WE'RE NOW GOING TO HAVE -- GO TO THE WORK SESSION. [00:00:03] AND I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH DR. HUTCHINGS AND I DON'T [Call to Order] KNOW FROM -- YES. I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO. >> YES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SUSAN ARE YOU GOING TO PRESENT THE PRESENTATION? IS THAT HOW THAT WORKS? I CAN'T HEAR YOU SUSAN. NO, I CAN'T. >> FOR SOME REASON YOUR MUTE IS NOT ON, SUSAN BUT I COULDN'T HEAR YOU WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING. >> SORRY. I'M ON MY PHONE. SO I HAVE TO MUTE TWO THINGS. SORRY. ACTUALLY, DOMINIC OR ROBERT CAN RUN THE PRESENTATION. SO IF THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. THEY SHOULD PULL UP THEIR POWER POINT VERSION OF THE DOCUMENT. >> OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO SEE IF DOMINIC OR -- DOMINIC, DO YOU HAVE ELECTRICITY TODAY? >> OH, YES. IT HAS BEEN TOTALLY TREATING ME WELL TODAY. >> GREAT. ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO BREAK UP THE -- BRING UP THE POWER POINT FOR ME? >> YEAH, I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN RIGHT NOW. >> THANKS. >> GIVE ME A THUMBS UP IF YOU CAN SEE IT, EVERYBODY? >> YES, WE CAN SEE IT. >> YOU CAN JUST PUT IT INTO THE PRESENTATION FORMAT. ALL RIGHT. SO BEST -- LET'S GO AHEAD AND DIVE RIGHT INTO THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT IS [Item 1] IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE WERE IN FEBRUARY AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY. WHICH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THESE ARE DEFINITELY UNPRECEDENTED TIMES FOR ALL OF US AND WE WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE SITTING HERE REVISING AND DOING REDUCTIONS IN A BUDGET THAT WE WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO. THAT WE REALLY DID A GREAT JOB ON. SO IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, DOMINIC, I WANT TO GET RIGHT INTO THE PRESENTATION. SO THIS RIGHT HERE GIVES THE BOARD AS WELL AS ANY OF OUR VIEWERS AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE OUR FY21 BUDGET WAS IN FEBRUARY IN REGARDS TO WHAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS NOW. AND YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET AND A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY DON'T UNDERSTAND, WHAT IS THE COMBINED BUDGET, AND WE TRY TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, SOME INFORMATION AND EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY ON THAT OUR COMBINED FUNDS BUDGET, IT CONSISTS OF THREE DIFFERENT BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, ONE IS OPERATING BE ONE IS OUR SCHOOL NUTRITION AND THE OTHER IS GRANTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS. AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO LAY THAT OUT THIS WAY SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE IMPACT THAT THIS PANDEMIC IS HAVING ON US OVER THESE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST SECTION, YOU'LL SEE THE OPERATING FUND. AND BACK IN FEBRUARY, THE BOARD APPROVED A BUDGET OF A LITTLE OVER $297 MILLION. AND WE AS YOU ALL KNOW HAD A DEFICIT OF A LITTLE OVER $11.7 MILLION. AND THAT IS A COMBINATION OF THE CITY APPROPRIATIONS, OUR STATE AS WELL AS OUR LOCAL DOLLARS THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON OUR BUDGET. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE HERE THE $1.2 MILLION. THESE ARE FUNDS THAT WE ARE REQUESTING TO COME FROM OUR CIP AND BEING TRANSFERRED IN FROM OUR CIP INTO OUR COMBINED FUNDS BUDGET. AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THOSE POSITIONS LATER ON TODAY. AND THEN THAT IS HOW YOU SEE IN THE OPERATING BUDGET RIGHT NOW OUR PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION WE'RE AT 286, A LITTLE OVER $286 MILLION IN REGARDS TO OUR OPERATING. WHEN YOU SHIFT OVER AND LOOK AT THE NEXT COLUMN, YOU'LL SEE OUR NUTRITION BUDGET. AT THIS TIME, WE'RE NOT REALLY SEEING A CHANGE IN REGARDS TO OUR SCHOOL NUTRITION FUNDING. WE HOPE THAT WILL REMAIN THE SAME AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FEED OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, EVEN DURING THIS PANDEMIC. AND OUR SCHOOL NUTRITION SERVICES HAVE BEEN DOING A REMARKABLE JOB, AS WELL AS [00:05:04] EVERYONE ELSE ASSISTING WITH THAT FROM SECURITY OFFICERS TO OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO MANY OF OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO ARE HELPING WITH THOSE MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES AND MOBILE SITES THAT WE'RE DOING. AND THEN THE THIRD COLUMN, THIS-- OR THIRD SECTION, THIS DEALS WITH OUR GRANTS AND OUR SPECIAL PROJECTS. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE -- IN THE APPROVED BUDGET BACK IN FEBRUARY, WE WERE A LITTLE OVER $6 MILLION. YOU'LL SEE THE $3.6 MILLION, WHICH COMES FROM THE GRANT-- SORRY THE CARES ACT. AND WE'VE INCLUDED THAT INTO OUR GRANTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THOSE DOLLARS COME FROM. THESE ARE FEDERAL DOLLARS. ONE TIME DOLLARS THAT HAVE GUIDELINES THAT WE WILL HAVE TO USE IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING SOME OF THE CONCERNS AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT COVID-19 HAS BROUGHT TO US. AND I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT LATER AS WELL. WHICH BRINGS OUR GRANT AND OUR SPECIAL PROJECTS, ACTUALLY INCREASE FROM OUR PREVIOUS, YOU KNOW, BUDGET IN FEBRUARY TO NOW A LITTLE OVER $20 MILLION IN THIS REVISED BUDGET INCLUDING THOSE CARE ACT FUNDS. SO IF OVERALL YOU CAN SEE IN THE FINAL COLUMN, THIS IS THE COMBINED FUNDS WHEN YOU COMBINE ALL THREE OF THESE FUNDS, WHICH IS WHY THEY CALL IT COMBINED, YOU WILL SEE WITH THE DEFICIT OVER A LITTLE OVER $11 MILLION AND THE INCREASE OVER $3 MILLION, $3.6 MILLION, YOU SEE AN OVERALL DEFICIT IN THE COMBINED FUNDS OF ABOUT $8 MILLION. FROM THE FEBRUARY BUDGET TO THE CURRENT BUDGET THAT WE'RE PROPOSING. AND THEN YOU WILL ALSO SEE THE TRANSFER OF THE $1.2 MILLION FROM C.I.P. INTO THE COMBINED FUNDS BUDGET, WHICH GIVES OUR FY21 REVISED APPROVED BUDGET AT 317-- I'M SORRY, 317 MILLION-- $317.7 MILLION. EXCUSE ME. CAN WE KEEP IT GOING? YOU KNOW A PART OF THIS PANDEMIC NOT ONLY IMPACTED OUR COMBINED FUNDS BUDGET BUT IT ALSO HAD A SLIGHT IMPACT ON OUR CIP BUDGET AS WELL. FORTUNATELY, WITH THE CITY'S APPROVAL OF THE MOST RECENT BUDGET THAT THEY HAVE APPROVED, THERE'S ONLY ONE IMPACT TO OUR CIP THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE CIP BUDGET WE APPROVED THIS PAST FALL. AND THAT IS MOVING THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT-- HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS FROM FY21 OUT TO FY23. YOU WILL NOTICE IN THIS COLUMN FOR FY 22 THAT WE ARE REQUESTING FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE $30 MILLION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT DOLLARS AND FY22 SO WE CAN KEEP OUR HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT ON SCHEDULE. MEANING HAVING A BUILDING OPEN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024. SO YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE US WITH $30 MILLION IN FY22 AND THE REMAINDER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT CONSTRUCTION IN FY23 TO KEEP THIS PROJECT ON TARGET SO WE CAN HAVE A BUILDING OPENING IN FY24. KEEP GOING. NONE OF THE OTHER AREAS CHANGE. THAT'S WHY I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THOSE ITEMS FROM THE LAST BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED. I WANTED TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER ON THE CIP TRANSFER INTO OUR COMBINED FUNDS. SPECIFICALLY WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS BACK IN THE FALL IN REGARDS TO TRYING TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE STAFFING FOUR DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING. AS YOU ALL KNOW, AT THIS POINT, WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING CIP PROJECTS FOR THE NEXT AT LEAST 10 YEARS. AND POSSIBLY MORE THAN THAT. BECAUSE WE ARE A GROWING POPULATION, WE HAVE AGING BUILDINGS. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THESE PROJECTS DONE APPROPRIATELY AND ACCURATELY. THIS CIP TRANSFER, THIS IS SOMETHING OUR TEAM HAD TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND INTRODUCED THIS TO THE BOARD THIS PAST FALL, IS MAKING SURE WHEN WE HAVE DIFFERENT PROJECTS CIP PROJECTS, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO STAFF THOSE EMPLOYEES THROUGH ACPS DURING THE DURATION OF THA PROJECT. THE GOAL IS NOT TO HAVE THESE EMPLOYEES ON FOREVER. THESE EMPLOYEES ARE DESIGNATED TO SPECIFIC PROJECTS, SO IF YOU LOOK HERE, YOU SEE A HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT MANAGER, THAT INDIVIDUAL WILL BE ABLE TO ONLY WORK ON THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT-- ON THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT DURING ITS DURATION. ONCE THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT IS COMPLETED, THAT POSITION IS NO LONGER A PART OF OUR EMPLOYMENT HERE IN ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO THIS IS AN ANNUAL SALARY BENEFITS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THESE AMOUNTS THAT YOU WILL SEE. BUT THESE ARE POSITIONS THAT ARE NEEDED TO MANAGE ALL OF THE NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING ABOUT, DOUGLAS MACARTHUR, OUR EDUCATIONAL DESIGN TEAM, A SYSTEM-WIDE [00:10:01] ARCHITECT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND IN LIEU OF US HAVING TO GO OUT AND OUTSOURCE A CONSULTANT WHICH CAN BE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE WHEN YOU'RE DOING ONE UPS WITH ARCHITECTS, IT IS ACTUALLY LEAST EXPENSIVE FOR US TO HIRE OUR OWN. WE HAVE OUR OWN ARCHITECT ON SITE FOR SCHOOL WIDE PROJECTS HAVING SCHOOL WIDE OR DIVISION WIDE PROJECT MANAGERS AS WELL TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON ARE BEING MANAGED APPROPRIATELY AND THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC ITEMS AND NOT TRYING TO KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE DID ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT AND BREAKING UP INFORMATION FROM THREE OTHER PROJECTS BECAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A FOCUS. AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS OVER THE PAST YEAR AND JUST ENSURING THAT WE ARE REMAINING FOCUSSED ON THE REMAINING PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD. AND ALSO COMMUNICATIONS. THAT IS A SPECIFIC AREA THAT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO OUR OWN COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY CIP PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING. YOU KNOW IT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP WEBSITES UPDATED TO MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY IS INFORMED ABOUT HOW DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT. TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVING STATUS REPORTS TO THE COMMUNITY. TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING INFORMATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY. THAT IS GOING TO REQUIRE SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES THROUGHOUT NOT ONLY THE SYSTEM-WIDE PROJECTS BUT ALSO SPECIFICALLY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT AND OUR DOUGLAS MACARTHUR PROJECT. AND THEN OUR PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST AS YOU ALL UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU GET TO GET ALL OF THE BOARD BRIEFS AND MEMOS WHEN DEALING WITH OUR PROCUREMENT. WE HAVE IN ADDITION TO THE PROCUREMENT THAT RUNS A SCHOOL DIVISION, WE HAVE CIP PROCUREMENTS THAT NEEDS TO OCCUR AND GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIALIST SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR CIP PROJECTS. WE'RE IN A UNIQUE SITUATION IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA BECAUSE WE'RE GROWING. AND A LOT OF OTHER CITIES THEY ARE NOT. AND WE'RE TRYING TO STAY TRUE TO OUR GROWTH AND TRYING TO BUILD AS WELL AS RENOVATE SEVERAL OF OUR BUILDINGS OVER THE NEXT TE YEARS. AND IT IS GOING TO REQUIRE US TO HAVE SPECIALISTS WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE AREAS. THIS GIVES AN IDEA WHERE THE $1.2 MILLION THAT COMES OUT OF THE CIP THAT WAS ALREADY A PART OF THE BUDGET THAT IS NOW GIVING YOU SPECIFICALLY HOW IT IS BEING USED OR ALLOCATED IN THE COMBINED FUNDS BUDGET. GETTING SHIFTING BACK INTO SOME OF OUR COMPENSATION CONVERSATIONS AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR DEFICITS THAT NOT ONLY ALEXANDRIA IS EXPERIENCING BUT MANY OF OUR SURROUNDING DIVISIONS ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING. THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS ARE OCCURRING OR WHAT SPECIFIC AREAS OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE LOOKING AT TO CONDUCT PRODUCTIONS. AS YOU CAN SEE EVERY SURROUNDING DIVISION IS BEING HIT IN SOME FORM OR FASHION. THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW AS I LOOK AT OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR REDUCTIONS, I THINK WE ARE BETTER OFF THAN MANY OF OUR SURROUNDING DIVISIONS WHICH IS A OBLIGATION-- PLUS FOR NOW. I HOPE WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME TRAJECTORY. THIS IS JUST PROVIDING THE BOARD AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY WITH AN OVERVIEW OF HOW OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE BALANCING THEIR BUDGETS DURING THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC. YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THESE ARE-- YOU ALL ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THESE, THESE ARE COMBINED FUNDS, COSPONSORSHIPS THAT OCCURRED THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO TALK THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT IMPLICATIONS THAT WE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD BUT WE'RE HOPING TO BE IN MORE DETAIL OR HAVE A DEEPER DISCUSSION AROUND THESE SPECIFIC ITEMS. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REVISITED AND REMINDED THAT WAS IN OUR SESSION TODAY. AND I'M HOPING TO GET INTO THESE MORE DEEPLY. KEEP GOING. I WANTED TO PROVIDE JUST SOME OVERVIEW, BECAUSE THERE WERE QUESTIONS AROUND THE TARGETED MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE IN THE BUDGET AND REMAINED IN THE BUDGET IN THE REVISED BUDGET THAT I PRESENTED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. I WANTED TO TAKE US BACK TO THE FALL. BECAUSE IN THE FALL, WE DID CONDUCT A PRELIMINARY INTERNAL COMPENSATION ANALYSIS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR. IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO. YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR. AND DURING THAT ANALYSIS OF ALL OF OUR INTERNAL COMPENSATION, WE WERE ABLE [00:15:01] TO FIND, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME THAT OUR TEACHERS, YO KNOW, WE WERE LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT MASTER'S DEGREE THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORK FORCE, WE HAVE MASTER'S WHO ARE TEACHERS. FIRST STEP AND OUR TOP STEPS. OUR TEACHERS WITH THE MASTER'S DEGREE ARE IN THE TOP TIER IN REGARDS TO THE MARKET. AND WE KNEW THAT FROM THAT TIME THAT THAT WAS NOT GOING TO BE A SPECIFIC AREA THAT WE WERE GOING TO FOCUS ON FOR COMPENSATION STUDY DUE TO OUR INTERNAL ANALYSIS. THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR TEACHER, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEE GROUP WITHIN OUR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION STUDY. BUT WHAT WE DID DISCOVER IN OUR INTERNAL COMPENSATION ANALYSIS IS THAT BUS DRIVERS, THAT THEY WERE IN THE LOWER TIER IN REGARDS TO THE FIRST STEP IN THE TOP STEP. OUR ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES WERE ALSO IN THE LOWER TIER AS WELL AS OUR SENIOR LEADERS. AND BECAUSE WE IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, THESE PARTICULAR GROUPS IN OUR LOWER TIER, IS WHY WE HIRED SEGAL TO COME IN AND CONDUCT THE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION STUDY. WE WANTED A THIRD PARTY COME IN TO DO A DEEPER DIVE BECAUSE OUR ANALYSIS WAS REALLY JUST LOOKING AT THE MARKET AND WHAT DIFFERENT SALARIES WERE AND OUR DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS. AND THIS EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION STUDY TAKES A DEEPER DIVE AND IT LOOKS AT BENEFITS AND IT LOOKS AT LEAVE AND LOOKS AT, YOU KNOW, TRENDS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THIS AREA AND IT PROVIDES US WITH A DEEPER ANALYSIS SO WE CAN MAKE A BETTER INFORMED DECISION AROUND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO HAVE MORE COMPETITIVE SALARIES IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA. FROM THAT COMPENSATION STUDY WAS THE TARGETED MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WAS PROPOSED IN THE INITIAL BUDGET AND APPROVED BACK IN FEBRUARY AND WAS ALSO KEPT IN THE REVISED BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO KEEP THESE EMPLOYEE GROUPS ON A TRAJECTORY OF AT LEAST GETTING INTO THE AVERAGE RANGE. YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS NOT TO BE NUMBER ONE. YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE NUMBER ONE. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT WE'RE STRIVING TO BE. BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE AT LEAST IN THE TOP TIER IN REGARDS TO OUR SALARIES. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT EMPLOYEE GROUPS EVERY YEAR. AND THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT EMPLOYEE GROUPS OVER TIME THAT WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN REGARD TO MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENTS TO KEEP THEM COMPETITIVE. AND KEEP GOING. THIS SLIDE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW OUR OPERATING RIGHT NOW IS UNCERTAIN IN REGARDS TO OUR FUTURE. I SAID IT IN OUR LAST SESSION. I SAID IT IN THE SESSION BEFORE. I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN TODAY. I HOPE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO REFOCUS OUR BUDGET AND MAKE MORE REDUCTIONS MOVING FORWARD BUT IT IS STILL POSSIBLE. OUR DOORS OF ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS HAVE NOT OPENED, INCLUDING THE DOORS OF OUR SCHOOLS, THEY'RE IN -- STILL NOT OPEN. AND WE MAY CONTINUE TO SEE SOME FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL DIVISION AS WELL AS THE CITY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. AND WE JUST HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP MONITORING AND WATCHING. AND ONE IS, FORTUNATELY THE VIDEO HAS PROVIDED US WITH SOME FLEXIBILITY AND THE AND HE HAS MADE SOME SHIFTS IN HIS RECOMMENDATIONS PREVIOUSLY. ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO OUR QUALITY WITH REGARD TO SCHOOLS ESPECIALLY OUR COUNSELORS AND COUNSELOR STUDENT RATIOS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. THERE'S BEEN SOME FLEXIBILITY THAT HELPED US TREMENDOUSLY WITH THE BUDGET EXPECTATIONS. THE CARES ACT FUNDING WHICH IS HUGE FOR US, I WISH IT WAS A LOT MORE. BUT I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE 3.6 MILLION-- OR A LITTLE OVER $3.6 MILLION ALLOCATED TO THE SCHOOL DIVISION IF WE MEET THE CRITERIA AND THE GUIDELINES FOR THE EXPENDITURES THAT RELATE TO COVID-19. AND WHAT OUR TEAM IS FOCUSING ON RIGHT NOW IS FOUR SPECIFIC AREAS WITH THIS CARES ACT FUNDING. WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR DISTANCE LEARNING. BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD NOT PLANNED FOR EVER HAVING ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ON A COMPUTER OR DOING LEARNING PACKETS FROM HOME. THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS IN OUR LISTED THINGS TO DO. IT WASN'T PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. THE OTHER IS TECHNOLOGY. BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SUPPORTS AND SERVICES TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER OUR DISTANCE LEARNING. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR CARES ACT FUNDING WAS FOCUSING ON THAT. WE DID NOT BUDGET TO HAVE THE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCES WE'RE OFFERING NOW TO OUR STUDENTS. MEAL DISTRIBUTION IS ANOTHER AREA. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE OUR MEALS IN ORDER TO FEED ALL KIDS. YOU KNOW THAT DOES REQUIRE ADDITIONAL EFFORT, ADDITIONAL WORK FORCE, [00:20:04] ADDITIONAL FOOD TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE AND THE MORE OUR BUSINESSES AND THINGS ARE CLOSED, THE MORE OUR FAMILIES ARE BEING LAID OFF, WE ARE GOING TO SEE MORE STUDENTS WHO NEED FOOD AND MEALS THAT WE DID NOT SEE PREVIOUSLY. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PREPARED AND ABLE TO ABSORB THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS THAT WILL BE NEEDED. AND FINALLY OUR EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WHEN WE OPEN OUR DOORS, WE'RE GOING TO STILL NEED TO HAVE PPE FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF. WE CAN'T EXPECT FOR THEM TO BRING THEIR OWN. WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF SCREENING STATIONS FOR STUDENTS, AND STAFF, BEFORE THEY ENTER OUR BUILDINGS, HOLDING STATIONS FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF WHO MAY FEEL ILL OR SICK, SO THEY'RE NOT IN THE SAME AREA WITH OTHERS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MAKE SOME ACCOMMODATIONS TO BE ABLE TO PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND SOCIAL GATHERING GUIDELINES WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SHIELDS, YOU KNOW, PLASTIC SHIELDS THAT YOU MAY SEE RIGHT NOW AT OUR GROCERY STORES AND THINGS TO TRY TO PREVENT THE PASSING OF DROPLETS OF ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER. SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN-- EVEN THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT-- I KNOW I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT AS A SUPERINTENDENT, PPE AND PLASTIC SHIELDS THINGS LIKE THAT. IT WASN'T SOMETHING I WENT TO SCHOOL TO LEARN ABOUT. BUT IT IS NOW OUR NEW NORMAL AND WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE OUR BUILDINGS EQUIPPED FOR THAT IF WE'RE WELCOMING STUDENTS AND STAFF BACK INTO THE BUILDING. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE ITEMS AT $3.6 MILLION DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A WHOLE LOT ANY MORE BECAUSE THOSE ITEMS THAT WE'RE REFERRING TO ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO BE ABLE TO RESOLVE ESPECIALLY FOR 19 SCHOOLS POTENTIALLY. >>> THE OTHER ITEM THAT I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, IF YOU'RE ALREADY NOT AWARE WITH THE HEROS ACT, IT WAS PASSED THROUGH THE HOUSE, BUT IT MAY HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY MAKING IT ALL OF THE WAY THROUGH TO COME TO FRUITION, BUT THIS WILL BE A $3 TRILLION STIMULUS BILL AND ROUGHLY $90 BILLION WILL ACTUALLY GO TO EDUCATION, WHICH COULD HELP OUR SCHOOLS TREMENDOUSLY, IF IT WAS PASSED. THERE ARE MANY OBSTACLES THAT STILL REMAIN. SO I'M NOT SURE THAT IT IS GOING TO MAKE IT BUT I'M GOING TO HE REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT THE HEROS ACT IS PASSED SO WE HAVE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SERVICES NOT ONLY FOR OUR STUDENTS BUT ALSO FOR OUR STAFF AND THE HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO MAINTAIN ONCE OUR DOORS OPEN BACK UP. AND FINALLY THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY. I SAID THIS BEFORE, ONE THING THAT I'M CONSTANTLY TRYING TO DO IS STILL BECAUSE I'M ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, BUY MEALS AND STILL ORDER DELIVERY, BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO INVEST INTO OUR ECONOMY. IF YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, PLEASE TRY TO BUY SOMETHING. AMAZON, WHEREVER. IF YOU CAN. BECAUSE WE DO BENEFIT FROM OUR STATE SALES TAX, EVEN WHEN THEY'RE ONLINE ORDERS. THE STATE SALES TAX STILL BENEFITS US IN THE END. SO IF YOU ARE ABLE, PLEASE CONTINUE TO PURCHASE FOODS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SCREEN. BUT I-- THAT WAS THE LAST SLIDE. WE'RE GOING TO GO RIGHT INTO QUESTIONS. SO I WILL TAKE OR GIVE THINGS BACK TO MADAM CHAIR TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS. >> OKAY. DR. RIEF HAS HER HAND UP. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU DR. HUTCHINGS FOR THAT OVERVIEW OF THE REVISED BUDGET. I WANTED TO ASK TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION. THE FIRST IS AROUND THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT AND THAT TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM THE CIP TO THE OPERATING SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HIRE SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS VERSUS RELYING ON CONTRACTORS. I WAS JUST-- WHAT I WAS INTERESTED WAS THAT WE HAD SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS SCHOOL PROJECT AND JUST HAVING CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONTINUITY OF THAT, I WAS WONDERING IF IT IS GOING TO BE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS O IF-- CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY. >> SAY THE LAST PART BECAUSE YOU WENT OUT AND CAME BACK IN. >> I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE WERE GOING TO BE KEEPING THE SAME INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US, SINCE THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROJECT ALREADY AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US FOR THE PAST YEAR. AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION WAS ABOUT SOME TYPE OF HAZARD OR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PAY. IN THE SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET QUESTIONS THAT WE SUBMITTED ONE OF THE ANSWERS ABOUT THAT SAID YOU ALL ARE WORKING ON A PLAN TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PAY FOR ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES. AS WE ALL KNOW THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN CLOSED FOR TWO MONTHS NOW AND THERE'S ONLY ONE MONTH REMAINING IN SCHOOL YEAR. I'M CURIOUS WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT PLAN AND WILL IT INCLUDE BACK PAY OR WILL IT APPEAR IN THE FY20 BUDGET OR FY21 BUDGET. IF YOU CAN SPEAK OF THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT MANAGERS AND THE MANAGERS WORKING ON THAT PROJECT AND THEN THE HAZARD PAY. [00:25:02] >> SO I'LL ANSWER THE QUESTION. BUT I'LL HAVE ERIKA GULICK ANSWER THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT MANAGERS AS THE DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL PLANNING PROGRAMMING AND IMPROVEMENT. I'VE GOT TO GET YOUR NAME OR YOUR TITLE DOWN, ERIKA. BUT DR. RIEF IN REGARDS TO THE SECOND QUESTION. YES, WE ARE WORKING ON A PLAN TO PROVIDE HAZARD PAY FOR OUR STAFF. WE'RE FINALIZING THAT RIGHT NOW. IT WILL NOT BE BACK PAY. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO BACK PAY BECAUSE WE'RE USING FY20 DOLLARS. WE WANTED TO ENSURE WE WOULD HAVE THE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. THAT'S WHY WE COULDN'T MAKE THE COMMITMENT EARLIER BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY UNCERTAINTIES AROUND THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE MEALS. AND THOSE WERE THE TWO AREAS THAT HAD THE BIGGEST EXPENSES FOR US THAT WERE JUST, YOU KNOW, BIG AT A SHORT PERIOD OF TYPE. TRYING TO GET THE CHROME BOOKS AND THE CON JEETS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE SQUARED AWAY PRIOR TO THAT COMMITMENT. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HAZARD PAY FROM JUNE 1ST THROUGH JUNE 30TH FOR OUR ESSENTIAL STAFF WHO WERE WORKING THROUGH THE FINAL PLANS NOW. SO WE'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS FOR THE BOARD AS WELL AS FOR THE STAFF MEMBERS NEXT WEEK. MS. GULICK IF YOU CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION REGARDING THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT MANAGERS AND ARE THEY THE SAME MANAGERS WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE OR ARE THEY DIFFERENT? >> SURE. GOOD AFTERNOON. I THINK IN RESPONSE TO THAT DR. RIEF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH MORE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS WE'RE ABLE TO DO. SO THE INITIAL STEP WAS IDENTIFY THE BUDGET SO WE COULD PURSUE MAKING THAT INDIVIDUAL AN ACPS EMPLOYEE BUT WE STILL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH HR LOGISTICS OF THAT. I WILL SAY THERE ARE A LOT OF CONTRACTORS ON THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT. WE STARTED TWO YEARS AGO WE'RE GETTING READY TO PUT OUT THE RFP FOR THE ENGINEER. SO SOME OF THE CONTRACTORS YOU SAY WILL CHANGE. LIKELY THE DESIGN FIRM BUT THERE ARE SOME WE'RE MAINTAINING. IN PARTICULAR DP CONSULTANTS WHO HAS DONE OUR-- HELP MANAGE THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNICATIONS WILL STAY ON THE PROJECT. WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE KNOW MORE. WE STILL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE LOGISTICS OF THAT. >> OKAY. JUST TO CLARIFY. AT THIS POINT, JUST LOOKING FOR CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO ON AS DR. HUTCHINGS MENTIONED AND DO THE EACH INDIVIDUAL ADD DELETE ONE BY ONE. SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION? I THINK THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO ASK, ACTUALLY, WAS ABOUT THE CIP AND WHAT IS THE STATUS OF ANY RFP'S OR THAT WE'RE HAVING AND THE TIMING OF THOSE RIGHT NOW. >> MS. GULICK? >> I CAN SPEAK ON THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECTS ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEER RFP AT LEAST WE'RE HOPING, FINGERS CROSSED, IT WILL GO OUT NEXT WEEK, BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK. AND IT WILL BE OUT FOR AT LEAST 30 DAYS FOR STEIN FIRMS TO RESPOND. WE-- MR.  BANKS HAS LET US KNOW THAT WE ALREADY RECEIVED A LOT OF INTEREST FROM ARCHITECTS. SO WE SHOULD HAVE GOOD COMPETITION THERE. THAT'S THE ONE THAT FROM MY TEAM, WE HAVE-- MY LEAGUE, DR. ALICIA HART COULD COMMENT ON ANY OTHER CIP PROCUREMENTS THAT SHE'S WORKING ON. >> THANK YOU, ERIKA. AS ERIKA ALLUDED TO, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH MR. BANKS AS WELL ON OUR PROCUREMENT. I BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO OR THREE MORE IN THE PIPELINE TO BE COMPLETED. BUT RIGHT NOW OUR PROJECTS ARE ON SCHEDULE FROM A PROCUREMENT STANDPOINT. AND I BELIEVE MR. BANKS WOULD PROVIDE MORE SPECIFICS IN TERMS OF WHICH PROJECTS WILL BE COMING TO THE BOARD IN THE COMING WEEKS. >> THAT'S FINE. I REALLY JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY MOVING FORWARD. THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE HAPPENING SO EVEN THOUGH THERE IS LITTLE REARRANGING OF THE FUNDS FOR THE MINI HOWARD-- FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. SO THAT IS GOOD NEWS. >>> SO IN ORDER TO DO THE ADD DELETES ONE BY ONE, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ASK IF [00:30:04] SOMEONE CAN PUT IT BACK ON THAT SLIDE BACK ON THE SCREEN SO WE CAN ALL BE SEEING THE SAME THING. OKAY. GREAT. SO I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO I GUESS IS WE'LL GO THE FIRST ONE IS ONE THAT DR. RIEF SUGGESTED AND I DON'T KNOW DR. HUTCHINGS, DO YOU WANT TO TALK TO EACH ONE AND THEN HAVE BOARD MEMBERS CLARIFYING QUESTIONS OR DO YOU WANT-- >> I THINK IT MAY BE GOOD FOR THE BOARD MEMBER WHO MADE THE RECOMMENDATION TO SHARE OUT ABOUT THE ADD DELETE AND THEN WE CAN RESPOND. >> OKAY. DR. RIEF. >> THANK YOU, EVERYONE. IF YOU JUST-- I'D APPRECIATE IF I COULD JUST MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THIS. SO I JUST WANT OUR PARENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO KNOW WITH THIS REVISED BUDGET ACPS EMPLOYEES ARE COLLECTIVELY LOSING ABOUT $7 MILLION THAT THEY WOULD'VE EARNED IN SALARY AND BENEFITS. SO THIS ASK A REALLY HUGE LOSS AND ONE THAT IS GOING TO COMPOUND OVER TIME BECAUSE A STEP INCREASE IT IS NOT JUST ONE YEAR BUT IT AFFECTS YOUR SALARY FOR YEARS TO COME AND ALSO THE SAME WITH MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO OUR SUPPLEMENTAL RETIREMENT. WITH ALL OF THE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THIS IS CAN REALLY IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO MEET OUR FUTURE PENSION OBLIGATIONS IF WE AREN'T ABLE TO CORRECT THIS IN THE FUTURE. I GIST WANT TO SAY TOO THAT OUR TEACHER AND SUPPORT STAFF ARE REALLY OUR FRONT LINE WORKERS. THEY ARE OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS. AND WE CAN'T GET OUR SCHOOLS BACK UP AND RUNNING WITHOUT THEN. WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF E-MAILS FROM DOZENS OF TEACHERS ABOUT THEIR DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THIS REVISED BUDGET. AND, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, OUR PUBLIC COMMENT FORMAT ISN'T THE SAME AS IT USED TO BE. AND I JUST WANT TO READ A SMALL SECTION OF A LETTER WE RECEIVED FROM-- IT WAS SIGNED BY, AGAIN, DOZENS OF TEACHERS JUST TO KIND OF SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC AND OTHER STAFF THAT WHO ARE ON THE CALL WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION OR SOME OF THIS FEEDBACK. THEY WROTE THAT WE ARE FACING AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE SUFFERING AND WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFER FO THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. WE'RE CONCERNED THAT THE ITEMS PROPOSED IN THIS BUDGET WILL ADD TO THAT SUFFERING. THE BUDGET CUTS PROPOSED ARE NOT ONE TIME CHANGES, THEY'RE CHANGES WHICH WILL COMPOUND YEAR AFTER YEAR AND NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE VERY PEOPLE WE ARE RELYING ON THE MOST RIGHT NOW TO HOLD OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM TOGETHER, OUR TEACHERS. IF THESE CHANGES ARE MADE, TEACHERS WILL NOT ONLY RECEIVE LESS TAKE HOME PAY NEXT YEAR AS THEY FACE NEW AND OVERWHELMING CHALLENGES THEY WILL TAKE HOMELESS PAY, HAVE LESS IN RETIREMENT, AND CONTINUE TO PAY MORE FOR HEALTH CARE OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR SERVICE WITH ACPS AS COST OF LIVING CONTINUES TO RISE, TEACHERS WILL TAKE HOMELESS. THIS DECISION WILL BE FELT FOR YEARS AND YEARS TO COME BY THE VERY PEOPLE WE JUST FINISHED APPRECIATING WITH HASHTAGS, SIGNS AND WINDOWS AND CARDS AND E-MAILS. IF WE TRULY APPRECIATE OUR TEACHERS AND VALUE THEIR WORK, IT MUST BE REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET. AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY HEARTFELT LETTER THAT I WANTED TO SHARE. AND YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE E-MAILS THAT I RECEIVED DO EXPRESS UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE LOSS OF THE STEP INCREASE. PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO GIVE PEOPLE A PAY INCREASE RIGHT NOW. BUT WHAT IS REALLY UPSETTING FOLKS IS THAT THEY WILL BE TAKING HOMELESS PAY NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN THE HEALTH CARE PREMIUM. AND YOU KNOW, TAKING HOMELESS PAY WHEN SOME EMPLOYEES ARE RECEIVING PAY INCREASES THROUGH THE MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENTS, W DON'T WANT TO GIVE SOME PEOPLE RAISES AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER PEOPLE TAKING HOMELESS PAY. I THINK THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT IS AN INEQUITY THAT WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE. SO I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? I THINK LOOKING AT THE ADD DELETES A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M-- I SUGGESTED DIFFERING THE MRA'S AND USING THE FUNDS TO COVER THE EMPLOYEE FUND INCREASE. JUST LIKE MY COLLEAGUES I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE EMPLOYEE FUNDS RECEIVE THE MRA'S. I'M NOT NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME WHEN OTHER EMPLOYEES ARE TAKING HOMELESS PAY. AND IT SEEMS TO ME THE CITY MANAGER WHAT HE WAS RECOMMENDING TO US WITH THE ALLOCATION. AND CITY EMPLOYEES ARE NOT DOING SALARY ENHANCEMENTS THIS YEAR. THIS WAS MY SUGGESTION OF DEFERRING THE MRA'S AND REALLOCATING THOSE FUNDS THAT NOBODY IS SEEING THAT LOSS IN TAKE HOME PAY. BUT I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO SEE WHAT OTHER SOLUTIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT THEY HAVE FOR HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. [00:35:03] SO THANK YOU. >> OKAY, DR. HUTCHINGS WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND NOW OR LISTEN TO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THOUGHTS ON IT? >> I THINK WE SHOULD GO THROUGH THE BOARD MEMBERS THOUGHTS ON THAT. >> YUP. OKAY. I HAVE MS. LORBER. >> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU DR. HUTCHINGS. YEAH, I-- CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH. I SEE THAT IT GOT A LITTLE CONFUSING WHEN I COSPONSORED-- I'M DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF-- YOU KNOW, I THINK THE WHOLE BOARD SHARES THE CONCERN THAT DR. RIEF RAISED THAT YOU CAN'T JUST SAY WE VALUE TEACHERS WE HAVE TO SHOW IN SOME WAY WE VALUE THEM EVEN THOUGH WE ARE BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. THAT'S WHY I SAW THREE OF MY COLLEAGUES PROPOSED SOME SORT OF WAY TO DO SOMETHING TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT WE WANT TO COMPENSATE IN SOME WAY AT LEAST FIGURE OUT A WAY OUR TEACHERS ARE NOT TAKING HOMELESS PAY NEXT YEAR, AND ALL OF OUR STAFF I BELIEVE. I WASN'T PARTICULARLY-- I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF DEFERRING THE MRA'S. I WON'T GO INTO DETAIL OF WHY I THINK THEY'RE IMPORTANT. BUT BRIEFLY, WHY I THINK THEY'RE IMPORTANT, WE PAID A LOT MONEY TO STUDY THE COMPENSATION STUDIES CAME UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATION AND-- THESE-- YEARS - - THE EMPLOYEE GROUPS THAT ARE GETTING THE MRA'S-- UP TO A COMPETITIVE DIFFERING MRA'S, HOWEVER, I AM IN FAVOR OF FIGURING OUT A WAY, WHETHER I KIND OF LIKED MS. GREENE'S SUGGESTION OF SWAPPING OUT THE CLEANING SUPPLIES FROM THE FEDERAL DOLLARS, THE 3.6 MILLION HIS -- EXCUSING SOME OF THAT FOR CLEANING SUPPLIES AND WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR CLEANING SUPPLIES TO PROVIDE SOME COMPENSATION T TEACHERS. BUT IN ANY CASE, I'M-- I JUST WANTED TO SAY I DO NOT WANT TO ELIMINATE MRA'S BUT DO WANT TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO COMPENSATE TEACHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE IS LOSING INCOME NEXT YEAR. >> OKAY. NEXT I HAVE MS. NOLAN. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR ANDERSON. THANK YOU SO MUCH DR. RIEF FOR SUBMITTING ADD DELETES AND ALL OF US TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEST COMPENSATE OUR TEACHERS DURING THIS TIME. I CAN'T FATHOM ANYONE THAT WORKS IN DIVISION OR LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY OR ON THE BOARD THAT DOESN'T WANT TO SUPPORT TEACHERS. I THINK IT IS A PROBLEM NATIONWIDE. I CAN'T FATHOM ANY POSITION IS GOING TO BE PUT IN ANY POSITION TO PROVIDE RAISES TO WELL DESERVING HARDWORKING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINE DURING THIS TIME AND THAT DESERVE HIGH PRAISE FOR KEEPING THIS COUNTRY GOING, KEEPING OUR STUDENTS ACADEMICALLY ENGAGED. AS IT IS VERY SCARY THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ACADEMICALLY ENGAGED FOR SIX MONTHS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING FROM DR. HUTCHINGS WHAT THE PLAN IS AS WE FOCUS ON THA AFTER THIS BUDGET PROCESS. HOWEVER, I DID WANT TO SHARE-- I'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST ADD MINE AS WELL. I HAD AN ADD DELETE. AND I'LL BRING UP THE ONE I DID, IN TERMS OF THE -- THE QUALITY INSTRUCTION-- THE THREE RESERVE POSITIONS. TRULY I WANTED TO JUST PUT THAT IN AS A RESERVED-- I WASN'T QUITE MARRIED TO THAT DECISION. IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING. I KNOW THIS WAS NOT ACCEPTED TO HAVE ROUND TWO OF THE BUDGET SEASON. SO WE WERE ALL IN A VERY TIGHT TIMELINE AND DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY DIVE INTO THE BUDGET AND LOOK TO SEE WHAT WAS POSSIBLE. SO I JUST APPRECIATED THE CONVERSATION. BUT I DO THINK THAT THE REASON I AM IN FAVOR OF THE MR-- MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENT. I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR WITH THE PUBLIC THIS IS NOT A RAISE OR STEP INCREASE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT INSTEAD IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT A COMPENSATION STUDY THAT THE BOARD ITSELF INVESTED IN TO SEE WHERE DO WE LAND. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IN THIS AREA, IN THE D.C. REGION, IS THAT IT IS EXCEPTIONALLY COMPETITIVE AREA AND WE HAVE 8 LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE OTHERS THAT ARE STILL WITHIN DRIVING DISTANCE. THAT JUST INCLUDES THE 8 WE'RE COMPARED TO IN THE STUDY. THE CHALLENGE IS THAT WE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER. I THINK ANYONE THAT HAD A STUDENT THIS YEAR THAT TOOK A BUS TO SCHOOL CAN SAFELY SAY THAT THERE WERE CHALLENGES THIS YEAR. WE HAD SIGNIFICANT TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES BECAUSE WE COULD NOT RETAIN OUR BUS DRIVERS BECAUSE THEY WERE SO WOEFULLY UNDER PAID THAT DISRUPTED EDUCATION, THAT DISRUPTED INSTRUCTION. SO I THINK THERE'S NO MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO WHY THAT AND THE PARAPROFESSIONAL WHICH RECEIVED SUCH SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FROM P TACK AND [00:40:01] OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS. WITH REGARDS TO THE PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATION AND THE CHIEF'S I WANT TO NOTE TWO ITEMS. NUMBER ONE, HONESTLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT BEING RECOMMENDED, IT IS REALLY NOT A LOT OF-- A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY. IT IS A FIVE YEAR PROJECTION. SO, UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN IF WE WERE TO REMOVE THAT BUDGET ITEM, IT IS NOT GOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE FOR ANY OTHER ITEM IN THE BUDGET. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. BUT THE REASON I AM SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THE MRA'S IS HONESTLY HOW MUCH IT TIES INTO OUR TEACHERS. THE NUMBER ONE DATA POINT IN EVERY STUDY THAT YOU READ BOTH NATIONALLY AS WELL AS THE TELESURVEY DATA THAT WE COLLECTED OVER THE YEARS FROM TEACHER IS THE NUMBER ONE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO DISCUSS IN THE CLASSROOM TO HAPPINESS AND RETENTION IS WHETHER OR NOT A TEACHER FEELS THEY HAVE A STRONG PRINCIPAL. AND IF WE DO NOT START AS A DIVISION INVESTING IN RETAINING AND PROTRACTING THE TOP TALENT ASPIRINS AND THEN SUPPORTING ROLES FOR TEACHERS WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE STRONG DIVISION AND PROVIDE THE ACADEMIC SERVICE THAT OUR KIDS FRANKLY DESERVE. SO IT IS BECAUSE OF THE TEACHERS AND MY RESPECT AS A TEACHING PROFESSION AS A FORMER TEACHER THAT I AM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT US MOVING FORWARD THE MRA PLAN BECAUSE WE NEED TO ATTRACT STRONG PRINCIPLES SO WE CAN RETAIN OUR TOP TALENT AS TEACHERS. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT. I DO HAVE A QUESTION, IF YOU DON'T MIND, DR. HUTCHINGS AS WE HAD TIME TO REFLECT ON THE BUDGET I'M VERY PASSIONATE AS I THINK THE REST OF BOARD DR. RIEF, LORBER MADE DISCUSSIONS, THERE IS DESIRE OF THE BOARD TO WANT TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF SUPPORT TO TEACHERS NOT ONLY THANK THEM IN GRATITUDE BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THERE IS GOING TO BE UNFORTUNATELY, GOING TO BE POTENTIAL, MINOR STILL BUT STILL NEGATIVE TAKE HOME PAY FOR TEACHERS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING DUE TO HEALTH CARE COST INCREASES. SO GIVEN THE LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY THIS UP COMING YEAR AND THE NUMBER OF SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS, I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK INTO THE BUDGET AND SEE WHAT IS POSSIBLE. SO I WAS WONDERING DR. HUTCHINGS IF YOU COULD SHARE A LITTLE BIT. ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT COME TO MIND, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED BEFORE, RIGHTLY SO, A LOT OF CONFERENCES ARE GOING TO BE CANCELED SO A LOT OF THE CUTS THAT TOOK PLACE WAS TRAVEL. BUT ALSO I WONDER IF YOU CAN LOOK INTO OFTEN TIMES A TEACHER NOT REQUIRED IN A CLASSROOM, REQUIRES A SUBSTITUTE IN PLACE. I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S AN AREA WE COULD-- IS THERE ANY LESS OPPORTUNITY FOR TEACHERS TO BE LEAVING THE CLASSROOM, GIVEN THE LESS AMOUNT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BE PROVIDED DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES? I'M WONDERING IF PERHAPS THAT'S AN AREA WE COULD EXPLORE AND MAYBE IMPROVING, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT TEACHERS WHICH IS AS YOU CAN SEE A THEME OF THE PROGRAMMATIC IMPACT THAT THAT IS A ENTIRE OF THE BOARD? DO YOU MIND-- I DON'T PREPARE YOU TO BE PREPARED WITH THE DIRECT EXAMPLES BUT IS THAT AN AREA THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY MOVE AND LOOK INTO. VERSUS WHAT I-- RESERVE POSITIONS WHICH YOU RIGHTLY SO SHARED IS NOT HELPFUL? >> I THINK IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE BACK TO THE TEAM AND TALK THROUGH. I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT-- I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL COVER FOR LIKE A MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENT FOR TEACHERS. BUT IT MIGHT BE ABLE TO COVER SOME SORT OF DOWN FIGURE WHETHER YOU CAN GIVE THE TEACHERS AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU MIGHT HAVE IN REGARDS TO A DOLLAR AMOUNT OR DOLLAR FIGURE THAT CAN AT LEAST ALLOW US TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY WE NEED TO TRY TO FIND. >> AND I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THE BOARD'S THOUGHTS ARE. BUT WHEN I READ THE PRESENTATION PREVIOUSLY FROM DOMINIC, MR. TURNER, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT IT APPEARED ON AVERAGE TEACHERS MIGHT POTENTIALLY HAVE A NET LOSS OF $213. SO I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE A POTENTIAL TO OFFER TEACHER AS ONE TIME ONLY BONUS OF $200 WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE LESS NEED OR -- NOT NEED BUT EXPERIENCES OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS TO LEAVE THEIR CLASSROOM IN ORDER TO-- BECAUSE I AM ASSUME THERE'S LESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS AGAIN, PRESUMING THE SOCIAL DISTANCING. WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT ACPS PROVIDED REALLY ROBUST AND REALLY IMPROVED THE NUMBER OF OFFERINGS OF INTERNAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. SO I'M REALLY JUST WONDERING IF GIVEN THE TEACHER WORK DAYS THAT COULD BE SOMETHING TO OFFSET. SO I WAS THINKING IN THE BALLPARK OF $200 PER TEACHER WITH THE HOPE THAT COULD OFFSET WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED OR NOT THE RECOMMENDED BUT THE DEFICIT OF WHAT THEY-- ESTIMATE OF WHAT THEY THINK MIGHT BE THE EXPERIENCE OF NET LOSS. [00:45:07] >> I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING OUR TEAM COULD-- I HAVE TO SEE WHAT BOARD MEMBERS THINK WITH REGARDS TO THAT. CERTAINLY WE COULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PIECE AND THE FUNDING THAT COMES ALONG WITH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. TEACHERS HAVE TO BE OUT AND WE HAVE TO BRING IN A SUB AND TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE DOLLARS. >> NEXT WE HAVE MS. GENTRY. I'M NOT SURE IF I WAS MUTED. I HAVE MS. GENTRY UP NEXT. CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? >> I HEAR YOU. >> OH, OKAY. >> DID WE LOSE MS. GENTRY, THOUGH? LET ME SEE. >> CINDY SHE'S WAVING. SHE IS-- SOMETHING IS GOING ON WITH HER. >> OH, OKAY. >> IS IT POSSIBLE THE HEAD SET, MICROPHONE HAS A MUTE BUTTON IN THE LINE. >> OH, OKAY. >> I SEE HER NOW. I COULDN'T GET HER PICTURE UP. >> MAYBE, WHILE WE'RE WAITING WE CAN COME BACK TO MS. GENTRY AND GO ON TO MS. ALDERTON. >> OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> YES. >> OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO GO IN A FEW DIFFERENT PLACES. BUT I-- IN TERMS OF WHAT MS. NOLAN SAID FOR ME, I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF DITTO. PARTICULARLY ABOUT, I CAN DEFINITELY SAY I AM NOT FOR NOT DOING THE MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENTS. I THINK WE ARE ALREADY BEHIND. AND IT WOULD-- IF WE ARE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE ON WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY REALLY A PRETTY SLOW TRAJECTORY, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THREE YEARS TO GET SOME OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF AT AN AVERAGE PLACE, AND FIVE YEARS FOR OUR CHIEFS AND PRINCIPLES, LIKE, IF WE CAN TAKE ACTION, WE NEED TO TAKE IT NOW. SO I AM NOT FOR NOT DOING THE MRA'S. I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT MS. NOLAN'S THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT-- AND AGAIN AS A BOARD, MAYBE WE NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC WITH DR. HUTCHINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, SOME COMPONENTS WE CAN LOOK AT WHETHER AS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SUB POOL, ET CETERA, THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME SAVINGS THAT GO TOWARDS THE TEACHERS. I WOULD WANT TO REMIND US, HOWEVER, THOUGH THAT WE ALREADY MADE CUTS TO THE SUBSTITUTE POOL LAST YEAR. SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL IN A SENSE OF NOT OVERDOING THAT. BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE HAD THIS PLAN WHERE YOU KNOW CENTRAL OFFICE TO STEP IN, WE ARE IN A VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION RIGHT NOW. RECOVERY WORK IS GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL RIGHT NOW. AND SO WE MAY NEED, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF REALLY PUTTING IN A LOT OF WORK ON THAT. SO THAT IS JUST A THOUGHT. I WANT TO-- THERE WAS ANOTHER THOUGHT THAT CAME UP BECAUSE MS. NOLAN TALKED ABOUT SUPPORTING THE AD THAT MS. GREENE MADE. BEFORE I GET TO THAT, THOUGH, I DO WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE PUBLICS THAT HAVE COME FROM THE PUBLIC. MOSTLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IS GOOD FOR THEM TO HEAR OUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT SOME OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS WERE. AND I THINK MS. RIEF BROUGHT UP SOME REALLY IMPORTANT AND PERTINENT COMMENTS THAT PEOPLE MADE. BUT THERE WERE SOME EVEN AS AN EDUCATOR REALLY BOTHERED ME. AND YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SHARE THOSE BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO GET TO IS A POINT OF THINKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SUGGESTED THAT WE HAD GOTTEN SUGGESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, TEXTBOOKS ARE IN CLOSETS. I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE SHIFTED OPERATING FUNDS FOR TEXTBOOKS TO THE CIP. SO THAT DOESN'T REALLY APPLY TO OUR OPERATING BUDGET ANY MORE. BUT SECONDLY, I-- I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I HAVE A REAL CONCERN CONSTANTLY HEARING ABOUT TEXTBOOKS BEING IN CLOSETS. BECAUSE WE ARE NOT, YOU KNOW,-- WE'RE DOING GOOD AS A DIVISION, WE'RE MAKING GAINS BUT WE'RE NOT DOING SO GREAT THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE USING ALL OF THE [00:50:02] RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ARSENAL. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION TO THAT IS AND WHO THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH BUT THE TEXTBOOKS NEED TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSETS. LIKE IF THAT IS REALLY A THING, THAT-- THAT CANNOT BE. WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION WHERE THAT SHOULD EVEN BE A THING. AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD PARENTS TALK ABOUT, LIKE, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A TEXTBOOK AT HOME. YOU KNOW, SO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO WITH TEXTBOOKS AND UTILIZE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING GIVEN, WE NEED TO DO THAT. BECAUSE, WE, AGAIN, NEED TO USE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ARSENAL TO SUPPORT OUR KIDS AND MAKE THE GAINS THAT WE NEED. SO THAT'S JUST ONE COMMENT. YOU KNOW, NOT SENDING THE JUNE LEARNING PACKETS HOME, FOR ME IT IS JUST NOT AN OPTION. AGAIN, EVERY RESOURCE AT THIS TIME NEEDS TO GO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO FOR KIDS. AND RECOVERY IS GOING TO BE A HUGE ISSUE SO THOSE PACKETS AND ALL OF THE RESOURCES GOING ALONG WITH THE PACKETS, FOR ME IT IS NOT OPTIONAL AND ALMOST A LITTLE BIT SHOCKING TO ME THAT ANY TEACHER WOULD NOT WANT TO HAVE THOSE KIDS SENT TO KIDS. YOU KNOW, I'LL BE VERY HONEST. THE COMMENT ABOUT NOT PAYING FOR MOVERS, I THINK WE ALL NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THOUGH MANY OF OUR STAFF ARE AT HOME, WE HAVE SUPPORT STAFF WHO ARE STILL WORKING IN BUILDINGS AND WE NEED TO KEEP THEM SAFE. BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT AND ABOUT AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING PEOPLE MOVING IN AND OUT OF BUILDINGS AT THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, DOES NOT MAKE ME FEEL SAFE AS A BOARD MEMBER, NOT THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN REDUCE THOSE TYPES OF INTERACTIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE BUILDINGS EVERY DAY OR EVERY OTHER DAY AND NOT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO FULLY SOCIAL DISTANCE. AND SO ALSO, BACK TO THE MRA, I KIND OF HAVE BEEN-- THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT DISCUSSION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN SOME NOTION THAT THE PRINCIPLES AND CHIEFS DON'T DESERVE AN MRA. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY FIRST, JUST LIKE MS. NOLAN SAID, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE 50,000 FOOT LEVEL AND QUITE FRANKLY IT IS NOT TRUE. AND I THINK THE DATA SUPPORTS THAT'S NOT TRUE. THIS DECISION IS NOT ABOUT INDIVIDUALS IT IS ABOUT THE DIVISION AS A WHOLE. SO AS A BOARD I WANT TO ALWAYS ENCOURAGE US AND ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE LOOKING ABOUT NOT JUST NOW BUT TEN YEARS FROM NOW. SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE OFTEN AS IT MAY SEEM. AND I WOULD JUST ALSO SAY LIKE THIS IS THE TIME TO BE KIND. WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WE SAY BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE GOOD LEADERS WHO HAVE BEEN HURT BY THOSE COMMENTS. AND YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO US IN THEM. I THINK GOOD PRINCIPLES AND CHIEFS IN THEORY AND HOPEFULLY MORE ARE REALLY JUST MASTER TEACHERS. SO WE'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS AND ADMIN TOGETHER IN THIS. AND YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF THAT-- SO WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, IT DOESN'T MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION WE DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING FOR TEACHERS. I THINK WE JUST NEED TO HAVE SOME PERSPECTIVE SOMETIMES AND BE KIND AND REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATIONS AS OPPOSED TO CREATING DIVISION. SO THOSE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, HAVING RECEIVED A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT. ONE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, BECAUSE MS. NOLAN BROUGHT UP MS. GREENE'S AD, YOU KNOW, A I SUPPORTED THE AD IN THE SENSE THAT WE WANTED TO ALL FIGURE OUT LIKE MS. NOLAN SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO. ONE QUESTION I HAVE ABOUT USING CARES ACT FUNDING, THOUGH, I WOULD LIKE FOR DR. HUTCHINGS AND THE STAFF TO REALLY EXPLAIN TH IMPLICATIONS FOR USING CARES ACT FUNDING FOR SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO SUSTAIN. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM THE SPECIAL EDUCATION WORLD AND THE GRANTS WORLD, WHEN YOU USE GRANTS, YOU REALLY WANT TO SUPPLEMENT AND NOT SUPPLANT. SO IS THERE RISK I GUESS IN USING CARES ACT FUNDING TO TRY TO COMPENSATE FOR THE GAP IN SALARIES GIVEN THAT IF IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE GET, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR, WOULD WE BE BACK IN THE SAME PLACE TRYING TO HAVE THE SAME DISCUSSION BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE OTHER LOSSES. SO DOES THAT MAKE SENSE IN TERMS OF MY QUESTION? >> ASKING-- GO BACK TO THE GAPS PIECE. >> SO YOU KNOW, USING CARES ACT FUNDING, WHICH IS WHAT THE LAST AD THAT A LOT OF [00:55:10] PEOPLE COSPONSORED, SAYING SHIFTING MONEY TO USE, YOU KNOW, MONEY THAT WAS FOR THE CARES ACT TO PURCHASE SUPPLIES AND THEN SHIFT MONEY TO PROVIDING THE NECESSARY MONIES NEEDED TO NOT-- TO NOT HAVE-- TO AVOID THE STEP INCREASE. >> GOT IT SO I-- YEAH, SO I THINK SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE IN REGARDS TO THAT IS-- AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MULTIPLE AREAS THAT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON WITH THE CARES ACT, THE CLEANING PIECE IS ONLY ONE AREA. WE STILL HAVE TECHNOLOGY. WE STILL HAVE DISTANCE LEARNING. WE STILL ARE GOING TO HAVE THE MEAL DISTRIBUTION. AND THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS WE DON'T WANT TO RUN OUR SYSTEM TOO DRY IN REGARDS TO THE FACT THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FALL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY WE'RE NOT ABLE TO OPEN OUR BUILDINGS THIS FALL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE MEAL DISTRIBUTION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE LEARNING PACKETS AND CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS ONLINE LEARNING AND CON JEETS AND ALL OF THE THING AND IT MAY HAVE TO INCREASE EVEN MORE UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE SOME COMPUTERS ARE GOING TO STOP WORKING SOON, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S COMPUTER WASN'T BRAND NEW OR CHROME BOOK THAT WENT HOME WASN'T BRAND NEW. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE DOLLARS TO MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS OR WHATEVER THE FUTURE HOLDS THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT RIGHT NOW. IF WE ALLOCATE THE DOLLARS NOW, THEN WE HAVE NOTHING WHEN IT IS TIME IN THE FALL FOR SOMETHING THAT IS UNCERTAIN. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HELPS WITH YOUR ANSWER. BUT DOMINIC YOU MAY WANT TO-- OR MR. TURNER MAY WANT TO ELABORATE MORE ON THAT. >> WHEN IT COMES TO THE CARES ACT WE DON'T ACTUALLY WANT TO SUPPLANT OUR CLEANING SUPPLIES AS WE MOVE INTO REOPENING THE SCHOOL WHENEVER IT IS IN THE FUTURE. WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED PROBABLY MORE CLEANING SUPPLIES AND PROBABLY DOING IT MORE FREQUENTLY AND PERHAPS PUTTING UP SOME THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE IN SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW. AS WE START TO ADDRESS OUR NEW NORMAL GOING FORWARD. SO IF WE WERE TO SUPPLANT THE OPERATING FUNDS WITH THE CARES ACT FUNDING, THEN THIS WILL LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO-- TO A DEGREE THAT WE CAN'T PERFORM, YOU KNOW, THE NECESSARY CLEANING THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO BE ABLE T DO MOVING FORWARD. AND IN ADDITION, WE'RE LIKELY GOING TO NEED CERTAIN PPE AS WE MOVE FORWARD AS WELL. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING EDUCATION FACILITIES WITH THESE DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO DO SO. AND THEN AS IT COMES TO SHIFTING DOLLARS AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, NONPERSONNEL ITEMS TO PERSONNEL ITEMS, THAT IMPACTS OUR BUDGETS GOING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE. SO IF WE GROW OUR PERSONNEL BASE OF EXPENDITURES, WE'D HAVE TO CONTINUE PAYING THAT MOVING FORWARD. SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE WERE TO USE THE 360 TO PAY FOR THE HEALTH CARE PREMIUM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD GO FORWARD INTO 2022 AS WELL. SO WE'D BE-- IF WE'RE IN THE SAME SITUATION IN THE FUTURE, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO CUT DEEPER IN SOME OTHER AREA TO BE ABLE TO OFFSET THE INCREASED PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW. SO WITH THE CARES ACT FUNDING WE JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE FOUR TARGET AREAS THAT DR. HUTCHINGS MENTIONED EARLIER. >> ONE ADDITIONAL THING I THINK IS IMPORTANT NOT TO FORGET IS THAT WE DID ASK FOR ALL SCHOOLS OR DEPARTMENTS TO REDUCE THEI BUDGETS BY 5% FOR ONLINE PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES. THAT IS ALREADY BEING DONE. I WANT US NOT TO FORGET THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON OPERATIONS. IT HAD AN IMPACT ON SCHOOLS. IT HAD AN IMPACT ON EVERY DEPARTMENT ACROSS THE BOARD. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS WE UNDERSTAND THAT IF THOSE DECREASES OR REDUCTIONS OCCURRED AS WELL. DR. FAUCI DR. FAUCI DR. FAUCI DR. HUTCHINGS DR. HUTCHINGS NEXT UP, I HAVE MS. GENTRY. >> FIRST OFF. CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> YES. >> YEA. THAT WAS TERRIFIES. THANK YOU EVERYONE, SORRY FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY EARLIER. SO I'M GOING TO ECHO BUT HOPEFULLY EXPAND ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY SAID. I THINK I JUST WANT TO START OFF BY EMPHASIZING THAT THAT I THINK I SHARE-- I [01:00:04] THINK AM SPEAKING FOR ALL OF THE BOARD THAT WHEN WE WENT INTO THIS BUDGET SEASON WE ALL SAW THE STEP INCREASE AS A SORT OF CORE FUNDAMENTAL ASPECT OF THE BUDGET AND IT REALLY MADE SENSE AND HELD WITH THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAD AND I THINK WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD UNDERSTAND IS THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THAT IT LITERALLY TAKES A GLOBAL PANDEMIC UNLIKE ONE SEEN IN 100 YEARS FOR US TO BE HAVING THE KIND OF DISCUSSION THAT WE ARE HAVING RIGHT NOW. AND YOU KNOW, IT IS-- I HAVE TO SAY IN SOME WAYS IT FEELS A BIT FRUSTRATING THAT PEOPLE SUGGEST US HAVING THIS CONVERSATION I IN SOME WAY US SENDING A MESSAGE OF VALUE SUBJECT OF US SOMEHOW NOT VALUING TEACHERS. THERE ARE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE NOT JUST NOT GETTING STEP INCREASES BUT ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS. AND THEY'RE NOT LOSING THEIR JOBS BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T VALUE THEM OR VALUE THEIR WORK. IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE IN AN ABSOLUTE CRISIS SITUATION. SO I JUST THINK THAT KIND OF CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THIS KIND OF THING. AND WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS AS BEST WE CAN SUPPORT AND HELP THE TEACHERS BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB FOR US. THE QUESTION OF LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE GONE ON BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I REALLY AM NOT-- WHILE I WELCOMED SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SOME-- YOU KNOW, SOME CREATIVE WAYS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO OFFSET SOME OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS, I REALLY DO NOT WANT US TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND I FEEL LIKE IN SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, THAT THIS HAS TURNED INTO AN EITHER MRA OR A STEP INCREASE. AND THAT IS NOT THE CASE. WHEN WE TALK OF THE TARGET MRA FOR THE SPECIFIC GROUPS, IT IS A MUCH SMALLER AMOUNT OF MONEY WHICH IS WHY IT IS EVEN POSSIBLE FOR IT TO STILL BE ON THE TABLE. AND THIS IS PART OF HOW WE ARE TRYING TO OPERATE AS A SCHOOL BOARD AND AS A DIVISION. WE INVEST MONEY IN AUDITS ON DEPARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY WAYS THEY CAN WORK BETTER, WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY. WE DO THINGS LIKE COMPENSATION STUDIES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO UNDERSTAND. AND SO WHEN WE TAKE THE TIME TO GATHER THAT DATA AND MAKE DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS, WE NEED TO HONOR THAT BECAUSE THAT IS LONG TERM WHAT IS GOING TO MOVE US FORWARD AS A D ECISION-- AS A DIVISION. AND SO AS MANY OTHER MEMBERS HAVE SAID, WE WILL-- THE LONG TERM IMPACTS OF NOT ADEQUATELY COMPENSATING POSITIONS WHEN THE -- WHEN THE COMPETITION WITH OUR NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS ARE SO FIERCE AND PEOPLE CAN LITERALLY JUST TURN-- TURN LEFT OR TURN RIGHT AND JUST SLIGHTLY ADJUST THEIR COMMUTE AND HAVE THE SAME KIND OF JOB AND GET THE SAME KIND OF REWARD-- YOU KNOW, DO THE SAME KIND OF WORK THEY LOVE BUT BE BETTER COMPENSATED WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. I THINK IT IS WORTH KEEPING IN MIND ALSO THAT IN THIS NEW WORLD, WE'RE POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT MANY PROFESSIONALS THAT MIGHT MAKE A DECISION TO LEAVE-- TO LEAVE EDUCATION. MAYBE SOME OF OUR OLDER STAFF, OLDER LEADERS THAT ARE GOING TO DECIDE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND RETIRE. AND WE'RE GOING TO-- IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SHOW THAT WE'RE COMPETITIVE WITH ANY OTHER NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS THAT COULD BE A REAL PROBLEM AS WE'RE COMPETING WITH EVERYBODY ELSE THAT IS MAYBE TRYING TO FILL PRINCIPAL POSITIONS. SO, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS SOME OF THE OTHER IDEAS I KNOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT THEM LATER I'M JUST KIND OF FOLLOWING IN RIGHT NOW OBVIOUSLY WHILE I APPRECIATE THE CREATIVE THINKING, I CAN'T IMAGINE THE REACTION OF US CONSIDERING CLEANING-- REDUCING CLEANING SUPPLIES IN THIS OF ALL ERAS. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHERE IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO MAKE CUTS. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M INTERESTED TO HEAR IF THE -- IF THERE ARE POTENTIALLY SOME WAYS THAT WE CANNOT SET THE HEALTH CARE PREMIUM INCREASE. WITH SOME FORM OF A ONE TIME BONUS. WE KNOW THAT AVERAGE, AND, AGAIN, THIS-- IT WILL VARY BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE ARE DOING THE AS INDIVIDUALS AND SOME DOING IT AS FAMILIES. [01:05:04] THE $200 FIGURE IS JUST AN AVERAGE. MAYBE WE CAN'T GET THE $200 NUMBER BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. IF WE CAN DO $100 OR $150. I WOULD CERTAINLY BE WILLING TO EXPLORE THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. BUT JUST WANTED TO GET THOSE THOUGHTS OUT THERE. SO THANK YOU EVERYONE. >> NEXT UP I HAVE MR. SUAREZ. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR ANDERSON. AND THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR VERY THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS. SO I HAVE COMMENTS THAT I KIND OF PUT INTO FOUR CATEGORIES SO YOU HAVE TO BEAR WITH ME. AND THE FIRST CATEGORY REALLY IS JUST AN APPRECIATION. YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE REALLY BEEN EFFORTS ALL AROUND ON THIS BUDGET. THE STAFF HAS GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO TRY TO REALLY MAKE LEMONS OUT OF THIS COMMUNE VERY DIFFICULT-- YOU KNOW, TAKE A REALLY TOUGH SITUATION AND JUST MAKE IT BETTER. AND DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN TO FIND EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE CAN FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE AND EVERY PERSON IN THE DIVISION TO MOVE THE DIVISION FORWARD. AND AS DR. HUTCHINGS SAID WE HAD A GREAT BUDGET THAT ORIGINALLY PASSED I THINK EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WAS EXCITED ABOUT AND WE'RE IN A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION HERE. SO I REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE ALL OF THE STAFF FOR ALL OF THE EFFORTS THEY MADE THUS FAR. I WANT TO APPRECIATE EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAS WEIGHED IN ON THE COMMENTS. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS. I HAVEN'T AGREED WITH EVERY COMMENT. A COUPLE OF MS. ALDERTON'S POINTS ARE-- A LOT OF THE COMMENTS I AGREED WITH, SOME I DIDN'T AGREE WITH. BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT THAT HAS GONE INTO THAT. AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT OF MY BOARD COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE TRIED TO THINK ABOUT SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE THIS IS A TOUGH SITUATION AND WE ALL HAVE TO KIND OF PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER TO FIND THE BEST WAY OUT OF IT THAT IS PALATABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND POSITIVE OF A SITUATION. THAT BRINGS ME TO THE SECOND THEME OF MY COMMENTS. WHICH IS LET'S NOT FORGET THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. THIS SITUATION REALLY TAKES A VILLAGE. IT REALLY TAKES A NATION. I THINK WE'RE IN A VERY DIVISIVE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT NATIONALLY AND IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. AND I THINK THAT LENDS ITSELF TO TO UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMES A ZERO MENTALITY. SORT OF AN US VERSUS THEM KIND OF MENTALITY. AND TO BE CLEAR, I UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT COMES FROM. AND I WANT TO SAY THIS VERY CLEARLY THAT I WANT TO VALIDATE THE COMMENTS WE'VE HEARD FROM TEACHERS. I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH MANY OF THEM. I'VE SEEN ALL OF THE E-MAILS. AND, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS HAVE TAKEN OFFENSE TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET. LET'S JUST OWN THAT. AND I THINK SOME OF THE OFFENSE HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF THIS PERCEPTION, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE EMPLOYEES AT THE HIGHER END OF THE PAY SCALE THAT ARE GETTING AN INCREASE AND THE PERCEPTION THAT THEY WILL AFFECT ACTIVELY AS IS-- EFFECTIVELY AS IS CURRENTLY PROPOSED GETTING AN EFFECTIVE PAY HOME DECREASE. AND IN THIS TIME OF AUSTERITY -- AUSTERITY AND CHALLENGES I WANT TO VALIDATE THAT THAT FEELING IS THERE. AND WE CAN'T HAVE A SITUATION WHERE ANYONE FEELS PITTED AGAINST THE OTHER. WHICH GOES BACK TO MY POINT OF WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. I WILL SAY THIS, AS A FORMER TEACHER I SHARE THE VIEW OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT THE PRINCIPAL IS THE NUMBER ONE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER OF THE BUILDING AND THE CULTURE OF A BUILDING RISES AND FALLS ON THE QUALITY OF A PRINCIPAL AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INSTRUCTION AND LEADERSHIP RISES AND FALLS ON THE LEADERSHIP. YES, YOU CAN HAVE GREAT TEACHERS THAT ARE TRANSFORMATIVE IN ANY CLASSROOM AND TEACHERS ARE THE BACKBONE I SAY THAT AS A FORMER TEACHER. BUT YOU NEED BOTH THE PRINCIPAL AND THE TEACHERS WORKING IN HARMONY. AND IN, YOU KNOW, COMMON VISION AND EXCITEMENT AND PASSION. SO WHAT I DON'T WANT COMING OUT OF THIS BUDGET CYCLE IS ANY SITUATION WHERE THERE'S THIS ZERO SUM MENTALITY OR A FEELING THAT THE PRINCIPLES ARE GETTING SOMETHING OVER THE TEACHERS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. [01:10:04] BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK-- GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF CUTS WE'RE MAKING I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS COMING OUT OF THIS THAT IS PARTICULARLY ROBUST AND IDEAL HERE. WHICH SORT OF BRINGS ME TO THE THIRD POINT, WHICH IS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED THIS, WHICH IS THE LONG TERM PERSPECTIVE HERE. YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD, WE HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO THE DIVISION. WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE LONG TERM SUCCESS OF THE DIVISION. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE CONTINUE SO THAT WE ARE THE BEST SCHOOL DIVISION WE CAN BE. RIGHT? SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. ONE IS THE CIP. WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE HOW THAT WAS A PROBLEM THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE WHEN ALL OF US RAN FOR SCHOOL BOARD I THINK THAT WAS BROUGHT UP. AND SOME HAVE MADE SUGGESTIONS OH WE DEFER MACARTHUR OR TAKE SOME OF THOSE THINGS OFF THE TABLE. WE JUST CAN'T DO THAT. WE HAVE TO PRESS THOSE THINGS FORWARD BECAUSE WE'RE SO FAR BEHIND IN THOSE AREAS. AND IF WE DON'T STAY THE COURSE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE UNDER THESE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES WE'RE REALLY GOING TO SET OURSELVES BACK. AND THE SAME GOES FOR THE SORT OF ISSUE WITH THE MRA'S. THIS BOARD HAS HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE FAIL AND STRUGGLE TO RETAIN AND RECRUIT PRINCIPLES AND CHIEFS AND THAT WE DO NOT NECESSARILY-- WE HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THAT. THAT'S A REAL CHALLENGE WITH OUR DIVISION GOING FORWARD. SO WITH REGARD TO-- WITH REGARDS TO THE MRA, I WANT TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT, A COUPLE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS STATED IT CLEARLY, WHICH IS THAT THIS MRA IS NOT SOME GIGANTIC INCREASE THAT PEOPLE WITH SIX FIGURE SALARIES ARE GETTING AT THE EXPENSE OF TEACHERS. IT IS A VERY SMALL INCREMENTAL INCREASE THAT IS MEANT TO OCCUR OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. AND I THINK THE TOTAL IS ABOUT $100,000 FOR THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET. THE CONTEXT AND THE NUANCES ISN'T ALWAYS A SEXY THING TO TALK ABOUT. BUT IT IS AN INCREMENTAL INCREASE DESIGNED TO ENSURE IN THE LONG RUN THAT WE'RE COMPETITIVE WITH THE SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS AND CAN RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALITY LEADERSHIP. WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE LAST POINT, WHICH IS WHAT IS THE PATH FORWARD HERE, RIGHT? AND SO-- I SEE TWO PATHS FORWARD. ONE PATH COULD BE, YOU KNOW, REMOVING THE MRA FOR THE PRINCIPLES AND CHIEFS. THAT COULD BE A CONVERSATION. AND I AND I DO SHARE THE VIEW OF SOME THAT THE SORT OF PERCEPTION AND OPTICS OF HAVING THE MRA WITH TEACHERS FEELING LIKE THEY'RE GETTING A CUT MAY NOT SEND THE RIGHT MESSAGE ON THE ONE HAND. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I THINK THERE ARE REALLY GOOD ARGUMENTS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM MY BOARD COLLEAGUES AND OTHERS THAT WE NEED TO STAY THE COURSE ON THIS MRA SO WE CAN BE COMPETITIVE IN THE LONG RUN. I WANT TO VALIDATE THAT TOO. SO THAT'S ONE SORT OF APPROACH. THE OTHER APPROACH IS THE APPROACH WE'VE HEARD FROM MS. NOLAN, DR. RIEF, MS. GREENE'S PROPOSAL ON THE CARES ACT, WHICH IS, OKAY, CAN WE FIND SOME CUTS IF WE WANT TO KEEP THE MRA AND ALLOW OURSELVES PROVIDE SOMETHING OF THE TAKE HOME PAY AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASE IN HEALTH CARE BENEFITS THAT-- HEALTH CARE PAYMENTS I'M SORRY THAT TEACHERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE. AND I THINK WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, I THINK I'VE BEEN PERSUADED THAT THE MRA IS WORTH MAINTAINING. BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN PERSUADED THAT IT SENDS THE RIGHT MESSAGE THAT IF WE KEEP THE MRA FOR THE PRINCIPLES AND CHIEFS THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THE BUDGET AS IS. [01:15:01] I THINK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HURT. I THINK UNFORTUNATELY, THE COMMUNICATION AROUND THESE CHANGES WHICH OCCURRED IN A VERY QUICK TIME FRAME-- DON'T GET ME WRONG-- HAS MADE TEACHERS FEEL HURT BY THIS. SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO SOMETHING FOR THEM, LIKE A ONE TIME BONUS AS MS. NOLAN SUGGESTED, TO REITERATE TO THE TEACHERS THAT THIS IS NOT A ZERO SOME GAIN, THIS IS ABOUT US ALL BEING TOGETHER AND LET'S DIG DEEP TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO PROVIDE THEM WITH A ONE TIME BONUS WHETHER IT IS $250 OR SOME OTHER AMOUNT TO JUST SORT OF VALIDATE WHAT WE'VE HEARD. BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE TO-- LIKE I SAID, WE ALL HAVE TO BE IN THIS TOGETHER, AND WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE. AND BEING ALIGNED AND BEING, YOU KNOW, TRULY INVESTED IN THIS NEW NORMAL. AND, YOU KNOW, MEETING THE GOALS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN. WHICH WE JUST HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION ABOUT. AND SO WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT ALIGNMENT IN REGARD TO THAT. AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE ALIGNED. SO I REALIZE THAT WAS LONG-WINDED. BUT I WOULD SORT OF DR. HUTCHINGS AND THE STAFF WHO AGAIN I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALREADY HAVE DUG VERY DEEP ON THIS TO FIND A WAY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN FIND SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS-- YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT BE THE CLEANING SUPPLIES BUT MAYBE IT IS SOMETHING WITH THE RESERVE POSITIONS OR SUBSTITUTES OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SHOW OUR TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE THE RESPECT FOR THEM. TO BE CLEAR WE ALWAYS HAD THE RESPECT FOR THEM. I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS NOT SHOWN THE RESPECT. BUT WE DO HAVE THE VALIDATE THE FEELINGS I THINK AND WE HAVE TO FIND A PATH FORWARD THAT IS A LESS BITTER PILLOW TO SWALLOW. SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. >> OKAY. NEXT UP I HAVE MS. THORNTON. >> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND I TRULY APPRECIATE HEARING ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES SPEAK TODAY. I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE SHARE MOST OF THE SAME VALUES WHEN IT COMES TO THIS AND ARE ON THE SAME BRAIN WAVE LET'S SAY. BUDGET SEASON IS ALWAYS TOUGH. THERE'S ALWAYS COMPETING PRIORITIES AND WE ALWAYS JOKE THAT WE CAN NEVER MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. BUT I THINK THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET SEASON THAT HAS BEEN NOTED IS JUST-- WE'RE UNDER EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES. AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AS A BOARD WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE KIND OF CLEAR IN OUR DECISION MAKING, BUT ALSO TOO WE NEED TO BE ADAPTABLE, ESPECIALLY IN CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THIS. AND FOR ME, I HAVE ALWAYS RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MRA. AND AS PREVIOUS BOARD MEMBERS HAVE POINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO INVEST RESOURCES AND MONEY AND TO PERFORM COMPENSATION STUDIES AND AUDITS AS A MEANS OF STAYING UP TO DATE AND MAKING SURE WE'RE THE BEST DIVISION THAT WE CAN BE. AND I JUST DID WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I KNOW THERE'S-- AGAIN, WHEN PEOPLE ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING IN THE BUDGET IT IS EASY TO NARROW IN ON ONE SMALL PART OF THE ISSUE AND FORGET OTHER PARTS OF IT. AND SO I DID JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THIS MRA IS ABOUT $400,000 IN TOTAL. MORE THAN HALF OF THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TOWARDS OUR TRANSPORTATION STAFF. AND IT HAS BEEN POINTED OUT ALREADY THAT OUR BUS DRIVERS, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE VERY MUCH IN DEMAND RIGHT NOW REGIONALLY. I KNOW ONE COUNTY THAT IS A NEIGHBOR OF OURS WAS LOOKING FOR OVER 100 BUS DRIVERS AT ONE POINT. SO THIS COMPENSATION STUDY AND OTHER EXTERNAL FACTORS LIKE THAT, PERTAINING TO OUR TRANSPORTATION STAFF IS REALLY WHAT DROVE THE BOARD IN OUR INITIAL APPROVED BUDGET IN FEBRUARY TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING COMPETITIVE REGIONALLY. I JUST WANT FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS A DATA DRIVEN DECISION THAT WAS INITIALLY BEING PROPOSED AND WE NEVER WANT TO PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT SEEMS TO PUT MORE IMPORTANCE OF ONE EMPLOYEE GROUP OVER THE OTHER. AND ONE THING THAT I HAVE ALWAYS KIND OF RALLIED FOR ON THIS BOARD IS THAT I AM A VERY PROCESS DRIVEN PERSON. I BELIEVE IN HAVING CLEAR EVIDENCE TO KIND OF BACK UP DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING. AND I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD ALWAYS BE ABLE TO EXPECT FROM US CONSISTENCY IN OUR DECISION MAKING AND CLEAR JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THAT. [01:20:01] AND SO FOR ME, THE MRA IS ONE OF THOSE DATA DRIVEN AND PROCESS ORIENTED DECISIONS THAT I THINK WE MADE AS A BOARD. BUT, YOU KNOW, I KEEP COMING BACK TO THE FACT ALSO AND THINKING ABOUT, WELL, WHAT TYPE OF EMPLOYER DOES ACPS WANT TO BE? ESPECIALLY UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THIS. SO I SUPPORT THE MRA. BUT I REALLY THINK THAT AS MR. SUAREZ JUST MENTIONED, WE CAN DIG DEEP AND I THINK WE CAN REALLY FIND A WAY TO MITIGATE THE LOSS OF TAKE HOME PAY THAT SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE FACING. I KNOW WE'RE UNDER TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES AND THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE COMPETING PRIORITIES. I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO DR. HUTCHINGS'S EXPLANATION OF CARES ACT FUNDING AND WHY WE MAY NOT WANT TO UTILIZE SOME OF THA RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, IT IS BECAUSE OF THE UNKNOWN. AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN. AND AS BOARD MEMBERS WE DO HAVE TO KIND OF THINK AHEAD BUT ULTIMATELY TOO IT IS OUR JOB TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS EVEN WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS TO THE FUTURE. AND I HONESTLY THINK THAT WE COULD FIND A WAY TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY THAT TEACHERS ARE LOSING IN TAKE HOME PAY FROM CARES ACT FUNDING. THAT'S MY NONPROFESSIONAL OPINION NOT A STAFF MEMBER WHO DEALS WITH THIS. BUT I FEEL LIKE IN THE COSPONSORSHIP PROCESS I HAVEN'T SEEN AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AS I WOULD LIKE IN KIND OF PROVIDING ALTERNATIVES. I RECOGNIZE THAT MOST OF THE PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED HAVE BEEN FACED WITH NOT FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW. BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INPUT FROM STAFF IN PARTICULAR, MAYBE FROM DR. HUTCHINGS, ON IF THESE ADS ARE NOT FEASIBLE, WHAT OTHER THINGS IN THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY MIGHT BE FEASIBLE. AND, AGAIN, NOTHING IS EVER GOING TO BE PERFECT AND I RECOGNIZE THAT SAYING THAT WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE FROM SOMETHING ELSE. BUT ULTIMATELY I THINK THE BOARD IS REALLY MAKING IT CLEAR THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST TRY TO SEE IF THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES TO, YOU KNOW, LISTENING THE IMPACT THAT OUR EMPLOYEES WILL BE FACING. SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO IMPLORE MY BOARD MEMBERS AND THE STAFF TO REALLY REALLY WORK THROUGH THIS AS BEST AS WE CAN. AND I THINK THAT IS IT FOR NOW. I'M WILLING TO HEAR SOME SUGGESTIONS ON THAT. >> THANK YOU. EVERYBODY, WE HAVE-- I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR -- TO EVERYONE THAT WE'VE GONE OVER TODAY. I DID WANT TO JUST ADD MY OWN THOUGHTS TO THIS. AND THEN WE'LL WRAP UP BECAUSE WE DO HAVE ANOTHER REALLY BUDGET TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET NEXT WEEK. SO I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED THAT COULD GIVE THE STAFF SOMETHING TO GO ON AND THEN COME BACK, YOU KNOW, TO US NEXT WEEK WITH WITH IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS. YOU KNOW, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AN EMOTIONAL TIME WITH A LOT OF STRESSORS FOR EVERYBODY. AND THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT IS GOING FROM HERE. WHICH MAKES IT DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST TIME, WHICH WE WERE JUST REALLY COMING BACK FROM IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WHEN WE HAD AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN. SO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE EMOTION, I ACTUALLY WENT TO THE -- KIND OF WHAT MY YOUNGER SON TOLD ME WHEN I HAD UNENVIABLE POSITION OF BEING ON THE REDISTRICTING SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE BOARD, THAT LOOK AT THE DATA AND NOT THE EMOTION. SO FOR THAT REASON, I JUST THINK WE ARE GOING-- WE RECOGNIZE-- I RECOGNIZE SEVERAL-- LOTS OF PEOPLE RECOGNIZE YEARS AGO THAT THE BUS DRIVING SALARIES WERE TOO LOW. AND WE LET IT GET TO A REALLY A VERY, YOU KNOW, DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT IMPACTED OUR OPERATIONS BEFORE WE REALLY GOT SERIOUS ABOUT ADDRESSING IT. I DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT WITH OUR PRINCIPLES AND CHIEFS. BECAUSE THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO RUN A SCHOOL SYSTEM OR RUN A BUSINESS. I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THESE MRA'S ARE NOT PUTTING THEM AHEAD OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS. IT IS WORKING OVER SEVERAL YEARS TO GET US TO THE MIDPOINT. SO I THINK I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THOSE. I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS ARE REALLY VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE. AND THERE ARE GREAT TEACHERS AT EVERY SCHOOL. BUT I THINK TO HAVE A GREAT SCHOOL YOU NEED A GREAT LEADER. SO-- AND THE SUPPORT NEEDS TO COME FROM CENTRAL OFFICE. AND IF THAT IS HOW PEOPLE ARE THINKING, THAT'S WHAT OUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO MAKE IT SO THAT EVERYBODY FEELS THAT WAY RATHER THAN SORT OF COMING TO THIS POINT OF TAKING THINGS AWAY. BECAUSE OF EMOTIONS. SO I THINK I AM ALSO VERY AWARE OF THE PAIN OF HAVING INCREASED INSURANCE-- HEALTH INSURANCE PAYMENTS. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK HEALTH INSURANCE IS VERY CRITICAL. AND SO I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS BY HOPING THAT IN THE NEXT WEEK THAT WE [01:25:06] CAN HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL WAYS TO MITIGATE THE LOSS. BUT I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS THAT ARE-- AND THINK FOR THE LONG TERM. I MEAN, THE SAME THING COULD BE SAID ABOUT OUR FACILITIES. WE KEPT PUTTING IT OFF, KEPT PUTTING IT OFF. AND THE SAME THING COULD BE SAID ABOUT OUR TEXTBOOKS, WHICH WE WOULD NEED TO DO SOMETHING-- WE WERE CUTTING THEM EVERY YEAR. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE WERE GIVING THE TEACHERS RAISES FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS. AND THEN WE WORKED TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAD TRUST AND SUPPORT FROM THE CITY AND THEN OF COURSE THIS HAPPENED. BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT THE WAY TO RUN IT EITHER TO CUT OUR TEXTBOOKS. AND THE TEXTBOOKS AREN'T JUST THE TEXTBOOKS IT IS THE SUPPORT. IT IS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH INSTRUCTION. IT IS NOT JUST THE BOOK WE DO HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE CLOSET. BUT THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT. ONE THING I WANTED TO ASK REALLY QUICKLY IF I COULD ABOUT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT SEEMED TO BE MISREPRESENTED IN SOME OF THE LETTERS THAT WE GOT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH RETIREMENT? TO READ SOME OF THE LETTERS IT WOULD SEEM LIKE WE'RE NOT PUTTING ANYTHING IN ANYBODY'S RETIREMENT AND THAT THE SUPPLEMENTAL THING WAS A BIG CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR. SO COULD I GET SOMEONE TO JUST CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS SOME MISINFORMATION AND THEN I'M DONE. >> YES, I WILL ASK FOR DR. WILKINS TO SHARE OUT THAT WE DO PROVIDE A CONTRIBUTION FOR VIRGINIA RETIREMENT AND THAT WHAT WAS ON THE REDUCTION LIST WAS IN REGARDS TO OUR CONTRIBUTION TO SUPPLEMENTAL RETIREMENT. BUT DR. WILKINS, IF YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT. OR EXPLAIN THAT. >> DR. WILKINS I THINK YOU'RE ON MUTE. >> HELLO DR. HUTCHINGS, YES, THANK YOU. WE DISTRIBUTE TO BOTH THE BRS AND THOSE PERSONS ELIGIBLE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE RETIREMENT PLAN ALSO MADE CONTRIBUTIONS THEREOF SO WE HAVE THOSE TWO SYSTEMS. THE BRS OF COURSE IS A STATEWIDE SYSTEM WHILE THE SUPPLEMENTAL RETIREMENT PROGRAM IS A DIVISION. SO WE HAVE A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY, IF YOU WILL, WITH RESPECT TO HOW WE RUN OUR SUPPLEMENTAL RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND EVERY YEAR WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS TO REVIEW THE MARKET COMPETITORS OF THAT FUND AND ITS VIABILITY. AND WE MAKE APPROPRIATE DECISIONS TO SUSTAIN THE FUND ACCORDINGLY. SO THAT FIGURE FLUCTUATES DEPENDING ON OUR DECISIONS AT THE TIME. WITH RESPECT TO THIS YEAR OF COURSE WE ACCEPTED NOT TO TAKE ON THAT ADDITIONAL BURDEN. WE'LL SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THAT, YOU KNOW, OF THAT FUTURE BUDGET YEAR. THANK YOU. >> THANKS. OKAY. I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE HAVING ANY -- AS I SAY WE'RE A HALF AN HOUR OVER WHICH ACTUALLY IS -- WE KEPT WITH -- I THINK WE STARTED A HALF HOUR LATE AND NOW WE'RE A HALF AN HOUR LATE. SO I THINK IF NO ONE HAS ANYTHING ELSE. DR. HUTCHINGS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? >> NO I THINK I'LL SAVE THE REMARKS AND COMMENTS AND THINGS FOR WORK SESSION NUMBER TWO THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME BACK WITH SOME CLEAR OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES AS MS. THORNTON MENTIONED FOR THE BOARD. >> OKAY. EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS. VERY GOOD MEETING, EVEN THOUGH IT IS LONG. THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE STICKING AROUND. HAVE A NICE WEEKEND. NICE LONG WEEKEND. ALL RIGHT. BYE. >> THANK YOU. >> THANKS. BYE. >> BYE, GUYS. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.