0016:30. I'm going to call the meeting to uh order. All please join me for a pledge of allegiance. I pledge >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. So, uh, it's a good time for any, uh, public comment if there's anyone from the public who would like to comment tonight. There is no one from the public here, so we will move on. >> Um, PTO report first. Okay. >> There's no none. Yeah, >> there is no PTO report. All right. >> So, uh, move on to approval of the minutes. I uh need a motion to approve the following board of education minutes. This is for the regular meeting minutes of
002July 15, 2025. So move >> second. >> All those in favor? Unanimous. >> Sarah Brian. Right. >> Got to do Lauren. Moving on to uh superintendent report. >> Thank you. So, we are gearing up for the arrival of students on Monday, August 25th. They will be back. Um all 3,500 of them will be in our schools and we can't wait for them. So, we're doing a lot of planning uh these days. And so some examples of that are we had last week our administrators retreat where we did a lot of work about planning for the new school year um and thinking about the instruction that we're going to use. Over the last two days we had new teacher orientation and that was for the teachers who are new to our school district. Um and our
003board of education just this evening participated in a goal setting workshop where we're thinking about ways to revise the goals that we have for the 2526 school year. So that is uh a lot of the planning we're doing. We can't wait to share all of our efforts that have taken place over the summer. Summer tends to be a very busy time um in the school district even though you don't think it might be so busy. Uh we do a lot of work of getting ready for the upcoming school year. um everything from curriculum instruction um certainly to IT our um special ed department and facilities. So there's a ton of planning that goes into um that June, July and August time period. And that's all I have for tonight. >> Thank you. >> Uh board
004chairperson's report. I have nothing prepared to talk about tonight. Moving on to uh discussions and possible uh action. First month report, Mr. Venoni, >> good evening. Just a quick overview. The budget position shown in the packet is shows balances as of July 31st. Um, not shown here are any payroll incumbrances. Those take place during the month of August as we prepare for the first paycheck for school year staff, which is September 5th of this year. So all comparisons of this budget position listing to prior years really needs to wait until October to get the best snapshot of how we are fully encumbered for payroll. I don't have a line by line um synopsis for you on the budget commission, but I'll open up to any questions before we go on resolution. Not seeing any on
005the purchase resolution. um this is the largest report. Next month will be quite large as well. This is as we begin to uncover for goods and services we expect through the fiscal year. Just a quick note when I denote something in the description as a yearly let's take for example the top one the healthcare coverage via state partnership plan to Anthem Blue Shield um in the amount of just over $9 million. What I'm asking for there is the board to approve us to set up a purchase order in which we draw down off of monthly as we for health insurance which is different than other ones that aren't marked yearly which actually triggers a payment after this um after this attachment is hopefully approved. I'm looking for what yearly means. I'm not I'm not remitting
006a payment to Anthem for $9.1 million. We're setting up a purchase order for which you withdraw the monthly versus on page let's say 404 the top one to caps for the district membership fee. If this report is approved um that one will actually trigger a payment of $5262 and I can open up to any questions on individual items on that purchase resolution. So just just to understand that um the language we use when we approve say the healthc care coverage for 9 million that's encumbered that's what encumbered means on the uh on the um budget. >> That's correct. >> So so that means that's completely uh accounted for in the previous budget. It's incumbent. It's encumbered. That's not paid yet, but correct. The money is accounted for. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're
007welcome. >> Is there no question? There are no budget transfers. >> Motion. >> Yeah. Just wanted to give everyone a chance to digest and maybe think up a question. If there's nothing uh if there's no questions, I'll move forward with this motion then. Uh, so I need a motion to approve the budget position dated July 31st, 2025, purchase resol title purchase resolution D797 and request for budget transfers. >> I'll move that. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> It's unanimous. >> That was Tammy and Dean. Five. Um, moving along here. We have a looks like we go right into another motion. Uh, we have a uh motion. It looks like the reason Just make sure that there's nothing I got to read here. I don't think there is. Nope. There's a leave of absence
008request for Ameilia Bardinelli, the music teacher at Northville School. uh she requests a leave of absence for the 2025 to 26 school year for personal reasons. So that being said, I need a motion to approve the leave of absence request for Amelia Bolardinelli, the music teacher at Northville School for the 2526 school year. >> I'll move. >> Brian, I'll I'll second it. >> Right. And Tammy, >> I have a Could I ask a question? >> Yes. Um, do have we found um a temporary >> We're working on that right this minute. >> Okay. So, so that's not part of what's on the agenda for tonight as far as um the uh people that we're hiring. >> That would not be on this employment report, but I can almost guarantee you it'll be on the September
009one. >> Good. Y >> a point of clarification. Dr. Colin, are they do they typically ask you permit >> first and then it comes to the board? How's that usually work when they're an ask for? So, uh, by contract, the board has to approve it, but it comes to me first just because they email me and then I put on the agenda. >> Yes, >> I can see why there's not much. I mean, it's very straightforward. There's not much to discuss. >> That's it. Yeah, that's >> um, so unless anyone else any has any other questions, we'll >> I'm sure that you weren't just hearing about this now. >> Oh, no, no, no, no. They come to me and then I put it on the agenda. Yes. >> All right. All those in favor? Unanimous.
010[Applause] Okay. Next on to uh policy for second read and approval 6200 adult education. >> Can I ask a question about these because we haven't had policy meetings o over the summer like a lot of the other uh subcommittees. Um these say that they are on the agenda for second read and approval. Yes. But when is the last time when when did we look at these for first read? >> So one of the projects we did this summer >> was um and I had planned to do this. I wanted to take as you know we revised all of our policies over the last three years right. So I had a feeling that some of them might have slipped through the cracks and weren't didn't get approved through a second read. And so I sat with
011my secretary Janine and Lauren Ellard. We went policy by policy by policy to see which ones didn't get um didn't show up on the agenda for a second time for approval. So everything that has is on here for second review and approval had already been not only through policy but on the full board agenda for first week. So, thank you for that because I thought I was going crazy when I saw these because I was like, I don't remember having seen these >> some of these. That being said, >> yes, >> when cuz I did speak with Janine today. >> Yes. >> Um, that one of these, I'm not sure if it was 6200 or 6141. >> 6141 was a first read. >> Discussed back in February of 2024. >> Yes, indeed. I don't know
012about anybody else here, but I don't remember uh you know what was discussed about that policy, if people had problems with that policy. There's a a lot of people who aren't here tonight, too. I'm I'm wondering unless these policies are crucial to be approved this evening that they be moved so that the whole board has a chance to look at them because quite honestly I I didn't know when these were looked at and so I wasn't a I I just don't feel comfortable about us passing these when we really haven't had a chance to to really look at them and digest them. And >> yeah, I mean you will you would have digested them in policy subcommittee and for one full board meeting. So all these are 4 second review, but do do people remember
013the conversations that happened about them? Like somebody somebody might have had a had a question or or would like to have seen something changed, but it's been so long >> that we discussed them. >> The same thing. And this is obviously for the board to decide. This is not just for me to decide. for everybody in their comfortability. But I I feel the same way about the bylaws. Like the the bylaws govern what we do as a board and I would like a little bit more time to read through them and make sure that we all do our due diligence to them because I don't remember when the last time it was we sat down and read every single one of these as well. That that is just where I'm coming from as head of
014policy. I I don't feel totally comfortable moving forward with these and I would like the board to be able to look at these to make sure that they are comfortable with them. >> I I I tend to agree with you, Danny. I think it better to have a fresh look at it again. Some time has elapsed and I'd much rather be comfortable voting on something I've reread than to just vote on something that I'm not as keenly familiar with. So then they what will happen is the board will take no action and then it'll appear in the September policy meeting and then the September full board agenda for a third review and >> and approval and I'm okay with that because it'll be fresh in our minds. Everybody will have a chance to digest it
015and feel comfortable about passing these things, especially the bylaw. >> There's no need to rush. >> No, there isn't a re No. And it's fine to do a third review. The bylaws actually allow for us to do three reviews. We want to. So, >> and and also that our chair and parliamentarian aren't here tonight. I would like to, >> you know, to uh >> we don't have to do anything at all. >> It'll just go on to policy in September. Oops. And then um it'll be on September's full full meeting. We all we all have a chance to really digest it. >> Acknowledge that we made that that we >> It'll be in the minutes like >> who's doing the minutes for tonight? >> Lauren. Well, from the tape. >> On the tape. So she'll
016she'll so that this whole conversation will have been documented saying that no motion they'll be moved to the next month. >> Sound good everybody? Is everybody okay with that? Is everybody all right >> with with you and there all of these? >> Yes. >> Very good. >> Everything will get sent back to the policy committee. >> And um then it'll be in the September subcommittee policy subcommittee and September full board agenda. >> And I truly appreciate that because I want to make sure that this is right. >> I was feeling the same way. piece of cake. >> That goes through a lot of the It cuts through a lot of the meeting. >> Yeah. >> Motion to adjourn. >> Yeah, because that goes along. So, we probably don't want to be deleting it. >> Yeah,
017we can't delete anything until Yeah. No, no, no. So, essentially, this is going to get copied and pasted onto the September policy subcommittee agenda and then onto the full board. >> Oh, man. >> Yeah. >> And also, just as a >> We got something. Just as a followup though, also this this says for seven, it says I need to approve the deletion of the bylaws below um upon approval of bylaw 7E. It's not 7E. It's it's it's 7F. So you just want >> it'll be different anyway because it'll be different agenda. >> I just Yeah, I just wanted to make sure because it's it points to something different. >> You know me, I I look at things like that. >> That's okay. So, make sure I'm not skipping something, but it looks to me like
018we're all the way up to item number H. >> Yep. Bid award. >> There's now a bid award for RFP E245 2425-014 facilities, building roof repairs. >> Yes, Missingham's going to speak to this. I'm handing you a chart related to it. All right, let's go. Is >> that the big shape? >> Yes. Uh yes, on Friday uh July 25th, we opened up bids to do the red of roof. Um some people know as the old Larsson farmhouse on the property facilities department we reside in where you see the sheet and we're asking to reward it to Global Hill Construction. >> Can you speak about uh what the project entails and what the shingles are going to be? tearing off. We are tearing off three tab asphalt shingles. It's a residential house essentially. We're going to
019have architectural grade shingles on it. >> 30-year architecture. >> Yes. At least. >> And this is a whole house to including including the porch roof. >> Porch roofs. Yes. >> Do we know if there's any rot underneath? They're going to have to replace any >> currently is not a leaking building. The so that has new paneling was put up some in modern times. We'll say it old building. So, uh, we do have an add-on for pricing for if we had to replace any plywood. Um, but as I said, it is there are no active leaks on the building. So, we're trying to get stay ahead of that. So, I don't anticipate that there would be any damage once the shingles come off. >> Only gutters, the whole thing. >> Gutters are not part of this
020portion. There are currently not gutters on there, but we do have a separate plan to put gutters on after this is done. Yes. >> Yes. It includes flashing, water, and ice shield 30 3T up on the eaves. So, >> pretty much standard what you would see in most residential neighborhoods for roofs. >> Place is going to be looking great. >> Yeah, I think got a question. >> Yeah, I just more of a suggestion maybe if we could advertise this because we've been accused of neglecting those buildings by the community. >> So, it'd be nice for them to see that we're working on them. >> Oh, don't worry. When we uh when they start the work, we'll put up the drone and uh we'll put on Instagram and everything else. Yeah, >> that would be great.
021I just volunteered Mr. Connie here for you. >> Tired of flying that drone yet? >> No. >> I'm gonna AI it. >> Sounds good. >> Well, it looks any more. >> Um, can you say something about the low bidder because we have some concerns in the past about low bidder. assure us that >> references we check if you know other than that unless I can find something that this company has done or something that's a red flag we move forward with lowest bidder uh where by statute you know >> and you have no concerns about >> it's a pretty small roof too that looks that looks like a reasonable >> got to ask the question >> yeah right next door is a is a big lesson that >> story continue to ask even questions we
022shouldn't have to ask >> local Monroe. >> Monroe >> of all places. No. >> All right, then. So, uh, are we all set? >> We're good. >> All right. Great. So, I need a motion to approve the spid award for RFP-2425-014 facilities, building roof repairs. >> Second, >> Brian and Brian and Tom. >> Brian and Tom. >> All those in favor, >> ask question. Hang on. You got a late question >> discussion. Is that going to happen this fall, Matt? >> Yes. >> All right. All those in favor? >> That's it. Great. This uh this next one looks like it kind of does this kind of fall in with the >> Yeah, we can't do that one because we're sending it back to committee. >> So, that's a >> Okay. So, we'll do an employment
023report then. >> Sure. So, we have um as you can see the certified staff appointments and the second page has the non-certified staff appointments. You can see some of the resignations that took place and um for both certified non-ertified staff and you can see the resignations for coaching. Um so, this is obviously a very active time for for appointments and resignations. So, you'll see the September employment report will have plenty on it as well. And um so we're in pretty good shape. Um I will put in an update how many positions exactly we're still um missing for certified staff and non-certified staff. I don't have that right in front of me right now. Um but I'm glad that we do have an employment report to share with you. Absolutely. >> Um, a shout out to,
024uh, two central office secretaries, uh, Madison Tibbitz and Jessica Dlo who are doing outstanding work helping us in human resources. So, >> that's fabulous. >> Looks like a different format. Yeah, I think this maybe a different font or >> it looks have people in place to fill the uh openings until we hired someone for a minute. >> Yes and no. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Not all of them. Nope. >> I have a question about internal transfers. >> Uh yes, that is >> which is the last page of that report. >> I was going to say yes. >> And uh there's a lot. It's great. I love to see that people are moving, right? they're moving into, you know, into other areas that they might be interested in. Is there a dollar amount difference to
025some of these? And like if somebody's being um transferred from one school to another or from one uh uh role to another, there's got to be a difference in pay. >> That's noted. >> Give me an example. >> Um okay, let's see. Lori Sarah is going from library media specialist at Sarah Noble to a business teacher at New Milford High School. >> So she stays on her step and that's all in the teacher's contract. >> Okay. So it's the same contract. So it's the same. Okay. So there's nobody here who is jumping. >> Uh Belalooa would be the one that's different. So a BCBA, which is a board certified behavior analyst, >> that was a non-affiliated position, a non-bargaining unit position. And so she's going into the teachers contract. >> And so is so is
026there a >> touching the operational budget? Like obviously this is going >> both of them are in the operational budget >> but there's going to be a difference in pay like this person is either going up or down. >> Yeah. I don't know exactly. It's not it's not $20,000 though. It's close. >> What's um a teacher that transfers to an interventionist? Is that different? >> Still in this teacher's contract. Yep. The only reason I ask is because there's always there's always salary attached to all of these others, but there's not any salary attached to this one >> because it would be all the same except for Beloo. Christine Belaloo is the only one that would be different because that was a NBU going to the teachers contract. >> So there would be no situation where
027a teacher would transfer and get a raise based upon what they're now doing. Like if they're going from middle school to high school, don't the So there is no difference when you're hired. You're high. It's all about your step in your years. Okay. >> Is it kind of inferred like I see budget reduction, budget addition, new approved budget addition, you know, at the bottom of all these things. You kind of >> uh Yes. Because it's a different person. >> Yeah. The internal transfers because you stay on your step. >> You stay on your step and in your lane and you're all those positions are within the teachers contract. So that's why there is a change in their salary. And so this is a budget. So like Laura Ayes is a budget addition >> that was
028in our that was in the budget for this upcoming year as a 1.0 position. And so she left her 5.5 and went to a 1.0 at at once. >> So this isn't this isn't about money. This is about positions. That final line right there is not about the money. It's about the position that this was a new position or that this was an existing position. >> Yeah. We added in the in the 2526 budget, we added a school psychologist position at Hill and Plane. So it would be 1.0. Gotcha. >> And that person said, "I want to be at one school all the time and that's what I want to do." So she transferred in. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Very good. >> All right. Let's talk about the enrollment. >> Oh, sorry. You're waiting for
029me. >> No, no, we're waiting for more questions. >> All right. So, as you can see, um, I always draw your attention to the bottom left hand side there. And so, the column all the way to the right shows the year-over-year difference from 24 2024 to 2025. And then the column one over from that shows the variance from the projection. As you know, we have an enrollment projection, right? I personally like to look at the comparison from 24 to 25, the year-over-year. So you can see prek to two year-over-year is down 21. Uh Sarah Noble year-over-year is plus 10. Um again that's not statistically significant but it's plus 10. You could see that scatakoke year-over-year is down four. Um and the high school year-over-year is down 38. So overall year-over-year we're down 55 from 24
030to 25 in August. This is a time of a lot of flux with students coming in and students going out. And as you know, October 1st is kind of the gold standard when looking at our enrollment. So you'll see a lot of flux in this report and the one in September. >> Wonderful. More to come. Thank you, >> Dr. >> Yes. There was a lot of talk, you know, at budget time about um students who actually live in Milford. Um, have we investigated or looked into any of these situations over the summer? >> So, we have I can uh I can give you three answers to that. >> Okay. >> So, if if if I don't have a specific name, I can't investigate, right? So, it's incumbent upon people to let me know that. Um,
031but however, we have two things that are that are now in effect. So, we asked all incoming sixth grade families to resubmit their enrollment paperwork. So, we're able to check to make sure that every kid going into sixth grade is a new Milford resident. So, that's in the works. We also have a new position in the budget for 2526. As you know, central registration so that anybody who's coming into New Milford public schools comes to one place instead of going to all the different schools. Um, and she's also helping us do residency checks and residency investigations. that's part of her job. >> Um, as part of Holly's office as well. >> So, we're lucky to have we have that person that was an internal transfer and uh we we're already putting her to good use.
032That's for sure. >> Yeah. It's very important that we have that one person doing that position because it's also important for a lot of our state reporting that one consistent person is putting in student information into the system. So then when it feeds into the Connecticut State Department of Education and the federal systems, we know that we have consistent information being put in one way. So that's super helpful. >> Okay, that was the enrollment report. >> So now let's go on to uh the last item, the food service community eligibility vision, CC. >> Uh yes. So we received this memo from Mrs. Sullivan, our director of food services. Um, and I know Anthony will chime in a little bit about this, but as you know, uh, from a practical perspective, we're able to offer free
033breakfast and free lunch to all students, um, up until December. And the community eligibility provision is, um, a program through um, the state of Connecticut, Connecticut, state department of education as well that allows you to offer that depending on the balance that you hold within your food service account. As you know, our food service program is self- sustaining. Uh it's not part of the operational budget. It creates its own uh funding source. And so, um the second paragraph shows you that. Um and it also shows you that if a child in a family took a free breakfast and a free lunch, um the average savings per year for family is $785. >> And so that's awesome, right? And we've been offering this free breakfast and lunch program for quite some time now. >> Anthony, if
034you want to chime in there. >> Yes, thank you. It's been approximately we've extended based on the partial year and then the full year of 2425 about 18 and a half almost 19 months beyond what the state um originally required us to do and that was using local fund balance. And what we are projecting is to take a look at this again in November before we move to a paid situation starting potentially in January of 2026. But we want to have this discuss at the board level that we're taking a look at this and this is a potential moving forward after December going back to paid meals. this question um about free lunch versus when students pay for a lunch. Um it used to be and it may still be that even if a student
035didn't want milk, they had to take a milk. Even if they didn't want what was offered, they had to when they had paid for >> federal reimbursement. Yeah. You have to >> still work that way with the free lunch because there's so much waste. >> Yeah. some districts and you know it's certainly something we can look at is they have a cart where I know that I don't want this orange so I'm going to put it on the donation cart >> and then they're able to donate that. >> I know there were rules about that too that >> you can have a donation cart. Yeah, >> you can do that. >> Yep. >> Yeah. A lot of school districts, you know, it says I don't I know you're going to put that apple on my
036tray because of the federal reimbursement, but I know I'm not going to eat the apple, so I'm going to put the apple on the donation cart. Yeah, that that would be great because it's makes you cringe to see how much food >> the broccoli opener the broccoli we can't save >> the packaged food that gets thrown out because they don't they don't want to eat it and I you know it's just terrible to see it all go to waste. >> Oh yeah. When you're walking around the cafeteria and you see the full lunch going in the garbage, you're like, "Oh my gosh." But this I'm so grateful that we have this program because this is so invaluable for for um our families who many are still struggling. And so to not have to keep feeding
037money into the their kids' lunch accounts is is is incredibly helpful. >> Yeah. I mean it's almost two years. It's you know it's close to $1,600 savings >> so far for family. Yeah. >> At three,500 families at 75 that's 2.6 million a year. Yeah, nothing to sneeze at for sure. >> One more question um for Anthony. So, we're self-funding this at this point. Correctly. This is this is using our surplus from the uh food service account that we are paying it all ourselves. >> The food service account is self- sustaining. I just want to be careful when we're talking about surplus. It's it's separate from the operating budget. When we talk about like year-end money or money that fell to the bottom line that goes to the capital reserve that that's what we usually talk
038about surpluses that's separate from the food service fund which is self- sustaining. >> Sorry about that. But essentially this is their in income that they bring in that there at this point there's enough >> to fund our free lunch program through November >> December 31st. Yep. >> I'm sorry through December 31st. through the um 21st >> because at previously there were um like grants, federal grants and things like that. There was one time when we had two possible grants we were looking at pretty much. Wasn't that right? >> This was one of the two the community eligibility and we move forward with that in order to provide free meals beyond what the state was doing at that point in time. >> Right. And when we're talking about the self- sustaining nature of the food service
039um budget, you'll hear from a lot of districts, which does not happen here. Sometimes the uh food service fun being a contribution to the general fund. Um if those food service budgets are in trouble, that is not something that has ever happened here in this district. It's been totally self-sustaining, especially in the Soliv budget and the revenue that they generate from paid meals, pays for all the food products, the packaging and um trays, everything and staff and benefits for our employees as well come from that self-sustaining fund. It's completely self-sustaining. No general fund money pays a food service worker or any of the materials that go into or the actual food. Thank you for the explanation. >> Can I just mention one thing though, Anthony, correct me if I'm wrong. During COVID, didn't though the
040board um put money into that account to keep it whole because of what was happening with CO I remember that contribution so that they wouldn't fall. >> The board made a contribution not Yes. So, not because the food service budget was in trouble in any way. the the board made a contribution in conjunction with Governor Ed Lamont's executive order at that time to continue paying staff even though buildings were closed. That was what that contribution was for bringing it up. Yeah, there were countries that bubble in any way. So, um there's potential moving to paid meals and at that same time we'll be looking at if there are any potentials for um adjustments to meal prices. I have to bring that up because it's been over 10 years since we had meal price increases in
041New Milford. And that is very different from when you look at other districts state. >> Um every year we've had to fill out an exemption for not increasing our food lunch prices. Yeah, we have we voted that down several years ago, too. There was supposed to be a hike and the board said we would cover it because we're just coming out of COVID, but then it ended up being free, but I I remember that. Yeah. So, we've kept our prices very >> in line for a long time. >> Lowest in the state almost. >> All right. Very good. >> So, that's that's it. >> Comment. I think I just I want to thank Mr. Cunningham and his crew for what you did here at Saranobal vacation. I'm hearing from from friends who work in the
042building that it was very nice to come in to dry classrooms to get them set up. So, I can't thank you enough for what you did. Um, really appreciate it and I think it saved us a lot of a lot of >> hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yes. >> Thank you, President. right of view >> and all the work they do in the buildings are >> in September we'll talk about um all of our summer projects. So yeah, we can't wait to show you those pictures. >> All right, great. So listen, I need a moment I need a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:04. >> Wanted a moment of silence. I was going to say what happened what happened. >> We left a second. >> All those in favor? >> Dean, was that you?
043>> Ryan and Dean. >> Perfect. All right, guys. Good. Good job, Eric.