Reorganization Meeting followed by Regular Board Meeting

001on Tuesday, December 2nd, I called this reorganization meeting of the Eastern Area School District um to to order. If everybody could rise for the pledge of >> allegiance to the flag of the stands nation indivisible justice for all. >> Neither rain nor sleep nor snow would prevent me from running my one meeting every year. I even shave for the occasion. Um, so if uh Mr. Ramirez, can we please have roll call >> just the city and >> Mr. Whitman is joining us via uh the zoom world >> from here? >> Okay. So this meeting is held in accordance with sections 401, 402, and 404 of the Pennsylvania school code. And it's for the purpose of electing a president and vice president to serve a term of one year and for consideration of any other business

002that was properly presented. Uh so with that, my one goal today will be to uh appoint a or to to have a temporary president elected. So under section 402 of the school code, it provides that a temporary president shall be elected from one of the following holdover members of the board. only uh Jody Hess, Michael Simonetta, William Whitman or Jennifer Xando Dennis. So with that I will open the nominations for temporary board president. >> I nominate Jody Hess. >> Second. >> This is for temporary. >> Oh >> okay. >> Are there uh any other nominations? You can hearing none. I will close the nominations. Uh all those in favor of Miss Hess uh being elected the temporary president please ascent by saying I. >> I. >> Any opposed? All right. Any abstensions? All right. Your

003meeting, Miss Hess. >> Okay. This one. >> Okay. Thank you. Um okay. Next we will be uh doing the acknowledgement of certificates. No. >> What's that? >> Okay. >> So, we'll be calling the honorable >> capora >> to do the giving of the certificates, >> swearing in of swearing in of our board members. Thank you. Davis support United States United discharge of duties. The cameras Please raise your right hand. Repeat after me. I, Shandika Greenfield, >> I, Shandika Greenfield, >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support, obey, and defend >> the Constitution of the United States >> the Constitution of this Commonwealth >> and I will discharge the duties >> of my office with fidelity. Congratulations. [applause] Thank you. Edward Keegan. >> Thank you. I ask you to please raise your right hand. I,

004Edward Keegan, >> I, Edward Keegan, >> do solemnly swear >> that >> I will support, obey, and defend >> the Constitution of the United States >> the Constitution of this Commonwealth >> and I will discharge the duties >> of my office with fidelity >> of of my office with fidelity. >> Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Thank you. >> Meago. >> Please raise your right hand. I, Megayago, >> I, Megayago, >> do solemnly swear >> I will support, obey, and defend >> that I will support, obey, and defend >> the Constitution of the United States >> the Constitution of this Commonwealth >> and I will discharge the duties of my office >> and I will discharge the duties of my office >> with fidelity. Congratulations. >> Thank you so much. [applause] >> Thank you. and Brian Snder.

005Please raise your right hands and swear after me. I, Brian Snyder, >> I, Brian Snyder, >> do solemnly swear >> that I'll support, obey, and defend >> I'll support, obey, and defend >> the Constitution of the United States >> the Constitution of this Commonwealth >> and I will discharge the duties >> and I will discharge my duties >> of my office with fidelity. of my office with fidelity. Congratulations. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Thank you. Okay, with that, Mrs. Ramirez, could you please take roll call for the the adjoining members? Thank you. Okay. Next, we move on to interested citizens regarding agenda items. Are there any citizens regarding agenda items? >> I would like to speak on behalf. >> Okay. Can we This is for the reorganization. That would be for the next meeting. >>

006Just give us a couple minutes. Immediate following. Just give us a couple minutes. Okay, next we have election of a president. I'll take a open uh motion to nominate and appoint nominations to serve as board president for one-year term effective immediately. So, could I have nominations? >> I nominate Jody. Yes. >> Second. >> Okay. Are there any other nominations? >> Okay. Seeing none that will close the nomination for president to all in favor. >> Any opposed? >> Okay. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you. Okay. Next we have election of vice president. I will take nominations to appoint um nom the nominations to serve as board vice president for one-year term effective immediately. I have nominations. I nominate Meg Siago. >> Second. >> Okay. Is there any other nominations? Okay, that will close nominations. All in favor?

007>> Any opposed? >> Okay. Thank you, Meg. >> Congratulations to both of you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Next, we will have a motion to adjourn the reorganization meeting at 7:08. Okay. All right. Next, we will move into our regular board meeting. Uh, we've already done the pledge of allegiance and we have roll call. Next, we will have superintendence report. Miss Piaza, thank you and good evening everyone. Couple quick announcements and then I do have two presentations for this evening. First, we want to welcome our new board members um, you know, to the table and thank you for choosing to serve the East Area School District. We appreciate your service and welcome back our two board members who chose to run again and serve again for another term. So, thank you uh to all

008of you. Also, at your places, there's a small token of our appreciation. So, uh we will not see you before the holiday season hits again. So, thank you all for your service to the district and to our students. And we wish you and your families a happy holiday. And with that, um we are going to move into two presentations. I'm going to start with Dr. Draper and her CNI team who is going to give us a uh overview of our school data. Um so Dr. Draper is not feeling super well tonight. So she's going to present from the back of the room. Uh so we appreciate you coming out tonight with under under the weather a little bit. >> Absolutely. Thank you. Wouldn't miss it. >> So thank you Miss Piaza. Um this evening like

009to welcome again our newly elected members. Um and also this evening our team will be presenting a comprehensive and detailed overview um of our data baseline data to provide historical context um for our organization's performance and trajectory. Um this is being done to ensure that our newly appointed board members are fully equipped with a foundational understanding of our operational history, our current status and our strategic next steps. So before we get started, just like to do a quick intro of the curriculum and instruction team, myself, Anita Draper as the assistant superintendent for curriculum instruction. Also, we have Miss Jennifer Hilton, our director of teaching and learning for grades K to 5. We have Mr. Mike Cuck, our director of teaching and learning for grades 6 through 12. Mr. Hector Benia, the supervisor of curriculum instruction,

010who also oversees early learning and community partnerships. Mr. Ryan Kron who is a supervisor of curriculum instruction. He also oversees our cyber academy. Nancy Carropri, she is our C grants coordinator. And Candace Kron, who currently sees our educational technology, but she is transitioning um to become the principal of um Shauny Elementary School. All right, next slide, please. So this evening, these are the objectives that we um plan to cover. want to let you know where we started and where we plan to end. So our goal for the end of this year um is 75% of our students at or above benchmark um for this year. However, um the ultimate goal is 80% of our students by 2027. So this evening want to take a look at some baseline data, some of our action steps, key

011takeaways, immediate goals, and our next steps. So before we get started, we wanted to we felt it was important to provide some historical data um for our PSSA exams. So understanding our trajectory over the past decade provides critical context for our current improvement initiatives. So the PSSA results show both challenges and opportunities for targeted intervention. Next slide. So this chart outlines our um PSSA reading um results from beginning in 2015 um to current date. So a decade of reading assessment data reveals significant challenges particularly in the most recent years. Um the decline following 2019 really after COVID um highlights the urgent needs for comprehensive literacy strategies across all grade levels districtwide and even statewide. for that matter. For mathematics, mathematics proficiency presents our most significant um challenge with performance consistently below state averages across all

012grade levels. The gap widens as we get into our upper grades. Um therefore again indicating a critical need for enhanced math instruction and intervention starting in elementary school. While grade three and four are performing above the statewide average. Uh we can't be satisfied with half of our student population performing with um um with proficiency. So with this data in mind, um during the 2324 school year, we developed a district-wide comprehensive plan with a focus on essential practice number one, continuous improvement of instruction. And we had two goals in mind. By the end of 2627 school year, East area school district will increase the percentage of third grade students reading on or above grade level, ensuring every child has the foundational skills necessary for academic success. And also, the scenery school district will achieve a proficiency

013rate of 80% or higher in both ELA and mathematics for students in grades K through 8, ultimately closing the achievement gaps and preparing students for future success. Taking a look a little bit closer look at our district comprehensive plan. We identified two strategic action steps focus on building um leadership capacity and improving instructional quality through targeted professional development and a systemic approach for observing teaching practices. So we developed a principal academy um engage um in topics on instructional leadership development, structured literacy implementation, multi-ter systems of support um which will refer to as MTSS and we also establish instructional rounds focused on classroom observations um primarily looking at domain two um the classroom environment um also also domain three student engagement and just overall instructional practices within the classrooms. Next we will take a look at

014some of the implementation steps that we have taken as a team. We developed a systematic approach to addressing instruction across the district through curriculum leadership development and continue um continuous improvement processes. Next slide. So in 2023, we conducted an overview of our curriculum needs. The challenge we faced was that our district had not made a comprehensive curriculum purchase since before 2013. Um and thus creating significant gaps in instructional resources and materials. U this approach impacts both our teaching effectiveness and our budget overall. A few critical a few critical um issues that we identified with that was the lack of manipulatives and hands-on learning tools for teachers to use within the classroom. Um we also experienced increased photocopy costs due to missing materials um that teachers needed within the classroom and also in some cases teachers

015were working without researchbased standards online resources as required by PTE. So the urgent need to update and enhance our curricular materials became a priority to ensure that every teacher had the tools necessary for effective instruction. Next slide. Um next we establish um clear learning profiles um for our students and also for our staff. We develop comprehensive frameworks that define what success what successful literacy and mathematics learning looks like at each grade level um in our school district. And these profiles guide our curricular implementation and instructional decision making um at this point in time. The profile of a reading ESC reader is a comprehensive framework defining the skills and strategies that characterize successful readers in our district from kindergarten through grade 8. also I would say through grade 12 and also the profile of an Eastern

016area school district mathematician provides a detailed outline of mathematical proficiency expectations, problem solving abilities and conceptual understanding students should develop at each stage of their education. Both frameworks um encompass the competencies of our profile of a graduate and have been shared with our community partners who provide tutoring, after school and summer programming to ensure transparency and alignment um in our educational approach within our district. So some of our implementation steps we mentioned that um we really had a focus on building our principal capacity. So we developed a principal academy which is a comprehensive professional development program designed to strengthen instructional leadership and to build principal capacity to drive continuous improvement in teaching and learning. So listed there are just a few of the topics that we covered during our sessions. Um of course our why

017being grounded in our mission and our vision and our purpose of why we come and show up each and every day. um data informed decision making. So using evidence to drive um improvement instructional goals, making sure that we're setting clear and measurable targets, you know, within our classrooms. Um focus on the instructional classroom. So defining what excellence looks like and effective teaching strategies um again within the classroom, the change process. So leading transformation effectively because we do understand that there is a difference between change and transition and so change is is the one thing that we do but how do we help our staff make that transition from point A to point B. Organizational management and school culture making sure that we are building positive um school cultures in each of our buildings and then

018also having a focus on teacher supervision and evaluation. So it's important for there to be consistency across the district understanding that we are nine buildings within one district with one goal and that's student achievement academically, socially and emotionally. Next slide. Another area of focus is instructional rounds. We incorporated a multi-tiered approach to understanding and improving instructional practices through regular focused classroom visits and a collaborative analysis of teaching and learning. So we have their walkthroughs 20 by 20. So we have asked our building principles to conduct brief but frequent um observations focused on specific instructional practices. Um we have principalled walkthroughs with targeted feedback. We engage in joint observations with um district leadership and our building principles. And then our principles are part of um professional learning um um collaborative um PLC, professional learning collaborives. So

019they uh focus on collaborative learning from from observations. They visit each other's buildings. They review data. They um um do walkthroughs and then they um collaborate on what they're seeing within the classroom. Next slide. And lastly, we determine our professional development needs. Um for ELA, um our focus is on ECRI, which is enhanced core reading instruction. Um that implementation took place at Paxinosa last year and we are engaging in it at Chestn Elementary School this year. So both of those schools are receiving intensive coaching and mentoring um through the partnerships of Patan and also IU 20. Another focus is on structured literacy training which is explicit instruction methods and graduate release of responsibilities. A week prior to the Thanksgiving break, PTE um sent out a message requiring that structured literacy be the focus of ELA

020instruction. And so that was something that we had already began to do back in 2023. So we were happy to know that we are certainly you know on the right path and trajectory in terms of our professional development with structured literacy. A keys to literacy is a specialized uh coaching to improve reading comprehension strategies. Again, we also partnered with the IU as well as KTL to provide coaching and mentoring to our build building leadership as well as um our teaching staff. And we expanded our screening process um with a cadence assessments extended now through grade six for comprehensive monitoring of those foundational skills and literacy. As far as mathematics is concerned, um as a part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen math instruction and to align with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, uh

021we're partnering with Jason Adair, who is a math consultant from the Southern Regional Education Board. Um and we conducted a comprehensive review of current practices and our resource gaps that we have within the district. We're identifying effective instructional practices and mathematics. And we're also providing continuous learning opportunities aligned with curriculum um as well as providing targeted mentoring support for mathematics instruction for both um our um math teachers as well as our building leadership. Next slide. This is slide is if um all B board members have access to this link. This is really provided for your review. Um this is a comprehensive analysis of Paxinosis kindergarten student growth and achievement that took place throughout the 2024 2025 school year demonstrating the impact of our structured literacy approach and targeted interventions. So this occurred again during a

022partnership um that we have with Andra Bell, a Rita consultant of Patan. Um and this review showcases the success of early intervention strategies and provides a model for implementation across our district. Next on the slide you see here that our district employs multiple assessments assessment tools to create a comprehensive picture of student learning. Each instrument provides unique insights into student progress and instructional effectiveness. At this time, I will be turning it over to Miss Hilton, our director of teaching and learning for grades K to 5, and Mr. Cuck, our director of teaching and learning for grades 6 through 12, who will provide more insight about these assessment tools and review data from each of these tools. I'm not loud enough. My apologies. As Dr. Draper mentioned, we did extend our cadence benchmarking um from K2

023all the way through uh grade five. We are working with the sixth grade team and Mrs. Jones and her administrative leadership to devise a plan to benchmark in sixth grade as well for middle of year. We are training our interventionists on how to implement that uh cadence benchmarking so they're ready to do that um with some support from our elementary interventionists. So a cadience formerly known as dibbles is a risk assessment and it gives us a good indication on what students are or are not on track for meeting benchmark um in those foundational literacy skills. So the measures they range from kindergarten to fifth but phmic awareness, phonics, fluency and comprehension. So it really helps us identify which students need just core tier one support with good instructional practices. Uh which students need some tier

0242 or more strategic int I'm sorry strategic support in win groups um in their intervention block. and what students need more intensive support in their win group and also even additional time um in a smaller group with spe with reading specialists. Thank you Gina. So the next few slides present are just a comparison from beginning of year from last year to this year. And we have that data for K1 and two. And the last uh column on the right in red indicates the percentage of students currently in the beginning of the year in September which uh came up well below benchmark. So those students in the red will need intensive um intervention every single day with their interventionist or their teacher um learning sport teacher interventionists and also some of our classroom teachers um really

025focusing on those deficits um in phmic awareness phonics um comprehension and so on. The students in the blue are well above benchmark and that indicates that they are likely to meet the next year benchmark or the next benchmark in mid year. Thank you, Gina. So, you'll see first grade um we have about a third of our students needing that intensive uh support at the beginning of the year. GO next one is good. and second grade also about 30% of our students and third grade about 25%. So we we are looking forward and if you go on go ahead to fourth and fifth again we didn't have last year's comparison because this is our first year for benchmarking third fourth and fifth grade. So we are looking forward to our mid-year benchmarking which will occur in

026January after a very extended break um to be able to compare from the beginning of the year to the end of the to the middle of the year that growth but also instructional effectiveness uh and regrouping our students for our win groups. We also implement the STAR assessment in grades five through eight. Uh this was formerly also in third and fourth grade, but we eliminated that with the um the addition of EXL in third and fourth. So I'm going to turn this over to Mr. Cook to explain the star data. >> So much like the Aadence data, uh we are using this at that secondary level as Melan just mentioned um to ensure that we have students identified who are need of intervention. Um we did use this previously in our elementary grades. Um this

027is probably year five or six that we've been using this uh in the district and we also use this for all grades uh first through 8th grade for our screening for mathematics. Um the difference in the STAR assessment um is that we're able to to get NCE scores. Um there is a a tighter comparison of the STAR data to the PSSA um and it's nationally normed uh referenced as well. So, um, one of the key points in STAR that we're going to see when we present the middle of the year data is STAR's unique ability, uh, to measure, uh, very specifically student growth. Um, and so we're using it right now as a screening tool um, at the beginning of the year and in order to do some uh, intervention groupings um, and to group

028students within the classroom for differentiation. Uh but we're also using this tool later on this year uh at the middle and end of year uh to measure specifically student growth. Um Gino, you can go ahead and click the next slide. Um and so you know at the beginning of the year what are we looking at as a baseline? I think Dr. Draper presented earlier we do want to be at 75% at or above. That is our school improvement goal. Um and that would be no different for our STAR math and ELA data as well. Um so we have a long road ahead of us. Um once again, uh what we're coming in at is is what we're what we're trying to determine in terms of needs at each of the grade levels as well as

029specific students. Um so as you can see in grades five, six, seven, and eight, right around that 46% um in reading. Uh and then on the our far right there, you could see that range uh from 46 on down to 39% in grade 8. So you can see that slight um decline as students get older within the system in terms of their their ability to be at or above benchmark. Um that's why it's so crucial to determine interventions earlier on in our uh system and to provide those students those interventions so they don't fall too far behind uh their grade level peers. As I mentioned again, this data is very close uh to some of the PSSA data. So it is a good measurement or indicator of where we stand at each of those intervals

030throughout the course of the year. And then of course the bar continues to move forward uh as we progress throughout the year. So the score that a student would need at middle of the year to be at or above benchmark is higher than what they would need at the beginning of the year. And the same would ring true for end of year as well. Um the star data is also used by our teachers. Um they have an instructional planning report that they're able to run for their classes uh which then gives them an opportunity to group students who are like abilities uh and then target in on specific uh concepts or skills that they can then develop plans for. Um and this is also aligned uh to our K12 reveal math uh and our K12

031uh McGraw Hill whether it be um wanders or study sync at the secondary level for ELA. genome. Next slide. The other tool that we use uh is two components to it. The first component is a diagnostic assessment that we use uh to place students um into uh excuse me, we don't use the place in intervention, but we use this to assist with us in intervention. Um students are in this system roughly 10 minutes per day for ELA and 10 minutes per day for mathematics. And in that system there are individual skill plans. So a student takes a diagnostic assessment. He is then or she is then assigned specific skills that meet their individual needs. Um and it's a really unique tool in that way. Uh we also use this diagnostic data as another data point

032when we're looking at um star um to determine where a student might need some additional assistance. Uh and then we're able to use the same tool to provide some of that additional uh assistance for students, additional skill practice. Uh Junior, you can click the next slide. So what you're seeing here is the percentage of students at or above benchmark for reading and ELA um incl this particular assessment isn't as closely aligned to the PSSA. So you could see what we saw from the star data uh versus the LL. The L data is much higher in terms of the students at or above benchmark. Um and again it's because it's nationally normed. Um and our assessments in Pennsylvania tend to be more rigorous than the national norm. Um so again this is just one tool that

033we use to assist our students or our teachers use to assist our students in identifying their needs. Um but it's also a very good tool for us to individualize instruction and give students specific skill practice um based upon what student needs are from this particular assessment. Gina, >> so based on our comprehensive baseline data, um we've established ambitious but achievable what we believe achievable intermediate targets for the 2526 school year. Uh these targets do represent progress towards our ultimate goal of 80% proficiency by 2027. Um we do plan to increase percentage of third graders reading on or above grade level uh with focus intervention in kindergarten through third grade to build those strong foundational skills. And we also plan to improve proficiency rates across all grade levels through enhanced core instruction, very strategic intervention and

034targeted professional development. So our current reality is that ELA proficiency rates ranges from 37 to 66% across grade levels. Our math proficiency rates ranges from 34 to 46% across our grade levels. And we certainly we are experiencing significant gaps at all grade levels. So the challenge ahead for us is that we need 30 to 40% uh percentage point gains in many of our grade levels. Mathematics presents the greatest challenge and this is going to require sustained intensive effort from all of our stakeholders. Next slide. So just as a summary. So critical data points for action. So beginning of the year a cadence reading data reveals significant gaps across all elementary grades with fifth grade showing the lowest performance at only 37% proficiency. Mathematic assessment data exposes critical weaknesses with no grade level achieving 50% proficiency

035and our our most urgent area for improvement. Uh classroom environment observations indicate inconsistent implementation of district approved curriculum and instructional practices. in our needs assessment and student discourse analysis reveals um teacher talk dominates instruction and sometimes limits opportunities for student thinking and problem solving. So this is an area that we are working on um in our professional development sessions. So to pro provide an honest assessment um given our current baseline data we are not yet on track to meeting our district uh targets of 75% proficiency. However, with focused implementation of our strategic um steps, intensive professional development, and unwavering commitment to instruction improvement, we can and will close these gaps and achieve our goals. So, our ELA priorities must be structured literacy, comprehension strategies, and targeted intervention for students below benchmark. And our math priorities

036must be conceptual understanding, problem solving, discourse, and building number sense. again at all of our grade levels. So our next steps um again our baseline data provides a roadmap for immediate action. So we need to continue with the following initiatives to address identified gaps and accelerate student achievement across all of our grade levels. So we certainly need to continue with our MTSS implementation ensuring that all students have access to and succeed with high quality core instruction. um that is where students are um taught um are being taught at grade level but then also incorporating that tier 2 that small group differentiation that's taking place during the core and also during um our wind blocks curriculum and instruction so fidelity of implementation consistent use of approved curriculum across all grade levels um making sure that we

037are conducting regular observations with timely and actionable feedback for our teachers and again looking at that ECRI um expansion and at grade one at Paxinosa and beginning in grade in kindergarten at Chestston Elementary School. As far as our assessments are concerned, we are looking at um providing curriculum based assessments for K to 12 for consistency and then also progress monitoring. And I think it's really important that we are frequently checking our students progress um to track their growth and to adjust instruction as we go along the way. And professional development, we're going to continue to provide professional development, structured literacy, um providing that evidence-based reading instruction methods and then also researchbased mathematics teaching strategies and keys to literacy across all of our content areas. And so at this point in time that concludes our report

038of our baseline data for the 20 beginning of the year um data. Um so as mentioned we have work that needs to be done. um we have identified the areas that um that have the most critical need and then mid year after we take it our midyear um data will come back to the board probably in February with the middle of the year report to kind of see what growth we've made from the beginning of year to then and then the CNI team will um gather up again to identify our next steps moving towards the end of the year and also begin to put steps in place for the start for the summer principal academy but and also um the start of the year for um 26 27th school year to open up at this

039time. Any questions or comments? >> Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. Uh back on the um on your presentation that the slides with the data, slides four and five. Uh I just have some questions because I I keep track of these numbers myself. I put together some spreadsheets everything. Uh two questions where I'm looking at on the reading one that last column this is the PSSA. >> Sure. >> Yeah. Sorry. So I have it as slide four and five and hand out. >> Yep. >> Yeah. So there in the bottom where it says district in 2025 it says 433. Um, I looked at the the sheet I have and I'm looking at the sheet from the state has that number actually at 494. This is proficient and advanced, correct? This this sheet. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I

040I'm just showing 494 from the state spreadsheet that's off the state site. And the other one I noticed that doesn't match one of my numbers and and this one is an anomaly. So the the state number might be wrong on the math on the next slide. >> When you're looking at again the math you have 322 and when you look at those other numbers that that falls in line as far as statistically but on the spreadsheet that I have from the state here that number could be incorrect. It says 538 which seems a little anomaly for how the pattern goes right now. So, I don't know if maybe there's uh >> a mistake in the data or or maybe if Mr. Cuck knows. >> Yeah, I could I could explain. Uh >> yes, thank you.

041>> I maybe I could explain. Um I'm not sure what you're referencing. Are you taking that from the PTE website? >> Yes. Yeah, the the Excel sheet from this. So the PTE website would would end up excluding uh students depending on whether or not they came in the district after after October one uh at a district placements. Um and so some of that data that they use for accountability is different than the PSSA reports that we actually would use uh for this particular spreadsheet. So, um, this would include every student regardless of whether or not they counted for accountability purposes. So, that could fluctuate. Um, in a district with 680 plus students per grade level, um, we may have 20 to 25 students who are transitioning either into our district after October 1, uh, and

042still taking the assessment with us. Um and so that data then wouldn't be counted for our district um but would be counted for state data. Um and then in our reporting that we're reporting is every student that assessment it doesn't matter whether they came after October one or not. Those students took the assessment with the East Area School District in April or May depending on the testing window and that's the data that we're using. So there's where there could be a slight discrepancy in those two data points. Um, okay. >> What what we have here on this spreadsheet comes from uh a reporting mechanism called Etrics. >> Um, and that would count every student that took the assessment. It doesn't exclude any child um for accountability purposes, which means they would come after October one.

043Uh, it also excludes students who are first year um who may have taken the assessment for ELS um and a whole host of other nuance situations as well for out of district placements. >> Okay. Thank you. So the basically the sample sizes are not well not sample but they're they're not measuring the same group of students necessarily. >> Not not exactly. Not exactly. >> Just sounds like our way of doing it or the way you're presenting it here to us. Um you would deem that a little bit more of an accurate measurement than a picture of our district then. Is that correct? >> It is typically every student that takes the assessment. So we're not excluding a student who was only with us for three or four months um for state reporting. they do do

044that for us. That student is our student. They're with us. That's the data we're using. We don't take a student off and say, "You're not going to count for proficiency or not proficiency because you've only been with us for three months." Okay. >> Um, every student that takes the assessment and is an e student during that time period and will most likely be a student the following year is how we plan for our improvement efforts. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate. Yep. Uh I a few questions. Um from both the PSSA data and it looks like the ISL data, there's a consistent trend of declining proficiency as students age. I've seen that you guys have a pretty good plan for addressing it, but do you have uh a good understanding of the causality of

045the lack in lack of proficiency as age progresses? So as a student progresses through the system, it becomes increasingly more difficult uh to catch up once you get behind. And so that's why there's a lot of our emphasis, you know, on K1, particularly in reading um and in the early grades with lots of intervention supports for our students um to try to avoid that because what happens is the hill becomes steeper as students progress throughout our system um and it becomes more difficult. So, if you can imagine that 53.8% of our students are proficient or advanced in third grade, that means roughly 46 or so percent of those students are starting off the following year, at least one grade level below, if not multiple grade levels below, depending on where they are in our system.

046Um, and so increasingly we're kind of playing, we're we're catching we're chasing our tail um and trying to provide students with interventions. So it does get more difficult uh as students progress throughout our system. Um and that obviously rings true if you look at the state and state data as well. Um as we move up those grade levels. So that's that's typically what happens. It's not uncommon. But the reason for that is simply the challenge as students fall behind it becomes increasingly harder to get them back to grade level. Um, and what we're focused on on a yearly basis is trying to get that one, if not two years of growth each year, which still leaves some of those students slightly behind. >> And thank another factor I'd like to point out um is I

047think a huge consideration is is the ability to read. um we notice, you know, our students in kindergarten, first and second grade, preK to two, um are learning to read and then when you get to third, fourth, and fifth grade, that pendulum swings from learning to read to reading to learn. And so they need to be able to read to access that grade level content beyond just ELA, but in math and in science and in social studies. So until we are confident that we're we're hitting the benchmark as far as making sure students can read by third grade, they're going to continue and that gap that Mr. Cook is is referencing is going to grow, especially as they go into our secondary schools and they're trying to access grade level text that they can't access

048because of their struggle to read. Another thing that that we're seeing in our walkthrough data is a lack of student engagement. Um, a lot of our whole group reading strategies and and Dr. Draper referenced this when we see walkthroughs. There's a lot of teacher talk in our secondary schools in particular. So, what we're trying to really um encourage is more of our elementary flexible grouping strategies, um more student engagement strategies where students are turning to talk, doing collaborative discussions, doing the math discourse between peers and in collaborative groups rather than that that sage on the stage that we're seeing in in a lot of our secondary classrooms. So, these are hypotheticals and and we're we're pretty confident those factors uh cause that slide, but you'll see that it's it's across the state and it's a

049national um struggle as well. It's it's not just our district, but those are our >> So, in essence, like um we've probably heard the term before, we cannot intervene our way to student success. So it really has to begin with core instruction which is why we have a heavy emphasis on taking happening during that core reading time um so that we can close those gaps. In the meantime we will have intervention um during the day. We'll have our wind blocks. We'll also be focusing on our afterchool and targeted afterchool program and targeted summer school program as well. Then I also like to, you know, just kind of mention that as um if students are leaving our elementary school without those foundational skills, it makes it very difficult for them to catch up when they start

050to get to the middle and high school level. And once you get there that from grades four on up, that's when students are reading um to learn, right? And so our teachers in those grade levels are not necessarily they're teaching students how to access the tech in order to learn. They're not typically there to build those foundational skills which is another reason why we are um certainly emphasizing professional development those levels too because you know quite honestly we do have students who are sitting in grades five six seven eight even at the high school level who are struggling um with those reading and literacy skills. So, we have to provide that professional development, you know, for teachers to be able to differentiate within their classrooms and not just with the literacy, but I'm going to

051say more so even with math, which is why we do have a focus um this year um with our math coaching and mentoring. Um all teachers grades K through 12 receive professional development in mathematics with the emphasis on grade six right now at this point in time where they're receiving coaching and mentoring um at the sixth grade level. And so our plan is to continue to grow that as time goes on. >> And uh another question, not necessarily for now, I it's nice to see the the district versus state statistics. Uh do you guys have that available in the future to look at the grade specific achievement versus the state benchmark? >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Just a comment, you know, whenever we talk about test scores, I do think it's important to point

052out that we're also dealing with children whose interest level is frankly a U curve when we talk about their K to2 education. So, you know, there's a lot of interest and high motivation early on. And frankly, those middle school years, I think, are at the bottom of their interest in motivation um in schooling and the increasingly difficult curriculum that they are then faced with in those years. And I think as they get to high school, you know, obviously doesn't hold true for everyone, but they start to see more the purpose of what it is that they are doing as they get closer to the end, their ability to graduate, have some idea of what they want to do. And I I just, you know, I've I've met a few middle schoolers in my time and

053uh it's a it's a pretty rough time to be getting them interested in in what we are asking them to turn their focus to. >> Um thank you Miss Yago for saying that. And then also in addition, if we think about the Eastern Area School District, we have seven elementary schools going into one middle school, right? So we also have to take in consideration that transition period, those fifth graders going into where they're coming from smaller schools into a larger school setting. So, how do we make smaller schools within that middle school? So, there are other things besides the instruction that we also have to kind of focus on um as well like student motivation, but then also making sure that we're meeting their social emotional needs as well. >> Okay. Uh one of the

054things I appreciate getting the data and everything. I'm going to say this again. So when we have the midyear, can we please have a couple days in advance because I really didn't have time to look at some of the information. One of the questions I have is do we have concerns with the current um elementary curriculum like wonders and etc. with focusing on that >> I would say I wouldn't say concerns at this point. Um when we purchased the curriculum well 2023 I believe it was it was really like a soft launch. Um, I would say with the Wonders curriculum grades K to five, the teachers were already using that curriculum. The only difference with the Wonders curriculum in K to 5 was that we went from we went to a newer edition and so

055whatever minor changes that were made with that addition teachers had to become familiar with that. I would say if anything it would be the reveal program for mathematics um and I would say at the secondary level the study sync as well as the reveal um program. So what we taking into consideration and also um in the way in which we um approached the purchase you know it was certainly wasn't ideal I mean um we took the the the fact that we had access to er funds into consideration to purchase this material um and there was a deadline with that. So in an ideal situation, we would have taken a full year to conduct a pilot um of the program and um to roll it out and provide professional development. So that first year um was

056really for teachers to become familiar with it. Um the second year we um did ask teachers to begin to start to engage in using um the curriculum with more fidelity. And so I think that's our focus at this point in time where um in order to see the effectiveness of this curriculum program, it is important for our teachers to use that program with more fidelity. >> Thought I hit it. So when we talk about intermediate goals, um classroom environment, use of district approved curriculum, what exactly does that mean? So when we talk about classroom environment, our our environment is conducive to students being able to truly engage in authentic discourse, right? So the one thing that we learned and what we've been seeing through our walkthroughs and also from our needs assessment is that there

057has been um substantial teacher talk, right? And so the one thing we really want students to be able to do is to engage um in the learning. And so we want them to be able to be critical thinkers and to have conversations with their peers and to engage in that critical thinking and discourse within the classroom. And so our classroom set up to allow students to be able to do that um with less disruption or um with no disruption to classroom time. So, for example, in many of the classrooms, you'll walk in and students are sitting in collaborative um learning groups um where it's easy for them just to kind of turn and talk with a partner or to work in small groups on a project or assess or um a task that's assigned by

058the teacher. in some classrooms where there may be rows or columns um that are set up and when it's time for them to kind of turn and talk they they have to take that time to kind of get up and move their desks around um which may take time away from um from learning from instruction as well. So are the classroom environments conducive to that? Um um do students have what they need when they need it? Um are the um the classroom environment is there a culture for learning within the classroom? do students feel comfortable and safe being able to take risks um to share their thoughts um to provide answers when asked and so forth. So just looking at the whole classroom um environment, the physical space as well as um the rapport between

059teacher students um and just their ability to um be able to engage in discourse within the classroom. >> Okay. So and then the second part of it, the use of the district approved curriculum. Is there I I know we had this conversation before of you know there were some of the things that when we came into the new curriculum with the new books that there were certain things taken away um I was at the one professional development. So is that what we're talking about is >> is not utilizing some of those outside >> venues and outside applications and different things that that was being done before. >> Right. That is a part of it. Yes. I mean the idea is that we um selected a research evidence based um curriculum to be used um as

060required by PTE for structured literacy. And so what we've been asking teachers to do is to use that curriculum. Now I will say that there are times where um we may not have purchased all of the supplemental materials for um staff to use and that's where during our professional development sessions they have come together to identify what those materials are. So as a district we can provide them for them. Um however there are times when our building principles do go into classrooms and if they are seeing teachers who are using um a curriculum that or a resource that um has not been approved by the district or have not been selected by the district. um they engage in conversations with them and if they are able to um provide you know feedback or information about

061how this um is aligned with the standards and kind of meets the needs of the instruction and in some cases that has been allowed but for the most part we are looking for teachers to use the um the uh u curriculum that was approved um by the district by the board. >> Sure. May I add something? Um, one one message and this specifically um pertains to the elementary teachers and the implementation of wonders and reveal. Um, we've talked a lot about the art of teaching and the analogy that that we have used and forgive me if I but this is this was so good and I think we can all relate to it is the sitcom friends, right? Great great sitcom that we could all relate to. The writers write the sitcom and on paper

062it looks really good, but it's the actors that bring it to life and engage the audience. And so when we think about our teachers, we give them kind of the level playing field of a researchbased program like Wonders and Reveal, but each of them brings their own pedagogical knowledge. And that knowledge varies depending on whether they're a novice teacher in their first few years of teaching or a veteran teacher who like me learned the whole language approach to teaching reading which we now know is not science-based and it's not the most effective. And so what we've been working on with our comprehensive plan and PD over the last two or three years is to build that pedag pedagogical knowledge in all of our teachers. So that also levels the playing field from classroom to classroom,

063from school to school. And so that teachers knowing what works best and what are those evidence-based instructional practices, where are the deficiencies in our core program? Because our core programs are marketed for districts that might not be implementing the science of reading. And so there are deficiencies. There's not explicit instruction where there should be. And so our teachers with their professional development and that knowledge will implement the program most effectively and responsively to the needs of their students. And so that's the art of teaching. It's putting those two things together, that researchbased program and those pedagogical practices and the not the instructional practices that we know are most effective. And in this case, it's the focus on that structured literacy approach. And that's the art. So what we don't want to see is teachers and

064what we're trying to build their understanding, their confidence is to make good instructional practices. If they feel that there's a deficiency in one of our programs, talk to the principal and say, I'm going to use this from foundations or I'm going to use this resource that I found on um you fly. Thank you. Because I think this is going to work for this student who needs more visual prompts and those those dialogues. That's what we're trying to build our our leadership at the building level to have those con those conversations in a confident way based on their training, but also our teachers making those decisions in the classroom on the fly during whole group instruction. Then I need to do this in small group and I'm going to pull some old resources that I've used

065that have been effective in my classroom. So what we don't want to see is walkthroughs and students working on math in the ELA in the ELA block or fifth graders coloring. So there's a time and place for that. But what's happening during our reading instruction that's going to help students to learn how to read and write. So that's what fidelity is. >> So I'm I'm all great with that. I guess the concern I have is we're we're saying that we're giving them something. We want them to use it. They can't use anything else outside of what we're giving them if it's not approved. yet we weren't we're saying we're giving them the autonomy to be able to do the things that they need to do and the principle. So I feel like there's a conflicting

066message. >> No, I believe that we're I mean if I wasn't clear on that, we are making allowances after a conversation with the building principal. >> So it I just want to I just asking and want to be clear that I'm understanding. So basically it comes down to a conversation with the principal to be able to say that this is what's going to work best in their building because looking at some of the scores that I was looking at there are different things with different buildings obviously that our scores aren't >> uh the same obviously in in our seven elementary schools. So when we're talking about is this a a principal decision of hey I forget what the science thing was that we got rid of um >> mystery science what is it >> mystery

067science which there were so many teachers saying mystery science was so great why did we have to get rid of it and it's something that reaches the kids so is that a conversation then that comes to the principal is that a conversation that has to come up higher because I think there's a also conflicting message going on of of where that lies of I'm the teacher and I should be able to make some of the decisions if it's conversation with the principal. So >> I I just would like a clear message on that part of it too. And then I'm just also going to say this and then I think I'm done. The data can we please go back to receiving the breakdown for each of the schools with the grade levels and the include

068the number of students along with the percentage because I think that's a big part of it too. Like we're seeing a percentage but we're not actually seeing how many students that actually affects. And we used to get that in the past and it was a great visual for people to see of how many actual students are well below proficient and above. So I think I'm done with that unless there's something else that somebody says and [clears throat] I come up. >> Okay. First I want to thank go ahead Mike. >> Yeah just just just quickly um Mrs. Hess we so each of the core content areas is the is very different. So I I want to make sure that that that is that is clear. So we have K12 curriculum committees that meet with representation

069from all grade levels K to 12. Um they meet three times per year. Uh their main function is to provide the district administration building administrators are present for those meetings as well. um with the feedback from the field that feedback right comes from our written curriculum which is aligned to PA state standards the programs that we're talking about are in alignment with those standards and our curriculum they are just that right so the reveal is not our curriculum reveal is the program from which the vehicle that we are using to make sure that we are teaching the state standards they are in complete alignment right and that is why we selected them. They had to meet those RFP requirements. When we look at something like Reveal and Wonders, Wonders, it's kind of old hat, right?

070It's been around for a while. The feedback that we get from the teachers for Wonders is Wonders is lacking this, it's lacking that. We're providing those supports. We're allowing for some of that flexibility to occur. And it's typically not happening in a building. It's typically happening in a grade level with support from the building level leadership and our interventionists and Mrs. Hilton when we go to reveal because it is relatively new this year right last year they had it this year's year two we are still having some dragging of feet in implementation particularly at the secondary level um and it's not that they're not using it but they're using a lot more supplemental materials which is the things that they were used to using over the last three to five years unfortunately much of that

071material isn't necessarily on grade level or fully aligned with the PA standards and so it's working, right? Students are learning math, but they're not learning it necessarily at grade level. So, that's what we're encouraging our teachers to do. And they are meeting us, right? They're giving us feedback on the spot. They're using the different differentiation tools that are a part of the program. And we are making great strides and progress with that program. In year two, when we look at science and social studies, there are two different entities. In social studies at the secondary level, it's the same series that they used before. at the elementary level, it's brand new. And so I think that's one of the things that, you know, as an elementary teacher teaching four different subject areas, there's a lot for

072them to learn. And so, yes, there were certainly some great things with mystery science. But again, mystery science was very much dependent on the teachers ability to implement and understand science. And so teachers who gravitated towards science and did well and love science saw that that that program work out really well. Those who didn't necessarily have the time and the planning and interest didn't necessarily implement it very well at all. And so with Savas, it's kind of that level playing field where the teacher who's novice can read through that and see what's available and the teacher that's experienced can then use that tool and then supplement what they feel is necessary. And so that's the feedback we're getting. I'm only giving you the feedback that I'm receiving in our K12 meetings from from the field.

073Um, and in terms of social studies, there's some nuance in terms of the topics that were used at different grade levels because we've adopted a national curriculum. So, we may have PA regions or we may have regions in grade four. There's a switch to that this year, but the teachers are meeting that in stride. And at the secondary level, it's very similar to what they were doing before. So, there isn't that much discrepancy. So, I just wanted to make sure that I clarified they are very different. So what we're looking at in our implementation for for math looks different from ELA looks different from science and certainly looks different from social studies. Uh and the last point in terms of the building scores you will receive as you have in the past the middle of

074the year and endofear data specific to schools. We leave some of that out of the presentation but we certainly provide that to the board members. the beginning of year presentation. We typically don't do that in detail, but we will at middle of the year and end of the year and we'll make sure that we get that to you in advance of the meeting so you can have those questions available. >> So, I just want to comment Mike u Mr. Cook actually touched upon a couple of things that I wanted to clarify. I think it's really important that you understand the distinction between curriculum and resources. You know, um Wonders is not our curriculum. We have a curriculum that is standardsbased, skill-based, conceptbased and that's what our students need to understand and know and learn. The

075resource is wonders for example the resource is subass the resource you know so on and so forth. So when our teachers are planning their lessons and thinking about their day and looking at their class and the data that is associated with each individual student, they should be looking at their curriculum map which identifies the skills that students need to have and the sequential order um that that skills um typically are learned in with evidence of mastery um and then they choose the resource that is there. We have given them I'm going to just stick with wonders. Wonders for example that should be their primary resource but as a teacher sees that that resource may not be fitting the need of a student which is what has been said here then they have the option to

076look for you know look at another resource. What we what we know indefinitely is that our teachers are the game changers. They have the opportunity to change the lives and academic trajectory of every student that comes across their pathway. And what we also know is that teaching hasn't changed a whole lot over the last 200 years. And if we are going to make the gains that we need to make here in Easton, we need to think differently about education and teaching. And we need to have our students um highly engaged in the actual discovery, manipulation, conversation of the content rather than the teacher just being the one delivering all the information. Our teachers are smart. We know that already. So they don't need to be the ones always sharing the information in its fullest extent.

077Kids can Google that. Kids can find that from other places. We need to teach our kids to think on their own, ask the right questions, manipulate information, and part of the resources that we chose are for that very reason. Those opportunities are within those resources. Um, is that to say that's the only resource available? Absolutely not. I think kids um you know are smart and can figure out other resources and our teachers can do the same. What we do not subscribe to is sitting kids in front of the computer all day. What we do not subscribe to is sitting kids in front of worksheets all day. I think it needs to be interactive collaborative conversation, problem solving and critical thinking. And that's built into our curriculum map. That is the resource that is the most

078critical element of our teaching here in Easton. um you know and so our teachers need to feel confident in that curriculum map and the resource that were chosen. That being said, I think our team did a really good job choosing resources that are aligned to our curriculum maps and aligned to state standards. And as part of the newly adopted budget, our um state also rewrote a bunch of school code um policies within there. And one of which is all of our resources need to be um science-based research-based resources. In Easton, we're above that curve because we have chosen resource-based um resources or science-based resources a few years back. Actually, going back the first edition of Wonders. Um but certainly in this newest adoption, all of our resources are science-based. the state is now mandating that

079for so for districts who didn't choose science-based resources they need to go back and figure that out entity out I think we have the right resources now we need to continue to give our teachers license for creativity but also license to understand the impact that comes from teaching through skill concept and standards as opposed to page one to page two to page 75 in a textbook. A textbook is a resource. It is not curriculum. it is not the content. So, you know, that's the direction that we're moving with professional development. That's the direction our team is working with our staff to understand. Thank you. I'm fine. Thank you. >> Yep. And next I have um Mr. Trent is going to give us an overview presentation of the budget. >> All right. Thank you. So this

080is the fiscal year 27 initial budget presentation. I guess it could have been labeled preliminary budget presentation. Uh either one works. Next slide, please. So one of the things I am outlining and I handed out to everybody at their seats as an outline of what I'm talking about here today is the budget priorities that we're looking at going into this year's budget. It's one of the main things you have to do to make sure you're driving your budget uh to reach the goals that you have. So, [snorts] one of the the biggest budget priorities in Easton right now is our capital projects. Obviously, it's going to impact many different areas across the district. Um, as the board knows, there is a $298 million capital project uh spending plan that we we currently have. And we

081need to build capital reserve and fund balance for these initiatives. And one of the main drivers of this budget, as you can see in the second one, is to protect and rebuild the fund balance. Uh the district has been utilizing its reserve funds to cover budget gaps for um multiple years now. It's been identified as an unsustainable practice for us. Um Miss Piaza has maintained we'll have balanced budgets, which we will. And we also need to find a way to generate surplus as well to begin to rebuild our funds, our reserves for future physical health. So that is one of the main focuses for me as it should be for the district with this budget cycle is not only present a balanced budget but find a way to also generate surplus. Next slide please. Thank

082you. Another [clears throat] priority of this budget, which we will start diving into pretty deeply this month, is managing our growing operational costs. Um, looking at our largest expenditure lines, uh, including salaries and benefits, um, salaries for staff and the percentage increases will always out gain what we can bring in through a tax revenue. So, there's always going to be a widening gap there. And with the benefits as well with certain prescription drugs and other um issues going on with health benefits, it's growing at an exponential rate compared to what our operating budget is increasing by. So that's [snorts] that's another priority we will analyze. As always, one of the main priorities of the budget is maintaining and supporting student achievement programs. Just ensuring that the resources that are required for the academic programs aren't

083forgotten throughout the whole budget process. And then staffing and supports. Um last year we offered the retirement incentive. A core priority this year will continue to be adequate staffing to promote the pro to support the programs but also managing those personnel costs that come along with it. Finding that line. Uh next slide please. This is the very early, very rough projected budget that we're looking at with um some of the worst case scenarios in there. So the you can see the local, state, and federal tax. The local tax assumes the three and a half% increase that is in accordance with the capital projects plan that was agreed on when we move forward with the high school. Um [snorts] the state and federal taxes, sorry, state and federal funding is a is a flat rate from

084last year. We we'll obviously hopefully see that number go up as we begin to project the totals for that. And then for the expenditures, those are the maximum estimate required to cover the expenses in those categories. I always break it down into four main C categories. Salaries and benefits are going to be the largest. Purchase services, which are just the third party vendors that we use instead of doing things in house, and then supplies and property. So, as you can see, there's a little under a $7 million gap. That is where we start with budgets usually. So, it's it's not something to sound the alarm about just yet. Um, next slide, please. So the budget broken down into those four categories just as a pie chart really just the only reason I put this up

085there is to show again salaries and benefits you know consume most of the budget right now I'm looking at 65% of the budget it was 64% and it's important to realize that [snorts] you know even with everything we've done so far with staffing increases benefit increases it's going to continue to go up. Next slide please. All right. So, costsaving strategies and this is again in your um packet more further broken down. But if we're looking at operation and facilities, we're maybe looking at how we can invest in preventative maintenance or save money on utilities, which we're currently doing in the business office. Um we could look at optimizing transportation, whether it's uh buses that are more efficient to run, whether it's optimizing routes, whether it's optimizing maintenance procedures. We're going to look all of at

086all of that as we move through this budget cycle. Uh [snorts] personnel administrative cost controls. So last year again we had the retirement incentive but there's a lot more that goes into it than that. It's the as we have seen to a bit the the non-essential hiring freezing. Um if we could look at we're going to look at reducing eliminating maybe overtime across the district. Uh and then also continuing to negotiate healthcare. it's always on the forefront in the business office. Uh we made a lot of strides last year, but there's there's still work to be done with that procurement and purchasing. Um that's really in effect this year since we have the new purchasing agent position. So uh we're already seeing gains in how we're doing uh business with that with our procedures in

087there. And then multi-year planning and fiscal stability. I'll be presenting in the next couple months to the board a multi-year plan, three to five year, most likely five-year plan of where we're at with budgets proceeding forward. And the fiscal stability part is the big part. That's what I'm referring to with the the fund balance is how are we going to increase our fund balance, increase our cap reserve, uh just have everything we need to properly run the district because that's one of the goals of this budget budget calendar. So December and January, I'll be reviewing the individual budgets with all the principles and directors. Uh they are going to go out this morning, but I didn't want to do that on a snow day. So they'll be going out to everybody tomorrow morning. Um that's

088really just breaking down the budget to the the lowest level and [snorts] hearing out with the directors and the uh principles what they need for their schools, what they see for their departments, and uh really building up from there. that leads to and it'll probably begin in January, but February and March, the executive team will finalize the budget. Uh by the March board meeting, I'll give a budget update, which will really just be a pre proposed final budget presentation. Uh so we will do that in March. Also, in March and April, I [snorts] would hope and recommend that I could have one-on-one meetings with all the board members, whether it's in person, during the day or at night, whether it's over Zoom, whether it's a phone call, just to have an idea of what's going

089on with the budget on a much lower level. There's 2,788 account lines in the Eastn Area School District, and we're looking at four big parts and big numbers that you're looking at. So, [snorts] if there's questions or concerns or input about those, I mean, I would love to have those conversations. Uh so this year we'll have the proposed final budget presentation in April and then the final budget vote will be in May. Are there any questions? You can always reach out to me via email or give me a call or whatever whatever you need. [snorts] >> Yeah. Just just a couple things for clarity I guess for everybody's benefit. When you're looking at the revenue 224, that's including the three and a half% you already have budgeted in. Correct. >> That is correct. The local

090taxes are computed what they would be with a three and a half% increase. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. And just and for comparison's sake, I think last year I think around and maybe in January you would looked at 219 for the budget. We ended up around 214. So there was a $5 million gap. So as a percentage that was actually a little higher. So, we're looking at a $7 million gap right now. And it looks like you have a much bigger head start already uh than you did last year, given that [snorts] I think you started about a year ago, >> probably Novemberish. I think you started. >> No, I started after this meeting. This is my first reorganization meeting with East. >> It's my last first meeting with East. >> Okay. I'm sorry. We

091must have We probably approved you in Okay, I I Okay. I had I had my months fixed up. Okay. Just some general info I just wanted to put out there. I I appreciate everything you do. Thank you for the update. All right. Thank you. >> As most of our board members know and our new board members, we spoke a little bit about this when we had the opportunity uh to talk, but one of the big pieces that we are waiting for is still the 2324 audit. And so we are hoping to have a presentation in the January um in January regarding that uh that budget. and then following I think we said March or February I can't recall uh for the 2425 um audit as well. Those two pieces are critical information particularly the 2324

092and as you know there's been a tremendous amount of work happening over the past year uh with realigning the business office and all of their duties and uncovering just a lot of um you know a lot of details that were not tended to in a in a proper manner. Um so a lot of cleanup there which is what has held back that 2324 audit. Um we're at a good space with that really looking that for them to have that finished here in the next couple of weeks and able to present that to the board. Um so that there is clarity and transparency where we you know where we were. It is also critical for us because we have a decent idea but we are also you know guessing a little bit until we get those

093final audited numbers. we're guessing a little bit of where we sit with those um with those balances and the fund balance and once that information is clearly uh articulated then we know what our steps moving forward are. Um, as Jack mentioned, you know, my commitment is that we are going to have a balanced or better than balanced budget, you know, while I'm here. And that is uh not going to change. And that takes tough decision making and some sacrifices along the way. Um, but what we want to preserve uh to the greatest extent is um our educational programs and our staff um that needs to be here to deliver those programs. And so we will continue to look at attrition as appropriate and um you know other mechanisms for really looking at the cost savings

094as including the duplicative services and programs that we may have. Um but we are here for one reason that's to educate our kids and you just heard an hour's presentation on the needs of our students. And so as we go through this budget, that will be our first and foremost focus. And then the tough decision- making uh will come into play on how do we preserve that piece of our of our organization uh while still doing our due diligence and and coming in with a bud a budget that's balanced. So >> Sure. And I I'll say that the once the 232 24 audit is complete, we'll have a good idea of 2425. And really what the the three to fiveyear plan, one of the main goals of it is how do we build the fund

095balance up to where it needs to be? And we keep saying where it needs to be, where it needs to be. Well, what that means is PD recommends 8 to 10% of your budget in fund balance. So we're [snorts] looking at about $20 million that we should have in fund balance. And uh one of the goals of the financial plan will be to map out and have a path to follow to make sure we have the $20 million in fund balance that we need to have and we can begin operating in other regards and build up the cap reserve. Thank you. [snorts] >> Any other questions? All right, that completes the superintendent report for the evening. Thank you. Okay. Now, this is for public to be heard on agenda items. So, is there anyone in

096the public who would like to be heard on agenda items? Okay. Seeing none, um, next we have executive session report. Executive session was held sorry uh November 11th for personnel items and November 18th for personnel items. Okay. Next I will need motion for personnel. We'll take A, B, C, D, E, and F. All right. So we have A. Motion to approve the following leave of absences as presented. B. Motion with regrets and best wishes to approve the following retirement as presented. C. Motion to approve the following resignations as presented. D. Motion to elect the following support staff as presented pending receipt of all forms and documents required by the district. E. Motion to elect the following professional contract as presented. Pending receipt of all forms and documents required by the district. and F motion to

097approve extra pay for extra duty as presented. >> Motion second. >> And before you go on with the vote, our newest uh members of the board, you will see all this documentation moving forward prior to the board meeting. You probably did not see it for tonight's meeting. And so if you have questions as you're uh casting your vote, please don't hesitate to ask those questions. We're happy to answer what we can. >> Okay. So is there any questions or discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay. Next, we will move on to academics. Uh we have A through E. A. Motion to approve the following French ex exchange program as presented. B. Motion to approve the following field trips as presented. C. Motion to approve an affiliation agreement with Liberty University as presented. D. Motion

098to approve an affiliation agreement with Keystone College as presented. And E, motion to approve an affiliation agreement with Eastern University as presented. >> Motion second. >> Any questions or discussion? >> Just a quick question about the exchange program to France. Um, I see the last part. It says the cost um will be covered by by families, so they'll be doing their own their own fundraising. Is that correct? And then uh what what is as availability allows? Does that mean they may ask the district for money or is that just kind of a clause in there that they're going to participate in a trip as they can afford it basically? Is that what that that refers to? I just wanted some clarity on what that that last clause there kind of wasn't sure what that really

099referred to. and he said that the families of the students will be um covering the cost of this trip for their um children to attend to go with this exchange program. >> Yeah, this is this is Mike. You can correct me or Dr. Draper, correct me if I'm wrong, but these are one of the trips that are offered in the summertime through um school um travel agencies um that are our students are not required. It's not part of a specific, you know, club per se. Okay. It's just an opportunity that kids have if they and their family choose that opportunity. So, it is entirely um student and family uh funded. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Sure. >> Okay. Any other questions or discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay. Next, we will move on

100to budget and finance. We have A and B. Sorry. A motion to approve the attached resolution indicating that the district will not raise the rate of taxes for the 2026 2027 school district budget above the 4.5% index or request approval from the PTE for referendum exceptions. And B, motion to approve the disposal of non-roadworthy vehicles as attached per policy 706.1 disposal of obsolete outdated equipment. >> Motion second. Any questions or discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay. Next, we have a educational technology and student supports. We have one item. A motion to approve one-year renewal with ClariS as presented. I need a motion. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Want some clarification? >> Sure. Yeah. ClariS is actually the parent company of one of our software uh pieces that we use FileMaker within the

101district. Um FileMaker is one of many software programs that we utilize that house employee information. Um so we are currently uh looking to transition some software in the business office and HR office um moving forward this year. But FileMaker is still a piece that we're that we need to maintain um while we transition. and we we are trying to kind of phase away from that a little bit but I don't think we'll be able to do it 100%. Um but it is something that we're doing for one year to see you know what ends up transferring over to the new software. Uh but we still need to maintain it here and moving forward. >> Okay. Any other questions or discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? All right. Next we move on to policy. We

102have A and B. A. Motion to approve policy 626 federal fiscal compliance. The first reading was November 18th, 2025 as presented. And B, motion to approve policy 808, food services. First reading was November 18th, 2025 as presented. >> And again, Carrie, if I can um ask you to give a brief overview of those two again for the benefit of our new board members. >> Absolutely. Okay. So, we had an audit uh in the business office in October of 2024. Um and both of these policies were reviewed and the only updates that the state um required were that we attached two documents. One of which is the policy and procedure procurement code of contact. That one is for 626. And then if you take a look at policy, sorry, is 808. Thank you. That has an

103additional document and that's the child nutrition program procurement plan. So those two documents were created by the state sent to us and um it was indicated that they should be attached to our existing policy. So the policies themselves are not really changing. You'll see one additional sentence in there that does refer to these new documents and these new documents will now be attached to these two policies um as per that audit. And again, for your benefit, typically when we do our policies, we do have a policy subcommittee that reviews the policies along with uh Cara and Jonathan. Jonathan will also then rewrite any any um areas that need correction or updating and kind of redline that for the board to see and the policy committee to see. Once that is done, we do two readings.

104The first one is just to give you the overview of what that policy is and then give you the time to review that over the next couple of weeks and ask questions. And then the second reading, if there are no additional questions or anyone have concerns with the language within it, we approve that. So today is a second reading that we're seeking to approve these policies. But again, if if any of you have uh questions or concerns, it certainly can be held off to the next to the next meeting. And if I could just add substantively on 626, it's basically saying that you won't accept bribes essentially, which is part of the what's in the federal fiscal compliance anyways. And the 808 food services is just saying that because that is a federally uh funded

105program that you will comply with the federal rules for procurement, which is frankly best practices and and was mentioned in Jack's uh presentation as well. Anyway, so that's all uh statutoily required aspects. Does the subcommittee um include board members or teaching staff? >> It includes board members. As we reorganize, uh Jody will send out lists and ask who's interested in what subcommittees. And then as those um meetings are necessary, the director who's in charge of that or the um uh cabinet level executive cabinet level um team will will call a meeting as necessary. Okay. Sure. Okay. All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> All right. Next, we move on to other business. We have a tenure award. This is justformational. The November 2025 teacher tenure report. [laughter] Uh then we'll take I need motion for

106B, C, and D. Oh, let's do B and C. We'll do D separately. B. Motion to accept the residency adjudication and recommendations as presented. And C, motion to approve the expulsion hearing waiver form for student number 44706 under the terms as presented. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay. Next, we have two appointments that we will need to for the CIT operating committee. So, I don't know if there's anyone I know Brian you had said before you'd possibly be interested any of our new members. CIT is our career institute technology. Um, we also serve there's three members from the sending districts for each of the districts that go to CIT. Uh, we have meetings that are held on the second Thursday of the month. Um and so I need some nominations for

107I need two nominations to appoint CIT as Jody said is our career institute of technology. It's our tech school and that board is made up of members of the five sending school districts. So there are five districts that go there. Each one of those districts provides representation from their sitting district school board to serve on that board um committee for oversight of that program. I would be interested in >> I think Shandika had yeah also expressed interest. >> I have a slight interest but I just don't know the time commitment with you know signing on here and how much time would I have to give you a definitive answer? >> Honestly it's really we we just have the meeting one night you get the same information. >> Okay. Um, >> yeah, the time commitment is

108typically one meeting a month. >> One meeting a month. >> Um, and then certain months they skip during the holiday season or what >> and over the summer. >> Okay. I'm interested. >> Okay. >> If it helps you get the best dessert Saturday. >> All right. All right. So, can I have a motion? >> Anyone else interested? Do we need to take a vote? >> Do we need to We good. >> Unless somebody wants the IU. somebody's claiming for the IU. But but um no, I'm I think I'm okay for now. >> Okay, then >> maybe when another term ends, maybe I'll think about the IU, but um I'm okay for now. I'll unless somebody really wants the IU can wrestle away from me, but um no, I'm I think Dr. Keegan and Springfield, I'm

109okay with their nomination. So >> I'll second I'll call that a nomination second. Let me not. Yeah. Let me Yeah. I motion to appoint as RC representatives. >> Second. >> Okay. All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> Okay. You uh will be joining me on second Thursdays of the month. So, >> Thank you for taking that on. Um and we can share more information on that. >> Okay. Any public to be heard on non-aggenda items, please come to the podium. This is you. Please state your name. Sign in. You can go right over to the podium there. >> Yeah. >> Speak from the podium. >> Yep. And speak from the podium. You have five minutes. My name is Keen Jour. I'm a member of the board of directors of the Eastern Area Public Library. And

110I'm told that the representative from the Eastn Public Library makes a presentation every month at the uh board of the the school district board of directors meeting. Um so I have a short typed out statement. Library has mailed out annual appeal letters to previous donors, new library users, and program attendees. The little green light donation software that the library uses has helped to make this process much more seamless and efficient. The Pennsylvania state budget was passed after many years of receiving level funding. The public library subsidy will receive a 7.1 increase. The East Ner Public Library as a district center for eight regional libraries will receive its district state aid payment on December 10th with an increase of approximately $15,000. This budget continues the delivery of materials to libraries in Monroe County and purchases ebooks

111which are very popular to all of our residents. December brings many holiday programs at both the main library and the Palmer branch for children and families. We have cookie decorating programs for children, story time with Santa, and gift making workshops that are sponsored by the friends of the library. Patrons can register for these programs on our website. We wish all of you a very happy and healthy holiday season. So, I don't know if anyone has a question or questions. >> No questions. Thank you for your report and have a nice holiday. >> Same to you. >> Be safe outside. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Is there anyone else in the public to be heard on non-aggenda items? Okay. Seeing none, is there any other business from board members? >> Yes. So, I would just like

112to welcome uh M. Greenfield, Mr. Davis, and and Dr. Heaggan uh to the board, and I look forward to the next year and all the ups and downs and backwards and forwards. >> You look forward to the downs. >> Well, you know, you know what I mean. You know, the ups and downs that are going to go with it. The downs are inevitable. So, you know, maybe maybe how you make them back up to ups, maybe that's what we need to do. But just a just an offering of a welcome and that's that's all I have to say. Thank you. >> All right. I'd like to uh share the same sentiments. Thank you for coming aboard. We appreciate it and excited to have all of you. Um and Dr. Keegan back. Um and um if

113you have any questions, we're all here to support you. >> All right. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you everyone. Have a nice holiday. >> Yep. Well, I didn't know if Miss Miss Piaza had something else. I wasn't sure. >> No, with that, we just want to again welcome everybody. Thank you for serving and wish you all a happy holiday. Safe uh safe and happy holiday as we won't see you officially until January. So, thank you so much. >> All right, motion to adjourn. >> All in favor. >> Thank you. >> Safe travels home, everyone.