School Committee Meeting - 4/16/2025

001I think it was my computer. Yep. Okay. Good afternoon or evening everyone. Welcome to the April 16, 2025 uh hearing on school choice a little bit early before our regularly scheduled school committee meeting to have the public hearing as we are required to do every year. And uh I will ask our superintendent of schools, Mr. Sarah Shannon to please introduce the concept of school choice and what this hearing is about. Yes. Thank you. Mr. Vice Chair ask every member that is present please indicate so roll call. Mr. Cart is not present. Mr. Dial present. Mrs. uh Hannah is not present. Mr. Le present and chair is present. President gives us a quorum of uh three voting members. So at this point I would like to uh formally call to order the public hearing on school

002choice and ask our superintendent of schools. Mrs. Sarah Shannon please introduce this concept. So thank you very much. Um so every year each school district needs to revisit the idea of school choice. school choice um should you vote for school choice would mean that we as a Kohasa public school district would allow students from other districts to make the choice to come to our schools. Um it would mean that we get their per people expenditure um a a modified per pupil expenditure from their sending districts. Um it would be about $5,000 per student from those sending districts and $2,500 for kindergarteners. Um, we are not currently a school choice district. And so tonight is really to open the conversation and deliberate or hear public comment as to why we should or should not be a

003school choice district and then to vote on that um as well. Okay. Thank you, Super Shannon. Uh at this point I will just advise all of our community members um that are participating virtually that you can utilize the Q&A feature on Zoom to make any of your concerns or opinions or perspectives known. Otherwise we will um simply hear from anyone that's in the audience present. I don't think anyone is present in the audience. So, uh, we'll give you an opportunity to generate any sort of concerns or or, uh, questions. In the meantime, we can just go around and have the school committee, uh, you know, state any comments they may have or thoughts they may have on the issue. Just go in alphabetical order, Mr. Dial. Um, just actually one quick question is my own

004education. If you're if you opt in, you can be a net students can leave and go to another district. Can students go to another district now if there's a like a if hangups that is school? Yes. So we can always lose students. It's just a question of whether we want to receive students. Correct. Yes. Um and it's just as though they would be choosing to go to maybe a private school or wherever they go now. Yes. Yeah. 5,000 doesn't sound like a lot of money. It is not. Yeah. No. Um, no comments or thoughts remain. I stay the court. Thank you. Mr. Leki, do you have any? Seems like financially it does not seem like it works in our favor right now. Even though I think you know it continuing to revisit it each year,

005it seems like the right thing to do. And if there is an opportunity at some point to open the doors wider, afraid um I don't think that's the time. Okay. Uh yes. I mean our per pupil expenditure is 20 what 8,000 20 yeah it's about 24,000 24,000 um so obviously makes zero financial sense um and I don't I I have concerns in terms of infrastructure and and being um overburdened uh with an influx of students that we weren't necessarily anticipating especially in light of the decisions we just had to make um as we confronted the fiscal crisis. So I think it would be it may be something that um may warrant more serious discussion in the future, but to me I think it would be um it may be setting us up for failure if

006we if we if we change the course at this point. That's my my personal perspective. Now, um, we've opened this up at, uh, a couple minutes late, uh, at 5:47, but we were slated to continue till 6:00. So, I just want to provide everyone opportunity to comment that may or may not be tuning in, um, virtually. There's no one here in person, but I'll just repeat what this is. If you're just tuning in now in anticipation of the regular meeting and you've happened upon this uh hearing here, what we're we're in the middle of a public hearing on school choice, which is a program that would allow uh added district students to attend Cohasset public schools. Cohasset students can already um take advantage of school choice for any participating districts. We are not currently a

007participating district. Um and so this is just the annual vote that we're required to take to determine whether or not we want to opt into that program. If you have any thoughts on that, feel free to generate them using the Q&A feature in Zoom. Um, otherwise, I'll just probably mute us. Um, unless anyone has any other comments to share, I'll just probably mute us for the next few minutes until I hear see any comments. And, uh, if not, then at 559, we'll come back on and take a vote. I want to take the vote for giving everyone a full chance to be heard. And actually I think the vote is on the regular agenda. Oh, is it? Yeah. Okay. Y so you know I do that every single time. So this is just a hearing

008and then you'll vote towards the end of the actual meeting. I do it every time with this hearing. We don't have any attendees. One day I'll learn. Um well they might be waiting fashionably late coming at 557 drop a bomb on us on some incredible comment. Well, yeah, but it's it's it's it's streaming on this part's streaming on Facebook as well. So, people could be watching and deciding if they want to log in the comments. Who knows? So, we'll just give it a few minutes. But so, I'm just going to So, I would just say if someone's doing that, if they could log in and make a comment just to make the five next five minutes less awkward, otherwise we're just kind of sitting here looking actually. Yeah. Anything? No. Nothing. We're just gonna mute

009and we'll we'll sort of await kept coming. Yeah. Yeah. you. Go. Okay, just coming back online here. Um, we gave a few extra minutes to allow for virtual participants to comment on the school choice issue and we did not receive any comments or questions and there's no one in person. So, uh, at this time, oh, I'm sorry, we're not voting. We're going to vote during the regular meeting. So, uh, at this point, I just ask for a motion to adjourn the public hearing on school choice so we can start the school committee meeting. So, moved. It's been made by Mr. Dials. Is there a second? Second. Second by Mr. Leleski. All in favor? I I opposed. Abstensions. Motion carries by a vote of three members. So public hearing on school choice is adjourned and we

010will in one minute school probably less than a minute. It's 6 PM. So I welcome everyone to the April 16th, 2025 meeting of the Philit School Committee. Would all members who are present please indicate so and roll call. Mr. Carr is not present. Mr. Dial present. Mrs. Hannah is not present. Mrs. Leki present. Chair is present. That gives us a majority quorum of three members. So I will call the meeting formally call the meeting to order at this time and ask all those who are able to please rise for the recitation of our nation's pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. very much everyone. Just reminding everyone that

011this meeting is being broadcast on GOAS43 TV. is being livereamed on Facebook and you can participate virtually by logging on to Zoom through the link that appears at the top of our agenda which was mailed to emailed to all school family members and can be obtained through the copassid town website. Um, we'll move into the first agenda item as always, which is public comment. This is the section of our agenda that is reserved for community members to provide thoughts or perspective or discussion points on something that's not related to the agenda. And uh while we will try our best to succinctly respond, we can't um oftenimes discuss any of these at length, but they are always something that these comments are something that could lead to future agenda items. So if you have a thought

012or a discussion point related to something that's not on tonight's agenda, please feel free to utilize the Q&A feature on Zoom or raise your hand if you're in the audience and please just identify yourself using your full name and your residential address. and we'd be happy to hear from you. If you have something that's related to a topic that's already on the agenda, then just hang on to that thought until we arrive at that point in the meeting and we'd be more than happy to hear from you. Give everyone at home a few moments to generate any sort of questions they might have. Doesn't look like any of our inerson participants make public comment tonight. Welcome. Okay, seeing none, we'll move right into the next agenda block, which is our superintendent updates. And at this

013moment, I would uh Oh, excuse me. I'm so sorry. It's not the next block agenda. The next block agenda is our guest. How could I forget? I'm looking forward to this to hear food service update from our director of food services, Mr. Venio Cordone. Um Mr. could own you can feel free to come on up to the front table here and present that will thank you for being here tonight. My pleasure. Thank you so much for having me. Of course. It's been a while. You want me to start sharing? Yes, please. Okay. So, I I prepared a little slide of uh some updates that have taken place. Um it would always be my wish and my want that you know whomever could to visit the space and a picture sure is worth a thousand words

014but to see it live and happening it's a it's more so yeah so the next one um some of these things uh on my first presentation to you all um you might remember that was into the future well this is the future this is now and so we We finally reconfigured the uh the serving lines at at each elementary school and somewhat at the high school within within the limitations of the space in the high school. But none nonetheless we changed some things there too. We acquired um citrus squeezing freshly made orange juice machines uh which are now uh working uh at least once a week but sometimes it's twice a week. um the new equipment uh that has um allows to sort of expedite the um the way in which the students uh grab

015their lunches if they don't want to. If the hot lunch is not their choice for the day, they they're able to go through this new merchandise there, grab and go and and just grab their milk, their juice, and their salads and anything else that they may want. It gives them a a chance to to get back to the uh to the dining area of the space as opposed to wait around to get a salad when there is no need for that. So uh so that is already something happening at all three buildings. Sarah mind um one of the things that we have uh we have implemented and and you know my first my my first thought on this is that uh I apologize to the community because I wanted to do this so badly from

016day one but but we can only learn how to crawl, walk and then run, right? So, it took a bit of sort of coming together with a recipe and in a way that uh that we can really trust somebody within the staff to be able to provide homemade muffins. And this is this is happening in all three buildings twice a week now. Um the flavors that I have chosen for them to have becomes controversial a little bit, but uh but we have to serve fruit so they can have chocolate chips on the weekends. Uh, I will say that the uh the muffins are um are good. Um, but what is even better is that the person that I sort of train to make them makes a better than I do. Uh, and and that is

017that is most likely because baking is not my thing. You know, it's it's an exact science and you need to be in the moment. It's like, you know, um there's no such thing as cooking the books and there certainly is not shortcuts to baking. So, uh, Rosaline, um, is a staff member that puts together the mix twice a week and then we send that over to the to the schools and they are baked in the kitchen. So, uh, I'm not that photogenic or anything else for that matter, but this is the machine. Uh, and and the orange are freshly squeezed. They're they're going this hopper on top. And, uh, it's kind of fun to see and the kids get a kick out of it. Uh not everybody gets to see it because it will it

018will they will never make it to the classroom. Uh and so and sometimes we do allow them to sort of grab their own juice. Um you know they have to let go of the spout and and pull the cup away or else they will continue to make juice. But um but it's delicious and again one item oranges. Uh on a side note about this um we as a participants of the national school launch program there are I I'll speak about this in later but now that I'm looking at this it's important to know that sometimes you know there's a lot of there are a lot of stuff that is being said say about produce fruits and vegetables um we participate on something that is called the department of defense fruits and vegetable grant um and

019this is Um, this is put together by by the USDA and the federal government. And as long as we buy everything that is grown within the United States, we can buy anything we want. Uh, right now we're getting strawberries from California and oranges year round from Florida. And so it cost us nothing to give the Skittles a five to six ounce cup of juice at least once a week. Um, so it's so it's a it's a good deal. Uh, and I'll talk about that grant later on in the slides, but I just wanted to make sure that we're not we're not spending that much money for for really good product. Just basically free. Uh, so these are the the grab and go uh merchandises that I was talking about earlier. Um, there are little labels

020there and and it gives them it gives visible beer hill and uh and good. Um all of the stuff is within the rich juices, fruits, already made sandwiches, salads, fruit. Um so so we are able to provide this um at a much faster rate than they were doing before. They would have to wait in the hotline to go all the way through and then grab uh their cold lunches. That's no longer the case. Now ideally, it should work, right? But in reality is that if two bodies are waiting for lunch, you know, one was cold and the other one was hot. Well, guess what? That cold lunch person is not student is not going to go to that grab and go. It's going to wait for the body to grab that. And that's fine. That's

021part of socializing. But the opportunity is there to speed up the um to speed up the service, the middle school and high school. Now this one was the biggest lift uh for both um equipment and terms of training. Um we are doing something that is is um I call it the mothership but it's is everything more or less is brought into the high school and they shipped out to uh the other two buildings uh for them to finalize the product. Um, one of those items that, you know, uh, since my arrival here, taco Tuesdays or or bowl Tuesdays, uh, we are getting, uh, raw meat and we're cooking it ourselves here in the high school and our cooks over at the elementaryaries are quite able to do this themselves. But I do want to have

022certain control over the taste and the ingredients that go into this because, you know, it's very easy to just start adding things that don't belong and so at least it's uniform. the kid that is having that burrito bowl at the high school, middle school is sharing the same experience over it at the other schools. And so that's the reason for us to do that. So we we do have to um sort of control that piece of it. Maybe we can change it eventually, but for right now it's it's a comfort zone for me to know that who is making certain items and and I can always go back to them if something were to not be right. Um we talked about back when about a pizza station. uh this has uh has become the most

023successful thing uh that the program has undertaken. Uh and I don't blame him. It's delicious. I also have to give up flour for a bit because I was eating a slice a day and so it's just uh it's it's not good for me. Everybody else, sure. But um so uh we're averaging 38 pizzas in the middle in high school. That's just a little bit over 300 slices and kids are loving it. Uh and it's very very good product. those of you that have had it uh can corroborate that you know and so it's uh it's really good. Um finally this year I have been able to open up the senior cafe so it gives them an opportunity to not be part of those the funnel effect over there at the high school middle school kitchen

024where everybody comes in at the same time from the high school. Right? So now the seniors tend to stand over in that area um and we serve them um with a little bit more freedom and and and faster. Of course they have their favorite too. They always go towards you know uh oriental chicken on Mondays. I could not get rid of that because it's just something that they enjoyed and so why shouldn't they have one meal that they like? So and we could work around that. Brown jasmine rice and and steamed broccoli. It meets a requirement from the USDA. So, um, so this is, uh, this is basically, uh, the mess that the pizza station has become. Uh, that rack on your left is is what holds the actual, uh, do rolled out dough. We

025sauce, cheese, and sometimes when there is time, we put some some toppings on it. Um, and then it goes into an oven. Um, it's a double deck oven. Uh, it only does on each side at a time. 3 and 1/2 minutes for cheese. four four minutes and 25 seconds for any other one with topping. Um it it has a technology that I I have never known about this but it is it works. It cooks at 500° and it shakes the bottom of the of the screen and and that's what makes that makes the magic on the cross is the way which it is cooked on the bottom and it's even. So uh it's a unit that I'm told that is over at Penguin Park. This is the product. It looks as artisal as it gets.

026Uh the only thing that you'd be missing is a little bit of uh wood taste if you will, you know, for something that was made perhaps on a on an oldfashioned oven. But uh and the staff really gets a kick out. There's currently of the 11 of them, there are three that are well trained to do this. So that's all always something that is very important to me to have cross trainining so they're able to do uh the job. Um so towards the end of of the season last year summer we uh finalized that uh middle school garden uh and Holly Hills farm was able to plant some things. I was able to use some of that in the salabar uh and so I'm really looking forward to this year getting started from the beginning.

027We had a couple of meetings already and it would be really good. Um I talked about um preserving things, canning things, right? there was always no refrigeration available. So, we are able to do some things when when the bounty starts coming in online. So, I'm really looking forward to that garden getting getting a fresh start this year. It looks phenomenal. They have to add a little bit more mulch, but uh but it's really a nice a nice nice view from from the dining room in the in the middle school. So, this is an example of what we're doing. Um, now the silent station in the middle and high school, it's a little bit more of a we're able to do this because of the age group basically, right? Uh, so but all of these items

028are available in a little box or a or a salad that is made in the morning or at the elementary levels. I'm really looking forward to uh in a way in which we can both help them be able to make these choices for themsel at a much younger age. But I I feel that at this moment in time, it's a little bit um a heavy ass to ask when they only have like 20 minutes to to make a lunch and and keep going. And not only that, but then there's a hygiene aspect of it, you know, where we want to make sure even even in growing up, it's a pet peeve of mine. You also know this it happens again this when I'm serving food and people cry with their hands when the pal tongs

029is right in front of them. it it just it's just like let me help you with this and it happens quite a bit more often than you care to know and it's just like I don't know where your hand has been. So anyways if it happens with adults then that is that is the the the kiddo part of it too, right? But the burrito bowl is well accepted. We have all these toppings. Uh it it it there are some national brands out there that put a product like this and uh for maybe three times the amount of money that we are currently selling this for and the kids love it. Um so this this this apparatus here this was the heaviest lift of the of the improvement that we made to the kitchen. Now, it

030doesn't look like much or maybe it does look like a spacecraft, but I would like you all to know that we have four ovens in the kitchen. They had gone um that is relevant. We don't use them anymore. We haven't turn them on at all. Uh this machine is able to make and then some what those four ovens were able to do. Uh so that will open up more space in the kitchen for when the time comes. Um but this is the oven that that cooks everything. It cooks dry heat combination. That's why it's called a combi oven. And it also just steam things if you want them to um you to to do with steam food. So anyways, thank you. Thank you for uh for getting that machine because it just has made a

031tremendous amount of difference. It cooks in a third of the time and it also is smart. For instance, last night I left two racks worth of fresh pork in there with the seasoning and you put it on the slow mode. When the cook came in this morning, it was done, but he kept it at a safe temp at a safe temperature. You pull it out, you pull it right away, and then you're able to put it away and reuse for something. So, it's even working when you're not here. So, and I don't need another app on my phone, but you can also download an app and and control it from from your phone. So, um I put this as a reminder. Uh it's important not to lose not to lose sight of uh of what

032we are. um and to become to be part of the national school launch program. Um I I still feel questions and and there is nothing wrong with that, right? Because what we don't know, we don't know. But um there is this lack of understanding of why is a meal free and why isn't it free at sometimes? And when it's missing the one component which is a fruit of a vegetable, we cannot legally say yeah go ahead because even when we get order it somebody from this will be standing next to the cash and says no that didn't have fruit and you let it go without saying anything. Oh that didn't happen and then they make us an estimate. They are able to take that money away from you based on what they think the percentage

033of trades that go by. So, it is important that both the consumers and us as workers understand that we always need to see a fruit or a vegetable in there. They don't have to eat it. We're not a fruit or vegetable police, but we do need to make sure that it is present. Not only that, but in our our kitchens currently, I offer at least four different types of fruits and two different types of vegetables at any time. So, there are choices. If you don't like strawberries, if you don't like an apple, if you don't like a mandarin orange, who doesn't? So there are all these things that we have available to them. The only thing that I can get that I cannot have at rose good are grapes because of a choke choke hazard,

034right? So, so if you hear that sometimes, oh, they have grapes and I didn't have grapes, it it might have been at oood and so the only reason for that. So, uh, but yeah, a fruit or a vegetable must be present on the tray in order for us to go to Uncle Sam and says, "Please reimburse me for that lunch." Uh this is this is uh this is the information that is put out around August that every year. Um and on this one here, I can't read the number, so I wrote it down somewhere. Um it's $4.58. A year ago, the year prior was $4.31 for lunch. Um it's a pretty good deal. uh and to make money off of that to be profitable uh is even that much harder. But if it is done

035properly is doable. Um but we need to make one change uh as a district. um we we we are not meeting one of the reds and that is that if the USDA federal government and the state are able to give us $4.58 per bunch then we have to charge at least that for that extra meal if and right now we're doing 250 or 275 275 I think so we are below the average of what that meal lost. So we need to change that. Um I don't know what the mechanism in this district is for that school committee and and and leadership but uh that needs that needs to be met uh because it will be a finding from from Desi. Um so this document is put out all the time. Uh it gets a little

036confusing and a little bit into the weeds that because free is one price, reduce is another, paid is another. They always are giving you a reimbursement portion of it uh to make it work. So it's not a straight up 458 or 238 for for the for the breakfast. Is it is it 238? 237. 237. Okay. So, and I mean let's not um let's bring the muffin for instance for breakfast. I mean about two weeks ago I was paying a dollar an egg here and we are using fresh eggs for the muffin mix. So it got it has become a little bit sort of um even for us it becomes an issue uh costwise because by the time we pay for that egg which is a third of a muffin well you see what I'm getting

037at. So it's it gets sort of challenging but there is there are some things that we can do to improve the financial aspect of this. Um I don't think we're in trouble but but I think that we could do better uh by meeting regulations. Uh this is just a small example of um started talking earlier about the USDA has three different uh grants for food service. the brown box, the Department of Defense vegetable, and then there is something that that you could actually donate when when you don't have the staff, the knowledge, the equipment, the time, you can actually grab all that unprocessed food, uh, chickens, ground beef, uncooked pork, and give it to to processing companies. So they take it from you from the USDA but but whatever is awarded to you whatever you

038said you want to give back to them and then you get to buy them buy it back from them as a discount. Uh I did that one year a long time ago and then I started changing things around because we had the knowledge the time and the equipment to just process it ourselves. Uh so we don't need to to buy breaded chicken when if we had to we can make it ourselves. we don't need to ground, you know, cook up taco meat when we can cook it ourselves. So, there's a savings on that. So, um the Department of Defense too is is the other one. And all of these numbers are pulled from participation in any district. The more kids buy from you, the more they give you. And this goes to uh it goes

039to show you more or less um it's a year behind, right? So the 24th would be 232 2425 and currently on the 2026 which is what I have commented for next year and it has gone up as participation increases. Um and it has gone up even though we in the enrollment we're out nine people nine students less in the 24 versus 25. I don't know what the enrollment is going to be for the following year, but uh but we are on an upward trend still. 126,000 almost 127,000 launches versus 109 launches today. Now that's another $30,000 30,000 launches that will be sold between yesterday, which that number was pulled from, and the end of the school year. So, so it still is is on the on the uh on the app. What is more encouraging

040for me personally and as a business person sometimes I guess is the extra launches that we are selling. And the first my first year here we had 9,233 extra launches district one and today as of yesterday we are close to 10,000 with two and a half months two months to go. So it still is on the up trend. Now you multiply that by by what we should be charging versus what we are charging is a big difference. And uh and that's basically it. Um the other piece that I would like to say is that the pizza as a meal or as an extra slice which I give them a break. Students I charge them $150 when they don't have another milk, another fruit, another anything. It's just a extra slice of pizza. We charge a

041$150. It is the highest grossing lunch item that we sell. It It's just profitable and and it's it's moving fast. It's really good and uh and it meets the requirements with the with the fruits and vegetables. A cup of quarter cup of tomato sauce goes into a slice of pizza and then the other the protein on the cheese makes up the difference. So that's it. I don't know if anybody has any questions or more clarification on anything. Well, thank you so much uh for that wonderful presentation. Um are there any questions from the committee to go run in alphabetical order? Um thank you for the update. That's great. You have done yman's work getting this food service up to par and exceeding par. Uh okay. And uh I can I can report that I have

042picky eaters who would not have thought of even um having school lunch. And now my younger one enjoys several days of school lunches as opposed to zero days of school lunches. My older one, however, is stuck in the habit of wheat bins and um and mozzarella balls. But that's that's a that's something. Um so I I've got nothing. Have we thought about branching out into selling pizza to the community? Starting with I have brought up I have brought up that idea uh on on different levels. I actually meant to say and now I'm sorry I I the elementary school two weekends now two weeks now and starting the third week coming up have had that the high school middle school pizza now too. We are rolling out the pizza inside. We don't have that fancy

043oven there because it's it won't it won't make financial sense. But we do have ovens where that gets cooked on and it's not quite there. It's a little chewier, not as crispy, but but it makes so the elementaryaries both both buildings are now enjoying the pizza that we're making in the high school. That's great. So yes, I mean uh I I think it would be a great a great opportunity to um to uh we can make that work. You know, I think that the community should come in and pick a day and and we we'll we'll go all out and and uh and have Well, I can I can also report that the um basketball showdown at Deer had recently the um the food was a was a hit. So, yeah. Yeah. Um it was

044well done. So, thank you for all the work. You clearly done work. I have a great department behind me and and they they work really hard and they're really proud and and they there is a level and sense of ownership now what they're doing because they can see that that it's good is good. You're welcome. Thank you. Mr. Dial um just know that Hannah um appeared at 626. Welcome Hannah giving us a panel of forum members now. U we're not present for the presentation but it's relative to food service. I don't know if you have any questions whatsoever about food service generally or any comments or anything like that. No, I had the pleasure of see it before. So, thank you for all the work you've done. And I also heard well I witnessed the

045whiz kid night service. So, it was awesome. Thank you for reading about it. So, Miss lesson, thank you. Um, thank you for all you're doing for our students. Um, full bellies with healthy food. learn better. Um, I think that's that's real science. Um, so I think what you're doing is just incredible. And also opening their pallets um to different foods, to healthier foods because it's so pretty when you walk through those caferas. Everything's packaged nicely. It's easy to access. Um, the food just looks great. Um, and it tastes good, too. That's what I hear at home. The muffins, I I've had a muffin. They're delicious. But my children, when they're having difficult mornings, shall we say, um, I say, "Please get something in the cafeteria on your way in." and then I ask when they

046get home and it's always I got them off there. They were so good. Um so thank you for that. Um and one thing in your your presentation that I just wanted to comment on is the way in which you've been working with your staff and developing your staff. And I just really appreciate that you're giving professional development opportunities to your staff, making this a great place to to work and to learn um for our our people who work in the cafeteria and for your staff because I think consistency there is also going to make your job easier. Absolutely. Um and improve the product overall. And so I just really appreciate your attention just sort of like not just getting food onto trays for kids, but how to run um a department well. So thank you

047for that. Thank you, Celeleski. Uh, just two quick things, Mr. Codone. Um, thank you so much for that again. Um, with regards to the price for the second lunches, I don't think that we need to vote on that. I think that probably the best way to to do that is just a suggestion. It's it's operational and you're the director. So, I leave it to you and and and Miss Owen in terms of how to do this. But I think rolling something like that out just maybe a little bit advanced notice to the families that there's been there's being there's going to be a shift in kind of reasoning behind it and then it should happen because um as we know we are just emerging from a fiscal crisis. This is another one of these hidden

048um revenue opportunities that's actually required. So it's not even a choice where we're um we need to course correct on that and and it'll be to our financial benefit. So please just work that out. However, I just think it would be nice to give a little bit. I don't think it has to be, you know, substantial, just some reasonable amount of time for families to understand that that's going to be happening, right? Um, then my only question is, and so you took us to uh what was the future during your last presentation, here we are in the current state of affairs, the food service, which is excellent. I'm wondering as we look forward uh have you considered implementing any uh learning opportunities in terms of culinary arts? I know this is something that you wanted

049to do. I remember when you you're speaking about it when you were interviewing for the position. So there's two parts of this. I I feel like there's opportunities for um enri en enrichment opportunities for the kids and I think that like cooking class or something like that and then I also think that uh there's an opportunity here for a really um fulfilling community night where we have like a restaurant night where the kids can take part in sort of showcasing some of the stuff they learned how to make make and you know they can act as waiters they can act you know obviously it was take a good deal of planning. This is something we can roll out overnight. Just a thought where the fans come because I was just we're just coming out of

050that mosaic event we had recently uh which you were at. I saw you at and I think that is really well received by the community. This could be something similar where um I think a lot of people would participate. So just wondering if uh you had your hands full, you've only been here for this is your first full school year that you've been here. So, not not looking for the moon, you know, you know, right out of the gates. But have you thought about any of that? So, so yes, I have. Uh, I'll address the first piece there about the increase of the second launch. Um, I will I will meet with uh with my boss about this. um cuz I brought it up um a bit ago, not that long, but but anyways, I

051think that um I don't think the numbers are going to look that that bad where I if if if it's allowed and if if it makes it better, I I subscribed to the school of thought of like, you know, uh like doing a break or or maybe maybe roll it out the next year because we already did it. This this year is almost already gone. And so, you know, I I have no problems telling this. in my bad if this ever came to but then we can just start fresh the first of the next school year. That sounds great. And that way we have the whole summer family has something and there is more communication to go on about. Yeah. Just make sure there is communication. Absolutely. Um to the second piece of that um

052yes um always uh thinking of ways in which can um my my one conversation with my staff has always been that you know we all know we can cook at home or otherwise right and and it's like but but we have to gain the trust of those that are going to be joining us for set meal in this case is the students and so we had to start slow because you know who hasn't had a bad meal even at a restaurant Right. And so so we just had to make sure that we standardize recipes, ways in which we make things and and move it along. Um and the school uh wellness meeting about two or three one ago, we we had that conversation where I well I was glad to hear that the student says

053one of the things that interested the most was food service. Uh we never followed through with with that u because a lot of things just sort of happened. But I I think it's very important that they know where things come from and what does it take you know rather than like oh you don't have Chinese food today or you know like well there is a reason for that or you know how things come together and I think that there was an appetite from the from the student student body seemed to me that they wanted to be part of that and and we'd be more than happy to sort of bring them on and you know just make it happen just uh there is a business lesson to be learned there. there is a life skill

054that is so important because you know who doesn't want to cook their own meal and impress whomever right and I mean I think that there is a lot there to uh to take on and I'll be more than happy to participate as much as as as as as you guys want me to I mean I think it I think it would be great I think that I talked about this too that that I think that the farmers market I think this the food service should cohaz food service should have a presence on that just so that the people get to see this you know and and and just uh ju just recently because a case of pickles was go uh of of cucumbers was going bad on us and and so they didn't know how

055to pickle things and so I had a moment and I pickled some some cucumbers right and it's almost like they were pretty good I didn't have all the spices with me but they were pretty good they were decent and so the thing of it is is that there are so many things that you know you just aren't thinking of it all the time but then it comes to you when the need arises then you just like oh you know by the way you know so that's Why the garden is very important to me because I I'm I'm I'm so looking forward to see what we can get out of there, you know, and and there was a concern uh from a meeting we had that, you know, well, what's going to happen is in the

056summer is a growing season where we can can things, we can pickle things, we can dry things and so forth. That oven that that that we now have dehydrates things too. And so there are many ways in which we can just prolong the season of our harvest and uh and the garden is going to be fantastic. Long answer to your question. Yes, I love the opportunity to help out in any way I can. Great. Well, thank you. I think this presentation has certainly inspired a lot of confidence in our food services department. I don't see any uh questions from anyone participating virtually. I don't see any hands raised in the audience. So, thank you so much for your time and for all that you do for our students, our community. And the staff is quite

057happy to be here. They all are looking forward to the next day, you know, in spite of me. Thank you so much. Thank you all. Thank you. Moving right along into the superintendent's update. Uh turn the meeting over to our superintendent of school, Sarah Shannon. Thank you. Um so, somebody mentioned Mosaic when u Mr. was speaking and I just wanted I know I spoke about it and invited people the last time we were here but I just want to um share it was my first Mosaic event and if people haven't been coming to Mosaic it is an event that everybody needs to come to it was so fun so joyful um and so filling um as we're talking about food there was food from all around the world and I think it's easy to think

058of copas as place that doesn't have a lot of diversity. Um, and what happened in the gym during that event was a celebration of all of the diversity that does exist within Cohasset and the different cultures that our families have and the foods that we eat and the clothes that we wear and the everything from, you know, people had tables that just represented where their famil family's heritages are from. And it was a wonderful night. We had um people from an Irish dance studio and they students came and you know little bitties coming and doing some Irish dance to older students doing Irish dance. Um we brought in the step team from the middle school in Canton and they performed and it was just an awesome event and so I would highly encourage when the

059date comes out next year everybody should put it on their calendars because it's great. Um, and as we continue to grow, we'll all just make more food. Um, and so, you know, Mr. Cordone made empanadas and he was next to me and I had brought my food and his food went quickly and everybody wanted his food and I was like, I don't know why I'm standing here because I can't compete with what he makes. But, um, just a huge shout out to the committee that made Mosaic what it was. So, Alis, Alisa Gittens, Carl, Jenna Bluen, Gareth Bell Mcdana, Hilda Leil, and Ashley Koli, they did a lot of work to pull that night off and, um, anyone who's interested in being a part of the committee, I'm sure they would happily accept you. So,

060um, the other thing that happened last week is Dr. Elizabeth Englander was here. She is a professor at Mark at Bridgewwater State College. Mark is the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center and she has been doing work researching students for as long as I think I've been in education. Um she started by really focusing on bullying and she has shifted gears to looking at technology and technology use especially among adolescents and so the middle school PSO sponsored her visit and it was a really nice followup to the work that's been happening around the anxious generation and what I really like about her is that she provides really solid research along with concrete strategies that families can go home and implement that night. Um, and she has a real nononsense approach to technology. Um, she's not a all

061or nothing. She really believes in monitoring your student use and she also really um emphasizes that at all times we as adults are modeling our technology use for our children and that as we continue to monitor their use, we should be monitoring our own use. And so, um, thank you to the PSO for at the middle school for bringing her in. Um, couple MSBA updates. Our statements of interest for the middle school and the high school have been submitted. So, now we are in sort of this waiting pattern to see what the MSBA has to say, but hopefully we'll hear something along the way. The deadline for them to let us know is December. So, it's a it's a long it's a long wait between now and then. Um, we also, Miss Owen and Nick

062Bardi from facilities had our first meeting with the owner's project manager and the designer who'll be doing the Osgood roof. Um, we're in the feasibility study and schematic design phase of that project. And that meeting went really well. We have our contracts signed with them and we are anticipating that between now and the summer they're going to be doing their work with the intended start date for a project being summer of 2026. So not this summer but the following summer. Um another thing that happened last week that was really great that was my first opportunity to see was the credit for life. And so it was a when we had the meeting where Senator Okconor and Repo were here, we talked about financial literacy for students and this was a really great opportunity to see

063students learning financial literacy in the moment. It is an event that's held for seniors. It is grant partially grant funded through the state and um Miss Fitzgerald, Nicole Fitzgerald who's a teacher at the high school in the math department runs it and we bring in parents and folks from Rockland Trust who also support the program and other teachers and students get all dressed up and they pick a profession based on what they think their interest is and they're given a salary and then they have to go around and they have to decide what they want for housing and what they want for transportation and what they how much they're going to spend on food. And they have to figure out if that's my salary for a year, how am I going to live? And what

064are the choices I'm going to make? Do I buy the fancy sports car or do I buy the used car that's already depreciated that gives me a lower monthly payment? Um, and then they sit down and they figure it out and they do their, you know, checks and balances and they decide, did I did I make it or am I going to be in debt? Um, and I just think the kids had a really good time doing it, but they were really learning and they were incredibly invested in the decisions that they were making. Um, and so I think that as our students go off to college, it's a really good time for them to think about what a budget looks like and how they're going to make it work because once they're independent and

065free, they start to make their own decisions and um sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. So the more we can teach them about financial literacy, the better. Um, today was SAT day at the high school. Um, this is the second time this year we've done this. It's something new that the high school is doing and it's been really really wellreceived for students to be able to actually take the SATs during the school day at school. Um I can tell you my own son has done it twice now this year and it's been great. Um so that's something we will continue and I think almost every junior participated today that um and then finally also mentioned just a shout out again to the full cohasset PSO for bringing the wizards to town. That was

066also a really fun community event. Um there were smiles and joy and laughter and the patience of the Wizards while they were um playing basketball with teachers who I'm not sure really know how to play basketball, but they have a lot of energy and excitement for the event. And so um it was a great night as a cohasset community. So thank you to the PSO for doing that. Um those are all my updates and then I have another item. Yeah, let's move right into this. So um as most people know, we are members of Southshore Educational Collaborative. Um it is a collaborative for special education. It is a school in which some of our cohasset resident students are attending as out of district placements. And as part of that membership, we are we have one

067seat on their board. And so every year by May 15th, we have to vote about who will be the appointed representative to the board. And in the past years, the appointed rep has been a superintendent. I have been attending this year. And so if that's something you're you're interested in continuing, you would need to just vote this evening. Um and I'm happy to continue to serve in that role. Okay. Thank you for that introduction. Uh if there's any discussion, just uh speak. You don't need to be called on. Otherwise, uh I would seek a motion to nominate or approve our superintendent of school board membed by Miss Hannah. All in favor? I I all opposed extensions. Motion carries by a majority vote of four members, superintendent Channing. So, thank you so much for your willingness

068to serve on that board. Uh that concludes superintendent's report, I believe. Correct. Yep. All right. So, we'll move right into the teaching learning section. Turn the meeting over to our assistant superintendent of schools, Dr. Leslie Collins, to present a few things to the committee. Thank you. And I have um Mr. Rock Roberts. Yes. Director. Sorry, Mr. give my voice to um our director of evaluation curriculum. Um Mr. Stevenson is not with us. He's actually doing interviews. So he's not here, but he is also part of this. He's interviewing for our elementary team chair. Correct. Correct. So So he could not join us, but he's absolutely a part of this. So um so we are at the end of our first year of three year of our student opportunity act and There we go. Um, just

069a quick overview. Um, the Student Opportunity Act or S SOA you may hear um was enacted in the state of Massachusetts in 2019. And the purpose of it is to reduce the achievement gap and to look at um specific subgroups and target them to reduce that gap. And um through doing that and creating a plan um a three-year plan um we use evidence-based practices um to hopefully um reduce that gap. And so last year we had to write a new um a new SOA and so that is from 24 to 27 and um we chose to reduce reading and math achievement gaps for students with disabilities. Our previous one was also around using for reading and so our plan um expanded a bit and in the past we were targeting Ozgood but now we are

070looking at Oscar Dearville and the middle school and looking at um evidence-based interventions for math and literacy and looking at how do we refine our systems using data to inform our teaching and learning and rock's been instrumental in a lot of that and building up our data dashboards and having conversations around data and then looking at our MTSS um our multi-tered systems of support and continue to improve upon the process with the district and building basic data teams and you know we spent a lot of time aligning before the entire process now we're still continuing to evolve that process and we've expanded um co-eing into grades three and five so now K through 12 where we have excuse me um our co-eing. So, um, in terms of we kind of broke this, um, presentation up

071to the ELA and math component. So, in terms of actions taken in ELA or literacy, um, we've done, uh, a lot of professional development literacy for both general and special education teachers move the code teaching through grades three and five. So, that's happening now. Um we've continued to and have trained special education teachers in Wilson reading for tier two and three interventions and um this year as part of our regular kind of review process we initiated the uh first phase of the ELA curriculum review um which we are uh in our final stages of uh in terms of math uh we've done a lot of work with data in math math and with our math specialist and uh with our teachers really looking at uh key concepts and skills for intervention. of targeting uh certain

072problems students are having uh and also conversations around um aligning intervention strategies and this has been uh more specific to math specialists looking at um you know when students are moving from um Osgood to Deer Hill what difficulties difficulties are students presenting when they get there is there a way that we can uh get ahead of that um so there have been a lot of conversations around that and and just looking at our disconnects and our gaps. So, where are things breaking down? The data is early because we we basically submitted our S SOA plan uh a little bit more than a year ago. So, we had last year's MCCAST data, but that was pre-planned. Um but still, we had some numbers there. And our I Ready data really we have from the fall into

073the winter. So, I take this data with a grain of salt because I think we need a a really another year, another MCCAST year, a full year of I Ready um data because when you're looking from fall to winter in I Ready, you might show a big increase because you get summer slides and stuff. So, it's better to look at one year to the next, fall to fall, winter to winter, um things like that. And we're also kind of following um you know, one grade. So, but we have shown some some movement. Um, in terms of MCCAST, uh, grade three in 2024, our students with disabilities scored 16 point 16 percentage points higher u than the previous year in ELA and 12% higher in math. Um, that said, every one of our grades is a

074different group of students. So, it's kind of apples to oranges. Looking at a third grade in 2023 and 2024. So, like I said, taking it with a grain of salt, but it's anytime the numbers are moving up, you know, we we embrace that. Um, our I Ready reading data shows an average of 12% increase for students uh with disabilities uh scoring at or above grade levels, and that's um from kind of the fall to the winter. Um, and that's grades one through eight. We don't have the information for K because our uh window was late. It was kind of in between fall and winter because we give our kindergarten students some time to kind of acclimate when we start uh giving them the benchmark testing. In math, we sh showed a 4% increase in um

075uh for students with disabilities scoring above or at grade level. uh we have noticed that we seem to be increasing or making larger increases in literacy and not matching or math our all our students are moving at a significant pace. We're getting large increases but that gap with students with disability seems to be uh remaining kind of stagnant. So that's something that's one of those gaps that we want to look at and kind of explore why that's happening. um on dibbles just to get kind of that early literacy read for grades one and two um we were 11 point 11 percentage points higher from fall to winter with students scoring core or above. So that would be grade level or beyond grade level. In terms of next steps continuing moving with our plan we're going

076to explore pilot implement tier one tier 2 intervention programs. Uh we're going to be investigating and um looking at tier three math intervention programs. Continuing to provide profession continuing to provide professional development u for all staff around interventions. What's tier one look like in the classroom? Tier two, tier three. Uh coaching for uh our specialists, our special ed teachers. And um we're going to uh continue to work with our process for MTSS. um which has also been connected to the uh the uh special ed task force that um Mr. Stapleton has been um kind of heading. That's it. That's our that's our update. Okay. Thank you for that update. Uh are there any and I just remind anyone that's watching, you can utilize the Q&A feature on Zoom to share any thoughts or ask any

077questions. I'll be periodically looking at that. Um, are there any questions from I see members of our special education parent advisory council on the room. Are there any questions from any of you relative to the presentation? Um, yes. Yes, sir. Excuse me. Um, can you guys hear me? We hear you. Could you just state your name and resial address? It's for the meeting minutes. Um Stephanie Saunders, Ken Stratford, Terrace. Hi everybody. Um I do want to first thank um the current administration leadership for I think really clarifying and recognizing that special education and things like out of district placements are a right of students and not something to consider when we're looking at budgets in that way. Um I really have appreciated hearing that consistently. Um I think um some concerns I have are about

078the current reading curriculum um especially around the reading workshop um and other um other things that from what the um from what we're seeing in the desi website are not necessarily um seen as good evidence based practices. And I was just hoping to maybe talk about um if we're looking at any changes within that tier one curriculum. So um so Dr. Jones, let's let's give a response with the caveat that this is an SO this is a student student opportunity act presentation. Um so it it it's relevant it's applicable. However, we will be doing EL le elementary ELA curriculum progress updates in and of themselves as well in the future. So, let's be responsive. Let's have But but so, Miss Saunders, let's just we're just going to sort of probably limit the amount of discussion

079on this particular topic because I think you're asking about something that's more specific than this broader topic and we're going to and it will be is it May 7? next meeting. Next. Yeah, I think it's I mean I I think it has a lot to do with this topic. Honestly, it does. It does. But this is a general this is a general like overview on the student opportunity act and and it's so it's it's not like so the ELA curriculum elementary level has been a controversial issue for some folks. So there's going to be a lot of discussion that we're going to want to have on that that we'll get into deeper when we're having an actual agenda item on that. So you know Dr. Collins is about to respond and you respond, but I

080don't want to have like a full deliberation on that particular topic right now. As you know, I this committee is very vested in the um in special education in the district. So we're certainly not trying to flect. It's just that I'm trying to run a fairly efficient meeting and this is it's it's veering off course a little bit especially where we're already planning on presenting in more depth on this particular issue in the future. So when we look at what we wanted for our students and when we worked with our teachers, our reading specialists around what was important for us um and our students in literacy that we wanted to make sure that we were um looking at all facets of how students learn to read and what are the components that we need to

081have in place for them and also what would we have to do in order to make that happen. providing professional development. So we really looked at it holistically to see what we needed and so we already had found foundations in place which was our phonics program. We didn't change that. That's been in place for probably about seven or eight years before I got here. Um and we knew that we needed to create we needed new um resources because excuse me voice not today. Um so we needed more resources because what we were using was reading street and that was no longer um needed. It was very old probably 2010. So um so we needed to move on from that. And so when we looked at what we wanted to make sure we wanted to make

082sure that we had strong phonics, we wanted to make sure that we had strong awareness programming for our students. And we also wanted to make sure that we had strong comprehension and that our students love to read. And so when we looked at what was out there, we decided there wasn't one thing that was going to make that happen. And so we checked foundations, we added readers workshop, the comprehension piece, small group instruction, targeted instruction, um and then we had phonmic awareness K through two. And so those are the pieces that we put together. We don't use the phonics program from um from Lucy Hawkins for what you know from readers workshop. Um we use foundation. So those were the decisions that we made in order to make sure that we got all of those

083pieces in place. And then we brought in um consultants who worked with our teachers around how does the brain acquire reading skills? What are the things that we need to know as educators? What's the new research? And so we're constantly keeping updated about that. I I just want to clarify that I am speaking to tier one support which I do think is what this is about from my perspective but I appreciate that there'll be another meeting about specifically the yeah and that is part of it and also tier instruction right making sure that we have all those interventions in place for all the students that when when the court tier one instruction isn't enough then what are we doing and I just like just to clarify all of what Dr. Schol just expressed including the

084integrity program is tier one instruction. So every child gets all of the components that Dr. Schol just talked about and then there are other things for tier two and tier three but they're getting all all three of those right and foundations as well correct it is and that's a general education person. Okay thank you Dr. And Miss, I'm not challenging you on the fact that it's applicable and relevant to this presentation. I'm just trying to indicate that we're going to get in more depth in all of this on a future agenda item. So, I don't want to spend, you know, a lot of time talking about this because we'll advertise it a little bit better as well so that more than just CPAC members will be able to attend because there's I think I think

085the interest um goes beyond just CPAC itself in on that topic. Um, and I can understand why you're here and why you're expressing interest in that. And I'm not challenging that it's relevant. I just think that this discussion is better had when we have that agenda item, that topic on the agenda to discuss. That's all. Thank you. Okay. Um, there's a question from Megan Barry of 11 Tad Lane that she has uh leveled using Q&A feature on Zoom. Uh she asked what are the deciding factors as to the students excuse me sorry what are the deciding factors as to what students are selected for a co-taught classroom how many co-taught classrooms are being offered across the district so I would just answer with Mr. Stapleton not being here. Um it really is decided on a

086student by student basis who's eligible for a co-taught um classroom. It's really based on the IEP team process. And so there's no certain set of what qualifies or doesn't qualify. It really is looking at the whole profile of each individual child. And we don't necessarily have a set number of co-taught classrooms in each grade level. It's driven by how many students in each grade level have a Kotai experience on their IEP. So there's no easy answer for that. Okay. Uh thank you Superintendent Shannon. All right. Any other questions from anyone or follow up from Miss Barry or any other questions from CPAC panel in the room? Um, you can ask them anytime, but Oh, sorry. I think that some parents are concerned because that can you just state your name and Sarah Davis 160 Pharaoh's

087Lane to say that um that when we were talking about the curriculum um I think some parents worry that the tier two and three is so different from what for like what children need in tier two and three is different from what they're getting in tier one. It almost like they're kind of opposites. So I think that's why some parents get concerned about the curriculum because it can I think because of the fact that they're getting pulse then we're looking at the data going forward for our students with disabilities and that could potentially be part of the reason we have the gap. It's hard to close the gap with the two opposed programs. That's sort of And you're for ELA, huh? ELA. ELA. Yeah. like the reader workshop isn't great for your kids that are

088tier 2 or tier three kids. Um they need scientific evidence-based reading instruction, not that other type of reading typically. Um so when they have both, it can kind of be they're working against each other a little. So I think that could possibly make it hard to close the gap in right like my son doesn't have a really reader workshop because he has scientific evidence based reading instruction in specialized curriculum that's right but he's getting it because he has to be there but the other programming is better and that's what teaches him to read. There are different components to it. Yeah. So I I understand what I think that might be. So I think when people get concerned about that other reading program I see. So I see. Okay. I I understand that. I think they

089they they're both good and they both complement each other. So they're not totally different. One support they both support each other. So you're right. Certain students need more time learning the codes to understand how to um to break that code, right? And so they struggle with that piece. They also still need to be part of a very rich environment where students are reading at their own level, teachers are working with them in small group individual instruction um on some of those concepts around comprehension and all those pieces. So that's that complements it together. We don't want to do one in isolation. So I think that's a great um I think that's a great topic and I think that gives me some information to think about how I can um present it so everybody sees exactly

090what it all is about. So thank you there. So this makes me think that you know what we can do is we can collaborate a little bit ahead of time with CPAC so we can address these items that are important to them in that presentation. Um and I think it will be edifying to people that may not even be aware of CPAC and what it's doing and may want to join uh or are not a member of CPAC and still interested in this. So let's and this is part of the reason why I don't want to get too deep into this is an overview of you know our compliance with S SOA and what we're doing um and it goes beyond ELA. So so that's that's why but but however the elementary curriculum is of

091interest to people and that's why we're planning on doing that. So I think why don't we just make sure so that because I think we we we're able to give more substantive responses, more meaningful, value laden responses to questions like this when we're collaborating a little bit ahead of time. We're able to get the the data, the information, the facts um together to give a more informative response. Okay. Yeah, I appreciate it. Um okay, I don't see anything else from any other community members, so why don't we just go around, you know, medical order. Mr. D, do you have any questions related to the SOA? No, no, nothing remain. Okay, Miss Hannah, I don't miss just ask for a point of clarification. When we're talking about population of students with disabilities, um, is that students

092on IEPs? Is it students on IEPs and 504s or just students within the district that are known to have a disability but perhaps don't qualify for an IEP? Because I think that those students could also exist. you could be dyslexic but not qualify because you're able to access but you are a student with disability so I'm just wondering if you can just clarify um that population piece a little bit better for me yeah I think students with disability categorization through the state on the S so SOA and the data that I provided is students on IEPs on IEPs only so that does not include any students on 504 and it doesn't include any students who may have a a learning disabil a diagnosed learning disability that the district's aware of but is not on me.

093Okay. Thank you. Is that all? Yes. Thank you. Thank you. My question relates to the co-eing. You said you expanded it to three through five. Yes. Grades three through five. So what was it looking like before that? So they would have pushin model like there was always support but when you're doing co-eing you have to um you have to work very closely with that person and you're in that classroom a majority of the time. And there's different models. Sometimes there's co-eing where there's a special education and general education teacher in that classroom all day long. That isn't necessarily our model, but we have um but they are uh par they they're put together and they have training on how do you build that relationship? How do you make sure that you're planning properly? How do

094you create um the best environment for students? And so we spend a lot of time with professional development doing that. So, a general education teacher and a special education teacher may be together for ELA, math, um maybe some part of social studies. It all depends on the students IEPs, but um they will be there for a majority of the day. It doesn't mean that there aren't classrooms, there's other special education happening. It's just that there's there there's a lot they're in there for a longer period of time. They don't pull them out. Let me supplement the question. Okay. What levels was it offered at? Was that was that model offered at before? We've expanded K through. So, we've been expanding it. So, it's K2 and then the middle school and then in the high school

095now it's at Deer Hill. So, it was and I can't I'm not exactly sure exactly where it started. Jeremy like did it start and trickle down? I'm not really sure. So, okay. So, it was K through two teaching and then nine and 10 because my understanding is we don't offer an 11. We would unless it was on an IEP, right? We would but it's nine. You're right. 9 10 and then and then now it's in Deer Hill. Okay. Why why that that's it seems like a really odd gap to have solving problem seems really strange where it's like elementary you'd think that like it would be even before like high school and I'm not sure it wasn't actually happening. They got specific training and they built it they just built it to be a stronger

096model. Well, Michael, Mr. Glad it is there now. Yeah. Um, okay. I just when I saw that, I was thinking myself because I know it exists at the middle some high school levels. So, all right. Okay. I'll I'll get over it, but as long as we're we're doing it now, it's that's great. Uh, any other questions from anyone on the Student um Student Opportunity Act before we move on? No. Okay. Well, then thank you so much, Dr. Collins and Mr. Roberts, appreciate your presentation. Thank you for the participation and questions from CPAC. Uh move into the budget section of the agenda and turn the meeting to our director of finance and operations, Susan Owen. Thank you. Can you give me sharing, right? Yes. Apologies. That should work. Thank you. This will be the March finance

097report. Um where we are today through March 31st. Um I'm going to it's the same information. Um it fits in every every month stating what the budget is. Um what we're really looking at is the deficit. Um so we have a shortfall of 9,920. Um slight increase from last month to 394,810. Um some of that is we we did um have a new student come in that we are cost sharing I believe um in our special education and that's part of the reason that that shortfall has gone up. I think it was about a $22,000 um hit to the budget. We're closely monitoring all the accounts. everything's been frozen. Um we we have a pretty good handle on how we're going to spend down or reduce our deficit. Um we're working we're um checking any

098type of savings that we can look at and you can see in the special education tuitions um it went up slightly uh went from 180 to 206 and that similar is the transportation for special education as well um went up um very slight. You can see some of the budget line items. You can see the tuitions have gone up slightly. Utilities, sorry. What happens tuition go up? That's a long utilities um continue to grow. Um I mentioned special transportation supplies, materials. Um and then our regular transportation is now um running in the deficit of about $10,000. So, um hopefully with some of the changes that we made and implemented fees, um we're going to see a lot of these um shortfalls go away. This just gives you a breakdown by school um what percent of

099the budget are completed. So, the majority of 60% um which is pretty much online of where we are in the school year. I'm not going to go into circuit breaker. Um this is just an explanation of what circuit breaker is, how much you received or will be receiving this year. Um it's a program that reimbures 75% of eligible special education costs that exceed four times the state average per pupil foundation. Um and it supports, you know, it's crucial for district managing financial challenges of specialized education services um to students with significant needs. So is that is that I've never heard you say that four times thing. Is that on the Is that I'm not seeing that on the the Oh, there it is. Right there. Four was written out. That's why. Um I'm glad I'm

100glad you brought that sentence to my attention. It's probably been there and I just missed it, but I've always wanted the formula. Um Florida capital. So, we we we have a board capital what what we would receive from the town. Um, we're going to continue with our bus lease. We're going to continue with our electric bus lease. The town graciously um gave us funding to replace our which is retired and being surplus for parks probably. We um we are replacing all projected I should say all projectors half the projectors at Osgood and half of Deill. Um the security equipment and PH systems for the Oscar and Ghill are also on that list including up updates and additions to cameras and security um equipment for Deill Middle School high schools. The furniture um was approved. So

101the middle school offices in the high school conference room which is very old and rickety looking um will be getting a facelift. We luckily um have a new will have a new 15 passenger activity bus for the athletic department after July 1. Um as we still continue to struggle with transportation for um more so our spring sports than than the others um because there's a lot going on in the spring that we've had to um contract out which is much more costly than what we have our own drivers doing. Um and then we were granted the 75,000 to extend the sidewalk out here on street where it's partially grass and then turns over. So that's just capital. I know that um this is a list of our grants and you can see um it's minimal

102um title one away. our other grants um slowly incre some some of them are slowly increasing some of them slowly decreasing um the ones that are you know quite important to special education um 240 grant what brings in um a little over $350,000 to us to help fund programs um and then our our me program again is also a huge um grant that comes in about $360,000 the other ones are very very slight 15,000 to 10,000 and then our revolving accounts. Um you can see here what's coming in. Um and you can see off to the right in the red we have some shortfalls. So we know our our after school care program um there's about $40,000 that needs to be transferred from the town over to the schools. So that will make that deficit

103go away. Our school athletic revolving this spring um deposits have not gone in yet. So that should eliminate um some if not all of that deficit in athletic evolving and then our school transportation you can see is in a slight deficit um as we're collecting transportation um we're starting already for next year. This is just um breakdown has not changed all year of um school budget and how many FGES and headc count in each each area by personnel for regular education special education are distributed salaries and you can see 16% of our budget is regular salaries. these uh breakdowns of just each school um and how they're funded, how the positions are funded. So it gives you you know how many positions are funded by the budget, how many funed by grants and how many

104funed by the wall and this is just the districtwide and how it's broken down. Total grant um our grants support 11.3 FTPs Marvin supports 22.9 FTPs for positions. We have our updated enrollment for April 1st. Just come in and it shows the class size of the elementary levels and it gives you the total 1394 as of April 1st. reported and this is just a month-to-month comparison um for the year of what's happened so far over the utilities. So you can see um we have used more kilowatts and electricity than we did last year and we have certainly paid more than we did last year. So last year we paid this point in the year we spent about 339,000 and this year we're at 380. So it's almost a 50% $50,000 jump. Then when we get

105to the gas it's a little bit different. We have used more thems um but our cost is slightly down. So, we are um trying it really weather um related on what what our utilities look like and what our contracts with the energy supplies are. Um but the gas is slightly lower than what we spent last year this time. And then we get into food service and meal count. So, you can see how many meals by school, how many second lunches, and that's where Mr. Pon was talking about the extra lunches. We're not charging the regulation at all. Um so that will what would be changed. Um and it's only for a second if a child um chooses to purchase a second lunch. We're at just about 78% participation rate. Um just some updates. Transportation. Next

106year we're going to be adding an extra bus to our daily use time and offer less crowded rides. um during our school committee meeting on the 31st, a vote was um held to raise our transportation fee from 350 to 450 in order to help cover the budget shortfalls. Um in addition um what was taken to increase the athletic fee from 250 to 425 um both have caps and then to further address our transportation challenges that the department as I mentioned will be receiving a 15 passenger bus to help support um transporting outreach to gates of practices. Just at the conclusion um leadership team and central office are actively exploring um ways to reduce our current deficit by identifying potential savings opportunities. Um we have you know staff that are going out on some leaves. We

107have long-term subs in place. So there are there are some savings there and we're trying to capture as much as we can as we move into the final month budget. That's it. Okay, thank you very much, M. Owen. Uh just to supplement that, um we do have uh a plan to address this year's deficit and we anticipate that we will be um able to successfully address that. And in terms of the budget that we just passed for the next fiscal year, that that was a balanced budget. So um we do feel that we're going to be avoiding types of issues in the future. Any questions for Miss Owen relative to our monthly budget update? Mr. Dial. Um, yes. So, on the circuit breaker, I'm gonna hang on this for a moment. 75% of sped expenses

108would have exceeded four times per people. Is that on a student by student basis or is that in the aggregate? You know, off hand, and this might be something we deal in a little more offline. It's student by student by student. Okay. Um, that's helpful. And then um how was the per pupil calculated? Who does that? So the state does that and they do that by adding up all of the costs of the district and they divide it by the number of students. And where do they get our costs? So they get it from all of our salaries and all of our utility all of those costs. I think you means what database? Like how do they So they get it from a year a year. Yeah. Okay. So it's it's it's informed by and

109that's is that audited? Yes. So it's informed by our audit report. That's helpful. Um the reason I I ask is it is I think a worthwhile endeavor to for this purpose if not other purposes but just for this purpose alone to endeavor to ensure that our expenses are appropriately allocated in such a way that our cost per pupil is accurate and not overstated. Because I if this with this equation where they get 75% of cost in excess of 4x cost per pupil, a small decrease in cost per pupil can be significant additional circuit breaker revenue. So, I mean, just like and and and you know, like I just did a quick if you did a five grand if you had a special education student with a $200,000 placement and you dropped your um regular tuition

110your your cost per pupil by five grand. It's unrealistic, but that's that's that's an increase of $90,000 that come out of chapter not chapter 7 out of the circuit breaker. So, it's it's worth if we aren't already just paying really close attention to our expense line items to make sure that they they align with with what where they should go. And I know that some prior conversation I've had in different contexts. There was some discussion about how our retirement uh that we may have had an inflated cost per pupil versus other districts because the way our retirement benefits are factored into our peral cost. So, I don't know the details on that, but it's just says to me that it's worth investigating and looking into that. I'm happy to to join you in investigating that.

111Yeah, I think we could look at that. Certainly look at it. Yeah. Um, but I mean, my report um is the same for every district. There's something about because and I I I can't do this chat reverse, but there was something and I talked to our prior superintendent about this because I this question came up. why our approval was higher than other districts. And he had looked into it and came back that it had something to do with the way retirement benefits or something is shared with the town and other districts don't have the same thing and I'm I'm just not sure what it was. We could look at that. Um definitely that might be something to pay attention to. Okay. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean the end of the year report is is pretty extensive.

112Um and then we have an outside we have to we have to report um report it to Jessie and then we have to be audited by an outside agency and they tell you if there's any findings or not and knock on wood the five years I've been here this and to be clear I'm not suggesting we cook the books just to put that right out there. But um it is worth making sure that we've got the right books and if there if there are if there are interpretations or decision points that other districts are taking to their advantage that we're not then we should we should at least make sure it's an informed decision. Yeah. And just sort of along the lines of circuit breaker, I had a nice meeting with Senator O' Conor this

113week and one of the things that he talked about was that his his goal is to get to a place where circuit breaker is 100% reimbursing of special out of district tuitions. Um and so um or over the floor, you know, four times. Yeah. Um, and so he's hoping to get an additional 5% for next year, an additional 5% for the year after, so increments of 5%. Um, so, you know, his thinking is that that is one of the most equitable ways to get more money to districts. Um, and and I agree with that because it does impact us studentto student as opposed to sort of overall numbers. Um, so hopefully we'll get to that place, but in the meantime, I think looking at, you know, what our per people is is important. Um, but

114hopefully Senator O' Conor will be successful in getting us additional funding for Secretary in general. Okay. Well, that Thank you, Miss Hannah. Do you have anything for relatively update? You do. Thank you, Hannah. Mr. Leki, not for me. Thanks. Thank you. I do not have any questions either, Miss Miss Owen. Thank you very much for that. Uh we do have uh moving on two gifts. Miss Owen, do you want to summarize those for us? Sure. So we we received a check for $5,000 from Southshore Unity Council um for professional development when we to put towards on behalf of the cohaz on behalf of the coh university committee for professional development. Um I believe this is for most help with essential partners with professional development be provided in March. Yes. Okay. And second one the second

115one I think that was from CF to supplement the Shakespeare theater experience uh because they need additional transportation cost. The CF provided that money and the amount amount of $1,921. So these uh items have been attached to the agenda as items F2 and F3 respectively. We'll vote on them individually. Uh are there any however is there any discussion relative to either of them right now before we take motions on gift? Okay. Seeing none, is there a motion on the floor to approve the gift of $5,000 from the Central Union Council on behalf of the Quest Diversity Committee? So moved. Motion's been made by Mr. Dial. Second. Second. Seconded by Mr. Leky. All in favor? I. All opposed extensions. Motion carries by a majority vote of four members. Uh thank you so much to the co

116cohasset diversity committee for that $5,000. Miss, have we develop I think we did develop that that letter that we send out now upon receipt of gifts, right? Okay. So, let's send a letter out to them to thank them for that. Uh moving on to F3, the gift in the amount of $1,921 from the Quacid uh education foundation to supplement the Shakespeare Theater experience. Is there a motion on the floor to approve that gift or accept that gift? Motion been made by Mr. Tiles or second. Second. Seconded by Mrs. Ley. All in favor? I. I. I. All opposed. Attentions. Motion carries by a vote of Miss Hannah. Did you say I? I. Okay. By a vote of four members. So, Miss Owen, please let them know that we accept the gift and can you please issue

117a Absolutely. Thank you. I mean, that one's supplemental, so we may have already issued a letter, but um just put it on your radar. Um moving on to the last item in the budget block of the agenda is a uh vote to approve advertising in the school district. Um and it implicates policy KHB uh which is item F4 in the agenda. I guess I will turn to the superintendent of schools to provide a very brief description of this item and then we're going to have any discussion and a vote. So given our budget conversations, I wanted to bring forward the advertising and schools policy. This was a policy that was approved just two years ago, but I think um given our situation, we should revisit it and the one line in this policy. Um we

118would like or we're requesting that you sort of exercise your right to approve advertising for a fee as deemed appropriate. Um, two years ago we were told couldn't do any advertising as a district and we're wondering now if we could revisit the idea of advertising on um athletic fields and athletic spaces um for a fee so that we can continue to bring in revenue um that we have been unable to do in the past. Thank you for that introduction superintendent. Is there any discussion from any members? Uh Mr. St's reviewing the policy. I'll skip over now. I've got it's a question. Um what is the what's the ask of the what are we ask? So what we'd like to do is be able to language. We would just like to we're not revising the policy.

119No, we're not revising the policy to take a vote specifically on this request because we have to do it on a sort of case by case based appropriate. We have to deem it appropriate which she's asking. Right. And so are you proposing anything in particular? We are just proposing that we are allowed to start seeking advertisement and sponsorship. What will happen is that I will sit down with Mr. Scott and Mr. Roandi and we'll and Miss Owen and we'll come up with a you know what the right fee structures are and things like that and we can share that with you. But first we want to at least have permission to start pursuing it. I don't I don't well I'll just offer I don't think you need permission to start exploring it. I think what

120this would be is you have that proposal then you'd come to us and we we um deliver and approve then policy. I don't I'm not comfortable just giving a blanket approval at this point um for whatever whatever happens. I'd like I'd like to see it be part of especially as a as an issue of first impression maybe as we see what the things are maybe contours but um I' I'd certainly want to see it as it as it comes forward. Okay. So just to clarify, the proposal is that we give blanket authority for them to advertise in the athletic facility. So you can vote against that, but that's the proposal. So that's what we're going to discuss. Um that wasn't clear. Okay. Well, I All right. Uh so any discussion from anyone? Well, Mr. Dial,

121are you do you have any questions now? Yeah, if the proposal if the proposal is blanket authority to advertise in athletic fields, I would not support that. I'd want to see what that is and then work together and actually maybe get through the policy subcommittee to figure out what a policy contours of that would look like. Okay. Thank being new to the school board. I don't understand why you put this in place two years ago. So I'd love to understand the background there. I think it was just revised. But I think why why we put what in place two years ago? the the policy that you can't advertise. So I can share a little Well, I don't think we put it into place two years ago. I don't remember. What's the 2023 revision? Sometimes there's

122some slight language changes that I don't think there was any language change on this particular proposal. I think this was the this was just a bring down. We reviewed it and did not make any changes to it from the 2004 because they were some of them weren't dated. design. So, but I did get a little bit of history as to why it was originally created. Um, and so there were two reasons. One was a decision from what I understand that we wanted to keep our space just pure without bringing in any advertisement. Um, and I believe many years ago there was a a fundraiser where they sold bricks to raise money for athletics and sort of at that time it was this was how we're going to do this and as a result we weren't

123going to sell advertisement. Um, and so it's been a policy since then. Um, but I think we're in a different time and a different place and in a different situation. And the money that was raised, I don't know when that was, no one's been able I haven't figured that part out yet, but um, none of that money is still around. The way I'm reading this though is that like the policy currently is that advertising may be allowed in material produced um approved by the school principal. So like we've already given blanket to the school principal. Am I reading that right? If it's produced by student organizations. So if they're advertising like you know the prom or something like that or not promoting money for their trip to Guatemala. Right. Exactly. But commercial we're not allowed

124to do. So I would I mean I'm a I brought this up before. I'm a big proponent of it. I think that it helps us and it helps us connect with the community. I think in so many ways and I would say that it shouldn't just be a transactional um event that happens where they pay us money and we slap a logo on the field out there or anything. I actually think there's a great opportunity here to create like a sports marketing club and allow students to participate in this. It's a huge business opportunity for them to get some early access experience in the world of sports marketing. Um, and I also think that there are like activations that they could lead at these games that make it a lot more valuable for a business

125in town to want to be a part of than just throwing their logo on something. Um, so I think there's a lot further that we could take this than just a logo on the field personally. So like and I guess my proposal would be like I get we got to start somewhere but I would love to see a forward progression to make this really part of something and let the students get something out of it. Yeah, I think that's a really good point. I mean obviously I think we're trying to extract a learning learning um experiences from anything within the school. Uh and I think you're right Miss Hannah. It has to start somewhere. Like we didn't approve this that would be difficult to deliver. you can still approve it, you know, proposal at a

126time. We we we could in a more specific proposal right now. That's not the proposal, but I think that like someone could, a parent or a school committee member or a teacher, anyone could lead that effort once this is approved. Like we could approve this and yeah, there could be transactional ones, but there could also be opportunities for student involvement in some of them as well. Uh I think it's a great I think it's a great great point. Um but remember like what we would be voting on today would just be that blanket approval for athletic facilities. Um and then we could I think grow that or develop that or refine it in whatever way you know uh someone saw fit if there was a more precise proposal for student involvement. Um I think the

127way Mr. Dial sees it is like maybe he likes that but he would want to see a specific proposal before we're approving that. I think that that's that's the it's just a it's it's a big change and I wouldn't want to I'd want the school committee to be more involved as as we develop it. So we I don't disagree with that but and also the first hearing of it like this is a big a big ask to just kind of lump on you pullet for agenda item out. Um but this is something too that should we have an athletic subcommittee that they could be part of that down the line. I don't think it needs to be a subcommittee. I think that like some I think that a group could like any like any initiative

128you can get like a group together like an ad hoc group like the cell phone task force that was just put together like and and you could do that if you want to develop some sort of experience. I mean people if you had a subset of of people that wanted to do that we could do that. I I I mean I look I think all the superintendent is asking right now is whether we're comfortable giving her approval to to allow businesses to advertise in our athletic facilities. If you're in favor of that, you should vote for it um or make a motion and vote for it. Or if you're against it, you should vote against it. Um I I I think that like devel refining the idea right now is not what's in front of

129And so, Mr. Hannah, like I don't disagree. I think it's a great idea what you're coming up with, but like that's not what we're voting on. And if you think that that's what we should vote on, then I would just vote against it right now. Then what is holding us back? Like it doesn't seem like this policy is actually preventing us from selling sponsorships. There's just one step in place to say, "Bring it here to the school committee and we'll vote on it." Yep. That's right. Okay. So like but we're not there's there hasn't been any effort out there to try and get sponsorship at this because this has been read as it was not allowed that education because that was well the intent of it was that it was not allowed at all and

130so if we're changing the intent of it that that's fine we can start exploring it without school committee approval but the intent of this policy was that there is not to be any advertisement um based on the history of this. And so we're looking for just approval that there's a shift in the intent that we are allowed to advertise because then we can start to proceed with planning. If there's still no intent to advertise, then we're not going to plan. So that really was my ask. Okay. I would like to have Mr. Ley say and then I have a question for you anyway. So we'll go back to you Mrs. Leki. I and I sort of turn to our legal eagles on this one whether or not just as it stands I think when things

131are opening when there is a a possible advertisement that's ready to go up on the athletic fields I think that sounds great. Um, but I do think some oversight or and or modifying policy as it is with language about what is appropriate for that because I'm thinking specifically it shouldn't be political or religious and that hasn't come forward at all in this discussion. Um, I don't think that has a place, but those are certainly community organizations within our town that may well want to have an audience of parents and students on the fields. Um, but I'm also hearing and so I just need some maybe some help understanding that actually what we're voting on is to say it's okay to go out and look and see if someone would like to put something on the

132sports field and then I will bring to you the the school committee for conversation these seven options. Is is that correct? That is correct. Okay. So, we're really just talking about is it okay to look for this specific location? Well, it's even just to start planning for it. to plan to look that the intent has changed. Okay. So, is there a vote on this or is it just more of like I think we all agree that well I don't necessarily agree with anything. I did want to ask Mr. for clarification on his assertion that this is a major change. I want and I'm earnestly asking I'm not why do you feel that way? Because if if because you know that I'm always sensitive to allowing everyone to be heard before we do anything like that.

133I don't see this as being overly impactful. why you see it see it that way. Well, I mean there was obviously a decision in 2004 not to do it. Um I think there is there is a contingent of people who might not want signs on the sports fields there. I think that's that's and I I used to I used to not want advertising and your school advertising is can be seen as an endorsement of certain vendors could be seen as an endorsement of certain things by the by the public schools. So, I think there's just an element of public discourse that that led to a policy like this that we haven't had yet. Um, but if if the request is getting the school committee's view as whether or not we'd be open to it, I

134would be happy making a motion expressing the openness of the school committee to considering advertising in our athletic fields and even directing the the superintendent to explore opportunities with potential partners to to do so. I'm happy to make that motion. I would second that. Um and if if if and when that time comes for making motions, I will go ahead and make that one if that is where we want to go. Okay. So is is there is there any other discussion on it before we take that motion? Mr. D just there is a motion on the floor. Okay. Would we because I I think what I'm hearing from folks is that we might want we would want want to maybe add the caveat that we are we are deeming this appropriate to explore advertising the

135athletic facilities but we would like final say in terms of what is actually advertising. We're not changing the the policy. We would get to we still reserve the right to approve advertising. We're just saying we are we are willing to approve that. Okay. So there's a motion on the floor to generally approve advertising with the caveat that we need to approve specific advertising. Just there's there's a motion on the floor to express support for the uh partnering with advertisers for our athletic fields and um even a direction of super the superintendent to seek out those sponsorships and bring them to the school committee for Okay. So this is not what you're asking superintendent Shannon. So this won't this won't be deemed sort of a authorization of the BIY. This is us taking the vote to

136instruct you to expose these opportunities. Okay. Just to clarify. I think that's fine because I think that's ultimately what my next steps were. Okay. All right. So is there a second to that motion? Second. All right. Motion made by dial seconded by Mrs. Hannah. All in favor? I. All opposed extensions. Motion carries by a majority vote of four members. So, superintendent Sham would ask you to please explore that start right after vacation. Oh, could I could I also suggest that um for the reason of this lesson is that this is also something that get brought to the policy subcommittee. Yes. Um because there are some considerations like limitations on that doesn't necessarily mean slowing down but I do think that if we are going to be more open to it, it's worth looking at. Yeah.

137Yeah, I mean I I actually think that that falls within our anti-discriminatory like Yeah, I actually think policy, but what we'll end up doing is creating guidelines for said advertisements along with the pricing structure and that that would be part of the guideline is that it can't do X Y and Z. Um, all right. That was surprisingly kind of hurtful. Um, moving on to controversial with no actual real impact on the result with with no real decisions on your committee. That was a really interesting um situation there. Okay. Um, the community relations block. Did anyone have any reports from subcommittee or leazison positions? Just update. Um the um high school school council met on the 25th um of March um with a discussion on um current standing of the budget and potential impacts to school.

138Um an update from the cell phone task force. Um a great and robust conversation about continuing about how to have difficult conversations um and ways in which the students felt they might structure the viewing of the movie. um 68. Um so it was very thoughtful in addition to um also getting student input input on on um AI and schools and how that might be addressed uh through the handbook and so more to come on both those other reports here. Okay. I met with the elementary PSO at Deer Hill and they were talking about reviewing the homework policy there at that building. So just give everyone a heads up that that's happening in the PSO. All right. Um moving on to the the uh last block of the agenda, last substantive block of the agenda is

139the school committee governance section. Uh this is the portion of the agenda that was reminded we take the vote now, not during the public hearing that we had at 5:45 to 6:00 this uh evening relative to school choice. We had a public hearing. There was uh there was no public input on that matter. Um the school committee had a brief deliberation on it. So would there be a motion on the floor relative to school choice this time? Do we want to make a motion to I guess what are we moving to approve? We are we are either moving to there's only two choices. You can either move to uh elect to participate in school choice or to decline to participate in school choice. I would move that we decline to participate in school choice. Okay.

140There's been a motion to decline to participate in the school choice program. Is there a second to that motion? Second. Seconded by Mr. Leski. Motion was made by Mr. Dial. All in favor? I. I. All opposed extensions. Motion carries by a majority vote of four members of Den Shannon. And again, that's revisited on an annual basis. All right. Uh topics not reasonably anticipated. There are none. Approval of minutes. I think we have one set of minutes to approve. They're included as uh item H1 in your packet. They are from the um Wednesday, March 19th school budget public hearing. And um all members, no, excuse me. So, Mr. Dial, you are not in attendance, so you will need to abstain from this vote. Happy to do so, Mr. Okay. Uh presuming everyone has looked through it.

141Are there any proposed revisions, discussion points relative to the minutes? Seeing none, is there a motion to approve the minutes as presented uh in item H1? Salute. Motion's been made by Miss Leki. Is there a second? Second. Seconded by Miss Hannah. All in favor? I opposed. Oh, I'll stay. I was totally by not the uh the motion uh carries by vote majority vote of three members. So those meeting minutes have been approved. And lastly uh executive session there is a reason to move into executive session that reason is number three uh in chapter 3A section 21 small a that is to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining. Uh we will need a motion to not only move into executive session but to not reconvene in open meeting. Is there a motion to that effect?

142So moved. Motion been made by Mleski. Is there a second? Second. Seconded by Miss Hannah. This motion must be conducted in roll call. Mr. Dial I. Mrs. Hannah. Hi. Mr. Leki. Hi. I Craig Mccclen. Motion carries by a vote of four members and we are now in executive session. So if you are watching at home, we will not be reconvening. The meeting has concluded for all intents and purposes and we thank you so much for your participation. Contact us at any