The phoenix symbolizes resilience, transformation, and new beginnings. When its life comes to an end, it does not simply disappear. Instead, it's renewed, stronger, and wiser than before. In many ways, the Phoenix mirrors those of us who attend the academy. We often face setbacks, challenges, or paths that differ from the traditional route. Yet, we continue to rise, grow, and redefine ourselves. Like the Phoenix, we show strength in rebuilding our lives, proving that past struggles do not define our future, but rather fuel our ability to begin again. The Phoenix symbolizes more than just a year. It represents resilience, renewal, and the strength to rise again. With these within these pages are the stories of growth, perseverance, and the moments that shaped our year. And I just want to thank everyone for giving me the opportunity to uh lead this fantastic program. And I'm looking forward to staying involved in the future.
That ends today. I call on every resident to step up and take action. I'd like to read these because I think they're very simple and easy. Speak out. Attend select board meetings. Write letters. Make calls. Let your voice be heard. Organize. Talk to your neighbors. Is sharing information. Build a collective presence that cannot be ignored. Hold officials accountable. Remind them who they work for. This is one of my favorite parts. And that silence is not consent. Because we often hear that, well, we don't hear from people, so they think it's on the right track. Maybe it is, maybe it's not. Hold officials accountable. Vote. Your vote is your power. Use it at every local election. Attend every annual meeting, including the special town meeting. Change doesn't come from the top down. It starts with us. Together we can make sure our leaders listen, respond, and lead any way that reflects the true will of the community.
So, did Have you seen You've seen some of the Hopkinton town meetings and I noticed on their citizens comment their policy again process and policy is they don't comment live. They come back the next meeting and give response. Now I'm not quite sure how that all works with like open meeting law. Did they agree on an answer? Did they say one person answers? But it felt like yes, they could actually listen cuz they weren't trying to respond on the spot. >> Yeah, I think that's great. I think that encourages listening. I have listened to some I'd like to listen to the local other towns to see how they're organized and I think they're actually organized pretty well. I noticed the people in Hopkinton they're invited to come and sit at this table and they are allowed to speak. They can speak. I've seen people speak for 5 minutes even longer.
And I feel like if we just focus on getting out the facts and not the curated version, that's a better starting point. >> I love that curated. And see, that's part of going back to the overall transparency issue. Um that um I lost my dream about here. Uh that we're we're being given selective bits of information and it's like just don't don't self- select stuff. just let us read it and then we can arrive at our own uh analysis or our own whatever we think about it. Instead, it's you know being fed to us in little drips and drabs and it's I don't know. I think we should I totally agree that we should not do that. >> Well, and I think um related to that I I'm listening to a book right now. does. It's um Why We Did It by Tim Miller. And it's not really the the purpose of the book if you read it, but he does very much talk about using communication as a way to manipulate voters.
And that's really not what democracy is all about. It's about I think we have a duty to be questioning. Your civic duty is to question your government for yourself, for everyone else, and get everybody engaged. There's one thing I want to read here. So, uh, uh, based on what we were just talking, uh, our manager, uh, writes a lot of articles about his experience as a manager. And there was one about Ashland's AAA rating. How strategic financial management continues to earn S&P's highest confidence despite recent challenges. So I'm reading through it and it's all about how great the trip was. But then I get to this part and it's it's called number three, create a narrative. Um, this is a lesson I learned from Lynch and Moses and it's the key focus of our reading calls. So, first of all, it sounds like they're having calls and I don't even know they're having calls, but anyways, I'm just going to read this as a specific example talking about a 2 million deficit.
Um that foul ball catch, you know, Well, McDonald's running into the fence like that, uh towards the fence is a really tough play to make cuz you have to get over there very fast, but you don't want to go too fast and hit the fence. So, usually, you know, the the the fielder will pull away from that, but she just did a great job on that pop foul um for the third out um you know, to to go to the next inning. Yeah, nice a nice play, nice defensive play. Uh and and that's a it's a big play, too, right? Because if you you get you get the runner on third base, you get domestic going another chance, you never know what's going to happen. She has been hitting the ball pretty well this season. But nonetheless, the clock is due get one across, and which brings us into the top of the third with Bella back in the circle, and she's going to be facing the top of the order as Cordani, Amato, and Larkey are coming to the plate.
So EverG impact is our is ever's volunteer program. Um, so we the Burlington Academic Support Foundation has been approved to be included into that. Um, and so they donation like employees can make a donation and energy will match it. So that has been awesome to now be included into that. So, we can choose that as our where we want to donate money. So, all you ever employees out there and watching online, um if you're employee, we'd love for you to consider making a taxable donation donation. Um we also have that golf tournament coming up on June 20th. And yeah, that's about it. Anything else that I forgot members? Yeah, we've had some a little bit of learning around applicants, what really qualifies for the grant, um what they can submit for requisitions. And so we're we're all learning, teachers are learning, and all those are the I was actually getting ready to pass that question.
The wage is $12 an hour that we're paying. And we feel like we need to that's adequate for our student workers, but we feel like we need to uh bump our adult workers up to 14 hours to be competitive. $14 per hour, sorry, to be competitive um moving into the summer. So I would uh recommend that we bump that summer worker health for adults up to 14 from 12.
Um there was when it falls apart and I'm out of the ground. The meeting's over. Um when the data in the colored bars is enrollment data from last year because that's the most current. We'll have like this year's data sometime in the fall, but the trend is still indicative. Yes. And so, and then the stuff right below it, the homeschooled and the ESA recipient students, that is actually accurate right up to um like the homeschool was these are students who are registered with the county school office. That was as of 54 and the ESA students that was as of um Christmas break. So, that is really current data. And one thing I want to share with you, that registered homeschool number is pretty consistent with where it was a year ago. It was a little over 280 last year. So homeschool numbers have actually gone down, but that ESA number is up 200 students from last year.
But, the work we submit must always be our own. Uh we should not be sharing any PII, so personally identifiable information. They should always take their let their teacher know if something seems off and then use the technology responsibly. Again, appropriate use and prohibited use. So, students can use AI with teacher permission. That's kind of the general um theme of using AI for students. They cannot use it to submit and complete their entire assignments as their own. They should not be accessing tools without express teacher permission and then again, never entering their name, photo, personal details, or any PII. Moving over to 512, again very similar. Um in 512, again AI is a tool to help, but students it should never replace their own effort, reasoning, or growth. We have the same red light um AI assignment stoplight system here. And then the rules are very similar.
Anybody any questions on the foyer request? >> No. >> Monthly reports for the board. >> The next regularly scheduled board meeting will take place on Monday, June 8th. Close session beginning at 6 pm and open session beginning immediately after close session ends. board will enter back into close session to review the consolidated superintendent evaluation data after the regularly scheduled board for meeting. We have any public comments? Uh can I please have a motion to journ Tiffany and Vivian? All in favor? I any >> oppose? I say it being a journ.
So, does anyone have any questions or points of discussion? I will kind of say with the email that goes to the entire board and the board president will respond, I think. There have been times when maybe a particular board member might know the community member or might have like a have had a previous conversation and kind of request your you know request that they email on behalf of the board instead of you. But I think it's pretty straightforward. But for everyone else, that's why you get one email back when you send seven. >> Yeah. And I try to I try to be clear that it's on behalf of the board. Um and I if I'm not it, I'm I'm We do a pretty good job. I I would say probably 95% 99%. If I miss any, please let me know, send that email again and I will reply.
There are two new policies um relating to uh f some financial um topics and then uh several revised policies. I do just want to point out um there was one uh policy um threshold for material loss shortage or theft and I had shared this with you. There was one change that we uh Mr. Yoder had asked a great question about the introductory sentence to that policy that upon looking at it more more closely I understood the confusion. So we suggested some clarifying language in that first sentence uh based on that feedback. So that is the only change to those policies from what you reviewed uh in April. But I recommend your approval on second reading.
And that's why they wanted to use the digital means. So to me, if there's the potential, if we're forcing people to use a credit card, it doesn't hurt anything for us to just prove that there's no issues. And we've already seen in the ECA accounts that there's at least four four instances. So the I mean, meeting tonight is not an argument over who is right and who is wrong. This is We really do want every board member to express what do you believe is appropriate to be in these things so that we can take notes and and generate some modification or which there's already modifications that Mr. Major sent to me to this um to this proposed policy so we can create something that reflects the wishes of the whole board. We've identified a couple of things already that belong in policy that aren't there now.
That's how you get your score. So >> Abby, >> sorry. Can you explain what reasons is? >> So it's the reasons is so we place the class, we take notes over it, and then we have to go into a room with a stranger and tell them why you placed the class that way. So you have to rationalize why you made your decisions and you have to believe that you were right in the time of being it. So it teaches you to be confident. It teaches you to make quick rational decisions and being able to defend it to a stranger. So it it helps with a lot of just employability skills for one, but two also just self-improvement and bettering yourself. So the reasons is probably the hardest part of it after you can get off the floor. The reasons is what separates contest. So when we're up there in the top top five in reasons and Aubrey will get to our good day here in a minute.
Um we have really tried to address some of the issues with our facilities. As you know, some of our facilities were built in 1957, I believe, and and they just it's time to really look at them and say what needs to be done. And I know even Amanda and I have talked about that the needs of our students have changed drastically as far as technology, um science, a lot of those things. And our classrooms have not kept up with those expectations. And so, we're excited to start this process. Um it's going to be a long process, but I think it's going to be an exciting time for East Gibson School Corporation and and continue to build on our heritage and really preparing us to move into the future. So And they they will also if if community members want to come in after after they've done their assessment, if community members want to come in and and walk through things and and see [snorts] really you know, that that electrical outlet needs to be fixed.
And then enforcement will be a challenge. I think a lot of like a lot of things, we'll want to be clear and consistent upfront to make sure everybody knows that we do have an expectation and a need to enforce the legislation from the state. Um, but those will be challenges and then our goals will be twofold. And this came actually from Mr. Brimberry when it came out. So, he deserves credit for it. We want to be functional with it. Okay? So, it needs to be functional. It needs to be a way that works with our families and our community, but we need to be compliant and in alignment with the law. And so, we will do that as we think about how to incorporate the policy and then post it by July 1st. So, those are the core components of this legislation. Um it came out of the general assembly this last session and there's still a lot of guidance being provided from uh the school board association at the state level through the state board of education and the department of education.
Thank you very much. Do you have any questions? Milt? I can see better hurry before I forget. Get you. Uh going back to the in person and you said you're going to split them into two and AM and PM. >> Will you expect to have equal amounts or you I I don't know the flexibility of their schedule? >> This is where >> uh and whether whether it'll spit you know split down the middle or whether you you might have more in the PM than you would in the AM. So, we're going to try to uh shuffle the kids into as equal sections as we can unless a parent comes to us and says says specifically, "My child needs AM, my child needs PM." We are also at the mercy of the career center classes for our junior and senior students. So, um if if their career center courses are in the morning, then they've got to come to us in the afternoon.
Let us rise, speak, and act. Our town needs us now more than ever. So, I would argue, I don't know that there's a particular issue. I would argue that's certainly in these economic times and things that are going on. We've also heard about possibly an override would be making sure that people's voices get heard. >> Yeah, we're going to talk about that. Um, so I just want to end this conversation, conversation number two, by just again letting citizens out there know that if you want to be a co-host on the show, uh, you can contact us at badg girls.com or find me on Facebook or Kate, thank you and you know it's a good opportunity for you to come and talk about some issue might be the schools might be trash I don't know I don't know what it is but I think the more we get our voices heard in an arena where we are making the rules uh is is really a plus because in fact we really need to again keep taking back our power meeting it's our town it's our it's our this or that or whatever it is.
>> The one I saw did have a time limit. In fact, they brought two people they said if I hit my limit, I will go. Oh my god, that is so ingenious. Maybe that's why I thought it I thought it was longer because it was It was a similar time, right? Yeah, so anyways, it's just it's just really refreshing and I think, you know, maybe we should take a look at ways to improve >> the process. >> Yeah, improve the process instead of just yelling at us whatever. Um all right, so the next one that it is related is it's our the our form of local government. So in 2007 and I was not at this town meeting. I was not able to be there. I don't know, maybe you were there. They changed the town meeting government from a regular town manager. You can towns can have a town administrator, a town manager and then the Stratton town manager form government.