001And on the agenda is the pledge of allegiance. Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the flag of the United States of America to the stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. >> Is remote tonight. Carrie is not feeling well. So she will not be coming. We still have a majority by the, you know, Lauren Bums. >> Yeah, just the lesser amount that we have today. So, we're good. So, uh, are there any added agenda items? Anybody? No. Okay. Uh, the minutes of the January 14th meeting are up for approval. Make a motion to approve the minutes of the January 14th meeting. >> Who seconded that? >> I'm giving it to court. So made by Free, seconded by Courtney. All those in favor? >> Opposed? Okay. Public
002participation. Well, our public is invisible, so I guess we will pass on that. Um, so is there a visitor there? Oh, it's Bob Leech. Hi, Bob. >> I he raised his hand. I see muted automatically. >> Does that mean he's waving? >> Oh, waving. Got it. >> Okay. Um, so Tim, we get you rather quickly, don't we? Don't we Oh, >> there we go. I'm here now. >> Okay. Nice to have you on board. >> Okay, Tim. Cheers. >> At Broadwork Elementary School, students student engagement remains strong with several initiatives highlighting both academic enrichment and wellness. The family mileage club continued on January 14th, promoting physical activity and healthy habits among students and families. During winter break, over 200 students participated in the winter learning challenge, demonstrating a strong commitment to learning outside of the
003school day. The classes with the highest levels of participation were rewarded by selecting a class incentive such as extra recess, pajama day, or lunch with principles. Additionally, one student from each grade level was selected to serve as principal of the day. These students selected their own assistant principal and spend the day leading the school alongside Mrs. Fox and Mr. Ride students are currently completing their midyear assessments and we look forward to reviewing the data and celebrating academic growth demonstrated across all grade levels. East Windsor Middle School boys and girls basketball teams are in full swing this season. Recently, the Eastman Middle School girls basketball team earned an impressive 32 to 21 victory over Craig International. Our eighth grade students recently went on a field trip to Connecticut Museum of Culture and History and had a
004great experience. Students are also finishing their midyear diagnostic assessments, including I Ready Literacy Assessments, and Acadians math. On January 12th, Ed Rising Club members Thomas Farada and Aselinos presented a lesson at the commit associations of schools 2026 elementary leadership conference at CT State as Nantuk to stu students in grades four to six. These ones are high school ed rising students created a co-taught or created and co-taught a lesson about building consensus that highlighted self-awareness and responsible decision-making skills with the participants. This was a fantastic opportunity for students who are interested in future careers and teaching to practice their teaching skills to gain real world experience. The students of educators rising do not hide their pride and our pride. >> Thank you. Next, we have upcoming meetings and events. Um, if there are no questions under
005that, there's a lot of stuff going on. >> We'll have to put something in there about policy at the end of the meeting. >> Yes, we had BPR um just prior to this meeting. So, we'll end up adding another BPR meeting. Uh we didn't come up with the date, but I'll work with the funers. Who's the chair of that committee subcommittee? >> It was um um >> that may be a discussion for Le because I believe uh curriculum lost their chair as well too. >> No, of course. >> No, Courtney is the chair of curriculum, >> right? >> Yeah. And we I I mean until we get our new members to decide to rename them, I can continue. >> Perfect. Okay, so we're on to the superintendent's report. >> Okay, awesome. Um, so I have
006uh two um one obviously the uh very big one uh the budget. Um so this is the first round. If you look in your back on page five um you have the superintendent proposed budget. Um, if you just give me a sec too, I'm going to stealth. Um so just a couple reminders uh with the proposed uh budget tonight and you saw earlier as far as meeting uh dates um on February 12th I will be presenting um during public meeting um along with uh the hearing that falls immediately um after. So um this book is something that I provided each of uh the last five years I've been superintendent. Um uh obviously it provides a narrative along with the local tax numbers. Um I will not or have no intention of using tonight as a
007page by page breakdown. Um but rather an overall summary of the proposed uh budget. Um as you can see there's been tremendous amount of work um put into this budget along with thought. Certainly uh kudos uh to Ryan and uh and his leadership uh with support with that along with the entire leadership uh team. Um just a reminder based on charter there cannot be discussion um on this budget proposal until after public hearing uh which is scheduled for again uh that February 12th uh date. Um what I've tried to uh what I've tried to uh do in the past as I am today is um recognizing um uh the board of ed is a important driver with this budget and giving you a preview uh prior um it has been filed with town. So it
008is a public document at this point. >> I will say it's always odd to present and say no questions. >> I know they will come. So as the board's well aware uh this budget proposal um is grounded on the priorities outlined in the board strategic plan which is focused on the four areas that includes our portrait of the graduate. The portrait of the graduate as this group um is um wellversed is our vision for highquality prek through 12 education across all three schools. um expands this approach across every grade level by offering students meaningful choices and pathways to pursue their passions and preparation for success after graduation. So through our portrait of the graduate and strategic plan um we're invested in raising our students performance by providing high quality curriculum and resources and through the
009continued professional development offered to our teachers. Um, we have high state and district standards uh that provide the vision for our educator professional development, our instructional budget proposals, our teacher evaluation goals, and how we design our programs and initiatives. This budget proposal continues to uh support those priorities outlined in our strategic plan as well as the portrait of graduate. um also promoting a culture that produces graduates that are lifelong learners, civic contributors, motivated problem solvers, responsible citizens among much more. It's essentially um exactly what our portrait graduate is about. So just kind of jumping into the numbers. Um and this uh this slide right here is taken directly from uh the budget booklet uh that you have in your packet. Um and provides our budget at a glance. Um so the figures shown in each
010department reflect the changes to the local budget. Um, so as this group's well aware, we have grants and other revenue sources that offset costs and reduce the net impact. Um, so certainly if you take those grants and revenues, uh, these numbers would be um, higher. Um, when we're talking about the BOE budget and what gets approved, we're talking about local tax dollars. Um, so a couple areas that I'm just going to focus um that pop out is starting with uh the districtwide. Um, the primary increase to districtwide is medical insurance. It's currently projected at 14% and that's based on the most recent uh state projection. Um, the final one will not come in until about April or May. Um well I can tell you in um that district-wide cost center that would actually reflect a
011decrease if we removed medical uh from it. So that entire increase um is medical um and again that that cost center would be a reduction if we remove those medical costs out. Um the other one that pops out is the curriculum budget and this is directly due to the reduction in federal title funding. Um we've and you'll see a little later um our reductions over the last year plus have been approximately about 100,000 uh curriculum would remain flat if there was not a reduction in federal funding. Um certainly I'll talk a little bit how we've offset that a little bit and how we've been strategic. And then um BAND very small cost center uh less than 1% of the overall budget. Um you do see the percent increase that's really just a reallocation of supply
012lines moving from individual buildings uh to the one districtwide account line and an effort to re improve reporting. Um uh that cost center is actually flat. Again, it's just the moving um of an account line from building to a districtwide line. Um, in this proposal, um, we are strategically using approximately half of the projected year-to-end balance in the 2% fund. Um, so that's, um, just over 152,000, uh, which would leave that same amount in the 2% fund should there be some type of, uh, emergency um, or unanticipated cost down the lines. Um again um being strategic as far as um reducing some of that funding that was lost to curriculum and offsetting um that large medical um on that account line um referencing um the 2% fund and other tuition costs. Um those funds reference
013what's in the 2% fund currently along with um food service uh funds generated through eligible food service costs and preschool uh tuition. Um so it's an all-encompassing revenue line there just so in this pie chart uh you kind of have the budget at a different glance. Um again the graph represents the local budget allocations for each department. Um and this is how our local tax dollars are spread out across departments. Um percents are rounded to the whole number. So for example it shows that band is less than 1% of the entire budget. Um I will tell you we are funding band. It's just that because it's less it rounds it down to the nearest percent uh which shows as zero. um salaries are embedded in each department um and make up a total of about
01458% of the total budget. So for example, teachers that are at the middle school, their salaries would be reflected in the middle school department um teachers that work in the special ed department um would their salaries would be embedded in the special ed department um and so forth. Same thing with facilities, nursing, and so on. Uh special education um is one of our largest cost centers. is 25% from the total budget, which I can tell you and report that it's on the lower end of the average. So, typically um when you look at school district budgets, you're expecting special ed to range somewhere between 25 and 30%. Um again, we're on the lower end. Um, this is also not unusual when you consider that special ed touches every aspect of the school uh system starting
015at preschool when kids are first entering at 3 years old all the way through the transition program um when they exit out at 22 years old. So looking at the school budget uh proposal again uh this is uh my first uh proposal obviously we know it goes through a series of revisions u but the proposed increase um I have here is 3.94%. Um um this is level service and level staffing. Um and it's been made possible um because of the strong internal uh processes and procedures in the business office. Um certainly strategic collaborative work of the finance team um and their ability to reallocate resources based on changing student and community needs. Um I can also tell you that average increases are coming in uh closer to 6%. Um I was just on a call
016with alliance districts uh this morning. Um reminder um alliance there are 36 alliance districts uh which make up 44% of the total uh student population in Connecticut and uh just going round table as far as uh superintendent sharing um where they were with their initial proposal. We were the third lowest among alliance dis uh reporting alliance districts. Um um and I can tell you there's a multiple districts in double digits. Um certainly when you think of our guiding uh philosophy, we're able to do this um because of the continued philosophy to build on what we need, not based on what we currently have and reallocate and maximize our existing resources. Uh so the primary budget drivers so we have uh medical um insurance at 14% and again this is um on the most recent state
017projection two districts um we are on the state health insurance plan um final medical will be available um around April or May. I will say the last year or two um they've come in a little bit earlier. So hopefully that trend will continue and maybe we'll receive it as early as March. Um but it's not required until that April May um um uh due date. Our transportation contract is set at 10%. Um certainly that's a driver. I will tell you that still puts us um slightly below um what the average costs for transportation um come in at. I will say we were able to strategically offset um uh that um that increase by half. It's just over 5% with the elimination of a daily bus. Um so when we look at the number of kids
018on buses um we've been strategically able to eliminate a bus and I would say that 5% would actually be closer to 4%. Um however we did have to increase the budget to meet our mandated requirements uh to support McKenna uh Vento related to students who are displaced or homeless and needed transportation. Um certainly electricity um is on the rise. We were on a fixed rate um which has recently expired. Um however, our timing has worked out well. Um we were also on a loan program related to energy efficient updates um which we started a few years ago. Um that loan um will be satisfied thus resulting in a flat budget for the year um uh um with the increases. Um so we stop paying for the uh the loan. the increases are coming in about
019the same um uh same amount the loan uh products had cost us. Um and then special education has been a primary driver in uh recent past um with increases to the over overall budget. At this time the increase is uh is uh manageable coming at 1.88 uh%. Um, we also know that special ed, um, uh, things can change in a heartbeat. Um, and certainly that's something we'll continue to monitor, but this place um, um, or at this time we're in a good place. And then to minimize the impact of health insurance as well as the loss of grant funding, I'm recommending the use of 152,28 um, which is uh, half of the 2% fund. um that would still leave the same amount in case of any emergency or unforeseen um costs. So, putting uh the
020budget in uh um perspective, and it's funny, my eyes are not as good as they used to be. Okay. >> Uhhuh. When you look at the cost uh to fund education in East Windsor in this proposed budget, um uh the total cost is approximately $33.2 uh million. Um when you eliminate all the offsetting grants and revenues, uh the budget in my proposal is approximately 29.9 million. Uh you can see that additional funds and adult ed and the state um education cost sharing grants further reduce taxpayer liability and effort to lower the mill rate. So ultimately um that 33.2 2 million um ends up um at 24.5 million um and just over 26% discount due to outside funding um sources. And just to put this in further perspective um based on the most recent data available
021and you can get this from the Connecticut State Finance uh site along with EDS site um which is as recent as 2324. Unfortunately, you can't get uh last year's uh uh data. It's not available. Um but if you look at our total per pupil costs um which again, if you're looking at the total, they are generally higher than surrounding districts as well as being higher higher than the state average. However, if you look at the local cost associated with per pupil, it's on par with surrounding alliance districts such as Windsor Locks and Windsor. And if you look at the two closest districts um um re um closest in our overall student population. So if you look at Bolton and East Graanby which are very similars sized um school districts, our local taxpayer per pupil cost
022is on on par um uh with Bolton and it's 2500 less per pupil than East Grampby. Um and again that's local tax dollars when you take out the state um federal and other revenue sources. Um and it's just a reminder when we secure competitive grants such as the summer enrichment and afterchool programs which have total over 400,000 these funds raise our per pupil expenditure but they also enhance our student experiences at no cost to the taxpayer. Um so just to put it in perspective there. Um and then this budget um it still protects the work in progress that's has contributed growth in the last five uh consecutive years. Um it's also um as a reminder um uh we have been uh top three alliance districts in both our achievement and growth. Uh when you look
023at uh language arts and science um fourth in math uh um as you may recall it was just in April we are recognized with our work as far as implementing uh the science of reading um and early literacy and it was just this fall that we were recognized again for our student growth and our progress with chronic absenteeism. Um so it still maintains the work and integrity um that has led to these improvements. Um as this board's aware tonight is the initial step along pro uh process to the finish line. It's a starting point. Um the budget remains fluid. Um these key factors um that are highlighted here will continue to be monitored and certainly will be key drivers with any significant changes. Um, in summary, uh, this is a balanced, responsible budget aligned to
024our district priorities. It protects students, staff, and programs. Uh, reflects disciplined, financial management, and, uh, certainly respects taxpayers, uh, while meeting the needs of our community. Um, and then at the end of the day, our goal is to provide our community with a high quality educational program in a way that not just respects our values um, but um, also our local taxpayers support. So, on behalf of the leadership team, we look forward to working uh, first with the board of education and then obviously next with board of finance uh, to support this budget uh, throughout the process. >> Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Now we all have to be quiet. Um, it certainly is this this budget process and and the proposed budget is certainly far different from what I recall um, prior to being
025here. Um, and what what the year that I that I saw a budget, it was one page spreadsheet that had been given to the board of finance. Um, so thanks to everybody, the the entire team that has put this all together. It really explains for the taxpayer what we're doing. So, so until we can talk about it more than that, thank you. >> You're welcome. Fortunately, you have a wife. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's all right. It gives us time to sort of scribble down questions, right? Um, so I guess we're on to our enrollment report. >> Uh, yes. Um, so if you look on page 56 of your packet, um, you have a memo from myself. Um, as you may recall in October, um, uh, that was when our first, um, enrollment um, was provided
026for our current school year. Um, just to back up a little bit too, uh, every year that's when our first enrollment report comes out. The reason being is that's the first official one that goes to the state because it's a after October 1st. Um, and so this data was requested from that October 8th uh, BOE meeting. Um, so uh, the information in the memo is pretty straightforward. Um, I don't know if there's any questions. um certainly can answer any questions uh regarding um uh what our current enrollment uh looks like um in comparison to last year. >> Any questions? >> Yes, >> I have a question. Um, in looking at the the VOAG magnet home school, I'm curious about magnet schools specifically um, and if there's any means of us reaching out to the parents
027or those students to figure out why they're choosing magnet. um is it I my children went to magnet schools and um the reason we chose it was because it was geared towards what they needed in their personal endeavors. Um very artsy and they needed to go to a good music school. I'm curious if there's a means of us finding out if people are choosing magnet schools because it's a good fit for their kids or is it something that they're doing from prior to the last four years where we have progressed quite dramatically in a lot of areas. Um, so I'm just not sure if there's a means of getting to them and getting input from them as to why that's their choice. >> Yeah, let me um research that and then I can follow up.
028Um, one thing I'm not sure I'm not sure that we have their email addresses because it's not something they're required to provide. Um, certainly we have their physical address. Um, so we could do some type of survey potentially where they return it. Um, I don't know what that possible return rate would, but if we have their email, then we could put something out. Um, it's that's something I do not anticipate like the magnet school would be cooperative on as far as having us access and and uh and and surveying. So, we would have to have the data um uh currently on hand. Um, so if we have it electronically and we have their email, that's certainly something we can put out. Um, I'm not convinced that we do have um have that information. Um I
029believe what we have is their physical address, but I can certainly uh research that a little bit >> and I don't know just just to just to say not not you know not because I was that correct but the whole idea of choice. So, the whole idea of choice is something that's that's kind of um promoted in uh in Connecticut. And I don't know um I don't know if that impacts anything, you know, in terms of in terms of where, you know, where families are choosing to go, how they make those choices. It's it's interesting and it will be interesting. I don't know how we would have Do you have those names even, Patrick, of of families who have kids? Do we have that data? Uh we have so we have um uh the families
030uh um so we have the student names and addresses >> of the kids who go to Magnus. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Um the reason the or the reason the like I had to wait till this time to provide this report is >> uh there's a report that gets um essentially filed. It's electronically as part of >> so you get that information. So that report just got finalized um as far as um um in January. So waiting for the final report to verify um the students that do attend magnet schools was the whole thought. Um and uh because that information doesn't um um doesn't get shared with us immediately. >> Um and uh I don't recall the date offhand but it's very late in which so So we have two years worth of data. Um
031prior to 2425 were the numbers higher or lower? Do you remember? Do you have any >> um >> anything on that? I mean are is it growing or is it maybe waning a little? >> Uh this year was definitely a dip from what I recall. Previous years were pretty uh uh steady. Um I will tell you during COVID um our the number of uh students that were homeschooled were almost double. Um it was in the 50s I recall. >> Yeah. So so I have a question Patrick. Of the 72 students that are choice students are they primarily in the elementary school? Um, no. They're uh they're spread. >> They are. Uh, they are. I mean, I would say probably elementary and middle school are um are I would say there's probably the most at that
032elementary and that phase. Would you say that's accurate? >> Elementary and high school >> are higher and high school. >> Yeah. >> U but as they transition um we also prioritize siblings. So I know like for next year we have a number of siblings that are projected to come in in various grades. >> Um so um certainly the change as far as focusing on the early elementary um has been a successful uh shift. I mean, I know I had brought this up once before and I know I I know that the kind of the your thought process and I agree with it as far as, you know, elementary and helping kids to kind of stay in transition, but if our middle school is, you know, the numbers are really declining in our middle school in
033terms of what I could see, would there ever be an opportunity for us to look at middle school to add past history, it is very challenging to bring students >> middle school. Yeah. Okay. and um like really integrate them successfully where there's >> on on all sides. Um so being on the board um we're all asked questions because we're on the board and I get asked questions about homeschooling with the disastrous things that have been going on. We have no control over the homeschooling people, right? Do they have to report to the school at all? >> The only thing they're required under law to report is that they are homeschooling their child. So, >> and there's no quality criteria that they have they have to they have to belong to some network for homeschooling. Correct.
034>> No, that's not >> no. Do they report to the state? >> No. I will say >> I think they refer some things to the state, do they, Patrick? Um, no. >> Um, >> yeah. No, I would say >> I mean they have to do they have to send a curriculum to the state that they're homeschooled in terms of what they're doing. I do know that. >> Not to my knowledge. >> It had changed years ago. Um, they used to have to report to my office. So, for instance, you know, um Denise, to your point, if you if you chose to homeschool your child, you would send in a slip of paper, there was a document, you know, this is what they did. This is the curriculum. >> Yeah. My understanding that was >> I
035thought there still was some reporting that was >> already. Okay. >> Yeah. And even that because I I remember that even that was optional. >> Yeah, probably. Now, I will tell you, I think it's fully anticipated uh through superintendent that there are going to be legislative changes uh coming in the next session. Um and then there's concerns with that too because then um um because the thought process is is the onus is going to be placed on the local school districts which then is additional resources and supports and what does that oversight >> looks like. So, so I do anticipate changes are going to be taking place, what they are, you know, it's kind of wait and find out. >> Well, and how much how much power do you have to to do anything with
036the homeschool? If they're not if they're not doing well or they're not the parents aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing, what's the alternative? You can't force them to come to the school. So I don't know what what kind of legislation just reporting kind of stuff, right? I think the biggest danger that I worry about is you know you of course you worry about what kids are getting you know but the biggest danger is that these kids in many cases are isolated as you know isolated and um that's that's a broad statement but sometimes I'll say that isolated and so if there are any instances of neglect it's very difficult to to see that or to find out how to report it. That's that to me is a big game. >> Yeah, there's a
037lot. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Any other questions regarding this? >> Thanks. We'll go on to the financial report. >> Yep. So the financial report um uh we went over it with the uh the finance subcommittee. We went over um the uh midyear projections. I did include those in the packet as well. Um I did uh also add a uh kind of a little bit of a guide um as well. This should look similar to what you guys have seen in the past um just cleaned up a little bit. Um again keep in mind these are you know mid-year projections. there's up to change, but the uh the gist of the uh the projections that we went over with the finance subcommittee um was that our uh our estimated balance um at the
038end of the year if everything kind of went according to uh the way it was looking was uh $168,571.75. And then right below that I have the uh the supplemental spending. So on believe it's page 57 in the packet um basically the green and the red below it takes the net of uh the anticipated revenues and the anticipated expenditures. Um those were including things like uh the seed funding which is like a special ed grant that um that we uh uh were awarded. There's back admin claims which are Medicaid claims um that we actually switched to a new vendor. So, we're going back after some uh some m uh back Medicaid claims from years past that the previous vendor didn't uh secure for us. And then um just some uh some unanticipated costs. Um I
039know we've communicated before, but uh the ESS subs. So, um while we're very happy with with our new subs versus Kelly subs, uh one of the kind of unfortunate side effects is their um fill rate is much higher. So, um they're filling a lot of the vacancies, which then unfortunately, um it costs a little bit more. Uh so, I did put aside a little bit of an extra chunk of money just in case. Um just because we know that that's going over as well. Um so, basically, if you took uh kind of our anticipated revenues, our anticipated expenditures, um I am anticipating about a $34,000 return. Now again, keep in mind that's not necessarily a return to the town. That's um offsetting uh or it's replenishing the 2% fund. Um I am putting back in
040uh uh the 77,193 which is what we had budgeted to use in the the 2% fund. So that's all part of that as well. So um that's what that's what I had at the time. So the 304, that's also where um the the 152,000 that Patrick's coming up with for the FY27 budget is coming from. Um so we're basically saying, you know, basically if we cut that in half, we would still leave a bit of a healthy balance in the 2% fund and utilize some of our our year-end uh 2% fund replenishment, if you will, to offset the 27 budget. Um, I put a pretty lengthy um explanation in there this year. Uh, like like Patrick uh was mentioning in in 27, one of the bigger drivers for 26 again was medical. Um, medical even
041for the current year. Um, and then some of our uh our savings were going to be in uh the reduction from 13 to 12 buses as well. Um, we did save a bit as well on uh we had some good hiring. Um, so a number of people, uh, we had some top step people that retired or left, um, that were replaced with lower steps. So that's helped us out a little bit in the current year. Um, and then we had a number of, uh, vacancies throughout the beginning of the year that, um, were unfilled. Most of them, I believe, are filled now, but that also kind of helped and worked in our benefit um, earlier on in the year. Um, I don't know if anyone has any specific questions. I know we dove into it
042at length at the finance subcommittee but um we could certainly answer anything else on that. I just have one question right one of the things and this is just my dumbness in in terms of some of the so in some cases um we have you know the revised budget the year to date and then why are some places there's not um there's not anything incumbred and there's still money available what what would you what what >> so so majority of the time um like if it's if it's in salaries it's going to be hourly employees. Um, so if someone has a salary, let's say their salary is 50 grand, we encumber it. If they're hourly, we don't encumber it. Medical, we don't encumber. We we haven't um for a number of years now, just based
043on the way that we take the withholding out of people's paychecks and then issue it to Anthem. Um, >> but I mean that's East Windsor High School secretary. That's a salary, right? And >> They're hourly. Anything hourly. >> Anything hourly, I do not encumber. Um just because again they're you know we know basically if they worked every hour of the year like what it would come out to be. Um >> so I uh I typically I'll I'll do the math out like halfway through the year and see if they're on track but yeah we don't encumber them in this. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? Just that one last thing, we are going to again bring um more uh the end of the year projections. I think we're discussing in May um April, May,
044we'll we'll discuss that with the finance subcommittee. We'll be closer to the end of the year. So, we'll be able to give you a more >> detailed end of year. >> What are guidance councils following all this? I didn't say do they call under certified staff? Is that >> they are terms? >> Okay. Do you have any comments on that being financial? >> I think I think Ryan touched on everything um that we went over in our last subcommittee meeting two weeks ago. So, it's looking good right now. >> Great. Thank you very much. >> Patrick, I do have one question actually. I'm sorry. Um I'm just reading through Ryan's notes. um the ESS substitutes because we switched from Kelly to that new group. >> Um we're getting better coverage from them. >> Oh, we're
045getting better coverage and better quality. >> Okay. >> Our students are certainly benefiting. Our budget is not. Um but our our students are. >> Right. Yeah. Because we're spending more on subs. But um >> yeah, switching was to be able to get better coverage. Um >> Right. and and Kelly, if you recall, had it was an insane increase. >> Um it was unannounced, which what what prompted us to uh start to explore elsewhere. Um it was like 150% like in it was very high. Yeah, it was >> it was like right out of the blue, right? >> Yeah, it was right out of the blue. It basically said, "We're going to do this in two weeks." >> Um and then and we refused to sign the contract and then that's what prompted the change. Yes,
046dollar wise they're close. It's just, you know, if you have a given week, uh, Kelly may have only had like a 50% fill rate where ESS might be upwards of like 80 on a given week. So, you know, even though ES ESS might be giving you like 10 to 12 subs in a given week, where Kelly maybe did six. So, they were unable to fill them, but obviously every time they fill the sub, then they they bill us as well. So, >> yeah, their customer service has been outstanding. We have a local rep who lives locally in the area. Um, I mean, I can tell you I don't think there's an administrator uh that knew who our contact was at Kelly. Um, so it's been a um a positive change all all around. And again,
047our our kids are certainly benefiting from the change. Um, and again, it's not due to increased need. It's just a um improvement with service. >> And I remember something about they were able to get us staff that Kelly wasn't like nurses and whatnot. Have we utilized that? >> I'll defer to Ryan. >> We have. Yeah. So, it's the nurses. They've been able to provide some of the specialized special ed replacements as well and then um custodial coverage. So, they offer some more as well. >> Great. Thank you. >> No other questions. We'll move on to personnel report. Anybody got any questions, comments? to the private school of English teacher that just um just left I think. >> Yes. >> Um do we have do you think that's going to get filled before the end of
048the year? >> Uh absolutely. >> Um we have someone in the process. Um actually they um I don't they start >> Yes, they did. Okay. They just started. We had a a very strong applicant. >> Oh wow. question. No other questions. >> New business budget workshop discussion. >> Uh yes. So um you can't start your workshops till after the public meeting which is February 12th. and you want to have it in time um uh for the board of finance um uh workshops which their first one is scheduled for March 25th. Um that calendar is in correspondence. Um we didn't provide it twice because they provided it twice. From what I could tell, there's no changes, but because they sent it to us the second time, we said, you know what, just in case we're not
049missing anything, we're going to put in correspondence a second time. Um so that was the reason why. um uh you received it again in this packet. And then uh Brian and I will also need some time to update the budget booklet based on any uh changes uh the board of ed makes. Um I believe last year we did it in one >> I think we did >> um one day. Um, I mean, obviously each year is a different year. Um, and you know, there's a different need as far as, you know, how much to, uh, get into the weeds and review. So, I'll defer to the board. Um, obviously, you have the budget booklet. Um, and, uh, you know, um, what you're thinking as far as uh, meeting and when. I thought a little bit
050about this and I don't remember if it went originally to the finance subcommittee for an initial review. Do you remember Norine? >> Uh I don't remember. Um >> I thought we did. Didn't we do that? >> We had sent out an email and got everyone's input on the questions ahead of time like if people had thoughts on like a certain cost center and thing and then I believe we then reviewed it at the finance. So committee had then brought it to the long meeting, but it was I mean it was very helpful to have the questions ahead of time. >> Yeah. >> Um >> yeah, I now it's coming back to me, Ryan. You're Yeah, we did that. We sent Everybody had questions, sent them in. We went through it at a finance subcommittee meeting
051>> and then I think we scheduled for two meetings. >> Yes. >> But only to do it in one. We we pushed through at that one meeting. Um >> I think everybody liked that process >> better than the four or five we did. >> So the questions were from us or from from the finance board. >> It was from you guys. >> Okay. >> From the whole board and then answered at the finance upcoming board. >> There was Yeah. >> And then then brought to the whole board. >> Yeah. We did that and then I met with Patrick and we kind of looked at some things and you know then brought it to the finance sub and I think that was much more >> does everybody recall that process? Do we want to do the
052same thing? >> I like the idea of scheduling two meetings and if we all even >> Yeah, I think that I mean that was pretty efficient. You know, you knew what you had ahead of time. If you could, if you had some insight as far as finance to answer questions, surround the questions, we would know what the questions are >> um collectively and then the answers to those questions. >> Time to address them with with Patrick ahead of time versus like showing up to the first meeting, then we then I follow up and it kind of back and forth. >> Yeah. But >> so I think we wait until the public hearing because we might hear something at that public hearing that would prompt questions or you know there's a trend out there that we're
053unaware of that, you know, cut books or something. Um but maybe after that we have um everybody submit questions. So we have another meeting before then. >> 212 is the public hearing, right? We have a meeting the day before. >> Yeah. So, when we um we'll have had a chance to start to form our questions. >> Yeah. Um go to the public hearing and then the following maybe we do the following meetings. >> We don't do the questions because it's still considered just it's not discussion. It's just questions. So, that doesn't >> Well, then we so that so then the finance committee can help sort through whatever. >> Right. And then that next board of ed meeting would be where it's discussed. Anything on the budget would be discussed. Um but but it was a
054special meeting, right? >> Uh the budget it was. Yeah. So it was just based on the budget. Um, I don't know about you all, but I know that Narin and I have talked just about scheduling meetings because we're talking about one maybe for for the applicants and Wednesdays are kind of my board of ed night. We usually have subcommittee meetings that night or something. So, is a Wednesday a good idea, an alternate Wednesday from the ones that are board of ed or is that kind of problematic? Well, as long as it doesn't interfere with, >> you know, if they move subcommittee meetings around and stuff. >> Yeah. >> Or >> February. >> So, that would be February 18th. >> Yeah. The only thing um um is it's a town board of finance meeting. So, as
055long as um um which we would just have to miss. >> Yeah. Why don't we Why don't we do that tentative because they'll just be >> Yep. >> getting >> starting to Yeah. >> Yeah. And I can still send like like outside of myself or Ryan, we can still send a district uh rep. >> Yep. >> That might be Yeah. So, why don't we do that? So, that would be February 18th. Save that for budget workshop. Yes. Do you need anything else for that? >> So, are they sending questions to the finance subcommittee >> after after >> after the 11th? Uh after the 12th. So, let's think about it. 12th is the public hearing. We might hear something there. But in the meantime, we still have our budget packet, right? So, we can look it
056over and come up with questions between now and February. Yeah, because the finance subcommittee doesn't meet again until March 11th. >> No, they meet um >> we have a February meeting. No, but I mean following the 12th and then February 12th date. So that finance subcommittee meets February 11th. Public hearing is February 12th. So if your plan is to have finance subcommittee go through the questions before it comes to the board, does that do What do you think, Darin? We have a special subcommittee meeting. Uh, >> move our meeting. >> I'm looking at the calendar here. Um, board of ed, we have to file the budget with the town clerk on March 11th. >> Yeah. >> So, is that seems early? Yeah. It says March 11th. >> Yeah. I feel like it was always later
057than that, right? >> Yeah. Because we presented on March 18th, what has to be filed a week ahead of time. Yeah, that's right. So we would have to if we want to do finance subcommittee we'd have to make a special meeting because we won't fit in there between >> in that time >> between February 12th and March the budget's got to be there on for March 11th. Not sure what to do here. Talk about it to left. meeting is meeting if everything's wrong. Could we move curriculum off the 25th? We flip curriculum and finance have have board of have a finance subcommittee meeting 5th and move curriculum to the March 11th normal finance subcommittee meeting. That would give time from February 12th >> until February 25th to get our questions together. >> Our curriculum meeting
058is at six o'clock, right? >> Yeah. But I I was hesitating because I didn't know um I was thinking the topic for the curriculum >> and we did those courses last time. So, we're good. um a workshop on the 25th that just >> so that that could work. >> Okay. >> Just means >> not much. >> Yeah, there were other updates but I can give those updates at any time. >> Okay. And I can talk to you. >> You'll have not much here. >> So that would work if that's a possibility. >> So February. So you guys were something that we were >> Yeah. So I I mean I think one of the things we could do is um I was looking at our planning for um the upcoming board of ed meetings. The agenda
059for February 25th is very light. So uh what we could do is push the finance subcommittee to the 18th which is Wednesday. um that follows the public hearing and then in replace of the board meeting on the 25th, we could cancel the board meeting and hold a a special meeting and hold that as a workshop. >> So that would be the special meeting on the 25th, which would be our regular Yeah. meeting night. >> Would we keep curriculum that night? >> Good. >> And then keep curriculum in the trip. You you could because we we could do >> you could I mean you'd also have um you would also have u 11th open to hold it too because we wouldn't be holding a uh I mean we're not going to I imagine Norine you're not
060looking to hold the finance subcommittee on both the 11th and the 18th are you? No, no, >> no. >> So we So you would have 11th available >> or we could just keep it the way it is. Right. >> Correct. That means Yeah. It's really up to the board members. Do they want um uh for those that are on uh the curriculum council subcommittee meeting, do they want two meetings on the 11th or do they want two meetings >> on the 18th? Yes. >> That's really what it comes down to. >> The 18th would be adding the finance workshop. >> Yeah. the curriculum would just be keeping it the way it is now. 25th, then we should have a regular >> Yeah. special meeting. >> Well, do we think the budget workshop is going to
061be more than two hours? I'm wondering if we move this the curriculum and then start the special meeting earlier. That way we have a little bit of buffer time. If >> you could do that to start the special meeting at 6 on the 20th. I just wonder >> cuz I feel like those usually tend to be a little bit longer. That way we might not need the second meeting date. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, >> we also need to schedule another meeting for the other situation. >> That's right. That has to be done shortly, right? >> Yeah. And >> and we said by February 27th we would do that. >> Yes. So, we have to think about that. that's going to be a priority because >> yeah, but yeah. >> I mean, >> yeah, you
062could do that on the 18th. What you want? >> That's that's the date that Norin and I had talked about is because it's between both. >> Yeah, >> that would be the interviewing. >> Yeah. >> So, you can basically do the finance subcommittee and then you just do the interview on the 18th. >> Yeah. Does >> Yeah, that would work. If does everybody think >> we can we can talk about stuff after February 12th? >> Does everybody think they'll be able to go through the budget, pull up questions, get them to Ryan, like before >> the 18th? Because Ryan will need a couple days to get them all, you know, >> figured out. Yeah, it's feasible. We're looking at it now. So, >> yeah. Okay, that works. Then >> when do you want the questions?
063>> I would say by Friday the 13th. And then that gives uh Ryan and I um Monday's a holiday, but it gives us uh that Tuesday and even the Wednesday morning if we need it. >> That makes sense to you, Ryan? >> Yeah, I was just pulling up my calendar, but that that should be fine. So when we do the questions, is that is it okay for everyone to come to the questions or is it just going to Patrick or >> I would just email it to both uh myself and Ryan >> so that we're not messing things up as far as confidentiality. >> Yeah. >> No questions for you. >> No questions for them. >> That will never happen. >> I try. Just one other suggestion there is >> just don't send the questions
064until the 13th. >> Yeah, >> correct. >> Yeah, >> we're not supposed to be talking about any of it until So, >> well, what we can do too is send a reminder email on the 12th. >> Oh, good idea. Um, >> scratch. >> Are we going to scratch the February finance subcommittee meeting and do it all on the 18th? >> Yes, >> that was my understanding. So, I'll recap what I believe to be it. So the uh February 12th um on the town side is the public meeting on uh the initial uh budget proposal um by myself and uh the first select. Um the following day um we'll be asking uh the board of ed members to submit uh questions they would like to report or dig a little bit deeper um on uh the
065superintendent's uh proposed budget um in preparation for um the finance subcommittee meeting which will take place on uh the 18th. Um that will be followed by well I guess the question yeah special meeting for the uh interviews. Now do you want to do the interviews >> or uh second or is there a preference? >> Why don't we decide that after we have conversation because if we have a certain time limit that we're going to have each candidate like whatever. Uh so that could be two. >> It could be Yeah. >> Yet which one? >> And then um on the 25th >> um >> everybody Oh, just sleeping. >> Um and then on the 25th um that will be uh essentially the BOE uh workshop starting at the 6. I don't know if I mentioned it.
066It would be the the 11th would be the curriculum council meeting. >> March 11th. No. February 11 >> before before BOE meeting. >> Correct. Yep. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, we're flip-flopping February 11th and February 25th subcommittees. >> Great. >> And they're all kind of moving. >> Yeah. I mean, if going in order, February 11th will be curriculum followed by the regular uh BOE meeting. Uh the 18th we'll have a finance subcommittee meeting along with a special meeting for interviews uh for potential uh BOE u members. And then the 25th um we'll be cancelling the regular uh board of ed meeting and instead holding a uh budget workshop starting at 6. >> Yep. I can I can send an updated Thank you, Jessica. >> February 18th is going to be sub finance subcommittee, right? >>
067Correct. >> Interviews. >> Yeah. And interviews. >> And then the interviews. All right. >> So, um Ryan, just um can you still get the financials that you get to us that would have been for February 11th out at that same time, which would be that Monday, so that we have time to go through them. Um and you have time to deal with the question piece. That's what I'm trying to get. I I don't want you to be getting the financials out to us for that meeting and doing all the all the questions. Um, you follow me? >> I think that Monday the what the >> Well, we would have been meeting on the 11th. So, if you can get the financial portion done. >> Oh, before >> as as if it was the 11th. >>
068As if we hadn't changed it. >> Right. >> So, Friday the we'll send them out by like the six. Oh, that Monday the uh the 9th. >> Yeah. Basic. Yeah. So, basically >> you have from the 9th through getting all the questions to deal with just the question stuff. >> Uh yeah, that's I can do that. >> Okay. >> Coordinator. >> D Ryan, we try not to make your life too difficult. Oh, I I >> everybody realize how busy we are that it took us this long to figure this out. >> The longest item on the agenda. >> Then this is not meant to be snarky or anything, but that conversation took more time than the last board of finance meeting took. The whole town of East Win a little snarky. Okay, I think we
069have that worked out. >> Leaz on and subcommittee reports. Anybody? Um, PTO had a wonderful glow dance last week. >> That's right. >> Well, well attended. There were lots of parents there, lots of people there on a very, very frigid cold night. It was a a grand success. Um, that's all I've got. Ad hoc committee. We had a um conversation with on the call uh Jason Patrick me um Jim Juliano I mean and um um Eliam from from the Dunan group uh just to make sure that we're all on the same path. Um they will all be in attendance at the next ad hoc meeting which is next Wednesday. So, it's a good one to um come to even if you're not on the subcommittee or on the ad committee. >> You have anything to
070add to that? >> Um I don't. Um just it was just kind of like a recap from the following meeting as far as revealing the passing complete preparation for that meeting. >> So, I just have a question. Do we need to So, this is the beginning of February. Do we need to we need to send out notification for this soon? Um I don't know. >> Correct. That's part of So all that will be run by at the next Wednesday's meeting and then the communication. So the communication is being drafted. Okay. The slide decks being drafted. The only thing that won't be prepared is >> um they are preparing a uh a video um and so u um they just won't have uh we had a photographer go around uh take pictures and videos of uh
071some of the areas and um they won't have that in time to put that together but they will have a story board put together >> concern >> the areas of concern. Yeah. Um, so, so I think they have a plan and >> they have get all that done. >> They they do. Um, I mean the the questions were as basic as who's going to be actually doing the >> presentation. >> Yeah. Who's who who is the host? And I lost that because they said the ad hoc committee should. So, it's going to be um but it but I said I I am not real comfortable. Most of it is going to be done by the Dunovan group anyway, but it will be I said I'm, you know, there are a lot of people that don't
072even have any idea what the ad hoc group is. So, it should be um the board of selectmen, the board of ed, and the ad hoc group. So, it will be from Patrick, um me, and Jason. Okay. So, that we hit everybody. >> Yeah. And they're going to want to see they're going to want to see your face at bord and they're going to want to see um probably Jay, you know, and the talent side and Patrick. Those are the people they're they know or they have it recognizable and and hosted by the ad hoc committee. It just did not for a lot of reasons didn't sit well. So >> yeah, so there was a lot of discussion about that little thing and uh that's how it'll be hosted. So we worked out a lot
073of little things so that um next week's meeting should be very productive. Any other liaison subcommittees? Okay. Um BPR met we don't have a chair subcommittee chair. Um no significant updates. We have some light readings. >> Have a lot of policies. Wow. um mostly on nondiscrimination, social media policies, doing wellness, nutrition, things like that. But a lot of coming up that's the only >> you were going to be working out schedule, right? Did you work out a schedule to tackle that or are you waiting? >> Yes. >> Um and we also have our deadline is also February 13th to respond with any questions to to all of that. Yeah. >> No, I I mean I will say like most of the most of the updates for BPR were um um things that changed in legislation
074but that um really didn't change the integrity of uh the policies. Um the next time we meet we'll have some other policies that we have to go more in depth. But um like for example, one of the changes you have uh uh there was a uh a change with uh the curriculum uh um policy in which is now mandated starting next school year that um certain aspects of the curriculum is posted on your website. So so it's it's essentially a sentence or two or >> major. Oh, good. And Patrick was going to check on, you know, just just some of the stuff in in terms that's a bigger one that Patrick's going to check on and that is, you know, policy around um ice if ICE shows up on school in terms of, you know,
075>> we have a policy, don't we? >> We have a visitors policy. So there's a revision one to the visitors and security. Um, so that was part of miscellaneous that will be part of the next BPR, but we didn't really d it was just >> discussed that that will have to be reviewed a little bit more in depth. >> There was a curriculum council meeting that I was unable to attend. Um, >> I was there. >> You were there. >> Yeah. >> So, it was just the two of us. It was a It was It was a um I was impressed by the amount of work that Daryl and um um Barb Yes. >> Yeah. Well, >> really did. >> Yeah. The two aspects as far as the career pathways and um some of the
076new curricula that will be implemented which will be submitted. But it sounds really it sounds really good. I'm I'm especially pleased because of the way that things are going and we're looking at high school and different avenues for high school students to you know again pursue and explore different career options. So that was it was a very good meeting. Okay. Nothing else on to public participation which once again we have nobody miscellaneous. Is there any miscellaneous? I have one. Um just Evelyn and I have been going to girls basketball games at the high school. They're really very enjoyable. If anybody's looking for something to do, you can go watch a girls basketball game or a guys basketball game. They have pizza. The booster club is there with pizza and drinks. It's a cheap night out.
077Um and it's actually quite enjoyable. So, if uh if you get a handker to do something, check out the the schedule. >> Great. Thanks. Anything else, miscellaneous? On to correspondence. Um, we have the enrollment report which is pretty self-explanatory unless anybody has questions. Email about the educators rising and housing stability. Does anybody have any questions on any of those? >> I just want to just want to recognize Educators Rising and the recognition that we're getting from others about this program. It's a great program. >> Yeah. >> Actually, I have a um comment on his stability housing stability analysis. I think Patrick Jason and I all got a phone call from the planner who was aware of and ex this this document uh aware of a grant possibility through Prague Capital Region Council of Governments that
078they could look for possible uses of the middle school. That's what this is about. So she applied for um I think it would be related to housing uh specifically but I don't know if there are other aspects of it but um that if we get the grant to do that um that would be a great answer. when people said, "What are we doing with the middle school if we're vacating it?" Um, you can say that one of the things that we are doing is there's a study being done now. We're not there yet, but it's a possibility that we'll get the grant. That is what that one's about. and the budget calendar. Um the important dates I highlighted are to be there on the 12th of February if possible at the um town hall for
079the public hearing to support um presentation of the budget. um on the March 18th to the board of finance, we'll be presenting the budget. And on the 25th is a public hearing as well. So after we present the budget, a week later, we have a public hearing. >> Okay. >> That's right. I always thought they pay you back each other. >> Yeah. >> Is that or is that >> Yeah, that's by charter. So% a week later >> later. >> Forget about that. >> Yeah. >> Um so and then the board of finance after that um goes into um their budget meetings. We'll keep on on top of when they're talking about the board of eds because um Bob, cover your ears for a minute, but it's always harder to be mean to people if they're
080right in the room. So, it's good to have to be there. So, if they're talking about if they're talking about the board of eds budget, it's much harder for board of select or board of finance to, you know, make big cuts or so try to be there for that. Um, next we go into an executive session. I'll make a motion to go into executive session. So, the motion was made at 850 8:16 to include Narvine um remotely.