Agenda - 02-02-1987 - Special Mtg.

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TO: THE BOARD FROM: SHIRL DATE: 5 JUNE 1987 RE: SCHOOL BUDGETS: DATES; DECISIONS; POLICIES. Moses and I met with Sue Baker and Lindsey Efland as planned on 3 June. We will meet with both boards both times; dates are set at places when they are because of convenience to School Board Chairs. Lindsey suggested District Courtroom as the best place to be both able to sit around the table together and to have room for the public to observe. 17 June 7:30 pm District Courtroom 24 June 7:30 pm Lincoln Center. Conversation was not limited to setting a calendar. Frustration is high particularly because of lack of consultation with school administrators both before and after the budget is prepared as well as with complete silence on the issues important to the schools and left out of the budget. Particular unhappiness because at the request of the Manager, Gerry and Dan found time to set up a meeting with him to discuss the equity issue and then he cancelled out. On the other hand he reported to me that they would not talk with him. CONTINUATION BUDGETS: Once again the manager and the schools do not agree on the figures -- a special disappointment. My own conversations with the school finance officers near the end of last year's process showed me we were much closer to working in consort and willing to work out the issues than ever before. Repeatedly this year I have communicated to the Manager that the three entities MUST reach agreement before the budget is presented leaving the three Boards to talk of long and short range policy. Before referring the matter back to the administrators -- a path that has led to a mire of disagreement, no progress, charges and counter charges at our workshops, I have asked Sue and Lindsey to provide for me the major differences and identify how they have come to occur. These you will receive and we will decide the next steps from that information. BUS DRIVER PROBLEMS. An immediate critical operating issue for the schools that has not been addressed by funding or comment in our budget. IDENTIFICATION OF MAJOR BUDGET COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS AND MOVEMENT TOWARDS REALISITIC MULTI-YEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL BOARDS. [Here Moses and I spoke carefully for ourselves but expressed our feeling that the Board was generally in agreement with our feelings. ] 1. Each year the schools request in capital and program areas far more than the county, meaning the county citizens, are willing to fund from an annual ad valorem levy.