001I like to convene this regularly scheduled meeting of the Watertown Board of Education at 7:00 p.m. Before we continue, I'd like to ask for a motion to to amend the agenda. >> Yes, Mr. Chair. I make a motion to amend the amend the agenda add item C discussion and possible action of a new board member. >> Do I have a second? >> I second the motion. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Mr. Chair, the agenda is amended. Moving on to B, pledge of allegiance. Everybody please rise. >> I pledge allegiance >> to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Moving on to item C. Do I have a motion to
002approve to approve the filling of a vacancy on the Board of Education? >> Yes, Mr. Chairman. I make a motion to approve the filling of a vacancy of the Board of Education left by the passing of the late John Gavallas with Mr. with Mr. Richard Maguire. >> Do I have a second? >> I second the motion. >> Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? >> I. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Motion passes. Congratulations, Rich. >> Thank you. >> Moving on to item D, oath of office. If Ms. Lisa Dalton can please come up along with Mr. Maguire. >> Please raise your right hand. Richard Maguire, do you solemnly swear that you will faithfully discharge according to law your duties as the newest member to the Board of Education to the best of your ability, so help
003you God? >> I do. >> Congratulations. >> All right. Moving on to roll call, if you could please, Miss Kathy. >> Cindy Palumbo. >> Here. >> Karen Hoskin. >> Here. >> Sherri Martino. >> Here. >> Christine Perreault. >> Here. >> Jason Malagutti. >> Here. >> Karine Belliveau. >> Here. >> Mindy Davidson. >> Here. >> Elizabeth Lawton. >> Here. >> Rich McGuire. >> Here. >> All right, moving on to the approval of minutes. Board members should have received the meeting packet which includes the minutes from our meetings dated 5/20 and 5/26. Do board members have any questions regarding the minutes? Okay. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes from the special Board of Education meeting on May 20th? >> Yes, Mr. Chairman. I make a motion to approve the minutes of the special Board
004of Education meeting minutes from May 20th, 2026 as presented. >> Do I have a second? >> I second. >> All those in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Carries. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes from the regularly scheduled board meeting [snorts] uh on May 26th? >> Yes, Mr. Chair. I motion to approve the minutes of the regular Board of Education meeting from May 26th, 2026 as presented. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Carries. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes from the Policy and Labor Subcommittee meeting on May 26th? >> Yes, Mr. Chair. I make a motion to approve the minutes of the Policy and Labor Subcommittee meeting dated May 26th, 2026 as presented. [snorts] >> Do I
005have a second? >> I second. >> All those in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? >> Abstain. >> Okay, carries. All right, moving on to student recognition. Watertown High School boys tennis team, if Mr. Juan Camilo can please come up. Good evening everyone. I'm Warren Campbell, the athletic director here at Watertown High School. We wanted to start by thanking the Board of Education for recognizing the boys tennis team for their remarkable championship season this year. The boys displayed determination and drive befitting of a warrior. They entered the NVL tournament as the three seed with only one senior. They faced off against the top seed Woodland who had seven seniors. Junior Gianni Melragno defeated their previously undefeated number one singles player and his twin brother Anthony won at third singles. Our senior captain Tyler LaMadeline captured
006the championship with an 11-9 tiebreak win to win the NVL championship for them this year, which was a remarkable achievement for them. We're all very proud of them. Thank you for honoring them. And we're going to call their names up and they're going to receive some certificates from the Board of Ed. So we'll start with Eric. If I mess some of these names up, sorry. Bishlari. Did I say it right? >> Yeah. >> Good. There we go. Ellis Boucher. >> [applause] >> Nathan Gabrecht. >> [applause] >> Tyler LaMadeline. >> [applause] >> Ian Lana. >> [applause] >> Alvin Mani. >> Ari Marku Anthony Melaragno >> [applause] >> Giani Melaragno >> [applause] >> Davey Muca >> [applause] >> and Austin Stango. >> [applause] >> Yes. All board members would like to come around and get a picture
007with the tennis team. >> [laughter] >> Are we going around? >> Yeah, we're going >> We're going around? Can I see you? >> [snorts] >> Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Yep. >> Got them. >> All right. Board of Education Student Council Representatives, I'll turn it over to Mrs. Lisa Fekete. [snorts] >> Yes. Tonight, I have the distinct pleasure of recognizing Hunter and Nicole for their service as our Board of Education Student Representatives this school year. In my first year in this role, I truly could not have asked for two better students to serve in these positions. Hunter and Nicole, among some of those other tall boys from the tennis team in the back, um were my students when I was principal at Polk and I remember them well. They were part of my final fifth grade
008class there. Both Hunter and Nicole stood out then in those early years back at Polk and they certainly continue to stand out now. Hunter and Nicole truly exemplify the vision of a Watertown graduate. Of course, their academic accomplishments are exceptional. Both are in the top 10 of their class with Hunter serving as our salutatorian and Nicole already earning her associate's degree. Yes, they demonstrate perseverance and responsibility, qualities reflected in their impressive achievements. But what stands out, even more at least to me, is who they are as individuals. These are the traits that are harder to quantify, but what makes them special. Their kindness, their dedication to their school and community, their humility, their humor, and their poise, which has been well beyond their years. On behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to
009thank you for your time, for your voice, for your leadership this year. I know there were probably many other ways you could have spent every other Monday night, but you chose to come here and spend them with us and we are very grateful that you chose to do that. You have brought not only insight, but also joy to our work. And on behalf of the board, you have a little gift in front of you um to say thank you for your service. You're great kids and I look forward to seeing what you do in the future. >> [applause] [applause] [laughter] [snorts] [laughter] >> Before we continue, and not to put either of you on the spot, would Hunter [clears throat] or Nicole like to say something before your time on the Board of Education ends?
010>> I would like to say something. I'd actually like to thank the board for the opportunity they gave us to do this. I mean, I think that very often students just hear what comes down the pipeline in terms of curriculum requirements, school expectations, and just assumes they're magically created by one high figure. Uh no, it's created by all of you fine dedicated people who care about the town, the community, the students. You come together and you spend your time in these elected positions not to enrich your lives, but to enrich ours and to give us a voice in that, to allow us to communicate with our peers and then to connect all of that into one continuous system where we make suggestions, you guys improve the program and we learn more is just it's fantastic.
011I don't think there's a lot of schools in the world that get to do something like this, especially with our system of governance where we get to communicate and participate and people have a voice and I think that's really wonderful. I hope that you guys continue to do this in the future because I think it opens up amazing opportunities and just the distinct professionalism and care that you guys put into allowing us to do these roles is incredible. So, thank you. >> [applause] >> I would also say thank you for the experience. It was definitely something that I was scared to do at first, but I really did appreciate it. Um to go off what Andrew said, the work that you guys do is incredible. Um the focus on the curriculum this year like with
012the budget and everything, I think it's awesome and the fact that you guys are so willing to work together and to make a change for the better step by step is really like inspirational. I feel like to most people, but it's it's nice to know that students' voices can be heard and that you guys are here for us and it's not just like he said, it's not one person making decision. We really learned that it's all of you making decisions that really do impact us and I don't think anyone realizes how much work you guys do. Like up from down to like words written on your paper. It's varied. I'm just appreciative of the experience, for sure. >> [applause] >> No, and thank you for being our student representatives. And you know, I hope you
013were able to take, you know, a lot of what, you know, a way a lot from what we did this year, especially when it came to, you know, the budget. I understand that, you know, sometimes like, "Oh my god, it's a lot, right?" with the millions and millions of dollars, right? But, you know, you guys have been great. Thank you for all of your reports. And, you know, truly we're we're really going to miss you guys, especially when we see you cross that stage on June 19th. Then we might get a little emotional. So, thank you again. >> Mr. Chair, just >> Yes. >> Hunter, I promised to learn to tie a double Windsor in your honor, sir. >> [laughter] >> I was rushing to the meetings last second, and I fumbled around with it
014for about 10 minutes. I'm like, "I just can't do it tonight. I'll put it off." But, >> [laughter] >> in your honor, I will learn to do it, and I will tag you when I do, sir. And it's been a true privilege privilege for all of us to work with you guys. You're uplifting, [snorts] you're bright, you have dynamic futures ahead of you. Keep it up, and we got your back always. So, it's been a pleasure. Keep in touch. Don't be strangers. >> You're here. >> [applause] >> All right. Moving on to the Halo Awards. Mr. Perugini, if you could please. >> Hi everyone. Good evening. I'm Gianni Perugini, principal of Watertown High School. Um here to um announce the Halo Award winners and to recognize our great students. But, before I I do that,
015I just want to say our student board representatives are two of the best students, um the most caring and genuinely nice, um very smart students that uh um you would find inside the of Watertown High School. I'm so very proud of them, as well. Um and Mrs. Secody, I heard you say something about making sure that you had their schools correct. >> so nervous that like in my head, my anxiety >> Yeah, well, look. I mean, >> I got it [laughter] wrong. >> that distinction of messing up schools when announcing and recognizing students at the Board of Ed is only reserved for me as Mr. Carroll [laughter] knows. I messed up his daughter by saying that she was going to Southern to play baseball when she was actually going to Assumption to swim. >> [laughter]
016>> So that's that's only reserved for me. All right, I made that mistake. Okay, on May 28th, the Watertown High School Theater attended the annual Seven Angels Theater Halo Awards at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, Connecticut. Um the Halos are basically the Oscars for for or the Tony's. Sorry. Yeah, that's right. I always have movies on my mind. The Tony's of the of the high school theater world and there was over 100 schools participating. Watertown High School had earned 11 nominations this year. Some of those nominations included best contemporary musical, best orchestra, and best stage management. Watertown High School brought home two prestigious Halo Awards. Our first Halo Award winner that I'd like to recognize is Miss Haley Peguero. Haley, coming up. >> [applause] >> Haley won best performance in a featured female role in
017a musical for her role as Sister Mary Robert in Sister Act. It was wonderful. Nice job, Haley. And our second Halo Award winner was Miss Ava Stango. Ava, coming up. >> [applause] [applause] >> Ava won best program art for Sister Act. Excellent. Congratulations to both of you. Um in addition in addition, sorry. In addition to these awards, students were honored for special recognition. Miss um Kylie Pencakowski was honored for student director for The Truman Show. So >> [applause] >> And then Ava Stangle again won for music director for The Truman Show. So, another round of applause for Ava. >> [applause] >> Congratulations to all three of you. >> Congrats. >> Before you guys go, we're just going to take a picture. >> [clears throat] >> Moving on to item G, student council report. Hunter and
018Nicole, please. >> For John Trumbull under curriculum instruction, a small team of teachers participated in the science of reading West Ed training. Their Their activities involving sharing the implement implem- Whoa. implementation of a new second grade phonics routine. A thanks to Miss L and Miss R for sharing their knowledge and insight with colleagues. Collaboration and support among staff helps strengthen instructional practices across the grade level and positively impact student learning. Under school community, the PTO hosted the annual second grade celebration. More than 60 volunteers helped to the event successful. Students enjoyed bounce houses, crafts, and outdoor activities. For Polk Elementary School under curriculum and instruction, on June 12th, all Polk students will receive summer reading and mathematics challenge materials. The activities are designed to support continued learning and help students maintain literacy and math skills
019during the summer months. Separate challenge materials have been developed for students entering grades 3 through 5 and for current fifth grade students fifth grade students transitioning to Swift Middle School. Under school community, Polk welcomed second grade families to the third grade parent orientation. Parents have the opportunity to meet third grade teachers and learn about the school day curriculum and expectations. Families will receive information about the transition transition to grades 3 through 5. Fifth grade student council representatives led guided tours of the school and shared their experience with families. For Judson Elementary School under curriculum and instruction, end of the year diagnostic assessments are currently being completed including mClass reading, mClass math, and iReady math. Students are demonstrating what they have learned through the year. Assessment results will be provide will provide insight into student growth
020and help inform future plans. And under school community, the fifth grade celebration will take place on June 12th. The event will recognize and celebrate the accomplishment of fifth grade class. Students will be honored for their achievements during their time at Judson. >> For Watertown High School under under school community, two students earned awards at the 2026 student art showcase located at Western Connecticut State University for their work in sculptures and 3D mediums. Sophomore Elena Welcome achieved second place while sophomore Emily Cronin achieved third place. Thank you both so much. Moving on to acting superintendent. Well, that should be just be superintendent right? Is it still acting? >> It [laughter] can be whatever we want it to be, right? >> The certification has been submitted. You know what? >> You're crossing it off? >> it off.
021Superintendent's recommendations report and updates, please. >> Thank you. Mike, let me know if you can pull up the slides. Thank you. Um so, good evening everybody. Um my report will really consist of the adjustments to the FY 2027 budget that will move to referendum on June 23rd, um 2026. Um so, these slides are in here for reference. We've gone through them um several times before. Um so, this these are vision, mission, priorities, and our belief statements. It's not that they're not important, but I just want to get to the heart of the content um and and also just for everybody's time. So, this slide summarizes the main priorities we have used throughout the FY 27 budget season. As stated on many occasions, our role is to take the dollars that are allocated to us in
022the final adopted budget and use them in equitable and fiscally responsible manner to advance our organization and provide our students with the best possible educational experience. First and foremost, our priority is always to retain our people in essential positions, and people is underlined because our people mean everything to us. Um secondly, um for every budget decision, we revisited our priorities. Um and the second part or the second priority of our budget this season was to really allocate the adopted budget funds more equitably and focusing on some of the places in our organization that for years and years have um seen significant reductions. Um first and foremost and most importantly is tier one core instruction, and that means infrastructure, instructional materials, and school budgets. And that was something that we've held sacred throughout this budget season
023and moving into these reductions as well. Um and then the second area is is facilities. We have some immediate needs um and some safety concerns. So, these things have also mean remained a significant priority. Um So, as you can see under the umbrella of fiscal responsibility, the two primary priorities in this budget focus on facilities and strategic shifts to improve core instruction and student outcomes while always keeping our commitment to our people at the center. This next slide illustrates where we began in developing the FY27 budget. As you can see on this slide, our first priority was to carry forward all of our FY26 staffing into FY27. In doing so, it's important to point out that this represented a $2.7 million increase alone or 4.71% increase over the FY26 budget. We then worked very hard
024to project our fixed costs at the time um and as accurately as possible. And in sum, if we were to bring forward our contractual increases in all of our anticipated fixed costs, we would have come in at an increase of 4.5 million or 7.83%. Recognizing the magnitude of this number and its potential impact on our community and the taxpayers, we worked tirelessly to true up every line item for accuracy to the best of our ability. We prioritized all of our expenditures, looked for every possible cost-saving measure, reduced positions where we could based on current class sizes, explored opportunities for revenue, applied grant funding to bring forward an honest, transparent, and fair request aligned with our needs and priorities. This slide represents the specific reductions that were made prior to bringing the Board of Education budget
025forward to the Town Council and the community. As you can see before presenting the budget, we made some significant position eliminations and reductions. We explored additional revenue sources and strategically applied those grant dollars. This work reflects a deliberate effort to be transparent about the decisions we made, the trade-offs considered, and the steps taken to align the budget with both our financial real realities and our organizational priorities. This slide represents the culmination of those efforts and illustrates the Board of Education proposed FY 27 budget totaling an increase of 2.6 million or 4.54% from fiscal year 26. It is important to remember that number of contractual um increases, which is 4.71, and [snorts] when fixed costs were included, that increase reached 7.83. The proposed 4.54 increase is therefore well below the 7.83 of obligated expenditures and notably
026below even the contractual increase. This clearly illustrates strong fiscal fiscal stewardship and a disciplined effort to bring forward a budget that is both responsible and responsive to the needs of our district. Sorry, my papers are good. This slide represents um kind of the next layer in the sequence of events. So, prior to moving the Board of Education budget forward to referendum, the Town Council voted to reduce the FY 27 budget by an additional $200,000. This slide represents the implications of that decision. As you can see, it resulted in an additional in additional position eliminations and the reduction of one of the two sections of the CNA course at High School, which we had hoped to convert into an EMT course. At the same time, by revisiting our FY27 priorities, particularly our focus on teaching and
027learning at across more than 205 2,500 students in grades K to 12, we made some further allocation reallocations to ensure that our efforts remain centered on student learning and organizational progress. These shifts were made so that even in a tight budget year, we would not lose another year of potential advancement for our students. These reductions and shifts were explained in great detail at a previous Board of Education meeting. It [snorts] is once again, I think, essential to point out that this $200,000 cut reduced the percentage increase from 4.54 to 4.19 increase, and just [snorts] keeping in mind the contractual increases of 4.71 in fixed cost and contractual increases of 7.83. As the community knows, the referendum on May 19th, 2026 did not pass. As a result, the Town Council voted to reduce the Board of
028Education budget by an additional $500,000. Thankfully, this was reduced from the originally proposed $780,000, which, as I stated at the meeting, would have been obliterating to the district, and we're all very fortunate that I didn't pass out in the chambers. So, I was very thankful that that it wasn't that number. Um the $500,000 reduction is is still deep and devastating, resulting in an additional position eliminations that that significantly affect and strain staff across our district. Before making that reduction, however, we felt it was necessary to revisit all of our 1,030 line items again to ensure accuracy and identify the least impactful places from which to absorb the cut. In doing so, my team and I went through all of those lines and trued them up based upon the most current year-to-date expenditures. Unfortunately, this ended
029up not moving us in the direction of reducing, but in the direction of adding first as we reconciled those lines. It is especially important to note the increase in fixed costs, particularly with respect to oil oil prices, which Ms. Kujuba addressed um at the last Board of Ed meeting and kind of gave the board a heads-up on that. It would have been negligent had we not accounted for those increases, and we worked to ensure that our budget lines were accurate as possible. As you can see in the chart on the left-hand side, a $500 $500,000 cut ultimately translated into nearly nearly a million-dollar impact when we trued up those lines. I think it was very important to do so because we want to avoid coming back for an appropriation if we can. So, we have
030a fiscal responsibility to make sure our lines are as accurate as possible so that we come in on budget. As you can see, those eliminations were in the area of um Oh, sorry. The chart on the right shows how we covered that amount. We applied every possible grant dollar, which is not typical as it meant fully expended expending 100% of 2-year grants in a single year. We then increased pay-to-play fees, or we have the plan to if the board approves, and made additional position eliminations. As you can see, those eliminations were in the area of special education. While we will remain in IEP compliance, these reductions affect our ability to offer co-taught special education classes in many areas, pushing us backwards from the progress that we have worked hard to make. In addition, they increase
031caseloads for some of our special education staff. This was a very difficult set of decisions because we are choosing among needs that are all essential, and we are impacting people. The alternative of to these decisions would have included the following: not repairing the Polk and Judson playgrounds, which once again would have repeated the pattern of cutting facility costs first year after year. Closing those playgrounds would create significant logistical challenges during recess at two of our elementary schools, resulting in inequities for students and raising potential safety concerns by clustering children on a blacktop. It would also place both the district and the town at risk because even if the areas are cordoned off during the school day, there would be little that could be done to prevent after hours use. Dis- delaying these repairs would also
032increase costs over time as labor and materials are not going to decrease, and this is a pattern that we have seen year after year. Kicking the can down the road just costs us more in the long run. The other alternatives would be to reduce both high school and elementary teaching positions, which would increase class sizes in our elementary schools and decrease AP advanced placement classes and elective opportunities at Watertown High School. This would not be consistent with our tier one focus on strong core instruction for all students. As such, you can see why we chose to use the remainder of the two-year grant money. It is also important to note that to this point, we have eliminated positions, but we have not eliminated people. We have been able to capture those through retirements, attrition, and
033related staffing changes. However, further further cuts will create ripple effects through bumping and displacing on seniority and creating such much upheaval across our schools, and will result in significant layoffs across our organization and people in roles that they certainly have not signed on for, which is a little bit of what has already occurred in many cases. Although we were able to save people's jobs, they're now in positions that they weren't really signed on for in the first place. Um but it was the lesser of the evils, I think. It is also important to note that to this point, oh, I said that part. Sorry. Um, that would have done Okay. Uh, it Sorry. Further cuts, however, would create ripple effects dumping in split wood. Lost my place. That would have Now I know how Nicole
034and Hunter feel. That would have a devastating impact on the student experience and student outcomes while continuing to set the district back. If this budget does not pass, these are the kinds of consequences that will follow. If both the town and the Board of Ed do not pass, I fear the next set of reductions. This slide represents, um, the progression of the Board of Ed FY 27 budget. Um, you can see from initial proposed to the $200,000 reduction and then to the $500,000 reduction. And then each section I have been able to provide the specific, um, reductions that have been made to our budget. This final slide captures the core issue. The chart on the left illustrates the gap between unavoidable contract- contractual and fixed cost increases of 7.83 and the 3.32 budget now moving
035to the second referendum. The proposed budget also relies on using 100% of 2-year grants in a single year. This is not a sustainable long-term strategy. It is also important to remind the community that the town receives annual state funding through education cost sharing. Watertown's estimated FY 20-27 ECS allocation is 13.4 million. And those funds are specifically intended to offset local education costs. In addition, for FY 27, the state has provided additional supplemental aid for schools and municipalities. Watertown's education allocation of that amount is 1.4 million. And those funds are likewise intended to offset Board of Education costs and reduce the burden on taxpayers. Taken together, these factors provide important context for evaluating the true impact of the Board of Education budget. The right side of the slide shows the full list of adjustments made from
036the initial proposal to the budget before you today. This list is extensive and has significant and far-reaching consequences for our organization, and it is not sustainable moving forward. The Board is not asking for extravagance. We did not propose a 7.83 increase. Instead, we came in below our unavoidable contractual increase, which in itself in itself represents a significant reduction. At minimum, each year we must be able to cover contractual obligations, and ideally be provided with even just a small modest incremental increase if we are to maintain our current footprint, level of services, while also truly growing our schools. I remained also deeply committed to identifying cost savings and new revenue sources so that we can be our own agents of growth. However, meaningful long-term progress will require the Town Council and the Board of Education to
037work together on the behalf of Watertown on strategic long-range solutions, not schools versus town or town versus schools, but Watertown as one community. I am very encouraged by much of the dialogue that we have already been able to have this year and the promise of us working collaboratively through next year to really understand each other's perspectives. And I'm very hopeful that this will come to fruition. Our books are open. Our schools are open. I invite any member of the Town Council or the community to tour our schools, ask questions, and engage in honest conversations with us. That kind of openness and engagement is what is right for Watertown. In closing, um the purpose of my presentation tonight, and I'm sorry I read, I just wanted to be super accurate and make sure that I didn't
038get too nervous and not get all my points across. Um so, the purpose of my presentation tonight, as it has been from the beginning, is to provide honest, accurate information and to be transparent about where we stand. I fully recognize the impact of both the town and the Board of Education budgets on taxpayers, and my goal is simple. To put forward a fiscally responsible, transparent budget that reflects the true needs of our schools. Budgets must be stabilized year after year to achieve momentum. At minimum, that means covering contractual increases. Anything less is effectively a cut that diminishes the student experience and stunts our growth. I am also committed to aggressively pursuing grants and new revenue streams so that we can do our own part to offset these costs. The decisions in this budget are not
039arbitrary. They are deliberately aligned to the priorities we have stated all along, fiscal responsibility and equitable allocation of resources, especially in areas that have been historically underfunded, such as facilities and tier one instruction. Some of these choices may be controversial. I've heard people ask about a playground and why that's important. I respect that some of these decisions are controversial, but I am more than willing to provide context for any of the decisions that we have made. We are one community, Oakville-Watertown, and under that umbrella are both the town and the schools together. My hope is that moving forward, all of us continue to bring the same level of openness, clarity, and partnership to this work that our community rightly expects. Energy spent assigning blame is energy taken away from collaboration. Our community will be better
040served if we focus that energy on working together, planning long-term, and identifying sustainable strategic steps forward. The June 23rd referendum must pass so that we can move ahead in that spirit, constructively, collaboratively, and always with our youngest residents in mind. >> Thank you. >> Are there any questions for the superintendent? >> [clears throat] >> Seeing none. Moving on to item I, public participation. In accordance to policy number 9950, participants must state their name and address for the record and limit comments to 3 minutes. The board encourages speakers to refrain from making defamatory remarks about staff members or individuals associated with the Watertown public schools. Please note that questions or issues raised during public comment are not typically addressed during the meeting. However, a member of the board or administration will follow up or respond as
041appropriate. Is there anybody from the public who would like to speak? Seeing none. Moving on to item J. Oh, well. The letter after that. Items of discussion, pay-to-play. >> Oh, man, it's me again? >> Yeah. >> Okay, I have something to pass out. Um, so as indicated in the budget discussion and in having some conversation throughout this year, um, the topic of pay-to-play has come up. And for those of you who may not be familiar, here's two more for Maria and Jen as well. For those of you who may not be familiar of what that means is that it is a fee that is charged to students and families to participate in athletics in the district. Um, so in having the conversation about our pay-to-play, I did do some research and look back at history
042of of what it's been like in Watertown. So, you could see the history of the fees are very interesting. In 2006, the district charged $110 per student per sport. Um, in 20 to 2008, it was reduced to 85. In 2009 to 2012, it bumped back up to 110. Then in 2013, it went back down to 88. From 2014 to 16, it went back down to 66. And then 2017 and 18 it was at it was at 100, and then 2019 to present, it's been at 80. So, our current uh, fee structure is $80 per sport per student with a $160 cap for families. What you could see underneath, I I did a relatively um, quick search on some districts in our Durg and also in our area and what they charge um, for their pay-to-play
043fees. And you could see um, that they range from 100 to 150 and that the caps range anywhere from 200 to $600. So, it's a little bit all over the place, but at least it gives you a sense of the range. So, one of the things that we discussed was um, to make a an increase to our pay-to-play um, to help offset our costs. And so, I've provided the board with with two options um, but certainly not that we have to pick between those. It's certainly a decision and a discussion. Um, option A would be to um, move back to 100 per sport per student with a $200 family cap. Option B would be a one to $100 per sport per student fee with a $200 cap per student. So, if you're a three sport
044athlete, you pay for two sports and then a $300 family cap. Um, So, that is the information I brought to share. It is certainly dialogue and conversation. Um, I'm not sure if the board has any questions um, and I'm also certainly happy to do additional research research as needed. >> I mean, I'll start before opening up to the rest of the board. I feel that with the position we are in with our budget and the costs that are adding up, whether it's inflation or with budget reductions or the likes. I mean, I feel like there have to be some tough decisions made in order to capture some money to be able to just and just get by in regards to our budget at times. Um it >> It's not an easy decision. This is not
045something that we don't want to pass on to our families, uh these costs. Um but where we are as a district right now, especially with the the financial pressures, it kind of leaves us very little choice in my opinion. Um and and I open up to the rest of the board to provide their comments as well and what they think. Uh but that's I think the the point forward that we kind of see for ourselves. >> I have a question for the chair. >> Yes. >> Um what's the process for students that cannot afford this, maybe don't qualify for free and reduced lunch, but this would be a financial hardship for their participation? >> Typically, those families, um similar to families that may have difficulty, that don't quali- qualify for free and reduced lunch, but
046also sometimes have food insecurity and have difficulty paying for their lunches. Very often, our amazing social workers and counselors in our buildings are very familiar with those families. They reach out and and we're able to absorb those costs. So, basically, what would happen with this fund is that if there were people that that couldn't pay because of a hardship, um that money would be deducted from here, and then whatever is left over from this pool, it really gets put right back into athletics. So, this isn't money that we collect and then put it towards something else. It's money that always goes back into athletics and helps offset the cost um for students that can't afford it um so that there's equity and that people have the ability or students have the ability to participate. >>
047Is there a set dollar amount or is it a case-by-case basis? >> It's typically not has has typically not been that to that degree of a science. Um, certainly if it's a student that that qualifies for free and reduced lunch and that's communicated, there's a place in the form too where you fill out in the beginning of the year if you if you give permission for them to share this so that we know not to charge. Um, it's typically been and we we will say it often just as we do for food insecurity. We we just say please reach out to a trusted adult at the school and typically then if people say they have a hardship, we we've helped. >> Anybody else like to speak? >> Uh >> Mr. Chair. I think you've put
048forth a couple of very compelling options for us to consider and as the chairman said, we don't love being in this position there, but it's it's it's definitely called for at this time. So, I think board members, myself included there, should really just weigh what option looks to be the best proceeding forward for us. Um, and I also can speak to the diligence that Ms. Fekete had put towards this. We had spoken of this recently at our meeting there and I like to analyze all the different regions there and you know again, it's not something we like to do. It's just the position that we're in unfortunately with our budget, but I think both options look very fair and reasonable. As you mentioned, current rates are what, 80 per sport and 160 family cap. So,
049they're an increase, but I do think you know, we didn't keep up with where we should have been raising these slowly over the years there. So, this is the predicament that we're in. >> So, it's interesting that 2006 we were charging >> I I know. >> one time, right? So, it's a little bit all over the place. Um, a little bit of a bird walk, but I would also like to add that when we trued up our 1030 lines, one of the conversations that we had was about a proper uniform rotation. And that also has not been something necessarily that has been accomplished as it should have been throughout the years, just being honest. So we're getting on track with that and this is also a way to help us to catch up a little
050bit on that uniform rotation. Again, any money is collected goes right back into athletics. >> I have another question. As we weigh the options, do you have a projection as to like I don't have a frame of reference as to how many kids are in high school athletics. Do you have a projection of the change in revenue for option A versus option B? >> Not for option A versus option B. We had for A and I think I put it in my slides. >> Yeah, what we obviously didn't apply 100% because there's always that fluctuation of some students whether they're in or out, but we do have a tracking process now for them. But we budgeted $75,000 based off of what would currently um generate including some small increase cuz I had hoped that this
051would go through. If there was any um money in excess of that, just as Lisa said, the athletic funds do not get mixed with anything else. It's a completely separate fund that was set up long before I was here and it is an athletic fund. There's one both for the middle school and for the high school and we use it to offset anything from uniform rotations or in the case where we need to fix athletic lights that suddenly, you know, aren't working anymore. All of those funds are used and all of that is audited by the auditors and all of that is available to anybody who would like to see. But currently for this coming year, we budgeted $75,000. >> 75 but the increase in fees for option A was 30,000. So it generated an
052additional 30,000. If we did option A, it would generate an additional $30,000. I don't know about B. We didn't drill down. And again, those are estimates because it's hard to predict and we we can look at about how many students participated but figuring out siblings, like that's that drill down we we didn't do. >> And I will just state we're not going to be voting on this tonight. It's just discussing and giving time for the board to review it and look at the options and ask them any questions that they may have. Yes. >> Barry, is there a separate line in athletics for the price of the bus and is the gas included in that or is the gas separate from it? >> The gas is separate. We pay for the fuel as part of
053our contract. We actually provide the fuel. We do wet fueling over at the bus company. So the only price that we actually get charged for is the bus charge and then the fuel is a separate line item. I don't actually break that out for athletics. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Through the chair? >> Yes. >> Uh just like the one final thing. When would you like the board to get back to you on this? Is this something we're looking to speak to at our next meeting? >> So I I think that yeah, I mean I don't know that there there's a particular rush per se because it even if whenever it's when and if the new fee structure is adopted, it goes into effect but we're not really there until I should ask Warren when
054do we start collecting? >> Warren wanted that number a week ago because >> Oh, Warren you [laughter] did? >> Well, because family because family ID's already set up, right? And families start registering for the fall sports. So we didn't want to put a number out and then tell them two months later it's >> I I probably >> Yeah. >> What did you say Warren? >> Registration is set to go out this week. >> Okay. >> Um and families have typically a certain amount of time to do that by but I mean it's usually it's before they start because they start the middle of August so >> Right. >> Okay, through the chair. Can I just ask one more question? Is it possible to get and I know they won't be exact because it's a lot
055of weighing the families but just to compare kind of the revenue change for option A versus option B? >> Yeah, I I there probably would be some addition. I'm happy to do the work but if you think about it, if we're going to set a cap at $200 per student, that's easy enough to figure out and then the only other cap would be is if there was one more. So, $100. So, yeah, I could I could easily do that. >> It's based on sibling. >> Right. Right. So, before we were just going with the $100 per student. So, right off the bat with the second option, we know it would be 200 per student if they were playing multiple sports. That's the problem. We'd have to see how many kids played more than one sport.
056Um but it can be done. I can certainly work on that. >> I was just curious cuz one is a kind of a modest increase and the other might double like the family's contribution, which for some might not be a big deal. Some might be sticker shock. So, we're kind of weighing like a modest increase >> that. I I do want to just point out to that if you have a child who plays sports and they do anything outside of the school, you're paying that weekly for them to play sport. I hate to say it, but it's the truth. So, um but again, we don't want to turn students away. That's not our intent at all. It's really just to make sure that we can provide a good experience for them and have all the
057needs that they have and be able to be fiscally responsible. So. >> Mr. Chairman. >> Yes. >> Um my children played sports in 2006 all the way up to 2000 uh 17. And there was no cap, family cap. And they played multiple sports, three sports a year, three children. So, I think this cap is is very generous of us to be able to say that we understand that if you have three children playing three sports per year, that we're I I think that that's a great offering as far as I'm concerned. And I think there's it's time for an increase. That's my opinion. >> I also had two students playing >> [laughter] >> three sports each. It's crazy. >> Are there any other questions? Yes, this is Ashley. >> I just have a a quick
058question. I noticed in some of the research that you did with other districts, they differentiate between middle school and high school. >> Yep. I'm just curious about our just charging a flat fee. >> I think some do. Some keep a flat fee. I will tell you that um since we've never differentiated before, I didn't include that as an option because it increases workload and record keeping significantly. I think that that's that just adds another whole layer. Um certainly though, that's I'm not here to say no. Like if that's something that the board wants to explore, we of course explore it. But that's the reason why I didn't include that as an option because it does increase the record keeping piece of things um and we have never differentiated in the past. So it would have
059just been another change. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions from the board? No comments? Okay. Seeing none. Thank you, Lisa. >> Yep. >> All right. Moving on to board policy secondary to series 5000, eligibility to attend Watertown Public Schools, policy number 5033 and 5033R. >> So um just a a comment um for the board's awareness. In the regs, the only thing that's not in here are the affidavit forms. Um I do have them in draft form. Um and they're really just a kind of an addendum. Um but that would be the only thing that's Oh, they're the older ones are here. The older ones are in the back. We did some newer ones and we are going to The only other change would be in the powe- in the regs would be to note
060for each scenario which forms the paper forms they need to fill out cuz it's often been very confusing for families. Other than that, um I think the policy is at this point um unless the board has suggestions for any additional changes is is in final form. >> Um did you want to speak to this a little bit, Jason? >> Sure. Yeah. Um yeah, Miss Feeney, I am thrilled with the work that you did with this and I know how hard you've been working on this with Mr. Gorman and your team there. Uh this policy uh protects us further. And just so the community knows, uh Miss Spector and her team have now identified well >> [snorts] >> well into the teens there. >> Marie, do you have now? >> Last I knew, we were at
06113. >> 13 people that were attending our schools and were not taxpayers in Watertown. Um some of them, you know, costing us have DPs to have in our schools, so they're especially uh if there's any special needs students there. So, I applaud the work with this and the policy is very good and it addresses everything from the scope that you're in this right now analyzing it and seeing what really needs to be tightened up with it. Um so, I'm proud of the policy we're putting forth for the second read and I fully support it going into policy with the my support in the vote tonight. >> A second just thing to mention to the board as well, though, is um another reason for changing the policy is that it was very confusing to our families
062that were trying to register. Um it was hard to follow like which scenario is which, which forms do I I fill out. So, the other thing that this has done is really just spelled it out for people because it can be confusing. There's lots of different scenarios and different requirements depending on those scenarios by law. So, [snorts] I feel like this is also a much more parent-friendly um policy for when people do join us um and and come to register their students. >> Any other comments or questions? Seeing none. Thank you. Moving on to Communication Secretary. >> No communication, okay. Moving on to committee reports. Curriculum and Instruction, Miss Haskins. >> No report at this time. >> Policy waiver, Miss Palguta. >> Yes, Mr. Chair. Um we just had our second read of the series
0635000 eligibility to attend Watertown Public Schools policy 5033 and 5033R will be having a vote upcoming this evening. And also, uh myself, Ms. Kashuba, Mr. uh Belica, Ms. Faceti, and Ms. Davidson, and Mr. Velardi had met a few times. Uh still continuing to work on our facilities use policy and uh received some great input from a couple of the different stakeholders in town who are impacted by it. Uh soccer, football, lacrosse. So, we're going to be recategorizing um the fee structure there, getting it out to the board shortly, and we hope to have something into our second policy read for the upcoming meeting. >> Thank you. Uh budget and finance, Ms. Davidson. >> Yes, Mr. Chairman. The Executive Board has been working closely with the superintendent to present a budget to the public after a
064devastating cut from the Town Council with the failure of the last referendum. I implore every registered voter to come out and vote on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Once again, the voting will take place at the following location. Voting District 68-01, Watertown High School at 324 French Street in Watertown, Connecticut. Voting District 6802, Judson School, 124 Hamilton Lane, Watertown, Connecticut. Voting District 6803, Swift Middle School at 250 Colonial Street in Oakville, Connecticut. [snorts] And Voting District 6804, Polk School, 437 Buckingham Street, Oakville, Connecticut. Absentee ballots are available at the Registrar of Voters in the Watertown Town Hall, also located at 61 Echo Lake Road in Watertown. >> Thank you. Moving on to facilities, Ms. Martino. >> Mr. Chair, I have nothing to report. >> Got it. Governance
065and Community Engagement, Ms. uh Lawton. >> No report at this time. >> Okay. Moving on to item N, report from [clears throat] the board chair. This evening, as saw in the superintendent's presentation, we are presenting to the public a series of difficult cuts that unfortunately have to be made due to the realities we face in front of us with the rising costs associated with running the school district such as for energy as we saw earlier in the presentation along with further cuts made by the town council, the Board of Education has been put in a very tough situation for the foreseeable future. I do appreciate that through discussion with Lisa and her team that we are aiming to prioritize protecting the student experience to the best of our ability with what remains of our two-year
066grant money. However, as we stated before, this will only get us through this upcoming fiscal year. The years of austerity and short-term vision have ultimately led us to this point as we now find ourselves approaching a cliff that will possibly necessitate decisions in the next budget cycle that will define our district for up to a decade or possibly even longer to come. You can only tighten your belt so much before you begin damaging the organs on the inside and for a school district that becomes the quality of education, the opportunities we can provide for our students which are a key factor in shaping our community that we call home. With the amount of turnover we faced in the past due to budget cuts, the effects of COVID, further unfunded state mandates, and with declining morale,
067it's been hard to generate any forward momentum that would produce improved test scores that we are constantly criticized over. When you make cuts to a district, it is very difficult to get those resources back versus having protected them in the first place. That makes future attempts to rebuild to take longer and more times than not requires more than a municipality is willing to stomach to correct course. I do understand, truthfully, the pain our community is experiencing with rising costs. Rapid inflation and other factors have made it harder for the everyday American to get by, especially here in Watertown and Oakville. Tough decisions are being made in our homes and testing our trust in government, which is why we as a board made an effort to make our budget as transparent as possible and to welcome
068members of the community to review our budgetary lines and provide feedback to us. We've also made tough reductions prior to the ones we are now making, knowing the challenges that face our community while attempting to not decimate core services. We as your local elected officials have an obligation to the people of this town to do what's best for our students while also being fiscally responsible with your tax dollars. If we are not performing to that standard, the expectation is accountability and nothing less. That should go for any government institution on any level of our federal system. While the town council has final say on what number we go out to a referendum with, we as a board working closely with our superintendent craft a budget that respects the financial realities we face as a collective
069community while also doing our best to provide a good and quality education for the future of our town. I bring all of what I spoke to to the forefront because the conversation has to begin early as a community of what our expectations are for the future of all our school our school district and by extension the town as a whole. There will be There will potentially be decisions that will need to be made that will impact us for up to a decade or longer as mentioned earlier. We as a board with our superintendent and our team do plan on starting our budget process earlier than usual with this in mind, which includes listing the community for their thoughts on what they believe their elected officials should be prioritizing and having a spirited conversation. So, there
070are two things I'd like to ask of the public tonight. Firstly, please go out and vote on the 23rd and be a part of the civic process which impacts you more than any decision made in Hartford or DC. Secondly, I ask the community to engage with us throughout the fall and during our budget cycle. The more The more [clears throat] people we hear from, the easier it will be for us as the elected officials who serve you, the people, to make those budgetary decisions before they're presented to the town council. We in this democracy of ours are blessed to have the right to speak out, make our minds known, and to impact the course of our future. It is a right we have for as long as we are willing to uphold it as any
071right can turn into a privilege if enough people choose to treat it as such. Thank you. >> Yes, Mr. Mallicoat. >> To piggyback off of what the chairman said, uh I look at tonight's meeting and it's uh it's funny that we end up at these junctures at certain time there. We had a room filled with students and kids and in that is what we are all here for and the best part of that that's accountability because we look at these faces there and these are who are [clears throat] going to be impacted by these tough decisions [snorts] and that's where the dollars hurt. Hunter and Nicole and all of your other classmates there that's who it impacts and it's painful for us to sit here and have to go through these and just visualize the
072realization of what these cuts are going to do. They're they're going to set us back. They're going to be painful for us. No one likes rising taxes, no one likes inflation, myself included, but when it comes to investing in our children, I'm always on board for that. That's the future. I always say my greatest gift as a servant to our town is that one of you or one of your peers is sitting up here one day and I'm out in the crowd there and watching you guys serve our town. That tells me that you guys wanted to come back to Watertown cuz we believed in you, we supported you, your educational experience and it it it inspired you enough to want to be here for us in the future. Um so people look at things
073as well budgetary a big number. It's not a big number that one person has to pay, two people have to pay. It's divided out amongst our whole tax basis and when you really drill down to what that number is per person, it's affordable. Maybe it's one less trip to Starbucks or two. It's something that is not worth cutting for what you can impact for our students learning experience. So please get out and vote, support the civic process and understand um I have full support of Marie and Lisa that everything you saw in these documents has gone through been gone through not only once, twice, three times, but probably 10 or 20 times. So, get out and vote, please. >> Is there anybody else who'd like to say anything? Ms. Davidson? >> Every vote is a
074voice, and every voice deserves to be heard. Voting is one of the most powerful ways citizens can shape their communities, their states, and their country. Elected officials make decisions that affect our daily lives, from schools, roads, and public safety, to healthcare, taxes, and economic opportunities. By voting, we help determine who represents our interests and what priorities will receive attention. Many elections are decided by surprisingly small margins. Local elections in particular can be won or lost by just a handful of votes. This means that every ballot truly makes a difference. With our last referendum left in 15% of the population in Watertown and Oakville, came out to vote. The Board of Education budget failed by under 70 votes. If everyone listening or in the audience today, or maybe most of the audience that was here prior,
075texted five people to vote, many more would have had their votes voice heard. From the morning of May 20th, which was the day after the referendum failed, up until just this morning, we have been wrapping our heads away around ways to cut our budget. We hear loud and clear that our town needs to see where the money is being spent. Ms. Spegity, Ms. Kashuba, and Ms. Gaylord again went through all 1,030 lines to see where another amount could be reduced. And then, they still welcome your questions every single day. We hear you when we say cutting sports and activities is not the answer. We hear you when you say we don't want larger classroom sizes. We do hear you. However, we cannot control electricity, fuel, and water bills going up over $285,000. When things like
076this happen, that exact number has to be cut from somewhere else. Do we cut staff? Do we close that playground? Do we stop several after school clubs? We reduced just about every budget we could while still making sure the students in our district receive the experience that they are expecting. That being said, and I cannot stress this enough, we are taking on a ton of risk by drawing down our grants to zero and anticipating additional Medicaid. This is a very intentional move so that we are not disrupting the students any more than we absolutely need to. Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Participate, stay informed, and make your voice heard at the ballot box on June 23rd. >> So, anybody else who'd like to say something? Is that all? >> I don't have as eloquent
077of words as you guys, but I just also like to express um disappointment that despite promising initial discussions of the big picture um decisions that are being made tend or appearing to be a little bit more short-sighted and undermine the work that everybody was doing on long-term um predictable strategic planning. Um I echo what Kareem had said. I I certainly can be empathetic towards the increasing costs and what parents are supporting. I am a single parent and this is often why I ask as many questions as I do before we make decisions that are passed on to families. Um but I also understand it's not realistic that taxes will never increase, and particularly with the narrow margin that the Board of Education budget did not pass, is it worth the reactive cuts that are taking
078place on that big picture and on that predictable strategic planning that we want because our schools are the investment in our town, and what is good for our schools is good for the whole town whether you have kids here or not. Um I do think we are a district that's that's really driven by our people, and I have said this before having had kids that have launched from here and are thriving and kids that are still here and a long way to go in the district, our people continually show up enthusiastically for our children even in times that they're not feeling a lot of community support for public education. And I very much appreciate Lisa, Marie, and the whole team's efforts to preserve those people because that's really what's driving the work that's being done
079here. So, I really to echo everything, encourage everybody to to get out to to vote, to consume the information that's being put out there. There's been a really intentional effort to disseminate information to the community, um to offering building tours, to meeting with community groups. The information's there and I know everybody's willing to answer questions, so we really appreciate asking those questions and coming out to the the polls at the next referendum. >> Is there anybody else who'd like to speak? >> Through the chair. >> Yes. >> Um I'm a little concerned tonight about hearing about the grants that are going to be used, that we are going into using a two-year grant and we're putting it into this year to expend everything completely. Uh I work for the state. We rely on grants immensely.
080We are not getting grants. They're not coming through through the federal government. So, my concern is using all that money in the front end so quickly. What happens next year? Is something to keep in mind. But I understand where you're coming from and I I appreciate your transparency. I appreciate you putting everything forward to keep as much available for our students today, for our staff today, to keep things going through the next year. As a taxpayer and a homeowner, I understand where everyone is coming with the needs for these cuts. You know, each one of us is feeling it. Just going to the gas pump today, you feel it. It it's there. I'm also a parent, a mother of a high schooler, and I'm concerned of the future. What these cuts are going to mean
081for our students, what they're going to mean for all students. My daughter is going to be a senior next year. So, we are now looking at colleges. One of the things that I've been seeing um as we're going through with these college admissions, is they want to know those special classes, those AP courses that you're taking, the CNA program. All of these things are valuable to that student to making them a better candidate out there compared to all the other students across the state. So, I think as a board, as a town, we should be affording the best possibility to our students to prepare them for the future and make them place and get into these colleges they're all hoping to get into. So, as much as it pains me, I think we should look
082to the future and make sure we're doing our best for our children. >> Is there anybody else who'd like to speak? Okay. Moving on to action items, adoption of policy number 5033 and 5033R. Do I have a motion? >> Yes, Mr. Chairman. >> [clears throat] >> I make a motion to adopt policies 5033 and 5033R as presented. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Motion carries. All right. Moving on to item Q, future agenda items and board member comments. Is there anybody from the board who'd like to say anything? Seeing none, moving on to adjournment. Do I have a motion to adjourn this meeting? >> Yes, Mr. Chairman. I make a motion to adjourn this meeting at 8:10 p.m. >> Do I have a
083second? >> I second. >> All those in favor?