1-22-18 Groton Board of Education Meeting

001Hi, my name is Samantha Petros. >> Hi, my name is Diana Feliciano. >> Hi, my name is Joshua Morvales. >> Keep watching GPS 19. >> Things are looking up. side of the book. >> Those are people to stand up. >> All right, I am going to call the meeting to order. >> It is about 3 after 6. Welcome everyone to the Graten Board of Education regular meeting. It is January 22nd. Um, and the mission statement of the Grten Board of Education is teaching and learning and the board goals is to provide dynamic, rigorous curriculum and to ensure effective and engaging instruction and embrace excellent learning environments. [clears throat] Um, can we raise uh rise for the pledge of allegiance, please? And excuse me, Mr. Aarice, would you be willing to start the pledge for us?

002>> Thank you. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Yep. Thank you. The next um item on our agenda, I am actually going to let um our uh vice chair Dr. Arian uh go forward. >> Aren't you going to ask me to introduce the >> Well, it's your it's this is your agenda. This is your >> I don't want to say no. [laughter] >> But I'll go up there and tell you why. >> Okay. >> She's telling us why she's not going to introduce them. >> She's not going to introduce the >> scholars. the scholars. She's going to go up there and tell us why. >> But they're coming. >> I

003think she's being goofy. >> It's always my pleasure to introduce the Martin Luther King scholars, but this year I'm not going to do that. And the reason is that I went to twice. I went to the international balariat c ceremony at the end of the year at Fitch High School and I saw the most impressive students introduce each other. So I'm going to let our scholars introduce each other. >> Y [applause] >> hello everyone. Um >> good evening. >> Nice to have because it's on TV. >> Okay. My name is Daryl Brady. Hello. And it's a pleasure to talk to you all here. And I'll today I'll be introducing Jamine Importante who's standing right here. Me and Jamine have been friends for the past three years. Ever since high school, we've been here. Um Jamine

004again is a fellow high schooler of mine. And she is an honor student and advanced placement student. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has earned the principles award, the Mount Holio Book Award, and she has also earned the Raheem Carter Memorial Award. Jamine is president of the more than words club at our school, which is led by Dr. Grineer, and this is where she and other students from the district also come together to talk about social awareness and the importance of cultural diversity. She has also been recognized for her achievements in business and in art. Jamian also does program leadership and is a pro is a playground coordinator for Grton Parks and Rex. She is also a peer youth peer advocate for the Graten Adolescence substance abuse prevention coalition. A Christian

005woman, Jaime also attend did Bible study for the past three years and she helps people at her church learn the Bible in her native language to Galog and she has also dedicated herself 10 hours every single month to do congressional service for the public. And her school of choices that she will be attending or hoping to get accepted to would be TUS Yukon and Northeastern universities. Jamie no. [applause] >> Good evening everyone. >> Good evening. >> Okay. >> So, I'll be introducing Lily Johnson tonight. She's standing right there. As a person who's known Lily Johnson since we were in seventh grade, I can tell you that she is an absolutely outgoing and absolutely fearless individual who will do whatever it takes to achieve her dreams and make them come true. At school, uh, Lily Johnson

006is an international bachelorate diploma candidate and also a member of the National Honor Society. Um, in her high school career, she has received the Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony Award for her outstanding commitment to social justice. Um, [snorts] and also the Secretary of State student citizen award. Lily is also the president of the Key Club. And as a three sport athlete and winner of the Eastern Connecticut Conference Sportsmanship Award, Lily is the co- captain of the indoor track team. And just recently on Friday, her and her teammates beat the school record for the fifth time in the 4 by 200 relay race. >> Um, Lily School of Choice include Princeton and Northeastern University where she in intends to double major in global studies and political science. She also wants to pursue a doctorate in

007international affairs in order to work at the United Ned Nations, excuse me. Uh, she also wants to become a college professor in the future. This is Lily Johnson. [applause] I met my dearest friend Daryl Brady in ninth grade and we've just grown really close. [laughter] Daryl is vice president of National Honor Society and he's enrolled in AP Yukon and honors classes. Daryl is also a musical genius. He plays the piano, drums, acoustic, excuse me, the string and upright bass, as well as the alto saxophone. He's also part of the wind assemble concert band, jazz band, and he's a musician for the Mount Mariah Fire Baptist Holiness Church. Isn't it's amazing. He is also part of More Than Words, as he touched on earlier. and he has been recognized in the community with the VIP great

008and fairness awards. He is also a multi-year perfect attendant student. Daryl's schools of choice include Boston, Temple, and Yukon universities where he plans to study chemical engineering and music. Daryl Brady. [applause] >> I would just like to say uh that two of our our our guests uh really distinguished themselves uh thanks to the service I saw at at St. James Church. Uh, I knew from more than words that Daryl was a was a terrific musician, but I I never actually heard him play and he was mesmerizing on on Sunday. It was just absolutely the most remarkable, very complex piece and it just filled the church with music and and Jamine uh somehow in in with this wonderful musical but loud voice filled the whole church and I was very intimidated and and Lily got up

009and and introduced some speakers and and was a was a distinguished like she just did right now was a distinguished speaker. So uh these are are three. It's rare that a high school gets three. Dr. Ekerman can verify that. Uh but to have three scholars of this caliber and we just so proud of you and I know you're >> we're we'll we'll be looking for you at the Martin Luther King next uh next year at at at the dinner in October and because I know you're I know you're going to excel and it's just it's just a delight to see in in this venue. So, thanks so much for coming. I wonder if I could add just one more thing and that is that all of our scholars are wonderful and there were nine scholars

010this year and I wanted to take note to say that Lola Colette's daughter Shelby Olsen Lola is a teacher at Westside and Shelby Olsen was one of our recipients and she also sang a Maria at the um it was it was a solo with an introduction by on violin by one of our other schol scholars. We are so proud of you. Thank you so much for coming tonight. >> Thank [applause] you. [applause] >> Yay. >> Like all good students, they're going to go home and study now. I I [laughter] better >> exams. >> Yeah. All right. Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good job. >> You do dis you do our district proud. On the next part of the agenda is comments from citizens. Um and the agenda items and

011other subjects of concern that lie within the jurisdiction of the board of education. This is the portion of the agenda where the board welcomes comments from citizens. Each presentation should be limited to 5 minutes or less. Um and citizens should if possible submit written comments. presentation should be related to matters pertinent to Graten. Board members will only ask questions in order to clarify the speaker's presentation and cannot respond during the comments from citizens portion of the board meeting. Citizens should make their presentation from the podium and state their names and addresses for the record. Mr. Jones, was there anyone that signed up? >> Okay. Is there anyone from the audience? Porsche, can you >> Well, it's really hard to follow such uh three amazing students. That's really exciting to see. So, um what a positive

012thing for our district. Um just want to apologize showing up in my work uniform as I would can only come straight here. Um my first um thing that I wanted to to just openly speak about was, you know, once again becoming an alliance district. Um, I'm just encouraging uh the board to um I'm hoping tonight we will have some of the answers as to why we are an alliance district and what we will be doing to fill in those deficiencies or areas where we were designated an alliance district. With that being said, um this budget year we cut a lot of our remedial support, but I just wanted everyone to remember that even though we cut the remedial support and the remedial staff, that was not in the same year in which we are being

013considered an alliance district. The data for which if my understanding is the previous year or even the year before that. So I have major concerns that we possibly are deficient in that area. Recently, we voted to reinstate the funds back to the original amount of the previous school year. Um, but is that still enough considering how we became an alliance district was before the cuts? So, those are some of the questions that I have. I also have some concerns about piloting of programs in our district. I feel there's not enough transparency or parent communication or notification even before uh different programs are actually being piloted. One example would be this year in sixth grade we're piloting a new program for math. Even though I was told that our core curriculum stayed the same and that

014the unit lesson plan would stay the same, they were implementing new material that was different. But none of that information is told to us until arriving at the school on day one when we start to see the material or when I start asking questions like where's the textbook or where's the paper or how do I reference this information then I'm told oh you know I'm sorry we're we're piloting a new program we have um an online password with uh information that pertains to that but I feel that we could do better. I I looked around and spoke to other people in other districts and asked, "Hey, what do you guys do when you pilot a program?" That is something that is notified to the parents either an all call or a open house where we

015actually go into great detail about what does it mean that we're what what curriculum we're actually piloting and how that material may look and how we can access it considering we have no textbooks that come home. So, I have some major concerns about that. My next concern is our freshman science next generation class, which is also new this year. Once again, no textbook. I was told we're photocopying pages from a CAP testing book, which we're using as our means to propel these kids through uh the next generation class. I was also told that a task force is still uh working to finalize that class. And I have major concerns with the students that are currently in it. If it's not really finalized or we really don't have the direction, how are we actually teaching these

016these children and students in that class to the expectation that they should? Um once again, no information on that really. Um my my next uh point from once again these are from attending all the meeting is the magnet schools. I understand that we're becoming a magnet school for um middle school and we're also going to be consolidating that into a >> Just want to let you know you have one minute. >> Sure. I'll get through this last piece. Um a magnet school once we consolidate into one and I heard that we had got a grant which is wonderful but I have major concerns about when that grant money runs out. Are we going to be able to afford to still fund this program? because at many of the meetings I've heard from Northeast Academy and

017Katherryn Kolnowski that there's services and things that are lacking that really make this school a magnet school. So I'm just hoping that we are looking at the big picture here. My last thing is transparency attending the board of ed meetings. As you guys all know I attend about 95%. I feel it's really the board or whoever is in charge of the meeting's job to make sure that everybody in attendance has a copy of any material that's being handed out. It actually felt it it really feels um I don't know I can't give you the word right now. Um but there should be copies. We're in a building that has a photocopy machine. And as an elected official in this town as well, speaking from that area, it's really important that the budget and all those

018information and all those papers are handed out and distributed to everybody in the room, not just teachers that showed up and people around the the the table. You know, I feel that everyone that makes it their business to attend should have a copy. So these are my concerns with communication. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else that would like to speak? Um in the response to comments from citizen um uh Porsche, I you are absolutely correct. The budget um paperwork should have been out and that was a that was a comment that we all shared with ourselves the next meeting. Um and so we're hoping to do um better on that. Um oftentimes we do have enough paperwork. Um but this is actually the first time that our business manager and the board have

019met in terms of the budget. Not making excuses, just stating facts. Um and I will also be working with Dr. Ger to talk about the communication program, but I do know that many of these things have been communicated um through our the woman that does our and her name is escaping me, Rebecca Bias. um that a lot of the communication had um had come out in many of the flyers and also um me actually a lot of the different media events but thank you very much and we will continue to strive to do better. Um at this point oh Rita >> um I just have a question. Um I was wondering if if Susan at at our maybe our next CO could just speak to the um freshman science next generation course and give us

020some information about that. >> Right. I would definitely investigate that. >> Yes. And also the um did the math sixth grade piloting math book, did that come before the curriculum committee? >> Um yes, that was done by the math task force. So there's certain um chapters that are really within our curriculum that are just using a different delivery system, different kinds of problems that they're solving. >> Is it Westside and Cutler? >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Right. Now at the student representative reports. Hi guys. >> So this week is kicking off a joyous week for our students. I hope you can sense my sarcasm [laughter] with uh midterms are starting this Wednesday. Um and they're going to run from Wednesday till the end of this week. And then Monday will be our last uh

021midterm. And then that will also mark the end of semester 1 which um I'm happy and excited about but I'm also really sad because that means half the year is pretty much over. Um, and then Tuesday will officially kick off semester 2. So, some of the students that have like uh semester long classes, they'll be getting their new schedule. Um, so that's very exciting. Class council updates. The seniors are having a Applebee's fundraiser on Wednesday, February 28th, and it's from open to close. And then the juniors will be selling Fitch lanyards. And then this is also very exciting. One of my seniors um is directing her own play, and it's the boy in the striped pajamas. It's this Thursday and Friday at the school at 700 p.m. Um, if you are available, it's completely free

022and it's open to the public. Um, they are asking for donations, but um, ultimately she just wants as many people to come out and see it. Um, she's been working very hard. I know many of the students on the cast. She auditioned all of them. She casted them all. She's been directing it. She's been helping the kids with the lines and everything. So, if you are able to make it, it's this Thursday and Friday, the 25th and 26th at 700 p.m. at the school. All right. The Fitz music department is having a really big month. Uh they started off uh January 14th, the Fitz Chamber Choir performed in the Mystic River Coral Concert at Connecticut College. Uh, and they both the Fitz Jazz Band and the chamber choir and the women's choir will be performing

023at the NEA celebrate the arts event. Uh, the jazz band is on Thursday, February 1st at 11:00 a.m. and the chamber and women's choir is the second uh at 10:30 a.m. And then the jazz band on February 10th will go to Boston to perform in the Berkeley Jazz Festival. And then uh the band concert, the annual band concert will be on February 11th at 7 PM in the Fitch Auditorium. >> Wow. >> Great. That's it. >> Thank you. >> That's a Sunday night. >> Is that a Sunday night? >> It's a Sunday night >> for >> the band concert February 11th, was it? >> Oh, February 15th. >> Sorry, that's my own hand. >> Yeah, that's better. [laughter] >> Nice catch. >> All right. Thank you. Good luck, guys, on your exams. >> Thank you.

024>> Um, uh, now it's the superintendent reports. Well, I'm going to go up to the show a little power and I actually a back on the front. Thank you. >> So, I know there's been a fair amount of interest in the the how we became an alliance district and what an alliance district is and so forth. So uh now that uh Miss Austin and I have been in contact with the alliance district office, we can answer uh some questions. Uh the fundamental fundamental principle of alliance districts, thank you. Is that uh all districts, not just alliance districts are are measured by 12 indicators. And the indicators are the academic achievement status measured on state assessments uh uh which includes the ESPback tests, the science test when it actually uh is not yet for the for

025u uh ready for this year. Uh and and the SAT that's that's the high school test. Uh each of those areas which I'll explain in a moment has an academic growth component to it. uh the it's all they also measure the assessment participation rate. There's there are goals for that. Uh the the rate of chronic absenteeism which is defined by more than 10 absences and then a series of uh preparation for post-secary career and and college uh readiness courses. Uh preparation for the exams the the percent of those exams passed. graduation rate for students who entered high school and then four years later also the graduation rate six years later for those who don't finish on time but finish after six years uh the post-secary entrance rate physical fitness exam a and the arts uh

026access to arts which actually only measured at the high school uh so how I think a lot of people want to know h how districts are identified as as alliance some districts are alliance districts. Uh so a few steps one is uh it includes all local and regional school districts. It does not include uh public charters endowedmies like NFA and and so forth. Uh it also number two it does not include a tiny relatively small school district of less than a thousand students. uh it then the list basically sorts all the districts according to an accountability index which I'll explain in a minute uh and then uh they this year they add any districts that were previously identified as as alliance districts for the fiscal year ending uh 13 to 17. There were 30 districts.

027three districts were due to come off and because of the financial implications for those three districts they uh they requested to stay on uh be be because of the support uh that that they were receiving. So they actually expanded the list to 33 districts. Uh there were a few districts that were not eligible because of uh numbers one and two. So we actually came out number 36. uh but nevertheless uh we're in in the group. So I'm I'm going to go through this in some detail and I'm glad you have the papers uh right in front of you. I'm going to I'm going to do uh numbers uh one A through F and then two uh A through D because this is really the academic measures of of how we did. And what I've done

028here is I've listed uh actually thanks to Erica Krider in in Susan's office uh I've listed the index score that our students received last uh well it was actually two springs ago. It's the 1560 net last year's data is not yet available. uh what the target was and and for academic targets it's always 75% uh uh index not not 75% a score of 75 and and and then the what the state average was for that index so in the case of uh English language arts our index was 67.2 2 the state average was 67.7 but for our high need students which are defined as free and reduced lunch English language learners or special education students our index was 59 the state 59.4 Before the state average was 56.7. All our math students scored 62. The

029state average was 61. Our high need students scored 50 54.5. The state average was 49.9. For science two years ago now 58.7 for all of our students, 57.5 uh for the state average. For science high needs we had 52. the state average was was 47. And now there are measures of growth. That is to say, there's a target that Susan's actually going to talk about. How well did the students go towards achieving that target? So some some students meet 100% of the target. Some students only meet 50% of the target and they take an average of of all the the it's not the percentage of the kids, it's the percentage of the target. And so if you look at the target growth for all students, we scored 61% and the state average was 63.4 60

03063.8 the average for high need students English language arts was 57.8 8. Uh the state average was 58.3. The math targeted growth uh for all all students was 64.5. The state average was 65. And the state uh average I mean the our highnee students uh for uh for math was 59.3 and the state average was 57.4. So I just give you a moment to look at that and compare us academically to the state and you can uh you can draw your own conclusions u about that but if you if you look at look at purely on the academic but but like the like the gratic uh the index is more than just academics. Uh so then if I go to uh measure 4A uh our uh chronic absenteeism for all students is 11.1. Chronic absenteeism

031are students who have 10 or more absences. Uh our average was 59.1. State average was 9 what am I saying? 11. Thank you. 11.1. Uh and the state average was 9.6. So we got some work to do there. And the target is less than 5% the state is expecting for everybody. >> Uh the uh chronic absenteeism uh for uh for high need students ours was 15.8. The state was 15.6. The percent participation rate in CCR college and career ready courses. We we've got some research to do on this. Oh, I'll do it. Oh, good. Then Susan will explain that in a minute. Our our percentage of students taking college and career ready courses was reported as 52.6. State average was 67. So that's a significant uh decrease for us that we have to look into.

032The percentage passing exams was 34.5. The state average was 40.7. On track for graduation, we have 90.1. The state average is 85.1. The four-year graduation uh rate, the cohort was 87.5 for us, 87.2 for the state. The sixyear was 75.3 for us and 78.6 uh for the state. >> And the target for that one is 94%. So the targets are changing too. If you notice with the different clusters, >> postsecary entrance is 67.9. And the state average was 71.9. Physical fitness, the first number is the percentage of students who took the test. We had 97.1 children take the test and 41.5 uh passed on all four measures. Uh the state average uh was not 97 but only 89% took the test and uh and 50 uh and 50%. So again, we had more students take

033the test, but the state had a higher percentage of students who who passed. And then the arts access again, which is a measure that we're going to have to look into, uh is is 54 uh% for us. and 47. Even though we're way higher than the well, maybe not way higher, but even though we're higher than the arts for the state average, um it still is somewhat uh it doesn't make sense to me that we only have 54% have access to arts. Uh it's it's better than that. But if you I I didn't uh I didn't include the the number here but our index big picture index is uh se 73.2 too. Uh the what the state is hoping for is that we get to 75. And when uh we get to 75, uh we

034will still remain for the next four years this year and four more years an alliance district. So we'll still continue to get the the support at least the ECS support. Uh and we will uh I know there was a uh there's there's a request from our legislators uh to fund Graten's [clears throat] uh alliance program commensurate with the funding that is that is being provided to to the other 30 31 of the 33 districts gets significant funding. Uh Gratton finds itself uh one one of the two unfortunately that doesn't get any funding. I'd like to go back to the um college career ready standards. And with that, it's the percentage of students in grades 11 and 12 who meet the benchmark on any one of these indicators. Now, the SAT is given as our state

035test in grade 11. So, all of our students get, you know, meet the SAT and um but they also look at the ACT, the AP, and the IB to see if they've met the benchmarks on that. And then also looking at the courses that our children are taking. So it's really important that we lift the bar and have the expectation that all kids you know have the opportunity for um you know the honors courses AP IB um and you know now that we do not have the basic courses we have the you know um college so that's a way of lifting the bar but also making sure that we're giving the right level of support that kids need as well. So that's what those two indicators are showing. >> Uh Sue the ELA stands for

036what? >> English language arts. >> Thank you. Go ahead. >> Been a couple years. So these are kind of our marching orders because in order for us to make growth and to reach those different targets whether it's 75% for the academics whether it's less than 5% for the chronic absenteeism um it's really important that and I think we talked about this at our retreat you know the tortoise and the hair slow and steady wins the race that it's really important that we you know monitor the data, monitor our students, and then really put into action plans those areas that we need to really work on. Whoops. I was going to try to make this grow a little bit. So, the first is our DPI for the year. And if you look at it, um it

037really starts um 161 17. Our data originally was the 1516 year, but if you look at each year and add on those percentages that are indicated, even after the fifth year, we're still not there yet. >> Could you explain again what DPI stands for? >> Yes. >> District performance index. So that's the index that we have that that's the measure that the state gives us by taking some of the ESPback scores that are on one range and some of the SAT scores are on another range. Remember remember we had that uh so what they do is they mathematically they take a high score for SAT and a high score for ESPback and they give it an index number. So our index I guess the index goes up to I know the index goes up to

038100. So, our index for all of the English language arts, SAT and ESPback, they're saying to us we have to get to a >> or whatever it says. >> Um, actually, I can't read it either because my [laughter] >> um they're saying that we have to get to 68, >> you know, starting at 68.1 to 68.6. Now, that doesn't mean that if we make more growth, you know, in a year, >> right, >> we're going to turn it down. We'd love to see it make even bigger growth than that, but that's kind of the expectation as they lay it out for everybody and that to eventually meet that target of 75. The next one is mathematics achievement. And again, you know, they're looking for like nearly a percentage point from one year to the next

039and then growing each year thereafter. So um you know we have not received the data for 1617. We haven't taken the test for 1718. So these you know and by the time we get the information unfortunately you know this level of information we're already into the next testing session. So but we will be keeping track of this very carefully. Um English language arts most of the scores are in that 60% range. Um we were actually told that only 10% of all the districts in Connecticut have 86 or better. So that you know it's a really small number of schools. And we really um found out that in the achievement that we were kind of neck andneck with the state. But when it came to things like chronic absenteeism, which is 10 or more absentee, um

040we were really, um, you know, far off from the state, way over in chronic absenteeism, and especially if the state eventually wants us to be less than 5%. So, this is an area that we really do want to make sure that we're um investigating and finding out what are some of the problems with this, why is this happening? The next one is the four-year adjusted um cohort graduation rate and also the six-year um adjustment um graduation rate adjusted cohort graduation rate. So those um and though the expectation or target for that will be 94%. So um any questions on that? So these are kind of our marching orders and even in the alliance grant as we were writing it we had to write smart goals and those smart goals around each of these indicators were

041that we were hoping to achieve this or better. So Jay and then Gretchen, do you have a question? And then Rita, >> um I'm trying to understand, [clears throat] do we know what percentage of the state has already moved ahead with removing general classes from the high school? >> I don't have that answer, but I could. >> Okay. So I mean is that number skewed by the fact that that has been the trend and we are still counting in the 2015 um 2016 um the students that are in the general classes. In other words, is this is this just sort of a academic fiction that that other districts have reclassified their courses as college prep and therefore their numbers look better? >> I don't know. That's a very good question. >> And number two, >>

042excuse me, >> we may get an answer to that because the 1617 score should be out in a month or so. >> Okay. >> So, I I of course we're going to be fascinated to see where we are 15 on the 1617. I I just wonder if someone at the Department of Ed knows, you know, what the the trend has been and what the numbers are for all the different schools, you know, well, they're definitely looking more access to the higher level, more rigorous courses for all kids, >> right? >> And you get credit for our kids taking those kind of courses, >> you know, IB, AP, honors, um, and and looking at the assessments and how well they do. are they making benchmark and what's the percentage of our kids making benchmark on these

043exams right >> so that's all very important >> but that's an interesting question to raise >> and you know I think a lot of parents um several that I know um feel that taking their their students out of school during the the school year and I'm guilty um we feel that travel is something that is important at at this um stage of their development and so we choose to take them out and of course we're contributing to the chronic absenteeism for the the whole district. I'm not sure parents understand though that somehow that was going to influence the status of their district statewide because they chose to take their children out for travel. >> Well, I think that's why we really have to study absenteeism. And you know, I'm going to be talking to you

044about action plans, but we already have a team of educators that are working on this um through our climate and culture committee to find out and to really pay attention. I know that um I just spoke with an assistant principal at the high school who meets with all kids who h are having a problem with just to find out, okay, so what's going on? How can we support you? And you know, it could be that they've had this terrible bout of the flu. Every case is going to be so individualized. So, we really have to look and look for trends and realize that absenteeism matters because when our children aren't in school, they aren't participating in the classroom and learning all that they can learn in school. Granted, there are instances where you're learning outside

045of school, too. But I think that you just have to monitor that the chronic is 10 days or more. And so, you just have to really see what's happening. So basically the the state came up with this plan years ago, five years ago I think five or six. We need to identify which districts need extra um financial assistance based on these criteria. Um and of course by the time that it dropped down uh or the the the pool became large enough that we were included well now there's no money. So, I think that's interesting why they added to the the Alliance District um population, but they they didn't fund it. So, >> well, and that's why the State Department did give us some funding, and that's why I think we've got legislators that are looking

046into that and investigating that because there are all the other districts except for two are receiving some pretty substantial financial support. So, we're investigating that as well. But I I have to commend this board because you created a yard stick years before Dr. Grineer and I got here that looked at really holistically education and important things like attendance and important things like access to the arts and all these extracurricular activities and sports. And so you really did examine this. You understand why this is important. As a matter of fact, I wonder why the state isn't looking at access to the arts in elementary, middle school, and high school. Physical education quite frankly alarms me, you know, and we've actually got action plans around that. When principles and teachers study that at the school level, at

047their school pl district um their school um improvement plans, they look to say, how can we get kids more exercise and how can we help them to meet these standards? I think I think we have a question from um Gretchen and then also from Rita. >> Um a great deal of concern about the absenteeism if pushing parents to either leave their child in school when they're getting sick and they're in there too long and they get sicker or worse they pass it to the other kids. That's never a good plan. Um, I I just I really don't like pushing parents into a position where they feel guilty if they don't send their kid back, >> you know, they've had a fever and they're back in within the next morning, >> right? >> Instead of keeping

048them home that extra day, >> right? It is a balancing act. But I think that I think communication again is so important. communication with the school and with the doctors and to send home a send in a note um if a child is sick, you know, to make sure that we know and we're aware and we understand that. That's why the state gave us this 5% wiggle room because there are going to be cases, but 11% is pretty high. >> You know what I'm saying? >> Well, different kids have different things. If you send a sick kid in and your [clears throat] child and the other child in the room is asthmatic and they catch that chest cold, >> no, we're not saying to send sick children in. None at all. We would want that.

049>> I think you had already spoken to the fact that it really needs to kind of be investigated to take a look at all the other reason. >> I just like to see if we do keep track of the one, you know, because it's a very different thing, you know, whether your husband's on the Navy and you're bringing your kids to see him because they haven't seen him in six months, >> right? >> Why we're taking our kids out of school. >> You're exactly right. That's why, you know, it's definitely a committee group that's working on this and we'll continue to really examine it and then, you know, what do you do after that, you know, so >> I I had a question. I would really like to have the data possible for the five

050previous years leading up to this, whether or not we changed as a district um in the five years previous to 2016. >> We can't measure that. This is our third year. So that's why we've just started receiving the growth because the remember ESPback was only piloted back in 2013. >> No, but I meant you could do it for chronic absentees. You could do it for four year adjusted graduation rate. You know, the ones that you could it would be really nice to see whether or not there's been a change. >> But there was there were alliance districts. So obviously there was some way that alliance districts were. So if we could get that measure and put ourselves into that >> into that to see why we weren't before >> where we were and where we

051are now. Yeah. Yeah. >> Question. >> Yeah. It's a that's a great I've been thinking about that a lot [snorts] whether we were >> ever much better than 36 or we fell precipitously or >> and now we really re revived our yard sticks. So we are collecting all of that other data too. So >> we we'll ask because Susan and I are going to be up there shortly. >> And the arts access that would be also that's for the high school if they're measuring just high school it would be the elective courses and if we do not have enough elective arts classes for children to even take >> right >> then they can't get into the classes. So that is really something I think we we need to look at as well as the exams

052for um the IB and AP and AP students. >> Right. >> Exactly. >> That that is something that I really feel strongly. >> Yeah. We brought some of that data to the board to discuss and you know >> we we do need to examine that more closely. >> Okay. So I'm going to stop you for just one second. Uh Katrina and then Gretchen. I had the same qu I had the question about the art and it is only measured in the high school. Correct. >> Right. >> We believe so. >> Right. >> Okay. The second thing um and I know I've brought this up and maybe you all have the answer by now. Um the word cohort concerns me with the graduation rate because I think we measure our graduation rate differently than the state

053does >> because >> we we I think you're I think you're right. But but the state measures everybody the same way. So uh we have to find out exactly what that system is. We will go up and talk to the state. But whatever it says is the state average for uh you're right. I mean some schools count dropouts who who children students who who drop out and then ultimately go to adult ed. that is a completion and uh some systems don't count them if they do a GED. Some systems even will uh count a student as a non-finisher if they leave sometime during their high school years. There's all kinds of ways to count. But but the state first we're going to get this the state's >> formula. >> Yeah. The formula that they use

054uh and then but I can assure you that the state has applied that to everybody. I'm concerned because it's cohort and we have kids that come in and out of the high school and don't stay there for four years. >> Right. What they told us was it's a member of a matched cohort when they were in our schools on October 1st and took the exams uh in now this for testing cohort took the exams like in April. They have to they have to be [clears throat] there both times, >> but they could have come from another district, but they still count for us as long as they're sitting in the seat in October and taking the test so we can still watch their growth and measure them. >> But if they're only there for one

055year and we're talking cohort, then doesn't that not penalize us? >> You know, this is really annoying that you're asking all these really smart questions. [laughter] We're going to have to we're going to have to find that out. This is this is what I why I love data. And you're right, that's a great example. I don't know the answer to that question. >> Student comes to us for one year and parents get transferred in the Navy and graduates a year later. Does that count for us or against us? >> Yeah, >> we got to figure that out. >> Thanks, Gretchen. I'm going to go to Andrea because she has not. >> Okay. My my question PEX on on Katrina is [snorts] and I perhaps I should know the answer to this but I don't. Where

056does the military compact, how does it address that that particular issue of when a student is transferred and doesn't finish? >> Well, the military compact lays out the the regulations for how credits are uh are counted and awarded and all that sort of stuff. Um I don't know how it counts in the Connecticut system. And that that is really a terrific question because we have many students who you know do dozens of them who start with us and go someplace else and I don't know that the state of Connecticut has the ability to track that student and if they don't there is a there is a student identifier number PSIS number but I don't know that that's a national system. So if the student goes to Virginia or Florida or Georgia uh whether they're tracked

057so we'll find out. >> One of the things we did discuss at the military superintendence liaison meeting just last week with the captain. There was that the compact does um protect kids and offers the um ability to be able to see a parent that's coming in from out to sea and not being um penalized in any way for their attendance. So, should they take the day off when the parents coming in or should they take a week to go visit a grandparent because they've been gone for 6 months? And so, that was brought up and we were discussing that and the captain said, but they are working really hard with the families telling them how important it is for kids to be in school. We know that there are those circumstances where they need to

058take that time as a family, but then also you have to balance that just kind of like we've been talking about illness and balancing everything for, you know, being in school. >> So that's not an exact answer, but there is that with in the compact that kids, you know, parents have the right to take the kids. >> It's not the same as being transferred. That's my >> No, it's different. Right. there was somewhere there's a connection. >> Okay, back to the balancing act. [laughter] As we increase the difficulty of most of our classes or all of our classes, there's that group of kids that are going to get frustrated, are we and if they don't have a place that really fits them anymore as we keep pushing, which is a good thing. Not saying it

059isn't, but are we going to keep an eye on how that affects some of these kids graduating because they've gotten frustrated and fallen out of their chairs, so to speak. >> Yes, we want to look at all of that. We also want access to the curriculum. We want it not only rigorous, but relevant for kids so that they understand it better. We want deeper comprehension. So, it's not just about covering a course anymore. It's really to have depth of knowledge for all kids. One of the things I keep hearing as we make some changes in how we deliver the curriculum is that all kids are on the playing field so that they have access so that they're not necessarily pulled out of a core curriculum [snorts] and not ever receive it. So they're in the

060ball game with the other kids. Sometimes we have to give them added support. Sometimes it's with an additional tutor or additional specialist that's in the room. But you you you have a good point. We have to pay attention to all of that. Thank you. So this is um taking a look at what we do what will we do to improve performance and I go back to the strategic plan. I think I mentioned to you when we met with the state department of education and the performance office um the real suggestion was and it was very validating because Dr. Grineer and I had already discussed we have this very um detailed graten um plan strategic plan. It's got a lot of ideas I guess it in creating the action plans that go with each discipline. It's

061getting more detail in it as we create that. But we definitely want to look at these areas. We want to be able to come up with an action plan and we have a team that's starting it. So, I think really coming up with what are we going to do with this chronic absenteeism? How do we research this? How do we find out who these kids and families are? What can we do to support them? And I think you know that with the $600,000, one of the ideas is to hire a social worker who will be in charge of attendance and really helping to support at least at the secondary level those families and children to find out what is happening. The also the Connecticut core standards, the commissioner of education says when we first unloaded

062them and we we wrote curriculums around them, we really didn't know too much about it. That was back in, you know, 2012, 2010. So now to go back and unpack. So a lot of our curriculum work will be really getting, you know, unpacking those standards again, looking at them, understanding them, what does this mean? And um that the curriculum won't change, but it's really good professional development for the teachers. And then how not only what are we teaching but how are we teaching college and career um readiness factors we have to take a look at how many kids are meeting that benchmark when we're giving the when we're giving an AP exam how many kids are passing it what about IB you know international balarat are we seeing um increased enrollment in these courses are

063we seeing increases in children meeting the benchmark so that sounds like um you know a job that the school would be involved in in their improvement planning and what the district would be looking at at the district level. And then also looking at great at graduation rates, fouryear, sixyear, what is this cohort? How do we um help support? We have um an adult ed program and when children, you know, leave the high school and then participate in the adult ed, they're able to graduate with a Fitch diploma. But is that helping? Is that supporting this graduation rate or not? You know, so we really have a lot more work to do and research to do. I see some task force in my future more. >> Did did I hear um either Dr. Grineer or you

064Sue talk about the fact that you guys are due back up again to get more information? >> So is it safe to say that this is >> actually coming to us? >> Okay. So, so it's safe to say that this is really kind of unraveling. Um, and we're your guys are continuously getting more and more information. I I don't know about everyone anyone else, but I've noticed that both you um Sue and Dr. Grineer have gotten so much more proficient already in kind of talking about the Alliance for District, you know, like right. It's a growth model. But I >> you know I just have one small point while you were talking Sue I I I I realized with the college and career readiness that that 50% of the high school will be taking international

065baloria courses uh in two years >> i.e. they will be taking middle years program the whole school >> right >> well ninth and tth graders. So that's going to have a that's going to have a a a huge impact on our college and career ready. >> And high school success doesn't begin in ninth grade, right? >> High school success starts when they're in preschool when they're little. >> So it's really not just what the high school is doing. It's really what we're all doing K through 12 and so prek through 12. Rita, I just would like to stress how important it is that our high need students get additional support starting in preK right through the high school. I mean, it's it's it's not going to help. I mean, we have a social worker going

066to people's home about chronic absenteeism is important, but I'd much rather [clears throat] see tutors coming in and helping those children all the way from the very beginning. you know, if you have a problem reading in fourth grade, it's going to just um be compounded by the time you get to eighth grade, and it's it's hopeless at the high school, and that's when they drop out, >> right? I I can't I know we only receive $600,000 and you don't want to put a lot of it like the state says towards bodies helping but if you could think of it as not being fulltime teachers but just more additional support I I can't stress that enough. >> We're thinking about next year uh a significant investment in that area. >> Thank you. and also investment in

067our own teachers providing the professional development giving kids opportunities. I've even heard parents speak about having afterchool before school support systems so you could have a certified teacher working with children small groups of children so you really get added value to that. So those are all things that are so important >> and I think too to have our I would love to hear from our physical fitness instructors have them come up with a plan how they are going to address this starting from kindergarten right right through 12th grade obviously there's gaps that were never there before I know when my children were in school that was never an issue right >> so we need to really see you know do they need smaller classes do they need more access do we need aerobics classes what

068are we going to do to get these kids physically fit. >> Well, you know, this board had decided to really create these enrichment programs at the elementary school, and we thought of the themes of STEM, which is your math and sciences, the fitness aspect, which is added physical fitness, and a lot of these programs are happening in the morning, whether it's yoga or, >> you know, basketball or whatever it is, and then the performing arts. So, um, you know, we really are moving forward in that. And now with some of the middle school grants, it's including the middle school and we should talk really at the high school level what what they have for opportunities, >> right? Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. >> All right, Katrina will be a conversation. We'll be able to

069um dig down a little bit deeper and like committee the hole or something. >> I can't hear you. I can't >> I really I'm sorry I couldn't hear Will this be a continuing conversation like a committee the whole or something so we can have a deep down discussion or more detailed? >> Yep. >> I my sense is is that like the 2020 plan like this is going to be on all of our agendas. Um and once again I mean I though we have known maybe for a month and a half. >> Yeah. >> But before I think that Dr. Grineer and Sue are just starting to to get all the information and kind of take a look at what that you know what that is and how do we >> parcel it in >> and

070it's 5 years. That's right. That's right. But yes. All right. So, we're going to move on. Um Sue, is there more things that you are talking about or because I'm looking at the assistant superintendent or are we going right to Ken? >> Yeah, we can go right to Ken. >> Okay. [laughter] All right. >> All right. Object code summary. You all should have that uh on your uh on your desk there. >> Um one of the first things I want to point out here uh is the FY18 budget line uh column. It's that first column. Uh if you look down to line 58 grand total, that's that's a different number than we've seen uh in the past meetings. Uh past meetings we've been talking about 749. Uh this number here is the 749 plus what

071the board has already approved of the uh 1.5 that has come back to us. Uh mainly uh personnel adjustments. Uh so I just wanted to point that out. It and so there is an additional 676,000 uh that hopefully you'll you'll be voting on tonight to uh to place back into the budget. Uh but for now we're looking at a 75 uh.79 uh uh budget. So if we uh take a look at our differences uh uh versus that budget uh at this point uh in salaries we are uh projected to have some savings of 529,000 um uh but that is offset by some overages in the benefits area. We we've looked at these before. Uh and these are coming from uh uh town pension. It's coming from workers comp and uh and the retirement awards. Uh

072so those those mainly offset u under purchase services. We have some overages around $200,000 uh various uh accounts. Uh but once again, these are being offset by some savings that we're anticipating in the mainly the tuition line. uh in that tuition line that there is some additional uh upside there that is possible. But uh you know as we continue to get those bills and process them uh will determine whether or not uh uh any additional should be released uh through here. But at this point uh we're anticipating I think it's 168,000 uh savings in tuition. Uh so all this comes down to uh basically uh we're we're right on track with the the 75791 uh 541 number. >> So another way of saying that is we have covered the $747,000 deficit that you've seen since

073September. Mhm. >> Um and if the board appropriates $676,698 to uh what we're going to be recommending uh later in the meeting, then the the balance would of course remain zero. That that is to say the budget would be balanced. >> Yahoo. Sorry. >> Yeah. Yeah, [laughter] that's a good point. >> Yeah, it's it's a definite yahoo. Gretchen, >> I was wondering, could you explain what were on item 32, telephone and telephone repair? >> Um, what are we spending? 50,000 line 32. >> Okay. >> Yeah, that that that telephone it's uh the cost of telephone lines coming into the schools. Uh the cost of any uh any phones, that type of thing. >> Is that cell phones? >> Cell phone. You're right. Cell phones. Yep. who have cell phones. >> Some of the districts, >>

074well, the the district administrators have cell phones. I think the custodians have cell phones. Some of our emergency, you know, security folks have cell phones. >> It just seemed a little high for just phones. >> Yeah. Well, it's for the whole >> But it's for the whole district. >> It's for the landlines, too. It's the phone bill. >> Yeah. >> Okay, that makes more sense. Phone bill. Got it. And it's for the year, >> right? >> Do we lease our phone equipment that's in the schools? I don't know. >> I don't know. Sam, did you Would you know if we lease it? I >> like the telephone themselves. >> We're not sure. >> Yeah. >> I don't I've never heard of at least I believe we own it. >> Yeah, I think we own I've

075not seen any bills about that. I I'll have to look into that. >> Okay. Okay. >> Any other discussion? All right. Let's move on. So, the health health insurance report. I do not have uh an updated health insurance uh report to share. Uh Lori and I did speak with uh MDG uh just this afternoon talking about the renewal for next year. Um and they have gotten the information for uh December which uh if you remember should include all the Hartford Healthcare uh backlog. Uh so they have that uh and they're anticipating uh preparing that and and and giving that to us um shortly. Okay. Uh but at this point we don't uh we don't have that. And they they did add that it doesn't look out of uh out of uh it doesn't look crazy.

076So uh I think we're anticipating that it's going to um uh not be something that's going to shock us when we do get it. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. I'm moving on. >> Oh, I'm not moving on. Jay and then Katrina. Um [clears throat] I I guess I'm just confused as to why um I guess I'll be a little more complete because I know maybe people watching don't know the the big picture, but there was a change in insurance consultants. That change was driven by the town. >> I think Lori can answer that better than anyone. here. >> Sure. So, there was a change. Um, we had met with the town. They had interest in changing the current um benefits consultant. Um, but they we did participate in that selection process with them.

077>> Okay. Yeah, >> the prior consultant, I don't know what their um pros and cons were, but I do know that we got a report every month and I don't recall hearing that it was completely out of whack. They somehow they were able to give us a monthly snapshot. Um, and I'm a little concerned that we've gone this far without getting without seeing a report. I I feel like we're, you know, I know the Hartford Healthcare, you know, because I brought that up months ago was was an issue. Um, and that now they're trying to work through that that backlog, but I just I know there was some confusion about matching town to board employees. I I just >> Yeah, that that issue has been cleared up, the matching town to uh to board employees.

078And we did get a report for October. uh they they hesitated to give us the November report because because it didn't include these Hartford Healthcare uh claims and so they felt it didn't it wasn't adding anything. It was it was incomplete and so that's that's the reason they gave for not providing the report. I think once we get uh this behind us and and moving forward I I see no reason why we shouldn't expect to have a report every month. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I agree. I agree. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Lee, I think that you said we hope to have that information in in the middle of February. >> Yeah. Did they? Yeah. Yeah. >> Katrina, >> when is this contract with this new company? >> How long is the contract with

079the new company? >> Um, >> MDG, is it? >> Yeah, I would have to check with the town. I believe it's a year overyear contract. I don't believe it's a long-term arrangement. Okay. report from the director of building and grounds. That would be you. >> It is. >> Good evening. >> Um I'd like to report on the 2020 uh and uh last week Dr. Grineer and I along with Rick Norris from public works uh representatives from Arcadus who are our managers on the project. uh Kemp Mohart and a couple of uh other representatives from SLAM and Bob Austin Lef France who is our chairperson of our building committee uh went to the DAS to uh review um the consolidated middle school program. Um so we met with Mr. Bob Selmer up there at the state

080and uh had a nice dialogue with him. They did have a couple of questions or a couple of uh items that we need to discuss. will be meeting with uh the group uh I believe this week. We'll meet with them and we're scheduled to go back up to the state to answer those few questions that they had. But uh the state seemed to be and Mr. Selmer seemed to be very pleased with what we presented on Tuesday last. Um >> congratulations. >> What was that? >> I said congratulations. That's not We haven't always been making them very happy. So, it's nice to hear that you guys were uh >> this this is the group that actually controls the purse strings that they approve the work and then approve the release of the you know we

081we of course have 100 184 million which is now down to 180 million if I'm there was $4 million. Can you explain how we >> the $4 million was carried in the uh project from the beginning for the purchase of property that would be uh equal to the merit property uh if it were needed uh as it were. We already own the property that they're accepting for the swap. Uh so that money uh can't be used somewhere else in the project. So it has to be just uh taken off uh off the uh bottom line. But these are these are the folks that actually approve the expenditures. It it would be a release over a couple of year period which they've already started. >> Anything else? >> Yeah. And uh the the other item that

082I wanted to report on with regard to 2020 is that uh we have uh the RFQS uh uh for the elementary renovations for architects for the elementary renovations uh were uh due on the 16th. We received 11 uh architect uh proposals. um list of qualifications and uh the group uh Rick Norris, um Gary Schneider, myself, John Bert, uh the town manager, and Bob Austin of France will be we we've been tasked with reviewing these 11 uh binders. And uh sometime next week, the last week of January, we will meet to select the finalist that the group would that then we will interview to uh select the uh the architect for those two projects. So that's coming up. >> Thank you, >> Lee. >> I just wanted to say that you sent out a a memo

083to the people, the custodial people about the fact that we've got flu and colds going on. I thought that was really good. I thank you for doing that. Um because you know phone things and yeah they need to be kept >> there there are a lot of people in the district. Everybody's being affected by this flu and it's you know you've read about it in the paper but we we've been affected in our own department and throughout the schools high school all the schools are affected by it. >> Thank you. >> All right so I'm moving to committee reports. >> Oh Jay I'm so sorry. >> Yep. No problem. And >> I thought you were just waving at me. [laughter] >> Um, and Dr. Gir did send an all call to the parents advising that

084the custodials are uh custodial staff is now working um every day to make sure that that those areas are are um disinfected. Um I have a question about the land swap. So is is that now a done deal? I I don't think that has been there still needs to be a sign off at the state, but it it it is um I wouldn't say done deal because we don't have the actual paperwork, but it's been approved and we're just waiting for that signature. >> Okay. And access uh is that still something that's at the Department of >> the Transportation? Yeah. Is is it a done deal? Well, I guess it can't be because you don't have the property yet, but has it been coordinated with Graasso that the access will be through >> there? There

085have been talks uh between uh Arcadus, I believe, is also a um a part of the Graasso project and there are representatives. So, um there have been some talks back and forth and I think they're amendable to uh making a deal. uh some [snorts] of it will be determined based on uh timing of when our project, you know, the types of things that we're doing. In other words, they don't want to do finish uh pavement before we start uh construction traffic back and forth up the up the hill. But, uh at this point, they seem to be amenable to it. But I don't think that is a a closed deal either. part of our uh one of our meetings last week uh with SLAM, we did talk about the uh different alternatives for access to

086the school once it's done. Uh some of it may very well be done through the high school, some of it may come up through Graasso. maybe a combination of the both. But I think that their last choice, at least their last choice that they described to us was coming off of the side of Fort Hill, which was the original >> um suggestion was to come off that one little uh >> flat spot on Fort Hill. So I I think that one was pretty well fleshed out >> that that's what they don't want. >> They don't Yeah, that would be their last choice. least favorite choice. >> Right. Mine, too. >> Yes. >> I think everybody's last choice. >> Okay. >> Any other questions? >> Andrew, I was just going to talk about a committee. >>

087Oh, I'm almost there. [laughter] Anything? No more waving, Jay? Okay. >> No more waving. >> Okay. Right. Committee report. Andrea, >> last week I met with Dr. Grineer following the curriculum council to talk about resurrecting the ad hoc middle school committee. We want to meet again just to one of the things that came up at the curriculum council was that Westside was meeting with the teachers were meeting uh to talk about formatting for the for the um >> the for the NYP and and how they're going to attack things. And I I don't know that Cutler has done that yet, but Westside is beginning it. So, we'd like to have the teachers who are involved in >> I started to set that up today. >> Oh, good. All right. So, you're going to get me

088a date for when we're going to >> So, it's not an ad hoc because an ad hoc would just be board members. So, if you're talking about the middle school program where it had So, it's like an advisory committee. Is that correct? Well, we maybe we did this wrong, but in the past we could we invited people to >> I think it's the ad hoc the invited participation. >> Yes, actually just read the abs and regulations. >> That's what I meant. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> An ad hoc committee. >> Yep. An ad hoc would be just board, but you can have an advisory committee which includes other members. >> I don't know why there's a distinction, but there is. Okay. So um so the this part of the agenda is for the committee

089reports of the So you're just saying that you want to resurrect the middle school and for the scope I guess I I'm not clear about what the scope is for the middle school program is it is it the same >> I'm not sure I understand your question >> what what would be the what what's your goals for the middle school >> what's the agenda yeah >> we we want to talk about we want to hear how the the teachers are what what the process is that they're using to format what's the discussion, you know, what are the what's the progress that's that's going on? We we just want to know more about what's happening in in planning the the my program. That's that's what our charge was and we're just picking it up again. >>

090Yeah. >> Okay. Just want Thanks. I just want to like understand it. >> I got it. >> Got it. All right. Other committee reports. Um Rita, do you have learn? Yes. Uh we met last week or I guess it was the 11th of January. It just seems to be going by so rapidly. We had a discussion, a very um spirited discussion of how to be an effective board member, which was um I think I shared with um at our retreat a little bit of of the some of the information that we we discussed. And we also ratified the um the contract between learn and the learn education association and their teachers. That is the only union that learn has um to deal with. They they have no other union. So it's really quite nice. [laughter]

091It's just one and one negotiations that you go through every few years. Um and also uh we had a report from the superintendent of schools in East Hatam. His name is Brian Reese and that was very interesting. He's a new superintendent there. So and what his goals are for the year for the upcoming years. That's it. >> Gretchen, did you have a scholarship for TRS? >> I have not met. >> Okay. Anyone else have a committee? policy. >> We have policy. Well, but that's policy is coming. >> Yeah, that's that's your um that's your action. That's your old business and your new business is you guys have been busy. >> Ask him. Maybe >> Kim's looking for Kim. >> I have a question and I don't know if this is the appropriate place to have

092it, but my reasoning is that I was on a committee and have a question about that. Can I ask that question? >> Sure. And then can if if it's not appropriate, can I then move it? >> Absolutely. Okay. >> Um I noticed on the town council agenda that they will be looking at the recent custodial >> agreement. >> I noticed that also. >> I can guess. >> I guess um do actually Dr. Grineer has whispered something to me, but I have no idea what that is. I don't know if he whispered it either. If you if you remember the the custodians requested uh that those custodians uh who might be laid off, the rule now is they have to immediately withdraw their funds from the pension and they requested that we request of the town

093council that during the two-year period that they're laid off if they were re reinstated that they could take their money and put it back into the pension and keep on going. That's that's the request, >> right, >> that we agreed to in in in the >> we agreed to ask the question, >> right? >> Oh, I didn't realize that that had to go to the town council. Okay. >> Yeah. Because it's a town pension. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um, also in that agenda, it said I thought we the board of education was presenting to the town council tomorrow night that they just have you >> Yeah. >> as a regular. I was going to clear that up later, but now that you brought that up is is that I um I think that Dr.

094Grineer and I were basing um conversations that we had last week with you guys about meeting with the town council based on history because right around our start of our budget time, we meet with the town council to kind of get to their ideas about the budget, >> but we're not on the agenda. >> And so what ended up happening is is by no fault of anyone's, we're not on the agenda. The fourth Tuesday is a standing um standing part of the agenda where the superintendent um the mayor does know that the board will be will be coming in mass um because uh I did inform her that we are going to have a workshop um tomorrow night on our budget but that we were all planning to kind of show show so the town

095council will be aware that we will be there but I so I don't know if um the mayor will like entertain us all all meeting together or whether um part of the conversation is will we meet as a as as two bodies um at some other point soon. >> So town council doesn't have to be frightened when they see all of us there. >> Well, I that's what I wanted to make sure is that they that they realize that there that nine people coming to their meeting was um based on the fact that that's there was a misunderstanding or whatever that Dr. Grineer and I had only based on history um not on fact. Um, and so, um, but the mayor does know, um, and I believe that, um, actually the town manager also knows.

096So, we we cleared it with both. >> And it's 6:30. >> It's 6:30. >> 6:30. >> Is that when we meet with them or when we meet? >> So, what's going to happen is Dr. Grineer is absolutely going to be the person that will direct because that is the that is the agenda is it's a standing referral with the superintendent. Um, and so my understanding and there was a couple of us that went last last month um or last time and um I I do believe that the town council is looking to hear um answers to the questions about the alliance district um and sort of what got us there because I think we that was the first time that we really had a chance to kind of yes it's true we are an alliance

097district but we don't know what's going on. Um, and so I I believe that that is some of the some of the things that they are going to ask for, but I don't think that there's going to be a budget talk, but I I I don't know. Um, >> so >> with the town council >> with the with the town council, >> we will have a budget workshop, >> but we're having a workshop. So we are we are we are partying together >> right after prom. >> So what time does the town council? >> 6:30. And my understanding from um from the town manager is that he's going to try to get um the superintendent on at 6:30 or close to and that I I don't know how long it's going to take. I can't

098I can't predict that. But right after that, we're going to be moving into the annex. I mean to the one >> Katrina. Um since I've been on the board, I have found it very very helpful to sit down with the town council. Be they hear us there. We're all at the kids table. however it happens to gauge where they're at. >> Yep. >> Will we have the opportunity to do that? I >> I I can't answer that for the mayor. >> No, but I but she asked once again when I realized that the agenda was different than what I the how it was written on the agenda was different than what I assumed. I wanted to send my apologies that I misunderstood her. Um or I I jumped I jumped ahead of the line. Um,

099and she wanted to know whether there would be interest. Um, and I had not an answered that, but I think that that we can get that gauge tomorrow. Um, and >> if they don't invite us, can we invite them? >> Sure. >> Oh, yeah. >> Sure. >> Cuz I think it's valuable for us to have that conversation. >> And my guess is is that they're going to want to do that. I mean, >> Okay. I just want to [clears throat] >> Yeah, I'm sure that they're going to want to do that. >> Okay. Usually it's we usually meet with them after we have the public hearing when we hear from the public and which is next week. Um but usually it's later a little bit later after [snorts] we hear from the public and we

100>> no there the town's con, you know, the public's concerns. >> Yep. >> So with that said, I'm going to move us on. That's okay. All right. So, we're going to move to the consent um consent agenda which um is is listed um and I will entertain a a motion for acceptance of those. >> So, move. >> Can I have a second? >> Rosemary. Any discussion? Discussion, Katrina? >> Um two things. The first one is the um I just want to make sure this isn't a typo. the Yuka's LLC trustee for Fiser Foundation matching gifts program girls soccer jerseys. Is that supposed to be $45,000 or $4,500? >> I want her to >> or $450. >> I It's probably >> cuz $45,000 is a little extreme. We need to look at >> beautiful jerseys [laughter]

101>> goldplated. I >> I'm going to guess $450, but let me >> $450. >> Okay. 500 >> could be 4500. That would be really >> That would make sense. >> Yeah, >> but I I think I can even see. >> And do you have another one? Yes, >> I'll find out. >> Um when I was reviewing >> We still got Katrina's on the floor, please. >> When I was reviewing the minutes, um I was a little confused >> um as to the list of those present at our meeting on December 18th. I don't think it has been the practice to um include people who either speak and or are just attending in the audience. Um Doug Manfred, he is a DEA member, but he's never been on here any other present. And also Porsche Bodilon

102has never been listed. And I mean, if if we're going to start listing those, I just want to be clear on if we've changed the procedure or something. >> I I'm glad you brought that up. >> I'm glad that you brought that up. I I do we know why that we moved to that. Um the people who use these during the meeting report I have always attend give a report or just public speak because we had four public speakers that night. We had three other parents as well and I don't think um Mr. Manfred made any type of report. Okay, great. >> Thank you. >> That is a correction. >> Great. >> So, you're going to add the correction to the minutes is the is adding >> the people I missed >> the the people

103that you missed. >> But are they listed under present or as people who speak >> under present? >> I've just never noticed that. You list everyone as who was present or you list all the speakers? >> Yeah. What I what I think Katrina is talking is on the front the president says the the board and all that but uh not necessarily the guests who were there >> under the president. That's your point I think. >> Yeah. Right. >> And then under comments of course we put the person and the person address and what they said. >> So the comments is fine. It's just who is present. So we we we'll amend that. >> I guess >> I didn't realize we put speakers under present. That was my thing. >> We don't that that that that's

104what we we'll we'll verify that. >> Yeah. >> Under on the very front who showed up for the Yeah. >> Yeah. I didn't I never maybe I just never noticed that. >> Do we typically do >> Oh, I see. But but all the people who made comments are not on the front. >> So she is saying that she wants to amend that piece. >> Oh, you want to list everyone who made a comment. I see. >> Okay. So >> then I would like to have a discussion or maybe I need to send it as a referral that we could have present and then speakers to delineate between the two because um you know Susan was here. She's a school employee. Doug Manford, I don't remember you him making a a presentation yet. He is a

105school employee. >> So, what I'm going to do instead of be laboring this, I mean, I I don't know if you want to >> I don't know minutes, but I um we can put it under policy to kind of take a look at the guidelines um what our board guidelines are in terms of the agenda items. I mean, >> and I probably should have brought that, but I didn't. So, >> thank you. >> So, that's a discussion. So, do we want to are we changing the minutes as they are? >> The motion was put on yesterday. Excuse me. >> So, the motion is put on the floor to accept the consent agenda, but now there's a now we're having a discussion about about the who is present and who's speaking. It's a motion as amended.

106>> It's a motion >> of the >> Okay. So, >> unless you want to hold off on those minutes, >> I don't know if I see the need to hold off on approving the minutes. If people have felt that the minutes are fine outside of that, um I like the way it's done here. >> Okay. I I don't want to be I don't want We're gonna get stuck in the weeds on this. Um Okay. So, um so the first thing would be the motion for the amendment. It's it's is to do the amendment >> motion unless you wanted to count as with a correction to the minute of >> Okay. >> As corrected. >> Yes. >> All right. Any further discussion? All those in favor, please say I. I. >> I. >> Oppose. Abstain. Motion

107carry. Um the board would like to say thank you to the um UK cause LLC trustee for the Fiser Foundation, the M matching gift program and in donation for the amount of and um we'll get that um cleared up for the girls soccer soccer jersey at Fitch High School. Um, but thank you anyways for whatever that is. We are so appreciative of that. Um, Chart Charter Oak Credit Union has made a donation of $500 for the Clutchester Music Program and the Chelsea Graten uh Foundation has made a donation of $2,000 towards the purchase of a new micro steamer for Mary Morrison School. So, thank you for all of those. And >> what is a micro steam? >> Just thanks for asking. Uh that's a I just wanted to uh highlight that the representatives from the

108uh Chelsea Graten Foundation were very nice came in, presented me uh uh for the school system uh for a check uh of $2,000. It is a uh it is a new kitchen at Mary Marson. It just opened this year. So now we have a facility I think Sam at seven of the nine schools. >> Yeah. Our next school will be Charles Barnum. >> Charles Barnum. So, this is a brand new uh and and this is an enhancement u I don't know exactly what a micro steamer is. I know it it was a piece of equipment that Ernie was was very excited about into. I'm assuming it's a food preparation tool, but I'll have to get back to you on that. [snorts] >> I know what big ones are. I just don't know what a microwave

109is. Yeah, >> it's like the big one, but it's it's much smaller. [laughter] >> All right, so I'm moving on um for the for to old business and the first motion. And Jay, would you be willing to read that, please? >> Uh motion to approve as a second reading policy P1330 use of school facilities. >> Can I have a second, please? >> Second. >> Did you get that? >> Yeah. Oh, I'm sorry. >> No, it's fine. I just wanted to know who was seconding it. So the uh any discussion about the use of facilities? I get a question about I you know I shouldn't have any questions about this [laughter] on my policy. Um this is um 133 PN a unpar. Um is this the same as 1330? It is okay. I just didn't understand

110the the parentheses. included um the appendix that goes with it. >> Okay. >> Which um there's the charges with that added green >> about the custodians being present and then there be charges you know for nonprofits if they're in that area and then um there's also regulations >> regulations. Any other discussion? All those in favor of the motion that's on the floor, which is to approve the second meeting of the policy of P1230 use of school facilities, please say I. I. >> Those opposed, abstain. Motion so carried. >> Rosemary, would you be willing to read the second motion, please? >> I forgot. >> The motion is to approve this one. This to approve >> this. We just did that one. >> Motion to approve a second reading policy P >> 545.4 discrimination um parenthesis LGBT/gender

111and parenthesis period. >> Can I just Can I have a second please? >> Non-discrimination policy. >> Yeah. >> Non-discrimination policy. Yeah. Discrimination. >> Period. That's just a title. >> Yeah. Yeah. Can I have a second, please? >> Any discussion besides the fact that we need to put non-discrimination policy? >> I I have a So, this this one is 5145.4, not 514 is 54 514 >> 514 53. That's the regulation. Is that the one that goes with this one? No, that is that is the second polic second policy that we are going to be um doing the second meeting on. >> Okay. >> So, right now we are discussing policy 5145.4. >> Okay. Thank you. Got it. Any other discussion? >> It's next. >> Any other discussion? >> The next two. All those in favor please

112say of uh approving uh the non-discrimination policy of P5145 um.4 Four, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Abstain. Motion. So carried. Lee, would you be willing to read number the motion for number three? >> Discussion and possible action regarding approval of a second reading policy P51453 transgender and nonconforming youth. Can I have a second, please? >> Second. >> Jane Katrina Lee, you pick. They all did at the same time. >> So discussion please. >> I I have a a question. The policy talks about says this policy does not anticipate every situation that may occur with respect to transgender or gender non-conforming students and the needs of each transgender or gender non-conforming student must be assessed on a case-byase basis. So that says in essence that you have to look at everything on a

113case-byase basis. But then if if you look at the uh the regulation under definitions under the first one where it says gend gender identity the first one at the very last sentence says everyone has a gender identity. And if that's the case I don't think we can make a a a blanket statement like that. I am aware of of individuals who who don't identify with any gender and wish to be referred to as they. Not she, not it, not he, but they. And so if everyone has a gender identity, then that conflicts with looking at everything on a case-byase basis. So my my request is that we get rid of that. Everyone has a gender identity. It doesn't it it flies in the face of the policy. >> That makes sense to me. [laughter] >>

114Well, >> it's a regulation. So, >> and it doesn't change it better. And if you think it's confusing, then that's >> I do. I think it's you're right about that. Yeah, Dr. Ac. >> Thank you. >> Some kids do have a question. >> Yeah. And >> All right. So, we'll amend that. >> That's the regul. >> All right. Any other questions? Discussion. Okay, >> we are approving the policy. I just when Mrs. Arian referred to the to the regulation, >> Katrina, unfortunately, we really can't hear. >> Sorry, just turn your mic. Um, usually y'all can't hear me way too much, but um, the policy is what we are approving. >> This just occurred to me, Mrs. Arian, when you mentioned the the regulation. We approve the policy, the school system or the the staff crafts

115the regulation. So when we're approving a policy, is this the appropriate time to discuss the regulation if all we're approving is the policy? >> Well, we got both of them in our packet, right? >> Yeah. I'm just procedurally. Okay. Can I just >> You're right that the board is responsible for approving the policy. We just find that often times and it doesn't happen every time. I wish it could, but that we we craft the um regulation and I often have our our you know board committee look at that too just to help with that. but to have them come out both at the same time because we're really trying to make sure that policy whenever possible can be succinct, short, to the point, page or two and it's in the regulations that we are able

116to make a lot of that backup information and description. So, you're right, but I also I do um appreciate the feedback that I get on both. I don't see how we could have a policy that isn't backed up by a regulation that is in as in line with it. >> I don't disagree with you that point. Gretchen, did you have a >> I don't know. Um, >> is there some if if my child was in a changing room with child I don't even know how to put it, but I think parents should be notified if a child of a non-conforming gender. I don't know. I don't I'm not sure that's legal. >> I don't think it's legal. No. >> And remember that the reason why we did the policy and please from the policy committee

117please back me up on that that this that we we needed to have this because this is >> this is by law. So um >> not only do we need it, it it has come up three times in the last two weeks. >> Awesome. >> With our students. >> Yes. >> With students. >> Mhm. three three students that I referred to this draft policy uh with principles because they are dealing with these issues. >> Any further questions or discussion? >> Most likely. >> I just I just wanted to say that for for kids or anybody any single person who says that that person wants to be a they um as a grimarian they can't >> as a grimarian. Okay. All right. >> You would go with your grammar. All right. Any other discussion? All those

118in favor of the policy second reading of the P514 um 53 which is the transgender and non-conforming youth, please say I. I >> oppose. Abstain. Motion so carries. We're moving on. So the next one is on new business. Um, which uh Rita would you be willing to read? The motion to approve the following courses for the 2018 2019 school year. Latin poetry, Latin pros, special science 9 and 10, special science 11 and 12, photography 3, falcon cafe, Spanish for the workplace. I do have an addendum because the principal told me that they're not ready to roll out the Spanish for the workplace. So like those other two, we're going to hold off on that one. >> Okay. So strike that in the motion >> amending the motion to remove Spanish for the workplace. >> But

119we haven't had a second on it. So I'm just going to say that the motion is without the Spanish for workplace. And can I now have a second? >> Second. >> Rosemary has seconded it. Um and just uh for starting of the discussion um just once again just for the people who are watching either on TV or here is that we did have a robust conversation where most people came and presented the course material. Um and then one of the requests that the many of us asked for is that in our board packet over the weekend that we got to read about the course description and that also we are going to have scope and sequence that's going to be presented to us not for approval but just to kind of show us what the

120curriculum was directed towards after the summer. Um so so just to let people know that that there is there was a chain event as we go through quickly. Jay, >> um I just want to say I said this at the committee of the whole but I I just want to publicly say that um I personally and I I think I speak for everybody was so impressed that the faculty uh developed uh most of this these ideas and and came up with justifications um that it was truly from the faculty up and not imposed [clears throat] from administration down. And um uh I think it's wonderful because they're in the best position to know the new classes we need, you know, what the students uh need or asking for. And uh I I think it was

121uh wonderful and that was in coordination with the new uh curriculum uh council. >> Any other discussion? >> Rosemary. >> Oh, Rosemary, I'm so sorry. >> Um I just also want to add that it was exciting to hear about them. It made me want to take Latin again. Um, >> well, was it that >> almost [laughter] um but what was the what was really quite moving was their energy and their enthusiasm. So, if you can >> I will pass that on people who want love their craft. Yeah, I think >> Andrew, >> while I love the Latin pros and Latin poetry proposal, I'm concerned about that second that that there's no third and fourth year of of that offering that language. Do I understand the logistics of >> excuse me? There always will be a

122third and fourth because students will take Latin one, Latin two, then whatever shows up during their third year, whether it be pros or poetry, they'll take that and then during their fourth year, it will be the flip-flop of ter or poetry. >> So, we're getting rid of >> but that's half only a half that's one semester. That's not a full year of Latin pros and a full year of Latin poet. >> Oh, I didn't realize that. Yeah. >> Y I'm I'm concerned about building credits. >> Okay. >> Well, there are there is I lab studies. >> Well, that >> Oh, that's the that that's a that's a main ID. >> So, that's not the that's that's not going to give that fourth year that that fourth credit. >> Yeah, I think >> I thought I

123thought >> I think IB classical studies is is is a twoyear 11th and 12th grade IB course. I'm [clears throat] sorry that the print came out. >> I'm sorry that Joe isn't here. >> I think Jay had >> any thoughts for you guys? It says Latin three and four would be curriculum >> of Latin poetry and pro. >> Yeah, you you thought I thought >> it I'm looking right at the document from the teacher. >> Yeah. And it says that Latin 3 will either be Latin poetry or Latin pros and then it'll um and then the reverse for Latin 4. And I think it was a way of compacting um the number of students and being able to offer it on a rotating basis, but it would still stand as Latin 3 and Latin 4.

124>> That's not how I understand. >> Yeah, that's not what it says. Rotating curriculum. It's right here in the doc the modifications to existing curriculum >> on the back. >> What are the Latin3 becomes poet three and Latin four becomes pro foot. >> But I I think what the confusion is is that that's not what's on the new Latin course proposal on this side of the sheet >> and that's not what was set up. >> Jay, did you have a question? Um well I mean I know it's kind of um esoteric but in in my research on this there was only there there was no college or university was requiring a fourth year though Harvard does recommend it. So, if you were concerned that the students if if this turns out to be a semester

125[clears throat] course, I I don't think it um affects their ability to to go on to college or or university, >> but I would like to know whether it's semester or full year. So could we I guess my question is can we if if we approve this do we approve all of them or can we say everything but we'd like to go back to this don't get it I don't get it well I my but think what I think we've got um two students here who's looking at the um at the course description to see >> program we just want to be sure the credits >> about the credits um I don't know what's going to happen to that course or whe whether it does not come then online because this is for their course

126of study I don't know if we need to whether it's this is enough to um people um to say no to it or whether we need to have to to approve it and then have to come back to the knowledge about whether it's a whether it's a half semester or full semester. I would hate I would hate to see one second, Jay. I would hate to see us not have this go for forward because of that of that question. Jay, >> again, I'm I'm reading the description. It says Latin 3 and Latin 4 would become a rotating curricula. >> Yeah, that's my understanding. It's a full credit course, Latin 3 and a full credit course, Latin 4. But because we have so few students in Latin three and then so few students in Latin four,

127we'll congregate all the students available in one particular year and they'll take poetry and then the next year we'll take all the students available and they'll take pros and we'll just keep flip-fpping that >> I don't two years. >> It's a two years and if you really want to take four years of Latin, you you go and you take classical studies through the IB program to Latin one, Latin 2. Thank you, Dan. that. Yeah, it would be Latin class. You it it's the op these two courses. >> What I'm getting at is these two courses, if you were to approve them tonight, they would provide students with another option instead of taking the IB course. >> Exactly. But they're full credit courses. >> I believe so. >> Full credit. >> Um I think it has

128to be considered a full credit course if if Latin 3 and Latin 4 are full credit courses because it says modification. So unless it says not being a full credit course as part of the modification >> that we have we can I hate to assume but I think we can assume that it would be a full credit course and maybe you could just in board notes just >> sure just do that. Thank you Gretchen. Um I have a question on number six. Will what will the financial impact be? And it says no new materials are needed at this time. Well, we're talking. Which one are you talking about? >> About the Latin. Latin. Number six. I not be I just don't want to see. >> Therefore, creating no fiscal impact at this time. You >>

129and the last part of the sentence she writes, therefore creating no fiscal impact. >> Did it not copy in yours? It's not a very good copy. It's still at this time. >> Therefore, >> no fiscal impact at this time. >> Right. >> So maybe 3 years down the road there would be, but right now there isn't one. I I don't I think we're getting into the weeds again. Guys, >> I just want to make a quick uh I heard her say that all the texts already exist, but obviously 3 to four years from now, the texts may fall apart or we may go to all electronic and just with any class there may be a future fiscal need to replace materials. >> I think that Dr. Grineer also further on in the meeting is going

130to be discussing some some part of that as well. >> Your point is well taken, Gretchen, is that we have to make sure >> it's kind of like when we get grants the money goes away. I don't want to It's not going to happen with Latin. >> Well, even if we had 20 students and even if it cost $100, which would be hard, that would be $2,000. And if we could pull that out, >> just trying to keep all our little >> Anyone discussion? All those in favor of the motion that's on the floor, I just have made a question about the cost for the photography 3, the large format printer of almost um $1,800. Is this something that we will be in our budget and may possibly if we need to have budget cuts

131be something that would be cut or is this would be >> I think Mr. Please >> putting that into his >> Okay, great. Thank you. Thank you for picking that up. >> Any other discussion? All those in favor accepting the motion that's on the floor to approve the following courses um for the 2018 2019 school year. Latin poetry, Latin pros, special science 9 and 10, special science 11 and 12, photography 3, Falcon Cafe. All those in favor, please say I. >> Those opposed, abstain. Motion so carries. We're moving on. So we're at we're at the we're at the bewitching hour. Okay. So um number two, J with increased speed. Mobility number two, discussion and possible action regarding approval of the first reading of policy P2151, recruitment and selection of certified and non-certified employees. Can I

132have a second to uh the motion of reading the first uh the approve the first reading of the policy? >> So move I've got Lee. So Lee and Sue, do you want to walk us through this? >> I'm actually going to let walk us through this. um recruitment HR policy. So, she's going to help us with that. >> Sure. Um so, the P2151 uh was a revision to the policy. Originally, um this policy was in another section of the board manual under P411 um spoke to the same issues. When when we got the cape samples, it looked like they had moved it to um the uh personnel section of the of the manual. So it has been combined and then moved to the um the P2151 has been moved to P411. Um so we had

133some of this context but um it has been updated with the most recent version that we received from Kate. Do we have any other discussions or comments about this um the policy? >> All right. So, all those in favor of the first reading of the policy P2151, recruitment and selection of certified and non-certified employees, please say I. >> Oppose. Abstain. Motion so carried. Gretchian, can you please read the motion for number three, please? Discussion and possible action regarding approval as a first reading of policy P4111. The Did I You said three, right? Yep. Yep. Okay. Recruitment and selection see and closure. Um, can I have a second? >> No. Can I have a second to this motion? >> Oh, second. >> Well, she didn't read the motion yet. >> Yes, she did. >> Oh, yes,

134she did. To approve. I'll make We'll do it again. to approve as a first reading policy P411131s recruitment and selection. >> I'll second that. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Lori. Um, this is just, as I was referencing on the earlier one, this is just the revised version of the prior P2151. Any questions or discussion? All those in favor of the first reading of the policy 411 which recruitment and selection please say I. I. >> Those um opposed abstain. Motion so carried. Katrina can you read number four please? >> Um to make a motion to approve as a first reading policy 4112.51 employment verification and offer. So Lori, is this this looks a lot of more green? Yeah. Let me explain what is in this document. >> We did have a second. Did I not ask

135for a second? >> Second. >> Leave a second. And we're going to take a 3sec break to change. >> Yep. We've taken 3 second break to change the video. All right, we're ready to go back again. >> Yep. So, um, so Lori, you're back on. >> Sure. Thank you. Um, so this policy basically outlines all of the new the new requirements on the district with the passage of a new legislation called Public Act 1667. So, this was passed by the state back effective July 1st. Um, we've been complying since it originally passed. And basically this outlines all of our obligations around hiring, reference checking, employment offers, anything that has to do with the hiring process in which we have to meet our obligations with that with that new regulation. So we previously did not have

136this policy at this level of expansion. It's been expanded to include all of those u regulatory items. Is there any other discussion? All those in favor of the first reading of of policy 41112.51 employment verification on offer please say I. >> Those opposed abstain so carried J. [clears throat] Uh, I move to approve as a first reading policy P5114, suspension, expulsion, due process. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. >> Sue, are you back on? >> I'm back on. >> So, I've got the regulation in front of me. Hold on. >> Okay. This was um a policy we've actually been working on for a while and the committee had asked if we could send it back to our attorneys because they had some questions with um looking at inschool suspension and instead of 5

137days it's actually 10 consecutive days. I guess that was corrected. Um this was the one around looking at um preschool to grade two and um the state being very cautious about our suspending little children, but that we are allowed to suspend um for out of school in the case of violent um behavior or any behavior of a sexual nature that in endangers anybody or persons. So that's really the gist of that and some updating in the law. So after um I wanted to say usually we have the green which is new, the black which is old, the strikeout red which was stuff we wanted but the blue is the attorney. So now we have another color. The blue is the recommendation from the attorney to make sure that we've got everything in here that we

138need. So he added the part about bullying. Y [clears throat] cyber bullying. And we took out the the small section in red about bullying and he added more detail to that. One of the things that came up with this um Susan was the um the knife length >> and it was noted in special ed. >> Am I too loud now? >> We can find it. No, we can't hear you. >> We can't hear you. >> I can hear me. >> Well, that's good. [laughter] Okay. I don't know what's going on tonight. Okay. Um B, special education. Wait a minute. Let me find a specific section. >> Section five. >> It's still there. >> Yeah. And I I I And >> but it's not in the other place. It's nowhere else. Does it define the length?

139And I thought we were going to check on that. >> I did ask him >> and I can't remember what he said. Well, I don't I think that he said that it was just um defining um the whole um trying to remember >> it's under it's B >> where is it? It's under B special ed number one >> special ed >> and it says for the for this purpose a weapon means a weapon device instrument material or substance animate or inanimate that is used for or is readily capable of causing death or bodily injury. So it's a definition of what is an weapon and some of it is for the intent. um except such terms does not include a pocket knife with a blade of less than 2 and 1/2 in in length and that

140>> I think it's unique. It says one and a half inches. >> No, no, no. This is the new one. That was the old one. >> Two and a half. that it I think the issue was that it does not we have other paragraphs that define >> um that do not give you a length. >> We're having one too many conversations. >> Sorry. >> You know what I mean? >> No, Katrina, you're going to have to say it one more time. >> Um the issue was why is that in there? Was that a special law that got through regarding some situation that occurred where special ed students that are designated special ed can have a knife that is up to are less than 2 and 1/2 in and that looks like 21. >> It's 2

141and a half. [clears throat] It's not 21. >> I haven't either. Whereas elsewhere in the policy, it does not um specify >> whereas elsewhere in the policy when weapons are being um defined or described or listed or any other thing like that, it doesn't state a length. So we were curious why is that something that is legislation from years and years and years ago that just hasn't >> absolutely was wording from years and years cuz >> I think it needs to be consistent. >> Well, can this go back to the policy which is supposed to anyways? I mean to kind of have you guys kind of what it needs to do is we just have to recheck with the attorney. He was supposed to answer that question and >> that's what I'm asking if he

142had or not. Apparently he hasn't. So >> my understanding is that the the uh the legislature has changed the definition uh of uh of the length of a deadly weapon and and so forth several times over the last four or five years. And so I think if if to check with Floyd and I think referring to uh the statute at the time would be better than listing it because we could get the wrong one here. >> So obviously that that's what one of the things that's going to go back to the policy for you guys to to do. Is there any other discussion on this? >> It goes back to the policy. I I would like to reread this because as I read this in my book sanctuary of my home, I didn't see that

143this was I thought it was black. So I thought it was stuff that I had already read. So I'd like more time to >> Well, it's only the first meeting anyway. >> Good. We'll come back. >> Very good. >> Okay. >> And my guess is is that if you had some concerns about the policy, the policy is meeting. I mean, I think I would send your comments to >> Yes. to to Lee so that it can get to her so we don't we're not reinventing that wheel on the second reading. >> No more wheels. Any more discussion? All those in favor of the first reading of the suspension expulsion policy 5114, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed, abstain. Motion so carried. >> I abstain. >> So two absentions. >> Motion still carries. >>

144All right. So number six is to I am I'm just going to read is to approve the restoration of the fiscal year 18 budget and I believe Dr. um can I just have a second so that we can go into discussion. Rosemary now discussion and so I believe Ken are you are you passing along stuff? >> Yes. Why don't you go ahead and explain? >> Um so uh the 1,568-239 um was uh approved to come back into our budget. Uh 891541 was previously approved by the board uh consisting of personnel uh adjustments and cembership. So that one has already been done. uh the remaining 676 698. Uh this is our proposal for um allocating that remaining budget so that the entire 1,568239 will be um will be budgeted for questions. This looks very similar to

145the stuff that we have seen. [laughter] It is >> over and over. >> Katrina and >> um I'm thinking of this in relation to the next is it the next motion the magnet program funding. >> I I I guess it's too late. I wish we could have switched it around. >> We we you I was just about to say you could do that. We could table this >> off table this and and and do the next one >> and then come back if you want. >> Could we do that? >> It is the will of the board. I I just need to have 2/3 to do that. >> All right. >> So, um so do I All I have to do is just table that and and go back to the go to the next

146one. Is that correct? I want to make sure that I'm doing Okay. So, the motion now on the floor is to approve proposed magnet program funding for any [cough and clears throat] CK. I just need a second to get us in discussion. >> I'll second that. >> Katrina. All right. >> Dr. Ger, >> you want to talk a little bit about it because I I have uh the I have spoken Mr. Espazito and and and the really driving force that that he would like to see uh this year. Uh well, you've had more complete discussions. Why don't you explain it? So, one of the things for this year that um NEA is looking to do is to have a Mac lab that would be um really for the per for the arts to be able

147to have video to be able to um do 3D art. So, to do things that our Chromebooks just can't do and to have an entire Mac lab and we did price it out. >> Excuse me. You're saying Mac >> Mac. >> Okay. I think Okay. Mlab and um I think he had mentioned that the last time at the CO and the price he had estimated was 26,000 but we actually got a price of 21.5 >> $21,500 to be able to accomplish that. He also is looking for more enrichment and while we have a budget in the operating for enrichment we do have um a total amount of 38,000 and so there are some additional monies in there. So I've encouraged him and also through the other literacy grant through department of defense to um you

148know to add some of those enrichment programs this year and they can be paid for under our existing operations. Um and then for next year he's come up with um a list of items that he really needs and they're mostly around the um restoration and purchase of a lot of instruments and also about building that enrichment um you know program so he can do more of the plays like two or three of the plays that he does pretty comprehensively. So throughout the year and um do you want me to mention that price? I think we came up with $15,000. >> Well, that's for next year. So let's just >> So tonight we're talking about 215 to get the back. >> So that is the only thing tonight for the magnet. >> It's the only thing

149tonight because we have district funds uh for the enrichment program that uh NEA will be able to tap. >> What about CK? CK also interesting. They had come up with a whole spreadsheet of everything from um their STEM steam labs to robotics to coding and she also had some professional development but it wasn't until summertime. So it wouldn't be in this budget. So when we subtracted that cost for the professional development, it came out to be 215. So pretty even. Stephen, it was kind of incredible. Well, if you remember, >> I got Krine first. >> There was a there was a minimal column. There was a medium column. There was a sort of an optimum column. >> The medium column was 38 uh but when 38,000 uh but when uh when Mrs. Dan went back,

150she actually realized that some of the things had already been purchased. Uh so I said, "Well, what do you need this year?" We'll tell we'll talk about next year uh tomorrow night. Uh but this year it came out to about 225 >> 215 Katrina >> is there a handout that I don't didn't get in my packet. >> There's not a hand out for this. >> There's this is the this is uh the the price quote that we got for the Macintosh Lab. >> Okay. What I'm wondering about is we got a sheet from from Mr. Espazito and on the top of it I thought there was like a CIP type thing that was 26,000. >> Yeah, that that's this >> that's his >> the 26 was the roundabout quote but we got the real quot

151is 20 215. >> Okay. >> And then he also had in that they was hoping to have some enrichment activities and and Susan spoke to him about tapping into the district enrichment account which she has access to. >> Okay. We're you I think I have a referral to discuss this further. >> Yes, you do. >> Okay. Where's that money coming from? >> That's a great question. My recommendation would be from the Department of Defense Supplemental Impact Aid. That would be my backup recommendation. My my first recommendation actually would be to let the budget play out and we'll see. Uh because I'm I'm not sure everything that we have here is is going to cost as as much as as we think. So there may be an opportunity to pay for some of this stuff out

152of the site budgets, the the the regular board operating budget. >> So there may be and if there isn't, it will definitely come out of the the DoD >> if the board approves it tonight. That's right. Absolutely. Okay. >> And and Mr. And I did check and there is a a function code for magnet theme. So that will be in our budget next year. >> I knew there had to be. Okay. >> Yep. >> Good. Rita and then Jay and then Gretchen. >> I I just had a question about that CK has quite a bit of um money already from Title One. >> They do. >> And why would they need additional money for this? Why can't they take that out of their title one funds? I think that's what she went back and looked

153at and there were some things that she had had on the original list that had already been covered either through her site budget or through title one. So these were items that she wasn't purchasing. You know, they plan ahead. So we work on those title one budgets kind of a year in advance like through the summer and um by the time they finally get approved it's usually late fall. So, um, you know, she had actually gone back and did that work. >> So, you really feel that that 21,000 can't come out of additional title one funds somewhere? >> Well, she's already got her and it we have to very be very careful with the amount that each school that's covered under title one receives. And remember, we're taking you we're taking um about $200,000 for

154the districted initiatives. So, it's not that the schools receive the entire million dollars. They only receive a portion. And I'm looking at Ken because I'm trying to remember the amount, >> but they but Claude Chester, because they have the largest free and reduced population, they always have to have more money. and then Chris is kind of the second school and then west side. So, we have to make sure that um they're delineated that way. So, we can't restructure um they could that amount of money, >> right? I I'm just questioning the professional development in that piece. >> Well, so she took that out. >> She did take that out. >> She took that out. Yeah. >> Rita, I appreciate your your question in terms of that. I think that people don't understand about the title

155one. So, I'm really glad that you asked that question. Thank you, Jay. Um, yeah, I I have a lot of questions about [clears throat] Title One, but get getting back to Northeast for just a second. So, we are being asked to approve the 21,500 and this will either come out of um the budget or as a backup, we're going to use DODIA >> right >> now. what enrichment uh programs from his um list of of requests were were we funding? Because there's um >> Could you just speak into the microphone, Jay, just a little bit? >> There's Yeah, there's um after school drama and theater, there's the um band ensembles, >> um the math enrichment, uh the art enrichment. I don't think Mr. Espazito meant all of that this year. >> Okay. >> When I

156spoke with him, he primarily was interested in getting the the Macintosh lab, >> right? >> And and >> he's here. >> Yeah, >> he's here. We could ask him. >> Go ahead, Paul. >> You should probably come to the microphone, though, Paul. [cough] Good evening on. >> Hi. >> Dr. Grineer is on the money there. We were we we're looking for that lab this year. We get it in place. We know we have some big projects coming at the end of this year that that will just save hours of time and allow us to really expand and explore some great opportunities. When it comes to the enrichment programs, as you know that I submitted, it was a three-year plan. We'd like to start July 1st with having year round drama. Uh, as you know, we

157we had to cut a lot of kids out of drama. So, we would like to have it year round so we could offer multiple performances and allow the grades to expand. And then um while we currently have a jazz band now, it only runs for about 6 weeks. So, but there's there's a tremendous amount of opportunity there and desire. So what we'd like to do is take next year hopefully have jazz band year round once a week. Drama we're looking at two to three days uh a week year round. Um and then the orchestra we have uh uh quintet quartet small ensemble smaller ensembles uh year round. So, we would like to just take everything that we're doing now for about six weeks and allow the students to really get started in September and and

158run them year round. Am I answering that? >> And the way our enrichment program works is they do a fall, winter, spring. So, he really would like to include those. And one of the things we did discuss together was to give kids opportunities for smaller gigs, you know, like maybe an improv or maybe a um reader theater so that kids will have more opportunities to perform, you know, but we can tie it into literacy. So, he was going you were going to talk to some teachers about possibly adding some performance this year because we do have funds. >> Jay, do you have more questions on that? >> Right. Well, just to follow up. So these enrichment funds that he's going to tap from the district, this is what all the schools use. You mentioned it

159earlier for their after school, >> right? >> Before school, each uh school determines their own enrichment activity. >> And so that's being taken care of. And so the only thing that that we're asking tonight is for the capital improvement on the MAC lab, >> right? And then these other things we will consider toward future budgets. >> Yeah. >> I hope that next year we get our July 1st going forward. Our our request for Northeast Academy is that we could you know start July 1st planning for year round uh activities so we could start to engage the students. It takes it's a while. It takes a lot of planning. Uh students have difficulty. You can't be in all of them. So they we had to like to plan it out in advance so that we could

160hit the ground running in September with year- round activities. But we do know there's a cost and that's why we're hoping that you guys will consider it and hopefully we can get it in place after July 1st for the for the entire school year as opposed to just for a six week stint. >> But how are we going to address the repair, replacement, and maintenance of the 20-year-old musical instruments? I uh spoke with the music teachers today and whatever the board's able to do for us, we would we are greatly appreciative. You know, we just thank you tremendously if you're able to give us whatever whatever the dollar amount would be because that's what it comes down to. I would then turn to uh Mrs. Stevenson, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Henderson and ask them to

161prioritize >> the needs >> their needs and they would have to discuss vers you know strings orchestra versus band and the drums things like that which of the instruments are we in dire need of replacing or repairing and um through a prioritized list that they would create we would access the money and then wait another year to get to the next list. I think that's something that's going to look at um you know over time each year it's kind of like that photography course that we're talking about over years at the high school you'd have to probably replace equipment over time. >> I also want to remind us that we're on the concept of for this year's money and I think that your your conversation is well worth it but let's have that when we

162are looking at the budget for next year. >> No, I'm talking about this year. I'm not talking about that. That's a totally different conversation. And I'm talking about the immediate needs for repair, replacement, and maintenance of band and orchestra instruments for a magnet school that that's their program. So, how are we taking care of those immediate needs? >> Um, and >> but if we are but if we have a principal that of one of the magnet schools that comes to us tonight and says that really what they want for the monies >> for this coming year is your Mac lab. >> Yes, that would be fantastic. I I know that the budget >> and that's after having a conversation with the assistant superintendent >> um about for this coming. >> The other thing is that

163Northeast Academy has a site budget. >> Yes. >> Which will be restored, thank God, as of 5 minutes ago >> hopefully >> uh to about $63,000. So, you will have access to well, you you already had access to some of those dollars, but I know you've you you've got the lion share of your your site budget yet to be expended. Fair to say, >> yes. >> So, you could you could repair, you know, so some of the top priority stuff you could some of the site budget could be allocated to that as the other schools do. >> Yep. Weird. and it does whatever is in there. But I think we're looking down the road for the future to even, you know, replace some >> just just so that there's a a figure that I could

164plan for the future each year. This is all we're we're going to allocate this much money towards repair and replacement and just budget that in. And anything extra, sorry, you'll have to wait another year kind of a thing and we move forward. >> Katrina, excuse me, Jay, are you done with your questions? I apologize. >> Um, no. Um, so I've had parents uh call me they're they're upset that their children were not um able to participate in drama in the current year. Um, how are we paying for the instructor for this this drama? We're arts magnet school. Um, how are you paying for that in the current year? >> Last year we passed a hat and uh we took donations from the audience and this year Mrs. Austin's asking he says we can tap into

165um >> enrichment >> the enrichment >> monies for the that the district for the all the schools. So >> and I've encouraged them to come up with other drama. >> So do you have you have an enrichment account? Do you have some >> you tap into the district's enrichment account? >> Right. Right. Well you there's an allocation, right? >> Yeah. >> Uh and do you have some drama planned for the spring? >> Yeah, we're we're in rehearsals right now. Uh drama typically runs I think that's your question, Jay. Right. More drama, >> right? Because we have the ability to do more drama >> this year. >> Yeah. >> That would depend on if the district's Well, that's when Mrs. Austin says to me, "Yes, there's money. You can go ahead and do it." We don't

166start anything. So, we know that. >> Yeah. We've discussed that though for him to do smaller things, not one of these huge productions, but you know, something that would be in the in the spring cycle that could be improv or reader theater or something that other children some kids don't like the big performance, you know, they would prefer to have some smaller >> kinds of performances. >> Jay. >> Okay. Well, um I just I don't want uh the impression to be that we've created this magnet school and you know and and we're not actually carrying through and and you know why are students being excluded from drama because there there wasn't the funding this year and hearing from the parents of all the money that they've had to spend um through their PTO um to

167support the program. I just want to make sure that we're we're we're funding it. So, if um Mr. Esto says he's good for this year, then we'll go with that. >> Katrina, I um agree with Jay and I was going to say something, but when Mr. Respto said that they had to pass the hat. Um I don't think that we if we cannot support a magnet school to the extent that the staff and administration and the curriculum and all that stuff thinks then we shouldn't have one. So, I look forward to having our conversation about funding the magnet schools. And I sent you, >> what was the deficit for which you needed to pass a hat? >> Well, the the last year's play was approximately $3,000 and that didn't include the the instructor or, you

168know, the the drama coach, right? >> He was he didn't get paid. We just uh the audience members. >> What did you do with your enrichment program last year? What we did for enrichment last year, we had um everything from jazz band for six weeks. We did crocheting for six weeks. We did >> We compensated the people for that, right? >> They were they were Yeah. Yes. They they they >> But not the drama person. We didn't compensate. >> I thought we did compensate him, but not for his whole time. You gave him something. >> He has not No, we did not. So, um, his time is significantly more than the he's three to four days a week as opposed to one hour, one day a week for 6 weeks. He's he's 3 to four

169days per week for, you know, 20 weeks, something like that. We were just hoping to make it year round and secure him so that he knows I'm there's going to be, you know, because otherwise he's not going to it's a lot of time he has to put in and >> it's nice to know if you're going to be >> But we did discuss you're paying him this year. This year we're going to tap into the uh enrichment. >> It our concern was this year that uh the enrichment is typically one hour for 6 weeks >> as opposed to the 3 to four hours he puts in every week for about 20 weeks and we're sharing that with the other schools. That's what prompted me to say maybe we could set aside something for ours arts

170because it's we don't want to take that's a big chunk of money from all the other schools enrichment because it's one account. So we didn't want to get involved. >> How much is the enrichment account? >> $38,000. >> And how much is allocated per school? >> Well, the um elementary um takes the lion share, but they don't spend the whole 38,000. They maybe spend 28,000. And then it's also used for um the middle school, but the middle school has additional funds too through title two and now the DODIA grants. So because of the grants we've been able to add to that's why we're able to see >> So it's about $5,000 per school. >> Not even quite >> a little bit less >> like three. >> I think we had nine nine. We about two.

171Yeah. 2,800 per school. >> Oh, just 2,800. Okay. >> It was >> for the total amount. Yeah, it was about nine, but that would enrichment $1,000. >> Where did the other 18 go? >> Well, for the other enrichment funds and it might not have been totally expended. >> That's why I said that's what surprises me about passing the hat. If if there was unexpended money, did you ask for the money? >> Ask for that. That's >> the enrichment money. Well, the enrichment money was explained to us as each school had about nine $250 aotments and we tried to that those are each about that's about six weeks of one hour per week or eight weeks one hour per week. >> Well, we we we used our night you >> we had we had the fitness

172club. We had Yeah, we have I mean there's other things going on. jazz band. I guess >> at least for this year there there are there appears to be if there's $38,000 it's certainly more than 2,800 for your school. >> And I've communicated that to all the principles. >> So for this year there seems to be several thousand that well several three or $4,000 that would be allocated to Northeast Academy. Is that fair to say? >> That's fair. and which would take care of I hope uh an additional drama performance or something that that Mr. Whiteoff was advocating for. >> Sure. If you if you're saying we could do that. >> Well, actually that's in the budget. You you can talk to Susan. >> We have talked about it and I also said that there's

173a literacy grant so you can do readers theater. There's other vehicles that you can draw funds from. >> Okay. Thank you. Yeah. >> Lee, did you have a question? No. >> Okay. Andrea. >> Yes. >> I think that if we're going to tout our schools, we have two schools that are magnet schools. If we're going to tout them as magnet schools, we have to fund them as magnet schools. They shouldn't have to worry about whether this this one's going to come out of this grant or that one's going to come out of some other pot of money. If we're advertising our schools as magnet schools, we need to fund them. And there there's no discussion in my money. >> I'm 100% in agreement. >> We all agree with that. >> We are funding Not in

174that way. It has to be aligned. >> I think it's a communication issue. We We need to sit down. Susan Ball and I need to sit down because there there clearly is money on the table to support these programs. >> I don't think that's what we're talking about. >> We submitted a three-year plan. I think it kind of lays it out each year what the annual costs are. >> That little capital thing. >> Yeah. >> Gretchen, can I bring us back to the Mac lab? Is there physical space in the building for it without displacing another special >> like art? >> So we're not putting some I think it's just a it's a piece of technology we're going to use in an existing program. >> The Mac >> Yeah, >> it's on a cow. >>

175It's on a It's on a cart. >> It is on a cart. So whatever. >> We're going to we're going to allow the students access to the Macintosh. >> I was like thinking we were going to force like another no. Are there any reoccurring licensing fees? >> Yes. And um it's als it's also um yeah the purchase of the play. It's not it's reoccurring like annual. >> Yeah. >> The cost of the play every year is an annual or the two or three that's a that's a cost that we would have to cover each year that that we this year we're um I have to work with Mr. tonight because it was a it was not a vendor. It's kind of odd. Just really briefly like it's James and the Giant Peach and the only

176company that's making a giant peaches in China and we need that shipped in but it's they're not on the vendor list you. So those kind of things get in the way and I have to kind of figure out how do we get the giant peach here each year. that typical cost of a of an elementary play because they have to take a play and they have to reduce it down and make it for elementary and and there's certain songs. So that that licensing fee typically runs between $700 and $1,000 for one one play. And then we we work with um costumes and sets and things like that that we develop. And that's I have to work with Mr. Knight on that because those are things we purchase through like Goodwill and places like that because

177we need costumes. So, how I go about all that is a little complicated, but >> does that does that answer your question? I just >> No, I thought on I don't have the sheet, but I thought there were >> So, you're talking about the the licensing agreement for the Mac lab, >> not necessarily licensing. >> Sorry. I thought you licked >> That's all right. I enjoyed hearing that. [laughter] >> I thought you had the licensing for the play. >> Well, that too. I want to hear. But like I thought there were programs that were listed when on >> there were Mr. Mr. uh Dennis the uh our technology director. >> He he and I have talked he made recommendations. He was able to >> Oh, time out. I'm talking about that. You're you're talking about

178enrichment programs, drama and so forth. >> I'm talking about what is going to be used on the Mac, the programs that are going to make them run. >> Go ahead. Talk about that. That's the licensing. >> Dennis Dennis made a recommendation. we only purchased one bundle at this time. Okay, >> that reduced that cost down significantly. And then um he said work with what comes with the Mac first. He also found us a cart. And when I quoted, we went retail. We just looked at the retail price of everything. And he was, you know, he's able to do a better job than the retail cost. >> Okay. So this year we're getting only only one of the computers is outfitted with the bundle package, the um the software package that we requested. >> Yeah. >>

179And we would wait until next year after July 1st to consider outfitting the rest of the computers based on his recommendation which we happy to follow. >> Okay. So that's a budget consideration or it'll come out of well we >> for next year for next year because we have this new function code the board I think is going to plan in in accordance with what you just said sufficient money to support both magnet programs. >> Okay. Okay. Any other questions? I just have a statement that next year it looks like for magnet school support we have almost 90,000 in our budget budget. I mean for our next year. So So >> really >> Yeah, that's what it says under the magnet school function 1115. Put >> something in. That was just I think that was

180just a placement. Okay. >> Yeah, at least a start because before that it was 00. [laughter] >> Any other any other questions? >> Thank you very much. We greatly appreciate this. So, so the so the motion I want to make sure I know what we're voting on. [laughter] Are we are we going to be voting on the MAC? >> 225 for Northeast Academy and 225 for >> 215 21 >> 215 >> for both of them. Is that is that >> for each of them? >> For each. >> What What does the Mac the special Mac do? Oh, we have >> we had that description last week. Um, and so it was it's a 3D design. >> It's a graphics kind of thing and the kids can do green screen presentation. It's really a a kind

181of like a a a little video editing suite. >> This one. >> Yeah. But so when we finish this motion because we're not going to tap in this year to to this budget to do >> it's a graphics program with cool graphic things that kids can do. >> Didn't we just ask the kids the motion has been >> request to move the motion? >> I am I am sorry Rita the the question that Rita had is that that we've tabled the first one and so I'm planning to finish this motion that's on the floor right now and then going back to the one that we t >> Okay. So um was that >> that was me [laughter] >> growling growling. >> So Mark will thank you for his eardrums. Um so the the um the

182motion that that is on the floor is the 215 for both um each for NEA and for the C CK magnet um school program. And the funding um that I am not saying this eloquently but the so the funding is is the first choice is that to go through our existing budget um and if that does not happen we are going to be um we'll supp we'll supplement it through the um the DODIA grant supplemental grant >> excuse me you want the 4300 part of this motion you're about to approve >> yes that's what I just said the the the the 20 >> the 21 the 215 >> 43 I just I se I separated it for >> northeast separately >> yes separately yes please >> with the understanding that it's going to um be

183paid for through the existing budget and supplemented if needed necessary um for the DODIA supplemental. All right, that's the motion that's on the floor. All those in favor, please say I. >> Those opposed, abstain. Motion so carried. Let's go back to the one that has been um tabled, which is the motion to restore the restoration of the fiscal year 2018 budget. Do I have any do we have any questions about that? Because I think we've it's been first and seconded. Can we do that? Hearing no discussion. We've seen this a lot. Anyways, um not anyways, but we have seen we have seen these numbers. All those in favor, please say I. >> Oppose. >> Abstain. >> Motion so carried. >> Jay. >> Oh, Jay Jay, did you abstain? >> Mhm. >> Andrew, did you obtain?

184>> Oh, I said yes. I >> I just want to point out to to the board of education, we just got the FY18 budget >> just now with that vote. Thank you. >> End of January. All right. Um, so the our next item is the possible action about the transportation. What I am going to and that's going to be going into an executive session. So I would like to entertain that we are going to finish the rest of our meeting. What's wrong? >> Have the standing committee business. >> Standing. >> Oh, the standing committee business number eight, >> which is number eight. I skipped that one. [laughter] So we have a motion um to approve the reinstatement of the curriculum committee and finance and facility committee. I think that this this motion is Can I

185have a second? Please second. >> Um so the discussion is is that we just we want to reinstate this. I think in the committee of the whole we can discuss when we do it and and what that is but I just wanted to like just say that we are we are reinstating those things. >> Okay. All right. All those in favor please say I. >> I oppose. abstain. Motion so carries. All right, going back to number nine. I'm going to put that in the way back and that's the executive session. Um, so letters and communications J. >> Um, let's see. I'll go last. Rosemary. Um, is this stuff we've attended also? Um I had went to um Gasp today and they have a great many things that they would like to co- do with us.

186Great >> and um a lot of interesting ideas. So in including some community involvement of some businesses that would be supportive. I'm I also have approached um Anytime Fitness who will be setting up a recycling um place so that we can recycle. They do a lot of drinking of water there. And um so I mentioned because they have a 40% um military membership that um it would behoove us to to get involved with them and they're very excited about the thought of doing of um doing recycling for Charles Barn and so great >> for the hiking group >> because it's physical fitness. I don't know. Maybe I haven't done anything. >> Okay. [laughter] >> I'm trying to think. >> All right. I've had communications from um some community members about the Alliance District and how

187we are going to um support our our the children, our students. And so we are no longer eventually an alliance district in the next 5 years. And um I also had wonderful comments from some parents of Northeast Academy students who are very pleased and um just so happy to be at the school and all it provides. >> Since I live in a Northeast Academy neighborhood, it's very easy to talk to people. So it was wonder it's wonderful. >> Awesome. Thank you, Andrew. Um, I went to the permanent building committee and I I intend to continue to do that. And I I also wanted to compliment the Fitch High School jazz ensemble who played at the ecumenical service. And I was so excited about showcasing the scholars and talking about the international balaria program and and

188why we had them do what what they did [clears throat] tonight. And I forgot to say that each of those students received a a $20,000 scholarship and going through a very rigorous application process. So >> just so you know, just so you know. All right, Jay. Thanks to having a granddaughter and uh at Northeast Academy, I've been talking to that family and friends of theirs and uh it's very exciting to hear the kids themselves speak of that school and all they're doing, how excited they are about the just being part of Northeast Academy. It truly is a great uh environment for our students. Gretchen >> I can't >> I know I have but I couldn't I >> I'm sorry to a bunch of teenagers but I can't remember what this is. >> So I also

189received communications concerning the alliance district and um remedial [clears throat] services um in the district um as well as um from uh parents of Northeast Academy um and their concerns about funding there. Um and it was a a joy to um attend the uh Martin Luther King Jr. um ecumenical service at St. James organized by uh Dr. Acriman um along with my son. uh is very inspiring um afternoon. >> Forgot to say you move in. >> Um so we have advanced planning. Um and just to remind people that on the 29th at uh the senior center we have our public hearing. Um but we are filled with um budget and >> excuse me you said 29th but you meant the 30th. >> But I really meant the 30th. >> Okay. >> But I did say

190the 29th. We are doing a meeting on the 29th meeting. >> Okay. Aren't we doing a second on the 29th? >> We are. We have a meeting. >> There's a meeting tomorrow. >> Tomorrow night there's a budget workshop. The 29th there's a budget workshop. The 30th there's the public hearing at >> 6:00 6:00 I thought. No, seven >> for the public hearing. >> Yes. Seven. Okay. So, um and then for the agenda, uh the agenda items, uh Rosemary, I think that it would be really cool for in a committee of the whole for us to see how we can collaborate with the Gask um and and to hear their ideas and and see where there can be more synergy. I think that that would be really good. >> They they have some educational programs that

191would be ideal, including something for middle schools. >> Good. I mean, I think that that um the board would need to hear that, but that that would be very cool. Rita, >> I just wanted to um ask you on the 12th and the 21st for the COWs, they're they're going to be budget mostly, right? >> Yes. >> Because since the budget has to be passed by >> by the 26th there. So, I'm just curious. It looks like we end budget work sessions February 5th, but I'm sure that's not true. >> That's that's not true. I think every every I think that there's a budget workshop attached to every single meeting. >> So, would we still have the COWs or would it be or shouldn't it be all budget? >> Well, um I think that that

192will determine on what's the on the agenda and also what needs to be discussed before we go for a vote on the board of ed um meeting. So my sense is that probably would not be a very long committee of the whole but because we would want to do the bulk of that into the into the budget >> otherwise we'll have to have more meetings. And is one of these budget has one of these budget work sessions are we going to extend like a special um invitation to our TM and town council. >> Yes. >> Well maybe we could do that tomorrow. I I would just uh because we struggled so so hard uh with this year's budget, it it occurred to me that we uh have to pass uh next year's budget in 34

193days. >> It's it's a I I wasn't kidding. Mr. Knight and I have not been able to put the budget together because the first column of the budget is what was essentially what was the FY18 budget and until your action tonight we we couldn't complete that column. So it it has been it's been a difficult journey to say the least but we have 34 days. So, not hearing anything. Um, I would entertain a motion. >> One one quick question. Was there an um a BOE a GSA Ga meeting? >> No, there was not and that's that's been postponed. >> Okay. Motion to >> Mr. Espe. >> Say it again. >> Mr. Espazito wanted everybody to know that we have celebration of the arts at NEA. >> Yeah. Damn. 31st through >> the second. The second

194>> Wednesday, Thursday, Friday next week, Wednesday evening, Thursday evening as well. >> Okay. And it's all our schools and open up to the >> I have your flyer. I'll put that in the board notes. It It's like a huge thing with lots of lots of different people coming to perform and display their visual arts. >> Okay. So I am going to um entertain a motion for us to go into an executive session with um I had to finish the motion my love um executive executive session with super Dr. Superintendent um uh Mr. Kellpatrick and does our business Mr. Knight would be great if we could do >> Can I have a Can I have a motion? >> Just give me a second >> and Susan. Sorry Susan >> if you want to. >> Can I

195have a second? Second. All those in favor. >> All those opposed abstain. >> Motion carry. Let's meet in three minutes.