Um, wanting to change agendas, not uh being compliant with the the district policies and things of that nature. So, we've done a couple things. We have started vetting them. Um, they have to fill out a form. They have to consent to a background check. Um, they've got to go through different things. Um, >> do they do the fingerprint stuff? What what we've done is we run them through our check-in checkout system in the front which runs for domestic violence and um domestic domestic violence and um >> anything any any abuse that >> registered offenders >> registered sex offenders. Thank you, Mr. Ferguson. That's specifically what it does. So, anything that falls under that category. Um so, that's that's what that currently does. Um, we have very strict rules about entering the hotel rooms, those sorts of things. We now also with the vetting system, we have at least two meetings where we sit and train them.
You want to understand why. So, to understand if we were talking about five or 10 or 15 million, totally different story. But 53,000, every penny counts to everybody today, right? >> So, we just want to make sure that everybody understands the value of that. >> Yeah. We definitely don't want to downplay it and say it's only, >> you know, $20 per household. That's a lot. That's a lot for some people, believe it or not. And when they have, you know, they in the in the red at the end of the month. >> So, >> and it's still a good gesture that we would that we've done in the past that we we're paying that money, not taking it. >> Absolutely. Yeah. >> So, >> we can go back to doing it >> in the future when finances are Okay. I was just wondering if like stop doing it.
However, I look at a literacy program. We know we have to have a new literacy program. States's requiring we're moving forward with piloting in another year. It's probably about a million dollars when you're all said and done with professional development materials, etc. So, a three-year cost of say $300,000 plus. Well, to me, that's a perfect use of onetime funds like school choice. But we won't be able to do that if we don't pass an override. It just won't happen because we won't have the funding. We'll have to come back and look some other way to fund it. And, you know, it's a challenge. As I said, we really have two paths forward, right? I mean, that's what we're looking at right now. Um, do we want to fix structural stability uh or and think long term? You pay me a lot of money to think long term.
I don't I don't know what that was, but there's a next week you'll see that when I do I'm going to do an assessment for you guys of the capital accounts that leads into a conversation of about excess and deficiency. Um I didn't think that made sense to do here and now for time purposes. Um but >> we're just getting this information as it's rolling into us, right? So we haven't been able to share this some with some of the towns that we've gone to as well too. Right. >> So, does that make more sense, Megan? I'm sorry. >> Yeah, I totally get it. I I was like thinking that 487 needs to be minused out of it, but I get it. It's separate stuff that you have. That's all that additional tando stuff that we were going to originally pay with school choice and now you want to use that oil capital fund.
They've spent probably way too much time with me on resolving their eye attacks and and Claudia and John get the calls at four o'clock in the morning. So make it happen. make sure people know that we have some issues here. So, we do have some issues. Um we have um our our day right now, end of the school year, maybe six um winter related days brings us to June 22nd, which is a Monday. And I I didn't really get that many phone calls about weather and different things like that. You thought for a fact that we both got to the safety of our staff and our students. The most calls that I've received in the past week has been boom get penalized if they have to go to camp uh on the Monday or we have some college quizzes uh already set up. Um or we have some competitions that we have to go to, tournaments that we have to go to, are they going to be penalized?
A child who is struggling in the classroom. A child who needs support. A child whose future depends on the decisions adults make in these rooms. Our students deserve timely evaluations. I urge the board to listen carefully to the voices that are unable to be here and speak up. And I'm here to advocate for those voices. Thank you. We're moving on to item 8.1, comments, reports, and requests by the board of education. Uh, board member Greer, >> I have no comments this evening. >> Board member Ramos, >> I just want to uh congratulate again the recipients of our uh awards tonight, the parents um for being selected as uh parents of the year for their schools. Um, and then also I just wanted to comment that I had the opportunity I was invited to uh read last week at Lee school and was able to read in three classrooms uh prek K and one and first grade.
And so before it was just kind of come on, let's go. We've really changed that what the last four years, Miss Rico. Um, where I've been put in charge of that. And even if I'm not going on a trip, we sit down. We talk about the rules, the dress code. It applies to them. It applies to our students. We talk about that although low low you're volunteering your time possibly taking vacation time for work. This is not a vacation. You're an extension of our staff. We talk about what our rules are and our expectations. We talk about this is game on since from 6:00 in the morning until 10:30 at night. If there's emergencies um that staff or the administrator may be calling on you to do certain things um and just make sure that they're aware and prepared for that. And so we've really gone the extra mile, if you will, in the last um four years to beef up that process.
>> This is a year to year thing that we would vote on every year. Okay. >> So, we can it can change at any time, but just so you guys everybody understands what the VA how much it's a small portion, but to some people it's not a small portion. So, you you guys should you know to understand that. >> Okay. Absolutely. Okay. >> And I believe I also have an agenda item that's an update on the MEC sale. Correct. It's on the second page. >> Yes. Uh regret to uh share with you that the buyer was unable to obtain financing um for the purchase of MEC. So, um, we have to have a discussion, uh, if we want to look to go out and place the building up for sale again. And then also there's the issue of the, uh, bid deposit that was turned in by the prospective buyer.
I I find we get in trouble when we start thinking about just tomorrow. And that's why the 13.2 two positions and that that you know the the the structural and fiscal realignment of those positions helps us do that. It's a 6.1% increase total budget. I'm not looking to keep those 132 one point plus million plus a 2.75. Now you're looking at you know 9 10 12% increase. That's not what we're trying to do. We're trying to fix the issue we have before us. So, that's really um what I have. Um and we'll go more in depth tomorrow evening um I'm sure with the school committee because they're going to want to see the positions, additional positions that we're looking at pulling into uh revolving accounts should an override not pass. And you know, we're we we're going to go from, you know, eight educators to 13 potentially even to 15.
And Berlin wants to use their free cash to pay for. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. I get it. >> Yep. And we would still include the rear parking lot and the wood chips because in case something comes up in the future >> for for now those are there. Um you know I think it would be up to the school committee and I'm pretty certain we're going to meet again about the budget to to consider some things. So it might be that based on what the feedback we've received from the town of Boilson in terms of being kind of tapped out on their ability to fund capital. school committee may decide, okay, the the the paving at some point really should be done. Does it need to be done this year? As well as, you know, the wood chips with rubber. Um, is that, you know, a necessary, could there be some fundraising for that?
And and it really got me thinking um a lot last week about that. You know, you look eight, nine years ago, we were getting snow days like this. We were getting five or six or seven um snow days and camps weren't really starting. The tournaments were weren't really starting to that following week. But we got used to since about 2018, 2019 to kind of schedule things early because we haven't had some bad weather. So, I really started thinking about this and and if you read the newspaper right now, you you see boards of education all across the state doing what you're about to do tonight. Um, you actually have more flexibility than a a lot of towns have. To Kim's point, a lot of towns are just cancelling professional development days and um making them school days. We don't have any full day professional development days, so it's really not an option for us.
I'm sorry. And uh really enjoyed it. Um it's been a long time since I've had more than one person listen to me. So it was actually very enjoyable to have you know group of kids pay attention to me. So um I really enjoyed that and I want to thank um principal Mrs. Rojos and the staff for inviting me to do that. Thank you. >> What member Audian? >> I just want to congratulate the parents and the parent of the year once again. That's all for now. >> Thank you. Okay. So, I wanted to report that um I went to Isuza High School back to school night. Their theme was Aztec adventure [clears throat] night. The layout was totally different than the than in the past. If you recall, they used to walk from classroom to classroom. Well, it was great. This time they had it outside in the quad.
>> What about insurance? Is the company insured? Does the school have any liability for anything that could occur? >> So there there's a couple different things. So the company is definitely insured. Any trip that our kids go on, anything they participate in, they're covered under our insurance from the school. So, they're always insured and covered any school activity that they're doing under their trust, but there is additional and I'll give this to Greg because he's more the expert on the negotiation side, but all of the companies we deal with have insurance and we can purchase additional insuranceances within that. Like when it was close to COVID, you could have gotten trip insurance and things of that nature as well. But Mr. Schubert, do you have anything you want to add? So the insurance that the that the travel company has, we also require them to list the district as an additional insurance.
So, um, leave open it up for discussion at this point. Um, obviously we were disheartened that we couldn't um, sell the building, but um, we still have an asset and we'll continue to move forward and see what our options are. >> So, we're going to discuss this open, right? >> Okay. The only question I have on the bid deposit is did we spend any money in this district on legal counsel >> or time with our employees? If we did, then my suggestion is if it was in the documents that they signed that the bid deposit should not be returned if the district has incurred any costs. >> I mean, I know we did incur cost. Um, I can review the legal bills. I know that it did it was a cost to publish the the notice. So, I can total those out and share that >> just so we're on the same if there's if we've incurred cost.
And if we had to cut, we had to reduce, you're going from those 13.2 positions closer to anywhere between 20 and 30 at a level funded if we don't use the the revolving accounts. >> Thank you, Jim. >> Yep. >> Jim, will those uh will that presentation be available on the school? >> Yeah, after tomorrow uh after tomorrow evening, uh it'll be uh and the budget book. I I the budget book uh is ready to go out and usually I share that out after um >> I present it uh and that'll be presented tomorrow evening at the school committee meeting. >> Okay. Thank you.
Things like that. I also, you know, I want to be mindful of the fact that they're looking down the barrel of absorbing what two and a half million plus in a roof project for for Foilson Elementary. Um, and they're they're trying to do that without say doing a two and a half override. They're trying to sort of shortterm push it out um so they can fund it from operations. >> We also know conversation happening with Wolston PTO, right, their group about doing the um the playground, right? So all of that we were taking into account as well. We're still waiting for updates to see what takes place with that. And then that will determine whether we can do the parking lot. Is that the time to do it? Is that the time to do wood chips? Depending on what they're what they're doing in that project, right?
But what we do have is we have 182 days in this calendar and state law requires only 180 school days. I checked that with our attorney and they said absolutely you are correct. And what I also wanted to make sure is that anything that we do that you may do because this is in the superintendent's decision. um anything that you may do doesn't affect graduation for our Canton High School seniors. And since our calendar was adopted on December 10th, 2024, it goes to the 180th day of what was adopted on December 10th. Our 180th day was June 12th. So that means graduation cannot be touched. That is firm. So the discussion that we're having tonight is prek through 11. So, I've been making a recommendation to you this evening um to do what our surrounding districts do and make the 20 uh 5 26 school year uh 180 days for our students.
They had like 10 tables that had the um clubs, sports, community partners, food, game, and um the talent show that I spoke about that Miss Greer was dancing on and and singing with her son and her teacher. So, um I wanted to thank Mr. for um Principal Fernandez and community schools because I know they worked together on putting it on and I really like the new style that they that they started doing outside because parents everyone was just in the same room instead of going from classroom to classroom and sometimes as you know sometimes a parent excuse me a teacher has like one parent or two parents they were they had to pass all the tables right so it was it was really great whoever thought of doing it that way it it turned out really well I went to Dalton Elementary Luna New Year celebration And it's the year of the horse.
So that we're covered that way. Um and also they depending on the company that they go with, the company may have an additional insurance that parents could purchase just for, you know, for emergency situations like an emergency hospitalization or something. So parents will have that option should have that option. >> So there are Miss Jenna brought up the number of fourth graders. So there's 73 current fourth graders. So that we have the option next year as fifth graders. >> Okay. Anybody else? >> That answers all my questions. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Want to make one motion? Yes. I move to approve the proposal for the fifth grade annual trip to Boston. >> Yeah. >> Good. >> May I say no? Yeah, >> 50 years. >> I'm going to say yes on good faith because I I'm worried that it's going to detour from the eighth grade trip just because I saw the decline in the numbers this year for eighth grade.
My opinion is that that's why we put that in writing and we put that amount in there. Understood. >> Yeah. And I would like to I'm sorry. >> Go ahead. >> I I'll save this last spill. Go ahead. >> I was just going to ask and if those costs were costs we would have incurred anyway or is it cost that we incurred because someone came forward and said >> that's exactly what I'm asking. >> Okay. So it there was probably costs incurred I would assume with the district with legal drafting stuff for that having communications that we paid for. >> Yeah. I can think you know I understand what you guys are saying the the legal costs that pertain to that specific transaction >> but then that is also the third time that we've went out to bid for that property. So, you know, that as to your point, Janine, you know, we were going to incur those costs of publication to go out to bid if we go out a fourth time.