12-7-20 Groton Board of Education Meeting

001So, I'm going to move us forward. So, I would like um to call the special um committee of the whole meeting to order. Today is December 7th and it's a 6:01 p.m. Um, and the first order of business, um, actually before I get to the first order of business, I just wanted to remind people that after this meeting, we are going to have a special regular board of ed meeting. Um, for purposes of um, getting um, our the vote on the asbestous removal at Fitch High School, which Dr. Grineer has got to have those um agenda meeting minutes sent up to the state. Um this is so that we can get reimbursement. So um and I Jay, did that go through financing facilities? >> Yes, it did. >> Okay. So um so it has already

002gone through one of our committees. This is actually Liz, this is probably the first time that you will have gone through this. Um this is kind of standard procedure about what the state needs us to do that in order for them willingness to um pay for a percentage of that of that job. Um uh we have to we have to like say yeah we want you to do that and we want this project. So that's that's why we're going to do that. So my second >> um so um the first order of business is I need to have um someone second the motion not the emotion but motion to approve the committee of the whole meeting minutes on November 16th 2020. I see Lee raising her hand. Rosemary I have a second. Do I have

003any discussion on these meeting minutes? Hearing none. All those in favor of the approval of the committee of the whole meeting minutes on November 16th, 2020, please say I. >> I. >> Oppos. That motion has carried. The next um the next actually two agenda items um are is going to be on the review of the school action plans and then also an update um on the second. Um, Mike, would you like to sort of center us on those two conversations? And I think Susan, it becomes yours. >> But Mike, it would be helpful if you unmuted. [Laughter] >> There's far less complaints when I just move my lips. I was going to say Susan's really worked with the principles on this. We we've gotten a great deal of feedback both from surveys, focus groups, observations,

004and uh we we asked the uh we asked the principles uh to to put action plans together. And I know we've we've organized those. So I'll let I'll let Susan orient the group. Are we going to share something or should we just look at our you know there was a handout? Well, I would I'd first say that um the principles also worked with their teams at school, their um leadership teams. Um they can kind of describe that a little better. But I asked the elementaryaries to work together. They were meeting anyway because they do that. And to really look at the trends that they've finding, you know, what are some of the common successes? What are some of the common challenges? so that they could really discuss that and talk about their different kinds of

005action plans to learn from one another. So, they're really going to give us some of the highlights of that work that they've done. Um, and I think that's what's essential. It's not just from a survey that we took two months ago or a month ago. It's really a deep dive into all the feedback we've gotten through focus groups and emails. And you know, we certainly appreciate when our parents call directly to the teacher or to the or the principal if they feel like they need a little more work or there it's too much work. That really should go really um you know to the um first to the teacher and the principal in the building before it comes to Mike or I or central office or the board members. So, I'm just kind of encouraging

006parents if they they feel like they have a need or they have need more support for their student to start at the school level. It's really essential. So, I'm going to turn it over to the elementary principles. They're going to go first and then we have a middle school action plan and a high school. And the secondary principles are also communicating about a lot of things these days since they're on that campus together. So, that this is one of them. So I'll let um elementary principles do you have someone who's going to get us started? >> I am Susan. So you absolutely said a lot of it which is great. We are going to we did meet and look at the action plans and did come up with some wonderful trends that is really across

007um all of our all of our plans and we're going to talk about the challenges and those positives too because there are many positives um that we are excited to highlight. We also, as you said, we took not only survey feedback, but we got really, really good feedback from parent conferences and obviously just meeting constantly with teachers and weekly, right, to get that um that that feedback. So, I'm going to begin with a positive and it came from the parent survey and it it really was across board as far as how the parents expressed how wonderfully supportive our teachers have been through this entire process. They're making those important connections every single day with the families. Just putting in the tireless effort to help them in any way they can, whether it's tech support or

008strategies just to help them with a schedule at home to help kids get into the different lessons and of course instructionally with the different platforms and different websites and um learning Zoom. And in a connection with that, a positive that came out of the teacher survey is how unbelievably supportive they've been with each other at their own school, but also across elementary schools, more so than ever, right? Because they've always been very supportive, but now it's really opened up district-wide, which is amazing. Uh the collaboration has been outstanding. They're sharing ideas, best practices, they're uh telling each other tech tips. I was just in my school data team today and we were able to share additional tech tips. Um you know we've departmentalized within grade levels um to share the wealth basically. So someone may

009be doing you know a reading lesson, someone taking the writing, someone taking math and then really sharing that out out to optimize time. And um what's nice is the entire grade level will get to know all of the teachers within the grade level. So, um that has been a real focus and um that is my those are my positives. I'm going to move to Steve to continue unless you have questions for me. >> How about if we um take questions after the all the elementary um principles and then we'll do the same for the middle school and we'll do the same for the high school. >> Great. >> Okay, great. I'm up. Uh good evening everyone. Um, we did see a few challenges um as we were looking through both staff and uh parent surveys

010and one of the challenges that we noted that was pretty much in all of our buildings um focused on student independence specifically throughout distance learning um we did have a discussion around you know the the uh students in the really early uh primary grades really struggling with this. um our grades three, four, five were a little bit better at being more independent. Um but that really included like getting onto the Zoom meetings, uh participating while they were in the Zoom meetings, um and being able to access uh work through Seessaw or Google Classroom. Um and we like, you know, like I said, we had many parents that reported that they needed to to take a very active role in facilitating that for their for their child's learning. and they were, you know, finding it uh

011a bit of a struggle just because many kids are are zooming frequently throughout the day and um they're having to access their work through those online platforms. So, we uh talked as a group and many of the things that uh I'll I'll discuss we kind of already have in place, but we're really looking at continuing to uh support our families through those connections. um and their student learning at home through calls, phone calls, emails, uh messages through Remind um and reaching out through um Zoom meetings. Uh we're going to continue to connect with students um that are all distance learning uh to really try to provide feedback and support for them. Um a lot of us talked about really trying to focus on small group versus a whole group Zoom. it provides a little bit

012more of an intimate opportunity to be able to kind of you know help students in a you know more differentiated way. Um another way to support our families through distance learning uh in their student independence is um some of us have produced some tutorials that have been helpful to families about how to get in and how to stay on. Um we also had some pre-recorded instructions and some helpful tips to promote their student and independence and good work habits. Um, another suggestion that we had that we're really going to work on is while we do have kids in school, um, that we're going to really review expectations when at home and really try to ensure that they can navigate that distance learning independently um with our focus on primary and uh, meaning kindergarten, first grade.

013Uh, those kiddos really struggle with being able to kind of facilitate that on their own. And so we're really trying to just continue to look for ways to support our families um so that you know they're able to understand how to find their assignments and turn them in when they're done and so forth. So that was um my challenge that uh I was able to share tonight. Okay. I'm not sure who's after me. I believe it might be Seth. There we go. >> I'm next. There you go. So um I I'm got I've got some positives to share um across it was actually from both um staff members and from um parents uh about communication. That was the general focus that I had. Um one of the big things we it's the amount of communication

014is immense. Um it's ongoing. It's all the time. Um but we've we've really worked with the Remind app. That's been a big tool for us. Steve touched on that a little bit ago. Um it was a little bit of a struggle at the start. Um but as we've moved forward it's gotten better. We've got special ed, we've got teachers. Um I've used it a couple of times to call parents and across the board. Um the Remind app has been big and the nice thing about it is it goes directly to parents' phones which is a little different than email communication that does but they have to specifically check it. Uh the app pops up as a text or a notification. Um and it's been huge because uh the feedback is going back and forth. Um

015Zoom um I think Ryan's going to talk about Zoom quite a bit, but that's another big piece that we use for communication all the time. um all of our meetings, all of our instruction, um all of that is ongoing. Um there is that piece of Zoom fatigue that we've got going on. Um Zooming all the time and I'm sure some of you are familiar familiar with that as well. Google Classroom is a big piece for the upper level kids in elementary um grades three and five. that's primarily what we use for them to communicate and that's actually ongoing um work in progress because the um students are learning to go check for feedback and look for feedback and get the dialogue going back and forth um if the feedback isn't instant right away sometimes it

016can be a problem um catching that feedback but that's the primary tool for students to use seesaw for the younger grades um >> I've got some mixed feedback on that but as far as the child using it and the student using it it's been excellent um They can't type. Kindergarters and first graders can't type. Uh, and go right into recording videos. Um, and I've been sent a couple. All I can say is some of them are hilarious. Um, email communication. Um, that's primarily for adults to go back like it always has. School has a newsletter that we constantly send things out with robocalls um to address needs as they come up and concerns as they come up. Um, and this is all geared around, you know, attendance and work completion, ongoing conversation, reflection as we

017go. um all of our team meetings and things like that. We're constantly talking about it. So, communication uh positive. I'm not sure who's next. I can't remember. I'm gonna guess Chris because she just raised her hand. >> Good evening everyone. I'm next. Um, another challenge that came out during in um both the parent survey and with teachers and something that we talk about all the time is our students are really missing the social aspect of school and engaging with their friends and the impact that that is having on them. Um, you know, and we all know how important that social engagement is there. It's more than than just play. It's learning about interpersonal skills and that social awareness. Um, and for our students that that engagement with their friends really helps to alleviate a lot

018of the stress or anxiety that can come with with school and with this hybrid learning and what's going on. Um, and so we know that our students learn best when they're in that that safe, nurturing environment where they feel that sense of belonging and where they have that security of not just the adults in the building that they know care about them, but they have their friends that are there to support them. So, we've been working with our teachers right from the start, right from before school even started in our um, distance learning plan. um but continuing to work with all of our teachers and our um SEAL supports like social workers and school psychologists to make sure that we're watching our students um closely for any students who are really having extra struggles with

019this to make sure that we're reaching out to them and to the families. Um and we're working on removing or at least lessening um those barriers that students have to accessing their friends. So, uh classroom teachers are always um providing either through morning meetings or um dur classroom meetings sometime during the day a chance to be more social with students instead of u it being academically focused um and to make sure that the kids have interactions with each other. Um and actually setting up some Zooms that are really just purely for social purposes. um so that kids can communicate with each other. And we have some classrooms um and special areas that are setting up crossclassroom Zooms so that those kids that don't get a chance to really see or play with their friends that

020are in a different class because um the way that we're keeping social distancing, they get a chance to communicate with each other um and just kind of talk about what's going on in a facilitated way. and those student the teachers are there to monitor that and u make sure that we're looking out for for our students while they're struggling with this. Um we also have those ongoing conversations about um making sure that our kids can connect with each other and when it's safe. So looking at recess and specials and things like that. >> Um I think Ryan is next. Yeah, my turn. Good evening everyone. It's nice to see all of you. Um Seth is correct. We are experiencing Zoom fatigue. Maybe at some point in time we'll be able to actually be in person

021when we present to you as opposed to as opposed to Zoom. Um my piece in this process is to talk to you about essentially how we've been able to bring our instructional program to life um through the virtual platforms. And this was a prevailing positive across the board from really all of the schools. Um, and you've heard a couple of my colleagues hit upon some important aspects already. Um, we've been able to bring to our students at home, uh, the full distance learners and the hybrid kids when they're not in the building. Really a combination of whole class Zooms, which is where a lot of us started. um small class Zooms and and as time has progressed certainly during full distance like everybody is in right now quite a bit of one-on-one individual attention um

022I know in our parent focus groups earlier in the year um which gave us some great feedback that was a concern of some was that essentially we would not lose sight of our full distance learners. uh a piece of of the distance learning expectations that you've seen many times is that important blend of synchronous and asynchronous lessons and our teachers really um through a ton of hard work have been able to bring both of those to life for our students. Um, one thing that Chris touched upon that I wanted to reiterate was that SEAL piece and many times quite a few of our teachers are running morning meetings um, at the start of the day non-academic based as a check-in opportunity and system to really see how kids are doing at home. Make sure that

023our uh, excuse me, our needs are being met and that students are being accounted for. Um, socialization has been a huge part of this and allowing the kids again, especially now when everyone is full distance to be a part of those small group Zooms has been huge. Especially the kids that have been full distance, have not been in the building at all this year. for them to be able to participate in some reading groups or some math sessions where they're seeing their peers and they're seeing kids that they haven't seen for weeks if not months. It really is a nice opportunity for them to stay connected to the school and the the the community of our of our buildings. So, um again, a prevailing positive. We've been able over the course of time as a

024product of some significantly difficult work on our teachers behalf to to bring our instructional program to life. So, um, that was my piece. Um, last but not least, certainly not least, is Kathy. >> Okay. Uh, yeah. Um, one of the biggest challenges that we saw trending across all of the surveys, teacher and parent, as well as teacher meetings, um, parent emails, all of our communications was the challenge of student engagement and attendance. Uh, of course, our goal is 100% student attendance, student engagement, and distance learning. And all of the elementary school action plans supported this goal by focusing on attention to social and emotional needs and creative planning as a way to engage all of our students in successful distance learning. But parent reports in our survey, you know, make it clear that there definitely

025are challenges. Um, many parents report balancing child care responsibilities during work hours. They may be working remotely from home while lessons are going on. And other students um spend the school day in the care of an older sibling or a grandparent or a friend or in daycare. And then there are some students who have such difficulty maintaining focus on learning while they're working at home. So, as a result, there's a range of student engagement from little or no engagement to fully engaged. Um, but even within that range, we've found that some parents report their child is participating, but they don't feel they're really engaged in school while they're working from home. So, our action plan plans, you know, we we took a a deep dive, as Susan said, and took a a look at this

026and we tried to create plans that reflected the ways our teachers have tried to increase the level in student engagement in distance learning. And as you get a chance to look them over, you'll see examples of strategies that make lessons as interactive as possible. strategies that have moved from printbased materials to digital learning materials and strategies that connect our students individually through text and voice messaging or small group breakout rooms. And this is especially important for our disabled or struggling students. These small groups, teachers are using many communication channels, as you've heard, to check in with students both individually and as a class. And teachers are including interactive and collaborative work between students to build that socialization into online learning, which will in turn increase engagement. Teachers, one of the things we've all noticed is

027how hard they are working to learn as much as they can about interactive online platforms like Near Pod and Flip Grid, which are new to everyone, but they're digging in. So this last challenge, motivating our youngest students to be engaged at home is one of our greatest challenges and combining that with an attendance system that's based on work completion is a huge challenge for parents. But the good news is um we are seeing a slow uptick that's steady in improved student attendance and participation which I have to say as uh my colleagues before me have indicated that this is clearly reflected in our action plans and the work that teachers are doing across the district in all of our schools. So we end with a tough challenge but we do see some positive movement um

028as we continue So, Susan, you're gonna have to unmute. >> I'd like to just do um a shout out to both our parents and our teachers. It really is a true partnership. It's never such a partnership as it is today. Um parents have told me that they just never saw the complexity of the the teaching and learning the way they're seeing it now. and the planning and how comprehensive it is. So, it's like a window of opportunity for them to be able to be there to notice the teaching and learning and to be able to support the children. But I think that the flexibility is also key from both our um staff, our teachers and administrators and parents and also our partners because as Kathy said, not everybody is home available all day long to

029be ready for the Zoom. So teachers have gotten creative and they've um tape recorded their Zoom or they've put up an additional pre-recorded for those who haven't been able to get on at that time. And I would say as the district, our plan is pretty comprehensive. It can be seen on the website. I I will put the action plans up as well. But there's, you know, there's never the intent to be zooming all day long. There is such a thing as Zoom fatigue. And even in the classroom, we have a workshop model. So teachers are used to doing a 10 to 20 minute mini lesson, kids getting into groups and doing some independent practice. So we're trying to stay true to the way that we, you know, engage kids, but try to find the best

030way, especially when they're remote. So there has been a lot of learning going on from all of us. Um, and we will continue. This is work isn't done because we've got an action plan. This will be a continuation through the year. um as we see times that we are full remote like we are today and this these past two weeks and in the hopes that we can you know get back to hybrid and get back to full someday um you know someday sooner than later let's say but I just thank thank all the teachers thank the administrators and thank the parents for their you know partnership in this >> thank you Susan thank you principles I'll take um entertain questions question from the board. I've got Liz. >> I just have a quick question. Um,

031does everybody use the Remind app on on all schools? Does every is everybody using that app? >> Everyone in the elementary school is using it. I think just about everyone. There might be one or two exceptions to that, but the majority are using it. >> Great. >> It's been purchased districtwide. >> Okay. Thank you, >> ma. Um I have a a couple of questions. One is um have we had many Navy families move into the district and how are these students, you know, feeling comfortable to go on these platforms? I'm sure wherever they're coming from, it's like a different, you know, it's something different. And so what are you doing for those children? >> Actually not different. A lot of them are coming from something very similar. Almost everybody's familiar with Zoom. Um I've had

032kids transition from and using Seesaw and um many of them are familiar with Google as well. So there's a few exceptions to it. We ask them right away and we we will send messages and get them straightened out um as soon as we can. I don't know if Kathy wants to chime in with much different. We've got a bunch that have come in and we've transitioned to bunched out at CB. Yeah, the numbers haven't changed too much. And as soon as they enroll, the day they enroll, uh the computer is ready for them in the main office as is, um hand hands-on materials that the teachers have ready for the students. The parents come in, they pick it up, um and distance learning begins immediately. um depending on where they came from, um in-person learning

033might be held off based on a quarantine requirement, but um they get right into it and um have everything they need as soon as they are enrolled. >> Are the students um put into small groups according to ability? >> It varies. Um, usually the the small groups would be handled the same way they are in person. Um, and also depending who's in the Zoom meeting. So, ability groupings may not be possible depending on who's in that cohort. Um, a lot of those small groups are one or two students, maybe three. Um, our reading specialists are chiming in with that along with the classroom teacher, the math specialist. So there's a lot of opportunities for small groups um that happen all day long. >> So there wasn't testing that was done in the fall to have

034these children in small groups by ability. >> Well, we >> so that they're more some of them are more challenged or other ones that need more help. >> We do have a comprehensive SRBI process. So I would say we we started out um administrating the fontis and panel level literacy in the elementary and um certainly our there's where our reading interventionists and reading specialists were really supportive and helped classroom teachers. So we were able to get a handle of where they were and um I think all in all the results really showed that um didn't have a summer slide. they we kind of picked up where we left off in the spring. So, um and we're moving them ahead and we use that data through the SRBI process to get them in their just right

035reading level. So, I don't know if we call it ability anymore, but we call it, you know, at their reading level. So for instructional purposes, >> but I I also meant math and whatever science >> and same thing with the math that um we do have tutors and intervention and specialists in math and they actually have come together and created kind of a more one-on-one interview system in mathematics to really designate, you know, what kids have still or what they've learned and what they need to learn, you know, some basics. So >> my last question is um do all the students tune in to their specials or do they focus more on their the academics like the math and the reading? You know there's only so many hours in a day that a young child

036could sit in front of a computer. Do you feel that they're, you know, do they have a special every day and are they, you know, do they do the PE? Do do they do whatever their your their special is? >> Rita, I I met with my I met with my specials teachers today actually to discuss a couple of different things. Um, so for the kids that are in-house, the hybrid students, which is about 80% of my building, um, yes, they have a special every day. We're all on a two-eek rotating schedule. So, they won't see all of them in a week, but they will see o all of them over the course of two weeks because remember the kids are in house only twice a week. Um but but all assignments, there is an assignment

037per teacher posted weekly for every child in the building, all grades. And last spring, um I would say participation wasn't too hot for specials. But I also think that was a different time. Um we kind of fell on last spring face first. um this fall I would say and my teachers tell me that participation is certainly better and I would say that I would to give you a ballpark number half to twothirds of the kids are participating in specials at least for my building. Yeah, I just wanted to piggyback too, Rita. Um, it's it's uh really trying to find creative ways to get students engaged as well. And some of us have taken that Wednesday block as an opportunity to have like a larger share with our specials. And you know, I I know many

038of us see larger groups of kids when the special area teachers combine their efforts. So that that's something I want to put out there. But I too, Ryan, are seeing more kids participating this uh fall in specials than they have uh obviously when we were out in the spring. Um but the expectation is there, Rita. Um and that those teachers are posting um activities and they have uh invites to um live Zoom uh mini lessons as well. >> Do they have a live art class? I mean, when their art with their art teacher there, she's right there with them, right? It's not just a Zoom like it's not a pre-recorded session. >> I'll I'll chime in. >> Okay. >> Um we have you know we they run through a twoe schedule. So one week they

039will have art with the art teacher live. Um and then the next week their art lesson will be pre-recorded. um because because of the two cohorts, you know, in order for kids to get all of their specials live, we have to kind of double up on them. So, cohort A and cohort B get the same will get the um their specials. So, they do see their teachers live every other week and on the week they don't see them live, they get the pre-recorded lesson. >> Okay. I'll also just add in that we are having really good participation with our specialists and our specialist teachers every single day do almost or they do it where they come together and have them as Steve just mentioned um an open time for students to come in as well

040which is really nice and they have good participation um but they have a little bit more flexibility with due dates for their assignments whereas they have it say complete by the next art time which would be a normal thing anyway because they see them weekly. Um but it is on a rotating basis but we are having some really good results with that. Um even last year some of our students I mean I think Bethany for art got back thousands literally as art assignments. So really proud of that aspect. >> As a matter of fact we've had such great success we've talked about a virtual art show. Andrea Arian will be pleased about that. but maybe um really encouraging that at the different levels or even as a district to be able to zoom in and

041see our artists at work. >> Thank you. >> Do I have um any other board members that have a comment or question for the elementary school principles? Jay, >> I'll just make a quick comment and that is um I know that we're never going to get 100% um satisfaction because every child is different, but um I just want to thank all of you for for doing everything you can to to meet each child where they are and provide what we can. Um I mean this um you know it goes without saying this challenge uh you know could could not have really been been planned for and uh everybody's learning something new every day and um I think that uh those parents that that do have concerns uh uh just need to know that everybody here

042is just dedicated to uh you know to the students and uh but but they're all going to as you point out, they're all going to be there at a different level. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jay. >> Jade, I don't I don't know if I could say say it any more eloquently, so I I just really thank you that um I know that the board um has has been receiving lots of comments from community both on a very positive and and maybe just noting some of the challenges. But um I for one just wanted to say thank you to the principles and your staff in your buildings and your families in your buildings for doing this herculean movement um that you are and really taking each child and trying to move them across whatever line

043whatever finish line that they need to do knowing that the finish line is is far in the future. Um, but we just wanted to say thank you very much for the work that you guys are doing. Um, and uh, your continued partnership around what's what's best for the kids and I appreciate that. So, Susan, is there any um, or Mike, is there do we need to how do we transition to the middle school? I see Peter. Um, >> so they've really formatted this in a very similar way um, in their action plans. They had to use the back side of the paper though I noticed for all their actions. But I would say let's go to Peter and he can talk too about the trends. He met with his staff and you know kind of

044highlighting the positives and recognizing the challenges and what are we going to do about it. So what now what you know and we're constantly collecting this information and and dealing with it. So I'll turn it over to Peter. >> Thank you Susan. Good evening everyone. As many people have said, Susan and the elementary principles already, we um we we took the information from the fall survey both from parents and from teachers and as well as lots of other sources of information, uh conversations and emails with parents, uh parent focus groups, teacher focus groups. really trying to get a a handle on on trying to do the very best we can with uh the learning model that we we currently have. So I'll start off with some positives. Um based upon the survey results, we found

045that most students were uh engaged uh at the time of the survey. Uh 68% of of parents responded their their children were engaged and another 19 said they were some somewhat engaged. So uh the total of those two 87% were were were mostly engaged um which still leaves 13% at that point in time um which is a significant number and uh certainly is a challenge to make sure that we're doing our best to engage everyone. So, so the positive, most students were engaged. Um, parents by and large report that what we're doing now um is far better than what we were doing in the spring and that that's a great credit to our our teaching staff. Um they have really increased uh their technology capacity u their ability to communicate, their ability to create lessons

046um both in a recorded and a live version um and being able to um really adapt in in difficult difficult times. You know that you think about the stresses that that come with a job, but there's also stressors at home. And you combine those two for teachers and um I'll tell you what, uh no one's working harder. uh than the teachers in Graten. And in terms of challenges, we certainly have a number. You know, coming into a new building has its challenges of its own and um getting to know each other from from two different schools. Um but but also getting to know a a new physical space. So we we found that um particularly with uh co social distancing, our our work rooms were overcrowded. Um not not overcrowded for typical times, but for

047social distancing. So we we had to to think a little bit outside the box and identify some areas within the the school building which could be utilized for teachers to do their work and to do it safely. So we we uh recognize we're not using the cafeteria um most of the day. Um, and you wouldn't think of a cafeteria space as as being uh too quiet, but uh during these days it it really is a quiet space. Um, so we opened that up to teachers to use. We also identified uh specific conference rooms that they could use if they had a need to have a private conversation or be part of a PPT uh to make sure that they had the space that they needed. Another challenge is consistent communication. And um you know we

048think about our our students and our parents and uh trying to to to find some semblance of order from day in and day-to-day operations. Uh so the predictability of of both synchronous and asynchronous learning for parents and students was a challenge um as well as making attendance taking more efficient for teachers and also supporting technology needs for teachers and students. So, we've um we we've implemented many action steps so far and are working on additional ones and you will hear some commonalities between the high school and the middle school plans um because as Susan mentioned, we do communicate quite a bit and we do work together on a variety of issues and I think you'll hear some common themes both in the student family engagement portions as well as a technology and attendance. Um and

049and as as you hear these action steps um they are clearly linked to the challenges that we identified. Uh we need to continue the regular communication uh by teachers with families via phone, email and the Remind app. Um and you know the app is great and it's it's something that we need to continue to um encourage and and really go after having parents sign up for this because they do need to sign up. That's the the one drawback uh to re to the Remind app is that parents do have to sign up for it. Um unlike a just a regular text, they have to opt in. So, but that's something that we're working on. Continue home visits as appropriate, you know, as we um identify those students who have become disengaged or or need um

050really a a booster shot, if you will. Um we do have home visits that are underway. Um we need to continue to support families with technology needs. Um we have uh done a a new Chromebook distribution to students which I think has helped with engagement. Um we've we've already distributed uh 700 new Chromebooks over the last two weeks of school to to families and we're actually uh going out into the community tomorrow morning and on Thursday morning up to um uh St. John's Church. uh near Brford Manor and then uh to to Graten Public Library on on Thursday morning. Uh trying to make sure that we we get uh these these Chromebooks these new Chromebooks in the hands of students as much as possible. Um one thing that has um I think really been a

051difference maker for families in particular is we moved uh to the weekly posting of class schedules by all teachers on the Google classroom for students which helps with the predictability of of what's happening. It gives the the topic of of what students can expect on a on a daily basis by the week. Um and also gives predictability in terms of will there be a Zoom meeting, when will that Zoom meeting me meeting be? And and so students can see that on their Google classrooms for every single teacher, but by team parents can also see this for uh their children um on our website and see a weekly team planner. so they can see all four core teachers on the team and and what's upcoming for the week and and that's that's been a real difference

052maker from what I've been hearing from parents with regard to technology and attendance boy that was a huge challenge at the start of the year taking an inordinate amount of time we came up uh working with central office IT staff um to create new identifying icons to help teachers identify students in power school by what cohort they're um are they distance learners and because depending on where they are physically means that we have to input a different type of attendance. So having those icons icons was a huge help. Uh, additionally, we um like the high school have a Google form on our website for students with uh who are having tech difficulty and um have also publicized on the website that um should they not be able to to uh fill out the form because

053if you're having tech difficulty, you might not be able to fill out the form. Uh that that uh they they should call us and and we are our our staff is quite adept at at trying to troubleshoot some of the the basics when it comes to technology. Also in concert with the high school, we have um really worked with our our secretarial staff to uh have them be become um better equipped to handle attendance uh in in the co era in powers school and that that's been helpful. our SRBI process. We have uh our our usual SRBI process um we h we we recognized that um beyond the academic and behavioral which is what we would always do. We noticed that we we recognized that we had to establish an an engagement SRBI team. And

054so we've done that. So we really are are working with teachers looking at the data to find those students who are disengaged or or not fully engaged. And we we do that by looking at their attendance and also their their participation um in in the Zoom meetings and and the completion of assignments. Um, we have specific tiered supports that we have identified and and have implemented with students and are really got begun to really get into this process and have established weekly meetings with core teachers and counselors and administrators to really track and monitor what's happening with the students as we implement implement uh interventions for them. With regard to specific student supports, um you'll hear from the high school and Ted, I'm sorry for for stealing some of your thunder here, but um the

055high school has has started a a uh has a Falcons rise uh studentto student tutoring and um we've been working with high school staff to establish a similar program at Grten Middle. So we will actually be utilizing Fitch High School students to work with Graten Middle School students under the supervision of a certified staff. So we have a plan for that uh that we hope to get started in short order as well as an afterchool learning center. And so the the the Falcons Rise studentto student tutoring which I just mentioned is really u it's open to all. It's it's like a homework homework club. You can get support in any subject area. Um but we also uh are establishing an after-school learning center which is uh for those students whom whom we have identified as

056truly needing uh tiered intervention, those who have become uh disengaged um and who are really struggling um as a result of of of our our learning situation at this time. Additionally, um our focus this year, uh schoolwide, particularly through advisory, is on social emotional learning and helping students become more understanding of what it is to to be a social emotional learner, being aware, excuse me, of the um to become aware of um the parts of of social emotional learning and why that's important for them. With regard to teacher supports, um we have been able to take the uh the technology facilitator positions, the the additional ones that the board was able to support through I believe the uh the car's act uh and able to split those stipens so that we actually have five teachers

057who are assisting other teachers as experts um offering in instructional technology support so that there there is a better ratio of support for teachers and are able to teachers are able to access that support more easily. Um, additionally, when when we were holding these these focus groups with teachers and and getting their feedback on the survey, we recognized that we needed to to change change up what we were going to do for the November 3rd professional development day. We had planned to do a IBMP assessment training um for that day, the entire day. and we we re we realized that we needed to pump the brakes um in in response to what we were hearing. So we we were hearing that they needed more support with technology. So we were able to establish a menu

058of um technology workshops that uh they they could choose from two in the morning and then they were able to do do specific planning um relevant to the learning model. Um and that was that was helpful. Additionally for teachers in terms of the hardware uh much needed replacement of teacher laptops has begun and uh the distribution of document cameras um although not nearly as early as we would have liked has uh they've they've finally arrived and are being utilized. So um while we have not arrived, we certainly have not arrived, we have identified the challenges and uh we we work to get better, a little better each and every day. As Susan likes to say, um it's it's progress, not perfection. Um I I think we'd be fullhearted to to believe that we ever reach

059perfection. Um because as as Jay mentioned, you know, every single child has their their own situation, but we are doing um we we we do believe that we are listening to the feedback that we're getting and and working to make things better for both teachers and for students. And please let us get back to full soon. So, I think I'm going to just have Ted do his conversation because my guess is is that what I'm hearing from you, Peter, is that there's some similarities between what what is going on. So, that maybe if we could hear from Ted, and then um if there's a specific question for the middle school, um we can ask it at that point. Does that is that fair to the two of you? >> That's fine. Thank you. >> Awesome.

060Yeah. So, definitely I I don't want to reiterate everything that Peter was saying, but certainly talk a little bit about some of the things that are going on in the high school. Um, I think, uh, you know, the first thing that I've heard from from everyone so far is that, you know, it's all about how can we get these kids engaged. Um, and, uh, that's certainly been a a large part of our focus at the high school. Uh and as we've gotten those kids engaged, uh you know, some of the kids that really struggled at the beginning of the year, uh we we needed to open up a way for those students once we got them to engage to to really have a pathway to passing the class. You know, that some of our students

061are now just starting to get uh engaged on a and and we've got those supports in place, but they really struggled during the first quarter. So, one of the things that we're doing um and we're going to be rolling out in the next couple days is is what's called the Fitch High School course grading agreement uh which is a basically a contract between the school and the student uh to help the student with their first quarter grade if they are able to continue being engaged and and continue to to do the work that they need to be doing. Uh because we we want to get these kids engaged, but we we also don't want them to be discouraged that they feel like they can't pass the course. Um, so, uh, you know, we're really just

062working to get those kids, uh, back in the in the fold and and, uh, and giving them that pathway to to pass the semester course, a year course, uh, as they as they go forward. And it really has to do with them, you know, being engaged in the office hours, being engaged with class attendance, and getting the work done. And and, uh, and, uh, we're hoping to see some success with that. Um, again, as Peter said, you know, I think that one of the things that I've been most amazed by is is the ability of our teachers to build relationships with kids through this entire process, despite the fact this being the worst possible environment to try to build a relationship with kids. Um, and that's really coming through the teachers just being great with

063communication, talking to families through phone, email, uh, and just trying to get these kids engaged, uh, as much as they can. Uh in addition, Adam Diskin has really taken a a lead role in home visits. We've done a lot of home visits. Uh just, you know, showing up at the door, talking to parents, saying, you know, what do we need to do to help your child? Um making sure the technology is not hindering their progress. Um you know, making sure that they they know what supports are available to them. And now we have teachers that are volunteering to help out with that as well. uh counselors and and we're really just trying to increase that as much as possible. We've seen that as a as a really uh great tool to get our students engaged.

064Uh in terms of uh technology, um uh we've created a tech a teacher-led technology assistance team for our uh specifically for our teachers. Uh so that when we're having issues with how do we use certain technology to enhance learning in the classroom uh that we have some of our teacher experts available to teachers to go to them quickly uh to help them with their lesson planning and technology support and also schooly support because uh that requires a lot of support. Um students again to have a form that they could fill out with any tech concerns. Um we've created an attendance flowchart for our teachers to make sure they could take attendance. I know attendance is is kind of the the the the uh uh you know people don't think about it that as as difficult

065but it's difficult uh and you know to take attendance based upon where the student is and how they're participating uh can be difficult. So we're really trying to make that as easy as possible for teachers knowing that it's never going to be easy. Um and then Peter talked about the icons uh and also the training for our our uh administrative assistants on uh power school. Um again, uh Peter talked a little bit about the SRBI process the middle school. We've also revamped that a little bit at the high school. Uh we call it the ABC referral process. Uh and you know, we heard from our teachers last year that that was very cumbersome. Uh so we tried to make that easier. Uh again, knowing that it's never going to be easy, but uh our teachers

066are really putting in a lot of effort to identify students that are struggling so that we can uh uh make uh some uh get some things in place for those students quickly. Um and you know, we're really just continuing to try to survey teachers and faculty, make sure we're getting feedback as we go. Uh in addition, I do have a teacher focus group that I meet with monthly uh to get feedback from them as well. Uh and then lastly, uh the uh 6 through 12 mental health staff uh is doing training on the quality behavioral interventions uh to to get those more in place for the students and and really try to get uh those good interventions in place. Uh Peter talked a little bit about some of the the the the student tutoring and

067I and you know he said he was stealing my thunder, but I think it's really a joint effort and I I think that the the Falcons Rise student uh tutoring uh but also we're we're we're uh building that into more of a mentoring program as well. Uh and again, Adam's been working on that as well. And and I think that um you know in addition to that uh we are using any staff that we have available including substitutes uh to support struggling students whenever they're free uh to get them that one-on-one facetime to make sure they're getting through. They know what they need to do during a day. Uh using our math and English tutors, which has been absolutely fantastic. It would have been great if we were in school to have them in place

068at high school. It's doubly important now. uh and having those in place and having those uh for for our students uh has been huge and and I think that um you know it's it's it's really just all about how we can get these kids engaged as much as possible. Uh and uh and when they're not um you know those supports we can put in place to get them engaged. Uh because everything I've heard from the teachers, if our kids are engaged, they're they're being successful. Uh and so uh you know that really that really sums it up. You know, I don't want to rehash everything Peter was saying there. uh a lot of similarities but but uh some similar things there for the high school. >> Thank you, Ted. >> Jay, >> so I'm I'm

069curious about the the home visits. Um So, you're reaching out to the the students that are um that you're seeing or not engaging uh online just to make sure that they don't need uh upgraded technology or you know or what what it is you can do. >> Yeah. And I think um you know, first thing we're always reaching out by phone first, but but oftentimes we're not able to get in touch with families uh or we're not getting any response. Um, so we'll have a team go out to the home uh to to see what supports that we can have in place. Uh, obviously we always have somebody going with uh with a partner. Um, and uh, but you know, it's that has been extremely successful for us. Um, you know, because we have some

070families that that just don't know who to reach out to uh, and don't know what supports are in place. So to go in there and go over the website with them, go over the schedule, uh find out that there's a technology issue that we can deal with, find out that there might be uh Wi-Fi issues, uh and uh and be able to put those supports in place. All of all of those things, the district has put those supports in place. Dennis has been fantastic about getting uh students Wi-Fi needs. Uh we've connected with with companies on that as well. And so, um, you know, often times just having that face-to-face talk with a family, uh, is the first thing to getting that student engaged because they just don't know what step one is. Uh, so,

071uh, that that has been hugely successful for us and and, uh, we're only looking to to increase that process as we go forward. >> I would say this is a K12 preK12 initiative and we're really partnering with our community partners. So whether it's our school resource officer or um it's social workers through um child and family um we've really been able to use these community partners with our teachers or our our staff to go out and to really see what the needs of the community are and these kids who are not connected. >> That's terrific. Thank you very much. Before Rita, before I recognize you, I just want to see if there's other board members that have not had a chance to speak if they have any questions. Rita, what what percentage of the high

072school and middle school students are doing full distance learning? >> I can tell you at the middle school level, we have 42 42% currently doing full distance learning. and the high school. >> Uh it's about the same. I think right now we're a little bit lower. It's been a little hard to track in that we had a lot of students right before Thanksgiving go full distance but not sign up for it. Um so uh we we're not sure whether we when we come back if they're not they're going to come back or remain up full distance. Um so I can't give you an exact number but I can tell you that I think Peter and I have been been pretty much in lock step on the numbers. uh uh you know, a little off percentage-wise

073here and there, but I would say it's pretty much the same. >> And um Ted, when the students come back on December 14th, will you go back to the regular school hours of 7:30 to 3? >> Yes. Yes, we we would. Uh you know, we can't change the busing schedule or anything like that. So, um the normal school hours would be from 7:25 to 207. >> Right. I I'm me at three for the elementary, 205 for you. Yeah, I I know. Um but anyway, I really think it's wonderful of Adam and the school resource officer to go to the homes. I'm sure there's a risk for them to do that if they have to go in the homes and I really applaud them. So, thank you very much. Thank them for us. >> Absolutely will

074do. They they've been putting a lot of effort into that. Um and uh I like I said uh we've only seen uh you know great results from that and our teachers want to be involved with that uh because they they really want their kids to to get involved in the classes. So but of course we always do it in teams so that you know it minimizes any kind of risk for anyone. >> Thank you >> Dean. Um, something I've been thinking about since I heard um that the I'm not sure what this covers, but the um the rate at which school children K through 12, preK through 12 have uh mental health issues, the chief among them, depression, etc. Uh I heard something that whatever the original rate was, typical rate was has doubled under

075this uh under these circumstances. And I don't know whether the uh school system to the degree to which there's an informal monitoring or a formal monitoring uh with respect to mental health uh but whatever system there is whatever was in place do we know how that's fairing now that we have a distance between the people that would be the monitors and the and the kids. Well, it's I mean the first line of defense is always the teachers and and and that's why I say that it's just absolutely remarkable to me the the way that our teachers have tried to build relationships in this environment. Um and and just getting to know the kids. You've got teachers that have never physically been in a room with a kid and trying to build relationships over a Zoom

076meeting uh is is is remarkable. But um you know one of the things you know we we've tried to do is with our counselors uh making sure that our counselors are keeping in touch with with how the kids are doing. Um in addition we have a uh program that we're we're using in our CTLs which is basically uh a a a an ability for our kids to just check in to see how they're doing. Um and uh I I don't Doug if you remember what the name of the program is. I I it's slipping my mind right now. Uh but uh you know this it really is just you know how you doing today? How are things going? Um and then we have the regular things that we do such as our anonymous alerts program

077at the high school uh to allow us to make sure that we're if there is a crisis we're able to reach out. But it's it's something where um the the number one thing you you know is that that relationship building so that students know that there's someone they can talk to uh if they are having an issue. Um because you know, yeah, you're right. I mean, it's, you know, the the the social emotional issues that that kids are just by the lack of um human interaction for a lot of these kids is tough. >> And I think like James Gordono mentioned, you know, even our our littlest children rely on friendships and each other to help them get through this dayto-day. And I think when you know some children are remote and some are hybrid

078or they're all remote, there's even more disconnection between peers. And so that's something we we've been looking at as well, Dean. We think that's important. >> Doug, do you remember the name of that program? I couldn't remember what it was. The CTL program that we've been using. >> Close gap. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. So Dean, to answer your question just on a nonschool issue, but like I could work maybe 7:00 in the morning to 12 midnight um and still have um not met the needs of young children and their families in terms of what this social isolation has done. So yeah. >> Yeah, that's it's it's something of concern to me. we're focusing on the academics. Uh, and we touch on the social as well. Um, and I'm just thinking again, this isn't traditionally

079a school function. Uh, but it has become so in the in recent decades to, you know, watch out, see if a kid is having a problem. And this is a this is a perfect storm for a lot of kids to fall through uh, you know, despite best efforts to fall through the net. >> Yep. So I just like to say that our state department of education is equally concerned and with our flexibility plan for teacher evaluation teachers are able to use these seal social emotional learning as a goal and a focus. So I think our our state department is recognizing that certainly our school district is recognizing that and we are concerted effort into that area. We think it's the foundation, you know, but that they really need to be um, you know, have things

080in place before they're learning. They need to be able to be um, you know, comfortable and safe and, um, feeling well. So, um, we share we share that, Dean. >> Thank you. >> Absolutely. >> And we've also added staff, we've added social workers to the schools to address that need. >> Thank you. Any other questions for Ted or Peter? I really appreciate all of you. Oh, Andrea and then Liz. I'm gonna do Andrea and then Liz. I just wanted to express my my deepest thanks to everybody who's involved because, you know, we hear a lot about things that are are going wrong. you know, things that aren't appreciated at home with, you know, with with, you know, with due feeling. But to hear the professionalism and the training and the professional development that you are

081are are developing on your own is just um it's it's um such a benefit to all of us and and we truly all of us on the board just appreciate everything that you're doing. Thank you, Andrea. Liz, >> um, I just wanted to ask about, and I'm glad Denise is here, about the the special education in all the three levels and how that's how is going how is it going with the special ed because we hear about regular ed, but I haven't heard anything about really the special ed, and I would really like to hear what's happening there. >> Sure. Thank you, Liz. Good good evening everyone. Um so in what's happening in special education is is very parallel to what's happening in regular education or general education. Um we're learning a lot about technology

082and tools that we never knew about. Um today we learned I learned about a tool called the pair deck. It's an add-on to Google slides and it actually allows the Google slides to be interactive. That's one of the keys for our students. We're looking at ways for them to be interactive and demonstrate their learning. And for some of our students with more significant needs, that's a challenge because they need a parah with them or they need handoverhand to do activities. So to that end, we've given the paras all their own Zoom accounts. Uh they're working with the teachers and the principles and the assistant principles to be able to provide additional support to students who need it. We've created a plan. It's called a learning model plan for each student in special education so that

083the parents can see how the IEP services, the services on the IEP will be delivered during full remote and hybrid model. We've also encouraged the teachers um to do something that Peter is doing with his staff, which is share a weekly schedule. parents uh like to know what the week is going to look like so they're prepared. Um and that's something that many teachers are doing as well. Um we're also meeting with parents who have concerns about their students progress or concerns about that learning model plan and we're trying to be responsive. Uh today we had a meeting uh about uh a little guy who is struggling and needs a lot of adult support. Um, we're not able to send staff into the home because of the cohort mitigation strategy. We want to be sure

084that we can come back in person as soon as possible. But we developed a plan to have the student come to school and have his physical therapy and his occupational therapy either on the playground or in the gym. And I can't tell you the appreciation and the gratitude of the parents that the staff are going to work with him either outside or in the gym. Um, you know, we're doing whatever we can to help our students who are struggling and who need the most the highest level of support. And I said to the parent, you know, this is an option. What do you think? They loved it. Uh, I didn't want to put the teachers on the spot on the meeting. So I said, "Well, I'm going to meet with the teachers afterwards and we'll

085come up with a plan." And the teachers said to me, "Can we really do that? This is great. You know, I'll be there." So we have every day for the rest of this week this student getting in-person services. It's only for 40 minutes, but it's going to get him through hope hopefully till Monday. And um it was just really nice to see everyone pull together for this this really needy student. And and that's what we're doing. That's what we're going to continue to do. Thank you, Denise. >> Can I put in? >> Yes. >> I want to thank you so much for everything you all are doing. This is just making me very humbled and proud to be um a member of this board and a member of this group. Thank you, >> Jane. Yes,

086I think I know that what children are going to come away with after this experience with the Bratton schools is that everyone cared. You're making such a difference for so many children and the families. It's just it brings tears to anyone's eyes. Thank you so much for your dedication and hard work. I'm hoping that um you guys can really soak that in um because I'm I'm sure that you are feeling sort of um sort of always blasted because you're sort of holding it all, right? You're holding the building, you're holding your staff, you're holding your families, you're holding your students. Um and um it's it this is, you know, I've kind of said this from the very beginning. This isn't gold standard, right? This is not what we joined. um this is not why um

087we became um educators. And so um I just wanted to say thank you very much um for what you're doing. We know it's not perfect. We know there's places and spaces that are not working, but I'm also just really excited about how much you guys are wanting um and the creativity about how to meet each family's and child's needs is um pretty darn remarkable. And thank you very much for your leadership around that. Um and also thank you for coming and spending a Monday on Zoom. At least you guys don't have to drive. Um but um but thank you for spending um some time with us on on Zoom. Um if there is no further questions, I am going to move us on to our next part of the agenda. And Dr. Geneer, I think

088that that is the distance learning. Um and if you could uh talk about that, that would be >> Sure. Sure. Well, we we are in for this week we are in full remote and uh the default is on on Monday the 14th uh we will go back to the hybrid learning model uh for the week of the that week the the 14th and and then the two days uh the week of the 21st. I I'm hoping that I I'm going to actually chat with all the principles tomorrow and try trying to get a read on where we are with uh the need uh for substitute teachers and so forth. Uh that's really what led us to this point be before Thanksgiving we had really a large number of absences pe people absences in some cases

089people are are are contact so they're they're home self quarantine they're still teaching which is another another feature that u that this whole pandemic is is is placing on teachers. they're they're out uh but they're actually continuing to teach. Even in some cases where people have have mild symptoms, they're still teaching. Uh so we're I'm I'm trying to figure that out. I I and I'm I'm I've gotten u some feedback. I I I got a I got a nice note um from a teacher at at at the middle school and she she was advocating uh she's a Laura Quashney is her name. She is just a super conscientious English language arts teacher and she just thought the kids were she wanted me to know and I told her I would cheer with you. many of

090the kids are just completely overwhelmed with what what's going on. And and she thought uh it would be far better because the kids now that many well now that they're all on remote for for for a week now and then they'll have another week uh seem to be in her words catching up. uh the the online work uh seems seems to be working well for them and the teachers are using the office hours for uh like one-on-one instruction. I've spoken to a few students and they've essentially said the same sort of thing to me. So, she strongly recommended uh that it would be good for everybody to remain on on full distance learning. And then this evening I I I I spoke to Nikki Salon who runs the Treehouse program and she said from her

091perspective uh because they've got about 45 to 50 kids uh every day before school after school on uh every day except Wednesday and then all day Wednesday about 45 children and and she said it's frankly it's exhausting. It's you can imagine having all these children in different classes from uh same school in some cases or two different schools in in in other cases. Um she she thought that consistent consistency was helpful that people know where they are and what what they're doing. And so I'm I'm I'm you know, as I as I said in my board notes, I'm I'm trying to balance between two extremes. And and I think maybe maybe chats with the principles are going to help me. We we we I keep hearing this term administrative closure. In other words, the schools

092need to close because we don't have sufficient staff to operate them. Not that not not that the the buildings are overrun uh with the virus. It's just we don't have have enough staff. I think I think the the week before Thanksgiving one day we had 23 staff member out at at the middle school and 27 at the high school and we we just we just can't operate the buildings that way. So I'm I'm going to I'm going to do uh I'm going to talk to the principles do do a bit of a a survey. Um, you know, I like everything else with with this pandemic, uh, the indications are not clear. Uh, some kids are doing well at home, some kids are not doing well. I I I think we can all agree that the

093high need students who need structured support, whether they're in school or out of school, uh, when they're out of school, they they they really are missing out and that that really concerns me. Uh on the other hand, I I hear I I hear even some cases special ed teachers saying that the kids are actually doing better uh when they're when they're home uh on remote. They they're don't have the kinds of distractions. I know some of our kids in the Apex Academy actually do uh do fairly well. So I I I'm going to make a decision and I and I think I'll probably make the decision by Wednesday. Uh, I think it's helpful to tell the teachers and tell the families. Um, and then Christmas is a 12-day break, which is, you know, a pretty

094pretty reasonable uh amount of time if if hopefully we could go back to hybrid. I mean, that would be that would be our hope. But boy, as I I look at the national picture, even the state picture, it does not look uh very good. And whatever we do, we want to do it safely. So, I I'll I'll have I'll have an update probably on on Wednesday, Kim, and I'll I'll shoot a note uh to to the board. >> Dr. Can you um speak to the the initiative that um Governor Lamont was talking about, which is um to provide more bodies to help with this that whole issue of that there's not we don't have enough staff in the in the buildings. He's the the the the requirements for serving as a substitute teacher have been

095greatly relaxed. Um we we we continue uh to to to have huge shortages. Well, we have such large needs. uh we we we may be able to use some of that u the opportunity to to get sub substitute teachers but it throughout the whole fall there does not seem to be a lot of people who want to come into schools uh those you know we've we we've hired we've hired what we call building subs because we have either we have people who are out uh because they have pre-existing medical conditions so They're teaching remotely. Uh, and the feedback I'm getting from those uh from those classes is actually uh uh good. They they teach every day. They teach remotely and there's a substitute teacher that goes in. So, those subs are coming every day. Uh

096it's just the the rotating the the itinerant dayby-day sub. We're having real problems with that. And we we we may be able to pick up a few. Uh so, we'll we'll see. And I'll I'll I'll work with uh I think I think Lori is uh either here or she'll be here shortly. Um well, I'll I'll work with Lori to see what we can do to get as many subs as possible. But um you know, at this point, I'm trying to figure out h how to balance safety with with the effectiveness of the instructional plan. And it would it would involve uh in-person classes for for cohort A would be Monday and Tuesday. Cohort B would be Thursday and Friday and then another Monday and Tuesday for cohort A. Um and at least a few of

097the principles I've spoken to, they've spoken to parents who said they're not likely to send their kids in on Monday and Tuesday of Christmas week. Um, so and then I hear 40 something percent of the kids are on remote anyway and I start to realize that we're uh we're we're at a sort of a critical point and and I I just trying to trying to balance what what I think is uh best and but I'll I'll chat with the principles and Susan and I will think deep thoughts and then uh we'll make a decision on Wednesday. >> I've got Andrea and then I'll do Rita. I just want to reiterate one one more time my concern about the the um secondary. I'm not expert in all in any way about elementary. So I'm leaving that

098up to to the the experts, but I do understand the secondary. And having been a principal at the the middle level, I know how critical consistency is. And it seems to me that not only are we seeing that in in uh in proof uh in evidence, but it seems to me that teachers if they could then hone their skills on being strictly remote, they they wouldn't have to try to figure out how am I going to do this. it would be able to to get together professionally, make plans about how what works, what doesn't work, and just come up with a a consistent way of presenting education on remotely. I I >> thoroughly back that. >> I I'm not going to argue against that, nor would I argue against you. [Laughter] >> Smart move. Um,

099>> wise man. Wise man. So, I'll do Rita and then Liz, I'm assuming you have >> um Dr. Gira, I'm a little confused about what you're going to be making a decision about. The students are due to come back on the 14th for a week. >> That's right. >> Is it the two days before Christmas you're thinking? Deep thoughts or >> Yeah, my my original thought was the default was it just going to come back on the 14th? Uh but it frankly I was giving I was I I was using these 10 days as a barometer to see where we are with with the infection and uh if parents uh are are I've heard but I got to talk to all the principles. I've heard of a number of parents who are indicating that they

100may just opt for for full remote. So that that may be another indication. But yes, I'm I before tonight I was thinking just of those six days and now I'm actually thinking that maybe those last two days is sort of a moot point, the the 21st and the 22nd. Um so I'm going to I'm going to look at the week of the 14th as one decision, then the week of the the two days of the 21st 22nd as another decision. But I'll talk to the principles tomorrow. I I uh this has been well like everything else with this pandemic, it's been it's it's been extremely difficult and with lots of moving targets and um and I'm I'm you know I'm trying to gather actually I heard the definition of a crisis is having to make

101decisions with insufficient information. >> That's where we are. >> Right. Well, it's just that I know so many of the districts around us are going to school. North Stonington now is going five days a week. Old Lime goes five days a week. >> Yep. >> Um East Lime, even when they have some cases, they're not closing unless it's for staffing. So, I you know, I just I just don't want to short change our students. >> Yeah. >> I I mean, that's really the stu teacher contact time is extremely important. >> You you're 100%. Yeah. I mean th those are the two book ends. Your your comments and Andrea's comments are >> Yep. >> with me me in the middle trying to figure out what's uh what's what's the best thing to do. I appreciate you

102saying that. >> Thank you, >> Liz. >> I just want to reiterate um with Andrea the concept of consistency. Honestly, for if you look at it, it's all of two four six days really what's going to be accomplished in those six days. So if we for the week before Christmas and the week of Christmas from the 14th until the 23rd, just keep them out. Come back full strength whenever we can do whatever you think is is best, whether it's hybrid or full full in. I think honestly consistency, not this yo-yo back and forth. Let's just keep it straight. Let's keep people out for up through the holiday and then come back and see what we're doing. That's just my opinion. I just wanted to share it with you, Dr. Grineer. >> Thank you, Liz. >>

103Thank you. >> So, I So, that's that's where we are. Uh and uh >> and I and I think that um the other part of that was that the secondary hours of instruction that has been clarified that it was just part of the mo theou and that once they are no longer virtual it goes back to the school hours. So I that has been I just want to make sure that people understand that I'm not skipping over the agenda items. So um it sounds to me that Dr. Grineer um there's just such a moving part. Why am I I'm not going to reiterate that. Um, if there's no other comments about that, I'm going to move on. Does anyone else on the board have something to add um about this? All right, I'm moving on.

104Um, so we're now on to the presentation of the district purchase card. Dr. Grineer, >> I am so happy to present something with concrete clear decision boundaries. Uh we we have a we have a credit card, a district credit card that I I learned recently uh uses my my personal information and uh like I guess seven years ago they say we need a credit card and I said okay you you could use my information. So Ken gently pointed that out to me. Uh and there's there's an alternative. We we don't actually want to use the superintendent. uh it's very rarely used but but there's something called a a PC card or a purchase card. Now I'll let Ken explain it and I think we got a better way of going about this. >> Yeah. So

105uh purchasing card would be based on the uh on the district's finances, not on an individual. Uh it's actually a commercial card, not a personal card, which is what we currently have. Uh I found two um two that cater to to school districts. one through the um Connecticut Association of School uh Business Managers and then one from the state of Connecticut itself. It piggybacks off of off of their PCard agreement. Um the the PC card it works just like a credit card uh but it has a lot more controls. You can limit the number of transactions where it can be used, the amounts that uh it can be used up to. Uh there are alerts and and very good reporting on the other side. So, it's a much better uh uh solution uh for for

106a school district. Um you know, there's there's fraud protection. Um so, I'm I'm recommending that um that the district uh uh move to a a PCR uh program uh specifically the one with the state of Connecticut. It's uh it's a commercial card with uh with JP Morgan. Um, and in that way, uh, we can I I would say we would still have just the one card like we currently have. Um, uh, we can, uh, it can have Susan's name on it, or it could be a departmental card. Uh, they prefer it has a person's name on it, but, uh, we won't use Susan's information. Uh, no social security numbers. Uh, but, uh, you know, it it would it would have a person's name so that u when it's used, they can identify a person. Um,

107but that's my recommendation is to is to go to a pecard uh program. >> I think we talked about this, Jay, did we not at the finance I was just trying to set up next week. I was hoping to take a vote on this. >> Yeah, we discussed it at finance and facilities and you know it obviously makes a lot of sense >> and this requires a vote action. Jay, >> that's that's our understanding. I think the bank will need a um a copy of the minutes, right, Ken? >> Yeah. The the two programs, one of them requires a a a board resolution. That's the uh Connecticut Association of Business Managers. Uh the other one just requires it be signed by someone who's authorized to enter into a PECARD agreement. Um which, you know, could

108be Susan. Um um but either way, I think it's a good idea to have something where the board is is authorizing us to uh to to do this program. >> Okay. Is there any any questions about that? >> Do we have all the information that we need to be able to take a vote on it next week, folks? >> All right. Thank you. Thank you. >> Um and then the next is the review of the um so I can't remember how long ago it was, Andrea. Um but uh you and Jay were tasked to um kind of review um the mission statement, not mission statement, but to to see how we could um marry the DEI statement um along with our goals. Um and it's and it's here with us. I'm hoping um and that's

109on Susan's and R's um my to to-do list with um Susan is to kind of come up with some ideas around a retreat where we could um most likely kind of really really talk about that. But I um I for one really loved what you guys did, but um I'm not quite sure what you wanted to talk about, Andrea, and whether you wanted to add anything to this. No, I I spoke at the DEA uh DEI committee meeting last week and I spilled the beans because I hadn't heard anything about whether or not it was going to be a go from from the superintendent's office, but that's because we just didn't hear. But at any rate, I said it that at that time and and uh they seem to the committee seemed to really um

110embrace it and we just wanted to keep everything simple. Simple isn't the word. It's it's really succinct because when you get a a a mission statement that is so long and it includes everything, nobody's going to remember it. So we wanted to make sure that our expansion of the goals was something that you would never forget. And so we came up with before our goal state our stating of the goals this will be read and it's it's simply in a richness of cultures and with a respect for all and then our goal statement. That's it. And everybody will remember that a richness of cultures with a respect for all. That's it. Kim, any comments are welcome. But I'm glad to see that it appeared already. So that's that may >> I have a question, >>

111Lee. Um so the what we're talking about is the uh two inches um starting with board of admission and ending with embrace excellence. Is that the the DEI equity and inclusion statement would that appear anywhere? >> That's the question. >> Yeah, I'm not quite sure if I have the answer to that. Dr. Grineer or Andrea? I I I was going to say if you look at attachment five >> Yeah, that's I've got that in front of me. >> I I I actually saw that I was going to I was going to mention it. That's something that it seems to me could uh could appear at the uh at the front of a budget book, at the at the front of a board presentation. It makes for the the mission, the goals, uh and then the

112DEI statement. I I think that makes for a nice one-page packet that really >> really says a lot about our district. >> I was hoping I I was hoping that that is the case. Um because I was taught to do tight sentences and I'm a pretty good editor, but that that paragraph at the bottom I I couldn't touch it. It is it is I love the the addition of enrichment of cultures and a respect for all, but I love that paragraph and I would love it if it would be the front page of anything like a budget or or anything that we did. I think it's just it says so much for who we want to be. I think it's gorgeous. I I agree with Lee and I I when I saw the page today,

113I was really happy with that because our um consolidation of the the ideas that are in the the U equity statement, they are all all of those ideas are in those six words, eight words. But then to have the the full document underneath it really does support it. And I would agree with Lee and I would advocate for that. >> I would also agree. It is just they're they're both splendid and succinct and hard to say with the lisp. >> Yeah. I just wanted to know I'm looking at like our agenda page and on the agenda page I would expect to see the BOE goals would include be be in that gray box. But would my question is is where are we going to put this DEI equity and inclusion statement also on everything that

114we publish like this? Um I that's my question. I I didn't think so. Um, but I just want a clarification and I think also it needs to go someplace like on our web page and stuff of that nature. It needs to be out there. So kudos to you Andrea and Jay for working on this. I think it's phenomenal and I appreciate it. >> I would say that it really captures the board's um vision of diversity, equity, inclusion. So you have your mission statement, you have your goals, but you have this visionary statement also that it links all together and is very succinct. >> Uh Kim, >> yes, Jay. >> So even though I was tasked with Andrea, I have to say that I had nothing to do with this wording. This is her work. This

115was her um these are her words. I think they're just an amazing um crystallization of of the message we want to send. And that's why we felt uh the one thing I do maybe had a small part in is is I wanted it to be part of this board goals statement that does appear on everything that goes out, every agenda that goes out and then we can refer to the larger um statement, you know, on other documents. But um I think that's what what Andrea captured here was the um um the essence that that could go out on on every one of our agendas. >> Thank you, Rita. >> Yes. Um I I agree. I think it's very nice. Um I would like to see it word of the last our last goal which is

116embrace excellent learning environment to include and an an environment of diversity, equity and inclusiveness for all students. I'm not so sure of the goals to have the enriches and cultures and with respect for all is a little wordy for me, but I would really like to see the it really clearly state that we want a learning environment of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness for all students. I' I'd like to see that very clearly as one of our goals. I mean, even though this will be down at the bottom or something, I I like that gray box up at the top and I'd like it very clearly to say that. That that's just my feeling. But I I just don't know if everybody would understand in a richness of cultures and with respect for all. We are

117going to provide dynamic curriculum, ensure effective engaging instruction, and embrace excellent learning environment. I would just like to put those very important words, diversity, equity, and inclusiveness on our board goals, but you don't have to. But that's what we usually have our retreat where we decide these things. >> I was going to say that that sounds like that's a great um piece. Anything else for that? Super. Jane will you Jane do you have something to offer because you are muted >> first I have to unmute I sometimes shorter is better people I think would tend to remember especially the message at the top it's short to the point and very meaningful if we get if we expand that too much it's just going to be not something that will be remembered as clearly I agree

118>> all right I'm gonna move us on to the overview of the fiscal year 22. Well, Ken and I uh Susan and Lori have uh put together a a fairly comprehensive rough draft um and that we would we thought we would show it uh tonight. And Ken, can you do some sharing? Uh, >> yes. Let's see. >> I don't know if uh if >> can you can you see that? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> So, just let me give you an overview here. So, so what we've what we've done here u you know, not there's going to be two months of hearings. I I'm I'm I'm I'm certainly not suggesting uh that this is a a detailed explanation, but I I I thought it would be helpful because we we spent a pretty much a

119pretty tough month intensive looking at this and Ken and Lori and Susan have done a a terrific job. And so if we if we look at the the the front page, uh you'll you'll you'll see if you go all the way down, Ken, uh you know, we we have a increase and we'll we'll get to this in a minute. Uh but the bottom line before we before we even talk about health insurance reserve, so don't be too shocked. Uh but the just as a a a very quick first blush uh it would appear uh and and Ken will march us through the next page uh that in order in order to present ba basically a a level a level funded level service budget uh it would require us to to to have about a two

120$2.3 million ion dollar increase. There's a lot of moving parts. So, let's go to the next page, please, Ken. And then we can maybe come back to this. Make it more. >> Um, so the the detail Dr. Ger. >> Yes, please. >> Hold on. Sorry. >> So, so if you remember the this that front page is is just uh uh the account uh not grouping several object codes together. But this this now let's let's just march through uh uh you want to start Ken and I'll I'll I'll jump in. >> Sure. Uh so we start with salaries and we uh the first section is the administrators. Um so under administration you'll see an increase. Uh this is due to the uh the data manager that we uh that uh was uh was brought on that

121was approved a couple of months ago. Uh down under principles there's a reduction uh because we're going from uh six elementary schools down to five. Uh we'll be uh reducing one uh one ele one elementary school principal. Uh assistant principles the number of assistant principles and and uh sped coordinators will stay the same. Uh and then the dean curriculum um coordinators um we we overbudgeted last year so we actually have a slight slight savings in this group. Uh so overall we're looking for administrators to be down uh slightly uh year year-over-year. Uh under teachers uh the teacher contract uh calls for a uh a slight increase as well as steps. Uh that's what's mainly driving uh these increases here. uh for teachers the 3% the the uh 3% here uh there are some reductions overall

122there's a net 1.5 FTE reduction in here uh so uh it's so it's offset by the uh the increase in the uh in the in the cost per the contract um overall for the teachers it's about a three 3.1% increase which is consistent with uh with what the contract uh uh uh would say from a After you take into account the steps uh there's some movement in the certified uh non-certified aids uh a reduction in a couple of par one positions but an increase in in par two positions which are which are less expensive uh so uh they do have an increase per their contract overall 1.1% increase um substitute the rate is scheduled to go up uh as we try to keep pace with uh with the increase in the uh the minimum wage.

123Uh and so we're looking at a 1.8% increase in substitutes. Um the uh clerical where the reduction of one uh one elementary school uh uh uh secretary uh due to the reduction of number of buildings uh minus going the other way would be the increase in the um uh per their contract. So, it's a small decrease for clerical uh and custodians. Same thing. We anticipate a decrease of one custodian due to the consolidation of the the elementary schools, but they have an increase in their contract. Uh so, a small decrease uh year-over-year and uh security uh we just assumed a 2% uh increase year-over-year that the non uh then don't have a contract. So overall salaries uh about a million dollar increase uh over the current year budget. Uh health we'll go on to benefits.

124U thanks >> um for health insurance. Uh we're anticipating the the cost of claims they typically go up anywhere between 7 and a half to 10% annually. Uh this is an ass this is assuming an 8% increase um uh year overyear for uh additional claim costs. Uh that's not taking into account uh any any of adjustment to the health insurance reserve which we will talk about. Um and it also doesn't really take into account you know that the COVID situation. Uh this would be assuming that it's normal situation versus normal situation. Uh workers comp and town pension uh those numbers come from the town. We have not yet gotten those, but we have some reasonable uh estimates in here at this time. Social Security and Medicare are uh just calculations off of the uh off

125of salaries. Uh so it looks like a 1.6% increase. And then under Why is that showing under um other employee benefits? Um I guess the ones to look at are the retirement severances. Uh currently we don't have any uh but uh uh u that could change. So we have a zero there. Uh and then um the tuitions um that have been partially picked up in the past by uh by by Alliance um uh but we hope to uh uh hope to restore that to 100 about we we spent about 106 in FY19 86,000 uh last year in FY20. So overall benefits up 6.8%. 8%. You >> want me to keep going? Uh >> yeah, please. >> The only point I'll make is we we we we think there may be some retirement. So of course

126uh we didn't put any uh any expenditure there and we didn't take any savings in the salary account. We know this is going to change as the months go by. Next next month actually. Uh but so this is this is our kind of our conservative view of of of the budget and the board will certainly be able to work on this. >> Go ahead, Ken. Thanks. >> Sure. Um purchase services. These are um instructional services such as uh the project O and other field trips which we hope we can get back to um um uh next next year. Um instructional improvement is our PD days as well as some PD for uh IB and MYP programs. Uh professional services uh the services that provided outside of our own um our own um personnel. Um a

127small increase of 1.2% overall for for that grouping. Um athletic officials uh were anticipating that to go down slightly uh due to uh more more away games. Uh computer network services uh about the same uh just pretty flat uh year-over-year. So overall purchase services up uh 2.6%. Uh property services um you know water and sewer we're anticipating that to be the same. Trash the same. Um snow removal you know we've had a couple of good years. We're hoping that continues. Um um and so we're anticipating a that to come down uh uh by 20,000. Uh repairs and maintenance uh with all these new buildings, we're hoping that we can keep that uh uh the services for repairs and maintenance uh flat year-over-year. Um um that's yeah, a pretty $487 decrease. Uh and rentals, this is

128um rentals for uh the copers. Um that's the that's the driver here. Uh but as well as other equipment. Um and as we go to into our print management solution, a little bit of an increase here. Um but overall for this group, um a 1.7% decrease. Um transportation, there's a big change here. Uh the um the the MSAP grant has in the past paid for four four uh buses uh to transport students that went to uh uh Cutler from the west side. and and vice versa. Now that we're all one um one middle school, uh the the cost for uh all those buses uh will be borne uh all by the by the board uh budget and that's why you see such a large increase here as well as there's a contractual increase of 3%

129um over the prior year. Um so that's resulting in that very large increase there of 355,000. Um uh some transportation um for others. So this is some of the the other costs we anticipate a little bit more on the away games. That's why you see a little bit more of an increase there. Um uh transportation staff small decrease. You know, it's hard to imagine uh uh doing a lot of traveling in the near future, but hopefully next year things get back to a more normal situation. 4% increase in our accident liability and accident um insurance per our agent. Uh that would be appropriate. Um communications, uh small decrease of $4,000, uh 3.4% uh decrease. uh special education. Uh this is a hard one to predict in a normal year. This one's uh even more difficult

130at at this at this point. We are leaving this flat to the prior year. Um there may there may be um we're still calculating what the what this year is going to look like. Uh it may be um less than what was budgeted, but it's it's hard it's hard to say. Uh we're still we're still putting that together. Um and then tuition for um uh regular education, we've seen a decrease of around 10% uh of um uh regular education students uh versus uh this year versus last year. And so we're anticipating that that would uh continue through to this year uh offset by a by by a small increase uh in tuitions. Um so overall for this group about a $250,000 increase year-over-year, 2.2%. um supplies. Um you know, this is a big category. This

131comes mostly from the site budgets. Um but a a small $8,000 increase or 1.7% uh year-over-year. Uh computer supplies. Uh we have a lot of softwares. Uh we we p we we we have a lot that we um that were paid for by the the CRF uh and the CARES Act. Uh and so next year we're going to have to go through a process. Susan's going to go through a process to figure out, you know, which ones do we do we want to keep, which ones do we move forward with. Uh but we're anticipating an increase in that uh in that area. Um that's what's driving this uh this 25% increase here. Uh electricity and heating. Um we are we're going to have uh two brand new buildings uh next year. We have a brand

132new building this year. it's really hard to determine um what what that need's going to be, what that requirement is going to be because they're new. Uh as well as we're going to carry at least for a part of the year some of the older buildings. Uh so uh you know we put in I think a conservative number here to uh to to cover all those uh all those buildings um uh about 11% increase um year-over-year. um transportation, uh diesel fuel. I I think I think uh you know, we have to do a better job of digging into this, but uh there's probably going to be surplus left this year that we can use for next year. Uh uh so this this could be a reduction for FY22, but at this point, we we haven't

133calculated what that's going to be. Um these are more of the site budgets, uh information, uh textbooks and workbooks. Uh you'll notice a decrease in textbooks. That's because more of the online uh the software that you saw above uh and it's driving a decrease in need for textbooks. Uh but we're still uh uh utilizing uh workbooks and and library books. Uh but that's a decrease of 18,000 yearoveryear. Um uh maintenance supplies um is uh we're looking at a 5% uh increase year-over-year. um um mainly uh custodial supplies um um because that that won't go that won't go down regardless of the number of buildings we have because it's really driven by the number of students that are in the buildings. Um and then um these other supplies um professional materials that we use for PD

134um and school admin supplies for the new buildings uh is driving an 11% increase here. And we got equipment um uh instructional equipment. Uh most of that has been paid for through uh use of the supplement uh impact aid, supplemental impact aid. Um so we're uh saying a $6,500 decrease actually uh over year-over-year. Uh but non-instructional equipment. We do have a piece of equipment in here to help us uh with snow removal at the uh at the combined high school and middle school uh campus. That's what's that that's what that $70,000 number is there. Uh overall, so for equipment, it's it's $37,000 increase. Uh but it's really it's a it's a 41% increase because it's such a small base of of 90,000. Uh and then dues and fees is a is a 24% increase uh

135driven by um our IB and uh uh my um dues that are required. And so that's that's what brings us to this uh 2 almost $2.4 million or 3.1% increase. >> Can you can you type into that, Ken? >> Yeah. So, uh I I really I didn't of course uh is the board's going to scrutinize this, but could you talk a little bit about the health insurance reserve and what the agent is telling you? >> Yeah. Uh so the the health insurance reserve is higher than what we had had anticipated it being at this time. Uh and we've talked about this in previous meetings. uh and it's driven by the fact that our claims have been abnormally low due to the uh due to the pandemic. Uh the agent is telling us that we should

136expect um these uh these postponed um uh procedures and um uh to to actually once the pandemic lifts that it would uh it would come through and so we should expect to see claims higher than normal once that happens. Um at this point we we we feel uh conservatively that our um our um health insurance reserve above corridor is going to be somewhere in the $5 million range. Uh so it's it's much higher than what we anticipated, much higher than what we want. Um and um uh the agent has uh has recommended that we have uh between one and a half and $2 million on hand to uh to cover um to cover these postponed uh procedures. >> So let me let me suggest this. Um, could you put in uh on line 312 in

137increase decrease uh a minus 1.5 million which would leave my recommended budget be before before we look at the retirements before we look at some of the work that that that can be done uh at about 1.2%. Ho how much how much of a health insurance reserve would that leave us approximately? >> Yeah, conservatively that would leave us three 3.5 million. Um which uh which you know assuming 1.5 million for postponed uh procedures uh leaves about a $2 million balance which we we've hovered around there or that was our goal. Uh it was somewhere between one and a half and 2.1 million. That was our goal for that um when we set last year's budget. So, so one way of looking at this is be because of of COVID uh we we kind of in

138in one sense we we o overbudgeted uh it will catch up to us but we overbudgeted uh for for health insurance. So I'm very comfortable recommending 1.5. Can you can you go to the decision list while you're >> So, Mike, I'm just thinking in just in terms of time because we still have lots we have we still have another meeting that we need to kind of go to. >> Yeah. >> And that this is December. Um I'm just kind of wondering about sort of balance of time because we're going to be immersed in this. >> I mean, I just I can't believe what you Ken and Susan have been able to accomplish so far um with with the the budget numbers. Um I it's the will of the board but I that's just was my

139thought process. >> There are there are uh it actually takes about uh uh we we could we could we could we could stop here and and come back there there's a there's a little decision packet. It's it's not a lot of money. to about $75,000. Uh but uh we we could do that. We we could easily do that next week. Kim, I I I just wanted to I wanted the board to feel comfortable that my my quote recommended budget that I'm going to hand off to Susan shortly, uh is going to be about 1.2%. And I think we've got plenty of room. Ken and Lori and I have been talking about uh where we where we see some efficiencies and we think we could get that well well below uh the 8891, but I I

140I'd feel comfortable saying that the superintendent's budget is is 891,000. >> Thank you, Michael. So, which would be the starting point for for next week and and then I could show you the decision packet and maybe that would sort of wrap it up for the board prior to the and I'll show you tomorrow. Can we We have this schedule for the function code. We're going to go right through this the other way looking at where not what we're spending but where we're spending. >> Awesome. Thank you. So, our last two agenda items is future agenda topics. Um, and also the referral list. Um, and Susan, um, because our our next committee of the whole meeting is going to be actually in January. Um, and so if you could just make sure that I sometimes I

141miss the the agenda items. If you could just take them down, that would be great. Thank you. knowing that really January, February, and March we are going to be talking about the budget. Um, but I want to make sure that people know that that is there other things that we want to kind of add to that process >> Jay. So, I'm working with the town's athletic fields task force, and the town council has uh requested they make a presentation on uh January 12th. Um I'm going to send the draft plan to to each of you um to see if anyone has any questions. Um and I suggested that we do a joint meeting with the town council so that the committee doesn't have to uh present twice. Uh so I guess they're considering that. Um,

142but I just want to, you know, let you know that that is something the town council wants to take up at least at a committee of the whole in January. Um, I know it's right in the middle of the the budget. Uh, may or may not work out, but in the meantime, I'll send you what they came up with. We've been working on it since the spring. >> Thank you, Jay. >> Anything else? Ready that case. Motion to adjurnn this one. Anyway, >> I got Lee seconded. All those in favor, please. Oh, discussion. All those in favor, please say I. Oppose. >> Motion is carried. We are now moving into our second meeting. Um and um I am going to open that up. It is 8:02. Um, and it's a special meeting with the purposes

143of uh discussion and possible action on the Fitch High School asbestous. >> Thank you abatement educational specification which is the attachment. Um, and Dr. Grineer, would it just make sense if I throw the motion on the floor and then the discussion is the discussion? All right. So, I am going to make a motion to approve the Fitch High School asbestos abatement educational specifications. Can I have a second to that? >> Second. >> I have a Lee. Sorry, I got I saw her first. >> No worries. >> And can I have a discussion about this, please? >> I think Sam, you want to give the big picture? Maybe talk a little bit about the reimbursement. trying to unmute. Yeah. So, I was I was just looking at the at the statements on on my uh phone

144on my iPhone. So, um yeah. Um we uh I've been working with uh the architect to uh put this uh project together. Um and uh the reimbursement the state reimbursement for a project of this type is just under 50% for the town of Graten. So um provided that uh you give us the go-ahhead to move forward with this uh we're in that uh in that ballpark. So the and the town council last year approved $518,000, not $518 million as I assured Susan. Uh it was actually 518,000 uh but the uh but the state is working with the state uh officials and they need the minutes of the board approving the educational specifications. Then tomorrow night, uh, Susan and I and Sam will go to the town council and they're going to pass a resolution. So

145the town essentially the state wants to know, does the board really want this done? Uh, and this was again, this was a FY20 uh, CIP. So it was last year's CIP. So the money is there and the town that that's not the problem. The problem is is only to confirm and and if you if you look we we sent you the edbacks but basically you want to explain just very briefly Sam what work is going to be done. >> Yeah. Um the uh asbestous removal uh will actually be floor tile throughout um most of the high school the old part of the high school. would be uh uh the cafeteria area uh the main hallway um uh essentially around the uh down past the uh the uh band room and around uh to the back

146uh the back hallway that is out by the generator. So, uh, the architect has, uh, also, uh, given us his cost estimate on that and it came in at the $518,000. So, we're right on right on point that it we're pushing it a bit because we want to get this out to bid so we could actually do it this summer and only only close the school for a period of time and get the whole thing done. So, that's it. So, what do you need from us, Mike? Again, you need us to approve this. >> Yes. The We need you to approve the motion so we could get the 50% reimbursement. So, it' be about 200 265,000 bucks to the town. >> Is there any discussion about this, Rita? You're muted. >> You're muted. >> Still

147muted. >> You're still muted. Rita, you could um you could type in the chat what your question is. >> Sam, is this include the classrooms? I I I'm sorry. Did Did you say that? Is that in the classrooms in the in the retro center? you know, like the culinary classrooms, the art rooms. Is that include them those rooms? >> Well, the culinary rooms were done previously in the last iteration. Uh, okay. High school, but it does include um art rooms down that hallway. >> Yep. >> And uh down that down that section of the building. >> What about the business hallway? >> Business hallway as well. Yes. >> Okay. And then the hallway leading from the main hallway down into the gym area. >> Yeah. what they call the main main main uh the main

148hallway. Yes. >> Okay. >> And and and around toward the uh down past the uh caf or past the auditorium and the band room. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Kim. >> So, as you mentioned, this is the second abatement project we've done at the high school since the uh the addition. So, are you saying that this is now the final? Is this everything that's been just to make it simple, can we say that this is everything that's been identified? >> Um no. Um the actually uh when they did the auditorium over in the um media center, there are still some things still some asbestous tile under the carpeting in those areas, but those were done so recently. Um I I don't we didn't think that it was wise to uh pull those up now and

149and remove soon after a project. >> Rita, you're in two places, so I don't know if that's going to give everyone feedback, but it looks like you're also now frozen. Oh, to try so hard to have a voice. Any other questions? >> Oh, we're waiting for Rita. I could um you may some may recall that um uh before last year before it was this 518 was approved by the town council. There was a $300,000 set aside for an asbestous abatement project at the high school. And then there was going to have to be a second year in which we would have to complete the project. So, uh they were kind of put it all last year in in one bundle so that we could uh do the whole project in one summer rather than closing

150down the high school two years in a row. >> Rita, I just wanted to make a motion. >> That's what I was trying to do. >> We were waiting. No comment. >> You're waiting for the big environmental statement. >> No, no, no. I just wanted to make a motion. >> Well, the motion is actually already on the floor because I've already and it's already been seconded. So, I was we're in part of the discussion. Is there >> So, we can just pass it. >> Is there any further need to vote? I mean, for discussion. >> All right. All those in favor of of approving the motion that is on the floor, which is the approval of the Fitch High School Avestos Abatement Educational Specifications. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose.

151Abstain. The motion has carried. >> Are are we there yet? >> Go for it, Andrea. Go for it. >> Motion to adjourn. Finally. >> Second. >> All right. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Thank you. >> Night night. >> Good night.