12-13-21 Groton Board of Education Meeting

001Okay, I know I this is very exciting evening. I'd like to welcome everyone and call this me special meeting of the board of ed to order at 5:45. And our purpose is to administer the oath of office to our board members and anybody else who needs to be sworn in. And we have our town clerk here, Betsy Macauer, who will um I'll turn it over to so that she can call people up and do the swearing in. So, do you do this? Hello. >> Hi. >> Do you want to do this um uh individually or uh at once? I don't see a huge here. So, I can just call you all up and you can come up and we stand here. You know, as a matter of fact, I'm supposed to do everyone. But there

002you go. You're ready. >> Raise your right hand. Do you humbly swear to uphold the constitution of the United States constitution of the state of Connecticut were applied and the board of education rules the best of your ability? >> I do. >> Excellent. Thank you. >> Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. >> You can join us up at this table. >> I'm excited. [Music] cameras. >> The next meeting doesn't start for about 10 minutes. So, >> I read my Robert. So, I would like to call to order the regular meeting of the board of education at 6:01. Um, and I see that we have a couple board members out on Zoom, Rita Bulman and Beverly Washington. Um, and then we have our new board members that have just been sworn in and sitting around the table. So, I'd

003like to start with the pledge of allegiance and ask Isaiah Anderson, our student rep, to lead us. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. And with that, we're going to have the election of board officers, and Betsy Macauer has agreed to stay, so she can do the swearing in um of them. So, um I guess I will leave it to the board to make those suggestions. >> Do you want nominations? >> Nominations. Yes. Um, I have a nomination. >> Kim or Susan, can you recognize me? >> Liz has just um put up her hand and then you'll be recognized right after Liz. >> And that's fine. >> I nominate Kim Shepard Watson for chair for one year.

004>> I'll second that. F seconds and Rita. No, that's exactly what I was gonna >> Okay. So, you'll make it >> a third. >> All right. And so now I think you take the vote. >> No, you need to close just see if there's any other nominations. >> Or are there any other nominations on the floor? >> Then you can close the nominations. >> So I close the nominations. Thank you for your help. >> I move to close >> the nominations and then All in favor? >> All in favor? >> Is there a second? >> Yeah, there was a second >> for that one. No. >> Anyone opposed? >> Anybody abstain? >> I abstain. >> All right. So, um that means it passes and we will move on to the swearing in. >> Oh, I

005get sworn. support the constitution of the United States of Connecticut and by laws of the board of education to the best of your ability congols. I promise All right. Um, so now I'm going to open nominations for the vice chair. Andrea, >> I want to nominate Katrina. >> Second. >> I have a second from that. Are there other nominations? Hearing none. >> Oh, I I will nominations. >> Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. I need someone to help me on that. Okay. Okay. So then um there is a motion on the floor to close nominations. Do I have a second to that? >> All right. All those in favor of Katrina Fitzgerald for vice um >> closing the nominations. >> Yeah. Is it done? Isn't it done? It's not done all at once. >>

006Okay. >> Nominations then we hold a vote. >> Okay. So >> I think she winds up being it. But >> All right. So I I've gotten the first and second for closing of the nominations. >> Now I I just did a run-on sentence. So um and so now all those in favor >> nomination >> a com closing nomination say I >> I >> all those opposed abstain. >> I abstain. Bev Washington. >> Okay great. Um so that vote has carried to close nominations. All those in favor of Katrina Fitzgerald as per the vice chair of the board of ed please say I. I. I. All those opposed. All those abstain. >> I abstain. Bev Washington. >> You are the vice chair. >> Thank you. >> Yay. All right. Um and my understanding um Superintendent Austin

007is that there is no visitors or um dele delegations. That's correct. >> Okay. So, we're going to be moving on to the comments section um of the agenda. And this is the portion of the agenda where the board welcomes comments from citizens. Each presentation should be limited to 5 minutes or less, and citizens should possib um and presentation should be related to matters pertinent to Graten. Board members will only ask questions in order to clarify the speaker's presentation and cannot respond during the comments of citizens portion of the board meeting. Is there any I see that there's something in the chat, but is that >> I don't think the chat is pertinent. >> Okay. So, is there anyone that is here that would like to address the board? All right. Hearing none, um we'll move

008on and we're going to be moving on to the student representative report. Before um Isaiah, you you chat. Um I just I was able to get a hold of by um email both Allison and Isaiah. Allison is just saying that she's I guess the um cheerleaders. it's competition season and she's very involved in that and so she's having a lot of time where it's it's difficult for her and so but she um will she um cannot wait to be back um here um at the meeting. So I just wanted to let you know that >> I think you two communicate too. >> Yes. >> Yeah. So that's good. So Isaiah Anderson tell us a little bit about what's happening at the high school. >> Perfect. So, right about now, our school's beginning beginning to prepare

009for winter sports. And I know swimming has started practicing. Fencing already started. The girls basketball team has their first game tomorrow night at home and the boys basketball team has their first game Saturday at NFA. Besides that, the other interesting thing is that our junior class is doing a fundraiser for vice principal this Friday where he's getting taped to the wall during all lunches. I don't know if anyone here remembers principal Keller was taped to the wall two years ago >> and we're doing the same thing with principal or vice principal Brown this >> Oh, okay. So, it's Matt Brown who gets it, not Adam Den. >> Mr. Brown. >> All right. Isaiah, quick question for you. >> You and I don't know the answer to this. I'm going to ask you. >> Wrestling is

010not happening this year due to co >> Oh, wrestling is happening. >> It is happening. >> They have their first Thank you for reminding me. >> That's fine. >> They have their first match this Wednesday at Bacon Academy. >> At Bacon? >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Any other questions or comments? Hi Sarah, thank you. We're going to move on to the superintendent and administration reports. So, um, the first thing I really wanted to talk to you about is school news. And I've talked a lot about our walkthroughs. As a matter of fact, Dr. Phil Piaza and I were able to get through all seven of our schools in the past couple weeks. And we do we do that actually each month and we do these walkthroughs. Uh, you might remember where

011Dr. GIA would also do them and I would invite especially our new board members but even any of our board members to do a walkthrough with us. Um I can actually send out some dates so if that works for you I would love to be able to get you into some of our new schools and walk you walk you through and a picture is worth a thousand words when you're able to go and I think I wrote about it in board notes and see kids truly engaged in their learning where they don't even come up to see that there's visitors in the classroom. One thing Phil said is, "Boy, you can tell these kids are used to having people in and out of their classrooms. They're very comfortable. They're very comfortable about sharing what they're

012working on. When we go into Fitch, sometimes, you know, we'll just watch the conversation happen if they're circling up and talking to one another, if they're writing and doing, you know, research and they'll be able to explain what they're doing. Um, we saw a lot of reading and writing workshop. So kids are really reading a lot whether it's in a kindergarten first grade class or whether it's in high school. And we have these libraries now, classroom libraries where kids have more choice. And so they're not just four books being studied. You might have some classics, but you might also have like other books that you can choose from and then talk about how the themes might relate and have a lot of real good in-depth conversation. The writer's workshop is just that. It's a process

013writing and then there's a whole editing and revision process so that kids can really know that in order to publish a piece. You have to share your ideas, but you also have to write it so your reader understands and write it with a purpose. So, um that's happening. We saw some volume lessons um where they were building boxes in fifth grade and I said to the kids, "This is what I used to teach as a middle school math teacher, you you know, so they were looking at all different kinds of prisms and, um, rectangular prisms, triangular, and figuring out volume. So, um, we also went into kindergarten. I was able to read to a kindergarten class. They're they're learning about the gift of giving and things that you give that don't come wrapped in a

014package. So, you can give a friend a smile. You can share something with a friend or take turns. And the book that I brought was a piece the cat and it was the gift of kindness. How you can share being kind. What does that look like? So um you know that was always fun and I will leave a book behind for the class to enjoy. So um we we really did have some good walkthroughs. We also saw in the middle school I've described how we're giving those in interim assessment blocks from the ESPback periodically. And so we'll have some data to share with you about how that's going in all of our tested grades three, four, and five, six, seven, and eight. And um the teacher uses those to inform instruction. So they can see

015this one happened to be editing and revising and writing. So they're able to pick up where are the weak areas that kids are having, what instruction needs to occur so that they can go back. So kids are really very ready when they go to take the state assessment. And it really works in nicely because it really dovetales with our curriculum instruction. So kind of one and the same because we base all of our curriculum on the Connecticut core standards which are being assessed by the ESPback. Um so so that's a little bit about uh you know walkth through in the schools. Um certainly, you know, our time is being spent too monitoring buses coming in and out and making sure that that's going a little bit better while we're there. Um and you know, working

016with the principles on issues they may be, you know, experiencing and problem solving with them. So, did you have anything else that was >> I was just going to say I think I think it's it's been a great practice since I've been here uh just to get it to the schools to give that time to the principles to uh to bounce things off of us or to ask us questions and to stay in touch with them and to be seen around the building. And you were mentioning the kids um being so comfortable and I was I was so impressed. Not only do they have answers for us when we ask them questions, but they're they're they're um proactive in in wanting to show us what they're doing. >> Yeah. or share their piece of writing

017or read to us. >> So, they're very comfortable with with adults in the room and with sharing what they're learning and they're anxious in their, you know, they really want to show off. So, >> yeah, it's uh it's pretty impressive to see. And that and that's again that's the >> the best part of our job, I think, is is having those opportunities to get to the schools and see everything. >> And I would say even in the hallways when kids are walking back and forth from in Fitch or at Grant Middle School, it's a little noisier at Grant Middle School. you guys a little older, but they they walk with such intention and purpose and you know have time to say hi to each other, check an email, but you you really you never feel

018like people are going too fast or going to run you over. You can stand right there in the hallway and just say hi to the kids and you know it's just a real comfortable transition I feel as an adult, you know, because there are some places that it's like chaos, but this is not that way at all. So, it's really wellrun and the kids are really well behaved um in those hallways most of the time. There have been some situations where we've had to deal with, you know, and I think I shared that in the board too that um we've definitely are looking for proactive measures. Um, I'm feeling like a mental health summit needs to happen again, but something that really about um, security with um, it so Clint Kennedy is working with me

019and I'll be briefing you more about that and encouraging board members to help me with this. So, um, that will be coming. And then the DEI um Jamal Davis is our DEI coordinator as you know and he is unavailable because he's working on his own 93 to become a superintendent. So he's doing his next um bit of work. So I said I would be happy to fill in and um we met with him just recently to kind of review the work. Um couple weeks ago he had a DEI committee. he has those. Um I would say the book talks are really on a very regular basis, sometimes you know once every other week and then the actual DEI full committees are about four times a year. >> And so they work on everything from finding

020the right um professional development for folks to pick the books that we've been reading. So the last one has been culturally responsive teaching in the brain and how the brain works for kids and you know how we can really connect with them so that they feel safe and they feel like their needs are met you know with the curriculum that we're delivering. Um and then another aspect of DEI is also outreach for families and to get families more engaged. So they're working on that now and that's another thing I know the board is very interested in as well. Um we are the number one thing is that we want to hear student voice. So I think I had mentioned that I've invited Dr. Grineer back to do more than words. He had been doing more

021than words during his whole tenure here when he was in Ledger and it all came from an event that happened in Ledger that was really a racially charged event and he brought the kids together to talk it out. So he's done the same thing here. Carma Hajj runs the Black Student Union and she sometimes works with Carly Rising who's the teacher coordinator for the project. We had a team building situation that happened um at one of the parks back in the fall and we're planning the next one for this Friday. Um but that happens about four times, five times a year with the kids. But this time we're really going to open up the questions. So tell us how how everybody's doing. tell us from your perspective as a student what it's like coming back

022to what we thought was going to be better than normal, but still we're faced with CO and still we're having to quarantine kids and still it's it's not like normal, you know. So, I really want to hear from the kids because I think that's, you know, that's why we have, you know, a student rep on our board because they really tell us like it is. So, um, I will get back to you on that and, you know, let you know what they've said and what are our next steps. Um, there's also a DEI committee at the town and in the city and I just talked to John Bert today and I said it would be really great if a couple times a year all the DEI committees came together and, you know, thought of some

023kind of an action step that they could do together. So, I will let you know and he thought that was a good idea. So, I'll let you know when that happens. And the third thing that we wanted to talk about um see is the calendar. And um we always love calendar time and it kind of comes back to us periodically. Um, but what we did this year was I took the regional calendar from learn and I examined it closely. The past couple years we've had to come in after Labor Day, which puts us way late at the end of the year and, you know, praying for no snow days, but I'm sure we'll have one or two. Um, and we're already at the third week. So in this calendar um learn actually suggests starting um

024the week of the 25th with students and um we're going to start our conver have our convocation on the 25th with PD on the 26th and 29th and actually start school on the 30th with first to 12th graders. So that's what's being proposed. It's really up to you to decide. Um, this way we'll be able to do our screenings for preschool, preK, transition K, and K when the first through 12th graders come in and then they'll start right after Labor Day on September 6th. Um, we also in this calendar, we have the TLI days that we've had in the past very similarly. I think like the third or fourth week um of several months um not including I think well we shifted we took it out of November and put it in December because November

025we didn't have enough days instructional times so we moved it and the regional calendar has a a regional um workshop so that our teachers who are in PE art music can work with other districts in those areas and it's very rewarding for them to do that networking. So that takes place in November and also again in March and this will really help us to finalize end school on the 12th of June. Now that's pretty early. We haven't had that opportunity but of course with snow days it could put us to a 16th June 16th but I feel like at least I have a little wiggle room. So, I'm proposing not to wait till after Labor Day to get us started really the week of August 25th with the PD and the convocation and then have

026the kids start the very next week which is August 30th. Um so you know it's up to you all to discuss ask questions but that's the the framework of why this is proposed to kind of coordinate with learn to get us into school before Labor Day and also to um make sure that we end school earlier in June than we have been. Any discussion? I mean, we're going to be talking about this. >> I mean, this is going to be come up to a vote, right? >> Um, later on in the meeting. >> So, you would you rather discuss it or ask questions? >> You can ask questions now. >> I have a lot I have questions. >> Go ahead, Rita. >> If you can hear me. >> Yes, we can. >> Um, I have

027quite a few questions about this calendar. My first question which I feel is the most important is that we should no longer distinguish h like Columbus Day, Veterans Day, um and all these other it should just be holiday or school holiday. I don't think I've looked at other school calendars and I talked about it with other people that learn and they are no longer setting a title to those days. It's just a holiday like a school holiday. Um because really Columbus Day is I think going to be changed to indigenous people day and you you know it just sort of cuts out a lot of that. So if if that could possibly happen. >> Um my other and also for instead of President's Day, it should be winter recess just like we have spring recess

028in April and not use President's Day either. These are just my suggestions from studying this calendar. >> Thank you. Um I also would like to um not start so late um in in you know and I know August is important but um I would like to start on a day where the children's go three days of school one week, four days the next, five the week after. So they sort of gradually ease into it. So whether or not we can set that up, I also would like to find one day, hopefully Veterans Day, that we could have school and finish school then instead on the 9th. So graduation could be on the 15th. Um, so many of the surrounding towns say it's so much more rewarding to have Veterans Day when the students are in

029school and have things happening. Otherwise, we do it all the day before. It takes another day and then they have a day off. I think it would be much better to have it. I know we're a military district. There are other ones that are military districts, but I think that it would be more fulfilling and rewarding for our students if we really did it on Veterans Day. And I have actually talked to some veterans and they're fine with it. So, um I I hope we can discuss this in detail. Um, and I'm also for somehow I don't even mind if the day if we are extended in the year, but I really feel we almost need a winter break, especially with COVID this year, putting those three days in. So, you have a week off

030from school as we have in the past. And I had another question about TLI days. Is it in the contract that we have to have one a month? No, >> it's not. >> We don't have don't have one a month. We had um eight last year or this past year. >> Well, I'm counting one a month. May maybe I'm counting wrong. >> You don't have one in June, but you have one every other day. Every other month. >> We don't have them in November for this proposed calendar. >> But you put it in December. >> Yeah. So, those are two months. I would like to not have it in December and November because it's so broken up. I mean, they're they're getting back to school. They're in school a week, then they have off, you

031know, a four- day week, then a five day week, and then it's a 4 day week, and then Christmas, and then vacation. >> So, these have been instrumental in providing professional learning and department meetings and collaborative work for teachers and for parents. So, >> I understand that, but I I just feel that to me the students are losing too much time that they need time to prepare for their for their exams um in December and January. I I just think that it's and you know the high school has off Tuesday afternoons they get out an extra >> they do not have that anymore. >> Not not at all. >> Not at all. Just the TLI days like everybody else. >> Okay. So that that's that's one positive. But I just feel that we need to

032keep our students in school as much as possible and um I just don't see that with this calendar. That's those are my thoughts. >> Thank you, Rita. Um Beverly, I see that you have your hand raised. >> Thank you. Um >> um Susan, can you tell me what TLI days are? Yes, those are what we call teaching learning initiative days. So the teachers on that Tuesday are contracted to stay in school an extra hour um than their normal time and then that with the early release provides three hours of professional learning which um has been extremely valuable and it has caused our teachers to do a lot of collaborative planning together with the my middle years program. They've been able to meet as departments. We now have coordinators 6 through 12 um in the areas

033of language arts, humanities and also STEM. So they're able to meet grades 6 through 12 in those different disciplines and you know and science. So that has been really very um rewarding to be able to bring to really truly make the middle school and high school a campus. So, and then at the elementary they're, you know, elementary teachers teach all subjects. So, they're keeping up with, you know, the reading and writing workshops, the math, um, and they're receiving ongoing professional learning. So, and I think that's what we give our kids. We give them really highly qualified teachers who are continuous learners. So, it's it's we've seen value in that in those days and we're getting three full hours because of the teachers contracted time to stay the extra hour. >> Thank you, Susan. What time

034do the kids get out on those days? >> So, they get out different times. I know with elementary it's like 1:30 when they normally get out at 3:30. So, you probably see a 2hour differential. It's not like a half day. It's not like lunchtime. It's a little after that. >> Okay. So, they have >> What about middle school and high school? What time do they get out? >> Same thing. Two hours earlier than their normal release time. So, they get basically four hours in school and then the two hours they go home for. >> Thank you, Susan. >> You're welcome. >> I gonna I Liz, I saw your hand and then Katrina. >> Exactly. >> I don't have a mic down here. So, do you want me to move? >> Um, can you pass it

035over Katrina? >> Do testing. >> Okay. Testing. Can you hear me, Rita? >> Yes, perfectly. >> Okay. Um, I want to also support the idea that I don't think we go to school early enough. I think we're starting too late. As I've sent in my email, you asked for for um, you know, opinions. We re I really think personally we need to have the teachers having their their convocation their two days should be the Monday and Tuesday of the week August 22nd and 23rd and then we get kids in on the 24th so that at least we're there a lot of schools in the country that have and I I'm speaking from what I know and I'm I'm I'm not a trained elementary school teacher and I'm going to I just want you to understand

036that that The IB and the AP testing start at most times the end of April. The last when I was doing the IB testing, we our first tests were April 28th and the last test was right before Memorial Day. So there's, you know, that's a full month and AP is very intense during the month of May. And I just believe and I I strongly believe that we really should have our kids starting I would like to see the middle of the month around the 15th of August but I know that's not going to fly but I do believe we could do have the kids being there at the 24th 25th and 26th teachers being there the Monday and the Tuesday. I just think that we need to give our kids the best possible opportunities for

037in-class contact time and instruction and I believe that would help. >> Thank you. >> Katrina, >> what is the drop dead date for us to approve it? >> We've we've taken time before to approve it. Yeah, >> I'm really okay for it to be tabled once we get to that point if if we don't have all the answers that we don't have like this could be something that we could bring up again in January. >> Could we to put it on a committee the whole agenda to have a more detailed discussion? >> Sure. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, absolutely. And if we go ahead and do that, Liz, I know that you have made your point very, very clear, but if you have other questions or whatever that we need to get prepped for, it

038would be helpful for um Susan and her staff to get to that information. So, when we get to that, so when we get to the um that part of the agenda, we can vote just to table that. >> I just had a question for Rita. What other calendars have I've looked at some and I I I'm just wondering what you've looked at. >> What what who we spoke to at the learn meeting the other day. >> No, you said that you had looked at other calendars. >> Yes. >> What other school systems have like they don't have um Columbus State identified in Veterans Day and >> Old Lime Old Lime East Lime Learn is changing to that. Um, there were quite a few that decided that they were just going to use the word school

039holiday as opposed to identifying exactly what the holiday is. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Is there anyone else that has questions or comments about the calendar? >> I have a question, Kim. >> Absolutely, Beth. >> Okay. Um, Susan, I hear what Liz is saying about the IB and AP testing. Um, could you send me some information about how our students are doing with those tests, what the test results are, and if they're having difficulty uh passing those tests that we need to ch move the uh starting date of the count of the school start time up. That's an excellent suggestion and I think I would love to be able to bring it to the CO when you guys are having that discussion because when Liz first brought this to my attention I was thinking beyond

040IB and AP my idea is that all kids are learning >> and all kids are responsible and have what we call the ESPback smarter balanced assessment which is based on these Connecticut core standards and all of our kids need to be ready but it's not just getting ready for a test they really need to have the depth of understanding and learning throughout the year. And like anything, if you tried to do a crash course, that doesn't usually stick like glue. That usually comes and goes. So, I think the the idea with API or Smarter Balance or the NGSS science is that we want kids to really make meaning of this and hold on to it. So, the next time they go to learn something new, they can take what they learn to learn more. So,

041I would love to be able to have a CO where we actually dig into some data because we we're we're collecting it and share with you guys. So, thank you for that suggestion. >> Also, also um if if you do go ahead with changing the start date to earlier, are you going to reach out to parents and ask them how they feel about that? Because um you know, it's still summertime for little kids. It might work out great for high school kids, but you're shortening the summer for little kids that like to run around and burn energy, go to the beach. The beaches are still open and um >> and we're late this year, too, Bev. So, I'm kind of concerned because um this year we're already late out of the gate and if there

042are snow days on top of it, we could be at the end of June before we get out. And we're doing so much fun enrichment and summer programs for kids that I want the kids involved in those too. Um because they're just exciting ways to learn. And so you're right, there's a lot going on. I think it would be good to kind of um see what other people are thinking too. This actually this is closely um aligned to the actual learn regional um calendar. It's only starting um a day after they actually start with the kids. So they start on the 29th, first day of school. We start the 30th first day of school and they end a day before and it really follows almost all of their holidays. So that you know and that's

043done on purpose so our teachers if they don't live in the district that they can be home with their kids and vice versa. So um you know that's why we created it this way or we we proposed it this way >> so that if you could get us the the percentages of of students who are in AP and I >> So once again Bev and Andrew you both um have asked for data. Could that data be given to you with everyone in this um CO? >> Yes, >> I'll give it to you ahead of time so you can look at it before the CO. >> Okay. Thank you, Susan. >> All right. So, um the assistant superintendent report. >> Okay. Good evening everyone and welcome to the new board members. I will try to give

044you the cliffnotes version of what we're doing with curriculum instruction. It is a lot, but I'll try to uh delivate my comments. But um basically the work we're doing obviously is focused towards our mission statement, which of course is um uh teaching and learning. So it's what we're all about. Um our curriculum and instruction council um meets four times a year. It's made up of teachers, administrators, um and board members. Um and um it's uh really um amazing that we do have representation because it is voluntary. Um I put out a survey to teachers and we have representation from all buildings, all levels which is obviously an important part of the committee's work. Uh the goals all stem directly from the district strategic plan which was uh Dr. Grineer and and Susan's work that was

045a fiveyear span which this we're currently in the final year. So we'll be working on our next uh strategic plan um where we pro the first thing um the first part of that plan was to provide a dynamic rigorous curriculum. So you we believe that the the curriculum is a live document. It should be constantly changing and improving uh as we go. Um so the uh um most curriculum work is done over the summer but some are done on these TLI days when departments have a chance uh to meet as well. Uh the the board of ed curriculum subcommittee um also does a lot of work with reviewing any new curriculum or major curriculum revisions. Um and I've been working with Dr. Acriman and and Liz Porter on that uh this year. Um the curriculum

046dashboard which some of you I know uh that's available to our both our teachers and the public. Two different dashboards. Um that's available online. It's an ongoing project uh for me uh to to clean it up uh to update it and to fill in the different uh areas where documents um might be missing um because we want to have a document for every class that's taught in craft public schools. Um we do believe that every teacher should have access to that curriculum. Uh it's a pretty comprehensive site if you've uh tried to uh n navigate it. Um the teacher side of it had not only has curriculum maps, it has pacing guides, the assessment calendars and all that where the parent side is a little simpler where it just has the curriculum maps because again

047we believe that the uh the parents and the adults in our community should have access to to know what their what their kids are learning on any in any given class. So um th those are some ongoing projects that fall under curriculum instruction. Um, of course, all the work, um, you know, as we move forward is being looked at through an equity lens. Uh, you know, the curriculum instruction council works closely, all the all the committees I've noticed in the district have worked closely together, but the DEI work will be woven into everything. So, um, although this year we're doing more reflection on our own teaching and our own classrooms, moving forward um, with the work, we'll be looking at our our curriculum through an equity lens. So, that so that'll be a majority of

048the work >> and our data >> and and our data. You know, we're definitely using data um to look at um some of the things that were requested tonight from board members are things that are already in motion. Uh looking at uh enrollment and see seeing how that's broken down um on in a number of different ways um by gender, by race, um free reduce lunch, all that. So, and we will continue to share that data with the with the board of ed. Another part of the district strategic plan talks about ensuring effective and engaging instruction. Uh we've already talked um a little bit about the TLI and the PD days which are so important. Um you know we believe that teachers should always be striving to get better and that's our always our our

049our message uh to teachers always trying to get better. We have a number of teachers and administrators who are continuing their own education personally. Um but um we want to provide those opportunities for them to grow uh as teachers uh consistently. So, um we do appreciate those days. Um this the this year and and I guess you know last year too a majority of those days are set aside for building and teach for building goals and and and teacher individual goals. Um in the past and what we do will do towards the future is provide more district initiatives as well. But because of the pandemic and and the fact that teachers have been separated so much over the last couple years, we've given them that time to reconnect and and to build those uh relationships

050that are necessary to move uh the work forward. Um and finally, you know, to provide excellent um learning environments. Part of the work I'm doing now with with uh Dr. Kennedy and and Tom Londale is to look at our instructional software. um a number of purchases were made to accommodate the distance learning and and now we're weeding through that now as we're moving back, you know, back in to see uh what is necessary to continue in the classroom. Uh we don't want to go back to what it was. We want to we want to find those um those things that were working and continue to do that, continue to improve it, especially with our new buildings. We have a lot more technology at our fingertips and and our children do as well. So, we want

051to continue to improve that and provide them the best technology and the best software to uh to achieve their goals both in person and if we should have to uh to ever go uh virtual again. Um finally, in the last meeting for um curriculum instruction, we looked at each building's SRBI process. Now, that's scientific researchbased interventions. Uh it's has had a number of different names over the years. it was RTI for a while, response to intervention, and I even heard now rumors that it's changing again to multi-tiered systems of support. So, we might hear MTSS uh in the future. But I do think that's a nice descriptor um as well because basically what we're looking at is how each building is is accommodating its students uh and their needs. Um tier one, tier two, tier

052three, tier one being the stuff that's happening in the classroom. We provided some excellent professional development earlier this year and it's ongoing. um for teachers as we've moved back into the classroom um and again kids are assimilating back into the classroom and you know as we've heard some of their behaviors are um you know they're they're they're getting used to being back and and socializing again. So we put some extra work into uh teachers strengthening their efforts in tier one instruction uh you know providing those supports to their students right in their classroom. uh we've trained a number of teachers in each building and they are used as support for those teachers who are strug who might be struggling with a with a learner issue in their room. Um but you know what what is

053what was great to see um at this last meeting we had everybody share out sort of the processes in each building and what I feared was that we were all over the place. every building was kind of doing its own thing and what I was really happy to hear in these conversations were that the processes in each building are exactly the same in terms of identify you know what they're using to identify students the different you know we have we have our great math interventionist and literacy interventionist to work with kids uh to identify those that can be helped in the classroom with some support or those that might have to be pulled out and work with individual uh teachers and and interventionists. Um, we're working on looking at the paperwork that we're using to

054make sure the documents are all the same in all the buildings because at some point we have five buildings now going into one middle school and we don't want it to be difficult for the middle school to receive all that work. We want the uh the uh continuum of services to really be smooth as the as the children move from elementary to middle to high school. So, that will be the next thing that we look at. But, that's a process that's it's it's it's very strong in the district as I learn more about it. Um and it's just about streamlining it and making sure that uh we keep that the services going to the students who need it because more and more students are needing our support >> especially co. So we also like we

055want all students to have their core curriculum their class curriculum but sometimes kids need another intervention period beyond that. So you know if and and what does that look like for tier 2 and tier three? So yeah, and we could talk about that at future meetings because because it is interesting the different programs that are available at each individual school. And then I just wanted to mention the other groups that really support teaching and learning in the district. Um we have the teaching and learning collaborative um which is again a combination of teachers and administration which their focus is our focus is mostly on professional development. Um again I said this year it's more building based because we want the teachers to be working together but as we move forward and start um looking to

056achieve some district initiatives uh we work together to uh to plan that out. And then I mentioned the curriculum uh board of ed subcommittee um which again I've been working with Liz and um Andrea on and maybe some of you as we move forward but that's a great way for us to connect and to look at the work that's being done and the new classes that are coming in or um any classes that we are revising um making major revisions on which have to be improved uh by the board. So again, those are the many different ways that we're addressing teaching learning in the district and and uh the different projects that I'm personally working on along with uh Susan and the uh and the principles and other administrators. I'm sure we'll have many opportunities

057to connect and to talk in further detail, but that's sort of a >> not so not so brief synopsis. Um, I know I've joked about this in the past, but I really really think it would be great if we could create um, sort of in honor of our former board member Merrick Kelly, we need a lexicon of educational jargon. You know, people are always asking what is CTL, what is SRBI? Now we have MTSS, you know, for board members and for parents, you know, something we can just put on the website and just because there's a there's an alphabet soup out there that uh I know, you know, you folks are are very familiar with, but we don't deal with it every day and sometimes we we forget what's being referred to. So, >> I

058found a couple good finds from CA. I asked for their entire documentation for new um you know board members, but there were some that I think we can all use. So I had Joyce order them and one was a glossery of terms, >> educational terms. Now we could also personalize that, go through that book and then say what are some of the terms we use, >> right? >> And help you out with that, but at least it's a start. I was so thrilled to find that and then a little book on Robert's rules and a couple other little cave documents. So that's we've talked about that a lot, but you're right. Um I try in my board notes to spell it all out and then give you the acronym >> so that you're not saying,

059"Oh, what is she talking about now?" >> But I'll continue to do that and we will when we present, >> but we don't have to invent the wheel, you know. It's there. We just have to sort of customize it to God. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. I I think a a simple solution would be at least for documents that are going to be made available to the public is that the first use of any acronym or any abbreviation is prefaced by the full thing. >> Yeah, that's right. >> ABCD and there on just ABCD, but just >> it's the AP style book for a reason. >> Yeah, that's what we typically do. But I think that when we're in a meeting, sometimes we we don't say the whole thing or we'll use the acronym and

060that sometimes causes people to say, "Okay, what are they talking about?" So, you're right. I think that's one way to do it. And then additionally, if we could have a little cheat sheet or little booklet, that might help, too. >> So, Ken, you are here. >> I am here. >> You are here. Thank you. Thanks. >> You're welcome. >> I guess I will take the uh the microphone. >> Oh, it doesn't. >> You know what? I will mount it. >> Testing. >> Don't have to be that close. It's fine. It's fine. >> Okay. All right. Uh you want me to go or Okay. So, I'm here to go over attachment number one. Uh this is our object code summary. I can uh put it up there or I know that in the past we kind

061of pull >> this one. >> Yeah, that one. So, an object code summary. Object codes are basically categories of spending. For instance, uh uh object code 101 is teacher salaries. And uh so I thought maybe I'd go over this uh this report maybe in a little bit more detail so that some of the newer members or even some of our existing members can, you know, understand what the structure is. Uh it's really three different reports that all add up to the same thing. Uh the first page is the first report. Uh and it's just a summary of the object code. So it's a summary of all of our spending categories. Um and we have a number of columns. Uh the first column FY22 budget is the uh that was what uh was approved by the

062by the board uh and uh and and the town. Um and then the next column is expenditures. These are uh funds that have gone out the door whether it's through payroll, whether it's through an AP check, but these are funds that have been extended. encumbered. Uh these are amounts that have been put aside uh for um it could be for for payroll for contracts, could be for purchase orders, but we put it aside because we know we're going to spend those funds. And then FY22 actual is is the is the combination of those two expenditure and incumbences. Um and then the remaining balance is really just uh it's the difference between the budget uh minus uh the actual. Uh next column is a percentage. That's just a percentage of the budget. And then uh the

063second to last column FY22 estimate. Uh that is an estimate based upon my review of where I think all these numbers are going to end up. And then the final column is whether we're over or under budget. underbudget being a positive number, over budget being a neg negative or in parenthesis. And so, like I said, the first uh first page is just a summary of that. Um, and then pages, let's see, 2-2 through 2-5 are the same numbers. It's just in a little more detail. Um it breaks down some of the more uh summarized numbers into into smaller chunks. Um you'll notice u I'll pick on the teachers again. Line 54 classroom teachers object code 101 and 151. Uh so that's that's what we have uh budgeted spent encumbered uh and where we think that's

064going to end up at the end of the year on that line. So that's that page is 2-2 through 2-5. And then the final page is um is the same numbers once again it's just presented in a different format. This is this is a function. So where are we spending it? What what what programs are we uh are we supporting? Um and so like function 1102 is ARC. So this is AR at the secondary level. And so this is what has been budgeted, expended, encumbered and where we think that's going to end up at the end of the year. So it's it's the same numbers presented in three different uh three different ways >> and this is the same format that we'll be presenting in your budget books that you'll get before the holidays. So

065for next for the 23 the proposed budget. So and we can you know even if if you needed to meet with Ken to understand it better you know or me um you know we could sit and meet and review it with you >> before And then we'll certainly be reviewing it January, February, March, >> you know, as we go through it line by line. So, >> um, as far as the actual numbers that are that are represented in here, I'm just going to be looking here at line 47 on the first page, uh, this is the grand total. So, it just adds it all up. But, uh, so we had a budget of 77,438090. Uh to date we have spent uh we have expended 25,980 623 we have encumbered 30 million uh 009698. So year

066to date we are at 55990 321. Um, and then based upon my analysis of of where all these numbers are and and and what we've uh spent to date, um, I anticipate that we're going to, um, end the year at 77,355167, which is a favorable balance to the uh, uh, to the budget by 82,923. Um, I will say that the last time we met we well actually last time we talked about this was the uh the board of ed meeting in October. At that point we were anticipating an unfavorable balance of 12,699. Uh so we moved in the right direction. I'll tell you the the main reason for that is that the uh the tuitions for the magnet and vocational schools came in um and we had budgeted a 5% decrease in those uh in

067those magnet and vocational students um uh uh going to those schools uh but the actual number came in more like 9%. So, so we did a little bit better than what we had budgeted. Uh, so that's that's the main reason that that number moved like that. >> But the outplacement is such a slippery slope because you could have a student move in tomorrow that has special significant needs and our school may or may not be able to have that, you know, handle that. And if they do, it might take extra supports that cost more money. So, we're constantly monitoring that. And you know, Doul does a wonderful job supporting families and you know, seeing that kids get the just right placement. So, >> we have questions on the object code summary. Dean, >> yeah. Uh,

068the first number that that that jumped out at me is uh under custodial maintenance, basically not line six on 2.2-1, 2-1. >> So you show an underage of $112,000. You project >> going to be $112,000 in the black on that one. >> Yep. >> So what accounts for that uh very rosy number? >> Uh there there's a couple of things uh that occurred. That is for custodial maintenance and our technicians. Uh we did uh have two technicians retire this year. Uh and we replace those at at a lower rate. >> Same thing with uh maintenance. we uh we had to replace one of one of of those positions as well. So those are once again replaced at a lower rate. And then uh the part-time custodial staff that we that we utilize, we're actually seeing

069a positive impact. Uh the AR esser and and the esser 2 uh these are are grants that we received due to the coronairus. Um uh and and in there there are funds to uh to pay for additional custodial staff uh to help keep the uh keep the the the facilities uh clean or cleaner. And um and so we we're we're finding that uh we can't fill all those positions both the both the uh the ones that are funded by by grant as well as the positions that we originally had. So, uh, the squeeze is is happening within within within here. >> Similar to the pair of professionals. >> Yes. Similar to the pair of professionals >> and secretaries. I mean, some of those positions have been very hard to fill and that was on the

070news tonight. You know, that positions are really hard to fill. >> Also, on one other line, I'll give it up. Uh, the other one that jumped out was the underage on line 15 under professional services of 80,000 and change. that that's about a 31 32% difference over the pro over the originally budgeted amount. >> Yep. >> So what's that about? >> Uh so there are a couple a couple of couple of reasons for that one. Uh once again in the technicians group in the IT group we needed to hire an IT uh consultant to help us through our transition. One of the technicians that we had to replace. Uh so we had to hire some expert help to get us through that hump. Uh as well as we put we had um committed to paying

071for a study of the fieldhouse um um and so that that cost is reflected. >> Okay. >> Right. We're taking care of that and then the town will will be forwarding the information to John Bird who will look at the culinary arts wing for us. >> Yeah. About 25,000 for the field. >> Right. >> All right. Thanks >> Matt. Again, uh I'm going to display my ignorance. Uh when this budget was prepared a year, this budget was prepared a year ago, the totality of the federal co funds had not yet materialized. So I'm wondering since I'm understanding you to have said perhaps incorrectly that we've offset some costs with COVID money, where does the CO money appear or not appear in this budget? >> So it doesn't does not appear in this budget. This is

072this is totally uh the the uh the budget for what the the board uh pays for or what the town pays for. Uh and so and I and I wouldn't say we're replacing uh with with COVID funds. It's just that we we have so much only so many staff and we have to apply it against something. And so, you know, it makes most sense to apply it against the grant first because those are limited funds. Those will go away in September 2024. Um, >> but we're very careful that it's the extra staff that we need to clean the facilities or to work because there's this clip. If you hire all these people and even if it's paying with our ESER money, they that goes away. So the operations is kind of the steadfast foundation of

073the people that are here and then the extra support that we've gotten in the way of some tutors and >> you know um other staff members that has come in through the ARBs funds. So will the will the forthcoming budget uh display the SRR revenue and expenditures either rolled into this or is a separate document? >> Yeah, there is a separate document um similar to last year in in our budget book for last year we had uh we had two funds we had esser one and the coronis relief fund CRF and um we identified how those were to be spent. um there there shouldn't be any impact on this be at least the budget because uh you know we're not we're not um we're not supplanting these costs where we're supplementing we're adding to um

074so um and if we got if we had all the staff all the part-time custodial staff you know we we would spend these funds but uh we're probably not going to be able to do that for this year >> I'd love to presumably at this point I'm speaking only personally it would be very helpful to whether it's rolled into one or in two separate documents. I think it would be useful for us to see how that's allocated >> and that's part of that story that we're going to tell with the budget and that does include all of the various grants that we've received. So you'll be able to see that and we can tell the story about those different grants whether they were department of defense education activity whether it was the MSAP grant which

075is coming to a close which is the magnet federal magnet grant for the two middle schools that have become one. So we we do have a a big story to to showcase and we'll we'll go through that and steadily and you certainly ask us any questions and you know if you needed to take extra time and sit with us that's fine too. >> Thank you so much. >> Any other questions on this before we move on to the healthcare report? >> Rita? >> Yes. I had um two questions. Ken, did we have a tuition paying student this year at the high school? uh tuition paying students. Yes. Uh two >> and and how much um where where is that in the budget and um how much are we charging them? >> So it's it's it's

076revenue um and it goes directly to the town. Uh so we don't actually see that here. >> And the the tuition cost uh uh >> was what the board had agreed on. >> Yeah. Somewhere in the 15,000 range, although I don't know the exact number. address. >> Okay. >> Voted on for the tuition based. >> Right. >> And my second question is on line 158 magnet tuition. Does that include special edition for Ocean Avenue Learning Center 158 magnet tuition? Uh so that one is um is for nonsp specialcial education. But if you look at um row 155, that's where special education um magnet uh costs would be and it would include special education um services that that the students uh get. >> So that's separate from the special ed placements. That's not considered um the

077board of ed. >> Right. Right. So, so the placements, the the 153, 154, those are those are placements by either the board or the state, and they're they're typically in um uh more intensive um and it could be it could be the um Ocean Avenue um that you mentioned um whereas the magnet choice line 155 is uh that's that's where a special education student chooses to go to uh one of the magnet choices >> or a nonsp specialed student. Well, I we maybe I should be clear, but 158 is regular education, 155 especially. >> Okay. >> We we we separate them for for reporting purposes. >> And there is some reimbursement though from the federal government and um with the special ed placements. Correct. >> Uh excess cost. So there there is a uh the

078excess cost um uh grant that we get from the state that offsets those costs >> but that goes directly to the town that goes to pay for >> Okay. Thank you >> Jay. Uh Ken, last year during um our budget uh and actually several years prior to that, we uh relied upon the um insurance reserve uh in order to not raise the the the total budget. >> That's one of the key reasons why we were able to come in at zero. Has the um use of that reserve been applied to um this document yet or is it just something that you're waiting because my understanding is you you reduce the amount you send to the town uh every month to sort of take advantage of uh then the reserve sort of floats over to to

079make up any deficit that that you're withholding from the Has that process started yet? >> Yeah. Yeah, certainly. So, so our payments made out to the town for for the health insurance reserve are I don't know the exact number, but they're conceivably less than what we were paying last year at this time. Okay. I don't know the >> Okay. But you've already factored all that in. >> Yeah. >> Because in a previous year, we didn't actually have to >> use the reserve. Um I can't remember the exact circumstances that came about, but we had budgeted for a certain amount and we didn't have to use it. But this year we are factoring in every month >> Yeah. >> a lower >> payment to the town. >> Exactly. >> And then they take out of the

080reserve to make it up. >> Yeah. >> However, at the end of last year, remember, we were able to pay some of our oped um responsibility and pay back to the health reserve. So the same thing, I'd like to be ahead so that can happen. >> Right. Okay. >> Right. Yep. >> And I think Y >> and actually goes into the next item, but I'll hold off on that until we're done. >> I I it sounds to me like we're just starting to get our budget chunks on like to really kind of look at the object code. I think it's great. >> Yeah. >> And I really um I actually um appreciated the primer >> um of just once again kind of getting myself back into the thinking about the budget. This is a nice

081job. Thank you. If there's no more um questions about the um object code, we're going to move on to the um insurance if that's all right. >> So, attachment number two is uh is a is a a report of our um health insurance claims. This is a report that's prepared by MDG, our health insurance um agent. uh and uh we are in a self-insured health insurance plan with uh with the town. So we're we're in one one big pool really. And so these claims they come in to MDG and they disagregate them so that uh we can see just the uh just the board of ed versus the town. So they give us a report for for both and they add up to the total that uh that the claims were. um in this report.

082Uh I don't I gave you the September report. I have the October report. I don't know why I I didn't um inadvertently sent the wrong one. Uh but uh so for September um we are at 97.5% of budget. So we set a budget during the budget period time and what we think those claims are going to come in at. Uh and we just divide it by 12 and apply that here. Um just so you understand these are claims not only claims for active uh employees but as well as retired employees. So they all come through uh this line here. Um uh so for the month we were at 97.5% year-to date 92.8%. So we're doing a little bit better than uh than what we had budgeted. Um last year we were in a somewhat different

083uh situation because uh uh COVID was still early on at that point and there were less people um seeking medical um procedures and visits. Uh that seems to have alleviated somewhat and it's more regular. Um let's see. I did I'm sorry I didn't send you the October one, but the October one, of course I don't have it. the October one was it was 80 I think it was 80 85% of budget. So So once again we're continuing to trend on the good side for claims and and what this will do is if we have a good total claims number less than what we budgeted it will have the effect of increasing our health insurance reserve because basically less is coming out to fund these claims. >> I don't know if that's clear. It's about as

084clear as mud as you can get on some of that. >> I've got I've got a special uh u diagram I'm going to unveil at during budget so that >> understand crystal clear. >> We can hardly wait. >> Yeah, exciting. >> I'm a visual learner. I love those types of things. Yeah. Once again, I just really appreciate um us taking some time thinking about that because the next couple months that's what we're going to be thinking about. So that's good. >> So any other questions for Ken? >> Um >> I have a question, Kim. >> Absolutely. That >> Ken, what do you mean by lives? How many claims you have on the on this sheet here? >> Yeah. >> Yep. That first column right after the right after the date. That's um that's the number

085of of people that are being covered. >> So 570 lives is 570 people. I mean it's insurance company put this together. So they have a funny way of uh of of putting things but it means people. >> You want to orient the chart to the what all the things that are being said? >> Sure. Sure. You want me to go across this chart just so we're just so we're aware of what um >> so it's it's a it's a it's a line for every month. Uh first uh first column is lives that means people. Uh then we get net net medical paid claims. So this is this is what Anthem actually paid out. Uh so it's it doesn't it's what was paid out above and beyond what u what the uh insured would have paid

086in deductibles. So this is what Anthem paid. Same thing with the RX claims. That's the uh that's the pharmacy claims. Uh dental is for dental of course. And so that next column, total net paid claims is is the uh the sum of those first three columns. Total fixed cost, we get a charge per live per per person um for uh from from Anthem to to manage this. Uh and so that's a that's a fixed cost. It's it's uh it's if you do the math, it should be um divisible by the number of lies and should come out to a number. Um and that comes up to total costs. The the monthly budgeted number is that that budget that we set and we just divide by 12. The next column is um this one kind of

087goes opposite of what our object code does, but it goes total cost less budget. So here a negative is good. >> Confusing. Um and then the uh the last column and this also looks at it a little differently. It uh this is what percentage uh we are at of budget versus on the object code we're kind of looking at it the opposite way. We're saying what what what our um projected unexpended is going to be. >> So that red line under the blue line's a good thing and it's happened four months in a row. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For the visuals among us we definitely want the red to be below the blue. I have um I'm going to recognize Jay and then Matt. >> So just very simplistically um you know you mentioned Anthem

088but the money actually resides with the town because we're self-insured and Anthem is basically deciding how claims will be paid out of our money. They're they're just our >> Yeah. >> contractor. They process it, right? Well, they're an insurance company, so they already have all the infrastructure to do this. So they they take it and they process it but the cost uh there is no premiums paid right all of the claims are paid by by us by the town >> right so every month the the faculty and staff are paying in the board contributes this fixed amount every month uh along with whatever the the staff is putting in and then at the end of that month this variance if it's in uh parenthesis is going toward that budget reserve that we talked about the

089health insurance reserve That's right. >> But again, it's all the town's money, >> right? >> And the theory is at the end, you want to make sure that reserve is as large as possible >> because we're playing the the insurance company here. >> Yeah. Yeah. And just maybe a little bit more information, once again, it's good for budget, but uh we are because we're a self-insured plan, we have to maintain a 25% of claims as our base. We have to have that there. Uh it's what they call the corridor. It's it's it's it's just a base amount because we don't have that and all of a sudden claims started coming in and we you know so there has to be that base. Uh then what the board looks at or what has looked at in

090the past is that that overage over over the corridor up to up to up to what total balance is that's the amount that the board can make decisions on on on reducing it or increasing or or doing whatever whatever whatever is best for the for the board. >> Thank you. Correct. >> And how many people represent what's the end for the total number of current and retired employees that we're caring for? >> So I want to make sure I got the number of >> not the number that we're serving each month, but what is the total pool if everybody submitted one claim in a month? >> Everybody. >> So So this this number here, this lives number that represents everybody. So, it's not who who submitted claims. It's it's a this is everybody >> everybody

091on our plan. >> So, if you don't put in a claim, you're you're still counted as a as a life as a person. >> Okay. Thank you. That clarifies for me. Appreciate that, >> Jay. Um, and just one other thing. So, let's say that one person puts in the maximum amount that you've budgeted. We have reinsurance. That's correct. That steps in. >> Yeah. We have what's called a stop-loss. um um insurance policy. And so basically, if you didn't have something like that, if someone had a catastrophic illness, they could run into possibly millions of dollars. So, we have what's called the stop-loss uh policy. It happens to be with Anthem as well. Uh but any anytime a single person reaches uh 200,000 is is our is our limit right now. Uh anything over and above

092that is paid for by the insurance company. So, we do pay a premium of sorts, but that's not reflected in this. >> Right. So, for that stop-loss policy, we have a traditional insurance policy we're paying premiums on, but only if it's catastroph. >> That's right. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> Yeah. One. >> So, based on prior years experience, I know every year is different, especially in this era as we're putting it. Um, so I see three months here. you've got at least another month >> uh under your belt. Um but how confident are you that uh we'll be coming in to a nice safe landing? >> Yeah. So it it's not linear as as you probably could guess. Um there is uh you know usually the way it looks is July and

093August are are are higher because that's when um people are off people are off and so so you July August sometimes it bleeds into September. those are higher and then you kind of get less. I feel I feel like we're we're in very good shape. Uh I feel somewhat confident even though we only have a third of the year under our belt. But >> yeah, >> we've had other years and based on your experience, this this looks like it probably should. Yeah. However you want to qualify. Okay. Thanks. >> Any other questions? >> Hearing none, we're just going to move right along to Mr. Katrick. How are you, sir? >> I'm dandy. >> Oh, >> there. >> Thank you. >> I didn't even see unplugged. >> I think lights just went on. >> Did you

094pay the bill? Okay. So, uh good evening. Uh the first item on the list, the solar panel discussion for tonight on our schools is uh I'm afraid we're going to have to table that because the consultant that is working with Rick Norris and me uh was not able to get uh his information together in time for this meeting. So, which we found out later this afternoon. So, uh we're hoping that that will be ready sometime in January. Uh we would probably go to finance and facilities first and then on to the board after that if we could do that. >> And that's for Graten Middle School and Mystic River Magnet. >> That's correct. >> Yeah. The uh Th River is in the Graten Utilities area and that's a different program. So uh it doesn't have

095the same ability to put panels on there more um more steps to make that work. So, >> so could you just do like a quick primer about so just talk about Grton Middle School and Mystic River like where would the payment is that grants is that how how we would get that done? >> Well, that would be one of the things that we talk about um uh in the discussion as to whether we would want to own the panels or um essentially lease the panels. So, that would be number one. Uh and and if we did uh not want to own them, they have a program uh power purchase agreement which would mean that uh it would be paid out of your you'd be paying it through your normal payment to the utilities. So there

096would be no out of cost pocket. You pay on a monthly basis essentially. So that's that's an item that we'll discuss with the finance commission when you get the consultant ready for that. Um but again um we would also consider uh solar panels on the high school too or at least part of the high school. There's one section of the roof that was done uh about five years ago. The others are probably too old at this point. Uh the state is has come up with a program where they will also replace roofs at the same time that you do solar panels. So we're also looking into that for the other parts of the high school. High school is a nice uh large flat space and uh looking in the right direction. So that that may

097work out well uh in the future. Um the second thing uh that I wanted to talk about were the uh elementary schools. U they uh while we're in the schools uh we're still doing some uh close out uh regarding the project the construction project. One of the things that we found um after we had a little storm last week, I think it was last week, could have been two weeks ago by now, but we had a little storm and uh because they uh sprayed the uh concrete sidewalks with salt guard, uh it when you have new concrete, uh when you put salt on concrete, it actually eats away at the concrete. So, one of the things the uh project called for was putting salt guard on the sidewalks. Um that would be like putting uh

098RainX on your windshield. Uh what happens is the water essentially beads up on it. It doesn't sink into the concrete and so it just sits there. And so uh one morning last week when we had a uh some moisture on on the sidewalks that actually froze u uh just before the sun comes up in the morning. there's a slight dip in temperature and the sidewalks glazed over and so the custodians were out there running around like crazy putting sand down on the sidewalk. We only use sand on the new sidewalks by the way. Um both at the middle school and at the two new elementary schools. Uh we're going to try and do that for two years before we start using the salt on the sidewalks so that they'll last a little bit longer. So,

099um, in the meantime, uh, Rick Norris has, uh, arranged to have the sidewalks powerwashed, which will help wash away some of this salt guard that is on the sidewalks. I think the fact that we've also got so much sand on those sidewalks right now, if our custodians go out there, which I've suggested they do, go out there with our tractor, which has a a brush on the front of the tractor. if they go out there and actually crush that off, that will also help erode some of that salt card that's on the sidewalk. So, we're working on that. Um, also going on, uh, we have, um, we're closing the other elementary schools and the, uh, auction is online presently, uh, regarding the, uh, leftover furnishings and equipment that are in the buildings presently. And uh

100so we're just waiting for uh that to finish up uh before we uh empty out those buildings. The uh third item uh is transportation. Um, and things uh were looking pretty good, but I got a phone call this morning uh from SDA uh and um you may have noticed or seen uh the reports that the governor has put out where we're having this uh increase in uh positive tests. it has uh hit grten too. Uh and because some of our bus drivers are quarantining either because they may have a problem themselves or because their children uh have the problem uh the next week uh to 10 days could be difficult after the Thanksgiving holiday. I think it's just coming coming to roost now. So hopefully the Christmas holiday doesn't uh afford give us the same

101problems weeks after that. But uh so the next the next couple of weeks uh anyways looks like it could be a little bit difficult regarding transportation. Uh they did have um they did have the buses fully staffed. We had bus drivers for each bus um whether they were employees of STA here in Rotten or they brought some in from Norwalk and other areas uh Waterford, Norwok, Greenwich. So, they had drivers for each bus. Um, but now they're right down to the uh right down to the wire with the numbers and uh as callins come in that will cause doubling up of of of runs over the course of the next few years. Anyway, so >> we I did um tell Mrs. Medling she she really had a wonderful system. She was getting up early and

102looking for any late buses and doing robocalls personally to families who were affected. So I told her to be prepared that this could start happening again and she will be on it through and the parents did seem to really appreciate being notified. >> We did uh actually we did talk to SDA again this afternoon and reminded them that we need to have those uh bus uh situations reported to us as early as possible in the morning so that uh Joyce can get those calls out as soon as possible. I'm kind of wondering is it worth us sending out a district-wide ROO call stating that we there might be issues around transportation because of the increase of COVID numbers just so that parents could be prepared. I mean it this situation is yucky but if if

103you kind of know that there's a possibility and you can pin it on something I don't know that would be my thought >> might be a good idea for a general message and then send out the specifics in the morning or afternoons as they >> I could also link it to the website that shows our numbers increasing. I had said in boardnose the principles are you know just exhausted doing all the things that they have to do plus this COVID tracing and it has really ramped up. Um so whether people have vaccines or not we're even seeing breakout cases with those who are fully boosted. So scared we I think we've lost um Rita but I'm going to recognize Dean and then Matt. Before I take this off because I'm not sure people can hear

104me through the piece of paper. We've had to drive my daughter to school four days in a row. Today was the fourth day. I presume the bus eventually shows up, but what she does is she goes to the bus stop. She's supposed to be picked up say 7:03. She'll wait 20 minutes or so, then come back. It's not a very long walk, but she's got to catch me or her mother to drive her to school. Now, if she's late, it's excused. But what annoys her is she's missed she's got to be the one that walks in late. She's missed part of a class, etc. It's come down to this. I'm speaking from I know I'm on the board and whatnot, but my wife is not on the board. My wife is just the other parent.

105And so her point of view, which is probably shared by a lot of people, is whatever the problems are, either there are things we can fix or they're things outside of our control. If they're outside of our control, I'm going to be very, very candid. If they're outside of our control, we should just say they're outside of our control because for the money that we spend, people say, "Well, we provide school buses. The idea is to provide a reliable transportation system binary. If it's not reliable, the parents are not interested. At least my wife, I'm sure there are others are not interested in and I and I again I appreciate the work and the effort and the exhaustion and all of this and the frustration. They're not interested in the why. They're not interested in

106the how it's going to get better and better and better. All they know is today it's not at least for some people it's not a reliable system. And if people know it's not a reliable system, I know there are people that have resources. My daughter can count on one of us being around to f her. Okay. Not every family can do that. I'm aware of that. It's why we provide the buses to begin with. So for us, it's a convenience, but it's not an absolute necessity. Everybody, if everybody's basically on their own, if the bus shows up, it shows up. It doesn't, it doesn't. That's we're just going to have to acknowledge that if this is the reality, it is out of our hands. It's COVID, it's something in the economy, it's something in the

107water, whatever it is. And we're trying to make things as good as we can, but at the end of the day, we cannot promise a reliable transportation system. If you just say that I know it's we want to try and tell people it's getting better maybe it is getting better but the feeling among at least I get speaking for all the world uh the incremental improvements um you know are insufficient it's unreliable it's unreliable to say that and people will make their own arrangements except instead what happens is my my daughter goes to the bus stop kind of hoping that the bus will show up on time to get her to school on time but really not expecting that it'll do I just don't think that that she's in a unique position. It may just

108be that one bus line. >> I don't >> but maybe maybe others as well. I don't know. So, at this point, this is I think what what the what the folks out there are are looking for. >> What would you suggest, Sam? >> Well, I hadn't heard this previously, but um I I do know that there were four or five buses that were late this morning. Um and we were looking into the reasons for that. So, we're waiting for SDA to give us more reasons for why they were late this morning. >> And certainly families who've called in and have a specific problem if you gave the bus number to Sam. They've got the GPS system so they can actually monitor where her stop would be and where when it arrived or when it didn't

109arrive. So, I mean, we can absolutely follow up on these things, especially if there's a pattern. >> It was either a substitute again throw me into a bus line in another town. I don't know where I'm going, but I'll do my best, right? But it's gonna it's going to happen. Or >> um there were lines that were combined. There's a shortage and a couple of lines were a couple of roots were combined and uh so my daughter's got to wait a little longer. >> It happens. >> She needs to know that. So that's where Miss meddling comes in where if they've told us that they're going to double up and I know we asked that question, are any of these going to be late? And they assured us no. So, you know, that bothers me

110because we could have made that call to say it's going to be a few minutes late. >> Yeah. >> But 20 is too too many. >> I don't Yeah, it it's happened before this, too. I don't expect a Swiss watch. It's not going to fit together like the pieces in a Swiss watch. But it's it's reached this level. And again, if it's if it's out of our control, let's just say that and tell people hope for the best. But >> well, this this isn't the first time that you told me about that particular bus because about two months ago, you had a like a like story, a similar story. >> Yeah. >> And when we looked into it, it was a a substitute driver on that bus. So, um >> I think it is again.

111>> Yeah. The first the first time, the first day, this is last week, first day, as my daughter gave up, she could tell the bus was coming. Now, again, I presume that all four days, the bus eventually came and it didn't disappear into the ether. But how long does she wait? The weather's colder now. >> Uh, she worries about getting to school on time. >> She's worried about bugging us. I never like to go home when the bus didn't show up or I missed it. That was a dreadful thing to see my mother. >> Sorry. >> But in this case, it's not my daughter's fault, you know. >> No, it's not at all. >> So, >> no. >> I would love to hear that story though, Dean. But you're missing a lot. >> There too

112many. I think I um Matt >> I'm just thinking in terms of the communication with parents there seem to to me two parts the part that Miss Medling is doing but when we know we're having a COVID related situation that's likely to continue for a while and the risk of the same thing happening after Christmas u might be consider preparing a two 300word article for the graten times and give the community a heads up that just inoculate the pain a little Um I I am going to recognize Katrina and then Beverly I see that your hand is up and then Jay. >> So Katrina, >> is it possible to put on the landing page of the website a bus update for every day? >> Yeah, we can do that. >> Along with the robocalls. It's

113probably would be where social media would be very helpful for us as well. >> Well, we're we we're we're honing in on that one. That's coming soon. >> Um >> with safeguards, >> Bev, >> thank you, Kim. Um Susan, when uh a student on the bus is exposed to CO or even has CO, are you doing contact tracing? >> Oh, yes. Bev, that's what I was saying. The principles, it's really taking a great deal of time. Um, at least this time if you're vaccinated, you can what we say is um screen and stay, but if kids aren't vaccinated and they're close contact, then they do need to have a quarantine period and get tested. So, um, you know, it's a very careful process. I would say with each case that we've seen, you might have

11410 contacts. So, let's say a school has four cases in a day times 10, that's 40 youngsters that you're, you know, checking on and seeing, you know, and if they're vaccinated, they can screen and stay, but if not, and they're that close contact without wearing a mask and sitting side by side um over a period of time, then they have to be quarantined and adults as well. So, and the scary thing is that a lot of us felt like we were vaccinated a couple times and boosted and that we should be safe, but we've even seen breakthrough cases there. So, it's still this this CO 19 pandemic is still with us unfortunately. >> We we're getting calls on a daily basis from principles looking for the videotapes on the buses so that they can do

115the contact. That's right. >> Okay. >> So, we uh run those tapes. we uh copy them over to the principal so that they can do the contact tracing. Maybe not every day, but uh it's it's often enough right now that uh I remember them. Thank you. Because I just had a uh a email this morning about whether the school was doing contact tracing from a parent who said um some of the students on her child's bus might have been exposed to CO. So, I was just wondering and also um how are we encouraging the students on the buses to keep their mask on? >> Well, I I believe the um the principles as kids are getting on the bus, remind them or whoever's out there that they wear their mask. We do keep the windows

116open slightly even in the cooler weather so that you have ventilation. and the bus drivers. Um, if we have an aid on the bus, that's al also very helpful, but we we can't get bus aids even for the buses that need the aid. So, it's unfortunate. And our bus drivers are doing the very best they can, monitoring that situation and remind kids. >> And then they have a system of being able to report if a student is not following the rules. So if they are, you know, if they're bullying each other or if they're not wearing their mask or whatever it is, they report to the school and then the administrator takes over there. And we've got a feedback system that we're going to be utilizing so that the bus company knows what's been done.

117Not person by person because we can't we have to be careful of student privacy, but just let them know the kinds of things that can be done >> for kids so that they, you know, correct their behavior, >> right? So, the bus driver is encouraging the kids to wear or telling the kids that they must wear the mask as they're getting on the bus. And I was just asked for uh more masks for the adult size or for the high schoolers because it seems that the high schoolers more so than the elementary kids are the ones that are forgetting to bring their masks with them when they get on the bus. But uh so uh >> J we deliver those to the bus company so that they can make sure that uh any child that

118uh is getting on a bus has the ability to get a mask from us. >> Um do we have a student bus policy student bus behavior policy for stu you know for students? >> Well anything that's in the handbook counts for any place that kids are whether they're in the school building on the school grounds or in the school bus. So that same level of expectation is everywhere. >> Okay. Thank you. Oh, I have a sidewalk question for Sam. Is that Sam was in charge of >> Okay. Uh are you responsible for the sidewalks close to the street or only the sidewalks in front of the school? >> Uh are you talking which school are you talking about? >> Um just say Thes River. >> River. Yes. We're responsible to get that sidewalk uh on

119the street as well. The city of Grten also uh has a sidewalk machine that they uh when it's deep snow, they go up there and do that, but we we're we are responsible for it, but they do assist us with that. >> Okay. Is there a standard size for the width of the sidewalk? >> Uh that I would have to check on, but most of the sidewalks are about five feet wide. Okay, thank you. >> Thank you, Beth. Okay, so I am going to recognize Jay, Liz, and then Rita, I see that you have your hand up. >> Just a quick follow up on that. We have a dashboard that's currently showing how many um persons in each building uh have tested positive. Do you have any numbers on how many are currently in quarantine?

120>> Um I could find out if we have the numbers quarantined. Okay. And then a quick one for Sam. Um I know I keep coming back to this, but has the request for quotation gone out on the lights for middle school turfield? >> Um meeting with an architect landscape architect tomorrow to work on that. >> Okay. >> Request for proposals. The RFP. >> Oh, you have to do the RFP first. >> I was trying not to use the alphabet soon. So then it's the RFP. >> That's right. >> Okay. >> RFP first and then >> the RFR. Yeah. So um so maybe there's hope for spring. >> That's what we're working on. >> Okay. Thank you. >> How cool would that be? >> That would be great. >> Liz, >> can I have the the

121mic? >> I think Mark say that we don't have to keep on moving it. >> No. Okay, I won't. Then um two things. First, I was at GR Middle School today and before the day Smith school, the announcement was made. You must wear your mask. It must cover your nose. It must cover your mouth. Every person riding the bus must wear your mask. And let me tell you, those administrators and teachers were out there. Yeah. And they were monitoring. So, >> I I mean, in between, you know, there's there's only so much we can do. Um, the other thing is is I wanted to say thank you to Sam and to um those the teachers and everybody who worked on getting that time schedule changed >> because I was like I said I was at

122the high the middle school today and those buses rolled out of the high school, rolled to the middle school and they were loaded and gone like within five minutes. So I got to tell you it was like what an improvement over the last time I observed that and that was only just a couple of weeks ago. But I just wanted to say thank you. >> Well, you can thank Susan. >> Well, it's a team effort. Everybody worked on that. >> So, I'm going to recognize Rita and then I'll do Katrina. Bev, is your hand still up because you have another question or is it just not Oh, okay. Rita, >> hi. Um, yes. I was wondering if Isaiah takes the bus and how what he feels about how the buses have been running. >> Um

123I actually have my license so I drive to school. >> Very good. >> Thank you. And um I was gonna I found this dashboard that um I didn't even know it it existed, but it doesn't break it down by the schools. So it like right now I'm looking at it and it says COVID cases December 13th 13 COVID cases. So that's doubled from December 10th almost. But it doesn't really break it down by school, does it? Or can you do it by school also? >> If you click there is a place to click and it'll show you. >> I'll have Tom review that for me, Rita, because I haven't looked at it like in the past week. So, I'll have >> I was going to ask later in the meeting if we could get this

124information in our board notes, but if we could get it on the website, that's fine. >> Get it. Yeah. >> And then, but also how many cases, but how many people are quarantining? >> Rita, I'm I'm sorry. If you if you're looking at the the dashboard, right above the bar graph to the >> to the left, you see it says school building names. >> Yes. And if you click on the arrow, you should be able to click off on what school you want to see. You see that? >> So, click it off or click it on. >> Right now, they're all on. So, if you wanted to just see Graten Middle School, click all the other ones off >> and then only Graten Middle School will show on the graph. You'll see the graph change

125as you click off each school. >> Yeah, I'm trying to do that. Um, now I just see it changing. So, okay. So, I wonder where all the cases are. There's only one at the high school. This is very interesting. I didn't realize we had this technology. It's wonderful. Thank you. >> Maybe we need a clearer description so people know how to do the clicking. >> And that and this dashboard is on the our website. Is that correct? >> All right. >> Yeah. Actually, there's a link right off the main page at the top. >> Yeah. Just go to gratschools.org. It's the top link. >> It says community. >> Yeah. Right. >> For assistance. All right, Katrina. >> Um, have I'm wondering about this auction, could we notify children's first so they can disseminate that information

126to the daycarees that they um communicate with. So if they would like some of those um >> that's a good idea. >> They could look >> Naen could get in touch with the children first. Ask >> Naen. >> Yep. And she can have children first. That's a really good idea. You know, we had all the town departments come in before the auction. I I'll do that tomorrow. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions for that? Awesome. Let's move on. Um so we're on to our committee reports. Uh so policy did not meet. We that was cancelled for this um curriculum. >> We did not meet. >> You did not meet and finance and facilities you did meet. Is that correct? >> Yes. So, we met on November 1st. We went over the minimum wage increase

127proposal. >> December 1st. >> Uh, November. >> November 1st. Right. Was it? >> I thought it was this one. December 6th. >> You mean this month? >> Uh, December 6th. >> I pulled the wrong minutes. I apologize. Um, I just look that up. I I do want to mention um I owed an answer back to uh Mr. Anderson about the use of technology for collecting uh money for fundraising and we didn't discuss it at the finance and facilities meeting. However, Ken is researching how other districts have done it for best practices with regard to the security of the transactions, the security of the um the credit card information, >> right? and also uh district liability for if there's a breach and all those cards are released, you know, does our car insurance cover all that?

128So, he's going to check on that with the other finance directors >> and we do have some system in place for food services. We do have a way to collect credit cards through it's called my payments plus we've mainly used in the past just for food service and for collecting AP test fees >> but we have discussed that that could be something that could be utilized for all kinds of things even student activities and you know >> for fundraising sometimes you want I'm assuming you want something that's a little more accessible say on a smartphone >> I'm not sure how you would integrate that with my payment Plus, >> so we'll have to talk to Clinton about that. He'll be a good resource for that. >> Yeah, my kids even have me on demo. >>

129I'm gonna >> Maybe you could come back to me at the end of the others and I'll look up the right the correct minutes. >> Sure. Sure. >> Um, >> so Rita, would you like to do learn? >> Oh, I would. Thank you. We started um our learn meeting with a presentation from the superintendent of schools in Old Lime. I found it very interesting that they are charging $19,000 for their students for to go to their high school from out of district, 17,000 for middle, and then any staff that wants to send their their child to an old lime school is 50% discounted. So, I thought that was extremely interesting. In special education, it's $19,000 and any additional costs the parents pay if they're from out of district. So, um, and they spend, they started

130this, oh, a number of years ago, they spend about $50,000 on marketing and they have, um, I think they have made this, you know, have tuition of $100,000. they have brought that many students back to their old lime district or students who were going to private schools and decided they'd like to go to old lime better than to the private school they were going to. So, um I'm glad to hear that we have two students and maybe we should be charging more money. I'm not sure. Um, he also talked about they had a community forum that helped them work on their strategic plan, which I thought was and they did it by Zoom, which I thought was an interesting idea because I know that is something we we want to do as a board. Um,

131learn is um the their financial officer. This is for Ken. they um and you probably might already know this, but now he is in charge of the state oil consortium and he's asking um the 169 towns in Connecticut to go in on this cons consortium so we can all save money um with our oil as a group. So I think that's wonderful. The other thing is we were told that the federal government has put out another um magnet school assistance program and learn was going to ask Grten New London and Norwich to participate again and hopefully get another wonderful five-year grant for $15 million. Let's let's hope so. >> We do have intra district magnets. >> Right. Right. But this is the magnet school assistant program. >> Right. Right. And we um we were also

132presented with the tuition raises um which were are going to impact our budget. After I looked at the what we pay for tuitions for magnet schools, the the magnet schools are going up about 1.9% but all of special ed are going is going up 5%. >> Across the board, some even 6%. So it it's going to have a real impact because I don't I know we utilize their services quite a bit. >> We do. >> So that that's thought I'd give you a heads up% but I hadn't heard the five. >> Yeah, that's some bad news. >> Well, and that's about it. It was a great meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, Rita. Um Jay, were you successful? >> I was. Um so we did meet on December 7th. We talked about um

133now that Grat Middle School's been open for a while, we talked about some of the the needs there on the athletic fields, especially netting uh near the road so that we don't have things going on into traffic um and some other issues. The town council had asked us what other things we might need there given that there is uh money left in the uh um uh in the bond issue. Can I interject that John Burke had said we're going to put together a memo? >> Okay. >> And Mark Romano is gonna help us. So, um, we might also send it to you, Jay, since you've been on that committee to make sure we haven't missed anything. >> Okay. >> And because we'll be sending that forward and they've also asked to for us to do

134the same thing for the other two new schools. So, I asked Jamie Gordano and Steve Wheeler to do the very same thing. And we'll look at that. So I I plan on sending three separate memos. One for the Grant Middle School, one for Thes River, and one for Mystic River. >> Okay. >> And see what they can do. >> And then Principal Peter Bass had some concerns uh inside the building. There's some some heating issues where areas don't get heated properly. There's some lighting issues. None of this is really major, but uh we want to bring it up before we completely close this project. Obviously, um the um Dr. Kennedy reviewed uh the report that that we actually had already looked at at the last CO for updating technology devices. Uh we did the staffing

135review for Mystic River and Dames River um for the administrator. Uh we received our budget preview and um uh Superintendent Austin mentioned the change in times at at CR Middle School >> and I tried to in my board notes forward a lot of that information to all of you so that you would also have it especially um Ken's nifty little chart that had the ratio of kids to administrator. So going to the committee um um negotiations uh that we did uh was it last week? >> Yeah, >> last week um the negotiating team did meet with the union um and were at a pause. Um there was no town council RTM or board of ed leaison or AGSA GE board of ed leaison gotten scholarships. Um we don't have anyone going to that yet. So

136we there's a report athletic fields Jay. >> Uh yeah they're not meeting this month uh again um due to the uh meeting guidance from town council. >> Okay. And then um state council it's April so we'll wait for that in April. Um so I am going to move us on to the action items. Um and so the consent agenda is where all matters list aged under the consent agenda are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion um with points of clarification allowed. And so I'll entertain a motion for approval of the regular meeting minutes of November 22nd, 20121. >> So moved. >> Thank you, Dean. Can I have a second? Liz, any discussion? Katrina, >> there's three typos that I saw. I don't know if I addressed that this here or

137should I email someone. >> Um, you can just give them to Joan. >> Okay. >> But there's just it's typos. It's nothing for changing. >> Okay. >> I can see that. Any other discussion? >> Thank you, Isaac. >> Thank you for having me. Um, so all those in favor of the approval of the regular meeting minutes of the November 22nd, 2021 with the typos being sent to Joan, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose. >> Abstain. >> I. Bev Washington. >> All right. Um, Liz, would you be willing to uh read uh under old business the motion for number one? Um motion is to approve policy P4118.239 COID9 vaccinations as a second reading. >> Can I have a second to that? >> I'll second it. >> Thank you Katrina. Discussion Matt

138and Katrina. >> Katrina go first. >> No, you raised your hand first. >> It doesn't matter. >> Thank you for joining us. United States. Um, I've been following these discussions uh on Zoom before I joined the board, but it was only this past weekend that I got to read the language in the actual text. And uh I unreservedly support the goals embedded in the text, but it specific language raises concerns that the draft policy may unintentionally expose our district to unnecessary litigation. I'll only mention two things though verified. Among these concerns are both its articulated process for handling religious exemption requests and the absence of any appeal process. both of which are explicitly set out in the selective service systems process for religious exemptions in their case for military service. But it is a process

139both in how the discussions with the applicant are handled and appeals processes. So everybody is guaranteed due process. Uh, I think it's a relatively easy fix, but I would respectfully move to recommmit the proposed vaccination policy P4118-239 to the policy committee for further review and consideration. I have some supporting data if the board so moves. >> Okay. Thank you, Katrina. >> I would just agree with everything M said. >> Okay. Okay. So, that's your >> Yeah, we need we need a couple good members on that policy committee. We've lost a couple good members. So, >> well, he's he's he's made a motion, >> right? You made a motion, Matt. >> No, a recommendation. >> Oh, okay. >> I don't understand the whole process yet. So, I'm I'm just sharing my thoughts and I trust you

140guys to handle it. >> Well, you sound good. >> Sure did. But isn't it actually, this is where we have to get out of Roberts maybe, but isn't this actually a motion to recommit that we have to vote on rather than voting on the Don't we have to vote on this first? >> Well, it sounds like he didn't intend the motion. >> Oh, okay. I thought he moved to recommit. So, okay. >> He didn't get >> Okay. >> He didn't understand. >> I trust you guys know what I have in mind. She decide how you want to handle it. I I think I think your intent is is that you would like us not to move forward and voting this um fully as a second meeting, but to put this back into policy. I think

141that's your intent. >> Okay. So, that is what his idea is is to not to >> So, I would I would second that. >> Okay. But that's not a motion yet. >> Oh, but we have an open motion on the floor right now. So, >> we apparently don't because he didn't intend the motion and didn't use the magic. >> No, no, no. But we have we have we have to approve it. >> We have the motion to approve that motion. >> Yes, that motion. >> We don't have any other motion. I I thought a motion to recommit went over the >> It does, but he doesn't intend the motion. Okay. >> If you guys are comfortable with >> who's on first. >> No, it's just it's just a question of what he meant. >> If

142we vote no on it, doesn't it automatically go back to committee? >> I would assume solve our problem. >> Yeah. >> All right. I yeah I I it doesn't matter to me whether it's a specific motion to recommit or whether it just goes back by default which is pretty much how a lot of this stuff happens happens anyway frankly >> um I I'll have something to say but go through other people already raised their hands so >> I I think I did >> okay um I voted against this thing the last time for any number of reasons but I I would bring this up there's a there's a reference to executive order 13D >> for PhD in the first. >> Oh, the very first paragraph. Okay. >> It says, you know, pursuant to >> Oh,

143yeah. Got it. >> Okay. In accordance with >> um on September 10th, >> executive order 13G expressly superseded 13D. Now, the interesting thing, I wasn't here for the genesis of this document. The interesting thing is that our policy while it tracks 13D also partially tracks 13G. In other words, there's language in the policy that you find in G but not in D as though the al the original author had seen G as well or maybe another draft of D. I don't know. But I will say that G again adopted September 10th does specifically revoke D. Now why does that matter? What's the difference between G and D? G came out I'm only paraphrasing. G came out because there were concerns about some of the provisions in D. Now in both D and G for the

144public, it deals with all sorts of uh it covers other areas other than school boards and school um school employees. But one of the things that I picked up other than a few language shifts here and there is under the original D and in our proposed policy, the district is responsible for uh authenticating the vaccination status of people who work or contractors to the district. D called for that. G says the contractors are responsible for ensuring the vaccination status of their employees, their workers. So that's one significant one significant difference. And I will bring up something else as well. Neither of these policies addresses the situation where a woman who is pregnant is considered by the EEOC to be exempt following ADA, etc., etc., etc. It's not simply the existence of the pregnancy itself, but

145there is an unanswered issue with respect to either of these executive orders that when they say you're exempt because your doctor said uh that the vaccine could cause you a problem or there's a religious exemption that you've gotten, that it may or may not cover pregnancies, which the EOC has recognized as an exemption, but neither of these do. It would be a simple fix. I suppose we could add it in. Um, one could argue that, you know, that it's already covered because you've got a medical exemption in there, but, uh, it probably should be made more explicit. The bottom line is I would be in favor of sending this back to, you know, for for further digestion. >> It sounds like a good idea to me. >> Well, is there any more discussion? All right.

146All those in favor? So, your notes and your notes, if you could send them forward to me. >> Oh, Bev, do you have your hand up? >> Can we make a second motion to send it back to committee? >> Actually, on the board. Do you only have one motion at a time or can you have two motions >> on the floor? >> You could have a recommit. >> We could have a recommit is what Dean was saying. But I think Bev what we were saying is that if we just actually don't pass this motion um it's going it's going to go back to for sec um go back to the policy committee. >> Okay. >> So it's so it's I think um maybe there's many many roads that lead lead us there. So, >> I

147will point out one thing though, Kim, if you'll allow me the license. If we vote no, our understanding is that that automatically, now that I'm thinking through this, >> right, >> is that automatically goes back to the committee, but it could also be interpreted in a very neutral fashion as >> we do not approve of the policy, right? >> And it's dead. >> Okay? >> So, we should probably somewhere along the way for the record say we want this to go back to the policy committee, >> but we don't approve of the policy as written, right? So ultimately we do not approve of the policy. >> Right? >> So if the initial motion was withdrawn made the initial motion and second that motion then we can go right to a recommit motion without having to

148say no. >> Yeah that's a that's an interesting area. Can you because we do this all the time. I've seen it before. People will withdraw a second and withdraw the motion and we you know we let all that go. We're not, you know, that we're pretentive about these things, but that's people's wish. It just has to be clear what we're doing. >> Okay. So, can I just Jay >> I was going to ask John [Music] how we should we proceed if we want to send this back to >> normally from what I'm remembering a motion would be made to defer this policy back to policy >> and that overrides the underlying motion that's on the floor. >> Yes, >> I'll make a motion. >> I'll make that motion. >> Okay. So, make the motion >>

149to um send P4118.239 back to the policy committee. >> Can I have a second on that? >> Second. >> All right. Liz seconded it. Any discussion? All those in favor of moving the policy P4118.239 239. Um, back to policy. Please say I >> I >> oppose. Abstain. That motion has been carried. Good discussion, folks. >> Um, okay. >> Kim, before you move on, I just want there are some typos in this policy that when it goes back to the committee, the policy committee, maybe they could address. So maybe Rita, if you saw the typos, if you could send that to Susan so that when she leads the policy committee, um she will she'll have those typos. >> And I'll have Erica do a real close read on it, too. >> And um Mike, I have

150another question. Who is does it say in there who is responsible for paying for testing for the staff that do not um receive the vaccine for some exemption? I think it's 6% that we have right now in our district. And I would like to know who pays for the weekly testing. >> Yeah, it's a good question. It's not in policy. It's not >> what I can do is when we bring it back to policy, Lori will be there because Lori really as our HR director has been implementing this already, you know, honestly because the executive order happened back in September, >> right? >> Oh, and it's very important that if someone, you know, that that the district shouldn't be paying for the testing. I mean, that's my feeling, but I don't know how other people

151feel about it or what the common practice is, but we could maybe find out. I don't think they are. We've actually given out sites that are still doing this for free or if people have their medical card and using their own bathroom, but I don't know that they but I'll double check. >> Yeah, the teachers. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um and my understanding from the fact that we would like to have the next motion or the next item um go back to the committee of the whole I say that do now. So Dean, I'm going to lean on you again. So would you just have that table? >> No. Move to refer the matter to the committee of the whole. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Just as you said. >> Oh, that's your motion. I

152have a second on his motion, please. >> Second, Mr. >> And um >> Sorry, Chris. >> Any um any any discussion on that? >> I think we already had um >> right, but I'm just making sure that we're doing the right thing. So, um, all those in favor of moving the 2022 23 school calendar, um, back to the, um, committee, the whole, please say I. >> I oppose. Abstain. That has also happened. All right. Um, Jay, would you be willing to read um the motion under new business number two? >> Yes. I move to recognize January 18th, 2022 as National Maintenance Day and to direct the superintendent of schools to send a letter of appreciation to the maintenance staff. >> I have a second to that, please. >> I'll second that. >> Andrea has second.

153Did Did that any discussion? >> Do we like give them cookies or a cake or anything? >> I I do these really cute cards and I send you all the cards. I'm sure we could make >> we have a lot of groups that go through this like all of our teachers. So I don't know that we've actually done that but we have done nice cookouts for them and things like that you know. >> Okay, >> but I do I do take time in sending a really nice personal note and a card kind of things that I make. >> Thank you >> I do do that too at central office a lot. Any other questions or discussion on that? Hearing none. Um the all those in favor um of the motion to recognize January 18th, 2022

154as National Maintenance Day and to direct the superintendent of schools to send a letter of appreciation to the M maintenance staff. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Abstain. That motion has carried. All right, we're at the um information proposals. um letters and communications and comments. Dean, do you have anything? >> Um nothing really other than um want to thank the voters for sending me here. I guess I should be thanking them. Um and I know we're going to have differences, but that's okay. That's allowed. That's encouraged. Uh it can be exciting at times. I'm sure we'll work together and I I wish the board success in I can't say the board has a term because we're staggered, but I I wish us success in the coming year or two after that.

155You're on your own. >> Actually, I'll still be here. You'll be back. >> Dean, I am um very thankful that you are here and um you you add you're I have learned a lot just through your comments and questions. So, I really appreciate that. Liz. >> Um, I I've not had any communications letters. It's It's been kind of quiet in my end of the world, but I just want to say welcome to Especially Welcome back, Katrina. Welcome, Matthew. Um, and I'm thrilled that Andrea and Dean and Beverly is back. So, we're all, you know, this is going to be quite an interesting group and I it's really kind of cool to have new voices, new ideas. So, I'm looking forward to it. >> Thank you, Liz. I'm gonna shoot to the board. Beverly, do you

156have anything? >> Thank you, Kim. Um, some, um, somebody emailed me and they asked me some questions and I don't know the and they had comments. The first one had to do with the dashboard. They asked that the dashboard graph, they said the dashboard graph needs to be larger. it only fits 10 cases per day and maybe you can make it larger fit 15 or 20 cases per day. They also asked to make sure the vaccine clinics are on the website and to make sure that the website is updated because they're saying that the um the data on the website is not updated and it needs to reflect when you're going to have the vaccine clinics in the school district. Also, they asked uh where is the testing program in the Graten district? I don't

157know. I didn't know the answer to that. Do you have a testing program? >> No, we don't have testing in the schools. Parent, we do give parents the information on where they can get the testing and where it's still free of charge. >> Okay. And that's all I have. Thank you. Can I just mention that the number of cases shown on the graph is 20. That's the highest number on the dashboard. >> Just thank you. >> It wasn't 10. >> Okay. >> And we've been trying to communicate almost I feel like overly communicate. We've had eight vaccination clinics at Fitch to date. We had six additional um pediatric vaccination clinics at the five elementary and the one middle school. They will be coming back I think over the holidays and I'll make sure that we

158put it out loud and clear so families will know um about the vaccination clinics and we probably will have another one after that. So just like we did at Fitch I kind of have it repeated monthto month until we feel like um families have really had access to it. So thank you for that information. >> Well thank you superintendent. Ju just a quick uh note that I know that some of those clinics filled so quickly based on the email that there wouldn't have even been time to post them on the website. >> That's true. But sometimes we do find that people don't show. So still people can come in >> and that's what they did even at the elementaryaries that they didn't have to sign up that they could just walk in >> and we

159were able to manage them. But you're right as we went through >> I tried to sign one up and it was within hours it had already filled. >> I know. But then we were finding that it did open up again. Okay. >> So I don't know if that was people um you know >> people can >> cancelled. Yeah. So kind of keep trying with those things I guess. >> Rita. >> Yes. I'd like to welcome all the board members and congratulate them on their elections. Um and wish everybody um happy the holiday season. I hope everything is wonderful. But my my concern that was this is for um Susan is that the you gave us our data on suspensions in school and out of school. Um to me they seem quite high and I was

160wondering if we could have a discussion at a COW meeting about them. >> Absolutely. I'd be happy to add that to our agenda. >> Thank you. Um, thank you, Rita Jay. >> Um, well, I second Liz and Rita and uh welcoming uh the new board members, new and old returning. Yep. Looking forward to working with you all. >> Katrina, >> I've got a lot. >> All right. Um, I went to the kid conference that a lot of us attended. I also attended the the new board member orientation and brought up lots of information that I think might not only be is has not only been helpful to me but maybe some of our older members to refocus. Um I would like I don't know where to what committee to send. I'd like to look at

161our bylaws so that we can get this committing referrals um done on paper and come to a conclusion on that. >> I'm not quite sure if I'm following you. >> There's been discussion about how to accept referrals and to p and to send them to committees, >> right? We will have to open our bylaws to look at that or a 900 series, whatever it would be. >> Yeah. >> I don't know what committee would would examine that or if we would need an ad hoc committee to do that or if there's already one in progress. >> So, we actually do have an ad hoc committee already in progress looking at the 9,000. Um, and do you know do you remember off the top? >> No, I sent it to you. I don't remember. >> Okay.

162I I looked I looked for for >> I don't remember seeing couldn't find it. >> Okay, then I'll resend it to you. Um but Andrea and I are the ad hoc committee and I'll go back and see what I can find. And I don't honestly Andrea, do you remember working on the referral process? >> No. >> Okay. So, we still are meeting so we'll get we'll we'll look at that. Okay. I I also know Katrina I'm thinking more about that actually because of a comment that Dean had stated a a while ago about the fact that this is actually the meeting make sure I understand you correctly is that this is the meeting that we actually send our agenda items to the different things because this is a regular board meeting. What came to me

163in the dead of night and literally in the dead of night is that we moved it to the committee as a whole because our this meeting got so cumbersome and so long and so that's why we did what we were doing. But I would like to institute us coming back to because it makes I mean once you said it it's logical you have a regular board of ed meeting and things come up and you send them out to a send them out to a committee. >> So I think that means more conversation. >> Yep. Okay. Um, Susan, in your next board notes, can you update us on this? I think it's called student voices, the 20K from the state and what's going on with that. >> So, they filled up so fast that they're going

164to do one first cohort and then those of us who signed up, I I think they're going to be opening it up for the next cohort, but I will double check with the state what the time frame is. just a brief description maybe two or three sentences on what that is. >> Okay. >> Um before committees are um formed, could we get a short paragraph for what each committee's responsibilities are to give people a better sense of what they're getting into? So I that's what that's my typical practice, okay, is is that when I send out an email, these are like this is what's from our nine our 9,000 series. This is what each of the committees say, >> right? Um I think maybe I'll do the rest of the next. >> Oh, I do

165want to mention this. I am a member of the town DEI committee. So, um, if there's conversation about getting people together, I'd like to involve that. >> Good. Yeah. I just think it makes sense. We did get together, I think, over the summer, but I think we should periodically put it in the schedule for kind of like the liaison meeting >> it to partner. >> Okay. Matthew, >> at its November meeting, the Graten Public Libraries Advisory Board greenlighted the process of crafting a path to attract one or several Graten High School students, possibly also the other high schools in the town of Brtton to serve as non- voting representatives on the board. Uh, I think they might have seen what the board of education did and actually liked it. Uh this Wednesday's meeting agenda will

166include further discussion on proposed student rep scope of work and the draft application process. Changing topics, the advisory board is also looking forward to eventual initiation proposed system to allow students to access borrowing and support services from the Graten Public Library using their Gronen School District ID cards with and this was added with the hope that these initiatives may lead to further shared services to benefit. >> That's it. >> That's really cool. That's the one card that we've been talking about. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And I think we're getting close to being ready. >> We are. >> So that's that's great. Andrea, I just want to say what everybody else said. So that's part of my my feedback is that what everybody else said I feel strongly about too. And I I see this as

167a strong caring board. And I think that those conversations that we are going to have are going to be rich and absolutely student centered. So welcome to everybody and we welcome to everybody and the biggest thing joy that I had tonight was to nominate. Thank you. And one other thing is doc Dr. Martin Luther King at the medical service will be on Sunday of the of Dr. King's weekend. It will be at 3:00 and it will be virtual. So, I'll make sure that I get the information from you to put in board notes as a reminder for everybody and put it out there with the Zoom link attached so you'll have it. >> Thank you so much. >> Yeah, it's a wonderful service. I can't wait for the day that we can go back in

168person. >> Oh, yes. >> Would that be on his birthday or >> It's that Sunday. I it's either the 16th or the 17th. >> Um so my first thing is I just wanted to say thank you um all for your um your vote of confidence in me uh for giving you another year as a chair and I'm um I take that seriously and I am um I take that humbly and I am honored to serve um as a chair of this board. So I just wanted to say thank you about that. Um I um this is sort of on the same lines of your conversation uh Katrina about subcommittees. Um I just think that there's a couple subcommittees that we might want to be thinking about once again. Um we're doing a lot more of

169the social media stuff and communication and I just think it would be nice to um to kind of revive that committee. And I'm going to um ask Rita and Bev at at one point we did have a communications com um subcommittee. Is that correct? >> Yes, >> we did. >> Okay. And I just think that it might make sense for us to kind of put that back into our fold um and then maybe come up with some charges around that. So, I'm actually thinking about throwing that into a committee of the whole meeting relatively quickly so that we can then get the committee assignments and get the work of the board. >> I put my pen away. I'm going to add that. >> See see um and so um just I um before we go

170into whether we have other referral items um that we need to to to handle, please look at our calendar. It is very busy in January. Um but and also we're going to have that public hearing which is January 18th. So that's a Monday. So um uh Martin Luther King is on the 17th. Um >> so just uh just to kind of remind you to give the heads up. I also we have in the past had a meeting with the town council and um the RTM. That was something that we started a couple years ago and so anticipate that that's going to be some hopefully that will be somewhere in the mix. I don't know if the other bodies um would like to do that or not. >> Is that this one, Kim? Or it says

171January 5th. >> No, no, that's that leazison which is going to that's not a time period that that's working. That's a working committee. >> Okay. >> Um in the past, Liz, that's a really good question. In the past, um and Rita, I think it's been kind of forever. Um and Bev, please also um weigh in on this if you would like. Um is we've we've met with a town council to hear about sort of what they're thinking we're going to what they need from us from as a on a budgetary um experience and I um a couple years ago with Patrice and Simma, we combined all bodies and to be together and so obviously we probably have to be in virtual. So just just keeping keep Mark on those dates. And now we're down for

172agenda items. And so I have I have an agenda item that needs to go to the committee of the whole, but I forgot to write the topic. So I have a couple. So we want to talk about um behavioral data, expulsion, suspension. That's what it proactive measures that we're using and how these are being handled. We also wanted to talk about the school calendar in the CO and um >> and then policy we're going to bring >> you on student voices in my update and also on you know we'll look at the quarantining and the cases y >> and how those are outlined and I'll share that new link with you and then also the policies going back to policy >> and policies going back to policy >> de >> right so Katrina Ina anticipated

173uh one of the things I was going to mention which is a formal we've discussed it before formal discussion of just exactly how does business move around. Um this is a general critique you sometimes hear with respect to governmental bodies. I remember hearing this many years ago with respect to the council and how it worked with a then town manager many years ago that uh who generates the business. Is it the council that generates its own business or is the town manager running his own agenda? That kind of a thing. That's true up to a point. It's not as though there's a vacuum and the board has nothing to do until Susan comes up with things for us to think about. There's already a lot of things that come at us. If we did >>

174I'm taking notes from you though. If we did nothing, the agenda makes itself basically. But I think it is worthwhile to once in a while u sit down and say how does the business move around? I have not heard anybody say hey how can you generate business in your committees. Strictly speaking by Roberts what you said is correct that the board would refer business to the committees. That said the committee of the whole is a standing committee. The finance committee is a standing curriculum policy. These are all standing committees and they have probably an unwritten remmit to deal with their business and it might be too cumbersome for the board to specifically refer things. It can, but to to to specifically refer things to the committees otherwise they don't operate. We seem to be okay

175with that but we can go one of two ways. either everything originates from the board to the cow or the other committees or the committees have a remmit to generate their own topics if you will. Whatever that is, whatever we come to, I think we should probably just have a specific policy on that. How business is generated and where does it go. Uh the other thing I wanted to bring up had to do with communications. Again, this has been touched on. Um the most recent incident at the high school generated a call from the principal uh who said basically the the bare minimum what what he thought was prudent to say that there was somebody on campus who shouldn't have been there he wasn't in the building it was taken care of nothing to worry

176about some parents have expressed a concern to me that they wanted more information especially in the wake of what happened at NFA so it's a balance either you say nothing or you tell the entire lurid tale or whatever it is and there's a balance in the middle that's never whatever you strike is never going to please everybody. So, you're kind of guessing what would be the appropriate balance that satisfies most parents. It sounded to me like people wanted a little more information, not just something happened and we took care of it. I'm not blaming the administration. I'm just saying that the administration has struck a balance and some parents at least would like a little more information there. Of course, Principal Keller said they're welcome to contact me. I can't go down a list of

177what didn't happen and what we didn't find. you know, we didn't find a weapon. We didn't find a chainsaw. We didn't, you know, >> you know, that kind of >> found a kid sleeping in the car. >> Yeah. Well, exactly. So, I don't think people want to know who it was. I don't think they want a lot of details, but they seem they seem to want a little more detail. >> So, I think he did respond because he sensed that the kids were still nervous. So, he did make a couple announcements, right? And then I think he did send a follow-up message to families. So, um, you know, I think as you're going through sometimes these emergencies that you're really not so sure, you know, what's happening, you're partnering with the police and I have

178to big shout out to our police department in LJ Fisaro who spent a few evenings, you know, working through some of these things with us. So the partnering is really important and sometimes when you have the police then come in to investigate whether it's a person who shouldn't be on campus or anything we really have to abide by their then investigation and giving out information as you know as best we can but without you know giving any other descriptors. No, for example, if somebody and you know, it's it's not it's not a military base. It's not, you know, like that and we don't want it like that. But I mean, anybody could basically drive up or walk up, run up to the cafeteria window while lunch is in session, make faces, and then run away.

179Now, security will take care of this at some point. They don't chase the person out, they'll pick them up. >> It sounded to me like parents would say, >> "Okay, so somebody was on on campus that shouldn't have been there and was taken care of." They want to know a little more like, yeah, the person ran up, made faces in the window, and then ran away. So that they're assured there wasn't anything more serious because when people hear security was involved or police was involved or it was all wrapped up, they don't know what to think anymore. Should they presume that we quote overreacted out of an abundance of caution given the environment that we're in? >> That's I think >> they don't know. Another thing is >> I don't know that everybody understands the

180distinction between a situation where everybody stays in the building but otherwise carry on which is what happened or everybody stay in your classroom but carry on in the classroom that's two different levels of of precaution >> and then there's total lockdown where you're in a corner >> well yeah everything gets shut down that when people understand but when when people hear well we the word isn't lockown it's something else when people hear well we quote lockdown but that means everybody just stays in the That sounds more serious than it really is. The kids supposed to be in the building anyway unless they're out of the out of the field. So, this leads me to a larger a larger point that I want to make again for a probably for a referral to the cow or

181maybe another committee which is >> that should probably be part of the discussion that we have. >> We all get one small thing because I have heard people say well I I contact the board but you know I don't get a response or something like that. What happens quite often is people will contact individual board members if they remember the email or they find the email but there is a generic I forget what it is. There's a generic email address people could use and that would distribute that message to all the board members because people will say well I got a message I got a message. Well I didn't why didn't I? >> But because they they named Jay, they named Liz. They didn't name me. I >> I think we added that link right

182on the website tool. >> All right. I mean ultimately it's up to the the the sender to you know use the appropriate email but when we get as board members individual requests okay we can talk to the person this gets to the question of are we nine people a board of nine people or nine people that happen to be a board so you know are we pure conduit so if somebody says hey I need to talk to you about something and I automatically pass it on to Susan so Susan's now dealing with nine people do we filter some things do we just use our judgment How is this working? >> You know, again, so we should we just say, "Nope, no one's talking except Kim. Kim's the chair. Everything goes through Kim." Kim will respond.

183You know, that that's kind of an extreme position. I think people want to hear from individual board members, but how loose should we be in communicating with the public? That's one. Two, policy with respect to administration, communicating with parents. You again, how much information should we give out? Should we juice it up? I thought it would juice it up. But I mean, should we provide a little more detail without revealing how we handle security, without revealing identities of minors um so that people get a better understanding of what's going on should there be an incident so they feel better. Seems to be people are looking for just, you know, a little bit more that I think I don't know if this can ultimately be nailed down into a concrete policy or or some sort of

184action item. Last thing we we have a great tendency here and everywhere else to focus on um what's ailing you know what are the problems what are the the usual whack-a-ole that we do you know whether it's a student performance or you know the facilities or whatnot and I'm thinking you know what once in a while not to not to have happy talk all the time artificial happy talk all the time find a thing that the school's doing I don't care which school it is but take the take the high We've got just the one that it's doing or a couple things that it's doing that are just out of the park, right? And we all talk about and we recognize the aluminum falcons, okay? And we wish them well. I would like to see

185and I don't mean to have that, you know, robotics dominate, you know, our district, but it would be kind of cool when people think graten robotics or graten something the way you think stow skiing, that sort of thing. So take that. It's already good. Push it. So I would like to be in closer communication with I know the high school component of it. The aluminum Falcons are I'm not going to say self. They run on their own. They've got sponsors. They've got a space now for as long as they get up. Maybe more so. But I don't think we have an established theater. We sometimes have a middle school program that would ease them into robotics in high school and sometimes we don't. Never mind the elementary schools. I would like to have a closer

186cooperation with them. Ask them what they want, what we can what can we do for them, space, time, money, people. We'll see if we can accommodate them. I'm thinking take something that's that we do great and make it the the star on top of the tree, if you will, okay? And push that one. I think that could be an engine to drive a lot of other things. People will say, "Damn it, we do something really great. We can do another thing really great, whatever that is." And I don't care whether it's robotics, a swim team, football, something academic. It really doesn't matter to me, but we already have that. Let's go. Let's run with that. So, >> well, I I did try to stress that getting the second national blue ribbon in five years was

187quite an accomplishment, and that was a district-wide accomplish accomplishment. >> Yep. >> For all kinds of reasons. Closing up an achievement gap and military children that are transient. So there there are things that I agree that you need to highlight because even during these COVID times when things are stressful and we're like playing whack-a-ole like you said, >> it's good to hear well what is going right with the schools. >> Yeah, I think take that one. Be active with us. >> Sorry. >> That probably be >> one second, Rita. I got Liz talking and then I'll recognize you. >> Sorry. I think that is a perfect example of how the communication subcommittee can be very very proactive and I think that's a wonderful thing. Okay. Um after I do have something I forgot to mention

188earlier that would be a referral to the financing facilities. You want me to go now? >> Please do. >> Okay. Um I received a communicate I'm sorry I forgot to tell you this um from the principal at Sacred Heart and she would like um there is a program a state program about um loan textbook loaning I don't remember the whole thing but she sent me a document and I would like the finance and facilities to look at what this textbook loan or um program is that um is that's part of the state program. And so I want us to investigate that our our financing facilities. >> Now, does she want to to do this loaning? Does she want >> She wants us to be able to loan to the Graten public school, the Graten students

189that are within her school. Her school isund and some odd kids. The thing is is that this is a program that is in that is comes down from the state, a directive from the state about supporting Grten students that go to private schools within Grten, not within another district but within Grten. So she um she sent me the document of uh and the directive number, the order. So I wanted to give that I think that's a referral that we need to go into finance the facilities. I I would want to have it have make sure that the superintendent takes a look at it first. >> All right. Then I will send it I will forward it to you Susan >> and then you and I can talk about where it needs to be. >> Yeah.

190I meant to um >> I can get more details about it too at the state department. >> Yeah. Okay. So I will send it to you and then go from there. Thank you. That's all I have. Lita. >> Yes. Um I wanted to address something that Dean was talking about. At one time we we held our committee of the whole meetings. Well, we used to have one, not not two, um at a different school and the school at the time would present whether it was the students would do a little performance or maybe it was um I remember Charles Barnum one time it was about the computer work they were doing. So, um, you know, I know we've gotten away from that and because of the pandemic, it it probably won't be coming back right

191away, but holding the meetings at a different school was really wonderful. So I mean then we focused on on a particular school and then they shared with us something special they were doing >> and and it was great to see students and not you know not just the two high school students that come to our board meetings but a lot of different students. So hopefully we can get back to that when things get back to normal. >> That was about 20 years ago. No, it was in my It was in my lifetime at the beginning of Mike and I had that happening in the beginning. Yeah. And I think people were getting lost like people weren't getting to the CO. There was some confusion. >> Well, once in a while they they wouldn't know exactly

192where we were, but they can't speak at a CO anyway. It was we but we held our board meetings always in the same place. >> Yeah, that's all. But I agree. It'd be great to focus on the positive. >> Yeah, I'm laughing just because sometimes I think that we we talk about all the positive things that are going on and sometimes we get snuck up on because we don't hear all the stuff that's not happening. So, I'm laughing kind of going, okay, so there's there's also got to be a balance around that. Um, but we got some really good things going. Some of the stuff I think I would love to um have us do in a retreat because I just think that that just is a time when we can have a little bit

193more freedom around how we talk about things. So um maybe just the business of the board like how do we do that? Um feels like that that would make a lot of sense. But um let me think about that and get back to you all. >> And it's going to be hard to figure out a CO because we just canled our CO because we have all these budget workshops. >> But we might but we might need to bring that one back. But we'll we might read you. >> Do you have a >> I do. I do. Uh I showed some time to read our emergency plan uh based on what's happened in our country all over the place recently and not so recently. And uh I'd like to know if somebody could let me know

194when the last time this plan was reviewed uh and the processes by which further review might be considered. there is some u evolution in the problems that schools face that are not reflected in the plan in my opinion. >> So I would turn that over to Sam. He actually runs the safe school um team and they do it annually to upgrade every single one. So we're not going to answer the question tonight. That's just a referral. >> Yeah. Just referral finance. >> And I'd be glad to meet people too. Um, >> yeah, I have >> I think finance and facilities is where it would go. >> Yeah, >> your agendas again. >> Yes. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Happy holidays. Happy holidays.