School Committee Meeting - 10/8/2025

001Good evening everyone and welcome to the regular meeting of the Cohasset School Committee. Today is Wednesday, October 8th, 2025. Um we will call to order. Um please indicate if you are present. Mr. Dial, >> present. >> Mr. Evans, >> present. >> Mr. Mclen, >> present. >> Mr. Splato, >> present. >> And Jen Leleski, present. Um, we can we have a quorum and we'll call the meeting to order. So, please stand if you're able to the flag of >> I aliance 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. Um, some of you may have noted in the um, roll call that we are pleased to have Mr. uh, Jake Swatrio joining us as our uh, newly

002appointed school committee member um, until the next election. So, welcome. Um, we have a full agenda and a full house tonight. Um, so this will be a great meeting um, to get you started. Um, and with that, we'll take a moment for public comment. If there is any at this time, we do have um ourselves being um broadcast on 143 TV. Um, you can join via Zoom. That would be the best way to comment by um indicating your comment in the um comment section and we will get to you. Please make sure to introduce yourself and state your address before speaking. and we have a full audience. >> All right. >> Hi. >> No, I closed. >> Uh, could you please introduce yourself and give your address? >> Sure. >> My name is Jennifer 2.

003I'm at 25 Virginia Lane and I'm here to speak to you all for the first time. I had reached out to Corey, but he's very, very busy. So, has not had time to get back to me, nor I believe had time to get back to Cassandra Bushka since May. Um, so you are going to see a a fuller and fuller house here. Um because there are concerns about fiscal mismanagement or lack of planning that we're seeing in the budgeting um around things like utilities around things like as the um precinior has made very clear 61% of our funds our tax funds go to the schools but that does not cover all of the school costs. So more than 61% of our taxes go to the schools and yet you guys cannot figure out how to

004make full day kindergarten something that is available in 95% of the communities in Massachusetts something that should be standard here that the community voted on that the community thinks is a good idea. And I will tell you that I have no skin in this game in terms of kindergartens. I have a fourth grader. I paid for him. I didn't like it. I didn't think it was appropriate, but that's what it was. Subsequent to that, we have had a vote and I think town resoundingly agreed that we should come into modern times and do what all most of the surrounding communities and 95% of the communities in Massachusetts are doing. So, I'm here today to speak to that and also to make mention that I do think and I am going to suggest at the select

005board meeting that there be further oversight and approval of the budget by the select board because many of the things that we expressed the other day um the response that we got is that that that starts and ends with school committee. So, if it starts and ends with school committee and we can't balance a budget, that's the wrong place to end but a great place to start. Welcome. Thank you for having us. >> I prepared a comment because I was elephant on the fly. >> Speak up, Cassandra. They didn't put microphones in here. >> Okay. Thanks, girl. >> And just just for record, the microphone does pick up speakers. So, >> you can't hear back. >> Okay. I'm Cassandra Dragon or Shambo. uh 290 Beachwood Street. Um good evening. I'd like to speak with you

006all tonight in strong support of the citizens petition to reinstate tuitionfree full day kindergarten and to thank the committee for placing it on the agenda tonight. Its inclusion signals that the body recognizes both the urgency of this issue and the principle behind it. This is not simply a question of fairness or affordability. It's also a test of the district's stated commitments under the Cohasset public school strategic plan 2025 to 2030. That plan rests on four compass points. Teaching, learning, and leading, wellness, resources, and community engagement. Yet nowhere in its measurable objectives do we see acknowledgment of the foundational importance of early education. the very place where readiness, equity, and lifelong learning begins. If the strategic plan is to be more than aspirational, tuitionfree full day kindergarten must be named explicitly as a measurable outcome with

007clear metrics, annual progress reporting, and transparent accountability. Some may argue that a phase roll out over several years is the only viable path, but delay is not neutral. Every year that families are required to pay tuition, inequities compound. Children lose access to early learning opportunities that are critical for long-term success. And families experience avoidable financial strain. The longer we wait, the greater the gap between Cohassid and the vast majority of Massachusetts districts that already provide free full day kindergarten. We can and must act now to ensure that no child is left behind while we plan for sustainable implementation. Has the district reviewed data from other Massachusetts communities or research studies to show that offering free full day kindergarten has ever adversely affected student outcomes in later grades? To my knowledge, the evidence overwhelmingly shows the

008opposite. Early equitable access strengthens reading, math, and socioeotional skills, supporting long-term academic success. Cohasset residents have seen prior commitments reversed without due process. When voters and committees act in good faith, their decisions deserve continuity and not quiet undoing. So I ask, what binding mechanism will ensure that once we do the right thing, it endures? Will the district adopt a standing policy, a bylaw, or another safeguard to prevent future reversals of such fundamental commitments? Freefolding kindergarten is not peripheral to our strategic plan. It's central to realizing it. It strengthens teaching and learning through early readiness. It supports wellness for students and families. It demonstrates resource stewardship through predictable, sustainable planning. And it rebuilds community engagement and trust in our local governance. If we are serious about fulfilling the 2025 to 2030 strategic plan, then making tuitionfree

009full day kindergarten permanent and accessible immediately is not an act of generosity. It's an act of coherence, integrity, and follow through. Thank you. >> Thank you. I'd like to offer a slightly different perspective. Um, and I appreciate your time. My name is Katie Dugan, 100 Black Rockck Road. I'm a former school committee member, sat in one of your seats, a board member from the Cohasset Educational Foundation, and a long-term supporter of Kohaza Public Schools. Over the past year, the town and the schools have worked together to address serious fiscal and operational issues within the school district. Thank you. Thanks to that partnership between the new superintendent, the town manager, the school committee, and the select board, and multiple town committees, no teachers were laid off. That was a real risk. The citizens petition that is

010being discussed uh unfortunately undermines critical trust and cooperation between the town and schools in building a budget for the community. The FY23 appropriation of $300,000 to the schools. You look back at the warrant was a one-time transfer to cover the cost of full day kindergarten. At the time, the district promised that the community that incremental chapter 70 funds would cover future costs. What many may not realize is that the schools were already facing fiscal deficits as far back as FY24 in transportation and athletics. By FY25, the deficit had grown to 839,000, forcing the town and schools to use a significant portion of precious free cash flow to close the gap. As a result of ongoing school revolving deficits this year, the town has had to encumber free cash flow. This fall to ensure coverage until

011they get to a positive balance. Even in the current fiscal years, the school is actively working to repair shortfalls in athletics, transportation, and utilities budgets and potentially managing new special education costs. For its part, capital budget contributed last year $200,000 to fully finance the existing bus lease and additional transportation assets, allowing the school operating budget to benefit from lower third-party rental costs. Furthermore, each household in the town has contributed $400 per year through the debt override, ensuring that schools have funds for critical capital projects as such as the Joseph Osgood roof replacement. This means that an incremental million dollar of operational budget funding and $1.5 million of capital budget funding flowed to the schools to make FY26 educational priorities a reality. Budget building requires hard choices, something we all understand in our personal lives. The

012schools and towns work transparently, and by my account, the superintendent presented the proposed fee increases five times last spring as a necessary short-term step to balance the school budget. This citizens petition unravels that carefully balanced and community approved budget. We should recognize that the IT department supported the schools all summer by installing new switches and equipment to enhance our children's educational experience. The FY26 town budget also absorbed an additional $95,000 to prioritize another school resource officer at the elementary level to protect our youngest students. I support the schools. I do not support the citizens petition. My question to its authors and to the school committee is why not pursue a more collaborative approach to reinstating tuitionfree full day kindergarten. I agree that full day kindergarten should again be a shared community priority, one that we

013can plan for together in FY27 and beyond. But this warrant article benefits only a handful of families this year with a fee refund while roing community support for our schools just after we came together to provide an additional 2.5 million when the schools were in crisis. So, thank you and I appreciate your consideration. >> Thank you. If there's no other online if there are no other public comments um we'll move on to our first invited guest our only invited guest Mr. last minute. >> Victoria, come up. >> Absolutely. >> My moral support. >> You could just give me a sign when you're ready for me to transer slide. Let me just get you a hold on. >> So, good evening. Uh, I'm Will Ashton, 125 Down Street. >> Victoria Lanzi, 125 Down Street. So, thank

014you to the school committee for inviting us to discuss this citizens petition for tuitionfree full day kindergarten. We've already presented to advisory and select and incorporated their comments into this presentation. The petition has been signed by 140 people of which 124 were certified. So, we have met the minimum of 100 signatures required for special town meeting. And as I'm sure you know, this petition seeks to reinstate tuition free full day kindergarten through a budget change to fund the the $300,000 that was raised via tuition. Go the next one. 95% of school districts in Massachusetts already provide full day kindergarten tuition free. Is one of only 14 schools that still charge and this number declines every year. Quacid is also in the 90th percentile in budget spending per capita. This is both statewide and among towns

015plus or minus 3,000 in population, which is what those two charts are up there. Also, full day kindergarten is widely supported both in the town and statewide. Every one of the 104 kindergarters this year in Cohasset is enrolled full day and statewide 99.8% are. Next slide. One of the keys to this petition is how to fund $300,000 that was raised from tuition payments. Within the town, we've seen a few departments as outliers in budget growth over the last 5 years, while others, including the schools, have been equal to or less than the town's revenue growth. The top chart, you can see in yellow, the general fund total budget growth with fire and schools generally aligned with it and the town manager, IT, and police rising much faster. You'll see at the end of these five

016years that the school budget has risen 2% less than the overall town budget, which doesn't sound like much, but that's a $400,000 difference, more than enough to fund kindergarten. At the bottom, we compare to other towns for a different look at school budgeting. While we're in the 90th percentile for our overall budget, these two metrics show that Cohasset is only the 78th or 69th percentile for education funding. Per pupil spending is the more widely used metric here. However, some experts think that net school spending as a percent of foundation budget is the best way to look at this comparative school funding. I'm sure the school committee knows this. Uh but for others, I just want to explain what that is. And anybody here that knows more than me, I'm not an expert on this. Feel

017free to jump in if I get it wrong. The state has an algorithm to determine the absolute minimum amount that each school district will be required to spend to run the district. And that is the foundation budget. It's what all the schools chapter 78 from the state is based on. The metric we have at the bottom takes the actual budget of the school as a percentage of that state calculated minimum. Measures how a town funds its schools compared to the state minimum. And it's useful to compare peer towns relative to that baseline. So we can see that despite being 78th percentile in funding, our amazing teachers and with great parental support, we've been able to achieve a fourth place ranking among Boston area high schools. The underfunding is slight, but it can make a big

018difference. For example, like we said before, just a 2% increase to meet the town's revenue growth would net more than $400,000 to the school budget. And for comparison, an increase of $1 million to the school budget only moves Cohasset to 179% in this ranking somewhere between Needam and Hangum on the list. 2 million would only move us to 184% still ranked in the mid50s. Next slide, please. Here we've summarized the feedback from advisory and select meetings where we've presented the petition. most often heard concern was that the citizens petition can only move budget money. It can't commit the school committee to use it for the purpose intended by the citizens. To quell this concern, we hope that school committee will commit to following through with the citizens wishes and applying this funding to kindergarten and

019also including the funding and school budget request going forward. Select and advisory were very clear that in their view, the school sets their budget and they need to add this. Next, we heard comments around this being a school committee issue that shouldn't be addressed at town meeting. However, the budget is the purview of the town meeting and our analysis shows that the current school budget will not support full day kindergarten. So, budget should be reallocated either from other departments or from free cash flow if the midyear changes are too disruptive. Did I say free cash flow? >> Yeah, I said I meant free cash. Yeah, >> still in work mode. Finally, we heard a few comments saying that the school budget is an issue that shouldn't we shouldn't just throw money at like Miss Dugan

020said that the school committee should sharpen their pencil as chair Gina said. I think that we've shown that relative to the town's overall spending, the education budget is lagging behind other departments as well as our peer school districts. Next slide. So, we humbly ask for your support both of this warrant article and a commitment to using the funds for kindergarten while integrating this into the next budget submitted to the town. The citizens of Cohasset support this. Parents of kindergarteners support full day kindergarten both in town and across the state. Nearly every other district in the state already provides this and we've addressed the concerns from select and advisory surrounding both budget and process. Thank you very much for your time. >> Thank you, Mr. Ashley. >> By way of process, we'll allow um school committee

021members to um either comment or ask questions. Do that in alphabetical order. Mr. Evans >> Oh, I'm Sorry went out of >> I was not educated in public schools clearly Mr. Guile >> I was so almost I beat you to the punch at least. >> Yeah. So um thank you for um that uh and your presentation and for the public comments. Um I applaud the enthusiasm and I think there's a lot of agreement between what you are saying and uh the reality and I think the views of this committee. I think it's very clear to us who sit here and deal with the budget uh on a feel like feels like daily basis and who've done this for multiple years and have made hard decisions that we we do not have enough money to run

022the schools the way we want to. Um and as uh part of the school committee that approved uh full day kindergarten uh when we did uh that was obviously a very important priority. Uh just by way of context, that was approved under the understanding that it was effectively self-funding. The idea was if we were able to have a one-time transfer of $200,000 to our schools and offer one year of tuition free kindergarten, the students uh enrolled them in full day kindergarten would uh just our chapter 7 funding such that the full day kindergarten would be funded by the state. There was never a view at the school committee. our discussion and with the administration that the school budget could afford and absorb full day kindergarten. It cannot. And so we have difficult decisions to make

023and we have different we have difficult priorities to reconcile. I would love to have an additional $2 million just you suggest. Um that would be awesome. that would get us to almost where we need to be and we could probably figure out a way to have um a a free a taxpayer funded rather full day kindergarten. I do want to stress though that it's not we don't lack it's not that we lack a kindergarten program. We do offer uh taxpayer funded half day kindergarten and that includes the academic necessary for meeting state standards. So we're really talking about the full day kindergarten and which is the extra extra three hours each day. I'm not saying it's not important. I just want to put it into context. People say, "Oh, you don't offer kindergarten?" "Well, we

024do offer kindergarten." So, when I think about these things as a committee member, knowing what I know and having worked with teachers unions, having dealt with uh budget issues, having made hard tradeoffs, I look at the things we're facing. I look at the capital shortfalls we have. I look at the things we need to do to invest in our buildings, to invest in our education, to expand teachers. We didn't lay off any teachers, but we did have to have a staff reduction. We did have voluntary retirements. That was painful, and I I hated it. Um, I hated having to vote on all these fee increases. I hated having to vote on um whether or not we would continue to be able to offer full day kindergarten. But to me, the reality is that in the

025list of priorities that we have in front of us, we have several we have to check off before we can get to full day kindergarten. So even if we're able to get an allocation in the amount suggested, I don't know when we go through the budget process that the committee would agree that that would be the first and best priority. It is an incredibly important priority, don't get me wrong, but we have other needs. And you will see this as we go through our our budget process and as we go through our long-term planning process. We are going to come to the town with a proposal that will involve increased funding for schools. We have to. So, um, I appreciate you coming. I appreciate your enthusiasm and I ask for your continued support to help

026our schools grow. I wish I could tell you that I shared the alignment on this being on the taxpayer funded full kindergarten being my priority. It is a priority, but I have others as well. Uh and so uh let's do them all uh together. But um I offer that as just my perspective, but again, I do appreciate everything you you're uh doing and you all are correct is what you're saying. Since I wasn't part of the FY26 discussions over the board yet, would you mind if I go after you both and then I can lead before Mr. Spartrino because I'd like to hear I haven't heard I haven't talked to you guys about this yet. So, you know, this there's certainly like what Lance said today right now is informative to me as well. So,

027if you wouldn't mind going first because I'm sure I have a different perspective that's doesn't have quite as much history. >> Okay. Um, I guess I want to preface my remarks with um, well, first, thank you for coming here and and making that professional proposal. It's the first time I've ever met you. Um, it's the first time I've ever seen anyone present to the committee on this issue. Um, and I appreciate it and you've clearly put a lot of work and thought into it and, uh, I think we try to encourage as much participation from, uh, the community as possible here. So, you mentioned you're glad to be invited. You don't ever have to be invited. No one has to be invited. You can always just come and talk to us at any time. We'd

028love to hear from you. Um so, thank you. But I I guess I want to preface my remarks um or my questions about your proposal with two sort of baseline sentiments. And uh the first of which being that this is this is not federal government or state government, you know, it's local government. And uh I'd even call it village government because the size of our our community. That means that the uh members of these various community boards and um committees uh are your community members. They are your neighbors. They are your friends. And um because of that, every decision that they make, every vote they take uh impacts them. And if it doesn't impact them directly, it impacts their neighbors or their friends directly in some way, shape, or form. And um so we're not

029some faceless bureaucracy that never sees um the uh reactions or the results of our actions and certainly not a group of people that don't consider them. Um and I I think that that's important an important consideration. um when when you know advancing your own perspective. The second baseline sentiment is that there is no one on any of these boards or committees that uh either individually or in a group get together in private rooms and devise ways to damage or harm this community or in the case of the school committee the families or the children of Cohassid. And so I say these two things because um I feel that um prior to tonight I think that that the the presentation has evolved um from where it began and I think that uh it was initially very

030uh spiteful. I think there was a lot of vitriol and I don't think spite and vitriol serve to amplify anyone's points. I think it only serves to diminish one's credibility amongst many of their community members and their neighbors and their friends. So, I just would like to say that we always want to hear from everyone, but we're always going to confront you with respect and um and we're going to appreciate your input and we just I I personally would ask that that you you do the same and advance perspectives in the same manner just like you did today. Um I just would I would just mention that I I I don't think that it was always presented that way. So those are just some baseline sentiments that I just wanted but with regards to your

031proposal and I I'm earnestly asking for your input here. I I just want to understand right so I I believe you've identified um certain avenues for specific avenues for the funding to recover this $300,000. Um, and if I'm not mistaken, those three basically three basic categories of of areas where you're thinking we could cut that are in your opinion overfunded or >> I offered two. One generally the town budget where I picked specific departments and then the other was free cash. >> Okay. So I'm referring to specific departments. >> Yeah. >> How many departments? >> Yeah, there were three on that chart but I'm not I put those up there as examples. I'm not opposed to doing it from anywhere or splitting it up between the two or whatever. They're just examples. >> Okay. So,

032they weren't the only areas. You're just giving examples. >> Those were the largest. Those were the ones that had the biggest growth in the last five years. That's what I reported. >> Okay. All right. Um that's helpful. That's why I asked because to me, one of them was the the PD, I believe. Correct. >> Yeah. >> Okay. And um and I know that CPD just recently um just recently delivered to us an additional SRO which is one of their newest uh additional allocations which would mean that would be the first on job. >> It's a separate line item from police. >> Okay. Um, but from my understanding though, that would be something that if if you just unceremoniously strip the police department of $100,000 in speaking with the police department, my understanding is the first

033cut that would be made would be the additional school resource officer, specifically the one that we just came to the elementary campus. And I guess I I don't see the wisdom this day and age um of reducing police presence um or safety measures in schools. >> I'm not saying to do that. You're you're saying the police said to do that. So I don't I don't want it to be construed that I'm saying to get rid of a school resource officer. >> Sure. I understand. And I'm not trying to uh misrepresent what you're saying. I'm just saying in in in in trying to understand your proposal, I I contacted the police department and asked them because I want to understand like what are the options and and there are you know they cannot from contra contract

034perspectives and union perspective reduce patrol force right so that the first thing on the chopping block would be the SRO and I'm not saying that that was your impetus or the driving motivation I'm just saying that's the reality and we have to consider that if that's going to be a part part of the funding source Um and then the town manager's office I think was also one of the departments and um the funding cuts would uh as they often do and as I I think um others have have mentioned uh would involve reductions in force and um that would be you know a reduction in personnel. So these are people's jobs and they're also jobs that um support administratively the efforts of the town manager and assistant town manager which um I think without them

035it would be fairly difficult for them to focus on their day-to-day duties. So, and again, this I think similar to what we just established with the SRO. It it's not necessarily you're not necessarily advocating to reduce or cut anyone in particular's jaw. You were just identifying what appeared to be overfunding. >> For many many years, the town manager's office had two FTEEs and this increases the result of going to four. So, yes, >> understood. Um so uh I just I just wanted to basically understand that and um before I I could fully decide you know where I fell because I we the funding has to come from somewhere right and there just like there were when we were deciding on these various fees including the kindergarten one it wasn't the only one that we considered

036um in alternative uh you know money either comes in or we save it by cutting costs and so Um, I just sort of wanted to understand where that money would be coming from because every dollar that we take from the overall count budget, there's a consequence on the other side of that. >> Absolutely. That's why I offered up free cash also. We average probably one and a half million in free cash every year, sometimes more, sometimes less. And that's essentially contingency of taxpayer dollars that could be used for this year. And then it could be built in like with an override or whatever you were mentioning about for the increased budget for next year. So, >> but I think a solution in perpetuity that would um because you're proposing that we ensure that this is

037offered from here on out. Right. >> Like 95% of schools master. >> Right. Right. Um I heard that part um of the presentation. Um, and I think we've all been aware of that, the fact that we're in a minority in terms of the free full day auction being free. Um, but to me, the more permanent track would uh it would steer closer towards that finding like cutting from other places in the budget. Free cash to me doesn't doesn't provide as much security in terms of ensuring that it it happens in perpetuity. The varial variable cost that's not always the same amount. So you'd need to I think cut from certain departments and identify cost fixed costs that would no longer exist that we could count on every every year. Okay. Um in in in order

038to in order to be sure that we'd be able to offer it every year. Um and so you just said you mentioned some you provide these as examples. To me this is exactly the kind of conversation that we should have and this goes to um this student's point. I think we we should collaborate on this during the budget process. I think that the points you bring are great. This is like let's let's have it's thoughtprovoking. Let's have this conversation about whether we can find the funding for this um in in some places in the town budget. Um, I I I I don't think that this is the the way to do it. I mean, we we've had and I know that we've been accused of doing this as secret and and surprising everyone, but you

039know, the reality is that we had many public meetings where this was discussed as as it was noted, Superintendent Shannon discussed the the potential cuts uh that we were going to make um over and over again before made. We are >> we were at all those. I understand. So, and and when you I just want to go back to what you said about spite, vitrial, and respect that I don't I don't know what you're referring to because I was at all those meetings and I've never done anything spiteful, vitriolic, or disrespectful. So, I I don't like the way that you're portraying me because I've never done any of those things. >> Um Okay. Um I'm just going to continue. Okay. I didn't interrupt you during your presentation at all. ask you would be the same

040respect that I did to you. Okay. I'm I what I meant by that and uh I I I guess I was referring to uh social media posts, you know, that are not the same as personto person interactions. They don't require the same level of accountability for one's statements and um they also I don't think result in the same level of productivity in terms of discourse. Okay. And that's what I was referring to and um you know I don't like It's not discourse, it's election talking and I appreciate what you're saying, but I really would have thought we would have some more back and forth here to explain this because this is loaded. This is a very very complex analysis that will supported I supported Will through and we've talked through this and I guess >>

041and we have talked to we we talked to the chair and the superintendent and the the whole select board, emails, calls, all kinds of stuff. and and not ultimately that's where I started before I even did a petition and everybody said we don't have the budget so I said let me see if we have the budget and that's what this is >> right so go ahead Mr. I I'm sorry. I'm not trying to let you. I'm trying to just get my thoughts out. But >> No, I know. But it started in a place and I'm just being receptive to what you're saying and it felt like it was coming out of place to take us down a bit in where we're coming from. And we're coming from a place where we want to collaborate in

042this conversation right now. It's not a conversation, but it feels like that's not what we're doing right now. It's not collaborative. We have so much information to share with you. And maybe you've already looked at it. Maybe you've already examined the chapter 70 and all the other components that are built into this that are predicated on the fact that every kindergarter needs to stay in full day kindergarten for you to get maximum contribution for your chapter 7. And you mentioned just being a village. We are a village which means those budgets that will called out that's just if you're looking at data the data tells you a story and there's three high at the top. So, it's just natural to pull those down and say, "What's what gives? What's going on here?" And if there's

043very discreet, clear, thoughtful reasons why those are so high and need to stay so high. We've asked why and we have never gotten an answer because we get people just pontificate, just explaining how they are interpreting as opposed to asking us the questions that lend itself to open discourse. So getting back to the village piece, the village piece is, hey, what could I give to you that you could set you straight, could give you maybe not the $100,000, but the 50 or the 75 to come together, pull your resources to make the greater good be whole. So the fact that you talked to the police, I mean, this is a perfect example, and they said the first thing off the chopping block is that SRO office order that we gave you. Why are we talking

044about full FTEEs that are supporting the schools? that seems to cover their nose or spite your face. A more compelling answer, one that is of a village to me would have been that you know maybe we can find it from other you know facility costs that we have built into the budget that we don't need this year. So we pull we ramshackle everything that we need our resources to make this whole. And so that's the part it's not done in isolation. It's not done in those one onoff conversations and it's not done in the way this round table's going right now and that's not what I came for and that's not what we thought we're invited for. We really want to talk to you about what we found because we're excited. We thought we found

045a way a path forward to have an open conversation where this is just one example of that can just crack open a community-led initiative to have these meaningful and impactful changes for our village. But that but that's not where we started. Mr. McCullen, chair of Mcllen, Vice Chair Mcllen, whoever you want me to call you in this moment. But I I'm really just here. We're here looking for solutions. >> We're saying the same thing. I'm saying it's it's it's it's halfbaked how it is. you are very convinced that this is the why why not just go through the budget process and take part in in a monthsl long discussion over throughout the budget budget process which by the way no no one was talking to us about any of this while we were forming the

046budget never it was just after there were a lot of and there were I'm sorry whether it was you or not and I I don't like really survey but things snapshots get sent to me when people are saying things about me online and like there were vitriolic and spiteful things said about people and like I I I'm sorry, but that's how it started. That's how this started. And like and then so so and I'm I'm we're saying the same I I agree with you that No, we are I think conversation because it hasn't we haven't gotten there. We haven't talked about the data. We're still talking about what happened last summer in a Facebook post that set us off on edge. >> Well, is there something else? Mr. Ashton gave a presentation. What else would

047you like to add then? I had asked questions about where the funding was coming from and I thought that I got answers, but if there's additional information, then share it. I mean, you're acting as though we didn't listen to what you had to say and then I didn't ask questions. I mean, please please give us any any information additional information. >> Why I I guess for me is why couldn't we find a path forward? Why couldn't we make this work >> this year? Like why not? >> Because the the budget process applies to next year. It doesn't do anything for this year. And if there is free cash this year, taxpayer cash that doesn't have to cut the budget, why can't we give that back to the 100 people that had to pay for >>

048the budget has already been voted on this year? >> Yeah. Like that's what I'm saying. >> That's what a citizen that's what a citizens petition does. It changes the budget. >> I I understand. And what I'm saying it is more prudent to take steps to address the upcoming budget rather than do things >> I think we should do that too. But I'm saying this year you can't affect this year in that budget process. >> That's correct. I understand. This year's budget has been set approved by the town. >> This petition can only affect this year's budget. It can affect next year's. So that is the only way to do anything about this year. >> That that's that's correct. And I'm saying my my position is that I would love to have these conversations so we

049can look at what can be done in the future. >> Why can't we do both? Because I just said I don't think it's prudent to start in the middle of the fiscal year and try and say we're just going to even though we budgeted for X Y and Z. We're just going to unceremoniously slash300 $400,000 from these various budgets and and have the schools apply that to kindergarten so people can be reimbursed. You know, it's it's it's it's just it doesn't make sense to you. >> So let me ask you then the free cash example, right? That's all tax money that the 8,300 people here have paid to the town and it's whatever is left over at the end of the year. So if there's money left over in free cash at the end of

050the year, why not give it back to the hundred people that had to pay $3,000 extra? >> I I I don't know. That's not a school committee issue. >> That's what this petition's about. We're asking on your >> But on the on the limited piece No. On the limited piece of of taking money from free cash and paying it to certain citizens, that would be a select board issue. on the idea of a going forward budget and how we spend budget talking to us about we've already voted on the budget so talk to us about how we spend money next year coming being involved that is a that's a school committee issue >> right >> so how we allocate the thing I was talking about the priorities you know do we do we expand the

051hire rehire a a you know middle middle school teacher or do we give free kindergarten that's that's a that's a school committee decision for next year but if we're going to take free cash flow from the free cash >> so let's talk about that right we have had declining enrollment the last 10 years. So why would we add a teacher instead of doing what not? >> This is a hypothetical. >> Yeah. So >> so is mine. But what are the priorities that are above kindergarten? >> We have had many meetings about priorities. I'm not going to rehash them here on the fly. Okay. >> Uh but I can refer you to back to the u the prior meetings we've done and the meetings that are going to be coming up. >> So and just to

052get back to your point about the $300,000 and I think this petition is unique. Maybe it's unprecedented for this town, but it wasn't something that we thought of on our own. I mean, we we literally tried to contact everyone in our town to figure out what was our path forward, what was the next step to continue this, to continue just folks's engagement and really wanting to be part of something that we can work together for. And this is where it came to is that in the way we have our local government is that we have this power for for uh citizens petition. And so by putting that forward, we've pushed the envelope to create an opening to give you the money from the town for this year. And you're telling me, you're telling us that

053even if we did all that, the minations, the late nights, including last night, to put this all together a third time in a different way through the lens that we thought you guys would be most receptive, you would still say you wouldn't give it. I may not understand, but what I heard was I I think there's two problems with this. >> Yeah. >> One, >> transfer money from free cash to the parents who pay commission this year >> to the school. >> You It has to go back to the school. >> The school goes to the parents. So, I I don't I don't see >> that as a as a as a school benefit issue. That doesn't sound like we're doing something for our kids. So that's >> we've we've increased your school budget by

054$300,000 >> for this year and then we're we're repaying it to parents >> because >> we're doing what we should have done before when we committed to free kindergarten and like almost every other school in the state does. >> So yes, but that that that has passed. So that that I'll just I'll just say that's not compelling. What is compelling to me is if we're talking about next year trying to find a way to structurally increase our budget so that we have these options. That's compelling to me as a school committee. But why wouldn't why wouldn't you take the power and the momentum that we've generated behind this in our community to move that forward in a community-led initiative to take this and support it to create more engagement for your school committee issues to

055help us help you champion those. >> So if it does pass, which I don't know if it will or not, and then you get $300,000 from free cash, what are you going to do with it? Yes. >> Can we just return to asking questions because some of us haven't talked yet. >> I just we're getting I'd also like to let the public know that our process here will be to allow every school committee member the opportunity to speak and then the floor will be opened again. Um we do limit public comments to three per individual. So just keep keep that in mind as you're thinking about what you might like to say when you might like like to use your term to speak. Um so Mr. Are you um finished with your questions? >> Um

056I will go ahead and speak then and then we'll open it up to you Mr. Evans and then Mr. who um is new to us today um and is at a very exciting meeting. Um the first is a thank you. Um I have had the opportunity um to meet with you Mr. Ashton. Um I have seen this presentation or variations of it at at least three times now. Um and it has changed and I appreciate the way in which um you have listened um and taken feedback and tried to problem solve. Um and I I am hugely appreciative of the time and research um that it seems like collectively you as a family have put into um this endeavor and >> not just family a it's not just us. I I understand. I understand that

057this has been a major grassroots e effort and I am I am certainly in favor of um citizens getting together and finding their voice within the community. Um I'm also thinking right now about how lucky we are as a community. Um, and I mean that in that I think it's the exact same words I said um at our school committee elections last week is that one of our greatest assets as a community um are the many bright minds and the um caring people um who are in this town. Um it's a major asset and it's a major asset when people like yourself apply those talents that you have and a vision that you have um toward um the benefit of of the town, the town's people. Um and I think I think that's a gift.

058I I think we're very lucky. Apathy is what kills counts. Um engagement does not. Um so I think that those are some important comments that I wanted to make. That being said, um I will just very simply say I'm an educator. I've been an educator my entire life. Um well, except for when I was a baby. Um and I do believe in the most rigorous complete education for all of our children. um particularly here in Pocasset where I live um and get to bump into many of you on playing fields, on walks in the woods, um etc. We are a community. We are a village. Um and the reason I am on the school committee and was on the CF and part of the PSO and a room parent even as far back as preschool

059is because I care about our kids and I care about our schools and I also care about our teachers and administrators and I care about our town. That being said, I stand behind my point of view that I had when we met in August, which was I believe in preK. I also believe in collaboration with other town committees and departments. And I believe in a holistic and responsible budgeting process which includes potentially um in my vision, my point of view, um solely chipping away at tuition costs for kindergarten for families, continuing to make sure that families know that there is recourse for those who do not have financial access. um and to get to that point where we are a s have a sustainable healthy budget and which would include pre kindergarten um and I'll

060leave it there. >> Thank you. >> So we know each other. You've seen before we met before our daughters were >> Yeah. >> So what I see you >> not in kindergarten by the way in case anybody's wondering. >> No they were in kindergarten class. >> No I mean they're not in kindergarten now. >> No no no. I was like, >> if anybody thought that I was trying to make my money, >> did my daughter get a name change? Like, no. >> So, like one thing that really is tough about I've been doing this a long, right? I've been doing select board and capital budget and I was on cab advisory. I'm in the MBTA advisory board is this this thing that happens where, you know, you've got these people here and you got these

061people here and it creates this sense of like fight, right? we feel like we're doing this and watching select board advisory I can get why you feel that right I can get why you know it feels like you are pushing like I don't want to rephrase what you said but like the idea that you're not you're not being heard you're not getting it right and one of the frustrations is like when you sit over here it just happens right you've seen me before I was my daughter's dad and now you see me something else I haven't changed at all I mean I put on a jacket because you know I try to take this seriously So it's it's it's challenging to have conversations because of that dynamic, right? Where you feel like you're opposite. Um

062I am on the same side as everybody here. Um when it comes to priorities of the schools, I was on the select board. My last vote on this matter was on the select board when I voted to uh use free cash. Um, and as I think this student phrased very clearly, two years ago was to put free cash towards kindergarten for the next fiscal year. That way we get chapter 7. And I share your frustration. I'm not going to share what I said at the time, but uh, when that didn't happen, uh, I was very surprised that we didn't get that state money. I've gone back and looked at the discussions we had select board and a town meeting. At no point was it ever presented to me as a select board member that the

063state funding for that came with a caveat. And I think if I knew that at the time, I would have had a different conversation. Can't replay that and happy. But has led us here today where we did something that wasn't sustainable and and now we're here. There's a couple things I've watched every presentation you have and there are a couple things that honestly just hurt me personally. Um and I just want to share which is I think when you were talking to select board advisory one of the things you stated was that the school stabilization fund offloaded costs. I authored a large portion of that right on capital bleding and I've got fun and one of the lines I authored was specifically stating that the fund was not to be used in place of normal

064capital appropriation. I ensure it's been hours ensuring that the million half dollars we got did not cost us anything. Right? So, I've been fighting I was on capital budget last year where I fought for uh again student put it on it but for the over $100,000 of increased spending towards the schools including uh the sidewalk which you drove by. The sidewalk was never built. So, if you're walking up uh the street and you try to come into the building, you have to go into the road in order to walk up to the field. That's been pushed off forever. I pushed I said, "No, we're going to do this now. Cost us 50 grand. I don't know why cyber trucks are so expensive. Whatever this, you know, tree fraud or something. So, I see these things

065a little bit differently. I see what we've accomplished and I also see how hard it was to accomplish those things. Because one issue with this form of government, right, democracy is the worst form except for all the others, is that at town meeting everyone gets to vote. I was at last town meeting. It came up. Why are we spending money from the town budget on school stuff? I stood up and I defended the schools at the time. I said, "No, this is not what the fund is for. We need this money." I supported and worked on the additional $800,000 that counted. So, I'm I'm very clear on kind of where, you know, I stand and and what my priorities are and I share very much your ambition to where you get done. I think this

066petition I think one of the problems is that the petition is structurally unsound. And I also agree with what you said earlier about if we had connected earlier in the process maybe, you know, even before I was on the school committee, it would have been there would have been ways to do it or at least ways to push the ball forward. Progress is I echo what Mr. Dial said, Mr. Colin said that I think this is something we can get done. But if we do it this way, and I don't mean this because I disagree with what you're saying, but I've been doing this a long time and I know how. If we do it this way, it'll make it harder for us. It really will. I think that if you're willing, right, I would

067request that We revisit this for FY27 and we work together on getting it done in the proper because this as you've run into you've got issues with how the funds go to different budgets where it comes from. There's a lot of stuff here and and I get I feel like we're getting stuck in these back and forths and it's not really where we want to be. We want to be in the place of like hey we have priorities in town, right? It's the senior center. It's the roads. It's whatever it is. But we have to we have to prioritize. We have to go through that process. And I'm all for trying to figure out how to get schools more, but I I mean it sincerely that this petition at town meeting will hurt that that

068effort. I have no criticism of your effort. I'm just seeing how things go and I'm hoping that back to collaboration right doesn't help us for this year that wasn't part of that vote that's that's done but I do know that to get this done we can get together and do it that's what I have to say I appreciate this >> thank you I just have one question on what you said the uh when you're saying get together for the next budget session are you saying uh incrementally for five years like the chair said or commit to funding it fully next year and next year's budget. >> I don't know yet. I don't know yet. I mean, I can't commit because we have to go through the whole thing, but I can commit to work with

069you, right? I can commit to say I think of all I mean, I'm going to, you know, pat myself in the back here. But out of everybody here, I've got the most experience on all sides of the I know the mission budget process. I know how it works. I know all that stuff. And I think some of this you've run into hasn't been it's hard to listen sometime like it's hard it's hard to hear through the noise. It's just how things work, right? But I think that you've if you if you go back there's been a lot of support for what you're asking for or not what you're asking for. There's a lot of support for the value that you put forward to the community across the board. I think everyone here has said the

070same thing. And I don't want this to lose because I mean because of the faulty basis of it, the faulty construction of it. And that's just very straightforward feedback. But the basis is faulty. So if we want to get it done, right, the question is like, you know, always, do you want to be right? Do you want to get something done? If we want to get it done, we can do it differently. Uh, I'm committed to that either way. This is not a do this or not, but I'm I I'm telling I'm I'm giving you my experience that if this goes to town meeting and it loses, we'll be way behind that ball. Back to that other town meeting. It took us 15 minutes to have 100 people there. 15 minutes. Barely 100 people for

071us to get How much is our budget? $40 million. And that's the apathy that that Miss Leki was talking about, right? We don't if people don't show up to ensure we get a dime that and as until we change that as a as a habit, it's going to be really hard for us to push this. But you guys have great energy. If we can get 20, 30, 50 parents to show up because we have created a way to because we have something to show for. I want that to be I can't promise what it is because again it's town meeting, right? Town meeting votes how they vote. you know, town meeting, the floor of town meeting can do whatever they want with their budget and we just kind of sit there and hope for the

072scraps. That's not true. That was a little a little extreme. We get majority of the budget and that's great. But there is a lot of push back that we get. You heard that from from advisers when when when someone said sharpen the pencils, right? I heard that. I was like that's a teacher we have. That's a that's a reading specialist. That's a kid who doesn't get an IEP. like sharpen the pencils in this building means something very different. And what I worry about is how we an unproductive conversation. I don't think you're here for unproduction. You're here to help. So now grants my apologies, but I'm with you. >> Yeah. And I want to I I I want this to happen. >> Yeah. >> But it won't happen this way. And I think it will

073hurt us. I just had uh two faults. The faulty the faulty basis you're saying because it's maybe your budget cycle or something else. >> Uh so the the faulty basis is it's just it's this is one, right? So of course you've got the um the the school committee who were responsible for sure full day kindergarten tuition free for all residents. Obviously you can't promise that, right? And I agree with with Mr. Dial that we can't promise anything because if we get $300,000 more we have to go through all the process. >> Yes. >> So it can't find us there. So, one question is if this passes, do you actually get your money? And we can't answer that because the hypothetical hypothetical just isn't. And I don't want it to lose because of that reason, right?

074Um, also Mr. Mlullen talked about the town. I have no concerns with town budget. I'm not anymore. It's my colleagues over there. They get to wrestle with that. My concern is the schools. Uh so but there's no there's really no mechanism to if you take it as such which is we you take $300,000 out of the budget and you pass it's it's effectively a tax refund for certain residents over other residents, right? And we're going to have problems because I tell you now the the the um seniors hate the fact that the the DPW rates went up, right? There's other, you know, people in the community whose rates went up on fees for athletics, right? I don't think I think there's going to be a lot of people there's, again, the majority the majority of

075the town, the majority of their tax dollars goes to service they don't use. So, if we're talking tax refund, it's going to be different. I don't want this to be seen as that. So, I want this to be seen at I want this effort to be proper and I don't want to get caught up in this. So you had a second follow. >> Well, now I have more on that. >> Yeah, please. >> I I think I have a foundational disagreement with you that this is the same as a parking fee or RTF fees. Public school should be free to everyone and 95% of schools they did. So that is just a foundational disagreement we have. >> No, that's that's actually I don't disagree with the value of that. The foundation is that town meeting

076is for every resident, right? And so the thing is that you're going to have, you know, however many residents, we talked about 6,000 residents that could potentially appear and this goes to 89 98, right? So that's that's what I'm saying. The structural problem here is that it it is taking from the general fund which everyone contributes to and it's going somewhere else. So that is a that's a different thing. Uh and everyone's going to have a claim to that. Um, and that's not why you're doing it. But that's that's what it does struct structure. That's why >> that is why I'm doing it because I think kindergarten should be paid for by everyone just like first grade is, second grade is, third grade is, fourth grade is. So that is why. >> Okay. Well, yeah,

077>> I've said my part. Um, do you have any other follow-ups for me? >> Yeah, the um the um Oh, about the faulty basis. Sorry, I I didn't present here, but if you've watched before the I we consulted with town council about the wording of it, >> which we didn't consult with before we wrote it and she said that uh you're better off leaving it the way it is despite these legal issues of binding the school and all stuff because people signed it that way. So that's what I'm saying. You're stuck, right? You're stuck with it the way it is. Stuck's a little stronger, >> but you can't change it because people sign for free kindergart. But this can't guarantee that, >> right? So that's the problem. The structural problem is that people sign up

078for free full for full free day kindergarten. And because of the weird complications of how things go, it actually can't make that happen by itself. >> But this committee could. Yes. >> And that's what everybody that we've met with has told us. >> But what I'm saying is we can't promise that to you because we have to go through our budgetary process before anything happens. So $300,000 gets dropped off at us. I mean, you know, we've got kids that are that are on overcrowded buses that are on buses 45 minutes, right? Could we use that to extend there's a million things and so I don't know the outcome of that because I haven't been presented with it. So, and as I said before, I wasn't part of the FY26. So, I wouldn't I can't comment

079on what that money would be spent for until I have a full presentation on what it could what other requirements. I hope you respect that just absolutely I understand but this is what I talked to these fine folks the other day I said that there's no accountability for the school committee and I know everybody says come to meetings and voice your opinion but ultimately you can do whatever you want and you're saying now that even with a citizen petition where people voted for it you could say yeah we're not going to spend that money the way that people >> that's correct yeah we can do that >> yeah so I just want to make clear that so there is no accountability >> there is it's voting and and that's actually another problem >> but that's

080what I'm I'm bringing for you guys to vote. And how is it any different than if someone submitted for a grant >> for certain use of monies, which is, if you think about it, kind of what this petition is, is that you got people to gather to get the money for you under the pretense to be used for this, and then you get that money, and then you decide it's just going to be potentially divvied out any other way when it's been earmarked by the people who voted for it for this. So I just I I know that may be a technicality but if you have the power to decide just that >> we don't. >> Right. So so >> who is >> I don't want to go back and forth because >> I've I've

081and I meant it sincerely as parents of my daughter's friend. I'm not here because I'm trying to hurt the education of our daughters. I'm here because I believe I mean my constituency I'm responsible to is right. They're an odds and dear. That's who I consider you to be and I value all your opinions as well. That's why I'm here and you know what my daughter experiences, what your daughter experiences. That's the only reason I am here and I hope you can internalize that. It's really hard again in this format. We're already trying to go back and forth, but we're missing the ball. We're missing the overall goal of getting us forward. So, I truly believe in what I said about we can get forward and it's going to be a lot easier if we don't

082go through this at town meeting because I don't think either direction helps us. I really don't and I hope you can hear that for what it is which is I'm on we're in the same battle and I think the greater battle is outside this room. >> We a house divided falls right so we need to be on the same page and I appreciate you listening to my feedback I delivered it as Corey not as member Evans uh and I'm sincere. I'll leave it at that. Thanks. Thank you. >> I, as other members have, I do sincerely want to thank you and not just you and Mrs. Latani for being here, but also Miss Chu and Archbalt. I'm sorry. Um, because I was not involved in town affairs as much as I maybe should have been.

083I am a college student, maybe should be doing other things, but regardless, um, and people like you got me more involved with what was going on in the town and are part of the reason that I volunteered to fill this position. Um, so I genuinely do want to thank you for your involvement and let you know how much I appreciate how much time is dedicated to not just this issue, but other ones in the town. Um and also the fact that even though I do not pay kindergarten fees, I am very sympathetic to the situation that those who have had to has been as Mr. Mr. Mlelen mentioned the choices of the committee affect not just the students but the entire community as a whole which is something very mindful of um and especially you

084know it's it's a small number of families especially you know a few families with twins so we're talking $6,000 with each um the one question I came to here tonight was the question of how binding the citizens petition would And ultimately, I think my question was asked and answered, but I just want to, as Mr. mentioned, it ultimately does not bind this committee to free full day kindergarten for the foreseeable future. >> Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly right. >> Yeah. And that was really my biggest concern coming into the night because ultimately we are if we were bound to do something like that and not only did budgets not keep up with the district's needs or you know there was some kind of decrease I think that could you know really be dangerous and that was

085my primary concern but it's ultimately been addressed. Um, last week the question of the kindergarten fees came up and what I said was if the district was to be met with $300,000 every year, I think it's a reasonable first place to look for for relief in terms of the fees and what's been imposed um to address last year's deficit. Um, and I still do believe that. Um ultimately I think you know as we look into the very specific details of its implementation um and just from a school committee specific perspective I think it is definitely a little tricky um wanting to you know essentially issue a refund with these funds when this budget has been decided before I was even on the committee. Um so I do I am very sympathetic to what my fellow

086members have raised about that. Um because ultimately you know there were choices made by not just this committee but also you know the families that signed up for full day kindergarten. And I think it was at last night's select board meeting that Mr. Farad mentioned on the delay of the um the public safety building. He doesn't want the town to get a reputation for I'm not I don't remember the exact words he used but you know being not keeping its word you know um so that's something that I am somewhat concerned about. Um, but ultimately I guess my primary concern is about I look at this as if the district is short $300,000 and we have to go into budgeting for FY27, but that's going to be very tricky to overcome without having student facing

087cuts. And I think what the district was able to achieve for FY26 was definitely not ideal. But as mentioned, no teacher was laid off. And as a former student and promising to come to this seat with a student perspective, I can say that that is immensely valuable to students, to my knowledge, we didn't have any teacher layoffs while I was a student from third through my senior year. And it definitely helped ensure that we were able to learn. It didn't bring um this negative or spooky energy to the school, which I think is really really important to be able to learn. And I'm gonna quote Mr. Farog again. I believe it was last week's select board meeting. Um when the topic of the petition came up, he was talking about, you know, obviously the district

088has and the town have real issues that we need to address. But on the other hand, every day everybody's coming to school, including my brother, and is learning and is not, you know, for the large part not aware of what's going on. And I'm worried that if we have another $300,000 we have to make up next year that that could change. If we have to make cuts to student facing positions, I worry that that could change. And not only would it change for students in the immediate term, but I'm worried it would also build a reputation or, you know, ideas would spread, but the reputation of the district as a whole. So, not only would it affect those students, but the long-term position. I mean, you know, there could be some sort of negative effects

089and you know what the spiral there could be. It's just something that we're concerned about. Um, and lastly, lastly, my final concern is about if the petition passes. I know there's questions about, you know, the police um budget cuts result in the SRO being cut. I know that at the select board last night and maybe this is not entirely correct but I believe they said a lot of the increase in IT spending was to support the schools. So I'm worried and if you have more research on this I would love to hear it because I'd love to be informed and want to make sure I'm correct about this. um is you know obviously we can't if you can guarantee where this would come from but wanting to make sure that even if this does pass

090it's not going to ultimately make its way back to cutting from the schools ultimately um because I don't think that's really the goal of a lot of people is to come in this and look at cutting 300,000 which as I said would be really tricky to do um and ultimately I know this has also been echoed by other members but opportunities for FY27 Um, and I'm certainly not here to scold people for not attending meetings, as has nobody, but I am definitely not somebody who was attending meetings and now I am. So, I'm fully aware that those opportunities are out there and I think there there should definitely be chances as we go through the process for FY27, which I will be, um, to building a budget that would this. >> Thank you. Thank you,

091Mr. I um would also like to give the floor to uh Superintendent Shannon um if she would like to speak on behalf of the district um at this point and then we can open it up to the public if the public still has comments or um thank you for all of the work that you've put into this. Um, I think you've drawn more attention to some of the points I was trying to make about chapter 70 and how school public school budgets are funded. And you definitely have educated people more than I was able to do throughout the budget process last year. Um, and I think you have a great understanding of how schools are funded. Um, and I hope that more people will come to understand how schools are funded because this is a

092cohesive concern, but it is a public school concern across the entire state and it's something that I need, we all need people to be involved in. Um, and I think that ultimately we are very much aligned philosophically. Um, I very much believe in full vacay. It's why we offer as many structures for those who couldn't afford the fee as we do. Um, and why we work with so many families when they need assistance because it is without a doubt the foundation of the school district that we have. That said, when I came into this position and discovered that we'd be ending with such a deficit um and that we'd be facing a $1.2 $2 million shortfall. There was a lot of work that had to be done um both to find ways to balance the

093budget that had the least amount of impact on students but also in building collaborative relationships with the town. Um, we are the major funding source. We are the major recipient of the funding source of the town. Um, and we can't function without them. And they support us in a lot of ways that don't necessarily show in the school budget. And I'm very appreciative of the work that we have done um since I took this position to begin to have really hearty conversations about how to solve some of the budget problems that we've had and that we will continue to have moving forward. Um, and as we've gone through this process, we've had to look really closely at what the drivers were for the deficit. And we've had to look at those from a preK through

09412 perspective and then make recommendations that were aligned to our budget priorities and that were fiscally responsible to everybody. because my job is is to be fiscally responsible to not just the school board but also the town. Um, and that's hard. There were some real tensions in those decisions that we had to make. Um, and none of them felt good. We are sitting here tonight talking about kindergarten and the fact that we didn't cut teachers. We did reduce ESP positions. We lost people and though not at the Osgood, other schools are feeling the impact of those losses and we had to increase other fees and families across the district are feeling the impact of those increases, but we are committed to supporting all of those families impacted by the fees. so that everything that any

095family wants or children want is accessible to them. I think that moving forward into planning the FY27 budget is where we can partner the most. Um, and we've started to have conversations based on a lot of the data that you brought forward today. um the schools, the budget subcommittee and the town. I think that that to me is the way forward because all of us even the as we've been talking with the town all of us are committed to finding a sustainable way to get to a place where we have free kindergarten but that we need to do it in a way that is fiscally responsible and doesn't negatively impact other schools and students in the district and other families. And so even going into this next year, there are going to be tough decisions

096that have to be made. There are going to be competing priorities. And we had our very first leadership meeting today where we started talking about the FY27 budget with all of our central office folks, all of our principles, all of our department heads. And the message is we need to figure out exactly what we are spending on. Every penny that you think you need to spend next year, we need to know what it is. And then we need to figure out if we can account for it or if we need to make reductions in those areas as well. And that's hard because whether you're talking about staffing or you're talking about supplies, it impacts kids. And so there were concerns that came up and my answer to them was there's going to be a lot

097of conversation that happens between now and when the budget gets voted. I hope that those conversations continue to include you and anyone else who wants to be a part of them. We do have obviously the public forums, school committee meetings, budget hearings, but I am available, school committee members are available to have smaller conversations offline around budgets. happy to answer any questions um and to talk more about it because the future is uncertain and it's going to take a full effort between those of us who are in leadership positions, those who are on the committee, the town and the families. um we have to collaborate on what's what are the priorities for the district and how do we make decisions that really support all of our students prek and so I hope that as we

098begin those conversations all of that data I have a lot of that data but you have some other pieces let's bring it together for a full picture because that's how we're going to make something happen >> absolutely thank Thank you. Thank you. Um if there are um public comments at this point, we can take additional public comments on this topic. >> Um well um Mr. Evans brought um forward that this could be terribly wrong. I think that there is a lot of ground support for this initiative. And so my question to >> I think we're making public comments, right? >> Yeah. So my question is um what what are your opinions about what it would say to the community and to this board if there if it passes and and so what's how does that

099land as opposed to being a negative what if it passes and because we're talking about you know a tax refund this is a tax that nobody else paid for including me because I don't have a kindergartener so um if it passes does that send a different message. And I would like to off of that understand from each of you that in the theoretical scenario where we did have this allocated and the community is expecting that it be used for a specific use case, what your vote would be on how to use that when you all get together. >> Thank you. >> Are you able to answer that during this public discourse? We're taking public comment at the moment. Um, what I can say to you is is to reiterate what many of my colleagues have

100said, which is that we follow a budget process. Um, and which would involve a collaborative discussion and to look at our current our current budget and our current standing and whether or not we are meeting our our obligations and on track to meet our obligations fiscally at this point. Um, so I so I can't answer that right now. No, I'm sorry. And it's not because I don't want to answer that right now. It's it's because I we cannot answer it because it is not part of our process and because it requires so much information to digest and discuss before um making a decision like that. >> What kind of information does it take to digest and discuss if the community says here is $300,000 and this is how we'd like you to spend it. What

101else is involved? I would like to look at at the the the current budget as it stands and to understand forecasting forward what we might need. And I think we're going to leave it there because this is a public comment. It's not it's not a discussion. But thank you. And if you >> well I can invite any and all of you to come to a coffee hour at my house which I'm happy to host with the community um so that we can have conversation as opposed to comments and have it be more collaborative. So I'm putting that out there >> when is true >> whenever you would like. Any time except for the third week of every month. >> I I'm interested. >> So Monday through through Friday or weekends I don't care. You guys

102give me some dates and times. It would be during the lunch hour or a or like 600 6:30 at night or we could do it anytime on a Saturday or Sunday. We could do it on Saturday night and have wine. I'm good. So, let's pick some times. This is an honest offer. Um, I would be happy to host >> and get other people from the community so we can talk >> to each other, not at each other. >> If you wouldn't mind, my cell phone number and email are all over the internet. wouldn't mind either texting me or or emailing me and your numbers. >> I'll get it before I leave tonight and we will do that. >> What's that? >> I'll get your information before we leave tonight and we'll make it happen. >>

103Great. That would be great. Thank you. >> Is there a game happening tonight or is that >> Oh, is there a reason why we have the outdoor lights on on the field? >> There was a soccer game. >> They go off. But they're on a timer based on when the games are ending >> and they can't play without Pardon >> shine. I think it's more than being >> I think it I think there are sporting events happening right now. >> We will um close out this um section of our agenda. Mr. Ashton is that uh Miss Lati, excuse me. Um, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for again your efforts of the the students and citizens of >> Thanks so much. >> Moving along to our superintendent report. >> Thank you very

104much. This is Sarah Shannon. Um, so I know that Chair Ley, you did it, but I would also like to welcome Jake um to our committee. Um, it's a lot for anyone who steps up to be on a board in town, and I appreciate the commit commitment you have made to both engage in the community and in the school district. And I'm excited for the perspective that you bring and I'm here to support you however I can. I also shared with Mr. Storredo that I hope that he serves as a role model for our younger folks in town um and is an invitation to all of them to take part in our town or district in whatever ways they can. Um I wanted to provide a couple updates with regard to our strategic plan. Um,

105we have started to do some work that moves some of that forward. A few weeks ago, I mentioned to you that we'd be kicking off some of our strategic planning committees over the course of October. I'm happy to report that we had our first two meetings this week, our professional learning council and the PBL steering committee. Between now and the end of the month, we'll also kick off our AI and tech task force, our communications committee, and the wellness council. And it was really heartwarming to see as we're talking so much tonight about engagement, how many parents and caregivers showed interest in our participating on all of these committees. Um, I'm really excited to work with everyone who has signed up. everyone who signed up has a deep interest or expertise in the area of

106focus for the committee that they've joined and I can't wait to start that reciprocal learning process together. Um I'd also like to propose that when we get to the end of the agenda and we're talking about um revisiting the school committee liaison and committee assignments that maybe somebody would like to be a a member of our communications committee there. We do have a communications subcommittee. So maybe someone there, but anyone would be a great addition. Um, and so if we could think about that towards the end of the meeting, that would be great. Um, I also would like to thank Principal Scott for coordinating our summer community read and forum on the book Never Enough. He held a forum at the end of September. It was a great night and we had about 15 to

10720 parents and caregivers in attendance who represented elementary through high school. So there were a variety of perspectives in the room. Principal Scott shared important information and data about our students that comes directly from them. And he invited principal Sullivan from Deer Hill, high school teacher Laura Humphrey, guidance counselor Allison Batista, and student Fiona Renie to share their perspectives and experiences. We had a great conversation about what it means to support our students in a in a society where everybody is always striving for more um to the point where they there's not really a place that is an end point um and the stress that that puts on our students. And so this is just the first event that we will build upon as we continue to explore what success means in Cohasset. And another

108high school event that supports our strategic plan, which I shared in my newsletter as well, but think it was worth bringing up here as well, was challenge day. I had the privilege of participating in challenge day with our junior class and about 20 high school staff members. Challenge Day is an interactive program that helps teens and adults break down social barriers and build authentic connection through acceptance and respect. The day's activities were designed to boost self-esteem, transform negative peer pressure into positive support, and reduce bullying and violence. We know that the research reveals that when we have strong peer relationships and a genuine sense of belonging that students improve their academic outcomes. And I have no doubt that challenge day strengthened peer relationships and gave our students more adults that they know are in their

109corner. Um, my favorite moments of the day were watching students and stra staff grow more comfortable with each other as the hours passed, laughing together, dancing together, sharing openly, and discovering how much we all have in common, no matter how old we were or where, what our backgrounds are. Um, and watching our students genuinely support one another through some of the hard things. And so I'm grateful to Principal Scott for bringing challenge day to the high school and to the students and staff for welcoming me into that experience. And finally, um, if anyone was paying attention, when the Department of Education released their MCCAST results, Cohasset was one of only 13 schools across the entire state who was recognized for having met or exceeded our 2019s. So, our precoid MCCAST scores on this past spring's

110MCCAST. And so, I really would like to congratulate all of our students and staff on their hard work and their dedication to student learning. That's a that's a big deal. Um, and of the 13, about half of those were charter schools. And they function very differently than a public school. they do not have the same constrictions that we have at times. Um, and so for us to have accomplished that is is a a big deal. So, congratulations to all of them. Um, and for any parents or caregivers who are wondering how their individual students did, that information will be available in Aspen on October 17th. So that's the end of my report and then if there are no if you have questions I'll answer them and then I'll go into the other two items in

111my section. >> Mr. Evans, did you have a question? >> I jumped in so I'll sit down. >> If you have questions go I have a motion. >> Oh so no MCAST. Um so just for some context it sounds like we are ahead of other peers the whole state. What >> sounds like we're doing great but what's like a state average? How do we understand that in context? So all of the data was just released. Okay. And so coming Dr. Scholins will give you a full presentation. Gotcha. >> Um a little bit later in the late fall, early winter. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yes. There's a lot of information to digest. >> Gotcha. Madam Chair first, if I may, I just um had a point of order. Um before Superintendent St. Chen moves into

112the next uh portion of her report. I noticed that the citizens petition vote is uh towards the end of the meeting where we had a bunch of um you know concerned members of our community here >> um and likely have to get home to kids. I was hoping that maybe we could move that up. I could make a motion. I don't know if it'll be seconded or it'll pass, but I'd like to make a motion to maybe move that up in the batting order to right now so that they can have some closure there at least and then they can they're welcome to stay for the rest of the meeting. Um I imagine at least a few of you might want to leave. >> Um >> so I I move to do that. >> Okay.

113Do we have a second? >> Second. >> Okay, Mr. Presumption. >> Thank you. >> Full member. >> All right. So um >> and this is just the motion to move it up in the batting order. >> Okay. So now that we have um this agenda item moved up in the uh in the meeting, so I don't know if it'll pass. I've moved, second, so I don't know if it'll pass. >> All right, we'll do roll call vote. Mr. Dial, >> just to clarify the motion. Motion is merely to >> move the item up in the agenda. >> That's it from where this current motion. Yes. >> So I >> Yeah, I can't imagine that we're going to be missing anybody and I don't want to miss whatever that discussion. So I would agree. >> I

114chair person. >> Hi. Okay. So that now that this agenda item is on the floor, I'll see the motion um to recommend article um 14 art 14 as um presented in the warrant and I can read that to um everyone. So we have the exact language. It's actually article article 13 now. Um, citizens petition tuition free full day kindergarten to see if the town will vote to guarantee tuition free full day kindergarten to all residents beginning academic year 2025 2026 fiscal year 26 for academic year 2526. This requires the appropriation of $300,000 from the town budget to cover the cost. The school budget will be rebaselined to include funding for full day kindergarten. Thereafter, the school committee will be responsible for ensuring full day kindergarten is tuition free to all residents absent a town vote

115clearly delineating public. So I can put it into the positive seeking a motion either to um support or not support this motion. I'll I'll make a motion to I think just stay in the positive. I'll make a motion to recommend the citizens petition as presented this evening and as I just read by chairperson Leki. So to be clear, a vote uh in favor would recommend this. A vote against would not recommend this to the town at uh in the uh in the warrant at >> Is there a second? I will second that motion. I need a roll call vote. >> Can I do discussion first? >> We can do discussion first. >> I'm the contrarian. I'm always on an island. This is just the life I live. I object to the basis of the motion.

116Um in that, and this is this is esoteric and this is wonky, we're an executive board. We take motions that make things happen. This is a sense of the meeting. This is a how we feel about something that's it doesn't affect what the petition does. It I don't think it's going to help us at the town meeting floor. We can't tell the petitioners how we're going to spend it. Um how can we opine on money that isn't ours. It's not our money. It's it's the town's money. It's town meetings money. We don't vote on the on the whole budget, right? We don't vote on any other s like this is a SIS petition goes to town meeting and that's where it exists. doesn't exist in this. We have our own stuff to look at and

117worry about. So, I do not feel it's appropriate for us to take a position on the petition. Um, and I feel that strongly for, you know, one, for the reasons I laid out, but this is the citizens money and it's only the citizens that can decide. I'll offer the opposing view um because I made the motion. Uh I think that we have been called upon to vote on whether we would recommend a particular article before town meeting things like the school stabilization fund. Um and uh I think this is a school issue. I think that not only do our uh our um you know our other boards are maybe looking to guidance from the schools or at least look for the schools to also take a vote on this. But I think it makes sense

118to have recommendation from the school committee on this type of warrant article for everyone to see in the warrant. I also think it's good government where people have taken the time and effort to come and present this and whether we agree with it or not, they have put a lot of time into it and have made a professional presentation today and I think that they deserve uh a response and some action on their on their on their petition. So that's that's my position on it. Ask a clarifying question on the motion. >> To whom are we making the recommendation? You're recommending to the town. >> So we are we recommended to the select board or I guess what is the what is the >> it's the town? We've all seen the warrant, right? And after

119the article, it'll say select board recommends by a vote of 50. Advisory recommends by a vote. This is a school specific article. So it would say school committee recommends by a vote of or committee does not recommend by a vote of it's that's that's just that's what it is. And this has been done before. It's not something that So it's just I think it's a it's a recommendation to the town at at an special town meeting. People can look at that and consider it and >> well I mean I think we have a point of having both duly may seconded. So we I think we have to vote on this. So >> well I mean people at town meeting can look at the recommendations and consider them or discard them. Right. discussion. We'll do a

120roll call vote. Mr. Dial, >> I can't I can't have a position on what I think is a faulty motion, not on a faulty petition. So, um I'm going to abstain because I don't see a version of this where we support it and it makes sense or if we say no, it makes sense. Like, are we saying no for money for the district? I don't know what the what what the what the votes mean right now. So I have >> no >> Mr. Squat >> Miss Ley. >> So we are um not recommending um four votes against and one extension. Um we will be um addressing the other warrant articles that relate to the school committee. Um and I appreciate um Mr. McClo's uh thoughtfulness for those um citizens who are in the audience who

121um perhaps have young people at home and would like to um get back. Thank you. >> Right. Superintendent Shannon, would you please continue? >> Yes. Thank you. So >> sorry for the interruption. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for walking around while you were talking earlier. I was just trying to let everyone know that that was my >> I think that makes a lot of sense. Um so I'm bringing to you tonight the quarterly report for Southshore Educational Collaborative. Um, as you know because you voted in the spring, I am the representative from the district on the board of Southshore Educational Collaborative and one of the things that I have learned that is part of that responsibility is bringing to you their quarterly reports to keep you informed about what is happening there. Um I went to

122their monthly meeting last week and things are going very well at Southshore Educational Collaborative. I shared with you, you have in your packet their full report. Um but they are in a very good place budget-wise to the point where they are actually hoping to not increase their their rates going into next year. Um they have built some very strong programs. Recently they um closed the program at Randolph High School and have strengthened their high school programming. Um and they are fully staffed at this point and their students are doing very well. They also have been running some professional development that actually some of our staff are taking part in and so they work very closely with the directors of student services in the area um to hear what they need and then to create those

123opportunities and so we're grateful to them. We have about four students at Southshore Educational Collaborative and um they're they've been very good partners with us. Additionally, I want to share with you that either at the next meeting or the meeting after that, we will have a representative from Southshore Collaborative coming to to visit here at the school committee meeting because they are seeking to do what many districts have done and and that they're looking to build their own capital stabilization fund for their facility. Um, and they will need your vote. Um the board did vote to approve that, but they will need votes from each individual school committee to to make that happen. Um so are there any questions about their quarterly report? >> Any questions from committee members? >> We'll get more information on

124their their state because that that I think does come out of I think we have to fund that as well, right? The South for Education Collaborative. >> So they would fund it from their budget. we wouldn't have to vote to give additional funding to them. >> It's not Southshore vote tech. >> That's what I was >> different school. This is um out of district placements. >> Thank you. >> Very different. >> Y >> um so that that's that. Um also I am bringing to you this evening um two election votes. Um, so as you know, voting in the town of Cohasset is now being held in Deer Hill. And as we head into the fall election season, they are seeking your approval to hold the state primary election on Tuesday, September 1st, 2026, and the

125state election on Tuesday, November 4th, 2026. Um, when it comes time, we I will ask that you vote them separately. But to give you some important pieces of information, the September 1st date will be a full teacher day. We have two teacher days, teacher professional development days that kick off our school year and are before students come. This is the second of those two days. I do not think that it will impact us in any major way. Um, we may have to slightly adjust some things. I'm thinking mostly about parking. Um, and having enough parking spots available for those who want to vote and having enough parking spots available for those who work at Deer Hill. But I think we can manage that in creative ways. The November 4th date is traditionally a day of

126school. Um, if you vote for that day to be the election, for that election date to be held at Deer Hill, um, I will be recommending when we put forth the 26 27 calendar, school calendar, that that be a professional day for all staff and a no school day for students. Um, I I don't like the idea of having the entire community coming in and out of a school building while students are there. It is why most schools who host most districts who host town elections in their schools have professional development on that day. Um, and I don't see it as a major concern. It just shifts like instead of having the professional day backed up to Indigenous People's weekend, it would likely be on election day instead. And so I would offer you those

127two votes um to take any questions, Mr. Adams. >> So just to clarify, so on both dates or just November 3rd or fourth? Is this third in the minutes? Is it the fourth or is the third? Not that it matters, but I just don't want to say the wrong thing. >> So I may have typed it wrong in my own person. >> Okay. So we're going with the fourth. Okay. >> Say the third. >> Okay. The third. All right. Good. >> My husband's birthday is the fourth. Everyone the same question. So, um, both dates with Deer Hill would move. So, September 1st is not a a school day. So, that's fine. >> Correct. >> The the only thing with the professional development date is great, but like people still have to have their kids and

128they have to do stuff. So, as somebody who's on, it's better if we don't if we can have the kids in school to encourage people to come vote. But if you have the kids at home, it's hard to, you know, it's not as easy to to go vote. So for for engagement purposes, I think it's better to have school open and vote. Um, and I've been on literally every side of this. I'm an election worker, too. Uh, so literally every side. We had it at uh St. >> Anony's before. Have we have you pushed back a little bit and asked about alternative options? Okay. Please share with the committee why. >> I had that conversation with Glenn Pratt um and St. Anony's from what I understand agreed to host just that one time. They've not

129agreed to host elections any other time. And there were a lot of costs associated with holding the elections there because that is not set up um to be as accessible as the state requires an election site to be. Whereas Dear Hill is set up in a way that is aligned with the state regulations for elections. Um I did ask about roll comments. I understand that that cannot happen because that was part of the >> restriction. Yeah. >> And so um there really are no other places in town that meet the requirements that the state lays out for elections because St. Anony's is not a public building. So they do not have to >> they do not have to acquies to our correct whatever that quote from uh >> Pirates the Caribbean is. Um I understand

130there's costs but there's also costs borne by us by having a day not at school. Right. So there is a there's a cost benefit there. So >> is there space to at least >> push the issue a little bit? Um I I haven't been in your meetings if you fought the fight. And so I also don't think that this just moves a professional development day. We're not creating a new one. It just moves it. >> Okay. >> Um so >> is that additional day off? >> An additional day off and having worked in many a school where there were elections. I I there are real safety concerns. >> I share those having >> of having them be in the same building at the same time. >> Yep. Yep. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, >>

131Mr. D. Um, so I didn't know this until I saw the agenda. Um, and this is one I know that as in my history as a school committee member, one of the biggest items where we actually get feedback is the calendar. >> Everybody wants to have a say of when the professional day and and you mentioned it should be the one that was before Indigenous People Day. People love that one because they get to travel, they get to tack things on. So, I don't know that I'm ready to opine on this without maybe having opportunity for some community feedback and I don't know that the our stakeholders are are aware that we're considering um any issues of the calendar at this point. Do we have to make a decision at this meeting or is there

132something we can >> um >> wait and see? >> I don't know the answer to that to be honest. Um, but I will say we also have another full AP PD day that could be few instead of the one. It would just mean that there's less it it breaks the beginning of the year even more if we had two >> um that close. Um, but like we have one leading up to the indigenous peoples and then we have one on December 22nd that used to be in March. We moved it >> for this calendar. >> Um, the town did ask that we vote on it so that they could move it forward, but that one's a little further out. So, I just don't I don't know the answer to that. >> Yeah, if we can

133bump it. >> Like, but thank you for pointing out the 4 day weekend thing because that's, you know, same thing. It's a great thing for families. Yeah. >> Yes. Yeah. >> It also works the other way though, Mr. Dial. It's not only what we might take away, but it's we're adding right is a is a day to to Mr. Evans's point is a a work day, a Tuesday, a random Tuesday where kids are no longer in school. So that might be I I I there's no way that we need to make this decision. It's it's so far out, MAR. >> Do you have we set the date for the for the town election next in 2026 yet? >> No. >> So there's no way that we're going to have to make this decision. And I

134I I think there's a lot of merit to what Mr. Dial is saying because I think people are going to have some input on this and I think it makes sense just even if it's just one meeting, >> it's not going to make a difference. I mean, it's still a whole calendar more than calendar year in advance. So, >> I think it's a a good point. >> I'd also like to comment that bringing your children to vote with you is a wonderful educational opportunity and I actually have done it several times and it's it's a good thing to do to help build that habit. as inconvenient as it may be um >> until they grab the pen. >> Yeah. >> Then then it's about parenting. >> Guilty. >> Um >> All right. So, I think

135at this point maybe we take a motion. Um well, we don't need to take a motion. We would just need to agree to um >> table >> to table this. >> Do you want to table both or just the one? If it >> one's not a student, it doesn't pick to next. >> Yeah. But >> actually, what I what I might want to do is still because I mean I I'm I don't have a problem personally with if I had to vote on September one, I would I would do that. But if we're going to delay on the November 3rd anyway, I what I'd like to do is get community feedback and maybe see a mockup calendar of what it might look like. Um I know you described it, but and maybe it doesn't make

136any difference at all, but >> it it takes one thing off our table if we just get the September, but it doesn't affect the schedule. So let's we can just make the agenda shorter next time we're here. Do you want >> So if we have >> Yeah, sure. >> If we have had enough discussion on this topic, I'd be seeking a motion um to allow the town to hold um the state primary um at the Deer Hill School on Tuesday, September 1st, 2026. >> So moved. Do you have a second? >> Second. >> You don't like it? I don't know. I don't know if I have to stay. >> Oh, right. Your situation. >> Yeah. >> I don't know if I can have a say where it happens. >> Huh. >> Okay. >> Um then

137Yeah. Same with the reason. Yeah. >> Um so now we will do we would still have a quorum with an abstension. Um so we will go ahead and take a roll call vote. Mr. Dial. >> Hi, >> Mr. Adams. >> Hi, >> Mr. Squatrito. >> Hi, >> Mr. McClen is abstaining. >> Um, Jen Leky, >> hi. >> Will pass. Please let the town know and we look forward to more information about the um calendar impacts um for families um for the November date. All right. Um we are moving on to teaching and learning and we have Mr. Michael St. Do we need to um vote on the adding the election date to the calendar? >> That's a second line item here. >> So move second. >> Okay. All those in favor. Mr. Dial. >> I

138>> Mr. Evans. >> Hi. >> Mr. Mlen. >> Hi. >> Mr. Squadrito. >> Hi. >> Jenleski. I >> now Mr. Stapleton. >> Good evening everyone. Um, Chair Lisa, I just sent a request to share my screen. If you could just approve. >> Yes. [Music] >> Should be all set. >> Thank you for having me here tonight for my first update of the 2526 school year. Um, it says September. I know it's October. Um, this is the September data that I'm going to be reviewing. So, the two highlights for today will be more data sharing, you know, similar to that was done last school year at the request of the school committee. and then I'll also do some big kind of big picture updates and welcome CPA back. Thanks for being here with me tonight. >>

139Jump in here. So the first slide that I have is again you know when we think about monitoring and compliance um and just continuing that data collection process. I've listed out the number of active IEPs in each class school building this year. Um looking at trends from 2023 24 to the start of 2025. Um you'll notice you know in Osgood we are up a little bit. Again, our percentages are interesting with just our number of students, which I don't like to share just for confidentiality reasons with such a small school district and number of students per grade level. Um, at Deer Hill, we are down like a small percentage. Um, the middle school, um, same thing. And then up at the high school. So, trends that I'll be keeping an eye on. You know, there's

140a number of factors that could lead into this, whether it be students going to private schools, um, numbers down, um, you know, move in students. There are a number of factors here, but again, we're inconsistent um areas of where we have been previously at this time of the school year. Um September 2025 um was a you know a busy month, not one of our busiest as you would have seen from last school year. Um you know there are a number of meetings at the end of the year last year. We did kind of clean up the number of evaluations that were going on both initial and re-evaluations which led to a smaller number of meetings to be held in September which I always personally like to kind of you know wrap up that year in

141a clean slate and then start you know fresh with with evaluations in the process at the secondary level. there were a number of annual review meetings held, you know, some re-evaluation meetings, um, and initial evaluation meetings. And so, I know we have a new team chair, which we all reference in a moment, at the secondary level, but it was great for her to get to know families right off the bat and participate in those meetings with her new team members at the secondary level. And then as the out of district coordinator, you know, I did hold six annual reviews, so I was quite busy getting everyone up and running and then also, you know, working with families whose students are placed out of district by class of public schools. So there was a total of

14218 um IEP meetings held in the month of September. Similar to last year when I had started, I'm continuing to track um the IP acceptance rate from families and then working through that process if IPS are rejected. So we do currently have in our system a total of 262 actively signed and accepted IEPs, which I think is a great number. You know, we really have committed with that new IEP format and template last year to working with families, holding meetings again if you know there were partial rejections or full rejections. um to really work with you know families to make sure that the um individualized education programs um are you know reasonably calculated to meet their students needs um and you know whether it's adjusting goals um services or accommodations you know we have I

143really strengthened our ability to partner with families to make sure that you know we are in a good place with the acceptance rate of our IPS um we currently have 16 pending responses from meetings that have been held this school year um and potential carryovers from last school year and then you know we do have a small number of projected IPS that I'll be working through the process with those families as the director of student services with the applicable teams um to you know hopefully come to resolutions for those families um and you know again um committed to partnering with them during that process. And then not necessarily representative in this like pie chart and I might look for a different way to represent this number um we currently have and this is something that

144was tracked last year but not as um I guess effectively communicated. There are currently 13 active evaluations in process. So that could be initial evaluations, re-evaluations, additional evaluations. This is a number that I'm going to keep a close eye on. Again, as I started last year and thought about the number of evaluations going on. Um making sure that our school psychologists who conduct a majority of those evaluations, um you know, have ample time and supports in place to get those done within full compliance, you know, with DESIE and state guidelines and federal guidelines. there has been a real emphasis on you know eval and mandates from the state for evaluations to be completed and in parents hands by day 45 and so you know we're committed to you know meeting that it does sometimes make

145timelines crunched and a lot of work for our staff I just so our emphasis this year for me will be you know compliance for the evaluation process and ensuring that we have the adequate staff and you know we're forecasting ahead as appropriate um because our you know speech language pathologists also conduct evaluations our occupational therapists there are a number of evaluators and you know when you're working within that 30-day school timeline to get the evaluation done and you're keeping in mind the busy schedules of students during the day. Um, sometimes it does become tricky. So, I want to make sure that, you know, we're adequately staffed and that, you know, we are able to be in full compliance with that evaluation process. Some kind of big updates for the year ahead. I was excited this

146summer to work with my two new team chairs who I referenced in my final presentation of the year last year. Melissa Looney at the secondary level and Megan Greeny, the former middle school school psychologist, um is now at the elementary level. And I've only not had positive feedback so far from my work with them. Um you know, both have been very committed to getting to know kids, you know, names of kids faces, being in classrooms, meeting with general education teachers, meeting with related service providers, and then also participating in meetings that fall outside of their scope. So whether that's annual reviews, um you know, helping out with bus duty, um it's been great to have them on board and to have two really strong admin, you know, building administrators. um has only lifted up the

147processes for special education and then also building based processes too. You know, all principles have really had positive feedback and they've jumped in um in the variety of roles in which they work in. Um so that's a great feeling in year number two to have you know two really strong team chairs um functioning in all buildings. Um we had a number of new staff who I didn't necessarily list within here but you can see um from the website which does lift list all student service um you know personnel um we had a number of new staff at the middle school. So those opening days of September really were um I spent a lot of time working with the new staff, making sure they understood our systems for Aspen for evaluations, understanding IEPs. You know, every

148district does things a little bit differently. And so there's always that learning curve for our new staff, whether they've been someplace else or they're brand new um to the field. And so again, we have a strong staff um right now. I'm optimistic about what that will look like for families um and for students this year. >> And Mr. St. Just to be just a point of clarification, when we talk about new staff, these aren't additional new people. This is replacement people for >> correct. >> New positions. Um we have some retire our speech languageologist middle school retired all stable positions. So new faces not new positions. Um I just wanted to highlight for the community too that the office of student service website is something that I'm continuously working on um and making just resources

149available to the community. And so like I mentioned it has my welcome letter for the year which you can easily find in a list of relevant special education um staff members um for CPAC. and we'll talk a little bit more about some of the work we've done so far this year. Um I've tried just again a highlight of last year and then moving into this year try to streamline like process and just information for families. And so there's a breakdown on the website about who the applicable person may be to reach out to if you had a question about a student IEP or if a you know general education parent had a question about the evaluation process. I'm trying to make that, you know, information as accessible as possible and also streamline things and not

150get bogged down whether it's like in my email or voicemail, going to the right person and making sure that we can be timely and efficient in how we respond to families. Um, I've updated over the summer months um some of my jobs included updating various um programming opportunities just um I have a thing with old PDFs that were unclear and uneasy to read. And so there's some just like fresh freshly updated resources that you'll find um within the student services website. Um and then there's a page specific to CPAC which will talk a little bit more about the the ideas for this year. Um and then I've been any presentation that I present to CPAC um which there'll be a variety coming um I'll also make available to the community um so they can access

151those resources within the website. When I think about the year ahead and for the department, both special education and student services, um, you know, there's two main focus areas for me, it's continuing the work that was started and really emphasized here within this this um, you know, this committee for this fed strategies work that was identified. You know, we were um, identified as needs um, needs assistance. We've shifted out of that category, but that doesn't mean the work doesn't continue. And so that's really looking at specialized instruction across all grade levels for reading, writing, math, executive functioning. Um, and I've already dedicated time through my department meetings that are monthly for our staff to share resources um, specific to executive functioning first. Um, so that there's some vertical alignment of resources and tools used um,

152to help students, you know, access those um, supports and then also to build upon the great staff members that we have that are doing awesome things with their grade level teams at the middle school or individual students at the Deer Hill. So really trying to open lines of communication to strengthen the department as a whole, especially as we have some new staff members who are bringing just a fresh set of eyes to things too, which is exciting. And then the second area of focus for me will really be um supporting the multi-ter systems of supports, you know, tied directly to the strategic plan. And so I'll be in addition to my team chairs and other support personnel looking to refine those systems as the year goes on. Um you know, it was a goal last

153year that was something that I didn't necessarily fully um get to dive as deep as I wanted to. And so a lot of that will be, you know, just starting information um at each building level and again looking for that more vertical alignment of um how we track student progress and how we um you know improve those systems, those tier 2 supports um and even tier one interventions for students across the district outside of special education and really for all students um to make sure that that system is you know fully um you know just committed to continuous improvement um which is always something that we're committed to. I did want to highlight tonight and this will be a focus on future presentations. Um this is a year of compliance for myself and the office

154of student services you know it is every year but this year we do have um some desi mandated um you know integrated monitoring review processes going on and so over the summer months is really when I started the work of getting organized for this this task that will be ongoing throughout the year. So the first is the special education integrated monitoring review which is conducted by the office of public school monitoring. And so this looks at you know um a civil rights component to information that I uploaded for our policies and procedures related to our handbooks related to just the processes within each building and the district as a whole. And then a real focus on special education. And so I've been looking at our process guide, you know, making some adjustments there to reflect

155language related to the new IEP and making sure that we're in full compliance with DESIE standards and requirements. Um, and so I'm currently in the documentation phase, which is a lot of uploading things to the web-based monitoring system through Desi. And then there will be more information coming in the public forum and, you know, work with CPAC as I prepare for a week-long on-site visit that will be occurring in March where Jesse will be coming in looking at specific student files. Um, and they will eventually produce a report based on um, their findings. And so there could be corrective action, there could, you know, it's a comprehensive overview of the special education process, which again, we're in our cycle here, which we haven't been in for a number of years now. In addition to the

156special education monitoring review, there's also our English learner education program monitoring review. Um, so this is an area um that I had less experience in obviously in my previous roles in background, but has been super insightful as I've worked with Mora Burke, our EL teacher, um, who's districtwide and only a part-time staff um, to do a comprehensive review similar to special education about our English language learner process guide and the systems that are in place to support those students. We do have a small number of English language learners within the district. Um, but you know, we still obviously need to meet full compliance and standards from the DESIE guidance related to English learner program education. And so I'm a little bit further along in this process than the special education one. All of the documents

157have been uploaded and sent to Desi. I've already met with the coordinated program review representative from DESIE who's given some initial feedback and so I'm refining some of our processes, our guides, you know, and the student records that need to be sent over um to them for that review. And that will occur in on January 7th. That's not an on-site visit due to our number of students. That's a virtual site visit but again similarly it'll be it will include um interviews with myself with our e teacher with specific um SEI endorsed teachers as well as parents of students who are English language learners. So again focus on compliance and standards this year is is key. And then the third um you know audit that I wanted to reference is um based on the number of

158years that we were previously audited our circuit breaker program will be audited this year um by Jesse as well. And so circuit breaker and I can provide more information. A high level overview is really it's the system in place through um the commonwealth to support um you know high costs related to special education out of district placements and transportation. And so my administrative assistant Theresa Miller is key in helping me stay organized with circuit breaker in general and the process and procedures behind it. And you know Desi will be coming in and doing an audit of that to make sure that we're in full compliance with that process in general and how we report that information to the state for the reimbursement that does come throughout the school year. And I just would like to

159add, I've never worked in a district where all three of these came up at the exact same time. Yeah. Um and so um it's great. You know, the good news have to do all of these. >> Luckily, I have strong executive functioning skills to stay organized. >> It's a lot of paperwork, >> but we will have a really good clear picture of what is working in any areas of improvement in student services after this. Will the cycle re like restagger at any point or will you always end up with a a sort of a threeision? >> It's a different year cycle this way mathematically. Okay. Right. Good. Well, I'm glad I'm glad for your sake. This is your one full moon. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And just to reaffirm that last sentence. So the audit

160is based on number of you. >> Yeah. Number of years since we were last audited. >> That was how long ago? >> Um I had to check the um it's five or six. It's it's been some time. >> Yep. Correct. Well, when we got the initial request, I my blood pressure went up slightly as anxiety spiked. Correct. Um but again, it was very reassured like there we haven't been flagged for any reason. It's just due to the cycle of being audited. >> Thank you. >> Y >> um and then the last piece again um I wanted to just kind of cover some big picture things and I'm open to any feedback from the committee on future presentations. You know, last year my favorite presentation that I did was when I was able to bring staff

161in who were doing amazing things in our buildings. Um so I wanted to plant that seed with the committee. If there's any areas of interest, I'm happy to incorporate those moving forward rather than my standard kind of data and information along. I'm happy to share that as well. Um, but the last component really is again my commitment to working with CPAC. Um, I've shared here um a a tentative CPAC schedule which Sarah and I met this summer and kind of chartered this out based on feedback from last year. Um, and so this is our schedule for the year. You know, we've already held our first meet and greet which was held on September 11th in the community room. It was awesome for I think for CPAC members to meet some new faces. you know, two

162new team chairs, some really um you know, just in general new faces, and then just to start that um start the work together. And then I also covered some of like I've already referenced tonight, some of that basic information about streamlining information for families. Um tomorrow um at 11 o'clock in the community room is the special education basic rights presentation um which is also available remotely um through the use of our owl system. So if anyone who's listening tonight would like more information on basic special education rights, you know, please feel free to come. Um I've updated my presentation from last year and I've added some new information too. So continuous improvement. Uh and then you'll see just the list for the rest of the year. Um I wanted to put a plug in um

163the school psychologists who are some of our busiest staff to be completely honest with you. Um and have you know such an important role in evaluating students and you know writing very comprehensive um psychoeducational evaluation reports. They're also doing a side project for me with a little bit of encouragement. um and they'll be at our December 11th CPAC meeting to present an overview of what a psychoeducational evaluation is, how it differs from a neuroscychological, you know, private evaluation is really school focused. And so that's a great time for, you know, kind of clarifying questions or information. Um so that's one that I wanted to put a plug in as well. But you can see here the outline for the year. Um again, we're only in October, but I'm also excited. I've started some work with

164um our senior class, the students who are special education students. Um, I've planted another seed with them of I would love for them to come back and share with CPAC some of their experiences. You know, I've seen amazing growth and really great post-secary outcomes for our students who graduate. And I just think it would be really helpful for parents to hear directly from the kids who, you know, may have been receiving special education supports and services during their time here in Cohasset, you know, and kind of where they're off to next. Because I know last year I was like a little bit too late for it. Um but this year I've already found some seniors who have are all about it and think it's a great opportunity too for a nice leadership um opportunity as

165well. >> Um and so then I've also listed my CPAC you know co-presidents and Stephanie Saunders the secretary. If you have any questions you can always reach out to them but I'm accessible too for any information related to CPAC and special education. >> Thank you Mr. Stapleton. um and uh our CPAC presidents, do you have anything you'd like to share with the committee at this point about your work this year or ways in which we can support you and um your community? >> Well, we've added our office hours. It's just something new for this year. We didn't have those last year. So, we have CPAP office hours Tuesday. Um so, that's been great. We did a coffee for families. We had some actually new people show up which was great. That was like off-campus. Um,

166sometimes it's like a nice environment for like new people to join in. Um, so so far everything's been going well. >> Looking forward to a good year. A rebranding continues. >> Yeah, I was going to say I' I'd love to just commend you all for the work that you've done um to really make CPAC a sort of vibrant home um for our community of parents. Um, I think it's it's grown over the time that it it came on my radar as an organization within the district and um you have really done wonderful things um to to make sure people are aware of of yourselves as a resource um and to make it a really sort of friendly, warm, informative um place to go when you have questions as a parent about your child's learning. So,

167>> we're trying any ideas too to bring to us? Um, we're always looking to, you know, have different types of presentations or just different input like any ideas or if you have general questions. >> Thank you. >> We love the open dialogue. >> Absolutely. Um, and do any committee members have questions for Mr. Stapleton about his presentation or comments? >> Great job. Yeah, absolutely. >> Yeah, I continue to be impressed with uh with with your work there. Thank you for uh leaving. >> You should check out some of his presentations. They're great. >> They they are really good. I actually just sent somebody to one a couple days ago. The executive functioning one. >> Yeah, that one. I said my husband. >> Michael Stapleton shorts. >> I will also note, Mr. ableton that I am

168hugely appreciative of just the general enthusiasm, not only the professionalism, but the the fact that you love what you do and you care about what you do comes across even in these really sort of board meetings that we have. Um, so thank you for bringing that um to the um student services community because I think it goes a long way in creating um just a lot of trust and um that that both warmth and professionalism um is a perfect combination. um uh in that particular area of of school. So, thank you. Thanks everyone. >> Um appreciate that. >> Um all right, moving right along everyone. Um we will now move into our uh budget resources and governance um section and we have some disposal of surplus property. Um I don't know if you want me

169to share it on the screen. Um so um principal Scott and the music department um are recommending the disposal of some surplus materials. There four four pianos, three upright pianos and one grand piano that are all broken beyond repair. Um keys don't work, legs are broken, pedals are broken, out of tune um and unstable in some ways. So they're requesting that we can surplus those four pianos. Um they were all donated to us prior to 2014. Um they have a budget that's going to cost approximately $600 to have them removed um because of the size and weight um of them and so we'll be able to approve the removal of those four panels. >> Just wait till the cohasset boutique opens up. >> All right. Little in town humor. >> Yes. I'm feeling a little

170bit about these pianos or the way I felt about um callulling the books from the school library right now. >> I know I got >> the pianos of names. >> I think based on Miss Aaron Stam's >> yes comments to me that they are beyond saving. >> I can vouch for that. >> And that was three years ago. >> The student perspective. >> Yes. Thank you. >> They do have names Baldwin Weber and Steinway. Steinway >> madam chairperson I would make a motion I would prefer the >> Mr. Squatrino make the motion considering he has >> he's actually played the >> nevertheless I make a motion to the surplus materials as pres as as proposed by our uh course teacher Miss Arson >> uh second please >> second uh >> Mr. Dial Mr. Evans >>

171hi >> Mr. McClen hi >> Mr. Hi um you know please dispose of said PS. Great. Thank you. Um we are on um community relations and communications block right now. Do we have any reports from school committee subcommittees or um liaison? >> Um >> please fire >> one just I guess have we or do we need to adjust any subcommittee or liaison positions given our membership changes? We do and it's on our agenda in block H. >> Yeah, later on. Yep. >> For tonight. >> I haven't gotten there yet. >> Okay. >> I have no reports. >> Okay. That's a great question mark and we will move on to school committee governance. Um we do have um remaining um articles um that we have been asked to um make a recommendation on. Um, so I

172will put those forward unless there are questions or comments first. I think we can sort of move through this procedurally just because it's an order of business. Is that amendable to all? >> So the first one is 4B which is the electric bus um lease payment which was presented to us um at a previous school committee meeting this year. So, um, everyone should be aware of what that entails, but the, um, the article reads, article 4, capital improvement projects to see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate transfer from available funds and or borrow pursuant to any applicable statute a sum of money to fund various capital improvements, capital projects, and or capital equipment for the various departments, boards, commissions, agencies of the town, or to take any other action relative there too.

173Um and then we would jump down to the general fund um and the electric um bus lease payment which it is our school department. The project is our diesel bus lease payment um in the amount of $22,682. >> And is this just moving the electric bus earmarked to the diesel bus that we're renting? >> Yes. So I I would move that we approve the uh >> it's a recommendation >> recommend that uh we approve or make a recommendation. Yes. As read. >> So >> second. >> Um >> question. Does this unencumber all of the money for that electric bus or >> the answer is no. >> Okay. So we're going to have to do another vote on this. >> Well, no. Not another vote in the sense that the the lease has not been terminated

174yet. So, we voted in favor subject to the successful termination of the existing lease because what we didn't want to have happen is own an asset and enter into a new asset. So, Michelle is close. We asked the question again on Monday and it wasn't finalized, but you should just know that like as a as a community, we still have the disposal, the termination of the electric cost lease that that needs to happen so that we can a refund the 34,000 that hasn't been spent, but also just like properly dispose of an asset. That's like that's really the only technical thing that has to happen, but it is important. >> Miss Owen, do we have any updates as of today on that? I know you were part of those discussions at some point >> before

175we miss Bach. Uh that was Katie Doogie that made those last comments. >> Sorry, >> it's really been Michelle Liry who's >> driving the bus. She's driving the bus. >> Exactly. >> Thanks. >> Ready for a vote. >> Thank you, Mr. Dial. >> Hi, >> Mr. Evans. >> Hi, >> Mr. >> Hi, >> Mr. Scottto. >> Hi, >> Jen. I So, that is recommended. Um 5 Z. The next one is article five, the Joseph Osgood Elementary School roof. And I'll read the warrant as written um article as written to see if the town will vote to appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds the sum of 5,858,522 to be expended under the direction of the school building committee for the roof replacement project at the Joseph Osgood Elementary School located at 210 Sawyer Street in

176Cohassid, which proposed repair for repair project would materially extend the useful life of the school and preserve an asset that otherwise is capable of supporting ing the required educational program and for which the town may be eligible for a construction grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the MSBA. The town acknowledges that the MSBA's grant program is a non-entitlement discretionary program based on need as determined by the MSBA. And any project costs the town incurs in excess of any grant approved by and received from the MSBA shall be the sole responsibility of the town. Any grant that the town may receive from the MSBA for the project shall not exceed the lesser of one 1,92,262 or 32.47% of eligible approved project costs as determined by the MSBA or two shall not exceed the total maximum

177grant amount determined by the MSBA or take any other action relative there too. >> Quick question on that. It says school building committee which we disbanded. >> That was a different committee. That was the >> school facility committee. >> Oh, apologies. >> Yeah. >> So, the school building committee is what committee? Us. >> So, for this purpose, it's it's us. If with the accelerated repair program, you are not required to create a school building committee. If we get accepted into the core process, we are required to create a school building committee. Um, but the MSBA language doesn't necessarily account for that difference. >> I just it's it just seems weird that we're gonna we're saying that it's going to be spent under the money that doesn't exist. >> I think it's under us. >> Okay.

178>> Because you are in charge of how we spend. >> That makes sense. But I just want to be sure the motion like if we approve this and there's a question about it, it is it is under there's some sort of language somewhere that says the school committee serving as a school building committee. Okay. because I just I don't want to pass funds not have the committee that has the oversight over it. Okay. >> Motion to recommend article is presented by the chair. >> Second, >> Mr. D. >> I >> Mr. Adams. >> Hi. >> Mr. McCl. >> Hi. >> Mr. Squadri. >> Hi. >> Sleski. I moving right along. Um number 12 which is the lease of school property for sighting of a solar power electric generation facility and it reads as follows. Article

17912 lease of school property questions before we start. So, no, because in our conversation, um, Jen had this figured out that this was actually something that the school committee had already agreed to and has in policy and so it was really just extending that. >> I don't know that it was me that figured that out. Okay. Um, I actually think it was Champar. >> Okay. um in in her tenure on the committee. >> I've been part of that history. I'm aware of the history, but we do have a a committee with some new members and that was made what 5 years ago, like it expired. So, I do think a rehash would be procedurally nice. I know it's probably not necessary, but we are going to vote on it. And I do think that we

180should have current information for all school committee members, not of >> Okay. >> Yeah. I wasn't there for the for the one five years ago. I'm aware of it but I was on a different board. >> I w I was not here as well. Yeah. But so would what would you recommend as a path forward? >> Uh I would like to invite the um is it AEC? So AEC to come in give the give the full deck and we can make our recommendation if we're past drop dead date. We can just have our recommendation on the floor. That's what I prefer. >> Okay. >> If that's okay with committee members, but also if someone's going to make a motion and we're going to walk through it. Not going to fully object. I just >> I

181I feel I I don't feel like I have any information on this. So I I don't feel confident to vote on >> unless I'm that was supposed to. >> So is there a motion table? >> Motion table. >> Second. >> Roll call. Um Mr. D. >> Uh I >> Mr. Evans. >> Hi. >> Mr. Mlen. >> Hi. >> Mr. >> Hi. >> Jesus. >> Hi. >> Thank you. Okay. So, we will table that and then make our recommendation on the floor if that um takes us through our town meeting um warrant articles. Um we do need to revisit our school committee liaison and committee assignments. Um with um the addition of Mr. Squadriico to our um our committee um and the resignation of um Miss Hannah um and I believe that we are going to

182make a change as well to our collective bargaining um staffing uh or organization as well. So, um maybe we start with um school committee um school councils. We have um Mr. Evans on Ozgood. We have Mr. Mlen at Deer Hill School Council, Mr. Dial um for the class at Middle School um school council and Jen Musky on the high school school council. Um, I would offer up that if Mr. Squadrio would like to take my place on the high school school council. Um, >> when do those usually meet, Jen? Are they during the day? >> Uh, they are after school. So, they're usually at 3:30. So, depending upon schedule, of course. >> What days are they usually? >> Tuesdays or Wednesdays. >> Okay. >> And sometimes it changes. I we could also share that um

183that liaison ship. Um and um >> I can do it. So he doesn't have to I just feel like it's gonna be difficult for him at that time. And that's why I was going to say he could join me on the Deer Hill. Then I realized that that's in the middle of the day usually or >> Deer Hill's middle of the day. Um class of high school is definitely after school. Um, so we can we can leave that as it stands and um >> why don't just throw me on there so that we're co-piloting that. So if you aren't able to do it because of new professional obligations that I'll be there. >> Um Craig, are you still okay on the PSO? >> Yes, >> Mr. Mlen. Elder affairs, Mr. Evans. >> Um CPAC, Mr.

184Mlen. >> Okay. Legislative liaison, Mr. Evans. >> CF. Um I'm still doing that. Um, unless someone else would like it, that's fine. Emergency management, Mr. Dial, Mr. Evans. Does that still feel right? >> Yep, that's great. >> Okay. Post employment. Um, PEBB, post employment benefits, Mr. Evans. >> Yeah. >> Um, the AEC, I can continue to do that unless anyone else has a strong um feeling or connections already with that committee. >> I have strong connections. I have strong feelings, but but I just have for years of AC presentations. I kind of know where they are. So, >> would you like to continue? No more work for me if you communicate with >> let's put Cory there. Um long range planning um Mr. Dial diversity John Leleski wellness is now an open um spot. We

185have um that committee um with an opening anyone is interested in doing that and then we have um select board Mr. Evans and St. Barbers Mr. Scorch wellness. I mean you can speak probably best to the mental health of the student body. So >> no I would be interested in that. >> Awesome. >> Wonderful. Thank you. And we can connect you with connect with you about what that um entails. Then we'll go up to school governance. Right now we have Mr. Dial, Mr. Mlen um doing collective bargaining. >> I would like to uh yield that position to Mr. Evans who has expressed an interest in doing that. I accept the yielding of a set position. >> Policy and standards, we have Jen Lesky and Craig. Um, budget resources, Mr. Dial and Mr. Evans. Communications, um,

186Jen Lesky and Cory Evans. Uh, food service and nutrition, we have myself and an open seat there. Um it it may be interesting to discuss whether or not we continue with this particular committee. Um things seem to be rocking and rolling on that front and maybe we ask you Miss Owen to ensure that um we hear from food services quarterly um to understand um how that operationally if that um is working. But I feel like we've gotten 12 to 18 to 24 months of really good um progress and um stability there. Um so I would seek a motion to um close out that particular um >> I share your your thoughts. I think unless Mr. Colin disagrees, but I think that committee was a great success. >> I know you won't disagree with that. Um

187but um I think it's it has achieved its goals and uh I think we can probably move on uh normal course. >> Any other thoughts or comments on that? I need a motion to um a motion to do all these things. Do you want to just package them all at the end? >> Sure. >> All right. So let's see. I'm seeking a motion to um reconstitute um subcommittees and representative and liaison assignments um as just discussed and to disband the food service and nutrition um subcommittee. >> Well done and so moved. >> No, I'm g to check swing. I'm good. >> Okay. Mr. Dial, >> I >> Mr. Evans. >> Hi, >> Mr. Hi, >> Mr. Squash. >> Hi. >> Thank you. All right. There are no topics not reasonably anticipated by the chair, but

188we do have a scad of minutes um to approve. Um, and I would like to publicly thank um um Secretary um Dial for his um tremendous work in um revamping our minutes and streamlining um streamlining them um and also for the help of um Kathy Bach who continues to um take minutes during our meetings um and to help out with this process. Um so thank you Mr. Dial. I know that what you did um to get us up to date here was Yman's work. Um I was trying to calculate the hours myself and kind of got lost in it, but it seemed like at least half a day. >> So, thank you. And I would uh give a thanks to Miss B for her working and getting the u the raw information to us uh

189I would just and Mr. McL's I'm not here so you can't hear this but say it again. I know sometimes we've summarily approved some of these and reliance on this box. um very um truthful and clear um notetaking. Uh I have summarized a lot of these minutes. Um so if we haven't if you haven't actually had a chance to look at them in detail to make sure it reflects your roles and your collection um meetings, I would request that you do that. Um but otherwise, especially those meetings for which I was not in attendance, I relied entirely on this box notes for that. So just uh bear that in mind. >> Thank you. Um I will wait for Mr. Mlen to return but I will also note that Mr. Squad you'll have to um abstain

190from all of these but in the future you will have plenty of minutes that you will get to um approve as well. So um I'm actually having where we have a forum >> without Mr. Uh, we can do um October 8th. >> Oh, no. We cannot do October 8th >> because that's today. >> Mhm. >> That would be amazing. >> Sorry. So, >> that's because I'm looking right here. My apologies. Um, >> so it looks like we can do June 4th. uh Corey, Lance, >> and we can do June 18th because we have Jen, Lance, and Corey. >> We can do >> Can we just bag through them one by one? That's okay. >> Yeah. >> Because once we Okay. So, I move that >> I was going to group them. >> All right. >>

191My apologies, Miss Ley. >> That's all right. >> Let's go. We'll do them in >> I'm going to go ahead and make a motion for uh June 4th and June 18th. Take that, Mr. Evans. >> So, move. Okay. >> So I have my second >> second. Yep. Um so >> um Mr. Dial >> I >> Mr. Evans >> JSBI. >> So June um 4th 2025 and June 18th 2025 are approved. We can also do um Wednesday, August 13th. >> Uh move to approve August 13th as presented. Second, >> Mr. Dial. >> I >> Mr. Evans. >> Hi, >> Jenleski. I >> Yep. >> I'm sorry, Mr. I'm assuming the uh abstension. My apologies. >> Cannot do the 20th. >> You like the new format. Thank you for that. >> It looks like we can do

192the September 3rd. >> Move to adopt. Second. >> Um Mr. Dial >> I. >> Mr. Evans. >> Hi. >> Mr. Squadrio. >> Chenleski. That is the approval of Wednesday, September 3rd. >> So, we're left with the 17th. >> We're left with the 17th, the 20th, um >> and and Wednesday, May 21st. Um I will let our viewers and public know that we are moving into executive session once we um complete this part of the um uh the approval of minutes. was just standing out in the hallway. >> I'm going to reflect that in a minute. >> Wait, can we move the 21st before you walk out? >> Um, what? >> Oh. Uh, no, because uh Lance wasn't there, Mr. >> Oh, gotcha. >> Sorry, I don't know where Mr. D is. I'm ready to go.

193I feel like it we're at the end of the meeting and I might need to use a >> gor we did but with um absences and no longer here. >> Apologies. >> Yeah. Sorry. >> People committed to the meeting did stay involved. >> Yeah. >> All right. So we are now um left with um the minutes for Wednesday, May 21st. And if it's okay, I will lump these all into one. Um just if you remind me which ones there are a couple that I cannot vote on. >> You may not vote on um All right. So in that case we have to >> August. >> All right. Um we'll do Wednesday May 21st. Um Mr. Dial you are absent. >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Okay. Mr. Dial >> abstain. >> Mr. Evans. >>

194Hi. >> Um Mr. Mlullen. >> Hi. >> Mr. Squatain. >> Jen Leky. I think we can just do voice folks on these ones. >> Okay. >> Missions. >> Yeah. All in favor. >> Okay. So, um this is the um agenda or the minutes from Wednesday, August 20th, 2025. Mr. Dial, you were absent. Um Mr. Evans, you are here. But I have to wait four minutes to make my motion. >> Yes, let's do that. Um motion to approve. >> So move. >> Second. >> All those vis in favor. >> I >> opposed. Abstensions. >> Abstain. >> Two passes. Three um yes votes to two and two abstensions. Okay. Final bit of minutes are Wednesday, September 17th, 2025. Um and um if Leky, Mlullen, and Evans can um vote on this motion, please. >> Second. >> Uh

195Mr. um all those in favor. >> I >> um opposed >> extensions. >> Okay, thank you very much. And that one also votes um three days and two abstensions. And apologies, I'm not able to get the October 10, October 8 minutes uh yet. So, I'll try and get those as quick as >> very quickly, Mr. Very quickly. Thank you. All right. We do um have a reason um to move into executive session. Um reason number two, to conduct uh collective bargaining sessions. We will not return um after um our executive session. So, this will be the end of our public meeting. Um if uh I have a motion to move forward in that way. >> Second. >> Mr. Dial. >> I >> Mr. Adams. >> Hi. >> Mr. McCullen. >> Hi. >> Mito. >> Hi.

196>> Jan Leky. I thank you Cohassid. Thank you everyone for your engagement tonight. Um have a nice evening.