It's shocking how much of our services required, whether it's due to IEPs or courses or specific um curricular needs. So, um kindergarten paras are not mandated. They're not required. Um there there are three at present. We would cut two of those and bring that to one. It would be a shared para across um the three classrooms. And I was going to jump in on that. So, as well, right? Our numbers are low in kindergarten at Boylston, which we were mindful of, but we're also looking to do some support from some other paras that might be working at Boylston Elementary. We'll be revisiting that schedule with um with Janelle and with Rob to give some support to those those other um kindergarten classrooms as well, too. Yeah. Um uh we had initially, when we were looking at things, cut both tutors in that school. When we received some money back available from the town, um we realized we we spoke with Rob and asked him um he he spoke with some staff who felt like they really wanted the tutors back um to whatever degree possible.
So, I just encourage you um when you can, and I know we're out a lot, but where you can, you are the champions of this budget, and therefore I would ask you to uh to be out in the public, answer those questions, and the questions that you may not know, uh if you drive those back to the central office, we'll make sure those answers, they get answered so that nobody when they vote, they at least have the right information. Uh so, I think that's important. Um the second thing I want to uh mention that I've made a couple appointments uh going forward in uh Jordan um Tusant and Kim Sullivan have agreed to help us with our student rep selection process and uh they'll be be meeting with Dr. Kidwell. Of course Lucas will be graduating. Jonathan goes to the senior position and u and so we'll be looking to fill that with a junior.
enough to us how do we provide support to >> yeah do we have rules >> so it's always like okay do they have handouts and or even like a person >> and you know are there posters out the rules for >> what is the public how many >> have everybody >> and this isn't a this would be staff at sites al together we have a sense of of how many >> more just like population we're seeing 82 sometimes population is small enough one person says not >> I think that I saw a lot of improvement so I like the fact that we're above the state and that shows me that like I said >> but that was district but not >> because that be that'd be one thing really communicates that you were asking me >> I was praying >> so to me I think that's kind of overwhelming things we made a lot of improvements areas that one point >> that's like it could be you know maybe I don't know what it's not something that work through better >> and I think you let us into the very But but you never know, right?
Hearing none, the measure is adopted. Okay. Next up is HB 2282. Beginning the 1st of January 2027, requires insurers to provide explanation of premium increases upon request. Uh, recommendation here is to pass as is. Questions or concerns? If not, Vice Chair. On HB 2282 HD1 SD1 recommendation to pass as is. Any no votes or reservations?
She feels comfortable talking to him and I think that just is talks about his character. The other day I sat with him and I said hey what are you doing what are you doing at Eeveeit etc. And then the demeanor changed. It went this big smile he started talking about welding. And how cool welding is and kind of third generation right grandpa and then you your dad and then you. Then he told me a story about his grandma. He said that he made a door right for your your grandmother and I just kind of thought to myself wow like we start talking about what we want for students what kind of character traits we want. He's a kind kid. But he does things for others so that's why I chose you Brad. >> [applause] >> That's for you. There's a little thing on there for you.
With this, we created reachable goals and found vendors that would help us achieve these goals. These being big outdoor games, outdoor basketball court improvements and overall a better lunch time experience. We used teamwork and our strengths to create campaigns such as videos and flyers so our peers were aware of our project. My project name is Cougar Quench and my goals for the project was to improve the school fountains all around the school for better tasting water that everyone can enjoy. I promoted my project by making posters to hang around the school and a tiny video explaining my project. My project is Shade and Seek which covers three parts of the school which are the bike racks, individual seats outside and lunch tables with umbrella holes. I promoted my project by adding posters all around the school which gives information about Shade and Seek and how it will improve the school.
So that's just that's where we're planning this. >> Thank you. And also I want to say like I have been asked um can we open can we just open seats for a sibling like and when we have seats. So that's why I want to be very clear like it's it's not an automatic. Like we've been posed a series of questions when it comes to that. Yeah. Dr. Z, I would also say that uh because of the size of the school, I mean other districts may have those kinds of leeway and those opportunities, but given that it's only one classroom per grade, there's that limitation as well. Yeah. Okay, thank you. Okay, I've got a few more and then I'm I'm happy to pass the mic. Um this is less a question and more just uh I want to say it aloud. In in your update Dr.
So, we initially cut the two tutors. This brings back 1.8. There's a little bit we're not going to be able to get back, but we think that's potentially sustainable. Uh this would reduce the adjustment counselor to 0.5 right now. Um I know we've we've received some feedback on that. It's a challenging decision to make. At the end of the day, when we think of equity, uh right now Berlin does not have an adjustment counselor at all. They have nothing. Um so, it's it's not we don't wish for this. This is what um we're looking at how we keep the pain um at least minimized. Um And just a little further on that, right? So, I know we received some emails from you guys [clears throat] did regarding the adjustment counselor position. Tough tough decision for us to make. You know, we we when we spoke with Rob and bringing back the tutors was his priority uh for that point.
And I've asked uh Jordan and Kim to really take a look at the position itself and see how we might be able to shape it um and add more value to it. Uh the second thing is I've asked Michelle Kulich to be our um our liaison into the technology committee that meets Michelle being the curriculum chair. I think it made sense for her also to uh to be that liaison into curriculum. So I'm sorry into technology. So, um she'll be doing that. Also in appointments, um Amy Lance and uh Jordan Tusan again have agreed uh today from our finance committee meetings to uh help us with our food services study to take a look at uh how that's all shaping up, what we could do better, how the financial uh side of that should work going forward. So Amy and uh Jordan will be uh handling that.
We do care about it, right? So if they don't feel that it's a positive work environment from us from them and they come here doing that >> they feel like they have they have and they have you know I haven't been told that >> by teachers are >> I think so it's not the adult >> you have to be more to keep it >> I was thinking maybe >> I think looking at the numbers but also >> how how has much easier with elementary school. I wonder if we were data >> if we're seeing that these elementary schools are scoring higher here not all together and how can how much You know, one thing too with um >> those are just kind of some of the things we're trying to >> I always say >> is not to scale sometimes. >> So they are the frontline people doing the work.
Hearing none, the measure is adopted. Okay. Thank you. Next up is HB 2293. This clarifies the scope of the Department of Education's harm to student registry by excluding K-12 students and providing that a contractors and volunteers are included only if their roles involve interaction with students. Uh, recommendation here is to pass as is. Questions or concerns? Seeing none, Senator Senator Gabbard. HB 2293 HD2 SD1 recommendation to pass as is. Any no votes or reservation?
And that's for you. President Wade if we could just take a little short break so if and this is the point of time where if anyone would like to leave they can go ahead and leave before we continue on with the rest of the board meeting. Thank you Mr. Lotzenhiser. Okay so I'll finish. We always have one slide left and I think maybe next time I will switch the order because everyone wants to leave as soon as that last point of pride is done. But let's just talk about some upcoming events. Thursday April 23rd we do have our teacher of the year celebration at HCPA and so we invite everyone to join us for that and then our next governing board meeting is Tuesday May 5th and we know we are in the home stretch and that graduations will be here before we know it.
Um with all of these three projects, we decided to have our overall voting day. This voting day was campus wide with eighth graders and seventh graders and this was scheduled during all social studies classes. What are what we wanted to do is to treat this like a traditional voting day. We wanted to do this because well, inside the future, you will have to vote and this is just a great way to have that inside their mind later on. Um we uh kids were overall really excited to see that their opinions and ideas were finally counted for inside these exciting projects to think, wait, I made a change. Um with this, as you can see on the screen, we had these super cool ballot stickers and they would basically just check it off and then also, we had our very own custom made cool I voted stickers which I think are pretty cool.
Z, I see the note about central office potentially using a decent amount more staff time from central office than the 4% that we're paying. I am interested in getting real data on what that's on what's really going on and what our billable hours from staff at the central office like really like what is what what that tracking might look like. I know that's not a small ask but especially with the work that you and I are going to be talking about separately Dr. Z with the futures committee and the work that you're doing with the with community members in in Pelham. It feels really important for us to have a fuller grasp of what central office time and costs are as a committee here. Can I make a quick comment? Can I accept I looked at that and I did the quick math. So for an 8-hour day it's like 28 minutes.
Again, we'd want them all back, but the tutors were we know as giving those students our tier two, which we need with our MTSS, so that we're keeping them from not going down the pathway of necessary for our an IEP or other things that they might need. So, we we felt Rob felt as the principal, the instructional leader, that the priority was to go with the tutors. Yeah. Just a little history on the adjustment counselor, and I know, you know, tough like like Aaron said, you know, we don't have an adjustment counselor full-time um at We don't have any adjustment counselor at in Berlin. They have a full-time school psychologist. There is a full-time school psychologist in Boylston as well, too. The history of an adjustment counselor um in 2021, it first came on board um in Boylston. 2021 with ESSER money that was used in a full-time position.
And then um I also want to let the board know that I've sent a formal letter to first selecting Wikos uh asking him to move forward with the building study committee. Uh it appears that any bonding project is going to be moved out uh maybe not even this year. And therefore the commitment was that they would move forward so that we could uh we could better understand the needs of the uh of the education side when it comes to our buildings especially as we look at charity work overcrowded what we have over there. So um I'll just mention that um couple other things. Number one is I have been appointed um as a board of director for the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education K. So I'll be on the board of directors going forward. I've also been asked to serve on the uh finance committee for the Connecticut Regional Education Council, which is correct.
>> So I think it would be helpful. huge strikes one way or the other. Yeah. >> And so then I just wonder >> do we need to drastically >> I believe that we can actually see >> we're not even asking >> well and sometimes I wonder glucose when I think about say the L of these things as a metric right and then if you look at the actual state like is the state that they're responding to really measuring what we're doing >> right because sometimes it's hard to find a survey of the or whatever but then the way they ask the question to the kids are they understanding the same Right. Um, so there's always that that piece as well. >> They want to see, but they're all test. Well, and you know, I wish in the family and staff like the staff >> were searching for I mean I think this relates to rightse voice matters that they're helping make decisions that kind of differently for something you hear.
Hearing none, the measure is adopted. Thank you. That brings us to HB 2309 relating to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920. It amends this act to include siblings' children as qualifying relatives of lessees. Did I skip one again? I I think I can't hear you, but can you repeat 2293? We voted on 2293. We voted on 2293. Yeah, we got 2293. We did. Yeah. Passed with amendment. Yeah. Uh, HB 2309. This is the Hawaiian Homes Hawaiian Homes Commission Act changes um to include to amend to include siblings' children as qualifying relatives of lessees for the purposes of lease lease transfer and lease successorship in the same manner currently allowed for spouses, children, grandchildren, and siblings. Um, we'll go ahead and put a different bad date on it, um, March 22, 2075. So, that's the only amendment. Questions or concerns? If not, Vice Chair. HB 2309 HD1 to pass with amendment.
But that concludes the superintendent's report. Thank you Mr. Lotzenhiser. Also I thought we had an agreement good sir but thank you for that at the start of the meeting delightful. Mrs. Zimmerman do we not have any requests for comment today? Okay so we have no requests to speak. So this brings us to consent agenda items. I motion to approve consent agenda items 5.1 through 5.12. That would be Mrs. Zimmerman is seconding. All those in favor? I. >> I. I. Motion carries 5 to 0. We'd like to thank Patrick Neilson with Alpine Turf AZ, Chaparral Elementary PTO, ECDC PTO, Higley High Booster Club and Higley High School Parents Unites Booster Club for their generous donations to the district and its students. Superintendent Lotzenhiser you have some announcements. >> President Wade we have some introductions tonight to make and so I'm going to turn it over to Mr.
Thank you to our staff and overall, we had 700 people vote and it was just a huge step inside our committee. Congratulations to the winning project, project lunch makeover. With this money, we got pickleball equipment, large outdoor games, new basketball nets and uh shoot. Sorry. Uh and we wrapped our basketball boards. Also, we had money left over so we looked at our second place winner and we bought a new water fountain. My experience in this club has been wonderful. I got the opportunity to meet and get to know new people. I'm very proud of us for how far we've come this year. I hope we set the bar high enough for next year. Thank you for your time. >> [applause] >> Hi, my name is Serafina Harrison. I'm a part of the SPB committee and I'm in eighth grade. Hi, my name is Piper Hatch and I'm in eighth grade.