001really great opportunities for the students on their own. >> It's very cute. We work really hard to those [laughter] that price point low so that um students can also um kind of keep that inclusive. We also have planned for this week across the three elementary schools of staff treat bar. So things like cookie swap, holiday um celebration to really recognize and um thank the staff for all that they do break for recess. >> I also wanted to highlight something that the um Hill and Plane PTO has going on this year. So in addition to our um regularly scheduled programming, we've actually created a partnership with Kind Works. So if you're familiar with the Ben Bells organization, they closed their chapter in 2024 in Connecticut. and kind works kind of emerged as the organization that was
002going to continue that legacy. So Hill and Plane will be having a be kind mural installed on our government laptop. So it'll be something that the students see every day at drop off and during recess as a visual reminder of the important um message of being kind. So, if you've if you've been to local schools like Chapag or Bethl High School or New Town and Brookfield, you'll have seen that flower mural. And so, that's what we're going to be bringing. Very excited about that. Not only will it be a legacy, right? It'll stay as long as that building um remains intact. Um but our students get to actually help participate in the creation of that mural. So, our second graders next month in January will be rolling the clay and using the cutters to make
003all of the different shapes for the tiles that we'll be um included in the mural. And then our younger grades, our first grade, kindergarten excel, they will be in art class getting a chance to do one of the paint coats um for that mural. So, it'll be a community um art installation. Our families um will be invited to help install the mural, and we'd love to extend the invite to all of you as well. um that last week of April, weather depending. So, we're very excited about it. Um hopefully we'll continue the be kind message. We kind of leaned into that theme this year. We did a a be kind challenge um for the 67th day of school. So, we asked kids to [laughter] do six or seven kind things and tell us about it.
004So, they all submitted their list and got a little um bracelet that said I'm kind and then 67 just, you know, lean into that. um while that's a trend. So, just very excited. Thanks again for having me. Um >> we'll talk soon. >> Thank you. >> On to Mark and Penny for the student representative reports. >> To start off with Northville, um they're making uh their marking period ended and the new progress reports went home on Friday. The progress reports a tool for communicating a child's progress towards grade level standards. And then um students and staff celebrated the townwide spirit day of ugly sweater day. Um then on the 23rd they will have a schoolwide pajama day. It's a day families can donate $1 to go toward CCMC. Uh pajama day refers to schools in
005Connecticut participating in PJ day for the kids. is a fundraiser supporting uh Connecticut Children's Medical Center and Kids with Cancer where everyone wears pajamas to show solidarity, raise funds for care and research, and honor kids in hospital pajamas. In Hill and Plane, hard work and learning continues at Hill and Plane, even through fun traditions as everyone gears up for winter break. Before Thanksgiving break, students had their annual fancy dress up day enjoying a Friendsgiving Fest with battery operated candles and jazz music playing. Kindergarten marked the 50th day of school with a 1950s style sock hop. While first grade showcased creativity during their annual balloons over Broadway parade inspired by the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, um their lab classroom teachers had lab classroom colleagues from SMS and NMHs visit to see feedback. liter literacy strategies and
006students in action. And finally, the NMHS children's lit students visited uh Hill and Plane after they brainstormed, wrote, edited, published, and illustrated their own book sharing their work with all the classes. And then at um Sarah Noble, oh no, at Sarah Noble, their new progress reports went home to families. um they are excited about the changes to this report and addition of the narrative comments to illustrate how their students are doing for their families. This past month, their fifth grade classes um each year sponsor a child through the Santa Fe. Additionally, SNIS is raising money for families in need again this year. Miss Hanlet, their social worker, accepted a 20 200 two sorry, $2,500 donation uh to that end from the Brian Cody Brothers and Sisters Fund. All the money is spent in supporting families
007from SNIS that needed assistance. Finally, uh it's concert season and SNIS students performed in four concerts over the last few weeks under the direction of Miss White, their instrumental teacher, and Mr. Gabriel, their coral director. And as um SMS held a staff volleyball game, the SMS PTO brought together the Scholastic book fair. The SMS dramatics club held their annual performance and the chorus went to Chestnut Grove to perform. They're looking forward to the band and chorus concerts this week and the chorus is looking forward to performing at town hall tomorrow. And we had no report from NMHS. >> Thank you. >> Okay, we're going to move on to approval of the minutes. I need a motion. >> Thanks, guys. Thank you. >> Thank you. Have a nice holiday. >> Merry Christmas. I need a motion
008to approve the following board of education meeting minutes. The regular meeting minutes, November 18, 2025. The special meeting minutes November 18th, 2025. And special meeting minutes, November 24th, 2025. >> Tom, >> that was Brian. >> Oh, that was Brian. Stop. >> Brian and Dean, >> you're also nominated handmade, not me. [laughter] There you go. >> Any discussion on these? >> You know, >> item to discuss. >> Um I I I have a a slight amendment to request. >> Okay. Um under the regular meeting minutes of November 18th, um under the employment report, it's on page 13 of our um agenda package. Uh there's a sentence says, "Mr. O'Brien stated he is happy there are not any non-certified staff resignations. Um like to ask the word non be deleted because what I what I said was
009I was happy there are not any certified staff resignations. Speaking to teachers, which in a number of previous meetings, our employment report listed um resignations of teachers with the description below saying accepted a position in another district. So, I was staying the fact and I'm glad that that's >> okay. Just do we need to make a motion or can we just update? >> We usually what we usually do is we don't require a motion for the minutes to be updated. We let this meeting and the record reflect in our current minutes. So when our minutes are processed off of this meeting, it'll reflect that you went on record with the clear motion. [clears throat] So you can't go back and replace them with the town. So we do it this way. >> All right. Noted.
010Thank you. Got that. Miss Allard. >> This is more of a procedural thing. I wasn't at the uh meeting on 24th. Are we going to vote for these all together at one? >> I can certainly separate them out if we want to do that. >> Am I correct? Even if you're not at a meeting, you can approve meeting uh minutes. >> Absolutely can. That's what I always can tell you how to vote. You can always absolutely can approve minutes even if you were not present. >> You can. However, that you know, sometimes someone will say, "Well, how can you approve something when you weren't even there?" You know, but if you've read the minutes and you're comfortable with all the material that comes before you, you can approve those minutes. >> Well, and I learned
011something today. Thank you. There's no there's no law that says you can't approve the minutes. You're 100% parliamentarian right now. [laughter] >> Did you want to vote on them or do you want me to separate them? >> Oh, just leave them all together. >> Okay. Okay. >> Okay. >> Use my new found power. >> There you go. [laughter] [screaming] >> Reelected vice chair for 20 minutes. [laughter] >> That power. >> All those in favor That's everybody. Thank you. >> That's fine. >> Now we'll move on to the superintendent report. Thank you. So, we are heading with great speed toward the holiday break uh with many school events as both the PTO and our student representatives mentioned. Um, of course, there's a lot of excitement this time of year for students across all grades. Um, and
012also many, many gatherings that are happening. Uh certainly we wish all the members of the New York City Schools community wonderful time off and of course our best wishes for a fantastic 2026. We can't wait to share with you updates about our many district projects and of course we'll share a great deal of information about the 2627 budget as we head on to January. >> That's all I have. >> That's all you have. Thank you. Um, I don't really have a board report except we want to wish everybody a happy holidays um, going forward and like Dr. Palato said a happy 2026 which is crazy to me. >> Um, >> yeah. >> So, that'll be that's my report [clears throat] for today. We're going to move into subcommittees, although I will make a note that
013we not we did not have policy or um, committee on learning facilities. Tom, I believe you're going to tackle that at the um items of interest. You want to go now? >> I might as well just >> Okay. >> It doesn't matter if we go a little out of order on that since we don't >> It's still a subcommittee report. So, >> Okay. >> Yeah. So, because Mr. um as you know, Mr. um Cunningham is not here tonight. So, um I'll just give a very quick summary of the things going on. Um, page 33 in your package has the list of the items he was going to uh summarize for us, but basically um we have four projects. RFPs are out have been issued for four projects. The tennis courts, central offices, um, Northville school
014hydrants engineering, you heard about the hydrants um, concerned and, uh, the high school culinary school. So, um uh nothing more to say about the fact that the those um RFBS have been issued and they should be open soon and uh we could have information and hopefully get those projects going >> quickly. Um >> the Northville roof um I'll give you another summary. I can't remember how where we what I've told you, but there was some discussion uh earlier about the town going um financing this without going through the state grant. Okay, that um at the most recent NBC meeting, they they're not going to go that route. So, they decided to pursue the grant. Okay. Um so, they voted to pursue the grant um passed it along to town council. Town council in order to
015go for the grant, there's a lot of bureaucracy involved. Town Council at their most recent meeting passed the resolutions the state requires for us to apply for the grant. Um so now the one thing that's up to us is to apply for the grant. Uh the MBC has has confirmed that it's up to them to hire the architect that'll drop the plans and the specs and then to issue the RFP uh and solicit bids for the contractor. Okay. So, so our role in this is the grant uh the town's role is managing this project. That's my understanding at the time. Um they're hoping to get it done this summer, but it's going to be very tight when everything has to be done. So, we'll see how that goes. Um finally, I just let it let
016you know that uh Miss um one new thing that Mr. Cunningham has started uh is an elevator due diligence survey. Um the five elevators that we have between the schools are um all 25 years or older. Um and [clears throat] there's also four different um companies that supplied those elevators. So um what Mr. Cunningham has done is he hired an independent firm to assess the conditions of the elevators and recommend what needs to be done rather than trusting those four [cough] to uh to be our fiduciary interest. So he's already hired that firm and we'll uh expect a report sometime soon. So that's that's pretty much it. >> I think M through the chair it's nice to have a plan, right? And so this this company will provide us with this is what you should
017prioritize first, second, third, fourth, all the way down. >> Yes. >> Um because as you might imagine, elevators are expensive projects. >> Yes. >> And so um at least we'll have a a road map going forward. >> It's another example of being proactive and front of an issue so there will be no surprises. So I was glad to hear about that. >> For the chair, >> just a quick question for the grants that we write. Is there a deadline on those grants? um that we have to meet to to apply for them. And >> do you mean the uh Department of Administrative Services grant for the roof? >> Yes. >> No, there's not necessarily a deadline. You just have to have the proper documentation. So they there are some very very specific directions that they
018give you about having stamped minutes from the meeting where the funds were appropriated, making sure the name of the school itself is also part of the minutes of the meeting, and onward and onward. So that's something that certainly we'll work on because I'm the only person who can get into that portal uh for school reimbursement. So it's the office of school construction and so yes. >> So are you the you do the grant writing like fill out the forms for all the grants or >> for the for the administrative services grants for the so I did the high school new Milford High School roof. Yes. And then I will also do the Northville roof. Of course I'll Matt and everyone helping but [clears throat] >> Sure. >> Yeah. There's they only let the superintendents into
019the portal for a reason. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Anybody else? >> We'll move on to Wendy to operations. >> Um so basically the minutes really capture it. Uh you'll see on here this evening we'll have our monthly budget reports. If you look at where we are, we're at roughly 95% as compared to last [clears throat] year. We're within what a 010. So we're we're right there. Um you'll see that the capital reserve account has been reset to show the actual funds that are there versus that number is going to change in February pending final audit when the end of the year balance from the last fiscal year will credit and hit the account. Okay. So that is when you'll see an update on that component. you'll the budget transfers. There is one piece
020of it that does not require uh the board technically to have a motion on it because it's not with outside of the major object codes. They're within the same. So, it's really forformational. The way the budget transfers were written on the report and have been for the last couple years. You'll see that the top section will have what the board is required to vote on and the bottom section of budget transfers is really we're not required to vote on it, but we're being transparent. we're letting the board know that we're moving monies in those object codes because we should know and the purpose of it. So, I personally appreciate that. Uh there'll be an update on the uh food services. We had a discussion on that. We thought we'd let the full discussion come here.
021So, really it was um it was uh usual stuff with some modifications financially. >> Thank you. We're going to move on to the discussion and possible action. I need a motion to approve the budget position dated November 30th, 2025, purchase resolution D 801 and request for budget transfer. >> So move. >> Second. >> Oh, I have a question. >> We're not there yet. Is it going to be about the bud? About what we're doing? >> What do we call this? CPI. That's where my question is. >> One sec. >> Okay. Any discussion? [laughter] all your jobs. >> Um, we are transferring 25,000 from a skilled training program for students for EMT and CNAs to an outside program for higher level deescalation training. Don't we train all our staff and teachers now in various forms of
022deescalation? For >> sure. >> And what I'm seeing here that concerns me is we're looking at a total cost of 50,600 this next year. 50,600 the following year. We're moving 25 for that right now. Where are we getting the balance of it? And then there's also a 4-day in-person instructor certification. That's $6,000 a person. For eight people, that's $48,000. So, are we not now talking about a program that's going to run us 75,000 a year to put in place when we already provide this type of training for for staff now? And what additional benefit are we getting? The other thing is once we start this we will have to continue it. Will we always lose now lose the skilled training for EMTs and CNAs unless we put additional budget uh requirements on in our >>
023Can I just jump in quickly? Thank you very much because when this come up at operations, this is exactly why you see the memo. We had asked for it and I appreciate it just so we could have this outlined because I didn't know either quite frankly. So I appreciate it. So, um, Dr. Culkin will also contribute to this conversation. Um, but so the 25,000 that is from the professional services for the CNA and EMT, that is a a one-time, so to speak, contribution because we do plan on having those courses next year if hopefully the community college system can find us an instructor. So we have maintained it in the budget last year and this year and unfortunately there is no instructor that they either have or is close enough to come to New Milford.
024So one of the reasons that so we're not going to offer that this year. So in place of that I said okay we're going to which uh Dr. Cuckle will explain why we're shifting from to CPI. Um, and I was willing to say, "Okay, I'll take 25,000 from that professional services line for the CNA and EMT programming and contribute to this programming and she'll explain the the sustainability piece of it because we could also use special education funding for it." >> Am I incorrect in saying that we are adding another minimum of $50,000 a year to our budget to continue this program into the future? Will we pay for training? A different kind of training for deescalation. >> Do we know what the offset would? [clears throat] >> Oh, off the top of my head,
025no. You might know that, but if Anthony were here, he would be able to go, but I can get that for you. Yeah, >> we do pay for training. I don't know what the difference is. >> Well, do you want me to say >> start from the very beginning? >> I don't have the dollar in front of me. I believe it's around $10,000 to $12,000 that we're currently paying toward the individual who provides training for the district. But we know that we need a more robust training and a more indepth training for our staff. Our students are um demonstrating more complex profiles and our staff. We need for them to be skilled and a better understanding of the neuroscience of behavior. We have more information available to us as to what is um what underlies
026the behaviors that we're seeing our students demonstrating in our school setting and the impact that it's having on their school day. There's a a large number a high number of staff who are intervening with their students. But we know by looking at the trends and the outcomes that are happening right now that we need to Europe and certainly deepen our understanding, our strategies, our approach for working with students so that we are better meeting their needs. Certainly better meeting the needs of our staff who are repeatedly engaging in addressing student behavior and making sure that our schools are safe environments physically as well as psychologically and emotionally for >> Let me just interject. Yeah, I can say the the the unleaf part. So there are more injuries than we might expect from staff and so
027part of the training is to assist with with that. >> Are we saying that we're we're seeing an escalation escalation in our workers comp claims? >> Yes. Um, I my I have a couple concerns, but the biggest one I we're we're offsetting it this year and next year because we're letting go of this. We're not doing this skill training for our students. Year three, where are we? We we have EMT classes and CNA hopefully and then we'll have this and and so we're seeing this increased cost overall in our budget. That's ba basically what I'm looking at. Yeah, we'll get you the exact difference in what we're paying now versus what we will pay to sustain this over time and the difference there. Keeping in mind that that this is a better quality training than
028what we're receiving now. >> Okay. Um Wendy and Brian, >> first of all, I appreciate this very much. I had asked for this and I'm I'm really appreciative of it. Um, I could be wrong, but really we have questions, but the transfer isn't outside of object code, so we really don't have a vote. What wait, you know, I just want to However, however, our vote will always come into play at budget. And so, um, but I I do appreciate it. I also had some concerns. So I wanted to just understand that if we transfer these, if those monies are transferred, how does that automatically transfer us for the next fiscal year? It doesn't, does it? It's only committing from now 206 to the end of 26. Correct. >> 30th. Yep. >> Because we can't tap
029into the next fiscal year. So I think there's a miss a little bit of a a confusion there. So at budget time, we can always have this discussion. should have this discussion because I agree with you. We should also be looking at what we're doing for our students. It is my understanding that we couldn't couldn't have the instructor. >> That's correct. >> And and that's what prompted some of this. >> That's right. But having heard some um conversations at this board and at and at other uh subcommittee, I do know that safety training and um making sure we provide that as robustly as we can is very important. and and if we have risk as staff and students that are escalating and and we have a way to at least address this and look at
030it because whatever the the rationale is how we got here I I I support it but I would hope that um we have some feedback on this because how we're doing with this and and where we are with this um so um that's just my two cents I'm familiar with CPI and a few of these uh many of these different trainings. And honestly, if you're adding tools for the teachers to help deescalate problems in the school both physically and non-physically, um you're potentially saving the district a lot of money. um [clears throat] potentially preventing a student from having a crisis that would have them possibly have to leave the district uh out of placement. you're also so I think you're giving teachers and you're giving staff another tool in their tool belt. And unfortunately um
031unfortunately there's no magic pill to um fix the emotionality of some of our students. uh but to provide the people working with them the tools to to at least understand those problems is I think it's important. >> Thank you. I just had a couple of quick questions. Um, would the same people be getting trained every is this is this is going to be every year training and are the same people going to be trained every year or can we do a you know would the cost be less if maybe we got a big group now we got them trained but next year maybe everybody skips two years or >> so we will identify a number of coaches the plan was based upon the money that was being made available with approval um this here to
032start with four trainers for the district. And this model, this investment for increasing our understanding and our toolbox for assisting students and staff is a deeper dive than what we're currently doing. Currently, we we train a group of staff to be coaches within the district and then they we provide training to select staff in the buildings that are most likely to be responding to or addressing student behavior. This um program and proposal is so that all of our staff who work directly with students have more information to be able to address student needs in the classroom as a preventative measure. We will have these individuals with those names and identify a number of them will be the people who are currently trained transfer that training to this model provide the training to the folks in
033the staff in the buildings. And there's also a deeper there's sort of a middle component to this that we will implement with the staff who are most often working with students who are demonstrating challenging behaviors deeper dive and understanding of staff and working with students. So on the on the brand level, it's information for everybody to for everybody and that's in the packet is labeled as deescalation basics. So that provides an opportunity for um general understanding. Then there's a deeper dive for our staff who are most frequently addressing student behaviors and working with complex needs who our administrators I hope will be a part of that as well because they're often responding to situations and giving guidance to the staff and then we'll have our coaches within the district and then those coaches could be
034retrained as is required in that cycle of retraining And off the top of my head, I can't recall if it's every year or every other year that the coaches have to undergo their refresher training. Over time, expanding who those individuals are would be beneficial to the school district. But if one person is trained as a coach and they leave us, we can supplement somebody in in their place. So, but if it's the same people, say every year, we don't have to do the training every year. No, they need to be refreshed and the coaches I just off the top of my head can't recall if it's every year or every other year. Our in district instructors have to do a refresher, but it's not to the same extent as the initial training. >> I apologize.
035I missed this email today, so I'm just catching up. Yeah, those who are once they're initially trained as a district instructor, they have to be received training, but it's not the same length of commitment or the same dollar amount to be initially trained as a staff coach in subsequent years. >> So, we're building our own internal capacity so we won't have to go outside by having internal people be able to do that. >> Okay. And then would we be rotating phase one, phase two, phase one, phase two down the line? So like phase one would be 2526. Phase 2 would be um 26 27. So then 2728 would we go back to phase one? >> Um the cost will not necessarily be the same because if we're retraining if we're refreshing our district instructors that
036refresher will not cost as much as the initial. So we expand four coaches and then four coaches and then in year three we want to do a new four for initial training. That'll be a higher cost than just refreshing those stay with us hopefully not over time. >> And is this CPI training used in any of our DR? >> Go ahead. Yeah, please. >> Used in a number of school districts across Connecticut. Um >> we can get specific names. You ask it in Waterberry. >> Yeah, >> I believe. >> I know I have a list. >> Okay. If we could get that list, I'd just be curious to see if it's cities or if it's >> follow up on that. >> I could be wrong, but what was broadening our training or offering for perhaps
037more robust training? Was that not cited or mentioned in the audit report for special education >> in two ways? one in terms of instructional practice and two in terms of >> of deescalation uh specifically around the idea of secluding students and restraining them. Um, yes. >> Not specifically, but it was absolutely referenced about that in some in some manner. And I think that, you know, if we have an audit report citing and and giving us the the blueprint of suggested improvements and we have a way to at least look at this because of, you know, a course that couldn't happen because of, you know, not a pleasant circumstance, but I think we should utilize it. >> That's just me. >> Add one more thing. >> Yeah. So at the end of the year per state
038statute um I have to this year I have to report to you on how many times we clear classrooms, how many bodily harm or uh injuries to self or others um across the five schools. So I just did a very very quick glance. So we're not even at the halfway point of the year and we're up to across the five schools 90 instances of either injuries uh or harm to self or harm to others. meaning bodily harm to self or bodily harm to others. That and that's just a very very quick [clears throat] those were, you know, and we have to keep a log and and certainly I'll report it to you at the end of the year, but we're not at the halfway point and we're we're close to 90 across five schools. >>
039Will you not necessarily identify, but if it's the same individuals as is, you know, how often is the same individual experiencing these problems or having these issues? I can Yeah, I can't obviously I can't give you the initials or anything for that. I can tell you. Yeah. How many unique? >> Yeah. Is it like five people doing 90? >> Are you asking me right now or Oh, yeah. I couldn't tell you that right now, but I'll be able to tell you at the end of the year. Yes. >> So, we're saying that this new training we're going to see a decrease in this number. >> Indeed. >> Yes. >> Interesting. >> I'm very skeptical as you can imagine. They are hairy. >> I'm I'm I'm praying that they've come up with something new because um
040>> and concerning. >> This is, you know, this has always been an issue as a teacher. >> You know, when you have a difficult student in the room, >> um you know, we don't like to touch them. That's an absolute last resort because in today's world, if you touch them, you're automatically wrong. Um at least that's been my perception. So, I'm I'm skeptical, but I'm hopeful that this I just can't imagine what new things they've come up with that are going to deescalate some of these >> kids who feel that they have the power because they're running they they've got everybody in the classroom worried about what they're doing and um they get the power. So, how >> how we're going to shift that and keep everybody safe and keep learning going on. I'm hopeful.
041I'm I'm just, you know, a little skeptical. >> Yeah. I would be remiss if I didn't say, you know, there is certainly a power dynamic at play, but, you know, also identified disabilities at play that that we can't predict, right? >> I understand that. I understand that. I get [clears throat] all that. But at the end of the day, the teacher is still trying to teach a lesson. And when somebody gets in the way of you doing that and you they refuse to follow your instructions to do whatever it is you ask them to do that's disrupting the class, it's very difficult to uh diffuse that situation to where you can everybody can get back to work. So I'm I'm very interested to see how this goes. >> I think also to keep in mind,
042right, there's that level of classroom disruption. Um and you know also I it's certainly a mission of mine to reduce the number of seclusions that we have right and the number of restraints that we have and part of this training is to to help address that. >> Will we be able to see what that training is going to look like? Will there be like a syllabus for it or outline for that that we can see? I'm kind of curious to see, you know, to what end, you know, like Darra was saying, the disruption is allowed to what end, you know, do we invite the student back into the classroom again and again if if in fact it is the same repetitive meeting. So, you know, I just am curious if the syllabus addresses or these
043instructions that address [clears throat] at what end it's like, okay, it's reached its limit. Yeah, I'm sure that we can provide sample training materials that once we have them. We don't have them yet, but yeah. Yes. >> Okay, we're good. Anybody else? All those in favor? >> All those against? Anybody abstaining? Okay. We're going to move on to the AB. >> Take it out. >> Note music trust. I need a motion to accept the bottle. Is that the >> telescal? Yep. >> Stell music trust grant award in the amount of $10,000. >> So move. >> Second. >> Wendy. Any discussion? >> I took a look at who Ellen Battel Stokl was. Uh she was a Lichfield County girl. Um and at the um in the late 1800s uh she and her husband had a lot
044of money and um they focus their trust giving in Lichfield County for music. >> Oh, nice. >> And so you've probably heard of the Battel Chapel at Yale >> and so that's part of her family as well. >> Um but very very interesting. It's been going on for over 100 years and and focusing on Lichil County and um >> students and music. generous. >> He's generous. All those in favor, that's everybody. Thank you. >> And we're going to move on to food services. It looks like we have Mrs. Sullivan here. >> Yes. I'm going to let Mrs. Sullivan say the happy news [laughter] and then she can answer anyone any of your questions about why we have >> why we have happy news. So, Mrs. Sullivan, please. >> All right. So, uh, I'm here to
045just say that we can probably continue with, um, the free meals for, um, possibly another two months. Um, and, um, right now we are working on bringing down our excess fund balance, which we are required to do by, um, federal regulations. Um, we're not um, supposed to carry more than three months operating expenses. So we have had that and a lot of projects and we have been able to um uh feed the community the students of New Milford for um the last two and a half years because I if you remember when we came out of COVID we had a lot of um >> federal funding and state funding which we were able to do but then we came out of CO and we with our excess access funds. We were able to provide free
046meals at that point and then joining the community eligibility program which we are in right now would stretch those dollars a little bit further. So that's why we did join that and we did meet the requirement. Um so we can cover this for another two months and um then we are going to have to transition back to paid meals and paid breakfast and paid lunch right now just to generate a little bit of income because we aren't really taking in any income. if we could raise the price of meals right now, which would affect second lunches only and second breakfasts to the students and that would at least give us a little bit of pay and then when we transition into back to pay then we would continue with that increase. Right now we have
047not increased lunch prices. The last time Newer had a price increase was in 2011. >> Right. [snorts] That's fabulous. >> And so we instituted the breakfast program and it was roughly around 2010 or 11 we put that program in and we established those prices then and they have not increased at all. I did do a comparison of us to other school systems in our group and we are roughly about a dollar to a dollar and a quarter behind on lunch prices and roughly about 75 cents behind on breakfast. >> So I'm proposing a 50 cent increase. I think it is very long overdue. >> We also have requirement by the United States Department of Agriculture for this paid lunch equity, which basically um to explain it very simply that the price we charge for a
048meal should cover the cost of what it is to produce that meal and that we shouldn't be subsidizing it with our money that we're getting from the federal government. That money from the federal government is to subsidize the free and reduced students. >> Okay. So right now we um are falling below that. And so increasing this now and then possibly increment over a few years would would put us where we're supposed to be. >> So yep. I just have one thing. So what I'm hearing and so we can um get it out to the public is we're going to increase by 50 cents lunch and breakfast just on seconds. second meals. If the child wants a second meal after um they get their free one, then it would be the cost will go up 50
049cents for each and then at the end of February, we will tack on that 50 cents. The price will stay, but everybody will have to pay unless they're on free and reduced lunch. That's >> correct. Okay. >> Mrs. Sullivan, is there a chance that we might be able to look, let's say, in late January to see if we can extend free meals till the end of the year? We're going to look at our fund balance because right now um there, you know, there was a there always is a delay every year with our our subsidies that come come in. >> And so our bank balance has fallen um um from the beginning of the year to to present. And but our again our um our last reimbursement just came through. So, I think we just
050have to make an evaluation in middle to late January and and and see if we can do it. I I'm It's hard to say right now. >> We'll look at it. Is >> could I just Thank you, Mrs. Silivan, for uh first of all, the the program has been amazingly run and recognized by the state as well for all your hard work. So I I want to go on record with that and having seen this story unfold in the last 24 years coming out of CO we faced a very difficult time with funding and the town worked with the board and the board the town to make sure that that program was going to stay healthy there was a risk that because you have a self- sustaining account although the food service employees are under
051the Milford family of employees they come from the food service account The threshold is a threemonth threshold is what we use. >> You have capital expenses. You have funding, you know, that you're waiting for. So, there's a lot of variables here. Um, when I was at operations, I couldn't remember how far back it was the last time. I knew it was at least 10 years. Um, I think it's important to get the message out to the community that, you know, this uh what our plan is, that it is a a fluid if we can look at any kind of um adjustment, but I would also urge the board be very careful to make sure the funds are there because we don't want to we don't want to uh have an issue on an account that's
052been run so cleanly. Um, and I I think that's really important. Uh I I also think that having meal served to the community has been a tremendous asset to this community and um I just I I personally think the way we're doing this is very transparent and very well done and it's giving the community at least as much notice as we can recognizing that it's been you know 12 13 years uh and right now we're phasing in that fee and when and if that truly hits. We are still far below other districts of what they're charging. But we're also recognizing the fact that we've got to watch for them. We can't It's not like we can go into your account and transfer it very easily because it's a self-sustaining account. So, it gets a little
053tricky. You know, I'm sure if Anthony were here, he could answer it a little bit more succinctly than what I'm saying. So, but I I think um I think you've done a really good job and your staff and your staff [clears throat] quite frankly. >> Yeah. I just have to comment. Yeah. Every time I come and have lunch with Dr. >> I said that at the board. I said >> what do I say? >> I take pictures. I'm like this is amazing food. I can't believe that we're serving this. So, thank you. >> And I make sure that we have, you know, school lunch with the board cherry lunch. That's how it should be. >> I had a meeting. I couldn't take mine. I took it home. I put it in my refrigerator. And my
054husband was like, "What is this?" It was pretty exciting stuff. He goes, "Oh, there's fruit. There's veggies." I I should have did um he'll be embarrassed by us, but that's >> the truth every time. >> The truth. >> So, thank you. >> Um I did just want to also um just make the point that you know families to know the amount of money that we have saved them in this time period. Yes. >> And so from 2023 to the present, it roughly was about $1,700 per student that if if families took advantage of the free meals, it would have um it would roughly have been about that much of these things that a family would have had for student. >> Amazing. Dr. Parlotta, will a separate email be going out to families? >> I have
055the flyer already made. >> Okay. I just want to make sure that >> I was right. I'm waiting for the meeting to end. So yeah, I can post >> and I think that that a lot of there's been a lot of communication about this home to families that it's free until the end of the year like so to try to prepare people that this is not going to last forever. Um so and I think it's good that we've done that too because we we need to prepare. So >> Oh yeah, the flyer right now says it ends on February February 28th is the last day. and we just keep pushing it out and encourage people, I guess, to apply for the free and reduced lunch if they have not done so already. Um, if they
056feel like that's going to be an issue for them, >> right? And luckily, um, now the systems talk to each other. So, if they receive federal SNAP benefits, it automatically communicates with free and reduced lunch. >> That's fabulous. >> So, that there's not an extra application process. >> The the just one point is that we cannot collect any applications. people cannot apply while we're while we are under the community eligibility provision. So why we're in this program but once it does end then we can start to collect applications from families. >> I thought that's for people who are not on SNAP. >> Correct. >> Y >> okay because I thought that you we you we were always encouraging people even though we had the free program to to apply so that if it ever ended
057their application would already be there. there. >> Well, we're only well, we've only been on the community eligibility provision for this year, so we are not encouraging it this year because you can't. >> Gotcha. >> And just another point, too, that if the community eligibility program does end, um we are required to have a 30-day school day carryover. So, everybody would get those benefits and give people families time to get their application in. >> That is really good to know. >> They have notification time to get their application in. And then after those 30 days, then the statuses will start going free, paid, reduced. It will go back to them. >> It's always the been a great program well here um as far back as I can remember. But the more we inform our community
058that this is about to change, the better position we're going to be in because no matter how how much we do it, the day people have to start paying, we're going to see some people showing up. It's not going to register to it until it's real for those who who are not free. Um it's it's a nice benefit given, but it's we're going to hear about it. So we the more we advi advise our parents and and caregivers um I think the the less of a shock it will >> not it's been 15 years I think that should be expected 15 years without a price increase though >> doesn't help the people that are just going to like one or two years in the school system but the point still should be made 15 years
059without a price increase is pretty dog >> I also think that that number 1700 for That's amazing that we that that's those are real dollars for the community. >> Those are a good savings to the community. >> Absolutely. >> Mrs. Sullivan, thank you. Thank you for showing up >> and thank you for for this program and we appreciate all you do and your staff. >> We really do. Thank you. >> Anybody else? >> Good. >> Gonna move on. >> Great idea. >> What's that? >> Did you just hear the little sidebar over here? Um Mr. so that perhaps all the board members could experience one of the meals because they are great. I mean, we >> I want to go. I'm going to I'm in on that. I'll always take a meal. >> Back next
060month is what she said. [laughter] >> Budget season's coming up. We could all >> Thank you. Thank you. Um facility projects we went over. We're heading into items of information. We already got the facilities employment report. Um, as you can see, it's pretty light. >> And that's a good sign of stability and stability. >> Yes. And I believe there was a question by a board member about the workshop teacher. >> Yeah. >> And I think you said there's something in the works possibly. >> Uh, woods teacher. >> Wood chop. >> Yes. Wood shop. >> Yes. So, uh, yes. >> Do you know a number of of any positions that we can't currently fill at the moment? Uh, other than what I send to you each week, I can count those >> certified staff >> that
061are that are currently unfilled. Yeah. >> Uh, let me count them for you. That's it's probably >> 12ish. >> Yes. Um, I can look real quick if you want. Here we go. December 11th was the last time. So, all right. So, we have uh that one's filled. So, one, two, two, three, four, five, uh, six, seven. >> Okay. >> Seven. >> And are these are these like harder to fill or it's just that they have recently been vacated and so we're just in the process of >> harder to fill. So, science is hard to fill, of course. Yeah. >> Social studies, shockingly, as I've said, is a shortage area. Uh, school psychologist hard to fill. Um, bilingual teacher impossible to fill. So yeah, those are typical shortage areas in our state. So it's no surprise
062that they're reflected here. >> Thank you for that. >> Thank you. Uh employment um enrollment report. Uh we're pretty close still to the projections even though our projections are five or six years old. So it's nothing that's necessarily very shocking on there. Um other than uh Saranobyl is higher than um than we would have expected. There's a little bit of a bump there, but everyone else is pretty close to what was projected. Okay. And fundraising. >> Yes. >> Fundraising is happening >> and field trip. >> Yes. >> Yeah. We're going >> Out and about. Okay. >> The world. Anybody else have anything before I look for a motion? >> Motion to adjourn second. >> Tom and all those in favor everybody. Thank you everybody. >> Happy holidays everybody. >> Holiday to everybody.