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26MAY2023 - City of Baker Schools Special School Board Meeting Recording

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Audio from 26MAY2023 - City of Baker Schools Special School Board Meeting Recording

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good evening like to call today's meeting of the city of Baker School Board to order if there is a member of the public who would like to make a public comment regarding a particular item we ask that you request a comment card from Miss D do miss Tito raise your hand and submit your comment to her with the agenda item noted on the comment card please be mindful that we will allow 3 minutes for each comment in order to give everyone who would like to make a comment an opportunity to do so now I would have rolled call mrs. parking here is his Prophet here mrs. Joseph Miss Cutler here mrs. Burgess here we have a quorum and we will proceed with tonight's agenda I would like to ask Miss Perkins to do silent meditation and Pledge of Allegiance by Miss Butler could you please stand for go to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic can you stand one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all thank you ladies the first agenda item is to adopt millage rates for 2023 are there any public car text regarding adopting the millage rates for 2023 councilman Young good evening everyone. I just came just talk a little bit about each it may not even take 3 minutes morning first thing I want to say is that I really looked it to see more of the back of the hill I really look through the see more of the community here because of the importance of this right here and I would suggest to the board maybe since this is a renewal every year is that correct that we would get some kind of way to get this out to the public you know to be hailed  you guys accountable but it's right here because you know I'm as a council person that's one of my pet peeves and Miss Butler know cuz she's one of my constituents that I like to be held accountable because number one I'm going to hold you accountable you know you as my constituent on my hold you accountable so it's important deal cuz this three or four hundred thousand dollars and I hear that we have some board members that struggling on how are you going to go through all this right here SC that's one of the things I have also have a problem with it because we have to be at we have to educate the constituents the importance of this right here so they can hold you guys account because guess what they put you up there for they put you up there to be held accountable and I don't see no way in the world that anybody up there should be voting against this right here because number one that's just like over there where I we have capitulated we have to renew every year that's money coming into the city do you think you are you put me up there to turn that down come on. We got to be real with this thing we have me big boys big girls about this right it should be nobody up there struggling to turn down money to come in the school system and that's my that's my comment on that right now thank you mr. Young any other public comment Natsu Mr MacAskill Alright you're welcome sir good to see you still here and really is that wisdom well I just want to take my three minute all the time remember all the school board members Miss Perkins you alright this morning today support school board members and what they do I'm also here to express my feelings about some of the thing that they should do are we got this millage that's coming to the school system as I understand it it's money into the school system dearly need money why and I want to listen to everybody why wouldn't you support this to somebody tell me why wouldn't you support it Miss Joseph die with you if you let me I would like to hear from you I think about the school millage and why they are either going to stop over there while they want your car storage units Joseph if you don't mind please I'm going to say what I have to say when you comes back to the board I'm in agreeance with her mr. mccastle but I wouldn't turn out money coming into the school system that's helping the kids we're going to have each board member before the no problem big big TV the tourney can you explain to me what what talk to the rest of us what what it entails in the Mr MacAskill what's the next I have to make a the process will then be the four oceans asking for your opinion on that Stewart providing additional explanation yeah I understand that but you know if you don't really understand what it is any other public comment are there any comments from many board members I'll start with Ms Butler I don't have any I just said what I said Miss Perkins American Eagle I have looked over the millage I talk to people who are very knowledgeable about the millage and I have talked to my constituents and I agree we all should be held accountable and the scoop city of baker school system should also be held accountable and I will reflect that in my vote mrs. profit no I wouldn't turn down the money I understand we don't get the 421 vote the results in it but will be losing out on your written and paper so we'll just go from there and see what happens when everybody get ready to vote for it any other board member comments Joseph my comment is first of all when I became a board member I I filed to vote my country I have requested information from A to Z on the information here not just about the millage for the mouse cross the board I have gots not gotten so I went to father and I went down and did some research we are not sending money back and we're not losing money by not voted for the middle mister mccampbell simply put this way the way the money is being spent I do not agree with it so I'm going to vote my conscience there are number things that I disagree with but I'm one person I'm gone do my research and to the best of my ability I'm going to vote in a way that will move Baker for the community and the school system forward to the best of my ability I've heard all kinds of things about Miss Joseph don't lie this is Joe. I have to do research in order to get answers and that's what I'm doing I'm still in the process of waiting for answers don't have them but I'm going to vote the best that I can vote to move the school system and the City Hall I have I have something to say every month behind that one I agree with Miss Joseph but what she saying about how the money being spent we all guidance office in January so this has been going on with ever has been going on for quite a few years and if it's not being spent right it's just not having started in January February this is our third month okay so we will have to be held accountable after now we can't be held accountable for the last year a year before last for what other one done with the money and I was being board members we just have to follow up and do our study and I do understand what this mean consist of I'm sorry and it's my understanding that this is not a new tax this is just a roll forward of what was already passed by the citizen Baker and moving that forward protecting instruction protecting certified teachers protecting knowledgeable is very important in what we have to the decision we have to make tonight I would like to ask mrs. Stewart if she would come and read the resolution okay I'm going to check it attempt to explain it because mr. mccastle asked for an explanation of it so I'm going to do my best mr. mccastle so this this is not something that's new in school district's most school districts around the country rely on local real estate taxes to the fun part of their portion of the funding for school district every so often there's a reassessment of homes in the community and so it if that reassessment goes up what Most states do is they hold districts at a certain amount of RAM and so if the assessment goes up that means that the revenue can possibly go up that because there's been a reassessment so the board has to actually vote to hold those millage rates where they've been the capture that new assessment and so if if the board does not vote to hold those millage rates the same then they will drop to hold the revenue harmless from the previous year because that that's my best understanding how to explain it to you good evening president Madam vice president of numbers for the board in the stroller and everyone in attendance okay well I was going to explain a little bit of the button the started did it for me so that part is taken care of so I read the resolution be it resolved that the following Villages are here by 11 on the 2023 tax roll on all property subject to taxation by city of Baker School Board The Villages that you would be adopting or choose not to shiver is constitutional Village for 5 meals special school maintenance voter-approved millage 38.20 meals is that the proper administrative officials of the Parish of East Baton Rouge state of Louisiana by and they are hereby empowered authorized and directed to spread their taxes as here in a book set for upon the assessment Road of Ted parish for the year 2023 and to make the collection of the taxes and posed for and on behalf of the taxing Authority according to law and that the Texas and maybe she'll become a permanently and privileged on all property subject to taxation as here and set forth in collection thereof shall be enforceable in the manner provided by law is hope we will have a roll call vote Miss Perkins no profit yes Butler yes Joseph Burgess before I vote I just want to say that with us with this not being support it the way it should be supported we are forfeiting children instruction we are for fitting certified teachers in this community that is the main objective here if you don't agree with how things have been done consider this next year or something but as of right now I'm very disappointed that those of us who say we want to do what is best for children of Baker my vote is yes and I wish that we had that we that acts just be three the community needs to be aware that the difference in this vote was about $300,000 for the district so that's $300,000 we won't be able to capture next year I don't think this has ever been done in the city of Baker really they did no justice that was not about I was really nice and I don't know nothing else we can say I might be out of line bored of them just like the city, and trying to do something 6612 graduate 63 years ago 95 students graduate the next year Big 5 red wing it wasn't going up y'all all mad because we spare is not sitting at 6 that is not right now too thank you Miss thank you compliment may I see a mess may I say something farther we have to we have to go on with the meeting thank you may I say something father the two board members that voted no is there any additional information that you all need in regards to the millage or is there anything else that you need to see I provided all information from Outlast 2 no introductions that was in your board packet those are the same documents that we used last year the same document that we use last year it's the same document that will vote today as far as the way the money was use the way the money is used was approved in the budget I'll Milledge supports out a Valorem taxes however long taxes support teacher salary in the renovation in building of the new high school without that money we fail to even continue to the construction on the high school so as far as we're not going to lose any money that is not true been doing this for 20 years and I'm telling you that that is not true all I'm going to say is this we need to be honest with the public about everything just something everything any clarification or anyting the community some of the members of the community is here if they have a question here to come everybody that have questions and making comments in the community or not here will I agree with you so I hate when you do this we are I think coach Harris the selectmen's meeting app what eventually got a question going to have to allow comments after the vote has already been taken and some go how to allow comments for the next agenda item consideration and approval of the city of Baker well use me the motion carries but not adopting the millage rates for 2023 agenda item to consideration and approval the city of Baker system okay consideration and approval of the city of baker school system student rights and realities handbook and discipline policy for the 2023 to 2024 school year are there any other any public comments Mister Robert Young I just want to say before that this is an older version of of the handbook that's in the packet we made some changes at the last meeting and so on page 36 though change that we made was with in regards to fighting and put the change that we made was beginning in the 2020 320 for school city of Bakers instituting a new fighting policy students were fighting on campus and may we changed will to May to may be referred and I want to talk for just a second about the philosophy behind what we're doing I currently have a committee that's actually working will be going out and looking at some programs within the East Baton Rouge area because we don't feel like our Alternative Learning Program as a successful program we just end up babysitting kids and so one of our biggest issues has been fighting I had a meeting with recovery Outreach Center a couple of days ago I've been wanting to bring a school-based therapist to the campuses to help support the students that are at risk and the recovery Outreach Center is offering the place therapist at no charge to the district at all of our schools and in some cases maybe to therapist of the school where there's a large number of students so we're really hoping to use that program to help you know try to educate our at-risk students and that the behavior that is being exhibited is not accepted and not only that but try to give them resources to change that behavior so we changed it to me because what we're wanting they're also researching some conflict resolution therapy so what we really wanted to do with this policy the specific policy right here is make it up to 30 days and maybe 30 days but it's going to depend on the student and their parent completing a conflict resolution class and soda you know how long it takes them to complete that class that student will if they complete it in 5 days 10 days you know we're going to let that student come back to campus and and reset and then if it's a second offense that I will start to get Steve or from that point but really what we're wanting to do here and we just don't for lack of time we have to get a handbook because we have to print it but the big chains that we made was which were changing will to me the Young I'm really so disappointed I just don't know where to begin that but you know one of the first things I told you I was a board at least I asked you I was aboard start making any decisions go out then talk to the staff and see what they need cuz I could I hear some of the same board members just having a problem with the way that this was going to be handed out but you need to go talk to the staff and see what they need because I'm in the community I don't have to go out there looking for no research and nothing like that because let me tell you something they are saying that you got some good parents out there saying hey if we don't get some discipline in this school my child will not be in Baker School System next to you so I don't see why it should be any problem if you got to step up the difference because make a number don't think G you know what it is what I mean by that so don't ping G for kids put out of school elsewhere and coming up here or go to Baker they safe we don't be all right there so y'all can sit around here and act like this game just saying you need to talk to these faculty and see what's going on don't do no research and you can't go out at Dynamic spot how it used to be how kids used to be I used to be in the school system about that for 20 years that's what the kids now it's a whole different Dynamic you want to you want to talk let them have the cell phone just go around to that school and see how they use the cell phone against the Falcons how do you manipulate the Falcons do you know fool you go against anything like that start doing your research on something like that but I had four kids that went through this this system came out of my house so I'm not just talkin up here just cuz I'm a taxpayer something I have to admit you Mikey is love the school system now see if you close your eyes say I want y'all to do this right here you have to do it now close your eyes and say guess what system fail because of lack of money oh whatever I was the cause of that thank you Todd Coleman are y'all doing this evening I'm just a cold Medina students at Baker Middle School this is my first board meeting are you going to 10 board meeting cuz I don't like to get caught up in politics but you know yet we could do things and I was just I did my coming because I know we can move the district with no extra funding because lack of funding would only sing cuz even further but you know you got you have the opportunity to do some special turn it down they only put you behind the 8-ball even more you know what y'all decide about coming but you know if if it's for the kids you know that's what if it's funny kids why not it is on you all watch do y'all have a new board basic Lena in a new superintendent of y'all do something special to see a separated board need to come together and it is what time do we start putting kids first against somebody that y'all know this is our power answer to the man upstairs even with the handbook you know the student handbook you know I agree with what put in place due to the fact I'm at the school I know how it gets I know how some of the parents come over there want to jump on the step I know the manipulation from the cellphone that the kids come out and meet me in the bathroom and all that let's let's hook in the teacher has no idea but they pass message through social media so we have to look at all those things but I think you know I like I said it's my first board meeting I was excited about coming out a new board we can get things done. The money is not hurting the taxpayers at the I hurt you. I just don't understand you know because we're not even giving herself a chance you have a new superintendent active and you guys have a chance to do something but if you want to take the seat just a fight against somebody in a week that's the wrong idea of y'all have a chance to move this distance and like she was saying the past the money wasn't spent we don't have what you have an opportunity now. you should things get done so why not thanks thank you mr. Coleman mr. Charles Harris good evening are there by the doing mom coach Harris did I school and also assist with discipline I've been in Baker about 17 years now in the last time I got before Mike I got in a little trouble behind it because I spoke with my heart and my heart is in this community I'm not from this community from New Orleans Louisiana but I've been here so long that I just adopted the community but I don't think this community is ready for Change and I'm going to be honest I'm tired of Treading Water I'm the type of individual likes to swim and if we going to continue to tread water and we just wasting everybody's time and we have to make a decision because the last time I said this we're in the same situation we have until we get some people on the that has children and our grandchildren in Memphis and we're going to continue to tread water because in my personal opinion we don't have a vested interest in natural to get no child in this community if you don't trust this this system enough to send your own children and our grandchildren then what are we doing we are wasting our time so that's all I want to say good luck with this deal but we'll continue to do the same thing I said same thing 10 years ago and we still in the same place thank you mr. Harris dr. Russell good evening my name is Dr rockso I am the principal at Baker High School for me as an educator and I'm just as coach Harris from this community but I have been here since 2006 I even had a child to graduate from Baker High School as well and who taught in the system must my thought is this Bay State Milling what salary I've been in administration for a while and I know this is what happens we end up at the end because we have we have all of these other neighboring I'm District around us that pay so much more we're second to last and it in our neighboring District people always go to those districts first it's a marketable if this is a marketable professional now it's not like okay I'm going to go where I need to go is Martinville they can go anywhere we end up with what's left or what they can get so we're feeling position. I understand that you're saying something happens to my before but you all on the newborn you all are going to be the ones managing the funds so it's up to you to start now to manage those funds you know we can look at it if it were managed before differently then let's manage them correctly this time take into consideration that I think we have a little over 55 or 56% of 35 people in the entire district 10 certified people which includes myself 1035 people so what I'm saying is if we want to get the highly qualified and certified people we have to do something different we can't keep doing things the old way and expecting different results be able to do things differently so that we can move forward and I know one thing that's going to happen and I can feel it in my spirit and I know people are going to begin to believe I was 35 people going to begin to leave again there will be an exodus of 35 people because we know that things are increasing and you know groceries are increasing everything's increasing gas is increasing and we cannot run salaries and I would you know that's going to call the other car that's an issue and again as soon as I have 30 seconds left as far as the students in our community week we are transient Community when I came here in 2006 the majority of the people who lived in Baker we're home owners now those people have FX accident the city of Baker and their own renters now so the majority of our kids are coming from the inter-school that's posted for the coming in from the end of school spell from other places and we are the place that they come to us and we we accepted because they live in our district thank you but thank you thank you thank you Miss Como good evening I am Miss, I'm principal at Baker Heights Elementary School I'll jump straight to item agenda number two this does not pass we will lose teachers is no other way to say it I am at the elementary school and when I get a survey of my students I mean of my teachers. do you intend to say yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes if you do not say what is the number one reason you will not return I gave a drop-down menu of salary I don't know I think I said something like a structure like would you leave because I was full not new discipline hands down that's why everybody said they would leave and it is because I do not have a proper cycle of discipline so things happen the same exact children and end up back in the classroom the very next day because there is no cycle of discipline the only question the parents ask can they get on the bus and can they come to school tomorrow and what happens if if it was your child or my child who was in a class of 25 26 30 kid and his two kids in there that's completely shut down instruction and you don't know what I'm talkin about because you've never seen a second grader ever complete fit in a classroom down the entire classroom then as we're attempting to remove them shut down an entire hallway and it takes 45 people's cuz you can't cuz all you can do is try to restrain them and you the number of the number at the number at the number of the number every number is disconnected the parents say they can't come get them if we don't have a proper cycle of discipline and somebody is held accountable somebody is held accountable then guess what we don't we don't even need to worry about what everybody else talking about cuz the district is not going to exist anyway because we're going to lose the good kids that we have and I had this conversation with nobody outside our Pre-K graduation 5th graders are leaving and they going to skip over because because of discipline is nothing else people have no face people have no faith in what we're doing and that starts with how we presented ourselves and that's first having an all or mostly unruly non chaotic price for a child alone and that's what I want for my child and I know that's what every other person wants for theirs thank you very much thank you Miss Como are there any comments warm board members agenda item number two the hearing no other comments from the public are all the school board members may I get a motion for the consideration and approval of city of baker school system student rights and responsibilities handbook and discipline policy for the year 2023 to 2024 emotional consideration and approval of the city of baker school system student rights and responsibilities handbook and discipline policy for the 2324 school year may I get a second second I have a first and as for the consideration and approval of the city of baker school system student rights and responsibilities handbook and discipline policy for the 2020 E320 for school year the board will now vote via roll call mrs. Perkins this is Prophet this is Joseph I'm going to vote Yes with because I heard something disturbing we talked about Baker being a dumping ground there's a reason when children come to Baker and state if they should not be here that was my job if a child is in another district and get expelled they should not be allowed to come to Baker and stay but that because the job of the child welfare and attendance supervisor they are required to go out make sure that child lives in the in the community and then they should be allowed to come there a lot but if they stay and they are not since I'm not citizen in the community or city of Baker they are not supposed to be in Baker School System so that's a that's a flower with us because the child will attend this person is not doing their job a Daddy has a whoever is in that sea because again they should not be expelled from one district and allowed to go to another district and stay there so I'm going to vote Yes with the changes the proposed changes that are there but they should that should be a child welfare and attendance job Miss Butler yes Mrs Burgess yes the motion carries for the consideration and approval of the city of baker school system student rights and responsibilities handbook and discipline policy for the 2023 to 2024 school year I have a question please she didn't pass how can we cook out the weeds but they have it now with no kids are allowed to go to Baker School has a resume side in Baker now we don't need kids for whatever we could get more kids to come in to Baker how did that work I'm just asking do we or is that correct cuz some of the other schools that they don't live in central they got their own School Central Citibank kids from Baker to go to Central at work your address that you enroll with school determines where your eligibility is so only those parents that are the custodial parent the domiciliary custodial parent of a child that address of that person is what the term okay animal question whatever your passion is and if add value to this District I would encourage you to do that instead of I don't want to use the word finding fault but what I want to say is focusing Active Energy although we have to be accountable but first we must be accountable to ourselves and so if there's something that you know board members that can add value to this District or any Community person that can add value to this District that's what I'm courage you to bring here bring something delicious to the table bring something that we in all partake of that when you see a face of a child or a teacher that's happy doing her job when you see that that makes you happy and that's what I think we need to focus on as a board we need to find whatever we are passionate about and bring that to the table I can work with anybody but I would challenge each board member but one thing that you can bring in a positive manner to this system that will advance how are you to our children and our teachers agenda item number three consideration and approval of Campus consolidation are there any public comments regarding the considered send an approval of Campus consolidations looks like it's going to be one thank you the Matthews good evening to our board president vice president are board members superintendent stroder in each of us assembled today I am the proper full of Park Ridge academic magnet school and I'm so excited to see many of my colleagues at this board meeting and also those colleagues who are being vocal and Spa hang out again at Parkridge it's a very special campus not because it's a magnet school but because it is a kindergarten through 8th Grade Campus we don't have as many students as the other campuses but we do have them diverse population of students that campus consolidation would affect and so with your consideration of whether you vote yay or nay I ask that you simply consider at least three things and that would be Spacey acid ethical culture when we speak of safety referring to not just the safety of our students in the hallways but also campus infrastructure Safety and Security of course for academics consolidation regards think about teacher retention and instructional quality that may benefit or suffer and in terms of culture student rights and responsibilities and also the organizational structure of city of Baker schools so I would like a copy of the cost for campus chart because I do not and have not have access to that at the moment so I'm not sure if this decision has any weights favorable or not considering the failure to adopt play rates for 2023 24 however I encourage you to keep our students in your foresight and keep our students in your hindsight and whichever way you vote and the consequential actions that will take place as a result of your I now have the most support I have ever had as a school principal or employee in the city of baker school system under the leadership and guidance of mr. stroller and I also have an open door policy on my campus I feel empowered to say at this time if you have any questions regarding our campus operations academics in his status please do find time in your busy schedule to come and have that conversation and I asked that when you share what you've learned that you always share the brightest I don't forget the lackluster qualities of the school system please don't share and competence of the staff who stay regardless because if I look out we all be doing other things especially with it being summer time so I commend my colleagues for being here as well and I asked for your best consideration in moving the district forward while we have time thank you thank you thank you dr. Matthews any other comments any comments so there's a couple of couple things I want to show you first if background information I showed this chart at the workshop and I've actually added some things to it so this is a kind of a historical snapshot of the district all the way back to 2012 so the mfp count is the number of students to teacher f t e that's the number of teachers student teacher ratio for that year the letter grade for that year I have the Rev who is the general fund broken out and to its separate categories so the ad valorem is the middle adjust that that I state that correctly. Yes that bellorum tax that's that's that's what the millage determines sales and use tax. Busy Bee East Baton Rouge sales tax so all of the schools that are within East Baton Rouge there's a formula that the DVR uses to determine you know the funding that goes to the campuses in the district so that's Baker share of East Baton Rouge sales tax transportation from the state and then you have your mfp funding sources down below that okay the total general fund is the the total revenue for the general fund only came and I want to talk just for a minute about unassigned fund balance so the unassigned fund balance is money that the district has at the end of the year that is not assigned any other debt any other fund that is monies that the district has that they can use it for capital projects or or basically whatever they choose to use it for because it's an assigned so if you look back in 2012 the unassigned fund balance actually represents the health Financial Health of the district so if you look back to 2012 on the sign to unbalanced was nine and a half million dollars and I'm not I don't have an exact number but it looks like that was probably about four to five months operating revenue for the district at that time because the the teacher count was higher in the NFL was higher so if you look from 2012 to 2015 what you see happened is you see the fund balance drop drop and then in 2015 the district actually had a negative fund balance first this is the first time I've ever seen and I just read that I've never seen a negative fund balance before in the district but the district maker had one in 2015 and you can see what the student-teacher ratio is if you remember at the workshop I talked about this sweet spot that a district operates at and so typically the majority of your personnel in the school are your teachers the instructional staff so that's why I District look at student-teacher ratios so there's a sweet spot that the district can operate at and usually for a lot of District that's between 18 and 22 students most districts can balance their budgets when they have a special student teacher ratio between 8 in 22 but because baker has such a higher percentage of at-risk students we get a higher formula from the state so it allows Baker to operate a little less what I'm finding for Baker's that's probably somewhere between 16 and 20 but what you see happening in 2016 is there was an adjustment and they took their student teacher ratio up the 12:41 so they were able add not quite a million dollars but they went from -900 to 636000 so they actually recovered some of their fund balance the next year they went to 22 the next year they went to 20 because that's what they were trying to do that trying to recover their fund balance the recommendation from the state and from the Auditors is that a district carry enough money and their unassigned fund balance so that if all revenue were to seize the district could run for six months with no Revenue coming in so for Baker that's about 9 million dollars 9 million dollars currently what allow us to run for 6 months if all revenue or disease so you can see into that in 2019 it dropped back down to 13 to 1 and it's just kind of hovered there ever since but you also see the fund balance go up so there is two anomalous years and here that is different from the previous 10 years as far as sales tax so the district had been collecting about three and a half million in sales tax up until 2021 and then is almost a 2 million-dollar jump in the sales tax in 2021 and there was also a jump again in 2022 I'm not I don't have enough economically sounds to tell you what caused that and with in East Baton Rouge economy I'm I'm not an economist I'm an educator I'm so I don't know what caused that what I do know is until you see that stay there for several years you have to project would have lie on that sales tax revenue so one of the things that I've done is I've dropped I've dropped that 4.9 million back to about 4.2 thinking that it's going to go back down but I don't know that certain projecting budgets as is your best guess but you see the district's fund balance go up so there was a combination of sales tax increases and covid money is it allowed the district actually recover that fund balance what I can tell you is that we only have one more year of covid money is left and if the district continues to operate at a 12:13 to 1 ratio what you will see happen is you will it happened right back here that happened in 12 through 15 you'll see your fund balance start to deplete so you have to get to a level a good solid Financial level to operate balanced-budget okay the next chart I want to show you is this chart which is expenditures by sight and Doc Matthews this will be the agenda will be posted on the website on Monday so you'll have this information okay So currently in the general fund 1.6 million dollars is better than Baker Heights there's 314 students at Baker Heights that's a cost per student of $5,155 per student so you can see the amounts at each campus their Baker High as 1.955 hundred per student Baker Middle is at almost a million there at 6094 per student in Park Ridge is about half a million and they're at 4436 this is general fund only your federal funds and title monies increase that number but this is looking only at general fund you can also see the current student teacher ratio is there for Baker Heights Baker by bakermat on Parkridge so Baker Heights is it a 13 to 1 student teacher ratio Baker High is it a almost 13 to 1 student teacher ratio Baker medals at a 12 and a half 21 in Park Ridge is it a 10 to 1 then these are the projections for next year the accounts looking forward to next year so what I'm proposing with this with this campus consolidation is to fold this this isn't the only thing we have to do what I'm proposing that District move back to a 16 to 1 student teacher ratio in preparation for losing that losing those covid money's next year I'm not recommending closing a campus but I do not want to do away with psychos at those campuses so we have four campuses and we have foresight codes with each of those campuses with Department of Education I'm not proposing doing away with those psychos because if enrollment starts to grow again then you would expand back out and make use of your campuses at that point but what I'm proposing is it is a financial decision to consolidate get back to a 12:44 and then let's focus on two things maintaining where you're at financially and getting to a place where you can balance your budget on a yearly basis any of the board members have comments I have a comment because child couple of comments let me first clear something up something else up first of all I'm not angry with anyone I heard that statement made I don't know anybody to be angry with I'm passionate about the decisions that I have to make I'm Pro education unlike some other board members that approach Charter that's why I say be honest let's be honest and upfront and open about everything show you in writing but I won't do that tonight I'm not talkin about finding I'm talking about finding mr. strollers proposal that I've looked at I'm all for teachers getting a raise don't get it I don't get it wrong I'm all for teachers getting a raise unlike getting a raise this year and when this year end we are in the unemployment line I'm just going to be honest with you because the funding source is not there to support it right now if you all look that if you've been looking at the new zbr superintendent for that reason and guess what it's all over the place looking for another job and the board members are saying we are not going to even talk about having you back because he promised some reason it didn't happen if we don't have the phone forced to promote to to propose this and have it you know have a go why even put this out in the atmosphere and have people thinking one thing I heard we going to lay off teachers and we go give this group of teachers of rain so what happens to the teachers that you lay off because they have families to I'm looking at the whole picture not just part and let me say this I have asked for records past records and prison records in what can get it because I want to be informed I want to know what it is I'm I'm so I'm in our because I'm having to have to look up information myself when I should be able to just go to the boarding get it and make a decision that's not happening just be honest let's put it all on the table tonight you want to know why I vote like I vote I'm going to vote my conscience because what happens is this I asked this question I said when you close this can where does the teachers go one time I heard or were they going to follow the children where does that ministrator go I one time we going to lay some administrators off then I heard that ministrator go with the children I need some concrete answers and for answers then I Can Vote with no problem and I'm just being honest with everybody tonight I'm not anti anything I want everything to pass I want us to get along not at the expense of educating children not at the expense of hurting parents and and in family I'm not and I'm going to vote my conscience some people do a recall when you find out when it went up when all the cards on the table and you find out you know what you're going to say Miss Joseph knew what she was talking about I'm getting my research done I've been to the Attorney General's office I've been to the ethnic and I've done it all and I'm obsessed what is the stroller and I'm getting one answer this time or know the answer just give me what I'm asking for so I can make sure I can vote my country that's all I'm saying and I want the public to know why don't have here. Information is voted against this know there's a reason why I'm voting against years I know what you're doing I know what the children are doing I'm with you one hundred percent but I will not be for you getting a raise today and then next year we looking for the money to find it and then tell you all know we don't have it we can't give it to you what do you want do you want it up front the truth and let's get it and be done with it or do you want us to lie to you and then or me but with everybody else that saying one thing and doing something else thank you message Joseph I'm going to respond to be honest so the information that you requested is in my office I told you that you can come and inspect that information which you chose not to do oh, you're asking me to violate board policy by just give this information which I will not do and if the Board needs to change their policy that's a discussion for the board but you will not catch me violating School Board policy I've never asked you to let you talk it's my turn yeah if you tell the truth second thing is we're not e b r i will not present a budget that cannot be sustained I figured out ahead of time before I ran a news article how this proposal was going to be sustained and I would not have run article on it if it could not unlike e b r so I will show you on paper hard and fast at the next board meeting exactly how this can be sustained you you said that you breakfast in your office after you sent me a boy named for its members Mister stroder this is a conversation that should be had outside of this board meeting if you the two of I've had this conversation and you've not settled on anything yet and you need to continue to have it until you settle on something but we will not bring personal attacks we will not do that in this meeting any other board members okay the board will now vote I'm already the board will now make a motion I need a motion what does generation and approval of Campus consolidation a motion in consideration and approval of Campus consolidation I need a second a second with a statement thank you the board will now vote deal roll call on the consideration and approval of Campus consolidation mrs. Perkins no business profit yes mrs. Miss Butler yes mrs. Burgess yes the motion carries for the consideration and approval of Campus consolidation next agenda item number for approval of settlement in the matter and titled Alice Dale Cunningham versus the city of Baker School Board Baker Heights Elementary School Candace Bailey John Doe Langston abs the insurance company and XYZ insurance company docket number 6 95021 this is a discussion that we can have if the board chooses to go into executive session are we ask the attorney to contact explain a little bit about this and we can go ahead and call for a comment public comment and board comments and we can further vote on this situation Mystic we're sure this is a pending lawsuit in the 19th Judicial District Court here in Baton Rouge involving an incident that occurred at that Baker Heights Elementary School short of that if the board wants additional information about it we can go into executive session but the emotion is has to approve a settlement in the amount of $10,000 and who will pay for the settlement that would pay for it and not believe they will pay for it in this one out and there's a $25,000 retention not 100% on whether or not the retention have been mad so the sea baker has insurance that takes care of things like this and it doesn't come out of the the system's funding and the first amount for the city of Baker 25046 retention in insurance company not the system well that that's the net on the other boys so if that happens again exist between boards in the form of Awesome exactly are there any public comments regarding the approval of settlement in the matter entitled Alice Dale Cunningham versus city of Baker schools Baker Elementary School Candace Bailey John Doe Langston ABC insurance company and XYZ insurance company docket number 6 95021 are there any comments from board members you're no comments from the public or other board members may I get a motion for the approval of settlement in the matter entitled Alice Dale Cunningham versus the city of Baker School Board Baker Heights Elementary School Candace Bailey John Joe Langston ABC insurance company and XYZ insurance company that's an actual insurance company correct docket number 69502 one may I get a motion for the approval motion to move to approve settlement and the matter intitle Alice Dale Cunningham versus city of Baker School Board Baker Heights Elementary School Candace Bailey John do ABC Insurance Company XYZ insurance company docket numbers 6950 to 10 second emotion with made by Butler in the second by Miss Joseph the board will now vote Miss Perkins this is Prophet yes this is Joseph Butler yes and is Burgess yes the motion carries for the approval of the settlement and a matter entitled Alex Dale Cunningham versus city of Baker School Board Baker Heights Elementary School Candace Bailey John Doe Langston ABC Insurance Company in XYZ Insurance Company get number 6 95021 the next school board meeting will be our regular school board meeting it will be held June 6th 2023 at 6 p.m. May I get a motor and with your German of this meeting. So just give you a heads up the next meeting after that in July is on July 4th so the Board needs to be thinking about some dates that will work for them ahead of the June meeting yeah okay thanks will do have a question please I know we had we got that a millage voted in already everybody to consider their vote but before this meeting a join is it possible anyone could I don't know I don't know I'm just cool I just have to pray as anything can change anybody's Hearts tonight cuz we really needed that Milledgeville how to get this raises in because I'm either way it go he'll make a way mrs. Perkins would you like to change about mrs. Joseph okay there you have it may I get a motion for adjournment of the meeting MS mrs. Perkins Georgia and yes or no misses profit this is Joseph Miss Butler yes yes thank you all for coming and God bless the city of baker school system

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26MAY2023 - City of Baker Schools Special School Board Meeting Recording

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