I believe that there is so much to be learned outside of the classroom and today is a true testament of that. I see our future leaders, I heard multiple groups um which essentially their vision for their groups would be to find like issues that's currently happening in the community and to identify solutions. And so to hear our leaders talk so enthusiastically about the work, I'm just super proud to hear about all of it and I look forward to learning more. >> Uh I would like to add that being on the school board can sometimes be a drag because we talk about fuel bids and sidewalks, but getting to talk to the students and seeing them light up when they talk about their favorite club is um really restorative. I would also like to say that this weekend uh Special Olympics is going to states for um basketball.
Yeah, and as art and artists um of the National Art Society, we always see all the awards students are winning, but it takes um a lot of courage to keep on submitting pieces even if it isn't placing in art shows. So, um like problems like that makes you keep going and going even though it is difficult. Thank you guys so much. Thank you everyone who has shared your voice up here. We really appreciate your commentary and everything you have. Back, you guys did amazing. Um for So, the first section is complete. So, all of you who have completed first section, if you could exit on the right over here. And then our next group of people can join us. Yes, a big round of applause. Thank you, everyone. Now, if we can have our next group of people slowly flow in onto the stage. Just say the name.
They'll read the words. This is my 20th year in kindergarten and I will have to say their reading skills and their confidence is the highest I've ever seen it and it's just really fun to watch them. They enjoy it and they're doing really well at it. Okay. So, next we're gonna do worse. We just recently transitioned to skinny markers. So, it's been a big deal to write. Okay, our first word is bed. My turn. Your turn. Bed. >> Let's tap it. >> Word number one. How do you feel? Good job. Word number two. My turn. Math. >> Math. >> Let's tap it. Great word number two. Thumbs up when you are ready. >> M. And word number three. My turn. Your turn. >> Still. >> Let's tap it three times. >> Number three. a thumbs up. How do we spell spill? >> S P I L L.
These are the main observations that we took away walking through your buildings, talking with your staff members and then what we will be taking and then kind of converting that into a strategic plan. So as you look at the next 10 plus years for your school district, you you will have that road map to kind of reference of where do we go and it'll change every single year. So, we will revisit that every year with you all because there'll be there could be a legislative change. There may be a priority that comes up. Those are all things that can be adjusted as you as you look at your plan. We will take a peek at some of those projects planned for this year. So, you guys already have some that have been teed up. So, good or bad, you'll see us back here again in April kind of bringing all that information to you all because those are still planned for this summer as well, too.
One of the things that Michelle Babcock and she's amazing what a great great hire u fund to work with her Tyler doing a great job. Um Tanya and I have met with both of them saying how do we do this adoption for the next two or three years and where is this money coming from because I'm an old poor farm kid rub two pennies together you know we've got to have this money and be good stewards of it to make sure that we can get the resources and materials for our kids. So, what they're wanting us to do now is putting together an estimated cost budget that would go in effect for the 2728 school year that would incur the costs of like what social studies adoption might be, what language arts adoption might be, and the cost there involved. So, they can begin to incorporate that in the budget and build that into that budget, obviously using the material fees that we currently have right now.
So on the sidewalk I would have an obstacle course painted on and this helps the need the needs of all students. So firstly it helps students release excess energy and stress. It reduces disruptive behaviors and then movement break movement boosts brain functions and readiness to learn. Additionally, it can improve gross motor skills and body control. Not only will it help with reducing stress and ex releasing excess energy, but it can also help with social skills. So, it can promote turn taking and encouragement and it allows students of different abilities to participate together. Then for the pig pen, it would act as a station for kids to practice skills on chalkboards. So, the entire section will have vinyl rail fencing around it. The ground would be covered in brown rubber mulch to resemble mud. And then three chalkboards would be made from concrete backer board and then painted with chalkboard paint.
Um, Amy and I are going to tag team this because this is our um kind of our heart right now. Um, creating a sitewide school family at Columbia. So our goals for today is that you will leave with an understanding of what a school family is. Um ways that we have implemented um structures in Colombia with our school family and our hopes for the future in continuing the the goals that we've been working on so far. So um conscious discipline is um something that has become near and dear to our school family. Um and so we want to kind of show you our journey. Um it is a little bit vulnerable because it kind of shows where we started and why we started and um where we are now um with that. So, um, why conscious discipline for Colombia? Um, we went through a transition, um, in administration a few years ago where Amy was had joined our team.
Ooh, but Cloud went right over that neutral special. Did not get sucked up by the blunderbust today. Does a down throw and a forward tilt. Oh, and he misses the down air. Cloud misses the down air. All right. Does a dash attack all the way over to the right and he's taken another stock. That's seven for those of you keeping keeping score at home. Not like you need to. There's a there's a there's a score forward at the top. Does a forward tilt and a neutral special again, launching him over to the side. tries for a spike, which would actually be safe against Cloud since his hitbox doesn't actually go above his head. Leaves him vulnerable. You can hit him. You can even hit him through the stage if you're uh down here long enough. All right. Does a forward smash uh for King K Rule over to the platform.
>> Yeah, absolutely. The numbers elsewhere are all aligned. I just wanted to bring attention to that one. Um, and you said this somewhat in your explanation, but I think a lot of us were a lot of us listening and on school committee might have remembered that the deficit we were looking at in February was 87K and now it's up to 109. Can you just point for us to where that increase is coming from? >> Yes. So the majority of that increase is coming from the I Ready um math and literacy curriculum. Um, and Tanya unfortunately could not make it. Who could ex talk more in depth to that? Um, which was, if I recall, um, just going back to my page, that brought an increase of $19,3 to that. Um, and so I'm I'm not sure the difference of what you had just said, but I know that that's the major contributing factor.
>> Question question. So, uh, good work on that. Uh, pathways, you know, I think that was great that you explored the four pathways now for the high school. Is there other pathways that scoring also. >> So that's what Mr. Baldwin and I talked about is is um I don't know that much about path. I've learned a lot more. >> Um but intro to ad could be a class possibly. Um and so just looking at those classes at the lower level so when they get to the high school they're able to >> I just think make these kids more excited to kind of do some stuff. So anyways, good good work on that. So [clears throat] >> So anything else for Matt? I think to step back to guard on one thing and I and >> maybe is it is so when you have bees as three students that are on the ESOL program is that English okay >> I because I didn't ever read it English speaker of other languages so okay I just wanted to clarify that it wasn't a different program >> okay you know Okay.
So, that's um all capital outlay expenses to create more space. So, we don't have to make a motion on the ones that they're on. >> No, you do not. The ones you have to make a motion on are going to be the concrete cuz it's over $20,000 and also the electrical that's over $20,000. >> They they don't need to approve those. Those If you want me to get other bids for those, I could, but because they're underneath that threshold, you wouldn't. If you would like to make a motion to go with that one because that's the only one, you can do that as well. So, you have some options on those. Uh but on the concrete and electrical, you definitely have to make a motion on which one we want to go with. And again, pretty well handcuffed on those because we have to go with the lowest bid.
We haven't had to do that either because we've so far we've been able we have a self-funding program. We budget money every year and this year we had $750,000 in order to pay debt. So you can see that uh our debt redemption schedule has been pretty much working. Our total current debt is the 5 million I can't really see that 28051 and uh the bond ordinance would be 14250. So that would bring our total debt to 38051. But as you can see the state permits us anytime you do a bond ordinance you have to submit it to the state. You can't just arbitrarily spend money. So the state can approve based on our equalized table of ratables. You have to file what they call a supplemental debt statement. And what they do is they average the last three years value of ratables to come up with the number and then 3% of that number is what you can bond.
We cannot give the entirety of the population because they don't all have phones. The other thing that we have been working on is attendance. Attendance is a big issue um in most schools right across. So we have started doing incentive programs in order to have our students attend school more regularly. When we had our Christmas banquet in December, we gave out awards for attendance, perfect attendance, good attendance, and excellent attendance, as well as giving out academic awards. So, we're hoping that these little certificates that we hand out are encouragement for the students who are actually attending school regularly and those who are making sure that they're here to to get the the content that they need to get. for the students who are what we would consider chronically absent. Um the teachers have been in contact with the parents. We have had parent meetings with a couple of them parent child and myself and Mrs.
Um I've also had a loss of a school counselor just mid year. Did not get that staffed again. There was no applications for it. So Mr. Cabatelli and I are counselors and um but the staff has been adapting to it and we've maintained strong academic focus. So and then committed to igniting the spark. So what's next for Heritage? I'll let you guys know the plan for next year. >> All right. And I want to point out, Kayn, that the teachers who left were people who were new to the profession and it was far more than they had anticipated. I'm not sure what they thought it was like, but they were very overwhelmed and left the profession to go back to prior professions. So, so I'll like to point out this picture and this picture right here was our recent PD day with Tessa Brock. She came out and I um because I'm an alumni of Embry Riddle, I got to rent out the chapel.
We accepted the resignation of Rachel Phillips, middle school computer science teacher. Does anybody have any questions on the foyer requests? Monthly reports for the board. The next regularly scheduled board meeting will take place on Monday, April 13, 2026 with close session beginning at 6 pm. Do we have any uh public comment? Can I please have a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion. >> Second. Joe and Tiffany
So, I hope to bring news of uh lots of medals. So, I echo the same sentiments as the previous board members. It's just exciting just to see the comprehensive knowledge that each of these kids have put into these programs. And when you think about not only the programs but also what they're doing at the school level, it's just exciting to see the futures of our, you know, next leader. So definitely appreciate everybody attending tonight. I also just want to thank our student board members for facilitating the evening. If you're well here or not, thank you very much. and uh the additional performance by the Boulder Hill team was awesome. So, thank you. >> Appreciate everybody's thoughts. Um just to me it's clubs are a huge part of your learning experience. Um that was obvious today and um you know we got to keep it going.
Yeah, I was wanting to also Yes, no, of course. I was really worried that I was going to miss your people, but I just I looked at the question and I was like, "Okay, that's not my part." They got me on a This is student voice. No one will be left behind, I promise. Okay. Yes. Kiersa. starting, which is make sure the picture Thank you so much. I got those are really cute. I was supposed to speak on that last question as well. Are we still on that question or did they like get Okay, that's okay. That's fine. I just want to make sure. Are you Okay. Are you for uh OTC SOTC? Okay. You're the last question of the last part. Okay. Okay. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Okay, before we start, we actually have to roll back really quickly um for Oswego High School's Performing Arts Company.
>> Good. If you have S I L So, one thing you guys might not have seen while they were doing it, we really emphasize the idea that mistakes are okay, but we want to correct them if they are made. So, rather than giving them erasers and pencils that they can change their answer, we encourage them to just cross it out and try again. It's a great way to utilize the time instead of wasting the time that we're given. So, we talk a lot about just crossing it out and trying it again. So, there were a few kids that did that as they were writing. So, I want to make sure that you guys are able to uh take note of that. But overall, we've been very pleased and very impressed with the OG curriculum. We've had a 40% jump in our funological awareness from the beginning of the year to now.
So, it's it's time. It is time. and we'll finish with some next steps. All right, last slide then I'll do introductions here. So really most of you are kind of familiar with our with our group. We've had the opportunity fortunate to have worked with your district now for almost a decade. So for those of you who don't know uh performance services, we primarily serve K through2 schools. So for more than 28 years, we've been helping districts plan, develop, and implement building projects to kind of support their staff and students. We've now completed more than 850 projects valued at more than $3.7 billion. And I I don't say that to to gloat or anything like that. It's just this is kind of what our company has done um from inception. So we do have that experience in house. And I'm going to have you meet some of the the individuals behind me.
So, um, we've never done that before, uh, here estimating two years from now what the cost could be, but that's the way it's got to be, uh, in order for us to make sure that we've got monies set aside for the next two or three years with adoptions. So, >> well, I certainly wouldn't want to be the person replacing you. So, um, yeah. Um, Mr. Peters, thank you for that um financial update because I was forgetting about 750. Um do we anticipate the state figuring out some things here? I mean, >> I talked with it's a great question. I talked with Tyler again today at length and he said uh again he he wrote a little note there for me. We are not expected to receive any additional funding for curricular materials from the state going forward. So, um, and I think again, um, he's in tune with that.