Yeah. And that could be, you know, we say no next next person, you know, like that. I feel like that's the job of Mr. Sheepard. I'm not reading it that way. This is language that the that we were literally using two months ago. It's not doing anything other than saying that it is the board desiring that the architecture, the engineer, the land surveyor that they come to that they come before us and describe what it is they're going to do and answer our questions. Not like it's an interview because we've already selected them employed by us just that they would go over well this is what we this is what why I believe that we're going to put the we're going to put the building at a 45 degree angle or something like that. You know that's how I read it. And without that I don't know if future boards will have that.
So finding parts for our intercom systems um has become um kind of like antique shopping um so to speak where you're kind of searching around trying to find the parts. So Mr. Mr. Shepard and I spoke about um the overall plan and although um one of the buildings in this was not identified for an upgrade. We felt though be for the for the safety reasons that we needed to make sure we had working intercom systems that were updated. All of our our systems are pretty old. So it's not like any of them have been replaced and we're just replacing them. Um, and so when we looked at that and then when we got the quote back from audio enhancement and each of the prices for the three buildings that we're bringing forth this evening actually fall below the um estimates that we received from the architect for replacing intercom systems and then with the added um safety features as well as the audio features that classrooms would have available to them, um we saw that this was definitely one of those projects that we needed to move forward with sooner rather than later.
Select is an alternative learning program that's within the high school. It truly wraps various interventions and supports around students from honor students to credit recovery students. We have identified 14 interventions that we use to create flexibility within our school community. Those are on the board. um to either accelerate learning for those who are behind or who want to graduate early or to schedule around a student's preference that would not traditionally fit in their seven period day. So on the chart um you will see like student agency voice um 93.22% of our students receive that intervention who are in our program. flexibility and scheduling. 81.36% of our students have that intervention within the program. Some of our students want to take a lot of electives. They're in multiple pathways. So, in order for us to be able to get in some of their course subjects based on the seven period day, we can do those in select periods one through six, which allows them to take some additional elective courses that they would not otherwise be able to take.
But so that's been really helpful to just for me, I'll speak personally, but I'm pretty sure for everybody else to just be educated on what the other needs are. We don't think about like what the police need or what the fire need or what's going on at the senior center. Not saying I don't care about it, but that it's not my job to really dive into that. And other people are doing that and not this. So it's not until we and again this is no judgment because I raised four kids and I did not come up for air for like 20 years and I did not go to a single meeting. So I'm not but but until I do or I did I don't really understand like all the different things that are at play and the nuance and the actual amount of money involved to do x y or z.
So, there's two motions I have for you tonight on this ad hoc committee. One is um basically very slight language change to the uh the functions and duties documents for the redistricting and reorganizing ad hoc committee which basically is uh as presented. It just changes um from recommend changes to redistricting policy. Instead it says recommend changes to redistricting plan to the full committee on an as needed basis. And in one other place it changes the word p uh policies to plans just to make it clear that this is not part of our school committee policies. It's part of a a strategic plan we made basically as a as a committee. So I'd like to hear a motion to approve the revised functions and duties uh document as presented. So moved. Motion from member Martini. Is there a second? Second it to bring it to discussion.
Um, we also had 57 business and industry folks. That is not including anybody from the district. So, this excludes anybody that helped out from the district. We did have a couple that volunteered some help, but that is strictly uh uh businesses and post-secondary representatives. So, very nice turnout, very a great opportunity to get them on our campus to see our kids. And as always, it never fails. The adults um are are pleasantly surprised at what Combmes has to offer our youth with our youth. Um they they always walk out with a smile on their face and and really impressed by our students. Um the process leading up to the event um we did have our CT teachers and our uh senior ELA teachers prep the students. Um so they uh practiced interview skills, they created resumeumés uh leading up to the event and then the day of the event they came in and they were able to demonstrate uh the skills that they had.
So every single meeting that we have uh with the parents to review the IEP, these are the areas that we review in detail. So it it always starts with uh parent concerns. Sometimes we know ahead of time parents have told us their concerns. We may uh document concerns as we're going through the entire meeting. And I will say this, shout out to the families in Carrie. It is so unusual for us to not have a parent present at a meeting that if that ever happens, we all look around like, what are we supposed to do? Our parents are committed. They attend their meetings, whether it's in person, on Zoom. It's it is amazing. I think in this district more than any other I've worked in, the parents are there every day to uh support their students and to work with the staff. It's fantastic. So the parents concerns the parents really need to be part of this process because we need to make sure that their concerns are being addressed because they know their students the best.
I'm not saying that they won't, but I'm thinking long-term policy, not what's currently happening. I don't mind putting it to a vote. So section 8 language added. Language. Yep. And section 8. Got it. 22 220. Okay. So, Oh, go ahead. Oh, no. I was going to say I think this, let me double check, but I think this was one that you had emailed us about earlier. I think we captured what and when we made the gra um grammatical or typos, but I want to double check before I say that that adding or designate was added. So let me to what was already adopted by the board. It was par I had suggested that paragraph three under agenda of two to 20 add or designate after the superintendent is that what was discussed in committee and it is there so I took it off the list.
Dr. White, can you speak to why we're not doing all of our buildings at the same time? Just very briefly. Sure. So, the plan is um to bring forward um Deer Path and the Junior High um to the board for those replacements when we do those renovations in the in the next two summers. So when we were done, the other thing that this would add is all of our buildings would be on the same system, which gives us extra features like district all calls on intercom systems and um emergency kind of situations as well as announcements. We can actually have the capability to do it across the district, but we're going to wait and do those buildings when we do their renovation projects. So it'll be 20 summer of 2026, summer of 2027. And then did we decide that the door the door um is going to be part of this as well monitoring the exterior doors?
Um, here are some data for our select students. Last year, our 2024 senior cohort group, we had 59 seniors at the high school that were receiving interventions in the select program. Total credits earned at MCHS from this student population was 682 credits. A total of those credits that were in earned in select were 280 of their credits. almost a third of their credits to graduate were earned in select. The total average periods in select were about 2.5 um periods. We had 16 honor students, five general diploma students. Three of those general diploma students were fifthyear seniors that we brought back um to finish them up. One fifth year senior finished all of their core credits but did not finish their pathway. So, they did not graduate. um just due to lack of pathway um and there were two withdrawals to homeschool this year. Our 2025 data, the grade level focus has shifted due to success and credit recovery last year.
So I I think that's why it's really helpful that we have these conversations and that no please know that we are advocating for all these things as well. Like everything that's been discussed is on a list that we fight for. Um, and it's just a matter of, you know, being considerate of other priorities and also making sure that we have ways to get money, which at the end of the day, you know, that's that's what we need. So again, thanks for all your hard work and I will take a motion to vote on the budget number. Close the hearing first. Move to close the hearing. I'll second. All in favor? I I I move to approve the budget of $44,350,743 for the 2026 fiscal year as presented. Second. All in favor? Marcy? I I All right, we have a budget. I know. It's important. Okay, thanks for all your input, everybody.
Okay. Uh any discussion? Changing word policy to plan. Member Stton. I don't have a specific comment about that in particular. That's fine for me. But I would suggest we revisit the second bullet point where it discusses who actually can convene this ad hoc subcommittee. If it is true as we are saying that we are going to essentially have to do what the prior ad hoc committee did but in half the time then I think that it would be prudent to give the chair the opportunity to call the meeting. Not just to have us as a full committee have to vote to say they can meet or only have Karen have the option to call the meeting. I think Elizabeth should be able to have the right to call that same meeting. Um, can I just respond to that? Yeah. Just that that the next motion is basically where we're going to charge the the the ad hoc committee with with a project.
Uh we had about 225 resumes. So we gave the students an option if they wanted their resume to be evaluated by one of our industry professionals. We had about 225 students that said yes, we'd like them to look at our our resume. So we distributed those out. Uh we'll get those back next Wednesday and then back to the students so that the students can get uh additional feedback uh on the event. Um these are the businesses that participated and this is impressive. Um you as you look through that list uh you can see that we have small business owners from the community. We have large uh organizations that were part of this um all eagerly wanting to to do something. Special shout out to Uru Autoare. Uru um for the second year in a row sponsored our hospitality room for our volunteers. Oh, nice. So they were able to have coffee and and juice and and things to keep them going throughout the day.
Um but we do talk about present levels of performance. We develop goals and objectives based on where the present levels are. We look at special factors like is the student blind or visually impaired? Do they have communication difficulties? Do they have assistive technology needs? Uh linguistic and cultural accommodations if that's appropriate. We talk about all kinds of supplementary aids, accommodations, and modifications. Those need to be uh directly documented into the IEP, which follows the district and state assessments and any modifications or accommodations they might need there. Um if they have an accommodation on a state assessment, it's an accommodation that they need to be using regularly in class. Um we calculate the services in the minutes and then we move on to the education environment. And I'm going to talk a little bit more about placement options in just a moment. But I do want to clarify under education environment, which is really what we think of as um the placement.
Yeah I think it got missed the first time but then it has been added. So designate does exist there. Sorry that one has a lot of exhibits so I had to do a lot of swiping. Okay. So, um 22 250 E1, these are the last two. Um 2250E1, this is an exhibit written request for district public records. This was moved to the procedure manual um and out of the policy manual, but this is a standard form. This is just your standard whatever um request form. and I'm okay with any version of it so long as it's publicly accessible. I know that there's a link somewhere in the on the district's website, but um just having it here is um I believe just part of what our duty is. Somebody I think somebody just recently used that form too with a submittal of a foya. I'm okay with leaving it in.
Sure. So that is part of the scope of work um at the buildings. However, when we did um a cost analysis and looked at our current systems, Genitech is the current provider of our door sensors and the um the card readers um and so we would rather integrate into Genitech. So that is the same but Genitech then integrates into the audio enhancement system. Okay. So that will be updated when is that part of Yes. Yes. So that was part um you Yep. That was part of the package that was included in the Briergate renovation and then we'll work on the other buildings and bring those forward as we um do additional projects. Right now though we have a lot that we're doing this summer. So yes, by the time referendums work done, all of the buildings will have that feature. Okay, perfect. Thank you. All right.
Our juniors last year earned credits where they became on track to graduate and they are now enjoying classes out and they have a lessened senior year um for course load because they did credit heavy credit recovery last year. This year our program is made up of only 24 seniors. We have 48 juniors, 21 sophomores, and 19 freshmen. Total credits scheduled at MCHS is 1,664 credits. And of those for these for our cohort group this year, um total of those credits that they are earning in select is almost half. 797 of those credits are in select. All right. So the the future of MCHS, we feel like we're definitely headed in the right path. There's been a lot of work um at the district level and then in our building with our teachers um even with our students um and shifting and the like I said the culture and um so we're heading in the right direction.
We really do appreciate it. Uh next up we have appointment of a school committee member to the Driscoll Scholarship Committee. Uh yes everybody uh you're welcome to stay but we're not offended when you leave as soon as you possibly can. Have a good night. Thanks again everybody. No I was ready to go the motion to right away. I know we're not done yet. Couple more little Yeah. Driscoll. Um, I think I did it last year. It's it's one meeting. Um, it's getting together with other people on the committee. There are like three or four other people. Applications come in. I think we did it by Zoom last year pretty quick. And we try to avoid people. If you if you have like a junior or senior or somebody that might be applying for the scholarship, you should probably not. Um, I mean I think I think it's really just seniors, but I just knowing a number of the kids now because at the senior you want to graduate.
And yeah, it I I agree if the that I don't think that lang language was meant to imply that each time the committee wanted to meet for an individual meeting that they would need a vote by the full committee. I think it just meant that the the ad hoc committee was essentially dormant for a while except by a charge of the school committee and that is what the next motion is for the school committee to uh ask or tell the ad hoc committee to do a project. Does that answer your does that address that concern at all or No, maybe I'm just being particular, but the an ad hoc subcommittee means that it it meets until it's no longer needed and then is gone. It's essentially temporary. And having now been the chair of several ad hoc subcommittees, I do not and have never been aware of not being able to call a meeting of your ad hoc subcommittee without being told that you could by the full committee.
So really uh impressed with these folks and their willingness to help us out. Um so uh what I would rather do because you know I can talk I talk a lot. Um is that uh we had our English teachers here but they had to go get their kids so they had to leave. Um but we have our nursing assistant teacher uh Miss Riley and we have two of her students Carly and um don't say it Nicole. and um they participated in as well. Aren't they nicely professionally dressed? Isn't that awesome? Um and then we also have Miss Loftess. So, I'm going to turn the mic over to them. Uh uh if you Krista, you want to share kind of from the teachers perspective and then we'll have the students. I am not that tall. Good evening. Hi, I'm Christa Riley. Good evening, community members and staff board and uh Dr.