Um we've also had uh Dr. Elizabeth Kak, if I'm I don't know if I'm saying that right, who's an associate professor and also a director of dental hygiene at uh Lewis University. And so it's super cool to have people like that come in and talk to us about all that stuff. Um, also one of the like key things we've done specifically this year is um, we did this super cool thing called the Halloween machine as you can see up there. Um, it's a giant Rube Goldberg machine that we put in the back of a pickup truck. Um, it was made entirely by club members, decorated entirely by club members, and the whole thing was run and designed by club members. And so at the top we had a string that kids would pull and it would release a golf ball which would go down either track and at the end it would hit that bucket and it would open and there was lights and people and they could pick out a candy.
Um and and swimming's the exact same. Uh not just Josh, but the swim team did a great job in sectional. A lot of guys um PRing in sectional. Um and then Josh breaking school records in sectional and at the state meet. So, that's really a testament to the job that Coach Cooper, Coach Trueblood, and their staffs do to get our kids um prepared and ready to go for the state tournament. Um I'm going to turn you over to Coach Trueblood. Thank you, sir. Hello. Uh appreciate the opportunity here to recognize Josh and his achievement. I think the first swimmer of an individual event since 2015, I believe, to medal in swimming. Uh we've had relays, but uh and this is the first Columbus East person to medal uh in the state meet for uh I mean, it might be since '84. I'm not exactly sure.
So, your survey, the fun stuff. So, your survey ended up with a February 9th deadline. Originally, that had been February 2nd, but we did extend that given the inclement weather you all had, and I know uh we wanted to make sure folks could get to their mailboxes to get the survey. Um so, we did extend that by a week. By the time the deadline rolled around, uh we had 4,518 respondents, which is good for about 13 and 1/2% response rate, and uh a really strong response. I think it's this school year our second biggest group of respondents on any survey we've done, um and it's more than 10 times the number you would have needed for a statistical significance. So, we felt really good about that response, and you heard from a lot of members of your community uh about this this topic. Given that number of respondents, there is a plus or minus 1.49% margin of error.
Yeah. >> So, this is funding activity for the football team. You're saying that this is open to any athletic team at the high. >> Correct. And once we get approval, if there's any program any uh coaches that want to take their team down that have that availability, they can they can get all the money allocated for their program. So that's how it works. So if it's like I said, baseball I know plans on going last year basketball and baseball. Um both of those programs earned a little bit extra. So, I would move to amend the um motion to include not just the football team, but any Brown County High School athlete who wants to go and teens who want to go, but the whole team doesn't have to go. >> Correct. I'll second. >> Are you will you be like if the baseball team goes like are doesn't matter what team goes are they still under the direction of Tony Bell?
>> And Miss Mass, why don't you introduce yourself too because I know some of our board members have seen seen you and some of you haven't. >> My name is Abigail Masten. >> And so I I got a spider plant and it is still surviving because Billy takes care of it. It is in my office. So, thank you guys very much for that. Uh, did we have a breakfast, too? >> Yes, I did. >> How did that go? >> It's a good answer. >> Yeah. >> Um, we had some people come. It wasn't as big as we thought it was going to be, but I mean, it wasn't bad. We still got to see quite a few people and I think >> they made good pancakes, I will say. What questions do you guys have for them? Anything? You guys think you're learning a lot?
So, um, I already have a bump in the road here because I have, uh, my next note is representing the applicant. We have Chris Lucas from Lucas Environmental and John Cusich from Bowler Environmental. And the bump in the road is I thought they were going to be uh, present, but they are on Zoom. I guess their whole team is on Zoom. So, but Chris and John are here uh, on Zoom. Um, again, this project, uh, you're all probably familiar with it, but if you're not, it's across the street here. Um, it basically basically speaking, it's, uh, uh, residential units with some commercial space that will um, that will be in the place of the what now are the mill buildings. The 40B process is uh, is a Massachusetts specific uh, type of issue. It's it's Massachusetts General Laws 40B. What it allows for is a cert if there are a certain amount of um units set aside as um what are referred to as um affordable units under the um the state guidelines.
So what the town is budgeting um effective today is 3.5% increase. So that would be the 57,371,663. That's a 3.5% increase over fiscal year 26. And then the continuation of the school choice um reliance plan 245,000 which is44 um which would then leave us with an amount unfunded based on our current um draft budget proposal of 1,610,726, the equivalent of just under 3% 2.91%. So that's hot off the presses late this afternoon and I just thought that we it would be important to present that as soon as we possibly could to you folks. >> So if I'm Adam >> Yeah, >> Mr. Ki. So if I'm reading this right, um the the town's coming in, they're ready to come in at a three and a half uh for FY27. However, based upon if I look at the the key budget factor, yeah, and I'm looking at the over the whole budget packet that you sent that you gave us a couple weeks back, >> but essentially that still >> doesn't even meet our never mind the new positions, just our contractual obligations.
Um can you talk a little bit about um the second page? It says that the general policy of the district not to allow any individual organization to enter school site if the educational setting would be disrupted by that visit. Believe that the ICE activities in and around schools so on and so forth would constitute a severe disruption to the learning envir environment and educational setting for students. To me, that's like the crux of this policy, right? Is like the justification for that position. Not that I agree or disagree with either one. I'm just like that's what this hinges on is whether or not like our policy is substantiated to be able to say like sorry this is the disruption. >> Just a couple of thoughts. Um the first is that um I want to be clear because we've had conversations about uh the prevailing wisdom being that districts uh are being advised to reduce policies to those that reflect the law.
And so yeah, that was one of them. And we've done a bunch of other super cool things. >> Yeah. Like what we're doing right now, we have uh a period product drive in all of the science classrooms. That's on the next slide. >> Next slide. >> Yeah. So, we have these boxes um where people can just drop off different period products and they get distributed across Chicago. We're donating specifically to the Period Collective in downtown Chicago, which is Chicago based and run um women's donation spot where you collect things like pads, tampons, stuff like that. And they um like give those out to local women's shelters and stuff like that. We're also um participating in the scare sustainability design challenge in April of this year. And so that entails like each you get to create a team of up to four people and your team works on um you get to design your own um I'm trying to think the word design your own like sustainable building and you have to plan like where you would put it in the DuPage County where you would um what you would do with it.
So, a great accomplishment for Josh. And and Josh has worked his tail off all season. He works in the off season. He has high aspirations to to swim. He is only a sophomore. So, he still has a lot of time to continue to improve. Um the work that he has done with roughly 11 practices a week um during the school year, that is six mornings and five nights a week. Just to give you an example of of the dedication that these kids have and I know the wrestling program is very similar. So, we don't take these things lightly. But the the biggest thing for Josh I think is he exhibits and portrays what the Columbus East administration and athletic department have been striving for and that is the athletic department. We want to make our athletes as successful as they can and build them as athletes, but we're trying to build them as people.
That's entirely just based on the number of respondents, uh but it's just a good number to keep in mind as we go through the survey and look at the results uh specifically around a potential operating referendum renewal renewal. Age demographics uh of those who took your survey, a quarter of respondents were 65 plus. Uh so, that was the second biggest group. We like to see that. Uh it's a uh big group in your community that isn't as directly connected to the schools as, for example, uh staff or parents, um and they also turn out to vote uh very reliably. So, very happy to see them as one of the top two respondent groups. The only one higher was at 26% in the 35 to 44 age group. We had 45 to 54 next at 21%. 16% of respondents were 55 to 64. 11% 25 to 34, and then 1% 18 to 24, uh which is very typical for our surveys.
>> They're going to be under my direction when we organize it through the derby but like if if a coach goes with them at the derby they'll be with that said coach and in that coach will be designed to kind of keep an eye on them and supervise them. But through the derby eyes, I'll be the one that's in charge of the entire group that's going down. >> Last year, we had um about six other coaches or other adults that went with us, so it was plenty of supervision with the kids. And you know, I could have I should have actually thought about bringing one or two kids because they could have said just how much fun they had. Not not knowing that they were working. They were more just the interaction, seeing the sites and the the people that walk around was just as engaging and entertaining for them.
>> Are you having fun? >> Yes. Are y'all juniors? >> Yeah. >> How long have you been in? >> I've been in FFA since 8th grade. Um, I've been FFA since 10th. I've been FFA since 8th grade. >> What are your medals, Harper? I see on your coke. This is my uh chapter degree. This is my officer pin. And this is uh for extemporaneous public speaking. >> Thank you ladies. >> Thank you very much. >> Miss you join them please. play musical chairs while I did find >> I can't now but I >> one two and three one more one two and three perfect got it >> all right thank you guys for joining us appreciate it >> thank you >> guys want to stay you can sorry if you want to leave you're more than welcome to you don't have to stick around that's you This is >> Barbara has musical practice.
um the applicant can circumvent the normal um permitting process and file what's called a comprehensive plan to the ZBA, the zoning board of appeals. And uh and it to a large degree, sometimes to a complete degree, circumvents all local control. Um it it goes through the process. that's been going through the process now in Ashland for for almost a year. Uh the ZBA has issued their decision. They approved the comprehensive plan and the comprehensive plan comes with a number of conditions and if you're interested in that, you can find it on the the zoning board of appeals website. Um the final decision is there with the conditions. Um, how the conservation commission is involved in this is usually we have limited jurisdiction anyway. The conservation commission usually is enforcing the state wetlands protection law and the local wetlands bylaw and the local storm water bylaw.
Am I I'm reading that right? Right. It's about we're we're about one and a half that's still >> one and a half under our contractual obligations. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Yeah. I'm just trying to take this all in. That's what I thought. >> So, three points. >> So, I guess for me the bottom line is I'm Oh, go I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> Go. >> For me, the bottom line is I'm, you know, I think we need to send push this budget forward. um and let's see what happens. um we need to get the word out that what we're doing right now um it's not enough and I think I said my piece at the last meeting um uh the the general public needs to be aware that things have got to change and and I think at least my opinion let the let the select board tell us that Um they're not going to um support this budget.
Not because you could be sued by simply having the policy, but more often it's a case of somebody suing you for not following a policy that is that you didn't even need to have in the first place. Um, so that I I just want to be clear about that. Not necessarily that I'm concerned or that anybody's concerned that if we adopted this policy, somebody would sue us. Um it's the prerogative of the board to adopt the policy uh good, bad or otherwise sued or otherwise. Um with respect to the um crux of this policy, I would argue first of all, you know, as the constitution stands now, we are required to educate all students regardless of their citizenship. Um, and that I think there therein to your point lies the concern about ICE being in the building creates a disruption um into the educational process.
How would it be a sustainable thing? how you like manage storm water, all that type of stuff. Yeah. And so our future plans are we're planning to do more like STEM challenges and competitions. And Emma's gonna say the next one. >> Uh we're also going to continue having more uh speakers come in. And we're also going to have an outreach with like middle school students and like elementary students because we want to build a strong foundation of women in STEM.
And to be good people that bring and elevate others around them up. And Josh had a small team this year, did not have the group of of kids to help push him that we had last year as far as a larger team and and a definitely a little bit more experienced team. But this group of seven we were able to finish I think fifth in the sectional with we were the highest team with seven kids in both our conference and our sectionals and and that is due to Josh's ability to not only be the best that he could be, but to bring his teammates along with him. And I think Dr. Parsons tries to drive that within our school as far as being good people helping those around you because athletics is not going to necessarily last. We get old, right? I mean, I I feel old every day, but athletics aren't going to be there every day until you're in.
I think I've seen that number be anything other than 1% maybe once on the more than uh 50 or 60 surveys I've been a part of. So, it's it's pretty rare that that is any higher. So, really good data, a good mix of uh age groups here responding to your survey. 94% of your respondents have a primary residence in the district, which means, of course, were there to be a ballot measure, they could vote on it. Uh 1% of respondents were not sure. Uh there's always 1 to 2% that are not sure. And the remaining 5% do not. Those could be staff that live outside your uh boundaries, could be open enrollment families or things like that. Um so, while their feedback is taken into account in some of the pieces of the survey, when we're looking at a potential outcome of an operating referendum renewal, we need to filter down to just those folks who can vote, so we do that.
>> What kind of task do you do? >> It varies from group to group, but generally it's food running, busing tables. Um, a lot of the kids, uh, do some seating, so they'll greet people and take them to their seats. >> Just a variety of different jobs, whatever they need help with. We're usually in one of three different areas on the complex and pretty busy. >> I took a group to the Indianapolis 500 one time and I think it was $90 a day. >> Yeah. >> And um, yeah, it was it wasn't hard work, but it's just a long day, >> right? Any other questions? It's been moved and seconded to approve the amended recommendation for the athletic teams to under the direction of Tony Bell with Kentucky Derby. Um, all those in favor of this signify by saying I >> sign motion car. I have the recommendation to approve the donation of $3,365 from Big Woods Pizza for the payment of student lunch debt at Brown County Schools.