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[00:00:06]

>> ALL RIGHT. EVERYONE, I ALMOST SAID GOOD MORNING.

[1. Meeting Opening ]

GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD EVENING. WELCOME. LET'S PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. COVERING TODAY BOARD WORK

[2. Information Items ]

SESSION ON THE REFERENDUM. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE KATIE DOWLING AND OUR CONSULTANT STEVE KLINK SPEAK TO US ABOUT SOME OF THE INFORMATION AND THE DATA.

GIVING IT TO YOU ALL. >> THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.

JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVERYONE, ALSO AVAILABLE HERE WITH US THIS EVENING ON ZOOM IS ERIC LONG OUR REFERENDUM ATTORNEY FROM ICE MILLER. HE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT SCHEDULED, COULDN'T BE HERE IN-PERSON. BUT WAS KIND ENOUGH TO ZOOM IN WITH US. A BIG PIECE FOR ERIC IS GOING TO BE THE DRAFT LANGUAGE DISCUSSION BECAUSE OF THE LEGALITY OF IT AND THE DATABASE WAS SO LARGE THAT HE COULDN'T SEND IT TO ME. I KNOW THAT STEVE HAS A BIG PIECE OF THAT THAT IS ABOUT YOU KNOW, HOW THE COMMUNITY RESPONDED TO CERTAIN PIECES OF THAT.

BUT I KNOW THIS WILL BE AN ORGANIC DISCUSSION. I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SHARED FROM INFORMATION WE SENT OUT LAST NIGHT.

YOU'LL FIND SOME OF THAT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED, I'M HITTING THE ARROWS.

SORRY. I THOUGHT IT WAS ME. AS WE GO.

SO WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS BALLOT LANGUAGE FIRST. GO THROUGH THE TAX RATE INFORMATION. THAT WAS SHARED WITH YOU YESTERDAY EVENING.

WE DID MAKE ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON NEW INFORMATION WE RECEIVED TODAY.

AND THEN WE'LL DISCUSS THE REVENUE SPENDING PLAN. I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE REVENUE SPENDING PLAN IS IT'S DRIVEN BY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FIRST TWO.

SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO FINALIZE THAT WITHOUT HAVING A CONSENSUS ON WHERE WE BELIEVE AT THAT TIME WE'RE HEADED IN PREPARATION FOR THE JULY 12TH MEETING.

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL PROPOSED BALLOT LANGUAGE THAT MR. KLINK SHARED WITH YOU, AT I BELIEVE THE WORK SESSION LAST WEEK. THE UNDERLINED SECTION IS THE PART THAT WE HAVE SOME LEEWAY.

WE PUT THE WHOLE LANGUAGE IN BECAUSE THIS PRESENTATION WILL GO UP ON THE WEBSITE.

SO WE WANTED THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT AS WELL. THE NEXT SLIDE IS WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED BASED ON THE FEEDBACK YOU ALL HAVE SHARED. I'M GOING TO LET STEVE -- YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO TURN YOUR MIC ON OVER THERE. LET STEVE DIG INTO THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE THERE AND WHY. BUT THIS WAS BASED ON BOARD FEEDBACK THAT WAS COMMUNICATED

>> SUZANNE SENT OUT SOME SUGGESTIONS AND I'VE SENT TO DON AND SUZANNE, NOT TO EVERYBODY, BUT I WENT THROUGH THE SUGGESTIONS ONE BY ONE. AND SHE MADE SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS, ACTUALLY. BUT AS WE LOOK AT THOSE, THE ESSENTIAL SAFETY INITIATIVES, IS AT THE BEGINNING, BECAUSE OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO YOUR COMMUNITY.

THE OTHER THING THAT IS IMPORTANT IS FUNDING ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED PROGRAMS, WHICH IS -- PUT THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT THING AT THE END OF THE PURPOSE.

BUT YOU KNOW, WHEREVER YOU WANT THOSE IS FINE WITH ME. AS LONG AS THEY'RE -- THOSE THINGS JUST KNOW ARE VERY IMPORTANT. THAT FUNDING ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED PROGRAMS HAS CERTAINLY BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN REFERENDUMS ACROSS THE STATE. BUT THEN THERE HAS BEEN -- WE CAN SHORTEN THE LANGUAGE RELATED TO THE ACTUAL RATE CHANGE. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO USE THE WORD CHANGING THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED MAXIMALLY REFERENDUM TAX RATE WITH X TO X.

WHETHER YOU WANT TO END THAT PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION, IT DOES MAKE IT LONGER AND ELIMINATE SOME OF THE CONFUSION THAT THERE IS. PEOPLE TEND TO TAKE THOSE RATES AND THINK THEY'RE PERCENTAGES. WE ALSO TOOK OUT THE WORD "OPERATING "IN FRONT OF REFERENDUM. BUT YOU DO HAVE A CAPITAL PROJECT REFERENDUM ON THE BOOKS. SO PUTTING IT BACK IN WOULD HELP CLARIFY THAT.

THAT'S ENTIRELY UP TO YOU. THAT IS ABOUT AS SHORT AS I COULD MAKE THE PURPOSE, BASED UPON SOME SUGGESTED CHANGES SUZANNE MADE AND WHAT REALLY MAKES SENSE.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LEAVE THE WORD "MAXIMUM "IN THERE, WHICH SHE HAD COMING OUT.

[00:05:06]

BECAUSE WE NEED TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT YOU ARE NOT SETTING THE RATE FOR EVERY YEAR FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS. YOU'RE SETTING THE MAXIMUM IT COULD EVER BE.

YOU COULD STILL EVALUATE EACH YEAR DURING YOUR PROCESS OF HOW MUCH REVENUE IS COMING IN AND DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE MAXIMUM RATE OR COME OUT WITH THE LOWER ONE.

>> STEVE, EXCUSE ME JUST JUST A MINUTE. IN FAIRNESS, SINCE I WAS BEING ON THE REFERENDUM COMMITTEE, I WENT AHEAD AND SENT THAT INFORMATION TO SARA AND DON.

SO THE REST OF THE BOARD YOU'RE RESPONDING TO. I'M NOT QUITE SURE THEY ALL KNOW WHAT MY INPUT WAS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF ADDRESS THAT A LITTLE BIT.

>> SURE. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE COMMENTS BASED UPON THAT, BUT THIS IS BASICALLY A LOT OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO THE WORDING, WHICH WE'RE --

>> I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH IT REAL QUICK. ONE OF THE THINGS POINTED OUT IN REFERENDUM COMMITTEE WAS WE WERE USING LANGUAGE THAT WAS MANAGING CLASS SIZESM.

YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT THERE. MANAGING CLASS SIZES. SUZANNE AND SARA BOTH MENTIONED CHANGE THAT TO MAINTAINING. THAT IS A CHANGE THAT WE DID. THAT WAS IN THE DRAFT WITH THE RED LINES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN LAST NIGHT. ANOTHER PART OF THIS WAS RETAINING AN ATTRACTION OF TEACHERS TO TWEAK THAT TO RETAINING AND ATTRACTING TEACHERS. I THINK IT FLOWS BETTER. I THINK WAS THE FEEDBACK.

THE WORD "MAXIMUM "AND I KNOW ERIC MAY WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THIS AS WELL.

THE PART OF THIS THAT WAS IMPORTANT, IT MAKES IT CLEAR TO THE TAXPAYER THAT IS THE MOST

THAT THE RATE CAN BE. >> BUT DON'T WE SAY THAT, IF I COULD READ THE SECTION THAT I HAD IN THERE. IT READS JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE.

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN SCHOOLS. AND THEN IT COMES INTO PROPOSE OF FUNDING.

I SUGGESTD IT LEAD IN BECAUSE WITH SORRY, I'M USING CONTACTS TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME.

SO I'M ADJUSTING WITH THEM. SO I APOLOGIZE EVERYONE. ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED PROGRAMS, ESSENTIAL SAFETY INITIATIVES, MAINTAINING CLASS SIZE, RETAINING AND ATTRACTING TEACHERS AT A CONTINUED TAX RATE, NOT TO EXCEED BLAH BLAH RATE.

AND THEN PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION. THAT WAS MY LANGUAGE THAT I ORIGINALLY RECOMMENDED. I LIKE THAT WE SUGGESTED THE RETAINING AND ATTRACTING.

I LIKE THAT WE PUT IN MAINTAINING PER MS. DONS DONS RECOMMENDATION.

IT ALREADY SAYS MAXIMUM -- MY TWO CENTS, I SHOULDN'T USE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.

THAT IS MY INPUT. IF IT CAN BE DONE, I'M JUST ASKING WHAT THE REST OF THE BOARD WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT IT, IF IT DOESN'T HAVE THE WORD MAXIMUM IN THERE.

>> WE'VE GOT TO USE THE WORD CHANGING. YOU WOULD PREFER CHANGING THE APPROVED -- IT BECOMES AWKWARD TO PUT THE WORDS NOT TO EXCEED IN THERE.

>> ERIC FROM ICE MILLER >> I'M HERE. CAME OFF MUTE.

>> I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. THE SPECIFIC PHRASE OF AT A CONTINUED TAX RATE NOT TO EXCEED, DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON -- I KNOW WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TODAY ABOUT USE OF THE WORD MAXIMUM. OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SHOWING FROM TO A TO RATE. DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON IF THAT HAS BEEN UTILIZED IN THE PAST AND IF IT'S BEEN VIEWED FAVORABLY

>> SPEED WAY. >> ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO GET THE BALLOT QUESTION AS A WHOLE APPROVED. SO ONE THING WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS COUCH IT IN A HISTORICAL CONTEXT. I'M AGNOSTIC AS TO WHETHER WE SAY MAXIMUM OR DO NOT EXCEED. BUT A LOT OF THE PUBLIC QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME ABOUT ESPECIALLY HAVE REFERENCED A MAXIMUM RATE. I SAY I'M AGNOSTIC BECAUSE WE HAVE SCENE THE NOT TO EXCEED LANGUAGE GET APPROVED AND ON A BALLOT.

THAT IS ONE OF THE LENSES THAT WE'RE VIEWING THIS QUESTION THROUGH, TRYING TO BE CONSISTENT IN WHAT THE DLGF WILL SAY IS NOT A BIASED QUESTION.

ON THAT POINT OF SAYING MAXIMUM VERSUS DO NOT EXCEED, OR NOT TO EXCEED, RATHER, EXCUSE ME, BOTH

[00:10:08]

OF THOSE DO HAVE HISTORY OF APPROVAL BY THE DLGF. >> I THINK ONE OF THE CONCERNS TOO IS THE QUESTION IS LONG ENOUGH, SOME OF IT TOO IS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF WORDS.

TO BE MINDFUL -- IF YOU PUT IN DO NOT EXCEED IN MICROSOFT, IT WOULD PROBABLY GIVE YOU MAXIMUM AS A RESULT. THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION WE HAD EARLY TODAY, SOME OF THIS THE LANGUAGE THE TOO LONG. ALL OF THE PIECES ARE IMPORTANT AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION.

WHAT ERIC IS SAYING IT DOESN'T MATTER, IT'S HOW THAT FLOWS WITHIN THE QUESTION, FROM HIS

PERSPECTIVE. >> EXCEED WAS USED BY SPEEDWAY IN THEIR MOST RECENT CONTINUING REFERENDUM. THEY WERE NOT REDUCING THE RATE, HOWEVER.

IT WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE PREVIOUS REFERENDUM. SO THE LANGUAGE THAT SUZANNE

READ WAS WORD FOR WORD FROM SPEEDWAY'S REFERENDUM >> WHAT I READ?

>> IT WAS. IT COULD HAVE BEEN COINCIDENCE. >> I THOUGHT I HAD A GREAT

THOUGHT HERE. >> YEAH. BUT THEY WERE NOT REDUCING THEIR RATE. SO YOU GOT THAT REDUCED RATE IN THERE.

>> DID THEIRS PASS? WAIT. DID THEIRS PASS?

>> PARDON ME? >> YES. WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

YES. >> CONTINUATION IT WASN'T A REDUCED RATE.

I HAVE GOT THE REFERENDUM DATABASE IN FRONT OF ME. I CAN SEARCH FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT. BUT THE EXCEED HAS -- DO NOT EXCEED HAS NOT BEEN USED IN ANY CONTINUING REFERENDUM OTHER THAN SPEEDWAY'S WHICH WAS NOT A REDUCED RATE REFERENDUM.

>> GO AHEAD, ERIC. >> I THINK TO STEVE'S POINT, PART OF THE EQUATION HERE AND THE VERBIAGE IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT, IF IT PANS OUT THIS WAY, THAT IF WE'RE GOING FROM THE 2275, APPROVED IN 2016, TO SOMETHING LESS THAN THAT, HOW DO YOU FRAME THAT VERBIAGE

ACCORDINGLY? IS THAT FAIR, STEVE? >> YES.

RIGHT. HOW DO WE WORK THAT IN? THAT WE REALLY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT THAT WE'RE CHANGING THE TAX RATE FROM THIS TO THIS.

>> AND THE REASON I SAY, I'M NOT GOING TO ANNOUNCE A NUMBER NOW BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION TO HAVE FIRST, BUT THE REASON MY LANGUAGE WAS THAT IS BECAUSE IN MY SUGGESTED RECOMMENDATION, MY RATE IS LOWER. AND IT JUST READ FLUENT WITH HOW THAT WORKED. SO WHEN WE GET TO RATES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, THEN I CAN

BRING THAT BACK TO THE TABLE. >> THIS IS THE GOOD TIME FOR THE LANGUAGE, THOUGH.

ERIC, IF THE FINAL CONSENSUS IS A REDUCTION, DO WE HAVE TO LIST BOTH THE OLD AND THE NEW RATE?

>> MARKETING >> MARKETING QUESTION OF WHAT PULLS BETTER WITH THE MESSAGING IN THE COMMUNITY TO SHOW ON THE BALLOT THAT YOU DECREASED THE RATE VERSUS LISTING JUST THE

LOWER RATE, SO YOU CAN'T USE THE TERM REDUCED. >> CAN YOU USE THE WORD CHANGE

FROM AND THEN 22752 TO SUCH AND SUCH RATE >> LIKE IT IS RIGHT UP THERE

>> THAT IS WHAT HIS, WHEN STEVE REVISED THIS, IT WAS BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK UNDERSTANDING HOW IT READ WAS A LITTLE MORE CONCISE BECAUSE WE HAD THE LIST.

YOURS WAS GREAT IF IT WAS JUST GOING TO LIST ONE NUMBER. >> FOR ME, SUZANNE, I WOULD

CONCEDE TO THAT IF WE CHANGE THE ORDER. >> LET ME JUMP IN REAL QUICK.

I LIKE THE IDEA. I THINK THAT DOES SOUND SOFTER. A LITTLE LESSENED APPROACH.

BUT FOR ME, I THINK WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE QUESTION, PEOPLE PROBABLY JUST SKIM IT QUICKLY. WE WANT TO MAKE IT PROBABLY AS CONCISE AS POSSIBLE.

AND THE STAR OF THE SHOW HAS TO BE THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO SPEND ON AND THE CHANGE IN THE RATE, IF WE GO THAT DIRECTION, FROM A HIGHER RATE TO A LOWER RATE.

I THINK IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN THERE THAT COULD KIND OF TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL, IT'S GOING TO CONFUSE PEOPLE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR AND CONCISE.

AND THE STAR OF THE SHOW IS THE NUMBERS AND WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY

>> I THINK THE ORDER, STEVE, YOU CAN SPEAK TO THIS MORE THAN ME, THE ORDER WAS BASED ON HOW THE MESSAGING RESONATED WITH THE INITIAL POLLING WORK THAT WAS DONE.

ESSENTIAL SAFETY INITIATIVES HAD THE MOST POSITIVE RESPONSE. DO I HAVE THAT ACCURATE?

>> ACROSS THE STATE. IN THE LAST THREE TO FOUR YEARS.

HEALTH AND SAFETY HAS ALWAYS DONE THAN ACADEMICS. BUT THEY'RE BOTH VERY CLOSE.

[00:15:02]

IF YOU WANT TO TURN IT AROUND, IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL TO ME. BUT WE DID TEST THIS WITH

SAFETY FIRST. >> SAFETY HAS BECOME A MUCH MORE IMPORTANT FACTOR

>> WAS THERE A REASON TO DO BOTH? IT SEEMS REDUNDANT TO ME.

AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO SHORTEN IT UP WHEREVER I CAN. FUNDING ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED PROGRAMS, COULD WE JUST GO TO ACADEMIC RELATED PROGRAMS?

>> I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE FUNDING OF ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED PROGRAMS,

IS THE SINGLE HIGHEST NUMBER PHRASE USED -- >> ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.

>> DO YOU END WITH IT BECAUSE IT'S AT THE END? BEGINNING OR THE END?

>> EITHER THE BEGINNING OR THE END. IT USED TO BE THAT WE ALWAYS

PUT IT IN THE FRONT >> YEAH. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT

WOULD BE FIRST AND LAST. >> ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED PROGRAMS, ESSENTIAL SAFETY INITIATIVES DO NOT READ WELL TO YOU? ANYBODY ON THE BOARD?

>> SAY IT AGAIN. >> AGAIN, I KNOW SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT.

I JUST KNOW FROM LISTENING TO OUR DISTRICT AND LISTENING TO PEOPLE, I DON'T HAVE YOUR STATS, BUT I HAVE MY OWN STATS, ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED PROGRAMS IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE OUR REFERENDUM SPENT ON. AND SAFETY.

IN MY OPINION, ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED PROGRAMS, FOLLOWED BY ESSENTIAL SAFETY INITIATIVES, MAINTAINING CLASS SIZES AND MAINTAINING AND ATTRACTING TEACHERS.

HOWEVER YOU WANT TO FINISH THAT >> THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK, IN THE END, PROBABLY THE IMPACT IS MINISCULE, YOU WOULD PUT ESSENTIAL SAFETY INITIATIVES LAST.

>> IF YOU PUT THEM ONE AND TWO. >> WHATEVER WE PUT ON THAT QUESTION.

COMES BACK TO THE ACTUAL FUND SPENDING. >> IT DOES.

>> THEY HAVE TO BE ON THERE SO THAT WE CAN USE THE MONEY THAT WAY.

SO WE HAVE TO GET THEM ALL IN THERE. WE CAN'T ELIMINATE ONE TO

SHORTEN IT UP AND MAKE IT MORE CONCISE. >> ANOTHER THING WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY WITH ERIC WAS, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS, WHAT IF WE WANTED TO ADD MORE LANGUAGE TO FUNDING ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED SO THAT WE COULD HIGHLIGHT THINGS.

ERIC, NOT THAT YOU CAN'T SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, GENERALLY IT NEEDS TO BE SPECIFIC ENOUGH THAT WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE AND BROADENED ENOUGH THAT WE'RE NOT PIGEONHOLED.

THAT IS THE BALANCE. I HATE TO SAY THE C WORD, BUT THE COVID WORD, IF YOU WERE SOMEBODY WITH REFERENDUM THAT TALKED ABOUT IN-PERSON WHATEVER AND THEN COVID HITS, YOU WOULD BE IN A JAM. I ASKED TOO, WOULD WE LIST SROS.

WHAT IF THERE IS A PIECE THAT IS SRO BUT MAYBE THERE IS ANOTHER PIECE BASED ON THE FISHER'S PD TO HIRE AND ATTRACT OFFICER. OBVIOUSLY THEY DON'T HAVE 20 GUYS OR GIRLS THAT THEY CAN THROW OUT INTO SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

IF YOU LISTED IT TOO NARROW, YOU'VE HAMSTRINGED YOURSELF. >> KATIE, HAVE WE RUN THIS INFORMATION FROM INPUT, FROM ANYBODY FROM OUR PAC. ARE THEY WELCOME TO SPEAK

>> I KNOW (INAUDIBLE) SAID SHE WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE BRIDE TODAY.

ONLY A BRIDESMAID. WE HAD A NICE CONVERSATION ON MY WAY UP TO 565 ON FRIDAY.

>> IS THAT A NICE LEAD-IN FOR YOU. >> GOOD EVENING TO ALL OF YOU.

(INAUDIBLE) FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET.

I AM CO-CHAIRING YOUR PAC FOR THIS REFERENDUM. IN REGARD TO LISTENING TO THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TODAY, I THINK LAUREN AND I HAVE A FEW THOUGHTS AS FAR AS YOUR PROPOSED BALLOT LANGUAGE IS CONCERNED. WE WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF ADDING OPERATING IN FRONT OF THE REFERENDUM. I THINK IT WOULD BE CRUCIAL THAT YOUR COMMUNITY LISTENS AND NOT CONFUSE THIS REFERENDUM FOR CAPITAL REFERENDUM.

YOU WILL HAVE PROPONENTS THAT IT IS USED FOR BUILDING. IN REGARD TO MAXIMUM, I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF HOW MUCH WORDAGE IS THERE. WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF USING MAXIMUM. OR NOT TO EXCEED. BUT MAXIMUM OBVIOUSLY IS LESS WORDS. ONE OR THE OTHER. IN REGARD TO WHAT THE PURPOSES

[00:20:03]

ARE, CONSIDERING MR. KLINK'S DATA AND INFORMATION SANDWICHING IT IS JUST AS FINE AS LISTING IT IN A PARTICULAR ORDER. I THINK THE SANDWICH METHOD ALWAYS PROPOSES TO BE STRONGER ANY TIME YOU'RE COMMUNICATING WITH SOMEBODY.

SO IF YOU WANT TO CONSIDER ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY FIRST WITH ESSENTIAL SAFETY INITIATIVES AT THE END, THAT IS FINE. ALTERNATIVELY, IF YOU WANT TO FLIP THEM, THAT IS FINE ALSO. I THINK WE PROBABLY WOULD BE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF SANDWICHING BASED OFF THE MARKETING DATA SAYING THAT SANDWICHING SEEMS TO SERVE BETTER.

>> GO AHEAD. SORRY. >> I THOUGHT I WOULD MENTION, BECAUSE THERE IS PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DEVIL'S ADVOCATES. WE'RE ALWAYS STREAMED AND EVERYTHING. IT'S WORTH SAYING THAT WE PUT ALL OF THESE THINGS IN THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO OUR OPERATION. WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME ORDER. SO BECAUSE WE'RE ARGUING OVER THESE TWO BEING FIRST AND SECOND, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE OTHER TWO AREN'T IMPORTANT. THEY WOULDN'T BE UP IF THEY WEREN'T IMPORTANT. PLEASE, EVERYBODY, I CAN JUST IMAGINE THAT WE HAVEN'T ADDRESSED THE RETAINING ATTRACTING TEACHERS AND CLASS SIZE, VERY IMPORTANT.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS THE BEST.

>> I KNOW WE HAD A COUPLE OF YOU SPEAK. I'M GETTING A CONSENSUS, STEVE SAID WE'RE SPLITTING HAIRS AT THIS POINT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WOULD LIKE TO LEAD WITH THE FUNDING ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONALLY RELATED GENERALLY.

WE'RE NOT VOTING. IF THERE IS AN OBJECTION, I WOULD SAY SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE. I THINK TO THE POINT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU KNOW, THOSE BIG ONES ON THE FRONT AND THEN A BIG ONE ON THE FRONT AND A BIG ONE ON THE END, NOT TO MINIMIZE THE MAINTAINING CLASS SIZE, THIS IS A STRATEGY AS WELL.

>> MY TWO CENT, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT OF ALWAYS KEEPING THE MAIN THING, THE MAIN THING. TEACHING AND LEARNING. WE ARE AN EDUCATIONAL FACILITY.

T MIGHT MAKE MORE SENSE TO LEAD WITH THE ACADEMIC AND

EDUCATION. >> THAT IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING. >> FLIP THOSE AND JUST FROM WHO

WE ARE AS AN ENTITY. WE'RE A SCHOOL SYSTEM. >> I PLAYED WITH -- GO BACK TO THE CHANGING THING. I PLAYED WITH THIS AND TO GET IT SO IT SAID NOT TO EXCEED, FEEL FREE TO PLAY WITH IT YOURSELVES, I CAME UP WITH CHANGING THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED REFERENDUM TAX RATE OF.2275 TO NOT TO A RATE NOT TO EXCEED.1997.

ACTUALLY MORE WORDS >> I DON'T LIKE IT. PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I WAS COMING UP WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS WHEN LOOKING AT THIS. IT READ REALLY SMOOTH AND FLUENT. FROM MY OWN RESEARCH, I HAVE EDUCATORS ON MY LATE HUSBAND'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY AND PEOPLE THAT WERE IN ADMINISTRATION, TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, I RAN INFORMATION BY TO REACH AND IN THAT COMMUNICATION, IT READ SOFTER, SMOOTHER, MORE ENTICING TO FOLLOW WHEN IT HAD THAT. BUT NOW WHEN YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE GOING TO POSSIBLY PUT BOTH R REST OF THE BOARD HAS THE CONSENSUS ON MAXIMUM, I'M NOT

GOING TO SAY OTHERWISE. >> YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY THAT YOU'RE LOWERING THE RATE.

AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY YOU'RE LOWERING THE RATE. SO YOU HAVE TO SAY YOU'RE

CHANGING THE RATE FROM THIS TO THIS. >> I'M OKAY WITH THAT.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE. >> I'M OKAY.

I THINK I WOULD GO WITH MAXIMUM SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S SHORTER. >> YEAH.

>> I'M NOT OPPOSED TO EITHER WAY. FINE WITH ME.

ONE OTHER QUESTION, I ASSUME EACH OF THESE PHRASES ARE VERY TESTED AND THOUGHT OUT AND YOU'VE USED THEM A THOUSAND TIMES. AGAIN, TRYING TO THINK OF SHORTENING THINGS ON THE RETAINING AND ATTRACTING TEACHERS, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF DOES THAT SUPPORTING TEACHERS, COMPENSATING TEACHERS.

>> FUNDING TEACHERS. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CHOICES THERE

>> THAT IS THE WINNER. >> YEAH. >> I THINK IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, WHEN YOU SEE THOSE TWO WORDS, WE HAVE AMAZING TEACHERS IN OUR DISTRICT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY WANT TO STAY HERE, KEEP THEM, WE WANT TO RETAIN THEM.

ON TOP OF THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE AN AMAZING SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE WANT TO ATTRACT THE BEST TEACHERS TO COME TO OUR SCHOOLS. WHEN I INTERPRET IT, AGAIN, RUNNING THAT INFORMATION OUT TO MY SPHERE THERE, IT WAS A STRONG STATEMENT THERE.

>> I THINK WE HAVE OUR MARCHING ORDERS GENERALLY, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK TODAY.

[00:25:01]

WE'LL MAKE TWEAKS. ERIC, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.

I KNOW YOU HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, I BELIEVE YOU NEEDED TO BOW OUT NO LATER THAN QUARTER AFTER. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED YOU FOR THE RATE DISCUSSION.

IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO OFFER RIGHT NOW OR YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO SIGN OFF.

THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN. >> I'M GOING TO SIGN OFF. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO

BE VIRTUAL. THANK YOU. >> GOOD-BYE

>> IS IT TIME TO GO? >> SO THIS FIRST -- THIS IS OUR CERTIFIED BUDGET ORDER TAX RATE DATA. THIS WAS INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED WITH THE BOARD.

I WANT TO VIEW IT PUBLICLY AND HAVE IT IN THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.

WE HAVE A CAPITAL REFERENDUM RATE AND THEN THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF REFERENDUMS SIMILAR, OPERATING AND THEN SCHOOL SAFETY. AS I MENTIONED IN THE E-MAIL, SCHOOL SAFETY EXPENDITURES CAN BE PAID FOR FROM AN OPERATING REFERENDUM.

THEY BOTH HAVE, YOU KNOW, RATE CONTROLLED, BOTH APPROVED AFTER SO MANY YEARS.

IT'S JUST THAT SCHOOL SAFETY REFERENDUM ARE WHAT THEY CAN BE SPENT ON.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND WHAT OUR RATE IS. SO CARAMEL IS THE ONLY SCHOOL COPERATION HERE IS A NICKEL. THEIR SCHOOL SAFETY REFERENDUM IS FIVE CENTS.

A TOTAL OF.24. I THINK THIS INFORMATION IS RELEVANT BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN NOVEMBER, THE 1077 RATE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR CAPITAL STAYS.

SO WHEN THERE IS A REPRESENTATION THAT OUR TAX RATE IS $0.33 AND CHANGE, IF THIS REFERENDUM WEREN'T TO BE RENEWED, 2275 IS WHAT IS COMING OFF.

NOT 33. BECAUSE IT'S CAPITAL. AND SO I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE IT COMES FROM.

BUT AGAIN, BESIDES HAMILTON HEIGHTS WHO DOESN'T HAVE ONE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE FIT IN.

CARMEL AND SHERIDAN AND US, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME VEIN. ESPECIALLY CARMEL AT 24.

WHEN I HEAR THINGS OR SEE THINGS THAT REPRESENT THAT WE'RE THE HIGHEST RATE OR THIS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE. BECAUSE THAT CAPITAL REFERENDUM IS THERE UNTIL THE PROJECT IS OUT. YOU CANNOT RENEW A CAPITAL REFERENDUM. IT'S A NEW PROJECT EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT TO DO ONE.

ALSO WANTED THAT TO BE A PART OF THE PRESENTATION THAT WOULD BE ON BOARD DOCS SO THAT IT'S CLEAR. THIS CAME RIGHT FROM THE BUDGET ORDER THAT WE GET EVERY YEAR

FROM HAMILTON COUNTY >> IF I COULD ADD TO THAT CAPITAL REFERENDUM RATE HAS GONE DOWN EVERY YEAR SINCE IT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2013. BECAUSE IT IS A LEVY BASED RATE

LIKE ALL TAX RATES ARE. >> AS WE RETIRE DEBT WE NEE

NEEDLESS LESS. >> AS THE AV INCREASES, THE RATE GOES DOWN BECAUSE YOU'RE

SENDING IT OUT ACROSS >> KATIE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES, CAN YOU USE THE CAPITAL FUND TO PAY ANYTHING IN YOUR EDUCATION BUCKET?

>> NO. >> KATIE, CAN YOU USE ANYTHING IN THE CAPITAL REFERENDUM TO

PAY ANYTHING IN MY OPERATIONS BUDGET? >> NO. YOU CAN USE IT FOR WHAT THE PROJECT WAS LAID OUT. SO SIMILAR TO THE BALLOT LANGUAGE, OUR REFERENDUM THE PIECES OF IT, BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING THIS UP LAST WEEK, CCAS I THINK WERE A PART OF IT.

THAT IS WHAT THOSE FUNDS, IT'S ALL BASED ON WHAT YOUR ORIGINAL RESOLUTION READS AND WHAT THE BALLOT LANGUAGE IS FOR WHAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE. CAPITAL MONEY CANNOT BE USED FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES. SO WE CANNOT WORK TO OBTAIN AN EXTENSION OF THIS REFERENDUM AND THEN USE THE FUNDS TO RENOVATE A BUILDING. DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.

>> THE FINAL PART OF THAT QUESTION IS, I HEAR THIS CHATTER OUT HERE, THAT WE DON'T NEED THE REFERENDUM BECAUSE WE CAN USE FUNDS FROM THE CAPITAL REFERENDUM

>> IT IS NOT CORRECT. I CANNOT TAKE THE DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE AND MOVE IT INTO OPERATIONS OR INTO EDUCATION OR INTO ANYWHERE. IT IS IN DEBT SERVICE, THAT IS WHERE IT IS IF WE DON'T USE IT, THE RATE FALLS OFF ESSENTIALLY. SO YOU CANNOT MOVE TAX RATES

BETWEEN FUNDS THAT WAY. >> THANK YOU. THE LAST PART OF THIS LINE OF

[00:30:05]

QUESTIONING, IF YOU WILL, IS THE REFERENDUM, IF IT DOES NOT PASS, OUR OPERATIONAL REFERENDUM DOES NOT PASS, THE COMMUNITY DECIDES THAT WE DON'T NEED THAT REFERENDUM HOW LONG

IS IT UNTIL WE CAN APPLY FOR A NEW REFERENDUM, TO DO IT AGAIN? >> TECHNICALLY TWO YEARS, BUT

YOU CAN HAVE A PETITION AND DO IT IN ONE YEAR? >> TECHNICALLY IT'S TWO YEARS.

>> WAS THERE ANY LEGISLATION PASSED RECENTLY ON THAT. >> NO.

>> OFF-ELECTION YEAR SPECIFIC TO THAT. >> THEY ATTEMPTED TO PASS OFF-ELECTION YEAR. WHICH WOULD HAVE MEANT YOU COULDN'T DO IT IN 2025, BUT THAT DID NOT PASS. THAT ALSO HAD OUR LANGUAGE TO CHANGE THE REFERENDUM BALLOT LANGUAGE TO SOMETHING THAT WAS BETTER TOO. THAT IS WHY IT DIDN'T PASS.

>> SO FOR THE REFERENDUM FUND, THIS IS CURRENT DATA. CURRENT ASSESSED VALUE AND CURRENT TAX RATE AND LEVY. A CHANGE FROM THE DATA I SHARED WITH YOU LAST NIGHT.

WE WORKED THROUGH THE FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE OF OUR ASSESSED VALUE GROWTH.

THAT SEEMED TO BE A SPECIFIC AND RELIABLE NUMBER TO USE AS AN AVERAGE.

THAT IS WHAT PERCENTAGE, WHICH CAME OUT TO 6.21 PERCENT AS OPPOSED TO A FLAT FIVE PERCENT.

NOW, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, I THINK IN ONE OF THE MANY WORK SESSIONS I FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD TO DISCUSS REFERENDUM, SO YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME EARLY INDICATORS FROM YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY THAT GROWTH, WE'RE GOING TO SEE GROWTH, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE AS HIGH AS IT WAS LAST YEAR, BUT LIKELY DOUBLE DIGITS.

WE HAVE TO BALANCE THE INCREASE IN THE DEDUCTION THAT WE KNOW WITH THE 40 PERCENT AND THEN 37.5, THERE'S DIFFERENT PIECES THAT WE'RE MANAGING. LET'S SAY KATIE, YOU SAID 6.21 AND IT CAME IN AT 10. AS I SAID BEFORE, THAT WOULD BE A PART OF OUR BUDGET DISCUSSION. IF WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THIS EXTENDED RENEWED, WHEN WE WOULD COME TO YOU FOR THE BUDGET, I AM SURE SOMEBODY WILL ASK, HOW MUCH DID OUR AV GO UP AND ARE WE ABLE TO DECREASE THE RATE AS A RESULT OF THAT. THAT IS ALL PART OF THE DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A BALANCE BETWEEN THE FLEXIBILITY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE REFERENDUM, YOU HAVE OPERATIONS AND YOU HAVE THE EDUCATION FUND BUT REFERENDUM IS THE FLEXIBLE FUND. SO WHEN WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE, I USED AN EXAMPLE WE HAD A PARTICULAR, WE HAD 200 MORE E&L STUDENTS THAT ARRIVED AND OUR FUNDING WAS FLAT FROM THE STAFF. WE HAD 200 MORE STUDENTS THAT THE STAFF HAD TO WORK WITH.

OUR FUNDING FROM THE STATE IS FLAT. WE DON'T SAY SORRY, I GUESS YOUR SIZES NOW ARE GOING TO BE 50 TO 1 INSTEAD OF 30 TO 1. WE HAVE TO ADD THOSE SUPPORTS IN FOR KIDS. THAT GIVES US FLEXIBILITY BETWEEN FUNDS WHERE WE CAN SHIFT THINGS AROUND TO MAKE IT WORK. BUT THERE IS AN ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE THAT WE CAN HAVE IN PLACE WITH THE BUDGET DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD ABOUT THIS WAS THE RATE BUT THIS WAS THE AV. SO INSTEAD OF IT BEING XYZ CENTS, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OFF Z AND IT WILL BE X AND Y. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING AS WE WORK THROUGH IRONICALLY OBJECTIVES AND THINGS FOR US, THOSE ARE MEASURABLES THAT WE CAN TALK TO.

IT IS A WAY FOR US TO BE ACCOUNTABLE WHILE MAINTAINING FLEXIBILITY.

IF WE GET A CUT TO THE EDUCATION FUND, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED IN 2010, WITH THE FIRST REFERENDUM, THE TEN CENT RATE.

THE CUTS CAME TO PUBLIC ED, WHEN THEY TOOK GENERAL FUNDS OFF THE TAX LEVY AND BASICALLY HSE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING THEY WANTED TO DO. THAT IS A BENEFIT TO US.

SO I JUST SAY THAT AS A QUALIFIER, THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS A PIECE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING A LOT ABOUT, ESPECIALLY DURING THE BUDGET. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE, WE HEAR YOU, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE IT'S A COMPONENT OF THAT DISCUSSION SO THERE IS AN ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE FOR EVERYBODY. SO THE FIRST SCENARIO, THERE IS NOT A SCENARIO IN HERE THAT KEEPS THE RATE THE SAME. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THE GROWTH AND ASSESS VALUE, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD. I JUST, THE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF US, THERE IS NO SCENARIO IN MY OPINION, WHERE WE COME IN WITHOUT A LESSER RATE.

IF SOMEBODY DISAGREES WITH ME, THAT IS FINE. WE CAN LOOK AT THAT.

I DID NOT PREPARE A SCENARIO THAT IS A CONTINUATION. THIS IS REDUCING THE TAX RATE

[00:35:01]

BY TEN PERCENT. THAT IS THE 2047 THAT YOU HEARD STEVE TALK ABOUT IN HIS INITIAL PRESENTATION. THAT IS A REDUCTION IN REFERENDUM REVENUE OF $1.138 MILLION. KEEP IN MIND, THAT IS BASED ON 6.21 PERCENT GROWTH IN AV.

SO IF THAT GROWTH IS HIGHER, THEN THE REDUCTION IS LESS, THAT IS PART OF THE OVERALL

DISCUSSION. >> ONE OF THE THINGS, AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE DISCUSSED A THREE PERCENT CAP ON THE LEVY, WHICH WE WERE BEING TOLD WAS GOING TO BE PUT IN PLACE OVER US FOR NEXT YEAR. IT'S IN PLACE FOR EVERY REFERENDUM PASSED BEFORE THIS YEAR. AND JUST LAST WEEK, AS KATIE WAS WATCHING THE DLGF WEBINAR, THEY MADE IT CLEAR THERE WILL BE NO CAP ON US THIS YEAR. SO NOW WE HAVE THE FREEDOM TO LOWER THE RATE BASED UPON REAL LEVY GROWTH AS OPPOSED TO A THREE PERCENT CAP.

>> IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SCENARIO? I KNOW THE ONLY THING THAT IS DIFFERENT IN THIS FROM WHAT YOU SAW LAST NIGHT, I WAS USING A FIVE PERCENT ESTIMATED GROWTH INSTEAD OF 6.21. THE REST OF IT, THAT OBVIOUSLY SHIFTS THE NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT. BUT THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE. THE RATE DECREASES THE SAME AT

TEN PERCENT. >> IT'S ALL ESTIMATED BECAUSE REMIND US WHEN EVERYTHING IS

FINISHED WITH APPEALS AND EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT. >> SO BY AUGUST 1ST, WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR CERTIFIED ASSESSED VALUE. BUT THAT CAN GO DOWN BECAUSE APPEALS ARE STILL ONGOING. I SHOULDN'T SAY CERTIFIED. CERTIFIED IS WHEN WE GET THE BUDGET VALUE. IT ISN'T TECHNICALLY CERTIFIED UNTIL WE GET THE BUDGET ORDER,

WHICH IS USUALLY BY THE END OF DECEMBER. >> I HAD THE PLEASURE TODAY, I WAS ON THE PHONE FOR ALMOST AN HOUR WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. ANYBODY LISTENING TO, YOU CAN CALL THE AUDITOR OFFICE, YOU CAN ASK THEM AND THEY EXPLAIN IT VERY VERY THOROUGHLY AND WILL EXPLAIN ALL OF HOW IT WORKS. WE ALL KNOW, AS KATIE HAS PRESENTED MANY TIMES HERE IN THE PUBLIC AND US AS BOARDS ARE LIKE WHERE IS OUR NUMBERS? WHY DON'T WE HAVE THE NUMBERS. WE WANT THE NUMBERS. THE NUMBER ONE THING IS THERE IS FOUR DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT IS HOLDING UP. IT'S NOT OUR ADMINISTRATION HOLDING UP NUMBERS. BUT THE ASSESSED VALUES AREN'T EVEN ALL IN YET.

SHE HIT ON A GOOD POINT, THERE IS A LOT OF APPEALS. AS WE ALL KNOW, OUR AV HAS GONE UP. A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE APPEALING THEIR TAXES. THEY'RE NOT THROUGH GOING THROUGH ALL OF THAT.

PLUS THE STATE HAS PUT IN A NEW FORMULA FOR THEM. THERE IS EXEMPTIONS THAT NEED TO BE APPLIED FOR. TIFF NEUTRALIZATION THAT NEEDS BE DONE.

WE WILL GET OUR INFORMATION AT THE END OF THE MONTH. BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PULL THAT ALL

TOGETHER AND CERTIFIED BY AUGUST 1ST. >> NOT CERTIFIED.

>> WELL -- >> THEY GIVE YOU A BUDGET NUMBER TO WORK WITH.

>> RIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE NOTES, HER CERTIFIED NUMBER THAT I GOT, AND THAT GOES TO THE DLGF, WHICH HERE IS NEW INFORMATION, BUT DIDN'T PUT IT ALL TOGETHER, IT'S NOT JUST OUR BUDGET, LIBRARY, CITY AND SCHOOL BUDGET THAT GOES TO DLGF.

ONCE IT GOES THERE, THEY THEN COME UP WITH A BUDGET ORDER AND SEND IT BACK TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. SO THERE IS A PROCESS HERE THAT HAS TO GET TAKEN CARE OF SO WE CAN THEN IN FACT GET THAT CALCULATION. SO WE ARE GOING BY THE NUMBERS WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST, WE'RE GOING BY THE ASSESSED VALUE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE BEEN GATHERING. ONCE ALL THAT INFORMATION COMES IN, THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE WILL THEN, LIKE I SAID PUT THAT SYSTEM IN THEIR CALCULATED INFORMATION.

THAT COMES OUT IN FEBRUARY, WHEN WE ALL GET EXCITED TO PAY OUR TAXES IN MAY.

SO WE WILL GET THIS INFORMATION FOR THE MOST PART IN THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST.

BUT KATIE AND OUR BOARD, ONCE THEY GET THAT INFORMATION THEY CAN THEN PUT TOGETHER A BUDGET

FOR THE END OF THE YEAR, CORRECT? >> YES.

>> I DID HOMEWORK. >> YOUR ASSESSED VALUE COMES OUT FROM THE ASSESSOR.

BUT THEN THE AUDITOR HAS TO TURN IT INTO YOUR NET ASSESSED VALUE, WHICH IS WHAT WE REALLY NEED. AND THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL DEDUCTIONS THAT KATIE WAS REFERRING TO HAVE CHANGED.

SO THAT NUMBER WILL NOT BE LINEAR WITH THE OTHER YEARS. THAT 6.21, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAID THIS. BUT THAT 6.21 IS IF YOU TAKE A FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE.

>> FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE USING 2023. >> BUT THROW OUT 2023.

BECAUSE 2023 WAS -- >> THROWS OUT 2018. BECAUSE THE ONES -- THE RATES

THAT YOU HAD DIDN'T INCLUDE TIFF. >> REGARDLESS, IT'S THE

[00:40:03]

FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE NOT INCLUDING, IT INCLUDES 2023, DOESN'T INCLUDE 2018.

IT SPLITS THE DIFFERENCE. BECAUSE 2023 AND 2018 WERE BOTH HIGH YEARS OF SSI GROWTH.

TO GIVE EVERYONE AN IDEA, I HATE SAYING I'VE BEEN DOING BUDGETS NOW FOR 20 YEARS, THAT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY OLD, BUT THE PROCESS WE HAVE NOW IS A CREDIT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE AND SOME RESTRICTIONS THAT THEY PUT IN PLACE.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE DIDN'T GET OUR BUDGET ORDERS SOMETIMES UNTIL HALFWAY THROUGH THE BUDGET YEAR. THERE WAS A TIME WE NEVER USED TO BE DO BUDGETS AND HAVE ANY IDEA ON ASSESSED VALUES. IT RENDERED ALL OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS AND DATA USELESS. I HATE TO MANIPULATE, THAT IS WHAT IT IS, REDUCED YOUR ASSESSED VALUE AT A LEVEL TO DRIVE YOUR TAX RATE UP HIGH TO COVER THE LEVY THAT YOU NEEDED, AND THIS PROCESS NOW, I MEAN, WE GET QUARTERLY UPDATES FROM THE COUNTY ASSESSOR WITH ALL OF THE OUTSTANDING APPEALS. THAT IS DATA THAT WE REVIEW AND KEEP TRACK OF BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT TELL YOU, ONE OF YOUR TEN LARGEST TAXPAYERS IN THERE, FOR A SPIKE, I NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THAT DATA AVAILABLE WHEN WE WERE DOING BUDGETS IF YOU GO BACK TEN YEARS AGO. THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT FINANCE, I THINK THERE WERE ACTUALLY LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS TO MANDATE THAT.

IT'S MUCH IMPROVED, TO GIVE CREDIT TO THEM. I THINK THEIR JOB IS MORE

THANKLESS THAN MINE. >> A WAY THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THIS STUFF, COMING FROM NOT IN THIS WORLD INITIALLY, IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, PROJECTED SALES, THIS IS ALL REVENUE, OUR REVENUE IS FROM TAXES. NOT FROM SALES.

BUT IT KIND OF WORKS THE SAME WAY WHEN WE GO IN AND SET UP BUDGETS FOR WHAT WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR IN A BUSINESS. SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL COME AND ASK ME, WHEN THEY FILL OUT THEIR INSURANCE DOCUMENTS, HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MY SALES ARE. YOU GOT TO GUESS.

WE DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR SALES ARE GOING TO BE FOR NEXT YEAR.

THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT IN THOSE TERMS. WE'RE TRYING TO USE EVERY PIECE OF DATA AVAILABLE TO US RIGHT NOW TO SAY WHAT IS OUR REVENUE GOING TO BE WITH THIS, WITHOUT THIS. THIS RATE, THAT RATE. WE'RE TRYING TO PUT ALL OF THE DATA TOGETHER. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR THE YEAR BEFORE WE KNOW.

>> EXACTLY RIGHT. >> AGAIN, THAT IS NOT THAT UNCOMMON IN A BUSINESS, YOU HAVE TO PLAN FOR ALL OF YOUR EXPENSES AND YOUR BONUSES AND HOW MUCH YOU'RE GOING TO CHARGE FOR EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT YEAR.

>> PLAN FOR THE UNKNOWNS. >> RECESSIONS OR DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY.

>> PUT IT IN THOSE TERMS. I HAVE BEEN ONE WHO HAS TRIED TO ASK WHAT IS OUR TAX REVENUE.

NOW I'M STARTING TO UNDERSTAND. WE'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW UNTIL AFTER WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME OF THESE DECISIONS. SO HOPEFULLY THE PUBLIC CAN START TO UNDERSTAND THAT, AS I HAVE A LITTLE MORE. WE'RE TRYING TO USE ALL OF THE DATA WE HAVE.

AS THINGS COME IN, WE GET THEM, SHARE THEM AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

AS SUZANNE MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME THINGS HERE WITHIN THE END OF THE MONTH.

FEW DAYS OR WEEKS, WHENEVER YOUR STAFF WILL PUT THAT TOGETHER AND TRY AND SHARE THINGS. AS INFORMATION COMES IN, WE'LL GIVE IT OUT AND SHOW THE PUBLIC. BUT WE DO HAVE TO DO SOME OF THIS BASED ON ESTIMATES.

>> BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S 5:20 AND I KNOW WE HAVE A SESSION AT 5:30.

I'M NOT GOING TO ZIP, BUT I AM GOING TO MOVE ALONG A LITTLE BIT HERE.

SCENARIO TOO IS A RATE REDUCTION OF 12.2 PERCENT. YOU CAN SEE THAT REDUCTION IN REVENUE IN THE REFERENDUM FUND. THIRD SCENARIO IS REFERENDUM TAX RATE DECREASED BY 15.8 PERCENT. THAT TAX RATE DROPS TO.1916. REDUCTION IN REVENUE IS OVER $2.7 MILLION. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AS THE CFO, THE MIDDLE RATE IS THE ONE I'M PROBABLY MOST COMFORTABLE WITH. THIS RATE MAKES ME A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE IN THAT, THERE ARE YOU KNOW, PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT SAHA AND I HAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING, IF YOU'RE GOING TO REDUCE, IS THAT GOING TO CAUSE US TO BE UNABLE TO CONTINUE TO MEET THE OBLIGATIONS THAT WE'RE SAYING WE CAN MEET.

THIS MAKES ME A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT GLOBALLY, IT WOULD BE A FACTOR. BECAUSE THAT QUICKLY GETS TO CLOSE TO $3 MILLION. YOU KNOW, IT STARTS TO BECOME A LITTLE MORE CONCERNING.

[00:45:01]

YOU KNOW 12.2, TO ME IS A HAPPY MEDIUM. IT'S A DECREASE AS WELL.

THAT IS MY OPINION, AS A CFO. ULTIMATELY IT'S UP TO THE BOARD WHAT RATE WE CHOOSE.

>> I THINK WHATEVER RATE WE CONSIDER, LIKE YOU SAID, WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE DARE I SAY OVER-PROMISE AND UNDER-DELIVER AND NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THOSE THINGS

WE'RE SAYING. >> THE NEXT PIECE, AND THIS WAS THE DISCUSSION REQUEST FROM THE BOARD WAS TO SEE YOU KNOW, PROJECTED REVENUES AS WE LOOK THROUGH ALL THREE OF OUR MAJOR OPERATING FUNDS. THIS IS A BREAKDOWN, IN THE PRESENTATION, THE BOARD WILL SEE IT, TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN IDEA. OPERATIONS AV GROWTH, WE USE FIVE PERCENT. THAT IS CLOSE TO WHAT THE FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE WAS.

YOU CAN SEE THERE IS A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN THE TAX RATE. BECAUSE I'M ESTIMATING THE MAX LEVY GROWTH AT THREE PERCENT. THE STATE HAS A PIECE OF THIS NOW THAT YOUR GROWTH IS GOING TO BE LIMITED BY THE LESSER OF FOUR PERCENT OR 80 PERCENT OF WHATEVER THE GROWTH FACTOR IS FOR THE YEAR. SO THREE PERCENT IS ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE.

BUT I WOULD RATHER BE CONSERVATIVE THAN TO AGAIN, OVER-PROMISE AND UNDER-DELIVER.

SO THAT INCREASE IN REVENUE TO THE OPERATIONS FUND IS OVER $1.1 MILLION.

I AM NOT TRYING TO MINIMIZE HOW MUCH A MILLION DOLLARS IS. PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME.

BUT I ALSO LISTED, AS WE TALK ABOUT INCREASES, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE MANAGING WHEN WE ARE PREPARING THE BUDGET. YOU WILL SEE MORE ABOUT THIS AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE JUMPING FOR JOY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET PROCESS IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE OPERATIONS FUND BEARS THE TOTAL LOSS OF TAX CAPS. WE'RE GOING TO LOSE ABOUT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

THAT IS DIRECT RELIEF TO TAXPAYERS. I'M NOT SAYING THAT ISN'T A GOOD THING. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE MANAGE.

WE ALREADY KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE 38 MILLION BECAUSE OF THE TAX CAPS.

WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT DUKE ENERGY INCREASES AND WHY WE WANT TO LOOK AT INVESTING IN SOLAR PROJECTS. LOWERS MY OPERATIONAL COSTS. A MILLION DOLLARS, THAT IS -- I DON'T KNOW THAT A MILLION WOULD CAUSE US TO BE COMPETITIVE IN THE NON-CERTIFIED STAFF AREA.

SO WHEN YOU SEE A MILLION IN INCREASED REVENUE, I WANT TO PROVIDE CONTEXT TO WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US. THAT IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE. THAT IS NOT EVERYTHING.

IT'S JUST TO PUT SOME CONTEXT TO THAT INFORMATION. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE

OPERATIONS INFORMATION? >> AGAIN TO CLARIFY, THIS IS A BIG QUESTION WE'VE GOTTEN MANY MANY TIMES. EVERYBODY'S VALUES WENT UP. SO THE THOUGHT IS THE DISTRICT IS RECEIVING A LOT MORE MONEY. IT'S RIGHT AROUND A MILLION BUCKS?

>> THAT IS PROJECTED FOR WHAT WOULD BE 2024. SO KEEP IN MIND, WITH REFERENDUM IS RATE CONTROLLED. SO WHEN THE AV GOES UP 16 PERCENT, YOU KNOW, THE RATE IS 2275 OF THAT TOTAL AV. THIS IS LEVY CONTROLLED. SO IT IS -- SO WE MAY HAVE HAD A 16 PERCENT INCREASE IN ASSESSED VALUE. WE DID NOT GET AN INCREASE IN OUR TAX LEVY OF THAT AMOUNT. BECAUSE WE'RE LIMITED BY THE GROWTH I THINK LAST YEAR, IT

WAS FIVE PERCENT FOR 2023. WAS THE MAX GROWTH. >> AGAIN, ESTIMATED.

BUT THE ANSWER TO THAT BIG BURNING QUESTION IS, EVERYBODY'S HOME VALUES WENT

UP, PAYING MORE TAXES. >> WE DIDN'T -- >> AS CLOSE AS OUR ESTIMATE CAN GET TO WHAT WE REALLY WOULD RECEIVE FROM THE INCREASED VALUES

>> WE DIDN'T SEE A 16 PERCENT INCREASE LAST YEAR IN OPERATIONS.

I CAN CERTAINLY PREPARE WHAT THAT WAS FOR DISCUSSION. BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME OF THAT DATA TO DEMONSTRATE IT IN THE FINALS. SO I'LL ADD THAT PIECE FOR ANY

FUTURE DISCUSSION >> OPERATIONS PORTION TOO. THERE IS STILL THE DEBT PORTION

AND REFERENDUM PORTIONS. >> THE DEBT, WE'VE MAINTAINED LEVEL.

WE DECREASED THAT RATE IN 2023. IT USED TO BE 5898. NOW IT'S DECREASED.

WHEN WE ISSUE DEBT, IT'S REPLACEMENT. IF THAT RATE IS $0.30, WE'RE ISSUING ENOUGH TO COVER THAT $0.30. WE DID GO DOWN LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH.

WE DIDN'T WANT TO ISSUE MORE DEBT TO ISSUE MORE DEBT. WE WANTED TO BE RESPONSIBLE

>> EDUCATION FUND. THIS IS JUST THE FOUNDATION REVENUE.

SO KEEP IN MIND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A SEPARATE COUNT THAT COVERS SPECIAL EDUCATION PIECE.

MULTIPLE COMPONENTS. BUT THE FOUNDATION IS THE BIGGEST BLOCK OF REVENUE.

[00:50:01]

SO I WANTED TO COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES. THIS SHOWS THE CHANGE IN STUDENT FUNDING IN THE BASE. I USED A FLAT NUMBER OF STUDENTS, WHICH IS THE NUMBER WE HAD FOR OUR SEPTEMBER COUNT, 21,152. KEEP IN MIND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE PRE-K. YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT INCREASE IN REVENUE IS JUST OVER $7.5 MILLION. I KNOW I WAS ECSTATIC WHEN I FIRST SAW THE BUDGET RUNS.

THE FIRST PIECE OF THIS SAYS OUR STUDENT FEES AND THE ROUGHLY $2 MILLION THAT WE CANNOT CHARGE THAT WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE WE WILL RECEIVE IN THE MONEY THE STATE HAS ALLOCATED. AGAIN, THAT IS AN ESTIMATE. WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THINGS. I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THE DOE, STATE BOARD OF ED MEETS ON THE 28TH. WEDNESDAY. WE EXPECT MORE GUIDANCE.

BUT A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE LEANING TOWARDS WE ARE JUST NOT GOING TO CHARGE ANYBODY ANYTHING THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO GET IN THE HABIT OF HAVING FOLKS APPEALING FEES, CREATING A BUNCH OF STRIFE. LET'S WAIT UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS.

THAT IS WHERE I'M LEANING. BECAUSE ULTIMATELY OUR FRONT LINE FOLKS, FRONT OFFICE FOLKS IN THE BUILDINGS, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE THE BRUNT OF THAT.

ADD THINGS ON, REMOVE THEM. AT SOME POINT WE NEED TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH THIS. AND WE'LL REVISIT THIS FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR.

WHEN I SAY MINIMUM COSTS OF CONTRACTUAL INCREASES, THAT COVERS TEACHERS, THAT IS MINIMAL IN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND THE AMOUNT BETWEEN STEPS, WHICH IS 2.9 PERCENT. AND THEN I BELIEVE IT'S ABOUT A 2.3 PERCENT RAISE.

THAT IS WHAT THAT EQUALS. FOR US, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ATTRACTING AND RETAINING, WE KNOW THAT EVERY YEAR WE ARE PUTTING I THINK LAST YEAR, THERE WERE -- WE PUT ANOTHER 75 TEACHERS I THINK GOING INTO 22-23 AT THE TOP TIER OF THE PAY SCALE.

SO THAT IS WHERE RETAINING COMES IN. 2.9 PERCENT AT THE TOP OF THE SCALE LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN 2.9 PERCENT AT THE BEGINNING SELECTION OF THE SCALE.

THAT IS BASIC. I ALREADY KNOW HERE IF I WANT TO HIT 50,000 STARTING SALARY, THAT COSTS THE DISTRICT $15 MILLION. SO THAT NUMBER SOUNDS GREAT UNTIL YOU FIGURE OUT WE'RE NOT KEEPING UP WITH INFLATION AT 3.5 AND I'VE COVERED YOU KNOW, 5 AND A HALF OF THE FUNDS THEY ALLOCATED. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IF WE'RE REDUCING THE RATE, WHEN I TALK ABOUT UNFUNDED MANDATES, TEXTBOOK RENTAL IS GOING TO BECOME ONE OF THOSE. INCREASE IN STUDENT POPULATION THAT THE STATE HASN'T PLANNED FOR, WE HAVE TO SERVE THOSE STUDENTS. WE HAVE TO FUND THAT.

WE DO NOT HAVE THE OPTION TO SIMPLY SAY WELL, THE STATE DIDN'T FUND THAT PROPERLY SO YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN. IT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS HERE. SO WHEN YOU THINK OF THE SIZE OF OUR BUDGET AND THE SIZE OF OUR SPEND, YOU KNOW, MOST OF WHAT WE INCREASE, IT'S REALLY STAFF COMPENSATION AND IT INCREASES IN BILLS. IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, A MATTER OF WE HAVEN'T SEEN A HUGE SPIKE IN THE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS. IT'S MY FAVORITE ONE.

WE'VE ADDED TEACHERS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS. BUT THIS YEAR WE HAD TO ADD, I THINK IT WAS TEN TEACHERS TO SUPPORT OUR E&L DEPARTMENT BUT THAT WAS OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN GENERAL ED. I DON'T THINK THERE IS A BUILDING LEADER OUT THERE THAT WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE'RE FREE WHEELING WITH REQUESTS. I'M SURE THEY HAVE LOTS OF LOVELY NICKNAMES. BUT THAT IS THE WAY IT IS. WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE BASED ON THE STUDENT NEEDS AND DISTRICT NEEDS. THIS IS CONTEXT.

THAT IS NOT JUST UNOBLIGATED MONEY THAT THE DISTRICT CAN USE BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE OTHER

PIECES OF THIS THAT WE HAVE TO ABSORB. >> KATIE, I'M GOING TO REVERT BACK TO LANGUAGE. WHEN WE LOOK AT LANGUAGE, I KNOW A REFERENDUM IS NOT SELLING A HOUSE, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MARKET, THERE IS A LOT OF MARKET AND ADVERTISING WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. AND IF I'VE GOT A PROPERTY VALUE IS 400,000 OR 550, MOST OF THE PRICING AND MARKETING AND ADVERTISING THAT WE DO, WE USE THE 9S, ZEROS AND FIVES.

SO YOU HAVE LIKE .997. EXCUSE ME? >>.1997.

>> RIGHT. SO FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, COMING IN AND READING THE LANGUAGE, WHY DON'T WE DO SOMETHING LIKE.990 OR.995.

EXCUSE ME. °995 OR 1990. HOW MUCH DOES THAT SKEW?

IT'S ABOVE THE 1916 BUT BELOW YOUR 1997. >> I THINK PART OF THIS IS WE DON'T WANT TO PUT SEVEN OPTIONS FORTH BECAUSE THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT.

[00:55:03]

YOU HAVE A 10 PERCENT, 12.2 AND 15.8. SORT OF MARKERS ALMOST.

ORIGINALLY, TO BE FRANK, I STARTED WITH.1999 AND STEVE SAID I THINK YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. IT'S A LITTLE TOO J.C. PENNEY. I SAID OR WALMART ROLLBACK.

EVERYTHING IS $0.99. >> THERE IS A REASON THEY DO IT, THOUGH.

>> TRY '97. I GRADUATED IN '97, MAYBE THAT IS GOOD LUCK.

DID IT STOP US TO GO DOWN? WE CAN CALCULATE THAT. GETTING BELOW THE $0.20.

>> I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT, AGAIN, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MONEY PART OF IT.

I'M LOOKING AT SOMEONE READING THE LANGUAGE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT 1997.

TRYING TO FIGURE IT. IF YOU LOOK AT IT QUICKLY, IT'S 1995.

AND IT JUST THE WAYS THEIR EYES WORK. I'VE DONE A LOT OF SEMINARS.

HEARD A LOT OF PODCASTS. >> PRICING PSYCHOLOGY IS A BIG THING.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST THING TO KEEP IN MIND, A PENNY EQUALS ABOUT $1.2 MILLION.

EVERY PENNY IS WORTH A LOT. >> BLESS YOU. >> THE OTHER ASPECT IS IT'S NOT AS IMPORTANT AS IT USED TO BE. IT USED TO BE, WHEN IT WAS IN THE ACTUAL LEGISLATIVE BALLOT

LANGUAGE, IT USED TO BE WORTH THREE PERCENT PER DECILE. >> I'M LOOKING AT --

>> THE OTHER ASPECT IS THERE IS A SECOND PART TO THIS NOW, WHICH ISN'T UP THERE.

WHICH IS THAT PERCENTAGE. >> IT'S NOT IN THERE. >> IT'S NOT UP THERE.

>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASE. >> YEAH.

THE LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE AFTER THIS SECTION REFERS TO THE INCREASE TO THE SCHOOL CORPORATION, WHICH PEOPLE READ AS AN INCREASE TO THEIR TAX BILL.

AND IT'S NOT, AS WE DEMONSTRATED. THAT NUMBER, IF WE LEAVE IT

AT.2275, THAT NUMBER IS 23.8 PERCENT. >> IF WE DROP TO

>> 2047 >> I'VE GOT IT HERE. IF WE DROP TO 2047, IT DROPS TO 21.3 PERCENT. IF YOU DROP TO THAT 1997, IT DROPS TO 20.8 PERCENT.

THE REASON 19.16 IS UP THERE, THAT IS THE POINT WHERE IT DROPS TO 19.9 PERCENT.

>> OKAY. AGAIN, MY LAYMAN EYE SEES.2275, THE SENTENCE RIGHT BEFORE IT SAYS CHANGING THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED MAXIMAL REFERENDUM TAX RATE TO 1990.

>>.1997 >> NO. NO. >> WE CAN SPLIT HAIRS WITH THIS

FOR THE NEXT HALF HOUR. >> NO. I'M TALKING ABOUT IF THAT RATE, YOU GAVE SUGGESTIONS OF.1997. I'M SAYING FROM A POINT OF VIEW OF READING THE DOCUMENT, IF WE HAD THE RATE SET AT 1990 OR 1995, WHEN YOU ARE READING THAT BALLOT QUICKLY, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE RIGHT AWAY MAXIMUM REFERENDUM TAX RATE CHANGING FROM, BECAUSE IT SAYS CHANGING, THEY'RE GOING TO SEE THAT CHANGE. WOW.

WE JUST LOWERED IT. >> SHE'S SAYING IF IT'S EVEN >> YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT THE PRICING PSYCHOLOGY OF THE VOTER IS THEY WILL SEE.995 DIFFERENT THAN.997

>> YES. DRAMATICALLY SAYING THAT. .1990 AND 1995.

YES. >> I WOULD LOVE TO SEE DATA ON THAT EFFECT.

>> I DIDN'T BRING THAT FOR ME. >> I NEED TO RECALCULATE IT >> EACH PENNY IS WORTH A

MILLION. NOT .001. >> UNDERSTANDING IT'S A WORK SESSION. SO I'M NOT ASKING FOR A VOTE. IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT WE -- NO ONE WANTS TO KEEP THE RATE THE SAME GENERALLY. DO WE WANT TO SEE A SCENARIO

THAT KEEPS THE RATE THE SAME? >> I THINK NO. >> SO WE'RE GOOD THERE.

DO WE WANT TO SEE MORE THAN WHAT THE FIRST SCENARIO OFFERED?

>> YES. IT SOUNDS THAT WAY. >> YOU WANT TO SEE EACH TENTH

OF A POINT IS WORTH $120,000. >> IS THERE ANYONE THAT WANTS TO SEE THE THIRD SCENARIO GENERALLY OR ARE WE OKAY UNDERSTANDING WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER THAT

IS 90, 95 OR WHATEVER. >> CAN YOU PUT THOSE SCENARIOS BACK UP THERE, KATIE?

>> NO. I'M JUST KIDDING. >> BECAUSE I THINK YOU HAD FOUR THAT YOU SHOWED?

[01:00:01]

>> THREE. >> BECAUSE THAT WAS CURRENT SO EVERYBODY COULD SEE WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE. SO THAT IS THE FIRST ONE. WHICH IS A 10 PERCENT.

THE SECOND ONE IS 12.2. UNDERSTANDING YOU KNOW, TAKING IT TO 1995 ISN'T GOING TO BREAK, ISN'T LIKE IT ADDS ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS TO THE NUMBER.

I'M GOING TO PUT THAT ON THE BOARD TO TALK ABOUT. THAT IS THE MIDDLE, IF YOU WILL AT 12.2. THIS IS THE MOST SEVERE SCENARIO.

SO I THINK MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANYONE THAT WANTS TO SEE MORE CUT THAN WHAT IS HERE? AND I THINK I'M SEEING HEAD SHAKING. SO WE'RE OKAY THERE.

ARE WE COMFORTABLE ENOUGH WITH THE MIDLINE SCENARIO OR DO WE NEED TO SEE SOME ADDITIONALS? ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVE? UNDERSTANDING WHAT STEVE SAID EVERY PENNY IS ABOUT A MILLION

DOLLARS. >> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE 1990.

>> YEAH. I'M SAYING THAT PART OF THIS IS PROBABLY --

>> I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE MIDDLE SCENARIO. >> WE CAN LOOK AT THE ZERO AND FIVE. IT WON'T SKEW THE SCENARIOS THAT MUCH THAT IT WOULD BE MEANINGFUL. BASED ON THAT, WE HAVE TO TAKE DISCUSSION, PUT IT INTO THE REVENUE SPENDING PLAN AND START TWEAKING THE FIGURES AND NUMBERS BASED ON THAT.

UNDERSTANDING YOU HAVE A MEETING ON JULY 12TH. I AM GUESSING THE BOARD WOULD PREFER TO SEE THAT INFORMATION IN A DRAFT PLAN IN ADVANCE OF WHEN THE AGENDA GOES LIVE.

WHAT CAN WE TALK ABOUT IS THE DATE WHEN THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT SO THAT WAY IF THERE IS OTHER FEEDBACK, IT'S BEFORE THE AGENDA GOES LIVE. SO IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, WE'RE

CHANGING IT >> A WEEK PRIOR. >> SO THAT IS JULY 5TH.

I THINK, RIGHT? >> I KNOW THERE IS A LOT. >> I'LL BE HERE.

EVERYBODY CAN BE ACCESSIBLE BY E-MAIL. SINCE IT'S GOING TO BE

CIRCULATED AMONGST THE BOARD >> JULY 5TH. >> YOU HAVE DIVISIONS IN THE REVENUE SPENDING PLAN TO DETERMINE. HOW MUCH IS GOING TO GO TO EACH

ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES. >> THAT IS WHAT I SAID? >> OH.

>> YOU WEREN'T LISTENING. >> I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN KATIE. >> ONE OTHER THING THAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH ARE SOME DISCUSSION ON, I KNEW WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET TO IT TONIGHT, TO BE FRANK, I AM ASSUMING EVERYONE WANTS TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING IN TWO MORE DAYS, RIGHT? I'M KIDDING. WE ARE GETTING DATA TO DO SOME COMPARISON AND I FELT LIKE PERHAPS HAVING SOME PERSPECTIVE FROM DISINTERESTED THIRD PARTY THAT IS NOT THE CFO TO HELP THAT DISCUSSION ALONG. RELATED TO THE SPENDING.

OUT OF REFERENDUM, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE ONE OF SEVEN DISTRICTS THAT DOESN'T TRANSFER MONEY OUT OF EDUCATION FUND. SO THAT DISCUSSION IS A LITTLE CLUNKY. WE'RE GOING TO COMPILE THE DATA.

IF IT WAS A REQUEST TO SHOW THE ACCOUNTING SIDE OF IT. YOU GUYS HAVE OUR LAST THREE YEARS OF SPENDING, AD NAUSEAM, WE'LL SEND THAT OUT ON JULY 5TH.

IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO MEET THAT JULY 5TH AS WELL. >> ACCEPTABLE.

>> THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE >> THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR INFORMATION.

HELPFUL TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION TOO. WITH THAT, WE ARE

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.