>> Yeah. >> So, what about volleyball? Because you do play volleyball. What about that? >> Yeah, I do play volleyball, but it's not the sport that I absolutely love. Like, I love wrestling like right now. So, >> um Payton, uh what's uh a memorable memorable match? >> Memorable match? I would say my most memorable match was probably last year at state. I had wrestled this girl from Smoky Valley two times before and I had lost both times, but they were both really close matches and me and my coaches had kind of like worked together, you know, on what I had done wrong in those matches. And then at state, it was the last match before the blood rounds. And the blood rounds is if you win a blood round, you place at state. If you don't, you don't place. So, it was the match right before I was wrestling Smoky Valley and I ended up actually winning and it was pretty big accomplishment actually.
48 hours after that, state aid figures will be released uh which is required by statute. A Until that information is received, no final budget determinations can or will be made. Once state aid is confirmed, we will publicly present the tenative budget and we will schedule multiple budget workshops to ensure transparency and provide the community opportunities for input. Uh on a good note, I would like to thank the work of the business office and their collaboration with uh our financial adviserss and bond council because on this uh agenda, you will notice that we have worked to finance and debt service which has resulted in a savings for the district of approximately $550,000 over the next seven years. So, thank you for that uh and work on that. I think it's important to highlight that for the board. Um and finally, we are nearing the completion of the district's first of many monthly community newsletters.
Right. And she won Congratulations. Uh, do you want Congratulations. >> Congratulations. >> And our sixth grade student of the month, I'm not sure if she was able to come. She wasn't sure. Um, her name is Alexandra Selei. Are you here? I do not think she is, but she has two older sisters. Her favorite subject is ELA because it's calming for her. She enjoys reading and writing. Her favorite hobby is drawing. And she wants to be a lawyer when she grows up because she can help people and it's good money. I think that's a good plan. And next up, we have Dr. Santa Surma from Community Middle School. >> Hello everyone. Please welcome our seventh grade student of the month, Javier Alcazar. Javier was nominated by his teachers, Miss Amandora and Mr. Jester. Uh Javier's two siblings, Sebastian and Ace. Favorite subject in school is subjects ELA and math.
We met at 5:00 p.m. Um, Miss Olra, Miss Pearson, representative Um I was there along with Walsh and Mr. W from the board. Um some of the things that we talked about one was the leader initiative which is learning equity and academic recovery today. um which is basically the New Jersey mandated early literacy uh focus that schools must be uh taking um as well as communication with parents. So letters just sent out data for students um and everything is of course we were kind of ahead of the game with that coming out so it didn't jar what we were doing but definitely informed um the admin staff to increase attention to the instruction. Um so they're making changes in here based on that data. Um health letters went out for parents concerning the uh health curriculum certain levels grades 2, five, six and eight. So parents should receive that communication.
So that's that's a plus for us there with that. Any concerns, questions on that? So actually our school our school year this year uh will be 178 days instead of the 180 instructional days. All right. Personnel matters. You guys got that list in front of you as well. All right. uh recommend that the board approve the hiring of Shawn Miller as high school social studies teacher effective February 16, 2026. Uh contract will be for the remaining days of the 2526 school year in the amount of 15,824. Have a second. All in favor? >> On Tuesday, February 10th, 2026, accepted Kim Jackson's resignation as cafeteria server. A motion on that. >> You're just informing. >> Just informing. I don't All right. To go along with that, recommend that the board approve the hiring of Olivia Stillwell as cafeteria server effective February 13, 2026 at the rate of 1325 an hour.
Um which is so awesome her to join her here. And I know she was here to join you, but she also wanted to see one of her favorite teachers, too. Um, so this is like a double dose of awesomeness for Marville tonight. U but before she actually came to the United States 15 years ago, she actually taught English in Japan. Then when she moved here, she taught at a Japanese school. And then we were so blessed when uh when her children joined her school that she actually joined our instructional teams. And really uh she is her biggest gift. I mean, I know that her being bilingual definitely helps with a lot of our Japanese students, but ultimately her biggest gift is the connection she has with all of our students and our staff. She shows so much compassion and love for her students while instilling drive and a strong work ethic.
And I I've been told that um it's the reason of um municipal things background in parking building rents and stuff like that. That's why this town is having hot time growing. I just wanted to say that this town can grow if the state can let lay lead off bend off on the housing sort of things to get more business. But what the sound is still the state still being by housing committees and stuff like that in the state house can grow tremendously if they look that way. if it's understandable about what I'm saying. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, Mark. That's it. >> Great. >> Thank you, Mark. >> Thank you, Susan. Do you want to come on up? >> Susan Thorne, what anyone cross street? Thank you for the time. Um, so this is just a brief followup in regards to zero cross street, which we discussed the last time.
The CDC recommends 20 minutes of seat time. With 15 minutes of lunch, if you wait in line to get food, how much seat time? 7 minutes. Maybe if kids had 20 minutes to see their friends, you'd find kids have less of a need to text their friends during the school day. We need to make an environment in which kids are a able to learn, where their voices are valued, and it's not just a metric because maybe the metrics will then show us something that cannot otherwise be measured. Want respect from kids? Meet them with respect. Maybe a new superintendent fixing a bathroom problem can do more for test scores than anything else we do. Please vote on a bathroom policy and regulation that ensures that there will be enough open bathrooms. Vote on a recess policy and regulation that our kids get at least 30 minutes to play like we did.
I' I've, you know, read some articles that we're looking at 15% in the near term. And it's not because of, you know, oil or natural gas prices. It's really related more to the demand for electricity versus the available supply on the electric grid here in Connecticut in particular. So, this is a looming issue and and we do want to get ahead of it by trying to lock electricity to the extent we can. Um, as far as the energy performance contract, I have a few things to let you know. First is that we uh have been working with Johnson Controls and the school building committee. Um the school building committee has agreed on where we will install solar on the rooftop for the new Norton and the uh new Barnum buildings. They've also approved where we can install groundbased solar on both of those sites. What we've asked um the school building committee to consider and we are meeting with the school building committee next Thursday night is allowing the conduit that we need to be run underground for the solar arrays at Barnum and Norton to be installed now and we will ask the school building committee essentially to fund that and then we'll reimburse them through the energy performance contract.
>> Yeah, definitely. Um as these one-time items come in, um they first get have to be approved by Carara and then the POS get approved by myself. Um, and the the coding, um, we didn't allow that coding to go just anywhere in the general ledger. They're going to very specific accounts so that um, I know where they are and I could isolate that. So, we could definitely prepare a report of some of those um, one-time items. >> Yeah, I think it would be good at the end of the year just to get an idea of, you know, what as I just don't like it lumped into our regular budget. Let let's keep those separate. But I think it gives everybody a bit a cleaner cleaner picture of um what's our true you know numbers and what's the stuff that we're kind of just >> certainly.
Bidwell was no different. Dan, besides being outstanding in the classroom with kids, a student favorite year in and year out, also just that that consumate quiet getting roll up your sleeves, bring your lunchbox to work, getting it done for your colleagues, for your students, and also at the same time innovating and always striving to make things better. So, while I could brag about Dan uh for a while, I thought it'd be even better to hear what some of your colleagues had to say about you, because there were more people in on this than than just me. >> All right. Uh, so we'd like to salute Dan for the many hats he wears on our campus this year. Dan has stepped up in a massive way by taking on a six-fifths contract, expertly balancing two different subjects between his core science classes and his steam electives.
>> I don't know what the >> none whatsoever. Wow. Okay. Thank you. >> And Senator, I'll get back to you with that question. So you believe there's many beginning farmers going to take advantage of farming on these lands with agricultur not knowing what the what the you know what the conditions are. There would have to be kind of perfect information given to the beginning farmer >> I would think so. Yeah. >> Yeah. there will be limitations on operations and you know time of the day and dust and all that kind of stuff that um >> he or she may not be fully aware of. >> Thank you chair. >> Thank you Senator. >> I got [clears throat] a question. Go ahead. >> Go ahead. >> How much? >> So uh are there uh do you guys at Dad anticipate any increased enforcement workload for the counties work?
I I don't know if I'm missing it, but I think in on the first page on line eight, starting on line eight, the report shall include a recommendations to whether the Monae Stewardship and Oversight Authority is fit to continue management. Doesn't say anything about the reversion. I know there are a lot of questions that are being taken out. So, um please correct me if I'm wrong. Maybe manage um Monaka can come up is in the last section. >> Very last page. >> Okay. >> Starts from page three. >> Page three >> all the way down. >> B >> the management authority over a monocular lands as defined in section 304A-1901 Hawaii revised statute shall revert to the University of Hawaii. Okay, that's is that only after the the audit takes place? >> The auditor, as I understand the bill, the auditor is going to determine whether or not we're fit or not.
>> Yeah, that was a good match. >> It was a good match. I don't know. It's probably my most memorable one. Um, my memorable match was probably my freshman year at home, the duel, where me and this elder girl um she was beating me by like a bunch of points and then um like towards the end of third period I turned her and like the whole like like bleachers like just got hype and like I don't know it was very exciting and that's when I like pinned her and it it was a good match. I just I really liked it and how everybody was cheering on me. It's just my favorite. >> Would you would you say uh home dus compared to home tournament? So what what would you like what would you mind like what do you like better a home duel or a home tournament?
Um the board has been able to see a draft of that. We hope to and plan on releasing that later this month. That is intended to provide consistent updates on district in initiatives, student programs, operational priorities, and other important information from the district and from the schools. We welcome feedback from the community once it is released as we work to ensure this communication tool becomes informative, accessible, and responsive to stakeholder needs. That is my report for today. Thank you for your time. Seeing none, we will move on to agenda. Personnel 16. Thank you.
Favorite hobbies are building things such as PCs and models. And when Javier grows up, he wants to be a professional soccer player or work in the military. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. Our eighth grade student of the month from Community Middle School is Angelie Marquez Calderon. Angelie was nominated by her teacher, Mrs. Bennett. Has two siblings, Andrea and Tatiana. Favorite subject in school is art, painting, and drawing. Favorite hobbies are playing with their sister and drawing and baking. And when Angelie grows up, wants to become a chef. And last but not least from Bound Brook High School, filling in for Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Larson. Thank you. Our first student of the month is Derek Sa Oriana. Derek has two siblings. His favorite subject in school is the structured work experience. Um his favorite hobbies are sports, video games, and talking with his friends. And his future career plans are to go to college and study mechanical engineering.
Um again with the early literacy initiative they're continuing the walk to read where the classes are kind of getting matched up um so that students are really getting targeted uh attention um in K1 they are not using that movement um because it could be maybe a little disruptive at that age. Um they said they're looking at changing intervention schedules based on the midyear data. Um and in grade two there isn't really a justification for major changes because of the results. Um there's a strong result in literacy too. So we're kind of just keeping our eye there. Um and there's been some look at um some of the early literacy programs as well. So everyone looking into a lot of focus on early literacy which I think is really important um and we've already been on that as well as the district. So this is just what we're doing.
Have a motion on that. >> Ken, I have a second. >> I'll second. All in favor? Item D, recommend that the board approve employing Mike Garrett as varsity boys baseball coach for the 2526 school year. >> Chris have a second. >> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> Recommend the board approve employing Bryce Garrett as the assistant varsity boys baseball coach for the 2526 school year. A motion 10 second. I'll second. All in favor. >> Recommended the board employee Brian Garrett as varsity girls softball coach for the 2526 school year. >> I'll make a motion. >> Have a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? And the last one, recommend that the board approve employing Edie Powers as a middle school girl softball coach for the 2526 school year. >> Chris, all in favor? >> Yes. Takes care of that. Also, do you have the request for field trips in front of you?
She is basically the epitome of a team player. um having exceptional relationships with all of our colleagues. All of her attributes definitely support North Gro's mission of providing students with exceptional educational experiences. Junko Watanabi. Lastly, she was a little fast a moment ago when I was going to introduce her. Um, but I want to bring back Mia Embry. And Mia is a fifth grade student at North Grove Elementary School. Hardworking, fun, resilient, team player, driven, humble. In fact, so humble this probably makes her a little uncomfortable right now. Um, caring. These are all descriptive words that describe Mia. How driven is she? her teacher had to reach out to I Ready Math to ask them um what does she do next? Um she's already completed her math pathway through eighth grade. Um so um you're putting that extra work on Mrs. Jackson, too. Um and but why humble?
Um, remember I had asked that Ashland pause all municipal permits for the prospective buyer until the open space status is resolved with Hopkin and Agilitas. Um, I would appreciate confirmation that this pause is in place and will remain in place while this issue is being addressed. Um, it's important that the seller and the prospective buyer understand that Ashland intends to uphold the protections outlined for the community in the solar project special permit. Um, I understand that our town doesn't have mandated response times for test pits or soil evaluations. So, maintaining that pause is especially important. So, no activity gets ahead of the legal process. Um, I'd also appreciate an update on any communication between our town council and Hopkin's town council. Um, and a sense of the expected timeline for enforcing that special permit. Uh, again going back to when I talked with Becca Solomon back in December, she did say that our town council said that Hopkin can and should enforce the special permit.