001Kirsten I Kirsten Williamson Kirsten yep she's in. She's on mute but she's there. Oh. Yes Kirsten and Everett. Uh Pam Farrington Pam Farrington Marlborough Carrie Frolio Carrie was on. Keep going. Drew Galphin Drew Galphin Marlborough Sorry this is Carrie Frolio Marlborough. Jessica Hall Hebron Avery Rummell Charter Avery Rummell Charter Scott Soyer Scott Soyer Andover Heather Summer Heather Summer Hebron Lucy Talty Briana O'Connell Lucy Fallon yourself and yourself Yeah. I I 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. >> [clears throat] >> Jessica for the record um Briana is here. She came in so I didn't ask her to do the roll call. >> [laughter] >> Okay. Okay. Uh public comment Hebron, Andover, and
002Marlborough community engagement in attendance at the BOE public meetings is welcomed. The public comment segment of the meeting agenda is set aside so the BOE may receive public comments. Procedurally public remarks will be limited to 3 minutes and citizens will be asked to identify themselves and the town they are from. Because the BOE is limited by the Freedom of Information Act to discussing only matters on the agenda, the BOE is not permitted to engage in a discussion of the comments presented. Is there anybody in the room who would like to make public comment? Anybody online? Okay. All right move on. I think that's from last meeting. I I'd say the departure from last meeting [laughter] for sure. Um Item four on the agenda is to add and delete agenda items. I would like to make
003a motion that we take that item 10.4 on the use of our current cable position and move it to after we discuss current cable position. So just to move it after our the financial reports are presented. Right after 10.6 A. I second that. Okay Scott Soyer Soyer is the second. Um any other discussion on that? All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Anyone abstained? Okay. Okay and I I want to make a motion that we remove uh 9.5 B from the um consent agenda and make it 9.6 uh to consider as a minor amendment to I'll second that. I'm sorry could you repeat that? >> I I want to remove 9.5 B the policy 5540 the meal charging one Yep. from the consent agenda and just move it to I think it's 9.6. Um I think
004it needs a minor Okay so you're making it its own It might make it its own line. Okay. Uh we have a second? Second. That's um Drew Galphin second Jessica. Any other discussion on that? All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Anyone abstained? Okay. Anything else on adding and deleting agenda items? We never had more than one. It's a record. Okay um the student representative reports. >> [clears throat] >> Um for seniors not much special has gone on but um we all just had our spring break 10 days long pretty nice. Um we have AP tests coming around which is for juniors and seniors um May 7th. Uh this week we have the world language honor society induction tomorrow which is for like any student that got into the honor society for different language and um
005we have jazz concert and the empty bowls which is a nice thing I did that in my sophomore year make bowls in your ceramics class and eat soup out of them. Um and evening of the arts is coming up which is something I look forward to every year but to see the art that's displayed and the awesome concerts that they put on themselves. Uh a couple other things that happened was the SAT and PSAT testing that took place and there's also the Seal of Biliteracy testing. Um also the Pep Rally happened where like the students they competed in fun events and games against each other and it was like really fun. And also coming up there's the junior prom and NGSS Um in middle school we just had our incoming seventh graders walk around gave
006them tours um and the middle school spring concert is coming up May 7th and then the day after that the chorus and band are going on a field trip to Six Flags and we're going to do like a competition right before that. Um tomorrow we have like our first spring sports meets and games for baseball, softball, and track and field. Um the eighth grade had to do science testing and coffee house was April Fools. No no eighth grade got to do science testing not that had to. >> [laughter] >> Thank you you guys. When is the junior prom? This Friday. This week. And where are you having it? Um pretty sure it's in Glastonbury. The country club? Very nice. Okay. All right um board chair reports um I only have one thing I just want
007to remind everybody of so the last board meeting remember we voted budget what what we were going to be bring forward for referendum. So the referendum is in 15 days. Um at this point we um can clarify questions for people but we should not be doing any kind of advocating one way or the other on the budget so um we can call it a period of um a quiet period before a vote. Um if you have if you get approached with questions you can feel free to send them um if you can handle them that's great. If you want to send them in for um you know myself and Dr. McNamara to handle we can do that too but we just want to be very careful that this point we're not taking um an advocacy
008position on the budget. Okay. So I just have a few things um uh something that Avery mentioned I was able to make it to the coffee house middle school coffee house it was great. Uh it was actually we had two subcommittee meetings that night but I was able to squeeze in about an hour um and I was fortunate enough to actually um uh Bev gave me one of the uh ribbons and said you got to pick out one of the uh so there was a lot of pressure on me when I had to do that. But it's a it's a great event. I love I love it when we can showcase the you know the talents of our fine and performing arts students and there is the Carnival of the Arts that's coming up soon.
009They're switching it up instead of Evening of the Arts this year it's going to be called Carnival of the Arts. They're just kind of jazzing it up a little bit. It is I agree with what Briana said Um Earlier this month on April 9th our RAM National Tech Technical Honor Society inducted 30 new 39 new members to the chapter. Uh the Technical Honor Society recognizes outstanding student achievements in career and technical education and supports the next generation of skilled workers and leaders through those four core objectives of career development, leadership development, service, and recognition. And it's a good segue into the next thing I'd like to note which is Excellence in CTE. Um as many board members know we have the Youth in Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative program at the high school and five seniors who
010are part of that program which is 50% of the students that are involved in that program have already been offered employment with Electric Boat uh upon graduation. Um they they've a skilled uh skilled manufacturing job where they have the opportunity to earn really good income coming straight out of straight out of high school. Um so uh I'm sure that everybody will join me in congratulating uh Adrian Wilson, David Reed, Seth Dunko, Lennon Tice, and Isabel Garvish. Um I and just as a little um uh little give you a little hint or tell you next month for our Board of Education meeting I've already talked to Mr. Hanoosh he was our uh teacher and I went up to him and said I'd really would like to uh spotlight this at our next board meeting." We had
011a manufac- our manufacturing general presentation done a few years ago, but we've gotten a lot of board turnover, and really this is a very specific program, the YMP program. So, we wan- wanted to highlight that as well uh for everybody. Um I I also want to recognize and congratulate two of our RAM staff members. Uh we have two teachers who are recipients of our Fund for of of not our Fund for Teachers grant, but a Fund for Teachers grant. Uh Fund for Teachers is a national grant uh program where teachers and and certified staff members uh have the ability to uh apply for uh grant funding to usually travel during the summer months, and um two of our teachers, uh RAM Middle School teacher Kim Cain, who's here with us tonight uh in the audience,
012uh and and RAM High School English teacher Becky Curtain, they're going to be traveling to Greece this summer to explore how classical myth- mythology, art, ancient architecture, and mathematic principles intersect to reflect Greek history, identity, and belief systems. Uh Kim and Becky are are two of 337 grant recipients nationwide this year, and it was really a it was great. Um they had [clears throat] reached out to us to let us know that um somebody from Fund for Teachers was going to show up to RAM High School, um and we arranged kind of like a little bit of a little surprise for the two teachers. Um It was fantastic. It was captured on video, and and and it was it was definitely a surprise. Uh but, congratulations to Kim and Becky. We're so excited for you
013guys to do that. We've had several teachers over the past um just the four years that I've been here, you know, been grant recipients uh for this from this program, and it's a it's a great opportunity for our teachers and staff. Um the I'll just close with with saying that, you know, um as our student representative said, we're moving in towards the end of the school year, and somebody said it today at our admin team meeting, 40 42 days left of school, which is hard to imagine. Um but, with that, there's a lot of fun stuff going on. So, I always like to just give a a reminder to our students that with all this fun stuff that's going to be coming up is to hopefully everybody continues to make good decisions and doesn't do
014anything um that's going to put them into a bad situation uh at dances and events that that you have coming up. Cuz it it can be fun, but yeah, good decisions are still very, very important as we approach the school year. Uh and that concludes my superintendent's report. Okay. Please do item eight, the student program spotlight. Um okay, excellent. You want Yeah, so I would like to introduce Cassie Martin, who is a member of the Scotland Board of Education, and she is one of our K-8 area three representatives, and she is here tonight for a very If you wouldn't mind just stand at the podium, cuz that microphone won't amplify your voice, but it's for our people at home who are attending online. That'd be great, Cassie. Thank you. Okay. Good evening, directors. Um my
015name is Cassie. I am your area director for K-8 for the K-8 area. I'm so excited to be here tonight um so that to help K-8 recognize the efforts of region eight in presenting this award. Um in order to receive the Bonnie B. Carney Award of Excellence for educational communications, um entries must meet all of the following criteria. First, the general criteria, which includes clarity of your message, image, and consistency. Second, the specific guidelines of readability, editing, graphics, type format, presentation design, and value of expenditure. So, I'm very happy to present the region eight board with your award for excellence in educational communications. Um for your special project, RAM High School as School of Choice. K-8 has been honoring school districts with this award since 1975, but in 2016, the award was renamed in honor
016of long-time K-8 staff member Bonnie B. Carney in recognition of her 47 years of dedication to church education, focused mainly on communications. So, with this award, K-8's goal is to identify the the Mhm. Identify the and honor hard-working people in school districts for their continuing effort to communicate effectively. So, I did copy your work here. Um thank you. So, the pictures are Mhm. Somebody said something about one of the pictures before. Oh, did you want one? Yeah. Yeah. So, if we get more members that are present, they can come up with you. We're going to pick Yes. I was going to pick you. Yeah. That sounds good. All right, you guys are on the board, too. Get up here. Get up here. Get up here. [laughter] Come on. I started where you are. I just
017need I was going to Uh excuse me, Noah. So, Yeah, come on in. You guys all in there? Come on, you guys have to talk to the board. >> [laughter] >> Up up up up. There you go. Hi. Hello. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks. Great job. Thanks, Cassie. Thank you. Thanks, Cassie. Appreciate it. Yeah, so so um just to remind everybody um last towards the end of the summer, as we the K-8's CAPS convention, which is held annually in November, um we received information of that we could submit um a a uh communication that the the board basically is utilizing in some way, shape, or form. So, it could be a budget presentation, it could be really any type of communication, and and through really any type of medium. Um and
018as the board members remember, we put together um a uh both a PowerPoint slideshow as well as a small booklet that really was trying to promote RAM High School as a as a as a school of choice for Columbia students, and we utilized it when marketing uh the high school to uh Columbia students and their families, and um we submitted it uh uh we submitted an application to be recognized for the award, and we were chosen, and and received it. And I want to make sure that I I do recognize Shelley Asmuth, who is one of the phenomenal uh art teachers at the high school, who really just, you know, she put the ideas that we we gave her a variety of ideas and things that we wanted to convey in this communication, and and
019Shelley just took everything that um our leadership team and our department coordinators had written down, and we gave it to Shelley, and she made it look phenomenal. It It was It was incredible what she did. Uh and so, we really appreciate that. And again, just as a kind of getting ahead, uh Shelley um really did a great job of actually making that video that we shared with you earlier on in this year, um which was again a phenomenal piece of um of, you know, phenomenal communication, and uh I fully anticipate that we are going to again submit for um for this uh this communication award again um for our next next year. So, maybe Cassie will come back again, and it would be a really great five, which would be welcome. So, um very excited,
020too, though, because we actually have uh two student program spotlights. Um obviously, Cassie was here to to recognize the board and and and Shelley's work. I'm going to turn it over to actually Mary Rose Need, who's going to uh introduce the next part of our student program spotlight, which I'm very, very excited about. So, um we have a student won a very significant award, and um want to have this opportunity to share this with the board, and to give all of you an opportunity to recognize the student, and to celebrate along with us. Um the student is Noah Hoffman. She's a recipient of the Heart of the Arts Award, which is an award that is given each year to one student in the state um by the Connecticut Association of Schools. Um and there's something
021a little extra special about this as well, but prior to me speaking, I would like um you all have a chance to see the video that was made about her and um her nomination. >> [music] >> Noah's just naturally a leader, somebody who's compassionate, who reaches out when she sees somebody in need, or just sees that somebody might just need uh a friendly face. She's a very, very outgoing person. She is really close with a lot of people. She's one of the nicest people I know. In the art rooms, you get a mix of students from across the building. And so, I've always felt like if I could offer that safe and comfortable environment, then that's a success. I've taken almost every art class, but specifically taken one class with Van Sicklin each semester. It's
022just just amazing place to be in, and it helped me like >> [music] >> clear my head for the rest of the day, and then that's like what helped me throughout high school. We constantly are telling the students, we are here to meet you where you are at, to lift you up from where you are. And [music] that safe space includes acknowledging that this can be vulnerable. I like making [music] pieces that really make you like question it. I push the [music] boundaries with the norm. But, it is kind of funny that like we have the artist Noah and we have the student leader Noah and then we have the cheerleader Noah. I've cheered [music] since first grade. This is my like 12th year. I've absolutely fallen in love with cheerleading. I just love being
023a part of something. All throughout, I'm always trying to help my teammates and I'm trying to push them to be better because I can't be better without my teammates also growing. I think what is unique is that she doesn't change in any of those roles though. Who she is is who she is no matter which location [music] or which group she's around. One of the things that I loved about the school immediately was that it felt very inclusive. Our students have had a propensity to just want to be there for each other and to invite each other into things rather than trying to exclude. We have applied music, we have applied art, we have unified sports. We also have a club called Drama United. The goal is to give genuine or authentic experiences [music] to
024students who can often be overlooked or just not included in that general education classroom. >> [music] >> I think it's just overall a really fun, positive environment all the time. We have like music playing. We get to do fun activities and projects. So we have students who maybe need those additional supports and then we have the peer coaches or the leaders as well, which is what the role she fulfilled in applied arts. I think Brianna is probably the best example that we have in this school of someone who benefits from all the programs that we have here. Bri always greets me at the door. Well, if she's not at the door, she will yell my name from the opposite classroom. Possibly tackle me, but I digress. I love my Bri Bri. Noah is my friend.
025She gives me hugs. She spends time with me. You see that her communication [music] improves, which is probably the biggest thing. You know, we want her to be able to say how she feels about things, what she thinks [music] so that adults are always making decisions for her. And I think that when peers are involved in these unified and applied classes that we have, that's the only way to see that growth. The candor of the back and forth between Noah and these students almost invites other peer helpers to have that same candor who maybe have never interacted with someone who has Down syndrome or someone who has autism and doesn't comfortably know how to not hurt their feelings, let them feel seen and chosen and respected and trusted. I love music with Noah. She makes
026me feel safe when it is loud. >> [clears throat] >> What Noah really taught us this year was how much every student craves normalcy. They crave the ability to throw some sass at their friend and have their friend throw that sass right back. I've been to all the dances with Brianna and a few of the other students here at [music] school. This school is excellent. Kids come up to our students, they take them out for dances, but I'm always there in the background kind of checking [music] to make sure that it's okay. Noah stole that girl at the [music] dance and was with her for an hour. I didn't have to do anything. Everyone always says [music] it's amazing, but like I float around, so I have friends from like each group. So like I'll
027go dance with this person at homecoming, I'll go dance with them. So like I saw Brianna, I was like, "Okay, we're going to dance together." And that's just what happened. It's a genuine connection. And that's the [music] big difference between, you know, Noah and other people that I see. It's not that she's doing it [music] to be a volunteer or to put it on her resume. It's that it's a genuine connection. And I think with anything in life, you know, when it's genuine, you're going to see growth. I love you, Noah. I love you, Bri. [laughter] >> [laughter] >> When we told Noah like, "You're getting this award." Her response was, "Why?" >> [laughter] >> You know, she just doesn't see anything she's doing as special. It's just what you do and how you treat
028people and people are different, of course, is kind of Noah's mentality. I didn't even know I got nominated for anything. [music] I was really confused cuz like I don't go out of my way to like try and get awards. Like I'm just living my everyday life as I am. And having a role model like Noah is so important, I think, because we want our students as they come into Ram to see that and see that be the norm and see that be what we are celebrating and that that continues to foster that sense of inclusion and a community that works together. So for the part of the arts award, what has really been special to me is seeing the student who lives through the arts in the way that like we fell in love with
029art. So many of us fall in love with art because of the connection, because it can bring us to other people and we're in a very product-based world, but Noah's ability to see the process and to experiment and try these things >> [music] >> and just connect her community with art is the most special thing to see. She just embodies the qualities that made us fall in love with arts to begin with. And thank you for helping us to celebrate Noah. So I just want I went into high school with the mindset like I don't even know if I'm going to go to college, but like taking these classes these past 4 years and especially the applied arts class has made me realize that maybe I want to be like an art teacher. So I'm
030definitely going to go to college to see if that's like what I want to do. Even if she changes her mind, it's just great at this point in her [music] life though. She has seen the connection in the community that you can create in an art room and she really [music] has fostered that in every room she's been in. It's just her natural inclination and [music] it's beautiful to see and it's in every moment, whether it's in the arts or it's on the field. She just shines wherever she is because she is who she is and >> [music] >> she can't help but be her best self all the time. So that video says quite a bit. No, we just come up for a second No, we just want people to see you. You're so
031incredibly humble about who you are. Um but I hope you're getting to realize just how magnificent you are. I want to share something that wasn't on there, but was an anecdote shared that, you know, Noah's a cheerleader, lead cheerleader. Captain. >> [laughter] >> That wasn't my thing. Um but during the pep rally, um she was, you know, you know, captain, leading things and then she noticed two students that were sort of standing very nervously in the back of the gym and instead of just going on and doing her thing and being the center of attention, she went to those students and grabbed them and ran with them and and brought such incredible joy um to them and transforming apprehension into celebration and isolation into belonging. Um that's leadership. Not just being seen, but seeing other
032people around you. Um So Noah plans to go to Central, correct? To study art education. Um and I said there'd be a little extra thing. Um the award that Noah received, um Connecticut then forwarded her application on to the national the the section. Um so the northeast section includes New York, New Jersey and all the New England states and Noah is the recipient of the um winner of the northeast section as well. So she's one of eight students IN THE COUNTRY. SO AS WE MOVE THROUGH these days, I just want to have us all remember the power of our students and the power of compassion, empathy, inclusion and loving kindness that the impact that they can have on their community and that we can all have on them. But thank you for being you and
033being an [clears throat] inspiration to all of us. That's it. >> [applause] [applause] >> Thank you all for being here. We appreciate you guys coming tonight. Okay, that will bring us to the consent agenda. Um do you want to look at Uh yeah, so there's uh some minutes from this uh regular meeting and some special meetings that we've had as well as the public hearing. Um and then there were there were two policies. Now we're uh doing one as a part of the consent agenda. We'll discuss the other one. Um the the one that remains on the consent agenda is the committee's one for revision. Uh since the first reading last month, there were no recommended changes to that particular policy, so I would recommend that the consent agenda, not including school lunch charging, be
034approved as presented. I'll make a motion. Okay, Scott Soye is the first. We have a second? I'll second. Amy Roman Shaw. Any discussion on the consent agenda? All in favor? Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Anyone abstain? Okay. And then that will bring us to 9.6, policy 5540 on the school lunch charging. Scott, do you want to speak to it, Scott? Well, it's I mean the policy speaks for itself. It's fine. There's no issue except for one minor thing I noticed is it said that, you know, basically this doesn't apply to adults. Adults have to pay. And I wanted to point out that 18-year-old students are still adults and you should probably know that it does apply to them. You know, that they these students still, you know, can catch up, can whatever. Don't don't aren't forced
035to pay that moment if if they don't have the cash. Um So, Scott had communicated this with me earlier today. So, um I feel we we still can approve the policy this evening, but what um I what we did and I changed it in the board packet. So, Drew, you're not going to see it in your hard copy version, but but for those of you that are looking at the packet online, instead of where it says just adults currently, it's it's in the it's in the uh second paragraph where it's in the charging meals heading, in the second paragraph it says to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations the board requires adults. And then it says including staff and visitors. So, instead of just having it say adults, instead have it say the board
036requires adult non-students. And then it continues. And then it says adult again later on. So, everywhere it says adult, they just have it say adult non-students. It's three changes in the policy. Everything else remains completely the same. And it that's just a quick and easy fix to make sure that our 18 and older students uh know that they're uh still going to receive the discounted rate for the school year. So, that that would be the only >> I've seen this policy twice before and this is the first time I noticed it. It's one of those things. >> Yeah. Jumps out at you. So, again, if if the board the board is okay with that change being made, I I we could still move forward with it approving it. We would just need a motion to
037approve it as amended. I'll make a motion we approve it as amended. Okay. So, that's Drew Golfing a second. >> [clears throat] >> I'll second. Scott So, yet? Any other discussion on that? All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Anyone abstain? Okay. Awesome. Thank you. All right. That will bring us to um Jessica, thank you for changing the notes real time for me. >> [laughter] >> Um that will bring us to new and unfinished business. Um Presentation of the safety officer. Yes. So, as the board knows, we have uh the new positions um positions this year of the safety officers. Uh we uh hired four individuals to um work as safety officers in the district. The board obviously last year this something came through the budgetary process last year. The board was supportive of it. We
038were fortunate enough to um uh again, it passed and and we're thrilled. And and I said to individual board members, and I may have even said it in public meetings before, of all of the changes positive changes that we've made in my opinion over the past four years since I've been in district with regards to improving our safety and security posture, I think that these four positions are the best investment that we've made, hands down. That's my opinion. Um and I've invited Chris Mater, assistant principal of the high school, and Carrie Ann Bell, assistant principal of the middle school, to talk and do a kind of an overview. I really think it's important for the board to have an understanding about what these positions are, um the work that they do, and and also they're
039going to provide some feedback from from staff about that they've heard from staff members and and students as well, I believe, about um the feelings that we have on safety officers. So, I'll invite uh uh Ms. Bell and Mr. Mater to come on up to the podium and uh we have a presentation and then there's an opportunity for board members to ask some questions. Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. I'm Chris Mater, assistant principal of the high school. Um we also have Carrie Ann Bell, assistant principal of the middle school. Carrie Ann and I have had the opportunity work together over the years on a variety of tasks, most notably enhancing our district safety posture and procedures over the years. One of the enhancements we'd like to showcase this evening
040was implemented this fall. Implemented at the start of this this school year, the district made an investment in student and staff safety by hiring four safety officers as Dr. McNamara mentioned earlier. to serve both our North Woodinville high schools. Our safety officers were hired and trained over the summer prior to the beginning of the school year. And tonight we want to share how the decision to hire the safety officers [clears throat] has really positively transformed not only our safety systems, but also our school culture, our relationships, and some of our daily operations. You'll learn about these positive changes not only from my perspective, but also as Dr. McNamara mentioned through the voices of Ram teachers and staff who've been positively impacted by the safety officer roles. Uh some of their insights will be directly integrated
041into the slides. So, over the past five or six years, we've really made some significant improvements to our overall safety posture at Ram. For me, the addition of the safety officer positions was the final missing piece to a series of significant and very positive improvements that have been made. Before implementing safety officers, many of our safety responsibilities fell on already overextended main office staff, as well as administrators. Now, we really have dedicated professionals whose sole focus is keeping our school secure and keeping our school safe. In the past, hallway supervision and transition transition times had limited coverage. Today, safety officers provide a consistent, visible presence throughout the building, which really helps prevent issues before they start. And as assistant principals we appreciate the staff following this. Our approach has really shifted from reactive to proactive.
042Instead of responding after concerns arise, we now have systems and the personnel in place to anticipate and prevent problems. When issues do occur, as they do from time to time in secondary schools, our response is efficient and our response is effective. We've also strengthened our overall safety coordination. With the trained safety officers, our protocols are more organized, more consistent, and more effective. Safety officers have recommended procedural changes that we've even already led to safer practices. Previously, coverage at outside events or after school events could vary. Now, we really ensure reliable safety support across all school activities both during and after the school day, in and out of the building. Most importantly, this increased presence helps build relationships and trust with our students. So, safety officers are seen as approachable adults and not just enforcement. Um
043that can be said and you can see it on a day-in-day-out basis with our students interacting with the safety officers, not just at the safety desk where they enter the building, in the hallways. Um I'd like to speak specifically to the first bullet, in the vetting of visitors. I'd like to read a quote from an administrative assistant who has seen so many changes firsthand. Uh Mrs. Mary Ann Egan has been administrative assistant to the assistant principals, as well as um the head receptionist at the Cedar Park Ram high school, Gail Richter. She said, "I began my position in the main office in February 2021. At that time, I was responsible for managing entry into the high school, including and welcoming and monitoring guests, students, and vendors. While I was committed to this responsibility, it was
044a significant addition to my daily duties and often challenging to balance." Um she mentioned that she has other tasks to do as well. She's the administrative assistant to both assistant principals, so she processes and handles all discipline referrals, helps with standard testing. Um there's a million things I could mention now. I'll probably end up forgetting a whole bunch of them. So, in addition to answering the phone, she's also entering um visitors and vetting visitors. She was very She said, "I was very pleased when the safety officer positions were approved, as this role carries a great deal of responsibility. Since then, I have regularly observed safety staff interacting with students in a positive and effective manner. On many occasions, they have successfully de-escalated situations and redirected students appropriately." You go to the next slide, please. Um
045I certainly want to highlight the critical role our safety officers play officers play in maintaining a secure and supportive school environment. As I mentioned on the previous slide, there's a stronger delineation of roles through both buildings. At the core of their work is prevention and visibility. They manage and vet all building visitors, monitor entrances, and help secure the overall perimeter of the building. This ensures that we always know who is in our school and that our spaces remain safe. Throughout the day, they actively supervise key areas like hallways, cafeterias, and arrival and dismissal times both in person and through the use of camera monitoring. Their presence helps maintain a positive environment, build quality relationships with students, and helps prevent issues before they escalate. When situations do arise, our safety officers respond quickly and effectively to
046behavioral concerns or incidents. They also work closely with administration by escorting students and adults, supporting investigations, follow-up actions, and emergency response efforts. Their ability to act quickly and collaboratively is essential during situations. Because of their support, our main office staff can stay focused on their primary responsibilities. We're also seeing faster response times when concerns come up, which helps de-escalate situations and respond more effectively. In addition, safety officers help ensure consistency and health protocols are followed across the building, which strengthens overall accountability, and importantly, their presence and training improves our readiness to respond to all emergencies as they have throughout the year. Next slide. Um more than just physical security, they're not just keeping students physically safe, they're helping students feel safe and feel connected. The safety officer role extends beyond the school day. They actively
047support extracurricular activities. You'll see them at athletic events, school functions, and even off-campus trips like ski club. They also help strengthen the school culture by participating in community building community building events like trivia nights, where I believe one of our safety officers, Keith, and a group of faculty members took place place recently. Um this is going to be a message from Mike Grambone, one of our two very brave ski club advisors. >> [laughter] >> Mike said, "During the 2025-2026 ski and snowboard club season, two safety officers, Sarah, Keith, and James, volunteered to attend all of our trips. They voluntarily sat in the back of the bus and helped maintain calmness and safety while on the bus. Over the past few years, bus trips have been challenging with certain behaviors. So, having them them on the
048bus really helped us set the right tone of the trip that the ski and the snowboard club is a privilege, not a right. While at the mountain, they filled in much-needed chaperone assistance by sitting table duty and helping students out with any issues that may arise, lost skis, missing passes, where to get rentals, etc. We even had a medical incident during our first trip where a student broke their wrist. Luckily, both safety officers have medical training, and one of them in particular is a trained EMT and helped the student while they waited for their parents to pick them up. Honestly, having the safety officers on the trip has been an absolute game-changer, and both myself and my co-advisor were way less stressed and anxious this year knowing that we had help with both medical issues
049and behavioral concerns." Again, that's Mike Grambone. He's a social studies teacher. Well, he's an advisor of ski and snowboard club. So, the next slide, I would just wanted to to really highlight the team and put kind of a face with their names. Although we traditionally hire for positions and rarely highlight the unique skills and talents of the individuals in the positions, we really thought it was important tonight to discuss the wide variety of experiences each of our safety officers bring to our campus. Um their experiences blew my mind, honestly. The the fact that we were able to hire these four people in these four positions and sitting in the interview committee with Carrie and Dr. McNamara, it was unbelievable. Their interviews and the experience that they bring. So, the first is Keith Adell, safety officer
050Adell came to RAM after retiring from the Willimantic Police Department as a detective. He was assigned to the SWAT team as a medic for 12 years and holds an EMT certification. He holds an instructor certification in active shooter, aggressor, room clearing, and tactical medicine for 10 years, training many law enforcement officers across the state. He also worked closely with the Windham Public Schools teaching run, hide, fight while on the staff. Mr. Adell enjoys working at RAM because of the atmosphere because the atmosphere is very pleasant and welcoming by all staff and students. >> [clears throat] >> I think it's also important to note that um many of the safety officers who work here are very fortunate that they're also members in the community, so they're invested in the community. Um Keith being one of those.
051So, outside of RAM, Keith enjoys camping with his family, fishing, and just being outside. And during this kids uh their basketball practice, cuz I see him all the time. Uh next is [clears throat] safety officer Kane. Safety officer Kane worked for the Office of Adult Probation for 27 years, the last 15 as chief, and then brought his experience to the Norwich Juvenile Review Board for 2 years, which is a diversionary process for students who get in trouble um and end up getting arrested. He has most enjoyed forming the relationships he has made with students and staff at RAM. He thinks there are some incredible people at RAM. And in his free time, he likes to barbecue and annoy his wife. Which I do have two pastimes Mr. Kane and I both actually have in common.
052>> [laughter] >> I will say that an additional thing is Carrie and I, we both really feel that every one of the safety officers are really easy to get along with. I think it's probably because of some of the high-pressure situations they've been in in the past, and they're just grateful to be at RAM where the majority of the people are awesome. >> [laughter] >> Uh next is Alan. Safety officer Piasecki retired as a parole officer assigned assigned to the Fugitive Investigative Unit in the state of Connecticut. During this time period, he was also a tactical instructor and firearms instructor for the parole division. Upon retiring from state service, he has been employed as the safety officer at NFA and at Bacon Academy, which is RAM with us. One thing that he has enjoyed while
053working at RAM as a safety officer is the relationships that he has been able to build with the student body, staff, and the greater RAM community. He believes the RAM community to be extremely appreciative of the presence of safety officers and has enjoyed the amount of ideas shared with the team to improve safety in our schools. Outside of RAM, he enjoys many hobbies including taking care of animals, playing guitar, Um and finally, I'd like you to meet James Saunders. Officer safety officer Saunders started working in security at 16 years old. He ran the Six Sense Security Company doing all phases of security including monitoring events, personal personal security, property protection, and asset protection. While working in the security field, he became a bail enforcement agent. He worked in bail enforcement for a total of 18
054years prior to starting at RAM with us in the fall. In his free time, he likes to spend time with his family, coach sports in the community, and enjoy outdoor activities. He's on the board of directors for Little League where he ran Andover, Marlborough, and Columbia. Um and now I said on a previous slide, I stated that the increased safety officer presence helped build relationships and trust with students. Um so, safety officers are seen as approachable adults, not just enforcement. I'd like to commend each of our safety officers for investing their time to build relationships with our students and with our staff. In a period of not even a year, three quarters of the year, it seems like they know all our kids and all our staff, which is unbelievably impressive. At initial entry meetings
055and trainings at the beginning of the year, we continue to discuss the importance of relationship building. And I'm proud that each member of our team embodies emotion as they stated themselves, um and that we will continue to be in the business of building relationships with all students here at RAM. Uh next slide. So, this is day and night and safety officers. Uh so, I just wanted to highlight, and I think it's important to note too, and you see this, that they do a a bunch of different things. It's not always a progression. They do many different things during the day depending on what's necessary and what's needed, but I'd like to at least walk you through the morning of our safety officers and how they support the school day. Each morning begins with a full
056walk of the building perimeter and campus to ensure everything is secure. They also assist with traffic flow, parent drop-off, and bus departure, helping things run smoothly and safely. Um they're here long before at least one of them is here, most often two of them is here, long before students arrive. Um so, as the assistant principals are here also getting ready to provide coverage for the teachers that are absent getting that stuff ready, our mind is focused on that as opposed to securing the building at that time, which is a game-changer, honestly, for our principals. Um they provide a visible, welcoming presence as they greet students and staff when they arrive. During this time, they're also paying close attention to student behavior, identifying any concerns early and stepping in to intervene or de-escalate situations as needed.
057As we move into the early school hours, they have a presence in the hallways during class time and passing periods, helping ensure students are where they need to be and that transitions are orderly. They also check in with students who may need additional support, building relationships and addressing concerns before they grow up. In addition, safety officers support administration with follow-ups and other student-related needs during the day while continuing to monitor the building for any unauthorized visitors or potential safety concerns. Um and as I had mentioned, they they there's definitely seems like it is all progressive, but there's definitely things that they do that help what we have going on in the building um during all portions of the school day as well. I'd like to pass it on to Carrie [clears throat] Ann to discuss
058the afternoon procedures. Thank you. As we move into the middle of the day, um again, the safety officers continue to monitor the entrance and vet all visitors that come into RAM, but they're also focused on maintaining visibility and preventing issues before they escalate. They supervise high-traffic areas like the cafeteria. You'll always see them in all the lunch waves walking around, talking with students. Um they're walking the hallways, not just in passing time, but also during classes and checking each bathroom. Kind of the places where more students have the most interaction. Their presence alone has seemed to help deter problems. And when things do arise, they can step in early to de-escalate those minor situations before they become major incidents. This is a time of day is also important for relationship building. Through casual and supportive
059conversations, they're connecting with students and staff all day long, building that trust that makes it easier to address concerns more proactively. They also remain responsive throughout the day, act quickly, and assist staff whenever needed and wherever that support may be needed. And as we move into the afternoon dismissal, their roles shift again to ensure a safe and organized end of our school day. They monitor bus lines, parent pick-up, and organize parent pick-up and overall student flow to keep that dismissal process running smoothly. We're out there as well, but again, couple of us, there's just more bodies to monitor because as you know, we have a very large campus. And then even after dismissal, they continue to be a presence across our campus. They help supervise after-school activities, evening events, and maintain that safe environment. And
060just like earlier in the day, they continue to build those positive relationships with students outside of the classroom and reinforcing that sense of connection and support. We have seen this year that the presence of our four safety officers has had a clear impact on the overall climate and culture of our school. There has been a noticeable increase in adult visibility throughout the building and on campus, which has contributed to a greater sense of supervision and support for our students and staff. In addition, the safety officers have played an important role in proactively de-escalating potential conflicts, often addressing issues either in the moment or before they escalate. We have seen improvements to our entry procedures as Chris mentioned more thoroughly. They're now more structured and more welcoming to our students and visitors that come in into
061RAM. And collectively, these efforts have strengthened the overall sense of order and calmness within the school community. And we've experienced a reduction in disruptive and unsafe behaviors throughout the year, supporting a safer and more focused learning environment for our students and our staff. Our middle school STEP program teacher, um, gave a little feedback as did he also, my work closely with. Our safety officers have made a really positive impact on our students, especially in STEP. Their calm, level-headed approach helps create a sense of stability that we all need. Each of them connects with kids in their own way, which makes a big difference. What stands out most is how easily they can handle high-intensity situations without adding tension. I really appreciate everything they do to support our students and help keep our environment safe and
062STEP. And I can attest that there've been a few situations that I've been called to STEP program and I'll bring a safety officer with me and just the calmness they have, they know these students, they know their name, they know who they are, what works for them, what helps calm them, and it's just amazing [clears throat] to have that kind of partnership with them in those situations. We also want to make sure we highlight the overall value that our investment in the safety officers brought to our district. First and foremost, we've seen an improvement in our overall safety and security posture. With consistent monitoring in and out of the building, quicker response times, and proactive support, our schools are better prepared to prevent and respond to issues when they arise. There've been, you know, a
063few medical emergencies this year and having, you know, Keith who's a trained medic, or others with somatic experience as part of our staff, they work so well with the nurses, administration in those situations where we can handle them quickly, effectively, and with minimal disruption to the students throughout the school day. A lot of times, most people don't know there was a medical emergency going on because of their help during those situations. There's been a clear increase in operational efficiency. While the safety officers support daily security functions, us administrators can remain highly visible and engaged. We can continue to build those relationships and lead the school and communicate effectively. And this investment has also enhanced the overall experience of both students and staff. A visible, supportive presence has created a very positive, structured environment throughout the
064day and allowed our staff to focus on teaching. In addition, we've built a stronger confidence within our community, not just during the school day, but at our events that we have throughout the nights and weekends. Families and staff feel reassured knowing that safety is a clear priority here and there's a presence of a familiar face with our safety officers. I have a few pieces of feedback to share from our staff that we thought were great to hear from. Um, one from the high school and one from the middle school. So, this is from Steve Congdon. I have a clip of it up here, but I'll read the full feedback he gave. He is our high school special education teacher, one of them. Steve says, "Having been a teacher at RAM for over 25 years, I
065have seen numerous changes in the school environment. Data clearly indicates a rising trend in behavioral incidents and safety threats within our schools, reinforcing the need for stronger security measures. Factors such as student and community behavior, social media influence, and broader public safety issues have all contributed to increasing anxiety and concerns about safety for everyone. I can personally attest to the situation, having felt increasingly anxious as these trends continued. However, my anxiety levels have decreased this year thanks to the school safety officers RAM has implemented. These four individuals bring a level of knowledge and vision that we, as teachers, do not possess. Our role is to teach and their role is to keep everyone safe. Personally, I required the security officer's assistance twice this past week. Now, they're great. The first incident involved a student who
066was part of a behavioral incident and needed to be quickly located. The safety officers acted swiftly and professionally, finding the student without judgment. Their prompt action diffused a potentially escalating situation leading to a quick and easy resolution. And the second incident occurred in my classroom, requiring medical attention for a student. Following the student's health care plan, the safety officers executed the necessary steps flawlessly like clockwork. The student received care with minimal disruption to the rest of the class. Most of the other students were unaware of the situation, allowing the entire student body to continue the day without a hitch thanks to the assistance of these individuals. I would like to say that I'm glad that these safety officers are a member of our RAM community. Tim, James, Keith, and Alan are a valuable asset to
067our district. They have been able to make positive changes to our environment while keeping everyone safe. Their presence is making a positive impact on both the students and the staff. I'm glad they're part of our school system. Another feedback from Beth Walsh, who is our inquiry science teacher at the middle school. With their backgrounds as retired police and probation officers, they bring an incredible level of experience, professionalism, and calm presence to our school. They understand their role clearly and ensure that maintaining safety and security is their sole focus, allowing the rest of us to concentrate on teaching and learning. As a staff member, I see them walk in the halls every day, building positive relationships with both staff and students, greeting students by name, and making sure everyone feels safe and supported. At the same
068time, they're constantly checking doors and monitoring the building to ensure everything remains safe and secure. Their presence brings me great peace of mind knowing when our own children are in this building, they are protected. So, in closing, our safety officers have become an integral part of our RAM school community. They're visible, they're trusted, and they're deeply committed to maintaining a positive and safe environment for our students, our staff, and everyone here at RAM. Their presence not only strengthens our security, but it has strengthened our schools as a whole. Because of their work, students, staff, and administrators are not only safer, but more connected. We are seeing increased trust from students towards adults and stronger student student-adult relationships developing across the buildings. They also play an important role in supporting teachers and administrators by helping ensure
069entrances are secure and monitored, which contributes to improved classroom continuity and fewer disruptions throughout the day. In addition, their collaboration with staff and administration during incidents, whether it involves students or adults, has strengthened our overall response and consistency. At the end of the day, their impact goes beyond safety. They help us create a school culture where everyone feels supported, connected, and ready to succeed. And their impact is truly felt across every part of the school community, making our RAM schools safer, stronger, and better places to learn. And you thank you for your support bringing them here. It has been and we can attest just the positivity they bring. Um, they help us out and really do our jobs more efficiently since we have them here and everyone is safer possibly. Okay. Actually If any of
070you have any questions, please. I just the resumes are wonderful. All the experience they bring and like >> [clears throat] >> the calmness, like how you're saying, whatever they dealt with before in their law enforcement career, being here is probably a welcome change. Yes. >> [laughter] >> It's it's interesting. Um I mean, Kerriann and Chris would would agree with this. We we've all collectively as administrators been involved in hundreds of interviews and >> [clears throat] >> it has never happened to me before until hiring these four guys. We literally interviewed four these four guys and we had after each interview we were like, "We got to hire that person." We didn't we didn't interview a fifth person. We they they came in, they were the only people that we interviewed, they were phenomenal. And that's
071never happened before when I had to interview people. Or or more Yeah, no, to have four outstanding applicants and all different backgrounds [clears throat] with some similarities and they each bring their own and they are and they're just and they fit so well and it's just seamlessly they've come into our school and they really do know probably more kids than I know. So many they know their names, they know who they are and the kids welcome that. You know, saying hello, you'll see kids talking in bunches in the halls and how's your day and they know who plays sports or who's in music or who did something in art. They really do know these students inside out, which is amazing. It's a great to have that connection to the community. Very good. Enjoy that. See
072that as a positive. You know, that's a positive role model in their life. Are there any board members online that have any questions or comments for Kerri or Hi. I I just have a couple of thoughts. Um number one, I've seen these safety officers in action and they really are fantastic. Uh I'm just so impressed with how they handle security when I enter the building and how they interact with the students. I think the question that a lot of people have had has just been about the number of four being a significant number and I'm just wondering if um down the road it's mentioned many times the reduction in behaviors, is there any data we could look at in previous years before they were hired and now just to see those hard numbers, I think
073would be really helpful. Thank you. So I what I what I could speak to is I I'll talk to the numbers first, the number of of of having four of them. Um the board members know, when I had proposed these these positions last year, initially um going through the budget process, I had initially proposed three, but with the caveat of my ideal number is four. And the reason for that is because they're not just in one school or another school. They're they're one of the things that we very strategically did was we wanted to have all four of them. We didn't want to have two people assigned to the middle school and two people assigned to the high school. We wanted all four of the safety officers to be working in both schools. And with
074having the reception desks, well I and I'll I'll I'll finish my we we felt it was important for the the idea of what Chris and Kerriann really drilled home, which is their ability to develop relationships across the the spectrum of students. And they've been able to do that, which is great. So now these kids coming in as seventh graders will know these guys going all the way up through high school, which is going to be it's going to only help with regards to eliminating some of those and reducing some of that unwanted behavior. Um the reason that we also know went with four instead of three um is because of the fact that there are times where they're absent, right? And we don't have substitute safety officers. So if we have one safety officer that's
075absent, we still have the ability to cover both reception desks, but then have somebody who's floating throughout the building or buildings, I should say. And also one of the things that they do is they do a they do an outside uh walk around as well um throughout the course of the school day. They're outside uh going around and checking the the perimeters of the building as Chris and Kerriann noted they're looking at exits. They're they're they literally will walk up to doors and they'll they'll jostle the door to make sure that it's latched and not being propped open. Um and and so if we ended up only having three people and somebody was absent, they really would be restricted to staying at only only having those reception desks monitored um and and and not being
076able to have that person who's out and about in the you know, in the buildings or obviously in an inappropriate world we have two people that are you know, somebody at the middle school. So so throughout the course of the day we always have two people in the middle school, two people in the high school and then they're kind of rotating between the reception desk, floating in the hallways and then they're swapping back and forth between the two schools. So that's the reason why we went with four and and and again I had initially proposed three last year, but there in the end we had funding that was uh we could allocate towards hiring the fourth one and again I'm I that decision was absolutely the right one to make. And it's it's funny too,
077Jess, that you ask about hard data and I think that's really really hard to do. Um in in preparation for this presentation, I had said to Chris and Kerriann, you know, can we have like, you know, have we seen can can we provide, you know, uh we've seen a decrease in office referrals or we've seen a decrease so we can actually some tangible data. And I think that over the course of time we might be able to provide that information more. Um it's just really hard to do that I think within this first year, but I'm again I am hoping uh that we can do that because I think it is important for the public and the board to see that investment is is seeing a reduction in things like that. I can tell you
078like there were some there were times where talking um even as recently as last year and particularly at the high school, you know, just things like bathroom behaviors during lunch periods. And I I know it takes place in the middle school, too, but I mean I hate to say it, but like it on a almost a daily basis like kids were going into the restrooms with with their food and we'd get reports that uh got to get a custodian to come up because somebody decided to take their food and drop it into the toilet, clog the toilet. And that would happen unfortunately on a fairly regular basis. What we have the ability to do now is obviously the presence of the guys [clears throat] is is fantastic. But one of the other things that they
079do and Chris and Kerriann uh alluded to this was when they're sitting at the reception desk, they're not just doing visitor access management, there's they they each have computer screens at the reception desks and they're monitoring the cameras. And so if I remember I walked downstairs one day and uh one of the guys was at the desk here in the middle school and I walked by him and hey, what's going on? And they're they were looking at the computer screens and they said, uh Kerriann said something happened in this particular area of the building and and and and then and then I remember like literally he's describing he goes, and I'm looking to see it. He goes, I I got it. I got it. And he's like, look, see that see what see right there?
080So we're able to actually identify students sometimes making bad choices and that information then gets reported to the administration and then, you know, Kerriann or Chris or whoever it is will go and address the issue with the students. So it's it's been great to be able to have that because that bathroom and the destructive behavior of clogging the toilets, that's been decreased significantly. I think Chris and the high school because of the fact that they're monitoring the cameras and they're able to say, oh oh the you know, at 10:45 is when we got the phone call that the toilet was clogged. Let's go back and start watching the cameras at 10:30 and see who went into those bathrooms and then the administration can go and speak specifically to those students or they could see the
081kids walking in with a tray full of food and leaving with no food. So it's it's really been a game changer um in in so many different ways for with regards to just mitigating some of the disruptive behavior and bad choices that kids sometimes tend to make. Thank you. Yep, absolutely. Any other board members? Okay. Thank you. Yeah, so I just wanted to thank Chris and Kerriann for putting this together. They have a lot on their plates during the context of their regular day and I said to them about three weeks ago, I'm like, do you guys think you could pull this together for the April meeting? And they're like, "Okay, we're going to try." But I I really wanted Chris and Kerriann to do it and I and you guys did an awesome job
082because I I should also note that um Chris and Kerriann have really led the charge of of really a lot of the really all of the safety and security stuff that we've done. You know, they offsite reunification plan was developed by Chris and Kerriann and um you know, that's a comprehensive plan, you know, should we ever need to evacuate the district and be offsite and reunify students with families offsite. Like we now have a comprehensive plan in place that Chris and Kerriann put together. So they've really led the work, which is why I wanted to recognize them and thank them for the work that they did because they're uh the success of the safety officer program is also in large part due to the the guidance and direction they've gotten from Chris and Kerriann. So
083thank you guys for what you do. Thank you. Okay, that will bring us to 10.2, the new textbook review. So there is a enclosure in the board packet, enclosure 10.2. It's just a memo to the board. We met as a program subcommittee recently to review new textbooks um the district staff would like to use beginning next school year for a number of our courses. Um So at the meeting there was me and I just kind of talked a little bit about the different texts and materials and resources that we're looking to utilize with students next year. If anybody wants some light reading, um you might want to pick those up. Um we >> I got through this one already and I all that >> Oh, there was okay, good. There was that before. So um
084You are a speed reader, Scott. That is impressive. Um so uh these uh the way that our policy is around textbook adoption is basically it goes to, essentially, a first look, first review at a at at an initial board meeting and then the textbooks would be, um, come up for essentially a second review and then approval for use at the next Board of Education meeting. I do have copies of these. They're they are in the main office, uh, central office. If anybody would like to come and review them, they certainly can. Um, what we'll do next time, Scott had a good suggestion, is making these available before the program subcommittee meets. So, next time what we'll do is we'll make sure that board members have a chance to review them prior to the subcommittee meeting
085if they want to, but then they're obviously available in between now and our main meeting. Um, and, uh, and and board members can certainly schedule a time to come in and review them, um, or we can if you want them, we can certainly get them delivered to your homes and you can review through them. It's it's completely up to you. Uh, like I said, library. Um, if if anybody has any specific questions, either Mary or Rose or myself can do our best to try and answer those. Do any of you have any questions on the textbooks? Okay, that will bring us to 10.3, which is the update on the proposed 2026-2027 budget. I did want to take a second to thank everybody for, um, we all know there's a lot of extra meetings outside of
086the regular board meetings that happen as we are preparing, um, for, you know, for budget season. Also, uh, this year has been challenging, I guess it's fair to fair to say, and and we have mixed reviews on the budget. Um, some people are favorable, some people are not so favorable. I know sometimes that's hard to, um, to manage, but I just wanted to thank everybody for putting the time in and, um, we'll see what happens. Yeah, so there I don't really have an update because nothing's really changed since our last meeting when the board did adopt a budget to send a referendum. What I do have though is copies of, just a the draft of the one-page flyer, um, that we put together and and send out. Um, board members at home, I will certainly
087email this this to you as well just so you get a chance to review it. Um, I followed the pretty much the same format that we've used historically. Um, I I I I also just kind of want to say like I agree with Heather, it's been a challenging year, although I I do want to say that, um, I think this board has a lot to be proud of with regards to this budget. We despite the narrative that may exist in some parts of the the three towns, um, a 3.19 uh, percent increase is is incredibly responsive to the difficult budgetary, you know, financial struggles that that towns are facing. We're the lowest, I believe, of the three of of the four districts, um, by a great deal. Um, one of the things that you'll know
088in in this in the budget note section on the on the bottom right-hand side, Eva is a member of the Connecticut Association of School Business Officials. Thank you, CASBO. And one of the thing that things that CASBO does annually is they they create a spreadsheet and school districts, um, can can go in and input where they are what the superintendent's recommended budget is and what the Board of Education's adopted budget is. And that gets updated and and we all have access to Eva has access to it and shares it with us. And of the 113 113-ish 115 school districts in the state that have reported what the Board of Educ- Education adopted budget is, uh, we are um, there's 80 80% of the budgets of those that were reported are are higher than than where
089we are. So, we are in the lowest 1/5 of of budgets in the state of Connecticut for those districts that are reporting. So, that's I think that's demonstrating that this board is is is very responsive to the to the, you know, kind of the times where we are right now. Um, again, you know, it has information about the member town levies and the credit offset and interest and how it's going to impact the town budget. I always try to highlight some of the more, um, kind of the more pertinent things with regards to what we've done to to get to where we are. We've done a lot of reductions, about 1.4 million, um, in in personnel items and services that had initially been requested from budget owners. Um, you know, I'm highlighting the fact that
090we're we're looking at, uh, over $300,000 in tuition for, uh, the base tuition from Columbia students attending RHAM High School for next year. Um, again, that's money that is then going to further reduce member town levies once it's divided up and and applied as revenue. Um, so I I I do think that this provides a pretty high-level, a pretty detailed high-level overview. Um, if there's feedback on this, I certainly would welcome hearing that feedback. Um, what I would intend to do once we get this buttoned up is two things. Uh, we would send it to the River East and we usually get a about a quarter of a page and and actually put the budget flyer into the River East. I also would send an email blast utilizing School Messenger Messenger to members of the,
091um, to members of the the commu- the RHAM community giving some narrative and context to kind of where we currently are and how we gotten there. Um, and then we make copies of this one-page budget flyer available in our three member towns' uh, town halls, um, as well as, uh, we can make them available as well for the elementary schools, uh, that that feed into RHAM as well. Um, but I think we're in a really good place, um, and and if there's feedback on this, I certainly would would be happy to take it, but I'm looking forward to moving on and hopefully, uh, finding a positive outcome here. The folks that are online, you'll see that Jessica has shared the, um, flyer with you. Thank you, Jessica. She is, um, >> [laughter] >> Does anybody
092have any questions or comments regarding this flyer? Is this You said a quarter page, but I thought this goes as a insert, goes into the paper? >> I I think what we it I'd have to check with Jess. I know I know we've done like a quarter of a page in the past. We also may have done it as an insert. I don't know. I'd have to check. Yeah, Jess, I don't know if you can read it if it was in a quarter page. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I couldn't, but that's my eyes. >> [laughter] >> It might be an insert. I think it is an insert. So, No, it was that page in the It's actually I think it's a half of a page. I'm not sure if it's a quarter, but it was definitely
093a a page that goes in the paper. >> Okay. Okay. Anybody online have any, um, questions or comments regarding that? Okay. Actually, you said that, um, you know, it's what the school budget office reported. What is it that they're reporting it? Is this also reported to the state for this reason? State someone? No, we just do it through CASBO. Just some request to monitor. Just I I figured the state state would have this information at some point. They don't they don't keep any reporting. If they do, I So, we do, um, I think August, I believe there is a minimum budget requirement report, but that's after everything's gotten approved, not during not during the steps. What what did what does spreadsheet that Eva has access to and shares is it shows what the superintendent's proposed
094budget is, what the board adopts, if there is a Board of Finance reduction that is made, it shows kind of what the Board of Fin- So, it just shows the progression and in the end it was whatever is the final number that has been approved for the following year. So, it's a really helpful thing just cuz it shows the At the end of the year, do they have everybody or is it a lot of self-reporting? >> it's really, um, some districts are self-reporting, so there's not a it's I've never seen it 100%, but but, you know, you can get up to again, you're getting a pretty good flavor when you're seeing 113 115 out of, you know, 118 districts across the state, so. Oops. I mean, I think it just died for some reason. It's
095only 50%. Um, okay, so that will bring us to first readings of policies. Uh, >> 4120 Yeah, 4120 and 4220 and then 5125. So, I could I could speak to each of these. So, these are all, um, I'll be able to do this, I think. Um, these are all, um, we've really done, obviously, a significant amount with regards to, um, Oops, I got it. We've done a lot with regards to updating policies that we have, uh, have had in our our budget or I'm sorry, in our policy book, um, over the past four years. We're getting to the end of of really needing to make revisions just based off of the fact that we've not done that for so many years, but, um, we constantly are getting, um, recommendations for updates, uh, from Shipman and
096Goodwin, and these are two that just they've updated based off of some need to clarify guidelines around some things. So, with regards to the social media one or social networking, um, it Shipman updated their model policy and regulations to clarify the legal guidelines regarding a board's limited right as a public employer to regulate certain forms of employee speech in the context of social media. So, there were just some minor changes. They're not legislatively, um, driven. It's really more of just for clarification, uh, purposes. Um, and then as far as the second policy, access to student records or confidentiality and access to student records, um, under FERPA, the rights to access a student's educational records transfer from the parent to the student once the student turns 18 and becomes an eligible student. FERPA permits, but does
097not require schools to disclose educational records to parents of eligible students without the student's consent if the parent claims the student as a dependent under Section 152 of IRS code. So, Shipman went through the process of updating this uh their policy and the regulations to clarify that such disclosures are permitted, but not mandatory. Uh they also made some minor technical edits to the policy as well. So, really nothing substantive with with either of these policy updates. Uh again, they're just recommended coming from Shipman for clarification purposes. Matthews, I can certainly take any questions if people have any. Anybody have any questions on these policies? And they were reviewed by the policy subcommittee. I think there was some minor feedback that I got on either one of them. Um I I yeah, with this the first
098one, right? Yeah. The the second one was just minor wording, too. Yeah, correct. All right, that will bring us to financials. >> [cough] >> All right, so 10.6A is the packet number and that is your financials and I'm projecting uh net favorable position of $624,930 at the end of March 31st, 2026. Um as you will see, um there's an additional report that got added to um the handout and so now this is a summarized version of the 50 um page. So, it's just a rolled up version so that um you can see the object codes um and see what the transactions were in the object code as opposed to seeing each account number under each object code. With that, the Unified School District of Connecticut is working on uh reviewing excess cost reports submitted for
099the March 1st filing. Once these reports are reviewed, any adjustments for prior year are taken into account for the final excess cost payment for this fiscal year will be released. The payment is due to the district no later than uh May 31st. Based on the meeting that I attended, the preliminary reimbursement for Regional School District 8 was 69.19% when everything is said and done. But again, that's a preliminary I think Um the capital improvement fund and reserve for educational fund, everything that was a project is closed and we're just awaiting the new next uh fiscal year. And pupil services is working on purchase orders and any IEP changes that may associate um any PO's services or anything that needs to be changed in that regard. Are there any questions that the board may have? First
100of all, thanks for the new report. I very much like that. It's that's exactly the level of detail I feel I can absorb >> [laughter] >> rather than the detailed one below it. And the on that report though, the um range to date is the date range in there in the top table. That's what I figured. Comma only already answered me about the uh transfers. >> Yeah, I missed that one. I apologize. Yeah. Oh yeah, no, there's just There's just that. Yeah, I I that's that's what I guessed. I thought I would $2 total and it was zero. But that's it. I That would be it. So, the excess cost reimbursement, it's above the four and a half times what this what you've heard so far, we know this is this town is that above
101the four and a half, let's say it's 100 bucks. We're only going to see 69% of it roughly, is that the projection right now? So, the state's not delivering, right? Okay, good cuz you know, I talked to some people >> [laughter] >> and I want to be able to say what See something like that, okay. 100% has never happened. And and so, I just wanted to confirm. I assumed that's what it was, but I just wanted to you know, understand that they're reneging. Yeah. And um I'm not going to mince words on that. And then so, we have a significantly more favorable position this month than last month. >> Correct. Large portion it seems to be from salaries. Correct. And so, we have people that are leaving um that we're not going to be filling
102that positions. We have sub the daily sub line um at a very favorable position that I freed up because we're not going to need as many subs. So, I I am watching that a little bit closer. I may have been a little too generous with what I freed up, but um watching it closely just to make sure that we're doing very well. But they these the salary reductions for those that have left, that we already heard about it cuz there was no report of like if we had resigned recently. Well, last month. Well, so so well well, so what it like I can give you an example. So, as the board knows, one of the positions that we eliminated through the budget process this year was a hallway monitor position. Right? So, that position became
103vacant and um I just said it doesn't make sense to backfill that position because we were going to eliminate it anyway. So, that's the position. So, that's just a position that we didn't backfill. Yeah, and then any changes to benefits and or associated with those people as well. Is it in the salary bucket? Right, yes. Thank you. You're welcome. Are there any other questions? Anybody online? So, now we would go to what was originally 10.4. Oh, okay. >> Which will be the 10.6B. Hey, can we do it this way from now on in this order? Yeah. That's good cuz it seems to make sense to me because it's talking about this number, right? Okay. So, 10.4. So, it was originally 10.4. All right, so do you want the motion now or do you want to
104say anything? No, I well I was going to um review it first before we go to the motion. Yeah, okay, that helps. All right, so um what I'm presenting here is about 100 it is $105,647 worth of um expenditures that would help either future expenditures um to lessen them and or um we had a surprise new regulation by DEP that the finance and facility subcommittee got to hear all about. And the original estimate that we had based on the one um price that we received at that time was $26,000, but we were able to receive four quotes and um we chose to go with the $10,250 quote. Um the person for this vendor actually came out to site to make sure that they understood what we were asking for, make sure that we were all
105on the same page. Um so, this is what is being requested of the board to review and to make sure that everyone is okay with what is being requested. Um and again, some of these items were removed from the 2016-17 budget, um but they are still necessities and so again, it would help future budgets to do them now. Are there any questions that the board may have? So, I So, I have one on the storm water permits. I kind of there's this MS4 designation, but that's for town-owned properties. We're not a town We're not a town-owned property. property. So, how does this So, what is the So, this has impacted Regional School District and I feel like the town of East Lyme, believe it or not. So, um because Regional School Districts are independent of
106the town, we have we no longer because again, someone took the time to redo the uh this this regulation. So, it now is opening up that we Regional School District has to file their own permit and their own storm water plan. And we because of impervious surfaces that are to uh above 5 acres, I think is what the qualification was, um that we need to now do what what a town So again, if we were under the town auspices, we would be we wouldn't have to do it. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. It's So, it's the it's a flip of what I was re-trying Correct. Yeah. Yeah, all right. Yes. So, they're treating it like a a mall or something, right? Very much. Yes. Yeah, okay. >> [laughter] >> That's fine. Educational mall. Does anybody online
107have any questions about this? Okay. So, do we have um the recommended motion to transfer $105,647 as presented in enclosure 10.4 to fund the cost of identified one-time purchases? You want to make a motion? Amy Roman Chuck is first. Do we have a second? But you cursed him? You're saying yes? I was just making sure I was unmuting so I would be ready, but yes, I'll second. The second is Kirsten Aronson. Any other discussion on that? All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Anyone abstain? Okay. Great, thank you for the >> [cough] >> motion. Um so, back to the 10.6B as is originally in your handout, um that is the food service monthly sales and expenditure report as of March 31st. We again realized net loss of 78,000, but we realized a gain for the month
108of March of $11,102.86. Part of what helped push us um into the black for March was the state provided us with again, there's no rhyme or reason. The state provided us with uh $7,700 $7,775 of additional funding for my club. Very nice of them. >> [laughter] >> So, we say thank you and we move on. Um are there any questions that the board may have at this time? Anybody online? Hearing none, 10.6C, which is the um RAM middle and high school student activity reports as of March 31st. We do balance with the uh totals in Webster Bank. Are there any questions that the board might have? One of the most fun reports in these packets. I'm glad you think so. >> [laughter] >> Um and 10.6D is the short-term investment um at as of March
10931st, we reinvested $615.77. Are there any questions that the board may have? Thank you very much. Okay, that brings us to uh calendar of events. So, uh yeah, enclosures 11.1A and 11.1B is just uh both high school and middle school calendar events. A lot of the things were already mentioned earlier on. We have the um Empty Bowls event coming up at the high school. It's a great opportunity to uh have some good soup as well as contribute to some of our local food banks, [clears throat] which is where the um I mean everything goes for that event. We have our All-Town Jazz concert, which is great for those of you who have never been there. It's an opportunity for um the elementary the three elementary districts that feed into RAM as well as as our
110RAM um musicians. And then we have um we historically had actually other performers come in and and perform as well. But again, a great event that's going to be on the 29th of April. Junior Prom's coming up. We're going to have Senior Prom coming up. Senior uh Senior Day over at um Six Flags will be coming up. I'm sure Mr. Mater and I will go again this year. Yes, sir. Always a fun time to go to Six Flags, where I avoid the rides cuz I can't do them anymore. My stomach can't handle it. Um at the middle school as I as as Avery said, she get she they get a chance to take tests coming up. [laughter] Smarter Balance is coming up. Uh but they do have some end of the year field trips which
111are coming up at the end of the year. They have some end of the year dances coming up as well. So, it is really coming into like a exciting and busy time of >> [laughter] >> time of year for us with only 42 days left. And then um enclosures 11.2A and 11.2B are your in and out of school suspension reports. Oops. All right. Do we um I move we adjourn. I have a motion to adjourn. Is Drew Galvin a second? I'll second. Um all in favor? I. >> I. Anyone opposed? Anyone abstain? Thank you very much. Thank you everybody. You didn't get a chance to ask Scott Soyars a second. Oh, I'm sorry. Did I not say that? You're kidding.