We were we were the first ones to start that and it was it was it went off very well. So you say weaved into our culture. Damn right. And then some. Without a doubt. Without a doubt. Strongly support it. And I hope Horizon does the right thing and uh provides additional funding for you folks. Absolutely. Appreciate it. You're awful quiet up there, Barbara. [laughter] >> Wow. I I just want to thank the select board in Michael and Jim Adams and Deputy Chief Moahan, Rob Silva and Joe White for their letters and words of support. We are proud to serve the town of Ashland as your community media center and we look forward to many many more years of our partnership with town government, the schools and to the residents of Ashland. Um, I can't thank you um enough. Thank you so much. >> Thank you for all the work that you and your your staff has done over the years.
Fortunately, after a few weeks, his health took a turn for the worse and he'd ultimately lose his battle with cancer in February of 2019, seven years ago. this month. I mention it because I know how important it was for Jake to accomplish these goals of graduating high school and getting into college. And I believe because of the opportunity provided by WACA and Barbara Chisum, he was able to pursue his dream. That's WACA making an impact. And to honor my son's le leg legacy, I continue to volunteer and and do the announcing. Last season, the girls basketball team hired a new coach, Patrick Leslie. Coach Leslie relocated from Minnesota. Pat was thrilled when he learned that WACA offered live stream broadcasts. Over the years, he had forged many relationships with former players and colleagues who were excited to tune in to watch his new team. I often refer to the viewers there Pat's pals.
>> I don't know if that's ever been effective because the original plan because >> I mean there is a building based sub, you know, and >> so like if I if you're >> Do they really exist? >> Yes. >> Yeah. Oh, yes, >> they do. >> Yep. >> No, I wouldn't. Well, we have to look at all this. >> But every time we turn around, we use an IIA for something that's not supporting a child. They're at recess. They're in the cafeteria. They're subbing. Meanwhile, the little child who needs somebody to say to them, the words of a child at the middle school, I just didn't know what a word meant. I need somebody to help me, but there was nobody there to help me because the teacher was busy with that's straight from a kiddo. I know at the high school when I sat there and I knew how hard it was for her to learn to read because I was her elementary principal and here she is at the middle school going really succeeding but she just needs a little so I think I think that's what I'm hearing now what it costs I don't know I think it needs to all be laid out to look at um because we've cut teachers as we've had planning enrollment and I get that, but we've added a lot of other things and I'm not sure those other things really make a difference to a child.
So the the um that working closely piece, you know, it becomes very important. Additionally, because of the super because the superintendent are we're we're all so different, but we share kids. um we meet monthly and um for the past six years since I've been there, we've worked collaboratively um because we have we have to agree um on what our goals are for our kids in order for as much I don't because I don't have control over that progression. Um and they are very invested on what happens to their kids when they leave the eighth grade and come up to the high school. Having that communication with the superintendent and agreeing on what deep learning should look like prek through 12 has something that we've been working on has been something we've been working on for the past six years. So those those communications have been really important.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> The second conference is after the March 15 date, right? >> Mhm. >> Okay. So the parents are notified before that. >> Yeah. Anytime we're engaging in a decision, this is really around that retention. As as Dr. Casemiro indicated, you're talking about a very small population of students that this applies to. Um and and many times parents uh could be initiating this conversation with us um that they may feel for some reason or another that their child would benefit. So it's an ongoing collaborative discussion. It is not a oneanddone type thing. Typically after we see where the student is at mid year, um if there are significant concerns, we start to talk about additional strategies and interventions and then we monitor how they're doing and then you know could we possibly consider this in the future. Um but it is an ongoing um discussion back and forth with parents and >> do the supports kick in also?
So I think we need to have some capability of looking at these these proposals and trying to see how in fact it'll improve the way we deliver services and not the same way doing it over and over again. I'm not sure that this is going to work but you know that's why it's a pilot project. That's why we're going to start with three and I have a couple other pilot projects that we're going to be proposing during the session for other areas um that I think it would behoove us not to go ahead and and and do these things. So I hope DOE will work in conjunction that it's not going to be two opposing entities because up until now the SFA and DOE as far as facilities wise that has what's been going on and over the years the reason that SFA was created and I was not one of the creators but it were created because DOE was not able to do the job.
She was so excited that she even received a party dress for the event this past holiday season. I'm at a loss as to how to explain to her that she could no longer attend, not because of her age or behavior, but simply because she does not have sibling at that school. Additionally, while we are not aware of the reasoning behind the change, it is very obvious that there are far fewer planned events at Peter Mutual School this year versus last year, including but not limited to the fun run and field day and is very disheartening to for a student that truly truly enjoys participating in these events. In conclusion, all the kindergarteners from last year at at Peter Mitchell and Clara Barton were included in all the events. Those kindergarteners are now first graders who have had all the activities they enjoyed last year stripped away from them this year unless they have an older sibling at the other schools.
Any questions? >> Yes. >> Can you give some context? We have a couple of new folks. What how does this percentage compare to increases in previous years? >> Um, your two previous years you saw was only a 4.2% increase and a 0% increase. And I'm sorry, I don't know if you guys did plan design changes to get those down. You did do some. So it might have come in higher. So prior to that we had >> use a mic. >> Well, >> prior to that we had switched from was it Blue Cross Blue Shield >> Etna. Okay. So we had uh switched from Etna over to the United uh healthcare and we saw savings from that for a couple of years. Uh then that led to that plan balancing out. So we had the zero year and then last year we had the 4% and change year uh with the knowledge that we were going to be seeing increases in the in the future.
You've done a yman's job. >> Thank you, Joe. >> It's always appreciated. Always appreciated for sure. Okay. Is there anybody else that would like to speak on WA WACA's behalf? No, we're good. If can I add uh two absolutely brief comments. >> One in the spirit of these comments I do want to thank >> um you know profoundly thank uh Michael Herbert and Sue Roby. They could not be more responsive. There a lot of twists and turns in a renewal process. you know, it's a long contract and in addition to all the local facilities language, uh, you know, there insurance, rightway management, record, they're just totally committed to being responsive and Barbara Chisum has done the same. We have to provide budgets and itemize data to Verizon when we negotiate for the funds. And at every turn, she always comes through with her team Paul and others very high quality, careful, credible uh uh operating capital budgets, narrative support.
One of the biggest fans was his dad. And coach Leslie made it a point to thank the crew time and time again and tell us how much his dad enjoyed watching the games from his hometown in Texas. His dead dad never missed a broadcast. Unfortunately, coach Leslie's dad passed away over the summer. Another victim of cancer. [snorts] When I finally saw coach at the start of the season, he made it a point to again say how thankful he was for the joy we brought to his dad. That was WACA making an impact. uh talk about a couple real uplifting experiences. Not every viewer of WACA passes away from cancer. I promise you. Um I've also made some many meaningful personal connections with the various crew members over the years. Paul Bowden, Jeff Paul, Connor Donovan, my announcing partners, Brian Sci, the legendary Bob Der, Josh Abrams, and his son Chase Abram.
I want to make sure the money is going to the children. >> I still need to understand transportation. I don't I mean I just had to park with the vans and they're all sitting there. Um, I want to I think the last time I saw a list of like and I don't know if it's up to date how many people we are hiring and the last time I saw that there were more van drivers being h working for us than there were elementary teachers at one school. That bothers me. We're here to teach children and I agree transportation is important but I don't think we should be in the transportation business. On transportation note, didn't we at one of the meetings ask for that uh company to >> you will he will be coming to your mark meeting. >> Oh, wonderful. >> The transportation director.
>> Thank you so much. I'm actually going to if you don't mind since your question seven I'll skip over the two of you for now and member web if you would be willing to ask question five. >> Thank you. Sorry. >> Number five. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned? We are especially interested in an example of a time when something didn't go as planned and how you responded. Also, thank you for being here. >> Oh, thank you. Okay. So, there's so many um in all honesty, nothing ever really goes as we plan. I think um I think one of the most valuable lessons that I've learned I actually talked about it today is when we are in asking folks for input whether we're asking teachers or parents or the community um we have to mean it. We can't just invite folks in and say, you know, we're being inclusive and we're asking people for for their advice and for their input if the decisions already made.
>> Yes. Along this Yes. the and I don't we can come back to this. The last thing I just wanted to indicate with this policy is at the very end there's alternative language to consider. Um you know in my opinion and certainly open it up to the discussion of the group. Um the alternative language is much uh broader and wider than the language that we read previously within the policy. Um, and I do think that the language in the policy is a little bit more explicit um, in the prior to where it says alternative language. Um, and I would recommend going with the more explicit um, language for this policy >> and and not the alternative language. >> Correct. So removing the alternative language and going with the rest of the policy. >> Okay. Because in the alternative language it does say the decision to promote the student to the next grade shall be determined by completion of the curriculum attendance and so forth.
You know, you guys have been asked that or I don't know if you've been asked, but that 12 new schools were supposed to be built and if it was built only two over the 10-year period. So, there's there's issues and concerns at how we're delivering these these facilities. >> Questions? Yeah. Are you folks factoring in the escalation cost with 140 million >> or is that just construction? Yeah, usually when um the team develops a budget, they're looking at the the schedule for building and once it's once it's funded and we get the appropriation and it's drawn down, you know, they they have factored in, you know, the cost and contingencies. Yeah. >> Mhm. What would be I guess your prediction as far as completing those projects if if it does fall in your folks pipeline? >> The the uh budget the board approved >> um we would complete them.
We believe in our hearts that this was an oversight with the one born in town plan and there was no intentional discrimination against most of the first graders who do not have older siblings. We hope that somehow this oversight can be rectified to include all first graders in the activities that they enjoyed so much last year. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you very much for that. Um there are First and foremost, I'm I'm very sorry to um to to hear that your child missed out. That's never something we want to hear about for any child. Um there are um dynamics at who organizes everything and how the events happen to where I'm not wouldn't be comfortable right now commenting more than that other than thank you for bringing it to our attention. Um and um the board wants to all of our kids in our district um have the ability to do everything we can.
So and and here we are. Um the cool thing about where we are though is that we're starting because of the choices that we made in the past. Again, it comes back to making good fiscal decisions in these groups. Um, especially with the insurance uh decisions that were made. We're starting lower than other districts going into the increase season. And I, you know, I'm just trying to look for silver linings. Um, uh, so that keeps us lower than our surrounding partner districts, right? Um, and, uh, our costs still tend to trend lower for, uh, staff. We do have some analysis. It's a a year out of date, but that's um for later when I'm presenting. But again, we come in lower than the other districts uh into bad increase season. >> Yeah. So, even more context. I know I think I alluded to Valley Schools of our members, the average increase was 13.5.
So the town uh is is really uh you know a big player in this. And I also want to mention uh you know we did the uh renewal with Verizon not that long ago. They only do five-year licenses unlike Comcast. They it's not an Ashland thing. They don't go over. So we we you know we did a renewal with them. They came to the table recognizing that the access uh studio is very important. They they really did and they recognized that and they you know they from the get-go they were willing to just try to find you know a reasonable and strong uh way to support it that Verizon would allow. I hope the co the corporation continues in in that spirit this time around. They have other renewal. They have been similar. There's a lot of changes going on in the industry. But the you know the local folks that they send out into the trenches are are committed to be being good negotiation partners.
I mentioned Chase because he's a great story success story in the making. He volunteered with us, announcing with us during all four years of high school, graduating in 2024. Case is now a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island, enrolled in communications and broadcasting major, where he covers soccer and basketball for URI on one of the ESPN affiliates. I'm sure this is just the beginning of a very successful broadcasting career for Chase and another example of WACA making an impact. In keeping with the family theme, the last thing I've also had the pleasure of announcing basketball games with my daughter, Hie. She's a 2020 graduate of Ashlin High School and continues to be part of the WACA family with a production expertise of Paul Bowden. Allie helps to bring town manager Michael Herbert's weekly newsletter to life in a concise, fun, friendly video format. I'm just one person whose life has been greatly enriched by the small local community TV station WACA.
>> This is um some we're going to look for a report for transportation >> efficiencies. So that would be finding what we're doing with our transportation and how we can get more savings. >> What about questions? If we just canned transportation, how much would we save? >> Well, so I would think we will. I don't know if we'll get the exact answer, but we'll find that out. So, I did talk to Chair Son last week. >> Yeah. >> And we put him on being Rick Re, the consultant coming in for the March 11th meeting. >> Cool. I love you so much. >> I miss you. >> Yeah, he's almost wrapped up. He's almost wrapped up because we um wouldn't quite be ready for next week. um we've talked but um it'll be ready and he will he plans on coming in per in person. Worst case we did say he could come in but >> is that one of the questions he'll answer is how much we're paying total >> we know how much we're paying.
Um, and that was something that I learned a really long time ago. It just it deteriorates trust. And I think for a long time that was a practice in not just education, but in organizations in general. there would be a decision made and then they would invite folks in and say, you know, well, let's do a survey or let's do a focus group and get folks pin opinion on what that's going to look like. Um, if we're inviting people in to give their ideas and opinions, we'd best be open to putting those ideas and opinions into practice um or including them in that decision-making process. The decision should not already be made and That was just that was a really important lesson a long long time ago that um that I've tried to put into practice. Um it's the the challenge always is getting people to um trust that even when you're really trying to be proactive and you're trying to to be upfront about it that that that trust piece is really um I think challenging and the only way to really build that trust is to continue to practice it and for their input to be visible and tangible in the decisions that are being So, um, that that's one of the most valuable lessons that I've learned.