It's got to be it can't just be, hey, let's go fix this because we've got a really dedicated group of parents right now who we can get this done. Okay, it's great for a band-aid, but how does it you know, long term, it's it's really a community issue. It's not a school issue. It's not an athletes soccer, baseball, lacrosse. It's not their issue as much as it's a community issue in what we value, right? Yep. No, totally agreed. Appreciate it. Of course. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks for all the clarity. we we all really do appreciate like we don't we don't often talk about things like this and it's and and if you don't go to to to a lot of these then you miss a lot of those those details in between but it's at that boiling point or boiling cover point like we really want to get like the who do we talk to and you're starting to really give us that that guidance and we appreciate it.
I'd like to hear from the superintendent if um what she because she's has so much experience here. What does she think this is our best move for next year? I'd like to hear from her. Superintendent. So, um, with the unexpected reduction to the proposed budget that I put forth in the $ 1.9 million range, that offers significant challenges for us and considering the amount of time since July 1 that we've put forth in building a budget based on the option to be adjusting to this new reality, it is essential that we consider carefully what the impact of all of these budget reduction uctions is not only this year but in the years ahead. And while we understand there is declining enrollment and um a redistricting model is not costneutral, we really want to talk about stability for the district and providing that for folks. And if these budget cuts are ultimately going to lead to school closures in 2026, which seems to be a very real possibility, um the current redistricting plan seems um not viable or chaotic.
So just so you have perspective over the next month, month and a half. So, okay, I'm gonna be pretty pretty direct here. So, when you guys say that it's not going to raise the taxes, that's a little deceiving because wait a minute. If you're down, So, here's my thing. Next year, like this year, I paid this much without the bond. Next year it would be lower, right? But if I put the bond in place, it'll stay the same. So in all essence in essence you are raising the tax because it would going to be here but with the bond it'll be here. It'll be the same. It'll still be the same as it was last year but if the bond didn't pass it would have been lower. So yes, and that and that it's true and that that will be that will be the number one argument you have to you have to get to and we won't spend time here because we're going to get into this more but again the issue is just going to be and I've said this before we've had presentations on the budget squeezing blood out of the turnup right the turnup is dried and so we have to come up with something different I'm not saying it's I'm just saying that I just don't think I don't want it to be so deceiving that oh we're not going to raise your taxes I mean I'm okay with it but I think that we I think that we need to educate and be be just put it out there and so that the board understands what happens if you do call for the election then we have to get a pack together and I think that becomes the question of what's the communication strategies that are going to be utilized and what's the arguments that are being made and how do we make those presentations and so as we move forward these these are the questions that we will be looking at and say okay how do we develop a strategy for what we're going to say relative to these types of issues I don't know technically what all those strategies are, but you're right, Shel, that that that idea of it going down if we don't do it is definitely there.
So, that is one portion of our accelerated placement and enrichment. When we look at, now let's zone in on on that tree of gifted. When we're looking to identify students as gifted, that assessment takes place in second grade. all second graders because we give the opportunity to all second graders is it is not just okay depending on how you perform in class all second graders across the board even if they are identified with having an IEP even if they are identified as an English language learner it does not matter their label or or whatnot all students get the opportunity to take the Kogat assessment and the Kogat assessment is an assessment that's used across the country um to identify gifted and talent talented abilities. It's a different way of thinking that the assessment is not based on reading or writing. Um, it is actually quite an interesting assessment where they might give you like nonsense words.
Again, it's the person or representative from the firm selected shall meet with the superintendent in the board of education to discuss responsibilities and scope of services. I agree. And that's in reference to procurement of architectural auditors engineering and land surveying services policy 2170. I just Excuse me. I just have a couple questions just for for clarification on on my part for what this would uh uh entail. Is the board thinking then uh the the uh an architect would be here to um unveil projects to be here for every meeting to discuss um various intricacies of uh the building project. Um that's the that's the question that I have with how the policy is worded. Um I do not I I completely agree that the architect can come here and kick off a project and introduce it especially if there's uh something being approved. Um my question and where I need clarification is uh the scope of the architect's involvement with the board after that is is the board uh looking to u basically be in on construction meetings with uh said um architect and design team.
However, the lowest responsive bid uh submitted by DCG Roofing Solutions was vetted and determined to meet all of the criteria we were looking for within the bid. I'll remind the board that they did a nice job with our Oakn Null uh roof replacement, which was just three or four years ago. Uh so, as a result, our architect has recommended the district approve the lowest responsive bid from DCG Roofing Solutions in the amount of $1,31,000. Uh, we concur with this recommendation and recommend the approval. Thank you. May I have a motion to approve the bid submitted by DCG roofing solutions in the amount of $1,ion31,000 on the nose as presented? So moved. Second.
My son's at Anderson. They talk about their morning meeting. Um and we're able to do that in maybe smaller groups or with individual students at the high school really focused on those students that that need that support. Um as we kind of finish up before I turn it over to Mrs. Upurch. Um what is pretty cool at the high school and is awesome to be able to present when Anderson's here as well um is like you know you talk about like those those are like our kids right your kids are at the high school too um and it it's pretty neat to see um you know our students do so well on the SAT or the PSAT um or the AP exams and then they're you know Lily scholars um and all that and that's all because of of the work that happens districtwide um and part of that work that's happening districtwide and we're super excited about um to see that consistency continue to to support our students at the high school is is the PLC piece.
So thank you very much. You're welcome. Anybody else in the gallery here want to offer some final comments? Next thing I'll be doing is um offering the uh committee some time to discuss and then closing the hear after we vote. Last call. Okay. Seeing none, I'm going to open it up to the committee. I know we've had several meetings had a a few words tonight. Anybody else have any more concerns or comments about the budget that was presented tonight or the number that we are being asked to vote on? No, nothing new. But just uh again, as we as we it is detailed. You guys put a lot of work into that. um everyone in the room does and I think that's why we can have good conversations at our tri board meetings because uh if they ask a question uh even if it's not on the slide it's it's something up and we've all you know been turning over the rocks and doing that and I think town has you know everybody on the municipal side's been doing that as well.
And what I'm getting every day is just people wanting stability and knowing what's happening for their students and their families. I know that the work that we do every day, regardless of the decision you make tonight, will be for the best interest of staff and students. And we will continue to make sure that the engaging, the comprehensive, and the experience that our kids get is not only fiscally responsible, but educationally sound and supports their needs. and we will figure out how to make it happen because that is what Greenfield educators do and we want decisions that will at least lead us in a direction where there is not such instability and people can feel that we are supporting them. Member childs. So, speaking as a parent of a Greenfield student, um I am comfortable with the fifth grade at the middle school, even though fifth grade going to the middle school does seem scary.
Okay. Anything else? All right. Again, I thank you for doing this. It's very nice. Okay. Um let's see. 9.2 discussion information on student achievement April the April report. Good evening, Madame President, members of the board, Dr. Wyman, and audience members. Um here today to talk to you about um our March 17th district professional learning that we had just to give you some um highlights for that. So, we started with a campus launch. So, everybody came back from spring break and started with their campus to begin the day. Our principles set up that intention of the day and gave their staff some direction. Um, this was the qualitative feedback. So, they felt welcome. They discussed schools with their departments and teams. Um, they had great reminders to remain focused on doing their best every day. That came up quite often in the feedback. Um, we had a couple of campuses use AI in their planning.
Um, or they might give you shapes and you've probably done these activities where they give you different shapes and you have to figure out what's the next pattern or the next shape. Um, different assessments of of that nature. And so from there students do receive an identification in gifted if they meet a certain scoring criteria. It can be either in reading, it can be either in math or it can be both. Um from there that student then automatically during that win time does get pulled out to work with the gifted enrichment teacher on acceleration activities. Now here's where I'm going to pivot. Um no actually let me pause that I'll come back to that students who are identified as gifted and they go through right third fourth fifth because they are identified as gifted when you look at the accelerated um the accelerated act they are now automatically placed into advanced ELA if their criteria that they qualified for is ELA they will automatically get placed into advanced ELA as a sixth grader at the junior high if they qualified as gifted in math math.
I from my end I certainly would not want to see the architect at our monthly meetings during a project because then we are paying the architect to be at our monthly meetings and that's not a wise use of anybody's resources and when you guys have brought like we have lived through construction projects you guys have brought us the architects and the engineers at at the kickoff project or when different you know uh drawings are being approved when when the major decisions are made you guys have brought us the architect so that we can ask our questions to the person instead of funneling them through through the administration which has always been helpful. So from my perspective what has gone on so far has made a lot of sense and and that's the clarification I'm looking for because I want to make sure that uh we are uh inviting uh our our design team our architects uh to be here in front of the board when it's expected but not overbearing because that is an additional uh cost on the board.
Any discussion? Hearing none. If we could take a vote, please. Julie Jetty, yes. Darling, yes. Mindy Hartman, yes. Ann Sanuchi, yes. Stacy cells. Yes. Jason Jansik. Yes. That motion is approved. 8.6 is the approval of the Briergate Oaknull window replacement bid. Mr. Shepard. So also as discussed at the committee of the whole, we are looking to replace uh the windows at Briergate and Oaknull. This is a separately bid project uh since it is more specialized uh in nature. Uh both bids were uh that we received two bids uh and both bids were vetted by our architect and it was determined that the bid submitted by Auburn Corporation in the amount of $838,250 uh and that is the cost of of window replacement at both Briargate and Oaknull was the lowest responsive bidder. Uh the recommendation to approve the bid uh by Auburn Corporation uh and administration concurs with this recommendation.
And that's what Mrs. Upurch is going to talk to us about. Thank you, Mr. Grill, and thank you to the board for having us and listening to our presentation in regards to the great things that are going on at the high school. So, the purpose of PLC is um is multiaceted. Yes, it is a district-wide initiative that creates a collaborative environment where teachers can work interdependently to really improve student learning, but it's not really just about the meetings. It's not just another meeting. It's an involved process where teachers um reflect on lesson effectiveness and they increase student skill development by really having time to sit and have really rich conversations about this was the lesson, this was the assessment based on the skill that I intentionally planned for. It either hit the mark or it didn't. Now what? Now how do we intervene for this student to get them across the finish line for specific skill skills?
So just just thanks for for all the hard work. I mean I I would echo that sentiment. I think um a lot of people put in a lot of time particularly this year. It's always true but more so this year because of the challenges that I think we see as community financially. Um but at the end of the day I think we're able to get to a number like the one you're presenting um is because of the collaboration that exists. The overall positive impact everybody involved not just in their sort of silo but for the community as a whole and so I think appropriate gratitude the the collaborative efforts from the town manager's office and selectment finance committee um school administration here for everybody who's who's sitting room I think done an excellent job coming up with a solution given all the circumstances um and I I think it's it's worth noting I said this when we were talking about the restructuring but as much as we're talking about this is economic problem and it is there's a lot of really good stuff that is being accomplished at the same time.
And I'm comfortable from experience for the same reason why I wish eighth grade would move back to the middle school so that he could stay there longer. Um, so that I do find a little sad from a personal note, but the amount of labor that we would be asking teachers to do if they're going to move now and then next year move again and possibly year after that move again, that's not sustainable for teachers that we already ask so much from. Um, so I'm sad that we can't move the fifth and eighth grade back and have the plan cost the same as it would if we're not moving them right now. So numbers and heart are at war for me here. Few other questions or comments? Secretary Dunive, I was just curious about the um job losses that we discuss we discussed at the last meeting.
I believe this is Ellsworth's feedback um, planning morning meetings and how that helped them relieve stress in doing that. So they had some great feedback on that and um they reflected on their challenges from the past and kind of setting the the stage for moving forward intentionally. Then um this is the part I'm most excited about is our staff presented. So we had 34 staff members either facilitate on their own or co-f facilitate with each other. Um that led us to have 13 choice sessions for each of our four time slots that we offered. And those sessions were around instructional strategies. We focused on differentiating to meet learner needs. Uh student centered learning. Other sessions were around classroom management and focusing on those positive relationships that we're trying to build with students. Uh technology integration. Our special ed department focused on AI for special education teachers.
Then when they get to sixth grade, they are automatically placed into advanced math. So that label of gifted automatically places them into that advanced class and placement. When you get to the high school and even here at the junior high, the notion of being gifted or having a gifted class actually is obsolete. It's advanced placements, right? That's what you're working and that's where you're functioning. It's not about you're in a gifted class. It is about advanced placement classes. Um, and so we follow that same model here at the junior high. And the elementary school, what we have always called is gifted. This is where I'm going to pivot now and start calling it enrichment because by law, we have to open that and give access to all students. Even if they are demonstrating high levels of proficiency but not identified as gifted, we cannot deny them the opportunity to partake in those enrichment activities.
Certainly I was not expecting to have to have a architect sitting here every day. Um we have a meeting. Um but for example, we brought forth a new layout of a of the transportation center. It would have been nice if the architect was here that could answer the questions that we had about the entrances at the north and south end of the of the project about the flow of traffic about how they came to that layout, why we needed all the parking spaces. It would have been nice to have the architect answering and going forward we'll be sure to have that. I think Mr. Shepard and I had that conversation. And I think our intention is we should have not made the assumption but because we didn't make major changes to the plans for the building that had already been approved that was the reason why Mr.
Okay. Okay. May I have a motion to approve the bid submitted by Auburn Corporation in the amount of $838,250 as presented? So moved. Second. Any discussion? One question. Uh so these windows are just like direct replacement. The same shape, same size as the windows that are currently there. Yes. So can children get out of those windows like if there was a fire? do not believe that these uh windows are designed nor was it recommended by our our security um u consultant that these windows be uh used as an emergency exit. Okay, any other questions hearing? None. If we could take a vote, please. Darling, yes. Mindy Hartman, yes. Stacy Salt, yes. Oh, and I missed you. Anni, yes. Sorry. Jason Jansen, yes. And Julie Jenny, yes. Okay, that motion is approved. 8.7 is the approval of the Briergate renovation ah renovation bid. Let me start that approval of the Briergate renovation bid.