Amity Board of Education Regular Meeting - April 6, 2026

001operating budget for 2026 27. Uh we will present the uh budget now and public comments uh will be uh available to be made uh as soon as the budget's presented. >> Very quickly. >> Okay. So, good evening. Thank you very much for uh having me here again to present the budget, but this one I will promise is much shorter than most of the presentations we've had over the course of the past uh six months. Okay. Um so uh just to ground us our um budget is uh rooted in the board's mission statement, the three goals that we have um that guide our operations and ultimately with um the um intention to create a portrait of the graduate in our students when they exit from um our care as seniors. Um ah sorry. Okay, let's try

002going back here. Okay. Um the budget development process starts um pretty much at the start of the school year from September to November. Our departments and schools submit their budgets. Um beginning in November, you receive your first presentation to um the board of ed typically the school and department budgets and essentially what their requests are without us having made any reductions or cuts. Um from December to January um I um will go out and have the presentations to the town finance committees as well as to the AFC. Um you'll remember that in January um and February we have some workshops where we combine the board and the AFC so that you can ask questions and kind of hear what each other is thinking. Um ultimately um in February you will also receive a presentation. And

003at that point, you've already started to trim. Um because I've had feedback from the town finance committees. Um eventually by March, uh as a board, you make a recommendation for a budget. Um and then that becomes the board's um adopted budget. Um in um tonight's public hearing, uh is a chance to receive feedback on that budget that you have approved. Um, and then ultimately at the end of the meeting tonight, hopefully you set a date for the referendum so that we can put our budget before our voters. And now it's going backwards. Let's try this. Okay, so a very quick um budget overview. Uh, you saw this um pie chart um earlier in the budget process. Just a reminder that the majority of our board's budget is tied to our staff um in either salaries

004or benefits um with um special education taking up another significant chunk. Um the idea of debt service of course is only seen on a regional budget because we carry um the debt service. In a typical um town-based um uh budget, you wouldn't necessarily see this for a board of education. um our purchase services can be all the things that we have to pay for that don't um uh you know sort of um come as part of um our staffing. So uh we're going to talk tonight about snow plowing. We're going to talk tonight about electricity. These are all the things that get tied into our purchase services and then our tax utilities and supplies um to just to help us run the buildings. Um what this budget supports first are contractual obligations to essentially maintain

005our programs that we have in academics, athletics, and the arts. Um the budget is supporting the development of career pathways and continuing the expansion of dual enrollment at the high school. Last month you saw how much that's actually benefiting our students. Um it includes um the uh staffing so that we can make some uh adjustments to the middle school schedule that will allow for more student choice. And it includes additional opportunities um for students to kind of take advanced um different paths to get to advanced mathematics courses once they're high school students. Um the budget supports student activities like the Trident. You heard from them last week. Um we also in includes uh coaches for two growing athletic programs. to remember we added the coach um assistant coach for girls wrestling and then also um

006a second head coach for tennis so that now we have assistance that can support both the boys team and the girls team. Uh it includes technology needs um including um our onetoone devices, our prometheium boards and digital um displays, specialty labs as well as technology infrastructure. Hear a little bit about that this evening as well. Um the budget supports our curriculum and instruction including our curriculum writing which you will also hear about today. Um and the revision as well as the implementation of that curriculum through highquality instruction. Um a significant piece of the budget is um for our pupil services and student mental health um especially to address the increasing um enrollment we have in some of our specialized uh special education programs. And the budget includes short and long-term uh facilities improvements. Um the

007budget is guided by enrollment in our three towns. Um and so you can see that um the enrollment has changed um from last year into this year. And that's going to drive the percent increases that impact the towns themselves. Uh the town allocations um at the 1.2% budget, which is the proposal that um that the board has um approved. Uh you can see um that Bethany will go up by approximately $263,000. Orange will see a decrease of about $170,000 and Woodbridge will have an increase of about $330,000. Um overall um the one point we also have an increase in revenue. Um so overall the 1.2% budget represents a $700,213 increase from the current year budget. um from a state perspective and I um actually throw this up here not just for you to think about

008AMD but also because I think your elementary districts have done a really remarkable job too when you see their numbers um you can see that the um averages for from superintendent proposed budgets are 5.23 23. Uh DRB is slightly higher um at 5.30. I did look at the average for regional school districts because they all would also carry debt. So they could have those swings that either drive their budgets up or down. Uh regional school district proposals are 3.88%. And then um the average um adopted budget from board of eds, so that's really your 1.2 is just slightly under 5%. Um when you look at the 138 districts who reported their data to CASPO, we are last. Um we have the lowest budget increase in the state at this point and we have pretty much

009throughout this entire process. Um from a just a perspective kind of long range. Um when we first uh came to you in November, the budget request was 2.97%. Um when I uh presented to uh AFC in January, we had dropped it down to a 2.21% to 1% increase um after some feedback and there was a couple fluctuations but it eventually um went back and forth between 1.54 and 1.53 but by the time the end of February rolled around it was a 1.53% increase. AFC recommended not going any higher than that but it did give flexibility for us to continue to look for um places to reduce the budget. Um so when I came back in the beginning of March uh we prop I proposed a 1.35% increase. Ultimately, you um approved um what I believe

010was a compromise to meet in the middle at 1.2% increase, which is where we sit today. Um like I said, you can see that the elementary districts um when you compare those to the state averages are doing fairly well, but this just gives you a point of comparison. Um, you must be early this year because usually I can find the town operating budgets um, posted, but Terry and I scoured the websites today and we cannot find what the town operating budgets are for Orange or Woodbridge. Uh, Bethy's was posted at a 1.64%. Um, so that's just kind of where we sort of sit. And of course, when people go out to vote for their towns, what they're going to get is a combination of the town operating budget, their portion of the AMD budget, and

011then what the elementary um district budget is. And that kind of gets woven together into the the the approval that they give at the town level. Um so, uh hopefully, like I said, um we will have an annual district meeting on Monday, May 4th, 2026. That meeting uh should hopefully open up the referendum which would occur on Tuesday, May 5th, um from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the typical voting places. And that was it. >> Thank you very much. Sure. >> Uh just just as a comment or statement, uh this public hearing is being held in compliance with state statutes and uh district uh policy. And now, if there's anybody that has public comment on the budget as it was presented, uh you're welcome to approach the podium. And if uh there's anybody that

012would like to do that, you don't want to talk about it. >> Not I. >> Anyone on the budget? No. >> If not, we will move on to the uh next step. Uh we uh have not received any public comment on the budget. All right. Uh we need a motion uh to set the district meeting for 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 4th, with the German to a referendum in all three member towns on Tuesday, May 5th, 2026. Somebody uh want to make that motion. Second, Patrick Call the roll. >> Call roll, please. >> Miss Cloud Ingram, >> yes. >> Mr. Jay, >> yes. >> Dr. Kronicron, >> yes. >> Miss Lombardi, >> Mr. Reed, >> yes. >> Mr. Davis, >> yes. >> Mr. Mcdana, >> yes. >> Dr. Ollet, >> yes. >> Mr. Reuse, >> yes.

013>> Miss Schlank, >> yes. >> Miss Juster, >> yes. >> Mr. Young, >> yes. >> Okay, that motion is carried. And uh there's any further business for the public uh meeting? If not, uh can we have a motion to close the public meeting? >> I'll make a motion. >> All right. Second. Uh all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Unanimous. All right. Uh next, uh we'd like to welcome everyone to the uh regular meeting for the month of April 6. Uh call to order at uh 6:42. Emergency exits are located in uh back of the room, both sides. Please silence your cell phones. Remind members, staff, guests to respect the business nature of our meeting. Comments may be made only when recognized and applaud is appropriate. Applause is only appropriate in recognition

014of an individual or group honor. >> Uh thank you. Please stand for the pledge. Pledge >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Uh before we move on to the uh number three, uh I've had a request to have uh two additions to the agenda. uh one addition would be uh on finance uh number 9 B3 and this is uh addition uh is uh infrastructure hardware and servers that's uh once again 93 infrastructure hardware and servers Second edition uh is a discussion of monthly statements which was uh inadvertently uh omitted. This would be under finance currently uh C is uh director finance and administration approval of transfers that would move down all the

015ones below C would move down and C would be discussion of monthly statements. Does everyone understand? All right. Can we have that motion, please? Uh, Megan second. Michael, any uh concerns, questions? If not, uh, I don't think we have to call a roll, but we raise our hands. >> You can raise your hand. >> Raise your hands. >> Okay. Okay. >> Unanimous. >> Yeah, it's unanimous. Okay. Okay, we move on to number three, approval of minutes. Uh, I just noticed a uh correction that must be made. Uh, these are the minutes of March 23rd, 2026. Uh, special meeting, not regular meeting. It's listed as regular meeting on the agenda. >> On the agenda, >> the minutes themselves say special, >> but the minutes say themselves say special meeting. >> So, the agenda says regular. Oh,

016no. On the agenda, you look under number three. >> On the agenda, >> yeah, it says board of education regular meeting. >> Those are the minutes. We're talking about the minutes. The minutes are of the special meeting. >> I'll make the change this agenda. >> Yeah. >> All right. Uh, can we have a motion to approve those minutes then? >> Michael and uh s second. Any uh questions, concerns, uh changes? If not, can we call the role? >> Miss Cloud Ingram, >> yes. >> Miss, >> yes. >> Dr. Cruc, >> yes. >> Mr. Marty, >> yes. >> Mr. Reed, >> yes. >> Mr. Davis, >> yes. >> Mr. Mcdana, >> yes. >> Dr. Olle, >> yes. >> Mr. Yes. >> Mr. Plank, >> yes. >> Muster, >> yes. >> And Mr. Young, >> yes. >>

017Motion carries. We move up to number four, public comment. Uh, once again, at this time, we would invite members of the public to up to the lecture for public comment. Please state your full name and address. If you are a student or under 18 years of age, please state only your first name. Each speaker will be allowed up to three minutes for public comment with a maximum of 20 minutes per uh meeting allocated for any one item. Speakers are reminded that presentations are to be made in a respectful manner. Personal issues related to students or staff are not permitted. Derogatory language which blinds the character of staff members, board members, and other members of the public is unacceptable and not in keeping with board policy and core values. Please note that as a matter of

018board policy, the board does not respond to public comments or questions immediately, but may discuss the subject and respond if appropriate at a future time. And we have our first public comment. >> Thank you, speaker. Um, Eton Hman Woodbridge. So, I want to talk to you guys today about um I've been looking and like obviously I keep up with AP because I'm taking APs myself and I want us to have a school that's very diverse to APs and if uh the board is not aware they've created a new AP which is AP business with personal finance and I know um we just created in our school a personal finance and a financial requirement but I think at the same time that leads to I think two things that we're saying we want people to have

019a good financial understanding and I think to really do that the course I take it I took it myself last semester it was good but I didn't get fully into everything that I think it could get into and I know there are students like myself I know the members of the board who work at finance and they know there's so much to cover and I think with that AP course if you guys fight for and possibly get it into the school there's a lot of ground that we could cover from this and I think that would be something that'd be cool to um introduce I know we have courses like entrepreneurship I know we have courses like marketing but even though at the same time we have those courses they're not on like that standard

020curriculum that we're seeing from College Board. They're not on that standard. They're a little bit um different. I think it would be cool to be able to see an AP course in such a specialty field. I know we do have AP arts, we have AP sciences, and we have AP um like uh Englishes already. So, if we were able to have these, I think it would be a really good addition or a school to have this AP business as well because uh with this, we'd also be able to um let students really be able to explore um another field with a CTE because I know we try to push I know in u my graduation requirements, I take an art elective, I have to take a um a CTE, I have to take a science.

021There's a bunch of things you have to have to take. And I think with Craig's AP, you really get a whole another lane of students who will want to take this. I know I have a there's a whole club at our school right now that we just enrolled this year, DECA, which is related to business. I'm in it myself. And I think there's a bunch of those students who'd be interested in it. Those students who don't have the time commitment, but would also be interested in learning about this. And I think there's just so many things that in the real world are important from this class. I think that this board should try to advocate and try to make a new class for the 27 28 year. Thank you. >> Thank you. Hey guys, >>

022good evening. Liam Roselle from Bethany. I'm going to talk about the surplus. Uh, every year we have about $2.5 million in unspent funds. Uh, it's about 6% of the budget. Uh, which I mean the special education grant is budgeted at a 60% reimbursement. I could be wrong. I skimmed this last night. Uh the actual rate for that was about 84%. Uh and then we overbudget in all of these categories that I went through. I could list them all, but I'm not going to because that'll take a lot of time and only three minutes. Uh of that surplus, about 59% is returned to the town. The other 41 is routed back into the school. So we have this $4.2 million reserves. Why can't we have paper towels in the bathrooms? Right? I hate the hand dryers.

023The Mayo Clinic has put out study after study after study saying that they're unsanitary. They're they put they push germs back on to your already washed hands. Um, this comes back up to the board, I'm pretty sure, about every single year. The we we can have paper towels for things like the musical, things like sporting events. We can't have them for the couple thousand students that walk through the halls every day. I mean, we're we're a school. 2,000 students sharing bathrooms during a four-minute passing period. And we have a flu season every single year. There was a neuro virus outbreak two years ago. And if we we all this money, bottom line, I'm going to stop repeating myself. We have all this money. We have no paper towels. There's there's a campaign every year to

024bring the paper towels back. Uh I know it gets shot down every year. Let's make this year the year that the board of education does something about the paper towels. Thank you guys. >> Thank you. Any additional public comments? Okay. If not, we move on to correspondence. Do we have any correspondence? >> That was just one about the AI policy. I think I know I forwarded it to you and that was it. >> Okay. Uh continue on. Uh uh chair has a couple of comments. Um uh we have a meeting as you all know scheduled for April 27th. uh we will have the board attorney present. If any of you have any questions for the bird board attorney uh prior to that meeting, it might be helpful if you forward them to the chair and

025a copy to the superintendent. We can get that to the board attorney uh so they can be uh better prepared. Uh secondly, um board practices on member budget comments. Uh board members uh generally and this has been our practice uh may answer questions about the budget, the proposed budget but not re late uh positive or negative comments about the budget or campaign for passage or defeat of the budget. This is our normal practice and uh considering that we had no negative votes on the budget uh uh many people probably will be supportive of it but it's not our job to support the budget. It's our job to inform the public so they can make a decision based on the information we're giving out. Uh also uh uh response to questions. Board members invariably get re

026questions about stuff going on in the school and uh particularly uh comments maybe related to teachers uh maybe related to curriculum uh special events uh extracurricular activities uh more than more than we should probably uh those comments may very often be negative and a concern because if somebody's happy they don't usually ask that question. problem is that board members may not normally be informed as to the specific uh problem that they're being questioned. It's normal procedure for us not to answer those questions but to direct our um uh local uh members or local citizens to the specific people in the school district that are responsible for those particular problems. So it may be a teacher. Uh the first thing if it involves a classroom teacher, somebody says to you, "The classroom teacher did this and

027my son or daughter had a problem." I said, 'Well, the first person of course you contact is a classroom teacher. You don't suddenly call the principal and say this is what's going on in the school. So th those are some of the things and uh there's a flowchart I think uh that's available uh for parents to look at and uh particularly parents but anyone else uh that can direct them as to who to talk to about specific problems and we should uh consider reiterating that again uh putting that out there. So th those are just some comments that uh we uh should consider as board members. Uh it's very often uh hard to do that but particularly if your friends are asking you questions. Uh but that's that's normal procedure. With that we go on

028to committee reports. ASUS. So just one update from ASUS. Uh Dr. uh Tom Dehaney is going is retiring and so um there's a new executive director who will start July 1st. Dr. William Rice. He's an internal candidate. Um so yeah. change in leadership. >> Very good. Thank you. >> Nice. >> All right. Uh ad hoc school start time. >> Our next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow Zoom at 4 p.m. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Members, please make sure you're take note of that. Kabe, >> I have nothing. >> Okay. Thank you. Communications. We have a meeting scheduled tomorrow and we are in the process of um making connections with local our uh PTSO groups. So that will continue for the next month or so. >> All right. Uh be before we go further about

029communications, uh two things are going on. As most of you know, we had discussions about uh responsibilities and roles. Superintendent Board of Education uh appointed a working group uh to meet with Dr. Buyers. This group is made up of three board members uh Michael uh Donna and who else? >> Sit here. Okay. And uh they will uh sit with Dr. requires uh until they have something to pro uh provide for the board and within a reasonable time limit. Uh I think our goal is to make sure that we have better clarity on roles and responsibilities prior to the start of the next school year. Uh so that's one of the things. And >> I have a quick question, Paul. Was this something that you chose yourself and we weren't allowed to volunteer for or how

030did that all >> How did these members get chosen? >> Okay. I I selected the members myself uh based on several things. Number one, I wanted one member from each comm each each town and that was one area. Uh secondly, I wanted members who have a uh work a working relationship with the superintendent on a number of different items and opinions and all three of these people are chairs of committees. Uh thirdly, I uh felt that uh uh the individuals involved are well aware and have been on the board for several years already now and have a a nice awareness of what's going on in the school district. So th those are my reasons and uh I hope hope >> what is this committee doing? >> It's going to review with uh Dr. buyers roles

031and responsibilities and then present what they have to the board as a discussion to a starting point from where we were talking uh rather than just going out there and saying okay this is what we should do this is what the Dr. Brias will gather some information. The board members will gather some information and uh then we'll put something together and present it to the board so that the board will have a starting point to really be able to uh get together on roles and responsibilities. And uh I think some of the things that uh they will do first after that probably consult with the port attorney to make sure we're in line with state statute and uh come from there. >> Shouldn't these shouldn't these already be defined? They are they are they are

032>> poorly defined and that is part so car the government's governance statement that Carol had shared that's been out is essentially the guiding document and it's vague. It's still deliberately vague. Um attorney Dugas can address that when he comes and speaks on um April 27th. And so, um, at one point it appears that the state department of education back in 2017 was actually charged with making more clarity around the roles and responsibilities, but they did not. Um, we've contacted State Department of Ed. I've contacted my leadership at CAPS. Um, attorney Dugis contacted the attorneys up in the state department of ed and that document doesn't exist. So, somebody dropped the ball someplace. So um so what I'm going to try to do is kind of with research there are other states where it is probably

033a little more defined. So we need to sort of research that see if we can't come up with some clear more clear expectations that still align with that governance statement. Um, and then I want to make sure that it's understandable um to board members, but also that it's within the legal statutes, which is where Floyd's role comes back in. But I mean, the bottom line is yes, they should be defined. It is, but when you go and read it, you're going to see it's still >> Is the governance statement that Carol brought to us in our minutes or is it where is that? >> I sent it in the weekly one of the Friday updates. I think it was two Fridays ago. >> Yeah. >> And it's in our original Yes. >> Board member packet

034you have. >> Yeah. So I I mean this is great but I think we should also realize that the guidance is the way it is on for a reason right I mean so I don't know I guess that the committee has to find that like fine balance right so I'm sure that those who participated in that process to come up with those guidelines they don't want it to be prescriptive right this is supposed to be like a working relationship so it it's not going going to spell out like everything else because then you'll have a little bit of you know you'll have variation in sort of how boards and superintendent the dynamic from district to district. So just for the committee to keep in mind that we at the end of the day I don't

035think what we want is like here's a like very very strict >> I don't even think that's possible because the list would just be so long but yeah but I think trying to think of examples and things that make it a little more concrete than what it currently is is sort of the way I'm approaching it. Um and and again there's there's from the state of Connecticut there's very little resource out there but um I think that there's probably some available in some other states where they spell it out a little more explicitly. I would say >> Cab does actually have a statement uh suggesting that boards of education go through this process >> so that they can develop a better understanding between the duties of the superintendent and the duties of the board and

036a better working relationship which is what uh all of us have spoken about. So uh that's that's the process uh that I've developed. Yes. >> Mr. Chairman. So um once the committee does that and they present is this also something that we will include on an agenda for a board. >> Absolutely. Okay. Yeah. This this is this is basically for the beginning of the discussion so that we have a place to we can look at this and say hey that looks great. We don't have to do anything or I have a concern about this. I have a concern about that and maybe we could move this a little bit in the direction. So it's something concrete. Megan and then Donna. So the last meeting, I can't remember if it was the last meeting or the

037one before that, we voted to have a board retreat, which I thought the purpose of that was to collectively as a board have this discussion. So I'm a little confused as to why a working group of a small number of people was created when that seems to defy the vote the board made. >> Uh the retreat was specific uh agenda. the retreat I did not believe was specifically focused on one issue. thought the uh vote taken was so that the board members can get a better understanding of each other and that was even somebody's comment in writing to do that and uh speaking of the retreat um I had asked uh Carol uh who expressed some concerns and issues things that she would like to do uh to come together maybe with a few other

038uh board members to determine what should be the mechanism that we use in the agenda. for the retreat and working with Dr. Buyers uh so that we have a way of doing that. Donna, >> well, what what was the impetus of this? What what >> why are you putting together this committee? >> Uh very honestly, I'll be as blunt as I can. I think it's the job of the chair to help move business along, organize uh discussions so that they have a place to go. I don't like discussions that just are discussions and no one really has any particular outcome that can be used. I'd like us to have something to work from. So, I figured between the three people that I appointed and Dr. Buyers, uh, we'd have a place to start where we

039really can have a foundation for a good discussion. >> Well, my my question is is the roles and responsibilities for um, excuse me, I think it's my allergies. Um is >> yeah is this because of the meeting that we had two two meetings ago where it got very intense and heated around the middle school schedule and the state statutes that were I I spoke with Cab what it's structural change is this what was inspiring this >> that's a good part of it sure >> okay so if I am the one who has questions about it. Why am I not on this committee? >> Just because you were the one that asked questions. >> Well, that's sort of undermining my >> Well, my my point is that I wanted people who really not Donna wasn't even

040here for that. So, she has no idea what's going on. I wanted people that uh I I saw as being somewhere, you know, neutral on the issues. >> So, how are we going to address that then? >> Just the way it's going to be done. Okay. >> That should be exciting. Yeah. >> Um, while we're on the topic, I didn't get responses from everybody to the Dutle. I kept it open as long as I could. Um, but as of right now, just for your planning purposes, June, um, Saturday, June 6th was the date that met the most board members ability to attend. Um, there was not a single date that worked for everybody. Um, so if, um, >> this is for the retreat. >> That would be for the retreat. Um, yes. So, that's kind

041of where that that landed. >> This is a retreat that we're having here on a Saturday morning. >> Well, we don't know where, right? We don't either. >> Usually, we've always had them here. >> Yeah. So, I I spoke to um Paul about um restructuring the retreat and having it elsewhere, which I'm happy to connect with you to >> find that out. Um what's the would it be possible if if June wasn't possible would August be possible? So we have our last board meeting is June and then we have July off and then we come back in August >> and we have an actual meeting. >> It's usually the third meeting the third Monday in August. It gets pushed but um I can add some I can throw out another doodle poll with dates for

042August if that if if the board is willing to wait until then. Um, >> people will be traveling in August. >> Yeah, it >> Oh, >> at least June 6 was still like within the school year. So hopefully you guys are still here because >> we're still here. But um >> we can >> The last one I think was the after the start of school again. Uh uh >> I mean I'm going to suspect having gone through this with other boards in the past either as an assistant superintendent or superintendent one retreat isn't going to be enough to accomplish what you want to do. So I think agreeing to get started and then you can have a conversation about when you have sort of a followup but um it's usually not quite enough time. It's

043just sort of been my experience. So, >> okay. Uh, we move on to curriculum and uh curriculum committee. >> We just met today. Um, got a lot of stuff going on, but I'm going to refer this over to Dr. Carlson because uh she has more precise details. >> Good evening everyone. >> Very excited to bring the team tonight. Um we had brought to the curriculum committee last month uh seventh grade social studies and Latin 2. Dr. Buyers had sent you this in advance. This will be a time for review. The curriculum committee did approve and recommend to the full board unanimously both of these courses. Um and so I'd like to invite up tonight two of the four social studies writers. Um Mrs. Shy and Mrs. Null. Um and they're going to give you a

044little uh overview. Good evening everyone. So Sarah and I are the the two of the four social studies teachers. I teach in Amity Bethany and Sarah teaches in Amity Orange. Um, a couple of years ago, our state standards were re uh revised and approved um at the state level, which required us to do a pretty large curriculum revision um which we did in correlation with some vertical articulation with our sixth grade counterparts because the standards are sort of banded between se sixth grade and seventh grade. Um so we essentially divide it up based on hemisphere and we teach world regions. So we start with an introduction to social studies with the basic overview and then we go um in each region the Middle East and North Africa, subsaharan Africa and Latin America. We first talk

045about the geography of that region and then we do a brief kind of survey overview of the history and then into modern cultures and current events. Um just right around this point of the school year, we kind of globalize a little bit more and we first do a a large global issues interdisciplinary project and then we end the year with globalization and the idea that although we've studied regionally really everyone is interdependent on each other. Social studies is a largely skill-based class where you're going to see skills that are similar to what you may see in an English classroom or in a science classroom. A lot of using evidence, citing evidence from text, um supporting claims using evidence, as well as um being able to defend your your ideas in both debate and written format.

046Um, and these are some of the big ideas that we pulled out of our curriculum. An exciting course. It's a big course, lots of different topics, but the kids um do enjoy it. >> I have a question. >> Does Latin America in your mind also include the Caribbean? Um, we we do when we talk geography, I don't know that we do too much in ways of of the specific islands and the history of the islands. Um, but we do study it geographically and then uh and current events that may it may come up. But as far as the history, it's more the early Americas. So Aztec Inca, Maya >> and is that determined by the like from the state? >> Correct. Y >> questions >> and we did share with the curriculum committee as well

047um a lot of the work that our social media teachers are doing with our Bethany Orange and Woodbridge theater um schools is ongoing. We had a vertical articulation meeting last week. Um, and they spent a lot of time with our fifth and sixth grade teachers just talking about scope and sequence and crosswalking the curriculum, five, six, seven, eight, and then hopefully high school. Um, and so we're we're really trying to collaborate and build strong partnerships with our feeder schools as well. So, they're doing really great work. >> And another conversation that came up at the subcommittee uh curriculum subcommittee was um the importance of performance tasks. So each one of the units is grounded in a performance task which is a kind of large um large project authentic project to the students um a real

048real world skills uh that kind of combines a lot of a lot of different skills a lot of content um and in encourages them to synthesize the information in a in a creative way at the end of each unit. Um, so I have a seventh and eighth grader. My eighth grader last year they did I think y'all called it the global affairs fair. Is that going to continue as part of because I thought that was very well done. >> Yeah, I think it's in May May 1st, right? >> Uh, orange is May 7th. >> May 7th. Okay. So May 1st in Bethany and May 7th in Orange. Yes, we'll be doing that again this year. So it for those who haven't seen it, it's kind of like a science fair but on social studies topics.

049>> Yes. >> And how does this connect to the high school in terms of articulation? >> So um you can kind of connect uh grade five, eight and 10 is US history. Grade six, seven and nine is world regional studies. So that's sort of the articulation throughout. >> So we come on the ninth here. Correct. >> And and and where does the depth come in in high school like you know relative to this? >> So we do what's kind of referred to as like spiral. So each each um each unit we while we cover the same categories of geography um history and cultures and current events. we get a little bit more in-depth particularly with the skills and then the high school of course would build upon those >> and the global issue project from

050seventh grade into nth grade it and expand it and include a United Nations piece so it's >> any more good >> sorry just one how do you I know you just asked like how does this connect to the high school but how does this shift um that came from the state sort of um I guess better support um a good flow for the kids moving across you know moving through middle school to high school. Do you think it's stronger? Do you know? >> Yeah, I I think it's a particularly stronger curriculum. Um a lot of what was uh was was pulled away from us is the ancient civilizations. So we we used to study um ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Greece, ancient Rome. Um, and now it's we do we do touch on ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia

051just as part of the Middle East unit but um not as in-depth as we previously done but that's at the benefit of getting more current events um more critical thinking media literacy skills >> and Latin America which we never um Latin America and subsaharan Africa are two regions that are very rarely touched on K through 12 other than an elective class. So >> thank you. Okay. Uh there's one little Oh, I'm sorry. >> Not a question, but just having looked at the curriculums, I think, um one of the sections in each ones that I would recommend you guys all look at if you're looking at the curriculum is misconceptions the students might have. And I found that really fascinating um because the teachers are already kind of making the the super session of like what

052the kids might kind of have a misconception about or what they might you know come away from this unit kind of thinking incorrectly. And I think thinking about that before you start and then having that as part of the curriculum is a really cool piece of it that I've been enjoying looking at. So, >> okay. >> Anybody else are uh you asking for um approval? >> One more. >> Okay. >> Latin. >> Oh, yes. I know that. We We'll do approval of both of them. One vote. >> That's okay with you guys. >> Anybody have an objection? That's fine. >> That's how the Okay. So, I'd like to introduce Laura Hamilton and our world language department chair. Thank you for being here. >> Just want to give a quick little overview. So anytime you want

053an indepth presentation from these teachers and the curriculum committee can tell you their passion is incredible when they come um to the meetings, please join us for the small group meetings because they spend a lot of time going in depth through um the units and the performance tasks. And when we come here today, it's kind of a snapshot. It's it's a smaller brief overview. Um, so anytime you want a more in-depth overview or you receive the curriculum and you have questions at any time, please email us and we'd be happy to talk to you. But we're just making a brief overview of your units. Um, so Latin 2 um the focus continues from Latin one um in being on uh language acquisition um in preparation for uh Latin 3 where the focus then shifts to

054reading authentic literature with scaffolding. Um and uh we accomplish this by um sort of have this storyline where we're following ancient Roman people. Um so we're uh acquiring also the content of uh ancient Roman culture and history uh while exploring the language. Um so the units I have um a unit in Pompei um and we discuss uh obviously the uh archaeology and also um the uh um I'm sorryerary uh um traditions um and the passive voice. Um then imperium um we're looking at uh kind of the consolidation of imperial power. The story line takes place during the reign of Emperor Nero, which is always very interesting. Usually, if you've heard of one of the emperors, Nero probably might be one of them. Um, because a lot of very interesting stories about him. Um, and uh,

055so it's the the focus kind of on the imperial uh, center and uh, the government um, which has a lot of ties actually to um, American government. The founding fathers were very influenced by uh, that structure. um Aaya um then is it's ancient Greece. Um there's a a huge crossover influence between um ancient Roman and ancient Greece. The Romans were very influenced by the Greek culture and Greek literature. So we kind of do cover the Roman and Greek stuff. Those kids who take Latin will get a pretty in-depth view on this. Um then uh doctrarum um it means um like uh essentially um like learned uh of the world. Um, so it's kind of expanding throughout the entire Roman world, which is, um, pretty much all of Western Europe, uh, North Africa, um, various times

056they get a bit far into the Middle East, and, um, of course, uh, uh, the, uh, what's now Turkey. Um, this is all, uh, within the Roman world, the shores of the Black Sea, so you kind of like take a a broader view of, um, Roman influence. And then Bellum at Histori, that's the end of the unit. It's the end of the um kind of the the Latin 2 book. Um so that is the end of Nero's reign. Um and we talk a bit about kind of like legacy and how we know what we know. Um and kind of uh talking about sources um and um and all throughout they they're acquiring uh the subjunctive voice. They're requiring uh different declenions for the nouns because my students are always so shocked when they learn not

057only verbs change in Latin also the nouns change depending on how you're using them. Uh so they have to uh it's a a lot of information for them to kind of acquire. So we try and do that through these engaging readings. >> Okay. >> Any questions? >> Questions? >> Nope. I just want to say one thing. Laura is really the one of the best Latin teachers I I want to say in home state. So we are very lucky to have her. So thank you guys for >> uh >> so I just want to thank um the teacher team that's here with us tonight and also um the seventh grade writers in addition to Mrs. Sharpie and Mrs. was um Nick Deante and um Milton Sharm um all four seventh grade social studies teachers wrote the

058curriculum collaboratively so there's a lot of consensus building as you can imagine with that process um so thank you for being here and thank you very much Laura we really appreciate it and Shang and of course everyone knows Mrs. Drury, uh, who's leading a lot of this work behind the scenes. So, thank you so much for being, you know, taking time from your families to be here tonight. >> I just have a comment. >> Um, I just wanted to say that, you know, being on the curriculum committee and working with all you folks. Um, I think we all should be very proud of the hard work that this district is putting into developing curriculum and the thoroughess of it. um and with our students in mind and you know the alignment with the standards the

059uh attention to the delivery and um the dedication and the the team um and their commitment and passion behind it is really evident. So I um you don't see that in a lot of places um and you might you know reflect that in places that you work or have worked but this is we really are very fortunate. That's what I like to say and thank you for your hard work. Sorry. >> So, we just >> Okay, we just need a motion to approve the >> Did we get one? >> We have not. >> Okay. Uh, we have a motion. Motion to approve. >> Yes. Motion to approve both seventh grade social studies and Latin one uh curriculum. Latin two curriculum, I'm sorry. Second. >> I'm happy to second. >> Second. Okay. >> Is it Miss

060Jak or Dr. Kurra? >> Oh, okay. >> Go ahead. >> Miss Cloud, can I do the roll? Okay. >> Miss Clotting. >> Yes. >> Miss Czech, >> yes. >> Dr. Cornagron? >> Yes. >> Miss Lombardi? >> Yes. >> Mr. Reed? >> Yes. >> Mr. Davis? >> Yes. >> Mr. Mcdana? >> Yes. >> Dr. Delay? >> Yes. >> Mr. Abuse? Yes, >> Mr. Schlank. >> Yes, >> Miss Juicer. >> Yes, >> Mr. Young. >> Yes. >> Motion carries unanimously. I >> And um before we move on to the middle school schedule, we just wanted to give you um kind of a sneak peek into more curriculum that's going to be coming your way this fall. Um as you can see, um our teachers are very busy writing. Um so June and July, there'll be a lot

061of curriculum writing being done. Um and so um stay tuned. We're really excited about this work. And actually coming out of tonight's meeting, you will get tomorrow the Spanish Yukon ECE curriculum and the eighth grade social studies. So, but you you won't have to review that until the first meeting in May. So, you have four weeks to look at that curriculum instead of just two. >> So, Shannon, will there be an update on the 8th grade algebra 1? >> Yes. >> As well? Oh, I didn't see that on the list. I must have missed it. >> It's there's so much going on. I'm sure there's one is not on there, but yes, absolutely, Donna. Thank you. Um, so we wanted to provide you with the middle school schedule um, information, and what we wanted to

062do was provide you with a snapshot of what a seventh grade student uh, schedule would look like. Two different samples and then two different samples of an eighth grade student schedule. Um, so what we tried to do because again, we were getting questions, sort of misperceptions about like team and things like that. So if you look anything that's shaded in blue, those are still the courses that are going to be on the team model. Um so you can sort of see that again we still have teaming for ELA, math, social studies, and science as well as win. So that way the students are able to still work with their um with with their um content area teachers in those four team content areas. um the health and PE if you look at how it's structured

063it's the nice sort of orange band. Um one of the things that um we realized as we started to switch to this schedule and that was sort of um favored by the PE teachers particularly is right now we have dedicated PE teachers and dedicated health teachers and they prefer to remain that way as opposed to teaching both. Um, and so what we're able to do on the 8 period day is keep the PE teachers with PE, have the health teachers teach health and fitness on the non-PE days. Um, the nice piece to this is currently right now um our health curriculum at the middle school is not has not been updated uh recently and we're actually seeing two different experiences between the two middle schools and how they approach the health and the fitness. um

064one school um tends to go more heavily towards the classroom health instruction and not to the fitness um arena and the other uh school does a little bit more with the fitness but at the expense of some of the days in health class. So this model is actually going to allow us to align that curriculum. Um, and I know some of that work's already started. Uh, so that way again sort of that goal of making sure our kids have the same experience in the two middle schools, but the um, nobody has to really give up anything because we have some of this extra time. So the same amount of health can happen in the school that's health dominant and the same amount of fitness can happen in the school that's fitness dominant and then they

065can both have that same experience. Um the um in this case the seventh grade uh student has uh selected band. Um so you can see um band during period six it's on a days and c days that would extend for the entire school year um because it would be a year-long uh course. Um and then their electives in this case um first semester they would have their CTE class and in second semester this child hypothetically selected art. Um, so this particular student wouldn't have exposure to digital media as a seventh grader per se, um, because of how they selected their courses. But again, that's where that student choice piece is coming in. Um, so same concept, same color coding thing. The blue is representing the classes that are on the team. Um, you see the

066PE and the health and fitness all in the same block. Um, in this case, the student um didn't want to take an ensemble at all. And so, um, the way their schedule would look as a seventh grader would be, um, during the first semester, they would have general music and art classes. During second semester, they would switch to CTE and digital media. Um, and then they don't get um, forced into taking one of those ensemble courses in this uh, circumstance. Um, moving on to an eighth grade student. Again, hypothetical eighth grade student. Uh, this is a music uh, uh, favorable kid, somebody who loves music. And so, in this case, um, they, uh, were able to take band and chorus for the entire year. Um, and they will just have those on alternating ACBD days.

067Um, again, blue is showing where all of their team classes are. And then finally, um the last student, um this is a a child who um doesn't want to have music, but also because of perhaps some uh learning challenges, also isn't participating in a world language as a middle school student. Uh so what you see is opportunities where they could have special education or intervention services. Again, that's going to depend on the individual child, but it would be part of their um their schedule and part of their day. um they are able to um put opposite those um courses some of those electives. So again, there's enough electives at this point that they don't have to audit a world language class. They don't have to go into a general music ensemble, but they could have

068architecture and theater for first semester and then they could have digital media and art second semester. Um, terms of what the teachers would look like, this would be what I would call one of those team teacher schedules. Um, so you can see that they would have a common prep time um, period. That's sort of for their own use. Um, they would have the time where they would meet with the other members of their team. So all members of that team would have a free period at that at that time the kids would be out in their world language, their electives, or potentially their health and PE classes. Um the win is their duty period. Uh that's why it's colorcoded in green. And you can see they would pretty consistently have five classes a day of

069the exact same class every single day. Um we chose to put the CTE teacher as um what it would look like for a what we'll call an elective class. Um they are the first ones getting actual electives in eighth grade, so they would have the most variability. Um but you can see that on an A day um they'd essentially have their seventh grade students. On A and C day on B day they would have their eighth grade students and the eighth grade students are split into the two elective choices that they would have in this case architecture and robotics. Um they don't necessarily have win as their duty. So they get a different duty period. It's usually lunch um unless we need them to do something else. And then they also would have prep time

070and um and and their team time would be with other life arts teachers um who are um teaching on a schedule like this. So we thought it was probably easiest. Again, these aren't locked in examples. We're still running the schedule. So don't go home and think that somehow, you know, that the seventh graders are always going to have PE during period two. But this is the best way we could kind of give a visual of what the schedule would look like. Um, and um, obviously as we put in numbers and elective choices, it will start to look different for every single kid. Um, but I think that's kind of the the idea behind it is that students schedules, which are fairly similar right now, will have a little more variability obviously because of the choice

071that the students have >> for seventh grade students. um who don't want to participate in general music or band, do they have can they take they have their options are like language and >> for seventh graders the if they don't want an ensemble they really only have the same four life arts choices that we currently have general music art digital media and teched >> okay thank you >> Megan >> so maybe because I have two middle schoolers I've been getting lots of questions questions just from both teachers and my own kids and their friends and their parents. Um so I guess I'll group these as concerns questions. Um one is so I have a seventh grader going into eighth grade. We were presented in it's even written in the program of studies that these were

072all per board approval. So, I know we're still discussing roles and responsibilities, but you're presenting things to parents as requiring board approval, and yet we have not been asked for formal approval of any of this thus far. So just putting that out there as a >> so so whenever we have a program that is connected to the budget because of when we put the program of studies out um in December or January we always sort of asterisk it that it's going to be per board approval meaning the budget approval. So if you look at the high school program of studies the CNA course is asterisked like that. French was asterisked like that because we weren't sure of the world language teacher. So if there's anything where we see that there may be a connection to

073the budget, we'll sort of tag that because we don't want there to be an expectation that it necessarily is going to happen and have people kind of hang their their hopes on something that may or may not get reduced in the budget process. >> So maybe as a new board member, that's a lesson learned for me. But going forward, I would have not voted on the budget without like knowing that we weren't going to be approving this because I do think there's still a lot of things in flux. Um, another piece of it is as a seventh grade parent like we have not made any elective choices in powers school. So, I'm curious as to how you guys are scheduling kids without parents having and students having actually made those choices. >> I think I

074think those were Mr. Davis already got all of that information. We can get back to you on that, but most of choice and preferences were done for the students. You sent a survey asking for preferences >> and that's how we based our preliminary numbers was was by preferences. >> But when you told us that you said you'd only gotten like 30 to 40% of students responding. >> I think we've we've gotten we've gotten >> them all. Okay. And and I also think and I could be wrong and I may be speaking out of turn here, but um I believe that the process will also be that the counselors will sit down with the kids to review their choices and then um I think just like at the high school there's like a place where you

075sign off or check on those choices that that will be built in as part of power school too. Okay. um they just haven't gotten to that piece yet, but it it'll be somewhat similar to the way that the high school runs its selection, just not quite to the level of >> okay >> depth or expansive opportunities. >> Um and then the I guess a couple other questions. I'm hearing that the schedule is not going to rotate, which I feel like y'all have always all always stressed as being something that's important. So now we're not doing that >> anymore. No, that's not true. Um, we've discussed, and again, this is really I'm at the principal's level, but we discussed not rotating for the first quarter next year just to get the new schedule started and then

076to start the rotation. Um, the rotation because of the way it's set up, period 5 is always going to be period 5 because that's what lunch is built around. So, that's not going to move. So there has to be some kind of morning rotation if they do it and an afternoon rotation if they choose to do that. And my understanding again where I think we last left it off is that some kind of rotation will be built in there. Um if you know in getting feedback from teachers they just want to start with rotation on day one with the new schedule then I I don't have any skin in this game. They can go ahead and do that. That's that's really a building based decision. But part of our sort of thought behind, you know,

077it's a new schedule, it's a different way of doing things. Why don't we not rotate? It just takes one more variable out of it until you've been there for a quarter or half of a quarter. And then when everybody feels ready, you can start throwing the rotation piece in, but there will be rotation in the schedule. >> And then my last question, um, or I guess two, one, are all of these electives being offered next year for eighth graders? I think it's going to depend on requests, but more than likely, yes, because just you need you need a certain number of spaces to sort of fill up the teacher schedules and to meet the kids needs. Um, so I don't necessar but like whether we have two sections of architecture and three of robotics, that

078hasn't been worked out yet. We're still looking at numbers for that. >> Theaters happening, all of those are happening next year. Uh to to my knowledge, yes. And again, I don't have the actual numbers of how many kids signed up for those, but I would I would assume that there's enough to run at least one section of everything that we looked at. >> Okay. Um and then to the comment about PE and then fitness and health. So, are you hiring two new health teachers? >> So, everybody in the state of or we have a requirement that they're dual certified. So it's an 043 and an 044 and everybody that we have on staff is dual certified so that they can be flexible between those those two courses. >> But you made the comment that those

079who teach PE want to teach PE and not teach both. So right now we have two PE teachers at each school and one health teacher. >> So in in theory it would be a second health teacher. Um but half of their time is going to be in that fitness zone. So that is going to be your other activity piece. Um and and yes so >> can I >> uh Donna and then >> Dana was I think Dana was studio was before me sorry >> that's fine uh yeah so the one comment I had related to this was obviously this is become uh more of an issue that we as a board are involved in pottery because there were budgetary implications for this right >> yes And so at one level I'm thinking like you know

080if this is something that is good for the kids uh we might want to proceed with some level of uncertainty because we want the kids to have access to something that is good early on just because there is a budget uncertainty we shouldn't be delaying this and in some sense this was rushed as a process perhaps a little bit because you know the normally you would have had time to come and like you know tell us all the details and like you know and we could probably go through May but like you know you had to come here sometime time in December when it was not fully fleshed out and so on and we think about it as something that like you know we're dealing with a certain amount of uncertainty and but we want

081to proceed because this might be good for the kids uh everything is not sorted out and so that's how I think about the uncertainty as like you know something that we want to proceed with a little bit of uncertainty we want clarifications we want the board to be able to give inputs even though we don't really control and that way I feel like is the is a good way for us to proceed even when there is budgetary needs because otherwise curricular stuff often doesn't come to us but like you know you inform us but we don't really have an input into it. So I I guess I'm responding to partly what Megan was saying like you know I even if I have some level of discomfort with respect to everything that's going on. I think

082it's important that we take some uncertainty in you know and and move forward in order to make progress because this might be a good thing for the kids like you know often that's why you proposing it to us. Thank you, Dana, and then Donna. >> Um, so I think it's very confusing to the public because by putting in per board approval, we still haven't clarified or defined whether or not the board should be approving schedule changes or anything like that. We're in the process of, I guess, figuring that out or wherever we are with that. So I think by putting per board approval, it appears to the public that we're approving the schedule changes where in reality we're just approving the budget that allows you to do what you want with the schedule. So I

083think it's a little mis it's a little confusing to the public and it's a little bit uncomfortable because I we didn't approve a schedule change and we're not approving a schedule. So that's one comment. And then the other thing is I don't know if I'm the only one that's realizing this or maybe this is something that is key. So I see A B C D. That's four days. So is that the that going to be there's not going to be a fifth day. So it'll just be four days that rotate and then that just >> one day one of these will repeat. >> Yes. Just like the high school. >> Okay. >> And and so and then that and actually so much so that hopefully when it's an A day at the high school, it's

084an A day at the middle schools also. So that way we don't have to have these two different letter day calendars across the district. >> Shannon, can you go back to the first slide for the seventh graders that you showed, please? >> So when when you and I Yeah. When you and I spoke, you you said that when was going to be protected at period so they can use it the way they currently use it to get access to resources, take their tests, etc. Is there a reason why it's at 7 now? >> Well, it was always at 7. I think I shared with you it was going to be in the afternoon. We were doing our best to shift it later in the day per feedback. Um and then eighth grade we we felt

085very strongly that in the morning would be fine. That's why in the morning when is >> and and I and I stressed to you the importance of perhaps leaving it protected at 8 period because of how it's used and utilized. >> Well and again if we go to a rotation in the afternoon there's days when it would rotate to 8th and and we couldn't protect it for both teams as eighth period. Only one team could have it for eighth period. So um so that would have created sort of an inequity. That was what I think that the um that as we the principles were sort of thinking this through um would be a challenge to have that um just on one team. So if we have an afternoon rotation there will be points when it

086is last period but it would be for both of the middle school teams in the building not just for one. >> Right. So the the issue for those who do have skin in the game is that when win is if what you're calling I guess academic success now we're going to call it that academic success at 8th period and how it's used. So since everyone's on a team language and life arts a student can go back to an art room and and do the art project etc. and get access to the entire team of teachers. With the way this, if I'm reading this correctly, the way that is set up now, the only teachers they'll have access to are the team teachers, which is no longer language and life arts or music, string, bands, etc.

087Is that right? >> Not unless there's like a com like because again, remember you've got a bunch of schedules layered on top of other schedules. So there may be one of those teachers available at that point in time. Um but that's it's not necessarily it's not the entire building, >> right? And so my understanding is that if I So Shannon, correct me if I'm wrong and I mis misinterpreted what our conversation was that um I'm just going to pick art. That art because we talked about I just picked art. that art um you said that students are still going to have 45 days of art. It's not going to be in a quarter format. It's going to be in a semester format and they're going to go they're going to have an every other type

088of day. However, you also said that a student could pick art all year long as perhaps as an option. So, they could Okay. >> Yeah. No, a student could not right now. A student couldn't do that because we don't have a curriculum developed. But long term if that would be an elective. So for example, next year is what we're hoping to have an elective in art. So for example, if we had 2D and 3D art that a student could pick just like our music kiddos who are banding chorus and they want band and chorus every other day, next year they would be able to do that. They could have 2D RNA day and 3D day. So that is >> the same because you'd have okay because you'd have the same curriculum. So, but what that

089does for the life arts teachers, if I'm correct, is that they could teach seventh grade one day, eighth grade another day, seventh grade one day, eighth grade another day. So, they don't have continuity in what they're teaching for a quarter. So, they go they flip-flop. So, they have to go from one grade to the next to the next to the next. So, different curriculum every single day. Correct. >> Every other day. So, every day they would see seventh grade. And I think I don't know if you saw in um the tech schedule, for example. Um, we tried to be as intentional as possible in working to ensure that, for example, you can see on A and C day, our tech teachers would just have seventh grade tech because originally it was they could have seventh

090grade in the morning, they could have eighth grade in the afternoon, and it was just too much prep, too much moving things around, too much storing of materials. And so we worked to do A and C day, seventh grade, B and D day, eighth grade. And you can see we were even intentional with, and as Dr. Mr. Byer said it might be three sections of robotics, two architecture. That might depend on student enrollment. But we try to be very intentional at prep for teachers as well. And you can see even with the three architecture classes, they have a prep and a duty following in order to prepare for the afternoon for the robotics kiddos coming in. >> Right. And it's and again it's there are teachers in the middle school who teach different groups of

091kids every other day. Most notably our PE teachers do that. They have kids on currently on A, C, and E. They see a totally different group of kids on B, DD, and F. I did all the letters right. Um, our band and um chorus teachers are also in that same position. So, they currently see kids on ACC and a different group on BDF days. Um, when we first put digital media in, it was also structured that way. So, they had a different group of kids ACCE um from their BDF. So we've it it's sort of a 50/50 right now that some people just see the same block of kids for a quarter, but there's another whole group of teachers who are already working on the every other day schedule that is proposed here. >> Right.

092So to Sier's point about it being rushed and wanting to do what's best for the students and and the kiddos, right? as you as you say, um, Shannon, that you know, the board saw this in November and then it came to the board for positions through the budget process. That would have been great if we had this type of information prior. I mean, now, you know, it's very conceptual. You you got the approval for the positions and and now you're working it out. So, now we're going to try and put this in practice. It's conceptual. We have the board. You know, I I just and and we're having conversations as if it is it our role or is it not our role to vote on a huge structural change in the middle schools that will

093affect, you know, all of our students and to, you know, I I would have said that maybe taking a little slower, coming with a a plan of how this is all going to work. you may have gotten, you know, a lot of us on board and we wouldn't have to be coming back and forth about this and and talking about it. And I so said here to your point, I actually think that if the only way the board is ever going to be able to vote on a middle school schedule is through the budget process, I think that is a problem um overall. And what you're send you're you're sending the message is that the only time that the board can ever approve something as big as this would be through the budget process. So

094then you're in you're inherently asking me to vote no which is if this is what we were told we would do then yes I probably would have gone no because I've yet to see teacher feedback or stakeholder feedback from students and these are the boots on the ground people have skin in the game who can really tell us how this will impact them >> dayto day. Can I uh what you said is a problem and an issue that we have. Number one, that's why I asked those people to sit with the superintendent and try and come up with a plan that they can present to us as to duties and responsibilities. Uh we spent 20 minutes, 30 minutes almost talking about this. Uh you're suggesting we throw everything they've done out and just work on

095it the next year and go back to what we had before and with with the problems that we had before and address it how I mean right right now we're in we're in April. >> So two things you said first of all what I'm saying is a problem. So I'd like to know how that is a problem. It's it's it looks to me and I don't know how the rest of the board members feel that we've given the task to our uh administration to run the school district to operate the school district for the benefit of all our students. They are coming to us and saying this is a better plan for education. And what you're telling us is I don't think that I like this. I don't think the people like this. The teachers

096don't want to do this. you're coming up with every possible problem that could exist. And as an administrator, if I was there, I would say to the teacher, listen, we have a good plan here. We think it's in the best interest of our students to work with this plan and let's put our heads together, make sure it's done, make sure it works, and if there's a problem, address that particular problem instead of saying throw the whole thing out and go back to what we were doing because that's the only choice you're offering us right now. >> I don't think that's true. >> I'm sorry. What just just I'm sorry. I just want to ask what are the problems with the middle school schedule exactly? I think we had our principles here discussing some of the

097issues. They talked about uh students that had to take if they wanted to take a second language had to take two languages. They talked uh they talked about uh selections that the kids were locked in and had to take something they didn't have choice. >> Okay. So language >> this was an improvement. >> So lang that is one person's opinion or many people's but that's not mine. So, so lang right and I sit on this board as an equal voting member. >> I'm not arguing that point. >> So, language. So, for language, yes, I am totally 100% supportive of language choice, the language that we currently have. So the there are of course issues with that because we don't know how French or how French is going to pan out, how Spanish is going to

098pan out, how we have a reduction in force and then also how who's going to take Mandarin because do we know if kids took Mandarin because they didn't want to take music in any way, shape or form. We don't know that. We can speculate. We can we think what what is or isn't. So what I am suggesting is that we take we take things slow. we say, "Oh, we have a conceptual plan and this is how we think we'll it'll work out." But when I'm being told in a conversation, we can always pivot back later. That's a very expensive, you know, >> experiment. >> I don't want to talk about this any longer, but because we're not getting anywhere. This is just what I said before. We're not getting anywhere. We have hired people here

099who spent their entire lives educating kids. That's their job. They are professionals. You are telling me that teachers don't like this. Students don't like this. It's going to be a problem. >> Teachers, Paul, I said I don't know teachers. >> Hey, but that's that's I don't mean to be disrespectful toward you. I really don't. >> I You work so hard on all of these things and I I don't want to be disrespectful, but the problem is you're finding every possible problem that could exist and saying we shouldn't do it because that might be a problem. And what we're being presented here is a a plan for scheduling that addresses a lot of the issues that people have brought to the attention of the district, not necessarily our board members, but our administration. We have our

100principles who came in here and said, "We can't give kids choice. We can't do this. We can't do this." And admittedly, our our superintendent came here and we had a presentation and none of us were really all that happy with it. So we said, "Okay, that doesn't work. We don't like what you've done. We don't like the long periods, the way they were scheduled. We we all had concerns about go back and bring us something else that does work and does fit into our concerns." And each time we've come here and all of us have made some comments and concerns and suggestions and they've tried to address those, but you eventually reach a point where we're not going to be able to solve every problem. And that's what we're presented here tonight. Uh so we

101spent a tremendous amount of time and we are in April and the administration has to make final decisions and it can't be okay well maybe we'll do this or maybe we'll do that. They have to make a decision and we don't run the educational aspect of the school district. I mean there are few of us here that have had experience professionally as educators. I did long time ago and I would never tackle and argue with them about how they're doing something. You know, there may be something I'd like to see different, but in my mind, when you hire somebody who's working on a particular issue, who we've hired for a reason, and none of us were here when the uh superintendent was hired, uh, but I can tell you right now that the school district

102is operating pretty well. And some people may disagree with that, but our kids are doing well. And each and every year we've seen some issues that have not been tackled being tackled. I can tell you one right now. When Dr. Buyers came here, the curriculum was about 10 years old. It didn't really exist. And now we've had superior efforts on getting that curriculum done. So I I I I don't want to cut you off. I don't mean to cut you off. I I have to apologize if we don't get done because I have to leave at 8:30 and that's not that's not why I'm cutting out anything. >> And you know, so you said we don't we don't have a say in educational things, but we vote on curriculum. Why do we vote on curriculum?

103>> We do vote on curriculum. >> Right. And we also make suggestions and changes to curriculum, but we don't write the curriculum. >> No, we don't write the curriculum, but but we're not no one asked us to write the schedule, right? they asked us to look at the schedule and why aren't we approving it and talking about it. So, as a board, I just want you to think about this >> is that why wouldn't you want to vote on a middle school schedule? Why wouldn't you want to send the message to the community that you wholeheartedly believe in this and that you and and and if it passes, it passes. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to whether it it's you know I could say yes I think this

104is great I think you've made some wonderful changes or I think that this would be a great first attempt and we can of course maybe come back and look at how we need to adjust later but when you tell a board of education that they have no authority over a huge structural change that I do take issue with >> well that that I that I agree is a major difference between you and us. >> Uh me, I trust the admit people that we've hired to do the work and you don't. That that's that's the problem. You don't trust them. >> Paul, >> I No, we're we shouldn't be doing this in front of We shouldn't be doing Donna. >> I just I'm going to shut my mouth. One moment. I have a question. >> Just

105a moment. Yes. >> Just a moment. >> I just had a question. My hand up. >> Okay. Thank you. But Paul, when you tell me that I don't trust the imu the administration in an accusatory manner, I think you owe me an apology. >> I have a question. >> Yes. >> Do we vote on the schedule or not? >> Is that something? Do we vote on this tonight? Are we voting on this or you're just presenting it as information? That's my question. >> You know, I I hate to do this to the administration. somebody like to make a motion authorizing the administration to uh do the schedule for the middle schools. So why so is this no I I I have a clarification right is scheduling an operational decision curriculum I think is something that

106uh you know we care about because if you're going to teach something that the community doesn't want we are have some responsibility so I think part of the historical reasons why curriculum is usually thought of as a board responsibility is because there are things that you can teach in the curriculum that the community may not want. I see scheduling as an operational choice and to me uh operational is and this is why the other day when this came up like I was like I don't want to rush into it without really thinking through it because uh there is a reason why there are norms for 70 years we've operated under certain principles this board was this district was operate uh came about 70 years ago and we have norms that have been there when we

107change those norms we got to think hard about why we change those norms rather than rush into through just a meeting where you say do you want to do this or not? I I'm very uncomfortable with a change of norms >> of something as large as this. So some of us might think it's a small issue. I am not sure. To me it's it's a question of at what point do we make a big change the uh to me scheduling is an operational decision as far as I can see and if we are going to say that it is not then I think it would be a discussion. >> My my suggestion was out of order to be honest with you. We can't vote on it. Yeah, this is not on the agenda. So, >>

108so I just I'm just going to I just want to say this scheduling is a nightmare and you're not going to please everybody. >> It's a huge institution and you have multiple layers and we don't need to go through them, but it's something that takes a lot of work. There's always going to be one facet of the community or the institution that's not going that's going to have to make an adjustment. It's never every everyone's not going to be happy. But the most important thing is this. We make it so the students are the happiest about this. I know there's parents, I know there's teachers, there's unions, there's administrations, there's principles. Everyone is affected by the schedule. But the most important thing is that the students are being provided with the maximum service we can

109give them. And that is the responsibility of the superintendent and the administrators to look at that picture, that big picture, and make those choices. And I've just I I'm I'm frustrated right now. I just And that's okay. I'll get over it. But I'm just saying that like let's move forward with this. It's I don't I I it's it looks fine to me. I mean, I can't see it looks like all those kids got a lot of options. So, I just I don't even know if this is something we vote for or we're just looking at as a presentation and we we just give her our input sometimes. We've given her input for the last how many months and this is what she's come up with. >> Now, we're going to tear it apart again. >>

110This is on the agenda because a board member uh asked it to, you know, for an update. That's why it's there. Uh before we go on to the questions, uh I think what hasn't changed is up there now, right? That's what stays the same. >> Yes. Um so we kept the T model that was incredibly important to the teachers. The 42 minute period is the same. Daily advisory, which you didn't see in the schedule, but it's likely between periods one and two, which is where it is right now, stays there. Um the bell schedule is basically the same. I mean the times will be almost identical to what they are right now. Um the teachers um in ELA, math, social studies, science, Spanish, PE and band and chorus will be teaching in the exact same

111way that it's the same schedule for them for next year as it is this year. Um and then win um which is the rebranded academic success does occur every day. Um, and you saw from the model, afternoons for seventh graders because again, they're new to middle school. Have to kind of figure out what they do with that extra time. We flipped it to the morning for eighth graders. Um, thinking we could support those kids because when they come here in ninth grade, they can get study hall at any point in the day and they're with 150 other kids in the cafeteria with no supervision. So, a little bit of structured academic uh uh or sorry, wind time in the morning um for eighth graders gets them set for a transition to 9th grade. Um but

112for the most part, more of this and again based on your feedback, more of this schedule is the same than it actually is different from where we currently are. >> Okay, we're going to do a few questions. Let me apologize to everyone. I should have not been doing that. I mentioned about conducting the business of the board and moving things along. That was not appropriate and I sorry, Donna, I didn't mean to offend you really. And uh >> Thank you. I >> I I do respect you because I know how hard you work and how much you care. So I do apologize. >> Okay. Thank you. I I I appreciate it and I accept your apology. >> Okay. We're going to do a few more questions. Uh Carol, did you >> um Yeah. I just

113wanted to to say I'm just listening to the conversation and thinking about curriculum versus a schedule change. We're responsible for the education of the students across our district. There is no education without curriculum. So I I see why we vote on curriculum. That is like here's the here's here are the like core building blocks for education. Curriculum is needed. It's central. That's how our kids learn. So yes, we should vote on curriculum. I I agree with you that I see this as more of an operational um task and we should be working together as board and superintendent to, you know, come to some agreement, right? Like you should have board support for the operational decisions that you're making. Um which I think we've seen over the past few months. We've, you know, people have expressed

114concerns, they've, you know, um, commented about things that they like, but that's that's how I'm thinking about this. So, curriculum is central to education, to educating the students of this district. And so, we are responsible for that. And therefore, we should ensure that it's there, that it's high quality, and that it's revised with some frequency. But that's sort of how I'm thinking about those two things separately. So just wanted to offer that for us to to think about. >> Just to add to that comment about curriculum, I do think state statutes require us to vote on curriculum. >> Uh >> um so thank you both for your work on all of this. Um I know um in past presentations we had talked about there's concern to specifically around um students receiving special education and the

115rotation. Does this as it currently is does Winston rotate in a way um that doesn't have those students being pulled out as frequently or is this more because I see it here but I'm not sure you know what I mean in the day-to-day of that. So what what happens right now is we typically pull or provide kids intervention and usually overlap with their world language >> um mostly because they kind of like the electives better than they like the world language. It's sort of academicy and that they would rather be out of that. Um, and for a student who doesn't require, and this would be more IEP driven, yeah, >> to have the services every day, yeah, >> we have the challenge of what do we do with them if they're only getting the services

116every other day. >> So, what has been the practice is they go back to the world language class and they audit it every other day. That has been a consistent complaint from our world language teachers because it's incredibly difficult then to teach those kids when they're only getting half of it. um and we just didn't have a good structure to provide the interventions without having it sort of overlap with another class and still give them electives >> um or or their life arts. So this schedule allows us more flexibility where we don't have to do that. And the increase in acade in choice electives now means that they don't have to take a world language. they're not forced into say a study hall or just an empty space. We can fill it with some other

117choices for them. >> Yeah. >> Um so I would love to know uh how you plan to assess this in terms of um you know what the teachers think. Not in the middle now, but sort of like once you've done it for a quarter or half a year or then once it's a year and um kind of how what's the plan for that? because my sense is this isn't like set in stone where you know you do this and it's like okay now we're gonna have to keep at it for five years before we make any changes. >> So so as we you know sort of approached this point what um our principles did is they went and just had individual meetings with each team. Um you know four or five people sitting around a

118table is much better conversation than presenting at a faculty meeting. Um, so we would we'll we'll definitely get feedback as we roll it out right at the very beginning and we'll work through what are going to be the pledges, but I would say halfway through probably a third of the way through the year because we're going to have to kind of repeat this process as we pledge a plan for next year, we would look and and go back and have those same type of feedback. Because my my sense is one of the reasons that it is hard for us to vote on something like this compared to curriculum is that um that so if we vote on it and then a quarter in there's a problem, do we then have to vote on it again

119versus giving them the ability to set this and then make changes as needed because it's a more operational >> Well, I think one of the bigger problems is we don't even really know if we're supposed to be voting on this or not. So I think that I think that's a big issue because there hasn't been a clear answer like that we do get to vote on this or we don't get to vote on this. >> Have we done it before in the past? Have we voted on schedules in the past? >> Not to our recollection, but again I but the schedule change hasn't come. You haven't done this in how many years? >> Um I mean I would say when the high school switched to the eight drop two that would have been the more

120the last significant schedule change. Dr. Tracy and I think Mrs. Llant were the only ones who were here and they said there was no board vote on it, but that would have been the last time that there was anything significant. We we have a couple of times had changes involving bringing in new staff members because it was a budgetary item uh when presented and we did vote on that but it was once again voted as a budgetary item. >> Yeah. >> Okay Megan. So for those who are saying a scheduling is operational, my concerns and my questions are not about I want to tell you when to have what period. As somebody who is maybe closer to this than some of the other board members because I have two middle schoolers, we are actually changing

121what curriculum these children are accessing by their choice. So right now, children in seventh and eighth grade are exposed to all the life arts. You may have children who opt out entirely by their choice of, for example, digital media in both seventh and eighth grade. They may not be getting access to and learning how to use critical tools that they will need in their other classes both in middle school and high school. And yes, that's by their choice. But I'm just saying by offering these choices, you are altering the curriculum that the children will access in the seventh and eighth grade years that is supposed to be preparing them for high school. So that is the impetus for where my questions are coming from. I'm not trying to tell them you should have eight periods

122a day, you should have 10 periods a day, you should have lunch at this time, you like that when and when. So when you're condensing it to scheduling, I think that's minimizing where the concerns are coming from, I guess, is >> okay. Just a response and I'm not responding for everybody, but uh we're still offering those and it's and although just as you said, it becomes a choice for the parent and the child to make >> and uh it's a compromise. It's not the best. Uh because I know exactly where you're coming from of it. Maybe the we should have all the kids do that. But on the other side of the coin, there are probably just as many people say, I don't want my child to do it because they have no interest and

123it's just going to be something boring and something for them. So I guess this is >> I'm just saying like that's why I don't see it as solely an operational >> Yeah. Right. >> discussion. So yes, >> so Paul, I did ask a previous board member who on the board many, you know, long time ago and I did ask, you know, >> when the high school schedule changed, did that come to the vote at the board? And the response was no because it was done in tandem that the board was very much involved in this and was approving it along the way. So that's why there wasn't a need >> for any type of >> actual vote, >> right? >> And that's kind of what we're doing. >> Okay. We >> can can we >>

124we can >> end this discussion now? I we we have everything. Uh if uh you know I don't know where to go uh with this, but I I would say there's two possibilities. um at a future meeting, we get it on the agenda to vote the schedule to approve it or the second possibility is to approve uh authorizing the superintendent and the administration to make the schedule. Uh but I'm telling you right now, unless there's an overwhelming amount of support for either one of those motions, and I get that information, I I don't see that's absolutely required. So, uh I I do feel that in spite of all my ridiculous rants and raves, uh >> that we all have, >> we we have had a really good discussion about this. >> Uh >> you know,

125if we were looking at our history, this is dramatically different than the thing that was first propo proposed. And it's different because of all the questions that we've brought up. And I just don't know if we go any further without having to just say let's just drop it because there's always going to be problems. Well, can I just say >> the reason I say this about the the governance issue is it's it's really important that we give give inputs and I really appreciate what Donna has done and like others have done to push this and all of us have done like you know meaning but as a go but it's a great governance issue right like you know it has to be built with our inputs but I think anything that involves any kind of

126tradeoffs it's going to be difficult for an administration to get 13 people on the board to say then we We reduce it to a vote which says then we are now permanently agreeing to every change that you do. We want an iterative process where they come back and talk to us and tell us what the problems are and we do not want to say oh you misrepresented us to get the vote right. We don't want that. We want them to become honestly come and tell us here is what we proposed. We thought at that time this was what we were saying but there was a glitch. It didn't work. We want to come back. We want them to honestly come back to us. And that is really what the governance issue is. governance comes from

127a position of trust where it matters and that is why I don't like the idea of a vote especially on a scheduling uh issue which I think is fundamentally a an operational issue but even more than that I think that I want us to them to come honestly and come up come with inputs and that's a kind of a good relationship between a CEO and a a board and we want the administration to come to us honestly so I I really think say this out of principle uh the way good governance should work And I'm not saying this because like you know I want to argue about something. I really believe this is good governance. >> Thank you. >> Uh well district health and safety. >> Oh that would be me. >> Um we met

128>> thank you for serving Donna. We appreciate it. >> Sure. Um so we um district health safety and wellness uh committee met last Wednesday and so they go through the nurses reports for those of just every it's been a little while uh facilities reports the finance uh reports just you know discussing that the budget was improved was approved at an increase of 122 behavior and climate building crisis committee etc. So after sitting on this committee for a number of years, the one thing that really it's like this thing that you you hear over and over and yeah, first time you hear it, oh okay, second, third, now it's been years. And the one thing that I I hear um consistently is that from the nurses, uh that students come to the nurse at around between

12910 and 11. They haven't eaten, so they haven't eaten in the morning. And then it led to a conversation about um hot food and what's available and kids who have free and reduced lunch and then the CGA potentially having a bill that could would require providing school districts to provide free breakfast. Again, I'm sorry I said lunch, I meant breakfast. And so the question was that and that students don't get an opportunity to eat and it's you can say it's by choice because the hot meal that of preference isn't available until 7:30 and that is because the ovens aren't heated up. The school building opens Jen correct me if I'm wrong in any point or no it was um Shannon was there and Jen you were born there. Oh my goodness. that um the building

130opens at 7 I mean at 6:45 in the morning. Ovens need to heat up. It's tater tots. So the kids don't really get an opportunity to eat. Um these are all graband go items. They don't they can't eat in passing can't eat in the classrooms and they can eat in the study hall which is in the cafeteria in the morning. So I don't know if there's anything that can be done. have the ovens up earlier. Um, so because the buses I believe the building open at 7:15. >> Yeah, I would say that's when they start arriving, >> right? So that that's the first thing. I I don't know if that's um you know, how do we get our kids to eat, right? And so that they're not feeling ill. And then just also uh that

131came up was that the middle school PE teachers are currently working on the scoping sequence for the fitness and and health. So they're not really sure as as of last week where that was going. Uh but otherwise that would be and just you know that you know I I don't think it's really worth saying uh mentioning because the negative balance on school >> um lunches if by the end of the year we get we're we're in a better we're in a better spot >> are you aware that kids aren't eating breakfast in the morning? Um, yes. >> Okay. >> Again, it comes through health and safety frequently. >> Is there something we could do about that? Because >> we could change the schedule. I'm just joking. >> But time start all get to eat. >>

132And there's also the um >> Yeah, that's it. >> Get up earlier and eat breakfast. I mean, I hate to say that, but I had one of those. when >> you don't feel good because you didn't eat breakfast. >> Yeah, but it's hard with with their developmental stage. They just it it's hard >> and we all had to get high school jobs. You can get up 10 minutes early. Your kid can have an egg sandwich on the way or eat a granola bar. I think it has become a parent's responsibility and not us to make the entire school a free breakfast because a bunch of kids are too lazy or the parents are too lazy to feed them. >> What about the kids? Ju just a question, Mike. What about the kids who come in

133who have uh free breakfast? >> They get free, but they get free breakfast. I maybe I misheard you, but I thought you said that the issue is that it's not a desired that not that there's not food available, but it's not desired. You know, I mean, like there's there's plenty of times that my kids that my kids want me to make want me to get pizza every night, but if I'm going to make a salad, like, you know, like it's it's it's not the desired, but it's part of but it's available. So, but the question is >> they like salad more than pizza. I'm I'm not going to lie. I'm the only one who likes >> Put a bowl of fruit and a granola bar on the table as they all come in. They got

134food. >> That's a good It's essentially what we we have. It's a grab and go. As they come in, they can take it from the cafeteria. They can do it, you know, sort of eat quickly, get it before they head out to the classes. >> The cafeter. >> No, I mean like what are they what's currently offered? What's the gravity? >> There's cereal, there's yogurt, there's granola, there's Anyone can get that >> is the issue. >> So you still have to pay for it right now. It's not free yet, >> right? >> But anyone could just go and get that if they didn't eat breakfast. >> But those who are on free lunch also get free breakfast. >> Mhm. >> Are they do they only have access to the hot meal and not the alle

135cart grab-and-go items? Is that the issue? >> No, they they all like it's sort of just like the lunch. You take different pieces and it forms what would be considered >> because like I know for lunch the free lunch is only this lunch. like oh yeah is that >> well there's components that make up a lunch so it's multiple choices but that make up a lunch so you have to make a meal so breakfast I don't believe as many as requirements as a lunch meal does >> but it's not that what is allowed under free breakfast is not available I just want to make sure that that's not >> what is allowed under free breakfast is available to the students and they can get it >> right and and Shannon I think was also brought

136up was that there are fewer breakfast um takers in the morning. >> Correct. >> Well, so people So to your point, >> you have options to both if if you get lunch, you also get breakfast, but not as many kids are taking that for whatever reason. >> All right. Well, um, once again, I'm going to apologize. I have >> Looks like we'll be reviewing that in a little while anyway. So, >> yes, we are. >> I have a I have a commitment that I can't do anything about, and it has nothing to do with basketball. >> Um, District technology >> Yukon game. >> We don't have anything. All right. It's all It's on page seven. >> It's in this >> and facilities. We do >> facilities. So, a lot we've got a meeting tomorrow. Um,

137but just two things I'd like to point out that are on the report. uh March 24th meeting with uh C with deep UI fuel cell town the district uh trying to um plan for another test of the fuel cell. um we're the town is is taking a more active role in uh they're going to draft a letter to the people of the town saying that this isn't working and this is our emergency shelter to maybe kind of um >> get fuel cell working and >> get them to make this work. Um the other thing that's maybe a little bit more pressing issue that I wanted to mention is the HVAC system at AMSO. Uh we've had an issue with sludge building up in the glycol loop. Um we're part of the bond process that we've

138been working on is looking at um possibly replacing uh to upgrade this system, but we're trying to see what we can do to fix this in the meantime. Until then, no bandaid we can put on until we could get a a bond issue to replace it. Okay. All right. Uh, so we go to finance, which we have quite a bit of stuff to deal with and I'll turn it over to you, Pat. >> Just this one here is the one in discussion. >> Okay. >> I'll preface that every single one of these items was approved at finance unanimously. >> Yep. >> Every single one. >> All right. So, we'll go to item A, discussion, possible action on healthy food certification. So, we bring this to you every year. We're required by the state to take

139action on these items. Um, we participate in the National School Lunch Program and the Healthy Foods program under the state of Connecticut. Um, if we if the board were to choose not to participate in the healthy foods, we would lose revenue of about $13,000 a year, but it wouldn't change the menu since these requirements align with the federal requirements. So, the board is required to take action on both items individually. One is that we will um follow the guidelines for the healthy foods. And then the second one is the times that we are allowed to make exceptions. >> All right. >> We have to make them separately, right? >> Yes. >> I make a movement to recommend the Amity Board of Education approve all the sales of food items will comply with the CGS section

14010 215F as stated above. >> Thank you. Call the roll. >> Miss Cloud Ingram. >> Yes. >> Miss Shak, >> yes. >> Dr. Funron, >> Miss Lombardi, >> yes. >> Mr. Reed, >> yes. >> Mr. Davis, >> Mr. Mcdana, >> yes. >> Dr. Olig, >> yes. >> Mr. Abuse, >> yes. >> Miss Schlake, >> yes. >> Miss Schustster, >> yes. >> Mr. Young, >> yes. >> All right. Um, can I get a motion on the second, which is move to approve all sales of food items to comply with Connecticut Journal's statutes 10- 215F estate above. >> The next one is move to exempt >> I'm sorry, you're right. I'm sorry. Thank you for that. So, move to exempt food and beverage items sold at events as stated above. >> I'll make a motion. >> I'll

141second. >> All right. Any discussion? Then it's call the role. >> Miss Cloud Ingram, >> yes. >> Miss Jay, >> yes. >> Miss Lombardi, >> yes. >> Mr. Reed, >> yes. >> Mr. Mcdana, >> yes. >> Dr. Olain, >> Mr. Reuse, >> yes. >> Miss Le, >> yes. >> Miss Schustster, >> abstain. >> And Mr. Young? >> Yes. >> Okay. Uh, the next would be the discussion of possible action on contracts over 35,000 starting on page 12. Uh, and this is one of the ones where we have a um amendment to the agenda. >> You should all have a revised memo in front of you that has um now three contracts listed for facilities and one for technology. So, the first one is for the fire uh suppression system for inspection and testing of the

142fire suppression system in all three schools. Four vendors submitted bids, one submitted an incomplete response. So the second lowest bid was from Encore Fire Presentation for 57,000280 for 3 years. First year of the contract is 18,560. Um the second one is for trash and recycling and uh we had three vendors respond and the current vendor is the lowest uh uh bidder. So we are recommending to go with them. And you want me to do you want me to do the third one? the servers that's for the technology infrastructure um and that uh came in uh for Mr. D. Roza for um 264,000. The board has set aside 200,000 in the educational reserve last year and 50,000 in the current budget and the difference will come from the money for the Bethany CEN line, the connection

143from the state that has been delayed uh to pay for. We've had the service, we just haven't had to pay for it. Now we we don't have to pay for it until July 1. The state isn't implementing that. Um the they're purchasing five service, three for the high school, one for each middle school. Mr. um those explained at the finance committee, it allows for redundancy and handles the traffic of everything on the network and source files >> and they've exceeded their fiveyear life. So we're on borrowed time. >> This was recommended. Um, >> and all three of these are for this the current budget. >> I'm sorry. They're for they would go into 26 27. They would start 26. >> Facilities. >> Yeah. >> The facilities are for next year. The servers is >> servers

144are for now. >> Yes. >> And the AMD board of finance approved all of them. >> Yes. >> Take it again. Did we take the work together or >> we um so we actually took the facilities together because they're for three years and for start in 2627 and did the technology infrastructure separately. Okay. >> Um so for consistency just I'd recommend that. >> All right. So can we uh get these two motions uh the two facilities motions? I'll make a motion to approve the fire suppression system contract to Encore Fire Protection and the three-year contract for trash and recycling to all American waste. I make a motion to award those contracts. I second it. >> Any discussion? >> Seeing none. >> Can we talk about how it's scheduled? Miss Ingram. >> Too soon for that.

145M. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kerant. >> Yes. >> Miss Lombardi. >> Yes. >> Mr. Reuse. >> Yes. >> Mr. Reed. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mcdana. >> Yes. >> Miss Flang. >> Yes. >> M. Juster. >> Yes. >> Mr. Young. >> Yes. >> All right. And can we get a motion to award the purchase of five service from Vancord through um through the Omnia Consortium bid at a cost of $264,8848? >> Second. >> Yeah, sure. >> Like to really try. >> I don't have a basketball game to go to. >> Miss Claud Ingram. >> Yes. >> Mr. Jay, >> yes. >> Dr. Karen, >> yes. >> Miss Lombardi, >> yes. Mr. Reese, >> yes. >> Mr. Reed, >> yes. >> Mr. McDonald, >> yes. >> Dr. Ola Delay, >> yes. >> ML, >> yes. >> Miss

146Schustster, >> yes. >> Mr. Young, >> yes. >> Okay. Now I understand uh things are that now I believe we have a discussion of the monthly statements. >> Correct. Um so there was no change in the revenue forecast. There was a change favorably about 337,000 on expenses. Um couple of things mostly just uh trying to estimate as people are spending down their budgets what will be left on lines. Um the biggest change really was on uh utilities and that was that um we had projected to be 250,000 over budget. looking at the forecast kind of brought that down a little bit to like 190, but then uh the UI informed us that they will be giving us a $95,000 credit on our next invoice due to a review of being charged the wrong meter rate

147for the last 10 years. >> At least it's in the right direction. Imagine if >> what? >> It happened a day after we had the micro grid meeting. >> And they can't really explain why. >> Wow. >> Well, at least we don't owe them money. >> Correct. >> Car in your favor. $200. >> Insurance claims were favorable again this month, so that's positive. Snowplow uh we hope is done for the season. Although I saw flurryries protected for tomorrow morning. Um, but all three accounts are over budget and you'll see a transfer later in the packet. >> Then next would be the transfers under $3,000. And you will see a lot for March because as everyone is trying to place their final orders and consolidate what money they have left in their budgets and then um

148>> discussion of possible action on budget transfers over $3,000. >> So we have four transfers for special education and we have two for facilities and one for Orange Middle School. So, Mr. Brandt is asking for a transfer for uh transportation for related to the McKini Vento Act, a transfer for uh tuition shortfall at Boe and Magnet schools who now have bailed out the tuition for special ed services provided to students who attend there. And then a budget transfer of 9,000 for um just staff outside the the district who will provide homebound services compared to inside the district. It's offered to current staff. It's just they haven't taken up all the the opportunity. And then the last budget transfer is for to cover two extended long-term maternity leaves uh for special education teachers with an outside

149agency. >> I approved them all. >> All right. Well, then uh can we get a motion to approve all four special education transfers as listed below? Autumn. Mike. Seconded. >> All right. Any discussion? >> Miss Cloud Ingram? >> Yes. >> Mr. Shay? >> Yes. >> Dr. Kronicron? >> Yes. >> Miss Lombardi? >> Yes. >> Mr. Reuse? >> Yes. >> Mr. Reed? >> Yes. >> Mr. McDonald? >> Yes. >> Dr. Delay? >> Yes. >> Miss Lang? Yes. >> Miss Schustster? Yes. >> Mr. Young? >> Yes. And then >> so the two for facilities are one is for snow uh cost of snow plowing salting and sanding at the high school and Orange Middle Schools. As I said, all three schools are over budget. Bethany was only over uh just short of $3,000. So their 5420 accounts

150can cover that. Um but the high school in Orange needs a transfer. And the second transfer is to cover the cost of backs stop fence repairs at the high school baseball and softball fields. We had $10,000 budgeted and the price off the state bid contract is 14,508. So both these transfers are coming from um the facilities account for uh facil uh contingency. >> Okay. Um, so we can uh can we get a motion to uh approve uh the transfers listed below? >> Both are recommended by the answer. >> Thank you. >> Sorry. >> Yeah. >> Are you looking for a motion? >> Yes, please. >> And then I have a second. Megan, >> cloud Ingram. >> Yes. >> Mr. Jay, >> yes. >> Dr. Criticron, >> yes. >> Miss Lombardi, >> yes. >> Miss Rebuse.

151Yes, >> Mr. Reed. >> Yes, >> Mr. Mcdana. >> Yes, >> Dr. Earl Delay. >> Yes, >> Miss Flank. >> Yes, >> Miss Schustster. >> Yes, >> Mr. Young. >> Yes. >> And the last one is for chorus risers. Risers at Orange Middle School. And you could see that she Miss Burke is uh transferring from many different accounts um to make the purchase for the uh Coral Risers 7570. Can we get a move to approve the transfer for furniture for Chorus Riser? >> I'll second Carol. >> Miss Cloud Ingram. >> Yes. >> Mr. Deay. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kunacron. >> Yes. >> Miss Lombardi. >> Yes. >> Mr. Re. >> Yes. >> Mr. Reed. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mcdana. >> Yes. >> Dr. Delay. >> Yes. >> Miss Blank. >> Yes. >> Miss Schustster. >>

152Yes. >> Mr. Young. >> Yes. So now we have um food service update. >> So just giving you information that the program is currently running a deficit this year with a projected loss of 71,000. Um we currently do have 258,000 in the fund balance. So we will not be asking for a transfer uh this year from the board from the operating budget but that could happen in two to three years if this trend continues. uh several contributing factors. One is um the increased number of students with negative balances. At one point we were over 10,000 but uh due to the efforts of the finance department, Miss Mr. Public and phone calls and messages uh that is down to $7,300 but still much more than we normally have. Um alle cart sales are down. Students who

153have negative balances are not allowed to make purchases uh of alle cart sales. So we do feel that's that may have an impact on it. Uh decline in breakfast sales since the state no longer subsidized reduced students. At one point uh all students had free breakfast. Then free students uh reduced students on reduced meals had free breakfast. And this year we're back to the standard of if you're free you get it free. Reduced you pay a minimal amount. And if you're not on either of those programs you pay full price. Um there's been a few large repairs. um to the walk-in freezer here at the high school. And Mr. Marton's put me on notice that there's another unit in the cooler um that is as old as uh the part that was replaced before. So,

154there could be another expense in the near future. There's also cafeteria staff um who were eligible for paid leave just like we see on on our side of the budget um which extends uh this uh shift of other staff members, but it it comes at a higher cost. So, it's just really um giving you information at this point of how the program's running. >> Can you share how much is owed by students who are on reduced or free? You said 7,000 total, but >> um only two of the families with balances over $50 are on reduced meals. None are on Well, three wouldn't be. Do >> you know the total though? >> Pardon me. Do you know the total >> of what they have >> of what is owed by students who are free or

155reduced? >> Um >> free wouldn't know anything. >> Free doesn't have any they wouldn't have anything but they could they could get all cart or no >> you can buy all of cart but you can't charge all a cart. Nobody is ever allowed to charge all cart. >> Okay. So reduced do you know how much is for reduced? >> I only know that there's two families that with balances over 50. We could go back and look at the data but I don't have it. Okay. >> Yeah. Terry, did you did you say you that we're not sure the reason there is a decrease in lunch? >> Increase in lunch >> decrease decrease of the number of students who buy lunch. So year-over-year there's um there is I believe a little bit of a decline like

156percentage points uh between schools. That's really hard to tell. It's not significant enough to know whether it's just those that particular class isn't as interested compared to the class before. >> Oh, we we did raise lunch prices. Was it last year and the year before or just >> we've raised them for the last two years? >> Right. We've laid them. Yeah. That might have an impact. But we do have a formula from the state that requires us to compare what we're charging, what the cost of food is, and to make sure that the federal money is not subsidizing the cost of the paid lunch, >> right? Um do we um is there any way to know what other school districts charge for lunch versus what we charge for lunch? >> Um when we raised the

157prices last year, we were very comparable. There was definitely some who were more than us and there were some who were less, but not much less than us. So we was very comparable. I haven't done a survey yet because I'm not looking at price yet. >> Do um just a question. Um does the size of a district change what the contract rate is for uh food? >> The size of the district change what the contract rate is for food. >> Right. So because a larger district has a larger volume, >> do they get a better They're working with Chartwell. So they're working across Chartwells is outsourcing it for all of their Chartwells clients. I mean I I think when so Bethany also has Chartwells and typically when we are like going through contract increases we

158get the exact same increase as Beth like we we sort of work together but we end up with the same >> contract cost. >> We talked about this one other time. Um Woodbridge doesn't use chart bills. They have an they have their anal service. Right. >> Correct. Yes. >> I believe does as well. We talked about that ammonity used to but then >> no not for the last 2530 years that I know of. >> Now is it more cost effective to outsource it? >> Uh it has been for us. I mean it's taking on the food service program is a whole another level of staffing. um which I think struggle with the same things we do trying to staff those departments and then knowing all of those procedures for the hassip trainings and the food

159procurement and all that. So it is >> yeah I' I've only ever worked in one district that had that it was part of the district and it was significantly more expensive than the districts than a comparable district where it was outsourced for for most of those. It's almost like kind of the overhead management piece. you have to have all of that in house whereas Chartwells can have kind of like just a few people doing that and kind of just the day-to-day operations of the schools. I'm just thinking if there's different choices, healthier choices, local farm choices that um any are any different for the elementary schools that have in an in-house service versus using a large organization that's outsourced to. I'm just curious if there's we know we know that or if there's any benefit

160at all, but it sounds like since we haven't done it in a while there would be a lot of operational expenses. >> Yeah, definitely especially I think at the initiation of the process but and it would be >> gez >> significantly more staff. Yeah, >> now I just I don't know what it costs to outsource it. So, >> it would it'd be interesting if we knew because of the prices went off if kids were bringing their lunch from home more. >> That could be a good thing. >> That's what they're bringing. >> That's true. >> All right. Uh well, let's move on to the uh CNR quarterly report. >> So, those areformational reports for the CNR, the educational reserve, and the grants. just where we are this quarter >> and uh the educational expenditure expenditure

161reserve quarterly report. >> Yep. Yeah, they're all the same. They're all together. >> Yeah, those Okay. So then let's go to uh policy and we've got a second read on page 60. >> Um >> yeah, you probably don't even remember doing the first read because it was back in October. Um but um but after feedback from that, it went back to policy and we basically worked on it from October through um March. And um I I believe that I can say the five members of the policy committee, especially the three that um were here when um the policy first came up that it addressed all the concerns um with the help of some of our new members. So um it is here for a second read and approval. >> All right. Um can I get

162a motion to approve? >> Thank you. A second. >> Thank you. >> Uh any discussion, comments, questions, concerns? >> So, I think it was um so correct me if I'm wrong, Dana. It was you and and also Kathy when we're talking about um how the position came to the board for a vote. So, we went back and we tried to address those those concerns. so that it wouldn't feel as if it was the first time you were >> and I think I think they did a good job of >> bringing it back and representing us a little bit better. >> Great. Since this was done by the policy committee, I'm uh willing to go along. But I have to say that I am not particularly uh think that like you know there has to be

163so much board involvement in the uh district level directors and the so on because from my perspective it's not entirely clear like you know meaning I think the board's input is useful. the board obviously can have uh input into it but at the same time I'm not entirely sure how many how many of us have expertise hiring and you know learning about what a district level administrator is doing and uh there is this interesting trade-off between what knowledge we bring to bear uh and like you know and so on and I think uh it it seems relatively costless I guess to have the board if board members are willing to do it uh I I I think input is fine but at the same time there is a part of me that is concerned about

164what expertise we bring to bear what it is that uh we know about somebody like you know many of the district level uh thing uh what is that job how how many have we interviewed people and like you know learned have any expertise if somebody just entered comes into the board mostly are we have selected to be on the board because somebody in uh from either party decided that we are uh supposed to represent something and I don't know like you know I always worry about this issue of governance of the board like you know this is a larger question that we've been thinking about what is the role of the board and why do we want to do it and I feel like uh that discussion is probably broader than uh this particular question

165um and again I I just wanted to bring this up because I am somewhat uncomfortable with that tradeoff and I want I I will leave it at that and let the others uh discuss. So, thank you for for bringing that up. Um, I actually thought we decided that we weren't interested in like directors as well because this includes like certified and non-certified support staff or did I miss a meeting or miss something? But um I know pol the policy committee had a lengthy discussion about sort of where to draw the line and I thought we said uh superintendent and like building principles. Um so then we also um I I I was under the impression that like a person like Terry as director of finance um director of technology, director of facilities and assistant superintendent

166um were also part of that. Those are all what we would consider senior administration positions. >> So I just want to remind the like the first prop the the original policy. So the original policy, I'm gonna make it very simple, was that Jen would bring a candidate to the board and we would vote and the comfort level wasn't there because this was the first time and the right that you were actually meeting them or seeing seeing them in any way, shape or form. And it was when the candidate was in the room with the board and then expected to vote. And so we we had several conversations about this and and then what was also in the policy was we could say no and then that would actually have Jen start from ground zero and

167all over again. So we during the policy it had it had been in policy for a while and part of the conversation was that Jen said there's value in having a the board vote because we said you know why would we even want to vote and that there's value for the administrator holding that position because they have the vote of the board outside of the superintendent. And so then then that led to the conversation of well at you know we're not saying board members all board members sit on there of course Jen would be doing the background. So it would just be more or less bringing the board along and you know if there are any concerns that board members would have that that input but in no way is it to overrule what the

168superintendent feels would be part of her team that she would need to work with. But it also just puts Jen in the position to the board. the board knows these candidates on paper. We have the conversation. We have two board members who had been in those interviews and if any red flags and then it's up to Jen to actually do the background checks and that would be left up to her. Three candidates then that's I think that's what we left it at. Three candidates, Jen. >> Two uh two up to three. >> Yeah. Two up to three. >> So I um a couple of things. one, we want we heard board members loud and clear last time and we wanted to find a way for board members to be more involved in the process and

169not just meet someone at the time you're voting, right? So, I think that's in there. It's keeping the board a breast, bringing two to three candidates. Um, so they're involved inviting board members who may want to participate in some maybe later round of interviewing. Um what I don't recall is like uh this happening for everyone down to like non non-certified support staff. So I I have no interest. >> No, I think that's saying that's not who's going to be brought. I think that's just saying >> yeah, we're only administrative >> authority to employ these people, but the but down here it's saying that she's going to just bring the people for the um what's the >> oh senior administrator just my question. >> What about the district level administrators and the idea that two members

170of the board have to be present? >> No, they don't have to be they don't have to be presented. They only have to be invited. >> No, no, a minimum of two members shall be invited. >> Right. But we don't have to go. We can all vote and say, "Oh, nobody's going to go. >> I'll be invited." Not >> just to give us the option if you want to go like last time. Um, >> who went? She's not here. >> Yeah. >> Shall is always a very >> very interesting >> interesting word in policy. >> Shall be invited. >> My my my um >> issue with the policy is like the number like senior administrative staff includes all district level directors and school principles. I I I'm fine with >> school principles. >> Yes. And

171that's it. I I personally have no interest um in because a lot of this is like >> no interest in you. Ter, >> but here's the thing. But here's the thing. It has to be I think below that it's about fit. It's about who which you know um financial person is going to like work with your team well and work with you well. Like that we can't determine that. Like your team has to >> Yeah, but Jen's still going to be picking. We're just present so that we can be involved. Like we're not going to be interviewing your replacement. We're going to be watching Jen interview her replacement and then if we have issues, we can bring it up to the board. >> But what I'm saying, you're not going anywhere. >> Correct. But principles.

172>> I'd like Why are we >> Well, there's only a few district level supervisors and they're pretty big total fit into this category. Um turnover is presumably very low. >> That's true. So >> but yeah >> that's assistant principles. So three principles. You Terry, Steve, Sean, Jill, Ernie. >> So you're talking less than 10 people who likely are a lot >> and and we're just and more importantly we're just being brought hang >> as opposed to when we hired Shannon to offend Shannon. It was very we didn't there was it wasn't really presented in a way where yes Carla was there and there was another representative who >> Andrea Hubard >> what >> yeah there was another >> there was another I don't remember who it was but we weren't really informed and it was

173it was kind of um the way it was presented especially to the new board members is this was just a formality there was a lot of board members that didn't even show up and we the only way we had a say in it was if everybody voted no so this is To me, this is feels a little bit better about bringing us along, informing us, and we're part of the process. We're not making the decision. >> Could there be a better process? >> Jen's had her hand up for a long time, and I've had my hand up internally for a long time. >> Um, because this is something that that I've thought about for for many weeks. Um, and we've talked >> You said you were going to let Jen >> I'm cutting you. I

174said mine was up first. I was waiting. I actually said to Carol, "Carol, can I just SAY THIS PART QUICKLY?" AND SHE TALKED RIGHT OVER ME. >> I THOUGHT YOU were like, "Go ahead." You have this. >> I I know. I don't want to use that. Um, one of the things my my issue with this is I think about this board and we've talked about how we want to become more unified and um more cohesive and and kind of break down some walls. And I think about probably the the the best time that we've worked together was uh the the first day when when our new members joined the board and Megan was nominated for something. Now I don't know Megan, never met Megan. I probably, you know, we have some probably some pretty different

175viewpoints. And to a person without knowing her, we all said Megan abuse, Megan abuse. And everyone supported her. Sight on scene regardless of party, regardless of a lot of things. And it sent a message that I don't know you, but I believe in you. That somebody on your somebody nominated you that believed in you, and I have faith in that team. And so for me, the idea of us bringing the people to the board before just coming in, I I'm not a fan of it because I I I I think it misses the opportunity. >> Not paying Megan a dime. >> Megan's here on her own accord. >> Megan was actually voted in as an as just as all were. >> You were, but but as I'm saying, no, I'm saying when you were when

176you were elected treasurer, >> there was a nomination for you. There was no there was no like at that point there could have been a nomination against you but nobody everybody said you know what I believe and you know somebody recommended and thought she'd be good and we took faith in the people that were with us. >> So the difference I hear you I hear I understand I understand you hear I understand you hear me make his connection >> I just feel like I said I'm okay with this and that we're going to bring two people apart. I think we are missing an opportunity to have faith in our people that are making the decisions and to just come together. I that that's simply all I have to say. And with that, I'll defer to

177Jen. >> Um I was going to make the suggestion that perhaps the first round with the two to three candidates be with the personnel committee. Um have that be who does that first round? Of course, anybody can attend that meeting, but it would be the it's because it's not we're not voting, right? On that first the two to three people is just giving the information. So maybe that round happens at the personnel committee and then the final round where we vote can happen at the board meeting. Just streamlines it a little bit. And then also, you know, just for getting tired of lots of things happening, it might make it a little easier >> district. Are you are you saying the personnel committee >> completely besides Shannon and >> I forget. >> So this exact

178policy >> hired two hired >> Frank and Frank that's right I had to do him twice. Uh Tom, >> Steve and Shannon four, 10 years seven years. But I'm suggesting this first part that says prior to selection where I write two to three candidates to the board of education instead of to the board of education it would be to the personnel committee >> because the other thing I brought >> everybody can it's not a vote right the personnel this this section bring it to the board of education is not a vote it's just providing feedback so if it's a if it's a personnel committee everybody could still provide feedback if they want to attend but it doesn't take up time at our full board meetings >> what if what if somebody outside the personnel committee

179they can come to the committee. >> It is no difference in how all of the rest of your committees act. You gather together and then you make a recommendation to the board and as board members you either act >> and not to be obtuse but what else does the personnel committee do if they are not involved in the in these hiring decisions? >> Well, I think it's a good idea with the personnel I think I mentioned that a while ago actually. So one clarification question uh so the when the personal committee meets like you know I know these hiring sometimes has to be done at a certain schedule sometimes fast sometimes slow and all of that and like personal committees meet at its own calendar so is it possible in the personal committee people can

180meet outside of the calendar time for the meeting and would that violate then something else >> committee is the only committee that doesn't have fixed meeting dates because we feel >> anytime is needed to meet >> it's upon me okay that's >> so it's always a last minute Jen These are the two dates. Can you guys meet? >> So, I support what you said in terms of the personnel committee being involved in this process. I think that it's a little bit off the board and then they could report back to us like all the other committees. I think that's a good >> It's literally just changing the words in that middle part, board of education to personnel committee and then everything else could stay the same, but it just streamlines it a little bit. >>

181Yeah. Because they're on the board anyway and they can give feedback to >> otherwise you're looking at two board meetings. I know we have them every other week, but still. >> Yeah. >> How is it going to be though? So, how would it feel if when we come back to the board meeting >> and then it's like, well, I'm I'm not a big fan of this candidate and here's my concern. Like, is that going to be aired at a board meeting? >> So, the personnel, do you understand what I'm saying? Maybe you guys don't understand. So, the personnel committee meets like you're suggesting they meet. they review whatever's going on, but then it's not like coming back and going, "Oh, Board of Finance approved those transfers or communications is going to mean we're going to

182have this next um it's a little bit >> I think I think you got a good point, but I think the board um the person whoever the board of ed personnel committee when they they are there to be a part of the process and give feedback to the superintendent um and then I think for the board meeting they can report on that process. I don't think it's something we say this is a we, you know, this person stunk, this person was okay. I I guess you'd have to go into executive session if you were going to do something talking about anybody that was personal like that. But I think even whether it's the personnel committee or those two people, we'd still have to refine that process is what I'm saying. >> I mean, based on

183this, either way, it's a finalist coming to the board for a vote. So, the only difference is it would be in a committee, but anybody can attend. They'll give their feedback, right? >> Do the finalists for directors have they traditionally come to the board or is this a new thing? So then so so the finalist so so what has been in the past is the superintendent presented the candidate that they chose but what what's correct me if I'm wrong what's being added is an init a meeting before that >> we're going to say these are the two candidates that we are choosing from >> and giving feedback >> that is yes that is >> and then >> the voting did we vote previously >> yes there was always a vote but it was always on

184the one finalist to shout sort of >> any feedback. >> She comes down to the finalist the personnel meeting that anybody on the board can come to that meeting. >> Anybody on the board can go to any committee meeting. I >> mean anybody could come to AFC every month. Anybody >> I just thought that >> I thought that the personnel was confidential. >> No, the only the only thing remember personnel we can't ever do virtually because you can't because we do go into executive session and you would have to like you can't If we go into executive session and other board members are there, that's fine. >> Yeah. >> The board, every board member can go into executive session as well because standing committee meeting just we don't do executive sessions virtually. >> I'm just

185make sure that I understand. So I'm just repeating it back that I understand, we all understand. >> They would just have to invite them in. But just just like you guys invite me into an executive session because technically I'm not allowed, but we would just invite all board members in attendance, >> right? Because that that's different. that operates different than our other committee >> on this policy. We as a board now are focusing on the two things that we as a subcommittee were really focused on and that was two things. One, how deep does the authority of the board go to hire, right? I mean, does it just go to the superintendent or the assistant superintendent or how low in the totem pole to use a probably very inept expression and the other one would

186be what role should we as a board play? Um, you know, should should we be involved in every step of the way? And I think what we focused on now is well there were three steps. There were three phases. One superintendent would would create the pool and all the rubric and and um criteria for hiring. And then step two would be uh the superintendent would call down that pack to uh unilaterally with their own um uh efforts to uh a smaller group and that and that's the point at which the board would be allowed or be invited could participate if it chose to. Uh and then the third tier would be the superintendent bringing two finalists to the board saying, "Hey, here's my top two picks. Let me tell you about them." Uh and then

187finally bringing them for uh the finalist who was selected by the superintendent with input from the board uh would be brought for before the board for a yay or nay vote as to whether or not to hire. So, the two issues that seem to be unresolved now, and I'm only putting this in because it may well be coming back to the subcommittee to help us to really drill down on on issues to to bring something before us as a whole to get it passed would be one, should we only keep it to the principles uh and the superintendent and the assistant superintendent and not go any broader than that. You know, with the athletic director and uh you know, finance, maybe we should constrain that a little bit more. Uh and the other would be

188an interesting suggestion by Donna that we have the second to last round involve the policy committee and only the last round be before the full board. I'm sorry that's that's exactly what I meant. Sorry. Um I I think those are pretty neat suggestions and and just in the interest of time I was trying to drill down. >> Part of this too was the the whole thing came out from certain members saying hey we had no say in this. I agree >> and 10 years from now hopefully that's the soonest that you guys have to replace somebody. How many of us are really going to be sitting here? We'd like to give a policy that would give some openness. >> We know they're going to be asking all the same questions you did, we did, and

189they did. And we >> we're all going to be we're all still going to be here. >> But realistically, her >> still be here. >> Yeah, you guys will. >> But Jen, your experience in your time here is of the people Well, as described in its current position, you hired four people over seven years. So we're talking this process may happen once every other year. >> So I view it the other way around. I I view it not in the sense of like how much time will we have to allocate. I I view it as like you know up to what to your question Christian like you know meaning how deep should this author you know this superation need to go and I completely agreed with many of the others who said we we would

190have liked a little bit more input when the assistant superintendent was hired. So I I have no uh objection to that. Like I think some some input would have been great because otherwise we just rubber stamping something that was already done. Uh but I I feel like the the level of the directors seem a little too deep in my mind and it it's probably not uh our place. It's not question of like you know do we have enough turnover maybe not but just because there is no turnover doesn't mean we need to put in our uh votes. So that's why I was suggesting that we maybe we go up to the level of the superintendent assistant superintendent and principles and stop there and then of course you can still ask for the what what's the

191right approach to getting our inputs in and that's I think again would be worthy of discussion. So my suggestion is to stop at the level of the assistant superintendent. >> Okay. So said here, I totally hear you and we can come back and we can talk about it in in policy and as as long as this is the consensus of the board. Just for a little background, there are boards who are actually involved in the screening process who are very intricately involved and they are so this is just somehow kind of you know how far how much hiring do we want to do and how much input I think it's just not being surprised and all of these down to the the director level are critical positions. I think Jen can attest to that as

192well. They have they they do hold quite a bit um authority and and in no way is anyone suggesting that any board member is going to tell the superintendent who she should be working with. It's just more of bringing everybody along. So the intention wasn't to have um a micro oversight into this. It was just being involved because just to remind everyone, we knew Shannon because Shannon was too >> I didn't know Shannon. >> I've never seen >> we many of us have knew Shannon. But what I was what I was going to say except for the new board members who had no idea. So we may have had a different comfort level. You, me, Carol, Patrick, and some other board members because we knew Shannon. So, >> so that's where I I draw the

193difference, right? So, it is not whether I'm comfort. >> So, so should we should we constrain it down to superintendent, assistant superintendent, uh, principles? Is there anybody else? Uh, I I realize there's some people here that think we shouldn't go that low at all, but is there anybody who thinks that when we revisit the policy in the next subcommittee meeting, we should address any other roles in that or is that enough? >> Are we okay with Are we okay with some of the same we shouldn't do it at all? just defer. I understand. >> Um >> Oh, sorry. You you you've been you've been waiting patiently. >> Um yeah, I think we've heard all different opinions on it. I think that the policy should go back look at that list. Um and I also think

194we should look at whether we're doing the uh personnel committee or we're doing the board members and then just table that for now. We'll go. >> Hold on. Question me not for when you do these interviews. Mo, aren't they mostly during the business day? And are we gonna get the entire personnel committee to show up on a business day? Is everybody >> I think the recommendation is >> invited candidates. That's with the personnel committee, >> right? >> Yes. >> It's when it gets down to those two candidates. It's not necessarily in so it's inviting two board members of my understanding inviting two board members to join in the interviews. Then when Jen comes down to two candidates is the personnel committee. So we can make it inviting two from the personnel committee as opposed to

195inviting two from the board because really >> I think it's up to them. You can invite you can focus on anyone because to to Mike's point it has to be when people are available. So if you have board members who are available during the day >> vote on it whether we're sending it back or >> I think I I think I think I think we're going to I think the discussion is that we're going to send it back. Some people are just questioning who we should I to answer your question. Um I I think you know like Terry is someone who at her level I think she has such an unbelievable amount of um influence on the day-to-day functioning of this board and and and this district. And I think that um hopefully she doesn't

196leave ever um certainly not while not while I'm here. But when she does leave, I think we're going to want I I think as a board, we're going to want to show that that next person has our support. And so that's I would I would say, you know, we at least include the director of finance in that. >> Okay. What about director I I don't know. Director of pupil services. I think >> Listen, I'm okay. I'm okay with I'm okay with keeping it the way it was, but I just I feel like that's one of those positions. I think the AMD the AMD school district >> that's sort of like historically >> and if you were on a corporate board the board would be involved in the hiring of the CFO like the >> the

197I mean the the the history of the AMD school district is that we are very concerned about finances and and so I think I I think that that person is just you know even if we didn't look at some of the other ones I think that's one that we we should definitely >> I can see an argument for finance director but you know like you know technology you know it just seems like it doesn't seem right to me. >> Okay. >> Right. I can understand CFO. Okay. Fine. Like you know we give her a new title and like you know and >> I would share a policy if that's not your title >> and and that may be fine but there comes a point where >> include Terry's position >> or you can separate it

198into two different policies that are very similar. >> Oh no we don't need more policies >> for the different the different directors versus the >> well I think I think okay so here so we did director for that reason so it's just a blanket director but if we want to get down to which directors be open to that we just need to know which directors people want is say >> um >> okay so can we move this back to pilot because we're understand how this works >> sorry >> but it may be possible to just identify it as certified senior level administrators because Terry has to have a certification from the state of Connecticut. Shannon does, Tom Brandt does, but Mr. Marton doesn't. >> So, we may be able to sort of parse it down

199and connect it to certified people, but it's just we have to have a little time to think about that a little bit. >> Okay. I I love how do that. >> So, um Mike has made a motion to move it back to to committee. >> Second. >> Do we need any discussion on that? So, we had a >> we had a >> motion by Mcdana and Young >> to approve, but can't we? I believe we can just um >> we just pretend that didn't happen. >> Can they resend the motion? I don't know. >> Withdraw withdraw and I'll re motion to send it back. >> I don't even know that we Well, I guess we can put that in officially. Yeah. >> With a motion to >> I just want to clear up our Are

200we leaning toward the personnel committee? >> Sure. Okay, >> we can talk about it in policy. >> I mean, if anybody has very strong opinions, please email your policy chair and then he has information >> or else the policy will just make a recommendation based off of your opinions. >> I want to be a chair man, but I'm a chair person. >> Can we can we call can we call the role for that? >> A motion. >> Mike and Christian just made a motion. I guess the the assumption was to approve it but it doesn't say that it just says policy recruitment and selection like to discuss it. >> It's a second typically so that you're withdrawing >> withdrawing that and he's making a motion to send it back to committee >> and Carol seconded

201that. >> Okay. Okay. Miss Clouding. >> Yes. >> Miss Shay. >> Yes. >> Dr. Criticro. Yes. >> Miss Lombardi. Yes. Miss Revuse. >> Yes. >> Mr. Reed. >> Yes. >> Mr. Ricata. >> Yes. >> Dr. Ol. Yes. Might. >> Yes. >> Muster. >> Yes. >> M. >> Yes. >> Okay. Personal report on page 62. >> Um we just did nothing much other than we've hired two teachers. Um a special ed teacher finally to fill the empty position. Um a social studies teacher to replace Mr. Kumstone who went to uh work for Ca and Mr. Ward accepted a transfer from AMD Middle School Bethany to become the department chair of English at high school. one. I know it's late. >> Um, there was a middle school softball coach hired in the last personnel report who is

202not the middle school softball coach who's actually now >> because they resigned and then we had to get a new softball coach and I don't think they made the personnel report. >> I was just curious. >> So, so Jen, here's just a a question. Um, when we get resignations like Mr. Thompson. Does the board typically get resation letters? How does that work? >> No, they just come to me. >> Okay. Yeah. Sometimes they don't even come to me and then we get them. >> New business and announcements. >> Um items for next meeting. God bless you. >> Uh do the chairperson by April 30th. And then uh can I get a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion to adjurnn. One second without objection.