And it it we'd have to say that one of our major major notable accomplishments is for the second year in a row. Last year we had Cherburg Primary School become a school distinction. And this year what what I always would say you want your high school to be a flagship and to be named one of the few high schools in the state of Connecticut to be named a school of distinct distinction I is really really evident. And I'd be remiss Mr. Bishop spends a lot of time with the schools on working on student achievement and analyzing data. So I'd be remiss not to thank him at this time. Throughout we really had the goal and I pushed our administrative team and especially Mr. Bishop that I wanted to bring our learning walks back and our instructional rounds back where we're walking around with teams of of teachers and individuals and coaches and administrators to really look at and observe what high quality instruction looks like and really reflect upon that practice and have good professional dialogue.
>> Um and that's the cost of the teacher. That's what we budgeted Matt >> is the 103 which is top step masters. Um and the uh teacher who happens to be becoming the uh library media is makes top step masters too. So there's a possibility that it it could be less um not by much probably uh you know within a couple of grand either way. >> Okay. That changes my view on this but we can circle back uh at the final discussion. >> Yeah. >> So >> I'm sorry. >> Yeah. Okay, before you go on, um I I'm comfortable with the theory of it and you know, knowing it's a a new program and growing administration of our own having that lead teacher concept, but I would like to see at least um preferred for that 092 assistant principal to have special ed certification. >> Okay?
Families, please give it up one more time for the class of 2026. [cheering] >> [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> Thank you. You can be seated. I felt like you needed to get the blood flowing a little bit. I am so excited for you guys. As I was reflecting on your incredible accomp accomplishments, I couldn't help but go back to where it all began, kindergarten. And that reminded me of a poem, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. It talks about simple things. Share everything, play fair, clean up your own mess. And those lessons still matter, but I've uh come to recognize something else is true. Everything you really needed to know in life, you learned right here at Pine Creek High School. Not just in the classrooms, but in the hallways, on the fields, courts, gyms, on stages, in friendships, and yes, sometimes while trying to make it back from lunch in time.
Alysa would like to take this opportunity to share a quote um with her fellow student classmates from Dora and Finding Nemo. Just keep swimming. Congratulations, Alisa. Your hard work and dedication don't go unnoticed. rocks. >> Just keep swimming. Yeah, just keep swimming. And I believe Tiffany is not here, but that's it. Oh, and okay, so we're good. And Miss Mison, >> thank you so much. Let's give it up for Good evening, President Wendia. Good evening, uh, Superintendent Diaz, board members, community, students, and community all present. For Indian Oasis Middle and High School, for student of the month, April 2026, we have EMile Valenzuela. Indian Oasis Middle and High School would like to recognize um Ismael Valenuela as student of the month. Since transitioning to our district this school year, he has made great progress academically and personally. He attends class regularly, is respectful to staff and peers, and continues to show steady growth and responsibility.
Mr. Bosley actually has a a project that's going through the school facilities division that we think will be able to address that. But also in the facilities, the total price was 47 million which didn't leave the money for the school buses. And so with the school buses in there, that would be one of the things that we wouldn't add um we wouldn't add that. We that would be one of the things that we've talked about that when the school facilities division pays for it, we would not have to get that money from the bond to pay for it. That would be one of the items that we would look at replacing. And so with the 47 plus million on the facilities assessment that they were looking at, we don't anticipate needing that because the buses alone were going to be like 6 to 7 million.
>> This is a motion I >> um I move to approve the proposed proposition 301. >> I second it >> Mrs. Lewis. >> Yes. >> Miss Peters. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Amar. >> Yes. Mr. Big. >> Mr. Ashley. Yes. All right. In fact, get your calendars out. We need to approve, believe it or not, next year's schedule. Um, which starts uh July 14th if you guys have, but we're sticking pretty much to the second >> June meeting. I'm sorry. >> Yeah, but the new fiscal year starts in July. >> I'm sorry. >> You're right. Yeah. So, it's the uh second Tuesday of the month, generally speaking. Um there's a few exceptions um but pretty much that's what >> one thing that we need to discuss which is we usually have our governing board retreat on in September but I don't know with new elections if we want to wait to hold off in the new year or maybe we want to do two so we can still host one in September and then do another one in February.
Um, but yeah, again, like hats off to the teachers who have that classroom management skill and can do it. Um, but in my mind I'm I'm thinking now when we're talking about reading, so it takes me back to this podcast I heard. I'm sure most everybody's probably heard it already, the um Sold a Story, but I just remember they open up talking about a school who would have like a reading block, but instead of like sitting with their classroom, each student walks like walk to read, they walk to their grade level teach or not grade but their reading level. And so it's it's a whole different model and again, like so then we're talking about trying to not put adult convenience in front of student learning. Adult you know, student outcomes change change when our adult behaviors change, so maybe there's a better way that's not you know, for three groups of kids being left to their blocks or their iPads while the teacher's focusing on these struggling readers.
Um we're connecting to all the high schools, elementary's performing at the high school campuses. Um there's so much energy right now um and has been, but our community, our parents, our students, and it's been mentioned a couple times, we share monthly the academic progress completely tied to our performing arts. I mean, we're naive if we don't believe our performing arts lead directly to our academic outcomes and vice versa. And so, um just thank you both. And And your ideas are incredible. You keep them coming. It was the two of them that wanted to bring the kids tonight. You know, we can come and talk, but everybody wants to see the kids perform. That's what we want, right? And so, um yeah, you I'm really proud of the work that you guys are doing and will continue to do. So, thank you both very much. >> Thank you.
>> Get it done. That's great. All right. I do forgive me, but something just came to my mind. If I can go back a little bit about the milk vendor with the one year with three years options. The options is that a price there already like what their base price is now plus 5% year one another 2% year two or >> no is is is really even in the one-year contract it's a variable price where it depends upon market conditions and that's the same structure we had for the past two years when they beat Wilkins. So, when we went out to bid a couple years ago, we had two biders, Perry Farms and Wilkins. Wilkins had a fixed price. Perry Farms had the flexible market price, which was lower than uh Wilkins's fixed price. We said, "Let's see how this goes." And then it ended up staying lower than the fixed price that Will has prepared.
Because they keep we can't This the way it works is if if somebody donates money to the school district, we as a committee vote, we have a policy, the school district doesn't have to use that money. Once you donate money, the district can use it for whatever they want. I am not opposed to using cash though to float this for a year. No, I respectfully disagree. I understand how Berlin perceives the budget. I think we now have it in writing from the town of Boylston that they're working for a two and a half override for next year. I think that changes a lot of things. I think it was kind of in the talks before when we voted on the budget. Now it's kind of solidified. Yeah, Megan, a two and a half override means they don't have enough money for what we have now, and you're looking to add on top of it.
So, we now have teams going in all the schools and you may be a high school teacher, but you're going down to high school coaching. You're going down to the elementary schools. And I envision that that will grow with time. And I envision that you all will be involved in in instructional rounds in in learning walks. When we go to the middle school, you you know that there's a a strong focus on our turnaround plan and really building on our instructional practice that affect positive student outcome. Jeff Moore and his staff have just done outstanding work at the middle school and the the Connecticut State Department of Education has recognized our success and highlighted us as a a school and a model school and and as we say um and as you've heard before, by the time we're done, the the state of Connecticut will probably provide us over a million dollars worth of grant uh money.
You don't have to have it required, but you can have it preferred in the job des because I think um we know that building had will have some needs with that early childhood and you get caught up as an assistant principal and I want them to really realize that they have, you know, some work to do on that side of the building, too. >> Yeah. I want to be clear as well that The students who are in that early childhood program are from the district. They're all they're from all over the district. So when they reach age five and go to K, they will then be going to their home school, >> right? um just I I wasn't clear about that and I want to be clear that you know um in essence theoretically 75% of the kids that are in that program will then be dispersed across the rest of the district when they reach kindergarten age.
I asked the class of 2026 what you learned and who impacted you. And eight big lessons emerged from your time at Pine Creek. Lesson one, get involved. Anna Parzik took me back to freshman year homecoming blackout theme packed stands and in the way back of the stands and everybody all in. Ariana Messo talked about that same energy but senior year in the front standing with friends and screaming through the whole game losing her voice the next day. Those weren't just games that was belonging. As you move on, don't wait to feel comfortable. Join something, try something, show up. Because you don't find your place, you build it. Lesson two, mentors matter. You didn't just talk about classes, learning, or your SAT scores. You talked about the people that got you there. Katie Kim shared how Miss Mack helped her every year planning classes and thinking about her future.
He is also excited and looking forward to participating in the Brian Brown Summer Youth Camp Foundation this summer which will provide him with additional opportunities for growth and leadership. We are proud of his positive attitude and the progress he continues to make at our school. With pride and warmest congratulations, Ismael, the staff of Indian Oasis Middle and High School, we are very proud of you. Rock and roll. >> Congratulations. again. >> Huh? >> Excuse me. >> Okay, that'll conclude our students of the month. Thank you so much on behalf of the board. Um it is always again our pleasure and and a deep um honor to be able to celebrate your students, our students, um the community for your achievements and especially acknowledge uh the overall effort. So it is always a pleasure and is always great to see. So you don't have to stay but you're more than welcome to.
We're hoping that some of those school facilities division projects come through with Mr. Bosley and the elementary schools, one of the big ones, but we don't we have no idea how much it'll cost to fix that. And if it's something, honestly, we're hoping the state would pick up the bill on that. But if not, that's something that we will come back and come back to plan B once we find out what's going on. But there's only money allocated in that um to assess it. But we think that's that that's actually something that the Mr. Bosley will be able to get the school facilities division to take care of. Um sorry >> the in one of the lists that we had from earlier um classroom finishes and then general trades renovations. Do we kind of have an idea of what's in those two categories? >> So yeah on the classroom finishes basically as we talked about you know our our carpet is more worn in some place than in others.
So we can talk about that later, but it is on it is scheduled for the governor's board retreat unless you want to have a discussion now about it. >> I think February probably be sufficient. >> I think so too because it' be the new board if there is a new board. >> Okay. So there will we'll schedule that for February, >> not the 29th. Oh, come on. >> I know. >> All right. That's a motion item. >> Okay. I move to approve the 2026 2027 governing board meeting dates >> with >> change of approved. >> Yes. With the board. >> Same. Mrs. Lewis, >> yes. >> Mrs. Ms. Peters, >> yes. >> Mrs. Amrizz, >> yes. Mr. McInness, >> yes. >> Mr. Ashley, >> yes. And to formally approve the uh superintendent's evaluation that we kind of rep performance pay for 2526. >> So there's two.
Like maybe there's a better way um down the line to work on, right? Um but anyways, I'm I'm throwing that out there. But yeah, I you know, being on the learning walks, I'm like hats off to those teachers who really got it cuz yeah, I did see some teachers who just like had it, you know, but it's like how do we get the rest of them up to that and it's you know, and there's more to it than just kids learning to read, right? They're dealing with behavior issues and and all of that compounded. But um you know, we're taking it one one step at a time here and And we're we're addressing it by the professional development, the coaching and then also our principals have shared too, just also helping them with the planning cuz it is a lot of a planning and helping them understand how to task analyze, look at the data to put the small groups and what kids should be working on independently while the teacher's working with the small group.
>> Um yeah, I can echo everything that they all said. Um my family is very big into music. My dad was a professional trumpet player. And um he >> [laughter] >> Yeah, that's how he paid his way through college. He was the first one to go to college and he came from a very interesting background in music. Basically, it's kind of what set him on his path of success. So, um growing up in a household like that, firm believer in it. And I don't remember the statistic, but Dr. Ryan's right. I don't remember exactly what it is, but the percentage is so much higher if they're involved in music. So, I love that we have such a strong music program and um it's all really awesome. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you very much. >> I heard earlier that uh uh Mr. Brainard is an accomplished saxophone player and Dr.
So, >> there's ways to maneuver to win bids. And that's why I was kind of alluding to just what happened there with the options. Okay. >> Yeah, >> that's why we included the Pam did a great job um including some of the historical prices. So, as Bill pointed out, you guys can see the fluctuations and I can even give you a month by month historical price if you'd like. I could >> No, that's good. You're on top of it. >> Thank you so much. All right. Any other old business? New business? We do have a reason to go into close session. The reason being the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees. >> Could I have a motion to go into close session for the reasons stated? >> Second. >> Moved by Bill, second by Dr. Hall.
I am well aware >> that we already said we don't have the money for. >> I am well aware of what it means, what the town is looking to do, which is similar to what I believe the town of Holden tried to do this year. I don't know if it passed or not. >> not. It passed in Holden, but it failed for the district. Okay. So, they're trying And I think to Holden had some other things like police and fire and whatnot in the >> Senior center? Yeah. The override passed, but another town in the two towns failed. So, it So, their override passed in Holden. So, I think that's what Boylston is trying to do is to do some type of an override. You need to As we've learned, you need a campaign, you need to plan. They're looking to start, you need to educate people.