001May I have a motion to call the meeting to order? Lisa second. Kate. All in favor? All right. May I have a motion to adjourn to executive for the purpose of personnel and legal matters? Heather second. Kate. All in favor? Thank you. We are so adjourned. I'm always Thank you. Okay. The board has returned from executive session. No actions were taken. May I have a first to return to the public meeting. Heather, may I have a second? Lisa. All in favor? Thank you. We have not done the pledge of allegiance. So, let's rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Okay, so we have
002a few agenda items here. Um, audience to visitors. Is anyone interested in coming up for audience to visitors? No. Okay. Yes. You can say whatever public comment from uh community members you want to tell. Well, you're she's here to answer. Yeah, you have to be a resident. But yeah, you're here anyway. You're here to answer questions uh in the next portion. So, additional matters. Um, the first item in additional matters is bid award bid 2025-1. Um, I believe I have to take a motion before we can have discussion. So, may I have a first bill? May I have a second? Heather, any questions, discussion? So yes, yesterday we opened the bid for the marine tanks. Uh and only one vendor, Island Fish and Reef, submitted a bid. Uh together it comes to roughly 58 almost
003$59,000 worth of equipment with a couple items that they did not bid on. Um today Erin and I we met uh we went through pricing she has from another company. Uh, and we can see that many of the items are much less expensive going through that second company. We we thought this other company was going to submit a bid, but they thought it they actually said it would come here today. We did not receive it today whatsoever. Past the bid date. Uh, I went myself and did a quick Google search, typed these in and just to see some of the pricing. Some of it's kind of hard to say like it's a glass top for a fish tank. Theirs was $20. I kind of went $20. I'm not going to argue over that. and it
004was roughly about $2,000 more looking on Google, but I can't say everything was exactly the same. I didn't have that detail. Uh my suggestion here is to reject a single bid because of the pricing. Uh we allow in our policy to wave the uh the policy if we want to go with multiple vendors that we see that may exceed the $20,000 threshold to make a purchase. anything over $20,000, we need to go out to bid for supplies. That's why we had to do this. We knew we were going to be in excess of that dollar amount. But I would prefer to see looking at multiple vendors, see if maybe Aperture, maybe their best pricing is only $18,000 worth of stuff and maybe Island Fish and Reef is comparable under that 20,000. But once we hit
005that threshold, say it comes to say Aperture is $22,000 worth of stuff. They're the best pricing, our policy says we would have to bid that out. We're kind of in this catch 22. This isn't like buying chairs or buying air conditioners. These are very specialized things. There aren't a lot of people out there who do the bids. So I'm just discussing our policy. I assume we can wave. That's different than New York law. Right. Right. We've just set a policy that says at 20,00 $20,000. Right. We will of course look for the best pricing. I mean, we have one, two, actually three where we're hitting three quotes, but it's just going over that $20,000 threshold. If Aperture continually comes in or company X continually comes in as the least expensive, but we're over. I thought
006you said we only had one bid. We only have one bid was Island Fishing. Right. Right. So when we compared the pricing to Island Fish and Reef, which was a little over $58,000 with another vendor who is not a bidder, who did not bid, they come in at about 22,000. Is that correct? And that's the one that you know that didn't that you would they do they did they bid. It just didn't get here in time. It didn't. It still hasn't gotten here. Coming from Wisconsin. They were only Miss Oan, would you mind coming to the microphone for the recording, please? Thank you. Is that on? It is very official. If it's not on, you can come use one of our microphones or use Mark. You could be Mark Italiante for the night. Join us.
007Okay. Is this a first? Yeah. Thank you. Welcome. Welcome. So, what was the question again? Oh, for Aperture. Yes, we only h we only have one bid from them because Aperture is based out of Wisconsin and the by the time the bid was mailed to them, they only had three business days to try to get it back to us. So that's why it didn't get here at the same time or in time for the bid opening on Monday. I mean, is that a big deal? Can we I know. Can we still accept the bid after the You could reopen the bid. We can reopen the bid to accept their bid as another bid. You're reopening it to everybody? Yes. Um for a period of time extending the bid. You only got one bidder. Is there
008a minimum amount of time we have to reopen it for? Can I ask you a question? So is this some like is there something that you see with this other company that you think is better or more beneficial or So I made just price, right? I made contact with a sales rep that's there and they were willing to give us a special account because they know that it's for a school um where he's not only giving us wholesale prices but 30% off those wholesale prices. So that's why I shared with Joe that you know the we could save a significant amount of money if we were able to go with them. They just haven't had a chance to get it in. And I think the reason why we were supposed to have it by Monday
009was because there was a timeline set that ordering needed to be done by Friday. in order to use the allocated funds right within the school year. How did you find this place? I'm just curious. I have no the gentleman who used to years ago help us up at the school get the whole program started. He is now working with the company in a different state. He's moved. So, um I made contact with this gentleman through him. And Miss Oshan, if we were able to ensure that the funds would be ready in time for him to get his bid in and for the order to be placed, would his equipment be in place in time for your class to run in the fall? There there are certain things that Aperture does not manufacture. They are they
010are manufacturer of these things. So, for instance, some of the um items that are on the list that Island Fish and Reef bid on, they would actually be going through Aperture to order their products. But Aperture doesn't make tanks. They make things like lighting, pumps, sumps, all the things that are needed to run the tank, but not like the actual tank. So, there's some things that we can't get through them and other So, we would have to get them through the Island Fish and Reef guys or someone else. And there was or somebody else, right? Island Fish didn't bid on some items, too. Well, and I also have a reason for that, too, because I called him and I asked him because originally he had asked me, he had given me prices when before we
011had to go out to bid for those items, and I said, "Why didn't you bid on them?" And he said that the original bid that was sent um was missing those items. That was the like the mailed package that they got. And then um the updated list was emailed to him. And so he said, "I wasn't sure if I was supposed to bid on those things because they weren't on the original bid." So interesting. Yeah. Okay. But we can re we can reopen the bid and add those items too, right? When we reopen. So, but don't we have to get it done by Monday? Only to use the funds from this year's budget. But can't we approve to move the funds into next year's budget for for purchase for per I mean it if the
012money is not used would we go to how we would reset for a reserve right and then we'd just take it from that reserve to or I mean we would we're going to have some reserve next year get it in the mail by I mean today's it's possible and we do the process today is Tuesday I It is possible get chance we could still get it by Friday. Does it have to be mailed? Can they email us a digital copy? Depends. What was How is the bid specified? Did it specify how I Why are we still relying on the post office? My Does it need to be received? Postmarked by a certain day. It was It was received by yesterday. Oh, yesterday. It had to be received by yesterday. Oh, why did I think Friday?
013No, they need to we need to approve it so they can spend the money by Friday. So the fiscal year actually doesn't end till I think Monday is the 30th. Right. Right. So actually Friday is not correct. Not Friday. It's Monday. It's Monday. You said Monday, Kate. So you No, no, it the bids needed to be received by this Monday and they were told because the funds had to be spent by this Friday, but actually Monday is the 30th and the re the fiscal year restarts on the 1st. So, um, all right. So, let's see if it comes in the mail. And in the meantime, is there any way, Joe, that we can find out if we can accept an email? You don't think so? If a bid wasn't written that way, look to see
014what was written in the bid. Okay. And when we go to relook at how we write our bids with our form, with all the information that we actually write, let's talk about the beauty of electronic mail. Um, and how perhaps that is the I hear it's the wave of the future. Wave something like that. Okay. Been around for 25 years. Do we need to But what about the approval process? Cuz because we're then we're going to have to meet again. We would have to approve. We'd have to have four of us who are available to come in to approve a bid somewhere. No, somewhere between now and Monday. I mean, I'm are a bunch of us still. I literally am just around. If you can catch me between driving kids to activities, we'll meet in
015your suburban. I could be here Friday. Come. It has no air conditioning. Don't meet in my Suburban. Bill, you said Friday. You'll note I'm not driving at Thursday. I'm not around. Friday and tomorrow. Okay. I'm not around. Miss Oan, is it possible to order the to approve the items that we know that we can't get through Aperture this evening so that at least those we don't think those would come under the threshold. I think they would they're a couple thousand dollars. We wouldn't need board approval to make that purchase. Okay. If we buy them. Oh, you don't need board approval for them. So, that's okay. You can just order them. Yeah. Wait, one thing was Oh, my glasses. One was a 500 20,000. We don't Yeah. One one was a $500 item, one was a
016$30 item. They weren't. Okay. Well, that's easy. If you if you don't get the information in time that you want and that doesn't come through by Monday and that time elapses, what what can we do? And this was a question that Alex raised before. We don't have the answer to that. Can we move it to next year's? We can. Yep. Well, we we could use money next year's money to make the purchase. We could just take it. It's how what is the total expense in it like $40,000 or something? 40,000 for that's for the supplies to for the about 40. So, I'm sure we can figure out a way to fit it into the budget for next year if we can't use this year's money. Now, that does not include the rack system. I I
017want to you know, so we received four quotes for that that range from a high of 48,000 to low of 34,000. You want to describe what they're And is that a different vendor? These are three these are four totally different vendors. But but why are we discussing that if they didn't put the bid in that? So this is they weren't part of the bid. This is um we got four quotes. Is this on the agenda for tonight? This No, we wouldn't. This is under the $35,000. So we actually wouldn't need Oh, okay. I just I I just didn't want you to think that everything was this $1 amount and we and it was so late. like why didn't why was why is this being done at the last hour? I'm just that's a great question.
018It is a great question. What's the total amount of um items we're purchasing to make this happen? So be 34 $34,300 for the racks and we don't have the the aperture bidden yet. Um but we're guessing somewhere around it was in the 40s. Is that right? The other one was in the high50s and this one was about $12,000 less was my $45,000. We're we're guesstimating. Plus, there are a couple things that Aperture didn't. No, they may have bid on everything. I don't know. But that's part of the 57,000, not 45,000. So, no. Okay. So, Island Fish put in a bid for $58,000. Okay. Okay. Looking at the pricing that Aaron has from Aperture and dealing with them, we're looking like it's we believe it's going to come somewhere around 10 to 12,000 less. Okay. We
019haven't received yet, so I can't say definitively. All right. So, that's the aperture number and the racks is separate. So, can we just say that we're hopeful it'll come by the end of the week and I'm around. Bill said he's around. Alex is around. Do we have four people around? End of the week, but not Monday. Friday morning around. Yeah, in the morning. I'm Thursday and Friday are tough for me. Are you around Monday? Yes. Are you around Monday? Walman, are you around Monday? I'm in the city. All but in the evening. I'm around the evening. Okay. I'm in the city in the morning. Possibly too on Monday. Okay. I'm around in the evening. Okay. Okay. Great. So, that's four to five of us between Friday. I really would rather do it this year, right?
020I mean, yeah, absolutely. If we could do it this year. Yeah. if we can get it done. If it doesn't come in time, it was good to have a contingency plan. Yeah. I'm not pretending I'm like steeped in this purchasing policy, but unless this was required by New York state law to be bid out, we have an out. We can do something different than our policy because our policy says that unless if it wasn't required by New York and we find an alternate means to award it, we can and we just need to justify. But I'll let Joe take that back to Dennis and debate it. Okay. But it's supposed to be 6700. All right. So, what we'll do now if we're not going to accept this is just vote on the bid, right? So,
021all in favor of the current bid that we are not accepting. All in favor of the current bid. No, don't vote to not accept it. You're going to vote no. So, you're not in favor of it. Oh, I thought I was in favor of not accepting it. I have to stop talking tonight. If you're in favor of this bid, raise your hand. If you're not in favor of the current bid, raise your hand. Thank you. Perfect. Okay. All right. Let's hope we get it now. Thank you very much, Miss Oan. Looking for the Aperture bid to come in before Monday. Did they put tracking on it or something? Yeah. Well, he was supposed to. Um, so I I when I was told by Lisa by Fukco that if we don't receive it by Monday, we
022can't accept it according to the law. So I kind of stopped asking him because I knew that it wasn't going to be here by that date. But he would have maybe um but he already maybe if if he could also email a copy. I know because if we go alternate to the bidding procedure, we might be able to just take an email copy. Okay, that would be great. Thank you. as soon as we should also just check and make sure it hasn't arrived. I will. That's a great point. Yes, because it could be here. Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much and thank you for waiting for us. Is there anything you want to talk about since you waited for as of two? I asked a business. It had not arrived. That's when I went
023over to Sierra. Okay. Yeah. Okay. What time does the mail get to this building? Before then. Okay. Typically, but it's been 100 now. It could have been. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. And Miss Oshan, thank you. You always invite us to come in and see your classroom. And I work in a school, too, so I can never come, but I would love to come when our schedules aren't exactly the same. I'm going to come. Thank Thank you for always inviting us. It's nice to see you in person. Good night. Um, proposal item B, Spre Insurance Company resolved that the board of education authorized the president of the board of education to execute the attached proposal with Spker Insurance Company through Gallagher for a cyber security policy renewal. May I have a first, Lisa? Second
024bill discussion. Do you want to tell us what this is, Joe? This is our our yearly cyber security insurance that if there's a cyber breach, it covers us uh for damages done. Okay, great. All in favor? Thank you. Uh item C, proposal, travelers insurance group resolve that the board of education direct or authorize the president of the board to execute the attached proposal with travelers insurance through Northern Agency for the crime bond policy renewal. I have a first serious Heather second bill discussion. What's the crime? Yeah, this this is explain that this is against theft against our staff. If something on on on campus happens, it covers them. Again, a renewal. Okay. It all starts July one. All in favor? Thank you. All right. So, program adoption item D, core instructional resource for mathematics K
025to6. This was discussed in a prior meeting but did not get put on the agenda. Sorry, Jen. Uh may I have a first before you do there is one correction. It should say K to two in the first year. Yeah. Yes. K to2 in the 2526 school year. It says K to one and it's K to2. Correct. Thank you for that correction. Um may I have a first? Lisa second. Bruce. Any questions? Lisa. Uh, Jen is do you think that that is um appropriate K through two? Do you think that that's too much to do at once? Um, I know we had kind of discussed, you know, kind of going slow. Um, what what are your thoughts? I I am a little bit concerned. uh we had spoken more about it in cabinet and we
026said that we could start out with a two-year plan and if needed we'll we'll evaluate as we're going through it to see if we need to extend it to a three-year plan. When you say two-year plan, do you mean K1 and follow them or no K12 in year 1 and then three through six the following year for year two? And do you think that's a lot? it. I I think it is a lot, but we we also we had a discussion about the appropriate support. We do have a point to coach, which I know that's a a sliver. Um again, we're going to re-evaluate, but we think that our teachers can get there. It but it it's a lot. It's a shift in two things. I just want to remind everyone two two areas that
027would be a shift. one is the instructional shift for some and the second would be the adjustment to the new resources a new platform so those and again we have teachers who you put something in front of them and they'll figure it out and they will have support uh but I just don't want to underestimate we also have our literacy initiative we have other things happening in the district which was my original concern so yeah and I think what's important is the secondary very the two elementary buildings see that this is coming. So it's it's K1 Gustes at Lloyd Harbor Westside. We're in your buildings now second grade that it's important. We want to give the students this is a resource. This isn't the curriculum. This is a resource for them to use. Great. So
028I think it shows them that we're serious about this. We're not going to drag our feet. This is a good program. It's putting students at the center of learning and this is the way we need to go. And and many teachers are excited about it because it's an investigative approach to mathematics. And so some of them in their older years had done that something like that in a prior program. So um we do have some who are excited about this. Okay. I just want to make sure we're not going too doing too much too fast. We'll keep re-evaluating and we'll we'll see as we go along. But we think that they can handle this. Do they think they can handle this? Some some do. I would say that you know to Mr. Monaster's point that
029K and one especially they they seem very excited about they'll be one of our first groups starting along with two to link to the other buildings. Um so some teachers feel very ready for this for something like this but again I think the important thing is to re-evaluate as we go along. Okay. Oh Brian come up to come up to the microphone. Join us at the table. Mr. Taylor, I agree. I think one of the the key reasons we decided to stay with K through two was that previously when new materials brought in, they started K1 and it stopped there. And that's how we ended up with two math programs across the district. Um I think as Jen said we discussed in cabinet I think if we need like we start with K to2 and
030if we need to slow down and only do three four in a year and then 56 we can do that. Um it's always easier to slow down than it is to speed up. So if we start with K to2 and then need to slow down I think that's an easier transition than starting slow and then trying to pick up the pace in future future years. Got it. Okay. So, so what happens if if a class like let's take two, they start on this new program and then we slow down and it's not available for three and four. It would be you know the slowdown would be rather than going from so you know we're looking at K to two and then three through six. So the slowdown would be K to two and then the
031then the next year would be K to four instead of K to 6 and then the third year would be to six. So we're not going to switch them back and forth. No, the the slow down would be rather than going 3 4 5 6 only go 3 4 and then the following year go 56. Got it. Um so that that would be the slowdown. So the slowdown would be the second year not the first year. Correct. Okay. And I think our teachers are ready and and like as Jen said, there's a lot of them are very excited about this because it's it's things that they have done in the P and not that they're not doing them now, but it gives them materials to support right that type of student centered instruction. Okay, sounds
032great. Thank you. Okay, all in favor. Okay, we don't have another audience to visitors to hold. And um is there any open discussion items any board members would like to bring up at this time? No. Cool. Okay. Can we have a motion to adjurnn? Lisa first. Kate second. All in favor? Have a great night. Thank you everyone. Thank you.