001Welcome. I'd like to call to order the Wednesday regular meeting. Trustee Rob Melstein is going to lead us in the pledge. Thank you. Uh item 1.3 on our agenda is our superintendent's update. So, I'm going to turn it over to Mary Fox. Hi. Um good evening everyone. Um welcome to the last board meeting of the school year. Um and congratulations to everyone for surviving our heatwave past three days. I want to thank the parents, students, teachers, everybody just for all um making it work um over these past three days. I know it was quite trying on a lot of levels, but thank you to everyone. Um a very important part of my update tonight is to uh invite to the podium our our leaders of the board and the leaders of Austining Matters. Sony matters
002is our educational foundation. It was founded in 2003 and their sole purpose and goal is to basically to take a look at our learning opportunities to have grants that support those and that enrich and enhance them. And um there's close to $17,000, correct me if I'm wrong, worth of grants that they will be awarding tonight. and I had our assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction because everything you do is about curriculum and instruction to take a look at some of them and we're just very excited tonight. So I invite to the podium um Austining Matters Gina and Caroline and the other board members and if you would just want to come up and introduce everyone that would be great. Good evening everyone. Um, board of education members, superintendent Fox Alter, teachers, staff and parents. I
003am very proud to be a part of Austin matters and the chair of the grants committee. Reviewing the submissions and helping these dedicated professionals supplement the educational opportunities of Austining students is an energizing and rewarding experience. And before I announce the awards, I want to reiterate something that we say in our application. We encourage every educator and staff member to apply. Our goal is to provide enriching educational opportunities to as many kids as possible. We have limited funds, so we seek opportunities that will have the greatest impact on the largest number of students. We're looking for out of the- box ideas, opportunities that our children would not normally have, and we hope to cover every school in the district. This year, we were able to fund projects for students from preK all the way through
004high school, awarding $16,36343. [Applause] So, these 12 grants represent the creativity and dedication of our school community. From supporting students emotional well-being to enhancing hands-on learning experiences, each project will make a meaningful difference in our children's education. And now, I'm excited to share the first four grants with you tonight. The first grant is to Karen Stabel, an occupational therapist at Park School. Her application was for a calming space. So, this program will create a space at Park School for students who need a break to manage strong emotions during the school day with the goal of supporting their emotional well-being and helping them return to the class classroom focused and ready to learn. The room will feature sensory tools, calming activities, and books about emotions. Students may also speak with a staff member to process their
005feelings and reset. Open to all students at park. Access will be supported by teachers, TAs, the social worker, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, or other intervention team members. We are funding a total of $1,470 cents for this grant. The following two grants go to library clerks Janine Wlock Russo and Patricia Karen. These grants will support the purchase of two book repair machines, one for Brookside and another for Roosevelt at $46362 per machine. The book repair machines will help preserve and extend the life of our shared library collections. With Roosevelt's enrollment projected to reach approximately 400 students next year, and Brookside School also serving a large and active student body, circulation demands continue to grow. The book repair machines will allow staff to restore damaged books and return them to the shelves quickly and affordably at
006a cost of just 25 cents per repair. This is significantly less than replacing books which can cost $25 to $30 each for library bound editions. By repairing rather than discarding damaged books, we can maintain access to high interest and essential titles for all students, minimize co loss from wear and tear, and avoid long delays in replacing materials due to budget constraints. This investment directly benefits students and supports literacy by keeping books available and in circulation throughout the year. The next initiative we are funding is a new sensory table for Brookside priced at $310.98. This grant proposal was submitted by speech language pathologist Megan Ferris. The sensory table will provide opportunities for hands-on tactile exploration that promotes cognitive development, fine motor skills, and so social interaction among first and second grade students at Brookside. By incorporating
007sensory play into the outdoor recess environment, the school can support a broader range of learning styles and sensory needs, particularly benefiting students with sensory processing difficulties, neurodeiverse learners, and those who may find traditional playground activities overwhelming or inaccessible. And I'm now going to turn it over to my fellow committee member, Brolio Carrero, to continue with our grant announcements. Hi everyone. Uh, sorry, a second. My name is Bralio Carrero. I'm a newer board member. I've been on the board maybe six, seven months now. My wife and I have four kids in the district. One just graduated OS this past Saturday, so we're excited. Um, three more to go, right? Congrats. Thank you. Uh, so I'm going to go through the next four grants that were uh awarded. Uh the first is the ruse bruise uh which
008is by special education teacher Nadia Apolonio. I try right occupational therapist Anarie Dylan and speech therapist Jah Mendes. The Ruse Bruise is a studentled coffee and snack cart operated by students from Roosevelt's Rise classroom which is an 8 to1 to3 ratio or setting. Uh the school-based enterprise is designed to support inclusive education by providing students with special needs the opportunity to build vocational, social, and communication skills in a real world environment. By serving faculty and staff throughout the school day, Ruse bruise fosters meaningful connections between students and staff, promotes independence, and enhances the overall school climate. The program also offers convenient and affordable refreshments for teachers while reinforcing a strong sense of community and school spirit. That is a ruse application and that was funded at $600. The next one is the Ruse parent partnership
009which is at Roosevelt. The funding is 2500 for the year and the school counselor Casey Mets was the one that submitted the application and was awarded the award. Um the sorry the primary objective of this specific grant is to uh run a series of workshops that equip parents and guardians in the Austin community with additional social and emotional learning uh learning tools empowering them to reinforce and support practices at home. Uh and again that's 2500 to the ruse parent workshop partnership. Um the next two are actually for AMD. The the first is yeah applause for AMD um uh project inspire which is funded at 1500 and it's by the PE teacher Sandra Mitchell Ratcliffe. I know um project inspire aims to revitalize the AMD fitness center with modern safe equipment that motivates students to improve
010their fitness. The space will support cardiovascular and strength training promoting self-esteem and overall well-being. The center will be used by all PE classes, including grades six through eight and adaptive PE during their four-week fitness unit. Teachers will rotate through the class uh through the space to ensure that every student benefits from the updated facility throughout the school year. Um and the last one for AMD is the bonet goals and that was funded in 2000 and um that was uh by Matthew Kenya, another PE teacher. Um this grant uh the b the bonets um this grant will fund additional highquality equipment including bonets and other essential items to enhance the physical education department's instruction during soccer, lacrosse, floor hockey, and handball units. Uh with this new equipment, the department can offer more inclusive hands-on learning experiences.
011The equipment is lightweight, durable, and built to last, providing long-term value and a meaningful impact for the student participation and physical de uh development. And again, that was $2,000. And now I'm going to pass it off to uh Gina, who is our board president. Hi. Hi, everybody. Um Gina Sartario. I've been on the board for seven years now, serving as president since 2023. Before I present the OS grants, I wanted to mention that this year out of all the seven years I've been on the board, we had the highest ask in the seven years, we had a total of over $62,000 in grants that were sent to us um to fund. Unfortunately, we can't do that. But as Rebecca said, um we try to reach as many students um and have the greatest impact within
012the district as possible. And I think we did that this year. So, I'm very proud of the work that the board put together. I'm also very proud of the and and grateful to the community members who sat on our board this year and put a lot of thought into what grants were going to be approved and how we were going to um distribute the funds. One of the things we did do is work really hard at finding uh lower costs for equipment. We advised the teachers. I communicated with them. We communicated with them and we probably saved somewhere around $7,000 in just researching better uh lower costs um and then working with Tony Clark in the district to see what what vendors were approved. So it was a long process but we we've we got
013to a great place. So I am going to now um the business club at OS we funded the business club $2,500. Um Mariana Pavoc the business ed teacher submitted her application. This program equips students with the essential skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the business world through a focus on core areas such as marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Students gain a solid foundation in business principles. They prepare for and participate in DECA competitions at the regional, state, and national levels, applying their learning in real world scenarios. In addition to academic and competitive experience, students contribute to their community by volunteering with VITA. This a volunteer income tax association program during tax season. Here they receive hands-on training in tax preparation while developing valuable soft skills including leadership presentation, communication, and critical thinking. Uh 202425,
014the same group serviced 250 community members by doing their taxes. Um, so we're very proud of the work that they're doing and the the real world experiences that they're gaining here. Yes. Yes, absolutely. Um, the next group is the engineering club robotics first uh registration. We funded that grant $1,000 Michelle Portillo Portillo uh engineering mentor. Um, this this funding will help support the registration fee for the first robotic competition in March of 2026. participants includes uh 30 to 50 students. So, we're looking forward to that competition and we hope they knock it out the park. Um the next one is the science olympiad at the high school. Their funding was 25 $454.94. Vanessa Lamran, science teacher, submitted that application. The objective of this grant is to fund materials and competition fees for the science olympiad
015team. The team aims to participate in an um invitational competition in December or January, followed by the regional competition in February. Students plan to compete in all 23 events this year. Last year, I believe it or the year before they've been limited, so that's why the funding was a little bit higher. Additionally, the club the club in intends to expand um to three teams of 15 students totaling 45 participants. The Olympiad um science olympiad is unique in that it spans multiple science disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science, and earth science. So, we're very excited to see what they're going to do as well. And the last one, which is the in its second year, is the Hudson River Sloop. Um it's funded $1,100. Emily Natasi is the SS teacher. What does stand for?
016Thank you. Social studies teacher. Okay. I didn't know if that was what it stood for. Yeah, it's been a long time since I've been in school. Okay. The program offers um students the opportunity to explore both the historic and modern significance of the Hudson River Valley, the scenic backdrop of our campus. Students will engage in hands-on learning aboard the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Sailboat, um which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Hudson River through innovative um education programs. Clearwater inspires lifelong stewardship of the river and its tributaries. Throughout the course, students will dve into the rich interdisciplinary themes that define the the Hudson River Valley, including history, art, literature, um, conservation, preservation, and ecological studies. I can say that this year was a great success for that program. We received an update not
017too long ago. Some of these students that participate in this program, um it was a first for them to even be on a sailboat. So, they experienced the sailing, they experienced the hands-on, um work that it takes to run a sail sailboat of that size. And they just experience so many beautiful things. You can see some of our all of our grants and pictures that we um get from the the teachers on our website. So, feel free to go there. And that concludes um the list of our grants for the upcoming school year. As I said earlier, on behalf well on behalf of the board, we extend our help our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers, the community members who sat with us and generously gave their time um and focus on reviewing the grants.
018Your um we just can't say enough about about their time and the effort that they put into reviewing everything. Um when the last thing is our Austining Matters 5K run is on September 6th. We hope we see you all there running or walking the path. Um and early bird registrations open July 1st. You can you can register online at www.aweningmatters.org. Thank you so much. We appreciate everybody and we hope you have a good evening. Gina Gina, first of all, I I just would like to say that um for those of you who've been for the racewalk, uh you're an incredible MC. Uh lots of really great energy. get people who have finished or those of us who didn't participate but pretended we did up dancing and participating in it. We had a great time. It
019was it was absolutely wonderful. And just just for a very quick overview, Maria, if you just want to give a statement from curricular perspective about these grants. Yes. So, Gina and and board members. Um, on behalf of our school community, I am honored to express our deep gratitude and heartfelt appreciation as we recognize and celebrate your unwavering support, your continued partnership and remarkable generosity this year, as you shared sh um totaling 16,34343 are truly transforming the educational experiences of our children uh and empowering ing not only are we changing the trajectory and the experiences of our children, but we're empowering our educators to innovate, inspire, and elevate learning across our district. Each grant that you have just shared, I had a synopsis of them, but you did a great job, so I'm going to skip
020that part. Um, each grant that you have awarded reflects the your deep commitment to our children and tells a story. A story of possibility, a story of equity, a story of belonging. You're supporting You are supporting us to reach every learner in powerful and creative ways. You are empowering our educators to turn ideas into action and vision into reality. And we so appreciate that. Our classrooms are transforming and our curriculum is coming to life based on how we're empowering our teachers to be innovative through the your support on behalf of our entire learning community, our students, teachers, staff, and families. Thank you, Austining Matters. Thank you. You are remind us that when a community comes together to lift our children, the future ch shines better, brighter and brighter. Because of you, innovation lives, creativity thrives,
021and opportunity grows. We are so proud to call you our partner. Thank you. Thank you so much. Appreciate you. Thank you very much. We appreciate that. Um, on behalf of the board, I you can walk away. It's fine. Um, I'm just going to echo the sentiments because Miss Meyer said it so much better than I will. She came with prepared statement to thank you. And I just want I'll speak from the heart right now. That's because we review it's our job to review the grants. But um on behalf of the board, I want to express our gratitude because um as Miss Meyer said, these monies are impactful directly and I think you've done a fabulous job of um targeting projects that have meaningful impact to the broadest number of students. And I also want to
022remark on the variety of age levels of children you're reaching and the variety of activities that you're you're reaching. you know, not every kid is in the engineering club, but we have every kid taking PE class. We have every kid getting books from the library. You know what I mean? So, you've really filled in the gaps to to make your dollars uh to stretch your stretch the dollars and make it as as impactful as as possible. And of course, um you know, $17,000 doesn't just materious mysteriously appear in your uh coffers, right? So I want to acknowledge not the work of not only the work of the people sitting in front of me but of the entire organization and of all of your donors and the community that has supported you so far. So thank
023you. Thank you again very much. Um if anybody else would like to say anything they can say very quickly just I I know the personal sacrifice you put in to do this and just it has such an impact on our students. So, thank you for those late nights and phone calls and all the work that you do. It just makes such a difference. So, thank you. Just want to say very quickly if that's okay. Yeah. Oh, I'm sorry. Were you going around the table? Did I skip Did I mess up protocol? Okay. Um um I know a lot of you personally and I've been um privately fortunate enough to have a grant from Austining Matters and I've seen um privately and I've seen as a board member the difference that it can make in children's
024and famil family's lives very directly. So um it's been a multi-year partnership and I wanted to just thank you all. I know that it's hard, it's thankless, there's um not a lot of people willing to sort of step up and assist and it gets very difficult. So, thank you for staying the course and being there and we really appreciate it. I just want to make sure Okay, that's fine. I think Julie reiterated by everyone. Did you I'll just Yes. I'll just say thank you as well. Um I did serve for a very short time on the OS matters board. So I saw from the inside just how hard you all work. Um and I appreciate it and appreciate that the tenacity that you all have to raise that money and to think you know strategically
025about how it could really benefit our district. So thank you. I thank the staff members for who are here tonight celebrating with us too. So thank you. Mary, do you have anything else in your update? Yes. Okay. Couple. Okay. All right. So, I just have a um a couple of things and I will um first of all, for those of you who um um we we had a a present in the district office from um the uh Austining Early Elementary PTA, our new swag bag with the new logo and um and uh you know, hats. Okay. Um they're they're great. They're great. They're great. I just love all the energy behind this and uh more to come on this. I know the board had asked about how do we you know more what does this
026look like into athletics etc. So more to come along those lines through Nicole but everyone has jumped on board. There are t-shirts and uh I think Annie you have one too like uh you want to see. Yeah. And please feel free to check the So it's it's very very exciting. So I want to thank everybody um for their help in this uh very positive initiative. Um the ne last thing I want to highlight was um about graduation on Saturday. Um first of all I want to thank the Austining board of education for your work. you do work the graduations um u particularly the high school graduations to make sure that you know there's this moment there's this capstone moment in your life where you get to graduate you walk across that stage and so many
027students like you want to I just felt like slow your role it's like okay I want to take it and just so we've have board members who do a great job thanking congratulating the students letting them just pause so first of all our family members can capture that like on camera in a picture for them to exit the stage safely, but um the board of education did a great job obviously at at the AMD moving up ceremony. We call it a graduation in quotes, but it's an official moving up ceremony and I want to thank the board president for her words at that ceremony. But those are very very very very special events. They're they're capstone events. They happen once in a lifetime and they mean the world. So, I just want to thank the
028staff from AMD and at OS. Uh, Miss Langley's speech, if those of you haven't heard it already, was outstanding. Very timely, very appropriate. I just need to give her that extra special s shout out. Everyone did a really good job. Harry has done his magic with the camera. So if you have a chance to check out all the photographs, it was just a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful day and I want to thank the board, the administration, and more importantly just congratulate our students. It was a wonderful day. Absolutely beautiful. So that is my update. All right. Thank you. Um at this time, I'm going to take a motion to move up item 7.6. Um, any discussion? All in favor? I I opposed. Abstensions. Okay. Uh, we'll vote first and then I'll turn it over to Don.
029Does that sound good? Okay. Um, now I'll take a motion for 7.6. Second. Uh, 7.6 resolution regarding administrative staff appointments. Any discussion? All in favor? I opposed. abstensions. I'm gonna turn it over to Don Mer. Thank you. Congratulations. It's official. It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend the appointment of three administrators, three new administrators to our district. Throughout a rigorous hiring process, each candidate demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities, a strong commitment to equity and excellence, and a clear alignment with the district's vision and goals. These individuals stood out not only for their impressive credentials and experience, but also for the thoughtful student centered perspectives they brought to each phase of the interview process. They engaged meaningfully with our stakeholders, responded to challenging scenarios with clarity and empathy, and consistently reflected the professionalism and integrity we
030value in our leadership team. Our first introduction that I will make, um, Mr. Dr. Derek Derenzo has been an educator for 12 years. He has a master's in both childhood and special education and has taught in both areas for the Bronxville School District. Mr. Derenzo also holds a masters in educational leadership from the Bank Street Future School Leaders Academy. Mr. Durenzo thoroughly impressed the hiring committee at Roosevelt and will be a fantastic addition to Miss Mania's team. Congratulations, Derek. You know what? If you don't mind coming up there so the camera which is right there can see you. Okay. Is this good? Yes. All right. Thank you so much everybody for welcoming me. I'm very excited to be here. Um I have learned a lot about your district in my years as an educator and
031I am more than privileged to be joining this team. I just want to thank um Dr. Fox Alter and Dr. Mara for their uh process and obviously my new partner in crime uh Miss Mana who is not here but I know she's here in spirit and I'm very much looking forward to being the new assistant principal at Roosevelt. So thank you very much. Now the the only reason uh Katie is not here because today is her birthday. Her kids had prayed a special and I told her if she came I would send her home. So and we told her you were in good hands with us today. Thank you so much and happy birthday Katie. Okay, congratulations. Uh the second individual that I will call up uh is Dr. Jordan Barbach who's coming from Great
032Neck North High School where he has been a biology and physics teacher for the past eight years. He has coached varsity and JV lacrosse and served as an advisory leader for freshman and sophomore students. Dr. Dr. Barbach holds a mers in teaching in adolescent education and a doctor of education in organizational leadership from Northeastern University. Dr. Barbach will be a great addition to the OS team under Miss Langley. So congratulations Dr. Barbach. Good evening all. Thank you to members of the board. Thank you to the entire staff of the hiring committee. I'm grateful to be part of the pride. Um from day one throughout this hiring process, it was humbling to be looked at as part of the family already. And the more I experience here, the more I see that this is a celebration
033of the staff, of the students, and the community. So, I'm grateful to give back to it and be a part of it. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations. Can I quickly say go Huskys? [Laughter] Thank you, Annie. Uh the last individual that I'm going to call up and congratulate is Miss Kim Saxton, um our new director of PE Health, and athletics. She's coming from the Blind Brook School District, and prior to that, Ursulan High School, her alma mater, where she served as the director of PE health and athletics as well. Miss Saxton was a standout basketball player and team captain in both high school and college. Prior to becoming an administrator, Miss Saxton taught PE and health, and she holds a master's in physical education, working on completing her doctorate in sports administration and leadership from
034Concordia College. During the hiring process, Miss Saxton was screened by me, interviewed by an administrative committee, a community committee comprised of faculty members, coaches, students, parents, and community leaders, and finally the superintendent and the board of education. It is my great pleasure to welcome Miss Kim Saxton to the Oanine School District. Congratulations, Thank you so much. Good evening everyone. I'm deeply honored and excited to serve as your new director of physical education, health, and athletics. I want to thank the school board and the administration for this incredible opportunity to become part of this wonderful community. I look forward to collaborating with our amazing teachers, coaches, students, and families to build upon Austining's already impressive programs. Together, we will continue fostering an environment where every student can discover their potential and develop lifelong wellness habits. This
035is truly a dream opportunity, and I am ready to give my all to serve our students and this exceptional community. Thank you for welcoming me to a place I can now call home. Thank you. I I will say um Kim, when when we met, we we had we inter you had a conversation with me for almost a little over an hour. Um um because it's a tough position, but we had a fantastic interview and um very impressive. If you think about um Kim, she spent four years as a college athlete. Three of those years as team captain of an award-winning basketball team. H how does that what leadership skills are in play at that and even at the high school level? So, uh an impressive doctoral program, fascinated by the research there. So, we're very
036excited to to have you start uh next week. We already have your first meeting set up. So, thank you. Welcome. Congratulations. Thank you. And welcome. Um, and this is the point when I I'll say like you are welcome to stay. It's a public meeting. You can stay and watch the meeting, but you're also welcome to leave um if you we won't take it personally if you have other plans for this evening. So, thank you. Did you want to say hi or anybody? Yeah, I guess. All right. Yeah. Um, we can they can take their picture and we'll move on. Okay. Does that sound okay? Yeah. Um, so the next item on our agenda is our work session item and also our equity item, the construction update. And Mary Fox Alter is going to present to
037us. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Um I had to tell uh Jared um pretty much three times uh I'm more than happy to give this update tonight because it's all of you know a handful of slides. It's meant to be a snippet because um he has been working hard and ready and um doing an awful lot of these past two weeks. So I told him his his information will be in good hands because I'm pretty much at every meeting that he attends and I enjoy talking about this. So, um, what I put here just just to give you like a visual. I I it's it took me about an hour to figure out what kind of visual could I give to that would represent some of the work we're doing. So, what I what
038you see here are what's called schematic designs. So when you start off with a construction project, you think about a um plans or or drawings, conceptual drawings, and then you have to distill those into schematic designs. The better job you do at this stage when you shift it over to design development, the more efficient, the more effective, and the clearer your directions are. So, we don't spend any time, well, we spend very little time actually talking about the outsides and what things will look like. We spend an awful lot of time talking about, which you could see here just for a moment, this area, this one here, the one down at the bottom. Basically, um, how many lockers are we putting in the fitness center? What size are the lockers are? What's the square footage?
039Where are we putting the extra water fountain? What kind of tile? and material under the water fountain do we need? Where are we putting the the mop sink, the janitor's closet? Is that going to impact plumbing? The type of equipment we're going to put into that? What does that do to impact the weight of the floor and the floor below it to support that? So, there are at least three meetings a week on construction that Alita and and Jared pretty much lead and I try to attend as many as possible, but that's pretty much uh where we're spending an awful lot of our time right now. So, just to give you this uh tonight's overview is to go through um some capital work that we're doing, maintenance work, and to give the board a brief
040update on where we are with big strokes about the bond project. So, we are very excited if you happen to drive past Brookside tomorrow that the uh bids came in for the Brookside edition and we were able because they came in quite favorably to do two floors, nine classrooms and two related services spaces, new bathrooms and a new faculty room. we have a lower level option and I want to thank Jared for his insight working with Paul from Aris about how we were looking that in a way that would add storage that would add space and add more classroom space and in that lower level option we're going to have three classrooms an elevator and much needed storage all the spaces will have AC very excited to share that the nurses will move to a
041a larger space if you remember went open door and the the health centers moved in. They had to share it and that can be a tough situation in many ways, but this uh this addition solves that. The nurses will move into a much bigger space to the former faculty lounge because it already has the plumbing and the water there. It's a bigger space. Um, everyone's happy about that. Work starts tomorrow after school. On Friday, you're going to see construction fencing, trailers there, and earthmoving equipment will arrive next week. Occupancy C for this edition will be September 2026. So, I want to thank the board and I want to thank the community for that. Here's a couple of just brief outlines of what this looks like. Um, let's see if this Angela if this thing points.
042Probably not. Okay. So this is what Brookside looks like now. And if you take this spot and just move your eye, this is the new addition. And this is the lower level. So if you can hopefully you can you can see that again. So the first um set of drawings basically that's what Brookside looks like now. And that little highlighted area in red is the new addition. Just fits right there and connects certain pieces. Beautiful corridor. So, you're connecting those areas. We're adding an elevator there. And then this is the new lower level over here. So, we're very excited about this project. And again, on time, on schedule, and on budget with flexibility, right? Uh the other capital work that we're doing um in the district, we're doing uh flu pipes and concrete repairs both
043at Claremont and Park. Basic boiler work for those of you who understand what uh flu pipes are needed. And then concrete, I know um the board is aware that um there's that loading dock area with that very narrow driveway. Uh we're going to fix that this summer so that doesn't happen. Uh we had a couple of trucks back into it actually by not paying attention. So, we're going to make that certainly more accessible. And there are some back stairs, sidewalks, and railings at both campuses that will be addressed in the bid that went out for all the capital work maintenance work this summer. We are painting hallways at Brookside in the 95 wing. There will be line striping pavement at the at Austining High School. For those of you who've been there, there's been some
044repaving. We need to stripe the lines and there are some that have faded. There are paving and sidewalk repairs at the park front entrance. Um it's funny when I was there on Monday um to visit the classrooms. I'm looking down I go, "Yep, yep, yep. Absolutely. It needed very happy that it's taking place here at AMD." Basically on the stage there are some old 9 by9 asbesta tile that we're going to abate and we're going to add new vinyl coated tile at the stage and near the elevator lobby. So, there's a minor abatement project that will take place here and those are the areas. Um Jared and his team stay on top of taking a look at fixtures, sinks, certain traps that are on sink. So, they're going to do plumbing repairs throughout the summer
045where the kids aren't here at the Austining High School bathrooms. Again, preventative work. We have to repair the sophets in the science wing. We had a leak in some of the roofs. They were able to fix the sheetrock. they were able to fix the leaks, but now we just want to um fix the sophets to restore them back to the professional look that they have. And that's a great time in the summer to do that. Um we're going to replace the projector screen at the Roosevelt cafeteria. Um I think Melissa, remember when we were there at the pack meeting that the screen definitely showed that we we that needed to be fixed in my mind when I was Yeah. Yeah, we'll fix that this summer. Um, there are black top repairs at Roosevelt for those
046of you who might drive through that parking lot. There are some recurring potholes um that need to be really repaired. And yes, yes, I know. So, we're going to take care of that this summer. There's a nonreparable freezer located inside um the park kitchen that we need to remove and then uh put in a new one there. And that's all part of uh the cafeteria project. We're going to repair some closets at Park Gymnasium. And wait for it, we are doing window unit installations for air conditioning with electricity at the various buildings throughout the summer. So again, I want to thank our community for their support of the budget. So that is included in it. Just a brief overview of the capital project. Uh the bond items paperwork for the AMD driveway and AMD AC
047project. All of the engineering, all of the schematics, all of that has been done. The paperwork was submitted and approved by New York State Education Department, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. However, we are still awaiting the Army Corps of Engineers re review. Uh, today I left two voicemails again and Illy overnighted a thick packet of every conversation, every email to the person in charge and um I am making a call to Senator Gillibrand's office because we're getting no response. None. Uh, questions elite and I say we're more than happy to drive down to their office in New York City. uh please let us know the status of this, but it's just no response. No response whatsoever. Um I don't know if we're a product of, you know, what's going on between the
048federal and state levels of things, but um we've been very clear about this, but this we have done everything. Every eye has been dotted, tea has been crossed. This is the last piece that um we'll follow up tomorrow on and we're reaching out to others for help. Good news on the rectory, the adjacent annic and church project. I mean, there's a lot going on with that project. An awful lot people underneath the church analyzing all the old tree trunks that are holding up. Like, there's a lot of structural work, but these are just two highlights and I'll save all of that for the end of the summer when we have our engineers and architects in here. But uh we had this week we had our the two oil tanks at the church inspected by the
049department of health and we are thrilled that there were no environmental concerns found there. Uh they also tested the soil from underneath the tanks and they did back uh background sampling for hydrocarbons. Um that's really important for those of you who might have had this happen in your basement or in your yards or oil tanks. Um, you could have a a leak out of an oil tank. Ones that are buried in the ground can cause a a real environmental cleanup that is quite comprehensive. But they came out with no evidence of leaks, which is fantastic news. It turns out that those oil tanks were um installed in the year 2000. So, they are certainly eligible for recycling, which is what we did. uh the contractor backfilled and the tanks were removed yesterday and they are
050being recycled. So overall this is what happens in the district. We have three meetings a week roughly uh from very specific to broad topics and every two weeks a very comprehensive two-hour project meeting takes place on Thursdays. Um this summer um Nicole Reese is working on a newsletter. We're about 80% there and we're going to do a video. so the community can get a sense of what's taking place. We're going to have the capital project presentation by the team late August, early September. We'll talk to the board about what date works uh for everyone. I am thrilled to say that we have a lot of input from staff particularly with the um um CTE edition. Every teacher went in and spoke about how they feel about the room, what type of equipment, placement of sinks,
051placement of gas jets, what the design of the room should look like. We have been uh looking and interviewing and speaking with theatrical and acoustic consultants. I don't know. That's a beautiful church and it's a brand new seventh and eighth grade building with an auditorium. We need to get it right and we need experts in these fields to come in and speak with us. And then last week I found it absolutely fascinating because it's a field I really have no un well I have an understanding of just no level of real depth of knowledge. We had a furniture and space consultant speak to us about the ergonomics of furniture about placement of it what works best in certain areas. It's a national well u established consulting firm and uh it's led by an award-winning superintendent
052of schools. So fa fascinating conversation about ergonomics for um students with special abilities, what works best in a math classroom. I it was just a fascinating conversation. So again, this is just a little highlight of all the bond items that are taking place right now just to give everyone an overview. Thanks, Mary. I'll open it up to questions from the board. You can start. So, two quick ones. The Army Corps of Engineer review on the AMD and driveway and AC project required. Yes, required. Okay. And then what's the timeline assuming we get that review for just if you can remind the board for the driveway to be completed and the AC project to be completed uh this time next year. Right. But it's a very small window. And every voicemail, every letter I've been leaving
053them, as has Alita and by the way, our team and the North County consultant stresses this. We have this window. We have to do it now. Uh we have voter approved money on this. It's been endorsed by first responders. I'll make sure the board has in my update again a link to that big comprehensive packet, but it at this point we are ratcheting up the conversation on this because it's the last piece. It's the very last piece. And then how much time padding do do we have built in that if that doesn't happen in terms of by date X, do we not hit that deadline to get it live this time next year? Um I will know better after Thursday's meeting, Rob. U because that's when we meet this week. This is on the agenda.
054But we've got the situation with the um longeared bat. So, we have a t window where we're allowed to move and that's that's going to be my goal. But I I off the top of my head I can't say and I don't want to give but I will make sure you get that information. Well, I'm sorry. I I I don't recall the long-eared bat that was the um we can't we can't do the construction while the bats are in season and so that narrows the window of when you can actually some of the work that you can do and when's that se that season is like so if the engineer review doesn't happen and then then that pushes the bat season into season meaning we won't be able to do construction which means the deadline
055yeah Mary's going to get us the dates I think roughly we couldn't start it in the summer for sure and all the way for a time several months after in my head it's November but I can't yes it is November I can't but not specific but it's it's their breeding time when they're there that we can't and believe it or not it's it's part of the review process that's why we hired north country uh environmentalists engineers this was highlighted with the New York State Department of Econ Conservation the town has looked at this this has been very very detailed and reviewed right I That was your two, right? That was two. Um, I'll go this way. Frank, do you have any any Sure. Um, thank you for all the efforts and presentations. There's a lot
056here and it doesn't have this is not normal in a school district. So, I just really make a commend all their involvement in doing this because this is a tremendous amount of work. I guess two comments questions for Brookside in the lower level and I know we've looked at several iterations of this and I recall at some iterations we weren't putting classrooms in but we were going to have the space. Did I read the slide correctly that because of the favorable bidding we're actually going to get classrooms downstairs? Yes. Yes. And located with an elevator so it can be used because right now we do have two on that lower level. And um yeah, it works. This is much better. This is Yeah. I mean, this is an incredible amount of money at the end
057of the day, like to be able to get classrooms because that's an additional was it four classrooms downstairs? Um three. Three. Okay. Three classrooms downstairs with the space and also just, you know, a lot of times we're not able to do that work. We set that up for the future. So, the fact that we can do this with these bids just really, really great to hear that. Thank you for the work to do that. That's a lot of money and it was great thinking by Jared because you have to dig for the foundation. There's a slope there. So really just tightening up your bids in a way and this is where the expertise the model that the board has here before I arrived. Aris constructing con they were able to put together and think together
058about how we could bid this project out that they thought they would get favorable bids for this and they did. That's great. That's great news. And just the the word on the oil tanks is just so terrific at the end of the day. I mean, when when that acquisition went through, it was one of the big question marks that we had and we weren't sure if that was going to be a huge cost to or not. And so part of the contingencies and all that. I know Paul talked about that, but just I can't tell you that's like a big sigh of relief and potentially a lot of money that you know. So thankfully those tanks were there from 20 sounds like in 2000 they did them and they weren't terribly old but you know
059at the end of the day I'm just so grateful that we did that. It's opens up so much for us. Right. Right. And it does I mean Frank you nailed it with the we we obviously had put aside money because you prepare for the worst and hope for the best but this allows us to have more uh funding available where we hit a negative in that situation someplace else. So yes. Right. That's great. Right. Well thank you. Thank you. Um, so the oil tanks were removed. Uh, are they being replaced or are we switching to gas? No, we're using um I think it's a type of a heat pump type system. Yeah. Right. Yes. I can't speak exactly yet, Annie, but yes. Okay. Yeah. Um, other than that, I don't really have any questions. I
060just want to thank you for all of the work that this district does to make sure that the people who work in these buildings and the students are comfortable. They have nice facilities and you really hear the community. The community advocated for air conditioning and it's just nice to see that that's where our focus is. Right. Right. Well, I thank the board for that because you set that bar before I arrived here. So, it's terrific and I see it every single day. So, thank you to the board and thank you to the community. Um, so definitely can't say enough. Thank you for all the hard work. You know, three meetings a week, two meetings every every two weeks there's a project meeting. You know, there's that I guess funny adage, right? That the meeting could
061have been an email, but these meetings cannot be emails, right? And I'm Yeah. No, these can't, right? And I'm so glad that you all are willing to just um ready and willing to just show up and and also with the Army Corps of Engineers, just the tenacity there that's needed. Um thank you for that. I I really like the fact that we're not just looking at the kind of macro level things that we're trying to do, but also the micro level, right? What needs to be painted? What doors need to be, you know, um kept up with? So, we're making sure that um as we're doing these large projects, some of the more um smaller minute beautifification projects, if you will, are still happening simultaneously. So, I appreciate that attention to detail. Thank you, Melissa.
062Melissa brought up a an excellent point about can can it be a meeting done by email? Now, every once as Illy knows because she makes a list for me because I like put this on my tickler, but all of a sudden I'm into four emails and then I'll go, "Yep, I need I need an email. I need a meeting with that with that with that architect. I just need 10 minutes. I'm kind of lost now. So, it's the ability to be supported by Illy and Nicole and clearly Alita. We keep our doors open and run back and forth at certain moments when this is going on, but um it's sometimes we can do things through email and then sometimes this is very technical. We just need that ability and and that meeting. I know I'm
063behind today. This was a demanding week. Um, I do have at least 15, maybe even 20 emails from different pieces of CPL that I have to stay on top of for tomorrow. I want to give Jared again a huge shout out. Um, Monday and Tuesday morning, he was my first call and he was my next call an hour. And each time he's at he was at the rectory, he was with people with the oil tanks. He was like so and on his phone he had the data about from the BMS systems about temperatures in classrooms and um he would then call me back in an hour again with another update. So, um, critical, absolutely critical. Thank you. Um, I just regarding the church and the oil tanks, um, I just want to take a moment
064and without sort of revealing the sum and substance of things that I'm not supposed to reveal. I just think that and I think there were three of us who were on the board at the time that we were making that very important decision about the acquiring that property and there were no guarantees and to say that the decision to purchase was precarious I I feel is an understatement and I there were a lot of concerns and the fact that those oil tanks have been removed move seamlessly is very very awesome and it feels really good because thinking back in time to how uncertain it felt in that moment, this is a good feeling, right? So I am very pleased to hear that. Really good point. I was thinking in my head about how I remember
065those loyalties. I I the meetings the meetings were long. They were contentious. There were a lot of unknowns. I think anytime anything is not guaranteed or unknown, it's difficult to take the leap. It was a tough decision. I'm glad we made the decision that we did. So, and just to highlight, it is nothing, by the way, out of this whole project, building a new building is fun and it's interesting, but taking that church, which is so old, and every step of the way and conversations as to what it can become, it's transformational. That's a phenomenal addition. And the money we didn't have to spend on soil remediation and everything else can be added to the organ or how we address acoustics, you know, there there will be different tiers and levels of all of that
066there. Yeah. I think I think that's what I'm really trying to impress. I think anytime you acquire property as a school district by requirement, those discussions are held be in executive session. So it's it's difficult then when you announce to the community well we've done this thing right there are naturally there are questions and you really can't get in publicly about the discourse that went on to evaluate them and I've seen rhetoric online I've heard it from people there's a lot of misinformation out there about the church um like rest assured I am very confident that it was an amazing once in a-lifetime opportunity community that this board worked hard to seize and it was not easy to get to that point, but I am so grateful that we did. I think it was incredibly
067forward thinking at the time. It it was not possible. You know, we didn't have the bond, right? We didn't have the overall building plan lined up, but we just knew that that this was the moment and it was now or never and we we were going to lose it if if we couldn't figure out a way to get a deal done. And I'm just so grateful for the many long evenings and the the many moments of like let let's just really talk this out that happened to purchase that. And I think if you weren't part of it, probably like it's hard to convey how difficult it was, but I am super grateful that we got there. Right. You already went, right? Okay. Um so, um this is such a detailed list. There's so much going
068on. Um, to echo what Frank was saying, like this isn't something that a lot of districts can do this much work at once and there's so much attention to detail. I have to tell you, I drive through the Roosevelt parking lot several times a week. Every single time I hit the same pothole and I see that it's repaired and then it busts again, you know, because there's just these temporary fills. And every time I think, boy, somebody should tell the board about this. And then, uh, once I've driven away, it's kind of out of sight, out of mind. But I can see that it's not for Jared because that's at the forefront of his mind despite all this other stuff that's going on. Um and uh so I just I want to pass along my
069appreciation and to everybody involved with this, but in particular to Jared for his attention to detail. Um and just also express that if you need anything from the board level as far as advocacy goes um regarding the army courts, please let us know. I will. Um, so mostly good news but for that one yeah thing. So I'm sure it'll keep us up to date. Um, anything else on this? We should move forward. Okay. Okay. All right. The next thing on our agenda is item three, audience recognition. Uh, no one is in person here to speak. Uh, is there anybody online? No. Okay. So, we'll skip that for now. Um, and just because I like to say it, so I say it every time, it's that first public comment period is for agenda items only, not
070to exceed 10 minutes, even though we don't have anybody here um who will be doing that today. Moving on to item four, our consent agenda, business of the board. Does anybody have any items from 4.1 through 4.7 that they wish to break out? All right, seeing none, I'll take a motion for 4.1 through 4.7. Second 4.1, Resolution to appoint consultants. 4.2 Resolution to approve a stipulation of settlement. 4.3 Resolution to approve the memorandum of agreement with the Austin Teachers Association July 1st, 2025 through June 30th, 2029. 4.4 Four, resolution regarding contracts and salaries for confidential employees for the 2025 2026 school year. 4.5 Resolution to approve the minutes of the special meeting s statutory hearing of May 7th, 2025. 4.6 Resolution to approve the minutes of the special meeting of May 14th, 2025. 4.7 Resolution
071to approve the minutes of the special district meeting held on May 20th, 2025. Um, any discussion? Um I I just want to say that um I appreciate that as part of this uh what we're about to vote on here is an agreement with the asening teachers association. I want to thank Mary Fox alter and our legal team and also the leadership from OTAA and the OTAA membership for coming to an agreement on a contract before their current contract is expired. That's no small feat. And I think everybody came to the table in good faith and I think that's really good for our school community. I think it's good for our students and I think it's good for morale. So I just want to express my gratitude um to everybody involved and Don and Alita absolutely
072everybody um who and on the OTAA side as well for for making that possible. Um any further discussion? All in favor? I opposed abstensions. All right. Uh looking at five on the agenda, does anybody have anything from 5.1 through 5.9 that they wish to break out? Seeing none, I'll take a motion for 5.1 through 5.9. So move. Second. 5.1 Resolution to approve the treasures report for April 2025. 5.2 2 Resolution to approve the budget report and revenue report for April 2025. 5.3 Resolution regarding certiary refund payment main Broadway LLC. 5.4 Resolution regarding disposal of classroom equipment and textbooks AMD. 5.5 Resolution regarding acceptance of funds AP examinations. 5.6 Resolution regarding renewal of transportation contract. 5.7 Resolution regarding award of bid park and Claremont A&E project site construction. 5.8 resolution regarding award of bid park and
073claremont A&E project mechanical construction. 5.9 resolution regarding interfund transfers. Any discussion? Yes. Um on 5.6 the renewal of the transportation contract. Can I guess this question would be for you Mary I guess because we're about to vote on the renewal. When we were discussing during budget time and Jim was here, I believe he indicated that as part of the renewal, Royal Coach would would um put in purchase and put into service at least I can't remember the number, two, three, a few um electric buses to try out as a pilot. Can we confirm if that was done as part of this? I will follow up. Okay. Okay. if if we vote on it and just I'll stay for if we vote on it and it's not in there. We're sort of not sticking to kind
074of a community promise that we all kind of collected agreed to during the budget discussion. So I don't I didn't see the terms of the contract in the line items. So I don't know if the board feels comfortable moving forward with that. There were a couple other things we had asked, but I think collectively on that. So, if if we do vote on it, it's not in, I don't know if we retroactively say, "Oops, it's there." You know, because again, if if I'd seen it in here, I would say, "Okay, good, it's in there, but the contract's not in here for board review." I mean, on a renewal of the contract, I I think, you know, let's say the worst case scenario is is there are there isn't electric in there. There's a time sensitivity
075to this because we have to go into the school year for one, right? The other piece here too is is that if you don't renew the contract at the at the rate that you're at, you have to go out for bid and that's a whole different place to be. And so you won't come in anywhere near this. So I think I'll let Mary answer, but from my perspective like we're on a time crunch where we need to do this. Hopefully that some of that work is in there. If by chance it's not in there, we'll have the opportunity also as the district to basically use our own fleet and do some of that work at the end of the day. And I think it's still electric's a very much a target in terms of where
076things you know where costs are going to be and how the savings are going to happen. So from my perspective I would move forward with this tonight. I don't know that you have much but we we have a we have the immediate need of transporting summer school kids etc. And um um again I think I if I remember Jim and Frank is right that we would then go out for a formal bid. The the beauty of this is that it's a price that we were able to incorporate within the budget and it it's a known versus an unknown. I think um and at my recent superintendence update there they're still looking for more incentives from the governor about around what the um electric bus it's still a moving target as to what the final cost
077will be what you incorporate into roots. uh globally I would say obviously it's something we want but I I will um certainly reach out to Jim and make sure you get information on that but um I think the timeliness situation regarding just being able to extend this for next for um for period of time without a a rate increase and the school year starts again July 1 and we have a summer school program. There is a timeliness associated with this. You know, I understand the time on this. I'm just just saying that we're we're we're approving potentially approving something and we're not 100% sure if what the board collectively agreed on is in there or not? I guess the question from a procedural standpoint, do contracts usually get put in here for review for as
078executive content? If if if it's the answer is no, then how does the board sort of confirm whether what was discussed as part of the budgetary approval, the voters approved it based on conversations that were made public that were included whether and it just might not might not be an it could be for any contract. I'm just saying I understand Frank's point timeliness but like you know at the same time but let me just ask you a question too that just collectively the three bus agreement did we reach some of that? I mean, I don't recall any resolution, any commitment from the board. I think generally speaking, now correct me if I'm wrong right at the end of the day, but I don't recall an agreement the board said [Laughter] or in a followup. We
079were asking and there was kind of like collective headmounting. Was there a formal if it's not in we're not approving? But the response from no in this case Jim was yes the contract will have it not we'll look into it we'll have it. So I trust Jim but I I'm being asked to approve something to not vote on it. Maybe others don't necessarily you know they'll move forward but I haven't seen the contract to confirm whether that's in there. So I could raise my hand and say okay hopefully it's in there. The information is not there. If the information were accessible, I would have been able to read it, right? Others would be able to read it. We know what we're voting on, but we don't. So, if others are comfortable with that, that's that's
080everyone's individual choice. But at the same time, I'm not I'm never whether it's a board or board public life or private life, I would never say, "Yeah, I agree to something without seeing what what I've agreed to." If others are fine with that, that's that's their individual choice as well. I mean, I would like us to make requests to see contracts before we're in the moment of reviewing it and voting on it at the board table. I feel like we have a process for this. It's asking questions at advance, not surprising at the board table. I consider this a bit of a surprise. You know, that being said, I understand your position. I don't need to see the contract in the moment right now because I need kids to get to summer school. So, I'm
081happy voting on it. Um, if other people feel differently, I will certainly not hold that against them. That's your right as a board member. Um, if we need to break it out, I we have some procedural things that we're going to have to do in order to resend the current vote because it's a it's already on the table. It's on the table as like a combined vote and it sounds like we should probably do that. Do you want me to break it out for you? Yeah, I I would say we break it out. And as for the surprise, Katherine, again, I'm just asking is it procedure? And if we can't decide if we don't know the answer now for contracts that the board approves, do they go in to executive content prior to board approval?
082Do they not go in at all or do they have to be requested in advance? And if so, they haven't. This is an extension of the current contract. Right. Right. This is not a new contract, correct? Yeah. Yeah. It's not a new contract. It's the current contract. It's an extension of it with no rate increase. And we can certainly add an addendum to it if it's not in it when we get an answer from Jim. I mean, I know in the past when we've discussed transportation, we've either gone out for an RFP and then evaluated proposals and that's usually done in executive session and then in those instances we have a presentation of like what are the various proposals so that we can vote on the various terms, right? But then when we voted over
083the years to renew contracts, unless a board member has said, "Hey, I've never seen that before, like I want to specifically see it." Then they asked for it. This is a renewal of a contract that when I was on the board, we had discussed. Yes. You went through an comfortable not seeing it. I frankly do not remember the conversation that you're talking about. I'm not it's I'm not disputing that your memory is inaccurate at all. It is certainly probably better than mine. I didn't have an impression that that was going to be a contractual obligation. I guess if anything what you're talking about sounds like a this is our aspirational goal. Um and then I do remember conversations around we're going to be following what's going on at the state level and that is being
084lobbied and litigated and changed. Um, I don't I don't recall a specific three bus situation. Um, I mean, I would support it, but I I just don't have a specific recollection of that being discussed in that way. And and I didn't, to the record, I didn't say three. I was it the conversation. I'd have to pull it up was two a few. And that's why I'm bringing it up because if it's a renewal and it hasn't been marked up and ch things have changed that means it probably didn't get in as part of right a renewal traditionally means asis in this world or not. So if it hasn't been marked up any of the things that might have been discussed and this again it's not specific just to this it's anything that we discuss at
085budget whether it's new or renewal. How do we see it? If it's a procedural thing that the board should see it as part of this, great. If it's no, you must ask ask in advance or forever hold your peace. That's fine. I'm just saying I'm not. So, yes, we can break it out. I'm not comfortable in voting something personally. This is my like a statement because there was discussed and I don't know if it's in there or not, especially if it's just a renewal which you could just be a carryover and an increase based on x percentage year-over-year budget for the contract. And again, I I just from conversations within my professional group, people are at a at an aspirational level at this moment and waiting to hear more from Albany about the nuts and
086bolts and how they would get. I I know Royal Coach want to stay in business. They want to be in the bus business and it behooves them to try this out uh to be part of this and we would very much encouraging them to do that. Um but and you can always add an addendum to any contract that you like. Right. Right. So we could discuss as part of board goals or district goals this summer like do we want to have a district goal of you know this particular initiative. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think then even uh Illy just to make a note for the record that all uh contract even if they're just renewals the full contract just make sure they're uploaded into board docs. Yes. All right. I just want to make
087sure there's room at the table for other voices if anybody has anything they want to contribute to the conversation. Not putting any pressure on anybody to contribute, but I don't want to just breeze past. I mean, I remember the conversation vaguely from um the budget meeting. I my recollection was that it was more of a of like a test pilot kind of thing that coach might have been doing. I didn't know that there was anything cemented at that time that we would be expecting, but um it would, you know, be nice to see what the plans are if they have any for that. I think um as far as this this existing contract, correct me if I'm wrong, but the fuel costs are embedded into the contract, right, of what what we pay for the
088transportation. Is that correct? I I I would say I'm almost positive about that because yeah, yes, almost. But I would get back to you again, right? I'm pretty sure it is. And I just having to that point um I know Katherine brought up one point that might be jeopardized with that. But I think having those two costs locked in at this particular time um would behoove us especially given the climate and some expected changes in the areas and that's why Jim and Alita are recommending it. They also uh have a promise from Royal Coach that the four non-airconditioned buses that we currently have this summer will be replaced by air conditioned buses. I know that well because of the past two days, but yes, I was just going to actually confirm or at least state
089publicly that the majority of the buses are aironditioned. Yes, we have 95 of them. 54 big buses. Out of the 54 big buses, four are not airond conditioned. All of the smaller buses are airond conditioned. Right. Um I don't remember coming to any sort of consensus about kind of holding up the contract like an if this isn't included. Um my notes on that day are brief. uh just said the contract ends in June and we would only have to pay a 3% inflation rate instead of going out to bid and that we're seeing 12 to 15% increases sometimes even resigning with the same business. So, um I definitely with or I mean sure I would be great to have electric buses. I support that. But, um not at the cost of putting out an RFP
090when that's almost certainly going to cost us more money than electric buses would save. Um, so Rob, you I can Would you like me to take uh resin so that you can vote? So, do I have to motion to just further discussion real quick just because I think sometimes it's it's a nuance that is not always understood by the public and busing does come up every now and then. We do not have our own buses. Briercliffe, for example, has their own buses and they park their own buses. We do not. I think historically um we have not had the space to park the size of the fleet that we would need here in Austining. So we contract with a service as a third party to provide our busing. So that is what we are discussing
091here tonight just in case anybody needed the overall framework of of what we're talking about. So I appreciate Rob's attention to detail and what we may have um what the community may have expected from us. So, we can definitely add an addendum if we approve this now and then later we realize, oh, we did say this. If so, then I'm comfortable voting on it now. I don't have any All my notes say is that we recommend or that Jim was recommending we renew the contract for five years. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'll stay for the record. I don't have the same view of that day in the budget hearing. The the the when Cuomo put through the transportation increases at 2% of CPI, whichever was greater on the contract renewals, it was an incentive to
092stay within your contract. If we wanted to go and go out for an RFP, we would have needed budgeted a very different number at the end of the day for transportation than we did, and we would have put in an inclusion in there to require a certain number of electric, which I'm guessing would have cost them more in the whole piece. So from my perspective, this is a fiscally responsible proposal. It's we have to stay with the same contractor to get the lowest rate at the end of the day. We did that in the past. So I'm comfortable in moving forward with it. But that being said, if we can get them to do with reelectric buses or there's an MOA that we can consider with financial implications, I'm willing to consider it. But I
093would move forward with this tonight to keep continuity in the district. the right now the current price of an electric bus is almost a half a million dollars and three of them would be 1.5. I you know like I don't I I I think we would see a significant increase in the budget for that. I unless the the company was waiting for rebates from the state and all kinds of other things and I would imagine over the course of these years the the length of the contract we're going to see that um because Royal Coach needs to stay in business. But again, just I just want to remind the board that July one starts next week. We have extended school year with students and um there is a timeliness associated with this and Illie just
094made sure notified everybody that moving forward we will make sure that all contracts even if their renewals are updated and there will be an overview for the board moving forward. I will double check on that too. Okay. So, um we're going to break this out instead. So, first I'm going to take a motion to rescend what is on the floor, which right now is a 5.1 through 5.9. So, moved. Second. Okay. Any discussion? All in favor? I opposed. Abstensions. Now I'll take a motion on 5.1 through 5.5 and 5.7 through 5.9. So moved. Second. Okay. Um I'll just repeat that. I'm not going to read them out all over again. But that's 5.1 through 5.5 and 5.7 through 5.9. Any discussion on those items? All in favor? I I opposed. Abstensions. Now I'll take a
095motion on 5.6. So moved. Second. 5.6 again is the resolution regarding renewal of transportation contracts. Any further discussion? All in favor? I I I opposed. Abstensions. I'm going to stand on this one. Thanks. All right. Um, moving on to the consent agenda. Uh, six, curriculum and instruction. Uh, can I take a motion for 6.1? So moved. Second. Okay. 6.1 resolution to approve recommended placements. Any discussion? All in favor? I opposed abstensions. Does anybody have anything from seven, our consent agenda, on personnel matters that they wish to break out? All right. Seeing none, I'll take a motion for 7.1 through 7.5 and 7.7 through 7.17. So moved. Second. Thanks. 7.1 Resolution regarding rescending professional staff appointments. 7.2 2 Resolution regarding rescending professional staff appointments. 7.3 Resolution regarding rescending professional staff appointments. 7.4 Resolution regarding professional staff
096resignations. 7.5 Resolution regarding bus attendant resignations. 7.7 Resolution regarding professional staff appointments. 7.8 Resolution regarding confidential staff appointments. 7.9 Resolution regarding civil service staff appointments. 7.10 10 Resolution regarding support staff appointments. 7.11 Resolution regarding professional staff appointments before after school programs. 7.12 Resolution regarding support staff appointments before after school programs. 7.13 Resolution regarding professional staff appointments summer programs. 7.14 Resolution regarding civil service staff appointments summer school programs. 7.15 Resolution regarding support staff appointments summer school programs. 7.16 Resolution regarding AR annual professional performance review accountability. 7.17 Resolution regarding approval of school volunteers. Any discussion? All in favor? I opposed. Abstensions. All right, we'll take the board policies one at a time. So, uh I'll take a motion for 8.1. So moved second 8.1 resolution to adopt new policy number 8636 artificial intelligence policy as a second
097reading. Any discussion? All in favor? I opposed abstensions. I'll take a motion for 8.2. Second drinking. uh 8.2 resolution to adopt new policy number 5695 student use of internet enabled devices during the school day as a first reading and I uh wanted to make sure we take this separately because I assume that there would be some discussion about this. Um does anybody have anything they want to talk about right off the top? I just want to thank the policy committee for putting in there that specifically students are not allowed to video other students or faculty without their permission. I think it's so important that kids get to go to school and feel safe that they won't end up on the internet or shared around. And I just really appreciate that way of keeping them safe.
098Um I'd like to talk just for a moment about kind of the process for how this policy came to be. Um obviously uh it was a directive from the government or the governor's office uh that became uh law right and then we got a a NISBA recommended version of this policy and um but even before then we were parsing through it knowing that it was coming. Um it's been revised and reviewed several times by legal. Every change that we have made um mostly in consult in consultation with uh Miss Langley and um Mike Hannah uh Dr. um and our attorney they and our attorney and and our building principles in turn have turned around to their staff and to their students for input um on this as well so that um they could best anticipate
099any bumps or bruises we might experience as we um implement this policy and what its true impact will be so that we can kind of do our best to forecast what challenges we will have to overcome once this policy is um enacted because there are pluses and downsides to it as far as convenience goes. Um so this is kind of where we landed and it's kind been approved by all parties and it does change the way that we'll do things particularly at the high school. Um and that was that work was led by Miss Langley. So the high school remains a challenge and we'll every there isn't a single superintendent that has an issue with K8. Almost everyone has an issue with high school. So we shall see. Yeah, it's going to be very difficult
100in some ways a step backward. I mean just think about students working on projects across the globe and stuff like that. Correct. For them to not have an internet-based device that they can use during the school for some of the work that they're doing. Very difficult. I I actually brought up a scenario where um those of you who have in the process now or will be shortly the college application process common app you're sitting there as a student with your guidance counselor taking a look at your online application and you have to do a two-factor authentification most use their phones there's a lot of things that high school kids use their phones for normally obviously we are very aware of the downsides ides of it. But um we tend to forget the upsides of it.
101And um in addition to this, we the district has as many many have allowed uh students to bring their own devices. And the beauty about bringing your own devices is that you sit on a filtered network. So no one had issues with it. The problem is is that some newer devices now laptops you can IM and they have more enhanced features. So according to legal, those are now a problem. Um so I definitely see this as a challenge for us. They're not allowed under the under the law. Uh some school districts have pushed back on that. Um Chapaqua, Briercliffe, and Yorktown are the two latest that have pushed back on that. They um found um strict rules for bringing your own device for kids. I often thought about devices with high-end processors, students who might
102be in a very specific uh let's say science research class that are kind of married to their devices in that sense. Um kids that personalize them. Obviously, the district will provide it. Mike ran the cost today for Chromebooks. It'll be another $130,000 that we will provide for everyone. And of course we will provide uh for those that have need high-end proc co-processors that need high-end MacBooks or in design etc. We will absolutely do that but we will hit push back from our high school students along this issue and we are not alone in that point. Do we have the flexibility to put a caveat in um something to the effect of un unless the student receives explicit permission from a faculty member? You can the advice and what we ended up at the committee was
103that that could go on a regulation. You know, you can set the policy. Believe it or not, this is enhanced by Keen and Bean. So, it's shorter than the NISBA policy. It's shorter than a lot of others and it has the flexibility should after we kick this off you want you feel the need to do that we can put that in admin right okay yeah it's a great question that's one I asked I think that's probably where we're going to end up in practice um so I got a couple of things because I wanted to go through the internet enabled devices because our language looks to be modified from the state law in in in a favorable way in my opinion but I just want to say I'm actually surprised that the law has not
104been challenged. The civil li New York civil liberties union actually originally came out against it and so I'm not look I don't know what the lawyers are going to do. The the spirit of the law is good but again and I'm I'm saying this and I'll go on record. It was just kind of hastily done. there wasn't cost a thought thought to cost and it's unfortunate and it's just it's typical and but I am surprised there hasn't been any legal challenge to it at least for again civil liberties union came out against it beforehand which is an interesting side with that said definition 1.0 uh one internet enabled devices. So just going through specifics would a gizmo watch or the like a gab something that is a communicative watch but does not access social media
105but does connect to the internet would that be allowed as per our policy 100% under 1B. Okay great under one A. Sorry Rob. Great. So I am absolutely in favor of that. So any any of those smart watches are allowed. Perfect. How about uh an old school but they sell them as new flip up. Well, an Apple Watch would be an internet. You're saying you're making a statement that I'm not sure is consistent with what policy would be. It's not a smartwatch, but it connects to But it connects to the internet. But it does connect to the internet. It does. Yeah. Right. And so internet enabled devices or any smartwatch. A gizmo would be a smartwatch but and enable the word key word is and because the state law and we remember I brought this
106up I think as a question into the board. The state law it was literally an and is or comma situation and it looks like our policy which presumably has been illegal says okay so a gizmo is technically a smartwatch but does it enable the and enable the user to access content on the internet? It does not. You can't access content you can communicate with. Yes. So therefore a gizmo a gab is allowed as per this and we are within the confines of the state law that was written by legal that a to include what you just said and if there were any flip phones. Uh my husband has one that cannot get internet but can um anyway receive right would be allowed. Flip phones are allowed. But an Apple Watch or another smartwatch would not
107be allowed. Correct. Because those can access even if you put it in because we went through this with legal even if you turn the Apple Watch to school mode or whatever it's called. She said no that is not allowed here. And it's not, but gizmo watches. Does this apply to teachers? Like, are we going to be asking them to take off their smartwatches? No. Um, what we added to this policy, if you take a look, and I want to um thank Dr. Mara, we added on this, and this was actually uh roles and responsibilities from our law firm. It wasn't necessarily in the NISSBA one. We took a look at what the faculty and staff are expected to do. And under 3C underneath the roles and responsibilities, have their cell phone silenced and or not
108in use during all professional responsibilities. This includes professional meetings, etc. And it's per what's in the district staff handbook. So, it's explicit in the policy. I apologize. I can't look up the policy. I'm locked on board docs. I don't know if anybody else is having that problem, but I certainly am. Okay. And so, okay. So, thank you for the clarification. And I am happy to hear that because I would absolutely be in support of those watches that are communicative devices but do not connect to social media. So the other part of this um is around the enforcement uh which is on page two and my I guess father of blessed memory kept saying Rob you should go to law school because you look for these commas and things. So I assume that was a compliment.
109So thank you dad. foot. So the way this reads, the district may not suspend a student. The sole basis of the suspension is the student having access accessed an internet enabled device in violation of the policy. Okay. But then the next sentence says students with successive violations of the policy may be subjected to professional progressive discipline up to and including suspension for failure blah blah blah. The just want to make sure the previous sentence says we can't suspend someone if they're just violating this policy. Correct. But then the next sentence says but we can't suspend them if they're multiple violations of this policy. And I wanted to make sure we're we're we're being very clear on what we're saying there on the terms of what the policy is saying. And again, great question. This was
110written by legal obviously and and a lot of the language something taken out of the law. But what it says though is that progressive discipline, failure to adhere to reasonable direction. So, uh, you're in a classroom, you're told, you know, whatever, whatever to do it, but you're being given a directive and a direction by someone. Now, all of a sudden, it's not the fact that you brought a cell phone, you're being insubordinate. Okay. Okay. Okay. So, it's you we're we're still abiding by the original sentence with we're not suspending someone for just violating the cell phone policy. It's violating the cell phone policy and the directive. Right. Okay. Correct. I just want to make sure then councils come because I read that as almost a I didn't read that as connecting like that. I read
111it as we're not going to suspend you if you just violate the cell phone policy. But the next sentence says we are potentially. So, I don't know if it needs a word or not, but if council and people are okay with it, I I read it as contradictory with each other. So, um that was just my two cents, but if they're comfortable with it and we're comfortable with it, then certainly and and the key word there too is progressive, which is really based in the code of conduct, the response for whether it's a detention or later on or whatever the progression of discipline is, staff has a keen understanding in the code of conduct. So this would have to be added to that and that's where they would go to the code of conduct handbook
112to understand how what this language means and how it's going to work in classrooms. I'm not a lawyer. I don't play one on TV, but it feels like the word however a joiner in that next sentence. However, students with this could be subject may be subjective. Feels like it would read cleaner, but again defer to the lawyers on it. So any further discussion? I I feel like I'm uh going out on a raft onto the Hudson River and it has holes in it. That's how I feel. That's pretty much what's happening. I'm going to sink in the middle. I also That's how I feel. I want to call, you know, raise awareness, I guess, that Mary did put out um per this law relating these policies, a community survey um that went out via email,
113right? So, that's still open. Yes. Yes. Um, so if you're watching this and you would like to participate in that, we encourage you to give our uh input and feedback on this. Yes. And we will make sure the board sees it. As of uh 3:00 this afternoon, we had 136 responses. Not a lot to be honest with you, but we're going to send it out again. Um, the law is very prescriptive. I don't understand why we were, you know, like, uh, yes, you can give feedback, but no, I can't change it. Pretty much the the point behind it. That's what I say to my kids. You tell me feelings, but I'm not changing my decision. Well, hopefully they'll take it. Go ahead. I'm hoping that they'll take, you know, the feedback that districts are getting
114into. I mean, I would think they have to because this is just such uncharted territory. We're talking about all the things we're talking about. but also culture shifts within especially high school settings and what that does to the environment for students and just their you know whether we like it or not just how dependent they are on this technology and what that does to them um with it just being taken from them right someone who's never really known it or someone who's not in high school yet and doesn't really depend on it a lot maybe not so much but a high school student you know I'm I'm you know I'm worried for a lot of reasons but basically just what that does that really that culture shock that's going to come with this um and
115what that what that's going to look like that's why I'm really you know to the point that Rob brought up I'm I'm glad he's you know paying attention to those details because those one of the things I voiced in the policy committee is like what is the disciplinary going to look like around this right because advocacy groups that's one thing that they're you know against is that this resulting in you know a rise in some of the already skewed data that we see within discip disciplinary actions when it comes to schools. So, um there's just a lot that I think is making a lot of people uneasy and I'm hoping that they take into account the feedback they they get from this roll out and from the anxiety of the roll out and all that
116stuff. Well, we will survey kids and staff throughout the year and I fully intend to write a report based on the survey results and share it with the powers that be. Um yeah, absolutely. Melissa, well stated there was There was feedback in uh the wait until 8th group that the survey was very easy to miss. It was in like um it was like a link within text and a lot of people missed it. So someone did point that out and said fill out the survey. But um okay, I'll make sure then it goes out a little bit more highlighted. Um but yeah, it is um everyone is concerned about the high school kids. to a colleague to a person they K8 was easy almost uniformity I can't a single but high school when kids are
117off campus when kids are at lunch where kids some school districts actually created an internet uh I'm using sorry I'm gonna be a little an internet policyfree safe zone where kids could like sit and just access during lunch um I I do of a clarification question. Would the student portal um be considered like an internet content or no? Do we know? Yeah, I would think it is. Yeah, because I mean I know I can just tell from tell you from personal experience my child uses that daily in school to say, "Oh, I this was miscoded. You coded my assignment as a 10 out of 100. I think he meant it to be a 100 out of 100 and now my grades dropped from, you know, a 95 to a 71. And he will then go
118on his free period and speak to that teacher and get it corrected. And I just know if he didn't do that immediately, it wouldn't get done, right? So, I think, you know, in terms of regulating this, something along the lines of you are always allowed to access the student portal might be a good starting point. But even looking at that for your schedule, books will allow them. They're going to get the school if they're going to get school provided devices and school. So, you will be able to access that. But that's another example. I'm sorry, Chrissy. It's just another example of the change in behavior with SECA high school kids that people have ignored with all of this and um the responsible use of it and how much they need it for whether it's the
119Remind app or what they need for their sports teams or their extra and co-curricular activities. All of those things are done through this. And believe it or not, we're gonna have to now report the discipline around this as another report to the state education department at the end of the year. That's why I don't think I'm going to leave the shore before that raft six. I I can tell you there have been numerous times where a a update on a game or a practice has been sent at 12:30 in the middle of the school day for the same day. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. No, there's there's going to be a lot of unintended consequences here. And if you recall, Mayor Bloomberg did this in New York and basically it got backed out because there was no
120backing off of a very prescriptive model. I would suggest our legislative advocacy committee keep this on its agenda. Go into the August September meeting with Westp and say we have these three issues. We think that there may be more. we should collect as a group are unintended consequences of this law to push for changes before the next budget cycle because there's going to need to be stuff and if they're not flexible at some point it's going to happen happen in New York City is practically they're just not going to be able to do it right and that's you know that's the shame of trying to do something good in one way but then losing the forest for the trees right all of us asked please look at the high school in a different light everybody
121asked that question everybody or that what's that NISBA long very long meeting that you have this is called the annual meeting yeah that like you could put through a proposal and that would be something we could do through our legis I'm sure there's others you you mentioned some other districts I can't imagine many others being like go NISSBA go advocate for to tweak the law because a blank one sizefits all does not work so hopefully correct I did have one just follow on the actual policy. So, does this apply when we say school day? Does this also apply during after school or once the the main bell is rung it's have at it? It's my understanding it's just a school day. Just the school day to bell the way they talked about it. Just the
122school day. We are not doing anything about buses. We are not doing anything about extra or co after school it's 3:05 whatever time is you could Okay. Correct. Checking. Correct. Okay. No, that's fine. I just wasn't sure what the law said. Yeah. Yeah. Bell to bell. The bell, a bell, all bells. I know. When I heard that, I was like, you mean so like between periods is fine or like, you know, um it sounds catchy, but it's not that clear. Um All right. Any further discussion? It's already on the floor. So, um we'll take a vote. All in favor? I I opposed. abstensions. I was an I just so Okay. All right. Our next item is 10 audience recognition. There's still none here. Um is there anybody online who wishes to speak? No. Okay. On
123to board reports and dialogue. Uh I think the policy committee met, but we bas we just discussed this is what we discussed. So no further updates. from the policy committee. Any other committees meet? The audit committee met. That's right. Okay. I have no updates. Okay. No, just the audit committee met briefly to talk about the plan for the year and basically the process has kicked off and I think we also got an email. I was going to say we got an email. We got an email from, you know, from the um McConnor. Yeah. I had to scroll down and make sure that it was actually our auditor and that it wasn't spam, but you need to be informed about it. So, you need to be informed that the audit process is starting. Yeah. Yeah. So,
124two two quick things not committee related. So, we're reaching the end of the year, right? Um we have quite a few retirees from the faculty. That's public knowledge at this point, right? Or right. So, we we're going to miss everyone. But, Right. Okay, we've got a couple that are very long tenur that are leaving and I don't know Don if you know but like is it accurate Mr. Carellis is he retiring that's one so I just want to acknowledge him um anyone else I mean there's there were a lot of retirees we honored them at their own um reception before the last board meeting um Mr. Picarella. Yes. No. Is he still Is he still here? He's still here. He's He's retiring. He's going to come back as a consultant to us next year. I
125just knew those personally. And yes, there's others, but I just Tomorrow's the last day of school, right? So, I wanted to just we have um acknowledge them. Access to their names show up in the in the um comp the executive. Yeah. So, those that was uh so that was that. Um then then we also have coming up, right? uh a a retreat half day retreat July 8th correct for the board to discuss goals um for the next year. So I wanted to just understand that process because first I don't think I'll be able to attend that's a work day and I don't know if others will be able to not but question around that like prior to Mary and admin working that day on goals is it fair to say this board should kind of
126prior to that be setting some broad priorities and then Mary and team come up with those specific smart goals. So what I mean like if this board said we want to still improve literacy next year or math or more trade expo you know Bose's trade exposure great then Mary and team come up with okay board those were the things for you collectively thought for next year here are three to five goals I think that's kind of what we wanted to do or it could be iterative that day but if it's iterative that day I just I won't be able to be there so I just want make sure there's an opportunity that I could send and others who may not be there to send here's some like big big stroke broadstrokes priorities and then please
127work on the smart goals and then what we finalize those smart goals at the August retreat and then boom announce them in September and then off we go. Is that kind of the process? So starts with the board of education goes to admin plus board comes back from admin plus board finalized August presented September. Is that kind of what we were agreeing to? That feels like the right. If I could just highlight from the administrative perspective because the agenda is, you know, it's there and people have been working on it. Maria spent a lot of time on it. So, they're going to uh they will get all their endofthe-ear data, their NWA, their attendance data. There's a plethora of it that Maria reviewed today. They're going to look at that in terms of their goal
128setting and approach it from that perspective. Um we do on the first day there's um there's uh something on from me. Then in the afternoon we have um Kathy Connelly coming in to review. The second day but globally we have people coming in doing that kind of work to help the administrative team because you've got six principles a ton of directors and not a ton but I mean directors in every area and then assistant principles. So this is the data that they do through their evidence and efficacy. So having somebody look at that with them and help them guide to what would be a goal for them. That's the what work they're going to do. So then there is a look at that and a conversation with the board. This is what we see. This
129is where we see we need to go and then sharing that with everybody and seeing what the board says. Um yeah, my understanding is that we will be working with the administrators at that time to like you said hear kind of feedback. They'll have already been working on that stuff. Um and then at on August 20th we can finalize those board goal or set board goals for ourselves and finalize the district goals at that time. Right. I guess what I'm not understanding I thought we did discuss this. I don't understand how the district can come up with admin goals if they don't hear from the board what our priorities are. So hypothetically if they came we came out of the eth and the and the one of the goals admin said this is not obviously
130not going to happen. We think there should be more ice cream next year. We had said as a board well wait a minute we didn't say this is that we think there should be more literacy. Where do we go from there? So I think we're we're not the board doesn't say give the smart goals but the broad strokes for for the school district next year I think comes from the board and then yes we like that admin or admin says yeah but this no or that and then you do the smart and then we r sort of kind of agree to that I I think that was kind of the process we had talked about but again even if we hadn't formally talked about I just I'm not clear how admin can come out of
131that without some guidance from us going into it. Well, because they're going to look at the data that they're working with right now. So, to me, it's a collaborative process and it's an iterative process. So, that's how we see it because and then they they will hear from their other colleagues about wow, how do you see that? You see it that way, I see it this way. So, having them flexibility around that, what is that literacy goal? Obviously their goals will be centered on curriculum and instruction and what the numbers actually tell us. So um the individuals will be looking that at that together collectively and individually and then with their team. So I see it as a collaboration and then an iterative. Yeah. I think I I don't feel like I as a I
132have a perspective as a parent with three kids, right? I don't feel like I have enough information to set like a broad district goal. You know, do I I know general data based on what we've been provided over the year, but I'm waiting to hear from admin who's also had access to that. Hey, this is what we've shown you over the course of the year. These are the these is the this is the vein of the questions that you've asked that we can sense are the initiatives and here are our thoughts on these various topics and we would recommend you know we want to hear your feedback and then we sort of come to a consensus of like where are we headed with our district goals that I guess is my thought process of how
133I thought July was going to go. My concern and why I think we ended up with going with July is I didn't feel like we could be in a position starting on August 20th with you know where we were going to again set ourselves up for well it's August 20th and admin's already had their retreat they've already set their goals without our collaboration and now we're being told well here are the goals and it's going to be like that horse is already out of the barn it's going to be very difficult to to do anything different so that's why I had brought it up a couple meetings ago like hey I I think we should be involved to some extent in in the admin retreats in July. So I think that's how this all got
134started. But I I I guess a question and ideally you want board goals, the district goals to be aligned at the end of the day and part of the me part of the purpose of this day is to hear where the administration wants to go and nine times out of 10 I think the board generally is probably going to be there but like there's a space in part of that day a half day for the board to raise any concerns or questions that the administration can then take and come back with feedback. I don't see us as setting that goal. I see us as collaborating and working toward it at the end of the day. And I think the more effective you are in that, the more the August goals align, the more the superintendent
135review, all those things kind of fall into place. But, um, I think a little bit of it is just the how we approach. I don't we don't we never have gone in and said, "Here we go. Here's the 10 board goals. Administration, go do it." At the end of the day, there's usually been this is what are you seeing for the course of the year and what are those things? And if we have a burning issue and say that's great, have you looked at this and is there something you can do? They either come back and say we did or they say it's something we'll take and we could then talk about at the August meeting and that's I think the place where if you don't do that before August. So, so I guess from
136my perspective, anybody that has sort of specific interests at the end of the day, I would think we would want to raise that to Christine prior to the July meeting so that Mary could either say yes, we're doing that. We're working it or B, you know, that's something we'll have to take on. But I won't I wouldn't see us as the writers of the district go, right? What you said exactly what I mean like for I'm going to give you two specifics. I don't think I contend that day. So I will email it but like financial literacy broad to me I'd like to see more of that personally now we would write discuss it iteratively that day you you all may agree you might disagree but I would love to have that discussion right it's
137a conversation the Boseies the CTE piece to me I I'd love to see more touches on that is that you know do you put a percentage more into you know going to be exposed to the possibility but like that to me would be a broad goal we discuss it and if there's consensus is on. Yes, we like that. Great. Then admin comes up with a smart piece with okay board, you like the BoseCTE pathways thing. Great. We recommend 2% more exposure for the kids or an exposure in fifth grade versus 8th grade. Great. That gets set right. That's what I mean. Like I agree with you. What I was trying to get at is prior to July 8th. I think it's important for us to start the conversation or at least share that. It doesn't
138have to be a formal discussion. So on the ETH it comes back collaboratively and then we look at it a so again I I won't be there to formally talk about it but I will submit like hey can we talk about this? Here's why I think it's important and then hopefully on that day during the retreat there'll be some agreement on it or consensus on on some of us. Yeah, I think we did some emails last year around this time of like, hey, these are some things. Yeah, I I think individual board members if they have things should submit them to Christine because we can't have meetings not in the public, right? In terms of that. So, so but that's a fair thing and I think you know what can come out of that is
139is on that day if you said we want more Bosey's program, the rest of the board may say we want more vocational opportunities and Mary may say we're already working on vocational opportunities and this is how we're going to do it. And so the answer may come back if you're not there that day that well we're looking at this broadly and Boseies is one part of the solution but not the whole. I'm just I'm giving a hypothetical. I'm not saying this whole thing, but I think to get that list of stuff I think sooner rather than later so that that basically Christine can distill it into our 50 things down to 10 things and then Mary can say six of these we're already doing and four of these I'm going to consider and two of
140them I'm absolutely not like you know and just that's going to be the you know breakdown but I think that's what we've been trying to get to where is it's not August and we're hitting something to the superintendent that's out of left And some of them could be my goals. They already likely are there. They already So there could be very they could be tied to the superintendent. Exactly. Exactly. Um I just put on my to-do list here to I'll send out an email to solicit those ideas as a reminder for everyone. And then they So then they would be finalized. So coming out of July 8th, they're not going to be put into tablets. No. That the August ideally retreat then we would kind of codify it and then publicly share them beginning of
141the year potentially at a board meeting and then measure towards them. Right? Is that that's procedurally what we're trying to get to? Is that Well, it's they or the the administration. It's kind of complicated. So at the end of the day they then meet the administration meet with their building level teams to see what kind of plans they will put in place to work towards these and then come back and we have admin three days of it two days of a retreat in August with our teams to come back and then the beginning of the year we have those where the administration speaks about what they're working towards. So again it's a collaborative and iterative process. Okay. And then but but just that that meeting if I can just interject for a second that traditionally
142has been the district goals roll out in August. The board may have some synergies with that at the end of the day but then there'll be other goals that will probably be in a superintendent review versus there. But I think a lot of this you're trying to get people going the same direction so a lot of things are going to align at the end of the day. But that that would be the district's goal. We wouldn't be putting out the board's goals to the community. It would be the district's goal. That's what I meant. Yeah. Yeah. The district's broad goals align to the long range plan. It's a collaborative effort between the board and the admin. The board goals like we need norms. Uh we want to right that's to I'm not talking about I'm
143talking about what are we doing for the long range plan around is it literacy? Is it financial? Is it literacy? Is it trades? Is it stuff? Adjusting absenteeism etc. etc. Yeah. That's that's what but the board's goals aren't just the board's self goals. Some of those goals will translate into things we expect from the superintendent promoting the bond and advocacy. Right. Right. Right. So yeah, like that was one of our board goals or we may say Yeah. XYZ, right? It could be any number of things. Okay. Sounds like we're on Yeah. Sounds like we're on the same but on the 20th we are confirming or finalizing district goals and we're also creating board goals. Right. August. Yes. Yes. And uh also on the agenda so far is uh a discussion of board norms and our
144board selfie vow on that retreat date on the in August. And uh you know what I'll just include that in my email to ask if anybody needs to add any agenda items to the 20th. Hold on. Just on the board norms thing though. But we've set the board norms right. So yes is we we did a lot of work on that last year. So is this just to see like almost like a professional development type like refresh. Yeah. Assess do we like them? Are we abiding by them? Uh is there any further you know discussion needed as far as our understanding of of those go? And it's a it's a place to kind of talk that out. Cool. Um not to uh reinvent the wheel. Yes. Yeah. Although I mean if we all said, "Oh,
145we hate these board norms. We really need to redo this." Then we could, but uh that's not the purpose out of the gate. Speaking of which, I don't forgive me if I don't recall, but when are we doing or what is the timeline for the board selfie though or what? Um it has to be completed by August 13th. That's the date that's in there. And it should like automatically send you a reminder, but I'll I'll send a reminder as well. Thank you. Um, and I did send out one email that had that date and I haven't changed the date, but I do now have the capability to go in and change the date, but I figured that gives us we between now and August 13th, I feel like we should be able to fill that
146out and that gives me enough time once it's completed and illy enough time to like print so we can work with a printed copy at the retreat. Okay, hold on. Just putting it in the to-do list. Um, this is the last, speaking of board norms, this is the last meeting of the school year and in accordance with the board norms, uh, we had decided that anybody interested in board leadership um, in the spirit of transparency, uh, expressed their interest at that in that at the board table at the last meeting of the year. Um, so I'm going to take the opportunity now. I've emailed the board already a few weeks ago to express an interest in continuing as a president. So I'm just going to follow the norms and remind you that that is something
147that I'm interested in. Um, I know Roger's not here. He sent an email to express an interest in a vice presidency. I'm not going to speak on his behalf. I just want to acknowledge that um, in public as well. Does anybody have anything to speak about on that topic? Um, I did want to just thank the board for um electing me to a leadership position for four years and has been a true honor to serve and um feel like the board has made an amazing amount of progress and um it's just really been a pleasure. So, thank you. Anybody else? Uh Kim invited me to speak with her and Kate about something we had discussed a while ago when Kate did her presentation on the arts and um I had brought up the involvement or
148the inclusion of children with disabilities in the music programs. Um and this also came up at a SEPTA meeting and parents did express that same concern. So Kim, Kate, and I met just to kind of brainstorm different ideas and um it's going to involve parents who have children with disabilities receiving a survey and just sharing what their child needs because each parent is so different, each child is so different and the needs vary. Um I thought it was a really great conversation. Uh there are so many organizations that work on this specifically. They have adaptive instruments. They have different ways to work with children who have different behavioral needs and all kinds of things. So, it was just really nice to see that put into action. Kim can tell you about like actually about any
149other board dialogue topics. All right. In that case, I'll take a motion to enter into executive session for the purposes of discussing the medical, financial, credit, or employment history of a particular person or corporation or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal, or removal of a particular person or corporation. So moved. Second. You guys are making the minutes really easy for Illy. Um, any discussion? All in favor? I opposed. Extensions.