[00:06:11]
          MY WATCH SAYS IT'S 6:00, SO I'M GOING TO CALL THE MEETING. 
          [Call to Order]
          [00:06:16]
THE SPECIAL [INAUDIBLE] BUDGET STUDY MEETING. 
          ORDER, PLEASE. LET'S BEGIN OUR MEETING WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE. 
          OKAY, IF YOU WILL PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN SAYING THE PLEDGE. 
          AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. 
          ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          OKAY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO EXPLORE THE BUDGET AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A BUDGET FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. 
          SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. LAWRENCE. OH, YEAH. 
          WE DID HAVE ONE OTHER ITEM. 
          I'M SORRY. PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS. 
          BEFORE WE GET TO THE BUDGET, LET'S DO THAT. 
          YOU'VE BEEN ON A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR EMPLOYMENT BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, HAS BEEN SHARED WITH EACH BOARD MEMBER, AND WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT LIST MOVED BY MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON, SECONDED BY MR. CRANE, ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S EVERYONE. 
          NOW BUDGET. MR. LAWRENCE. THANK YOU, MR. 
          [Budget Workshop]
CHAIR. WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT, AND I'M GOING TO ASK MR. TRAXLER TO COME FORWARD. 
          YOU HAVE A COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION IN YOUR FOLDER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO. 
          TO FOLLOW ALONG ON PAPER AND MAYBE, MAYBE JOT SOME NOTES. 
          BUT HE WILL BE VERY THOROUGH IN AND GOING THROUGH THIS, MAYBE TOO THOROUGH IN SOME PARTS. 
          GOOD EVENING, DR. BRADLEY. 
          MR. LAWRENCE, BOARD MEMBERS. 
          SO SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE PUSHED OUR REGULAR MARCH BUDGET WORK STUDY BACK TO BACK TO THE DATE ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR TO THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET. 
          THAT TYPICALLY GAVE US ENOUGH TIME TO LOOK AT WHERE THINGS STOOD AT THE STATE LEVEL, FINISH ALLOCATION MEETINGS, AND IT GAVE A GOOD PREVIEW OF THE FIRST READING. 
          SO THAT'S THAT'S WHY WE'RE MEETING TONIGHT. 
          MOST OF THEM WILL BE AS UP TO DATE AS POSSIBLE, BUT THINGS ARE VERY FLUID AT THE STATE LEVEL AND OF COURSE, WE WOULD HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE CHANGES. 
          BUT WE'LL GIVE AN OVERVIEW TONIGHT, JUST STARTING WITH OUR DISTRICT TIMELINE. 
          OF COURSE, IN JANUARY THROUGH MARCH, WE HAVE A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES WORK. 
          WE HAVE TONIGHT'S BUDGET WORK STUDY. 
          NEXT WEEK. WE HAD THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET. 
          WE HAVE BASED ON THAT FIRST READING, WE WOULD ADVERTISE THE BUDGET IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER. WE HAVE TO DO THAT 15 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE BUDGET HEARING. 
          AND THAT PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET IS SCHEDULED FOR OUR FIRST MAY MEETING MAY 10TH, AND THEN WE'RE SCHEDULED FOR THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE BUDGET ON MAY 24TH. 
          WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADD SOME DAYS IN THERE NOW AS WE GET LATER IN THE BUDGET 
          [00:10:05]
CALENDAR, LATER IN OUR BUDGET CALENDAR, THINGS DO TIGHTEN UP SOME, BUT THERE ARE SOME OFF DATES IN THE EVENT THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT NEED. 
          WE ALSO FOLLOW THE STATE'S BUDGET CLOSELY WHERE WE'RE HEAVILY RELIANT ON THE STATE FOR WELL OVER HALF OF OUR FUNDING IN A TYPICAL YEAR. 
          AND YOU SEE HERE THE STATE'S BUDGET TIMELINE FOR THIS YEAR. 
          SO THE SESSION STARTED JANUARY 11TH IN THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS THAT THE HOUSE VERSIONS OF THE BUDGET LATE FEBRUARY MID-MARCH THE SENATE FINANCE AND SENATE HAVE GOTTEN INTO TO THEIR VERSION OF THE BUDGET. 
          THE SENATE WILL BE DISCUSSING IT LATER ON IN APRIL. 
          BUT AS YOU LOOK AT THESE DAYS, THINK ABOUT HOW IT COMPARES TO OURS WITH THAT FIRST READING AND SECOND READING. 
          SO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'LL SEE THIS EVENING ARE LARGELY GOING TO BE BASED ON THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE BUDGET. 
          THINGS ARE CHANGING, AND IF THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, THEY'LL HAVE TO COME TO SOME COMPROMISE AND WE'LL HAVE TO REFLECT THAT IN OUR BUDGET. SO THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT YOU SEE NEXT WEEK THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT AS WE GET FURTHER INTO MAY AS FAR AS STATE FUNDING. 
          ONE THING I DO WANT TO MENTION AS THE HOUSE AND AS THE SENATE GOES THROUGH THE VARIETY OF LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS THAT POP UP FROM TIME TO TIME, WE'LL GET AN EMAIL FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND THEY'LL SAY, ALL RIGHT, HERE'S SOME NEW LEGISLATION. 
          WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE FISCAL IMPACT IS TO YOUR DISTRICT. 
          SOMETIMES IT HAS LITTLE TO NO FISCAL IMPACT. 
          SOMETIMES THAT HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. 
          BUT THEY HAVE INVOLVED SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WHAT THOSE COSTS MAY BE ON US SO THAT WE ARE GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY. 
          AS THINGS PROGRESS THROUGH THE STATE BUDGET, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ED WILL WILL TAKE THE RESULTS OF THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE BUDGET, FOR INSTANCE, AND DETERMINE HOW THAT TRANSLATES TO EACH SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 
          SO ABOUT 2 TO 3 WEEKS AFTER THE END OF A OR AT EACH ONE OF THESE LEGS AND THE APPROVAL OF A BUDGET VERSION, THEY'LL PUT SOME NUMBERS OUT ON HOW IT RELATES TO AIKEN. 
          AND SO WE'VE INCORPORATED THOSE INTO OUR FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET. 
          THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT I HIT ON AT THE LAST MEETING. 
          WE HAD A BUDGET UPDATE, BUT IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SOME SLIGHT CHANGES HERE. 
          SO I THOUGHT IT WAS IT WAS WORTH GOING OVER AGAIN. 
          THE GOVERNOR'S FUNDING PLAN IS A NEW MODEL THAT THE STATE IS LOOKING AT. 
          IT WOULD HAVE US GETTING AWAY FROM BASE STUDENT COST AND FUNDING BASED ON PUPILS AND BASED THINGS ON A STUDENT TEACHER RATIO, ON A PER TEACHER FUNDING AMOUNT. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT THOSE RATIOS ARE AND WHAT THOSE PER TEACHER FUNDING AMOUNT IS THAT THAT RATIO IN NO WAY SAYS THAT AIKEN HAS TO STAFF CLASSROOMS AT 11.2 IS SIMPLY WHAT THE STATE WOULD USE FOR A RATIO AT 69,000. 
          1.53 IS BASED ON THE STATE MINIMUM FOR A MASTER'S STEP 12 TEACHER WITH SALARY AND FRINGE. THAT'S WHERE THE AVERAGE TEACHER SAYS WHENEVER THEY LOOK AT THE STATE, THE MIX OF THOSE THAT ARE THAT ARE LESS EXPERIENCED AND HEAVILY EXPERIENCED, THE AVERAGE HITS ABOUT MASTER'S AND 12, IT'S BASED ON WEIGHTINGS. 
          BUT ONE THING THIS NEW PLAN DOES IS IT LOOKS AT THINGS. 
          IF YOU'LL THINK OF A PIE, IT TAKES ALL OF THE WEIGHTINGS FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE AND IT FIGURES OUT AIKENS PROPORTION TO THE STATE'S PROPORTION. 
          AND THAT'S YOUR SLICE OF THE PIE. 
          SO REALLY THE WEIGHTINGS ARE USED TO DETERMINE OUR ALLOCATION, BUT IT'S UNLIKE THE OLD DAYS WHERE WE COULD SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE WENT UP 100 STUDENTS. 
          WE KNOW THAT BASE STUDENT COST IS $2500. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO GET $250,000. 
          IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY ANYMORE. 
          DID THAT MATH WORK OUT? SO THAT'S ONE CHANGE THERE. 
          THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE BUDGET UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S FUNDING PLAN INCLUDED A $4,000 
          [00:15:05]
INCREASE IN THE STATE MINIMUM TEACHER SCALE. 
          NOW, AIKEN'S TEACHER SCALE IS HIGHER THAN THAT 40 OR 4000 INCREASE. 
          IT WOULD SET THE BACHELOR STEP ZERO, BEGINNING PAY AT 40,000, AND THEN EACH CELL IN THE TEACHER SCALE WILL GO UP $4,000. 
          THERE IS SOME INCONSISTENT LANGUAGE, THOUGH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAD HEARD ALL RIGHT, IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE ABOVE IT, YOU HAVE THE DISCRETION TO TO NOT INCREASE 4000, INCREASE SOMETHING LESS THAN THAT. 
          YOU COULD ALWAYS INCREASE IT MORE, BUT YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED AS LONG AS YOU'RE ABOVE THAT STATE MINIMUM TEACHER SCALE. 
          BUT THEN THE LANGUAGE IN LEGISLATION, AT LEAST IN THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE LEGISLATION AND PROVISO STATED OTHERWISE, IT SAID THAT WE HAD TO MAINTAIN OUR LOCAL SUPPLEMENT. 
          WHATEVER YOU'RE ADDING TO THE TEACHER SCALE, YOU HAD TO MAINTAIN THAT THE STATE AS PART OF THIS FUNDING PLAN IS ADDING 228 MILLION APPROXIMATELY AND THUS IN THIS HOUSE VERSION. 
          ONE THING THAT IS DIFFERENT WITH THIS IS THAT IN THE PAST AND THIS UNUSUAL, THE STATE HAS SAID, ALL RIGHT, YOU HAD TO GIVE A 2% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT OR A 4% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT OR A $1,000 INCREASE IN THE TEACHER SALE. 
          SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVEN'T HAD THE DISCRETION TO WHERE, ALL RIGHT IF YOU'RE ABOVE THE STATE MINIMUM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT NECESSARILY. 
          SO THAT'S A THAT'S A NEW CONCEPT. 
          UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S FUNDING PLAN, THERE ARE SEVERAL POTS, HISTORICAL POTS THAT WOULD BE ROLLED UP. SO THESE WOULD GO AWAY AND THEY WOULD ROLL UP AND SHOW AMONG THIS NEW FUNDING LINE, ONES OF PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE OR THOSE EIA AT RISK FUNDING AND THE EIA AID TO DISTRICTS FUNDS. 
          THOSE ARE FUNDS AT RISK WE USE TO FUND OUR TO FUND CIL, TO FUND XSEL, TO FUND SOME OTHER THINGS, AID TO DISTRICTS WE'VE USED OVER THE YEARS FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN USED TO HELP US BALANCE THE BUDGET. 
          THESE FUNDS WOULD GO AWAY. 
          THAT MEANS THAT ANY EXPENDITURES, ANY BUDGETS THAT ARE UP UNDER THOSE THAT ARE RECURRING IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THOSE, WE'RE ROLLING INTO THE GENERAL FUND. 
          SO THOSE WOULD SHOW IN THE GENERAL FUND NOW BECAUSE THESE FUNDS WOULD GO AWAY. 
          SOME OF THOSE OTHER PARTS, THE FIRST THREE ARE ONES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE GENERAL FUND, SO THEY'RE JUST COLLAPSED INTO A TO A MORE CONSOLIDATED LINE ITEM, THAT EIA TEACHER SALARY INCREASE AND TEACHER SALARY FRINGE. 
          THOSE ARE MONIES THAT WE TRANSFER OVER TO THE GENERAL FUND ANYWAY. 
          SO IT'S JUST SIMPLIFYING THAT A LITTLE BIT. 
          THIS LAST PART IS VERY IMPORTANT. 
          IN THE PAST, WE'VE ESPECIALLY IN THE AT RISK FUNDS, WE'VE HAD CARRYOVER FUNDS. 
          AND AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IN THIS YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, IF AIKEN DIDN'T SPEND ALL OF THESE EIA FUNDS IN 2021, THEY COULD CARRY IT OVER TO 2122, BUT THEY JUST HAD TO SPEND IT BY JUNE 30TH OF 22. 
          WE'VE UTILIZED THAT IN THE PAST TO HELP US BALANCE THE BUDGET. 
          WE'VE TYPICALLY CARRIED OVER ABOUT A FULL YEAR'S AT RISK ALLOCATION AND THAT'S GIVEN US A BUFFER AT TIMES THAT WILL GO AWAY BECAUSE THESE LARGE POTS ARE GOING AWAY. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE MINDFUL OF. 
          LAST WEEK, FRANK RAINWATER WITH THE REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICE, MET WITH THE SENATE FINANCE K-12 COMMITTEE. 
          I THINK IT WAS TUESDAY OF LAST WEEK AND PROVIDED SOME UPDATES HERE ON THE HOUSE PROPOSAL. 
          EARLIER VERSIONS SHOWED AIKEN GET IN ABOUT 7.2 MILLION UNDER THE NEW PLAN. 
          AFTER THEY LOOKED AT THINGS, THEY LOOKED AT UPDATED NUMBERS. 
          THEY SAW THAT THE AMOUNT OF HOLD [INAUDIBLE] DOLLARS THAT THE THAT THE STATE WOULD NEED TO CONTRIBUTE IT. 
          IT WOULDN'T BE AS HIGH AS THEY ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THEY WERE ABLE TO REALLOCATE THAT. 
          SO UNDER THIS NEW PROPOSAL OR NEW CALCULATION, AIKEN WOULD NET ABOUT 8.7 MILLION. 
          [00:20:06]
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR, JUST BRIEFLY, I MENTIONED THE INCONSISTENT LANGUAGE IN THE HOUSE PROVISO, AND THIS IS WHERE IT SAID SO. 
          EVEN THOUGH WE HEARD THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE DISCRETION, IT SAID THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS MUST MAINTAIN THE LOCAL SUPPLEMENT. 
          THIS CAME UP LAST WEEK DURING THAT SENATE FINANCE K12 COMMITTEE MEETING, AND THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF THE INCONSISTENCY AND THEY MADE NOTE THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THEY WOULD CLEAN UP SO SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD HAVE THE DISCRETION TO MAKE CHOICES. 
          I SHARE THIS LAST TIME JUST QUICKLY WHAT WE'RE HEARING. 
          SO IF SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE THE DISCRETION IN AIKENS CASE OR BACHELOR STEP ZERO, WE PAY 41227. THEY'RE SAYING THAT BECAUSE WE'RE ABOVE 40,000 IN THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE PLAN AND WITH DISCRETION, WHERE YOUR LOCAL SUPPLEMENT USED TO BE 5027, YOU CAN KEEP THE SAME OVERALL PAY. 
          THAT JUST MEANS BECAUSE THE STATE MINIMUM GOES UP, YOUR LOCAL SUPPLEMENT PORTION GOES DOWN JUST TO JUST TO KEEP THINGS LEVEL. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD. 
          THE CURRENT LANGUAGE SAYS THAT YOU HAD TO MAINTAIN THIS, MEANING THAT IF THE STATE MINIMUM GOES UP 4000, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO UP 4000. 
          WE HAD THE EXAMPLE LAST WEEK SOMEONE SHARED DURING THAT MEETING, CFO AT ANOTHER DISTRICT SAID, ALL RIGHT, MY BACHELOR'S ZERO IS $40 LESS THAN 40,000. 
          SO ALL I WOULD NEED TO GIVE TEACHERS IS $40 INCREASE TO BECOME COMPLIANT WITH THIS. 
          AND THAT WOULD BE THE CASE. 
          DISTRICTS THAT WERE OVER THAT WOULDN'T HAVE TO. 
          IF THAT DISCRETIONARY LANGUAGE IS INCLUDED IN THEIR. 
          SO OUR BUDGET FOCUS FOR THIS FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET AND THESE ARE THE MUST ITEMS THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAST TEACHERS, STAFF IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED THAT TEACHER COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT THAT $4,000 INCREASE IN THE TEACHER SCALE. 
          I HAVE A QUESTION MARK THERE. 
          BASED ON THE HOUSE VERSION, IT'S REQUIRED. 
          SO WHENEVER WE BUILT THIS BUDGET, I BUILT IN TO THE FIRST READING A TEACHER SCALE THAT HAD A $4,000 INCREASE. 
          IF WE HAVE DISCRETION, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DISCUSS LATER. 
          THERE'S A BUS DRIVER INCREASE. 
          IT'S REQUIRED AND WE'LL TOUCH ON THAT SHORTLY. 
          THE STATE DOESN'T REQUIRE A STAFF INCREASE FOR NON TEACHERS, BUT HISTORICALLY WE'VE, WE'VE GIVEN NON TEACHERS A STEP INCREASE. 
          WE DID HAVE A SEVERAL YEAR STRETCH ENDING AROUND 2013 WHERE FOLKS DIDN'T HAVE A DIDN'T HAVE A STEP INCREASE IF THEY WEREN'T A TEACHER. 
          AND IT IT CREATED A BIG ISSUE FOR US. 
          SINCE THAT TIME IT'S BEEN AN ANNUAL OCCURRENCE. 
          THE STATE RETIREMENT, STATE HEALTH, THOSE ARE INCREASES THAT ARE DICTATED TO US. 
          WE HAD TO BUILD THAT INTO THE BUDGET. 
          THEN THERE ARE OTHER OBLIGATIONS IN DECISIONS, THINGS THAT MAY BE IN AGREEMENT FROM PAST YEARS, INCREASES THAT WE KNOW ARE COMING ABOUT AND LOOKING AT TRENDS TOO THAT WE BUILD INTO THE BUDGET. BUT BUT THAT'S OUR PRIMARY FOCUS RIGHT NOW. 
          THE SALARY AND FRINGE PORTION OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET, IT'S ABOUT 90% OF IT. 
          SO ANY TIME WE'RE MESSING WITH SALARY AND FRINGE, IT'S GOING TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE BUDGET. JUST FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, YOU SEE OUR ENROLLMENT GOING BACK THE PAST TEN PLUS YEARS. 
          IF WE WENT BACK 20 YEARS, YOU WOULD ALSO SEE THAT STUDENT ENROLLMENTS HOVERED IN THAT LOW TO MID 20,000 RANGE, CLOSER TO 24,000. 
          WE DID HAVE A DIP LAST YEAR DUE TO COVID. 
          WE'VE RECOVERED SOME. 
          WE ANTICIPATE ADDITIONAL RECOVERY NEXT YEAR. 
          ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS IN ANY GIVEN YEAR ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AS IS REALLY A BASIS FOR BUILDING OUR BUDGET BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO USE THOSE STUDENT ENROLLMENT NUMBERS TO STAFF OUR SCHOOLS. 
          WHAT WE WANT TO AVOID IS OVER STAFF IN SCHOOLS. 
          [00:25:03]
WE WANT TO STAFF THEM APPROPRIATELY. 
          SO WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT HISTORICAL TRENDS AND LOOKING AT THOSE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS. WE WILL HAVE A DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY HERE SOON AND THAT WILL HELP US GO INTO FORWARD. IT WILL HELP US LOOK NOT JUST AT POPULATION FOR THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE, BUT WHERE THOSE WHERE THOSE INCREASES OR DECREASES MAY BE CENTERED AND HOW WE COULD BEST USE OUR RESOURCES, BEST USE OUR SCHOOLS AND FILL THINGS TO CAPACITY. 
          BUT WHENEVER WE PROJECT ENROLLMENT, IT'S NOT A PERFECT SCIENCE, BUT WE DO LOOK AT REASONABLE NUMBERS. 
          WE SHARE IT WITH PRINCIPALS, WE ASK FOR FEEDBACK AS NEIGHBORHOODS POP UP IN CERTAIN AREAS. WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM IN AREA THREE, A LOT OF THEM IN AREA TWO. 
          NOW, I THINK AREA ONE HAS SEVERAL POPPING UP. 
          THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION TO. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY AS FAR AS PROJECTIONS. 
          900 MORE STUDENTS NEXT YEAR, A LOT OF THOSE COMING BACK. 
          4-K CLASSES, JUST FOR REFERENCE, THOSE AREN'T NUMBERS THAT WE PROJECT. 
          WE'RE CAPPED AT 20 STUDENTS PER FOUR K CLASS, SO 20 STUDENTS TIMES THE NUMBER OF FOUR K CLASSES WE HAVE. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S OUR CAP. 
          AS FAR AS PUPIL-TEACHER RATIOS SAY WE HAVE THE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW THAT TRANSLATES TO SCHOOL STAFFING. 
          WE DIDN'T CHANGE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET ANY OTHER PUPIL TEACHER RATIOS. 
          NOW THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS OF MR. LAWRENCE AND SOME OTHERS TO LOWER CLASS SIZES. 
          BUT AS YOU'LL SEE, THIS IS A TIGHT BUDGET. 
          IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO LATER ON, BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THESE INITIAL ESTIMATES, WE HAVEN'T REFLECTED A CHANGE IN PUPIL TEACHER RATIOS GOING INTO 2122. 
          WE DID LOWER FIRST, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE BY BY TWO STUDENTS PER CLASS SIZE. 
          KINDERGARTEN, SECOND AND THIRD WOULD BE NEXT UP ON THE LIST. 
          PUPIL TEACHER RATIOS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL ARE IDEAL NUMBERS. 
          SO WE KNOW THAT THE MATH JUST NOT GOING TO WORK OUT WHERE WE HAVE A 16 TO 1 RATIO IN EVERY SINGLE FIRST GRADE CLASS, WE TYPICALLY LOOK AT A PLUS TWO OR MINUS TWO RANGE. 
          ANYTHING WITHIN THAT SUSCEPTIBLE ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT MAY MEAN THAT WE NEED TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL CLASS, OR MAYBE WE NEED ONE LESS CLASS. 
          OF COURSE, IF YOU'RE AT A SMALL SCHOOL, SOMETIMES THE NUMBERS DON'T EVEN WORK OUT REAL WELL. WITH THAT PLUS OR MINUS TWO, WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT AS WELL. 
          WHENEVER WE GET TO THE MIDDLE GRADES AND THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADES, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. 
          WE BASE THINGS ON A 25 TO 1 RATIO INITIALLY, BUT WE ALSO LOOK AT COURSE REQUESTS. 
          WE SIT DOWN WITH PRINCIPALS, THE ADMINISTRATION, THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS AND LOOK AT COURSE REQUEST CLASS SIZES AND DETERMINE IF THERE'S A NEED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION THERE OR IF THERE'S A NEED TO OR THE ABILITY TO REMOVE SOME OF THE ALLOCATION THAT WE'VE ORIGINALLY PROJECTED. 
          THE PUPIL TEACHER RATIOS. 
          WE DO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. 
          WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT THROUGHOUT THE SPRING. 
          WE GET TO THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND WE LOOK AT ACTUAL NUMBERS AND WE SEE IS THERE A NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL CLASS AT THIS GRADE WITHIN THIS SCHOOL? WHEN WE IDENTIFY THOSE NEEDS, WE SEE IF THERE MAY BE MAYBE WE MAYBE WE OVERPROTECTED IN ONE GRADE AND UNDER PROJECTED IN ANOTHER WHERE WE CAN MAKE A SHIFT WITHIN THE SCHOOL. 
          SOMETIMES WE SHIFT WITHIN SCHOOL OR BETWEEN SCHOOLS. 
          THERE ARE SOME TIMES WHERE WE END UP HAVING TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL TEACHER, IT JUST DEPENDS. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CONSTANTLY MONITOR, ESPECIALLY EARLY IN THE SCHOOL YEAR. YOU'LL SEE OUR SCHOOL STAFFING ALLOCATIONS BASED ON THOSE MEETINGS, BASED ON OUR ENROLLMENT NUMBERS. 
          THESE ARE THESE ARE PRETTY MUCH CLASSROOM TEACHERS. 
          THAT'S NOT EVERY POSITION THAT'S PAID ON THE TEACHER SCALE, SUCH AS MEDIA SPECIALIST AND COUNSELORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          THESE ARE CLASSROOM TEACHERS. 
          [00:30:01]
IT WOULDN'T INCLUDE THINGS LIKE TITLE ONE AND TITLE TWO ALLOCATIONS, SPED ALLOCATIONS EITHER. SO LOOKING AT SALARIES JUST IN GENERAL AND I MENTIONED EARLIER THOSE THOSE MUST ITEMS TEACHERS WE HAVE TO GIVE A STAFF INCREASE TO ELIGIBLE TEACHERS EVERY SINGLE YEAR. 
          NOW HOW WE DETERMINE A STEP IS IS WE LOOK AT THEIR CERTIFICATE BY DEGREE AND BY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO DETERMINE WHETHER STEP PLACEMENT IS TYPICALLY YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A TEACHER THAT MOVES UP EVERY SINGLE YEAR BY ONE UNLESS THEY END UP TEACHING A FRACTION OF A YEAR. WHENEVER WE LOOKED AT TEACHER SALARIES THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE BUDGET IS THE LATEST VERSION WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          WE INCREASED THOSE SALES $4,000, EVEN THOUGH WE HEARD WE HAD DISCRETION, THE LANGUAGE IN THE LEGISLATION IN THAT HOUSE PROVISO DIDN'T ALLOW. 
          THAT MEANT THAT WE WERE INCREASING THE TEACHER SCALE, ROTC NURSES, THE PSYCH SCALE AND THE OUTPUT SCALE. 
          THOSE OTHER GROUPS ARE TREATED LIKE NURSES. 
          THOSE ARE ONES THAT WERE REQUIRED TO GIVE STEP INCREASES TO A LOT OF DISTRICTS, PAY THOSE POSITIONS ON THE TEACHER SCALE. 
          WE JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE SEPARATE SCALES THERE AND WE'VE ADDED 4000 THERE. 
          BUS DRIVERS WE MENTIONED AND I'LL GET INTO IT A LITTLE BIT LATER, THEY REQUIRE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. WE ALSO HAD TO PROVIDE A STAMP INCREASE TO BUS DRIVERS IF THEY MEET THE ELIGIBILITY FOR THAT FOR ALL OTHER GROUPS OF EMPLOYEES. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT A STEP INCREASE, BUT THERE IS NO COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT IN THIS FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET. 
          SO FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T VERY FAMILIAR, THIS IS OUR TEACHER SCALE. 
          THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. 
          WE HAVE STEPS HERE THAT INDICATE THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAT SHOULD ACTUALLY BE AT 26 THERE. THERE'S A TYPO. 
          WE HAVE COLUMNS THAT SHOW WHAT THE SALARY IS BASED ON DEGREE. 
          AIKEN'S A LITTLE UNIQUE AND HAS BEEN SINCE PART OF MY TIME. 
          THERE'S A PAY BAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCALE WITH THE THOUGHT BEING THAT WE'RE PAYING TEACHERS AT STEP THREE BEGINNING IN IN YEAR ZERO AND THEY THEY MAINTAIN THAT SALARY THROUGHOUT THE BAND. ANY TIME THERE'S A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT THAT'S APPLIED THERE YEARS WHERE THERE AREN'T AREN'T COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS, SOMEONE WOULD MOVE UP THE SCALE, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PAY INCREASE. 
          YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT OUR SCALE IS A ZERO THROUGH 26 STEP SCALE. 
          THE STATE FOR COMPARISON IS ZERO THROUGH 23. 
          YOU HAVE A LOT OF DISTRICTS THAT GO UP TO STEP 30, MAYBE SOME THAT ARE BEYOND. 
          YOU HAVE A LOT OF THEM THAT STOP AT STEP 23 THAT COINCIDES WITH THE WITH THE STATE MINIMUM SCALE. 
          HISTORICALLY, AIKENS BEEN THE HIGHEST PAID SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR TEACHERS ACROSS THE BEGINNING STEPS, REGARDLESS OF DEGREE. 
          THAT'S NO LONGER THE CASE. 
          SO WHAT WE DID AND IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT KIND OF MAKES IT NICE FOR US. 
          IT TAKES SOME SOME WORK AND WITH A RATHER LARGE EXCEL SHEET. 
          BUT THEY COLLECT EVERY YEAR IN AUGUST, THE TEACHER PAY FOR EVERY DISTRICT. 
          BY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND BY DEGREE. 
          SO WE'RE ABLE TO EASILY COMPARE HOW AIKEN LOOKS COMPARED TO SOME OTHER DISTRICTS. 
          NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, IS THAT MPOS TYPICALLY NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL MID-YEAR, SO THEY COLLECT IT IN AUGUST, THEY DO WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO DO. 
          AND THEN JANUARY, FEBRUARY OR MARCH, WE'RE ABLE TO WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT THOSE COMPARISONS. BUT WHAT WE SEE HERE IS AIKENS RANK. 
          SO AMONG 79 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, I BELIEVE, WHERE AIKEN RANKS, LOWER NUMBERS MEAN THAT WE'RE AMONG THE HIGHEST. 
          LARGER NUMBERS MEAN THAT WE'RE FURTHER DOWN THE LIST. 
          THIS AREA IS IS THAT PAY BAND IN WORKING ITS WAY OUT OF THE PAY BAND. 
          SO HERE FOR INSTANCE YOU SEE THAT STEP THREE OF A BACHELOR'S, WE'RE NUMBER 15 CURRENTLY 
          [00:35:11]
. BACHELOR'S, WE'RE FOURTH AT BEGINNING PAY BACHELOR'S 18. 
          WE'RE FOURTH MASTER'S DOCTORATE. 
          WE'RE FIRST MASTER'S PLUS 30 WE'RE WE'RE FOURTH ON DOWN THE LINE IN MOST INSTANCES WHERE WE'RE TOP EIGHT IN THE STATE. 
          THESE RED NUMBERS I MENTIONED A FEW MINUTES AGO THAT A LOT OF DISTRICTS CARRIED OUT TO 30 YEARS OR 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. 
          AND WE SHOWED OUR COMPARISONS, EVEN THOUGH WE CUT OFF AT STEP 26, MAINTAINING THAT STEP 26 SALARY ON THROUGH YEAR 30. 
          YOU SEE WHERE WE COMPARE THERE. 
          SO IN THESE NEXT SLIDES, WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SHOW ARIGHT WE KNOW WHERE WE RANK. HOW DO WE COMPARE SALARY WISE? THESE ARE DIFFERENCES, HOW MUCH WE TRAIL THE THE HIGHEST PAYING DISTRICT IN THE STATE BASED ON THE 21-22 INFORMATION THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS COLLECTED. 
          IF YOU SEE A DASH THERE, THAT MEANS THAT WE WERE THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE. 
          SO WE TRAILED OUR BACHELOR'S ZERO. 
          WE WERE THE FOURTH HIGHEST PAYING. 
          WE WERE 411 LESS THAN WHICHEVER DISTRICT WAS THE HIGHEST PAID. 
          I DIDN'T GO THROUGH HERE TO SEE. 
          ALL RIGHT. THIS THIS DISTRICT IS THE HIGHEST HERE. 
          THIS ONE'S THE HIGHEST HERE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO VARY. 
          IT'S NOT ONE DISTRICT. 
          THERE'S GOING TO BE A MIX. 
          AND THEN YOU SEE GO AND THROUGHOUT THE PAY SCALE HOW THINGS COMPARE HERE. 
          ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT IF SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE GIVEN THE DISCRETION TO GO UP 4000, WE WON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT THOSE DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO DO UNTIL MAYBE WELL AFTER THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          AS WE LOOK AT TEACHER SALARIES, IF YOU MAY HAVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT DECIDE TO GO UP LESS, A SCHOOL DISTRICT IMMEDIATELY RANKED BEHIND MAY GO UP MORE AND THEY MAY PASS YOU. 
          OR IN OUR CASE, WE COULD HAVE SOMEONE IMMEDIATELY BEHIND US THAT THAT INCREASED SOME AMOUNT LARGER THAN AIKEN DOES AND AND BYPASS US. 
          SO THE BUS DRIVER REQUIREMENTS. 
          THE HOUSE VERSION REQUIRES A 5% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR DRIVERS. 
          WE'VE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT STATE EMPLOYEES GET A 3% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, AND WE'RE TO TREAT BUS DRIVERS AS STATE EMPLOYEES, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT STATE EMPLOYEES. 
          SO WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM AN 8% INCREASE BETWEEN THE TWO, THE FIVE PLUS THE THREE. 
          THAT 8% IS APPLIED TO THE BUS MINIMUM PAY SCALE THAT THE THAT THE STATE PUBLISHES JUST FOR REFERENCE TO SAY 23 STEP SCALE ZERO THROUGH 22. 
          IT STARTS AT 844. 
          IT TOPS OUT AT 1242. 
          THAT THAT TOP OUTS LESS THAN OUR DISTRICTS BEGINNING PAY FOR BUS DRIVERS. 
          SO WE APPLY THIS 8% TO TO THAT NUMBER. 
          SO APPLYING IT TO 844 MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO INCREASE OUR BEGINNING STEP BY $0.68. WE APPLY 8% TO THE STATE MINIMUM THERE MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO INCREASE STEP 22 ON OUR SCALE AND ABOVE BY $0.99. 
          IT IS INTERESTING HERE AND WE WANT TO BE CLEAR ON THIS, THE STATE HAS TALKED ABOUT THE TEACHER SCALE AND SAID THAT IF YOUR DISTRICT THAT PAYS HIGHER THAN THE STATE MINIMUM ON THE TEACHER SCALE, YOU WOULD HAVE DISCRETION ASSUMING THIS LANGUAGE IS CLEANED UP. 
          WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME DISCRETION ON THE BUS DRIVER SCALE, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GO UP 8% ON THE BUS MINIMUM PAY SCALE. 
          THAT'S A REQUIREMENT THERE. 
          WHENEVER WE APPLY THAT 8% TO THE STATE MINIMUM, IT ENDS UP BEING ON AVERAGE ABOUT A 4.65% 
          [00:40:08]
INCREASE IN EACH SEL ON THE BUS DRIVER PAY SCALE. 
          THAT'S IN ADDITION TO A 2% STEP INCREASE FOR THOSE BUS DRIVERS THAT QUALIFY. 
          THIS IS WHAT THE NEW PAY SCALE WOULD LOOK LIKE. 
          SHOWING THE CURRENT YEAR AND WHAT THAT CHANGE WOULD BE. 
          SO IF THIS IS ULTIMATELY APPROVED, THE BEGINNING BUS DRIVER PAY WOULD GO FROM 13.86 TO 1454. WHENEVER WE LOOK AT STATE RETIREMENT, THE 22-23 RATES TYPICALLY AREN'T GOING TO BE FINISHED UNTIL JUNE. 
          WE WE HAVE A DECENT IDEA OF WHERE THOSE THINGS WILL BE. 
          WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO GO UP AT LEAST 1%. 
          I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR, A LOT OF TIMES YOU MAY SEE IN THE NEWSPAPER, YOU MAY HEAR FOLKS SAY THAT EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS INTO THE STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM IS FOR 21-22 IS BASED ON THIS NUMBER, 1656. 
          THAT'S NOT THE CASE BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE TO PAY THIS INSURANCE SURCHARGE AMOUNT, 625. 
          SO WE'RE PAYING INTO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM 22.81% OF SOMEONE'S SALARY. 
          THAT'S JUST THE EMPLOYER PORTION OF AN EMPLOYEE'S PAY, 9% OF THEIR SALARY INTO IT. 
          WE KNOW THAT THE RETIREMENT PERCENTAGE IS GOING UP AT LEAST 1% TO 2381. 
          BUT WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS IF THIS INSURANCE SURCHARGE AMOUNT WILL GO UP AND IT HAS HISTORICALLY, PRIOR TO THE LAST TWO YEARS, IT'S JUST GONE UP THE 1%. 
          BUT WITH THE HEALTH INSURANCE INQUIRIES THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SPEAK ABOUT IN A MINUTE BEING SO LARGE, I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT SURCHARGE AMOUNT GOING UP, TOO. 
          SO WHENEVER I'M BUDGETING RIGHT NOW, I'M BASING OUR BUDGET ON 24% FOR RETIREMENT AND KIND OF HOPING THAT THAT'S WHERE IT HITS, GIVE OR TAKE. 
          YOU SEE THE TREND HERE FOR RETIREMENT. 
          AT ONE POINT IN 2012, IT WAS RIGHT AROUND THAT 14% MARK. 
          NOW WE'RE ABOUT TEN PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER. 
          THAT'S FOR THOSE THAT KNOW THE HISTORY. 
          THE STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM WAS 25, 28 BILLION IN THE HOLE. 
          AND THE STATE PUT A PLAN IN PLACE SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO INCREASE RETIREMENT BY 1% PER YEAR. IT AT ONE POINT, IT INCREASED THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION FROM SIX AND A HALF, I THINK IN HALF PERCENT INCREMENTS ALL THE WAY UP TO 9% TO TRY AND WORK ON THAT DEFICIT IN THE STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM. 
          THE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS WITH THAT 1% INCREASE GOING FROM 22.81 TO LET'S SAY 24% RETIREMENT, EVEN IF EVERY SALARY REMAINED THE SAME FOR NEXT YEAR AS THE CURRENT YEAR, WE'RE PAYING WELL OVER $1,000,000 IN ADDITIONAL RETIREMENT. 
          SO. STATE HEALTH. 
          WE RECEIVED NOTICED ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO IN A BOARD MADE IN PROBABLY ABOUT THE TIME I WAS DRINKING WATER, AND THAT MAYBE MADE ME ABOUT CHOKE OR SOMETHING. 
          IT SAYS THAT HEALTH INSURANCE IS GOING UP 18.1% BASED ON THAT VERSION OF THE BUDGET. 
          NOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FINALIZED UNTIL AUGUST, BUT WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING OTHERWISE TO THIS POINT. SO WE'RE BASING OUR NUMBERS ON THAT 18.1% INCREASE THE HEALTH INSURANCE, THE NEW RATES GO INTO EFFECT JANUARY ONE. 
          SO REALLY IT'S A 9.5% INCREASE BECAUSE IT ONLY APPLIES TO HALF OF THE YEAR. 
          BUT AS MR. LAWRENCE HAS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES THAT NEXT YEAR YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL THE FULL BRUNT OF THE 18.1% INCREASE IN THE EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS, PLUS WHATEVER INCREASE IS ON TAP FOR THAT NEXT YEAR, TOO, ON TOP OF IT. 
          [00:45:02]
SO THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. 
          WHENEVER WE LOOK AT OTHER ITEMS IN THE GENERAL FUND I MENTIONED EARLIER AT RISK FUNDS AND AID TO DISTRICTS IS GOING AWAY. 
          THAT MEANS SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SHIFT TO THE GENERAL FUND. 
          WE DID BUDGET FOR A NEW PRINCIPAL POSITION AT HIGHLAND SPRINGS MIDDLE AS THAT PERSON PREPARES FOR THE OPENING THE YEAR AFTER NEXT. 
          WE INCREASE THE ENERGY BUDGET FOR ADDITIONAL SQUARE FOOTAGE, NEW CONSTRUCTION AND IN ANTICIPATION OF SOME RATE INCREASES. 
          DID OUR DEBT SERVICE INCREASE JUST BASED ON WHAT THE SCHEDULE PAYMENTS ARE ON THAT ABM PROJECT? IT SHOULD BE OFFSET BY SOME OR THERE SHOULD BE SOME COST AVOIDANCE THERE THAT HELPS OFFSET WORKER'S COMP PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE WE INCREASED. 
          WE TYPICALLY DON'T RECEIVE THOSE LETTERS AND THOSE FINAL NUMBERS UNTIL MAY. 
          SO PRIOR TO THE SECOND READING OF THE BUDGET, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE HAVING SOME SORT OF CLEAN UP THERE SHIFTS TO THE GENERAL FUND FROM OTHER BUDGETS. 
          SO CERTAINLY IF OUR FOUR K PROGRAM, WE RECEIVE $4,800 PER PUPIL. 
          I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT IT WERE CAPPED AT 20 STUDENTS IN THOSE FOUR K CLASSES THAT 4800. 
          IF WE HAVE A COMPLETELY FULL CLASS OF ELIGIBLE STUDENTS, WE GET 96,004 THAT'S FUNDING TEACHER SALARIES. 
          AND IN AID WE'RE WE'RE ALREADY DEALING WITH SHORTFALL OFF THE BAT WE PROBABLY AVERAGE ABOUT 120,000 IN THOSE. 
          THE READING COACH FUNDING NURSES CAREER SPECIALISTS FUNDING ISN'T ENOUGH TO FUND THOSE POSITIONS. ANYTHING THAT WE'RE UNABLE TO COVER REALLY FUNNELS TO THE GENERAL FUND. 
          I'M HOPEFUL. 
          I'M NOT BANKING ON IT IN THIS VERSION OF THE BUDGET, BUT I'M HOPEFUL THAT SOME OF THOSE ALLOCATIONS WERE INCREASED FOR ELEMENTARY NURSES, FOR READING COACHES AND FOR CERDEP, BECAUSE THESE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE THERE. 
          A LOT OF THAT IS FUNDING THE TEACHER OR TEACHER LIKE POSITIONS. 
          AND IF WE HAD TO GO UP ON THEIR SALARIES BY 2000 OR SOME OTHER AMOUNT, MAYBE THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WOULD COME THROUGH THOSE FUNDING SOURCES AS WELL. 
          SO LOOK AT OTHER TRENDS. 
          YOU'LL SEE AS WE AS WE FLIP OVER TO THE EXPENDITURES IN A MOMENT THAT WE HAVE SMALLER TWEAKS HERE, CLEANUPS. 
          I KNOW THIS IS SMALL AND I'M SURE IT'S SMALL LOAN ON YOUR COPY AS WELL. 
          AND AND I APOLOGIZE. 
          BUT THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU WOULD SEE NEXT WEEK PENDING ANY DISCUSSIONS TONIGHT, ANY DECISIONS TONIGHT. 
          YOU'LL SEE HOW MUCH REGULAR SALARIES HAS GROWN COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. 
          HOW MUCH THE FRINGE BENEFITS, PAYROLL TAXES, RETIREMENT GREW. 
          I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THIS LINE HERE FOR OVERTIME, EXTRA DUTY BONUS IS LARGELY TIED TO BUS DRIVER OVERTIME BECAUSE WITH THAT 8% INCREASE, WITH THEIR STAFF INCREASES AT TIME AND A HALF, WITH BUS DRIVER SHORTAGES AND POTENTIAL BONUSES THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY APPROVED, WE HAVE AN INCREASE. 
          INCREASE THERE. 
          JUST OTHER SMALL CLEANUP DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE ITEMS TO SEE IF THERE ARE ITEMS THAT COULD COME OFF THE BUDGET, SHOULD COME OFF THE BUDGET. 
          WE SOME OF THESE YOU MAY SEE WHERE WE'VE SHIFTED SOME NUMBERS THAT ACTUALLY YOU WOULDN'T SEE NECESSARILY BECAUSE IT'S BEHIND THE SCENES. 
          BUT MAYBE WE DETERMINE THAT SOMETHING WAS MORE APPROPRIATE TO BE IN ONE ACCOUNT, ONE LINE ITEM VERSUS ANOTHER. 
          THIS BEING A PRIME EXAMPLE, THIS NUMBER IN THE PAST WAS UP UNDER PURCHASE SERVICES INSTRUCTION. IT WAS FOR SOME TRAINING SERVICES. 
          WE THOUGHT IT WAS MORE APPROPRIATE TO MOVE IT UP UNDER ANOTHER LINE ITEM BASED ON THE BASED ON THE STATE'S CODE OF ACCOUNTS. 
          I MENTIONED THE ENERGY INCREASE. 
          WE BUMPED IT UP TO 250,000. 
          THE DEBT SERVICE INCREASE PENDING TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION AND PENDING ADDITIONAL CLEANUPS. 
          [00:50:05]
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR OUR FIRST READING. 
          AND AS A REMINDER, THIS REALLY INCLUDES JUST THOSE MUST ITEMS THE SALARIES, THE SHIFTS, THE RETIREMENT INCREASE, HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASE, THE STEP INCREASE FOR NON EMPLOYEES THERE. 
          THERE AREN'T VERY MANY NEW THINGS IN HERE OUTSIDE OF THOSE. 
          SEND APPROXIMATELY 8.6% INCREASE. 
          I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY READING GLASSES UP HERE. 
          SO ON THE REVENUE SIDE. 
          WHENEVER YOU SEE THE NUMBERS SHORTLY, IT'S GOING TO REFLECT THE GOVERNOR'S SPENDING PLAN. 
          YOU'LL SEE NUMBERS THERE. 
          YOU'LL SEE THE ROLL UP AND THE ELIMINATION OF THOSE LINE ITEMS. WE DO GET OUR AT 388 ALLOCATION. 
          WE DO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING. 
          THERE IS INCREASED EVERY YEAR BY CPI AND POPULATION, I BELIEVE, BUT WE RECEIVE AN UPDATED PROJECTION FROM THE STATE EACH YEAR AND THAT'S INCLUDED HERE. 
          WE ANTICIPATE SOME ADDITIONAL BUS DRIVER FUNDING. 
          I'M NOT REAL SURE WHAT THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO BE RIGHT NOW BUILT IN SOME INCREASE, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR INFO FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND SEE WHERE THAT NUMBER MAY LAND. WE DID INCREASE THE REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES. 
          IT'S SIMPLY ANTICIPATED GROWTH IN THE TAX BASE. 
          IT DOES NOT REFLECT A TAX INCREASE. 
          BUT HISTORICALLY, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE OF 1 TO 2 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT. 
          I MENTIONED THAT WE'VE USED EIA FUNDS. 
          WE FLEX THOSE FUNDS, FLEX CARRYOVERS TO HELP US BALANCE THE BUDGET. 
          AND WE'RE DOING THAT IN THIS CASE. 
          BUT THOSE ARE THOSE ARE NON-RECURRING FUNDS. 
          THAT'S WE HAVE IT AVAILABLE TO US THIS NEXT YEAR. 
          AND OF COURSE, WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE STATE REVENUES CLOSELY. THEY'RE GOING TO BE CHANGING AND WE'LL HAVE TO REFLECT THOSE CHANGES. 
          SO EARLIER I SPOKE ABOUT THE STATE DEPARTMENT PROVIDING PROJECTIONS THAT EACH VERSION OF THE BUDGET THIS IS THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE BUDGET, YOU SEE, AND IT'S NOT EVERY ALLOCATION THAT WE GET THROUGH THE STATE, BUT IT'S THE LARGE MAJORITY OF THEM. 
          BUT HERE THEY PROJECTED WHAT WOULD WE GET FOR RETIREE INSURANCE IN THE GENERAL FUND AND WHAT THIS NEW GOVERNOR'S PLAN FUNDING WOULD BE. 
          THESE ZEROS HERE. 
          THESE ARE ROLL UPS OF FUNDS. 
          THOSE ARE THE LINE ITEMS THAT AT THIS POINT APPEAR LIKELY TO GO AWAY. 
          THIS IS WHAT OUR OUR GENERAL FUND AT THIS POINT LOOKS LIKE. 
          AGAIN, AN INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE STRICTLY FROM GROWTH. 
          JUST LOOKING AT TRENDS HERE, WHERE THOSE INCREASES ARE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SMALLER NUMBER, I DID WANT TO POINT THIS OUT. 
          SO THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT LOWERED ITS OUT OF DISTRICT TUITION AMOUNT AND HISTORICALLY IT HAD BEEN CLOSER TO 3000. 
          IT'S NOW 750 PER STUDENT OR CAPPED AT $1,000 PER FAMILY. 
          SO WE IN THE PAST WHERE WE HAD FIVE OR SIX OR SEVEN OUT OF DISTRICT STUDENTS IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, I THINK WE'RE CLOSER TO THE 50 RANGE RIGHT NOW. 
          SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF OUT OF DISTRICT STUDENTS AND THAT NUMBER IS HIGHER. 
          THESE ARE THE ROLLED UP ALLOCATIONS. 
          THERE'S THE GENERAL FUND PORTION. 
          THIS NUMBER WAS ONE THAT I SHOWED ON A PREVIOUS SCREEN, 937,000 FROM THE STATE FOR RETIREE INSURANCE. 
          THESE NUMBERS ARE OLD PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. 
          THEY'RE CAPPED. THEY'LL NEVER CHANGE. 
          SO WE KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE EVERY YEAR. 
          THIS IS THE INCREASE IN ACT 388 ALLOCATION, 1.9 MILLION. 
          THIS IS THE EIA PORTION OF THE GOVERNOR'S FUNDING PLAN SO THAT THE STATE IS FUNDING IT IN TWO PARTS. THEY WOULD TAKE MONEY FROM THE STATE'S GENERAL FUND AND THEY WOULD TAKE MONEY 
          [00:55:02]
FROM EIA TO HELP FUND THAT. 
          SO BECAUSE THIS IN A DIFFERENT FUND, WE'RE PULLING THAT OVER INTO THE GENERAL FUND. 
          THAT'S WHY I'M SHOWING IT ON A SEPARATE LINE. 
          THIS ONE IS BIG RIGHT HERE. 
          SO THIS IS THE CARRYOVER AT RISK NUMBER THAT I'M PROJECTING THAT WILL CARRY OVER FROM 21-22 TO 22-23. 
          THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS IS THAT WE WON'T HAVE CARRYOVER AVAILABLE THIS TIME NEXT YEAR THAT WE COULD USE. SO WE'LL LIKELY BE LOOKING AT A HOLE RIGHT OFF THE BAT OF 2.4 MILLION THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH BECAUSE THERE'S CARRYOVER FUNDS WON'T BE AVAILABLE. 
          WE WON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DRAW UPON. 
          AND AND WHILE THE THOUGHT MAY BE ALL RIGHT, LET'S NOT USE IT THIS YEAR FOR CARRYOVER, LET'S TRY TO CARRY IT FORWARD. 
          WE CAN'T BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE DONE WITH THAT BY JUNE 30 OF 23. 
          SO WE COULDN'T CARRY IT OVER THE SECOND YEAR. 
          NOW, DESPITE THE BUDGET SITUATION AND IN ANTICIPATION OF WHAT MAY BE A TIGHT YEAR AFTER THOSE THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED, WE STILL RECEIVED, REVIEWED, ANALYZED BUDGET REQUESTS FROM SCHOOLS, DEPARTMENTS, PROGRAMS, ETC.. 
          THERE IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT PRICE TAG HERE. 
          WE WENT THROUGH THAT LIST AND IDENTIFIED ONES THAT WERE CONSIDERED TOP PRIORITY. 
          RIGHT NOW, IF AND I DIDN'T LET ME GO BACK, THAT NUMBER, 230 MILLION IS PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT WE HAD. THE BOTTOM LINE ON THE EXPENDITURES. 
          IT'S NOT QUITE IN BALANCE. 
          I ANTICIPATED THAT THERE MAY BE SOME CHANGES COMING OUT OF TONIGHT POSSIBLY. 
          IT'LL BE IN BALANCE WHENEVER YOU GET IT NEXT WEEK ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. 
          BUT WE'RE BASICALLY LOOKING AT 230 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES, 200, 230.1 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES 230.1 IN REVENUE. 
          BUT WE DID GO THROUGH BUDGET REQUESTS. 
          WE EVALUATED WE PLACED VALUES ON THOSE, ANTICIPATED THE COST OF THOSE ITEMS THAT CABINET REVIEWED AND IDENTIFIED AS TOP PRIORITY ITEMS. IF FUNDING ALLOWS WAS THIS LIST OF SIX OR SO DISPERSED ONES RELATIVELY SMALL, BUT IT WOULD MEAN AN ADDITIONAL STEP ON THE NON TEACHER SCALE. 
          WE HAVE WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF EMPLOYEES WHO ARE TOPPED OUT ON THEIR HOURLY SCALE OR ON THEIR SALARY SCALE. 
          THEY'RE NON-TEACHERS. 
          THERE IS NO COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT RIGHT NOW, SO WITHOUT THAT THEY WOULDN'T SEE A A PAY INCREASE. 
          BUT AGAIN, IT WOULD MEAN AN ADDITIONAL STEP ON THOSE NON-TEACHER SCALES. 
          THE WE'VE DISCUSSED PERIODICALLY A DESIRE TO HAVE SOME COUNSELORS AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL. AND ONE THING WE LOOKED AT WAS PERHAPS PHASING IN OVER TWO YEARS, HAVING A HALF COUNSELOR ALLOCATION ADDED AT THE 12 LARGEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, BASING IT ON SCHOOLS THAT ARE 500 STUDENTS OR LARGER. 
          IF WE PHASED IT IN OVER TWO YEARS, WE WOULD BE DOING THREE FTE IN 22-23, THREE FTE IN 23-24 YOU'LL SEE THE COSTS THERE. 
          SPLITTING COUNSELORS BETWEEN SCHOOLS ISN'T NECESSARILY IDEAL, BUT WE THINK THAT IT'S AN OPTION WORTH CONSIDERING HERE. 
          AND AGAIN, STAFFING THOSE LARGER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WHERE RIGHT NOW EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAS ONE COUNSELOR, THESE LARGER ONES WOULD HAVE ONE AND A HALF. 
          WE WOULD AT A 1% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR NON-TEACHERS AND NON BUS DRIVERS AT APPROXIMATELY 600,000 NOW IF IF THIS WERE IN THE BUDGET, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THERE ISN'T A NEED FOR. 
          OR MAYBE WE GO AHEAD AND ADD RIGHT NOW THE NON TEACHER SCALES OR 0 TO 24 WORKING TO 
          [01:00:02]
LEVEL THOSE OUT WITH THE TEACHER SKILLS. 
          WE'VE IDENTIFIED A NEED FOR A SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR IN THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE DIRECTOR OF SECURITY THAT WE DISCUSSED IN RECENT MONTHS FOR SAFETY, STUDENT SAFETY AND BUILDING SAFETY. 
          THIS WOULD BE IN OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT TO MONITOR THE SPAMS AND THOSE CYBER ATTACKS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT ARE SO WIDELY DISCUSSED ALL OVER ATHLETICS. 
          WE RECEIVED A A PROPOSAL FROM ATHLETIC DIRECTORS, AND IT WAS, IN ESSENCE, INCREASING HEAD COACHES BY 40% AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, AD'S 40%, ASSISTANT COACHES BY 20%, INCREASING MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD COACHES BY 50%. 
          TO BRING THOSE MORE COMPETITIVE, WE LOOKED AT THE OPTION OF PHASING THAT IN OVER FOUR YEARS, MAKING PROGRESS THERE. 
          THE TOTAL PRICE TAG ON THAT WOULD BE 425,000 APPROXIMATELY. 
          THIS LAST ITEM IS FUNDING A SALARY STUDY. 
          WE HEAR OFTEN THAT OUR SALARIES AREN'T COMPETITIVE IN OUR NON TEACHER POSITIONS I SHOWED EARLIER WHERE WHERE WE HAVE AN EASY COMPARISON FOR TEACHERS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT FOR NON TEACHERS. SO FUNDING THAT THE LAST TIME THAT WE HAD AN OUTSIDE ENTITY PERFORM THAT WAS AROUND 2013, 2014. 
          AND AS A RESULT OF THAT WE ADOPTED SERVICE CREDIT AND NEW PAY SCALES. 
          IT'S TOTAL, APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION. 
          WE HAD A VARIETY OF OTHER REQUESTS. 
          AGAIN, AS THESE AREN'T BAD REQUESTS HERE, BUT LOOKING AT THE LANDSCAPE OF WHERE THINGS STAND WITH THE BUDGET, WE KNEW THAT WE HAD TO IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE TOP ITEMS WERE. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS A NEED TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE. 
          IF THE BOARD WISHES ME TO. 
          I'LL JUST LEAVE IT UP HERE FOR A SECOND. 
          I WILL POINT OUT SOME, IF THAT'S OKAY. 
          SO THESE HAVE BEEN A GOAL HERE, LOWERING CLASS SIZES. 
          IT WOULD TAKE IF WE LOWERED FROM 25 TO 22 TO 1 FOR KINDERGARTEN. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT TEN CLASSES AS TEN TEACHERS PLUS TEN AIDES. 
          THAT'S WHY THAT COST IS IS HIGHER THAN THE OTHER SECOND GRADE AND THIRD GRADE. 
          WE'D BE LOOKING AT EIGHT AND 12. 
          MR. LAURENCE HAS MENTIONED A DESIRE TO INCREASE THE TEACHER PAY SCALE. 
          WE'RE SHOWING THIS AS DISCRETIONARY NOW BECAUSE THOSE TEACHERS AT THE TOP STEP WITH THE WHATEVER THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT IS FOR THE TEACHER SCALE, THEY WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT. SO IF THEY'RE AT THE TOP OF THE SCALE OF THIS $4,000, THEY WOULD GET A $4,000 INCREASE. THAT'S WHY THIS IS SHOWN AS DISCRETIONARY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A DESIRE TO TO INCREASE THE TEACHER SCALE EVERY YEAR UP TO 30 STEPS TOTAL. 
          WE HAVE A VARIETY OF SCHOOL REQUESTS HERE, SOME BI-LEVEL. 
          SO WE HAD A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT MADE THE SAME REQUEST. 
          ESOL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ADDED OVER THE YEARS, SOME VERY SCHOOL SPECIFIC REQUESTS. WE HAD A REQUEST RECENTLY FOR SOME ADDITIONAL BAND SUPPLEMENTS. 
          SO THE PLAN HERE WOULD BE FOR ADDITIONAL BAND SUPPLEMENTS RANGING BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL'S SINGLE-A, DOUBLE-A OR FOUR A SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE A SET NUMBER. 
          IT WAS A REQUEST TO ALIGN BAND SUPPLEMENTS WITH WITH FOOTBALL AMOUNTS. 
          THAT'S MORE OF A TBD. 
          IF THAT WERE APPROVED, JUST BECAUSE THOSE WHOSE FOOTBALL AMOUNTS MAY BE CHANGING. 
          VARIETY OF OTHER POSITIONS APPROVED FOR THE DISTRICT. 
          FOR THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. 
          FUNDING FOR SOME TRANSPORTATION SUPPLIES. 
          [01:05:03]
AND VIDEO SOFTWARE. 
          FUNDING FOR A VARIETY OF ITEMS IN HR AND ADMINISTRATION. 
          HALFTIME SECRETARY FUNDING IN  PAY SCALE SHIFTS FOR A VARIETY OF POSITIONS IN OPERATIONS AND STUDENT SERVICES. 
          THE ADDITION OF SOME ADDITIONAL POSITIONS. 
          SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING AT [INAUDIBLE]. 
          YOU SEE THAT INITIAL LIST WAS ALMOST 1.2 MILLION. 
          THESE OTHER REQUESTS TOTAL 10.9 MILLION. 
          IT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT PRICE TAG. 
          AGAIN, WE WENT THROUGH THE LIST AFTER CONSIDERING THOSE ITEMS AND IDENTIFIED THE ONES THAT WE THOUGHT WERE WERE TOP PRIORITY BASED ON THE VIEW OF CABINET AND UNDERSTANDING, TOO, THAT SOME OF THESE MAY BE A MULTI-TWO YEAR PHASE IN OR AT LEAST A CONSIDERATION FOR A MULTI-YEAR PHASE IN. 
          THERE WERE A VARIETY OF REQUESTS FOR CAPITAL TYPE ITEMS. THOSE ARE ITEMS THAT WE COULD WORK AND SEE IF WE COULD ADDRESS IF THERE'S A NEED WITH OUR FIVE YEAR FACILITIES PLAN WITH OUR 8% MONEY. 
          THIS IS KEY. 
          THERE AREN'T A WHOLE LOT OF ITEMS ON THIS LIST THAT ARE NON-RECURRING. 
          SO IF IT'S APPROVED THIS YEAR IN ALL LIKELIHOOD IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE BUDGET IN FUTURE YEARS AND WE WOULD HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE. 
          CAN YOU TAKE QUESTIONS NOW? I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO JUMP IN. 
          IT'S BEEN SCARY QUIET. I WAS SAVING IT UNTIL--YEAH, I JUST, IT'S MORE OF A POINT OF INFORMATION BECAUSE YOU'RE SEGUEING INTO A DIFFERENT SUBJECT. 
          BEFORE WE LEAVE THE BUDGET REQUESTS, WAS THE FIRST PAGE OF BUDGET REQUEST BAKED INTO THE $230 MILLION BUDGET OR NONE OF THESE WERE? NONE OF THESE BUDGET REQUESTS MADE IT INTO THAT 230 MILLION, BECAUSE WE DID LOOK AT THOSE AS DISCRETIONARY, AND WE TRIED TO FOCUS ON THE INCREASES AS IT MUST. 
          OKAY, WELL, I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU BACKTRACK AT THE END. 
          I JUST WANTED TO KNOW THAT BEFORE WE MOVE ON. 
          YES. 
          MR. CRANE? I HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS, BUT I WILL MAKE YOU BACKTRACK, BECAUSE I'VE JUST BEEN MAKING THEM AS I GO, BUT SINCE WE'RE RIGHT HERE, I KNOW THE POWERPOINT YOU SENT US THE OTHER DAY WAS A WORK IN PROGRESS. 
          THIS IS THE ONLY SECTION SO FAR THAT'S KIND OF DIFFERENT THAT I'VE CAUGHT. 
          IT'S NOT TO SAY THERE'S NOT SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN IT, ALL THAT PAPER WE'VE HIT, BUT IS THIS JUST A CLEANED UP VERSION OF WHAT WE LOOKED AT BEFORE, OR IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WAS REMOVED OR SO WHENEVER YOU RECEIVE THAT DRAFT, IT WAS ALL OF THOSE ITEMS IN THERE PRIOR TO CABINET HAVING YESTERDAY'S DISCUSSION REALLY PRIORITIZE THINGS, AND AGAIN, THAT PRIORITIZATION, WHENEVER WE LOOKED AT IT, WE HAD IN MIND, ALL RIGHT, THIS IS WHERE THINGS SIT WITH THE BUDGET. WE UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE THINGS ARE WITH STATE FUNDING. 
          SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO COME TO YOU WITH A PAGES LONG LIST OF BUDGET REQUEST AND NOT SOME OPTIONS. YES, SIR. 
          HOW DOES THIS LIST DIFFER FROM--IT SHOULD MATCH. 
          THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS MAYBE IN ITALICS THERE, BUT IT SHOULD MATCH. 
          THANK YOU. YES, SIR. 
          OUR OPTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WATCH THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS, AND MAYBE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CHANGE THERE. 
          MAYBE THERE IS SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT COME OUR WAY COMES OUR WAY THAT WILL HELP US ADDRESS SOME THINGS, AND WE'LL ADJUST THINGS AND BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION ACCORDINGLY, BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT, WE DO HAVE SOME SOME THINGS THAT ARE DISPOSABLE. 
          AGAIN, NOT NECESSARILY FAVORED ITEMS WE WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER, BUT THEY ARE OPTIONS. 
          WE MAY LOOK AT THEM INDIVIDUALLY. 
          WE MAY LOOK AT THEM IN COMBINATION. 
          THE BOARD MAY DECIDE THAT WE DON'T WANT TO APPROACH ANY OF THESE AT THIS TIME, BUT WE DO HAVE A TAX INCREASE. 
          WE DO HAVE USE OF FUND BALANCE. 
          [01:10:04]
IF WE'RE GIVEN DISCRETION ON THE TEACHER PAY SCALE TO NOT INCREASE 4000, THAT'S AN OPTION. THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER ELIMINATIONS OF PROGRAMS THERE. 
          AGAIN, COMBINATIONS OF THE ABOVE. 
          OR WE COULD CHOOSE TO DO NOTHING. 
          WE DO PROBABLY WANT TO BE MINDFUL AS WE WORK THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          WE'RE FOCUSING ON '22-23, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN FUTURE YEARS THAT WE'LL WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF. WE'RE OPENING HIGHLAND SPRINGS, MIDDLE AND THEN ELEMENTARY AT SOME POINT AFTER THAT. 
          ESSER FUNDING IS GOING TO GO AWAY. 
          NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ESSER FUNDED ITEMS ARE NECESSARILY GOING TO MAKE IT INTO THE BUDGET, BUT I THINK IN ALL LIKELIHOOD THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME THINGS IN THERE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO MAINTAIN. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. 
          WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR NORMAL MUST ITEMS IN A TYPICAL YEAR, AND I SHARED EARLIER THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE CARRYOVER TO HELP US BALANCE THE BUDGET THIS YEAR. 
          THAT'S GOING TO BE GONE AND WE'RE GOING TO START OFF IN A HOLE THERE. 
          SO JUST THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND. 
          WHENEVER WE LOOK AT THE TAX INCREASE, THE LAST TIME WE INCREASED SCHOOL OPERATING MILLAGE WAS GOING INTO THE 13-14 SCHOOL YEAR. 
          YEARS AGO, THE STATE REQUIRED THAT YOUR CAP ON YOUR TAX INCREASE FOR ANY GIVEN YEAR EXPIRED IF YOU DIDN'T USE IT DURING THAT YEAR. 
          SO WHEN THE STATE LOOKS AT THIS, THEY DETERMINE THE DISTRICT'S CAP BY THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND THE POPULATION INCREASE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          SO WHILE THE CPI IS GOING TO BE THE SAME FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT, THAT POPULATION INCREASE IS GOING TO VARY. 
          AFTER YEARS OF SAYING IT WAS A USE IT OR LOSE IT MILLAGE RATE CAP, THE STATE CAME BACK AND SOME YEARS AGO AND SAID, ALL RIGHT, YOU HAVE A THREE YEAR LOOKBACK IN ADDITION TO THIS YEAR'S CAP, YOU COULD GO BACK THREE YEARS AND THAT'S WHAT OUR LOOPBACK IS RIGHT NOW. 
          SO WE DIDN'T USE TAXES IN ANY OF THESE YEARS. 
          THESE WERE OUR CAPS. 
          THE CURRENT YEAR CAP AS OF FRIDAY, IT HAD NOT BEEN PUBLISHED YET. 
          I LOOKED, BUT WE WERE TOLD IN A RECENT MEETING THAT CPI PERCENTAGE THAT THEY WOULD BE USED IS 4.7%. 
          SO WE KNOW THAT OUR CAP WOULD BE AT LEAST 4.7% PLUS WHATEVER THE POPULATION INCREASE IS FOR THE DISTRICT, ALL OF THIS WOULD TRANSLATE TO ABOUT A 16 MILL INCREASE AS A REMINDER. 
          WELL, I'LL HIT ON THIS. 
          I HAVE ADDED ONE MORE SLIDE. 
          YOU WOULD SEE THAT NEXT MR. CRANE VALUE OF THE MILL RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE USING IS 475,000. 
          IF FOLKS HAVE HEARD, MAYBE THE COUNTY IS VALUE OF A MILL YOU MAY BE THEY THINK, WAIT, I HEAR THAT THE COUNTY'S IS 700,000. 
          WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO TAX PRIMARY RESIDENCES AND WE AREN'T. 
          SO THAT'S THAT DIFFERENCE THERE BECAUSE OF ACT 388. 
          TAXPAYER IMPACT OF A ONE MILL INCREASE ON PRIMARY RESIDENCES, IT'D BE NO IMPACT IT TAXES WOULDN'T GO UP BECAUSE OF ACT 388. 
          IF YOU HAD 4% AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY, THAT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY, $4 PER 100,000 IN VALUE PROPERTY ASSESSED. 
          AT 6%, IT WOULD BE $6 PER 100,000 BECAUSE THIS INCLUDES VEHICLES. 
          WE ALSO LOOK IN $10,000 INCREMENT, SO $0.60 PER 10,000 IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A VEHICLE. 
          THAT WOULD INCLUDE RENTAL PROPERTIES, SECOND RESIDENCES AND A LIST OF OTHERS AND THEN BUSINESS PROPERTY ASSESSED AT TEN AND A HALF PERCENT, IT'D BE 1050 PER 100,000. 
          AGAIN, THERE ARE DRAWBACKS TO SOME OF THESE. 
          I THINK THE TAX, THE DRAWBACK ON THAT FAIRLY OBVIOUS. 
          USE OF FUND BALANCE, SO HISTORICALLY WE'VE AVOIDED USING PHONE BALLOTS UNLESS IT WAS FOR NONRECURRING OR ONE TIME TYPE ITEM. 
          IF WE USE IT, WE WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT IT AS A ONE YEAR STOPGAP, AND WE'VE ALREADY SHARED 
          [01:15:05]
THAT MOST OF THE BUDGET REQUESTS ON THIS LIST OR RECURRING TYPE REQUESTS. 
          I ALREADY SHARED THAT WE'RE LIKELY LOOKING AT AT 2.4 MILLION HOLES STARTING OUT NEXT YEAR. SO IF WE USE FUND BALANCE, IT'S GOING TO BE 2.4 MILLION PLUS SOME PORTION OF FUND BALANCE THAT WE USE DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS SHAKE OUT. 
          IT'S TOUGH TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH FUNDING FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT. 
          IF FUND BALANCE STAYS THE SAME, AND MAYBE I CAN EXPLAIN THIS WELL ENOUGH, IF UNBALANCED STAYS THE SAME AND THE BUDGET INCREASES BY $20 MILLION, THEN WHILE WE MIGHT HAVE HAD THREE MONTHS RESERVES, WE MAY BE CLOSER TO TWO AND A HALF MONTHS RESERVES. 
          WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH FUND BALANCE REPRESENTS OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET, IT WOULD LIMIT OUR EMERGENCY RAINY DAY CASH FLOW OPTIONS, BUT WE HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE RIGHT NOW. BOND RATING AGENCIES ARE GOING TO LOOK AT IT, AND THIS IS ONE THIS BIG. 
          EVERY YEAR WHENEVER WE ISSUE BONDS TO FUND THE PROJECTS IN OUR FIVE YEAR FACILITIES PLAN, THEY ASK, WAS FUND BALANCE USED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET? AND THEIR NEXT QUESTIONS ARE GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT, IF YOU USED FUND BALANCE, WAS IT FOR RECURRING ITEMS? WAS IT NON-RECURRING? WAS IT A ONE TIME TYPE ITEM AND HOW DO YOU PLAN TO REPLENISH YOUR FUND BALANCE IF YOU'RE USING SOME OF IT? WHENEVER THEY LOOK AT OUR RATINGS, THEY HAVE A LIST OF THINGS, SOME THINGS OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL, BUT THEY DO LOOK AT OUR BALANCE AND EVEN IN THEIR LETTERS, A LOT OF TIMES, WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT RATING, INCREASING FUND BALANCE IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT'S LISTED. SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER THERE TOO. 
          OPTIONS WOULD INCLUDE INCREASING TEACHERS BY SOMETHING LESS THAN 4000. 
          SO THIS FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET IS BASED ON 4000. 
          IF WE'RE GIVEN DISCRETION WITH THAT LEGISLATION, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. 
          IT HAS BEEN WIDELY PUBLICIZED EARLY ON, I THINK, THAT ALL TEACHERS WOULD GET A $4,000 INCREASE, AND THEN THERE WAS SOME CLARIFICATION THAT MAYBE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE PAYING GREATER THAN THE STATE MINIMUM WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO UP THAT 4000. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN NECESSARILY AS WIDELY PUBLICIZED. 
          IF WE DIDN'T GO UP THE 4000 AND ALL OTHER DISTRICTS, DID THOSE RANKINGS AS FAR AS WHERE WE FALL AMONG THE 79 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE, THOSE WOULD WOULD LIKELY DECREASE DEPENDING ON WHAT OTHERS DO, BUT IT'S LIKELY NOT GOING TO HELP OUR COMPETITIVENESS THERE. 
          IT'S GOING TO DEPEND, THOUGH, ON OTHER DISTRICTS DECISIONS ON THEIR PAY SCALE. 
          AS WE THINK ABOUT IT, TOO, MOST TEACHERS ARE GOING TO QUALIFY FOR A STEP INCREASE AND THAT STEP INCREASE IS GOING TO AVERAGE ABOUT 2%. 
          SO MAYBE SOME REDUCTION IN THE 4000 IS VIEWED AS BEING OFFSET BY A STEP INCREASE. 
          TEACHERS IN THAT PAY BAND AT THE BEGINNING, TEACHERS THAT TOP STEP WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BENEFIT FROM THAT, BUT OTHER TEACHERS IN THOSE MIDDLE STEPS WOULD. 
          WE DID ESTIMATE THAT A $250 DECREASE FROM 4000 TO 3750 EACH, $250 DECREASE WOULD SAVE ABOUT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN SALARIES. 
          ONE THING I DID WANT TO NOTE, TOO, AND MAYBE IT'S GETTING A LITTLE BIT OFF TOPIC, THE PAY BAND THAT WE HAVE AS PROBLEMATIC, HAS BEEN IN YEARS WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. I MENTIONED SOMEONE GOING FROM STEP 0 TO 1 OR 1 TO 2, WHERE THEY'RE MOVING UP THE SCALE BUT NOT GETTING A STEP INCREASE. 
          EVEN IF WE LOOKED AT SOME OTHER OPTIONS HERE, IT MAY GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, MAYBE WE CREATE SOME BREAKS FROM A 0 TO 1 OR 1 TO 2. 
          MAYBE INSTEAD OF 4000 INCREASE, YOU GO UP 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, AND THEN BY STEP 
          [01:20:09]
FOUR, IT'S A 4000 INCREASE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          THERE'S A VARIETY OF OPTIONS, BUT THIS MAY GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING WITH PAY BAND THAT AT TIMES HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC. 
          SO WITHOUT FAIL, I THINK WE HAD MULTIPLE REVISIONS OF THIS POWERPOINT. 
          WE TWEET THINGS, AND PROBABLY ABOUT 4:45 YESTERDAY WE STARTED GETTING SOME EMAILS FROM [INAUDIBLE] AND [INAUDIBLE] AND THE SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION THAT SAID THAT THE SENATE FINANCE K-12 COMMITTEE MET YESTERDAY, AND THIS IS THEIR PROPOSAL. 
          SO I'VE ADDED THIS SLIDE. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF IT MADE IT INTO YOUR PURPLE FOLDER OR HOPEFULLY SO, BUT I DID THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO INCLUDE EVEN THOUGH THESE AREN'T REFLECTED IN OUR BUDGET AND EVEN THOUGH THIS WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE FULL SENATE FINANCE AND THEN TO THE FULL SENATE, AND IF IT STUCK AT THAT POINT, A COMPROMISE, WE DID WANT TO MENTION IT. 
          SO THIS PROPOSAL YESTERDAY WAS THEY AND I HAVE THIS IN QUOTES, STAKE IN THE GROUND. 
          I SAW THAT IN ALL THREE UPDATES WHERE BASICALLY THEY'RE SAYING THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD MAINTAIN THEIR 21-22 FUNDING LEVELS. 
          ONE NOTED THAT IT WOULD BE REGARDLESS--MAYBE TWO NOTED--REGARDLESS OF WHETHER STUDENT COUNTS CHANGE. 
          SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WOULD IN ESSENCE, BE HELD HARMLESS UP THROUGH THE 21-22 FUNDING. 
          THE NEW FUNDING WOULD THEN BE ALLOCATED ON THE NEW FUNDING FORMULA, THE GOVERNOR'S FUNDING PLAN. 
          THIS NEXT ONE'S BIG, THE STATE MINIMUM TEACHER SCALE, WHERE THE HOUSE VERSION DISCUSSED 4000 AND INCREASE IN THE STATE MINIMUM FROM 36000 TO 40000. 
          THIS WOULD INCREASE IT BY 2000 FROM 36000 TO 38000, GIVING DISCRETION TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO CLEANING UP THAT LANGUAGE THAT WAS INCONSISTENT THERE WITH WHAT WE HEARD AND GIVING US DISCRETION TO MAKE NECESSARY DECISIONS AS LONG AS THE DISTRICT WAS OVER THE STATE MINIMUM AND THERE WERE SOME WEIGHTING CHANGES, I THINK DUAL ENROLLMENT HAD FALLEN OFF UNDER THE HOUSE VERSION. 
          IT WAS GOING TO BE ADDED BACK AT A REDUCED RATE. 
          THERE WERE SOME CHANGES IN THE WAITING FOR SPEECH MAYBE [INAUDIBLE] A COUPLE OF OTHERS, AGAIN, THIS SAYS A COUPLE MORE STEPS TO GO THROUGH, AT THE VERY LEAST, ASSUMING IT DOESN'T CHANGE IT. 
          IT MAY CHANGE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON. 
          SO NEXT STEPS. 
          TAKE TONIGHT'S DISCUSSIONS AND MAKE WHATEVER MODIFICATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          OF COURSE, UPDATE THE BOARD WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY IS PRESENT AND BY MEMOS, EMAILS, ETC. 
          ON BUDGET CHANGES. 
          I SUSPECT MOST OF YOU ALSO SEE THOSE UPDATES FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION AND PERHAPS SOME OTHER GROUPS, SO HOPEFULLY YOU'RE TAKING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO GLANCE AT THOSE. THEY'RE USUALLY PRETTY WELL WRITTEN. 
          WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WATCH THAT SENATE FINANCE K-12 LANGUAGE. 
          I'M STILL HOPING--WHAT WE DON'T HAVE AT THIS POINT IS WHAT THAT MEANS AS FAR AS NUMBERS FROM THE STATE. SO I SPOKE TO ANOTHER CFO TODAY AND SHE WAS ASKING ME ABOUT IT. 
          I WAS LIKE, WELL, I'M STILL TRYING TO DECIPHER THINGS. 
          I THINK I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, BUT UNTIL I SEE NUMBERS ON PAPER, I'M A LITTLE BIT HESITANT. WE DO HAVE A BUDGET ADD LATER ON THIS MONTH BASED ON THE CURRENT SCHEDULE AND THE BUDGET HEARING AND WE'RE STILL FIVE OR SIX WEEKS AWAY FROM OUR FINAL AND SECOND READING OF THE BUDGET. 
          HOPEFULLY AT THAT POINT THE STATE WILL BE FINISHED WITH THEIR BUDGET PROCESS AND OURS WILL BE REFLECTIVE OF ALL OF THEIR CHANGES. 
          [01:25:01]
SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          I KNOW WE'VE SHARED A LOT OF INFO HERE. 
          MR. CRANE. THANK YOU, MR. TRAXLER, AS ALWAYS, VERY, VERY GOOD PRESENTATION. 
          I SAID I WAS GOING TO MAKE YOU BACKTRACK AS I JUST KIND OF MADE SOME QUESTIONS AS WE WENT. IT'S PROBABLY SIX TOTAL. 
          I MIGHT ADD ONE RIGHT NOW, RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE. 
          ONE OF MY FAVORITE BUDGET SLIDES IS MISSING, AND I KNOW WHY IT'S MISSING, AND THAT'S WHERE THE STATE IS SUPPOSED TO FUND US AND WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY FUNDED. 
          IT'S MISSING BECAUSE THEY'RE CHANGING THE FORMULA ON US. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          I JUST LIKE THAT SLIDE. 
          I KNEW YOU WOULD. 
          I ANTICIPATED A COMMENT. 
          YEAH, SO MY QUESTION FROM THAT POINT IS WITH, AND IT'S NOT SETTLED YET. 
          SO I GUESS THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A PREMATURE QUESTION WITH WHAT THE STATE IS PROPOSING. 
          I KNOW THAT'S A COUPLE OF PROPOSALS. 
          DOES THAT HELP CLOSE THE GAP FROM WHERE THEY WERE LEGALLY SUPPOSED TO BE FUNDING US OR NOT? THIS WON'T BE LEGALLY UNDER FUNDING US ANYMORE. 
          THAT'S MY LANGUAGE. 
          IT WOULD CLOSE PART OF THAT GAP THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH HISTORICALLY. 
          SO IF BASE STUDENT COSTS WERE FULLY FUNDED, WE WOULD BE RECEIVING APPROXIMATELY 13 TO 14 MILLION MORE PER YEAR IN OUR OLD WHAT WAS OUR EFA ALLOCATION, THIS PLAN? WE'RE PROBABLY WITH ALL THE ROLL UPS, WE'RE NETTING 8 MILLION, 9 MILLION SOMEWHERE IN THERE IN ITS CURRENT FORM. 
          SO IT'S NOT MAKING UP FOR ALL OF IT, BUT IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 
          SO IF WE WERE 13, NOW WE'RE FIVE OR SIX. 
          YEAH, AND THAT'S PER YEAR, AND UNFORTUNATELY THE LAST TIME WE WERE FULLY FUNDED AND HAD I INCLUDED THAT BASE STUDENT COST SLIDE, IT WOULD SHOW THAT THE LAST TIME WE WERE FULLY FUNDED WAS I THINK '07-08 SO WE'VE DEALT WITH IT FOR A LONG TIME. 
          PRE-CRISIS. IN ESSENCE, ASSUMING THIS FUNDING PLAN GOES THROUGH, BASE STUDENT COST IS A THING OF THE PAST, AND THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T INCLUDE IT HERE, BUT IT HAS BEEN ONE THAT OVER THE YEARS I'VE ALWAYS INCLUDED BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS REAL GOOD. 
          WELL, IF YOU WANT TO THROW IT IN FOR OUR NEXT DISCUSSION, JUST FOR SOME FLAVOR, I WOULDN'T BE OPPOSED TO THAT. 
          A COUPLE OF MY QUESTIONS. YOU ACTUALLY ANSWERED AS WE WENT, ON SLIDE TEN, TALKING ABOUT SALARIES AND [INAUDIBLE] IS 90% OF OUR BUDGET, AND EVERYTHING YOU SHOWED WAS ASSUMING THE 4000 NUMBER BUILT IN FOR TEACHERS, CORRECT? OUR BUDGET? YES. 
          OKAY, THEN YOU KIND OF ANSWERED THIS QUESTION ON SLIDE 11. 
          THAT'S THE ENROLLMENT SLIDE. 
          I WROTE DOWN, WHAT ABOUT NEW HOUSE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTIONS? WE'VE BUILT IN FOR THAT, AND THAT'S A TRICKY THING TO WRITE BECAUSE JUST IF YOU HAVE 100 HOUSE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH NO KIDS BUT--IT IS TRICKY. 
          DR. MINOLFO IS NOT IN HERE. 
          HE WORKS ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS, AND WE DO LOOK AT HE LOOKS AT PERMITS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          ALSO SPEAKING WITH PRINCIPALS, THEY MAY BE AWARE OF A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD GOING UP TOO THAT MAYBE WE DON'T ALWAYS SEE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY BY THE SCHOOL ALL THE TIME. 
          WE MAY NOT SEE THAT CLEARING, BUT IT IS SOME DIFFICULT INFO TO GET, ESPECIALLY WHENEVER YOU GET OUTSIDE OF MAYBE THE CITY. 
          YEAH, I MEAN, THE COUNTY CAN GIVE US CONSTRUCTION PERMITS, BUT THAT'S A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. SO IT'S A LOT TO GO THROUGH AND IT'S NOT EXACT. 
          THE ONE THING THAT WE DO WANT TO CONSIDER THOSE AND IF WE HAD ALLOCATION SHEETS HERE, YOU WOULD SEE IT IS THAT WHILE OUR CLASS SIZE IS THAT ELEMENTARY, FOR INSTANCE, FALL WITHIN THAT DESIRED RANGE, WE'RE NOT AT THE TOP OF THAT PLUS TWO RANGE. 
          SO IF WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS COME IN, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO BE SOME ROOM WITHIN A GRADE 
          [01:30:01]
LEVEL OR WITHIN SCHOOLS. 
          IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE WON'T BE IN A SITUATION AT THE START OF THE YEAR WHERE WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS THAN ANTICIPATED THAT EXCEED THAT BUFFER BUT WE DO BUILD THAT IN. 
          OKAY, NEXT QUESTION, SLIDE 14. 
          SO THE STATE DELINEATES BUS DRIVERS AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. 
          WHY DOES THE STATE SPECIFICALLY DELINEATE BUS DRIVERS AND NOT ANY OTHER SUPPORT STAFF LIKE OUR KITCHEN STAFF? I KNOW THE STATE OWNS THE BUSSES AND ALL THAT. 
          IS THAT THE ANSWER? I'M NOT SURE. OKAY, I WAS JUST A LITTLE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, AND NOT TO SAY THAT I DON'T NECESSARILY DISAGREE WITH WHAT THE GOAL IS THERE, I JUST KIND OF WONDER WHY THE STATE DOESN'T ALSO TARGET OUR OTHER SUPPORT FOLKS. 
          YEAH, IT'S INCONSISTENT WITH NOW LAST YEAR WE ALSO HAD TO DO THIS. 
          IT WAS 5% PLUS TWO AND A HALF PERCENT. 
          IT'S INCONSISTENT WITH OVER THE YEARS WHAT WE'VE TOLD OUR EMPLOYERS. 
          IF THE STATE TALKED ABOUT STATE WORKERS WERE GOING UP $1,000 IN PAY OR WERE GETTING SOME SORT OF ONE TIME BONUS TYPE PAY, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GETTING THAT, RIGHT? AND WE'RE LIKE, NO, WE'RE NOT STATE EMPLOYEES. 
          WE'RE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, BUT WE GET THESE OTHER THINGS. 
          IT'S JUST IT'S REQUIRED. 
          THE STATE DEPARTMENT TOLD US THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ADD THAT IN ADDITION TO THE 5%. 
          SLIDE 16, THAT'S WHERE WE START TO BREAK DOWN WHERE WE STAND NEXT TO THE OTHER DISTRICTS. 
          HOW MANY DISTRICTS ARE THERE IN THE STATE TOTAL? I DON'T KNOW THAT NUMBER. 
          79, I BELIEVE THERE ARE CONSOLIDATIONS AND THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. 
          GIVE OR TAKE, IT MAY BE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THAT, BUT YES, SIR. 
          THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH FOR ME. 
          I JUST HAVE A FEW MORE. I'VE JUST GOT TO GET TO THEM. 
          SLIDE 22, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TALKING, ESSENTIALLY THE [INAUDIBLE] NUMBERS. 
          RIGHT NOW, THE MATH IS 22.8, BUT YOU DID AN ESTIMATE OF 24 JUST BECAUSE WE THINK WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A HIGHER INCREASE THAN WHAT WE HAVE TO COVER, CORRECT? JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEARD THAT RIGHT. 
          WE KNOW THIS IS GOING UP ONE. 
          I THINK THIS WILL LIKELY GO UP. 
          SO YOU'VE BUILT IN MORE THAN THAT. I'LL MAKE A COMMENT. 
          SLIDE 24, THAT'S THE STATE HEALTH [INAUDIBLE] HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS PROJECTED INCREASE 18.1%. 
          THAT'S MY COMMENT. 
          ON SLIDE 25 UNDER THE THIRD AND FOURTH BULLET. 
          THOSE BOTH KIND OF TOUCH ON ENERGY. 
          IS THERE ANY AND I DON'T KNOW HOW QUICK, HOW QUICKLY WE COULD EVEN SPIN UP SOMETHING. 
          I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING A SIMILAR OR WHETHER THIS EVEN OPTION WE'RE LOOKING INTO THE OPTION OF DOING ANOTHER ENERGY SAVINGS CONTRACT WITH AIKEN ELECTRIC. 
          SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHO THIS QUESTION IS DIRECTED TO, BUT COULD THAT SPIN UP? COULD THAT GIVE US SOME ADDITIONAL SAVINGS TO HELP OUT SOMEWHERE? THAT'S A 10,000 FOOT QUESTION AND THERE IS NO ANSWER RIGHT NOW, MAYBE SOMETHING TO PERCOLATE. 
          I THINK THE TIME TO ACCOMPLISH THAT EXCUSE ME, WOULDN'T AFFECT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET VERY MUCH. THAT'S A FAIR ANSWER. 
          THAT'S FINE. I SAID SIX. 
          I PROBABLY HAVE A FEW MORE THAN SIX. 
          I APOLOGIZE. 
          I'M GETTING TO THE END. 
          SLIDE 32, I'M JUST CURIOUS HERE. 
          SALUDA WE DROPPED FROM 70 TO 50. 
          WHY? JUST FOR REFERENCE, THIS NUMBER HERE ALSO INCLUDES SALUDA. 
          THIS NUMBER HERE IS PART OF ACT 388, AND AS BRIEF OF AN EXPLANATION AS POSSIBLE IS THAT EVERY DISTRICT BY ACT 388 IS GUARANTEED TWO AND A HALF MILLION IN ACT 388 FUNDING. 
          AS SALUDA'S PROPERTY VALUES GROW, THAT MEANS THAT THE STATE IS HAVING TO PITCH IN LESS TO GET SALUDA TO THAT TWO AND A HALF. 
          SO THAT DIFFERENCE HAS SHRUNK, AND AS PART OF SALUDA'S DISTRICT, THEY GET THE LARGEST CHUNK. WE'LL GET A SMALLER ONE AND GETS PLACED IN THREE, I THINK CROSSES INTO SALUDA. 
          [01:35:04]
THEY WILL GET A CHUNK OF IT TOO. 
          THAT'S WHY. THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE. 
          SLIDE 33 SO HERE'S THE BUDGET REQUESTS, I THINK I SAW ON THE BREAKOUT THAT THE NUMBERS I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT ATHLETICS SPECIFICALLY THAT THOSE PERCENTAGES, THE FOUR YEAR PHASE IN AND ALL THAT WAS SORT OF BUILT OUT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ATHLETICS FOLKS AND I KNOW THEY ASKED FOR IT, BUT THERE'S SOME CONVERSATION TO BUILD THAT OUT? THEY ASKED FOR 40% AND 20% INCREASES. 
          LOOKING AT THE LANDSCAPE OF THE BUDGET AND JUST SEEING THAT WE HAD THE ABILITY TO PHASE IT IN AND A NEED TO ADDRESS IT. 
          WE LOOKED AT A QUARTER OF THAT. 
          LOOKING AT THE OVERALL NUMBER, TRYING TO DO THAT ALL IN ONE CHUNK IN THIS BUDGET YEAR JUST DIDN'T. YEAH, THAT'S FINE. 
          I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT--REALLY I'M MORE CONCERNED THAT THE NUMBER WE GOT WAS FROM THEM. BUT IT WILL INCREASE THE FUTURE BUDGETS EACH YEAR. 
          BY THAT NUMBER 1 OR 6 FOR FOUR YEARS. 
          SO OKAY, THAT'S GOOD ON THAT. 
          I JUST KIND OF AS A THEME FOR ME, I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF WITH THE BUDGET REQUEST. 
          I LOVE THE IDEA OF DOING MORE FOR OUR EXISTING FOLKS. 
          I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF ASK FOR SOME NEW STAFF AND THAT'S NOT TO DIMINISH THOSE REQUESTS , BUT MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE IF WE CAN TREAT OUR CURRENT FOLKS A LITTLE BIT BETTER, I'D RATHER DO THAT THAN HIRE SOMEBODY, AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT--DEPARTMENTAL THERE'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON THAT OPINION, BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE US BE ABLE TO TREAT OUR FOLKS A LITTLE BIT BETTER. 
          I KNOW THE STATE WAS REAL BIG ON--MCMASTER WAS BIG ON THAT $4,000, AND I MEAN, YOU TALK ABOUT THAT IF YOU WIND IT BACK, A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE THAT ASSUMPTION THAT'S COMING ALREADY. SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT. 
          WE DON'T HAVE A TIME FRAME ON THE RECONCILIATION RIGHT NOW WITH THE HOUSE AND SENATE. 
          IT'S ON PROBABLY THE SECOND OR THIRD. 
          I WON'T LOOK BACK IF IT'S ALL RIGHT, BUT THE BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 3RD THROUGH FIFTH, AND THEN THE REPORT WILL GO TO THE GOVERNOR ON THE 10TH OR THE 12TH. SO IF THERE ARE DIFFERENCES AND IF THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES, ANY DIFFERENCES, THE HOUSE AND SENATE DESIGNEES WOULD WORK ON IRONING THOSE OUT SO EARLY MAY, THE CONCERN AS FAR AS TIMING FOR US IF THINGS SETTLE, NOT NECESSARILY SURE WHEN WE WOULD SEE NUMBERS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT, OF COURSE, WE WOULD TRACK IT AND WE'D BE ABLE TO ESTIMATE IT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON. THE FINAL QUESTION THAT I HAD. 
          OH, HECK, I JUST LOST IT. 
          WE'LL JUST CALL THAT MY FINAL QUESTION. 
          I'VE TAKEN UP ENOUGH OF YOUR TIME. 
          I APPRECIATE IT QUITE A BIT. 
          MR. LAURENCE. I'M LOOKING AT KING. 
          [CHUCKLING] THAT'S FINE. 
          I DO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. 
          YEAH, MR. TRAXLER, THE BUDGET REQUEST ITEMS THAT'RE ITEMIZED, THE ONES THAT PERTAIN TO SALARIES, DOES THAT ALREADY HAVE ALL THE COLA AND THE PROJECTED 4000 OR 2000 I GUESS IN IT? IT WOULD IT'S SALARY AND [INAUDIBLE]. 
          NOW IT IS DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE BECAUSE SOME OF THESE POSITIONS MAY BE WE'RE ESTIMATING WHAT SOMEONE'S EXPERIENCE WOULD BE? YES. WE THINK IT'S A REASONABLE ESTIMATE, BUT IT INCLUDES THE INCREASES. 
          WE THINK IT'S A REASONABLE ESTIMATE BASED ON THAT. 
          YES, SIR, BASED ON THOSE INCREASES. 
          OKAY, I UNDERSTAND. 
          THANK YOU, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS, WHAT ABOUT CAN WE GET SOME INFORMATION? JUST LIKE YOU RANKED WHERE WE WERE IN THE STATE ON PAY, CAN WE GET INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE WE COMPARE IN THE STATE ON OUR MILITARY AND AS WELL AS PERCENT OF WHAT WE SPEND ON THE CLASSROOM? LIKE THE MILLAGE RATES ARE EASIER. 
          I CAN PULL IT UP WITHIN SECONDS. 
          THAT WAS TWO YEARS OLD, AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE, I'D GLADLY PULL THAT UP. IT'S ON THE STATE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE. 
          THE CLASSROOM FUNDING, STATE DEPARTMENT DOES HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED INSIGHT, WHERE IT DOES 
          [01:40:06]
AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON BASED ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 
          ALL THAT SHOWING HOW MUCH SPENDING CLASSROOMS. I'M NOT SURE HOW UP TO DATE IT IS. 
          IT MAY BE MULTIPLE YEARS OLD. 
          DOES IT STILL HAVE PER PUPIL EXPENDITURE? IT'S ON THAT INSIGHT REPORT AND IT BREAKS IT DOWN: CLASSROOM, GUIDANCE, SO ON AND SO FORTH , BUT THAT IS INFO THAT WE COULD PULL. 
          IT JUST MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DATED. 
          UNLIKE THE MILLAGE RATES, WHERE IT IS ONE SHEET THAT LISTS ALL OF THE DISTRICTS AND WHAT THEIR MILLAGE RATES WERE AT THE TIME, THE INSIGHT REPORTS ARE PAGE BY PAGE, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND COMPILE THAT. 
          MR. SILAS AND THEN, MR. SMITH. OKAY. 
          GOOD, THANK YOU. MR. TRAXLER, I CAN'T IMAGINE AND PROBABLY CAN'T FULLY APPRECIATE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT IT TAKES TO PUT TOGETHER THIS BY YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, FEED INFORMATION TO YOU. 
          SO THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR DOING THAT. 
          IT WON'T COME AS A SURPRISE TO YOU THAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE MORE THESE ATHLETIC SUPPLEMENTS. I THINK I'VE BENT YOUR EAR A TIME OR TWO AS WELL AS MR. LAURENCE ABOUT THAT. SO I WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAN ON THAT A LITTLE MORE. 
          I'M PLEASED THAT IT MADE IT TO THE TOP PRIORITIES. 
          I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SIGN. 
          STILL NOT WHERE I WANT TO SEE IT AND EXPECT TO SEE IT, HOPEFULLY, BUT I WANT TO CONVEY TO SUPPORT THAT. I WANT TO CONVEY A STORY THAT WAS TOLD TO ME AND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HEARD IT, THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE ATHLETIC DIRECTORS CONFERENCE IN CHARLESTON, I THINK IT WAS--SORRY, MR. SMITH. 
          GREENVILLE, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME WHERE I MAY BE WRONG AND SORRY TO STEAL YOUR THUNDER, MR. SMITH, IF YOU WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT IT WAS CONVEYED TO ME THAT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION IN THEIR BIG GROUP SESSION ABOUT AD SUPPLEMENTS AND COACHES SUPPLEMENTS, AND I GUESS I CAN IMAGINE THERE WAS GRUMBLING GOING ON AMONG THE GROUP REPRESENTING THE WHOLE STATE AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE GREENVILLE MAYBE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR OR MAYBE HE'S THE HEAD OF THE GROUP, I'M NOT SURE, BUT HE WAS IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY SPEAKING AND HE SAID, WELL, YOU SHOULD BE APPRECIATIVE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE BECAUSE AT LEAST YOU DON'T LIVE IN AIKEN COUNTY, AND THEN I THINK HE CALLED OUT ONE OF OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTORS SPECIFICALLY AND SAID, HOW MANY CLASSES DO YOU TEACH? AND THIS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SAID, FOUR, AND I GUESS A GASP IN THE ROOM, OR MAYBE I CAN IMAGINE. SO HIS HIS POINT WAS, AT LEAST YOU DON'T LIVE IN AIKEN COUNTY. 
          THAT SHOULD BE EMBARRASSING TO THIS DISTRICT THAN IT IS TO ME AS A BOARD MEMBER. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO. 
          WE'VE BEEN SAYING IT. THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 
          SO THAT'S GOOD, AND ADDITIONALLY TO THAT, I THINK SOUTH AIKEN, I'VE HEARD SPECIFICALLY HAS LOST OR LOSING FOUR COACHES, LET'S SAY, AS A RESULT OF LET'S JUST FACE IT, COACHES WANT TO COACH, RIGHT? THEY FEED THEIR FAMILIES THAT WAY. 
          THEY LOVE DOING THAT. THEY'RE GOING TO GO WHERE IT'S A MORE ATTRACTIVE COACHING SUPPLEMENT. RIGHT? AND GUESS WHAT ELSE THEY DO? THEY TEACH. 
          SO WE'RE LOSING TEACHERS THERE AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULDN'T FORGET EITHER, AND I KNOW I'VE LEANED ON THAT QUITE A BIT, AND I DID WANT TO LEAN ON IT AGAIN, BECAUSE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO I'M GOING TO SAY DO WHAT'S RIGHT. I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, I THINK PROBABLY MOST EVERYONE IS CLEAR, BUT EVEN WITH THESE BEING TOP PRIORITIES, THIS ISN'T ONE OF THOSE YEARS WHERE WE'VE GOT THINGS INTO THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO AND THEN WE HAVE SOME MONEY LEFT OVER. 
          WE'RE NOT IN ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS. 
          SO IN ORDER TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE, WE HAVE OPTIONS THAT I'VE SHARED, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAY THAT WE CAN'T DO THESE ITEMS OR ANYTHING ELSE ON THE LIST. 
          IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON WHAT OTHER STEPS WE TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, BUT I DO ASK YOU TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT, TOO. 
          SO OUTSIDE OF SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WE MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE OPTIONS. 
          I THINK YOU'VE COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF GOOD OPTIONS, MAYBE, MAYBE NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M CONSIDERING BUYING A POWERBALL TICKET. 
          SO IF THAT WORKS OUT, I'LL SEE IF I CAN CONTRIBUTE. 
          AS LONG AS YOU SHARE. [CHUCKLING] ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          MR. SMITH. MR. TRAXLER, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK AND GREAT PRESENTATION, AND I APPRECIATE IT FROM ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER. 
          [01:45:03]
I HAVE A QUESTION, TWO QUESTIONS. 
          ONE IS PERTAINING TO WHAT MR. SALAS WAS SAYING, AND ONE IS, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, WE'RE PAYING OUR BUS DRIVERS MORE AND MORE EACH YEAR, DESERVINGLY SO, BECAUSE WE NEED QUALITY PEOPLE TO DRIVE OUR BUSSES WITH OUR KIDS AND KEEP THEM SAFE, BUT I'M HEARING THAT THE BUS SUPERVISORS FOR EACH AREA, THEY CAN'T MAKE AS MUCH MONEY AS SOME OF THE BUS DRIVERS THAT'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME FIGURES ON THAT. 
          I KNOW IT'S IN THE BUDGET TO LOOK AT MOVING FROM TIER ONE TO TIER TWO, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME FIGURES ON THAT AND THEY TELL ME THEY'RE HAVING TO DRIVE BUS ROUTES AND SO FORTH, SO THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THE JOB, SO FORTH, BUT THAT'S A CONCERN I HAVE THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME NUMBERS ON THAT MORE FACE TO FACE PER AVERAGE HERE. 
          YOU CAN WORK THAT BACK TO ME. 
          WELL, IN GENERAL, PLACEMENT ON THE PAY SCALE IS GOING TO BE BASED ON EXPERIENCE. 
          SO YOU COULD HAVE AND I'M NOT LOOKING AT NUMBERS, BUT YOU COULD HAVE SOME LONG TIME BUS DRIVERS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS AND YEARS THAT ARE PRETTY HIGH COMPARED TO WHAT SOME SUPERVISORS ARE, AND THEY QUALIFY FOR OVERTIME. 
          THEY MAY BE AN AIDE SLASH BUS DRIVER THAT PRETTY MUCH AS SOON AS THEY'RE ON THE BUS, THEY'RE QUALIFYING FOR OVERTIME AT TIME AND HALF. 
          ONE BENEFIT THAT OUR SUPERVISORS DO GET AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ALL OF THEM ARE REQUIRED TO DRIVE, WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF THEM AND SOME MORE REGULARLY THAN OTHERS BUT ONCE THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF THEIR NORMAL 8 HOUR DAY, WE DO PAY THEM FOR THEIR BUS TIME BASED ON BUS DRIVER EXPERIENCE, WHERE THEY WOULD FALL JUST BASED ON THE BUS DRIVER PAY SCALE. SO THEY DO GET THAT BENEFIT AND WE'LL GET THE BENEFIT. 
          I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING THEM IN LINE. 
          THAT'S MY CONCERN, AND MY SECOND QUESTION, IF YOU'LL HUMOR ME A MINUTE. 
          FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, MR. SILAS HAD BEEN ON THE BOARD. 
          MR. MOULTON AND SOME OTHERS HAVE BEEN IN WITH US. 
          WE HAVE ASKED FOR INCREASES WITH THESE COACHING SUPPLEMENTS. 
          OUR COACHING SUPPLEMENTS ARE WAY OUT OF LINE WITH DISTRICTS OUR SIZE AROUND THE STATE, AND YOU SAID EARLIER, AND I DON'T MEAN TO CAUSE YOU PROBLEM HEARTBURN, BUT I WANT TO BRING THIS POINT TO YOU. 
          YOU SAID EARLIER THIS ISN'T A YEAR TO DO IT. 
          IT HASN'T BEEN THE YEAR TO DO IT FOR YEARS, BUT THESE OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING IT, AND I'M NOT SO MUCH SURE THAT OTHER THAN ONE, MAYBE TWO OF THE DISTRICTS THAT I'M LOOKING AT IN THEIR SUPPLEMENTS, THEIR TAX BASE IS PROBABLY AROUND THE SAME THING AS US. 
          IT JUST HASN'T BEEN A PRIORITY TO US. 
          THUS, WE'RE HAVING AND WE GOT SOME AGE THAT ARE COACHING, THAT ARE OUTSTANDING, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME THAT WE NEED SOME MORE PROFESSIONALISM THROUGH THEM, AND FOR US TO HAVE OUR AIDES TO GO AND WORK WITH OUR KIDS ON A FIELD THAT COULD EARN THEM FURTHER EDUCATION, IT'S NOT RIGHT AND  I'M TELLING YOU UPFRONT, I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT A FOUR YEAR WORK IN. 
          NO. THESE COACHES DESERVE TO BE ABLE TO HIRE SOMEBODY THAT CAN HELP THEM DO THEIR JOB AND COACH OUR KIDS TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING THAT. 
          WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED IN ONE OF OUR LOCAL AREAS WHERE THEY TRIED TO HELP THEIR COACHES, AND IT WAS A BIG EMBARRASSMENT FOR KENNY. 
          IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT. 
          NOW, I UNDERSTOOD LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE HAD COVID AND SO FORTH AND SO ON. 
          WE ALSO HAVE STILL GOT THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR HELP ON NOW FOR GOING ON, THIS IS WHAT, THIRD YEAR OR FOURTH YEAR? AND I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT A FOUR YEAR PHASE IN. 
          NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SIT DOWN AND LET'S LOOK AT SOME OF THESE, BECAUSE SOME OF THE REQUESTS THAT'S BEING PUT OUT THERE FOR SOME OF THE COACHES, I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHERE OUR PROBLEMS ARE. 
          OUR BIGGEST GENERATOR OF FUNDS IS FOOTBALL COACHES. 
          I'M NOT AGAINST ANYBODY ELSE GETTING A RAISE, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT IN LINE WITH WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE PAYING, WE CAN'T BE COMPETITIVE, AND WE'VE GOT SOME LOWER TIER SPORTS THAT ARE BEING PAID HIGHER THAN WHAT SOME OF THESE OTHERS ARE. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT GOT THERE, BUT IT IS AND I'M JUST TELLING YOU UP FRONT, THIS 
          [01:50:04]
[INAUDIBLE] MY COMMUNITY IS ON ME BIG. 
          I GOT PEOPLE FROM OTHER FOLKS' COMMUNITY ON ME ABOUT IT AS WELL. 
          SO LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE RECEIVED AND I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN MENTIONS BUT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I THINK FROM. 
          LAST YEAR WAS A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS IN ADDITION TO INCREASED SUPPLEMENTS. 
          THIS YEAR THEY FOCUSED THEIR EFFORTS MORE ON INCREASED SUPPLEMENTS. 
          IT WAS A CONSIDERATION LAST YEAR, BUT I DO WANT TO IF I COULD SAY ONE THING, I MAY HAVE SAID THIS ISN'T THE YEAR TO DO IT. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF I DID OR DIDN'T, THERE'S NOTHING ON THIS LIST THAT WE CAN'T DO RIGHT NOW. 
          IT'S HOW DO WE GET THERE? SO THAT'S ONE THING I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT. 
          EVERYTHING ON THIS LIST IS AN OPTION. 
          IT'S HOW DO WE GET THERE? I WANT TO SAY THIS, YOU JUST SAID THERE WASN'T EXTRA MONIES TO DO THINGS LIKE THERE HAS BEEN IN SOME YEARS. I'VE NEVER KNOWN A WHOLE LOT OF EXTRA MONEY AND I'VE BEEN AROUND THIS DISTRICT FOR 40 YEARS, BUT I AM GOING TO SAY AGAIN, I'VE SPOKEN WITH ATHLETIC DIRECTORS. 
          THERE HAS BEEN NO MEETING. 
          EVERYTHING WAS GOTTEN FROM THEM VIA EMAIL, SEND THEIR THOUGHTS IN INSTEAD OF THEM SITTING DOWN AND TALKING ABOUT IT. 
          40%, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S REASONABLE. 
          TO ME THAT'S AWFULLY HIGH, BUT YET AGAIN, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT HOW FAR AWAY WE ARE FROM THESE OTHER DISTRICTS AND WE'RE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AWAY, AND NO WONDER WE CAN'T GET THE QUALITY CANDIDATES WE WANT AND WE NEED IN OUR KIDS DESERVE. 
          THAT'S FRONT LINE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, AND I'M FIGHTING FOR IT. 
          I'LL TELL YOU WHY, AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'VE HEARD IT BEFORE FROM ME, BECAUSE OF FOOTBALL COACHES, THEY CHANGED MY WHOLE DESTINY AND MY LIFE AND THEY WERE QUALITY PEOPLE THAT I WAS BLESSED TO HAVE, AND THERE'S QUALITY PEOPLE IN OUR SCHOOL WORKING TO HELP THESE KIDS NOW, BUT SOME OF THEM JUST DON'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WHAT WE NEED FOR OUR KIDS. I HAVE A NEPHEW THAT'S AN ASSISTANT COACH AT ONE OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSITIES. 
          HE SAYS THEY DON'T EVEN RECRUIT AIKEN COUNTY BECAUSE THERE'S NO SUBSTANCE IN AIKEN COUNTY IN ATHLETICS, AND HE WAS TALKING OF A SPECIFIC SPORT AND I WON'T CALL IT OUT, BUT THAT'S THE IMAGE WE'VE GOT, AND IT'S NOT FAIR TO OUR KIDS, AND I'M NOT TAKING AWAY FROM ANYONE. 
          I'M JUST SAYING HOW MUCH OF A PRIORITY THIS IS TO ME. 
          THANK YOU. ANYBODY OTHER THAN MR. CRANE. [CHUCKLING] ALL RIGHT, MR. CRANE. I WANTED TO GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE BEFORE WE START ON THE SECOND ROUND. 
          HERE'S MY SECOND ROUND OF 20 QUESTIONS. 
          I'M KIDDING. SO ONE QUESTION AND THEN MAYBE A SOLUTION BASED QUESTION. 
          WHAT'S THE CURRENT FUND BALANCE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH TIME IT WOULD COVER? PROBABLY I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT BETWEEN TWO AND A HALF, TWO AND THREE QUARTERS MOST, BUT BASED ON THE BASED ON THE $230 MILLION BUDGET, LIKELY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UNDER THE OPTIONS, I'M ON SLIDE 41. 
          IN THE ABSENCE OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING, AVAILABLE OPTIONS MIGHT INCLUDE FOURTH BULLET, OTHER ELIMINATIONS. 
          I'M ASSUMING THAT WAS PUT ON THERE BECAUSE WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT OR IF WE HAVEN'T, MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT, ARE THERE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT WORD IS TO USE HERE, BUT THAT WE COULD DO WITHOUT. 
          I'LL TAKE THAT. 
          JUST TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, IN 2009, WE ACTUALLY INCREASED STUDENT TEACHER RATIOS BECAUSE WE WERE IN SUCH DIRE STRAITS FINANCIALLY THAT WE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS. 
          WE DIDN'T LAY ANYBODY OFF, BUT THROUGH ATTRITION, WE LOWERED THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAD AND INCREASED CLASS SIZES. 
          NOW, IT TOOK US TEN YEARS TO RECOVER FROM THAT. 
          SO, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS POSSIBLE, SOMETHING YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO DO. 
          [01:55:06]
WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT 230 MILLION, THOSE ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. SO THE OTHER REDUCTIONS WOULD BE ELIMINATING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. THE ONE THING THAT'S IN THERE IS THAT STEP INCREASE FOR FOR NON TEACHERS AND I THINK THAT'S A VERY CRITICAL THING AND THAT'S WHY SINCE 2013 WE'VE KEPT THAT AS A PRIORITY. BUT I DON'T WANT TO NOT DO FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. 
          I DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT. 
          SO MAYBE SOMETHING WE CAN TALK LATER ON, BUT. 
          ALL RIGHT. IF THERE'S NOBODY ELSE, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? MR. TRAXLER, YOU'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO US WITH A PROPOSED BUDGET, RIGHT? YES, SIR. NEXT. 
          NEXT TUESDAY. IT MIGHT BE THE SAME ONE. 
          IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING FOR US TO VOTE ON, ON FIRST READING. 
          UNLESS THERE'S GUIDANCE TO ADD THIS TO THE BUDGET FROM THE BOARD AND DO IT BY USE OF FUND BALANCE, INCREASE IN TAXES THIS YEAR THAT IT WOULD LIKELY LOOK VERY MUCH THE SAME OUTSIDE OF OF PLAYING WITH THE NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT TO GET IT IN BALANCE, AND AGAIN IT WOULD BE A THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM PAGES WHAT TO WHAT. 
          WELL IT REALLY END UP LOOKING LIKE THE EXPENDITURES BUDGET HERE. 
          SO 230,000,104 AND CHANGE AND IT WOULD INCLUDE THOSE ITEMS THAT I'VE LISTED A STEP INCREASE FOR ALL ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES, THE 4000 TEACHER INCREASE, BUS DRIVER INCREASE AND THOSE FEW OTHER CHANGES IN THERE. 
          BUT IF ANYBODY WANTS TO ADDRESS A SPECIFIC ITEMS SUCH AS THE COACHING AGENDA, HOW DO I DO THAT? TONIGHT IS AN OPPORTUNITY. 
          NEXT WEEK IS AN OPPORTUNITY. 
          SO NEXT WEEK WE'LL BRING IT FORWARD. 
          AND IF THE BOARD HAS HAD A WEEK'S TIME TO SLEEP ON SOMETHING, THEN WANTS TO PROPOSE THAT WE ADD THIS TOP PRIORITY BY DOING THIS. 
          THEN WE'LL LEAVE THAT NIGHT. 
          WE'LL MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENT IN THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET, AND THAT'S WHAT WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET ADVERTISEMENT. 
          DR. 
          HANKS. MR. TRAXLER, THIS MAY NOT BE YOU, BUT FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT DON'T HAVE A CLUE OR HAVE A 1 TO 1 RELATIONSHIP WITH ATHLETIC DIRECTORS, CAN WE GET A SIMPLE CHART THAT SORT OF SHOWS US A BREAKDOWN OF WHERE WE ARE COMPARED TO, SAY, THE TOP TEN OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ARE CLOSE TO US? SO WE CAN LITERALLY SEE IT IN BLACK AND WHITE AND SEE WHERE WE FALL. 
          THAT'S THAT INFORMATION THAT I DON'T HAVE. 
          I KNOW THAT OUR ADS RAN SOME COMPARISONS. 
          I'M NOT SURE WE DO HAVE THAT. 
          OKAY. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE. 
          WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? I'D LIKE TO SEE THE ACTUAL SALARIES OF SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, NOT BY NAME, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT A FOOTBALL COACH IN GREENVILLE HIGH SCHOOL MAKES VERSUS AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL. 
          I BELIEVE THAT IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT BE, YOU KNOW, MIGHT PUT PUT SOME LIGHT ON THIS THING. YES, WE'LL GET THAT OUT AND WE COULD HAVE THAT BEFORE NEXT MEETING SO THAT PEOPLE COULD STUDY IT, AND IN CASE THEY WANTED TO MAKE MOTIONS OR WHATEVER, THE SOONER THE BETTER TO GIVE TIME TO, YOU KNOW, DIG INTO IT I THINK FOR EVERYBODY. 
          I'D LIKE TO SAY QUICKLY TO MR. TRAXLER, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT IN GOING OVER THIS TONIGHT, I SAW WHERE FUNDING WAS PROVIDED FOR ADDITIONAL BAND ASSISTANCE AND TO TRY TO ALIGN BAND SUPPLEMENTS WITH THE FOOTBALL SUPPLEMENTS, AND I WANT TO ECHO WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT TRYING TO LOOK AT A COMPARISON. IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE COULD ALSO GET A COMPARISON OF THE FIGURES AROUND THE STATE OR WHAT THOSE BANDS HAVE IN FUNDING ACROSS THE STATE AND THE SALARIES AND STUFF. I'D LIKE THAT TOO, BECAUSE I ALSO THINK THAT, AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, THAT 
          [02:00:03]
CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, ATHLETICS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT TAKING AWAY FROM THAT, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT BAND IS AND SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP OUT OUR BANDS, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL, AND WHAT WOULD REALLY BE INTERESTING TO PUT ALONGSIDE IT IS THEY HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU PAY ON A $250,000 HOME? HOW MUCH TAXES? WELL, THAT'S NO LONGER. 
          NO, NO, BUT IT'S BASICALLY BUSINESSES. 
          SOME INDICATION OF WHAT THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE WILLING TO PAY TO HAVE BETTER SCHOOLS, BETTER COACHES, BETTER WHATEVER. 
          YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW, BUT WHEN I LEFT HERE IN 2008, THERE WAS ONLY ONE DISTRICT IN IN THE IMMEDIATE PROXIMITY THAT HAD A LOWER TAX RATE THAN AIKEN, AND THAT WAS MCCORMICK COUNTY. 
          EVERY OTHER ALLENDALE, BARNWELL, EDGEFIELD, ALL THE COLUMBIA, GEORGIA SCHOOLS PAID MORE TAXES THAN AIKEN COUNTY, AND IT'S NOT I'M NOT PUTTING THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF ATHLETICS. 
          I'M PUTTING THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF YOU SORT OF GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'RE PAYING WHAT WE SHOULD BE PAYING. 
          HAVING SAID THAT, I AM CERTAINLY NOT ADVOCATING THE TAX INCREASE. 
          I'M NOT GOING THERE. WE'VE BEEN LUCKY TO GET THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AND A REFERENDUM THAT GAVE US MONEY TO BUILD SCHOOLS. 
          THEY GAVE US A 1% SALES TAX. 
          WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK TO THEM IN ANOTHER YEAR FOR ANOTHER TO RENEW THAT $0.01 SALES TAX. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S BEEN GENEROUS ON THE PART OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT WE HAD A LOT OF CATCHING UP TO DO AND WE HAVEN'T CAUGHT UP YET, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON. 
          WE WILL NEED AN MR. SMITH. I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT [INAUDIBLE] SAID IN MY PASSION, THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT THAT SUBJECT. I FAILED TO MENTION BEN AS WELL, AND I CERTAINLY MEANT TO INCLUDE THEM IN THOSE THOUGHTS. WE WILL NEED AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSES OF HEARING A STUDENT APPEAL. 
          IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. 
          MOVED BY MS. RHINEHART-[INAUDIBLE]. 
          CHAIR. SIR, BEFORE BEFORE WE DO THAT. 
          MR. TRAXLER, ARE YOU BRINGING SOMETHING UP FOR US OR. 
          OH, I HAVE TO EMAIL IT OUT. 
          YEAH, I WAS LOOKING FOR THE MILLAGE RATE IMPACT. 
          OKAY. SORRY, I DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE ON. 
          IF THERE'S SOMETHING CRITICAL THAT COMES UP PROBABLY IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE CAN GO BACK. WE GO. WE WILL GO BACK INTO REGULAR SESSION. 
          WE CAN DISCUSS IT THEN AS A CARRY OVER TO THE BUDGET. 
          YES. WE'LL ATTACH IT WITH THOSE OTHER COMPARISONS. 
          OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 
          WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. 
          WHO SECONDED IT? I NEED A SECOND, MR. CRANE. IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION, WE'LL RAISE YOUR HAND WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. 
          [Executive Session]
THAT'S EVERYBODY. LET'S DO IT QUICKLY. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          OKAY. I LOST JASON. 
          I THINK HE HAD TO GO TO THE RESTROOM. 
          OKAY. I'LL NEED A MOTION TO GO BACK INTO REGULAR SESSION FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION. 
          MOVED BY MS. JACKSON, SECONDED BY SOMEBODY. 
          [02:05:01]
MR. CRANE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          THAT'S EVERYBODY. WE'RE BACK IN REGULAR SESSION NOW. 
          WHILE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE HEARD A STUDENT APPEAL, AND WE MADE A MOTION AS TO THE DISPOSITION OF THAT APPEAL. 
          MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE UPHOLD THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE STUDENT. 
          ANY DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR OF UPHOLDING THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE STUDENT OF THE DISPOSITION OF STUDENT APPEAL. 
          PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. 
          THE MOTION CARRIES THE. 
          THE ACTION IS THAT THE STUDENT WILL BE EXPELLED. 
          IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. 
          THE MOTION AND SECONDED, ANY DISCUSSION. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          WE STAND ADJOURNED. 
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.