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GREENWICH BOARD OF EDUCATION GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Greenwich, CT

Board of Education Meeting Agenda Document Cover Sheet

Meeting Date: Information Only

First Read

Action Requested

Consent

Written

Policy #:

Agenda Item Title:

Submitted by: Name:

Title:

Document Purpose/Highlights:

Recommended Motion (if applicable):

For more Board of Education Meeting Information, Policies and Procedures Greenwichschools.org/BoardDocs

GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS Greenwich, CT

2019-2020 PROPOSED CAPITAL AND OPERATING BUDGETS Q&A Round 1

December 6, 2018

Category Q&A

GENERAL Benchmarking 1. Page 20 - What % of overall staffing are administrators?

How do we compare to other/like Districts? What arethose Districts?

Overall --- staff: administrator, student: administrator, + cabinet + gosa. Answer: Staffing levels are mid-range for comparables on all combinations of ratios of students, teachers, administrators and buildings.

Comparables = all districts in CABE 6 and large districts in DRG B. 16 districts in total.

Please see Question 1: Addendum File Titled STAFFING RATIOS

2. Benchmarking of comparable Districts - in relation toper pupil spend, Strategic School Profile, Rationale forspend, achievement.

Southwestern Fairfield Districts... Simsbury, Glastonbury? Norwalk, Stamford. Answer: Greenwich has the second highest Performance Index of comparables (NGAI). Greenwich has the highest Per Pupil Expenditure in 2015 - 2016 (latest data) by a significant Margin.

Please see Question 2 : Addendum File Titled: District Comparables and Titled: Per Pupil Expenditures

MS Achievement 3. Could you please provide the achievement data for theMS for high needs and regular ed. Math and LA on page93 it groups the data grades 3-8?

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Answer: Please see Question 3 Addendum File Titled: Greenwich Public Schools 2017/18 Academic Achievement Highlights and File Titled: SBA Tables for ELA and MATH

Principals As Curriculum Leaders

4. How much savings if we have certain principals take on dual-roles, (pd provided) becoming academic department chairs?Answer:NoneWould leading change and revision of curriculum improve?Answer:No

Would it connect central office and schools, as a learning community, having principals as a better conduit for multiple stakeholders? Would execution in classrooms improve, specifically, the iterative implementation between policy and practice, in personalized learning?

Answer: Building administrators prioritize their day and put students first.They are the instructional leaders and collaborate with the specialists to support their students and teachers.

Administrators spend a great deal of time each week chairing PPT (Planning and Placement Team) meetings and SAT (Student Assistance Teams) meetings in order to support student progress in academics and SEL (Social Emotional Learning).

Central office coordinators meet minimally 2 times a month with building leaders to learn more about strategies for PL, implementing new routines (e.g. specialists implementing Tier 3 interventions and assessing diagnostics) so they can support their teachers in the building. They meet together as elementary principals, middle school principals and GHS leadership to share best practices (e.g., FaCE, SEL, Instruction, PL, schedules, communication, etc.). Most principals send out weekly newsletters (S’Mores) to engage

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the community and they invite the community to school events, celebrations and concerts. In accordance with the CT Guidelines for Educator Evaluation, the Leaders Evaluation Rubric was developed to describe the indicators of leadership practice within the six performance expectations of the CCL-CSLS (Common Core of Leading-CT Leadership Standards). Those six performance expectations describe the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed in key areas of leadership practice (in this case building principals, assistant principals, coordinators, etc.). The rubric is organized into four domains and addresses the leadership practices of each of the six performance expectations. The performance domains are Instructional Leadership, Talent Management, Organizational Systems and Culture and Climate. The emphasis on a leaders’ role is in the alignment of school and district improvement processes; recruitment, development, and retention of a diverse workforce; commitment to equitable and ethical practices; and investment of building the capacity of others to expand and exhibit their leadership potential (taken from CSDE- The Connecticut Evaluation and Support Rubric 2017). A building administrator does not have time to take on additional roles because of the time commitment of teacher supervision and evaluation (tenured and non-tenured) and knowing who the student population is. The role of the administrator in personalizing student learning is:

● Prioritize and monitor assisting teachers and observing evidence of student ownership and agency of learning through rubrics, checklists and instructional rounds/walkthroughs.

● Seek feedback and check understanding of teachers, parents and students surrounding personalized learning strategies

● Look for elements and indicators of personalized learning including student voice and choice in learning tasks and performance

● Provide feedback to teachers and students ● Champion the implementation of PL not only in their

own building, but as a highly effective instructional model to support all learners (student and adult).

(Taken from Personalized Learning Playbook)

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Program Review 5. For the overall program review that was requested, what is the plan? When can this commence? Answer: We are in the process of developing a project plan and a charge that will identify programs, criteria and scope for an initial review to be completed by May 2019. From there, a second phase will outline prioritized programs for deeper analysis in SY19-20 in preparation for the 20-21 budget with the permanent Superintendent. For immediate communication, the scheduled Academic Quarterly reports (outlined in the Board Agenda Plan) will follow the agreed to Program Review Frame noted below:

● What are the explicit measurable goals of this program?

● What did this program cost? ● What did we achieve? ● Why? What were the key reasons for +/- results ● What are our THREE strategic lever points going

forward?

6. There is a need to focus on price per student/per program Answer: This will be part of the program review mentioned in question 5.

REVENUE Continuing Education 7. Am I reading this correctly there is no revenue for the

Adult Learning Program? Answer: Please see pg. 41 of the Budget Book for Revenue Detail. Continuing Education - Enrichment, collects fees for their classes. Continuing Education - Mandated programs (e.g. English Language Learning, Citizenship, GRE, etc.) are free to adult participants (Greenwich residents or those working in Greenwich) and the district pays for the teachers and materials.

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Food Services 8. How much revenue can Food Services raise, especially for snacks, to bring more revenue? Answer: Food Services increased its overall a la carte revenue by $101,290 / 6.24% in SY18 over the prior year. The primary source of this was realized at Greenwich High School where the increase was 12.5% while the elementary and middle schools actually saw reductions of -5.9% and -1.4%, respectively. Most of these reductions can be attributed to a move toward less a la carte offerings in alignment with stakeholder feedback. While food services is in the process of re-evaluating its offerings at this level to regain some market share, it feels the current rate of overall growth is in line with the expectations going forward.

Grants 9. How much revenue can GPS raise by applying for grants? Grantwatch.com or other sources? Answer:

1. In order to seek, apply for, monitor and manage grants beyond current entitlement grants, we would need to hire a Grants Manager.

2. Need time to research the available grants and timelines and prioritize the type of grants we would be willing to pursue given the focus, programming and allowable costs of a particular grant.

3. Most grants are for a 3 year period of time over which the district agrees to then support the “grant program” within the operational budget; question of sustainability.

4. There are state grants, federal grants, and private grants all with different qualifications that can be pursued.

5. In order to fully answer this question, a Grants Manager would require time to research available grants, analyze whether or not we would qualify, and then would still not have anyway of knowing how competitive we would be for the grant depending on who else applied

Overall, grant managers, “manage, supervise, lead, or perform administrative business, policy, and analytical work” across the

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pre-award, award, and post award phases of the grant lifecycle. (From Grants.gov)

Examples of activities of a grant manager include:

● Developing district-wide grant policies and procedures ● Providing training and technical assistance to staff and

school grant applicants and recipients ● Evaluating grant applications for programmatic, fiscal

and policy compliance ● Reviewing grant performance and financial reports ● Point of contact with grant funders and recipients ● Define and manage “in-kind” commitments ● Identify strategies for maintaining grant activities post-

funding

STRATEGIC PLAN Strategic Plan 10. How specifically does this budget support the

Strategic Plan to increased student achievement? Answer: The mission of the Greenwich Public Schools is: To educate all students to the highest levels of academic achievement; To enable them to reach and expand their potential; and To prepare them to become productive, responsible, ethical, creative and compassionate ,members of society. The budget is developed around the Vision of the Graduate and the Academic, Personal and Interpersonal Capacities. Therefore, over 80% of the budget is allocated for personnel services. Every member of a school community, from the custodian, professional assistant, cafeteria worker, administrative assistant, nurse, teacher, specialist, coaches and the administrators work towards ensuring that ALL students have the opportunities to develop the capacities of the Vision of the Graduate starting in preschool. This is done through the delivery of a rigorous standards-based curriculum. Supplies, materials, and services other than personnel (e.g. technology) are 19% of the budget. These support the teaching and learning supplies, devices and resources needed for students to develop their academic capacities as well as their personal and interpersonal skills. They also support

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professional learning of certified staff and continuous improvement of staff performance (via TEPL, professional consultants) and student outcomes. All program budgets (location 17) are developed to support the action steps identified within Strategy 2 of the Strategic Plan ensuring all learners (adult and student) have access to a standards-based curriculum with varied resources to develop the capacities of the Vision of the Graduate through personalized learning. .

STAFFING ELL-AVID Coordinator 11. Explain ELL/Avid Coor. 1.0 GOSA grant funding please

explain what grant and for what dollar amount? Answer: The EL/AVID Coordinator position was previously structured as a .50 FTE GOSA/.50 FTE GEA position, all funded from the local budget. As part of the realignment of Coordinator positions this became a 1.0 FTE GOSA, assuming oversight of the World Languages program as well (New title Languages Program Coordinator) - .70 FTE is paid from the local budget and .30 FTE is paid from Title I. The annual compensation for a Coordinator at Step 3 is $166,050. AVID responsibilities have been shifted to the district Guidance Coordinator.

Eval Teams 12. What is the composition of the evaluation teams, how many evaluation teams are there, what is the overall cost and where are they budgeted? Answer: Evaluation teams are responsible for “child find” in all Greenwich schools, PreK-12, and in private schools located in Greenwich. Child Find activities are excluded from Federal funding (IDEA) – so none of the members of the teams are funded through IDEA. A description of the Evaluation Teams and a summary of their work for 2016-2017 is found in the Special Education/PPS Monitoring reports, most recently May 17, 2018 and March 8, 2018. The Psychologists, Special

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Education Teachers and Speech Therapists are found in the Havemeyer budget, Codes 53, 60 and 64.

GHS - New FTEs 13. Please break-out by course, grade, location the budgeted gross +6.5 additions to staffing for grades 6-12. (I know the net number is 3.5 FTE.) Answer: FTE are allocated at the secondary school level based upon the staffing formula that has been traditionally used for budgeting purposes. The FTE added, or eliminated, from a secondary school are not designated in a particular area of certification/course/grade. It is not until late Spring that the secondary schools know what the course selections and anticipated student #s are more clearly. It is at that time that the Principals make determinations how those FTE will be allocated across subject areas, to include specials (i.e. Art, Music, PE).

GHS - New FTEs 14. 119 student increase in enrollment at the HS how does that translate into an increase of 6 new staff members? Answer: The increase in projected enrollment at GHS + Windrose is 98 (2018-19 Projected Enrollment was 2,743 - see page 112 of the budget book - versus 2019-20 Projected enrollment of 2,841 - see page 114 of the budget book). Using the current staffing ratio of 15.6 students to 1 teacher for budgeting purposes the increase is rounded down to 6.0 FTE (98/15.6 = 6.282 FTE additional).

MS Staffing Model 15. What is the current MS staffing model including the teaming model which is the basis for staffing? Answer: The current long standing staffing ratios for budgeting purposes for the Middle Schools is 14.6:1 for Western Middle School and 14.8:1 for Central and Eastern Middle Schools. Teaming is a factor taken into consideration in late Spring once student numbers and course selection are known at each grade level. Staffing adjustments would factor into play if an adjustment is needed to keep a teacher fully on a grade level team versus being split between two grade levels, making it more difficult to collaborate on students and student work.

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Currently only Western has teaming at all 3 grade levels. Eastern is not able to team, and Central only has pure teams at the 6th grade. There are many staffing and scheduling issues that prevent pure teaming school wide at both Eastern and Central.

Psychologists 16. Psychological why the 20% increase in personnel and at which sites? Answer: The increases in personnel costs are primarily due to an increase in the number of Psychologists and Social Workers who have all or part of their salaries shifted back to the Table of Organization for funding. The district can only “bill back” through Medicaid for related services (psychological, speech and social work services) provided by Table of Organization funded staff. Any related service staff previously funded through IDEA were shifted to the TO and replaced by special education teachers. Additionally, IDEA funding cannot be used to support Child Find services so the private school psychologist cannot complete evaluations as part of her “proportional share” responsibilities. This does not represent an increase in staffing, just a shift in funding.

Social Workers 17. Social Worker 25% increase please explain Answer: The increases in personnel costs are primarily due to an increase in the number of Psychologists and Social Workers who have all or part of their salaries shifted back to the Table of Organization for funding. The district can only “bill back” through Medicaid for related services (psychological, speech and social work services) provided by Table of Organization funded staff. Any related service staff previously funded through IDEA were shifted to the TO and replaced by special education teachers. This does not represent an increase in staffing, just a shift in funding.

Staffing Steps 18. What is the maximum number of years for which a new certified employee can claim prior service? In other words, what is the highest step on which a new employee can be placed, is that true for all certified hires?

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Answer: The collective bargaining agreement for the teachers provides under Article 9 SALARIES, Paragraph G. That: “Teachers will be placed on a level within a particular degree schedule in accordance with prior teaching experience using the following criteria: 1. Credit will be given for prior teaching experience gained as follows: a. After attainment of a teaching or special service certificate from the State of Connecticut pursuant to Section 10-145 and 10-145a and 10-145b of the Connecticut General Statutes or the equivalent from another State. b. In the field which the teacher is hired to teach in Greenwich. 2. One step shall be allowed for each year of continuous teaching experience if the experience immediately precedes appointment. For service interrupted by two (2) consecutive years or more, one-half (½) credit shall be allowed. 3. At the discretion of the Superintendent, credit may be allowed for trade and industrial experience, business experience, social work, clerical work, and other experience which contributes directly to the professional competence and ability of the teacher. 4. One-half (½) step credit shall be allowed for each year of continuous full-time experience as professional aides and assistants in the Greenwich Public Schools provided that the total step credit shall be limited to four (4) steps. 5. The Superintendent may grant up to five (5) additional years credit for teachers hired in shortage areas as defined by the State Department of Education.”

Staff List/Allocation 19. Provide list of staff, not just full FTEs but a breakdown by grade and or program for all staff Answer: This list was previously provided by email in excel format November 14th.

Staff List/Allocation 20. As in prior budget books could you provide staffing 100s and 200 by building and program for each school including grant positions and special programs? Answer:

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It was determined as part of the budget redesign that this level of budget detail by location was not as valuable as understanding the base staffing by school and the staffing formulas/ratios. By the opening of school in September many Schools lose a grade of students and/or gain a grade every year. The outgoing students could have been very needy in terms of ELL, SPED and literacy deficiencies. This could also be true for the incoming class. So the number of need based staff changes every year. Enrollment predictions predict numbers of students, NOT the needs of those students. Since enrollment numbers are used to derive formula based staffing, there are constants for each level. i.e.: Policy Based elementary class size K-5; and the secondary budget formula used to determine FTE for non-need based subjects. There are also staffing that each school/level gets, as indicated on pages 119-120 in the District Resource Allocation Model - i.e.: Media Specialists -- elementary - 1 per school; middle - 2 per school, GHS - 5; Elementary ALP - 1.7 per school. This does NOT take into account the size of the school. At the secondary level, the administration determines the needs of their school based on their SIP goals. Two similar sized middle schools may have a different number of teachers for each subject. The school determines the FTE for each subject based on TEAMING, scheduling and student need. i.e. :One middle school, one year may need to deploy more Language Arts teachers to lower class size in order to serve the needs of underperforming students in a certain area (reading, writing...). At GHS, students choose their courses in January-February for the upcoming year and schedules are not determined until after the April break. It is at that time the Headmaster determines how to allocate his budgeted FTE by core subject area. Another consideration is the use of traveling and fractional staff and how that impacts an individual school's schedule. Reporting details may show an increase in Art at one school,

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with no equivalent increase in the number of students. However, the increase is due to the travel billet being assigned to that school. In short, school by school detail cannot be determined with fidelity this far in advance for students that will be enrolled 10 months later.

Staffing Ratios 21. Page 120 - Take a look rounding up the ratios to 15:1 (MS) and 16:1 (HS). What would be the impact on total number of staff needed? Answer: This is detailed in the proposed reductions document. Adjusting those ratios as proposed would mean the increase in staffing at the secondary level based on projected enrollment and the new staffing ratios would be moderated to 1.8 FTE rather than 6.50 FTE, a reduction of 4.7 FTE from the current budget proposal.

PROGRAMS Athletics 22. What [athletic?] teams are supported by the budget

Answer: All of them (100 teams) are supported equitably as required by Title IX (see below explanation of Title IX). The booster clubs and outside organizations (Greenwich Old Timers Athletic Association and the Greenwich Athletic Foundation and anonymous donors) supplement the varsity teams’ operations (e.g., batting cages at JC and GHS, the scoreboard at Cardinal Stadium, extended field trips for Water Polo, Rugby, etc.).

Athletics programs are considered educational programs and activities. There are three basic parts of Title IX as it applies to athletics:

1. Participation: Title IX requires that women and men be provided equitable opportunities to participate in sports. Title IX does not require institutions to offer identical sports but an equal opportunity to play;

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2. Scholarships: Title IX requires that female and male student-athletes receive athletics scholarship dollars proportional to their participation; and

3. Other benefits: Title IX requires the equal treatment of female and male student-athletes in the provisions of: (a) equipment and supplies; (b) scheduling of games and practice times; (c) travel and daily allowance/per diem; (d) access to tutoring; (e) coaching, (f) locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities; (g) medical and training facilities and services; (h) housing and dining facilities and services; (i) publicity and promotions; (j) support services and (k) recruitment of student-athletes.

23. What efficiencies can be found in the athletic budget? Answer: It is very difficult to find efficiencies because of the number of students who participate. 64% of our students participate in varsity sports. Title IX also requires us to give equal opportunities to both female and male athletes (see above Title IX information). We need more time to do a deep dive to determine if there are efficiencies.

24. What team’s varsity and intramural are supported by the budget? Answer: All 100 teams and the intramurals at both Greenwich High and the 3 middle schools are supported by the budget. There are 29 varsity sports and 23 jr. varsity sports. Intramurals are driven by student input/feedback and recommendation. Activities are prioritized and chosen based on availability and access to resources.

AVID 25. Services other than Personal, $82,050 What does this include by dollar amount? Answer: Annually, there are three funding categories within the AVID budget, some of which is non-negotiable in order to be an AVID school and district:

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1. Funding for student & parent activities and programs - college awareness, team building, celebrations, and classroom materials that promote a foundation of lifelong learning strategies and a college going culture ($8,500) ; 2. Funding for professional learning for faculty members- both for the AVID elective teachers (required), AVID district director (required), and for training other teachers in AVID instructional strategies (summer institute and district days to promote "AVID Schoolwide") ($38,150) 3. Funding for annual membership fees - required for GHS, CMS and WMS ($14,500). 4. Funding for student field trips to universities, colleges, work site visits = ($18,500).

26. Is Avid new to the budget this year how was it budgeted for it the past? Answer: No, it is not new to the budget, but we have created a new budget category for this program to consolidate all funds in one location. AVID was budgeted in the ESL budget (previous District Coordinator), in the CIPL Budget and in Guidance.

Bilingual 27. Pg. 123 Bilingual ed. 25 teachers am I reading this correctly where are they located? Answer: The data on this page somehow got shifted into the wrong lines. There are no bilingual teachers being grant funded - the number of FTE was intended to be aligned with the Special Education Grant - IDEA 611. A substitute page with the corrected Staffing Detail of FTE by Grant will be provided. Please see attached addendum.

Communications 28. Section 40 - SOTP - is this the software move from IT to Communications? Please explain the increases in the following: Communication, 57,000 - 640% Answer:

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Yes, the budget for the Website Content Management and Monitoring Systems has been transferred from IT/MIS to Communications, where it is managed.

Community Service Awards

29. Where is the budget for the Community Service Program? Answer: The Budget for the Community Service Awards program resides in Communications (Program 76) and is approximately $1,850 (for reception, photography, videography, certificates and program printing; flowers are donated, invitation has moved to an online format (no postage or printing $)).

CES 31. Approved by the board as a study in the last academic year - what is the status? CES was to recommend possible cost reductions AND upgrades to the Community Connections (special needs transition program for 18-21 year-olds.) Specifically, can we upgrade to using a CES satellite location/program for lower Fairfield County at lower cost? Answer: A draft proposal for a feasibility study was presented to the former superintendent but was not pursued due to the cost of the study.

Consultants 32. Which outside consultants (here multiple years) can we eliminate, move to a train-the-trainer model or use CES professional development programs or CABE at no cost? Answer: We do not recommend eliminating proposed consultants at this time as they each support the implementation of Strategic Plan (149-7).

● Phocused on Learning (Todd White) supports School Improvement Plans and implementation of TEPL for all educators (Teachers and Administrators)

● Greg Tang supports the implementation of Math Reasoning, math diagnostics to determine personal learning needs and student goal setting. Services will be evaluated upon review of SBA Math Standardized assessment data

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● David Moss supports the full implementation of the new Science standards - Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Consulting services will be evaluated upon review of NGSS Standardized assessment data at the close of 2019.

● Columbia Teachers College supports the implementation of both the Teachers College unit resources and workshop practices (as identified in the 2018 Humanities Report and the Closing the Achievement Gap Project Plan for New Leb, JC, HAS and WMS.

● CABE does not provide workshops that meet the needs of classroom Teachers.

● CAPSS provides some opportunities that the district participates in. These are primarily for the administrative audience.

● CAS Provides many workshops that we participate in at a cost per workshop (they are not free). We subscribe to the CAS roundtables and councils (at an annual fee of $2500). Administrators and Program Coordinators participate in these opportunities.

The Academic Team consistently participates in a “Train the Trainer” model to support sustainability. Some areas where this has taken place include Schoology, Orton Gillingham, Google, Newsela, digital integration (with coaches) and Lesson Study. Year over year analysis is conducted to determine our ability to change level of service based on the hours of training per educator and their ability to transfer the knowledge into practice.

Curriculum & Professional Learning

33. What is the goal for Curriculum and Professional Learning for this year 18-19 and for 19-20? Please break out this number into cost for curriculum development, professional development and summer curriculum institute including: personnel, materials, food, consultants, number of substitute days. Answer: The relationship of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Learning is interdependent, however each have specific goals.

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Funds to support curriculum and professional learning are outlined below: Curriculum articulates the standards based units of instruction. Professional learning provides access to the high impact practices expected The district professional learning system is aligned to state and national standards for professional learning. All districts are expected to develop a system that is aligned to educator evaluation and ensures that all educators develop their ability to translate the standards based written curriculum into practice. The GPS Professional Learning system creates a meaningful work environment that develops, motivates and energizes the GPS talent, so that all GPS students are assured of 21st Century and beyond learning experiences where they can showcase their achievement. Goals for Professional Learning:

● Provide personalized choice in professional learning opportunities for all staff, which will support how educators personalize the learning in support of students’ academic needs

● Provide a coherent focus on how to personalize learning through analysis of evidence, integration of technology, access to a standards-based curriculum, student self-regulation of their learning

● Provide alignment to of the nine foundation TEPL indicators and the revised TEPL indicators

● Provide training to support the implementation of dynamic digital learning tools and resources ensuring all staff have the technical skills to build a blended learning environment

● Provide ongoing embedded coaching to support our ability to develop learner experiences that align to the district high quality, standards based curriculum and to make learning personal

● NEW provide increased time for campus based professional learning communities to engage in ongoing collaborative analysis of evidence and

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development of high impact instructional strategies for implementation

Measures include:

● 85% of staff will report satisfaction in the personalized professional learning system as reported on the Performance Matters survey in June 2019.

● 85% of staff will develop a professional practice goal aligned to Personal Learning critical elements and provide two examples of implementation/change in practice:

○ Partners in Learning ○ Student Ownership ○ Student Regulation

Goals of Curriculum Institute 2018:

Goal 1: To create the conditions for a coherent and aligned PK-12 Continuum of Learning for all students and assuring consistency of implementation

● To engage and support the achievement of all learners through the development and implementation of a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum that meets the diverse needs of all students in all content areas inclusive of and aligned with the CCSS, State and National Standards and the GPS Vision of the Graduate.

Strategy 1.1 Curriculum Cadres renew units of study that align with GPS Curriculum Expectations and state and national standards, Strategic Plan and Vision of the Graduate (VOG) Strategy 1.2 Curriculum Cadres identify research-based instructional strategies and assessment types and tools to engage students in 21st Century tasks, problem-based learning and inquiry that are personalized and relevant, address student readiness and interests, foster independent and collaborative learning and provide meaningful and targeted feedback. Strategy 1.3 Curriculum Cadres analyze content specific assessment data to evaluate and renew the curriculum, inform instruction and improve student learning across all content areas. Goal 2 To provide teachers with model examples of how the digital tools and resources are integrated within the curriculum providing for authentic learning experiences and assessments

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to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes identified in the NETS-S Strategy 2.1 Curriculum Cadres to collect and vet assured technology tasks or lesson examples for instruction and assessment for each content area and grade and determine appropriate alignment to state, national and local standards using curricular rubrics Strategy 2.2 Curriculum Cadres to align best practices with embedded digital tools and resources that have the potential to reduce barriers for students and personalize learning. Goal 3 To provide teachers and administrators with easy access to the written horizontal (same grade level and/or same discipline) and vertical (different grade levels and/or different disciplines) curricula for present school year. Strategy 3.1 Document Curriculum Maps in ASPEN with aligned big ideas, essential questions, concepts and skills, assessments and standards (state and national). Strategy 3.2 Clearly communicate and distribute district core curriculum maps in Aspen (accessible through Schoology)

By end of Institute the overarching goal is:

100% of educators will access updated Aspen curriculum maps and resources located in the District Curriculum and Assessment Group in Schoology

Curriculum Institute Goals by Program 2018:

K-5 Mathematics:

● Playlists will be developed for each unit at each grade level (100% COMPLETE)

● July, 2018: 100% of the unit assessments revised to support learner readiness

● Performance tasks (SBA template) will be developed for grades 3-5.

● Assessments for 100% of K-5 units will be completed by July 20, 2018

9-12 Mathematics

● Revise 8th to 9th grade transition

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● Revise Algebra 1 curriculum ● Create Projects based tasks for Geometry ● Design College Algebra and Trigonometry curriculum ● Revise AP CSP curriculum ● Revise Honors Apps 2 curriculum ● Revise Geometry A curriculum ● Revise Statistics curriculum

K-12 Science:

K-5: ● Grade 5 redevelopment will be completed ● Resources, student work, google slides, summative

projects will be revised and uploaded for 100% access by teachers

● 100% curriculum maps in Aspen will be updated for teacher access

● Data sets for playlists will be completed 6-8:

● Grade 6 redevelopment to align with NGSS ● 6A redevelopment ● Grades 7, 8 review of data and revision to support

NGSS implementation 9-11:

● Biology review and revision ● Chemistry renewal to align with Engineering Practices ● Physics to align with Engineering Practices

K-12 Physical Education and Wellness

● Review for 100% alignment to CGS for Sexual Assault expectations by grade

Core Music

● Review and refine and common performance tasks for Grades 1, 3 and 5

● Create a PLC/IDT calendar that have dedicated days for assessment administration, data analysis and PLC alignment

● Create and organize a clearly articulated curriculum folder and page dedicated for Core Music, K-5.

● Begin creating anchor units/lesson sets to be included as specific resources

6-8 Music ● Begin identifying NCAS standards to align with current

curriculum and design critical teaching units for each grade level for general music.

Instrumental Music

● Review and refine common rubrics, performance benchmark and yearly skills one-pager

● Refine each year skills with alignment to MS curricula

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● Create a PLC/IDT calendar that have dedicated days for assessment administration, data analysis and PLC alignment

Overarching Goal: All teachers will have access to the Core K-8 curriculum with aligned instructional resources and lesson examples K-5 Analyze and edit common assessments for Grades 1, 3 and 5

● Outline specific grade level skills that will be measured on the grade 1, 3 and 5 performance assessment

● Develop teacher reporting form to drive data discussion using the performance assessment

● Finalize the information fields in Aspen 9-12 Visual Arts Analyze and edit completed documents from 2017 for implementation 2018

● Advanced Ceramics ● Advanced Photo (DR) ● Intermediate Photo ● Intro to Photo ● Advanced Drawing ● Art in Nature ● Drawing and Painting ● Honors Art ● Intro to Drawing ● Intro to Painting ● Intermediate Ceramics ● Intro to Ceramics

Finalize the Honors Art requirements and assessment rubrics for 100% access and implementation K-5

● Review and Update curriculum maps K-5 and Native ● Digital integration in all language course

6-8 ● Review and Revise curriculum maps ● Review and revise department assessments 6-8 ● Digital integration in all language courses

9-12 ● Review and revise various languages in all levels ● Digital integration in all language courses

Overarching FLES/WL goal: 100% of FLES/WL educators will develop instruction using the district written curriculum

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Library Media/Digital Literacy ● 100% GPS LMS Teachers will access the written LMS

curriculum through the curriculum maps in Aspen ● 85% of LMS teachers will increase opportunities for

analysis of curriculum and opportunities for alignment with classroom teachers (to support inclusive/collaborative model)

● Renewed Digital Citizenship Course to support year 4 of implementation

All curriculum institute renewal supports the development of the Personalized Professional Learning Program of Studies. Teacher participants in each curriculum cadre are presenters for the back to school professional learning session (139-7 compensation per contract). Goal setting for SY19-20 requires analysis of the implementation data from this school year. Funding Costs: Of the $2,326,940 (pg. 45 of the Budget Book), 26% of the funds are at the school location and budgeted through the per pupil expenditure at the discretion of the principals for each building. 46% of which for full time administrator salaries e.g. program coordinators. The remaining 28% of the Curriculum and Professional Learning district budget is as follows:

● 45% Curriculum Development/Institute (Growth and Development), consultancy, professional learning

○ .03% of which for New Teacher Orientation ○ 51% of which is for Professional Learning ○ 11% of which is for Substitutes

● 51% Itinerant mileage for district staff, Conferences including travel, room, board

○ 81% of which provides district software platforms e.g. Renaissance/STAR, CoGat, RtI Direct (in CAO Budget)

● .03% Materials

Curriculum Program Reductions

34. Math, Science, Social studies and ELA are slated for significant cuts in supplies please explain these cuts and how they won’t negatively impact the Board’s goal of improving student achievement? Eng. LA 37,000 supplies effect instruction Pg. 3 budget questions continued

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50% cut in math supplies please explain how this won’t negatively affect student achievement? 26,000 cut in science Answer: Reductions have been made after careful analysis of use, phase of implementation, need, surplus and impact on learners and requirement to meet the budget guidelines. No reductions that would adversely impact student achievement have been made. ELA: For location 17, this represents a decrease in Textbooks (311), with an increase in Teaching Supplies (310) based on need for classroom libraries, authentic text and updated teacher editions Teacher College texts to support the workshop model for instruction. Mathematics The reduction in Math (310) is due to not purchasing Math in Focus workbook consumable ($99,000) as a result of usage analysis across K-5. All other supplies are provided, including the new digital tools (scaled to K-6) with ST Math and Dreambox (budgeted in 236). Science The decrease in Science (310) is the result of completing the implementation of the NGSS curriculum is in place for 18-19. $96,000 was used for instructional/lab supplies to support the implementation; this is a one-time cost for SY19. Additionally, consumables (soil, seeds, etc.) are purchased at the building level after the initial year implementation; therefore, they are no longer budgeted at the district level (location 17). Social Studies: For location 17, the decrease in Textbooks (311) has been moved to Teaching Supplies (310) to acquire subscription based supplementals for secondary and social studies readers for K-5 to create a humanities learning environment. This adjustment is a “wash”/cost-neutral.

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Additional decreases may be found at the building level (all other locations) as they have made adjustments in how they fund the program at the site level over last year.

EVOLVE/Asst. Deans 35. Assistant Deans - How are they funded through EVOLVE?

- What are the EVOLVE goals, processes, historical timeline

What was the evolve process that allowed for the new assistant dean positions? Answer: The model for Assistant Deans during the 2016-2017 school year was .40 (2.0 total) FTE per house filled by a teacher with the other .60 FTE assigned to classroom teaching. In 2017-2018, 2.0 positions were funded by the high school and 3.0 were funded by PPS through EVOLVE at the district level. The resulted in each House having a 1.0 Assistant Dean. A request was made during the 2018-2019 budget development to include the full time positions in the budget. This request was denied and the Board asked the administration to see if it was possible to continue to use funds other than the Table of Organization. For the 2018-2019 school year the additional 3.0 FTE needed to make the five (5) Assistant Deans full time at 1.0 FTE was funded as follows: GHS allocated one of their billets to cover 1.0 FTE of the additional need. GHS, in collaboration with Pupil Personnel Services, elected to EVOLVE 3.0 FTE Professional Assistants to fund 1.0 FTE of the additional need. Pupil Personnel Services, in collaboration with GHS, elected to EVOLVE 3.0 FTE Professional Assistant positions that had not been allocated to a school based on need to fund 1.0 FTE of the additional need. See attached addendum.

EVOLVE 36. What is the history of the evolve program, including philosophy and implementation, what documentation do we have when was it approved by the Board? This is the third request for this information? Answer: The rationale for the EVOLVE model is to decrease dependence on paraprofessionals for support and assistance for students with disabilities through increased access to certified professionals. “Simultaneously, we need to focus on

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the factors that have contributed to the expanded and inappropriate use of paraprofessionals, namely the attitudes, skills, roles and working conditions of general and special educators to plan for and teach students with a full range of disabilities in inclusive classrooms.”* The expansion of the role of the Assistant Deans (through EVOLVE) was intended to increase the amount of time the House Administrators had to work with staff on increasing access and success in general education (by reducing the number of hours in PST/PPT meetings) and to increase contact with supportive adults in proactive ways (through the early intervention responsibilities/Tier I/II) for all students including students with disabilities. Refer to Attachments A and B for information on EVOLVE. The district was one of the first pilot districts in 2003-2004, when implementation planning grants were awarded to individual schools. The Board should have reviewed the request to participate in the grant; the Superintendent, Larry Leverett, signed the grant request. *The Paraprofessional Conundrum: Why We Need Alternative Support Strategies by Michael Giangreco and Stephen Broer See attached addendum: Budget Questions regarding EVOLVE December 12, 2017 Question #19

37. When were the evolve staffing, decisions made for this year? Answer: Preliminary Special Education staffing decisions are made in March based on rosters available at that time. Schools review the proposed rosters and service needs and submit EVOLVE decisions by May 31st for the following school year. EVOLVE staffing decisions are finalized by the Chief Pupil Personnel Services Officer, who then makes a recommendation to the School Superintendent who approves the requests for implementation and staffing purposes. As requested, the final EVOLVE decisions will be provided to the Board as part of the

38. Where is the budget for the Social Emotional Learning program? Answer:

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The Second Step materials are purchased through the IDEA grant as one of the identified activities. The lessons are primarily delivered by classroom staff. Many of the SEL activities are coordinated through the schools’ Safe School Climate committees. One of the Evaluation team members coordinates SEL/Mindfulness activities as part of their assignment.

ESY/Summer School 39. Where are efficiencies possible in ESY? We have reviewed all expenses and at this time have not found additional efficiencies moving forward. Efficiencies that we have put into place are: Transportation now uses hub stops for students (except for pre-school, kindergarten, first grade and ESY specialized transportation students). We cancel or combine classes (grade levels and/or courses) if there is not sufficient enrollment before summer school begins (saves on salaries). We use volunteers to support students (e.g.volunteers listen to students read, help to keep students on task, support teacher with organization) in classes. We have reduced the ratio of regular education students to special education students during summer school as opposed to the regular school year from 8:1 to 3:1. .

- What services are provided beyond Summer School?

Answer: Students receive the services described on their IEPs - services are decided in a PPT meeting, usually at the Annual Review. The services are provided in an integrated setting as are the school year services.

- Itemize what is included in Services Other than Personnel

Answer: Printing, mileage allowance, office services, rental of buildings

- Enrollment by site Answer: CC 76 ESY students GHS 87 ESY students GLV

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87 ESY students

- Any Federal/State/Local grants? Answer: Medicaid billing continues during the summer and students’ summer programming costs are included in the calculation for Excess Cost. The only grants I know for Summer School (not ESY) is the School Accountability Grant. Only Priority Districts are eligible grants for Summer School. - The focus this past summer in grades 1-8 was reading and math. A new delivery model and was used where literacy was a push-in model in each classroom for literacy instruction only rather than pulling individual students. We delivered direct instruction to small groups based on student strengths and weaknesses. Greg Tang materials were used to implement math instruction as well as the offerings of accelerated math classes at the secondary level. All elementary and middle school students participated in NGSS science activities. Students had PE, lunch and recess. -Services Other Than Personnel: printing, mileage allowance, office services, rentals of buildings (YMCA for Community Connections - ESY).

40. Pages 44-45 ESY - increase in Services Other Than Personnel (SOTP) Answer: The 9.3% increase is due to special education transportation needs.

Human Resources 41. Pg. 129 SOP 93%- 131,000 increase supports HR legal trends What is other is this a new category? 70,000 increase in the number of legal cases addressed by HR can we have a little more detail on this as I believe we have already increased the current years HR budget for legal fees. What is the trend that is causing this increase? Answer: To clarify, this is not a $131,000 increase - The increase is $63,300. Additionally, this line is not exclusively Human Resources. For Human Resources: 2017-18 Actual $143,302 2018-19 Budget $ 65,000 2019-20 Budget $125,000

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This line item to cover Human Resources related expenses has been traditionally significantly under budgeted. The budget has remained stable at $65,000 while the actuals have trended as follows: 2015-2016 $256,348 2016-2017 $184,526 2017-2018 $143,302 In addition to the normal day-to-day legal advice from outside attorneys on HR related matters, major expenditures have come from this account that are not necessarily driven by the Chief Human Resources Officer:

● A teacher termination hearing cost roughly $155,000 in legal and related fees.

● Negotiations and subsequent arbitration for the GOSA contract; the GEA contract; and the LIUNA BOE contract ranged from roughly $30,000 to $125,000. (Negotiations for the LIUNA BOE contract required little external legal fees as the Board designated the Chief Human Resources Officer as the Chief Negotiator at no additional cost.)

● Legal advice requested by the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools.

● Payment for outside legal counsel retained by the Town of Greenwich Corporation Counsel to handle legal matters that are outside the scope of department attorneys or because of the depth of the workload at a point in time. This can be for FOIA requests; CHRO claims; etc. This portion of the legal fees account averages roughly $30,000 per year

IT/MIS 42. Page 47 - IT/MIS Supplies and Materials increased by $247K? Answer: A transfer and/or reduction in various budget lines into the supplies and materials (for non-capital hardware) in order to transition from a leasing model to direct purchase.

43. Line 39 - IT/MIS - not in the capital budget. Why? Answer:

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Please read page 47, note on Line 39. A transfer and/or reduction in various budget lines was moved into supplies and materials (for non-capital hardware) in order to transition from a leasing model to direct purchase.

Instructional Coaches 44. How many instructional coaches are in the District? Where are they assigned? What is impact of role? Answer: There are eight (8) District Instructional Coaches; six elementary and two secondary. All elementary coaches are assigned to four schools each. One secondary coach serves the three middle schools. The other secondary coach supports one middle school and the high school. The Instructional Coach model is aligned with the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. The District Instructional Coach Handbook for Administrators and Teachers is attached as an addendum. Reported Impact of Role:

● Coaches extend and support implementation of learning for outside consultants’ ○ NGSS ○ Teachers College ○ Greg Tang and Math Reasoning ○ Technology Integration

● Coaches provide campus support in the

implementation of the Strategic Plan, School Improvement Plans and Personalized Learning Strategy

● Coaches support new teachers to develop curricular awareness, effective lesson planning and thoughtful reflection of professional performance

● Provide administrator and teachers support in the implementation of the identified action steps within the school improvement plan

● Coaches are supporting Wave 2 teachers in building their capacity for using the district's leveraged strategy of making learning personal for students

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● Coaches support teachers identified by administrators in need of coaching cycles as identified by informal/formal observations

Coaches provide the job embedded training/professional learning for all GPS educators day to day to ensure transfer of practice of all training and consults. All coaches are evaluated on their ability to change the teaching and learning practice utilizing specific measures identified in TEPL II. All coaches maintain a coaching log to record hours by school, participants in each session, area of focus and transfer of professional learning. The log is monitored by the Chief Academic Officer. The data is used to determine coach deployment for the next school year.

Preschool 45. Please explain the increases in the following Pre-sch. personal, 66,783 Answer: This appears to refer to the increase in personnel costs as shown on Page 47, line 36 of the budget document. This is simply the contractual increase for all staff, Teachers and Professional Assistants included, as negotiated in their collective bargaining agreements. It does not represent any new staffing and is actually below the 3.6% variance budgeted for all instructional personnel as indicated on Page 42 of the budget document.

Professional Learning 46. Professional Development: provide breakdown of how budget was used.

- What is the goal for 19-20? What is the budget being used for? How are we measuring successes?

Answer: Overarching goals (see response to question 33) remain for 19-20 to align with the state CGS to provide a professional learning system for all educators that aligns with the Learning Forward standards for professional learning The district goals for professional learning in 19-20 include:

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● Provide personalized choice in professional learning opportunities for all staff, which will support how educators personalize the learning in support of students’ academic needs

● Provide a coherent focus on how to personalize learning through analysis of evidence, integration of technology, access to a standards-based curriculum, student self-regulation of their learning

● Provide alignment to of the nine foundation indicators and the revised TEPL indicators

● Provide training to support the implementation of dynamic digital learning tools and resources ensuring all staff have the technical skills to build a blended learning environment

● Provide ongoing embedded coaching to support our ability to develop learner experiences that align to the district high quality, standards based curriculum and to make learning personal

● NEW provide increased time for campus based professional learning communities to engage in ongoing collaborative analysis of evidence and development of high impact instructional strategies for implementation

Remainder of question was answered in question 33.

Science 47. Why was there a 26K cut to the science budget? The Board approved a 20K increase last year. Answer: The decrease reflects the 310 supply line. $96,000 was budgeted for elementary science instructional/lab supplies in 18-19. Through implementation, funds in this amount are not required. The net decrease was $26,000. The $20,000 new program/services approval was for Science Research and is budgeted at location 16 (GHS).

Special Education 48. SPED Program (p47): provide description of “other” Answer: Costs of settlements not directly attributed to tuition or services.

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49. Please explain the increases in the followingSPED 989,185 7.7% I increase and SOP 8.3% 597,474

Answer: Part of the increase is contractual and Services Other than Personnel includes the requested increase in the tuition and transportation lines.

Summer School 50. Where are efficiencies possible in Summer School?Answer:We have reviewed all expenses and at this time have notfound additional efficiencies. Efficiencies that we have put intoplace are: Transportation now uses hub stops for students(except for pre-school, kindergarten, first grade and ESYspecialized transportation students). We cancel classes (gradelevels and/or courses) if there is not sufficient enrollmentbefore summer school begins (saves on salaries). We usevolunteers to support students (e.g.volunteers listen tostudents read, help to keep students on task, support teacherwith organization) in classes..

- Enrollment by siteAnswer:

CC GHS GLV 01 52 36 02 52 44 03 34 40 04 31 19 05 34 11 26 06 53 07 69 08 66 09 52 10 49 11 31 12 9 K 46 34 P3 19 33 PK 23 26 SP 11

Admins/Staff FTE by site Answer: Cos Cob- teachers (PK-5) 38, 35 professional assistantsGlenville- teachers (Pk-5) 37, 46 professional assistants GHS (MS/HS)- 40 teachers, 28 professional assistants

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- Is there a SS Supervisor over the site supervisors? Answer: Yes, there is 1 Summer School Coordinator. There are 3 site supervisors (Glenville, Cos Cob, GHS).

- Are nurses/AAs/custodians food services,nurses custodial help included in the cost of the program

Answer: Nurses, AAs are included in the personnel costs.Summer school is not charged for custodial services as they work during the summer.Food services is covered by the food service department through summer food program.

- Revenue numbers? Answer: Please refer to Schedule C of the 8/30/18 BOE Meeting on FY 20 tuition and fees $178,773 was collected in tuition fees for summer school.

51. What was the revenue generated by the summer school program? Answer: Please see page 41 - General Fund-Revenue

$178,773 was collected in tuition fees.

52. How much savings if we eliminate a summer school site? Answer: If we were to eliminate 1 elementary site we would save approximately $265,000. (However, we leave ourselves open to due process hearings which leads to possible outplacement for special education students, legal fees, etc.) Our ratio of general education to special education students is 8:1. This represents the ratios we try to ensure during the school year within our classes. Students who require Extended School Year services (ESY) have to be offered similar programming of same age, regular education peers during the summer. This year the summer population of ESY students was 245. To keep to an 8:1 ratio we would have to have 2000 regular education students attend summer school. This past summer our ratio of special education students to regular

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education students was 3:1. We cannot go smaller and eliminate 1 site in order to be in compliance with a ratio that is more same age, regular education peers to special education students. Therefore, no savings.

Transportation 53. Transportation personal, 43913 up 46.8% Could you please explain this increase? [Added 11/16] I understand there is some shifting between lines 49 and 50 - but if you consolidate them, transportation increasing again by almost $135K Answer: Please see the footnote for lines 49 and 50 (page 49) and refer to the Transportation section on pages 55-56. There was a change in the allocation formula of costs between general public education and private schools transportation based on bus counts. The offset is in the private schools transportation section. When consolidated, the net increase reflects STA’s contractual increase.

Teaching and Learning Program

54. Teaching and Learning Services Other than Personnel 228,682 up 63% could you please explain [Added 11/16] Teaching and Learning supplies and materials - Up $101K or 17%. Answer: Yes, the budget for technical Systems (e.g.Professional Technical Services, Aspen/SIS, Parent Link, etc.) has been transferred from IT/MIS to Teaching and Learning where it is managed. Travel reimbursement (209-7) to support annual attendance at national conferences i.e. TAFT, National Social Studies and ELA have been shifted from monies previously budgeted in 149-7 (Location 17).

Windrose 55. - Enrollment #s this year and projected for 19-20 - Current Administrative staffing and projected

administrative staffing for 19-20? - What services are included? - Certified and noncertified staffing currently and

projected for next year?

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- What are the efficiencies beyond rent, ie security, custodial, AA

- Where is it being relocated? What are the expenses associated with this move?

- 94,000 Services other than personnel what is the breakdown of this number?

Please include information about where they are going now that we are leaving St. Catherines and whether there is a cost to the move, how many students are affected, etc. Answer:

● Current administrative staffing is .80 GOSA Program Administrator. Projected administrative staffing for 2019-2010 is .60 GOSA.

● Current staffing for Windrose comes from the allocations for GHS:

○ 3.0 FTE Teachers Regular Education ○ 1.0 FTE Teacher Special Education ○ 1.0 FTE Teacher Guidance ○ 1.0 FTE Program Administrator (.80 GOSA/.20

GEA) ○ Administrative Assistant - 10 Months/35 hours

per week ○ Custodial Support is provided as Overtime from

GHS custodial staff - 3 hours per day at $48.77/hour

● The staffing model for 2019-2020 is pending.

CAPITAL Capital Priorities 56. Can the Capital Budget items be prioritized?

Answer: Infrastructure is difficult to prioritize. There are 17 buildings that all need some level of work and administration has done a lot of work to present projects that help each school with their deferred maintenance backlog and align with the recommendations of our architects of the 15-year facilities master plan, which covered multiple areas of priorities.

Field Improvements CMS

57. P77 - What is the 4.7M for CMS going to be used for this year? Is the construction moved out a year?

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Answer: If we are able to move forward with the construction phase at any point between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, GPS would need access to the full budget in order to sign a contract. Yes, at least a year. We anticipate the public review and approval process will be lengthy.

Field Improvements EMS

58. Is there money in the budget to address EMS fields? Answer: No, there is no funding for EMS fields.

Field Remediation WMS

59. What is the timeline/plan for WMS remediation? What is the 8.1M being used for? Has the BET been asked if this is a planned or interim appropriation? Answer: Timeline is unknown at this time - the timeline is determined by an acceptable remediation plan, which has not yet been developed. The $8.1M would be used for field remediation. However, as mentioned on page 78 of the budget book, this is a preliminary average of a wide range of possibilities and subject to change. The BET has not been consulted on whether this is a planned or interim appropriation, however, the Town Finance department did ask the District to disclose the potential liability for purposes of year end reporting and the District felt it was appropriate to include this cost in the budget. If a remediation plan is drafted, having the funds in place will allow the District to quickly expedite the project and get the fields back to our students as quickly as possible.

Field Remediation GHS

60. Why is the GHS soil remediation being handled by TOG DPW? Answer: This project is led by the Department of Public Works. BOE administration are involved in regular meetings. At the time, a decision was made between Town and District leaders for DPW to lead the project given experience with Cos Cob power plant remediation project.

GHS Cardinal Field 61. Can the Cardinal Field improvements be phased?

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Answer: The Cardinal Field committee discussed this in the past and opted to move forward with the presentation of a full site plan while taking advantage of private funding as opportunities presented themselves. With the support and coordination of our donors, BOE administration and the Town, the scoreboard and sound system were recently replaced. It is important to note that phasing projects is usually less cost effective.

GHS Cardinal Field 62. Are there any plans to develop a private public partnership regarding the HS stadium? How much might a partnership like that generate? Answer: No plans have been developed to date.

GHS Entry 63. GHS Entry upgrade should be a top priority? Is it a part of a Media Center rebuild? Answer: No, the Media Center is a separate phase.

GHS Roof 64. Are the GHS roof expansion joints funding bundles with the JC roofing funding? Answer: No. This is a new project.

Generators 65. If WMS and HAS are not used as shelters, why are generators needed? Answer: Please see page 79 of the budget book. To expand on the Hamilton Avenue generator, “generator sized for needs” means...it covers emergency lighting, heating and some utility closets similar to the unit at Western Middle School.

Masonry 66. Please explain the need for masonry improvements Answer: Please see page 79 of the budget book. Masonry repairs are needed to complete the envelope of a building to keep moisture out and protect BOE assets. Masonry repairs are also needed to repair structural issues at some locations:

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EMS - rebuild masonry walls at boiler room DIST - miscellaneous masonry concrete repairs includes; brick pointing at Havemeyer and Hamilton Ave, repairs to entry steps at North Mianus, concrete repairs at CMS loading dock and concrete repairs at Havemeyer and GHS sidewalks.

Oil Tanks 67. Please explain the need for oil tank removal Answer: The District (except for Parkway School) no longer relies on fuel oil to heat the buildings. The tanks are suspect to leak and could create an environmental issue. This is a risk mitigation project.

Phone System 68. Please explain the need for a new phone system Answer: Please see page 81 of the budget book.

ADD REQUESTS Finance/ Operations 69. There is a need for a Finance Officer in addition to

Budget Officer, no benefit package included what would be the cost of upgrading the current position. Answer: The current structure is a Chief Operating Officer with a Finance Supervisor. This is a structure similar to that which has been in place for some time, just with a different title for the Cabinet Member - Currently Chief Operating Officer; previously Managing Director of Operations; and prior to that it was an Assistant Superintendent for Operations. I am not certain which role the Board is suggesting be upgraded/modified - The COO is responsible for district budgeting and finance, as well as operations. There is a Finance Supervisor in place. Any change or addition of a non-instructional position requires review and approval by Town of Greenwich Human Resources; the BET HR Committee; and approval of the full BET. As a comparison:

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Current Finance Supervisor - Level C LIUNA position $104,868 Upgrade to LIUNA Level B $116,240 Upgrade to LIUNA Level C $129,512 If the position were determined by the Town to be a Management & Confidential position the two positions that are comparative to our structure are: Comptroller - Grade 11 - $210,503 Director of Budget &Systems Management - Grade 9 - $165,942 (The range for Grade 9 is $123,691 minimum to $154,614 mid-point. The Town HR has never let us hire anyone M&C, or otherwise, for close to the midpoint). A request for a Special Projects Director (aligning with the minimum for a director level) was included in the FY20 Programs and Services Requests but remains unfunded at this time.

Infrastructure/ Maintenance System

70. Can we acquire the best technology to track maintenance of infrastructure, sharing that expense with the Town? Answer: Perhaps. The BOE is currently in the process of capital project process review which is being performed by a third party. As part of the scope of work, technology solutions or other improvements will be recommended.

MISA Piano 71. Item that needs to be considered as additions to Capital Budget

- Piano for MISA - 175K, with 50K fundraised outside Answer: The piano for the PAC was considered in the budget build, but if it was to be added at the expense of the Music Operating Budget (as a result of internal offsets) it was not included. The district music budget was not in a position to provide the offset as it was built to meets the needs of all schools PK-12. There is a cycle of repairs that is considered annually and pianos are prioritized for repairs. As of today, Glenville requires a replacement and Old Greenwich and Riverside require the repairs. A Correction - The Piano considered for the PAC is costing around $155K not $175. The parent has been

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negotiating with Steinway and they have been very helpful and flexible with the pricing. They are also donating a portion of proceeds sold during the holidays at the Greenwich location to the purchase of the MISA/PAC piano. Right now, we are still around $50K fundraised outside.

BUDGET DEVELOPMENT Budget Book Redesign 72. Are there plans in the future to include a Board

member from the Board’s budget committee to be part of the redesign of the budget book? Answer: Not at this time. The redesign team was a working administrative team and the work is now complete. It is important to note that the BOE Budget Committee also discussed this item and engaged the BET and RTM for input. Feedback is always welcome and can be shared with the Business Office at: OperationsDepartment@greenwich.k12.ct.us.

Capacity 73. Pg. 126 including a column for current enrollment and capacity would help support our facilities plan. Answer: This page focuses on building specific information. This schedule is not intended to support discussions around enrollment capacity. Building capacity is regulated by the Fire Marshal and building department of the Town of Greenwich. Links were included or referenced to the 15 Year Plan and we could look to incorporate more context in the next iteration.

Drop-In Allocation 74. On page 25 can you give examples of drop in allocations?? Answer: The CIPL budget allocates funds to each IB school to support their ability to pay for the annual registration fee, travel and registration for the training of new teachers or administrator training specific to authorization. This was a commitment made to the IB organization and schools to assure that funds would be available to support the program outside the base operational budget at each campus.

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The CIPL budget allocated funds specific to GHS textbook needs. These funds are used to replace lost, deteriorated or to supplement extra sections. These funds are not for brand new textbooks to the program, district or school. When that need comes up, we follow board policy for approval and funds are either within the base allocation or the program budget. All “drop ins” are then budgeted at the building location for oversight and access.

Programs and Services Requests

75. Pg. 9 “The message the administration received is that to fund any of the 12 projects/positions listed the administration would have to find efficiencies.” I am not sure that is the correct take away. I believe the Board is not supportive of any new positions no matter how they are funded. You might want to check this with the Board. Answer: This has been withdrawn from consideration.

OTHER Accounting 76. Provide description of what is in Services Other Than

Personnel by what program? Answer: Please refer to page 33 of the budget book for a detailed description of items typically budgeted to this category. The most significant items in this category are transportation, utilities and out of district tuition. The budget book section entitled General Fund - Significant Revenue and Expenditure Categories (pages 54 - 56) covers these line items specifically.

Conference/ Travel 77. What is conference/travel budget? Are there grant monies available? Answer: Conference expenses can be charged to a number of lines including 52090 Tuition Payments for Town Employees, 52097 Tuition Town Employees PD (Professional Development), 52100 Travel Expense - Employees, 52107 Travel Expenses - Employees PD, 52110 Mileage allowance - Employees, and

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52117 Mileage Town Employees PD. Some of these lines may not always be used exclusively for conferences. The FY20 PD budget is $290K. Additional financial Information by object code is available in budget book (MUNIS schedules) beginning on page 128. To the extent possible, grants are utilized for conference expenses.

Food Services RFP 78. Could we please have a copy of the RFP that was used to hire a consultant to study the Food Lunch Program? Answer: A consultant was not hired. Instead, Administration, at the suggestion of the Food Service Committee, met with 6 peer districts to learn more about the RFP process in Connecticut. The full update was published in a written report to the Board on May 31, 2018. RFP for the consultant is attached as an addendum.

Maintenance 79. Please explain the decrease of 284,541 in Maintenance of plants this seems like an odd reduction considering the needs of our buildings. Answer: Maintenance of Plants and Facilities should be looked at together. Once combined, the net decrease is $43K, which is largely attribute to gas/utility savings.

PERSONNEL SERVICES

Language Arts 80. Please explain big jump in personnel services: Language Arts 7.4% Answer: Human Resources: This increase does not represent an increase in staffing/FTE. The total salary increase in this account is $461,753 (7.04%). In addition to the 3.6% average increase in certified salaries ($236,175), the additional differential for salaries is due to: A shift of $83,025 from the Social Studies budget as the Program Coordinator for Humanities was budgeted fully in this account; and $142,553 that represents the replacement cost of new hires in 2018-19 at higher salaries carrying over into 2019-2020. Academic Office:

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GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Greenwich, CT

Answer: There is an increase in the 102 line to account for budgeting the whole coordinator salary within the ELA budget rather than .5 Social Studies and .5 ELA as in previous years for Humanities. Some increases represent shifts in the 131, 139, 149 lines. 131 - Substitute rate has increased from $105/day to $110/day. The Office of Academics is shifting to a train the trainer model for SY19-20. This shift, per the GEA contract requires Growth and Development compensation of $260 per day for developing and implementing professional learning experiences. Funds to support this shift are within the 139 object code.

Science 81. Please explain big jump in personnel services: Science 8% Answer: Human Resources: This increase does not represent an increase in staffing/FTE. The total salary increase for certified staff in this account is $361,457 (7.03%). In addition to the 3.6% average increase in certified salaries ($185,185), the additional differential for salaries is due to: A shift of $99,630 from the Math and Tech Ed budgets as the Program Coordinator for STEM was budgeted fully in this account rather than .40 Science, .40 Math, .20 Tech Ed as in previous years; and $76,642 that represents the replacement cost of new hires in 2018-19 at higher salaries carrying over into 2019-2020. There is an increase in the 101 line to account for budgeting a Professional Assistant at the high school fully in the Science budget rather than .5 Science and .5 Math (STEM) as in previous years ($31,071). Academic Office: Some increased represent shifts in the 131, 139, 149 lines. 131 - Substitute rate has increased from $105/day to $110/day. The Office of Academics is shifting to a train the trainer model for SY19-20. This shift, per the GEA contract requires Growth

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GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Greenwich, CT

and Development compensation of $260 per day for developing and implementing professional learning experiences. Funds to support this shift are within the 139 object code. Increases are within 149-7 represents an increase to support the STEM Integration for Middle School as requested by the BOE in 2016-17.

ALP 82. Please explain big jump in personnel services: ALP 8.8% Answer: Human Resources: This increase does not represent an increase in staffing/FTE. The total salary increase in this account is $182,180 (8.25%). In addition to the 3.6% average increase in certified salaries ($79,490), the additional differential for salaries is due to $102,690 that represents the replacement cost of new hires in 2018-19 at higher salaries carrying over into 2019-2020. The actual salaries for 2018-19 are $2,312,897 - the increase in actual 2018-19 to budgeted 2019-20 is only 3.3%. Academic Office: Some increases represent shifts in the 131, 139, 149 lines. 131 - Substitute rate has increased from $105/day to $110/day. The Office of Academics is shifting to a train the trainer model for SY19-20. This shift, per the GEA contract requires Growth and Development compensation of $260 per day for developing and implementing professional learning experiences. Funds to support this shift are within the 139 object code. Specific increases for location 17 with rationale include:

● increase in 51310 by $3465 for subs for collaborative science planning

● increase in 51440 by $14,000 for ALP review as triggered by the ALP Monitoring Report

Total increase in 100's = $16,215

Psychology 83. Please explain big jump in personnel services: Psychology 20.9%

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GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Greenwich, CT

Answer: See answer to question sixteen.

Social Work 84. Please explain big jump in personnel services: Social Work 25% Answer: See answer to question seventeen.

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