001We need to I need an adapter. >> There were clickers. >> And do you need to turn these on? Huge. Ah, >> it's nice to have the that TV there cuz now you don't have to strain your neck. You >> get to watch a movie while we wait. >> Really bizarre. >> My dad I've been binge watching. I watched the white lotus which was really >> kind of kind of >> I never gotaw >> Yeah. What is it? >> She said she got into benching with white lotus. >> Never heard it. >> I know. I miss Ted Lasso. >> I've never seen that either. That's really good. >> He's a soccer coach. Yeah. >> Yeah. We've watched it twice now. >> Really? >> A lot of people recommend it to me. >> Yeah. It's just
002really And I'm not a big soccer fan, but I got sucked into it so many times. >> Really? >> Ted Lasso. >> See? See? Yeah. >> Yeah. >> His attitude. He's like folksy and like Yeah. >> He comes across in the beginning as kind of a dumb guy >> and then you realize, oh, this guy knows everything that's going on. Yeah. >> Yeah. I loved it. >> That is cute. Yeah. Okay. That's on my bucket list. >> Got to watch. >> Who what is it? Netflix. >> Uh Apple. >> It might be on YouTube at this point. Somebody has put it on or YouTube has shows for sale. You can buy it on YouTube on YouTube. >> Oh, >> I have YouTube TV. Maybe buy that. This is that sounds like What do you think?
003>> I think we're hold >> You have handouts though, right? >> I do. >> Yeah. Okay. Just leave those up there. >> All right. And I'm going to assume >> I don't need it until like the middle of the meeting. >> All right. I'm going to assume we're going to start at 7:01 with the five of us. 1 2 3 4 5. >> No. And I haven't heard from others. So I guess >> no idea. >> Clearly no. >> Are we recording? Okay. >> We're going. Are we live? Okay, you have that on everybody's room. Okay. >> Okay. Good evening everyone. We're going to call the September 9th 2025 regular board of education meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. If you would please join us for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag
004of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Getting closer each. >> Thank you. We'll start with roll call. Jonathan Mohark, Janette Bruner, >> Sandre Stubar, Norah Mccarthski, >> Julie Ruby, >> Kurt Warner. >> Okay. And to note, Shane Centrella, Tori Luvetry, Allison Pierce, and Renee are not here this evening. Okay. Uh, item two, approval of the agenda. Do you have anything to add or rearrange? Okay, seeing none, item three, student showcase. >> So, some of what you'll hear throughout um the meeting tonight has to do with some of our initiatives for the school year. One of which, um has been sort of on the larger umbrella of positive behavior supports. And within that, one of the things
005that we've been working on is morning meeting. um a group of teachers worked this summer. I told you at the last meeting about Splash and this was a strategy that they selected as a way that could have very positive impact on school climate. So, um we have I'm going to ask Renee to organize for us, but we have a couple of kids and I think we're actually going to participate in a morning meeting. It's not morning, so you'll have to indulge me on time of day, but there's no better way to enjoy something than through me like I'm gonna kill you. >> I'm happy to. >> No, this should be a lot of fun. So, we have a couple of stu three students that are gonna work with us. >> Yes, we'll definitely do me
006a favor, Rene. Hold that mic as well >> and whatever they need us to do, we'll just jump in and participate. >> All right. >> And definitely let's introduce our students. take it away by introducing ourselves. >> My name is Faith. >> And what grade are you in? >> Fifth grade. >> My name is Laya and I'm in fifth grade. >> My name is Aiden and I'm in fourth grade. >> All right. >> So, I will be explaining a little bit around why we're doing what we're doing. Um, but they're really taking the lead and we'd love participation. And if there are any other kids in the audience that want to join, you're welcome to join our evening meeting as well. Okay, Mila, take it away. >> Um, so this first game is called Cheers.
007And if everyone could come over >> or you can stand a circle. Okay. So, how this game works, we have to um put our thumbs up and um basically what we're going to be doing is um we >> say good evening. >> Oh, yeah. You say good, good evening and then their name and then you say one of the four words there. You say like um like I would say good evening Faith, you rock and then she would put her hands up and do that and then she would um say it to someone else. >> Okay. >> And to be fair, because we may not know each other's names, what do we do? We ask um whoever we're like ask like saying um we ask what their name is and then we'll continue. >> Okay,
008>> you got it. >> Okay. >> All right. Thumbs up. >> Go ahead. Start us off, Laya. >> Um good evening, Aiden. believe in you. >> Um, >> yeah, we got name tags. >> John, >> good afternoon. >> Good evening, Faith. Uh, you rock. >> Okay, now you would choose someone else. >> Good evening, Janette. You got this. Good evening, Sandra. We believe in you. >> Thank you. Good evening, Kurt. You got this. >> Good evening, Nora. You rock. >> Good evening, Dr. Lubby. We believe in you. >> Good evening, Renee. You got this. >> All right. And every Oh, good evening, Laya. >> You rocked this activity. Yay. Nice job. So, this is what we call a greeting. It's the first part. There are four parts to a morning meeting. The greeting helps people
009learn each other's names, particularly in the classroom. We even have when other teachers are coming in and pushing into the classroom, they'll join in morning meeting. It also helps them with social skills. For example, when you don't know someone's name, how to politely ask and learn their names. And this one, cheers, is especially good for having that positive feeling in the morning like you got this, you could do the day. And um just you could do this even from academics. So if they're taking a test that day or having to do something really difficult, the cheer is something right away that makes everyone feel positive. So nice job. And Laya actually has this the second one, which is going to be the share. So for share we're going to be playing um like four corners
010but a different version of it is basically like a get to know you game. So and in each corner um there's like there's going to be a big topic in in each corner. Um there's going to be something and then when if you like hear something you like you go to that corner and you talk with the people around you like why you like it. So our first topic is sports. So um >> you can just we'll make an imaginary corner over here. Okay. >> Okay. So corner number one um for sports it's going to be soccer and over there is going to be the basketball. Over there is tennis and over there is baseball. So >> go ahead and move to your corner. I think everybody I think everybody should play this game. >>
011Which one is this? >> No, I'm serious. >> Tennis is there. >> Oh, right. >> Which one is animals? >> What? >> No, just sports. >> Sports. >> Oh, >> so if you like sports, you have the other >> particular sports. Soccer, basketball, tennis, >> baseball. >> Come on, guys. >> You're in between. Oh, she's got >> Okay. So, why do you like soccer? >> Oh, you like to score? So, do you play like forwardense? >> Very cool. What's the name of Do you have like names of your team? Do you have colors? >> Oh, you used to play soccer when you were on the team like that. Oh, gray team. Very cool. I like soccer, too. >> Okay, I'm gonna bring everybody back to the center and do the second category. >> So, our
012second category is food and um in each of our our corners over there is ice cream. The second corner is pizza. The third corner >> is what? >> Hamburgers. What? >> I like them. >> Love them both. [Music] >> Grandma burger. You put them both in front of me. I'm not choosing it at all. [Music] >> Okay, let's all come back to the center. We're going to do one more. Go ahead, Lyla. >> So, our last one is about animals. >> So, corner one is dogs, corner two is cats, corner three is fish, and last is birds. >> I feel like I need to go in the middle. >> Can I stand in the middle here? >> They're like cats and dogs. >> I'm in the middle. Yeah, I'm like that, too. I'm torn >>
013because I've owned both a cat and a dog. >> We have two cats and a dog. I eat it every day. I don't love it though. [Music] >> Have you ever had salad pizza though? together. >> We're going to stay in a circle, though. We don't need to be in the center. So, if we just come back together and get in a circle. >> We're going back in the middle. >> Yep. In a circle. >> And let's give Lyla a round of applause. Okay. Now, Faith is going to lead us in our activity. So, Faith, tell us a little bit about the activity. >> So, our activity, it's called Hands Up for 23. So, we raise our hands and we're going to say I'm going to say a name to start it off. And then
014I'm going to say for example like food. >> So you want to be thinking about various foods, right? And the goal is to get up to 23. >> Okay. So we're going to go wherever she says starts. >> And Aiden, I see you're doing something smart right now. He's counting. How many people we have, Aiden? >> 15. So it might come around twice. So think about your food. >> Okay, we ready, Faith? >> But those are the rules, right? >> Well, she's gonna we're gonna actually clap them. So hands are up and then as we say each, you can follow along with us, right? >> Okay, go ahead. Start us off. >> You want a name? >> You want a piece? No, no, no. Starting with Um, apples, >> sushi, tuna, >> bananas, >> pizza,
015>> steak, >> bananas, >> tacos, >> parro, beef, wellington, >> ice cream, >> um, >> asparagus, >> waffles, >> pancakes, >> caramel, >> French fries, >> pickles, >> waffles, >> pop-tarts, >> French toast, >> hamburgers, So, >> oatmeal >> broccoli. >> All right. And we did get to 23. [Applause] >> And you can have your seat for our last one. So just one minute I want to introduce this part of it. >> All right. So our last part of morning meeting always ends with a morning message for everyone in the class that the teacher usually writes. So Aiden's going to be our teacher today and is going to share the morning me message or the evening message for all of you. Dear members, today is Tuesday. You learn all about why we love you. >>
016All right. Thank you. And we are fully prepared to tell you a little bit about why we love morning meetings, what we're learning from morning meetings, and even how in the short time in school, this has really impacted them in really positive ways. So, who would like to share something with the board or perhaps you have questions for them? I think they want questions. >> What do you like best about morning meetings? >> Um, probably that um you get to like like switch off like learning and then you you get to like learn about each other and have fun and like power up your brain for the day. I like about one meeting about four corners because we learn about each other and we make some new friends. >> I like meeting because it's fun
017and it gets us excited about our day. >> Right. That's fantastic. >> Charging up. >> All right. And we have one last thing that Faith there posters. So, they were so excited about coming to the board that Faith took this very seriously. She went home and created this last night. So, I needed to have her have an opportunity to share. So, what would you like to tell the board about what you've made? >> So, I made a rainbow because like all the teachers, students, specials, and all the other staff need to work together. and all the other colors of a rainbow needs work together to make a rainbow. And it's kind of like a school um working together to keep it going. >> Very. >> And I made this um for um morning meeting and
018for being respectful, responsible, and safe. >> That's great. That's great. >> All right. And a huge round of applause. [Applause] That'd be great if you could leave that so we can read it later. It'd be great. >> We can bring it back to school tomorrow. >> Sure. >> Faith, Laya, Aiden, thank you. That was phenomenal. And thank you, Miss St. Heler, as well. That really um gives us all an opportunity to experience. This is like the first 15, well, not like it is the first 15 minutes of every day. It's scheduled. Um the kids come in, they get their breakfast quick. They get to their home rooms and they do this for the first 15 minutes sets the tone. Um we anticipate it having a positive impact on on time arrival as well as attendance
019as well as school climate as well as achievement because kids who are feeling safe, welcomed, greeted, happy to be at school are going to learn more. So, we think it's a win on every front and I'm so impressed with our teachers for wanting to do this, doing the research, participating in it. They led the professional development on it and just hit the ground running on the first day of school. We're only what are we 12 days in or something, right? >> I I mean, how amazing is that that these kids are here tonight? Literally, I think we've been in school. Could it even be 12 days? I'm not counting, but four, five, six, eight maybe. >> Yeah, >> that's great. And kudos to the kids because it's scary to be up there >> to lead
020adults, too. That's really scary. >> Thank you. Okay, very good. Uh, we'll move on then. Uh, item number four, public comment. Um, Winchester Board of Ed welcomes you to its business meeting. There are two opportunities aside to hear comments from the public. We welcome and encourage public participation as a valued part of communicating input with the Winchester Board of Education. We appreciate your adherence to the following three. Complete the requested information on the signup sheet if you would wish to speak. Your name, your address, as well as your email. State your name and your address. When you do speak, you'll allowed three minutes to speak. Please be advised, it's not the practice of the board of ed to engage in dialogue regarding commentary. The superintendent of the schools will be directed by the chairperson to
021prepare an appropriate response in a timely manner. Is there anyone wishing to speak? I don't see if anybody signed up. Is there anyone wishing to speak? Is there anyone wishing to speak? Okay, seeing none, we will move on to item five, approval of the amendments. Item A, the minutes of the board of ed meeting August 12, 2025. Do we have a motion to approve? >> Motion made. >> I'll second. >> Okay. Um before you vote, um I do want to just add the adjournment time on those minutes, Tiffany, August 12th. I didn't see it there, but it was 8:28 p.m. when I click quickly looked on page nine. Am I missing that? >> No, that's not >> okay. No one sees the >> other than other than we came out of the executive session, >>
022right? >> At 8. >> So, I had gone back to the video for the adjournment. >> So, okay. So, can we add that to >> 8 8:28 p.m. >> and the August 12th >> on the August 12th minutes? Correct. So we have a first with Jonathan, second with Janette with the edit. Is that all right? Okay. All in favor? >> That's 5-0. Thank you everyone. Okay, Tiff. >> All right. Item B, minutes of the special board meeting August 19th, 2025. Do we have a motion to accept? Make that motion. >> Okay. Shandra, a second. >> I'll second. Okay, Jonathan, any comments? All right. All in favor of accepting the minutes? Okay, that's five to zero. That's also unanimous. Thank you. That takes care of item A and B. Okay. Item six, communications, share person's comments.
023Um, I would just like to put a plug out there. I do really uh want the public to see the Facebook posts that the Winchester public schools is putting out a concerted effort to showcase the student work almost on a daily basis. And so I would plug it out to the community to go visit and follow the Facebook page. It really is exciting to watch students engaged in curriculum in the instruction watching what's happening inside our classrooms. I think that's really exciting. Okay, that's it. Item B, student representatives reports. Speaking of student work, come on up. >> Ricky should go first. Absolutely. We're gonna start with our Hinsdale representative, Ricky Rylander. >> And let's just turn on the microphone. Um, do we have a name plate for Ricky? I think we do. Right. Oh, are
024they up here? >> Here they are. Hold on, please. Very important that Ricky go. >> Okay. This is Ricky and then we'll afterwards. >> Hello, my name is Ricky. I am in second grade. Everyone is back and excited to be in school together learning. We look forward to the year ahead. I am going to share something neat that's that is happening at each grade level. At prek, everyone is happy and having fun. We are learning our daily routines and classroom. Students are doing an excellent job building new relationships with friends with friends and teachers. In kindergarten, we are learning our way around our classroom and and the school. We are also learning about ourselves ourselves, including how to know what we're feeling and how to show and tell others what we're feeling. We are also
025learning a lot about continuing counting and patterns in number corner. We can't wait to start learning more in in the coming weekend in in the coming weeks. In grade one, they are getting to know each other during our morning meeting. They see that they have many things in common with others also. They they are learning class around routines. How to be kind classmates and good listening and good listeners. First graders also are reading fables and are learning lessons from characters. In grade two, we are learning about each other >> during our morning meeting. We have been have been practicing >> practicing our classroom and school routines. We are reading fairy tales and learning about characters. We are also working on adding within 20. It's it is a lot of fun in grade two. One thing
026I'd like to see happen in at Hinsdale is for children to be safe, say sorry, and use manners. [Applause] Male and Peter. >> Hi guys. >> Hello. Our names are Peter and Male. We are in grade five. We're going to tell you about what's happening in All students are focused on our core values. Respectful. We listen, follow directions, act with kindness, and help others. Engaged. We learn by listening closely, sharing our ideas, and working hard. Self-regulated. We are able to to be harm, making good choices, and control how we act. Third graders are studying elements of fictional stories such as theme main characters, personification and dialogue. In math third grade there is learning multiplication and addition strategies. In science they are learning about the flood of 1955 instead. This will give them some background information
027about when they take tour of this fall. This ties into the unit of weather. Fourth graders are reading fictional stories and writing personal narratives. In fifth grade, fourth graders are learning about multiple um comparisons, reviewing basic facts, and exploring the rac multiplication and division. In science, fourth graders are are studying the structure and function of plants and animals and making observations of various plants and bats. Fifth graders are reading fiction and non-fiction stories. They are writing personal narratives. In math, fifth graders are writing expressions and equations using multiplication strategies to find the volume of two and threedimensional figures. In science, fifth graders are making bar graphs. We are comparing the difference in the percentage of colors of M&M's made in different factories. Sixth graders are studying fictional text and writing personal narratives. They are adding
028details and dialogue and explaining small moments in their story. In math, sixth graders are learning about positive and negative numbers and applying their understanding with money, temperature, elevation. In science, they are learning about thermal energy by testing the temperatures of liquids with regular versus fancy fancy cups. Mill. Not really. This school is fine. The question was anything. that you think the school needs for improvement? What was your answer, Muel? >> My answer is the school is fine. >> The school is fine. >> Cool. My teachers and classmates are nice. We work together. No one gets in trouble. >> Peter, the schedule is nice that fifth graders have special lunch, recess, than a shorter afternoon. We get the hard work done in the morning. Thank you for inviting me. [Applause] >> Great job, guys. >> Do
029you get to eat the M&M's when you're done? >> We keep the metal thing. I forget the name. >> It's fantastic. Thank you. Well done. Well done. Okay. Uh, moving on. Item C, superintendence report. >> Okay. Uh, let's see. So, first of all, as perhaps you can tell based on all of the wonderful things you've seen already tonight, we have had a really tremendous opening school. Things have gone smoothly. Um, as Nora mentioned, you can see us on Facebook. We're trying to make sure that every day there's something to make you smile and um see evidence of our students loving learning. Um we were very excited in our opening days uh before the kids arrived that we um have some time for professional development with the staff and I was particularly pleased that um we
030maintained our two very clear focus areas high quality instruction and uh relationships positive behavior supports and the teachers ran the entire session for the positive behavior supports and that's um efficacy. when when teachers own it, good things happen. So that was really exciting. Um a as mentioned at the last meeting, our libraries have morphed a bit into innovation stations where we are weaving our love of literature into um creativity and um steam activities and all good things and it's off and running and students are absolutely loving it. Um the first days as you might imagine have been filled um really you know you got to put the first things first. Go slow to go fast as they say. So we have been creating community routines expectations running our morning meetings and um making sure that
031our schools are happy safe places. Uh, one change from last year that I'm not sure that um, we said out loud at any point before now, so I'm mentioning is that our fourth grade um, currently previously K through three, you had one elementary teacher in a class of kids all day. And in four, five, six, you had two teachers. One did language arts, social studies, one did um, math, science. Basically, fourth grade has shifted from being splits to self-contained like the third grade. We think that's going to be better for kids. They're still young. Um, and there's that community that you create that we think will be important. So, our fourth grade teachers are working doubly hard to um acclimate to a content area that they may not have taught recently, we remind ourselves when
032you hire a first grade teacher, they haven't taught any of it before. So, they'll be fine. We have every confidence they can do it. But um it it's been exciting to get people who've been thinking about just one side to now think about the whole of it. And I know people are enjoying having that group of kids all day and really forming those greater relationships. Um, and you know, I've mentioned HQI a bunch of times, and I'll just put that into other words and say to you that the way we're talking about high quality instruction. What we're really talking about is active student centered learning where kids are asking questions, making decisions, figuring things out. The kids are the doers in our version of the story. Um, and one thing that I lift off the
033report, I can't even tell you why, but that was super exciting was we tried a new event this year, kindergarten mingle. We um wasn't the day before school started, but sometime just before school started, we invited all of our kindergarteners to Hinsdale um with um supported by our grant that's no longer called school readiness. It's now called >> Early Start. Um sorry. So, our early start grant supported kindergarten mingle allowed us to get the ice cream truck and have activities and t-shirts. And um after doing it, it was well attended and a great success. We think next year we might actually do it as a preschool mingle or a prek K mingle because many of our kindergarteners attend our preschool. And so the intention of it was to make kids confident and comfortable for the
034first day of school. What we learned is many of the kindergarters already own the place. So, um, so we may go with a broader audience next year. Um, but it was a great success and a big thank you, um, Emily Bernard, our assistant principal at, um, Hinsdale, was very integral in putting that together and Rosie as well and Renee. So, it was a huge success. Um, so I've been saying to you at a lot of previous meetings that we're in negotiations. We finally have um ratified contracts for your um review tonight and potentially approval for custodians and secretaries which will be the end of last year's negotiations and then we have all kinds of contracts we did last year we did nurses, teachers, custodians and secretaries. Not bad for a first year. Um this year
035I think we probably have paras >> lunch and then also the bus contract right? Yes. But that's that's >> Yeah, understood. But also another biggie coming up. >> Um so later in the agenda, we'll talk about the two that are done now. Um the Hinsdale, there's an S missing. Embarrassing. The Hinsdale culvert um has been a topic of late noticing that it is very grown in. We were able to communicate with Silver Petraelli who did the renovation and get our hands on some maintenance documents of what is supposed to stay there because there are some greens that we want in there and which things ought not to be there. And so we are hiring someone um to maintain that because it's not a little like open the custodians run out there for a half hour.
036It's a it's a big job. So we um I know Nancy has reached out to um someone recommended by Jim Rollins to get a bid on what it would take to do that. It sounds like um when I met with Jim and Paul about a month ago, Jim thought it was probably like a twice a year um clean up, much like you would do at home, I suppose. Um central office is now located in Pearson School on the third floor. It is up and running. Um people are moved in, fully functioning or almost fully functioning. um we're not entirely unpacked because it's so hard to take the time to do the things that aren't the work. Um when you really want to be doing all the work, but you know, in the end of the
037day when you're just too tired to do one more thing, we're each like putting a few things on shelves. I have some pictures that when I'm brave enough to try again to get the TVs going, I'll see if we can make that work. I did take a few pictures to show you, but I would welcome all of you to come visit. It's lovely. We're um establishing a separate entrance with a doorbell. so that the few visitors that we do get aren't tracing through the school. um town safety committee has been revived um no pun intended um led by um Chief Susi and involving uh fire superintendents from the other schools uh safety officers from the other schools and we're meeting again in October to work on our um annual all hazards plans. Um, so it's
038going to be nice to have those connections. Um, I wanted to say thank you to the board members who attended convocation. Convocation I think was a huge success. I think um, the teachers and full staff felt welcomed and it was a very positive experience and your presence there makes it even better. um uh new Susi and I uh the Gilbert superintendent um have already met a couple of different times. some on sort of the regular stuff that we want to talk about like curriculum and collaboration and also we've had a first contract conversation. Um Kurt on behalf of the negotiating committee um asked that I meet with uh Mike to I almost said Greg for a second sorry um to meet with Mike and work out a draft contract to bring back to um our
039negotiating committees. So we're beginning that work. We've had one meeting. We'll meet again um next Monday. And um the other thing, Early Childhood Coalition is not a real name, but for lack of what the right name is, um the Early Start funding that allowed us um or required us to have a full-time person engaged with early childhood. Um we are the local governing partner and need to set up a community table. And so early childhood question, I guess community table is what we could go with for a name. We just weren't sure what local governing partner sounds awful. So, we knew we didn't want to say that. It doesn't mean anything. >> But setting up that community table and we'll be um hiring through the grant um a small part-time stipened position for two parent
040ambassadors, which is a requirement of the grant, but it puts two people engaged in this work with us and on the community table. So, we're in the process of inviting someone from bases and someone from um Windset Area Childare and someone from the library and someone from the YMCA to build a community table. I think we should just call it the community table. >> I love saying it. >> That is the name in the grant. So, we'll go with that. >> Um but we're excited to be developing that and we would encourage people to watch for the invitation if you're interested in being a parent ambassador. Um the work of this group will be to put together events throughout the year to engage not just events but events to engage our community of parents with
041babies all the way up through school age. Also though to find people where they are. So in the pediatrician's offices and in the library and the YMC we want to partner with groups to start bringing people into our Winchester public school family from the minute they're parents. So that's a pretty neat piece. Um, and there's anything I need to highlight there. >> Uh, the town safety committee with Chief Susi and the um, persons we have in the building and all hazards and stuff for we have a consultant. Would that person be a part of that? >> Yes. Tom Dylan. >> That's it. Tom Dylan be part of that. Okay. >> To the extent that it's plausible since he's only with us once a week and he has to make it work. But >> Okay. Anybody
042else have any other questions? Okay, thank you Dr. Lubby. Appreciate that. Okay, moving on. Item D, committee reports. Finance committee, we meet uh two weeks from now and uh it'll be the first time we will be meeting for this coming um school year. And one of the things that we're hoping to do is to get it a little bit more granular inside the the budget itself for one of the requests of of the board. And so we look forward to looking at those details at the finance committee in two weeks time. Curriculum, uh Renee is absent. I don't know if you want to add anything on curriculum. Um at the So tonight as one of the information items, I'll be sharing some preliminary look at our ESPback NGSS scores as well as our growth scores.
043purpose tonight. I'm just I have a handout to hand you and we'll put it up maybe on the screen so that we can just like see what it is and absorb it and I'm just going to talk through what the different metrics mean. And then at the curriculum committee in two weeks will be an opportunity you'll have had a chance to really see it, think about it if you have questions between now and then you can send them ahead or otherwise. But in the committee meeting we'll be able to really dig into it. Tonight's more like show and tell committee meeting place to work through it. >> Okay. >> And add detail to it, of course. >> Thank you. And policy. >> Yes, Julie and I are going to make another attempt to get through
044the last slew of policies so that we can bring it to the board to vote on. >> How many we looking at? >> Another packet. >> It's it's the work. >> Okay. All right. And item four, >> um Julie had already spoken about it. Uh she met with uh head of school Susy on Friday, I believe. >> Um to to discuss uh the first steps in in talking about a contract with Gilbert. >> Okay. All right. Very good. >> Um item E, Leazison reports with the Gilbert School Corp. So the main highlight of the Gilbert School Corp uh is that at last meeting we approved the verbiage that we approved at the special meeting and uh a little something to add uh building and grounds as chair was absent. So I facilitated the meeting and
045I gave my uh acting chair less on report at the meeting later that night. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, just so you all know, theou for special ed, uh, is signed as well. Okay, moving forward for this current year. All right, item seven, information items. Item A, dollar general grant award for literacy. Shannon Ball. >> Shannon's gonna tell you she took great initiative and applied for a grant that she was awarded. So, I asked her to come tell you all about it. Fantastic. >> And I'm gonna be quick. I'm Shannon Paul. For those of you that don't know, I am the in one of the instructional coaches for the district. Um, I've been with the district for 20 years so far. So, going strong. Um, so in the spring of last year or this school,
046last school year, this year, um, I applied for the Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant. Um, if you have a Dollar General in your area, you are able to apply for this grant. So, I was like, "Let's try it." Um, so I received the grant um at the end of August. Um, we were awarded $4,500. Um, and we're hoping to use this grant to support a literacy night for preK to six in order to bring in our community, our families, um, with any age children, um, to support them with, you know, learning about literacy and how they can support literacy at home. Um, and that as part of this grant, we're hoping that they can or we will have them leave with a book to take home. Um, it supports our district's commitment to access to
047highquality literacy instruction and strengthens our mission to ensure every child develops the skills needed to thrive as a confident reader. And I hope to be able to come back at a later meeting and share with you how our literacy night went and share details about it. >> When is the literacy night? >> Um, we're hoping to do it sometime in like November. We don't have a specific date yet, but um, We're targeting. We're looking at like November. >> Perfect. Great. Great. You can invite us too, right? >> Yes. Absolutely. >> Definitely. >> Any questions? >> Thank you for taking the time to fill out the grant. How many pages was it? It must have been grants are typically pretty arduous. >> It was It was several pages, but you know, >> it was worth it.
048>> Appreciate it. >> And I was very excited to go to Joy and say that we got it. So, >> that's awesome. Thanks for taking the initiative. >> That's that's fantastic for that. for being here to tell you coming out. >> Thank you. >> Putting books in kids hands is really important. >> Yes, it is. >> Item B, enrollment reports. Truly. >> Okay. >> What's going on with kindergarten? Oh, that's a great question. And actually somewhere I've got that actually under um the financial reports is going to come up. So, um this is the start of school year enrollment information. Um the top of the page, not much to draw your attention to. I think we anticipated 406 at Gilbert, so we came pretty close to that. Um this shows you all of the grade
049levels. We had anticipated um going over our showcase. Our limit in kindergarten without having to pay overages and be bigger than you want a kindergarten to be is 72 at four sections of 18. Um we projected anticipated and planned for a fifth section because our original projections were for I think 88 kids or 82 kids. I have to go back and look. I'm not sure which. But either way, we knew we were we were anticipating being over. Um because we are at four full sections of 18. We spent a lot of time. Poor Rosie. I made her wait till literally like the week before school opened. We kept like reposting a job so that if we started to tip over our showcase, we could because we kept thinking, you know, in the last week they're
050going to all show up. >> So we were ready to open a fifth section if we needed to. We had done the class list both ways. Um when it got down to the wire, we said, "Well, if we're at 71 today, and we feel like we've been beating the bushes hard, we'll call it." So, we said, "We'll stick at four." But since they're all at the top, we put a kindergarten assistant in each room so that rather than bring the class size down with that fifth fifth section with the input of the teachers, the feeling was they would rather have the class of 18 with an assistant than a class of >> Yeah. >> 14. I don't know if that was sloppy math without an assistant. They thought having the second person really would make
051it work. So we um are saving money because we did not pay for the teacher. The assistant is about half the cost of a teacher. Um so we didn't need to do that which you know it's one of those if we didn't plan for it and then we had it we'd be upside down and in trouble. So um but they did not materialize >> and and increasing those sizes. It doesn't happen mid year. Sure, you don't see anything at the holiday breaks or anything. I mean, this is typically the wave is in August, >> right? Anything can happen at any time, but it would be unusual to have a lot of kids move into one grade during the school year. It definitely happens. You hear all the time about like, you know, a grade level
052popping. But I would anticipate while we might get one, two more kids per class, I don't think they're all going to show up in any one particular. >> Okay. Okay. Great. Um, our fourth grade is the bubble one. As you know, we have five sections there where and that makes sense. The group in front of them um is smaller because those are the kiddos that fourth grade was in preschool um during co >> and so it was stay in preschool, don't go to kindergarten since it's not really open. And >> so that's I think why that group is bigger. [Music] So everything else is trending along in a good place. >> Did we have a a down tick in in from last year in enrollment at Hensdale? >> What was our enrollment last year >>
053for the total number >> for Hensdale? >> I don't mean to put you on the spot, Rose. >> Yeah. I'll tell you. Hold on. I have >> I don't have that. >> Not that much higher though. >> 10 students. >> Look it up. We have it in our packets. Yeah. >> Okay. >> It's okay. I'm just curious. It seems like we're lower. Okay. Um, you know, I would say I often say we have 600 kids. Um, like the way I talk about it is we're at 600, Gilbert's at 400. So, we're at roughly a thousand and all. So, if we're at 594 right now, it can't be drastically different. Could be off by a handful, but >> Right. >> It's in the ballpark, >> but I will get you the exact. No, I I just
054I was looking at the number and it just seemed like it was lower than last year. >> Um, next up, attendance reports. So, this is a Wow. This is not I'm sorry. >> No, page 14. Yeah, >> page 14. So, this is last year's attendance data. Um, so fun fact, we continually talked about how awful our chronic absenteeism rate was and our average daily attendance and the poor principles felt like they were beating their heads against the wall and the data just kept being unfortunate and you know being new. I kept saying what are we doing differently? What are we doing differently? And we were asking the wrong question. We weren't we hadn't changed anything that was impacting kids. We had changed in the end of the previous year they changed one of the attendance
055codes. Uh Mel was experimenting and curious about kids with early dismissals and how much school they were missing. And so an attendance code was changed from um being marked as present to being marked as absent. So, we were using an attendance code early dismissal who know um >> absent for the whole day >> was counting kids as absent >> and the reason we know that is because the principles because they are so determined to get all the kids to school. We pulled the lists of the kids who are chronically absent last year and I asked that they be sent to the principles before school started and I said, "So, what can you do before school starts to make the kids want to come to school? Um, reach out to their parents, host a ice cream
056party. what are we going to do to not let them be chronically absent again? And they sat down and they started going through the list and they were like, but this kid wasn't chronically absent. This kid wasn't and lo and behold, and we worked closely with Charlene. So now what you're going to see this very messy looking chart is the top of it is last year and then the bottom of it is the year the very bottom is the year prior. The numbers in blue are what it turns out actually happened last year. So if you stay in the top chart with me for a minute, those numbers have gone up and that is the percent percent of kids who are in school on average on any given day. Um so for the district end
057ofear data we were at 93.95 so call that 94% and the year prior we were at 94.6%. So modestly less but not scary less the way we had been thinking about it. Um if you go to the bottom chart that student student chronic absenteeism rate which in the previous year had been 8.3 overall and we left the year thinking we were at almost 24 and we were horrified and just kept shaking our heads and saying how >> turns out it was not as good as the year prior but at 11.44% we're not making the news. I mean >> that's like okay we can work on that. Um you know in a perfect world you'd love that number to be 5% or less. Um I think in precoid days I don't know what our data was
058but I think 5% was the goal that people strove strived strove for. Um so at 11.44 we're all going to sleep a little better and we're going to keep working on it and we're actually going to still continue it as a goal because we had already written goals around it sort of thinking about what to do about it. But um I give you my most sincere apologies for not knowing where to look to find out that the information was not accurate. Um so bad news that it was inaccurate, good news that the kids were coming to school after all. >> That's a good mistake to figure out, >> right? I mean, >> so >> what time is typically early dismissal? Like if they're in the morning and then they leave, it could vary. before 11:30
059or after 11:30. They don't get credit for the day. >> Gotcha. >> Before 11:30, >> unless they step out to the dentist for an hour and come back and then we pull that out, they're marked present. We put it as a note that they were gone for an hour. That kind of thing. >> That's a big difference. >> Kudos to those who thought of that and saw that pattern code. Wow. Okay. So now the current year's data which I'm pretty confident although my confidence is a little shaken but um understandably I suppose. So you'll see um okay so already I see something that's confusing to me. We've carried forward the bottom line is district 2324. We're going to change that to 2425. So the numbers that we would want to see >> right but we
060don't have it like that's >> so edit this year >> instead of 23 24 you're going to change it to 24 25 >> right so now I want the year prior >> you want to come back >> no because just she's just caught that >> the bottom line is >> right >> just ignore the pink from it that shouldn't have printed with it. >> Each one is woven in with it. So for August, for example, this year we're at >> 95.5 where previously we were at 97.65. >> Um, and for chronic absenteeism, 6% versus 3.7%. I'm going to say to you that anybody who was absent at all was chronically absent because there were three school days in August. So, And so it counts as >> there were literally two school days. So this data
061is really just for practice of how to do the report. >> So how many students are you talking about when it's a two point almost you know two point difference >> um in the district. So if you have 600 kids 10% is 60. So 1% is six. >> So 12 kids >> were absent one time. >> Right. >> For and also >> 12 more kids were absent one time. >> Right. In August. Yeah. >> Right. Y >> um in a typical month obviously you have to be absent typically twice to be chronically absent in that month >> right >> which again it's sort of confounding to look at it even one month at a time because any who cold could keep you out two days and so it's really looking at the pattern by student
062that's going to tell the story much more >> too early to tell So that is the story with attendance, but we are watching it closely and we are still working with the list of kids who were chronically absent last year to um try to not have them be chronically absent this year. >> Great. Okay. Item D, personnel report, page 16. >> Okay. So, you've got people who left since the last time we gave you a report, people who've joined us since that time, um, and people we're still looking for. I think I may have signed something today actually for a building submit Pearson, right? Um, so we're closing in on these. Um, You hired buildings sub today. It was yours. Sorry. >> Okay. So now we have buildings up in both buildings. Done. Beautiful. So
063we are closing in on it. Um >> the the other thing too, you're going to negotiate the PAR contract next year. Is that right? >> This year. Before next year. >> For next year. >> Maybe that will help a little bit. We'll see where that goes. >> What's that? >> The following year. the following >> because if you look here we >> was custodian >> right >> custodian and nurses so I mean that's that's a competitive market para educators for sure >> we're going to participate in a job fair later this month that's uh >> I saw that >> hosted in town >> um and we're working with Northwest Community college. Um, I met with a lovely Parah today who's in their um, associates degree program, the two-year program for early childhood, and she's working
064as a pair with us at Pearson. >> So, we're trying to really partner with them. >> Do we have is it early childhood program? Is that here at Northwest Community? >> Yeah. >> Oh, good. Good. Okay. >> That is a very highly rated. >> I'm sorry. So that's a very highly rated um community college. >> Most people don't know that. >> Very nice. They were wonderful hosts to us this summer. Um we did all of our professional learning there in their facilities which are beautiful and every person we interacted with from security through um the people who sort of manage the facilities through the people who run the programs have been fabulous. >> So I'm a fan. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Um, do we have any connections with Northwest Community? Like, do they do hours
065or intern parts courses with us? >> Yeah. >> Good. In our schools. >> Um, Ros and I just spoke maybe yesterday >> about um someone who's going to be placed to do it was like 120 hours or something. >> Okay, good. like a student teacher type placement, >> an observer. I think typically, you know, this is an associates degree program. So, these are folks that are they don't even have a bachelor's yet. So, it's not going to be student teaching as much as like observation hours. >> Okay. >> Um, but good is Paris. I think we had talked about that, right? Tapping into the local college >> to help our shortage of Paris. >> Have we hired or are we close to hiring a special ed teacher at Pearson? I can take that. >> Yes.
066>> Perfect. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Any other questions? All right. Item E, you're in financial. >> Okay. I will walk you through and if you have hard questions, then we'll invoke Nancy. Um on page 17, the again, so the first set we're going to do are the year end from last year and then we'll have our regular monthlies. Um the upshot on this page is that we managed to end the year at $43,000. Um Nancy, in a $22 million budget, so 2.2 million would be 10%, so 200,000 would be 1%. So 0.01%. So it's only about 0.02% of our actual appropriated budget. Even though that's a lot of dollars when you think about like margin of um variance. >> Not bad to finish out the year that close to what you anticipated when you
067made your budget. Um so that money um there's a motion under action items if the board has an appetite to put that into the non-lapsing account. Um because We managed to end the year with a little bit of money. >> Yep. >> Not going to change the world, but better than being in a deficit. >> Better than being Yep. >> Town support. Um, we spent the penny and, uh, we never touched the 1,800 that was in the non-lapsing account. >> The grant account, um, I think you're aware because we talk about it all the time, we straddle grant years. So, there's always going to be in addition to the um 660 fund, there's always some grant money that is crossing years because it's a two-year grant. Um so, there'll always be money in that line.
068Good. And then we'll dig into the details of those in the next page. This is year end um the appropriated budget specifically. Um, so I'll show you a couple things. Um, for example, we ended the year, so again, we ended the year with $43,000 left in the appropriated budget, which is a mishmash of some some lines are over, some are under because we don't go through the um paper exercise of moving stuff. We let you see where the spending actually happened. So for example, the wage line was not fully spent, but the technical services is over spent. And those two are very similar because um the sub nurses comes out of professional technical services. Um Freeman Burr, the interim superintendent, came out of the professional technical services. Um Tom Dylan is in that line. So
069that's why that one is over spent and the other one underspent largely. The other big overspend um pupil transportation is largely Mckin Vento. In the year prior there was zero in the budget and then the rules around it changed and we started spent having to spend lots of money. Um the special ed out of district tuition is a little bit over plan but actually quite marginally considering what it could be. >> Yeah. Um, so there you have it. >> Okay, any questions? >> Just looking for a minute. >> The next page 19, if you see sort of the double line in the middle of the page, to the left of that is the town appropriated budget. And you'll see the bottom corner of that box at 43,000 is what we just looked at. That's not
070different. What is additional on this page is um seeing it next to the town support for education. Um which as you know from the first piece of paper was spent fully as planned. Um so there's not a lot of new information on this page. I would say just a different way to look at it. Um the next page, the grant budget. Um what will I point out to you? I'll point out the 660 is now 441, >> right? Which actually at the start of the year it was 460. 458 actually. So for all the times we said, well, if all else fails, we've got the 660. We did a good job of barely touching it. We only spent 17,000 out of the 660 last year. Um, >> where do we park that? In what line
071do we park that? Because I know we ask it every time. >> What do you mean? >> The 441, whatever it is. >> Page 20 at 682. >> It's our provision. >> Sorry. >> Nope. That's okay. >> Um, do you want to remind everybody where the origin story is at on that one? >> The origin story. Sure. Absolutely. >> Um, as the COVID distributions were happening and everything came with very set rules, >> um, we got an allocation of $660,000 that came sort of without rules and without strings. And so we are judiciously using that as a safety net and spending it under dire circumstances only >> because they miscalculated our population. say, "Yeah, it was it was >> kind of a refund." >> Yes. >> If you will, because >> Yeah. calculated. Yes. >>
072Way back. >> Yep. >> Okay. I was trying to >> So, it's good that we're >> Oh, no. We can. Exactly. >> We're just happy to have it. >> Yeah. No, >> it's a good uh emergency fund. >> Yeah. It's what lets us sleep nights and >> Yeah. Absolutely. Um, okay. Um, food service budget, we added to the report just the previous year's actuals next to the current year's actuals to help tell the story for you. So, the food service budget, you'll see the first column there is what we planned. The middle column is what actually happened and the one to the far right is what happened the year prior. So as an example um and that topline lunch receipts that's just um the incidentals that's the faculty purchasing it's uh students buying second lunch
073it's any catering that the lunchroom does for us so that's not the big money but we anticipated 15,000 and brought in about 12,000 there school lunch program reimbursement is the big money that's what we get back from the federal government for all the lunches that we provide and on the breakfasts that we provide. Um, and we did well there. We came in above what we anticipated. Head Start started participating more fully. And what else was I going to draw your attention to? So, the board of ed subsidy really is the floating number that makes it work, right? So we don't So whatever we need to put in to get it back to zero is what our subsidy ends up being. So we anticipated or planned for it to be 14. In fiscal year 24 the
074district contributed almost 47,000 to make the program work. This year we got it down to just about 20,000 >> um through um really good hard work at looking at getting people off the clock as quickly as possible. Um and making other staffing choices to make us lean and lean machines. And then another piece um that we did in addition to watching the wages closely was working with supplies and looking at what happens if you buy um fresh stuff and make something versus buying all the prepackaged things and playing around with how you could save money and sell more lunches that way. So, um, the food service crew has really been working hard to up student use and cut costs. So, although we're still contributing, I think I read when I had to sign for the
075year for our program because we've been extended as a community provision, meaning the kids will all still continue to receive free breakfast, free lunch. Um, nobody has to fill out forms or say, "I I get free lunch." It's in place. Um, forgot the other half of my sentence. Um, >> fill out forms. Everybody gets it. >> No one has to fill out. >> Um, well, so we're watching it closely. Doing a good job and stay on it. >> Kudos to the work. >> Yeah, >> really. It's quite a difference. >> Okay, great. >> The page that follows is a summary rather than all the little lines. This will show you fiscal year 25 lunches and breakfast compared to fiscal year 24 lunches and breakfast. So, our lunch sales were modestly up and our breakfast sales
076were modestly down, but not crazy swings in either one. >> Okay. Um the last page of last year's closing out is a report that we're required to produce for the state. It is the net cost of school maintenance. So this is specifically just about keeping the buildings afloat. Um so it's a mix of money that was spent through the appropriated budget and through town support for education. Um, and maybe even in the town budget a teeny bit because crossing guards, right? >> No, that's a different one. Sorry, I'm stuck in the EFS report, right? >> In that report, that money goes in. Not this one, though. Um, so this one is largely just town support and appropriate footage. It would be the only two sources, but it's combined from those things that are specifically for
077the buildings. >> Good. Thank you. >> Okay. That's the end of closing out last year. I think you can hear from here Nancy um having a heavy side. >> Thank you for your work, Nancy, in closing up that year. And now we open the door to the next. >> All right. >> Never ends. >> So, first page, budget snapshot. Um, page 24 in your packet. >> 24 in your packet. Um, town appropriations. What's spent so far? Obviously, this reflects just with summer. Oh, that was the other thing I was going to say about the lunch thing. Not important, but just that we put out a ton of food um in the summer as well. Well, you'll see that in a minute because it's in the lunch reports here. Never mind. We'll get to it. So,
078in this one, you'll see it's our expectation by the end of the year, we'll spend the full appropriated budget um and the full town support. The non-lapsing we hope not to touch. It wasn't part of our budget planning for the year because we didn't anticipate having it. Um we expect to have some grant money left at the end of the year. Um that would be the 660 which is 440. um plus the SE bits basically. So SE bits is little bit of money we get um when our PPS folks participate in some trainings and things from the state. They want to incentivize it. So we get little bits of see is little bits. It's literally like $9,000. But so that's where that's reflected. >> Okay. So that 450 would go forward and then we have
079the carryover parts of the grants as well that are designed to go over and become the budget for the following year. Okay. um the next page. And again, these should look pretty similar because they're the reports you've been getting each year, but with NY's patients, we've been adding columns, tinkering a little bit, trying to make it easier to understand and interpret based on questions that you ask and feedback that you have. We may continue throughout the next few months to keep tinkering and when we look at it at the finance committee, like we're really trying to make sure that it's transparent, understandable, meaningful. So, um, we're just gonna with NY's goodwill, we're just going to keep adding columns and making changes until suddenly we're like, ah, >> um, so the next page 25, the information
080here is for 26, the header for some reason printed from the old report. So, with my apologies, this should say fiscal year 2026, appropriated budget year to date August 2025. Okay, so that's just a function of it up off of the wrong spreadsheet page. Um, so columns here, adopted budget. So that's what's in our budget book. If you go down that first column, you'll see 23993865. That is the approved the voter approved appropriated budget. So that is what we said we were going to do. Um, previous month balance, current monthly expenditure. So that would be July next to August. Is that right, Nancy? >> Yes. >> So July, August expended year to date. Um, encumbered. So for things like wages, you encumber for all the people who work for you, you encumber that right away.
081So you know that set aside. You've got it. Um, year-to- date balance is what's not yet spent or encumbered. Um, which is the percent of the percent spent is what's been spent so far compared to what you said you were going to spend. Projected adjustments is what we know is out there, but it's not technically encumbered. Um, >> so are we going to be over with professional technical services by 247 247,000? >> Yes. So where's that >> keyed right into it? So you may recall that in our budget we had planned to direct hire a BCBA and we had planned to direct hire a speech and language pathologist. So you'll see the wage category is currently about well there's other things in there but 160,000 of that projected year end depositive balancer because we did
082not direct hire those people. Unfortunately we are hiring them through a contractor which then moves them down >> to professional technical services. >> Okay. >> I'm going to say it out loud but you're going to fall out of your chair. So, the BCBA um is costing $107,000, which you know, okay, the SLPA, the SLP contract is for about $160,000. >> Um needless to say, we are not resting on contracting. We post and repost and continue to look for um direct hires and we some of the agencies allow you to buy people out of their contracts >> with them. So we have to sort of do the overunder on does that make sense? You know, if you buy someone out and then they were to leave, that would be horrendous. So we've got to read the
083fine print to see how all that works. >> Um but so that's why that one is over because that's your 247 right there. It just shows the contracts and when we do the special ed teacher, next month's report will undoubtedly involve more in the professional technical services and some more unspent in the wage line. Speech and language, that's part of IEPs, right? Yep. And then BCBA is also part of IEP. >> Okay. >> And both of those allow us without the speech and language pathologist, we can't use speech and language assistance, which is sort of our delivery model. And our behavior techs can't work in the absence of a BCBA to direct their work. So you need the one certified person and then you can have a bevy of people that they support and train
084up. and the special ed person we're waiting for. And that is a contracted. That's why we're waiting for them. >> And the reason for all of this is because we can't seem to find because there's a shortage. >> Exactly. >> Oh, yeah. I saw that article. Um the other plan uh the other thing that's deviating from plan by a decent amount of money there the pupil transportation we um budgeted for Mckin Vento but nowhere near enough and so that one is already blown out of showcase. Um >> so moving forward we really have to think about that >> budgeting more for that. Exactly. Right. at budget season it was still not evident that it you know keeping in mind when we start building our budget >> the the size of that was not evident yet
085um >> that's true of every district right now right special transportation >> special ed transportation and McKini Vento transportation both incredibly hard to arrange and costly Um the grant report is okay. Next up is the grant report. Um and excess cost is flat. >> Excess cost is flat right to the town and not reflected on here because it goes to the town. >> Yep. Okay. Any questions? 26 minutes. >> Yep. Really? >> Really? >> Yeah. You'll all remember that at the end of this school year, we were sweating a little bit over what might happen, what might get cancelled because we do rely heavily on grants. So, we're a little vulnerable for that. But, >> um, >> $3.4 million. >> Okay. Um last part of the financials are the food services. This is now the
086budget for the coming year. Um these of course are based on what happened for real in the report we just looked at. >> Um if everything goes on plan, NY's got us down to only having to use $6,000 of district funds. She is a pie optimist for sure, but we did better a lot better between last two years ago and last year. So maybe we'll continue to make that progress. That's the goal. And I think um we share these financials with at Advance who runs our kitchen, right? they're aware of. >> And also, I'm actually meeting with the >> kitchen managers in each of the two schools to get some economies. >> So, they're well aware of what we're attempting and what the goals are in terms of what we do for revenue and what
087we keep our costs at in terms of supplies and things. So, everybody is part of the team on trying to make that happen. >> Um, mail volumes. So, what I was going at you was that obviously we don't have September mail volumes on here. We are running one month behind, but July and August, you know, lots of lunch pickups in the summer. >> Does that suggest that persons in the community are more needy? >> Um, so 26 are the taller ones. No. Is it possible that people are more needy? Why we've given out more meals in the summer? Yes. Is it possible that people have become more comfortable taking them? Yes. Is it possible that it was well promoted and people knew about it? Yes. So, is it possible? Yes. But I wouldn't know how
088to really pick apart the why. >> Okay. >> Um, >> could be all the factors. >> Could be the first week the food was great, everybody came back. I mean, it's hard to really say >> Yeah. >> why we did more. >> What is it that's being picked up in the summer, Julie? like how is it packaged and what is it? >> So once a week it's five days worth of meals. >> It's it's yes it's five breakfast and five lunches per student. So if you say you have three students, you would get 15 of each >> and the colds are in a separate bag from the dry goods >> and things are packaged in such a way that there's a meal. So you're not having to put all the pieces together. And then is
089it is it the same stuff that they're getting in the cafeteria during the school year or is it like what consists? I'm just interested to know. >> Well, the details depends on what we get. I remember one summer we actually got a boatload of watermelons for them and everybody got a water. So it's a lot depends on what they get. So certainly a lot of fresh fruit more so than during the school year because >> So are they getting like pre-made sandwiches or they you said that it's per meal so they're not getting a loaf of bread per se. They're getting a sandwich of bread. They would get the bread and then the pork would be separate because that would be the full pack. I haven't dissected, you know, with the managers how they do
090it. I'm just amazed that they pull it off. So, >> do families have to re pre-register to come in? >> Absolutely not. You drive up and you tell me you have five kids? >> Okay. >> No questions asked. >> We'll give you the state will reimburse us for it. So, >> and that's the state guidelines. No questions asked. No pre-registering. >> Precisely. >> Okay. Okay, thanks. Thank you. >> Okay, moving along. Item G, preliminary state assessment data. >> Um, I got one do what I wanted to do, so I'm gonna use that one rather than make everybody wait while I pull around and see if I can get the others. Um, I apologize that it's the one in the back, but that was the one I could subtly play with while we were talking. Um,
091I have a handout for board members and a few extras as well. >> Yeah, maybe I should turn that one off. Maybe I can switch. The source should be >> I should bet the public can't see that, too. Just one of those >> that one. >> Yeah, that's why I'm reluctant to do that one at all. >> We could ignore the movie that's playing on our right. >> They're both worried about >> Jonathan go turn off that TV. I think you should because we don't know what's going >> Didn't that just happen at a board? >> That did that happened in the Torington, right? the do it manually would be better because >> hurry up >> there. >> Someone's turning the channel. >> I think Julie's running it. >> No. But doing that >> this
092one. >> All right. >> There's a little button here that says power. It's the power logo and I'm just holding it. >> Yeah, that not doing it. >> Now we got >> No, that's value. >> All right, let's let's >> I think we should turn it off. Wait, do I move to the left or >> There you go. >> Okay, >> there you go. Right there. Right there. Do it. Nope. Nope. >> Go back. >> There. >> How do I press select? >> I didn't know. >> I'm just glad it's made G. >> And that remote doesn't work for that TV, Julie. >> All right. Don't worry, Jonathan. Julie, that remote doesn't work for that TV. >> That's all I can do. [Music] >> Yeah, it's okay. It was a valiant attempt, Jonathan. >> Hey,
093I got some. Yeah, this one I can actually see, so I'm good. >> There's extra copies here if anybody wants a paper copy. >> Maybe put it on the table there, Jonathan. >> Put it on the table. >> Barb and Rosie, if you guys want one. I don't know. Parents who are here, you're welcome to look at one. Do you want one? and we'll get these posted. I apologize. Two clickers on one. It's more than I know how to unpack. Um so what you're looking at are the newly released um ESPback and NGSS results. ESPback is taken by kids in grades three through eight in um literacy and mathematics. NGSS are the science assessments and those are taken by kids in grades five, eight and 11. So the state gives us back assessment data on
094how well the kids performed in literacy and mathematics and in science. And then additionally in language arts and math, they give us growth data. So I'm going to talk you through first just looking at the ELA, the math and the science achievement data. But then I'm going to spend a little bit of time on the growth data because I think it's super important. Um, so starting at English language arts, I'll show you what you're looking at. Um, you've got four years consecutive data. This is all postcoid. Um, the 2122 school year was I'll say a regular school yearish. Um, and the percents that you're seeing here, the ones that are in the lefth hand column of each year are the percent of students who met or exceeded the goal in the state. And then um
095in Winchester is the right hand column. Although the color copier is imperfect, you can see I've tried to show you the moving cohorts. So, for example, in 2022, the third graders become the fourth graders. In 2023, the white ones there moving down in 2024 become the fifth graders and are now the sixth graders. >> So, as you look at this, if you want to compare, and the most valid comparison is always going to be that cohort growth because you're looking at the same group of students. >> If you look directly across the line, it's different kids, different years, different circumstances. You know, if you look at enough years together, you can look for trends. But if you look down, you'll see like the light yellow were fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and then the blue were
096fifth graders in the first year of this and eighth graders in the last year of this. So, what you'll see is how our kids did, for example, this past spring. And you'll see our third and fourth grade um literacy numbers are low for us based on what typically happens and our fourth grade number is lower than that group of kids was the year before. So the percent of kids who meet or exceed there are four levels on ESPback and NGSS. Level one is not close. Level two is nearing. Level three, of course, is you've met the expectations that we have for your grade level. And the fourth level is that exceeded, you're doing super duper. Um, so if 42% of your kids met or exceeded in one year and then they came to school for
097another whole year and everybody made a year's growth or roughly a year's growth, you would expect to have again about 42% of your kids meeting or exceeding, right? because it's if you don't continue to grow then you would fall out of that number and be in band two. Um so at a minimum you would hope to have the same percent of kids meeting or exceeding when you're looking at a cohort. So for us going in grade three from 42% down to 35% is worrisome. One of the things that strikes me is that it was the first year implementing a new resource, the CKLA. And I'm not saying that it's a function of the CKLA, but as a function of the fact that it was new to us, because anytime you implement a new program, there's
098a little bit of mayhem of learning how to use it, how to follow it. Inevitably, you're not moving through it with the speed at which they would be recommending. So we are working on that in a lot of different ways but that is one of our initial speculations is that some of that may be due to a newer program. >> Did the state as a whole go down then because everybody had a new science of reading program you know >> not necessarily not everybody did have a new program and the state did not go down. All right. >> The state, you'll see it's to the left there, is 47%. >> Um, >> and they were 46% >> the year before. 46 47. >> But but the trend then, cuz so I'm looking at the grade
099four, right? If we're following the cohort. >> Yeah, they went up. >> 22, the grade four was at 51%, so they were above the state average. 23, they were 46%, so they dropped. Year 24 they went up again but then they had a huge drop in year 25 which is the CKL that would have been the beginning of seventh grade where they're not using CL >> they are not in CLA now >> right so we had so can we use the CKLA as because it didn't work for the grade the cohort that started at grade four and 22 you see what I'm saying so what else do we have for >> I'm not following. I'm sorry. Say that again. >> Okay. So, >> you're looking at grade four, right? Those kids never had CKA. >>
100Correct. So, in 2022 they were at 51% following the cohort, >> right? >> The next year they were at 46. The next year they were at 57. So, they had a big jump, but then they had a big drop going into the seventh grade. >> They lost CQLA. >> They never touched CLA. >> In seventh grade. Exactly. So, I can't speculate in any way, shape, or form about the seventh and eighth grade scores. I'm just looking at >> right we're talking about cohorts >> but the one in 24 57% is year one of CKLA >> well we can't we can't look at the seventh and eighth because that's a different >> correct but I'm I'm using the cohort and CLA as a reason but I don't know if that >> the other thing I'm just
101going to point out is that remember that because these are grade levels and we're a small district um every four, let's say four kids equals about 3%. So when you take that fourth grade cohort that you looked at and you said 51% down to 46% >> of the 80 kids, the roughly 80 because we don't have exactly 80, but you're talking about a swing of >> maybe five kids or so, right? So we always have to be cautious in remembering that like the difference between 42% and 40% is veritably nothing. It's probably one child. >> Um >> and kids move in and out. So it's not a perfectly matched cohort on here. >> Um >> this is spring assessment. >> This is end of each grade level, right? So some of the victories just and
102again we're going to go through this at the committee meeting when you've had a chance to digest it. But when I look at the grade five ELA more kids what is that 8% so probably 10 kids more met or exceeded so I see that as a positive. >> Which which grade? the grade six, >> grade five and actually grade six as well. They had a strong year in English language arts and that matches our sense of the teachers felt very positive going through the year with the kids and they were digging into the non-fiction reading and really making positive strides. Um but the three and four we've rearranged our intervention model so that we can do a lot more small groupoup instruction this year. up. >> Which one is the year for CKL CKLA year
103one? That was in 24. >> April 25. >> 25. >> Spring of 25. Last year's case >> last year. >> Yeah. Last year was the >> CKLA one year one. Okay. Gotcha. >> So, and I'm not saying it's the fault of the program at all, but >> Okay. to the extent that the third and fourth grade teachers were figuring it out. I'm also going to say that that four third grade group is the group from our point of view that is most impacted from CO. So if you look down at the math, I think that'll add an interesting layer, right? If you look at the third grade in math at 28% which is incredibly low, that supports our statement that that third grade group is the one with five sections, not four. So there's more
104of them by a lot and we think they are significantly impacted by co >> we again have changed the intervention model to try and really go after that. That's that's a hot spot for us is what is now our current grade four. >> Um we've already done some data work trying to pick that apart and understand it. Um, but interestingly, if you look at the group that just finished the grade four math, it's not as bad as it is in the language arts. One of our speculations is that the kids spend more time in intervention based on their home room. Um, but again, we're going to dig into these at the committee meeting and see more. um >> you'll you'll be able to tell us like how many kids we're talking about in each of
105these grades and that sort of stuff >> if that's something you want to know. Yeah, >> I can tell you the um the number quantity of students. Sure. >> What's interesting to see is how many kids are moving right from band to band, year to year. How many kids are moving from band two to three for example? Is it the same kids that are moving or is it different kids moving from two to three? That'd be interesting. And there's three kids, band three, moving down to two. Like, you know, I know you can't identify individual children, but So, let's flip over to science for a second. Science is a little different because it's only administered in grades 5, eight, and 11. So, it's not an every year assessment. We only get results for that once.
106But I will point out to you that while we have always been strong in science, you can see across the grade five line that every year we've exceeded the state that we continue to climb on that that we are our gap between us and the state gets bigger and bigger. So, we're very pleased with that and we only anticipate that being even more with the addition of um steam programming and drones and um coding is coming in through innovation station and all kinds of computer science stuff. So, we're excited about that. Um also under the science I included the average scale score um which just again shows sort of the growth over time. if our average scale score went from a 502 to a 505, you know, these numbers are meaningless really, but you can
107see it as a relative piece that we continue to grow um and continue to widen the gap between us and the state. So, the growth one is the one I want to dial in on for a minute because I want to explain it and then again at the committee meeting, we can really pick at it because it's a complicated but really important concept. Um, the state of Connecticut this really cool thing after they had enough years of ESPback data that they could um pull together, you know, large numbers. They looked at it and they said, "What is an ambitious yet achievable amount of growth that students should make?" And they didn't just say like every student should make the same amount of growth. They, you know, how they have four bands right now, right? Level
108one, two, three, four. And they split those in half. And so they said the students in the bottom half of band one, if we look at kids who made good growth over time, how much did their scores move versus kids in the upper half of band one, lower band two, upper band two? And so they acknowledge the fact that a kid at the top of band four is not going to make as much growth because >> they're not being exposed to that kind of content. People make different amounts of growth at different places. So they set growth targets. So they said, "Students who start with scores like Jonathan, we expect your score to move 76 points. Janette, we expect your score to move 39 points. Sandra, we expect your score to move 82 points." Right?
109So they set a number for each student. They don't tell us these actually. There's probably a place you can click in to see it, but they consider those goals to be ambitious yet achievable. So if they say Nora, you should earn your score should move 50 points on the scale this year and you go 50 points then your growth your percent of the target achieved would be 100%. >> You can get as much as 110%. So if you got 55 you would be at 110%. And if you only earned 40 you'd be at 80%. >> Ideally every kid should be at 100%. >> That's what you'd be striving for. That means you made an ambitious but achievable year's growth in a year's time. It's a lofty goal. No question about it. Some kids do make
110more than 100% and some kids make very little. So then they state gives you back the average percent. So they say if you take all the kids together, what's the average percent? So if you look at the chart here for this year, you'll see at the state at the different grades in ELA and math, what is the average percent of target achieved? So when we look at grade four in Winchester, it starts at grade four because these are matched data points. These are not where like the um to your point, some kids could have moved into two and out of three and whatever. The only kids who are included in this data are kids who we have a third grade score and we have a fourth grade score >> or we have a fourth grade
111score and a fifth grade score because they take the one score and they take the other score and they look at the difference. They look at what the target was and they say what percent. So of our fourth graders only on average we only made 53% of the goal amount of growth. To me, that's a huge opportunity. I look at that and say, "Wow, we can do better than that. >> We have to look at how we're using time. >> We have to look at how we're using our intervention. We have to look at all of our programs. We have to make sure we're teaching to the standards." But if on average in the state they're hitting 70%. We gota we got to get there. >> So, when I look at these, some of these
112are worrisome. Because again, the goal should be 100, but when you do the average with some kids being more and some being less, I've never seen a school with 100%. >> Um, even 80 is like lofty, but you got to get near 80, but I I meant to get to these guys before I said this here, but I can't wait to go see the fifth grade math teachers and pat them on the back. >> Those kids made crazy growth. >> Yeah. compared to everything else on this piece of paper, right? I mean, that's amazing. So, we have two teachers who've been with us a bit. They're really smart. They know the math. >> They're taking care of business, >> which tells me our kids can make great growth. Like, you know what? All of these
113were like the same thing across the board. >> So, that cohort group in grade four and 22 23 was at 48. >> Which group? uh this um ELA if I was looking at fourth grade. >> Yeah. >> 48%. >> Tell her the year the 22 >> 22 23 at 48%. Then they went to 74 like you're saying down here it's 76. They had a >> and then they went to 66. >> So again, now this isn't a percent of meeting something. >> 48 74 >> because now they're moving into sixth grade. >> Yeah. Yeah. Y >> okay. >> So it's how much growth they made in a year. So that's that's yeah that's instructional when you look at a group like that >> right because theoretically the capacity of the kids should be pretty similar.
114So in one year they made half a year's growth according to this. The next year they made >> three quarters and the next year twothirds. >> It's instructional but there's also other >> factors that come in right ELA CKLA CKLA was 2425. >> No I know but I'm saying yeah how does the state determine again their percentage? So the percentage in the state column is based on all the kids in the state mushed together. >> Yep. >> The way they came up with the goals or the targets was based on all the kids in the state over a period of like five years maybe starting five to eight years >> and then they just average it out and then that's the number that we're trying to beat and at least not fall. So, so their
115standard average target achieved fluctuates greatly too. So, do we want to hold ourselves to what the state has or do we want to have just a static listen, this is what we're going for and the state. >> I want us to get those growth numbers way up there. >> Yeah. >> You know what? The kids are the kids. They come knowing what they know, but let's make their time in our classrooms worth it. individual growth goal. Don't we get rated as a school system based on that? There's a report. >> Yeah. So, our >> performance indicator >> that's it. >> Our index rating that we get in roughly end of October. I think we looked at it last year at a November board meeting. >> Yeah. >> Will um include our growth. that will include
116our performance index for achievement because it'll take in not just what percent of your kids are in level three and four but what percent are in each of the levels and they sort of mosh that all together. >> Um our score on that this year will be dreadful because our attendance will be our fake attendance will be in it and we can't fix it. >> So >> and PE was a weird thing last year, wasn't it? >> We're fine. That was the year before. >> The year before. Okay. So >> interesting. >> So last >> that was actually two years before because last year's data was recovered from it. Yeah. >> All right. So we're going to talk more about this committee. That's good. >> So if there's questions that you have or things that
117you want me to come prepared to talk about specifically, feel free to send me questions. >> Okay. >> And otherwise we'll come with this as well as other pieces to the committee meeting and go deeper. >> Perfect. I thought that was probably as much as anyone could absorb in what I >> didn't want to just like send it to you to read on your own and say, "Okay, now >> forget it. We wouldn't just budge it." >> Exactly. So, that's that's your entry point and then we can go deeper from there. Okay. Thank you. >> Item eight, action items. A non-lapsing account discussion possible action. Uh motion to deposit the remaining funds from the fiscal year 2025 appropriated fund into the WPS non-lapsing fund account per Connecticut general statutes 10-248A. That's that 43,000 I'm forgetting
118off the top of my head now. >> Do you want to um just give a quick and brief >> 43,000 >> give a quick and brief explanation to anybody who's listening of what a non-lapsing fund is? Julie, you want to get Sure. >> for the audience. >> So, the statute says that if you um come within 2% of your expected spend but have 2% or less left over um your board can put that back in I'll say like your savings account almost. Um >> emergency fund >> and hang on to it to spend where and when you need to in the future. Um, ours I think we decided was about 0.05 of the budget. So, it's well below the non-lapsing limit. And basically, it's sort of encouraging you to be smart um smart and judicious
119users of the town's money. You build a budget that is genuinely reflecting what you think you're going to need to do and then you spend what you said you would. If you were coming up with huge percentages left over, it would suggest that you were way overcharging taxpayers. But to come in at 0.05 variance means you gave an ethical estimate to the town because a budget is not a budget like you think about what you do at home like we're going to budget to spend this on Netflix and this and this and this because we know we have this fixed amount. It's more like a spending plan because there are so many variables when you're building the budget that you don't control. like special. >> Exactly. >> Okay. Good. >> I make a motion. >>
120Yep. >> To move 43,63 into the non-lapsing fund. Have a first. >> All second. >> Okay. So, the first was >> I'll do this first. Y >> Jonathan, any further discussion? >> Nope. >> All in favor? Five to zero. Unanimous. All setive. Okay. Item B, discussion of possible action on the 2026 board of ed meeting calendar which is on page next >> okay these reflect the Tuesdays >> with a couple of uh tweaks tweaks >> this is I put this together for you all following um the current year's calendar >> and unless it says otherwise it is the second Tuesday of the month and the fourth Tuesday of the month as Our pattern is in the months that we meet and not in the months that we don't. Um the first asterisk, April 7th is
121during the first week of the month because the second Tuesday is during our spring vacation. Um and November 24th falls on the evening before a day Thanksgiving recess. >> Yes. I was going to propose that we do that actually I think the week before. Um >> 17. >> Yeah, let me just double check myself. November um November 26 the 17th would be the third week of the month. So that's what I would propose there because the 24th is the Tuesday night. There's no school Wednesday. Um And so if anybody's going anywhere for Thanksgiving, you're limiting their ability to take off. >> Um, so is the April 7th okay then too? >> Yes, April 7th is >> first this calendar. >> Yep. The first Tuesday. >> Okay. So with an edit November 17th for the committee
122meeting instead of the 24th that's on page 29, >> right? >> Okay. Do I have a motion to accept the calendar? I have a suggestion. Can I make a suggestion? I know the regular meetings are pretty much set because we're in the room and they're but I would suggest that maybe the committee meetings since there's going to be an election and new members perhaps it might be good to look at the committee schedule to see if other days would work besides Tuesday. >> Well, the um starts January. So then December would be Tuesday, November would be Tuesday. So um >> but if you guys wait and vote on this >> well the thing is we have to post meetings now >> why >> for the following year that's >> for 2026 >> if the following
123were to >> our job >> they can change it >> they can change an accommodation >> but we need to move forward with and they can decide to change it >> okay is it in our bylaws that we have to present a calendar a set monitor for 2026. >> It's somewhere >> in October or September. >> It's usually somewhere. I'm not sure if it's our bylaws. >> I'm just curious. >> Talk amongst ourselves. >> Because it says discussion and possible action. So, I'm assuming that because it's a possible action, we don't necessarily have to vote on it tonight. Well, it could be left for October. What's this? September, but it might be in the by >> just that there shall be a regular meeting. There shall be regular meetings of the board each month for
124at least 11 months of the year. 1 2 3 4 5 6 11. that we've met that um meeting schedule that's just [Music] >> um >> I don't think it specifies in the bylaws. I don't think I've ever read it that we have to have a special a calendar set not September for 20 for the preceding year. So then from a practical standpoint if we waited until November we meet in the second week we wouldn't have our meeting I mean if you wanted to split them and do the regular meetings now. We'll keep >> because we just don't have any meetings scheduled after December. So, >> right. So, the the regular meetings should be kept anyway because traditionally it's Tuesday. >> It's when we have the room control, right? But there's more flexibility with the
125committee meetings because we're in Hensdale. There's no tech to set up. We bring our scribe. It keeps us in line. >> Just a suggestion. >> Are you thinking of committee meetings in this room then instead of at Hinsdale? >> No, no, no, no, no, no. We'll keep them at Hinsdale. No, this room is too hard to schedule. >> Wednesday is usually no good because persons serve on the Gilbert court. >> How about we How about we do this? I'm going to make a motion that we accept regular meetings as Julie published here. motion to that regular meeting. >> Y [Music] >> further discussion. >> My only concern about separating them is that we have to remember to move forward with committee. >> Yes. >> I think we need group text to happen. >> What do
126you mean group text? >> As a reminder of meetings. Well, no. To vote on it, >> I think. No, I just meant we need to remember to put it on the agenda. >> We're not going to forget. No, that's >> I thought you meant that. We just have to >> All right. Motion's on the floor. >> All right. Other any discussion? Okay. Um, all in favor? One, two, three, four. Opposed abstension. I'll abstain 401. Okay. Item C, discussion of possible action, a custodian contract. So this has to go. So it's not accepted the committee meetings. So it has to go on. You didn't make a motion to I mean you could make a motion if you want to and let it pass or fail or we could just table that and do it at the
127November meeting. >> The problem is we don't set committees until the December meeting. >> Right. Right. >> I just remember that. So by say you don't >> do committee membership until December meetings, >> which is awkward because you have new members in November, but everybody can just go to the meetings, but you won't have a quorum to really do >> business. Well, I guess you would >> whoever's still on the board if they're on those committees. One possibility that the board may want to examine is looking at the bylaws. I think you can amend by two3 vote. >> 2/3 two meetings, two monthly meetings have to transpire before you make any final decision. >> Okay. So if you wanted to do something October and November and change your bylaws to say that at the November
128meeting, you set the committee membership. >> So it'll be when the new people get elected, >> right? Because otherwise it is a little weird. I think in previous years you may actually have done it at a November meeting, but your bylaws say December and if you wait till December, you won't really have any members in November, >> right? >> I can't remember. >> Yeah. And so you wouldn't have a committee meeting in November, >> which I typically don't. You I guess you don't. I mean, >> you're in the process of trying to figure out your officers in November, that first board meeting. I mean, you could put it on the agenda, but >> Yeah. So you can't >> you shouldn't you shouldn't committee membership in November unless you change your bylaw, >> right? No, we
129can't do that. So committees aren't selected until December. >> Oh, I remember that. >> And if they're not selected until December, it's at the December meeting when you figure out your committees that you're also figuring out schedule. >> I don't know what that means. Thank you for the welcome. >> Right. You could y because you'll have a December committee meeting that's already scheduled for your new members. >> But this No, this is 2026. When you talk about No, November 27th is 2026. So, it's already done. >> But this enables a committee meeting to happen. Well, that there's no election there in that year. >> Yeah, we have scheduled for this year, >> but we'll have no one >> no one to sit. >> But it's the second it's the it's the third. You could in
130the first meeting you you set right you elect your officers you form the committees everybody has to be on the finance committee so everybody's going to have to show up for the finance committee anyway because everybody is a member de facto on the finance committee >> well that's just best practice I think >> that's what I'm saying so then maybe at that meeting when everybody is sitting there then you say who's going to be on education committee >> November I think you take but you have to create a slate right I think you take suggestions but the bylaw say December maybe for a reason to pass the slate like in other words it's formalized in the in a due process way so in November you take suggestions you have to fill it out and so
131that December you're actually voting on it and acting on >> that seems like a lot why don't you just November meeting >> no because of the bylaws >> if you want to do committee membership in November you would need to amend your bylaws One thing that strikes me though is November you're electing a new board chair and the board chair nominates the but that's why there's a >> delay. So you don't know that you're going to be the chair until you hold that meeting. How could someone who doesn't know they're going to be the chair be prepared to nominate committees? >> That's correct. That's what I mean about the slate. >> Maybe that's why it's December by >> probably had a discussion on that first. >> That is correct. asking everyone. >> That's right. >>
132Let me know if you want to be on. I remember that. Yeah. >> So, I don't remember it being like >> Yeah, >> that's why that makes sense. >> So, that would make sense why it's December and not November, which begs the question then. Should we just not do committees in November? >> Because I don't know how you would >> committ. Well, no, it's a non-election year. Well, I mean, when you don't have an election, you could do it >> unless you just do the finance committee and then you talk about >> not >> well there's still no one even though you know you're going to put all the people on it they haven't been named on it until December so you're still not going to have like a quorum to hold the meeting >>
133I don't why you wouldn't >> if everybody is a member >> they're not a member until you have a meeting with their new members >> there could be some people say no I don't want to serve on finance sorry >> everybody's supposed to looks like a >> they don't have to is that that's not in the law. That's not what we were told. We were told everybody's on the phone. >> That's just be in part because we went through receiverhip. >> We went through receiverhip and so that was sort of like a a past practice for a number of years. >> So then you don't need to be on any committee is what you're saying. >> I guess t typically not. >> What does it say in the bylaws? >> It's volunteer as part of
134the committee. >> So when we join the board, >> you don't have to be on any committee. [Music] You have to We were supposed to be on the finance. Everybody was part of the finance committee and then you got to choose. >> I mean, it makes sense because you're part of the budget, >> right? Then people wanted to learn about the budget. It's complicated and we're coming out of receiverhip. We're in receiverhip finance committ. And it's not actually even typical. I think every district handles it their own way. I mean, in my last district, there were, you know, three people on a finance committee. There were four people on a curriculum committee. There was no committee as a whole. Your bylaws just say that at the regularly there may be standing or special committees. At
135a regularly scheduled meeting in December each year, the chair shall propose to the board which standing committee shall exist for the year and she'll establish the purpose for each. The chair shall propose the members to serve on each and she'll appoint a chair for each standing committee. So technically speaking, when you sit at the November meeting, >> whoever is sitting around this table will elect a chair. That's a different >> the regular meeting. >> The regular November meeting, you'll elect a chair and whatever the other positions are. >> Vice uh secretary >> secretary >> and that's it. >> Yep. So if you hold the November committee meetings this year because it's an election year, the only people who would be on committees >> inve. [Music] >> No, you wouldn't have a quorum, >> right? >>
136So no November committee meeting. you well that's the other thing is you reconstitute your committees and when you have an election year because you you have new people >> typically and then you change your quorum numbers too >> right >> so any standing or special committee may be discharged at any time by twothirds vote of the entire board unless the committee is discharged no member of a committee can be removed without the consent of that member but vacancies on a committee can be filled by appointment of the chair which appointment shall be approved or disapproved by majority vote of the board. If you wanted to hold, >> if you wanted to do all the things your bylaw said, then on the November meeting night, >> the new chair could appoint >> committee members, >> vacancy
137committee members that would hold that spot for one month and then you would do it all again in December when you revisit the question of do we want all the same committees, who wants to be on them, who's chairing them, >> but the board chair could for argument sake just um appoint all board members to all of the committees for November >> or you could just as Kurt said so excitedly and with great enthusiasm just not have and then you don't have to worry that's right >> then you don't have to worry about the November 24th meeting on a day >> different because you're not in election year just this year >> right I'm talking about this year >> that November dates next year >> correct Yeah, this one here. Gotcha. >> Geez Louise. All
138right. >> Okay. >> Well, still Thanksgiving. It follows the week of Thanksgiving. >> So, um, >> right. >> Hence why it's good to just >> I think we're reaching the witching order. >> I know. Sorry to feel a little >> kind of at least um I mean, let's see. What are we at? This is at um meeting calendar discussion, possible action on the meeting calendar. >> As it is, you're not going to have committee. >> Well, you could. It's the week of Thanksgiving. It's two days before Thanksgiving in November. >> Now, oh, so it is Tuesday night before the Wednesday. >> It's a Tuesday night before the Wednesday, which probably you're going to have every >> So, we will have committees in September and October. I'm pretty sure we have them scheduled in December as
139well. Although I can't square it without there's no rule in your bylaws that says how often committees have to meet. Um >> committee meetings on the 23rd >> of November. >> No, December. >> Oh, December 23rd. >> Who thought that was? >> Well, that's because Well, December's in the old >> That's terrible. >> Yeah. Whoops. But that was adopted before. I mean, we can make I I would like to make a motion to accept the committee meetings on page 29 just as a template so we don't lose ourselves in trying to figure out >> whether November meets or not. >> You know what I'm saying? As a standby and let the new board decide move to move it >> as see as they see fit. >> Then they can change the date. They can change
140their committee meetings, >> right? >> If you do that though, do they >> are they not the regular standing meetings then? And they would have to all be posted as special meetings. >> Well, that's it too. >> I don't know that I would set them and change them. I would either set them and live with them. >> Yeah. >> Or wait and do them. But I think once you set them, >> right, >> they're kind of set. Any change is special and that's a nightmare. That is a nightmare. >> Regular meetings stay the same. >> Stay the same. >> Regular meetings stay the same. Committee meetings we have not passed. >> Okay. >> 20 minutes into that and let's keep moving. >> Tiffany, you've got all that. Okay. So then at the next >> I
141feel like we needed that though. >> You did. >> Did we? Did we really? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Let's go to page item D. No, >> possible action the custodial contract. >> Okay. >> Um I'll do detail with custodial and maintenance and then I'm going to tell you that the executive and administrative assistance followed very closely. So I'll do that more quickly. Um Nancy has clean copies of both of these contracts here for Nora to sign. Right. >> Yes. >> Right. Assuming if the board in fact passes this. So, um the process went into mediation um because we were pretty far apart. Um it is like contracts are typically a three-year agreement. The wages are the first thing you'll see there. Um in year one, um people who are everyone will have a 2.5
142gross wage increase to their salary. In year two, people who can take a step will take a step and Everyone will have 2.25. >> General >> year two the secretary first >> custodian. >> Sorry. >> So everybody gets 2.25. Yes. >> And what is the >> what is the steps in gender? What is what are the steps the step will provide people? >> What would the step provide people? >> How much is the step increase? >> So they get 2.25 plus the 4% >> people already at top step >> about half. >> So we took that into account when we were doing the financials. >> So it's two. So year two plus the step is really 6.25 increase. How many people we're talking on the custodial maintenance contract? >> Seven. >> Okay. So, we're talking
143about seven people in the district. >> Do you have actual numbers or >> Sure, she does. >> I'm sorry. >> Do you have actual numbers to the >> It was a rhetorical question. They're not on our sheet. >> Um, year three, the people who can take a step do take a step. The people who are on the top get 2.5 because they can't take a step. >> So there's no general wage increase to any step except the top, >> right? >> Step. >> So either you take a step or you >> Oh, and step over the three years. >> Yeah. with the steps of the GWI for the current >> folks, it's a total of 10.77% increase over the threeear period. >> And what's that like in total dollars? >> I'd like to see that
144before we included. Okay. So, >> but you also um look at the health premiums and the dental premiums, they went up. So any increase in say your DWI is going to be eaten up by your health costs, your premium costs, >> right? So currently people in this group are contributing 15.5% to their to the cost of their health plan and their dental plan. >> Those will go up to 16 then 17 and 17.5% in each of the three years of the contract. Um, most of the other things in here are probably not of great interest. Um, the paid time off during the summer. In the summer, our custodian and maintenance folks um can work 10-hour days. So, they're still working the same number of hours, but they work instead of five days of eight hours,
145they do four days of 10 hours if they choose. A loophole with that was that the um leave time, whether you took a vacation day or a sick day, wasn't matched with that. So, you could use one sick day and take off a 10-hour day. So, now it's 1.2 sick days or 1.2 vacation days. So, that was really just one of those like math problems of when the train was going to crash, but now it works. Um, >> how does this compare to other custodial maintenance contracts in this the area? the the DR, not the DR, sorry. Contiguous area >> comparable. >> We have one maintenance person, huh? >> Yes. >> Yeah. But that's we're a small district. We have two buildings. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Does this Does this need to be voted
146on tonight? it goes into effect July one that passed already. So, we should >> we have to make um adjustments to their past pay, >> right? They're not getting paid in these rates yet >> until it's approved by us. I see. >> They've gotten no raise since last year. >> Yep. I see. I was just wondering that I wondered if we should wait till other members. >> Can you give us a ballpark cost of the district at, you know, seven people at 10.77%. or you don't want to go there. >> I really don't. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Many districts were going for 12% over three years. So, we were able to come in and SC underneath. >> Sure. And then again, the health and the dental premiums sort of eat up some of that. >>
147I mean, they don't make that much money to begin with. So, we're not talking big. >> Right. The percent on an hourly work person who's not making >> How much do our custodians make per hour? tens of thousands of dollars over three years. We're not talking >> No, but how much what is our hourly rate for custodians? >> 20.19 is what they're currently making. So, they got a bit of a bump. >> $20 an hour. Yep. And 19 cents. Okay. All right. Any other discussion? I think so. I make a motion to accept the custodial maintenance due contract given the highlights as presented on page 30. I have a second. >> I'll second >> Janette. Further discussion. Okay. All in favor. Okay, that's five to zero. Unanimous. Thank you. >> Okay, now we move to
148the secretar's contract. Item D, executive and administrative assistant. just point out that we don't actually have any administrative assistants currently in the district. Um we're down to three executive assistants, right? >> Yes. Um so again, a three-year contract. In year one, um it's 2.5 gross wage increase for everyone. No steps. Year two, if you're on the top step, you get 3%. If you're not on top step, you don't get a gross wage increase, but you do take a step. And in year three, it's 2.5 to the top step and step if you're not on top step. So years two and three are the same pattern, but one year is 3%, one year is 2 and a half%. Total package price percent, >> I'm sorry, >> the percent for the three years together for the full
149contract >> probably the same, right? And that was driven largely because we have one person on the top step which is step six and then we have two people on step one. So it was little baby steps. The health cost sharing is the same as we just talked about in the custodians contract. Um the decreasing hours doesn't change the amount they're working. It just has to do with whether or not how many of those hours have to be in the days immediately before the opening of school. >> Um, >> what I don't I still don't understand that though. What do you mean? >> So, I'm going to try and do this the simplest way because this contract is really weird, but executive assistants work the school year and then they work another 100 hours in
150the summer. >> Okay. >> So, >> um, the of those 100 hours, I think like six days of it. I'm making that up. I think it's six days have to be the six days immediately prior to the start of school. >> Okay. >> And then also it used to say 35 more hours have to come immediately before that. So working a seven-hour day, it meant that the secretaries were coming back on a Friday to work a Friday a week and then because we always start school on a Wednesday, the teachers come Monday then Tuesday. So what this did was it said seven of these hours, the 35 to 28 meant you didn't have to work the Friday before the week. You still have to do those hours, but we're just not making you be there
151that particular day. What does the hours break down to for the summer then? How many hours a week? >> So they're working a 100 hours, but it's spread out. It's like I'll say by appointment. >> So per week, how many hours is that? >> Well, there's roughly eight weeks of summer. >> Yep. >> So, let's say you take a couple weeks off. So maybe you work six of the weeks or maybe some people take off longer but if you work six weeks six times >> but they're taking that 16 hours would get you to the 100. >> so it's 100 hours spread over eight weeks. Gotcha. That's what I was >> working with the principles they set a schedule. Ideally, the principles want them there sort of a little bit little bit little bit so
152that as registrations come in, they're opening them, entering them, and keeping us >> Gotcha. Um the administrative assistance actually is one less workday, but we don't have anybody in that category, so that would benefit us if we did in the sense that we would. Is that written by this district in this manner or is that normal >> the hours thing? the whole thing executive assistant for four days the or whatever you're >> it's ours there's no like stock secretary contract or anything at this >> okay so we're ran by what was previously done >> right so we don't make dra we don't do like a new contract when we do a new contract we take the existing contract >> and each group makes a proposal for ways you would like to change it >> okay
153so >> so the bulk of it remains the same >> okay but it works for our district >> yep >> okay >> right and when it doesn't work we try to change it like we tried to negotiate to lengthen the executive assistance day by 15 minutes. We would paid them their hourly employees. They've got paid for it, but they're not quite there the entire time we need them from like when the doors open till the kids get on the buses, >> but we couldn't get them to bite for that. >> So, um, so the 8.5% is affecting it's three people. Yep. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> You know this district, Nancy. >> Okay. I make a motion to accept the executive administrative contract highlights as given on page 31. >> Second. >> That's Kurt. Okay.
154All in favor? That's five to zero. Okay. Thank you everyone. Um Okay. Okay. Item E, discussion of possible action proceeding with the planning of a roof project for Pearson. Um, just to give it the further forward motion to move ahead that we're giving it, I call it the blessing, but um the the process to move it forward and and to give the signal to the community that the roof is going to go forward. >> Yes. >> You had a better phrase for that. >> Yes. So, this as Norah said, really is just about a blessing. Make sure the board has an appetite to pursue this. It's not actually committing the town to anything because ultimately to do a roof project it will undoubtedly require a referendum on the part of the town to allocate the
155money even though a lot of it will come back. The reimbursement our rate is 70% right now. So um really what this is is just looking everyone in the eye and saying yes we want to make it stop raining in Pearson school. >> Right. Well we need to do that. Right. what whatever happened because I know there's a bunch of of um comments about the roof at the last meeting and some of it was incorrect, but I know that we had um that whole solar thing that we were all set to move forward with and then we kind of got stopped in the tracks, but that was going to pay for the Pearson roof. Where are we? Where are we with that with the town manager? So solar first of all is a little bit
156off the table. The incentives for it seem to have dried up. Um >> but even before that like the reason and again this is way before my time but my understanding is when we got close to the finish line the numbers weren't jelling. Correct. Like the solar company was a little bit selling us something that sounded lovely. What do they say? It sounds too good to be true. It probably is. And we weren't actually getting a free roof. We were like financing it through the solar company. Right. You're defraying the cost a little bit with the benefit from the solar, but it wasn't actually >> and they were basing it off of incorrect electric. >> Right. Right. >> So solar is not 100% off the table. Before we ever get to a place where we're
157actually doing a project, everything will get a look, but it doesn't seem to be a front runner based on my right >> watching the process unfold. So what we do know is that it turns out much like your home. You can have two roofs, two layers. We have one. So, potentially we may be able to put a roof over rather than rip it up. If we can do that, that's a great cost savings. We know that based on the $250 we've spent so far to get the first test. The next level of test um that the person that um Troy Lamir sent our way, who turned out to be a great guy and he's been very helpful, would cost about $5,000. the town allocated I don't recall at the top of my head if it
158was 40,000 or >> somewhere between 40 and 50,000 for exploration of the roof project to like start because you need startup money to get enough information to get bids. So the Garland company is recommending that we do what's called a moisture test. might have had a more fancy name that I'm forgetting, but which basically they check what it's like under that first level of roof to see if your insulation is dry. If it's too wet, you can't put a second one off. You've got to rip it off tonight. You can, you know, about this. I can tell >> a little bit. >> Good. >> We talked about this at our last meeting. >> Lots of people who know about these things. So, the moisture test is good for about a year. One of Paul's worries
159was if we have one guy do it, is the next guy going to come out and say it's not valid? This guy said test is good for up to a year. Um, you know, after a certain amount of time you have to redo it because it could have gotten moist. >> The other thing he's recommending is that we do an asbestous test and just find out because you're going to have to do it at some point. >> Better to know when you're going out to bid. Are you going, you know, he says these two tests will tell you what you're ultimately going to need to go to bid for. are you doing a second roof or are you doing a rip up >> and are you abading asbestous or not? >> So >> that would
160be bad >> getting those two he suggests those are the two things you ought to do next and then the answers to those will allow companies to legitimately bid your project with realistic bids. >> Okay. >> Um so if the board has an appetite I'll go back to Paul and talk further and please >> it's the town's building and >> Kurt's like stop talking. So, so, so we, so I think we make a motion to direct Julie to work with >> Paul, the town manager, to move forward on the project. >> I'll make that motion. >> I'll second, >> Tiffany. Okay, on that one. >> Remember, we're making a movie. She can always go back. >> Okay. All right. All in favor? All right. Five to zero. So, we're directing Julie to move ahead. Thank
161you, everyone. Public comment. Anybody wishing to speak? >> Any wishing to speak? Anyway, okay. Thank you. >> We were everyone. >> Moving on. Do I have a motion to adjurnn at 9:28 p.m.? >> I make that motion. >> Second. >> Okay, Janette. >> Thank you. All in favor? Five to zero. Thank you everybody. >> What do we forget? >> Jonathan didn't get the opportunity to second.