001Everybody good? Motion to reconvene the public session. >> Yeah, we're good. Thanks, Johnny. Um, >> motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting. So, move. All in favor? >> Second. Second. All in favor? >> I. >> All right. Um, thanks everybody for being here tonight. Um, we had an exciting fall at the Bronx School capped off by uh some big athletic and arts um successes. Uh just to run through a couple of them. Um we had the uh girls soccer who uh won the section one sportsmanship award. um girls swimming and diving uh excelled uh field hockey state uh section champs, boys cross country section runner up and then of course we have the um girls cross country state champions and the Bronxville varsity football team state champions. So congrats to congrats to all
002those teams. [applause] Um and yeah, Rachel. [clears throat] >> Great. Um so tonight we have with us Thomas Freeman, our exeicio student board member. Welcome. >> Thank you. Um yeah, so as mentioned before, the football team capped off a great season, but looking uh looking towards what's been going on in school, the SFL um is running the holiday ball day tomorrow, which is a fundraiser 33 basketball tournament. The one love Um the one love club ran a awareness drive which they handed out free hot chocolate with um cups with one love messages upon them. We had the village food drive which is still going on. We had the craft sale that occurred over the weekend um and everyone and we had the Gatsby trip to the city which was a huge success and um I
003was annoyed to miss it but you know >> you had more important things. Um but yeah, everyone's excited towards break. The seniors are excited for applications coming back out and the school's really just now just um going swimming late. Everyone's excited uh for after break and the end of quarter. >> Thank you so much. >> Thanks, Thomas. >> Thank you. >> And congratulations. >> Yeah, congrats. Football. Amazing. >> And college. >> Yeah, college. >> College. >> That part I didn't know about. Have to ask. >> Oh. It's a good one. >> It's a good one. It's a good one. All right. >> Um, you're welcome to continue with us or >> you can hang and be the first one to hang for the whole really good one. I just heard >> Oh, yeah. [laughter] >>
004Yeah. You have three tests to make up. Go. >> Thank you so much. Congratulations. [applause] It is now my absolute pre pleasure to introduce our interim principal and assistant principal Adrienne Leightman and Dr. Michelle Tween. And they have some very important teachers and students to introduce. So we thank you so much for being with us today. Come on up. And this is our portion of the meeting um that is our Bronxville Promise in action. Okay, good evening everyone. The elementary school is excited to highlight our work focusing on innovation which is a key pillar of course of the Bronxville promise. A question we are often asked is how do you actually teach innovation? Um, in fact, innovation is a skill that can be taught and practiced. And through the design thinking process, students learn a
005structured approach to identifying problems, generating ideas, and developing creative solutions. Many well-known innovations, as we know, such as Airbnb and the Apple iPhone, have emerged from this very process. This evening, you will hear from our fourth grade teachers and student innovators as they share how they use design thinking to address a possible real world problem in creative and meaningful ways. Michelle, >> it is my pleasure to introduce our fourth grade team, some of our fourth grade team, um, Kate Rainey, Heather Durtis, Lauren Wright, and the stars of our show, Renley Dennis and Shawn Mahoney. [applause] We have some materials here for you. So, in fourth grade, we study the history of New York State. We start by learning about the geography and then we move into Native Americans and throughout the year, uh, we take
006it all the way up to immigration in the 18 and 1900s. So, prior to this unit you're going to hear about tonight, students learned about Native Americans. They researched their culture and through this research we really helped them to learn that the Native Americans were the first innovators of the land. The students also had the opportunity to practice some of the skills the Native Americans had because they created replicas of wigwams and long houses um just like the Native Americans had used their natural resources. So then our goal was to continue this conversation around innovation and bridge what we had learned about Native Americans with some more modern innovators. And we really wanted to look at different errors and look at innovators from diverse backgrounds and really help the students to see that innovation and
007innovators exist in every time period and across every culture. So we're going to explain a little bit about how we did that. >> Go to the next slide. Thank you. Um, so the social studies standards really guided us through the development of the first part of this unit. The students researched innovators that had a connection to New York State in some capacity. It was a diverse group of innovators that spanned over many years including John D. Rockefeller, Nicola Tesla, Vera Wang, Emily Robling, Grace Hopper, and Lewis Latimer. Um the students were divided into groups to research and then develop a presentation that answered the guiding questions that you see here on the slide such as how did the innovator come up with their idea? How did the innovator get help from others? What did the
008innovator do when they reached an obstacle? And how did the innovator make change? And what they also realized through this process is that innovators don't have to be inventors. Innovators like Sean studied Lewis Latimer is someone who improves upon an idea that was already invented. And that is really important as well. I remember when Sean actually was doing his research, he was like, but he didn't actually invent anything. But we tal we realized that he actually improved so many things that had already been invented. Um, if you want to click the Oh, wait. Actually, can you go back? There should be. Um, so then we knew we wanted an interactive part of this unit and we went back and forth about what to do. Ultimately, we brought a project that Miss Rainey had actually done
009pre in a previous school um because we realized how well it connected with a real problem that Bronxville has, which is flooding. And so the task of building a floating school came to Bronxville. Um and Miss Rainey will go more into the design thinking process which led us to building this part. Um, but in this part, the students become innovators themselves and they answer the essential question based on what you learned about the qualities and strengths of innovators, how can we develop an idea that will benefit our community? Okay, perfect. Um, and we actually when we initially designed this unit, we didn't have this as part of it, but then we use the Bronxville Promise language as a bridge between these two parts of the project. Um, and we also change the language. That's the
010standard. The New York State standard says entrepreneur, but we changed the language of our unit to innovator. Um, now in the second part of the unit, now you can go to the perfect. Um, in the second part of the unit, the students are becoming innovators themselves and they are developing a set of criteria to connect their innovator research to guide their hands-on experience. So, first we asked students what were words, ideas, or phrases that they would use to describe an innovator. You can see some of their brainstorming there. Um, and they recorded these ideas with their research group on chart paper. We have the students do a gallery walk around the classroom and observe repeating words, ideas, and phrases across the groups. So, you can see that on the bottom right of the slide, and
011you also have some of that work in your uh packet. Um, and we also looked at the language of the Bronxville Promise as part of this step. Um, next, we had students brainstorm I can statements uh to represent what they wanted to be as an innovator. We shared as a class and then the students use this criteria to develop a class innovation criteria for success. So you can see it says things like I can overcome obstacles. I can change the community or world into a better place. I can be an inspiring leader. I can persevere. I can be curious. I can take risks. I can be a creative and critical thinker. Um and they use this criteria when they were given the floating schools task in which they needed to become an innovator. And now
012Kate will talk about design thinking. Okay. So we used the design thinking model to um make this whole section of the project. It was the framework for the second part of the project. So the first stage empathy is a very important one and that's where all the students take time to reflect about how flooding has personally affected them. This fourth grade class all had a joint memory of wanting to go to that Pete the Cat assembly and having to evacuate the school due to a flood. So that was very prominent and something that really affected them and made them feel like this was an important topic to explore and fix this issue. So during the define um stage of the design thinking model, fourth graders first attend an assembly that Dan Carlin leads in the
013auditorium. Um so they learn all about the history of the flooding flooding in the Bronxville school. They learn through pictures of the actual damage and flooding and they also learn about how much it costs to improve the school and fix those damages. Then they watch videos of floating schools in Bangladesh uh during the monsoon season so that students can learn safely in these school boats during the monsoon season and don't need to miss out on any learning. Then we watch videos from FEMA that talk about how they've rebuilt houses in Florida and South Carolina to withstand severe flooding from hurricanes. So during the ID8 stage, that's when students put all of everything that they learn during the define stage and everything they've been through during the empathy stage and they really plan with their groups.
014They make a blueprint for a prototype that they want to build. So they can take one of two approaches really. either they make a floating school or they make a a school that's up on stilts so that the water can't reach the school building. During the testing stage, this is where things get really fun. So, we put their prototype in a bin of water and then we blow a blow dryer at it to simulate the raising water levels and the high winds and students need to see if their prototype actually works. Um, so we test inside the prototype, make sure that there's no water inside, that it's dry. So if they fail, they go back and they revise. They bring back their prototype and they retest and they keep retesting until they succeed. Some groups
015who succeed early on, they get a challenge. So either build a second floor of your school or build a playground that goes around with your school. So then they can also retest and they can make new revisions to their building. Um the example on the end that you see is actually an interesting example because this group um they were the last to finish in my class. However, what they did during the whole process was they watched every single test. And as they saw the tests and what failed and what worked, they actually were revising during the building process. So what they came with was a model that worked right away. It had a lot of the challenges that I had given other students. So that was their own revision process that they actually worked on
016while they were working and and revised based on the successes and failures of other buildings and prototypes. Um the reflect stage is the last stage of the design thinking model, but that actually happens throughout the whole process. So you can see in your handouts, that's really the whole reflection. Every single stage of the process, students go into their journals, they reflect, they write personal anecdotes, they share what they're thinking and what their plans are. And then of course, we do a reflection at the end where they can talk about what went well, what were the challenges, and how they're going to use this to become innovators in the future. We have our first student. >> Hi, my name is Friendley and I'm a fourth grader in Miss Wright's class. I think an innovator is somebody
017who is hardworking, creative, improves and fixes things, and always tries new things. I was an innovator during the floating schools project by improving the way my boat floated. The first time we thought it was going to sink because the boat had cardboard at the bottom. So, After a while, the cardboard would start to get soggy and sink. So, we improved our design by adding plastic wrap and actual plastic carpets. It made our school more sustainable and sturdy. For the design inside the school, we wanted to make it comfortable and a good learning space for the students. So, we added tables, chairs, computers, and pencil cases. We kept adding and improving, so we were never really finished with it. Our group tried new things by adding styrofoam to the bottom, but that didn't work. And then
018we tried popsicle sticks to hold up our roof, but that was too small. And then making our solar panels, we were going to use just tape, but then we tried tin foil and it worked much better. So sometimes our ideas worked, but if they didn't, we worked together and came up with a new idea quickly. [applause] Hi, [clears throat] my name is Sean and I'm a fourth grader in Miss Wright's class. I think innovators create something. They think critically and they're constantly improving ideas. We were innovators by repairing the boat if it started to sink. At first, we only had two bottles on the sides, but we realized we had to add more bottles to the back and the side to keep the whole thing afloat. So, we improved our design and our idea. We
019had to keep thinking of ways to solve problems. It wasn't just the bottom that was the problem. It was also the top because we made the platform not sturdy enough. It held up. It was held up by straws and it was too topheavy. We improved it by taking some of the weight off the top and readjusted the straws. Our group had to think critically to find out how to solve the problems we encountered. We also had the challenge of not only being only being able to use the resources that we had because they were limited. So sometimes we had to think of new a new idea if we didn't have the materials we needed. [applause] >> Do we have any questions or >> that was amazing guys? >> Really really amazing. >> Did you enjoy
020this? [laughter] >> Did you find some materials work better than others? >> Yeah. Um, I felt like the anything plastic made the boat um, more sturdy and like basically anything plastic helps the boat. So, we used a lot. >> Yeah. Like plastic and the tape because the tape like >> Amazing. Sealed it, right? >> Yeah. >> Great work, guys. So, well [applause] done. Thank you for being here tonight. I know it's late for a school night for you teachers also. So, thank you. [snorts] >> Get home safely. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Well done. >> I think that's the highlight of Dan Carlin's years when he [laughter] gets to that assembly. >> It's the Q&A, the questions and answers. I'd still be there if they didn't cut it
021off. [laughter] >> That's great. Um, I'm gonna move on to my highlights. Uh, so I want to start off um by giving the community an update on our study group. Um, as I committed to, we held our first study group meeting last week. And to remind everyone, our members include district leadership, Dan Carlin, our assistant superintendent for business, Ann Meyer, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Anthony Vaga, our director of PE, health, and athletics, and Mike Lee, our facilities director. In addition, we had our board facilities committee, uh, which is Susan Kf, Sarah Kenny, and Eddie Lennon. and then six community members, Anthony Savali, Jonathan Davis, Holt Godard, Carrie Long, Brian Cestack, and Neil Strsky. Uh so the purpose of this initial session was to define the problem we were looking to solve and that
022relates to field availability during daylight hours. What also uh came up in discussion was the bus driver shortage as well as referee shortage. So we reviewed all of those challenges. The group discussed some unanswered questions and brainstormed potential solutions. Each member was delegated a follow-up task to research that will be discussed at our next scheduled meeting which is on Tuesday, January 6th. So I appreciate everybody's understanding that we have this process in place. Uh we are engaged in this process and we will certainly keep the community ab breast um as we do our research and hopefully come up with some solutions. I'd also like to give some highlights from three of our schools. Um in the high school many electives are progressing well. These are taught by our students and four options that are currently
023being offered this quarter are figures in focus, an intro to web development, basics of military history and mission to action, developing a startup. Um course selection process will commence upon our return from the holiday recess and the course catalog has already been shared with the high school families. High school clubs have organized a series of successful fundraisers and food drives to support various groups and organizations throughout this holiday season. We had uh last weekend to uh support our football championship game and to uh support school spirit, we had a fan bus um that left here at some god-awful hour that Saturday morning. Um I app uh very grateful to the chaperons um and they rode up to Syracuse and helped cheer on um the championship game. Um in performing arts uh we have had our
024secondary concerts for orchestra and band and they were held last week and truly spectacular and we look forward to the chorus concert tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Um, in middle school, our seventh graders continued the tradition of the Graham Windham project. This service-based project attempts to make the holidays a little happier for children who need some extra support, especially around the holidays. Our students did an incredible job collecting, gathering, wrapping, and supporting one another and this project. Yesterday, two full truckloads of gifts were delivered. And according to principal Joe Mccora, it was the biggest collection we've had in a decade. Incredible. Um, and in our elementary school, um, every grade has been welcoming families in for the holiday breakfasts. For first grade, the breakfast was preceded by the coral concert led by our
025elementary music teacher, Marina Brown. Uh, first graders also enjoyed viewing the premiere of their B3 recess movie. First graders spent time researching solutions to common recess challenges and collaborated with filmmakers from the Bronxville Picture House to film how-to scenes that model positive problem solving um that uh is needed on the playground. Uh once again, fifth grade student council led a successful drive this time for toys for tots. And we're excited to announce that the following elementary school musicians were accepted into the elementary school allount band and all county orchestra. William Darwin on baritone, Emily Fong on violin, and Usay Taketa, Emily Cow, and Sophie Schneider on the viola. Congratulations to all of them. And finally, we're gearing up for the elementary school play, Frozen Jr. And uh we couldn't be able to do that without
026uh the um support of the PTA and Basque. And so we thank them for coordinating the elementary school theater performance. So, thank you everybody. And now we're going to move on to personnel. >> Yep. >> Uh quick agenda this evening. you have before you. We have a revised uh list of curriculum leaders, team leaders, and teacher mentors. And that's based on um movement due to leave replacements. You do have before you two leave replacements for the elementary school as well as um a teacher aid resignation and a replacement. And then I'm pleased that we have a few uh new substitute teachers as well as a new teacher resident. Um, also before you is a resolution to create a new civil service position entitled bus driver maintenance. And although we don't have someone yet to fill
027that, we're hoping we will shortly. Um, so I'm asking you to consider items A through P tonight, please. >> Take them together, honey. >> Any any questions for Rachel and the personnel? >> All right. Motion to approve the personnel action items, please. >> Motion. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Great. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Dan. Um, we have a financial update which is pretty much uh very close to the previous month. The projection is conservative and it remains unchanged. I'm confident in projecting at least a $100,000 surplus from salaries in the current year resulting in uh from the replacement of retired employees. I'm still guarded where the overall expenditures are looking at this point for the full year. So I'm not yet comfortable enough to project a further surplus uh from
028expenditures uh as we're still dealing with the impact of the last few inflationary years. uh revenues uh continue to project a surplus uh as both non-resident tuition and interest earnings will be favorable for the year. Um thus I'm forecasting a combined uh surplus of about $400,000 uh which gives us a decent start going into the budget season. Um happy to answer any questions. hearing none. I just uh want to say something about [snorts] uh budget development for 2026 2027. I anticipate getting the first draft of the budget out by the end of this week. Um uh then uh the finance committee will review it in uh January and talk about it a little bit and then the whole board will get together uh either I think last week in last Saturday in March or the
029first one in February around that time. Saturday, >> January um for a uh Saturday morning review and uh um what I've seen so far is that we have some recent news regarding some of the budget assumptions. uh preliminary health insurance rates are out um for our Swiss chip program. That's going to be an increase of between eight and 9% which is uh unfortunately consistent with the industry and trend. Um and we're working on developing our own uh alternative uh which eventually could help uh impact this trend. And uh Swiss Chip, I found out this week, is also looking to develop an alternative highdeductible option in response uh primarily to pressure from uh from some of the people at this table. >> What do you know? That's amazing. >> Good news. And um we also received
030our taxbased growth factor uh which is going to be uh 36 basis points which uh increases our um allowable tax levy um to about 2.36%. Um we still have one more piece and that's state aid which will impact that. Um and we've received uh the range for teacher retirement system contributions uh which is down from 9.59% to a range of between 8 and 1/4 to 8 1.5% that was announced this week. Um which at the top range repres top of the range represents an 11% reduction which is very good news. um still up in the air until I finish later this week, but it it's it's possible um that we will either request an override of the cap for the first time ever um as as as inflation is is really catching up to us
031specifically with contracted services and supplies and and things of that nature or have some tough decisions over the next few months. But uh I'll have a better idea once it once I get everything done over the next couple of days. We have a financial action item. Um we finalized a contract with uh strength beyond the barbell which uh for the last two years has been a um uh a uh foundation grant which provides strength and conditioning services to our student athletes in all three seasons. Um it uh it it's been by all accounts very successful. Um I think uh and our athletic director and our prior athletic director were big supporters of this um student athletes that I've spoken with uh uh love that love it. I think truthfully if you just look at it
032our football team really finished the season with very few injuries this year. That's what that's what I judge is how many people were walking around on crutches by the end of the season and you know they were pretty much at full strength. Uh which is uh you know I think the proof is in the pudding there. Um so uh I think the prior athletic director and and and Anthony I think both recommended continuing this. So, uh, we have the contract finalized, um, and we'd like to continue her again for this year. And truth be told, it's retroactive because she did do the fall season. >> And, uh, there is a capital Oh, the C Alberts, the capital transfer. This is just moving the $5 million uh, from the um, construction reserve to the general fund.
033and then moving it from the general fund to the uh capital fund uh as approved by the voters in May. This is just the counting to do it. >> So Dan on the strength and conditioning contract um this did this start as a foundation grant? >> Yes, for two years. And so we're we've we've been so happy with it that we're making it a part of our >> this is that's the way a lot of the innovations from the foundation work is they give us the seed money to experiment >> and this is an experiment that we're seeking to continue. >> No, that's great. >> So I mean >> much much thanks to the foundation as always. >> Okay. We take these together, kind. >> Yes. >> Any other questions for Dan? Uh, can I
034have a motion to approve the financial action items, please? >> Motion. >> All in favor? >> I um moving on to facilities. you know, we're kind of there isn't a lot going on, but there has been a lot going on and there's about to be a lot going on. Uh we're in between um our current projects, which is the uh vestibule is pretty much done with uh the exception of the doors um which were we were told would be available by Thanksgiving. And both Mike Lee and I shook our heads every time they told us that. Uh and it turns out we are right. Uh they're delayed until the new year. Uh contractor will be out here as soon as they arrive to install the final doors and uh the trim around the fire shutters
035and let us know when when all that is complete and then uh we'll be in the punch list phase. Good news is despite taking a little longer because of supply chain issues for doors and doors and windows just we've had this issue for years now. Um uh very successful project. No change orders on the vestibule. Um flood pump shelter. Uh same thing. That's pretty much done. The only we're there's a change order on the agenda tonight and that was a request by us. It had nothing to do with uh any discovered conditions or flaws in design or anything like that. Um, we want to try and uh protect the the fence, the viewing of the pumps from Midland Avenue, uh, with an opaque PVC uh, finish on that. Um, and that's the only change order
036in that project so far, and it fits fits well within the allowance for the project. Uh, it's a a change order for $22,35. and the uh the size of this project had a $50,000 allowance attached to it. So, we're actually probably going to spend a little more than $25,000 less than anticipated on this project. The vestibule had a smaller allowance, but it was an allowance nonetheless. We'll probably spend uh a little less on that as well. >> Thanks for managing that those projects, Dan. You and Michael doing a great job with that. Thank you. And uh you know uh I think we had we had a meeting earlier today and had discussion with the facilities committee meeting. I don't know. Do you want to handle that Eddie? >> Um >> or do you touch on
037something? >> Oh, sure. >> Save me something though, right? >> Yeah. We we had a facilities committee meeting for the next project and uh you know, knocked on wood, things seem to be going well. the backlog at the state education department for plan review is is down to two weeks where in the past it had been like you know nine months to a year. Uh so that's moving along. Uh which is great because uh if if we get uh approvals for that, you know, by say March, we can do an April bid and be ready to to shovels in the ground this summer. um which I thought was 5050 at best. Um and that allows us to avoid an extra year of uh escalation in construction costs if we can get started this summer. Um
038and it's you know it's a lot of lot of tough ugly work. You know it's asbestous uh abatement. It's uh it's grinding and replacing mortar and brick. you know, it's stuff you don't want to do when the kids are here. And uh there's some other things involved. You know, some bathroom renovations we might be able to squeeze in this first summer, things of that nature. But uh um again, it's a it's a successful start. And we did get some good news as far as probing of the metal um uh skeleton of the D-wing that they were very worried was going to have to be replaced. Uh all the probes they did showed that it was still in good shape, which would have been the most expensive part of that project. So, we're already starting out
039with uh some decent news on that on that part. >> Thanks, Dan. not used to giving so much good news especially as far as construction. We will we will take it. Keep it coming. >> Thank you. Exactly. >> And we do have that change order u uh action item. >> Yeah. >> Um okay. We need to vote on that. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> All right. So motion to approve the change order, please. Motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. >> Um Pete McSherry is sorry he can't join us tonight. Um I don't think it's a coincidence that he is chair of the policy committee and we have a policy update. Um but I told him that it would be my pleasure to uh review this with the board. Um so
040this is a first reading uh policy update about the annual reorganization meeting of the board of education. Um New York um has changed or amended the law as it relates to this reorganization meeting and the only change is um how it is scheduled and they're moving from more of a fixed date to a more flexible window. And so the new language reads specifically that the reorganization meeting can now be held on any date on or before the Monday after the 20th day in July. Do you feel like that's a logic problem? >> A little bit. >> Pardon me. >> In July, the resolution has to be set before that date, >> right? So this is the first reading of the updated policy with this new language about the more uh flexible window. Um and then
041uh we will do a second reading next month. Um but then we are still required to set the date at some point before July. And if you ask Dan and you ask me, we would love to have this meeting still as early in July as possible. >> Yep. I got you, Dan. >> Good. Any questions on that? >> Any idea why they decided to offer more flexibility or was it >> morelexibility? >> That's it. More flexibility. [clears throat] >> Stick with it. >> Good. >> Okay. >> Thanks, Rach. >> Sure. >> Second. All >> in favor? I I agree. >> Great. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um board reports strategy and curriculum is tomorrow morning. >> Um anything from finance? >> We didn't meet. >> No, >> but we talked about finance in the
042facilities committee. Maybe >> we did. >> Yeah. Um you want to talk about a little finance? just we reviewed the most recent rate sheets and um discussed the implications of rates not quite being where we hope they'll be. Um, we talked about the pros and cons of a longer amortization versus a shorter amortization with certain members of the committee preferring shorter. And um you know there's just still as Dan pointed out so many moving parts we need um once we get estimates in um or actually once we get bids back really that's when we have to take a another look at the scope of the project and what and rightsize it based on what kind of borrowing capacity that we have. >> Thanks [clears throat] Susan. Um, I guess to follow up on some of
043the items that Dan mentioned from the facilities committee meeting, I [clears throat] think we're looking at this as a a two-year project, two summers. Um, the first one based on the lead time for new windows. The first summer would probably be more interior work. Um, so all of the asbesus abatement hopefully would get done in the first summer. Um, classroom renovations, bathroom renovations, and then in the second summer we could focus on um, window replacement and the brick work. Um so that's kind of what we were discussing based on um what the engineers and architects were recommending. Um but we can circle back with that um probably in the new year and uh finalize that a little bit more once as Susan mentioned we start to um health and safety was pretty quick this time
044around. Um not much Rachel ran the meeting. Vic Pini's father passed away so we're saddened by that. Uh, [clears throat] not a whole lot going on. >> Yeah, we fixed the We were having trouble with the gate at the elementary playground that has of the fob. Um, and [clears throat] uh, Mike Lee worked with the contractor to get that fixed. Um, we have very few incidents of lice in the elementary school, which is always a hot topic at health and safety. Um, our fire drills and lockdown drills are both going according to plan. Um we're very grateful to the police department. They participate in our lockdown drills where they do a um where they come in um and they have to find the perpetrator which is thick. Um so it gets the especially some of
045the newer officers familiar with our building. You know we have four different wings. Um, and so that's a really good practice for them and for us. Um, and all of our students and employees really handle it very very well. >> Thanks, Rich. Do you want to touch on foundation for Pete? >> Sure. Um, so the foundation um is underway this year with doing a number of um fundraisers. They had the Katie Welling Memorial uh run, which is historically the Saturday uh following um Thanksgiving. And so it's always um a beautiful event in honor of Katie and seeing so many alum um come back uh for that. Um they are in they are just starting uh SIP and shop. [snorts] How do I not know that? Sip and Shop. Um, so I encourage all of you
046to look at that um um at that advertisement and uh to um participate uh because it it benefits the school. And um also just a reminder to everyone uh to become a PTA member as well as to um do what they can in terms of donating to the foundation um because their support through uh the annual grants has really been extraordinary for the school. >> Thank you [clears throat] to the foundation everything you guys do. Uh Sarah PTA >> um not much to update except uh the PTA hosted um a lovely holiday team for all the staff um last week and it's a nice way to kick off the holidays and thank everybody for what they do and we also want to thank the PTA and wish them happy holidays and for all that you
047do for our school and our kids. Um we greatly appreciate it. So >> thank you PTA as always. Appreciate everything you guys do. Can I just ask um sorry uh on the health and safety? Yes, Rachel. I know you were uh talking about our partnership with the police department. >> Is there any conversation about the SRO that we had discussed with the community before? Is there where is that exactly? >> Um so there uh is a bit of good news there um in that the uh village board um approved an additional officer in their budget. um which they are hoping can be used toward the SRO position here at our school. Um and after that uh they had some retirements and resignations. So they are working um to hire um they had at least at
048one point five openings um and so they are working um to make those hires and once they are fully um outfitted with the uh proper number of or their um the number of officers then we can engage them in a conversation about what that program could look like. Is >> there any conception. I mean, is any expectation on your part about is that six months off or a year off or is where where is that? >> I um you know, there wasn't a hard deadline, but there is hope that they will um be finished with this hiring in the winter. Um so, we may be able to start engaging in conversations with what that program can look like uh late winter of this year. Okay. >> Thank you. >> You bet. Thank you, Rachel. >>
049Um, well, >> I I just want to say audit committee, we'll probably look to schedule a meeting the first week we're back uh because we are going to have the draft of the debt investments and cash and internal audit uh to review with the audit committee. So, look for that probably going maybe a save the date going out in the next two two days from uh Kathleen. And those are usually Zoom meetings anyway. So, >> and that was this year's risk assessment. >> Uh, yeah, that was the focus audit area and then they move right into the risk assessment after the break anyway. >> Oh. To see what we'll do next. Very good. >> Thank you, Dan. >> Thanks, Dan. >> Um, our next meeting is January 14th at 6 PM. We also have a
050budget workshop on Saturday, January 31st at 9:00 a.m. for anybody tuning in. And this is the time where we open the floor to public comments if anybody has anything. Anything online, Brad? >> Anything else? >> So, [clears throat] thanks for getting back to me. So, we have nothing on the uh lights of I thought we were going to discuss that the meeting the field lights. >> Yes. So that was the study group update that I gave. Um so we are not at the point where we can make a recommendation one way or the other. We are we are exploring all solutions uh with lights being one of them. Um so we will continue to keep the community ab breast of the work of this study group. Um, and what we would anticipate is once the
051study group's work is complete, we would have more of a public forum to kind of share out broadly uh what the work of the study group has been. >> Okay. >> In addition to lights, we're looking at our other fields available um more so than we have access to them right now. handle field being one in East Chester. You [clears throat] know, we we pay 33% of the taxes to East Shster and we only get the field for one day, one night during the week. So, we're looking at that, how we could potentially add capacity there. We're looking at um speaking to the county on um Scouts Field, how we could potentially add capacity there. Um Iona, so there's there's other things that we're looking at as well. um possibly turfing the remaining grass uh
052to add more practice space if that was something that the community was interested in exploring. So um ongoing conversation, no decisions are being made until the public is fully aware of all of the options and the conversation takes place a lot broader than it is right now. >> Yeah. Okay. So I was just this is my first time I've come to a meeting and generally I'm I'm very much pro school with the pumps and everything else. I've never pushed back the lights. Uh it's kind of like obviously it's a shock because we uh we're all very close to the field on my block and the town and want to be involved in the process as much as possible. So that's why I >> Well, thank you for coming. I second everything just said. Is there
053any anticipated timing for the public forum that you're thinking about? So, um I don't want to evade your question, but we've just we had the first meeting of the study group December 8th. We have this next meeting January 6th. I would anticipate that we're going to have at least a third meeting, if not a fourth. And then after that, I would say we would have the public forum so that um we can go wide with everything the study group has researched. Okay. Um, so I want to say March, April, but don't quote me because I don't have a full appreciation for the work of the study group yet. >> Is that the primary mechanism by which uh community feedback would be associated or would the study group consider that as well in the meantime? So
054the way that I see the sequence of events is for this study group to do the research to share that wide with the community and then to hear community feedback. So no decision will be made without more community feedback. >> Okay. Appreciate >> of course >> feel free to share any comments, concerns, opinions in between now and then obviously if you if you if something's on your mind. Thank you. Thanks for coming out today. >> Thanks for your service. >> Thank you. Um All right. If that's all we've got, nothing online, Brad. >> Okay. Uh can I have a motion to adjurnn the meeting, please? >> Motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Happy holidays, everybody. >> Happy holidays. Thank you.