Does that sound about right? So, uh, with that, I just ask that you, um, email Kate with any comments right now, and we'll just kind of stand by. Receiving none so far. Okay. Don't be shy. It's hard to read the room, so we'll just sort of sit back and wait if that's okay with everyone. Sure. Fine. No problem. again in the silence.
members of the board in attendance president and mr. Bergeron oh dear vice president board another a new era she's not on you if you are trustee and yourself muted can you take your microphones off from you at least for now we'd like to keep them open just as it would be in a regular session unless you you know feel some need to have them muted did you did you call us the editor milena vice president Covino Alouette here clerk and rescue petal remember Linda Chavez present remember the Lord is Marcus Roscoe read it members of an Emancipation superintendent dr.
If anyone has any questions um on comments on this evening's agenda, please uh feel free to email Kate Gensther. Still none being received. Okay, looks like we have 30 viewers online right now watching. Great. Where are you guys? Where are you seeing that? Because I don't see it on mine, but that's I have another laptop opened up, Mr. Nunes. Uh, with the feed going on it. Oh, okay. Never mind. That's on YouTube. Okay. Listen, I got one going. I'm happy with that. Hey, you're here. Let's not push our luck. Oh, not at all. And thank you to on a serious note, my thanks to Jonathan worked with me for an hour yesterday to get this set up and hooked up and greatly appreciate it. So, still no emails coming in. What time are we at? 34. It's another minute or two. Sure. Yep. That's fine.
Bower present okay thank you everyone before we go any further I just first want to recognize that they were displaying the obvious that this is a very new situation for all of us maybe with the exception of a star but I think you know for him it's new so we're gonna try this out we hopefully this will go smoothly but there may be some bumps in the road along the way so please forgive us thank you for understanding as we're trying to work this out given the situation and not knowing what the future holds this may be a preview of meeting meetings to come so we're trying to work it out we're doing our best and we appreciate you being here with us and understanding our trying to figure this all out as we go so for now that being said a little change slight change to how we normally do things we will recite the Pledge of Allegiance but you can feel free to stand or not given the situation thank you okay so as we now continue I want to read just a couple of things to so people understand what here so as I kind of noted after is our meeting facilitator you can raise your hand after he's a the one that says board meeting if you're watching this stream all attendees microphones with the exception of trustees will be muted automatically in addition your video will be disabled however you are still able to hopefully view and hear this this broadcast I guess you'll call her this meeting people who would like to speak under public comment should send an email to public comment at a are USD org again that's public comment at a are USD org no spaces no underlines just the words as I read them that will be fairly soon on the agenda so if you have a comment pre-prepared prepared or you want to say something to make sure you get that in as soon as possible there there is also a lie Spanish translation interpretation that is available if you need Spanish same as simple as a child asta continence manual I mean no option que en name is Ostrow link okay monotonetim sir link as a mismo zoomed us so i can you sir as a dress suit us in one que este canal pero el número de la contra s mueve Sarah siete Nueve you know Oh Cho Cinco cuatro Cinco uno no Eric cero siete Nueve uno Oh John Cinco cuatro Cinco uno con ese numero quail koonta Aniston John Oh Travis Sandlin mismo dirección zoom Punto us anyone with better Spanish if I needed to correct anything there please feel free to correct me but if not hopefully our our community means the Spanish translation will have that and finally we are broadcasting this live on our youtube channel which is Alum Rock tini the album rock is together space TV if you just search for Allan rock TV and should find it and this meeting ok I think we most of that business taken care of after or dr. Bower if there's anything I'm missing please indicate if not I'll move forward right we got the thumbs up from the boss so we can move forward public item to public members who wish to address the board so as I mentioned the way that we are doing this is through email so you do have the ability to provide public comment on the b1 and it's only on the one item that is a gem guys because this is a special meeting the only comment public comment that we can take at this time is on the agenda item so normally in a normal meeting when I have the ability to hear public comment on items not realized that is not the case with a special meeting so if you do have a comment to item jus I'm sorry too item 3 3.01 then if you have not submitted that you may if you have the way we're going to do it is your comment that you submitted will read at a normal pace by I believe mr.
Now, again, anyone that's watching, if you have any comments regarding the agenda, please email to Kathleen Genser at dartmouthschools.org. That's K A T H L E N G N T H N E R dartmouthschools.org. Sorry for being repetitive, but there's a lot of 635. We're good. Yeah. Okay.
Madan if I'm not mistaken but it took me someone else it will be read at a normal pace on a timer a total of twenty minutes maximum is what we will have for public comment and so mr.
Uh I guess chair hearing none I will um close that section of our meeting. Um we cannot we have to skip ahead. So if it's okay should we just skip to the approval of minutes? I would entertain a motion to approve the regular well separately but the regular and executive session minutes of March 9th 2020. They were part of our packet. So moved. Second. Okay, that's for the uh regular hearing. Yeah, regular regular session minutes. Okay. Okay.
Sanchez is helping us and he's giving me that no he doesn't have any comments okay he is going to remain online in if that's okay with you for present interest to allow our audience time unless you anybody wants to you know we just don't have any messages okay so having no public comment at this time we will we will call for it at 1:00 one more time before we take an action but for now we have item three point zero one approved resolution number 28 - 19/20 cove 819 school closures so for that item I don't see him on my screen but is our council available to give us a brief description or outline of this resolution that we that we have before us okay there we go can you hear me yep okay so as you all everyone knows there's been a flurry of public orders declarations and proclamations of emergency culminating in a decision on honor about March 13th by several local districts to shut down schools effective the district schools effective March the 16th Monday March 16 on Monday March 16th there was a declaration of public health emergency by the county health off sir there was also an emergency I'm sorry an executive order that was issued by the governor and then other proclamations by local educational officials including the county superintendent declaring an emergency and declaring the need to close schools effective immediately as a result of the corona virus pandemic the governor's executive order provided that schools would continue to receive funding provided that the closures were being in response to the corona virus pandemic and so the purpose of this meeting and this resolution is to memorialize that the district's action in closing at schools is in response to the corona virus pandemic so as to maximize the district's ability to maintain its full funding under the governor's executive order okay thank you for that before we go any further I just want to make check in and make sure trustee Marquez are you still able to hear and I didn't quite get everything that I heard you know dia well heavy Louie was saying I just did my volume over here on my phone but even that didn't help though because thing is that you're in where you're bathing in now I have a question no another when we even have like I can't raise my hand cuz I called in and sorry or the rest of my colleagues are they there at the board meeting or they're calling or what I can't picture what is going on so everyone all the other trustees well they're seeking better it looks like his videos disabled so I belong here at respeaking panel I think you are all right here okay so we have audio and kind of video from Christie Quintero trusty Chavez Trusteer data Laura and myself I have video so we're able to see each other initially we had mentioned about a process whereby everyone's microphones would be muted and people would raise their hands so that I can see you and call you and we could open up your mic but we decided to just have all of the trustees mics open so at this point trustees mics are all open and yours as well included in that's just only audio and and the reason for that was just to try to make sure given the challenges of technology sometimes that we don't talk over each other but we just thought that we could all handle it so we kept everything open so hopefully you're able to hear that trustee mod case if you have something to say you can just kind of just kind of ask since you're on audio only just kind of asking a DC trustee at ellora okay there's a few people staff I believe in the boardroom the rest of us are wherever we are oh all right okay trust be an elevator did you have a comment I thought I just got a text from a community member that the Spanish zoom is not working but Bauer did give message that they should they could still email public comments but and then they'll translate staff will translate I just wanna let you know that the zoom the Spanish zoom apparently is not working they didn't give any other information about what they mean by not working is just not work I mean if I no no they just said it's not working they said FYI Spanish zoom not working it's a connection okay well hopefully I mean we're trying to as I mentioned we're trying to piece it together maybe we have staff a bit available to address that we may not be able to in this meeting but we I think it looks like after hours on it so he's gonna give it a try but that's good so thank you for letting us know that any other questions or comments with regards to the Resolution Trust to keep better I can't see you but I'm assuming your silence indicates no comment or question no no conference okay and trustee Marquez in the with the inability to see or hear you or I can hear you but I can't see you so do you have any questions or comments with regards to the resolution alrighty and I don't see anything I read a letter if I can translate where people are listening in Spanish it's the mecca another her savage Kalama coordinates in viendo el zoom and espanol entonces si gentleman Craig Lucas en espanol mandalas ooh BAE la e says say o ma ma ma arroba array ooh si de punto Ora hey put him under supramundane espanol it's a las Tres Rios este nose notification Kahlo make horn está siendo zoom and espanol entonces en una pregunta mandolin espanol o comentario is a lot reduce ramos gracias thank you and just for clarification messy while kiss the Empress ccpn apparent 'as weather preguntar la pregunta para nosotros no necessary Amenti vamos a poder contestar la pregunta pero puede poner esse pregunta in nosotros vamos a tomar ESO su preguntan in cuenta en nuestra decision they say they're right dr. Sarah Laura and great okay okay so I actually did have a question for counsel it's on the second page of the resolution at the right after I ate MD when it says be it FURTHER RESOLVED in order that should any portion of this resolution be held invalid the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the resolution which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or application and to this end the provisions of the resolution are declared to be severable so if you can please just let us know roughly what that means or at least let me know that part was a little beyond my paygrade so yes that's that's what's referred to as a savings clause which means that because of the extraordinary nature of these orders and this resolution there may at some point in time the legal challenges either to all of these actions being taken or to specific actions within specific orders that may impact this resolution this savings provision saves everything if some portion of the resolution or some prior acts on which this resolution is based are thrown out by a court of law because they violate the state or the federal constitution or some other constant for some other reason that this provision means that the balance of your resolution stays in effect to the extent legal in other words it wouldn't wipe out the whole resolution and require this board to come back and redo all of us all over again okay thank you for that I'm tired look did you have something that our Spanish channel is assumed okay so okay so in a canal or link get a memo spiral zoom and espanol yeah Sylvain this afternoon especially esta ic-cap well in por lo que we say the remainder of loca sobre esta gente puede ver en espanol and NS be back soon si okay that means and I don't know how much more are there any other questions or comments with regard to the resolution from tres trustees alright so we did say that we would revisit the public comment that may have come in via email during the time that we were discussing and hearing about the resolution and it looks like we do have now some public comment is that correct dr.
Um any discussion? All in favor? John seconded? Second. Okay. Okay. Chair hearing none. Thank you. I wasn't I wasn't at the meeting. So one extension. Okay. And so I will also entertain a motion now again for the executive session of that same night, March 9th, 2020. So move, madam chair, with the stipulation that they be held until the matter for which they were intended is complete. I'll second that. All in favor? I one extension. Thank you, Carol. Great. So, we have a few minutes here. Um, we have our public hearing not beginning until 6:45. That's when it was published. Yeah. Uh, so um, Madam Chair, you want you want to jump down to the new down to new business? That'd be okay. May I interject? Yes. Yes. I I see a um an email here which reads, "Is there a way to switch the agenda times?
Bauer yeah okay so do we have a time already I don't I have no idea if it's like a ten page email or just a paragraph or what we're dealing with I don't see it so do we need a timer is my question if not then feel please four lines okay then if we could hear that public comment please so this public comment visitin s anxious sharing a public comment from sandra Rivera hello board members why is this board meeting only to address the closure why when given this time when the teachers have been expected to go above and beyond in doing distance learning online learning has the board not used this time to create a plan on what is expected of all of us each principal is given out different information and being asked to do different things making it an equitable among the teachers also tea can hinder are expected to do paperwork for the kids and then others are expected to create online learning opportunities Thank You somebody Rivera can you teach others alright thank you so that was the only one that we have yes okay I kind of I kind of want to give it a quick second for any Spanish speakers but I believe that the information was provided in the initial link was I - am I correct that there was information that went out with the agenda indicating that you could email public comment yes and that okay so I guess we don't need to wait any further trust you at all O'Hara do you have something okay go ahead yes okay so I just want to take the time to thank administration and Roque do for working overtime and putting this together I know that we're all doing our best and giving given you know the circumstances who knows I'm sure you know there's other shifts that we get to take and we get to be patient with one another so I just want to thank you ed nesto you know for I'm keeping up and you know coordinating with Bauer and then Bauer keeping us posted as things change literally by the hour it felt like within the last week and so now we're here at this emergency resolution you know having faith and trust in our administration there at Elam rock that we're all doing our best and I've seen it in action you know I know we all have you know everywhere from custodians to the teachers to cafeteria being you know the shifting to the outside you know all of our staff I'm doing with the cabinet's during this time and so I just I guess the only thing you know obviously I mean I'm in agreement I'm in agreement to wear right now and this resolution be passed I look forward to voting on that and also I would just like to add and I'm sure administration is thinking of this and are possibly already have talks with other superintendents within our Eastside alliance of how to collaborate to serve you know the families of our community I know that we share a lot of families and I've talked to Bauer about this but I look forward to hearing a little bit more about the collaborations especially with those families that we share with other districts that's a district such as sharing our internet links and you know I look forward to having all of our children connected with a device so that nobody's left behind and I know we're working hard to make sure that happens thank you thank you any other comments yeah just wondering to echo the the recognition to the staff the teachers have put together a package for the children to continue their learning as they're at home the administrators are out there handing out information and packets and technology to our parents at the school sites as well as the custodians that are keeping everybody safe by providing maintenance everybody all the folks that are passing out food to our children so that those kids whose primary meals are provided by our schools don't go without and anybody else that I've forgotten thank you all to the LM Rock family for stepping up and keeping blag as normal in a very very awkward and strange times that we're living right now so thank you all thank you I want something also okay thank you everybody for doing the jobs that you're doing and I just want us to remember that this is beyond our control and that if everybody can help out one another more and I know some are more pressed with more duties but I want to thank all those that are going above and beyond and this is the time to not say or maybe excuse me I said it wrong this is a time that we should really back our administration and because we don't have all of the details all the things that we need to know but be assured that they're trying to communicate that but they still in the end have to make the decision the best for everybody's health it's best for everybody's education and if we can all support them that way that's just my request to the parents the students the teachers the admins everybody involved so that everybody so that this is a learning experience for everybody but that we all keep that in mind it's like everybody's doing their best be patient please thank you Thank You trustee Marquez I can't see you but do you have any comments or I really appreciate that I also want to thank the one comment that came in and I was that we did have another comment but brand-new and we'll have to get used to it but you know indicated that people were informed about this process and what we're doing here today so again thank you sort of a comment and thank you all of you the staff that has worked hard to put this together and we're going to get through the glitches and we're going to do fine for next time so this may be the way of doing business for a while now I also would like to just go ahead and make a motion that we accept the resolution that was brought to us from the staff and get this meeting moving okay um so there's a motion on the floor to accept the resolution is there a second to that motion second okay so there's a motion move motion and a second to accept the resolution I see after you have something there's one public comment okay is it a it's an email I'm assuming yes okay thank you [Music] so this is from Lisa Gonzalez good afternoon board members my name is Dylan solace I appreciate that we address this issue with importance in Yeats I would like to know how we are involving parents and teachers in this decisions that are related to our students and how you're addressing the special ed student needs as for now not every student has been able to get access to the assignments computer or hotspot as well as I been hearing translation has been a huge issue for many of our parents as a parent I believe mutual collaboration and communication to be able to thrive even at these moments we would like to offer our help to address this issue and keep working in a community spirit thank you thank you so before we take action I'd also just wanted to have a couple comments first of all obviously I echo the sentiments of everyone who has spoken very obviously these are unprecedented times for all of us and I appreciate the comment made by trustee Alouette about just how things change almost on have been at some times changing on the hour and it's a very fluid situation and in coordinating with legal counsel and and dr.
Give parents or anyone time to figure this out addressing, but that was an email I received." Okay. Um, in terms of Capella comment, I I don't know. That's that's all it uh has on the email. Chris, if I could add something, Madam Chair. Yes. Maybe given the circumstances that this is our first time doing this, uh maybe we do allow at the end of this meeting um an opportunity um for brief public comment. Uh if anyone that has not had that opportunity to figure it out, that's just an option. Yeah. So everybody in favor of that, I think that would I'm good with that. Okay. So am I. We'll do that then. So for everyone listening, um those of you who weren't able to comment for public comment, we will add that at the end of of the um meeting. May I also ask another question?
Bower and staff to try to get something set even for the last regular meeting and this meeting and I assume the future may be to try to get something set and then have a change come down and then we need to adapt and make modifications to the new orders it has been challenging but I really want to thank our staff who's been seemingly working around the clock to get things lined up all of us have been asked to change our entire lives our entire work and everything we do almost overnight and so it's not easy to coordinate that as individuals with their own families but also with a fairly large organization and so there's learning to be had still in with regards to communication and parent involvement and and coordinating efforts of you know teachers and everybody else that there's this room to go and we all have room to learn but I don't believe that there's anyone more prepared from it for this then our resilient Allen rock community that's who we are that's what we do and I'm confident that we will get there I also want to make sure not to I don't want to be remiss and forget to thank our volunteers I know several of us have the opportunity to go out to the food distribution that we that we've been having for our students and families and in talking to some of our CNA staff that that has been no easy task to organize the distribution to understand what the need is to understand how to work those logistics and figure out which schools need what that's is a huge task and that's just one small example of everything that's been going on in the district so I want to make sure that we recognize our staff and volunteers for teachers parents everyone for adapting overnight to all these changes so thank you everyone and are there any other public comments or comments from the board before we take action it's quote mr.
And I'm not to answer any of these emails. I'm only to acknowledge that it was received. Yes, please. You will. Yeah. I think if if it's the pleasure of the committee, you them to us. We um we take them in and as far as a public hearing, same thing. Yeah. All right. It's part of the record. That uh email question came from Lisa Aruda. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Okay. All right. So, um, we do have a Sorry, technical glitches. We do have a few more minutes, so we could go on to something else under new business. Sorry. Do we want to discuss the student opportunity act? Yeah, that's good. So, can I turn that over to you, Dr. Gford or uh Mr. Kylie, I'm not hearing anyone. I had to unmute myself. Oh. Um, we we'll pro we'll going to need to pass over this or table this as um the deadline has been extended and obviously with the school closures, we have done nothing on this plan right now.
president if you could for so that you have an accurate record just State for the record who made the motion and who ii don't think so the motion was to pass the resolution was made by trustee Marquez it was seconded I was a trustee Chavez or trustee Quintero oh but he's on record first okay seconded by trustee Quintero so no if there's no further discussion or comment so we will poll our trustees individually for their vote on the resolution on the floor which is to pass the resolution so I will just go in the order that I have here trustee Marquez okay thank you trustee Chavez yes yes okay trustee Kim dead on i trustee at ellora and myself I so the motion passes unanimously [Music] let me just make sure I have everything is that all good counsel is that it yes okay so that is our one order of business for this meeting we are staff and us are working on the logistics and and what needs to happen in our next regular board meeting but I want to thank everyone for participating here for coordinating miss for dealing with our challenges as we're trying to work things out I hope everyone does their best to take care of themselves take care of their family make sure that we follow the orders that are coming down to us so we can get back to normal at some point and hopefully we will see you at the next regular board meeting to come so thank you everyone I will adjourn the meeting at 12:30 7:00 p.m.
So, okay. Wonderful. Waiting continued news and updates from the commissioner. Okay, that sounds good. We have five more minutes. Um, how about we um how about school choice funds? Would that be appropriate, Chris, or would that be if I turn that over to you or would you be Yeah, I I can start that off. That's fine. I'm not sure if we'll Does the uh Mr. News will probably know this. Does the public budget hearing have to open at 6:45? No, you can't. You can't open it before if it you can open it afterwards though, right? You can open it after if things have just extended beyond. Okay, perfect. So, in regards to the school choice in in regards to the school choice funds being on the uh agenda today, I think it's important that the committee have a discussion around what the procedure this is.
Now, we're going into I believe our our third or fourth year of school choice, which I think is a wonderful program, wonderful opportunity to bring uh students in and receive uh the Dartmouth High School experience otherwise may not have been able to. In addition, uh we receive funds from their sending districts as we all know. Um and I know that um the Bush Street administration has done a wonderful job um allocating those funds and using them for a very number of great projects. Um, I just think it's important that I think as school committee, we have a fiscal duty uh to make sure that the funds um, not to say that they're not, but uh, we have a fiscal duty to make sure that they're being spent appropriately. I'm not saying, you know, this administration, it could be the following administration from here, but I think it's something that it's something important that we get on the books now.
So, um, you know, I'd be open to hearing what other members think, other committee members. However, I'd like to see something in which uh so uh someone either Dr. Gifford or Mr. Kylie or Miss Roy comes in to the board uh requesting uh funds from school choice. Um does anyone else have comments about that? Uh John, only because I see you first here. Do you have anything to Thank you. Thanks, Chris. Uh yeah, I mean everybody knows how I feel about school choice and the fact that uh you know we've gotten half a million dollars or more uh you know over the past few years from this program uh has been fantastic. It's been been great to to use and and to uh to have available to us. I think if you go back and look a while back since the first of the year and Mr.
Kylie, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that we did get some type of a basic snapshot of uh how much we had received and where some of those funds had gone. Uh specifically, uh stadium renovations, Chromebooks, uh some supplies someplace, uh you know, some you know, stipens and and things of that nature. So we have gotten an idea as to where those funds are and I don't think they're being uh you know I think central office is being very frugal with them because per se it's something that you know could very quickly dry up uh if this committee ever decided not to do it or for whatever reason we never got we did not receive any more students from outside the district. So that that's my two cents. Kathleen. Yeah. Do you see us all? Kathleen, are you on gallery view? Because Carol and I are both raising our hands here.
Oh, see I don't see you now. I can. Okay. Sorry. In the upper right. There's a gallery view. I see you now. It's like the Brady Bunch. Okay. I just um I wanted to know if there was anything in place for guidelines with the way that the money is spent. Is there anything that's been developed already by the state to put this program in? No, not not not to my knowledge. C Carol Shannon, so um I contacted MASC about this um just to see if they had any suggested policy. Um and they do not. Um but they suggested that was within our realm of fiscal responsibility to oversee this. Um, I don't there's nothing here or there's no accusations that this is being misspent, but all of the other budget items that are spent by the school district are approved by the school committee. Um, we do get a report about what's coming out of school choice funds, but that is post hawk.