6-15-20 Groton Board of Education Meeting

001So, I'm calling the meeting to order at 6 o'clock and I need a motion to to approve the CO minutes from June 8th. >> I make a motion to approve. >> I saw Lee first. I'll see um Elizabeth second. Okay. Um, >> all all in favor all in favor this right I got that down right in front of me. Okay, discussion. Any discussion? >> All right. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Abstain. Motion passes. Okay. >> And now we go to presentation of solar panels. looks like on my >> if Emily's here then we're all set to go, I guess. >> Excellent. >> Maybe maybe if I could just do a a 30 second intro. >> Sure. >> With the the uh the municipal officials have been very interested in solar panels. And so

002uh so Rick uh made a connection to the Connecticut Green Bank and they're going to tell you a lot about themselves, but it's a essentially it's a quasi public agency that will help fund the installation. And there's all kinds of details, but basically the board of ed would end up owning the the panels, but the Connecticut Green Bank uh in association with the state of Connecticut will finance it. So, I'll let I'll let Rick take one more step and then we'll go. >> Yeah, that's that's almost quite right. Um really really the uh to keep the keep the town and and all discussions we've had with the town and the board of ed um the folks didn't want to own the panels. We we were fortunate because um we were looking at solar panels on

003the middle school at first and then the elementary schools following. We can do the two in the Eversource area which are Cutler and the middle school. The other school west side is in a different franchise area. So there'd be something different there. Um we were fortunate uh that when we were investigating ways to do this uh the municipal assistance program came along from the green bank and that got me involved with Emily and Emily Basham and her group who I'll let her uh introduce in a moment. So this this was not uh kind of a spur-of the- moment thing. It was something that sort of planned all along, but it was just how do you get there from here? And I think now we have a method and a mode to get that. So, I'll

004introduce Emily Basham. Let her introduce the rest of the team. She'll give you some information. As Mike said, the board of ed is going to have to be the purchaser of the power. So as part of the since I was doing buildings anyway um it made more sense to continue the project and that installation although not directly a piece of the construction project it would be occurring simultaneously. So so it made sense to keep that kind of under the public works hat until we get there. Now, there would be potentially opportunity in the future that maybe the uh board of ed may want to take on further schools and and we can get into that in a later date, but right now we were authorized by the council to do was look at the the

005middle school and Cutler, which is what we're doing. So, I'll turn it over to Emily. She'll go through her uh presentation and uh we'll try and answer any questions you may have. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Good evening everyone. Can you hear me? All right. >> Yes. >> Great. And I've got some slides, so I'm going to try and share my screen. All right. So, you can see the slides. >> I do. >> Okay. Great. Um, this is Emily Basham from the Connecticut Green Bank. And I also have my colleague Mackie Dykes um on the line as well. um and Alan Sabins from CSW Energy um are here tonight to talk with you about the solar municipal assistance program. So, thank you all for having us. So just quickly, the Connecticut Green Bank were

006a quasi public state agency created by the legislature in 2011 to provide sustainable long-term financing for energy efficiency and clean energy projects. Um so we leverage limited public funds that we receive to attract multiples of private capital to make um clean energy projects happen here in the state um and to make clean energy projects more affordable and accessible um and allow us to meet our clean energy goals as a state. So, the solar municipal assistance program um is a recently launched program here at the Connecticut Green Bank. Um and we've been um using our financing to help uh municipalities go solar uh since 2012. And what we learned through that experience is it's not just the financing um that towns have to sort out in order to do clean energy projects. There's many other steps

007in that process. So, we created the solar map program just to make it easier for municipalities um to to look at doing solar projects on their town buildings. So, this program supports um supports towns by providing technical assistance as well as financing um throughout every step of the solar process. Does that include when we take the if they break and we have to take them down for some reason? >> Yep. We'll go through all of that. Y >> um so the solar map team is the Connecticut Green Bank as the financing arm and we used a competitive selection process to um select CSW Energy as our technical partners. Alan Sabin's on the line from CSW. Um, and together we provide that technical and financing support for the program. And so what the program is is

008we are technical uh partners for municipalities. We provide an analysis of your municipal sites to identify which sites are actually good candidates for on-site solar installations. and we offer, you know, a no obligation opportunity to really explore what it would look like, what it would cost to put um solar on um those, you know, good candidates. Um and then the solar map team also will handle soliciting proposals from qualified contractors to do the installation. And we also manage the utility incentive process to secure the state's uh utility incentives. Um so the solar map team will work with um we're actually working with municipalities across the state. Um so it's not just the town of Grten that we're working with to scope projects. Um we're working with a handful of other towns to look at sites

009to do projects. And the benefit of this program is that we're actually bundling all of those projects together um when we do our competitive selection for a con for a construction partner. And that way we can leverage kind of economies of scale when it comes to the construction costs and deliver um even more competitive pricing for for you guys for these projects. So that's one major benefit of the solar map program. And then of course kind of the flagship piece is that uh the green bank is financing these projects. So we've got our power purchase agreement which I'll go over in one second. um where the green bank and our our partners um cover 100% of the of the financing costs for the project um or our financing covers 100% of the costs of the

010projects. So, where we're at right now, as Rick um briefly explained, is we've done the analysis of Cutler and Consolidated Middle and we have um looked at the um the site and have system designs and some kind of tentative costs for for what it would um cost to put solar on those two schools. um we have yet to go through the utility incentive process or the um competitive selection for construction partner. So what we're showing you here today is just preliminary designs and preliminary costs for those two projects. Um and we will um talk about the timeline a little bit more later in the presentation, but um for now we've got kind of uh preliminary project scoped out and we'll return back to you later this year um with with final numbers. And so just

011to dive into what a power purchase agreement is, um Rick was correct earlier. This is not a program where the board of ed or the town would be purchasing any panels or leasing any panels, but instead you would be entering into a power purchase agreement with the Connecticut Green Bank. So, a p power purchase agreement is an agreement um between the Connecticut Green Bank as the seller of electricity, selling the electricity that comes off of the these installations and the board of ed would be the purchaser of electricity. Um so, that's that's the only agreement that um that the board of ed would would would be committed to. And again, um, that that part of the process wouldn't come until later this year. So, this is kind of a schematic of that kind of illustrates

012how that um how a purchase power purchase agreement works. So, on the lefth hand side, you've got the installation, which would be on um the school sites. The Connecticut Green Bank is the system owner. So, we use our financing to cover all of the construction costs of the panels. Um, we own the panels. Um, and we sell the electricity, um, that orange line to the right to the board of ed. Um, and you would be using that electricity at the sites that were the two sites that we're proposing. So, we're responsible for, you know, covering all the construction costs and we own the system and um, you know, the town wouldn't have to, um, the town is able to take advantage of some of the tax benefits that you wouldn't be able to take advantage

013of directly. Um, but the green bank and our partners can. So we were able to monetize the tax benefits that are available for solar projects and we're able to pass those through with discounted electricity rates. So the benefits of entering into a power purchase agreement is that the projects that we're proposing would be essentially offering electricity rates that are a discount to your current um utility rates uh that you have for the schools now. So that's illustrated in this in the um the chart to your right. Our power purchase agreements are offering a fixed electricity rate over the 20 years of the agreement. So, as your utility costs um are expected to rise over the next 20 years, you're locking in a low electricity rate and your savings are just are growing over those 20

014years. that delta between the utility costs and your PPA costs indicated by that pink area on the right are your savings. And so some of the other key benefits of a power purchase agreement is again the board of ed and the town are not um using any of their capital to uh construct the project. The green bank is um you know providing all of the upfront costs. So the town would be cash flow positive um in that first year. And through this power purchase agreement, because the green bank owns the system, we're responsible for um you know any of the maintenance and repairs um that are needed over the whole life of the agreement. So we're managing the system um making sure that it's performing. >> Say this is uh this is Mackie. I'll just

015add sort of in summary the the beauty of this arrangement is you know at its heart the what you're essentially doing is replacing your purchase of power from the utility uh with your purchase of power from the solar system and that power from the solar system is is cheaper than the same power you would have bought from the utility. So you're doing two things. one, you're accessing a cheaper source of energy. So, you're able to to save save money uh essentially right away because you're you're replacing the utility power with this uh solar power. And then two, you're able to to go green because the the power you're purchasing from the solar is uh you know, is clean renewable energy as opposed to the grid power. So, you get the solar upfront with no cost

016uh and you're able to enjoy savings right away. uh again because your your power is cheaper than you would have than you would have bought otherwise. >> And again point you don't uh the panels uh the way they would be designed don't provide 100% of the energy. So there's some percentage which is not precisely clear now um until we get a little farther into the design. But but we you would still be connected to the grid for some power and the rest the balance of the power well the power come first from solar and then the balance from the electrical grid. So that'll all be worked out as the project moves forward. >> Yeah. And those two points, thank you Mackey and Rick are are really also demonstrated on this slide as well. Um, so

017you'll you'll be purchasing power um from the green bank that is coming from your panels at a discounted rate. So that the blue square um on the right hand side of this slide illustrates, you know, the the electricity that you would buy and receive from your solar panels. Any additional electricity that isn't provided by the panels, you would be buying from the grid, which represents kind of the gray square at the bottom. And um you know the real benefit and the value of of using these solar panels come comes from that the savings um that that would acrue compared to you know your your typical um electricity bill if you hadn't gone solar. This is a case study that we have of the town of Coventry who used the green bank's uh PPA to install

018eight systems. um on various town buildings. Um and so we've got um a handout and a wonderful um ambassador and the the town manager in in Coventry if you're interested. Um and so if there's not any questions on the PPA, I can turn it over to Mackie to just give an overview of the two projects that we scoped um for Groten. I do have some questions about I know when solar panels are removed and placed in when much of them can be um recycled but there are there's lead and cadium and something called antimony and some other lovely chemicals that then can leech into the ground. If we get these micro cracks or even bigger cracks, say during a hurricane, could those could it potent those chemicals and heavy metals potentially leech into the roof

019and into the building itself creating a hazmat sort of situation which we then have to clean up. Science teacher just asked random question not criticizing >> Allen. Do you have a good answer for that? >> I'm not This is Mackie. Um I'm not that has not happened on any of the uh the systems that we own across the state. Um and I haven't heard of it happening generally in the industry. Um, I guess there's always some risk >> out in the Midwest or towards Wyoming and Colorado and, you know, Montana, >> right? So, yeah, I guess >> I guess there's there's always some risk of, you know, of them getting damaged. Uh, but I mean, we're the owner of that system, so we bear that uh the responsibility for for that and, you know, the

020liability. >> I just worry about it getting into the school and the kids getting affected. That's my major concern. >> Thank you. Um Emily, I think um Elizabeth Porter actually also had a question um which is the anticipated savings and percentage. I don't know if you were going to go into that or um whether um it's appropriate to ask that question now. >> We we are Yeah, if there's no other uh questions, that's actually where we were headed. So uh can transition right to that. >> Um Lee, do you have a question? I did have a question. Um, we are talking about three of our buildings, right? >> Well, two. >> We're talking about two elementary schools and the middle school. >> No, one elementary school and the middle school that are in the Eversource

021franchise area. Cat Utilities has a completely different program. >> Oh. >> They don't operate with with the green bank. They're not uh regulated by the state regulatory agency. Um, so we would have to do something different there. Um, we're working on getting these two going and then we'll have to figure out what we can do on that other >> other site, if you will. >> So, you're take you're saying that West Side is not part of it? >> Not right now. And the benefit of working with the Green Bank and Mackie is this is a soup to nuts thing. um because we don't have the the experience in the town plus we don't have the the resources to go forward. So this looks like a winning situation for all of us because the green bank

022comes in gets involved and it's basically from the beginning to the end and they end up with ownership in the sale of electricity folks. So so we'll have to investigate the other school once we get these working. >> Thank you. Um Kim or I have a question for Rick. >> Yes, please. >> Hi. Uh Rick, is it possible that we could include um Fitch High School in this project since they'll be working right at West, you know, right at the middle school? >> Um Rita, right? Right now, we've we've signed two two agreements with the Green Bank. One's uh well, one agreement was letter of intent that that the town signed with them. The second one is some documentation to allow them to go to auction to gain those incentives. Um the high school would

023take uh we would be beyond that time window which I'm sure Mackey may go into to get the high school in a in a condition to accept the project. So that could be potentially a follow on >> maybe next year or whatever if the if the process is still in place. And we've certainly they have certainly looked at that for us. And there is a tremendous uh capability, but we need to look a lot at the roofs and those sorts of things to see what the ages are and where the best places to do things are at the high school. So, >> so the goal is to get two systems up and operating and then >> look into other opportunities. >> Wonderful. Thank you. >> Any other questions from the board? Thank you, Emily. >>

024Great. Um, so and I guess um just add on to what Rick was saying. Yeah, that's correct. The uh the nonregulated utilities, uh they don't because they're not part of the the state regulatory structure. they don't uh there laws in place to incentivize solar in the state but uh which you know that's what part of we'll we'll be accessing that funding potentially for these projects if they move forward uh because they're unregulated they they don't offer those so the economics of those projects just don't work or c we can do them uh but you know bottom line y you y'all need to see savings in order to make a project work and it's just much tougher to deliver uh without the the the structure that the regulator utilities have. So, as Rick alludes to, hopefully

025in the future we can try to work something out, but just uh right where we are now, it doesn't make sense. Um but for uh looking here at Cutler, um the the question was asked anticipated savings and and what percentage? So, um this is what we we typically show uh when we're talking to a to a group like this. So, so, but we're, you know, we're missing one of the the key uh key factors, which is the the savings and effective utility rate, which is what I'll go into in a minute. Um, so you're looking here at a a proposed system, which is 300 kilowatts, which is a a fairly fairly sizable system. Um, it we're there's the renovation going on and the construction. So, uh, we overlaid the the panels on the construction drawing,

026which is overlaid on the, uh, an aerial view of the shot there. Uh, so it's a little harder to make out, but proposing a mix of panels on the roof, uh, as well as, uh, uh, carports. Uh, so for that, you've got uh, uh, essentially canopies that that go over cars. Um we can we can estimate at this point what a PPA rate would be. So this is the the price that uh the town would agree to or excuse me the the board of education would agree to purchase the power from the system. Uh right now we can estimate that to be uh just over 13 cents. Uh that's sort of a worst case scenario. Uh, and the reason we can't say the the absolute price is because, as you can imagine, one of the

027key factors in determining what that rate is is what it costs to build the system. We don't know what that cost is yet because we haven't uh we haven't done the RFP for the project yet. But before we do that, we want to make sure everyone's on board with uh, you know, potentially doing the project and and with the layout we're proposing. So, we're talking here today. Um, so the way this would work is, uh, we would, you know, on once everyone's comfortable, we'd go and and run the RFP and get a price to build it. And at that point, we would come back with an actual PPA rate. Uh, we would put a cap on the construction cost for the system. Uh, that's how we get this this rate here. So, this is again

028that we wouldn't accept a higher bid price than this. We've done a lot of these projects. We know what a reasonable cost is. So, we know it shouldn't cost more than this. So, uh, you know, we we'd hope to drive it down lower and get a lower PPA rate. Uh, but we've got to give you some sort sense of the numbers here. Um, and then as I was saying, typically we're able to then show and answer the question that was asked here. What is the anticipated savings? But we don't know what you pay because of the construction going on. We don't know what you pay for electricity now. So because I don't know what the you know what you pay now we don't know what the savings would be for uh for every kilowatt hour.

029So we can't estimate that yet. Uh once the utility once Eversource has has essentially assigned a utility rate we'll be able to do that. Um so what we're proposing at this point is going ahead and and moving forward with the continuing to develop the process securing the incentive and and getting that construction cost. uh and then we would uh come back uh with the number at which point hopefully Eversource will have a will have determined the utility rate. Of course, we we wouldn't expect you to sign a PPA until you know that number because we got to make sure there's savings. Um >> I'm sorry, M. If you look at the generation and the power generated, you know, we we use uh the high school, for example, uses like 2.3 million kilowatt hours a year.

030This building is probably a third that size or so. Um, so somewhere in the neighborhood of a one and a quarter, maybe a mill million kilowatt hours a year. So you could we could be saving up to 30 some percent of the electricity. The cost, as Mackey said, is is another matter depending on what what category the electric company puts us in and how much they charge and that that sort of thing to develop the savings. So just so you kind of get a feeling as I mentioned earlier it doesn't provide all the power but it could provide uh some and it this process that uh the green bank came up with with putting the uh awnings if you will or the carports up in the top of the drawing uh really allowed them to

031almost triple the size of the solar panel installation at that school which is really tremendous. So we appreciate that effort by them. >> Yep. So again uh unfortunately can't answer the most important question which what what are the s anticipated savings? Um but once we have that information from the utility we'll have that and again I we wouldn't uh wouldn't expect anything to to get set in stone here any agreements to be signed until until we have that number and know that everything makes sense. Next slide. Next is Consolidated Middle School. Um, another uh similar system size, uh, 300 kilowatts. Um, so you get similar production. We do think because there's more on the roof here, uh, this this system would be a little cheaper to bid or build. Uh, as you can imagine, it's

032it's cheaper to to put solar on a roof than it is to do a carport because you have to essentially build a structure to put the solar on top of with a carport. Um, so here you got more on the roof. So, a little lower cost. So, a lower anticipated PPA rate of 10.7 cents. I should say that we've we've done an a number of carports around the around the state. we're doing. We have increasing interest in them. Uh you know, aside from the benefits of the solar, uh the green power and the cheaper power, um you you get shading on cars during the uh during the summer so they don't get as hot. Uh you've got protection from the snow in the winter. Um, so you know, we've got a very large one at

033the Woodbridge, uh, JCC, uh, West Farms Mall, and and West Hartford and Farmington's in the process of putting one in. Uh, and feedback we get from, uh, from people who use the buildings that have the carports are all very positive for for those reasons. Shovel the snow off their car when they when they come out in the winter. and all the cost of building those structures is incorporated into our financing. So they're, you know, just like the the panels, there's no upfront cost to the town for for building any of that. So we uh just real quick here are some of the numbers around based on the uh the power production of the the system and the displacing the uh the brown power that would be bought from the utility uh just the uh the

034environmental and and public health value uh created by that uh clean power. Uh so almost a million dollars of public health value created across the uh the lifetime of the solar panels. It's over a thousand tons of carbon emissions. And then you see the the tree growth equivalent and the uh the car miles equivalent and next slide. So in terms of next steps, uh we would go and secure those utility incentives. Uh there's a a sort of a tight or strict timeline around when we're able to do that. Uh it's a it's an auction. You have to submit by July 12th. So we need to get that in and then they'll tell us in August whether we get them or not. Uh so uh that point if we with the incentive in hand then we

035would go out and and run the RFP for contractors uh determine the pricing to build the system and once we have all those inputs our incentive and our our build cost we can come back to you with that actual uh power purchase agreement with the the price in there and uh you know and and hopefully at that point we'll have the utility cost and we can make the decision uh as to whether to move forward and then assuming we do, we'd look to start building the system in the beginning of 2021. >> Kim, I have I have a question. >> Yes. Um, my question is, um, it says building owners on the website for Connecticut government that if if it's a Connecticut Green Bank CPACE financing for qualified energy saving, you could receive up to

036three free electric vehicle charging stations for their property. Would you be able to do that at one or both sites? I think you're muted. >> Thank you. Um that that offer is uh is for energy efficiency projects uh not for for solar projects. So unfortunately we could not do it in this case. >> Oh >> sorry. And this also wouldn't be sepace but but yeah sorry >> it's not a se it's not what which one does it qualify under for the Connecticut Green Bank? This is our uh our uh power purchase agreement program. >> Power purchase agreement program. >> CPACE is a completely different program. >> Different different program. >> Yeah. Completely completely different. It's it's for upgrades. It it helps uh businesses if you will because it's a commercial uh energy. So we are

037however we are we are however putting uh charging stations in each of the schools. We have enough for uh uh I'm trying to think six or 12 cars at the middle school plus we have some at each of the elementary schools. So we are installing charging stations as part of the projects. >> Will they be solar powered? >> The power will come from whatever provides it. not necessarily directly from solar, but um of course it will be solar if if that's all the power that's required for that day, I guess, you know, maybe in the summer it's we're not using much power or >> some off hours or or something, you know. So, >> okay. >> So, they're not individually solar power, if you will. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Question. who pays for

038the energy that the individual is putting into their car. The rest of us go to the gas station. We pay the gas station money for the gas that we're using. When people go to the different charging stations around town, who's paying for the energy that >> the the way the way the grants work for those that are installed now at town hall library and up here at the annex, part of the grant requirements was that the energy was provided at the town's cost and not the cost of the individual uh driver, if you will. There was some period of time that that was allowed. I'm not quite sure what that is because they've been in some period of time. Um, so that's something we we would look into at at the schools. >> Just a

039taxpayer issue, you know. Are we >> pay? >> Yep. Understand. >> Just trying to keep it fair. >> Yeah, understand. >> Love the fact that you do it, Rita. I just want to make it fair for everybody. >> I believe it is fair for everybody in for the whole town. Is it um Rick is it so is it the permanent school buildings project and then it kind of slides or is it >> it's public works project? >> The public works. Okay. All right. >> It's basically a public works project. The the permanent school building committee projects are actually public works projects and they're assigned as an oversight role. So >> Okay. >> Yep. So that's why it it it looked better because working with with Sam Kilpatrick and the superintendent, it looked like uh it

040was easier for us to coordinate these things as add-ons to the project and it kind of falls under my sustainability role anyway. So >> Okay. >> So So we we're we're taking them on initially >> and then eventually it will be transferred over to Sam's crew. Well, if if additional projects are looked at down the down the line, I would hope to get these uh two installed, particularly since if we're starting in 2021 of the summer, that other elementary school Cutler is just finishing up at that point. So, potentially we could have panels installed in that building when it opens. Um the other one, uh the middle school would have to be an add-on on that that summer. So they wouldn't necessarily have them the first year, but hopefully the second year that would work

041out. >> Okay. I just I was just trying to figure out sort of what the board's role in. >> Well, right right now right now the board's role as the power offtaker is is is sim you pay the utility bill basically. >> Okay. All right. I just was just trying to put this together. Thank you. >> Understand. >> Are there other questions from members of the board? I am really sorry I'm scrolling because it's only one. Dr. Grineer, >> I I just wanted to know, Rick, has uh Amy Samuelson or Joe Banks weighed in on building the carports? >> Um not yet. We have talked to the planning department um and they're enthusiastic about that uh because it is is something different. Uh they will as necessary. Right now, we don't have precise locations or

042designs, but once we get to that point, we'll have to do some coordination with uh with the planning commission. In fact, it'll probably be a site modification or or even a separate project for the middle school and it could potentially just be a site plan modification for uh the other school. But we have talked to the architects about the roofs, the ability to support the panels and that sort of thing. So, they've weighed in. Great. >> To that extent at this point on the rooftop units. >> Great. >> Any other questions, Lee? >> Um, I do. Um, I have just a question about Green Bay Green Bay Day in general. How long is How old is this company? Uh the green bank was uh the law that created us was passed in July of 2011.

043Um but the the organization uh had existed just with a previous uh mission from the state for I I think about 10 years prior to that. We were the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. >> Y >> before that uh and then the state said don't give money away for solar. everyone should become a bank. Uh and so changed our mission and our name. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So they started out as Sephia like like uh Mackey said and we had talked with them very early on and uh things didn't quite come together like they are now. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. >> Andrea, >> what happens after 20 years? There's a couple there's three different options. Um, one, you can uh extend the power purchase agreement. So decide to for five more years to continue

044purchasing power from us. Uh, so we would continue to own the system. Uh, we're we can do that for another for twice. So we could extend it another 10 years. Uh the second option is to buy the panels from us uh at whatever the uh fair market value of them is at that point. Uh and then the third is for us to come take them off and that's at our cost. >> And one last question, what's your your history with how long they they last? 20 years. the the manufacturers will warranty them for 20 years for the panels. >> Um there's one other major piece of equipment in there called an inverter. Those warranties are between 10 and 15 years. Um so we factor in we figure at some point uh throughout the 20-year term

045of the power purchase agreement, we'll have to replace those. And that's that's at our cost. Uh we have every in we don't get paid unless the system is producing. So we have every incentive to make sure it is working because you only buy what the system produces. So uh we factor in those inverter replacement costs. Um but again the the panels are are warrantied for at least 20 years. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Yes. Um first of all I just want to say thank you. We um this was a really hot button issue with with many of us and and with um uh the public. Um, yes, that panels go on this new school and it's fantastic if we can expand it beyond that. Um, I may have missed this along the way, but

046what kind of timeline are we looking for? And then does it come to the board uh to approve this, Rick, or is this a um is this something that's approved by the town? >> Rick, you're on mute. >> You're on mute. >> Agreement. We can't move forward without the power purchase agreement for installation and that sort of thing. So that's something that the board of ed would have to review. I do believe I provided a copy of one previously which I can again provide to the superintendent if uh you guys want your attorney for example to start looking at it to see what it says. But uh the the fact that the panels are being installed and and you're the offtakers of the power I you would have basically have the final say on this

047because if the power purchase agreement doesn't work for you then then we don't have a project basically >> question. >> You need to be unmuted. That's what happens when I think. >> Oh, so you've changed from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and your model and business model and mission have changed and you've become Green Bank. Suppose the state comes around again and says we want you to change again before the 20 years are up. What happens then? Like you guys disappear. The says we don't Oops. throwing things at you. Sorry. Um the not going to fund you. You're gone. Byebye. All done. Because it does. >> Yep. So that's the >> questioning you like this. >> The beauty No, it's it's it's a good question. Um the uh so there's a couple different answers. Uh

048so one the beauty of of the the legislature has a lot of powers and they can do a lot of things, but the one thing they can't do is break contracts. Um so uh the PPA uh will and the the requirement to uh to honor that contract uh will will be in place. So um they can get rid of the green bank uh but the state will then have to find some other way to some other entity to fulfill the green bank's role in the in the contract. So whether the green is there or not basically hold with us and we'll come back and fill your portion of the contract. >> I'm sorry you were breaking up a little. Um but >> they believe this your what your entity is dissolved no matter what. We

049have a contract with the state that says they'll come and do take over. There should be some fancy word that I'm missing. So the the cond so we so this that's good segue the other uh you know when I said there's several reason there's several parts to this the other is uh we we part you know as I think Emily talked about uh when she was introducing us we try to everything we do is through public private partnerships uh we want to get as much private money in to do this uh and not rely all on public money so we have uh and and frank we because of the tax uh credits that are at play here, just like y'all, we don't pay taxes either. So, we have to partner with private investors to monetize

050those. Um so, we will have uh private and other nonprofit investors alongside us. Um, so, uh, I mean, to be frank, a power purchase agreement with a with a board of education and municipality is a is a great it's that's a great it's a great contract and a great asset from an investor standpoint. So, they would they would love anyone would love to have that asset. So, uh, you assuming we go away, uh, the state would have to find a way, our would have to find a way to, uh, honor their portion of the contract. There's really not much at that point because we've put the money in. You've gotten the money out of us to build your system. Uh, what you want is the O and M. uh our private partners at that point

051will be more than willing to step in and take any money that might have gone to the state and take it themselves because as you all well know boards of education pay their bills, they pay their electric bills. Uh everyone, you know, investors know that um and so uh they're they're attractive contracts. So >> good question. Good question, Gretchen. Thank you. Um, I do know that um Jay has one more followup, but be Jay, before I recognize you, I just want to make sure that Liz um or Jane um I believe have had a chance to sort of Sorry, I'm like everyone's still moving around on >> Well, I'm set. Thank you. But I don't have anything else. >> Thank you very much, Jane. >> I'm all set. I'm listening. This is new territory for

052me. >> Okay, great. I just I wanted to make sure that your voice was heard. Jay, >> yeah, just a quick question. So, obviously, we can't take a vote tonight. We're in a CO. Um, at this point, um, is this something that, uh, Dr. Grineer can agree with them to move forward? And is there any cost involved with coming up with this uh, proposal? >> U, I I'll answer that. Um, no. We've done what we needed to do um as far as commitments by the town and we had to show ownership of the property which the town manager signed for for these properties so they could go forward and look at the uh the Z-Rex and and the Lrex and those those opportunities for partial funding of the project. So the board of ed should

053have no action and of course we keep Dr. Grineer formed along the way is the design of the foss. But until we get to the point uh of the actual PPA, there is no other action really required by by the board of education to my mind. >> Thank you. That was a good question, >> Jay. I I I believe we would have to see the the estimated cost savings before the board would act. >> Exactly right. If I'm not hearing any more questions, I would like us to move on to our next agenda item. Thank you very much for coming in. I'm sorry that I missed the very beginning of your um presentation. Um but I'm excited um that I know there's many people in this town who've been very excited about moving towards having

054a mixed solar. So, thank you very much, Rick, and your crew. >> And we'd like to thank the board of ed for allowing us the opportunity to come talk to you about it. Uh like you say, it has been of interest around the town. that has been of interest to us since the beginning of the projects. So having the opportunity to move forward and be able to discuss it with you folks is really amazing and we'll keep Dr. Grineer cut in and he can provide information as we move forward on it. >> Thank you, Rick. >> Thank you. >> So I'm going to move us on Mike. >> I was just going to introduce it when you're ready. So, I'm going to um move on to our next uh agenda topic, which is about the

055neighborhood area for elementary schools for Cutlery Westside. Mr. Zuba, have you missed us? Tell us that you have. >> Oh, it's been way too long. I've seen a lot of familiar faces. It brings back a lot of good memories of uh working on the GR 2020 plan. And it's uh almost it's amazing to hear that we're talking about solar panels getting put on buildings and going through the process of figuring out how we're going to fill out those buildings. So, it's been a long time coming. I hope everybody's happy with uh where everything is so far. I think it's a real great project and probably one of the best ones that I've ever worked on in the state. >> Mike, uh once again, just I know Dr. you want to sort of do the intro

056introduction. Um but for those of us um who didn't know um Mike Zuba and his um company were heavily involved in really helping us put together our 2020 with our um our campus middle school um and our two elementary schools and doing and helping us think about um several years ago about redistricting. Sorry about using that word. Um but um and and all that and once again you were such a partner to the board of ed and to the 2020 plan. So Mike actually it's like it's good to see you and I'm I'm liking what's like on this face of yours here sir. >> I know my wife says I can only keep any kind of facial hair until I head back into the office which be a couple more weeks but I'll be there.

057>> All right. All right. So take it away Dr. Grineer and Mike. Well, I I just want to remind the board that when when we we we realized that there were three three schools uh that we will be closing in in June of of 2021. We realized that those excuse me, I don't know why I'm having feedback here. um we realized that those schools needed a neighborhood uh to which the children would be assigned and uh so Malone and McBroom Mike Zuba in particular had done a great deal of work. So, if you remember a couple months ago, I requested permission to have Mike uh and his colleague Pat Galler uh do some uh do some studies and and basically what I was hoping and they'll go through a brief PowerPoint is that we would

058take the three schools, SB Butler, Quadchester, and Mary Morrison, the three that uh the board has voted to close, uh to take a look at those neighborhoods. And we tried to uh I was hoping that we would not disrupt the neighborhood uh areas for the the schools that will remain open, which is to say uh Katherryn Kolowski, Northeast Academy, and Charles Barnum. Uh and so they've done they've done some analysis and we've had some preliminary talks, but I I'll let them explain it. I I I think they've got a a very comprehensive look at at our our town and hopefully uh they can they can explain it and perhaps we could take some more before they start um how does this relate to or coincide or weave into the conversations that um you Sue and

059others were having um in terms of looking at demographics in terms of making sure that we have racial balance. How are these two plans um connected? >> Well, the the two plans uh are are connected. The the first thing is of course we we we definitely want as part of our plan to have socioeconomically balanced schools. But you know that quad uh excuse me the school that that's being built at Cutler is what the the state has defined as a diversity school uh which is allowing Graten to get 80% reimbursement because it it is replacing a school that was racially imbalanced. So, we are we are under state order to achieve racial balance and and Mike uh and and Pat knew that and work very hard. We we actually wanted a plan that would bring

060racial balance to all of our schools, but the of course the the first thing the state's going to look at is make sure that the Cutler site is racially balanced. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All set, Mike. Thanks, Mike. Um, so Pat Gallagher and I are going to uh tag team the presentation. Um, Pat, are you you able to uh share your screen? >> Yes. >> Everybody can see it. >> Oh, excellent. So, as we're kind of coining our work we're doing now, it's really the neighborhood plan. And that's something that was, you know, really important to us as we began looking at um just exactly how can we populate the new schools while retiring some of the older schools in town. And really, as Dr. Grineer put it, how best can we minimize some

061of the disruption? So, with that, Pat, we'll pop on over to slide two and talk about some of the criteria. So, as part of any process where we go through planning, whether it's a reconfiguration or uh reszoning or redistricting, we really want to have some key parameters of things that we know are important to your community as well as what are some of your desired outcomes um at the end of the day once this is adopted. Um, so we're constantly looking ahead to that fall 2021 window of being able to get the kids in the building in about a year and a half from now. um we know it needs to support the Graten 2020 plan and there was a lot of um nuances and a lot of moving parts within that plan um that

062you've you've successfully navigated and to be able to get you guys off of that um state racial balance report um and no longer have to be drafting the racial balance plans as well as to be able to attain the uh status that the elevated grant reimbursement for um Cutler school building project um provided. Um looking back a few years um you know the question may arise of well Cutler was never you know imbalanced as an elementary school. Well what happened with the consolidation of um of Claude Chester school um that dollars for the construction and that racial diversity grant was moved on over to the uh Cutler school as part of this project. So, we really wanted to be able to take it as an opportunity, especially with so much change going on, was to

063really rightsize um each of the elementary school facilities um to be able to support your new platform and landscape, but also to provide some flexibility as you further define and evolve your magnet programming within the district. We wanted to be able to have some growth into that and as Pat will touch on later to be able to use that blend of neighborhood and magnet school as a way that you can sort of manage your um manage your attendance um not only from a class size standpoint but also from a racial balance standpoint going forward. Even though we have it as number five and six um it was really our most important criteria as we began looking at these a way to minimize disruptions to students and families. That's something that, you know, has always been

064important to us as a firm. It's important to us as we get into these plans and really look for ways to create some better geographic proximity while not disrupting as uh while disrupting as few families as possible. So, you know, it's easy to say we're going to achieve every criteria with an A+ score, but we really do our best to be able to strike a balance, and I think, you know, that's what we were able to accomplish tonight for the uh draft plan that we're going to share with you all this evening. Next slide, Pat. So, this is just really a look at where you're at today. Um, and this even includes, you know, your current landscape of schools, but includes Pleasant Valley going back to 2017 when that was that was closed. Um, to

065where you're really going. Um, so you know, really shrinking that portfolio and realigning that portfolio of elementary schools, elementary classrooms, so that at the start of the 21 school year, you'll be a five school system with the two new schools at uh at Westside as well as Cutler and the retirement of a majority of some of the older schools in the community. Um so really a complete realignment of uh of the educational landscape in Graten where if you really look in history and look back to the 60s7s and even into the 80s you were a collection of very small um elementary schools that based on some state mandates as well as um some budget challenges are tough to operate in today's environment. Um next slide Pat. So, as part of this plan, I'm just going

066to reflect back just a little bit. I won't get into a lot of the details of just the racial balance law. It's outlined in the state general statutes. Um, it's really predicated off of your um district-wide average for like grades. So, you know, Grten based on the preliminary October numbers, which the state typically issues a report in May, but I imagine the uh CO has kept that report from getting out just for a lack of staff. But, Graten overall for the elementary schools is about 47.4% minority as the state defines it. Um, we'll touch a little bit later on on what some of the different neighborhoods are, but really the state Pat just one second on that one. The state has two levels. Um we have the impending balance which is basically you're put on

067a list and you're required to be um cognizant of it but no corrective actions necessary. And then there's also the racially imbalanced is when you become greater than 25% um deviation which is plus or minus from the district-wide average. That's when um you have to craft a racial balance plan, have to present it to the state board of ed. And that was one of the key components um to the Graten 2020 plan and getting the higher reimbursement for that Cutler school project was the uh Graten board of ed did have a plan in place that specified the type of construction that you're doing now and that we're talking about as part of this master plan. Next one. So, we took a a deeper dive and it's been a few years since I looked at your

068demographic data. Um, we really wanted to take a look at see if there's any major changes in the neighborhoods and really look at some planning blocks. So, as you know, we go through this process of reorganizing the elementary schools. Um, we want to do it at a a you know, fairly coarse level to get a general feel for what we can typically accomplish. And I think one of the things that came out of it when we ran our analysis and you know we did this based on the um on on census block group level. So taking your localized data and applying it to a a midsize geography. Um next slide Pat. You know we clearly we clearly can you know lay out your uh your discrepancies or your diversity across the community. And you know

069what we're showing on this map are all areas in gray. You know, they're within that plus or minus 15% of your district-wide average for your elementary schools. So, a large part of the military housing as well as the city of Graten. Um, going all the way over to, you know, getting into quantit. Um, and then probably, you know, a good 40 50% of your community is colored in yellow. So when we look at those various neighborhoods, um they're all falling within that sort of impending that 15 to 25% imbalance at various levels. And what we're showing on the map is not your imbalance, but your absolute um percent minority in each of these areas. And the last category, as I said, goes in both directions. So we're looking at some of your mo your most

070diverse areas in Brford Manor um where it's close to 87% minority long hill 76% there to all the way over to Gruntton Longpoint Noah anchistic which is in the opposite direction. So, you know, we have 25 percentage points high and we have 25 percentage points low and then we have a whole bunch in between. And what we're looking to do is we're trying to craft a plan that minimizes the movement but also looks at these factors and recognizes that, you know, you have to create a a plan that is going to satisfy the state as well as help meet your local goals for equity and diversity across your schools. So, as we, you know, looked at that information and discussed it with, um, Dr. Grineer and Susan Austin and and going through some of it,

071um, you know, we know that we have to be able to show, you know, the balance there at the diversity school, but also one of the things that we sort of held ourselves to was how best can we run through these various options and create some different scenarios that really looked at creating that same diversity across each of the elementary schools. um that's reflected across your community knowing that you know we do have pockets. It will be a bit of a challenge. There was a little push and pull there between um keeping the impacts and keeping the areas of change to a minimum while still ensuring that we definitely didn't have any schools that were racially imbalanced and getting any of those out of the impending category that we have and ensuring that there's long-term

072um racial balance as well. So that there is a not only a neighborhood plan element but also the magnet plan component of it that the uh that this diversity and this balance will you know continue for the foreseeable future. So with that we had to be able to take a look at the uh really at the landscape of the schools and the facilities themselves. So what we're talking about is enrollment targets. you know, these are almost a planning number or a sweet spot that provide you some flexibility above and below that. Um, it's not maximum capacity. I know when you look at schools like Northeast, um, over the last few years, um, it's operated consistently above 400, the same for Katherine, Kolaski. Um but really these are our enrollment targets to provide some flexibility as

073well as provide some implementation of you know special programs district-wide needs as well as being able to scale up um some magnet programs and provide some some um growth in that for those areas as well. So overall in your five elementary schools of the future we're looking at about 2400 seats. So it aligns well where you're at demographically from the enrollment standpoint. So, as we get into the minimization of disruption, um, what we wanted to do was look at the existing attendance zones or the existing elementary school district boundaries and really focus on the schools that were closing and we have some pretty big attendance zones here. So, SB Butler comprises about 25% of the land mass of the lower southeast quadrant of the community. Cloudchester right in the middle and then we have a

074much smaller and more dense Mary Morrison with a little satellite area of SB Butler that was put in place as part of the PV closure and uh in 2017. So what we wanted to do was really look at these as our moving parts and within those moving parts be able to keep as many large peer groups in place. So you know as children progress from one school to the next as part of this transition um that they're with as many of their classmates and you know children that they see on the bus or at the bus stop as possible in order to really sort of soften soften the blow of change of having to go through a redistricting. And also part of it too is really looking at, you know, are there opportunities there where

075we can be able to provide um walking opportunities for children that are are close to the individual school while adhering to some of those boundaries. Um we have two very different areas when you look at Westside, which is much more compact. There's many more housing units within that half mile radius and many more children within that half mile radius versus Cutler, which is a little bit more sprawling. there's much more vacant land there as well as some of the subdivisions that are up on the northern northern periphery of it. Um see if there's any opportunities there where we can create a better walking community or preserve the existing walking communities in some of those established neighborhoods. Um with that I'll turn it over to Pat who will walk us through our transition of the uh

076various options and how we got to the option that you know we're going to present to you tonight. >> Thanks Mike. So, >> excuse me, Kim. When are we going to be able to ask some questions? We're just sort of like rolling through this so quickly. >> How about if we um and then we kind of go back to having questions. We'll have them leave up the slides if we need to kind of take a look at the maps and stuff. Thank you. >> Yeah, Rita, there's a page number. Hopefully, you can see it on the bottom of each one. If you had any question on each slide, just jot it down and we'll be sure to get back to it. And also Pat, I think do we have a more detailed map too at

077the end of this where we can really get down to the nitty-gritty? >> Yeah, I I can pull that up if if we want to discuss any specifics. >> Okay. Yeah, we're happy to do that at the end. >> All right. So, u I'll talk a little bit about our process. Um, as Mike mentioned, we have several different guiding criteria, and there's always a lot of push and pull. Certain options do a better job at hitting one criteria at the expense of the other. And over the last few weeks, we've worked closely with the administration to evaluate uh scenarios and then refine them, ultimately leading to our our recommended plan today, which we felt best hit those those different criteria. So, I'll go quickly through our assumptions. We tested these using historic data over the

078last three school years provided by the district. Um we are looking at it as if the districts were in place today. Um, so the the scenarios do assume that SB Butler, Claudechester, and Mary Morrison are closed, even though um we know that that won't happen until the fall of of 21. Um, we are assuming the new schools at the Westside and Cutler site are open. We also reserve space for 270 preK seats, 120 each at Cutler and Westside, and an additional 30 at Katherine Kaskki. We're using this as a placeholder for planning purposes. You also have a lot of outof area placements within the district including magnet students, administrative placements, and special education students. We assume that all of those students stay in their current building with the exception of the students who attend the

079three closed schools. We move students in the SB Butler attendance zone to Cutler and Mary Morrison and Claude Chester to Westside. I'll also note that we left buffer space at both Westside and Cutler since we know that those schools will attract um students who live outside the attendance zone through their magnet programs. And so we didn't want to f we didn't want to craft neighborhood boundaries for those schools that put them at their capacity, but rather we wanted to leave a little bit of wiggle room to provide that flexibility for future programs. So, as Mike had mentioned before, we really strive to maintain um neighborhood proximity and while also minimizing disruption. And there were two areas uh one in the Cutler and one in the Westside district where these two criteria were a little bit

080uh at odds with each other. We had areas that were very close to the uh the new Cutler and Westside buildings that were within uh buildings that would stay open. So, ultimately, we are recommending what we're calling phasin areas. And these are areas that will eventually phase into Cutler and Westside over time, but it allows existing students to remain in their current building um if they so choose. They also will have the choice to move to the new facility. This would move all new students um whether they're incoming kindergarteners or new families to the district uh to be assigned to the new facility. And based on availability and class size, the district could also offer to grandfather siblings um whether they be kindergarteners or otherwise, including students who are not yet enrolled in the district

081to make sure that students uh that siblings attend the same building at the same time. And I'll show those two areas uh in in two slides from now. So this map shows our recommended plan boundaries. The uh recommended uh boundaries are shown in the colors uh as you can see on the legend here. The black lines represent your current districts. Um, as you can see, we maintained most of the Northeast Academy District intact with the exception of this area in uh um highlighted here near Flanders Road, which is a phasin area, and I'll show an inset map of that on the next slide. Charles Barnum also remains intact as well as the Katherryn Kaskki district with a small phasin area along Branded Avenue um that would eventually move over to Westside and those students would

082be across the street from that building. We would split um the Claude Chester district between uh Westside Cutler and Northeast Academy. All of Mary Morrison would go to the new west side and SB Butler for the most part would go to Cutler um with the satellite area being moved to Westside and a small area um going to Northeast Academy. So these two graphics show our two our recommended phasin areas. The one on the left shows the phasin area um along Brande Avenue directly across from Westside School. uh over the last three years you've averaged anywhere from 10 to 15 students and again uh those students would have the if they currently attend Katherine Kolaski would have the ability to finish out in Katherine Kolaskki. However, new students um would be enrolled in Westside with the

083exception of um sibling preference if the district so chooses. The uh second area shown on the right is the Cutler phasin area and this encompasses the Bair neighborhood which is about a half mile from the Cutler site. So within walking distance. Um this has on average about 50 students um per year and again those current students who live within this area could finish out within the Northeast Academy District while all new students would be sent to Cutler. And again, even in the long term, uh, students within these areas can also apply, um, to stay within Kathern Kaskki and Northeast Academy through the magnet program. So, it really does provide, um, some good flexibility. So, in order to make sure that these districts worked, um, we applied the boundaries to your historic enrollment looking at the

084last three years. Um, I'll I'll uh draw your attention to the utilization which just compares your preK5 enrollment to that target capacity. Um, so again, even though we're at about 100%, we're at 100% of that sweet spot. Um, so we're not uh worried about overcrowding any of the buildings for this scenario. You'll also notice that we have um excess capacity at Westside and Cutler. uh about 70 seats at Westside uh this current school year and about 30 seats at Cutler and that will support um magnet programming in the future including a larger magnet program at Westside knowing that students who live within the Katherine Kaskki Charles Barnum and Northeast Academy attendance zones will very likely uh opt into magnet programs at the two new buildings and ultimately uh the combination of having neighborhood based uh

085schools combined with the the actively managed magnet programs will help achieve uh and sustain utilization in the long term across all five of your buildings. Racial balance was also a very important component of uh of this uh exercise and we wanted to strive to make sure that uh all buildings were racially balanced and um really um challenged ourselves to try to get all schools within 15%. Um, however, there are some some challenges with that just based on the geographic distribution of neighborhoods. Um, and that being somewhat at odds of uh maintaining a neighborhood-based system. Um, this was also one of the impetuses for having the phase in areas. Um, without the phasin area in Cutler, Northeast Academy would be uh not over 25% but very close to it. So, by moving that Bair neighborhood to

086Cutler, um we're lowering the um racial imbalance by a few percentage points and providing some additional wiggle room so that district is not having to craft a racial balance plan um a few years down the line. Um nonetheless, we um still have Northeast Academy in that impending imbalance category. If the uh boundaries had been in place this past school year, uh Northeast Academy would be 18.5% lower than the district-wide average. The only other building that would have been uh impending imbalance in any of the last three years was Catherine Katherryn Kolki. Um which would have been impending imbalance three years ago, but that number has since uh decreased and is no longer in the impending category. Your other three buildings, Charles Barnum, Cutler, and Westside, all look really great. um all within about 5% of

087the district average. So in summary, uh this recommended scenario largely minimizes redistricting impacts to those closed facilities with the exception of those phasing areas which um help achieve the racial balance goals as well as providing for greater proximity and as well as walking opportunities to the new elementary schools. We do have some flexibility in terms of space at all buildings providing opportunities for future magnet programming particularly at Cutler and Westside. And as Mike had mentioned earlier, the combination of neighborhood-based and a managed uh magnet program that hybrid really is is a great tool for the district to um achieve that sustained uh long-term uh utilization and diversity balance across all of its schools. And with that, happy to take your questions and um I'll stop sharing the screen here and I can bring it up

088uh I can bring up the presentation or the maps um to answer any specific questions. >> I know I've got Rita and I'll take Lee afterwards. >> Okay, are you ready? Um my when I look at um the targeted enrollment for the Konasi school >> and Northeast Academy and Charles Barnum, they're way below the capacity for the schools. I mean, Northeast Academy, it's a little closer because it it doesn't have the whole wing that Katherine Konowski has, but I mean, I think normally Katherine Konowski would it it used to have like 486 students, it's close to 500 and the same with Charles Barnum. Um, so you're really predicting we're going to have a lot of space in the Konasi School and Charles Barnum if you're only loading them to 400 students and 375 at Charles

089Barnum. Is it because we have to have 604 students unfortunately in those two elementary schools, new ones? >> Um, no. That's not that's not the reason is the size of the new elementarymentaries. Rita, I think one of the big parts of it is um the vision to be able to have magnets across the board in all the elementary schools. So, we wanted to have sufficient growth for that. Um I recall back when Kolaski was 450 or so, I think, and that's including prek that I I always felt it was a little bit tight there for the size of the building. And um even looking at Northeast when you know looking at that one I would probably say the maximum capacity for that would be around 420 425 seats. So we did leave a little wiggle

090room in there and especially in Northeast that's by design um in order to be able to have a more robust magnet program there to draw students up to have some of that long-term um diversity and racial balance um like we've been talking about. Um, but I think >> I I do I I I don't agree with you because I remember when those schools were built and how much, you know, what the capacity was for them, especially Kaskki and I know Charles Barnum at 375, there's going to be a lot of space in those buildings. Um, I understand with Northeast that you have to leave some space there um for magnet students, but I think you could do the same with Konasi. And um, I just don't know. I mean, I just think we're going to

091have a lot of empty seats >> in our schools. >> I think across the board. Um, you know, >> I remember when Konowski had 486 and, you know, and that was about the, you know, it was built for over 500 and something students. So, you think of them, you load them as three three quarters usually, right? I believe we're looking at um we normally use for neighborhood elementary schools about 85 to 90% but when they have a magnet component it could be 90 to 95% of your um capacity but I I still think it's how the buildings are being planned and programmed based on the numbers of sections per grade. That's the guidance um we went off of. I think um if those capacity numbers are truly in question, that's something we could work with

092the uh with the administration on and bring in the building leadership um to be able to look at that. It's just a a planning number right now, a planning target that we've been using. But I think at 2400 seeds, it aligns well with where you're at enrollment wise right now. Um >> but what what I'm saying my question is it seems that we are going to have extra classrooms at Konowski Char and Charles Barnum especially only having 400 and even though you might bring in some magnet students. >> I just think that um >> you know >> I don't I I >> you don't see that. No, I I don't see that in the number to be honest with you, but that's something we can go back and have some conversations around and and take

093a deeper look at. >> Well, you know, it's one of the reasons I asked this is that we were thinking of holding on to Mary Morrison and not um sort of turning it back over to the town. But if we have a lot of extra space in some of these other schools, maybe we don't need to hold it as a you know, as a transition school. So that's my question. >> Yeah, I honestly don't see a lot of excess space um across the board. I think um that's something that we can take a deeper look at, but I think um based on what we're seeing, you have just the right amount of space within the buildings for the number of children that you have. Um, it's really being able to take a look at it

094and say for the first time in in in in years here, what types of programs and how do you want to use the space? And that's sort of the model that we went off was how many sections per grade would be ideal um for each of these learning environments. And then being able to backfill then of once the magnet catches up, you know, for some of the newer ones that going to get magnets, what do those programs look like and and what does the draw look like? I think the older historic number from Charles Barnum, um and correct me if I'm wrong, likely reflects the use of some of those aged portable classrooms that were there. Yes. >> Um, you know, which, you know, with those coming offline are going to lower that capacity there

095as well. I've been in that building a bunch of times and I would struggle to see that more than 400 students. I would feel that that would be um really tight for that building. >> And would you have though would you have space in each of these buildings if every school had prek? Like if there was universal prek for four-year-olds or would they all have to be transported to two schools? >> I would think if you were to do universal prek and you did an AM and PM um you would likely be able to make it work. I think your biggest hindrance would be meeting code for the building of accessibility to um toilets egress. I think that would be, you know, maybe in Barnum. I think um it may be a little easier in

096some of the others, but it would require a look at the about the building floor plan and where you have egress windows and egress doors and tight and you know >> so many number of bathroom fixtures and >> I think I think I think it would be in the realm of possibility. >> Thank you, Rita. Um I've got Lee and then Gretchen. Lee, you're muted. >> You're muted. You're muted. You're muted. >> Now we Now we can hear. You got it. >> Um I'm impressed by this draft. I think I think it's terrific. But um ever since I've been on the board and I know I think I'm the I you know I haven't lived here my whole life. I want our students, our Graten students to want to come back to Graten. Um, and

097having breathing space also means that there will be some parents who see our new school, our new elementary schools as a reason to come back to Graten from New London. I like that. This is important to me, too. I I think this looks great. Thank you, Lee. Gretchen. Okay, this goes uh back to the point, well, thank you, Lee. We do need breathing space in these schools because we do want these kids coming back and I know a couple kids who are coming back because of the schools. Um, and I'm particularly fond of them coming back like Kim is. We want our babies home. Um when having children in those the affected schools when we rebuilt Northeast and we built Konowski as a parent we were promised we would never see more than 420 children

098in any of those buildings they could seat 450 but we would never see it which did happen but that what we were sold those buildings as 400 seats so we had space to expand And so that I wasn't on the board then, but I was a really active parent then and a very active teacher then and very concerned with the number of students and the amount of space. So those numbers I remember very specifically. I went in checked with Scott said, "Do you remember the numbers?" And those were the numbers he too came up with. So we never anticipated having more than 400 to 420 in either Colonowski or Northeast. I I think what we need to do is that Mike um Dr. Grineer is is maybe we can have what those numbers are so

099that um because I I don't want to I don't want us to keep on going around in circles when we just need to have that that information. Um not Gretchen, it's not that I don't trust your memory or your Scott's memory. It's just it's it's best just to have that that factual information around that. tell you what they how they sold us the parents that went out and said, "Please vote for this." >> Okay, I got it. I totally get that. And um and I know that um >> we live by sort of what was promised to voters because we um I I hear that. But let's see if we can get more specific information about that as we begin to talk about that, Mike. >> Yeah, I'll I'll get it. >> Put that that

100we can kind of put that to bed. >> Historical enrollment. I'll get it. >> Yeah. and and just about what that what that would kind of look like. Um Jay, do you have do you have a question? >> No. Um everything's been uh covered so far. >> Okay, great. >> I just add Kim. >> Yes, >> we need to on my screen. Okay, you're right there. Okay. >> Yeah. Overlooking the ocean. Anyway, we need to keep an eye on the the headlines that we see every day in the newspaper. Graten is growing. This is a a new era that we're about to enter. So, I think we need to keep looking forward and not backward. >> Thank you, Jane. Um I'm Susan. I'm gonna um recognize Andrea first and then Susan. Thank you. I I

101got lost when we were talking about Podchester, the area that it will be the children there will be going to. I'm I'm concerned that in the past in the recent past actually um the area that that um and the main services was divided between Cutler and and um middle. Now my concern is that all the the neighborhood in Cloudchester is not divided in that in that manner again. So I I'm just lost on this map. >> Sure. Let me share my screen easier and we can just clarify the area that you're talking about. All right. So, we have the Claudechester district outlined in black here. My cursor is outlining it. Um, >> that's it. >> Shows it. Yeah. Split between West Side in the red here, Cutler in the yellow, which I think's a bulk

102of the district, and a little bit to Northeast Academy. >> Yes. Andrea, are you speaking to um Brford Manor and Mather? No, I'm I'm concerned about Puquanic Bridge. >> Okay. Um Midway Oval and Puquanic Bridge is that large neighborhood right in the middle and if we had the more detailed streets, you'd be able to see it. Um that's right across the street from Claude or what was Claudechester. Um we've kept that entire neighborhood together. >> Okay. I would say the only neighborhood that has any real split and it's just really due to the sheer number of students and to meet racial balance. It is to keep that um split that was established I believe in 2012 of um of Brford Manor um where it split between the two roads there um just in order to

103be able to be in compliance with the state. Um there wasn't any one school we were able to put that entire neighborhood into um and maintain um racial balance compliance. >> I see. Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. Um, Susan >> just wanted to add that I want you to realize that we always consider the board of ed um enrollment figures that you all approve each year. Looking at those primary grades, K1 at 22, then 22, I mean 20, and then 22 for second, third, and 24. Those are kind of our barometer. And so whether we're looking at a a four tiered um new school system, preK through five, we're still looking at those numbers between 20 and 24. And even in our two magnet schools, Katherryn Kowski and Northeast Academy, we really have to be

104ever so careful in bringing in our new kindergarteners and first graders and siblings so that they are also within that parameter. We don't want them if we bring too many children in K1 then that can really oversize those three four five classrooms. So um we work closely with Ryan and Chris to make sure. But just know that your guidelines are ever so important to us and we're constantly using that as the parameters for our enrollment. So know that we're doing that with this project as well. Patrick O'Nir >> Pat, could you go back to uh the neighborhood and and Pat or Mike, could you talk about that ring road business because that's the one exception to Andrea's point, >> could you come back out just a tad more, Pat? >> So, this is actually a

105different map. This is a blown up map um that is the same as um the one on slide 12 I believe but it just has labels so a little easier to read. I I just wanted to be >> we received that >> attachment clear Andrea >> that everything in yellow uh that is uh w of Midway Oval for example uh that that stays as a neighborhood and and goes to the new school at Cutler. The one area that that uh Susan and I spoke to Mike Zuba and Pat Gallagher about was that neighborhood that he's circling right there. It it it seemed like it seemed like a natural part of where it should be going to Northeast and it and it and it greatly helped the the the racial balancing there and so we we

106included that. So I I I just want to be clear, Andrea, that's the one the only exception. Am I right, Mike and Pat? >> Yeah. of Claude Chester. Yeah. >> Yeah. So the So the kids the kids in that Ring Road neighborhood would in fact not follow they wouldn't they used to go to Claude Chester, but now they'll go to Northeast. >> Yeah. I'm concern I'm concerned about that because those children live right across the street from from a bridge and that's a cery of friends there and that's >> see I the one thing I'm I'm worried about is is dividing neighborhoods that happened when when bridge was was divided and it it caused a terrible rift in in the the just the whole the whole atmosphere of of the of the town and the

107reaction of the children and those kids like it would be like um the kids from um William Street not going to the same school as the kids from Parson Street, >> right? >> Only Mike understands that because we're from the same town actually. >> Yeah. So, let me let me say two things. One is when we looked at the racial balance uh this year in in the district uh Northeast Academy is is one point away from being racially imbalanced at 24% out. Uh we have to do something about that. Uh, and the second thing I'll say is this, that by by having five magnet elementary schools, I think we're going to be able to give kids a choice. So, if the kids in that neighborhood, Andrea, really want to go to to the color site,

108they they'll be eligible to do that. >> I see. they wanna if they want to go to Katherryn Konowski or I mean each of the schools the beauty of this plan uh that Mike has really been on the ground floor of Mike Zuba is that we're going to become 100% magnet so the kids the kids that live in in the westside neighborhood you know 100 yards away from the westside school they can apply to go to that school and we'll we'll run the magnet program and we'll manage it in such a way uh that we'll we'll will achieve racial balance but but without redistricting it at least the kind of really politically divisive redistricting that we've seen in the past. >> Right. All right. That allays my fears. Thank you. >> So I' I've got

109um I'm going to recognize Jay, Gretchen, and Rita. Did I see you have your hand? You did. I'll wait. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So, I'm going to do um Jay, Gretchen, Lee, Rita. >> Um I I realize that um there's no no easy answer here. Um but I for one would like to see some other options. I mean, it just seems like tonight that this is being presented as the only option. And for these folks that, if I'm understanding correctly, for these folks that live over in Brford, what we're saying is that they're going to get bus all the way across town, which will be a long bus ride. And we've got parents that may not have as much access to transportation to other neighborhoods that now will be so far away from their

110children's school. Now I realize that the magnet component of this this is this is the catchment area. This is if somebody doesn't participate in the magnet process or doesn't get placed. Um but I just would like to know is is this the only option that works? But Jay, just let me I just want to be clear that the children that are are going from that neighborhood are currently being bus to uh uh to to Claude Chester. I So they're already not going to school in that neighborhood. And of course that neighborhood is what gave rise to the whole racial imbalance that we experienced in 2007. So but the other answer to your question is no. We we looked at lots of scenarios. In fact Mike and Pat started by saying uh pretty much well not

111all of them but the vast majority of neighborhoods in Graten would be wiped out and we would be sending kids to we would be redistricting. And I thought that was a that was a a really a cornerstone of Graten 2020 that we we would not change we would not redistrict schools except those of course that are closing. >> Yeah that doc Dr. Greener that's a good way to put it. We did, I think Pat, correct me if I'm wrong with the sub options, we may have looked at a halfozen options and um based on the minimization of impact and really um racial balance and trying to balance um contiguous neighborhoods and keeping groups together, which we've heard is important. Um we thought this one struck a good balance, but we did look at others and

112some of them didn't perform so well in some of those regards. Um, but that's something that, you know, we'd be happy to, uh, happy to further share just so you could see what some of those did look like. Um, because, um, this one wasn't our first cut. Um, we had done some that were a little bit more aggressive, I believe. Um, the one redistriced about 65 or almost 70% of all elementary students. So, that was our greatest amount of change. Um and the administration thought it was just way too um disruptive. Um and we didn't you know in doing that you know admittedly um I know your established neighborhoods and Groten is a collection of uh all these various places and um you know that's been throughout history. It didn't do a great job of

113um being respectful of those established neighborhoods. So that's why we put this plan forward. No, Gretchen. >> Uh, I'm kind of Can we see this sort of why? >> Just tell us where we are. >> Okay. On the page, >> there's a number >> recommended plan >> 14. Page 14. >> Yeah, I've torn mine to pieces, so I don't have the numbers on. >> Well, it is. It's page 14. >> I trust you. Um, I don't quite understand why we're looping this because these kids are more likely to play with the kids near 117 and 184. Well, I know the play groups that exist tend to go down past the library up to this is a great solution. I just don't and I know some of these kids went to noank. So, I'm just curious

114as to why we're shuffling all the way doing a U-turn around the lake. I the reservoir. I mean, it's great. I I'm just kind of curious. It's a funny shape. >> Sure. The area specifically where my mouse is uh circling right now. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay, great. Um, so a couple of of different factors went into this. Um, a we wanted to keep um kind of as big a peer groups as we could, as much as space allowed. Um, and so because probably a plurality of Claude goes to Cutler, um, we thought it made sense to kind of keep that area with Gladchester or or excuse me, with with Cutler. Um, second is capacity. We did have, you know, capacity limits at, you know, Northeast Academy, um, where we didn't want to send too

115many kids in there because we wanted to keep that buffer space for a larger magnet program to help correct that imbalance. Um, and it was about the same distance as Westside. Um, it is I I agree with you, it is, you know, a little bit of a strange jog in the in the district boundaries. Um, but we felt after looking at, you know, racial balance, facility utilization, and and size of peer groups that it made the most sense to put them in Cutler. >> I'm looking at afterchool programs like Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts and some of those volunteer programs where I know that the two different schools drew from >> I'm going back 20 years of >> But don't >> Okay, so we should break up the strip somewhere. Uh, it's really hard to

116pull them back together. I just don't want to have to rebuild re redivide those troops and the packs and the >> I think you're I think you're ahead of the game at the present moment because we're just kind of looking at theution map, but >> but yeah, because I was of putting those ma those things back together after the fact. So, I'm looking ahead to try and figure out what we're going what how to help those volunteer organizations >> put themselves back together. That's all. >> Okay. Thank you, Dr. >> Good thoughts. >> Is it my turn? >> Yes, please. >> Okay. Um when we talk about the situation where you know where these kids are going to school, we're talking actually not about the children that want to go to school. It's where their

117parents want them to go to school. But the by by from elementary school by the time they are 11 from 10 and 11 they are actually going to one middle school. And and I think that these kids kids are resilient. Um try to remember what you can remember when you were in third grade as opposed to seventh grade. Kids are resilient. This could work out very well. >> Thank you, Lee >> Fa. Before I have you entertain your question, I just want to um we have a couple board members that haven't spoke. So before we go into this next round, I just want to make sure that Liz or Jane have a chance. All right, Lita, you just need to unmute. I'd like to um I agree with Jay that I would love to see

118some um one or two other plans and not just have this one be presented to us. Some other you know, I think that would be very good. Um Dr. Grineer, could you tell me where where Ring Drive presently goes to school? >> Clchester. >> Those students I thought they they were redistricted to Northeast a while ago. >> No, they go to Claudchester. >> They go to Claudchester, but they went to Cutler for middle school. Is that what it is? >> Oh, yes. I think >> that's Yeah, I knew there was there was a split there between with those students, so they went Okay. But I would appreciate some um a couple of other options for us to look at >> and I think parents in town would appreciate it also. >> I think that's it.

119>> Jay, do you have a followup? Yeah, I'm not saying that this isn't what we'll end up with, but I think we should do our due diligence and just see what were the rejected plans and what, >> you know, I don't know that that um I don't know that I'm tied to the idea that we we can't juggle some of the the district a little bit. I don't know if we made that that promise, but I just think we need to look at what's best for the students. >> Yeah, we can. and their families. >> Mike, we can we can get those other maps and and presentation in the future. >> I think what I hear, and I'm not trying to um speak for either Read or Jay or anyone else, but I I think

120what I hear is that I I know I'm overwhelmed first of all to try to do something on and difficult. Um Liz, I I'm feeling your pain about that about what it must be like. And so I'm just I'm just really wondering if we can I I think what worked best and Rita um please back me up on this if this is true. I think what worked best when we were doing our last round of redistricting we were just almost flooded all the time with this information so that we could own the plan. Um, so if if the if the idea that this was going to be the only time that we were going to see it, um, it's I it's almost dead on arrival, even if it's the best plan available, like we have

121to have this several times. Um, I know that time crunch and so I want to be sensitive to that, but I just want to make sure that since we are we are going to be the advocates for this plan and we're going to be the ones that are going to help the communities, we need to we really need to have we need to see this more. So, Dr. I think you and I can work on a plan about how to continuously sort of infuse um our agendas with this topic. Um even possibly making sure that we have one of these conversations at a regular board meeting where possibly more about and what have you. Um but I think I think that that makes sense. Andrea, >> since we're going to do that, I would urge

122you to take a look at ring drive again. That's my my big concern is >> ring drive. >> Yes. Thank you. >> I And for me, the brand I I understand Mike and Pat about how hard it was to do my my heart also just bleeds for the fact that Brand for Manor is a community and we have split it and I just >> But I get it. I get it and I will and I will advocate for whatever plan makes the best sense for the grten but for a vulnerable community like um and I don't know what that looks like and and maybe and maybe I'm not speaking correctly and um other people can kind of who work more with that community. Um I just my heart when I when I think about that

123my heart kind of goes. >> Thank you Kim. >> I agree. >> Any any further conversations about that? I just um am the relative newcomer to Graten and so I didn't know very much about any of the schools but in visiting schools what I what I find myself walking away with is that great things are happening in these schools no matter where they are um the kids are doing well the teachers are extremely excellent educators very childoriented and the families are pretty happy with things I would be if I had a child in Grten so I think we need to keep that balance not only facility and neighborhood but so what are the strengths of each these schools and um to stay focused on the big picture. >> Thank you Jane. So I'm gonna knowing

124that we're going to see this plan again. As always if you guys have questions I think if you follow Wow. I'm gonna try the sentence one more. As always if you guys can just funnel your questions to Dr. so that he could then get into Mike Kazuba and crew. Um I think that that would be h helpful specifically if you have I know Andrea and I have spoken about some of our concerns but if you guys have like oh but what this so that they can specifically address it >> that'd be helpful >> on the fly. Um and I think along with that is just to make sure that we understand building capacities as well too from the north and um Katherine Kowski and Charles Barnum. Oh, right. I said that. I'm moving this on.

125Um >> Kim, Kim, >> just um just to say to you, you you get muffled every once in a while and I don't hear what you're saying. So, I don't know if you're not close enough to your mic or not, but I just wanted you to know, and I don't know if anybody else is experiencing that, but I'm not hearing you completely. So most people are very excited when my my voice is muff I am I'm actually um in route I have a cal I have a computer coming to me because you're not the only one that that is concerned about the fact that my voice goes in and out but for some reason it is >> okay just wanted you to know >> thank you very much >> I just before they sign off

126I just want to thank Mike Zuba and Pat Galler >> thank It's like they live in they command the facts like better than anyone I've ever heard. And they live in East Oshkosh. >> Oh, do they? >> They live like 25 minutes away. I mean, >> very impressive. >> Thank you. >> Very impressive. >> Thanks everyone. Good seeing everybody. >> So much. >> Bye Mike. >> Byebye. >> You're welcome. >> All right. So, let's move on to the return to school uh road map committee. Um, Dr. Clear, what do you have for us? >> We have Sam is going to report on facilities. Lori and Ken are going to report on operations and uh I'm going to I'm gonna have to report on the diversity, equity, and inclusion uh because I'm not exactly sure, but

127uh Mr. Davis Jamal is not >> I was there. >> Oh, good. Then you can report on it. Great. Thank you. So, Sam. >> Yeah. Uh good evening. So uh the facilities uh roadmap committee has uh met twice so far. We had an organizational meeting the first meeting and last week we had our second meeting. Uh we've got about 15 people on the committee, a very diverse group of of educators and staff members. Uh and um last week we uh discussed uh what they've heard uh what they've heard about um things that might affect uh coming back to school and how uh that will affect uh what we do in our facilities throughout the district. Our third meeting will be this Wednesday at noon time and we'll be discussing um in greater detail the um

128the idea of coming back uh with everybody uh in school full-time uh maybe everybody not coming back to the buildings virtually and of course the third option would be a hybrid uh uh option for uh returning to school. So um we'll be talking about uh all all the things that uh we'll be uh inventorying uh regarding uh PPEs, face masks, um cleaning materials uh so on and so forth. So >> thank you. >> Overwhelming. All right. Okay. Any questions for um the facilities roadmap? Yeah, >> yeah, I just wanted to say that last time we met I spoke about how there was a time when Fitch Middle was or Fitch Jr. went to Cutler for half a day and I forgot to to say that the whole year previous to that they had been at

129the high school so they were on double sessions at the high school and that might be something that just for you to know that it's been done before >> is is K. As Kim would say, my head is spinning. >> We're we're we're trying not to listen to too many of the rumors, but I think we have to keep them in the back of our mind because some of those rumors may become actuality before we're done. >> Yeah, I think you're >> Ken and Lori, you want to hop in about operations? >> Oh, there's Lori. All right, Lori, you wanna you want to start us off or >> Oh, sure. I can if you want. So, um the operations committee met. We had our initial meeting. Um basically just kind of laid out the foundation

130of the work that we're going to do, put some organization to it. Um we have as as similar to Sam's committee, we have a diverse committee drinking water. I'm sorry. probably listen. >> Um, so we have a diverse committee as well. Um, uh, paras, teachers, uh, custodians, secretaries, administrators. So, we have a lot of diversity as well. We went through an assessment to kind of take stock in where we are and what we learned. Um, we went through the lessons learned exercise and um, had an opportunity to talk about what we feel went well, what we feel we could grow upon for the upcoming school year. Um and then we also um talked about the things that were complimentary and things that we needed to retain as we went forward. Um in addition to that

131we have um we are surveying schedules right now. We plan to have a follow-up meeting after immediately following this this um the um school for change um the center for school change uh meet next meeting on operations is June 24th. Uh we'll have an immediate immediate um meeting following that and then a regular schedule of meetings every couple of weeks throughout the summer to work through the planning process. We did identify there's quite a bit of crossover as we start to work through the operations piece. Um so we do a lot of coordination with Sam's committee around um safety protocols, protection equipment, things like that. Ken, do you want to add to that? >> That was pretty comprehensive. Uh, Lori, >> we're just trying to figure out how to pay for all this stuff. >>

132Yeah. >> Well, I I I actually think that we need to make sure that we're continuously talking about that because um this is going to be very expensive regardless of what rumor um pans out to be our our driver um and whether we're going to have enough money from the car's act um to sort of cover that. sobering but reality. >> I will say this. I I I called John Bert and this is this is I guess a half of a rumor, but the Heroes Act, that is to say, the bill that the Congress House of Representatives just passed and sent to the Senate, uh has funding for municipalities. And the the funding for Graten is 12.7 million for this year and 3.5 million for next year. and the city of Grten would get three

133million and uh one and a half million the year after. So there's there's if the car's act goes through and I'm you know your guess is as good as mine that the Senate initially didn't seem interested but now there seems to be some appetite to help the states and municipalities. So that's and then Beth was keying me in that there's some money actually in the Heroes Act for education in in addition to the CARES Act money. So we'll see. But you're right, Kim, we have to keep a close eye and monitoring how we're going to pay for this stuff. But we're we're you know Ken's on top of it and Lori and Sam and the whole crew is working in in collaboration and and maybe Liz I know there are a huge like 65 people

134I think attended >> 80. No. Um >> 80 holy mackerel. >> There there were 65 online and then there was another 15 um that was added but I don't I couldn't see them. But this to me that speaks volumes that this is a necessity given our uh our current situation. I never realized that there was almost 50% minority students in the state of Connecticut. And that's in that's an incredible number. I was like, "Wow." I it just I grew up here, you know? I mean, I was just amazed. But anyway, um are you ready for me to just give out this uh >> Sure. >> If you could just do a quick summary about or what um has happened. I know it was our first meeting. Yeah, this was our first meeting and basically um

135what there were 65 members online of all grade levels which was really impressive. Um their main issue was the reason for gathering was to address the issue of diversity, equity and inclusion for all our students while also trying to address the current events of Black Lives Matter. And so the change was identified. We identified change that needed to ch things that needed to be changed were systemic oppression and structures that aren't in place at this time. Um and how the media has helped really push forward the visibility of these issues. Um we bas we went over first to give an identif we had to identify and define um the three terms. What is diversity? What is equity? And what is inclusion? And I have to tell you, I worked in my small group, and I

136mean, I've taught sociology, psychology, and everything else, and we still had problems coming up with a a decent um understanding of equity and inclusion. We seem to be pretty good with diversity. Um, but we also looked at diversity and said, you know, this is all very layered. So, we have to be looking at the different layers. Um the biggest issue right now the new terminology the new term that we have to learn is called intersectionality and that basically means we have to identify the various aspects of a person's identity. So that's one of the new terms that are is coming forward is inter excuse me intersectionality. I wrote it down. Um >> I just wrote it down too Liz. Um, I've got some things that I've been looking into already and basically what we're trying

137to do is is reduce through through education reduce racial isolation and that's being achieved. Hopefully it's going to be one of the good steps would be the Graten Middle School. Um, we are work we have to work towards building a shared experience. we have to align our mission statement and we have to look at, you know, how who's going to be the agents of change? How are we going to work with this? And so our next meeting is Thursday, I think it is at >> 4:00. And I sent to you um >> what time? 1 o'clock. >> One. >> What did I say? >> Four. >> I thought you said four. No, that's that's that's census. Sorry about that. That's next week and census. Um, just wanted to let you know I sent you all

138the next day I went to a cave webinar and I sent you all my notes on that. Um, I sent first to Dr. Ganer, Kim, and Susan, but Kim suggested I send it all to you. I wasn't, you know, this was new to me and so I sent it to you. And I have to tell you the um CABE is really available for us for resources. I sent it to Jamal as well. And also I so I just wanted you to know that um there's some things out there that we can use to help foster a change in climate. So >> I said I felt so like I was really supporting something that was I could get my teeth sunk into. So, >> any questions for Liz? All right. Hearing none, we're going to move

139on to the update. Gretchen. >> I just want everyone to keep in mind, >> all kids matter. >> Yeah. don't >> don't want kids that are so scared they can't go to school of any color and I would really really stress we should take a look at districts like Providence, Newport, other districts up Manchester that have been working so so much have had been forced to work on this for so much longer. I don't to see what I've seen in those districts happen here. I really just with all my heart I don't want to see kids that are scared to go to school. >> Thank you. >> So I can I can give a little update on >> the treehouse please. >> Treehouse. We didn't get the enrollment that we anticipated. There will be 30

140there are 30 children enrolled right now in Katherine Kolowski's program. Uh, and there are 40 children enrolled in the Northeast Academy. Uh, and if you remember, the board the board agreed to cover up to 34,000. Uh, I met with Jake Tadeshi today and he thinks the deficit will be closer to 15,300. So, it won't it won't be nearly as much as we thought. And and Susan made a point today, if if people start to feel more comfortable as the summer goes on, we will we will continue to accept enrollments. Uh so I I think that will be good. But you know, this they open up, by the way, on on on Monday the 22nd. The ele the elementary the summer schools will be opening on June July 6th. So, we're starting to have like a

141little bit of a path to understanding uh how we follow the protocols, how we figure out how to do this this distance learning, I mean this uh in in person in school. So, it's actually it's actually a good nice uh you know s sort of t taking a phased in approach to maintaining safety and meeting the needs of the children. So, we're we're in good shape with Treehouse. >> I have a question. >> Yeah, I have a question, Dr. Gineier. I thought the state rules or mandates was for June 29th for summer camps to open. >> Uh, no, that uh for child care facilities, they allowed it uh actually as this week, but we wait. >> So, they're calling it child care as opposed to summer camps. I know like the city and the town

142of Graten, I believe they're opening June 29th. >> June 29th. That's correct. >> Right. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Any further questions? If not, uh Liz >> just had a question. Um last time we had talked about future topics and one of the future topics I had recommended was an assessment of our our spring distance learning. I would I understand that Fitch High School has sent out a um >> an evaluation on their own, but I was was wondering if we were going to send one out, if the district was going to send one out because I have um had some feedback from students and one of their biggest complaints from the high school students was their lack of contact time and their lack of lessons. So, um you know, like Zoom lessons.

143So, I was wondering where where we were in that respect. >> So, Liz, I'm assuming we have moved off the agenda for the treehouse. >> Oh, I'm sorry. My mistake. >> I just I just want to make sure um because that looks like you're continuing wanting to do an agenda topic for >> No, no, I'm sorry. I thought you were asking something else. My my mistake >> for future topics in terms of just getting assessment about how this virtual learning has has gone on and whether we're um doing that. And I think Susan, you probably have a response to that, but >> I just want to put out an all call that we have sent out an elementary, middle school, and high school survey to all parents. And Mike did a school messenger. So, I'm

144just saying I still want parents to be able to take a little time to respond because that will give us really good information. >> Thank you. I I'm And I apologize again, Kim. >> Oh, geez. >> Out of out of line. >> All right. a referral list. Um, >> have we formed a ad hoc committee yet >> for >> hope for evaluation? >> I think we're in the process. We're supposed to let Andrea know. >> Yeah, I'm I'm fine, Andrea. You know that. >> Yes. Thank you. So, don't forget if you're if you're interested in serving on the ad hoc, let me know and then I I'm assuming that we'll put it on the agenda for the the full board meeting and get a vote then my assumption, >> right? Um could we add to

145the our referral plan um the neighborhood plan to our our to our tracking sheet? Could we add the Grten 2020 elementary neighborhood plan >> to keep reviewing it? >> Would that be under facilities? >> Um, it could be CO. I think committee the whole >> Okay. >> And didn't we add a few last week or we were going to Well, Mike and I have a list. I don't think it made it to the referral thing because we actually our agenda was for today. >> Say stay close again, Kim. When you move is when your voice goes in and out. That's what I noticed. >> Okay. >> You just don't understand how hard it is for an ADHD type of um still. I know that um Mike um I I I guess maybe Mike, Joan, and

146I need to find out what happened to those items that were on the referral list and see if we can get them back. So, but so Rita um I I will try really hard to make sure that that that is um that that happens. Um future topics. Well, what about what happened to the um I'm looking at the notes from June 8th um that we received are from our last committee of the whole and one of the things is a recommendation from the naming committee. Is there a chance to still be on the naming committee? I thought we talked about that a little bit. >> We talked about them last week, >> right? >> Yeah. but that they were going to be having more meetings and that could people >> Susan and I will give

147you an update in July. >> No, I No, I would like to join it. >> Oh, okay. All right. >> So, I mean, if possible, you know, if they need another member um from the board of education, I don't know if anybody on the board was on that committee. >> I'd like to join, too. >> Oh, good. >> I I I thought it was Liz, Jay, and Rita were interested. That's not true. You >> I think that's true. >> Is that not true? >> No, it's true, but we're just not listed in the >> You're not interested, Jay. >> I'm not You would. So, I have Rita and Liz on the on the committee. >> Okay. My I'm interested even if I just sat and listened to the to the meeting, but I'm interested. Andrea,

148>> we're also trying to contact Jim Streer to help us. >> That's a great idea. Yeah, we'll we'll get back to you on that. >> You get me, Mike. >> Mike, >> you did >> at least >> witness. >> I did. >> Okay, thanks. >> Anything else for future topics or referral? >> Um, no. Could you just give us some little information about graduation, what time we should be there? You know, I think it's going to take a while to get in. So, I'm going to write you a note. >> I know it's starts at 8:30. >> Uh, >> yes. >> I don't see anyone who would know any better than I. So, uh, okay. So, >> I I will send you a note tomorrow when to arrive. I I'm assuming uh since we all

149have to go in the same entrance, it's going to take a I believe Well, not I don't believe I know we're going to ask the graduate families to go up the Katherine Konowski driveway and swing back down and we're going to I believe they're going to feed them into the parking lot that way instead of having everybody line up on whatever that street is there >> yeah we don't want we don't want to hold up traffic for two hours. Uh, so let me find out. I I know I think we're all in the same row, so perhaps you can just come and tell, but I I'll tell you tomorrow. I I I don't know myself. >> Um, so Sue, I don't know where the naming committee is in its process. My guess is that you're

150probably towards the end, but we just got an all chat from Katrina wanting to know if there's other members from the town government that can be involved in it or at least can the na can the timing of the naming committee go out so that people can at least listen in specifically if it's going to be virtual. I think that I think that there's a lot of interest um from our last um meeting. So, >> well, one of the things the committee had talked about was sending out a survey to gather information from the community. >> So, we're working on gathering some information for the survey and then they want to come back together again. So, I will let everybody know um when the next meeting is. I know it's not going to be before

151the 4th of July. So, it'll have to be after because I am going to take a oneweek vacation this year. >> Good for you. Well deserved. >> All right. So, um, I'm going to move this meeting along as quickly as I possibly can. Um, and then Mark, I'm gonna need for you to kind of take over how you want to do it, but I think what I want to do is >> I think I think I'm going to adjourn the meeting. Um, and just to know that uh we are just staying to have our pictures uh or video taken um for the graduation. Okay. >> So, >> yes. Motion to adjourn. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Second. >> All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Okay. So, I think at this point,

152Mark, could you please let us know what we need to do?