>> There was one that they shared that they had. >> Do you have the policy number? I can look real quick. Uh 511 511.3. So, I have a question for Mark, I guess, chairman. Um, what does CAB say about it? Does CAD have a policy? >> They they have a recommended policy that we we reviewed, I believe, in the spring, Dr. and we didn't like some of the things that were in there and removed quite a bit. Um, and so what we have left in, you know, for the for the policy for you guys to take a look at is the things that we left behind. I think we tweaked some of the language. Um but the the base structure is is based off of uh Cage recommended policy. >> Can we just comment off of the Google document then if we are making suggestions or how would you like to collect the feedback >> since the ask is for us to review and provide feedback?
Yeah, I I think you'd be better off making comments to Mark. >> Um because engaging the board with a Google doc could be construed as a meeting. Okay. >> So, um I would review it and then just send any comments to Mark. >> Thank you. >> Any other items? Mr. Yes. Hold on. Mr. White, did you have a question on this particular >> Oh, just one. >> Yeah. Um, this is definitely not an absolute rule, but as a generally speaking, most of I believe that most of our policies are driven by state law. Jeff, do you happen to know if that's true? Like, do you have any idea is it almost all of them or most of them? It's got to be at least most of them. >> Yeah, almost. And the easiest way to tell is look at any policy at the bottom you'll see legal references.
Um and just to go back to the previous question, I don't see the policy being adopted and merited. >> Thank you. >> So mo but most of our policies is it fair to say most of our policies are driven by state law? >> Yeah. >> And there is no state law on this. >> Is there's law on how on what the parameters are for um immigration enforcement on campus. >> Okay. So there is something related >> there is law related to you know serving subpoenas and whatnot. >> Okay. But I >> Tim are you asking whether the policy is mandated by the state to have? >> Yes. Right. >> Are most of our policies mandated by the state and is this one? >> This one is not. I know that the I couldn't tell you that the majority are. I' I'd really have to go back one.
>> That's just so I'm going based off of memory over the past few years I've been on the board. Most of them have been driven by state law mandating it >> because pretty much everything I bring forward >> is a legal change that we have a policy already in place for >> and we're making a change or um as you'll see for the third reading statutoily required. >> This is not statutoily required. >> Yep. >> Right. >> Good. Sorry. Just one more comment. I mean whether it's mandated or not, whether we institute it or not, I take an Herrian's point on signaling to families very seriously and want to consider that. And so whether we adopt or not, I and I know you've done this already, Dr. Solo, but I think it remains important to signal and at least to to share what we do have, what the law is with our school community so that they are aware and that they know we're aware and thinking about it and it's not just something we're not even considering.
I I think that's important. >> Thank you. >> I have just one other statement. I just want to bring you back to our curriculum meeting because I think there's some data there that we should again be aware of. Um in lie of as I'm reading this policy, it was also noted that codifying the district's position could help undocumented families feel safer and more secure. You know, I heard everyone's comments on it, but I just want to bring it to the forefront, too, that we have 658 families that have a se second language at home. Right now, we have 191 181 active students, ML students in our district. And if I look at some of of the the data earlier from in the last five years, we have doubled our ML numbers over time from the 2122 school year where we had at the end of the school year 83 to this school year where we're now at 171.
So there are changing demographics. I think we have to be aware of that and we have to make sure that if indeed we don't need this policy. We have to be cognizant of the fact that there are families in the district with students in our schools that may at some point be a little nervous about everything that's going on in the world around them. So maybe it it doesn't have to be codified in policy. Uh, I do think we have to be aware of it and we just can't say okay. So, we're okay. Tim, I don't think I could call on you, but I did. Go ahead. >> I think Sam is nodding. Okay. No, what you just said, I appreciate it very much. I've personally had conversations with uh parents of my kids' friends, their parents who are not were not born here in America, people of color.
And they've made it really clear to me oneon-one they're nervous because there's I mean there's talk about what the 14th amendment doesn't count anymore. So even if you're born here, but if you look different or something, I mean, I don't know what all it I agree completely about that and about uh reassuring people that there's a concern. It's like I said, I'm just coming at it from I think that can be done without putting the $2 million out there like, oh well, too bad for Chester. We're just going to pull it because this is how I see it in the press and I'm just trying to be practical about that, >> right? And I don't know if a policy is what would do it, but how do we give that sense of safety to our families out there? Like how do we assure them of that?
>> We we I I mean I did share last year the guidance that we follow um in a statement. >> How did how did you share that Jeff? Parent Square, which does get translated, by the way, into other languages. >> Yeah, I would only add to to what Tim was saying. Not >> sure if we cover all of them. >> Emory, thank you for that that uh data. Um I would just add to what Tim said that um families are feeling under attack. I mean, people are being picked up off the streets for crying out loud. Um and people who feel under attack are not very likely to come knocking on administrative doors and saying I want to um I need asurances. They're they're not asking for it. So, you know, to say if if we're not hearing anybody, then you know, if we haven't surveyed people, then we don't know.
I don't know that to be true. Then I I just don't that's not a >> I know. But and I think the thing with that is some of these families or people are hesitant to come. >> Exactly. That's exactly the point I'm trying to make, but apparently and I'm not doing it very well. There's an insecurity clearly and I think as a district and you know you can't you can't tout and promote SEAL without considering the SEAL components within this policy as well. So I'm going to ask that the board please take a look at it make the comments and suggestions to Mr. Aki so that we can move forward. Um right now it's not even on a second read at all. >> No it is it >> it's second reading. >> It is for your next meeting it will be Yeah. >> Thank you.
Okay, your next policy. >> All right, we have a third reading and approval of policies. Move that judge Board of Education give a third and final reading to policies 1312.46161.13 46161.13 Library Collection Development and Maintenance 1312.56161.14 Library Display and Program 5141.5 Suicide Prevention and Intervention bylaw 9040 board related responsibilities and bylaw 9400 monitoring products and processes and direct superintendent to put set policies into immediate effect. >> Second >> discussion >> and these uh these are things that we are mandated to put in >> mostly not the uh the bylaws that's that those were our our decisions. >> The bylaws are our operating room. Yes. >> But the library the library stuff was mandated. >> Yeah. >> Suicide prevention as well. >> Yes. Suicide. Yeah. And >> we have a policy on that. That was something that but it's super dated. We reviewed it with I reviewed it with Robin and our attorney.
She made the recommendations to make these updates. Um and you know we reviewed >> that was from 1996 or something like that. >> Yeah. It's dated. That's when you also uh went and talked to Michelle. >> Yeah, Michelle Picarilla. We asked for feedback from her too. >> Any comments? Um >> No, but I have a question. >> Yeah. >> So, that concerned me that suicide prevention being 30 years old, 1996 to now, lots of things have changed in um you know, in with with kiddos's minds. And um my concern then is like is it part of the committee's charge to look at updating all policies? >> So um Carol, what was it a few years? Several years ago we did an audit. >> Um the policies five years ago were so far out of whack it was crazy. Um, we did a comprehensive audit through a service at CABE, um, which was really helpful, provided us a ton of the the ones that were really out of whack.
It may be, um, good to take another run at it um, at some point to to see what else at this point because those were serious issues. Now it's like, you know, what's the next tier of uh policies we should be taking a look at? Uh it might be helpful because they they will double check it against law changes and um give us feedback around that. So that's something I think Carol we could get a quote on that and discuss it at the next policy meeting. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, >> especially with all the mental health concerns that are coming out. >> Yeah, all of our practices have changed, but you're right, the the laws are changing. Um, let's just take a a look at the policy manual. >> The motion is on the floor. All those in favor? >> I think it's unanimous.
Thank you. Next item. Mr. Aki, is there another policy item? >> I believe I am done. >> That's it. Yeah. Awesome. Um I'm going to open it to any board members who are or who wish to report on any uh other standing committees or liaison reports as well too. I report >> um as many of you know the ASUS executive director um is retiring as of um July 1 and an extensive search was done. and I sat on the um committee and we ended up last week at our um meeting recommending that Dr. William Rice be the new ASUS um director. Right now he serves as an assistant director at ASUS and um I think we we started out with 72 people maybe that applied. We cut it down to 12 that we um did a paper review of. We brought I think seven in um for interviews and then we went down to three and he came out on top.
So he is the new effective July one um director education executive director of ACES. >> Thank you. Congratulations Dr. Rice. Any other committees or liaison reports? Great. Next item are the approval of minutes. If you can take a sec just to make sure and review and then I will need a motion. Anybody want to move a motion? >> I wasn't here, so >> Tim. >> Yeah. Motion. >> Uh, move that the Cheshire Board of Education approve the minutes from meetings held on February 19th and March 5th, 2026. >> Second. Thank you, Mr. Kauer. discussion. >> Any corrections? >> No. >> Awesome. All those in favor of the motion that's on the floor, Miss Cullinin. Favor or no? >> Great. Unanimous. >> Thank you. I know Dr. Sullen's uh distracting you. >> Sorry, >> Mr. White. Are there any correspondence to be read? >> I'm going to ask the superintendent if there's any correspondence.
No. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And I'm going to leave it at the superintendent because he's got a good visible. >> All right. I am going to try and rip through this, but when I tell you like this month has been one of the hairier ones I've ever experienced in terms of just volume and stuff. Some people think it's Mercury and retrograde, but um maybe I don't know. Uh anyway, so first and foremost, this month is board member appreciation month. So, I just want to take them the time to offer you another bag of apples. Um, or anything. We do have gifts for you. I will hand them out at the end. Um, but I do on behalf of, you know, Carol, Marlene, and Emily just want to say thank you for all the time and energy that you put into it. It's it's kind of a thankless gig most of the time.
Uh, as a matter of fact, I recently heard a prominent politician in the state in a private meeting say that um >> he was never so crazy. >> No, he's not dumb enough. >> Well, I wasn't going to out him like that, but he's not brave enough. He He corrected himself to say he was never brave enough to run for the board, but um you know, it was a tough gig and I appreciate everything. We appreciate everything that you guys put into the job. Um, so thank you. Uh, legislative session. And when I say crazy, this is the craziest legislative short session, long session, doesn't matter. The craziest I've ever seen as it relates to school law. So, there are laws um being proposed to apply PE credit for students who play sports uh rather than take classes. There's a law refining homeschooling. um the expectations, you probably heard about that in the news, uh law about the ECS grant, the federal or excuse me, the state grant money that um we've had $10 million for the last 40 years for.
Um there's a proposed change in non-renewal of non-tenured teachers. There's a proposed change in math. There's proposal in reading and test taking. There's a proposal to institute a tax on sweetened drinks and provide students free breakfast. Um there's a cell phone law that Matt brought up. They did already adopt uh the law that moves kindergarten start age as a requirement to September 1st as opposed to it used to be January 1st years ago and it's kind of been a kind of a slow phase in so trying to monitor all that. Um I sit on the cap's legislative committee. We can't even monitor at all. It's so um just frantic right now. But um just keeping you apprised of that. I'm sure there will be some changes out of it. I wanted to let you know that we um won another $50,000 grant for Connecticut grown for Connecticut kids.
We um were able to acquire a pizza maker. Um, and so now we're we're this additional grant allows us um some special equipment to support that and a farm to school event that we'll be hosting on on October 26th. Um, so congratulations to Erica and her team for securing that grant for us as the third grant that we've we've earned. Um, I have been working with a team at Cheshire High School on a program called You Belong Here. And basically our goal is um multiaceted in the sense that we have a lot of transitions happening in the elementary grades. Um, we also want to leverage our high school kids as leaders to send a strong message about um, mean-spirited behavior. Um we are um using high school kids starting with the peer health educators to go down to the elementary schools and have conversations with them about what leadership looks like um and you know establishing positive school climate and positive school community.
Uh so our peer health educators have now trained some underassmen. Uh they're they've created a video. I sent I well I will send you guys the um my very quick intro to that video. Uh and they'll be going out in March and April and meeting with the kids at the elementary grades recognizing that there's kind of a developmental difference K to 6. They're reading stories in the younger grades. They're doing class presentations in the upper grades. It's just been such an exciting evolution to see uh and I really appreciate the support of our team at Jeser High School uh for pulling these uh peer health educators together, recruiting underassmen so that there's a legacy to this. Um, we didn't want it to be something that was just a hit and run, but this is the first iteration of something that can evolve because, you know, as adults, we can message children all the time and it's meaningful when our kids message them.
It's powerful and we want to build on that. We're looking forward to that. And uh, coming up later this month and and next, um, I've been invited to speak at a a conference, statewide conference on May 15th. uh workforce vitality um in stabilizing the talent economy. Um that's at Southern. Um there's quite a diverse group of panelists and uh presenters at that uh workshop. Um really the emphasis is on with the shifts in employment um what role does education play in that and so uh should be really interesting. looking forward to that. Uh the school construction update, uh I've been at both schools this week. It is just exhilarating to walk through those buildings and see how much progress has been made. There are lockers in there's scoreboards up um at Barnum um playscapes at both schools. it like it's really coming together and there's been so much work put into it um by a lot of people and I'm I'm just thrilled to see it coming together.