001Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> All right. Um so we are here tonight to discuss um the PEES and GES EDS specs. Um and we have uh Tecton architects with us who's helping us submit these ED ed specs which we need um to have approved by the board of ed um for our submission to the uh state grant um by June 30th. Not only do we have to approve this but then we have to approve the minutes. So, um we are meeting today um in this special meeting um which I appreciate everyone here um accommodating uh this to um go over the ED specs so that on our next meeting on May 26th hopefully we can hit the ground running um and just go ahead and approve the um the ED specs. So
002um tonight is an opportunity to ask questions and have an understanding of what the ED specs are. um very much appreciate um Jeff and Antonia for being um here with us as well. So I will turn it over to uh Josh and Jeff. Thank you. So today um both Jeff and Antonia met with and Joe was there and other administrators met with teachers to go through edspecs and get some feedback. Um, tonight's an opportunity for you to ask some questions or provide any feedback as well. And we're capturing uh all the feedback in a Google doc. And then hopefully by Thursday or so of this week, what we'll do is put together a document of any changes or suggestions that will be edited into an amended edspec. So, kind of an executive summary of any
003uh changes. With that, uh, Jeff, did you want to add anything to that? >> Uh, no. I think that's a good summary. We um we met we had a marathon meeting today starting at noon and met with several teachers. Just the categories or the topics that we covered from basically 12 to 12:30 were were general um classroom instructional space. So kind of the typical classrooms if you will. Uh then the next meeting was focused on specialized ed education intervention uh cert uh speech and language the coaching and OTPT. Um then we had a group um talk to discuss the student support spaces uh administration and nurse and health suite. Then we had another group at from 2 to 2:30 talking about the visual and performing arts uh the uh learning commons or the media center
004maker space. Um and then the next meeting was um PE, physical ed, outdoor play, calf and food service. And the last meeting that we had to round out the day was uh facilities um where we talked about building systems, safety, security, uh it transportation. And um I think it was there was a lot of great feedback. Um I think the main takeaways for for me anyway were um the large majority for the most part all the spaces were covered as far as the quantity amounts. We have a little bit of work to do on theert C or the resource rooms. Right now we have three, so one for each grade level grouping. Um just need to to look at that a little deeper. And um one other piece was the preK program just making sure
005that we have the learning center associated with the preK program covered. Um which I think we do. Um and then there's a lot of other feedback more or less. um related to uh adjacency relationships. Um we went over in great detail and answered all the questions relative to sinks, toilets, storage flexibility um within the space. Um we talked a lot about um those arrangements, the adjacency, who needs to be next to what. Um so that was all very helpful. Um and then we also got into some of the outdoor um PE but also outdoor education space too. So I I think it was um really good productive afternoon. Um this is the second or third time we've met with groups similar to this. Um we had the think tanks, we had a programming review meeting,
006and then we had uh this meeting today. So I feel like um feel like we've captured um pretty much all of their comments. Um, there were some more detailed specifics like the debate on cubbies versus lockers, which I think right now we're going to basically write in both so that you have the option. You don't need to make that decision now, but um, and the reason why that's important, I guess, let I'll give you a little more detail to it. It's not, I think, a trivial discussion. And it's a pretty important one in that um it's related to supervision, but it's also related to if there's student storage cubbies in a classroom. Um that does start to affect the design or layout of the classroom related to um kind of defronting the classroom so that
007you have multiple you know you basically want all four walls of um the room to be teachable surfaces. So um so I think we came to a good compromise there. I think there's a little bit of homework related to um the resource rooms and just that prek, but um I think we're going to there's minor adjustments to the language, but I thought it was a really productive day overall. So, I can I can walk you through the topics of the edspec or or simply just answer any questions you guys may have. So, whatever whatever is um preferred. >> So, so Jeeoff, I have a quick question. Are you going to change the ED specs that ultimately we're going to approve? >> Yeah, I'm I'm gonna I'm not changing the size of the building or any
008of any of that stuff, but we are going to change the narrative so that it it works in some flexibility related to those um like the locker cubby. I think I just I would say 95% of the questions that were asked we had covered in the adspec. I I just think some of the areas could be a little bit more clearly articulated specific to the feedback that we received today. So, the answer is yes. I I'm going to the ultimate goal is to work these in over the next day or two. Um and then if whatever this group may have for other comments, um we'll address those. That way you have an opportunity to basically see the the final edc before um the ultimate goal is to try to get this together by the end
009of the week so that you have time to um sit with it and make sure that you're comfortable with it overall. >> Okay. And then can you sorry page X here's right that's what I was going to ask for like a heads up as to what changes were made from what we have in front of us. Yeah. Um, let me think on that. Um, yes, I think we can. I, um, trying to think of the easiest way to communicate it because there are some things that we're probably going to repeat on multiple different pages. Um, so I don't want to inundate you like there's, oh my gosh, there's so many things to change. But if Cubby shows up um, I don't know, 30 times in the ETSspec, I don't want you to be alarmed. It's
010basically we're just making sure the statement is consistent if that makes sense. >> Um okay. Um I see Dr. Sally Romano has joined us as well as Heather Dwire. So thank you um both. So I think um I think Jeeoff you've done a great job um giving us like an explanation of what the educational specifications were in your letter that's in the front of all of this. It kind of talks about um the ED specs. Um, so in in you know, I'd like to actually turn it over to unless you have a different way of approaching this, I would just turn it over to board members and see what questions um board members have. I know I have a couple, but I would definitely let others go ahead and and again like I think part
011of part of and and I've talked to a couple board members. They're like, how how do we know like what we're supposed to approve here? Like how what even you know questions? So I think that part of what we're going to wrestle with tonight are what are appropriate questions and you know what's just kind of oversight that we're supposed to have. So >> I let me add a little bit to that if if you don't mind. I I'm >> the expectation from this group is not that you know you're checking you know there's four sinks in an art room or we make sure that we have a clay trap. That that is not the intent or the mission of the BOE. I I think if there's more um I guess um more highle questions related
012to the delivery of the educational curriculum that you may have that I can answer. Um but I don't I'm not expecting you to one correct any kind of grammatical errors or make sure that I have the proper equipment in you know in the food service room. We're we're really looking from from the board perspective. One, I want to make sure you're comfortable that we have all the bases covered, but two, I'm not asking you to comment on, you know, a specific uh component of the edspec, per se. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Sure. >> Um, I see Sharon has her hand up, so go ahead. Um, Sharon, you can start us off. >> Yeah. So, I just wanted my first comment is an overarching comment. Um, and then I have some specific questions. So when
013I look through some of this to me it seems like there's an underestimation of the size inclusive t-shirt ratio. So if I look at class size the class size projected for number of teachers grades 1 through five in this spec is number of teachers is 1 to two. So does that mean and and the class size is based off of 20 to 25. So is that one to two like can you walk me through that because we have number of teachers the class size is actually maybe those are our current numbers but it's higher than I would have liked to see and then I'm not sure how we get two teachers if that's including a parah maybe in there and I want to drag that theme across all of the states utilization because if I
014look at the nurses there's one nurse and I think we actually had to approve a second nurse for pees desk. Um, if I look at the number of coaches, um, there's one coach. If I look at the meeting rooms, it's to accommodate 10 to 12 teachers. When I look at some of those numbers and the square footage, to me, it seems we're underestimating on some of that. So, can you walk me through kind of how you configured some of that? >> Sure. So, I can speak to um kind of the the way that we crafted the edspec and as it relates to um the state's review um operationally whether or not you have um a different number I think is a slightly different um discussion. I'm going to just if can I share I just
015want to make sure >> and when I see I'm just going to help so to help you know what's going on in my mind. When I see a nurs's room of 150 square ft with one nurse and like three CS and room for two to three students, how does that compare with our current nurse office? Right. >> Sure. Sure. >> Um and that's really what I was looking for relative to the population and what the needs are and and maybe where you're going with this is if we decide that we need three nurses, we have the ability to staff three nurses through the superintendent's budget. My only concern is I want to make sure that there's space to be able to have those nurses if the demand requires it. And that's kind of my comment
016across the board on some of what I saw in in the specs document. >> Yeah. So the way that um so at the top of each of the detailed descriptions um and I can go to the nurse to speak to it but um the the number of teachers is really there as um you'll likely have one teacher maybe or may not have a parah and then the the average class size for student population gives you a range in order to >> to basically maximize as reimbursement. The the reason why we show the higher end of the numbers is because that's directly related to um number of uh chairs, tables, um all um equipment connections that the state so when we get to um the layout of a classroom per se, and the state is going
017to look at our furniture layout for reimbursement, they're going to say, "Okay, you're you're showing um 12 to 16 and then 18 max. We're going to show 18 tables and chairs in that room as the max. So that that gives you the reimbursement whether you decide to order 16. Um that's fine. But that so so the reason why we're showing a higher number is to make sure that we've captured the higher end in the adspec. >> So I understand that and thank you for that. But doesn't that also play into the number of classrooms that we can actually have because of the enrollment projections? So h how does that impact how does that assumption on the square footage? So if we wanted to have four smaller class and I'm making this up. I just want
018to make sure I fully understand. If we wanted to have four smaller classrooms versus two larger classrooms, you know, that's where I'm going with this because this is saying you need those 18 deaths to get the reimbursement, but does that mean we're actually decreasing the projected number of classrooms for or not? >> Yeah. So I I and I I'm going to circulate this because I think this is a helpful tool that um I think distills all of the information in from the edspec into one page. So every box that you see here is the program space that's included in the edspec. Um so when I we were on and I'll flip back and forth. Um so we're on kindergarten. Mhm. >> Um so the space >> you have five kindergarten classrooms, right? >> Yeah. So
019the so the spaces that you see on this sheet were developed based on the the spatial need for 504 students irrespective of what that detail sheet shows. So we have five kindergarten, three p pre kindergarten, we have nine grade one and two and um 12 13 uh typical classrooms through three for grades levels three through five. So when we drill down into the room detail sheet, um if I show 20 in the pre kindergarten, uh it doesn't matter. This is the program. This is the size. This is how the building is sized. This is this was all based on the 504 students. >> So I have one more question. I'm so sorry because I know there's other board members, but on this spec, this is for the new combined PES. Do you have individual PES
020and GES? because five would look four and three or four and four. It wouldn't necessarily be five. It could be eight collectively. >> Um this is for each school. So So this is the this these boxes represent the 95,000 square foot program space for each site. >> So I think the heading just needs to be modified on that document then. >> Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I could see where it's confusing. Yeah, >> because it says combined PSGs. Right. >> So it's not a combined school, it's >> the program. Yeah. >> But per school, this would be five classrooms of K for PES, five classrooms for GES planned. >> Yes. This is each of the schools. Yep. And forgive me, but these are all the notes that we took today during our call. So that's why it's
021um marked up, but I thought it's helpful to share. Um, thank you. And I have a question that piggybacks off of Sharon's question a little bit. >> Sure. >> Um, you know, on page uh 16, you're talking about enrollment and capacity. >> Um, there was just an announcement um done that the state is considering um or I I it's not clear. It's, you know, nothing's uh I haven't gotten a clear blueprint, but the the state is considering putting some affordable housing in Southbury. Um, and so, but we don't know anything yet. So, my my concern is that if there's going to be an additional housing development that goes in Southbury, um, which might impact enrollment, what what can we do about that? um between the time that EDS specs are approved. I mean, should we
022note something about that or is is this like a common thing that you guys deal with that we just kind of go with the flow and we might have to increase classes or >> um so I would have to dig into the demographic analysis that um MP planning I think MP planning did your update, right? So, so they typically will look at housing developments and housing starts. So I will look dig into that to see and what what they do is they'll apply um based on their historical um averages they'll apply a multiplier to certain types of development that yield will yield a number of students. So I would believe that if MP planning has been updating your your projections that they've been tracking any kind of substantial development that would impact the the total
023student population. And I realized that um this this um housing developments could yield quite a few students, but when you actually look at the data um because we we just completed this for another community where they've had multiple multif family unit housing going up and and the multiplier is a little bit lower than you would expect out of a out of out of these kinds of developments. So long story short is step one would be let's look at the MP planning report and see if if and when that if that was identified as one of the developments if there was a multiplier applied to the projected enrollment if there wasn't um if you remember we went through this process probably about a year ago we took um the high um number and in the enrollment
024model so I think that safety um factor number one, we'll go back and look at the MP planning report to see if they captured that. You can um if there's a substantial development that's going to impact your enrollment, you still have time to go back. We've had projects um where we've had to go back and modify the total student count um which would then change the size slightly change the size of the building. um you may have to add a class number two, but I that's I think atypical of the scenarios that we would see. Um but um that that's possible. And then lastly, um I would say nearly all of the planned developments or planned projects that that are designed these days will show areas for potential classroom expansion. That could be handled um
025in a future date. It could also be handled as an ad alternate during the um during the bid phase of the project. So, there's probably four or five different ways that you could build in um security measures to protect the district in the case if there was an enrollment increase. Does that answer? >> Yep. >> Thank you. >> Sure. >> Yeah. And I see um Steve has his hand up. >> Oh, yes. Thank you. Um, so just so I have a bunch of questions that I wrote down, but just on what Marian said, like I appreciate all the ways that we can deal with a an I'll call it a surprise enrollment bump. I would just I would be surprised if MP planning would have known how would they even know to I mean this
026there's two parcels of land supposedly the entire state where the state is willing to give up property in order to do affordable housing. So I don't know and this kind of just came to light. So I don't know how and I from what I remember MP planning is very good but if they've managed to capture this then like I want to know who's going to win the next Super Bowl because they're very they're very like preient like they really got it nailed. Um so I would just >> Kansas City. >> Yeah, there you go. Um, I think uh I would just caution you, I guess, like I don't I don't feel like this is a typical thing that would come across a demographer's radar at least and unless we start building affordable housing all over
027the state. >> If there's Yeah. If there's no preliminary application or if nobody from the development office had informed MP planning, yeah, they're not mind readers. But if if this is fresh then um it's worth taking a look at to make sure that you know to to analyze the impact. But I I guess based on my experience even with these with large developments I'm talking 6 7 800 units they still don't yield as many >> okay >> total number of students that you would expect. >> And even this I you're right I doubt it would be anything even close to that right I don't even know if it would hit I I can't even speculate but I doubt it's not anywhere near >> Yeah. Okay. Um I I do have other questions. Other people have
028their hand up. Marin mine can wait. They're all just just just random ones. >> Okay. So, how about we go with Josh? I see Josh, you have your hand up. Um and then we'll go back to you, Steve. Um because I see Sharon is the only other one to have her hand up. So, she got a few questions and so I'll let you get a few questions in, too. >> I don't have a question. I just wanted to clarify that MP planning did not have the um I mean, I don't think there's anything even firm that other than looking at the space at this point. That's all that we know about. I do think to Jeff's point, the fact that we use the high estimates, um, typically we build our ADM projections um, off of
029the medium. So, there is a built-in um, kind of margin. So, I just don't want people to get wrapped up. I I think Okay, without knowing anything, um, MP didn't def definitely didn't have it baked in though. I just want to clarify. >> So, Steve, why don't you have why don't you ask one more question and then I see Sharon has her hand up again. So do Steve's question and then Sharon's question. >> Sure. So um I'll use a loophole because the question has two two parts. So um so just when you say learning center like you mentioned the prek learning center and I think like a minor adjustment to language like a learning center is the classroom, right? Like that's part one. But um when you say there's a you need an adjustment to
030language like to based on your meetings like that's because like literally the prek people the people like read this and were like we've identified something that no one just I'm not going to pick on that but like no one else has like I feel like this is obviously a body of work you know that there's probably a core document around this is a living document. So, um, one, what is a learning center relative to a classroom? And then, did people actually find, you mentioned cubbies versus lockers. I mean, did people actually find something in the prek space that I guess is new to you? I the learning center and I'm I'm going to rely on the district to describe it, but the learning center is a is an actual program that's part of the specialized
031education. The question that came up today was, is there a prek grade level learning center? Um and the question that we need to research with um Joe Josh and I is to make sure that the three prek that we've identified um does one of them include it or are you doing integrated prek? So there's a couple tangent questions based on that. Um that's my understanding of >> okay >> of the the way the documents that we've developed to date. Yeah, that it's yeah, high it's a high high need pre prek program that's has high highly specialized kids that are in that at that group. So it's it's we have that same program in Long Meadow that >> right oh meadow I thought you were going to say it very well only fit in the current
032prek three classroom structure we have we just have to talk to Dr. destroy kind and everything else. So that's >> okay. Okay. >> Or we may have to add a fourth, but we're we're we'll review them classroom. >> And then I guess just to round out your question on did we learn anything? Um we learned a lot today um with our conversations. Um I I'm not sure like I mentioned before I think we've captured 90 95 99% of it within our edspec already. I think it's just a matter of um I think we can customize the description more, tailor the description more to what we heard today. So, it's not like we're going to completely reinvent a section of the inspec. It's really just >> um modifying it or refining the description, okay, >> to
033what we say. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Yep. All right, Sharon, you're up. One question, then back to Steve. Steve, just keep on going because I have more than one question. Just keep on going. It's >> up to the chair. >> Go ahead, Steve. >> Um, all right. Um, so thinking back to your cubby locker description, um, what, like, let's just say it was just cubby focused and no one said lockers and then somehow at the end of the day, grand opening, there's lockers there and there's no cubbies. Like, what is what is the risk? like are we not reimbursed for just the little locker piece? Like what what's the risk for that? >> I I think it's minimal, but we had both options in there already to begin with. So we >> But just
034broadly speaking, like it could be anything. Cubbies, lockers, I you know, I don't know >> if Yeah. So for example, if if you didn't want sinks in your art room, right? and then two years from now you want six sinks in your art room, that could be a problem. But again, you have one opportunity to revise the edge pack at the end that you can catch all of this. >> So I I >> we've heard this debate. It's a debate that I think will go on >> um on many many projects about where do you put the storage? In the classroom, outside the classroom, what grade level do you do you make that migration? Um, we've seen communities do it with cubbies in the classroom up to a certain grade level like one or two
035and then start the transition um to the exterior of the classroom with the defronting of the classroom so that there's no front to the classroom. I think it becomes a more important piece. The reason why we we describe it both ways is because what should happen during schematic design is showing you op showing the educators in the working group and the building committee options on here's a classroom with storage in the classroom. Here's a classroom with storage out in the hallway. Here's the visibility. Here are your options. Here's the impact. Here's the pros and cons. That's kind of in the next phase of the >> okay >> project. Yep. >> Okay. Thank you. Sure. Um, and then for there's a like a page on security in here >> and I I can't remember now if
036you mentioned if security was a topic of one of the breakouts earlier and so who like I don't want to talk like I'm not in a position to judge the security but who who was part of that discussion? >> We had one of the ASOS actually was was in discussion as well. A lot of the security stuff follows the >> they're statemandated pieces the school must contain. So, a lot of that stuff is dictated um by state. The school security has to comply with now new new construction, >> right? So, that's just some sort of separate piece of rules or legislation somewhere that like none of us have seen. >> There's door locks, all that kind of stuff. >> Yeah. That we've not seen. Okay. Because we've never had a need to see. >> It's
037it's it's in it's it's in the edspec most all the >> right. I mean, we wouldn't have >> Yes. Thank you. Um >> Steve, one second on the lockers too and and Jeff will kind of talked about it. The other piece is once you lay the building out, the lockers may not fit well in the hallways. You need a wider hallway. So they may better in the when you go to lay the whole thing out on the land you have. That's you why with some of these decisions, you have to kind of weigh the two and see which one kind of makes the whole thing fit better and flow better. So that's there's a lot of pieces that will go into that once we get to the design world. >> Yeah. No, thank you. Um
038and I think um I just realized I think my questions are basically the same like kind of really have they're like the same thread. Um, so I really almost just have a comment because I think originally it was either I think it was Marian or Jeff, but you know, like are you know I don't I can't I can speak to security or whether the HVAC is correct, but it's just are we comfortable? Am I comfortable? And I mean I certainly feel like all the right people have had their eyes on this. Um, and I feel like you've mentioned there's still one more bite at the apple later. better to put and better to put it in and not have needed it. Um, >> right. >> Uh, I guess um I'm just struggling like there's two
039there's two parts to this. One is like I don't you're going to call me paranoid, but we did just come off of a referendum. I don't want to be in a position years from now um where it's like I can't believe, you know, they built the building and and blah blah blah, right? And that may be inevitable and that probably happens to every building. Nothing is perfect and and I don't have unrealistic expectations. But that's I think what I'm um what I'm struggling with. And the other thing is I just don't want I'm I'm assuming this will be a public document like and like I saw something in there like kiln room, you know, and I'm like I don't want you know uh well there they go, right? You know, they're going to pave the
040parking lot with gold and it's going to lead right up to a kiln room, right? So I want to um just make sure there's an understanding that these are really just broad general I I guess well specifications. So um that we're going to work within. Um so that's just I think the framing of my questions and I think some of the worry that you might >> experience. I just we're we're adding um options into the educational specification so that you have the ability of choice during the design. We're not adding scope just to add scope. I think these are all um to be expected in a contemporary educational facility for prek to fives. The the trick is to your point is to make sure that you're designing it so that it has it's it's futurep
041proofed and and um future thinking um so that there's flexibility built into that. How you do that? There's various different techniques and ways and philosophies on that approach. But we're not adding scope. Um we're giving you options within the scope if that makes sense. >> Yes. Thank you. That's all I had Mary. >> Sure. >> Thank you Steve. >> Thank you Jeff. >> Go ahead Sharon. So, Steve, you hit on on a lot of the stuff that I wanted to talk about. So, thank you. I I guess because I saw the same thing, the makers fabric room. I said, "Oh, boy." Like, what is that? Right. Um, and what are the optics on that? So, if we think about the housing conversation that we just had, you clearly are articulated, you put these elements in
042there for quote unquote options. If we move forward with a kiln room, a fabric room, etc., and we find out we need it as classrooms. We have the ability, we have that space, we have the ability to configure it the way we want even after the spec document is done is kind of my one first part of the question. The second part is what is the expectation of the state that we adhere to what we submit on that final as as Steve said the last bite of the apple spec once it goes live. >> Sure. So the answers to your first question is yes, you have the ability to to modify and there's a recognition that it will be modified. That's why they give you the opportunity to to revise the ETSspec and submit it
043um towards the end. And and what the ability the flexibility within the space allocation is the very reason why um I was I was focusing on that space waiver. um abil that this this this conversation, this context, this is the very reason um why I was making sure that that was a priority for you folks is because it gives you the optimal flexibility. And I'm not suggesting that you can build a building to whatever size you want. That's not true. We have an identified total square footage for the building, but it gives you the flexibility within that envelope to to modify and evolve the program as needed as it's going to what what I showed on the screen is going to change. It's without it's with shity that it's going to change. Um, but at
044the end of the day, we still need to be at in an ideal world because everything's built, the budget, schedule, scope is built on that 95,000, but within that 95, there's going to be some there's going to be some modifications to the program elements. >> And I have one comment and and this goes back to the feedback that you received from your mega meeting today. And I'm just going to use the learning center at the pre the prek as an example. So conceptually that was put out there but that as you articulated could come at a cost of some of those modules that you had on your um that diagram. I would really like to understand collectively once you're able to synthesize today and debrief today like what would that look like relative to the
045change of this spec and what would be kind of not the cost of doing it like dollars but what has to give in order to get >> I think that becomes a really important conversation and I think maybe that also speaks to what Marian was saying about this page changing with this like if we do a prek learning center, we have to decrease the kindergarten classroom from 5 to 4. Those are things that are I would be very interested to understanding the outputs of today and how that ultimately plays in um and what that ROI is. >> And I'm going to just screen share that makes complete sense and what I will tell you what the best tool to communicate this in in in our experience has been. So this this program document is all
046the spaces. It's just in spreadsheet form of the boxes that I shown earlier. Whatever we decide to change based on the comments that we received today, we need to do a little more research. What we'll what we typically do is highlight it red so that and then put the notes in here. you know, change this to 825 and add it, you know, 25 square feet here so that so that in three or four pages you can easily understand what the give was to get for the get if that does that make rather than chasing it through you know 45 different pages in the nspec. So yeah, >> thank you. >> Sure. >> All right. Um Heather Dwire is next. Sorry, I just had to You're you're on my mobile office here. Um, thank you. I
047I I just want to acknowledge that I had sent some really detailed questions ahead of time and I totally understand. We are not going to go through that uh right right now. Um, but if I had to distill those questions to one, um, I would say, uh, what considerations are we making for equipment that belongs in some of these classrooms? Um, and does it have to be in the edspec to um, be eligible for state reimbursement? And, and I will just ask one very I will use a specific example to kind of highlight what I'm talking about here. Um but I did ask if in the LC room we put in say a lift system to assist uh you know moving children with mobility issues. Is that something that belongs in the ED edspec? Is
048it something that gets state reimbursement? Um and is it something that we should be considering as part of the spec? >> So yes, yes and yes. and the lift um was um included already in OTPT. Um so what we'll do is we will take the same so this was a topic that came up today. Um it was a good conversation um and um so there was a question about what did we learn today? So we're what we learned is so OTPT has typically has the um equipment and the structure supports um to accommodate that equipment. We learned that they likely should be in the learning center and then there likely should be a similar and related um support system for the toilet/changing. So is because some of these students um um are larger he you
049know heavier um for for folks to assist with. So if we built those in um in the narrative and then in the description of the equipment um so we would do our my recommendation is is we would take those comments and and work them into the educational specification. So it was a very good conversation today about that. Um, and does it move the needle on cost or scope? Not, not really. These things are relatively inexpensive if planned now. Um, so I think th those are all good discussions. We did get some more detailed comments from um, I think the board. Um, but they actually married up very well with the comments that we heard today um, during our discussions. So, is that >> No, thank you. I appreciate that. >> Sure. Um I have another
050question if the chair is patient with me. >> Yep. Go ahead. >> Um what I I will admit I did not read the EDS spec cover to cover so I do apologize. Um so I may have missed um but I did not specifically see um anything regarding like the the playground or the structure of the playground or ADA accessibility or or anything like that. Is that something I missed? Um, yes. And I I I fully believe that it's in there, and I know Antonio is searching it right now. So, and I believe off the top of my head, there's three age appropriate play areas. Um, early ed, preK, um, K1, um, two, wherever you want to draw that line in three through five. Um, the equipment is in the So, this also came up. The
051equipment is in Thank you, Antonia. Um the equipment is in the budget. It's under typically under um FFN. There's um we call them they're universally designed so that the rubberized um um synthetic material under the play surface for fall zones is included. Um and then there's the write up um specific to it. The other piece that came up today related to um play playground play equipment is there's some I think it was PES Joe maybe that you just recently installed some equipment. So we're going to make sure that's a note that I I think we should add to the edspec that you know where possible for newer equipment we're going to either try to save, repurpose or preserve uh the equipment. So um so it's covered from a budget perspective. it's covered from um an
052edspec perspective. Um and what else came up today? The the only thing that came up today relative to recreational areas that I think it's worth refining is um an area for PE outdoor and an area for recess. They shouldn't where possible be the same. So I think that's worthy of clarifying that too. Um, I don't see any other hands up. Oh, go ahead, John. Jennyitis guy, I see you. John, >> I have a question. Can you put up the um the slide again with all the squares for the rooms? Now just one general type question and I don't know if it's right or wrong answer but are all the rooms from small to big four walls or some rooms especially smaller ones where maybe instead of four walls have three walls and then something in
053between where you could open them up and make something bigger. Uh Jeff, I think you're on mute. >> Thank you. Thank you. Yes. Um so it's a variety and you would find it in the narrative the of the adspec. I zoomed into the academic coaches because what we talked about in more detail today, which we'll make sure I think it was already in the narrative, but um want to make sure is um I'm just going to do it. So, what we talked about is um basically I'm at uh >> You don't have to show it. Just tell me. basically is is having these two academic coaches room be together because they're basically the size of a classroom with a folding partition so that it gives you the opportunity to open scale up the coaches suite.
054Um so long story short is it's in the narrative um but there's um it's a combination of you know rooms opening to one another or four walls. Okay. Good. Thank you. Sure. >> So, you mean an air wall then that could be pulled back and opened and make it a bigger space? >> Yes. Yeah. And they're not the old accordion partitions of yesterday. They're >> No, they're nice. Yeah. >> They're STC rated. Yep. >> All right. So, let me um any other hands I have a couple very highlevel questions. Um you mentioned the state reimbursement. Are we going to like update that we got the space waiver in these EDS specs? Is that part of the plan? >> Um I don't know if it's necessary. um that would come into um I probably wouldn't because
055I would we just had a design conference which is the first um with with the state to start a project. Um I would probably give them a copy of the of the special legislation then because it's really more relevant to the ma project manager assigned because they're going to be responsible for the size of the building. So, um, and if you give them a space, the special legislation that gives them the space waiver, it makes their lives a lot easier. >> Okay. >> I think it's appropriate now. Yep. >> Yep. Okay. And then my other question is on on um page 148 just talks about how um for voting um you know, anticipated within the gymnasium area. Um our our towns don't typically have voting at the schools. So, just I don't know if that
056was important or not, but we typically don't have voting there. >> Okay. Yeah. No, that's we'll take it out. Um, >> we have in the past though, I thought a couple times a long time ago because I remember voting at RMS for some reason. >> Not since I've been in town. >> Yeah. I don't know if I want to give up a day of school to have voting happen. So, I don't like I don't want it to >> make people think that we're going to close schools on election day voting >> because when they gave us the the two holidays in OC the uh Jewish religion holiday I forot they're called off to but they took they took away election day as being off then. So, that kind of sealed the door on >> Yeah.
057>> having our schools be >> okay. >> Yeah, we'll pick that up. >> Yep. And and I don't know if it's relevant at all, but neither of our towns has a community center, which is why, you know, the youth sports tend to gravitate towards our gymnasiums. >> Um, so I don't know if that was worth mentioning or not, but those those are my high level observations, I guess. >> No, thank you for that. >> Yeah. >> Does anyone else have any questions? I I know Shannon, you had submitted some to Josh. Um >> yeah and and they were more just kind of technical pieces on the document like what is going on in the schools the spaces right I assumed was going to happen with teachers and staff and people are in the buildings all
058day. I had some questions on security, but I know that was talked about a little bit. Um, and it was more about securing community space versus classroom space, right? Like it if I mean I don't know the thought process on that, but there's a lot of events that happen in our community programs after school where then like children are running around the hallways or going into classrooms. um that currently have in some of our buildings. So maybe just a thought process around that. >> I I think we have um that described. I I know Anton is looking at it for >> let me share >> um the the community separation is a is a fairly substantial one that we want to make sure is in the edspec. So like in other words, the separation of
059the community oriented spaces from the rest of the educational space um for nighttime use, soft hours, those kinds of things. >> Um so I I know it's in there and she there is >> I think it's this line here from a safety and security perspective. um when we're talking about these small learning communities that can allow the building to be compartmentalized. Um we can add in maybe embellish that a little bit and just denote um that community aspect to it as as a reason why. Um but just identifying that they can be separated off for use by the public um after hours. >> That's a good one. Yep. Um I think I saw Heather Dwire's hand up again. Maybe. >> Yeah. Sorry. And and and I'm sorry. Um it is unfortunately my nature. But uh
060I was reading through another part of it where um it said that the building could be used as a a heating center which you know I support. You know this is a good you you know like I feel like we are building a community resource here. I don't know if it has to say cooling center as well. Um, but I, you know, I think, um, I would like to think about those kind of community uses of the building and making sure we're supporting them. Similar to, to to Shannon's question, but also just, you know, how how can these buildings um, also be designed to serve the community that we use them to? >> Yeah. No, thank you for that comment. Um the reason why we folded in the um heating and cool or warming and
061cooling is um because we've seen schools be used as that kind of resource and like heat waves and um I think it's you probably don't have that ability in most of your buildings now. Um, so we've seen communities incorporate that, so that's why we've put in there, but we can certainly modify it >> if if desired. Yep. >> I think we have used the high school as a shelter um during something I can't was it >> tornado tornado about 12 years ago. >> Might even have used it in that other storm and the way two October storm storms as well. Yeah. >> prickly subject because if you have that many people in there then you can't have school. >> We we used the high school we opened the showers remember um parking >> um so
062and I believe we still had school um but we closed off and locked off the doors. So, I mean to Jeff's point about the the security of the school, some of those common spaces, there's almost like an airlock um the ability to to cordon off so that if you have a community facing, not that we're going to have voting in them, but if you wanted to vote in the gym, you could also cordon off the gym and put security so that no one could enter the building. I'm not suggesting we do that, but um the ability to have like a cooling center um or a heating center, we could probably in an emergency um manage that, but that's more of like operational, not necessarily the design school. >> Yeah. And to your to your point,
063the reason why we put those in is like it's more for the voting was now there's some pretty clear and distinct you need separation between where where you enter and where you exit a voting area. So the reason why we put that in there is so if you are going to use the calf, you have an exterior door on one side, an exterior door on another, you have accessibility to the to the doors. So um but it it it certainly can be modified um if it's not desired. Um same thing. So we we say warming and cooling centers because shelters kick the from a code perspective kick you into a different um kind of category that isn't necessarily where where the community needs are typically. Yeah. >> Understood. Yeah. >> Yep. Any other questions? No.
064Um, okay. Well, um, Jeff and Antonia, uh, thank you so much, um, for putting this together for us. I know that this has been a work in progress even before the referendum, um, happened because, you know, we're going to try to submit this either way, you know. Um, so, thank you for all your efforts, um, and expertise. Um and uh I guess we look forward to seeing the um revision uh later this week and hopefully we vote on it uh next week. >> Right. >> All right. Any other >> Yeah. Go ahead, Josh. >> Jeff showed that spreadsheet. I just wanted to kind of look around the the group here. Um we'll if we give you that spreadsheet on Thursday or Friday with kind of those red highlighted uh uh rows and what the changes
065does that work for everybody? Um is that understandable? I have one comment. Um, would it be possible if there's a change to the picture that and I know it was in the slides that you sent on Monday and you showed it because you have all your notes on it. I'd like to see what a before and after looks like because then you can actually correlate the text to the impact on the the kind of footprint. I don't if if others feel that would be useful. >> That's a good idea. Absolutely. Yeah, that's that's a certainly we can do that. I again I don't expect major swings in the number and size of spaces, but >> it's more if we take away I don't think we take away we're adding it to a different part of
066the school but like you said about the learning center or if we you know take away the fabric room for some reason. I was just curious like to understand what was discussed today and what the impact was on that kind of that the what you have as a programming schematic um from the meeting on Monday. >> Yep. Makes total sense. >> Thanks. >> All right. Any other questions? All right. So, I'm going to direct everyone to the agenda if you want to see the future meetings. Um but our basically our next board of ed meeting is Tuesday, May 26th um at the high school media center at 7:30 um where hopefully we will be voting um on these ed specs. In the meantime, if board members have any further questions on the EDS specs, please
067get them to us um as soon as possible um because we are definitely looking to hit the ground running at our next meeting because we have a lot to do. So if you have any further questions, please email them to to Josh or myself and we will, you know, try to get everyone answers to that. Um, may I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Okay, so motion by Heather, second by John Genyusitis. All those in favor? >> I. >> All right, we are adjourned. Thank you everyone for your time tonight. Thank you Jeff. Thank you Antonia too. Thank you.