Board of Education Reorganization Meeting July 9 2025

001Good evening everyone and welcome to the annual reorganization meeting of the Austining Board of Education. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance 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. >> Okay. At this time, I will administer the oath of office to our reelected board trustees, Melissa Bant and Christine Menimlli. Who's >> Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I'm Melissa Bant. >> I'm Melissa Bant. do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and the Constitution of

002the State of New York >> and that I will faithfully discharge >> the duties of board of education trustee >> according to the best of my ability. [Applause] Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Miss Maneli. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, Christine Manelli, >> I, Christine Manelli, >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and that I will faithfully discharge >> the duties of Board of Education Trustee >> according to the best of my ability. [Applause] Thank you. Okay. I would now like to administer the oath of office to the superintendent of

003schools, Miss Mary Fox Alter. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, Mary Fox Alter, >> I, Mary Fox Alter, >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and that I will faithfully discharge >> the duties of Superintendent of Schools >> the duties of the Superintendent of Schools >> according to the best of my ability. [Applause] Thank you. Thank you. I will now administer the open office to the superintendent's cabinet members. Miss McCoy, >> please raise your right hand. Repeat after me. I, Alita McCoy, >> I, Alita McCoy, >> do solemnly swear >> that

004I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and that I will faithfully discharge >> the duties of assistant superintendent for business >> the duties of assistant superintendent for business >> according to the best of my ability. [Applause] Thank you, >> Dr. Mara. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, Donald Mara, >> I, Donald Mara, >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >>

005and that I will faithfully discharge >> the duties of assistant superintendent for human resources >> the duties of assistant superintendent for human resources >> according to the best of my ability. [Applause] Thank you. Thank you, >> Miss Mauricio. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, Kimberly Mauricio, >> I, Kimberly Mauricio, >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and that I will faithfully discharge >> the duties of Assistant Superintendent for Student Services >> the duties of Assistant Superintendent for Student Services >> according to the best of my ability. according to the best of

006my ability. [Applause] >> Thank you, Mrs. Meyer. Raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, Marian Helica Meyer, >> I, Marian Helica Meyer, >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and that I will faithfully discharge >> the duties of assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction >> the duties of assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction >> according to the best of my ability. according to the best of my ability. [Applause] Are you correct? Yes. >> Thank you. [Applause] I now declare nominations open for the office of president of the board of education. I'd like to

007move that Christine Manelli be nominated as president of the board of education for the 2025 2026 school year. >> Second. Are there any other nominations? Any discussion? I guess I'd just like to say thank you for the um nomination and for the trust. >> Any further discussion? Okay. All those in favor >> I opposed abstensions. >> I declare Christine Manelli, president of the board of education for the 202526 school year. [Applause] >> Okay. I now declare nominations open for the office of vice president of the board of education. Um, thanks. I move that Roger Badachara be nominated as vice president of the board of education for the 2025 2026 school year. >> Second. >> Any other nominations? Any discussion? >> I just wanted to also say thank you very much to um Christine um for

008the work that she's done as president. I do appreciate the board for all the work that we've done together and um I thank you for bestowing your trust in me to be able to do the right thing for us collectively as a board and I appreciate each one of you for all the work that we put together. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, any further discussion? There being no further discussion, I call the motion. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Absent. I declare Roger Badateria, vice president of the Austining Board of Education for the 202526 school year. >> Hi, Roger. >> It's 2 a.m. where he is right now, I think. I will now administer the oath of office to our president and I will administer the oath of office to uh the vice

009president upon his return. Okay. >> Put your signature here. Okay. I, Christine Manelli, >> I, Christine Manelli, >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and the Constitution of the State of New York >> and that I will faithfully discharge >> the duties of President of the Board of Education >> the duties of president of the board of education >> for the 2526 school year. for the 2526 school year. >> According to the best of my ability. >> Thank you. We will now take a moment to reorganize. Thank you. And I'm going to take Okay. Just give me just a second here. All right. Uh, it's

010here this seat. So I do. All right. Do we have to take this all one at a time? >> No. Okay. Um, so looking at our reorg meeting annual resolutions here, I'll take a motion for 8.0 through 8.31. >> So moved. >> Second. There's nothing that anyone wants to break out. Oh, is there anything anybody wants to break out? Sorry. All right. Mo uh motion's on the floor. Um any discussion? >> One one question on the meeting dates. Just if you don't mind reminding the board, those are not 100% locked in stone if we vote right now. Correct. Like we can make changes to that if we come up during the year hypothetically the Saturday budget meeting if we said we don't need it or we want to move it. We would be able to

011do that, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. Thanks. >> With the exception of May 19th. >> That's >> right. The budget vote we can >> All right. Um, I'll read all of them because that's our norm time. 8.1 Resolution appointing the District Clerk of the Board of Education for the 2025 20226 uh school year. 8.2 Resolution setting the meeting dates of the board of education for the 2025 2026 school year. 8.3 Resolution setting the special meeting date of the board of education to elect members of the board of the cooperative educational services BOSEIS and act upon the Bosey's budget. Uh 8.4 resolution to establish the date of the annual district meeting. 8.5 Resolution appointing the chairperson for the annual district meeting and other district elections and to set the hourly rate of pay for the chairperson,

012inspectors, and assistant clerks of the vote. 8.6 Resolution appointing members of the board of registration. 8.7 Resolution designating depositories. 8.8 resolution appointing treasurer of the Asening School District. 8.9 Resolution regarding attendance at conferences and conventions for board members, the district clerk, and the superintendent. 8.10 Resolution appointing school district attorney for the 2025 2026 school year. Uh 8.11 resolution appointing uh excuse me, the school district internal claims auditor and deputy internal claims auditor for 2025 2026. 8.12 Resolution regarding treasurer's bond and student fund treasurer's bond. 8.13 Resolution appointing the custodian of the school district records. 8.14 Resolution appointing consultants for the 2025 2026 school year. 8.15 Resolution adopting the policy manual of the board of education for the 2025 2026 school year. 8.16 Resolution regarding the superintendent's authority to approve staff attendance at conferences and conventions.

0138.17 Resolution appointing impartial hearing officers. Uh 8.18 Resolution appointing section 75 hearing officer. 8.19 Resolution naming the official newspapers of the school district. 8.20 Resolution naming school district purchasing agent. 8.21 21 resolution regarding the establishment of petticash funds. 8 point uh 22 resolution regarding individual responsible for certification of payroll 8.23 resolution regarding mileage reimbursement rate 8.24 resolution appointing school physician 8.25 resolution regarding compensation for pdium substitute teachers 8.26 resolution regarding designated person aera 8.27 27 Resolution regarding annual review of investment and purchasing policies and regulations. 8.28 Resolution regarding the appointment of the emergency plan management coordinator and the section 504 compliance officer. 8.29 Resolution to establish a standard workday and reporting. 8 uh 30 Resolution to appoint the Medicaid compliance officer. 8.31 resolution to designate the homeless liaison. All in favor? >> I >> opposed

014abstensions. All right. Let me just I believe that concludes our reorganization meeting agenda and now I can call to order find it here. There we go. Um our special meeting. So I'd like to call to order our the special meeting of Wednesday, July 9th, 2025. And I'd like to take a motion to add a superintendent's update which it just is uh was a clerical error is missing from um today's agenda. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> All in favor? I >> I >> opposed. Abstensions. All right. Now we can hear from our superintendent for superintendent update. Thanks Mary. >> Hi everyone. Uh welcome to the 2526 school year. This is our new year. It's the start of a new school year. Um um I will say very little because I've invited two

015guests to be part of my update tonight. Um Karen and the team from the um Austin Public Library and Alita McCoy to go over some information that we talked about the end of June and where we are as a district regarding federal funds. So, I thought, but just to highlight the fact that we just finished at uh 4:00 this afternoon a 3-day retreat with the entire administration. I want to thank uh the board of education. We had four members being able to join us for over three hours. Yesterday, it was super helpful to see the level of work that we're engaged with and the level of detail. It was a by all accounts, everyone uh said it it was great learning and great conversations. We had multiple experts come in. We had 110 slides worth

016of all kinds of data that we were looking at and um it was just I I can't get over how almost exhausting it was because it's a good feeling. It was just a great feeling. So I just want to thank the administrative team. I want to thank Maria in particular for organizing it. Well done. And it was a great day of of learning and putting together. the teams can go back and do their building level retreat and then we come back as a district in August. So I just want to thank everyone for that. Thank so with with um this evening and someone will notice here on the agenda at our special meeting, we have a resolution 6.1 calling for a special district meeting or vote to authorize the expenditure of monies for the Austining

017public library purposes and the levy of a tax transfer. So, in order as we're aware, um this is about the bond that the public library um wishes to present. So, I'm going to invite Karen Laraca Fels and her team up to just give a short overview of where they are in the process right now. >> Why is that doing that? Sorry. Sorry. You have a security. >> So sorry. >> It's okay. Thank you so much for giving me some time tonight to speak to you a little bit more about the projects that we're talking about the library. My name is Karen Loraca Fels. I'm the library director and I'm also joined in the audience by some of our trustees. We have our board president Rachel Hubek, vice president Amanda Curley. uh Trustee Phil Rice, who

018is also the chair of the buildings and grounds committee and the finance committee, and trustee Alice Joel. I will be so brief tonight, I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I did want to go over uh some of the highlights of what we're looking to do. Um I'm just going to give you a rundown of our project team. We've been working with um most of these folks for years now to try to uh bring this project to fruition. Um and they've been extraordinarily helpful. Their expertise is invaluable. So the overview of our project, we are looking to do some critical repairs and renovations that we need to do to our building to keep providing excellent library service to our community. Uh the key pieces of our proposal include uh repairs

019to our retaining wall and drainage. Many of you have noticed our parking lot with the loss of parking spaces and the problems that we're having with the retaining wall. Um the project includes some accessibility improvements in the parking lot. We're also looking at a new heating and cooling system. Uh we've been struggling with our system system for years now and we would like to replace it with a more reliable system. We're looking at roof repairs, health and safety repairs and improvements inside and outside of the building, uh, energy efficiency and sustainability improvements, and service related upgrades and improvements. The cost of the bond that we're looking at is $30 million and we're looking at a public vote uh of September 16th of of this year. We have estimated the average increase for taxpayers. And of

020course, this is average. We looked at um the full market value of the homes across our district. And on average, taxpayers would see a $184 per year increase with this bond. Uh it's a 15-year bond. Um, and it's important to us because we're doing this to maintain our programs and services and take care of our building that is beloved by our community. I'd like to give you a bit of the project details. We're looking at phasing this project. Um, and this may change a little bit depending on some issues that we're currently having with our HVAC system, but should the bond vote pass, we're looking to start construction work in the spring of 2026, uh, mainly on our retaining wall, uh, the storm water drainage work, and the reconfiguration of the parking lot. So most

021of the outside work we'd like to start first and then we're looking at phase two to start uh the spring of 2027 through 2028 and that would be the interior work to our building uh including the HVAC system. However, we may try to fasttrack some of that HVAC work. Um we've lost a critical piece of equipment just recently and we're looking to see if we can push ahead with some of that work sooner rather than later. Uh when we look at the bond budget breakdown, uh I've broken this down for you. It may be a little hard to see on the screen, uh but I gave it to you in print as well, so you can see how all of those pieces fall out as far as the bond budget goes. Um and I I

022broke down for you the interior improvements because that was a one broad category. So these are just some of the things that we're looking to improve on the interior of our building. Um, additional meeting and study spaces. Those of you who've used our building know how popular those are. Additional program spaces on the lower level. Um, relocating and improving the teen space to keep them away from the quiet areas so they can be teenagers uh and and allow the rest of our patrons some quiet areas of our building. Um, some of these improvements are improvements to access to different parts of our collection. Um, rep uh improving the vestibules at the first floor and and the lower level. they get a lot of heavy use and we want to make sure that those last out.

023Um improving some of our service desk locations with more visibility. Um that's both for patron ease of finding us and for security. Improvements to the children's room. Uh we have a brand new lactation room that we are are going to add some plumbing to carpeting and flooring throughout the building. Improved maintenance access to some of our mechanical spaces. acoustic and acoustical improvements. Um, how did we get to this point? We have been, like I said, working with engineers and architects to help us address some of our critical building needs and they provided recommendations, uh, many of which we are implementing and prioritized. We also did a community survey back in 2024 and asked the public uh what they would like to see at our library, what they like, what they didn't like, and we took

024from that. Of course, staff recommendations uh were were put into this and also the ongoing areas of concern and suggestions that we hear from the public every day. This is, like I said, this is a really brief presentation. We have a lot more information. So, this you would find in our website right there. I gave you the link to our website and a QR code. And we're also having some public information sessions coming up, several of which will include our architects and engineers. So, uh folks who have very specific technical questions in particular about the retaining wall in the HVAC system, I think um would be advised to go to those. Uh one is coming up as early as July 22nd. Um, we're having a Spanish language session on July 29th and then another uh

025session on August 17th. If anybody has any questions, they are welcome to contact myself or my assistant director, Molly Robbins, of course, any one of our trustees as well. Does the board have any questions for me? >> Thank you. So I don't I mean I'm not going to speak on behalf of others here but it seems based on the research you've done the consulting everything in there is a a need right there's not a are there nice to haves or or do you feel like the 30 million it's like yeah we kind of need all this. So that's first question and I got a couple of follow-ups on that. >> Sure. Um the majority of the project includes items that in in a way we don't have a choice to address and I would say

026that's about 75% of the project. Um the interior improvements also include things that help us provide better service to the community. So I would consider that very important uh to the community. >> Got it. Great. And I mean it's not an insignificant ask for the community. the if my math was correct, it's $184* 15 years. So that's $2,760 of a total increase in tax per average household based on the 625. Um I guess you know this is something that it's come up at the board table. Um and I think the superintendents mentioned it. We're unique or or sort of unique in that the district owns the building. We work in this capacity to help, right? You need bond, we, you know, approve it, it goes to voter, but we're kind of unique in that, my

027understanding. Mary, is that correct? Are we like we the only one? Are we one of a few that operates like this or >> No, the the majority are owned by municipalities, but there are a good number of school I think Chapa and Westchester would be another one. I forget the others, but there are school districts that have oversight over the public libraries. Got it. >> It's more the other way around. municipalities municipalities, right? So, it's interesting, right? Because we've had discussions publicly and there's been board members publicly kind of including myself say, "Okay, so we can approve this, but you manage it, right? You oversight. We can't come in and have oversight unless we apply to become the secret lead, as my understand, right? We have to say we want the oversight on it." And

028that's right. It's a process and we may or may not want to do that. I do I just say that, you know, it feels like you've done your due diligence. Please make sure that there's very solid oversight for all this. You've got guarantees on roofs and other things because it seems like some of this stuff and you've actually I think you came and said, "Look, some of this broke, didn't work because prior should have been different." And so if we come and ask for the 30 million, we need to make sure we're not coming and ask for another 10, 20, 30, certainly in the next 20 years if there's usable life. But I would say the board might want to have a further discussion of, you know, do we want to continue the operation as

029we have it where the board owns the building. It's not a municipality thing because I think other board members have raised it to make sure we're providing the oversight we can and making sure the library has what it needs. But again, I'm on record saying you need it. We support it. it just right situation where we own a building but we can't really oversee it unless we do some bureaucratic processy thing and that feels odd to me but that just me how life is in public sector so that's it >> may I try to address maybe one of your concerns >> um one of the things that was really important to us this time around was to have good competent project management uh from the very beginning and so um last year we hired Calg

030construction and been working with them um in addition to are engineers and architects and we have a lot of confidence in them and um they know that they know the difficulties we've had in the past and we have committed to not have those difficulties in the future. I don't want the next library director to be having this conversation again. >> Right. Yeah. And like I said, I feel like you've done your due diligence. The guy just know again we're going through a 200 million plus bond here. We've got contractors. We've got engineering. We got consultants. But in order for us to get a second set of eyes on that, if hypothetically we would have to change the process, you know, again, if you're doing a home and you want to call someone else to say,

031"Hey, can you take a second look?" You give them a couple hundred bucks, they do it, it's no issue here. There's process. So, thank you for that. It definitely seems like you've done your due diligence and um you know, I I hope the community uh will support it because sounds like you need it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Can I go? >> Yeah. So, um I have a question about the retaining wall. um because that has been a problem on um public projects and private projects in Austining um and I'm sure that you will have technical sessions where you address that in much more detail, but are you able to give us like a broad strokes overview of what it is that's caused that wall to need to be repaired and how we can

032ensure going forward with the scope of this project that we are going to be set for the future? >> Sure. Um, we have been monitoring and surveying our retaining wall since I want to say 2016 when there was concern brought to us that it might show signs of movement. It might have shown signs of movement. Um, initially the survey results showed a pretty stable wall for a while. Um, but then in I want to say 2020 2021 this the engineers started to see numbers that they weren't happy with and so we added more survey points and continued along the way. In the meantime, we also um had the opportunity to um do some exploration into the retaining wall and f our engineers found that uh the fill is substandard in some places. Um we've experienced

033some sinkholes in some places. U there's a more technical term for that fill, I know, but we refer to them as sinkholes. >> Thank you. Um, and we also believe, though we don't know, that overflow from our geothermal wells over the years, because they do overflow. Our geothermal system is very problematic, um, cause some of the soil underneath the wall. Um, it's a it's a soil stabilized wall to wash away. And so we think over time that the wall has degraded. Um, and you know, at this point it really does need addressing. Our engineers have advised us that the 16 to 18 spots, I can never remember how many that we've closed off at the bottom of the wall, um they have advised that we keep weight off of the wall um until we can

034fix it. >> Okay. Thank you. Yeah, one of the downfalls of the beautiful rolling hills of the Hudson Valley are that um retaining walls are necessary and they come at a significant cost. Um, and I also I guess I just wanted to on sort of like the oversight piece of it. Um, I think it's important to note that you know the community has elected seven trustees to the Austining Library Board, right? And so I think that that the community has faith in those seven trustees and I'm comforted by the fact that um those trustees have a very close relationship with the school board. In fact, many of the trustees on the library um in the past have been schoolboard members. Um so there is a an astute understanding of what um is needed in terms

035of like an education piece and serving the community piece. So I'm confident that you guys are going to manage this project and um I I'm happy to support it. Um, something just popped into my head as another quick question which has now popped out of my head and I apologize for that. Um, if it pops back in, I'll I'll ask it. It wasn't It was something small. >> Um, I know Roger has a question, but I'll take questions from the board in person first. You want me to? I can. All right. Uh, Roger, if you can hear us, you can go ahead. >> Great. Thank you. Um, appreciate the thought. that's gone into all of what's needed here. Um, I just want to just bring this up just for your awareness if you haven't already

036heard it or have seen it. Um, you may want to have some level of um, communication that talks about, you know, how you looked into the cost by way because I know the HBAC and I think I I heard you correctly is 75% of the 30 million if if I'm not misunderstanding and I might be so please correct me if I'm wrong. No, no. Yeah, it's 20%. >> I think it was the 75% that was um needs versus >> critical critical needs. >> Sorry. Okay. 75. So I sorry I So that means the wall plus Okay. So it's 23. So I guess the the one thing that I just want to um uh have you be aware of. It's part of the communication to really dig in to say, "Hey, look, we looked at this

037across multiple contractors. we we we got we got this the best possible bid on this one. Um just to allay any concerns on that particular part there because I know that there is a lot of things that are absolutely needed here to to one keep that building stable, keep the parking lot stable, retaining wall stable and everything else that's there. But I think the question will probably come up around the cost of the HVAC, the cost of some of these types of projects that are there. Um, and it's been, you know, I think there are some things that have been brought up and it's again not reflective of my personal opinion, but um, rather because these are things you will hear in your public settings, public discussions, which is, you know, why why is this

038so expensive? Are there, you know, are there um, have we completely bid this out? Have we gotten a um, you know, better, cheaper quote that'll could maintain the same quality? Things of that nature that'll come up on this. So, um, just bringing that up to your attention. That's all. But I appreciate all the work and also the the thought of, you know, putting in things in like the carpeting as well as looking at the lactation rooms. Those are great because particularly this space is used a lot by, you know, new families, new moms, and um, so thank you. >> You're welcome. Um the cost estimates were prepared by professional estimators and um once we're ready for construction, we would put that out to bid. So we would get multiple bids on the work. >> So

039in theory, it could come down the the cost of some of these things could be less than what you're estimating. This is right now assuming that you probably would need this just to cover yourself because if you don't, right, >> you're gonna end up falling. Is that a correct statement? >> That is a correct statement. >> Okay. I just want clarity because I you know again I as this is part of the district and um as people ask I want their mis any kind of perceptions or misconceptions um that all that to be clarified as quickly as possible um and people understand what's going into this and what the costs are and what have you so that it's not you know it's not becoming a problem um in the longer run. So, just a little

040bit more thought for you guys. >> Absolutely. >> Go ahead, Phil. Do you want to come up? >> So, hello everybody. Um, Karen had introduced me as a board member. My name is Phil Rice. I have some special skills that I've been pleased to bring to the board and the project. I happen to be a licensed engineer in the state of New York and uh I just retired after spending more than 40 years in the business large infrastructure and my last project I ran I was running the engineering on one of the largest projects in the country who I think many of you have heard about the gateway project in New York. Yeah. >> So, I have a good understanding. I've been directly involved in construction management myself on a number of projects locally for

041many years. I know KGI consultants uh from another project they did in the area, another uh public works. It was the firehouse for in Milwood and they have a lot of very good experience with library construction in in the area here. I've worked with many different consultants. I've designed retaining walls myself and analyzed their stability in different places across the country. and I'm helping the the board and Karen and Molly to watch what our consultants are doing very closely. I'm pleased to report that the consultants that we do have, particularly the engineers for the wall and all of the drainage work in the parking lot and also the engineering firm that's monitoring the wall every month. These are excellent firms, some of the best that you would find in the country. So, and the architect

042same a lot of experience with library construction and we're watching them. We're pushing them. We're making sure we're covering all the bases. I know what bidding's like directly and I want to make sure that it goes the right way so that there will be not a lot of worry from the community and certainly not a lot of worry from all of you. >> I'm sorry. S you so your role are you on the board of trustees? I'm on the board and I happen to run the board committee on the building and grounds. Great. >> Thank you. >> Frank, >> just just some comments. Thank you for all the transparency and all the details and all the work that's been done. I know this is not something this predates a lot of people on the board

043and also the director. So, it's a it's a problem that has tactically been dealt with for a long time to try and keep the library open and running in warm weather. I appreciate that. Uh you from my perspective, this work is, you know, it's a proactive approach to deal with issues with issues and to address new needs. So, I look forward to the community have the ability to weigh in on it. I encourage people to join the meetings that you're hosting and look forward to your referendum in September. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Um, like Frank said, thank you for all the transparency and I specifically want to thank you for the frequently asked questions section on your website. That's really helpful because it addresses a lot of concerns like why was this done

044poorly in the first place? How do we know it's going to last going forward? Um, I found that really helpful and I think that the community will too. Um, I do have one question that's not totally related to the bond but is library related. Um, so salaries can sometimes look like a ton of money, but there they also go to many people. So I'm curious, how many employees does the library have? >> Uh, the library has roughly 60 employees. Fluctuates as we hire pages and and pages go off to college. >> That's that's our roster normally. >> All right. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Good evening. Uh, thank you. for coming back again and just making sure that we have the opportunity to ask questions and just um be part of the process as

045you know much as possible. Um just quickly just thinking about that the wall and you know the issues that are with it. I'm just kind of I can't help but reminisce when there wasn't a wall there and that used to be a shortcut that many of us took to get to the library easier. So I remember when the wall went up and most kids are like darn now I got to walk all the way around. But uh just just some nostalgia there. Um I just have a question around I know this was a big concern that we had um and kind of planned for um within this proposal for the 30 million. Is it um I'm assuming that there's like some cost mitigation, some cushion in there for the uncertainty around, you know, materials and

046expenses and how they are just inevitably going to fluctuate. Um, so is that kind of built in there to kind of >> prepare for that? >> Yeah, we've been very careful with our contingencies. As a matter of fact, Phil is constantly watching the contingency budget to make sure that we have enough for those things. Um, because as we know with any construction project, any at any point along the way, you could unearth something or prices can go up. So, we've been very careful about that. >> Thank you. And then lastly, I was just curious um about the parking lot improvements. Does that mean like an increase in parking spaces or just some type of >> I wish we could increase parking spaces. Um we will get back the spaces that are currently closed off. >>

047Um the big improvements that we are going to do in the parking lot apart from repaving the parking lot which will have to be done after the retaining wall work is complete is adding some accessibility features that currently we don't have. Um, we are bringing our accessible spaces, our handicap accessible spaces, which are on the lower level, closer to the building, um, because right now they are quite far. And we're also adding, um, an accessible ramp from the upper lot. Um, because, as those of you may have seen from time to time, folks do park in the upper lot who might benefit from a ramp, such as folks with strollers. Um, and they end up going out into the very busy driveway to get up when the the lower lot is full. >> Okay, >>

048thank you. That's all for me. >> Um, I want to thank you um and echo Frank mentioned your transparency in this process. This board knows all too well um what a lift it is to educate the public about the scope of your bond work and the uh necessity of that work. I think the building is doing some of the work for you right now as far as demonstrating its necessity >> question and it's kind of I mean I look at this and I'm like oh my gosh when I look at the timeline um that that HVAC system isn't I I understand even in your description of how the HVAC system is related to the retaining wall why the retaining wall would need to be the part of phase one right but oh what a bummer

049um I know you are already doing I see there are um upcoming public information sessions. I know you've had one for stakeholders. At that, this is an ask. Um at that meeting, you had a different presentation and there were slides for that that included some of the answers that I heard trustees asking. Um there were diagrams of rods into the parking lot, for example, so that you could really visualize um what the work is. Would it be possible maybe through Miss Fox alter um to for I I nicked a couple extra folders but I didn't get enough for the whole board um so that we could see that because I think that that would alleviate some of the questions. >> Absolutely. I I was >> and I know we were invited to that but we

050weren't all able to attend. >> Right. And I was very conscious to pair down tonight's presentation. So all of that is actually part of this presentation. I'm just showing you the highlights but yes I can go ahead and send that along to you and the public information sessions will include all of that information. >> Excellent. Um, I feel like I have one more question. Um, I wish you good luck. $15 a month. It sounds like a lot, but it's less than one hardback book a month if you're a reader. You'll get your money's worth if if you take out one book a month. Um, and I just I this is perhaps a question for Alita because we do have something on our agenda related to this. this. I want to make sure that we all

051understand what we're voting on today. Um, so I I apologize. I don't know who would be best suited to answer that question. >> Do you have a specific question? >> Um, could you just summarize 6.1 for us? Like what that means? >> Um, off the top of my head. Um, >> sorry, Alita. >> No, it's okay. >> Your name is the first one on the paper. That's what on the when you click on the resolution. >> No worries. Um >> it's a vote >> basically it's a vote by the board to um authorize the bond um and the amount and also authorize the date of the vote. >> Great. So um if for example we decided we no longer wanted to be um we no longer wanted this is hypothetical the library to be the

052lead agency we'd like to use surf that back. It's not necessarily going to reduce the cost of the work, the cost of the consultants because that work still needs to be done whether or not it's by people we hire or why whether or not it's by people who the library hire. Um all that would but it would serve to damage this timeline that we're basically approving tonight. Yeah, we would have to rescend the seeker resolution and then we would have to um notify the library board that uh we want to be uh the one the attorneys recommended that we don't be the lead agency for seeker. However, if he wanted to be have oversight of the bond itself, then there would be uh certain language in the resolution that we adopted as part of the

053seeker um that would need to be rescended. And then there would have to be um uh a discussion and a determination about how much oversight the board our board would have to have and how that cost of additional oversight will be paid for. And some of this work that we are considering critical that can't be even on the timeline we're approving tonight that can't uh begin until 2027 would get pushed back some question mark amount right I think to the it would definitely it it may not have to be if the decision and the rescending could be done at the next board meeting. >> Okay. >> Sorry. So I just just just for anyone listening for us there's no Alita there's no in between here like we couldn't do like hypothetically anou with a library

054trustees board to say hey we like to jointly partner on this and you know um it's great that you have gentleman what was your name again >> Phil here he's got all this experience but we kind of want our groups are um why am I blanking on the guy's name? Nance Jar no Jared in house or CPL the other gentleman who's been Paul >> just to review everything again because it's 30 million bucks >> there's no kind ofou or something we we have to either take the lead and do everything you just said or or just keep it as is right the district has no legal authority nor responsibility to partner with the library on this project is that is that all accurate You can do an MOA, but it would have to have been

055as part of the resolution tonight. >> Okay? >> Cuz our bond council specifically asked me that question. >> Is there some sort of agreement between you and the library? And I said, "No." >> Um so that would definitely delay um the bond vote date because a MOA would have to be uh negotiated, >> right? uh we'd have to identify how it's being paid, >> right? >> Um that would definitely delay their timeline and I believe the last date uh for them is the next board meeting and I don't foresee how that can happen with people taking breaks and people being on vacation over the summer. Um I just don't see how that would be possible. But yes, there is a possibility that an MOA can be developed between the library and the and the uh

056board of education um which again does not involve seeker. We don't have to be the lead agency seeker part is different than having oversight of the bond. >> Got it. So that in between me personally that would make me comfortable. I don't know how the other board members feel about that, but as the fiduciary here, to me, that's something I think we could should consider if it's doable. Um, and we don't potentially push December 16th either back at all or much. Um, just because again, we trust, you know, I go on record, I trust the trustees of the library, but we're doing a $200 million thing and things have come up already on our end on it. things have popped up. There's always going to be something that pops up and if the board library

057needs some help with that, we could be a partner. We could be good, you know, fiduciary stewards. So, to me, I like that idea. I didn't know that was a possibility to sort of have an in between. It's not the seeker, but it's kind of anou where we say we're going to work together on it. And that's I would that feels right for this thing um in terms of what the the board of education roles is versus complet being completely out. So that's just I'm just going to go on record saying I like the in between possibility. Again presuming it we're not major delay or any delay at all. I would be um I I think I think I agree with the concept. I think the timing of it given the work that we're doing

058as a school district. I feel there's a big possibility that having our people that are working on our bond kind of then do even if it's just a brief oversight uh can comp unintentionally compromise the integrity of the work we're doing because now we're double you know pulling from the same basket of people um who we know are working extensively um as it's been showed in many uh presentations to deliver quality um results. I think it it I see what you're where you're going with it, but I think the level of work that is already being done in the district currently kind of makes me think I don't know if that's pretty much I don't think it would have the effect that we're having. I mean, in terms of oversight and transparency from a transparency

059lens, I think we have that. Um, but then going in deeper and saying, "Well, let us look over things or have our people look over things." I think would maybe muddy things for probably both ends. I'm just hypothetically thinking the timing of it might not be optimal of doing something like that. That's just my opinion. >> You look like you have more to say, Frank. I mean, I think the community made a decision about the oversight of the library and that that decision was debated and talked about and they opted to spread off into a separate board at that time. And so I think that, you know, we have a role based on an old relationship, the old way that basically the state defined the school district oversight. I think the library has been more

060than transparent. I don't think we're staffed to deal with this. I don't think we have the timing to deal with this. And I think this work can't wait. So I guess my two cents is that tonight I would move forward with basically approving the authorization from my standpoint based on that. >> And just to add to u what Frank said was what legal recommends. They do not recommend that path for that reason. There are clear pathways of oversight and governments established here and that's why they recommended not to do that. >> Well, they didn't recommend the secret, right? They they didn't we didn't weigh in on an MO they didn't weigh in on anou sort of >> they they they def No, these are different attorneys. Bond council is the one that asks about the

061MOA, >> right? >> But our our regular attorneys um did not uh think that the school district should accept or add responsibility and liability um to over oversee their project. They definitely said that the school district should not um be the lead agency. Yeah. >> But if we went down that path, then we would have to resend the part of the resolution that included that the they were making the decisions and that the board would be making the decisions, >> but ultimately they said, >> I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time hearing you. I don't know if you're Can you go closer to the mic? I'm sorry because some important stuff you're saying there. So, I'm sorry, that's better. Um, >> yeah, that's better. Thank you. >> Um, where was I? So, the the the

062bond council when they were developing the resolution asked me if there was an MOA between the library and the the board of education and I said no. So, when you asked that question, I said that is possible because bond council asked me that question in preparing the draft resolution for tonight. However, our regular legal counsel who um reviewed the seeker and developed the resolution for the seeker said that um we definitely should not take on the lead agency as a board of education. Um we could uh have oversight, but we would have to resend the portion of the resolution that was drafted as part of the seeker. that part we have to resent. However, they do not recommend the school district being having oversight of the project um for a variety of reasons. One including

063liability uh another including um costs um and um staffing. So they did not recommend that the board of education provide oversight for the project. >> What what current currently we are not correct. Currently we're not like um a lead agency. Is that um I think that's my understanding. Correct. >> Correct. >> So what did bond council say though because they asked the question. So they said hey do you got an MOA andou? >> They just Yeah. They just needed to know to make it as part of the the the resolution tonight. >> But they didn't advise either. No. >> But but Keenan Bean, did they advise not see I get it. They're advising don't don't do the secret thing. But did they have an opinion on this middle ground? >> They said not to do

064it. >> And why is that? >> Because of liability, cost, staffing. >> Yeah. I don't know if they're right because the district I think is legally responsible if something happens with the bond. we are we are as it is that can we check because they could advise and say well you shouldn't do it but I think we need a second ask on that because to me we I'm not saying we should lead on it but I don't see why the the board literally should approve tonight $30 million going to the community out of 3,000 over 15 years and like we're good we're stepping away we want to be and just be this not adversarial we should be a partner on this to sort of help here. And that's where I'm coming from. But I I

065don't know, Alita, like to me, I'd be surprised if council saying don't touch anything, even though we I believe are legally responsible. This board is legally responsible if something happens. I'd be surprised if our council said, "Well, what?" Because if we are involved and something happens, then we have that backs stop versus saying, "Hey, sorry, we're not you're here." So, I'm not a lawyer, but the logic doesn't make sense to me from a logical standpoint. >> Um, I will say I'm comfortable with the advice from our attorney on this. This this was asked of the attorney is my understanding is what level of involvement should we have? Um, and to Frank's point, I agree. Our community has already chosen to structure our library in such a way that they have their own board. We do

066work with the library. We're this is that that's this this is happening right now. We've been invited to their meetings. I've been on just in a few minutes. We'll be voting on liaison to the library as one of our committees. I've been on that committee. I've been in meetings on that committee related to this bond um as far back as when Ray Sanchez was here. So, this is not work that I feel prepared to take on. I trust our library trustees. I don't think it saves taxpayers any money. I think it just changes kind of what uh line items the money ends up on. Um, and so absolutely I I agree that we need to be fiduciariely responsible, but I I believe that we're already on that path and that the library has been very

067collaborative and um I look forward to more uh meetings. You just call you call us whenever you want and we'll we'll have a committee by the end of the night. We'll have a committee um we don't right now but we will um to be a liaison to you. Um, and I'm happy to support in whatever way we can. Um, but I think it would be detrimental to move things back and to add things to our plate during such a time when we have our own bond work we need to do and we are um stretching our staff in such a way that we're giving stipens in order to do some of the work that people are already going above and beyond to complete. I'm not sure that it would actually create efficiencies. I think it

068would actually create inefficiencies. So, um I just wanted to make sure I shared my position on that. Um Annie, I know you haven't had a chance to speak in this conversation. So, um I pretty much am going to echo what you said. I feel comfortable with Legal's recommendation. I feel comfortable, especially after hearing the additional talent that the library board has on its um board with us being separate from it. Um here's my concern with an MOA, and I am an attorney for the record. Um we have a number of town boards and they all have a different mission and they have different um visions that are very important to them. and we have a $210 million project and there have been other boards that have wanted to establish an MOA or something similar with

069us. So that there is a legal requirement um to essentially have some level of oversight in our projects. That is something that we don't want for a variety of reasons that our legal council has very clearly said. Um you know that type of thing would not be a good idea. So, and there are very good reasons why and we have agreed to be collaborative with those town boards. Um, and we have been um and I think that adding a layer to this with anou sets a precedent that I don't think we're going to like the flip side of if it is applied to us and our projects. And that is why I'm not in favor of that. And that combined with our legal advice is um my position on that. I got one just quick

070follow-up question about to to um to the the the library trustees and as and I guess Alita this might come to you as well. If you go for 30 million, right, and there's cost overruns like we were bound with our bond, are you like or you got to come back to the board with hat in hand and say, "Hey, sorry, we need five more million." What are the what are the controls against that and that comes back to this board and then we say look we didn't have the MOU sorry like now we we couldn't weigh in monitor the cost overruns like can you can you explain that >> the bond that we're asking the public to pass is 30 million and we're being very careful to make sure that the portions of the project

071that are funded by the bond stay at 30 million and that includes cutting pieces to the project if we need to do that. Um, we're also looking at um bringing in additional funds through some state grants that are um that we're eligible for and fund uh fundraising um money that we're eligible for, but we are committed to keeping the bond portion of the project at 30 million. Um that's why we built in a decent contingency as well. Um, just to add, they have no legal authority to exceed. >> Okay. >> Or even come back and ask for money, right? >> Once the vote is done, that's all they have. >> Got it. Okay. >> I remembered my question. Um, so what's the how does this all play out? If the the bond is put out

072there to the public and the public turns it down, what is the lifespan on the HVHC? What happens to the parking lot and the retaining wall? Um, like I said earlier, many of the parts of the project are critical. The majority of the of the bond projects are critical. Um, right now we're struggling with the HVAC system. We have our second floor in mezzanine closed off. We are trying to fasttrack a replacement of that portion of the HVAC system rather than um spend an awful lot of money to repair a system that continues to break down. So, we are going to be faced with those choices uh going forward. Um and I we will be struggling with our HVAC during the extreme cold weather and the extreme hot weather which is going to unfortunately cause

073closures of parts or all of our building. Um the retaining wall the obviously the parking spaces will need to be closed off. They would need to stay closed off indefinitely until such time that we could find the funds to repair the retaining wall. There is no middle ground sort of repair for the retaining wall. Um it is a very large wall and um the options that were all presented to us are you know a complete repair of the wall. We can't just repair part of the wall. Um we have to repair the portion that is in distress. Um the roof is is uh needs replacement. It's a 15-year roof. We're almost at year 20. Um and so that's not optional. have many parts of the project that if they go unressed, it compromises the integrity

074of our building and our ability to provide service to the community. So, we would be in a a serious situation. I just want to clarify also, I don't I don't know if you recall, as part of our bond conversations and making sure that everything stays within the um tax levy, not increasing the tax levy, we have never um accounted for the $1.2 million of debt that's falling off um next school year. Um, so their their debt is falling off and their additional debt annually for this 30 million, my understanding is $600,000. Correct. >> I'd have to go back and look at my >> I believe it's 600,000, but um the 1.2 2 million is baked into um our budget still and um you'll see an increase overall of $600,000 when their debt comes on. >>

075Alita, just sorry I I want to just clarify that just make sure that I I understand it clearly. What you're saying then, and stop me where I say this wrong, is because some debt's coming off the schedule because we're we retired that debt, what's coming on as a result of this the increase that's there could in effect somewhat neutralize some impact of that, right? Is that kind of what you're saying? >> What I'm saying is that the library, the specifically the libraryies debt of $1.2 2 million is coming off this school year. We've been carrying that debt. Um I I think in the budget is allocated towards a project. Um so it's not like we haven't dropped the debt from our budget. So it's still part of our tax levy. Um so when they need

076the funding and it becomes debt service again, then it would not increase the levy that 1.2 2 million is already embedded. The only thing that would increase once they need the money and we have to pay back the debt is the $600,000 per year. >> Okay. So, we mitigated it because of what we have currently on our books. Is that correct? >> That is that is due to the library specifically. >> That is the library. Yeah. Okay. Okay. >> All right. And then just a quick clarifier if I may on this one because I I wanted to make sure I understood you. You said that there's liability. Anything that we touch from a from a the Austining Union Free School District, school board of education touches, reviews, what have you assumes liability on our part.

077>> If we have if we have an MOA, I believe that part of that MOA is going to contain a clause about liability. So with the with the library um doing the work on their own, the only thing that the district is responsible for is um getting the funding for them at this point. >> Right. And that's and that's where the liability stops, right? >> Yeah. We don't have any other commitment or responsibility except to put the um bond out to uh to bid and award it and provide them with the funding. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Thanks for the clarification. >> I think we can move. I appreciate the discussion. I'm I It sounds like it's going to go on Melissa. Thank you for considering it by the way. That's that's appreciated.

078Thank you. Um but it sounds like we're going to move in one direction, but again the district is financially legally responsible is my understanding. If something goes sideways from a financial this board is responsible. So it's not like Roger, we're washing our hands of it. No issues here. So and if there's something wrong in that, my understanding is the contracts. if the big contract something goes weird, we are responsible ultimately for it, not the library because we've issued the debt. So that's where my place is coming from. But it seems like the most of the board wants to move forward, but again, I'm just go on record. I think we should have something that spells out who's responsible for what and have us be a part partner on it. But doesn't sound like it's going

079to go, but said my piece. So thank you. >> Just want to be clear. I don't I don't agree with the liability assessment. you would have to talk to a coverage attorney about that, but I I don't think that that is accurate. >> Right. And I I also I don't want to give the impression that the board is not in collaboration with the library just because we're not working under an MOA with them or that we won't have a collaborative relationship with the library. I I did not hear that sentiment from the board. Um, and I'm not if we if we would like, um, I already put it on my to-do list. If you'd like it, um, we can invite Stephanie maybe the next time she's coming anyways to speak to us to, uh, talk

080to us in more detail about the upsides and downsides of that if you would like. >> It's Stephanie um, not Robok. >> Burns. Okay. So, maybe we would probably have to make an appointment uh, since we don't usually see Stephanie Burns. Is that something you'd like? We can do that. >> Yeah. And again, I've never said we wouldn't be collaborative, of course, but the board has no say or input. We could say, "Hey, you know what? What's going on with the retaining wall?" Well, we had an issue. Oh, try this. We will have no legal or right to say try it this way or try that way. So, yes, we are collaborative. You're here. That's great, but we won't have any say in it. And that to me, again, 30 million that's coming on AR

081that we're the fiduciary. It doesn't it doesn't give me warm fuzzies. And it's not to speak about any of the qualifications or anyone on this board or what they of the library board at all. So like Maya, we can move on from my end. Thank you. >> Um I just want to also just clarify having a fiduciary responsibility, right, which is the responsibility we're fulfilling by discussing this around the table here this evening by having presentations from the library by looking at their documents. That's a diff that's a different legal liability than project management liability. Um they're very different things. and an MOA has the potential to put us into a project management liability that we currently do not have. And I am hoping that our attorneys will confirm that. We I will ask I

082do know just from a global perspective, every single MOA speaks about errors and emissions insurance. There's a lot of detail associated with liability and those things, but even with your own contractors, I'm sure that's it. You do have the model that's considered the industry standard model this time. I am familiar with all of those partners that you're working with. I think the community is very fortunate, Phil, to have this level of expertise there because you are technically an owner now there elected by the community to oversight for that which uh shows a lot of governance and oversight associated with that. Right. >> Poor Karen. Any other questions for Karen? >> Questions? But just on a on an upside of it, I have to add Karen, when we first met, we talked about the parking, the

083the the lot because the the district did do a lot of usage of the library, particularly in the morning, but working with our assistant superintendent for business and the appreciation and support of the board, we expanded space at 400. So, we um and um we we have downsized our presence, not not because we don't want to, but we realize we were honest. We had a long meeting. Space was an issue. Space for parking, space for programs that you needed to take care of for young families too that were coming in. We we had to make some adjustments in our schedule. So, I I did appreciate the open and honest conversation and then the problem solving with the leader. >> We appreciated it, too. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Frank, do you

084have one more thing or looks like you did? >> I'd like to make a motion to move up 61. >> All right. Um, >> I'll make a motion to move up resolution 6.1. >> Make a motion to move up resolution 6.1. >> So move. >> Second. >> Uh, any discussion? >> I just want to say uh again that I appreciate all the work that's gone into this um and that it will essentially mirror the work extensive work that's being done in the school district as well. I think um the library is such a cornerstone in our community and for students and community members alike to have um a quality experience in the library to match the quality experience in school district that we're trying to achieve is no small feat. So thank you for all

085the work that you've done um and the courage to put this forward to the community and the uh confidence that this is something that the community will benefit from. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any further discussion? All in favor? I >> I >> opposed. Abstensions. >> I'm going to abstain on this one if that that's what this >> this is just moving it up. >> Oh. Oh, no. So, I I yay. I'm yay on moving it. >> Okay. >> Now, we'll take a vote on the resolution itself. Um I'll take a motion on 6.1. >> So, moved. >> Second. Uh 6.1 resolution calling a special district meeting to authorize the expenditure of monies for Austining public library purposes and the levy of a tax. Therefore, any further discussion? >> Yeah. So, I'm in favor of

086the idea. I'm favor of it. I again go on record saying I think we should have done anou which might impact the timing. So, if I abstain on this, that's it's it's more on the oversight piece than the concept. >> All right. Any further discussion? All in favor? I >> opposed. Abstensions. >> Stay on this one. Thank you. >> Great. >> Thank you. >> I think and I think we're thank you Karen and thank you for your presentation and for the board for being here. Um, >> thank you. >> And do you have anything in your else in your update, Mary? >> Oh, Le is going to give a brief overview. There's been a lot of uh national conversations around um uh federal money, cuts to federal money, and as uh we heard a week

087before graduation, uh there was some um information local media. So, I'd like uh the board has been really clear and explicit with the administration about, you know, keeping an eye on that. And I would uh Alita to put together just a brief update so you can get a sense of where we are right now. I'm sorry. Um I can see it now. I can see it now. So the um the first table is what we know as of today. The second table is what we knew at budget time for the 2526 budget. So the grants that are in blue are the grants that we are have confirmed. We've already done an FS10 for um you can see it's 611 619 and title one. There are minor differences in what we budgeted and what we received.

088So for the title 611 it's uh -46 uh section 6196251 uh title one -17.8. Uh with regards to school-based mental health, we already received a few months ago notice that the um the grant was going to be ending um calendar year 2025. Of course, we run on a fiscal year. So half of the year from January 1st to um June 30th, 2026 has not been confirmed. So we believe that we would be in a deficit um of $631,000 uh for that grant. So total uh federal grants the deficit is 801. For state grants, we have confirmed uh UPK the two UPK grants um New York Gear Up and my brother keeper fellow. Um the differences there are um 32 uh almost 10,000 almost $3,60. Um but the my brother the larger my brother brothers keeper

089grant we have not received any notice of funding. Um so that total grant amount is 126,000. So of the state grants is 171,000. Uh we have not received any notice going back to the uh federal grants for title 2, title three, title three im immigration and title 4. So uh 49,000 is still to be determined. And when you total all of those numbers up, um 8 973,494 is what we feel we're in a whole uh for 2526 school year of which $730,000 is salary and benefits. So is that half the year or >> The entire year >> 25 26 >> and and as as Alita pointed out the majority of that the vast majority as you can see by the math are in two grants the federal mental health grant and uh the my brother's

090keeper. Those are the big chunks of money. 631,000 and then 126,000. Uh the board had great oversight. Obviously, we have a cushion to absorb that for this year, but um you know, we don't know what's going to happen with the federal government. Everyone's waiting. >> Um a clarifying question, the numbers that we had projected, were those educated guesses or was that money we were promised? >> So, the money that we were estimating was based on grants. the amount of grants that were um applicable to salaries and benefits. So that was the total amount I think it was six million um but that was just um salaries and benefits. So that that total is all of the grants based on just salaries and benefits. So, and these grants were already awarded to us or were expecting

091for next year like the mental health grant we were already awarded. Was that my understanding? >> We were awarded but they told they sent a letter specifically stating because it's a 5-year grant. They specifically said the grant is ending on December 31st, 2025. So, that's half of the fiscal year for us. So, we have to come up with the funding for the half of the other half of the year. >> Yeah. I just I I want to make sure that we're clear to the public about what's happening right now is that we had applied and were granted a grant for mental health that was meant to last for 5 years and we received a resend on that money partway through using this grant and making great benefit from it. >> Correct. >> Right. Under the

092advice of council, I filed a a petition because of the reasons. I think I shared it with the board. They gave four reasons why. There were four clear reasons why ours did not fit that bucket. We have all we received from them was that we received your appeal, but no response back. And then I sent copies of that to every elected official and I sent it to the commissioner of education in New York, too. questions, comments from the rest of the board. >> What was the um is there just radio silence when it comes to the uh non-activity on my brother's keeper or is has there been any my understanding from the grants manager um is that there has not been any application because normally you still have to apply every year, right? And there's

093no new application to apply to available. >> So this is just a status update of where we are right now at this moment. >> And just to clarify the con like this, you know, the stop the bleeding kind of preparation we did has what impact on this at least for this school year. what does to still live us in the whole as far as operating this school year? Like what what do we look like under these conditions? >> So again, I looked at all of the grants and just focused on salary and benefits. So um I believe the I believe the amount was in the $6 million range. Um so we're not there not nowhere as close to that. Um right now our exposure if you look at just salary and benefits is $730,000. >>

094Um the other part which we have no word on is the $49,000 which is to be determined. Like I don't know what that means yet. Um but you'll see um again most of that is in salaries of that um 409. So the 409 is still in the air. Um the other what's in blue is exactly what um is approved. So we don't have to worry about that for next school year for this school year. Um so right now our exposure is 729 and the 409 >> and those those funds are federal funds but they're distributed through the state. >> Right. So, just to clarify, um the money that we said we were going to put aside, all of that will be decided um before the audit is complete. So, we would have to talk about

095what's happening for 2627 knowing that we don't need um the 6 million. We may only need 1.2. Um, so that's a discussion related to fund balance because that additional 5 million is going to fund to uh hit fund balance. Um, like I stated before, it was always going to hit fund balance that we're over the 4%, but we have to decide if we still want to be over fund balance uh the 4% for the 26 27 school budget. So that or we can put the money in the capital reserve. So, those are the decisions we need to make before the audit is is um almost complete, which is around the end of August. If >> and I think and I think that we will know hopefully know the information um for the other grants by

096then. >> If we put it into capital reserve and then we want to eventually use it as part of the budget to sort of extend these programs out through, for example, the current federal administration, do we have the ability to take that back from the capital reserve? >> No. >> Okay. No. >> If if we put it into ERS, TRS, do we have the ability to take that out of those reserves? >> Technically, no. >> Okay. Is there any reserve that we could take that out? >> No. The the the 4% is the fund balance for a rainy day. That's what you're limited to. >> So, if we're audited by the state controller, for example, and he says, "What's your reason for doing this?" I I guess I would want to know from our auditors

097is this a good enough reason that that would pass audit. >> It's not it's it's it's it's a law that we are not adhering to. >> Right >> now the consequences are that we have to write a letter I have to write a letter saying that we acknowledge and what's the action plan? So the action plan is that we are aware that we're over 4%. And um I'm not sure what I would say with regard to us knowing that we're over 4%. I can put in writing that we feel that we are in unpredictable times related to grants and we want to be in a position to not have to have u midyear cuts. >> Okay. >> And I can tell you >> Go ahead. >> Quick. Yeah. Sorry. Quick question for you. Yeah. And

098the um and maybe this is something Mary might know as well. Is there anything in in the um the funds that get distributed throughout the state from federal that we have any kind of sense of what fair share whether we're getting fair share or not? That would require us to potentially um start to put a lot of um effort behind lobbying that more than we have. I I the the title funds are a formula based um and it's based on poverty. Um so I don't I this is not about the formula itself. It's more about the lack of funding behind the grants. So it's just like foundation aid. Uh the formula runs but if the federal government decides not to fund it then they decided not to fund it. I I guess the the the

099lobbying would have to be related to um whoever can talk to uh our our um federal >> congressman. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> It's our but I I I think that the my understanding is that the bill has been passed and um there's estimates I think there's estimate for New York as far as what the cuts are. I just believe that New York has not decided how has not decided how to implement the cuts by district yet. >> I would agree with Alita. That is our analysis that this we did this just passed. So the state is pretty much trying to figure this out, but we're looking at the verbiage around cuts to immigration, cuts to professional development. We all know that that's title three. We all know that that's title two. Uh those are the

100PD money. So, um I think the state is right now and there was a holiday weekend and they're trying to figure out what that means. >> Can you remind me how much we had in our rainying day fund and how much of that is going to be how much we have left over? >> So, we and I have to I don't I feel bad because I should have pulled up the number. Um but I believe it's in the $6 million range. So if we look at not having the title funds zero that would be 409 and the plus the 729 that we are currently aware of. So it would be um 1.2 minus the 6 million. So we would have about 5 million. >> Okay. >> Above and beyond the 4%. >> So we do

101have a good cushion. >> Correct. Right now. Yeah. >> For this year. For this year. >> Okay. So again the decision by the board would be what do we do for the 2627 school year. So again if we put that 5 million in um a reserve then it's supposed to be used for that the purpose of that reserve um and then the other option which we said we were going to do um anyway for 2627 um is to go above the 4%. So technically we would be going above the 4% for 2526 um with the hopes to use it for the 2627 budget. >> Can we not move funds into TRS and then when TRS increases at budget time take funds out of TRS pay TRS and then use from our regular tax general fund?

102That was what I was going to write a little flowchart around. But >> yeah, but the problem is like you you still have to replenish the funds that you used from ERS in the following year. >> So to me, ERS and TRS are like big bumps where you don't anticipate it going increasing that high going forward. And we've seen that with definitely TRS. >> I got it. So, the problem again, it's like using one-time money for continuing expenses. >> To that point, um I know during the development, I know we're quite not quite here yet where I'm going, but the with the first iteration of our long range plan um and those grants. I had proposed the question about how do we start phasing in some of these grant initiatives that align with the goals

103of the district um so that there's longevity in there. we're not perpetually dependent on grants. What would that look like? Or I know it's really premature sort of to have that conversation, but is there given we were able to set 6 million aside in this year's budget, is there a way to phase in some reflection of that number, not maybe not necessarily next year's budget, but just how do we phase that in? Is that possible without having to be like, you know, we're going to put a little cushion here and pull from that and always have to do this kind of shell game, if you will, with rainy day funds as opposed to >> Yeah, we could absolutely look at that. >> Okay. >> Yeah, >> we could have a plan for that, >> right?

104>> And wouldn't it be interesting in terms of advocacy to get our state um to agree to hike the 4%, you know, given the most unusual of circumstances we're facing, right? Um, Alita, so it's been in the news recently that the current administration um withhold withheld billions of dollars that was supposed to go out on July 1st that related to grant money. >> No, we don't get our money um July 1st. We get it in September. >> Right. >> Our state aid and our grants. >> Okay. >> The applications are actually over the summer. So, what was in the news last week around July 1st is not what's reflected in here. At least not yet. >> No, the what's in blue is what we know we have. Um, what we know we don't have is

105reflected here and the TBD is what we don't know. >> And when, sorry, when do we expect to hear I think you said before the audit process begins in August, we expect to hear about the rest of the title. >> I'm hoping so. Yes. Um, I'll take this opportunity to plug Helen Mntel's title fund presentation, right, which is on July 24th and is also open and I think by law has to include some community members. So, um, our whole board was invited, so I encourage you to RSVP to that if you plan on going. This would, I think, would be a good year to go. and that if you're watching at home and you would like to participate, um, you can email just ask and we can give you that information if you'd like to

106be more knowledgeable about that as well. >> Any other questions? >> Oh, uh, I just wanted to confirm none of this is COVID money, correct? >> No. >> Okay. >> So, that's my update. >> What a doozy. All right. >> Thank you. Um, now to our committee appointments. So, I'm gonna I'm going to need every This is going to be a group project here. Um, I know Frank had mentioned at before the meeting started to me that he thought he might have to go and then in the case that he would that he'd like to maintain his positions on his current board assignments. I'm assuming that Rob uh will be returned shortly. Um, and Roger, are you still with us? I know it's it's like really early there. I'm just going to assume that Roger

107wants to keep his current committee assignments. Um, >> I see him moving. >> Okay. Um, I'll just assume that he wants to keep his unless I hear him chime in. >> Unless Can I If he doesn't, I'm sorry. I I was on mute. Um, yeah, I'm still here. >> Okay, great. I just want to make sure um feel free to jump in if you feel like you need to. I know there's a little bit of lag when it comes to these committee assignments. >> Roger, before we lose you, do you want to stay on the policy committee because I'd like to go on it if you don't want to stay on it. >> Um Katherine say I'm sorry I don't if I heard you correctly. Sorry. >> Yep, that's me. >> Okay. Yeah, if you

108I'm happy I'm happy to be an alternate or something if you want to do that. Well, let's go through them. Let's go through them. >> I just wanted to ask him before we'll potentially >> Okay. Okay. Let's It's near the top. It's near the top of my list. >> So, um the first thing it says on our worksheet it says advisory committee. It should say audit committee. Last year we had Frank um Annie and and Katherine on the audit committee. Um does anybody I wrote in Frank's name. Does anybody wish to stay or wish to leave? I'd like to leave this committee. >> Annie, how are you feeling about the audit committee? >> I wanted to leave last year, but I will stay. >> What day of the week does it meet? >> Thursday, maybe.

109>> It's only >> Yeah, it's the meetings are only uh I would say three times a year. Um we have a preliminary audit. We have a review of the audit before it's recommended to the board and then we have an internal risk assessments. Actually, it may be only twice a year, but it is really early in the morning. Um, I don't know why that is, but we have moved to online meetings, which makes it better. Okay, so >> the online does help. It is a really hard time when getting kids to school. >> That's why I want to come off the audit committee. Um, I can go on it. I second the words out of my mouth. I regret it, but that's okay. All right. >> It's not bad. It's just it's it's a rough

110time. It's the >> No other bites. >> When you have kids at AMD and OHS, it's it's really tough. >> Yeah. I can see if I can change the time if that would help. I It's It's just like >> just go ahead and keep time. >> She doesn't She doesn't get a vote anymore. She just scadaddled out of here. It just it's always been that way. So, I don't know. >> 8:30 would be great for the uh early elementary early childhood. >> We can we can uh we can talk about it. >> All right. Grievance committee right now is uh Frank, Melissa, and myself. Melissa, do you want to stay on the grievance committee? >> No. >> Okay, I'll stay on. Now that we have an opening on the grievance committee, anybody? I'll go back

111on it, but I know I don't know if maybe Rob maybe Rob wants to be on it. >> All right. What are we doing? Committees. Where are we? >> Yeah, we just did audit. The very first one it says advisory. It should say audit. >> Did you want to be on it? >> It doesn't have enthusiasm. >> No. No more takers on the audit committee. I see. Okay. Um, grievance. There's an opening on the grievance committee. >> No. Cath them over writing. >> I'm interested. >> Oh, Annie's interested. Captain, is that all right if Annie Annie wants to do that? All right. Um, policy. >> I would really like to be on the policy committee. This is year three. >> If I stay on the audit committee, can I have the policy committee? All right.

112Um, >> I'm I'm happy to give up my my seat if Katherine or Annie decide that they want to do it. I'm happy to do that. >> Okay. Um, let me first I I I do want to stay on the policy committee. So Melissa, >> as do I. >> Okay. >> Can I be alternate? >> Yes, I think that's fair. Annie was alternate last year. So Annie can step in. >> So who's on I'm sorry. Who are the three people? >> Christine, Melissa, and Annie with Katherine as an alternate. on uh facilities. We had Rob, Frank, and Roger with myself as an alternate. Um I'm going to assume Frank still wants to be on it. Frank said to keep him on. Um >> I'll I'll stay on facilities. >> Okay, Rob. >> Uh does anyone

113else want it? >> No. Okay. >> I was on it for a couple years. Um, does anybody else want to be the alternate? >> I'll be either way. >> Either way, >> I can be alternate. >> Okay, Annie can be the alternate. >> Uh, legislative advocacy committee. >> Sorry. Can I just ask a really quick question for for facilities? The we don't anticipate there being a heavy amount of meetings for the coming year anyway. I don't think are the meetings were all pre budget or pre-bond, right? Or do we anticipate there's going to be quite a few? >> I don't I don't know. You're talking about the facilities committee. >> Mhm. >> Um Mary, just so you know, historically the facilities committee, they met um to make recommendations for things like buying the church and

114they did all sort of the pre-bond work. um whenever there was building work that was part of the regular budget such as like the driveway at OS or other things they met in advance before bringing that back to the regular board. So I guess the question would be for you and Alita is do you guys anticipate utilizing this committee as part of like the bond work or any sort of regular budget time projects? I'm I'm I believe that those meetings for um the budget were to um identify a five-year plan. Um so that was a reason. Um as you know when the bond comes on to um the debt service schedule and we have to pay our transfer to capital line is going to be very small. um and we have been doing everything that

115we can um to utilize that transfer to capital prior to the debt replacing that transfer to capital line. So I don't think that that is something that is needed uh going forward. >> So there so in essence there won't be really much in the way of meetings needed right? No, unless Mary wants to >> have some meetings um around the design and that kind of stuff throughout the year. >> And I think those will be questions. It's interesting. Alita just read my mind because that's a question that's coming up, but I would think that that would go to the entire board. Uh that would be just my like what do you want to do with the stained glass windows? What are we doing about naming a grade seven and eight building? what are you doing

116about you know a certain other design features I I would would but but that's up to you all if you want to create a committee among those >> I almost think that I'm just going to throw this out there I think that makes sense to me what you said Mary um and and with that said does it make sense for us to even have it for this year I don't know I if we're because I think there's a lot of poor decisioning that is because I I agree with the fact that, you know, we we're doing like a long range planning and there's going to be a lot more activity that we're thinking about. >> I think we should I think we should keep it. If we get to a situation where we have trouble

117doing those decisions, >> it's better to have it and not need it than need it. Not have it. >> Yeah. Then we have it. >> Okay. I guess we'll keep it just be it'll be somewhat inactive. Well, >> it says it already says it it it meets as needed. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And Ice We'll leave it as is. Belita, when is the next building condition survey for Osing? I can't remember the date. I mean, that would be a task it would have, but we'll get you that information. >> I think I think he just did it. Yeah. >> So, I think it's every five years. >> Every five years, right? I mean, there were years where this was by far the most active committee. >> Oh, I could see that. So, >> that's

118when we that's when we had the 6.9 million >> subcommittee. It was so active >> with a committee and the committee. >> Yeah. within the >> because at the time 6.9 million, you know, was c like big projects like we were talking about additions and >> all of the above, but you have a $210 million bond now addressing those. >> All right. Next on the list is the legislative advocacy committee. Right now, it's um Frank, Catherine, and Annie and myself as an alternate. Um >> I would like to be on this committee. I've ever served on this one. >> You can take my spot. Okay. Annie, do you want to stay on? >> I would if you want to then. >> Sure. And I'll put Melissa in the third spot. Um, if it's okay, if

119anybody nobody objects, I'd like to keep myself in as the alternate. >> And I just want to say that this was a resurrected committee this year and I thought it was a lot of fun. I thought like >> we No, we did it the year before cuz I was on it. >> Oh, and like we did some things. >> We did some things the first year it came out and this year too. It's good. It was a good year. We'll reflect on that in our retreat when we evaluate ourselves, which we should be doing between now and August, I think 12th. Anyways, uh Hester Baitman Spencer Hines committee. Uh let me read right now. It's Frank, Melissa, and Katherine with Annie as an alternate. Um I'm gonna leave Frank on there. Melissa, do you want

120to stay on there? >> Yes, I would. Cath. >> Um, >> Annie, do you want to be on it? Or you could say an alternate ambivalent. >> Yes, I would like to be on it. Oh, >> okay. >> This is my year, guys. All my kids are in school. >> All right. Um, and last year you were the alternate. Does anybody want to be an alternate? >> I can stay an alternate. >> Okay. All right. board calendar committee right now is Roger, Annie, and Rob. Um, Roger, >> I'd like I I I'd like to come off of that. I'm sorry. I have just not been able to. >> Okay. >> So, we got an opening there. Annie, do you want >> Yeah. >> Do you want to stay on the board calendar committee? >> Yes,

121please. >> Rob, >> sure. >> Anybody want to join up? Okay. >> Okay. >> It's fun. Mary explains a lot of law. >> Oh, then I'm in. Thank you. >> All right. Board governance committee right now I personally found very helpful this year. Cath was Katherine uh Melissa and Annie. Um I think when we establish it, it should have a member board leadership on it. So, um >> I would like to come off. >> Annie would like to come off. Um >> thank you, Katherine, for driving that one. >> Is that the Is that the stipulation we we had we said that there needs to be a leadership on there? >> Yeah. Like I think it might be in the handbook that the idea was that a board leader should be on one of the

122people on it, >> one person on it. Yeah. >> Um which we don't I mean we don't have to do. I'm not dying to be on it, but um >> I don't I'm happy to stay on it. I I also feel like I think like I had intended to reschedule a meeting for right around this time and I dropped that ball. So, >> um if others are interested, I did find it helpful like we had a few initiatives and I felt like it was helpful especially in the first half of the year to keep those on track. >> Okay. Um, Annie, you said you wanted off of this one, right? >> Yes. Okay. Um, Melissa, do you want to stay on it? >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, Annie, do you want to stay on it?

123>> She had said she wanted to come off. >> Oh, you wanted to come off, you said, right? >> You just asked me. Yes. >> Sorry. It's okay. >> Um, uh, Roger, do you want to be on it? I'm >> I'm have to be on it. >> Okay. I can stay. I can go. Somebody tell me. >> Rob, do you want to be on it? >> No. Katherine, why don't you stay on it? >> All right. To recap, >> I can be an alternate if you want. >> Okay. >> That's Melissa, Roger, Katherine with Annie as an alternate for the board governance committee. Leaons to MBK right now is Frank, Melissa, Annie, and myself as an alternate. I'm going to write in Frank. Melissa, do you want to stay or go? >> Stay. >> Okay.

124Annie, >> stay. >> Okay. I'm the alternate right now. I'd happy to be happy to stay, but if somebody else is dying to do it, then they can. I'll be an alternate uh liaison to PTA council. Right now we have Frank, Catherine, and Annie. >> There is no PTA council anymore. >> Yeah, I know. We should just probably We have talked about this. Um >> No, we put it as parent and teacher support groups. >> Parent Yeah. catch parent/teer support groups to be more of a catch-all. >> Okay. >> Um it's written on the It's not written that way on the worksheet. It's on written that way on the 2425 sheet. >> Yeah, the 2425 sheet. Um, right now it's Frank, Katherine, and Annie. I'm going to put Frank down. >> I can stay. >>

125Okay. And Annie, >> I can stay or go if somebody wants it. >> You can have it. Annie's name down. All right. Laza to the public library right now is um Katherine, myself, and Annie. I tried. >> What did you Were you trying to >> You said maybe this this is opportunity >> you could be. >> Yeah. Do you want to be a liazison to the to OPL? >> No. >> All right. Um Katherine, do you want to stay on? >> I can stay or I can go. I never really made the meetings, so >> I'd like to stay. It does not actually meet monthly at 7 p.m. It meets like by invitation. Um, I think the libraries meetings are once a month at 7 p.m. I think that that's what that >> I have

126done some of the invitational Zooms. >> Yeah. >> Over the years. >> Um, >> Yanny, are you in? You out? >> Yes. >> Anybody else want to be on the >> want to be a liaison to OPL? >> I can leave a blank or I can write your name in. Catherine, >> what? Sorry. What? >> For OPL. Yeah, you can leave me. >> Okay. All right. Great. Uh, Chamber of Commerce, we had Frank, Katherine, and Rob. I'm just going to write Frank Zaman. >> I don't think this. >> This is inactive. It's inactive. >> It's inactive. >> But they have new leadership, >> right? >> Over there. >> Better to have this in. >> They did restaurant week, which I thought was very smart. Aka Hungry on the Hudson. Yep. >> So maybe this will

127resurrect. But my guess is right. >> So I'm happy to stay on. >> Okay. >> And then we could figure out proactively want to talk >> right if they come to us. Oh we inviting the board. It's easy for us to say like oh well these people are going to get dibs to go to that meeting so we don't have a you know what I mean? Like those are the the people you call up because there are less >> since it's new leadership. Do they know that they have a relationship? >> They may not know that they have they may not know that they have liaison. >> Oh board governance item. Yeah. >> Reach out to you. >> Um, >> so right now I have Frank and Rob written down. Katherine, do you want to

128stay on it? >> It's fine. >> Okay. Does anybody else want to go on? >> Okay. I'm gonna write down Catherine's name. >> Uh, Boseies. Uh, we've got Frank, Katherine, and Rob. >> I'll write down Frank's name. Um, >> are you sure? I thought I was on that. I don't think I was on I didn't think I was on. >> Okay, so maybe that's their an error. >> Frank Melissa looking at >> I'm looking at Oh, am I looking at the wrong thing? >> Yeah, >> I am. I'm looking at the Chamber of Commerce still. Sorry, Melissa. Thank you. This is why I have this is why I'm going to read it all out loud at the end when I'm finished, too. Sorry. Um I had Frank, Melissa, and myself, and then Annie as the

129alternate. This was an inactive uh committee. Do you want to stay on it, Melissa? >> Yeah. And I don't think it was so much inactive. I think the way it's structured is that we kind of are self directed to attend and interact with what they have going on um in their meetings. So, it's not so much it's inactive, it's just >> it's a matter. >> Right. Right. I know what you I know what you >> Yeah. Okay. But I'll stay on. >> Okay. But I'm bumping. Um, does anybody else I'm I can step away from this if somebody else wants it. Annie, you were an alternate last year or do you want to be on it? Do you want to stay an alternate? >> I can be on it or stay as an alternate. You

130pick. >> I'll stay on it. You can stay an alternate. We'll keep it. As is. Okay. Oh boy. This is not the same. Hold on a second. Sorry. There we go. Um, so on the equity committee right now, we had Annie and Melissa in a blank spot. Um, Annie, did you want to stay on the equity committee? >> Yes. I have kids in school all day. Gonna try finally. >> Um, Melissa, do you want to stay on it? >> Yes. >> Okay. Does anybody want to join? >> I can join. >> Okay. Um, they still do most of their work on Mondays, right? Or is it move around? >> No, it's usually a probably a Tuesday, Wednesday. Usually midweek. Yeah. >> Okay. >> And it's a it's a half at least a half a day.

131>> Um >> Okay. I had stepped away from this committee because at the time I couldn't do Mondays anymore. >> It's probably the the biggest time commitment of all the committees in terms of when they meet. is a chunk of the day, right? A large chunk of the day. >> It's a great committee to be on. I thought it was very useful, but I didn't I stepped away from it because it was always meeting on Mondays and that was like one day of the week I was working. So, I had I didn't want to take the seat. >> I said at the beginning of the year like I probably won't be able to go. But that was true. But like next year I can go except for the ones that they have that are bus

132pickup time. I'll if nobody else wants to be, I'll put myself down as an alternate. [Applause] Okay. Um, liaison to Boseis right now is I I'm right now is Frank, Roger, and Katherine. Roger, do you >> I like to come up with that one. Did >> I'm sorry. Did you say you wanted to come off? >> Yes. >> Okay, Catherine, >> I have not been active on it at all. So I if somebody wants to do it, I they should. >> Does anybody else want to be a liaison to Boseis? >> Does it actually meet monthly? >> No. >> I mean, I think that's >> that's when their meetings are >> meetings. Yeah, >> their meetings. >> So is the expectation that whoever's on this goes to their monthly meeting? >> I don't think the

133expectation is that they go monthly. Well, you can leave me on if nobody else wants to do it, but Okay, >> I can be on it then if >> Okay. Uh, liaison to uh the PBIS, their main role is to review the code of conduct among other things. Melissa's on it. Melissa, do you want to stay on it? >> Yes. And I think it's more than annually and Yeah. Yeah, that's not accurate. >> Okay. >> Half days, full days. >> Yeah. And that's probably the second most biggest time commitment to the equity committee meeting or probably right up there. Right in line. >> I'll put Frank in it. You want to Did you say you wanted to stay on it? Okay. >> Rob, do you want to stay on it? >> I'd like to come

134off this one. Not because I'm not interested in it. It's just the commitments. There were two or three full half days and I just I can't >> work. >> Um thing. Annie, you were an alternate last year, but I'm hearing you sign up for a lot more committees. Do you want to do this committee? >> I can. If somebody else wants to, I'm happy to not. >> Roger. >> When when did it meet? >> Yeah. When the question you for PBIS, it's they don't meet like as frequently as the equity committee. It does it does require a time commitment there. >> Um, can you remind me like the frequency of the meetings? It's It came out to almost I'd say a little more than quarterly like every two or three months. >> Yeah, >> I

135thought it was like three times a year, but I could have been wrong. But it's >> that sounds >> You put me on there. It's fine. >> Maria's giving us a three times a year. >> Four times. >> Depends upon the task for the year. Like they had a lot of work, >> right? That's why I said like some, you know, so it rounds out to about quarterly. Yeah. But >> Okay. Yeah, that's fine. be put me on there. >> Do you want to be an alternate, Annie? >> Sure. >> Okay. >> All right. Leaison to the non-public schools. >> I can stay. >> Okay. Anybody want to join up? >> Who's on there now? Sorry. >> Frank. Um Frank and Katherine are Who's on there now? The third seat's vacant. >> All right. Has

136that met with has that had any meet? This is with St. Augustine and then perhaps >> it's a meets as needed. >> Yeah. Okay. I can go on there if there's a blank. >> Okay. Uh liaison to the emergency management districtwide safety committee. Um right now it's Frank, Melissa, and Rob. I know Frank wants to stay. Melissa. >> Yes. Uh Rob, >> I'm happy to come off if someone else wants it. If not, you can keep me on, but >> anybody else? >> Anyone want it >> clamoring for it? Well, keep them away with a stick. >> Okay, Rob, it's you. >> Um, liaison to the budget advisory committee. This is not active as far as I know. >> Right. >> Let's fill the seats for now. Anyways, we can talk. I think so. Here's

137the thing. There's a lot of committees that aren't active, but people are on it just in case there's a reactivation. However, um this is one of those committees that I've said in the past. I think it was there for reasons and then it was kind of like oh let's try it out and then we kind of never to my recollection decided whether this is a an appropriate committee to even continue having. So, I don't know what our thoughts are on that, but technically it would be like any other inactive committee where we whoever's interested in case it becomes a thing again, it's already on there. >> But I will put that out there again as a conversation around um because it's sort of similar to the discussion we just had around the facilities committee where

138it's like technically the whole board should really be part of that discussion anyway. Like why would we have a committee for that stuff? So that's just my two cents on the budget advisory committee. >> I think for a while it took on some foundation aid work. >> Yeah, >> I don't think we need to have it, >> but I don't care. >> But I also don't think we need to have the discussion about whether or not we disband the committee in this moment. We can put people on it for now and then if we don't need it, we can disband it. Right. Um so right now it's Frank Katherine and Melissa, should we just keep it the same? Does anybody want to make sure they're not on it or make sure they are on it?

139>> You can keep me on it. It's fine. >> Okay. >> So, should we as governance consider um because I think we kind of have that same discussion every year is that this is not the appropriate space to talk about it and then we and it's on there again next year. >> So, >> um >> yeah, >> we can discuss it as a this is a retreat topic. we can discuss. Although our retreat is only a half day and a >> another bullet added does need more time. >> Well, we'll put it on the to-do list for governance to make sure that we find appropriate time for the board to revisit this. >> Yeah, governments could talk about it and then to remove a committee. Does that require a vote to dump things? And if

140so, so maybe governance makes recommendations on which of these to keep, which to dump, bring them on, have a discussion. I I'm just being sensitive to that retreat and >> right yeah, you know, so but that feels like a board governance maybe recommendation what stays, what goes and then we can just discuss and vote at some meet upcoming meeting. >> I'm putting it on the list. >> Okay, let's put it on that list instead of the retreat list and then we can >> just do it during probably a board dialogue. >> Um, communications Uh, I'm looking. Um, right now it says Rob, Christine, and Catherine, but Katherine left midyear and Frank ended up taking that seat. So, right now it's Rob, me, and Frank. I'm going to put Frank down. >> Do you want to

141stay on? >> I want to stay on, but the commitment, especially those two 45 meetings, especially when I started my new job, I just couldn't make it. So I I mean I would pull myself off just >> okay >> for that and if someone else wants it and if it's crickets I can be an alternate and make it as as best I can. I just I just can't >> I was going to suggest taking the alternate spot Rob if you can't make it. >> So I'll take alternate unless someone wants alternate. But >> Roger, do you want to be on the committee? >> I I mean I I was going to suggest alternate if that was a possibility. If Rob wants to stay on it and he can't make it, I'm happy to fill in.

142>> But Rob >> Rob is asking to be an alternate >> either out or alternate. I just can't. >> Yeah. >> I mean, nobody can't sell this. I mean, I I do not want to be on this anymore. >> I'll go back on I'll go back on it. I'm just going to be straight. I love you, Nicole, if you're watching this. It's been It's been real. I do not feel a need to be on the communications committee anymore at this time. This would be my fourth year consecutively on it. I do not feel like I need to do that. Like let's make some room for some other voices. Anybody? >> I'll give you a break. >> You have me down on there, right? >> Annie's going on. >> Annie, >> Frank, Roger, and Annie. >>

143Okay. I love you all. Okay. uh leaison to the committee right now are um Melissa, Rob, and Annie. Melissa, do you want to stay on or Yes. Okay. >> I could I could come off this one. >> Okay. Do you like if How do I say this? Do you want to make room if there needs to be room or do you want off no matter what? >> I would put me again as an alternate. >> Okay. Because again the the the daytime meetings are the >> I I if you're going to bow out, I'm happy to join this one. >> Um okay, let me first um ask Annie. Annie, do you want to stay on? >> Did this meet? >> It did. >> I'll give any priority over me. >> Sporadically. Um >> I like

144don't have a memory of it. >> Very sporadically. And it's usually like 3:30 is right after school type of hours >> when it does meet. >> That's again bus pickup time. So I can't >> I'll put Roger down. I'll put um >> If you need a seat filler, you can put my name down. >> I'll put my name in as a seat filler this time. All right. So that's just to uh that's leazison to seal committee is Melissa Roger Christine with Rob as an alternate that sound square. All right. Now we have a new committee a curriculum review committee which is new. So there are no there is nobody >> passes >> on it if it passes. >> Y I would to join this one. >> Uh Roger said you would like to join this

145one. >> Yes. >> Okay. Let's hear from around >> Yep. I brought this to the board. I really was the one who studied it and pulled all various policies from around the district and pitched it. Really like to see it through. I'd really like to be on the committee. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I'd be interested. >> You'd be interested. I'd be interested. Melissa, >> you're probably interested. I'm just going to assume you're interested, too. >> It will be during the day because it involves a ton of district staff. >> I just need to be clear about >> Right. How >> I'm not I won't I'm interested to to see it through but not inter you know I'm not going to fight at >> you all want to be on it >> no I'm not going

146to jump at the bit you all you >> have at it >> I'll give it up I'll give up my interest can I be an alternate >> we'll see the question >> right so I I just so my statement on this one I acknowledge Katherine's hard work on it I too did mention it in meetings um push for it and there's a lot of data compon component here around that. So, as you know, I've mentioned data. So, that's part of my reason for joining it. So, I'd like to be considered as well, please. >> I I feel like this is >> so who all wants to be on it? Just so who >> I would like to be on it. Katherine, Katherine, Christine, Rob, and Roger. >> Yeah. >> Can I make a suggestion? >>

147Sure. >> Roger. Um, I think like I guess my thought process is I think it would be helpful to have a board member who's on it who's also an educator. Um, is there any way we can put Christine on it and put you as alternate? I think there'll probably be room for an alternate to be very active on the committee. >> No, no, no issues. >> Okay. >> You sure, Roger? Because >> I mean I look I I can I look if the thing that I think that's important in this particular one I I've had many conversations with you know I guess with you know various um in various sessions that we've had right um around what we think we are going to try to look at by when we look at curriculum reviews. This

148is one I have had a passion point about. I don't have any issues about this one, but I do think that this is one that, you know, I I think we need to put some real teeth into this one. >> Okay. >> Can you make it if it's during the day? >> Me? Um, I mean, I will try and if not, Roger's the alternate. I mean, this one I would make the time try to make the time for. >> Okay. >> Um, because I'm passionate about it as well. >> And I mean, I I really I feel like this is where this committee and specifically is a very good fit for my skill set. Um, but who knows too if it ends up meeting on days that I can't, you know, the schedule is such

149in flux that we'll see. So, I do would anticipate that there'll be room for an alternate to participate uh depending on how the schedule shakes out. Obviously, I would try to honor my commitments to the committee, but without knowing the schedule, it's hard to make that commitment. >> And just for to clarify, like with all these committees, we're liaons to these committees. So, we're not necessarily on there to kind of um micromanage the direction that the committee is going or anything, but I get the premise of, you know, skill sets and things like that. >> Right. Right. >> Right. I mean, >> yes. >> Although this one is not this one's not a liaison, but we have the language and our policy that supports what you're saying when it comes to this committee. >> Right.

150I guess we'll talk about it more because that's not my my understanding. When we when we talked about formulating this or at least when we talked about it on the policy committee side, it wasn't that the board would be such an active part of the process that goes on in there. So, if we're kind of nitpicking the word liaison, I I get it. But I'm just talking about the overall role of a board member would play in that committee, >> right? Um >> I think it's in your packet tonight, too. The oversight of the role is it is >> I think it's played out pretty clear specific, right? Yeah. >> Um because I share some of your same concerns, Melissa, about how that could go ary if it weren't um clearly articulated. Um, I'm going

151to put myself, uh, Katherine and Rob with Roger as an alternate. All right. Now, I want you to be patient with me because that's all of them, but I'm going to read them out just to make sure for my sake and for Illy's sake um, that we all have the same names filling the boxes so that there's no confusion later. And I'm sure like in the past Illy will email out the list to triple check. Okay. So for the audit committee I have Frank Annie Christine. Grievance committee Frank Christine Annie. Policy Committee, Katherine, Melissa, or sorry, Christine, Melissa, Annie, and Catherine as an alternate. Facilities Committee, Frank, Roger, Rob with Annie as an alternate. Legislative Advocacy Committee, Frank, Annie, Melissa with Christine as an alternate. Hester Baitman Spencer Hines Committee Frank Melissa Annie with Katherine

152as an alternate board calendar committee Annie Rob and Catherine board governance committee Melissa Roger Catherine with Annie as an alternate liaison to MBK committee Frank Melissa Annie with Christine as an alternate le uh leaison to PTA council and and whatever else it says in the description over here. Parent and teacher support groups. Um, Frank, Katherine, and Annie. Liaons to the Austining Public Library, Christine, Annie, Catherine. Liaison to the Greater Austining Chamber of Commerce, Frank, Rob, and Catherine. Leaison to the Westchester Putnham Schoolboards Association, Frank, Melissa, Christine with Annie as an alternate, liaison to the equity committee, uh Annie, Melissa, Catherine with Christine as an alternate, liaison uh to Boseies, I have Frank, Katherine, and Annie. liaison to the PBIS committee. I have Melissa, Frank, Roger with Annie as an alternate uh liaison to nonpublic schools,

153Frank, Katherine, and Roger. Liaison to the emergency management districtwide safety committee, I have Frank, Melissa, and Rob. Uh for the budget, uh leaison to the budget advisory committee, Frank, Katherine, Melissa. liaison to the communications task force. I have Frank, Annie, Roger with Rob as an alternate liaison to the SEAL committee, Melissa, Roger, Christine with Rob as an alternate and the curriculum review committee, Christine, Katherine, Rob with Roger as an alternate. Does that sound correct? >> Sounds correct to me. >> Okay. Illy will email something out and then we'll check again. >> Would you all have any objections if if I dropped off because it's 5:00 am here? >> Get some rest. Roger. >> All right. >> Thanks for hanging in. >> Thanks everyone. >> Roger. >> Good night. Good morning. >> All right. Our work

154session is done. Moving on. our first uh public comment section uh for agenda items only and not to exceed 10 minutes. I see that nobody here is in the audience. Is there anybody online who wishes to speak? No. Okay. Moving ahead for our business of the board. Uh is there anything from 6.2 through 6.11 that anybody wishes to break out. All right. Seeing none, I'll take a motion for 6.2 through 6.11. So moved. >> Second. All right. 6.2 Resolution to appoint community members to the audit committee. 6.3 Resolution to appoint members to the district emergency response team. Dirt. 6.4 4 Resolution to appoint the Title 9 Compliance Officer for the 2025 2026 school year. 6.5 Resolution to approve an agreement with the assistant superintendent for business. 6.6 Resolution to approve an agreement with the director

155of school facilities, operations, and maintenance. 6.7 Resolution to appoint a clerk prom for the 2025 2026 school year. Uh 6.8 Resolution to appoint additional consultants for the 2025 2026 school year. 6.9 resolution to approve the amended agreement with the kids educational services. 6.10 resolution to approve an agreement with the perdm consultant for science research. 6.11 resolution to approve a stipulation of settlement agreement. Any discussion? >> Just want to say that it's great to see Mr. Picarella still around and consulting. Is that is that agreement? Well, it's not public. So, I guess I'm a lot I guess I could look in. I just want to see if it was a one-year thing. Are we able to talk about that or no? >> It is for a one-year agreement and we're happy. Oh, Dr. Mar, you can

156>> Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, >> it's a one-year agreement um in a consultant capacity. >> Okay. Um, we just wanted to leverage his expertise for some new folks coming on board and to continue to work with our staff and our students >> and we hopefully are going to make it such a wonderful experience. He considered it for a few years more downro. That's great. Thank you. >> Yes, we're very happy. >> All right. Any further discussion? All in favor? >> I opposed abstensions. All right. I'll take a motion for 7.1. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Thanks, Melissa. Uh 7.1 resolution regarding interfund transfers. Any discussion? >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Does anybody have anything from 8.1 through 8.11 that they wish to break out? All right. Seeing none, I'll take an

157uh motion on 8.1 through 8.11. >> So moved. >> Second. >> 8.1 Resolution regarding rescend civil service staff appointment rescending civil service staff appointments. 8.2 Resolution regarding professional staff resignations. 8.3 Resolution regarding bus attendant resignations. 8.4 Resolution regarding administrative staff appointments. 8.5 Resolution regarding professional staff appointments. 8.6 Resolution regarding confidential staff appointments. 8.7 Resolution regarding support staff appointments. 8.8 Resolution regarding professional staff appointments summer programs. 8.9 Resolution regarding support staff appointments summer school programs. 8.10 Resolution regarding civil service staff appointments summer school programs. 8.11 Resolution regarding civil service staff appointments. Any discussion? All in favor? I >> opposed. Abstensions. All right, we have our second public comment at this time for any school related business. There is still nobody from the audience who could possibly wish to speak. Seeing as we have none, is there

158anybody online who wishes to speak? >> No virtual. Okay, give it just a moment. I know. Um, next up we have 10.1 resolution to adopt policy 4210 cycle of curriculum review as a second reading. >> 4201. >> Did I Is that I misspe? Sorry. 4201. Thank you. It's a lot of reading. I'm going some water. As a matter of fact, any discussion? Um, yeah. So, this is this is which one is it? This is the curriculum one, right? Okay. So, this is great. >> Glad we're doing it. >> My only question is >> and I don't I might have not have been here for the one when it was the first reading possibly. So, that's why I didn't bring up that. Then there's no and there's no community member slashparents as part of the committee.

159Was there any discussion to have someone community member parents part of the committee? If so, is there a recommendation on that? Now there is a ability if you I search on the word community that uh under the responsibilities it facilitates community feedback sessions to gather input as part of the curriculum review process which is great but I do wonder if it's board members admin superintendent teachers if we're leaving out a very key constituent and that's parents communityfamilies. So I don't know if there was any discussion on that why we do want to necessarily offer that to be included. >> This is a this committee's work is to oversee a cycle of curriculum review. It's not a curriculum instruction and assessment committee that we've seen in other places. That was a choice made here. So as

160this is structured um this committee is responsible for managing the process for articulating for operationalizing it making decisions and putting forward they are keenly aware depending upon the subject area for example if we were this committee decided that the first area of review let's say was music for example I'm sitting next to Christine so that's why so we would put out a call to community members that would have an interest uh either professionally or personally in music because their feedback would be important. So that's how the community input is done on these that that you would bring in stakeholders with background interest reflection on things per topic per subject area. That's how I've used them. Um, I think that's a good point and I was actually just thinking about that because Rob had mentioned um,

161you know, just as we were talking while stuff was coming up and I said I really I thought that there was community input in it and so I was surprised at what he pointed out but then it it totally makes sense if if you're reviewing dual language or world language and we have we don't have parents on the committee who are involved in that or music or arts or science research or whatever it is that we're tasking the committee with reviewing. We wouldn't want those the same community members providing feedback to everything. We would want community members involved. >> That that's the most efficient and effective use of people's time and feedback. >> Let me ask a question. Do we envision it then running a little bit like the audit committee does when we have

162community members in that capacity where we have people who like submit resumes and um have who are people who are community members but who have relevant experience serving on that committee? >> Yes. I mean I I've did this for close to 20 years and the way it would operate it you would get people depending upon the topic commit to two years to be part of this. You give your feedback, but then you might want to extend that. You might want to have an evening of roundtable conversations via a world cafe on a particular topic or subject area where you invite all members of the community into it. Trying to find ways to leverage people's expertise, but yet opportunities for a broader conversation. So, I've done all of the above. Some years we've done surveys to

163the entire community. Some years we've did, like I said, world cafe conversations. There are multiple ways of gaining broader community feedback. >> So the way this is written, we're not married to any one way of doing things, right? Like we could approach it in a variety of different ways. >> You would not want my recommendation, you wouldn't want your policy to look like a regulation. That that that's a regulation. You want it to be broad in scope. This is your first year doing this in a while. It clearly identifies as the four fa phases of this but the operationalization of what this looked like in your first year going through it or first two years because it'll be a two-year cycle that comes out of you know do you use the tri-states model? Do you

164use the researchbased professional model for program evaluation? There are lots of models out there that provide templates groundwork about how to go about doing the work itself. So with that said then item number seven develop recommendations to refine and or modify curriculum. So hypothetically just gaming this out Katherine to your point if we were talking about >> where is >> um responsibilities of the curriculum review committee item I'm just pulling out item number seven. Item number seven is develop recommendations to refine and or modify curriculum. So if we were having a discussion in the committee about defi um refining or modify pick a subject do language fine arts cultural arts whatever that is >> we would stop and say okay we should s should we seek community import input parental I would always default to

165yes personally and then we would go get it either through what a survey or hey do we how do we go then like to find like are we >> right if we're going to bring someone in a family a parent or whoever it is how do what's the me is the is this way this is written it's broad enough that we could go do any of all those things >> any and all and it's a two-year process your first year is to do an internal evaluation on that you gather all your data in this particular area you you take a look at whatever internal procedures you put together lots of data, lots of information internally and then you research who's an outside consultant or an outside expert that you want to bring in. There are

166lots of agencies that do this, lots of colleges and universities. Maybe there's someone you budget that year ahead of time for the next year. That person comes in and then that person works with this committee to talk about how would we get the input from the community? how that person tends to run the forums in the evening, the roundt conversations. That person is someone who would have a deeper understanding how to put together a community-based survey. So you get that feedback and interest. Then you gather all of that together and you put together a series of recommendations that would be presented to the board of education, right? and you've had a lot of stakeholder input into into what those recommendations would be. >> And I would imagine whatever the recommendation ended up being fidelity in

167the process and being able to support it by saying this is how we approach our various stakeholders for this specific thing to be able to show the community we went to all of these links would be very important. key key to this essential to this essential especially if you're going to make a pretty significant recommendation that you want to put it through its paces. There are lots of models for program evaluation that are out there that you know have researchbased approaches to how to go about doing this. But again um you know when when the committee does make a re recommendation let's say to bring in an outside consultant whatever that is they would bring that consultant to the board the board would meet with them either you know like an interview process or publicly

168at a board meeting but it would go through the committee before it ended up here. Right. >> Okay. So the way this is written right now if we vote on it and approve it where it says will is there any instance though when in theory the committee could say no we don't want to solicit community input we don't want parents we don't want that like I want to make sure because for my end like to me we should always have some sort of outside of the admin teachers curriculum coordinator special ed and us the board members there always should be an external community input as part of all this. But Katherine, I believe that was like some of the spirit you brought a lot of this up. We need to hear. So, as long as

169that's going to be a default always, then I'm cool with the way it's written. >> This this committee is is a steering committee, right? It's a steering committee that a lot of time, a lot of commitment, a lot of energy and usually and if you want Yeah. So, that is where it tends to fall. And then you pull from your community depending upon your subject area the people's expertise. There will be people who will have lots of interest in whatever area. It could even be guidance Rob. You could say I want to review the guidance department. There could be people who would say gee I want to be part of that work. I want to be part of that. I appreciate the option of being fluid with the community involvement piece because I think it's

170important to not approach it where it's like, okay, yes, you one or two persons, you're designated to be on this as opposed to being able to broaden input from the community to make sure there's like a diverse perspective, you know, depending on the topic. Um, >> absolutely. uh you your elementary parents will have a very different sense of what guidance should look like versus your high school parents. There will be people who have very different and unique experiences about this and the broader your community input into it, the better information the board will get. It's my recommendation to the board. >> All right. Um, I just want to express my gratitude towards the board for being very open-minded with this and my gratitude towards our superintendent and our director or assistant superintendent of curriculum instruction

171for also being very open-minded to this because I could see how this might, you know, put you on the back foot a little bit. And that was never the spirit and never the intention. And I think that this is going to be enormously helpful in number one, it's been part of our long range plan for a very long time and we've never really had any clear method of how to actually operationalize it. So it's sort of never in any sort of formal mechanism been operationalized. So I appreciate that we are we are achieving something that is we all adopted as part of our long range plan and as board members come and go over the years if you don't have something in policy it's very difficult to lose this sort of institutional knowledge and this

172definitely puts pen to paper >> and um I think also when >> inevitably in the future there will be some difficult and uncomfortable and maybe even scary curriculum changes. To have something like this that shows the community that um everything has gone through a process, >> right? >> I think the community buyin will be huge. So, I think this is all good things and I'm really excited about it. Right. >> It's a way for the board to operationalize their oversight in curriculum. It's a way to formalize it. Any other discussion on this? Okay. I didn't actually take a motion on it, so I'll take a motion on 10.1 right now. So moved. >> Second. All right. Um I already read it. So uh last chance for discussion. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Abstensions.

173All right. 10.2 Two, resolution to adopt policy 8113, extreme heat condition dates as a second reading. Any discussion here before we take motions on it? >> All right, I'll take a motion on 10.2. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Thank you. >> Um any uh last chance for discussion? All in favor? I >> opposed abstensions. Does anybody have anything for board dialogue? Um >> I did have something just very quickly. I've been seeing on um some social media postings and um just anecdotally hearing that there's concern over how the state handled the bio regions material that was tested. And so I just wanted to throw it out there. Um, you know, I'm open to recommendations from administration about it and if that is I recommend nothing, that's fine, too. I'm just saying >> we are

174concerned about that in the earth science and space one. So, Maria is in contact with her colleagues and we waiting to hear from the state. That was a conversation we even had with Kathy Connley for half hour yesterday over the data behind that. Right. >> Sorry, it was the the test was it? Um the criticisms that I've seen are that the material included on the region's exam was not in any way part of the class curriculum. >> New test there are two new tests this year. >> Okay. >> Yes. Typical the state never mind. Got it. >> And that because of that the the pass rate for those two are historically low. >> Right. Which directly impacts the ability of students to graduate. >> Right. Right. Okay. >> Especially, and you'll figure this out, like

175I didn't realize it until I had a child in high school, but especially those two specific science courses because as you get into some of the higher level courses, an AP is not going to match regents. The curriculum is going to be very different the longer you go on in high school. So, if you don't get those early ones out of the way that are most historically most closely aligned, your chances of of getting it done become less and less. Plus, you're not required to take certain sciences any longer. And especially with um our differently aabled students who are trying to get a region's diploma, these two are critical. >> Yes. >> 100%. >> Interesting. Okay. >> I've got a couple of housekeeping items. So, the retreat, which I was not able to go to,

176presumably there might have been some draft goals that came out. Will those be circulated to the board ahead of our August 20th where we're supposed to help finalize that? Will will we be able to see those in advance? >> So, at the time I think that we actually were able to intersect with them. First of all, so you can paint a picture um in the room was um cabinet district office cabinet and all of the building principles and all the building APS. So it was probably I don't know like 20 to 30 people. Yeah about 30 people. Um so it wasn't like a like a now it's my turn to speak now it's your turn to think. It was more of a workshop situation at the point that we had actually ended up meeting with

177them or meeting with them even doesn't even feel like the right >> uh where we joined in you know the action that was already happening. They were still processing their data. So they were still they were not at the point where they were like and for next year D although some of their goals were multiple year goals already like we're going to in you know in within three years 78% or I I don't want to make up a goal but you know some of the goals that they already had were multiple year goals. Um and so they had their goals posted next to the data for the year that we have so far which was um NWA data and ARC data mostly because state test data is not in >> and and again a real

178conversation around how do we measure growth and what does growth look like when you've got growth of discrete literacy skills in early elementary the growth will be much larger than than growth at the high school. Is it an achievement performance? What's the difference? Why would we pick that? What does your building data tell you about all of these things? How are we looking at attendance? Is there an intersection with attendance and the panorama data and performance data? I won't use growth or achievement. I'll just say performance data. So, a lot of heavyduty. We had over 110 slides of data that staff were looking at all posted around the room. So this was a heavyduty workshop which is exact even taking a look at I really do want to look at vocabulary building right and and

179oracy in second grade because I noticed this it got into a lot of very specific details and then each building developed um a critical lens with another person or you know a director who would come over and say u I think you're looking at it this way maybe you should be looking at it this way, what's something that I'm wondering about here? How come there's a discrepancy between, let's say, your NWA data and maybe regions data? So, this was a heavyduty kind of three days that were set forth. So, they've got to now take this work, finalize it, go back to their building level teams, which they will work on retreat and do that. But the the your long range plan has instructional goals in it. So they each building is taking that pillar and

180saying elementary it's easier in a way because there will be a math goal and there will be a literacy goal but it will look very different depending upon the skills identified in each of the assessments where the work needs to move >> right but we well so once that's I guess just thinking timeline right because that August 20th retreat part of the agenda is to review and finalize collaboratively those goals so as long is the board right has enough time to assess you know review and like okay so when we walk into August 20th we're prepared to have that discussion so we'll get those I guess my question is we'll get whatever 510 whatever the number is in advance so we can then be thinking of that >> yeah I I I think yes I

181think we'll will because they will be working on those my point being though is that the these will be their building goals based upon the data that they're seeing right now based on information. So from my perspective, my charge to them all is that you have to look at all your data in all the areas and come up with some very measurable smart goals that are performance-based and that performance better be associated with whatever assessments and tools you are using and then what are your roadblocks in accomplishing them and what do you need? So that level of granularity. I can't jump out to the balcony, Rob, because we're in the the details right now. >> No, no, that's fine. As long as we have it like not on the 19th of all, right? Right. As

182with a reasonable amount of time. So we're walking in there to have a productive >> um thing. So I guess today is July whatever 9th. So >> we've got some When's when are we bringing the team back? Our team back. What date? The team comes back August 21st with their draft >> with their draft um action plans and at that time Kathy Connelly is coming back to with us. Um hopefully by then we'll have our state assessment which we don't have yet. Um so that then we can review that and then review the draft goals that our buildings have established and make sure that the draft goals and their action steps that they've planned um align with the what the date is uh representing at that time. >> Can you say that date again? >>

183Yeah, that's >> August 21st. >> And that is a problem. >> Yep. Because our retreats the day before. >> Well, you can you can talk about different things on your retreat. you I know you have multiple things to talk about but again this is when it aligned with all the administrator schedules it's 100% attendance for 30 something people >> right but you know as a board that was codified as one of the things we're going to do so if we can't do it and the question becomes do we do the retreat because then >> we have enough other stuff to do on the retreat trust me I'm already worried about doing too much on the retreat >> yeah but I'm what I'm worried about this is something we agreed to and it's okay if admin

184can't make But then we're going to run into a situation where we're going to then have to take the the goals delivered on the 21st and have another meeting retreat to discuss them. And I I don't think that's I don't think that's cool. So either we push the retreat off, right? Or we make the goals there because we agree that was a thing and that that was one of the crucial things we agreed to. And again, for the record, it's fine. You need more time, but then we shouldn't have the retreat on going into the last week of vacation. we should push it off when we've got it so we can get one done and I would hope the other board members would agree with that because we that's what we agreed to do on

185that 20 20th. So >> we had that is not the only thing we agreed to do on that 20th and we have other important things that we need to do on that day. I am absolutely not willing to not I mean it was as you know very hard to nail down a day um >> for us and I'm not I don't want to take that off the calendar. there's far too much that we actually have to do that we've also committed to doing like our board eval board goals and things like that. So, um I'm not willing to postpone that meeting for that purpose. Um we can talk about how we want to then handle this situation. Do we want to maybe draft something based on what the information that we have and see how

186that reconciles with what the district does and go from there? Um >> But not finalize it. we can, you know, I I don't know, but I I'm not willing to move move that date because there's too much other stuff we have to do. Attendance is already shaky over the summer from everybody. Like everybody's got their summer plans, right? Like I made my plans based on this date. If we move it, then I can't go >> because I want to honor that commitment to that date. >> I made my plans based on the fact that we're going to finalize the goals. We can always have another meeting, right? Like another night retreat for an hour or so. >> Yeah, we can do an even we can do an evening. You >> guys are killing me. >>

187Well, I mean, look, I think we're going to have to have a degree of flexibility here because there's a lot of a lot of people involved and I think that's why we ended up even >> that's why this has been such a challenge to this point why it hasn't happened, right? >> But I just don't know why then that wasn't discussed like, hey, we're not going to get it to the 21st, so let's not set the 20th. Then maybe we could have done it the week after, right? >> I think the week after that. >> I think this was literally like the only day in August that worked for everybody. >> Yeah. >> And we couldn't find a single one in July. >> It it is what it is. It's I'll just move on. It

188honestly it just it's just frustrating and I'll be honest, it's not respectful of board members time on it. I'll say it I'll say it again. Like we said a meeting, we said we're going to do it and it's okay. Things change, but now like well we're still going to have the meeting and then we'll have have another one. And that's, you know, it's it's not that's during a workday. I'm personally I assume others are taking time off for their personal schedule whether you know working or not. And I I just don't know why we can't like either make the deadline or move a meeting. But I'll move on from it. The other thing then related to this if we are going to discuss in this meeting is that um if there are questions around like

189board procedures hypothetically like things we do in the board meeting that I don't think need to be voted on to change um but we might need to get council recommendation on. Can we send those out in advance? So for example, I'm going to give you one. I don't think we're required to read out the consent agenda text. You can just say 61 to 64. Boom. That's part of it. It's a Robert's rule of order thing. I don't think the board has to vote on it. I think the board president can say, "Hey, we're going to do it." So are but but if I'm not right, can we at least send those in advance so council again walking into that we have an opinion so we can discuss it? >> Sure. For that specific question, we

190know we don't have to. We do not have to. Um that's been something we've discussed every year kind of. >> Okay. >> Um not maybe not every year I think like every year for the past couple years. Um >> it came up in a retreat last year. >> It came up it's a perfect retreat topic. >> It's not a legal doesn't need a legal >> No, we know we know we don't have to. >> We've gotten the legal >> we've got the legal opinion on that. So uh that's a whether or not we want to. That's the kind of thing we can discuss in retreat. >> Okay. Hold on. Cool. >> But um but if you do have something like something else that you think like we I that you can anticipate we're going to

191want attorney advice on, email it ahead and then maybe we can even have that advice. >> Excuse me. Hopefully have that advice in time. You know, sometimes it's sent, >> right? Yeah. We're still waiting on the >> Yeah. You know what I mean? Like I ask and then you're on the email. You can see I didn't get a response and then >> that's what it is. Okay. So, that one doesn't need then I got Oh, so I'll just So, there's another one then like around again updates uh in the in the spirit of trying to reduce the paperwork for admin. I don't think there's any requirement ever even to do an update at all. And if so, it's do we need them weekly? Do we need them bi-weekly? What should go into them? What should

192not? Again, I don't think there's legal review on that. But if we need to validate the legal review, I like to submit that. or is that similarly to the reading out of the resolutions that no we can just do it. So I'm happy to send that one if we're not sure about but that was going to be another one I was going to bring up as part of this meeting that you know procedurally for efficiency and again trying to reduce admin's paperwork that they have to do for us every two weeks or every every week. No, >> I just want to highlight and again um trying to figure out how this broke down in communication, but we had this date in February, the administration because we surveyed everybody. Um and I it was my understanding

193the board retreat encompassed multiple topics and conversation and then trying to align both dates. But um this piece being one the building um leaders who are going to come up with their goals each year based upon their data but they will work on that straight through the opening and then they'll meet with us pretty much in the beginning of the year again before all that's finalized. So it's part of the work. It's just you know like um again figuring it out as a board. You have instructional goals, you have building goals, you have fiscal goals, you have governance goals, you have multiple goals that are talked about in the retreat place. I can clearly at that for your meeting give you an overview of what people were talking about and where they're going. That's easy

194enough for us to do and I'm fully prepared to do that. >> Yeah. And I'm not I'm not I'm not pointing fingers. It just I'm glad I brought it up, right? Because we would have walked in there. It's listed as this is a and this is a big thing like right because we want to agree set then bring them and vote on them for the public. So if we're not if we're not ready that's okay things happen like >> administration the building principles don't need a public vote to work. I I mean to be this and most respectful of two three days worth of work that everyone's been doing and data work for months ahead of time. They they your goals are balcony level goals. You're not going to be voting on whether or not

195Emily is talking about six layers of numerousy to increase phmic awareness by using oracy which is going to be a very particular goal of hers and one that she's going to measure on a regular basis through they have built-in evidence and efficacy meetings. They have built in monthly data review meetings where they look at all of this. Right? >> So that that's the work that's the nuts and bolts of their life. So that's what they're going to be looking at. >> Yeah. No, again, I'm not mad at >> Okay. >> So, compromise. If we got to add another retreat to meet the deadline, can we at least please do it at night because I can't take more time off. >> Can I can I interject because I think this is my understanding >> and this

196is this is also somewhat how it happened last year. It was easier last year because we knew we were going to do the bond, right? like that was going to be a major goal >> goal, >> right? >> Um it my understanding was that by August 20th, you would be giving us sort of a very broad stroke of hey, this is the direction that our focus is going to be this year. >> And then we would discuss if on the 20th if we're in agreement with that or not. And then just like last year, assuming we were in agreement and then we could put some input in, you were then at a later date going to draft spec the goals like you did last year and then I think you emailed them around to us

197in advance. >> I gave you all samples of ones that you could work at, but but they're, you know, fully prepared. I mean, I think probably Maria, Kim, and I could tell you right now in a global fashion what our building level goals would be. We could build them up. So, you'll get that on a August 20th. However, their individual building goals there. There are variety of smart goals, the things that some of them are very granular and very specific because it's based on certain things that they're doing. Now, to me, a board goal, and it's it's all your choice, but the ones I'm used to is that you would expect to see student performance increase in certain areas, not defining exactly what that means. Really balcony based lasered in a way that gives a

198broader scope, a broader lens for all the work that they're doing in the building. So from a building level, if I'm a building level principal and the board has adopted a goal of the goal is to increase student performance in X, I'm looking at that and saying, "All right, that means here I'm going to be working on oral skills. I'm going to be working on math comprehension. I'm going to be working on looking at my intent in attendance. I'm going to be looking at my chronically absent kids to see if that's why I don't have this here. I'm going to be looking at all my subgroups. You're going to get all that too as part of your testing report. So, from a very global perspective, um, and then it gets filtered down through department and

199through buildings. >> But we would need that advance, right? We can't walk in on the 20th and be like, because again, there's a line item that says set and finalized. We agreed on that as a board. So we can't walk in on the 21st and just say here they are. We have to have that in advance so we can prepare and discuss. To your point, there's five other things on the agenda ready. So if if if admin is not ready to do that prior to the 20th, that's okay. That's fine. But my point was then I would push the retreat off because that to me was to me and I think the other board members that that's a big one. we have to agree on them so we can come back in September so when

200the smart ones won we present them and go but again if we're if we're going to change it change it and it is what it is but that's that's what we agreed on as a board to get that in advance and prepare and discuss and finalize from our end coming out of that meeting if we can't do it I have to have another meeting it is what it is but all I ask is let's please not do it during the day and be if we can be respectful of people's other schedules that's all I would kindly ask. That's all. >> Um, having shown up uh to this past one and seeing the work that was being done, I'm confident that we won't just have nothing to discuss when it comes to district goals that even

201if we don't kind of cross a finish line as far as finalizing them, that we'll be able to to do some work and we may be able to like Mary may be able to give us enough um that it will that it will be clear because like the the data was still speaking, right? and but and there was so much there that they were still going through. It's clear to me that they will have had they'll have something we'll have some threads to pull by the time we're working together. Um and I I think that we can we can work with that. We can we can make it happen. I agree that my understanding was that we were going to be able to kind of like put our final stamp on it at that time,

202but if we can't we like Katherine said >> and and seeing it visually how many people are working on it like okay I get I get why this is um >> you can put your final stamp on something big and broad and balcony based which you can't put your final stamp on is what takes because you don't have the background understanding of the granularity of the other work. I I I'm lacking language to kind of like break that up, but if you were there for the three days, you some of you were there for the four hours, you saw that level of detail of conversation that took place. So these people, you got 31 administrators working very hard, three full days based on taking the task very seriously about the level of work. I mean

203we got into conversations over Kathy brought us to a point over attendance chronically absent and have you looked at that in terms of your algebra scores and where kids where were they two years ago where were they three years ago. So these are really actually super exciting questions and really great questions but I've never seen a board adopt that level of granularity at a district level. Yeah, I really really appreciated the opportunity and I'm glad that um we made space for it. It the level of work that was happening was um intense and it was very vulnerable. It was very honest. we were looking at um you know warts and all and how can we do what's best for kids and I saw everybody really rolling up their sleeves and hard at work and there's

204a lot of work to do and it was hours and it was several days and so I'm not looking to set a goal that you know says specifically what should be done at Park School or Claremont school or whatever right I'm I'm looking at an overall goal of like improve excellence in XYZ right? That and I can um I think last year I sent out some examples of what district goals uh look like. I can do that again so that we can kind of get a sense for um kind of how what balcony goals look like. Um but I'm trusting Mary's going to make sure that we have what we need in order to have a a fruitful discussion. and and this is their second year starting last year was the fir with a smart

205goal about how do you measure it? What is evidence? What is evidence that this strategy took place and what is evidence that that strategy was successful? So that though you know that that engendered let's say a two-hour conversation around math at grade two um because people were talking about the RAD strategy or the three read strategy in math. So, how do we know if what it's taking? What what what how many PLC's can I schedule for the month of September and uh October so that staff who need to understand that strategy can do. So, we had to map that piece out. So, this is the strategy. This is what we're going to do. How do we teach it? What are obstacles in the way? Who needs to be here? What's the data that breaks breaks

206up that strategy? And it's uh actually as an educator, it's very exciting work. But Katherine's right. There's a lot of vulnerability to have four people who aren't necessarily practitioners in the field come in and join the conversation throughout the day. Right. >> That's part of what happened yesterday for me was I saw that I am not qualified to make goals like that. Like I the higher level like you're saying, yes, that makes sense. but getting into all those details. They have so much knowledge and so much education and half the stuff they said was over my head and I really appreciated the opportunity to be there. Um I do want to clarify that when I suggested an extra meeting I meant like an hour in the evening which I did say so just not trying

207to take up anybody's daytime. >> Thank you. >> Um I also want to say this is only the second time we've tried to do this. We are trying our best and things take time. >> Right. Right. And you want to bring your 30 administrators with you, right, with this. All right. Anything else on that? Um the communications committee actually met um it was Frank and I uh because Nicole had an update and she didn't say like she didn't ask for a a green light but the board had asked um about um what a pack like what a furthering her work would look like. So, um Nicole reported that the mascot rollout was going well, um and that she's going over Olast's formats and emails, uh and slideshow templates, uh with building principles. Um she has

208had to kind of stay on top of kind of stray non-sanctioned lion mascots here and there. Um the elementary principles are very enthusiastic. They want a cub or a paw print. um cultural arts, science, research, athletics, and other clubs. Um Miss Lynn proposed um a package or a few packages uh to maintain a consistent look if we do something like that. So, we could do um one for elementary, one for athletics, and one for like kind of um other clubs where students can write in or whatever. Um the cost was uh $1,000 for the club stuff, 6K for athletics and 5K for elementaryaries. The total would be 12K and that would come from leftover PR budget money that we already have. So instead of putting that money into fund balance, um it would come from

209PR. Um Frank brought up a lot of really good points about making sure that um all students are kind of like reflected in whatever um we do and uh there wasn't like an ask like can we greenlight this at the board table or anything like that? So I'm giving you just an update on what the that information was. What is that you're talking about though exactly? >> Like um expanding the mass like the ele something that came out in the community surveys for example was that the element they uh there was a need for or a desire for the mascot to grub. >> So the elementary schools >> grow you said >> to grow like okay like a cub or a paw print or something for the elementary schools. Um, so that's part of what

210this was as well as like a specific like kind of >> fierce >> a fiercer like some sort of uh version of the mascot that was kind of like this. >> This was always meant to be the unifying symbol for the entire district such as the O pride. But if for example right now if you look at science researches O pride, it has little molecules and things radiating around it like it's a slight variation on it. So what they're talking about is slight variations on this based on various student affinity groups, >> right? That that was feedback from the focus group we received and it's um from even like different booster clubs are different. So do you do you give different how do you take this and it it was a great presentation on this

211is your symbol if you will not just a mascot and then how does that mask how does that brand the brand look if you look at it right now it's very secondary what does that look like in the elementary level and is it a paw print like the principles want to be able to you know and that would be one that would be a theme in almost every district that has an ad like they tend to use a paw print. But then having lived in a place that didn't do an official paw print, you had some paws with three digits, some paws with four digits, some that were chubby, some that weren't, some that had the wrong color. And then of course, what's happening now, we found this twice that we were able to catch

212it. Uh, Maria caught one and I for I think Latoya caught another was that our booster clubs which aren't they are now creating their own versions of an athletic mascot. So >> this what we kind of were like >> scared of like like but I'm just I thought we were going with that and it's that I didn't know we were like hey now we're going to customize it for everything. They they wanted to look at something that showed movement like how do you show that that and show it with movement. >> One of the things is that LGBTQ group wants to put a rainbow in the main and so the thought >> but I'm just I'm just lost because I don't remember all of this. I don't remember hearing any of this before we did

213it. >> So that's so that's why I'm lost cuz I didn't I didn't I like I'm I feel like I'm just discovering this. So, at the last one that we had, which was a focus group up in the library where the students came to us, the plan was this is our main mascot. This is year one. This is the roll out. We're getting it out. If we want to do alternate versions, the cub, whatever, that is phase two if the board wants to do phase two. So, it sounds like the communications committee has now been hearing feedback on is there phase two? What does it look like? What would what would it cost? No decisions have been made. >> No. No, no decisions have been made and we have discussed this at the board table

214and the question was how much would this even cost? What how many logos? What are we talking about? Right. Um so that's what I'm talking about. Like I So we're still in like >> yes yes >> nice to do phase not this is done. No. So people are just taking it upon themselves to go ahead and start doing it. >> The board said how much would this even cost? And so Nicole said to Miss Lynn, how much would this even cost? And she says I'll do this work for this much. That's what this is. >> Right. Right. Okay. So, so it's but there's no recommendation back from the community communications committee. It's just information. >> It was Mary, you were at the meeting. >> There wasn't an ask on my behalf. So, go let's go

215see what the board >> No request for green. >> No request for a green light at that time. >> No, no request for a green light. What what is we're responding to feedback we're getting from the buildings, from the kids, and from that um focus group meeting. This is our response to it. I will definitely tell you that having an elementary paw done appropriately that would be I that would be I' something I'd recommend that you do because that is something they're asking for. >> And I remember Annie at the board table felt very strong. >> Right. Right. >> That I remember I remember the the how we represent the little ones but then it looks like now the >> the horse is getting out the barn. >> I don't want no exact decided and

216this is what we're doing. that was just like a summation of the quote back. Like we asked like how much would this even cost? Cuz if it's let's say she was like, "It's going to cost you $50,000." We might have been like, "Well, forget it." You know what I mean? So, we needed to >> we didn't have any anything to pull at as far as you know which direction to go. So, >> and one of the options she showed us in the focus group was which was one of the last ones done before we unveiled this was Colombia's logo and how they have a main logo, right? And then one of the things that they have for their athletic teams is a fiercer version of that logo where it's like slightly turned more with fangs.

217>> Yeah. Stuff like that. >> Okay. So, I haven't had a lot of wins tonight, but this is my day job. I do this all day long. I can't overemphasize it would be a big big big mistake to continue this discussion when literally this thing hasn't even rolled out yet. So great to get the information but the more we put this out there's going to be more let's do this let's do that pause this that this should absolutely sit at least which I thought came out of comm's committee for one year everyone needs to use this period stop if you go broad if we continue to talk about it what this is what because again do this day in day out what will happen is everyone will come asking for their things and it's going

218to be very hard as Melissa it's going to be very hard to put that horse back even if We haven't the more we talk so we could have this I would recommend strongly we have this discussion back half of next year let this sit see how it goes. It would be a big mistake to continue to do this at this time because it will get out and we will not be able to stop the train which is what this was supposed to be right that's what we all agree last we didn't have at this so take it out as as you wish but please I would say no more discussions on thanks for getting the info but I don't think we should have any more focus groups any more discussion people should use this we

219have brand guidelines and if they want to give the feedback great take it on advisement for next there. >> All right. >> So, no elementary pull up. >> Not not now. Maybe a year from now. Absolutely. I would say absolutely not. >> I mean, I disagree. >> I I think that, you know, we'll let the Now there's a new committee. So, I'll leave it to the new committee to to discuss and come back with a recommendation on that. >> Who's on that committee there? And uh for uh >> just to to recap, it's not Christine, it's >> you seem sad about that. >> It's Melissa uh No, I'm reading the wrong thing. Hold on. >> Yeah. Sorry, Melissa. Didn't mean to drag you into this. Frank, Annie, uh and Roger with Rob as an alternate.

220>> All right, guys. Take it away. >> Good luck. >> Sorry about that, Melissa. >> Looking forward to feedback. >> Uh do we need an exec session tonight? No. >> Okay. All right. Any other board dialogue? >> No. >> I have No, I'm just kidding. >> Melissa, you the one person. Does anybody have any questions? I've got one. >> Okay. We do not need uh executive session tonight. So, um I'll take a motion to adjourn the annual reorganizational meeting special meeting of July 9th, 2025. >> So moved. >> Second. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I I >> opposed.