-oh it's excellent I'm not...
Bray- so you've made the decision in previous years to continuing...
Boston- it's not it's not required by the State.
Bray- it's not like kindergarten no.
Boston-does all districts?
Stepp-all districts a lot of a lot of schools with ESSER money districts uh actually built pre; k uh buildings so but Pre-k is through a grant and that's something the directors of schools have asked are we going to add a line item in TISA so we can get other funding for that it's not included in TISA.
Stout-yeah there's there was a push for that this legislative season but the bill didn't move forward so maybe next they're planning to readdress it next season.
Bray- page 28 is our final page this is our Capital expenditures page uh we have 100,000 that basically is for Mr Chamberlin’s services when needed I funded our uh what we believe we will owe additionally or finally when the CCHS auditorium so that we will have adequate appropriations for that. Capital outlay each school gets $10,000 there's 30,000 that we have here at the district uh we have requested a box truck and this is where I included the four sets of classroom furniture.
Boston- what did they do now because I think you told me the box truck was used by Tech to haul I mean what do we what would we use a box truck for?
Bray- to haul computers just there's all sorts of things that have to be delivered to the schools and people right now are delivering them in their own vehicles, they have an old sped bus that they used that it's not very reliable anymore but anytime anything there's tons of stuff that gets delivered here that has to be dispersed to the schools and if Mr Reed can't get it in the van it's carried in somebody's private vehicle but things come in in pallets and have be separated in hallways here
Stepp-and it could be moving furniture from school to school there's just a lot of use.
Boston- do we not have does maintenance not have something like a box truck or trailer?
Bray- not really they have their maintenance trucks that are they're fitted for them that have their tools and their equipments I mean we they got a pick up that they'll let us use but that's usually been utilized for things too and maintenance will help they got a little trailer they'll help move furniture but I'd rather them be repairing things than moving furniture from one school to the other if we had some means to do it.
Boston- go down to the magic bottom.
Bray-magic bottom like I said this will change when I change some of the things we discussed tonight.
Boston- so this will change?
Bray- oh absolutely when that top number that says grand total of expenditures changes all these numbers automatically change.
Boston- okay so before going before rehashing this...
Bray-I need to do make the corrections.
Boston-I suggest we make the corrections and the changes and then send it out to see what where we stand and what questions we have at that point. Chris is that okay with you?
King- yeah
Boston-Anita okay with you?
Hale-yes.
William Stepp
Director of Schools
Ms. Teresa Boston
Chairman of the Budget Committee
Diane McCartney
Executive Assistant for the Director of Schools and BOE