001Thank you very much. No, we're good. I think we have plenty of mics. Okay. You move it here. Thank you. Did you want Did you move Heather? Um um who can move? We have people out and in. So you move Heather here. Heather can be there. Oh, she's not speaking for my Oh, I have extra. I just didn't We have one for the audience in case [Music] right here. Yeah. Okay. Yes. Thank you. Okay, I'll text you if I need you. [Applause] Yeah, you told me what sound it was. Yeah. You [Music] guys, guys. So I just Okay. You know how I send out all I don't know. I didn't find it. You're right there. It's in the chain. [Music] Okay. And also I know Yeah. [Music] She's just [Music] I saw it. Did it
002go out on Facebook? Square and it was not on post. Yes. you on the website. I already I feel like it is unless and I called Shannon and told her to tell her mother-in-law. So that was the only I do not see the Facebook. All right. Um, colossal or the day? Nope. It's attached to the bottom of that. You can't make a big That's the I don't I don't think that's I think I just share it. That is the link. That's the link because it is I'm confident because otherwise I would show that. Okay. So just now I got Okay. Yeah. I was like waiting for you. All right. So I think that we can go ahead and start an hour in a few minutes. Okay. To the flag of the United States of America
003to the stand. Um agenda changes. I um would like to ask for an executive session after our meeting today since discuss personnel hiring. Um there will be no action. So we just have a discussion. Um so items for discussion today is about the proposal for the girls soccer merger with new central school. we can have a discussion amongst our board members and then I know that there's been a request for our um soccer pearl soccer coach and for our a and I see that I'm assuming transportation is representing that um head of transportation would like to have us comment. Yeah. Okay. So, if you'll just wait um let's have um board discussion first and then we'll move you guys and then I'll move back. How many girls? So, well, let's um let's let Mike just
004some history where we are. We've had this discussion over the past Yeah. at least two board meetings. This has been brought up and discussed maybe even three. Right. So, can you give us a little history so everybody's on the same page? So, um, North Warren came to us, I want to say two years ago, actually asking us if we would consider, um, a possible merger with their soccer program. um it felt that we were a logical fit due to the fact that we already merged with um cross country um Nordic and now uh tennis for this year. Um, so at that point in time two years ago, it didn't move forward partially because we were already in the talks of a school merger and the confusion of talking about an additional sports merger and the
005man John's school merger. It just was felt that maybe that was the appropriate time to look at an additional sports merger. um play out a full year and um our varsity and our modified industry especially our north varsity has struggled with numbers in girls soccer. Um so the conversation came up again. Um I think I approached everyone in the fall and then it really became conversation um in the last few board meetings because um they need to know for the aderonda um I'm going to say within like a week from today because I think I said the last time if they don't make a decision um to merge with us and we have it in four Then if they don't let the league know, then they won't be put on the other schedule. They'll still
006be able to play, but they'll have to find all their own games. Um on the flip side if they decide that or we all decide that they they are going to merge then they would be put in our obviously not unless that's obvious but we're looking at um standing in our not a um I know North one has voted on it and Manurva has voted on it and they are I guess I'll start there There's questions. Uh, our barcodes are struggling and so what would that give us total numbers if we put all three together? I I did send out some paperwork on that, Tom. Um, I'm wondering if Ally because I also guess I should also say in this process I know there's been um conversations between all three ADS. There's been conversation I
007know with um transportation um I'll say I thought our transportation was included um I know Manurva and their transportation had looked at it matter of fact they even gave us a mock schedule and they used last year's schedule um to like do up a schedule for next year. Um, but I I I will say and I think I've been pretty forthcoming with this all along. Yeah. That it only takes one driver in any of the situations to call on sick or something and then there will be a transition. There could be a transportation issue. Um I don't think any of the preschools have an abundance of drivers or with the data that you sent out to us um it talks about team one and team two modified. Yes. I'm almost more comfortable when you get
008back to those conversations that we really do with different question. So it it is same team one and team two is that only the modified will have two teams. So the modified team split in that set will have almost 30 plus in the program. So allowing them to have they would still be able to practice together and then we would split the schedule or find to split the teams to have them all play where it's not allowing coaches to try to get into the level heavy to play every game. So allow to split the numbers into a smaller size so to say in every game that they show up. Alison, just as a history, we did something similar to that a few years back with softball. Yeah. And then when they got to varsity those
009large numbers out a little bit so we have done that in the past year I think there was a question about our varsity numbers. I think we're looking at approximately um 18 varsity players between all three um high projected numbers and all players that play um sometimes filter out but um I think we will have a large modified um so we thought instead of trying to do a modified just do a double mod you uh my one concern about two teams team is that you don't stack one team. No, we wanted to split it up. We want the stronger players to help out the younger players. So, it would be taking into consideration, you know, families. You wouldn't split up siblings. You wouldn't, right? And it might help with transportation too if you can work
010with kids that not only live together but in maybe in the same area. Yeah. you know, so it make it a little easier. Yeah. And that conversation I think once you have a better idea. Yeah. Okay. Allison, can I ask you a question and just thought of this, so I'll be honest with you. Um, I know the the rule is that if a modified person can't play JV, they can't um transfer back down to modified. They have to be on JV or varsity. Um, my understanding on the opposite side is that varsity can play JB and and varsity and kind of a back and forth. Is that correct? Would there be Huh? That's newer. No, I think that's always I thought once you went off the varsity, you were up to I think JV and
011varsity because we used to do it in field hockey all the time. I think they'd like the JB team to So I I guess with that thought, is there any possibility that we start the year off and maybe toward the end of the season, the last three, four games, take some of those modified players and find some JV games and, you Now play some JV games. [Music] How many kids do you have at JCS modified? How many how many players would we have just 16 for that's including fresh? So the problem that we see right now is that we are only looking at 10th graders and there's a large group of nth graders um talking to different coaches um we feel like modify their um which is not going to help us build the program.
012um we're trying to work down the road for our program. Um, I think you know if you pull up [Music] too being inductor as opposed to Yeah. Joe, if you don't mind, as a coach, you've been kind of working with, I'm gonna say smaller numbers over the last couple years. What have you seen? What you listen for the only one effort and attention they put someone My biggest four of them defensively. This was a strong all four of [Music] them. I would [Music] actually like [Music] It's hard. So let me ask you Joe in the last couple of years do you feel you did have the numbers um okay so can you talk a little bit about I mean injuries that kids are sustaining from gym class you know um from from just daily there
013other sports you know outside of school just sometimes it's students all we got 16 kids all down [Music] That's [Music] very hard. [Music] So you came firstly approach for the last couple. And when you say, have you had enough numbers for not to play but enough numbers to go out and be competitive with other teams? Any other board members have any comments at this moment? Um, I just really wanted to say, you know, I trust if I'm hearing that this is what you want, that's all that this is, you know, I've heard parents have a lot of concern. I'm assuming that's what we're talking about. Um it's been an issue for years of John program. So growing up third school was mixing with that. Okay. So Brandon, you have you're representing your transportation. Talk to
014us about your thoughts. Well, I know uh so the the schedule that was put the schedule that was put out uh had no transportation. I talked to Maryland about it. number. Yes, they might be from last year's number time, but we we have been trying to get together and have a discussion on the whole [Music] thing because we feel like we're hanging in the dark and this past year moving forward, we are struggling to put the course um months together because it's right out of time in the afternoon. you don't have that driver and then to add a third school. I'm not entirely sure how pull that off yet or at all time, but that's a discussion that we're trying to figure out because right now our school is like one of the only schools
015that provide an earlier bus. So we we provide the 250 bus later bus. They don't have anybody to come over. North is in the same boat where they don't have anybody to come over early. Usually when they get to practices cross country [Music] later so to fill in the gaps I'm not really sure what to talk about. [Music] I don't know how that plays 14. So it just be the same one model that wears sharing like we're setting three different And Aaron and Alison, would you guys foresee I think I'm going to jump. Would you foresee two modified coaches? And I guess I'm going to say I don't think it'd be a bad idea because what I do not want to happen is for that other modified team that's not playing that they're not at
016least practicing and doing something. So I if we're looking to build then I would recommend we build and one modified team modified team. Yeah, that would be my recommendation if we're truly looking to build a program where when you were coming up with the transportation schedule that you were talking about. How did you come up with that recommendation? That was given to us by Manurva and I'm looking at the ads. I think we were all told that that would show their ad sitting down together and putting it together. Yeah. And I get the opposite feeling when I talk to I don't know where I know. So right now is like 5050 sports and adding a third school in that's not every sport then how do you fairly like okay 5050 and then all the third
017school how do you currently rotate who's doing what I know right Now uh we got loaded but I'm certain we can northern help out but it's a full season especially active sports or whatever I don't know how that's going to work especially wise I'm struggling right now just to cover the stuff. I know more in the same boat when it comes to stuff. I think um basically worked [Music] out more skills and safe [Music] But that will also give ideas and I know internally we have also looked um we have asked guidance to um create an activity period at the end of the day for 7th, 8th, and 9th. Um, and I'll be honest, I'm not sure how that will help. I just know that that was an issue in the past. I think that
018would help. So the only thing with that is um so you're getting kids out of your earlier time obviously get home. We got to get the regular kids home first. So I don't want to prioritize obviously if you have games and whatever you don't want but you got to definitely prioritize getting students home for sports and there's going to be times sports fun and I don't and it still I don't know how sports run because it just seems like it's all okay you got kids playing at that school kids playing at this school you got to go there [Music] A lot of this problem there is a turmoil of the bus. Uh I don't know if any of the board members know me or not, but we are down drivers. I have we heard discussions
019about getting rid of I don't care about that. I'm I'm shortlived here, but if you want to keep transportation going, you got to start working on people. You expect them to come in and drive these trips. They got to drive seven I drive seven miles away from me and you want me to come in and drive a trip because you made up this trip that needs to be taken. Well, that's fine. You make it up. But we don't sit here at this school all day long to not get paid for it. When you want us to get paid less than what a trip is taken to do, it's you got to pay us and you will get the driver, but you can't nickel and dime us. We may not be high educated, but we're professionals.
020We have worked hard to get our blessings. And as you know, it's not easy to get your driver's license as a CEO. You got to take care of your workers and your workers will help you. But that bus driver is such a turmoil over here because of the way we're being treated on our case. It's it's disgusting. It's you come to a it's not a good work. People are fighting larger all the time and it can be very well solved just by sitting down talking about them and finding out we're trying to get million dollar rich but we got to survive and you can't neglect and expect us to work out. It's just not going to happen. And you can see how long you've been trying to get drivers. There's not drivers out there. You
021got four drivers over there can do anything. You know, you got to start thinking of some of this stuff. And I can help on this merger stuff that this is what we really want. I think we've got two less of kids that have too many sports. Maybe we got to stop eliminating some of the sports. So the kids you can't have 300 kids in school and have different you just can't supply. Maybe we had too many of that. That sounds rough, but to murder somebody else till you get out figured out how you're going to drive is so I I'm hearing what you're saying and I will agree that we have we have there is an issue um has to do with numbers. It has to do with projections that we're looking at in the
022future. We have to come up with a solution. Eliminating, combining. Right now, in my opinion, when we're looking at the numbers, not just for next year, but for the years coming where we're only decreasing our numbers, we either need to eliminate sports or we need to combine with another team. And to me, to eliminate sports and uh not provide these opportunities for the kids is not a solution. It's not it's not it's not very easy. You just got to work for I think we're talking about it is a it's an issue that is related but an issue an aside issue also does that that make sense? is does pertain to this. It does pertain to this because it's traveling back and forth, but it's also 15 minute trip only. Look, we're not we have to
023come in to take that 15 minutes. You can't expect us to do it for 15 20 minutes. We got to get paid local workers and and I think that maybe I one of the things I think we need to start looking at the mind bests um I think we need to well and that's fine maybe that's the conclusion we come to but I think we have no listen we're not going to So let's I would like to focus on this issue right here concerning this merger today and and I think that we need to address buses. You any anyone, not one of you, including one has never been on a bus to see what they are. We're driving on groups that are not fit to have the buses up and it's probably brought up many
024times the roads are not fit and yet we want to add trips together. You're not I don't know you're going to have to close the school down or you're going to have to get around because and then you want to know what cost is you start adding to these bus drivers and you can you can just write them off. I I don't think that that was just a suggestion. We hear it all the time. It's threatening to I said we need to sit down and look at I and that you would be part of the conversation. Brandon would be part of the conversation. I am saying we need to sit and look at what our solution is. I am not saying that that is what the solution will be. I'm saying we have to look
025at the big picture. We have to look at what is best for our students and our community. And you guys in the bus garage are included in that picture. We are not included. We have never been included. We are the bottom of the hole. And you can sit here and talk your stories on all you want. We are nothing to this school. You have proved it time and time again. We are the father. None of you would give up your life the way we give up our life and the money that we're being paid to drive any one of them trips. I guarantee. Okay. Okay. I want us to move on to the discussion on the merger. That is what we're here to talk about. We have four board members here. We are going to
026vote on this. Um yes. No, we're there is a motion. Um, we have heard for members. Are you satisfied with what you've heard that you have all the information you need to make a good decision? Do you have any other questions? Um, I I am a little concerned that our busy clear on it was brought up. So, yeah. How could business in the AD meeting? We were told that the constitution have worked out that schedule. Um so there's a motion forward. Um Mike, what if we So North and Manota have approved this merger? Yes. What happens if we do not approve it? For all three of us or all it has to have all three approving. Okay. So I don't see any other options but to go ahead because this decision needs to be made.
027We've been talking about it for about three three meetings, three months now. It's been in discussion. I we cannot put it off any longer because there is a deadline. I heard March 8th. I don't know if that's the deadline. I know. Maybe it's next week. Um I think that we are in a position where we have to gather all the information that we can. We have to make a decision today. We cannot put it off. So, I'm going to head out. Motion to approve the merger with George Warren Central School for girls modified and girls varsity soccer for the 2025 2026 school year. I So, you have a motion, Tom? Yeah. Second one. Second. Okay. then it does not move forward. All right. Um, so we have no other business. Um, it's not that I'm
028not for the merger. I am on but transportation obviously has to be solved and and I know we talked about an issue with parental driving and finding it over correct um but even if that was a solution but it it doesn't matter the solution is first today so that's why I feel like the Not. All right. Do we have any other business? All right. Is there comments? Second. Um, okay. Date, March 17th is our next education meeting. Motion to adjourn. Motion. Motion by Tom. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. Motion to adjourn to uh executive session and we're going to meet down. Oh motion second. All right. All in favor? I um and we will Yeah. Police office.