So that's really hard for teachers and it's hard for families. So I think that's the big piece. Um we are a a city of poverty and we're looking to bring in more businesses, uh more partnerships, working with places like GCC, our community college, our YMCA. Um somebody who can build those relationships. um because it's we are in it together and it it's hopeful to have somebody who is willing to work on those partnerships. >> Uh very similar to what my colleagues have said um for the budget along with the need for it to be transparent and communicated in a way that anyone can pick it up and just fully understand all of it. state aid isn't where it should be and so we have to deal with the reality that we're given and with the economy of scale when we have our declining enrollment that just makes the budget trickier and then also on the staff note uh retaining the IAS instructional assistants and recruiting them when they're so key for our most vulnerable kids and it's a hard job and it's hard to find people that are the right people for the job and who will stay in it, especially with what we can afford to pay them.
>> I agree car. So, what would that language look like in the policy? Are you thinking we would pull this existing language over or are you thinking we would modify it? What if we were to say, however, the student may be eligible to participate in all senior class activities at the discretion of the high school principal or designate. >> I would change all to other perhaps. other. Yep. >> Committee. How does that sound to you? >> That's good. So that pick and choose is what you're saying. It >> you're not Yes, that makes sense. >> It puts the authority in the and the responsibility in the hands of the the principal, which is >> right. It makes sense. Yeah, I am taking notes. I will type it up into there. It's just harder to do because they're larger sections of language. There is one other um part that I do want to just call our attention to.
As section one notes public charter schools are currently required to conduct an annual financial audit. Those audits generally need to be completed by the end of October to be included in Department of Education financial statements and relied upon for purposes of the state of Hawaii annual comprehensive financial report. Many public charter schools do not meet the deadline. However, Department of Education and the commission have and should have the responsibility to enforce the deadline and compel the public charter schools to timely provide the necessary financial information to enable their auditors to complete the audits. And I think that's the point that um senator the court had been pointing out. And um they say they do not believe another financial audit conducted by the office of the auditor required by section 5 is meaningful. Um, so you know, so if they're not going to do it and they don't find it meaningful, but yet there are issues, then I think it's it's imperative that you folks recognize some of the stuff and do take some action.
Uh so that's going to be part of our conversation as we move forward. So thank you much and and Briana, we appreciate it. >> Thank you [clears throat] for having us. All right, thank you Valley Schools. And then um our next uh update is with human resources and then uh finance. We are going to take a break at 10:00. So uh Joel's going to get started and then Vanessa will then we'll take a break and then Vanessa will come back to finish up her presentation. So feel free to stand up and stretch while you're listening to Joel, but know that at 10 o'clock we're going to take a break. Okay, I'll turn it over to you, Dr. Lauren. All right, I'm trying to get my mirroring back up here. Also, just uh in case you think of something now that they've gone, that is what happens to me is I'm like, "Oh, I meant to ask." There's a parking lot chart over here, just take a post-it and write down whatever your question is about benefits.
I also know you know just some of the spaces have been harder to use or doing all the programming. And I have one question. that's not related to this so much is there's one room in the community center whose lights stay on at all hours and it's at the front of the building the end the room all the way at the end where they sometimes play cards and the reason I know that is because lately I've been driving by at 10 o'clock at night coming back from a rehearsal in Hopkin but I've noticed it before so I thought all of the lights at the community center were on timers so that if there's no one in the room, it goes off. And if not, I'd like to recommend that that room get added. >> Yeah, we can look into that. It could be the cleaners.
So I I think keeping it framing framing everything on people not shaming. >> Exactly. >> And with all of us going in eyes wide open that the state aid isn't where it should be. Who knows what's happening with federal aid. Um we are digging ourselves deeper into a pit with choice and charter. And we're not the only district having these exact same issues. the town health insurance. All sorts of towns all over Western Mass are having to make cuts that they can't afford to make because they have to pay their health insurance bills. So, we we don't need to shame people for being in the same impossible situation that we are in. >> Said out loud. >> Yes. >> Yeah. We're we're all going to be civil and nice to each other this year. Yes, maybe. >> Um, >> you want to look at your calendars for maybe that first week in March?
So, I'd say those are the biggest obstacles I see. >> Thank you. Go ahead, Mayor. That was a good question. I'd echo what some of the others said about the incredible staff that we have and the incredible support you'll get from families. Um uh not being able to fill vacancies is one item and um the ability of the children to read has kept uh the schools as a whole from succeeding or progressing. Um I think we need to focus more on that. Um first they have to learn to read and then later they read to learn and that is I'm not in the schools. That's what I've heard that and I've seen factually the the data on that as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Anybody else got anything from staff perspective? Great. Oh, yes. Go ahead, member Dman. >> Um, thank you. Yeah, kind of following up on some things that have been mentioned.
Just give me one second. It it's not it's not allowing me to share my screen without unsharing and then clicking through. Um so there is one other section that I do want to just call um that I do want to make a proposed change to um this right here again. Um this paragraph right here talks about the school administration must notify um parents or guardians if a child is not able to participate. Um it is important that parents know ongoing whether or not a student is on track. So the intent of this is at the close of the first half of the school year. If it is not possible for a student um to obtain their diploma, of course parents and guardians must be informed. um in most circumstances they are well aware of that beforehand but this really comes down to maybe when a student needed an additional credit or half credit you know to get to get the diploma.
>> Understand, chair. We'll make sure we take this to our commissioners as agenda it on one of our public meetings so we can have this discussion and share that information with you. >> Thank you very much. Members, any other questions? >> Yes, Senator Kanani. I think um chair that we should request that this body gets a list of um audits where our schools are failing as well as have not been um sent on time. >> We can provide that list is if you're looking at any charter schools that have findings of material weakness if that's what um Vice Chair Kadani you're asking for, we can definitely provide that. We do review the findings and present that to our commissioners. Uh commissioners are then able to [clears throat] if they want to take action um on those findings which can include additional monitoring or again I've mentioned our intervention protocol.
Um if there's questions during uh Joel's presentation, uh we'll try to answer them, but we're going to try to stay on time. So, if something doesn't get answered, please make sure you put it on the a post-it note and put it on the parking lot. Same for Vanessa's piece as well. So, thank you. >> All right. So, uh we already kind of worked through uh the insurance information. So, if you had questions and thanks Ariel for pointing out about the access. I tried to I try to do good with the access stuff, but you know, never always is completely foolproof. So, um if you're having a hard time accessing some of the documents, just let me know and I'll make sure I correct the per permissions. Uh I did want to reflect on a question that came from Dorothy in our chat. She asked uh there was a question was posed to her colleague that was viewing online and wanted access to the information that was shared.
They do come late sometimes, but we we'll look into that. >> It's every time I go by that building and it's late at night, that roomaf unless it's a safety light. >> It could be an emergency light. >> It's like it's like bright like it's No, no, not the whole building, just that room. So anyway, just something to look into because there's no reason for it to be lit up in us using utility costs. But >> thank you. >> And then I did look through the plan the the information beforehand and you probably can't provide this. Can we get an updated floor plan of what is being changed because >> talk about >> because that wasn't in the information we received beforehand. Thank you. >> Any other challenges or anything anybody want to bring up? >> Go ahead, Granny. So, I also heard about food pantry issues.
>> Um, >> oh, I apologize. >> Are we having a meeting next week? >> Next, well, not this subcommittee, but the full committee. >> Okay. >> So, we can either or because usually the scheduling happens for Becky for beginning March, but early March. Um, >> like Well, I'm Well, that's the question. Do we would it make more sense for us to meet before or after the March 11th transportation study? >> After hearing >> would because it's budget season would would you guys be amendable to meeting both before and after? >> Absolutely. Okay. >> So, we will schedule very early March and then schedule >> would we have Roland's budget sort ofish by then to go over before the meeting and then have >> Yeah, I would like to do that. the transportation and then have the transportation presented >> little fine finetune I wouldn't say be final tune but the final tune budget >> prior to the end >> regarding the whole trans whatever comes out of this report quite honestly he's not going to be able to address that by 27 because if indeed let's play out the hypothetical that he's saying we need to contract out we do have an existing and when that is done you need to bargain that bargain that out for whatever because that's what's it's been done when school districts be the easier one when they contract out switch from self operating food service management to going with the self operating food service to a food service management company you have to bargain >> which we're transportation is up for bargaining this this year >> so that's just a thing as far as >> this this report is going to be valuable but it is not going to be up by 27 just Unfortunately, so you know >> I wouldn't be surprised if it comes in like mixed messages to be honest with you.
It's a relatively lowincome district um with very high needs. our student population has a a relatively high rate of um special needs, 504s, um disabilities, and other things. Uh this makes it really challenging and uh it makes it feel like the district is always strapped. Um and so there are conversations going on about cha changing the state level chapter 70 funding, which would be fantastic. I'm not sure exactly where those conversations are, but um we run into challenges in this district because we already have rather high property taxes and um at least as a rate. Our property tax rate is quite high and then the property values are lower than those of the state average. So it comes out to not enough money. So this is a constant um tight rope walk that it seems like we've been walking for a long time. Um, and it seems like it calls for innovation and creative solutions.
Um here though what I feel like it doesn't recognize that was in our previous policy is we are notifying in that second semester up until about a week before graduation on whether or not students have successfully completed. And so I really think that this language right here should actually read that parents or guardians should be notified. I would take out the certified mail because when you're talking about a week before graduation, if you have a student, I'll use an an example that has to, you know, all students have to take four years of English. If they do not pass that second semester of English, they are then going to be notified that you do not meet the high school graduation requirements. And so I really, yes, I want to preserve that we're doing it ongoing, but that hard fast drop date is typically the week before graduation.
Uh we have a notice of concern. That's sort of the first step. The next step would be what we call a notice of deficiency which is essentially a formal notice that um some serious compliance requirement has uh taken place. >> I believe we did talk at length in ways and means about this as well. So yeah, >> well I think um for us to be able to get that information would give the senators from the district or legislators from the district an opportunity to reach out to schools to see um is there more help needed? Is it more financial help and not wait till the they go bankrupt or they have to close the school because maybe they don't know that you know there's an opportunity to ask may I'm not saying we can give them additional funding but maybe we are aware of other places that they can turn to for funding or whatever else need >> thank you very much >> thank you >> a little commercial break this is the committee Senate committee on education in She's somebody didn't realize it or I failed to state that.
Um so what I did was I created in our internet. So this is when you go into the Kraton school district website and you go under staff it brings you to CE CSD employee internet. This is the the landing page. If you go under human resources, I've created an IBM meet and confer page. This is a link to the YouTube channel. And then I'm putting PDFs of the information that's shared. Some of the I think some of the things that are really complex, I'm not sure how helpful it would be in a PDF. So, we might want to refer. So, for instance, I know Vanessa is going to talk about compression, a lot of spreadsheets, right? A lot of information, and we're happy to share what we need to share, but it's also very overwhelming. So, I think if there are some specific questions about those kinds of things, it might be better to reach out.
Um, and also on the recreation side, like, you know, I think that, um, and it's been a while since I've had a [clears throat] school age kid in in that kind of age range. But, um, I have heard parents love the programming in the that that's offered through ARC. Um, but sometimes it's hard to get into things. and I think they want more services rather than less. Um, so it's it's a great ARC is a great program and and um so it's always it's always good if we can um give more on that side of the house as well. So, um, and then >> also, you know, just kind of on a technical side, I know we've had issues at the community center over the last year or two with some flooding and things like that. >> So, so it's so I know that there's been actual physical challenges with the building and >> all those things, too.
>> Yeah. I mean like because a lot of the challenge I say and as much as I don't want to say that I sound like to give or saying let's go get in the transportation business. um when you look at the I'll say the foundation that they potentially lay with what it is that we are looking to do and what it is that those that have come after in the transition have grown into one of the challenges that tree center currently have is is the staff you know is to be able to get enough drivers so that we're not contracting out even on the you know what we pay our staff internally versus what it is that we're paying for a contractor is less >> I mean and it jobs, >> right? >> You know, there are people who may not be a good fit to be an IIA, but we are still employing people within our community.
>> Would you Is that >> I just wanted to add one more thing. Um, sometimes I think that we are our own worst enemy and that our obstacle can be self-perception. Um, our students are amazing. Our staff are phenomenal. Our district is actually really cool and our kids do some cool stuff statewide even. Um, and sometimes we don't do a good enough job of making sure that everybody knows that we're actually pretty cool. We're great, you know, and yes, all of these challenges that my colleagues have mentioned are real and they're solvable. Like, we can make progress here. And in the meantime, we're still doing some really good stuff. And I don't want us to get caught in a loop of thinking that we're the worst thing in the world because of all of these challenges. So, I just wanted to name that as well.
And I think it's important to reflect that in this policy. So I would recommend that we say parents are or guardians are notified no later than one week prior to graduation whether or not they will successfully obtain their their high school diploma. If we wanted to add in an ongoing before that, that is totally fine. um because that's an important part of the communication process. Um but we cannot guarantee for sure at the close of of semester 1 that a child is going to remain on track at the end of the second semester. >> So are you saying that you're going to tell them as early as possible? as early as possible, but it could be >> as late as a week before graduation, >> but they will get notified early and then it's up to them if they're going to do something about it whether they go to a summer school or somehow make it up.