[1. Meeting Opening] [00:00:24] GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, LET'S START BY STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. (PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE) >> I THINK WE HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A MONUMENTAL EVENT THIS EVENING AND INVITING IRISH CITY COUNCILMEMBERS ON THE MAYOR TO JOIN US TODAY TO TALK ABOUT OUR REFERENDUM AND TO SUPPORT IT. AS WE GET STARTED AND GET [2. Information Items] MOVING WE WILL START OFF WITH THE INFORMATION ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FIRST, WHICH STARTS WITH THE OPERATING REFERENDUM RENEWAL PRESENTATION BY DOCTORS STOKES AND KATIE DOLLING. JOHN WEINGART I'M RECOGNIZING HIM. >> I'M CALLING A SPECIAL MEETING TO ORDER FOR JULY 12. THANK YOU. >> YOU ARE VERY WELCOME. DOCTOR STOKES AND MISS KATIE DOLLING. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE REFERENDUM, I BELIEVE WE ARE ONLY GOING TO PROJECT ON THE SIZE IS THAT CORRECT? AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, IN 2,016 WE PASSED AN OPERATING REFERENDUM THAT WAS CRUCIAL IN HELPING US MAINTAIN OUR MISSION OF PROVIDING A SUPPORTIVE AND INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS. TODAY I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE REASON WHY WE NEED TO RENEW THAT REFERENDUM IN THE UPCOMING NOVEMBER 2,023 MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON OUR DISTRICT. IN THE STATE OF INDIANA THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS CHARGED WITH ENSURING SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR PRE-K-12 AND POSTSECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES. HSC IS RATED AN A DISTRICT IN ESSENCE WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS THAT WE SHOW OUR ABILITY TO SUPPORT DOE AND HSC ACADEMIC GOALS FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL THAT PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS DURING SCHOOL AND BEYOND. WE SEE THAT THERE IS DATA OUT THERE SOME GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME NICHE DATA AND YOU CAN GO TO NICHE.COM AND LOOK AT THE INFORMATION I'M SHARING. ACCORDING TO NICHE, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN SCHOOL DISTRICT IS RATED A+ DISTRICT. INFORMATION REGARDING OUR SCHOOLS CAN BE FOUND@OFCOURSENICHE.COM WHERE THEY PROVIDE AN IN-DEPTH PROFILE ON EVERY SCHOOL AND COLLEGE IN AMERICA. NICHE HAS RANKED HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN SCHOOL DISTRICT AS NUMBER SIX, THE SIXTH THE BEST SCHOOL FOR INDIANA PUBLIC SCHOOL DIFFERS. THE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS ACCORDING TO U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT ARE IN THE TOP 5% AND COUNTRY. FROM 17,843 RANKED SCHOOLS. BASED ON THEIR PERFORMANCE ON STATE ASSESSMENTS AND HOW WELL THEY PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE AFTER POST-GRADUATION. I HATE TO STEAL SOME OF THE THUNDER, MISS MICHELLE WILL SHARE MORE INFORMATION AT THE 7:00 P.M. BOARD MEETING. OUR NEW DATA FROM THE 2,023 SHOWS OUR GRADUATION RATE HAS INCREASED AND PROJECTED TO BE 98%, THIS IS WELL ABOVE THE INDIANA RATE OR AVERAGE OF 87%. ANOTHER METRIC WE ARE PROUD OF HIS PERCENTAGE OF HONORS GRADUATES WHICH IS ALSO ABOVE AVERAGE THE INDIANA AVERAGE FOR HONORS GRADUATE IS 40%, WE ARE AT 57.5%. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT AND REFLECTS THE HIGH LEVEL OF ACADEMIC RIGOR AND SUPPORT WE PROVIDE FOR OUR STUDENTS. THIS IS ALSO AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF EDUCATION AND WE KNOW THIS IS ESSENTIAL BECAUSE PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH A CLEAR PATH TO GRADUATION THE STATES [00:05:08] READING PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENT AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT RIGHT NOW WITH THE SCIENCE OF READING THERE IS A LOT OF EMPHASIS PUT ON READING ABILITY AS WE KNOW IT'S THE WAY TO HAVING A LIFE THAT GIVES YOU ACCESS TO THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. SO READING IS VERY IMPORTANT. LAST YEAR IN 2,022 THE HSC STUDENTS IN THIRD GRADE SCORED 94% PROFICIENCY OVERALL. HSC SHOW THE HIGHEST PROFICIENCY AMONG HAMILTON COUNTY SCHOOLS. UR 2023 DATA HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED BUT WE ANTICIPATE THE DATA ANY DAY NOW. IN THE SPRING OF 2022 HSC 11TH GRADERS ANKED THIRD AMONG DISTRICTS OF COMPARABLE SIZE. THE SCHOOLS IN THIS COHORT THAT I'M MENTIONING CONSIST OF 41 SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE TOP 10% BASED ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT SO THE TOP 10 SCHOOL DISTRICTS BASED ON SIZE OF WHICH AS I SAID CARMEL, NOBLESVILLE, ZIONSVILLE THE SCHOOLS WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO FALL IN THE 41. THIS WAS INFORMATION, IF YOU RECALL, THE DOCTOR MET KEN WE SHARED. MISS BRITTON WATSON ADDITION WILL BE GIVING US SOME GOOD NEWS LATER. IF WE LOOK AT THE REMARKABLE GROWTH OF AP, WE LOOK AT THE REMARKABLE GROWTH IN AP TESTING PARTICIPATION AND PASS RATES OVER THE PAST DECADES AND 2008/2009 TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 711 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN SCHOOL STUDENTS TOOK THE AP TEST WITH A PASS RATE OF 58% WHERE THEY SCORED THREE OR HIGHER AND THREE OR HIGHER IS IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, OVER THE YEARS WE'VE WITNESSED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN BOTH THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING AP TEST AND THE PASS RATE TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE NOW 1.5 MORE STUDENTS THERE'S BEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN OUR DUAL CREDIT COURSES AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN. DUAL CREDIT COURSES OFFER OUR STUDENTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN BOTH HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE CREDIT SIMULTANEOUSLY. SETTING THEM UP ON A PATH TO COLLEGE SUCCESS. HSC HAS PARTNERED WITH SEVEN DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING FOSTERING COLLABORATION THAT RESULTS IN A TOTAL OF 124 DUAL CREDIT COURSES. STUDENTS CAN ALSO EARN 30 CREDITS FROM THE INDIANA COLLEGE CORE PROGRAM RESULTING IN COLLEGE CREDITS THAT TRANSFER SEAMLESSLY AMONG ALL INDIANA PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. RESULTING IN AN AVERAGE SAVINGS OF OVER $11,000 TO A FAMILY. PERFORMING ARTS, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE. HSC BOASTS A STRONG PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM THE PROGRAMS OFFERS STUDENTS MANY BENEFITS INCLUDING OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND GAIN CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITIES. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPATION IN THE PERFORMING ARTS CAN ALSO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH AN OUTLET FOR CREATIVITY AND SELF-EXPRESSION. AS WELL AS A SENSE OF BELONGING TO A COMMUNITY OF LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS WHO SHARE THEIR PASSION FOR MUSIC. OF COURSE AS WE MOVED TO THE NEXT SLIDE EVERYBODY IS FAMILIAR WITH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETICS. AND YOU KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT ALL THESE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IS THAT WE NOW STUDY AFTER STUDY AFTER STUDY HAS SHOWN AND WE SEE IN OURSELVES THAT KIDS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THESE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES RAISE THEIR GRADE POINT AVERAGES. NOT TO MENTION, THEY LEARN LIFE SKILLS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT SUCH AS TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO A LARGER CAUSE. [00:10:01] WE ARE REALLY PROUD OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THE REFERENDUM. MANY OF THESE EXTRACURICULAR ACTIVITIES ARE IMPORTANT AND MANY OF THESE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ART AND MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS WERE CUT AS PART OF THE $3.5 MILLION IN SAVINGS THAT YOU SAW. SINCE THE PASSAGE OF THE AMOUNT REFERENDUM WE BEEN ABLE TO BRING BACK THESE PROGRAMS AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OFFER MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. THIS INCLUDES EXPANDING OR PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS AND INCREASING OUR ATHLETIC OFFERINGS AND I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION, IT WILL SCROLL ON THE SCREEN. I WANT YOU TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND OUR TWO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS, WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS, YOU WOULD'VE HEARD ME AT THOSE CEREMONIES TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE SO PROUD OF, MANY ACCOLADES.S THE SCREEN SCROLLS I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A MOMENT TO JUST LOOK AT SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. SPEED READERS. (LAUGHING) THERE ARE SO MANY THAT I CAN'T EVEN READ THEM ALL. WHAT I WILL SAY TO YOU IS THAT I'M PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS, AND PROUD OF OUR STAFF, I'M PROUD OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS, SCHOOL BOARD, FAMILIES AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER HSC AND WE DO NEED THIS REFERENDUM TO CONTINUE, THANK YOU, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MISS KATIE DAHLEN. (APPLAUSE) >> IT'S TIME FOR WHAT MAYOR EFFECTIVENESS REFERRED TO AS THE MINDNUMBING DATA PART OF THE PRESENTATION. YOU ARE WELCOME. A TWO HOUR PRESENTATION I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD DINNER BEFORE THEY CAME. IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF SLIDES IT'S A LOT OF DATA THIS PRESENTATION WILL UPON BOARD DOCS AFTER THE MEETING FOR PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS FOR MORE INFORMATION. A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY FOR US OUR FIRST REFERENDUM AT HSC AT THE FIRST IN 2009 WE HAD AN OPERATING REFERENDUM THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL FOR $0.10. THE RULES ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT NOW, BACK THEN YOU COULD ADVOCATE ON THE WEBSITE AND IN FRONT OF YOUR BUILDINGS AND THAT'S ALL A LITTLE DIFFERENT NOW. THEN IN 2013 WE HAD OUR FIRST CAPITAL REFERENDUM THIS WAS ESSENTIALLY FOR THE CAS BOTH HIGH SCHOOLS TO EXPAND CAPACITY BY 1000 NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE RENEWAL OF OUR CAPITAL REFERENDUM STAYS IN PLACE UNTIL THE BONDS ARE PAID OFF SO THAT 10 77 I THINK THIS WILL REMAIN ON THE TAX RATE. THEY DID A LISTENING TOUR IN THE COMMUNITY TO ASSESS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM THE REFERENDUM AND ESSENTIALLY ASK FOR WHAT YOU NEED, DON'T KEEP COMING BACK I ALWAYS REMEMBERED MR. REUTER SHARING THAT SO THAT'S WHAT THEY WENT OUT WITH AND CAME UP WITH THE 2275. MET THESE METRICS, CLASS-SIZE [00:15:53] REDUCTION, STARTING IN 2021, THE NONCERTIFIED STAFF THAT WERE ADDED, THE TEACHING STAFF THAT WERE ADDED WORLD LANGUAGE WE OFFER ADDITIONAL WORLD LANGUAGE THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE NORMALLY IN JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL. PROGRAM PARTICIPATION FEES WERE SOME OF THE PAY TO PLAY WHICH THEY HAD TO PAY PARTICIPATION FEES AND THEN SUPPLY BUDGETS IN THE BUILDING TO TRY TO MINIMIZE OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS THE TEACHERS OR PRINCIPLES MIGHT HAVE TO SPEND FOR THE CLASSROOMS GOING INTO ENROLLMENT, THIS ENROLLMENT PROJECTION IS ACTUALLY FROM 2015 AND WAS THROUGH 2024. SO WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT PEOPLE ARE LEAVING HSC AND DROVE US. IT'S SIMPLY NOT ACCURATE. WE KNEW THE PROJECTION WAS IN PLACE WE KNEW GROWTH WOULD LEVEL OFF. THE OPINIONS MIGHT VARY ON THE ACCURACY BUT IN 2015 WHEN IT HAPPENED OVERALL WHEN YOU CONTEND ARE DUMB I CONSIDER THE SIZE IT'S OVERALL PRETTY FLAT. WE PLAN FOR THAT. THIS IS WHAT IT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT NOW WHAT 2023 WAS AND THEN THE ACTUAL, IT'S OFF BY 37, WHICH I THINK THAT'S .25 MILLIONTHS OF A PERCENT. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OTHERWISE KNOWN AS, NOT MEASURABLE FOR US. THE POINT OF THAT IS, WE ARE EXACTLY WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE WHEN WE ASKED FOR DOLLARS IN 2016 GOING TO TODAY AND SO THERE'S NOTHING HAPPENING RIGHT NOW THAT IS ESSENTIALLY THAT WE ARE THAT CONCERNED ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE STUDENTS. THIS BREAKS DOWN OUR OVERALL ENROLLMENT WHEN YOU SEE WHAT THE HIGH SCHOOL NUMBERS LOOK LIKE ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND THEN THOSE PROJECTIONS IS A VERY SMALL FLUCTUATION OF ESSENTIALLY .6 IF YOU LOOK AT THE OVER AND UNDER, DOCTOR MCKIBBEN STUDIES ARE BASED ON AN OVER UNDER OF 23%. IS NUMBERS HAVE BEEN, FOR HIS PROJECTION OF IN 2015 TO BE WITHIN WHATEVER IT WAS 1%, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD I ASKED IF HE DOES LOTTERY PREDICTIONS HE SAYS NO. CLASS-SIZE ADJUSTMENTS IN REFERENDUM WE TALKED ABOUT THIS. WHEN CLASS-SIZE AVERAGES IN 2016 WERE THOSE NUMBERS STARTING AT 23.4 IN KINDERGARTEN. THE DISTRICT PROPOSED THIS HAS WORKED WELL FOR US.2016 YOU CAN SEE THE PROPOSED 22/23 THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAD TO START THE YEAR, WE ARE MONITORING THE ENROLLMENT IN EACH INDIVIDUAL BUILDING, SOME OF THE BUILDINGS SEE A STEADY SLIGHT INCREASE THROUGH THE YEAR, SOME DON'T. WE ARE STAFFING THEM AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR BASED ON HOW WE THINK THEY WILL AND FISCAL YEAR. WE DON'T SPLIT CLASSROOMS AND ADD TEACHERS MID SCHOOL YEAR SO THAT'S THE GOAL TO STAFF APPROPRIATELY AT THE BEGINNING SO THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ABSORB ANY TRANSFERS AND POPULATION THAT THEY SEE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THE CLASSROOM SIZES TO POP UP WAY TOO HIGH FOR THEM MIDYEAR. FOR US I THINK THAT'S A BIG PROMISES MADE PROMISES KEPT SO IN DEMONSTRATING WITH DATA THAT [00:20:04] WE DID WHAT WE SAID WE WOULD DO. YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE FELL IN SALARY AMONGST THE COMPARABLE DISTRICTS BACK IN 2016 I HAVE NARROWED THIS A BIT BECAUSE, TO BE FAIR, A LOT OF THIS IS PROXIMITY IN MANY CASES, LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP IS THE MOST PROXIMATE TO ASK WE ARE THE THIRD-HIGHEST THE SECOND HIGHEST IN HAMILTON COUNTY WHERE COMPETITIVE WE WERE COMPETITIVE AT ALL PRIOR TO NOW. BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN SEE LAWRENCE IS AT THE TOP I WOULD LOVE TO GET STARTING SALARY AT 50,000 SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE ARE WORKING ON BUT WE'VE DONE WHAT WE SAID WE WOULD DO WITH THOSE DOLLARS BECAUSE OUR SALARY IS COMPETITIVE AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AND FOR RECRUITMENT. SINCE THE 2016 REFERENDUM, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT FUNDING, HOW IT'S BROKEN UP. THE EDUCATION FUND AS YOU CAN SEE IS BASICALLY EVERYTHING RELATED TO THE OPERATION OF STUDENT INSTRUCTION AND LEARNING YOUR OPERATIONS FUND IS GOING TO BE THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT LETTER ALL THE NON-ACADEMICS. CUSTODIAL, TRANSPORTATION, ALL THE THINGS IT TAKES TO KEEP UP A BUILDING.HIS IS MANDATED BY THE INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS THEY TELL US THESE ACCOUNTING CODES CAN GET INTO THIS FUND, THESE CAN GO INTO THAT FUND SO IT'S NOT OUR CHOICE FITS WHAT THEY PRESCRIBE AND THAT'S HOW WE TRACK IT. THE PRIMARY REVENUE SOURCE FOR THE EDUCATION FUND IS THE STATE BASIC GRANT WE ARE ALLOWED TO TRANSFER 15 PERCENT SOME OF THE MONEY INTO THE OPERATIONS FUND. THIS WAS THE FIGURE IDENTIFIED IN LEGITIMATE AMOUNT THAT COULD BE MOVED TO SUPPORT THOSE EXPENDITURES THAT WERE ONCE HOUSED IN A DIFFERENT AREA. AT HSC WE DO NOT TRANSFER MONEY OUT OF THE EDUCATION FUND IN 2016 MR. REUTER FELT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN ALL THE MONEY FROM THE STATE INTO THE EDUCATION FUND I THINK THE LAST TIME I CHECKED SEVEN DISTRICTS IN THE STATE DO IT THAT WAY OUT OF 371 SO I SAY THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE GO THROUGH THIS REFERENDUM PROCESS AND IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE ARE SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE TO MIMIC THIS BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE TO CHANGE A LITTLE BIT OF HOW WE ACCOUNT FOR THE MONEY AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT WITH THE REVENUE SPENDING PLAN AS WE GET INTO THE ACTIONABLE ITEMS. ALSO THE OPERATIONS FUND NOW WHAT USED TO BE US REPLACEMENT TRANSPORTATION AND CAPITAL PROJECTS THOSE ALL USED TO BE SEPARATE FUNDS THOSE FALL IN THE OPERATIONS FUND FOR US. DEBT SERVICE IS WHAT WE USE IT'S NOT IN THE RED. WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE AND ABLE TO ISSUE A LARGE AMOUNT OF DEBT EVERY YEAR AND REPAY IT THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THIS YEAR THIS TAX RATE THE MONIES CANNOT BE USED TO PAY FOR ANY OPERATIONAL EXPENSES SO WE CAN'T MOVE THE RATE OVER I CAN'T TAKE THE REVENUE AND PUT IT INTO A DIFFERENT FUND AND PAY FOR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES IT'S FOR CAPITAL WORK AND THE SERVICES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT TYPE OF WORK. THE SAME TOKEN WE CAN'T PASS A REFERENDUM AND USE IT TO BUILD A BUILDING UNLESS IT'S A CAPITAL REFERENDUM WHICH IT'S NOT, OPERATING REFERENDUMS ARE FOR OPERATING EXPENSES AND DEBT SERVICE ARE VERY UNIQUE IN THEIR PERSONS THEY ARE FUNDED AT 100% THAT'S WHERE THE TAX FACTOR COMES IN THAT DEBT SERVICE IS FUNDED AT 100 MY OPERATIONS FUNDS GET HIT FOR TAX ABOUT $4 BILLION I THINK THIS YEAR IS WHAT WE ARE PROJECTED AT. WHEN WE LOOK AT STATE SUPPORT PER STUDENT FOR THE FY2021 THREE YOU CAN SEE THE LOWEST IS ZION'S BILL JUST UNDER $6300. THIS IS ACTUALLY ALL 371 TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHARTER SCHOOLS I BELIEVE VIRTUAL'S AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE STATE AVERAGE LINE AND AS THE GRAPHICS THAT I'M NOT TALENTED ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW TO PUT ONTO THE SLIDE POP OUT YOU WILL SEE SOME FAMILIAR NAMES IN THERE OF SOME DISTRICTS THAT [00:25:03] ARE AROUND US LIKE WESTFIELD NOBLESVILLE I KNOW CARMEL IS IN THERE AS WELL, YOU CAN SEE NUMBER NINE IS GARY THE TOP FUNDED DISTRICTS AHEAD OF GARY 128 ARE ALL CHARTER SCHOOLS NOT TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ESSENTIALLY NOW ONE IN FIVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE AN OPERATING REFERENDUM IN INDIANA. HSC YOU CAN SEE WE FELL DOWN AT THE EMERALD GRAPHIC THAT JUST UNDER SIX TO $400 IF WE WERE FUNDED AT THAT AVERAGE OF 7011 AND THE AMOUNT WE ARE AT IS THE THIRD LOWEST FUNDED WE WOULD SEE AN ADDITIONAL $13.5 MILLION A YEAR TO OUR SCHOOLS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE EDUCATION FUND FROM THE STATE OF INDIANA NOT NEEDED FROM THE PROPERTY TAX BASE. THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PIECES AND YOU NOTICED A LOT OF THE FOLKS ON HERE HAVE THEM THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR, CARMEL HAS A RENEWAL THIS YEAR THEY ARE THE SECOND LOWEST FUNDED. IT IS SOMETHING NEEDED TO EVEN US OUT THAT'S HOW WE HAVE USED IT IN THAT MANNER. YOU LOOK AT THE STATE SUPPORT PER STUDENT YOU CAN SEE THE HISTORY WE KIND OF YOU HAVE THE 09 THAT IS RELEVANT BECAUSE OF THAT WAS RIGHT AFTER WHEN THE BIG CUT CAME BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S GONE UP THIS IS ALL THE EDUCATION FUND DOLLARS PER STUDENT. BUT YES IT'S GONE UP WHICH IS GREAT, OVERALL IT'S A 14% OVER THE 14 YEARS IS 10.7 PERCENT INCREASE WHICH IS LESS THAN 1%. FOR US ARE BIGGER PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, INFLATION WAS NEAR THREE TIMES THAT. SO IF WE WERE FUNDED EVEN JUST THAT THE INFLATION RATE HERE'S WHERE WE WOULD BE. IF YOU WERE FUNDED AT INFLATION RATE OF 37.8 MILLION THAT WE HAVE THAT LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT IS A TESTAMENT TO WHY WE HAVE THIS OPTION WHICH IS GREAT BUT IT'S NECESSARY. FOR US TO BE COMPETITIVE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AVERAGE FUNDING I HAVE YET TO HEAR ANYBODY IN HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN SCHOOLS ARE FISSURES WE ARE OKAY IF YOU ARE JUST AVERAGE. I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE HEARD THAT TO BE ACCEPTABLE SO WHY WOULD HE FIND IT TO BE ACCEPTABLE HERE FOR FUNDING WHEN WE EXPECT SO MUCH MORE OUT OF OUR SCHOOL CORPORATION. WE ARE ALWAYS EVALUATING I'LL TELL YOU THE COST OF ALL NONSTRATEGIC POLICIES OF THE THINGS NOW WE HAVE TO PAY BUT DON'T IMPACT THE CLASSROOM MORE WE CAN MINIMIZE THOSE COSTS, THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE CAN PUSH MORE DOLLARS INTO THE CLASSROOM SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA PEOPLE SAY YOU EVALUATE A COST WE ARE ALWAYS EVALUATING COSTS. THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES FOR THE COMMUNITY AND OUR GUESTS HERE TODAY ABOUT THE THINGS WE HAVE IN PLACE MANY OF THESE WOULD BE IN OPERATIONS FUND. SO WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH FOR THE SCHOOL NURSE ATHLETIC TRAINERS WE PAY NOTHING WE JUST ADDED TWO IN JUNIOR HIGH FOR ATHLETIC TRAINERS FOR SAFETY WERE TO SEE IF WE CAN RENEGOTIATE BUT OVERALL WE'VE OUTSOURCED CUSTODIAL. WE ARE EXPANDING OUR STANDARDIZED PURCHASING. WE LOOK AT SOLAR, THINGS WE CAN DO TO LOWER OPERATIONAL COSTS. IS IN A BIG PIECE FOR US THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY OF FISSURES THIS ALLOWS US TO LEVERAGE EQUIPMENT AND STAFF ACROSS TWO GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES SO WE ARE BOTH BEING THE MOST EFFICIENT FOR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE VERY SEASONAL TO INDIANA. AS WELL AS WE DON'T KEEP STAFF ON HAND LIKE ELECTRICIANS AND HVAC WE PARTNERED WITH BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE THE WORK BECAUSE THE COST TO MAINTAIN THAT STAFF ON HAND IS ASTRONOMICAL. THOSE ARE THINGS WE'VE DONE TO BE ABLE TO MINIMIZE THOSE COSTS OVERALL. THIS BREAKDOWN IS TO ESSENTIALLY SHOW YOU WHEN YOU LOOK AT EDUCATION AND OPERATION THOSE ARE TWO MAJOR OPERATING FUNDS IN THE REFERENDUM. IF YOU DON'T HAVE REFERENDUM, THAT'S THE BREAKDOWN OF EDUCATION FUNDS 80% ESSENTIALLY AND OPERATIONS WE WILL CALL IT 20. IN THEORY, AS A STARTING POINT, THAT'S WHERE THE CUTS WOULD COME FROM, THE OPERATIONS FUND IS ONLY $37 MILLION THE REFERENDUM GENERATES 26. IT'S LITERALLY NOT POSSIBLE TO PRODUCE THE OPERATIONS BUDGET TO $11 MILLION. TRANSPORTATION ALONE JUST BUS [00:30:07] TRANSPORTATION IS $59. IT JUST ISN'T FEASIBLE SO I DON'T THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE THAT THIS WOULD BE A METRIC FOR US OF HOW WE WOULD BEGIN TO EXPECT CUTS TO COME BASED ON THE ALLOTMENT. I WANT TO MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR, THESE ARE EXAMPLES BASED ON THINGS THAT WE KNOW ESTIMATED COST WE HAVE A BUDGET REDUCTION TASK FORCE AND MY EMAIL SITTING WAITING POST MEETING LATER THIS WEEK TO SEND OUT, WE HAVE A PROCESS IN THE DISTRICT WE USE THE DISTRICT MADE $5 MILLION IN CUTS IN THE SPRING OF 2021 SO WE HAVE A PROCESS WE USE TO ESSENTIALLY EVALUATE A LOT OF DIFFERENT SPENDING OPTIONS THAT COULD BE THINGS THAT WE REDUCE AND THEN ESSENTIALLY THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS COME TO THE BOARD THE BOARD IS ULTIMATELY THE POLICYMAKER. THE CFO DOES NOT MAKE A DECISION ON WHERE CUTS $26 MILLION IT COMES THROUGH THAT PROCESS SO THESE ARE SOME IDEAS GENERALLY THAT WOULD BE THINGS WE WOULD EVALUATE AND THESE ARE REAL THINGS THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS DOCTORS STOKES AND I HAVE HAD TO HAVE IT'S ALMOST A BEVY OF OPTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT, YOU DON'T GET ACTUAL NUMBERS UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY ASSIGN PEOPLE TO WHAT THOSE THINGS MEAN. THAT'S WHY THEY ARE ESTIMATES. I'VE SAID BEFORE, CUT FROM THE OUTSIDE AND YOU WILL LOOK AT NON- BATHROOM FIRST SO THEY ARE CERTIFIED PHYSICIANS MAYBE AREN'T CLASSROOM TEACHERS BUT OBVIOUSLY ADMIN WILL BE THE FIRST THING AND THAT'S JUST THE REALITY BUT EVEN WITH ALL OF THIS DOESN'T EVEN GET YOU 24 MILLION. SO IT IS SIGNIFICANT FOR US FOR THE STUDENTS FOR OUR FAMILIES. FLEX WHAT WAS THE TOTAL ON THE LAST SLIDE TEXT 23.8 JUST OVER 24 MILLION. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL RATE TAX RATE HISTORY YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY WE ARE IN THE FOURTH YEAR OF DECLINE OVERALL IF YOU THINK ABOUT REFERENDUM TAX RATE IS RATE CONTROL BUT STAY PRETTY STATIC BUT WE'VE HAD OTHER RATES THAT HAVE DEFINED. SO REFERENDUM REALLY HAS FLEXIBILITY TO ADJUST WHEREAS THE OTHER FUNDS DON'T BECAUSE THEY ARE RATE CONTROLLED WHEREAS THIS FUND LEVY CONTROLLED IN TERMS OF THE OPERATIONS FUND THE OPERATIONS FUND RATE HAS GONE DOWN SOME DEBT RATE HAS GONE DOWN AS WE RETIRE THINGS OUT BUT OVERALL WE ANTICIPATE BEYOND REFERENDUM THAT WILL GO DOWN AGAIN THAT WILL BE THE BUDGET PRESENTATION YOU GUYS WILL SEE IN LATE SEPTEMBER IN A WORK SESSION. WE PLAN TO CONTINUE THAT REFLECTIVE OF THE INCREASE IN THE COMMUNITY. I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO CHAD WHITLOCK TO GO THROUGH SOME FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS THAT WE HAVE THAT RUN US OUT THROUGH 2031 TO TALK ABOUT WHEN WE HIT SOME TIPPING POINTS WITHIN THESE. >> GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY THANKS FOR HAVING US OUT THIS EVENING. MY COLLEAGUE MAX SHOEMAKER AND I HAVE SERVED IN THE FINANCIAL CONSULTING ROLE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR MANY MANY YEARS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. WE WERE TASKED WITH TAKING A DEEP DIVE IN THE SCHOOLS FINANCES AND MORE SPECIFICALLY SPECIFIC TASK LIKE A LOOK AT THEIR OPERATING REFERENDUM AND RUNNING A COUPLE SCENARIOS OF WHAT THE FINANCES WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THE REFERENDUM PASSED VERSUS IF THE REFERENDUM WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE FIRST PAGE AND WILL GO THROUGH THIS IS JUST OUTLINE SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE MADE AND SOME FINANCIAL FORECASTING MOVING FORWARD. THE FIRST SLIDE WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT REALLY TAKES A LOOK AT THE EDUCATION POPULATIONS RAINY DAY OPERATING REFERENDUM FUNDS THAT KATIE MENTIONED EARLIER. TAKING A THREE YEAR LOOK BACK STARTING IN 2020 2022 TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL REVENUE AND EXPENSES INTO AND OUT OF THESE FUNDS IF YOU LOOK AT THE BAR CHARTS IN BLUE WE HAVE THE RECEIPTS AND THE REVENUE GOING INTO THESE FUNDS AND THEN THE EXPENSES ARE DISTRIBUTIONS COMING OUT OF THE FUNDS. WE THEN TOOK A LOOK AT BASED ON A SET OF ASSUMPTIONS OUTLINED IN THE FIRST PAGE TO SAY IF THE [00:35:01] REFERENDUM WAS UNSUCCESSFUL WHAT WOULD FUTURE REVENUES AND EXPENSES BEGAN TO LOOK LIKE. IN THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN HAS HAD A RULE OF THUMB BALANCE OPERATING BALANCE OF 10% OF THE ANNUAL EXPENDITURES IN THESE PARTICULAR FUNDS MAINTAINING THAT IN A CASH BALANCE WHICH IS WHAT THE SLIDESHOWS. YOU CAN SEE IN THE GRAY LINE WITH THAT 10% TARGET OF THE HISTORICAL END OF THE FUTURE LOOKING CASH BALANCES WOULD LOOK LIKE AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE LINE WHERE THE ACTUAL CASH BALANCES WHERE IF WE GO BACK TO 2020 YOU CAN SEE THE TARGET WAS ABOUT 19.7 THEY WERE RUNNING RIGHT AROUND 35 YOU CAN SEE THEY WERE TRACKING VERY EVENLY 20S, 21, 22. IF THE REFERENDUM WAS UNSUCCESSFUL OBVIOUSLY THE LAST TAX DRAWING FOR THE EXISTING REFERENDUM WOULD BE IN DECEMBER 2023. THAT REVENUE WITH THEM BE NONEXISTENT IN 2024. OCTOBER 20, 2023 YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SLIDE WE ARE PROJECTING CURRENTLY ENDING CASH BALANCE AROUND 42 THEN HE COULD SEE A PRETTY DRAMATIC DECLINE AFTER THAT. CASH BALANCE IS DROPPING DOWN WITHOUT THE OPERATING REFERENDUM TO JUST ABOUT 16.2 MILLION IN 2024 AND THEN ALL THE CASH OF THE DISTRICT WOULD BE LIQUIDATED IN 2025 AND MOVING FORWARD. THIS SLIDE IS A LITTLE NOT QUITE OBLIQUE OF THE PICTURE. THIS SLIDE SHOWS A FULLY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE REFERENDUM IN 2024 AND FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE THE PROPOSED .1955 TAX RATE COMING IN TO THE OPERATING REFERENDUM FUND. YOU CAN SEE IN 2024 WE DO NOT HAVE A DIP IN OVERALL REVENUES THEN WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN REVENUES GOING UP AS ASSESSED VALUE INCREASES OR DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT AND TRACKING PRETTY STEADILY WITH THE DISBURSEMENTS OR EXPENSES AS YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF IN THE PAST THIS SLIDE JUST KIND OF LIKE THE PREVIOUS SLIDE SHOWS THE 10% BALANCE THIS SHOWS THAT THE OPERATING REFERENDUM IS SUCCESSFUL YOU GUYS CONTINUE TO TRACK VERY NICELY AND HAVE A NICE TRACK ALONG WITH YOUR EXPENSES AND CASH BALANCES AND THE 10% BALANCE. THIS SLIDE IS AN OVERALL SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED REFERENDUM BEING THE .1955 CENTS 2023 THROUGH 2031 ESTIMATED 2024 REFERENDUM LEVY BEING 23 JUST OVER 23.9 MILLION THE ESTIMATED AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL REFERENDUM INTO THAT REFERENDUM OPERATING REFERENDUM FUND OVER THE EIGHT-YEAR PERIOD WOULD BE RIGHT AT 31 POINT. YOUR ESTIMATED 2031 ENDING CASH BALANCE FOR ALL THE FOUR FUNDS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT. QUICKSET AND AMOUNTS WE ESSENTIALLY TRY TO KEEP 112 REFERENDUM WE'VE ADDED SLIGHTLY THE LAST COUPLE YEARS IN ANTICIPATION FOR WHAT CHAD REVIEWED IN TERMS OF WE KNEW WE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE REDUCTIONS THIS PAST SCHOOL YEAR. ESSENTIALLY RIGHT NOW IF WE WERE NOT TO BE SUCCESSFUL ALL THE STAFF IN TERMS OF CERTIFIED STAFF CONTINUE TO BE WITH US ON CONTRACT THROUGH THE END OF THE 23/24 SCHOOL YEAR AND WE THE CASH ON HAND TO SUSTAIN THAT. THE CASH BALANCE PIECE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS I SHARED WITH YOU AND SOME OF THE OTHER DEALINGS. NEXT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MEDIAN HOME VALUES HERE ARE [00:40:17] MEDIAN HOME VALUE IS AT 319,000 $500. DOES THE MEDIAN FOR US. THIS DEMONSTRATES THE AVERAGE OF WHAT WE GENERATED IN TERMS OF THE LEVY AS A RESULT OF THAT. THE ASSESSED VALUATIONS. THIS LANGUAGE APPEAR I'M NOT GONNA READ IT TO YOU BUT THIS WAS THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS IN EFFECT THAT BY LAW WE HAD TO UTILIZE IN 2016 THE UNDERLINED PORTION IS THE PORTION THE DISTRICT HAD A SAY SO IN CHANGING SO AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY IT SPEAKS TO ALL THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FUTURE THIS BREAKS DOWN OF WHAT WE ARE ESTIMATING AS 24 MILLION BASED ON WHAT THE LEVY OF THE TAX RATE WILL GENERATE WITH THE REDUCTION RATE YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT MANAGING CLASS SIZES AT 59 CERTIFIED TEACHERS IN K-6 THE RETAINING OF TEACHERS ON STAFF AS YOU GO THROUGH. THE ACTION ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA ACTUALLY HAS STATE REQUIRED REVENUE SPENDING PLAN THE DATA MATCHES THAT'S. THAT'S WHERE IT COMES FROM. BUT THIS IS THE PC ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE WE HAVE THE FILE ANNUALLY WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT WOULD BE TECHNICALLY IN 2025 THAT WE FOLLOWED THIS AS A RESPONSE TO. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS OUR BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR THIS YEAR. SO THE UNDERLINED PORTION IS THE PORTION WE CAN CHANGE, THE REST IS MANDATED BY STATUTE. THE BIGGEST ISSUE HERE, THERE'S LIKE FIVE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES BUT ONE OF THE PIECES OF THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE WON'T APPROVE LANGUAGE THAT IS TECHNICALLY LOOKING THAT IS ADVOCATING OR TRYING TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME. MR. ORR ASKED IF WE COULD CAPITALIZE SOME OF THE WORDS THEY SAID THAT WAS VIEWED AS TRYING TO UNDULY INFLUENCE THE QUESTION BUT THE BIGGER ISSUE IS THAT IT USES THE WORD INCREASED FOUR TIMES. THIS IS A CONTINUATION IT'S ACTUALLY A REDUCTION. SO THE LANGUAGE IN MY OPINION IF I'M A TAXPAYER IF I KNOW NOTHING BECAUSE I DON'T DO WHAT I DO I'M GOING IN AND I'M READING THAT MY TAXES ARE GOING UP 20.8% AND THAT IS SIMPLY NOT ACCURATE IT'S NOT A FULL PICTURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. THE UNDERLINED PORTION OF THE PORTION THAT WE HAVE CONTROL OVER AND THAT THAT IS HOW THE BALLOT WILL READ. THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN SEE WE ACTUALLY CAN EVEN SAY WE ARE REDUCING THE RATE. WE HAVE TO SAY WE ARE CHANGING IT. AND THAT IS STATE-MANDATED. THIS IS AN UPHILL BATTLE. FOR EVERY SCHOOL CORPORATION THAT'S GONE TO THE PROCESS BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE IS A BIT MISLEADING SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE PROPER VOTER EDUCATION THIS BREAKS DOWN IF IT WAS ASSESSED VALUE OF 100,000. YOU CAN SEE A SUPPLEMENTAL DEDUCTION THAT IS INCREASED FOR 2024 AND THE INCREASE GOES DOWN A BIT IN 2025 THESE ARE JUST ALL THE FACTORS THAT WOULD TELL YOU SO $100,000 HOME YOU DIVIDE THAT OUT IT'S BASICALLY $62 A YEAR FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH IS WHAT THAT WOULD COST WHEN YOU LOOK OVERALL TALKING ABOUT THE RATE HISTORY THIS TELLS YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE THE 20.8% NUMBER COMES FROM SEXUALLY THE RATE THE REFERENDUM RATE AT POINT 1995 IF YOU DIVIDE THAT BY THE AMOUNT ESSENTIALLY THE REST OF OUR ROOMMATE, TECHNICALLY .1995 IS 20.8%. BUT GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE OVERALL TAX RATE FOR ALL UNITS IS OVER TWO DOLLARS IT'S DOESN'T REALLY REPRESENT FAIRLY WHAT THAT INCREASE IS. NOT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE. JUST TO SEE THE IMPACT WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT 2023 VERSUS 2024 AND YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL RATE THAT RATE CHANGE INCLUDES THE [00:45:04] CHANGE FROM THE CURRENT RATE TO THE .1995 PLUS SOME OTHER THINGS YOU'LL SEE THE TOTAL RATE, WITH THE GROSS TAX IS THAT BEFORE TAX CAPS, BIGGEST THING, AT THE 1% WITH AVERAGE YOU CAN SEE WITH THE TAX CAP IS SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE OPERATING REFERENDUM IS ON TOP OF ANY CAPS THAT YOU HAVE. THE GOOD THING THERE IS, WHEN YOU REDUCE THE RATE EVERY TAXPAYER IS GETTING RELIEF FROM THAT. WHEREAS, IF WE REDUCE THE NON-REFERENDUM RATES ESSENTIALLY THAT GETS DIVIDED AMONGST ALL THE UNITS. FOR US SINCE WE ARE LOSING SO MUCH IN TAX CAPS I'M SURE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE IN OUR TAXING DISTRICT AS WELL YOU ARE THE ESSENTIALLY NEGATING THE TAX CAP LOSSES. OVERALL YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE FINAL TAX BILLS LOOK LIKE AND THE OVERALL DECREASE OF 2.25% BASED ON IN 2016 THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF PER STUDENT FUNDING. YOU CAN SEE WHAT IS GENERATED IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CURRENT RATE YOU COULD SEE WHAT WOULD BE GENERATED FROM THE FIRST YEAR WITH THE REDUCED RATE OF.1995. WHEN YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE REFERENDUM DOLLARS IN TOTAL PER STUDENT THAT INFLATION-ADJUSTED AMOUNT PER STUDENT WAS ABOUT $8300. EVEN WITH THIS WE ARE STILL NOT INCREASING THE IMPACT WHEN YOU LOOK AT A $300,000 GROSS VALUE HOME THIS IS TO DEMONSTRATE WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT OPERATING REFERENDUMS, NOT CAPITAL, OPERATING. GETTING WITH THE OTHER DISTRICTS IN HAMILTON COUNTY THAT HAVE A REFERENDUM BUT THEY GENERATE. WESTFIELD WASHINGTON IS THE ONLY SLIGHTLY LOWER. WE GET THE FULL BENEFIT OF ALL THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THE CITY. WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANYTHING WE ARE ASKING FOR IS UNREASONABLE. OR OUT OF LINE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CURRENT MAXIMUM RATE THIS IS GOING TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT'S GOING TO GENERATE ANNUALLY, HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE THE AVERAGE FIGURE AND THEN WHAT IT WOULD BE IN 2024 IF WE REDUCE THE RATE. ITS TAX RELIEF TO THE TAXPAYERS WE ARE REDUCING THE OVERALL RATE HE STOPPED THAT THE IMPACT TO AN AVERAGE HOMEOWNER BUT BUT ALONG THOSE LINES OF WHAT THEY WOULD SEE BASED ON THIS. IT'S NOT AN INCREASE IN THE TAX [3. Public Comment] [00:50:01] (APPLAUSE) >> MOVING ON TO ITEM 3.01 PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE POSTED AGENDA ITEM WHICH IS THE REFERENDUM. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE 13 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TONIGHT I WILL CALL YOU BY NAME. PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC COMMENT IS TO GIVE THE BOARD MEMBERS AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE NOT TO ENGAGE IN DEBATE. EACH PERSON WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE OR STATEMENTS. WITH THAT, AS I CALL YOUR NAME IF THE INFORMATION YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ON WAS ALREADY ADDRESSED AND ANSWERED IN THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT FEEL FREE TO WAIVE YOURSELF AND SAY THAT YOU CHOOSE TO STEP DOWN AND NOT SPEAK. FIRST ITEM FIRST INDIVIDUAL ON THE LIST IS LESLIE IS ISAAC ON DECK IS JENNY NICOLE. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS LESLIE'S ISAAC AND MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN IN HSC SCHOOLS INCLUDING A SENIOR OFFICIAL TITLE. I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE REFERENDUM RENEWAL AND TO DISCUSS THE IMPACT TO OUR PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS. HSC SCHOOLS IS HOME TO NUMEROUS ELITE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS INCLUDING SHOW MARCHING BANDS WE NEED TO PRESERVE THESE PROGRAMS WITH AS MUCH GUSTO AS WE DO OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAMS. PERFORMING ARTS PROVIDES A WELCOMING HOME THESE ARE ALSO NOT BY A LOT OF PEOPLE STANDARDS THE MOST POPULAR KIDS. THEY ARE THE CREATIVE KIDS THE KIDS WHO DON'T SEE THEMSELVES IN THE SPORTS ARE SOMETIMES EVEN THE ACADEMIC WORLD THESE ARE THE KIDS WHO ARE SEARCHING A DIFFERENT PLACE TO FEEL ACCEPTED. WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY WE WON'T BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THE OTHER ELITE SCHOOL PROGRAMS. OUR KIDS WON'T HAVE OPPORTUNITIES IN ELITE COLLEGE PROGRAMS AS THEY ARE NOW. DO ANY OF YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN AMAZING SENIOR FROM US LAST YEAR WHO WILL BE ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI COLLEGE CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC. THE SCHOOL HAS A 3% ACCEPTANCE RATE AND HE WAS ACCEPTED BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING HE LEARNED IN THE HARD WORK YOU PUT IN WITH THE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM AT FISHERS HIGH SCHOOL. ASKED ALL OF YOU TO GIVE YOUR UNRELENTING FULL SUPPORT TO THE RENEWAL OF THIS REFERENDUM AND ENCOURAGE YOUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO DO THE SAME SO THAT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN OUR DISTRICT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND THEIR UNIQUE PLACE WHETHER IT BE ACADEMIA SPORTS OR PERFORMING ARTS. THEY ALL NEED AND DESERVE A PLACE THEY FEEL THEY BELONG. >> GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS LAURA SMUTS I AM AN HSC PARENT AND FISHERS RESIDENT IN HERE TO EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR THIS OPERATING RENEWAL REFERENDUM I'M SO COMMITTED TO THIS AND ACTUALLY COCHAIRING ADVANCE HSC WHICH OF THE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE THE GROUP OF THEIR GOING TO MOBILIZE AND SUPPORT THIS REFERENDUM IF AND WHEN IT'S ON THE BALLOT THIS FALL I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THAT AND I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THAT VOICE VERY WELL. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE TWO CHILDREN IN THE DISTRICT, ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL I OF THE INTERMEDIATE THEY HAVE A WAYS TO GO HERE SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE HIGH QUALITY SAFE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE SELL VALUE HERE AT HSC. AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY I THINK THIS JOINT MEETING REALLY EXEMPLIFIES HOW CLOSELY TIED TOGETHER THE COMMUNITY AND CITY OFFICIALS IS WITH HSC SCHOOLS PERSONALLY WHEN WE CHOSE TO MOVE HERE TRANSCRIPTIONS BEFORE WE HAD CHILDREN ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WE DID THAT IS BECAUSE [00:55:02] OF HSC SCHOOLS WE KNEW THAT KIDS WOULD GET WONDERFUL EDUCATION WE UNDERSTOOD HOW VALUABLE IT IS FOR COMMUNITY TO HAVE HIGH-QUALITY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THAT'S THE EXPERIENCE HERE. IT'S GOOD FOR OUR YOUTH, IT'S GOOD FOR OUR SCHOOLS AND GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND I WANT TO EXPRESS THE STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE REFERENDUM TONIGHT. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING IN THE HARD WORK AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE COURAGE YOU ARE SHOWING AND ASKING THE COMMUNITY FOR THE FUNDING THAT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE DISCIPLINE TO REDUCE IT AND MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS AT THE SAME TIME. I ENCOURAGE YOU THAT FISHERS AND HIMMELSTEIN SOUTHEASTERN'S COMMUNITY SUPPORTS PUBLIC EDUCATION SUPPORTS YOU AND THANK YOU I THINK YOU'VE DONE IT RIGHT, WELL DONE. >> HOWARD STEVENSON IS UP, LAURA COLE IS ON DECK. >> MY NAME IS HOWARD STEVENSON. >> THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS (LAUGHING) >> MY NAME IS HOWARD STEVENSON I'M HERE TO UNEQUIVOCALLY EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR PLACING THE REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER AND TO HAVE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY TO PASS IT IN NOVEMBER. IN ADDITION TO THE COMMENTS DOCTOR STOKES AND KATIE PRESENTED FOR FAVORING TO HAVE THE REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT I WANTED TO SHARE PERSONAL REFLECTIONS MY WIFE AND I MOVED TO FISHERS 23 YEARS AGO SHE'S TAUGHT AND KNOWN THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND SHE SACRIFICED TO HAVE A CLASSROOM AND ONE OF THE PORTABLES AT THOSE SCHOOLS. SHE WANTED TO DO HER PART TO ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH OF THE DISTRICT AND I'M HERE TO SAY WE COLLECTIVELY AS A COMMUNITY SACRIFICE THE SUPPORT HSC SCHOOLS. LASTLY, AS A PROUD FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER I SAW HOW DILIGENT AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE THE ADMINISTRATORS OF OUR DISTRICT ARE IN BEING GOOD STEWARDS OVER THE RESOURCES THAT TAXPAYERS GIVE THEM. I SEE THAT CONTINUING TO THOSE OF THE REASONS I WANT TO SUPPORT THIS REFERENDUM I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS, DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SAID ONCE THAT THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THIS IS THE TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME ALONGSIDE THE DISTRICT AND SUPPORT THIS REFERENDUM AND HAVE IT TO PASS OVERWHELMINGLY IN NOVEMBER. >> MY NAME IS LAURA COLE I'M THE MOM OF INCOMING SECOND AND FOURTH GRADERS MY HUSBAND AND I FEEL VERY LUCKY TO SEND OUR KIDS TO SUCH AN OUTSTANDING SCHOOL AND OUTSTANDING DISTRICT WE ARE NOW FOUR YEARS INTO HER HSC EXPERIENCE MY BOYS HAVE ALREADY HAD INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES AND I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF OUR FAMILIES FAVORITES. KIDS LEARN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE SEASONAL CHANGES IN NATURE THE KIDS LEARNED AMONG OTHER THINGS ABOUT ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES. THIS PAST SPRING MY THIRD-GRADER GOT TO TOUR THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AND SIT AND MAYOR FABIUS'S SEAT AS HE AND CLASSMATES DISSIPATED IN A MOCK CITY COUNCIL MEETING. MY YOUNGEST HAS A SPEECH DELAY AND THRIVE WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL SPEECH THERAPIST. LAST WINTER WHEN I HAD CONCERNS ABOUT PRESSURE MY OLDEST WAS FEELING ABOUT TESTING I EMAILED OUR AMAZING PRINCIPAL AND IMMEDIATELY GOT A CALL BACK. I'M GRATEFUL HE HAD THE SUPPORT [01:00:02] OF AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WITH LOUD HIM THE TIME TO HAVE A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH ME IN A POSITIVE OUTCOME FOR MY SON. OUR KIDS HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH THE MOST INCREDIBLE CAPABLE TEACHERS WHO ARE INVESTED IN GIVING OUR KIDS THERE ALL. CUTTING OVER $20 MILLION FROM OUR SCHOOL BUDGET WOULD SURELY PUT CONTINUING SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTED AT RISK. HE. >> JAMIE GUERIN'S IS NOT. >> MY NAME IS JEREMY KAREN'S ON THE FISHERS RESIDENT AND MOTHER OF TWO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT. , FOUNDER OF HSC GOAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION FOUNDED FOUR YEARS AGO. THE SOLE GOAL OF HSC GOAL IS TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND HSC SCHOOLS. WE ARE OFTEN THE FOLKS IN RED. I WROTE YESTERDAY AND FOR SCHOOLS COMMUNITY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU. THAT'S HOW I LEARNED IT MYSELF. (LAUGHING) OR MOST PEOPLE CALL ME P. I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. I'M NOT ONLY A TEACHER IN THE DISTRICT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF GEOMETRY. I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO TALK ABOUT OUR SUPPORT FOR THE REFERENDUM RENEWAL. MANY PEOPLE MOVED TO FISHERS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SCHOOLS BUT ALSO MANY TEACHERS LEAVE OTHER DISTRICTS TO COME TO HSC TO TEACH, THAT'S IMPORTANT. COMMUNITY MEMBERS PARENTS FLOCKED TO PLACE MUSICALS SPORTING EVENTS OPEN HOUSES ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HSC PROVIDES. OUR FAMILIES AND ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT STUDENTS GET. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS AND COACHES AND STAFF CONTINUE TO CREATE THIS BRIGHT FUTURE FOR OUR KIDS. AND OTHERS BECAUSE I'M ALSO A PARENT, FORMER PARENT. MY KIDS ARE GROWN. THIS IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TODAY DID MEET AS A UNIFIED GROUP WITH OUR CITY AND SCHOOL BOARD. WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND PASS THE REFERENDUM RENEWAL IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR MISSION STATEMENT. I WAS GOING TO INITIALLY COME UP AND SAY THE MISSION STATEMENT BUT DOCTOR STOKES SHOWED US THAT EARLIER BUT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ACADEMIC PEXCELLENCE AND TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS BOARD AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY RALLIED TOGETHER IN ORDER TO SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. AS A FISHERS RESIDENT AND MOTHER OF FOUR HSC STUDENTS I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT YOU UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A RESOLUTION TO PLACE SCHOOL OPERATING REFERENDUM ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. SINCE THIS IS A RENEWAL THE REFERENDUM THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE AND THE BOARD IS ELECTING TO LOWER THE RATE I SEE NO REASON WHY WE WOULD NOT SUPPORT THIS REFERENDUM. CONTINUING A HIGH LEVEL OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND KEEPING HSC AS TOP DISTRICT IN THE STATE NOT ONLY BENEFITS OUR STUDENTS BUT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. MY HUSBAND AND I CHOSE TO RAISE OUR FAMILY HERE BECAUSE OF THIS PROSPERING COMMUNITY, ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PARKS, AND HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOLS. [01:05:06] I SINCERELY HOPE FISHERS POLITICIANS AND RESIDENTS CAN ALSO SEE THE VALUE IN RENEWING THIS REFERENDUM THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR HSC SCHOOLS. >> ,FISHERS RESIDENT I CURRENTLY DO NOT PASS STUDENTS CHILDREN'S I AM A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER. WHO AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, GOOD SCHOOLS, HAPPY KIDS, ARE THE COMMUNITY AND MY KIDS. THE PROPERTY VALUE IS IMPORTANT TO GO UP. IN THE COMMUNITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET RIGHT NOW. WHETHER OR NOT I HAVE STUDENTS THAT HSC AND PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M SUPPORTING OF THOSE REFERENDUM. >> ON DECK IS LIDIA'S FAMILY. >> MY NAME IS MICHELLE FULLER, FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER I'D LIKE TO THINK DOCTOR STOKES KATIE DOLLING FOR THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATION I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE INCLUDING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE MAYOR, THAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE THE EXCELLENT SCHOOL SYSTEM WE HAVE AND HOW IT'S VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR COMMUNITY. IF THIS IS PASSED BY THE VOTERS IN THE DISTRICT TO BE CLOSER TO THE STATE AVERAGE, YOU'VE HEARD IT AND THEN READ TIMES, THIRD LOWEST PER-PUPIL FUNDING OF THE STATE AND WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE INDIANA STATE LEGISLATURE WOULD MAKE FUNDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS A HIGHER PRIORITY WHILE LEGISLATION LEGISLATURES PASSED NEW LAWS TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR DISTANCE TO DO SO. FOR INSTANCE, THE WORDING ON THE PUBLIC SESSION ON THE BALLOT IS MUCH MORE HEATED AND CONFUSING AS YOU SAW THE EXAMPLE AND BECAUSE OF THAT IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TIME AND RESOURCES TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND WHAT THE QUESTION IS TRULY ASKING. ARE ELECTED LEGISLATURE IS CONTINUALLY UNDER FUNDING PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE HSC BUT ALLOWING US TO RUN REFERENDUMS IN THE FURTHER HANDICAPPING US REQUIRING BALLOT LANGUAGE. OKAY IF PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING IS NOT A PRIORITY THEN ASK FOR LEGISLATURES TO PASS LEGISLATION FOR SCHOOL REFERENDUMS THAT WILL SO THEY ARE AT LEAST SUPPORTIVE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS THEY ARE OF CHARTER AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS. AND NOT CONTINUALLY CHANGING. LIKE FREEDOM. >> AS A PARTICIPANT EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY HAD DONE TO MAKE FISHER AS ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY. I HINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND IMPERATIVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE THE ROLE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS DISTINCTION IN 2012 ASA YOUNG TECH PROFESSIONALS WE WERE LOOKING TO BUY A HOME THE REASON WHY HE MOVED HERE WAS BECAUSE OF THE DISTRICT, BEFORE TOP GOLF, BEFORE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WAS AMAZING. I JUST ASK THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD, CITY COUNCIL, FOR MAYOR FATNESS WHOLE HER SUPPORT THIS REFERENDUM. THANKS. >> THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC [4. Action Items] COMMENT SECTION. MOVING TO ACTION ITEMS. [01:10:12] TO GO FURTHER, KATIE IS COMING UP TO BRING UP THE BALLOT LANGUAGE AND THE RATE. >> GOOD EVENING. I PROMISE THIS PART WILL BE QUICK. THERE ARE TWO ATTACHMENTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. 'S AND LISTS ALL REQUIREMENTS BY LAW THAT WE HAVE TO MEET WITH YOUR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT. THE SECOND ITEM UP THERE IS THE REVENUE SPENDING PLAN. THIS IS NEW FOR REFERENDUMS AND ESSENTIALLY THIS HAS A QUESTION ALSO IN THE PRESENTATION ITSELF AND SPELLS OUT THE REVENUE SPENDING PLAN THOSE OF THE PIECES THAT WE THEN REPORT BACK THESE ARE THE THINGS WE HAVE DONE THERE'S A PART TWO ON PAGE 2. LITVACK, DOCTOR STOKES, DO YOU WANT TO READ THE RECOMMENDATION. >> EYE DOCTOR STOKES SUPERINTENDENT OF SOUTHEASTERN HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN'S SCHOOLS TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO PLACE THE SCHOOL OPERATING REFERENDUM ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. >> MADAM PRESIDENT, FOR THE WELFARE OF OUR STUDENTS IN EDUCATION AND OUR CITY AS A WHOLE, I MOVED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO PLACE THE SCHOOL OPERATING REFERENDUM INCLUDING REFERENDUM RATE AND BALLOT LANGUAGE ON THE BALLOT NUMBER SEVENTH ELECTION ALLOWING RESIDENTS OF FISHERS AND PORTIONS OF OUR NOBLESVILLE DISTRICT TO HSC THE RIGHT TO VOTE ON THE REFERENDUM AS PRESENTED. >> SECOND. >> OPENING DISCUSSION ON THE BOARD. ANY COMMENTS? >> I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO DOCTORS STOKES, STAFF, KATIE, FOR ALL THE INCREDIBLE INFORMATION THEY GAVE US TONIGHT AND GAVE THE COMMUNITY TONIGHT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY HAVE STILL BEEN LINGERING AND TO THANK OUR CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. >> CLOSING DISCUSSION CALLING FOR VOTE. (ROLL CALL) MOTION PASSES. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER ÃÃ (APPLAUSE) I'M NOW GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL PRESIDENT FOR THE CITY'S ACTION ITEM. >> THANK YOU WE HAVE A QUICK PRESENTATION OF OUR RESOLUTION. MAYOR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO STEP FORWARD? >> THANK YOU COUNCIL PRESIDENT WEINGART, SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT RANK YOU FOR THE INVITE THANK YOU FOR THE OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH LEADERSHIP OF THE BOARD. AND WITH MY ADMINISTRATION OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS IT'S BEEN GREAT TO HAVE AN ONGOING DIALOGUE I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE IT'S NEVER LOST ON ME TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH FISHERS RESIDENTS HOW PROUD THEY ARE TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. I THINK THE NUMBER ONE REASON THEY ARE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, I WOULD LOVE TO THINK IT'S ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE BUT WHEN I THINK OF WHAT IT'S ABOUT IS THEY ARE ABLE TO LIVE IN A PLACE THEY GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT BY LIVING HERE THEIR CHILDREN WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR THOSE SMALL POINT TO THE INSTITUTION YOU REPRESENT EVERYTHING THE LAST TIME ANYONE HERE LAST COUPLE YEARS THE NATIONAL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL WARS FLASHPOINT HERE AT THE PODIUM. FRANKLY, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS ONE OF THOSE. THIS IS ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY THIS IS NOT A REPUBLICAN ISSUE THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC ISSUE, OUR COMMUNITY TIME AND TIME AGAIN HAS CHOSEN TO BELIEVE IN OURSELVES TO INVEST IN OURSELVES AND THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. TONIGHT I STAND WITH MY CITY COUNCIL NOT ABOUT US INDIVIDUALLY NOT BY PARTY BUT BY AN INSTITUTION BY OUR CITY GOVERNMENT SAYING LET'S INVEST IN OURSELVES AGAIN LET'S TAKE A [01:15:01] CHANCE AND I'M CERTAIN WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT WITH OUR TEACHERS WITH OUR ADMINISTRATION IT WILL BE WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT AND THE SACRIFICE. PRESENT TO YOU TONIGHT. >> THANK YOU SCOTT, I APPRECIATE YOU. >> I GOT TWO MINUTES. KATIE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S A CPA IT'S NOT MINDNUMBING DATA. I REALLY ENJOY SEEING THAT. A LITTLE HISTORY, I MOVED HERE IN 1992 AS WAS 5000 6000 PEOPLE. I MOVED HERE THE BIG REASON WAS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. ONLY THREE CHILDREN GRADUATED THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ALL MY THREE CHILDREN GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, ONE IS A DOCTOR, WHAT IS A CPA WITH ME AND MY CPA FIRM AND FISHERS SO I HAVE A REAL CERTAINLY A REAL AFFINITY FOR EDUCATION, EDUCATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT THIS ISN'T A PARTISAN CONVERSATION THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR KIDS THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE KIDS THAT WILL BE COMING TO HSC. SO SURELY THERE IS A HISTORY HERE AS A TOWN WHEN WE WERE THE TOWN COUNCIL ALWAYS SUPPORTED HSC SCHOOLS AND ALWAYS SUPPORTED AS A CITY COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE THAT WITH THAT SAID, I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, DO I HAVE A SECOND. >> SECOND TIME I COUNSEL VICE PRESIDENT ANY DISCUSSION? >> I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU STARBUCKS SOMETIMES I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SOMETIMES I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH MAYOR FATNESS, SOMETIMES I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH MY FELLOW COMPROMISERS. THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN ALL AGREE UPON. WE ARE STARTING AS ONE TEAM TO EARN COUNTY SUPPORT FOR THE REFERENDUM RENEWAL AND GET THE REFERENDUM PASSED ON NOVEMBER 7. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND WE LIFT YOU UP AND HSC SCHOOLS UP FOR STUDENTS. THANK YOU. (APPLAUSE) >> I MAY GET EMOTIONAL DURING THIS. >> I MOVED HERE IN 89 WHEN I WAS A 16-YEAR-OLD KID 70 DEGREES IN ATLANTA GEORGIA GOT ON A BUS FROM THE WEST SIDE OF FISHERS THEY SAID THEY WERE TAKING ME TO A SCHOOL OUT THERE. TO RAISE MY FAMILY HERE. OUR OLDEST EVERY ONE OF THE BOYS MAY HAVE ROUGH TIMES. OUR OLDEST HAD CONFIDENCE ISSUES WHEN HE STARTED FISHERS HIGH SCHOOL THE WAY HE WAS EMBRACED BY THE TEACHERS AT THE SCHOOL CHANGED HIS LIFE. MOUNTIES GOING INTO HIS JUNIOR YEAR AT PURDUE. OUR MIDDLE CHILD IS NOW GOING TO BE A SENIOR AT FISHERS HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND. HAVE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN MARCHING BAND IN MY LIFE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE GETTING INTO AS A FAMILY. HE SAID THIS LAST YEAR HAS BEEN THE HAPPIEST YEAR OF HIS ENTIRE LIFE AS A FRESHMAN AT FISHERS [01:20:02] HIGH SCHOOL GOING INTO THE SOPHOMORE YEAR. I KNOW IT'S HARD TO SERVE IN A CHALLENGING WE TAKE A LOT OF SHOTS YOU AND I A LOT OF THINGS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND WE CAN HAVE DIFFERENCES AT TIMES BUT I ASK US TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER.E HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AND A NATION THAT'S TORN APART TO REALLY BRING THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND BE AN EXAMPLE TO EVERYONE. WE CANNOT AFFORD AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT WE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE SHARE THIS MESSAGE WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE THESE THINGS ONE YOUNG WOMAN CAME UP AND TALKED ABOUT THE PERFORMING ARTS THOSE THINGS CANNOT BE LOST. IS DEEPLY PERSONAL TO ME. THANK YOU FOR SERVING, THANK YOU TO THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FORMER BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE HERE, THANK YOU FOR SERVING ALL THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS BECAUSE YOU CHANGED OUR LIFE. THANK YOU. >> OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS? >> I JUST WANT TO SHARE MY STORY. I HAVE A SPECIAL NEEDS DAUGHTER, SHE WENT TO FISHERS HIGH SCHOOL, FISHERS HIGH SCHOOL LATCHED LIKE FINALLY THEY WATCHED IT THEY TAUGHT HER HOW TO GET A JOB THEY TAUGHT HER HOW TO INTERVIEW THEY TAUGHT HER LIFE SKILLS TO WHERE SHE CAN GO OUT AND SHE CAN LIVE ON HER OWN SHE HAS HER OWN PAPARTMENT AND SHE DOES HAVE STAFF THAT HELPS HER SHE DOESN'T DRIVE SHE USES HAMILTON COUNTY EXPRESS BUT IT WAS THE PROGRAM FOR THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS THAT LAUNCHED MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE. AS PART OF THIS COMMUNITY WE EMBRACE THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND FISHERS HIGH SCHOOL EMBRACED HER AND PART OF THAT CONTINUING THIS AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY NOT JUST FOR THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS BUT THOSE WHO HAVE OTHER ISSUES WHETHER IT E SELF-ESTEEM ISSUES OR A NEED TO GET INTO A PARTICULAR COLLEGE AND THEIR EDUCATION I THINK CONTINUING THIS MOMENTUM AND KEEPING FISHERS SCHOOLS GREAT AND THE COMMUNITY GREAT IS HIGHLY MPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EVERYONE EMBRACE IT. (APPLAUSE) >> COMMENTS FROM COUNSELORS? >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR DATA AND ALL THE EFFORT AND TIME YOU PUT INTO THIS I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL COLLEAGUES THAT PEOPLE COME HERE BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOLS AND BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR CITY BUT BEING ONE OF THE EST FISHERS IS KNOWN ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE HERE AND THIS IS SOMETHING SPECIAL AND WE HAVE AN AMAZING GROUP OF TEACHERS HERE AND SO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND HIGH STANDARDS AND A COMMUNITY THAT THRIVES IS IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO GET THIS GOING. (APPLAUSE) >> THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE. IT'S UNANIMOUS. (APPLAUSE) AT THIS POINT WE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN TO OUR COUNCIL MEETING A UNDERSTAND A MOTION TO ADJOURN. TO HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. WE ARE ADJOURN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR US. >> THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.E ARE ALSO ADJOURN. WE WILL BEGIN OUR SECOND BOARD MEETING THAT WAS TO START AT 7:00 P.M. IN ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES. 20 MINUTES PIECE TO WE NEED TO RESET THE ROOM TO * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.