So, if we were able to get a decision tonight on this, it would set us up in perfect order to be able to go forward, close and buy the property, and fulfill our purchase and sale agreement that we have with them. And then we'll basically be owner of that property well in advance of the construction that was outlined by Mr. Grant uh in the earlier presentation. This is a little out of out of the realm of thought here, but I I missed your name and I want Oh, I'm sorry. Michael O'Brien. I'm an executive vice president in wind companies. Uh I have a card I can give to the board. Um and I am basically second in command on the ownership group uh with Thank you. Um I have on the company side versus wind development which is a subsidiary in the company. Okay. I I guess um this is sort of more of a statement and I I think um from what I'm hearing that that's the right partner, but particularly since the board a lot of the work was done before I was on the board of um getting a project that the board felt would be good for Ashland.
Uh, we can just do everything in order. Okay. Um, all right. Nothing else. That is all for finance. Do we have any community meeting reports? I see our PTA representative is not here. Do you have anything like I will not do as good of a job as Lindsay? They just did their crispy cream fundraiser. They raised over 1300. They have their spring gala. Um, April 26th at Elicit. Um May 13th is the art show and ice cream social. Um the art teacher is working very hard. It's a pop art theme this year. She's got scavenger hunts. Um seems like lots of fun things. They're also doing a BOGO book fair for Scholastic, the same day as the um ice cream social. And then teacher appreciation week is the week of May 5th. Um so they are collecting donations. There's going to be a coffee truck one day.
The board took a really great step last month and you know entering into partnership with Somos and SOAK and uh you know we asked the board to just be able to uh extend conversations so that we can provide some really great community services, bring some quality service into uh the Moxa site and really reimagine and repurpose it for youth programs, for social programs, for uh medical programs um so that we have a healthy and thriving Mayfair. Thank you. Oh, okay. My name is Gualupe. I dream of a max for all the families. Although I don't live in the Moxa community neighborhood, I do dream of a Moxa for the neighborhood together for the women to see can discover their abilities have different career opportunities. Success can be measured in many ways. It's our duty. to provide to our youth. I want to see it someday in my own eyes.
Okay. Thank you to Jose and Elana. And you will see these again when you uh when we get to the part in the agenda where you there's going to be a QR code for you that you're going to scan and you're going to cast your selection for your top three of the 12. You'll see these again. Okay. All right. Moving on. We're gonna move on now. We're gonna ask group two. So, we're going to ask Elizabeth Wyn from Western High School so to come up as she's going to be presenting group two and she's an 11th grader at Western High School and Viv and Vivian Vu also from Western High School who's also an 11th grader. Come right on up. Okay, let get you guys set up here. Okay, so Elizabeth and Vivian, they're going to be presenting their the top three recommendations for group number two uh on student outcomes and connected to priorities four and eight, which are uh pupil achievement and other pupil outcomes, priority eight.
So, you know, I think that there's like yes, I know that there's language in there that's speaking specifically to balancing, you know, development um pressures and the need for housing with ecosystem services and those sort of things um and to utilize best practices. But I think that part about having metrics and tracking with the intention of increasing biodiversity is specific. Um and so I think two things there to me those two statements conflict. So like if above we're saying you know the comment was not not our statement sorry that the comments that the comments added into our document saying that the draft plan does not recommend expanding protections or additional categories of protection. If if that's the case, then I don't think you can also say that the plan has elements that address things like saying we should develop metrics to assess, track, and gain and biodiversity because you would need you would need both of those.
So we uh we were above the state average at 1.8% of our um students testing took the alternative assessment. Uh the next group is a percentage of students uh who graduated uh with a diploma. Uh we had 82.6% uh which was a two. And then our last group is our students who receive or students who receive special education support who are in the general education classroom 80% of the time we had 84% which gave us a three. So breaking that information down over the last three years um you can see on the left this is our math uh passing or approaching proficiency rate. So in 2122 we were at 29.1%. In 2223 we jumped up to 31% and then this or the 23 24 school year we did jump up to 37.8%. So we had a big jump there. Uh we still stayed in that three-point range though it looks like school corporations in our category made that jump as well.
And we, you know, we sort of over time experienced that that's still highlevel design. And so when you I'm going to communicate on behalf of the board. I think when you get to that detailed design like please overcommunicate and don't don't start building with something needs to change and you already talked about a generator and our designers on the board are going to be sensitive where that goes and like then you're going to have screening and we're going to be sensitive about the kind of plants you put for screening. And I I what I'm hearing from your presentation is of course you're going to do that, right? Of course you're going to be a good partner. So, I'm not trying to say that insulting, but I'm I'm going to speak up for us and the community that that is absolutely an expectation that if there's a change, anything it we know about before it gets too far down the road.
I think one of the days is maybe Cinco de Mayo theme. Um, yeah, they're busy. Maybe I don't know if I'm missing anything. All right, that's all. Um, yes. Yeah, I attended the March Bolton Scholarship Fund meeting. Um, I can report that in March we had 25 Bolton High School National Honor Society students participate in our phonathon. Um, their assistance is greatly appreciated. They managed to call every number on the list this year. And our scholarship application is now open through the BSEF website. Um, applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on May 4th. Um, I also wanted to note that this year because of a potential conflict of interest, my son is graduating and will likely apply for a scholarship. I've stepped down from the scholarship funds scholarship selection subcommittee and will not participate in any way in the deliberations or votes for this year's scholarship.
There's going to be a Latino president the White House. We need it. ministry is warm welcoming for all of us. Please extend the community can have the opportunity give out their inputs. I said we can develop build together with make this dream reality. Thank you so much. Thank you for your excellent work.
All right, there you go. Thank you. Hello everyone. My name is Elizabeth. Hi guys, my name is Vivian. And we'll be presenting for focus group two. I think it's okay. Sure. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Uh the first one is site and district leaders will provide professional development on the English learners roadmap, utilize the English learners road map toolkits districtwide, increase bilingual instructional aid support and facilitate belief modules training for teachers and support staff to stren strengthen instructional and improve academic achievement for English learners/ pluralingual scholars. The second proposal we have is the district education division will work with school site leadership teams to provide more flexible and non-traditional opportunities for all students, especially English learners, foster youth, students with disabilities, and low-income students to ensure equitable access to programs and enrichment that can provide extra support for academic, personal, and socio emotional needs. And our last proposal is school sites, districts will support low lower student adult ratios in terms of class size and counselor case loads and increase bilingual instructional aid/pair educator support to improve educational success across all classes with emphasis on core classes measuring measured by smart goals reviewed by quarterly by English learners task force and reported out to site and refined as needed and pushed out through relevant PD for all teachers for English learners/ students.
To me, there's there's a miss there. Um, and so I I think to me like that's that's more specifically what what I am hoping comes from this is the need the need to have those metrics and be and be tracking that the fact that even as maybe in some cases you know trees do come down and and and you do have to balance all that how do you set a metric with the biodiversity and that speaks to what um John mentioned um and I and that's very tricky and it's something we're talking about how to do at the university and set those metrics and criteria. So there's like a a value that you can you can set to ecosystem services biodiversity. So it's it's not an easy thing but it seems like a something that's aspirational we should be working towards. Um, and that gets a little bit now into uh the next section down where where our recommendation was to update the A20 um living carbon neutrality plan to to make that a focus.
Um, looking at English language arts in 2122, we had a 30.3% and 2223 a 26.2 and then in 232 24 we did jump back up to a 33.7%. So for um the median student growth percentile in 2122 we were at 40 um and 22 23 of 49 and then 23 24 uh we jumped up to 50. For English language arts uh we were at a 41 in 2122. In 22 23 we jumped to a 43 and then in 23 24 we were up to a 50. So you can see there um that 21 22 year in English language arts we actually went up from a 41 to a 43 but our score dropped. Um so that just kind of shows that it is a moving target. We're trying to make ourselves better in special education but other districts are too. So we're trying to um outperform the districts in our category.
And uh and we will do that. We'll work obviously in tandem with the with the town manager and and staff, but uh we'll do any of that disregarding the idea of change. Our goal is not to make change, but just communicating along the way. Okay. So, you're at a real comfort level with the fact that we're doing meant what we said, said what we uh meant and uh are proceeding as per the permit. Anything else? Uh we'll make sure that you get all the information firsthand. I think that that was that was good to know. We have a um we have been talking a lot about the difference between a project that goes through the planning board and what percentage that is in its in its development from design to construction documents and then about naturally some of the changes that just happen after things are approved here.
I just wanted to make make the public aware of that. That's it. Uh, are there any other committee meetings to report on? Like our usuals. I'll now turn things over to Director Goldsteiner for the tonight's superintendent of schools report. Jar, if you want to go first. Good evening. So March was a very busy month and a successful month particularly for Read Across America. Our staff did an outstanding job with having guest readers in the building for a couple of weeks. Um the enthusiasm and participation from both the staff and students was tremendous. It really was. We had book bingo. We had um teachers reading to students. Like every day there was something and Mrs. Keller did a phenomenal job of uh guiding that work with the morning announcements and getting the kids excited. On March 20th and 21st, we hosted a su successful round of parent teacher and student le conferences.
[Applause] Good evening board members. My name is Kiana Munos and I am with the African-American Community Service Agency. Um we proudly stand in solidarity with our partners at MAXA SOS Mayfair in the school of art and culture in the vision for transforming MAXA into a cultural and into a cultural center that is empowering hub. This vision aligns with every community's values where community voices particularly those of youth and families are centered in shaping their own future. We urge the board to extend negotiations by at least two months. This extension is not a delay. It is a necessary step towards equality and authenticity within community engagement. Our families deserve the time and space to be heard and to dream and to cocreate a space that reflects their aspirations. Thank you for your commitment to the process and prioritizing people, partnership, and a power of community voice.
students with disabilities populations because our long-term English learners need more support in math, English, and science measured by the dashboard [Applause] data. Okay. Thank you, Elizabeth and Vivian. All right. Okay. So, now we're gonna have group three. Okay. Okay, so group three, we're going to ask Nicolas Sanchez Mota, an 11th grader at Catella High School, to come right on up. Nicholas. All right, anybody? Okay, so group three, our focus group number three is on engagement. Um, and they're connected to priority three, which is uh parental involvement. All right, and class, it's all yours. Hello, my name is Nicholas as you mentioned and uh our proposals are family engagement plan. AHSD will develop and implement a family and engagement plan offering events at v varied times and formats to ensure equitable access and participation with a focus on the needs of families and students with disability English learners foster youth and lowincome students.
And I I I take the point of the commenter um the staff comment in there that that that A20 plan specifically is is not meant to be like a task list. um and that that many of the the actions that support that are not particularly like directly listed in in the A20 plan. So, I I I understand that and [Music] um and I think there could be maybe a a reworked portion maybe up for discussion that says, "Okay, but but these things should be showing up in as priorities in those in those staff work plans, right? is to start exploring establishing those biodiversity and ecosystem metrics um so that so that we can track it. So th those are the things that stood out to me about uh the comments that we received on this and and maybe how we can think of it and move forward.
Uh so for i3 um in 2122 we had 75% pass in 2223 we we dropped to a 54 or 55.4% but our score actually went up. Um and then in 2324 we jumped up to a 79.4 for I am we did have an increase this year. We've been at 1.3% the last two years. we did jump up to 1.8% which is really when we look at the percentage it's about seven students were added for to IM from the previous years to this year with that um small jump uh our graduation rate for students with uh receiving special education in 2122 we were at 58.3% uh 22 23 uh 71.8 and then 23 24 it was 82.6 And then the last one was our LR code of 50 which is students receiving special education are in the general education at least 80% of the time. In 2122 we were at 92.9%.
but how we make sure that the changes that may be very necessary to happen in a project after they leave here, how we make sure that they're still acceptable to the board that accepted the project. Sure. You know, so those are the types of concerns. We'll live by the permit. Uh we understand the sensitivity and importance of those permits and uh and just out of courtesy, we'll bring forward those plans for continued conversation. um recognizing that um you know it's a challenge to make sure these projects work in the economy but we're always going to use that permit as our guide through those challenges and any deration from that we recognize is a jurisdiction of the board and I think the other thing is that um as this uh you know as our town council you know obviously reviewed and helped us to write these parts especially the parts having to do with um um with the affordability component of the decision that we would absolutely though we could take a vote of support about we about what we talked about tonight.
Attendance was very strong. I had a group of students for student le conferences myself and just the the energy and the reflection that the students have from that experience. I don't think they realize it until they're done and they're like, "Wow, that feels really good." So, the parents are very proud of their children and the leaders of the groups are very proud because they put a lot of work over a series of months into that. Um, attendance was strong as I mentioned and the energy throughout the building was very positive. The conferences provide a valuable opportunity for parents, students, and teachers to connect and to discuss their progress. Following the conferences, Director Gold Snider, 10 other staff members, and myself led 86, seventh, and eighth graders to Washington DC. Uh, the trip was filled with enriching experiences including tours, museum visits, um, and very and a lot of memorable learning opportunities.