FMRSD (SAU60) Budget Committee Meeting - September 2nd, 2026
SPEAKER_1 called the September 2, 2026 meeting to order at 6 p.m. The committee approved last month's meeting minutes; a vote was held with members in favor and opposed, resulting in approval. Administrative staff addressed an unbudgeted assistant special education director position, explaining an expected $1,200 oversight and that a budget transfer had yet to be processed. They also clarified an approximate $200,000 difference between budget committee figures and the state-filed default budget, noting a $100,000 correction for special education was resolved. Officials stated they are still finalizing a list of position cuts and will provide student counts by grade and school by the state deadline of September 30. Regarding new laws, members were informed House Bill 564 requires a separate warrant article and public hearing for the SAU budget in December, though definitions remain unclear due to competing legislation. House Bill 1575, effective August 11, 2026, shifts authority for setting default budgets from the school board to the municipal budget committee. The committee scheduled a Saturday budget workshop for November 21, 2026. The next meeting is scheduled for October 7, 2026. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5znUnE0W2qI
Good evening everyone. The time is 6 o'clock. I will call the meeting to order. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, [clears throat] with liberty and this world. Well, thank you for coming out tonight everyone. Um, we'll start for quick roll call outside at large. >> Jacob, Charles Town, >> Garrett Neil at large, >> Steve Dellesio, town local. >> Very good. Um, did everybody get a chance to review last month's meeting minutes? >> I'm obstaining. Yeah. Okay. Yes. Yes, sir. >> Hey, how are you? Good. How are you? >> We're just getting ready to approve last month's meeting minutes. Perfect. >> Make a motion to approve last month's meeting. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Very good. Minutes approved. Uh before we get too far in the meeting, I got a volunteer or victim to do minutes. you are. You'll be sad. I will do my best. Thank you, sir. Um, we have members of the admin here. Does anybody object to me strongly recommending we move communication the school board or administration to the front of the agenda in case some of them need to split? Sounds good. Cool. Um, I know Jamie had a baby list and >> I I just sent the email. I found um I had a response. It's been in my draft for >> Okay, this thing's acting up. So, we'll go old school tomorrow. [clears throat] have it in in writing. I know I sent it. I also sent >> Okay, first question was end of year expenditure spreadsheet. There was a question about uh 1,200 11101 over budget for salaries and benefits. Um so this position was the unbudgeted position that the board uh approved for the uh assistant director for special ed. Um, and I thought I have to still still follow up on this is that I thought I had made a budget transfer. Um, but I looked I hadn't made the budget transfer in at least that account. So I like I need to go and see what was done. Um but that's why there was such an overage there because we've moved the position into um then there was a question about whether there was an updated default budget filed after the January hearing deliberative session because the line budget committee does not has does not match the default budget spreadsheet for the total budget is off by about 200,000. So the um default budget when it's filed with the state is based on a warrant article one which has the total budget in it and then each budget each additional warrant article that's approved gets added into the budget. So if you take all of the other uh warrant articles that passed the sum of that is the difference. And so Garrett I did the email that I sent to you has a reconciliation showing that it It shows the uh document the signed document that I um that is sent and I pulled it right off the state site. to the signed document with the reconciliation. Um those of you that were on the budget committee last year may recall that when we came out of deliberative, we had a discussion about $100,000. That was an error. Um because when we reduced the uh special education out of district tuition need, we didn't get that um reduction carried into the fall budget because out of district placement is a legal requirement. So if that expense is anticipated to be larger than the the amount in the original budget, you add it into your default calculation. Um [clears throat] so after we voted in that yes, we needed to make that correction. Um but when I went back to the DRRA, they said that that would be handled when you're reporting out the voting. So that original default budget is off by 100,000 from what is in the warrant article which was the error that was corrected. But I worked with the DRRA to resolve that and so that's shown in the reconciliation as well. Um so that that documents there if you guys have questions after viewing that let me know. Uh, and then is there a final list of actual cuts made that can be shared or should the committee be tasked with looking through all the line items to find them? And perhaps it would be shared once hiring is completed. So Chris and I spent uh three hours this afternoon. We're still it's we're on day six. We're still moving positions to cover needs um you know prioritize needs and like what what what do we have to fill? Um, so when I have um we've gotten through all of that and we're trying to resolve that this week and then I get into uh seeing how much of that also transpired in last year because remember when we start the budget process it's in October. A lot happens between October and June. um where those positions land for our actual uh coverage um and charging to the communities makes a difference for tax rates. So, we make adjustments within the budget within the the actual expenses. We want to make sure that they're where they belong and um sometimes there's change in that position in those positions. Um during a reduction and div force process um we we start out at a very high level during budget discussion because we don't want to incite angst among everyone amongst everyone. um we have um a structure and a rubric that we have to go through um that's defined in our uh CBA our collective bargaining agreement um to we have to go through that process to ascertain who is actually going to be um reduced and and subject to the rift um when we go through that process it's usually in like March or April when we do the contracts we have to notify them so it's not usually it is we a date we have to notify uh employees by. So we go through that process. When we go through that process, there might be bumpings. So just because a position is eliminated in any location, that doesn't mean the person in that position is losing their job. Um it might be someone else. So when we're going through the budget process, we're doing an estimate. There were um a couple of positions that were vacant that we knew that those were going to be eliminated. So those in the budget were reflected as actual um you know positions and expenses that were eliminated. Uh but other ones are are estimates and we're working still through that because then you have um you have uh resignations um and you know so so it's a puzzle that we're still working on and when it's complete you will have that information. Um then I think the last one was that there's the same request as prior years which is to drive home the point that class sizes are too small once our hiring is done and the students are in they would like a student count by grade school along with the teacher count and uh we will work on having that for you. I'm trying to um work uh within the system to uh better show um FTEES as well and then we can we can correlate that to enrollments within buildings I'm sorry full-time equivalent um position. So basically how many how many heads and if it's um a part-time role what that looks like if it's part >> when do you think that might be providing? >> So typically for every state all our numbers are due to this state uh finalized October 1st. So September 30th is typically the time that we have to have all this resolved >> with the amount of >> with the class size. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. That's our reporting deadline. >> Yes. >> So that was that was the questions. >> Thank you very much. >> You're welcome. >> Ask other questions for them. >> Yeah. I don't see why not. Um they're here. >> Okay. I'm just asking a question. Yeah. Okay. So, uh on May 84, school board meeting, you said parameters for the budget. Can you summarize what that is for us according to the schedule discuss budget parameters at the age school board meeting or was that not done? >> I don't believe that was done. >> That was that has not been done yet. Okay. It's on the schedule that we have. That's why. >> All righty. Um, thank you for that. That's helpful. Um, we do really appreciate the communication, Lori. >> You're welcome. We by the end of the meeting might end up compiling another list but we'll send it along. We won't have to sit here and answer them foot. Usually we do that at the end so that we've file this as we go. Um quick update on uh the budget committee Zoom meeting responsibilities. Mr. Young has informed me that the IT portion of our meetings is taken care of for the rest of this session. Um things may change in the future, but they are trying to vet it and make sure it works and have some sort of standard operating procedure so it's not a clunky roll out. So it will be brought up in the future, just not this year. Um that pretty close. >> Yes, we have a lot of committees that are going to be in the same situation as we move forward. We're going to use some of the other committees to uh streamline and hopefully uh create a process that is easy enough for everybody to be able to adopt as we move forward. There is a a financial component to this having tech here. So, we're just trying to be fiscally responsible at the same time as meet everybody's needs. Um, but as we move forward, uh, for at least this year, um, Al's going to be with with you and be able to to support you in your needs. >> All right. Next on the agenda, I have the budget timeline. Um, Misty sent this out. Um, we as for the budget committee still have to set our two Saturday workshop dates. And last month we kind of said we were going to do that this month. Does anybody have any proposed dates? >> Usually Christmas works for you guys pretty good, right? >> Not the first time. [laughter] >> Jam, >> I um I know you're not there yet, but because you're talking about calendar, I'm going to bring it up. Um, House Bill 135 564 564. So, um, House Bill 1300 we talked a little bit about and you're going to get into that more. The one that I want to mention is is 564 because that's the one that requires two separate warrant articles to go on um, the warrant docket for the public to vote on. It requires that all SAU budgets be separated from the regular main budgets. Um, right now 13564 are competing in what they actually label SAU budget and the termination by law. I've read so much about this since our last meeting. the termination that's used by statute, they're still trying to work out because single district school districts, the SAU designation is not meant for them. So, they got to work that all out. The lawyers are working it out with whomever. Anyway, we'll have to have two separate warrant articles. The school the the SAU budget will have to have a separate hearing. That hearing has to be done in December and it has to be voted and determined by January 1 so that it can then go into the other budget. Not specifically for us because we're a one SA1 co-op, but there are many in the state that are multi- town cooperatives and so the SAU is actually a separate entity and then it drives into every single other budget. It does here too by the town, right? But we still vote on one big one. Um, so it's going to require another hearing date to be added to this calendar. >> You're projecting that that's going to be a December hearing. >> It's going to be a December hearing. Yeah. So the board has not this all of this information is really really new coming out. Okay. On all the dates and everything and the legal. >> So when did 564 go into effect? >> She signed it. I think so. >> I think she signed it in July. So, >> well, end of July, but it's it's effective this year. >> Yeah. >> But 60 days from signing. >> So, that would that mean that we would get a SAU budget in October? >> Yep. Yeah. Not once determine what it is. >> It means I also need to separate I think for comparative purposes I need to at least separate the budget for this year perhaps actual numbers for last year. So you have some sort of comparative basis. Um but I don't have a definition yet of what I should be doing. >> The separation is >> Yeah. I'm a little bit anxious about it. Well, and >> so is that all the other 127 districts in the state that they sprung this on. Um so it's going to take a little bit to do that, especially in multi- town districts. Um, but I just want you to know that there's going to be another hearing added and it will require I'm pretty sure we're still going back and forth on this because I have a budget committee where I work too that determines the budget still. >> Yeah. Right. So, it'll still need a recommendation from the budget committee. Okay. Um, we're being told that those as their articles are put out, I think. We're not sure. We're still waiting. Um that those can be overridden by a certain level of vote. >> Super. Yeah. I think depends on what you >> other RSAs I was going bonkers after reading house HB this that and the other today had a twoth3 super majority language. Okay. >> So, 13564 have competing language. As was mentioned earlier, and I've mentioned it, I think at the last meeting, there are legal there are legal proceedings right now on 1300. So, we'll see if it hits the ballot in November. Anyway, anyway, so I guess what we're saying is we're going to need another hearing in December for the SAU budget. So, just be be advised. >> The workshop dates shouldn't be in December. before the >> well the budget it's going to be two separate budgets right you're going to have the budget for everything other than SA like you're used to seeing it's just SAU operations and whatever they determine those to be are going to be a separate budget and so that'll have to be done and set ratified to go to warrant before we finalize the other one and it's not a big there's three weeks in Queen. So yeah, welcome to our world. Um, so just know that we'll have more information on the next meeting coming out because we have to discuss it with the school board. We've not had a chance to discuss it with the school board on the list. >> Jamie, I'm assuming in your profession, you can make some general assumptions of what I mean, you could start, you might not be able to finish it on what's going to be in it, right? The SA. >> No, it's going to be determined by law. And right now we have two laws that are competing against each other. One is very clear on what's in there and one is not. >> So you absolutely >> one of them has language about district IT support. It's not defined anywhere >> and and um so like you know is any of that so so um Kyle works primarily at the high school supporting high school. So he has uh direct interaction with the students. Um so one would think that's district and would be included in the district level, but my language in HB13 is telling me that I might need to include him in the SAU cost. It's not clear. Um it could be then it goes down to another level like our software packages and you know is it supporting students? Is it supporting the district? How is that defined? because we have this language that's vague about it district-wide support. That's one example. >> And there's many examples because it goes to guidance counselors, it goes to special ed directors, it goes to speech therapists, it goes to and they compete. press one one is very concise and it says the only thing that you should be reporting or the only thing that the that the uh if there is a cap will be under the 6% will be the superintendent the business office and if you have a curriculum and education I mean one's very specific very small >> the other one's very wide not specific so >> TBD >> going I have to have another hearing date. >> Very uh interesting. >> Oh yeah. >> I would like to circle back to uh picking some Saturday dates or >> do you guys not want to go there right now? >> I'm fine with that Saturday the 19th of this month. >> Yeah, I think they'd be a little further out. Matt, >> let me dismiss the question on 564. 564 is written in law. >> They both are. They both 1300 is subject to vote. 1300 is still a law right now, which means it has to be voted on, right? So, it's still a number that has to be voted on as well. So, >> 1300 could be long, Jimmy. So, >> um 1300 is the ball question to see if we would vote to have that cap. >> Correct. >> So, we can vote that down. >> Correct. >> But the cap is it's just a percentage at this point, right? There's no need to >> correct. But what the problem is on 1300 >> it's twoprong right it's you have to determine what is saua costs because those if it carries those are subject to a 6% cap within the budget itself in the same fiscal year >> correct be the next fiscal year >> no fal year 20 immediate >> so it's immediate on both >> and the way the the laws are written um We could have an SAU budget that we are presenting to you for the hearing in December and then we can have a central office administrative cost uh calculation that complies with HB1300. They don't have to match. >> They may not match. >> Um I I don't want to >> Yeah. It's a mask. >> It's a massive bill separately. I'm not I'm not having a discussion on that right now. >> Yeah, I agree. >> The fact of how to do it >> and turn it around that fast >> stupid >> is ridiculous >> from a government standpoint. That's absolutely absurd >> because you're going to be >> if there are caps that are voted. >> Yeah. >> You're not even going to know what some of the costs are. >> Yeah. and the formulas until after the March vote. >> Right. Right. >> Somebody didn't think it's through. >> No, they didn't. >> So, can't wait. >> So, the two Saturday workshops are discussed for >> November 21st. >> Yeah, we usually just get way in the weeds on stuff and um it's a still meeting where we produce minutes. Um but it's >> so would it be after the 26th of October once we get >> Yeah, it would have to be I would think cuz you need five minutes to review stuff instead of total wing it. Uh so Steve was suggesting what November 21st. >> Yeah. Thank you. That'll give us time follow up from the uh rest >> I would think. So 6:00 or earlier. >> Oh, it's usually earlier like midm morning to afternoon but not late afternoon dinner nap time. It takes a long while. >> It It's a little more than our usual hour to hour and 45 minute elbows. >> Yeah. >> You want two? >> Uh we did two last year. Um maybe given the new circumstances, we do one in November and then regroup and decide on a second one as we see how things roll out. I'm open to suggestions. cuz I don't know what the right way to proceed is. >> Getting info in October and then trying to do a regular monthly meeting. Well, >> yeah, the scheduled meeting and then a Saturday meeting and then a second Saturday meeting seems awful aggressive. >> I like that idea. First one to set the second. >> We could wait to set the next one. I don't care. Yeah, I'm fine with that. Um, we see how things shake out on the 21st. I mean, we have we can't announce it 2 minutes before we have it, but >> um, cool. So, sounds like the 21st. It is >> November, 21st. >> Yeah. >> Oh, what have we done historically in the past? 9 to one probably run a little bit. >> Steve, you think you can hook us up with the >> meeting spot somewhere? >> Okay. Location's being announced. Uh then in the packet there's the rest of the timeline. Misty emailed that out to the group too. So we all have it in our email as well. But anything else on budget timeline for now? Uh Steve, you want to go back to House Bill 1300 or do you >> No, I think we covered it already. >> Covered it already. >> Perfect. Uh, so House Bill 1575, Mr. Young called me, believe last Friday. We played phone pack, but then we got got together and he brought this to my attention. I have some wicked cheat notes here for myself, so please bear with me. I will figure out how to share my notes with the group. It is basically a bunch of copy and paste from the internet and the New Hampshire legal site. Um, I'm just figuring out how to get my thing. Sorry, there we go. New Hampshire House Bill 1575. HP 1575 shifts the authority for determining the local default budget from the governing body such as selectmen or school boards to the m municipal budget committee. New Hampshire House Bill 1575 is a state law that makes the local budget committee responsible for setting the default budget and towns that use official ballot voting. The legislation passed during the 2026 regular session became law without the governor's signature on June 13, 2026 in parenthesis chapter 49 and took effect August 11th, 2026. Key details the status of this be became law without see Oh, that's a repeat of the statement I just made. Copy [clears throat] and paste. Sorry. Uh scope applies to local political subdivisions that use official ballot referenda SB2 and have municipal budget committees. So to the best of my knowledge that applies to us. Anybody disagree with that? Okay, just checking because this is a lot for me to digest and I don't know it all that even though the SB2 one's obvious. Uh previous law the governing body typically prepared to default budget unless a specific local adoption allowed delegation to the budget committee in the new rule. Municipal budget committee is directly responsible for determining the default budget according to what I've read and been told. Core change assigns the primary responsibility of calculating and setting the default budget to the municipal budget committee and local political subdivisions using official ballot referendum RSA 4013. Process and transparency requires the governing body to present default budget calculations on a departmental revenue administration form with provisions allowing the budget committee to review, explain, and make necessary corrections. >> Do I have anything to the um the default budget? They just took that away from the the school boards and gave it to the budget committees. >> Yeah. Way way into this. So it's basically we take >> tracks and things like that. >> This is quite frankly ridiculous. >> And there's >> nothing that says the budget committee cannot work with the school board and the admin. But I think this is where Mr. Young would like to add some >> so that the reason I'm bringing this forward now is because um ultimately there is a RSA that goes along with it and there a formula that goes along with this. So there are things that need to be in the default budget. How I see this working is us collaboratively supported by Lori as the VA to be able to accurately reflect the default budget as we move forward and being able to um use her knowledge and the knowledge of this committee to be able to um gain gain. The fall budget is is pretty complex when you actually think of it. every >> Oh, my head is spinning from all the reading once I dived into this >> and I not being a business person as much I'm in the same boat as you. Um so we need to use the expertise that we have um and be able to ultimately support each other in in this process. But when you look at the RSA as as it is written, ultimately the budget committee is the one that has the signing signature on that dotted line at the end. So, >> right. So, I I'm more than happy to support this and I was going to um this year approach um a little bit differently because I know that there were concerns last year about uh um transparency. Um I will tell you that if the attorney can't support it, I know it. >> Yeah. >> Um and that I I'm not one of those people that play with the formula to manipulate. It is what it is. I'm going to comply with the law. Um, but what I want to do differently this year is that I want to have a detailed document available like you would see for the budget to support. So you can see that in the default I >> Yeah. >> Um, >> you should probably do this fall 101. >> Yes. >> There is a one-hour webinar webinar on the 29th of NHMA to address this issue >> of this month. >> Yeah, if you're I already signed up. If you're a member of NHMA, it's free. >> Yeah. [snorts] >> So my 29th. >> No, you're not because it's municipal, meaning town [clears throat] or city >> for your town, >> right? So Steve, you probably get access. >> Um I don't know. >> So can I bug my town to >> But $20, give them the $20. >> If you have a town membership, you should be able to sign up. >> Charles has one, >> right? that she would have made the $20. >> But I'm pretty sure they should have. [laughter] >> If you did it collaboratively together, they could >> like come to one location and put it up on the screen and let it run >> or not. I mean, it's just a thought. >> Yeah. Well, anyways, uh it was my hopes when I started. This is good to hear, Lori, that we all want to approach this the same way. I think I don't know how the rest of the committee feels, but I'm not qualified to solely compile the default budget by no means, Mr. Sol. >> What it does to it allows you at least the budget committee to ask questions pro and working hand in hand. Um, >> I mean it gives you that, you know, ultimately it sounds like you might sign off on it, but you get to probe and ask questions. >> Yeah. >> And I and I and I and it's, you know, whether or not people are going to agree if it's going to be beneficial, but I ultimately will lend to transparency and cover everybody. Right. That's what if I was sitting in your seat, I'd be like, "Hey, here you go. >> Ask away." >> Well, right. because you won't have the you won't have the questions after the fact. But that's the good part of it, right? >> So, do any of the committee members have any questions or statements on this? >> Well, you have a 21 person budget committee. It's going to be the real fun getting everybody together so they all understand it, isn't it? What I'll do because I only got like quartered the way through all the boring blah blah blah is I won't subject group to me reading the rest of it and I will >> when I have better Wi-Fi capacity. I'll get it to the whole budget committee. >> Does it say in there anywhere um what the state's motive for making this change was? Uh, they wanted better transparency. Um, it doesn't I don't necessarily get any of the backstory. Um, >> anyone have any idea? >> What's amusing is if the lore wasn't subjective, it wouldn't be relevant. We did it. So actually [laughter] if you look at these bills that as they come up and I haven't looked at this one in fact thank you for bringing it to my attention because I missed that one in amongst all the other three that we've been dealing with. Um so I have to laugh because I have a 21 member budget committee. Okay. >> That's going to be blast. Um so usually if you look at who the sponsors are and then go back to their districts probably something occurred within their district. If I had to make a guess, and I bet you a dollar, it's probably probably coming out of the new found school district. Um, probably because they had a bit of a there was a bit of a mess up with the default budget. >> So, this shift shifts the authority and accountability dramatically to the budget committee. Now, >> can it have real >> kind of but jointly? because the school district I'm sure reading through that law it says that the school district has to provide you with the information and all because otherwise what may as as a as a result what may happen if any school district you know snubs or doesn't help you with the data I could see this going sideways a default budget being tanked by a million dollars because somebody had a great idea going on a warrant they voted it and then a school district can't pay it. It can't operate because it'll have to [clears throat] cut so many programs, right? >> School district, >> right? So, I mean, there are a couple of I'm not I, you know, I'm a Democrat and I'll tell you that right out front, okay? Because >> we know >> these are going to be my opinions, okay? There are two things at foot in the state of New Hampshire and they've made no they've made no uh secret about it, right? They want to try to affect consolidation of small school districts into larger. They want mergers to occur. Okay? They haven't been quiet about it. They also want merges to occur occur on SAUS. They don't want they want to have 13 SAUs in the state and they think that those 13 SAUs can take care of 220 districts. Okay. Vermont tried it. Maine tried it. It was one by the wording how we said it. >> Yeah. It sure sounded like it shipped responsibility and accountability. >> It did. It should. >> It does. >> Your signature will be on the board. >> Not the school board, >> but it doesn't take the BA out of the equation. >> I I would imagine if I don't know how it could >> I don't know how it could. >> You couldn't do it. >> I don't know that the right because what would happen? >> Because if it does, we're all going to come begging to you anyway. Well, and what would happen is it could happen like it did [laughter] one year 18 years ago, 17 years ago. I don't remember what the freaking date was when the budget committee said, "Cut a cut $911,000 out of this budget and I don't care where you do it." Okay? Like a directive with no data, no backup, no anything. Budget committees have that kind of authority. They can look at a business administrator and a superintendent of a school district and say, "Blah, I don't care what you have to say. Cut a million dollars." That's it. Bottom line, here we go. Okay. They've done it. They've done it here. And so I could see that happening in a default budget without all of the guard rails hopefully that they've put into this new bill. Looks like there's good things in it for both sides when you >> really start digging into the minutiae of it and >> you know like how all the language is written and it references one thing. So then you go and look that thing up and you start going around in almost circles and you know besides being a pain in everybody's butt seems like it's got decent intentions. Um, >> so we'll have to get that on your >> calendar >> because it has a time frame on it has to be >> Yeah, we'll probably have spin-off conversations on this almost every month moving forward because it's >> the default >> move to the new main priority of what we're tasked with. >> Yeah, but ultimately it's not the budget. It's just the default piece of it, you know. It's >> Yeah, it's an equation. >> Critical. >> It's Yeah, but it's a snapshot in time of the previous year's budget with some other, you know, >> I'm over broad brushing it, but that's really it's a snapshot in time. >> But we got a default right now. >> So, I mean, it's pretty damn >> by default, right? But you always say that >> it is very >> but it doesn't mean the school board can't move money around once it's accepted. >> You still >> correct. You don't set every single line item because if you were tasked with that, you better come start working with us every day to understand what the hell's going on. >> Right. I mean that's that's the truth of the matter, right? You are building a budget in October for the next July. If we were not allowed to move anything around, can you imagine? Like, ask the towns. The towns are building. >> You got to be able to pay the bill. Put it in the right lines. >> Things change from day to day. >> Oh my god. They change big time. >> It would be impossible to build up a budget without >> the VA and the SA. >> Absolutely not. >> Intimately involved. I think they just want to laid off that you've seen it and that it makes sense. >> Do you want to add something? >> I do just want to add something because um um a practicality for a default calculation. If we're eliminating positions from our budget, it must be eliminated from the default budget. So, if we um that's why I always hedge in like giving the default budget as late as I can because I need to have a feel and discussion as to what we're looking for for positions because it has an impact on the default budget. There are other things that don't necessarily, but that is a big impact on the default budget. So having conversations and reviews too soon, I'm not necessarily going to have a full default calculated much before what was pres proposed on the timeline >> with D7. Mhm. >> Lori, can you give us a little detail what this might look like if with the teacher contract still in negotiation with the default budget like what that overall? >> So, it would be so the default budget begins with it's a formula again. It begins with this year's budget and those warrant articles are not factored into the default budget. Okay. >> Um so, it's it's uh current positions, current rates. Um the support staff increases would be factored in because that's been previously approved. Um but there's nothing nothing aligning with the teachers contract under negotiation would be included in the default budget. >> Okay. Thank you. >> However, there is an interesting uh we can come back to that. >> Do you have any good news? [laughter] >> HP 1300 can affect CD8 >> big time. I don't know how you >> I don't know how I don't know why I came back. I knew it. And secondly, why she still is being that she probably retirement. >> It's impressive, right? >> It's the craziest. I thought CO was mental. Crazy. Yeah. Compared to this. >> So, anything else on House Bill 1575 for now? >> Sounds like I have a fun weekend reading. >> Yeah, I will get or the cliff notes. >> The cliff notes I excuse my amateur PowerPoint, but I basically took the RSA and got it out of seven font into little bite-size conversational thoughts, not one sentence per slide, but I broke it down so it wasn't so overwhelming. >> No, but like Steve said, you've got a p you've got a presentation coming to try to boil it down to layman's terms. Oh, I just ripped off AI search summaries and did a ton of copy paste out of >> actual legal the state reporting on it. >> What was the date for that? >> 2019. >> And what's fascinating here is the legislature by their action of shifting it from the board to the budget committee is really an overt mission that that is objective because if it wasn't subjective it would be irrelevant. So, you know, they really need to tighten up the law. So, as Lori said, it's just a matter of writing out Paul Miller's doing it. There's nothing to discuss. >> But that's not something but that's not true, is it? [laughter] >> Right. I mean and there's and I've worked with varying um attorneys over the years attorneys >> and so you know like I said there there are certain factors that when I if I switch a district first thing I'm asking attorney during budget season is what is your opinion on this because I need to know how you will support it being treated because there there is some subjectivity to it. All attorneys think differently. >> Even then two attorneys walk into a courtroom by definition one. >> Yes. I'm paying. That's who I'm gonna follow. You know what I mean? >> They get to practice, Steve. >> Yeah. 1300. They're all having a rough time grappling with that. Oh, next on the agenda, if we're good on this, last call on this topic for tonight. >> Um, is Matt expressed interest in the last meeting on class sizes and then I threw in because I heard Chris Spalding was going to come here covering for Christa and he went down this rabbit hole pretty good last year when he was on the budget committee, block scheduling versus traditional scheduling as well. Floating around the room is this big sheet of paper with >> Chris Spalding. This is >> this is the same stuff when he was discussing it in the budget committee last year. Um, for the sake of time, >> you want to have it. >> I'm going to kind of just roll it over to Chris and uh, >> what? >> It's 6:46, bud. >> Well, we'll make it short. >> We'll do the camel suit version. >> Yeah, we'll make it we'll make it short. >> Um, and then I'm sure we'll have some spin-off combo after. >> Yeah. Um, so like Eric said last year, this was uh uh was something I was assembling as we were beginning to discuss the budget and get down towards the end uh end of the budget season and we are um when I was on the budget committee making our recommendation to the board and the administration. Um but this is regarding this is Fall Mountain because at the time we had felt still feel that the other schools the the little schools are are um were bare bones. So we've heard over time what basically what's the teacher student ratio at fall mount. So what you have here is is based on data. It's all been data that's I have I have gotten from well the first piece I got is from Lori. Um and that was basically um a sheet that discussed as you can see if you want to start if you go into this um the classes this would be math and I have every class through the fall of 2025 in the same um format and what it does is discuss how many students were in the math class over to the left you see there are teachers and then I accept separated it because it's it's the way the information came, which was nice because it's questions I had asked. How many students are sitting in each of those classes at that time during during the block schedule? >> Yes. >> Yep. And then over to the right, uh you'll get the total number of students. Then you'll get what the um teacher salary and benefits are. That's not a total labor burden rate, but that's just the salary and benefits. I was able to get that information uh because Lori sent the package to me that was a lot a lot of lines to go through to glean that information. And then you can see here as you keep going on this first block to the right the average cost per teacher but then you can go to the average cost per student for that for that math setup. So the whole thing about this was really for me was driving this was um the teacher student ratio and what you can see here currently we had in 2025 um I don't have any new information but this was last year so probably similar I would use that word anyway uh you have four teachers and in the block situation currently we had 14.42 kids per class. Now, the state requirement, the state requirement is that we can have up to 30 per class. I also broke it down into what's the district requirement. The district requirement is similar to the states, but what does the district want? 25 per class. I also put down which would be my opinion the minimum you would want per class 20 20 students per class. I would think that would be logical. However, so then what you the next thing is you go how many blocks are utilized? There's three out of four because every teacher gets one block off. That's prep time. And then the next one would um utilize periods if you went to a traditional traditional method. So, anybody got any questions in terms of totals yet? >> Just just one. >> Sure. Just making sure I'm reading this right. >> Yeah. >> All right. On the first the first blocks, you have B1 and B2 both for geometry. You only have eight students per class. Is that correct? >> That's the data that I received and I put it there. Yes. So one class is having has eight students and then then the next geometry on block two has eight students. That's how it was reported. Make sure you're not ready. Okay. Cool. Thank you. >> So what this is um all goes down to if you start to go down and look and I provide the block schedule versus a traditional schedule. It's just numbers. Um really what you find that currently we're at 48% uh capacity uh utilization I should say and we have a total classroom capacity of 360 um we have uh student availability of 187 currently we only have 173 so 48% uh utilization and that's that gets us to the uh classroom room of 14. I also break it down per students per day, per teacher, and then students per classroom. So, I like to break things down as much as Mr. Veron do sometimes. Um, and then if you keep going all the way over to the right, uh, you can begin to see the breakout for cost. So, that's at 30. And you can see what I did was break it down in the block schedule to 30 students is 25 and then 20. And you can see that they all relatively the current average classroom sizes, they begin to when you get down to that last number, they all start to to mesh out similarly. >> Can I ask a question? >> Sure. >> Is that based on FY25 data? >> 25. All of 25. >> It's 2425 data. No. Of uh 2526. This was the fall of 25 >> our October letters of election. >> Yeah, I got the data for it. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, >> yeah. So, we would just want to look into the cuts. >> And I have spreadsheets for English, science, social studies, health, foreign language, ESL, fine arts, ROC. >> Nice. all of them put into spreadsheets like this, which I have an opinion, but everybody here needs to, and certainly this is hopefully something I wanted to bring to the board on moving toward a maybe more of a traditional setting, but yet even in the block schedule, there's ample room to re to potentially reduce staff to get the to get the averages up to get it up to 19.2. >> Let's bring up one more session. >> Definitely. So great to have data like that. Would love to have it up if we are willing to share the spreadsheets updated this year to see if we've captured any, you know, changes at all. >> Um, interesting situation. And I know we've beat this around a little bit at the school board, but it was a different board, different numbers. Um, it would be interesting to find out of the student census because obviously you realize and I hope the budget committee realizes that you can move towards a more traditional schedule, right? But at the same time, you have to figure out where the students that you have in the scheduling mix where they are with the credits that they have to have in order to graduate, right? because that's always within a high school. The challenge why you usually will end up with so many little classes is because of the scheduling challenges for the requirements of what they have to have and how many skinnies or electives that you can introduce into that schedule in order to make sure that the kids are all getting what they need, right? because they don't go through, you know, some of the ninth graders might be taking trigonometry where some of the 12th graders are taking basic math. You know what I mean? So, they're not all going to be like first through 8th grade where they're all on the same little path. That's what >> right respond to that. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> I mean, you got you got two geometry by the same teacher, different blocks. >> Yeah. >> 16. >> Yeah, I know. >> Well, what you're saying doesn't apply there. There's no reason why in my opinion 16 kids can't be in the same class. >> No, it's not that they can't be in the same >> It's not. >> It's because Yeah, but the children also have a schedule, right? They have a Each child has a daily schedule. >> And so depending on what grade they're in, you don't have just ninth graders or 10th graders or 11th graders, right? You have classes that may have ninth or 12th graders in it. And depending on where they started their class schedules, it's a it's like a puzzle from heck in order to make sure that all the kids schedules align with the things they have to have in order to graduate. That's all I'm saying. I'm not opposed to looking at it because tiny class sizes are when we were kids. It was 24 to 36 kids. >> 7 hours per kids here, not 400. >> Right. It's also a matter of how many children in the school. At the turn of the century, there was I think 712 students here. Now we're below 500 and 50 of those are imports from other districts for that matter. And that makes a huge difference in terms of class sizes. So we have some hard decisions. >> And when I was in high school 40, [laughter] >> you don't have to go. 46 years ago, um we didn't have block scheduling and it wasn't a thing then. >> Yeah. Right. >> Very exciting. >> So, >> I just want to caution that if you decide to make the change, it may take a little bit of time to put it into play because you have to be sure of where the students are that you can accommodate what they have to have in classes at Red. I was going to say uh yeah and and actually it's the the class that just came in. They actually uh this year they they've changed uh the new the new kids come in and Chris you can correct me if I'm wrong but 26 27 they need 16 core plus four electives. My son who's a sophomore needs 14 core and six electives. So um I'm just saying that the state changed a few things and there's new requirements that have come on. So ultimately they're numbers and it's costs and but at the same time even if we re in the block setting you reduced take note if you went down to one less teacher three just know all the way over to the right class offerings would switch to nine from 12 to 9. We currently have 12 offerings there would it would go down to nine offerings. Okay. And but if you thought about traditional scheduling, you can find that as you get down to three three teachers, you could have potentially 18 offerings. Um so it's it's also a year-long course versus um and because block is also I always get that half year. So >> right go ahead. So that's what I was going to bring up there. When you look at block scheduling, how it's set up currently, it is set up that there is a semester one and a semester 2. One happens in the fall, one happens in the spring. Often when you talk about skinnies and other things, that is considered a hybrid schedule where it's what a lot of people discuss as hybrid. Skinnies go year round. We have a block in which those are semester 1, semester 2. So there when you look at course offerings, there are course offerings in the fall. They may look a little different in the spring too. Uh we may not offer certain subjects in the spring that are offered in the fall and vice versa. It just depends on the track and what students need. Um there are pros and cons to block scheduling. That is a discussion that administration has had in the past and will continue to have. Um there is uh the hybrid which is kind of the in between which allows certain courses that may benefit from a year-long um daily I will say daily but having it consistently throughout the whole year. There are pros and cons to to that. Math is typically a subject that it is hard when you look at a block schedule to have algebra one when you first come to up as a freshman and then you may not have a course again till maybe sophomore year spring or sophomore year. You're still on track because there are core requirements but that lag time may affect students differently. So what's what's the current educational English? >> Which format prepares kids better? >> I think it depends on what information you're looking at. Um I don't I have not spent as much time at the high school and I have been diving into this in the past year. >> Um but I I don't have a recommendation. This would have to be something that would be discussed. >> Black mirror is what they'll see in college. >> What's that? >> For those going to college, a block scheduled mirror, what they're going to experience college. Yeah. So the only other thing to keep in mind and this is a broader discussion that probably going to happen in multiple different areas is we are also a CTE center >> and the CTE centers are designed around longer classes that are more hands-on approaches within not only our setting here but settings in um current nine uh and other places work it looks like financially it makes sense but that's about the whole equation >> where there's a lot of equations when that piece is what's the educational impact uh how does it prepare students and all those correct >> oh the human element >> how long have we been on block versus >> being switched in 1997 >> yeah long time >> prior to that we had eight periods and teachers only taught five of them whereas now the Can I ask you a quick question, Chris, before you head? I'm so sorry, but I do have to leave. >> Thank you for coming on. Bye. >> So, quick question is I just want to make sure I'm understanding the hybrid that you're speaking of. Are you talking about because some schools do >> a semester and they do AB days. Is that what you're meaning by hybrid? And then the elective there's a lot of different ways. Every school does it a little differently. Some have year-long, >> some have AB, some have a combination. >> Okay. Uh Keen has been they have some they go year round some of them are AB. Hanover High School is a hybrid. >> Granite Valley Craft is doing like AB but the electives are weird. I just wanted a clarification. So hybrid's very vague at this point. >> Very vague in terms of we have a very tradition I will I will say traditional. We have a um semester one, semester two, type model >> which very much is the college model, but it's also important like as you guys were talking about like college prep um with it being the start of a new semester um in colleges we are actually currently tasked with students who are struggling to sit in backtoback 90minute classes and that's been a big conversation like this week but that's just another one of the things to factor is like I'm interested in the AV diagram model and like what that would look like in the cost effective but also being on the other side of when your K to2 education ends and there's students that are like they have 15 minutes between classes which is a lot longer than like the 3.5 I had nearly 2000s [laughter] but they're struggling to get like they're like that's a long time because they're sitting for three hours straight. I think the budget committee though this isn't I don't think it's a budget committee decision. No, no, anticipating the conversation, but >> I I think ultimately what it is is it's a reflection of cost and even under the current program >> there's a room >> even under the current program that money and that's budgetary. >> That's absolutely >> now what the now what the schools and the district decides to do. >> Yeah. But I agree that yeah, >> but the larger I mean it's pretty to set with the administration and with the school. >> It'll be be good to see the October first numbers for class sizes and teacher count and their life. >> Incredible how you just >> it's just data all supply all from the SAU office. That's all it is. It's reorgation of data and it should be stuff that we should have always been. Well, we were just talking about this for a week or so. Wonder how many >> Well, I took advantage of knowing Chris was coming and that he did this in the past and you have been very curious about it. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> But Chris, you always put it in such a nice color coding. I like the information. >> I love the color. So I I think that it'll probably be brought up at the school board again for discussion um because you've given it to the budget committee. So >> well there's a Well, I'd also say Jamie there's you know I I've come to learn >> right but it would be nice to update it right with the new numbers and then have us take a look at it as well. >> Is there a CBA requirement for class size? >> Not in the past. A >> CBA what's that collective bargain? No. No, >> there's nothing. I was trying to revert that to policy like what's >> more about the prep time having the time to prep. >> I would feel kind enough to bring them out. >> Spreadsheet over time wages to class sizes. Watch how fast class sizes cease to be if you sign. >> Oh, this is [laughter] an interesting concept. Everybody, >> well, not 50, but if you pay him $5,000 a kid in the class of 20, you're going to get 100 grand. >> You get crickets at that class size. >> Well, that's an interesting concept. >> It is. >> Paying the teacher for student. Is that what you think? >> Yeah, it's been discussed before. We've done it. I've done it at one school district for administrators that way. So one last thing and I know um you guys who are reading this forum >> if you do look at the blog class offerings of equip right remember that's only half the year if you go down below it's 24 so it's just a doubling if you look it's just a doubling so we're doing the traditional schedule you'd have 24 offs at current teachers right if you were doing um a block which we are it's 12 and then 12 cuz they break it up into two blocks. >> I was I was disturbed that they're not offering trigger. >> Yeah, >> has a thought. >> Can I just >> Yeah, Alyssa, go ahead. >> I forgive me if I'm being daffed here, but can you show me on here where it's showing that it's actually financially more appropriate? Like I'm not seeing that on this document. So we we're financially appropriate is is if you win reduce staff to get your numbers up, your class membership up from current 14 to get it above 20 and you reduce staff, you begin to save money. >> Okay. So that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with traditional versus block. That's simply class size. >> Yeah. Which we've mentioned format. I just wanted to make sure I understood like you were talking about average cost per student at class capacity under the block is exactly twice what it is under the traditional schedule except that you have that then twice. So I just want to make sure I was reading this properly and not missing something. >> No, it's it's really about the student teacher ratio. So if you read Yeah. >> Thank you. Mhm. >> And also demonstrating that you're not losing offerings. It's the same. >> It could be the same, >> right? >> Depending on Right. >> on the amount of time needed. >> Oh, sure. Sure. And and I agree with Chris. There's a lot of ways to set it up. It's not where I mean hybrid. I've I've reached some other schools and it's not just AB. It's uh it's traditional and they'll have two classes like they'll have science for 45 minutes and then lab for 45 minutes. So they you know they there's so many different ways to set it up. Uh very creative superintendent or districts that are out there in New Hampshire quite frankly and uh Franklin's done a really good job. I've looked at their um >> and our high schools is pretty >> is pretty good how they >> but they have a million offerings too. So, because they don't care about cost, but >> um it it's an art, right? It's a data person that's really good at what they do in spreading the kids out to fit them all in a little block. I I would not want to do it. When I looked at scheduling, I I was confused. I was like, "Okay, >> that's what I do, bro." >> Oh my god. [laughter] >> Especially difficult at the high school class sizes K3. that bears looking at because you don't have that difficulty. But, uh, the high school >> I see what you're saying, Steve, but if if we're making recommendations, if if we decide to or do maybe do this or do that to save money, it's an absolute budgetary issue. anything that the budget is >> if we're saying hey use use use red basketballs instead of going what I'm saying is that I believe that going from one format to the other could save money by to headc count reduction or whatever but there's a going it's not our I can't sit here and say that one block scheduling or traditional scheduling is better educationally right I have no concept of that whatsoever and I think that's something for the school board has to consider with the SAU, right? Uh >> depending on the student has to do with the tangent thing. >> Yeah, there's a whole bunch of factors that I'm not qualified to even guess what they all are. But I mean, I'm all for looking for ways to reduce cost. And if headc count is one way, then if it makes sense, then it makes sense. But if it, you know, there's other factors that go into that. >> I mean, eight kids to class. I get what you're saying. They're going to try to figure out who we know. When we went to school, >> the student fit the schedules. They had their schedules and you picked what you had to graduate. We didn't go there every student in you know former classrooms with two kids. I mean it's crazy. We didn't we didn't have all these other whatever the adventure period >> requirements and all of that both CBA and children and state >> there's a lot there are more complexities to formulate >> but to your thought just left my head it's >> there in part of the problem why we're spending 37 37 million a year because it's too complicated >> right so maybe a recommendation is to simplify this stuff. >> But some of it remember that some of it is driven by state law. >> I know you want to say that Steve, but some of it is not all. >> It's not all of it. I'm not saying that. I've been I've been at this table for >> five years now. I think >> this is my fifth year. Maybe >> you were here way before I got here. >> Yeah. And you know, we've we've managed the budget fairly well. I think I don't think we've been abusive in saying cut this, cut that, and do anything. We've given explanations. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose with the voters. Um, but there are things that you have to consider across the board that are out of our control. You know, I think I think the school bus routes are crazy. There is a law that says you got to transport kids from point A to point B, right? In our day, we walk four blocks to catch a catch a school bus, right? And now you don't do that anymore. >> A two mile radius. >> Yeah. Right. Uh the seat we'll go to Suzanne and then back to you Matt. >> Steve, can I ask you a quick question? Were you the VA when the switch went from block traditional to block? >> Do you know if by chance there would be any historical data on those conversations and why it was switch like I know it's a great question. There might have been before I left because I never threw anything out that he left behind but who knows now >> since then. Yeah, I agree with that. >> I then cleaned out the house that when he before he left I there was >> Okay. >> All of those. >> Did you just answer a quick yes or no? Was the point to enrich students with their education or was it a was there a big financial component? >> I didn't see growing back then. We peaked in 99 2000. >> Yep. So, this happened just before we peeled. >> Y >> and and I mentioned before, one of the things it did >> was it had teachers teaching three out of four, which is the equivalent of six out of eight. >> Yep. >> They used to teach five out of eight. So, it gave us more capacity, >> which some of them aren't too happy about, but you know, um so some of that move had to do with additional capacity. Some of it had to do with theory about, you know, does this mirror a college schedule more? And the trade-off is on one hand it mirrors a college schedule. On the other hand, some children don't have the attention span for a 90-minute block, >> right? >> And so, you know, what do you do with that? And maybe that's where some of these hybrids come from. Uh, which probably is a good idea, these hybrids, because it it it fits the block to the right student. And even in an eight period day, there's no reason you couldn't have two periods in a row that's covering one one subject just like a block does today. So, >> um, some kind of a hybrid is probably in order. Thank you. That's great insight. Thank you. >> I didn't hear you, Chris. >> I said no, that's how some of the school the new schools have set it up is uh same class. They just split it into two. And some students don't do the you know, they either do independent or they go on to something else. It all depends on what you know how you want to set up your own schedule. >> You wanted to Yeah. Does anybody know um how much money we get from the state from the lottery? >> It does on education whatever the whatever the >> So there is a there is a I don't know specifically for fall mountain but somebody asked that question once before. It's funny you ask that. >> They state tried to get us to the lottery at our store. There is a breakdown enough numbers worth the 7575 blank that we gave you. I was just curious if any I haven't heard anybody actually say it. I haven't seen it anymore. >> There's a breakdown of what funds where the funds come from >> to fund adequacy aid and it gives the breakdown of like how much is from business and profits, how much is from the the different you know places that they get revenue from. There is a breakdown. Let me see if I can find it. the show the lottery. I'm just curious. We're getting our fair share from the state and >> some states you got to >> kind of fight them. >> You got to fight the head office so to speak to get your share >> so they don't redirect it. Yeah. >> Right. >> Or steel. >> That's what happened in New Jersey. >> Yeah. >> Of course, the lottery only provides about 25 cents of the dollar because you got to have a wind pole. You got to have administration. You've got printing costs. You got agent cost. I think what ends up dropping to the bottom line for education is about 25 cents of the dollar. >> It's 25% goes to state >> to the to the schools. I was just wondering how much of that we're actually getting >> cuz they're they're making billions of dollars a year. >> 25% of it is still billions of dollars a year. >> Yeah. >> W about how many districts we have in the city. We should not tell people what we are getting. Of course, it would have been a job of teaching probability. Nobody would play. >> That's funny. And it's fun. >> Or maybe we should make a new clock for probability. >> Yeah. >> They teach that in statistics. >> So you're looking >> I will see if I can find it. Yeah, >> I appreciate that. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Closing questions or comments on this. Any new business to come before the committee? We had plenty of open discussion. So, I'm checking that box off already. All right. Um, next meeting is on Wednesday, October 7th, 2026 here at 6 p.m. >> I make a motion to second both meeting.