Minutes - April 13, 2022

Classified Staff Advisory

April 13, 2022

Montgomery County Schools Classified Staff Advisory committee convened Wednesday, April 13, 2022 in the Montgomery County Schools boardroom. Members present were: Nikimia Ratliff, Beth Hall, Cacelia Parter, Cathy Horne and Lynn Reynolds.

Welcome and Celebrations

Dr. Ellis asked for celebrations. Cathy Horne responded Mt. Gilead has all buses running. Dr. Ellis introduced Robert Carswell a doctoral student who is shadowing him today to see what superintendent life is about. A personal celebration we finished our weight loss challenge today. I am glad to say I am the winner. The biggest celebration is spring break. I hope everyone has a wonderful break. Take time to renew and spend time with family and friends. Celebrate Easter and all that. I hope you all enjoy it. I don’t think anyone in the world would not say it has been well earned on your part. We appreciate you.

Budget Update

I just want to update you on a few things. Always at this time of the year our biggest concern is the budget. When the budget was passed this past year. It had something in it called a hold harmless provision. What that meant was if we had 100 students that went to homeschool this year due to COVID we were held harmless. Every student equals a certain amount of state money for us to educate them. We have been very blessed the last two years to have the held harmless provision. When they passed the two year budget. The hold harmless was only in there for that first year of the budget. Which was this year. In theory, if we do not pick up about 100 kids or we do not renew that hold harmless provision. We could be facing a pretty significant cut. We are going to continue to lobby our state legislators to keep that hold harmless in there. Despite the fact we are not wearing masks as much anymore this thing is not over. That is our message to our state legislators. While this has been beat back it is not over. Circumstances could change at any time. It would be a significant amount of money somewhere around a million dollars. We do have some ESSR money to help offset that cost. We did add a little to fund balance last year. It is not so much this first year you worry about. It is really the year after that because you have spent those savings. We do not want to spend all of our emergency funds in one year. We have had these discussions with principals. If you lose a teacher it is not a given you will get another teacher back. If we have 100 less students there is a less of a need to serve the loss of those students. I don’t like that. That is just the way it is. Any of you that have been here a long time know my position. Any cuts that we make will be made to positions not people. So if we have to start the year with ten less people it will be from positions not filled. Not us cutting positions. Like we have always said if you are working here and want to work here and doing a good job. You are going to have a job. Just let people know that we are concerned about the budget and let your colleagues know it is not to the point where they need to worry about their jobs and insurance. The board of education will have their budget session at 5:00pm May 2 before our regular monthly meeting in May. We will submit that budget to the county. The county approves their final budget in June. We did ask for a $250,000 increase. Which in my mind is not a whole lot to ask for. We have not received any inclination whether that will be received. That would take care of four positions if they give it to us. We are in the middle of that discussion right now and we are hopeful.

Construction Update

Dr. Ellis said this is probably the final construction update we will do. We are finishing up the installation of the football field at MCHS. I encourage anyone to come look at that. The things that our kids have access to are phenomenal. We are excited about that. I would encourage you when you hear people talk about the cost which was around a million dollars. The vast majority of that was paid by private donors. When you look at the $250,000 weight room, the $300,000 jumbo-tron and the $1,000,000 field. Of that 1.6 million, 1.3 million was raised by the private sector. The rest was covered in the project budget on stuff that we did not spend it on for other things. It is not like we have gone in and blown a bunch of money. I can tell you the one thing that we cut in the construction budget was athletic facilities. We are excited that we could go back and improve them. Thanks to some of the donors who wanted to see our kids have the best of everything. Dr. Ellis asked for questions. Cathy Horne stated she got to tour the CTE center with fifth graders. She was floored. All the things the kids are able to take was not there when she graduated. The doors are open to students. They just have to want to do it. It was awesome. Dr. Ellis expressed his excitement for our first elementary career week. Middle school students can take classes to help identify what they may be interested in. We hope more people will come out and see it. We hope to have students excited about it even in the third and fourth grade.

COVID-19

Dr. Ellis reiterated the position of the board. They will do what is best for the larger group. They like the mask optional because it gives students and staff the choice to do what they want to do. I have not heard anything negative said to anybody about what their choice was. That is the way it should be. They are realistic to the fact that some variant could pop up and the board will be prepared to do what is right. They will not do anything that will specifically put someone in danger. I am hoping that we have gotten to the point with vaccines it will not become a big issue. If you are concerned just know they still talk about it behind the scenes. It is not a done deal. Make sure the rest of your staff know that as well. People have the right to wear the masks as long as they want. I hope that we do not have to go back to requiring. If we do not feel safe. 
We will take the action that we need to. I do hope the general assembly will change the law as of right now we have to vote on it each month whether we want to or not. We have enough common sense to know that if something is broke out in August we may need to think about putting the masks back on. We do not need to vote each month but that is the hand we have been dealt. Just know the board’s main concern is your safety and they will act accordingly.

Questions

Dr. Ellis let everyone know that the $1500 retention bonus will be paid in May. Please tell your folks that it is a commitment to stay all next year. We had people that received a check in January and resigned in February. They were required to pay it back. Beth Hall asked if someone is retiring will they need to contact the finance office to not cut the check. Dr. Ellis replied that should be addressed with finance. If they receive a check it should be brought back. Lynn Reynolds asked if someone were planning to leave in December would they get a portion of the bonus. Dr. Ellis replied that should be reported to finance and they should receive the portion that they worked. Dr. Ellis received an email complaining about wording from a board member. That talk was regarding employees that do not have the work ethic most of you have. It was directed to those that just started and left after receiving a check. Cacelia Parter asked how we could get the percentage up for child nutrition. Dr. Ellis stressed that students need to fill out the free and reduced lunch forms whether they need it or not. The free and reduced lunch percentage determines how much we receive in Title I funds. That number is down now. Primarily because students have been receiving it free anyway. We hope that number will not be held against us. Child nutrition has stressed to everyone to have students especially new onesturn the forms in. Beth Hall asked if we expected to receive free and reduced breakfast next year. Dr. Ellis said that the waiver ends in June. We do not know at this time if it will be renewed. We are hoping that will push more free and reduced forms to be turned in and alleviate that problem.