He used to be our no other discussion. Do I just close out the hearing then? Okay. So, the public has an opportunity to continue to provide. Yeah. Email or bring it. Sorry. Email, bring it by the district office. Come have a convers. So between now and the next meeting, yeah, questions or concerns can be addressed and then um it'll be on the agenda next month as an action item. Okay, very good. All right, our public hearing is closed on that regard. And item number 10, we move on to accomplishments and other reasons to celebrate from throughout the district. We are celebrating Wasuma Elementary School. I should just hire her to follow me around so I feel good about myself. Personal journey. Money well spent. That's it. Would be it would be absolutely. All right. Let's get CC board. Okay. Um, do you actually I'm gonna I'm gonna hijack my own presentation for a second because I couldn't get this to transfer over to my Oh, you weren't serious.
So I just wanted to give my personal thanks. I know we have several members here of the committee as well as our attorney Harold Freeman who worked with the committee at at every session able to give them um any of the legal feedback to all of the nuances to this process. So we appreciate them um providing this feedback to the district. Okay. Thank you very much for that report. On behalf of the board, we shall more than happy to receive the 711 committee report. Thank you, Josh. Oh, we need to Oh, we need to have a motion, assistant. Oh, okay. Just to secure it. All right. Could I have a motion, please? Move to receive the 7-Eleven committee report. Second. All right. It's been moved and seconded. All in favor say I. I. Opposed? Motion is carried. Thank you very much. Roman numeral number two, resolution 24-18, declaring properties as exempt surplus land.
So the numbers changed. Um and we will have new border patrol you know families. So we don't know if this nine students is going to change it's going to stay the same or it's going to change. So but it's just a projection. Crystal any sense of with the board of education not being in service anymore that the funding for this program will be affected. any sense that the board would state board or this might come down from the feds or what does this I could have I want to defer to Miss Cotay I know she has a lot better uh background on that as far as you guys right this this isn't necessarily US department of education right it's state funed states yeah it's not it's not department us it's first things first I think it's after tax I'm pretty Headart is [Music] already we really need to do a motion in second before I thought we had a motion.
And so this is the this helps us and this is sort of more of a um for your decision- making, for communication, for talking to the audience, for talking to the electorate, what they care most about. Now bear in mind, this is the electorate and what they care most about. Sometimes when parents come up here and they're sharing the information, what they care most about or what the students care most about might be a little bit different, but for the voters, this is what the voters care about. And so, uh, this can even help you in the order in which you discuss items, whether you do it in bullet points or in ballot language or in a publicity pamphlet. Um, for many, many years, a lot of school districts would put, for example, all day K first because it started with A. They would alphabetize their list of items.
Dr. White, can I just a quick question about that last bullet point. So the 28 IEPs reviewed, right? No student had full inclusion in the general education setting. Was that specifically for like OT or was that also social work minutes or was that Sure. So I will say out of those 28 some of those were were our our students that are placed in self-contained. So that would make sense. Absolutely. For those again that's why we look at this data not as a kind of summitive final thing. It just gives us information. But what we have noticed in some of our buildings and some of our buildings have been making great strides on how do we make sure kids have the most access possible in a productive way for them and for their peers, right? Where they can have access to inclusion based general with their general education peers.
So, I think we do a really good job. I know a lot of the questions are to Mr. shepher of we take those questions and then we make sure before they even leave before they leave this audience or we I've even followed up through email to make sure that we are able to get that person back the information they need. I just know we have other policy that states um we will not engage in conversations back and forth. Is that just for um regular board meetings? Not right that like so what I'm saying is though I think we need to clarify what that looks like because this is comments. This does not refer to questions. Um and so I want to be clear and transparent to the board. So so to the community that they understand if questions are asked during the time that we are collecting those questions.
So that is a main emphasis and goal for us heading into the 2526 school year. We'll layer math on as we've been doing with literacy and we're going to get the EOI one of these right at the end of the year. in the well in July. It's also interesting because you think about just how people are feeling in the middle of winter when they're testing, right? This has been a disgusting winter of kids. Like I'm thinking kids under the weather could account. Not that I'm making excuses. They're still doing very well. It's a small loss, but there are so many things to consider in terms of testing and what kids are going through. And I also just want to acknowledge the grade three growth. Like that's a big shift when you're shifting in languages. That is a significant jump they have shown despite how gross and awful winter has been and other things that could be impacting them.
We also recognize our staff contributions through weekly recognition and PLC's and monthly recognition at our staff meetings. Here's a glimpse of our new hires that we've hired this year at Anderson Elementary School. and we have added more coaches to Anderson in our district in the last two years. Last year we utilized our STEM coach, Jennifer Coen, and myself, Jesse Zerat, as our literacy coach. This year, we have also added coaches like Lydia Rearen in our behavior position. We have a TBRI coach, Michelle Stewart, and we have a college and career readiness coach, Megan Welty. Throughout the K4 grades, all grade levels have worked with at least two coaches this year. And as a personal growth, um last year I served as our literacy coach and I was in 16 coaching cycles. And at this time right now, um for this school year, I'm in 42.
Um what the intent of the enterprise fund was for renting out our turf fields. It was to gain enough revenue that in 10 years down the road we could replace whatever that field was. It didn't work out that way for lots of reasons. One, COVID hit. two, uh, other communities built turf fields. And three, I believe because we have grown exponentially as a community also in this time, we have many more sports and youth sports and activities that are utilizing and need to utilize our fields. And so, we've actually had a decrease in the amount of rentals as well. Um, but I I just want to caution folks, this is important. It's a safety issue, too. And we have to figure out how to do this as a community. It's on my list. It's in the school anticipate needs beyond because from 700 in the morning till whenever that last group is off the field or any of the fields, they're school property and our kids potentially could be unsafe and that's why it's here.
So, I want to go backwards though because we also planned um to use uh this was part of the budget process and you said this in meetings um 300,000 from uh special ed revolving. I have this here in front of me for fiscal year 24. Did we use that? No, we did not. And did we use it the year before? I would have to double check on that, but I'm going to say possibly not. Um, you're asking a question. I'm imagining you already know the answer, but I can explain why if you'd like an explanation as to why. No, I I don't need to know why. I just I do think I actually, with all due respect, I am going to explain why. So, here's the issue that happened in those years. Continuing my my sentence. Could I just finish my sentence? Sure. And then I'll answer.
We tried to get it one kid per grade level last year for the pies so that like it was you know dramatic effect of the you know um we told told several of the students like you know be careful you know don't break the face um but yeah it should be a lot of fun and Jen Gaelic has um sworn up and down that she has a slime recipe and I'm trusting her um that isn't like going to stain every part of my person. I don't want like green ears for the next two and a half weeks. I'm terrified actually. I really am. I'm going to be purple for like There's a slime museum. There's a slime museum in New York City. We could get you tickets for the Dad. Let's not lean into this any further than we already are. It's going to party.
Very nice. Good for her. Yeah. All right. Um and finally for new business we have two more policies that are first read but we are being asked to app through. Do you have some insight into these? I believe sure do we did get an email about them. All right. So uh we have policy Oh, one second. I I answer backwards. Okay. So we have policy 1250. I'm actually going to do them the reverse order because that's the way my notes are and what might be. So, I'm gonna do 1421st school security and safety. Um, this policy needs to be updated to align with uh this year's public act 25-1 which the Connecticut legislature passed and Governor Lamont signed in early March. The law directs all school security and safety plans must now include clear protocols for responding to in-person visits from immigration authorities, federal immigration authorities such as ICE or Homeland Security.
M when you're looking at that tier system, how does it affect the time of the student on the bus? cuz like I know I think my daughter is on there for like an hour. So is that going to be impacted? We are taking into consideration we are not looking to lengthen uh the time that students are riding the bus. If anything being a little bit more efficient with that um but in order to um the addition of the high school and Westside Middle School are our two schools right now um that you boss across the entire city because students come from any location. Um so at the addition of Danbury um West will has another a third school that will have across the entire city we'll need to transport students. So we just think we need to expand the time between our high school and middle school start time so that we're not uh you know we're not having students wait out for the bus too long.
All right. I'm sorry. Um, now I want to show you this real quick. If you look back there, so this is Mr. Panita's fourth grade class. This was their most recent eye ready diagnostic and reading. So, I can't see it on my screen with my glasses. So, if you look, you've got the the 4% of his kids are three or more grade levels below in this most recent diagnostic. And I want to show you. So, look at you've got 36% in the hashtag green, which is mid or above grade level. You got 32% on early grade level. And I want to show you where that stand. This is his most recent diagnostic. And this was diagnostic number one. Where is it? What do I have to do? Scroll down. Bottom left. Yeah, there you go. Okay. Thank you. Oh, because I said growth. Dang it.
Dr. Fuentes, please. It is recommended the board approve resolution 2418 declaring the properties as exempt surplus land. And so, um, for you motion, I don't know if Mr. Franklin or Mr. Freeman would like to share a bit about this resolution and uh the critical component that it is to our next steps. Thank you. I always have the pleasure button there. I have the pleasure of pushing the button. I always have the pleasure of trying to explain the law in this area in ways that are simple and I've gotten it down to the basic following concept which is until 2020 school districts were exempt under the surplus land act in California which applies to fire districts and cities and counties when they sell or lease property and you followed the education code. Um the confusion that now results is that in 2020 the legislature in its always infinite wisdom decided to add school districts to the surplus land act but then to allow you to exempt yourselves from the surplus land act.
No, we don't. I will make the motion to increase the tuition by $50 to 375 a month. I will second. Okay, now we can discuss So that would be my only concern that that funding would get decreased or eliminated all together but you're assuring me that it won't and so we have Mr. President Mi we have how many scholarships for next year Miss Cot? Um, as of last month, uh, BSUW, value of the Sun United Way, who gives our scholarship, most likely they said it's still going to be the same number, which is six. Um, but the official email should come out in May. This all the quality for sites who participates, they will get all the official information for my email. Any further question, discussion? If not, I will call for their vote. Okay. So you said to raise it to 375. What's the current rate?
Well, all day K was one of the least popular items that we used to measure. And so, just even knowing the order in which you talk about the items, not using the amount of the budget or, you know, where when it's going to be built or its alphabetical order, using the order in which it's important to the electric can be incredibly helpful for that. So what we see is some of the fundamental things like school safety and security, roof repair do incredibly well. They score over uh four. Anything above 3.5 is well regarded. Anything above four is incredibly well regarded. Um heating and air conditioning uh 4.41, one of the top items we measured. Career and technical education upgrades at 4.37 with 58% giving that a five. Another one of the top items we measured. Instructional improvements did incredibly well at 4.35. slightly better than electrical and plumbing repair.
Absolutely. And we reduce less of I'm being pulled out from my math services. I'm being pulled out from my reading services. How can we provide some of those supports within the general education? So these are academic pullouts. These are not social emotional pullouts for for right or OT or something like that. Yes, because some of some of those would be hard to work with. That's what I was wondering. Right. But for example, my daughter receives occupational therapy services. some of those. At her last IEP meeting, I had a conversation about can someone come in and work with her on her handwriting while she's in the classroom real time because she can be a knucklehead and not always want to do it outside of the classroom. So, how do we how do we kind of build those in to make the child successful, but our goal is to have all children to be able to access as much as possible in general education.
we will provide answers, but I think for the flow and for the efficiency of a meeting, um, we wouldn't want to stop to answer each one of those individual questions, but we will get answers back to the community. I think that makes sense. I think if the public has qu, you know, has comments about what they just heard, a comment is a comment, question is a question. I think they're two different things. So, I think if there's a question that will need an answer that it would be something that we would get their information and get back to them with whatever information that they're requesting, what their question was. Uh, if they have a comment about what they heard, that would be something they could immediately make the comments about what they're hearing. And I'll confirm that there's no conflict with the policy of board meeting procedure because it does it does say that somewhere in polic and I believe under board meeting procedure.
But it'll be interesting to see this again at the end of the year. I agree. I would just say also with that the eighth grade I wonder because again I think it would take some true investigating but if you look at the eighth grade common core math standards they become a lot more heavier in um algebraic reasoning where those are that's a lighter standard I would say all the way up to middle of year seventh grade um but then they become really heavy in algebraic reasoning um in those eighth grade standards and then layer on Spanish on top of that. That may be why we see because it's like you're introducing something new that they've really not dove into like they do in the eighth grade preparing them for algebra 1. Do you know if other schools see that same trend with eighth graders? Like if they if they're collecting star data or So again, remember this is dual language eighth grade.