001Okay. All right. Good evening and welcome to the region 15 board of education meeting for Tuesday, May 26th. United States of America. Mission of region 15, a collaborative community committed to excellence, is to educate every student to effective, ethical, and engaged in a global society through proven and innovative learning experiences by making high school. Um this past weekend mostly successful volunteer run night where students dropped off their kids to watch a film and this event saw great attendance in both the students volunteering and the local children. And then tomorrow the is hosting a fun where 20% of the food or 20% purchase goes directly to raise funds to future events such as the tickets to those. >> And to recap, for the past couple weeks at Pop Rock, we've had some really great events that
002have fostered a strong school community. So, we've had the spirit week and the cap rally that was really successful. Um, it was great to see everyone participating. And then this upcoming week is celebrating our last pop senate meeting and it's kind of to celebrate all the work that the student representatives have done at pop senate and so you know we'll have like the ice cream and then the class of 2027 is putting on the junior and senior prom this upcoming Sunday everyone thank you Next we have student recognition. I'll turn that over to Smith. >> So we have a lot of friends here tonight. Region 15 is a comprehensive school district. It's a good example. We have artists and physicians and mathematicians and athletes that are all recognized in their respective field. I'm gonna ask
003Mr. Walton downstairs. Uh so good evening everyone. Um I'm here to uh recognize a current jun who has excelled in math science course and uh each year we recognize student of this caliber uh through an annual uh award merit scholarship called the red spear medal. Um so uh the certificate represents a premier merit scholarship uh offered by Wler Poly Technical Institute u and is awarded to these medist certificate outstanding student demonstrated exceptional performance. specifically in the areas of math and science. Ben is also a valued member of the PHS robotics team and his teacher Mr. Maransky has ability to maintain a positive outlook and a cornerstone of our robotics in the face of technical or competitive is encouraging help the team pivot from frustration to solutions. You can always count on Ben to be there
004to be the best in the situation and looking for ways to find understanding of how to move past these traits with a strong commitment to his studies align perfectly. It is a pleasure to have Ben's leadership and words of wisdom after senior year. The accolades for Ben continue with his math teacher had to say about him. Ben is thoughtful and motivated is a thoughtful motivated student and who consistently demonstrates perseverance and a strong work ethic that has an exemplary student by actively participating in class approaching challenging material curiosity and determination and always has a positive attitude. respectful character. I know Ben is going to do great things in this future. This time I would Very close. We're bouncing up now as we shift from R to art. Music talk about >> they're very well they're
005like sorted out this picture not the camera by the way. There you go. All right. Um, good evening everyone. Thank you for uh, giving me the opportunity to talk tonight and to recognize some of our students. As you know, I get to come to almost every one of the board meetings, but very rarely do I get. So, it's a great and best part of my job is to recognize our students what they do that's successful. So it's my privilege to do tonight a group of exceptional young individuals who have represented the communities of solidarity with outstanding distinction. Tonight we're recognizing our CEAS which is the Connecticut music educators association and our all state students for what they have achieve in uh coming part of their festivals. So admissions to the C are all state festivals
006and if not simply a matter of signing up it's a culmination of months of rigorous preparation um bravery and immense talent. So, we have some really incredibly talented students that participate in the music programs here. I'm joined tonight by the superintendent playing in all these roles, but also uh Bayard who is our coral teacher at Memorial Middle School and Anna is actually going to introduce the students as they come up. So, I think it's important that we also recognize that incredible educators behind these sto cheating out. Um, okay. So, we're gonna start with Robo Middle School. These are the students qualify for the Cavern. So, when I call your name, please come up. Is that what you want? Please come on up. Um, we have ESA. Next we have Claire. Next we have Yagada Catherine
007White Cameron Abramo Tyler Leonard Petco. from Memorial Middle School. Uh this is again for the regional festival. Uh Logan Melanowski Gabby Gabrielle Danielson M Holio Harper Dominico Alia Gasho Project Malifi Southern Region Festival. Uh to begin with, we have AA and there's an asterisk next to her name because in addition to the Southern Region Festival, she also participated in the APA ACDA directors association uh eastern division contemporary telephone. So, come on up. Anthony, Mark, Martino, man. Gabriela, >> Gabriella Wall, and then in addition to those students who qualifies for the Southern Festival level, you can elect to move on to an additional round of auditions where you can qualify for the all at which point students from all four areas of the state. The top scorers get to be part of the all state choir.
008So perhaps if I call you, but you um oh I'm sorry, choir and band and orchestra. I'm a little biased focusing on uh if I call your name, please stand. We have Leo Marks Martino, Aaron McCina, and Catherine. That concludes, I believe, all of our music awards. Well, I do want to take just a moment to thank all the parents that that participated in this as well. It does take a lot for them to track back and forth that kind of thing with support arts programs as well as the board of education for your continued support of the arts programs. Thank you everyone for we'll pivot from our hearts and math to um we have a couple of scholar athletes and student athletes awards that colleague going to call up recognize. >> Great. So fortunately
009we have a whole host of student athletes who are being recognized tonight for their contributions not just on the field or the court um but in the classroom as well. So we have four student athletes that were recipients of our leadership award. I'm going to invite you to come on up when I call you in. First from our field packing team, Sarah Gil Price boys volleyball team. Ryland Brennan from our unified program. Our Special Olympics and Unified Sports athletes did a really great job cleaning up this year with recognitions and we have recipients at the high school and middle school level here with us tonight. So, first I'd like to recognize our unified sports athlete essay winner recipient Our high school and middle school recipients of the Zory and Mike Savage Teammate Award are recognized
010for their uh dedication to inclusion on the um within the school community and the sports community. And our first recipient from Memorial Middle School is waiting to from Roshambo Middle School. We have Amelia. You have friends. And then we were fortunate to have two recipients of CAC scholar athlete awards from our cross country indoor and outdoor track and field team. We have Maline Mariani. and for my boys on this program. So, you last one for our athletics program tonight, we had an outstanding coach award recipient. So, um, our boys golf and now girls golf coach, Rich Samansky, was recognized a few weeks ago as the SWC out of the year. >> Hey, unless there's anybody that was down to our list, unless there's anybody here that we failed, All right. Okay. We're going to take
011>> five minute recess and I'll appreciate all the support that parents program. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Um, we are back. Uh, may I have a motion for approval of the minutes of May 11th, 2026 regular meeting. >> So moved. >> Second by wire. Any questions? Anything? All right. All those in favor >> and any abstensions. Um next we have the teesf update and headsp specs and those were >> so last week um we met with a large number of constituent groups in Friday and Saturday respectively. Excel summary of changes diagram all changes as well as a set of specs with us now question. Uh so our uh hope is that you that you saw the the suggestions and conversation collected in those changes. Um and that night was able to uh you'll see
012the motion we have to go through each motion each of the buildings required by our application. Our application target about June 8th. Uh the formal application deadline of June 30th like weeks on the rare off chance that the high school or unforeseen event happens. So we have great Any questions from the edex while is available to answer any questions while her board members? I thought you did a great job incorporating all feedback. It's very thorough. >> Go ahead, Heather. I mean I guess I just want to confirm I just want to confirm that uh you know we trying to be all inclusive with these spec there is another opportunity as we go through this project as things inevitably change to make those changes later on. So some of the we let Jeff speak too but
013some of it um wasn't so much about headsp spec design >> uh components and so that as work building committee but there will be space add you want to add anything. Um, >> I'm sorry it's a little bit difficult to hear you. Um, can you hear me? Okay. Uh, that might be better. >> Yes, I can hear you now. Definitely. >> Um, the question was about the design phase. >> Hold on one second. >> The question was about the design phase. What about the design phase? I'm sorry. I'm It's the question on the design phase and making some changes as we talked about in the EDS specs. Some of the requests were really about design, like where the space is located, access to playgrounds. >> Yep. So, um, good question. The the design phase that's
014proposed in the milestone schedule is about a year and a half long. So, there's plenty of opportunities to to talk about placement of whether it's program elements inside the building or exterior playgrounds, play surfaces, those kinds of things, right down to the details of of how you want to design it. Um, and then also I think I heard a question relative to you you also and I mentioned this I think at our last in-person meeting. You also have an opportunity at the end of the project to you know as as things evolve and the program will likely change slightly from from what's proposed. You have an opportunity to revise the edspec one final time um before you um basically go through the audit. So hopefully that answers the the question. So do you think >>
015it reminds me of elementary school like one person starts sing weird Is it the back? I don't want to I don't want to troubleshoot while we go this. You want to try repeating that, >> Jeff? Y try saying that all again. Jeff, we were in a big feedback group here. I don't know if it was on your end or our end, but it was just possible to hear what you said. >> Turn everything off. Okay. So, can you hear me? Okay. Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, the there was a question relative to the design. So, the design case proposed is about a year and a half long. Um, so you have plenty of opportunity to talk about the program itself, but also exterior playgrounds, what they're made off of, the details there. So there's
016plenty of opportunity to talk about um where things are located on the site, how they look, what they're made up of as far as the construction details that that'll come all during that phase. And then the other piece that I had mentioned, and I apologize for the for the feedback, but the other piece that I had mentioned is inevitably the education program is going to change. You're going to want to modify the spec along this three, four, five year journey. So there is an opportunity at the end of the project towards close out which is basically once the construction's completed to modify the educational specification once and one final time to make sure that you get for everything that you've modified along the way. Does that hopefully answer question? >> Yes. I just wanted I
017know we have asked and answered this question. I just wanted to reiterate as we're >> absolutely yes will be chang the design is going to evolve over the schematic design phase and there will be plenty opportunity for this board the faculty staff and students to participate in that process. >> Thank you. Any other questions on the EDS specs? Any other questions on the GSP project? All right. I'm in the process of doing due diligence, talking to other board chairs who have undergone this process. I'm getting some really good feedback on different ideas on how to proceed forward. My main focus right now is the composition of the building. Um, and I did get some good feedback from region 13 who just started breaking ground in the new school that the time commitment is anywhere from
018one to three times a month. Um they typically have their meetings at 5 so that they're home by dinner. That was the >> right at I like to eat at 5, too. So um stay tuned on more information coming forward with that. So any other questions or comments on that same you hear that there's big time but will you be presenting kind of the outputs of that before the building is finalized what do you mean the outputs so we have talked about potentially the opportunity say what are the milestones we're working towards what are the timelines what potentially different streams be kicking off and what the scope would be, right? I think there were a couple board members, myself included, that weren't kind of line of sight relative to the magnitude of the workload in
019that associate time. And I think at least for myself, I just was kind of curious. I know I reached out to you dependently prior to our last online meeting kind of where we were in that iteration. I know you've talked to a couple school districts, but will we have any output of what that could look like >> to help what the commitment is other than one to three meetings a month for the building committee. >> I think that's pretty much what we're going to get. Is that one to three months or that that first year at least is going to be that one to to three range. It's some it could be on the one end on one meeting or it could be the three. It all kind of depends on what comes up as
020I understand but there's a fluidity involved >> and when will I think like a really good question. Um there's a couple um it's hard because there's not a lot of um parameters but in the law on how to do this um and one district the board of ed hired the architect um and then kind of did a rough design and then turned it over to the building committee which I really like that idea for us. Um but what I is hopefully by our next meeting on June 8th to have some kind of recommendation to the board um on you know exactly what we should do and what the building committee should do. Um it sounds like we need to find people in the community that have uh you know construction engineering that kind of experience.
021Um, I don't want to shut out any board member from being on the building committee, but perhaps if the board has a say in hiring the architect and some rough design that might eat up um, you know, board members needing to participate necessarily on the building committee, but it's just going to be about the nuts and bolts of building. >> And I think that's really where my question is going to understand board members interest. >> Yeah. So, as I understand the RFP or the architect is going out mid June. >> Yes. >> Which we have to figure out. So then they'll have 30 days. So that brings us to mid July. So it it might I don't know. I I'm personally leaning toward I haven't talked to Josh about it. So I'm not say I
022want to get some more information. I'll come back to the board June. >> Okay. So before June >> Yeah. Or after. Okay. >> You know. Yeah. I'm not looking at June 8th as a deadline for board event commitment. Um, following on that initial question, so even if it's if that's all the information we have, you just put that in writing email or any other information you might have, that would be great, especially since we support here. Second thing is, so you're if you could hold up that chart that you have right there. So last meeting, this is the Gant chart uh that you've done, Jeff. Um, so last meeting we said, well, can you overlay that with the periods of intense activity? Um, one meeting a month sounds like a monthly cadence. Three meetings a
023month sounds like a week. There's a big difference between one and two meetings a month. So I think there will be blocks on that Gant chart that are heavier activity periods for a building committee than others. So Jeff and Sue Shlores and anyone else who has input could identify those areas where the most intense three meetings and launch periods will be that would be helpful. >> So we are working on that just >> trying to get the end specs done for tonight >> priority one >> if you're working on it that's great that's new information I don't want to over promise that or underdel but it is um we definitely back burnered it to try to all of the work from last week compressed in time for you to have that by Friday and Saturday
024morning, but u we'll have I don't know if it'll be quite as detailed. Um and I don't know that it will 100% capture that cadence >> because some of that is outside of our control. Of course, um we can know the short answer is we hope to have the u at least some architect uh bids by mid to late July and that will be the first like start to look at those bids and interview criteria just like even that level of information. >> So anything you can forage and gather in an email versus doing the overlay. I know we talked about it at the last meeting. Full transparency was focus. So we will get that to you for your next version. Thank you. And and I would say like the you know Zoom versus in
025person, it's kind of up to the committee to decide and that committee chair. Um I've heard of districts that have done all Zoom. I've heard of districts that have done some in person and some Zoom. So I think you definitely have to be comfortable with Zoom. Um you know just to make it easier for everyone. Any other questions? All right, then we'll move on. Um, board member comments. Any comments by board members? say something. Um I just um want to put this out there and circle back, but I was going to request that perhaps so when we get to the budget cycle next time around and you don't want to say geez maybe we should maybe could we have parcel this out into chunks earlier collective understandings before we got into it. Um I'm curious
026if we did sort of analysis on class size compared to the pure districts that we compare ourselves to for example you know like well you know who those peer districts are there other presentations but I would be curious to see how our classes stack up against other districts both from a budgeting perspective and from a classroom performance perspective If a higher performing district has larger class sizes, I think that can tell us something. I think just I'd be curious to see that we have that information well in advance of budgeting. So that's a preference. Also, I would um just want to reiterate I really hope that we able to come up with board goals prior to the last meeting or during the last meeting that we can give those I don't know what you want
027to call them board goals or district goals goals for the superintendent and the administrator. Um I'm particularly interested in collective board goals related to performance. I personally would hope that those would be in place prior to the summer starting so that the administrators have that information about what the board is looking for before they do all their summer work, not what we end up in. Our class size now with the two new schools do we anticipate it being about the same? >> Can't answer. >> Yeah, they're there comments. I mean I yeah really >> the other thing is I'd like to put on the agenda for next year to get somebody from the state to come and explain river Southendum. Thank you. Any other comments? >> All right. Um, next we have comments from citizens.
028The board of education will recognize citizens from Middlebury and Southbury and citizens are asked to state their name, their town of residence, and to limit their comments to three minutes. Any citizens? All right. Um, moving on to regular business requiring board action. Um, What we have um here are um motions regarding Gainesfield Elementary Schools and Pumpard Elementary School construction. Um so can regarding Gainesfield Elementary School, could I have a motion to apply to the Commissioner of Administrative Services to accept or reject the grant for the new construction of Gainfield Elementary School? Resolve that the Perog Regional School District number 15 authorizes the board of education to apply to the of administrative to accept or reject the grant for the new construction project atfield Elementary School. >> Second by Steve. Okay. Any discussion on this? Any
029questions? All right. All those in favor? >> Any naysay? Any extensions? Right. Unanimous. Thank you. Next. May I have a motion for approval to establish a building committee regarding the new construction at Gainfield Elementary School? Resolve that the Peruck Regional School District number 15 building committee is hereby established at the building committee with regard to new construction project at Befield Elementary School. >> Thank you, Steve. Any questions or comments on this? >> All right. All those in favor? >> Any naysay? Any extensions? It's unanimous. Next. May I have a motion for approval authorizing at least the preparation of the schematic drawings and outline specifications for the new construction at Gfield Elementary School. Resolve that the Perog Regional School District number 15 hereby authorizes at least the preparation of schematic drawings and outline specifications for the
030new construction project at Gfield Elementary School. Any questions or comments on this motion? >> Right. All those in favor? >> Any nays? >> Any abstensions? Right. It carries. Next. May I have a motion for approval to apply to the commissioner of administrative services and to accept or reject a grant for the new construction at Pomp Elementary School. Resolve that the Perog Regional School District number 15 authorizes the board of education to apply to the commissioner of administrative services to accept or reject a grant and new construction project at PMO Elementary School. >> Second writing your name. Um any questions or comments? Discussion. >> Right. All those in favor? >> Any nays? >> Any abstensions? Next, may I have a motion for approval to establish a building committee regarding the new construction at Perog Elementary School?
031Resolve that the Prague Regional School District number 15 building committee is hereby established as the building committee with regard to the new construction project at Perog Elementary School. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> Any nays? Any extensions? Um, next may I have a motion for approval authorizing at least the preparation of the schematic drawings and outline specifications for the new construction at Prague Elementary School. Result that the Prague Regional School District number 15 hereby authorizes at least the preparation of schematic drawings and outline specifications for the new construction project at PMO Elementary School. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Right. All those in favor? >> I nays. Any abstensions? Right. Carries. Um, next regarding the educational specifications. May I have a motion for approval authorizing the board of education to approve
032the final education specifications for the new construction at Gainesfield Elementary School. resolved that the Pompro Regional School District number 15 authorizes the board of education to approve the final educational specification for the new construction project at Gatefield Elementary School. >> Second. >> Thank you. Any discussion? >> Sorry, it's kind of well I'll ask relative to this sort of so the I know we're very focused on this language and getting this done in a timely manner. Um just for the record this was all of this is timeline of these things collaboration between tech or consult the most they're boiler plate state motions they're literally fed state >> great and we have to have the minutes approved >> and then get submitted. So these four minutes will get approved on June 8th by the board and then
033that's what we first to submit. >> In terms of I get that there are template but like in terms of double checking like >> who read the website to make sure that we got the right template at the right time. Is that us or Sue or >> all of us? The more the >> and it's the same language used for the roofing project. They already approved as well. Obviously with mine the new construction piece and it's it's very well. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> All those in favor? >> Any nays? Any extensions? Carries. Next. May I have a motion for approval authorizing the board of education to approve the final education specifications for the new construction at Papar Elementary School. Resolved that the Papar Regional School District number 15 authorizes the board
034of education to approve the final educational specification for the new construction project at Rock Elementary School. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? >> Any nays? >> Any abstension? It carries. All right. Congratulations everyone. Did it. Thank you Jeff. Thank you Josh. Appreciate everyone. And now we got to get those minutes about 85 documents to upload to the state. >> It's be the best minutes ever. >> The best stop. >> Um, okay. Announcement of future meetings. Monday, uh, June 8th, PNC is meeting at the high school media center at 6 o'clock. My understanding is that finance is also going to be rescheduled, but they have not figured out a time yet. Um, also Monday, June 8th, we have a regular board of ed meeting at 7:30. Very important because we're approving the minutes.
035Um, also it will be um the superintendent contract discussion at that meeting. Um, may I have a motion to move into executive session? Move that the board of education break into executive session for the purpose of Superintendent Smith's end of year review. >> Thank you. Do I have a second? Sorry. Second by Tom. Um, all those in favor. All right, we're going to move into executive session. Thank you everyone.