So the students are going to talk about it and they're excited and a little nervous. So we're going to help them through it. Okay. And they're across some different grade levels. So I'll have them stand over here and talk about their first demonstration because these are two of our kindergarten students. Um and they're doing like arts from around the world. So, they're learning about like countries and arts and like celebrations. Um, and they have some things that they want to share. So, this is Abigail. You guys want to tell them about your lantern? Oh, maybe that won't work. So when so there's a new year holiday and and in China and they have manters and they have flowers on them to Make them happy. All right. You can say it's the year of the horse. And so they've learned about that and some of the things that have to do with that.
>> Second. >> Any questions or comments? >> Have a question. >> Yes. >> How many McKini Vento students do we have this year? Uh this year we have about McKenna Vento uh about 34 or excuse me 209 uh McKini Vento students about 30 30 to 35 that are identified as youth on their own. >> Okay. And is that 200 >> um about the same year-over-year? Do we have about 200 every year? >> Uh that's a great question. And I believe it's pretty consistent year after year. I'm getting some head nods from my phone of friends. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Sorry, the experts. >> All right. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions or discussions? All those in favor? >> I >> Thank you. >> I >> motion carries. Uh Dr. Strereer J10 discussion and approval of the 2026 2027 governing board meeting dates, times, and locations.
Um next, we'll move down under operations. We have an application Yeah. So, this is an inform this time and I'd like to bring a resolution back to you the next meeting. I would like to apply for a what they call a 1003 flexibility waiver. Um this is a waiver that we would apply to the state and I would like to ask to use two designated school days next year for asynchronous e-learning. Um so, one in the first semester and one in the spring semester. Those days the students will be working on their own asynchronous learning at home while all of our teachers spend the day in full day PD, professional development. With our shift from building instructional coaches to district instructional coaches, we're cutting seven instructional coaches positions. This would allow us to keep our momentum on staff training and updated um materials. We have a lot headed to us next year with math particularly from the state and this would allow our teachers some time to really delve into that and work um on learning that updated information.
This event was posted as a public palum school committee meeting. The agenda concludes committee discussion and feedback on FY27 budget. We have a quorum of committee members present. There's actually four of us and members of the public have taken time to participate expecting a meeting of their elected body. I find it very concerning that the meeting has not been called to order despite these conditions. Not calling the meeting to order prevents committee members from participating in the discussion of that agenda itself that says it will occur. I believe that undermines the transparency and the public expectation of their elected committee will actually engage with them. I respectfully believe the appropriate course would be to call the meeting to order and then proceed with their posted agenda. >> Thank you, William. Anyone else? Yes, I see another hand. Lori Regozen, >> you should be allowed to speak now.
Well, 24 months from when? Because I don't want to miss the spring cycle of 2028. If what Matt is saying is the first time we can plant is in April, I don't want to miss that. I don't want to miss the following April. So, why don't we say through the end of 2028? >> Through the end of 2028 or >> Right. He's saying he can't do anything until next spring, not this year. >> I mean, we the the planning seasons are fall and the spring. um fall being like early Octoberish. Um where was I going with this? Uh so so if we don't get them all in on the So we don't get all of them in in the spring, we can then do them in the fall and then um >> and in the next spring is >> I Yeah. Yeah. The this spring it's way too soon.
Last year we increased kindergarten proficiency. If you look at the bullet points on the right, we increased proficiency from 26% to 63% by the time they left kindergarten. An amazing job by our kindergarten teachers. They also reduced students well below benchmark in that red area by 26%. So, what's really hopeful about this year, and I wrote it down, is based on what we're seeing at midyear right now, we've already decreased students well below benchmark in kindergarten by 25%. So, that's a tremendous change. By the end of the year, that should be even more. So, we assess again for those um in in the end of April, beginning of May. So, our grade 1 students are showing a significant change as well. Um, typically by the end of the year, we went from 37% to 58% last year, reducing by 19. So, we're seeing a a good trend moving um the the proficiency level.
So I believe that if you allowed to work with us and if you restructure ASDB in a way that it works for the students and for the people who work here, we can be very successful and we can serve the students and you can matter and you can fulfill the mission of ASDB. You you have a power. I read your bios. I I I can't I I refuse to believe you don't want to do right by those children. Today is March 12th. >> I'm sorry. I'll have you know over your time. >> My child does not have a placement yet. We are not scheduled for ADB for for the placement meeting yet. So that's our situation right now. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next public comment is from Paulie Brady Garcia.
And then we're actually going to turn the lights off. We practice today. Oh, he's got it. Wait, hold on one second. So, um, we'll see if it's dark enough in here. So, one of the things that the kids learned is that as they like put the lanterns underneath, it's not quite dark enough, but if you squeeze this, it like puts the flower display up on like the ceiling. So, when the lanterns are released in China, you can see like the shadow above it. So, Miss Gonzalez couldn't be here tonight. Um, but she talks to them just a lot about the way when they create art, they can create other art or like other shadows and other representations um of just like the the lanterns itself as they go. I know I think we're a little far from the ceiling. I know. I'm sorry. But they there's a group of kindergarten students that she works with and um she they're very excited to just kind of share what they've been working on.
President Mcronis, governing board members and members of the audience. This agenda item uh provides an opportunity to discuss and take action on the schedule time and location for board meetings for 2026 to 2027. You can see the dates are in on the transmitter in your packet. Um if necessary, uh the April board meeting would be rescheduled if there was a conflict with the National School Boards Association's annual conference that is yet to be scheduled. Can I get a motion? >> I move that I move that the governing board approve the 2026 2027 regular governing board meeting schedule as presented. I further move that the regular board meetings be held at 6 pm at the Ed Hony Morirana Municipal Complex. >> Can I get a second? >> Second.
So, we would ask the state for approval. If they approve our request, then we would add those days in the calendar and get that information out to parents before next school year so they can plan around that. Um, another advantage to this model and approach is we use a significant amount of money on substitutes for professional development for teachers and while this wouldn't eliminate that cost it would be a cost savings um that would be available as well. So, I think it is a win-win scenario of those two perspectives. So, I'd like to bring that back as a resolution. That would be the next step in the process and at our next meeting I bring that asking for approval. If you approve that resolution, then I would apply to the state and we would wait to hear back if they approve our our recommendation. Or sorry, our proposal.
>> Okay. All right. Lori. >> Hello. Yes, Roy. Her her husband. >> Oh, hi Roy. >> Hey. Hi. I just wanted to observe from what you said at the opening, the legal advice was that for a forum, the members of the committee cannot deliberate. If there's no deliberation, I'm not sure there's a violation of anything. >> Thank you for your comment. Um, anybody else? All right. Well, then I believe that we are finished for tonight. Um, >> Margaret, there is one more. Someone else raised their hand. >> Nicholas. Nick, >> you should be allowed to speak now. Nick, >> hi. Thank you. Um, I sorry I I logged in late, so I'm not sure if anybody answered this question already, but there was some information that was um put out about um uh numbers associated with the um expenses for students just at Pelum versus having expenses for students uh living in Pelum and um choice in students.
Next and um with the fall planting season that's coming up um I think it would still be a little bit rushed if we're planting that many trees. to the board. Um, just going back to the selection of the planting locations and the species being planted is based on the plan that's being written this year. Um, that inventory is probably going to be taking place over the course of the summer. The plan will finish by the end of this year, but it's probably not going to be finished before the growing season is done. Um so we wouldn't be able to give that list of locations and and tree plantings to Eversource and until the end of the year um or very beginning of next. Um and then just real quick on the why might we not be able to do 19 trees all at once. Um depending on the locations found um we think about planting trees and we're like we want as many in a in a small place as possible.
Grade two decreasing there well below benchmark and increasing the amount of students above benchmark. Grade three is still an area with our dibbles that we are looking at deeper into how students are performing um on the subtest to identify areas where we need to provide additional support and that's what's currently happening at the school level. Students are also assessed with I Ready in grades two through eight in reading. There are some things that we get out of I Ready that we don't get on the dibbles particularly for our multilingual learners with dibbles. Um it is time it is a timed assessment and if you don't have the fluency you really they kind of stop testing at certain places. Our ready helps us gain more knowledge about students needs in grades two and three. Um so that is why they're assessed in both to help meet their needs a little bit more specifically.
Good afternoon everyone, members of the board, administration, friends of mine. Hello. I am Paulie Brady Garcia. Thank you for allowing me here to speak. 77 years ago, I was a student here at ASMBB. I was also an instructor for 27 years, now retired 26 years. I've worked as a volunteer as a museum curator here for ASDB. In 2015, I wrote a letter to our legislature asking for ASDB to be noted as a historical site. I presented at the legislature and that decision was passed very easily. So, our historical site is our ASB museum. Did you know that between 1897 and 1912, ASDB became the first and oldest school within this area, one of the four oldest public schools. The other ones have since closed. ASDB is the last of the remaining schools. On Monday, I had a meeting with Albert Duff to review our school map, our campus map.
They've had one class so far with her and they'll do four more. Yeah. Right underneath. Oh, yeah. Yep. Yeah. So, you can kind of see like the flower pattern that they actually built them and made them and then they would turn off the costume lights and see how they would look if they were actually floating in the scratch. Cool. Thank you, ladies. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, that's right. My name is Jake and I in photography club, I learned how to change perspectives. Change your perspective. from the sun. is you can change verification. So the person taking the photo the subject. So, is the camera position or angle taking pictures, but the camera position is different? Good job. Very last semester there was a photography club and they learned just about the three different ways to easily manipulate photos. And um they each had the ability to go out and take photos of things in motion, take things in nature, get their photos developed and take them home.
>> All those Any questions or comments? >> All those in favor? I >> I >> um at this time we need to conduct an executive session pursuant to ARS 38-431.03A5 for the purpose of consulting andor instructing the board's representatives regarding negotiations. Um can I go on and tell them when the other board meetings are and say if they would like to >> Okay. Since this is our last item on this agenda, I want to announce the future board meeting nights. Uh, April 2nd, May 14th, and June 11th, all at 6:00 p.m. here in this room. And we thank you all for coming. You're free to stay. >> Can I get a motion? >> Oh, I need a motion to go to executive session. >> I move that the governing board conduct an executive session pursuant to ARS 38-431.03A5. 03 A5 for the purpose of consulting with andor instructing the board's representative regarding negotiations.
Again, that's an inform. So, if you have questions, get with Nikki um to make sure you get those answered and all that at the next board meeting. Um, the next under operations we have a calendar update. Yes, I want to give you two calendar updates. This first is for the entire corporation. Um, we missed on February 26th due to inclement weather and it was a weird weather day um not expected. We had a two-hour delay and then we ended up having to cancel. Um, so we were unable to do online learning and we've had multiple It's been a rough winter. We've had a lot of different days this winter. So, I did reach out to the state and ask for a waiver that we wouldn't have to make that day up tacked on to the end of the school year. They have approved that waiver.
And then I think I didn't I didn't see and I think there was some question as to whether there was a number that we would come up with if or that could be come up with that had to do with if we had to if the school were closed how much Pelum would have to spend to send their students to Amherst. Um, I think that maybe that's another piece of the piece of the puzzle here in terms of um, everybody thinking about numbers. >> Nick, I think that that's that is certainly a question that has come up, but I think it's not a question for tonight because it's not specifically part of the fiscal year 27 budget. That's something that I I'm sure is going to be part of the conversation that will and the research that will be going on with the select board committee that's been set up.
It looks pretty when they're small until suddenly they have a 30 foot radius spread crown and they're all growing into each other and it causes the trees to decline much earlier than they would have if they had been spread out. Um, so normally we stagger the plantings so that you have a larger tree providing some shade for a smaller tree and so that when the large the older tree um does eventually decline, that younger tree is already there to replace it and they're not growing into each other as well. Um, so that's why we might have it we might not have sites for 19 trees all in one year. So, so I'm I'm just looking for numbers that we can put on this. So, maximums are 19 trees and a maximum of 24 months. Do you think that would suit that would be helpful and suit your needs?
So these were our results in grades 2 through eight um from the beginning of the year which you'll see the lighter line at the ball is on the bottom is the fall of 2025 and where we are in the winter. So we're seeing some really great improvement placements in those bands. Obviously we want to reduce the the uh the red and the striped red areas which is striped is three or more grade levels below. Again this is everyone together in grades um two three. what we do with the principles is really drill down by grade level um and and their classes and see where students are. Um the second is K8 iss um all those grade levels combined. So this is what we're looking at for those students being assessed and where they're falling. We're increasing the proficiency as you'll see here. the this is pretty old data for this.