001Good evening and welcome to CO City School District Board of Education meeting today, June 11th. We call the meeting order at 6:03 p.m. Uh, emergency evacuation procedures. We have the two exits here on the side and the one um in the middle that you came in and we would just meet out front. If you could please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic it stands under justice. Thank you. Can we please have a roll call? Mr. Jackson here. Mrs. Snider here. Here. Mrs. Paradis here. Here. Mrs. Burwell here. Mrs. together. I'm here. First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming. Um, before we begin tonight, I'd like to take a moment to honor uh a valued member of our
002team, Mr. Jim PCEL, who recently passed away. Jim served as a maintenance mechanic here for many years. He was dedicated employee, high highly respected by his peers, uh known as a true Mr. Fixit, and a true friend to those who knew him. So please join me now for a moment of silence to remember him. Thank you. Now before we move on to our agenda, we also are here tonight to celebrate the very heart of our organization, our people. Um, we have the privilege in honoring individuals whose work that could is continuing to drive us towards progress and also those with long-standing service and mentorship who have built who we are today. So, we're here to celebrate both of our tenure recipients um who are achieving significant milestones in their career as well as our retirement
003candidates who are preparing to embark on a new uh chapter in their lives. Um each of you individuals here um have poured their talent and passion and time into our school community building it to be the very foundation that we stand on today. Your contributions have made a real difference and we are profoundly grateful that you've all chosen to be here in CO. So I want to first congratulate everyone um for their achievements tonight. I'm going to turn it over to Superintendent O'Shea for individual recognitions. Thank you. So on our next slide, um so first of all, we're going to recognize our retirees who are here. Some who are here with us this evening, some who are not. The principles are going to come up and and say uh a few words. Just really wish
004you the best in this exciting new phase. What a milestone. And I will miss you all tremendously. Thank you for all you have done for our students and our staff. First up, call Principal Tarla up first. We want to just acknowledge and give thanks and gratitude to Carolyn Tetro who has been a support aid at the high school for many, many years. I dare say she was an aid when I was a student there, but I don't want to offend her and accurate. Um, but Carolyn is a true team player. She has done a variety of things for the school over the years. She was always uh at every sporting event that she could be at, school event, anything she could do to go above and beyond in her role. Um, you could count on
005her to to hold down the fort. Uh, whether it's quiet study, we weren't messing around with that pass system, Miss Teddra. Uh, but she's a wonderful woman. and we will miss her and um she's been a great contributor to this CO school community for many many years. So congratulations to Carolose Middle School. Good evening everyone. I want to say first of all that the middle school is losing a combined total of 100 years of experience among four teachers um two teachers and two teaching assistants one of whom is here to me so I'll start with her um Mr. Gendra has been a teacher in the district for a whopping years. I don't know how she did that because that's almost as old as I am. But in all seriousness, I've only known Miss Jenner for
006four months. And I tell you, I say this sincerely that Miss Gender is one of those teachers I would hate to lose. She's a true Martin. She's a disciplinarian. She does not accept any garbage. I listen to her every day on the radio. I see her in her classrooms and she does what she's expected to do and she requires the kids to do what they are supposed to do. She does not take any excuses. So, Miss Jen, it was a pleasure working with you and I know this is really going to include the true ass. But I say this, you probably find yourself drawing back into the professional life somewhere I come up. We have a little certificate story and you are more than welcome to say anything. Oh yeah, Mrs. Seriously, I blinked and
00733 years have gone by. Um, I can't thank the Co City School District enough, all of you for this opportunity to spread my love for physical education. I hope that you understand that it is so important um for our students um to live physically active lives. And that hopefully is what I've imparted upon each and every one of you and all of the students that I have taught some who are sitting at this meeting and I was surprised when I started the age of 15 but uh I thank you tremendously for the opportunities that I have been um privileged to be a part of in the co city school district and um I am continuing doing at Russell Sage. I'm going to because I I can't stop. I love what I do. Um I'm going
008to be an assistant professor of school education at Russell Sage full time. So that hopefully I will see them at Russell Sage. This isn't the last time they'll see me. So thank you all. Also on my list is um Mr. Dan Gibson. Mr. Gibson is a physical education teacher here in the middle school and has been here for 26 years. So if you do the math, we're out of 60 already. Um he's not here tonight, but I can say this even behind his back that Mr. Gibson is also a strong teacher. Um, I call him old school. He really is old school. Um, he reminds me of the teachers I had, though he's not as old as I am. He's a young guy, but he reminds me of the kind of teachers I had. Um,
009very by the book person, no nonsense person. And again, I guess it probably rubbed off on Terry or Terry rubbed off on him because I know some people. But again, it was a pleasure working with Mr. Gibson. Um, and I really wish him well in his retirement. And I'm going by the numbers. So, the next person I have, having served 21 years in the district, is Miss Lynn Hunter. Um, Miss Hunter works with some of the most vulnerable students we have in the building. Um, the ones who probably would have been invisible if it weren't for her. Um, I've seen how she works with them. She's a very nurturing, very kind person, very caring and she takes her time with them knowing that they are developmental dis disabled some of them and not as quick
010as others are and she's a very patient person. She was made for that role. Um, and she has been here for 21 years working with that population. And I know that Mr. Quinn is going to miss her assistance working in this classroom and those students are going to miss her daily. Um she's a true professional. So congratulations. And my final person is Miss Terry Roomhead. U Miss Roomhead has been here for 20 years. Um she's a teacher teacher assistant. But I tell you this and I would say it in front of her. If you were to go to any of her classes and watch her work, you would not know that she's a teacher assistant. She teaches. She has those kids students working with them in small group. I observed her and it was one
011of the best observations I've ever seen a teacher assistant do anywhere. Hands down. So, she's a true professional and definitely someone the district is going to miss, but she has earned it after 20 years. So, congratulations, Miss Rub. That was it for the middle school. Fortunately, because we're losing a 100 years, like I say, of experience. So, congratulations. Thank you. for Harmony Hill School. Mr. Perry, Principal Perry, thank you. Um, all the retirements are are tough, but this one's a really tough one, and this one kind of makes you a little bit a little bit upset because we're we're going to be losing so much talent. Chris Quinnary is the ultimate professional. She cares about her kids more than anybody I've ever met. It's such a joy to watch her teaching because I've learned more
012about reading watching her over the years over the 15 years that I've known her. Um it's just a joy to watch her. She inspires the kids. She knows every single thing about every single kid that she teaches. She goes to our meetings and talks about them um and knows them inside and out. every single aspect of their of their education. She knows um she's done a little bit of everything. She taught two years in development. Um their lifespan of behavior development teachers about four years. She spent four years there and then came to the high school for a year and then Harmony is a reading teacher. We are uh I'm I'm happy but sad. I'm happy that she's finally getting uh to be able to go. She's actually I'm amazed she found this picture because
013this is where she's moving. He's pretty much a thumb out. You know it or not, but she was a bar owner as well. She had a bar quarters and out of there, too. So, I'm off. But I I do have to ask you, Miss O'Shea, if I can pay her to to every year build my schedule because she has a brain. She can look at the schedule. Mr. Van Djk and I we look at that thing. It's like, oh, how do we put these things in? Chris, do that thing. and she'll and she'll she'll rock it right now. So, she's a phenomenal person, a phenomenal educator. Um, I wish her the best of luck. Thank you. Thanks. Thanks. Would you like to say anything or let them know where that picture is? So we could
014come visit. I I'm moving I'm in the process of buying a place in Costa Rica. So I'm moving in September. Wow. But I I I've loved every minute that I've worked in this district. I did not think I'd get emotional at all. I've not been emotional until this whole week. I love these kids. I love our families. I love all the people that I've worked with. And um I just I plan on taking everything that I've learned here and just continuing working with kids when I'm down in Central America. That's the plan. So, thank you. I know. Great. Good. Macy, would you mind uh speaking briefly about Will? Will uh so Will um retired from the district uh last month and for for us uh for more than 10 years. Uh he was a key
015member of our maintenance staff. Uh he was an expert in HVAC. Uh so we've got some catching up to do there. Um, and we certainly will miss Will and his expertise and uh, but we're grateful that he was able to retire and enjoy his time um, with his wife and his puppies who are his babies. So, thank you all. And then Mary Mary Ramsey I don't know Mr. Perry, who do you want to talk a little bit about Mary followed by me? Um, it was another another she uh I I've been so formitted with my secretaries because they seem to get there before I get there, which is amazing because get there, you know, there quarter to seven. She's there. She was always there. Um, she was the type of thing about things before I
016thought of her. So, that's that's what we want. Um, and that's that's the type of person she was. There she is. I I I'm sorry that stole her away from me. Excuse me. Well, and I I do want to echo. Yes. Um, you gave Mrs. Ramsey over graciously I think if I recall. Um but we I um but I do also want to recognize Mary uh on her retirement and and thank her for all her years of service and she started out I think cafeteria aid and then an aid and then No, you know what? I can tell you she did a great job bossing me around. I mean, it worked out for me. I agree. Okay. And again, congratulations to all of and thank you so much And now to another milestone, our tenure
017recipients. And at first, I'm going to call up Principal Bird from Abram Lancing. And please, I'll stand up here. Well, they're going to come stand up here when you're done. I know this isn't about I do want to say that and I hired Terry and so I have never they don't always stay with me but the next people we're going to talk about a little because I know things about them. A few years ago it was an interesting job position. somebody was moving up from Florida that was going to take any jobs they could get. And at that point, our standard was breathing. So, Ellen and I met each other. Since that time, we realized that Abram Lansing and Ellen could not survive without each other. Ellen George, who has become a valued part of
018our community, she's a matriarch of the fourth grade teachers. the other ones are 20. Um she's also newly elected about just finished her first year as a member of our leadership team and has become valuable on that part as well. So we are extremely lucky to have Ellen as a part of our team. She loves our kids and understands our kids. Very important part of our community. So Ellen, we are pleased that you are now an official forever. Sam Rosen. Sam Roden Sam I think she's been in a different position every year she's been in actually we've also just recently advised her that she's taking on a new and different challenge next year but in being in all the different grades that she's worked with her enthusiasm her professionalism her dedication to our kids has
019encouraged every teacher that she's worked with to work in collaboration with her for the best of every student she's been involved with. This summer she's taken on new and different for her. She's going to be taking on the ESL e extended school year um classroom advanced which is a completely different experience for her but she's been chatting with me and sharing her enthusiasm of taking that on as well but she will come back this morning. Thank you. So I'm pleased to have Sam as a part of our Lancing community knowing she's going to provide excellent leadership in the leadership. Mr. Perry, harmony, huh? Um, like I said before, the the life expectancy of a of a behavior development teacher is four years. I guess the life expectancy of a TA in a behavior development room
020is three because she was there for three years. Michelle was in the behavior development room for three years and now is a functional skills um back at work. with functional skills, but not just found skills. If you look for a teacher assistant, you want Michelle said she is the ultimate she is the silent one, but she's always gathering data about her kids. When I watch her go to her classroom, she knows a lot about every single one of her kids. Um, and when she sits down with them one-on-one, she'll bring something up about them. Bring something up about them. It's a special relationship that you have. It's um it's a busy it's a busy relationship, right? Because you never know what you're going to get there. You never know there's a chair coming at you.
021You know, you don't know. You know, if you're going to have a great day, a good day or not. But but Michelle's there. She is the ultimate professional. Michelle doesn't realize how good she is. Michelle, I've been wanting her to take the lead. I've been asking her to take the lead, but she just doesn't understand how good she is. Um and and you know we're we're happy to have lucky to have her and uh um we're just wish her well in her functional skills um new life that she has and uh someday she's going to take that lead. I know she will. So congratulations. Next up, Vans Sky Grade School Principal Chair. Good evening. I'm here for um Karen Vor who is our school psychologist at Vans Sky Grade School. As many of you know,
022um, if you've been on the board for a number of years, um, up until four years ago, Vance Sky never had a full-time school psychologist at our building. Um, we always shared and we we liked doing that. Um, appreciated um, who we shared with, whether it was Harmony Hill or middle schools. Um, but we didn't know what we were missing having a full-time school psychologist in our building. So even though the the school psychologists we shared would come down and they do the professional job of the evaluations and meeting with parents and holding those meetings and did it wonderfully. We didn't know the other part we were missing by having the school psychologist in our building which was the um working with the peers, the classroom teachers, getting to know our students as Vansike students
023and her being the Vanspike school psychologist and our families who know that when they're working with her, when she has to call and make those phone calls or meet with them to talk about evaluations, they know that she is part of their community and part of our school. So what she has brought for us, the position that you gave us, um has been um absolutely outstanding for our community. Um and on top of all that, um she has really immersed herself into our character ed and our PBIS committees, um which adds so much to our environment, um at Vans great school. So I am truly honored that she is at Vansite and a part of our um Vansite family. Um congratulations to Karen. in Cose Middle School. Dr. person. However, I don't know what Mark
024and he have the same initials, but I beg and I um so the next person um we have um to discuss is Sandra R. Sandra is a teacher in the middle school and I recently I had the the opportunity to observe so many teachers this year uh more than I expected coming in in February, the end of February. But it was good that I was able to because I I was able to observe Sandre's lessons more than once but unofficially. And I'm always impressed with the way she has that rapport with her students. I don't know if it was the subject matter that she was teaching. The last time I was there, actually, excuse myself, midway almost to the end of it because students were a little timid to ask their personal questions while I
025was there. Don't know why. But she was able to teach his students some sensitive topics and she was able to do it with a straight face and I admired her for that. She has these students eating out of her hand. She so she she's a very personable person and one that the students are really in touch with. She is going to be a tremendous asset to this district and to the middle school. So Sandra, wherever you are, congratulations. I know I'm leaving. I'm glad this school is inheriting you. So, congrats. And principal Tarlo. Um, so Dana Deljio is our high school social worker and the reason she's not here this evening is essentially the reason, one of many reasons that she's amazing and it's because she's on a senior field trip down to the American
026dream wall and and doing more than she's ever asked to do and volunteering out of the kindness to be with kids. Um, Dana is quiet. She's a woman of good words. Uh but she is a woman who supports kids fiercely whether it's staying after school, making sure that there is closure on an important situation. Um taking the positivity project forward and making sure that over the summer she has organized it all so it can be sent out and shared in advance so everyone feels comfortable and has time whether it's coaching, athletics, and other passionate things that she loves. And her card uh that she was dealt is that she's been in between uh other social workers. She's supposed to be the second social worker and she's by herself. Uh you never hear her complain. Um
027you forget that you're missing another social worker because she's such a hard worker and does everything that needs to be done. Um I still need a second social worker. She's just a fantastic young woman and uh I think her and I stole her clip. So uh I can't say enough about Dana. I'm excited to see what her future holds because she is just a wonderful all-around caring person and is really committed to the kids of go. So congratulations to Dana. So in a few minutes we are going to mingle with you at a reception to recognize and honor you. Congratulations all of the tenure recipients and uh your future is bright, our future is bright to be able to work with you. Um we're going to ask you to just please bear with us. It'll
028be a very brief meeting, just a very few items on the agenda. Um and then we're going to break. I promise it's going to be short. Thank you. Um the only uh update I have um is that I wanted to uh give you all an update on the yonder roll out. I did share this with you electronically. Um but on the week of June 23rd, we're going to be sending parent communication home about the yander pouches so that parents have it before the school year ends. at July 2nd. That'll be our code of conduct public hearing with updated language incorporated and then our fourth read of the required student and personnel electronic device policy. Um throughout the summer, I know the team has already had some yonder trainings um but that will continue. We'll send
029additional parent communication. We've worked with the chief to um prepare for a meeting on August 18th, a joint presentation. Uh and we are reaching out to include parents from other schools who have implemented. So there will be a parent as as well. Um this will be before freshman orientation and then that will be um spoken about a little bit more. Then um throughout the summer, we'll also send a communication and update on the district website. Staff training is September 2nd, I believe. The first is that the right day? The first full day of staff development. It's the first full day of staff development is the training. Um when we're back to school and then uh Mrs. Tarlo, the roll out will start the very first full week of school. Is that correct? that there'll be
030conversations distribute all over all of the intricacies of that and how through your first two days of school during um grade level orientation week and then we will have a goal schoolwide on that first one day which I forget the date but as early as um and we have our letter ready to go so I will share that with you as well. Um, and as it says, we already have our other punches, so we're ready. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Well, I for one am very excited about the roll out, Mrs. Harlo. Uh, thank you so much for all your investigating into it and research and everything like that and going to the other school systems. Um, I actually had an interaction with a previous student recently that said, "I can't believe that you're
031doing that, like blah blah blah, whatever." her and I said, "I have every faith that it's going to work out. I wish you were still in school cuz I want to get that phone away from you. Um, but I absolutely have every faith that you will do what's right for the students. So, thank you. I totally agree with Sue. I had similar interaction with previous students with a previous student who um was appalled that we were doing this and I said I wish you were still in school so that you could learn to live without Capone. Exactly. So, thank you. I do. I think it's a great move forward. And just so you know, the middle and high school team have been working together every step of the way and it's going to be a
032consistent approach. Great. That's all for me. Uh Stacy, did you just a couple quick ones? Sure. Uh so we did have the results of our uh long-term borrowing our bond. U so we had five bids which was very favorable. Um and we had budgeted for 4 and a half% and it came in under three and a half% which is fantastic news. Um so that's uh represents our strong financial standing. So that was great news. Um the next time we meet, we only have one meeting in June. So the next time we meet, I'll have recommendations uh to fund the reserves for the 2425 school year. So you'll recall on the reserve plan, we're going to focus on TRS uh to get that funded as much as we can. Um and EBR. So you'll recall that
033the Gazsby standards were changing for the compensated absences. So, I was waiting on what that was going to look like. So, sick bank is a factor now and it never has been before. So, um I'll need to calculate that and then make a recommendation for you. Um so, expect that in in July, that information. And then just a quick update on audits. So, we did have MMB in. They did complete the first phase uh of the audit. So, they were in at the end of May. So, they conducted the internal controls testing. So, that's all set. So they'll come back mid August for the financials uh aspect of the audit. So they're here um midmay for a week and then we'll have uh Michael Wolf's team back next week to conduct the risk assessment for
0342425. So we we were behind so he just finished up uh 23 24 uh so we're having him back to do 2425. So we'll take care of that next week. Great. Okay. So, um, moving on to our agenda. Uh, does the board have any discussion of agenda items? I just have one, uh, brief note before we approve the agenda. Um, item 7P was duplicated on here. So, if we can just move the second P to a B. Yep. then I can just approve A through B. So second P um under instructional we'll move to B. Okay. Okay. Anything else? Okay. Does the community have any discussion of agenda items? Hearing none. Um, can I just get a motion that the board of education adopt the following resolutions of the June 11th, 2025 agenda? 6 A
035through K, 7 A through B, 9 A, and 10 A through B. I'll second it. We have a roll call. Mr. Jackson, yes. Mrs. Snider, yes. Mrs. Gendred, yes. Mrs. Paradis, yes. Mr. Gro, yes. Mrs. Furwell. Yes. Mrs. Keller, yes. Um, information consideration, we just approved the Yankee Trails agreement for the senior class trip to American Dream and the Wade Tours agreement um for the fifth grade class trip to Abram Lancing's uh for Abram Lancings to the Bronx Soup. So, thank you for that. And uh I want to welcome Jessica Senses to our team. She is a physical education teacher at Cahose Middle School and she's in the audience and we're so thrilled to have you. If you could just welcome, welcome. And she's been here substituting, so she's a She hasn't run away yet.
036So, she can stud. Okay. Okay. So, are there any comments from board of education members on anything not related to the agenda? Yes. I'd like to give a huge shout out to coach uh Bazinski and the entire unified basketball team. Had a huge showing um beating Shen in the finals couple weeks ago at MVP Arena and just watching that entire week competition was incredible. Such a great showing. real true basketball with kids with and without disabilities on the same court. It's there's nothing better. Um, but I also want to say having popped in and off for games throughout the week, what a great showing we had from teachers, family members, and students there. So, great job Tigers. And several of you guys were in the the audience as well. So, thank you. Great. I just
037want to uh briefly talk about our safety meeting that we had. Um, I do appreciate the collaboration that we have with the police department and the fire department. They're well represented at the meeting. Um, the mayor was also there. And there were just a couple of things. Um, and I don't know if I'm like allowed to say about the collaboration with the mayor about the 250th anniversary that he's trying to get with the school district and our kids and stuff like that. But um I just want to say that they really are there for our kids and they want our kids to succeed and brought up a lot of um different things about safety and how we can improve upon the safety and it's just it's really refreshing to hear that they're there for the
038kids and they really want to make sure that our kids are safe in school. Um they're going to be getting some more inservice training on different things that are happening. Um bomb threats. Um the whole computer fires, different things like that. But they're on I really feel like they're on the pulse of what is happening with our kids right now and they really want to make sure that our kids are safe. So, I just want to give a shout out that I appreciate everybody that was there at the meeting and appreciate that they're all just there for the kids. Great. Thank you for the update. Anybody else have anything? I just briefly wanted to congratulate the middle school on a wonderful eighth grade dance. I heard it was, you know, super spectacular. And also, um,
039the mayor's office for opening up city hall to allow for some pictures. It was a little bit of a rainy day, rainy start for the kids. they were a little disappointed. So, you know, talking about that collaboration, it was great pictures. Those pictures were beautiful. Oh my god. So, just wanted to say thank you to them um for those items or or for the eighth grade dance. Um uh just to mention to the board, our reorg meeting will be the next meeting. Um in preparation for that, we would also like to establish our summer calendar. If you can please send your vacations. I think it'll be easier for us than providing dates. If you can just send dates that you're absolutely not available to uh board clerk and we will try to get something together
040uh for for that. Um any questions from or comments from the audience on anything not related to the agenda? Mr. just accepted by staff. Thank you. Any other comments? Upcoming events. So, we have many upcoming events. giant symposium this week, senior car parade, our moving up ceremonies, promotion culminating with graduation. So, um, very exciting end of this school year, and I know I'll see many of you at these events, too. Before we, uh, move on, I just, this being the last meeting of the school year, just wanted to congratulate having all of our administrators here, congratulate them for a successful year. I know that there are always ups and downs. Um, we are so appreciative of your knowledge, your expertise, your leadership. Um, and lots of busy things happening, but they're all happy things at
041the end of the year usually. So, I hope you guys check our calendar, get out there, support our our folks, our students. Um, and just want to wish you all a a really great next couple of weeks as as we end out this school year. Um, dates for future meetings will be July 2nd right here in the library at 6 pm. At this time, we are going to take a brief recess at 6:44. We will return to open the meeting following that. Yes. Yes, Mr. [Laughter] Yes. killer. Thank you. Okay, please join us for a refresh. I'd like to call the meeting back to order at 6:56 p.m. Can I get a motion to enter into executive session at 6:56 p.m. to discuss matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, dis suspension, dismissal, or
042removal of a particular person or corporation and the superintendent's evaluation? I I'll second it. Mr. Jackson. Yes. Mrs. Snder. Yes. Mrs. Gendron. Yes. Mrs. Paradis. Yes. Mr. Gerros. Yes. Mrs. Yes. Mrs. Geller. Yes. Did you not plan on reconvening after exact session? Thank you very much.