001Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, Welcome tonight to everybody. Everybody present. I want to thank Mr. Navager and all of his great staff and teachers here at Starbuck for hosting us tonight. Welcome everybody else that is here. All of our young students that have come to present some of their information about their day here at Starbuck and to everybody at home. Um, Michelle, do we have any agenda changes for this evening? I I do. Um, I had a couple changes since I posted the agenda on Friday. Um, I had the removal of A, the approval of the external audit and corrective action plan and we added L, the approval of two new
002bands and advisor. Thank you very much. >> You're welcome. Um, we've come to our public comment section, or at least for the agenda section. Just want to remind everybody the public comment portion of the Board of Education meeting is designed to give members of the public the opportunity to address the board related to school district operations. The board will not permit a public session discussion involving individual district personnel or students. Persons wishing to discuss matters involving individual district personnel or students should present their comments and or concerns to the superintendent of schools during regular business hours. All speakers are to conduct themselves in a civil manner. Obscene language, libelous statements, and threats of violence will not be tolerated. It is not the practice of the board to respond during the meeting to questions posed or
003comments made by speakers. Therefore, while the board will certainly take any questions or comments you might have under advisement, we will not be responding to any questions. And we had one community member who did reply that they wanted to speak to the agenda related items. And that was Mrs. Millie Smith. Is that microphone on? That's the microphone, yes. Thank you. Yes, for asking. I told you I was going to forget. No, it's fine. [Music] Okay, um, so I wanted to comment that on the agenda are guide you guys are going to go on the reserve funds and approving the reserve funds. So, in looking at all of that, there's 14 reserve funds that are now being created. Some of them were passed while I was on the board and some of them are new. So,
004with respect to that, um, So, there are goals that were set, amount of money of both the total goal amount and some of them are actual and some of those actual amounts on those um, accounts exceed the goal. And some of those accounts exceed the goal by over $500,000. So, I would like to know, I'm hoping that during your discussion when that agenda item comes up, that the board will discuss and that my questions will be answered at that point. I would like to know, um, where that excess I think I know the answer, but I still want it to be public, where that excess money and why do we have over $500,000 in some of those accounts and what is going to be happening with that money since it doesn't seem to goal that
005was put on the um, what you guys decided to do. So, that's one question. And the second question that I'd like to answer during your discussion while you vote is I'd like to know the total of excess amount of money that we had from last year's budget. The fiscal season ended in July and I'd like to know all the excess money from last year, where that money went, where is it, and what how it was distributed. Again, I think I know the answer to that, but I'd like it to become public knowledge as well. That's all I wanted to say now. Thank you, Nona. Is there anybody else that would like to speak this evening to agenda related items? Okay. Michelle, do we have any communications? Um, I do have a communication. I put a
006a copy to each of the board members. The Jeff Lewis School Boards Association is hosting a presenter, um, Rick Timms on November 12th at 6:00 p.m. at Jeff Lewis BOCES. If you have any interest in attending, just let me know. Um, that this is something that actually Caleb will be able to would be able to attend. Um, but I did find out today that that is the same evening as the fall sports banquet. So, I know some some of you may be committed to that as well. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Uh, board and staff reports are welcome and students' voice from Mr. Thomas Navager. [Music] Just wait. There we go. Okay. Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much for stopping by here at Starbuck. I appreciate you guys putting your time
007and effort to stop in to us, see our school, and uh, hear from some of our students, our staff members, and actually some parents this evening as well. When we when I go through this presentation, I like to look at the uh, strategic plan for the district and to touch on each of the points in the strategic plan and how Starbuck is helping the goal of the district in meeting that plan. So, in the first first goal, first point right off of the strategic plan is increasing the graduation rate. Starbuck did very well last year in helping the district meet that goal. We did especially well Okay? With some of our kindergarten students. Now, this may be a little hard to read from where you are, but these are individual skills that the kindergarteners master
008throughout the year or try to master throughout the year. The black bar is the fall. The light blue is the like January time, mid-year, and the darker blue is the end of the year. And you can see the amount of growth that our students made in every one of these skills for kindergarteners. It's an amazing amount of growth that these guys did. These are their benchmark scores. These are the percentage of students that are at or above benchmark here at Starbuck. And they did really, really well. We're really proud of our kindergarten students from last year, this year's first graders. And now the stage of Victor Miss Del Maestro get to enjoy those guys. Overall, Starbuck did extremely well. These are every grade from last year, same measurements, same, excuse me, bars here. Black is
009the fall, light blue is January, and the darker blue is end of year, they're meeting their benchmark. Again, percentage of students at or above benchmark. 71, 77, 50, 55, 63. Did really, really well. Starbuck is really doing their job in giving these students the skills they're going to need to be successful at the next level, at Case, and at the high school. We're teaching these students how to be students. We're giving these students the skills they're going to need to be successful at school and within the community when they finally graduate our school or our school district. I also have to mention that our third and fourth graders last year did very, very well on their state testing. Unfortunately, I can't show you the scores or anything like that. New York State has those scores
010embargoed for now. Um, so that means we can't make them public, but they did very well and hopefully we'll be able to show you those to you soon. Second goal. Increasing meaningful student engagement. Helping our students feel welcome. Helping our students enjoy being at school, wanting to tackle school. We've added a 12131 room under Miss Steel, who's one of our teachers, one of our new teachers, um, to help those students that have specific challenges in meeting these goals at school get there. And they do a phenomenal job. Miss Hong Cronk, Miss Steel, they just do a great job with those students that that don't have it as easy as some of our other students. And they still have them in there, they're still teaching them, they're still learning every day in those classrooms. We really
011needed another one. We got it thanks to the board. We are taking the MTSS framework and we've put that into practice here at school. A little bit harder because our numbers were a little bit we're still trying to write the ship as far as literacy, reading, um, some some of those skills that we have been lacking for several years. We're still trying to get there, but we're using this framework to help us get there, to help students move from lower tiers to higher tiers um, in in support and to make you sure that they're getting the skills that they need. Dr. Gerhards has been working tirelessly at this and working with us to help these students get the supports the supports they need. Improving overall student attendance. Again, if you can't if they're not here,
012you can't teach them. So, we've been working on getting our students here. Again, with Dr. Gerhards, developing an attendance framework. Getting to the students, getting to know the students that are missing school, getting to know why they're missing school, getting to know their families, their parents, and figuring out what the problem is and how can we help you overcome those problems so your your student can get here. Because you like I said, that that's the first thing. They have to come into the doors for us to be able to do anything. And we've been working really really well, really hard at doing that. Enhancing behavioral supports. We have, again thanks to the board, a new building TA, uh Rebecca Joyce Smith. She has been invaluable this year so far. Uh for the first 6 weeks,
0135 weeks, she was working with a student in kindergarten who eventually got but needed a one-on-one aid to be successful. We didn't have a one-on-one aid for her or for him at that point, but she worked with him. She was with him as basically the aid. Now she's in every classroom. She substituted today for a second grade teacher. This was just somebody that we needed to help our students be successful, to get to where they want to go. Again, the MTSS framework, moving kids in and out of tiers, uh making things much more fluid. The tiers are different in that they have they require different levels of support. Tier one is the general classroom, tier two is they need a bit of support, tier three they need a good bit of support. And it used
014to be that you would get into a tier and you'd stay there for a really long time. With these frameworks, it's allows us to be much more fluid. Sometimes a kid only needs to be in a tier for 5 weeks. They they get the skill that they were lacking, we pull them back out, put a new kid into that spot, and help them get the skills that they're lacking. So this kind of a framework here helps us move kids in and out, helps us to target the kids that really need it, and is much more effective and more efficient. I also want to uh give a shoutout to Julie Elliott, our uh occupational therapist. 2 years ago when I first came here, we had a Snoezelen room. And if you're not familiar with what a
015Snoezelen room is, it's a small room that has a lot of sensory equipment, gadgets, I'm not sure exactly what you call them, but they're they're sensory room that a student can go in and help themselves regulate. Sometimes it helps get a kid that is way up here back down to level, and it helps some other kids that are way down here not wanting to be interested in anything, move themselves up and get it get engaged. She took we lost that because of space issues. She took the opportunity this year to create a nook basically in her uh occupational therapy room. So we now have that same kind of a space for students to help themselves regulate. And we have I know of at least one young man that uses it regularly, and it's just the
016best thing in the world for him. He goes in and also another one, a young lady. Uh they both went there, they calm themselves down, they get regulated, get right back into the classroom. It's the best thing. There we go. And the last point of the strategic plan, enhancing the infrastructure. We've got it coming. The uh capital project, we are in phase one. We're going to be getting the new secure vestibule right here. We're getting our kitchen and cafeteria redone to help with the food service, and we're getting the main office redone so that we can use that vestibule to make sure that our students are safe, make sure the people coming in and out of the building are safe, and making sure that our school runs a lot more smoothly. We do all of
017that in in uh deference to the strategic plan. Those are great, those are words. You guys want to hear from the kids. So we do have some students here to talk a little bit about the work that they've done here at Starbuck. We have three. We were going to have four, one young lady's ill today. So we've got three students. So if you guys would want to come up, we have uh where's Layla? Layla Mars right over here. We have Davian Jones right over here, and Wyatt D Leonardo right over here. So I'm going to move the microphone a little farther up. [Music] Put that down about like that. And what what they're going to do is they're going to read some of the work that they've done in their fourth grade class. All three
018of these folks are fourth graders, and they're going to do some of the work that they've done. They're going to read for you guys the work they've done in class. Here they go. So Layla, you're going to be first. Guess what my name is. I bet you can't guess my name. The first clue is I play sports. For example, I play softball and used to play basketball. I also enjoy playing with my siblings. For my second clue, I play monster trucks with my stepbrother and dolls with my and dolls with my sister. The last clue is I enjoy seeing friends, family, and teachers. An example for this is I play with friends and family, and my teachers teach me. Guess Good luck guessing my name. I guess I should explain a little bit more. They
019take these essays that they've written and they post them in the hallway with their names blanked out so that the students don't know who wrote them. And then the students go through and try to guess who wrote this the uh passage. I spoke You want to introduce them? Sure. This is Davian, Davian Jones, fourth grader at Starbuck. All about me. This is how I would describe myself. I am a fourth grader at Starbuck Elementary School. My hair color is black and my eye color is brown. My favorite colors are blue, gold, and silver. My favorite subjects at school are science and P.E. My favorite places I like to go are Topgolf, Hibachi, and McDonald's. My favorite animals are dogs, cats, and ravens if they don't go away. My favorite holidays are Christmas, Halloween, and Easter.
020My birthday is when Christmas is over, which is December 30th, 2015. I have a awesome family. My uncle Clint and Dre play PS4 games like every day. My mom and I like going to different places for fun. My blood cousin and I play a game which is called girls boys versus girls. My auntie Pam and I like playing, you know, my cousin Samir and I like doing water bucket battles, which is girls versus boys. My uncle Trey and I roast battle and we always play fight. My aunt Amanda always go somewhere to eat after having fun. And we play games. My cousins Andre and I and Jay like playing like to play muscle. These are things I am interested in. I like to go around the whole complex with my friends. I love hanging around
021my cousin's house. I love playing football, baseball, and basketball, and golf. I also like basketball camp at Casey Junior, and I will return. I love hanging out and playing. I enjoy going bowling with my family at Seaway Lanes. My fun fact is we like to have fun and play games. [Applause] And now we have Wyatt D Leonardo. Wyatt's also a fourth grader [Laughter] All about me. This is how I would describe myself. I am a fourth grader at Starbuck Elementary. My hair color is black, my eye color is brown. My favorite colors are red, blue, black, and gold. I am cool, I am funny like Adam Sandler. I am a franchise designer. My family. My parents are my mom and dad. They are the best parents ever. My aunt Tori is the smartest person I
022know. My uncle is named Tanner. My grandparents are my papa and my nana. My great grandparents are my Dima and my Bobby. My brother is named Oliver. My cousins are Shadow and Layla. I have a Grandma Stevens. My furry cousin is named Finnegan. I have a dog named Knox. My hobbies and interests. I love to play with my brother. I love to play golf. I love to listen to Eminem on my grandma's phone. I love to watch Happy Gilmore 1 and 2. I love to I love to watch Arnold Schwarzenegger videos. I love to go camping with my family. I love to organize stuff. I love to draw. I love to read. Fun facts. I'm afraid of frogs. I'm afraid of butterflies. I'M A COMEDIAN. WYATT WYATT, DAVIAN, and Layla, will you please come forward?
023We have some certificates for you young folks. Thank you so much for sharing your your classwork with us today. That was amazing. Our last speaker tonight is Mr. Darren Burgess. He's a fourth grade teacher here at Starbuck. Hopefully for the next three or four years. [Laughter] This has been a tradition at the at the board meetings here at Starbuck. So, without further ado, Mr. Burgess. Uh three or four years isn't going to happen. So, thank you for allowing me to speak. Um I don't have any visuals, sorry. So, you're stuck looking at me. Um to the Watertown Board of Education, my name is Darren Burgess and I'm a fourth grade teacher at Starbuck, currently in my 34th year with the district. My true goal today is to shed some light on what it's truly like
024here at Starbuck on a daily basis. I'm here every day, so this is real news. As a very competitive person, which I am, I thrive on teamwork at its best. A great team requires its members to have dedication, passion, professionalism, perseverance, love of what you're doing, resiliency, a common goal to strive for, and belief and support of your teammates. Belief in and support of your teammates. That is what we have here at Starbuck. It's right there. Every day. I see it each and every day from our staff as a whole. Starbuck staff comes in early, stays late, and they always seem to take work home with them. I witness an incredible amount of collaboration each and every day here. It's evident that our staff not only want to be the best they can be as
025a team, more importantly, we want what's best for our students and their families. every morning, our students are greeted with love and kindness. We give the best of ourselves daily. When the school day is over, we send our students home with the same love and kindness. Starbuck is like a happy bubble for all of us. Now, I'd like to share some student, parent, and staff perspectives about Starbuck. Now, your job is to listen and see if there's a common theme here, because none of these people that sent these to me had any clue what anybody wrote. It was all anonymous and it was all voluntary. We'll start with the students. These are K4 students and they're very short. What do your students like about coming to Starbuck? I like playing and seeing my teacher. Playing
026with Play-Doh. I wrote that one. Playing at recess, eating lunch, and PE. My teacher. Dinosaur hatching. A new activity go along with our reading block. Seeing my teacher and playing with her. Puzzles in the office. Spring math. Playing football at recess. Windmill project in fourth grade. We feel safe. Art on the walls. The playground. People are nice. Seeing my friends. Pizza days. Playing outside. Promethean board. Art. Math. YouFly. Pivot. Gym. No, teachers did not write these. Uh the teachers are fun. Learning. Mr. White and music. Reading. We feel safe. Library. Prizes. Lunch. Starbuck has kindness. Having fun at school. And my favorite one, the last one, I don't know what kid wrote this, but it's perfect. Everything with an exclamation mark. So, that's there's a lot there, but that comes from their minds. It's good
027stuff. Good stuff. So, here's what our staff thinks about here. And again, these are totally anonymous. So, staff one. One of the greatest strengths of a small school is a sense of connection. I found the staff at Starbuck to be incredibly dedicated, supportive, and kind. That spirit of teamwork creates a welcoming environment for both staff and students. I'm grateful to be a part of a team like that, which I can honestly say I've not experienced everywhere I've worked. Number two. As a newly hired staff member, I can confidently say that working at Starbuck Elementary feels like a home. It's difficult leaving for work while my children are cared for by someone else. Coming here every morning feels like a hug that this young mom needs to feel safe and welcomed. This is a testament to
028the culture our staff has created. The students and students and staff are truly blessed to be here. Number three. Working at Starbuck has been an amazing experience so far because the staff works as a cohesive, family-like unit. Everyone's approachable and helpful. And especially being a new teacher in a brand new position, this makes it more comfortable to really make progress as an employee because you know you have support and not judgement. The kids as well can feel they are in a caring environment where teachers view them both positively and seriously. Kindness, yet demand for respect and standards go hand in hand at Starbuck. It's a great place to be. That's awesome. Number four. Uh working at Starbuck feels like being part of a family. It's a small, close-knit school where everyone supports each other. The
029staff make it an enjoyable and positive place for both students and colleagues, and the teamwork truly makes a difference every day. Are you noticing a theme here? I hope. Most people are very welcoming and helpful. They want you to succeed and provide support for you and your kiddos. Our students carry a lot of needs. Our teachers wear many hats throughout the day, but not once have I heard a complaint. Every day, I see our staff come in with a positive attitude, providing endless support for their kiddos, striving to help them meet their goals, build character, and help them foster a love of learning. Staff number six. Starbuck is like a family. Every day doesn't feel like work, it feels like home. Our teachers and staff are there for each other in more ways than one.
030The support at Starbuck is unmatched. Staff member number seven. It's a family-friendly atmosphere that the kids all seem to like and learn a lot. Everyone seems to get along very well. Number eight. Sometimes making your way into the teaching world takes everything you've got. Working at Starbuck is like taking a break from all of your worries. Sometimes it's just nice to go to work where everyone knows your name and your coworkers are always glad you came. Our troubles may not always be the same, but at least we all give it everything we've got and everybody knows your your name. I like that one. I didn't write that. Wish I could. Okay, number nine. We love working at Starbuck Elementary because it feels like an extended family. Everyone works well together, supporting one another, and creating
031a positive, collaborative environment. Our smaller school size allows us to form deep, meaningful connections with students and their families, making our work feel even more rewarding. Staff is always ready to jump in and help whenever someone needs it, showing genuine care and teamwork every single day. It's this climate and connection that makes Starbuck such a special place to work. Two more. [Music] I've tried to think of one or two words to describe Starbuck. However, there are far too many. A few came to mind instantly, though. Encouragement. Supporters. Builders. Nurturers. Love. Advocate. Lifelong learners. Creative. And the list goes on, but there's one word that stands alone and frames our functions our function, yet at time our functional, yet at times dysfunctional group. And this person circled family. We care for every person that's building, whether
032he or she be a little tyke or a big adult. Our family continues to grow strong. I really like that one. And here's our last staff member comment. I work in more than one building. Starbuck is unlike any other work environment I have experienced. The staff supports each other all year long. If you need a hand, you can count on anyone at any given time to help. Teaching is a rewarding job. Students come in with high-fives and smiles, while others come in needing a hug or pep talk. Working at Starbuck school is truly more like being on a team. So, that's what staff members think of working here. So, here's my last comment, and it's my favorite. This is from a a Starbuck parent. To the Board of Education, I'm a former parent and recent
033grandparent of a Starbuck Elementary School student. Starbuck Elementary has always operated with character and integrity, respect, and dignity. They are attentive to the needs of the students as well as the parents. Recently, my grandson was diagnosed with auditory processing disorder, ADP. ADP was making it difficult for him to stay focused on what the teacher communicated during class. It also created a challenge for him to comprehend material that he was reading. The teachers, as well as the head departments, came together with my family and I and took the time to listen to all of our concerns. We decided on a plan together, which included relocating my grandson's desk, placing a special audio device around the teacher's neck that made it more effective for my grandson to hear and process what was being relayed to him, provided
034him with extra computer activities that strengthened his comprehension skills, and stayed in constant contact, sharing his progress and inquiring about his needs via calls and text. From the very beginning, all parties involved always made us feel safe and secure that our child was being well cared for and considered. We never felt like a burden, and they showed us that children learning and growing in a healthy manner was a great priority to them. As a result of their kindness and care, my grandson is thriving and happy. My only concern is the recent talk of budget cuts that can affect the children at Starbuck Elementary. It behooves us to support the school by making sure that they have all the supplies and support that they need in order for the children to continue to be successful. Thank
035you so much to Starbuck Elementary. I am forever grateful. Anonymous grandma. So, that's all I have. I hope you picked up on a theme there. So, thank you for letting me speak. Appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Burgess. Thank you, Board. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for being here. Have a great evening. So, I would like to add a comment before any staff or students leave for Starbuck as a part of our $110 million capital project. Um thank you, Mr. Navager, for mentioning that as a part of infrastructure. Um the project was not supposed to begin until the summer of 2027. However, we are ahead of schedule and Starbuck's renovations will begin this upcoming summer. So, congratulations. Uh to our students, thank you so much for sharing once again. Uh to your your parents and your
036caretakers, now is the time that you can leave. I mean, we welcome everybody to stay as long as they want. Uh but we appreciate your time tonight, if you don't want to stay for the rest of the meeting, we understand. So, thank you, Mr. Navager, we appreciate that very much. And you, Mr. Burgess, too. [Music] All right, we are on to our Policy Committee meeting report. This is Tina Fluno. Good evening. I have some um big shoes to fill here, so just bear with me. Um we reviewed the policy 1007, um the pets policy on school grounds. Um we were just changing some wording and language just to make it a little more user-friendly. Um Michelle will send an email to the board, and if you have any recommendations or changes or whatever, feel free
037to send them back to her. We reviewed policy 2306 on public participation in um board meetings to clarify language and looking to bring recommendations to the board. Michelle will also email you those, and if you have changes or whatever, just changing the wording a little bit. Um nothing big. Um and if you have any comments or suggestions, send them to Michelle. And that's all I got. Thank you, Tina. So, I just I just have a question about that for clarification. So, are you proposing some changes? You're saying that there's some changes being proposed. Do you really have to ask that question? >> I'm not asking what Okay, sure. Okay, can we Just keep going. I'll help you out. This is easy. Did you talk Are there changes you're proposing? Yes? Yeah, just wording. >> know
038what they are. Yes. And so, if nothing changes between this meeting, will there be a first reading at the next meeting? Yes. And then, the next meeting after that, we would potentially vote. Well, I think that we're going to review those, have you guys decide, and then we will look at them again. I think that's a a good practice that the board has had to have the first reading and the second reading. >> Okay, so we would talk about it at our next meeting. >> Absolutely, if it's ready to go. Thanks. All right, Superintendent of Schools report. Dr. Burgess. Okay, thank you. I'm going to have uh Mr. Burdick and his team present. [Music] All right, good evening, and uh thank you for inviting me tonight to present on our newly added special education programs
039for the 25-26 school year. We are fortunate to have a number of our staff from our three additional programs that are joining us here tonight, and we also have a current student from our program that's going to talk about his experiences in uh in our program at the high school. Before we get started, I'd like to introduce uh Mr. Brian Gayback. He's one of our assistant coordinators of special education. He's here tonight and will be presenting with me. He's our uh Committee on Preschool Special Education Chairperson along with kindergarten through third grade. Tonight, we will be highlighting the three additional special education self-contained classrooms that we've added this school year. The first program is highlighted uh right here at Starbuck Elementary School, an additional 12:1:3:1 classroom. As many of you know, last year, we were
040at capacity with 12 students, and we had additional students in need of this specialized program within our district. The 12:1:3:1 programs at Starbuck are designed for students with significant cognitive, adaptive, physical, and medical needs. The focus is on functional life skills, emphasizing independence through daily living, communication, and socialization. We also focus on comprehensive development, providing an adaptive environment that supports growth in cognitive, motor, and self-care skills to prepare students for lifelong success. At this time, uh Mr. Gayback is going to review the 12:1:3:1 program focus, goals, curriculum, and impact. And uh I just want to thank Hera Elmer for her work in helping with all of the graphics and with this presentation. Good evening, everybody. So, the program focus is a specialized instructional setting designed for students with significant cognitive, physical, and developmental needs, emphasizing
041individual learning and support. The program goal is to foster academic growth, functional independence, and positive behavior in a structured, therapeutic, and nurturing environment. The curriculum provides individualized and modified instruction emphasizing life skills, communication, self-regulation, and adaptive daily living skills. The impact is that we've expanded in-district capacity supporting diverse learners in a safe environment and reducing the need for out-of-district placements. At this time, I would like to introduce Mrs. Krista Hollencronk and Ali Steel, our two 12 on 3 on teachers here at Starbuck. And uh Mrs. Hollencronk is going to go through our mission statement for the program and highlight some other key things within the program. [Music] Good evening. My name is Krista Hollencronk and I've been a proud to work in this district for the last 18 years, with the last 10 being the
04212 on 3 on teacher here at Starbuck. I'd like to take a moment and share what that truly means. The 12 on 3 on classroom serves 12 students, one teacher, and for every three students, there's one aide. Our mission is simple but powerful. Oops, went too far. See, you shouldn't give me this stuff. I'm sorry. Okay. Our mission is simple but powerful. Our 12 on 3 on program is built on the foundation of dignity, inclusion, and functional independence. We believe that all students, regardless of their ability, deserve a safe, structured, supporting supportive learning environment where they can develop life, academic, communication, social, voc- and vocational skills at their own pace. This type of classroom is designed for students with severe and multiple disabilities who require highly individualized instruction, intense adult support, consistent structure, and supervision,
043and significant and significant modifications to their curriculum. Over the years, I've watched this program grow in ways I've never imagined. In my first years as a teacher, I maybe had one or two kindergarten students. This year, we enrolled seven. For a classroom capped at 12 students, that's a lot of little learners to make space for. Last year, our numbers pushed far beyond what one teacher could realistically manage. I'll be honest, I reached a breaking point. I love my job. I love my students. I love this district. But the weight and the responsibility without enough support made me question whether I could continue to do the job that I've dedicated nearly two decades to. That's why the addition of the 12 on 3 on classroom last year in in the budget meant so much. It wasn't
044just a number on a paper, it was hope. It was allowing me to continue doing what I love. It gave our students the individualized support they desperately need. Children I once would have had to send to Wiley as second graders can now stay here at Starbuck. In a community they know, surrounded by familiar faces and routines, an opportunity to thrive. I will never forget sitting with parents last year and having to tell them I didn't know where their kid was going to go next year. Not because of ability, but because of space. This year, we get to I get to see those same children learning and growing alongside peers in the classroom that meets their needs. So tonight, I just want to say thank you on behalf of these children, their families, the teachers who
045care for them every day. Thank you for supporting our youngest, most vulnerable learners. These are kids who can't speak up for themselves, but your decision spoke volumes for them and for us. Thank you for believing in them and for giving teachers like me a reason to stay. Now, I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce the people that work so hard alongside us. First, we have our two amazing teacher assistants that was added in the budget also, Desiree Paul and Lillian Stevens. Our credible teaching aides, Mariah Shore, Troy, Amanda Wilson, Taylor Spicer, Miranda Quintana, Abigail Nasworthy, Taylor Arca, Sheena Donahue, Daniella Martello, Sherry Schuster, Allison Morga, and Amaya Goodman. Without these dedicated individuals showing up every single day and working one-on-one with these students, these classrooms classrooms simply wouldn't be what they are. I truly
046appreciate their hard work, their patience, and their commitment to student success. I always say without my aides or assistants, I am nothing. They are the heart of our program and I am so thankful to and proud to work alongside them. I also have to read two Here's some pictures of our kids. Um I have two parent letters to read to you also. This is from Jalicia Pitts. Good evening, members of the board. My son has been in the 12 on 3 on program for the last three years. I couldn't be happier with the support he receives. This program has helped him learn so many skills. He continues to grow academically and socially as a second grader this year. Additionally, I was con- concerned about him transitioning to a different school with older students. However, the
047new classroom at Starbuck has been wonderful. He's able to remain with his classmates in a familiar environment until he eventually moves to Wiley. It's meaningful for our family that my children can now attend the same school. I am grateful to the board for deciding to add the extra classroom at Starbuck. This addition This decision has made a positive difference for my family and so many others. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and dedication. And lastly, the Santiago family. I have one more picture slides. Establishing an additional special needs classroom for my child was a great relief and a positive step forward as it ensures he continues to receive the specialized support and understanding he needs to thrive. I'm happy they made this decision because it means he won't have
048to transfer to Wiley, which could have been disruptive to his progress and his comfort. Staying in a prof- Sorry. Staying in a familiar, supportive environment helps him feel secure, valued, and confident in his learning journey. This decision demonstrates the commitment to his well-being and development. I truly believe it will make a meaningful difference in his growth and happiness. This additional classroom helps ensure that each child's unique needs are met in a caring and inclusive environment promoting their academic, social, and emotional growth. Overall, the new classroom enhances the students' ability the school's ability to serve these students effectively, creating a more supportive and adeq- equitable learning experience for all. I think that was it. [Music] Just to uh tie into our district strategic plan, our 12 on 3 on program that we've added and the one
049that we had existing, um increasing the graduation rate through individualized instruction and life skill development. Our teachers in our 12 on 3 on programs help students achieve key goals and pathways towards a high school uh credential. Increasing meaningful student engagement. Our students they are provided with hands-on, meaningful, real-world activities within the classroom uh that's tailored to each individual student. Improving overall student attendance. Our classrooms are supportive. They are predictable classroom environments that create safety and belonging. Encouraging consistent attendance on a day-in and day-out basis. Uh goal number four, enhancing behavioral support for students. Our teachers and staff provide embedded behavioral strategies and individualized supports. And goal number five, enhancing infrastructure. In our 12 on 3 on classrooms here, we do have specialized equipment in those rooms, accessible spaces, and the adaptive design that strengthens district-wide
050uh infrastructure. This point, we're going to turn our attention to Knickerbocker. We've added an 8 on 1 program uh 8 on 1 classroom over at Knickerbocker this year for grades three and four, complementing the kindergarten through second grade program that we implemented last year. Uh these classrooms over at Knickerbocker are structured to meet the state's three-year age span requirement while also offering the continuum of services for special ed. So our 8 on 1 program provides individualized therapeutic support for our students with significant social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Our goal in our programs over at Knick are to to develop a safe, structured environment that focuses on emotional regulation, coping skills, and positive relationship building. We also implement comprehensive mental health integration, collaborating with our school social worker in that program, our school psychologist, school counselor,
051we have behavioral specialists that work in the program, and families to support student well-being and success. So Brian's just going to go over the focus of the program goals, curriculum, and impact for our 8 on 1 setting at Knickerbocker. So program focus. Our 8 on 1 classrooms are highly structured, self-contained classrooms for students with intensive academic, behavioral, and emotional needs. Program goal: to build emotional regulation, coping skills, and academic readiness in a supportive environment. Program curriculum: to provide individualized instruction integrating academics, social-emotional learning, and behavior supports in collaboration with mental health professionals. Program impact: These programs provide in-district access to therapeutic supports, improve stability, reduce out-of-district placements, and promote long-term success. I just want to mention we do have 811 teacher with us tonight, Ms. Nicole McGovern, who does an absolutely amazing job with these
052kids. It is a challenging task, um but she's doing great, everybody in that room. So, these kids are greatly benefiting from what they're doing on a daily basis. With that, um I'd like to introduce Nicole, and she's just going to go over some of the benefits of our 811 program at Knickerbocker. Hi, everybody. Thank you for inviting me. Um so, I'm just going to start with the benefits, like Matt said, and then I have some comments to add at the end. So, some benefits of 811, it provides more direct one-to-one support for behavioral and academic needs. It supports learning beyond academics, including social and emotional development. It ensures consistency in routines and expectations. This also follows through with our communication at home. If we're not in communication, then how do we expect anything to move
053forward? And that works in all the classrooms, too, but especially in ours. Um it empowers students to manage their own learning environment at their own pace. It allows exposure to the general education curriculum without feeling overwhelmed. Fosters positive relationships in a smaller classroom setting, enhancing their educational impact. Facilitates individualized instruction tailored to each student's skill level, and enables more effective monitoring of student progress and success. So, I'm very fortunate that I started with this district last year when we were still the 1212 program. And I was able to transition into the 811 about March, I would say March of last school year. And I was just very stressed and overwhelmed with the huge change in the middle of IEP season in the school year, and it's it was nerve-wracking, but I'm very fortunate that now
054being in the 34 classroom, I was able to have some of my students follow me into the room, and I've seen with even in those few months, the progress is just I get to be goosebumps. I just love to see it. Um I have a student, he is now in third grade, but he was in 1212 from kindergarten. And everybody has been telling me that they see a smile on his face. And in 3 years that he's been in that school, he's been pushed, you know, like brushed under the rugs, "Oh, it's just behaviors, behaviors." And you never saw a smile on his face, and he told me he loved me last week. He's like, "I love you. I'll see you tomorrow." Um and he goes up and down the hallways, and he's happy. And
055it that's just one of like the huge positive benefits of the program is you have kids that are happy now to be there. They want to come to school, and they have a purpose now. So, that's just super important to me. Um and then I just want to touch base back on where it talks about the general education curriculum. Um a lot of these students were in gen ed, and it was really overwhelming for them, whether it was the amount of students in the classroom, whether whether it was the materials, whether things are going on at home, and they just can't focus and tune in to what they're supposed to be doing. What I love about the program is it it's at their own pace. Like, they can choose, "I want to go in there
056for 10 minutes." Okay, 10 minutes is better than no time at all. 10 minutes is something. So, we celebrate the little things, and it's all up to them. It's all Um and then they've they're doing really well. So, I'm very happy to still be a part of the program. Our 811 classrooms, they tie right into our district strategic plan. The one goal that I will highlight with this, enhancing behavioral supports for students. These are students that were in regular general education classrooms, and providing a smaller self-contained program where we can focus on the social and emotional learning and behaviors is um one way that it ties into our strategic plan. And last but not least, um we would like to highlight our new 1211 program, our life skills program at Watertown High School. With the
057provision of free and appropriate public education to students with disabilities up to age 22, school districts are now obligated to provide education to eligible students until they earn a high school diploma or until the day before their 22nd birthday. Our 1211 program provides small group academic support through individualized instruction. The program emphasizes transition and life skills, preparing our students for career and independent living. We also provide hands-on community experiences, including job training, financial literacy, and daily living skills. Brian's just going to highlight the focus of the 1211 program. So, the program focus: to support high school students needing smaller class sizes while staying connected to the larger school community. Program goal: to develop academic, social, and functional skills for post-secondary success. The curriculum: to provide individualized core academics, functional life skills, vocational experiences, and community-based
058learning. And the program impact has allowed us to increase capacity for intensive academic support while maintaining access to electives, extracurriculars, and general education opportunities. At this time, I'd like to invite Lori Babcock and Jessica Hill, our two 1211 teachers at Watertown High School, to uh give us an overview of the program. Jessica, when you're ready, I'll Um hello. Um I've actually been with the district for 25 years. Seems to be a theme, we're all been here a long time. Um I just a little background in the 1211 program began 3 years ago, and I believe that one of the things that wasn't expected is once they graduated, they'd want to come back. And so, last year our program grew a lot, where I had the post-grads and those that were in the program remained. So,
059we were beyond capacity, and um Mrs. Hall was one of the extra assistants that I got last year, which was wonderful. So, this year we were able to bring on another teacher, and Anna, who worked with me last year, is now working with Jessica this year. And one of the things that we do, I know some of you know, we operate the Cyclone Coffee Express. We actually maintain a coffee we sell coffee, tea, iced coffees and teas, snacks, and whatnot, and the class made you all apple crisp. So, take it home, warm it up, it's very good. This Jessica's class made that. Um and we take that money, and we take that money, and we do things out in the community. One of the things that we did is Brandy Smith, works for the Watertown
060City Transportation, came in and taught us how to use the city bus. And so, what we did one of the trips that we made on the city bus is we went downtown, we went to Empire State Plaza. They gave us a tour of the building, if you've never had it, I recommend it. It was very interesting on the history of Watertown in that building. And then we actually had lunch there. So, we were able to enjoy a meal and sit down and practice ordering and all of those things, and paying, and doing all of those things there based on the fact that we had made money through our coffee express. So, we were able to use that money for that. We were able to take the city bus out to the mall. We have students
061that have never done those things. They've never been to the mall. They've never been to a restaurant. We were able to do all of those things. And some of those extra things, like going to Paint and whatnot, we could use our funds that we made, and we were able to use those funds to do those things. But we do those daily living skills of folding laundry, washing, doing those sorts of things. The one thing we incorporated was on birthdays. If it's your birthday, you plan what you want for your birthday, you plan what it is that we're going to make, how we're going to make it, we're going to shop for it, we're going to make it, we're going to clean up after it. All of those household chores that you would have in preparing
062a meal. We do fire safety. We do a lot with money and banking. One of the programs that we've done that we're going to incorporate again this year is the Bonzai program through Northern Federal Credit Union. If you do the program, they will open an account for you when you're done, and you'll get $25 into your bank account. So, it's a nice way to start a little savings account. Um the other thing we have is community-based training. Our seniors go out 5 days a week, our juniors go out 3 days a week. Um and we have some that go out 2 days a week. They go out into the community, and they work with a job coach. It's through BOCES. They go to places such as Panera Bread. They go to the mall. They go
063to Price Chopper. Price Chopper is one of our biggest businesses that we go to. They do everything from the bakery to stocking shelves. We go to um uh White's Lumber. We have lots of organizations throughout the city of Watertown that takes our students on, and they go with job coaches and they learn the trade. Some of the students actually are able to get paid through um different programs that are available. We also do occupational studies for the younger students in ninth grade. Um what they do is they go into the high school cafeteria and they can work anywhere from an hour to two hours and sometimes a little longer when they're short-handed and they will go in and prep lunches and they will prep breakfast and they will do all sorts of those things to
064um help the cafeteria staff prepare whatever meals are being prepared. And I would like to introduce Wilbert. This is Wilbert Rodriguez. Oh, wait, hold on a second. Um this is one of our trips that we took the board last year we served the board coffee and teas and whatnot and Superintendent had told us if we sent him a thank you note he would send us pizza. We told him he could bring pizza but he needed to come with him. So they all came down and we all had a pizza party with everybody. But these are the types of things that we are doing in our class. We've also done like um party preps for other people, for different parties and you know, like little assembly lines. And these are Price Chopper, the cafeteria, Sam's Club
065and then a party prep that they've all done. So we actually are very busy every day. Um and that was when we went to um Empire on the Square. And now it's you but we're Good evening. My name is Wilbert Rodriguez and I'm a part of the community-based training program in the 1211 class at Watertown High School. I'm excited to tell you a little bit about my work experience at the Salmon Run Mall. Two days every week I go to the mall to work. My jobs including duties like mopping, oh maintaining plant hydration, organizing items, cleaning tables and mopping. And sometimes we clean the break room and the stairs. This experience has helped me learn important skills like time management, teamwork, communication, responsibility. I really enjoy working at the mall because it makes me feel
066more independent and confident about my future. I want to thank my teacher, admin, job coach and especially especially the Board of Education who supported our community-based training for giving me this time and chance to learn and grow. Wilbert. Got a little something for you. To thank you for coming and spending your time with us, Mr. Richardson has it. It's a good job. Good job. Just to wrap things up, I just would also like to thank the board, our community, our district leadership for recognizing the need for adding additional special ed programs within the district and without your support we wouldn't be where we are today. I also want to thank all of our special ed teachers, our school psychologists, everybody that that works in our schools day in and day out. They're busting their butts
067and I appreciate everything they're doing. So thank you. Just a couple of more reminders. Thank you Matt and everyone who presented on behalf of our special education, especially our students. Thank you very much. Um just a couple of uh reminders. This is National Principal Appreciation Month. So uh we had some students today send thank you notes to our principals and you may have seen some things online. Um a FEMA update. We got really good news with FEMA last Friday. It is uh um been a work in progress since last August and um the update was it was finally approved by the CRC. So we're excited about that. It is now with the environmental and historical preservation departments. So once we get news from them we're thinking that's going to be about two weeks. That will
068uh hopefully garner our most nearly $12 million for the district between mitigation and restorative practices. So we're excited about that. The next thing that I want to mention is last week I had the honor to attend uh Mr. Steve Todd's retirement party. Um he has been a uh driving force behind our region, uh both Lewis and Jefferson County with all of the work and commitment that he has given. Um I was oh I've always been overly impressed with Steve Todd but when you attended the retirement, I felt bad for his wife and more importantly his daughter. A lot of people spoke and but Steve Todd serves on a lot of boards in our community and has been a tremendous asset to the boards that he has served on in our entire region. Uh they are
069definitely big shoes to fill. Our new DS has been hired and will begin December or November 1st. Steve's last day is uh The next thing I'd like to mention is the capital project. This is the $13 million capital project up at uh Wiley and uh just want everyone to know that that is on track. Right now we're waiting on doors and windows to commence so that we can finish uh that secure vestibule and uh we kind of mentioned it with Starbuck earlier um but with all of the HVAC work that's needed um at our main campuses and we've got North Elementary School, the high school, we've got um Wiley and Starbuck and their end of Ohio. In order to get all of those projects completed, uh we're going to we had to decide to break
070that up in phase 1A and phase uh 1B. And so in phase 1A is going to be Ohio and Starbuck and then we will move move forward with the other schools. So we're excited about that and uh it's exciting to start a one year earlier. That helps us get the project started but it also allows us to stay future focused because the sooner we get these capital projects started, the sooner they end then another project then can can come behind them which we are hoping to focus on instructional spaces. It just resets the maximum cost allowance. We're excited about that. Um we had the opportunity last week, Lynn, myself, Leslie Atkinson and Matt Bardak to attend the National Dropout Prevention Conference with the Successful Practices Network. Um and today Tina Lane and I had the
071opportunity to work with our student advisory kids. We have 36 students as I've said in the past that serve on that advisory council this year from seventh to 12th grade and we focused on some interactive activities today on rigor, relevance and resiliency. And so we're going to continue. We did some interactive um activities with them today to get them to define those three words and we need some more work with them. Um and I just want to thank our student advisory students for the thank you notes that they wrote to principals today. And that's it. Very good. Uh Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Lindsay Atkinson. Thank you. October 5th was World Teachers' Day and I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible teachers in our district which we have some here with us. You
072show up every day with dedication, care and grace, especially as we navigate the changes in our curriculum and instruction. Uh I did it for many years and I can say that teaching is one of the hardest and most important jobs that there is and your hard work and heart do not go unnoticed. Thank you for all you do for our students and our schools. October, as Dr. Schiegel said, is National Principals' Month and we're fortunate to have some of the most caring and talented principals in our district. Every day they support our students and staff and lead with heart and make our schools a better place. So I want to thank them as well. Our after school tutoring program um either is up and running or will be up and running with all of our
073buildings next week. We have a strong emphasis on reading and math. The program provides targeted small group instruction designed to reinforce core skills and accelerate student progress. Principals and tutors are closely monitoring attendance and growth to ensure students receive the support they need to be successful. Um our food for families, which is our back back backpack program, is up and running sending food home with students each week. This program helps ensure that families have access to nutritious meals over the weekend and continues to be an important source of support for many in our community. We are grateful for our staff and community partners who make this effort possible each week. We continue to offer before and after school professional learning sessions focused on instructional best practices. Since the start of the school year, we're not
074really that far in, more than 150 educators have participated in these trainings, deepening their understanding of effective teaching strategies and strengthening instruction to support student success. Uh we also have an upcoming staff development afternoon next week where teachers will engage in a range of professional learning activities designed to enhance their instructional practice. Sessions will focus on effective strategies for teaching, teaching reading, analyzing student data and using that information to plan targeted instruction to meet the needs of all students. Thank you. Any questions for them? Okay. Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and student services, Tina Lane. Weight Riders of Hope program, a six-week in-school grief support program offered by Hospice of Jefferson County, began with a group of our Watertown High School students on October 15th, 2025. This program provides students with a safe and compassionate space
075to process loss and build resilience. Through weekly peer-centered sessions that combine discussion, expressive art, and mindfulness activities, students learn healthy coping and self-care strategies. Families and staff also receive resources to support a unified approach to care. We look forward to continuing this valuable partnership in support of our students' emotional well-being and success. And on October 14th, a team of nine representatives from the Watertown City School District, including social workers, school counselors, and administrators, attended a county-wide meeting hosted by Jefferson County Community Services and the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. The session focused on sharing updated information and protocols for student crisis intervention services across Jefferson County. The meeting provided valuable insights into new and expanded community-based resources that will enhance the district's ability to respond to student mental health and behavioral crises collaboratively and
076effectively. And finally, leadership training for all district administrators and directors is being provided over three sections during this school year. With the first session held in October. Session one titled Building Relationships as a Leader, The Currency of Fairness and Trust, was facilitated by our colleagues from the Jefferson-Lewis BOCES Labor Relations team. This month's training focused on how leadership credibility is built through everyday interactions. In alignment with National Principals Month, this focus also serves as a timely reminder of the vital role our building leaders play in modeling these principles and sustaining a culture of trust, respect, and professional integrity across the district. And I'm proud of our principals for striving for excellence in these areas every day. Thank you. Thank you, any questions for Tina? That Weight Riders of Hope sounds like a great program. How
077do How are students identified for that program? >> So, we've met with the folks at Hospice, and essentially, we're working with our social workers at the high school, and also our school counselors, and we reach out to parents through Parent Square, so parents could contact us. So, it's been a really thoughtful process of having our students participate in the program. We're really honored. This is a pilot program that Hospice is running. We're the first school district to take part. So, will this be repeated later? We hope so. Yes. Yes. How many students did you say in this first >> have upwards of 10. We had We had five interested a couple of weeks ago, but last week, I think we had a little bit more than that. Upwards of 10. So, 10 is the max.
078So, we're looking forward We have five more sessions this school year. Thanks, Tina. Actually Actually, to add to that, I was speaking with Kathy from Hospice just quite a while ago before this had started, and she was telling me that it's not just grief and death, but it's also relationships and a lot of the things that kids go through, so it's It's really quite dynamic. Let's say a student athlete suffers a season-ending injury. That's a grieving process. You're losing a pet. That's a grieving process. So, there's many different facets to this that they're thinking about and considering. It's really well done. Excellent. Well done. Interesting. Thank you, Tina. Assistant superintendent for operations and finance, Brian Gerow. Hello. Um I'll start with the food service update. The food service department continues to expand menu options that
079promote student satisfaction and participation. Recent initiatives include the successful introduction of lasagna and garlic knots across all elementary schools, and the addition of fresh salads and subs, both of which have been well received by students and staff. Um our treasurer can attest to that today. I'll tell you, that thing looks amazing. Um and this month, the district also launched a new partnership with Pizza Hut, um expected to further enhance student engagement and meal program participation. And I know everyone was really looking forward to that. Um from the transportation department, they continue to enhance efficiency, safety, and communication for families. The district now serves 3,036 transportable students, an increase of 94 from last year. Wow. All new buses under the current contract are are in operation. They all have AC, and they're equipped with I I
080I knew that was going to come up. And equipped with the first few 1.0 tracking system, which allows parents and guardians to securely track their child's bus route in real time through a mobile app. Um in addition, um the district is still collaborating with fiscal advisors along with FEH BOCES regarding the financial impact of the transportation feasibility study, and we hope to have those results presented in November 4th board meeting. Um from the maintenance department, uh they've implemented a revised evaluation process for all maintenance, custodial, and cleaning personnel to ensure greater consistency, accountability, and staff growth. Preventative maintenance and winterization efforts are progressing smoothly across the district buildings, with several sites already completed. A new custodial training and audit program has been created to establish standardized practices and quality checks across the schools. And to
081bounce off of Lynn here about for food for families, the department provided more than 50 labor hours in support of the food for families initiative, assisting with the relocation and setup of shelving and storage systems. I'll tell you that the basement of Massena is It's like night and day. It looks amazing. Um from IT, they continue to strengthen district technology systems and support services. The team has significantly reduced the backlog of work orders and have launched the K-1 iPad project with deployment planned for during this month. Um work is ongoing with Day Automation to continue installing the new security cameras at Case Middle School, and advancing phase two of the radio project. Integrating PA and phone systems to improve communication and safety. Uh the department has also begun begun cross-training staff to enhance um system
082management and welcomed a new team member who is supporting the help desk at Case. And finally, I'm sure you're all waiting for the finance update. Um the business office has finalized all audit projects for the year. Um the finance committee recently met with our external auditors auditors, Bowers and Company, to review the 2024-25 external audit findings. And Questar BOCES um will present the internal audit and risk assessment. Um all of these reports will be presented at the December 2nd board meeting. Uh we are also wrapping up the ARPA grant, which has been going on for about 3-4 years now, um and that report is due in 10 days to New York State. And finally, um in preparation for next year's budget cycle, um preliminary planning has begun. I've started working on those spreadsheets. We're going
083to start scheduling some meetings with the department supervisors and building principals after the holidays to align financial priorities with district goals. So, Mr. Nageotte, be ready. Um in addition to that, um since you are going to be approving the reserve plan tonight, um I just want to make sure we all are aware that the reserve plan is a budget tool for the district. Um it's no surprise New York State has made it very clear that hard times are coming for the revenue side of things. Last year, we saw for the current year, we saw a 3% increase in revenue, which was a drop of about over 4 and 1/2% in the prior year. And then next year, they're talking about only 2%. Um and it's not good news on health insurance expenses, either. That's looking
084at probably 10% increase. So, we are looking at some much bigger expenses outpacing revenues, of which we're going to look at some areas of the reserve plan, areas that are very sufficiently funded, thanks to our predecessors in in this department, and see if we can use some of those reserve funds to help balance the budget going forward. Questions for Brian? All right, Brian Gerow, thank you so much. >> You're welcome. Sorry I went over, and I apologize. You guys don't want to stay for the rest of the meeting, you are free to go. If you want to stay, you're welcome to stay. You're You're not going to hurt our feelings if you leave. Thank you for your time today. We appreciate it. Dustin over there is the track coach from last year. Awesome. Good evening.
085All right, items for consent agenda. Resolved that consent agenda items A through F are hereby approved. Motion, please. Tina. Tina, second. Randy. Randy, discussion. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Items for board action. A, approval of reserve plan. Uh whereas the Board of Education has reviewed the district's reserve plan, revised as of September 30th, 2025, which outlines the status, purpose, funding methods, and goals for the district's various reserves. Be it further resolved that the Board of Education hereby approves the reserve plan as presented, and authorizes the superintendent or designee to implement and monitor the reserve plan in accordance with the district's policies, and this resolution shall take effect immediately. Motion, please. Melanie. Melanie, and second? Tina. Tina. Discussion. Might be helpful just to given the impact of this to have a quick high-level summary,
086not line by line, but anywhere where it seems to Some of the big numbers. Absolutely. Um first thing I bring your attention to the IT subfund. Um the original document that was sent out did have a mathematical error. Apparently, I don't know how to read or count these days. Um there was an entry that was done um in an envision backwards so they corrected balances 1.6 million dollars with a 2 million dollar funding goal. Um and a couple other areas that I want to point out is the ERS reserve that retirement reserve. Um the district goal has been just based on the prior year annual invoices is about a million dollars. That current um reserve is sitting at 1 and 1/2 million dollars. Um we do realize that ERS rates are constantly increasing. They're going
087to another couple more percentage points in this coming year and as we as I mentioned before we'll use this as a budgeting tool. We're going to look at seeing what the the long-term rates are going to be if we have to start drawing that down bit by bit. Um I'm not one who wants to take $500,000 out in one year. That's not financially responsible but we'll start having a plan in place to bring that down or maybe look at it in this even one year sufficient depending on how the finances of the state and federal government look going forward. Um and the the liability claims reserve which was a couple of ones up. That one is closed effective today as those were settled from the last board meeting. And then on the last page unemployment
088insurance reserve that one is sitting at $600,000. Um we have not had um very high unemployment claims at all in recent years um but that will be one that we will look at as a finance team um for budget planning and purposes. Um that money could be moved to another reserve. It could be moved back into the general fund and that is something we will discuss during the budget planning process. I think Millie's question was the appropriate one. How do we end up with a fund balance that is over what the target was? Um I'm not I don't want I'm not going to throw anybody under the bus but our the predecessors in the in the business office did a very good job making sure that the reserves are very very healthy. Um you had
089a lot of ARPA money in the last few years and I know that the reserve there was some money put into the reserves to help draw some of that down. Um like for the 24-25 year for example you had about $12 million surplus and we we used 11.7 million dollars of that for for the 25-26 um fiscal year and that's where a lot of the funds came from. And of course interest rates in the last few years have been very high. So that that's built a lot up there as well. Okay. Any questions for for discussion? Okay. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Item B approval of a tenure appointment. Is Mrs. Todd here? You have to stand up. You have to stand and come forward. Be it resolved that upon the
090recommendation of Dr. Larry C. Schmigel, Superintendent of Schools, the following tenure appointment is hereby approved. Pamela Todd, elementary, effective date November 15, 2025. I'll take a motion. Cole. Colleen a second. Brandy. Brandy. Discussion. All those in favor? I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Congratulations. [Applause] Uh item C approval of a hearing officer. Upon the presentation and recommendation of Dr. Larry Schmigel, Superintendent of Schools, be it resolved that Andrew LaLone is appointed as hearing officer to conduct hearings for two employee disciplinary hearings pursuant to civil service section civil service law section 75 to make a record of the hearings and to submit a written reports to the Board of Education of the findings and recommendations related to send disciplinary procedure proceedings. Take a motion, please. Melanie. Melanie in a second. Tina. Tina discussion. All those in
091favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Item D approval of an administrative leave. Uh resolved that upon the recommendation of Dr. Larry Schmigel, Superintendent of Schools, the paid administrative leave of a non-instructional employee effective October 16, 2025 is hereby approved. Motion. [Music] Tina in a second. Cole. Cole discussion. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Um item E uh E approval to discontinue a probationary period. Uh resolved that upon the recommendation of Dr. Larry Schmigel, Superintendent of Schools, the probationary appointment of a non-instructional employee is hereby discontinued uh effective October 10, 2025. Motion, please. Melanie. I got Tina and Melanie. Discussion. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Item F approval to discontinue a probationary period. Resolved that upon the recommendation of Dr. Larry Schmigel, Superintendent of Schools, the probationary appointment of
092a non-instructional employee is hereby discontinued effective October 15, 2025. Motion, please. Tina. Tina and Melanie. Melanie discussion. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Item G approval of our personnel reports. Be it resolved that upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Larry Schmigel, the Board of Education hereby approves the following: resignations, leaves of absence, appointment probationary instructional, Cyclone Academy, STEM programs, permanent, substitutes instructional, substitutes non-instructional, fall coaching girls. Motion. Tina. Tina in a second. Melanie. Melanie. Discussion. All those in favor? I. I. Any opposed? And that motion carries. Uh item H approval to amend personnel report. Whereas a resolution was passed by the Board of Education August 19, 2025 approving the pay rate of uh $19.50 an hour for Alicia Callway and be it further resolved that this amended resolution reflects
093a change in the pay rate to be an increase to $20 an hour and is hereby approved. Motion, please. Cole. Cole in a second. Tina. Tina. Discussion. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Item I approval to amend personnel report. Whereas a resolution was passed by the Board of Education on October 7, 2025 approving the resignation date of Kathleen Kobak to be October 14, 2025 and be it further resolved that this uh amended resolution reflects a change in the resignation date to be October 7, 2025 and is hereby approved. I have a motion. Melanie. Melanie in a second. Tina. Tina discussion. All those in favor? I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. J approval of a donation. Uh res- resolved that a donation consistent consisting of essential care items including snacks, hygiene products, socks,
094undergarments and clothing be provided to the nurses at all elementary schools by the Community Outreach Board of Realtors and that this donation is gratefully accepted and approved and will be acknowledged in writing. Motion, please. >> Cole. Cole in a second. Tina. Tina. Discussion. I know they donate almost every year. Great organization. We appreciate it. All those in favor? I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Item K approval of a club creation and advisor. Uh resolved that the formation of the technology and engineering club as an extracurricular club at the Watertown High School with Lindsay Kriegel as the advisor is hereby approved. Motion, please. [Music] Melanie. Melanie in a second. >> Brandy. Brandy discussion. I looked at their proposal. It looks pretty amazing. They'll be doing some fun stuff with that club. All those in favor? I.
095Any opposed? Motion carries. And L approval of two new bands and advisor. Resolved that the formation of the pep band and the marching band as extracurricular activities at the Watertown High School with Francis Seymour as the advisor is hereby approved. Motion, please. Cole. Cole in a second. Tina. Tina discussion. It's about time. It's about time. I'm so happy. Uh I know there is interest in having the pep band come and present and and we have requested that but apparently they are pretty booked um and so we will get them when we can to come and present and share. Um so as soon as we can get them here we will but um yeah. We need some pep. We do. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. That is the end of the resolutions.
096And we are at our second public comment session. Millie you were the only one that signed up for this one. I'll open it up. Well, I usually go with whoever Thank you. I was supposed to come over here, correct? Yes, that's so it can be heard on the uh the screen. >> is my first time. You're fine. Take your time. My name is Shante Aliya and I have a daughter who goes to Ohio Street Elementary. And I am I'm I have a little I have a little thing I wrote. I am writing you today as a concerned resident and parent to respectfully request the complete replacement of the playground equipment at Ohio Elementary for over It's been there for over 30 years. This park has been a valued part of our community. However, its age
097and condition now present serious safety hazards to the children who use it daily. The current playground equipment is well past its useful life expectancy and shows significant signs of deterioration. I have a couple photos that I'll show you guys in a moment. Uh beyond the clear safety issues, the current equipment is outdated and does not meet modern accessibility standards, preventing children with disabilities from being able to play alongside their peers. A new playground would offer an inclusive space for all children in our community. Replacing this equipment is not only a matter of safety but also a critical investment in our children's and our communities well-being. A safe playground will provide a vibrant, accessible space that encourages outdoor activity, fosters social development, and boosts community morale. It will also provide long-term cost saving by reducing the
098need for repeated repairs on obsolete equipment. I urge you to consider this matter with the seriousness it deserves. Our children deserve a safe playground. Thank you for your time and your commitment to the safety and health of our community's children and I am available to discuss the issue further and offer any assistance I can to help make this project a reality. I didn't take a lot of photos, but I mean I'm going to set these up for you guys, but uh These are the swings. There's only four at the school. My child has only got the swing twice. I know that might not seem like a big deal, but when you're a kid, it matters. They only get 30 minutes outside for playground, I think. It might not even be that much time, but there's
099probably 60 children at once. Each kid couldn't swing for 30 seconds if they wanted to with that allotment of time. And um this is their the one of the two slides that they have. It is held together with duct tape and it is very sharp and pointy and very unsafe. And then here is another opening where there is paint exposed and rust and a metal slit on one of the obstacles that they're supposed to climb on and play. And I heard that you guys do have some proposals for the schools and I was happy to hear that Ohio had been spoken about when you said that, but I would hope that this will be done within the next year or so because 30 years is quite some time and I know people who are turned
10029 and 30 this year that have also played on this exact playground and the children deserve safe and a fun place to express themselves when they're not sitting behind a desk for 8 hours a day. Uh agreed and I know just from driving by that playground that it's used at all hours of the day, not just during the school day. >> street, so it's very very nice for the children that live around the community and the housing complex behind it. The children within the vicinity would be able to have a safe place to blow off steam and have fun. So, that's all I've got. Thank you guys for hearing me out. I appreciate it very much. >> Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Also, have a bunch of places where we can apply for grants if
101the funds are available. Thank you. Of course. Milly. I don't know the board directives, but I wanted to I want to start with the mic. Um All right. You need to help me with this cuz that isn't anything. Thanks, Matt. Appreciate that. So, um I I know the rules really well, so I would appreciate not being interrupted this time when I'm talking because I know what I'm I can't say what I can't say. Names, I don't get into any of that stuff, so I would appreciate not being interrupted when I'm trying to speak. We had someone speak for over 8 minutes at the last meeting, so I'm going to speak and say what I need to say. Um Mr. Navigators' presentation about Starbuck and having all these teachers and all these school the students here
102today and really praising what the school has done is what the being on the school board is all about. And I think I proved myself when I was on the school board that I totally support all of that and I think it's great. I think um Larry, you did a phenomenal job in providing all these extra programs. Um you know, when people stand up here and thank the board, those directives came from you. You are the one who set the pace. You are the one who said met with Matt Burdick and met with a bunch of people and said these are the things that we need and you were the one who provided that direction. So, you do you do deserve that credit. And I don't want anything that I say. My entire intention of
103coming to the board meetings and expressing my feelings along with many people who talk to me and don't want to come up here and talk because it's too intimidating. It's not easy for someone to talk. You know, I do it with the best interests in heart because I want things to be better for us as a whole and as a community. So, in the spirit of that, having this mom speak about the Ohio um playground, when we toured the school last year, that was one of the most important things that we talked about. It has been recognized. I can tell you that the leadership at the school has recognized it and those things are being addressed and thankfully, you know, there was a budget that was approved that included all those improvements. So, I appreciate
104that you come and you you know, you speak about those things. Um this is I I'm going to try to put a positive spin on this, but I think, you know, last board meeting was just very um emotional for a lot of people. It took a lot of courage for parents to come up and speak and I was not here, but I watched the entire thing and I didn't only watch it once, I watched it several times. And all the parents who spoke were extremely respectful. They were civil and they expressed what they needed to express in very good ways in a professional manner. They did not get up there. There was three parents who spoke and the question that was asked for one specific parent in her presentation to the board about her dismay
105with what transpired with the art teacher was she wanted to know who received the who reviewed the material, who approved it, and what steps would be taken to make sure that this would never happen again. As a concerned parent, those are all very legitimate concerns. And it was very well presented. And unfortunately, the response to that was parents being labeled as internet warriors. That was wrong. And that was a bad look for the for the school district. We should not be labeling our parents cuz you know what happens when you do that? You create divisiveness between the parents and the teachers. I don't know anybody who has anything bad to say about the teachers. I think this community embraces their teachers, loves their teachers. The board has historically supported the teachers. Their contracts and the
106raises have been given. I thought that was a very unfair and very crude statement to label these parents who came up with concerns and label them internet warriors. So, let's just take the approach of why do you have to go to social media? And that's a concern that all of us have because when you go to social media, the stories just evolve and snowball and they become something that maybe the original concern wasn't even what was supposed to be said. But you want to know why, in my personal opinion and I've discussed it with many people, it's the culture that this district has created. It is so sad that parents now feel that they have to tap into social media to have a platform to be heard. Why? Because emails aren't answered. Calls aren't answered.
107Parents ask for meetings and in some of those meetings, parents are made to feel like no, their kid's doing something wrong. And so they get desperate and they get upset. And so they figure we're going to go to social media because then you're going to rile everybody up and everyone's going to be like, oh my god, this is absolutely horrible. And what you read on social media was horrible. And not one person in leadership role at the district apologized. At some level, there was a severe mistake made. Whether the art teacher meant it intentionally, I don't think anybody believes that. I really don't. I I I really don't believe that anybody thinks this teacher was a did it intentionally. But if there's no feedback and no one from leadership says we apologize for what happened,
108you guys hide behind we can't say anything. Legal, legal, legal. Like I feel like the board has become a courtroom because you can't say anything because of legal. What do you mean you can't say anything because of legal? Let's not forget that legal gives you advice. They don't dictate. They give you advice and as a board you have the option to not follow that advice. But it's really sad that there were no answers given. The parents felt like they needed to pursue that platform and no one apologized. Furthermore, and I can say this cuz my husband was a mayor for 4 years. And when my husband was the mayor of this town, I was not allowed to go to a city council meeting. I was not allowed to voice my opinion because it didn't look
109good. He said to me, "Shut up. Don't go to these meetings and don't talk." But we have wives of board members passing out pins in solidarity for what? There's a directive, or I shouldn't say directive, let me rephrase it. There was an ask to have teachers all show up in black and all show up to and sit together and all rise and all I mean, come on. That's like a protest. Solidarity for what? There needs to There didn't need to be solidarity. It You needed to communicate with parents and show some humbleness and express to these parents, "My goodness, this was a bad thing. Let's address it. Let's get in front of it." Then we have people blaming IT. Well, it was a flaw in IT. Well, IT's two people. That's all we have in
110IT, two people. So two people failed our school district because they didn't filter out pictures. Is the board holding IT accountable? Did the board talk to the to find out why didn't IT see these pictures? The other seventh-grade art teacher, she actually took the time to go through all the pictures. She created a slide and gave those slides to her students. Keith Haring is a phenomenal artist. I actually lived in New York City when he was diagnosed with AIDS. I actually was in the same clinic when he was diagnosed with AIDS and he died of AIDS. And so a lot of his work came out of anger and frustration and emotional things. And there is a very well-approved middle school curriculum approved by Keith Haring for students in the middle school to see his work
111of art. And it is there are some great messages in there. Unfortunately, somewhere there was a communication breakdown. And it's not fair that as an institution our defense is to point fingers and label parents internet warriors. That was horrible. I felt very strongly about that because this community loves the teachers. But the teachers are also human and teachers can make mistakes and no one should feel that teachers are immune from critique, that teachers are immune from saying, "Hey, you could have done this better." And the communication between parents and teachers needs to be fostered. You should not be causing this divisiveness. The board is supposed to be an unbiased party. You're supposed to represent your constituents. You're supposed to represent the people that voted you into office. But when you stand behind labeling and you
112stand behind board members, family members, participating in that kind of action, it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing. So I would ask the board to reflect on that and not let cuz we want improvement. We want to move forward and not ever allow that to happen again. Because we all know all, including me, all our spouses, husbands, wives, partners, whatever, we're always going to stick up for the person that we love. That's That's a given. But there's got to be some decorum there and that just looked really, really bad. The When I looked at everything and I know you guys know that I'm a big policy person. There were There's, you know, we have an issue with policies. Tina, I understand that now you're the head of policy. So a lot of this is going to fall on
113you. But when things happen in the district, we really need to learn how to look back on our policies. But there was a true breach of the acceptance usage policy, which dictates all social media and dictates a bunch of things. So those did We have policies that we did not follow. The code of conduct wasn't followed. There's a bunch of things that aren't being followed. That's not to say that someone can't make a mistake and you can't talk to them or mediate them or counsel them or whatever needs to happen. But we can't continue on a path where policies are just ignored. It's a constant thing with right now with the with the climate in the district. The policies are there whenever you want to use them. They're only applied to certain people. It's not
114consistent. It's not standard. It's It's just a haphazard thing. And I think, John, that's a lot of weight for you because, like I said in one of the other meetings, this is your board and you need to dictate that and you need to make sure that is one of the powerful things that the board has and that is to drive policy. If you drive policy, then we need to abide by them at all costs every single time. So the last thing that I really wanted I I I took the time to look this up because I am disappointed that I feel like we could do better. Brandy Richardson always says, "We could do better." Yes, we can. We can do better. So these What I'm going to read to you comes straight from the New
115York State Board of Association and it says responsibilities of the board member of a board member. Create a shared vision for the future of education. Set the direction of the school district to achieve the highest student performance. Provide rigorous accountability for student achievement results. Develop a budget and present it to the community aligning district resources to improve achievement. Support a healthy school district culture for work and learning. Create strategic partnerships with the community stakeholders. Build the district's progress through continuous improvement. Adopt and maintain current policies. Hire and evaluate the superintendent. Ratify collective bargaining agreements and maintain strong ethical standards. If all of you feel that you fulfilled that, then you don't need to change anything. But even I didn't fulfill some of those things and none of us are perfect. This is available online. I
116would suggest that for the spirit of continuing in a positive way to improve our community, improve our district, and improve our most of all for our children, the benefit of our children, that we take a look as a board what your responsibilities are. You need to uphold those. Thank you, Melly. Items for discussion and information. I know at one point there was an interest in talking about the potential for an RFP for the UPK program. Is that something the board would like to discuss this evening? I guess, given its importance, I'd rather all of us be here for that. I was going to ask that question. So yeah, I would like to when we can. Okay. I think that's fair. I think that's fair. Uh anything else for discussion or information? Yes. I'm sorry, yes.
117So I have a question. How many of you guys plan on redoing the Ohio school? Sorry. We will get back to you on that. Okay. So I mean, we do have construction plans. We're going to check and see what's in the construction plans, what's not. Okay. But somebody will be back to you. I promise you that. Okay. Well, the only reason why I'm asking is because I was told that the PTO has already had the playground equipment and it just was put away somewhere and then it just didn't ever been used before and then it's been hidden in wherever on South Nassau Street for quite some time. We'll look into that. Thank you. Of course. Thank you. That's a secret they don't let the board in on. The teachers have been here for questions all
118night. Um the other issue I wanted to bring up tonight and I I think I've talked to all of you at some point about this is the seat vacancy that we have um with Lori Converse leaving. Um the board we we have three options and if we do nothing, it falls to the superintendent to take action. Uh we can What's that? District superintendent. Yes, district superintendent, sorry. Thank you. Uh we can leave the seat open. Uh we can hold an emergency um election, which has to be done within 90 days of the seat being vacated uh or we can wait and or we can appoint somebody. Those are the three options that we have. So just I want on public record what everybody's thoughts are about which direction that we should head for that open
119seat. Can I just make a comment? I know that when I was running before a seat became vacant and they decided to just go without just leave it the way it was which was was great and my recommendation my thoughts is to just leave it the way it is leave it vacant. Thank you Tina. I think I'd agree with that. Um I think whatever we do having it as an official vote of the voters of the district legitimizes that candidate. Um and all of us here had to do that and I feel like that's probably the fairest and best and most prudent way. Thank you Randy. I would agree. I've been through five vacancies in my time here and this being the fifth all four have been left vacant. So it's a past practice as
120well. Thank you Caleb. What do you think of that? My thoughts were also setting a precedent so I knew of two that were vacant but I have been told that there was five so if that's been the precedent that's been set that's what I think is best. And just for the record I'm I'm in agreement with that. I I don't think that under any circumstance we should be choosing who takes that seat. At the very least it should be made public but I don't know that we need to expend the funds to have a special election either. So those are my thoughts. Caleb did you want to chime in? No I agree. You're being awfully quiet over there Tyler. I agree with everyone should just keep the seat open and have it for the district
121voters to vote on. It's politics it's done every time we have to let the people vote. Okay. All right we do have some upcoming dates October 23rd a Thursday is the coming up this week the fall National Honor Society induction ceremony that will be held at the Watertown High School library at 4:00 p.m. We do have a couple of members of the board that'll be there to represent the board. Homecoming weekend the homecoming game will be on Friday at 6:00 p.m. Homecoming dance will be on Saturday the the 25th. October 31st a Friday will be K-12 early dismissal for staff development and then November 4th will be our next regular Board of Education meeting we're a little out of step we'll be on the road for two meetings in a row this one will be
122at Ohio and please note the time change it will be a 5:00 p.m. start rather than a 6:00 p.m. start. We have one of our football players here that's getting excited gearing up for Friday. Always homecoming always exciting. Is it Tina is it you? [Laughter] All right board round table reflections Melanie I'm going to start with you this evening. Um Excuse me. I appreciate the presentations on the special ed programs um as a classroom teacher I just know that the the landscape has changed a lot over the last few years so um I appreciate hearing what you all have been doing with the addition of new classrooms and hearing from students and from the faculty so I truly appreciate that. Um I love the life skills and the plant hydration that's I love them for
123me. And then excuse me we're talking earlier about the lunch additions so having subs and salads as extra options I feel like even staff would enjoy that. Yeah that sounds amazing and I look forward to going to the Honor Society thing but this week so. Caleb. I would like to thank Mr. Niemeyer I would like to thank Starbucks for hosting us tonight. It's so lovely night and thankful for everyone to come out and thankful for the student engagement that we've had tonight at this meeting. I'm thankful for the oversight on how the special education's going. I'm thankful for everything that's happened tonight. I can't wait to come back November 4th for another board meeting. Thank you Caleb. Tina. And we can't wait to hear about the homecoming dance. Um I just want to thank Starbucks
124for having us here and all our little goodies that you always give us. Um I I was privileged to work at Starbucks for a little bit and it is very homey. Everybody gets along they play jokes on each other there's always some something going on somewhere that somebody's in the middle of causing a little fun ruckus about which I think makes this a very homey feeling. Um so it is a it's a great place to be and I love the special ed thing you made me cry. And I'm thankful to Matt and Brian for all you do to keep things moving and get us what it is that our special ed kids need. That's huge for me so thank you for all of that. Um it was wonderful to see the kids and hear them
125talk again I miss that so much I just they're they're priceless and that is why I'm here. Um and I just want to give a shout out to Danny Patrick's modified lacrosse team. I was out riding around the other day and I saw the scoreboard was on so I had check and it was lacrosse I had to stop. And it was the modified team and those little guys played with such enthusiasm they were so energetic they were they had great sportsmanship they they worked as a team they talked you know you know Danny yell talk and they let know everybody know where they were but they were so compassionate if if somebody even went down to hold their knee they were on their knees and it was just wonderful to watch them play and he's
126doing a great job with them so JV should have a good lacrosse team when they move on up. And that's it. Thank you Tina. Randy. Thank you. Echo all of my colleagues sentiments for sure. I say it every time we're here Starbucks has a unique history and a special vibe and the culture you create here is one that all of our schools should aspire to embody. It definitely feels like a family here so kudos to Mr. Naviger Mr. Burgess and the team really a special place here. And I too loved the special ed presentation I think it's especially helpful to have the anecdotal stories and the the testimonies inside the classroom. I think they add a lot of flavor and heart to those and help us lay people better understand the value of all of
127that so thank you very much. That's all. Cody. Um so yeah I'll be a little bit of a copycat here but also thank you to Mr. Naviger Mr. Burgess the the three students their list of interests um and their activities I'm not sure how they fit all that into a day but um very busy very busy and well-rounded kids. Um Mr. Burdick and Tyler um special ed department was creating positive informative presentation as well. Um for homecoming coming up go cyclones have fun but be safe. And um the um seventh graders I think it was last week went on a field trip to Genesee um country village and I think this is somewhat of a tradition um and they I know I I know kids I know my son for one really looked forward to
128it they get excited about it it's a it's a great experience um and I just want to thank the everyone who makes that possible including the teachers and chaperones because it is a very very long day. That's all I got. Very good thank you. I have an apology and that's to Dr. Amy Gerharts she gave me some notes to share last meeting um and I intentionally held on to the notes rather than asking anybody else to do them and I didn't share them and I I I can't promise I will never make that mistake again but I'm going to work really hard not to make that mistake again. Uh so Dr. Amy did pass this along for um this week's meeting uh Cyclone Academy attendance incentive that they have in place for students to earn
129an ice cream coupon they need to be present in school 70% or of the school days within five weeks their full marking period. For this first round they could miss no more than eight days to earn the coupon and 40 out of 60 students will be receiving an ice cream coupon this week and seven of those 40s have perfect attendance so kudos to that program for doing what we can to keep our kids in school and engaged so thank you for sharing Dr. Amy. Um thank you to Mr. Naviger it's always great always feel welcome here at Starbucks. I know the small school feel it's exactly where I teach and I teach there for a reason. Um I know Ally left but Ally was one of my students at Copenhagen and I'm so proud of
130her to go into a field that I I myself couldn't do our special ed teachers are special breed that's not something that every single teacher can do and you know we are so grateful for everything that you do for our kids and all the programs that that that that you have up and running and it's because of your dedication and and and your hard work and and that of your aides and your your TAs that makes all of this work. Um, so, just super stoked about that. Matt, thanks for sharing all that information with us about your programs. Um, like Randy said, I think it helps us to see I've been in education 26 years. I still can't remember my 3121 and my 811s. Um, so, it's it's it's a good good refresher. Uh, and
131then, good luck to our football team at homecoming game this Friday. Um, go win for us and good luck to all of our teams that are getting ready to enter sectionals. Our JV teams are finishing up and our girl soccer team, boy soccer team have their seeds. Um, cross country still going for a little bit longer. Um, so, good luck to all those teams and into the fall and hopefully they make some good long runs into the into the post season. And with that, um, we are in need of an executive session. Resolved the Board of Education enter to executive session pursuant to section 105 1F of the New York Open Meetings Law for the purpose of discussing the employment history of a particular person or persons and section 108 subsection 3 of the New
132York Open Meetings Law to seek legal advice and guidance from the school attorney which constitutes a matter made confidential by law under the attorney-client privilege. No official action will be taken during executive session session except as permitted by law. May I have a motion? Tina. Tina, and a second? Melanie. Melanie. Discussion? All those in favor? Any opposed? Motion carries. Have a good night, everybody.