In addition, there's a overall breakdown again, page eight of the PDF or if you're in the slides, slide 17, that gives you a overall breakdown of the technology plan. An additional question came up regarding the phase 2 um breakdown. There is no specific breakdown because it is a one software that that is what it is. It's one software component at 72 uh,200. And if you're looking to say like, well, what is this software? What will it do? If you're in the PDF, that's at the bottom of page five, top of page six. It details what this software encompasses. If you're in the slideshow, that would be on slide nine where it details. It's all listed right here. Um all those page numbers and slide numbers are available in board docs. I've detailed that in the uh public notes section. So with that we are um recommending that the board approve the what school year 25 26 um talk plan.
So uh that partnership was started under Judge Moat last year um or was it the previous year? Yeah, last year. Um so um that has helped tremendously in helping some of our discipline data. Okay. So um as Ronnie was talking about, one of the things that we started working on this year is partnering up an administrator and a counselor to teaming up for uh to work on students um with behavior modifications and what their goal may be. So um each one of the one of us administrators was partnered with one of the counselors um and we worked out so we had to help um reduce the case load um and be able to focus on students specifically. So going back to the attendance um this is what our attendance look like. Um the first one that on the top is this year's current and it's the uh first and second seme I'm sorry it's first and second quarter and then the one from last year.
I just want to if if you're listening, folks that sent us letters, we've all seen them. Um it's very similar input um a concern for the fields um and the safety of the floor and everyone has seen those letters and there's hopefully Mr. Adams made clear tonight there's different funding mechanisms involved in um you know the the floor in our building is one thing and then the fields are another. Um all of them some involve some assistance from the town probably on a capital basis because of um not being able to pull so much money out of our operating budget and also because of the way it was set up years ago but just so that's kind of where it stands right now. But you're not the only ones with the concern and we share your concern. I mean we're not we're not sitting here saying that those spaces are are okay.
We appreciate the interventionists and teachers for encouraging students to participate in those um and supplying incentives for such. also have a grants update. Um, pleased to report that we recently received a $35,000 equipment grant to support the development of our advanced manufact manufacturing innovation career pathway at June at the Greenfield High School. Um, I'm optimistic about a innovation career pathway designation based on that, but we have not heard officially about that. Um I had hoped to be able to report on that out on that tonight. Um we also received an innovation uh I'm sorry the investigating history grant there being there are updates being made to that HQIM in the seventh and sixth grade curriculum. So this will support teachers in understanding and internalizing and implementing the changes to the curriculum. and we are about 10 days away from launching our second acceleration academy during the April break.
But I've got two contractors that I can call and get a better number on. Okay. Okay. And that's what I'm going to do in the next day or two. That's a just a rough idea before we go to RFP. Well, we he came back with what 200,000. Yeah. Yeah. Just And I think that's I think that's a a bit high and b there may be a couple of things we can yank out of there to get it down. But you know the old joke about an engineer's estimate is the cost of construction in heaven. And they're never right. They're either too low or too high. Plus 2%. Plus 2%. You're you're talking about the stairs. What? You're talking about the stairs now? Yeah. Right. Okay. Yeah. Cuz you know, we just did this like two months ago. It was 175. Now it's up to almost 200.
there's any questions regarding it, please uh let me know and I'll also ask Mike uh if you have any input. Okay. I'm going to ask for board communication because I know Teresa did a visit uh to South Street. Okay. Oh, thank you. I'm going to do it. Went to the art show at South Street School. Uh it was for kindergarten and uh one was their rainforest and they had two charming young students identified the various animals that were uh displayed on the uh actually was a big display on the wall and then a young boy he did the uh Mona Lisa talking about that. I was shocked at kindergarten they knew about the Mona Lisa because I don't think I knew about the Mona Lisa when I was in kindergarten. Um and there were various uh drawings from the students and they were asked what made they they were wondering what the question was why was she smiling and then the students answered what they what they smile at uh under a flap on their drawing.
Uh, and we are reviewing our curriculum. Steve is doing what we needed to do. Our fourth, oh, sorry, prepping, we're prepping for CASP testing, which is coming in May. Our fourth and fifth grade classes are piloting a new social studies curriculum for the rest of the year to see how we like it. Um, we are helping our kids navigate their springtime emotions. It's a lot. Um, somebody was crying today because they had the wrong color basketball in PE. So, it's a lot. Uh, and we have our Earth festivities on May second. I'm sure Mrs. Peterson will be inviting all of you, all of you to come. Yes. Do you have anything else to support me? Oh, it's busy. It's fun. And our little friend doesn't cry anymore when she wants to school. Yay. Improvement. Fair enough. So, that's good. It's good. I also notice she's not bringing her stuffed animal.
And so um with that I'm happy to answer any questions that you have. You have question you can go. You can start. Yeah. Go ahead. Um I have several. I'll give them to you one by one though. Um there is a Are you familiar with the incorporation effort that's underway? Yes. For this area that includes a large portion of our school boundaries. Um, how do you think that that would affect voter turnout? Um, and do you think that it would affect it positively, negatively, neutral? Uh, I so that's a great question about the incorporation effort. My understanding of the incorporation effort is it's not targeted for November of this year. Um, I believe it to be from what I understood, it was targeted at a different election time than what you're talking about. If that has changed, uh, forgive me, I may not have the most up-to-date information about that.
Yeah. So, spoiler alert, everything you just said is going to come up in a slide uh coming up in in stay tuned to a presentation near you. That will be coming up because you're absolutely correct. Um it's interesting because I think our practice has been one thing. Um but when you look in the handbook, we have a system in there that goes beyond just a data point. And so it's just really retweaking and making sure that we are upholding what is in our handbook and really ensuring that when we think of right and this is kind of why we shifted no this is why not kind of this is why we shifted to the time in and away from the triangle is often times when we looked at the RTI triangle we looked at it with a lens of the students who need extra support but then there's the other side right which is then we're like okay let's go with the diamond then because The diamond talks about not just the students who need extra support uh closing those gaps, but those students who are really demonstrating um higher levels of learning but potentially maybe didn't qualify as quote unquote gifted.
This one doesn't come up for regular review. As I read this, I it was revised in 2022. 2011 I'm seeing. Are you on 2152? Okay. 2152 was 2011. As I read the language in here, my concern would be that this hasn't been reviewed in the last 14 years by any attorneys and are there things in here that the board members did are not even uh legal anymore. Those are the kinds of things that I would be worried about. Um, so I think if the idea is to make sure that the board and the public are kept deprised of legislative issues, that's covered in 2150 and that's something that could be added as a standing item in the uh in the cow or every third month or whatever. But this one I am a little bit concerned because I don't know if you're all as board members allowed to lobby with I don't know I that's something I think we'd have to get clarification.
I always have to remember that it's for the year that's coming up not the one that we're in. Okay. Um, I believe that the board asked for um, there was that information that we couldn't go into because the security details um, on the specifics. I don't believe that the board was provided that information. Can that get sent over to us, please? What was that? And during Andy's uh, presentation there was he kind of glossed over the one part and he said he couldn't get over couldn't get into it because of security reasons. Um, so wanting like a deep deeper breakdown than what's there for what the software encompasses. So we know exactly what it is that is being covered exactly. So okay, I got it. So within what is being approved this evening is not necessarily part of that. that is more about the um the infrastructure infrastructure as well as some of the increased um security measures which are the spec the specifics of those security measures aren't identified but those um what they are or what they include or were on I believe you just said the last pages at the bottom of page slide slide nine or bottom of five top of six.
So we can see that um all absences um last year or this year was 209 um but unexcused at 67 down from 120 unexcused. So what happens um when a student hits five days um a our attendance clerk meets with the students, gives them what the expectations are um and what will happen at 10 days if they miss the total of 10 days. And at 10 days a student can lose their driver's license um and um then they are sent to probation as well. And probation does their part as well. So, um, we believe now that we've had a consistent person who is making those contacts is really helping bring those numbers down that we're seeing. So, only having 67 students that are between that five and nine absences compared to 120 last year in just the first semester um, is a major decrease in our number and has helped a lot.
So Jim and Lori, I guess logistically because I think a lot of people on the phone are like share of the things that you brought up with the turf or the fields or the and and there's a lot of us who want to, you know, do something. Can we just tell everyone publicly like what the mechanisms are like what meetings should they go to to advocate for you know the capital needs including town meetings select board like how do people get on agendas and then how does that come back to the school committee because I think that's I think a lot of people feel like they go to one place then they go to another place so I'd be remiss not to bring up like what's the mechanism for people in the around, you know, who want to voice a concern to to follow. Yeah.
Again, it will be focused on literacy. We have approximately 20 students in grades one through four from across the district who are signed up to participate. So, looking forward to having them back. Thank you very much. Superintendent have an update on the restorative practice committee. Um, the director of behavior services, Sheri Picarski, has been leading the work along with the collaborative for educational services. The committee's had three meetings thus far and have been working really hard. They're also um going to be joining the Franklin Regional Council of Government's full coalition meeting this week and uh talk about all of the initial steps that Greenfield Public Schools has uh taken thus far and they are um being recognized for the hard work that they're doing. So, I just want to thank um Miss Picarski and the committee for the work that they've begun. You'll see an enrollment update from March to April numbers.
But but understand I talked to an excavator yesterday. Still an estimate. Same thing about the price of eggs. Yeah. Ash ashalt went on 15 bucks a ton. And when I said to him, I said, you know, what's the justification? Because oil's coming down and that's what aphalt is. He says, "Oh, they're talking about parts, labor, and everything else." So price gouging, I can't call it that, but people are starting to take advantage of what's going on and they're jacking their prices um maybe artificially, but the bottom line is they're going up. They're not coming down. Yeah, I noticed. So, let's see what happens. I mean, try getting I uh I don't know what the heck we were talking about. You said pumps before. Um, I talked to somebody the other day that the price of pump 12 $16,000 on a job. I've heard other things the same way.
but makes them smile like their brother does something or it was just very charming but I and I was so glad I could go. Thank you. I attended the kindergarten too art show. It was beautiful. The two the three presentations were beautiful. The young the young kindergarten didn't skip a beat. They did their presentation just like an adult. So that taught me that our teachers are working hard with the students and I wish you just and the kids that she had 19 kids in the I shouldn't say kids 19 students in the classroom. They did not you wouldn't even hear a mouse drop or walk around the pool. They were doing what they were supposed to do in the class. And I was just excited. I after I got there, I said, "Why did I accept to come here at 9:30 in the morning, but it was worth it.
Sometimes money is there. Oh, okay. Thanks, G. [Applause] [Music] All right, we're on item 11, our superintendence report. Okay. Um, before I go into this, Lana, did we get did they do an approval for the warrants on 7A? I don't Yeah, they did. Okay. I thought they just did the motion. I thought there was a motion at first. They did. They did. Okay. We didn't remember hearing that, so just wanted to make sure. Good. Okay, cool. Okay. Um, superintendent report. uh Q conference. I went with um teachers to that and that was fantastic in um Palm Springs computer using educators. Um so I think they're um putting together some presentations. I'm not sure they're coming to the board, but they're going to share with their colleagues on some of the things that they learned and I will be doing that as well. So that was a good time.
That certainly would create a challenge because there would be more than your issue on the ballot right now as it looks there is a probably a fairly clean clean ballot. There's been some discussion. I was uh talking with Stifel and some other folks. You know, the presidential election cycle actually was sort of hit and miss for schools. Traditionally, high voter turnout in a presidential year has done really well for schools, but we actually saw more schools than usual fail in 2024. Um because there it was a two-page ballot with a lot going on with um you know, giving yourself the opportunity to be on sort of a single page probably at the top of the ticket is helpful because then you can increase awareness. Having something else on the ballot, depending on how contentious it gets, it certainly could uh impact that, especially if there's a no campaign.
Um and so what are we doing to support and meet those students needs? So, we'll go a little bit more into how we're identifying students, um, how it's detailed within the handbook, and just some systems that we need to just tighten up within ourselves here within the district. Um, but truly, when we're talking about whether we're talking about multilingual education, special education, um, students who are high performing or gifted, we're really talking about this diamond, the MTSS framework. All students are going to receive what's in the middle that tier one instruction that is that first dose of that first dose of language arts that first dose of math right then from there we have wind time which we switched up that for this school year. It used to be 45 minutes uh once a day and you had to split between math and reading. And so it was how do you determine which one carries more more weight and so we switched up our minute allocation so that all students have an extra 30 minutes of reading and an extra 30 minutes of math.
I just think it does open up so issues. So one of my recommend I just had a couple things on this one. One um again this is board policy and this involves only the board. So but I wanted to give the board just some pieces of information to maybe help guide you all as you all make a decision. one, I think if we do move forward with a 2152 that it does need to be revi I mean reviewed by an attorney since it hasn't been reviewed in that time. Um my second piece is I don't know if there's a need for 2152E because if you remember when we sent delegates to the ISB conference we reviewed all of their legislative positions and took a stand. So, we have that and then the board will be I'll be bringing forward to the board um in March um I'm sorry in April vision 2030 which is from the Illinois State Board of Education that outlines a lot of the views in in um the focuses that are really implicated in that exhibit and that is a um resolution rather than a policy.