001Okay, it's 7 o'clock. Uh, good evening. Welcome to the Summer's Board of Education meeting on September 8th. And tonight, we have seven of our nine board members present. So, with that, I will call the meeting to order at 7:00. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Music] >> All right, I'm going to turn it over to you. >> Thank you and good evening. I have the distinct honor and it's truly my pleasure to um talk about a true professional and a great man. Even though I've only met you maybe 2 and 1/2 years ago um through our one-on-one conversations, you know, I knew you
002you were a special educator, special type of teacher. So, I'd like to formally introduce our 2026 teacher of the year. He's Mr. Ken McCarthy. He likes to be referred to as Coach McCarthy. Right. Um, his unwavering commitment to education, leadership, and integrity has shaped generations of students and athletes, and his influence echoes in classrooms, on athletic fields, and throughout the entire district. I'll just take a a slight sidebar. We we put a lot of focus in trying to improve physical education scores uh last year and Ken embraced this challenge. I saw him working with his students in innovative ways, pushing them, encouraging them, just connecting with them up. I appreciate that effort. As a pillar in both teaching and coaching, Ken's accomplishments extend far beyond the walls of Summer Public Schools. His passion and dedication
003to high school athletics have earned him national recognition. He was named national coach of the year for high school men's lacrosse, a monumental honor that speaks volumes about his leadership and true impact. And this October, Ken will be inducted into the National Hall of Fame, a fitting tribute to a legacy that is still being written. I believe your ceremony is in Long Island and it is in October. I do want to uh talk just for a moment about his coaching career. Uh he's the 2024 National Intercolastic Lacrosse Coaches Association 2025 coach of the year. So he's going in the Hall of Fame. He took the reigns here in 1993 and he has led the Spartans to five state championships. Ken also started a program at South Hadley, Mass. and Ken is also closing in on
004almost 500 career wins. I've been on the sidelines at several games uh watching Ken and his players uh engage in the sport. And the one thing that I can say is that his kids, they never quit and they never get down on one another. All you hear is encouragement. One teammate to another teammate. We're never out of this. It's not over. And that's remarkable to see, Ken. So, I'd like you to come up and give your teacher of the year speech if you will, please. If you want to see Ken, if you want to see Ken every day, he is on our website right in the front. I know you love that. >> Yeah. No, I don't. Yeah. I wasn't prepared to give the whole speech again. his speech uh was uh with the introduction
005was 18 minutes. So I don't think um anyone wants to hear that. But I just have to say that it is an incredible honor to be named uh teacher of the year. It was something that I never set out for myself and I was surprised when I was named that. And uh Margot introduced me at convocation and it it uh it choked me up a little bit. It was really one of the highlights of my teaching career. Um to to get that introduction and um to have the opportunity to speak at convocation and what I talked about in a nutshell. I just I I wanted to say that uh I feel that teacher of the year really isn't about me. It's about everybody who walks through the doors. every teacher, administrator, pair professional who comes
006to work every day determined to make a difference in the lives of our students. And I call that team summers and people show up every day and we try to make team summers, you know, the best that we can. I've also re known realized over the years that our our best work is never done alone. So any success and credit that I get is always shared with other people, other people I work with, other people I coach with um my players. So when I spoke, I tried to send that message that it's it's shared. It's not just one person. I also reflected on my 33 years in summers about all the things that have changed since I started teaching. um when we didn't have co-ed PE classes and I taught the boys and Mrs. Green
007taught the girls and how we only got together during our dance unit and we uh we always prayed for an even number so no one was stuck dancing with me. Um, we talked about how I spoke how we had a rope go into the ceiling and we'd climb all the way up and touch the rafters and the safety mat was like this thick and nobody thought that that was a problem back then. So, a lot has changed. And then I reflected on um the things that haven't changed over the years. And the things that haven't changed in the 33 years have been the special character of the people of Summers. There's something special about Summers and that's the reason why I've stayed in Summers so long. There's something special about this place, the parents, the
008students, the staff, administration. We really do have a good year. The other thing that hasn't changed in my opinion is the importance of making connections with our students. Um, and I use the example I had a a former teacher of mine who was important and dear to me, who's still a mentor, uh, Mr. Salerella and he was my guest and I I spoke about him a little bit and we introduced him and it was really nice to pay tribute to my former teacher who has inspired me who continues to do that too. Um and then I I wrapped it up. I just talked about how um our success in lacrosse has been based on our culture. Nothing special about me um or we don't have secret plays or division one athletes. Um, we have a
009culture that I'm very proud of and I tried to share the credit with every educator in this district um is responsible for the culture. I said that my season starts in March, but the culture that our our players embrace begins at SCES and those are the teacher the educators there give them an opportunity to build teamwork to build values to reinforce expectations and all those things make my job a lot easier. Um Dr. Galloway mentioned about, you know, the wins and and coming up on 500 wins um I guess is an important uh feat, but um that's not the reason I coach. It's not the most important thing to me. Um you know, I I got a text message from a former player who's now in college, and he just sent me a text Thursday
010night and said, "Hey, coach, I I'm at college now and I'm seeing the other kids who were recruited here." here. He wasn't recruited. He was a walk-on. And he said, "I'm seeing the other kids who were recruited and and uh I'm way more prepared than they are that we do have something special." And he ended with, "Thanks for pushing me and and giving me all of your your knowledge." So, those are the things that that really mean the most to me. Um I'm going to throw a shout out to Carl here. When uh I did my student teaching in in summers, um Carl and Scott Serwinsky were on my middle school basketball team that put up 116 points in one game at LA. Uh the other team scored 89. So we didn't really run it
011up, but uh um >> greatest coach I ever played for. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Thank you. Um so again, I just want to say thank you for the recognition. It has been an honor and uh um I I I just share it with everybody. >> So, thank you. [Applause] >> Okay. So, we will go on with approval of minutes and we'll take a motion to approve the minutes of the uh August 25th meeting. Okay. Kim and a second from JK. All right. Corrections, additions. All those in favor. Okay. And abstensions. One extension. All right. And administrative reports. Back to you. >> Thank you. Okay. This is the part of the meeting where I usually Yeah. I usually tell students if you got homework or maybe if you have some super secret place you
012have to draft. for the upcoming season. >> But thank you, Ken. >> Um, my update is brief. As uh, school just started. But I would like to state that we had a successful opening of the school year. Buses arrived. Parents dropped off and students drove to school. I've been in all of our schools and things seemed to be running well. We had one bus hiccup, I think, on the first or second day. Um, but we quickly had that resolved. And thank you to the parents who drove their little ones into school on that day. I appreciate your patience and cooperation. At SCES, their mantra this year is we anchor, ignite, and lift. The anchor symbolizes a secure foundation for students. At the same time, the spark signifies that they will spark curiosity in students and
013they see themselves as the force that helps students reach their highest potential. FCES at NBA the staff is committed to their theme of be your best self. That is their daily commitment to bring the best versions of themselves to school every single day for the benefit of their students and each other. This commitment ensures a positive and nurturing environment for our students where they can thrive and grow. And at the high school, they are implementing their new schedule, replacing the old strive schedule. Now a Monday is truly a Monday and I have to uh compliment Dr. Reinberg on finding efficiencies in that schedule um where students now can get support from teachers because the schedule aligns a little bit better. So teachers are easier to find when the kids actually have the free time to
014to actually receive that support and they are moving forward in a spirit of collective evolution. She's a science teacher so he uh they strive to improve every single day. You know I had the pleasure uh today of being at the MBA faculty meeting there talking about learning targets. I know in the subcommittee meeting just before that the discussion was about learning environment and I'm starting to really see the through line with what we're trying to do regarding alignment ensuring that alignment has the desired impact uh resulting in student achievement. All three schools are aligned uh with our culture which we're trying to build every single day and that is a culture of continuous improvement. constantly examining practice to see did we hit the mark, if we missed the mark, why did we miss the mark
015to be able to correct as we move forward. So that uh concludes my update pending any questions. >> Okay, any questions? All right, Stephanie, feel like we were just here two weeks ago. Um, so for the monthly report, um, this, as I said, uh, two weeks ago, um, July and August are pretty much just getting things going, getting things encumbered, making sure things are right in the payroll system. Um, that's obviously our largest expense. Um, first payroll, I will say, went off without knock on wood. It's been two weeks, I haven't heard anything. Um, our second payroll for, um, 10 month staff is this week. So, uh, this is when deductions will start coming out. So, we might hear something, but, um, I doubt it. Um, there, as of the August report, I just want
016you to know that there are were three vacancies that are not included in here. All three of those vacancies are filled for September. So, you'll see that in the September report that those um, three salaries will be taken out. Um, two of the health insurancees I already knew about, so I'm I'm prepared for that. There's the third vacancy is eligible for insurance. They have not determined whether they will take it or not. They'll be eligible on November 1st. Um special ed is working through their contracts. So for special ed tuitions and transportation routes, um just making sure we try to um combine the special ed even if they're out going out of district, we try and share routes so that we can share that cost um and that one student isn't being completely um allocated
017that uh full, you know, could be $50,000 for transportation for the year. Um, so we tried to share that. So special ed is working on that. So that number changes throughout the month until about October. And then, uh, magnet school, VOAG, and tech tuitions are still being, um, calculated. We don't really get that initial bill until after October 1, which is when the state requires us to do our enrollment reports with the state. Um, so I don't have a final count officially. Um, so we won't encumber any tuitions until then. So, those are the big things for the August report going into September. And just kind of a heads up for all the board members. Any questions? >> Questions? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I'll stay close. >> Okay. So, next one.
018Opportunity to add or delete agenda items. So, we're going to have a motion to add an agenda item. So, what happened was an error was made by the chair of the policy committee, that would be me, um, in the posting of two of our policies. If you look at the consent agenda, we have policy number two and number three. And one of those policies we revised back in 2021. And then we revised that same policy in 2025. That's item number three. And I think as we talked about at the last meeting, we had the guidelines from the federal government that we should go back to the policy that we did in 2021. So, what we need to do actually is we need to delete the policy that we did in 2021 and then approve the
019policy. Excuse me. We need to delete the policy we did in 2025 and go back and approve the policy on 2021. So, what we're going to do is Tim's going to have a motion to remove those items from the consent agenda items and put them under new business. Does that make sense? Okay. So that we're still in line following our agenda rules. >> And then as new business, they just stay on there and become consent agenda the next >> No, we can vote on them under new business. We've been we've posted them. >> Okay. So they will have to be voted on, >> right? >> Okay. >> So I think I sent you the the new motion. >> Yes. Yeah, I have the motion. >> Okay. So we move that item 7.3 be moved to
020new business. Item 9.7 policy 4000.15145.44 to be deleted in item 7.2 policy 4000.1 5145.44 2021 be moved to new business item 9.8 to be approved by the board of education. >> Okay. So a second to the motion by Carl. All right. Any discussion? Okay. All those in favor? This is just moving to new business. Okay. So, that's unanimous. All right. So, now we'll have the next motion for the consent agenda will be to approve the consent agenda. Item one and items four through six. Okay. A second to that. Well, I No, you're going to make that. >> Yep. Motion to approve the consent agenda items one and four through six. >> Okay. Now we need a second to that motion from Carl. All right. Any questions on that one? All right. All those in favor?
021>> Okay. And that's unanimous. All right. New business graduation date. You want to talk a little bit about that? >> Absolutely. Um this year we're proposing that we set a firm graduation date. Uh the advantage to that is it allows families to accurately plan um and know when graduation is going to be for out of out of town traveling and etc. Um, so I'd like to move forward with that uh to establish June 10th of 2025 being that date and the permission to be able to do that comes out of public act 192. >> Thank you. 20 >> 2026. Thank you. >> The permission to do that comes from public act uh number 19-195. as long as the students the 12th graders have 180 days uh listed on the calendar you can set a firm
022graduation date >> right >> so some of this goes back quite a few years ago in fact summers was one of the ones that tried to get the law changed because we had started the safe graduation party and actually 30 years ago what the graduates used to do was they took a boat out of Boston and it was an all night boat trip and every time we had a snow day, we had to call Boston and change the graduation date. So, four or five snow days. So, this went on year after year and more and more schools were booking the same kind of thing and then we hit the roadblock where no, you can't change it because it's already booked. So now you had the pressure from a lot of other districts um doing this
023and so as we say it's taken a long time but they passed the law finally. So whatever the date is that's set because we scheduled 180 days. >> So is that their last day of school then? >> So will that let's say >> that will be the the last day of school 10 snow days and we wouldn't have to make any of those up. It doesn't sound really good when you put it in my mind because I'm not sure. What it says is the seniors can graduate. It may mean that the rest of the school may still be going. >> I am wondering if the seniors, let's say there are snow days, the seniors still have to go back after they're done. >> No, they're done. But I think in Mass, >> we we used
024to finish early >> in Massachusetts. is done right after Memorial Day. >> Yeah, we used to be done. >> I mean, that's 50 years ago. They were always >> Was it 50 years ago? I'm not >> No, no, no. I meant when I was there. >> I'm sorry. So, so great. >> My my Okay. So, it's just the seniors. Okay. All right. So, we'll get a motion. >> So, move >> to to set the 2026 graduation date of June 10th, 2026. Right. Okay. And a second to that motion from Mike. All right. Any further discussion? All those in favor? Okay. Next one. Child leave. Uh it's uh just a request from an employee to extend leave to be with family. >> Okay. So we'll take a motion for that. >> Um I move that the
025board of education approve a child wearing leave extension for Alexis Harrington SCS special education teacher. >> Okay. And a second >> from JT. All right. Any discussion on that motion? All those in favor? >> Okay. CIP project. You want to come back, Stephanie? >> Sure. >> There's something in your red folder. >> Yeah. You have >> that you also had in your >> uh a packet of quotes, but a hard copy that looks like this from Sonic. Maybe you three pages. >> So, we did over the summer. Um, we had uh an incident in one of our server closets that led to us having saw patrol out here and we asked them while they were out here to do um an evaluation of some of our blind spots that we know that we have and
026give us a quote on how much it would be to install some videos, additional video cameras. And then so that is um page one that's on the high school. There's three locations. Um, two on the second floor. Um, one weight room and then one in the area of refuge which is attached to the weight room and um one the first floor stairwell at the back of the gym. So, those are three blind spots that we are were made aware of that we'd like to address. Um, and then uh we need some a security system at the maintenance building. That building doesn't have security on it right now. There's camera, one camera I believe out to the parking lot, but other than that there isn't any. >> So, it never had any? >> Not that I'm
027aware of. >> Wow. >> Um, and then the third um is the integration of our of our security system with alarm.com that would allow mobile app notifications to go to administration. So, um Sam has some notes on this I think that clarify it. Um, basically if something happens in the buildings, it used to be through Google that we would get a notification on our cell phones that there was something happening in the buildings, a emergency call. Um, we don't get that anymore. So, what happens right now is if someone calls 911, we can see it on our phones that a specific room calls 911, but we have to be sitting at our desk to see that. >> Oh. So on our cell phones and we're always, you know, we're not always on campus or we
028might be in another building or might be in another office in a meeting. Um and so we're looking to integrate our security and our um first alert system with our phones so that administration can know immediately and respond appropriately to any emergency in the building. So the com combination of those three projects is between depending on whether we do the um additional window sensors at the at the maintenance building under $25,000. I thought let's go to CIP and and see if the town has any security money that um they have available for us to spend because this was not budgeted for, >> right? Um, and I have a CIP meeting next week, next Thursday afternoon. So, it was timely that we were having a board meeting. >> Okay. >> So, the motion we're going to
029do is basically to move this to CIP. This is will be up to them whether they do it this year or they put it on the list for next year. >> Correct. So, >> it's out of our >> It's Yeah, it's out of our purview. Um, as far as it will go to CIP, CIP will review, h, ask any questions, make a possibly make a a vote on it, and then it will go to board of finance. Um, and then board of finance will decide whether they will support the project currently if they if there's money or if they'll kick it down the road. >> All right. So, we'll get a motion on the floor, then we can >> Oh, and then we discuss. Yeah. Oh, okay. Um Oh. move that the board of education
030approve the proposed CIP project to move to CIP. >> Okay. And a second >> Jan Jan. Okay. All right. Now have discussion questions on the motion questions on the project. >> Yes. Um how many security cameras do we have schoolwide systemwide? >> Do we know the number? >> I'm I know that we have an asset list with all of that information. I don't have that. and how much of it covers the outside activity of the buildings. And the reason why I'm asking in this project is >> if we're going to do a project, I'm wondering if we should maybe even increase the proposal. Um, and what's our coverage like? What does it look like? >> Uh, if I tag in, if you So, we opened the door when Sonatrol came out to assist us with
031the server. Um, maybe a month or so ago, we had tabletop exercise. So it generated a lot of discussion between administration and our ability to respond to things or see things. Our outside coverage and inside coverage is pretty strong. Uh to that end, I I now have the ability uh to be portable with our camera camera system in case uh our incident command center has to move or whatever. I now have that ability. So I think our coverage is strong at this point. But you know these issues came up through our discussion through the tabletop exercises and some of the meetings that we've had. >> And another question related to security for me is as Stephanie was talking it occurred to me that maybe the um folks who check people in at the front >>
032should have access to all the outside cameras so that they can watch them >> full time. They can see >> they can see everything in the building that has cameras. They can see everything that's outside. They tend to focus on certain areas. this same with the school offices. Everybody has monitors in their in the school office. So they if you go into any of the school offices, you'll often see like I want to say it's like 12 nine or 12 c different camera angles at any given time. >> Um it's it's pretty substantial >> are on that school hours. >> Yeah. So >> and the PD has access as well, >> right? Um, I know that the entrance monitors have that their cameras on all the time. Um, I know that for the elementary school
033principal, absolutely. Every time I go into her office, her cameras are on. It's on the main office facing the um the main secretaries in all three buildings. So, there is there is somebody watching. Multiple people are probably watching at any given time. Um, there's also alarms like on our doors. So like if something is left propped open, an alarm goes off. The entrance monitors know about that. Um the custodians have a panel in their um main custodian room that tells them where there are open doors or open windows. Um and I believe that the principles are also made aware of that um through a notification. >> How many irregularities get reported, Sam? Do you know? like um just questions about maybe a delivery person was in the wrong place and somebody spotted that and saw
034that this looked suspicious. >> Well, I I'll speak to the time I've been here almost 3 years. I would say not often. >> Not that I'm a that I've been made aware of. Um I'm sure that we could find out additional data. I >> would hope that there's at least soccer, you know, somebody said that looks >> I will say always that will happen. You know, I will look out my window and go, who's that out there? Like who's that walking? And usually somebody knows exactly who they are and and there's no issue. Um, I will say that like our we use the Raptor system which I'm sure all of you if you've gone into the school, you scan your license that has picked up on things that you know that have stopped people from
035coming into the building completely. Um, so there's always it's it's that adage of see something, say something. I think that's pretty common place. If something doesn't look right, somebody is saying something. And and I just want to add since we're on this topic, the our SRO's are clued into everything that's going on. I met with them. >> They're constant. >> Yeah. Last week as our beginning of the school year meeting, some days we have two on on campus and and they're roving all the time. So [Music] >> Okay. Other questions? >> Let's say Well, it's just a question. Let's say they approve it, but they say not for two more years. That doesn't there's no money for for two years. Then what do we do? >> We could, depending on how our year goes, we
036could choose to pay for it out of remaining funds. If we chose to, you know, as we went through the year, the board could choose to make that investment, >> put it in the budget for next year. >> We could put it in the budget for next year. Um, I just wanted to try and get this in before cuz in October we will start talking about CIP projects for 2627. And I didn't want this to get lost in that potential package of projects that we proposed for 2627 because oftentimes the CIP committee will go through that and they'll pick and choose what they can afford at any given time. This at least gives the board of finance and the CIP committee and the town here are some places that the school district feels that we
037need some money this year that we did not budget for. Yes. Can you fund this now? >> Okay. >> Is this the only company that does this? this. No, but this is the only company that we use currently. >> Okay. >> So, the the cameras and the security system that we have now is Sonatrol. So, >> I wouldn't want to Yeah. Right. >> You can't. >> It would be mix and matching. >> I wouldn't do it. gets turkey >> because all you all that it takes is one mix and match and it won't work or something will go glitchy and you don't want to be the district that had something go glitchy in their security >> that came up with the server. >> It did. We we explored >> I said let's look at other
038companies and >> and they're hard to beat >> the coverage responsiveness and >> just seems pricey to me. I >> Yeah. Yeah, >> seems pricey and I don't know a lot about this stuff, but it it seems like a lot of money. >> Um, >> yeah. >> Okay. Let's overdo the redo the whole thing would be >> I would love to redo the whole thing, Mike. >> All right. >> So, you'll report back. >> Yes. Yeah. At the next board meeting, I can let you guys know um what the CIP committee >> and we'll we'll be there together, >> right? >> Yeah. I'm I'm on the committee. So, you have All right. >> I I I I would just suggest or or say if they don't approve it for this year, maybe we can >>
039see what we can do because >> Mhm. >> we returned Yeah. >> You never know how each year is going to go, but we did return some money this year back just now, >> right? >> I I would find this kind of money to upgrade our security, I think, is it is I think it is a little overpriced, but it's worth it in this area, >> right? Okay. >> Okay. So, all those in favor of the motion. >> Okay. Unanimous. >> And I'm going to have you sign this right now so that I don't forget. >> All right. >> And this one right here. at the top. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, we have the first posting for the policy for military children and that's um I believe that's a mandated policy added to
040what we have. It basically says if a family gets moved in the middle of the school year, um the student is allowed to stay in school till the end of the school year, which only makes sense. >> Um 5142, that's the first posting. That's a brand new policy. And also the policy on curriculum is another mandated policy which basically is saying by a certain date in 2026 your curriculum um syllabus etc has to be posted on your school district website and also a mandated policy and the good news for us is that we have already done this so we are ahead of the in. So, we had a big explanation tonight at the curriculum meeting of exactly where parents can find all of this and that's K through 12. So, but we still have to
041do the policy. All right. So, we'll move into curriculum committee Jan. We had a a nice long meeting before the board meeting. We talked about some of curriculum work. >> Do we have to vote for the 97 and 98? Oh, >> I like >> You're right. You're right. Thank you. >> Do we have to vote for those? >> We got Let me see. >> Or are they now new posting? >> No, one is Yeah, those are two votes. We're going to delete one policy and we're going to revise the other policy because we've already posted them once. >> Okay. >> All right. Let's see. >> All right. So, let's back up. Good catch. >> I can just wing it for the Do I have to make a motion to vote? Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Um
042>> before we except one and I may back. Do we have a title N coordinator? >> Yes. >> Okay. So the first motion will be to approve delete. >> We got to delete >> delete. Yeah. >> Policy 400.15145.44 44 parentheses >> motion to delete. >> So we're we're deleting that policy. Okay. A second to that motion from Jan. Okay. Everyone understands this is okay. >> So all those in favor of deleting the 2025 policy. Okay. That's unanimous. And now the other motion. >> So 9.8 8 to add approve policy 4 0000.15145.44 >> 2021. So we're voting to readopt that policy. >> Okay. All those in favor? >> Well, we didn't have a second. >> H >> Did you have a second? >> Oh, who was the second? You were the second. Yes. Okay. >> And
043that's unanimous. >> Okay. Back to curriculum. >> Okay. Um during our meeting, we talked about summer curriculum work. Uh back to school PD. They had four packed days and Dena said they couldn't have done with fewer days. All right. She gave us some uh legislative updates. And then Jamie uh Redford talked about the new schedule at SHS. Lots of good exciting things. Our next meeting will be October 14th, 6 to 7. >> Mhm. >> Uh policy, our next meeting September 22nd at 6:15 p.m. >> Planning and finance. >> We are on hold for now. >> Okay. salary negotiations. >> No meetings planned at this time. >> Okay. Uh building committee um committee met last week and we're basically the only option we're moving forward on is the one we call option six, which is putting
044split units in the classrooms. Um which will be less expensive. Um, we're pretty sure that because of the timeline involved in ordering the electrical materials that we will not be able to complete the project by December 31st, 2026. Um, so that we would not get that $5.9 million reimbursement. However, there is supposedly other money that we may qualify for under a different umbrella, so to speak, um, which the committee, building committee went ahead and voted to apply for that money. One of the advantages is that we will find out supposedly in 30 days whether we will get this amount of money. So we're submitting basically a revised project with these many split units. The other advantage to this if we get the money is that it does not have a deadline of when the project
045would have to be done. And this is the option of the six options we looked at. This is the one where the students would not have to be moved to Mabel Avery. So, in many ways, it's kind of a triple win. So, we meet again next Tuesday. We're meeting every first and third Tuesday. Um, and I'll send an update out to the board when we have the next meeting. So, we will hopefully have more details. The uh original estimate was it appeared it might be about $3 million less, but that did not include some of the construction costs or the soft costs. So there isn't an actual figure. We just know it it should be less expensive. Um and that's what they're working on. >> If we don't get if we don't get the money,
046where does that put us costwise versus what the town approved? >> Okay, good question. because the town approved up to spending $15 million and that's what the town would be putting the bond out for. And so the plan B is this project should come in with this revision less than the 15 million. So the bottom line is we would still be able to move ahead with the project. So CES is redoing the figures, working with Gil Bane and supposedly the plan is we will have those figures at our meeting for next Tuesday. >> Dees has made the original proposal, right? That was way off. >> Mhm. >> Well, the was the estimator that was >> he is no longer a part of it, >> right? So they were um dismissed, >> right? So, the building
047committee will go through these numbers >> and hopefully then move get moving. So, and and I did ask the question, could we go ahead and just do the split units and get those done and meet the deadline and maybe qualify for some of the reimbursement, but you can't you can't put those in until all the electrical work is done. There's a sequence. So, do we know how we ended up selecting Gil Bane or CES? >> No, I don't. No, >> CES was um >> here when I got here. >> Yeah. >> I just think it would be wise for us if we have any other construction projects down the road to avoid those two companies. I I don't think they've done us any favors. Something to keep in mind for future projects. And at the
048end of the day, does the board so the the whole premise of this project was to improve the air quality, right? >> Is that going to happen? >> Otherwise, what are we doing? I mean air conditioning is important but >> right it will improve the air quality in the sense that the we'll no longer have the dead air that sits in the classrooms because of you're basically have the spokes of a wheel all can't move from one spoke to the other spoke. So the advantage with the split units is they'll have each teacher will have their own temperature control and it will also have a fan so that the air can be circulated within the classroom. Um >> we'll have to run them all the time. No, in fact, um it'll depend on what the
049because again the temperature in one room in one wing is not the same as the other wing, which was one of the problems. You had some classrooms where it was 93°, but the other side of the building was 80. >> But if you're talking about air movement, something has to move it, right? So, wouldn't they have to be running the units all the time? >> Regardless of temperature, right? Well, again, there's an oldfashioned concept that you can also open windows. >> I totally agree. But then if you have air control >> to to get change of air, but you have a different amount on every single wing of the building. >> So, and I think some of what we had talked about if you're talking about so does this mean the electricity costs are going
050to be going actually running the split units because they're all not going to be on at the same time. is going to be less expensive than if you had central air on all or nothing in the whole building. >> So, >> how loud are they? >> They're not very loud. That's a good question, too, because there's a certain number of decibels that you can have in a classroom. And someone asked that exact question. And of course, the newer split units are actually even less noisy than the ones from 5 years ago. So they said the ones they're looking at would definitely meet that noise level. Yeah, that was a concern >> and a lot of the construction for these will also be done on the outside of the building. So it's probably the there still
051will be some disruption, but this is the least amount of disruption probably. That's just a question that just might come up, right? Because if we revisit our meetings from a year or so ago, like there was a there was an option where we don't do AC at all, right? We we put this air handling unit in >> and they're like, well, the air handling unit might act as an AC, right? Cuz it's going to handle the air and it'll keep the air >> cool it not make it. >> They said and they were like, well, if we're going to do it to the AC, too, right? So now it sounds like we're putting these I mean just speaking out loud putting AC's in but where's the air handling component that doesn't that bring us all
052the way back to square one? Like the reason we have to do in the first place is cuz the air is stale. Um probably primarily in the winter time I'd imagine. >> Well you can you can still turn the fans on without the air conditioning to move the air around. And one thing they found is quite a few schools kind of ran into the similar problem we did where the figure came in higher and other schools have already put in these split units >> and have passed whatever we call it the air quality test. Um so we're not this is not the first time this has come up >> so it's a good substitute. So, we'll keep you updated. So, we'll we'll be meeting every other week right now through Christmas >> and then see
053after that. >> Okay. Um correct. Um the executive director has uh resign or retired so that we're going to have a new executive director and um think in >> So when is he leaving? Um >> January maybe. Yeah, I think it's January. Yeah. So, there'll be a new check >> and they've started the search for a new one. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, that's the biggest update from correct. >> So, he was the superintendent in um I can't remember he had retired so I don't know if they'll have another Connecticut superintendent or be interesting. I think >> Busy Jmouth is going to be his replacement. >> Let's contact Dr. Bizzy Desmond. Huh. Okay. Is he a super somewhere else? >> No, he for a while I worked with him in field for a while.
054He was deputy commissioner at the state department of ed and he's he's there now kind of learning the job. >> Uh and I have to give him some credit. Uh he came along with the superintendent of uh meet with me and they were on taking it on the road. So they're going to all the districts just to strengthen or reinvigorate the relationship the school districts have with one time it used to be a strong relationship >> and it's kind of waned a little bit so I can already see the effort. >> Oh good. That's good. >> All right. Um SCF Shane isn't here but they are having their first board meeting is October 1st here 7:00. Oh, okay. So, we can get that in. All right. Nothing else from the state department. All right. Audience
055to citizens, staff, students. Uh, Julie Hley Collins wrote, um, I had a question around the consent consent agenda with the postings and the deletion of the 2025 and going reverting back to the 2021 policy. That's just a technicality. Do you guys keep records of like version control on those policies? So that you will have a history that you had adopted it in 2025 and then had to revert back >> and remove it. Okay. >> Thanks. And then the other question I had was around the CIP project and I don't know if this is for Stephanie. Would the SRO's be on the alert system that you were saying >> um >> that you could get an alert to like your cell phone? I'm assuming that >> they they're under the police department. So they would get
056alerted anyway regardless of any like 911 or anything like that because the police department. >> Yeah. cuz I know you had said the administration so I wasn't sure if they would be lumped in with that. I just wanted to ask. >> Thanks. >> That's it. >> Oh yeah. >> Okay. Anybody else? All right. If not, we will take a motion to adjurnn >> from Jan and a second. >> All those in favor? Unanimous. Thank you for your time. Motion adjourned at 7:50 on the notes. [Music]