001please ask you to mute or turn off your cell phones. >> Yep. >> All right. First on the agenda is the STA. >> Good evening. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight. I'd like to begin by building on last month's presentation which highlighted the many ways our teachers support students beyond the classroom. While our primary role is educating students, the work of our staff is extends far beyond instruction. In every building across the district, we have a sunshine committee. The committee is fully staff funded each year and allows us to give back to our school community and the greater community around us. Through the Sunshine Committee, we contribute to the holiday adopted child program, the Stoart Food Pantry, and many other charities and organizations. We have provided donations
002to the families in our district with extreme traumatic events such as house fires and other unexpected hardships. We also use these funds to bring some joy into our buildings by organizing themed staff spreads and small morale boosting events throughout the year. We make it a priority to recognize many individuals who help our schools run smoothly every single day. Using sunshine funds, we celebrate and show appreciation to our cleaning and maintenance staff, cafeteria workers, administrative assistants, administrators, and our school resource officer on their designated appreciation days. It is one of the small ways we can acknowledge the educating that educating children is truly a team effort. In January, we held a district-wide fundraiser and raised $1,760. We split that donation between two local charities, Play It Forward 518 and Kelly's Angels. Play It Forward 518 is
003a nonprofit foundation based in the capital region that supports local children and families to be facing illnesses or hardship. They provide financial assistance and diversion activities during incredibly difficult times. They also support the Melody's Center for Childhoods with Cancer and Blood Disorders and Double H Ranch while offering direct support to families in need. Kelly's Angels is an all volunteer Capital Region nonprofit that grants scholarships and fund grants to children and families facing hardship due to cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Their mission is to bring smiles and meaningful support to children who have lost a parent or sibling to cancer or batting a serious illness themselves. Our own students have received from Kelly's scholarships from Kelly's Angels multiple times. Most recently, they provided a special trip for students in our district who had lost their mother.
004We were honored to be recognized by Kelly's Angels founder Mark Maholland on News Channel 13. Um, and here is a clip for you to see. Teachers in the Stillwater School District have dressed down and stepped up. >> Teachers made donations in exchange for >> teachers in the Stillwater School District have stepped up >> and teachers made donations in exchange for wearing jeans to school. They called it jeans for January. Participating teachers each donated $20 for the rights to wear jeans to school. >> At the end of the month, they raised 1700. They donated $880 each to local charities and play it forward 518. >> They're comfortable and they're doing great. >> That's right. at the 27th annual um at this time as well of us participating. Um I would like to take a moment to
005review the thank you letters that we received from both organizations. Dear Stillwater faculty, staff, and administration, on behalf of our entire play it forward 508, we would like to thank the faculty and staff of Stillwater for your participation in the genes of January program. We recognize that there are many worthwhile causes and thank you again for supporting our organization through this important program at your school. Your generous donation will allow us to continue our mission of supporting local children's local children and their families facing illness and hardship throughout the capital region. Since our inception in 2015, support from individuals and organizations such as yourselves have provided 275 plus diversion experiences like concert, movie nights, and special dinners with family for patients. Partner with Sienna men's basketball to host 120 plus patients as honorary captain at
006home games at the end of the arena. Donate 350 plus holiday baskets to patients. Donate five gaming systems for patients to use at the center. Provide 250 plus care packages for staff, both medical and administrative. Provide thousands of dollars in gift cards for essential and divergent activities. Provide support to the adaptive winter ski program and summer program for Double H Ranch. and fund eight wishes for local children through the Makea-Wish Foundation. On behalf of Play It Forward 518, our volunteers and beneficiaries thank you for your support. Mark Mahal sent a follow-up email to me saying that we had made his day. He had signed onto his computer to find more families reaching out and requesting help. And just a minute later, I received email notification alerting me that you and the kind people at Stillwater
007Schools have made a generous donation. I'm grateful every day for the support of the good people in the Stillwater community. We always are here for us and help more children and families who can use a lift. And then he asked me to pass along that gratitude to the other teachers and staff who contributed. This work isn't about recognition. It's simply who our staff are. They show up for students and families not just academically, but in personal and compassionate ways when it matters most. And of course, that same spirit carries back into our classrooms. To promote the love of reading, Mrs. Ali put our fun and engaging mass reader activity where eight staff members recorded mystery readaloud videos for students to guess with a big reveal at the end. And here is an intro and sneak
008of that. Hey everyone, you ever heard of the show The Masked Singer? It's a show on TV where the contestants wear a mask and a costume and they sing a song and then the audience has to try to guess who that singer is. Well, here at Still Water, we are going to have our own version of that show called the Masked Reader. Each day, we're going to send you a video of someone that you know who has a mask on, and they're going to read you a story, and they're going to give you some clues to who they might be. We're going to send your teacher a Google form and you're going to try to guess who that reader is. You're going to see me in the video a lot because I'm going to be
009helping the reader hold their books so we don't get any unnecessary clues. Then at the end, we're going to have a final reveal and you'll find out who all those masked readers are. Let's have some fun with this. Let's go. Hello boys and girls. My name is Do I count? My favorite food is spaghetti ball and I don't know how to eat bubbles with bubble gum. After the fall, Humpty Dumpty back up again. After the fall, Hookie got back up again. >> My name is Humpty Dumpty. >> As part of park, Miss Dyer and Mrs. Murray are hosting a book fair to support classroom instruction. And author musician Steven Swimburn will visit to inspire students through storytelling and music. Through PBIS till Water Day, students were rewarded for demonstrating safety, responsibility, and respect. Activities included
010snowshoeing with Mr. Kugan, bingo, directed drawing, card making, and board games. And here's some of the snowshoing event that occurs. In the classroom, hands-on learning continues to thrive. Mrs. Shudy's fourth grader successfully engineered egg drop containers to demonstrate engine energy transfer concepts. some of their activity and band teacher Mr. Deira supported fourth grade's extreme settings module with a presentation on hiking safety and proper view. As a culmination of their ancient Egypt unit, sixth graders visited the Albany Institute of History and Art, where they explored authentic artifacts and viewed two Egyptian mummies, bringing their classroom studies to life. Back. They also welcomed Miss Betsy Sleowitz from Nourish and Balsson who shared her mandala artwork and how sales of her designs help provide meals for children through the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. Students created
011their own umbrellas while learning about service and community impact. And this pictures of her visit. Mrs. Baker's Earth and Space Science class is working on their second state required label the sky is the limit. Students are working on comparing warm warm versus cold air masses using pressure blocks as visual representation. Next, they'll be using maps to show how meteorologists use information to predict the weather. Mrs. Baker often uses current weather maps as representation as well, such as the noraster that passed through on Monday. The Stillwater Books and Bites Club joined the third graders for a holiday readaloud on December 18th. And just before February break, our middle school and high school students partnered with our kindergarten classes for a wonderful cross building activity. The older students read Pete the Cat, Valentine's is cool to the
012kindergarteners and then worked together on a Valentine's Day craft. And these were our the cats that we made with the kindergarters. These are just a few of the great ways we bring students together across grade levels, giving our middle school and high school students an opportunity to serve as role models and build meaningful relationships with our younger students. This past January, selected nth grade students joined our eighth grade Friday morning meetings to share their experiences transitioning to high school. They discussed homework expectations, workload, deadlines, and key differences between middle and high school academics. The goal is to better prepare the eighth grade students by providing authentic peer insight, and practical strategies for managing increased academic demands. The eighth grade team plans to invite the ninth grade graders back one or two more times to discuss
013course selection, course requirement, extracurricular involvement, and balancing academic and social responsibilities. Student feedback has been very positive, and these peer-to-peer approach has proven to be a meaningful way to support a smoother transition to high school. Thank you for your time this evening and for your continued support of our students and staff. As always, you are welcome to our schools. We encourage you to visit, spend time in our classrooms, and see firsthand the incredible work that our students and staff are doing each day. >> Thank you. >> Next on our agenda is public input. I want to thank everyone for joining us tonight. We're about to start the public input part of our meeting. But first, a quick reminder. As a board we believe it's essential to hear your thoughts and concerns to make sure we
014have time to discuss your feedback and get input from the administration. We will not be able to respond to your comments tonight. We'll follow up with an answer at our next meeting or via email from the appropriate staff member. Please keep in mind that it is the board's policy that we do not discuss student or personnel issues during this time. We take those concerns very seriously and we ask that you follow the proper administrative channels to resolve them. Finally, please be respectful of everyone. Let's make sure everyone has a chance to speak without interruption. And when you speak, please state your name and address for the record. And you'll have three minutes to comment. So, I'd like to open the floor to any kind of comments from the public. Anyone? This is about the comment
015section on agenda items. So, something on the agenda, then we'll have another one later with that on the agenda. All right. Okay. Moving on. Uh let's go to the consent agenda. Motion to approve the consent agenda items exclusive of board minutes of the 22426 board of education meeting and CSSE recommendations. >> So move second. >> Questions, comments? All those in favor? >> I opposed. >> Motion carried. And next we have the superintendent section. Hello everyone. >> Uh so after the um student break I'll say these teachers break coming back uh I think athletics has kind of dominated um the focus around our buildings uh this week. So this week um Tuesday night our boys and girls the hoop teams started their sectional runs hopefully their runs. Um the boys uh defeated uh Middberg and the
016girls defeated Bishop Given. Um pretty good games for for both of our uh boys and girls won by kind of large margins. Uh now now it'll start to get interesting. Uh problem is they both play Friday night same time. So still water athletics fans can't make both. Uh but our girls are home at 7:30. Um and our boys are on the road down at Gilderland um believe at 8:00. Um today we had um walk the halls for some of our uh athletes for a few of the sports. It's now state competition and we had uh two wrestlers, Alli Lions and Taran West. Um they're going to go down to the MVP arena this weekend to compete, see how far they can get in the state tournament. And Tim Oliver is will be competing down at
017Ocean Breeze in Staten Island. um to see how how well we can do. All those ath athletes really represent our not only our our sports programs but our our school and our communities very very well. So I'm very proud of them and wish them all the luck going forward. >> Thank you. >> On behalf of the board, congratulations to all of our accomplishments of our student athletes and wish them the best of luck going forward. Okay, next we have the Mist administrator. >> Thank you. Uh I only have two items. Uh the district has issued an RFP for clerk of the works services for the upcoming capital project and those uh responses are due back to the district on Friday. So we're hopeful we have a variety of firms that are interested in working with
018us for the clerk services for the upcoming project. um at a later meeting most likely the end of March there will be an item on the agenda for the board to approve a contract with a a service provider. And then on the agenda tonight a little bit further down is the um request for the board to approve a cooperative bidding um contract with Boseies for cafeteria products. This is something we do every year uh to ensure that the district receives the most beneficial pricing on its cafeteria commodities. Does anybody have any questions on any of the financials that were attached to board docs? No. Okay. >> Yes. Uh, next we have the student program which I don't think is here tonight. >> Okay, we'll move on. Next we have personnel. I need a motion to
019appoint David Med or Dave Medcaf as a boys modified baseball coach for the 26th um spring season at the stipen of 2627. Mr. Medcap has all required coaching requirements. >> Questions, comments? All those in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carried. Uh, I need a motion to approve the recommendation for Matthew Ray to receive the stipen of $2,500 for automative mechanic supervisor for the provision 19.8 in the CSEA contract effective February 26th, 2026. So move >> second. >> Questions, comments? All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carried. I need a motion to appoint Wendy Johnson as a mentor for a halfyear siphon of $500 effective February 26, 2026. >> Questions, comments? All those in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carries. I need a motion to appoint Richard Isherwood as a full-time bus driver effective February 26,
02026 at the salary of $21,57.50 56 rated as per the CSA agreement. Mr. Isherwood has full fingerprint clearance. Questions, comments? All those in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carried. I need a motion to appoint Gary Shields as a full-time cleaner effective February 26, 26 at the salary of $35,286.87 for the CSEA contract. Mr. Shields has full fingerprint clearance. >> So move. >> Questions, comments? All those in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carried. Okay. Down to action items. I have a motion to approve the participation in the Wishy Boseis cooperative purchasing program for cafeteria products during the 26 27th school year. >> So, questions, comments? All those in favor? I >> opposed. Motion carried. I need a motion to approve the contract by and between Stillwater Central School District and Saratoga Springs City Schools for the health and
021welfare services of for 18 children residing in the town of Stillwater and attending nonpublic schools in Saratoga Springs City School District in the amount of 13,493.70. These services are for September 4th to 2025 and and to end on June 26th 26. >> Second. >> Questions, comments? All those in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carried. I need a motion to authorize Renee Price, district board clerk, to enter into the voting machine agreement with Saratoga County Board of Elections on behalf of the Stillwater Central School District for the use of the machines at the annual budget vote held on May 19th, 2026. >> Questions, comments? All those in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carried. Uh, I need a motion for a first read to adopt with recommended changes in policy 6214, incidental teaching policy 6550, leaves of absences. Policy
0227220, graduation options, early graduation accelerated programs. Policy 7440, student voter registration and pre-registration. >> So move. >> Second. questions, comments. >> Can we have a second read on these and go to our next meeting? >> Um, at this point we have a motion on the floor. These were recommended by the policy committee and they were sent out to everybody. So, >> usually we do a second reading. >> Well, we do it only. The only reason we do not is when there is just minor changes or their changes were according to law. Sarah, so I actually have a question about the graduation requirement policy. >> Um, >> it appears based on my reading of it that the only change is really we're just linking it to what's on the New York State Education website. Is that
023correct? Yes. Rather than having it through their verbatim. Okay. >> Right. >> And I could be wrong. just double check the link on that. Um because when I copied and pasted it into my browser to confirm it, it didn't come up as the specific link, too. >> Okay. And I can just check that >> for us, please. >> I didn't type it. I copied and pasted it. >> I still could have messed it up, but >> All right. Any other questions? Okay. All those in favor? >> Oh, we just need a second. >> Second. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. >> Okay. Okay. I need a motion to a first. These are policies that we will have a second read on. So, a motion to a first read on the
024following policies. Policy 722 3 advanced coursework. policy 72224 or 7224 virtual instruction. So moved in a second. All right, I've got a second. Terra um all those in favor. >> Hey guys. Um, okay. Now, uh, the motion for a second read to adoption of policy 1640, absentee, military, and early mailing ballots. Need a motion? >> Okay. Questions, comments? I'd like to offer a motion to amend the suggested changes from he or she to there and delete those. Other than that, I'm fine with the rest of the language. >> So, I would just like to respond to that. I will clarify the proposed revision to the policy. >> Specifically, the only change under consideration is the replacement of repetitive gendered pronouns such as his or her with neutral language. This revision does not alter voter eligibility,
025ballot procedures, deadlines, challenge rights, or election integrity in any way. The policy functions exactly the same before and after the edit. The revision is grounded in readability and draft quality. Our policies are public-f facing governance documents. They should be clear, consistent, and easy to read. Repeated phrases such as his or her can create unnecessary length and awkward phrasing. Updating to neutral language simplifies the text, improves flow, and aligns the policy with modern drafting standards. His or her repeated multiple times is clunky. It creates unnecessary life. It can cause grammatical awkwardness. Modern drafting prefers neutral phrasing for flow. Courts recognize the singular they. Many New York state agencies have adopted neutral drafting. You're not changing any meaning. You're simply reducing redundancy. Further, it avoids future revisions. If you leave his or her, you will likely update
026it eventually anyway. Many policy services, NISSBA and others are moving to a neutral drafting. Updating now avoids peacemailing, future revisions, repetitive debate, and administrative inefficiency. It reduces legal ambigu ambiguous. It reduces legal legal ambiguity. Ironically, updating pronouns can reduce risk. His or her can create confusion when referring back to nouns. They there avoids repetition and cross reference ambiguity. It ensures the policy applies cleanly to any qualified voter without interpretive debate. Courts do not interpret they as altering as altering any meaning. This is a stylistic modernization, not a substant substantive change. Maintaining clear and professionally written policies is part of our responsibility as stewards of district governance. >> Does that mean you don't second the motion? >> That is correct. >> Vote that. >> What? >> Me? No, I just I So my only question here
027is I I don't disagree with they being appropriate, >> right? >> But is this the only policy that it's being applied to? >> Great question. That's something there's been other policies that are when we come come into the audit other policies they will be changing these things >> and they're and my understanding is New York State is shifting that way anyway. So, and that was one of the points that I raised was my fear is that eventually we're going to have to do it anyway, >> but it's not mandatory at this point. >> It's not mandatory. It's recommended. >> But if you do read the policy when you when you substitute it reads cleaner. It does in my opinion >> and and it it does not and changing those words are not is not changing
028the meaning or how you know the policy is interpreted. >> It opens a door to >> and and for the for the most part I mean we as a board are the only ones that really see these policies. You know every once in a while you may get you know somebody really is really interested in having fallen asleep at night reading these things. So um this is basically absentee military and early mail ballots and and nothing has changed in there except for those those workings. So so we have a first and a second and we had any more discussion. >> Going back to Daryl's comments at one of our last meetings about I I agree with Daryl wholeheartedly. This this is opening the door to things that we should not be opening the door to.
029Um, every major corporation in America is getting away from uh this nonsense. We blaunt about it and um I don't want our school to be involved in this. And I think a lot of parents better start paying attention because once we start opening these doors, they're going to it's starts with this policy. We have a phone book of policies and it's just going to be a bunch of nonsense that we don't need to change. This has been good for all these years and now all of a sudden the one that applies to military and veterans is the first one out of the gate. I >> No, it's actually not Rob. There was there's been past policies that we've changed. >> I question that. >> Point of order. So I I made a secondary motion. I
030think Rob is seconding me, but I'll let him confirm that. >> I'll shut it down. >> Um so then we would vote on my secondary motion and then that would pass the bell. Then we would vote on the >> right >> the original motion. your your verbiage how you worded the motion. >> My motion was to negate the substitution of he or she for they there and and the other changes were fine. >> And Rob, you confirm you second that. >> I confirm second. Yes. >> Okay. Uh any questions or comments on that motion? All those in favor? >> I opposed. I >> I Anybody else opposing? I had a motion to carry. Oh, I have three. So, sorry. Motion has failed. Okay. So, now we're going to go back to the policy itself. Um,
031and I have a first and a second and any more discussion? Okay. All those in favor of approving this policy? >> I would appro I would. If you're gonna say yes or no, I would, you know, I would definitely say which one you're gonna do because that way it would be clear and and Rene can because if you don't say anything then that's considered yes, >> right? That's what Well, unless you're saying >> unless you're saying you can say >> I think I'm ning. I'm very confused. >> Well, I don't have to report. >> So, this is this is this is >> the original as suggested >> as suggested by the Yag or Okay. All those in favor >> I'm a n. >> Well, that's the THING IS YOU HAVE to wait for the day
032cuz if I don't say anything then is that okay? >> I thought if I don't see anything on the gay all those in favor. Okay. All those opposed. Can I finish your >> oppos? Okay. So the mot the the policy does not um is not approved. So um >> goes back to the table. >> It goes back to the table and you know >> um >> I don't know if we want to send it back to the committee. I mean, we've discussed it at the committee level, >> you know, and so >> down. >> So, yeah. So, we'll just keep this on the agenda for the next meeting and see what happens then. >> Okay. >> Because it would stay in the audit queue, right? Huh? >> It would go in the audit queue for
033the next >> we make it through the consulting on it till it passes. >> No, that's not what I said. >> I think when you have >> When you have a full board, then we will we'll have a vote. If it doesn't pass, you know, we have to we have to either pass it with the the language that that's there now or pass it because we have to pass it. We have to have this policy. It's required by law. >> Okay. Well, it's not required by law. That's not true. >> That is not true. You're you're absolutely wrong, Rob. >> I'm absolutely right. >> Okay. >> The change itself is is not >> No, I'm not talking about the change. I'm the policy itself is required by law. >> I know the policy is required
034by law. It's been there all these years and now all of a sudden we have to change it because somebody wants to uh recommend we change it for their agenda. And I don't >> It's not just the he and she that's changed. >> That's what they're trying to do, >> Rob. It is not just the he and she language in the policy that's being changed. There's other things in the voting. Let's move on. Thank you. >> Don't keep voting on something that gets voted down for Steph. Well, >> I think so. Bar Daryl's motion would have covered the other changes that were not specifically the >> right >> he or she to they so had that one passed this would have gotten passed the policy would have been >> and I I when I say
035it goes back in the audit role that would be for the next board right it wouldn't come back up in this session it would be after the next board goes after we've gone through everything and next year's audit policy committee will go through it and review it again >> yeah you could do it that way >> right >> you know if you But there are other there's other changes in there besides that he or she that are required by law. Okay. So, you know, maybe the policy committee can check with Ryan to or Boseis to see if the changes that are in there um are going to be a big deal if we have a problem with you know the vote, you know, this type of voting. So that's the only thing otherwise if it
036if we have to approve it with those changes then we have to you know I it would have to keep coming up because we have to have something you know I mean we do we do have the policy in our policy book and it's been approved but not with these changes. So okay >> is everybody good with that? All right. So, um, Amy, can you maybe have check with everyone Moses and see >> if you know we can just now approve it and and move on because doesn't make a difference. >> Okay. All right. I probably should check with them. >> Oh, yeah. >> I don't know. That way, but Amy, I'll see you. >> Okay. Okay. >> All right. That would be great. Thank you, Renee, and thank you, Amy. Okay. Uh, moving on.
037Motion to approve the special education services contract agreement is attached with the South School and Saratoga County Office of Children and Family Services. >> Second. >> Questions, comments? All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carried. Okay. Next item is board items of interest. Does anybody have anything they would like to bring to the board? >> Did you want to >> Oh, oh, that's right. >> We just spent so much time on >> We can go to our >> That was the gist of our committee if anybody was wondering how that went. >> So, we went back on the 11th and you know, we had some great conversation. We talked around and around and we moved forward on a lot of things as you can see and we kind of sat and talked about
038that last policy for probably half the time we're together. Um and we'll take all that note those notes back and we're talk with Renee and we've still got a lot more to do. So we meet again next Wednesday the 4 at 5:00 pm if anybody would like to join us. Anybody have any questions? Again, thank you. All right. Now, moving on to board items of interest. Anybody have anything? >> I'd like to say one thing. So, I had asked Mike to um send me over. So, I was kind of curious as to how much we're paying Ryan um a year, and he sent over some invoices. I feel like some of these invoices are out of control, and I feel like we need to put some parameters on. You don't need administrators. Obviously, I I
039get it. You have to call them. You have to call them. But I feel like people of the board should not be able to call in without it. >> They're not they're not allowed to. I see an awful lot of >> the only the only person that is is allowed or or not allowed but should be calling the the uh lawyer is myself and in conjunction with >> I wasn't going to call out but I feel like there's too many >> too many non like calls coming from you. You said your name so I say you. I no that I don't call Ryan unless you know it's has to do with something that we are talking about as a board >> and Joe is aware usually when I talk to Ryan >> I feel like
040>> didn't happen when I was by the way >> I just feel like there's times that it seems like we're calling him incurring cost at whatever was 210 bucks an hour and it's not I didn't see anything there but I was calling him if you want but I don't want I'm just saying there's there's calls in my opinion going to him that shouldn't be going to him. >> Well, again, you know, the things that he either he's calling me or, you know, I'm calling him regarding things that affect us and the school and I do it in conjunction with Joe. So, I'm aware of it. >> Is that actually in our policy manual that only the president can call it? I saw that one. >> We really don't have it's not really a policy, but
041it's always been a a precedent that we set. >> Okay. >> Because we don't want all board members. >> Do we follow that president or do we just do it when >> No, we do that. We follow I've never called Ryan. >> Okay. >> Unless, you know, as as the board president, you know, if I have to deal with >> I mean, if you want make a misstatement like that, you're more than welcome. But >> I'm not making a misate. >> I can obviously I'll lie is what it is. You called Ryan. You had them speed dial when I was stressing for my two times. >> You are sitting there lying. >> Okay. Well, we'll have come to the next meeting and we can sit on the RGB2 here and tell everyone that you're lying
042right now. >> I'm not lying. >> Yes, you are. >> Rob, I lying this conversation. >> He says who calls him. There's Paul. >> Um I I'll just bring him up. Can we bring them up? Can we do that? Can we call Can we call a lawyer and bring up >> We are in We are ending this conversation. If you're going to lie, >> I'm not lying. >> Okay. Well, then I want to bring up I want to make a motion to bring up the past calls the last two years of how many times you call Ryan when you weren't the president. Thank you for doing that. I need a second on that. >> That should be foilable information >> and it's not and it's not in our policy. So, her saying that she should
043be home, I wish that would have happened the last couple years cuz I get phone calls saying, "I just got a call again." And I'm like, why is she calling me? >> So, you're lying. >> No, I'm not. >> Yes, you are. I I will resign from this board if I'm proven false. I will resign from this board immediately if I'm going to call. In the last two years when I was president, you never called him without >> while I was president. That is a boldfaced lie. >> So, we we've talked in the past about needing to clarify >> exactly operating procedures. >> Yes. Exactly. because of because of situations like this, we don't have we don't have clarity and it's kind of it's not you know it's not written or it's ambiguous. >> Um
044is that something that this particular subject is that something that can be brought up in policy? >> Absolutely. In fact, Jamal Williams was the one sitting here and wanted to do it and you know Rob was president and it was it was never brought forward. So >> yeah, because we didn't want to do it >> cuz I worked I actually through the policy committee I worked on the document and I actually have the document if you know the board would like a copy of it I will send it to everybody and and we can you know because I started working on it and Jamal and I also worked on it together and um you know but nobody wanted to do anything with it so it sort of sat there. So if you want to bring
045it back up we're welcome to do it. is always historically since I have been on this board is always been the the the only person that not allowed but that we should call the our lawyer and usually it's you know make sure that it's official school builds is is the board president because of the cost that we incur. >> Makes sense. >> And then it's funneled through one person. and there's one point of contact and that's how it >> so if there's issues that are affecting us or the school district then you know either Joe or myself would call Ryan and talk to him now yes I think Joe we've been talking to Ryan quite a bit because we've been going through SDA you know negotiations and other things so this at this point yes
046we are talking to him a lot but that's the way it has to be and I I can guarantee you that I think that the um cost for the lawyer if you go through the years is pretty much the same. It's not >> I mean I haven't looked at it. I asked for that last year. I haven't looked at it yet. >> No. >> And when we have a new superintendent, a new business manager, we want them to be able to talk to the lawyer anytime that they need to, especially because you know it could be a legal issue that might you know affect us with liability. So >> So if we don't have do we have a policy? I'm looking. It's not really a policy. >> So then we should have a policy. >>
047Yeah. >> It should be in like Daryl brought up, there should be a a board >> board operating standard operating procedure for >> I I have that um and I worked on it and revised it and and put things in it and I will send it to everybody. I mean we can start looking at it again and >> on. Yeah. >> Great. So, but there's a lot of work involved because you've got to, you know, have policies for each one of your um the areas that you have operating procedures for. So, that was the last thing that I was doing. It was trying to make sure that we had the policies in our policy book for the standard operating procedures. So, but yes, I put a lot of time and work onto that. So, I
048will send it to everybody. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Any other questions? Okay. Uh, now I'm gonna need another public input this time on non-aggenda items. Anybody like to address the board? >> Yeah. You like to stay here or up there? >> Can you come to the podium, please? Thank you. >> All right. Got three minutes, I guess, right? >> Yeah. >> Three minutes. I'll give you an indication when you're down to like one minute. >> One minute. All right. So, my name is uh Chris Van Pel 576 in Saratoga. Uh most people know me as the twins dad and twins grow play soccer and basketball for Still Water. It's been a great experience. Eight years. They're in eighth grade now. So, it's been it's been a great run. So, what I'm here tonight
049to do is to advocate to get the lacrosse merger for the girls back on track. I know we kind of went off the rails. looked like it was going to go through. Um, whatever happened happened. I've spoken to AJ Kenny briefly, spoke to Superintendent Mariano for a while, who was gracious enough to take my call. I also spoke to uh Ed Barrian, principal Mitchell, and uh, Superintendent Apostle as well. Um, and I think I I don't want to speak for anybody here. I'll speak for them a little bit. I think they probably would go forward with the merger. Um, obviously there was a January 7th board meeting here. People are aware of what was said at the meeting. Um, not sure why those things were said publicly, but they were. And now we just have
050to deal with it. And I think what got caught up in the crossfire was at the end of that we had the girls of cross marcher going through and then it didn't. So what I've been involved with over the years is at the youth level with mechanical and still water sports whether it's basketball and and uh the allies program the rec program uh we have the mechanical still water soccer program they serve still water and mechanical kids at the youth level culture is great there it's we view it as one big community it's not separate we don't view one kid better than the other kid all the kids started singing. Uh my twins who are going to play lacrosse this year, the biggest thing to do there for them was they were going to be
051playing with their friends from the Canfield and the scene was on the Mechanville side. So we think the culture is good at that level. At your guys level, I'm not sure where it lies between both schools. And I think what I'm looking for is just somebody at your level. Families can only do so much, but it's somebody at your guys level to take it to the next step. Somebody's going to have to do something whether it's symbolically uh to get to get things going in the right direction. And as far as I look at the boys lacrosse program right now and whether we term it as a success or not success, it's a success because it's there. It's being offered to them and it's five years into it. They they only get to three three
052levels. They have two definitely this year. Probably will get to a third level, but that's been five years in the running. It's a boys program. It's got the support. I'm looking for the same support for the girls program. There's about 17 18 kids interested on both sides. It'll probably go down once the kids start playing. Um, but to get that sustainability over a long period of time, we've seen what the trajectory of the boys program is. It's not going to ever stand alone. It's just not going to happen. Whether it's mechanical or still water, it's got to be a bigger community. Other sports are running into it. My kids play soccer. There probably should have only been either a JB or a modified team last year and definitely this year. Um, if lacrosse starts, it's
053going to put pressure on softball. Flag football's coming down the road in the spring. That'll be here in 5 years. Football, which I wish you guys would keep totally separate from every conversation because I think there's a lot of passion for it. I support the program, but I feel like that lacrosse word got caught in the crossfire of the comments that were made coming out of the football conversation. Way too much passion involved there. Way too much emotion. and not just thinking about the bigger picture of it's just not football. There's a lot of other stuff going on here. So, what I'm asking, I don't care which one of you it is. I don't really know anybody here really well. I know Miss Price because my kids have played with her kids and great kids
054have been wonderful. My twins was raised me. Same thing. Sie is like, you know, my my twins idolizer. Um, I'm just looking for somebody to step up and just do what's necessary to get it back where it was on January 6th. January 7th happened. Can't take it back. Everybody knows what was said here. We got to figure it out. It's the merger is probably not going to happen this year. I've come to realize that. I would have had a bunch of families here with me. I spoke to them. We're all on the Canfield side. I know Stillwater families. We're all still ready to go. March 9th is the deadline when the season starts. If it's not, I just don't see it getting resolved by then. But I'd like to see people start taking the steps.
055Maybe a year out, people are feeling differently. But next year, I expect this go through. That's my expectation. So, whichever one of you guys wants to get on board with us, we figure it's been like the engine of this thing. I'm just here to help her out. But we'll take anybody's support at this point um to make this happen. If I got to go give a public apology to to me, I'll go too. It's irrelevant. Um, the families are wonderful over there. The kids are wonderful. We've got great kids over here. You guys are You guys seem like you're, you know, you're willing to talk about all kinds of different issues. This is the issue that we care about right now. So, whoever wants to step up, let me know. And if you have any
056questions, let me know as well. Okay. >> Thank you. How you doing? >> Thank you. Anybody else? No. Okay. Um All right. Um I just need a motion to go into executive session to discuss SDA contract negotiations and personnel. >> So move. Second. >> All those in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you everyone.