So, similar but not exact, you know what I mean? But I thought maybe you and I could just bounce that around a little bit. >> Let's do that. >> And then that way we can bring something back to you another time if you're comfortable with that. And somebody else wants to be involved. There can be two of you. >> Good either way. >> How many? >> Two. Two from the right and two from the left. >> Train silo station. >> I um I would say um there was something you said that made me think. Oh yeah, this Oh, I you know we've we always talk about our to our students and to our staff that if we make a goal, it should be measurable. like how would we know if we did that thing, right? You know, how how do we know that we're we're getting better at um ensuring that it's safe and appropriate?
>> Discussion. >> They always put that up high. It's always too Um, Julie Nardone, 86 Elliott Street. I feel that this transfer is financially irresponsible and it's just going to tee us up for another override. I watched this go from 750,000, which seems excessive, to 1.3 and then 1.4 and now 1.6. And there has been absolutely no push back. And this is the opposite of belt tightening. Thank you. Any further discussion? Seeing none, we'll move to a vote. This will require a two-thirds majority. As always, we'll start with a show of cards. All those in favor of the motion on article two, please raise your cards. Thank you. And opposed. that passes overwhelmingly. Article three, transfer from special education stabilization to general fund sponsored by the town manager and finance director. See if the town will transfer $300,000 from the special education stabilization fund to the general fund or pass any vote or take any action relative there too.
Along with that, we'll go comprehensive professional learning. So that way we're all um capable of not only using the system but engaging in multi-tered system of supports in a way that truly does accelerate learning for our students. Um Mr. Roland and I have met with at advance. Oh yes. Anytime. Anytime please >> interrupt. >> Never. >> Can I just ask a quick question on the multi-ter um system of support? So I understand that to be a very um operational tool right in in classroom in the schools. Is there any reporting or metrics that will be shared with the board um to like measure success of that tool or is it just a data tracker? I I'm just not um >> So, yes, I'm not sure if I'm I'm hearing two questions. One about the implementation of the tool, but also maybe about how our students are doing.
tried to >> tried what I could I mean the best I could figure was to reach out to individuals and I haven't been super successful that way >> but I asked Taran if maybe she would help me out for it next she can do it for me okay uh I wanted to thank I know the principles you put so much hard work into those documents it's 60 some odd pages of of reporting and But I wanted to commend uh OES principal Cat Williams because to me her um she wrote really thoughtful and targeted responses to the conclusions that she drew from the academic data. Um when she spoke about academic challenges, the problems were clearly identified. But so often what I hear when I'm reading those types of things, it says we need to improve on this or we need to focus on this whatever the problems are.
Like what are some things like I wholeheartedly agree with Rebecca that we've done some some specific things. I think we should note those things like say this is growth this year in 2526. here's some ways that we sought to ensure this this this this and this. You know what I'm saying? I think that's >> Yeah. I think it's it's not inconsequential that to me the board policy that says we're going to limit Chromebooks at the elementary school level that they're not going home with kids. And that's phys fiscally responsible and it's also we believe what's best for kids, you know. And so I >> we want I just look at that and say, how do we how do we show that we're actually doing this? >> And yeah, >> and that kind of my other concern of for item three, how do we as a board hold the system that we supposedly govern accountable for in general for creating a safe environment?
The finance committee recommends the town so vote. Ms. Peton. and feel free to turn that around so you can face the folks unless they're too scary. Hello, Stephanie Peton, town accountant. Um, article three requests the transfer of 300,000 from the special education uh stabilization fund to the general fund. This fund was established in 2015 to serve as a financial buffer to for the district as it relates to the fluctuating cost related to out of district special education. This transfer will aid in the balancing of the fiscal 27 budget and uphold our commitment to providing all students with necessary services. >> Thank you very much. to allow discussional. Entertain a motion the town transfer $300,000 from the special education stabilization fund to the general fund account 49700-49760. Do I have a motion? >> Second discussion >> John Friday one road. Um I'm just wondering um how much is the town reimbured by the state for students who are outsourced?
Is it both or just one or the other? >> No, it's more it's more that is this a tool that can be used to come to the board on a on a monthly, quarterly, whatever cadence we think is appropriate to come and say that we are improving in MTSS. It's it's a hot topic. I'm not as familiar with it not being in the education world. Sure. >> So, is this something that we can utilize to show improvement over time or is it just purely an operational tool like in the buildings and classrooms to use? >> It's purely an operational tool that does give us the ability to um extract reports from it that we can share at board meetings. Absolutely. >> Okay. Um if you were to think about frequency of it, it might make most sense that we do that around the times at which we kind of follow our assessment um schedule for students.
that there's no clear or concrete plan or action steps on how to achieve the goal. But if you look at that SIPA throughout the document, she does exactly that. So just an example on pages 18 and 19, she lays out not only the problems but clear concrete steps for improvement. And my hope is that her recommendations can become a reality to improve student outcomes because I was really impressed with just she really drilled down on here's the problem but here's what we need to do to to solve it. So I appreciated that very much from her. >> So there is an attendance task force then this year in place at OES because that was one of the things on there and I was or or is it recommended for next year? It's the we've talked about the um >> why can I think of the um attendance plus for parent square where we have the we have that added on and it's on the dashboard and we can go on and see kids and what tier they're in.
You know, we are we're at the top level, the kind of vision statement type, but part of our job is holding the whole system accountable for boosting the goals that the community expects. We don't a lot of great accountability letters all the time like this kind of like word but I would like >> number three number >> aren't there quite a few of those defined accountability measurements suggested in a lot of our LCAP um the LCAP goals Yes, >> we we'll say, you know, we'll >> we'll make progress by 0.25% or, you know, x >> lower the suspension rate by or >> there are things like that in those in that document. >> Yes. >> And those those are the goals. I mean, do we ever come back? How often do we come back and say, "Hey, you know, are we making toward goals and if not what do we need to change?
>> How much is the town reimbured by the state for special education services? Is that yes? Yes, >> Mr. Adams. >> So, it excuse me, I'm over. So, it varies year to year. It's called the circuit breaker reimbursement. So, it it it's a complex formula and so it can be anywhere by state statute. They're supposed to reimburse up to 75% to a sending dis to a district who sends students out of district for educational purposes. That being said, how it works is we are required to spend four times the amount of a per pupil cost before the reimbursement begins. So I'll use a real easy example. It's not accurate, but I think it's important to understand the concept. So let's assume a child is $100,000 uh for an out of placement. This doesn't include transportation, just the the services necessary for that child to be to be educated.
So that would be about three times a year. Um probably toward the end of October, beginning of November would be a great time where we'd be able to pull some data together and share out with you how our students are performing. Similarly, about mid to end of February and then lastly at the end of the year. Okay? So there are great opportunities for us to use the system for that purpose. >> Okay. >> Mhm. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Before you move on to the next section, I was just going to say I marked um that I'm going to ask Mrs. Fious to um talk to the uh Cape Committee about um branching minds and then I'll like have notes uh for everybody on that. So, if if there are particular things about branching minds that you have now, particular questions, you can email them to me and I'll [laughter] put them on the agenda for um the Kate meeting or um >> yeah, you can you can let me know in advance of that.
So like tier one is they have good attendance. Tier two is like they're getting close to chronic. Tier three is chronic absenteeism. Tier four is significantly chronic absenteeism. So, we have um folks in the office that are sending out messages to families, whether it be uh hey, good job. Your kids come to school. Thank you so much. We love seeing them. To hey, we noticed that you, you know, Michelle was kind of having an attendance issue, but it's getting better. Like, great job. We'd love to see her every day. Or, oh, you know, like Michelle hasn't been to school in a while. Like, is there anything we can do to help? You know, we'd like to be supportive. And so those messages are going getting sent out based on the data that they can see on the on the dashboard. And then um when it's pretty significant then principles are calling families in and having um attendance meetings with them to see what we can do to improve that.
>> Don't we do that every year when we review the LCAP in June? >> Sort of. >> I'd say I mean I would say yes. I mean, I've only I've only done it once, but I mean, here I've only done it once, but it is like it does inform the way we write the next goals and and and also going and getting input from the student groups and the community groups and all of that informs how we write the LCAP. And, you know, to the public's like it's interesting on this on the um topic of technology. More and more uh throughout the world, throughout the nation, there's a there's a push to say we let this pendulum go too too far into the technology piece and we need to get back to some analog, you know, pencil and paper, uh reading text in books and not online, you know, that sort of thing.
Let's assume a $10,000 per child um per pupil cost. So $40,000 immediately the district is responsible for. So that that leaves $60,000. So if the state then says we're going to provide 70% because I can only do the math quickly that way uh reimbursement. That's $42,000 of the 60,000. Right? So the state would be giving us 42,000 back. So we would now still be responsible for another 18,000. So in that instance, it's 42% reimbursement of the 100,000 for the overall cost. Uh that being said, in FY26, what we're anticipating uh in terms of the reimbursement is, and I have the exact number, so just give me a moment. uh is approximately $1.9 million of a $5 million expenditure. That and again that does not include transportation or that does include transportation in terms of the reimbursement. Yeah. And it's always a year behind just so we're clear.
>> Great. >> It's a really I mean I went on it's actually it looks like a great program, right? So, and when I see multi-tered support, so we're talking about MTSS, but we're also talking about our identified students with progress monitoring. Correct. >> All students are included in that. Yes. Absolutely. >> Mhm. That's critical. >> Yeah. >> Yep. >> Great. Thank you. And uh Mr. Roland and I had an opportunity to meet with that advance uh earlier this week and um just to further discuss their opportunities to support us with the code teaching model um and um and look at ways that we can continue uh to grow IEP quality uh through the training that they offer for our leaders. So between those two areas, we are looking to continue to advance our um you know programs uh through special education and really support our learners um as they move from CLEES into WMS into BHS through the co-eing model.
So that's what the like that's what we're doing as like the task force. >> Yeah. She even includes the school psychologist administration and family liaison. >> Yeah. So that happens uh like I think sometimes when it's when it's um a big issue it's also addressed in like a preass meeting and those people are you typically have those meetings and so they'll talk about that and um maybe some interventions or things that they can do with the family or the student to help um improve attendance. >> Cool. Thank you. >> Any other comments and questions on these? I too appreciate how thoughtfully that these were put together and of course we have a lot of work to do still. I know there's improvement. Uh but one thing that has been on my mind is uh Congress has been working with these social media people and there's a reason I'm bringing this forward is that these social media companies actually put algorithms into their into the programs that are addictive to children.
And >> that's kind of concerned about is that you know 10 years ago oneto one devices was the thing. It was right >> level the playing field for everybody and it took a long time for anybody to come and say hey >> are we you know is are the having these devices everywhere actually improving student lives in the way we want them to. >> Yeah. And I don't feel like there was a lot of >> clear measurable like yeah we've had one to one computers for three years and sports haven't changed or you know they haven't changed any more than they were already changing and nothing happened you know >> that's it's really tough though because co was there and like how do you attribute this to this or this like we don't know all the factors like we're not doing education isn't a um It's it's not a scientific, you know, we don't have a control group and and a and a you know what I'm saying?
We don't have it. So if we're spending six million this year, it's in a year we'll be getting those reimbursement monies. And it and it it depends really on on the state budget. They don't always fund it. We've seen years where they fund it at 28% of the reimbursement even though the the loss has 75%. >> Yeah. >> You're welcome. >> Seeing no further question discussion, we'll move right to a vote. This will also require a two-thirds majority and we will start with a show of cards. All those in favor of the motion on article 3, please raise your cards. Thank you. And opposed. That passes overwhelmingly. Article four fiscal year 2027 budget sponsored by the town manager finance director. C of the town will vote to raise and appropriate from available funds and or transfer from available funds in the treasury such sums of money as are necessary to defay charges and expenses of the town including debt and interest for the ensuing fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 or pass any vote or take any action relative there too.
Um we've realized that that takes um some analysis of what we currently have in place and then an opportunity to learn what it could be and then reallocate accordingly to be able to achieve that. And so that is the type of uh service that we're looking for and seeing if they can support us with that. Um we are very uh there it was promising uh the meeting and I feel like there's a lot of opportunity there um where we can uh support those efforts. Um so that is something that we'll be uh looking deeper into and exploring. And the good news about the quality um the IEP quality training uh that they do offer it's actually um state recommended and free via the state meaning that um they will provide the training state uh takes care of the financial element of it which is wonderful sometimes unusual so beautiful and um and and that's just an opportunity for us again to to get some more uh learning and training for our leaders in that area.
And my concern I is that a lot of the inattention behavior problems social emotional they're not getting enough sleep is the average child spends about six hours day on social media on their devices gaming and that has to have a direct effect on their learning and so I wanted to see if there's a way we could do some messaging on that to parents um you know giving them some information. At one time the surgeons general had a a report online. This was uh before the current administration. Uh even then they were warning about the dangers of you know social media devices and things cuz literally 6 hours a day. So imagine what if you're using 6 hours a day after the school when do you have time to study, interact, sleep and be healthy. So I believe it's part of our responsibility. Maybe you can get involved in messaging in your spare time.