4-23-18 Groton Board of Education Meeting

001Hi, I'm Luke Dzenski. I'm Jake Sullivan. >> And I'm Gabe Brunswick. >> Catch us on GPS 19. [music] I usually do. She usually do. Um, I would like to call uh tonight's uh Graten Board of Education meeting uh to order. It is April 23rd and it's about 6:05. Um I am going to with pleasure read off the mission statement which is um teaching and learning and the um board goals is to provide dynamic rigorous curriculum, ensure effective and engaging instruction and embrace excellent learning environments or environment sorry. Um, can we please uh rise for the pledge of allegiance? And Cindy, would you be willing to lead us? >> Yes. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible,

002with liberty and justice for all. So, um I was going to just mention that we get the email about >> Okay. >> So, um we just uh Michael uh excuse me, Michael, sorry. Dr. Grineer. Um, and I just got a a notice that um, and I'm I don't have all the information that actually our food service director um was uh uh >> essentially selected as Canadian food service director of the year, >> but we're going to make a >> dinner. So, we'll go to the dinner and then we'll come back to it with the award. >> So, we and so it just came today. So, um, just came today. >> All right. And so, we're moving on to the comments from citizens. Um, and this is the agenda items and other subjects of concern that

003lie 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 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 respond during the comments from citizen portion of the board meeting. Citizens should make their presentation from the podium and state their names and addresses for the record. I do not see anyone. All right. And so I am going to skip right down to the student representative report. >> Good morning. Oh, not good morning. Good evening. [laughter] >> Good evening. Welcome back from vacation. >> Thank you. So, a couple updates from

004the last meeting before we went on April break on Thursday. Fitch had hosted a presentation by Chris Sandy called Choices Matter. Um, he's been going around to schools all around the country to speak with especially high school students about choices that he had made in his life, both positive and negative, that had um an impact. Um he talked very significantly about his time and a decision he decided when he was very young to drink and drive and he ended up killing um a passenger and going sent to prison and through that he told us his story and um the outcome and him coming out and it was very impactful. I think is much different than a typical presentation where you hear statistics which is very good to know about drinking and driving and how many

005stu students young people adults get hurt but hearing his story was very impactful for the students. So since then um we've had great response from students and teachers as well. A couple class council updates. the seniors. Um they will be hosting a bake sale and drawstring bag sale this Wednesday, April 25th, um from 6:00 to 7:30 during parent teacher conferences at Fitch. Also a Chili's fundraiser in case you like Chili's in New London. That will be on Monday, April 30th from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. And then they'll be hosting their last and final round of their custom candy fundraiser during the month of May. And then their last and final Applebee's fundraiser on Tuesday, May 8th, and that's from open to close 11 to 12. And then juniors, they'll be hosting their first ever tag

006and vendor sale this Saturday on the 28th from 10 to 2:00 p.m. They have tons of vendors coming um listing from Luffick, Coastal Crab, 31 Bags, Lulao, and much more. Also, junior prom is scheduled. Um, it'll be on Saturday, May 19th, and it'll be at 700 p.m. in the Fitch Gym. And then sophomores are doing class shirts, and then they're hosting a chocolate bar fundraiser right now. So, very fun. And then we also start our line of testing. So, tomorrow is the practice PSAT for the ninth and tth graders, and then 11th graders will be taking the inschool SAT. And then AP and IB testing is just around the corner. So AP testing starts on Monday, May 7th, and that'll run till the 18th of May. And then IB testing actually starts this Friday, and

007they'll run to the 18th as well. And then for anyone that's watching and any parents or students that want to know the schedule, all of it's on the Fitch web page. Okay. Falcon Theater will be presenting their show Anxiety Sucks uh spelled S Ux on Thursday from at 700 p.m. Thursday, April 26 to April 28th, which is Thursday to Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. And then they are also doing a 1:00 show on Sunday. And then uh Core Plus is sponsoring another financial aid night. This is on May 8th at 6:30 p.m. in the Fitch Auditorium. And uh big month for the music department. They will have their spring the band and jazz band will perform their spring concert uh on May Thursday, Wednesday, May 2nd at 700 p.m. in the Fitch Auditorium.

008And then on May 4th, it is recital night at 6:30, but this time it is in the band room. And then they will have their the fifth annual dinner dance fundraiser at 7 PM in the Fitch cafeteria. And pre-sale tickets for kids are $5, for adults $10. And then at the door it's $12 for adults and $7 for kids. And there also will be a basket raffle there. And then on May 20 on May 23rd at 7:00 p.m. they will have uh their pops concert where all music ensembles will perform and they will recognize the graduating seniors. And then some upcoming dates on Thursday, May 24th, it is under uh underassman awards at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. And then on Thursday, June 7th, it is the honor chords uh presentation for seniors at 6:30

009also in the auditorium. And then on Thursday, June 24th, the following 14th. So, thank you. Uh it is uh the senior scholarship night in the auditorium. So, very exciting stuff going on between now and the end of the school year. >> Thank you. Any questions from the board? How are the some of the sports teams doing? I know the aluminum Falcons, we get um updates about that, but I was just curious about baseball, softball, >> lacrosse track is six, five and two or six and two, I can't remember off the top of my head. Uh they're doing very well. Softball is just the opposite. It's flip-flop. It's they're two and five. Uh they also lost seven seniors. So that's a after all the they lost >> their coach. >> Yeah. And their coach. So, uh,

010yeah. Uh, track is 2 and 0. Boys and girls are both 2 and 0. Uh, lacrosse, I'm not sure off the top of my head, and neither tennis. I'm not off the top of my head. So, >> cross is doing well. Several several victories. >> Good. >> Tennis half and half, I think. And it would be wonderful if we could have all those dates you just like rattled off to us, you know, on a email to us so that we could have them all Joan, you know, like compiled for the board so we keep them all straight. There's so much going on. Thank you. >> So the junior I missed a bump the juniors had a fundraiser as the bumpers. I'm confused. >> Vendor sale. >> Vendors. That's it. >> The vendor tag sale. Uh

011we're they also will take uh any tag sale donation items. >> Okay. >> Uh before Saturday, so you can just drop them off in the school and somebody will pick them up if you have any. >> Thanks. Any other questions? >> Is that open to the public? >> Yes, open to the public. >> Excellent. >> Um Miss Did you notice how happy Cindy was when she's talking about all the testing [laughter] things? There's one in every crowd. Oh, yay. Oh. All right. So, um, we're going to be want moving on to the superintendent and administration reports. So, I'll let you take it from here, Dr. Grineer. >> Sure. Thank you. Um, well, the first thing is uh the the the alliance update is frustratingly uh we're not getting much information. uh we were assured um

012I guess it was in November late November early December that uh the state department of education had allocated 600,000 u I I I call on a pretty much every other day basis and we we have yet to contact anyone who is uh willing I know the commissioner was hoping to allocate funds from I think it's called a commissioner's network school and she learned that that was not legal to do it for an alliance school district. So they said ba basically [clears throat] uh that they would have to allocate the money from some other source and we keep calling and Mrs. Austin very patiently asked me every day, have I heard? Because we're trying to buy the books and you know and all the things that we were uh and we we learned today from Ken's

013staff that May 10th is the typical deadline for drawing down grants. So we we haven't even gotten it yet, never mind drawing it down. So we're uh we're sort of entering into a little bit of trepidation there. Uh as Cindy said, the other the other associated uh with alliance is our statewide testing. So tomorrow, as uh Cindy said, Dan, that involves you, I assume, right? So all the all the juniors will take the SAT. Every single junior will take the SAT exam tomorrow, the the verbal and the math portion of it. Uh and and that will be the high school statewide test that that's what we use in in Connecticut. Uh and then starting next week through the end of May, uh the elementary and the middle schools will administer the uh the ESPback, the

014Smarter Balance Alliance Consortium U testing. So, and of course those results will come to us probably in in July or so. So, uh, that's it for me. When when Steve gets his report, I can maybe chime in a little bit. There was some concern about water quality that, uh, some of you may have heard about. But, um, I know, uh, Miss Austin has been working diligently with our our math staff and and as she's getting ready, I I would I would just say uh the the math data you're going to see tonight is is doesn't exclusively focus on on algebra, but algebra is often considered uh the the gateway class for graduation. That is to say, when students don't pass algebra, they tend not to graduate from high school. I mean, they can fail a

015lot of different things, but when they they failed English once, but they still graduate from high school. They fail biology once, they still graduate. But when they fail algebra, it tends to be a gateway. And uh so I think you're going to see some uh results here uh that will make you very pleased because we've Susan and and uh and the math folks have worked really hard on this and uh I think she's got a nice presentation here. >> So I was able to meet with the math task force um this afternoon. We meet every single month um and I was reviewing this data that I'm going to be showing you. um with them and they were talking about um how we're collecting data now and how we're ensuring that kids are ready for the

016SAT since they all have to take the SAT. Um Matt Brown talked about the PSAT. So I've got a slide in here on that as well. PSAT is given in the fall to um 9th graders and it's an 8 N PSAT and then given to the 10th and 11th graders and then they also do a check in the spring. So it's almost like getting a pre and a post test and it's standardized. So it's a great measure to take a look at. We've actually talked about is it something that we want to give in eighth grade to our eighth graders as well because of the standardization. There's also been research that shows that ESPback is very much aligned to SAT. So that we know that children who perform well on an ESPback test in middle

017school tend to perform really well on the SAT. So that's good information to have from the state. We've done a lot of work. The math task force um they really there were a couple members that really wanted to be here, but because of other things happening in the spring, they weren't able to join me. They wanted you to know that by um having all the curriculum work and looking at that model algebra curriculum this summer and continuing to work with collegially to refine not only um the instructional practices but also the common assessments has been very helpful and they plan to do some of that work this summer. They're using that as a model for the algebra 2 and for the geometry. The decision was made at that both algebra 1 at the middle school

018and at the high school would contain six of the eight units so that they could go into depth. As Dr. Grineer said oftent times algebra is considered kind of the gateway but it's really as a mathematician myself and a math teacher I know that really all of our work fundamentally is getting kids ready for algebraic thinking which is making generalizations and using what they know to solve the unknown. Um, so it's really important that systematically in our district K through 12, we have programs in place and we're following the Connecticut core standards and we have delivery systems in place that really have inquiry and really rigor and relevance for kids so that they see the importance of algebra. Um, so this slideshow really talks about kids getting ready for algebra. So it includes the middle

019school mathematics and it includes the high school data. And I wanted to kind of show you just in a picture form. I charted out the data. If you look at um the red line, that's the high school data. Now remember that this is the first year that it's really a college level course at both the middle school and the high school. It's completely aligned from instructional materials to common assessments. Um and these are really the grades of the kids um taken end year for each of the years 14 15 16 17 and to date. So, we'll also take a look after their finals, too, to check to see how they're doing. Um, and it's, you know, looking at um how they're really actually getting closer. One of the things they wanted me to tell you

020is that remember that Fitch High School in 1415 did not ha did have the basic course. So the number that you see that 77% looks high but it's not including kids who were in something that was called other than algebra. So a lot of kids were not taking the algebra one that we know today. So it eliminated you know the opportunity for kids and then um we put kids in college level. We gave them support but you see that we did take a little implementation dip but it looks really good that it's coming along and that without having a basic class with having college level the kids are doing really quite well. Interesting how well the high school how well the middle school and now the middle school data shows you pre-alggebra data and kids

021um taking pre-alggebra even in seventh grade um and in eighth grade. It also shows you the algebra 1 data and algebra 2. Um, and I also meant to tell you that the two algebraas, algebra 1 and two are combined in that graph as well for the high school. So, you know, we will continue to take a close look at this. The the real goal is to um to make sure that we have these common assessments because grades are grades. People grade differently. So, we're really trying to make that a more standardized process, looking at how much homework counts, you know, looking at these unit assessments alone to see these common unit assessments alone to see if there are any discrepancies. I find that with the grants that we have um they really keep you true

022to form by having you do all this analysis. Everything from data that could be more subjective to more objective to looking at enrollment data. So looking at the numbers of students taking the higher level courses which will all be you know part of this project that we have going on in looking at children and their growth in mathematics and their proficiency. So I had given you the chart um that we had with the current um data to date from 1718 and you see is broken out. We have kind of an average of it and we have the algebra 1 and algebra 2 and then you have the data for the middle schools averaged together. You see Cutler, you see Westside um and it shows all of the different courses that they're taking. So you could

023just look at algebra 1 for instance in the eighth grade at Cutler compared to algebra 1 in the eighth grade at Westside and do some comparative data. We wanted to see how many kids were getting A's, B's, C's, D's, and Fs because there's a concern. It's actual a national concern, a regional concern. We've been analyzing it in my networking group with assistant superintendent through learn that students um you know oftent times who students who fail algebra oftentimes will drop out. And so it's a real concern and um we want to see measured success in algebra because we feel it'll be measured success overall in high school. And we noticed in our data um looking at it as a region that middle school children tend to do much better in the algebra than the high school.

024Um even though it's the same course, it's a college level course, but they're advanced in their mathematics. And the hope is that um you know they can have the credit reported on their high school transcript, but ultimately they are able then to take an honors course right out of the bat in ninth grade and tend to take will take the four years and get into a calculus one or two. They sometimes even double up in mathematics, take IP um IB and AP courses, too. So we feel like it just gives them a lot more opportunities if they're able to take algebra in the middle school and have the desire for that. And so it goes through each of the years and one of our board members did point out a number error that I'm going

025to go back and check. It looks like um they c the data came from powers school and so it looks like there might have been a um an issue but I will look into that. But I think ultimately the the progress that you see in the graph is the measured progress. It's not going to affect that. And then this was the very first year that I was able to collect the data. Um I in talking to Matt Brown, he said, "Make sure you realize um about the PSAT information." And if you look at our current freshmen, um their average score on 9th grade PSAT was a 433. last year's ninth grader was a 420. So we see measured growth in the PSAT. Um and then we look at the percentage um and Fitch High School

026is um at a 44 where the state benchmark is 37. The sophomores also um Fitch the benchmark is higher than the state average um in ninth grade PSAT. And if you go down to the junior class, they were right neck andneck with the state um benchmark. And you see also that our kids over time, like current sophomores um from 9th grade were at a 420 and in 10th grade are at a 452. So we like to see the growth. We like to see them improve. And what happens at a building base is that we drill down and we look at this student by student to see about their progress. And then just some um next steps when we look at student growth and achievement. Like I said, this is a K12 um actually you know

027study. But in looking at the algebraas and the readiness for algebra, we have aligned the course. You saw Caitlyn Kennedy and Mark Master Joseph present to the board early in the fall and they talked about the work they had done this summer and how they had taken what our written curriculum was which was from the state can common core standards and they were able to create a dashboard and create these common assessments and they're going back to revisit those getting input from staff and even making it better. um algebra 2 and geometry courses were have been modeled like the algebra 1 and will have the same dashboard and common assessments as well. And so there's a team of teachers who will be working on that this summer. Pre-alggebra in the middle school um is where

028we're going to go next to look at um really the readiness for algebra and it will go under curriculum review this summer. Um and then we're going to do a full review of 6 through 8. We've had professional development thanks to the Department of Defense Education Activity Grant in mathematics um and ongoing training elementary, middle, and high school, but um mostly the focus has been middle school and high school around algebra this year. So through the new perspectives and the connected math project, we've had embedded PD um going on and workshops and teachers really learning more approaches to delivering the curriculum through inquiry, through relevant problem solving um and really trying to make sense of it like algebra. What's it all about? Will I ever use it was kind of the common thing that we

029used to say. And so now we're really trying to give kids for instances on how, you know, they see it in real life application, how algebra is so useful and middle school mathematics is so useful. We still use it today. Percents, ratios, proportions, all that stuff. So any questions? >> I have a great concern with this. We are sending a message in how we word this to our students and how we present this to the people of our district. There are many very bright children who are not maths savvy and if we send them the message that they are struggling in algebra 1 and struggling in algebra 2 that they're going to be they're not going to go to college they're going to be failures. So how we present this, how we word this is

030very very important because those students are already sensitive to the fact that they are not as good in math. So we really need to be very careful that we don't go hey you got a C minus in algebra. Well that's that's the problem right there is that too many children have failed algebra and all children need to have um a course in algebra and algebraic thinking and and need to feel that success. So that's why it's needs to start in kindergarten when they're very young. >> Agree. But we need to make sure we're not sending the message you're bad in math, you're going to be a failure. We need to figure out how we can say this. >> Well, I think the data speaks volumes manner. >> If you look at it, the kids in

031middle school, when you look at kids in middle school, that's all of our kids are achieving at really high levels. >> I think that's wonderful. which is really good news. It's it's the wording that I'm concerned about >> cuz it sends a message to the kids and there are a lot of them that do struggle. I just want to make sure we work on the message we're sending. >> I I I guess for Gretchen, I didn't hear the message that we think that if you struggle that you're not smart um or that you can't succeed. I I didn't I didn't hear that message. said if you fail algebra 1, it is a distinct likelihood you're not going to graduate from high school. >> No, I think I think what I heard and I'll ask Susan

032to um to sort of do that, but I think that what she's saying is there's a correlation in the research. >> Okay. >> Correlation or not, we need to be careful how we present it to the students. >> I will I will I will take that message. Any other any other Rita? Um Susan this the charts that you gave us with the for proficiency what is above proficiency on the ESPback scoring now >> so each grade level has a different number >> no I'm saying but there's proficiency but isn't there then the other two levels above proficiency still with >> there's four levels >> four levels >> so you have I think they call it um approaching >> right >> and then Um well there's something before approaching not approaching approaching proficiency and then um

033goal >> goal. So what I'd like to see is this and done it with goal not proficiency. >> So what proficiency is here is when children get A's, B's, and C's. It doesn't even include D's. Passing. >> No, I'm talking about the chart that you did for us with proficiency. I'd like to see how many children are actually meeting goal and how many are just proficient. That's I'm talking about just this this chart. I >> I right I was going to ask the exact same question. The word proficiency if I understand means the number of children percentage of children who got an A, B or C. >> Exactly. >> It's not what you're thinking. >> It's not ESP. It it's it's >> this is not these are grades. Scratch out proficiency and put down A,

034B, or C. >> Okay. So, but could we have this chart done with how many students are at goal >> when we get the S back? Sure. >> When we get the I think I have shown you that too >> with the back scores. This is just really their work in the classroom. And I'm and I'm really confused with like a lot of these especially the eighth grade numbers across the board from year to year there seems to be fewer students especially at Cutler taking algebra 1 and algebra 2 and it the numbers just don't seem to add up to me. So I I'm not sure why but um from 1516 to 1617 all the way till now there are there are fewer students taking in 8th grade algebra 1 and algebra 2 and I

035don't know why >> algebra 1 we've actually seen an increase of students taking algebra 1 but in algebra 2 we found that at when we first started presenting algebra 2 to our middle schoolers there was a small handful of students who were really ready for that. Then we had increasing numbers and what happened was they missed out on middle school mathematics which was so important and it kind of caught up with them later on. So we kind of slowed that down that process. There still will be a handful of students who might take an algebra 2 in the middle school but the number is less than it used to be. There was a point where algebra 2 because I'm not even sure that should be being taught in our middle schools. But what I'm saying

036is last year at Cutler algebra 1 8th grade there were 62 students that took it. 45 took algebra 2. This this year this past year only 51 took it and 36 are taking. So the numbers are decreasing and I and I that doesn't seem to make sense to me. And um and it's it's probably it's the same at um at Westside for 8th grade. So I I just think that that's something we should look into. Why why is that? Why why would there fewer student classes of eighth grade algebra at both schools? >> Algebra 1 or algebra 2? >> Algebra one. Mhm. >> But there are fewer students according to this chart. >> So it looks like you have two classes of about 25 according to this chart. 24, >> right? But the year before,

037were there three classes with 62 students taking it or were they all just squished in somehow? I remember when I'm especially my son was at Cutler and there were like 32 kids. They were sitting all over the place. There were not even enough deaths for everybody today. They had two classes. But so it just seems to me that the numbers are decreasing. >> You're right. That's why >> I'm sure the numbers of total students have decreased, too. >> Well, that may that may be Yeah, I thought about that. I think the eighth grade classes like 140 kids school, but we'll look into it. It's >> Yeah, last year was the same >> last year. >> Yeah. I mean her point is is that if there's a there's a sharp decrease and so is there is

038there a criteria different or lower amount of kids >> change I I >> I can check the numbers with them. >> I've had all the principles look it over but I'll check again. >> Yep. Katrina, >> can you tell me um last year or when what year the algebra one at the middle school became became equivalent with the algebra 1 at the high school? This year. >> Okay, thank you. This year was the first year that we rolled out common assessments and we rolled out the dashboard and you know provided professional development and um in the past we thought we had common assessments but they weren't so common. >> So that's what we found out the difference. >> Thank you. >> Look >> and that could happen from classroom to classroom next door at the

039high school or middle school. But now we really feel pretty certain that we've got a good game plan. >> Any other questions about the math data? >> Hearing none, we can go to the business. Oh, Gretchen, >> I was just going to ask. So, we we're now we're doing like supposedly freshman, sophomore, algebra 1, algebra 2, junior year, geometry. Is that how it goes? Typically in middle in high school algebra 1 then geometry algebra 2. >> That's why it's confusing. >> But if a child has taken advanced mathematics and have taken algebra 1 in the middle school, they tend to take algebra 2 the next year and honors algebra 2 and then geometry. And then >> um the whole point is that the SAT is really based on the algebbras. So you want them to

040have also instruction in algebra closer to the SAT and using the algebra or advanced mathematics so that kids are really ready too for that SAT test. So >> Jay um [clears throat] this is why I like to see these figures a little bit in advance so we can study them for a little bit longer because I'm um not a quick read. So, but as I'm looking [clears throat] at 1516, if you actually add algebra 1 and two together, we got 105. And then if you look at 1617, it's 109. So, it looks like we're actually gaining in the algebra 2 classes. So, the number of students in algebra is the same, but we're actually gaining in the algebra 2. >> And that was that group when it kind of um it it amplified in algebra

0412. And so we um are now it's slowing down. So there was that kind of high point where you did have more students taking algebra 2 in the middle school. Please, I do think it's very interesting to me and I like seeing this that by taking algebra 1 in 8th grade that they are better able to learn it than if they did it in their freshman year. I find that amazing to me. I think it's great. Well, and I think that you'll see when we really are able to adjust instruction and curriculum, um, you know, and make it more available for kids starting very young that you're going to continue to see this kind of growth. And I wouldn't be surprised because in other districts that I've been in and led math, we've seen really

042enormous amount of students taking the eighth grade algebra. And then you see things like calculus 2 and more girls taking calculus 2 and you see other highlevel mathematics. So it's a real continuum. It's a K12, you know, um project >> and more girls. >> Yes, >> Dr. I I just wanted to verify my astute colleagues observation. Mr. White off I I did the math also and and you're right. Uh I have 109 uh students uh t taking algebra 1 or algebra 2 in in 161 17und at Cutler 111 at at Westside and then uh the year before that was uh 1560 and 105 in both schools. So, it's sort of it's it's and of course I think the demographics one one of them I think the eighth grade class was was smaller this year but

043uh >> yeah that's a that's a trend you're right we're seeing we're not by the way we're not entirely sure that taking algebra 2 in 8th grade is is necessarily I I I I speak as a grandfather >> who has experienced this phenomenon on >> uh and it's it's tough. It it's it's it's it's tough to to to walk out of that middle school and and to go right into geometry and pre-calc or or whatever. So, actually, I think the the math folks are wise. We're we're trying to to to Gretson's point, we're trying to make a very strong algebra foundation and then allow them to to go on to algebra 2. algebra 2 as a ninth grader or geometry as a ninth grader is a I think is a better option. So we're we're

044really trying to beef up the the the algebra experience for the kids. Patrick, >> I I do believe last fall or possibly last spring, our math guy came in and has several times said that he sees much better results with geometry later that the M >> sort of works better in algebra early and >> and then geometry later. >> He's he's a big believer in that. He think it's a developmental thing >> and I I agree. I do agree with that. >> Yeah. No, I >> and trigonometry is also another one of those magic maths I thought >> cuz all those math made sense to me. >> Yeah, >> until then. >> Anything else? Then let's go to the business manager reports. >> Hello, Mr. Ken. >> Hello. >> How are you? >> Very good.

045>> So, everyone should have a object uh code summary for FY18. Uh yellow banner on the top. Uh this is based upon the approved budget of 76,468239. Uh we are currently projected to uh be um under budget by 294,857. Uh the drivers uh for this uh difference is uh similar to in prior prior periods. Uh in salaries we're we're seeing under budget of 703,000. Uh it's line 8. uh line 11 538,000 uh under bud uh over budget sorry for benefits and then the other driver is uh some uh savings in the tuition line of that's line 36. We did get informed this morning that uh there is another student in coming into the district. So uh this will be changing but uh luckily we're near the end of the end of the year so there

046shouldn't be a large uh impact on that >> on this budget. Yeah. >> Any questions about the object code? >> So, are yours according to the object code that that's not a um that So, we're down about $10,000. Is that >> I'm sorry. For which one? Which one? >> Is that what is that what you're saying on line 58? >> Line 58. We're at 294,857 >> to the good >> um under budget. Rita, what you're looking at is line 56. That that's the subtotal for the equipment line. >> Okay. So, the grand total is what we're almost right there. >> 300,000 plus. >> That's like half of a teacher. That's how I think of it, right? [laughter] A beginning teacher. >> No, no. >> We're 294,000 to the good. >> To the 294. >> 294.

047Yeah. >> So, what is that? 300 That's almost $300,000. Thank God. >> So, he just went through that. So we have so what are we going to do with that? >> Oh well what we're going to do with that it would appear my recommendation is going to be >> um when the RTM finally finishes with our budget. >> Yes. >> Uh the board is going to have to obviously make some adjustments like 1.8 million. Um so one of well my primary recommendation is that we would take that pretty much that entire sum uh and use it to offset uh supplies and so forth for next year. So it will mitigate the the >> the cut from from next year. H >> however see if I've been taught well by my business managers is is that

048this is a this is a number that's in the end of April. We have all of May and up until July [clears throat] 1st to close out our books. >> Correct. Yeah. So, >> the thought that it stays at I love your positive thinking [laughter] that that this number >> You're right. >> That this number that's close to 300,000 is not going to stay there. >> Okay. >> Very possibly. >> Jay, >> not to mention the asterisk earlier in the meeting that we may not be getting >> the 600 alliance. >> Yeah. That's a I I I have a verbal commitment from the I have no reason to doubt. I'm I'm I'm getting nervous with the timeline. Uh but uh first one official told me that we were going to get the 600,000. [snorts] I

049verified it with that official. Then I called the chief financial officer uh for the state and she about three weeks ago confirmed, yep, that that the money is coming. So I have no no doubt about that. Our concern is allocating it appropriately. >> Making sure we draw it down. It gets a little Yeah, that gets a little dicey. >> Yeah. >> And we were told it had to be spent by June 25th or at the end of June. >> June 30th. >> Right. But >> so and there's a lot that goes into that alliance work and the document and the tracker of all the initiatives we were trying to accomplish this year. So, >> so what are you saying? >> So, I'm saying it's going to be hard to accomplish a year's worth of work

050in two months or a month. >> Sorry. >> But the work will be there for next year >> for sure. >> Yeah. I don't mean to make a big huge pause, but that that I guess I just I think that that I feel that frustration around that, but >> yeah, >> I'm sure everyone here does as well. Mhm. >> Jay, did you have anything else? >> Uh, no. >> Okay. Rosemary. >> Um, I'm trying to understand the draw down date is May 10th. >> Well, the normal draw down date for state and federal grants because of the accounting the normal accounting procedures >> and we haven't heard that we're getting this. >> We haven't been we haven't been given the go-ahad for the draw down yet. So, what happens on May 11th? >> Well, notice

051I said normal grants. I I don't think this is a normal grant. So, if if we don't have it on May 11th and we get it on May 12th, uh we will we know exactly uh Susan has identified the books and the equipment and the whole uh >> So, we're still getting the 600,000. >> I have every confidence that we're getting. >> Do I have to bless myself? >> Yeah. Well, you probably should. [laughter] So, I've just told staff be ready to go [clears throat] in the mail. [laughter] >> Any other questions about that before we move on to the health reserve? >> Hearing none. You're still on late. >> So, we don't at this point have an updated health insurance claims report for the month of March. Um, I would anticipate we'll get that

052mid to late this week. Um, so timing is just a little off. Uh but what I did provide if uh it should be a piece of paper looks like this uh called uh the health insurance reserve uh big box on it. Uh and I just wanted to help um give some clarity to our health insurance reserve. We talked about it a number of times as we've gone through the budgeting process. Uh and I guess I just wanted to go over it and make sure you understood where this year is going to end up. Uh this first column, the top of it says 630 2017. These are numbers that have been confirmed by the town. Uh the our total health insurance reserve is $5.9 million. Uh we uh have to uh put aside for the corridor

053uh 25% of our expected claims. uh this expected claims number, it does change uh as as Anthem reruns uh our renewal that this number can and does change. Uh but as of the last um uh renewal that they ran, which was in February, uh 12,850 uh means we need to put aside $3.2 million for the corridor. Uh meaning our net health insurance reserve is $2.7 million. That's the number that we've talked about a couple of times. uh I made uh an assumption in order to roll this forward so we could understand where uh 630 2018 is going to end up. Uh and if if we make an assumption and it's just an assumption uh that we uh that our claims come in at 95% of our budgeted claims. Uh I anticipate that we're going to

054need to use 361,000 of our reserve. That's what that that middle column is. Uh so based upon that um our projected 630 2018 uh health insurance reserve in total uh be be about 56 million and assuming that the corridor doesn't change um that means our net uh health insurance reserve 2.3 uh between 2.3 $2.4 million. Uh so that's that's where we start the year from based upon these assumptions. start the year starting July 1st. >> Yeah. >> Of 2018 to 2019. Correct. >> Sorry. I'm just making sure that I understand. >> It is confusing just to get this right, >> you know. >> So, if I could weigh in uh a little bit. We we know I'm just going to say something that totally went out of my mind. Um, oh, I know what I

055was going to say. Ken has made an assumption that, you know, how we have our our our normal chart. And the reason the chart is not here, I I I'm I'm pretty sure, is because the fourth Monday fell on a relatively early date of 23. There's there's another Monday available. So, I I bet you we'll get the report in 25 26 27 April. And that that will give us a much better handle. But Ken has made the assumption, you'll notice uh the first aspects down there assuming 95% of the budget uh is is going to be used up plus plus a OPE. So we're saying our claims are going to come in at about 95% and we're going to pay the whole OPE thing, >> right? >> Uh if you look at that compared to

056last year, uh that that would be a very conservative estimate. We we came in lower than that last year. We came in at about 80 85 86%. >> Yeah. Uh Lori and I did take another look at that. Um and well uh we weren't comparing uh last February uh February claims. We weren't comparing against uh our budget. Uh we were comparing against the Anthem expected. >> Okay. So, if we actually go to Anthem, uh I mean, sorry, our budgeted numbers for February, um we're actually not not that good. So, I apologize that I gave you misinformation this morning. >> Um we are actually last last February through uh February 2017, we were at 106% of uh of budgeted claims. So we were we were trending much higher to budget than we are now. >> Okay.

057>> And we ended up the year at 112% of budgeting claims. So So we we ran over. >> Okay. Last year we we were 112. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. The numbers we give you were were against the um the Anthem estimate. >> So apologize. >> So and this February it spiked in January but if memory serves me correct it came down in [clears throat] February. Yes. Yeah. >> So that's why March is so important. We we need we need to see March. >> Yeah. >> So as we were about to say, and thanks for clarifying that because I I don't want to be overly confident. Um 95% were if if that's the way it works out, then uh everything you see here, we'd have about 2.3 million. Um if if March comes in

058and it's worse than that uh then if it if it spikes again u then 95% probably is not a good guess. We we probably ought to be shooting for perhaps 110%. Um and what would be what's what's 10% of >> uh every um every 1% is 115. So, uh 10% would be um million. >> A million. Okay. >> That gives you Yeah. the range of where this could end up. I mean, as we get further along, we're we're 87 and a half% of budgeted claims as of this February. >> Uh so, you know, as you go through the year, you get more confident because you have more reality behind you instead of a projection ahead of you. Um, well, needless to say, as soon as we get that report, I will forward it to you

059and we'll do another maybe we'll take another look at that 95% see how comfortable you and Lori are. >> Yeah. >> Okay, >> Jay. So [clears throat] this projection um mentions corridor the the 5.9 million is just the reserve. >> It's it's the total um board of ed reserve for health insurance. >> No reserve plus card. >> Oh plus the quarter. Yes. Is the 5.9. >> 5.9. Yes. When we say reserve, we mean 25% of Carter reserve and then the health reserve. >> Yeah. It might be easy to think of it as reserve and net reserve or or something just >> so that's why you're taking 25% >> that's by law >> out. >> That's right. We have >> because I was going to say I I always assumed that the corridor was sitting in

060its own account 25% of >> So they're lumping it all together to reach the 5.9. >> That's it. >> Okay. And and that was a concern of of of the town that sometimes we say these numbers, we we talk about this net number. What they're really thinking about is that total number. And so when we talk about that, that confuses things sometimes. So right, >> um this is just an attempt to clarify that. >> Okay. So the corridor is not a snapshot that we're taking at the beginning of the year. It's moving a moving target throughout the the year as well. >> If if the claims go up, the carter goes up. Claims go down, the [clears throat] Carter goes down. I've just never seen it presented like this before. >> Yeah. No, this this

061terrific. >> Do you find this um helpful? >> Mhm. >> Yeah. >> Katrina, what is the OP amount? >> The power amount for this year was um >> 786, >> I think. Was it >> 786 is next year's uh expected um this year uh was it was 9 >> 911 >> 11. That's the number. Yep. I know the numbers and numbers he's got. [laughter] >> So the budget of claims plus OPED, what is that amount? The plus OPED is that the >> the 911? >> Yes, the 911 plus plus 95% of the of the claim the the claim sheet that we that we typically look at. >> Okay. I just wanted to make sure it was clear that that this number uh includes includes everything basically. >> Okay. >> So, your net health insurance reserve

062is after the 9/11 has been taken out. >> Okay. >> Can I attempt to clarify because I if if I don't say this out loud, I'll go on with the wrong information. All right. So what what you have found out is is that the town we've been we ourselves have been confused and we have confused the town because we kind of consider the corridor and our reserve as almost in a sense two separate entities. Correct. And so the town has [snorts] always used that and I'm going to use the example of the five the 59 and what you did was to show us that that 59 includes everything but we have to take 25% out and that's considered our net. >> Yes. >> Okay. So now I I will use the word net instead of

063corridor. >> It might help. >> Safety net. Safety net. Oh that is very good. So if I can understand is that you're considering that if that 55 59 um is is that that the the thing that we what we could play with not that we would play with it but is that is that on the first column on the left is a 2.7 but your ex your estimate estimation is that it's actually going to be down to like two 2.3 if it goes to 95%. >> That's right. Yep. Exactly. >> Okay. So I do now understand it. It's a one lump thing. You take 25% off and then that's what the net is. >> Yes, >> I can be taught. All right. Any other Oh, Jay, sorry. >> So, so just to clarify, the 12,850

064>> Yes. >> is what MDG projects claims to be as of 630, but the snapshot was taken on 216. It's it's it's a report we received on 216. Uh uh it's actually Anthem numbers that uh MDG just puts in a in a format. They they break it out between town and uh and board. >> Uh and it's um it's a snapshot from a little bit earlier. This is the date of the report. Uh but it's basically a 12-month look forward as this is what we anticipate the claims to be. >> Right. >> That's what they anticipate we're going to pay this year >> at the by the end of the year. But they just took the snapshot then. Do they take the snapshot any do they take it monthly or? >> No, no, actually uh

065they they only take it uh when we uh instruct them. We go every year we go through a renewal. Uh so we're looking forward. We want to see what that next uh 12-month period is going to look like. Uh they will typically do it uh I guess it's it's it's a fair amount of work. Uh you could do it just once. Uh this was actually our second time. We're having it do one more time. Uh so we'll have it three times this year. Um, so it it changes but not not every month. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any other question hearing? None. Let's move on to the director of building and grounds. I do believe that underneath there we're going to have a conversation about the water the timetable, but you probably want to share

066with us what's happening with a graten 2020. >> I'll give you the lowdown on Graten 2020 first. >> Here's a lowown. Good evening. So, um, since our since our last meeting, um, Rick Norris and I, uh, joined the architects, um, along with estimators to, uh, work on the budget, uh, up in their Glastonbury offices. And, uh, that's, uh, um, starting to get closer to the number that we need to be at. So, that that work continues. Uh, and as of today, um, Gary Schneider, Rick Norris, um, AR the two Arcadus reps, and Bob Austin Lefrance, who's the chairman of the, uh, permanent school building committee. Uh, we met today to, um, develop a short list of, uh, four uh, construction managers at risk at risk for the two elementary schools. So, we developed the the

067list of four today, and they'll be interviewed shortly. I haven't we haven't got a date for that, but that'll happen fairly soon to uh uh offer them uh the opportunity [snorts] to uh interview with the committee. So, that's what's going on with 2020. >> Will there be a construction manager for each site or one for both? >> It uh mo almost all of them um would prefer or uh put in a bid for both projects together. Yeah. and and um the project manager for uh the middle school project also put in a bid for it too. So it's possible >> has um I don't know if if I direct this to you or Dr. Gineer, has there been any further um information from the state about the land swap? >> No official further information. So,

068is is it in the Superior Court? Where exactly does this stand? >> I I I keep having to uh weigh what I've been told not to share. Not actually not that I not that I know all that much, but I I think I could say it is not yet in the Superior Court. >> It's not >> not yet, >> Jay. But the town council did modify the amount of >> Yes. >> land under easement now, right? They added >> they have officially property >> a good portion 35 acres of the King property >> um >> to the Boulder in addition in addition to the Boulder property and uh and that's that's the progress that is being made that that is in fact true. >> So that's very positive then. >> Oh yeah. especially if we're

069going forward with the um elementary school constructions. >> That's one little little footnote I can chime in because I I don't know uh a few parents, teachers, and principles are coming Wednesday afternoon, the 25th, and u you're certainly invited to to talk about the the theme. We we we have about a dozen uh the two principles Susan and I developed about a dozen themes and we're going to sort of explain that to to the committee and then ultimately try to get to a a reasonable number that we would then do a communitywide survey. It's uh Wednesday the 25th at 4. >> I think >> will the themes also be the naming of the schools? No. Have anything to do with that? >> No. Not no we're just just the uh actually it's going to be

070in Susan's office. Um just the themes themselves. >> Okay. That will have to happen soon. We have a good school. >> I think we said we have two committees and then they'll each separate committee can start working on the name. >> Okay. >> Um sorry back to you. >> It's fine. So I'll continue on. And you all have a copy of the um timeline that Dr. Grineer and I uh put together this afternoon uh in front of you, I believe. And uh this is on you you may rec I have it. I I wasn't sure. Uh >> okay. I thought it was >> I sent it to everybody. No, >> it was sent um through email. >> Yeah, >> I can I can read it if that's helpful. >> I'll let you read it and

071I'm just going to get out of >> Okay, so uh here's uh here here's the timeline uh as relates to to water quality. In April of 16, you may remember there was a nation nationwide concern because of the problems in Flint, Michigan. Mhm. >> And so we not not thinking we had a problem, we we just decided to test all the water in in in all of our schools. Uh and so uh Sam contacted uh uh Graten Public Utility and they they conducted the the the test and u out of all the schools the 10 schools at that time uh because Pleasant Valley was still operating uh three sites one a room in art room specifically at Pleasant Valley one was a nurse's office uh fountain uh spet I think um in in in the

072Claude Chester and one water fountain in the business hallway at the high school. Um those came back with uh with levels that indicated there was too too much lead in in the water. Uh so what we did was uh we we uh we closed off those uh water fountains and stopped u having water distributed from them. In the case of Pleasant Valley art room and nurs's office at Quotchester, we provided uh bottled water. And in the case of the high school, we just closed off that water so that no water was being dispensed from it. And then in the summer, do you want to talk a little bit about the summer? What what happened in the summer of 16? >> Yeah. uh during the summer of 16. Um one of the recommendations was to uh

073try and eliminate some of some of the issues that might be from uh where it uh well first of all the water that Graten Utilities is supplying to us is is fine. It's fine coming in leaving the plant and also entering our buildings. So the issue is within our buildings. Um, and so, uh, the idea was to go, uh, and and get as many of the, uh, lead soldered, uh, fittings that are in line, uh, out, as many as we possibly could find because there are lots that are behind walls and, uh, under slabs. So, uh, we spent, um, um, a good part of the summer of 2016 doing that, taking some fittings out. Uh, and then on August 30th, uh, we conducted a retest. And um that retest uh showed that we still had

074the same um well not the same numbers but we still had elevated levels at uh Fitch High School and Pleasant Valley and the Claude Chester um levels were just below the action level. Um it but it also is um it made Graten utilities personnel and myself a little uncomfortable to in the nurs's office especially where kids are coming in maybe taking medicine that sort of thing. So we continued to leave that uh secured and continued us uh uh with the bottled water at Clarkchester and also at Pleasant Valley while that remained open and then um so um actually we didn't get the results on those tests until October of that year and um at that time uh it was decided that we would submit a plan or a request to uh the town for a

075CIP project. We got a um a budget number from uh an engineer um of about $50,000 to do uh plans and specifications to work on the schools uh water issue and uh so we uh submitted that to uh to the C uh to the planning department and uh it didn't uh didn't move forward. we we actually got no money last year or that year um in the CIP and so um throughout 1617 and up to this point we've continue to provide bottled water at Claudechester uh it also um and in that fountain at uh Fitch High School uh in the 200 2000's wing has remained off uh and secured up to this point. And then um uh with our with our meeting with Dr. degree this afternoon. We've we've decided that uh we're going to

076continue. We had already planned on doing some retesting this summer, but uh we're going to move that up uh with the concerns that uh uh that people have right now. We're going to move that up and I I met with Graten Utilities and also with the Mystic Air on Friday to to make sure that we had plenty of people available to start testing. And we'll start in those two schools in those two areas that uh tested positive first. So, we'll do those two schools first and move on throughout the rest of the district and test all the buildings again. >> Jay, >> so since we're um talking about CIPs for years, we've had CIPs for safety issues at Mary Morrison. [snorts] >> Yep. >> Water issues in the schools. the um condition of the um

077tennis courts where there's actually open holes in the asphalt which pose a safety issue. >> Yeah. >> Um which is used not only by the schools but by the recck department and also um for years we've been asking for the football field. Um so these projects are being um rejected at an administrative level in the planning department before they even go to our town council. in some cases. I blew this through >> and so the town council couldn't if we made the case. >> I don't know that that's true of those particular projects that you mentioned. We've had other projects that have been uh set aside >> um probably um in the planning department, but [snorts] um I don't really know whether those others were um set aside by maybe by the town town maybe

078the town I don't want to point fingers, but >> perhaps by the town manager because um I suspect that he's uh given um marching orders by the town council with regard to how much money they're willing to put towards CIP. project. So, he's looking at the entire town and seeing where uh that money can be spent, I believe. But I don't I don't know that for a fact. >> It just seems if we've decided there's safety issues after all these years that our um town officials should be able to consider the case without it being >> I didn't realize the town manager could could just veto our requests because that's all it is is a request. Obviously, we don't have taxing authority, but I don't see how that I don't understand how that can be

079quashed. And can the RTM since we got zero this year in the in the main budget, can we request that they restore CIPs or is that >> Yes, we can. >> Okay. And that can't be vetoed by a administrator or some >> No, the RTM can't >> that point. But Jay, to your point, um I I actually think that that you know sometimes um in in the past we have kind of tried to find what agenda topics would be important for the town council and the board of education to have. And so um it it's in August that you're required to send in our CIPs um for the upcoming year. Is that correct? >> It's pretty early on. Yes. So I'm actually wondering if in June we should have a meeting with the T when

080we have a meeting with the town council or actually >> leazison >> or the or the leazison committee which is um actually going to be implemented that that probably would be a great place to have that conversation about why we feel that these CIPs are important and and sort of what the historical thing is um thing. Um but that might be um first to go through the the finance and facilities committee to kind of really kind of hash out what are the CIPs especially since August we're going to have to we are going to have to present them for the following year. So um I guess that's coming up really quickly. Um [laughter] given that it's the end of April. So that I'm I'm actually wondering if it needs to kind of go to finance

081and facility pretty quickly to see what the what are those upcoming or future CIPs plus um the ones that that we haven't been able to get past um so that you guys can get a handle of it and then get it to the leazison um and move it down the chain. >> But I think even before that that that the RTM should be aware of these um safety concerns. >> Yep. >> Make a decision. Do they want the recck department and that to be using facilities that are um potentially >> so I'm wondering if I'm sorry I keep on putting my back to you guys. I got it. Um I'm wondering if if one of the things that we could then think about is when we do our presentation before the public hearing to the

082RTM is is that we that a large part of our because many of the RTM members have gone is that maybe we then do um a large part about what's happening with the capital improvement plans and why the board um tagged them as as important safety issues and and not aware of that. for years. >> For years, these have been kicked down the we've been, you know, we've been accused that's been used. >> A previous uh board basically has been accused of um not maintaining our buildings with Fitch Middle, which is now miraculously opening with no >> upgrades as the Graten Community Center. Uh we've been told we don't maintain our facilities. And now for years we've been saying we've got these these issues and um uh and they've been ignored. So the town's kicking

083the can. >> Yep. Katrina, [snorts] two years ago, I thought that we had gotten half the request for the Mary Morrison parking lot um with the understanding that the town would do half of it. >> And there was not a surveyor. Have they hired a surveyor yet? Um, >> Greg Hanover contacted me last week and said that uh they're they're ready to move forward on that at this point. >> Glory be three years. read it to you. >> Yeah, I had a question about um I I believe we talked about the tennis courts last year before the I think it was in the summer before this we were doing presenting the CIPs and we talked about going in with the parks and reccks department about the tennis courts having them submit part of it and

084then the board of ed because it's so jointly used. Did that ever happen? Do you know if it's in their CIP? >> It's not in their CIP. >> It's not. We did repairs on my department just did repairs on the tennis courts to make them um playable at this stage, but it's not an appropriate long-term uh fix for the tennis courts. >> And and in in the um >> Fitch >> at Fitch High School, the football field that you know, you know, at the R10 meeting, it came up that it's also not safe. Has there we talked for years about putting a artificial some type of artificial surface on that. Is is would that be in the plans for the new middle school. Is there any funding for that since we're talking about fields also

085there? >> Well, there not for a football field at the middle school, but there's there um >> there is in in in the plan a multi-surface uh >> yes >> field at this time. synthetic surface, but not a football stadium >> with lights. >> I'm not talking about that. I'm just talking about the field itself that came up at an RTM meeting that it was not safe, the football field. >> Correct. Right. >> So, I'm just wondering >> since there are money in the big project for the football field. >> Nothing for the Nothing for the high school. >> Okay. Katrina, >> is there a sport going on on the football field right now? >> What? >> Track. >> No, I'm talking about the grass part. >> Track. >> Yeah, I know that. But >>

086do you use the grass? >> Uh, lacrosse used to use the Fitz football field, but they don't anymore. I believe they work at they uh practice and play their games of Aquanic Planes. >> Yep. Uh, girls lacrosse plays at Fitch Middle and uh, boys soccer plays at uh, Fitch Middle. Girls soccer drawing a blank where they play right now, but I know uh, girls field hockey plays on the Fitch baseball field and it's not equipped for field hockey. >> So my Thank you, Dan. My question is what type of maintenance normally happens in the spring so that it's prepared for the fall? >> Parks and Wreck does the maintenance on the football field for us. >> They mow it. They also um >> they receive >> do the do the reeding, fertilizing, that sort of

087thing. Yes. >> Okay. Rita, but there there are track I mean that's where you do the long jump, the broad jump, the shop. It's all done on that that field. So, it is being used in the spring. >> Shotp put is used >> well shot put is down for but you still need that whole track area. >> The the only there's nothing specifically going on on the football field itself. >> Not the high jump, not the pit. >> The the high jump is used off to the side uh behind the uh the goalpost. Uh there's like this little there's this little area where there's some >> but it's still the grassy center is being used at track meets. >> Really? >> The gr the h the 100 yard end zone to end zone none of

088it is being used. >> None. They don't do the long jump anymore there. >> The long jump is off to the side which is towards closer to the sidelines which is closer to the >> I mean if you were going to recede you'd be receding a lot of it right? >> If >> Yes. I dispose of my ignorance about the sport mostly, but what's unsafe about the field at the moment? >> I mean, does it need to be grasp? Does it need seating? Does it need to be does it have holes? Like has divots occurred in it? What is so the kids will turn their ankles? [cough] >> We'll have to look into that. >> Right. >> We have not had the park and wreck people say that it's unsafe. >> Okay. Because this I

089mean so [cough] grass seed I'd be happy to buy $50 worth of grass seed everybody here probably >> but that might be a really good conversation for the leazison to have is to have about the safety of the football field lady. >> I have a question that did I just find out that two of the words of Ron from Fitch Middle School? >> Yes. >> Did I just see that? >> That what? >> Well, it used to say Fitch Middle School. Now it just says fetch. >> Oh, really? >> I just noticed it. That's why I asked. I could be wrong. It may have been gone for a year, but I think [laughter] I think it was just >> the town the public works department is working. >> Okay, I'll >> on the building. So,

090>> any more questions about the CIP? >> So, what I hear us moving forward is is that um when Dr. Reneer and I come up with our plan for the RTM um in our budget presentation that we will um do a historical and current perspective on the CIPs um and um to see if the RTM can kind of hear and listen and think long and hard thoughts about about the need for some of those capital improvement projects. Um and that I also see us um in the long term and so I guess um I put the long term before I put the short term Jay which is once again getting the CIPs back into the financing facilities kind of see which ones kind of make it through for you and then let's have it make

091sure that it gets into that leazison um committee so that the RTM and the town council can can have um thoughts about that. >> Yeah. I just I how many years have we been asking for the recrowning? I think they had horses and buggies. >> Yeah. No, I >> We've been asking many years for asbestos. >> Mhm. >> That's for sure. >> Um we also have a gym issue for in the gym we we had on our CIP and >> Yep. >> And of course Mary Mary Marson parking lot predates me. So at least >> well the crowning of the field also predates you >> and and the problems in the gym at the high school, >> right? So and I I guess to you know not that I want to um I also understand

092how hard it is for the town council and the RTM to sort of hold the whole town in their viewpoint in terms of seeing all their different perspectives and so um but I think that if we can begin to sort of really that's a great place for the leazison committee I think to chomp on and to get people together on on that stuff. Call me polyanish [snorts] but >> um you're bringing up the the liaison meeting. Will that mean they'll be starting soon? >> Yes. like when >> I don't know the town council has the Patrice has the Patrice has really been the the town council has been working incredibly hard that they've had to to they're all new outside of Rick um Rick and um they've had to go through the budget and they're

093voting on the budget today and Patrice has promised me that that's going to be the one of the first things that gets acted on I mean tomorrow. So, um I I I'm going to be I'm I will be a little bit defensive for for Patrice that they've been working really hard. No, I'm just >> hoping for planning. >> I bet in May, won't we? >> May. That's my hope. All right. Um I'm going to move us on to the committee reports. Um policy. Well, we will have we will be talking about because the old business and the new business. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um and curriculum we have not set up yet. >> We have not. But I'm going to get together with Mrs. Austin. >> And I believe the same thing with the finance

094and facilities. Is that correct? >> Right. Um and learn learn is is ongoing. So, um, at our last meeting a week, a week ago, Thursday, I believe, there was a, um, the director of student support services at Learn, Bridget Gordon Hickey, gave a wonderful presentation, um, about everything like the history of their student support services and brought it all the way forward and how everyone is looking forward to the um, when it all comes to center in New London. Hopefully, it won't be probably till November that the new facility at Bethl Synagogue will be um open and that'll be a facility that will range from kindergarten through 20 age 21. So, and um there's also a proposal very strongly uh recommended by New London and uh Waterford Learn Board representatives to explore a comprehensive regional

095transportation for not only special education but also regular education where if if learn could possibly somehow um coordinate bus companies and busing. I don't know. I know Graten, we're we're locked into a five-year contract and other districts are too, but they'd like to plan and they may just start with special education. Um, which would be great. Um what I I thought was interesting, the Waterford um representative mentioned that they used to use Curtain for their transportation and they found out that they saved $90,000 by buying their own vans and um using their vans for transportation or special education, children with special needs. So I I just thought it was something that maybe we should think about sometime in the future. I didn't realize and and they they keep realizing savings and I think they've owned

096these vans for about four years now. So, it's just just a thought that we might want to explore. >> Remember how much we paid them? >> It's a lot. It's a lot. >> But we were also supposed to get a quote from learn because you need to have at least have one bid and another bid and you know have some type of competition >> and I believe the business managers have been talking about that at learn also. Correct. >> Yes. >> Yeah. So, so I don't know. I haven't seen that yet. Have you gotten the bid from learn for [snorts] our transportation or >> No, we haven't received it yet. We've talked to them. They weren't able to provide the number of vans that we needed to move the kids at this point. >> Not

097even some of them because it's >> Patty's getting numbers from them presently. >> Okay. And then, you know, really thinking about maybe purchasing our own vans since we have such a large special education population. Oh, it's just >> Well, I just give you my personal footnote. >> Of course, you you hire all those bus drivers. They become your employees, >> right? >> And all the fixing of those vans and the purchasing of those vans uh >> and the upkeep. >> But we had the opportunity in a former district uh we >> to do that. >> We we got rid of it because it's a big deal. >> It is a big deal. I think it depends on your population. >> Yeah. Yeah. And lots of vehicles and lots of maintenance of vehicles. So now you

098have to hire >> and some bus companies provide that service also. >> Right. Right. >> Jay, >> which raises the question, have have we asked STA to look at take taking over some of those routes? >> And they do some of it anyway. >> SDA does all of our in town. They're they're the smaller buses, right? We have like 17 or 18 of those. >> So they they do all the in town, right? It's just the the >> the longer distance >> the longer outside of town >> and they're not interested in in bidding. That's really not their business. >> We could pursue that. But many of those are in individual cars and I don't know that SDA has that. We we could ask >> but I'm hoping that someday with Ledger and our Stonington

099our surrounding towns that we do have some regional transportation >> for our special needs students especially now that so many will be all going to the same place in New London. >> Good point Katrina >> I don't know how to phrase this. Um, there's a new special ed school being built in New London or renovated into New London. How does what population will that will that be targeted towards because I'm I I thought that there was a law about a least restrictive environment for special ed students. So is it a special certain population >> because these are students that are not in >> uh so learn has facilities in in many places >> and uh when children uh are uh so severely impacted by their disability there are facilities at Islam schools and waterford schools

100and and so forth and so what we're is trying to do when when they they bought Bethl uh synagogue uh they they've converted into what's it called? Southeastern Connecticut something center I think learning center. >> No, that's not it. >> So basically they just took all of their programs that are throughout the districts that they they service >> self-contained >> and they're putting them all in one building. >> Still going to be self-contained. >> So it's a self-contained >> Oh yeah, self-contained population. It >> it is the kiddos that cannot be serviced in district in their own district, right? that that learned that has developed a special um program and instead of having one in East Lime and Graten and Waterford and whatever, they're moving it all into that building. >> Yeah. They rent space

101all over the place. So now they won't have to do that. >> Do we have any students? >> Oh yeah. >> Okay. And they'll also have the program there where I know we've had a few students go when when a child needs to go for for to be diagnostically for three months at a time to see what is the >> the best placement for that child. Sometimes they come back to the district. Other times they're outplaced or >> so that they're going to be running that program there. Also, >> can we get more information on that? >> Sure. about the the the outplace programs. >> Maybe read in her next board notes. Would you be will you be willing to talk about that? >> Yeah. >> How this is going to affect us. How many

102students? >> Well, I I you know what? I'll invite Denise here next time and we'll just kind of give an overview of our outpac. >> It's it's not going to >> because you said yes, we have students that would >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. No, we can do that. >> And how much it's going to cost and stuff like that? Well, it's not going to cost any more. They just won't have to be traveling as far. >> Okay. >> Yeah. It's So, if we have a graten student that's attending the learn program at Lily Behains, which is a a elementary school that they rent space from, instead of going to East Lime, they're going to go to New London. So, it's the same program and they're just putting it there. >> Okay. >> So, so when

103Ken and I talk about outplacement tuition, he he referred to a student who recently moved in. Uh that's what we're talking about. >> Okay. >> Well, we could give an overview of that. Sure. >> Yeah. I mean, I'd like to know more about the type of [clears throat] >> services that will be offered. >> Sure, we could do that. >> Thank you. >> But the least restrictive still doesn't apply, huh? It doesn't apply. >> Yeah, that is that is the least restrictive environment. >> Least restrictive. >> Sorry. >> Let's not have 9,000 people. >> I'm sorry. I'm listening to Mike. I'm sorry, Michael. Mike. >> So, let me just finish. Yes, >> because we're having one too many conversations. So, least restrictive environment for some kids is in a self-contained classroom. >> Okay. >> So,

104it is sort of what is the least that they can that they can be constricted by is sort of what is is what um people you know so a neurotypical student can be in a in a classroom of 23 to 24 other students and be fine. There's other kids whose disability require them to be in a smaller and then there's even some who even require their least restrictive environment is one or two. >> So this is more intensive >> than our >> extremely intense. That's right. >> Than our classrooms. >> Yes. >> At Charles Barnum. >> Yes. Yes. >> And so this is >> Yes. >> more needed than those. >> Okay. >> If a child was not succeeded in our behavior academy program. >> Yeah. >> Lauren is a potential >> is right. We

105we have sent >> So our behavior program could potentially be relocated to the new building or we're going to keep our kids. >> Yes, we're going to keep our kids and only those >> who are who are right now in out placement correct are eligible to go to the learn. >> That's it. >> Okay. >> So it's so it's a kid that no longer can be serviced within the district. So they can't be in the academy program. they can't be in the self-contained classroom and in and whatever that their needs are way above that and through the PBT process they've been identified as an outdist placement and learn is one of the many options. >> Okay, that's the part I missed the outplacement. >> Okay, >> now I completely understand you don't need to do

106anything. >> Got it. Gretchen, did you have a question? Um I think I think it was answered the medically the medically fragile they're too fragile to be in our own system. They'll they'll also be >> possibly I don't know if they do I don't do know if they do medically high medically need facilities. Anything else from learn >> is there do you have trails or scholarship Gretchen to meet last week? >> Oh, it's called the Ocean Avenue Learning Center. That's what it's going to be called. Ocean Avenue Learning Center. Took me a while to remember that. >> All right, I'm going to move us along. The next item is action items. It's the consent agenda which is all matters listed under the consent agenda are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one

107motion. Um and I'll have points of clarification will be allowed. So all those uh all those in favor. Thank you. Rita first made first motion. Can I have a second? >> Second. >> Between one of those two ladies. >> Do I have any discussion? >> No. >> Hearing none. All those in favor of the motion that's on the floor, please say I. I. >> Those opposed abstain. Motion has so carried. We are now going to move on to old business. Katrina. >> Yeah. >> Would you be willing to read the first motion on the old business? >> Yes. >> And Gretchen, I'm going to have you read the second motion after Katrina. >> I'd like to make a motion to approve as a second reading of policy 5113. Attendance. >> Can I have a second?

108>> Second. Pick the one two. [laughter] All right. So, this is our second our second part of this um our look at the attendance. Do we have any questions? Um Sue, do you have anything that you want to add? >> No, just that the law had changed so that the part that you see that was taken out about the superintendent filing a written complaint to superior court no longer happens. So in lie of that we have added that the school administration will refer to this tiered intervention document which we have included in the um regulations and it's quite a comprehensive document that um gives administrators um many um ways to address in a tiered fashion absenteeism. >> Any further discussion? I have a a question of regulation. >> I'm seriously considering abstaining from this. I

109want to know if the regulation my concerns are with the regulation. So if the motion is for the policy >> and I have concerns about the reservations, >> the regulations >> regulations. >> Reservations about the regulations. >> That's what I've got [laughter] >> then. >> [snorts] >> You get my question. >> I think I think your question is is that if you have if you have concerns about the regulation, can you vote and approve of the policy? I think we are just doing the policy. Is that correct? >> Well, technically it is not. It isn't. It isn't in the agenda. >> Say what? >> Um, you're right. 5113 the P is there but we don't say anything in in the in here in your old business. >> We don't have anything. >> Here's my concern.

110>> I I and all of this goes together. >> All of this goes together. When I was as at a meeting I heard our Thank you. When I was at a meeting, I heard our principles say that the first thing that that they said about just school in general is that they had high expectations for all students. The next thing that they said was that they're going to give pizza parties for children who show up at school. Now, how that is a high expectation is beyond me. So, as I looked at these, I I want to to recognize the hard work that went into these the tiered ser series of interventions by the people who worked on it. I I understand that and I recognize it. However, I know more about this than you than

111you think I do. Get your little self to school. Get yourself to school or else that's mine. Okay. >> Is that is that that's it? >> All right. Any other discussion about the policy of 5113? Gretchen. >> Um where it says to number two under excused absences. >> Are you on the regulation? >> On the regulation. >> Yeah. >> And tell us where you are. >> She said number two excused absences. >> First page number two under excused absences. A court appearance. I think we need to define whether it's a positive court appearance like you're being adopted or a negative court appearance. You I don't think we should be rewarding children for getting a doing bad things by allowing that to be an excused absence. >> I I I um I don't think >> I

112it's they do something wrong and we're going to say, "Oh, that's okay. No, I don't I don't necessarily think that that what that means is that if they don't if they are under a court um um obligation to go because they have a misdemeanor, if they miss court, then lots of bad things can happen. I agree. So, I think that an excuse absence is defined. >> They shouldn't be doing the wrong thing in the first place. So, we shouldn't be >> unfortunately a moralistic thing. Katrina. >> Um, >> did Lee just say we're talking we have we are approving the policy? >> No. All I said was if you look at the agenda for today, it said on old business, we're doing the possible second reading of P5113. Actually, the other one is R5113. So,

113so what mechanism is is in place if there is an issue with a regulation and what type of controls happen >> do we have over that? >> The board is um legally bound to um approve policy. Regulation, however, is the way that the district takes the policy and implements it. However, with our wonderful board policy committee, we've been trying to um do that at the same time. So, we're taking a look at the regulations at the same time and and then sending it out to other people, you know, administrators, teachers who would have a say so that they can add to it or we'll ask them to come to one of our meetings to help us with it. >> And I think that we have actually talked about the tier we've done it. I think

114this is the third time we've talked about it. All All I'm saying is >> and that's the only difference in the regulation >> is that we've added this tiered intervention to it. The other it has been um on record both the policy and the regulation um >> since I got it. Yeah. I I think um I think >> we don't we don't have to >> 1993. >> Right. And I I I I think your question is a little bit more general in terms of what do we do if there's a regulation and we don't um as a as a board member we're not approving of how the regulation which is what Andrea brought up and I think I think that Mike um does it go to the superintendent in terms of the regulation? I think

115technically it probably does. >> Um but I'm willing to sort of like I don't even know where we would look at that. >> Yeah. Yeah, I'm just wondering because there's there's two issues and I'm wondering what's the mechanism for resolving those issues. >> I think we bring it back >> if there is one >> policy, we talk about it. We we solicit the the the problems and we'll come back and revise it. >> Well, and I think what Susan said was policy is under our purview. Regulations are not. >> Regulations are how the policies are implemented on a day-to-day basis in the schools. >> I agree. From what I understand, the from what I remember, the reason we included the regulation when the policy came to the board to have its votes was forformational purposes

116only, not for debate. >> Right? >> Has that changed? >> No. But I would say that this tiered intervention, remember if you recall that it was underneath um a whole safety committee group that's been working on that and because the law had changed, we needed to do something instead of what was done in the past with the superintendent, >> you know, so and they presented to you um the tiered intervention plan and so that then became an addendum to the to the regulation. I also believe that this is also part of the Alliance School District, is it not? In terms of our attendance, >> it is that we have to do some things. >> And I don't know about the pizza party, but I do know that kids do get recognized in our school for

117having >> perfect near perfect attendance even monthtomonth. And I think that makes a difference for kids that you acknowledge when I mean it's been a tough flu season. So I don't know if it's that easy to do even in central office, you know, to have perfect attendance, right? >> But um certainly I think looking at it in a positive vantage point, they don't have to get something, but to be recognized for being in school, >> right? Um >> I I don't want to us continue to be labor to the point. I think that that tonight we're voting on the policy. I think that we need to kind of take a look at if the regulation is in our purview. I just think that we're going to start spending on this on this question. Could I

118just add from looking back not that long to dealing with this sort of thing every day, I would have loved to have this in place because administrators and teachers spend so much time trying to sort out individual cases with no framework to work from. This is this is really a step forward and >> and and great for nine schools to do the same. >> Absolutely. >> Rosemary, who has been patiently waiting. >> Well, regulations are not under our purview. The only reason we went over this was because we had people coming in from the safety committee presenting the tiered um way to deal with this because especially because of the alliance >> and um so it's we're not actually voting on that but we need to include it so that everybody is aware of especially

119because of the alliance issue. >> Okay. >> And we can't differentiate between a good and a bad court appearance. That's not our perview either. >> Okay. >> I think there's a really distinct. >> All right. So, I'm gonna move us on >> difference. >> So, any further discussion? >> All those in favor of to approve the second reading of the policy P5113 the attendance policy, please say I. >> Oppose. >> Two. Oppose. Any abstensions? >> Motion has carried. Uh Gretchen, can you please read the motion for number two, please? Um, Andrea and Gretchen. [snorts] >> Are we in number two or three? >> The just the motion, please. Not the um top part >> on your own business. >> I'm sorry. >> Number two. The motion >> right there to approve the second reading of

120policy 5131 conduct. Can I have a second? >> Second. [snorts] Any discussion? None. All those in favor of the second reading of policy P5131 conduct, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose. >> Abstain. Motion has so carried. Jane, would you be willing to be number three, please? >> Sure. to approve the removal of policy P 5114.1 use of physical force that will be replaced with policy P 5223. Can I have a second, please? >> I'll second. >> Thank you, Miss Ja. >> Can we can is there any discussion on this? >> No. >> Hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, which is to approve the removal of policy P5144-1, use of physical force that will be replaced with policy P 5223. Please say I. I. >> Oppose. >> Abstain. Motion so carries. Rita,

121would you please be willing to read the first um item under new business? The motion, please. >> Here we go. to recognize May 8th, 2018 as a National Teacher Day and May 6 through 12, 2018 as National Teacher Appreciation Week and to direct the superintendent of schools to send a letter of appreciation to the teachers. Can I have a second, please? Rosemary has seconded. Any discussion? Thank you very much for the teachers of all the hard work that you do. We totally adore what you guys are doing >> for signing all those mic. >> Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor of the motion to recognize May 8th, 2018 as a National Teacher Day and May 6th through 12th, 2018 as National Teacher Appreciation Week, please say I. I. >> Those opposed abstain.

122Motion so carries. Rosemary, would you be please be willing to read the motion under number business two? >> I would be honored. The motion is to recognize May 9th, 2018 as National School Nurse Day and May 6th through 12th, 2018 as National School Nurse Week and to direct the superintendent of schools to send a letter of appreciation to the nurses. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. >> Are you taking taking sides? Okay. Any discussion? Once again, thank you nurses. >> Thank you. And thank you again, Mike. >> To recognize to to rec um so all those in favor hearing no other discussion >> passing it around >> to hear no other discussion to recognize May 9th as a National School Nurse Day and May 6th through 12th, 19 uh 2018 as National School

123Nurse Week. Um all those say please say I. I. >> All those opposed abstain. Motion has so carried. Lee, would you please be willing to read the motion? >> I will indeed to recognize April 25th, 2018 as administrative administrative professionals day and April 22nd to 28th, 2018 as administrative professionals week and to direct the superintendent of schools to send a letter of appreciation to the administrative professionals. >> Can I have a second? Second, Rosemary. All any discussion hearing? None. Um, all those in favor of the motion to recognize April 25th, 2018 as administrative professional day and April 22nd to the 20 28th, 2018 as administrative professional week. Um, say I >> I >> oppose. Abstain. Motion has carried. Jay, would you please be willing to read um number four motion, please? >> I move we

124establish June 22nd, 2018 as the final day of school for students and June 25th, 2018 is a professional development day for teachers. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. Rita wanted to do one. Can we have any discussion? next time. >> So, this is what was discussed um at a special committee of the whole meeting right before we went into a meeting. I can't remember when that was committ. >> Committee of the whole. Um and that was because we were um at that point where we had to make sure that we could set it in case there was another inclement weather. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. Any other discussion? All those in favor of the motion that's on the floor to establish June 22nd as the final day of school for students

125and June 25th as a professional development day. This is both in the year of 2018. Please say I. >> I oppose. Abstain. Motion has carried. All right. Jay, do you have any letters or communications and comments? >> Um well, I did attend the um food service uh vendor sale at uh Fitch. um that was written up very eloquently today by our high-flying correspondent um in the day. Um and I believe they raised around 3,000 for the um the fund for students who are having difficulty um uh paying their lunch balances. Um and I guess the only other thing I did was the RTM education committee. I think that was a marathon three and a half hour meeting a couple weeks ago. Oh god, that was [snorts] >> Rosemary. Uh, I also went to the food

126service vendor and um and enjoyed that a great deal and the went to the public hearing that we had at the RTM. >> And I also spoke to the students at the um at Fitch for the NBA, which is not the National Basketball Association. they were all short um about um my profession of being a nurse and I've also um will be going and talking to them later about being a forensic nurse. So >> it was delightful. I had a great time. >> Oh great, Lee, >> I um I just want to talk about two things that are about to happen. Um Mike, I think you're going to be honored at the Norwich in >> I am. Um, and I'm going there because a lot of my book club puppy people are going to be

127there. So, I'm looking forward to that. You well deserve it. >> And what is it for? >> Um, it it's just a person who's done wonderful things for the community basically with >> against domestic violence. Men standing up against domestic violence. One, >> Safe futures. The former women's center. >> And the other is that for anyone who has not yet seen the little pink house. >> Um the it turns out that the woman Susan uh Susette Kaloo lives in Rotten and she's the one that was written about. They're going to show do it again on May 5th at the garden, right? For anybody who would like to see it. >> Thank you. I I after reading the article in the the paper, I didn't realize that we had 535 students that had were are falling

128short on their accounts. And um I was wondering, we talked about it last year, but if we need um what exactly is our policy and if we need to refer this to policy to have a written policy, what what how do we help these these children without having our wonderful food service um employees do all the work of fundraising for these students? So, I think some of it should fall on the board of education. And so I I'd like to know what what we need to do, whether we're going to have brought up a committee the whole or how we can help them. And I was also um was wondering if Jay could speak to when he had um the director of the Graten Public Libraries, he sent an email today that I thought was

129extremely interesting that Betty and Ryder would like to have and if you could just talk about that a minute, what you had written to us. >> Sure. I was over um at the library uh for the opening but it was open house for the local history room and I ran into Betty and um apparently it's a program in Chicago I believe where the public library is opening its collection so students can sort of reserve books at the school and have them delivered. I think it uses the old Connecticut system >> to get the books around call it deliver it now or something. >> Yeah. So, she wants to talk to the the board and administration about >> um facilitating that kind of uh use of her collection. >> Great. >> I know that last year

130actually I had a conversation with the the librarian, the youth librarian, and she was talking about the exact same thing and I think that all the stuff that happened >> um in the past year, I think that that got done. So, I'm so glad that the two of you guys connected to get that I have that um coming to a committee of the whole near you. >> That's wonderful. Thank you. That was kind of clever, I have to admit. Coming to a committee of the hole near you. Sorry, you didn't have to say it one more time. All right. I feel good about that. >> Could we start at that end because Jane and I went to something and I can't remember exactly what it was called. So, I'm going to let Can we do

131that? >> We double trouble. No. U Mystic Rotary last year paid $700 to Garden Schools to enable the kids to um be part of an interactive program with Salt Marsh Opera. So we went um of course I I went, "Jen, you want to do this?" "Yeah, I do." And I said to Cap, "Why don't you come with me?" And we did. It was um nearly 100 sixth graders in the large music room. And I thought, "This could be deadly, but it's going to be very good or not so good." It was the most wonderful morning we both spent in a long time. Um Simon Holt, the director, was there. Very strong British accent, older man. Um Charlie, we don't know his full name. Charlie was there. He was a young man, a recent recipient, I'm

132sure, of a degree in uh vocal performance. The kids related to both very well. Um Charlie looked like them, young uh button-down shirt, shirt hanging out over the pants, and just down to earth. He he drew his music from his iPhone, and the kids were just immediately intrigued. He talked with them about u the difference in a musical and an opera. Merely microphones um what the music was like. It was always heavy. It was not rap. Nothing like that. But it told a story. And he would play snippets um for them and say, "Oh, what do you think was going on here?" And they were taking all kinds of risks. They were right on the money without doubt. Every kid was tuned in. Um, what do you think about this guy after hearing some part

133of an opera? He was bad. One would [laughter] say he was really smug. He really got it. >> Um, so we thoroughly enjoyed it. Um, >> and where was this? >> It Westside. And um, we didn't even know they had every Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you without exception. Thank Rotary for this. We could not have done it without their support. Um they were u building a new opera um kids involved and it was going to be called Jack and Jill and the Happening Hill. Um Jack and Jill had climbed up a hill. They got separated and didn't know how what do you do in a case like that and some kids um one from Stonington wrote music for this one from Preston wrote music. It was a kids performance and if that occurred

134today I couldn't we couldn't get there. No >> but what a wonderful wonderful day it was. Oh, great. Thank you, Jame. I'll just let you continue and then I'll um do you have anything else for communication besides the salt march? >> No, that was good. >> Okay, [laughter] do you have anything? >> I went I went to the RTM education meeting and I I'm sorry I won't be able to go to your dinner because I have a commitment with one of our scholars at Ledger High School. She invited me to a dinner there. >> Oh, [snorts] how cool is that? I can >> Katrina. >> The only thing I'll add to to James was that Charlie >> sang. >> No microphone or anything and it just filled >> and the kid I mean >> they

135said >> I want to go to more things. >> Is that Yeah. He um is he Charlie said am I a bass and he said no you're a tener. They he told them that in the short time they were there the different ranges of music. Oh, how cool. >> Gretchen, I wasn't over overstepping you. I went to Katrina and then Jane took over and then I wanted Gretch and I mean um Katrina to finish. So Gretch, do you have anything? >> Um as always I'm very proud of my niece and nephew not film the aluminum kids my niece and nephew. I'd like to congratulate the entire team but point out especially Liam and Juliana and their efforts. >> Great. So, how did they do? >> They did very well. And Liam is a freshman, so

136it was >> It's not your not your family members, but how did the aluminum felt team do? >> They were last I checked, they had come in first, I believe. >> District champions. >> they were district champions. >> District champions. They were headed out >> and I think they were going to Detroit Wednesday. They go to Detroit if I'm not mistaken. >> Right. That's if I following my sister-in-law's tech messages, I am on the money. >> Okay. >> And anything else? closely following the RTM education committee because they won't let go. They they won't stop calling. >> All right. U I've had a lot of conversations about the RTM how they're going to do the budget and everything and you know it's all speculation but um I wanted to thank Susan for something. Um [snorts]

137there's a new group in town, Sandy Hook Promise, Southeastern Connecticut, right? >> And through Sandy Hook Promise, there are some programs in schools regarding mental health and all other stuff. Um and we've been working with Susan for I don't know a month and a half, two months or something. And we got the official word that they're going to go ahead with the two programs. Um and we're presenting the curriculum next week or later this week. We don't have a meeting yet. So that also when I was poking around getting ready to do this that there's a statistic and unfortunately I don't have it >> that it will help with attendance. >> That sounds like that would be a really good thing to come to the committee as a whole near you. >> Yes. so that

138we can so that we can >> let me introduce get through get introducing the curriculum to the staff first and if I can do that I'll let you I'll tell you all about it. >> Okay. Anything else in terms of um I I kind of report on the same I've been at this some of the same meetings um with you and having lots of phone calls and um emails in regard to the budget and and stuff. So I um I can share that. We have future meeting dates. Um I I do have a question for Dr. Grineer. Is that our if my memory serves me correctly, our May board meeting is at Pitch High School >> and that's our that's our major one where we get to do the awards of the teachers and the

139and the friends in um of the school. So it's a really big night. So just to remind people that our May meeting is going to be at the Fitch High School. We're going to be done. Okay. So um anything else? So he doesn't have to change the tape. >> Nope. Just that there is a GAA GSA DOE leation committee in May, the end of May. I don't have the date, but it should be on the calendar. Okay. >> Motion to uh there's a second. All those in favor, please say I. >> See? Motion carries. We're done. It's 8:03.