Board of Education Meeting - October 14, 2025

001Uh, let's start with the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Any public audience? Guess not. I guess not. Um >> community reports Cedar. Um all right. So, uh there's a couple things going on at SHS right now. Um OneX is coming up on Saturday. Um I'm one of the senior directors this year. I was actually just coming from uh tech rehearsal, first tech rehearsal of the week. Uh so that'll be on Saturday. The morning shows start at 9:00 a.m. and then the afternoon shows we be at 1 p.m. >> How you feeling as a director? How you feeling about this? >> You know, uh it's a >> no

002pressure. [laughter] All right. But um I think I think it'll be good. >> I'm sure it'll be trying to get a lot of people to show up. >> Um we started a new tradition for seniors to uh leave their mark, I guess, by uh painting their parking spot at uh Cbury. So a few spots were actually painted this past weekend and then uh more will be done this coming Saturday. um sort of a little tradition that we're going to start doing. Um something a lot of schools do. Um and then uh also Sweetheart Pond, which is the pond, uh it's located uh at the back of the building uh towards like the it's where the east parking lot is. Um is being revived. It's a collaborative project with Eagle Scout Caitlin Thompson um and the

003SHS green team. Um they're going to work to remove the invasive weeds, uh conduct water and soil testing, um installing solar pump to filter the water. So, uh, yeah, that's it. Great. >> Josh, >> um, no communication committee coming up on October 24th, so I'll have an update come out of that one. >> Brian, >> yes. Uh, quick update uh for personnel and negotiations. We have concluded our uh discussions with uh the teachers on a new three-year contract. So, it is now in their hands for review uh before it's brought back to us for a vote. Um, just want to thank obviously Neil and Matt for their help. Um, as well as Jen, Jessica, and Tara for helping out as well. >> That's it. >> Good. >> Yes. Briefly, we >> This is Brian's >>

004favorite. >> Interesting. Of course you are. Of course you are interested. Um we had a great successful um golf uh Craig Foundation golf tournament last week and we raised a lot of money and this money goes for our students in our in all our schools especially the students that are overcoming adversity. We do give we're very hefty and give some scholarships about four scholarships that are committed for four years for each student. So, we've had probably about 25 students go through in the past several years. And um it's always well attended by by sponsors and and and um those that um you know have a have an interest in in crack and what we do for for Hartford students. Um also there is Thursday there is a um webinar legal webinar which all of you

005have been but this will be for the new people coming in they would enjoy it. Um we're also starting at Cape and uh this will be good since I will now be turning into the cave alumni association. So we are starting a um new school funding working group with other education entities. So this will be again more on the legislative front that we're going to be pursuing that hopefully before January and also [clears throat] um I will talk to Mr. curious about this, but the education mandate review advisory council that was set up by the legislature um and they were established last year to advise and provide annual reports to the education committee on [snorts] cost implementation of existing education mandates on local local boards such as ours and the impact of proposals to add

006or revise these mandates. So we've been requested to get input from our district and from our board about the f five top mandates that effective impacting the effectiven effective and efficient delivery of education for our district. So I'm just requesting from us just one bullet of each five and I can just submit that off tomorrow. So all this is going to be used. we have our next meeting and hopefully this will get moved forward come November before the December break for for January. So we just implemented that. So that's the the new one and again you know these these advisory councils may have met once but this is what they're asking for us all our districts around the state. So we said that we would comply and get this to them. So that's the news.

007Excellent. How are you? >> Just I'm great. How are you? >> I'm good. >> Just as a reminder to families, tomorrow is an early release day and the focus of tomorrow's professional development will be on school-based priorities at each one of our seven schools. And also in your folders, I just wanted to give a shout out to Lisa Ael, our director of music and performing arts. This is a professional development day brochure that she and her colleagues in 10 other districts. They have put together an incredible professional development day which will happen on November 5th when we have our full day of professional development. We will be hosting 10 other districts here around music and just take a look. It is incredible. It is a collaborative effort and pretty amazing. November 4th. Did I say

008that? That's >> November 4th. Thank you for the correction. Tuesday, November 4th. >> You're going to hear plenty from me tonight. >> Thanks. Don't mean to put you guys on the spot, but >> I got nothing. >> Okay. >> Sorry. >> No, no, no, no, no. U I just want to kind of echo for a second what Brian was saying just on the um uh the contract with the teachers. just just kind of want to I really appreciate the the team the the personnel negotiation subcommittee that really shephered this through Neil obvious plays a huge part Brian with the leadership Matt I mean everybody gets involved with this and I just just for the public I just want folks to know how much time and effort goes into this you know there are several meetings

009longterm long meetings the final meeting was went to midnight I mean we I guess what I'm trying to get to is this is a we take this very seriously and and there's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that people just don't see and it just it's it's a um you know we're all volunteers and we put in a lot of lot of hours in some of this stuff and that's really at the top of the list. So it's a good deal. It's a fair deal. Hope the teachers ratify it and just want to thank them for their collaboration as well as always um through this. Um but again just my appreciation for everybody everybody involved. Just a quick update. Had a uh had a really productive meeting today with Tekkon. As

010I let the board know in one of the Friday updates, we've contracted with them this year on a smaller scope of work around developing detailed options for squadron line uh to help the board kind of point our direction towards what the next significant project will be. So, uh Neil was in there with me. Mike Lazetti is actually working with us. He's in an 093 program. They have to be involved with a major project. So getting his assistance as well. But in terms of a timeline, uh we're going to bring some options in a a presentation to the finance subcommittee on the 7th and then the board of ed meeting on the 11th. Uh Tektown will be coming to kind of talk us through uh some different options. There's been some really interesting development with uh

011new legislation around state reimbursement rates that have to do with preschool programs, additional dollars available, um and almost really the closing of the gap between uh reimbursement rates on new construction verse renovate as new. So, there's really some new information for us to take a look at and kind of wrestle with. >> That's great. Um uh okay, so moving on to the approval of the September 30th minutes. Make a motion. >> Motion. >> Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Great. Any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> Any post? Thank you. Uh, next up. >> All right, we're going to start on our enrollment report here. So, welcome back. Um, >> uh, obviously this, uh, as you know, the official count takes place on October 1st. So, we had a full two weeks

012uh from the date that we produced these numbers to get everything ready. It's sliced and diced in a lot of ways and um I will walk you through it, but certainly happy to take any questions as we go. Um so, here's the headline. You got to look in the lower left corner and the count on October f 1st ended up being 3,966. Lower uh than last year and lower than expected. Um the only time we've been below 4,000 in the last 10 or 15 years was the COVID year. So this is um this is within a handful of where we were in 2020 uh um as some families kept kids out of school. Um you can see last year on October 1st we were 95 students higher. We expected the change at the elementary school.

013We did not expect the middle school and I'll talk more about that. Um it's strange for a middle school number to not be accurate. Um, and I did a little digging as to why that was. Um, and we actually had quite quite a move out, coincidental, but I'll talk more about that as we go. Um in terms of the elementary schools, you can see um the only one that is above its uh uh projection, it's a total from last year is [snorts] Latimer Lane and the one that is significantly below is Squadron Line. Here's the theme on that one. The kindergartens came in backwards. Squadron Line only has 60 kindergarteners for this year and Latimer Lane has 84. And so all of these numbers when you see why is Latimer up, why is Squadron down,

014it's pretty much kindergarten. And um to for squadron to only have 60 kindergarteners, that that is remarkably low for the size of that um territory up in the north end of town. >> Is it the new school? Is it the revamp of the of Vladimir? >> It certainly gives us room to um I I I don't think there's anything to this but coincidence of um you know you we see them go up and down. Sometimes Toutin Hills and Central will be two but then they'll go back up to three but um we've squadrons with only three is almost impossible. So um in terms of now I'm instead of looking to actual to actual this is actual versus the projected um and you can see that NASDAQ had projected us at the district level at 4,040.

015So we were 74 um above that. Um, and that's certainly um surprising, but you'll see that we we've actually been high the last couple of years. Um, and I'll talk about that 36 uh below at Henry James. So, I dug in a little bit. We had about 30 students um in the seventh and eighth grade who withdrew um over the summer from uh Henry James and uh Laura Shelman codes the reasons why they do. So eight moved within the state of Connecticut, 10 moved out of the state of Connecticut, two moved internationally, nine went to private school, and one was homeschooled. So, I just think it's an unusual amount of movement out of Simsbury at those two grade levels. Um, but it certainly isn't, you know, that's not a big number going to private school

016or anything. That would be >> I was going to say that that piece of it is pretty consistent, right? >> So, that that >> I thought that was bigger. >> I was concerned that when I dug into it that it might be that like but it it does not seem to be. Um this this is uh the projected by grade. Um I'll point out two highlights here. We got kindergarten pretty right. Um after working with them last year on changing the formula, reacting better to the new law um and what our practices were. Um we finally got a kindergarten number that that approached accuracy. And once again, it's the seventh and eighth grade with that unusual um their projections were simply much higher for those two grades. [snorts] Uh this is this is my NASDAQ

017report card that I uh put this slide in to say um how are how are they doing in terms of projections and where it lands because these projections are only a year out. They should be pretty accurate and I mean I'm gonna have they continue to be low. Um not by a tremendous amount but there I do think it is that we're Simsbury is following the demographic trends of the state and the country really but the state I mean families are smaller. Um I don't know that they have fully accounted for that because this is all based on historical data. Um [snorts] and houses aren't moving right. The stop the the sales of houses are slow and so there's not a lot generating to bring new families um with a lot of kids into into

018the fall. >> Before you get up, Sure. Can I just ask and I don't mean to derail the conversation but and I ask you this every year I think >> when I look at that though looking at the last three years that that's not insignificant that's not an insignificant miss that's not five kids and for whatever reason you just laid out like that nothing that you just said is is news right I mean we all know that right so I I'm I'm struggling with as I have in the last couple years with >> how they how are they missing by so much and I know a little bit kind of at their whims. I get it there's very few alternatives out there. But is there anything we can do? I mean because that's that's a

019difference of four potential classrooms, right? I mean that's that's again to me that's not a that's not insignificant. you you contract with a different kind of dem demographer who goes into more detail about where the births were in town, which districts they I mean you go to a different level of detail and spend a little bit more money to get it. >> Fair. >> When do we go back to them, Neil? I couldn't remember. >> I think when it starts to go off at the 105. >> That was We were with Malone and McBroom when it was hitting a little better >> because they were part of the study. Do you remember when we did the whole study? >> Yeah. Again, I don't don't mean to derail the conversation, but I just >> So, we

020did the study in 201920 and then finished it in 2021 and then we had Malone McBroom for about two more years. So, >> good Neil to do you would do you talk to your peers and other are they off? Are their numbers off just like that? You know, >> uh I have not actually talked about that. I should do that. That's a good point. um check with West Hartford and Farmington. Yeah, >> I I will do that. Thank you. >> Uh Lydia, you want to talk about some of the mandates that maybe we want to take a look at? We'll go to the kindergarten waiver process. Um you will recall last year that um was the first time that uh students born after September 1st of the year five years before had to apply to

021get into kindergarten. Um this is a process that Sue's office runs through Betsy Gonzalees. Laura and I just sort of collect the results. This these numbers are dramatically different than last year. There we had 18 families inquire about the process. 16 brought their students in for a recommendation. We changed the process. Last year we recommended, we recommended with reservation or we didn't recommend. We eliminated the recommend with reservation and just said you're either recommended or you're not. Um, so last year we actually assessed 35 kids compared to 16 this year. So a lot more last year as the as [snorts] the age the law has um matured here. And then 25 kindergarteners enrolled and we only have four enrolled this year who are born after September 1st. So, um, >> it was great to run

022the process to see how those recommended with reservations actually played out and we were spot on. >> And so, we said if we're spot on, then we have enough data to make shifts and modifications to our process. And it's we have there's also time is a benefit. If you remember that first year, this came on fast and furious and parents, I think, felt up against a timeline that no one was expecting. This year, we've had a year plus to make sure that parents understand that this is the age for enrollment. So, >> so last year's kindergarten class, 9.6% of them were born after uh September 1st. You can see it's a minuscule percentage here. Um >> Neil, so when you say you were spot on, the reservation ones in looking at it would have I'm

023saying it been better off waiting a year is what I take from that >> I would say. So there are some exceptions to that rule, but I think our assessment was pretty accurate. >> So while this is a dip this year, you feel like we set a better standard, if you will, that going through the process That's correct. >> Yeah. >> Using the same assessment. >> Y >> and because Connecticut Connecticut was out of sync with other states and and other states don't have assessment. So you're either born before September 1st or you're not. >> It's a hard yes. >> And so um >> and a bill did proceed through the legislation um to eliminate this process in the future and it it got lost in committee and didn't make it through. So, I'm sure

024more talk of that will surface. >> Seems to make sense, right? The standard has now been set for 91. You look at these four as like exceptions to the rule, whereas the standards probably more [cough] reason for the rule. So, >> correct. >> Give you guys credit for that job. >> Thanks. >> These are just some uh historical trends. Again, we always look at this one five years. So, in five years, you're um really flat. I've talked about that before. And then when you look at the 20-year trend, you can see that we had come back up in the we were at our lowest in the mid 201s and started to come back up. Um and now we may uh with kindergarten classes around 250 260, we may be headed back to that range that

025we were in about 10 years ago. Um, so 3966 is the main number that we will report to the state. If you want [snorts] a system total, there are 121 preschool students, part-time, full-time, they're a mix, but there are 121 on the books. Um, and they're both at Latimer and Squadron. So, um, 71 at Squadron, about 50 at Latimer. Um so a system total of 4,087. The biggest grades um are sixth and fourth grade. Um they surround the year that co uh started at kindergarten. Um and the smallest cohorts in addition to the new kindergarten um are the first grade and then we have a just sort of extremely unusual 10th grade class that's only got 266 students in it. Um and that is much smaller than any high school class we've had in a

026long time. Um and then with open choice you can see 175 open choice students. I put that data on there for you to show um where we stand. We are um above the 4% threshold for the ninth year. Um the first year we got there to the 4% threshold was 20118 and we have maintained that with a a pretty even number of students um little bit up from last year. Neil, are those um the prek students, is that also included in the are the open choice from the 175 included in the 121? >> You get to count them for your open choice count, but they don't go into the district total. That's how that formula works. They're encouraging you to take preschoolers, so you get to take them and then not divide by a bigger

027number. >> So, we had reported though that our numbers, remember our numbers were low. We weren't getting as many. >> It was it was becoming we were getting fewer in the lottery. >> Yes. >> Right. >> Okay. But it but that doesn't transfer into >> our numbers ended up being okay. It's just that we not getting that many that are >> there's not the waiting list there used to be. Right. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. I think is probably the best way to say that. Yeah. >> And with the decline in enrollment, easier to hit the percentage. >> Yes. Yeah. >> So that took a little of the pressure off. Yeah. >> Uh we we give you a in the full report there's a list of the uh programs outside of Simsbury. A lot of

028crackiesmies, a lot of city of Hartfordmies that are magnets. Um you can see that the trend continues for us where over half of these are usually prek or kindergarten for us and then those students often come back to Simsbury. So you'll have a whole bunch of families that use Winonberry Early Magnet and then come back. Um, and that number is very consistent with where we've been in the last few years. Uh, this slide would indicate three less than last year. And then we have some students part-time at like the Academy of the Arts and um, but not very not very significant number. U, this one's interesting. I don't know what to make of it. You tell me what you want to make of it. Um, we had hung in that before COVID, before the 2021

029school year, we were in that around 20 teens or low 20s for homeschooled students. Of course, during the year of COVID, the number went more than doubled in that year, but it hasn't fallen off like I thought it was falling off and now it doesn't appear to be falling off. So, there's some that uh belief that it's easier to homeschool your older kid because there's so many actually decent materials available on the internet like so you can uh more easily get materials and I don't know if families just did it because of COVID and then have continued doing it but um >> we have some families And there with multiple kids. >> There's a lot of multiple. Yeah, there's a lot of multiple kids. >> So that one. >> Do you know how many families

030that 46 students? I can double check for you. >> I'll get it. Yeah. >> So another one that Sue's office keeps the homesooled kids. I don't know why, but I don't need to take it. So you can keep Yeah. No, you can keep doing >> to pass it. >> You can keep doing it. Um, Neil, do you I know we don't do any kind of exit interview when they withdraw from our public school system in in the reasoning for going into homeschool. I'm just curious. I mean, we can all deduct certain, you know, things, but >> it's um sometimes it's I've got a like religious feel to it. their families that are concerned um religiously around what they want to do with schools and so >> and they're not required to tell us. >> Right.

031Right. There's no law that requires that yet. >> We used to have to meet with them 20 years ago. >> I thought we did. Yeah. >> And um I was an assistant principal at the high school and that's the kind of job that assistant principles get instead of principles. So I sat and met with many of these families and often >> they they were doing it um as part of their church or part of their >> it would be interesting how many like even for this whole chart just to see how many how much are the same >> I'm happy >> 2020 to that 2025 26 >> never come back >> happy to get a greater level of detail for >> all Right. Our I don't I think we have to stop calling these new

032developments because I've now been tracking this since um so we have I I broke them into categories. We have our developments that have single family homes where you would expect more children. However, both Carson Way and Mil Pond Crossing are not areas that are attracting lots of families. They're a lot of a lot of older residents. So, we see very few kids out of those um uh developments. Cambridge Crossing, as you know, is the one up behind Antonio's that um is stalled financially. Um the update is that the foreclosure on the original developer has gone through. So, the bank owns the development again. The bank has an interested buyer. So, there is some optimism. I talked to the town planner. I talked to a couple local realtors. There is some optimism that this will get

033back on track um with maybe some new construction starting in 2026. Um this development produces kids for us. So, um, and you'll recall starting last year that, um, we it had been zoned for Squadron, but if you're buying a new house there now, we reszoneed you to Terapville. So, if this does produce kids, they're going to go to Terapell. That's um, and it's easy enough for JR to send two buses in there. So, we're going to continue to let the kids that are at squadron kind of finish out. Um, but any new kid will be assigned to Terafll. Um, and that's how we're going to do that. The apartments are all um I'll the next slide has the ones that are coming. This has become very stable now with how many kids we can expect

034from the various with the major players obviously being the rich at Talcott North where we can expect 40 to 45 kids in this case 45 this year. Um the High Croft place has kind of settled in at at 29 students for this year. That's been a fairly consistent number. >> [snorts] >> Aspen Green, we get a lot of kids in a little drop this year, but we have uh 40. And then um Dorsa Crossing has been a long time and that 25ish number is good. Um the newest development is so these are proposed apartments. These have passed all the boards. Construction has begun on the top two. So everybody can see what's happening down on Iron Horse with Luminary going up. That's that's its name if you're wondering. It's called Luminary. Um uh uh oh,

035I can change this slide. I have news on this. The likely district is no longer central. We're going to send this uh property to Terapville as well. Um the I talked with the uh leasing body uh and told them that last week that it makes sense while we uh uh have a lower population of Terapville. I don't think this is going to produce a tremendous amount of kids out of the um I had a nice talk with the leasing agent um >> after >> you're interested. >> You think moving? [laughter] I like the ridge. [laughter] >> How many of them are multi-b of the um of this 175? 55 of the units are twobedroom and 33 are threebedroom and everything else in this luminary is onebedroom. So that's >> that's unlikely to produce a whole

036lot of kids. >> Vessel will produce no kids. Those are all studios except for maybe four of those 48 apartments. >> Where's Vessel? >> Vessel is right on route 10 sort of not too far from the across the street from the Simsbury Inn or the not too far down from the mobile station. >> Um it's like tucked in there, >> right? >> You go by, there's yellow fencing that says >> kind of stalled for a while. There's nothing going on. Um, Dorset Crossing number two is uh approved a couple of years ago in the town. Um, has not started construction. Could they tell me they could at any moment, but right now seems to will it they wouldn't do it in the winter. So, if they're going to do anything, it'll be in the spring.

037Um, and the ridge at Talcott South remains stalled. So, the last action on this was in 2024. when the uh zoning rejected their latest proposal. They haven't come back since that time, but they will at some point. Um and then we'll have the construction period and all that, but I I believe eventually something's going on that land. Probably not at the number of 432, but something will go there. And if you're interested in the historical, um, this is where those developments, uh, I've been keeping track of the total. So, we now have 188 slightly down from two years ago, slightly up from one year ago, but now we know what to expect from these. You know, we really do. >> It's good data. So next steps, I will turn around tomorrow and submit current enrollments

038to NASDAQ and they will do their thing and then if we want to talk about down the road spending uh with a different demographer, we can do that. But we've already uh committed the membership of NASDAQ this year. So we should use them one more time um and see how they do. Uh we're going to monitor the current space ded devoted to preschool at squadron line in Latimer Lane. We have um four rooms in squadron line uh for uh preschool. Three are the the normal preschool. One is the ILN preschool room. Um and then Latimer Lane, we actually uh put a third preschool room into Latimer Lane. um they're up sort of at the upper end of the um top hallway. So turns worked out perfectly where we put them in um in squad at

039Vlatimer. And then as we've been doing and we'll talk about with uh um squadron as it is in need of a look, we continue to monitor the capacity. Um there there are currently 31 K through six classrooms. It helped that there were only three kindergartens. Um that gave a little bit of relief. We actually moved a teacher because we had projected for three at Vladimr and four at squadron. We just transferred a teacher over. Um so that actually worked out fine. Um, and you know, the ILN space continues to there's just a lot in building. There's just a lot in the building. Any other questions or comments about this >> questions on the do class size, so I'm going to invite Ken and Jacqueline to the table. >> But before that, I'll do the elementary

040piece real quick. here. You can >> I while you were [laughter] >> while Ken and Jacquine transition, I can show you the elementary piece. Um, we had exactly 110 teachers again this year. Um, that that's the same number as last year. one more in the upper grades, one less at um the primary grades. Once again, happy to report when you look at the class sizes, which I'll put up in a second, not one of them in the whole district at the elementary level is above the class size guideline. None of them. Um and we uh had 12 that are below the class size guideline. Um, and as you'll see, that's usually a number that you can't divide and keep it. It's either going to be above or it's going to be below. And that's happened

041to get. But if you take a look at this overall, I mean, we are in excellent shape with our class sizes in the elementary right now. Um the only one that is um even high at this point is the fifth grade at squadron line where you can see we we do have classes of 24 and 25. Um and we'll have to that not only did we get four kindergartens at Latimer, we got four full ones. They're 21 each at Latimer. Um, and that that we're going to have to keep an eye on. But otherwise, the class sizes, I mean, you look across the board at Central School, look across the board at Tuton, these these are really favorable class sizes. Um, we do continue to I know there's been a lot of concern about the

042one first grade at uh Terapill and um we certainly can take a look at how to uh I do have some choice students who could go in there. [clears throat] We could probably uh find a way to make two smaller sections. Um, but I want to monitor it for a little longer. >> But it's nice to see that the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth at Terafelo and even second similar to >> pretty balanced. >> So, and I think I'd say we're we're in favorable shape. I think you're going to hear a similar theme from the middle and high school, too. So, Jacqueline. >> Yeah. I when I talked to Neil and I talked to Scott about our numbers, I said it just feel good. like it it just feels good and feels comfortable this year

043which is really nice because last year we were busting at the seams. We had a really high enrollment last year at 687. Um so we increased our teams last year from 5.6 to 6.0 teams. So we were functioning with three full teams at each grade level and we were still you know having classes that were really large. Um last year we had 32 classes that were overenrolled. Um, and this year we were down to nine classes overenrolled. Um, so it just feels comfortable and good. Um, because last year everything felt stretched from our counselors to our, you know, mental health support staff to our class sizes being really large. Um, and this year we're at a much better spot because even last year we had um, 21 classes that were sitting at 25 and this

044year we only have six. So we're in a good spot there. Um, we did increase our underenrolled classes from 21 to 34, but a lot of the classes are just one or two students below. It's not like we're, you know, sitting on classes of of 12 and 13. [snorts] Um, we have a few kind of at the extreme, but overall we're sitting really comfortably in our classes. Um, so that that feels really great and it's allowed us to keep um our connection classes small too, which has been a benefit for us. We highlighted that last year as well. So, we've been able to continue keeping those on an average of 12 students. So, it really um is gives us that great tight-knit relationship between student and teacher. And last year was the first year we

045did conferences and the conferences were with the connections teacher. So, they really knew those students. So, our hope is to be able to continue that as well. So, and that's every teacher across the building has connections classes. Um, we continue to have some struggles with we have a I don't know if struggles is the right word, but we have a lot of very specific reading classes that are small. So, kids who are identified with a specific reading need. Um, so we have uh once again we're running 12 of those. And so our special education teachers are specially trained. They're receiving a lot of training this year for those classes. But by having those small sections that takes our special education teachers offline, so their um support classes, their educational support classes are increased because they

046can only have two instead of three or it impacts our co-eing. So there's a bit of a domino effect um with that, but they are getting great training this year and able to service those students really well. um you know and with support of par professionals we're able to support the um ESC classes formerly study skills um but having a lot of those small sections also creates scheduling conflicts so between singleton classes like a Latin that only has one section or Chinese and then these specific reading classes it does tend to create some scheduling conflicts which is how we usually end up with our overenrolled or underenrolled classes. So, >> but overall, you know, we feel we feel great and we've been able to stay at the six teams and I think that has made

047it, you know, feel really comfortable for us this year. >> What's the range? >> Um, so it depends on the class size. So, um, a regular like core class is 18 to 25, but wellness increases. So wellness like the low end is 21 students. Um so that's actually why we probably had more students like underenrolled in wellness because 21 is your low end of your guideline and then the more specific classes have smaller like some of the reading classes like 8 to 10 students. >> Yep. >> All right. Ken Sbury High School. >> Excellent. So, um, like Neil and Jacqueline were saying too, feel very good about the schedule, working with it this summer and balancing and doing things. You get a a good vibe with it. I, this is like the 10th or 11th

048year. I think I've presented to you probably even more than that. And I talk about they they the schedules take on a personality. They really do. Um, but I don't know if that's going to play out until we actually get these hard numbers. And as we did and started to look at it, uh, that that has played itself out. um our classes we don't have um a significant number that are exceeding um in our core in particular we have eight that are exceeding of those um I'm going to slightly talk out of both sides of my mouth before I'm through but um because I'm going to tell you a majority of them I believe after our second ad drop window will be below um and they are at one class is at 27 all the

049rest of their over at 26 so numbers aren't aren't very very large. I'll I'll talk about why I think I may be talking both sides of my mouth later in a moment, but um I feel very good about that um of where they're at in um the teachers. I'm not getting any complaints about class sizes um and and those are very very good. The classes that are below right now are overwhelming majority fall into the singleton. It's uh either one class and if you have 15 kids sign up, you're going to be below. uh if they don't fall into that category, they fall into um the I call it like kind of the odd number category of you've got 29 kids taking a class, you're going to run two sections and you're going to be

050below in both of those or the if they're you have to run three sections or four. The a lot of those fall into that. Um actually an overwhelming majority of the classes all fall into that. um the classes that are are lower um the numbers that are singletons uh when we meet I meet with Neil we go through I meet with the department chairs Maggie plays a role in all of that um we get a number and then sometimes over the we run the class and then sometimes over the summer or whatever the kids drop and those numbers go lower that's kind of what accounts for all of this I I I believe knowing the schedule very well we have placed our personnel exactly where we need to place them uh when I've looked at

051this schedule. Um, what has been revealed when I kind of go through this and talk through this, we've had our first ad drop. Um, I want to add in I should add what I think a lot of pride I have in this too is it's we have two fewer teachers than we did last year. Uh, we have a larger number of students, the the senior class leaving versus the freshman coming in, but we did uh through retirement didn't rehire an English teacher, didn't rehire a science teacher, and the numbers have still played out very very well. So, uh, I'm I'm happy about that. Um but what has played out so far in our first ad drop um is that significantly fewer kids are changing level. Could that change in our second window? Of course it

052could. But um historically two classes which have really um two of the three classes that have led the way are AP US history and AP bio. And like two years ago, three years ago we had 25 AP bio. We had like 24 AP US history. Those numbers, AP US history last year was four. Right now we're sitting at four drops. I actually had beginning of the year meetings with both of the AP teachers. Uh and they they don't foresee anyone else dropping. I mean, someone could um but they don't foresee it. Talking to guidance, they don't foresee it at all. A um AP um bio, those numbers have have gone down significantly. Those are purposeful. uh our department chairs, our teachers, um we talked about those numbers, they looked at some of their practices, made

053some changes, and it's been effective. We definitely have teachers, and I can't account for this for the past 15 years, but I can tell you right now, we have teachers who want kids to stay in their AP classes. >> Is that because fewer kids are being referred to APs or is it because you think that the the teachers are like doing everything they can to keep them? I think definitely teachers are doing everything they can to keep them. AP US has grown tremendously. Uh our numbers of sections have grown. Um so I don't think it's uh I think we have more kids taking AP than we've ever had before and doing well on it. So um it's it's been a it's a very positive thing. So that's why I kind of say I'm talking on

054the both sides of my mouth where hey I think the number is going to drop. Um, I can tell you that a class that we have a lot of drops in that two sections are over and that one of them is the 27 and there's a 26 is algebra 21. We had zero drops. I've never had that in my first ad drop window. Um, I'm like, oh, I kept telling Neil, I have numbers we can catch, we can run with them. And he's like, let's wait for the first ad drop. I go, oh yeah, it's gonna they're going to change. They're going to change. And they never came in on that class, which is a great thing. I mean, it's it's a I'm very very happy about that. So, that's been a nice development and

055AP US and the um AP bio is a two-year trend now. So, I I think it's definitely something that's going to stick. And like I said, some purposeful changes were made in terms of when they give certain assessments. Um, and uh, as it was explained to me by one teacher and even though we're going to give that same tough assessment, you have now built up your grade so if it doesn't go well, you can absorb it and it's not going to be versus it being your first big grade like I can't do this and it's really made a change in all of that. So this schedule I I think is a very positive schedule. Um, doing very well. I do think of the eight four to five uh in the core classes I think second

056window will be where they're at. And um the other ones for the most part are are level three math classes and they're like pre-calc level three and they're like algebra 2 level three I believe account for maybe four of those. And um those are collegebound kids that have 18 kids sitting in a class. It's I I'm not worried at all about those being over. um an overwhelming majority of those kids go on to um a four-year university. So I I'm not losing sleep at those classes being at 19 versus 17 in that sense. Nor is the math department chair of the math teachers. Um some of the lower classes that are kind of purposeful in that is algebra one. It's definitely a conscious decision that is the absolute base for all of math and for

057kids to be successful. Even if they can't or don't want to go further in in our program, if at some point they go on and want to do math, if you have that algebra base, you're going to be able to be successful. So, there's a kind of a purposeful choice in that. Um, and a lot of the other ones are our support classes where the numbers are lower. >> This is great. I I don't know if you're you're done, right? I'm done. I think so. >> I think um the amount of thought and and everything that goes into this >> so proud of you. >> It's fantastic. I think I mean we hear a lot about class sizes from parents and people that come to our meetings and >> teachers as well. And I think

058this is fantastic and I think it's something we should be very proud of and I know Neil puts a lot into this stuff too in terms of enrollment and you guys do as well. So um the numbers are great. >> Really good. We have to give a shout out to like Donna and be and the power school team because they work so hard to balance in the summer the hours that they spend doing that. Um you know we help but they really take those numbers and play with them and and try to make the best class sizes possible. So >> and you can't it can't be a perfect system, right? I mean we have to be flexible for a variety of reasons and so there's going to be some outliers. That's great. >> Right. So

059just to to jump on that because I think that's a that's a great point I was on class size is a push point for parents push point for teachers staff and admin. It's a push point for the board of finance and other people correct when they look at numbers and say interesting your enrollment is doing what and your FTE is doing what. So we just need to, you know, as we move forward and we are thoughtful in our planning, how we represent those things because certainly this is a year with the pressures that are going to be put out there in the mil rate in town that this is all data we provide and we talk about every year and you know I have to tell you when I when I look at these class

060sizes I look at the elementary levels you're talking to teachers these are numbers that feel very manageable to them. Um, and I think we've also seen achievement results in this district over the course of the last two years, but you can't draw a direct line to it and prove it that correspond with class sizes that are really manageable. So something to think about. So >> I have qu questions actually. Um, so talk a little bit more about the AP US history. You said that this is really just jumped to a very high number of students. What is the reason for that? Um I think like most things um you get a pi piper effect at times of who's teaching it. Um and we've had one teacher who's been doing it for a very long time

061and then we had a retirement and people coming in and um bring new energy, bring a different point of view and that's definitely played a role in that. Um and I think again that change in how they do that assessment is been massive and the you can do this. you can do this. Everyone is buying into that that you can do this and that because that's a that's a legitimately tough course like that. There's no um you know, you make it harder as a teacher. It's that's you have to know the it's not just you have to know the history. You have to know the history in order to be able to apply it to a a a a reading or to a um a primary source, whatever the case. It's a very high level

062demand that they ask of you. Um, and these teachers know it and get kids to believe in themselves. >> My kids, my two kids love that course. >> So, the reason why I'm asking, I think it goes back to to your question when we talk about the profession, teaching and the profession and why and I think for board of finance because they don't know this intricate, you know, inside story, but this is really a testament to your teachers, to your staff of who they are, what they do, and why these numbers are bump up and why these kids are in it. So I know we get criticized a lot that we may have, you know, with our FTEEs and what have you, but this really is a success. >> And I'll throw in for that

063department chairs play a very important role in all of this because they look at these numbers and they engage in the conversations. They can go in much greater depth about the knowledge and and and strategies that teachers can use for their discipline and they have led the change in a lot of this. So >> good. That's why I asked it. I think that's a really a very good um telltelling sign of of what we do in this district and why we do and the success that we have because of the teachers that we have in this district. My second question, Capstone, can you just talk a little bit about that one? >> Um >> on that still on the slide yet? >> Yeah. What are the numbers? I'd have to they they fall under I

064have it up there. So as a class overall um capstone that's listed there are the students who are taking the capstone class. In other words, they're not taking project lead the way and doing a capstone project. They're not doing it through the art department or through some other course. They are actually taking the capstone class and doing their own research. Um it's a twoperson department. Um we actually pulled one of the sections from them which is probably probably why the numbers are um at right now the one is below. Um, and another teacher is te the teacher who is we pulled from is teaching an AP um AP is it AP SEM? No, it's AP research. >> AP research uh in that as well. Um those classes I believe we keep the number is 18

065to 25 uh because it's basically we've eventually said hey it's a level two class and that's where we want it to be. Um it's an extraordinarily demanding workload for those teachers. >> Every kid is doing something. >> Every single kid is doing something different. You've got to check in. Um um the kids are It's not necessarily a passion project where the other ones are. So, it's a little more challenging at times. It's the kids you got to get across the finish line. Um that maybe don't want to in the end. They're so proud of the work that they did. But uh you get [clears throat] to see that capstone day. All the stuff that occurred prior to that is the kind of the teachers who are keeping up who are talking to the people who

066they are connected to outside of the building etc. Um so it's a pretty demanding uh it's extremely demanding I think extremely rewarding but extremely demanding gig. >> I was Yes. So I was just looking at can we get like at some point like towards the budget time like see how there's there was the 101 numbers for seniors was 314 right of that 314 then it says on the capstone it says 219 of them are capstone are are they all seniors is that a mix of seniors and juniors what is that breakdown >> it's predominantly seniors in those numbers yet juniors and I do have 100 kids that take it through AP classes. >> I'm surprised that that's low >> or electives. >> But I thought you said it was people taking the capstone class. >>

067The people are taking that capstone class are taking the capstone class, >> right? So that means there only 100 kids left if these are all seniors that are taking >> I can that sounds about right to me that there's probably a hundred seniors who are doing it and through some other that makes sense. >> Yeah. I mean, there are there are very few juniors this year. We're actually trying to get more to do that, but they they can take it, but juniors can take it second semester, junior year, and then they take the second capstone class, first semester, senior year. >> And I just also was curious if we could see like on the AP classes because I know it's up. I would be curious to see how many what what are the classes like

068like a fiveyear breakdown of how what were the populations over of all of our AP classes and what are they now >> in that especially in the AP bio that sophomore year. I was just curious. >> Yeah. >> If >> how many AP is not on here? This isn't on here. The AP bio is missing. And so that's what I was trying to figure out. It >> got cut off, Ken. Oh, it did >> on the pageation that got cut off and I'm curious like >> how many kids actually sophomore year take that as their first AP experience? Is that growing or >> that's not growing? I know that. AP gov or AP stats >> but >> so it what's happened uh AP gov I definitely I don't have the numbers in front of me

069but I would say it is going down uh the number but um AP US is going up but like what is happening is as you throw in like AP human geography or uh these different things the numbers just we haven't necessarily found a course that's added 50 new kids it's 50 kids came from this course to go into that course um with that said we do have a record number of our kids still taking EAPS. But >> so that's what I was just I just be curious if you tie that and how that ties to >> also FTE if we're >> interesting. >> I did pull up those capstone numbers. You're right. It's 96 students. >> But that's much higher that 219 than than what I've ever been told before. >> And there the breakdown

070is grade 12 students in total are 255, grade 11 are 64. And I can get you exactly where these paths are. I'll send this in. >> And only 96 are actually taking the AP the no >> the SHs capstone class included in that pathway though is also AP research because it's a specific researchbased inquiry and that is 17 students for a total of 113 in that path. >> Right. And so that is just I just feel like as a group we should collectively be able to see like exactly where that capstone this is my sticking point but I just want to see what is it is it really 219 or is it >> sure >> and I can share the information I usually do in curriculum council which is on our agenda for next time

071but I could send this to the entire board so you can see the breakdown. >> Yeah, no problem. >> Anybody else? >> Yeah. A few questions. Just one pretty easy product. When you're above, you said like 26, maybe 27, but then you kind of said if it's 29, you'll split and get two below. Like, how do you make that judgment call? If I heard it correctly, it's like, okay, we're one or two, but we don't really want to go above 27 and then we'll do the Is that like what goes? >> So, we that call in terms of how many sections we're running of something is made Aprilish. Um, [clears throat] a little before April. I have to build I build a schedule around April. So May it really really there's so many different factors

072in but like if it's algebra 21 they'll run it if it's a class that traditionally has drops they'll run those numbers high. If it's a class that doesn't they'll tend to go that you also look at your FTE like a world language class you're going to run a French if you can divide a French at 26 you're going to run you're going to probably run two sections because you probably have some FTE there. Um so that comes into play. We also look at like lab safety too. Like if it's a science class, you can only have a that's like really a hard limit because of the supervision supervision piece. Um so there's, you know, or in like a family consumer science or something like that where you've got, you know, tools or cooking stations. So

073there's certain classes that have really hard limits on them. >> That makes sense. Thank you. And then maybe it's like math, gymnastics. I'm trying to figure it out. I'm sure a lot more goes into it, but just thinking about numbers and what we're running. So, you mentioned we have one less English, one less science teacher if I heard correctly. >> Yes. >> So, overall, I'm not going to ask you like how many more classes are we are we running. Yeah. >> What I'm trying to figure out is with let's say roughly the same amount of classes if that's true assumption less enrollment far fewer classes below. Is that just like I'm trying to do the math there that we have less kids in the building roughly same amount of classes a lot less classes below

074I would think less students more below >> yeah I hear what you're saying right it it depends on what they're taking um [sighs] >> certain classes run below like I saying like the algebra one would generally run below so if with the freshman being a larger class, you'd think there would be more below, but they'll that they would be more below because of that, but then it bal it just I don't know how to it just balances itself out in that sense. >> I would point to the English department though as one that would have had more below classes last year. >> Now you don't replace a teacher, >> right? >> And they rightsize themselves. >> Okay. It just maybe it's not. It just seems 130 to 180 to it. It feels to me like

075that's a 30 classes is a good amount of classes that are less. It seems more efficient. I'll say that, right? Like, and maybe that's not the best way to look at, but it seems like less classes you have below, the more you're utilizing the classes you have, which to Matt's earlier point, I think, is is a good number to look at and say the fewer below. I'm just trying to get a feel for less kids in the building, but yet we're utilizing classes more. I think that's a good story in a way. Okay. So, I think that's that's why I was asking how you do the splits and things like that. Um, and then just the the other question just the algebra 2 no drops. Any thoughts there? Do we have fewer kids taking algebra

0762? More taking algebra 1? Is it >> amazing? Middle school algebra 2. >> Algebra 2 one. Is this their junior year? So, they've they've been in high school for a while. Um, I don't know. I haven't spoken to them yet. Um, and it it I wish I did because it could be like, "Yeah, we held off on a big test and we're going to have it tomorrow and they'll make a decision," which could be the answer, but I don't think it is. I I did speak with the math department chair and um I don't know what that answer is. I haven't investigated that one as much because I I'm not going to believe it until the second drop period. >> Okay. >> And then I'll look into it at that point. >> Yeah. No, that's

077just because that's impressive, right? I know math is a sensitive topic. >> I asked my secretary, I said, "No, this isn't right." Today I said, "We go back and check." And we went back and checked. They didn't have any drops. >> Yeah. No, but I mean it all looks really efficient, really wellrun. I think from hearing from both of you like the comfort and but I I think that all sounds good. I do think Matt makes a good point about the discussions I had though. >> So just so when what's the date for the second drop? >> Um right around Halloween around the end of the first quarter. So a couple weeks. Okay. >> All right. Thank you. Thank you very much for coming out. >> Appreciate it. >> Always very interesting. >> All right.

078So, yeah, we're going to do a pretty quick overview of just some of the significant legislation that was passed from last year. We did this a couple years ago and I think it gave the board a good handle on some things that are going to be coming down uh the pike relative to both policy and just how we try to manage. you know, like Lydia to your point before, some of the mandates and some of the things that are going >> my favorite part of the agenda. >> Yes. >> All right. I'm going to start us with the things that come more through human resources and finance. Um there was a lot of activity over the last couple of years in terms of sick leave, paid sick leave, FMLA, and managing all of that through

079human resources. So, it started with a new law, paid sick leave, um that went into effect on January 1st. This was not contemplated as a law that was really about school systems. This was about industries that don't give people paid sick leave. And yet, it impacted everybody because um they we did have we do have some employees who didn't get sick leave like our our hourly tutors. there. There's a couple examples I could come up with of people who did not get sick leave that are now getting it. Um, our part-time Paris did not get sick leave. You didn't come to work, you didn't get paid. Um, and so that it all applies to them now. Um, the and there are qualifying reasons for why they can do it. One of the biggest problems with

080the law when it went into effect is that it said for good reasons in other industries, you can take your sick leave on an hourly basis on hourly increments. As you can tell in schools, hourly increments don't work. >> And they couldn't tell they don't have to give you a reason uh they don't have to give you a notice about what when they're doing it. and tracking that for is difficult. So they revamped the law a little bit this past session and said that you can now stop with the hourly increments if the bargaining units agree that you this is part of the bargaining contract. So this will be a focus of our bargaining contracts. Um, you may see something about this with the with the uh contract we just settled. Um, because for school

081systems, managing this paid sick leave act um has been a real challenge since January 1st. Um, and that's what I'll say about that. Separate from that, there's two other aspects of leave. One is an expansion of Connecticut FMLA acts like um federal FMLA, but if you know uh the standards for federal FMLA, they're pretty high. You have to have worked for the organization for at least a year. You have to have at least 1,250 hours a year worked. A lot of seasonal employees did not have this protection. And what FMLA is more about is job protection that we will keep your job for you during this period of leave that you are taking for a qualifying event. So Connecticut FMLA is just expanding um the number of people who do that. It goes in tandem

082with another law called Connecticut Paid Leave. And probably those of you um who work uh in other industries are already part of that. This extension brought it into school systems. School systems never had to deal with Connecticut paid leave before because we had leave in other ways. Now, all non-certified employees are going to have half a percent of a payroll deduction. Probably a lot of you have this already. A half a percent you, it's not your choice. It comes out and it goes into a state paid sick leave um bank and then if you want to take paid leave, you actually deal not with Simsbury Human Resources, you apply to this state. Um, so that's why this particular slide from Shipment Goodwin says that what do we have to do as a district? we have

083to register with the paid sick leave authority and we just actually uh o started October 1st October 14th we got our first form today of like verifying that somebody so um you won't my understanding of it is that you won't get full pay back but that you probably can cover partial pay during a period of leave built up through this half a percent payroll deduction from the people across the state of Connecticut. So [snorts] it is very complicated. Um you can see here that what this was what Shipment and Goodwin was recommending provide HR professionals with training on the new laws. I've done some Cindy Freelinger has been to about eight webinars trying to understand all of this and make sure that we're implementing it correctly. Um, and she's amazing and you know, we're off

084to a good start with it, but it's a lot. Um, and we are putting out communications to eligible employees about their rights and benefits, and those look different for if you're some of it applies for everybody. Some of it applies just to non-certified. Um, so a teacher can't apply for Connecticut paid leave because they're not having a half a percent taken out of their pay. So >> yeah. Yeah. >> So it's and that's how the law was passed was about non-certified. Um so complicated but managing it. This one is actually good news. I highlighted it um in a communication session at the beginning of the year. They created something that they call the drip program. District repair and improvement projects. I'm not sure drip was the best acronym, but um what it's going to do

085is drip money into school districts um to assist with things um if you look at this list, this is what we have done with our capital non-recurring. It's, you know, constructing, renovating, um, repairing and enlarging public school buildings and grounds, parking lots, athletic fields, improvements to things like HVAC and mechanical systems. Early indication, we'll get this money. Um, next March is going to be the first infusion, but there was already a communication. Um, and it looked like for Simsbury, we can expect about $173,000. So, this was um uh something that where legislators listened to superintendent and boards and said, you know, we we need some support with this. And so >> I know we've talked a lot about capital non-recurring, but that >> 173,000 from the state >> for this year >> for what we

086we could start using it next summer. And just sorry, but when you the whole drip concept is like an annual >> Oh, this is they they've set aside 35 million across the state to give to districts on this. I think that number's right. I'd have to check it. >> What do they use part of the probably use part of the ECS formula as a >> I'm not sure how the >> variance cross district. Yeah, it's interesting. >> And here's one to keep in mind as Matt updated you about >> Squadron Line, they also, you know, uh, school construction projects and that towns have certain reimbursement rates. Ours is around 35 36%. So when we did Latimler Lane, you 36% of it is reimbursed by the state. Here's a new law that says that the state

087provides a 15% reimbursement um rate to a project that is going to include preschool or an expansion of preschool. And so as we think about squadron line, our rate that's 35 or 36%. The key to this one, it adds 15% to the whole building's reimbursement. So this could this could be a real situation where suddenly if it costs X dollars to build Squadron line, we're going to get a 50% reimbursement as opposed to a 35% reimbursement. That could make a big difference in what we could do. >> There's [snorts] >> that's how those and that's how those numbers would work. They're totally separate. It's not like an order of operations type thing. >> Correct. um >> Tecton's going to put a piece of that together for the board when we when we talk through it

088just to kind of so we better understand the impact of that. And then for um specialized uh educa special education programs this such as ILN in squadron line this is another bonus reimbursement. This is another 15% but it's only for that portion of the building that contains the program. So this would be smaller but it is another thing that we could take advantage of. And these were both passed in the last session. So they're fresh on the minds of people who are heading in towards school construction projects. So a little good news to go with all that paid sick leave stuff. Uh and I'm going to turn the next four slides over to Miss Lumpky. >> Great. So my slides are going to really address two topics. Curriculum and library policies. And I will start

089off by saying we are well ahead of what the legislation changes are and what is going to be required. So the first around curriculum, it requires boards of ed to have a curriculum committee that helps to recommend, develop and approve curriculum. So over my tenure in this role, that curriculum committee has met regularly. it has um looked at new curriculum, new textbooks before they come to full board approval. So I think we're in really goodstead there. The other is that beginning in 2627, boards of ed are required to place objectives and scope and sequence of their approved curriculum on the board's website. We are already doing that. We did that when we instituted the curriculum map that can be accessed uh for those watching on TV. That can be found on our website under district

090curriculum. And then there's a very prominent gold banner that you click and you can see by content area what our units of study are from K through 12 by content area. So, it's already there. And if anyone has questions about that, most certainly they can reach out to me and I'd be happy to meet with them on that. But we're well ahead of both of these requirements. The library policy requirements come into three different categories. First is around the collection and development and maintenance of our library materials. The second is around library display and the third is around material review and reconsideration. We already specifically for that third have a very well-developed process around controversial materials and if someone has concerns about that we have a very well articulated policy about how those concerns are

091brought forward how they are handled. What we are going to be doing is looking at model policy from CABE as well as Shipman and comparing that to what we already have in place and making any adjustments if necessary through policy committee. Um these policies have to be in consultation with the superintendent or designate the director of curriculum and have input from librarians, media center specialists. They are already aware. Dave Prinstein has met with his library media specialists, so they're aware and are very um happy about where this legislation is landing. And we also are required to review these policies every 5 years. So there are policies that are required around displays. Uh what the legislation does say very clearly is that displays should be around the interest of all students in a building. It should

092include a wide range of diverging viewpoints. So there's legislation that supports that as well as what is age appropriate material. So, we're going to have to delve a little bit more into the specifics of this legislation and again tee up our current procedures with these new policy requirements. But it does underscore that libraries should be a place of voluntary inquiry where dissemination of different viewpoints and ideas uh can be made and an element of free expression. So we will be coming back to these requirements around these three policies. Again I will be looking at our current policies and practices and making any recommendations which would come before the policy committee but again we are well ahead of many of these requirements. All right the third >> the [laughter] third here >> our director of pupil

093services. Would you like your own clicker or would you like me to click? >> I can grab it. >> Go ahead. >> Katie Crusula, our director of pupil services. >> Good evening everybody. Um, so really wanted to highlight this evening. Um, there was a lot of special education legislation, but certainly didn't want to get too far in the weeds. Wanted to bring the highlevel information um around several key changes that really really talk and focus around three key areas. And the first I I again I tal kind of steal some of Sue's talking points. We're ahead of the game funding and support to provide in district programming as much as possible. We started talking about that about a year and a half ago with the expansion into new path with the two farms village. um

094let key legislative changes around districts doing just what we are which is expanding our self-contained and more restrictive environment type of programming to meet all kids needs regardless of their complexity of of disability. We also um key changes in the legislation around transparency of costs. Really making sure that um private providers of of services as well as districts are are knowledgeable and open to what those costs are and how they're being um what's being funded and making sure that that is even across districts. Um and lastly is help to districts support to boards of ed with the continued raising costs. Making sure that boards of ed can be um going into budgetary um seasons with as much predictability of cost and and with a focus on containment as possible. Um so that's really where a

095lot of the key high leverage um legislative changes um are are living in this session. So where is that cost containment legislation? What are those? So there is a new um provision around fixed annual costs for for services. So essentially um a private provider, a third-party contractor is not able to increase costs um for a service during the school year unless there is an actual change to the service as indicated through a student's individualized education plan. So, if a district is paying for a service, that service cannot change in its cost during a school year. It is set for that school year based on the contract you've signed and and um third-party providers cannot come back and and renegotiate that contract. Um another cost containment legislation that is um forthcoming um this will be set

096it is a rate setting legislation. It is set to be implemented on January 1st of 2028. Shipman really really provided us with guidance around be caution cautious around this because a lot can change um that's over two years away. Um but the intention of a rate setting legislation is again that theme of cost containment and really making sure that the the state department of ed is able to create a rate schedule for thirdparty related services. So, uh, third party A is charging the same as third party B for the same service. And it is not a variety that districts are backed into a corner because party A has um services available and party B doesn't just because of a cost cost difference. Um, there will be billing standards also. So again, that will help with

097districts knowing what the costs will be because each provider will need to be billing to the district in a similar fashion. Again, the caution is there's and a over two years of of time and how this could be um you know changed and implemented is is to be seen based on state department guidance and >> that can cover anything from a tuition to speech and language services that you're contracting. >> Yes. The only thing that's not included under rate setting is transportation. Um but it is uh primarily related services. Um so that is any of your services such as speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, um clinical services as well as um we we're waiting to see the impact to out of district tuition setting rate setting. The next slide um really is around

098what are some grant opportunities that the state passed through this legislation to provide that funding and support um for indist. So, there are three grants that are coming down the pike. Um, the first is a competitive grant to support in district programs. Again, um, kudos to our board of ed and their support in really allowing us to get ahead of this and and to start thinking about indistrict support to our students and those in the surrounding areas. This will be a grant. It'll be released in the 2627 school year where those monies can be used to enhance and improve existing or new programs for planning purposes. So this will be allowing us to grow programs that currently exist in district, ensuring that um they have the right supports, the right environment, all of that. Um

099so really excited to see what this looks like and how it can be applied to some of our current and and soon to be um really already current new path program as well. Okay. The second um is the behavioral health support services grant. This was supposed to be be released on or before September 1st. I checked today. It still has not been released. That doesn't mean it's not coming. That's just um I think it's just a couple months behind. But what this grant and and again I'm not I'm not aware of what the amount will be. We'll see once it's released. Um but this is to support programming around behavioral support ser or behavioral health services and trauma-informed care. The theme that we're hearing is that it's really going to allow um or create opportunities

100to expand partnerships with um community- based providers. So, what's the district doing to have outreach with community- based providers to support that full student um both in and out of the school? And then the last has a really creative needs name similar to DRIP. We have the seed grant in special education and that is the special education expansion development. So, we're going to plant some seeds and watch them grow um around our programming. So, this was effective as of July 1st, 2025. We do know our FY26 aotment. It is listed here on that slide. Um but each board of ed shall be paid that seed money in its amount. Again, if it was fully funded and there was appropriate allocations to fully fund it, um it would be equal to its fully funded grant for

101special education. We were allotted the $99,000. Um, I think our business office did a rough estimate of what fully funded would be, and it was um over $600,000. So, should this grant ever become fully funded, it is a very significant amount of money towards special education expansion development. What do they mean by expansion development? Essentially, the state is providing directions for use and reporting. Um, a little bit TBD. What we're hearing is that it needs to be used towards um in district services that allow us to provide above and beyond what's currently in the operating um and it cannot be used towards third-party um contracts. So it's really again this focus on building within your own district. >> Okay. And it >> was interesting I was at a conversation with the commissioner. There are a

102lot of questions because this has great potential but much like the excess cost grant right if we wouldn't have a lot of pain if it was just you know filled to the amount legislatively appropriate but >> so what's the definition of new >> so a lot of superintendents were concerned that okay I can apply $99,000 I'll just use an example for us in a year potentially to new staffing at our new path program we're self-containing that program immediately can I do that same allocation the following year if I have the money or is that no longer new? >> Um, so a lot of information is coming on this, but it's not it's not all out there yet. >> So you'll see this this is directly from um shipment in many ways. Some of our our

103legislative themes um one of them is obviously to stay tuned. So much of this is dependent on the implementation through the state department of ed um similar to the use of that seed grant dollars. Um but what it does do the legislative themes around special education is it is signaling an interest in increasing capacities in lesser restrictive environments keeping kids in their communities. Again kudos to you to our board of ed to our town for really seeing that need here and supporting that and allowing us to get ahead of of the fold and do right for our students. Um again, um being able to focus on indistrict programming in school districts as the public providers of ser special education services, not always needing to go to private providers of special education services. Um really incentivizing

104the use of your own people versus thirdparty contracts. Um there are obviously opportunities in the legislation for increased funding. And um the state is really um focused on getting a scrutiny of program costs. really looking at this idea that program A should cost the same as program B if those services are aligned. Again, there will always be that individualization through an IEP, but again, a service A should be the same as service B. Um, and then lastly, it's um really thinking about the the one that is I didn't highlight is is making sure that the other updates within the um legislation allow acknowledgement and a need for the shift in the state processes to settle disputes. Right now, disputes that that occur in order to um ensure that districts are doing um right by students

105can be very costly and time insufficient for both parties, the district as well as the the the parents involved or the student involved. So, this the legislation focused on that. There were others happy to share those um as needed. But again, this was really um good to see that a lot of our conversations when I've been here in front of you guys um are are being reflected and thought of through our legislative process right now. >> Katie, one of the things that seemed is transportation though >> that it didn't seem like that was called out, right? Or was it >> The legislative. Yeah, >> I think it's because it's just a different um entity and and I they really they through legislation didn't define a way to they don't have a way at this point

106to look at that from a a transportation A to a transportation B. There's so many factors that go into that that it really was not reflective in the legislation. I don't think it it doesn't mean that it won't be coming down the pike is what I'm hearing. Any other questions? >> Thank you. >> I just think you you hit the nail on the head though, right? They've got existing commitments in Hartford that they're not necessarily living up to. I This all sounds great. I just hope that they follow through on on those commitments. Thank you. policy when we go to budget like what how do you expect anything right that's just it's it's a rhetorical question right like there's numbers here 100 600 vastly different right what are you budgeting for what are you planning

107for >> you make sure you don't create cliffs >> that'll be I think one of the >> big things for us to talk about All right. So, we are at the portion of our meeting for our second public audience. Thanks, Katie. >> Seeing none, our next meeting is on the 28th. Uh, been overruled to make that a Halloween themed meeting in everybody [laughter] costume, but you can come if you want to. Um, with that, I'll take a motion to adjurnn. I'll make motion. Second. >> Thank you. We are For over 40 years, SEM has been the voice of our town, >> bringing us together [music] through local programming, >> education, and live broadcast. >> SEM isn't just about television. >> It's about [music] empowering our community, >> ensuring our voices are heard during government meetings

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