001because you're out of your head. Actually, that's the right thing to do. >> Okay. I'm going to call the meeting back to order at uh 19:23. Uh I'll entertain a motion, please. >> I would like to make a motion to accept attorney Tom Carter's um recommendation for the workers compensation claim. >> Is there a second? >> I'll second it. >> Okay. Make uh for the record, make sure we put in Thomas Gavin Carter. Galvin. >> Galvin. I'm sorry, >> Mr. Chair. >> Yes. >> During executive session, I discovered I have a probable conflict of interest. So, I'm going to recuse myself from the vote. >> Also, uh chair will note that the minute was brought up. Uh Miss Gustach uh stopped the meeting and uh recuse the from the meeting. I do have two members
002that uh uh recuse themselves from this vote. All those in favor state by saying I. I. I. Many uh opposed. Motion carries. Nice. >> You as well. >> Where's your top coat? >> Warm car. >> Yeah. Haley, do we have anybody signed up for uh public comment? I'll make a secondary call for any public comment if anyone reought. Seeing none, I'll move on to report of standing committee. Starting with T now. >> Teaching and learning committee met on Tuesday, January 13th. The only agenda item was new course proposals. presented by principal Kathy Riddle. Course selection begins at the end of February. Proposals presented were investing in the stock market 2 to be run by a new business teacher who was a former stock trader. The number of students with interest in this field has grown
003and the course will prepare for [clears throat] career paths in economics, finance, and business in college. The course strengthens financial literacy and prepares students for managing money as adults as they study stock market trends and perform more sophisticated stock market analysis. This is a one semester course open to freshman through seniors and there is no cost to the district. Second course, real estate marketing and finance. This course will teach students what it means to buy, sell, finance a house and its effects on the community. It will align with the state licensing course, but students who wish to be a realer will need to take that course separately. This is a semester course for grades 10 through 12, and teacher training will be funded by a grant. Yearbook journalism 3 is a fullear course for seniors
004who have already been in the program for two years. [cough and clears throat] Excuse me. It will help it build design and marketing skills for career pathways and provide leadership potential. It will run concurrently with the first and second year yearbook with no cost to the district. Another course, household chemistry. Before this course, there have been no chemistry electives offered. It will apply chemistry concepts to real world situations, analyzing what is in food, household cleaning products, plants, and soil. Some students struggle to understand how chemistry relates to their lives. And this course will provide relative relevant activities to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that connect to real life. Some materials at approximately $200 each time the course runs will be required. This is a semester course for any grade level. History of sports
005is a social studies half-year elective for grades 10 through 12. It examines his major historical events and social movements through the lens of sports and athletic culture. Critical thinking, research, analytical, and communication skills will be developed that are valuable in multiple career pathways such as journalism, sports management, marketing, and public relations. A cost of $350 is needed for materials. Finally, a unified art class. This course will allow general education students together with special ed students to explore the foundations of art and provide a career pathway into special education as [clears throat] the general education students serve as mentors assisting their sped peers to practice art skills complete the steps of a project. There is no associated c course outside of the usual art materials. The teaching and learning committee will next meet in March. the
006agenda to be determined. >> Any questions for the chairman of TNL? >> Mr. Riddle, can uh board members go take the stock course, too? [laughter] >> Lord knows I get to help it. Finance committee met tonight. Mr. Chairman from the finance committ. >> All right. So, we did meet earlier this evening. Uh we did uh discuss uh the healthcare line item extensively. Uh so the folks from IMA came and uh helped us answer some questions um and they enlightened us with the fact that there are some rebates that are lagging that'll help bring the U budget line item down uh from the point of four a little under 4.1 million where it is now. There's also prescription drug rebates that are 6 months lagging. So, uh, you know, while the number seems pretty high now,
007there's some, uh, thought that that number will go down as time goes on, as we get those rebates. Um, other than that, uh, that's pretty much it and meet again in February. >> Questions? I know most of us were here for that meeting. Uh, for the record, I believe the rebate amount was just the neighborhood of 700,000. >> 700K. >> Okay. Just for the record. No questions. Policy committee >> policies meeting in a few weeks. Um and uh we and uh they talk about the 9,000. >> Any questions for policy buildings and grounds? >> I believe both are absent. Correct. >> Yes. >> All right. So we will not discuss that >> liaison CS. That would be me. Uh, best rep council met on Thursday, January 8th. We began with our annual meeting during which
008officers were elected and committee appointments were made. Andy George from Norwok will continue as president. Myself as vice president and Mary Ellen Flity Ludwig as secretary. She's also from Norwok. I will also serve on the building committee. Executive director Chip Deay announced that he has completed his doctorate at Quinnipak University. He has been invited by representative Lee Leaper, chair of the legislative education committee to participate in an education innovation cohort. [clears throat] FES has hired 13 new employees since November, 12 non-certified, one certified. The CES Foundation annual gala has been sent for May 1st, 2026 at Tasha Null's Country Club in Trumbull. It is its biggest fundraiser for the foundation which provides grants of up to $1,500 to cess teachers to enhance classroom instruction. Bed programs have six new students in January. CES is awaiting
009word on magnet school capital grants. The early childhood program provides opportunities for observation hours in student teaching for college students. These experiences must be completed in NAEC accredited programs and they have an observation room with one-way mirrors for observation purposes. The early childhood program has added a fully enrolled 2-year-old classroom of eight students at the regional center for early learning. This is a new program not offered before. An update of early childhood learning development standards has been launched and CES teams coordinated delivery of 25,000 copies across the state to ensure educators have access to a print version. With the new IEP format, an IEP help desk has now been made available through the rest. Open choice applications are open from January 15th through March 15th. The open choice program won a grant to support students
010and families with academic, social, emotional, and community connections for students from Bridgeport who attend Trumbull and Fairfield schools. Enrollment is now open for open choice where parents from Bridgeport, Norwok, and Danbury and apply for their children to attend school in neighboring suburban districts. And finally, RCA auditions will be held February 21st and 28th. A second open house will be held on February 5th. There have been over 230 applications for approximately 75 spots. And this includes several towns that have never been represented at RCA before. The next meeting will be the first Thursday of March because they know we're all in budget season and give us February off. >> Very good. Any questions for Miss Goutach? Seeing none. Kabe, this morning. >> Hi. Yes. Um, we were discussing last uh last meeting about the CABE training
011that's required of new uh new members and um Dr. Sarinich said during that time that he could bring a CAB representative here to teach um or to present that course for the new members on the board of ed. It's required by law that you have it done by the first year. The thought is is to have him do that and certainly open this up for discussion is to have you you know bring the kre here for for that training and that um you know any board member that wants to attend could attend even those that have been on the board for a while just sort of as a as a good team building situation. So what do you think of that as any discussion on that? >> How long is the training? >> You know
012>> I don't I do not know how long. Last time I took it, it was only a couple hours ago. >> Four hours. But that was a while ago. >> God was a corporal then. [cough] >> The law has been passed. Probably >> we can inquire about the length. I don't know. >> Like >> I agree with you. I think it was a great idea as we discussed to bring up. Is there anybody that would object to obviously we have three new members that have to take it. Obviously, I'm not going to require anyone, but if we could find out the total amount of time and uh is there anyone to object to it? Okay. Obviously, the three three of you are not going to object. [laughter] >> If we could make a point, let
013the presenter know that there may be some of us attending been on the board a while. Maybe they can let us know newer things that have come about that >> because I've been to various workshops. Maybe not this particular one ones that addressed it. I mean back in the time had the lighthouse series presented that was a series over if when we will follow up and find out the duration of time that it takes to do this presentation. Um while we're doing that would you like my office to also secure possible dates because I know Cab is looking fast. So if we're going to have conversations with them should we give them a Okay. I I throw this out to the board. Depending on the amount of hours, we may want to do a Saturday
014or Sunday or at a night start. So, why don't we go one step at a time, find out the amount of time? >> Yeah. >> And then uh see possible dates based on that time. >> Or does that meet what you'd like to do, Patty? >> Yeah, I think that's that would be a great idea. >> Okay. Anything else from Cape? >> Just that they've been having a legislative uh breakfast. So, it's it's an opportunity for us to talk to the legislators in our state about uh how the laws that are being passed in in the state level um on education are affecting us and giving and allowing us to give input and allowing them to talk to us about proposals with um any of the legislation that's coming up. Um I know that they're
015they've been monthly and they are at 7:30 a.m. in Westport. So, if anyone is interested, that's uh something to look into. >> I was couldn't go to the last one cuz I was going on vacation. Probably going to make it a point to go down. Okay. >> Cuz you are very correct. It's it's >> a good opportunity to share ideas. Any other comments, questions towards KE? Seeing none, Dr. Sinich. >> Thank you. So, uh, I first just want to again reiterate to the board here in our regular monthly meeting, um, our gratitude. Thank you for your collaboration, uh, in passing the recommended budget, uh, administration is putting that budget book together, um, for the city based on the city charter outlines and, um, we just appreciate the support going behind it. A unified front from
016the board is actually, you know, a really great start. Um, with that, I also want to say, you know, we had our our three-hour delay implemented this week because of the storm that we've been dealing with. Um, I want to thank everyone who contributed to making that possible from administration with their schedulings and all the cooperation. But a special thanks and shout out has to go to our maintenance crew for the hard work they did coming in on the day of the storm clearing the paths, getting the sidewalks, not only our own crew here, um but also uh Brian Roach with the city u making the streets as passible as they can be. Um obviously you can't control the weather, but you know, we don't want it to affect our school system and to just
017lose one day um with the amount of snow we had was just a tremendous effort from everyone. So thank you. Um, today is National Mentor Recognition Day. I did email our mentors that service our kids earlier today. Um, but I want to publicly thank them for their volunteer time and contribution they do as mentoring our students in need um, here in our district. Um today also uh the leadership team, the administrative leadership team um did instructional rounds and a professional learning at Shelton Intermediate School today um with uh the members from the deeper learning institute at Harvard came a part of that um which really moved forward the work that we've been doing as a district the district team in looking at our vision of the graduate how that um directly affects the teaching and
018learning that goes on in the classroom recommendations that will go in in doing that as I mentioned to the board, it's a two-year process, but to have firsthand account coming down, working with our administrators, this will be one of multiple visits that we'll have plans moving forward, and it was a very successful day. Um, and a great learning experience for all. Um, we also just recently hosted, Kristen and I hosted a meeting for our first year teachers. We are at the halfway point today. So, we had, um, basically a meeting with them to connect with them, um, find out how their first half of the year is going. Um, for me it's a big piece of uh teacher retention, you know, for us to to address their concerns. Um, let them tell us about um
019what what's working, what's not working, how we can make um their lives easier, you know, cuz as I said to to all of them in the meeting today. Um, you know, we we've made an investment on them, they've made an investment on us, and we want to make sure that our teachers are happy and and thriving here in our school district. Um, overall, the meeting went exceptionally well. We got a lot of great feedback and we'll be looking to implement that and sharing that feedback with everyone. Uh last night Jack and I attended the board of alderman finance meeting. Um I did debrief about that in our in our finance meeting earlier this evening. Um but in general it was a really good collaborative start to the budget process. We got some clear directions in
020terms of some of their asks and what they're looking for in terms of detail to help make that decision. and it really sets again that pathway forward of how we're going to begin that that discussion with the city. The last thing that I want to talk about is a very exciting news. So, um, as the board knows, uh, at the beginning of the year, every year I kind of take a focus point of of what the district is going to look at the theme. This year's theme as announced at convocation is connecting community. So as part of that connecting community aspect um what we will be doing and announce announcing tonight starting forward in the planning process is as many are familiar that many of our elementary schools do one book one school in which
021the whole school community engages as a as as a school um based on uh one particular book that they'll read together with the staff and students. We are going to do for the first time here in Shelton one book one district. That book is going to be the wisht tree in which we will be getting copies of this book for our all of our elementary K through six and we'll be coordinating um events. We've already spoken to the public library. They're helping backing this concept. Um not only during April vacation to plan some events, but also um some financial backing and support that they'll be doing for us to make this happen. Um I will be getting copies of the the book for board members who would like to participate with this. My plan is
022also to offer it to the board of alderman and the mayor to see if they would like to be guest readers as we participate as one district together. Um it is a book with a very powerful message about community which I feel goes right in line with the theme um and just shows the unity as we are in Shelton um as we all engage in this one book, one district um that we will be planning to do at the start of um April and we very much look forward to this. So thank you. >> Great idea. questions for the superintendent. >> One quick question. How many mentors do we have? >> Uh I don't know the exact number. I'm going to say somewhere around two dozen, but I don't simple. >> Any other questions? >>
023I have one question. Do first year teachers still have to complete team? >> They do. >> Thank you. >> Question further. On to healthcare update. Uh there will wait. Is there any know everybody was in finance is there anyone has questions on the healthcare update for the superintendent or Jackie calls on yours truly. What's the current amount that we're in deficit? >> Jackie, can you just pull your microphone closer to you so it's recorded? Thank you. I know I'm rehashing, but we're going to keep doing this until >> Okay, >> every month till it's solved. >> Healthcare. So, currently we're not at a def deficit. The current year-to-ate expenditure is $6,112. $112,251 which leaves us with a positive variance of $2,57,700. >> What's your projection of where we're currently at? Will we be in the
024red? >> So, I'm looking at um when I projected this, we will be in the red come March. And our overage will just be under a million dollars >> at the end of the year or in March. >> In March, what is your estimate that we will be based on current figures? Where will we be in at the end of the uh fiscal year? >> End of fiscal year. The year-to-ate expenditure would be 12,224,52. And that would bring the district over budget by 4,54,53. >> Okay. Any further questions on that item? >> What's that? >> I I have one clarification or one clarifying question. >> The 4 million 4,54,000 is that account for the 700,000 that we heard we're getting in rebates. So it's 4,54,000 minus 700,000. Correct. So we would be a little under
025$4 million in deficit. >> Correct. >> But it also too depends on what the claims are going to be for J that net figureable during the next. >> Is there any doubt in your mind that we will be in the red on the end of the fiscal year? No, there's no doubt we will be in the red. It's just a question of how much. >> Okay. Based on your current figures, there's going to direct you again, send correspondence to all the aldermen and the mayor's office again and keep them alerted of where the current figures are and what we expect to happen at the end of the fiscal year. And may I make a suggestion with that letter? >> Absolutely. >> Um I think my recommendation that we send over the executive summary. >> Um
026and this is from our broker IMA who was at our finance meeting. And this basically tells how the board of ed is running, what percentage, and you know, when Joe from IMA did mention the budget number, he mentioned IMA's budget number, not the board of ed budget number. >> Please do that. Anything that you think that will inform the alderman and the mayor's office and keep them better a breast of the situation, please do so. Please make sure that goes out. You choose the modem on how you want to uh deliver that whether it be email or whether it be letter that's your choice Dr. Sarinich and Jackie. Okay. Yes. Is there anything else anyone would like to add to send over or on this issue? Seeing none, please keep this on the agenda as
027a permanent item until I so order it removed. Uh chair does not have any comments tonight. Any celebrations from anyone? Anybody? Okay. Any communications to the board? There's none. Uh the enrollment and staffing report is included enclosed. Does anyone have any questions or statements with regards to that? Seeing none, I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> Moved moved by Miss Coutas. Second by >> Second. You missed. Sorry, Miss