Right. Right. The list. I mean, I I I shared with you with all of you a short list um of some of the challenging um and you know, ongoing medical conditions that our our nurses support throughout the school day, >> but at the same time that those things still exist. The bloody noses that play and follow that >> they do. Yeah. Very complicated. else. >> Thanks, John. >> Who's this guy? >> Thank you guys for having me. I don't mind budget season much because I I truly believe it's what you value. So, you you'll purchase what you value and I'm hoping you'll consider um my two requests. I am currently Boilston Elementary School has three sections of kindergarten all the way up to fourth grade. Three sections across the board. Our fifth grade this year has two sections due to class size. Um, our fourth grade going to fifth grade will have 66 students in it.
>> Any questions on that? Moving right along. We have I'm sorry. Go. No. All set. >> When they spray fall the building, will the kids just be able to go in after it's done or will they be able to suit up and see how they do it? >> Yeah, they'll be able to be they'll be part of the process. Yeah. In other words, we expect the students to do the work themselves and working with so like the engineering HVAC, we're hiring, we're looking at an engineer that is going to work with our instructors and students to actually uh oversee the work. So, we're paying the engineer not only to do the engineering, but then oversee the actual work and teach them how to use the new equipment. So, similar with the spray insulation. So, we're looking for a company that will actually do the work but allow the students to work in unison with the uh opportunity.
So, we're doing the best educated guess as we can using foods that are popular for the students and making sure that we assign enough things to protein. One, you do get the most bang for your buck on it cuz it's most expensive. Think when you go to the grocery store, if you're buying meats, it's going to cost the most. So, we're not going to use things like flour to make sub rolls. We're going to use our dollars more wisely to go towards the more center of the plate entre and and proteins for next school year and we're not sure when they're going to release the numa pattern but we will adjust accordingly and be ready. >> So keep in mind if you look at breakfast already we're putting more protein in there than required. So we've kind of in a way anticipated >> the fact that uh things are changing.
So my ask is is really numbers game. I'm hoping that ask for a fifth grade teacher to offset that class of being 33 in each room versus 22. That's a major ask my request. Um, and my other is very similar to John's. I want the same consistency in my cafeteria, but I think and I think John and both Al were alluding to it. Having classroom teachers spending time in the cafeteria as as as much as I have to have them in there is such a it's I don't want to say a waste, but there's so much more value that they could be doing in my classrooms, in my school, getting ready for the next session um just prepping and being together as one rather than, you know, cleaning tables. So, I I totally understand the the severity of having the consistency and the need for that.
>> Okay. >> All right. Mr. Lavoy, uh we're looking at a partnership with Northern Essex Community College. >> Yeah. So, we start this we started a a minimal partnership last year and we're continuing it through this year and it's part of our bigger project with with the new addition that we're waiting for final hearing on that large grant, but the also the $4 million uh bond that will also help fund this project. But as part of that project, we're developing a partnership with Northern Essex Community College uh and uh to continue planning for a health and safety expansion initiative to expand students opportunities uh in uh pursuing a college degree in health and the health careers. So the collabor this collaboration we're working on will provide students access to specialized learning environments and state-of-the-art equipment to support advanced and industry aligned experiences. We were out at Northern Essex.
So um also the nutrition services department has pivoted even the current year because there was a problem with potatoes which is as she said that's why they had to go to mac and cheese which was very sad for me because I really loved the mashed potatoes and gravy and corn and the and these >> so good news it's coming so good news it's coming back. So, the state of Arizona decided to uh make a slightly more narrow definition of what were uh unhealthy additives and and colors and you know, things like that. And so, we looked at our menu and starting in July when school starts again next year, we can't use that potato cuz it has an ingredient called titanium dioxide in it. It is an anti-caking agent, but it is also a whitening agent. it is not considered healthy and it is on the band list.
But I also really want to state how important it would be to have just my my teachers all have to do two d two duties right now. I would love to reduce that by one. So my other ask is is the same as John is asking for a cafeteria worker. And I know there's some confusion with the recess librarian that you guys last year there was some talk about how the librarian that we would have as the par educator just that we were not we were not able to fully staff the cafeteria and the recess with that person. that didn't didn't cover the whole gamut of the coverage is needed for that. So is that how that question came up >> and know that when teachers are on duty right that means then we have to provide them a lunch at another time and so that means we have to have coverage for them and they're not in front of the the students delivering their instruction.
Our students are actually going to go out there and utilize their labs, their state-of-the-art labs at the college to train them uh until partly until we have our space done, but also in unison with equipment we may or may not have on our own facilities. And that will require that will develop that opportunity will develop uh creditworthy uh uh learning and uh uh skills development uh that they will get college credits for. So pursue that associates degree. Um so this work is strengthening the career and college uh readiness by reducing barriers for post postsecary education, accelerating credential attainment and aligning student preparation with regional workforce needs. So, it's a combination of working with the college and industry in order to prepare our kids for the uh the highly needed uh skill sets in the health careers that we're that we're developing and which also includes four new pathways that are are going to uh prepare kids for a lot more students.
Well, we're moving along using it because we know in J July we can't and we're waiting for the manufacturers to provide products that don't have that in it. And so they quit making the old one cuz they knew they couldn't sell anymore, but the new one wasn't ready yet. Does that make sense? They did not have runs of the production of the ones without it in it. However, Michelle in her constant research, she is a really good sport. If I come up to her and say, "Well, let's evaluate lettuce or something." We can have a conversation for hours about lettuce. And and so I was telling her, I was like, "So, let's look at We knew a brand that was advertising the fact that they didn't have titanium dioxide in their potatoes, and we're like, "Well, you know, we can't get enough of it. We're going to have to bring it in special to our warehouse, you know, cuz it's that new.
So that that's a piece of this as well too questions. All right, see you later. >> Thanks, Rob. >> Catching up with time. >> Hello everyone. Thank you for having us u have this conversation. And I want to echo how very excited I am about all the work that's being done at the district level. There's really exciting work to be done. Um, I'm here as the director of curriculum and grants advocating for three important budget requests. The first request is for an ELA instructional coach for the elementary schools. This addresses a specific district need that is not limited to Bur and Boilston, but a concern that we're seeing nationwide. An ELA instructional coach would serve as a districtwide instructional leader with expertise in the science of reading, supporting educators in co-planning and delivering consistent curriculum across the district, which is an important factor and would also be critical in leading data meetings that would inform instruction.
So, we're looking to uh increase the number of students in these programs once our addition is done by somewhere around 150 students into the school that are specifically going to be trained in health careers because of the a huge demand in that area. So, this is a a piece of that project.
You you can't just order it, right? It's special order. Yeah. So, we we brought in like 60 cases to our warehouse. Well, they're a third of the amount of servings of our other cases. So, are we going to pay three times as much so that we don't have titanium dioxide in it >> or are we going to say, "hm, we're going to menu mashed potatoes left often, or we're going to take it off the menu, or what are we going to do?" So, she went ahead and started researching and she found a different brand. I would say it's the generic brand of shamrock, right? That doesn't have that in it. And so we um was it yesterday that we made those potatoes? We ordered them in. We got a bag. We went in our test kitchen. We made the bag of them, tasted them ourselves, see if they're going to be anything like the kids would want to eat, and they were fine.
Um we will be embarking on an ELA curriculum review and ad adoption cycle this upcoming year for the elementary schools. Our current curriculum is six years old. We have seen how important and critical our math coach is in the review adoption um and implementation process for new curriculum. We need this for ELA as well across um the district. Um, which leads into my next request. The money for the prek through 5 Ready math curriculum. You've already approved the curriculum, which is an intensive process to go through various different curriculums and understand what is the best fit for our district and for our students and for our teachers. I am seeking the allocation of money to move forward with this purchase. Uh with this we can ensure implementation with fidelity uh the coordinated um curriculum across the district um with our math coach. This will help to provide the structure as well as the curriculum materials needed to build on our current math gains um without um losing traction.
>> Any questions on that? Uh I think you said associates degree. Yeah, the goal is to quickly get them to in uh the goal is at some at some day that be able to obtain an associates degree or close to the agree before they graduate from high school. We're not there now. May not be there in two years, but the hope is that eventually we will get there when all the pieces are in place. Um update on ICE policy. Uh this was one of the changes. I told you that in the packet was the older one. We were sent a new one. >> I didn't see a lot of changes. Mr. Lavoy, can you state some of the changes that basically I think it's not so much changes but giving clarity to the policy. I think it's written in a way that gives you more clarity to policy and it also has been vetted at the state level and at the and at the federal level to make sure our documentation is aligned with the uh laws and regulations and that uh there's clarity for us in this language and in our policy that gives uh clear directions as to what are we going to do if that were if we were to have uh ICE arrive at our front doorsteps.
And we loved them. And we've already made a new recipe, and we're going to start ordering those in. So, we are always ready to re-evaluate and find whatever will work for the regulations and for student acceptability because it doesn't help to follow all the rules and it doesn't no students like it and they won't eat it and it's just going to go in the trash. >> So, can you go back to the new I I would say triangle? That's what I'd call it because it's um how because Okay, when I saw this I thought it was very confusing. It's very hard to tell how much meat versus how much um fruits or vegetables and definitely grains are way cut back. So, how are you going to I mean I guess you can wait for guidance, but how are you going to figure out kind of what amount of each type of food?
Um this is a highly rated curriculum through the DESIE portal. They have a section called cury where they identify all highquality instructional materials. It's also highly rated um in ed reports as well as recognized as high quality. >> Lastly, I would like >> just so sorry interrupted. So I know school voted on this already uh a while ago about the math. Yeah, just review it as well too. I know many of you took it home, but for the public, we just wanted to make sure that this was part of the presentation that will be given to both Bolston and Berlin as well. Um so we just didn't want that. because it's a it's a big uh number and we wanted to make sure that that was uh being just brought front and center as well for for the town. >> So the curriculum has been voted on but the allocation of the money needs to be moved forward.
What what are the process of period? what does uh the law allow or not allow. And for the most part, you'll see that uh it ends up at the at the at the front of the superintendent decisions as to what's what they can do or not do and with the support of our attorney. So in that vein, now that this uh policy is in place, I will be doing work with our uh agencies uh our legal agencies to understand what those warrants look like. So I want to see physically what am I going to be looking at to know that I'm looking at the right legal documentation so I can make the right decision. So this helps to guide me in doing some of that work now at this point. Uh so it's great and to say well I got to make sure they have the correct documentation.
Cuz I thought this was very confusing. So, I'm not sure if they made it vague on purpose because I don't work for them, but it's possible they did this to leave it open to interpretation until they figured out how they're going to do it. But, um, a lot of people have been trying to guess. I know our new dietician threw her for a loop because she's been doing special diets for hospitals and um severe uh yeah people with eating disorders and things like that and she's like I don't know how this fits in. So a lot of people are asking the same question you are and we just don't know yet. >> Um but we are going to do it as soon as we find out. Okay. Okay. A lot of our business, which is so crazy, is based on the unknown. We don't have a crystal ball, but I feel like we have a good attitude and we're flexible and we're ready for it.
>> Thanks. >> Um so lastly I um this is really an ask. It's a it's a small number ask for the middle high school. I would like to ask for your support in accessing the AVID um platform. This is a powerful tool in supporting students in writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading skills. It can be integrated into current curricula. Um, it can also be offered as elective courses. This is really money to access um this platform. This program provides instructions uh instruction and tutorials in career and college readiness. And it really is focusing on those middle students. It's not focusing on, you know, our our most struggling students. It's not focusing on our, you know, um, you know, advanced students. We're focusing on those students who need support in organization and um, executive functioning skills and really highlighting goal setting. Um and this particular access for um AVID would provide professional development um and opportunities um for curriculum.
I've never seen the documentation, but I want to make sure that I get educated and understand what I'm going to be looking at so I can either uh make sure that the process is followed legally and safely for our students and our parents and everything else. So, this uh document helps us to ensure that this is the policy we're going to follow.