So, I strongly support this. All right. Any additional comments? Let me make sure I'm not missing someone. Additional questions, additional comments I have in the chat here. What is that? >> Um, okay. Um, all right. So, I think that we are ready to vote on the motion from member Denive to include warrants on the Greenfield Public Schools website. >> Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Chair Ston, >> yep. >> Member Webb, yes. Vice Chair Childs, >> yes. >> Member Den, >> yes. >> Mayor Dorger, >> yes. Member Dyman. >> Yes. >> It passes unanimously. >> Great. Thank you. Next item. Three left folks and then we can move on to old business. Um motion for member Den to request an update on the under pouch program efficacy, current contract status, and cost. >> Second. >> Okay. Any other motivation that you'd like to make? >> It's just we've had it for a while.
Would you like to motivate this motion? Yes. So, this is something that we've been trying to accomplish, and there's been multiple attempts, and so I guess I think um, having three people versus one, maybe will be supportive, and maybe making, um, just having all stakeholders included, maybe we'll have more ways things happen. This needs to be done, and I think it's just, um, we seem stuck with it right now. So, I'm just moving that we add somebody from, um, the subcommittee for budget, and somebody to represent the city. All right. >> Instead of just one person. This motion needs a second. Second. Okay, discussion. Member Deneve. I've taken the volunteer training to do this. Um and I've taken the budget and finance training voluntarily. Um and I've been on budget and finance. And also I would say we are a separate entity. We are elected in a separate body.
I just want a little update as to like is it still working? >> How's it going? Do people still use it? Just that just to check in because it is something that we pay for every year and it is an integral part of our school culture. >> Yep. >> We can absolutely do that. If there are specific questions that you want answered um you could always send please send those so that we don't come back next month potentially with a generic report and then somebody says well I wanted more >> in that please feel free to send me any specific questions. Is there a deadline >> deadline for questions? >> Another week. So it gives us a couple weeks to prep it so we can get here in April before things move fast. >> All right. So by this time by this time next week, please email any specific questions you have about yonder pouches to the superintendent.
We are not the city. Our job is to do oversight of our budget. The city's job is not to oversight our budget. And I think that that's something that people forget all the time, but we are we are the school district. The city should not come in and oversight us. We oversight ourselves. Also, there's already eight people in the room. Six to eight people in the room already for these, and we also have no one applying. And we can't force people to apply. We cannot magically make candidates appear. So, adding anybody is will make the room considerably fuller and the interviews take longer. Um and I don't see the problem statement. I don't see that there's a problem with it because it's not going to help anything be materialized. And thank you very much for voting for me to continue this work, and I have all of the qualifications required to do it and have already done it.
Um uh we have a motion. We had a second. We had a second from member child's. Any other discussion? Let's vote. Member Goodwin. >> Chair Saxon. >> Yep. >> Member Webb, yes. Vice Chair Childs, >> yes. >> Member Deniv, >> yes. >> Mayor Disorger, >> yes. >> Member Dyman, >> yes. >> Passes unanimously. >> Excellent. Thank you. On to motion N. Uh motion for member Goodwin that the school committee add two additional members to the business manager hiring committee. one from the subcommittee of business finance and warrants and one to represent the city of Greenfield um which presumably that would be the mayor. >> Would you like to motivate this motion? >> Yes. So, this is something that we've been trying to accomplish and there's been multiple attempts and so I guess I think um having three people versus one maybe will be supportive and maybe making um just having all stakeholders included, maybe we'll have more more things happen.
How much time? I do see that concern about too many cooks, and I also want to ask the superintendent uh what the usual makeup of a hiring committee for business manager is, uh what number of school committee members is the norm or range, and if uh the city usually does have representation. Just what what is the norm? Norms can vary, right? There's always they're averages, right? So, when you say what's the average, the average is on any interviewing committee, uh many of you would just part Well, you all participated in the superintendent hiring at the end, but some of you did the screening as well. Two big committees are tough. They're very tough. Um so, smaller is always better in in my opinion. You're going to be screening some people first and you you being the school committee, you hire the business manager. So, should you have finalists other There are other things in life where I may bring recommendations forward or I say I the position of superintendent hires, right?
This needs to be done and I think it's just um we seem stuck with it right now. So, I'm just moving that we add somebody from um a subcommittee for budget and somebody to represent the city. All right. >> Instead of just one person, >> this motion needs a second. >> Second. >> Okay. Discussion. Member Den. >> I've taken the volunteer training to do this. Um, and I've taken the budget and finance training voluntarily. Um, and I've been on budget and finance. And also I would say we are a separate entity. We are elected in a separate body. We are not the city. Our job is to do oversight of our budget. The city's job is not to oversight our budget. And I think that that's something that people forget all the time. But we are we are the school district. The city should not come in and oversight us.
This isn't one of the things that are under your purview in that sense in this the committee will bring to you finalists. It could bring to you finalists or candidates to move forward in that sense. I also agree with member Deneve on separating and not having somebody from the city and then not that we don't want to um engage with the city, right? We're I think we're engaging every month by showing up at city council meetings and talking with them and being on different committees and and sharing a lot, but this is your your job in that sense. Um for that. So, I think smaller is better. What what is smaller? It's relative, right? It's like what's a lot in life? What's a lot of money to you is not a lot of money to somebody else. Um in that sense, but the more you have, the more the tougher it gets.
We oversight ourselves. Also, there's already eight people in the room, six to eight people in the room already for these. And we also have no one applying. And we can't force people to apply. We cannot magically make candidates appear. So adding anybody is will make the room considerably fuller and the interviews take longer. Um, and I don't see the problem statement. I don't see that there's a problem with it because it's not going to help anything be materialized and thank you very much for voting for me to continue this work and I have all of the qualifications required to do it and have already done it. have a chance. >> I do see that concern about too many cooks. And I also want to ask the superintendent uh what the usual makeup of a hiring committee for a business manager is. Uh what number of school committee members is the norm or range?
You do have six candidates um right now for that and I was delaying and I'll use the word delaying uh starting putting anything together. Obviously, I knew this motion was coming here tonight, right? I knew you were going to potentially be hiring a new superintendent tonight. So, now with those things happening, I will involve I would assume and I would like to involve the new superintendent on that along with any other members that you choose to, so we can get that going. Is a member what? I'm really sorry to keep going here, but I'm curious who is current who is on this committee? I guess will be my question. Because you said it's the school committee who's hiring in it. So I'm guessing it's member Geneve and yourself in the room maybe assistant superintendent Sullivan. I wouldn't see our Yeah, no so that committee I know that we I have the I have the notes cuz it's on my desk from the last month or month or two ago when member Geneve was voted and some of the camp members who would be in there.
And if uh the city usually does have representation, just what what is the norm? norms vary, right? There's always they're averages, right? So, when you say what's the average, the average is on any interviewing committee, many of you would just part well, you all participated in the superintendent hiring at the end, but some of you did the screening as well. Two, big committees are tough. They're very tough. Um, so smaller is always better in my opinion. You're going to be screening some people first and you you being the school committee, you hire the business manager. So should you have finalists other there are other things in life where I may bring recommendations forward or I say I the position of superintendent hires right this is one of the things that are under your purview in that sense and this the committee will bring to you finalists or could bring to you finalists or candidates to move forward in that sense I also agree with member Deniv on separating and not having somebody from the city and and not that we don't want to engage with the city right I think we're engaging every month by showing up at city council meetings and talking with them and being on different committees and and sharing a lot but this is your your job in that sense um for that.
I will not be sitting on that. Okay. Um committee the new superintendent will be. It's not a committee. It's not a committee. It's a It's a >> Yeah, it's a screening. >> Uh it's I'm would be the liaison to it and how it worked before was it was superintendent Patnode, it was David Messing, it was Steven Sullivan, it was uh two people from the accounting office and myself. And the And we pre-screened people, we talked, we chose candidates that we thought were worthy of interviews. We interviewed them and then anybody that want that we chose would have They wouldn't make the decision. I would have to bring it to you. Mhm. You all still you Like I'm not picking this person. I'm just sitting in on the interviews and then I would bring the candidates that we all thought were worthy to you and then you could make the determination and we would all hire together.
So I think smaller is better. What what is smaller, it's relative, right? It's like what's a lot in life, what's a lot of money to you is not a lot of money to somebody else um in that sense. But the more you have, the more the tougher it gets. You do have six candidates um right now for that. And I was delaying and I'll use the word delaying starting putting anything together. Obviously, I knew this motion was coming here tonight, right? I knew you were going to potentially be hiring a new superintendent tonight. So now with those things happening, we'll involve I would assume and I would like to involve the new superintendent on that along with any other members that you choose to so we can get that going. I see member what >> I'm really sorry to keep going here but I'm curious who is current who is on this committee I guess would be my question because you said it's the school committee who is hiring it so I'm guessing it's member Denive and yourself in the room maybe assistant superintendent Sullivan I wouldn't see or >> yeah no so that committee I know that we I have the I have the notes because it's on my desk from the last month or a month or two ago when member D was voting on some of the K members who would be in there.
Like just as we would with the superintendent. So that will have to happen. It's not like my job to do this, but there's some screening that has to happen and the last pool all said no and disappeared. So I'm pulled their their applications for various reasons that we have already discussed. I did have another question. I had two questions. Um is there a crossover work between the city to the school side. Like we're asking the uh business department to have a representative there to interview. I'm wondering if there's crossover that we would want a person from the city side there. There was a One of the interview questions was about the relationships with the city business manager because they do have a relationship. And And well, at the last meeting you said how important it was for us to have input from people in the business office to make sure they had someone they were comfortable with.
I will not be sitting on that. >> Okay. >> Um committee. The new superintendent will be. >> It's not a committee. It's not a committee. It's a it's a >> it's a screen. >> It's I'm would be the liazison to it. And how it worked before was it was Superintendent Patnode. It was David Messing. It was Steven Sullivan. It was uh two people from the accounting office and myself. And the and we pre-screened people. We talked. We chose candidates that we thought were worthy of interviews. We interviewed them and then anybody that want that we chose would have they wouldn't make the decision. I would have to bring it to you. >> You all still you like I'm not picking this person. I'm just sitting in on the interviews and then I would bring the candidates that we all thought were worthy to you and then you could make the determination and we would all hire together like just as we would with the superintendent.
Would it be just as important to have someone from the city side to make sure they're also comfortable with them? I don't necessarily know. When I took the training from MASBO, they said that you obviously want the two parties to be collegial and cordial and kind and be able to work well together, but they are separate. They are separate. And so, while while by nature they will work together, they do not work necessarily with each other into each other because we are a separate organization, and we have to constantly remind ourselves of that and talk about that all the time, or we will lose control of that. And and people do want to make us lose control of that, but we are our own separate elected body doing this work, which is separate from the city. So, there is really no reason for the city to be there.
So that will have to happen. It's not like my job to do this, but there's some screening that has to happen. and the last pool all said no and disappeared so and pulled their their applications for various reasons that we have already discussed. >> I did have another question. I had two questions and is there crossover work between the city to the school side >> like we're asking the uh business department to have a representative there to interview. I'm wondering if there's crossover that we would want a person from the city side there. There was a qu one of the interview questions was about their relationships with the city business manager because they do have a relationship and >> well at the last meeting you said how important it was for us to have input from people in the business office to make sure they had someone they were comfortable with.
But, then again, you know, everybody kind of knows each other. They probably already know each other, maybe. The way the superintendents all know each other. It's a small pool. Remember good one. So, the mayor sits on the school committee to be that bridge um and has the whole city the whole budget everything in her head. And we have struggled with a collaborative approach in the past. It's been more blame. Um and I would like personally to have the mayor sit on the superintendent search. I felt that was appropriate. I also feel it's appropriate if she can't do it that she appoint somebody. I mean, they don't have to have a vote but they should be in the room. I've seen hiring committees in South Hadley that had 30 people in the room to hire a superintendent from that but stakeholders felt they had a voice and I think that's important.
Would it be just as important to have someone from the city side to make sure they're also comfortable with them? >> I don't necessarily know. When I took the training from Masbow, they said that you obviously want the two parties to be colleial and cordial and kind and be able to work well together, but they are separate. They are separate. And so while while by nature they will work together, they do not work necessarily with each other into each other because we are a separate organization and we have to constantly remind ourselves of that and talk about that all the time or we will lose control of that and and people do want to make us lose control of that. We are our own separate elected body doing this work which is separate from the city. So there is really no reason for the city to be there.
Um I just don't want to be in this position. There are six people who have applied. I guess I would love to see a finalist in front of us. Um you know, by next month. It's just it's it I feel like we're just kind of stuck. And so this motion really is about hopefully getting us more stakeholders, more energy into this. Member Childs, and then I would really like to move move us along. My concern about being stuck and slowing things down is if we add more people, that adds more schedules that have to be juggled to find times and I worry that adding people might slow us down. Also, I wanted to know what you meant by let me see where is it a rep someone to represent the city of Greenfield. I was thinking the mayor or somebody who she would designate to represent her if she couldn't do it.