Board of Education - Special Meeting - 11/11/2025 @ 7:00PM

001All right. If you want to put your speakers on. >> Okay. Okay. I'd like to call to order uh the meeting for the board of education special meeting on November 11th at 7 p.m. And if we can get and if we >> any of the students who are here, would you like to come up and join us and lead us in the pledge of allegiance for Veterans Day? >> So cute tonight. We're open. We're up in our name. >> To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you guys. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> All right. Roll call. >> Joseph Santoro here. >> Christine Rylander, >> Frank Oliver, >> Shane Centrella, >>

002Kurt Warner, >> Julie Lubby, >> Nora Mccurski, >> Elanor Bishop, Carol Kak. >> Okay, moving on. Approval of the minutes. Do we or approval of the agenda. Do we want to add anything to the agenda? >> Oh, actually, >> no. Okay. Special meeting. All right. Perfect. >> All right. Makes it easy. All right. On to item three, student showcase. >> Miss St. Hilera is going to queue us up with our Greek Olympics and second graders. It's already very exciting looking. >> Thank you. >> All right. Good evening, Board of Ed members and families. We are so excited to share with you today a presentation from our second graders. They are going to share a little bit about what they've been learning in reading around Greece and last Friday they wrapped it up with a Greek

003Olympics. So they are here today to tell you a little bit about that Olympics and all the things they've learned. So, we're gonna start off with our first student. >> Hello, my name is Kennedy. I'll be telling you about the medals medals and crowns to wear at our Olympic celebration that we are wearing right now. [applause] >> Hello, my name is Google. I'm going to tell you. So, we ate snack and We decorated the flag >> and tell them about the name of the flag >> and then we called our team thieves. >> So each grade level had a different city and yours was thieves, right? And then you carried this outside during the Olympics. Yes. A round of applause for >> [applause] >> So my name is Michael Bordon. I will be telling you

004about our Olympic games we have been playing. On Friday we played we played five different games and I will be telling you three today. And first I'm going to tell you about javelin throwing. We took a pool noodle and pretend it was a spear and we threw it and whoever got it the farthest one that went around. But then we grab our pool noodles and we give them to the next four people in line. Third, I will be telling you about torch running. We took a pool noodle again and we ran with it like it's a torch and whoever and You run to the line, then you run back and you give to the next person in line. Once everyone in your line done is sitting, then that means your team won. If you sit,

005if your line sits down first, third, wheelbarrow. How we did wheelbarrow was we to two people partnered up and then they one person put their hands on the ground and then they put their feet up and then the other one that they partnered with holds the other person's feet and they go to the cones and they will switch and they'll keep rotating >> and the wheelbarrows were the chariot >> races. Thank you. [applause] >> Hi, my name is Lillian Wak. I'm going to be tell um you about what we learned. Athena gave people in olive tree. The people named the town Athens. Um Alexander the Great um conquer a lot of land. the um Olympics um are to honor Zeus and the other gods and goddesses. [applause] >> I just want to add that that

006the teachers put so much into this unit and what the children were learning and to have this wonderful celebration on Friday, you had to see the excitement from all the kids. And secondly, I just want to say, and I'm sure everyone in here can appreciate how difficult it can be to speak in front of a group. And these children did an amazing job. [applause] >> They didn't just read from a script. They really knew their information. And I am so proud of them. So, great job. >> Thank you very much. Thank you so much. >> I have I have a question. [applause] How hard was it to throw the javelin? >> Um >> kind of not bad. >> Not bad. [laughter] >> Not in my meeting. [laughter] >> Thank you guys. I appreciate it very

007much. Thank you. [applause] >> Oh god, that was great. All right, >> one more. >> Um, all right, let's move on to item four, public comment. Um, the Winchester Board of Education welcomes you to its business meeting. There are two opportunities to set aside to hear comments from the public. We welcome and encourage public participation as a value part of communicating input with the Winchester Board of Education. We appreciate your adherence to the following. Complete the requested information on the sign-in sheet if you wish to speak. Your name, address, and email, which is right up on the table. State your name and address when called upon to speak. Uh and you will have allotted three minutes to share your comments. Please be advised that it is not the practice of the board of education to

008engage in dialogue regarding commentary. The superintendent of schools will be directed by the chair's person to prepare an appropriate response in a timely manner. We appreciate your time and thoughtful commentary. Does anyone wish to speak? All right, seeing that no one would like to speak, we will move on to item five, approval of minutes. All right. So uh the first order is the minutes of the board of edge meeting on October 14th of 2025. >> You can only vote on minutes of meetings you attended. >> We have to abstain. >> You would abstain. >> So there will be few people voting on these. >> Does anyone >> make a motion to approve? Make a motion to approve. We have a second. >> Okay. Motion. Jonathan. Second. Shane. >> Okay. >> Uh, excuse me. Have to.

009We have to abstain, right? >> You have to abstain. >> All right. Everyone, >> we should have three yeses. >> Three yeses. We have the rest are abstensions. >> Six. Perfect. Okay. All right. On to >> next >> uh negotiating committee meeting on October 28th. Um >> you just you all right? Jonathan, would you like to approve the minutes? >> I will second it. Vote on the approval. Two. 207. >> Going to have a lot of these. Um, all right. Uh, budget and finance committee meeting on October 28th. >> Jonathan, >> a second. >> Nora seconds. Vote to approve. >> You are author. All right. 306. Okay. Actually, was I even there? >> Jonathan. >> Oh, yeah. That was budget. Okay. Uh, policy and bylaw committee meeting October 28th, 2025. >> Make a motion to

010approve. >> Nor Jonathan, >> and I think it's only you two. >> All right. 207. All right, moving right along. Item six, communications, chairperson's comments. Um, I'd like to thank uh everyone here. Uh, we have a very green new board uh with five new members. So, be patient with us. be patient with me as a chairperson. Um, but uh, congratulations to everyone uh, that was voted in. Carol, Eleanor, Christine, Frank, Joe, congratulations. >> Thank you. >> Welcome to the board. >> Thank you. >> Um, pleasure. >> Thank you. And I just want to thank Nora as our outgoing chair. I have big shoes to fill. Uh hopefully I can fill those in a in a manner that's fitting for the chairperson. So thank you for that. >> All right, that is it. All right, moving

011on. Superintendent or no, student representative report item B. >> I just lost my piece of paper. Welcome to the minutes. We have students here. Let's see if we start with Hinsdale. We have Lena Makavoy. Would you like to come on up, honey? And Rosie, if you want to set Lena's um name plate up. >> And Lena, when you finish, you can take the name tag out of there and keep that if you'd like. >> Hello, my name is Lena. I'm in second grade. I'm going to share something neat that is At our students had an exciting time learning about fire safety where there were local firefighters during the fire prevention day. From exploring the fire truck to practicing safety tips, it was a memorable and educational experience for everyone. Our elementary students and community came

012together for a festive fall harvest parade earlier this month with colorful costumes, laughter, and autumn cheer. It was a joyful celebration of the season and a wonderful way to bring everyone together. Grade level happenings in prek. Students are learning about body parts and what helps them grow. Kindergarteners are excited to start reading stories. They can tell who's in the story, where it happens, and what is happening. In first grade, they're reading fairy tales and folk tales. First graders know all of the story elements. In second grade, we are learning how to write and edit stories. We know the elements of a good story. One thing I like to see happen at Hster is for more students to help the kindness group spread positivity and do kind acts of service. Thank you for having me. >>

013[applause] >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, LENA. >> And next we have EMTT Zaheric from Pearson School [applause] >> and let's switch out. Oh, we did switch the name. Excellent. >> Hello, my name is EMTT Zaher. I am in third grade. Today we honored veterans at a Veterans Day ceremony. We are celebrating kindness this week. Each day we have a kindness theme. Today we wore red, white, and blue for veterans. We are doing shout outs where students and teachers give shoutouts to each other and they are on the bullet. in the hallway. In third grade, in math, we are working on give and take subtraction strategies. In language arts, we are learning about the human body. We are learning about the systems, bones, muscles, nerves, and organs. In science, we are noticing and wondering about forces

014and motion. In fourth grade, in math, are working on multiplication with Ariel M and language arts, finishing a unit on Middle Ages, and now moving into reading and writing poetry. In science, starting a unit of study on transfer of energy when objects are in motion and when they collide. In math for fifth grade learning on reading, writing, rounding, and adding and subtracting. In language arts, they are starting a poetry unit. In science, learning how matter, energy move through ecosystems and food webs. In sixth grade for math, they are learning about [clears throat] ratios. In language arts, working on mysteries and investigations, reading Sherlock Holmes, stories. In science, they are studying different types of weather such as hail. For school improvements or needs, we could use a quieter lunchtime. It is really loud in the cafeteria.

015We also need safer soccer games because during recess, everyone is trying to play like it's real soccer. The teams are very competitive. One great thing I like is how we have great teachers and special teachers. I really like Mrs. Curado because she is a really good teacher and I like the way she teaches us and how very passionate she is. Thank you for being a great audience and happy VETERANS DAY. >> [applause] >> THANK YOU, EMTT. >> Thank you both of you. >> All right, on to our superintendence report. >> I think I have to juggle up the agenda. I just hate that I go after the children, right? That's really a tough spot to follow. Um, so you all have >> What's up? >> That's why I go first. >> Smart man. >> Um,

016you all have the report written, so I won't spend too much time on any one item, but I'm going to highlight a few things for you. I'll tell you, we had um recently our um election day, professional learning day, which was a huge success. We surveyed staff at the end of the day because we're really being mindful about making sure we're providing meaningful staff development. Um, and feedback from teachers was that it was the right stuff in the right balance. We spent a couple of hours on positive behavior supports, a couple of hours on high quality instruction, and a couple of hours collaborating in uh grade level teams to apply the first two sessions. Um so it was very wellreceived, very meaningful use of time. Um we were thrilled to host our um first named

017win-win event. Um definitely riffing off of the Winstead Winchester motto. Um uh we are looking for ways to get parents in for parent information sessions and do uh good work with parents. We know things that um bring people in are food and funds. So we planned win-win. The kids did a pumpkin craft and ate pizza and the parents attended an internet safety program. Uh we had more than we had roughly 50 parents in the parent session and I think 60 students. Um huge improvement over the last time we had tried to launch SC the same presenter a few years back. So we were thrilled with the turnout for that. um as an leadership team in the district, we launched our first um round of instructional rounds and it also was very successful. That for us

018is a very um scripted methodical approach to seeing the district as a whole. It's not evaluative of any individual teacher. It's really evaluative of our progress as a district working towards district goals. So, we got a group together with administrators and teachers and um visited all of the grade level classrooms as well as all of the morning meetings um looking through the lens of positive behavior supports and school climate. Um we were really pleased with what we saw. We debriefed afterwards which is part of the protocol and um it really helped us think about what we've accomplished so far this year and what we're ready to lift up next in the work. Uh we'll repeat that again a little bit later in the year. The next round will again include administrators and teachers. And in

019our second um venture, we intend to include some students in the rounds as well to gain their perspective. Um and then I'm just going to skip a little bit down. I'll give you a quick update on the roof because that's exciting. Um that wasn't even sarcasm actually. Um it actually is exciting. We, as you may recall, are at the point where we know we're going to need a roof and we need to figure out what that really needs to look like. So, um, at a board of selectmen meeting last year, um, I think it was Troy Lamir connected us with, um, [snorts] a guy, um, who came out and has turned out to be invaluable. They are not a contractor. They actually make roofing product. And so their business model is we're going to help

020you along so that you do it right because they're going to warranty the work if you if the contractor ends up using their product compared to a typical roof job where the contractor only gives you like a two-year warranty and then if there's a problem after that you have to actually pay the company who made the product even though they warranty the product the work isn't covered. So that was a lot of words but we did today the asbestous test that'll come back in a week or two. um based on the age of the roof, they are not anticipating us having asbestous, but you're required to do that test before you can get um state reimbursement and do the work. So, we needed to do it. Um and they will be coming out, I think

021it was either tail end of this week or beginning of next week to do the moisture scan. Once we have those two pieces of information, we are ready to make a decision about going out to bid if we're prepared to do this project this coming summer. Um, so we'll have lots more information coming to you on that. So that is actually making a little bit of progress. Um, I'll just say very briefly, um, because we are very much a new board tonight that, um, we've been discussing so far this year the concept of a preschool expansion. um that I'm eager to find an opportunity to tell the rest of the board about. We as a district based on our community profile are eligible um for 70% construction reimbursement this year because there is so much

022enthusiasm for um early childhood and also supporting districts who are creating more spots for special education program programming. There are two different 15% bonuses available. Meaning that if we chose to expand um our footprint to be able to offer merch school, our [clears throat] literal footprint like add-on to Hinsdale School, um we would be eligible for 100% reimbursement for the construction costs. So, um, I'll stop at that for tonight, but I wanted to put that in everyone's thoughts because that's one of those that although it's a lot of work, it's too good to just dismiss out of hand without really giving a lot of thought to. So, I'm eager to talk to you more about that another time. Um, the board of ed technology enhancements you're already enjoying. We're doing our best to make sure

023that all of the information that's shared is accessible for everyone. Um, so we're very glad to have Matthew Morgado supporting us with the technology. He's doing a great job. >> Um, we hired our own BCBA. That's kind of big news because that's really hard to do. And he started >> yesterday. Today's Tuesday still. >> Um, and all of our certified positions are filled. So, we're very excited about that. >> [snorts] >> We are um beginning the process of seeking accreditation for our preschool. Um that is an ownorous process but one that we welcome because self-reflection is free. God bless you. So we're um working on um learning more and more about the NYAK standards. Uh preschool accreditation is a lot like a NEAS accreditation. There's standards. You compare yourself to them. They come in. and

024they do an evaluation. So, um we're launching that process and the preschool team could not have been more um enthusiastic about participating in that. Um PNZ reached out and asked um that I come to one of their meetings and talk about um space in our schools. Um my understanding is that they're considering developments around town and they wanted to know what happens if we build all these housing startups and where will the kids go. So we talked about what space is available in the schools. Um we are partnering with um Northwest Community College. They have an early childhood program and we are um partnering with them in lots of ways, but an interesting one is that we're considering how we might create a lab site classroom at Hinsdale School so that their students um are

025working actively and on an ongoing basis with our classroom and um we've been partnering also with AMP a whole bunch. So, um, and I'll just highlight again to the board that this Thursday at 6, we're meeting in the Pearson, uh, we can meet right in the front foyer um, for what has been um, Julie noticed as a board meeting, but we'll start with a walkthrough of Pearson so that as we're going into the budget process and doing capital planning um, you've sort of had a chance to look under the hood, so to say, and see some of the things that need to be done at Pearson School. Um whether you're a new board member or not a new board member, I would encourage you to come. We have um Nick Caruso doing our training. He's

026fabulous. Um and it would be a nice opportunity for you as a full board just to all be together even though it's not necessarily new information. Although with two hours, I'm sure he'll say something you haven't heard him say before. >> What time is that again? What time was it? >> 6 o' to >> 8:30. 8:30. So 6:00 to 6:30 is the walkth through and then Nick will take 6:30 to 8:30. >> If we let him, he'd go straight through till midnight. He loves to talk. He's very funny. I can tell you it will be enjoyable. And I will bring candy to Jonathan if you'll come. >> He loves >> Yes. And he does love us. I think he said it will be his 52nd um time time coming to town. It's not a good

027thing, but >> well, so I think that's it for my report. >> Julie, on um the internet safety, who who conducted that for our >> Scott Driscoll? >> It was amazing. >> Who Who is Scott Driscoll? >> Uh he's the self self-proclaimed technology guru. >> He's a he's a retired >> police officer. >> Well, >> federal Yeah. >> Okay. um that dealt with this especially in the new beginnings of the internet. >> Um >> you did cat fishing. >> It was it was amazing. The the library was full. >> Um I tried to work in the parents to join the PTA. Um I don't know how well that went but uh no it was a great great informative. His name is in my phone. >> He's a resource. He told the parents, "If you have

028questions, if you need me, call me." So, he's great. >> Could I just ask a question? Uh, on your first item, you were talking about the preschool enhancement, the 100% reimbursement, but that doesn't include the interest. The interest is on the town, right? >> Exactly. That there is a short list of nonreimburseable items. So, we would have to bond for at least as you don't necessarily have to bond 100% of the price because you know you're getting so much of it back, but you need to have enough cash flow to pay as you go. >> The interest is not reimburseable. >> Um, if you do change orders, sometimes you can get yourself in trouble with those, >> right? >> Um, for the most part, just about everything else is reimburseable. >> Thank you. And the

029other piece is there's also um early start and smart start funding out there for the staffing of those classrooms. So it isn't just build it and now you got to add a teacher. It's actually we may be able to fund the teacher through grant money as well. >> Thank [clears throat] your instructional rounds. Um we once talked about this once before. Sometimes it's really insightful for the board of ed members to come into instructional rounds. Are you thinking about that? Because I know you were talking about iterations, admin, teachers, students. What do you what's your thoughts on that? >> So, I don't know that we would bring the entire board because that would just be unwieldy and >> and it is during the workday, but I think that it would be a lovely idea to

030include one board member in the rounds that we do. Or alternately, if there's something that the board wants to do as a group that's different than >> the instructional rounds that we do as a group, I could create a different structure for board members. >> How often do you do those? These are three times a year because they're sort of dipstick opportunities where we're waiting to see progress with the work that we're doing. >> Okay. >> The next one I think is >> February >> and I think it would absolutely be fine to include a board member who could >> it would be eye opening for the board member to see what [clears throat] everyone goes through in those buildings on a daily basis. When the time gets a little bit closer, I'll share the

031date and time with the board and see if you all want to select someone to participate. I would love that. >> Any other questions? >> All right. On to item D, committee reports, uh, finance committee. >> Okay. Um, as many of you may know, uh, I'm going to call it the Allison version. We did receive more detail in the finance report in our committee and the detail that level of detail will be available in committee. So I'm going to urge the public to come out if they'd like to see the detailed report as opposed to the the the Nancy summary which is in our typical packets that have to be in our packets. Um that full detailed is published. It's up in September's uh link up there on our website. It's under uh monthly detail

032expenditure reports for 2526 under BOE business and services if you want to take a look at the detail. Um we had a lot of questions on interpretation of that document. So I think the caution out there is that when the public takes a look at it they may have several questions themselves that might open up conversation. We talked about bandwidth being able to respond to the public uh because sometimes it's just really hard to read the dock. Um, so I'm I was thinking that perhaps maybe a a dear Abby letter that might be attached to it as the first page um to what it is the public would be reading because sometimes you want to avoid unnecessary conversation that could easily be vetted out and clarified with a cover letter. Perhaps some sort of um

033cover letter of sorts like forecasts. Where we are, here's our forecast. This is where we're at. Um, that was just my suggestion and maybe like a c a code a codification system as a way to read it because our board Nancy you weren't there because you were you were not present. You were ill. Um, but but just Allison helped us out. Julie helped us out and as board members with our sleeves rolled up in it. We had questions. So I couldn't imagine what the public would be thinking um as it be as it's published already in September. Um but that's that's a suggestion that's what happened in the finance committee so the public can can look for September. >> That's it. >> Thank you. Uh on to policy committee >> which is not here anymore.

034I can give the report. I was on the committee. Uh so for information items we looked over various policies from the 3000 series. Sandra moved to bring first read. I [clears throat] and we looked over some other from the 3000 series uh to possibly delete later in this evening to send a full board. That's >> and if it's all right, I'll just add a little context to that again with people who are new to the board. >> Sure. >> Um for the most part, school districts either I guess maybe there's a school district that writes their own policies, but I doubt it. For the most part, policies either come through CABE, which is the Association of Boards of Education, or through the attorneys. Um, I don't know if all attorneys do it. Shipment and Goodwin

035seems to be the one that is universally used. We at some point in the past, um, had all CAB policies. You'll notice the difference because they have numbers and the shipment ones are just like within the 30,000s and then names. Um, at some point prior to my arrival, the decision was made by the board and Mel cooperatively to switch from cave to shipment. So, we are doing an unusual amount of policy review because we're comparing um cave policies to shipment to understand what would change with the policies. For the most part, you typically adopt the policies the way the lawyers wrote them because they are written for to match the laws. Um, Shipman will advise us to only have policies that are required policies because the more policies you have, the more opportunities you have

036to inadvertently not follow them. So, um, we are through the ones, the twos, pretty sure the fours are done. I have a worksheet with all of them on it. Um, so we're getting there. I think we're done with the fives. So, it's the threes, the sixes. We're getting there. But you all will also have the opportunity to participate in the fun. It's a project. >> Sure is. >> Oh, it is. >> So, for people that like to roll their sleeves up, consider >> uh policy. >> Nice cell job there. [laughter] >> All right. Anything else with policy? Good. >> All right. Uh GGF negotiating committee um we met on October 28th. We discussed um the ongoing uh conversations between Superintendent Lubie and head of school Susi. Um some of the topics we were looking at

037was the potential contract terms. Um in alignment with the academic calendar of ours in Gilbert's um and when are you meeting when are you meeting again? So, we just met, but we only made it through business stuff. We didn't get to contract. So, we need to reschedu. >> Perfect. >> You know what he said? >> I don't >> I can't board. >> Right. Right. Right. >> Right. >> So, that's where we are there. Anything to add? All right. On to item E, liaison report. Gilbert school court. >> Gilbert recently welcomed Madison as the new communications coordinator in addition to the school also receiving a notable public compliment when state senator Steven Hart visited and praised the significant improvements made to the gym. Looking ahead, the agenda for tomorrow night's uh meeting uh includes voting on

038several important policies, including 38 3280 uh concerning business nonstructional operations give acceptance uh policy 34 53.1 regarding unexpanded classes. We're in business nonstructional operations. Uh 6172.6 which covers instructional vital courses university courses. Finally 3 on community relations addressing use of building. >> Thank you. And I will say that October 25th they held their homecoming. Um they also did the um ribbon cutting of the new gym. Um which was a great event. Um a lot of alumni the class of 75 was recognized at the football game. Um so uh good event. Thank you for inviting us. All right, on to item seven, information items. Okay, so I'll try and um set just a little bit of context with each of these um the enrollment data takes you um is exactly that. It's the number of students

039um in Hinsdale, Pearson, Hinsdale, Pearson combined page 11. Yes, sorry. And then in Gilbert School, um you'll always see the previous month, the current enrollment, as well as the opening enrollment. Um by whole buildings at the top, and then by grade level, you'll just see where we started and where we are. And it just gives us the opportunity to keep an eye out if there were any significant swings in any direction. Um as you can see on here, there are no significant swings. So, it's very natural to expect, you know, a couple people move in and a couple people move out. >> Can you um explain the attendance? >> Yes. Oh, yes. The next information item, the attendance report offers you um information about school attendance at Hinsdale and Pearson and the district as a

040whole according to two metrics. designed by the state. Um the first is average daily student attendance and that one is probably the simpler one. It just simply means on any um on average every day there are across the district 94.2% of our students um present in school. Um conversely you could imagine then that 5.8% 8% of the students are absent on average daily. Um, and if it's helpful to think about, um, that number doesn't include our preschool. So, our total enrollment, if [snorts] we were to just back that out a second, um, go down about 50. So, we're probably uh, WPS 592. So, without preschool, so about five. You could in your head say, you know, 500, 550 just for math's sake to be thinking about what that means. Um the highlighted lines are the

041current year in pink there and the um ones below it are the previous year just as a point of reference so that you can see how we're trending. Um again, district and Hinsdale then Pearson. the table at the bottom, the student chronic absenteeism rate is um it's a little more complex. So chronically absent by the end of the year means students who've missed um greater than 10% of the school days. So at the end of the year, if you have 180 days in your school calendar, um anyone who missed 19 days for the year is considered chronically absent. um in a month that has only 17 days and by days we mean school days of course if you have 17 school days and someone misses two which is not hard to imagine I mean if

042you get yourself any any kind of anything these days you're going to be sick for a couple days um if you miss two days you are considered chronically absent in that month so it's a it's a touchy indicator if you will like it pops up it pops down and over time it levels out a bit but you'll See, >> volatile. >> Well said. Yes, it is volatile. So, we've referenced at the top there, we added in at some point for your reference the number of days in the month because it just helps you sort of remember how many days it would take to be considered chronically absent in that month. Um, and we're watching this closely. We do have um district and school goals around student attendance. Um, one of the things that you'll hear

043more about when we u meet and get a chance to go through um the district performance report, the accountability report, is that at one point last year, we thought our attendance was atrocious. And uh we learned over the summer when we were doing like really deep dive analysis that something uh was set up incorrectly in P school and then was um being utilized for things that it didn't encompass. And so our data was skewed. And so the data you have here is correct. But if you have it in your head from ever hearing at a previous meeting that, you know, we had a really high chronic absenteeism rate, we did, but we actually didn't. Um we are past the point where we're able to correct that with the state. So our um metrics with the

044state will reflect a poor attendance rate um much worse than it actually is. So though we are very sensitive to it if you will and took a good hard look because you'll see now when you look at this month Hinsdale had a particularly high percent of students almost one quarter of the kiddos missed at least um three days. So uh both principles >> October you talking about October >> is that not what I said I'm sorry >> I didn't know what >> well this yeah >> this month you're referring to October. Okay. >> Yep. The most current month. >> Yeah. Um so both principles um pulled out some data to just take a look and again you know there are things we do proactively to improve student attendance um for example putting in the morning

045meeting um all the positive behavior supports trying to make sure that kids value being in school and want to be there. Um we've also added in we always had um perfect attendance but we've added in like most improved attendance and other things to kind of lift that up. Um but we also don't want kids coming to school if they're really ill. So there's a balance with that. So after looking at it, um Hinsdale is probably two um leading um contributors to the data. One is illness, which probably comes as no surprise between COVID um the flu, hand, foot, mouth, um lot of illnesses. And then the other big factor is families taking extended vacations. Um and that was true at both schools. Um also at Pearson, although the indicator was less, we took a look

046there as well. And again, um viral illnesses, fever, gastrointestinal um and family vacation were the two leading um causes of absences. Um another interesting piece to note is that um if you students are suspended from school out of school that does count as absent like in your chronic absenteeism. So um in the CA we almost never have suspensions at Hinsdale school. It's it can happen but it's very infrequent. But at Pearson school we do from time to time use suspension. We don't love it but there are times where it's called for. Um and so we did have some students who um had multiple day out of school suspensions and so >> in that month of October. >> Yep. >> Yeah. Okay. >> So those are the contributing pieces of what goes into that data. >>

047The accountab account accountability index wasn't it report out recently? >> Yep. >> Okay. And it was with the old way we calculated attendance. >> The data that we submitted is what is in there, right? >> Okay. >> So, it's and I was able to get into the state calculator, if you will, and I can when when we have a committee meeting where I can dig into that report with everyone. >> Um, I'll show you the score, but I can also tell you how the correct attendance data moves it. >> Okay. Okay. That's great. Just on September's data, is that reflecting the change in which we've calculated? >> Yeah. In other words, >> this is all accurate. >> Yes. As of the change, right? Or no, you've changed it and you went back to August. >>

048This year's data has always been correct. >> Okay. >> It's the previous year's data. >> Okay. >> Right. We discovered this before school started this year. >> Gotcha. because we were making um proactive attempts to anticipate students who had been chronically absent last year. And when we started digging into that, we realized that students who like left school early were being marked absent. >> We thought they were being marked early dismissal, but that was being counted as an absence >> In 2425, >> which had been put in motion the previous year, >> so September looks really good. >> Well, there were three days. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I'm sorry. September. >> September looks really good. >> Yes, >> we're trending. >> And again, the data on this sheet is last year's data that ended pretty

049well for us last year. By the end of the year, we had 9% chronic absenteeism. >> The gold standard is get yourself to five. >> Y >> um you're always going to have some. >> I mean, there's just no avoiding it. >> So, all right. Item C, personnel report. >> The personnel report we prepare for you to just keep you a breast of the comingings and goings. It is always um as of the date that it's prepared. We wrestled a little like do we have like people who began or ended during a certain calendar dates. We decided cleanest was just since the last report that you had here's the new data. And of course it's always prepared about a week ahead of the meeting because we have to get it in the packet and get

050it to you. But um so for example under new hires the BCBA isn't there because he started this Monday the 10th. So he'll be in the next report. Um the piece that's pleasing to me is that under vacancies really what we're looking for are paras primarily. Um, to anybody who happens to be watching at home, we have vacancies for PARA educators and are open to splitting positions if you're only available two days a week or three days a week or half days. Um, all hands on deck. We would be thrilled to uh talk with you. >> So, what um PAR educators, do they get insurance with that? >> They can. >> Insurance? >> They are eligible. Yeah. >> Building substitute, do they get insurance with that as well? >> They are eligible. >> Just letting

051you all know there's insurance with that. Okay. >> People contribute to it, but >> that's right. >> Those positions do allow you to opt in. >> Okay. Interventionist as well. All of them. >> Yep. >> Okay. Item D, monthly budget summary. >> Okay. >> Part of the meeting. Um, okay. And again, I'll do just a little bit of overview. There are three reports. You'll get these same three reports every month. Um, one thing I'll point out, um, returning board members will recognize. We made an executive decision rather than include a monthly lunch report as we've done to do those quarterly. Um, the data does not get back to us. There are months that you probably don't even recognize, but we're actually ending up having to give you the same data two months in a row

052because our meeting is early in the month and they have to first close it out and then it gets processed by an advance and then it comes back to us. The lag time makes that silly and it doesn't change drastically monthtomonth. So, we're going to do that as a quarterly report. Once we have all the data from the quarter, Nancy will do all those things. She's going to change those blue bars for those of you who were in previous meetings where there were four blue bars and it was really hard to look at. So, um we're going to share that data, but we're just going to do it in a more meaningful way. Um so, this first cover page represents um all of the resources that are available to the district. So, what you're looking

053at is um first line is the town appropriated budget. And if you were following us during budget season, you should recognize the amount of the adopted budget was the amount that went to referendum. That was that's the amount the voters voted on. The line below that also is voted on by the voters, but it's not it doesn't stand out on its own. It's a line in the town budget, and those are for the non-instructional costs. Those are things like our phone bill, our electric bill, um repairs on the boilers, um things of that nature. The non-lapsing fund is um should we get to the end of the year and there's any money left in the appropriated budget under statute, I believe it's up to 2% can be put into a non-lapsing fund, which basically becomes

054a cushion going forward. Um, when you think about a 2% margin, that's very tight. One of the things I'll say to you, um, and we'll talk about this more when we get a little deeper into budget season, is that in school districts, your budget is not like where at home you say, "Okay, we have $200 this month that we can spend on this and 200 on that." And you come he hacker high water, you stick to it. In education land, the budget that you build in October, November, December for the following year has so many moving parts and variables. The teachers that you hire, maybe the people that work for you now, someone leaves, you have some savings. We call that turnover savings because a teacher retires at the top of their career and so

055they were making $95,000 and we end up hiring a first year teacher. you're you've already just shifted your budget by a whole bunch of thousands of dollars, but maybe a beginning teacher leaves and the candidate you hire has a lot of experience. So, those things change. You don't actually know, although you budget as best you can, how much your grants are going to come in for, you don't know. Um, and you'll see a little bit when we dig in. I have a great example that I pulled out for you. Um, so I'll go into that more in a minute, but I just wanted to say out loud that school budgeting is planning. it is your absolutely best thinking with the information that you have and then you work really hard to get to the end

056of the year and have something left. So, our non-lapsing fund um last year had $1,800 in it. >> So, we're thrilled that we were able to stuff a little bit more. We got to the end of the year and we had something left. Um the grants budget, you'll see that we always plan and there's a page exclusively about grants. So, I'll do that when we get there. And then Medicaid is a little bit of reimbursement that we receive for some of the services that we provide to children. We're able to bill back and we have a small amount of income that comes in from that. So, this piece of paper is um connected to the two that follow it. Okay? So when you go to the second sheet, you'll see if you go to line

057one of the previous page, the town appropriated budget, you'll see if you go down on the second page, adopted budget most of the way down first column with numbers, the 23993 number like that ties out to the front page. It always will. Um you'll see below that that the non-lapsing fund and the town support are also being tracked out on here. So this is as of um the end of October. We are now in the second quarter. So that's July, August, September. So this is one month into the second quarter. Um as you look across, you see what was in the appropriated budget. Um the adopted budget. You see last month what we thought we would have left at the end of the year and what we think now. You'll see how much went out

058the door this month. You'll see how much has gone out the door so far this year expended year to date. I'm just working my way across. Encumbered is money. For example, you encumber your entire payroll because there's not a lot of surprises there. You know what that is. If someone leaves, their encumbrance is canceled and the new person hired, we make a new incumbrance. So that number will move little bits here and there, but largely you're incumbring to pay the people that we've hired. Um the spent yearto date is something that can just help you think about how things are moving along. Different lines move at different rates. For example, your supply line you would expect to move a lot up front because you typically as you get towards the end of the school year,

059you get your orders ready to go out July one new budget. [snorts] So you do a lot of ordering. You need your math workbooks. You need all your rulers and Smartboard markers and all that stuff. You need that stuff up front. You order your copy paper. So you spend that more quickly than some of the other lines that go more piece by piece. Um, if a school year is 10 months, September, October, um, well, July, August, September, October, we're actually by middle of November, you're a quarter of the way through the 10 months of the school year. So, to be at 23% year-to- date on wages makes sense because there are some people who get paid in the summer um, year- round employees. So, that's tracking on. Um, when you get to the projected adjustments,

060this is the part, I'll say this, and I don't even mean to sound facitious, but this is the magic of having a director of business and operations who's a financial person. >> This is where um Nancy is able to say, "So, I know what's encumbered and I know what's still out there that hasn't been encumbered. I know what's coming down the pike." >> And that's her saying, "These are things that I think are going to happen." And then she's projecting a year-end balance. Um, so I'm going to use an example. I'll show you for example. Um, which thing do I want to draw your attention to? There were a few. Um, so for example, property services in the 400 line. Um, that line is paying for the Chromebooks that we got. We ended up, we

061have money for those in a different line under supplies or equipment and software actually, right? >> Equipment and software. >> We originally budgeted that in equipment and software. Um, but because we did it as a lease, which got us a much more favorable program, that line is reflecting that because it's actually less than we intended to spend, but it's in that line instead. Um the line above the professional technical services as an example, we in our budget intended to hire well we had not even hire we had a speech and language pathologist that we paid whose salary originally was planned for in the wages line. >> We were unable to hire someone directly and we had to hire someone through an agency. We contract for that person. [snorts] So that's a >> money moved over.

062>> I'm sorry. >> So the money moved over to the other line. >> Exactly. So we're So that's why one is at a negative and one's at a positive because we're paying for that person as a service rather than an employee. Um but it was a planned position. Um our pupil transportation line you'll see is running over what we expected to spend. about 60,000 of that is um Mckin Vento which is um the laws around um homelessness. We did not budget a lot of money there. We don't have a lot of history on our Mckin Vento spending because it changed drastically. McKini Vento now requires that if we have a student who um attended school here and then became homeless and is attending somewhere else um we whether they're attending somewhere else or they're living

063somewhere else right so let's imagine you lived in Winstead you've become homeless you are now camped out on the couch they call it doubled up in Waterberry we have to pay half the cost of bringing you back here for school >> um in the past it is like one of the two districts paid. The state has stepped in and said, "Nope, you actually have to split that." So, we're paying about $60,000 we anticipate this year for Mckin Vento. Um, and our special education transportation is coming in about 180,000 more than um we had originally planned for. Um, so I'm going to draw your attention. Well, I'll wait till I get to the next page and I'll come back to the 486. put a little circle around that 486 in the special out of district tuition

064line and I'll show you where that goes and what it reflects. Um, so why don't we go to the next page? I'm happy to take your questions, but I feel like on this first run through maybe just I'm going to keep going until you shout at me. >> No. Okay. >> Um, this next page is the grant budget. Um, so going back to the first page, you'll see the number in the grant line, 3 million22,000 matches about halfway across where it says fiscal year 2026 budget. What I'll say to you is that is the budget that we ended up with, not the budget that we knew about when we built our district budget last fall. Because all you can do when you're building your budget is work on the current year's allocations. Because federal grants,

065which everything above the see how the page has about halfway down a darker line, everything above are federal grants. Everything below are state and local grants. So, as an example, your IDA grant, your title one grant, title two, title three, title four, they're usually similar amounts yeartoear, but they fluctuate. So, you do the best you can. you budget it based on the previous year and then you cross your fingers that they go up and down. So, as a great example, you'll see that IDA um went down about $15,000. If you see the first two lines there, 343 uh last year, the carryover means it's the previous year's grant. This year, 328 went down about 15, but then the title one went up about 15. And so those are the kinds of things like you know

066keeps us up night but [snorts] oftentimes they come out in the wash and so those worked out well that way. The other thing I'll explain to you tonight and then again as many times as I need to before I understand it well enough. But grants most of some of the grants are one-year grants. You get an amount they expect you to spend it that year. Some of the grants are two-year grants. So, what we do with two-year grants, which is why you see the carryover lines, in the course of a year, we basically spend the full grant, but what we do is we each year spend a little bit of the old grant and a little bit of the new grant. It's the same amount of money. What that does is provide a safety net

067that gosh forbid something crazy ever happens, you could spend the carryover money and all of this year. you'd be in big trouble the following year. But it just is like a little insurance policy that says we're spending the full grant, but we're spending it out of two places each year. Um, which is completely allowable and really [clears throat] smart um, financial practice. Um, so again, the whole top half of the page is federal. And so for the ones where you see projected carryover funds, that's because we're anticipating we started this year with $15,000 of carryover money in IDA. We're planning to have 114 at the end of this year. So again, that's that swing idea of every year you spend the same amount, but you're spending it out of two buckets. Um, you'll see some

068of the grants we share with Gilbert. So, you'll see, for example, like title two, the total grant is about $35,000. $19,000 is allocated for our use, 16,000 for Gilbert's use. Um, we manage the grants. We have to do the grant applications, put the information in the system, but the decisions about how the money are used, they have to be within the specifications of each grant. Um, title two is largely for professional development. Title four is um supposed to be like the arts and technology and gifted and cool stuff. Um, title three is um multil- language learners. So, they all have purposes that you have to work within. Um, oh, okay. So, look down on the bottom half of the page and look for line 656, excess cost grant, special education. See that 486 number? So,

069on the previous page, I think I said go ahead and circle that 486. Those two true up and that 486 on the previous page is in the projected adjustment amount. The way excess cost works is this. The state says, "Hey, Winchester, you spend $24,000 a student or whatever our per pupil number is. If you spend more than four and a half times that amount on any one student, we'll give you some of that back." So, and our percentage on that every year it goes to the legislature and it again, that's another one of those moving targets. It's usually around 60 65% but you never really know for sure. So we when we build our budget, we figure out what it's going to cost to educate all the kids and then for any student who would

070hit that threshold, we reduce it by the 60% of what we would get the 60% we would get back from the state. So that's where that grant money you see coming in is already reflected against our operating budget because that's money we're anticipating to defay the cost of students whose um tuition and transportation end up costing lots and lots and lots and that's exclusively um it doesn't have to be exclusively for students who are in out placements but from a realistic standpoint it typically is because four and a halfs times you're at a 100,000 plus. So unless you have, you know, a student working with one teacher, one parah, and their own nurse or something in district, you could get over that threshold for one student in district, but typically it's going to be students

071who are um in placements outside of the district. >> Julie, who sets up that formula, the state of Connecticut, that 60 to 65% >> the legislature. >> Okay. Um, and then the federal grants that have come in, to what extent or if any, has a shutdown delayed any of this reimbursement of the process piece? >> We're okay. >> Okay. >> So far, everything's tracking right along. >> Good. >> We had that one little glitch last year where um a grant was shut down early and we worked with the state who put in an appeal and ultimately we were able to get what we had lost. I think it was like $39,000 and Okay, >> that got recovered. So, >> okay, >> for all the new people on the board, when we get into budget season,

072don't be afraid to ask questions. If you look at line item 682, thee provision, that's referred to as what our 660 >> 660 line. >> I kept on looking for a 660 item. >> Um, just found out what it actually pertained to. So ask questions. >> Could I ask questions? >> No, not now. >> Not good. All right, I quit. >> My understanding the way the state runs the budget that was passed last year, the 239, >> the Winchester budget. >> Winchester budget. >> If there was a recession, we cannot go below that number for the next budget year. You're describing what's called the minimum the MBR the minimum budget requirement I think right >> minimum budget requirement >> which says that you can't spend less >> than you have spent previously unless you can

073demonstrate extenduating circumstances like you closed a school or >> which is impossible basically >> well for us with only two buildings yes but there are definitely there are reasons that you can but they >> match that expectation if you're doing the same basic job you've been doing given that everything will cost more. You can't go backwards because >> that's what I mean. >> Right. >> Okay. Thank you. >> But that's where the town support line also comes into play which could fluctuate. >> Any other questions? >> You'll get a deeper dive of this once we get into the budget season. So, buckle up. >> All right. On to item E, school climate committee update. >> I am very excited to introduce to you tonight. You'll see you do have one handout in your packet that

074um accompanies the lady's presentation. Um I would introduce to you all Adrianne Giamato. >> Welcome. >> And Emily Bernard. >> Welcome. These two ladies are the assistant principles, Emily at Hinsdale and Adrian at Pearson School. Um, and they have been doing a beautiful job taking leadership in the climate work that we're doing. Um, specifically heading up the climate committee. Um, as you've probably heard us say at some point, there was a whole lot of changes in the legislation. um which in some ways precipitated some of the things we did like putting a new policy in place, but also it was work that we chose to undertake anyway. Um so I'll stop talking and the ladies have a presentation. You'll see it on all the TVs. Um and you have a handout in your packet as

075well. >> Okay. Well, first off, we just want to say thank you for having us here. So talked about the school climate committee. Um, and a big welcome to the new board members and hello to the returning board members. Um, we're excited to have you guys join us and um, engage in this work with us and all the great work that's happening at Winchester Public Schools. Um, so the school climate committee, as Julie had mentioned, was established um due to changes in the legislation and also to comply with our school um, climate policy. So um something that the school climate committee is doing is ensuring that um our all our community members are represented um parents, students, they are part of that committee. Um and we're really trying to empower all of our community members

076to contribute to a respectful and caring school environment. Um so as part of our committee, we're tasked with um developing, administering, analyzing the school climate survey that's put out. Um so [clears throat] last year we had that developed that survey um we looked at the results and then that's going to be work that the committee continues with um year after year and as a result of that um those surveys are going to really guide the improvement plan that we're going to be creating um and recommend strategies that we can use um for our school. We're also going to be sharing out a challenging behavior form which is kind of going to be taking place of our bullying form. So that's the um committee will also work on and put out there each year and um

077really work to strengthen all the collaboration between staff, students, and the community, families to really foster that positive school culture. Um so one of our big tasks is to develop the school climate improvement plan and um that plan is going to include a shared vision which we already had um time to begin working on with all of the members of the committee so far and I'm looking at Christine because she is actually on our committee. Um so our plan will outline a shared vision statement um clear policies and practices that we will have at both of the schools. Um, it'll outline that safe environment that we want to create for all students and families, meaningful engagement opportunities, and then built-in norms to really ensure that everybody feels welcome and supported when they step into our

078building or into our community. Um, and with that work, it's going to embrace um, and promote the social, emotional, ethical, um, civic, and academic growth for everyone. So that's really kind of an overview um of kind of the document that you have in front of you. The why >> the why um so basically our look Matt it's working. Um our purpose of course of this committee is to create a positive inclusive supportive and safe climate in all of our schools. And just like you saw tonight with our students here it's the highlight of the board meetings. It's our highlight every day to see the learning that's happening in every classroom. So with that same idea, our collaborative approach does have all stakeholders in our committee meetings. We have Dr. Lubie and all the administration. We

079have parents from Gilbert, Pearson, and Hinsdale. We have uh community members and we also have students and you could imagine seeing the lens of the schools through the students eyes is the most powerful. So what Dr. Dr. Lubby just passed out. These are the different people that we have in our in our membership. Um, and like I said, all their voices count. So, what we did was Dr. Lubby just passed out the self-study and hold on. There we go. Um, the self-study looked at four areas. It's the Connecticut school climate standards. And those four standards asked, are students um are our schools welcoming? Are they inclusive? are they supportive and are they safe? Um, like Emily said, our work began in the winter creating three different surveys that all of our stakeholders took, our students,

080our staff, and our families. Um, so I know you are going to dive deeply into this document to find the findings, but let me save you a little bit of time. Um our findings is that our schools definitely have a foundation for positive school climate with strengths included a strong adult student relationship and as we saw in all the walkthroughs that we did recently the bonds are there between our staff and our students. We have a huge commitment from our staff as you could see from our second grade presentation. Our staff goes above and beyond to make those wonderful learning opportunities and a welcoming atmosphere. But we wouldn't be in education if we weren't committed to um continuous improvement. So what can we work on? We can strengthen peer relationships especially with those social emotional

081strategies. We definitely want to increase family communication and engagement. The h the enhancing of staff support specifically in professional learning. Dr. Lubie talked about that. We've started it this year making sure that the professional learning we are offering to staff meets their needs in the classroom or in their support services improving both the behavior and emotional safety feeling in our schools and building a shared accountability. So those are the areas of growth that we are looking into. Um so that saved you a little bit of reading but please please go in and and dig deep. Um so basically our work um we had all of our stakeholders dive into those four areas. What we did on the first meeting which was October 23rd is we looked at those four areas and parents um students staff

082alike looked at what we are already doing and the list is long. So we felt really good about that. Um but then they got to give us some ideas on what can strengthen the areas that we need to grow in. Um, again, the highlight was seeing our school through the eyes of the children. They worked to look at the four areas as well and what could help with that. Um, and I'll have to say this work is very collaborative. It's very inspirational and it can only help strengthen our schools. So, yes, it's part of Connecticut legislation, but this is these are items that are we are passionate about in this district and we will continue to strengthen. So, we will have more updates as the years go on, as the year goes on. And uh

083we are here for any questions. We could talk hotline all night. But [snorts] >> next question. Uh >> yes Frank, >> how does the parent teachers organization combine with this? >> So our PTO is involved in terms of like us having meetings together. They are not involved in the committee like the committee membership meaning in terms of the meetings that we're having but they do come into the survey. So the climate survey will happen again this year. All parents will take it again. But do they actually participate in any of the programs that you have in this in the school? >> Oh yeah. >> Well, PT Oh, yes. They they run the Scholastic book fair. So, in terms of in terms of climate, yes, the PTO is behind that. They're just not part of this

084committee. >> Right. Well, thank you. >> You Thank you both very much for your leadership. >> Yeah, it worked. It was nice having an IT director. >> [laughter] >> Thank you all. >> All right. Now on to item F, policies for first read. So typically the uh the practice with policies is that policies that we um are going to consider as a group for adoption start at the policy committee. Um, past practice has been that the policy committee chair and I meet prior to committee meetings and figure out again it would look much different if we weren't doing this huge switchover, but Sandre and I would meet and we'd go through and say, "Okay, how many are we willing to bite off this time?" And we'd look at the list and compare and pick. So,

085um, we bring them to committee. You get a copy of them in advance. You review them. You ask questions about them. Best practice again is to not tinker with them because they've been written by the lawyers to comply with the laws and if we make changes to them um we are in we could be inadvertently making them not compliant. So we have to be cautious. There's been times where we have made modest changes but we go back and double check with our attorneys and make sure that we're doing it in a way that's safe if you will. So typically they go to the um policy committee where the committee will as a group make a motion to bring them forward to the full board for a first read. If there were a policy, for example,

086that school climate um policy that needed to be in place by July 1, if for some reason we were on our heels and first read was only coming up, you can always make the decision as a board to fasttrack a policy and just review it once. There's no laws around how many reads it goes to. It's really just a matter of practice, giving you the community opportunity to vet it thoroughly. So, we put new policies on for first read unless again we need to fasttrack them. So, they're information items because we're not going to make any motions or do anything with them. They're just here in case somebody has questions about them. Um, gives you an opportunity to read it, prepping for the meeting again. Um, assuming everything goes well and someone doesn't say, "Oh,

087no. I hate this policy. Send it back to committee or something. It would go on next month's agenda for a final read and adoption. Um similarly, as we do this, if two policies are redundant, so for example, um if a cave policy and the shipment policy are basically the same thing, we're not also putting the cave policy on for removal. We're just we're adopting the new policy. But there are many K policies that we have that are just obsolete or not supported any longer and not necessary. So as part of the weeding process, I'm also bringing you policies. For example, one of the ones you'll see tonight like bus drivers. We don't actually employ bus drivers. So >> and it's not a required policy. So it's not one we need to carry. So >> that's

088an example. So that's kind of the process with these. So, these are here in case you have questions um or want to discuss, but these are ones that the policy committee looked at last month and suggested um there are three here that the board um review them and ultimately adopt them. >> Julie, on page 19, this [clears throat] is just for my own information, that last paragraph on page 19, which is really page two of the policy on board budget procedure. Um, why does the board compile and submit to the ex exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees? >> That's because it's in the statute. >> Okay. But do you know the rationale for that? >> Far better for me to try and explain legislative decisions. I got nothing. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Um >> maybe

089well because it certainly impacts teachers, right? If you Um, I don't know about negotiation, but if um you're trending, you know, I'm thinking about year before last, there was a school district that got to about April and had to lay off like 30 teachers in the middle of a school year because they were So, I think perhaps that keeping track of how money is going. I don't know. >> Okay, >> that's all I could think of. >> Okay. And then on page 22, the school activity fund. I'm not sure, you know, some districts have more activity funds than others. I'm not sure about Winchester public schools. >> Um, Nora, >> yes, >> I know where you're headed. >> Can the town the accounts of any school activity fund shall be considered in town accounts and

090shall be audited by the town auditor? Can the town take that money? >> No. So, they are our accounts that we use the same auditor with the town. They audit our books. Um, that's not what I thought you were going to raise. Actually, the part that Nancy and I stewed over is that we have to have someone who's bonded, which is ironic that we can be in charge of a $23 million budget without being bonded, but to have a account that has like $817 in it of money from like instrument repair repairs. Now NY's gonna go and get bonded. Um, we flipped a coin. She lost. She's getting bonded. [laughter] >> Okay. >> But, uh, the accounts of any school activity fund shall be considered town accounts. >> So, if a kid if if I

091don't know, let's just make this up. The model UN club raises money. It's a activity fund. Does the town is it able to usurp that? >> I don't think so. >> I wouldn't think so. >> And again, this is >> audited >> directly out of statute. There was nothing about this policy that was choice. We even tried to say, but we're so little. Do we really have to do the bonding? And then Shipman said, "Yep, yep, you do." It's >> What do we have typically [clears throat] on activity accounts alto together? >> I'm sorry. >> What typically do we have for activity accounts? $5,000 for each school. >> Okay. Yeah, that's about it. >> Three or four checks a year that are written out. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Peanuts. >> Okay. >> It's a lot

092of not so much. >> Okay. I have a question. >> Of course. >> The town has a department of recreation. Do we use them? >> That's the town. >> No, no. I'm saying is for recreation for the kids. I mean, I see it at the beach. >> Yes. park and red summer. So what do we do during the winter? I mean are they part could they be used as part >> these activity funds aren't those kind of activities funds but the activities and use >> their and let them let the department use their funds. >> They do they run activities in the schools like there's basketball that goes on and this activity fund is more like um if you have a school instrument and you break it you write a check like this isn't activity

093the way you're thinking about it. Okay. All right. But you you you do use the compliment of the Department of Recreation. Okay. Good. >> We promote the activities that they sponsor. Absolutely. >> We partner with them. [clears throat] >> All right. Anything else? All right. Let's move on to item eight. Action items. Do >> you want to hold? >> I'm just looking at I'm just confused. On 22 on page 22, >> the treasurer may expend monies from the school activity funds only to the extent such expenses are in furtherance of the stated purpose of the activity. So you have the funds because the the trumpet broke, the treasurer can only use the funds to fix the trumpet, right? subject to any restrictions imposed by the superintendent. >> But yet that last paragraph, the fund shall

094be considered town accounts >> audited by the town. >> I think the idea and shall be >> audited. I don't think it says the town can >> Well, that's not how >> So, I'm actually going to speculate even though I just said I would never try and explain the statutes, but you know, when you have a high school, for example, where they have um a marching band and a parents boosters and everything else and next thing you know, you have like an athletic director secretary with a drawer full of checks that didn't get deposited. This is all about making sure that monies that are collected, cash monies if you will, literal cash and individual checks, end up in a real bank account that does get audited with oversight. Um, and that's what that is about

095the >> oversight auditing oversight. It's not like they own it >> because they're not I mean education monies and town monies are exclusively separated. >> So, okay. >> I mean, we are a town entity. our account. I think they town accounts there implies that it isn't like being kept in a drawer. >> Yeah. >> Right. Town accounts as considered versus in somebody's drawer or you know a principal opening an account in their name for the school >> because I would assure you that in different places around there have been all kinds of crazy practices when it comes to handling the little monies. Not even with bad faith, just bad decision- making about what good accounting practices are. So, this is pushing you to make it act official, even if it's little money. >> Do we

096want to move any ahead to second read or something? >> Well, you don't need to make a motion to that, >> but unless someone says otherwise, they'll appear on here next time for a second read. >> So, you don't need any of them tonight? >> Nope. >> Okay. >> They're fine. Okay. >> Item item eight, action items, board of education 2026 meeting dates. >> The list that you have in front of you was designed to follow um the pattern that we typically meet the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month. Um, we do our regular meetings in this room at 7 p.m. traditionally and our committee meetings at 6:30 p.m. in Hinsdale School. Um, you set these for whatever reason on the calendar year. So, the existing board meeting schedule is about to expire. So,

097if you want to keep meeting, we have to approve something. Um, so all of these follow that formation unless there is a note there. So for example, >> I have a question on January 20th committee meeting. >> Okay, >> that's not following the pattern. >> January 13th and then >> yeah, you're right. It isn't. Um, there's probably a reason. And you're right. January. This is for the January coming. So it's January >> 20th versus the >> Yeah, it should be the 27th. >> Change that. Yep. >> 27th. >> Probably tomorrow I'll be like, "Oh, that's why we didn't do that." >> Well, I mean, there was no notation, so I didn't. >> Yeah. No, it's probably just meant to be the 27th. Um, I got nothing. You're probably 100% right about that. >> Okay. >>

098Um, which would put it two weeks after the regular board meeting, which makes sense. So, you'll notice April 7th is in the first week of the month because the second week, um, although you've not yet approved a calendar [snorts] for next year, um, pretty much every district who has is using that second week of the month. Looks like it's April vacation week. though in order to have a meeting it would be the week earlier. Other than that the regular meetings all hit on weeks that work. The committee meetings are messier. Um January 27th you're 100% correct. February 24th. My recommendation March 24th happens to fall on the night that will be um the public hearing. The night where the board of selectmen and the board of us the board of selectmen and the board of

099education meet in Pearson school. I have um the town's proposed budget calendar that they're drafting and that's that night. So, we could move the committee to a different night or we could let that be our meeting for that month at your preference, April, May. We don't typically meet June, July, August for committee. Um and then what we're running into this year is that um the committee meetings are falling like the night before the Thanksgiving break and the night before the Christmas break. So, what I'm proposing as we're building the calendar for the 2026 calendar year that next year at this time, we're looking at doing the November and December committee meetings in the third week of the month so that they're not on the 22nd and the you know because right now they are kissing

100the vacation and nobody wants that. Uh September committee is three weeks. >> September 29th. >> Yeah, >> that's the fifth se that's the fifth Tuesday of the week of the month. >> Let's see what we did there. This would be September 2026, right? >> There are five Tuesdays here. Um, [snorts] >> so that could be the reason >> November 17th is 3rd. December 15th is now the second. >> So yeah, >> it can be the 22nd. We should switch that on here as well. >> Do we want to do that or we want to leave it? >> I mean, >> Tuesdays or Tuesdays? I think >> 22nd's my birthday, but >> Oh, well then that must be why we picked the 29th. No, I'm good. I'm I'm fine either way. >> We could move it

101back to that week or just put it on the 29th as list. It doesn't matter to me. >> Do we want to keep in in kind of the routine and just do it on the 22nd. change out. >> We'll bring a cake for your birthday. >> If there's no more discussion, yeah, >> everything else looks pretty good. Uh, let's make a motion to approve the changes. >> You can approve the calendar with the two changes. Okay. Let's make a motion to approve the calendar with the two changes. >> Make a motion. >> I All in favor? >> I. >> All in favor? >> Is that 90? Okay. >> Okay. One biggie down. >> All right. On to item B. >> So this is the proposed calendar for next school year. Um I will talk you

102through the ways in which it is similar to and different from the current year. Um on the overunder, it looks a lot like our current calendar in the sense of we're starting um that last week of August, midweek, [clears throat] and we're ending early June. Um I've been again watching how other districts are coming in. There's [cough and clears throat] a couple things that are weird. Next year, um having nothing to do with us, Labor Day is not until September 7th. for a hot minute. I said, "Oh, we could wait and go to school September like 2nd to be, you know, but we can't do that because then we're going to be in school late in June and nobody wants that." >> And in fact, in looking at other towns um who have started to

103publish there's about a half dozen towns I've seen who've already approved their calendars also and they are everybody's starting that last week of August even though it's way ahead of Labor Day. Um so other than that one other notable change um not a high impact but I'll point out to you is that in the current school year um and for the past year or so the fall conferences were the first week of December and it has been um pretty much since the minute I walked in the door people saying we don't love that. We don't know why we do it there but we think maybe we want to do it earlier. So we've talked to all the people a lot of times and got a lot of input and um the thought is we would

104like to have our first face toface meeting with parents sooner than that that just feels really late in the year to have a first conference. So after um considering all of the options and thinking about wanting to have enough data to share with parents um so not wanting to do them too early where we just nod and smile and say Susie's such a nice girl. um the team leaders in talking to the teachers came back with that um beginning of November. By that point, they have enough assessment data that they can begin to share with parents how things are going. Um but it's still not on top of report cards. It also gives us an opportunity to preview for parents um how the report cards work because they are standardsbased and if you don't know

105what you're looking at and then you get it, you might, what do you mean? My kid's only getting twos. So it just creates an opportunity to have that conversation. Um the April vacation week is standard. So here is the one um change that I want to highlight and ask the board to consider. Currently we have 181 student days, 186 staff days. The 186 staff days is baked into the teachers contract and the paraprofessional contract. You don't change that number without negotiations. So we can never add a day to it unless we are in negotiations with all the groups at once. The state requirement is 180 days. Currently, even with 181, if we have one snow day, we make it up. Like we always do that number of days. I would like to ask the board

106to consider letting us do 180 student days. still of course the 186 teacher days turning that one extra not required student day into a professional development day at the start of the school year currently we have two days you'll see three reflected on here because that's the draft I'm bringing you and again you can approve this as I'm bringing it to you or or we can modify it but what I learned this is the first year that I was here for the start of school because last year I started late September um we have about two and a half hours of staff development. At the start of the school year, the teachers have time by contract to set up their classrooms. Um there's convocation. There's a staff meeting, but there's like two and a half

107hours for staff development. Um my belief is every day with students matters, but one full day at the beginning of the school year with teachers will pay dividends way beyond what it will make the other 180 days so much more valuable. Um, I feel so strongly about that that if the board says no, we really we're sticking with the 181, suck it up, buttercup, that's okay. But we would not use the March professional development day that we've had in the past to add the day at the beginning. And it just means we would have a very long time in the back half of the year without a day. We only have election day and the one day in March and the two hours at the start of the school year. Um we also have early

108dismissal days and I'll talk about that in a second. Um where we get about an hour and a half of staff development time when the kids go home early. But so that is I wanted to make sure that everyone sees that that is a change on here that if the board approves this calendar, you're approving 180 student days. Um and again the staff number of days doesn't change. they're just doing something different on that day. The other piece that I'll draw your attention to is um the circles where there's three in a row. Those are the conferences. Um but September 16th, October 21st, December 2nd, there are seven of those um early dismissal days. The kids go home half day and by the time dismissal is done we have um about an hour and a

109half hour 45 minutes that we use for staff development. It allows us to take the things we launch at the beginning of the year and continue the work throughout the year. Um I think in the current calendar there are six in moving the conferences from December to November it created an opportunity to put one at the beginning of December. So there is, again, I I don't want anybody to prove a calendar and say later, you snuck that by us. Um, we have one more of those in this calendar than we have in the present year. I'm not sure how many we've had in previous years. The other thing I'll say to you is that Mike and I met um and reviewed this with Gilbert School. They won't match us exactly perhaps because again there are,

110you know, slight differences, but we made some adjustments and changes to ours to work with um what made sense to Gilbert. And so we have collaborated on this. >> So it would be one extra teacher day uh for PD either the 24th, 25th or 26th [snorts] of August, >> right? The opening day would still be convocation and whatever. >> Um and either the 25th or 26th would be exclusively professional development. [clears throat] >> So that would give you three days. November 3rd, March 25th, and then something in August, >> right? >> Wow. [snorts] I can't believe you don't have more days than that. I know it's most districts have four or five, six days throughout the year at least for staff development. And again, it's hard because you want the days with kids. I mean,

111any day a kid's not in school is a missed opportunity. But I do believe that if you, you know, if you don't do that work with the teachers, the value of the days with the kids is less. You do the work with the teachers and then every day is more valuable. So investing in the staff >> leads to retention as well. people feel competent, they feel supported, they feel um like they're working towards something. Um they say in um the HR world, they talk about um why people leave jobs and why people stay in jobs and you know, large amounts of money. Yes, people do leave jobs for large amounts of money, but people don't leave jobs to get a $3,000 raise. They leave jobs because they don't feel like they're part of something. they're

112not part of a mission and a vision. And so the staff development days in my eyes are where you are building that with staff. So >> the climate culture piece talks about staff. They want relevant PED needed to be effective in their roles. I mean that that I think fits nicely for that. >> Um >> when is kindergarten's first step? Our best thinking right now given, you know, in the past we've started kindergarten after Labor Day. Ros and I have talked a bunch of times. Our thought is kindergarten should start with everybody else. >> We think preschool would probably start a couple of days in because that's just a whole other level of drama, if you will. It's just all those little people who've never been to school before. But the kindergarters, most of them

113have been to the preschool. They're fine. >> Okay. >> So, we're excited to just launch >> K6 together. >> That's new. So, that is actually new. >> Okay, >> you're right. I didn't even think to mention that. >> Okay, >> perfect. >> Any questions? Any more questions right now? [clears throat] >> Do you want to make a motion to approve the school calendar as is? >> I'll make a motion. >> Second, >> Joseph. And then second, Shane. >> Yes. tape. >> Pave, >> thank you. I I appreciate that support. I think it's um wonderful. Giddy like I want to go home and plan it right [laughter] now. >> That's amazing. Thank you. >> I mean, I think it makes a lot of sense. Professional development in any field is important, right? especially when you're preparing

114and you're talking about educating. So, >> makes sense. >> On to item C, budget calendar. Fun part. >> Okay. Um, what you have in front of you here is the aspect are the aspects of the budget process that the board of ed um has to be present for, if you will. Um, there's lots of other things that go on. Meetings with the leadership team. Nancy and I just take a bungee cord and lock ourselves together for months on end. It's lovely. The fact that she speaks to me is absolutely a miracle. Um, the look on your face says, "I don't speak to you. Have you not noticed?" Um, but these are the pieces. Um, and this is very similar to what we did last year and very similar to what's been done in years prior

115to that. Um, our budget process has a couple of drivers that are non-negotiable. So, um, under, uh, town charter, we must submit our budget to the town before March 15th, or maybe it's on, I'm sorry, it's either on or before March 15th. Uh, Paul respectfully asks he needs he needs to have his budget also put to bed on March 15th. So in order to do that, he really wants our number by March 6th at the absolutely latest. And you know, as we sit here in the beginning of November, it seems to me we comply with that. I mean, there'd be no reason to not. So we work backwards from there. Other things that are in motion, um the joint meeting between the board of selectmen and board of education would be March 24th. The annual

116town budget meeting is by town charter. It's I don't even remember what the language is, but it's like the Tuesday after the Monday of the whatever. Um, it that date is determined and then the referendum has to be 14 to 21 days after the town meeting. So those things that we don't control. So everything from March 6 down, those are happening. Everything before that we have some discretion. Um, so 11:11 of course is tonight. We're reviewing the calendar. I would like to propose to you all that um our committee night for December is set to be uh December 23rd. I would like to suggest that we forego that um out of decency, kindness um or not forego it for that matter, but I would like to suggest perhaps instead of it a little earlier in

117the month before things get, you know, really ramped up that um we have a regular board meeting on Tuesday the 9th. It'll be a lot like this. Um that that Thursday night we meet. Um last year Nancy and I hosted um a budget priorities workshop with the board. And what I'd like to do is we met at Pearson School. I would do that again. And it's not a meeting like this around a table, but it's a work session where I'm going to facilitate and ask you a lot of questions about what's important to you and what you think we should be focusing on as we go into the budget season. And I need to do that on the early side because I want to use your input as we make decisions about what um ends

118up on the cutting room floor and what ends up in a budget. So that's what I was proposing for that. So that's a Thursday and we could do that at 6 or 7 or whatever time made that work. >> So what date would that be changed to now? it well it would be December 11th and I was sort of saying instead of doing a committee meeting but that's actually a separate conversation I mean >> and then we're um our next committee meetings are January 27th and much like last year Nancy and I um Nancy will drive and I will just sit on the side poke fun um but we did last year and I think the board appreciated a sort of budget 101 workshop as we now are going to be at that point like

119really gearing up into the season where we'll sort of take you through all of the terms that are used and some of the things that I did very lightly tonight with the worksheets. But to really help you feel like you know all the pieces that you need to know to participate in um reviewing our budget in the beginning of February um I present the budget to you um in its entirety. I'll give you um a full booklet of the budget at the end of that presentation, but I'll do all the things. We did it here in this room. It was still facing the other direction. That's so funny. I'm I knew something didn't seem right. I was facing that way. Um so I will present the budget to you that night, give it to you

120in written form, and then in short order, we follow that with repeated meetings. the first budget workshop night. I'll identify for you which pieces of the budget we're going to be sort of workshopping and that'll give you an opportunity to send questions ahead of time. It'll give you the opportunity to sort of dive in on part of the budget so you're not trying to absorb it all in one night for a meeting. So, we'll do a couple of those. The goal will be um by the end of the third one of those um if I've done my job well, you'll be ready to adopt. I'll say this now and say it again when we get to it. My goal, if I do my job well, by the time you vote as a board to adopt

121a budget, it will be your budget [snorts] and you will believe in it and you will think it is the right budget. I will never ask you to approve my budget and go with it if you don't believe in it. It by the time you're voting on it, my goal is for you to own it and think it's the right budget. >> Um, there's a little bit of time between the 12th and [snorts] when it has to be in Paul's hands. any changes that you make throughout the process, we need a minute to go back to all the documents and redo them to get them ready for Paul. And there's enough room in there that if after the third workshop, the board doesn't own it yet and you're just not ready, there's room to add

122a meeting if need be, um or even two if need be. This last season, we probably added at least two that weren't on the schedule um because the board was still deliberating. And so again, we'll add what we need to, but you need to have a little bit of a cushion in case you need to. Best case scenario, you love it, you pass it, and you have a week off. >> Um, so that's what I've got for you. >> So we're looking at the December as in lie of our committee meeting. >> I would propose it that way. So instead of having a committee meeting, we'd meet earlier and do that in December. >> December 15th is a committee meeting that we would be mixing. >> Um, you're on next year's, >> right? It's December

12323rd this year. >> Yeah. Got >> everyone okay with that? >> Sure. >> Because that's probably what we'll be heavily talking about in the committee meeting anyways, >> right? And [snorts] then the March 24th is also going to be in L of a committee meeting because that's a night we would typically meet committee, >> right? >> Okay. >> Julie, will you send um calendar invites to all this? >> Absolutely. [clears throat] >> In the committees as well. >> Yep. >> Thank you. [snorts] >> All right. Make a motion to approve the budget calendar. Make a motion. to approve. I'll second it. >> Shane and Frank second to approve. >> No, you did. >> Okay. >> Nothing. On to selection of representatives. the Gilbert School Corporation. [snorts] We have, I believe, three seats available as Jonathan

124will stay on for his term. Um, how do we >> So, we have four seats on the Gilbert School. Um, [snorts] Jonathan under the bylaws continues his spot. There are three open. So, I would say you can nominate yourself or someone else. I think probably you should nominate yourself because it's a commitment and you have to be willing to make it. Um, so we're I guess asking who's interested in serving on the Gilbert School Corps. If there are exactly three of you, Jonathan, you wish to continue. I believe you told me, right? So, if there are exactly three of you, that's done. If there are more than three of you, then we would vote. If there are less than three of you, we currently have a community member, um, Joanne Galinsky. Am I saying her

125last name? who is willing to continue if we don't have four board members willing. >> I'd like to volunteer myself. So >> I would >> Shane Crella >> I would like to continue. >> Jonathan, just so you know, your term goes to February 2026. >> Okay. At which point then um the next person or whomever is appointed goes from February to November of 2026. You got grandfathered in before the change of the bylaws. >> What Norah is referring to is we um following all of the right voting protocols switched our bylaws to line up so that our Gilbert seats matched our new board member seats. um they were not aligned in our bylaws and now they are but Jonathan predates that change. >> So just for the newer members, Gilbert meets usually the Wednesday uh

126the second Wednesday >> third Wednesday of every month. So remember that as you're considering. >> Now when Jonathan's term is up though at that point, is there another opportunity? >> Yes. >> To >> Yes. >> Mhm. >> We'll have to fill it at that point. >> Yep. >> So we're looking for one more. >> No. >> Three. >> We need four. >> Jonathan is one of the three. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Four in all. I need to get my feet wet here first and let my family adjust to this new commitment. >> Fair enough. >> Agreed. [clears throat] >> Am I right in thinking Gilbert committees meet >> immediately prior to Gilbert meetings, right? So it's >> there's other committees that meet as >> but largely it's a one night a month commitment. Am

127I right? >> Except during budget and >> policy. All right. If the port is open, I'll take it for now. >> Okay, >> Frank. >> We have a meeting tomorrow night. >> I know. >> I've been told we've been invited. Let me put it that way. >> Polly and I talked the night of the election. She's like, "Y'all are going to do that, right? Otherwise, our meeting is going to be >> We were invited. I didn't know about >> Okay. So, congratulations, Jonathan, Shane, Curtain, Frank, Gilbert. Um, representatives. >> No, you got to earn the jacket. >> Oh, okay. >> All right. On to item E, policies for deletion. I'll try and do this quickly for you. These are policies uh that were reviewed by the policy committee. Um these are cable policies all and

128you know that because they have um numbers that look like library codes or whatever. Um again the bus driver policy we don't employ bus drivers so it really doesn't it's just not us and it's not a required policy. um also not a required policy. The next one, this periodic financial reports is really subsumed. the policy that we did first read um for budget procedures actually outlines our requirements to have um quarterly and as a matter of practice we do all the monthly reports at these boards so it's superseded by the other >> yeah it really is um and then the school fundraisers is not a required policy what I would just point out to you is that while the policy is not required we do have a practice and a form that a teacher or

129a parent can't just go out and do a fundraiser on behalf of the schools using our name and likeness or whatever without our permission. And so we intend to keep the form and the process. You still need to get superintendent and principal approval to sell the pies or run the book fair. Um but it's just not a policy you're required to have. >> What about donor's choose? Isn't that in the new policy? that is in um I think that's under the social media policy and it says that people can't just you know like teachers can't go online and do like gofundmes for classroom supplies and >> um >> no cannot >> I think they can do it with permission. I'd have to go back and look but they definitely can't just unilaterally do it. they

130do they can do it with permission because my daughter's a teacher and she does that and she gets so much stuff that she can't afford and the school doesn't give it to her and she does very well with that >> probably with permission. Uh I yeah I don't know if it's I don't know if she gets permission or not but I mean it's it's would I mean is it something that you don't allow or if somebody asked you you would say sure okay um I would go back and look at the policy if the policy allows me that we would just we have to have a like uniform way of doing it >> we don't want to overburden the community so we would look at it in the larger [clears throat] context >> I've noticed

131that with a lot of her friends give her >> yeah people outside of the community >> her parents Yeah. So, [laughter] >> kind of stuff. >> I would go back to our policy and within what we're allowed to do, we would make good decisions. Of course, >> do any organizations now help help fund that? And on Long Island, what we did was the Rotary Club would do it. The um veterans organizations to the ladies auxiliaries would do it. In other words, like this past year, September, they would go out and get the backpacks, buy backpacks for everybody. So, the local police department does I want to say stuff a bus, stuff a cop car, I guess it was this year where they um gathered school supplies and backpacks and then let the kids come shop

132in the police car, things like that. >> Yeah. >> Yep. And we also have nice partnerships that don't necessarily land in things, although eyeglasses like the um Lions Club one year and who are the two groups that do the eye the vision for us? And is it the Lions Club? Am I right about that? Yeah. >> So, and they have glasses for the kids. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Um the policy on page 28, business equipment authorized school use of own materials. Um, do we have anything that's kin to this from shipment so that we don't have people just using materials and supplies and whatever in the building, equipment without permission? Um, I'm sorry, I'm just reading to catch up and remind myself. So, So the piece about the students. So actually some of this you

133can't like under the law there are certain things you can't charge kids for and things like that. But the staff piece of it you mean like if a teacher said well I'm going to take home my desk and use it >> or I need a projector because my anniversary is coming up over the weekend and I need the screen. Can I take it home? Not that it's ever happened, but you know, >> just saying [laughter] >> not that I know anything specific to any specific place, time or person, but just to say, I mean, buildings have LCDs and buildings have stuff. So if we are to say no policy >> and this happens >> use of copier equipment for personal use. I've got a tag sale and I want to use a copier machine. >>

134Certainly I got flyers. Um but anyway, I'm just wondering with in the absence of a like if we were to delete this, >> my gut is that inside the um personnel policy, there are probably aspects and there's probably other policies that intersect. If you'd like to pull this one, I can do the reason we should pull it. Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. >> I knew that at a previous time of all the things I prepped tonight, that one got away. >> All right. So, that is the equipment. >> So, that's item two. Yes. >> All right. So, we're going to keep that. We're going to pull that. All right. Um, all the other ones we're good with. >> So, someone could make a motion to delete items 1, three, and four under policies for

135deletion. Just say it that way. All right. Uh, I'd like to make uh, who would like to make a motion to delete one, three, and four? >> Make a motion to do so. >> Second. >> Shane first. Second. All in favor? Okay. On to item F, personal matter regarding Hannah Current. >> So, we have two different needs for executive session. Okay. >> And it is permissible under FOI to go into executive session for both of those as long as >> without having to come out, go back in. Exactly. >> Okay. >> Um I'd like to make him Yep. You got >> make a motion to enter in executive session at 9:02 p.m. O for two purposes, a personal matter and the sharing of attorney attorney client information and inviting superintendent Looney Lubie to join for

136both purposes. >> Want you want to make the motion? I'll make >> second that. >> Okay. Jonathan one >> Shane two. >> Okay. Move into executive session. >> Go across the hall. >> We'll go across the hall. >> Blue room. >> We're going to go right across the hall. Okay. Uh >> down the hall to the left. I'm going first. Sure. Very wise. Not sure. Oh, now it's >> cold. >> Ah, that's what it was. >> It was nice. >> We've had to open a window in that room before, haven't we? Yeah, we have >> uh mic's on. >> Okay. Coming out of executive session at 9:43 p.m. [snorts] I'm going to make a motion to approve Hannah Kern's leave requests. >> You have to make a motion to come out of executive session. No,

137we just said we don't have to do it. >> It's not a motion. Just note that we came out 9:43. >> Motion to approve Hannah Kern's leave requests. >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Shane. Shane is a second. >> All right. I would like to make >> Did you all in favor? >> Oh, yes. All in favor? >> I >> thank [snorts] you. >> Something else there. I would like to make a motion to adjourn at >> then. >> So there's clearly no public comment. Just want to see if anyone has any future agenda items or board member comments. >> Sorry. Are there any future agenda items that we'd like to add or board member comments? >> This is like your open mic opportunity if there's anything you saw that you would just want

138to say like, "Oh my god, I just loved seeing blah blah blah." Or, you know, I would love that if at a future meeting we could talk about. It's just a way to have any closure that you feel you need. >> The kids were adorable. [laughter] >> They're great. That's great. They were great. >> Student representation are my favorite part of this. I think that's a good reminder. Said it before, but it's a good reminder of >> why we're here. You know, that's why it's good that they're here because you get to see that front facing. I know a lot of work goes into it. Obviously, all the stuff behind the scenes, the teachers and everything, but it's all for the kids. So, it's cool to to see that >> and just see their like

139their little confidence, you know? They're so proud of themselves. They're so happy. >> That was the most confident group we've [snorts] seen. >> Yeah, it's wonderful. >> Yeah, they were really good. >> That was the most confident group we've seen. >> Yep. >> And one last thing is we are going to have uh as I've learned in my first two years of serving on this board, we have a lot of work ahead of us. This uh budget season is a lot of time, hours spent with each other. So, I'm excited to get to know each and every one of you that I don't already know. Um, and I think there's a good opportunity for us to work together as a as a board and I'm excited for that. >> I hope that we can uh

140make this school district one of the what I read in the paper top 10 in the next three to the next time our term be two to four years. We can make when we leave here in four years this is one of the top 10 school districts in the state. All right. >> Great. >> All right. Make a motion to adjourn at 9:46 p.m. >> I think this gets handed in now. >> Who first? >> Yeah. Who Who you want? >> No. Make a motion. >> All right. Jonathan first. >> Yeah. >> Second. >> Shane second. Everyone in favor. >> Okay, one down. >> Awesome. >> Good job, guys. >> Nice job, everybody. Thank you. >> Um, envelopes can stay.