Bill Brooks

The finance committee meeting focused on the budget process, emphasizing that there would be no voting. Key discussion points included an overview of the budget process timeline and priority-based budgeting aligned with the Opportunity 2030 strategic plan commitments. Revenue planning was a major topic, detailing the shift from BEP to the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) model for the 2023-2024 school year, which adjusts state funding based on individual student needs. The structure of revenue streams, including operating revenue, state grants (such as Pre-K and CTE grants), federal funds (Title I, IDEA, ESSER), school nutrition budgets, and self-funded programs, was explained. Mandatory operating costs like custodial services and utilities were also reviewed. The committee sought input from the board regarding discretionary funds (approximately 15% of the budget) to align expenditures with strategic priorities, specifically noting community feedback emphasizing investment in employees, student belonging, and equipping schools.

The key discussion focused on the budget process, including plans for public engagement regarding the budget on April 20th. Topics covered included reviewing budget documents, such as a revised Revenue Summary reflecting an approximately $800,000 increase in TISA funding. Significant attention was given to increasing Capital Maintenance funding to $8 million by implementing a 2.5% cut to centralized expenditures. The proposed budget aligns with a new strategic plan focusing on three major areas: improving staff morale (including a proposed 5% salary increase), increasing school-based staffing by $29 million, and expanding alternative education program seats. Discussions also covered strategies for benefits adjustments, specifically increasing co-pays for non-district pharmacies to encourage utilization of the district pharmacy, and planning for the end of ESSER funding. A separate detailed discussion addressed the lack of a dedicated budget line for athletic field maintenance, noting that such costs are typically covered by individual school allocations, although the board considered reallocating a portion of the increased Capital Maintenance funds towards extracurricular needs like fields and band equipment.

The primary focus of this finance committee meeting was the continued budget process, emphasizing transparency and alignment with the 'Opportunity 2030' strategic goals and vision. Key discussion points included reviewing proposed budget investments across several major categories: Every Student Learns, Every Student Belongs, Every School Equipped, Every Employee Value, and Every Community Serves. Specific new investments highlighted were increases in Career and Technical Education (CTE), Exceptional Education/ENL supports, and explicit funding for Response to Intervention (RTI) teachers. Within the Every Student Belongs category, proposed increases included funding for Social Workers, College and Career Advisors, and supplemental staffing model support. Every School Equipped proposals involved increasing capital maintenance funding and allocating funds for a dedicated fire crew to address code issues, alongside infrastructure upgrades. The Every Employee Value section proposed a five percent pay increase for all employees, addressing classified compensation compression, and funding differentiated compensation for hard-to-staff positions. The Every Community Serves section addressed increased funding for alternative education program seats.

The meeting focused on presenting and updating the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, specifically the general purpose operating budget. Discussions included previous sessions on self-funded areas and revenue projections. Key points emphasized were maintaining a balanced budget, fiscal responsibility, and continued commitment to employees, teachers, leaders, and support staff, including efforts to raise classified employee starting pay to $13 per hour. The budget also reflects commitments to students and strategic priorities. A significant portion of the discussion involved leveraging ESSER funds to address strategic priorities and potentially move general purpose expenditures to ESSER funds to bolster the fund balance against potential economic decline. The need to avoid funding permanent expenditures with temporary ESSER funds was stressed, alongside planning for facility needs, such as ventilation and increasing space for distancing, utilizing available capital expenditures within ESSER guidelines. The overarching goal remains accelerating student achievement.

The agenda review session covered multiple topics including the process for recognizing individuals, updates on field trips for students to DC and other locations, and strategies for monitoring student behavior and disproportionality findings. Discussions focused on improving the recognition protocol to make it less "clunky." Significant attention was given to a new behavior management software intended to provide research-based strategies and track interventions for students with and without Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Budget amendments were reviewed, including allocations from state grants and donations for vocational rehabilitation case management and setting up new labs. Additionally, several policies were presented for first read, involving clarifications on workplace violence, time schedules, collaborative conferencing language, staff/community relations, and student teacher processes. Contract renewals for the T-Eval evaluation system and the Project SEARCH MOU with Blue Cross Blue Shield were also discussed.